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I've done some extraordinary things last year. I've gotten a volunteer gig in April. I went to a Smith College networking event in October. I'm networking with people at my volunteer gig. I am learning what it takes to be a leader and trailblazer. But those were just small steps to my plan of world domination. I am still not financially stable. I am still looking for a job. I still don't have my own place. Yet these things will come in due time.
2011 is the breaking point of my post-college career . If I don't elevate myself to new heights, I am pretty much screwed. So my 2011 motto is standing out in the world. I believe in the power of good karma and doing good deeds. I believe that if I help more people through my talents, I can prove to myself and to others that I am someone worthy of their time, energy, and commitment. I did not do enough last year to get companies and recruiters to notice me and this year I will.
1. Network: Networking will become an even more pivotal part of my life in 2011. It is who you know that will take you to the top of your industry or field. I plan on finding a job, but I will not use networking to get me a job directly and I say this with brute honesty because people will see me as desperate. Networking will improve my self-esteem and leadership skills and give my contacts enough optimism and trust in me to possibly connect me to others, which can lead me to job prospects. Big difference. 2010 was all about online job hunting which resulted in possible online frauds, dead ins, and ineffective recruiting. My New Years Resolution is about building my connections and knowledge of schmoozing and marketing. This is how I am going to network in 2011:
Offline Networking:
- Network with people I know through my volunteer gig, college, networking events,etc.
- Use Meetup.com, Twitter, and the Smith College Club of New York as resources to attend networking events and connect with individuals there.
Online Networking:
- Revisit my favorite Twitter chats weekly and get my name and brand out there from the grassroots level.
- #GenYChat
- #ForbesChat
- #u30pro
- #jobhuntchat
2. Travel: I thought long and hard about this. I currently don't have a lot of money, but I want to travel the world and see new places and cultures. By the summer of 2011, I hope to save enough money to take part in an AmeriCorp or PeaceCorp fellowship. I know basic Spanish, French, and Japanese and it would be fitting to actually relearn these languages and others in their natural environments than in classrooms. I do not know where I would like to go but I am thinking of heading down to Asia first, particularly China or Japan.
World travel has its benefits. It fuels creativity and new ideas. Currently my creativity is running dry. Not in the sense that I am losing my genius, but the energy and thought process are at a standstill at the moment. One of the major ways that I can fuel more creativity is to travel outside my comfort zone.
3. Acquire New Skills: Earlier I said that I know basic Spanish, French, and Japanese. I've taken language classes during most of my academic life. The problem? I have not been to France, Japan, or any of the Spanish speaking countries to improve my language skills. That is why I want to travel outside the U.S. I will continue to use LiveMocha and possibly Rosetta Stone for the time being to broaden and strengthen my skills. But hopefully by this year, I will actually visit these places. I am also at a disadvantage. I'm interested in pursuing a career in marketing and new media. Pursuing a MBA degree and start-up later down the road are also dreams of mine. If I ever want to work at a place like Google or Apple for example, I have to learn more technical skills. I am in the process of searching for affordable Adobe Dreamweaver and Photoshop courses this spring. With these new skills, I hope to stand out from the rest of the applicant pool. Do you see the connections here?Through the power of networking, travel, and education, I will create new ideas and spread those ideas to the world. As Seth Godin said, the only way you will get noticed by others, especially in this day in age, is to be heard. As I retrospect on the times I applied to jobs, I should have pushed myself harder to get that extra phone call or email from the employer. I cannot just send a resume and cover letter and hope that someone will contact me. I cannot do that anymore. I must charge and make things happen. A new job. A new place to live. A way to pay back my loans. You see those things are the ends, not the means of hard work. Patience is a virtue, but being a go-getter triumphs all.
What are your New Year's resolutions this year? How will you stay committed to your goals?
Good afternoon everyone! Happy New Years! Lets keep it moving. 2010 was the best and worst of times. I want to sincerely apologize to all my readers. I felt that I have abandoned you towards the end of the year. I came out with infrequent blog posts and on some weeks, no blog posts at all. I promised you that I will connect with you more in 2010 and I want to expand that promise in 2011.
Starting this week, I will promise to write at least one blog post every week. Seal. In 2009, I had more time to blog because I just came out of school. In 2010, I had less time to blog because of my volunteer work. Now in 2011, I will be even more busy and productive with volunteer work and other potential freelance endeavors on the side. But I will promise in 2011 my voice and my ideas and I also look forward from hearing about you and your new years resolutions and ways I can motivate you to empower yourself and others. You are always welcome to email me at christinabrown2009@gmail.com. YES WE CAN.
I also have interesting topics I want to talk about this year and to top the New Years with a bang, I have completed a guest blog for Nicole Crimaldi aka Ms. Career Girl. It will be posted very soon. I've been watching her blog for some time and I thought that my first blog post this year had to be special and awesome What a great opportunity to show the world that I am least a competent person (you will find out more about what I am talking about later). I will update this post in the next couple of days with an actual link to my guest blog. This one is quite special to me because it's my New Years Resolution. I am not going to going to give you a sneak peek, but if you have read my 2010 resolution, it can only get better!
If you have any questions, feel free to comment below. I am anxiously waiting! :)
I have been writing for years. For weeks after a time. At work. At home. Inside my head at night. I write blog posts not only because I enjoy writing but because I want you, the follower, to gain access to what's going on in this amazing mind. This year, I have had some creative bouts of imagination and I want to honor five blog posts that channeled this creativity. I plan to write more bizarre and insightful posts over the next year. Here is what I think are the best blog posts of the year:
1. Alice in Twitterland: How to Tweet Like a Rockstar (March 15th)
2. Your Guide to Becoming a Socially, Relevant Blogger (April 8th)
3. The Tweetbag Wars (February 18th)
4. Every Movie Should be An Inception (August 23rd)
5. The Social Network: The Movie Behind the Brand (October 5th)
Relive these posts. Cherish them. You know I have. As a follower, I want to know what are your favorite blog posts this year and tell us why you liked them. I would like your feedback because I want my blog and this community to do bigger things in 2011. Tell me what you like about this blog and what things I should work on to better promote this platform. The art of branding never ends!
Next Thursday is Thanksgiving and since I have days off next week, I will have time to spice things up around here with a week of good, stimulating content for you guys. Here is you should expect this week:
1. American Music Awards Review
2. Possible Guest Blog Post! :)
3. Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows Review or Preview???
4. Thanksgiving Message
5. Another Lady Mel in the City post
Do you want me to cover something else? I appreciate your feedback. :)
2. Actually study for the Driver's License Test and then take the writing exam in the fall.
3. Walk more, eat healthy.
4. Find a part-time, paying job before September 1st. At this point in my career, I do not care what I get, at least as I start saving money.
5. Be an indispensable worker in my career and as a volunteer worker.
6. Finish reading Seth Godin's "Linchpin, Are You Dispensable" book.
8. Relearn my French skills.
9. Blog at least 2 times per week. Write more engaging blog posts!
I've decided to group July and August together. We are in the middle of the summer and I want to take these last days of intense heat and sun to prepare for my fall plans. Here is what I will do within the next two months:
1. Take 1-2 days out of each week to myself to leave the house and go out and explore and have fun. Life is too short.
2. Actually study for the Driver's License Test and then take the writing exam in the fall.
3. Walk more, eat healthy.
4. Find a part-time, paying job before September 1st. At this point in my career, I do not care what I get, at least as I start saving money.
5. Be an indispensable worker in my career and as a volunteer worker.
6. Finish reading Seth Godin's "Linchpin, Are You Dispensable" book.
7. Build my portfolio and skills so that when I find my dream job down the road, I'll be ready. :)
8. Relearn my French skills.
9. Blog at least 2 times per week. Write more engaging blog posts!
Also, will Shannon and Nickelnm contact me? You showed interest in guest blogging, but have responded back to me. I need to know your plans before Monday, July 12th. Thanks.
Lets review what I accomplished last month.
June Plan
4. Look for a paid, part-time internship.
5. Build my resume and skills with the volunteer opportunity I already have.
6. Build my French and Japanese language skills.
7. Lose between 5 to 10 pounds.
8. Study for Driver's License Test.
Finally, Picture of the Week! I want to wear this one day. The French know how to design!
I have created some amazing guest blog posts and met some very cool bloggers along the way:
- The Tweetbag Wars, thanks Andhari!
- Wiser Today, thanks Elle!
- Happy iPad Day! Is Steve Jobs a God?, thanks Alex!
Here are the guildlines:
- In terms of the layout and type of post, do as you please. It can be a poem, a rant, opinion piece, movie or music review, a collage, a YouTube video, a drawing, or even an interview. Maybe you want to collaborate with moi? :)
- My blog highlights the latest entertainment, media, technology, fashion, politics, social media, and job hunting news. I would like your guest post to fall under at least one of these categories. But if you have an idea outside these categories, talk to me. We can make it happen.
- Images and introductions to your guest blogs are welcome.
- No word limit, but know the difference between a good blog post and the Bible!
Otherwise, I would like to know the applicants and their ideas as soon as possible, so I can work this project around my own blog schedule. I would like to post the first guest post before Friday of next week if not, by Monday, July 12th. Mondays-Fridays are the best times of the week to post imo. This will be followed by the other 1-2 guest blog posts within the next weeks in July. I am very excited! I have been thinking about this since April and now I can make this happen. If you are unsure with your ideas, please by all means look at my guest blog posts and others for inspiration! Can't wait to see what you guys will come up with!
Hey everyone! I know you guys missed me. I was enjoying my Memorial Day Weekend a little bit much. I won't kiss and tell. Anyway, I am here to get back to my current routine. I want to start this month with a question. June 9th is my 23rd birthday and I want to celebrate it the best I can. I want to celebrate it in NYC specially in Times Squares and I hear David and Busters is a cool place. What are your views of the David & Busters in Times Squares and do you know any other interesting things or places I can experience in Times Squares? I picked NYC because NJ is boring.
Here is this month's plan:
June Plan
1. Blog up to two times a week.
2. Write interesting and engaging blog posts.
3. Celebrate my 23rd birthday the best way possible.
4. Look for a paid, part-time internship.
5. Build my resume and skills with the volunteer opportunity I already have.
6. Build my French and Japanese language skills.
7. Lose between 5 to 10 pounds.
8. Study for Driver's License Test.
9. Reconnect with my college and high school friends.
Secondly, lets review with I did last month:
10. Lose between 5 to 10 pounds. (Less fatty foods, more fruits and vegetables and water)
It's been a year since I have started working on my online personal brand, including my blog. I've talked about my New Year's resolutions. I've talked about my job hunting. I've talked about my favorite Grammy moments. Currently, I am a volunteer worker, yet my mission is not complete. Where do I go from here?
My latest rejections were the last straw. Enough is enough. I did not know how I would overcome the disappointment until I talked with professional bloggers at my last #blogchat session last night. Yesterday, I proposed to Mack Collier on Twitter, the moderator of #blogchat, that we discuss how people should leverage their blogs to land jobs and new clients. He went with the idea. What have I learn about my LinkedIn profile from others? Two words: outdated and unremarkable. I am innovative and remarkable with a strong passion for new media. The employers that check out my LinkedIn profile periodically do not know that because I have not clearly showed them that I am.
My blog is not a blog anymore. It is a business and it needs to be treated like a business. Work still needs to be done. I have seen little results. Time to act now. I will revamp my online presence by:
- Changing my LinkedIn summary to make it more professional and tell potential employers what I can do for them, instead of listing my skills like a resume.
- Changing my LinkedIn photo to a picture of me in a business suit. My current picture shows me in my cap and gown. I am no longer a recent college graduate. I have passed that title to the new graduating Class of 2010.
- Leaving out profanity and sexual language out of my blog. (Although I rarely used it.)
- Including a brief description in my "About Me" section of blog that I am looking for work.
- Checking out my local library for more marketing tutorials. Great resource that I have outlooked since my return.
What are you doing to improve or update your online presence? What do you think about personal branding in general?
On Wednesday, my good friend Johana presented me with this baby here:
I want to thank Johanna so much. This is my first award! I was not excepted it. Johana has been one of my favorite active readers and commentators. I encourage all my RSS subscribers and followers to check out her blog if you haven't already. She is an amazing writer. If you need a laugh when you feel like kicking a can at a cute, innocent kitten, she will brighten up your day.
I also want to thank the Academy and my followers for believing in me! This one is for you as well. I'm suppose to divulge in 7 random facts about myself but like Johana, I am going to break the rules as well. You will know more about me as I continue with this blog. This award will be shelved on the right side of my blog so marvel it at its glory. Otherwise, have a wonderful weekend! ^_^
Hi, everyone. First day of a brand, new month. Lets review what I have done last month:
Make sure I schedule and prepare for my BuzzFeed interview! (Yes, I got an email. Yay for me! ^_^)Blog at least three times a week(4.18.10)and write as concisely as possible. Make sure to create a sense of community and answer comments.Buy a camera so that I can take pictures of the Bamboozie Festival/concert on May 1st. (Finally getting out the house!)Watch the entire third season ofBuffy, the Vampire Slayeron Hulu.com.- Study for the written portion of the Driver's License test. I want to get my permit by the end of the summer.
Practice speaking and reviewing vocabulary and linguistics of the foreign languages that I have started learning in my lifetime: Spanish, French, and Japanese. I will start the reviewing process for 15-30 minutes a day. If it does not work, then 10 minutes each day or every other day. I do not want to feel like I am back at college or high-school.No more homework! I will start with French and Japanese first for now. I want to be fluent in these languages.
10. Lose between 5 to 10 pounds. (Less fatty foods, more fruits and vegetables and water)
Do you know what that means? Less time blogging, more time working, networking, and building my skills outside this damn house FINALLY! Am I nervous? Of course. Will I become the best intern I can be? Of course. I will try my best to fit the most appropriate blogging schedule before I start working.
By this week, I will decide whether or not to transfer this blog to the WordPress platform, after consulting with others on Twitter about it last night. I thought about leaving Blogger, but the new template designer caught my eye and dissolved all previous thoughts about joining WordPress. Now I want to expand my community with other bloggers online. Blogger is not giving me that community leverage and commitment I need and its new FTP changes). I love Google, but I need a change.
I have two important questions to ask you:
1. What advice would you give someone who is reentering the workforce/corporate America after being unemployed for several months?
2. Now that I know that importing my blog to WordPress is a good strategic move to expand my personal brand, if I do leave Blogger, will you follow me onto my new platform? Do you think I am making the right decision?
I have many things that I want to do to improve my life. I have tried the goal planning before and I do not usually make monthly goal plans because life is very unpredictable. But I will make a bigger effort to make a monthly plan every month to help accomplish my goals and priorities. By the end of the month, I will cross out the goals I have completed. Here is what I aim to do for the rest of this month:
- Make sure I schedule and prepare for my BuzzFeed interview! (Yes, I got an email. Yay for me! ^_^)
- Blog at least three times a week (4.18.10) and write as concisely as possible. Make sure to create a sense of community and answer comments.
- Buy a camera so that I can take pictures of the Bamboozie Festival/concert on May 1st. (Finally getting out the house!)
- Watch the entire third season of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer on Hulu.com.
- Study for the written portion of the Driver's License test. I want to get my permit by the end of the summer.
- Practice speaking and reviewing vocabulary and linguistics of the foreign languages that I have started learning in my lifetime: Spanish, French, and Japanese. I will start the reviewing process for 15-30 minutes a day. If it does not work, then 10 minutes each day or every other day. I do not want to feel like I am back at college or high-school. No more homework! I will start with French and Japanese first for now. I want to be fluent in these languages.
Wow. A lot has happened this week:
Shoutouts: I want to thank my new followers, Johana, Stacy, Cynthia and Randomista, and to everyone else that has read my blog and posted comments. I greatly appreciated it and keep them coming!
Facebook Page: I just launched this blog's Facebook page. Check it out! :) I want to make it as low-key as possible.
Blog Work: I think I have produced some of my best ideas this week. With my new blog layout, my new blogging resolution, and followers, I think I can conquer the world right now.
Job Hunting: This week, I was lucky enough to apply to two great internships I found on ed2010.com and craiglist.org. The first one is the NYMag.com summer online editorial internship and the other is the BuzzFeed.com summer editorial internship. It would be nice to hear from both companies soon. I submitted some of my innovative blog posts as clips. It would be a dream to work for either organization. They certainly need my talents! Wish me good luck on those opportunities.
What Do You Want to Read?: I am giving you the opportunity to choose which topics that I should write more about for next week. Do you want to read more posts that are geared towards celebrity gossip, music, TV, and movies or towards technology? Want to guest post on my blog? If you are not sure, browse through my old posts and then comment on this blog post your ideas. I truly want to hear with what you have to say. I am always up for new challenges. I will take your ideas and try to balance them out with my own blog ideas. This would be a learning experience worth wild! So comment below and tell me what you think!
Other than that, have a wonderful spring weekend!
This guide is two specific things. First, it is my New Year's Blogging Resolution. When I was writing my Declaration of Independence piece last December, I was also planning on writing a blogging resolution as well, but I thought writing one was quite trivial. Was I wrong?! Secondly, after writing my response to John Kownacksi's "Before You Start Being Relevant" article, I wanted to write a follow-up guide of the things I have learned about making it as a blogger and social media participant these days. It is not all peaches and cream like many bloggers seems to live through everyday. I want you to learn from my mistakes. So this is my New Year's blogging resolution and your guide to becoming a better blogger. So, what have I have experienced through this ordeal?
1. Be humble with what you already have. Be grateful with how much traffic you receive and the number of followers and comments you get daily. I am now grateful that 27 people think that my blog is worth their time to read and comment. I may not have the influence and a big fan base like many other popular bloggers have right now, but my brand will only become bigger and successful if I put the time and effort in the long run.
3. Have a strong, healthy ego. Do not try to become a shameless self-promoter all the time. There are times to do it, but not everyday. Link your blog posts to a couple of social media outlets at a time. If you promote on Twitter, late afternoons and evenings are the best times to get more retweets and publicity. Do not spam Twitter or forums like I have because people will not take you and your brand seriously. I've learned the hard way and I will never do that ever again. Shameless self-promotion makes you appear desperate and ignorant of the proper way of social marketing and personal branding. Patience is a virtue.
4. Be Yourself. When you write your blog posts, be yourself. When you reply to your follower's comments, be yourself. When you go on social media outlets to promote your brand, be yourself. Do not try to be anyone else other than yourself. As I was watching the first season of Glee all this week, I realized that the characters on the hit TV show discovered that they could finally be themselves and appreciate their own musical talents as a part of their high-school's glee club. High-school is ground-zero for social pressures and conformity already as teenagers are pressured to become images they are not. The glee's club win at the sectional competition only proves that with talent, determination, and through adversity, you can be victorious. If you can be yourself, your passions, your influence, your integrity, and your blogging leverage will follow through.
What have you learned as a blogger?
A couple of days ago, I was strolling through my Tweet Deck until I came across a ijustine tweet with a link to a recent Justin Kownacki's article entitled, "Are You Waiting Until You're Popular Before You Start Being Relevant?". The title alone struck a chord to me. His words defiantly brought life to a continuing situation in my life: what is my path to success and how I can implement it in social media and in other mediums? Am I socially irrelevant? It only took me only two minutes to decide to write a response to this insightful article. I am here to confess to you that:
1. I am a shameless self-promoter sometimes. Who else is going to do my dirty work? Me.
2. I tweet celebrities and other famous people (in their own right), seeking some form of self-recognition and acknowledgment from the people that I admire, when nine out of ten, they don't response back.
3. Twitter and other micro-blogging platform feel like continuous beauty pageants. Everyone including myself, is seeking their fifteen minutes of fame in the most constructive or ludicrous ways possible. I personally was not the most popular girl in high-school, so I may already be at a disadvantage.
4. Setting yourself and your personal or professional brand(s) is harder now since more and more people are now signing up to Twitter and other social networking sites and creating new blogs at an astronomical rate. Your Twitter account or blog is like a resume/cover letter with hundreds of thousands of hiring managers grossing over it to see you are worthy following.
5. Twitter has now socially integrated into my own personal life. So for people who think I have no life outside my laptop computer, you can just stuck it.
6. Despite my pleas for self-recognition, I fear overexposure. Case in point, Justin Bieber. I still do not know why is he is a constant trending topic on Twitter.
7. Fear should be a sin. Like what Kownaski said in his article, what is stopping you from being the real "you"? I do not have a definite answer, but the plot thickens.
Despite these confessions, I am more grounded than I had thought. I do not compare the Twitter backgrounds or the tweets or writing styles of successful bloggers and social media experts to my own brand because everyone is different. There is no point in trying to be someone else or be another ijustine or aplusk. What I do envy, however, is the self-recognition and support that these people get on a daily basis. I just want to be known for my visionary talents. When you seem like you have a good foot in the door, another obstacle crashes on top of you. Despite my fears and problems, I see the brighter side of the rainbow. (To Be Continued).
What are your fears and anxieties using social media tools to enhance your business or brand?
I just came from #blogchat. It is a weekly Twitter chat session that focuses on the latest blog practices and tips. I came away with some useful advice. I have noticed that I have not been showing a lot of love to my fellow followers and I want to make a difference. I want you to feel comfortable in this community and I think I have neglected you for months. I take full responsibility, but with blogging, I can always learn how to improve my weaknesses and make them into strengths. I will talk more about this in the next coming days, but I want to pledge you three things in the time being:
1. I will be a better communicator and leader.
2. I will read your blogs and post comments as often as I can (at least twice a week or more).
3. I will reply back to your comments on this blog.
This is my pledge. I am ready!
Love to blog? Are you a natural writer? Well, I have an opportunity for you! The Talent Buzz, an online talent company, is hosting its annual blog post contest. Want to know the grand prize? A $1,500 Visa Gift Card. Yup, an extra $1,500 in your pocket. I know you're excited now. What $1,500!? OMG! What do you have to do?
Write a blog post in less than 850 words that discusses social media, job hunting, social networking, or any similar topic in some fashion. That's all. Hurry! The deadline is this Sunday, March 14, 2010 by 6:00pm EST. For more information and the official rules of the contest, click here. This is a great opportunity to get people to notice my work on a larger scale, so that is why I am entering the contest myself and you know what I am capable of. *smirks* Good luck!
