Gettting through all the noise, one cup at a time
There are some Twitter followers that I wish I could remember how we found each other…did you find me first or vice versa? Whatever the case, I am thrilled that I somehow was connected with Michael G. Cohen of Twitterviews.
He just released a Twitter interview on me this morning & I am litterally shaking (ok, could be the food to coffee ratio), but I am still so excited to be given this opportunity.
Again, thank you Michael – I am honored.
I am at the beginning of week 3 of unemployment…still sucks, but we are looking at mission critical here. What do we do? Should I stay home w/the twins and still try to pursue something? Or with a half dozen supporters so far, should I venture out on my own teaching Social Media to small/medium size businesses?
I put together a survey with SurveyMonkey to see what my peers believe the going rate is for a social media consultant. I have pushed it out through Twitter and a lot of my gmail contacts. LinkedIn & Facebook are next. I am asking: what would you pay for someone to come in and either guide you into social media or help you intertwine it into your traditional marketing strategy?
What makes me different from the other local consultants trying to do the same thing? My satisfaction comes from knowing that I have explained to people what social media tools are & which tools will benefit them in the best way possible. I would love to help teach businesses how to use social media tools to connect with their current & future clients in a way that their competitors are probably not. The result would be a more loyal customer (aka: repeat business) and if taken seriously a better ranking on search engines.
Again, thanks for taking the survey & I will post results by Thursday night at the latest.
-jen
So there are opportunities out there in SM, some that I am VERY excited about that have even been created due to Twitter.
A very unnamed Twitterererer wants my help…and you WILL know about it. ARGH! I am SO excited about it because it will amplify the world of SM here locally, bring some attention to businesses of the many possibilities & it might just produce something for the future for me. Can not wait until they give me the “go”!
Quite surprising to me, I am getting some “shout outs” from people I highly respect in the world of SM.
Thank you to Michael G Cohen for the chance to be interviewed at TwitterViews w/the likes of Shel Israel. It goes live on Monday.
Earlier this week I DM’d Jeremiah Owyang letting him know about this blog…and he Twittered it out to his 14,198 followers. I did the happy dance. Thank you.
I spoke to Steve Chazin again yesterday at DimDim.com. I inturruped his dinner in Floridia with his in-laws, sorry about that! Funny thing is that he is there at the EduCause Conference as is MPC. We were going to educate show-goers on the MPC Community, but oh yea…I was laid off & it really is stagnant now. 😦 REALLY looking forward to another call with him.
Our local baseball club here as well as our hockey team have some great opportunities as well in the world of SM. Todd Rahr & I have been in contact & we will touch base mid month.
My husband says to not give it all away (my SM ideas that is). But what I am hoping will happen is that one of these companies will pick up on the idea that they need to hire me flat out or hire me as an independent consultant. The search continues…in more way than one.
Day 13 and still looking…but things are looking up! I had a really good conversation with Matt Rissell yesterday and an email exchange with Steve Chazin from DimDim.com AND I found an almost empty bag of candy corn in my glove box this morning – there is hope!
I have been doing my due diligence when it comes to finding a job: sending out resumes, following up, checking ALL the right (and some WAY wrong) places online to find a job but I am hoping my extra effort in the Social Media sphere will leap frog me ahead of everyone else getting laid off in this valley.
Now let me start by saying, I love LinkedIn. I have been an advocate for a few years and love the direction they are going (just downloaded new WordPress App). But the “recommendations” just seem to be all the same. “X is great. X is a hard worker. X knows how to bla bla bla”. And what brilliant future employer has the precious time to read all those glowing remarks about me? 🙂
How about 140 characters? My brilliant future employer would see that my peers say what needs to be said and are to the point. A lot of my Twitter friends I have only been face to face with them once or twice, but we all run around in the same Twitter sphere & if I was a schmuck and a fraud, they would quit following me and or call me out.
I have asked my TwitSphere to tag their recommendations #jensSearch and I have 3 so far. What is great is that these are people I would have never gone to for a “traditional” recommendation, so I am thrilled to have them as part of the process of finding THE job. Thanks guys!
BTW: Any fellow Twitterererrs are more than welcome to add to the list – but be geniune! If you think I am a schmuck, say so! 🙂
@JenHarris09If you didn’t know that the words Google, MySpace, and Blog are verbs, you need to hire Jen Harris. Today. #jensSearch
Jen helped me with a client’s need to market a large commercial project. Her advice, focus, guidance, & follow-up was superb. #jensSearch
#jenssearch I can’t recommend Jen enough. She’s a go-getter and knowledgeable in social media and skilled in project management.
For those that know me either 1:1 in real life or in Twitter, LinkedIn or through a community, I think it is fairly obvious that at this very moment in time…I am going nuts. I have never been unemployed this long. The last time was between a move from Colorado to Boise and I had a job 1/2 way lined up before I move then.
So here is my contribution to the life of Top 10 Lists:
Any ones you could ad?
So I am not sure if it was
But whatever “it” is that I feel (think pukey butterflies in your stomach) but I am getting scared.
I have been on the hunt for a new gig, officially, for 7 days now. I don’t want to sell insurance, do clerical work from home or give up my passion of teaching & educating people about Social Media/New Media. I might just have to compromise though…I can stuff envelopes with the best of them.
Four to five people have said I should definatly go out on my own & do the “jen thing”. Which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is enough to get me thinking I should do it. But then reality of the “what if’s” lingers with me: mortgage, 2 cars & 3 kids that eat more than Greg & I combined (I know, sounds hard to believe but I swear sometimes we are raising horses and not kids!)
So what is the “jen thing”. Patti Murphy of Murphy Media says that what I can teach companies about Social Media is more on the 1:1 scale and not the 60,000 foot view that a lot of other individuals that are out there right now. I am very much a believer in:
More of an organic approach to Social Media rather than the fast food drive through. Organic Marketing if you will…hmmm, that’s an idea what do you think? Anyone takes that, I will personally rip you to shreds, thank you-xoxo 🙂
I will continue to apply for jobs & I have one more week to go until full on panic hits us head on…so for now, keep looking, writing, Tweeting and meeting new people.
If you are a local Twiter-er-e-r-er…@georgeseybold & @mightysmith so kindly had the idea of putting together a TWEETUP at the City Grill Friday 10/24/08 at Noon for my “liberation” from MPC. Hope to see you there!
-jen
My former Director at MPC would giggle every time I said things like, “Mike, I need you to Twitter your Utterz”. What I was referring to would be a mini-podcast that Mike did on Utterz (now Utterli) via his BB and he needed to get it messaged out to his tweets on Twitter.
I was at CCC today listening to J.Glerum & Josh Woodard from Valitics talk about SM & business. Afterward, I spoke to Jeff Reynolds (quick correction, thanks @brharrison) who is not an advocate for Twitter because he just doesn’t see the point…yet, hasn’t tried it (I see a motherly lesson here having to do with brocolli) but by the end of our conversation he said “for you, I will try it!”. It’s not for everyone, for instance Seth Godin is not on Twitter, nor is he active on a lot of SM sites…he writes books and his blog. I, too, was not a Twitter advocate for at least a year before I jumped on board in December of ’07. Now, I believe in the power that is Twitter.
Twitter is what you want it to be. Personal, business, promotional or a replacement for your RSS feed – these are all possibilities. Where I get upset is when someone tries to spam or jumps in with-out thinking their promotional plan through, or as @MikeBoss puts it “It strikes me as a big hunk ‘o SM cheese”. Meaning: give me your voice. Yes, we do need to give business that jump in credit for trying a new SM device, but don’t spam me, con me or try to get me to look at nudie pics of your cat or a house w/o connecting in a human way first. I have no problem with @ktvb sending out their stories (1x a day is enough though, thank you), but what I want from them is a voice…who are you, what are you doing? Our local Fox station @Fox12 does the best out of all the local media outlets – good job!
Twitter for business 101: you are communicating with potential and current clients. Don’t pitch, sell & pimp your product. I want to know you for you. This is simply another tool to open up dialog. Don’t be that guy 100 years ago that said, “The tele-phone? It will never be a good tool for business!”
Social/New Media in general is the new way of marketing your company. It can be intertwined with your traditional marketing through percise, honest messaging and tools to make a 3 second impression last as long as you want to ride the wave.
Sat on the couch, watched Oprah & found the nectar of the unemployed – Bon Bons.
Whatever! I sent out 4 resumes & connected to a few more on LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook. Again, thank you everyone for your support, ideas & an extra set of eyes out there for me (and others too).
While at the dentist Dr. Higginson, who we affectionately call Dr. Happy, asked for help with “my way of marketing”. It just pained him to put any more money toward the phone book and couldn’t see pouring any money into a short lived commercial.
Of course I have ideas…I have had ideas for years! I actually approached them about word-of-mouth marketing when I was with BlueLine & they said their best form of marketing was a sign outside & the yellow pages. What a difference 3 years can make. I would love to help Dr. Happy Higginson out along with another friend who said he needed some NM/SM assistance, but my biggest fear is the tax man.
I hate the thought, and reality, of mass paperwork, but I really want to help people out. Is there an easier way? Yes, you hire someone like Rochelle DeLong at Consilio…ahhh, then you have to pay them! My fear stems from the fact that for the first 5-6 months at BlueLine I was an independent contractor & had to do all the claiming of funds, pay taxes, have board of director meetings???…and 2 years later, due to some mistake I made with “some” piece of paper, we are still owing taxes for something “else” that came up. It’s the fear of marking the wrong box.
I wish there could be a big, sespool beautiful pool of smart and extremely good looking people that want to consult, but don’t want to deal with the paperwork of owning their own business. We all give the “employer” a 1% cut for doing all that work for us & we all go and do our own thing. If anyone out there knows of this, let me know. Could be that I am extremely tired & hungry, but that is one brilliant idea! Hellloooo Google…Can you hear me now?
Looking forward to Tuesday. CCC lunch & an eye appointment (aka: potential future client?)
Getting laid off sucks. That’s obvious.
You could feel it in the air (and read it on the Yahoo boards) and you could tell something was weird.
So, I get laid off at 2:30 and had to hesitate not to twitter it as fast as I could…must-tell-husband-first: so I txt him. My Twitter access is denied through the work servers already…ah grasshopper, have you not heard of The BlackBerry? Send a quick text via my “just” downloaded app: TinyTwitter (love it btw)-
“Just laid off. Same handle @gmail.com. Need break, lunch and afternoon date tomorrow…anyone??”
Husband calls as I am throwing my stuff in one of 3 bags as quick as I could while my phone is going off from all the Twitters & DM from friends. It’s good to have friends…regardless if I only know them by their Twitter handle. He says “are you $hitting me?”. Nope, gotogo…packing & I still need to let some people know via email.
I am on my knees franticllay sending emails & a few Skypes to my contacts at Intel, Lithium and others before that ability is turned off too.
I am done…printed off what I had created (simple strategy stuff-no high level secrets…like there are any) and I and another gal from Marketing head out.
They have 3 people at our check out gate taking the paperwork, our badges and checking our bags…so at this point you know it is not just the 3 or 4 others that I saw on the way out too. They obviously didn’t read the post by @GuyKawasaki titled The Art of the Layoff. I sat in my truck for an hour replying to the Tweets of concern & encouragement…thank you everyone! Ironically, a gal from Denver that I just started following on Twitter & seems incredibally talented was let go earlier in the day. I consoled her through DM’s & felt the same pain, anger & fear she did just hours later.
How can you not feel good though with Tweets like this…(of course it is in “Twitter read”=read from bottom to top).
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snicholsonboise @JenHarris09 they’re idiots, you’re too good for that role anyway, you are awsome 7:25 PM Oct 16th from TweetDeck in reply to JenHarris09
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bcritchfield @JenHarris09 I expect to see the LinkedIn profile change. 5:30 PM Oct 16th from TweetDeck in reply to JenHarris09
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bcritchfield @JenHarris09 WTF is right!!!!! Sorry to hear that. I am sure you will land on your feet quickly. I will keep my ears peeled. 5:18 PM Oct 16th from TweetDeck in reply to JenHarris09
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mightysmith @JenHarris09 Been there recently. My grandpa always said, creative people (like yourself) always land on their feet. 5:08 PM Oct 16th from TweetDeck in reply to JenHarris09
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brharrison @JenHarris09 very sorry to hear that news. That’s terrible. 4:12 PM Oct 16th from twhirl in reply to JenHarris09
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UnhamperedTees @JenHarris09 FOOLS! Some other valley employer just got REEEEALLY lucky. Still, sorry to hear it. Hunting is never fun. 3:57 PM Oct 16th from TwitterFox in reply to JenHarris09
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renee_daniels @JenHarris09 ohh I hate to hear that. I’m going to hope it opens the way for a great opportunity for you. 3:43 PM Oct 16th from web in reply to JenHarris09
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Idahocaddis @JenHarris09 some very lucky company will pick you up very quickly. I don’t doubt that at all. 3:26 PM Oct 16th from web in reply to JenHarris09
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tacanderson @JenHarris09 did @mpccomputers at least give you decent severence package? it’s my goal someday to get a severence package. 3:25 PM Oct 16th from TweetDeck in reply to JenHarris09
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LGM1 @JenHarris09 OMG! Jen I am so SORRY. This is terrible. I hate what this economy is doing to good people. 3:18 PM Oct 16thfrom web in reply to JenHarris09
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brandmilitia @jenharris09 man, that sucks. Will check in with you when we are back from PDX 3:16 PM Oct 16th from txt in reply to JenHarris09
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tacanderson @JenHarris09 WTF!!! MPC let you go???? 3:10 PM Oct 16th from TweetDeck in reply to JenHarris09
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As I was heading out of the parking lot at 4:30, I got my first job offer. I have other possibilities too, but I am working all angles as fast and as efficiently as I can. Honestly, I don’t know if I want to be a consultant…the taxes just stress the crap out of me! I have so many ideas of where I could help different organizations, so I am going to be out there blatently pitching them my ideas & I will go from there…so look out, my ideas are a-coming!
You can follow me and my job hunting follies at #jensSearch at Twemes
I have already been to the Unemployment Office and told my husband that I will have a gig by Friday. Cross my fingers.
Caffeinated Marketing