The Return of the Podcast!



What are free, plentiful, full of new ideas, and accessible anyplace, anytime? Podcasts!
Not only are they proven to be super effective, the speakers are generally passionate about their topics which makes them really easy to listen to. 
Here is a short list of the podcasts I’ll be tuning into for inspiration in 2013:
  • This American Life
  • TechCrunch 
  • npr TED Radio Hour
  • Stuff You Should Know (howstuffworks.com) 
ps. Make sure to check out the new Podcast App for iPhone too, it’s pretty cool!

Starting from Scratch

Okay, so you have a BIG idea. You've done the research and now you have to start building something...from scratch. An enormous pile of thoughts and facts, and it's just you and the white board. 

Where do you begin? 

1. Choose a direction. Determine the best way to get from point A to point Z, the challenges that might occur, and possible ways to navigate around them. By acknowledging and preparing for doubts, you'll find your first step to a solid strategy. 

2. Expand your thinking. The end goal is to deliver something the client wants. You may not have access to all the tools necessary right away, but pshhh save those details for later. Figure out what the client wants first, then the best way to execute it. 

3. Test it out. Nay sayers might tell you not to test it until things are perfect, but forget that! The moment you feel a solid foundation is in place, start testing it. The goal here is to see how people respond so you can refine and make improvements. 

Follow these simple steps and you'll be on your way to a successful project! 

The Impressive Personal Library II


Those were the glorious days, the ones spent showing off impressive personal libraries. But alas, no more. So we in the e-book reading majority must, I think, confront the following questions:

Will libraries cease to exist at all?

How will brands move away from books as public artifacts, and towards personal, intellectual experiences?

Rolling Deep (No Adele)


With all the possibilities the modern world of social media brings, many brands are finding the need to roll deep, in data that is. The rationale of this not only comes from the age old "having strength in numbers" or something like that, but the need to back up strategic moves and the allocation of marketing dollars.

Pretend you're a brand with hundreds, if not thousands of social mentions everyday. Now imagine if you could make scientific correlations and understand how each and every one of those mentions translated into brand preference, awareness, and real world consumer actions. Being able to look at online conversation on both an aggregate and granular level, along with patterns and trends of the users generating that conversation is incredibly powerful. That's where me and my posse come in.

If you asked me a year ago what I thought of data and analytics, I would've responded with a ugh, boring. But not anymore!  If you ask me now how I feel about pouring over data, facts and figures, I'd say enthralled! It's a bit like solving a mystery actually. You notice something has happened to the data and need a reason why. Suddenly you find a correlation, are hot on the trail, and BAM your prime suspect is right in front of you!! Being a data head is actually quite fun, who knew!?

But anyways...

The moral of the story is that when it comes to making strategic moves and allocating marketing $$$'s, roll deep in data.

Favorite Things: Eating Messy Foods


Welcome to Nacho night.

I'm going to personally say that nachos are one of my favorite foods these days. There's just something I love about navigating through a plate of chips smothered in cheese, gauc, and jalapenos. And it's even better because there's no graceful way to eat them.
 
So, it's time to get over yourself. Toss that fork and knife out the window, sister. We both know that deep down inside there's a hungry animal waiting to devour! Eating messy foods reminds us that we began as messy eaters, and will probably end up that way too. Skip the show, relax your expectations and jump in the deep end.

YUM.

A Year of Drafts

Fine, I admit it! I don't always finish everything I start, but at least the ideas are there, right?  Here is a collection of some of the blog posts I started, but never got around to finishing. Mistakes, incomplete thoughts and all, enjoy!

5 Ways to Make Your Day More Productive

Online Data
There are several misconceptions that people are quick to jump to when it comes to the way online data is collected and put to use.

“Marketing research is the function which links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through information – information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a process.” - The American Marketing Association

10 Commandments of Facebook
1.              You shall have but one account. 
 
2.              You shall not post highly photo-shopped images of yourself, or any likeness of anything that does not reflect what you really look like.
 
3.              You shall not post multiple status updates per day.
 
4.              Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Take one day off per week for Christ sake.

Some Top Notch Apps in FoodTech
Foodspotting
Gourmet Live
Food Network In The Kitchen
Snooth
Ratio
Gojee
Break Baking Basics
Dinevore

Untitled 
Ask someone how they feel about the terrible turbulence they just endured half way through and 

Ideation
The most genius ideas in the world never came from following rules, they came from breaking the rules. Yes, it can be risky business to break the rules. Yes, your boss make think you're

There comes a Time…

ABC's of Communication 

O Holy Crowds 

Untitled
Twas the weeks before Christmas and all through the city
Not a person was sleeping, not even

Procrastination Station
It's Saturday afternoon in Manhattan and here I sit- swigging down eggnog, devouring leftover stuffing and writing a 10 page term paper on the dominance of western fast food in China. Except I'm not writing the paper now, I'm Blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking and "Elfing Myself" thanks to Office Max.

Untitled
Someone has to protect the money and someone has to spend it. Put a marketer and an investor in a room and they will fight til the death. The marketer will likely want to spend all mass amounts of money researching and developing an awesome product consumers will love. Financial departmer will spend as little money as possible to

Laundry Tribulations
Today was a day of great tribulation as my roommate and I set forth on a journey that lead us into the great unknown.

We packed our suitcases with laundry and spoke of how we were going to pass the time reading books, listening to our i-pods and making lists. How great it would be to do our own laundry and be all set for the busy week ahead! Little did we know, that was NOT how it would end.

If Then Statement 
If the only thing constant is change, then managing change is the name of the game.
If you contribute to managing change, then you will be be quick to identify windows of opportunity.
If you are quick to identify windows of opportunity, then your chances for success are great.

Living On a 4th floor walkup
Life on a 4th floor walk up is amazing, there are lots of perks as long as you remember the #1 RULE: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE. I cannot count the number of times I've gotten all the way downstairs and outside when I realized I had forgotten my umbrella, phone, metro card, etc. Then it's back up up up and down down down all those stairs again.

A Letter from the Editor

Dear Family, Friends, Co-workers, Educators, Mentors and Leaders of 2011,

First of all, THANK YOU! I can't think back to a more exciting, challenging or prosperous year. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of such an amazing period in time and to have so many wonderful people in my life. I would not be where I am today without the love, guidance, and support that you all have provided. And for that, I am truly grateful.

Tomorrow marks the first day of the rest of our lives, and the first day of 2012. So let's bring it in with open hearts, open minds and fearless ambitions to accomplish our goals!

Can't wait!!

Angela

Startup Learning 101

Startups are dynamic, exciting, and loaded with potential. You have the ability to go after your ambitions, create new opportunities and build a masterpiece around your dream.

Just remember...

No matter where you are in your journey, make sure you learn from the experiences of others. Because not only are the opportunities real, but the stakes are much higher. 

Going Home

Visiting my small Wisconsin hometown is weird.

For 18 years it was exactly the same-ish, and then I moved to the big city. I changed. They changed. My room is no longer here. Friendships have shifted. I constantly try finagling myself back into my old, comfortable routine, but it simply does not exist.

And wow, is it quiet here. 

Why, Why, Why?

When it comes to asking questions, children are experts. Their deep sense of wonder and inquisitive nature of why things work the way they do, and for what reason, should be an example to us all. Their questions are persistent, sometimes obvious, risky and curious. 

As adults, why is it that we always seem to have the answers, but hold back to when it comes to asking questions? Is it because we don't want to come off as naive or uninformed? Is it because we've lost that sense of wonder? Or does it have something to do with always thinking we have the right answers? 

Clearly, I think we can do better than asking about the weather, don't you? 

Get Filthy Rich in 2012


One of my top goals for 2012 is to get financially fit, and thanks to dozens of online services and mobile apps, it's easier than ever. Here are some of my tips and tricks for money management.


✓ Setup your budget, track your spending, and manage your bills online. I highly recommend Mint or LearnVest. Both are free and easy to use, woohoo! (Don't forget to download the apps on your phone)

✓ It's easy for bills to stack up and get lost on your desk, so go paperless! Nearly all credit cards and bank accounts have a paperless option, setup your accounts and opt for e-mail alerts instead.

✓ Take advantage of deal sites and online sales. Bookmark these bad boys on your browser and download them on your phone. Here are some of my favorites:


Fashion
Gilt Groupe 
Haute Look 
Rue La La 
Ideeli 

Salon & Spa
Lifebooker 

Travel
Kayak
Cheap Tickets
Travelocity

Dining
Groupon 
Living Social
Happy Hour Finder

Favorite iPhone Apps of 2011

Drumroll please....here are my favorite iPhone apps for 2011!

Social Networking: Path
Location Based: Foursquare
Photo Sharing: Instagram
Streaming Movies: Netflix
Game: Words with Friends
Marketplace: Zaarly
Food: GrubHub 
Messaging: Meebo
Travel: Kayak
Finance: Square 
Note Keeping: Evernote
Transit: Uber
News: NYTimes 

Other misc. that came and went...

Yobongo
HeyTell
Foodspotting
Hanging with Friends 
Groupon
SnapTell 
Kik
Sonar 

3 Apps I Need STAT

1. El Pronto Decision Maker
Not only does this app read your mind, but it makes decisions for you based on your geo-location, online habits, texts, phone conversations and more! It does NOT give you options to choose from (gah! who has time to make decisions these days??) but rather delivers a singular decision with a list of reasons why it makes sense for you. Use it for dining, shopping, workout routines, watching tv, listening to music, basically every aspect of your life.

2. Shoply.sale
This app will rock your world! Enter the name of items you are looking for (black blazer, rainboots, winter scarf, etc.) along with your favorite brands and it will stockpile a list of online sale items that match your query! Set up alerts or check back daily to find exactly what you're looking for. No more hours of online or in store browsing. Instant sale gratification.

3. P@sswrdK33pr

Every website you go on needs a password these days, and they all seem to require some weird combination of Numbers and l3tt3rs. Who the heck can really remember 20 different passwords? This app will log each and every one of your passwords, and kindly remind you of them upon your voice activated request.

Aaaand I'm back!


Hi pretties, I'm back! Well, sort of. I've actually been without a computer for a few months (GASP!!) so you'll have to excuse me for being a little MIA . I thought I'd die without my computer, but nope here I am!

Here are some nuggets of wisdom I've discovered while being away...

1. The Netflix iPhone app is next to Godliness. Basically saved my life. Amen to that!
2. Zaarly, a real time market place. Genius. Sorry Craigslist & Ebay, you're toast.
3. Just because you go to Miami doesn't mean you'll get a tan. #overcast #gah
4. Jason Mraz can sing opera, and beautifully. Who knew?
5. Hot yoga is addicting. And really sweaty. Try it.
6. Someone please invent a way to keep track of passwords. Resetting from an iPhone is NOT fun.
7. 25 doesn't really feel that different than 24.
8. It's entirely possible for me to not leave Murray Hill for 2 weeks straight and be ok with it.
9. NYC is filled with intelligent, motivated and inspiring people.
10. Waking up early makes all the difference.

OK, that's all for now. Over and out.

What are you selling?

Sometimes I feel like brands become SO obsessed with perfecting their products, that they forget about what they are actually selling.

Stop and think.

What IS IT that you are actually selling?

A post office doesn't sell stamps, it sells a means for your mail to get from point A to point B. A grocery store doesn't sell food, it sells energy for your body to survive, supplies for a dinner party, a celebration.

If you are in the business of selling (and most of us are), take time to understand and really THINK about what it is that your end user is receiving.  Are you handing over an excel file? Or are you handing over the insight needed to transform a business?  Is it time saved? A shortcut? A new approach?  An experience?

Serious in the Shower

I've been singing in the shower for as along as I can remember, but it wasn't until the past year that I've really gotten serious about it.  And let me tell you, there's no half-singing in the shower. It's full on opera diva, rock star stuff. The acoustics are great in there and it really allows me to open up my vocals.

Just for fun, here are a few of my favorite ballads:

1. Dirty - Christina Aguilera
2. In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel
3. Tempted by the Fruit of Another – Squeeze
4. Don't Stop Believing – Journey
5. Bennie and the Jets – Elton John
6. I Believe I Can Fly – R Kelly
7. Jumper – Third Eye Blind
8. I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas
9. Wanna Be – Spice Girls
10. Somebody to Love – Queen

FYI

While you're out being frugal, make sure do yourself a favor and be smart too! I'm talking about eating healthy. Yeah, yeah, organic food is more expensive but its worth every penny. We spend countless $$$'s on other crap that doesn't matter, surely our bodies are more important than anything else in life. Don't ever compromise your health to save. If you're buying snacks like fruits or vegetables to eat at home, you'll save money in the long run anyways. Long story short, chemically and genetically modified foods are VERY unhealthy. They will surely increase your risk for cancer and disease. This is the one and only area you are allowed to splurge, eating healthy.

Indoor garden anyone?

Also these guys are super helpful on Twitter @ParadigmGardens

How about activities, you ask?

A drum roll, please, for a few of my favorite frugal activities in NYC:
  • People Watching at Union Square
  • Ping Pong at Bryant Park
  • Redeeming Foursquare Specials
  • Museum of Modern Art
  • Window Shopping
  • Meetup-ing
  • Geothe Library
  • Strolling the Brooklyn Bridge 
  • Yoga to the People
  • Farmers Market
  • Wifi at Starbucks
  • $1 Slices of Za
  • Trader Joe's


For giggles, I've compiled a partial list of things to avoid:
  • Having a Barney's credit card
  • Shopping on 5th avenue in general
  • Brunching at the Four Seasons
  • Celebrity Hair Stylists (Unless his name is Michael Aaron, then it's totes worth it)
  • Shopping anywhere actually
  • En-Suite Sky Garages
  • Wanting a penthouse at the Time Warner Center
  • The Rose Club
  • Frrrozen Haute Chocolate at Serendipity
  • NYC Opera
  • Helicopter Tours

Face it, your expensive taste will never go away. And if you're just starting out in NYC you can't give in to it, not yet anyways. Patience is a virtue, you'll get there!

Wining & Dining...Revisited

Um, just because I wrote that last blog post doesn't mean I'm perfect. If you see me out to brunch with a mimosa in hand, don't hold it against me. Everything is okay is moderation. We all deserve to go out and have a little fun from time to time.

Fear not. You don't have to spend a fortune.

Wining
Ever hear the words two buck chuck? Yeah, that's because it's a $2 bottle of wine at Trader Joes. And even if you're an uber wine snob, chances are you won't be able to tell the difference.  Here are some more places to satisfy your wine taste on a beer budget.

Lot18
Invino
Wine Anthology
Woot Wine
One King's Lane (On Sundays)


Dining
Bookmark these bad boys and make them your besties for dining in the city. And just because you're being frugal doesn't mean you're allowed to tip like crap. There's a huge difference between being frugal and being cheap. Tip your server like a god, the karma will pay off, trust me.

Groupon
Living Social
Google Offers
Gilt City
Pop Sugar

Are you starting to get the picture? Bravo!

Frugal for Now in NYC

Okay. Use your head. If you want to live in New York City as a twenty-something you have to be frugal. You don't need a degree in accounting to know how to budget. You don't need to rely your parents for money either, in fact most of us don't even have that luxury.  You just need to use your head and smarten up. It's really that simple.

Extravagance = debt.  Frugality = saving.

My first apartment in NYC demanded triple the rent of my previous apartment in Wisconsin. My second NYC apartment, quadruple.  My income? Not increasing at quite the same rate. So it's goodbye 85% of my income to bills and hello living on less than $10 a day. If there's anyone that knows about living frugally as a twenty-something in NYC it's me.

Of course it's easier to socialize when you're out to brunch, having drinks, or at a trendy club. But spending extravagantly now will hinder your finances before you know it. Why do you think so many twenty-somethings move back in with their parents? Default on their school loans? Can't afford their credit cards? They don't know how to be "OK" with being frugal! And they don't know how to budget.

Brace yourselves people,  I'm about to unleash some harsh reality.

Drinking in NYC is the devil. Not only is it SO expensive, but it also leads unhealthy decisions like eating like crap later that night. And let's not pretend that you won't be hungover and spending the half the next day in bed either.  Save yourself the headache and trade your $12 martinis for a cup of coffee instead. 

And unless you're from mars, you know that dining in NYC isn't getting any cheaper either. It's time to make nice with Groupon / Living Social if you want to dine out, and besties with the grocery store for everything else in between. Home cooking...it's healthier, cheaper, and can make for some killer dinner parties. Nothing says "fatter bank account" than skipping dining out.

Embrace the frugality, you got this!

(to be continued...)