Tomorrow, April 1st, this blog will be four years old. As the saying goes among bloggers, that time can only be viewed as life lived in dog years. At least, this author, though aged and 30-pounds heavier, is here to tell the tale. Others aren't. They died of heart attacks or just abandoned blogging as too demanding. The corridors in cyberspace are cluttered with discarded blogs.
The insight I gained during these four years could only have come from this 24/7 conversational medium which demands that value be created in every sentence of every post. Psychoanalysis, losing jobs, succeeding in my own business, eastern philosophy, pet grief, and dodging the bankruptcy bullet never quite were the teachers they could have been.
Among the insight:
- In creative work, making judgments about people to let into our lives or our business, and the tough ordeal of starting over, instinct always trumps expert opinion [and it's only opinion], research, and discussing it with buddies. Colleagues tell me that I have developed a "golden gut." What stood in the way of this in past was too much higher education, which was typical of my baby-boom generation.
- Spotting and exploiting opportunity always trumps planning. During Katrina, I jumped in with contacting the media and government representatives about the plight of the pets and their owners. Not only was I effective. I got it that planning is for those timid about succeeding.
- Being brutally cyber-bullied always trumps taking a seminar on rumor management on the web. I picked up brilliant hands-on digital survival skills when hammered by the mischief-makers at Mediabistro.com and Facebook. One was never communicate with the attackers on their sites. Stay on your own.
- Severe criticism always trumps praise. Actually, I now view praise as a tactic used by those with an agenda.
I want to thank those who supported my 180 - my digital journey from no confidence, total insecurity, and hefty self-hate to self-assurance, reduced insecurity, and the conviction that I am a fascinating person and, most of the time, a loving one. When I delivered a keynote address on live-blogging the Rhode Island lead paint trial at the Coatings Society's Annual Meeting, I was described as "very opinionated but warm" Download Ccskeynoteaddress.
Among those in the front-lines of this incredible 180 were, and get this, still are:
- My blogging coach Paul Chaney. He's following his first book "Realty Blogging: Build your brand and outsmart your competition" in September with "Digital Handshake." You can order it on Amazon.com. Chaney showed me the power of gentleness in educating about a new medium.
- The ever-patient reader of my compulsive blogging public-affairs leader Bob Dilenschneider, founder of The Dilenschneider Group. This summer the American Management Association is publishing his HANDBOOK deconstructing how to leverage both digital and more traditional communications strategies to make messages resonate. On New York's Eve Dilenschneider and his wife Jan invited me to their home in Darien, Connecticut to salute my, well, new emotional stability, along with a growing reputation in the blogosphere. Here and here are my other blogs. I Tweet at http://twitter.com/gggggg1.
- Sometimes client and digital wizard Bill Marler, partner in Marler Clark which specializes in food-borne diseases. Marler unleashed the wildness in my thinking and blogging. Since then I have read several times "Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History."
- Marketing pro Toby Bloomberg who I met virtually on an American Marketing Association ListServ. That led me to Chaney and the rest is history. Through her blog Bloomberg introduced me around the blogosphere. Now she has an e-startup, in addition to doing traditional and social-media marketing.
Like Seabiscuit, these wonderful creatures healed me - and my talent.
Jane - Congrats! and thanks once again for your kind words. your blog and work in social media might have been a growing tool for you .. but it has also been a learning tool for other .. I raise my hand high on that one!
Looking forward to the next 4 years of Jane Genova - speechwriter ghostwriter.
Posted by: Toby | April 01, 2009 at 12:11 AM