That show was always fun to watch, I was always entertained by the crazy antics of the cast, and how well they put different, usually non related roles together.  Oddly enough, since joining Brazen Careerist I feel like I am living in an episode of the show!  Here is what I mean…

My first few months in the company I had a pretty solid direction.  I was focused on the Brazen Careerist Corporate Community (BC3).  My time was spent gathering corporate contacts, and helping to grow BC3.  At first this proved to be successful, companies are intrigued by our community and our network, and the beta launch was a great opportunity to learn to blog so that they can create a conversation with top young professionals.

As with many start ups, direction constantly changes. Being the only person in our sales department, I am usually at the forefront of whatever changes are taking place.  I went from helping Ryan Paugh with community growth, to corporate sales, to contacting colleges about consulting we can do for them, to most recently helping to build our new syndicated corporate blogging community.

While doing all of this I have overseen parts of the marketing plan, helped with business development, and staffed our CEO at conferences.  It is crazy, it is stressful, but it is fun as hell.  So everyday I look at what is going well, and what department we are struggling in.  Then I head home knowing that tomorrow I will take my seat on the stage with RH, RP, and Photis while Penelope picks up a note card and shouts out the days scenario.  Behind her the board shouts out what role we play, and without asking any questions we act it out.

It keeps things interesting, and I am always interested who the next person on the cast will be, and if they are cut out to act on a whim.  This has also allowed me to broaden my skills, and learn about myself in the process.  It isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but we’re doing our jobs for our audience, and things are working out for now…

Story #1
The first sale that I made in my current position was a direct result of Twitter. The person followed me, and I followed him back. Eventually sent a few DM’s, set up a meeting, and 2 days later I was a hero. I brought in a check, and we met a phenomenal company that we still work with.

Story #2
I was in Austin, TX for a conference that I really had no part in, and realized that the people there would not make great clients. I wanted to make the best of the trip and try not to waste the company’s money so I hopped on Twitter. A friend of mine in CA connected me with some people in Austin, and a few hours later I was at a Tweet Up at some back alley BBQ joint in Texas.

Turned out some really interesting people were there that I still work with today, and that i have learned a lot from.

My point is simple. Twitter is an essential part of your social media network. So don’t hesitate, get on Twitter and follow me @BrazenDan

I don’t think I am on the right track.  Even though I am on Twitter and Facebook, my community is still limited.  FB is a majority of people I went to school with (High School and College), and my Twitter followers are mainly in the Brazen Community.  Don’t get me wrong, this is great, but it is an updating and staying in touch relationship, not necessarily a branding myself and building a new network plan.

I want to get out there, I want to meet the world, I want to have something great to say…

So time to start a new plan.  I am going to do more reading, more commenting, and try to have something important to say.

Look out world, here I come!

I would also like to be clear about something, if you have the money to give, then absolutely donate it to your charity of choice, they are struggling as much, if not worse then everyone else right now.  However, if this year you cannot afford the donation, these are some ideas for how to give in other ways.

Give a gift (or get the whole office to)!
Open those storage closets and take out a toy that your aunt gave you last year even though you stopped playing with toys 10 years ago.  Grab the candle holders or coffee mugs that you got last year and never used.  Then bring them to your local gift center, and they will distribute them to the less fortunate.

If you cannot find anything in the storage closets don’t fret…  If you office has a Secret Santa every year you should put a new spin on it.  Everyone should go through the fun part of buying a gift, but instead of keeping the gifts, go together as an office and donate them to people who perhaps just lost their jobs.  If your office doesn’t have a Secret Santa, maybe this would be a good way to start a new tradition.

Give your time
I realize time is difficult to come by, but it is not impossible to find.  Grab your co-workers, your friends, or your family and donate your time to benefit someone else.  There are volunteers needed during the holiday season, they aren’t difficult to find but are usually locally based, so put in a Google search and find your local shelters.

Adopt a pet
This may seem a little off topic, but as family budgets are cut, animals are an expense that some people cut out first.  You have to remember that animals are very important, they can cheer you up when your down and they make a great present for a child, or a significant other, a good idea when money is tight.  It will cost you about $90, but it is a great gift idea if you know you are able to care for the animal.

A few other ideas:

• Donate Food
• Give Blood
• Donate Clothes

I hope everyone takes the time to give something this Holiday season, and if you have any other ideas, please let me know!

I made it home for Thanksgiving, it was great.  My birthday always falls on or around Thanksgiving, and to be able to be with my family for my birthday is always a pleasure.  My Girlfriend made the trip up from North Carolina to be with us, and it was amazing.  She was a big hit, my family and our extended family (very close family friends) all enjoyed her company.  But when I went home I had to break the news to my Father that I would be with her for Christmas.  He was devastated.

I know he understood that this is part of growing up, and when you find yourself with someone, sacrifices need to be made, but it still hurt him.  After thinking about it a little, I realized why…

Christmas is Dad’s holiday.  My Mother is Jewish, and for a while we were raised Jewish.  The one thing my Father always requested was that he got to have Christmas, and now, for the first time, one of his boys will not be there for his favorite time of the year.

I talked to him about it a bit, and he offered to put up her family, and have them come to Connecticut for a New England Christmas.  I mentioned it to her, but understood she wanted to be with her family in their home.

So now I am trying to figure out a way to make it home for Christmas Eve to see my parents, but financially it does not seem feasible.  I feel like this is a good learning experience for me, and something I will most likely have to deal with for the rest of my life…

Growing up seems to affect all aspects of your life, some easier then others, but I know it is part of life, and I can only be thankful that my parents are still around to go through this with me…

So what is social media??  That is a good question, one that people outside of “the industry” might not understand.  Simply, social media is a collection of blogging, micro blogging, networking, or vlogging sites (I realize I may have left some out, but I think you get the point).  I am talking about sites like Twitter , Tumblr, or even Youtube.  Do college students use these?  If they do, it is only to watch some crazy shit on Youtube.

How can we fix this problem?  And it is a problem because there are so many opportunities for college students if they would take the time to learn about it.  I think I found a potential solution…  Or at least a step in the right direction.  I had a chat with Theresa Toste from Yoono the other day, and she told me about some of the cool things they are up to.

Yoono is holding Social Media Camp(u)s around the country.  They have already done SMC at MIT and UT, both of which were very succesful and got great feedback.  The idea is to use Social Media resources like Facebook to promote the events, and then get a conversation started both online and in person about the other sites that are out there, and what they can do for you.

They are hiring interns at universities across the country that are required to start a blog, plan and hold at least two events a semester, and promote social media news and current events online.  I wish I had the opportunity to do this in college, but I guess I am doing it now and I haven’t been out of school that long.

Why is it important for college students to be utilizing these tools?  Theresa made some great points in my conversation with her.  She talked about how important someone can be to a company if they are able to start, or maintain a blog.  Also, she talked about how twitter has become a marketing tool for many companies and if a employee is comfortable with the site, and is capable of launching a marketing campaign through twitter then they are a step ahead.

Schools also need to step up…  College students should get an introduction from career centers or professors about how to use social media to further their careers.  Social media sites can open their mind to education outside of the classroom, and is not just for pictures of their friends drunken weekend excursions (even though those are fun to look at sometimes!).

This was my introduction into the world of social media.  I never would have thought that 4 years later my job and my life would be all about social media.  This is the case however, and everyday I am amazed at how much of my life revolves around it.

I do work at Brazen Careerist, so I am sure that is one reason I am so consumed by this world, but it’s not like I am alone paving the social media path.  There are people at every job, from secretary to police officer using social media to introduce themselves, their thoughts, and essentially their life to the entire world.

Some people think it is dangerous, and worry that in the future someone will look back at something they said, and hold it against them.  In the words of Ryan Paugh, “so what”?  He is right to say that, so what??  Everyone was a twenty something at somepoint, and things change over time, so do your opinions, your values, and your experience.

I am happy to be part of this social media world, and I am going to continue to expose myself to the world, build my brand, and push others to do the same.  That is one reason I am back in the blogosphere!

What I have realized is that everything revolves around some sort of sale, whether I am actually getting paid or not.  I am looking deeper into the small sales in life that have the biggest impact.  For example, how about convincing a girl to go out on a date with you and then she eventually becomes your wife, or getting one of your friends to come out with some night and you both have the time of your life.

I will discuss the little things that have occurred in my life, things that included some sort of sale whether I realized it or not, and how they have impacted me.  It doesn’t necessarily need to be a sale I made either, for example one of my good friends in high school told me about The Ohio State University, convinced me it was great, it was the last school I applied to, and the school I ended up attending.

Sales is always such a negative term, but it shouldn’t be, it is an exchange of thoughts and opinions, and usually someone is benefitting.