The importance of including visuals in your blog posts

March 26, 2012
Posted by Jessie Spielvogel

The other day, I posted a tweet expressing my opinion about blogs without a photo included in each post. Turns out that this was a pretty controversial tweet! (Who knew)?

As soon as I posted that tweet, I immediately received unexpected feedback on the idea. A good amount of people all made the same point:

There are lots of big bloggers out there who use text-only (like Zen Habits for a completely unfair example…as he is awesome and I cannot even argue with that one). One person said that text-only posts are nice because they are simple and easy to read without a random junky photo that may or may not have relevance to the topic at hand, which makes total sense. But I choose to include photos for different reasons. To include a photo or not all depends on the type of content, and how it lines up visually on the page. Continue reading →

Leprechauns and four-leaf clovers are nice – but you’re better!

March 15, 2012
Posted by Jessie Spielvogel

Ever since a few weeks ago when I made the decision to leave my job in DC to travel and work on my own, I’ve had friends and family either tell me that I’m crazy, or that I’m lucky. Maybe it’s a little of both, but without making the decision to do it, I wouldn’t be in this “lucky” or “crazy” situation. Remember that we all make your own luck, and things happen when we welcome the opportunities. Below are five ways to start making your own luck, and I hope you choose to get a little crazy in some way as well! Continue reading →

Risks and decisions are partners in crime

March 11, 2012
Posted by Jessie Spielvogel

Well, hello there.

I did something kinda crazy recently. Wanna know what it is? Hold your horses… I’ll get to it in a minute.

First, let’s talk about taking risks.

Are you a risk taker, or do you tend to play it safe? What happens when you take a risk? You either win, or you lose… right? Right. So if you don’t take a risk at all… what happens?

Nothing.

Nothing happens, and you sit stagnant, and you slump over, and you get bored. That’s not really my style. Actually, I don’t think it’s ANYONE’s style. So what are you doing in your life to make sure that you keep spicing things up and keep that fire going?

Are you looking at others doing awesome things while thinking, “aw…I wish I could do that, too! Oh well.”
Or, are you doing something every single day to make your life more interesting, exciting, and successful?

Until last month, I was doing the first one. I was watching good things happen to people all around me, I was sitting back at my desk seeing all the good things my peers are doing for themselves and for others, all the while thinking about how jealous I am, and how impossible it would be for me to have that life, too.

Sure, my life does not suck by any means! It’s actually kind of awesome… I’ve been very fortunate and feel very lucky to have a great job, great friends, a supportive and amazing family. However, even with all of those great parts of my life, I have to wonder, “what’s next?”

To fill whatever void was missing in my life, I lived vicariously through bloggers like Devon Mills’ Answering Oliver, Joel Runyon’s Blog of Impossible Things, and several others doing amazing things, and I would read their articles about traveling, exploring, and doing things I never imagined to be possible.

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right” – Henry Ford

Then I read the article that was the last straw: an awesome and inspiring post by Matt Cheuvront (Life Without Pants) called “Derailed,” and decided it was time for me to have my own adventure.

Our “day jobs”, whatever they may be, hold us back from the things we should really be doing. The things we want. The things we love. It’s up to you if you’ll let them define you, or if you’ll be the one to define. And while nobody can go back and start a new beginning anyone can start today in making a new ending. – Matt Cheuvront

So there’s part one. Risk taking. Do it. It’s awesome.

Now lets talk about making decisions.

I suck at this. Always have. I can’t choose a restaurant, let alone what to do with my future. But that’s gotta change, and recently it has.

It doesn’t matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions. – Jim Rohn

Things happen when you make a decision. Seriously – it seems like such a basic concept, right? But if I could go back in my life and switch out all of the “I’m not sures,” and “I don’t know, you picks,” … I have NO idea how my life would be different right now. Indecisiveness is for the followers. Making decisions is for the leaders. So what risk and decision did I recently make, and am I crazy?

I’ve decided to resign from my amazing job in DC, continue freelancing social media services full-time from anywhere in the world with Wi-Fi, and yes, I am admittedly crazy…

First destination?

ECUADOR!

I’ll be living in South America for a little while, helping businesses create awesome social media presences from my laptop, exercising on the beach, building up www.jessiespielvogel.com, and practicing my Español while I’m at it. The beauty of having an online business is that it can be done from anywhere with an internet connection. The beauty of social media is that I will still be connected at all times, no matter where I’m at!

View Larger Map

See that dot on the Pacific Coast that says, “Manta?” That’s where I’ll be.

I’m so excited to start this new (and terrifying) chapter of my life. I am prepared to work my butt off to get things started as an entrepreneur, for I have been fairly warned that entrepreneurs do NOT have it any easier than the rest of the world. But, I have to start somewhere, and I am seriously giddy just thinking about the opportunity I’m giving myself. I know there will be ups, and there will certainly be downs, and I could for sure fall flat on my face after a month. But, I also know that failure only happens if I don’t pick myself back up.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill

As soon as I made this decision, things started happening. All around me, it was like a wave of awesome started overcoming not only myself, but also the people in my life. I am fully convinced that taking risks and being able to be decisive are two of the most important qualities to creating good change. The combination of the two creates action, and that leads to success… seriously – just as Picasso….

Action is the foundational key to all success. – Pablo Picasso

My last day in Washington, DC will be March 22, and then I’m off on my Ecuadorian journey on April 4. What am I packing? A backpack with sundresses, flip flops, tennis shoes, bathing suits, a camera, and my laptop.

Bring it on.

-Jessie

Creating an email signature that doesn’t make people cringe

February 29, 2012
Posted by Jessie Spielvogel

[This is the wallpaper in my aunt and uncle's bathroom. Yes I'm serious, yes I think it's ridiculously awesome, and no, I have never seen Starwars.]

I came across a post about email signatures on PRbreakfastclub.com, and it had some perfect insights about where email conclusions go wrong. Take a look at these examples they give, and try to keep them in mind for the next time your ready to sign off!

Cheers – Well I don’t know about you, but there isn’t any Bailey’s Irish Cream in my coffee this morning. By the way, thanks for getting my after work drink in my head at 9 am. Are you even from England? Cheerio, yo.

God Bless – Unless you’re writing for the Chattanooga Christian Family Magazine, there is no reason to ever write this to someone. Thanks for rejecting my pitch, but it’s okay! God will forgive you.

Best Wishes – What is it, my birthday? I really appreciate the thought, but my birthday is September 10th. Are you being sarcastic and really don’t want to wish me a Happy Birthday? Best wishes to you on finding another closing line.

Warm(est) Regards – Warm? Seriously? Am I not good enough for Hot Regards? You can only give me a moderately cooked regards? People, I like my apple pie warm and a la mode, but not my regards. Gee, thanks for using the half-way adjective when e-mailing me. You could have at least heated my regards all the way. Are you trying to make me all cozy inside and ‘warm’ up to you?

Deepest Sympathies – Wow, thanks for making me think of my dead family member while you were rejecting my e-mail to you. Apparently rejecting an e-mail requires the same responses that are used to convey the message that your lover is dead and was hit by the NJTransit train.

K? – Can you be any more of a snot? I got the message, and your attitude is definitely not appreciated after I just read through your junk that you sent me. Take your K? and shove it.

I thought all the comments about these less-than-awesome signoffs were pretty dead accurate (although I must admit – I definitely throw in a “Cheers!” every once in a while…okay, I’m lying… I do it all the time).

However, while I would l never use or encourage anyone to use “Deepest sympathies,” “Warmest regards,” “Best Wishes,” or just,”K,” in any sort of professional correspondence, I must also admit that I get pretty annoyed and bored with the standard: “Best”, “sincerely”, “Thank you”, etc. How do you sign off on emails, and what do you hate to see on others’ emails?

Which brings me to my last and final takeaway from this article, and I hope you find it as useful as I do…

May the force be with you,

Jessie Spielvogel

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What we can learn about online community building from Tucker Max

February 27, 2012
Posted by Jessie Spielvogel

The last time I felt the need to write about Tucker Max (the world’s favorite self-proclaimed “asshole”) was after I went to his book signing in Austin, Texas in 2010. I’m not going to lie to you, I’m a huge Tucker Max fan. Embarrassingly so. While before I was writing to rant about how he did not live up to my expectations of adequate Tucker-Maxness (…yes, it’s a word), now I am writing to commend him for creating such an awesome online community of loyal fans, and to see what we can learn from his success (bare with me here – he may be a terrible person, but he’s definitely doing something right with over 277,000 followers on Twitter and nearly 427,000 dedicated fans on Facebook).

If you’re unfamiliar with Tucker Max, he is a law school graduate turned full-time author…and he created his own genre of writing, coined “Fratire.” It is as awful as it sounds. He writes about the shenanigans that he and his buddies get into during drunken escapades and sleeps with excessive amounts of women, followed by writing about all of it in great detail on a public forum. It all started as a blog for him and his friends to laugh and joke about, but it exploded in the blogosphere, and has made him the famous best-selling author he is today.

What is Tucker Max doing right?

1. It all starts with his voice.

TMax’s blog was such a hit between him and his friends that it took off organically, with no paid promotion or agenda. He wrote like he was talking to you face-to-face, he embraced his true personality, and he told unforgettable stories (no matter how immoral and disturbing they may be). He went all in, and he ran with it. This successful blog was the perfect beginning to a paralleled successful social media presence.

If you take a look at his Tweets, they are hysterical, and they almost make me feel like worse of a person just by laughing out loud when I read them. Unless his manager is just as sick and depraved as he is, I’m fairly certain that all tweets are his own.

His fans continuously read his blog because of the awesome personality he presents to the world – and this is the same reason why he has such a strong following on Twitter.

People follow people… if he utilized his social sites just to promote his books, movie, and signing tours, I wouldn’t be writing about him at all, and neither would anyone else for that matter.

2. Notice how often he tweets: NOT THAT OFTEN.

This could be considered a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it, but in this case, it is clearly is working for him. In a little under 4 years in the Twitterverse, he’s sent out less than 400 tweets. How did this get him to grow to having 277,479 followers (all of whom actually want to read what he has to say in 140 characters or less)? I’d like to think that it’s because his feed is saturated with solid awesome content. He makes every little tweet count, and it doesn’t go unnoticed or unrewarded.

There are tons of brands out there tweeting 10x as often as Tucker Max is, but these brands still have just a fraction of the size of his community. This goes to show that it’s not about the quantity of tweets, but about the quality of them.

What could be done better?

If there’s one thing I can’t stand more than anything in the social media world, it’s when a publicist tweets and posts on Facebook for the talent (whether it’s an actor, author, artist, or any other type of talented human being…) without even coming close to matching the correct tone or voice. For example, look at this post on Tucker’s Facebook.

“Tucker Max has two new books out today, and he is giving one of them away for free as a thank you to all his fans. Seriously.”

While this is not the worst thing that could have been displayed on the page, it certainly could have been framed differently with a stronger resemblance to what Tucker would actually say, and more importantly, how he would say it. It’s important to remember that this is a FAN page…for fans of Tucker Max – not fans of Tucker Max’s manager.

When I first got into following talent pages on Facebook, I went and found all of my favorite musicians and began “liking” their pages since I thought it was so awesome that I could connect with them individually on a more personal level (after all, that’s what social media is all about, right?). But when I realized that the majority of the posts were generic messages pushing out only tour dates and merchandise promotions, it immediately turned me off, and I quit following them. For a band that I LOVE to follow because they are actually themselves and are actively connecting with their fans, check out Matt and Kim‘s Facebook page.

All in all, what can we learn from Tucker Max’s community building skills? Be yourself, go all in with your voice and personality, make every Tweet count, and don’t overly promote your brand on Facebook (because it’s just super annoying). It comes down to voice and quality.

Who are some of your favorite people to follow on Facebook and/or Twitter, and what makes you continuously care about what they have to say?

While we’re at it, tell me if you love or hate Tucker Max (there’s no in between on this one… you either love him or you hate him).

-Jessie

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Creating an “About” page worth reading!

February 22, 2012
Posted by Jessie Spielvogel

As I try to come up with my own “About” page for this blog, I’ve been looking into other bloggers’ pages to see how they are doing it. I’ve come across a lot of terrible ones, several mediocre ones, and a few that really stand out and make me wish that I had written them. These few are what I’d like to use as guides for building my own page, but creating it with my own personal Jessie Spielvogel flair, of course!

Take a look at what these awesome bloggers are doing right!

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Lamiki: Laura Kimball

“Who is Lamiki?”

First of all, with a site name like Lamiki, of course my first thought is “WTF is Lamiki, and how do I pronounce it?” My second thought is, “Hmm, I’ll read the “About” page and find out…”

Sure enough, first things first, there is both a pronunciation and a description of what “Lamiki” means, readily available at the top of her page. She gives a Webster-like phonetic spelling, followed by an in-depth explanation of what Lamiki means (…a combination of her first, middle, and last name – in case you’re curious). Additionally, she has created a definition for the word “Lamiki” and describes how she wants it to resonate with her readers.

Takeaway: think about what your audience will ask as soon as they come to your site for the first time, and answer it right away at the top of your page. What do readers want to know? What do you want them to know? Who are you, and how can reading your blog help your potential audience?

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Girl Walks Into a Barbell: Jessica Camacho

“The Girl”

Jess explains right up front that she has never been a fitness pro until 2010. She tells her true and honest story of how she got to where she is now with a voice that matches the brand she’s created on her witty and hilarious blog! Catering to the females who have never lifted anything heavier than a twirling baton, Jess shows her reader that it’s possible to commit to getting stronger and learning something new – and she conveys this message all in her “About” page.

Takeaway: use a voice that’s honest and yours. People relate to people, and when I read her blog, I felt like she was talking directly to me. It’s personable, encouraging, and to the point!

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Answering Oliver: Devon Mills

“My Story”

Devon mastered the art of relating to her reader! She is 24, has been working at a desk job, realized it wasn’t for her, and so she quit to begin an exciting adventure across the world. Like many recent college grads looking for direction, Devon realized that there was more to the life she was living, and 20-somethings can definitely relate to this realization!

“In January 2010, at the age of 23, I was well on my way to becoming a boxed-wine alcoholic. I ate like crap, never exercised, felt tired all the time and absolutely hated the hour-long bus commute to my 8-to-5 desk job.”

Takeaway: Find your niche, and run with it! Devon chose to go the route of turning her desk job into a worldwide adventure… and there’s plenty of young free spirits out there who want to read a story like hers. Her “About” page tells her story, from decision to execution (not the murdering kind of execution… the carrying-out-the-task kind of execution…).

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Life Without Pants: Matt Cheuvront

“About”

For Matt’s page, I immediately questioned what Life Without Pants was… and I was definitely nervous about opening a link that read “Life Without Pants” for fear that it was NSFW (Not Safe For Work). Luckily, it was safe for work. Matt does a great job about mixing in professional voice with a more personable voice.

“Away from work, I’m a husband, a father (to a dog, children terrify me), a son, a craft-beer lover, a less-than-stellar golfer, a Seinfeld-quoter, a runner, an arm-chair quarterback, a tech nerd, and a music snob (except my not-so-hidden love for Lady Gaga)…”

In the middle of explaining what he does for a living and how he gained his entrepreneurial lifestyle, he throws in a bit of personal (and comical) information about his home life!

Takeaway: don’t be afraid to let your home-self shine through! It’s much more comforting to work with someone who you see as a human, not as a business.

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The Middle Finger Project: Ashley Ambirge

“About”

I am SO thankful I came across this blog a few months ago. With a name like The Middle Finger Project, what’s not to be intrigued by? Ashley’s “About” page is definitely not lacking in the personality or voice department. Throw in a few four-letter words to inspire, motivate, and educate her reader, and that pretty much sums up her strategy! Her “About” page has a no-BS, straight-to-the-point, how-can-she-help-you spin to it, and to simply say “it works” would be an understatement!

Takeaway: Go big, or go home. Ashley doesn’t half ass anything. She commits to her brand, her voice, and her direction…and that’s something everyone should do a little more of!

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Paige Worthy: Paige Worthy

“About”

What I like most about Paige’s “About” page, aside from the humor and witty side comments, is that it is straight to the point. She discusses a little bit about her background, and then immediately makes it known that she is ready for people to hire her!

“I’ve been living the flashy, high-roller lifestyle of the full-time freelance writer and renaissance woman since June 2011 — so I’m currently seeking contract work and a sugar daddy (to be shared with my boyfriend, so you need to be…down with that). Serious about the first part. Kidding about the second part, unless you know someone.”

Immediately after telling her reader that she’s for hire, she goes into the 1,089,973 different ways in which people can contact her.

Takeaway: Get straight to the point, be concise, and be a little funny if ya have it in ya!

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To sum up my findings, to make an awesome “About” page, it takes:

Thinking like your audience and predicting what they’ll ask
Finding honesty and truth in your personal story
Finding and embracing your niche
Being personable and conversational
Going big or going home… (no half-assing here)!
Getting straight to the point and being concise

What do you look for in an awesome “About” page? I would love to know your thoughts as I try to create my own. And if you’ve come across any other bloggers doing it right, please send me a link!

Four ways to make the most out of your daily commute

February 7, 2012
Posted by Jessie Spielvogel

While I was catching up with a friend a few days ago, we began discussing the DC commuter life, and how much of a pain in the butt it can be on occasion. I explained that I had a fairly quick commute on one Metro line, and that it usually took me about 35 minutes to and from work each way. She then asked me one simple conversational question, and it kind of caught me off guard… all she asked was, “so what do you DO on the Metro?”

I thought about it for a second, and I responded with, “Eeehhh, I’ll usually read the newspaper, sometimes I listen to music, and sometimes I’ll just pretend to listen to music so that no one will talk to me.” (Don’t judge me for that…I’m pretty cranky in the mornings, and really I’m just doing the world a favor by ignoring my surroundings until I’ve been properly caffeinated. You’re welcome).

But then I did the math. Being generous, and for the sake of easy calculations, I’ll say that my commute is 30 minutes each way. That’s 60 minutes per day, for five days per week. That equates to five hours per week, or 260 hours per year. TWO HUNDRED SIXTY HOURS PER YEAR of my life doing one of the following:

1. Reading the Express commuter paper (aka skimming headlines, Sudoku and Crosswords)

2. Listening to my song of the week on repeat

3. Pretending to listen to my song of the week on repeat

4. Twiddling my thumbs

Those are generally the four options that I alternate between on my commute to and from work. So what’s wrong with this picture? That’s an easy answer – it’s a giant waste of 260 hours of my year, and I could CERTAINLY be doing something in that time to make my mind/life/career better.

*If you’re a driver, I’m sorry that two of these suggestions won’t pertain to you (unless you’re one heck of a multi-tasker).*

Mostly (but not completely) for the train riders/passengers, try to toss these suggestions into your daily commute:

1. Bring a notebook, and brainstorm. [Mind] My mom always told me that the most money is made before 9 and after 5. Do your thinking ahead of time, and execute your plan during the day! It’s always more beneficial to be one step ahead of the game than to be the unprepared procrastinator. And hey, we’re young! We’ve got reputations to build and dominate!

2. Actually READ the newspaper (not just the headlines). [Mind] While Sudoku and crosswords are excellent warm-ups for you brain, (and I’m sure that there is a study somewhere that scientifically proves that completing these puzzles daily improves brain functionality), being well-versed in what’s going on in the world around you will be far more beneficial to you in both your day-to-day, and in the long run. That being said, skipping to the back and reading the pop culture section will only benefit you if you’re trying to suck up to someone at work who happens to be obsessed with E!, or if you work in a pop culture industry. By all means, read it! Just remember not to skip over the other stuff.

3. Plan your exercise for the week. (It’s not ALL about business, ya know)! [Body] Instead of spending the first few minutes in the gym/outside trying to figure out what you want to do that day to start looking and feeling like Popeye, use the time on the Metro to decide what you will do later to make the most out of your workout time!

4. Think about what you can do to improve someone ELSE’s day. [Soul] Making a habit to commit random acts of kindness will make you feel better inside and out! I like to think that this counts as productivity, since a fulfilled life encompasses the mind, the body AND the soul.

*For the walkers/bikers: Good for you. You’re already burning calories, and that’s enough productivity for one morning and afternoon. We can high five this one out later.*

You may not have wi-fi in your car or on the train, but find a way to make it productive.

How do you make the most out of your commute? Share your tips and ideas!

-Jessie

Emotions, meet Professionalism

January 31, 2012
Posted by Jessie Spielvogel

Are you…crying? Are you CRYING? ARE YOU CRYING?! There’s no crying. There’s no crying at work.

If your game face isn’t on, it should be.

Wearing your emotions on your sleeve can be one of the most detrimental flaws in any professional – all the way from intern to CEO. It’s easy to show your feelings on your face, but it’s never professional, productive, pleasant…or any other p word I can come up with.

Sure, we all have days when we want to scream, punch a wall, punch a person, or just cry from 9-5, but these emotions only cloud your judgment and prevent you from being productive and letting your best work shine. This may seem like common sense, but it can be surprising how many awkward moments can be created from emotional outbursts at work!

When I was 17 years old, I was a junior in high school, I was dancing 15 hours per week, working 25 hours per week, and attempting to manage a social life all at once for the first time. Like any teenager first experiencing all of these stresses of life, I was overwhelmed, exhausted, and highly emotional. One late night at work, I was so desperate to get out of there that I ended up breaking down and bawling my eyes out right then and there in the middle of the store. Why? I don’t know, maybe I had an English assignment to finish? Whatever it was, I’m sure it was valid, right?

Why I did not get fired, I have no idea. But, nonetheless, I learned a valuable lesson that evening.

You are getting paid to do a job, and a business is a business. While it may seem heartless, many (okay… probably most) managers do not care about the stresses in your personal life; they just want you to get your work done, and they want it done right.

Having emotions is obviously a good thing – they mean you’re human! But, whenever you’re feeling sad or angry on the job, hold it in until 5 pm. At 5:01, walk out that door and get as emotional as you want! Til then, keep your chin up, keep smiling, and never let ‘em see ya sweat!

The Gambling Trilogy [Where's part 3]?

January 27, 2012
Posted by Jessie Spielvogel

A few weeks ago, after developing my gambling-with-fake-money addiction, I decided to begin a 3-part series on comparing various gambling games to job searching and professional development techniques. In The Gambling Trilogy [Part 1], I discussed how the game of blackjack relates to your job search. In The Gambling Trilogy [Part 2], I discussed how you can learn to be a “doer” vs. a “watcher” through the game of craps.

Well, the reason you see no [Part 3] is because, frankly, the series was crap. (<< I crack myself up). When I decided that I was not going to finish out the trilogy to complete the whole, I looked at it from two perspectives:

1. Quitting half way through a project can just make you look bad. It comes off as a character flaw, and no one wants to be known as a quitter.

-or-

2. Realizing where your strengths and weaknesses are is important, and correcting what isn’t working sooner than later is just one more key to success (and will ultimately prevent you from wasting time on a project destined to fail).

I chose option number two because it makes more sense to me. Think about it like this: Why would a cable network pull a TV show off the air before the series concluded? Because the TV series in all likelihood sucks, and there is no reason to throw more time and money into a series that no one is watching. Plain and simple – they see their flaw, they listen to their audience, and they do better next time. Hopefully.

Going back to square one isn’t always a bad thing. It’s a chance for a fresh start, a new perspective, and endless opportunities. If you see that something isn’t working, change it.

If you’re not getting any bites on your cover letters and resume, change up your job searching techniques.
If you’re not closing sales at your job with an important company, talk to someone to help change up your strategies.
If you’re working on an artistic project and it’s just not turning out like you’d hoped, start over!

The beauty of starting over is that you already know enough to realize what works and what doesn’t, now all you have to do is switch up the approach to your project. Throw your energy into something worthwhile, and let’s see if something comes of it!

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. – Albert Einstein

Jessie