Talk2Bev

Georgia Teacher Resigns Over Racist Math Problems

2012-01-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

A third grade math teacher in Georgia has resigned after it was discovered she was using slavery to explain math to her students.

One of the math problems read: "Each tree has 56 oranges. If eight slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?"

Another was: "If Frederick got two beatings each day, how many beatings did he get in one week?"

Gwinnett County schools spokeswoman Sloan Roach said this week that an investigation had concluded into four teachers who gave out the assignments at Beaver Ridge Elementary. She says the school system accepted the resignation of one teacher but declined to elaborate on the rest.

Origin Food Group Investing Millions and Creating Jobs in Iredell County

2012-01-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

STATESVILLE, N.C. – Jan. 19, 2012 – Origin Food Group, LLC will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony on January 25 at 4:15 p.m. at its new facility in Iredell County where it will produce its new and innovative line of healthy food products, beginning with früsh™ Yogurt & Fruit Shakes.

The company is investing more than $7 million to build and upfit its state-of-the-art food processing facility off of Interstate 40. Origin Food Group expects to create 28 jobs initially, and employ as many as 40 - 50 people by 2014.
N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue is scheduled to attend and speak at the ribbon cutting, as is former Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr.

The facility is key to Origin Food Group’s plans for Iredell County. The company will initially launch in grocery stores with a new line of Yogurt & Fruit Shakes, called früsh. Debuting in four flavors: strawberry, blueberry, peach and strawberry banana and available in two sizes, 8.4 fl. oz. and 32 fl. oz., früsh is designed for a healthy on-the-go lifestyle.

“It’s time for an all new approach to the way we eat,” said Don Greenlee, general manager of Origin Food Group. “Our products fit seamlessly into a healthy lifestyle, giving consumers the taste they want, the nutrition they need – with the convenience they require. We are even sourcing the ingredients locally whenever possible. In fact, the milk used in früsh will come from neighboring Stamey Farms, making the trip from farm to factory less than one mile.”

The company creates healthy, tasty and affordable products to fit consumers’ busy lifestyles where unhealthy choices are abundant and the need for healthier dietary choices is becoming increasingly important.
“We’re thrilled to offer früsh to the marketplace, while also creating jobs in our community and giving new life to an existing building by adding a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant. And I have to admit, creating these jobs for Iredell County is putting a smile on all of our faces here at Origin.”
“The früsh line is just the start for Origin Food Group, with additional future super food product lines planned,” Greenlee stated. “At Origin, we are driven to continuously dream, test and innovate.”

About Origin Food Group, LLC
Origin Food Group prides itself on promoting healthy lifestyles by creating wholesome alternatives for today’s consumers while investing in the Statesville region where the company is headquartered. A partnership, the company combines 33 years of experience in yogurt and beverages by the Alarcón family of Ecuador with the Stameys of Iredell County, N.C’s 60+ years in the dairy farming and cattle business. Origin Food Group is the maker of früsh Yogurt & Fruit Shakes, a superdrink make with real fruit, rich and creamy yogurt and all-natural health boosters like HOWARU® Bifido probiotics and TruCal® calcium. For additional information, visit www.originfoodgroup.com and www.gofrush.com.

Helping a Reporter Helps You

2010-09-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

Helping reporters do their jobs will, in turn, help you achieve your goals. If you make them look good, they will be more likely to give you a some quality air or print time and even keep your name on file as a "go to" person for future reference.

You can help a reporter meet a deadline by promptly returning phone calls and being brief and to the point. If you are responsible for a reporter missing a deadline, you can be assured that you won't get a future call back.

We like it when people refer to us by name. So do reporters. Take the time to learn the names of the journalists in your local area. That includes reporters, producers, assignment editors and even photographers.

By establishing a relationshp with your local media, you are setting yourself up to be their "expert" and that becomes a win-win situation for everybody.

The Best Day(s) to Submit Your Press Release

2010-09-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

If you've ever wondered why you didn't get any coverage from your local media for an event or announcement, it may be because you didn't send your press release on the right day.

It's true--reporters are always looking for stories but some days are better than others when it comes to getting their attention.

Mondays: It's the beginning of the work week for most journalists. They tend to get swamped with releases and announcement that all seemed to have piled up from the weekend. Your announcement may seem like small potatoes in comparison to some others and go unnoticed.

Tuesdays: Good Day! Email boxes have been cleared out (for the most part) and now they can take a serious look at what is being received.

Wednesdays: Another Good Day! To me, it's better than Tuesday for some of the same reasons.

Thursdays: Another Good Day!

Fridays: Unless you are hosting an event that involves a well-known celebrity or your event is larger than life, Fridays aren't really good days because it's too close to the weekend and journalists are thinking more out their weekend and cutting out early.

Saturdays: Believe it or not, I think Saturday is a GOOD day---if you are having some kind of activity on that day. Weekend Assignment Editors struggle to generate news and if you are doing something noteworthy, they would be likely to cover it. It could be a great human interest story for them.

Sundays: It depends. It could be good if you are doing something on THAT day. Otherwise, if you are submitting a release for something going on the following week, it could get lost in the pile up.

Whenever you choose to submit your release, make sure you follow up with someone in the newsroom to make sure they received it.

The Changing Face of Facebook

2010-07-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

In just about every report you read about Facebook these days, you will see a trend involving baby boomers. That trend indicates the generation born between 1946 and 1964 is growing by leaps and bounds on the social media site.

It wasn't that long ago that Facebook was a site for high school and college kids to connect, but now Facebook, which currently has approximately 500 million users, has become increasingly popular among boomers, who are the social media site's fastest growing group.

According to the Internetmonitoring site, comScore, there are more than 16.5 million adults ages 55 and older engaging in social networking.

Japan and China have the highest number of users over the age of 55 accessing the sites. Studies have shown that the many users utilize the sites as a way to communicate with their children and grandchildren.

What do you use Facebook primarily for?

The Best Things in Life Can Be Free

2010-07-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

Many people seeking media exposure reach out to public relations experts for help. Depending on their level of expertise, you may end up paying a pretty penny for your time to shine in the media spotlight.

But if you know how to write and have a solid list of contacts, you may save yourself some money and discover how you can get your own free publicity.

•Step 1
Write a press release. This is a common way to get information into the hands of the media. Keep the release simple and clear. Don't forget to include contact information.

•Step 2
Use any connections you have. Is your neighbor a reporter? Does your cousin or friend work at the local newspaper? Ask them for help or contacts.

•Step 3
Email your contacts about your newest venture. You never know who knows who and the connections that may extend well beyond your immediate list. Be sure to include your contact the information.

•Step 4
Get personal. Stories are better told through the people they impact and getting coverage is more likely if you include a personal angle in your pitch.

•Step 5
Think about what is unique. Fresh stories and new angles are helpful when trying to get your story in print or on the air.

Your Time to Shine This Summer

2010-06-25T05:02:00.000-07:00

During the summer months, you can always count on the media to do some type of weather-related stories. This could also be your opportunity to promote yourself and/or your business.

Developing ideas that can help you promote your business in summer doesn't have to take a great deal of time or a large financial investment in order to see positive results. The key to getting the media's attention is to come up with a creative (and fun) campaign that will help them generate a news or weather-related story.

Here are some examples:

Offer cool down treats: Arrange a day with a local ice cream store to have a free ice cream giveaway for anyone who walks in with your business card. You would certainly need a budget for that--especially if you've circulated A LOT of business cards. But you could also limit it to the first 25 or 50 customers and let the media know you're doing this as a Summer Appreciation Event.

Another similar idea is to simply pack some ice cold drinks and take to employees who have to work outside for a living. It's a nice gesture and may not only give you some media exposure but also some additional business.

Host a Pool Party for kids: Contact the local weatherman and invite him to come over and offer some tips on how to stay cool this summer. Certainly, his or her own station will cover the event.

Product giveaways: When I was promoting my book, Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age, I offered a fan as a part of the promotion. If you purchased a copy of the book, you also got a free "hot flash" fan. Find something creative you can give away that would be directly tied into summer.

Sponsor an activity or event in your community: Check with your local Chamber of Commerce, City Hall or your local church for community events and find out how you can get your name or business connected. It would be worth sitting out in the hot sun for a couple of hours if a TV or newspaper crew stopped by to interview you, wouldn't it?

Check the websites of your local stations: Find out what they're up to and see how you can get involved--if only as a volunteer. You can network your way from there.

If all else fails, create your OWN media event and post it on YouTube, Vimeo, UStream, etc. You may find yourself getting even GREATER expsoure.

You've Got Money!

2010-06-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

Today I received an email from BlogTalk Radio indicating they had deposited some money into my Paypal account as a part of the revenue sharing program I signed up for back in 2008. Why am I sharing this with you? Because this is a way to make a little passive income while spreading the word about what it is you do.

How does the revenue sharing program work?

1.If BTR brings in the advertiser and/or sponsor for your show, they will share 35% of revenue with the hosts/publisher.

2.If you-- the host brings in the advertiser and/or sponsor for your show, they we will share 50% of that revenue with the host.

BTR has the capability of tracking how many listeners you've had, which will also determine how much money you can earn. Last year, I had more than 100 listeners for one show.

Of course, how well you do with the revenue sharing program will be determined by how well you promote your shows and the guests you interview.

You won't get rich off of BTR's revenue sharing program but it will allow you to treat someone to lunch every three months.

If you'd like to learn more about how to develop and promote the kind of show that will generate some additional revenue, let me know.

One more thing: I don't do BlogTalk Radio anymore and I'm still earning money.

Who Sez I'm Too Old?

2010-05-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

Oprah is having a contest to find a talk show host for her new OWN Network. When I told my college smart daughter about it, the first thing out of her mouth was, "Ma, don't you think you're a little too old to do that now?" Then I went to the audition site and saw tons of "young" faces all wanting to do the same thing.

Why can't this baby boomer have her own show? That's right up my alley and the opportunity of a lifetime. I spent more than 25 years as a radio and television journalist. Just because I'm not doing it now, doesn't mean that I've lost my touch.

The auditions with the most votes are supposed to be the ones who make the cut.

This brings me to a point about social media and its impact. Chances are pretty good that I would have missed out on this opportunity had I not seen the posting on Facebook. Now I must rally all of the friends I have on Growing Bolder, FB, Twitter, Inside919, and LinkedIn to cast their vote for me. It may prove to be a challenging task since the leaders already have more than a half million votes but I never rule myself out of anything because I have the faith of a mustard seed.

If you don't think I'm too old to still live out my dream, would you be kind enough to vote for me? If not, just wish me luck!

Clik on the title of this blog to cast your vote.

Dreams Can Become Reality Through Social Media

2010-05-23T11:13:00.001-07:00

Two days ago I was reading through the comments made by some friends on Facebook and came across a link for a contest Oprah is hosting. The person who posted the link said she was thinking about entering and getting words of encouragement for her to go for it. I decided to post the link on the Boomer Diva Nation FB page just in case anyone was inspired to participate. Then I decided to take a closer look for myself and thought I should, in fact, audition. Why not?

Basically, Oprah has opened up auditions for a reality series in which one dynamic individual will be given the opportunity to host their own talk show. That's right up my alley and the opportunity of a lifetime. The auditions with the most votes are supposed to be the ones who make the cut.

This brings me to a point about social media and its impact. Chances are pretty good that I would have missed out on this opportunity had I not seen the posting on Facebook. Now I must rally all of the friends I have on FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Inside919 to cast their vote for me. It may prove to be a challenging task since the leaders already have more than a half million votes but I never rule myself out of anything because I have the faith of a mustard seed.

Wish me luck!

Oh, by the way, you can vote for me by clicking on the title of this blog post and you can definitely vote more than ONCE.

Creating Your Message Through Social Media

2010-04-24T06:29:00.001-07:00

I have never been shy in front of a microphone or short on words so BlogTalk Radio was a perfect fit for me. But now, after two years and more than 200 shows, I am saying goodbye to the internet radio site.

When I made my debut in January of 2008, I started out with a show called “Whatever! Live”. It was named after my Amazon best selling book. I then expanded by doing two weekly shows. The second one was called “Passions.” Both shows were targeted towards baby boomers living out their goals and dreams in the second half of their journey.

Because of social media sites like MySpace, Twitter and Facebook I was able to build an audience base. More than 10,000 people have listened to one of my shows.

A site like BlogTalk Radio gives you a wonderful opportunity to create your message and spread it around. To learn more about this, I invite you to tune in to my free upcoming teleseminar: The Keys to Developing a BlogTalk Radio Show. Sign up here: Teleseminar

Meanwhile, my last show on BlogTalk Radio will be Sunday, April 25

Help A Reporter Please

2010-04-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

If you're a reporter looking for an interview source or someone looking for media exposure, there's no better place to turn than HARO. I think what Peter Shankman has done with the HARO site is nothing short of phenomenal. But Peter can only do so much. He can get the word out for you but then it's up to you to do the rest.

This brings me to the purpose of my blog post today. Last week I put out a request for panelists for the Second Annual Social Media Summit (sponsored by Boomer Diva Nation). I was inaundated with emails from all over the country and Canada. That's a good thing, however, what was disturbing to me was the fact that some responses came with everything but what I deem as most important: CONTACT INFORMATION. Some people wrote LONG explanations of what they do and a couple of people told me I could google their name to learn more about them.

Here are some tips I would recommend when responding to HARO:

1) Include your contact information. This includes phone number(s) and an email address.

2) Do not tell someone to google your name during the initial screening process, especially if you haven't supplied any other information.

3) If the reporter has included their name in their query, you should address them by name when responding. It makes it more personable. And make sure it's the RIGHT name. Someone responded to my query with a "Hi Barbara" when my real name was clearly indicated right above their response.

4) Do not direct someone to your website if you haven't included other contact information. People do not have time to search out your contact information.

5) Keep your response simple and to the point. If you've written a book or spoken on a topic that has nothing whatsoever to do with the subject matter, it's not important to mention it. In my case, I wanted to know what would make you a good social media panelist.

The important thing to remember is to make sure you put your best message out there with the best contact information.

Holiday Publicity

2010-03-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

You may not think of Easter as a holiday to generate publicity for your business but it's actually just as good a time as any other holiday---especially if you're planning a feel good, give back to the community kind of story.

As a journalist who spent more than 25 years in radio and television news, I can tell you first-hand that journalists are always looking for stories during the holidays because it is generally a slow period. The earlier you contact them about your story idea, the better chance you have of getting their attention.

Let's say you sell products specifically catering to women. You could contact the homeless shelter in your community and offer to do holiday makeovers. Then contact the media and let them know your plans.

Or you could plan a day to do something special for children---like an Easter egg hunt or other activity. Here's where collaborating with other small businesses would be a plus and win-win situation for everyone involved.

The more creative your thinking is, the better chance you have in getting the media's attention.

Getting media exposure is often a matter of timing. You can get publicity during the slow holiday period. Remember to:

Create your plan.

Notify the media (that includes the newspapers) and make sure you follow-up with them.

Bring a video camera to your event and offer it to the TV stations if they are unable to make it for some reason.

Make it your time to shine this Easter!

News that Didn't Make the News

2010-03-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

When I was working in TV News, people would always ask me why we chose to cover a specific story or not cover something they thought was relevant. My answer was and continues to be: News is subjective. The people charged with making decisions about news coverage on a daily basis select the stories based on what they THINK the majority of their viewers would be interested in. There are other factors as well but that's not really relevant to this particular blog post.

The picture on the left represents a group of young men who just made history. No, their basketball team didn't go undefeated. This group from Urban Prep Academy made history by becoming the first senior class at Chicago's only public all-male, all-African-American high school to be accepted to four-year colleges. ALL 107 of the seniors earned spots at 72 schools across the nation.

Quite an impressive story when you consider that the overall high school drop out rate among young black men is at an all-time high.

My question is, did you hear about it on the news or did you read about it as I did in an email that was forwarded to me by a friend? Not even Oprah, who broadcasts from the Windy City has picked up the torch for these young men.

This is another example of how the media picks and chooses what they deem as news and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that these young men may not live in your area.

Positive news can come from anywhere, wouldn't you agree?

Is Facebook Ruining Your Life

2010-03-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

This time last year, I was basically clueless about Facebook. I signed up but wasn't using it and definitely wasn't connecting to anyone else.

But if you look at my Facebook page today, you would think I'd been an active FB user for a LONG time. In addition to my own page, I host three fan pages and one group page.

I came across this interesting article written by Dan Crowther that I think some of you, like me, can relate to. He, like many of us, has become a facebook junkie and wants to know if the social media site is ruining your life. Here'a a portion of what he wrote:

Here are some signs that Facebook is ruining your life as written by :

1. You have more communications with people in your tight circle of local friends on Facebook than you do in real life.

2. You spend more than 20 minutes a day on Facebook.

3. Facebook's the first thing you do in the morning, then you're back midday, then again in the evening, just to keep track of the lives of everyone in your friends group.

4. You've ever found yourself saying "not right now, I'm on Facebook" to your child, spouse, significant other, parent or friend

5. You've ever announced some important change in your life on Facebook before you picked up the phone or met in person with your closest friends and told them in advance (I'm pregnant, I'm engaged...)

6. You've cut short a real-world conversation with someone you've just met (and liked) so you could stalk them on Facebook

7. You've ever heard some variation on the words "I wish you would stop chatting on Facebook and spend time with me."

8. You've ever revealed something deeply personal on Facebook that you've regretted later

9. You regularly find yourself together with friends, all accessing your own Facebook accounts instead of actually talking with each other

10. Your wall has more applications that your friends are playing than real communications with those you like.

11. You go on Facebook mostly to do applications

12. You regularly choose to chat rather than to pick up the phone and actually talk with someone (or, gulp, actually visit them!)

What can YOU add to this list?

The Boy Who Killed My Grandson's Father

2009-12-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

It's been four years since the boy who killed my grandson's father has been behind bars. The 17-year-old received life in prison without the benefit of parole. Here's a look at what he's been up to since being incarcerated:

08/13/2009 ASSAULT PERSON W/WEAPON
08/13/2009 INVOLVEMENT W/GANG OR STG
04/22/2009 HIGH RISK ACT
04/11/2009 PROFANE LANGUAGE
04/11/2009 DISOBEY ORDER
02/01/2009 SEXUAL ACT
09/07/2008 PROFANE LANGUAGE
08/08/2008 SEXUAL ACT
04/12/2008 MISUSE/UNAUTH-USE PHONE/MAIL
11/08/2007 INVOLVEMENT W/GANG OR STG
08/15/2007 INVOLVEMENT W/GANG OR STG
07/25/2007 DISOBEY ORDER
05/30/2007 FIGHTING
05/30/2007 UNAUTHORIZED LOCATION
05/06/2007 DISOBEY ORDER
I

So who believes he deserves a second chance?

Being Manipulated by the Media

2009-12-14T05:40:00.000-08:00

Less than six months ago, there was a panic created around the world by the news media, who repeatedly warned us that the swine flu was going to reach epidemic porportions and everyone was in danger.

There was a scramble by pharmaceutical companies to come up with a vaccine and further panic was created when the news came out that there possibly wouldn't be enough vaccine to cover everyone who needed it.

But here we are now with a new report out indicating that the impact of the swine flu of H1N1 virus is a lot less severe than originally forecast.

Researchers are now telling us that the current wave of swine flu in the U.S. will result in a death toll only slightly higher or even lower than that caused by seasonal influenza in a typical year.

The big winner was the pharmaceutical industry who produced millions of flu shots and created a media frenzy---which the media bought into and passed on to us.

Is this a case for health care reform or media reform?

(Click on the title of this blog post to read the complete story about the new swine flu report).

What You Do in the Dark

2009-12-05T14:59:00.000-08:00

Do you know what the media and a pit bull have in common? Once they latch onto something "juicy" they just can't seem to let go of it until it's been chewed to pieces and spit out.

That's kind of the scenerio we had this week with the story involving Tiger, "I'm just an All-American Guy" Woods. Yes, the accident did sound suspicious---since it happened at 2:30am. My first question was how fast out of his driveway could he be going that would cause him to crash into a fire hydrant and a tree? I'll admit I wanted to know a little more because I was curious if there were drugs or alcohol involved.

Then the media told us Tiger's wife busted out the back window of his SUV with a golf club and the next thing we know is Tiger is lying on the ground with his wife kneeling over him. The Los Angeles Time reported Tiger was "seriously injured" and Star Jones asked all of her followers on Twitter to pray for Tiger's healing.

The media kept biting and chewing...

We now know Tiger had at least two extramarital affairs. All of this coming out as the result of an early morning single car wreck.

Luke 12:3-----Enough Said.

Touched by an Angel

2009-11-27T05:59:00.000-08:00

Shaquille O'Neal was touched by an angel. That angel was five-year-old Shaniya Davis who was buried last week after being raped and murdered by a man who was settling a debt owed by the girl's mother.

Shaq quietly paid for little Shaniya's funeral.

I am not a fan of most athletes because I, personally, think many of them are selfish and ignorant. How many times have you seen a commercial showing an athlete reading to children or helping out in a community during the hoidays? These public service announcements are always tagged with the line "The NBA Cares." But have you ever stopped to think about how often those same athletes participate in those same community service type projects when the cameras AREN'T rolling? The answer may surprise you--probably even disappoint you.

But Shaq is different. He walks the walk of his talk. While you see some athletes out seeking publicity, Shaq just does his thing whether there's a camera around or not. He is well known for his foundations and charitable giving. In 2005, he was named the Most Caring Athlete. He's pledged $1 million to the Boys & Girls Club of America to support tech-learning centers.

Kudos to Shaquille ONeal for being more than just an athlete who makes a lot of money. Little Shaniya has been touched by an angel too.

(Click on the blog title to read the article about Shaq & Shaniya)

Turning a Tragedy into Publicity

2009-11-19T18:37:00.000-08:00

A few days ago a woman who was a victim of child abuse and neglect more than 40 years ago contacted me to ask my advice on how she could gain some media exposure for her book from the tragedy involving little Shaniya Davis. For those of you who don't know, Shaniya was a five-year-old North Carolina girl who was found dead earlier this week after her mother reported her missing a week earlier. That same mother is now in jail charged with human trafficking, along with child abuse and neglect in connection with this case. Shaniya was last seen on a surveillence camera being carried up to a hotel room by a male acquaintaince of her mother's. That man is also behind bars.

At first, I hesitated to consult with her because my immediate reaction was it would be in poor taste to try to elevate herself in the midst of this horrific story. But then I thought, why not? She has a story that she lived--one of sexual child abuse and neglect. Her mother didn't pawn her off as a sex slave but family members did take advantage of her while her mother was in denial. Here was her chance to give an empowering message and offer herself as an expert--while promoting her book about sexual child abuse.

Why am I sharing this? The point is not all publicity comes from feel good, make me happy stories. There are some stories that are filled with a lot of pain and suffering and misery. If you have lived under similar circumstances and feel comfortable in sharing your story--then why not do it. In addition, you have the chance to become a living testimony for someone else.

A FlyLady Chat

2009-11-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

I've said this many times before: you never know who knows who so it pays to be nice to everybody. This is especially true in social media. With Facebook and Twitter literally connecting thousands of people at a time, you never know who in that vast circle can lead you to someone you really want to know.

That's what happened when I connected with The FlyLady. We were connected to the same person on Twitter and Facebook but not to each other. During a conversation with our mutual connection, I learned that he knew her and I wanted to know her too so he opened the door to make it happen.

As a result, I have now had the privilege of meeting one of the most wonderful, inspirational baby boomer women I've ever known. And just to give you an idea of how awesome the FlyLady really is---she agreed to be the Keynote Speaker last month for the Women's Social Media Summit sponsored by my organization Boomer Diva Nation. She didn't know me other than what she may have read in a profile but she came and supported our efforts out of the goodness of her heart.

The cool thing about social media is it connects you with people you probably wouldn't have otherwise known. Cooler than that is when you actually get to meet, face-to-face, someone you connect with online.

To learn more about the FlyLady, please tune into my BlogTalk Radio show on Sunday, November 15 at 7pm.

Quality Over Quantity in Social Media

2009-10-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

One of the things I've come to learn over the years is success isn't always defined by the number of people who show up for your Event. Having a standing room only crowd is what we, as event organizers hope for, but if that doesn't happen you can still claim victory if you have provided a quality program.

On Saturday, October 17 at the Capital City Club in Raleigh, NC, a small, intimate audience was priviledged to receive valuable information from six of the finest women and four of the most terrific men in social media. HeatherO, Olalah Njenga, and Deidre Hughey from NC demonstrated why they are tops in their respective fields. Kimberly Green of NBC17 News also provided valuable insight from a traditional media perspective. Then you have Laurie Foley, who came up from Georgia to share her take from a Blogger's persepective.

Marla Cilley, better known as The FlyLady graced us with her presence and knowledge and, most of all, her INSPIRATION. She reminded us all that until we get our homes in order, we can never really be the success we want to be.

And then you have the men: Pat Howlett, Martin Brossman, Stephen Peacock and Chuck Hester---who shared their own insights into making connections with women online for business.

These 10 people took time out of their busy schedules and lives to be a part of this event for which we, at Boomer Diva Nation, are deeply grateful.

So as I reflect back on the First-Ever All Women's Social Media Summit, I have learned plenty of lessons. Among them:

Don't rely on quantity
Connect with people who believe in your vision
Make the best of any situation

QUALTIY--not quantity---ruled the day on Saturday, October 17--no doubt about it.

Does the Good Ol' Boy Network Exist in Social Media?

2009-10-06T12:30:00.001-07:00

Certainly, you've heard of the good ol' boy network. According to Wikipedia, good ol' boy describes a system of social networking and perceptions alleged to exist prevalently among certain communities and social strata in the United States.

So, is it just me or are there others wondering if there are men in cyberspace who are trying to corner the market on social media? I see this happening on Twitter. There seems to be a certain group of men who have created a network within a network--while making it difficult for women to crack their code.

The research tells us that men network differently than women. According to a May 2009 study conducted by Harvard Business School, men are almost twice more likely to follow another man than a woman. Similarly, an average woman is 25% more likely to follow a man than a woman. Finally, an average man is 40% more likely to be followed by another man than by a woman.

The study also revealed men and women find the content produced by other men on Twitter more compelling than on a typical social network, and men find the content produced by women less compelling.

So what do you think? Is the good ol' boy network alive and well in social media?

I might also add that we'll be addressing this very subject at our upcoming Social Media Summit--which will be comprised of the FIRST-EVER all female panel of experts on Saturday, October 17.

Social Media and Married Couples

2009-09-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

My husband isn't really into online social networking (as you can tell by the number of friends he has) but he did join Facebook and Twitter. The other day I happened to visit his Facebook page and noticed that he was connected to his ex-wife. I immediately wanted to know WHY? He said, very nonchalantly, she sent him an invitation and he accepted it. That opened up a can of worms for me. Why would his ex wife feel the need to be connected to him online? It didn't make any sense to me and I asked him to defriend her--which I'm happy to report, he did.

That incident brings me to a few points I'd like to share (from a married person's perspective)

1) If you're married, there should be no reason to seek out and connect to ex spouses or ex lovers. What's the point? Thinking it's OK to reconnect with an old flame will eventually put out the fire in your current marriage---especially if you have frequent conversations on Facebook or send too many "tweets."

2) If you're single and your spouse has re-married (as is the case with my husband's ex), it's best that you leave well enough alone and make no contact. Again, what's the point? Connecting online will only draw suspicion from the new spouse--especially if you're not connected with his (her) new better half.

3) Don't be afraid to check your spouse's friends page (as often as you feel is necessary) to see who he's (she) communicating with and, more importantly, who's communicating with him and what are they saying.

Had I not looked at my husband's Facebook page, I would've never known he was connected to his ex and he certainly never bothered to mention it. But the important thing is, when I did find out and we talked about it, he saw my point, respected my wishes and removed her.

4) If you see someone you don't know on your spouse's friends page, feel free to ask who it is. If he (she) gets upset about your inquiry or beats around the bush about who the person actually is, you might want to check out that person's page to learn more about them--and a possible connection to your mate.

5) Trust your spouse to do the right thing. You shouldn't expect your mate to have the exact same friends as you do and vice versa. He (she) probably has different interests and will undoubtedly draw like-minded people. But what you should expect is for your spouse to be up front and honest with you about his (her) connections and not have a problem defriending them if you request it.

Married couples have enough to deal with over the course of their lives together without adding social media chaos to the mix. If you respect each other online like you do offline, you won't have to worry about defriending anybody.

What to Do When Your Reputation is Tarnished

2009-09-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, my husband and I traveled to Wilmington, NC for a mini vacation getaway. Without going through the whole story, I'm just going to cut to the chase. The hotel we stayed at, Courtyard by Marriott, was not up to our standards. This was quite a surprise because I have stayed in a number of Courtyard by Marriott hotels and they have always been top notch!

But not this one---the first room we were given smelled like mildew. I complained and was given a second room--which smelled of smoke. Mind you, this was supposed to be a non-smoking hotel. Finally, the third room we were given was tolerable--although much smaller and with less amenities than we have been accustomed to.

Another thing that was a cause for frustration was a request I made for a birthday gift basket for my husband. I asked for a basket of wine and cheese or fruit. What did I get instead? A small tin bucket filled with a reece's cup, almond joy, bag of popcorn and a Hershey's bar with a ribbon tied around the bucket. When I saw it, I was appalled---especially since I told them i would pay extra--no matter how much it cost! How did they know my husband wasn't a diabetic? I politely gave the tin bucket back to the hotel clerk while expressing my dissatisfaction over the ill-advised basket.

I immediately put out a plea for help on Twitter--hoping the likes of a Paris or Perez Hilton would offer me a complimentary stay at one of their hotels to put me out of my misery. No such luck. Some followers did try to help by recommending last minute super saver sites but with several hundred dollars already spent, I couldn't afford to drop more $$$.

This incident is a good example of how the good reputation of a business can be tarnished by one bad experience. But it doesn't have to be. Businesses who understand the importance of quality customer service will always go the extra mile to make sure their clients are satisfied. Sure, you may never please some folks but if you make the effort, your customer will be less likely to say negative things about you in a blog like this. And you will also avoid reading negative reviews like the one I'm preparing to give to Trip Advisor.

A complimenraty stay at another Courtyard by Marriott would've been acceptable.