Tweet Away Bambino!

Soooo, I often get asked if it is always necessary to be involved in the latest, hottest, trendiest of trends when it comes to social media. To that, I answer: no. The great thing about social media is it's ability to adapt to the human element. The real question should be: Do we have to find newfangle ways to make social media seem more, I don't know, ridiculous? No? Just a little treasure a friend forwarded to me that I thought I'd share : I give you Kickbee, a monitor that tweets your baby's fetal movements. Yeah.

Check out Kickbee here.

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Breaking News: In the Spirit of Hope??

I came across this article yesterday on Gawker and I just had to share. See, it seems that now that Obama has been elected, us folks from the browner persuasion are now the hottest accessory. Yes, African Americans have now replaced the mini lap dog in the Louis Vuitton dog carrier on the red carpet. Who woulda thunk it? Only in f$%&*#g America...No wonder my popularity has surged. I'll see you on the red carpet!

Read the Gawker Article

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Breaking News: Political, Ahem, Entrepreneurship

Image via Wikipedia

According to the Feds, President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat was to be sold to Ebay-style. If the accusations against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich turn out to be true, they would be right in line with the Windy City's astounding tradition of corrupt big-city politics. Here's an article from one of my favorite outlets, Slate, examining Chicago's long-standing love with vice.

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Suburban Confidential

I know, I know- I have not posted in a while, and this probably started to take on the shape of one of my many abandoned creative "epiphany" projects. But I have a good reason. Read on.

So as life would have it, I am in a perpetual race to keep up with myself. Now, I don't think that I am busier than anyone else (that would make me a presumptuous oaf, would it not?), but I do know that I contribute to my own frenetic lifestyle because I lead a secret double life. Don't tell anyone.

Hmm. What could it be? What's her other schizophrenic personality? Stripper? (Please, not enough courage, flexibility or coordination). Trucker? (Nah, hate long road trips). Politician? (I won't touch that one...). Nope, while all of these are great choices, I try to live my life on the edge- I am like the female James Bond! Mistress of disguise!

Yes, in my other life, I double as a suburbanite. And you too can enjoy the suspense, the drama, and the action of bake sales, PTA meetings, condo board meetings and soccer practices, and dinner parties!

This is a sharp contrast from my other life where I am a social media/communications/fashion and beauty Empress. And I have to straddle these lives simultaneously. They could possibly complement each other, but because nothing in my life is streamlined, they are oftentimes fighting for attention. And because my child will ALWAYS win, I usually will have to tweet while organizing his class holiday party. Update my Facebook status from soccer practice. Conduct conference calls and visit showrooms on my way to and from book club meetings, coffee clutches, and dinner parties. Run a campaign, blog, and network while attending pilates class, traveling, checking spelling, guitar lessons, Cuong Nhu class, dinner and 8-yr old sleepovers. Run a business. Run a household. Meet with clients. Change the oil. Engage in non-profit work. Organize a play date. Perfect recipe for Sake Kasu Marinated Sea Bass for me, Chicken Fingers, Macaroni & Cheese and Carrots for the kid. Plan for web show, update business plan, write proposal, digg this, SocialMedian--ahh, you get the point. AND in between the little bit of time I have left over for myself, I try to date (yes, I am single blogverse- just putting it out there...)

I am myself, but I am not. I am unconventional enough to be conscientious when I am among the older, married, "super-stable" & suburban friends as well as with my "hip", unattached and single friends. I am proud enough to share stories of loose teeth, soccer goals, client wins and wine pairings. Present and free enough to head to a tweetup, speed dating, sample sale, fashion show and Common concert. My American Dream consists of fabulous shoes, a touch screen Blackberry (WITHOUT all of the sub-menus, please) an eco-friendly condo, a Malbec, a compassionate, civic-minded child, and rum-soaked banana cream pie. I love every minute of it.

There I go off on my tangent again. My original point was: If I am away for awhile, it's not because I moved on to something shinier, I am just keeping pace with life- my life as a super- sexy double agent! What's more desirable than a woman who can multitask with the best of them? You can always catch me on Twitter....

How do you manage your chaos??

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Breaking News: Ugly Fashion

Celebrity fashion designer Anand Jon, who has dressed celebrities Paris Hilton and Janet Jackson, and profiled in 2003 on America's Next Top Model, was convicted on Thursday in Los Angeles of raping and sexually assaulting aspiring models, some as young as 14. Full story below.

Jury Finds Celebrity Fashion Designer guilty

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Lessons from the 1%

If I had one penny for each and every time someone blamed the economy for everything from layoffs to the lack of soy milk at my local coffee shop (don't laugh, it's happened), I would not have to make my living begging for your attention. However, there is an entire rarified demographic out there who are reaping some serious financial benefits even during these tough economic times. Yes, these folks would be the ultra-wealthy, and those who market to the ultra-wealthy.

I dug up this YouTube video highlighting a iPod shuffle that is blinged-out beyond belief. Who needs this stuff? More importantly who's buying this stuff? Now, I would shudder to think of the type of person who is able to intelligently justify the need for an mp3 player draped in precious stones, but I know someone out there can and is buying one right now.



Nevertheless, this example of overindulgence points out a good basic marketing lesson when it comes to segmentation, positioning and strategy that we can all use. You too can sell a $99 product for $40k by establishing trust (in this example, Apple has established brand equity), offering value and customization (the diamonds). Nadine Wong of Morgan Stanley's Private Wealth Division states it best in this BusinessWeek podcast "Selling to High Net Worth Clients": it's the little things that make a big splash and count the most. Good rule of thumb.

Socialize My Style

Where do I sign up to be a style expert? I mean, seriously. I think I manage to clean up pretty nicely and have an eye for detail. I understand the psychological and cultural importance of fashion. I follow the immutable laws of chicness (I think). I ooze lotusity. And oh boy, do I have an opinion about EVERYTHING. So, where's my show on Bravo? Or Style Network? C'mon, the web?

Until that day comes (and believe me, it will.....muaahh!), I will continue to play around with Polyvore, a great web-based application that allows you to mix-and-match images anywhere from the web. It's allows someone like me to create style storyboards, or sets, that help guide my creative projects. Currently, I am redecorating my digs- guess what I print out and carry when shopping for everything from paint to curtains? Trust me, I have shopping ADD, so it helps....

If you truly love putting together images, design, styling and planning as much as I do, you can go all out and do this with Photoshop, which I normally do. However, being that I spend 400% of my day on a the web and my phone, having the built-in social capabilities to share my love with the world is an A++. It's easier for me to grab, arrange, embed and post to Facebook, Digg and Delicious. Just call me the Nina Garcia of social media (let me have my dreams, please!).

sexy techie by nataliesblack

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Crack My Reality

Although I am in public relations, I try to limit my mass media marketing consumption to about 2,000 calories a day. It’s the only way I can keep the stupid away. But an indulgence every once in a while is OK, no? I mean, what better way to end a long, grueling day than with a glass of wine, and an episode (or two) of good ‘ol junk TV? And when I say junk TV, I am mainly speaking of reality television.

Notice that I wasn’t condescending and didn't write “reality”. Yes, I know its somewhat scripted (I like to say "provoked") television. Can anyone be themselves when they have 2 cameramen, a sound guy, a director and a producer following you around? And I know that once taping ends, the production team skips happily to the editing room and tries to put together the 2 kajillion hours of footage into a show with an actual storyline- And I know that if they play their cards right, they may have end up with an Emmy nomination. I know this. But, I can’t help scratch my head, laugh, and roll my eyes all at the same time as I watch my latest brain crack addiction known as The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Is it just me, or does this show remind you of high school- just at age 30+ and with an über-dose of ubiquitous indulgence?

And this holds true for all of the “Real Housewives’ installments, not just the ATL-iens. But this latest Atlanta edition, well, it’s special. It’s special because although I cannot identify with being a millionaire divorcé, or an NFL/NBA wife, it reminds me of the Atlanta that I encounter (and run from) on the regular. (Yes, I live here, I am a NY transplant). Everybody is kind of like a cartoon character accentuated with too much bling and a $3,000 handbag. So in that respect, it’s pretty accurate. Reality: check!

As far as the women are concerned, I am inclined to think that this is their reality. The galas, the self-imposed photo shoots, the personal assistants, the corny air kisses- who am I to scoff at that? (Scoff, scoff!) And if I hear “oh my gosh, you look so beautiful!!” in that phoney-baloney shrill voice one more time….I just may turn of my TV. Nah, who am I kidding? I’ll be back for more next Tuesday. It’s self-assuring, in a sick way, to know there are people in this world who need more psychotherapy than me. Like I said: brain crack.

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A metaphor for life + business

I have once again realized that my life is one big fat mashup of lifestyle and my business. It is a constant kinetic metaphor. It's not as quaint as a box of chocolates. It's more like the sanguine cliche of a caterpillar changing into a butterfly...or something like that.

Huh? Here's a scenario that I have become quite accustomed to (I am sure many of you can relate): you're giving a presentation on social media to a group of straight suits in a windowless, cold conference room. Your presentation is great- you have case studies, facts, screen shots, interactive windows-the whole nine, just to demonstrate the potency of social media today. And to tie it all in, you go a step further, and customize your presentation with a thorough SWOT analysis of said company- and highlight how an integrated social media campaign will benefit them. At this point, it seems illogical to doubt that this is the best way to go. Wrong.

Now, let's examine the group you're presenting to. In my case, it's almost always a room full of men. Their reality is pretty straight and narrow. Most of them stare, eyes glazed over, wondering when is this nice young lady going to stop talking- I am interfering with tee time. Some look at me like "aw, that's cute, she has 'managing partner' on her business card". The rest are noticeably enthusiastic- they hang on to your every word, and when you are finished, they say " My sentiments exactly, Natalie. You've nailed it. This is something we have to definitely keep our eye on....." This is the group I am most troubled by.

Now for fair argument's sake, my company, black lotus, is the new kid on the block, so when we have a meeting with a prospective or even a current client, believe me, we pull out all the stops. We do our homework. And we devise a plan that far surpasses anything they have ever imagined. It's funny, the execution is not the hard part, it's the conceptualizing (at least in my opinion). This new kid gets paid to think. Nonetheless, being a new company does not mean being 'wet behind the ears' (ha ha, another metaphor), and between myself, my savvy business partner, and the few folks we work with, we have enough collective experience to know that "keep our eyes on this.." or anything along those lines is secret corporate code for "what the f$&k does social media have to do with me? This is airy fairy. We're not doing this unless we have to."

So why does this particular group trouble me? Well, the first two groups are so blind to change, and distracted by the superficial, that they cannot even recognize evolution- it's almost like a handicap. It is what it is. But for the latter, change only becomes inevitable when a thorough cost-benefit analysis justifies it. It's like going to the bathroom- only because you have to do it. Usually by then, it's too late.

Now, part of me can understand their hesitation. Brands have been doing the same thing the same way for years, and in its heyday, it has worked. Take my shell of a previous life- before the advent of Facebook and Twitter, hell, even text messaging, I connected, networked and shared the good 'ol fashioned way. And it worked (for the most part). So, I can see how companies justify their stale approach to marketing with the six-figure budgets they spend on tv, print, radio ads and their focus groups. And their banner ads. If they're feeling real saucy, they'll throw some change towards email marketing. Either way, they see just enough ROI to go back to shareholders to justify their tactics...it's a process that is farcical and cyclical. These companies won't take the full plunge until they see the direct impact of NOT participating in social media. Ok, I see. Afterall, my first introduction to social media came many moons ago when I realized I was missing out on great conversation and happenings. By then, I had to play super catch up, and practically OD on the stuff to give myself an edge.

Fast forward to now. Social media is part of the fabric of my life. I understand the value and importance of word-of-mouth, relevancy and connectivity (my company's motto is "the relentless pursuit of connection). I cannot imagine how I can exist as a person or a brand (yes, I said it, brand. We're all brands, but that's to be discussed later) without some form of social media. And as a company owner, I use these social tools to build my brand, pick up clients, and engage in markets, etc. I have to, the survival of my brand and my business relies on it. And I am no different than many of the small- to medium- sized businesses out there who are progressive. We get the message: change or die.

So I am willfully optimistic, especially in this economy, that bigger companies will be more get the message as well and will begin to integrate social media into their marketing mix. But mainly because they will have to. Inertia will have finally taken its toll and their market share chipped away. So what does this have to do with my life? Um, it's just funny- the vicissitudes of fate, that is. Back to my lame caterpillar/butterfly comparison: I did something, in this case, a participant of social media, because I had to. I gorged on as much of it as possible. And before I knew it, it changed my reality. Too lofty?? Yes, that's me. But think of it like this: social media adaptation for folks like you and me will continue to be a boon as we give ourselves the competitive edge. Meanwhile, the bigger companies who neglect to heed its momentum will struggle to exist in a new reality created by us. Who whould have thunk it?

So, like with anything in life- change or die.

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m

I tweet, text, digg and blog- Why do I feel so dirty?

Yahoo posted a news story today from CBS affiliate WJZ 13 revealing some interesting insights into the texting habits of Americans. (View the story here.) The segment goes on to discuss some of the strange places that we text from including weddings, funerals, and the lavatory!

Strange, indeed. I am guilty of all of the above. And it just doesn't end with texting. I fall short of being "addicted" to twitter, but I love to tweet. If I find ANYTHING at all interesting on the web- I am the first person to share it through email, Friendfeed, Digg, Del.icio.us, Facebook... In fact, I immerse myself in social media early in the am when I am just gearing up for my day, in the middle of my day, and of course, late at night when all is quiet. Dud of a date? Hmm, I have a solution for that- I text my best gal pal a "SOS" and suddenly I am out the door because 'Aunt Mildred' has fallen and she can't get up (I don't really have an Aunt Mildred...). Can't decide which shoes to wear? No sweat, thanks to my Blackberry and iPhone, I can share these images with friends and followers alike, have them vote, and I am out the door with stiletto savoire faire. I know, I know, but there's a method to my madness.

Hey, I am a busy girl, and I am sure there are a ton of you that can relate. Texting, tweeting et al make it a hell of a lot easier for me to stay in contact with folks (I am flaky- easily distracted and can loose touch with people at the blink of an eye!), share ideas, brainstrom, and believe it or not- get work done. But there's something to be said when these activities become formulaic. So, I guess the real problem arises when we use these tools to replace human connection- which I don't. All of my technological accoutrements enhance my interactions. There's nothing better than chatting with a friend face-to-face, or being really present and bitter at yet another friends' wedding. But sometimes, for whatever reason, you just can't. Now, I won't let these things interrupt a wonderful intimate experience...but I may text or tweet about it afterwards...or maybe not!

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Chiconista par Snobbery

Oftentimes, I have been called a snob. And I like to think it's not because I am one, but because I am terribly misunderstood (sigh). So when I came across Snobsite.com, an "online home for cultural snobbery", I had to chuckle. While I am not a rare bird in my small, yet ever-so-chic clique (hello, ladies!), I find myself begrudgingly exiled to Chichi Island, especially when compared to the larger set of my peers. Therefore, you can call this online discovery an unexpected witty homecoming. AND they have snob dictionaries- David Kamp, you are a kindred spirit, indeed!

Now, please don't misunderstand me- I approach "socially superior" hot buttons such as food, film and wine with an insouciant manner that would make any bona fide snob cringe. However, I have been known to participate in a heated debate (or three) about the true definition of burgers, the inherent differences between movies and films, and have built a strong case for the appeal of cult wines, but does that make me a snob? I would argue not. I would argue, rather, that I merely am an individual whom seeks out, enjoys, and looks to learn (excessively) from my everyday experiences with food, fashion, wine, literature, films, etc. As a matter of fact, I regard these experiences as a cathartic artistic exercise of sorts, one that indulges my conscience and engages all of my senses. As filmaker Jean-Luc Godard so eloquently puts it, "the extra-human intervention is human conscience. In order not to be eaten up, the conscience has to be awakened..." Hmm, I guess he was probably considered a snob, too.