My first story on Storify - Basics of LinkedIn

Storify is an easy publishing tool. You can source quotes, pics, video (using Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and more) right from the platform. There are a few things I would tweak about this platform. But so far it is a winner. See below for a cut/paste of my first Storify post...

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What is LinkedIn, why you should join, tips and keep your professionalism on this social network.

1. 

   jennyoung

   21 minutes ago

2. LinkedIn is a professional social network. It can connect you to your peers and those you have worked with in the past. It can also help you find companies and groups that collaborate and share information that pertains to your field of work. 

    

   First step: Set up your page. You can import your resume to make the initial process less painful, but be sure to proofread and fill out what is missing from the LinkedIn fields. If you do not have a resume you can use their resume maker which allows you to fill in the information using populated fields. Also note the profile completeness gauge (see pic above), this will let you know how far you are in the process of completing your profile.

    

   Tips to consider:

    

   Professional photo -  Make sure your photo is your professional self. Don’t use an object or a logo as your avatar. Absolutely do not use a photo of you that is unprofessional in nature. 

    

   Spelling - Spelling counts when you fill out your LinkedIn profile and correspond with people and companies. Grammar is also important. This is a social network for work not for fun.

    

   Share professional things - Do not link your Facebook or Twitter to this network if you talk about off work/professional topics.

    

   Importing your contacts from other sources -  It is good to import who you know but make sure your contact is relevant and someone you want to be associated with.

    

   Recommendations - If you are connected with people you have done business with and have a good repertoire with you, make sure they write a recommendation about your work on LinkedIn. It gives others that read your page an idea on how you work with others or what you can possibly do for them. You can ask for recommendations from people, but make sure you have done relevant work with them. Do not ask people you have not worked with in the past -  It makes you look like a spammer.

    

   Other things to consider: 

   The portion underneath your name is for your specialties. Don’t put your last or current job there. I have made that mistake. This is SEO at it’s best, put your skills there. 

    

   Take advantage of your customized URL. This way you can put your URL on your resume that you send out.   

   (Use "Edit Profile" and click "Public Profile", you will see "Your current URL"- You will be able to change that URL to one that is not currently taken)
   

    

   Be active. Search, connect, constantly learn and build your skills.

    

   Good luck! Persistence is the Key.

    

    

   See a video why LinkedIn is valuable:

3. 

   Why join LinkedIn?

   LinkedInMarketing

   2 years ago

 

Posted via email from Jennifer's epiphanies

BlogWorld in a post

Another year of BlogWorld has come and gone. How do I feel that the conference moved from Las Vegas to Los Angeles? I was skeptical at first but when I got there,  I actually enjoyed it. First of all the car ride was a bit over 2 hours instead of 5 hours. I felt it was a bit more intimate. I actually got some sleep, I was in both nights by 10 pm. I got to have a "slumber party" with my roomies Liz and Nat. Yes there are drawbacks for the show moving to Los Angeles... Vegas is a bit more easier to get around, no scented air in the lobby, no Cirque show and no slot machine alarm clocks to get your adrenaline pumping so you are up at 2 or 3 am in the morning. But overall great job for Los Angeles and BlogWorld team. The people were nice, I got to see what Staples Center and Nokia Live...well live. What were my take aways? I took away that there is a global connection...thousands of people gathering because they want to learn or already share content in some medium...breathing in the room they are in and taking in the energy, so inspiring and to true to yourself, create and share because you want to and not because you have to, it is not a competition, everyone has their own path to this madness (btw, I say "madness" as a good word).

The New Media Live Show which is the last "keynote" of the conference was well worth it alone. I laughed so hard, yet got so much valuable information and just reaffirmation that there is a purpose to this madness of content creation. There are thousands of reasons why people do what they do. You are one person making that little dent in the blogosphere, podcastosphere, ebookoshpere, authorshiposphere, social mediaosphere, and videosphere. But you are that one person who can affect one, two or a zillion of your followers/fans/readers/watchers/listeners with a story. The story real or true; to sell a product or not to sell a product; to influence or just to be. This is what Blogworld is...it is a celebration and learning experience. I met some wonderful people and had great reunions with those I already knew. I connected people who I knew but didn't know each other. I represented Social Media Club, which has brought me to meet other Social Media enthusiasts that do what I do from cities in this country, in Mexico and Puerto Rico...Another reaffirmation that this is a great social space and that getting people that enjoy information, storytelling and sharing is well worth the effort. 

PS. There are slideshares/flickrs of BlogWorld Expo presentations out there. Go find them...Here are a few I found on twitter that were curated and shared. I didn't see any of these talks live, so I am glad this info is out there.

Find your Voice by Jill Foster and Aliza Sherman

Shifting from Social Business to Social Media BWE presentation by David Armano...recap by WebproNews and Flickr presentation photos of visuals designed by David Armano.

Mari Smith's Slidedeck from her presentation of The New Relationship Marketing! 

Did you go to BlogWorld? What was your takeaway? I would love to hear it. 

Jennifer

 

 

 

 

Posted via email from Jennifer's epiphanies

I get the protests, I get it, I really do....

People stand up for their rights, their beliefs and their passions.  I get that. There are also people who that let things just roll with whatever happens. But what is the goal of these protests? Is it so that people are heard on the 99 different causes they stand for? Is it because they don't have a home or a job. There really needs to be a common message to be effective. I can camp out for weeks but what is the goal for my campout? To be seen on the news? To bitch about the lack of solidarity this country has? There are a million different reasons why people are camping out in San Diego and the world.  What is your message? Are you mad that you get in trouble for smoking weed in public? (Yeah, that is not a good reason). I am for medical marijuana, but please have a real reason why you need to have it. What is the root of the problem?  For me, the problem stems from government not working effectively. There are two parties that can't get along. There is a divided nation. Shifting blame doesn't help for either side. The government has this I rub your back, I'll rub yours mentality. That is what is wrong. Do what is right and not because I put your kid through college for you. There are laws for the better of mankind and some laws are just erroneous and not well thought out. 

I vote, I pay my taxes, I work. I feel fortunate. I get the 99% movement. But why call it 99%? From my understanding, the fall of Wall Street, mortgage corruption, the real estate bubble bursting and corporations moving jobs overseas has caused many to lose their jobs, homes and livelyhood. The commonality of these people is the feel unjust and this can be 99 different reasons. Let's take this the other way...what are you blessed to have. I am blessed that I have a roof over my head and freedom to express myself. Pay it forward...Do something and yes continue to stand your ground. Do what is right, be kind to others, have intentions to not harm. Is that so hard?

 

* This is an opinion by me. 

Posted via email from Jennifer's epiphanies

Grocery Strike of 2011?

I just read an article on signonsandiego on how the workers may be striking soon. These are my feelings and just my opinions on unions. Unions were a necessary way back in the day to make sure people got treated fairly by their employers. My understanding and I may be wrong is that Unions are not necessarily needed in certain industries anymore because of state and federal employment laws that have been established since the inception of the labor union. The question is what are they striking about? What I read is they are striking about that they have to pay for some of their health insurance. In the Washington Post, I read that it is because they have to pay 10 percent of the health insurance from their employer. 

"Doyel has said her company currently pays more than 90 percent of health coverage costs. Ralphs workers hired before 2004 pay nothing toward their premiums and those hired later pay either $7 a week for single coverage or $15 a week for family coverage." - excerpt from Washington Post article.

Am I missing something? I work for a public company and I have to pay a little for my health insurance. The amount all depends on the plan I choose (HMO,PPO, deductible). It would be a small chunk of my paycheck (close to $300 a month or so), but I wouldn't complain, if you were to buy your own insurance for a family, you could pay upwards of $1000 or more a month. (Since my husband currently has our insurance, I don't have to pay for the medical but we are covered under my insurance for dental and vision). 

To me I am not sympathetic. If the were striking for something that was causeworthy (a made up compound word) I might. This to me is not causeworthy, in my opinion. If the grocery stores were making you work in the dark, giving people who used to make $20 down to minimum wage or something like that maybe, but not because you have to pay a little of an insurance premium. 

In a world where there are choices and better "non-union" grocery stores out there, as well as a "high" unemployment rate. I am not sympathetic. The union box stores are continually losing money, they are not the only guys on the street anymore, it is a miracle that they offer what they do to their employees these days, it is not like they are an oil company or something. Wasn't the strike of 03-04 enough? Do you agree? Are unions useful in this industry anymore or is it just another bullying conglomerate?

Disclosure:  I do shop my occassional Albertsons and Vons but lately I been shopping at Keils and Fresh and Easy so if they do strike, I probably won't notice much.

 

Posted via email from Jennifer's epiphanies

Dealing with Death

Not my favorite subject, not at all. But I feel compelled to write something. So yesterday when I was strolling through the mall I get a Facebook messag

e from my sister. It was an obituary from my hometown, I didn't recognize the first name but the last name I did. It was the last name of my 5th grade teacher. 5th grade is a fog, but I do remember some things. My 5th grade teacher was funny, he loved the SF Giants, made me play sports and what I recall made us write in our journals. I don't really remember what I wrote, I am thinking I wrote about the guy who sat next to me in class. My class was a combination class, half our class were 6th graders. I always thought, it was great hanging out with the older crew. I ended up with friends that were older but like all most childhood friends, you part ways; the same way you part ways with those who teach you. My 5th grade teacher died of cancer and he was my mother's age, which is still very young. It is crazy to think all that life you remember is no longer here but in a memory. I got a lump in my throat walking through Fashion Valley last night. This I know, Mr. Donohue touched lives from early on, those are the moments that matter the most, a glimmer of inspiration. True hope. You will be missed.

Posted via email from Jennifer's epiphanies

Oh I get it, it's sisterhood - My experience at BlogHer 11.

My first time at BlogHer in my hometown. Nothing can top going to a conference where you live. Love that I didn't have to travel. I hate airports and long car rides. So here is my lowdown of this estrogen-enriched filled weekend.

My impressions:

Before Blogher = Swag, Panels and Parties

After Blogher = Relationships, Parties, Swag

My experience by importance:

Relationships - I created relationships from BlogWorld (another conference but not the same as Blogher) and saw some of my friends.These relationships extended. I hung out with my local crowd and caught up with my out-of-town friends. I also met some new friends and learned more about my old friends. It is all about the genuine relationships to me. I am grateful to of found more people I share common interests with. I have to admit, I learned more off-site than I did on-site. My conversations with having meals with my friends at the Melting Pot and Urban Solace were priceless. Everyone I met I felt it was a genuine connection and it was a friendly (at least for me). I guess I wouldn't leave it at just sisterhood, but also brotherhood as well. I have a select few guy friends who I consider in this group.

Parties -  Parties is an extension of relationships. I kept running into the same new people. It was nice because the new friend label quickly wore off. I have to admit, 

 

there were some great parties I went to. Surprisingly, the McDonalds CheeseburgHer party impressed me. I think it was the comfy beds and the fact I could eat in bed without feeling guilty. 

Panels - I guess I didn't pick the inspiring panels. I can't say much about this since I only went to the official Blogher for one day. I did learn something from the Video Panel but the other panel I chose wasn't what I envisioned and ended up walking out early. The keynote lunch with the Pepsi CEO, Indra Nooyi was worth the ticket, there needed to be more of that. That was a great format with a one on one interview style with a Q&A from the Twitter community. I missed the closing note speech but in-lieu of our dinner conversation at the Melting Pot,  I honestly can say it was probably worth missing.  I did attend the non-BlogHer sponsored  "Women Create Media" workshop on the "first official day" was worth it. The talk by Brene Brown about authenticity and meeting Aliza Sherman was a great way to start this experience. I made a speed collage and I was satisfied by the way it turned out. It now is pinned to my bulletin bar and is a constant reminder that I like flowers, Paris and spas. Next time I go to Blogher, I must think out of the box this conference is about inspiration and sisterhood, not learning the latest and greatest ( I need to choose my panels wisely next time). I also have to remember that inspiring can give you that boost you need to get your life that extra spark. And everyone can use those sparks in life.

 

Swag - As I hit the expo floor, my first glimpse into product insanity is a big oversized Pringles Character (Logo IRL) staring at me. I think this sparked a bit of excitement. I am a sucker for people dressed up in costumes and cartoon mustaches. Immediately, I gravitated to "him" and scored a picture. My nickname for the Blogher Expo floor-Swagcity. It was a crazy experience, never in my life I got so much attention and stuff. I have to admit I like stuff. My inner brain is a minimalist, my outer brain is a hoarder. That struggle was apparent in my head. Blogher is an eye opening conference. Brands need bloggers. Influence is key to their survival. A symbiotic relationship? Only time will tell. That in itself is a whole research paper. I digress. The aftermath of my swag-o-rama?  A pile of shopping bags and medicine to last me for years. Cups, flip-flops,mints, pens, paper, chicken stock, fruit cups, post-its, kitchen sponges, bathroom cleaners, toothpaste, crayons, coupons, netti-pots and more. This to me seems like a strange mix, but in the world of BlogHer, this is the norm. My decision to make the Tempurpedic Ergo Adjustable bed just became more clear - Awesome bed (not sponsored).

In conclusion, I say BlogHer isn't something I would travel cross country to attend but knowing there are women (and men) who aspire to inspire. I can see why BlogHer is a big deal in the blogging community. 

 

Posted via email from Jennifer's epiphanies

Dear Netflix (RANT)

Dear Netflix,

Remember when there were brick and mortar stores that carried DVDs. You pretty much put them out-of-business. I remember when your "streaming" service was a value-added product for thanking the subscriber for the DVD service. You give us service at a price we are accustomed to. Is this really the right time to raise your prices? Raising costs maybe a dollar or two could be understandable but up to 60%. I assure you that you are making money. My 2 DVDs have been sitting on a table collecting dust This leads me to believe I need to downsize my service.  I am sure that you have market research saying cable providers are losing customers over Netflix and Hulu. It is ok to raise costs. But what does it do to your existing customers? It decreases our trust. I already have cable and just recently got HBO and Showtime. I can easily unsubscribe to you. It is pretty easy because I also have Amazon's streaming service, though the choices are not as good, I have HBO GO. So maybe the combination of those two will suffice. I actually am thinking of turning you off, not because I am angry but because other people are angry. It hurts me to see other people in uproar over something like this. Is it rising costs of licensing of movie studios? Maybe you can tell us that. Is it that you just gave raises to your employees? You can disclose that, maybe people will understand. I just don't know how you thought the public would react. Because Netflix you have decided that you rather take $8 to nothing from me a month from what I am paying now which is $20 a month for your service. I was on autopay but now that I know you are raising my costs another approx. 25%, I gives me reason to return the 2 DVDs I have collecting dust that I was going to watch at my leisure. Not a smart move Netflix, there are services out there that can replace you in a second. I urge you to change your ways while it is not too late. People have choices and in this tough economy it is good to exercise those choices.

Signed, Me

Posted via email from Jennifer's epiphanies