No poetry; just PRos(e)

Mission: Accomplished!

2010-10-19T22:29:00.001-04:00

I did it.

After a little more than three months of training, a whole lot of self-discipline, a slight bit of doubt (mostly from other people) and a touch of much-appreciated hype, I ran my first 5K on Saturday.

As I wrote in my previous blog post, "On a Mission," I decided in July that I wanted to start running. For pretty much the first time in my life (the torturous, forced runs in ninth-grade gym class do not count). Anymore, it seems the logical goal for non-runners who start running is to do a 5K ... so I picked one and ran with it (hardy har har).

When I walked out the door of my grandparents' house (where I was staying for the weekend) on Saturday morning to head to the race, it was cold. Really, really cold. About 35 degrees cold. And it didn't really warm up in the half hour or so leading up to the start of the race, but I was too pumped up about what was to come and too busy greeting lots of old friends who were there to run or walk the race to even notice.

My body wasn't prepared for the cold. My legs in particular weren't prepared for the cold. Even the official pre-race "warm-up" didn't do anything for my legs. All it did was make me winded! (By the way, I will never make the mistake of doing the official warm-up before a race ever again. Just doing my own thing would've been a better choice.)

Anyway ...

When we were called to line up, I slowly worked my way to the back of the pack -- not because I'm a pessimist, but because I didn't want to get caught up in the initial surge at the start of the race. (Can you tell I've been doing plenty of reading about running and lots of talking to seasoned runners?)

And it was there, at the back of the pack, that I found my friend Don (with me in the picture on the right, which was taken post-run), who signed up for the race after I put out a few calls on Facebook for people to join me. It was reassuring to see a familiar face at the starting line. It also was reassuring to know that at least one other person had NO idea what the guy with the bullhorn was saying (which is what happens when you put yourself at the back of a pack of nearly 450 people). As the "start" signal blared, we wished each other luck (he's been at this longer than I have, so there was no way I was keeping up with him!) and headed out onto the course.

Within 30 seconds, there already was trouble. My typically trusty RunKeeper Pro app -- which I've used to track and time all of my runs since I graduated from the C25K app -- did not want to pull in a GPS reading -- a problem that had never occurred before. And we weren't in the middle of nowhere or anything, so there was no reason for the app to fail. Not wanting to waste any more time fumbling with my phone (and having to run slowly to do so), I hit "Start" and focused myself ... until the first alert came on a few minutes later, trying to tell me that I had gone 1.9 kilometers. WRONG! I ignored it and kept going. A few minutes later, it said I had gone 4 kilometers. WRONG again! So I stopped the app.

This "technical difficulty" probably sounds like nothing more than an annoyance, but in having to kill the app, I took away my timer and my mechanism for knowing when to take walk breaks. So, I just had to wing it. In a way, it probably worked to my advantage to some extent, because instead of taking my walk breaks based on how far I'd gone, I took them based on how I felt. But because it was so cold and my legs just didn't want to warm up, I ended up taking several more walk breaks than I normally would have.

Sometime during the second half of the race, the sun began shining brightly onto the course, and things started to feel a little easier. I even passed some people (one of whom passed me for good shortly thereafter). I was getting warmer, in a good way.

And then I turned the corner to begin the final stretch of the race. Wanting to finish strong, I transitioned from walk to a pretty fast (for me) run toward the finish line. I felt great ... for a moment. Then I started feeling ... weird (for lack of a better term). At first I thought maybe I was nervous and excited about crossing the finish line and actually completing my goal. Then I realized something was actually wrong, physically, and I thought I was going to be sick. Not because I was overexerted, but because the sun completely disappeared when I rounded that last corner, and my body temperature must have dropped significantly when that happened.

All I could think on my way to the finish line was, "Don't get sick! Don't get sick! Don't get sick!"

And then I passed a group of my friends -- several of my former coworkers from my old job -- who had finished the race and were cheering loudly as I ran by. (They're at the far left in the photo on the left.) Let me tell you, few things will motivate you like having a crowd of people erupt into cheers as you run by them. It was just what I needed to make me forget about how my body was feeling and help me surge toward the finish line.

As I approached the finish line, I saw two things: First, I saw Tim with his camera -- and I tried not to pay attention to the camera (ha!). Then, I saw the clock (which I think is what was happening in the photo below). Given how challenging the run had been because of the cold, along with the fact that I took more walk breaks than usual, I had expected a time slower than my training runs. Instead, it was almost four minutes faster than my fastest training run. I know I said (okay, probably yelled) something to the volunteers at the finish line, proclaiming it to be my best time ever. Kind of funny, considering that I was the last person who primarily ran the race to finish it (everyone behind me was walking it, I think).

It was high fives, hugs and pictures all around after the race ended. It was so exciting to accomplish something that really was a challenge -- something that required me to focus, to change my ways and to be disciplined. Even now, several days later, I'm a bit in disbelief that it all happened and that the thing I worked toward since mid-summer is already over. I guess that just means it's time to start training for the next one. Dan thinks it should be a December race in Mount Pleasant, but I'm not sure I'm up for another cold-weather run ...

Oh, and if you're wondering, my official time was almost 3 minutes faster than the clock time I saw at the finish line (though I'm still not sure why, as we weren't chipped or anything), which means I beat my best training run by more than six minutes! 43:43.6. I'll take it.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me through the last several months, from those of you who encouraged me during my training to those who donated to my Special Olympics fundraising. It has made all the difference!

(Photos by Tim Jackson)

On a mission

2010-09-12T22:12:00.006-04:00

Yes, it's been awhile since I updated this blog. And I apologize. Taking a new job, moving to a new town, adjusting to the new town and dealing with being away from the place I called home for 14 years can take a lot out of a person.

It can, and it did.

At some point, I realized I was letting some of that get to me. I was coming home at night, making dinner, sitting down on the couch and not going back out again. And I wasn't paying much attention to what I was eating.

Something needed to change.

And one day in July, I just sort of woke up and decided I wanted to run a 5K. To anyone who runs, that probably sounds like nothing. But for me, it was a somewhat outlandish goal. Even

when I was in my best shape just a few years ago, running was not within my realm of capability. I tried -- I really did -- but it never worked.

But for some reason, on that day in early July, I got it in my head that maybe I could run after all. I posted on Facebook, seeking advice from my runner friends about the best way to go about it. The Couch to 5K Running Program was an overwhelming favorite, it seemed, so I downloaded the C25K app and decided to give it a try.

I did the one thing that I thought would motivate me to really do this: I started telling everyone. On Facebook, on Twitter, in face-to-face conversations, I told people about my intention to start training and ultimately run a 5K. Most people were supportive, but some people clearly didn't think I could do it (they were polite and all, but I could tell what they were thinking).

Then I did the other thing that I knew would motivate me: I picked a race to run. I settled on a particular one in mid-October for a number of reasons: The potential for others to join me in the race, the fact that I was already planning to go to related events that weekend, and, of course, the fact that it maximized the time for me to train.

On July 10, I did my first training run, which consisted of a five-minute warmup walk, 20 minutes of one minute running/one minute walking intervals, and a five-minute cooldown walk. Winded, sweaty and beet red, I didn't even make it through all of the running intervals. It was hard, and quitting would have been easy.

Somehow, though, I didn't quit.

Every other day, I did the next training run, working my way through run intervals that lasted 1, 1.5, 3, 5, 8 and 10 minutes ... then building up to being able to run solidly for 20, 25, 28 minutes. Last Saturday (Sept. 4), I finished the program, running 30 consecutive minutes. And in the week since, I have started running a full but slow 5K.

I tell you this not because I think I am doing something amazing or fantastic by running. I tell you this because we all have something we're thinking about doing -- something that might bring the satisfaction of completing a goal, could improve your health, might even change your life. And if you step up and do it ... well, the possibilities are endless. A bonus: If you share your quest with others, you'll be amazed how many people will tell you, sincerely, that you've inspired them to take action as well. That can be some great motivation right there!

So, October 16 is race day for me. And in the next (almost) five weeks, I'm doing a few things:

- Celebrating what I've accomplished so far.

- Building up to run a solid 5K (i.e. with no walk breaks) -- and to do it in a reasonable amount of time.

- Raising funds for Special Olympics Michigan, the race's designated beneficiary. I've set a goal of raising $500 through my participation in the race. You can contribute here.

- Recruiting others to run the race with me. If you're going to be in mid-Michigan that weekend and want to run my first 5K with me, drop me a line for registration information!

To everyone who has offered supportive words and advice along the way, THANK YOU! To those who thought I couldn't do it, I thank you as well (hey, you motivated me, too ... just in a different kind of way).

Photo: "Sunset Runner" by Josh Janssen

Photo: "Finish Line" by jayneandd

The gift of perspective

2010-04-20T20:51:00.003-04:00

Last Monday wasn't the best day in the history of the world by any stretch of the imagination. It was just what that woman in "Office Space" meant when she said she thought Peter had "a case of the Mondays."

I might've let out an exasperated sigh or two and asked my wonderful officemate (who was having the same kind of day), "What is UP with today?!" but that's pretty much where it ended.

That's right ... I didn't mope. I didn't dwell. I didn't worry. I wasn't overcome with feelings of failure or inadequacy. I just took note of the issues (and determined whether they were anything within my control) and let things go.

And my Facebook status that night reflected it:

"Lindsay Allen thinks that PERSPECTIVE is the greatest gift of all. Even though today was what I'd call a challenging day, I didn't feel worried, scared or discouraged when I left the office, and I'll sleep just fine tonight. What a difference a year (or so) makes!"

So, what did I mean by that?

Simply put, I'm finding that being in the right place doing the right kind of work for my skill set has made a huge difference for me. And I have the perspective (and appreciation for my current situation) that can only truly be gained by being in a rather opposite kind of situation -- the kind of situation that has you feeling like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole because your strongest skills are seen as less valuable or are perhaps even seen as a liability rather than as an asset. My uncle, Scott Allen, very eloquently wrote about this type of thing already, so I won't try to reinvent the wheel in explaining the phenomenon.

Bottom line: Even the hardest or most frustrating day at my new job (and there honestly haven't been many at all) has been more manageable and less stressful than most of the days -- good or bad -- at my previous job. And that has everything to do with being in the right place, doing the right thing ... and having the PERSPECTIVE that allows me to truly understand and appreciate the difference.

Being able to put the day behind me because I know the next day is a new chance is the No. 1 gift that perspective has afforded me. What are the others? In no particular order, here are the rest of my "Top 5 Gifts Provided by Perspective":

- Learning the importance of making sure you land at a workplace where your supervisors truly understand what your strongest skills are and are committed to focusing your responsibilities in those areas (while also providing opportunities to explore other skills that interest you).

- Recognizing the value of really being valued.

- Realizing that taking work home *every single night* is not healthy.

- Knowing that taking a lunch break helps prevent mental and physical fatigue.

It might sound simple, but it's the truth as I've lived it for the past seven weeks or so. And it's why I know I'm where I'm supposed to be ... and that I got here in the manner in which I was supposed to get here.

(Photo: "Perspective": http://www.flickr.com/photos/huntz/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

(Photo: "Tiffany Gift Box": http://www.flickr.com/photos/jillclardy/ / CC BY-SA 2.0)

March comes in like a lion, indeed ...

2010-03-06T15:33:00.005-05:00

Today is the anniversary of something that has already proven to have made an impact on my career -- and will long continue to do so. Oddly, yesterday was, too, as I realized last night. And so was Thursday. And Monday was a milestone career day as well, although in a much different kind of way.

So, that whole "March comes in like a lion" thing? Yeah, I buy it.

One year ago today, on March 6, 2009, I had a meeting that changed my career -- and, really, my entire life. In a matter of minutes, I went from being employed at a place where I'd worked for nearly seven years to only having a couple of months left at said job courtesy of an impending reorganization, kicking off what I referred to as "the ultimate PRofessional test" in a guest post I wrote for Rachel Esterline's blog a week and a half later.

On the surface, losing your job is a bad thing. (Note those three words: "on the surface"). But once you get past the surface and stop focusing on how you think you're supposed to feel or how others are telling you you should feel, you might find a whole new world.

Anyone who has gotten to know me during the past year knows that I chose to approach being unemployed as a professional and personal opportunity rather than as something bad that happened to me. It turns out that that benefited not only me, but also others. Just the other day, I was reminded of this by a friend who recently lost her job and was able to land back on her feet relatively quickly. In an e-mail, she said, "Whether you know it or not, all those posts you've been making for a year now really gave me a positive outlook when it happened to me." Wow!

But I digress ...

When I found out that my job was being eliminated, it came at a strange time. The day before, I'd had a really fun, creative shoot for "Inside Central," the TV show on which I'd worked for several years (my clip starts at the 20:28 mark; and yes, the way I did my stand-up was my idea). And the day before that, I'd achieved something very exciting for a PR pro: My first hit in The Wall Street Journal, which came without the aid of ProfNet, HARO or anything else. It was completely self-generated, which made it all the more satisfying to accomplish.

So, imagine the feeling of being on a huge professional high on Wednesday and Thursday, then losing your job on Friday. That's exactly what happened!

In an oddly similar -- and almost identically timed, which I failed to realize until yesterday -- twist, it was March 5, 2002, when my young career hit a scary bump. I was working as a print journalist at the time, and the day started out like any other ... but it ended up being the most frightening day of my entire professional life. It was the day that the worst crime in the history of the county occurred: Three people were shot and killed in the parking lot of the county courthouse.

Covering this horrible crime was terrifying and draining on so many levels. And I still clearly remember one of my bosses saying, "This is the kind of day that either reminds you that this is the job you were meant to do or sends you running in the opposite direction."

A few weeks later, I had a job interview downstate for an advertising copywriting job. I ended up not taking the job, but I did switch roles at the paper when an opportunity to transition to community news -- honor rolls, birth announcements, senior citizen card showers, military honors, etc. -- arose. Ultimately, I ended up leaving the paper (and the news business) altogether just five months after the incident.

So, the first week of March and I have a pretty bumpy history, but ...

The tide seems to be turning, and March seems to be coming in more like a lamb in 2010.

On Monday, I marked a truly happy early-March career milestone: 10 months after my first day of unemployment, I started the job I told you all about a few weeks back.

And the verdict? So far, so good. The commute (which I'll have to do for a few more weeks) tires me out ... but I come home every day with my soul intact, and that's more important than anything.

(Photo: "Male Lion": http://www.flickr.com/photos/arnolouise/ / CC BY-NC 2.0)

(Photo: "Happy Lamb": http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhenry/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

A confession ... and a humble request

2010-02-25T09:29:00.005-05:00

So, I head back to work on Monday, March 1, 2010, after being unemployed since Friday, May 1, 2009.

And I'm a little freaked out about it.

The freak-out is not so much about the job itself, but is more about returning to the world of the working after being "out of the game" for awhile.

As I prepare to set foot into full-time employment for the first time in 10 months -- and in an agency environment for the first time in my career -- I ask ...

What advice do you have for someone who hasn't worked full-time in almost a year and is starting a new job?

("Scared" photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/viknanda/ / CC BY 2.0)

Why I'm not on Team Kevin Smith (even though I probably should be)

2010-02-14T10:36:00.007-05:00

As you've likely heard at this point, writer, actor, director, etc. Kevin Smith is using his Twitter stream -- and, later today, his podacst -- to wage war on Southwest Airlines because he says he was deemed a "safety threat" by an airline captain and removed from a flight due to his size.

Immediately after he was removed from the flight, Mr. Smith began tweeting about his anger regarding the situation, warning the airline it had "f****d with the wrong sedentary processed-foods eater!"

My initial reaction was anger. I'm not -- and never have been -- a thin person. I used to be self-conscious about it, but as an adult I've learned to be more concerned about being healthy and less concerned about my physical appearance.

Still, though, I find air travel to be a little uncomfortable (especially if I'm stuck in the middle seat), so I felt empathy for Mr. Smith as I read his initial tweets. I know I would've been angry (not to mention embarrassed) had what happened to him happened to me. And I probably would've tweeted about it, too.

But that's where my empathy ends.

Have I recently been wronged by a front-line employee of an airline (not Southwest) and taken to Twitter to vent about it? Yes.

Did the airline respond to me? Yes.

Did I respond favorably to the airline's efforts to make it right? Yes.

Did I keep tweeting about how wrong the airline was? No. (In fact, I tweeted praise for the airline for accepting responsibility for its failure and for making things right.)

That's what reasonable people do. But, unfortunately, that isn't what's happening in this case. Despite several reach-outs from Southwest -- both via Twitter and via a telephone call (for which Mr. Smith says he never received the voicemail) -- he just keeps spewing angry words via Twitter, ignoring and/or mocking every effort that the airline is making to reach out to him.

Now, if Jane Citizen like me was doing this, it probably wouldn't be so bad for the airline. It wouldn't be great, since I do have 2,200+ Twitter followers ... but that's nowhere near Mr. Smith's level. The man has 1.6 million followers on Twitter -- surely all fans of his work, and surely many of them who take his advice to heart.

What I think Mr. Smith fails to realize is that the people who are reaching out to him now are not the ones who wronged him. Instead, their job is a challenging and unfortunate one that is common among professional communicators at large organizations that serve the public: Cleaning up the very public messes created by others in the company.

I put it this way in a tweet:

Do I think Mr. Smith has a right to be angry? Of course I do.

Do I think his removal from the plane might've been unjustified and/or handled poorly? Yes.

Might the airline's urgency and persistence in trying to remedy the situation be tied to the fact that Mr. Smith has a public platform and plenty of devotees at his disposal? Certainly ... but that doesn't make it "disingenuous as f***" as Mr. Smith suggests, particularly if Southwest typically is diligent about responding to customer complaints and concerns that arise on Twitter, which it seems to be.

So, Mr. Smith, I hope you'll take a deep breath and think about this. Did the airline screw up? It would seem so. But there are several people -- none of whom have probably even met the people who wronged you -- trying to make this right, and you're only making their lives harder ... and potentially harming a business. You don't have to fly Southwest ever again. You don't even have to accept the airline's apologies. But, on behalf of everyone who's ever worked in corporate communications and/or customer service, I beg you to at least be respectful of the people who are trying to be respectful of you, even if it feels like too little, too late to you.

I'm ... employed!

2010-02-10T20:44:00.000-05:00

Something has happened. Something I've been waiting, hoping and working for for nearly a year.

... wait for it ...

I got a job!

As many of you have read about on this blog, I've been a job seeker since last March, when I received a two-month notice that my job at the time -- at a place where I'd worked for nearly seven years -- was being eliminated.

After plenty of unanswered inquiries, fruitless resume submissions and everything else to which every job seeker has become accustomed in this economy, it finally happened.

The right company and I have found each other.

Starting March 1, I'll be a proofreader/writer/editor for AGP & Associates, an advertising, marketing and creative communications firm in Midland, Mich. And, while the thought of transitioning back into a world I haven't been a part of in almost a year (the world of full-time employment, that is) and packing up and moving to a new community is a bit scary, I couldn't be more excited.

Why?

1. The workplace and culture. This is a small firm -- about a dozen employees, including the owners, who serve as the CEO and president. Everything I've learned about the culture here suggests that it is collaborative, communal and challenging (in a good way). It also is clearly a place that doesn't believe in pigeonholing people into job titles, instead opting to draw upon the strengths of its team members as situations that call for different skills and expertise arise. If you know me, you know this is what I've yearned for.

2. The work. Words are my passion, and this job is completely about words. A proofreading/writing/editing job doesn't come along often; I saw very few such positions available during my job search, so I feel fortunate -- and excited -- to have found a job doing exactly what I want to do and where my skills are strongest. The best way to add value to an organization is to focus on what you do best, and working at AGP will allow me that focus.

3. Mutual understanding and respect. I did some freelance work for AGP so the company could get an idea of my writing/editing style and so I could get a feel for the kind of work the firm does. This makes me feel more confident, both about what the company thinks of my work and about my capacity to handle the type of work that the job entails. I've met and worked with several people at the company already (and know two others from my former job), and everyone has been fantastic. I honestly cannot wait to call them my colleagues.

4. A new adventure. I've lived in Mount Pleasant, Mich., for nearly 14 years -- since I came here for college. My time here has been great, and I'll be leaving behind a lot of friends as I move 35 miles down the road, but I think it's time. If there's one thing I've learned about myself in the last 10 months, it's that I'm a lot more adventurous than I ever realized.

5. A cool town in a great location. Not that there's anything wrong with Mount Pleasant (if there was, I wouldn't have stayed here so long), but come on ... Midland is Tennis Town USA! And there's a mall. And my favorite little shop for wines and obscure craft beers is in Midland. For mid-Michigan, I can't ask for much more! Plus, the move will shave 40 minutes off my trips to visit my family downstate and put me much closer to the highway for other travels.

Obviously, I'm excited, happy, nervous and a whole lot of other things all at once. But the thing I am, above all else, right now is grateful. Grateful for the family and friends who've provided emotional support, passed along job leads, thrown me opportunities like guest posting on your blogs or doing freelance work for you, and just generally encouraged me and believed in me ... even when I had moments of uncertainty about what the future would hold.

I don't dare list names because there's always the danger of leaving someone out. Plus, I think you all know who you are. Thank you. ALL of you.

Now ... let's celebrate!

(Photo: "Celebration": http://www.flickr.com/photos/ficken/ / CC BY 2.0)

What IS character, anyway?

2010-02-04T15:57:00.007-05:00

You're probably wondering what a barely-clothed, lumberjack-looking guy dressed as a hot-air balloon has to do with character (other than the obvious "being a character"). Believe it or not, an awful lot.

Meet Nate.

Nate is married to my friend Lisa, who I've known for nearly 14 years -- ever since we had a communication theory class together my first semester of college. We even eventually worked together at the local newspaper here in Mount Pleasant, Mich.

Lisa and Nate -- a bartender at The Bird, a popular local bar -- married a couple of years ago. I've since come to know him a bit, mostly through Facebook.

One thing I've learned -- and really admire -- about Nate is that he is very dedicated to raising funds for Special Olympics Michigan. Each year, he does something that is both nutty and gutsy: He participates in the Polar Plunge, an event that involves jumping -- in costume -- into a frozen pond in the middle of February after collecting pledges. Nate personally raises thousands of dollars annually, collecting pledges from friends, family, Bird customers and even strangers. And last year's Polar Plunges statewide raised well over $250K for Special Olympics Michigan.

Back to Nate ...

This past fall, something very cool happened to Nate; he was selected to appear on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," and in October he and Lisa flew to New York with several members of their family for the taping of the show. And, of course, no one knew what happened except those who were there, as Nate, Lisa and their family diligently upheld the show's confidentiality agreement.

Flash forward a few (almost four!) months. Nate recently announced that the show would be airing today (Feb. 4), and The Bird would be hosting a "watch party" for the show's local airing at 12:30 p.m. Ever the fundraising genius, Nate decided it should be a Polar Plunge fundraiser. He set up an event page on Facebook, and he and Lisa invited pretty much everyone they know. The Morning Sun, the local newspaper (where Lisa still works), published a Q&A feature on Nate on Monday. The buzz has been building among Nate's friends for some time and among the community at large all week long.

And, of course, the questions about the show itself were mounting. How did Nate fare? Did he win a bunch of money? Have he and Lisa just been biding their time and waiting for the show to air so they could quit their respective jobs and travel the world with their family?

Today, a lot of people -- I can't even estimate how many -- showed up at The Bird to see Nate on television and find out the answers to those questions, and a lot of them dropped generous cash in the Polar Plunge collection jar. That alone was impressive ... and a great testament to our community.

When Nate came on the screen late in the show, the place went wild ... especially once Meredith Vieira started asking him about his "Big Sexy" nickname and perhaps even doing a bit of her legendary flirting (although nothing quite on the level of this classic “Millionaire” clip on Youtube ... ha ha ha).

Then came the questions. And Nate was rocking them, no lifelines needed. But, as it turned out, pasta would prove to be his kryptonite. He incorrectly answered the $5,000 question -- the "guaranteed money" question -- which was regarding the name of hollow, tube-shaped pasta. While the correct answer was penne, Nate answered linguine (or was it fettucine?) ... and he ended up winning $0. (By the way, he later explained that he thought penne was angel hair pasta ... and that makes sense to me, as I probably only know what penne is because I cook it.)

Once I recovered from my shock over the fact that Nate actually hadn't won a dime (for a variety of reasons, I was pretty convinced going into today that he'd won a nice chunk of change), it occurred to me:

This guy is so committed to his Special Olympics fundraising that he planned all of this despite the fact that he didn't do well on the show.

Swallowing your pride and inviting the world to share in a not-so-shining moment because you're focused on the greater cause -- the attention and funds that your moment in the spotlight could bring to a philanthropy you care about? That, my friends, is character. And it's a pretty darn rare variety of it.

After the show ended, Nate changed into an "I'm with stupid" shirt emblazoned with an upward-pointing arrow as Lisa's jukebox selection -- Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" -- blared on the sound system. (Lisa and Nate are hilarious that way.) Pulling Nate aside, I told him how much I admire what he did, because I do. I wish I could say I'd have done the same thing if I were in his shoes, but I'm not sure I could've. And for that, Nate Jonaitis, I salute you.

NOTE: This year's Mount Pleasant Polar Plunge is coming up on Feb. 20. You can donate, specifically in support of Nate, at his fundraising Web site, which is hosted by FirstGiving.

(Polar Plunge photos: Nate Jonaitis's Facebook page)

(Penne photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pabo76/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

iBetThereWereNoWomenInvolvedInNamingThat

2010-01-28T10:28:00.008-05:00

So, Apple made the long-awaited announcement yesterday regarding its new tablet.

Most Apple fans (of which I am one) knew it was coming, so much of the talk was about what its features would be and what it would be called -- iTablet? (iTab for short?) iSlate?

***insert buzzer sound here***

Nope. "iPad is the name," one of my friends posted as his Facebook status shortly after the unveiling event began. My immediate comment in response? "HORRIBLE."

And the more I thought about it, the more I hated the name.

My first tweet about it was a knee-jerk reaction (and I really did intend for it to be my only tweet on the subject):

Dear Apple: This is what I think of when someone says "pad": http://bit.ly/a2yxJg. Product naming FAIL.

Then I observed some of the conversations about the name -- finding that a lot of people actually agreed with me -- and something clicked in the "sassy writer" part of my brain. Might as well use my creativity to take things a step further and develop a tagline, no?

Here's what I came up with (and then tweeted, much to the amusement of a few people [Thanks for being amused, by the way!]):

"For when your iPhone is too small, but your MacBook is more than you need ..."

Yep, I said it.

And while this was all done in jest, it brought me back to a legitimate, professional point I've pondered before: Were there any marketing/communications folks at the table when that product was being named? My guess is no, but I don't know for sure. At the very least, I'm guessing there were no women at the table.

One of my friends went as far as to make this assessment. And while it's a bit extreme, it's also humorous: "This thing was probably named by uber-geeks who eat Skittles and Cheetos for dinner and have never even dreamed of having a date with a woman, therefore the lack of knowledge about what a 'pad' in this context refers to." (And yes, it was a man who said this.)

Anyway, back to the conversation about involving marketing/communications pros in the naming process ...

The first product that really made me ponder this was one that, when I first mentioned it on Twitter and in conversations, people hadn't really heard of yet, but I've noticed some others making observations about it as of late. I mean, really ... where were the professional communicators when this product was being named?

They must've been locked away somewhere with the communications folks at Apple, I think ...

(iPad image is a screen capture from Apple.com)

[NOTE: After reading this blog post by Jason Falls -- as well as some of the comments below -- I realized it would be beneficial to clarify: My dislike for and criticism of the iPad name are not "political correctness" issues and are not based on a perception of sexism/anti-feminism. (Really, folks?!) I'm also not "offended" by the name. I just don't like the name and think Apple could've used more foresight -- and, perhaps, a woman's touch -- in selecting it. Plain and simple.]

Sometimes, SM + IRL = FAIL

2010-01-26T19:36:00.013-05:00

Friday night, I had the opportunity to meet up with a host of folks from my Chicago-area Twitter circle.

Teresa Basich and I were both in town, and Sonny Gill and Jess Miller just moved to Chicago (and I was staying with Jess), so it was the perfect time for a not-so-little gathering at a Windy City bar and grill.

By all accounts, the night started out great. Came in, introduced ourselves to the people who were already there, ordered up a pint of the beer on special, since it was a craft brew rather than run-of-the-mill swill, which I mention primarily because this is exciting to an unemployed beer snob on a budget.

As the evening wore on, more and more people showed up; there probably were 50 people there at one point. Unfortunately, I didn't get to chat with a number of them -- partly my own fault, and partly a function of the size of the crowd and partly a function of my self-admitted claustrophobia -- but I did get to finally connect face-to-face with folks who've become friends and trusted colleagues through Twitter and Facebook, like Gini Dietrich and Dave Van de Walle. And that part of the night was fantastic!

So, you're probably wondering where the title of this blog post came from.

Flash forward to around 11 p.m., when Jess and I were ready to head back to her place. We asked the server for our check. What she brought us was shocking.

Instead of the reasonable bill for two gals on a budget -- we had two beers apiece -- the check included 10 beers. TEN! When we questioned the clearly incorrect bill, the server indicated that several people who'd been sitting at the large table earlier in the night hadn't paid for their drinks.

"But they're right over there..." I started to say before realizing that several folks had left without saying a word -- and, apparently, without paying their bill.

We were livid. And panicked. Neither of us had ever had anyone do this to us before, so we didn't really know the protocol -- nor did we have the cash or the desire to pay a bill that wasn't ours. So we argued with the server, who clearly knew that the bill was not ours.

"When I walked in here tonight, there was one person in this room who I'd met before," I said to her, gesturing at Jess. "You're not going to stick us with a bill for strangers because you didn't keep track of your customers."

And I don't know if she realized that we were right or what, but she took the cash for our real bill (which actually included a relatively generous tip) and walked away. Still fuming, we warned the nearest people about what was going on and then headed out before the server changed her mind.

Saturday morning, after I'd had a chance to sleep on the situation, I tweeted this, hoping for resolution:

And guess what? No replies. No "mea culpa." Nothing. So I can only assume that means no one stepped up and took care of the bill they left behind. And, unfortunately, I am left to assume -- based on what the server said, what was on the bill and how the situation played out -- just who it was who skipped out on the check ... and that it wasn't an accident.

While we didn't end up having to pay the tab that was abandoned by some Chicago social media types, we certainly learned a lesson. If you're going to a tweetup, quasi-tweetup or any other event organized via social media and you're not paying a set fee at the door (or in advance) to cover the evening's food and drinks, watch your back.

No matter how cool, bright and community-minded someone might come off via social media, it doesn't mean that translates to the 3D world.

And that's when SM + IRL = FAIL

(NOTE: No one named in this post is believed to have been among the check-skippers. Finger-pointing is not my style.)

The best gift of all

2010-01-19T10:43:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, a friend — I'll call him T — "scolded" me for getting him a Christmas present, particularly in light of the fact that I'd gotten him a gift for his birthday a month before.

And as odd as you probably think it was for him to say that, you're likely to find it just as odd that I'm actually not that much of a gift-giver — at least not in the way that most people are. Birthdays, holidays, weddings ... all of these things happen, and the typical response is to feel obligated to buy a gift — any gift.

But what happens if you remove the "obligation" part of the equation?

When it comes to gift-giving, that's how I roll. A number of the Christmas gifts I gave to my family this year were purchased or at least put on an idea list within the first few months of 2009. I'd be out shopping and see something that would be perfect for my parents. I'd have a conversation with my grandparents, and they'd mention, in passing, some book they'd seen on a talk show and found interesting. I'd find out that my sister and brother-in-law purchased a new gadget for which there are plenty of cool accessories available, which created great gift options. Basically, it all boiled down to paying attention, being thoughtful and being proactive. I never went Christmas shopping the way most people do; instead, I allowed gifts to "speak to me" throughout the year.

In the case of T's gifts, there was zero planning involved. I hadn't necessarily planned to buy him birthday and Christmas gifts. I didn't set out to find gifts, and I didn't feel obligated to do so. But that's when it happens: You come across something that is so incredibly perfect for someone that you wouldn't be able to forgive yourself if you didn't snatch it up for that person, and you make a purchase you'd never planned to make but end up being so glad that you did.

My general philosophy on gift-giving, which stirred up some conversation on Facebook over the holidays, is quite simple:

- Don't just buy a gift for the sake of buying a gift; buy it because it's something that makes you think of the recipient and/or is something they'll use and enjoy.

- Even on an occasion when gifts are customary, I'd rather get a thoughtful card and no gift than a thoughtless gift.

So when T gave me the "you shouldn't have done this" look at Christmastime, I reminded him about my philosophy. And then he opened the gift. And then the lightbulb clearly switched on as he saw what was, undeniably, a perfect gift for him.

Flash forward a couple of weeks to a few days ago, when the tables were turned on me. T flew in from D.C. for a weekend gathering of our friends, and he had a gift for me: A cookbook (pictured at left) from Rosa Mexicano, a restaurant we'd gone to — and that I'd absolutely loved — when I visited him this past fall.

"I was at the restaurant, and I was flipping through this book ... and I realized that you'd love it," he said.

And I do ... because the best gift of all is one that says, "I saw this and thought of you."

("Presents" photo courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gt007/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

I love rock 'n' roll

2010-01-17T19:36:00.005-05:00

Being born into a family of musicians (but, as it turned out, having ZERO musical talent myself), there's always been music in my blood and in my home in one way or another.

My dad (pictured at right) is a musician; in fact, my parents met when his band, The Mystic Cycle (can you get any more 1960s/1970s than that?!), played a dances at and near my mom's high school 90 miles away. My uncle is a musician; he won a Grammy in the 1980s. I even took a shot at music superstardom when I took up percussion in sixth grade; I lasted a whole semester before I realized I was terrible and gave it up to pursue choir (I was better at that, but still not great).

Anyway ...

When I was growing up, we always had whatever the current music-playing apparatus was — record players, cassette player sand eventually CD players (iPods didn't come along until much, much later). When I worked during high school, I spent entirely too much money buying CDs and concert tickets. In college, my prized possession was a 200-disc CD changer (which, of course, my roommates loved as well).

I've even dabbled in the music biz ... behind the scenes. In college I was a member of a campus programming board, helping to plan and execute concerts and other entertainment events of all sizes. As a professional, I've worked with musicians to promote concerts and album launches. I've even tinkered with a little bit of live music photography. No question, musicians are "my people," even though I have less rhythm than Elaine Benes.

And I'm still one of those people who can instantly be transported back in time when I hear a song that reminds me of a person, place or event in my life. Music has always been that big of a part of my life.

Yet somehow, at age 31, I had never been to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum ... until yesterday.

Thanks to a press pass arranged by my friend Tom Moore, a radio newsman in Cleveland, several friends and I, all from various parts of the media industry, were able to check out the "Rock Hall" firsthand.

And it was amazing.

From the opening video presentations showcasing the roots of rock 'n' roll and the philosophies of more contemporary rock and pop stars to the seemingly endless cases of costumes, guitars, handwritten drafts of lyrics to legendary songs, old copies of Rolling Stone and more, the museum is something to be seen (but not photographed, which is why you'll see no pictures here. Cameras are not allowed). While casual music fans will certainly be interested, music junkies will be enthralled.

I'd hate to spoil it for anyone by rattling off a list of what I saw yesterday, but suffice it to say that there are legendary things in that place. There also are many unexpected finds, like record-label rejection letters sent to U2. You know, the kinds of things that make you shake your head and think, "Oh, if only they'd known back then ..."

The funny thing to me is that some of what you'll find in the Rock Hall is so fascinating-yet-random that you kind of understand for a moment how people become packrats. Tons of news clippings, letters and other compelling artifacts on display wouldn't be there if someone hadn't thought to hang onto them "way back when." And I'm glad they did, because my music history education is more complete because of it.

"Adventures in (in)authenticity" starring Miley Cyrus

2009-11-09T08:20:00.009-05:00

It's time to jam. Just push play ...

Come on, admit it. You started bobbing your head -- and perhaps even singing along -- the second you hit "play" on that video. At the very least, you recognized that song and would probably admit -- even if begrudgingly -- that it's really darn catchy.

But, sadly, "Party in the USA" is a fraud. And the party's over now that someone's turned on the lights and cleared out the room.

Over the weekend, the folks over at Best Week Ever informed us that Miley Cyrus admitted she's never heard a Jay-Z song, invalidating a lyric of the song that made Miss Cyrus a relatable, even -- gasp -- cool teenager who digs all sorts of music and gives props to other artists.

First of all ... WHAT?! What planet are you from, girl? I mean, I know your dad is famous for "Achy Breaky Heart" and all, but you're a popular music star. Jay-Z is a popular music star. You've probably been at -- and even performed at -- the same awards show at least once. There's no excuse for you to have never heard any of his work.

That bit of "Captain Obvious" commentary aside ...

You're probably thinking, "It's a song. A silly little pop song. It's not supposed to be an autobiography."

And you know what? I would agree with that argument approximately 99% of the time. Matt Nathanson, for example, is a singer/songwriter who spins vivid, brilliant stories in his songs. Are they autobiographical? Perhaps in parts; I really don't know ... but that's because they're written in a way that they could be about anyone, for anyone. And his music doesn't contain shout-outs -- contrived or otherwise -- to other artists, which means there's no related sincerity/authenticity issue inherent in his work.

As soon as you start singing songs that sound like autobiographies -- or like they're at least "loosely based on actual events," as they say -- you cross over into different territory. And when you start singing lyrics that offer shout-outs to fellow artists, you really start treading on special ground. Shout-outs -- especially in today's highly competitive, beef-filled music industry -- are rare and usually considered sacred, for lack of a better term. So to waste one of your two shout-outs in a song that is a huge hit (and was bound to become one from the start; let's face it) on an artist whose music you've never heard is both foolish and inauthentic.

In the communications world, we stress authenticity and hold each other accountable for it (or the lack of it). What Miley Cyrus did by not changing the Jay-Z lyric in "Party in the USA" to the name of an artist with whom she's familiar -- and preferably one she even likes -- is akin to, say, retweeting an article you haven't read, gushing about a book you haven't read, or raving about a product you haven't tried, all in an effort to earn favor with peers or to give the appearance that you're up on the latest trends.

A friend of mine has a daughter around 10 years old who, upon hearing the information about "Party in the USA" and its phony Jay-Z mention, proclaimed, "I'm MAD at her! She lied on her song!" Kids say the darndest -- and truest -- things, no?

(And if you want to dive into the conspiracy theories, what if the shout-outs were paid placements? I have no reason to believe that they were, but hey, there are product placements pretty much everywhere else these days.)

The bottom line: Authenticity is key. And, in any context, if you're going to give someone a shout-out, mean it ... because it's awfully embarrassing when the world finds out the truth.

Did Facebook just make a change that is -- gasp -- useful?!

2009-11-08T10:43:00.004-05:00

I think it may have!

The other day, I laughed heartily when I saw the "52 notifications later and i regret liking your status" fan page show up in my news feed after one of my friends joined it.

We all know what that's like, especially if we've opted to receive notification e-mails regarding comments that occur after we click "Like" on something and/or leave a comment on it.

Personally, I love getting the notification e-mails so I can stay apprised of conversations even if I'm not on Facebook. But, let's face it, it can get a little overwhelming if it turns out we've commented on something and it turns out to be an incredibly active and lively conversation, resulting in 25 notifications in your e-mail inbox in the morning.

This happened to me last night when I commented on a friend's status update regarding health care reform. I knew he was paying close attention to what was going on, and my comment was a simple question: "Since you are the expert here ... where does the extension of the COBRA subsidy stand in all of this?" Mine was the third comment on the status update.

Within minutes, the comments turned into a political debate among some of this friend's other friends. I went to bed dreading what my e-mail inbox and notification page would look like. When I I got up this morning, had a couple of notifications (via e-mail and on my notifications page) of additional comments on that status -- five notifications in all, including those that I saw before going to bed last night.

Imagine my surprise when I went to read the comments to find out what my friend might've been able to find out about the COBRA extension and found that there was a total of 21 comments on the post! And there didn't appear to be a problem with the notification system, since I'd received e-mail notifications and items on my notifications page regarding several other things I'd either posted myself or commented on.

So, could it be?! Did Facebook finally wise up and cap the number of notifications that you can receive regarding a single post?!

If so, I think this is GREAT! Less junk to deal with in the long run. However, I'm sure some people will dislike such a change because it -- *gasp* -- puts the onus on the Facebook user to keep track of high-volume conversations on his or her own if s/he wants to keep up on the conversation ... but I maintain that this is positive thing, because it cuts back on that "information overload" we all complain about while also making us personally responsible for being a part of the conversations that are happening in our respective communities and deciding which ones we care to keep up with.

Again, I'm merely speculating as to whether this is an actual change, but I'll be investigating the matter today and will keep you posted. In the meantime, if you have any insights or opinions, please do post them here!

Wondering where I've been?

2009-10-27T11:07:00.002-04:00

I guess you could say I'm on "sick leave" ...

That's right; I recently suffered my first broken bone, and it's a doozy -- a Jones fracture, a fifth-metatarsal fracture that the physician assistant who first examined me was kind enough to tell me is "the worst kind of fracture you can get in your foot."

As I've been telling all of the people who inevitably ask what happened to me, breaking my foot was a case of simple "math":

(wet parking lot + high heels) x my non-graceful nature

foot going one way and leg going another

The first day and a half was hard as I tried to get through -- and to enjoy -- Homecoming at Central Michigan University (and in all honesty, I probably should've just stayed home; I was in bad shape!). After that, I was bound to my couch for several days, moving only to use the restroom or get something to eat or drink. If you're an on-the-go person who's ever had a foot or leg injury, you know how horribly maddening this is.

And, of course, I had to use crutches. Oh, crutches. If I never have to use crutches again, it will be too soon. We are not friends. I still haven't gotten the hang of them -- and even managed to pull an ab muscle using them -- but that's okay, because the orthopedist gave me a prescription for one of these:

And I also have a walking cast (a "boot") that allows me to actually use my foot and has, in less than two weeks, clearly facilitated a heck of a lot of healing in my foot. I love the boot!

Around mid-November, I go back to my awesome orthopedist and will hopefully get the go-ahead to start walking without the boot. But I can't help but wonder how long it will take me to get rid of this lovely hobble/swagger that the boot has given me ...

But in all seriousness -- just for a moment -- scroll back up to that picture of me on crutches. Look at me, at age 31, with my first broken bone ... and remember that I don't have a job. But I have insurance, thanks to my decision to pay for COBRA benefits (which were made affordable thanks to the federal government's 65 percent subsidy of COBRA). Let this be a lesson to you: If you lose your job, don't lose your health benefits! Find a way to pay for COBRA, even if it means shutting off your cable (that's a big chunk of how I pay for mine) or giving up something else unnecessary. The monthly checks I've written for the last several months are paying off in a big way right now as I see doctors, have X-rays taken, and rent/purchase costly medical equipment ... all of which is covered by my insurance. Protect yourself, because the impossible and unlikely can and just might happen!

30 lessons learned in my 30th year

2009-08-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

So, it's here. Today is my 31st birthday -- and my golden birthday, to boot!

While the thought of turning 30 last year initially caused me a bit of anguish (in fact, I long referred to it as "the first anniversary of my 29th birthday), I quickly got over it and embraced the big 3-0. And then my 30th year of life unfolded.

If you know me at all, you know that the word "unfolded" doesn't really describe the last 12 months, if only because unfolding is usually a fairly smooth, fluid process. It would probably be more accurate to describe August 31, 2008, through August 30, 2009, as resembling a can of marbles that gets dumped onto the floor, collected and put back into the can, only to be dumped out again. (The good news is that they're all in the can again, and I think I've found a pretty good lid).

From being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder last fall to losing a job I'd worked hard at for nearly seven years when it and two others were eliminated this spring, my 30th year was ... tumultuous. Would I want to do it again? I don't know. Does the gift of hindsight make me appreciate the events of the past year? Certainly.

As such, I've decided to compile a list of 30 things I learned -- or was reminded of -- during my 30th year of life. I share these in no particular order, as this post is largely a "brain dump" of ideas that have been rolling around in my head.

☞ Being good to others without even thinking about it is a blessing to others and to yourself.

☞ There are two true tests of your character: How you behave when no one's looking, and how hard you work when you know it's largely unappreciated by those who control your professional fate.

☞ No matter how old you are, you're still someone's kid. And a hug from your mom can still fix a heck of a lot at any age.

☞ In the event of major and minor life catastrophes, your family will always sift through the rubble and help drag you out. (My family rocks!)

☞ A positive attitude is the best gift you can give yourself. Surrounding yourself with people who inspire, encourage and recognize your good attitude is a close second.

☞ You can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond to it. Ultimately, the part you control is the more important part anyway.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms — to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

-- Viktor Frankl

☞ Trust your instincts. If you think something is off, it probably is.

☞ Financially, live like you could lose your job at any time ... because, well, you could. A healthy savings account and a low amount of debt will prove highly valuable if your income suddenly disappears.

☞ If you're diagnosed with a disorder -- particularly one that could affect your work, life and relationships -- devote yourself to learning about it. Read everything you can on the subject, especially the most practical and accessible books. Learn about the problematic behaviors to which you may be predisposed and how you can minimize them, but also determine how you actually can harness the disorder's typical effects and turn them into advantages. Also, recognize that those who have been or may be affected by the disorder's effects on you deserve an explanation, so explain and/or apologize as needed, but never use your disorder as an excuse. Do not exist under a shroud of secrecy and silence; it will only stress you out in the end.

☞ Sometimes, a typically devastating event -- like, say, losing your job -- can turn out to be just what the doctor ordered.

☞ Not having a job can provide a huge boost to your career if you use the time wisely.

☞ Good friends are a cure-all (especially good friends who'll share a bottle of wine with you. ha!).

☞ There's no substitute for good customer service. Its impact can be deep.

☞ Diplomacy does not make you a phony.

☞ A benefit of being sincere and truthful is that you never have to worry about remembering what you said to whom. The clear conscience is the best part, though.

☞ A true friendship is one that seemingly ended abruptly and badly years ago but somehow manages to pick right back up in its best place when you see that old friend again.

☞ The smallest thing can make someone's day in a major way.

☞ Being bitter takes far more energy than being gracious. Besides, being gracious is more fun than being bitter because it drives the people who expected -- or perhaps even wanted -- you to be bitter completely nuts.

☞ When you take the time to mentor young people, you'll most likely see them become high achievers, and you'll probably even receive sincere thanks from them. And it feels amazing.

☞ Being an adult does have its privileges. The option to have ice cream for dinner is my favorite of those.

☞ The most amazing people in your life might be the ones you originally found in the most unexpected places. (You know who you are!)

☞ Flying isn't that scary after all. (And now that I realize that, I'm making the most of it!)

☞ Look out for yourself; you're the only one who's obligated to do so.

☞ If you feel that someone in a position of power has painted a bullseye on your back, don't write that feeling off. It's real. And the more that person unsolicitedly tells you that you're paranoid, the more real it is, But don't crack. Continue to do good work and be pleasant. You'll feel better about yourself in the end.

☞ People who have reputations as being kind, fun and reasonable are capable of being quite the opposite, especially if you see through it and they know it.

☞ Buzzwords and corporate-speak do nothing to enhance your credibility.

☞ Everything happens for a reason. Everything. Don't question it; just roll with it. You'll be a better person for it.

☞ Self-awareness is highly underrated, but dedicate yourself to it anyway. However, don't obsess over it, or you'll drive yourself and everyone else crazy.

☞ Recognizing your natural talents and limitations and acting accordingly is wise and brave. Don't let anyone tell you it means you're not ambitious; in fact, the people who tell you it means you're not ambitious are probably in over their heads at jobs that they hate.

☞ If you take care of/help others when you're in a position to do so, you'll find that the universe "has your back" when you're the one who needs help ... especially if you weren't thinking about that when you were doing your good deeds.

image above courtesy of stock.XCHNG

My Bob Dylan moment

2009-08-25T08:09:00.013-04:00

Come gather 'round people, wherever you roam

And admit that the waters around you have grown

And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone.

If your time to you Is worth savin', then you better start swimmin'

Or you'll sink like a stone

For the times they are a-changin'.

I had my Bob Dylan/"The Times They Are A-Changin'" moment yesterday. And it was surprisingly bearable.

Yesterday, for the first time in the last 14 Augusts, the start of Central Michigan University's academic year held no significance for me (aside from the fact that it was the first one that held no significance for me, of course).

I moved to Mount Pleasant, Mich., in August 1996. I was a 17-year-old (almost 18-year-old) freshman on a full academic scholarship. I still remember more things about that day than I should: Being the first one to arrive in my room. Getting antsy about getting my parents out of there so I could have MY room (and then feeling a bit lonely when they did leave). Playing The Refreshments' "Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy" as soon as I was alone -- the first CD to be played on my stereo in my room. Smelling roofing tar nearly constantly for the first several weeks (and the smell still takes me back). Having a room phone number that spelled a farm animal's name and therefore getting plenty of prank calls, beginning five minutes into my residency. You get the idea. I remember it really, really well.

And something amazing happened in the years that followed: I became a part of a community that I didn't want to leave. While most of my fellow May 2000 CMU graduates went to lunch or dinner after graduation and then stopped by their apartments to retrieve the already-packed U-Haul and get the heck out of dodge, my family and I moved the last of my things into my own apartment across town, and I prepared to start graduate school in the fall.

In August 2000 and 2001, I was in graduate school and was serving as an instructor at CMU. In August 2002, I began working full time in the university's public relations and marketing office (where I'd also worked as a student) right around the start of the academic year (in fact, last Wednesday would have been my seven-year anniversary). In August 2005, I started my first academic year in a new role in the office, having become assistant director of media relations the month before, and each August after that brought the traditional flood of meetings, welcome-back preparations and an overall flurry of activity that occurs when your job largely involves working with faculty.

But this August was/is/has been different, as the elimination of my job earlier this spring has, in essence, made me "just another Mount Pleasant resident." And while it's pretty weird to not be in the start-of-the-academic-year mix after having it be a part of my life for nearly a decade and a half, I'm okay with it. I had no meetings or after-hours mixers to attend last week. I didn't leave my apartment on Thursday -- the always-crazy move-in day -- because I didn't have to (which was really, really nice; I'm not going to lie!). I could hear the sounds of the annual MAINstage concert Sunday night, but instead of thinking, "Yep, this means the madness begins tomorrow!," I relaxed on the couch and relished the thought of a Monday morning completely under my control.

I'm not upset or angry about the changing of the times, nor am I letting myself be stuck in the past that could so easily have consumed me. I feel as though I've accepted it all with a certain sense of grace and perspective. Jesus Jones captured that sentiment in a song that, coincidentally, mentions Mr. Dylan:

A woman on the radio talked about revolution

when it's already passed her by

Bob Dylan didnt have this to sing about

You know, it feels good to be alive

I was alive and I waited, waited; I was alive and I waited for this

Right here, right now

There is no other place I want to be

Guest blogging excitement!

2009-08-15T07:46:00.003-04:00

I know ... it seems odd that I'll be guest blogging elsewhere when my own blog has been a bit neglected as of late. Fear not; posts are cooking for right here in this very spot, too!

At any rate ... I kind of feel like this right now:

No, really. It's an honor and a pleasure to announce that I'll soon be featured as a guest blogger on two excellent blogs run by fantastic colleagues from the communications and social media realm:

"The Buzz Bin": Musings and analysis on marketing, buzz, PR and Washington, DC

Blogger: Geoff Livingston, whom I met in June when I attended his fantastic BlogPotomac social media marketing (un)conference in Falls Church, Va.

"Mengel Musings -- Socially Acceptable": Thoughts on communications, marketing, PR and social media

Blogger: Amy Mengel, whom I met in May when we were in Chicago for Ragan Communications' first-ever Social Media un-Conference and Brainstorming Summit; we had the chance to meet up again at BlogPotomac over the summer.

In addition, strategic communications advisor Dave Van de Walle of Area 224 in Chicago has invited me to contribute to a special vlogging project that I can't tell you too much about just yet, other than that I think it's going to be pretty neat!

Big thanks go to Geoff, Amy and Dave for inviting me into their respective spaces to share my thoughts!

I'll post links to these posts and projects when they go live.

"Independence is a precious thing indeed."

2009-07-04T09:19:00.005-04:00

The quote above, which was tweeted this morning by the fabulous, witty and brilliant Amber Naslund (you Twitter types will know her as @AmberCadabra) of Altitude Branding and Radian6, who I've had the good fortune of meeting and getting to know in the last couple of months, seemed simple enough at first read. But then it inspired me to sit down and hammer out a few thoughts today, Independence Day 2009.

Interestingly, Independence Day comes just a few days after I began my third month of unemployment.

In many meaningful ways, this summer has been the most independent period of my life. For the first time in a long time, I don't answer to an alarm clock; a dress code; bosses; a monstrous, color-coded to-do list; or anything else. I answer to myself, and to the people with whom I choose to associate at this point in time.

Despite the lack of people and things to which to answer, a strange thing is happening: I'm getting up earlier than I ever did when I had to set an alarm, I'm being productive, I'm learning skills that will make me more attractive to prospective employers and I'm getting things done without needing a to-do list.

And even though I'm living on far less money than I'm accustomed to, I feel like I have such a rich life right now. I've had more time to spend with friends and family, so many of whom have reached out generously to be sure I'm taken care of and enjoying myself; I've gotten to travel out of state three times in the last two months (on the cheap every time, thanks to banking-points freebies, an eye for bargains and a skill set that provides me with fodder for bartering) for a combination of business and pleasure each time; I've attended three -- yes, three -- professional conferences (as compared to the one I attended in nearly seven years in my previous job); and I've learned the joys and benefits of sale ads, coupons, stock-up sales, the "scanner law" and even polite haggling.

Yes, that's right. What could have been the most oppressive, distressing, financially dismal, personally and professionally unproductive, and downright crummy time of my life has instead turned out to perhaps be the best thing that's ever happened to me. So, while today is officially Independence Day for our nation, I suppose I've been celebrating "Independence Days" of my own since May 1.

What independence are you celebrating?

Organizational culture often needs a good Zap(po)

2009-07-03T11:02:00.008-04:00

If you've ever worked for an organization that you thought could use a shot of culture (and not of the "let's all go to the theatre" variety), you're probably beyond envious when you hear the true stories of the incredible corporate culture and resulting positive morale at Zappos.

Currently unemployed following a reorganization that led to my position and two others in my office being eliminated, I've had time to reflect on the importance of organizational culture and identify some desirable qualities for the culture of my next employer. (Perhaps this is just as ridiculous as those lists of "must-have attributes" that people often make when thinking about their future mate, but I can live with that).

My list of organizational desirables, which is inspired by Zappos, by my life experiences and by wise words from friends and family:

• Empowerment. How many times has a manager told you to "innovate" but then slapped you on the wrist for "experimenting" with new techniques or technologies? Or asked you to complete a project but then looked over your shoulder the entire time as if you were not bright enough to handle it (and perhaps even changing his or her mind about what was desired in the first place once you've gotten the whole thing done)? Or asked you to prepare a report for the company's executives but not given you the opportunity to present that work (and maybe taking credit for it him/herself in the process)? If you're like most people, you probably read those questions and thought, "Geez ... more times than I can even count!" A culture of empowerment is, for all intents and purposes, the exact opposite of the scenarios I just described.

Just last night, I had a conversation with my friend Tim, a high-level executive at a major telecommunications company, about his management style. In a nutshell, Tim is every employee's dream manager and, undoubtedly, has made immeasurably positive contributions to the culture of his company. The abridged version of his strategy: To surround himself with the right team of bright, capable people ("probably even smarter than I am!" he says); to identify team members' strengths and play to those strengths when assigning responsibilities; to trust that his team members know how to do what they need to do (but supportively and non-condescendingly address their questions and concerns when they arise); and to allow the members of his team to present their own work, even if it means putting them in front of a panel of his fellow executives. In other words, the members of Tim's team know they are trusted and valued members of the organization ... and they feel empowered to do their jobs without fear, to make decisions as appropriate, and even to take some calculated risks and try some new strategies.

• Collaboration. How can you feel like you're part of a team if no one ever brings you in on the "game plan?" When an organization operates in a top-down fashion 100 percent of the time, it's hard for employees to feel like they have any stake in the organization, as everything feels like an order rather than something they helped create. Certainly, there are many occasions when a top-down approach is warranted (especially when you're talking about personnel decisions, the specifics of budgets, etc.), but it's not always the best way, especially when you're talking about setting goals, defining values, planning projects and other initiatives in which success depends almost entirely on employee enthusiasm and buy-in.

• Direction. A mission. A vision. Core values. Clear expectations. Positive reinforcement when warranted. Corrective action at the first sign of a problem (rather than letting mistakes add up and then blindsiding an employee with a slew of negative feedback). A leader who gets to know the organization and its employees and guides the organization based on what s/he recognizes as needs of the organization and its constituents and based on an understanding of what each employee brings to the table. Managers who ask for what they actually want and are there to assist employees through the process as needed without anyone ever having to feel foolish for asking for clarification.

I look at it this way: You wouldn't hop in the car and head to a new destination without looking at a map and/or programming your GPS. Who knows where you'd end up?! Working for an organization with good direction is like driving a car with a good GPS unit -- and with your "side destinations" along the way mapped out before you hit the road. If you go off course, the GPS will immediately (and quite politely!) put you back on the right path before you go too far astray. And you never have to feel foolish for programming that GPS to get you where you need to go or asking it to reprogram if you want to make an unplanned pit stop.

• Flexibility. The reality of being a salaried employee just about anywhere is that there's no longer any such thing as an 8-to-5 workday. We're on call or "on duty" much of the time, due in large part to cell phones, laptop computers, etc. We're coming into work early and staying late, sometimes having only a couple hours of down time at home before it's time to go to bed to rest up for the next day. We're traveling for work, returning home at 2 a.m. and then being expected to be in bright and early (and productive and useful!) the next morning. People feel less able to take vacation time, even when they've earned it; the thought of trying to prepare yourself and your colleagues for any sort of extended absence is daunting, as is the dreaded feeling of returning to literally hundreds of e-mails and a pile of new projects when you return. Oh, and you have to be dressed up while doing all of this.

But what if your supervisor told you to take the morning off after a long business trip -- without having to use up vacation time to do it? Or if you were at the office until after dark and your supervisor encourages you to head out a couple hours early the next day? Or if you had a "casual Friday" program in which employees could pay a couple of dollars for the opportunity to dress down on Fridays, and all of the money went to a charitable organization? Sounds nice, doesn't it?! And with employees working at all hours, some flexibility in scheduling, dress code, etc. could make the all-important work/life balance a bit more achievable.

• Commitment and ownership. It is amazing how quickly you can tell whether an organization has a strong sense of employee commitment and ownership (two things that often are a byproduct of empowerment, collaboration, direction and flexibility, I'd argue). It can be found in the sincerity of a response when you ask someone how they like working at his or her job ... or the things s/he chooses to highlight when you ask what s/he likes about the job ... or in the morale (or lack thereof) you sense if you visit the workplace ... or in the tweets or Facebook status updates of the employees. I feel like I've developed a "sixth sense" about this as of late, and I definitely know what to look for in a potential future employer.

One of the things on which I prided myself most in my last job was my commitment to what I was doing. I often was the first one in and the last one out. People said I was crazy, but I kept my eyes on the difference that my contributions made to the clients I was serving, to the institution I was serving and to the institution's various constituents. Can you imagine an organizational culture in which everyone was like that (instead of your enthusiasm for your work making you "weird" or someone who "tries too hard")?

(And before accusing me of being out of touch, being too idealistic, speaking with a sense of entitlement, etc., please realize that I write from the "in a perfect world ..." perspective based on eight years in the workforce ... and based on what I know an organization's culture can be, what its employees can strive for, and what kind of impact a solid organizational culture can have on customers'/constituents' experiences and satisfaction).

*******

So, how can I really, truly figure all of this out, learn how to identify it and make it work ... both for me and for my next employer?

What I'm hoping for -- and the impetus for this blog entry -- is to earn a scholarship to Zappos Insights LIVE, a two-day company-culture boot camp at Zappos HQ. It is a nearly $5K opportunity, and Zappos will accept only a 22 people into the program, including two individuals on full scholarships. What can I promise if I am selected:

• A promise to myself and to those I love that I will use this opportunity to ponder and refine my list of "must haves" based on what is and, perhaps, isn't practical in a corporate culture. Is there really a better way to do this than by learning from the leaders of a company known far and wide for its culture and core values (and the outstanding customer service that can surely be attributed to Zappos' approach)?

• A promise to myself and my future employer that I will learn from the Zappos experience and the experiences of my past and will combine them to implement a "taste of Zappos" wherever I may work. That is, if I'm fortunate to work somewhere with a strong corporate culture (which is likely, given my list!), I'll find ways to leverage the existing culture and enhance it, no matter where I rank within the organization ... and if I end up somewhere that doesn't have the strongest organizational culture, employee morale, etc., I will take what I've learned and do everything in my power to improve it and inspire change from within the organization ... even working from the ground up if need be.

Simply put, applying for this Zappos Insights LIVE experience is a commitment to excellence on my part -- a commitment that, I hope, will turn any organization in which I work into one known for its outstanding customer service and for being a most desirable place to work. (And don't worry, Zappos ... I promise I won't go into the shoe biz!).

Today marks two months since my last day of work ...

2009-06-30T22:10:00.005-04:00

... and all the positivity I felt about my future soon after learning that my job was being eliminated is still holding true.

And just what does that positivity consist of?

To find out, read this guest post that I wrote for Rachel Esterline's blog in March.

Like it or not, front-line employees = brand ambassadors

2009-06-27T14:16:00.005-04:00

In my recent travels to various conferences and workshops on PR, marketing, social media and the like, I've heard a recurring message ... and seen it in action:

Your front-line employees are your brand ambassadors and your most visible public relations tools. They constantly interact with your customers, and, to those customers, are the "face of the company" more than any executive or spokesperson ever has been or will be.

And guess what? Putting the right people versus the wrong people into those positions as visible public relations tools is just as critical as picking the right tool for a job. A grumpy, unprofessional front-line employee can collapse a customer's image of your brand just as quickly as a wrecking ball sent to the wrong location can knock down a home you've painstakingly been working to build for years.

In other words, don't send in a wrecking ball when a carefully wielded hammer and nails are actually what is needed.

Nothing illustrated this better than my recent experience flying to the Washington, D.C., area for Geoff Livingston's fabulous BlogPotomac social media marketing conference.

As a bit of background, I should mention that my flight to our nation's capital was my first major commercial flight in more than 10 years, due in large part to the fact that I'd long been terrified of flying, thanks to the combined effects of my fear of heights and my irrational fear of airplane crashes. As you can imagine, I was a bit reluctant to hop on a plane and knew I'd need to have a pretty good experience on the first leg of my trip in order to feel comfortable with the rest of the trip.

That's exactly what happened ... at first, anyway. The Delta Air Lines flight operated by Northwest Airlines that took me from MBS airport to Detroit offered exactly what I needed: A pleasant flight attendant and a smooth, quick flight into DTW. I had absolutely no trepidation about boarding my DTW-to-Dulles flight, also a Delta-via-Northwest flight. Things were looking good for this flight, too, until the flight attendant was on and off the phone several times after making the requisite safety announcements. When she reopened the cabin door, I looked at the guy next to me and said, "I haven't flown in awhile, but I know that door isn't supposed to open once it's closed. This can't be good."

And it wasn't.

Our flight attendant came onto the PA and announced, "So ... we're WAY over weight on this plane. We're going to have to ask some of you to get off, but I don't know how many yet. I'll let you know."

Everyone kind of looked at each other, clearly thinking, "Well, that wasn't much of an explanation."

Moments later, a woman who'd been working in the gate area came onto the plane to make an announcement about what was happening.

"As you know, this plane is over weight. We need SIX of you to get off. We will do whatever we need to to accommodate you."

(By the way, this was only about a 26-person plane, so six was a pretty high number).

"When's the next plane?" several people asked, echoing the thought in my own head.

"We don't know that yet," the woman said quite curtly and unapologetically. "You'll have to get off, and then we'll figure it out."

Time out.

Wouldn't it have been logical to check on the next available flight before coming onto the plane and trying to get people to voluntarily delay themselves? Seems like common-sense customer service to me.

Miraculously, a few people volunteered, but I noticed it wasn't going to be enough.

Meanwhile, the woman and the flight attendant lost track of how many people had gotten off the plane.

The woman disappeared off the plane and returned, still agitated.

"Look. More of you have to get off this plane. We'll give you a $300 flight voucher, meal vouchers, etc."

Someone else volunteered and got off the plane. Everyone else sat still.

(I should note that under normal circumstances, I probably would have gotten off the plane on the first call, but I had somewhere to be that night, shortly after my planned arrival time in northern Virginia — as well the conference to attend the next morning — so I couldn't risk not getting there. And since no one could tell us when the next plane was, that was exactly the risk I would have been taking).

Anyway, back to the plane ...

"PEOPLE. We are in a weight-critical situation here. Either two more of you have to get off this plane voluntarily, or I'll just start going down the (passenger) list, and then it'll be over," the woman practically barked at us.

That was my boiling point. Who talks to people that way?! It was obvious why she wasn't a flight attendant; that's for sure. I bit my lip, not wanting to draw attention to myself by asking the woman to soften her tone with us.

Assuming I'd be called first or second once she started going down the passenger list (since, you know, my last name is Allen), I braced for the worst.

Finally, after a few agonizing moments of everyone avoiding eye contact with the angry airline employee and each other, a couple agreed to get off the plane and we were allowed to take off.

I don't care how critical the situation is; you never talk to your customers that way. Ever.

And if you're going to ask your customers to sacrifice themselves and be inconvenienced, you need to do it kindly and come armed with the information you know they'll ask for. Had someone been able to pleasantly inform me that the next flight was in 30 minutes, I would have volunteered to be one of the six to exit the plane. Instead, I — a nervous enough traveler as it was — got to cower in my seat while being shouted at by an airline employee and hoping to not get booted from the plane.

"Friendly skies," eh?

Lesson learned: If your employees can't take the heat, don't put them in the kitchen. But don't put them in the dining room, either, because then they'll be interacting with your customers. But wait; that leaves ... well, nowhere. My point precisely.

Does the corporate approach to social media make sense?

2009-05-18T09:23:00.003-04:00

I attended the Ragan Social Media UnConference and Brainstorming Summit May 8 in Chicago, which I haven’t yet blogged about (but you may want to check out these recaps from Rachel Esterline and Al Krueger for more on that).

An idea that was raised at the UnConference -- and that nearly prompted me to shout “Amen” -- was the notion that companies/organizations should be calling upon their social media-savvy employees (the younger ones, in many cases ... but certainly not all cases) to be the ones to take the lead on engaging the company in social media initiatives; training other employees how to use various social media tools; and attending conferences to learn more about business-oriented strategies for using the technologies with which they’re already familiar, as well as those about which they have yet to learn.

I agree completely. And think about it: Who hasn’t worked in an organization in which people are being sent to workshops to learn how to do “task X” or a new position is created to manage “task X” when there’s already someone in the organization who understands the finer points of said task and would be great at handling it as part of his or her duties, even if it meant perhaps shuffling around a few responsibilities to others in the organization to balance out the workload?

Some of the conversation at the UnConference also focused on the development of “social media policies” for employees, both in terms of how they use social media on the company’s behalf and how they use social media on their own. (For the curious, IBM and Intel were cited as specific examples of best practices in social media policy, and there are plenty of other social media policy examples on the NewPRWiki as well).

Since the last organization I worked for did not have a social media policy -- and the organization I worked for before that didn’t really need one, since social media had not yet become very pervasive -- I wasn’t terribly familiar with such policies, although the idea, in general, made sense to me. However, upon reflection, I realized that I had kind of had my own “social media policy” all along; I just referred to it as “common sense,” but, apparently, I am the exception and not the rule, which is why more and more organizations are developing formalized policies regarding social media use.

At any rate, this perspective ended up coming in handy when I had a conversation the other day with someone whose organization is in the process of developing a social media policy. However, it sounded to me like the policy was being developed by people who don’t use and/or really understand social media.

Wait, what?!?

People who don’t really understand the ins and outs of social media tools and, in fact, call upon their younger employees who are social media-savvy to explain things to them and others in the organization are creating a policy by which the people who actually understand the technology must abide? How does this make sense?

The answer: It doesn’t!

Just as the C-suite and managers should be tapping the existing skills and expertise of their employees who know these technologies and tools and calling upon them to be organizational champions for social media, they also should be consulting these individuals when developing social media policies.

Think about it this way: I know how to drive an automatic-transmission car (and I have a clean driving record, FYI). Does that mean I should be creating traffic laws? Writing users’ manuals for manual-transmission cars? Driving 18-wheelers? Of course not!

Developing social media policies in a vacuum makes no sense. How can the policy be effective if you haven’t consulted the people to whom it will actually apply? And I’m not saying the consultation should be of the “do you think this is fair?” variety; that would basically be letting the inmates run the asylum, as the old saying goes.

Rather, what I’m suggesting is a consultation that involves talking to the social media users to find out what tools and technologies they are using; how they are using them; what concerns they have about how they should be managing their own online presence, as well as the organization’s (if they’re being called upon to do so); if they have suggestions for potential policy items; etc. This single conversation could likely produce details regarding almost everything that should be included in an organization’s social media policy, including many things that the C-suite and managers perhaps did not even know about or understand.

And don’t you think the buy-in from existing employees would be much more likely if they feel like the policy’s creation was a collaborative process rather than executives quietly making a bunch of rules about something they don’t understand and then passing out a policy that does not really address relevant issues or, even worse, creates more confusion than it does clarity? (Then there’s the whole “approval from legal” issue -- another recurring theme at the UnConference -- but I’m not even going to touch that here ...).

The same sentiment applies to the creation of social media plans and strategies. Why not engage your social media “experts” in that process, since they’ll know the subtle tips, tricks and shortcuts to make your social media communication plans even more timely, relevant and effective ... plus, they’re the ones who will probably ending up executing the plans, so why not give them that sense of ownership?

While I’m very much a team player and pride myself on lacking that sense of entitlement that younger workers (hmm ... not even sure I qualify for that category anymore!) are so often accused of having, I am always frustrated when people who don’t necessarily understand my clients, my responsibilities, the politics of my clients’ situations, etc. laying out plans without my input and saying, “Here’s what you need to do and when you need to do it,” not realizing that the plan is completely impractical (which I could have told them if they’d consulted me before writing a plan in stone and committing to it).

For me, nothing illustrated this better than when I sat down at my computer yesterday to watch last week’s episode of ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” which had somehow failed to record on my DVR.

In once scene, Tom Scavo returned home from a job interview, distraught that he had “become irrelevant.” He explained to his wife, Lynnette, that he got stumped in the interview by a question about “whether (he’d) used ‘Twittering’ as part of a marketing campaign.” While I was put off enough by that inaccurate reference -- since we all know the line should have been “Twitter” or “tweeting” -- the continuation of the dialogue was somewhat painful to watch. Clearly, it was not written by someone who uses -- or even fully understands -- Twitter.

Similarly, last week’s episode of TBS’s “My Boys” focused entirely on Facebook. While the references actually were all accurate, the problem with the episode is that it was terribly outdated, in my opinion. I remarked to someone that it was about 18 months too late. And I bet there is someone on the staff of that show who, if consulted, would have said, “Shouldn’t we be focusing this episode on Twitter instead? Or at least talking about more current Facebook-related topics (the new, never-ending stream of LivingSocial quizzes, perhaps? Or even the relatively recent ‘25 things about me’ flood? Terms of service controversy, anyone?)?”

And to be honest, these nails-on-a-chalkboard moments of social media on TV were what really spurred this blog entry: The notion of, “How can someone who doesn’t really get this stuff be the one who gets to write about it?!?” was just too overwhelming to let the opportunity pass without some comments, especially since the fictional, televised faux pas only served to reinforce the larger issue: Organizations are missing the social media boat by not consulting -- and subsequently empowering -- their potential social media champions and capitalizing on their knowledge and ideas to ensure relevance, timeliness and the all-important buy-in.

To follow my adventures in job searching, subscribe to this blog, follow me on Twitter and visit my Web site.

Is looking for a job after a layoff like dating after a divorce?

2009-05-11T09:14:00.010-04:00

After I wrote my guest post for “A Step Ahead,” Rachel Esterline’s blog, shortly after learning of my impending layoff, I had a concept for a second post that really rang true for me at the time and continues to do so now that I actually am laid off:

Losing your job is like getting a divorce, and looking for a new job in the aftermath of being laid off is like finding yourself back on the dating market again.

I know it sounds odd, but just think about it for a minute ...

You’re in a relationship (job) for a number of years, and while it has had its share of ups and downs, you’re content overall and don’t have any plans to end the relationship (quit your job), but then your spouse (employer) tells you it’s over.
You are stunned by the loss and must figure out where you’ll live, what life will be like on your new income, etc.
You find yourself alone (unemployed) and needing to re-enter the dating pool (job-seeking market). Since you’ve been in this relationship (job) for so long and didn’t expect it to end, you’re somewhat unfamiliar with the current dating scene (job-search process) and lack the stylish wardrobe, hairstyle, etc. (fancy portfolio, personal Web site, e-résumé, technical skills, etc.) to be an attractive potential mate (employee). The game has changed since you last had to play it.
You give yourself a bit of a makeover (building a Web site, creating a modern portfolio, reformatting your résumé, trying out some of the newest tools of your trade and becoming proficient with them, etc.) and start going to new hangouts (networking events, professional conferences, etc.) where you might meet new people (find new job leads).
You go on dates (interviews), and when you really like the person (job opportunity), you sit by the phone and await a call back for another date (second interview); if that does happen and the situation seems promising, you start thinking maybe this could lead to a proposal (a viable job offer) and marriage (acceptance of a job offer and the start of a new job or career).

I ran this concept, in its simplest form, by someone who is both divorced and a job-search/career development expert, and she enthusiastically agreed that the comparison is a valid one (although divorce and job loss are not the same; don’t think for a moment that that’s what I’m suggesting!), which made me feel like I could share it.

Personally, I’ve been in the “waiting by the phone” stage for awhile, since my last “date” was one I really liked. Unfortunately, I’ve heard through the grapevine that he was just not that into me, but he hasn’t yet called or dropped me a line to tell me so. It’s a shame, too, since we are old friends.

I also recently completed most of my “makeover,” doing a complete overhaul of my résumé, working with a friend to create my Web site, and securing letters of recommendation and organizing other materials for what I think will turn out to be a pretty fantastic portfolio.

So it’s back to “going to new hangouts” for now; in fact, I just did that this weekend, attending the Ragan Communications Social Media Un-Conference in Chicago, where I met lots of folks, collected many business cards and heard plenty of interesting discussion about the use of social media in public relations and marketing. Perhaps I’ve even met my next potential “date.”