I Quit for LIJIT...

Ignite Boulder 6: Ladies Take Over

I'm about to get all gushy. Ignite Boulder does it to me every time. I don't know if it's because I've been to every one that Andrew Hyde has organized here in Boulder or because I've spoken at 50% of them, but this is my absolute favorite event that happens locally. While Ignite may have started as a small tech event, it is no longer that. This event sold out the Boulder Theater last week and with it, proved that there is such thing as a sense of humor to be found in Boulder.

The first few Ignites were sorely lacking in female presenters. At the first one, it was just me and Julie Penner. Fortunately, the tides have changed and at this most recent event, there were more female presenters than men. Simply put, the ladies rocked it.

One of my favorite food bloggers, Jen from Use Real Butter, started off the night (after Ef's humorous musical introduction) with a presentation about food porn.

In case you don't know, I'm a big fan of the food porn and if given more free time, would probably post more of it.

Vanessa Schneider told us all the grizzly details behind getting a DUI. While I sympathized with her dilemma, I also couldn't help but laugh because this chick is funny. DUIs are not a laughing matter, but Vanessa, however, is.

Other funny ladies that I did not get pictures of include Sara Levi, with her brilliant idea for alternative energy, Heather Clisby with her presentaion on screwed-up logic, and Christina Sagray's thesis on the modern teen chick flick. (Christina gets extra points for including a John Hughes memorial slide in her presentation.)

The gentleman of the evening did not disappoint either. Ryan Wanger gave another outstanding presentation about the princess being in another castle...

and provided us with the event's obligatory Mario reference. The always-entertaining George G. Smith Jr. offered up tips to become a master debater, including volume control, remaining topical and how to avoid being Kanye a sore loser. And in his Ignite debut, my buddy from back in the stand-up days, Dave Burdick did a wonderful job of proving that he really did learn a lot from Ghostbusters.

If you haven't attended an Ignite yet, I strongly suggest you do. Ignite 6 proved to be yet another in (hopefully) a long line of fantastically entertaining and educational evenings. A big thank you to all of the speakers, the volunteers and most especially to Andrew Hyde, for continuing to share his community-building talents with all of us in Boulder.

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}

Showing a gnome around Boulder

I often find myself doing odd things because of my job. Slap a sticker on a drunk Guy Kawasaki? Check. Put your head through a whiteboard made to look like a widget? Check. Take a gnome around Boulder and give him a tour of local startups? Ummmm...okay.

When my friend Lindsay asked if I would help out, I didn't hesitate. It was fun hanging out with the little guy for two days and I learned a few things by taking the Yim gnome (that's his name, btw) around town.

Basically, when you work for a startup, you ALWAYS have time for a photo op. Especially one involving an inanimate object and a Twitter mention.

This was Day 1 with Yim...

Powered by Whrrl

And in case you can't get enough, even more startup fun with Yim on Day 2...

Powered by Whrrl

Not only did I have fun getting to see the offices of all my favorite Boulder tech startups, but I really enjoyed playing around with Whrrl. It's a fun application and very easy to use. If you like telling stories with your pictures and having an easy way of sharing that story with your friends, be sure to give Whrrl a whirl.

Word on the street is that Yim will be attending BlogHer as well, so this may not be the last you see of him here.

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 ]

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.

How I love thee Boulder...

It's no surprise that I really enjoy where I live. Boulder is the number one search term on this blog (thank you Lijit stats) and I've posted before about how much I like this town. Even before I was chosen as a Boulder ambassador, I considered myself an outspoken evangelist for living here. So when my friend Elaine Ellis approached me about writing a post about why Boulder rocks for the Boulder.me project, it was a no-brainer. In true acrostic form, I present my ode to Boulder.

B is for beer. Seriously. We live in a microbrew heaven with more than 6 different local beers to enjoy. Granted I'm a former beer snob, but living in this town makes it easy to never drink crap beer. Not to mention that we always have fantastic sponsors for the different tech events!

 

O is for outdoor activities. There are so many to choose from, you have no excuse. Hiking, backpacking, skiing, running, ultimate frisbee and cycling are just some of my favorites and I can do them all, easily, because I live here. 

U is for unique weather. We live in an interesting meterological place, as my friend and favorite weatherman Josh Larson can attest. Both NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) are based here for a reason. Our winters are mild, the summers are warm, and the wind...well, let's just say when there is a wind "event", everyone knows it. 

L is for the laid-back lifestyle. My Denver friends joke about how Boulder people are in our own time zone...meaning that we're normally not rushed, often run late, and never get that dressed up for anything. All of this makes it extremely easy to take it easy.

D is for dining. Whether you're looking for organic, vegan or a good burger, Boulder has it all and does it well. I'm married to a foodie and it's made me realize how lucky we are to live in a place littered with other foodies because it means lots of good restaurants. And let's not forget Hosea, okay? If a Top Chef winner resides and works here, that's proof positive to me.

 
The Foodzie crew documenting lunch at Leaf.

E is for extreme dedication. Whether you're an athlete or an entrepreneur, there is always going to be someone faster, smarter or better than you. This may be true in any town, but here, the extreme dedication that people put into their passions is put on display daily. In my first triathlon, we had to write our age on the back of our calves. Nothing makes you want to work harder than getting passed by a seventy-year old...and knowing it. (My friend Andrew Hyde has a great post about this very topic.)

R is for real community. One of my 2008 resolutions was to get more involved in the Boulder tech scene. Fortunately, with so many events and so many welcoming smiles, that resolution was an easy one to accomplish. Whether it's meeting up for beers or events where we learn from each other, I've never felt as part of something as I do here in Boulder.

If you have any questions about living in Boulder, feel free to ask away! (And no, I won't be able to afford to buy a house here anytime soon...)

BioBeers and Startup Drinks happening tonight!

Okay, okay, so call me short notice Sally, but I wanted to be sure to help spread the word about a community event with promise. Or at the very least, with beer. Two of the local drinking groups with entrepreneurial problems, BioBeers and Boulder Startup Drinks, are joining forces tonight at the Foundry for a night of networking and commiseration. If you're interested, the festivities will start around 6:30ish.

Many of the attendees will actually be meeting up before heading to the bar to hear Jason Mendelson give a crash-course on raising venture capital at the Wolf Law building on the CU campus. To see more details about Jason's presentation, check out the Silicon Flatirons site for specifics.

Nerds + Geeks = BioBeers + Start-up Drinks

When: February 24th @ 6:30pm
Where: The Foundry, 1109 Walnut St. Boulder 80302

Also, just a quick note to prevent any awkward confusion--the drinking is happening at the The Foundry bar, not the VC firm. Although I guess that's one way to get your foot in the door.

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.

Ignite Boulder lights up local community

A couple of weeks ago, I was helping a friend (and local Boulder startup) celebrate the opening of some new office space when a buddy came up to tell me I should be participating in Ignite. I'm generally wary when people tell me I have to do something, but the next words out of his mouth were about how Ignite would be a perfect opportunity to do some stand-up in front of a tech crowd. Now he had my attention. Fortunately, at this same party was Andrew Hyde, the organizer of said Ignite, and after talking with him for five minutes, I was sold. (Andrew is really good at that.)

The idea behind Ignite is simple. Give a presentation for 5 minutes, with 20 slides that auto-advance. (That's 15 seconds per slide, if you need help with the math.) The presentation can be about anything at all AND there was going to be free beer. Sounds fun, right?

Ignite Boulder was beyond fun. Inspirational, funny, and educational, the presentations ran the gamut from tech topics (the future of the mobile web) to human topics (lucid dreaming) to practical topics (how to crash a party). The beauty of Ignite is that you really can listen to just about anyone for five minutes and the format allows for lots of personality to shine through each presentation.

As for me, I decided to tackle two subjects close to my heart: startups and standup. I didn't do any material from my actual stand up routine, but instead, decided to show the similarities I've found between the worlds of standup comedians and startup entrpreneurs. What follows is my presentation but I'm warning you...it's NSFW if you work in a place where you can't joke about sausages. (And if that's the case, then I'm sorry for you.)

Now, it's your turn. If you're in the area and have a hankering to rock the mic, applications are being accepted for the second Ignite Boulder, taking place on December 17th. Take my word for it...this was a creative challenge that left me feeling good about myself and my local community for days after. What more could you want from a free event?

And if anyone has any ideas for my next Ignite presentation, feel free to leave a comment. I have a few things bouncing around but am always open for suggestions.