An Ode to Sarah

Sarah and Teddy

It’s not uncommon for people to say: “there’s never a good time to have a baby” implying that you’re never going to have all ducks in a row and be fully ready for what the challenges and adventures of parenthood hold. Ian and I were no exception.

When we decided to have a baby, we both had fine jobs, but hadn’t done much in the way of preparing ourselves with a huge nest-egg or logistics. People would ask what we were doing for childcare and I had no idea. All I knew was we were going to have this wonderful baby and we’d figure it out. When we had Teddy, I took a 12 week maternity leave, still with no real direction about what would happen after I went back to work. About five weeks into it, we came across Sarah. We were looking to do a nanny share and from the moment we met Sarah we knew she was an amazing caregiver.

It was literately at that point, when Teddy was only a couple months old, that I felt like I could have it both: a career I loved and a family I loved even more. It was Sarah who brought me so much comfort that I even decided to accept a much more challenging and larger job at a different company right after maternity leave. I knew that Teddy was going to be in such good hands that I felt confident and comfortable enough to take that leap.

And Sarah has provided us with that confidence ever since. The gift she’s given our family, of truly loving Teddy (and you should see how much he worships the ground she walks on) is beyond anything I could have ever asked for or expected. The peace of mind knowing that Teddy was in wonderful hands empowered me and Ian to keep growing our careers, all while keeping up with our family at home. There were days at my job when I was beyond stressed and yet, Sarah always put me at ease because I knew that Teddy was just fine. It was one less thing I had to worry about during the day.

Last night we got the bittersweet news that Sarah has accepted a new position and would be leaving our family. I’ve never felt such a juxtaposition of emotions: on one hand, so happy and proud of Sarah. On the other, so sad and devastated that she wouldn’t be part of our family on a daily basis. But in the end, I realized that despite whether Sarah keeps working for us or not, she will always be part of our family. She has been there for so much and I know that she’ll continue to be part of our, and mainly Teddy’s life.

And I can’t wait to see how well Sarah is going to thrive in this new role of hers. She’s so incredibly smart and talented and has patience beyond anything I could fathom. As I told her last night, if she was given this opportunity and she didn’t take it, I’d tell her she was nuts.

So though it’s bittersweet, it’s ultimately sweet. We’ll find a new childcare solution and Sarah will grow and thrive as a professional adult. And Teddy will continue to run into her arms when he sees her.

Like Fine Wine, Getting Better With Age

Even though I’m 31, nearing on 32, I love these lists that Glamour Magazine published first in 1997, then updated in 2005. I especially love the last item.

When I turned 30, I was in a place in my life that my 21-year-old-self never imagined I’d be. I was married, with a baby, in a house we own, with a dog and a successful career. I was the cliché that I always anticipated I’d be the opposite of. And it’s funny to try and think how I got there, because it never felt cliché or forced. Every step along this path has felt right, felt good and felt like home. It’s been uncomfortable and challenging at times. It’s been rewarding and extremely happy at times. And then it’s been everything else in between.

For all the ladies I know who are coming up on, recently turned it or past 30, I recommend taking a read through the list below. If nothing else, it’s a nice way to jog your memory of some stories from the past and think forward to your hopes for the future.

By 30, you should have …

1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come.
2. A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.
3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.
4. A purse, a suitcase, and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying.
5. A youth you’re content to move beyond.
6. A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age.
7. The realization that you are actually going to have an old age — and some money set aside to help fund it.
8. An email address, a voice mailbox, and a bank account — all of which nobody has access to but you.
9. A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.
10. One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.
11. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.
12. Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.
13. The belief that you deserve it.
14. A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine, and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30.
15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all those other facets of life that do get better.

By 30, you should know …

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.
2. How you feel about having kids.
3. How to quit a job, break up with a man, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.
4. When to try harder and when to walk away.
5. How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.
6. The names of the secretary of state, your great-grandmothers, and the best tailor in town.
7. How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.
8. Where to go — be it your best friend’s kitchen table or a yoga mat — when your soul needs soothing.
9. That you can’t change the length of your legs, the width of your hips, or the nature of your parents.
10. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.
11. What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.
12. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or not flossing for very long.
13. Who you can trust, who you can’t, and why you shouldn’t take it personally.
14. Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.
15. Why they say life begins at 30

Project re: Brief by Google: Reinventing Classic Ads in the Digital Age

It’s been over 18 years since digital advertising arrived on the scene. Hard to believe, right? Well, 18 years later, Google is looking at new ways of innovating how these ads look, interact and work. Hence Google’s Project re: Brief.

In Project re: Brief, Google is working with the creative minds who came up with four legendary ads (Coca-Cola’s “Hilltop”, Volvo’s “Drive it like you hate it”, Alka-Selter’s “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing”, and Avis’ “We try harder”) to re-imagine these classic spots within the digital and online age.

I, for one, am curious to watch this project unfold. Take a look at the first installment of Project re: Brief by Google.

This is the Dawning of the Age of the Influencer

If yesterday was the age of blogger engagement, we’re now in the age of the influencer. And let’s be honest, we’ve always been in that age, but now what our influencer looks like has changed. Want proof? Look in the mirror. Yes. You are, in some shape, form or capacity, an influencer. We all are. And brands are starting to take more and more notice of it.

There are a number of influencer ranking platforms out there, such as Klout, PeerIndex, TweetReach, etc.. but that’s not what I’m talking about here. We need to start recognizing that there are concentrated pockets within the online space made up of vocal, relevant and influential people that could prove incredibly valuable to sharing information, creating excitement and most important, growing advocacy. For brands, this is huge. The brands that will win in this will be the ones who don’t simply look at a number, but see the bigger picture and recognize the ROI is now ROR, return-on-relationships.

The Altimeter Group released a new study about the role of social influence and one of the things that I found very interesting and agreed with most is how they break down the influencer by reach, resonance and relevance. And through these three pillars are the keys to tapping into the right audiences and influencers. Additionally, it’s not just about someone having a huge following online, but finding those that have a concentrated audience centered around a shared interest or subject.

I think within the next six to 12 months, brands are going to step back, realize their pay-for-play blogger programs aren’t returning on their objectives and will reassess how to reach their core audiences online. And I believe that it will come down to strategic, thoughtful and smart mining of regular folks online that fit in one category or another. Time will tell, but we’re already moving in this direction.

It seems like an arbitrary nut to crack, but we’re getting there and this is going to be a pretty fun and exciting space to see expand. I, for one, am very much looking forward to it. Who doesn’t love an influencer case study?

What do you think? Is influence a matter of a Klout score or more than that? Would love to hear additional thoughts.

Dabble In Your Interests With Dabble.co

Photo from Dabble.co

I first learned about Dabble.co while attending Pecha Kucha a few months ago. A friend and co-worker was presenting and I was there to cheer her on and enjoy everyone else’s tales and showcases. One of the presentations  before Leah came on, was from Jessica. She talked about leaving her corporate life to pursue something else, a company that allowed people to “dabble” in their passions, in easy, quick and affordable ways. She founded Dabble.co and as soon as I learned about it, I was smitten.

Dabble.co absolutely brilliant. It lets people do one of two things (and local businesses can partake too): people can offer to teach courses of unique subject matter (who hasn’t wanted to learn how to make kimchi?) or sign up to take classes for only $20 a person, plus materials when applicable. And businesses can sign up to host classes, which is a great incentive to gain more traffic and awareness. No more eight-week commitments for $300 courses. This allows people to, as the name claims, dabble in various areas and interests. Brilliant.

I haven’t had a chance to sign up for a class, but not a day passes that I’m not perusing their catalog or thinking about what unique things I might be able to offer if I were to teach a class. So for you, curious readers, I recommend giving this site a shot. They launched less than a year ago in Chicago, but are already branching out in other cities. Take a look and don’t be afraid to dabble in Dabble.

Call Me Maybe…Revised

My youngest sister never ceases to amaze me. In addition to working full time, applying (and getting accepted!) to graduate school and living the dream as a ski-bum in Colorado, she and her friends took on Bieber and his posse for this updated version of Carly Rae Jepson’s “Call Me Maybe”.  I HIGHLY recommend you watch it and especially enjoy the lovely lady in the golf/Cosby sweater.

The Art of Marketing: Chicago 2012

One of my favorite things to do is network. It’s why I founded the Chicago Public Relations and Marketing Network and why I try to attend events and conferences as often as I can. There’s an event coming up that I’m looking forward to, the Art of Marketing Chicago. It is one day packed with information, connections, innovation, discussion and thought leadership.

Among those presenting are some pretty top-tier hitters, including:

• Seth Godin – Marketing visionary & New York Times bestselling author of 13 books
• Randi Zuckerberg – Former CMO from Facebook
• Gary Vaynerchuk – New York Times bestselling author of Crush it & The Thank You Economy
• Keith Ferrazzi – New York Times bestselling author of Never Eat Alone & Who’s Got Your Back
• Avinash Kaushik – Digital Marketing Evangelist for Google & bestselling author of Web Analytics 2.0
• Mitch Joel – Bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation

It takes place on April 24^th and I have a special discount code for anyone that would like to attend: CHICAGO22

Click here for all the info and I hope to see you there! http://www.theartof.com/marketing-chicago-2012

Disclosure: The Art of Marketing has provided me with a complimentary ticket but all thoughts here are my own.

Nine Year Old Given Best Day of his Life from Friendly Flashmob

The power of the internet gives this 9-year-old boy a day he’ll never forget!

One BILLION Dollars

One million dollars. Er, one BILLION dollars. Depending on scale, it’s either a lot or not so much. I mean, yes, it’s a lot, but you know what I mean.

But how’s this for you: one billion dollars for a photography company made up of 13 employees? That’s what Facebook recently bought Instigram for, which to me, is insane. It’s not only insane, but I fear it’s the beginning of the end.

We’ve been waiting for Web 2.0’s bubble to burst, and with this overly inflated purchase, I think this might be the snowball to set off the avalanche. In my opinion, the dollar amount seems inflated and offsets what realistic expectations and valuations should be, which is when we get into this funky, unstable ground.

As Facebook continues to consume startups within the social space, it will be interesting to keep an eye on what sticks, what sinks and everything in between.

A Family of Hosts and Entertainers

It occurred to me yesterday, at my parents’ annual Easter bash (with 70+ of their nearest and dearest) that the reason I love entertaining, and why it comes so easily to me, is because it’s how I was raised.

My mom always hosted holidays, dinner parties and family gatherings, and despite some stressful moments, the majority of the time she was calm, cool and collected. And that’s how I approach hosting events. It really doesn’t stress me out, in fact, I not only enjoy it, but find it soothing in some way.

But it goes back further than my mom. She grew up one of 12 children on the eastern end of Long Island. My grandparents were amazing people, as well as my aunts and uncles, and when they were growing up and through their own adulthood, my grandparents threw epic parties. They hosted weddings, had reunions, anniversary parties, even funerals were joyful celebrations of life.

My sister recently posted this article about my grandmother that was printed before she passed away. It was such a joy to read it and remember what an incredible woman she was. As my sister said, I love that part of me comes from her.

I didn’t know my grandparents on my dad’s side. His mom passed away when he was a little boy and my grandfather died when I was a baby. But from what I’ve been told, they also loved to host and entertain. It makes me really happy to know that one of the things I enjoy doing so much comes from both sides of my family. And as we’re raising Teddy, it’s so important to me that he’s surrounded by fun, friends and family.

Just another one of the social plates I try to keep spinning!