Detroit Teaches Professionals to Kick Ass or Get Out

On September 30, 2009, In Detroit, By Shauna Nicholson

I almost left. It’s true. It almost happened. I was gone (in Chicago) for over a month. I kept working with Biznet-a Detroit-based web development company. …but then, I returned.

After the hundredth article like this (WSJ: “The Next Youth-Magnet Cities“), perpetuating the brain drain we know all to well in Detroit, I started to get irritated.

That doesn’t mean I might not leave again at some point, but I’m so sick of people being too lazy to seize or create new opportunities in their own backyard. I know many of you are trying. I’m not talking to you (see below). But I do hope you feel challenged to take another perspective or get motivated.

I recently had the opporunity to chat with Shelli Gutholm, a talent recruiter based in Detroit. She and I were discussing some mutual connections then realized we, in fact, had a TON of mutual connections. Another friend of mine, Adrian Pittman, and I were just discussing his experience finding and recruiting Detroit talent he uses to blow clients away. Don’t perpetuate the brain drain fallacy.

You see, this is how Detroit works. You have the opportunity to fight to achieve in Detroit what you wouldn’t be even considered for elsewhere. The talent that is here is known, respected, and SUPPORTED here. It’s evidenced in local events, like Detroit Tweetups or the upcoming TEDxDetroit. There isn’t a week that goes by I don’t have a conversation with a Detroit-based thought leader, industry-innovator, or entrepreneur who isn’t working like crazy to make a difference and profit. (Yes, “make a difference” preceded “profit” for a reason.)

Bottom line: This is Detroit. Unlike other cities, we don’t coddle the weak. Kick some ass or move on.

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Choosing to Use Social Media Marketing Means Choosing to Update Corporate Culture–and sometimes Policies

On August 9, 2009, In Business, Communication, Marketing, Social Media, By Shauna Nicholson

Man, that’s a long title. So long that I’m going to dissect it for a (hopefully) very concise blog post.

Please note this is not a complete list. I invite readers to make additions in the comments!

You can. You cant.

“Choosing to use social media marketing”

Does not mean:

  • Throwing up a company blog for newsletter items and press releases
  • Using Twitter to syndicate your RSS feeds
  • Placing ads on Facebook
  • Anything that requires little or no human company representative to interact

Does mean:

  • Engaging stakeholders on a one-to-one and one-to-many basis
  • Making a time investment in social media
  • Sharing content and offering others to use it on your behalf
  • Letting go of controlling the message

(more…)

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Michigan should enable entrepreneurs to pursue their ambitions without having to leave

On May 29, 2009, In Business, Detroit, Entrepreneur, By Shauna Nicholson

On the way into the office today, I was listening to an NPR series part, Michigan’s Hybrid Economy: Helping the Entrepreneurs, and a few things struck me. The first is the comment that the auto industry has continued to suck local investors dry.

“(Entrepreneur’s) main competitors to be honest are automotive based technologies, they’re going to be the big guys.”

It’s frustrating, though understandable, that most Detroit-area investors have sought out auto. Of course, auto has been Detroit’s golden goose, but really? Are we that resistant to change that investors are still drawn to the money pit Detroit auto has become? I’m absolutely all for helping out my hometown’s bread-and-butter, of course I have family deeply embedded, but diversification is an absolute necessity if not inevitable.

The next striking point is the apparent lack of investors in Detroit at all.

He says most of the private investment money, venture capitalists, or even what are called “angel investors”… live in places like Silicon Valley or Boston.

And Michigan entrepreneurs can win investment from those places, but it’s more likely they’d be forced to move.

The article suggests we can attract these investors with tax incentives. I must admit, I’ve felt the pull of out-of-state solutions to better achieve my ambition. It’s irritating our state has done little to better influence these investors. After all, as the report mentions, that is how the auto industry we know today began.

That’s one of the sad realities in Michigan right now. At a time when the state desperately needs to encourage entrepreneurs, there are fewer resources to do so.

The strategy at this point is to target incentives to particular industries, like film or electric car batteries.

That means some entrepreneurs will get less help than others.

So, now that Detroit has learned from the mistake of putting all of its eggs in one auto industry basket, we’re rising from the ashes to put our eggs in only a few new industries. Hm. Really? Sure, we’ve shown some early successes with film and others–just like the auto industry did. But are we really about to take those same steps with no insurance (through diversification) for our future?

All I’m saying is it’d be nice if Michigan would stop pulling the seat from underneath itself and stop screwing over its own future.

What IF we let entreprenuers pursue their dreams and make the business cases for what they know best? What IF our focus was encouraging their development, whatever it may be, and supported the viable business cases that ensued?

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Biznet Social Media Training Event Recap

On January 8, 2009, In Social Media, By Shauna Nicholson

Wow.
(That’s the best way to start this blog post.)

The Biznet Social Media Training event was a great success. We had nearly 150 register, but had to take names for an additional session after 100 due to fire codes. There were a bunch of familiar faces there; if you were there and would like to leave a link to your site in the comments, you’re welcome to do so.)

Biznet Social Media Training

I was really impressed with the turn out–and the way the Biznet team pulled together to make the event so successful! (Dave Biskner and I were texting after the event and, in his words, “Yeah, no kidding, right!? Best. Team. Ever!”

Biznet Social Media TrainingBiznet Social Media Training

Unfortunately, we had a problem with the video podcast, but luckily have a couple shots up from the event. Check out Biznet photos on flickr (thanks to Mat)!

Biznet Social Media Training Slideshow

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Social Media Campaigns Must be Win-Win for a Successful Business Case

On October 31, 2008, In Business, ROI, By Shauna Nicholson

Fair warning: This post is in-depth and a little longer than average, but very, very important.

As the dust begins to settle around the hype of social media, business are starting to take a closer look at the business case for using it. Clearly, without a return, no one (in their right mind) makes the investment. Take a look at what some in the industry are saying when it comes to failed social media campaigns:

“”(Businesses) will rush to the community and try to connect, but essentially they won’t have a mutual purpose, and they’ll fail,” Sarner said. By a “mutual purpose,” he means a way to serve both the company putting out the campaign and the audience interacting with it: finding that balance is not easy. The quirkiest and most addictive campaigns often provide little value for the company and turn out to be fads, whereas marketing efforts on the Web often don’t go over as well with the public.” Caroline McCarthy

“Most (social media campaigns) will fail for one of three reasons: (a) the strategy driving the idea sucks; (b) the execution sucks; or (c) the program provides no value to the end user.” Michael Lazerow

The worst thing we can do is to ignore this. Here’s how I take an approach to clients using buzzwords (ex: “I want a blog” or “I want my own Facebook”) to request our services: (more…)

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Blog Action Day 2008: What can online communities do to help poverty?

On October 15, 2008, In Social Media, User Experience, By Shauna Nicholson

Community sites like Kiva have begun to pave the way for those in poverty to receive help from the online world. Now, users can log on and provide micro-loans to those in need around the world. The idea is simple, but could not be organized without the web and social media.

Kiva, and projects like it, succeed for a variety of reasons. Here’s how social media best practices ensure the success of charitable giving.

  1. They include personality. When the person with the need is introduced, so are details of what makes them unique. This plays on the mentality that users are helping someone they “know,” as opposed to donating blindly.
  2. They tell a story in their description. Why does this person need help? What got them to the position they’re in now? Adding these details creates an impact on users, providing them with something to relate to and understand.
  3. They use photos. It’s common to hear the term “There are children starving, so finish your dinner,” in the United States; it’s not common to SEE a starving child. This image speaks volumes beyond what any description, cliche, or story could possible communicate.
  4. Easy, 24 hour accessibility. This provides a greater audience. If users have donations to give, they’re probably not doing so while at work. Putting the opportunity online transcends physical boundaries and time restrictions.
  5. Team participation. By allowing users to step into teams, they encourage each other in their participation. It also provides an opportunity for exposure for the user (“I’m a good person, look what I did!”) They types of teams take the giving to another level; religious, commonality, or otherwise,
  6. Case studies. The stories are logged via blogs/journals. Once the giving is complete, the story continues! Case studies reveal the consequences of the donation, encouraging ongoing donations!
  7. Users can makes recommendations. This engages users and encourages them to talk to others about what they’re doing. It’s the crowdsourcing of advertising!
  8. They offer embeddable media. Oh, look, a badge that touts how wonderful the user is for donating! They can’t wait to post it to their blog, their profiles, their websites… SEO VALUE!
  9. They make it easy to email friends. No logging in necessary–do it right from the site. This keeps traffic centrally located, users can talk to their friends, and it draws new traffic in.
  10. They offer live participation and community. At any given point, users can communicate with each other in real time. Users can ask questions, share stories, and grow within the community!

Learn more about Blog Action Day here.

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Shannon Paul Discusses Startup Weekend Detroit

On October 6, 2008, In Business, Events, By Shauna Nicholson

Why did you decide to organize Startup Weekend in Detroit?
I don’t know that it was actually a conscious decision. I was able to attend part of Startup Weekend Ann Arbor, and had several friends who attended that event. When I came home, I started looking deeper into the Startup Weekend organization and reading up on the process to bring Startup Weekend to a particular city. I realized there was a voting process and saw that Detroit was already nominated, but only had 20 votes. To give you an idea of where we stood, we were behind Corvallis, Oregon.

I just thought that Detroit could really use this more than most places. There is so much bad news coming out of this city — especially when it comes to job losses and the overall economy. I thought an event like this would help bring out some of the area’s talent and help jumpstart small business development in the city and the region. It was also my hope to generate a few positive news stories as a result of the event.

Why is it important for the event to happen NOW?
Detroit, and the surrounding region, is facing some of the most challenging times in its history. The future of the economy in this region is going to depend on the ingenuity of individuals who can start small. Most of the new jobs being created in this economy are from small businesses. I believe that there are as many talented, skilled and passionate people in this city as any other, but we haven’t been so great at forming a really solid community around networking and innovation. Community is an essential ingredient to fostering the kind of supportive environment for new businesses to be able to thrive.

Who attends events like this?
Just about anybody with an idea or a skill or both is welcome to participate in this event. Usually Startup Weekend attracts people with deep technical/programming skills as well as design professionals, marketing and public relations professionals, project managers and venture capitalists. Most companies that have formed as a result of a Startup Weekend have been web-based, but there are many notable exceptions to this rule.

Can companies sponsor this initiative?
Yes, we are still looking for companies to help sponsor some of the costs of the event. Sponsorship packages are available. Companies interested in donating to offset costs, or providing swag to attendees should contact me.

Can we help get the word out about this event?
Yes! Please share this information with everyone you know. Add this event to your Facebook profile or Upcoming, and join our group on LinkedIn. Click on the ShareThis button at the bottom of this post and add it to Digg, Stumble or Delicious. Please feel free to reblog this post, or any of the other posts on this blog and link it back to http://detroit.startupweekend.com/.

How can I sign up?
The cost to attend is $40. Register to attend at http://detroitstartupweekend.eventbrite.com/

What should I bring?
What you bring is really up to you. Ideally, attendees should bring a laptop computer that can connect to the Internet via a wireless network. We will also need volunteers to supply extra extension cords and power strips to accommodate everyone’s electricity needs.

Who can I contact for more information on Startup Weekend Detroit?
Anyone interested in helping out or getting additional information may contact Shauna Nicholson, Brian Ambrozy, or I.

Shannon Paul (734) 968-9065 or shannonpaul5[at]gmail[dot]com
Shauna Nicholson (248) 722-2685 snicholson[at]biznetis[dot]net
Brian Ambrozy (586) 693-3509 brian[at]icrontic[dot]com

Shannon Paul blogs about Public Relations and Social Media, check it out at http://shannonpaul.wordpress.com

Brain Ambrozy is an editor and owner of the ultimate Detroit Tech online journal, check it out at http://icrontic.com

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Social Media Changes Communication… Changes Relationships

On June 12, 2008, In Communication, Social Media, User Experience, By Shauna Nicholson

Business applications of social media have been prompting serious debate on the very legitimacy of the networks. A while ago, I gave some business applications on how social media is used, and provided an example of how Twitter has molded communication. Having integrated social media into my personal and business life, I want to take it a step further to define how these same tools are carving business relationships.

In the past, passing along business cards was a standard. Don’t get me wrong, I love mine. Now, they’re a starting point for further communication contacts. More often, I’m finding profile links and social media references on cards. This accomplishes a few different things:

  • Helps establish trust
  • Keeps the conversation going
  • Provides a lower barrier to entry to continuing conversation (less formal)
  • Lends a peak into what other things the person has going on, in real-time
  • Establishes talking points

Whether realized or not, providing this contact is a way to accomplish more than the stagnant “reach me here” personality of a phone number. Participating in social media is lending an open invitation for communication, which leads to continued, and ultimately actualized, relationships.

______________________

What you’re really saying when you offer your social network profile link to someone new
As I was joking around about what the different social networks said about the user, I realized some interesting points. Here it is, (add yours in the comments!):

Myspace: I jumped on that social media bandwagon and don’t mind all the spam and lacking integrity. Also, I hate organization and embrace poor spelling. Add me and the 489,229 people I don’t know! I’M SO COOL!

Facebook: Joined in college and it stuck. I keep in touch with all of my college friends (though it’s a little weird now that everyone’s posting wedding and baby pictures). …I hope I took down the photo that Jake posted of my passed out in the bathroom…

LinkedIn: Oh, this is social networking, too? Hm. Oh, look, Sue from accounting! She is always on time with reports and saved our company tons on taxes last year; off to write a recommendation!

Twitter: I’m really dedicated to this social networking thing. I also suffer from mild-to-severe ADD. Though I’ve only internet-stalked you so far, I’m actually interested in meeting you in person.

Nings (most): This topic keeps me up at night…so much that I don’t want to share it with anyone but my fellow up-at-nighters for fear of embarrassment.

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Now Accepting New Clients

On May 2, 2008, In Design, By Shauna Nicholson

Ms. Pater has completed my business cards and they’re ready to go! I thought I’d share her stellar work with you, as I’m (we’re!) getting ready to start taking on new clients!

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Current Projects: Cover Letters & Resumes

On April 22, 2008, In Communication, By Shauna Nicholson

Currently, I’ve been working on a lot of different cover letter and resume types. I’ve been lucky to run into a lot of different creative professionals, which means exciting language and unique design elements.

Lately the professionals I’ve been working with include a videographer, graphic designer, teacher, college student, and multiple photographers and marketers.

Some of their reactions to their new resumes:

“Wow. How it’s organized really DOES make a difference! Thank you so much!” (Teacher)
“Oh, man, Shauna. I feel like what I’ve done is actually important now. This resume has the same core information, but I’m actually confident about it now!” (Marketer) For the record, what you have done IS important. YOU need to feel that way and YOUR RESUME needs communicate it to others!
“This definately reflects my overall image. It feels like an accurate representation of me. Thanks!” (Photographer)
“My cover letter actually makes you want to meet me before even looking at the resume. You just have a way with words.” (Graphic Designer)

Want a stellar resume, but not sure where to start? Here are some hints for new clients looking to develop, transform, or simply better their resume.

(more…)

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