The Educated Emotion

Photo, "A Snowy Day in Michigan" Courtesy of Bryan Johnson , 2011 Yesterday afternoon, I was quietly thinking about how I would spend the rest of my day.  Having the house, and time, to myself after non-stop holiday activity was just too good to not enjoy. I decided to take a nap and just allow myself to wake up when my body told me to. Only problem is, there was this one fly that didn't get the memo. He danced on the ceiling and buzzed between my blinds and the light globe relentlessly. When I got to the height of my irritation, I had a spiritual "bop" upside my head: having to deal with a fly in late December in Michigan is a miracle. The same miracle that allowed me to take a walk on dry land wearing just a sweater, not have to clean off my car, and turn down my heat. Today, Michigan is looking like Christmas again. I woke up to snowy roads and wet tires on pavement making dirty noises outside my window. As a Michigander, grim forecasts for driver...

Les Go Social Super Cyber Events   Buy today and get 40% off Constant Contact for 3 months. This is your chance to get an amazing deal, plus all the tools you need to connect with customers and grow your business like never before. 4 days only. Ends at midnight, Thursday Dec 4. Don't wait! #ShopSmallSaturday #SmallBusinessSaturday #CyberMonday #WorldAIDSDay #GivingTuesday #ventureLOCAL #EOHPoetry #lesgosocial As you have probably noticed, each of these newsletters will generally start with a set of hashtags. These hashtags are trending topics and have information indexed on all platforms that support hashtags. For instance, today is Worlds AIDS Day as well as Cyber Monday.  Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, the day dedicated to our non profit sec...

#HappyVeteransDay #ThankfulTuesday #freestuff4veterans #VeteransDayDeals #LesGoSocial On today,Tuesday, November 11 , businesses are honoring veterans, military personnel, and their families with freebies and discounts. This holiday has been recognized in the U.S. since 1918 and has a history rich in peace and tribute to those who serve, rather than Memorial Day which focuses on fallen soldiers.  Be sure to call ahead to ensure a specific location is participating in the deal. Most businesses will require proof of service, such as a VA card, military ID or Veterans Service Organization (VSO card). Thank you for your service! RESTAURANTS: Applebee’s — Veterans and active duty military receive a free meal from a limited menu, on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11. Bar Louie – On Monday, November 10 and Tuesday, November 11, veterans and active military personnel get a free meal up to a $12 value. Bob Evans — Veterans and active military personnel receive free all-y...

Many people have asked me how did get this or that opportunity over the years. My answer is always the same: # volunteer . Sometimes people ask about volunteer opportunities and others just blow off what I just said like I am being "extra" or flippant. But, it's the truth. Volunteering is how I access information about opportunities both paid and otherwise, connect with new people, develop relationships with old acquaintances, and express my care about the things I am most passionate about in the community.  Through volunteering (directly or indirectly), I have received jobs, clients, real friends, business partners, furniture, my home, event tickets, and a couple trips. I am not saying that anyone should begin volunteering to see what tangibles he or she can accumulate, but I am saying that the shift in mindset one takes to be a doer...a part of a team no matter what his or her credentials might be, can help shape a leader that is respected and valued within the commu...

Who's your favorite hero? Is it Superman? Or, someone more like Clark Kent (faithful and hardworking). For all the names you just rattled off inside your head, I know one that probably didn't come up: your own. It'd be pretty silly, in fact.  Imagine you are at a networking event and the introductory question for the ice breaker exercise was "name a hero". Can you imagine the reaction you would receive if you answered, "me, I am my hero."? If we are on the same page right now, think about your online communication. Who is the hero every morning on your Facebook post? Are your connections sinking and drowning in a stream of self-praise on Linked In ? Who is the real winner of your so-called customer appreciation? If your fans are not the true heroes for most of your online communication, you might be losing fans and customers at the same time.  No worries, however. It is very easy to slip into a "me" focus as you try to express ...

A couple weeks ago, I posted a podcast of an interview performed by Christy Haussler: The Educated Emotion: Les Go Social Podcast Interview - The Secret Ingre... : Photo By Dwight Burdette [ CC-BY-3.0 ],  via Wikimedia Commons I was recently interviewed by Christy Haussler, of Brick and Mortar Rep... I received a few reader responses, both on the blog and on other social media. One, in particular, was about ways to begin utilizing Facebook as a professional networking tool - even before you create a page. View the reader response, and my reply, below: henry brown 1 week ago   -   Shared publicly Very great podcast and information, it was very helpful with some insight that I needed. Tell me.... What are some of the best ways, that you think of course. How Facebook can be used as a "Social Utility "?   1  ·  Reply Leslie McGraw 1 week ago Hi Henry. T...

Ann Arbor, Michigan has made it to the top of many lists as the best place to live for women, bicyclists, and even dating. Recently, Ann Arbor has made it to the top of a not-so-noble list: The Laziest Cities list.  My first reaction was that of disbelief. But, then I read how the list was derived. For instance, locals like to begin their day at an average time of 8:17 a.m., which is later than most cities in the United States. My guess is that Ann Arbor's appearance on this list is a byproduct for some of the other lists it has topped. Locals like to carpool, bike, walk, and jog to work. Also, there is a lot of support for the arts. Between 2004 and 2005 I witnessed thousands of people lose their jobs and careers after a major pharmaceutical company left town. The estimated loss to the local arts community was nearly $400,000. This is a combination of the loss in funding directly given by the company as well as the decrease in highly paid professionals with time and...

Photo By Dwight Burdette [ CC-BY-3.0 ],  via Wikimedia Commons I was recently interviewed by Christy Haussler, of Brick and Mortar Reporter , for my first podcast ever. The notes are posted on her page , but to hear what I think is the single-most ingredient to a successful social media marketing plan, listen here  and post it in the comments (and there just may be a little reward in store for doing so): Post by Brick and Mortar Reporter Podcast .