The months leading up to CEDIA were full of graphic creation, paper work, networking, press release writing, email blast designing, and the list goes on and on, until finally the big week arrived. I jumped on a plane at 6 a.m. and headed to Indiana. Once I made it, I went straight to the convention center to set up our booth. I’m going to be real with you: I was definitely thrown off by the fact that I was probably one of five women in the ENTIRE convention center. I felt like that week at CEDIA was my “debutante ball;” I was exposed to editors, publishers, our dealers, competitors, and anyone else you can think of.

For the six months prior to CEDIA I had only been able to look at my specific job and role. I couldn’t see past the fact that I was just selling networking gear. I came into the office day in and day out and did my thing. I loved my job, but I couldn’t yet see the industry as a whole. CEDIA opened my eyes to much more. I was able to understand that each person was a piece of this “Industry Story.” I wasn’t just selling network products, but rather I was selling networking products that were a necessary piece to the puzzle as a whole. When asked why I love CEDIA my reason hands down is because it connects individual people together and helps create an entire story. It’s the one time of year (at least for me) where I can be in the same place with all of my #Avtweeps. First time connections are made, friendships are strengthened, trends are discovered, partnerships established, exciting news broadcasted out, and business booms.

Yes, the products and technology are important, but most importantly networking can take place. People are conversational and relational, and there is no better place than CEDIA to do both! With that being said, I think you get the point…I value CEDIA. It’s what first launched me into this fabulous industry we are a part of. Looking back at my first Expo, I absolutely had my share of mistakes. In closing I leave you with some lessons learned and a couple of pointers; whether you are an attendee or exhibitor, they will save you some regrets!

1) I’m quite a feminine lady and proud of my high heel-wearing skills. Let’s be real ladies…it’s impossible. I showed up to the show the first day in my high, high, HIGH heels. I’m not sure what I was thinking. I ended up having to run back to my hotel through the streets of Indianapolis, barefoot, for THE ONLY pair of flats I brought with me. So tip #1, wear comfortable shoes…the high heels can wait for after hours.

2) There will ALWAYS be something you need to do or something you need to see. Take breaks to eat, even if it is a light snack. I was so focused on getting everything done that I kept putting off my snack breaks. By the end of the day I realized I hadn’t eaten anything and was ready to pass out and fall over if you had touched me with your pinky. You won’t get anything done if you are lying on the floor passed out…so tip #2 EAT!

3) This one is focused more on the exhibitor. Give yourself extra time. You never know what is going to go wrong. If the show beings at 8AM don’t plan on arriving at your booth at 7:55. I arrived at the booth right as the show was beginning one day and realized I had forgotten all of our rack keys in my hotel room; once again I had to charge back and get them, so our booth wasn’t ready to go until 20 minutes after the show started. So tip #3, give yourself time!

4) CEDIA involves a lot of talking! Talking equals dry mouths and hoarse throats. There were times at the show where I literally had no voice left to give dealers a booth tour. Tip #4 is a simple one, stock up on mints, gum, cough drops, and water bottles. In my opinion there is nothing more annoying than being thirsty and hoarse. Come prepared.

5) CEDIA is the perfect place to make new friends and business connections. Leave your nerves, and timidity at home. My final tip is to put your game face on and step outside yourself. You don’t want to miss out on amazing opportunities because you are shy, nervous, or don’t know anyone. Head to the parties, introduce yourself to strangers, and put yourself out there. That was the one thing I feel I really did right at my first event. I didn’t care that I didn’t know people but I stepped outside my comfort zone and made new friends.

That’s all I’ve got for now folks. Say hi on twitter and let’s have a GREAT CEDIA EXPO!

I woke up this morning totally excited for a few reasons. First off I JUST graduated from San Francisco State University with my Bachelors of Arts in Communications Studies, so the adrenaline was still pumping through my veins because of that! Secondly, I knew today was the day the big #CEDIATweeps team announcement would be made.

At around 8:10AM I received an email from our fabulous ring leader Olivia Sellke (@O_sellke) welcoming me to the #CEDIATweeps team! After squealing, eeking, hoping around my office, and shouting across the room to make everyone aware of this news, I jumped on Twitter to see who the other winners were. I was pleased to see my close Twitter friends Matt Scott (@mattDscott), John Sciacca (@SciaccaTweets), Johnny Mota (@Jmota3), Richard Fregosa (@rfregosa) and Jack Cotter (@jackJcotter) also on the team with me! I was also pleased to see some new faces to get to know which are Nick Brown (@prnick), Josh Christian (@DSI_Audio_Video), Jeff Terzo (@jterzo1) and Heather Sidorowicz (@tech_chi) . Special shout out to Heather being the only other woman with me on the team! We will do our best to rep our tech ladies! (@womeninav and @womeninCE).
 

• “Will this engage my audience and provoke discussion?”
• “Can people relate to this and find it of relevance?”
• “Does this offer up helpful information and skills?”
• “Will someone find this humorous and get good laugh out of it?”

I think that’s enough Twitter talk for one day! I hope my crash course on Twitter will give you the necessary tools and confidence to jump head first into this magical (haha) world,  or to perfect the account you’ve already started! Have fun, engage, build relationships and remember…may your Tweets be ever intentional! 

Warmest Wishes,

Olivia

PS: Check out my tweets here: twitter.com/Olivia_lyn

- Mahatma Gandhi 

This quote has deeply affected me and how I live my life. For those of you who have read my blogs before, you know I’m all about dreaming big and believing in yourself. It doesn’t matter what area of life, if there is a change you hope to see, you must first embody what you want the world to be. Personal action, passion and conviction precede desired culture change!  Many times we see celebrities or the rich and the famous taking a stand, but we forget that we, too, can make a difference in our families, work places, industries, ministries and amongst our followers. With that said, I wanted to take a moment to bring attention to a man who is passionate about seeing change in his community. He acknowledged a problem and is making a personal change to bring awareness and change. I believe his story and conviction will encourage and inspire you to see the issues in your life that can be changed!

Pastor Rob Cox is a friend of mine from Manteca California. He wrote a blog on Feb. 13, 2012 stating:

I’ve had enough of this.  It’s time for a revolution inside the schools of Manteca, California and of the United States.  I need to do something.  So, I’m going on a hunger strike to say I am more hungry for purity and character than I am for the urges and needs of my human body.  I am partnering with Character Counts to engage the student body and our community as a whole to wake up to the issues that are destroying our next generation of leaders in this country.  This isn’t an attack on anybody; this is just identifying a serious problem and doing what I can to solve it.  This isn’t about religious culture.  This isn’t about shoving religious laws or dogma down kids’ throats.  This is about saving this next generation from depravity.  No nation can survive if hedonism becomes the law of the land. 

Today is March 7, 2012, and Pastor Rob is STILL on his hunger strike. He has seen and heard countless testimonies of change, young people dropping off their razor blades to him, stories of students turning away from alcohol and drugs, girls realizing their worth! This is just the beginning of the change he wants to see. How long will his fast go on for?

From February 13, 2012 until the day that I see that our local leaders and public figures have developed a compass for this problem, I will not be eating any food.  I am using this to awaken people to this plight.

That, ladies and gentleman, is what I call passion! We long to see change in our companies, our industries, families or the world around us, yet we always think it’s somebody else’s problem to fix. Imagine if we all started taking ownership of the issues in life. Tired of your workplace environment? Well, do something about it! Tired of the way you are treated in your industry? Well, take a stand! Desperately desire change in our society? Acknowledge the problem and be the Change you want to see!

My sole purpose for this blog post is to remind you that one can be the difference. A whole lot of “ones” equal many. In closing, let today be the start of something new. Let’s create a culture of history makers!

Warmest Wishes,

Olivia

PS: If you are interested in find out more about Pastor Rob’s cause you can read his blog. http://gloryfallrob.tumblr.com/post/17569910523/we-need-purity-and-we-need-it-now or contact him via twitter @gloryfallRob

“To perfect,” on the other hand, means “to bring to completion or perfection, to make flawless or fully skilled.” This brings me to the question: is it better to invent or to perfect? My boss, Victor Pak, recently brought this debate to my attention.

In his article, he stated:

Like many others, I followed Jobs’ work and marveled at all the products Apple developed and released to the market with great success.  What intrigues me about Apple is that they were not the first to invent a product category – they just did it better than anyone else. I found it very interesting that the death of Robert W. Galvin, which occurred a mere six days after that of Steve Jobs’, was wholly unrecognized by the press. Unlike Jobs’ passing, Galvin’s did not make the front page of the paper, nor did it incite statements from celebrities or the President. There was no massive press release or even a cause of death, but instead, a statement on the back page of the Washington Post indicating that Galvin had passed away quietly at the age of 89 in his Chicago home. 

For those of you who were like me and unsure of who Robert W. Galvin was, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive of Motorola. His company, Motorola, was the first to transform cell phones into wireless communication products that were small enough to use anywhere.

            After reading Victor’s article I realized how true this was. Steve Jobs was not the man to invent the cell phone and its technology, yet he was adored while alive and honored after he passed. Robert, on the other hand, was barely acknowledged as he passed away. What does this say about our society? We feel we deserve the best and constantly seek change. Think about it, we are always craving the “next big thing.” I must admit that I am guilty of this very phenomenon. A few months ago, I was feeling bored with my current laptop. I had a PC that was working perfectly fine, yet I felt left out of the hip and trendy Apple circle. Instead of being satisfied with my current device, I went out and purchased a brand new Apple Mac Book Pro. It often appears that the creator may get the credit for a period of time, but the “perfector” quickly steps in for the glory. The thing is, the “perfector” is always changing, unless, of course, you are Steve Jobs.

            Those of you who have had conversations with me know I am a dreamer. I have an entrepreneurial spirit, and I am always looking to build or create something new, so I’ve put a lot of thought into this topic. Does the inventor really get pushed to the background while the new guy takes your idea and makes it better? I have to say that although the inventor may not get the glory he or she deserves, he holds the more honorable position. It takes a considerable amount of passion, knowledge, persistence, and motivation to create something that others find important enough to try to perfect. From a business standpoint, however, we want to constantly remain on top, so how do we achieve this?

            I would venture to say that it’s possible to be both the inventor and the “pefector.” As we know, new technology is constantly being discovered and our industry is forever changing. I admit, it is a challenge, which is why most people or companies fall into the category of either inventing or perfecting. So, what’s the point of my ramblings? It’s a challenge – a challenge to rise above, to be that person or company that has the passion and drive to invent something great and also master the skills to perfect their creation! Or, instead of always trying to “one up” our competitors, why don’t we join forces? I bet you’re thinking, “did she really just say that?”  Indeed, I did. It is quite possible that we can reach a greater level of success and acknowledgment if we put our pride aside and join forces with other people or companies that fill the gaps that we may lack.

            I challenge you to think long and hard. What do you think is better, to be a knowledgeable and fearless inventor like Galvin, or a skilled and vision-filled “perfector” like Jobs? Or maybe, just maybe, you would like to venture with me in striving to find that perfect blend of both…

Warmest Wishes,

Olivia

PS: You can read Victor’s article HERE

In the words of Donald Trump, “Without passion, you don’t have energy; without energy, you have nothing. Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.” I stumbled across this quote the other day and couldn’t get it out of my head. There is something so real and relevant to Mr. Trump’s words. Everyone wants to accomplish something, right? We dream of becoming the next musical sensation, launching a non-profit organization that will change the world, making ridiculous amounts of money, breaking records, shifting our culture; something inside of us longs to be greater than we are. There is no better way to introduce myself than with a prelude about passion.

My name is Olivia and I am the newest member of the rAVe [Publications] BlogSquad. I’ve grown up in the Bay Area with a love of crisp cold air, walks on the beach, and shopping days downtown, but most importantly, a sense of motivation. The Bay Area is a world of innovation and creation. Things are constantly moving and changing, new ideas are developing, and technology is evolving. Living here, how could I become anything less than a person of passion and motivation? From an early age, I knew I wanted to become a successful adult. I had dreams and goals galore, and never for a second doubted the fact that they would become a reality.

I graduated from high school and went straight to San Francisco State University ready to conquer college. It was a new world of opportunity where I actually got to choose what I wanted to learn about.  I had always been a very social person with a love of technology and marketing. I chose to work toward my Bachelor’s of Science in Business with an emphasis in Marketing. After a few semesters, I decided to switch over to Communication Studies. I adored everything about that major and the classes. I will be graduating this coming May with my Bachelor’s degree, and I have never been more excited!

Since February, I have been working as the marketing associate for Pakedge Device & Software. I am able to fully embrace my love of both marketing and technology, and could not have asked for a better job! Every day is a learning experience with new adventures and mysteries to uncover. I am honored to join the BlogSquad team and plan to write about issues that are relevant in our industry, culture, and individual lives. I’d like to leave you with a final piece of advice. Never. Give. Up. Dreams don't become reality overnight, ideas don't become accomplishments in a matter of minutes, and goals don't become successes instantly. Never. Give. Up.

Warmest Wishes,

Olivia

With that said, Jennifer Willard (the founder of WAVE) and I were chatting one day over Twitter and I threw out the idea of a Tweet Up so we could meet in real life. And now all the women in our industry have come together to make it a reality! So now our first ever Tweet-up is quickly approaching – it’s next Friday, December 9th at 4 p.m. PST, 7 p.m. EST in locations across the country. We’re also excited to announce that NEC Displays and rAVe [Publications] are giving away an NEC TV to one of our #WAVE Tweeters next week to help promote our Tweet-up at the end of the week. Here’s how to win it!

We will start a tweet count on Monday, December 5th at 10 a.m. EST. Your job is to tweet all week long about industry stories, lessons-learned moments, quotes, etc. to encourage, inspire, and equip your fellow women in the industry. Please use hash tag #WAVE for the contest and our Tweet Up. You can tweet as many times as you would like up to and during our actual Tweet Up on Friday, December 9th. rAVe [Publications] has picked a lucky number, which ever tweet lands on that number will be the grand prize winner! Get excited and get Tweeting! And don’t forget to hashtag all your Tweets with #WAVE.

Olivia Dumanovsky is a marketing associate at Pakedge Device and Software in Foster City, Calif. Reach her at olivia@pakedge.com.