I fell asleep on last night on my living room floor with my laptop in front of me while trying to find the perfect font for a logo that we are doing for a new client, working on videos for an almost complete project, and generating some potential business from a new follower that I have on Twitter that is from Chicago. By the way, if after all my raves about Twitter, you still haven't checked it out, it's not too late!
I woke up to my Meatloaf-"I Would Do Anything For Love" alarm at 6:30 a.m. to make sure my oldest was up and at 'em. She was. I helped her fix her hair, then it was back downstairs to see what exactly I left off on last night before I dozed off.
-Check email. My Smaller Indiana folder had one message. Kelly Thrasher had replied to the latest Seth Godin forum discussion-"Anyone interested in meeting Seth Godin?!" Smaller Indiana is trying to get one of the best selling authors of marketing books to Indy!
-Check Twitter- I use Twitter as my news feed. Some things that I was led to from Twitter.
*5 Best Places to Travel in a Recession
*Wells Fargo is the first bank to use social media.
*Even though Obama stopped Tweeting, the amount of followers he is getting is increasing since the election.
*The new Indianapolis Airport ROCKS!
*MSNBC has an exclusive web-only interview with Sarah Palin.
Even if you don't have time to participate all the time, just taking the time to briefly visit a few different social media venues can provide you with a view on current info that you probably won't get from watching the 6:00 news. Try it! It's news you control.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
It's 7:15 a.m.-Social Media=Nicki's News Feed
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Technology and the New President of the United States
Over the past few months, especially since President Obama became the Democrat candidate for the race for President, there have been many ways that I have stayed up to date on what was going on with the election.
Twitter
Smaller Indiana
Facebook
Blogs
News stations
News stations websites
Email newsletters from David Plouffe
Tonight, I searched for the best, most up to date source for the campaign coverage. Switching back and forth from ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox, as well as getting updates from my network on Twitter, of the best resources for coverage, and watching CNN.com, the Indy Star, and Yahoo.
After Obama was announced President, I found a final resource. Google does everything! (I couldn't get it adjusted to fit properly... but if you click the link at the top of the calendar, you can see the full sized image)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
So, Why Should I Blog?
Last night I was on a panel with 3 of my favorite Indianapolis men; Douglas Karr, Patric Welch, and Erik Deckers. There were approximately 15 students and professionals in the audience at STC-Indiana that wanted to learn more about blogging. Out of the group, only 2 had active blogs. This put into perspective for me, that not everyone knows what blogging is, what it can do for you, who should be blogging, and why.
A woman in the audience presented the following question: I had to write a blog for my class, and I sucked at writing it. How do I know that anyone wants to hear what I have to say?
I didn't address her question last night, but want to let her know if she is reading this; even though you may not think anyone is listening, someone always is. I thought the very same thing when I started. I am a very unique person with a very unique personality. It took me getting active on Smaller Indiana before my audience recognized me, which is why I say use a mixture of not just blogs, but social networks as well.
Since you are in Indiana, check out www.smallerindiana.com. It's great for getting your feet wet, generating new ideas, and building your network. I don't go a week now without someone emailing me saying "Nicki I've been watching you for a while, and I wanted to reach out and see how our businesses can work together or that they'd like to meet me". It's pretty flattering!
Some tips for post generation;
~During your day, recognize the things that make you say "Aha!" Others want to know about those too, and will be searching for them. If that topic has made them go Aha!, and they read your post, you have just gained a fan.
~Set up Google Alerts for subjects that interest you by going to www.google.com/alerts. For instance, if you are blogging about Corvettes, set up an alert for Corvettes! You'll receive information that comes out as it hits search engines, and you'll be ahead of the curve! I have alerts set up for social media, web 2.0, web 3.0, Nicki Laycoax, Blogs, Indianapolis Web...
~Participate in social networking sites and forums. This will help keep your mind sharp and thinking about your next post.
~Watch the news or read websites geared toward your subject. If you blog about food or cooking, watch the food channel and write about what you learn!
If you've got time grab a notepad and a cup of coffee and listen to the conference via Talkshoe!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Blog Action Day 2008-My Plan To Help Change The Path Of Poverty
I feel that to make a change, you should start with the most primary subjects available to us-our children. Children will live what they learn,
as the old poem by Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph. D. goes:
If children live with hostility,
they learn to fight.
If children live with ridicule,
they learn to be shy.
If children live with tolerance,
they learn to be patient.
If children live with encouragement,
they learn confidence.
If children live with praise,
they learn to appreciate.
If children live with fairness,
they learn justice.
If children live with security,
they learn faith.
If children live with approval,
they learn to like themselves.
If children live with acceptance, and friendship,
they learn to find love in the world.
If we teach our children to be aware of their surroundings, and to be held accountable for their own actions, as well as what they can do with very little
effort, or maybe a lot of effort, things will change.
For instance; I just became a Girl Scout Leader. My girls are 2nd & 3rd graders. The first day that we met, we learned about the Girl Scout Law
what it means and how to apply it to our lives. In our second meeting, we talked about service projects. Each girl gave a suggestion of what we could do to either raise money, or donate items to those in need.
Some suggestions were:
Food Drive
Toy Drive
Car wash
Girl Scout benefit concert to raise money (each girl either plays an instrument, sings, or dances)
The could donate their bikes
Garage Sale and donate earnings
Hot Chocolate or Lemonade Stand
Recycle cans and donate earnings
To summarize, I feel that making all of our children aware that they can make a difference will begin an outbreak of philanthropy. It starts with us to
start that movement. Please check out your local United Way, Boys & Girls Club, Big Sister or Big Brother, Kiwanis, etc... You can make a difference!!
p.s. I contacted one of the area elementary schools and asked if they would ask their students to write a brief statement about what they think poverty is, and what they can do to help. Here are the responses from one 2nd grade class:
Poverty maens to me that they have no muney. Brooke, 7
Poverty means that people are pore. Brayden, 7
Poverty mens or pore. U mite not have ane tals. Ashely, 7
Poverty means to me that evry shoud have homes. Poverty means to me that you have no familys. Kaitlyn, 7
Poverty means to me is sad. If I could hellp I would but I do not know were thay liv. I feel very sad I do not know eny. One that is Poverty if I did I would do any thang for them. I can find a way to if I could. Brooklyn 8
Poverty means to me that you are por and have only one pair of shoes and one shirt and one pair of pants. How I can fix it is by doneateing money and toys and clothes. Katelyn, 7
Poverty means to me that they are very very pore. Poverty means to me that every thing is not what it seems. I will fix it by telling the king. Audrey 8
Poverty is wen famelys have very little money. One of my sister friens went throo that. I felt bad. I am going to save money and send it to people that need it. That is why I go to church school every Sunday I go. Sarah, 8
Poverty means to me that people have no money people that don’t have money. I can try to donate money. Gabriel, 7
What poverty means to me is very impornt. Poverty is horuble. I can chaing poverty by donateing money. Poverty means homeless. Evan, 7
Poverty means to me that people need help. Poverty means to me that kids dads moms need help to. I could fix it by sending in food. I could fix it by sending in money. Olivia, 7
I think poverty is bad! I whis I could have the nolig to think what to do about it. Can you help? Jackson, 8
Poverty means that people have no close. Poverty is ware people are fortunateless. I can help people by donating close and money. Elexis, 7
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Twitterfeed
Just a brief info tidbit:
Twitterfeed informs your Tweeps that you have written a new blog post!
www.twitterfeed.com
