NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON VOLUNTEERING AND SERVICE: TAKE PART IN IT NOW!!!

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national conference on volunteering and service, new york city, public service, social media, volunteer work

The National Conference on Volunteering and Service is taking place right now in NYC.  As it says on the home page, it is the largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the non-profit, government and corporate sectors.  The best part about this amazing event is that you can follow it almost entirely via social media, and let me tell you IT IS WORTH FOLLOWING!

What we so often forget is that a lot of a little adds up to a lot, FAST.  By your taking a few minutes to look at the opportunities presented at this conference, you are in fact committing a portion of your time to community service.  And that’s what it’s all about.

If you do anything, watch this video which sums up the conference, then go to the home page and find one of the social media outlets that works for you and hook in, even for just a few minutes, to see what’s taking place at this groundbreaking event.

Visit the NCVS Site
Follow NCVS via Twitter

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Craig Newmark: Customer Service Rep

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craig newmark, craigslist, customer service, social media, twitter, website

Craig Newmark has the answer for many problems that could potentially surround being the leader of a big company: stay human.  He defines his role in the company as customer service rep, focusing on listening to what the Craigslist audience has to say, and finding ways to ward off spammers and scammers.  When I say he listens to his audience, I mean he really listens.  Craig talks to his people, often responding to various questions or complements or complaints immediately via Twitter.

I honestly didn’t know how he found the time in one day to have discussions with so many people, but then I realized how much he must enjoy this interaction.  Not only must he enjoy it, but it seems like it’s part of his mission: to keep things real.  To not forget that the human element is what made Craigslist an enormous success in the first place, and to stay close to that aspect of the business.  This is what is most exciting about Craig to me- he stays true to what works, and doesn’t make it any more complicated than that.  This sets a HUGE precedence for peeps like me who believe in starting a business that works to connect us all in the most simple ways.  And I suspect he’s having fun too.

Thanks Craig!

Follow Craig on Twitter: @craignewmark

Polly’s Charity: BIG change on a SMALL scale

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akron, children, education, ohio, polly's charity, sabrina espinal, social media, teenagers

Sabrina Espinal is a social media consultant for small businesses and the founder of Polly’s Charity, a charity she founded just a year ago in the name of her mother.  Polly’s Charity is focused on providing aid and support to the students of the Akron Public School System in Akron, Ohio, where her mother was a teacher.  Her focused goal has already helped many students in such a short amount of time, and she is just beginning.  Her story is a reminder of how important giving is, and how when we give JUST A LITTLE we have the ability to change and enhance all that is around us.

Love+Water- What kind of social media consulting do you do?

Sabrina Espinal- I do social media services for small companies.  Anything from creating their WordPress website to doing blogs, creating Facebook Fan Pages with custom tabs, Twitter and any membership sites they may have.  I let them know what PR opportunities are available as well.  I teach workshops on consulting as well.  I worked at AT&T for years, in Human Resources.  I needed to make a change, and I went on a leap of faith to do something different and that was positive and meaningful for me.

L+W- In your experience, how does social media differ from traditional advertising for small businesses?

SE- It’s a slower process than advertising because it doesn’t give you immediate results for the most part.  If you have an event coming up or a workshop and you want to get the word out, you can advertise it in many different ways.  When you tweet about it or put it on your Facebook Fan Page, people who follow you will see it but it may not peak their interest at this time.  However, the more you announce events through social media while engaging in conversations with your committed followers, such events will pay off down the road because more and more people will start to participate in your discussions.  It’s an important tool to keep building your brand.

L+W- Can you talk about Polly’s Charity?

SE- I started Polly’s Charity in April of 2009.  I lost my mom in March of 2009, and she was such an absolutely wonderful and amazing person and mom and I really wanted her to live on.  So I used the life insurance money she left me to start a charity in her name- “Polly” was her nickname.  She taught in the Akron
public schools of Akron, Ohio for over 30 years.  The school system decided to change their dress code, and required all students to wear uniforms.  This was a hardship for many of the families who couldn’t afford the uniforms, so I worked with the PR department of the school system and came up with the idea to buy uniforms for the kids.  So the charity began with three goals in mind: to buy uniforms for students who needed them, to put books in the libraries at the elementary level, and to help with any field trips they might have that are an expense.

L+W- Where does the bulk of your funding come from?

SE- The largest base is from the life insurance.  I have a “donate” button on the website.  Last summer I had a summer fundraiser for people in the Akron, Ohio area.  I’m going to fundraise again this year.  Fortunately there are a lot of clubs in the area that both my parents were involved with, so I plan to talk with them this year as well.  There is a school science project that I’m getting ready to make a donation to.

L+W- What is the most moving moment you’ve had so far with Polly’s Charity?

SE- I think probably the reaction of the people who knew my mom, the newspaper article in the Akron Beacon Journal was very touching, and when people tell me stories about my mom that I didn’t know- all of it is very moving and touching.

L+W- Is there anything else you want people to know about the work you do?

SE- I think one of the best things you can ever do in your life is to give back on a regular basis, no matter what you do and how you do it, whether it’s helping a neighbor or giving to a charity or starting a charity.  It’s one of the best things you can do in your life.

Meet Webseries Developer Sandra Payne!

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koldcast.tv, los angeles, pursedog.tv, sandra payne, social media, the web.files, web series

Sandra Payne is a social media expert and a webseries writer/director/producer with two hit webseries on the web right now.  She also teaches actors in LA how to utilize social media to help boost their careers.  AND she’s a wonderful person to boot!

Love and Water- Tell us about your website, http://www.pursedog.tv.

Sandra Payne- My primary mission right now is writing, directing and producing web series.  I have two web series right now- one is “Life with Kat and McKay.”  It’s in the style of a televison sitcom on http://www.koldcast.tv, and I’m excited about it!  I learned so much about producing while doing it, and realized how much I like to produce, especially work that I’m passionate about.  The second show is called “The Web.Files” and I’m a partner in that with Kristyn Burtt.  It’s a non-fiction interview talk show series, where we interview other web series makers about their web series.  That has been a blast.  The producing side of it is pretty significant, but we’re very ambitious and have been going with a weekly upload.  We’ve done a weekly episode since July 8, and have more to come.  So we’re on schedule!

L&W- How did you come up with the idea for “The Web.Files?”

SP- Kristyn is a red carpet entertainment reporter and while she was at the Streamy Awards interviewing some web series makers she realized there wasn’t really a place for them to talk about their work.  So she contacted me and we decided to do the show together.

L&W- Talk about is one great web series maker you’ve interviewed.

SP- Well we just interviewed Jeremy Redleaf who makes “Odd Jobs” on his website, www.oddjobnation.com.  He got all kinds of attention from CNN because he’s a website designer and when he put together his own website for the “Odd Jobs” web series, he realized he could post some real odd jobs on the site to make it original.  But what happened was the web series took a backseat to the actual odd jobs and all the people out of work looking for jobs.  So he’s gotten a lot of attention for it.  He’s the same guy who has a T-shirt company called Resume Shirts, where he puts people’s resumes on shirts.  And he has a success story from someone who wore their shirt to a party and got hired.  He’s a really great guy.  We’ve had so many, and they’re all great in different ways.  We’re working hard to monetize it right now, and working on getting sponsors so we can expand across the nation to interview web series makers all over the country.

L&W- That’s amazing.  And you teach a social media class as well, right?

SP- Yes, in August I started teaching a class in social media for actors.  It teaches them how to leverage social media for their careers.  It’s such an opportunity right now for actors to take advantage of, and I realized it’s something I can teach other people to do well.  And it keeps me learning as well.

L&W- Where can actors sign up for that class?

SP- It’s at the Actors Creative Workshop in Los Angeles.

L&W- Wonderful!

See the Purse Dog Website here: http://www.pursedog.tv/
See Life with Kat and McKay here:http://www.koldcast.tv/#/video:life_with_kat_mckay_pilot
The Web.Files on blip.tv (it’s primary home since July 8): www.thewebfiles.blip.tv

Follow Purse Dog on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/PurseDogtv
Follow Sandra on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/SPwrite
Follow the Web.Files on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/TheWebFiles

Follow Purse Dog on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/PurseDog.tv
Follow the Web.Files on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/TheWebFiles

If you are immersed in New Media/web series production, follow Kristyn Burtt on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/kristynburtt

Meet Sophie Bifield, Social Media Expert for Non-Profits

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profit: charity, social media, sophie bifield, twitter

Sophie Bifield is a social media expert for businesses in the corporate world with an interest in teaching everything she knows to non-profits.  She has spent tons of time researching why more non-profits aren’t currently taking advantage of social media trends, and has started a blog that is dedicated to sharing information on how to use social media to non-profits.  The blog will be in full swing starting February of 2010, but you can follow Sophie on Twitter as she tweets about some golden opportunities for non-profits- and anyone interested in better utilizing social media.

Love and Water- What is the premise of your blog, PROFIT: CHARITY?

Sophie Bifield- It’s an information source for non-profits about using social media.  I went through a series of interviews with non-profits, and I was being asked the same question repeatedly about how to use social media.  I found that non-profits have a different set of challenges when it comes to social media, primarily with time.  They don’t seem to have the time to devote to it, and many can’t yet hire someone to take it over for them.  But also there’s not the same return on investment when it comes to social media, because they’re trying to raise money, not sell a product.  So many are very resistant to using social media at all, and I think it’s a shame considering how much I know it can help them.  So I decided to talk to as many non-profits as possible and gather as much information as I could and help them come up with ways in which to use social media to their advantage.  I’m putting all the information together and I’m going to start blogging about it in February.

L&W- Can you touch on a few key ways social media can be useful to non-profits who aren’t sure whether to use it or not?

SB- It’s important first to clarify what they want to focus on.  It sounded like a lot of the groups I spoke with are resistant because they don’t have a clear objective as to why they want to be online.  A lot of them just thought they should be online because everybody else is, and then couldn’t figure out how to utilize it properly for them.  So they chalked it up to, “well, it just doesn’t work.”  So I think it’s important to define what they want, whether it’s raising more awareness, raising extra funds.  And once they define that then they can move forward with it.  Also, raising awareness is an excellent reason to be using social media because it does spread information and campaigns on a much larger scale.  If the campaign is right and properly done, then they can definitely raise money through social media as well.

L&W- What are some of the benefits you’ve see charities gain from using social media?

SB- My favorite campaign right now is the Care campaign by Eric Carr.  He’s calling himself the Million Dollar man and he’s using Twitter and Facebook to raise money and awarenss for his cause.  But he’s also gone one step further in using this new technology where when he does his iron man he’s going to be attached to a feed-through online that will tell people online to see where his heart rate is, when he’s got a pain in his leg, anything he’s feeling while running the race.  So it will allow people to tell him what to do in real time.  So if his foot is hurting people can say “take a break” or “run faster.”  His coach is going to help him pick out the best answers and tell him what to do at that time.

L&W- That’s amazing- what a great example of how to innovatively go the extra mile, so to speak, with social media.

SB- Yes, it’s a brilliant campaign, and all the social media outlets he’s using are effective because he has such a specific mission.

L&W- What is a good way for non-profits who don’t have any experience using social media to begin?

SB- Well as I said it’s first and foremost important to have a plan in place.  Then you can move ahead and plan a strategy.  And then to take some time to learn what Twitter and Facebook are and how to use them to your advantage, and that will be different for everyone depending on their objective.  With Twitter, for one thing, it’s not a push-for-marketing tool- it’s a conversation.  It’s a way of interacting with people and letting them in on what you’re doing.  Knowing that can help create relationships that could eventually turn followers into donors.

L&W- You are currently tweeting about very valuable information for non-profits.

SB- Yes, well, I try to put out as much as I can through Twitter about tips and opportunities that come up for non-profits.  Hopefully some will be able use it to their advantage.

L&W- This is such valuable information.  So your blog will be up and running by February?

SB- Yes, we’re looking at February, so you can keep it on your radar for then.

L&W- Thank you so much!

SB- No, thank you.  It has been wonderful to talk with you and share information.  I really appreciate what you’re doing, and am happy to be a part of your project as well.  Plus, we met on Twitter, which is a testament to what having a good conversation can do!

L&W- Exactly!

Follow Sophie on Twitter here: @ProfitCharity
Become a follower of her blog here: http://profitcharity.blogspot.com/

Interview with Michele Mattia of Designing Your Dash!!!

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michele mattia, social media

Michele Mattia is a life and business strategist who specializes in social media development.  But most of all, she is a creative, open, funny, evolving human being who will immediately put you at ease and make you feel like you can do ANYTHING!!!  Because she thinks you can!  She’s definitely a member of the Love and Water community because she has helped to shape our social media practice.  Her company, Designing Your Dash, allows her to work with people who want to create better lives and businesses for themselves.  I sat down to talk with her about how she came up with the idea for her trailblazing company.

Love and Water- What is the concept behind Life Design?

Michele Mattia- the concept came over two years ago.  I have a friend who has a little girl named Layla who was diagnosed with leukemia when she was two.  When I met her she was five and had had three surgeries and numerous radiation treatments.  I expected to see this little sickly, tiny thing.  When she showed up I , to this day, have never met anyone with her level of energy.  The door slammed, I heard giggles and she came running around the corner.  We were at a friend’s house who had a tire swing, and she wanted to get in it.  I was the first person who she asked to push her, and I said I couldn’t do it.  She asked why and I started listing all the reasons: what if the rope breaks, what if you fall, what if it’s too much for you.  And she looked at me and said, “how come you’re afraid of something you don’t know is going to happen?”  I knew I was supposed to hear that on that day.  I was running my technology consulting firm, and had a feeling I was supposed to be doing something bigger.  So I went on a silent retreat where I wasn’t allowed to talk for a week.  I did a lot of meditative walking whole there.  It was February and there was snow on the ground and one day I was walking and came upon this red barn that had a ‘do not enter’ sign.  So I of course went around the back to se ewhat was there.  And I found one huge tree among a ton of dead trees that still had its leaves.  All of a sudden I knew I needed to be doing what I loved.  I went back to my room, and by the end of that weekend I had my mission statement for Life Design.  I wanted to listen to and inspire and motivate Life Dashes.

L&W- And what is a Life Dash?

MM- It’s what we choose to do with the valuable time we have between when we’re born and when we leave this earth.

L&W- So when you left the retreat you started Life’s Dash?

MM- I sold my share of the technology consulting firm and became educated as a life coach, but I don’t refer to myself as a coach.  I think of myself as a strategist.  When I work with people, we’re in it together, we are strategizing together and coming up with ideas that work best for them.  When I combine that with my experience in company branding and social media I’m able to help people, and quite frankly they help me.  The last two years of my life have been effortless.

L&W- How so?

MM- Everybody I work with is concerned with how they can use their talents to help others.  And we go on a journey together to creatively figure out how to maximize their work to fulfill them.  I can’t tell you what I get out of that.  There are no words to describe it, really.

L&W- Talk about your blog, which is so inspiring.

MM- I’ve always been a writer.  My blogs are about what’s going on in my world.  My “Aha” and “Tada” moments.  I have to remind myself what I tell my clients all the time- to think big, to go after my dream.  That’s what I write about.  I want to share this with as many people as I can, so I send my blog through my daily newsletter.  I have a daily quote and daily topics, and I incorporate topics that move me.

L&W- I know that many many people love your Daily Dash, including myself.

MM- I get letters and emails from people all over.  One woman wrote me today saying that she saw my Daily Dash on Twitter, and said it inspired her to open her own yoga studio, which she had been afraid to do.

L&W- What about your radio appearances?

MM- They’ve been SO good!  90.3 FM called me and said they wanted me to talk about how people can utilize social media to help their businesses.  And I thought ok, I hope I have enough to say.  I was supposed to be on the air fr fifteen minutes, and I ended up being on for 45 minutes.  And the best part was that we didn’t even get to talking about social media!  We talked about daring to start your own business.

L&W- How great is that?

MM- Well, it made me realize that I do have something to say- the same thing I tell every person I work with.

L&W- You’ve taught me so much about utilizing social media.  What is the one thing you would tell people about how to use social media as a positive tool to connect with others?

MM- The main thing to remember is that social media is about having a conversation.  It’s about connecting with others in order to hone relationships through conversing and listening.  If you can have that kind of conversation, you can’t go wrong.

Visit Designing Your Dash here: www.designingyourdash.com
Join Designing Your Dash’s Ning social network here: http://lifedesignllc.ning.com/
Become a Facebook Fan here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/Life-Design/84207166497
Follow Designing Your Dash on Twitter: @Lifes_Dash