27

Mar

Top Ten Reasons I should work for Hootsuite #12 – Fun


Learning about social media is a good time. It’s easy to do. I got a negative tweet yesterday, and I spent a little while reading about negative tweets and how they can damage your brand if handled the wrong way, the content of the tweet didn’t even faze me, but I learned how to deal with it. There is a benefit, I, at this point don’t have much of a brand to damage but if I did, boy I tells ya. Serious business though, it’s all awesome stuff, no downfalls only upfalls, and everyone knows how cool upfalls are. I am growing my Twitter account, I hope to reach 200 followers in the span of a month. I know there are many other people who’ve gained more, faster and that’s cool. It’s all pretty new to me, so I’m good with my progress. I’m talking with awesome people like @KenHerron, whose given me some sweet advice and is always a DM away. Reading cool stuff from @tedcoine, and @cammphi, trading cool videos with @zenapproach its just a cool community to be a part of and while I’m growing my knowledge base and experience I get to learn with no pressure. I’ve had other accounts on twitter with less than 70 people for years and in a month I am almost at 200. I’ve had a blog for a few years and only managed to criticize a new Karen-O song, and now I’ve become part of the blogosphere. Albeit a small one, I plan on growing my part in it. So I share music videos and clips of me chasing dogs, thats fun stuff, its certainly not award winning but I feel like i’m on the path to the knowledge used to win awards. It is exciting. Reason #12 why I should work for Hootsuite is fun.

So, it has come to this (All credit for that beautiful phrase to @habitspark). Last night I lost the focus of why I had this blog in the first place. But I remembered, Hootsuite. I want to work there. They are cool and I am cool so, win win, I think. I thought after my first Top Ten series I’d get a phone call or something and someone from Hootsuite would be like “We like your vibe, come in for a coffee and let’s talk about how you and @uncleweed can build some communities or something.”

That didn’t happen and I became a little discouraged. I was also tired writing hundreds of words a night with videos and links and sleeping minimal hours led to some fatigue. But, I know you never start with But, but here we are, I am back and I have a new series of reasons for Hootsuite and of course my readers. I am going to take myself and my life to social media school so that I can be more prepared when Hootsuite does call. I am going to show all the people that would like to work in this field just like me how to do it. We are gonna tweet, we are gonna timeline it up, we are gonna customize a blog, we are gonna comment on a blog, we are going to compare and contrast certain web-based media management software vs it’s competitors but just like on tv “that’s not all” we are going to clean up our lives and get in shape. We are going to prepare for the dream jobs we all want. Ready, Set, Go.

Okay Okay, so here’s the thing about that, it’s 4am again so all of this excitement is going to wait till tomorrow or the next day, but I tell you this it will happen. I, You, We will be excited and learn and hopefully build our own community of enhusiastic people trying to catch their dreams. Im going to make you all beliebers.

“Wait, what did he write?”

He said “Beliebers.”

“Oh like Justin Bieber’s fans.”

“Yeah”

“Did he mean believers?”

“How should I know, maybe you should write a funny comment and ask him if he knows how big of a mistake he made?”

“Yeah maybe I should.”

and Scene

Good night out there all you Beliebers.

12 years ago Short URL Comments

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26

Mar

Top Ten Reasons I should work for Hootsuite #11 – Sunday Night Dreaming

It has been a little while world of words.
Hope you all have been well, I have been.
While I struggle to re-engage with words with a purpose, here’s this. I spend Sunday nights when the city is asleep, daydreaming. I dream of the future solely and the shape of it, the people I’ll be around, oh the places I’ll go and of course the Lorax, wait what? It’s a good time for me, peaceful and full of hope for the coming week. In that spirit here are some songs that help me dream and some words that might help you. Inspiration is coming and I will bring it, for now let’s dream.

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.”
Henry David Thoreau

“It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.”
Erma Bombeck

“Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.”
James Dean

“Commitment leads to action. Action brings your dream closer.”
Marcia Wieder

Good Evening Readers and Watchers and Dreamers

12 years ago Short URL Comments

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11

Mar

Top Ten reasons I should work for Hootsuite #1 – Me

Good afternoon,

I promised a surprise and here it is…

I don’t need this job.

I thought that I needed you to give me an opportunity to shine. When I am perfectly capable of doing that job myself. It is a really good feeling, knowing that. This feeling led me to think about social media as a whole. I feel like that the underlying message to all users of social media is that, you can do it. Whatever you want to do, you can do, you can find people you never thought you would, from the other side of the planet who care about the same things you do. Or they don’t care about the same things as you but help all the same. I want to be a part of that feeling professionally, and before this blog I was convinced that I needed someone to employ me for me to start working on it with passion. No matter where I land in the coming days and weeks I am going to remember the feeling I have right now, where I can smile and lean back in my chair knowing that it is going to happen for me, and that I’m going to help make it happen for others. The title doesn’t matter now, eventually I may become a social media evangelist, I can feel the spirit and I want to share that spirit with anyone who is open to expanding their world. I am strong willed, well balanced, I fight through my fears, I am physically and mentally agile, I give a lot, I think even more, I refine those thoughts, I am open for experiences, I listen to everyone, I am unexpected and funny and I work my *ss off to achieve my goals.

I’ve worked this whole week, trying to build up an audience on twitter for my blog. I’ve worked this whole week trying to write interesting, open, insightful posts. I’ve worked all week learning as much as I could about your business, and I’ve worked all week to put all of this in to the best possible package I could. It is, was, and will be a testament to how much I’d like to call Hootsuite my home, work wise. At the beginning of the week my focus was solely on Hootsuite, and it still is but through the work I’ve put in this week I have grown. The surprise is that I now know that if you do or do not read this or like it or discuss it among yourselves that it doesn’t matter as much as I thought it might. I will find work doing this. I am really good with people, and I know how to communicate with a purpose. These are employable attributes and if your company isn’t the one, someone’s will be. The surprise is that at the beginning of the week this was just an intangible dream something I might like to do, completing this blog today I’ve realized it is just the start. I’m diving head first into this world, into this industry and I’m not going to look back. It was surprising to me that I was wasting so much of my energy before this, I wanted to do a million things. While I still have a many interests, I am now focused on one thing and one thing only professionally.

I’ve wanted to tell you about all the little things I’ve been doing to help these here pages grow, but haven’t felt like divulging it all in this forum. If not now then when, here are some refinements in my process. I haven’t used #teamfollowback or any follower building tools except my own judgement. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with those things but I want this thing to be mine, something I’ve built through trial and error. Right now I am gaining almost 1 follower per tweet its a little more like 1.3 per tweet or so but its a healthy number. I’m picking people to follow who are into similar ideas, connections, positivity, technology, Vancouver, family. For them, like me it is a passion and a profession. I can’t wait to see how far I can take this thing. I was going to use Tweetdeck and still will after a break from blogging just incase you hire me. If you hire me I will get to know Hootsuite for sure, but if I learn Tweetdeck I will learn Hootsuites’ strengths and weaknesses compared to the competition as well. There is wisdom in that, I think. Someone wants that kind of thinking in their business. I would. I’ve learned about commenting with purpose on blogs. I have still a lot to learn but I know I will.

Regarding learning I have this to say to anyone who reads this, do what you are scared of doing and try your hardest and if you do the results don’t matter. You growing matters. That’s not to say you set yourself up for a fail, we should strive to win in any game we play in, but we can stand stronger in life by trying. It is actually amazing I think to put yourself in, to commit completely to anything, but especially something that makes you nervous. I will say this, if you don’t know how to dive right in and can’t find a reason to try, comment on this blog, tweet at me and I will help you find your people. I will help you help yourself. Steve jobs famously said the journey is the reward, and if that journey takes place inside your mind and heart or online it is that you take the trip that is what matters.

I’m in a different place mentally now finishing this. I needed a job at Hootsuite, now I’d like one. I would still like to trade my time and experience for your experience and knowledge, as I’ve made a point of saying many times I like what you do there. However it isn’t my end all be all as when I began this blog.

To recap the the Top Ten Reasons I should work for Hootsuite;
10 – I love the Hustle
9 – You Never Know
8 – I Read Everything
7 – I Do What Scare Me
6 – Big Thursdays
5 – I Talk to Listen
4 – I am Balanced Well
3 – I Refine
2 – My Will Power
and the #1 reason I should work at Hootsuite is Me. I am the reason. I mirror your company. You are young and fast, quick on your feet, diverse, expanding globally, funny, open, caring, so am I. We are the same.

In closing I will say this; I can create for myself, you are creating for yourself and if you would like to talk to me about what we can create together, give me a call. It will be a journey for everyone. Let’s go.

Thank you so much to my readers. I hope you have the best day you have ever had, today.

12 years ago Short URL Comments

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07

Mar

Top Ten reasons I should work for Hootsuite #4 – I Am Balanced Well

It is that special time again friends, gather round while Uncle Kayin keeps the fire going. In this twilight hour a time for a sharing has come upon us.

Are we ready?

I was thinking last night about the role of emotional stability in my life. Why I am so stable and why some people around me aren’t. Not looking at at anyone in particular but I have a few candidates in mind> Either way when we come together into each others real circle, a lot of really positive things happen, and sometime some thing less overtly positive. We clash, our egos get hurt, we hold grudges, we say things we don’t mean and then refuse to make amends for what we said. I was applying for a job before I knew that you were going to be hiring 100 people at Hootsuite, in my cover letter to another company I mentioned that I take responsibility for my actions. I heard back nothing from them so touting this attribute again to you may not be doing me any favors. However it is my belief that this may be quit and over-looked characteristic when staff you company or starting a new relationship. We mostly notice when people don’t take responsibility for their actions. When they try to shake of their influence on current events. I say what I’ll do and do what I say. For instance to Dave Olsen you asked me to email you so you could investigate me online. I didn’t do this. I have no linkedIn profile, even now I don’t. No excuses, I met you and the first impression you may have had of me a day afterwards was of someone who didn’t do what he said. I will and when I do I will email it to you. If I never ever hear from you you can count on the fact that you will receive and email from me. It is already done, I’ve just not send it yet. What I did, in between the time we met and the day after was create a blog and a twitter account to match, you may be reading it now. I wanted to separate myself from all the potential job suitors you have at your door, and thought this would be the best way to do it or if not the best certainly a way to do it. I try though to keep my word and acknowledge it when I don’t. I also have a life outside of work. Adventures with my son, my girlfriend and my friends. I take pictures.

I swim (now). I cook. I cook so well I may challenge AllieIsAlwaysHungry to a cook off.
I have seen the people in every area of my life that have no outlets, outside of work, they can have an obsessive focus, which can be professionally productive but socially corrosive. To counter this habit I am open to life. I laugh with and love, life and my family fiercely. To balance all the words in this post here are some links to things that I enjoy and keep me even.

I like to watch swimming technique Videos –

I love to watch The Wire –

I need to listen to John Coltrane –

I love to walk on Deas Island, in Delta

There’s more but that’s enough I’ve made the point I hope. I’m not just good with people, I’m good with myself. I try everyday to eat well, exercise, love, read, breathe, plan, think, relax, appreciate and share. I hope you are the kind of company that sees the value in that.

Thanks for reading

Tomorrow we start the main countdown – Reason #3 – The secret to my success. Refinment, oops I meant Refinement.

12 years ago Short URL 2 Comments

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06

Mar

Top Ten reasons I should work for Hootsuite #5 – I Talk to Listen

Buenas Noches,

So we’ve reached the midway point in this little experiment. My attempt to court the affections of Hootsuite, she shines so brightly, how could I not. It would be rude not to. Damn those amazing owls and all their fun at SXSW and their interviews with Andersen Cooper and their new offices, I’m not YET apart of. Feeling like Gollum out here or at least someone facing Gandalf the Grey.

So at this point the blog can only improve I’ve solicited the help of some friends at The Dependent Magazine, and CTV, to help me make this a better experience for the end user, You. My many thanks to those that have helped, It’s still not where I’d like it to be but it is heading in that direction. With forward progress being made everyday I’m going switch gears today from me to You.

 

I was beginning to feel earlier in the week that there was just too much me. Occupational hazard of operating a blog with the sole purpose of showcasing oneself for a position in either marketing or community building with one company. There are certain limitations that come with that. There must be some emphasis on oneself, an impression must be made, stories, must be relayed, evidence presented to support the claims for employment.

Today I’m trying not to forget that their are people with their own wants and needs on the other end of this. What do they want from their time here in my freshly developed neck of the woods? What is going to make them take notice or forget quickly what they’ve seen or read? So I’m going to ask some questions and tell maybe one tale and that’ll be tonight. Sound good? I’ll start with me, but not a story.

I like bartending, when I was coming up in the trade I LOVED IT. I learned the trade, I sought out mentors behind the bar, I never forgot how to make a drink twice, I moved up incredibly fast. Made a few drinks that went in some papers. I had a good time.

There is something uniquely alluring about being the centre of attention and the man whose attention everyone pays for. There is still something appealing to me about the process and the exchange, having someone come who doesn’t know what they want and delivering unto them something surprising, something stunning. Talking with people, not at them, asking the right questions and taking in the response and coming up with a solution in a very short span of time. Some people come in and want to let loose but can’t, they need someone to make it okay. Someone to encourage their freedom from their own personal pressure. Some people want to be Very Important People, and listening to them means making them bigger than they normally are. Its all in the job. The job, my mentor told me was to listen, he wasn’t saying don’t talk but make listening the focus. He told me they (the customers) want to be heard and agreed with, and I found that they did. I found that as much as I have to say that there were less people who want to hear it. Over nightclub music volume and nightclub alcohol levels, conversations get pretty distorted.

I prefer to be in a conversation as opposed to a series of monologues and I swear it is that I seek know. The free exchange of ideas. This blog is me talking, talking so that hopefully I can be in a position soon to listen to you. To take in what you want or need in a community or marketing plan and come up with surprising solutions. What can you tell me today Ben, anything? Can you tell me about the why and how of you coming up into the media game? Creating an evangelist role for yourself? What inspires you to create electronic music?

Dave can you tell me when you son is driving you home after holiday parties how satisfying it must be to have done your job as a father for so long that this is possible? Can you tell me about the sacrifices you’ve made to do your dream job and how you balance that with everything else in your life? Can you tell me the things that drive you to get up in the morning earlier than other people or do you sleep in later and deal with the consequences of that. How much does either of you think about physical versus digital identity in the current world and where this kind of duality may take us as a nation, and as a species?

I wish I could pick either of your brains for the presentation I’m making tomorrow, to take over a local restaurants social media marketing.

No wrap up tonight just a regular ole Thank You

Tomorrow reason #4 – For Your Consideration A Young Man’s Quest For Employment Takes Him Dangerously Close To The Edge… Am I Too Well Balanced.

 

12 years ago Short URL Comments

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05

Mar

Top Ten reasons I should work for Hootsuite #6 – Big Thursdays

Good evening to all the dreamers,

This is my son. Zen.

Zen

How does one gain this type of expertise? Trying. So I decided that, I will show him the biggest world possible, while I try to live the biggest life possible. My wanting to discover the world with and for him as much as possible, I started taking my son out for adventures. He is 3 old going on 4 so as much as is age appropriate we do. In this doing I noticed a pattern we usually had our adventure on thursdays. So, Big thursdays.

On Big Thursdays we have ventured to almost everywhere in the lower mainland.

Fastest Land Animal.

The Greater Vancouver Zoo, The Aquarium, The Lynn Valley Ecology Centre, The Light Festival on the drive, The Buddhist Temple in Richmond, The Apple Barn, The Honey Bee Centre. I could list and put pictures to everything in BC, figuratively but closing in on literally. Hopefully my son gains exposure to the widest possibly variety of people and places available to him currently, and that I get damn good at planning interesting trips. So my plan is to guide him through Big Thursdays until he is old enough to guide me. To be completely honest in trying to hyperlink everything, and include pictures I’ve lost the momentum of where I was guiding this post, Possibly the hour bears some relevancy as well, to the losing of the plot. For now I will say this I am passionate about these ‘special days’, I am grateful to be able to count these among my parenting experiences, and I am proud to tell the tale, short and incomplete as it is. I’m making connections for me and my family, in our brains, in our hearts, in our building, and neighborhood and city and somewhere in that I thought there was a shared connection with Hootsuite, and what the business of being social means to me. There is something in all this about leaving impressions, creating memories, introducing sensations, discovering the world around us, for all the sense this will not make, Im thrilled to be able to every week show my boy the world. I would love to be able to say I do this for Hootsuite. To be able to expand the energy I give and take out of Big Thursdays into the world at large to help people discover themselves and other explorers. That is exciting.

So excited Im going to go straight to sleep.

Thank you

Tomorrow Reason #5  – I Talk to Listen.

12 years ago Short URL Comments

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04

Mar

Top Ten reasons I should work for Hootsuite #7 – I Do What Scares Me

Salutations,

When I was a young kid, 8 or 9 or so, I almost drown. I was in a pool with lots of other kids, we were trying to see who could sit on the bottom. On my way down I ran out of breath. Like kids not knowing their own limits I tried to push further. When I looked up and saw how far down I was, I panicked. I swallowed a lot of water while climbing back to the surface. I coughed and shivered and wrapped myself and my embarrassment in a towel. I felt how kids feel when they are standing out and everyone is watching. This incident stayed with me for most of my life. My brother was a compeptitive surfer in california, My sister in her youth on the fast track to olympic level diving until an injury took her out. My family swims, well. I have done some pretty risky things in order to keep this fear of deep water hidden from them. The only one I’ll mention here is the surfing trip I took with my brother to the Canary Islands. I never told him that swimming in the ocean was and to some extent still is the number one fear I have in my life.

 

We went out several times, and he always went out so far and I tried so hard to keep up, the entire time basically having multiple small heart attacks everytime a wave would confirm all my fears. Since that trip I’ve yet to go back in the ocean. I decided last year on my birthday that this year I would swim in the ocean anniversary of my first breath in this world. Janurary 10, 2012 I got back in the pool. I am currently enrolled in swimming lessons, adult level 2.

Why is this relevant at all? As far as I know your company has no pool. Well I have started a few things in my time, one thing that I needed each and everytime I set out to start a new project was to acknowledge all of the ways that it might go wrong or all the ways that it would fail, but to ultimately do it anyway. I am compelled to think that this kind of thinking and acting is one of the most important charateristics in your company. I know there are many others that have value, but let’s talk about this one.

Yours is a new business just 4 years old, I’m not sure who was first to market Hootsuite or Seesmic. Either way there could not have been too many companies in this market space when you launched, how were you to know that it would be successful? For a company moving forward this far, this fast, fear just can’t be a significant factor in your thinking. It can be a motivator, but not a princial driver. This mirrors how I as an indiviual live my life. In writing this blog daily I have no idea if anyone will read it, if it will be good, if you as my target will even take any notice at all. It is hard to talk song long and openly about yourself without thinking you come off as self-centered or arrogant, especially with no respondents. I take my comfort knowing that I do this for a reason, not because I like to read/write about myself. If I can do this for ten days as good as I can then the result doesn’t matter. What matters to me anyway is that I gave this an stalwart effort, I’ve seen and read a lot about both of you Dave and Ben, I’ve listened to your music, looked at your pictures, and as much as this is a one way conversation tried to engage you in discussion. Do you like music? Here’s some I like. Do you like homemade content? Here’s some I’m in. Trying to balance a friendly and a professional tone. Like the two of you. Dave in your TDcanada video you come across as an expert but with the same level of openess and warmth that I found in speaking with you at the open house. I am not an expert at social media however I might be willing to say that I am an expert in people. I am a people professional, I’ve worked with them my whole life. In any number of very important ways that is your business, people. People I know.

Back to the pool, it’s so much like this blog. Maybe people are watching maybe they aren’t, my goal is still the same. I have since starting the lessons, taken my goals in water further than a quick swim in the ocean. Currently it is my goal to enter the first swim race I can in January of next year, and the year after that to win an ametuer swim meet. Same thing for your company I like what I read about Hootsuite and you Ben and Dave inspire me. I’d like the opportunity to get to know you both better, to learn all you have to teach. I want to be around positive open successful professional people because I see myself that way and now just need my life to catch up. I going to work in social media like I am going to win that race in the pool in two years. Do you know how I know? I do what scares me. And I do it til I am the best.

Thank you

Tomorrow Reason #6 – ….?

12 years ago Short URL Comments

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02

Mar

Top Ten reasons I should work for Hootsuite #9 – You Never Know

Good Evening Gentlepersons,

Here’s hoping the cool night air finds you well and in good spirits. Ready to partake in a big sip of Kayin. Drink it down people, I am as refreshing as I am invigorating. Well I don’t de-hydrate people, often. So we meet again, this time for that finest of all the single digit numbers, seductive #9.

The #9 reason I should work for Hootsuite is you never know when raw athleticism is going to be called upon in your office, and who has physical prowess and isn’t afraid of the guy with two thumbs… this guy. I took in your talent pool during the open house and while some are bigger and some are stronger, I could find no one who combined the two so elegantly as your truly. Now you may ask yourselves when an attribute such as smooth grace and speed on tap, would ever come in handy around the office? Fair question, seems reasonable after all when one works on computers or phones, what does one need with speed and agility? Picture this a ‘big client’ ( cough! White cough! House) is coming to take a tour of the office where all the good ideas come from (rest assured the good ideas come from your office dear reader, yours and your alone) this client is as allergic to dogs as he or she is a believer in the constitutionally guaranteed separation of work and pets. When what should occur but fun co-worker #1 has decided to bring her or his amazing dog to work for a visit. On any other day no harm, no foul but today of all days, this isn’t looking good. The client rounds the sidewalk closing in on the front door and sensing a teachable moment has arrived, the dog slips its restraints in a wonderful act of ill-timed rebellion. Dios Mio says your whole staff. This is your present scenario. The client sensing an increased level of pet dander and a decreased desire to meet with anyone except his doctor, begins the exodus from the home offices. This wouldn’t be so bad except he or she also begins to tell people this story, in every social situation imaginable he or she is there relaying the disorganization, the slack lead that let this happen. One by one the big clients fall away, your reputation on the rocks, pending IPO put off, staff morale at an all time low and the dog, the rebellious dog remanded to the doghouse no treats coming now, maybe ever. This is a nightmare but doesn’t have to become a reality. You have options. You could make the right call, and then when fido falls off the path, and fear grips your workplace and your hearts, the pitter patter of lil’ paws are quickly silenced, as the canine in question is lifted high of the ground to come to rest again in his owners arms. Smiles are the new black and everyone can rest easy.

It is my belief that once this video has been watched 3 times the choice will be clear. Make the call. To help seal the deal I am going to throw in a second sample of me running at top speed in slippers in my hallway just now 2:47 am.

Now you may have debated yourself out of the loose dog scenario but what if something else happened. Something else equally unimaginable. What if the power went out? What if a document had to get form one side of the office to the other, right now. Already the chills have caught up with you, yes? To add insult to injury, fun co-worker #2 has taken it upon him or herself to celebrate international prank day by tying everyone’s laces together, dont ask me how this happened its your house, Kinda pointing a finger at HR right now, someone should have looked at said employee’s Facebook page before hiring to witness the annual celebration videos of international prank day. I digress if this happened right now in the pre-Kayin days everyone would be looking around shrugging and taking out one white ear-bud to ask “what’s up?”, upset at not being jacked-in anymore. The document would be sitting pretty not helping anyone do anything. Say it ain’t so. Hootsuite, it doesn’t have to be this way. Lean back in your ergonomically adjusted chair and imagine a world where business at Hootsuite gets done with no electrical interruptions. Your staff walk the halls with confidence knowing that should the power go out, it’s no big deal. Feel the electrical tension slip away. Everytime you see me getting water at the water-cooler. Subtle wink and nod, not making a big deal out of always being hydrated, always being ready, because you never know.

Thank you

Tomorrow Reason #8 – I read everything. Quiz me.

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

Reasons why

01

Mar

Top Ten reasons I should work for Hootsuite #10 – I Love the Hustle

Gentlewomen and Gentlemen, (small nod to courtesy there and some optimism)

Here we are for the first real installment of Reasons why, Kayin Fields is a good fit for Hootsuite.  The following is a list of some of the things I have started in the last 365 days.

– Social Media Specialist  @ Incogmedia

– Hot Chocolate Empresario  @ Dunbar Haunted House

 

 

 

 

 

– Nightclub Promoter @ 91 powell st.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

– Associate Movie Producer @ Clearbrook Entertainment

Riverside teaser poster

My favorite version of the poster I created for this film.

 

– Co-Founder @ Modern Life Collective

– Various Media Proposals

 

– Began the process of opening my own bar

My girlfriend cautioned me again the title of reason #10 – I love the hustle, and while I understand that their may be some negative connotations that come with the word hustle, it really is how I spent most of this year. I think this opportunism comes from my family, lots of sales people in my family. It also came from the economic downturn in the bar industry. Bar work having been my primary source of income for the past 7 years, my empty wallet lead me to seek out opportunities where they lay. An example, myself and some friends took ourselves down to the Dunbar Haunted House, We waited like everyone did for easily an hour. The wait was cold, and could have  been so much better with a cup of hot something. So two days later my business partner and I were ready with huge tanks of hot chocolate, cups , halloween music, candles and the sure knowledge that we had both the only game in town and a captive market for our product.  For four nights near the tail end of the run of the haunted house itself, if you went there and were cold it was our hot chocolate that made the wait better. We refined it each day and sales improved and if we had had the whole run, wow. The organizers offered us the slot next year.

The whole 365 days I’ve been flirting with selling and producing social media packages to restaurants and bars. Ive written proposals, studied competitors strategies, written press releases. To be honest as this whole thing is  a PR campaign of sorts for you from me, it’s been hard not writing Dateline: Vancouver all over the place. Working on my own and for a time with Incogmedia I’ve been a part of the almost green-lighting of a lot of projects. I think I’m close to seeing the forest and the trees. Working on another proposal right now. What keeps bringing me back is the immediacy of social media and the intimacy of community building. I love it. I took my son the blodel conservatory earlier this year and spent some time talking with the workers their, when they told me about the government closing it down. I tweeted it before CBC, now if i had known at the time how to find an audience for that tweet it could have been something. Its the speed of the connections that amaze me and being able to find or create a community of people who love hotdogs but hate ketchup is at the least unique. being able to tell stories and share your passions with the world.

Also this year after a conversation with a co-worker at the bar I started to become more involved in Clearbrook Entertainment. Writing, producing, sales calls, finding investors. I flew down to LA in September and to pitch a tv show and meet with actors and executives. I get that this probably reads like a ‘what i did with my summer vacation’ school report, and while there could be some positive nostalgia associated with summer and days past, my main hope here is to communicate to you that wether I am handing out flyers to promote a nightclub night I’m hosting and working, co-ordinating with photographers and location scouts for a trailer shoot, writing social media proposals or literally selling hot chocolate out of the trunk of my car, I recognize opportunity and go after it. There are many smart, creative, talented people in this city and many of them see what I see, I do not stop at the vision, I put plans into action. I love the thrill of the chase, rushing against the clock, wheeling and dealing, staying up late to try. I love the hustle.

Thank you

Tomorrow Reason #9 – How many people in your office currently can catch a small dog?

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

Reasons why

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