Powder Room Diaries

Influenza 2008 is officially here!  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that influenza activity continued to increase in the United States and the proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza was above the epidemic threshold.   I write this report to you from my bed, where I have spent most of this week as result of THE FLU and now Conjunctivitis, more commonly known as Pink Eye.  After a visit to the doctor twice this week what I learned about the flu is that

• If you had the Flu shot (I did) it does not “guarantee” you will not get the Flu.
• It is not too late to get a Flu shot, though it may not help because…
• This year’s flu vaccine may not be protection for this particular strain of Influenza
• Within 48 hours of coming down with the Flu you are able to get to the doctor you may be able to take an anti-viral drug to treat the Flu
• Antibiotics will not cure the Flu
• Chicken soup is not only good for the soul it’s good for treating Colds and Flu 

I hope you avoid the Flu, but if not I hope this wee bit of knowledge helps.

Confessions of a mad/sad blogger.  Alright, I confess here and now that for me blogging has become a love/hate relationship.  I have so much wisdom, wit, insight and clever thoughts that I want to share with you and tell the world. Yet finding the time to craft witty, meaningful and interesting prose is almost all but impossible, at least that’s the way it seems to me.  

As I drive along in my car on the way to and from a myriad of meetings my mind enjoys that bit of free-time-wandering and introspection.  Inevitably I am inspired to run home and share those moments of brilliant insights in my blog.  Alas, back at my desk the real world of phone calls and emails consumes my attention and detracts me from sharing with you yet again. Perhaps I am just too hard on myself and instead of crafting perfect prose I should write from the heart and just say it, even if all to brief. 

I envy my friends, Geoff Livingston, Andrea Goulet, Toby Bloomberg, Pam Sorensen and Kristina Bouweiri who all manage to maintain regular blog postings.  They are my s/heros; committed to regular postings and share great adventures and incredible insights with you.  Sigh, for now I will stand and admire them from afar and re-commit yet again to get back to blogging, after all, it’s good fodder and food for the soul!

Cynthia H. de Lorenzi serves as Chief Executive Diva of Success in the City a unique social networking organization for senior level executive business.  She is serial entrepreneur with 3 women owned companies under her leadership, including de Lorenzi Group LLC. Patriot Computer Group, Inc. and GoGawGaw. She serves on the Board of Directors for TiE-DC and the Telework Coalition, Community Business Partnership (CBP), which includes the Women’s Business Center. She is also a co-founder of the Washington Bureau for ISP Advocacy (WBIA).  She is a frequent guest speaker, panelist and media guest on issues related to public policy, workforce and technology and women’s issues. 

Next Friday, October 26, 2007 women of all entrepreneurial stripes will be gathering for the Women’s Entrepreneur Expo; Living the Dream in Springfield, VA.  Hosted by the Women’s Business Center and the Community Business Partnership this event was sold out almost two-weeks early. What is interesting about this year’s conference is the inclusion of a breakout session on blogging, podcasting and social networking. For the purpose of full and open disclosure I confess to you now that I am the invited presenter at the conference on this topic.  And I’m not ashamed to tell you that I am unabashedly excited about this subject.   

For the novice or even the most intrepid entrepreneur it can seem intimidating, daunting and even mysterious to figure out what new media choices and/or strategies are good options building a stellar business network.  Among our friends and colleagues it has become a common and reoccurring theme of our discussions; what’s hot and what’s not in emerging social networking tools and whose blogging and podcasting what.  The usual questions range from “Are you on LinkedIn and if so how many connections do you have?”  Do you have a MySpace or FaceBook page?  Do you have a blog?  The more yes’ the more your stature of expertise rises in your peers eyes.

This past week Stan Relihan, one of my LinkedIn Connections in Australia, released his inview with me for his Podcast program; The Connections Show.  So far we’ve received thumbs up reviews from our listeners and invite you to give a listen.  Stan and I have never met in person, however, if you ask either of us if we believe that we found value in our LinkedIn relationship or friendship we would both say a resounding YES!

If you were on Dancing with the Stars and you were relatively famous but not as famous as your competition on the show what would you do?  If you were smart you would do what Mark Cuban is doing.  Mark is using Facebook, a new media technology and strategy to engage his friends, colleagues, network and fan base in a conversation about his experiences on the show. Through his network he has built a base of viewers and supporters who are called to action on Monday nights to watch and vote for him and his partner Kym.   

I find this a cool experience because Mark keeps us posted on his up to the minute activities, from practice to wardrobe malfunctions to being called to rehearsal or the set.  I would love to stay and tell you more but I’ve got to go get ready to watch the show so I can vote for Mark and Kym tonight. 

Here and now I declare it, bodily, shamelessly and proudly, I have the greatest job in the world! For my friends who read this and know me well you have my permission to smack me with this bold statement the next time you hear my occasional whining about the self-imposed pressure, need and failure to post to our blog.   

The challenge of having the greatest job in the world is the chaos created by the enthusiasm to do more and expand on all the many great things one has committed to do. It is my blog that has become the neglected child of those many passions and interests. 

Daily a great idea, experience, incredible introduction or conversation occurs and I am momentary inspired with the thought that I would like to share those with you on my blog.  Inevitably, distraction occurs and off we go running in another direction.   Another day and week slips by without sharing any of those wise, insightful or nurturing words I so want to provide to you as inspiration. 

Debbie Weil, the author of the Corporate Blogging Book, Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get it Right and the author of her own blog – Blog Write for CEOs was our guest two weeks ago for a conversation on blogging.  Debbie left our audience of CEO divas breathless and eager to put pen to blog.  She is incredible and inspiring and since then I think of Debbie daily and mentally reaffirm my dedication to blog posting.  Two weeks later here it is.   

What Debbie shared that continues to bounce around in my head is the fact that if you choose to do a blog you need to post and do it regularly.  It is not necessary to post daily but you do need to post on a regular schedule.  Even once a week can be quite acceptable. 

In Debbie’s book she shares the Top 7 Tips for a CEO Blogger, which includes these resounding 3.

I’m single. I go out. I meet men. We have a great time. They ask for my number. Yet, I’ve noticed a trend - most don’t call me back.

Why?

My womanly intuition tells me that it’s not me. I’m fun, flirty, cute and I usually only give out my number if there’s been an established chemistry. Honestly, I feel that it’s the guy’s fear of rejection.

When I first started in sales, one of my first trainings compared selling to dating. You need to get to know your client little by little - making sure that you focus on their needs than your own. Sound familiar?

We also learned an important lesson about follow-up. It is your responsibility, not the client’s, to keep in touch - which means reaching out and making that initial call.

I’ve heard stories of companies who went with a competitor simply because the sales person didn’t follow up.

Similarly, guys lose out on a girl who is interested in getting to know them better because they are too shy/afraid/nervous to pick up the phone and make that initial call.

So, if you’re a guy and you’re nervous about that first call, take a sales class or ask one of your buddies who’s in sales to teach you the ropes. You’ll learn it’s a numbers game, you will get rejection, and none of it is personal. When you adopt this attitude, you’ll find yourself having more fun.

The New Media Nouveaux Conference has been a magnificent catalyst for conversation.

Geoff Livingston gave an insightful introduction to new media - citing case studies from his upcoming book, Now Is Gone.

He started by mentioning the impact that social media has on today’s society. Being in the Northern Virginia area, the audience is intimately aware of the change that viral video had on the fall Senatorial campaign. George Allen was literally the front runner for the US presidential seat - however, after the “mecaca” disaster, his career is over, the Virginia senatorial race was radically changed (I know I changed my vote because of the incident), and ultimately the shift of power in Congress changed from Republican to Democrat. So yes, this stuff matters.

The main focus of Geoff’s talk was how pervasive social media is on our society and how it enforces a culture of transparency and honesty. It is an opportunity to engage your “community” (Geoff doesn’t believe in the word “audience” because it gives the perception of a one sided conversation), get immediate feedback and implement innovative business strategies immediately.

He referenced GM as the first fortune 500 blog and how the CEO responds in video format to comments posted on the blog.

Southwest airlines also demonstrates how the comments of a corporate blog can change the course of a business plan. After Southwest posted a blog about how they were planning on changing their strategy and move to assigned seating, they received over 700 comments against this change. Southwest listened to their consumers, took them seriously and created more brand loyalty because of their response.

Businesses Who Are Using New Media

The first panel, led by Jen Sterling from Hinge (an award winning professional services branding firm) focused on the business impact of using new media.

Jill Stelfox, CEO and Cofounder of Defywire told the story of how her 13 year old son has had an influence on how her company uses new media. Defywire focuses on software and technology to keep children safe in school crises. After producing several videos on how to keep children safe (ex: how to prepare your kindergardener for their first day of school). The initial marketing strategy was to produce these videos to DVDs and distribute via mail. Instead, at the suggestion of Jill’s son, the videos were put on YouTube and as a result, Defywire has built a strong viral message that has spun new product lines and increased business.

Kim Hart from The Washington Post gave insight on how the traditional media relies on new media. Let it be known - this is straight from the horse’s mouth - the press release is dead. It does not work. Journalists are so busy, they do not have time to read a story with spin. Instead, a quick e-mail (literally a sentence or so long) with a link to a new story is the best way to peak this journalist’s interest. She also gave insight as to how the success of a story may not be a “traditional article on page D4 in the business section.” Now that more people are on blogs and the participation level is increasing exponentially, a company may very well have more success with a short blog post that can create viral buzz than they would in print.

Pamela Sorrensen, an active blogger on DC’s social scene showed how you can turn your passion into a profitable platform. Her blog was created after friends requested updates of her intense social life. She constantly attends parties and events, rubbing shoulders with the who’s who in the area. Her blog allows her to share her pithy posts without sending individual e-mails. Now her fans come to her and her readership is such that she can earn money from advertisements.

Strategists - How to Use Social Media

Ok, so I wasn’t able to live blog this portion because I was the moderator. The panel consisted of Alice Marshall from Presto Vivace, Qui Diaz from Ogilvy PR, and Jennifer Cortner from EFX Media.

This was an interactive discussion of not only the panel, but the audience (wait - I mean community) as well. We discussed strategies for how to blog, whether or not to use Facebook or Myspace, how the government is using wikis, why del.icio.us is a great tool, how you can use videos and podcasts to promote your business, and the all important question - how to avoid burnout.

At the end of the fast paced discussion, Success in the City founder Cynthia De Lorenzi came up with the brilliant idea of creating a regional networking event digging deeper into each social media initiative. Be sure to check the calendar at successinthecity.org to learn when these events are happening.

What’s coming Next?

So this is the big question - what’s going to happen in the future. Although no one has a crystal ball, New Media Nouveaux featured the next best thing - a panel of experts who have their collective fingers on the pulses of the social media industry.

Sean Gorman from FortiusOne is the innovator of GeoCommons, a Web 2.o tool that allows users to create interactive visual maps.

Here are his definitions of the evolution of the Web:

• Web 1.o - Read - Brochure like websites with a one-sided point of view
• Web 2.0 - Read & Write - People can respond to information through comments and links.
• Web 3.0 - Read, Write & Execute - Driven by massive amounts of data. Most of this data is housed in the government level. Governments are notoriously slow in investing in technology - so this is a large roadblock to overcome. One example is how you can househunt. In web 1.0 you would view pictures online and research crime statistics, schools, and community resources on individual websites. Web 2.0 allows you to blog with individuals who live in communities and get feedback on their lifestyle. In web 3.0, Sean predicts applications that will allow you to enter all of your preferences for a community in one location. Then, the program will go out, automatically aggregate your requests and arrange the data in an intuitive manner.

He referenced the movie Minority Report is an example of where we can look to. For example, if you walk in front of a billboard, it will create a customized campaign based on your past purchase history. Technology will be more than mobile, it will be an integral part of every person’s daily life (even more so than today).

Aaron Brazell is the Director of Technology at B5 Media and his professional blog, Technosailor is highly regarded in the industry. Aaron referenced an experience that demonstrates the influence bloggers have.

A friend ordered a laptop and realized that he made a mistake on which shipping option he chose. HP gave him the run-around and pointed him into walls and dead ends. Aaron took matters into his own hands and wrote a blog post called “HP Gives Consumer Middle Finger“. The post ended up on the front page of Digg, the negative comments from the community flooded in and as a result, Aaron’s friends issues were suddenly resolved.

In Aaron’s opinion, Web 3.0 is “becoming untethered from your computer. Right now I’m tied to a 17″ monitor. With the introduction of the iPhone (although I will never own one) it will force competitors to innovate and create new mobile devices.” He also referenced smart homes, where you can walk into a room, say “it’s cold in here” and the smart network automatically interprets and executes the function of turning up the heat.

Place your bets now - Aaron gave predictions of Sink & Swim companies to watch for.

Companies that will sink:

• Yahoo! - especially because of their recent corporate challenges (losing their CEO)
• Myspace - the developers are growing up and becoming more mature. The application is also too widespread with little niche value.
• Mahalo - A search engine that harnesses the power of humans. Aaron believes this technology is “very 1998″.

Companies that will swim:

• Facebook - especially since they just opened their application to development - new plugins are going to create an ultrarich content.
• Concept Share - allows you to put graphic images, videos, etc. that allow you make comments and collaborate. Estimates this company will be acquired by Google.
• Twitter - While I agree that the concept of “micro-blogging” is a new wave, I think Pounce will outpace Twitter - especially since Pounce allows you to upload files, links, images, etc.

Brian Williams is the CEO of Viget Labs, a full-service web consulting, design and consulting firm who touts clients like Brittney Spears and Kenny Chesney.

Brian pointed out how younger audiences are less concerned about privacy issues as older generations. As more data is collected on individual users (ex: Amazon.com and their recommendation system) more customization will occur.

One member of the audience (damnit - I mean community - I’ll get it eventually) posed this question - What advantage does the US have in this industry, are we a leader? Brian’s response: “We are a country built around innovation and entrepreneurship. Look at YouTube - this is a new age of kids in their garages and new applications can be built with the collaborative brainpower of few individuals. You’re not limited by resources - people who we have yet to hear from are going to be the superstars.”

Lessons Learned

One of the biggest lessons I learned from this conference is how varied social media strategies can be. While a blog may be the best strategy for one company, a viral video initiative may be what works for another. It was also apparent just how new all this new media is. Even the experts are on their toes trying to keep up with the constantly changing technology.

I can’t wait for the next event, which closing keynoter Toby Bloomberg called, “one of the best social media events I’ve attended.”

I’d agree. Cheers to a great event and all the excellent panel experts.

- Posted by Andrea Morris of Write Ideas Marketing 

I’m sitting at the New Media Nouveaux conference in Tyson’s Corner, VA - ready to learn more about the crazy world of blogging and new media culture.

The conference is sponsored by Success In the City, founded by Cynthia De Lorenzi - an influential networking organization geared to C-level executive women.

Up as our opening and closing keynoters, we have Geoff Livingston, from the Buzz Bin whom The Washington Post called a blogging “guru.” Later this afternoon we’ll hear from blogger extraordinaire Toby Bloomberg from the Diva’s Marketing Blog - ranked in the top 2,000 blogs in the world by Technorati.

I’ll be moderating a “Specialists” panel later this afternoon on specific techniques, tips and tools on using blogs, wikis, social networking, social bookmarking, vlogs and podcasts. Jen Sterling will be leading the “Businesses” panel discussing why social media is important. (The picture is of myself and Jen) And Jody Roth will be moderating the “Futurists” panel to explore what’s coming next and how we can keep ahead of the rapidly moving social media curve.

We’ll also be having a working lunch where each table will discuss various topics of new media and participants will share their ideas and lessons learned.

It’s sure to be a fun-filled day. Stay tuned for more.

 Women care about muscularity when choosing a sexual partner, so says a UCLA study detailed in Salon that found that women are more likely to turn to musclemen for trysts and average Joes for long term relationships or matrimony. 

Researchers said women view muscle bound men as dominant and unpredictable, less muscle men as trust worthy and dependable. In the study, which will be published next month in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, USA Today reports that 61 percent of women said their short term relationships were with more muscular men.

On the one hand, muscles make men more sexy to women, on the other hand, it makes women more suspicious about their romantic intentions, says David Frederick, the study’s author. And there is some biological basis behind it. The article in Salon says that evolutionary scientists have long maintained that secondary sexual characteristics, such as large muscles in men, are cues to genes that increase the viability of offspring or their reproductive success.

I don’t really get it.  Musclemen have never done it for me and I certainly don’t want little musclemen running around. I’ll take a trustworthy and dependable Average Joe any day and the one I have in my life is anything but average.

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Michele Capots has been writing for various newspapers and magazines for the last 10 years. Her favorite color is purple. Currently she works in public relations for Livingston Communications.

I dread lunchtime. Recently, I opted for a dairy and caffeine-free life for two weeks, and I’ve been miserable ever since.

A list of what dairy free means exactly can be found here, but what it means to me is I don’t get my strawberry banana yogurt, Zone bar or Diet Cokes every day. It means my lunch has become bland and not exciting.

When listing the items I can’t have like that, it doesn’t sound like such a big deal. But it is. Cheese, ice cream, milk — and anything made with them — are off limits. What we like to eat becomes such a part of us, even the vices. Food is not only a necessity, but our comfort, our friend. I don’t know which has been harder – giving up the dairy or the Diet Coke.

I think about the Diet Coke every morning, to the point that I can almost taste it in my mouth. And apparently I’m not the only one. Plenty of people struggle with giving up Diet Coke.

My significant other and I embarked on this journey because we both have weak stomachs. The idea is to see that if we take away all of the things that aggravate it, what it would feel like. But so far, the only thing we both feel are headaches. But I have a little incentive.

The next time I drink a Diet Coke I will be in Whitefish, Montana, at the base of Glacier National Park. It feels like an eternity, but I hope that should definitely be enough incentive to pull me though.

In the meantime, if I could just find something to eat for lunch …

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Michele Capots has been writing for various newspapers and magazines for the last 10 years. Her favorite color is purple. Currently, she works in public relations for Livingston Communications. Be sure to also check her out in the Buzz Bin.