What Have You Done For Me Lately

It’s not just a song title from Janet Jackson, it’s a question that needs to be addressed every single day, by businesses everywhere.

And not just in the way you’d think. Sure, you want to think about whether your relationships with others are worthwhile to you – but a relationship goes both ways.

1. Customers

First, think about your customers. Have you got enough and the right ones to keep your business not only afloat but thriving? Are you sure you’re going after the right ones?  But don’t just think about what your customers have done for you. What have you done for them lately – why should they continue to do business with you? Do they know these good things you’ve done? Are you communicating these things effectively? Could you stand to remind them of all you’ve done for them?
2. Suppliers

Second, are your suppliers. You probably already think about whether they’re treating you as well as they should. But what have you done for your suppliers lately? Sure, you pay them – but do you really make it worthwhile for them to do business with you? What would happen if their services/goods went away? Could you survive?
3. Employees

Third, and possibly most important, are your employees. Every employer I know thinks about whether their employees are delivering for them. But what have you done for your employees lately? Why should they care about your business? How have you made them feel invested in your company? Are they happy to work there, or will they leave as soon as another opportunity arises?

If you aren’t rewarding your employees – with both the choice projects and the optimal pay – they’re not likely to feel very loyal. In this economy, that may feel like a safe bet because, well, where else can they go? But rest assured, as soon as there is an opening available for them, they will leave. You need to treat your employees as if they truly are a valuable resource. (Unless you don’t consider them to be a valuable resource. Then, go ahead and treat them as a commodity. You can always find new people, right?)
4. Your friends and family

This is so easy to overlook. I hear people complaining about their spouses and children and parents and siblings and friends all the time. Because someone isn’t giving us what we want, we complain. But have you stopped to think about what you’ve given THEM?

It’s amazing what the smallest efforts can do.

So take some time today and review your own relationships. What have you done for me lately? And what have I done for you? Is it enough? Can I do more? The answers may make all the difference in the world.

Why Social Media Should Not Be Thought Of As Marketing

Today, I have come to this conclusion: Social media marketing should not be called marketing.

Wait, what? Why would I say this?

According to the AMA, marketing is: the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.

In other words, it’s everything you do to let people know what you’re selling, inclusive of the point of actually completing the sale.

But that’s not what most people think of when they think of marketing. Most people think of marketing and advertising as interchangeable terms.

That’s because the bulk of what marketing companies do is advertising. Putting together a communication plan, devising a communication message strategy, developing creative pieces to deliver the message, disseminating the message, measuring the results, making revisions as needed.Things you CAN hire someone else to do for you.

But REAL marketing also includes:
– Customer service – ensuring that your representatives provide a pleasant experience, both in store, on phone, online… wherever the interact with you.
– Store environment – giving people a place to shop that entices them to buy is marketing, too.
– Human resources training – this is part of customer service, but making sure your team is trained to provide good customer experiences is part of your marketing efforts.
– Internal communications – keeping your team on the same page so they all feel as if they’re a vital part of the organization (which in turn leads to better customer service) is a part of marketing.

These things CANNOT be outsourced. They’re part and parcel of who your company is. They’re marketing, even if most people don’t think of them that way. And this is why using the phrase “marketing” after “social media” can cause problems.

In reality, social media is just another area where customers (current and potential) get a chance to interact with you. With YOU, not your messaging. People who use social media networks don’t want to get just another corporate voice that has no connection to a real person. They want a real person who really works at the company they’re representing.

This means you can’t just hire someone to “do it for you.” It is not just an internet service. It is intended to be your real face – another venue for people to reach out and speak with YOU. You can hire someone to set things up for you and train you on how to get things going – much like you can hire someone to train your sales force on how to be more effective. But you can’t hire them to have the conversation for you.

Consider this: would you really want your marketing company to be in charge of answering your telephones every single day? Answering every question a current or potential customer has about what you sell?

The whole point of social media is that people want to do business with people, not companies. If used well, social media is not an interruption of your ability to sell – it’s another way to reach and sell to people you might have otherwise missed.

Customers have no reason to be loyal to someone they don’t know. And how will they  know you if YOU aren’t the one interacting with them? If you try to outsource the conversation, you’ve made it impossible for people to really interact with YOU.

My recommendation is: if you aren’t willing to converse with your customer, then just don’t do social media at all. Of course, that will leave your competition free to monopolize the conversation entirely. But ultimately, it’s your choice whether or not it’s worth your time.

So where does strategy fit in?

Today, I had a very interesting and exciting meeting with a potential client. I won’t mention names, in case they opt to go with another agency for their business rather than my company, which clearly (in my mind) is the superior choice – if only for the passion we’d expend on behalf of their company’s growth.

What I WILL mention, however, was their understanding and willingness to consider strategy prior to action. This was both exhilarating and gratifying to see.

The fact is, with a tough economy pressing hard on businesses, there is often a desire to jump first and see where you land instead of thoughtfully planning your direction. This can lead to breathtaking results, true, but frequently not in a good way.

Still, it’s hard to slow down and thoughtfully consider your direction when the importance of moving forward (with sales and growth) is higher than ever. You can’t just stop your business while you make plans, and a well considered strategy is going to take some time. If it comes down to the choice between skipping strategy and moving to tactics RIGHT NOW, or putting tactics on hold while you consider your strategy, most companies are going to opt with the former.

So what’s a company to do?

Well, who’s to say you can’t do both?

You need to act now. So do something! Just don’t be married to it. Select a tactic that is specifically designed for immediate and short term impact. (PPC is a perfect example.) Run this short-term tactic simultaneous to your strategic planning. Then shift gears when your strategy is ready to go.

Being flexible like this, ready to shift gears as needed, will also help as you track your results – so you can adjust your strategy to the most effective marketing, with the best ROI.

Just don’t forget to do the strategic planning. Okay?

Fine Line Between Squeaking and Crying Wolf

“The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” so the saying goes. But there is a fine line that needs to be tread. Because if you squeak too loud for too long, eventually, you’re seen as the boy who cried wolf.

I work with clients every day. And I paid my way through college by waiting on tables. I’ll tell you that I’d take a customer that tells you what’s wrong over one that pretends everything is okay until they get fed up and either explode or fire you (for something you didn’t even know was a problem) or fail to leave a tip, any day of the week.

That being said, common sense needs to be applied. If you treat every single error as if it were proof of idiocy, eventually, no one is going to listen to your concerns any more.

I strive to never even have a misspelling on any of my communications. I read through emails sometimes up to 10 times to make sure they read well and are clear. But still, I’m a human being, and some times, there are mistakes.

We’re all human. If you want to get good results from anyone you work with, you need to praise as well as point out errors. And you need to use a SCALE in the urgency with which you suggest corrections to errors be taken. Squeak softly if it’s a small issue. And save the screaming until you actually see a wolf trying to eat your sheep.

Otherwise, no one is going to want to work with you at all.

What is success?

Success by aloshbennett via Flickr

What is success?

This question has been at the top of my mind lately.

When determining success for marketing clients, the process is fairly easy. This is because most businesses have some fairly cut-and-dried goals: We want to increase our sales by X% over last year; We want to achieve $X in revenue by a certain date; We want to increase traffic to our site by X% over the next 6 months; etc.

If we take a 10000-ft view, the method of determining success is the same in our personal careers as it would be for setting up a business or marketing plan. First, you determine where you want to be versus where you are now. You determine the method to take the path (Do you drive a car? Walk? Fly?) and map out landmarks along the path and when you expect to reach them (aka, setting how you’ll measure your achievements). Then, you take the path via the method you’ve chosen and check your navigation along the way.

The problem with personal and career goals is that “success” means different things to different people. We might take personal pleasure in what we’re doing. But others looking might think that we’re not measuring up to someone else in our field who had completely different personal goals.

What it boils down to is that for personal/career success, unless we’re at the top of our field, lauded by all, it often feels as if we’re viewed as a failure.

Consider this: a person goes in for an interview at a new company or a progress review at the place they work and they’re asked the typical “Where would you like to be in 5/10 years” question. Most interviewers won’t view, “Doing what I’m doing now, but better, and for more money” as a good answer. Why is that? This answer shows they like what they’re doing, they want to improve at it, and they want more pay (which everyone wants). What if the employee’s answer was, “In 5/10 years, I’d like to be seen as a truly integrated part of the company – someone who could be counted on to do whatever work needed to be done, so that I could feel secure in my position”? This shows someone loyal to the place they work, someone who wants to feel important, but who has a realistic view of the world. Ah, but they “lack ambition,” because they don’t want to move up the corporate ladder?

What I’ve noticed lately is that most people believe that if you’re not ambitious, you’re inherently less valuable. You have to want more, to do more, more power, more money, more fame. And while it’s understandable to a point – you want your employees to be hungry and work ever harder – do we really want people to constantly feel unsatisfied? Is it healthy?

In reality, not everyone is going to be a CEO in their lifetime. Why should it be an unwritten rule that people should desire this? Who knows whether those who DO become CEOS have even come close to reaching their personal goals?

The question of “What is success?” is something that each of needs to ponder separately. And then, once we’ve decided, we need to throw off the shackles of public opinion and work toward our individual success, forgetting about what anyone else may think.

Just removing those shackles may be the truest benchmark of being on your way.

The Truth About Networking Myths (for those of us between the Boomers & GenX)

Nature Network drinks at the Lamb by Matt From London via Flickr

Networking. I can’t even begin to tell you how that word rubs me the wrong way. Oh, wait. Yes I can. In fact, it’s the point of this post.

There’s a whole generation of us out here in the business world today that are… well, we’re not quite Boomers, and we’re not quite GenX. We’re kind of the middle between them. And I doubt that I’m the only one of this group who was raised to think that “networking is for people who can’t actually do anything on their own, people who network rely on who they know, not what they know or what they can do to get ahead.”

I think that may have actually been a direct quote from more than one conversation in my formative years. Which has led to an immediate CRINGE factor whenever I hear the word.

And this has hindered my growth. Because when you don’t try to network, you aren’t actively trying to meet more new people. You become isolated. Back then, it was called being “private” and was regarded well. But today, it makes you seem anti-social.

As I’ve been pondering how I can solve this dilemma in my own life, I thought others might benefit from my review of some myths I was raised with about networking, and the truth that counters those myths.

delicious Network Explorer by iconolith via Flickr

Myth #1: People who get jobs through their networks are unqualified.

Truth: If someone is referring you through a network, it’s because you ARE qualified. Okay, sure, there are instances of nepotism out there that end in disaster. But that’s just it: they end in disaster! Would you recommend someone you didn’t trust? Of course not – it would make your judgment look suspect. LinkedIn is built on the fact that people are cautious enough about not wanting their judgement to appear suspect that they won’t link to people they don’t actually know. And it works for all the other social networks out there.

Myth #2: Asking people you know for a referral makes you look unprofessional.

Truth: Businesses use testimonials, and you should too. In fact, you’re probably asked to provide references. Why not find the best ones you can by asking everyone you know and picking the ones that represent you best?

WIT Grad. Bus. Xmas 2007 Networking by witgb via flickr

Myth #3: If you’re going out just to meet people to get ahead, you must be inherently unsatisfied with your own life or you’re a sneaky weasel looking for an “in” you probably don’t deserve. Or both. Probably both.

Truth: Meeting people is good. There is nothing wrong with wanting to know more people. It doesn’t mean you don’t value the friends you have – it just means you’re greedy for more. And that greediness is okay because it also means you have more to give. Relationships go both ways or not at all. Even if your brain goes to that one“friend” who only calls when s/he needs something and is never there when you need help, you’re not likely to refer that friend, are you?

I know that in my mind, the first thing I picture is the slimy new kid who doesn’t know anything being introduced through the friend of his father to someone who’ll give a position he doesn’t deserve because he’s friends with his old man. (Kinda like what I think when I see the picture to the left.) But that’s just in my head.

In truth, it’s not finding a sneaky “in,” it’s helping the person who needs your help find you. From the perspective of the person who needs what you offer, the person actively seeking the type of solution you’d provide, would you rather sort through business opportunities from hundreds of people you don’t know who could be scamming you, or ask the opinion of someone you know and trust ?

Myth #4: Some people are good at networking and others just aren’t.

Truth: Networking – like any other task – takes practice. Are there some people born with an innate talent? Sure. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn. You may have to stretch out of your comfort zone to do it. But that means growth for you as a person. And that’s always good.
Not everyone will network the same way, either. Some are great at going to random functions and just talking with any and everyone. Some are better at meeting and connecting online. Some are better at one on one situations. (Like me. That’s why I did the Fast Friends experiment this summer (idea borrowed from Cheryl Harrison), and will do it again – probably quite soon, too.) Figure out the way you connect best with people. And like Nike, just do it.

Taste of Bexley 2009 – Tastecasters Review

Tastecasters was invited to join in for the first ever Taste of Bexley, and boy were we glad to be there.

26 Bexley restaurants were scheduled to attend, but unfortunately, not all of them showed. Too bad for them. There were lots of hungry visitors, and we enjoyed the heck out of everything we tried.

Taste of Bexley - Chihuly Glass at Franklin Conservatory

The venue was a delight and the display of Chihuly Glass only added to its charm.  By the size of the crowd I would think this was a huge crowd pleaser and did a lot for Mid Ohio Food Bank.

Since there were so many restaurants, I’m going to try to break the reviews up by type – just for some semblance of order. I didn’t manage to get pictures of everything, which is a shame because it was all delightful!

Casual Eateries

Brueggers sesame seed bagel sandwich

Entering, the first booth we came to was Bruegger’s Bagels. They offered herby turkey sandwiches, chicken salad, chicken spaetzel soup and roasted tomato soup. I tried the chicken salad and it was as good as my home-made, which – since I’m truly a chicken salad snob – is quite the compliment. I know where I’ll go next time I crave chicken salad, that’s for sure. I also tried the chicken spaetzel soup, which would be perfect with a bagel on a cold day.

Panera bakery was also there. If you like REAL bread (not the crap we Americans use for sandwiches on a regular basis – no, I mean the stuff that’s got crust and some heft to it!) you can’t go wrong at Panera. They provided samples of many of their breads and some spinach dip. Yum.

Katzinger's sandwiches

The next booth we stopped at was Katzinger’s Deli. Katzinger’s is located in German Village, but a proud supporter of all things Bexley. Anyone who’s ever eaten there knows there’s not a bad thing on the menu. I tried the smoked salmon and the veggie sandwich with roasted red peppers. There was also turkey and corned beef, but I wanted to leave some for other people to try. Yum.

At the Cosi stand I tried the Chicken pesto, and my husband tried the buffalo chicken sandwich. There were pepper chips on the side. They also had cream cheese on bagels, but we didn’t try them. When we picked up the sandwiches, I said, “Hey, we’ll each pick a different one and share!” But once we started, we couldn’t stop. We each ate our whole sandwich, and when we went back to try to get more, the line was so long. We thought we’d come back later, but everything was gone by the time we got there again. Sigh.

Old Bag of Nails - Fried Pickles

Old Bag of Nails was a treat. I’m originally from Detroit, and I’m kind of a fried fish snob – there’s some GREAT fish places in Detroit, let me tell you. The fish that Old Bag of Nails brought was right on par with what I’m used to eating. I can’t tell you how happy that made me. I know where I’ll go for my next fish and chips craving! There was also a pumpkin roll, with a super cream cheese filling.

Rusty Bucket grills Quesodillas

We then made our way over to the Rusty Bucket. They didn’t bring their fried pickles – it would have been difficult to have them hot and fresh, I imagine, since there was no onsite cooking available there at Franklin Conservatory. And while that is the one thing I always order when I’m there, I have to say that the chicken & corn quesodillas are now also likely to become a staple for me. They were perfectly spiced and the guacamole matched it perfectly.

Flavor's Eatery Chicken & Dips

Flavor’s Eatery is a restaurant I had never heard about before, but definitely want to go back to. On display were some lightly breaded chicken bites that served as a vehicle for some amazing home-made dipping sauces. The Thai sauce was a favorite. Just a hint of spice, sweet, and peanut, and it really delivered. Also nicely done was the barbecue sauce, that was a slight bit runny but had a great tang to it. The white chicken chili was a wonderful soup though. The consistency was more like soup – I typically view chili as a bit thicker – but the broth was wonderfully seasoned and had big chunks of vegetables in it.

At Aladdin’s Eatery, we sampled some Mediterranean fare. As always, it was delicious. Aladdin’s really knows how to create a vegetarian meal that makes you not miss the meat at all. I tried a lentil & rice dish called Mujadara – absolutely delicious – where just the lentils & rice themselves would have been flavorful enough, but they topped it with fresh vegetables (a Lebanese salad) that just brought the whole thing to life. I also recommend, when you eat there, to try their hummus and anything they serve with feta.

Bexley Natural Market

Up near the very front, we found Bexley Natural market. Organic vegetables. Carrots, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese. It was all fabulous. And best of all, hormone free. I seriously have to start shopping there.

Dessert Fare

Jeni's Ice Cream

Right next to the Rusty Bucket was Jeni’s ice cream. Okay, could there be any more of my Columbus favorites under one roof? Jeni’s ice cream is a unique treat. Their salty caramel is something you won’t taste anywhere else. The dark chocolate is actually dark – a must for those who prefer a higher cacao content (although, I find their cocoa-zin – which they didn’t bring to the event to be even darker). The heirloom pumpkin 5-spice was like pumpkin pie in a cup. I didn’t get to try their apple cider sorbet, to my chagrin. But luckily, they brought samples of the Seattle-based natural soda they sell at their stores. It was a lavender soda, and it was delightful. The lavender wasn’t overpowering, there was a lemony undertone. It cleansed the palette beautifully.

Johnson’s Ice Cream, which was on the other end of the Taste, is a more traditional, and just as delicious, ice cream provider. They offered their own pumpkin spice ice cream and the spices in it were perfectly blended – even as full as I was by the time I got there, I couldn’t stop eating it.The French Butter Fudge was also amazing. Rich, creamy, buttery ice cream with a thick river of fudge running through it. It was a sundae in and of itself – the only thing missing was whipped cream and nuts, and I didn’t really miss it.

Cherbourg Bakery Brownies

Oh, then there was the Cherbourg Bakery. Everything they brought was gluten free. Now *THAT* is a feat. For those who aren’t bakers, gluten is found in flour made from wheat. You know, the white flour that is used in almost EVERY SINGLE baked good most Americans think of as populating a bakery. But you’d never know they were gluten-free from the taste. YUM. The lemon cookies were delicious. And there was a cookie made with rice flour. I love everything Japanese, so I was kind of expecting it to be mochi-like. Nope. Tasted like a sugar cookie to me. Very good.

Beverages

At Starbucks, I tried the Pumpkin Spice Latte. This is a seasonal drink – you can only get it in the fall, and I, for one, look forward to it all year. The spices are perfectly blended and it’s not overly sweet, which I really like. They also had samples of their new instant, Via, which they handed out for people to try at home. Haven’t tried it yet, but I’m really curious, I’ll have to admit. And giving away samples at this event was pretty smart.

Mona Vie

Mona Vie was a surprise for me. This is a bottled health drink that uses a blend of fruits to create a premium health kick. And it tastes delicious! Plus, they offer an “energy drink” version – it comes in a can that is somewhat Red Bull-esque, but instead of giving you a bad lift that leads to a bad crash, this stuff energizes you naturally. And the carbonation just adds a little something to the flavor. I could so see me drinking this regularly.

Fine Dining

Bexley Monk - Duck confit, and macaroons

One of the most highly regarded restaurants in Bexley, The Bexley Monk, brought a duck confit with truffle oil. Not too delicate, not too hearty – just right. And their macaroons with blood orange buttercream – heavenly. I’ve never eaten at the Monk before, but it was obvious that they’re at least 4 stars.

We looked everywhere for Giuseppe’s Ritrovo. They were nowhere to be found. I asked around and found out that they hadn’t been able to attend. I was seriously bummed. I’ve had this restaurant recommended to me repeatedly and was really looking forward to it. Giuseppe’s Ritrovo, if you’re listening, be sure to come next year, okay?

Caryn's Cuisine's brownies

Caryn’s Cuisine provided a truly complete offering. A large, fully stuffed mushroom that had a nice bit of spice to it started things off. The star of the show was a merlot-braised tenderloin that was amazing. Served on a bit of crostini with an amazing herbed horseradish sauce, this bite was a little bit of heaven. Caryn’s finished with a pair of desert offerings. First up was a cheesecake bite with a little strawberry on top. The cheesecake was wonderfully creamy and the graham cracker crust was spot on. Topping that though was a peanut butter and chocolate ganache brownie. It was exactly what you hope for when you hear the phrase “peanut butter and chocolate ganache brownie.”

The fare at The Top was the tops. It won best of show – both Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice. It’s no wonder they were one of the first providers to run out of food. In fact, by the time I made it back to the top, they had run out of their potatoes. However, the jumbo shrimp and pan-seared filet more than made up for it. Just one shrimp could easily feed a family of four. They don’t mess around when they say jumbo. The taste was clean and fresh, with a satisfying cocktail sauce. And the filet was amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever had a more tender piece of filet. You could have almost spread it with a knife, which you absolutely would not need to cut it.

Parkhurst Caramel Apple Pie

Capital University’s Parkhurst Dining was a surprise. From the name, you can’t help but think cafeteria food – but that mental picture couldn’t be farther from the truth. They offered little spoonfuls of salad that were perfect – feta cheese mixed with the vegetables and spices wonderfully. The Sirloin Beef wrapped around enoki mushrooms with a creamy sauce was a treat. And their desserts! Oh, man the desserts. The buckeye peanut butter parfait and the fudge brownie were  great and the carmel apple pie parfait was even better. This isn’t campus eating – this is fine cuisine.

Catering By Scott - Salmon Mousse Tartlet with Creamy Pesto

Catering by Scott was also amazing. I was expecting them to be part of the Casual Dining category, but with what they brought, I have to put them under Fine Dining. Chefs proudly offered a delightfully tasty salmon mousse tartlet with creamy pesto. The light mousse was served on toast points with the pesto to the side. It was a great appetizer selection with a mouthwatering mixture of savory flavors. They also offered a unique buffalo chicken tartlet with spicy aili: the flavor of buffalo wings taken to a new level with elegant presentation and a mix of tastes (buffalo & aioli). Both items would be very popular at a party.

Entertainment

Pizza acrobat

Along the way, we tried to take the time  to enjoy the provided entertainment. There was a jazz trio, a guitarist and singer… actually, I think I might have missed a lot of it. But we made sure to see the Pizza Acrobat. My only complaint was that there were so many people watching, and he wasn’t on a high enough platform for us all to see everything over their heads. It was so FREAKIN’ COOL! My husband caught one of the crusts that he threw into the audience like a frisbee. We carried it around like a trophy the rest of the night.

One of our Tastecasters made a video of the night. Take a look and you’ll see the acrobat in action!

Pizza

And speaking of pizza, there were three pizza providers there.

Bexley Pizza Plus

Bexley Pizza Plus’ pizza brought many of their specialty pizzas. I don’t know if you’ve read my review of them that I posted earlier this year, but their crust is amazing. It’s perfect for households that are split between liking thin crust and a thicker crust – it combines the best of both worlds. I highly recommend their Ultimate pizza.

Anthony’s was also there – another of my favorite pizza joints. Anthony’s has a wonderfully crispy thin crust, and they use some of the tastiest mozzarella I’ve ever had on a pizza. If you visit their restaurant, they also serve stromboli – and I recommend their vegetarian stromboli, I think it’s called meatless magic. MMm. Just writing about it is making me hungry.

Rubino’s, which is right next to Bexley Pizza Plus in Bexley, decided to shake things up by not bringing their pizza. Instead, they offered up samples of their spaghetti for everyone, so that people could get to know them for more than just pizza. They also served salads, which was a nice touch.

Asian Cuisine

Moshi Sushi - Spicy Tuna Roll

Moshi Sushi was a delight. There was a very unique, somewhat crunchy spicy tuna roll. So delicious and unlike any other tuna roll I’ve ever tried. Oh, and words cannot encompass the bliss of their ginseng braised short ribs. HEAVEN! Nice and sweet with a little spicy flavor. And I don’t think the meat could have been any more tender.

Peking Dynasty - Lo Mein

Peking Dynasty is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants. They didn’t bring it with them, but I highly recommend their hot and sour soup – some of the best I’ve ever had. Everything I’ve ever had there has been phenomenal. (Hint: General Tso’s chicken is some of the BEST EVER.) What they did bring was a yummy chicken lo mein, and their flavorful eggrolls. They also have a sushi chef on staff and brought some of that to the Taste.  Some of what they brought: the tiger roll, spicy tuna roll, and an eel roll.  All were great. The tiger roll was good “beginner’s sushi,” and the eel was also great. Both had great sauces that let the natural flavors come through as well.

Wings salmon cakes with corn & edamame

Finally, there was also Wing’s Restaurant, who served salmon cakes with mayo on a corn & edamame salad. The salmon cakes were an unexpected delight, and the corn and edamame had a light citrus-y thing going on. I couldn’t stop eating it. They also served us ruby (and port) glazed corned beef over stir-fried cabbage, with mustard. I’ve never even seen corned beef at a Chinese restaurant, but this was delicious. And my husband, who won’t ever willingly eat cabbage tried it (grudgingly) and said, “That’s good! It doesn’t even taste like cabbage!” It was flavorful, but not overpowering.

All in all, we had a great time. I like trying new restaurants, but usually am stuck with the conundrum of what to try. Usually, you pick one item and hope you made the right choice. Sometimes it’s just what you wanted, and sometimes you leave thinking, “Man, I wish I would have tried that OTHER dish.” That’s the great thing about the Taste. Where else can you sample so many different foods and leave pleasantly, but not overly, full. It was perfect.

How YOU Should You Be? – Part II, Multiple Personalities?

Back in May, I asked the question “How YOU should you be” in business.

And most of the responses I got agreed that you should just be yourself and let the chips fall where they may. I’ve also been reading some posts about this (Example), and they seem to concur: just be yourself.

But I’m not convinced it’s that simple. To me, it seems we need to develop multiple personalities – facets of ourselves, if you will – so that we can display parts of what is truly US, and yet keep other things hidden.

The best example I can give is a personal one. I have a somewhat childlike approach to life. I try very hard to retain a sense of innocent curiosity and display my interests as plainly as a child. But in business situations, this can be perceived as a lack of experience and viewed poorly. I need to click off this aspect and click on my ability to be focused on solutions (I’m a puzzle solver – which is still something gained from childhood, but can be applied to adult/business situations). This gives me the personality I need to garner the respect necessary to form partnerships.

If I let my guard down too soon and display my full, youthful demeanor too early in a relationship – before the other person has seen enough of my capabilities to understand that this part of my personality is a benefit – it can create in their minds doubt, which will sour the whole deal. And there are even some people who will NEVER be able to see it as a benefit, regardless of how well we’ve worked together in the past, because of their own interpersonal communication needs.

If we don’t create alternate displays of our personality, we run the risk of offending people, refusing to be in a relationship with them because of a personality conflict. Of course, by developing different facades, we run the risk of occasionally coming off as stiff or phony – say, for example, when you have to pull back on your personality in front of someone used to the looser you because the two of you are in front of someone who needs you to be more circumspect.

It really is a philosophical question, and I wonder what everyone thinks. Which route do you think is likely to be more beneficial – both in terms of generating viable partnerships and in terms of self-satisfaction? Please share your thoughts and stories.

2009 Pumpkin Carving Results

So, based on your feedback, I’m going ahead and posting my weird hobbies.

Today’s weird hobby is pumpkin carving. I’ll post the inspiration picture as well as the final result. Let me know what you think.

And if you have ideas for NEXT YEAR’s pumpkin(s) send ’em my way!

These two images are the original and my carving of Light Yagami aka Kira from Death Note – which some of you may know from Adult Swim on Cartoon Network.
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And these two are the original and my carving of Alice Human Sacrifice. For those unfamiliar, Alice Human Sacrifice is a little animation project that was created to accompany a creepy Japanese vocaloid that you can find here.

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So, these are the pumpkins this year. Let me know what you’d like to see next year, please!

5 Options For Sourcing Your Social Media Campaign

Before most companies make the commitment to social media, they want to be certain they understand what they’re actually committing to. After all, it makes no sense to just jump on the bandwagon, until you know where it’s going to take you and how much the ride’s going to cost.

Some of the questions that need to be asked include: Can we do this ourselves? How much time and energy is this going to take? Would it be more cost effective to outsource it entirely? Are there any other options?

Well, in terms of outsourcing it entirely, there are companies that do that. And while there are a lot of good people out there with a lot of advice on social media, if you’re considering hiring a company to completely take on your social media tasks – provide them for you outsourced, do everything for you, so that you can get the benefits of social media without expending internal effort, without making the social media expert a part of your company team – there are so many ramifications that I’d say: “Don’t do it!” After all, the very idea of social media is against outsourcing. Social media is about RELATIONSHIP building. Can a third party provider build the relationship between you and your customers? That’d be like having someone else date your prospective wife to build up the relationship, and then expecting the marriage to work. It’s just not going to happen.

But where does that leave you? Can a savvy business that understands the limitations of your staff’s available time, yet still wants to run a campaign, do so affordably and with a lessened risk of being “outted” for using outside help?

I see five Social Media options available:

Option #1: The Learning Path
This is where you run a SM campaign, but understand that you’re dabbling. You’re not intending to really get a lift, you’re just putting your name out there so that you can say you’re doing something. Your goal is not to go all out, but to slowly work your way in – kind of like the swimmer who starts by just letting his feet get hit by the waves. Then slowly works up to the ankles, and so on. The goal is that as you learn the venues available, you can start to see what’s working well for you and then begin to expend more time and energy there.

Upside: you won’t have to expend a lot of energy right away.

Downsides: you may get distracted and forget all about maintenance. Plus, it will take a long time to get any results at all.

Option #2: The Intern
In this option, you hire an intern to run your social marketing for you. The intern won’t expect a lot of pay and will enjoy being able to play online as their job. You’ll need to be careful in the hiring to ensure you get someone who is already savvy about the benefits of SM. That way they’ll know where to start you off. An intern who is studying marketing or PR is a good choice. And you’ll need to make sure to train the intern on everything your business does and your corporate culture so that s/he can represent you appropriately.

Upside: Cost is fairly reasonable and you get a full-blown campaign.

Downsides: You’re putting your reputation into the hands of an intern. This could work well if you hire the right one, or horribly if you don’t.

Option #3: Part-time Staffer
Similar to The Intern, in this case, you just hire someone part time.

Upside: Cost is reasonable, full-blown campaign.

Downside: Part-timer are less likely to feel loyalty, so the vibe from your campaign might not be as strong as it could be.

Option #4: Outsourced, but YOUR staff
In this option, you’re hiring a professional social media company to run your campaign – BUT the person who runs it is actually your staff. Okay, that sounds a little confusing, but it’s not. What happens is that the social media company, understanding the need for transparency and relationship building, hires staff that are accountable to YOUR company. They go through your company training. They’re expected to attend your company meetings. They understand your culture and products. They’re an extension of your company – an offshoot. But they work at the social media company’s office. Chances are the person who becomes your social media liaison is liaison to one or two other companies as well. It’s like they’re a shared part-timer. The other companies should not, in any way, be competitive to your industry. Because this person is a full-time employee, they won’t be distracted by the need to find a full-time position, so they can show the dedication you’ll need. And you won’t have the burden of paying them for a full-time position. Also, because they’re in a company dedicated to social media, they’ll be on top of the latest trends and can provide you with better service.

The caveats are that you’ll need to make sure you’re transparent about the arrangement, so that no one can call you on it later. You’ll also need to be sure that your in-house staff is willing to provide excellent communication, never forgetting that your SM specialist is a part of the team. If you leave them out of important discussions or forget to connect the full marketing plan, that’s when everything can fall apart.

Upsides: Reasonable costs, full campaign, staying on top of trends.

Downsides: Need for transparency & superior communication.

Option #5: Dedicating the Time with Internal Staff
And the final option is to just bite the bullet and determine that you’re going to get your staff the training to run a SM campaign, and allow them the time to do it.

Upsides: Full integration of marketing efforts, no new staff

Downsides: Time to run the campaign may eat into other efforts.

Those are the 5 options as I see ’em. Anyone have ideas for other options?