FunnyBusiness: Everything About Business Except The Bottom Line

Can You Twitter Your Resume

It's a question that Businessweek is asking  as part of its followup to its breakthrough 2005 article on blogging in an article called Beyond Blogs. In particular they are looking for resuwitters from CEOs and celebrities.

THE 140-CHARACTER RESUME

We send out a few posts on Twitter (they're called "tweets") asking people how social media are changing their work. Scores of responses pour in. People learn what colleagues are up to, inside and outside the company. They see trends. They make contacts. They learn. Some even sell. A Dell (DELL) employee who goes by the Twitter name of Ggroovin tells us that Dell's service on Twitter has brought in half a million dollars of new orders in the past year. Some on Twitter sniff around for the next job. "The new résumé is 140 characters," tweets 23-year-old Amanda Mooney, who just landed a job in PR.

So the writers at Businessweek sent out a tweet asking for some 140 characters. Here are some responses;

I put out a preliminary call for these resumes a couple of days ago on Twitter and got back a couple of Steve Jobs resuwitters:

@ggroovin wrote: CEO, Apple - brought back co from brink to tech leader; Pixar CEO - saved then joined Disney; Next - ok next; chief creator: Mac

@michaelocc, quoting Fake Steve Jobs, wrote: The Jobs one already exists: “Dude, I invented the friggin iPhone. Have you heard of it?”

David Damore

May 29, 2008 09:43 AM

NOW AVAILABLE Admore = Thinker, Analyst, Creativity, Ideas, Imagination & Solutions. NEW and IMPROVED. BETTER than EVER. Get some Admore now

Roger

May 29, 2008 09:49 AM

Here's my go at a 140 character resume:

International author, emerging tech, social media, expert. Dir @ global science research org, 2 degrees. LinkedIn: http://snipurl.com/2baok

(Is the LinkedIn URL a cheat?)

 

Here's mine: My resuwitter:1973 Reporter1979 Business owner 1995 Interactive Specialist 2004 Blogomist 2008 social media strategist Facilitator speaker

PR Hack Owes Toby Bloomberg A Big Fat Thank You Note

Note to unknown,clueless PR hack: mentioned in Toby Bloomberg's blog: you should be checking out Hallmark today and seeing if there are any appropriate cards thanking a blogger for not outing your unprofessional and rude behavior.

Toby-- a blogger who is listed as one of the top 30 social media bloggers-- has recently been writing about Blogger/PR relations.

It is not a love fest.

First, Toby wrote a post suggesting that PR people and bloggers should be  friends. 

Her next post shares a game of email ping pong between herself and a clueless PR type which shows why its going to take a long time before most bloggers and PR types are BFF.

PR Person: Hi. Blah blah blah .. company (turns out to be a client) has a new product. If you’d like to learn more about blah blah please let  me know and I’d be happy to  set you up with  an appropriate executive.

Toby/Diva Marketing: I asked a question about the campaign.

PR Person:  I can not personally  comment on these types of questions but I’m happy to put you in touch with one of the marketing executives who would be better able to answer that for you. Just let me know.

Toby/Diva Marketing: That would be great. Thanks.

PR Person:  Sure thing. Do you happen to have any readership or unique visitor numbers handy?

Toby/Diva Marketing: Why?

PR Person: We always like to present our executives with as much  information as possible when approaching them with an interview opportunity.

Toby/Diva Marketing: I am not a journalist. Diva Marketing is not a media outlet. It is a blog with some extent of influence. That is not a question that I would answer unless I was negotiating for sponsorships on Diva (which I choose not to do).

Also, you approached me .. I did not approach you. In your email you offered information to learn more about the campaign. I asked you questions about it and you offered to forward them to the right person for a response. I did not request an interview.

.

Toby's posts have some great links on recommendations from other bloggers on how PR folks can succeed in the blogging world.

It shouldn't be that hard. You would think  that if enough bloggers spoke out, blogged about, lectured on,cajoled cheerfully and sometimes nastily,and even had workshops on the topic ----that PR types would  eventually get it.

But evidently, not.

Bloggers are not journalists. They don't want to be treated like journalists.

What does that mean? The majority of bloggers don't want PR people to send them blanket news releases -- the ones that are sent to hundreds of media outlets.

Instead, bloggers want PR folks to get to know them by reading their blogs.

That's it. That's all PR folks have to do. Become familiar with the blogger before you ask them to write about your company, product, program, service or book.

Oh and if you send out a news release inviting questions, don't treat the blogger as if you are doing them a favor.

Clueless PR person who had that ridiculous and insulting conversation with Toby should be counting his/her lucky.stars today. Many bloggers would not have been as kind as Toby. She did not share who they are or what company they are representing.

Many bloggers would not think twice about outing such an unprofessional and rude action. Clueless PR person in case you haven't figured this out bloggers can be quite snarky.

So clueless PR person,  you dodged a bullIet. In case you are not aware of it, Toby is one of the top 30 most influential social media bloggers and if she had wanted to she could have smushed you like an aggravating little bug.

A thank you note is definitely in order..

If You Believe The Commercials,Yogurt Is The Official Food of Women

If you love yogurt, if you hate yogurt, you will love this Sarah Haskin's take on the marketing of yogurt --specifically the targeting of yogurt to women.

I discovered the video while reading BlogHer'sSuzanne Reisman's Post ,C'est Bon? No Your Gender Marketing and rBGH Yogurts Suck.  Before I actually saw the video I read the entire post. Since I was reading this around 7:30 last night and had not had dinner yet, I decided to fix myself a yogurt parfait which consisted of some Bear Naked  Vanilla Almond Crunch granola, a container of Trader Joe's Pomegranate Greek Style yogurt and some dried blueberries, mangos and pineapple.

Only then while I was munching on my yogurt parfait did I click on the video. Here's the thing -- if I had not had the yogurt my other choice for dinner would have been part of the half eaten rotisserie chicken that was in my frig. Yes I am a woman over 40 but fortunately I do break the stereotype, there is no Activa in my frig.

Confused? Watch The video.

Passing it On: Please Send Kathy McGrane A Card

Going through my Google Reader today I came across this post from a blogger I thoroughly enjoy reading--- B.L. Ochman. A couple of things about her request to have folks send her friend a snail mail card.

Being in the hospital  in isolation for 30 days would be very hard to do.  Not having internet access would make it all the more difficult.  So I don't personally know B.L. Ochman and I don't know Kathy at all.

From B.L. Ochman:

My friend of 40 years, Kathy McGrane, is fighting for her life.

She's having a stem call transplant this week to combat an extremely virulent form of blood cancer, and she'll be in isolation for at least a month at Mt Sinai Hospital in New York. She has no Internet access, but she can receive snail mail.

It would cheer her enormously if lots of people would let her know they are cheering her through this ordeal by sending her a card. Here's the address:

Kathy McGrane
Mt Sinai Medical Center
BMT Unit
11th floor, Center Building
New York, NY 10029

And if you pray, please add Kathy to your prayers. Please pass this post on.
Thank you.

At Work Do You Follow A No - Cleavage Policy?

When I started my blogging career I wrote a post about the pros and cons of wearing Open Toed Shoes-- Back in 2004 there was a great deal of concern that open toed shoes would be distracting to co-workers who find the exposed toes as sexually distracting.

Oh what a difference four years can make. Forget the foot fetish. The issue now is all those breast men who must come to grips with women who dare to show a bit more of "the girls" then they used to.
Cleavage has become an office standard and there are plenty of people who say it is a sure what to torpedo your career.

You can read the entire post at BlogHer.

Image Credit: Glamour Magazine.

Why I'm Disappointed To Learn About Barbara Walter's Sex Life

  Time was when I had Barbara Walters on a pedestal. It was a long time ago--at the start of my career. But to discount the importance she played in my professional life would be denying my  personal history.

For years I believed Barbara Walters succeeded because she was smart and simply worked harder than anyone else.
She was my inspiration. Because of her, I believed if I had the talent and I worked harder, I could succeed as well.

Because of her I believed that a woman could be successful without the requisite couch time.In the early 1970s for a woman to be successful in television news was an anomaly. The sexism and parochial attitudes were pervasive.

Barbara Walters did not give the public appearance as someone who was a bed hopper. Funny thing about public personas.

In 1973 I had an opportunity to sit in on broadcast of The Today Show. During my time in the control room I heard some "gossip" about Ms. Walters that I discounted as stupid boys being jealous. So it was a rumor that I kept to myself until last week.

More about what I heard  and  why I simply didn't want to believe it  on my Sunday post at BlogHer

Image Credit Image Credit: NewsGroper: These Blogs Are not Real

Today['s Worst Business In The World Award : U.S. Directory

The phone call came in shortly before 8:00 a.m. The woman was looking for those red coke glasses that are on American Idol. Okay, true confession. I don't watch American Idol and have no idea what coke glasses she is talking about. However, the woman was surprised since she said the phone directory lists me as a distributor.

She explained when she search for Coca Cola Distributors in the Minneapolis St. Paul Area  my name popped up.In case this is your first visit to FunnyBusiness -- I'm not in distribution. I'm a marketing communication consultant/blogomist/social media strategist.

The only time I get near a bottle of Coke is if I am under the weather. That and a bowl of Matzah bowl soup are at the top of my comfort food list

When I learned it was the  listing was in the U.S. Directory I was not surprised. I have had several run ins with this company. For years they have listed me under headings that have nothing to do with my business. Fortunately for me most people must not be looking for what they have me selling because this morning's call was the first time ever that someone searching in the U.S. Directory has called.

I immediately I called U.S. Directory to have them remove me from "DISTRIBUTORS". listing.  Reiv introduced herself as my customer call representative. She sounded like she was talking at the bottom of a swimming pool. After I explained the situation she  explained that since I was no longer a customer of U.S. Directory they had put that listing in as a "courtesy."
It was at the point that Riev,said this was a "courtesy" listing that I demanded to talk to management.
"Reiv," I tried to explain, " this is a nuisance  not a courtesy." 

She didn't go off script. She then explained that upper management was busy. They are always busy. They never come to the phone. Riev promised that I would get a return call in 24 -48 hours.  We'll see. 

So today, U.S. Directory is The Worst Company In The World! ( direct inspiration from Keith Olbermann of  MSNBC'sCountdown's Worst Person In The World)

Business Diet Tip #1: Digital Phones

One of my goals for this summer is to see how much "fat" I can trim from my business operating expenses. Okay I also plan to trim some fat from my hips but that is the same old song I've been singing for years.

I'm hoping that you will share some of the innovative ways you are cutting business costs -- I'd love for you to share them -- my goal is to create a list of ideas that people can use to reduce costs during a time when expenses are out of hand.

My business expense diet is new.This will be the first time --in a long time-- that I am actually going through my expenses--line by line--and looking where I can save money. While I don't have an actual goal. I would be delighted if I could save several hundred dollars a month.

The first thing to go was my landline phone.

While my phone service was never a huge expenditure--about $85 a month--for the next six months I'll be paying a delightful $29.99( that's an introduction price which will go up $10).

It's a decision I've been delaying for months. Even though I knew I could save money by switching my phone service to Comcast,it was something I was reluctant to do.

Having a landline was my Fiddler On The Roof Moment. Giving it up just feels like I'm saying good bye to a tradition.

In the old days, before my mobile phone was always within arms reach, it was reassuring to have a landline just in case an electrical storm knocked out service. At least you could call people and let them know you were okay. But downed wires won't impact my cell phone. So that isn't a good reason to stay hard wired.

Even if the power does go out I can still get online and send emails  thanks to my Verizon Broadband Modem--which I use on business trips.

No my reluctance to go digital was purely sentimental. And that is not a good business reason.

So I made the switch. There are a couple of features I really really like. And one I am disappointed they don't offer.
First to my disappointment -- you can't forward your phones so they will go immediately into voicemail. Instead, you have to let it ring at least twice.  I will adjust. The people who call me will adjust. But, if Comcast is looking at some feature enhancements, "straight to voicemail" would be something I really want.

Now to the good stuff. On my old system, the only way I knew if I had a voicemail is if I physically picked up the phone and heard the voicemail tone. Did I mention I wasn't good about picking up my phone and checking voicemail? Now I don't have remember --Comcast will send me a reminder. I love this feature.

I can also forward the phone from the computer and adjust how many rings before it hops into voicemail. Did I mention I would really like to have an option that says "immediate?"

So what made me switch now? In large part Word-Of-Mouth Advertising. My colleague Dan made the switch and he is really happy with the service and the quality of the calls. That's all it took. Dan's word. If Dan says its a good thing and it could save $40-$50 a month, then I'm in.

If you've just discovered a great way to save on business expenses, I want to hear from you !

At Just 9 Months Old, Adiri Is a Rising Star In The Baby Bottle Business

Since introducing the world to the baby bottle that looks and feels like a mother's breast,The New York Times has featured the company on the front page of its business section and it has become a must have product for celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry

The company is run by three women: two attorneys and a marketing executive. None had any experience in manufacturing. In its first year, the company estimates it will earn a conservative 2.5 to 3 million dollars.

CEO Jennifer Morrill had no intention to run this business. She inherited it, along with a life insurance policy from her dad --the original inventor of the product.  When she tried to sell it, no one was interested.

The rest is the Adiri story. To read how these three women are turning the baby bottle business upside down check out my post today on BlogHer.

Manager of Minneapolis Farmer's Market Goes Beyond The Call Of Duty

It was the moment I decided to buy the Flax Seed from the vendor at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market whose pitch included " took care of my hemorhoidal problem"--that I realized my wallet was not where it was supposed to be.  At first, I thought I must have left it on the front seat of my car but when I got to my car, my wallet wasn't anywhere around.

I knew I hadn't left my wallet anywhere because I had just stopped at the  drive thru ATM to pull $100 out to buy my Farmers Market goodies.

Then it hit me. My phone had rung just as I arrived at the Farmers Market  and in my mad dash to answer it, I put my handbag on the trunk of my car and dug deep inside to answer the phone. What I didn't realize is that in my hurry to get to the phone I must have knocked my wallet right out of the handbag.

The phone call was from someone I needed to interview so I went back into my car and proceeded to have a 30 minute conversation. During that 30 minutes, someone found my wallet at the back of my car and helped themselves to the $100.

Fortunately for me, they decided against taking the wallet. The whole scene was observed by Scott and Valerie Robinson who took my wallet to Larry Cermak--the manager of the Minneapolis Farmer's Market.

After I realized that my wallet was stolen---and before I knew that some wonderful people had turned it in-- I drove home making a mental list of the credit and bank cards I needed to cancel.

As I pulled  into my driveway  there was a gentleman standing there. It was Larry Cermak. I rolled down my window and he said, " Are you Elana Centor?"

He then proceeded to tell me what the Robinsons had witnessed and how he was very sorry that my hundred dollars had been stolen.

How lucky am I? How grateful am I that Larry Cermak--manager of the Minneapolis Farmer's Market took the time to  get in his car and hand deliver my wallet to me?  That simple act of kindness spared me enormous stress, anxiety and the awful task of canceling bank and credit cards.

Yes, I am out $100 and in a few hours I might even be mad about that . Right now, I'm feelin pretty happy. I was able to call the Robinsons and tell them personally how much I appreciated what they did.
I hope they enjoy the flowers that should be arriving in a couple of hours.

I still am amazed that Larry Cermak took the time to hand deliver my wallet. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.l
.