Thank You San Diego for an Amazing Foursquare Day Celebration #4SqDaySD

Foursquare Day San Diego is just wrapping up and the 2013 event was bigger and better than ever! The true spirit of Foursquare was definitely in the air. I have been hosting Foursquare Day events for the past 3 years. This year I partnered with @DowntownRob, Stephanie from i.d.e.a, Melonie from Fandom Marketing and the Social Media Club.

The night started out with Foursquare Education by my friends over at Matters of Grey, Chaunce Dolan and Andy Morales. Matters of Grey is the best resource on the web for finding out about how to unlock Foursquare Badges! They taught us everything we needed to know about Foursquare. I definitely learned new tips on how to use Foursquare on a personal level and for business. If you missed the Foursquare Education portion of the event, no worries. You can find all the slides here.

After learning, we worked up a big appetite just in time to start the Foursquare Day Crawl! The idea behind the Foursquare Crawl was to get people checking in throughout the night and rewarding them for doing so. We walked over to Po Pazzo, checked in and started the night started off with mouthwatering appetizers.

The next check in on the Foursquare Day Crawl was Zia’s Bistro. Everyone enjoyed a nice glass of wine and more delicious  appetizers.

Our last check in was Cafe Zucchero. They generously awarded us with any dessert from their dozens of choices for checking in. Their desserts are delectable. If I’m ever in the mood for dessert, I will definitely be coming back here! We also had a nice area reserved for us in the back to relax, mingle and enjoy the rest of the night.

Throughout the evening I got to catch up with my social media friends, met some awesome new connections, gave away limited Foursquare Day 2013 water bottles and made people winners by giving out gift cards to various restaurants in San Diego. It was an amazing night with the best company.

A special thank you goes out to the Bussalachi Family Restaurants for their extremely generous food, wine and dessert contribution to our event. They had superb customer service at every location and all of f their food was spectacular. Our partnership with them couldn’t have been made possible without our friends Stephanie, Gary and Beth from the i.d.e.a team.

Also, thank you to Dining Out San Diego and Islands Restaurants for donating raffle prizes. Last but not least, thank you to every single person who attended the event to celebrate Foursquare Day! This geek holiday is made possible by social media and all of the savvy people who use it so thank you San Diego for an amazing Foursquare Day celebration! See you next year on 4/16!

 

More Foursquare Day San Diego photos are posted on the Marketing Melodie Facebook page.

Check In at Foursquare Day San Diego on April 16th, 2013 #4sqdaysd

I am thrilled to be hosting Foursquare Day San Diego for my third year in a row (My fourth year hosting Foursquare Day  in general since the first year I was in Hong Kong and hosted the event overseas). I’m excited to see everyone and meet new Foursquare friends on my favorite geek holiday! Two years ago, I enjoyed delicious apps, wine tasting and check in special drinks with you all at Foursquare Day San Diego at R Gang Eatery. Last year we got the community involved at Foursquare Day San Diego at Osetra where we raffled off fun prizes for checking in and enjoyed delicious food and drinks from the restaurant. This year Foursquare Day San Diego is back and will be bigger and better than ever.

As always, Foursquare Day is on 4/16! (4th month; 4 squared=16). This year it falls on a Tuesday evening. Myself and @DowntownRob from Downtownrob.com have been hosting this event the past couple years and this year, we have joined forces with Stephanie Garcia of  i.d.e.a, Melonie Gallegos of Fandom Marketing and Social Media Club San Diego, with sponsorship from the Busalacchi family of restaurants.

This is a free event and this year we’re making the features of Foursquare come to life by adding a Check in Crawl so you can experience a few different venues and check in at each to earn rewards and win prizes. The night begins with a Foursquare Education workshop, then the Check In Crawl and mingle at the end. Meet new friends, check in with your online connections in real life and enjoy fine wine and delicious appetizers along the way. 

• Start the night off by learning more about Foursquare at the Social Media Club San Diego Educational Workshop, 5:30-6:30pm. This workshop is a paid event (the rest of the activities are free), for tickets and details visit: http://thesocialhour.eventbrite.com/

Then let’s have fun at the Foursquare San Diego Foursquare Check In Crawl:

• Po Pazzo – Check in here between 7:00 to 7:30pm and sample some delicious appetizers
• Zia’s Bistro – Check in here between 7:40 to 8:10pm and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine
• Trattoria Fantastica/Cafe Zucchero- Check in here between 8:20 to 10:00pm to end the night at our Foursquare mix and mingle and enjoy a sweet dessert
• Please note you can join us at the crawl any time! If you miss the crawl, no worries, we’re meeting at the end for the Foursquare mix and mingle. We’ll be raffling off fun prizes for checking in at each venue. (Must be present to win.)
  

  Foursquare Day San Diego 2012 Crowd at Osetra

We discourage drinking and driving therefore, all venues are within walking distance in beautiful Little Italy.  There are also a few other ways to get involved in this year’s event:

•  Last year I shared a list of San Diego’s best Foursquare Specials of 2012. The specials are constantly changing so I need your help coming up with a new list for 2013. What are you favorite Foursquare specials in San Diego? Please share them in the comments below and your suggestion may be added to the list.
  
• We need raffle prizes! If your company would like to donate a prize, please let me know. Our Foursquare Day San Diego team will make sure you get the recognition you deserve.

RSVP to the event on Facebook here. When tweeting about the event and checking in on Foursquare use the hashtag: #4sqdaySD – you can also add the international hashtag: #4sqday. Feel free to follow my Foursquare updates in the meantime here. I look forward to checking in with you all very soon!

Marketing Melodie in 2012: A Year in Review

I can’t believe that I’m actually writing my 2012 year in review because it seems unreal that this year is really coming to an end. Two years ago I began a tradition of writing a year in review at the end of  the year. I do this to express my sincere gratitude for everything the universe has brought my way. I still have a habit of discrediting my accomplishments. I often focus on what I haven’t yet achieved so this post is also an effort to combat my bad habit. I want to focus on  my successes, not what I haven’t done.

First I want to I reflect back on the past few years since I turned Marketing Melodie into my full time career. I noticed some patterns throughout the year. In 2010 I made my transition from being an “employee” to a full time “entrepreneur”. This was a major break through. 2010 was filled with travel, speaking gigs and an abundance of break through opportunities including getting hired to teach Marketing at Platt College and so many new connections. I will call 2010 my break through year.

2011 was a change of pace. I was traveling less and speaking less but spending more time organizing, creating systems and solidifying my services and offerings in order to have a strong foundation for monetizing my business. I hosted workshops, charity events and my first webinar. I now had a system for effective prospecting and client management. I also became a certified yoga instructor. Little did I know that my yoga certification would be another tool that would really hold as a strong foundation for my career. I will call 2011 my foundation building year.

With everything being so organized, I expected to hit the ground running with my marketing business in 2012. In some ways I did but I also realized that there was so much more that I wanted to learn before systematizing everything I do. After all, I left being a full time employee so I could embrace opportunities as they come my way. I’ve spent 2012 learning and exploring.  I will call 2012 my learning year. I have mastered the art of learning something new everyday so this year is just a reflection of my desire to constantly stay educated to serve as a true resource for those around me.

*JANUARY* 

January always comes as a surprise to me because I never expect it to come so soon. I started the year off with strategically branding my company as a strong force in the Social Media world. I did this in a fun way by jumping on the meme train. I saw a few “Shit Says” videos that I found humorous. I decided to create one for Social Media titled Shit Social Media Experts say. With the help of my social media friends @jennyjenjen, @iPodschun, @RobotFaith, @ChrisKirkman we made it happen. Although I didn’t get a million YouTube views, the video did allow me to connect with many new people who either work in the social space or are interested in using social media themselves to grow their business.

 

With my business growing, I decided that I would need some help to accelerate the growth. I took on a new Intern, Stephanie Trinh. I created a  more structured internship program to ensure my interns are learning through hands on projects. If anyone reading this is interested or knows someone who is interested in a marketing and social media internship, please reach out to me.

*FEBRUARY*

I continued on the meme train to brand my company and created 2 occupation memes. To this day, they are some of the most viewed pages on MarketingMelodie.com. I created What Social Media Experts Actually Do which fits my passion for marketing and I also created What Yogis Actually Do which fits my passion for yoga.

*MARCH*

My travel bug never completely goes away. When I get the opportunity to travel for business, I embrace it to the fullest. I was hired by AT&T to be one of their brand ambassadors at SXSW which meant an adventure in Austin, Texas. I had an incredible time meeting so many industry leaders, running an awesome social media promotion where I was giving out free phones, enjoying interactive events and even a Third Eye Blind Concert. In general, there was just so much winning for everyone in Austin. My cousin goes to UT and my mom lives in Dallas so I also got to see both of them while I was on my business trip.

When I left Austin, I took a little detour to my favorite city to visit, Chicago! I used the power of Social Media to explore the entire city of Chicago. My great friend Krissy moved back there so it was the perfect time to visit. I have another cousin who also goes to the Art Institute in Chicago so it was great getting to see her too. I brought the San Diego sunshine to Chicago. During my 4 day stay which happened to fall on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, the weather was amazing. It was 70s and sunny the entire time and go figure, it was raining in San Diego! I did a lot of sight seeing, ate great Chicago food and enjoyed great company. I definitely want to go back to Chicago soon and I already have a list of must sees the next time I’m there.

*APRIL*

I connected with the lovely Jennifer Pastiloff on social media and I won her Facebook contest for a ticket to Tadasana Festival! I was able to make social media and yoga unite at Tadasana Festival. This was just the first of many opportunities to combine my two passions.

Earth day is also in April. I love to do whatever I can to create a more sustainable earth. This year I wrote a post where I shared 10 ways to go green at work. After publishing my post, I received some nice PR coverage by NBC San Diego as they featured my post on their TV news segment.

Foursquare Day also falls in April (4/16- 4 squared is 16!). For the 3rd year in a row I hosted a fun social media meetup around Foursquare. I first hosted Foursquare Day Hong Kong in 2010 when I traveled there on business. In 2011 I hosted Foursquare Day in San Diego at R Gang Eatery and this year I hosted Foursquare Day San Diego again at Osetra. Everyone had fun mingling, checking in to win prizes, unlocking badges and meeting new friends.

*MAY*

I’m always open to opportunities that allow me to enhance my skills. I have known for a few years that San Diego Continuing Education offers free classes on just about any subject you can imagine. I finally got around to signing up for a Photoshop class and am so happy I decided to do so. I wanted to learn Photoshop skills so I could easily crop, resize, edit images on a basic level and that’s exactly what I learned how to do. I even got a student ID that I was told I can use for student discounts. The discount is especially helpful if I want to buy software programs.

*JUNE*

After meeting  Jennifer Pastiloff in April at Tadasana Festival she invited me up to LA to be a part of her Karaoke Yoga class that was being filmed for ABC. I make a brief appearance singing while practicing yoga on TV! Of course I had to connect it back to marketing and shared with you how to optimize your PR efforts on social media all while doing Karaoke Yoga.

Toward the end of June, I received my favorite Klout Perk ever which was an invite to stay at Terranea Resort for a weekend getaway. I took the Amtrak (for the first time in years) to Irvine, then carpooled up to Terranea to meet the rest of the Klout crew. I explored the entire resort and found so much stuff to do at Terranea but my favorite part was really relaxing at the pool and spa.

*JULY*

After my Terranea getaway I hopped on plane to Seattle, Washington. I visited friends, family, ran around the city like a silly tourist, celebrated my Grandpa’s 87th birthday,  4th of July and even set up some business meetings. I hit all the birds  with one stone. I also took a little detour to my neighboring state Portland, Oregon. I visited many Portland must sees including the famous Powell’s Bookstore, which is definitely  an amazing place for bookworms. I tried the ever popular Voodoo Doughnuts and a nice view of the city at Portland City Grill. I also attended the Portland Blues festival. I have a theory that I bring the San Diego sunshine wherever I go because the weather was so nice in both Seattle and Portland during my stay.

My two passions are marketing and yoga so I decided to combine them both into my career and teach yogis how to grow their business and make money through marketing and social media. I successfully hosted my first marketing workshop exclusively for yogis at La Jolla Yoga Center.

I also got my CPR certification! I learned another skill that will help me save lives. I also got the song “Staying Alive” stuck in my head.

*AUGUST*

It was time for me to lease a new car. In between my leases, I decided to do a “No Car in San Diego Challenge”. No car meaning I’m not driving a car of my own. I wanted to see if it was possible to get around in San Diego without my own vehicle. I survived almost 1 month without my own car and the first week I was fortunate enough to be driving the Chevy Volt electric car thanks to the GM PR team, I also drove Car2Go, took Uber and took the bus (which surprisingly was very nice a clean the two times I took it to La Jolla).  I learned that it is possible to get around San Diego without a car.  Not having a car was definitely challenging but there were so many positives that came out of it. I was more strategic about planning out my days, I was healthier and got a lot of exercise because I walked more and I was able to connect with old friends who were nice enough to offer me rides.

As I continued to integrate yoga into my career, I attracted more opportunities to do so. I began teaching regular yoga classes for the YMCA. My full yoga schedule can be found here.

To my absolute astonishment, I found myself on Mandatory.com’s “20 Hottest Geek Girls of the Internet” list among many super smart, sexy and successful women like Jenna Marbles, my friend Jenn Hoffman (she was on the Apprentice!) and one of my favorite YouTubers, Natalie Tran. I was extremely grateful for this feature and wrote a thank you post to demonstrate how to optimize PR features.

*SEPTEMBER* 

Professional speaking is something I love doing. I haven’t been speaking much this year, but in 2013 I plan to significantly grow my business through speaking. I really wanted to learn more skills to become a better speaker so I decided to take improv classes through National Comedy Theater. I completed Level 1 and Level 2. The classes were so much fun! I learned how to be quicker in responding to any situation and to have confidence in what I say. I just met so many awesome friends from all walks of life through taking classes here. I highly recommend that everyone take an improv class at some point. In fact, here are 10 reasons taking an improv class will make you happy.

*OCTOBER* 

After teaching yoga at the YMCA for a few months, more and more opportunities began to open up for me in the fitness world. I had the honor of teaching a yoga class to benefit breast health awareness for the YMCA La Jolla’s Workout in Pink event. The YMCA also sent me to a training for Bender Barre. I really enjoyed learning to teach a fitness class that’s different than yoga. I’m happy to say that I’m now certified to teach Bender Barre classes. Yep another tool to add on my belt.

*NOVEMBER*

I made some more headway with my mission to help Yogis and Fitness professionals grow their business. I hosted my second Digital Media Now for Yogis at the gorgeous Chula Vista Yoga Center. It was part of their Teacher Training and also open to the public. In 2013, my goal is to get my marketing curriculum to be standard for all Teacher Training programs.

*DECEMBER*

I launched my new yoga website and brand, Tao of Yoga. It’s a simple site, but it works. I’m happy to have a place where I can share my thoughts on all things yoga and fitness. I’m also grateful that I have a schedule that’s easy to update so I can invite everyone to my classes.

As you can see, a lot of my business focus shifted from marketing to yoga. I really wanted to create a foundation for my yoga business, which is what I was successfully able to do. I have a website that’s a resource, I teach  4 consistent yoga classes each week and I’m constantly continuing my own education to become a better instructor. Now that I have my yoga business up and running, I really want to focus on the marketing side of my business again. I will book more speaking engagements, host more digital media now workshops and webinars, and I created a nice referral program for anyone who sends me business for a marketing client. If you know anyone interested in growing their business through effective marketing and social media, please send them my way. You’ll receive a check from me as a thank you!

I celebrated another year with my birthday on December 13th. I like to give out gifts on my birthday. This year I gave everyone 13 happy birthday promotions to enjoy and had a San Diego themed get together with some friends.

There you have it, my 2012 year in review. If you have some favorite moments of 2012, please feel free to share them with me. Since 13 is my lucky number and we’re gearing up for the year 2013, I’m confident that it will be my lucky year! Thanks to every single person who has read my blog. Whether you read  one post or read my blog regularly, I sincerely appreciate it. Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous new year everyone!

Navigating the Pacific Northwest through Social Media in Bridgetown

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.

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.

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.

 

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.

 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.

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.

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.

 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?

Navigating the Pacific Northwest through Social Media as a Seattleite

Wow this summer is flying by. I haven’t had a chance to update much because I’ve had a lot on my plate from hosting marketing workshops, attending conferences, teaching yoga classes and keeping up with my marketing consulting clients. I’ve been fortunate enough to explore some amazing places this summer despite my busy schedule and am grateful that I designed a career which grants me the freedom to travel at my leisure. I recently shared my adventures from Terranea Resort located in the beautiful Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Immediately after returning from my trip to paradise, I hopped on a plane to the Pacific Northwest! I landed in Seattle which is a town I have been to before but this was the first time I was actually going to have an opportunity to explore the city.

My trip was a combination of visiting friends, family and business so I definitely hit all the birds with one stone. If you remember my trip in March to Chicago, I brought the San Diego sunshine! It was 70s and sunny my entire stay. I brought the San Diego sunshine to Seattle too! It sprinkled on my first day. After that it was perfect sunny weather. In Chicago, I navigated the city utilizing Facebook recommendations and Foursquare tips and uncovered many hidden gems in the city that even my friend and cousin who both live there didn’t know about. In the Pacific Northwest, I once again turned to Facebook and Foursquare to learn about that hotspots in both Seattle and Portland (My Portland trip will be in another post!). The Seattlelite Foursquare list had so many things that I was already planning to do. I also purchased the Seattle City Pass which I highly recommend. It includes passes to 6 attractions for only $69 including the world famous Space Needle. If I purchased the tickets individually it would have cost over $130.

Click on the Facebook image below to check out all the recommendations:

I love attending sporting events. There is always so much excitement and positive energy. I’m a die hard San Diego Padres fan but I always think it’s fun to catch a baseball game whenever I travel. In fact, my goal is to attend a baseball game in every MLB stadium. So far I’ve been to 7. I attended my first Mariners game at Safeco Field. I also attended a Sounders Soccer game at Centurylink Field which is definitely something everyone needs to experience when visiting Seattle.

I celebrated 4th of July in Seattle by watching the fireworks at the renowned Gasworks Park at the “Family 4th at Lake Union” event. It was a gorgeous evening and an amazing fireworks display. Even when it’s not 4th of July, I recommend a visit to Gasworks park. They have group photo ops and you’ll see unique displays that can’t be found anywhere else.

Other must sees in Seattle include the Pacific Science Center. I was in awe of the Michael Jackson laser show. I had no idea what to expect since I’ve never seen a laser show but I highly recommend it. I fell in love with the butterfly garden at the Pacific Science Center. The beautiful delicate creatures were fluttering all around and sometimes stopping for a photo op.

Anyone who visits Seattle needs to make a stop at the world famous Pike Place Market. It’s a giant farmer’s market that’s always open and buzzing with excitement with flying fish, curious tourists and hungry locals seeking the freshest of the fresh fare. The flagship Starbucks is found here too.

Being from San Diego, I’m lucky to have the World Famous San Diego Zoo in my backyard. Visiting the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle however was very relaxing. It’s a lot smaller than the San Diego Zoo so I didn’t feel rushed to try and see every exhibit. I enjoyed feeding the birds and watching the animals lounge around. Since I use Foursquare to explore new cities, I was excited to discover a check in special at the Zoo. They gifted guests with a plush animal toy with check in!

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. Hiram what?! That’s what I said when someone tried to explain to me what the “locks” were. All I know is that it’s something unique that I recommend experiencing. I was fortunate enough to experience the locks both on a boat and on land! I’ll let Wikipedia take it from here and explain what the locks are.

If you want to feel like a kid in Charlie’s Chocolate factory, $6 is all is takes for a grand tour of the Theo Chocolate Factory. All of their chocolate is organic, fair trade and made right in Seattle. The tour began with chocolate education and then they let you taste more chocolate than you’ll ever need while giving you a sneak peek at all the contraptions used to churn out their delicious chocolate.

I mentioned that this was also a business trip. A quick shout out to my Seattle based client, Insect Shield. I have been consulting with them for the past couple years  but I have never met their team in person. I love that the power of technology allows me to help people with their marketing even if we’re not in the same location. Insect Shield’s Marketing Director initially connected with me on LinkedIn so it was a pleasure to finally meet her in her home town. I celebrated my Grandpa’s 87th birthday in Seattle too. By the end of my trip, I was an official Seattleite! I even have the shiny Foursquare badge to prove it!

I conclude this post by once sharing my gratitude for opportunities to travel, explore new places and spend time with friends and family. I’ll definitely be going back to Seattle sometime. If you plan to visit, I trust that I’ve given you a few great recommendations on what to do during your stay.

5 Reasons to Attend Social Media Day San Diego @SMdaySD #smdaysd

By now you’ve probably at least seen a tweet or Facebook post about Social Media Day San Diego. It’s right around the corner! The event will be hosted on June 30th, 2012 at the Marina Kitchen inside the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina.  Social Media Day is an international day that celebrates the revolution of media and the digital space. We’re all connected now more than ever because of social media; so on June 30th, let’s show our appreciation by getting off our computer screens, meeting new people and hanging out with friends at Social Media Day San Diego! If this isn’t enough to convince you to go, here are 5 reasons to attend Social Media Day San Diego:

 1. Experience some of San Diego’s greatest products on Social Media- There will be tons of goodies and giveaways  from local companies on Social Media! We’re raffling off some amazing prizes and if you are one of the first 100 people to arrive at the event, you’ll receive a Social Media Day gift bag filled with surprises.

2. Enjoy the luxurious atmosphere and view- What better way to socialize with old friends and meet new ones than in the extravagant Marina Kitchen inside the Marriott?

3. Network with hundreds of Social Media savvy professionals attending this event- You won’t hear the questions “Why would I want to tweet what I ate that day?” or “Why would you check in somewhere” at this event. Come out to network and make new friends with smart and tech savvy like minded individuals.

4. Have fun with games, contests and social media inspired interactive activities- We put out a call for sponsors and have received an abundance of replies! It’s so great to see so many businesses embracing social media. Our sponsors will be conducting fun social media inspired games, contests and have additional promotional offers for you to take advantage of.

5. Put San Diego on the Map- Social Media Day events will be happening across the nation and world so this is a great opportunity for San Diego to really make a mark in the social space and show everyone just how great the San Diego Social Media community is. We’ll have the Minglestream tweet wall ready for action with the hashtag #smdaysd. The best way to celebrate Social Media Day is to actually  include social media in the mix!

 

Full event details are below:

When: Saturday, June 30th

Time: 5PM – 9PM

Where: Marina Kitchen – inside the San Diego Marriott Marquis- Get directions.

This is a free event, however, we do encourage you to RSVP 

Official Website: http://www.socialmediadaysandiego.com/ 

A special thanks to @stef_funny for compiling this post! Stephanie will be volunteering and representing Marketing Melodie at Social Media Day. Tweet her, look for her at the event and say hello! 

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