Twitter Got Me a Girlfriend, Now It Got Me a Job

Posted on February 11, 2009 by Gradon

When’s the last time you heard a guy give his two-week notice?

Over the last several months, I’ve heard countless stories of friends getting laid off. From every industry imaginable. Both of my friends that write DesignBoston with me were let go in the last few weeks (Joyce is on vacation in Aruba, so I don’t feel too bad for her). I even attended a pink slip party after one particularly rough week in early January.

Several of these people told me just be happy I have a job right now. Especially with one that is still making money (thank goodness for Big Pharma, huh).

So I feel I was going a bit against the grain (which reminds me of another “Bands That Help Brands” post, but I digress) when I decided now was the time to find a better opportunity.

After working in customer relations and post-sale account management for the past few years, I decided it was time to get back into true sales. Keeping business is important (It’s easier to keep an existing customer than to find a new one), but growing a business is more fun.

So, one night a few weeks ago, but not really expecting much, I sent out a tweet.

Surprisingly, several people replied (which proves, especially in a bad economy, companies are always looking for good sales people). I talked to a few of them, some more than others, and one in particular.

Which is why, this past Monday, I put in my notice at my current job.

As of February 23, I will be joining the team at FirstGiving. FirstGiving is a five-year old startup that helps charities raise money online via fundraising pages, blog widgets, a Facebook app and more. Sounds similar to what I do for charities with social media, huh?

As I’ve told anyone that’s asked, I’m excited. I look forward to working with Frank Days, David Karp and the rest of the FirstGiving team to help every non-profit possible get the full benefit of online fund raising.

First, Twitter got me Meg. Now, a job. What’ll Twitter give me next?

My iBook Won’t Work… But I Will!

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Gradon

I’ll admit it: I love my iBook. That dinosaur of a laptop is like my little-engine-that-could.

It’s over 4 years old. It’s harddrive is small enough that I have to do the what-can-I-delete-what-can-I-save game. It’s not the fastest, or the prettiest. The neck of the power cord has been slowly falling apart for some time. But no matter what, the iBook’s been a little workhorse (just like Meg Fowler’s, which is just as old).

Until yesterday.

Starting yesterday, it stopped charging the battery. Whenever it was plugged in, the power indicator flashed between charging and battery, slowly draining the battery until it hit 0% and going to sleep. After that, it’d wake up, run for a minute or two, and go back to sleep. That’s how it sits now. Asleep.

It’s time for a new MacBook. I don’t need a Pro model. A regular 13″ version will do just fine.

The only thing is, I don’t have the money to buy one. So I need to work and save for it.

In order to do so, I’m offering my skills and hard work on behalf of your organization. What can I help you with?

Community management
Corporate blogging
Nonprofit fundraising
Strategic Consulting
Making coffee?

I work full time at this point, but I have many freelance hours to give. If I can help your organization get a leg up, please feel free to contact me at gradon AT gradontripp DOT com.

And in closing, I’d like to offer you a haiku (compliments of Meg):

My iBook is sad
Yet lacks the power to cry
Refrigerator

Bands to Help Brands: The Cool Kids Are a Little Bit Cooler Than You

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Gradon

Talk about music with anyone that grew up in the late 80s, and invariably they will express to you one absolute truth: It was the golden age of hip-hop.

Run DMC. Eric B. & Rakim. EPMD. The Beastie Boys. Their clever lyrics, combined with creative, low cost, rhythm-intensive production, brought attention to an otherwise little-known artform.

In the last 20 years, things have changed. Hip-hop is now one of the most ubiquitous forms of music in modern culture. Commercially successful hip-hop artists have applied a proven formula – how a song sounds, what the rapper says, how the artists dress – to nearly guarantee success.

In most people’s minds, if hip-hop were a retailer, it’d be Wal-Mart, thinking it’s cool, but missing the mark.

The Cool Kids, in contrast, are a little bit cooler.

The Cool Kids use a different strategy.

They combined elements of hip-hop’s golden age with modern production techniques to make a sound that is recognizable yet refreshingly new.

They aren’t in gangs, so they don’t rap about it. The opening verse of “A Little Bit Cooler” (the song above) says it all:

So I’m sitting on the couch, holding the remote
Flipping channels, I’m a rebel
Eating a bowl of them Fruity Pebbles,
Fruity Pebbles, Fruity Pebbles
How gangsta is that? Not gangsta at all.

They eschew the ultra baggy clothes common in the hip-hop world for thinner pieces more akin to indie rockers.

They’ve forsaken massive old marketing techniques, and have instead relied on gradual word-of-mouth of hip-hop insiders to grow, saving themselves from the fate of the flash in the pan.

How can this help my brand?

You have a new widget. You could copy what’s popular right now, or just push forward with the newest, most innovative thing. Instead, see what’s influenced your industry throughout its history, then mix your innovation with that knowledge.

The best companies in the world rely on a balance of testing, tracking and innovation to become successful. The best artists in the world have a knowledge of history and a vision of the future, which is what lends their work the resonance that makes it last.

Are you a flash in the pan, or are you built to last?