I Quit for LIJIT...

Leaving Lijit

It's time to close this chapter and start a new one. I'm leaving Lijit to move on, learn new things and challenge myself. The past three and a half years have been amazing and I wanted to break it down for you.

By the numbers...

                  6: number of people at the company when I was hired

                17: number of conferences that I've attended on behalf of Lijit

              329: number of blog posts that I've written between this blog and the company blog

              500: percent increase in the number of employees since I've been here

            2400: percent increase in the number of active widgets since I started

    Lost count: the number of awesome people I've been fortunate to meet through this job

The lessons I walk away with are varied. From learning about the intricacies of search to figuring out how to navigate through the world of social media, I've basically taught myself, through trial and error, how to be a successful evangelist/marketer/publisher recruiter. And for giving me the room to make mistakes and develop my voice, I will be eternally grateful to everyone at Lijit.

Don't even get me started about how much I've learned about blogging. Oy vey. Spending my time deeply entrenched in the world of blogs has opened my eyes to the many writers and photographers out there who make up this entertaining space. I don't want to say that I've seen it all...but it wouldn't be far from the truth. From mommies to daddies, movies to music, dogs to cats, biking to running, the funny to the ridiculous, the amazing to the unbelievable, the local celebrity to the internet famous, those with hair to those without, Lijit has provided many opportunities for my blogging education.

And let's not forget all the food blogs that I've salivated over during my course of employment. 

There are many thank-yous, but the first one definitely goes to Todd. In addition to being a cool guy to work for, he really took a chance on hiring me. But I made him laugh and was able to convince him that I knew what an 'evangelist' was supposed to do...and that I was the perfect person to do it. Fortunately, he believed in me and never looked back.

Also, big props go out to Stan, Leslie and Derek, who put up with many dumb questions from me as we were first starting out. I'm a virtual tech success story from when I joined Lijit (shut up I can write a few lines of code) and I have those three to thank for it.

Finally, I need to thank you, the readers and Lijit supporters who have joined me on this journey. Thanks especially to those first few publishers that I reached out to long ago who installed Lijit even after I sent them four-paragraph-long emails.

I can't wait to see what else Lijit accomplishes and I look forward to celebrating their future successes, knowing I had a small part to play in helping to grow the company.

If you want to keep up with Lijit, you should subscribe to the Lijit company blog.

If you want to keep up with me personally, you should subscribe to my "other" blog, Tall Tara, where, among other things, I write about my butt, my physical adventures and my skewed view of humanity.

If that doesn't seem appealing, you can follow me on Twitter. But don't worry...I'm not going to be far.

I have to sign off with one of the most impressive pieces of Lijit advertising (that I never got to use) created by one of my favorite Lijit users ever and a huge source of feedback for us back in the early days, Kato Katonian...

Glimmers of hope

I often find myself doubting the relevancy of television news. Does anyone (besides my parents) still get their information from that outdated medium? All of the breaking news I hear about comes to me via Twitter. It's where I learned about the Hudson crash landing, Michael Jackson's death, and of course, all of Apple's product announcements.

Everyone knows that newspapers are in dire need of revamping in order to keep up with social media trends but I wonder also about the television news. In this time of on-demand, real-time news updates, how does a television station keep their viewers informed?

There are two promising things I've seen that seem to point towards a future of old media and new media working together in tandem. The first comes out of Denver and is the amazing story of Misty Montano. I had heard her name around town and knew she worked for a local television station, but had no idea she was such a trailblazer.

At the most recent Chicks Who Click conference held in downtown Denver, Misty gave a presentation entitled Going Rogue. Her preso was not referring to Sarah Palin (fortunately) but was referring to the fact that Misty jumped on Twitter and started engaging with CBS viewers BEFORE she had actually gotten the permission of her boss to do so. Talk about ballsy.

What she's accomplished (besides proving the value of social media to everyone in her department) is that she's been able to talk to the people who watch her newscast. She gets tips from viewers, shares teasers from upcoming stories and can alert folks to local breaking news that she's picking up on the police scanner. And when she needs help putting together a story, she has thousands of folks following her on Twitter that are willing and ready to help.

Misty's blog can be found here and she's Misty Montano on Twitter.

Another interesting social media story comes out of San Francisco. There's a consumer reporter there, Michael Finney, who is blogging. Not because his station is making him, but because it helps his viewers get even more information about the stories he's covering. In addition to his blog, Michael is on Twitter and even goes the extra mile to help his readers understand RSS and provide them with special deals that they might not otherwise know about.

Not to mention, he recently signed up for and installed Lijit on his blog. Which just goes to show that not only in Michael proving himself even more valuable to his station through increased engagement with viewers, he's also on the cutting edge of blog technology. ;)

Hopefully, Misty and Michael won't remain in the minority of news folks incorporating social media into the way they do business. It would be a shame to see television news go the way of the dodo.

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.

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.)

All in a day's work...The Office Edition

When you work for a company that creates a tool for bloggers, it's somewhat expected that you have a blog. Our CEO has a blog, our Senior Director of Products and Operations has a blog, our COO has a blog, and of course, our VP of Business Development has a blog. (Some are updated more than others, but all are quality.) And everyone, upon hiring, is strongly encouraged to give blogging the old college try, if for no other reason than to have somewhere to test the widget.

With our recent funding, we've had some new employees come on board and with the new employees, we have a wealth of new blogs to check out. Join me for a blogging tour around the office, won't you?

Meet Grace, a new member of our Business Development team...

 

The whole reason she's working here is because she installed Lijit. Well, that, and she's awesome. Grace blogs about a wide variety of things she's interested in, including social media, current affairs, and entrepreneurship.

Moving on to Ryan, one of our Software Engineers:

Ryan writes about technical issues and his absolute love for LOLCATS. Can you think of a more entertaining mix of content? Me either. In addition to his tea obsession, Ryan keeps us all entertained with his tweets.


Let me introduce you to Jacqueline, a Community Catalyst Extraordinaire...

Now that she's actually updating her blog, I thought she was finally worthy of mentioning. As someone new to Colorado, Jacqueline's blog covers the many adventures that she has encountered since moving here. It took Jacqueline a bit to get into the blogging/social media scene, but now that she's had a taste, you can't stop that girl from Twittering.

Our new team lead for the Ad Serving product is a real Brit! (As someone who does a lovely fake English accent, this couldn't make me happier.) Check out Mike's blog:

Mike, affectionately known around the office as Pip (check out the title of his blog!), is a writer, photographer, and all around good chap. He blogs about his life, shares chapters from a book he's working on, and puts up with everyone in the office talking in awful fake accents. (Except for me, of course...)


And while this next guy isn't all that new, his blog is so awesome, I had to mention it:

Daniel is our Technical Integration Guru Manager and his blog has been a testing ground for all things Lijit. The reason I like Daniel's blog so much is that it's such a great representation of him. You can find geeky stuff, posts about games he likes, pictures of his baby (cutest thing EVAR) and close-up shots of his favorite whiskey. Not to mention, the dude's funny. And, if you needed another reason to love Daniel, check out the Snowing Twitter account he set up to keep skiers updated on snow conditions. Can you say rad?

Well, that's where the tour ends today, my friends. I hope you've enjoyed getting a peak into some of the characters that make up Lijit. And, if you're currently in our office and you're upset that you don't see your blog on this list, don't worry. I had to save a few for future blog posts.

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]

Help an old broad out

(And this time, I don't mean me or my mother!)

Working for Lijit, I come into contact with LOTS o' bloggers. One of my favorites is Colleen Wainwright, the Communicatrix. She installed our widget after a pitch I sent her (in February of last year, no less) and she has remained near the top of the list since then. Besides being the first blogger we featured on our old homepage, she also holds the honor of being my first blog crush, which was only reinforced when I met her at SXSW.

Colleen needs some help. She's trying to land the job as Southwest's new blogger and I can't think of anyone better for the job. Watch for yourself...

Vote for Colleen here. She's funny and will do wonderful things for Southwest. Besides, if she gets the gig, it'll keep her off the streets. And you don't want an old broad out roaming the streets, right? Especially one with a blog...

All in a day's work...The Green Edition

While it's definitely not easy, it is getting more popular to be green these days. With the rise of eco-conciousness in every category from marketing to fashion, I thought it would be interesting to take a tour of some of the greenest publishers using Lijit.

If you're looking to be a environmentally-friendly parent...

Green Parent Chicago will help you to raise a healthy family by giving you ideas on green living and activities to do with your child.

Want to find a job that's more in line with your ecological beliefs?

Check out GreenCareerCentral for tips and strategies on getting started in the green career of your dreams.

In addition to white and blue collar jobs, there is now a whole segment of the workforce dedicated to green collar employment. And if you're in Hawaii, you're in luck...

Not just because you're living in Hawaii, but because you have a resource like Green Collar Technologies, which keeps readers updated on sustainable living information, green collar jobs, and a calendar of local green events.

Speaking of green events, there's a publisher tackling that very subject...

You can read all about the next generation event and find enviro-conscious ideas (including tech-related tools) to help you plan the events of tomorrow.

Tired of all the political agenda surrounding the green movement?

So is GreenZoneOnline, which promises that great ideas are the only agenda on their site. Billed as the intersection of liberal and conservative, this blog brings different perspectives together to pursue conscious living. Not a bad idea, huh?

If you're looking for some eco-friendly design, look no further than...

green {goody}, which brings you Etsy finds every Friday and Green tips on Tuesdays. In addition, you can find news about bands and musicians who are doing their part for the environment.



Honorable Mentions: (These are publishers who are writing about various environmental issues but didn't have the word green in their blog URLs...)

• EcoTech Daily brings you news on green gadgets and tech.

• Lighter Footstep is a blog that helps you to decrease your carbon footprint and live lightly.

• Ecolife Foundation seeks to provide ecologically sustainable water, food, and shelter to communities.

• In Women We Trust, a blog about putting Purse String Theory into action, has lots of posts about social change and sustainable products.

After checking out all those eco-friendly Lijit publishers, I think it's time for some extra crunchy granola...made locally, of course. ;)