Practically Speaking

Endless Summer

I started my summer with a plan to start surfing the social web and now I know that I'll be surfing year round.  On Friday, I accepted a job offer from Intuit's Brand team to skip resignation plansand transfer to a role focused on using word of mouth and social marketing to achieve our brand building goals.  This is a great position with the opportunity to have big business impact, learn new skills and work with on a team I have admired since I started at Intuit.

Still, I have to admit I am still in a bit of shock that my career situation has resolved itself so successfully for me.  I don't understand why this is so.  I lived by the values that I recommend others live by.  I was honestly hopeful and happy throughout my journey that I was taking the right steps to make sure my career plans met my and my families needs.

Is there something in me that doubts that I deserve to have good things happen in my life?  Am I experiencing some kind of survivor guilt since in less than a week (8/25/08) Intuit employees that were laid off in May and who were not able to find a transfer position will be permanently gone.

It could also be that events of recent weeks have me on a downward trajectory: I made the heartbreaking decision to euthanize my beloved pet; during my family vacation in Wisconsin my grandmother was hospitalized with sky high blood pressure that was aggravated by the stress of taking care of my grandfather; my mother and her siblings made the decision to move my grandfather out of his home and into a nursing center where he can get the medical attention and rehabilitative help he needs after several strokes and the usual difficulties that come with living to age 89. 

Three generations of my family were on edge, and I am very thankful that my cousin, sister and I have beautiful, funny, amazing children to distract us and help us smile, laugh and play each day as we try to accept life's real journey.

 

Patience is Required

The good news - as I hunt for a new role within Intuit, there are lots of really interesting, challenging, important marketing jobs that have recently opened, at least 10 in the past week alone.  I've applied for several of them (and encourage you to if you want to work for a great employer with great employees and great products) but with just 2 more days before I leave for a week of vacation, I have resigned myself to the fact that I won't have closure before Friday.

Still, I plan to leave my work laptop behind, along with interview schedules.  Surely, being unavailable for one week out of the past dozen will not lead me to miss out on my next opportunity.  I also want to make sure the lack of closure does not lead me to miss out on the important activities I have planned for the coming week:

• Be a granddaughter, daughter, niece, cousin, sister, aunt, mother, wife
• Visit my grandparents and enjoy watching them laugh about Henry and Isabel's antics
• Celebrate my niece's first birthday and baptism (and become a Godmother for the first time!)
• Watch 6 kids under age 7 play until they are played out, then start over again the next day
• Buy, and of course eat, fresh cheese curds from the Union Star Cheese Factory in Zittau
• Visit the swine barn (just because its there) at the Winnebago County Fair
• Take the kids to Marble Park to play in the sand and go for a swim
• Then, stop at The Well on the way home and try to eat the soft serve ice cream before it melts
• Enjoy the view of the sun setting over Lake Poygan

In memoriam: Freud, 16, beloved dog and faithful friend

Freud died on Saturday, July 26.  After recovering from his terrible wounds from a dog fight last year, Freud suffered greatly from complications of old age.

In his 16 years he had many adventures both in real life and in his doggie dreams.

Freud found Gretchen at the Evanston Animal Shelter in September 1992, when he was 4 months old.  After meeting several larger, well-groomed, well-behaved dogs, Gretchen fell in love at first site with the scruffy, gangly puppy who bounded out the door, across the field and pounced on her lap.  When she learned his name was Freud, she knew she had met her dog.

Freud helped keep Gretchen healthy with long walks along the lakefront in Evanston, and helped keep her and her roommate Beth safe in their apartment.  Freud was a loyal companion who moved with Gretchen from Chicago to Indiana, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, New York and finally California.  He helped teach Gretchen about priorities as she moved around the country and had to find apartments where Freud would be accepted as well.  This need to house Freud would prove portentous, since it helped Gretchen and Mike make a very profitable real-estate investment in San Francisco in 1998.  Freud reaped the rewards of this investment as well; he finally had a doggie door open to his own yard, and beautiful weather outside to make it more valuable.

Freud happily supported the expansion of their family.  When Gretchen married Mike, Freud served as ring-bearer in their wedding.  Still, he was quite grumpy when he learned that he had to give up what he considered to be his side of the bed.  Freud was supportive and protective as the family grew to include Isabel, and then Henry. He really enjoyed taking his family on walks through the neighborhood, and didn't seem to mind that with the passage of time, people noticed the kids instead of him.

Freud enjoyed eating spicy foods (especially Wayne's chili), getting dressed up for Halloween, chasing squirrels, rolling around in smelly stuff, and going on walks anywhere, but especially Crissy Field.

He hated baths, getting brushed, fireworks and thunderstorms.

He will be in my heart forever, my Bubba, my TLOMLy, my Freud.

(How) Can you make money blogging?

As part of my summer surfing the social web, I wanted to go to the BlogHer conference held in San Francisco last weekend.  I first read about it on one of my favorite blogs, Silicon Valley Moms Blog, a collaborative blogging community started by Palo Alto moms whose lives seem so much like mine. (Although Pamela obviously is much more fashionable and Jill gets interviewed on the Today Show about her work.) 

Since I am quite cheap practical, I wanted to see if there was a way I could attend the conference for free.  I contacted one of my co-workers at Intuit who focuses on word of mouth marketing and asked if we were going and if there extra tickets.  It turns out we were there as sponsors, but had no extra tickets.  I decided I wanted to go even if I had to pay - but, alas, I was too late - registration was full, and I could only put my name on the wait list.  Then, on the Thursday before the conference my co-worker emailed me that she would have to leave early on Saturday and I could use her ticket that afternoon.  (I ended up working at our booth for about an hour during the lunch break and really enjoyed talking with our customers, which is something I need to do more often.) So, thanks Intuit and thanks Kira for helping me get to this conference.

Okay, I know - quit the blabber - you really want to know if you can make money blogging.  Since I started my blog earlier this summer, that is a question I wanted to answer too.  To that end, there was one session in particular that really interested me What We Do: There's More to Monetization than Advertising.  Here's my take on the options:

1. Have an interesting life, be willing to write about it, add in a talent for writing about it, preferably with humor and drama, then share your opinions, especially ones most people would keep secret, work at it full-time, 10-12 hours a day, and keep up the pace for several years until you have a large and loyal following.  Then, in your spare time, think and act like an entrepreneur and do the business development, marketing, sales, operations and financial management necessary to make make money and determine if you can quit "working". 

That is how Dooce blogger Heather Armstrong, who spoke at the BlogHer Closing Keynote does it.  She makes money a.) as a publisher who sells ad space on her site b.) as an affiliate who makes a commission when you click through and buy something mentioned on her site c.) as an author who will easily sell copies of her book to that large and loyal following, and d.) as a conference speaker.

2. Have your own business and use your nights spare time to blog about your trials and triumphs in starting, growing, and managing, then make sure to share enough about your personal life that people identify with you, plus, like the example above, have a talent for writing about it, and work at for several years to build up a following, especially one with folks who tell others about your great blog. If you link your blog, or better yet incorporate it into your main site, it can help increase your natural search ranking thanks to all the great keywords and traffic your blog gets.

That is how Mommy Needs a Cocktail blogger Kristen Hammond expanded on her business designing and selling t-shirts on her e-commerce site Baby Brewing.  Because of all the extra traffic, most of it "highly qualified" folks who want to buy the shirt their friend is wearing, she makes more money at her core business.  She also started a second blog, Mommy Needs a Review, for which I assume she gets free stuff, gets an affiliate commission if you click through and buy what she recommends, and possibly gets paid to run contests and raffles.

3.  Start your own local blogging network and use your business development and sales skills to attract a local community of bloggers who write compelling content (oh, and in your spare time, write your own blog) then convince local small businesses to buy ad space on your local network and provide special discounts to your readers.  Manage the local ad sales in addition to participating in a large ad network like BlogHer, and making commissions as an affiliate (i.e. Amazon Affiliates or CommisionJunction.)

That is how Dana Loesh is trying to make more money from her Mamalogues blog in St. Louis.  SVMoms Blog is a similar endeavor, but has become a network of networks in major cities as Silicon Valley Moms Group.  Also, I think it was Dana who talked about placing Google Adsense ads on your blog, but said that targeting can be too broad and you get low click-thrus and thus, little revenue. 

4. Be an artist, filmmaker, musician, photographer or author and blog about and/or share your work online.  You may attract the attention of a studio or publisher who wants to "sign" you, or you can sell your work direct on the web.  I didn't meet anyone at the conference who is an examples of this, but it was talked about in the session and again in my class at Stanford on Tuesday night with a guest speaker from Creative Commons.  They have some great case studies on how people have used limited copyrights to help them both protect and license their work tomake money.

5. Build up your personal brand in your professional area of expertise.  Soon to be former Forrester Analyst and Groundswell author Charlene Li, who focuses on online and social media, maintains several blogs.  I don't know Charlene personally (although I did attend a session she led at Intuit), but her professional blog is the type that I see often in the Valley, and most of the business/technology blogs I read are written by men.  In contrast, most of the blogs I read that are written by women are "mommy blogs."  Both are valid, but I would argue that unless you want to be an entrepreneur (see examples 1-4 above) building your personal brand is more likely to result in more income for you as you become recognized as a thought leader in your area of expertise.

Oh, and one more BlogHer takeaway - it often seemed that losing one's real job was a pre-requesite for success as a blogger - I hope that isn't the route I'll follow. 

There was one benefit that had nothing to do with marketing, blogging or making money: I got to meet Grover (and his human Eric Jacobson.)  Sesame Street was at the conference promoting the planned relaunch of their Web site in early August.  When I really get this blogging thing down, I'll make sure to bring a better camera than the one in my Blackberry, and I'll be able to share my own pictures.

I resigned today...and I feel great

My department reorged me into a new position back at the end of April, and I've been looking for a new position within Intuit since late May.  Until two weeks ago, my boss hadn't put any time limit on my search, although we both thought I would be in a new role by the beginning of August. 

That is still possible.  In the past month, many new positions that match my skills and interest have opened up, but I am still in the midst of the interview process for several of them.

While I have been looking, my boss has also been reassessing the marketing needs of our group.  She has determined that she needs someone with skills that are even less of a match to mine.  But, she couldn't open the req for the replacement until I was in a new position or had resigned.  And, since we have so many people who were impacted by the recent layoffs, who have a deadline of 8/25 to find a position within Intuit, we both felt a sense of urgency to make sure this role could be open for them.

That is how I came to submit my resignation today. 

It isn't as bad as it may sound, since the effective date is over 2 months away at the start of October.  While it was a little difficult to push the send button on my resignation email, I felt great almost immediately afterward.  In fact, this whole process has been incredibly energizing.  It has given me an excuse to meet with so many people around my company, plus former co-workers and friends. 

I now realize that I should make meeting with these folks a priority even after I find my new job.  I'll learn much more over some nice lunch meetings than I do eating alone at my desk.

"That was her job."

The other night, I watched the PBS show Jackie Onassis: An Intimate Portrait, and my husband half-listened while he worked on our nearby computer.  They detailed the sad time shortly after the death of the Kennedy's newborn third child, when the President planned to go to Dallas.  He asked Jackie to go with him, and she apparently said she would follow him anywhere he needed her. (We know that more sadness came from that trip.)

My husband turned to me and commented, "See, she would go anywhere for him.  So, why wouldn't you move to Singapore with me if I asked you to?" 

Now, we've never contemplated Singapore per se, but Mike has often expressed an interest in an overseas stint for work, or in the least, some time in New York.  And, just last year, he had an opportunity in London, but I had just returned to work at Intuit after a 4 month maternity leave, and I couldn't see any possibility of arranging my own job transfer to England, or working remotely.  I felt I needed to focus on regaining my own work mojo after the break.  Mike passed on the opportunity.

My response to Mike's question was, "That was her job.  It was her job to be a wife and support her husband."  Since then, I've been thinking about my response, because I think I missed something.  The reality is, while it may not be my "job", I am a wife, Mike's wife, and therefor it is my job/commitment to support him. 

Now, that doesn't have to mean I should follow him anywhere he wants to go without discussion.  Still, I know I don't do enough supporting, including cheerleading him on his accomplishments in his work and career.  And, how can I expect him to support me in my career if I don't do the same.  How can I expect to teach that example of teamwork to my children, if I don't show them how through my own actions and words.

Now anyone who knows me knows I'm not religious, but that didn't keep me from using a religious reading for my wedding.  It was a passage that I should reflect on more often.

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to lift him up.  Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?  And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Bad Behavior

I'm telling on myself here.  Still, I couldn't believe the behavior of my fellow ATM patron this morning.  I needed to quickly get some cash before heading off to work, and rather than drive the few blocks, I figured I'd get in a brisk walk for some exercise. 

While I waited for the light to change at the intersection across from the bank, I noticed a man park his car, get out and start walking toward me at the corner.  I started across and could hear him walking behind me.  Once we both got across the street, immediately in front of the bank, about 40 feet from the ATM, he ran/jogged past me then returned to walking toward the ATM.  I couldn't believe what he had done, but my hot-headed brain came to a quick conclusion on the right action to take.

I returned the favor, and ran/jogged past him then returned to my walking pace to arrive at the ATM first.

What to do about the "Gap"

A poster to the Works for Me group asked how to explain the gap in her career on her resume.  The change was prompted by her need for a different balance after she had kids, but, in her case, there wasn't really a gap.  She had quit her full time marketing job to become a self-employed consultant.    For those moms who off-ramp completely, or who take a side rail like this poster, explaining the gap to potential employers often looms as a big concern.

I had a time in my career at Cardonet (back in the bust) when my employer had reduced my hours to part-time.  I didn't disclose that on my resume because I used the limited space on my resume to focus on accomplishments and skills, both of which continued to grow during my part-time employment.  (If asked, or it was relevant, I would have explained the situation in an interview.)

After they laid me off completely, I wasn't working for money, but I was still doing things that added to my accomplishements and skills.  I listed my volunteer work on the board of the Golden Gate Mothers Group, as a newsletter editor, my equity-based work as an editor for GoCityKids.com, and that I started Works for Me.  These things all related to being a mother, so it was obvious what was happening in my life.  But, it also showed potential employers that I'm a dive-in kind of person who wants to add value for others, and wouldn't they like to hire someone who will do that for them.

I suggest that all moms, but especially those who expect to eventually return to employment for pay, is don't have a gap on your resume.  This also applies to folks who get laid off.  It is not hard to avoid a gap: do volunteer work, do work for equity, or take a class at a local college.  All of these things can be done in just a few hours a week, in the evening, and have tremendous non-monetary benefits: networking/new friends, new skills, and, in many cases a self-esteem boost.

Procrastination is Making Me Late

I won't rewrite the rest of Carly Simon's "Anticipation."  I am a great procrastinator, which is generally not a valued skill in the workplace.  However, I have found it is helpful in eliminating unnecessary work.  You know, the request for a TPS report - if you stop doing it, and no one asks for it again, big win for you.  Rest assured, I am a conscientious procrastinator.  If I have the slightest inkling that I am holding someone else up in their work, I will do it quickly, no question. 

With my job situation in flux right now, I find myself in procrastination mode because of my lack of interest in the work.  Still, I knew I needed to move past it for the sake of my co-workers.  When I came back after the long holiday weekend, one of the first things I did may seem like more procrastination...I cleaned out my email...really cleaned - my inbox is empty!  I took everything and either deleted it or moved it to an archive folder.  Much of it is still there, but out of my way. 

I did this once before and it really freed my brain.  Last year, Intuit paid for me to take a time management course offered by The Effective Edge.  Now, I can't say that I haven't retained 100% of what I learned, but what I liked most was how practical this course was for folks like me who use MS Outlook as homebase for managing work. 

This is what I found helpful:

• turning off the email alert (tools/options/e-mail options/advanced e-mail options/uncheck all boxes under "when new items arrive in my inbox). This really eliminated distractions and knee-jerk (read: pissed off) reactions to requests.  It is possible to be timely without treating e-mail like chat.
• 4D E-mail strategy: do, delegate, delete (or archive) or defer.  If you can do it in 2 minutes or less, do it.  If you can't do it, send it to the person who can.  Delete things you won't need again or can look up another way - archive everything not deleted.  Defer means if it will take more than 2 minutes, make it a task and let the necessary people know your timeline.
• A comparison between an e-mail inbox and a physical mail box helped me really increase my deletion rate - I wouldn't leave all of my physical mail in my mailbox and keep sorting through it to get to the new stuff.  Important stuff would get lost.  You've got to toss it, take action, or file it away for later so you can find what matters.

After I did my big delete/archive on Monday, I breezed through several projects that had been weighing me down. And, I've kept it empty by doing the new stuff under the 4D method.

My Summer Surfing the Social Web

For my summer vacation, I'm not traveling to India, Europe or Australia.  I'm not lazing on a beach or exploring a museum.  Right now, I'm not even taking a vacation from work.  In fact, in addition to work, I've signed up for a class through Stanford Continuing Studies on Web 2.0 and its Business Applications. 

I'm not taking it for a grade, so there are no required assignments.  But, I have given myself a big homework project for the six weeks of the class: immerse myself in the social web.  It's not like I have no work experience with the Social web:  for several years I worked in marketing for BabyCenter, which was a pioneer in user-generated content, boasting real-world advice from parents as its distinguishing feature from other parenting sites.  I even harnessed the enthusiasm of those parents to help BabyCenter win a People's Choice Webby award in 2006.  Before that, I was San Francisco editor for GoCityKids when they first added UGC in 2002.  In my current job, I enabled syndication of product reviews hosted by BazaarVoice across our different sales channels.  But, Social is a growing beast with much more connectivity and many layers unfolding daily.

Last week, reading Botox for the Resume reminded me that the length of my marketing experience is not a selling point for potential employers (and could be a detractor).  The content of that experience is what matters.  I want to keep adding valuable experience.  I also know that I'll have a hard time using the social web for my job if I don't understand how it works, what is in it for the user, and what annoys us/them.  I'm doing this to become a better marketer, and sharpen my skills, but I also expect to create some new habits that will be beneficial in ways I can't yet imagine. 

This blog is part of that immersion.  Daily visits to the Facebook page I built a few months back for a project at work is also on the list - although I have yet to get much out of it other than to link to a few former classmates and co-workers. Today, I just started using del.icio.us, and expect it will become as indispensable as Google - not just tagging for myself, but also using it to search based on others' tags instead/in addition to searching Google. 

I've already been a regular user of YouTube, posting lots of video of my kids for faraway family, but only one with a "social" aspect.  Still, I was quite pleased that my daughter's teacher was so moved by the live Teacher Appreciation performance by her Kindergarten class that was coordinated entirely via virtual rehearsal.

I know there are many more sites and tools to explore, I'm just trying to stop when I encounter them, and take a moment to use them, while also observing how other folks have found the social web useful in both their personal and professional lives.