Category Archives: News

How To Land the Right Job After College

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Grads: The World is at Your Feet...Copyright All rights reserved by Albert Kenyani Inima

The headline of “How To Land the Right Job After College” may be a bit loaded I know. Landing jobs are difficult for everyone, no matter when you graduated or will graduate. But, I do feel that recent college grads and soon to be college grads can get hired in the positions that they have always dreamed about.  By following a few of these suggestions below, any aspiring employee can get closer to the job of their choice or at least assist in job search.

How do I know? What makes me an expert on this topic?

I’m no job education expert, but I am an experienced executive who has worked at major corporations. I also am skilled in job search, due to a professional program I recently attended thanks to a former employer.  And I often speak at local colleges, so I do have a sense about what college students are feeling these days.  So for those reasons and those reasons alone, I strongly suggest you read on and heed some of my sage advice in this matter.  Here we go.

JOB SEARCH TO DO LIST

(1) When asked what type of job you are looking for..NEVER NEVER NEVER answer this way: “I’ll take anything really, I just need a job.” This is a wrong answer. Go immediately to Point No. 2.

(2). Did you know that 97 percent of all jobs are acquired through networking and people you know? That’s a true fact.  Therefore, if you don’t know what kind of job you want or what company you would like to work for…people like me can’t help you. I have no idea what you majored in or what your passions are. This answer hurts you more than it can ever help you. Never be vague. At least give us something to work with…

Some things that you could say if you aren’t preciously sure of what you are looking are answers like these…”I’m interested in an entry-level position at a national hotel chain (insert area here) and I would like to stay in this area.”  Or “I would like to work for a mortgage company and I will relocate for the best opportunity.” Or “I interested in pursuing a career in the action sports industry. I’d like to work in marketing and promote apparel lines and will relocate if necessary.”

Can you see how these answers are a major improvement? It helps give people a better sense of how they can help you. And people really want to help you. Heck, in this tight economy, everyone knows that we need to help each other.  It’s a given.

(3.) Now that you know what kind of position you want, you need to ask everyone and anyone to help you connect with the right companies and the right people who can hire you.  In job search, shyness isn’t allowed. You’ve got to overcome your job fright. Never be embarrassed when you meet people to immediately ask them if they know anyone in the area of your job search.  This applies to your parent’s friends who come over, your teachers, your pastors, your music teacher, your grocery clerk, your bank teller and your doorman. Heck, even ask people you meet in the elevator. Well, that may be a bit too much, but heck how can it hurt. You have to solicit for your job. I mean I’m constantly having my door bell rung with kids asking me to buy cookies, magazine subscriptions, or wrapping paper to support their school drives. If you could do it then, you can do it now. Say hello and then go into your job spiel…Hi I’m So and So. I’m graduating this month and I am looking for a position in organic farming. Do you know anyone in that field that I could talk to?  Again, don’t be shy. Heck, email me and ask me for help. I’m now a connection for you. Ask people on your Facebook page. Put it out there. We’re here to help.

(4.) If you’re still perplexed about what you want to do…stop right now for I have some homework for you. Write down the five companies where you would like to work. Remember once you get hired, that company is going to grab 40 or more hours of your time a week, so why not work at a company you actually want to work for! Try to work at those companies first.

And then add those companies to your job speech…”Hi I’m a recent graduate of BLANK and I’ve majored in engineering. I am looking for an entry-level position at one of these companies GE, Boeing, Apple, Microsoft or Northrup. Do you know anyone at one of these companies? And if so, would you mind contacting them on my behalf?”

You Should Feel Like A Winner When You Land Your Job

(5.) Be confident and don’t be desperate. You’re in charge of your destiny and your search. You do not have to take any job that comes around. First go after the companies on your target list. Do it. I don’t want you to wake up one morning and regret that you never worked at Facebook. You don’t know until you try. And once you get hired…remember to keep networking for you need to always be ready for your next great job…even if that’s a promotion at the same company.

So go get that job of your dreams. Or least one that is a close match. You have invested a great deal of time and money into yourself going after that college education. 

That’s why you deserve to work at a company that you want as well one that wants you.

If you ever need any encouragement, please contact me. I’d love to pass on more words to help you feel like “Rocky.”

Cindy

Love the Group of Students at Cal Poly Pomona and My Shirt! Thanks again.

(This post is in honor of all the students at Cal Poly Pomona. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know them over the last semester and from my time spent there, I surely feel our future is in good hands. Congrats Graduates and to everyone else I look forward to seeing you next year!)

 

About the Author: Cindy Ronzoni has spent the majority of her career in entertainment publicity at major corporations. She now wears an additional hat, that of, blogger. She blogs here and at her company’s website: SocialSpreadMedia.com. Feel free to friend her up on Facebook and follow her on twitter. She has a soft spot in her heart for students and is a big supporter of PRSSA local chapters.

 

Can You Be A Brand?

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A savvy award-winning marketing colleague of mine took me to task today regarding my incorrect use of the word “brand.” He especially brought attention to how I’ve been using the term “personal branding” wrongly, for according to his experience a brand is not a person, but an inanimate object. And as it turns out he’s right. Here’s the definition of “brand” from netlingo.com

brand

A logo, corporate image, or distinct product or service identity that can become firmly rooted in the public’s mind. Its purpose is to establish a meaningful, differentiated presence that will attract and retain loyal customers.

To drive it a bit more home, here are some illustrations for you.

Are You One of These Products?

Products are Individual Brands

Bleach and Clorox Are Co-Brands

*An Author is Not a Product, But His Books Are

So if brands are products, like the three to the left. Then what do people have, if not personal brands?

It was explained to me that people have reputations. They have personality. They have interests, desires, ambition, talents, integrity and passions.

They are not objects like Q-tips, or Valvoline Oil or bread crumbs or WordPress Themes.

However, as the definition states above, the purpose of brands are to attract and retain loyal customers. Couldn’t the same be true for individuals?

Let’s look at the case of real estate executives for they are a perfect example. Realtors often work for a firm, (i.e., First Team Real Estate), but they act as individuals and are chosen by consumers for a variety of reasons. They pick up clients via referrals, online presence, personality and/or knowledge of the area.  Like branded products, “trust” plays a major part of their sales. (BTW-Trust is important for every professional by the way.) So if there are branded products that we “trust” couldn’t we say the same for people that they have “trusted” brands as well? Or is it more correct to say that you “trust” a person’s reputation instead?

I thought this topic was delicious food for thought and one I’d love to hear your opinion on…Are We Brands or Not?

Do tell.

*(I recently attended a speaking engagement featuring super savvy and smart social business consultant Gary Vaynerchuk, hence, the reason why I used his new book “The Thank You Economy” as an example of a brand product. This was my way of giving him a nod and a way to promote his efforts. I’m a big fan and will blog about my him in upcoming posts.)

Arnold’s PR Problem

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Arnold had one heck of a PR Mess on his Hands.

It’s tough when public figures behave badly for they’re scrutinized more than your average Joe. One celebrity feeling the impact of his actions is Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In case you missed the story, he recently admitted to his wife, Maria Shriver and his entire family, that ten years ago he fathered a love child.  A boy to one of their own household staff. This all happened under this family’s nose and the story never leaked until today.

Being a former politician, Arnold understands the importance of “spin” and “damage control.” These are two words that he needs act upon now more than ever, in addition to hiring a top-notch crisis management PR firm. I love practicing my PR trade with real-life examples, and, therefore, if Arnold became my client…here’s the advice I’d give him at this time.

FREE PR ADVICE FOR ARNOLD

(1). LAY LOW – The best thing Arnold can do is lay low and stay out of the spotlight. He needs to get his house in order first and start working on how he is going to handle announcing the name of his love child. He doesn’t need to be dining with anyone or attending out of town conferences for he is going to be followed at nauseum by the paparazzi. The paparazzi are on high alert to capture Arnold with any women and especially to snap photos with the mother of his love child. Hence, the real need is to be discreet because he is going to be followed every where he goes.

(2.) TABLOIDS – At this very moment, the tabloids are working overtime to come up with the name and photos of his love child. My advice is that Arnold needs to control the story and out him himself. He should work with a press-friendly TV reporter on a national news program and give an exclusive interview.  He needs to do anything he can to protect that kid from being humiliated by the tabloids or paparazzi if they get to him first.

(3.) FORCED VACATION – I would put the love child in a lock down situation and I would do the same for the mom. They should be vacationing somewhere where they couldn’t be found until a media strategy is in place that will announce their identities.

(4.) BE ON GUARD – Arnold needs to be vigilant regarding his actions.  He needs to take the time that is necessary to heal the wounds with his family and should not be seen conducting business at say places like casinos or on yachts.  He must keep his profile low.

(5). AVE MARIA – Maria is in a good place. The statement she issued was spot on and requires no further explanation. The world understands what she is going through and it needs to give her space for this is a private family matter.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

This is not the first time a celebrity or politician has fathered a love child and it won’t be the last. In time, Arnold will gain back his stature as well as his credibility and integrity if he handles this sensitive situation right. It’s a difficult time for all involved and their press strategists need to do whatever they can to help this family situation remain private.

Yes it stinks that Arnold kept this occurrence a secret from his family and from the voters. Arnold knew that if he copped to this incident before he was elected, then he would not have been elected.  And now that the cat is out the bag, I guess you can say that Californian’s feel cheated because they didn’t now the whole truth about him.

Arnold has much damage control to do not only with his immediate family of 5, and his love clan of 2, but also with the over 37 million California residents.

If any one can handle this situation, it’s Arnold. Never count that guy out.

I’ll keep my eye on this case and provide PR insights when needed. In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you would do if you were Arnold.

Cindy

Best Kept Secret about Osama bin Laden

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Isn’t it ironic that President Obama wasn’t able to keep the death of Osama bin Laden a secret last night yet the CIA’s secret mission that began in September never leaked? Thank goodness for that! I was beginning to wonder if secrets can ever be kept again now because of Twitter.

TWITTER IS SAVING THE WORLD

Yep, that crazy platform that only lets you communicate with 140 characters at a time is changing how we break news. CRAZY, huh!

According to Brian Stelter, a media reporter with The New York Times, the story of bin Laden’s death leaked on Twitter while President Obama was penning the speech he was going to give to the nation last night. It’s an interesting read and you can find it here.

But the gist of the article are these couple of key paragraphs.

At 10:25 p.m., while Mr. Obama was writing his speech, one particular tweet seemed to confirm it. Keith Urbahn, the chief of staff for the former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld, wrote at that time, “So I’m told by a reputable person they have killed Osama Bin Laden. Hot damn.”

Mr. Urbahn quickly added, “Don’t know if it’s true, but let’s pray it is.” He was credited by many on the Web with breaking the news, though he did not have first-hand confirmation.

This story just goes to show you that it’s time to take Twitter seriously. Reputable people use it as a news vehicle and as we saw in Japan’s earthquake, it enabled victims to communicate locations. It’s a viable communications platform and one that “smart” people are listening to.

Are you and if not how come?

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OLD GLORY IS GLORIOUS

Last night’s news of bin Laden’s death ranks up there in pivotal moments in history. It’s one of those instances when people will ask you where you were when you heard of his death.  Me, I was sitting in front of my computer writing a press release when I heard the surprising announcement.

I couldn’t believe how the news impacted me. I was stunned and then I started to realize its bearing on the world’s future. I also felt relieved for our military who persevered 10 years to capture that criminal.

Since the news was reported late in the evening,  I yearned to make a mark somehow to recognize the importance of this event.  The only thing I could think of doing was to hang out my flag in honor the troops, so that’s what I did.

You can see it here.

[youtube width="600" height="400"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmLlmhqD0Cg[/youtube]

How did you celebrate?

 

Fishing is a lot like PR

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A big catch always makes your Day in PR.

While watching Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch” it dawned on me how fishing for king crab is a lot like pitching for media coverage. The similarities are astounding so much so–that I’m wondering now if I should start calling myself a fisher-person instead of a publicist. I’m not talking about sport fishing here. I’m talking about those individuals whose livelihood is bringing in big catches. Like us publicists, we receive our earnings too by the success of our takes.

THIS IS NOT ANOTHER FISH STORY

Think this is a laughing matter (wink, wink), just take a look at these occupational comparisons.

  • Fishermen use charts to find fish; publicists use media plans
  • Fishermen often go off of instinct to find fish; so do publicists as to who might like the story.
  • Fishermen need the right bait to catch particular fish; publicist must make sure that their pitch is news-worthy and right for that publication.
  • Fishermen can go through spurts without big hauls; the same is true for publicists.
  • Sometimes fisherman must play a waiting game for the fish to surface; ditto in the publicity realm.
  • Fisherman have to release smaller fish at times: publicists sometimes have to do they same in order to gain a keeper-a larger hit.

I could go on and on with the comparisons, and I did! Just take a look at this tongue in cheek PR fishing video below that I filmed last night.  (Note to self: Don’t ever use a magnet when fishing out of a metal pail. Boy that was dumb! lol)

Also, I must warn you – if you are ever trying to reach me and I’d don’t answer – now you’ll know why. I’ve gone PR fishing!

[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUOEsviVeLM[/youtube]


I couldn't resist including this photo of me when I hiked Beverly Hills' Franklin Canyon Park. Behind me is the shooting location for the opening of "The Andy Griffith Show."

 

A NICE PR PRACTICE

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Something that doesn’t get enough credit in the public relations arena and the world at large is when people are generally “nice” for no other reason or motive. When you stumble upon those times, which sadly are few and far in between, you cherish them.

I witnessed two such occasions of “niceness” in one day! And as such, it is a pleasure to tell you about them.

Masters Chairman Billy Payne Presents Hideki Matsuyama with 2011 Silver Cup Amateur Trophy Credit: Rob Brown/Augusta National

If you happened to watch the Green coat-award ceremony at yesterday’s 2011 Masters Golf Tournament on CBS Sports, you would have observed inspiring moments not only from its victor Char Schwartzel, but from its Silver Cup winner Hideki Matsuyama.

Asian Amateur champion Matsuyama earned the presitigous Silver Cup for Low Amateur scoring. He ranked in 27th place in the tournament, right in line with seven other pros like last year’s victor Phil Mickelson. Yes, it a great story how Matsuyama qualified for America’s most famous golf tourney, but, that’s not what I want to point out.  I was overwhelmed by his words in his acceptance speech. It was his acceptance speech that proved that this young 19-year-old college sophomore is a class act – a young man of great character. Why?

Matsuyama is a resident of Sendai, Japan – one of the cities that took a beating in the March 11 earthquake and the tsunami that followed.  Maysuyama attends Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai, and although he won this coveted Masters honor, his heart and mind are on his country, his town and his friends, many of whom he still hasn’t reached.

In his acceptance speech he was  thankful for the honor, but now that the tournament was over, he was returning to his University’s dorm to see what’s left of it and to volunteer wherever needed.  He mentioned a couple of times how he was going to assist victims of the disaster and that was he primary plan moving forward.

Good for you Hideki. His actions were memorable and admirable.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A CEO Who Encountered "Nice-ness" Every Step of the Way While Visiting Baja Fresh Franchises

My second “nice” surprise occurred again on CBS later that night when I was watching “Undercover Boss.” This weekly TV series profiles CEO of major companies as they go incognito in their own company. It’s fascinating watching how these C-level executives are unable to perform many of the tasks that their employees do, and also, how much they undercover to make their businesses run more efficiently.

Last night’s episode particularly touched a “nice” spot in my heart, when Baja Fresh’s CEO David Kim was moved by the stories of his employees. The employees that he shared shifts with were all extraordinary people…the show did a wonderful job in casting.

But, you couldn’t help but not like Kim for the show opened up with him sitting in his office which is a normal run of the mill cubicle. He doesn’t believe in corner offices, for as he said, he wants to be where the staff is and be able to hear their valuable input. Very smart indeed.

Kim took that same approach and open attitude to every one of the stops he made. He wore his emotions on is his sleeve and was deeply concerned about every person’s struggles.  Not only did these cashiers and managers have an applicable life lesson for Kim, but for the viewers as well.

One story after the other were about perseverance, dedication and quality performance.  So much so, that mid-way through the experience, Kim had to find a church where he could humbly bow down to God and ask for forgiveness for taking so much for granted. His humility toward others and his desire for self-improvement were nice touches to be seen from a CEO at a major corporation.

I will frequent Baja Fresh more now and whenever in Las Vegas, I’ll be be sure to patron the special franchise Kim provided to Jose who was featured in the program.  I also live near Cypress and might try and visit the Baja Fresh that Anthony works at…he was a marvelous 20-year who was taking care of his mother and brothers and sisters.

If you missed the program, you can catch it online by clicking here. It’s a well-worth 44 minutes or so of  ”nice” television programming. Definitely worth watching. Also, congrats to how Baja Fresh has taken advantage of the “Undercover Boss” tie in. Their website provides additional information and special coupons and really plays up the show’s integration. What a fantastic extension of the program.

Also, take a peek at Kim’s personal Facebook page. He is getting rave reviews from many kind TV viewers…I’m sure that Baja Fresh’s sales are going to grow exponentially from this experience.

Wow! What did you think?

 

A+ brand extension from TV show to website for Baja Fresh

 

PRESIDENTIAL FACEBOOK LIVE GATHERING

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Honey, Hurry and Come Watch The Computer, The President is Speaking.

At 1:45 PM PT on Wednesday, April 20, I will be home sitting in front of my computer screen watching Facebook. My three favorite passions will all be in play with this event: I’ll be watching TV, engaging with Facebook and hearing President Obama live.

This is absolutely crazy! To think that a college student started up this multi-billion dollar Facebook company and  has turned it from primarily being a social network to a content provider. I love it.

President Obama’s former Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was rumored to be in play for a position at Facebook. Hmmm. I wonder if he had any part in this webcast? My gut thinks he did.

The Wall Street Journal seems to think that President Obama is using this platform to engage with the younger voting community. And that may be true since its time to start thinking about his re-election. This live event will definitely reach a younger demographic on a platform they prefer.

The reason why I think this is a fabulous idea as a PR pro is the fact that is sends a signal that Facebook is now mainstream.  I am astonished that I still rub against folks who think Facebook is a fad. This just proves its not.

I’m sure if this live streaming event goes well, Facebook will be receiving pitches from other news makers desiring promotion on the Facebook platform. It could soon become a “bonafide” news channel! Unbelievable.

WILL FACEBOOK REPLACE TV SETS?

It’s just the start of many things to come via Facebook and I for one am anxious to see how the video will look. Will there be annoying lags? Will the audio drop?

Knowing the perfectionism that Facebook has shown us thus far, I would gander to think its going to be fine and remarkable.

Kudos to the White House press reps for suggesting it and for Mark Zuckerberg for making it happen.

Will you be tuning in as well? If so, what do you think about it?

 

 

Yes You Can Start A Blog

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Blogger Cindy Ronzoni says, "I can't help but smile every time I finish a piece. Still can't believe we can have personal voices on the web." - goofy self portrait

When I was in between permanent work positions a few years ago, I had the urge to try out blogging.  As a PR pro, I had worked with bloggers, and thus, had some semblance as to what they did.  I really had no idea how to start one and what it was all about…that was in 2008. Now, four years later I’m thriving as a blogger and can’t envision a day when I won’t have an active blog or two.

I love blogging! I can’t begin to tell you about the personal freedom it has given me. At first, I didn’t know what to write. I mean, prior to 2008, all my writing and voice had been exhibited through corporate communication efforts like statements, press releases and/or pitches. I had never been able to interject my personal opinion or beliefs in anything I had ever done except diaries and journals. I always represented the company with anything I had ever written.

Thanks to a friend who got me all set up with my first WordPress blog, I was ready to start exploring who I was and what I stood for. It was hard to start and I found myself often staring at a black screen. I felt like so “naked.” I didn’t know what I could write and was scared about having a voice. Some of  the thoughts I had were these questions:  Would I write something that would cause controversy? Would anyone care what I had to say? Could I even do this?

Bloggging is Alive and Well in Colleges Credit: Cindy Ronzoni

I fumbled a bit at the start, but now I have hit my stride transforming and refining my content over time. For you see, the more you practice at something the better you get.

JUST DO IT

I love having my own voice on the web.  And that’s my wish for you too. I want to encourage you start blogging today. Put those fears aside and just do it. If you don’t know how to begin…send me a note or check out WordPress.com or Blogger.com or heck, even tumblr.com is a fantastic place to start. It’s so much easier now setting up websites…you can do it!

BLOGGING IS THRIVING

Recently, I experienced the perfect trifecta. I was absolutely in my glory for I was able to mix my thirst for news, my love of blogging and passion for teaching college-aged students in one full swoop. I taught a college journalism class where the students blogged for their homework. At first I wondered how they were doing finding “their voice” on the web.  I also was curious about what that age group had to say…what drove them and where their passions lie.  I let them write about something that they were interested in…they had full reign to write whatever they wanted. The only thing I required was that they would email me their posts. I was blown away by the “voices” I heard back.

They covered non-profits. Several told me about their favorite hockey teams and how they hoped they’d make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Some moved me when they spoke about how dance affects their lives. Others shared their souls about being confused about their future. And most wanted to make things “right” in this world.  They had deep and heart-felt suggestions. They care and they have voices that need to be heard.

And the same is true for you.

Start blogging today, but be careful – for it does become addicting.

Let me know how it goes for you – please send me your first post so I can congratulate you properly and keep encouraging you to write on!

Happy Blogging,

Cindy

 

 

 

An Investment You Can Afford – Empire Avenue

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Here's Another Site that Will Consume Your Time!

While lunching yesterday with fellow social media strategist/blogger Tim Tyrell-Smith he told me about this social media adventure called Empire Avenue. According to its website,“Empire Avenue is the Social Media Exchange, where you can buy and sell shares in any social media profile, meet new people, unlock Achievement badges, and earn boatloads of virtual cash by being active and social online! Buy shares in your friends, your followers, people with similar interests, brands you love, celebrities – anyone! All using a virtual currency and all for free!”

Tim was really excited about this social ranking website, mostly because it has a game-like component to it.  He wrote an in-depth blog post about it here and you should definitely take time to read it.

So, I had a few minutes yesterday and decided to check it out for myself.  And it’s really quite fun and I could see that for some social media types – Empire Avenue could be addicting. That is if you are one of those who is concerned about how you rank as a social media influencer. I don’t know about you, but for some reason I am concerned about my scores on Empire Avenue and on other such social media measuring sites like Klout and Peer Index. And I’m not too proud of that fact and would like to send this warning. Don’t let these sites trip you up so that you consume too much time or cause you to change your communication plans.

There are ways that you can increase your scores through little tricks like posting more on Facebook and sending more tweets to ratchet up your scores. I would like to forewarn you not to get caught up in all that. But in the end, does it really matter? These are not official rankings and not a true measurement of one’s success.

JOLLY GOOD FUN

There some things about this site which are impressive. The site exudes quality in every sense and presents numerous options to keep one interested.  It resembles the stock market and as such, it fun to buy and sell and evaluate stock in other humans, places and things. And the best part is that it’s not real money. You’ve got nothing to lose. It’s like a Monte Carlo event for online. And if you’re feeling really generous I’d love you to invest in me…the ticker symbol is THE RONZ.

Even though I’m not making money, Empire Avenue is. Empire Avenue has cleverly integrated advertising onto its site by allowing “investors” to earn more shares by engaging with products on its Shop Section.  Empire Avenue’s currency is called “Eaves.” You can earn additional Eaves by twittering and posting on Facebook and by shopping through its store.  Eaves can be acquired free or through real money.  You can watch videos, buy magazines, take surveys and purchase some through PayPal.

What I also like about Empire Avenue is that it allows me another opportunity to network online and become better acquainted with others I know.  I was really excited to invest in TRADERBECK, an advertising reporter friend of mine, and a few others fellow bloggers.

I was pleased as to how effortlessly Empire Avenue connected all of my social media activities into my profile. I was able to add in my blogs in the profile too and others are able to endorse them. As a blogger, I love that it helps spread my efforts to a new network of social media friends.

So the connections are good. The site is polished. And if I consider my time on Empire Avenue to be used as break from work, then its worthwhile.  If I think of it as a game, then I don’t feel as guilty investing my time.

But…there are some things on the other side of the coin that I have to look at like…

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT

Finance is not my strong suit.  When it comes to the stock market and portfolio management I have a pro who looks after mine. So, I wanted to check this out with a friend of mine who’s a financial wizard of sorts. He loves the thrill of buying and selling and does a great job of it so I wanted him to tell me his opinion. When I called him to ask him about Empire Avenue he said that he doesn’t participate in such activities that resemble the stock market for fun. He said that there are other sites that represent this area and those sites are chock full of ads from investment firms and funds.  He said the main reason these sites exist is to help others start to understand the stock market and become more comfortable enough with it so that they start real online accounts. I do see his point. I don’t think this is the case for Empire Avenue – but, clearly this site is about earning a profit. If you dig a bit deeper in the “Shop” area, you will see that’s an integral part of the site…to buy sponsored products.

We all need to make money and that’s how Empire Avenue collects their paycheck through its Shop section.  They hope that a participant gets so excited about buying and trading that they will want to earn or buy more Eaves. And if a user engages with a advertiser they probably get a take of it as well.  And although, I’ve noticed this…I do appreciate that our home pages on Empire Avenue are commercial free.  The advertisers are only seen when you visit the Shop Section.

Empire Avenue also has a foursquare component to it where the user earns badges.  On foursquare it is quite difficult to earn badges, but not so on Empire Avenue. In 24 hours I’ve earned 55 badges. That’s a bit too much don’t you think?

A Partial List of My Achievement Badges Earned in Less Than 24 Hours

Also, every time you earn one of their achievement badges, they want you to tweet it out. If you do, you get three more Eaves.  Because of  this, Empire Avenue can become the Farmville of Twitter.  I tweeted a bit too much about this stuff wanting to earn Eaves before I realized how I was cluttering up my brand on Twitter and potentially infuriating my followers.

I did not intend for this post to be a downer about Empire Avenue. I really think you should check it out. But, in doing so, just be careful not to get too carried away by your personal score or by over-messaging to increase your “unofficial” social media ranking.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about such social media measurement sites. While they are fun…are they really not anything more than a waste of time? What’s your thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is the Dancing with the Stars Wardrobe Getting Too Risque?

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I know this post is going to upset a few of the men out there and some readers may label me a prude. But, I’m taking a risk and saying it. Don’t you think that some of women’s dance costumes on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” are a bit too risque for prime time viewing? I do.

“SWEET FANCY MOSES”

As I watched the season opener of “Dancing with the Stars” last Monday night, I noticed a few of the women’s costumes were a bit more revealing than usual.  Not all of the costumes were that way, most were fine and age appropriate for the respective dancer.  But, when I saw what they had Chelsie Hightower dressed in….the only response I had was what George and Jerry exclaimed when they watched Elaine’s wacky dance in the Seinfeld episode “The Little Kicks”….Sweet Fancy Moses! Ms. Hightower’s outfit was barely a dress and was probably made out of less than a half-a-yard of shimmery fabric! Take a look. The only spot of fabric on her backside was a 12 inch area of cloth covering her bootie. To view this dress in action click on video link: Dancing With The Stars Relive the Opener

Sweet Fancy Moses - Chelsie's Dress is Short and Missing its Back Side

Yes, Ms. Hightower is beautiful and physically fit and can wear that costume well. But, that’s not the point. I mean – isn’t the show about dancing and not about selling something else. If I was a male fan of the show, I think one of the reasons I would enjoy watching it is to see the scantily clad women! Is this really necessary ABC?

INAPPROPRIATE OR APPROPRIATE?

I know that women dress in barely there bikinis when at the beach or pool. I also am aware of some of the outfits that gals wear to the gym look like underwear. The public is exposed to revealing clothing all the time and there’s no way to control it. But, ABC is a corporation that can control its decency. I mean if a someone wears a logo on clothing that is not a sponsor of the show, then we see black duct tape put over that logo. And sometimes, low cleavage is blurred in live programming…but, on this show I sometimes wonder about the outfits.

Season 11 contestant Audrina Partridge Did In Fact Wear A Bikini on the Show

Well, I guess that statement isn’t 100 percent true. I don’t wonder about the outfits. I know perfectly well about how they cast the show.  They cast the “older” favorites, the models, the younger sensations, the athletes and yes, handsome hunks too.  They cast every demo. And to be fair, they do at times dress the young, fit gals in less revealing wardrobes, especially when they perform dances like the waltz.

I’d love to hear what you think? Your turn to discuss the wardrobe on Dancing with the Stars. Bring on the conversation.

 

 

 

 

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