Mark Estee, 12-months Revisited

“Persistence is probably the single most common quality of high achievers. They simply refuse to give up. No matter how hard it seems, the longer you persist the more likely your success.” — Jack Canfield

I will NEVER get tired of hearing about people overcoming challenges, and stepping into their own.

My life has been a beautiful roller coaster, specifically in the past 12 months. I wanted to take a minute to revisit one of my posts, which really kicked things off for me in 2012. There’s this guy, named Mark Estee, who took the time out of his extremely busy life to give a graduate student (me) an interview late one evening as his newly opened restaurant was locking it’s doors for the night.

I met Mark Estee during his 4^th month in business with Campo, this month marks the 16^th month that Campo has graced Reno with its presence. And oh, what a year it has been. This place is great. Ok… But, in the words of Mark Estee:

“Restaurants are supposed to have great food. That should be expected. There’s so much more to a great restaurant than just the food.”

This place is so much more than the food. I can go on and on about the accolades, the awards, Campo Mammoth, Top 10 this, Best of that… This guy and his restaurant have achieved the unexpected in the past year. BUT, I am not going there. I am going to stray away from the obvious. There are 2 things that inspire me most about Mark: 1. He is the self-made-comeback-kid 2. He LOVES Reno.

Mark says, “No matter what you do, you are bound to make mistakes. That’s the best part.”

I have listened to Mark give a handful of speeches about his journey, and I pick up on something new each time. Rock bottom means different things to each of us. But, I have a feeling that this guy stared rock bottom straight in its ugly face. He climbed out of it. He made the choice one-day to “put on a new self” and has been choosing to put on that new self-everyday since. No one made Mark a successful entrepreneur, no one told him he should be a chef, no one protected him from all the mistakes he has made personally and professionally, no one told him he should create this beautiful concept known today as Campo. No one. He did it- the good, the bad, the ugly, the brilliant, the beautiful, the delicious. On his own.

Mark has put in the hours. But, as much as he is doing it for Campo, he is doing it for Reno. He wants to help define our community and put Reno on the map- and not for our casinos or Reno 911. Mark is so passionate about the Biggest Little City, buying local, and helping people out. He has transformed the look of a section in downtown Reno and he has set the bar for restaurants in this area to a whole new level.

I’ve been on this mission recently trying to figure out what makes Reno. This town doesn’t get as much positive recognition as it deserves, quite frankly I am tired of it and I know I am not alone in making that statement. We have so many cool people doing really cool things, and our town is embracing the small businesses that are popping up all around Reno. You know what’s even better? Mark isn’t from here, he’s from Boston. He came to Reno from California to follow his dream of opening Campo. He left California, to come here.

Small business owners like Mark Estee, in my opinion paint a beautiful picture of the opportunities that this town has to offer. AND I don’t mind making the claim that when I think of the people that make this town so communal and inspiring-people like Mark come to mind. Cause Reno, in a way, is a comeback kid.

Oh, what a year it has been. Thank you Mark for continuing to share your story, and letting Reno be a part of it.

Oh, Hello Voice! There You Are: The Power of a Blog

When it comes to blogging, I am about four months old.  Prior to these four months, I had never even conceived the idea of publishing MY own thoughts and opinions on the World Wide Web. Who cares what I have to say? I had a Facebook, I had a weak LinkedIn profile (this is still debatable), and that’s it. No Twitter to microblog, and no blog. This all changed in February when I was forced to step outside of my box, jump in headfirst, and start cranking out some content on this nifty site they call WordPress. Now, there are a lot…a lot…of bloggers out there.  I just wanted to post something today that reflected my experience, thus far, as a “blogger.” Being exposed to the world of blogging has been one the most empowering experiences of my life.

The anxiety. What am I going to write about? I like to do yoga, I was bartending at the time, a former college athlete…what can I write about that will offer people valuable information? My first 10 blog posts nearly sent me to crazy town. What if people don’t like what I have to say? What if my grammar is terrible? What if no one reads my stuff? Traumatizing. But, I got through it. In three months, I spit out 25 posts, consisting of 18 interviews I had with small business owners in Reno, and produced a 5-minute slideshow of all the businesses I featured. It was stressful, but I now have a voice that I never knew I had. Here’s the video I put together:

Still being fairly new to the blogging world, I have seen results. Doors have been opened for me. I have been offered jobs, I have landed an internship, I started my own business, I have found a new career, I have been asked to speak about my experience, I have reconnected with friends, I have made so many new friends, I have built an invaluable network underneath me, and I may have even gotten a date or two (hey, this is my blog, this is real life). I have met some of the most AMAZING people, and I have seen a side of this town that has just blown me away. The picture to the right is of myself with the talented chef and owner of Campo, Mark Estee. I wouldn’t have experienced any of this, if it weren’t for my blog, if I didn’t position my voice in front of the world. The power of taking thoughts and ideas, creating them into a post, and publishing YOUR voice on the Internet has an insurmountable amount of potential.

We all have information in our minds that will offer value to someone else. I don’t care what it is that you write about. I have witnessed individuals writing about do-it-yourself, self-esteem, tough motivation, “mommy blogs”, quality control…I can go on for days, there is brilliance everywhere. Point is, all of these bloggers are producing groundbreaking content because they are passionate about their topic and they understand that what they are producing is offering value to people. Challenge yourself. Step out of your comfort zone and put your thoughts out there for everyone to enjoy, or hate! I promise you that there is someone out there that cares about what you have to say, and you never know what it could lead to. Is it a lot of work? You betcha’. Does it take time to see results? Ugh, yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. The power of a blog is insurmountable.

What kind of value can you offer to people? I challenge you.

Top 5 Twitter Faux-Pas for Businesses

Many businesses are on Twitter now, and while this can be an excellent way to provide real time customer service as well as value to your followers- there a couple things businesses need to be cautious of. Is your business making any of these faux pas?

1.  Automated tweets- It is obvious when most of your tweets are automated. Now, I think automated tweets are useful- however, not when every single one of your tweets are just blasts to the world. Remember that part about engagement? Is your Facebook linked to your Twitter? Are every single one of your tweets automated from Facebook?  It doesn’t look very engaging.

2.  Your avatar is lame- Hey egghead! DO NOT tweet if your avatar is an egghead, many people will think you are a spammer. Also, (this is just a personal preference) I feel so much more comfortable interacting with people’s faces rather than a logo or some other sort of an animation. As soon as I see a logo I feel that I will only be hearing about deals and promotions for a business, #fail.

3.  You don’t follow back- This is just Twitter etiquette. If you have 300 or 3,000 followers, and you only follow 17 people- that’s rude! Remember that part about engagement…again?

4.  Not using your Twitter background- This is a valuable piece of real estate, utilize it! Have a graphic artist take your logo to fit your Twitter background. Add your contact info to create a little advertisement for your business. Many businesses are partaking in this and I think it looks great.

5.  Not providing value- Blah blah blah! Make sure what you are tweeting offers value to your followers! Don’t blast nonstop information about your business. Before you tweet, think to yourself: “Does this tweet help or engage my followers?”

Do you have any other faux-pas to add to the list? What are you noticing businesses or people doing on Twitter that annoy you?

10 Facebook Faux-Pas for Businesses

I have been researching a lot of businesses in the area, and their use of social media.  I have met some wonderful business owners and I seen some stellar displays of brands upon Facebook. However, I have also come across many business pages that are…well… perhaps, misinformed. Here is my top-10 list of things businesses are doing wrong on Facebook.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work!”-Thomas Edison

1. Using a personal page as a business page- This is probably the biggest faux pas I have seen. If you are a business or an organization, you need to create a business page- not a personal. It is a Facebook violation, and they have every right to delete your page if you are caught.
2. Shouting!- Put the megaphone down and stop making announcements. Keep your content 20% about you, and 80% about your fans. Thinkinbound…Offer content which allows for your fans to respond and interact.
3. Over-posting- If you are posting more than 2 times a day, this can get a bit “spammy.” If you post too much, people will tune you out. It’s important to stay consistent, but don’t post too often.
4. Selling- There is a time and a place, but not here. Facebook is not for sales. If you try to sell to people, you will have zero fans. Let your page be a space for your customers to interact with your brand and create an online community.
5.  Self promoting on other pages- If you worked for Coke, would you set up a booth inside of Pepsi and sell Sprite? No. Don’t utilize someone else’s space to advertise your business, unless it has been requested.
6. Forgetting a social media policy- This is something that is frequently overlooked. If your business is being represented on Facebook it is important to implement policy and procedures so that your business is not misrepresented.
7. Deleting complaints- Social media for your business can be great, but it can get difficult when it comes to dealing with complaints. It will happen. Rather than deleting these complaints from your timeline, DEAL  WITH THEM!
8. Neglecting to interact with fans- If your fans are asking questions and making comments, respond to them! You will soon lose their attention if you ignore them.
9. Not posting current info- If I scope out a business’s Facebook, and their last post was weeks ago- I will move on. It’s important to keep your page updated.
10. Not having a Facebook page at all- Why wouldn’t you want to hang out where all of your customers are gathering? There’s a big, very big, conversation occurring on Facebook, I highly recommend joining it.

Sales Guru Talks Social Media Marketing: Alice Heiman, LLC.

I was first introduced to Alice back in 2005 as an under-grad student. Alice taught a sales (what else?) seminar and her class was probably the most useful course I have taken to date. Alice Heiman owns and operates Alice Heiman, LLC as a nationally recognized sales consultant. She had success leading corporate teams as well as start-ups. She spends most of her time mentoring small businesses and also provides online sales training. I want to enter this blurb from her website cause I can’t say it any better:

“A consummate networker, she is the author of the eBook Connecting Your Way to New Business and the developer of The BizTalk Blender® a business networking event that connects people to others they can do business with directly, develop as a referral source and collaborate with to get results.  She’s appeared on radio and television, and been featured in print publications including Entrepreneur’s Startups and Selling Power magazines.  Her work has earned her numerous awards including Saleswoman of the Year, Marketer of the Year and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Blue Ribbon Award…”

Ok, I think I made my point- Alice knows a thing or 2 about business. I wanted to get Alice’s perspective on social media marketing, and also learn about her social media strategy for Alice Heiman, LLC. Here are the numbers:

Facebook Business Page:

Likes: 904

Twitter:

Followers: 941

Alice first expressed a concern for most people who are using social media.

“Social media should be used to connect, brand, and if you are a business- generate leads. Too many people are connecting with others on these sites and them tossing them aside. Only connect with people you know, and if you don’t know them, get to know them. Your network is your most valuable asset. Develop relationships with your connections by interacting, don’t blindly connect with people just to get your numbers up- social media is not effective when used this way.”

Great advice. It does need to be known that NOTHING on the Internet is private. I don’t care what your privacy settings are, do not trust it. You shouldn’t post anything that you wouldn’t want your boss, professor, Mom, Dad, Grandma and Santa Clause (naughty or nice?) to see. How many times have you heard people say “Ya’ know, I don’t know her but we are friends on Facebook.”  Remember that you are creating a brand for yourself on these sites, and whom you connect with can help or hurt your credibility. Social media is for connecting, interacting and building a network.

Here’s Alice’s strategy for social media when it comes to business:

“Don’t utilize social media to make a sale to your connections, you will bug everyone- you can’t sell outright. Utilize these social mediums to share your expertise. Develop good content, get people’s attention, converse with others, connect and offer good info.”

Simple example of useless vs. useful info:

“I am eating lunch.” Nobody cares; I get so many posts like this on my newsfeed.

“I am eating a Sharkbite at Beach Hut Deli on Mae Anne and Robb Dr (insert picture of messy Sharkbite).” Perfect, that’s cool- I will remember to go there when I am craving a sandwich.

Create value in your messages on Facebook and Twitter!

Alice has seen success in her business because of her utilization of Facebook and Twitter but would like to utilize these platforms even more. Just the other day she received a lead on Facebook, on another occasion she was connected to do business with St. Mary’s, and she has landed 3 speaking engagements- all through Facebook. Alice offers great content on her pages and is continually engaging with everyone.

“Don’t negate the power of these tools. Pick 1 platform and master it. There are so many social media mediums to choose from and it can be a time-sink. The audience you want to target is on Facebook, and from there you never know who they know and so on…that’s the beauty of social media.”

Alice can see social media as a way for her to directly connect with her customers and potentially cut down the amount of time she spends on the road. She has ideas up her sleeve, which will leverage social media to add a completely new dynamic to the way she consults. What is Alice’s home base for social media? Facebook.

Visit Alice’s business Facebook page and “Like” what she is doing!