Navigating the Pacific Northwest through Social Media in Bridgetown

Bolt Bus outlets behind each seat

Bolt Bus outlets behind each seat

Last month during my awesome trip to Seattle, I took a quick detour to Portland, Oregon, aka Bridgetown. It was my first time visiting my neighboring state so I was really excited for an adventure. I took Bolt Bus from Seattle to Portland. It was a quick (less than 3 hours) trip complete with outlets and wifi. Technology is amazing.

Foursquare and Facebook have become my best travel guides. Back in the day I used to check out Frommers and Lonely Planet books but they easily become outdated and you don’t get the real time, social interaction from other people.  On my recent trips to Chicago and Seattle I successfully explored new places through social media recommendations and Portland was no different. Foursquare’s Bridgetown list is very comprehensive.  I had less than 48 hours in the city, so I wanted to optimize my time there.

Foursquare Bridgetown Badge

I checked into the Westin Portland around lunch time. After dropping off my stuff, I stepped right outside to Food Carts galore. Portland is known for their gourmet food cart grub. The entire block was lined with so many different dining options. You will find every type of food there from Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, Ethiopian, Indian and more.  If you visit Portland you can’t leave without having at least 1 meal from their food carts.

Portland Food Carts

Portland Food Carts

Marketing Melodie in the Marketing section at Powell's

Marketing Melodie in the Marketing section at Powell's

Powell’s Bookstore- I have heard endless raving reviews about Powell’s Bookstore so this was my next stop after lunch. I was in awe when I stepped into this place. It’s nerd heaven! While bookstores across the nation are dying, Powell’s is keeping them alive. So many different floors, sections and books! You can spend hours here. The staff is very friendly and happy to help you find anything that you’re looking for. I always wanted to check out the Modernist Cookbook after seeing it on Top Chef a while back (Yeah you guys know about my addiction to food shows).  This is almost a $500 cookbook. They had a copy on special display. The employee let me see the book but gave me a tip that they were coming out with a paperback version very soon. I also have been trying to learn about all different allergies and was wondering about allergy friendly cookbooks. It turns out they have an entire section of their bookstore dedicated to Allergies. Powell’s has a book for everyone no matter what your interests are. I really wish I had more time to spend here. Next time I’m in Portland I’m definitely going to come here again.

Ground Kontrol Arcade- I loved playing video games when I was a kid. It was so simple and so much fun. There was one joystick, one button and the combination of those two did wonders. This place brings you back to the good ole’ days of gaming.  I was drawn to the pinball machines. I used to play them at 7-Eleven after school. I also tested out my skills (which were quite rusty) with Pac Man, Dig Dug and Donkey Kong! All games I used to dominate on Atari and Colecovision. (Yep I bet you guys didn’t know I used to be a gamer–Ok not really.)  Almost all of the games are only a quarter so depending on how good you are, you can really stretch your dollar here!  This was definitely a fun stop for me. If you love old school video games, you’ll love Ground Kontrol.

Ground Kontrol Arcade

Paying the Pinball Machine at Ground Kontrol Arcade

Voodoo Doughnut

 

Voodoo Donought- I’m not a huge doughnut fan but I know a Portland visit isn’t complete without a stop at Voodoo Doughnut so I waited in the long line to see what all the hype was about. Taste-wise I honestly was not impressed with their doughnuts. Their cake doughnuts are too dry. The other doughnuts are quite dense. I prefer soft-melt-in-your-mouth doughnuts. I tried a sample of 6 different doughnuts. Of course these were all shared as I definitely wouldn’t have been able to eat 6 whole doughnuts. My favorite doughnut was the Oreo doughnut. Believe it or not, this was labeled as one of their Vegan options. The other doughnut that wasn’t bad was the maple log bacon doughnut.

24 Hour Museum of Elvis- After doughnuts while on my way back to the hotel for a quick break, I walked  by the 24 Hour Church of Elvis. Fortune Tellers, Barbie Dolls and other knick-knack toys…I’m not really sure how to explain this display. Even if you go on their website, you won’t get it. It’s one of those things you just need to see to understand. It’s a coin operated, interactive exhibit you access on the street of downtown Portland (make sure you have some quarters left from the arcade). I never, ever would have know this was here without Foursquare. Stop by here for a quick 15 minutes of unique entertainment.

Voodoo Doughnut

24 Hour Church of Elvis

 Portland City Grill- Come here for the best view of Portland! They have an amazing reverse happy hour with tasty bites and classy drinks. Once you get to the place, it’s open seating at the bar so you’ll have to have a good eye to snag a spot with a nice view.

Portland City Grill View

Portland City Grill View

Can you believe I did all of this on my first day in Portland?! The best thing about it all is that everything was within walking distance from my hotel.

On my second and last day in Portland, I walked across a bridge to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). This place has so many interactive exhibits. I learned more about earthquakes in a mock earthquake contraption, watched an IMAX about cute Polar Bears and played with water pressure rockets.

Crossing a Bridge in Bridgetown

OMSI

Portland Blues Festival- While crossing the Bridge to the OMSI I noticed there were many people setting up for what looked like a huge outdoor event. I didn’t pay too much attention until I was leaving the OMSI and realized that the Portland Blues Festival was happening. For a $10 donation to the Food Bank, I walked right in. As with all of my other trips, it was absolutely perfect weather. With an amazing view of the city , positive energy and great music, I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to conclude my Portland trip.

Portland Blues Festival

 If you’d like to check in with me on my travels and adventures, follow me on Foursquare. I’m ready for another trip so you’ll be sure I’m going turn to Social Media to learn about all the hotspots. Any recommendations on where I should jet set to next?

Marketing Melodie in 2011: A Year in Review

Happy 2012 everyone! I can’t believe another year has gone by. The start of a new year is always a great time for me to reflect on the previous year and set goals for the upcoming year but also appreciate the present moment and everything that’s led me to where I am today.

NYE

At the end of 2010 I decided to write Marketing Melodie in 2010: A Year in Review. I have a habit of discrediting many of my accomplishments because I feel like I can always do more. Writing this really allows me to appreciate and be grateful for everything that I have done rather than focus on what I haven’t. Just like I did for 2010 here’s a year in review of 2011 highlighting noteworthy events, clients, blog posts, friends, accomplishments, adventures and amazing opportunities.

*JANUARY*

While marketing is my expertise and passion, I have another passion; YOGA! I’m very grateful for one of my clients this year, La Jolla Yoga Center. Creating marketing campaigns and strategies for a yoga studio I love definitely makes me happy.  I trained their team on using social media to grow their business and helped them get set up on Facebook and Twitter. They’re definitely doing a great job connecting with yogis on social media!

Yoga Pose

I’ve been practicing yoga for a few years and really wanted to strengthen my practice and take it to the next level. I contemplated getting my yoga teaching certification for a while. It’s a huge time commitment and I was really on the fence. Well I made the decision to go ahead with yoga teacher training and can now say, if you are ever on the fence, DO IT! I am so happy I completed my Yoga Teacher Training and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. I began my training in January and completed my 200 RYT Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training at the inspirational La Jolla Yoga Center, located right on the beach! I met so many amazing new friends, learned so much about myself and really took my yoga practice to the next level.

Yoga Teacher Training on the Beach

Yoga Teacher Training Ladies

*FEBRUARY*

I hosted the 2nd event in my Digital Media Dinners series. The topic: Social Media Branding. This was a great milestone because it officially turned Digital Media Dinners into a series rather than a one off event.  I taught strategies on how to strengthen people’s brand across various social networks including review sites such as Yelp, group buying sites such as Groupon and location based sites such as Foursquare. I incorporated a variety of sites because marketing and social media is growing beyond just Facebook and Twitter.

Digital Media Dinners 2

*MARCH*

Since I learn and receive so much from my online and social media community, I really want to give back. I did this by hosting Twestival San Diego. This event is hosted all over the nation using social media for social good by connecting communities offline on a single day to highlight a great cause and have a fun event. It’s entirely promoted via social media. Twestival San Diego was hosted at the Keating Hotel and all proceeds benefited the San Diego After School All Stars.

Hosting San Diego Twestival

San Diego Twestival Attendees

Me and a few other lovely Yogis were featured on KUSI demonstrating Bootcamp for Yogis run by my fellow yoga teacher trainee, Body By Mags. Check out the video below where I get my 5 minutes of fame while I’m smiling through holding a yoga tough pose and demonstrating yoga boot camp moves (Warrior has got nothing on me!).

Marketing Melodie demonstrating Yoga on KUSIVIDEO: Yoga Boot Camp Video

*APRIL*

I successfully pulled my second April Fool’s Joke on Social Media! Everyone decided to wish me a Happy Birthday on April Fool’s this year!

The first annual Foursquare Day celebration took place in 2010 and I hosted Foursquare Day Hong Kong. This year I was in my home town, San Diego and had the opportunity to host Foursquare Day San Diego for my community at R Gang Eatery. Check in specials, complimentary wine, cocktails, delicious comfort food with an upscale twist, friends, badges and a good time was had! Foursquare Day on 4/16 (Yep that’s 4 squared which equals 16) is officially, my favorite geek Holiday!

Foursquare Day Mingle Stream

Oh not to mention, I met my first Celebrity Chef, Rich Sweeney @ChefRicSweeney from Season 5 of Top Chef who is also the head of R Gang Eatery. You can read all about my addiction to food porn and cooking shows here.

Chef Rich Sweeney at R Gang Eatery

*MAY*

I was interviewed by the San Diego Reader on using LinkedIn for Job Seekers. I shared my insight, advice and was gratefulto have my article published both in their paper and online! You can read the full article here.

Marketing Melodie's Reader Jobs Article

Another Geek Holiday takes place in May! Star Wars day on May 4th! May the Fourth be with you! I celebrated with some fun posts on Social Media!

 

Star Wars Day

*JUNE*

I really want to help others with yoga passion so I hosted my first yoga event: Yoga For the Busy Body at Hera Hub! I really want to provide an opportunity for other busy professionals and entrepreneurs to have a chance to experience the benefits of yoga while teaching them poses they can do on their own despite their busy lives. That’s exactly what I accomplished at this event.

Yoga for the Busy Body

*JULY*

I was cast in a Microsoft Commercial!  It was such an amazing experience to work a full day on set as talent! You can read all about how I was casted in the Microsoft Commercial and then watch my commercial when it finally aired below!

VIDEO: Marketing Melodie’s Microsoft Commercial

 I hosted my third Digital Media Dinners in my series. This time I educated attendees on How to Build Your Social Media Community. I had generous sponsors, expert speakers, delicious food and of course a captive audience who made the event a success. Check out the event recap in the video below.

VIDEO: Digital Media Dinners- How To Build your Social Media Community 


*AUGUST*

I attended BlogHer for the first time as it was hosted right here in America’s Finest City. I connected with inspirational bloggers from all across the nation. It was great talking to so many people about their passions and seeing  them creatively share it with others through their writing. I had a good time at the conference itself, attending workshops, checking out the booths, the networking events, parties and left with more swag than I knew what to do with!

BlogHer Booth Boys

BlogHer Swag

Oh and I met another Celebrity Chef, Brian Markaley in the Season Final of Top Chef Season 3. He was hosting a BlogHer party!

Celebrity Chef, Brian Markaley

 *SEPTEMBER* 

Marketing Melodie is growing quickly! I sent out a call for interns and bring Allison Schummer @AllisonSchummer on board to help me!

Allison Schummer

Allison recently graduated from SDSU and I give her my highest recommendation to anyone who’s hiring as she’s currently on the market for a new job!

San Diegans experience a MAJOR BLACKOUT! But we united and got through it while making new friends! We proved that even during a black out social media still shines!

*OCTOBER*

Fall is in the air (even though it’s always sunny in San Diego) which means time for a new fall wardrobe! I attended one of my favorite tweetups ever, an Epic event at the Nordstrom Rack Plaza Bonita Grand Opening. I’m a very lucky person, I always win things and that night I won a pair of Designer Hudson Jeans.

Nordstrom Rack Tweetup

In 2009 I said to the universe that I want  to meet my favorite author, Keith Ferrazzi. I finally met him 2 years later in San Diego at the Entrepreneur Challenge Fall Kickoff Event at UCSD. He autographed both my books and I learned some awesome networking tips from meeting Keith Ferrazzi.

Meeting Keith Ferrazzi

The Nerds United! I tweeted and connected with amazing new friends  from the Talk Nerdy To Me Lover community by hosting @JenFriel and the #nerdsunite crew in San Diego. We had a fun night at the Tilted Kilt San Diego and a nerdy sleepover!

#NerdsUnite in San Diego

You can read all about the things that make me a nerd here.

*NOVEMBER*

After completing a successful Digital Media Dinners series, I hosted my first Digital Media Now Seminar- Personal Branding on Social Media at Pangea Bakery Cafe. Attendees learned how to make their personal brand cohesive with their business brand.

Digital Media Now

I was honored with an opportunity to speak to NATAS- National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at their Social Media Workshop. Teaching television professionals how to use Social Media in their industry.

Thanks to the luxury car company, Infiniti and Social Media I enjoyed an amazing afternoon at the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival. I also met my 3rd celebrity chef this year, Sam The Cooking Guy!

San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival

Sam the Cooking Guy

*DECEMBER* 

I hosted my first Digital Media Now Webinar on How To Integrat Social Media Into Your Marketing. It gave me a chance to share my knowledge with people who can’t always be available and in San Diego to attend an in person seminar. While there were challenges to work out with my first webinar, I received great feedback and plan to host additional Digital Media Now Webinars in 2012!

I celebrated my Birthday on my lucky day, December 13th (It’s clearly not on April 1st). In the photo below I’m dressed as a Monster, holding a class with an M and Minty Wonderland and Mozart cupcakes. Yep M THEME PARTY!

Marketing Melodie's Birthday

I began my new venture at National University. I was hired as a Course Developer and Adjunt Professor at National University. My first class starts in January where I’m teaching a marketing class on Interactive Strategies.

Wow a lot has happened in 2012! If you read this entire post or even part of it, THANK YOU!  As I reflect on 2011 I just can’t help but smile and be grateful for everyone and everything in my life right now. I am truly blessed and so excited to ring in 2012!

Social Media Amusings (Confession- I’m Addicted to food PORN)

Social Media Amusings is new series of posts full of fun things about me and things I come across in the social space that I feel like sharing with all of you. In my last post you guys found out that I’m a Sanrio Character. Today I have a confession… I’m addicted, I mean addicted! to food PORN!

And Social Media only fuels my addiction. Recently I was even given the opportunity to enjoy samples from over 170 Wine & Spirit Purveyors  and 70 of San Diego’s Top Chefs thanks to both Social Media and Infiniti!  If I was me in another life, Marketing Melodie would be Chef Melodie! I love to cook and I am obsessed with food porn. I love looking at the delicious food you’re putting in your body! It makes my mouth water!

Chef Melodie

 How am I satisfying my Food Porn craving? Take a look!

Social Media Updates- I’ll start with my own community. Anyone who posts what they’re eating for lunch should be banned if there’s no accompanying photo! Stop teasing me by posting about how delicious your meal is, unless you’re going to give me a glimpse! When I check Facebook updates my eyes automatically gravitate toward food photos. I can’t help it, they turn my senses on! I occasionally post food porn photos myself!

Food Blogs- Images trump text in blog posts, which is why I love reading food blogs. The good ones are full of food porn and luckily there’s an abundance of food bloggers out there!

Hear me YELP!Yelp is great for so many reasons. I’m able to find new spots to check out and it also gives me the opportunity to share the places and restaurants that I love. One of my favorite parts of Yelp is the food photos users post! I get a glimpse of so many different dishes from one restaurant by other consumers which means these photos are authentic, real and delicious!

Yelp Elite Party

Lovely Ladies at a Yelp Elite Party!

Reading!- Just like social media updates about food without photos should be banned, cookbooks without photos shouldn’t even be published! I love flipping through cookbooks, reading the recipes then looking at photos of the final product. My favorite food book is a MUST for your coffee table. It’s called, Everything I Ate: A Year in the Life of My Mouth. Tucker Shaw documents every single thing he eats in a year through photos! I’m so intrigued by this book! It’s like an adult picture book. He lives in New York so I definitely want to visit some of the restaurants he dines at next time I’m in the city!


 Food Shows Galore!- All of my favorite shows have food in them! I love watching Iron ChefTop ChefMan vs FoodCupcake Wars and more! I could watch Food Network and the Cooking Channel all day! My dream (and I’m putting it out there to the universe) is to be a guest judge on a food show! I also have a bucket list of restaurants that have been featured on shows I want to dine at.

I’m coming near the end of my confession. I must say this post took me longer than normal to write.  I also must admit that Food Network has been playing in background this entire time. Oh and I took a break to finish cooking a Butternut Squash Casserole that was in the oven and of course I’ve been eating the entire time I’ve been writing this post too! Happy Eating everyone!

I’m pretty sure that makes me a Nerd, right? #NerdsUnite

It’s on the internet so that must mean it’s truel! I’m a nerd!! It all started a couple months back when I connected with the lovely @JenFriel from Talk Nerdy To Me Lover. We planned an awesome nerdy meetup in San Diego at Tilted Kilt Mission Valley and had an amazing time connecting with other tech/web/social media nerds. After spending a weekend with Jen and many amazing #NerdsUnite ladies, I felt both inspired and compelled to be even more involved in my community and continue telling my story on perhaps an even more personal level.Halloween Nerds

Well now it’s official! I’ll be guest posting on TalkNerdyToMeLover.com. My first post was me introducing  myself: #NerdsUnite: Inside the Marketing Mind of @MyMelodie. First things, first. Who am I? I’m a passionate Technology Entrepreneur, a Marketing professional, Speaker, Educator, Social Media Socialite & Enthusiast and many of you wouldn’t know this but I’m also a Yoga Instructor! Ooommmmm…..

As far as the nerd in me. I’m not 100% sure I’m a nerd but I’m pretty sure the below list of things I do make me one (At least a Social Media Nerd!). You be the judge.

  • I get excited when I find out one of my friends uses Evernote and immediately start comparing lists them
  • I’m thrilled to meet my favorite authors to get my books autographed! Most recently I met Keith Ferrazzi who wrote Never Eat Alone and Who’s Got Your Back 

  • I am ecstatic when I unlock a shiny new Foursquare badge and admit that I’ll go to places that help me unlock more badges!
Marketing Melodie's Foursquare Badges
  • Twitter has my answer for everything! I know there are things I can easily Google but I’d rather get person replies and recommendations from my network so I ask Twitter and Twitter delivers!
  • When someone with a verified account follows me on Twitter, I do a little jump for joy.
  • Getting a LinkedIn recommendation to me is what I consider WINNING!
  • I love being on the Words with Friends Facebook page to learn new words every day!
  • I was Carmen San Diego for Halloween! The Nerdy Super Hero with teleporting abilities, Computer/Video game character who taught 5th graders geography.
With all that I’ve already been willing to admit, that makes me a nerd right? I guess I’ll continue to discover more about myself and my nerdy side as I continue to write, share and connect with all of you guys and the TNTML community! Thanks again to @JenFriel for having me on her team and bringing out the Nerd in me!
NerdsUnite Post Tweets

Networking Tips I Learned from Meeting @KeithFerrazzi in San Diego

I had the honor of meeting my favorite author, Keith Ferrazzi in San Diego this week at the Entrepreneur Challenge Fall Kickoff Event at UCSD where he interviewed the renowned Dr. Irwin Jacobs, Co-founder of Qualcomm.  As I mentioned in my post welcoming Keith Ferrazzi to San Diego, there’s not a single time I recommend a business book that I don’t mention his best seller, Never Eat Alone! I’ve learned so many great tips for networking, connecting and building professional relationships through Keith’s books, blogs and videos. Meeting him in person really reinforced many of these tips  Here’s a glimpse of my amazing evening spent networking with entrepreneurs and meeting Keith Ferrazzi. I’ll end the post with valuable networking tips you can apply to the very next event you attend!

The evening started off with a networking dinner so of course, I had an opportunity to meet some great community leaders, UCSD students and affiliates. The photo below is a prime example of never eating alone!
Keith Ferrazzi Networking Dinner

I followed one of Keith’s golden rules for meeting the speaker at the event. Get to the speaker, before he goes on stage! I saw Keith Ferrazzi walk by and immediately went up and introduced myself to him. He’s extremely personable, enthusiastic and positive. I manifested this exact moment into my life because in 2009 when Who’s Got Your Back came out, I told Keith Ferrazzi that I would get his second book when I met him so he could autograph it and that’s exactly what happened!

Keith Ferrazzi Book Signing

Marketing Melodie with Keith Ferrazzi

 After enjoying a great dinner, Dr. Irwin Jacobs and Keith Ferrazzi took the stage. Keith Ferrazzi’s job was to be curious and ask Dr. Jacob’s questions related to the topic of “Why great relationships matter in business?” Keith did a great job at asking questions that prompted Dr. Jacobs to share his inspirational story. As both a Marketer and an Entrepreneur, I really resonated with both Dr. Jacobs and Keith Ferrazzi. I definitely learned a lot about having a vision and following it, being a great leader and of course networking! Below are some networking tips I’ve learned from Keith Ferrazzi, some of them definitely came into play during this particular event!

1. Reach out before the event- If you’re attending an event and want to meet someone specific, reach out to them before the event. I’ve already discussed how to work a conference before it begins. This tip is very similar. Social Media is a great resource that allows you to connect. Before attending the event, I tweeted Keith a bunch of times and of course wrote my post to welcome Keith to San Diego. Reaching out can also be done by a simple email. You can let someone know that you enjoyed an article they wrote, congratulate them on a recent accomplishment or connect with them on a more personal level if you know a hobby they enjoy. (In the tweets below I engaged several people in conversation about Keith Ferrazzi and I even received a reply from him acknowledging that he would see me tomorrow!)

Keith Ferrazzi Tweets

2. Arrive Early- If you want to meet the Speakers, they’ll definitely be at the event at least 30 minutes before hand. Chances are the speaker won’t be bombarded by everyone else so you may have an opportunity to introduce yourself before anyone else. If you wait until after the event to try and connect with a speaker, chances are they’re going to be busy talking to everyone else and also thinking about going home so it’s harder to make a personal connection. I actually arrived at UCSD 30 minutes early so was one of the first one who was let into the room.

3. Talk To the Organizer- Arriving early also gives you a chance to find and introduce yourself to the organizer and let him/her know who you may be looking to connect with. Ask the organizer if there’s anyone they feel would be a great connection for your industry. The organizer knows everything that’s happening behind the scenes and everyone who’s going to be at the event. See if they can introduce you to some other attendees or even the speaker. When approaching the organizer, make sure to be mindful of their time since they’re probably still planning last minute updates and make sure to thank them for hosting you.

4. Ask Questions- After many presentations and panels there is often a chance for audience Q & A. This is your golden opportunity to get in front of the room and let others know what you do. Before asking your questions, clearly state your name with a brief intro. Since you have everyone’s attention, there very well may be others in the room who are seeking your service, product or who many want to collaborate with you. Asking questions not only gives you mic time, it also allows you to interact and stand out to the speakers and attendees.

Asking Keith Ferrazzi and Dr. Jacobs a Question

5. Give Books as Gifts- Since the holidays are approaching so quickly, tis the season to start thinking of gifts for your prospects, clients and colleagues. Books are full of information and are personal because you’re recommending something that has helped you. Autographed books are even better! Keith reminded me of how great of gifts books can be as he was signing mine. He asked if there was anyone I’d like to give “Who’s Got Your Back” to so he could sign the book to that person. I didn’t have anyone in mind, so I just told him to sign his name in case I did want to give the book away as a gift. Well Keith came up with an even better idea by writing “Melodie’s Got Your Back”. This way I’m able to keep the book myself or also give it away as a gift.

Keith Ferrazzi Books Signed

Again, it was such an honor to meet my favorite author, hear Dr. Jacobs speak and connect with other Entrepreneurs. I’m grateful that attending the event inspired me to refresh my own networking skills, allowing me to share tips with you. If you have additional networking tips, please leave them in the comments below! I’m personally hosting a networking event and seminar coming up on Wed. November 2nd! If you’d like to attend my next seminar where you’ll definitely have a chance to apply these networking tips, you can register here. If it’s your first time attending one of my seminars, please email me: melodie at marketing melodie dot com and I’ll send you a code fore $10 off. Happy Networking and if you don’t already have Never Eat Alone and Who’s Got Your back, check them out at your local library or purchase them! You won’t be disappointed.

Welcome to San Diego @KeithFerrazzi!

This coming Tuesday October 11th, 2011, Keith Ferrazzi is going to be in San Diego for the  Entrepreneur Challenge Fall Kickoff Event at UCSD. He’s interviewing Dr. Irwin Jacobs – Co-founder of Qualcomm. Keith Ferrazzi has been an inspiration to me ever since I read Never Eat Alone in 2008. There’s not a single time I’m recommending actionable business books that I don’t bring up Never Eat Alone. When he started his book tour for his next best seller, Who’s Got Your Back in 2009 I even blogged about why I wanted to meet him and top 3 reasons why Keith should come to San Diego. Keith even replied to me in direct message back in 2009 that I was so excited to receive!

Keith Ferrazzi DM

Since that post I haven’t had a chance to meet him yet but I always believe things happen exactly when they’re suppose to happen so I’m thinking that tomorrow is the day I’ll finally meet Keith Ferrazzi in San Diego!

Keith Ferrazzi Headshot

Never Eat Alone dispels the myth that  business relationships must be kept strictly professional. Business relationships can be rooted on friendship, authenticity and generosity just like personal relationships. I identified with this book so much because I use Social Media as a primary tool for creating marketing opportunities for both myself and businesses. If you read my recent post on being cast for a Microsoft commercial you’ll understand the many opportunities I’ve created for myself through Social Media by sharing personal stories.

Social Media is a medium that encourages people to be honest, authentic and real when creating marketing messages for their business. It personalizes and humanizes experiences for consumers, which is the exact type of connection Keith Ferrazzi emphasizes creating in Never Eat Alone. Keith, clearly understood the importance of building strong relationships even before Social Media became a prominent marketing tool. But since Social Media has revolutionized the way we communicate, Keith himself has also embraced the space through connecting with people on Facebook, Twitter and his blog.

If you’d like to join me in welcoming Keith Ferrazzi to San Diego tomorrow. You can register for his event here. You’ll learn Why Great Relationships Matter in Business. Dr. Irwin Jacobs will be in conversation with Keith Ferrazzi.

In addition to attending Keith Ferrazzi’s event tomorrow I’ve been nudging him on Social Media to see if he has some time come into San Diego a little early to enjoy a nice walk, hike or even a meal with myself and perhaps some other San Diego business leaders who are interested! If you’d like to connect with Keith in San Diego, please let him know! The San Diego social space has so many amazing leaders that I know Keith will have an opportunity to learn, collaborate and enjoy some great spots during his time here!

If you don’t already have Keith’s books, check them out at the library or purchase them below! I’ll write a follow up post soon after meeting Keith Ferrazzi tomorrow! I’m really looking forward to it!

 

 

 

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Marketing Melodie