Throwing Up in My Mouth a Little Bit: A Start Up Story Begins

I decided to do a video post today because, frankly, I'm too excited to type. This blog is my thought space, and my current thoughts needed to be chattered. The good Juju I'm experiencing I believe to have been borne of the heavy influence of Jason Calacanis, Chris Brogan,and Jason Goldberg. They're chutzpa and know-how have become an inseperable resource of inspiration for me. (Thanks, guys!)

Once I've calmed down a bit and have gotten some sleep we'll unfold more specifically what we're up to. I will say this: Nico Martini is brilliant, we make an excellent team and I am monstrously thrilled to be jumping off this cliff with my super whip-smart friend/business partner.

Game on.

The One Account You Need

Whenever I start talking to someone about joining a new community, the first response tends to be a dramatic gasp followed by an exacerbated roll of the eyes.

"Another account? Why do I want to open another account when I barely keep up with the networks I'm on?"

Good question. Why would you open a Facebook account when you've only just reigned in your MySpace addiction? (I'm taking a deep breath now because, bless your heart, you may still be on MySpace). The truth is that, unless you are a musician, you can now safely migrate from MySpace to Facebook and not worry you're going to miss anything. Musicians still need to maintain a presence on MySpace, but that is a soapbox for another day.While I may spend a fair amount of energy methodically taking down MySpace, this post is intentionally forward-looking, and as such will be focused on the cocktail party over at Facebook and why you want to show up and work the room a little.

I've successfully convinced my two best friends, 40% of my office, my sister, and my mother (who in turn recruited my grandmother) to Facebook over the past six months. They all now happily enjoy connecting with each other and their respective social and professional circles. This influence has put me on a strange sort of power trip- you'd think I was selling time-shares in the Poconos- but it's not just the surge of vanity I get upon a new friend request from a loved one worn into tech-submission, I love hearing over the following weeks how it impacts their lives.

"I found my best friend from the eighth grade!"

"I just got a Friend Request from my high school sweetheart."

"That chick used to beat me up after theater practice!"

Okay, well maybe you don't feel the need to find everyone you've ever known, but they are probably there should you so fancy making amends. I must say watching Facebook move to mainstream popularity has been fascinating as the nodes of my life have filtered back, steadily creating this beautiful kaleidoscope of the people came into my life at one point and naturally grew distant until recently when we reunited online.

Now I can keep up with some of my favorite co-workers from jobs gone by and keep tabs on old high school rivals. That dreaded high school reunion is now obsolete as I have found most everyone I got along with ten years ago without the awkward former bully run-in. Though one day Facebook did blithely suggest I "May Know" no less than three people that had spent a concerted amount of energy shoving me into gym lockers during the mid-Nineties. I simply unchecked them from the automatically-generated list from the safety of my laptop, lunch money and remaining dignity unscathed.

Here's the thing: Facebook is not just a way to keep tabs on old flames and distant relatives (though it does the trick for the occasional snoopy-poopy streak) it enhances previously established relationships. Social media is an entirely new dimension of social interaction, and Facebook is the gateway of this heightened communication.

To meet an old friend in a distant country is like the delight of rain after a long drought.

-Chinese Proverb

As I mentioned in my previous post, the expanse of social networks can be overwhelming. It is like a river, and if you don't know where to step you can lose your balance and get swept away. Fortunately for you, I've spent enough time underwater I can help you navigate your way across to where everyone is waiting for you. Yes, opening accounts and remembering passwords is a bit of a pain sometimes (the necessity of additional networks varies depending on your personal/professional objectives and I will delve into this further next time). These are largely uncharted waters, but we've had enough time here that bridges are starting to go up to take you to the people that can enrich your life and maybe even make it a little easier.

So tell me, who do you want to connect with? Is there a particular network you've thought about trying or an account you opened but don't know what to do next? Please feel free to leave a comment, I'm here to answer your questions about social media and help make your world a bit better you can easily reach me at sarahcrisman@gmail.com.

Hogwarts School of Techcraft and Twizardry

A few months ago I thought I'd take a stab at tech blogging.

I was even more brand new to the industry than I am today. I typed out some blather about the world being afraid of Google (which I will one day revisit now that I've had some time to develop my theory); within a week I was reduced to a neurotic frenzy of ones and zeroes, convinced I would be eaten alive by the billions of tech bloggers that know more about this stuff than I do. So I strategically tucked my digital tail between my legs, pulled my blog, and started listening.

Since then, I have somehow managed to become the Go-To Geek within my circle of three-dimensional/mainstream-adopter relationships (and not just for my lunch money, either). My mom asked for help on starting a blog to expand her catering business, a high school friend needed a few pointers on finding a new job, my church launched an awesome blog and podcast, but innocently overlooked several very simple syndication opportunities.

Hey, I thought, I think I can help with that...

See, I was plucked from my mainstream life not too long ago and dropped into the land of new media technology where I discovered that I don't have to be Louis Gray or Gwen Bell to know my around- but I can certainly learn from them. I am exceedingly blessed to have a career I am passionate about, I learn new things every day and I find that to be exceedingly rewarding beyond any material gain that may follow in the years to come.

This passion I discovered working in emerging technologies has bled into the rest of my life as well. I don't just use Twitter and SocialMedian at the office- but man alive they come in handy!- no, no, I keep it going to as close to unhealthy as my will allows. I have to discipline myself to unplug and disconnect so I can catch up on silly things like "book reading" and "faces".

My dance each moment is of balancing the information with the energy and putting it out into the world in a way that may actually do some good. We can always learn from each other, and I think it's important that we do.

This is why I'm here. There are millions of tools available to you online, I have the luxury of spending the majority of my time navigating social media; I believe fully in the potential that exists here to make your life better.

So what do you need help with? Reaching your customers on a dime? Finding your audience on the other side of the world? Connecting with your loved ones in an increasingly hectic world? By all means, post a comment, tell me what you want to learn about. What parts of social media scare you?

I think I can help you with that...