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.