Our guest speaker for today was Rift Fournier, a professor here at Lindenwood University. Before entering the education field as a university professor, he traveled and worked in various parts of the world. He was a writer, a Hollywood writer to be precise. He wrote television programs and movies and along the way he met some very important people. His network probably grew thanks to his great personality and ability to relate to people.
Most importantly however, he said that he loved his work because he was passionate about it. He stuck with writing in the years where he made a great amount of money but also in the years where he made nothing. I believe I have that drive and desire for reading and writing, and essentially reporting.
I was struck by fear when he mentioned that we would change our major during our college years. I started dreaming of becoming a reporter when I was ten-years-old. During the next five years however, I forgot about that dream and focused on other fields: Law and Criminal Justice; Psychology and Philosophy; even Business and Administration. However, I realized that writing is what I love doing. I may not be the best writer, but I want to improve and use its art to relate to people.
He improved his writing and became more passionate about it during law school. It’s strange to think that law school would be more about writing than reading and researching, but then again they are siblings. This gave me an idea. I don’t need writing assignments or required writing to develop my writing skills. I just need a paper and pen…even though the modern world may dictate that writing is now only efficient on a computer.
His presence in class was amazing. He’s so real and charismatic. His easy-going nature is considerably reassuring to say the least. And he never spoke to us just as students. I’m looking forward to finding my “writing talent” in his Writing for Electronic Media class next semester. I might not write the next Hollywood movie, but I’m sure I’m going to receive much needed constructive criticism.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Gary Vaynerchuk and Brazen Career Bloggers
I’m now following Gary Vaynerchuk on Twitter. Vaynerchuk is known for his Wine Library TV video podcast. He us
es podcasts to cover wine tasting and any other wine related subject. He began his wine tasting career through learning and tasting every wine that was a potential candidate for sale in his parents’ store. Soon, his suggestions as a wine expert radically increased the number of customers, making the previous 4 million customers nothing compared to the 40 million customers his parents’ shop had four years later.
However, his wine tasting ability is not his only asset. His use of podcasts is incredible as he can reach about 80,000 viewers. He will soon publish the book, “Crush It! Turn Your Passion into Profits in a Digital World,” in September of 2009. The book is not his first—he wrote a book about 101 amazing wines—but it does cover his success in the media world through blogging, podcasting, and of course who could forget Jill’s famous Twitter.
At a Blog World Expo, Vaynerchuk revealed a few tips to blogging. My favorite was “content is king but marketing is queen and the queen runs the household.” This tip is based on the sole idea that if a person is good at networking, they are going to succeed in the media world. It’s all about the people you know, not the information you place on sites that won’t receive any attention. For more tips on successful blogging, check this out.
Continuing our keyword search, Brazen Careerist Bloggers is a term that for some reason kept linking to the name Penelope Trunk. I didn’t realize she had invented the company Brazen Careerist let alone understand that it is another social networking site. However, this one is focused on finding young professionals that are apt at using new media tools and that take the initiative to start something unique.
An article mentioned the various careers Trunk has had throughout her quite young lifetime. Some of these include a software executive, founder of two companies, professional columnist and author. She has changed the idea of the workplace through her blog posts.
Trunk focuses on ideas that normally would not be promoted or used as advice, especially in the professional work area. They are usually standard themes that can be applied to any general work situation. She even writes about her personal life.
This Brazen Careerist Blog probably has me hooked already and I haven’t even finished the first blog.
Her ideas are incredible, not only because I have probably never heard them before and yet they make perfect sense. Why didn’t someone tell me these things before? Her book, Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success, is appropriate for Generation Y’s work ethics and expectations.
She understands Gen Y’s ideal of the “What am I worth concept?” It’s used to market oneself and even more difficult to earn the money one thinks he or she deserves. “We are NOT equal. We do NOT deserve to be paid exactly the same for every job.”
Though she is quite blunt, her honesty is appealing. For more of her honesty, check out this interview.
es podcasts to cover wine tasting and any other wine related subject. He began his wine tasting career through learning and tasting every wine that was a potential candidate for sale in his parents’ store. Soon, his suggestions as a wine expert radically increased the number of customers, making the previous 4 million customers nothing compared to the 40 million customers his parents’ shop had four years later.However, his wine tasting ability is not his only asset. His use of podcasts is incredible as he can reach about 80,000 viewers. He will soon publish the book, “Crush It! Turn Your Passion into Profits in a Digital World,” in September of 2009. The book is not his first—he wrote a book about 101 amazing wines—but it does cover his success in the media world through blogging, podcasting, and of course who could forget Jill’s famous Twitter.
At a Blog World Expo, Vaynerchuk revealed a few tips to blogging. My favorite was “content is king but marketing is queen and the queen runs the household.” This tip is based on the sole idea that if a person is good at networking, they are going to succeed in the media world. It’s all about the people you know, not the information you place on sites that won’t receive any attention. For more tips on successful blogging, check this out.
Continuing our keyword search, Brazen Careerist Bloggers is a term that for some reason kept linking to the name Penelope Trunk. I didn’t realize she had invented the company Brazen Careerist let alone understand that it is another social networking site. However, this one is focused on finding young professionals that are apt at using new media tools and that take the initiative to start something unique.
An article mentioned the various careers Trunk has had throughout her quite young lifetime. Some of these include a software executive, founder of two companies, professional columnist and author. She has changed the idea of the workplace through her blog posts.
Trunk focuses on ideas that normally would not be promoted or used as advice, especially in the professional work area. They are usually standard themes that can be applied to any general work situation. She even writes about her personal life.
This Brazen Careerist Blog probably has me hooked already and I haven’t even finished the first blog.
Her ideas are incredible, not only because I have probably never heard them before and yet they make perfect sense. Why didn’t someone tell me these things before? Her book, Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success, is appropriate for Generation Y’s work ethics and expectations.
She understands Gen Y’s ideal of the “What am I worth concept?” It’s used to market oneself and even more difficult to earn the money one thinks he or she deserves. “We are NOT equal. We do NOT deserve to be paid exactly the same for every job.”
Though she is quite blunt, her honesty is appealing. For more of her honesty, check out this interview.
Friday, April 17, 2009
For me it's a hassle, and NOW they're necessary?!?!
Social Media is quickly becoming not only the standard for international comm
unication between friends, but also a tool for advertising and education among other options. Careers are suddenly popping up that are focused on social media instruments and the benefits they can provide to large and quite established as well as new companies. According to GotSocialMedia.com, "Professionals in Marketing, PR, Advertising, and Journalism are incorporating Social Media strategies into their messaging."
Before college life, social media was not a priority in my life. Now, if I go more than a few days without checking all of my accounts (and believe me, I have quite a few), I can’t function correctly. I feel like I’m cut off from the world—which is technically true because I do not have a direct connection to my family in Mexico or my friends in Europe—but it’s becoming more than a dependency. In this technological and information era, social media is absolutely NECESSARY to understand and use.
I was probably about 14 when I started my first social network account. I opened a hi5 account and for those that don’t recognize the name, it’s used quite often in other countries like Mexico, which is the reason I opened it in the first place.
Then came MySpace. That I began when I was 16. That was an addiction for me for about six months. After high school, my friends practically DEMANDED that I get a Facebook account. They told me it was created primarily for university students, but now it seems EVERYONE has one.
But social media is not just social interaction between friends. YouTube has created an entire visual dimension available worldwide. People can build on a foundation, on just a simple idea and create something entirely innovative in the most creative fashions. It can be an instant rise to fame, like those users on MySpace that upload their personal songs and then get discovered.
For this class, we had to start these social media networks: Twitter, Blogger, and LinkedIn. Blogger is actually one I enjoy because I created a shared account with four friends and since we’re all in different places right now, we have the easiest way to communicate.
My problem with Twitter—and probably many people’s problem with it—is that we don’t have Internet access on our phone. To constantly post ideas and status updates on our Twitter, we cannot be sitting at our desk on the computer doing the same things (like homework for example) and be able to create interest for our followers. For example, I have to recap the day’s events into one post because I’m not actually doing anything that is worth mentioning at the exact moment I’m posting it.
LinkedIn is a professional networking site. Users can post their work experience and current positions as well as their interests in certain fields. However, I have no “valuable” work experience. (For some reason, I have never been hired for a job except for a Wal-Mart Remodeling Associate and I worked for less than two months). Because I have no real work experience, my profile on LinkedIn is virtually worthless right now. I have to build that before I can start connecting to people.
Currently, I have these social network accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Blogger (two accounts) LinkedIn, MySpace, Hi5, Metroflog, a subscription to a daily blog about life lessons entitled “Things I wish I had taught my son…and still can,” UNYK, Bebo, Tagged, Netlog, etc. Keeping up with everything is becoming a hassle, not to mention I use it frequently at the beginning and then lose interest—like many of the social media users of today. Will it ever end?
It might not, but these six myths about social media need to be taken into perspective as well. The myth I found most disappointing to find on the list the belief that when some project or interesting person is using social media, it might never get discovered. “Until you can drive traffic to your social media effort, you've got a tree falling in the forest, heard only by those standing nearby.”
unication between friends, but also a tool for advertising and education among other options. Careers are suddenly popping up that are focused on social media instruments and the benefits they can provide to large and quite established as well as new companies. According to GotSocialMedia.com, "Professionals in Marketing, PR, Advertising, and Journalism are incorporating Social Media strategies into their messaging."Before college life, social media was not a priority in my life. Now, if I go more than a few days without checking all of my accounts (and believe me, I have quite a few), I can’t function correctly. I feel like I’m cut off from the world—which is technically true because I do not have a direct connection to my family in Mexico or my friends in Europe—but it’s becoming more than a dependency. In this technological and information era, social media is absolutely NECESSARY to understand and use.
I was probably about 14 when I started my first social network account. I opened a hi5 account and for those that don’t recognize the name, it’s used quite often in other countries like Mexico, which is the reason I opened it in the first place.
Then came MySpace. That I began when I was 16. That was an addiction for me for about six months. After high school, my friends practically DEMANDED that I get a Facebook account. They told me it was created primarily for university students, but now it seems EVERYONE has one.
But social media is not just social interaction between friends. YouTube has created an entire visual dimension available worldwide. People can build on a foundation, on just a simple idea and create something entirely innovative in the most creative fashions. It can be an instant rise to fame, like those users on MySpace that upload their personal songs and then get discovered.
For this class, we had to start these social media networks: Twitter, Blogger, and LinkedIn. Blogger is actually one I enjoy because I created a shared account with four friends and since we’re all in different places right now, we have the easiest way to communicate.
My problem with Twitter—and probably many people’s problem with it—is that we don’t have Internet access on our phone. To constantly post ideas and status updates on our Twitter, we cannot be sitting at our desk on the computer doing the same things (like homework for example) and be able to create interest for our followers. For example, I have to recap the day’s events into one post because I’m not actually doing anything that is worth mentioning at the exact moment I’m posting it.
LinkedIn is a professional networking site. Users can post their work experience and current positions as well as their interests in certain fields. However, I have no “valuable” work experience. (For some reason, I have never been hired for a job except for a Wal-Mart Remodeling Associate and I worked for less than two months). Because I have no real work experience, my profile on LinkedIn is virtually worthless right now. I have to build that before I can start connecting to people.
Currently, I have these social network accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Blogger (two accounts) LinkedIn, MySpace, Hi5, Metroflog, a subscription to a daily blog about life lessons entitled “Things I wish I had taught my son…and still can,” UNYK, Bebo, Tagged, Netlog, etc. Keeping up with everything is becoming a hassle, not to mention I use it frequently at the beginning and then lose interest—like many of the social media users of today. Will it ever end?
It might not, but these six myths about social media need to be taken into perspective as well. The myth I found most disappointing to find on the list the belief that when some project or interesting person is using social media, it might never get discovered. “Until you can drive traffic to your social media effort, you've got a tree falling in the forest, heard only by those standing nearby.”
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Generation Diva: Perfecting Beauty
The article “Are We Turning Our Tweens Into ‘Generation Diva’?” written by Jessica Bennett focuses on the impression of the ideal beauty on young girls—including those impressionable toddlers that are just beginning to read—and also their personal use of beauty products. These products are used to enhance their level of beauty even though they have barely commenced to grow. Furthermore, this group of young girls is exposed to billions of advertisements and retouched photographs in magazines and television.
Check out this video for information about Toddlers and Tiaras, a program about young girls in pageants:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAkjXdtzOSw
I’m not surprised this is occurring in Generation Y and Z. It almost seems inevitable with the constant advertising. However, I find this occurrence depressing because mothers are allowing and at times encouraging this path to perfected beauty. For young girls, mothers are the most significant role models both in and out of the home. Instead of encouraging these beauty products at a young age, mothers should encourage HEALTHY LIFESTYLES and guide their daughters; mothers should demonstrate that these products can be used but at an appropriate age, with an appropriate quantity, and possibly only for certain events or occasions. “There is a time for everything.” -Ecclesiastes 3:1
I am definitely part of Generation Y because as a toddler my parents always told me I was beautiful no matter what—something they continue to do even though it bothers me now. However, I think this gave me the confidence to reject beauty products. Now, at the age of 19, I continue to stay away from beauty products the majority of the time—including makeup, hair serums and technological devices like straighteners, rejuvenating-type skin creams, manicures and pedicures, among others of course.
I do use these products but not the extent that my friends do. I have often heard them saying they can’t walk out of the room to go to class without at least eyeliner or mascara, if not both. I don’t find the need to “perfect” myself before going to class. Despite I find this influx of Generation Diva inevitable and normal, personally it is an extremely difficult concept to grasp.
The worst part is the amount of money these girls spend on beauty products. Call me frugal but I wouldn’t be caught dead spending almost 500 thousand dollars throughout my life for these products. I’ll pass, thank you very much.
Check out this video for information about Toddlers and Tiaras, a program about young girls in pageants:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAkjXdtzOSw
I’m not surprised this is occurring in Generation Y and Z. It almost seems inevitable with the constant advertising. However, I find this occurrence depressing because mothers are allowing and at times encouraging this path to perfected beauty. For young girls, mothers are the most significant role models both in and out of the home. Instead of encouraging these beauty products at a young age, mothers should encourage HEALTHY LIFESTYLES and guide their daughters; mothers should demonstrate that these products can be used but at an appropriate age, with an appropriate quantity, and possibly only for certain events or occasions. “There is a time for everything.” -Ecclesiastes 3:1
I am definitely part of Generation Y because as a toddler my parents always told me I was beautiful no matter what—something they continue to do even though it bothers me now. However, I think this gave me the confidence to reject beauty products. Now, at the age of 19, I continue to stay away from beauty products the majority of the time—including makeup, hair serums and technological devices like straighteners, rejuvenating-type skin creams, manicures and pedicures, among others of course.
I do use these products but not the extent that my friends do. I have often heard them saying they can’t walk out of the room to go to class without at least eyeliner or mascara, if not both. I don’t find the need to “perfect” myself before going to class. Despite I find this influx of Generation Diva inevitable and normal, personally it is an extremely difficult concept to grasp.
The worst part is the amount of money these girls spend on beauty products. Call me frugal but I wouldn’t be caught dead spending almost 500 thousand dollars throughout my life for these products. I’ll pass, thank you very much.
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