Posted by schlegelsteph on January 1, 2011 0 comments
2011 is officially here! I brought in the new year with some of my favorite people in San Jose and we spent a lot of time discussion what the new year will bring. Although not full proof, it’s worth checking out a few of the below astrological resources to learn a bit about 2011:
If you happen to be a Virgo, here’s what Shine! predicts for 2011:
2011 is all about showing Virgo the money. Being the bona fide workaholic of the zodiac, you have certainly earned your right to demand the six figures through long hours and heaps of your own blood, sweat and tears over the past several years. And you’ve certainly suffered enough losses and endured enough tests of faith in the financial department to prove your substance. As much as you get off on the occasional masochistic work jag, you can’t help but wonder when things are going to get easier. Well hang tight Virgin, because the bonus you so desperately need and deserve should arrive between March and June of 2011. A major conglomeration of fiery planets activates your sector of other people’s money, including the luckiest planet of them all — Jupiter. If that doesn’t bring some kind of windfall, loan or access to a serious line of credit you’re going about your business all kinds of wrong.
You’re also getting ready to shed some serious skin starting this March. With Uranus, the change god joining forces with Jupiter in your sector of psychological change: you’re preparing to face some serious skeletons in your psychic closet. Rather than applying your brilliant yet critical mind in assessing other people’s shortcomings, you’re ready to confront your own strengths and weaknesses on a new level. This year favors the clean slate approach to all matters of self-help, renewal and transformation of your personality. You’re leaving many aspects of your old self behind in order to become a better and more authentic version of who you really are.
Posted by schlegelsteph on December 30, 2010 0 comments
2010 is coming to an end and with a new year, many people make resolutions. Whether it’s to lose weight or learn something new, here are a few great resources to help you stay on track while meeting your goals:
LinkedIn: No surprise here but if you’re looking for a job or career change in 2011, LinkedIn is the perfect place to start. Not only can you build an online profile that functions as an interactive resume but you can search for jobs directly on the site. You can also connect with people that can help you on that hunt.
SparkPeople: Weight lose is a popular goal in the new year and as a resolution, it’s one that can get very pricey. SparkPeople is a great place to connect with other people trying to get rid of a few pounds as well as a great place to track your progress, all for free!
ArtistWorks (client): If you’ve ever wanted to learn to play an instrument but can’t seem to find the time or money to make it happen? ArtistWorks is a perfect solution. They are a client of mine but I started using them before and I was able to find a cost effective way to improve my guitar playing.
DiplomaGuide.com: I’ve used this site to fine free online creative writing classes but you can search for all sorts of resources for anything you want to learn.
goby (client): Another client of mine but what can I say, I represent awesome companies! goby is a search engine that allows you to find things to do. I love it because I can find activities that I wouldn’t have found otherwise and that goes with the motto of “new year, new you” like nothings else.
OKcupid: Sometimes a new year also means it’s time for a new relationship. OKCupid is a free dating site that helps you meet new people. Even if you’re not looking for a new boyfriend or girlfriend, they also host one of the most interesting blogs about dating, OKTrends. It seems that that blog is updated about as often as I update this blog but when there are new posts, very much worth a read.
Happy New Year! Feel free to comment with any resources you plan to use in 2011.
Posted by schlegelsteph on September 13, 2010 2 comments
I recently returned from a wonderful trip to Las Vegas, my first, and I’m left thinking about the whole idea of Vegas. I’ve heard the mantra before “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” but is that really possible with social media as integrated into our lives as it is?
From checking in on Foursquare to sharing a Twitter update with friends, my trip was anything but private. A quick tweet mentioning that I was staying at the @mgmgrand resulted in a random meet-up with Ben Parr, Mashable blogger and friend, that was not in my original plan. A pleasant surprise, yes, but keeping with that philosophy, no.
Even during my spa day at @CaesarsPalace, I was itching to get to my phone to check my email, Twitter, Facebook and only survived thanks to a spa rule and a locker that separated me from my phone and connection to society.
Let me be clear, I didn’t really do anything worth keeping a secret but the whole adventure begs the question, how much can we keep private and how much do we really want to keep private? I checked in anywhere I could and posted photos on Facebook when I took some. Everyone that follows me on Twitter was well aware of my celebrity sitings (Holly Madison, yay!)
I like to over share but would love to hear from you, how much do you share on the social web when you’re on vacation or taking a break? Can you disconnect?
Posted by schlegelsteph on August 28, 2010 0 comments
I’ve taken a bit of a hiatus from blogging in recent months but have still been actively following news in the social media and technology space. Below are a few of the stories that I enjoyed reading the most over the past seven days.
Posted by schlegelsteph on August 15, 2010 0 comments
You can learn anything on the Internet. I recently decided to take a few a few violin lessons and when I went to pick up my rental, the shop owner asked me if I was going to be taking lessons. I responded with “Of course, how else would I learn to play the violin?”. Her response was classic, “Kids now a days try to learn everything on YouTube”. I planned to take lessons but thought I would check out videos on YouTube to quench my curiosity. One broken string and ten dollars later, I decided to stick with the in-person lessons I’ve already scheduled.
That did get me thinking about the amazing amount of topics that can be learned about online. As Gary Vaynerchuk said in his books, Crush It, “skills are cheap”. Here are some free and/or cheap resources for finding online skill development opportunities whether for personal use or professional development.
Youtube.com: You can find almost any kind of video here. Whether you’re looking for music lessons or how to fix an appliance, you can find it here.
Gradschools.com: If you’re looking for a degree you can find both online and in person programs here.
Food Network: Recipes, tips and tricks to help improve your cooking skills. Yum!
DIY network: All sorts of tips on how to make and fix everything. There are a lot of fun do it yourself projects to be found.
Have you ever finished a long work week and want to go to happy hour but don’t want to go to the same old place? Check out SFWeekly’s Happy Hours App available on the iPhone and Android.
The application is free to download and leverages built in GPS technology on your phone to find the happy hours closest to where you are. It quickly calculates your location then creates a list of places that have happy hour going on right now and will tell you the specials (including prices), the distance and the time happy hour ends. It you find a happy hour that looks attractive to you, simply click the name of the place and you’ll open up a new page where you can rate that event if you attend, send the details to a friend, see how other people rate it and even get connected to City Wide Taxi. You can also get the phone number if you have a question to ask the staff and the address will auto load to Google Maps.
The app is simple, convenient and will help you find your next favorite spot in the city. If you’re in more of a planning mode you can also search for other days, times and locations or specific specials and cuisines. The app is truly awesome
Posted by schlegelsteph on July 13, 2010 0 comments
I haven’t been posting very often in recent weeks (sorry!) so wanted to write a quick post about what Old Spice has been up to that is starting to make a splash in the social web. They developed an interesting campaign utilizing Twitter and the “Old Spice Guy” that I think it’s brilliant.
I’m a PR girl and have a soft spot for anything the involves social media. In terms of an integrated campaign, this is a great example of taking the character developed for the brand, from television commercials, into the digital realm. The “Old Spice Guy” posts response videos to tweets of pretty high profile folks on Twitter that are clever and entertaining. I think I’ve already watched six of them and the evening is just getting started. This is by far one of the most interesting integrate approaches I’ve seen in quite some time, now it’s a matter of watching to see if this grows into something truly viral.
Social media blog, Mashable, recently announced a partnership with the location based social gaming site, Foursquare, to share tips and recommendations based on where users check in. The Mashable reporters and editors that you enjoy reading on the blog will now provide insider information based on the places they’ve been.
The partnership will focus on social media venues, tech gatherings and startup headquarters but will also provide personal recommendations for places to eat and hang out.
Foursquare is approach one million check ins and although primarily seen as a game, is starting to become a resource for folks that check in at various locations. In addition to the partnership with Mashable, Foursquare is known for working with businesses across the country to provide deals to customers that check in. For example, Starbuck’s is currently offering free beverages to the “mayor” of the various locations in San Francisco.
As you may have notice, I haven’t been updating my blog lately and part of that has to do with the awesome changes happening in my life over the past few weeks.
My first big changes is that I recently left my position at FutureWorks for a new (and awesome) position with Allison & Partners. Although I love my time at FutureWorks, it was time for a change and I’m so excited to be the latest addition to the Technology team there. I will still be rocking the public relations world, just at a slightly different location. The best part is being able to work in downtown San Francisco and work with a group of amazing people who are dedicated to being great PR people. I’ve been there a weeks now so the past month or so has been dedicated to interviewing, transitioning and now working at my new job. I am so excited!
The other big thing going on is that I’m trying with all my might to learn to cook, even just a few good dishes. I am not a great cook and it’s so important to be able to create healthy and delicious food which keeps you away from all the junky food that it’s so easy to be drawn to. It’s been a challenge and I’ve been relying heavily on the new Jamie Oliver cookbook, Food Revolution. My favorite is the homemade granola but I wanted to include a few photos of what I’ve created over the past few weeks.
That’s it for now, will do my best to share tech related news in the very near future.
Fashionistas around the globe have probably already stumbled across the wonder that is Moxsie.com. I’m a casual shopper and frequent online deal finder but a fashionista, I am not. Imagine my excitement when I stumbled across an ad on PerezHilton for a bag that I instantly fell in love with (yes, I just admitted my guilty pleasures, bags and celebrity gossip).
The ad directed me to Moxsie.com, a Palo Alto based shopping site that helps visitors discover independent fashion designers. The products available are well priced, well made and most are wearable. I selected my bag and quickly purchased it and I learned something even more exciting than the opportunity to find unique products. I discovered that with each purchase, a portion of the proceeds are donated to a charity that the shopper can select from a preset list. There is no additional cost to the consumer and the charities are close the the heart of the designers and Moxsie team. What a great way to enjoy your shopping and give back at the same time.
If you click through the ad on Perezhilton, you get 15% off your purchase instantly. Happy Shopping!
I recently returned from a wonderful trip to Las Vegas, my first, and I’m left thinking about the whole idea of Vegas. I’ve heard the mantra before “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” but is that really possible with social media as integrated into our lives as it is?
