Travel-come on people...Calm down.

I have had the joy of traveling to Boston this week to visit one of our retail accounts. Everyone has asked, did you get frisked?

Ummm, no. Nor did I see anyone else getting the "treatment". But you know what, they can do whatever they need to do to me to ensure my safety to get home to my family. This isn't exactly something to get so sensitive about, it's not like the FFA thought up, "hey, how much fun would it be to make people uncomfortable by feeling around private places". Seriously people? Get over it.

Another slight annoyance, my flight was delayed a few minutes after we had already been seated on the plane. The started to the left engine wasn't working so it needed to be replaced. Ok, that sounds sensible to me. It will take 45 min. Not bad. I can handle that, yes it stinks, but manageable. The gasps and gruntles I heard around me were unreal. (Now if you had a connection to catch, totally understandable). But about half the plane pulled their luggage off to go find alternate routes home.

1) you're going to have to fly stand-by (good luck out of LGA)
2) you're gong to have another connecting flight (6:30 flight out of LGA to BNA is about the last one)

Both of the above are going to cause you to be later than if you just wait it out. HHhhhhmmm, was it really worth all that effort of carrying your luggage around for an hour stressing about it?

I'm not saying I haven't ever been frustrated with an airline before, lord knows I have. I do try when it's out of their control to give them the benefit of the doubt because my life and safety are coming first in their hands.

A Few Business Thoughts

Over the years of working and loving what I do, I have found a few thoughts to be advantageous in the corporate world. And my team can attest, that I tell them this over and over. ( I LOVE my team and don't want them to go anywhere so I wear them out on it)

1) Keep Your Head Down and do D*&^ good work

2) Try and keep out of the chatter

3) Let your work speak for you

All 3 of these lend to the other.

If you are keeping your head down and doing what you need to do, you are doing it well, then you are keeping your head out of the chatter that can tend to go on in an office environment. If your out of that nonsense then people will see your work and speak for you instead of you having to speak for your work to prove yourself. 

It's rather simple actually. What are your rules of thumb in life and business?

BTW...this is my first in-flight posting...kinda cool to talk to you from 33,000 feet.

It's All About Somebody

More than ever our culture is caught in a web of irresponsibility & self-centeredness. - Billy Graham in Storm Warning

I read this quote the other day and it really got me thinking. There is something in today's culture that has given us a sense of entitlement. I wish I could pinpoint exactly what the change was as I see it everywhere - even within myself. And for me at least, it's making me tired getting caught up in it.

There are celebrities that continue to act like the laws don't apply to them. Kids who think the world belongs to them just because they were born. Then in the workplace people complaining about how work treats them. When in reality, work treats them exactly for what they were hired to do. Their job.

Jobs, friends and colleagues by no obligation have to give us any perks. We receive what we work on and deserve. End of story. Every thing else after that is (for lack of a better word) "benefit". We shouldn't turn the benefits into the expected, or we will find ourselves disappointed...repeatedly. Don't get me wrong, I love me some benefits and I feel I deserve them because I work hard everyday and I like when the company shows they appreciate me by giving me perks and I always would appreciate more of them. BUT, these can't be the reason I walk through the door everyday.

I'm not gonna lie, I catch myself getting caught up in the banter, it's so easily done. It's when I get home at night and reflect on how I was raised. Never would my grandfather have approved. Especially since I have people reporting to me...I should not pass the attitude along. Then I look at my 6 year old daughter...with who I am trying to instill within her that she only gets and deserves what she works for. I fail miserably at this, but at least I try...right?

Maybe that's the problem, we stop at "I Try". Maybe would should use "I DID" or "I AM". Going forward I AM going to work harder on my Family, Friendships, Job and Attitude so that I in return receive the same in return and try to stop the disappointment. Have your work, character, children speak for you rather than speaking for yourself.

Do you find yourself getting caught up with a sense of entitlement?

BlogHer '10 Postmortem

So I have had a few days to digest the overwhelming conference of BlogHer 2010. I've come to the fact, I am still overwhelmed 1) as a marketer trying to to stay on top of the social media realm and 2) as a beginning blogger.

I have to concentrate first and foremost on the Marketing side as that is what helps pay the bills. This conference had over 2,400 women bloggers in attendance. (Marketer's Dream!) And every big product brand out there was in attendance with full representation. I have never seen so much high quality swag given away at one conference. But the goal was obvious. There were 2,400 of their target market in ONE CONCENTRATED PLACE! (again, Marketer's Dream!) And they wanted those ladies to review their products on those blogs. Simple and key, but that is not where it ends.

Over and over I heard what these companies were putting into their social media efforts. They have entire teams that are developing these relationships. Oh yeah, that's another repetitious thing I heard, these ladies want the relationship, not the pitch. (I have heard this several times before, but always hits harder coming straight from the horses mouth) Now my job, is to take this to our marketing teams and see how the handful of us can create these awesome relationship with these lovely ladies to be touched by our books and help to spread the word.

As for me being a beginning blogger, there is much to learn. I was amazed at these women and all they knew and were basically self taught. They knew HTML, PHP, back links, monetizing, back end programming. Um, I know HTML, but very limited. But I'll get there...as I said the other day. I'll take any advice and help along the way.

I have only one criticism of the conference. Next year I would love to see some case studies of mid and small size companies. The Pepsi, Lion Brand Yarn, etc studies were great to see and hear, not everyone has their budgets to contend with. They get to pay and play while the rest of us are still using elbow grease to get the job done. It would be great to see a little diversity in that aspect.

So thank you BlogHer for a great conference and plenty to think about, I hope to see you again next year and compare.

What has been your blogging experience and has been most helpful information to know?

Keep up the Motivation!

Here it is, 9:30 at night and I am blogging! Let's hope the motivation stays.

I am one of the lucky 2400 bloggers attending the BlogHer conference. There was a great source of information given today and I am ready to go! But here's my deal...and I am this way about all conferences. How do you keep the momentum and motivation going after you leave?

When you are attending a conference you are learning all the information that you paid good money to receive alongside 100's to 1000's of people with the same goal in mind. So YES! I am ready to blog! Today, tomorrow, maybe Saturday. I travel Sunday. We'll see about Monday. But that's the question, once you walk away and the 1000 of your new closest friends are no longer with you to cheer you on. What do you do??

So what do you do to keep the motivation going? I would sincerely appreciate any advice!

Ready Again. Set Again. Go again.

Ok, so I started this about a year ago. I've averaged out at a good one post a quarter. Here I sit on a plane to New York to attend the 2010 BlogHer conference. So I have given my self the guilt trip of "you need to commit to this if you are going to succumb to 3 days of nothing but blogs".

One of the rules is you have to determine what exactly are you giving your readers...you know what, I'm not gonna. (If you know me at all you would know I'm not the best at obeying unregulated rules). I am a working mother. I have too many different things I can discuss, that there is no possible way for me to choose "A" avenue.

BUT if I have too, fine, It's a working mom/wife blog. You can hop along with me on my, (for lack of a better word), journey. Maybe we'll learn something along the way. At minimum we have a laugh or two. Meanwhile go read my other 3 blogs I have posted for a taste.

P.S. I'll try and keep you updated on this conference along the way...but I may have just overcommitted myself. At least follow me on twitter to see how it goes at @EmSweeney.

The Simple Black Dress

Hopping onto my "Work" lily pad for the moment. I have now been in Marketing in the Book Publishing industry for 9 years now. I have never seen in those 9 nine years the radical change in marketing as I have in the last 12 months. Everything is changing and it's going to continue to change...rapidly.

Somehow though...some authors haven't quite caught up with the times. They like to see their name in lights and everywhere. Which today, to be "everywhere" is virtually impossible with today's budgets. They all want to be at the big party. What is not realized is that they are already invited, they just need to decide what they want to wear and show up. Some authors started with the simple black dress and then as their parties grow they become more lavish. Over time...the lavish becomes their own designer black dress. In my opinion, this is where you want to be.



Every marketing plan for a book begins with the simple black dress approach. And sometimes that is all that is needed. Basic fact. When it's a party for the masses that's when EACH plan is then accessorized, and the fun begins. Picking out the perfect attire for the party is where I get to be a personal shopper in my field. I am able to brainstorm all types of ideas to get them presence in the big world of books. And it's about 50/50 of who wants to show up dressed to the nines and who picks the simple black dress with just the right accessories.

There's no doubt some books and authors lend themselves to dressing to the nines, when the content lends to it and/or the author has established themselves as a hob-nobber at the party all ready, or you can do this and wind up looking rather silly and out of place. That is when you learn, that sometimes you stand out in a crowd with a simple chic black dress with the perfect accessories.

It's even better when they realize the little black dress is never out of style, it is always in style and chic with the right finishing touches.