INFOGRAPHIC: Social Media Breakfast Houston - 10th Anniversary Edition

Social Media Breakfast is a national group with a focus on discussing all things Social. The Houston chapter celebrates a 10th anniversary this month. When I moved back to Houston from New York, I attended the monthly gatherings to get a pulse on digital marketing in HTown and meet future colleagues. Houston Social shines without a(n Insta) filter.

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Top 3 Pointers For Giving an Impressionable TEDx Speech

This month, I’m a featured speaker at TEDxRice. I am nervous because Rice University is my alma mater. My formative years on-campus shaped the trajectory of my career as a Digital Strategy Consultant. My talk goes beyond the realm of professional; it’s deeply personal. The 15-minute presentation focuses on a topic I’ve dedicated 6-months of full-time work: a mobile app to support citizen journalism. The talk will unveil my “baby” so to speak. It will reveal my ideas on the future of digital journalism at the risk of facing harsh criticism, vulnerability, and/or applause. 

When I drafted my speech, I scoured the internet for helpful TEDx tips and resources. I ran into a bunch of dead ends with 404 errors and outdated information. TED speeches are difficult to write. A fan will tell you that TED talks are not traditional lectures by subject matter experts. In fact, the tone is conversational. An attempt to develop a relationship with a crowd that suggests, “We are all working together on this idea.” 

Here are my top 3 suggestions for a successful speech: 

INTRODUCTION: Draw in your audience members with something they care about (read: not something only you care about). Start with a clear statement of what the idea is. If the idea is something fun, but not something the audience would ever think about, open with a surprising and cool of relevance. 

MEAT & POTATOES: Make a list of all the evidence you want to use. Consider what your audience already knows about and the things you’ll need to convince them of.

CONCLUSION: Find a landing point in your conclusion that will leave your audience feeling positive towards your idea. 

In addition to these bullet points, I will re-emphasize the need to draft and re-draft your writing. Also, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. As a speaker, you can blow through 15-minutes when you are on top of your game. Alternatively, 15-minutes can seem like an eternity when you are flailing. For a terrific TED talk to look to for inspiration, take a look at one of my favorite talks. 

What I Learned Auditioning for ABC's Shark Tank

Last week, I attended the Black Enterprise Summit and learned of the Houston auditions for ABC's Shark Tank. I promptly signed up to pitch my mobile app, NewsAGENT, with a prepared business plan. I spent the next day in a ballroom surrounded by eager business professionals from all over Texas and ABC Network producers. As a result of the process, I became a more refined tech professional. I am ready to pitch on the spot. Unafraid. In a nutshell, here’s what I learned:

Houston is (Indeed) a Burgeoning Tech City

At the beginning of May, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner declared a plan for an innovation district. Me, and my fellow tech colleagues, across the City rejoiced for our small community. I bumped into a fair amount of auditioners pitching tech projects in a room of diverse business owners. It’s encouraging to see more of us out there pounding the Clutch City pavement with aspirations to swim with the Sharks.

Marathon vs. Sprint  

I was the second to last person to pitch for the day after the friendly, bleary-eyed ABC Network producers interviewed hundreds of people. I’d waited for hours for my name to be called, and, it’s the way of the game. To pass time, I networked with peers and met potential future collaborators like j.griffith public relations and Keon Armstrong. Houston is the fourth largest City in the nation. But, professional circles run small. We took notes from each other, exchanged business cards, and scheduled coffee meetings.

Five cups of coffee later, I learned to be as enthusiastic during the 100th time of giving the same pitch when I finally met the producer. Just as energetic as the first time!

Pitch, pitch, pitch - Until Your Face Turns Blue

Shark Tank auditions attract business owners across various industries. In this setting, I felt like a fish out of water. (Ha!) I am accustomed to brainstorming ideas with fellow tech people, especially as a mentor and lecturer at Station Houston. However, practice pitching in front of non-tech business owners is a gift. My pitch became stronger from when I walked into the waiting room until the final pitch in front of producers. Fashionistas, bakery owners, and automotive experts poked holes in my argument and asked for the definitions of common tech acronyms. By coaching each other, our respective pitches were refined and clarified for anyone to understand.

By practicing for hours, before the final pitch, the original nerves went away. My voice stopped shaking and leg stopped twitching. Practice until you’ve got in down like the alphabet--in two minutes or less. Please.

Thank you to the tv producers for the opportunity. I'm ready to pitch NewsAGENT to all--SharkTank or not.

Stop Saying “I’m Sorry” in the Workplace*

I’ve been in marketing for approximately seven years now. When it comes time for the periodic performance evaluations, I hear one common criticism from my supervisors: “Alley, you say ‘I’m sorry’ too much.”

There are standard reasons for apologizing at work: missing a deadline, miscommunication of deliverables to a co-worker, or accidentally double-booking meetings. And, it’s understandable. From childhood, men and women are taught to say “I’m sorry” to express remorse for their actions. But, the gesture happens so often that, in the workplace, it falls flat. There’s a fine line between politeness and seeming insecure. And, the habit of over-apologizing may hurt your career.

It’s time to be judicious when weighing whether to dole out an apology. Was the situation out of your control? Don’t apologize. Did someone else make a mistake and you’re “kindly” taking ownership? Don’t apologize. Next time, here’s are three tips for consideration (taken from someone who’s a reformed culprit):

• Lack of Confidence — The apology may come from a place of self-doubt where saying “I’m sorry” undermines your original intention. Example: “I’m for editing a full-length video and creating two sound bites. It’s way too much. You’re right.”

• Explain the rationale— Leverage these uncomfortable moments as an opportunity to explain your reasoning — -not to make up excuses. Example: “I created the extra sound bites for easier consumption on a social media campaign. It encourages users to view the full-length video on the website.” By explaining the rationale, your colleagues are more likely to understand that you were acting in good faith — and it’s better than nothing at all.

• Keep your values in check — Do not apologize out of guilt — because you want to appease co-workers. It takes confidence to be a leader and excel in your career. If you stand by the decision made, embrace it as an opportunity to start a conversation with colleagues and move forward. It’s better than being meek and apprehensive.

It will be awkward before it gets better. Re-configuring a hardwired habit is difficult. I’m still stumbling through it knowing that, if I do not change it, it may influence how colleagues perceive my judgment. I’m willing to be pleasant — but not at the expense of my career.

*Not really. Just say it way less often.

Suit Up: How Clothes Influence Our Career Performance

“You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.”

— Edith Head, Academy Award Winning Costume Designer

Time is a finite commodity. Unfortunately, our schedules do not always allow us to give back to our communities with a sustained volunteer commitment. I support my favorite non-profit, Dress for Success, with in-kind and monetary donations twice a year. Dress for Success empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and development tools to help women thrive in work and life. At the beginning of my career, I relied on “hand me downs” to get by. My experience validates workplace psychology academic findings: the right clothes can boost confidence and catalyze career performance.

It’s a matter of psychology. I wake up every morning at 5 am, and, I grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen. Then, I reach for a tailored dress and high heels off the rack in the closet. A dress puts me into beast mode; the heels help me stand taller with proper posture. Ten years ago, at the start of my career, the only suit I owned was a hand-me-down from my aunt which I gratefully accepted. The Calvin Klein suit was too big and a faded black. I used two safety pins to hold up the over-sized pants. I made it work. I wore that suit into the ground and replaced it when I made bank. Professional appearance is influential to others — and yourself. Accordingly, I put my best high-heeled shoe forward.

I am donating a big chunk of my closet to Dress for Success. The clothes will set-up the next boss marketer — without the need for large safety pins to hold up pants.