What makes us decide to “like” something on Facebook or join a group or a cause? I’ve been receiving all these requests lately and it’s got me thinking about passion…how someone’s passion for/about something can lead to massive movements. But then, what if you get a suggestion from a friend and you don’t share that same passion?  Do you ignore it? Or do you support it? Passion is tricky….yet powerful and persuasive…in the words of my buddy, Kevin Eikenberry. (I say tricky…he says powerful and persuasive.) I believe it’s all encompassing of those and so many other things. I...

Girl in a Coma (credit: adam stockstill) So, I’m not a big one-upper. You all know the types I’m talking about…those people out there that make it more about themselves and being better and getting more than the others around them. The ones who rarely do what they do because they love it. The ones that talk about other people and put others down. The ones who think they’re pretty much better than most. Yeah, you know that person. When I’m around those types, I can literally feel my energy drain…as if a blood-sucking vampire has come to reel me in. I have to regroup. Refocus. Come...

This year has been a pretty big one for me personally…and it’s not stopping. As if it wasn’t exciting enough, I’m honored to have been chosen to speak at this year’s Blog Indiana on Saturday, August 21 at 4pm. (IT building in room 162…IUPUI’s campus in Indianapolis.) That’s right. Bring it. My presentation is on ghosting aka ghost blogging. I’ve entitled it “The Art of the Ghost” because that’s what I do, and that’s what I know. Now I want to share. Despite the controversy over the subject matter…the unauthenticated accusations (missed those rules again), I’ve...

Don’t you ever get tired of seeing the typical “social media” blog? • 5 things every social media marketer needs to know… • 10 things to make you rock on Twitter… • 8 social media rules to live by… Blah, blah, blah… It’s all the same. What happened to the real reason why we love social media in the first place? Because there ARE NO RULES! Sure, we all learned some type of etiquette (hopefully) as we grew up…please, thank you, excuse me…all of which are part of being human and communicating in a way that makes other people feel that you’re not all about you. (Some are...

Okay, I’ll be honest. I had never been a big fan of Chevrolet. I don’t really know why. There was never a big reason for it. I just never thought to go over there and test drive one. In my head, I kind of had a thing against American car-makers (please don’t hate me) because I never felt they were doing enough to build a car that was fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. (Is there such a thing?) Now, please understand, I am completely ignorant when it comes to vehicles. I am certainly not up-to-speed on what any car company in the world is doing in the back room. This is completely...

Okay, I get it. People want followers. Tweeters/Twatters/Twitterers, whatever you call yourself if you’re on Twitter, and most want to feel they’re being heard. Some may find comfort in the amount of followers they have (why?). I’ll be honest; part of my job on the social media front of my business is to gain fans and followers for some of my clients. I understand why people decide to utilize programs for Twitter management, especially when you manage multiple accounts AND those accounts are not in your area. A popular application for this is Tweet Adder. There are others, but this is...

Okay. I have like three blogs I’m working on. They all tie in together. So, this is the first. I feel totally compelled to just take a moment and lift up two people in my life who affect me in some way everyday, whether it’s through a tweet, a blog, a phone call, or a coaching session. It’s just the way it happens. One I am only in contact with online. The other is my beloved business coach and dear friend. (No, they are not clients.) I have gone through tremendous changes this past year, but the bulk of my growth personally and professionally was because I got committed to a coaching situation....

I began to write this post last week after hearing some disturbing things. Then I read Kyle Lacy’s post on a Checklist of 25 Reasons Not to Hire a Social Media Consultant.  In light of the mood I was in, I decided to play very loud music with my band and ride the weekend out to gather my thoughts. So, here goes. I don’t know about you, but I thrive on lifting people up, especially those who are in the same industry as me. It really bothers me when I hear someone is undermining the work of others when it pertains to social media. In short, it is downright WRONG to go to a company who is working...

I like you. Do you like me? … For some people growing up, making friends could have been challenging. Honestly, it kinda was for me. I went to a small, Christian school that pretty much sucked because of hypocritical parents and politics. I tried to fit in as best I could, but my parents wouldn’t always buy me the newest charms for those charm necklaces that all the kids were wearing. (Do any of you remember those cheap plastic things?) They also wouldn’t spend a bunch of money on “hip” clothes, which my friends had. I guess I could say I never really fit in…in a superficial...

Not that I want to open up with a cheesy line from a film or anything, but as I’d been thinking about what I wanted to write about today, what keeps coming up over and over and over again, is: “If you build it, they will come.” The popular line taken from 1989 hit film, Field of Dreams…starring Kevin Costner, is something that often comes to mind when I am wondering about an idea, thinking about what to say, putting something out there…whatever. I’m a big dreamer/thinker. I believe people can do anything they want to if they put true intention behind it. I’ve been that way my entire...