What Matters?

Nothing like a disgusting battle with cancer and ultimate early defeat to put things in perspective.

We get so focused on complete ridiculousness, debating whether this presidential candidate is more trustworthy than the next; raising the bar and improving our industry; heads down and convincing ourselves we're doing the work that matters. 

Ultimately its all BS. 

Values; Principles; Legacy.  Love.

At the end of my days I highly doubt I'll remember any of those silly debates that seemed oh so important and fascinating at the time…I revel and indulge in 'ideas' and intellect but really - who gives a f***!

What matters is ~

Did I live well?…

Did I improve the lives of the people around me?

Did I make a difference?

Did I make it easier?

Did they feel loved and appreciated?

Did I make them laugh?

Did they feel supported?

Did I inspire?

Did I serve?

Did I spend more time focused on others?

Did I leave the world a better place?

Pretty sure after I'm gone they won't spend much time thinking about how RIGHT I was on any given subject although I sure seem to spend a lot of time trying to be right. Note to self: Give head a shake!

Let's talk about what matters and screw the rest. Life is short.

RIP Clint.

Vision and Getting Clear

WOW! This morning on our #BrandTribe chat we discussed the importance of having a "Vision"! So now I have to come clean!

Yep ~ you guessed it....I don't exactly have one.  Yes I know...

"Teri! How can you go around preaching the importance of having a vision 

when you don't even have one?"

Totally valid.  Here's the thing: I've been going through a GINORMOUS transitional period this year.  If you know me and have been following my activities this year you've witnessed some BIG changes and have probably thought to yourself a few times 

"WOW! That girl is all over the place!"

I'll admit it.  At times it's been painful how scattered I've been.  I've attempted and failed NUMEROUS times as I've struggled to identify my true purpose; passion and new direction.  I've relied on my amazing friends (#PWE3 gals!) my mentors and my real truth talker My Husband, to help me get clear move past my own limiting beliefs and begin to take steps towards a more authentic and genuine ME.

So it is definitly time to write my own "Vision" or "Painted Picture".  Moving into 2012 I want to be LASER FOCUSED!

My amazing friend Laura Monroe (of Creative Agent Solutions - Real Estate Marketing expert~ who is also building my new Wordpress website THANK GOODNESS!!) sent me this video after this morning's BrandTribe chat and it fits perfectly!  Titled: Why Everyone Needs To Brand Themselves ~ Enjoy!!

Your Values Reveal Your Truth

This morning's #BrandTribe chat (where we discuss best practices in brand creation and communication every week on Twitter at 9am PST) was extraordinary!  Andrea and I introduced the subject of values and how that relates to your brand.  Apparently talking about values really gets people revved up cause for week 3 we had some huge engagement!

Before we got started I was flagged about Jeff Turner's blog Behavious Is The Truest Form Of Communication and he refers to Marc Davidson's 1000 Watt blog post Who Are You? Jeff and Marc both lead by example and tend to address the tough questions cutting through the crap and getting to the heart of the matter.

Jeff acknowledged many people struggle with identifying their values and suggested that your values aren't just words...you don't just pick some pretty sounding words and post them on the wall.  Our values guide all our decisions and our behaviours reflect them.  Its something more intrinsic and not necessarily always something positive.

Here's the thing....I feel a shift happening. Maybe you do too?  I have tagged it #feeltheshift and I'm starting to see it EVERYWHERE!  The rich conversations have moved away from money and prestige and ego....into far more positive realm...its like we're all starving for more meaning in our lives.  We want to attract people into our world that are more aligned with our values.

For me that means integrity, ethics, having conversations that actually matter and drive to do 'good' like Andrea with her new company Brands For The People.

This is a company I WANT to partner with.  I want to get behind Andrea and promote her to my sphere because I BELIEVE in what she stands for and I BELIEVE she's doing the GOOD work.  Its no cooincidence that we're also friends.  It's her values, vision and principles that draw me to her.

So grab a piece of paper...take some time...go deep....be honest and ask yourself: What do I stand for?  Truly.

What's Your "WHY"? #BrandTribe

The REAL Truth About Social Media and Eric Harr

The REAL TRUTH about "The Real Truth About Social Media" author Eric Harr's latest book, is it's a Dynamic Read for anyone new to Social Media!

I introduced you all to Eric Harr, Founder and President of Resonate Social Media (a boutique agency in California) last month when he reached out to me and asked if I'd review his book. I was so impressed with his approach that I wrote about it here: True Appreciation and Genuine Intent. (and am now a bona fide fan!)

I received the book as promised and I spent this weekend inhaling it! "The Real Truth About Social Media" lays out all the basics for beginners who have accepted that Social Media is NOT a passing trend but a cultural revolution and its time to jump on the bus or risk being run over by it!

Eric explains in plain english how to use the tools while attacking the

"Monumental Myths" and breaking it down into "Timeless Truths" for both personal and business.
Loved this:

Monumental Myth: Social Media is Media. 

Timeless Truth: Social Media is Relationships. 

Can I hear an A-to-the-MEN!

Eric explains why you want to be in the space and how to best use it for your purposes.  I'm guessing he chose 'truth' in his title because I believe that Truth is one of his most treasured values. You've likely been navigating through the mass rhetoric out there from an onslaught of newly self-appointed Social Media Gurus.  How do you discern whose advice to heed?

Eric on the "Bay Sunday" local CBS news program discussing Social Media (notice his comments to me :) )

Like anything else in life, I usually follow the advice of people I respect and admire.
Eric's genuine approach to business leading with integrity and shining a light on his own principles and values is WHY you should read this book. Eric lives his life at a level of excellence across the board with an ever focused eye on doing Social Good…all part of the movement that I regularly refer to as #feeltheshift and Eric encourages everyone entering the social space to operate from a place of 'giving'.

The "Thank You Economy"was coined by Gary Vaynerchuk (one of my favorite Social Media Revolutionaries, author, speaker and business consultant) and was referenced in this book.  According to Gary, social media requires "humanity, humility, respect and reverence"…Maybe that's why I love it so much! We're cutting through the bullshit! No longer are the ones who stomp their feet the loudest automatically the ones that are heard.

"We ARE the media" message was hit home.  The revolution has levelled the field for most of us…You have a story to tell? Now you can on FaceBook, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr...YOU can build your audience!  Just remember the key theme ~ INSPIRE and share awesome! In reference to one of Eric's favorite YouTube videos he said this:

"Ten years ago the story would have stopped at the local newspaper - but YouTube helped him to inspire the world. YouTube was merely the tool; the story was the thing."

I love how Eric advises to connect with your "Why".  I'm a huge Simon Sinek fan who wrote "Start with Why" and suggests that 'people don't buy what you do…they buy WHY you do it" its your WHY that inspires so make sure to get clear about it!

Loaded with great case studies like how one blogger vented about his 'lemon of a DELL computer' and lack of customer care when he complained….That post resonated with the masses! We've all been betrayed and left fuming with inadequate service. But DELL wasn't listening and it's a good lesson to all companies. I often say: You don't HAVE to be in the space, but the customer is having a conversation about you anyway. Wouldn't you rather be part of that conversation and have some influence over your own reputation?

Eric pointed out that not every blog goes viral: 3 things must be present: Reach (large audience which takes time to build); it has to be compelling and it has to resonate. It has to strike a chord with us.

At the end of the day Eric says "you better be throwing a rocking party or people aren't going to stay long" ~Amen Brother! As Eric pointed out...the best parties are the ones where the host circulates, makes sure everyone feels welcome and their glasses are always filled.  Be a better listener and take a genuine interest.

Eric also touched on the C-suite reluctancy to jump in the space because of the silly and trite names like 'twitter' 'Plurk' 'Ning' and 'Bebo' …try and get an exec to say the word 'tweet' - they literally squirm!  They're going to have to get over it....

"I sit, mouth agape, in a semi-drooling state of bewildered awe, when companies say to me, ''We don't have the time or resources to dedicate to social media.' Befuddled, I wonder, To what are you allocating your time and resources? There are hundreds of millions of people - your past, current and future customers - who are defining your brand, making product recommendations and influencing one another's purchase decisions more broadly and more rapidly than ever before. One satisfied customer can bring a huge number of new customers to you in a single post. One scathing review on Yelp can prevent hundreds, or thousands, from ever doing business with you. You don't have the time or resources to dedicate to this? Um, hello?"

He touched on a point that I get passionate about! Retaining your current customers which is so much more cost effective than sourcing new ones! Rewarding your loyal customers and bringing them into the fold is an awesome strategy often overlooked. Engage with your brand advocates - acknowledge and reward them!

Metrics matter! Hell ya! But the RIGHT metrics! Love how Eric mentioned not to get hung up on "the bright shiny object" of number of followers.  He said "I would rather have10 highly influential and engaged followers than 10,000 people who aren't listening." (I wrote about this very thing when my mentor and very good friend Jeff Booth CEO of Build Direct gave me a shout out in his key note address during the Enterprise 2.0 Summit Social Media Week - THAT was cool! :)

Finally ~ Eric clearly understands the power of social ~reaching out to others he sees as influencers and who have "reach" to share his book :) I'm one of the lucky ones and I'm eternally grateful! I've said it before and I'll say it again:

The true beauty of social is the ability to connect with amazing people that you otherwise would never have the opportunity to meet! 

Connecting is powerful stuff!  Of course, be clear ~ Eric sees me as his "Marketing Maven" and he's counting on me to to engage my audience and promote him! Talk about genius marketing…but hey ~ all it took was a a genuine connect, a copy of his book AND we get to 'feel good'! Now THAT's ROI! (Return On Investment)

Eric suggests we shouldn't be asking ourselves "What is the cost of engaging in Social Media?" but rather "What is the cost of NOT engaging?"  The trick is: You ACTUALLY have to CARE!

Special thanks Eric for sharing your knowledge. I agree with literally EVERYTHING and that's THE REAL TRUTH! You saved me from having to write a book ;) Cheers my online friend until we meet IRL!

Purchase your own copy of The Real Truth About Social Marketing here: http://www.fastpencil.com/publications/3048-The-REAL-TRUTH-About-Social-Media?tid=bookbuy

Remember these? Childhood treat! Don't knock em till you try em!

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1st EVA #BrandTribe Chat

Adversity Is Just Change

A remarkable and inspiring message from Aimee Mullins (a Paralympian/model/actress with both her lower legs amputated) about not just overcoming adversity but in fact learning to embrace it and lean into it for the gift that it is.

Eloquent, graceful and lovely Aimee recounts her childhood doctor "delcaring" her strength and power and how important it is to empower and bolster the human spirit... to recognize the unique power that every one of us is gifted with and drawing it out. To recognize that we as human beings have a remarkable ability to adapt and that "Adversity is just change that we haven't adapted ourselves to yet."

(I wrote about how Change Is Good here as well.)

You will be forever changed after watching.  #feeltheshift

Engage Engage Engage!!

Thanks to Hubspot for yet ANOTHER awesome infographic ~ why its SO important to amp up your engagement!

Act Big To Get Big

From: HubSpot Marketing Software

Still love Red Barn! ❤🍁

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Change is GOOD!

I had the privilege of being invited to join my amazing friend Debra Trappen to her church services a couple of Sunday's ago while I was in town for a visit in Bellevue, WA.

A little background is required here...I grew up going to very traditional church services where we sang hymns and bowed our heads in prayer and wore our 'Sunday Best' to services.  It was very Reverent, Conservative and Comfortable.

Skip ahead to my experience at Debra's Church (Champion Centre in Bellevue)...Kids....This ain't your Mom and Dad's Church experience!

From the moment I arrived I was keenly aware...THINGS HAVE CHANGED!!

Upon entering I notice everyone is pretty casual...I spy lots of jeans and sweaters and the church itself has a built in coffee house and book shop ~ very urban and contemporary and conducive to great visiting :)  I take my place in the front row. No hiding for me ~ Deb has placed me front and center so I can cheer her on when she's singing on stage.  Now when I say singing, we're talking Rock n Roll baby! The AMAZING band (lead and base guitar, keyboard and drums) got us good and revved up with an instrumental rendition of Michael Jackson's THRILLER (it was Halloween weekend)! It was truly awesome!  

Then the singers (including Debra) joined the stage.

Arms waving up in the air...Not bowed in prayer.  Loud rock style music...Not Reverent.  

Everyone in the church standing (everyone except me that is)...I'll admit it. 

I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE.

Then eventually the music subsided (although there was gentle background music even during prayer) and Pastor Kevin's (apparently we go first name here) sermon (more like a keynote) was broadcast on the big screen. 

Here's where it got really interesting.  This guy can preach! Or rather NOT PREACH! This was a  motivating, 'even-if-you-don't-believe' message that was truly awesome! (And from a Branding perspective - I LOVED it!)

Pastor Kevin spoke about A.B.S. = Audacious Believing and Speaking! In other words...be bold ~ See it BIG and Speak UP about it! What a great message for anyone!

So what' your point Teri?

Ok ~ here goes:  I was on a Google+ hangout with Debra and Michael McClure (who's about to launch a total game changing business in RE ~Stay tuned!!) discussing our upcoming  panel presentation at Inman Connect in New York in January (WHOOHOO!!!).  All 3 of us share a passion for Raising The Bar in the Real Estate Industry and we'll be speaking to Optimizing the Consumer Experience.  We often discuss how reluctant some people in our industry seem to be toward 'change'...and that's when I had an "Aha Moment".  It suddenly dawned on me that there is a very strong parallel here!

Religion VS Real Estate

Stay with me here......

It seems to me that whenever CHANGE is in the air ~ we all tend to get a little uncomfortable.  

I mean ~ I liked my Traditional, Conservative, Reverent Church experience.  The hymns and the quiet bowing of heads is very familiar to me...almost comforting.  It's the way its always been done.  But is the new style really so bad? I'll bet Debra's Church attracts all kinds of new generation disenfranchised church goers who are feeling more and more of a disconnect with traditional religion and prefer a more contemporary, open and progressive one.

The same could be said for today's Real Estate Industry.  I see a major shift happening.  With today's new technology and social media and the savvy consumer having access to way more information, the industry has no choice but to loosen the grip and open up to change.  The consumer is demanding it.  

I see Brokerages bleeding, Realtors® abandoning their careers in frustration...I see disconnected Associations and Boards and a lot of scared people trying to hold on to what used to be.  

BUT

I also see a lot of opportunity! I see new technologies allowing us to connect in a way we never could before! I see room for growth and new ideas and different ways of doing things.

Whenever there's change there's always some growing pains....but as my very dear friend Debra posted today on Twitter: 

HELL YA! That's ABS for ya! Audaciously Believing and Speaking!

 (BTW ~ Side note: Deb has since been nominated as one of this year's Inman News' People's Choice for Real Estate's MOST INFLUENTIAL so you should listen to her!! So proud of her!)

I know we all have a natural tendency to protect what we know, resist change and hold fast to what is comfortable, but I encourage all of us (yes even me) to be more like Deb and EMBRACE CHANGE!  

I see amazing things ahead for our industry.  Let's work together to improve the experience for the Consumer, Realtor®, Broker Owners and everyone else!

How Steve Jobs Saw The World

If I've learned anything from Steve Jobs is that the world and how we exist within it is not limited. It is vast, full of opportunity and we have the power to create change. I personally plan to erase my limiting boundaries that I imagine are there and think BIGGER!

In honor of my father: S.I.B.K.I.S= See It Big. Keep It Simple.

The only thing holding me back is my own imagination.

Imagine it. Create it. Accelerate it. (Thanks Debra Trappen for your leadership, friendship and help in creating that powerful statement!)

(This is an extraordinary biography produced for PBS. It is 1 hour long but well worth the watch.)



And from Steve's sister ~ read "A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobs" ~ deeply moving...insightful and profound.

Saturday autumn stroll

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Halloween Jib Jab JOY with The #PowerWomen

Thanks to Suzanne Roy for giving me the best laugh of the year! Featuring #PowerWomen Suzanne Roy as Dracula; Laura Monroe as the Witch; Inna Hardison as The Mummy Me as Frankenstein and Debra Trappen as my DJ wife! :) #sidekick

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

True Appreciation and Genuine Intent

Wanna know how to get me pumped up? Wanna connect and engage? Then take notes.  I'm about to introduce you to someone who approached me from out of the blue and intrigued, inspired and captivated me from his very first tweet:

What? I'm being offered something by someone I've NEVER engaged with? Normally I would be skeptical...what's the hook? But when he phrases it so lovely and he's clearly taken a moment to determine a little bit about me and read my bio I'm clearly going to respond. He's also instantly made an emotional connection with me when he  lets me know my message resonates with him.  Hmmmm... perhaps we have shared values?

Meet Eric Harr ~ Founder and President of Resonate Social Media and

"...award-winning, traditional PR and communications executive with 10 years of experience—and is widely-recognized as one of the leading social strategists in the world."  

Not to mention a few other minor accolades: triathlete, tv and radio host, and author of the new aforementioned book The Real Truth About Social Media. 


And he wants me to review his book? Well gee.....Color me flattered!! What the heck just happened here? (review will come shortly! Book is in the mail!!) 


Here's the thing ~ for the second time this week I'm engaging with an extraordinary human being (Read also about AJ Leon in Reach Out and Touch) Eric is someone who I think we'd all aspire to be! Successful in business, appears to have his priorities totally straight and focused on family and friends and lifting up others and he's reached out to ME! 


There are a lot of people that are anti 'Rah Rah' right now....but you tell me if this wouldn't make you feel fabulous! 

You think I am moved to help him? You're darned tootin I am!  And why did it work?  

Wasn't this all just a strategy? Of course that's part of it..but it works because I believe that Eric is genuine. That his intent is to connect on a real level and bolster fabulously rich mutually beneficial relationships.  

I can assure you that I'll be keeping in touch and from everything I've witnessed I'm pretty sure I've been blessed with this new and amazing connection. And what do you suppose is the ROI of that? :)

How are you reaching out or are you? Are you offering real value, or finding a common ground? I've used this quote a million times and I'm going to again: 

Clearly Eric gets this. :)

Reach Out and TOUCH!

Every once in a while I come across something/someone that inspires me! Just before I went to bed last night I saw this tweet by Internet Marketing genius Lewis Howes:

This led me down a bit of a rabbit hole! Off to http://revolution.is/aj-leon/ where I was introduced to AJ Leon for the first time! A renegade or self prescribed "Nomad"as he refers to himself! His story is awesome....about to marry and settle into a life he truly didn't want (although he was earning 6 figures and promising future) he made the scary choice and walked away from it all! Bold move my friend! 

Of course the story is so inspiring...AJ is living his truth. He's turned off the noise from the rest of the world telling him what success should look like and is pursuing his own path. LOVE IT! 

Well now you've really peaked my curiosity! Have to go find out more about this ballsy kid! So I visit his company site:  Misfit Inc. OMG ~ tell me you're not inspired when you land here!! 

"WE ARE ridiculously despicably dangerously obscenely disgustingly CREATIVE."

How can you NOT be inspired by THAT!??

For someone who is in the process of redefining my mission and getting clear about my message and building a new business focused on telling the good stories and creating buzz online but authentically and in a meaningful, inspiring way, AJ's story and website were a gold mine for me!  Naturally I signed up....for everything I could find! 

Then I went to bed....my mind RACING! Woke up at 2am and HAD to do a massive mind dump! 

Came downstairs this morning to get right to work on all my new ideas and inspiration and found THIS email waiting for me!!

Are you kidding ME???  I signed up for an email newsletter like I have a million times and I got a PERSONAL RESPONSE welcoming me to the Tribe!! That blew my mind! 
I immediately wrote back expressing my true appreciation for the unheard of, never... ever... EVER done, personal response and explained that while I'm in transition my tlchome site is in fact down as I'm building my new one....to which I received yet ANOTHER personal (and immediate) response!

"It takes an enormous amount of time" ~ Ya no kidding! But holy cow is it worth it! Clearly I've discovered some greatness here and that is why I must share it with you!

Live your truth...follow your path....Be good to people....Reach out and touch someone.  IT MATTERS!

Thanks for being the awesome example that you are AJ! I'm watching you closely and can't wait to learn more about your other project: The Pursuit Of Everything. :)
Cheers!

How To Spot A Liar

Pamela Meyer: How to spot a liar

Love this ~ We're living a more transparent world and the subtitles of human decency; character and integrity, is what really matters.  Be a little more explicit about our moral code.  Let's choose a world where truth is strengthened and falsehood is marginalized.  #feeltheshift


"On any given day we're lied to from 10 to 200 times, and the clues to detect those lie can be subtle and counter-intuitive. Pamela Meyer, author of Liespotting, shows the manners and "hotspots" used by those trained to recognize deception -- and she argues honesty is a value worth preserving."

Company Launches To Help You Zone in on your SWEET Spot!

You know when you meet someone and you immediately feel a connection? 

That's how it was when I met Andrea Shillington!

She was invited to join a very intimate meetup with some amazing friends of mine, Stephen Jagger and Jeff Booth and a few others and we were all immediately impressed with her beautiful smile, professional poise and dynamic conversation!

A Branding Professional having lived abroad in Dubai and England and now in Vancouver BC,  Andrea has a very global perspective. I've had the privilege of seeing her in action with one of her corporate clients coaching them in all areas of business. She is deeply intuitive, creative, strategic and articulate. She has the innate ability to drill down and pull out key elements, issues and goals of the client and I'm learning, branding has less to do with a pretty logo and more to do with understanding your core essence and then assigning a visual representation and creating an overall experience.

Coupled with her deep need to contribute and help others, I'm thrilled to announce that Andrea is launching her own company called

Brands for the people! 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE her tagline: 

Connecting entrepreneurs with brand strategy and design. To do, good.

Make sure to visit Brandsforthepeople.com to sign up for updates and be notified the MINUTE the site is ready so you can be empowered and get your FREE tools! (I've had a peek and you're going to LOVE it!)

Real Estate Weekly Takes It ONLINE!

REW.ca Launch Party!

Last night I was invited to attended the launch party of REW.ca in the beautiful downtown Vancouver Four Seasons Hotel.  Among lovely canapes and open bar, my fellow Vancouver bloggers, Realtors® and Brokers had the opportunity to hear/see 1st hand the goals and direction of the now online portal.  It was only a matter of time before Real Estate Weekly print advertising jumped into the online space with some other Real Estate data portals like Zoocasa, Trulia and Zillow.

(photo credit @CathyBrowne)

Duck canapes

@MeenaSandhu (ING Direct) Scott Dawson @SDD (Verico Morgages)

Salmon and cream cheese

Rudy Nielsen founder of Landcorp data corp shared his view of the market and importance of good data.

Rudy Nielsen of Landcorp
(photo credit @CathyBrowne)

 So how is REW.ca different?

At first glance its a super sharp, clean and easily navigated site.  I like the feature of most recent listings first vs price ascension or descension.

The most noticeable difference is that REW.ca will be hyper local in BC only. (for now I'm guessing)

I have to say I quite liked the breakdown of the neighbourhood details with Walkscores, school info, new developments, demographics and property stats. Its a great overview particularly if you're moving in from outside the area.  It could prove as a valuable resource for both Buyers and Realtors®.







They've also launched their mobile version simultaneously which was a wise decision in my opinion. One glaring issue right out of the gate is if you're searching for a Realtor® either on your desktop or on mobile you'll notice all Realtors® are listed alphabetically so unless your last name begins with an "A" you're likely not going to get a lot of traction and if you're searching for an agent there's no way to distinguish one from the other. It would be nice to see some sort of peer recommendation tool integrated down the road.

Matthew Collinge @604homesguy

It is a 'freemium' site which means all MLS listings will be available providing the Listing Brokerage is in agreement.  Yes that's right! REW.ca is able to pull data directly from the Vancouver Board and the Whistler Board but all other listings required agreements from each independent Brokerage! That's a lot!  Of course Agents will have the opportunity to further brand themselves by purchasing featured advertising.

General Manager of REW.ca Ian Martin presented to the group of local Realtors, Brokers and Vancouver Community Bloggers including friends Marc Smith of Amuse Events, Dennis Pang and Rick Chung of Vancouver is Awesome and the site seemed well received by the group.

Marc Smith @Amuse_Events

In the end what makes a site like REW.ca useful or not will be the amount of data shared and the functionality and ease of use!

So will you use the site? What would you like to see?  Check out the site and let me know what you think! 

(Video tour here)

REW.ca - Your New Local Source for Real Estate from REW.ca on Vimeo.

"REW.ca is an exciting new real estate portal that will provide real estate consumers and enthusiasts with a dynamic search experience for Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. We're owned by Glacier Media Inc. and also the online sister company of the Real Estate Weekly newspaper which is distributed weekly to approximately 450,000 homes throughout the Lower Mainland."

Social Media Week Vancouver ~ What a Week!

Take A Deep Breath!

Ok EXHALE!........It's the Monday after Social Media Week (Sept 19-23, 2011) and I can honestly say I'm still recovering from a brain straining, info jammed, party packed awesome week of sharing, listening and learning from some of Vancouver's top Social Media "Jedi's" (that one is for Eric Weaver and Debra Trappen ;).

During the week there were more than 30 separate events; 72+ keynotes and guest speakers; multiple media mentions; Several different tracks; numerous parties......in other words - More than you could possibly do in 1 Week!!!

The Highlights:

Even as one of the organizers I couldn't possibly hit them all but I had a full week! My fingers were tested as I tweeted madly from the Blogger Summit; Facebook Marketing Strategies; Secrets of a Social Media Campaign; Leading Women in Business; Government 2.0; The Real Estate Summit; and especially the Enterprise 2.0 Summit! In fact I tweeted so much I trended (or rather my twitter handle @TLCHOME trended) in Vancouver! That's a first! I also landed as one of the top Canadian Tweeters during the week!  (to all my followers I hope you found value in my tweets and I didn't completely overtake your streams! We now return to my regular spewing ;) I even made the local news!!! (well sorta ~see story here: http://watch.ctv.ca/news/top-picks/rude-or-normal/#clip534944 ~  Rob Cottingham and Shane Gibson Interviews during our Blogging Summit)

My 3 seconds of fame ~ appeared on the screen in the B roll for The Rude of Normal CTV segment

What's Social Media Really About?

So despite all the fabulous attention and raised profile I received during the week...that's really not what it was about.  To me Social Media IS and will ALWAYS BE about building relationships....and not just any relationships, but relationships that matter! SO I have a ton of people I need to thank. 

(There are tons of great recaps out there already; "The Four Lessons I Learned From Social Media Week in Vancouver" on TechVibes by Rolando Fuentes sums it up beautifully! TY!)

First and foremost I need to thank Shane Gibson and Anthony Caridi ~ Cofounders of Socialized! Ltd. for their vision of bringing Social Media Week to Vancouver and for inviting me to be a part of their team.  It's been a crazy ride but I will never forget all the good times, challenges faced and met, and the level of success we achieved together.  You did something great for this city, it was an honor to be involved and I congratulate you on your success! (can't believe we didn't get one picture together!)

I also need to thank ALL of the people who jumped when I asked them to participate!:

• Matt Astifan ~ You rocked The Facebook Marketing Strategies; The Social Science of B2B and Secrets of a Social Media Campaign sessions! You contributed HUGE value and I am forever grateful for your participation! (Especially on your Birthday!!)

• Richard Loat Founder of Five Hole For Food ~ Whenever anyone needs anything you always JUMP! Social Good Summit would not have been the same without you! I am hands down your biggest fan (even if you call me 'Mom' ;)

• Debra Trappen and Scott Dawson ~ Your contributions to the Real Estate Summit were invaluable! Your passions are palpable! Thanks Deb for driving all the way from Seattle and risking life and limb (sketchy back alley reference!) Particularly HUGE Thanks to Stephen Jagger who organized and hosted the hugely successful RE Summit! Thanks to Cliff Stevenson who flew in from Calgary, Kye Grace, Tom Everitt, Bocar Dia of Hootsuite and to Ceilis Pub for allowing us to use their space for the RE Summit, Monday Launch party and of course the Wrap party! FUN TIMES!

• Kristine Carrick and Maryanne Lechleiter of UrbanLifeMedia ~ what can I say? Best PR Team EVER! Making phone calls way into the night...scraping info together at the last minute...you generated so many great media stories and interest! You ROCK! Your sponsorship is TRULY valued!

• Tracy Bymoen  ~ Amazing Video Sponsor! Thank you so much for ALL you captured this week! You are so talented and now we've documented some amazing highlights of the week! Everyone can view many of Tracy's video interviews on her You Tube Channel: MoenbyMedia

• Mark Smiciklas ~ Thanks so much for your contributions to the Agency Mashup and your awesome Power of Infographics session during our Enterprise 2.0 Summit. Such valuable information!!

• Dave Teixeira ~ What an amazing job interviewing all levels of governement! I LOVED the 'Donahue' style of your Government 2.0 session! Amazing creative segment with skyped in Icelandic Gov't official and BC Liberals, and Mayor of Coquitlam and even Police Chief Jim Chu which was picked up by CNN! (nice interview Tracy!)

• Meena Sandhu ~ You were such a huge part of Social Media Week....through contributing your space at the ING Cafe for so many mashups...hosting the Leading Women in Business Mashup and inviting me to participate and for sharing the ING story as a keynote at our Enterprise 2.0 Summit.  You are a force to be reckoned with in this town and I feel so lucky to call you friend!

• Marc Smith of Amuse Consulting ~ You are such an amazing friend and powerhouse! Can't imagine how we would have functioned without you! Thank you so much for being our Events Sponsor! (and for all the shout outs!)

• Tyrell Mara ~ Thank you for your willingness to roll up your sleeves and build some great content to help us promote the week! Great interviews with Shane Gibson, Meena Sandhu & Mark Smiciklas!!

• Jill Earthy ~ Thanks for stepping up at the last minute to be an integral member of our CEO panel at Enterprise 2.0! 

• Cathy Browne, Lorraine Murphy, Dave MacDonald, Jonah Lewis, Mitch Baldwin ~ To our team: WOW! You guys worked so hard and helped make this week so valuable for everyone who attended and especially those who couldn't! Cheers to your efforts and future success!!(All sessions live blogged can be found at the Socialized Blog (Thanks Lorraine) and Cathy's flickr stream captured all the pics.

• Eric Weaver ~ The WEAVE! What can I say....you blew minds with your amazing presentation at Enterprise 2.0! I can't thank you enough for coming "home" from Seattle to share you eloquent wisdom! I'm confident that everyone in that theater left with a far greater understanding of how social should be used in business.  And I LOVE "Salty's" story! ;) I HIGHLY recommend that everyone visits the blog to view the highlights : Where Business Meets Social I am forever your number 1 fan Eric!! xo

• Jeff Booth ~ Ok this one gets me a little misty (see picture below)  How can I possibly thank you enough for the amazing shout out at Enterprise 2.0!?  Your keynote was so genuine and authentic. Everyone was instantly touched by your level of integrity and your values.  As I was reading the stream I wasn't surprised to see everyone gushing at how inspiring you are....and then you do that!  I can honestly say ~ you are my business hero! I have the hugest level of respect for you and so to know that you place our friendship so high ....well there are not words to describe how special that makes me feel.  Your keynote Where Business Meets Social (like every time I have the opportunity to hear you speak) inspires me to be a better person and reach a little higher! If there's ever ANYTHING I can do for you all you have to do is ask! (Not surprised that we share the same favorite movie: It's A Wonderful Life!)

A Ginormous THANK YOU to Toby Daniels Founder and Executive Director of Social Media Week, Brian Leddy, Ben Sheim,  and Zach Smith! What amazing vision you have to undertake this monstrosity of a project! Kudos to you and everyone at Crowdcentric! Amazing achievement (and they do this bi-annually!!! - next one in February 2012!!)

Thanks to our Advisory Board, all our sponsors 

and thanks to everyone who attended any Social Media Week events this week! 

We could NOT have done any of it without YOU!!

Finally a very special heart felt thank you to my husband Tod Lansing, who supports me in every possible way, allows me the freedom and time to participate in great projects like Social Media Week, and encourages my efforts and growth. Thanks Honey ~ I LOVE you!

Government Summit Social Media Week

Dave Teixeira is founder of Dave.ca Communications which provides both on-line and off line campaigns to bring attention to client's events, products and causes.

He has worked with politicians, political parties, non-profit organizations and a variety of businesses.  He will be running the Government Summit during Social Media Week Vancouver and he has some AMAZING panelists joining him! Check out www.socialmediaweek.org for more info and to register.

The Power of Infographics ~ Mark Smiciklas Social Media Week

Social Media Week is only 1 week away! One of the "Must Attend" Summits is Enterprise 2.0! Mark Smiciklas, Educator and Speaker at Intersection Consulting is one of our keynotes who will be presenting on the power of infographics! Check out this little 'teaser' interview AND visit www.socialmediaweek.org to see get more info, check the schedule and register for your favourite events!

ING Direct Shares Best Practices During Social Media Week!

Meena Sandhu, Business Manager of ING Direct is deeply involved in Social Media Week Vancouver as a member of our Advisory Board, host to many exciting Mashups and as a keynote speaker at our Enterprise 2.0 summit.



Thank you so much to Meena and ING for their ongoing community support and we're SO looking forward to sharing best practices with you during Social Media Week, September 19 -23rd 2011!

For more information and to register online make sure to visit www.socialmediaweek.org/vancouver.

Countdown is ON! Social Media Week Vancouver

In one month from today, Social Media Week will launch in Vancouver and in 12 other cities around the world!

When the President of my company Socialized! Ltd. Anthony Caridi (http://ca.linkedin.com/in/anthonycaridi ) announced we were taking on a little project, I had no way of knowing how much of an understatement that was going to be!

But AJ (Anthony prefers AJ ;) likes to do things BIG! So our little project of organizing 20+ free Summits, Mashups and Soirees, all taking place in 1 week beginning Monday September 19, has pretty much consumed our lives since then.

The thrill is we have the opportunity to highlight and celebrate some local Social success stories in multiple industries that you might not even have been aware of!

For instance, one of our rock star Advisory Board member Caroline Clapham has slotted a lunch and learn every day of the week in the Accountability Track at her law firm Fasken Martineu! EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK!

Accountability is a hot topic!
Does your company have a Social Media Policy?
Do you have an awesome Social Media idea but you want to protect it and wonder about copyright laws?
As an employer are you aware of your limitations of using Social Media in ‘hiring and firing’?

Caroline will be covering these timely topics and much more! (Check out the Accountability lunch and learn schedule: http://www.fasken.com/en/fasken-martineaus-accountability-summit-09-19-2011/)

One that I’m REALLY looking forward to is the Leading Women in Social Media Mashup hosted by Meena Sandu, Regional Manager Marketing and Sales at ING DIRECT on Tuesday afternoon at the ING DIRECT Cafe! There are some amazing women in this town using social in pretty creative ways.

The Real Estate Summit Thursday afternoon hosted by Stephen Jagger is a must attend for anyone in the Real Estate space including Brokers, Mortgage Brokers and Agents.  The Real Estate industry has been leading in SM and I’m looking forward to sharing best practices and more case studies.

The SOCIAL side of Social Media Week will be going down at some KILLER parties we have lined up! Stay tuned!!

As you can see...its all coming together! Keynotes/Venues and Sponsors are all coming on board and the schedule will be revamped and updated on the Social Media Week site very shortly! 

For more information be sure to keep checking www.socialmediaweek.org/vancouver and watch for us on Twitter @SMWVAN and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/socialmediaweekvancouver.


For more information about my company Socialized! Ltd please visit our website: www.socialized.me