I Quit for LIJIT...

The Lovely Ladies who Launch

I'm a fan of entrepreneurs and a fan of the ladies so when my co-worker Grace mentioned that she was helping out with the local Boulder/Denver chapter of Ladies Who Launch, my interest was piqued. Grace put me in touch with Ricki, the group's new director, and next thing I knew, I was scheduled for a panel on PR and Marketing.

As someone who supports local businesses, finds inspiration in female entrepreneurs, and loves to share what I've learned while working at Lijit, I'm super excited to be helping out. Not to mention that a friend of mine, Lindsay, went through the LWL incubator program and has nothing but wonderful things to say about her experience. If you're interested in finding out about some best practices behind using social media to help your business, feel free to come join us next week!

• Where?   Common Threads, 2707 Spruce Street, Boulder

• When?    Tuesday, November 11th, 6:30 PM

• Cost?      Totally free!

And if you're still on the fence about attending, should I mention the other fabulous women that will be joining me on the panel? I can't wait to learn from marketing strategist Melani Ward, Victoria Keziah, a founder and principal of her own successful brand strategy firm (that she later sold to Egg Strategy), and one of my favorites, Elaine Ellis, of Metzger fame.

If interested, you can find out more details but be sure to RSVP, because space is limited!

Where in the world is Lijit?

As I've often said about my job, one of the best parts is building relationships with amazing bloggers. BW Jones is just one of those people. His blog, aptly named JonesBlog, is a mashup of beautiful photography and mind-boggling scientific adventures. He is a retinal neurophysiology scientist, after all. BW signed up with Lijit a long while ago...

and has been supportive of our company ever since. In the early days, he provided feedback and was a most capable bug-catcher. We rewarded him then with an iPhone and a t-shirt. In return, he has taken us with him around the world on various trips. You can see him Lijit in Japan but this time, he has gone Lijit in China. Mount Emishan, to be exact.

Big thanks for all the support BW. It's nice knowing our Lijit shirt has really been getting around.

Denver/Boulder Social Media Club

As one of the organizers put it, let's finally start something here already. There are many people in the area who are dabbling (or fully emerged) in what we call social media, so it only makes sense for the lot of us to gather in the same place, have a few drinks, and talk some shop.

       When:  September 23, 2008, 5:30-8:30 pm
     
       Where:  Wynkoop Brewery, 1634 18th Street, Downtown Denver

If you're interested, you can RSVP on the event's Facebook page and read more about the general ideas behind the Social Media Club on their wiki page.

I'm excited for this event and can't wait to meet some new people. Big thanks go out to Robin and Dan for organizing this! See you there...
 

RMBB 5000...A Party for all Political Viewpoints

Last Thursday, some big things happened in downtown Denver. One of them you may have heard about (a certain acceptance speech by a certain Democratic presidential nominee), but the other was almost as inspiring. A Blogger Bash like no other took place in a dark wine bar across from Union Station.

Bloggers from all over the country (in town for the DNC) and lots of local Colorado bloggers gathered to watch Obama's speech and talk about the passion we share for blogging. In addition to the free food and drinks, there was much friendly conversation to be had amongst the geeky-types, regardless of party affiliations.

Lijit was happy to sponsor such an event, since bloggers are our people. We had the opportunity to meet publishers who were already using Lijit and many that were excited to hear about what we're doing.

Our new friends include: Amber of Crazy Bloggin' Canuck, Heather of A Mama's Blog, Laura of LaLaGirl (who has TWO sets of twins...gulp!), Amy of Crunchy Domestic Goddess, Melissa of Nature Deva, Aviva of Parentopia, The Crunchy Green Mom, Hubs of Artifacting, Rosie of Rosalicious, Tessa and Michael of My Left Nutmeg, and Kath of A Likely Story.

There were many FOL (Friends of Lijit) from the Denver and Boulder area that showed up to attend their FIRST ever Rocky Mountain Blogger Bash, including: Aimee of Greeblemonkey and her awesome husband Bryan, Julie of mothergoosemouse, Geekmommy, Jeremy Tanner, Dave Taylor of Ask Dave Taylor (who was kind enough to give me a ride home), Robin from CopyDiva, Gerhard and Kary of Fling it Girl, Kit Seeborg, and the fabulous Deb in Denver.

And let's not forget the old pals I've met from past Blogger Bashes: Molly, Wheels, Left off Colfax, and Andy of The World Wide Rant (pictured above) who, I'm sad to report, is no longer blogging. But his widget is still the best ever...

A big thanks to the organizers of this fantastic RMBB: Mr. Lady and Zombyboy, who pulled off a great event on what some called "a crazy day to have a party in downtown Denver".

You can read other recaps of the event here, here, here, and here. It was a pleasure having the opportunity to meet so many other bloggers and we're glad that we could play a small part in making the evening happen.


[Photo credit: Greeblemonkey, who also designed the awesome RMBB logo]

Get Connected

I'm excited to be taking part in a panel about social media, happening this Thursday in Denver. The event is being put on by GroundFloor Media and I'm honored to have the opportunity to share what I've learned while working for Lijit.

Also on the panel will be James Clark, from Room 214 and Tiffany Childs, the community manager of Yelp. It should be a lot of fun and an afternoon of great discussion is guaranteed. I love hearing about what others are doing, sharing ideas, and answering questions about what we're currently doing with social media. (And what the heck is social media, anyway?)

I'm looking forward to meeting some new folk, taking some pictures, and helping others to figure out how social media can help their business.

Oh what a difference a year makes...

Last year at this time, I was reeling from all that I had learned at BlogHer07. Now, I'm attempting to recover from BlogHer08. Looking back, I realized that, after last weekend, I had been to three different BlogHer events in the course of a year. And boy, how things have changed.

BlogHer 07:

I really knew no one who was going except for Gwen Bell, a designer I had met in Boulder, and we had only spoken once. There was an extra bed in my hotel room and I offered it to her. (She paid me back by being a great Lijit evangelist!) I went in to the conference with my entire schedule planned out and I knew every session I was going to attend. Camera in hand, I took tons of pictures, handed out business cards with my blog's URL handwritten on the back and brought only sensible, comfy shoes. I met tons of people, blogged from the event, and was overwhelmed by the community I had found. There was a lot of opportunity over the course of the weekend for me to perfect my pitch, which means that I found out quickly what worked...and what didn't.

BlogHer Business 08:

This trip marked my first time to New York City by myself and my first opportunity to participate on a BlogHer panel. I spoke about being the public face of technology company and how my involvement was helping to humanize our brand. This conference blew me away in terms of its business focus. I was amazed by the other attendees and loved that I could pick the brains of smart women who were in the same boat. We discussed blogger outreach, PR tactics, and different ways of measuring the ROI of social media. There were lots of case studies presented of big companies who were getting it right and I felt humbled to be in the company of so many successful women.

BlogHer 08:

This year, I went into the conference with a less-planned, more free-flow approach. (Oh, and a dude.) My Lijit pitch has gotten much better and I knew there were going to be bloggers in attendance who were already using Lijit, which is very different from last year's conference. Besides being mentioned on two panels as an effective blogging tool, when I told people where I worked, they had heard of us! Success! I went into the weekend knowing that it was all about the interaction. Building new relationships, strengthening old ones and thanking people for using our widget. I was much more comfortable this year, except for the fact that I chose the cute shoes over the comfy ones. Another difference? Wearing the right shoes can actually lead to talking to the right people. Good (and somewhat painful) lesson to learn.

Another reason I love working for a start-up...

This is a hug coupon given to me by a co-worker and hug expert. The fine print says that hug duration is not guaranteed and that the coupon may not be redeemable upon demand.

While corporations I've worked for in the past have tried to implement "feel-good" initiatives, I don't think this is something that would have made it past HR. Call me crazy, but last I looked, big corporations aren't fans of employees "touching" each other.

To be sure though, I might have to ask my new BlogHer friend, HR Wench. She deals with stuff like this all the time.

UPDATE: Someone, ahem, who read this post kindly pointed out that HE was the one who printed the hug coupons for everyone. To insure that I get more hug coupons in the future, let me give a big THANKS to Derek Greentree for his part in keeping the dream alive.

It's more than just a fruit...

Passion is defined as any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling.

For me, it's something you can sense. You can feel it when a person is speaking passionately, you can hear it in their voice and you can see it when their face lights up.

It can be contagious, can't be faked and may need recharging every now and then.

While normally associated with romantic relationships, I've seen lots of examples of passion since I started working with Lijit (some online, some not) and wanted to share a few.

• Foodzie is a company I became familiar with when my CEO referred me to them. He said they were doing something cool and needed a little help with blogger outreach. We arranged a lunch date (imagine the pressure of finding a good restaurant with vegetarian offerings to impress the Foodzie crew) and their passion for what they're doing was immediately recognizable. Emily, Rob and Nik LOVE good food and LOVE sharing that knowledge with others. They are excited about their company and their passion rubs off when they are talking about their service. (Coincedentally, Foodzie is a TechStars company this summer and if you're looking for intense passion, the TechStars bunker is a good place to find lots of it.) 

• BlogHer is a great example of a passionate online and offline community. Last summer, I attended my first BlogHer conference and was blown away by what I experienced while there. Hundreds of women, talking about their blogs, their lives and their passions. It's an incredible weekend and just when you think it can't get any better, it usually does. The passion of this community is visible online, but in real life, it's addicting, refreshing and inspiring. I'm headed to BlogHer next week and can't wait. Last year, I didn't know anyone and had no idea what to expect. This year, I'm packing my cute shoes and getting as much sleep as possible BEFORE I go.

• Ultimate frisbee is a game played by passionate people. (You have to be if you're going to run around the field chasing a frisbee.) After a 5-year break from the game, I've started playing again recently and love the feeling I get while on the field. Perhaps it's because I didn't play a lot of team sports as a child, but I find myself getting excited when thinking about a game, when playing and afterwards, when talking about a game. While not an online activity (GASP!), Ultimate makes me feel passion. I love it when my quads are burning, when I make the catch and when I cheer my team on. I might just be infatuated with the sport, but with a name like Ultimate, I'm pretty sure I'll be around for another couple of seasons. (Or as long as my knees hold out...)

For my job everyday, I get to see bloggers who write passionately about everything from pencils to parenting. It's awe-inspiring to say the least and one of the things I love most about my job. After sharing a few examples of passion in action, I'd love to hear more. What are you passionate about?

Photo credit: squarepants2004j/aun tyhuia

toad the bwet sprocket**

Okay, once you get past the name (not just of the post, but of the group...and I blush about both), you'll find a remarkable thing happening. Women talking about creating media, companies and opportunities for themselves. Whatever you want to call it, it's pretty amazing.

Gwen Bell started the group (boulder women engaging tech) about six months ago as a way for women working in the Boulder tech scene to meet one another and have some girl talk. And boy have we. Some weeks there are many women, some just a few. But I always look forward to going because I can vent, share, get feedback on projects and listen to other women who work in jobs where there aren't always a lot of other women. Whether it's eating my baked goods, playing Scrabble or discussing new tools, it's community in action, baby. (It's also a lot of Macs.)

This Saturday, bwet is doing it up. Yep, a big event to discuss women in tech. The Houston chapter (hwet?) is flying in to join us and we want to be sure to show them a good time. Starting at 9:30 am at The Cup (a sponsor...which means free coffee), lots of ladies will be meeting for some conversation and some good times. Did I mention interactive activities are planned?

I'm honored to be one of the "speakers" for the event, but saying that makes it feel like it's something I should be nervous about. It's going to be very chill (read that as I'm not preparing anything) and I'll mainly be talking about what I do with Lijit. One of my favorite Texans, Laura Mayes, of Kirtsy will be telling her story and you don't want to miss that. It's a doozie.

So there you have it. I'm excited to meet some new friends and get inspired. Because that's what happens when estrogen, caffeine and techy girl talk come together.

Do join us.


And big thanks to those local businesses that are helping to make this happen: Metzger and The Cup


**It was either this title or "slippery when bwet".

Why you want a cool logo...

 

I was checking out my official time from the Bolder Boulder last week. Imagine my surprise when I found a picture of myself from the 2007 race greeting me. Sure, the main focus is on the cow, but how many people also saw the Lijit logo on my shirt?

My friend Seth, of Trek Light Gear, noticed me on the BB homepage and commented that he viewed running the race in a Lijit shirt as an "unconventional evangelist technique". What he failed to realize is that once you become an evangelist for something, you begin taking your work home with you by default. I love to run, so getting the chance to do so in a Lijit shirt was actually the perfect blending of my worlds. While I didn't score many publisher sign-ups over the course of the race, I did have lots of eyes on our logo and sometimes that can be half the battle.

When you have a logo that is designed well, it's easy to spark conversation. Lijit has been fortunate enough to sponsor a few different gatherings and it's always amazing to me how our logo looks among other logos. At Gnomedex last year, our logo was the same size as the others and yet stood out in such a defining way. It not only caught the eye, it refused to go unnoticed. There was a moment at SXSW this year, when I was hanging out in the BlogHaus and looked around to see Lijit stickers on the majority of laptops in the room. The sight made this evangelist's heart swell with pride. And I've lost count of how many designers have complimented me on Lijit's logo, telling me how much they like and appreciate it. I had nothing to do with the design but love hearing the positive feedback surrounding it.

Another good reason to have a well-designed logo is that people want your swag. Granted, people want free stuff anyway, but when you have a logo like ours, the demand is through the roof. It makes my job easier when people are sincerely stoked about getting a shirt. (Additionally, it doesn't hurt that our t-shirts are incredibly soft and comfy!) Stickers are in no way a ground-breaking marketing idea but it's pretty easy to see the return on that investment when you see your logo all over the place.

And of course, in my mind, the absolute best reason to have a cool logo is that it facilitates the process of wearing the logo every chance you get. When at conferences, I like to have a handful of stickers on me at all times so that I can tag anyone when the chance arises. Don't believe me? You never know when you might want to slap a sticker on an internet celebrity if the photo opportunity presents itself...

All of this is not to say that you MUST have a cool logo. However, when you're in the trenches, it doesn't hurt the cause.

Thanks to Ross Carlson for the sweet snowboard shot and to Bryce Widom for the awesome logo design. If you're interested in more of Bryce's work, check out the chalk drawings behind the bars of the Mountain Sun and Southern Sun. Yep...even more of his genius on display.