Yes, it is without a doubt challenging but exceptionally rewarding.

First it was 2 weeks of orientation and we quickly hit the ground running. I was rapidly consumed and at times overwhelmed by classes, clubs, group meeting, exams, conferences, interviews, internship applications, etc (the list goes on).  Although it was a lot of work the amazing people I met along the way made way for a much smoother ride.  The depth of knowledge and experience of the students in the program is challenging yet fascinating. I hope to continuously build friendships with the remarkable people in my program

During the Fall 2009 I attended both the National Society of Hispanic MBA’s Conference (NSHMBA) in Minneapolis  and the National Society of Black MBA’s Conference(NBMBAA) in New Orleans. Attending these conferences as a first year MBA student was a strategic move that enabled me to expand my network and meet face to face with professionals from my companies of interest as well as other MBA students. All this leading to interviews and potentially an internship.  I highly recommend attending these conferences! Next year I will be attending both!

Now as I enter 2010 I am more excited than ever to continue my journey and begin my 2nd semester.

Thought I’d share my orientation picture:

Myth:  It doesn’t take any work

In order to attract followers there are basic steps which I follow to attract potential followers and maintain my followers.  Now these may seem obvious but you would be surprised at the number of people who fail to follow to do this:

• Fill in all segments of your profile. It the only area you have to demonstrate information about yourself. Name location, website and bio.
• Use a username that is appealing and relevant. Good example: PizzaHut, FirstNameLastName Dumb example:  jklanfh235
• Be able to answer: Who is your market? (Marketers, photographers, gardening, etc)
• Do not tweet something that you would not want to read. You have to know your market and what they are interested in.
• Balance: Keep a balance between your articles, personal updates, photos and RT’s (retweeting: I’ll explain that below)

Following this approach allows potential followers to ensure that you are a real person and not spam. This works both for personal (personal branding) use as well as for business. You must remember that twitter is a direct connection to your consumers as well as potential consumers. Twitter=marketing.

A great example of  a company using  twitter to further there brand is Kodak’s Chief Blogger- Jenny Cisney.  Kodak is the few, if not the only company who has actually created a full time position for a Chief Blogger. It’s clear that Kodak understands the importance of having an online presence and interaction with its consumers on a daily basis. Jenny is a valuable source for photographers via twitter and blog. If you have a question she does her best to answer your question, always provides valuable and applicable information for her followers while still being personal. She has found a great balance and as a result currently has 10,200 followers.

Of course a company does not have to go as far as to create a full time position but MAKE SURE YOU’RE AN AVID TWEETER. As a consumer I enjoy seeing Pizza Hut tweet about pizza and fully engage its followers in conversations.

So now your getting a  followers, now what?

Do you auto-follow and/or auto-DM (Direct message) your new followers? This is completely optional. Personally I do not auto-follow but it is a great way to increase your twitter network. This could become a problem because of SPAM (of course) but do not fear there are services such as ReFollow, Twitter Karma, and Twiping that can handle that for you. (the list goes)  A company that allows you to auto-follow is TweetLater.

Auto-DM   is annoying and not recommended simply because it comes down to being personal and auto-DM is NOT. Once again I personally do not auto-DM. Instead I try to be as personal with my followers as possible so I send them a DM thanking them for the follow and make a comment about there blog while sticking my website into the DM. I’ve mad conversations with interesting people across the globe as a result. This of course is optional.

Ultimately attracting and maintain followers requires a balance and consistency on your part. Twitter is an easy way to market your product/brand/service, meet people and market to consumers on a global scale. It’s your choice how you want to use it.  Good luck my tweeters!! Feel free to ask any questions.

What starting the ball rolling for me was reading the article on the Wall Street Journal,Welch: ‘No Such Thing as Work-Life Balance’, where Former General Electric Co. Chief Executive Jack Welch stated “There’s no such thing as work-life balance,” at the annual conference in New Orleans on June 28.  Welch is a firm believer that  taking time off for family “can offer a nice life, but the chances of going to the top on that path” are smaller.

“The women who have reached the top of Archer Daniels, of DuPont, I know these women. They’ve had pretty straight careers,” states Welch.

Honestly reading this article and other articles online, I became somewhat discouraged.  I came across a study that Sylvia Ann Hewlett did a few years ago where she provides these statistic: 49% of mid-career women who make $100,000 a year or more were childless, compared to only 10% of men. HMMM this is BS. How about we recognize the 51% of women who make $100,000 a year and have children! That GREAT!  I think optimistically and there are plenty of women in the corporate world who have families and great careers.

I’m not just saying this because I plan on pursing my career and reaching the top while having a family but because thanks to the Advertising Age “Women to Watch 2009”* list it’s clear that you can do both. I would like to thank Rodney B Williams (www.rodneybwilliams.com) for sending me that article.  Here is a list of women from the “Women to Watch 2009” list who are mothers, wives and on their A-game!

Garciela Eleta: Senior VP-Brand Solutions, Univision http://bit.ly/6yM1M

Marla Skiko: Senior VP-Director of Digital Innovation, SMG Multicultural http://bit.ly/18pLVu

Sarah Madden Armstrong: Director-Worldwide Media and Communication Operations, Coca-Cola http://bit.ly/a5Hue

Jill Beraud: Global Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo http://bit.ly/v2SXO

Jessica Buttimer: Global Domain Leader, Clorox Green Works  http://bit.ly/pOu5Z

Kerry Keneenan: Global Director of Creative Content, Y&R http://bit.ly/14ZEcf

Mary Murcko: Senior VP-Publisher, Prevention http://bit.ly/HTciR

Tina Sharkey: Chairman and Global President, BabyCenter http://bit.ly/6zZjV

Now how can you juggle work and life? My best advice, prioritize. You need to figure out what needs to get done now, later and what you just have to let go of. What is most important to you as you try to balance being your best self (whatever that may be- mom, wife, employee, student, and the list goes on)? It also helps to have your partner in on this.

Ladies it’s not impossible we have many great women ahead of us that are paving the way. Don’t let yourself be convinced otherwise. I’m a true believer “if she can do, why can’t I”

The only limitations we have are our minds.

Never say “I can’t”

Have a strong support system: family, partner, friends, etc

Don’t attempt to take on all the responsibilities: SHARE

I’m not saying it’s going to be easy but it will definitely be rewarding!

*http://adage.com/womentowatch09/

* 16 of the 30 corporations that make up the Dow Jones industrial average got their starts during recessions.
* Disney began during the recession of 1923-24.
* Hewlett-Packard was begun during the Great Depression (in 1938).
* Microsoft began during the 1975 recession.*

Of course this isn’t sufficient reason for you to go start a business so here are a few:

1. Job Security? No such thing anymore. Truth is the only way to have some sense of security is to own your own business because in a company everyone is dispensable. There is no guarantee as a business owner but if you have a strong business plan, a solid product/service the benefits outweigh the risks.

2. New Opportunities . You no longer need to have a location to have a business. The web provides an array of opportunities for entrepreneurs as a result funding for online businesses will be much lower then businesses that require a location. Don’t feel discouraged if you do. A strong business plan is key.

3. Things are cheaper. There are deals everywhere so that means that you can get everything you need to start your business for less, minimizing expenses. Investing with minimal expenses allows you to get to profitability faster!

4. Power Team (Now available) . Since everyone is getting laid off it’s a good time to capture  those talented individuals and (after some evaluation) you might consider making them your co-founder. Lets face it a lot of talented people are currently out of work and there knowledge could be the final touch to make your plan perfect.

5. Take RISKS. It’s scary but the time to take the leap is now. In today’s economy taking risks is more important that stability. Taking risks will allow you to see profit. You need to secure your future and the future of  your  family.

The fact is that for many the fall to the bottom isn’t that far so “Why not?”

*http://bit.ly/3u9pep

Billy Mays later went on to air the show “Pitchman” on the discovery channel which followed Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan as they attempted to sell various inventions through direct-response marketing.

So what marketing lessons can we learn from Billy Mays?

Have a product that works. The problem with selling a product that is junk is that you will lose credibility and you don’t want that. Make sure your product does what your claiming. Your brand/product= trustworthy/reliable

Research consumers response to your product. Go out and find out what consumers are saying and feeling about your product. These are the people, consumers, who will be buying your product so get some feedback.

Be able to answer “How will (insert product/brand) make my life easier?” For example I love the Swiffer Why? Because I do not need to grab a mop and bucket and get my hands all dirty. Or why do I like my electric toothbrush because I do not need to shake my hand vigorously to brush my teeth. It makes my life easier. (I have cleaner teeth in the morning.)

Test your campaign on a small scale before doing it big and WATCH YOUR COMPETITION. Don’t but your feet up and call it a day. Always continue optimizing and seeing where improvements can a be made, “what else can you do to increase sales, etc?”

If i missed something please let me know! Thanks

Billy Mays passed away on June 28, 2009.

It makes sense to go greener because of the environmental benefits as well as the financial ones. So Nike is making this transitioning by making its supply chain and products greener. Although Nike does not give specific numbers about the financial benefits, they do state that the amount of material they waste will be reduced by 17% over the next decade. The Air Jordan XX3 an eco-friendly sneaker was designed to fit together like a puzzle eliminating any excess plastic. The company invented a sewing machine that speeds up the assembly line in turn saving electricity.

A good question asked by Dean Crutchfield is “How is sustainability relevant to its brand(Nike)?” Nothing. Which is why there first line of environmentally friendly shoes called Considered in 2005 were off the shelves within a year of their debut.

The Air Jordan’s have sold well because performance continues to meet the customers standards.  So the fact that they are eco-friendly is on a need to know basis.  Everyone wins!

Currently Nike’s line up includes eco-friendly football, basketball, soccer, tennis and running shoes.  I want  greener sneakers so I did a Google search to find as many eco-friendly Nike sneakers as possible but continued to come across only these sneakers:

In case you didn’t notice this ad was 4 minutes long if compared to the average ad which is 15 to 20 seconds. So did you watch the whole thing? Well I did because I found this engaging and some what educational from a marketer’s perspective.

So what can be learned from this ad?

For starters it’s entertaining and it doesn’t look like advertisement. It’s connected to the issue, product, brand which in this case is Obama.  This ad would generate quickly through social networks because it’s attention-grabbing.

Marketers shouldn’t be scared to be different. I believe that different works and will always grab peoples attention. With an ad like this viewers will be less likely to skip it and actually enjoy it. Although breaking some standard barriers in marketing may not work for cable TV, sky is the limit online.

Advice: Break some rules!!

This online video was created for the Jewish Council for Education and Research by Droga5 starring Sarah Silverman (comedian).

Every time I tell a non-twitter user I am on twitter I get asked the questions “Why are you on twitter?”

I am a twitter user because I am building a personal brand for myself. So what is personal branding?

Dan Schawbel describes personal branding as” the process by which individuals and entrepreneurs differentiate themselves and stand out from a crowd by identifying and articulating their unique value proposition, whether professional or personal, and then leveraging it across platforms with a consistent message and image to achieve a specific goal. In this way, individuals can enhance their recognition as experts in their field, establish reputation and credibility, advance their careers, and build self-confidence.”

This of course it not the only reason why I am on twitter. Currently I have a blog www.hayzelcriollo.wordpress.com and I use Twitter and Facebook to increase traffic to my blog. I also received feedback which allows me to improve my blog and find interesting topics to talk about. It has also become a networking tool as well as a form to stay connected to the world.

I could keep talking about why I am on twitter but instead let’s talk about why YOU should be on Twitter!

IT’S A MARKETING TOOL!!  YOU CAN MARKET ANYTHING ON TWITTER! CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO

Do you have to have a business for twitter? NO

Do you have an idea? Get on twitter and get some feedback

Do you want to create a social persona? Twitter can help

Want to make new friends? Twitter can do that

I wanted to share some Twitter comics. Enjoy.

Coca-Cola is at the top of their game, gaining competitive advantage in the marketplace by integrating brand equities, industrial design and marketing. Coca-Cola collaberated with Sapient and Samsung to develop a vending machine that will not only deliver you a nice, cold coke drink (more than 100 drinks) but also gives you the interactive experience with the  large high resolution screen. The screen reminds me of an iphone. I can’t wait to purchase  my drink from this machine but I will make sure to have some hand sanitizer handy. One more thing,  it’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled making the experince that more invigorating! Look out for this machine real soon!