Support Teams
It’s been a long, tricky last few years for me. Somewhere in the fall of 2005, I started getting really passionate about social media. I went to a conference in April that convinced me that I was on to something. I attended BarCamp Boston in June, and that gave Christopher Penn and I the idea for PodCamp.
In September 2006, I left behind a typical day job and joined a full time adventure. I started by working with Jeff Pulver, where we took on both a conference and an Internet startup at the same time. And as of last winter, I joined Stephen Saber and CrossTech Media in a similar-but-different set of endeavors.
All the while, I’ve been maintaining a blog, a newsletter, speaking outside of where I work, attending conferences outside of what might be 100% germane to my business, and doing all kinds of other projects and experiences outside of those where I draw a salary.
I’ve been doing this for just about three years at this point.
My wife and children, as you might imagine, have to give up time with me for some of this. I work long hours. I travel quite a bit. I do a lot of creative things that run very late into the night.
This past weekend, my wife Katrina attended PodCamp Boston 3 with me. It was the first time she had been able to come to an event with me. (That came courtesy of my parents, who watched our children for a little over 30 hours to help us make this happen.) She came to some sessions, sat with me in that beautiful glass lobby, and ate dinner with me Saturday night with a few new friends.
It was great seeing Katrina talking with friends of mine like Jane Quigley, and watching her practice what she calls her Canadian sense of humor (awkward humor is Canadian?). It was so wonderful to see Katrina in the audience. I hadn’t had that experience yet - ever - in all of this that I’ve done. It made a world of difference.
I’m a selfish guy. I don’t mean to be, but it’s something that I recognize in myself. As such, I sometimes take for granted just how lucky I am to have the love and support of my wife and children while doing all kinds of crazy things in pursuit of this vision I have. There are sacrifices and lots of faith that go with all that she’s done for me, and I’d like to pause and recognize this.
I’m proud of everything Katrina does on her own and with the family. My kids get the best love and affection, and every day, I come home to a new adventure that she’s cooked up for them. I’m proud of what she’s accomplished, and excited to imagine what comes next.
Further, maybe you who are also pursuing your own versions of these dreams might take an extra moment to thank your support team, too.
Thank you, Katrina.
Photo Credit, Mr. C.C. Chapman
Buy a Domain for Email or at Least a Gmail Account
Several friends of mine recently left their job all at once (the company had a mass layoff). I checked in LinkedIN, and it looks like I’m now missing a way to directly contact at least 70 of them, because they used their business email address as their primary point of contact. My goal in writing this is to get you to consider one of two options: either buy a domain to use as your email address, or at least get a gmail account.
Why NOT to use your ISP’s email address
Say you make your home email address your primary point of contact. If your home address is yourname@comcast.net, what happens when you shift from Comcast to Verizon? You’ve just lost a bunch of folks who only knew how to reach you the other way.
Why NOT to use your business’s email address
Times change. People move. That’s one reason, but the other is this: sometimes, your company doesn’t want your company being represented by the places you visit and use that email. For example, we had a CTO who pointed out that anyone in our company contributing to security forums online using their work email address would be terminated. Why? Because every time someone from my company’s security team asked a question on such a forum, it signaled to hackers (who read the same forums) our company’s vulnerabilities.
Buying a Domain for email is easy
There are plenty of providers. I use 1&1, though I don’t give them the highest marks. Lots of people use GoDaddy, and if you use them, check around with your favorite podcasters, because some have deals with GoDaddy that save you money and give the podcaster a few bucks, too. The cost for a domain, especially if all you’re going to use it for is email, is around $6US a year right now (yes, you can find cheaper, or more costly).
Or Gmail
I recommend gmail because it’s easy. It’s web-based. It’s flexible. You can use it with a mail application on your desktop, with a BlackBerry, and in lots of other ways. It has powerful search, and is widely accepted as a good import gateway for most social networking sites, meaning you can make your friends portable.
Equipping YOU
The basic idea, in case I wasn’t clear, is that by making an email presence that points directly to YOU, people will know how to reach you, no matter what the circumstances of your employment or your choice of ISP on a given day. It’s about maintaining connectivity.
What do you think?
Photo credit, Joe Shiabotnik
Five Things to Do at a Social Networking Meetup
Meetups are the online manifestation of our social networking efforts. With Twitter and Upcoming.org and Facebook and all the other social networks, putting together a bunch of like-minded people is relatively simple. You find a venue that doesn’t mind a bunch of nerds, preferably with a place you can be loud (because social media types are often the loudest bunch in there, unless there’s a bachelorette party), and hopefully some delightful libations to ease social interaction. But what do you DO there, once you’ve walked in and identified that you’re in the right place. Here’s a recipe:
Say Hi to Your Known Friends
Often times, someone at the meetup is known to you. Make sure you say hi to them earlier in the night than later. I’m working on this one, because sometimes, what happens is that I’ll be somewhere with friends, and never get over to see them because time gets eaten up so fast. I’m going to make a point of saying hi to my longer-known friends first at meetups, so that they feel acknowledged.
Find the New People
Look for folks who might be new to your local scene, or that you haven’t met before, and introduce yourself. My favorite opening line is to ask them what they normally do when they’re not hanging out with a bunch of Twitter geeks. If that doesn’t work, I like to ask people about their passions.
Don’t Crowd Surf Too Much
There’s a tendency that’s easy to follow to just flit between crowds. It’s not a wedding. You don’t have to hit every table. If you find something interesting, don’t be afraid to dive deep into the conversation for a bit. Get into some deeper waters with people, because otherwise, time will wash over you like a wave and you’ll be out without much to show for it.
If You Need to Do Business
Try to think of these meetups as a first date. Don’t put your tongue down our throats. In other words, if you’re there fishing for new business, play it cool, and be part of the gang. Talk about what’s relative, and don’t swerve things instantly into your line of business and how you can help (sell) us. However, it’s okay to say that you’re hoping to build business relationships or the like. Just make that for a follow-up conversation.
Talk About Something New
Whenever possible, come with some really neat new idea to throw into the mix. Think of it as mental show and tell. Or hell, do real world show and tell if you’ve got a nifty new something to show people. But consider bringing something new to the meetup. It will enrich everything. (Don’t force it into the conversation, but have something new in mind.)
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What do YOU do at meetups to make them better, more interesting, a reflection of the value of real space versus online social networking? Tell us about your favorite meetups, or things that you’ve seen happen that you liked.
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The Social Media 100 is a project by Chris Brogan dedicated to writing 100 useful blog posts in a row about the tools, techniques, and strategies behind using social media for your business, your organization, or your own personal interests. Swing by [chrisbrogan.com] for more posts in the series, and if you have topic ideas, feel free to share them, as this is a group project, and your opinion matters.
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