Have you been following along with my series on How to Get a Job: A True Story? Catch up by reading Part 1  and Part 2, then read Part 3 below…

How to Get a Job: A True Story (Part 3)

And we’re back.

In Part 1, I showed you the awesome email I got from someone (full disclosure: her name is Sarah Curl) who wanted to work for me, and told you why it blew my mind. In Part 2, I dissected the specific reasons why the email worked, and how I got around to responding a swift 27 days later.

The cliff-hanger in that post came at the ending (as all cliff-hangers do), when my response to her elicited another email from her — saying she had already gotten a job at Twitter!

Subject: Looking forward to “How to get a job Part 3″ from the biggest fan of Sarah Curl

.

Yes….it is I..her mama!!  I celebrate all her little victories and will always be her biggest supporter so thank you for taking the time to respond to her and meeting with her.  Congrats to you too for all your accomplishments!!  Your mom must also be very proud!!!

The best of luck to you Claire,

.

Sarah Curl’s Mom

Tune in next time for Part 4, and check out Part 1  and Part 2 as well.

Related posts:

1. How to Get a Job: A True Story (Part 2)
2. How to Get a Job: A True Story (Part 1)
3. Beat Cancer is Here – Are You Taking Part?

See my ongoing list of the 100 books I’m reading in 2012, and check out their (sometimes) pretty covers on my Pinterest board, cryptically entitled: The 100 Books I’m Reading in 2012. As always, if you’ve got a book you want me to read/review/spill tea on, just drop me a line.

And now, for some irreverent book reviews.

 All That You Can’t Leave Behind: A Rookie Missionary’s Life in Africa

I have long been obsessed with missionaries, expat aid workers, humanitarians in far-off bushes, Peace Corps volunteers, and really anyone living in strange (to them) places for unusual jobs or callings. I even did a master’s degree in cultural anthropology studying these folks — because I’m that obsessed. If there is a nonfiction book about someone’s experience doing any of the above, I have a) already read it or b) am crying because I don’t know about it.

So when I stumbled upon All That You Can’t Leave Behind on Kindle, I was able to look past the cover (yikes!) and read some of the Kindle reviews — which were alarmingly positive. Let’s be honest, though: the premise had already sold me, and the three dollar price tag made it that much sweeter.

I loved this simple, honest memoir.

For all the reasons above, and because it took place in the region of Kenya I lived in, and at a school (Rift Valley Academy — rumored to be the best boarding school in all of Africa) that has long fascinated me. In the book, a young San Diego couple decides to sell their house and move to Kenya — for a short twenty years or so. It’s a great, truthful insight into what it’s like to swap your life for another, and to make a home in a strange new place.

When Erik Hersman (aka @whiteafrican), one of the founders of an incredible nonprofit technology company – Ushahidi — told me he went to Rift Valley Academy and that the author Ryan Murphy was his teacher, I well, flipped. Erik swears he’s going to find me Ryan Murphy’s email, and I can guarantee I’ll be stalking him until he does.

The Peace “Corpse”: Misadventures in Love and Africa

I’ll get it out of the way immediately: this book could use some more editing. In both the areas of word choice (read: cussin’) and content (read: overly descriptive scenes that feature the author and girls), this book might benefit from a less is more approach. That said, I admire the author’s ability to “let it all out” — and to know he’s doing that. He tells the world that he’s going to tell it like it is, and he does.

I told you above why I loved reading about people who do strange cultural exchanges to far-off lands, and one of my favorite demographics to obsess over are current and retired Peace Corps volunteers.

Andy Chrisofferson is the textbook Peace Corps volunteer: a newly minted college grad who has never left the country before, plopped down in Africa with no idea what on earth he should be doing. And for this exact reason — and because Andy knows his charming uselessness in a strange land and is candid as can be about it all — this is a great narrative.

Also — this guy is funny. 

I had many a serious laugh-out-loud moment. And not just because I share so many shudder-worthy whitey-person-in-East-Africa mishaps in my not-so-distant memory.

Have you read either of these books?

Don’t forget to check out the full list of the 100 books I’m reading in 2012 on this page, or peruse The 100 Books I’m Reading in 2012 Pinterest list.

Related posts:

1. Book Reviews: Little Princes and Trout Fishing in the Yemen
2. Book Reviews: A Homemade Life, Gluten-Free Girl, Alice Waters and Chez Panisse
3. Great Author Tip: See What People Like in Your Book

It’s called Platform, and I love it.

It’s all about how to create a dedicated network to help support your aims and you can read more about what I thought of the book here.

Today, I’m doing an interview with Michael Hyatt about the book. However, since life is short (and books are long), I have condensed my interview to the three most important questions I could come up with. If these are not the three most important questions you would have asked, I’m sorry.

I’ll do better next time.

Question (Claire): If someone only had the time to implement only one tip from “Platform” about building their presence — what would it be? Getting on Twitter? Creating a FB “fan” page (I know you don’t like that term!)? Starting a blog and blogging regularly? Having an online media kit?

Answer (Michael):

First things first, you must make sure that your product is compelling. A compelling product is still a critical part of the success equation. It doesn’t matter how big your platform is—if your product isn’t truly wowing, it is not going to sell well. Like David Ogilvy wrote, “Great marketing only makes a bad product fail faster.” Though the platform may have become queen, it remains true that content is king.

When it comes to the platform building phase, there is no one thing. It’s the sum of several things done well that matter most. The key is in leveraging the best tools such as a website/blog, social media, and more to elevate your voice so that you can be heard.

 

Question (Claire): What was the turning point in building your own platform where it became *easier* and wasn’t such an uphill battle?

Answer (Michael):

I wish I could say there was one thing that changed it all but there really wasn’t. No Oprah appearance or massive media hit, just a consistent increase that has compounded in growth every year. (see my blog growth chart http://michaelhyatt.com/10-ways-to-generate-more-blog-traffic.html ) It’s a cumulative process of learning what works, avoiding what doesn’t, and capitalizing on every opportunity you can. Yes, there are many tips, tricks, and lessons I have learned along the way to help save time and money as well as propel things forward at a more rapid pace but all that is what I outline in Platform.

People should be weary of chasing the silver bullet of success. My success, and the success of many others, is mostly the result of having a product or service that others benefit from plus hard work and dedication. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a platform. It takes doing several things right—and doing them over a period of time. The real problem is that most people don’t start soon enough. They need to START NOW.

 

Question (Claire): What are three books that have influenced you greatly in the strategy of Platform creation (aside from your own!)?

Answer (Michael):

• Advertising Headlines That Make You Rich by David Garfinkel
• Tribes by Seth Godin
• Do the Work by Steven Pressfield

 

Smart stuff, no?

(And I’m talking about his answers, not my questions.)

Want to Buy the Book?

Go do so.

Related posts:

1. How to Build A Platform
2. Facebook Co-Founder Building a Social Network for Non-Profits?
3. Want to Interview Me About Twitter for Good?

Nope.

If you’ve been listening carefully, you’ve heard me gush about the 52nd book I’ve read in 2012.

This book.

It’s called Platform, and I’m in love (with it).

What is A Platform?

Let’s back up.

A platform is what you need if you want to get your message out to the world. With a platform, you can build a movement, change the world, and inspire others. I’m here to tell you that you need a platform.

In my own life I’ve seen the value of a platform, and how it has consistently propelled me to more fascinating, world-changing things. I’m convinced that many of the fun things happening in my life — like Fast Company placing me 21st on their list of the 100 Most Creative People on Business last week — wouldn’t happen were it not for the small, shaky platform of sorts I’m (trying!) to build for myself.

You should get a platform, too.

Now.

What is Platform (the book)?

The book that NYT Bestselling Author Michael Hyatt has written teaches you exactly what to do to develop your own platform. And it works.

Here’s what I wrote in my early review of the book, which you can see on the back of the snazzy hard copy and which is copied below. What I said then is exactly what I believe now about what Platform will teach you.

“Michael Hyatt is the authority on creating a platform in our crowded world, and Platform is the definitive, step-by-step guide to building a platform—from the ground up. If you’re longing to become a true influencer in this world, Hyatt can teach you how. With Platform, Hyatt’s done the near-impossible: create a guide even more useful than his wildly popular blog!”— CLAIRE DÍAZ-ORTIZ Social Innovation at Twitter, Inc.

Winning Lines from Platform

One of the best parts about reading on a Kindle is that I don’t have to retype all the amazing quotes I highlight from books. In the case of Platform, and the more than 100 highlights I made while reading and rereading, this is a time saving glory indeed.

Here are a few of my favorite one-liners that best capture exactly what this book is about, and exactly what you will learn about building your own tribe and becoming an influencer.

• As in times past, success today is not so much about what you know; it’s about who you know. And the who is your platform.
• In order for you to be successful in today’s business environment, you need two things: a compelling product and a significant platform.
• A compelling product plus a significant platform equals a big win for you.

Buy It. Now.

The book is out. Today. And I want you to buy it.

Because you will love it. You will learn from it. And finally, you will come away with so many notes and mind-brimming actionable ideas for building your own platform that you will immediately send Michael Hyatt an email asking when the sequel is coming out.

No, really.

Not sure when to buy? 

I have the answer.

If you buy it before Friday you’ll get score such a large amount of incredible, mind-filling, swag that — frankly — you’d be silly not to buy the book. (This is why I now own multiple copies, folks.)

Check out the bonuses.

Then buy the book.

There were quite a few responses to my post last week, I Didn’t Email You Back Because I Wanted to Personally Offend You.

Fittingly, many of them came to me via email. And many were quite good.

I’ve pulled together some of the best ones, with hopes that they might help you (or enrage you!) in your quest for true email etiquette domination.

Without further ado…

Six Tips for Email Etiquette (from you readers):

1. On Salutations:

I highly recommend you encourage readers to say hello, hi, buon giorno, anything that gets the ‘hello’ across (especially when they’re asking for something!). It’s easy, it’s nice and it warrants a response other than ‘Why should !?!’

2. On Writing a Good Subject Line

Make your subject heading useful to the recipient.

3. On Not Saying the Wrong Thing

Never email anything you wouldn’t mind having on the front page of the newspaper (you never know when someone will forward the message or who knows what).

4. On Not Receiving a Response

In the business world (the one inhabited by fast-moving strangers asking questions) has a Cardinal Rule: If you don’t receive a reply, the answer is “No.”  People don’t call back to say,”No.”

5. On Using the Phone (!)

If it’s slightly tricky or a very nuanced message where you want to make sure not to offend, pick up the phone!

If what you need to say is too long and complicated, pick up the phone! In other words, keep emails short and to the point

6. On Keeping the Peace

Thich Nhat Hanh advises to “write in such a way that the other person is receptive toward reading”…

There are pacifists who can write protest letters of great condemnation but who are incapable of writing a love letter. You have to write in such a way that the other person is receptive toward reading; you have to speak in such a way that the other person is receptive toward listening. If you do not, it is not worth the trouble to write or to speak.

To write in such a way is to practice meditation.

These are great tips, and aside from the tips about picking up the phone, I pretty much agree with all of those. For more on why I recommending avoiding 90% of all phone calls, see my post next week…;)

See my ongoing list of the 100 books I’m reading in 2012, and check out their (sometimes) pretty covers on my Pinterest board, cryptically entitled: The 100 Books I’m Reading in 2012. As always, if you’ve got a book you want me to read/review/spill chai tea on, just drop me a line.

And now, for some irreverent book reviews.

Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal (Conor Grennan)

This book will go down as one of the best I read in 2012, and I’m fine with that.

During my trip to Nepal this winter with my husband, I was cold. Very cold. Since the last time I was in that fine country it was summer and I was climbing to Everest Base Camp in tank tops, it didn’t occur to me to do things like check seasonability of vacation plans before packing my lone sweatshirt. Being cold led itself to staying under the covers in our lovely hotel, drinking tea and reading books by candlelight when the power went off (de rigueur in winter in Kathmandu).

Thankfully, when not laying in bed we went to bookshops, where we picked up this lovely story about one twenty-something American’s fascinating non-profit adventure in Nepal. Love, adventure, and adorable orphans collide in this one. It’s like Three Cups of Tea. But true. (And far better.)

I would also like to state for the record that I wish Conor Grennan had been in my business school class. (Yes, reading author bios is useful).

 Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (Paul Torday)

I don’t read many novels, and so when I do I hope that they are good ones. This one was.

One highlight of our Nepal trip this winter was staying in a hotel with the best host library I’ve seen in 55+ countries. I wanted to bring the whole darned library home with me, but it was heavy, and I was tired.

This novel by Brit Paul Torday was languishing in the “Novels” section (yes, this hotel library had organized sections and comfy couches!) and immediately caught my eye with it’s arresting cover.  (Mine looked a little different than the one above — see my cover, as memorialized on Pinterest via my instagramming iphone below.) I read it and loved it. Witty prose, hysterical storyline, and absurd premise to, well, trout fish in the yemen, of course.

(If confused, I encourage you to look up the habitat requirements of trout, and the geographical location of Yemen.)

 

Have you read either of these books?

Don’t forget to check out the full list of the 100 books I’m reading in 2012 on this page, or peruse The 100 Books I’m Reading in 2012 Pinterest list.

Related posts:

1. Book Reviews: A Homemade Life, Gluten-Free Girl, Alice Waters and Chez Panisse
2. Great Author Tip: See What People Like in Your Book
3. Why I Read 100 Books Each Year

The Agenda

Introduction 9:10am – 9:25am Claire Diaz-Ortiz
Session Time: 15 min.

Using Twitter for Good: 9:30am – 10:30am
Claire Diaz-Ortiz, Twitter
Session Time: 1 hour w/ Q&A

How to use Twitter to make a difference in the world around you. This tactical session will teach the 5 step T.W.E.E.T. framework for excelling on Twitter.

Coffee Break 10:30 – 10:45

Using Facebook for Good: 10:45 – 11:30am

Paull Young, Charity Water
Session time: 45 min. w/ Q&A from the audience

You don’t need a content calendar and formal process to do Facebook right. Forget about how many likes you have and act like a human – your fans will appreciate it!

Using YouTube for Good: 11:30am – 12:15pm
Mark Horvath, Invisible People
Session time: 45 min. w/ Q&A from the audience

This session will explore the incredible power of Youtube to make a difference in the world around you. Using stories and lessons learned from his successful work, Horvath will show participants how to navigate the world of video.

Lunch 12:15 – 1:30pm

Stories for Good: Thinking About the Content, Not Just the Platform 1:30pm – 2:00pm
Megan Stielstra, MyGreenLife
Session Time: 30 min.

In this session, Megan will explore the ways that the importance of story plays into the success of a cause campaign on social media.

Blogging for Good 2:00 – 2:45pm
Cassie Boorn, Devries PR
Session Time: 45 min.

In a world where we are constantly bombarded with issues, causes and charities it is hard to choose where to focus our efforts. Cause fatigue has made rallying support around important issues increasingly difficult. Cassie will explore the issue of cause fatigue and show how storytelling and blogging might be the way to drive people to taking action.

Case Study of Social Media for Social Good 2:45 – 3:15pm
Tim, Mightybytes
Session Time: 30 min.

In this presentation, Tim will discuss how Climate Ride, a growing nonprofit focused on cycling and sustainable solutions, uses social tools to grow the organization and keep the roads safe for riders.

Closing/Networking 3:30 – 4:00pm

#

The Speakers:

Cassie Boorne

Cassie Boorn is a Social Media Specialist at DeVries PR, where she works on digital programs for brands including  P&G, Pepperidge Farm, Materne and E&J Gallo. Cassie also writes regularly at her personal blog CassieBoorn.com which has been featured on NPR: All Things Considered, New York Times.com and more.

Mark Horvath

Mark Horvath knows about being homeless. He lived on the streets of Hollywood more than a decade ago, and, fours years ago, when he lost his job and his house in foreclosure, he essentially began recording homeless people’s stories and posting them online. Horvath’s ultimate goal for WeAreVisible.com would be to connect homeless agencies directly with the people seeking services, what he calls “virtual case management.” Connect with him on Twitter @hardlynormal.

Paull Young

Paull Young is Director of Digital at charity: water, a non-profit devoted to bringing clean and safe drinking water to the 1 billion people without. Frequently nominated as one of the leading digital non-profits, charity: water was the first non-profit to have 1 million Twitter followers and has 75% of its fundraising come through digital channels. In just 5 years charity: water has provided clean and safe drinking water to over 2 million people and raised almost $30 million in 2011.

Paull formerly was Senior Account Director with social media agency Converseon, where he led award winning campaigns for Fortune 500 clients such as Graco, Kohler, Telstra and Citrix.

Paull has been a well known PR and Marketing blogger and commentator since 2006, firstly at Young PR and now at PaullYoung.com. His work has been featured on FOX News, Wall St Journal, Sydney Morning Herald, CNN.com, NY1 and the Australian Financial Review. In 2011 he was named an industry ‘Rising Star’ by the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation. You can follow Paull on Twitter @paullyoung

Tim Frick

Tim is the author of media and marketing books that are used for professional development and by higher learning institutions in the U.S. and Europe, including Johns Hopkins University, the Art Institutes, and Full Sail University, among others. He is an avid environmentalist, a cyclist, and owner of Mightybytes, a triple bottom line-friendly B Corp in Chicago that creates rich user experiences to tell client stories, brand their products, and meet business, technology, and marketing needs.

Tim regularly presents at conferences and gives workshops and seminars on various aspects of marketing, digital media, social responsibility, and entrepreneurship. He is also on the board of directors of Climate Ride, a national bike ride for sustainable solutions.

Megan Stielstra

Megan Stielstra is the Literary Director of 2nd Story, a storytelling series dedicated to building community through storytelling, and the author of the story collection Everyone Remain Calm. She teaches creative writing at Columbia College and The University of Chicago and is a 3Arts Teaching Award Finalist for her work with 2nd Story, helping people of all ages get their stories on the page.

#

All About Ideation

Our goals for the conference are simple, but bold: facilitate in-depth, peer-to-peer conversations that lead to actionable pathways for practitioners, provide meaningful access to thought-leaders, and accelerate innovation through new ideas and technology.

The theme of our 2012 conference will be “Be Human.”

We believe that what connects all of our passions and pursuits towards good is our humanity. Humanity cuts through culture, socio-economic boundaries, politics, religion, etc. There’s something profoundly beautiful and powerful about tapping into our humanity. It reminds us as to the why of our how and what. Our hope is that the stories and ideas shared during our 2012 conference will cause us to re-engage what it means to be human, develop meaningful relationships, and create new paradigms for thinking about human good.

For the discerning reader: The Skoll Foundation sent me to Business School at Oxford, so I have a thing for them.

{grin}

About

The Skoll World Forum is the premier invitation-only event for causes, nonprofits, social enterprise, CSR. It’s like Davos, but for social good types. About 1,000 delegates from 70 countries once a year.

Things That Happened:

• A delegates live tweet-up of twitter best practices for social good.
• Twitter chat with Skoll Foundation CEO Sally Osberg.
• Live Tweeting the Horizontal Media session with NPR and others.
• Fascinating discussion of how horizontal media is changing the landscape for the Saudi women’s movement.
• The presence of the BBC World Challenge, and the day-by-day blog about it.
• Live Tweeting Arianna Huffington’s talk.
• Tim Harford grilling Hans Rosling on population and Larry Brilliant on pandemics.
• Video questions (summarized on Twitter) from backstage at the Skoll World Forum.
• Discussions online and off about philanthro-capitalism, innovation and flux.
• My piece on being an Accidental Social Entrepreneur.
• More highlights over at Guardian Sustainable Business.

 Other Attendee’s Perspectives: 

• Top 6 take-aways from the Skoll World Forum Opening Plenary (Skoll Scholar Daniela Papi)
• Waking up to Gordon Brown, Nick Danziger, Eve Ensler and Pamela Hartigan (Skoll Scholar Andy Thornton)
• Three ways women in conflict zones are changing the world (Skoll Scholar Christopher Adams)
• Lost ducks, lucky pants and portaloos (Vlog from Jess Search)
• Healthcare beyond hospital walls – creating transformative ecosystem change (Skoll Scholar Andy Thornton)
• Social Entrepreneurship: Why It Matters (Sally Osberg orignally on HuffPo)
• Demanding Prosperity for People and Planet (Skoll Scholar Adri Kerciku)
• Building corporate partnerships is more like dating than a lopsided wrestling match (Skoll Scholar Ira Leeds)
• Part II: Reviving the Moribund Corpse of Capitalism (Leo Johnson)
• David and Goliath: How Social Entrepreneurs are Making Big Business Part of the Solution (Skoll Scholar Tyler Spencer)
• Young and Not Dumb! How youth are being overlooked to the world’s detriment (Skoll Scholar Joshua Grehan)
• Notes from a new convert (Founder and CEO of Innovation Alchemy, Parvathi Menon)

Thanks to everyone who pointed out some of these great articles and recaps;)

Here’s a list of useful Twitter webpages that can help you do everything from file a ticket to the Twitter Support team when you’re having a problem, chat with other developers about what they are doing on the Twitter platform, and even look at pictures of what employee won the last Halloween costume contest.

Related posts:

1. Best Links of the Week
2. How to Get a Verified Twitter Account (Tips from a Prime Minister)
3. How to Use Twitter: Twitter Best Practices and the T.W.E.E.T. Framework

Here’s episode 6, and it’s all about social media marketing.

Specifically I’ll be telling you the top ten social media marketing mistakes I see individuals, brands and organizations making every day. Hopefully you’re not making them — and if you are, stop. Now.

This podcast is based on the ten mistakes I discuss in my social media manifesto – How to Be Social. If you didn’t get it free on Kindle last week during it’s 48 hour freebie “sale”, you can download a free PDF version here.

And now, for the podcast:

Podcast Show Notes

I mention a couple things in the podcast that may (or may not) be of note.

• My friend Scott Stratten (@unmarketing) singing his heart out in his absurd viral video, Why Don’t You Leave Me Alone. If you listen to the podcast, you’ll listen to me spend about 45 glorious seconds trying to remember what song he was singing and what it was called. Well, here it is.
• Be nice. Rate my podcast.