I Quit for LIJIT...

When the ball breaks...**

One of the many things that I love about working for a startup like Lijit is that when an interesting opportunity presents itself, we're quick to take advantage. This is not often the case when dealing with a corporation. Old-school corporations shy away from quick movement or employees having fun. Fortunately, we embrace both concepts here...on an almost daily basis.

Just such an opportunity occurred a few weeks ago when one of our trusty green "exercise" balls up and popped. No one is quite sure just how it happened, but I'm sure it was due to some incredible mental activity taking place on said ball.

Most normal folks might just throw the old busted ball away, but not us. Not after we worked so hard to bring these balls into existence. (The following video may cause emotional discomfort but it's really short. Just don't miss out on the faces I'm making during the hard labor of pumping up balls for the new office. And yes, that is our CEO laughing at us in the background.)

Pump it up from Tara Anderson on Vimeo.

No, in lieu of mourning the beloved green ball, we simply had different employees try the ball on for size. Turns out Daniel looks really good with a ball on his head.

And, if that weren't enough, we also somehow convinced Grace, our smallest employee, to actually crawl into the lifeless green shell...and be the ball. She did a nice job.

Although she said it was hot in there, I'm pretty sure she's considering changing the name of her blog to Small Hands, Big Green Balls, which, if not taken, is a great name. Of course, the new name might change the focus of her blog and attract the wrong kind of readers...but she already has a banner image all set to go.

Just another afternoon around the Lijit office.

And this, my dear readers, is why I continue to work here--for the laughs, for the people and for the learning experiences.

(You can thank me later for this hard-hitting bit of behind-the-scenes investigative reporting.)

**Hopefully, the cradle does not fall.

Chicks Who Click--West Coast Edition

I'm excited that Lijit is going to be a sponsor for this weekend's Chicks Who Click conference, taking place in San Jose. This will be the third one I've attended and probably the one I'm most excited for. After hearing much talk about this "valley" where startups succeed without even trying, I'm looking forward to checking it out for myself. 

Judging by the list of speakers, it's obvious that the big female guns will be represented. (And I'm not just referring to our biceps, okay?) I'm speaking on a panel about women in tech startups, along with my friend Emily from Foodzie and there are a few other companies participating that you may have heard of as well. The name YouTube ring a bell? No? What about Facebook? Yep, they'll be there too.

And don't get me started trying to describe the awesomesauce that is Aubrey Sabala, who I briefly met at BlogHer in 07 or the amazingness of Adriana Gascoigne, the founder of Girls in Tech and someone I've been wanting to meet for ages.

Gah. I'm going to be such a fangirl this weekend.

Let's not forget that I also get to see an Ignite buddy, former Boulderite and fellow bacon lover Rick Bakas, who is making sure that the wine flows like water all weekend long. I'm thanking you in advance Rick.

And, I'm proud to announce that after almost three years of blogging, I *finally* wrote a guest post. (I know, I know...I'm a bad blogger.) It's over on the Chicks Who Click blog and is all about the very topic of the panel I'll be on: Women in Tech Startups. Check it out and let me know what you think.

If you're in the area, you should join us. If this Chicks Who Click conference is anything like the other two, it's going to be a wonderful day of learning, laughing and networking.

[One last thing...I have to do a long run on Sunday morning and would appreciate any recommendations for good running trails in the area. My hotel is in downtown Palo Alto and I figure there must be somewhere to run around there, right? Famous last words.]

BlogHer 09: Bringing it back to Chicago

There are lots of post-conference reviews and summaries coming to light as BlogHer attendees write about their experiences. Some are on blogs, some are in the traditional media. I was unsure how I should go about talking about the conference, because as a marketer and a blogger, I have a few different angles I can take on the subject. Since I'm mostly caught up on sleep, I thought that I would share a different sort of top ten list with you--the questions I have after returning home from BlogHer. There are a few that I can actually answer and a few that don't need it...

Question #1: Do I talk about all the awesome bloggers I met?

    Because really, I could go on and on and on and on with regards to the caliber of women (and the few men) that I met while at BlogHer. There's not enough room to link to them all.

Question #2: Do I mention the incredible sessions that provided much food for thought?

    Whether it was listening to how some of my favorite bloggers tend to their craft or hearing about how big companies are dealing with social media, there were learning opportunities around every corner of that Sheraton.

Question #3: Do I dissect what it felt like to be a non-mommyblogger wandering around an expo floor full of major sponsors looking to reach the mommybloggers?

    At another time, perhaps.

Question #4: Do I discuss the issue of swag and how crazy it has all become?

    No need to since many other talented writers have already done a better job than I ever could.

Question #5: Do I bring up how amazing it is to hear bloggers read their best work aloud with tears streaming down my face and my heart swollen with pride?

    The Community Keynote is the best part of BlogHer in my opinion and reminds me why we all started doing this in the first place.

Question #6: Do I share the numerous conversations I had about Lijit, listening to feedback and explaining how we strive to provide value to bloggers?

    Let's just say that Lijit stickers became one of the most coveted accessories of the weekend.

Question #7: Do I approach the topic of how much I've learned since first attending BlogHer in 07?

    You can see it firsthand here and here.

Question #8: Do I broach the subject of just how many parties and events took place outside of the official BlogHer conference lineup?

    Lots and lots. If you wanted to attend BlogHer without ever really attending BlogHer, it was quite possible. (And you probably walked away with better swag than I.)

Question #9: Do I even begin to wax poetic about how grateful I am to work for a company that gets it?

    No. It's been a while since I've written poetry but if you must, check out the rhyming ode I wrote to the Lijit stats. This will remind you why I don't write poetry often.

Question #10: Do I simply thank Elisa, Jory and Lisa for allowing me to be there for a small part of the magic?

    Yes. See you ladies next year in New York City.

{Photos courtesy of Veesees and Southern Fairytale...because I still haven't uploaded my pictures yet}

Indie movies taking a tip from indie music

When your industry is out of the mainstream, why would you market in a mainstream way?

On today's sign-up report, I saw that a blog all about the making, and promoting, of an independent film was on there. The movie is called Not Forgotten and the blog is called Not Forgotten Movie. (Aptly named, I know.)

As a film major, I love independent films but know how hard it is for them to pick up widespread distribution. If they're lucky, they'll be shown in small theaters somewhere in L.A. or New York. If I'm lucky, I'll have the chance to catch the film on Netflix. However, with the advent of social media, indie films can increase their chances of hitting it big by connecting with audiences before the film even arrives in theaters.

When a film is made by a major studio, millions of dollars can go into promoting it. But with small films like Not Forgotten, the only chance they have at being shown nationwide is if the audiences express an interest for it. With free tools like blogs, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube, the producers of the movie can help spread the word at a much lower cost and prove that there is demand for the film to be shown.

In the case of Not Forgotten, in addition to a blog, they have a twitter account with almost 3600 followers. The producers promote the movie, interact with other film lovers on twitter, and give fans a glimpse at what it takes to actually get an independently-made movie into the theater. You can also watch videos of the movie's L.A. premiere and interviews with the stars on their YouTube channel. If all that weren't enough, Not Forgotten also has a Flickr account featuring still shots from the movie and promo pics of the stars.

Indie music has been doing this kind of online promotion successfully for years with a little service called MySpace. As much as I hate the obnoxious design of MySpace, I can see how the social network is useful for independent bands. You can get your music into the hands of people who want to hear it, build a fanbase and easily communicate tour dates. It's almost mandatory these days for an indie band to have their MySpace URL all over show flyers and concert announcements.

I expect to see more indie films doing what Not Forgotten has done with social media. Not only because the price of the marketing is in line with their budget, but because it gives me hope that some of these awesome movies might actually make it to Denver one day.

Names can be deceiving

Part of my daily morning routine is to check out the blogs who signed up with Lijit the day before. I love starting my day like this because you never know what kind of randomness you'll end up seeing. Sometimes it's a blog that impresses me with design or a blog in another language that leaves me confused. Like Gump was known to say about life, I say about our sign-up report..."you never know what you're going to get."

When I saw a URL with the words ear sucker in it this morning, I was intrigued to say the least. I'm not new to the slightly sexual sites, since we have quite a few that are using Lijit.* However, with this one, I had no idea what was going to greet me when I clicked on the link. Was my computer going to crash? Was I going to blush?

To my surprise (or is it disappointment?), Ear Sucker is a music blog. They feature information about upcoming tours, gossip about musicians, and must-see videos. I liked the content I saw on their blog, but honestly, they had me at their URL. With a name like that, you'd better not disappoint.

*Other Lijit publishers that have helped to increase my tolerance: Booted Up, Towleroad, and Christian Sings the Blues. Remember...you've been warned.

Chicks Who Click--Kansas City Style

Back in January, I was asked to take part in the first ever Chicks Who Click. It was a one-day conference happening a block from my office in downtown Boulder. I wrote about the event on the Lijit company blog and mentioned some of the many amazing women I met that day. It turned out to be a fantastic event and it was definitely a no-brainer for Lijit to be involved.

Flash forward two months. I receive an email from Denise, the mastermind behind the conference, telling me that Chicks Who Click is going on the road. And? They want me to join. A traveling road show of hands-on learning and the opportunity to meet even more cool chicks? Count me in. The tagline of the conference contains three of my favorite words starting with C...create, connect, & collaborate. (Fortunately, my other favorite word, chocolate, will also be available courtesy of Denise, who knows that everything is better with chocolate.)

In two weeks, I'll be heading to Kansas City to speak at the second Chicks Who Click. There are two main reasons I'm excited for this trip. First of all, the ladies are to die for. From Celeste Lindell, who I met at BlogHer 07, and Zena Weist, the pocket-sized social media nymph, to the Queen of them all, Erin Kotecki Vest, I can't wait to (re)connect with so many friends. And let's not forget that one of my writing heroes, Rita Arens, is going to be there as well. (I'm going to try not to salivate on her, but no promises, Rita.) Just like the first CWC, this conference will be chock full of inspiring women who will be sharing their knowledge and teaching me many things.

The second reason I'm excited? The food. I've never been to Kansas City but have heard many tales of the tempting BBQ to be found there. As a big fan of trying local cuisine, the above pic makes my mouth water. For those counting, that's the second reference to my saliva in this post, which might be a new record for me.

(And I almost forgot...I was recently interviewed for the Chicks who Click blog, and should you really not have anything better to do, you can check out my answers and see that I am really serious about this BBQ thing.)

If you're interested in attending this Chicks Who Click, you best get on it. Early-bird pricing ends today. Register here and leave a comment on this post to let me know that you're going. I guarantee* that it will be worth the time and money spent.

*This is not a legally binding guarantee, but a very truthful testimonial.

[photo credit: monkeysort ]

The Magic of Milestones

When I taught seventh graders, milestones were an important part of measuring a student's growth over the course of the school year. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the same holds true for gauging the success of a startup as well. (I promise that I will expound about other similarities between startups and seventh graders another time.)

During our first year, Todd was rather infamous for telling me, as often as he could, that wijit views were like air. The more wijit views we could get, the better our little startup would do. I started at Lijit towards the end of January in 2007 and, as you can see from the above graph, I actually had something of an impact on the numbers. The first milestone that we celebrated at Lijit took place on June 27th, when we first broke 100,000 daily wijit views.

Fast forward two years and here we are, celebrating another milestone...
 

That's right. On March 30th, Lijit broke the 4 million daily page view mark. Woot. We've come a long way from that day in June and it feels really good to know that, once again, I played a small part in making it happen. Milestones point the way towards where you're going and I can't wait to see what we accomplish next.

OMG...Liz Strauss knows my name...

When I first started working at Lijit, Stan James sent along a few sites that he thought would help me get started in "the space". The space being, of course, blogging and marketing a tech company. One of the blogs he sent me was that of the lovely Liz Strauss, creator of the highly-resourceful Successful Blog. With a name like that, how can you not learn something from her?

Over the years, I've kept Liz in my RSS reader, looking to her posts for writing inspiration and tips on how to be a better blogger. I finally had the chance to meet Liz at the Blissdom conference in early February, where I had the honor of speaking. Liz and I fell into an easy conversation and it was quite apparent that this woman simply drips knowledge. She likes to joke about her age, but all I could do was listen and soak up her wisdom.

Imagine my surprise when, a week after the conference, I was included in Liz's post about how to be a successful sponsor at a small conference. While I was taking part in sessions, talking to Lijit publishers, and meeting many new people, Liz was watching. She could tell, by my engagement with other conference attendees, that I was there not just to promote Lijit, but to learn. Along with John Andrews (he of Walmart fame), I was used as an example of sponsors that understand how to make a lasting impression. Here's the line that resonated most with me...

John and Tara were about building relationships with their customers — current and future.

I don't mean for this post to simply be a way to toot my own horn, although you can tell by the title that I am still in awe of the praise. It's just that when I go to conferences, it's not about being at the right party or name-dropping. For me, conferences provide an opportunity to have meaningful conversations, to learn from the people using Lijit on their blogs, to make new friends, and of course, to give away as many Lijit t-shirts as possible. :)

I've seen it all when it comes to sponsors. There are the people who act "too cool" to actually hang out with conference attendees and those who are so interested in promoting themselves, you almost forget what company they're representing. I like to think that the work I do at conferences is some of the most important that I can be doing for Lijit because, in this day and age, relationships do still matter.

Thanks again for the shout-out Liz. And for using Lijit on your blog.

Nashville bound

I'm heading out to Nashville today for the Blissdom Conference and am quite excited. So excited that I seem to have lost my sanity, hopefully just momentarily, and decided to share a video that has never seen the light of day. This was a fun little collaborative project that took place when some of the guys from the first TechStars group stopped by the old Lijit offices.

***Be warned that the video contains a lot of MC Hammer and white people dancing, so if you're sensitive to either of those things, it may not be in your best interest to watch it.***

However, if you want a good laugh, then have at it. You can thank me later. And for those ladies going to Blissdom who are stopping by to get a feel for what I'm bringing to the conference...yep, you guessed it...mad line-dancing skills.

2 Lijit 2 Quit from Tara Anderson on Vimeo.

Has it already been two years?

I guess you could say that I haven't been the new guy in quite some time. But today marks a most impressive milestone for anyone working within the startup sector...my two year anniversary of starting at Lijit. It's almost unbelievable in a way. Since joining Lijit as employee number seven, I've seen lots of changes happen. In that time, the number of people working for Lijit has almost quadrupled, we've received two rounds of funding, we've moved into a sweet office located in downtown Boulder, and we've launched new products.

In addition to Lijit's amazing growth, the lessons I've learned have been many...the importance of relationships, respect, authenticity, and community-building. I'm extremely grateful for the friends I've made and the places I've been able to travel while working for Lijit. And, if you had told me two years ago that I would one day have more blogs than I could maintain, I would have laughed at you. Now, I concentrate on Lijit's company blog, while leaving this one to fall by the wayside. (Sorry to all of my loyal readers!)

Far and away, the best thing that has come from the past two years is seeing the results of my hard work. I've been able to spread the word of Lijit, as a good evangelist should, and help to build the brand of the company from the ground up. We get many compliments about our customer service and I feel like I've been a major part in making that happen. Along the way, I've discovered that what I love about technology is what I love about life...learning new things, undertaking new challenges, and connecting with people.

While we're strolling down memory lane, I thought it would be entertaining to repost my very first blog entry, dated January 22, 2007...

Let it begin

 Today is my first day on the job. I was told that in order to get into a blogger's mind, I need to start a blog of my very own. So here goes. As a frequent reader of blogs, I know a bad blog when I see one. I'm not promising that mine will be good or funny or entertaining...at first. But as I learn, I plan on pimping out my blog and working hard to put out something of quality. Join me as I attempt to figure out this new medium, this new job (lijit.com), and how exactly a widget/wijit will rock my new world.

It's always good to remember where you came from...

and the people that helped get you to where you are today. Thanks to Todd, Leslie, and Stan for taking a chance on me! I can only hope the next two years are as awesome as the past two...

(Photo by Derek Greentree, taken a few months after I had started at Lijit. I was in my intense Post-it note stage, which replaced my "Oh my God...what exactly am I doing?" phase.)