Being Nice is Good Business

I just finished reading and commenting on this Nice Guy Blog. I also re-tweeted it so that others could read along. But now I must continue the discussion in my head. Cara Stewart with Remarx Media left the following comment for Peter:


"Peter, after reading this post, I don’t know whether to cry, cheer or break something. You’re right on. I’m nice. And female. Which translates into “she must be weak.”... I always take the first call, meet for that cup of coffee and share a piece of advice that could prove useful to someone. I participate in my community. I trust employees, clients, friends and relationships. Until I no longer do because they’ve proven that they’ve crossed that line; they confuse nice with weak and take advantage or worse...."

I didn't even think of it from a female point of view! But this is extremely valid - it's difficult being a female in the work place vs. being a man. Women can be portrayed many different ways in the work place. A few examples:
a) the 100% complete b*tch - as a woman I am not afraid to say this person does exist
b) the woman having a bad day and people still call her the B word - again, sad but true
or
c) the really nice girl who gets walked all over (and quietly hides her fangs)
Most of the men I've worked with show off their 'fangs' weekly and not to benefit the company, just to make sure everyone knows they are the ones with the bigger fangs. *Note: this is not the case in my current working environment - for those of you who know the men in my workplace, you know they are the nicest guys...and my boss is a woman.

A while back a friend of mine commented on my tweets. He said it was like an extremely happy cheerleader was typing them - overly excited, overly happy, borderline annoying cheerleader. I don't consider myself overly happy - I am happy, but I do see the negative in the world. This person is not a very positive person to begin with. He obviously wasn't reading into my tweets or clicking on the links I Re-Tweet. He would see my avatar pop up, put the high pitched cheerleader voice in his head and portray me in that way he felt fit.
This person is actually a personal friend of mine who I haven't seen in 2+ years. We reconnected on twitter, but we haven't physically seen each other in a while. We've both changed during our absence. He's been traveling the world and I've established myself as a career woman. He might remember me as this overly optimistic person (and heck- I'd love to be that girl again too) but as Peter says in his blog: Nice people have fangs too.

Like I mentioned earlier being a woman with fangs can come across in different ways than a man with fangs. Men are the "hunters" who are out there "killing" for profit. While in some cases it's the women who comforts the client and builds a true B2C relationship. I'm going along with Peter and Cara, I'm going to be the nice person I genuinely am. That's the way I want to do business. I will love my job and my clients better if I am acting as my true self and being true and nice is good for business.

All these foreigners

2.24.10
Let me preface this by saying: I understand why some people think Social Media, Twitter, Facebook, etc. are a joke and a waste of time. They are looking at the people who sit in front of a computer all day and tweet things like "I just saw a bird that looks like a dinosaur" or "I'm hungry" or "I hate my job". However there is a HUGE world on the other side of twitter full of people who network the HELL out of these social media tools. They not only tweet, they are in relationships other tweeps supporting their businesses, supporting their blogs, their lifestyles, etc.


Last night I attended a San Antonio tweet up. There is a conference going on next week in Austin and this was a pre-party for San Antonions going to the conference. I know that the internet connects people internationally. I didn't realize that these international relationships existed in a physical sense as well. I'm standing in this room with my fellow San Antonio tweeps and I the more I get to know people the more I learn they are NOT from San Antonio. 2 people from Los Angeles, 1 from Mexico, 1 from Colorado, 1 from Nebraska, 1 from Minnesota...I'm thinking am I the only true San Antonian at this tweet up - oh wait, I'm from Dallas!

I was proud of myself for taking advantage of twitter and making the physical effort of showing up at these events. If I didn't attend, I would be stuck in my St. Mary's University, San Antonio bubble (no offence to StMU, but that bubble is pretty boring to me- esp. compared to these characters I'm meeting).

I'm looking forward to Austin this Saturday for a "San Antonio tweet up" for San Antonians attending SBSW - let's see how many foreigners I meet this time!

Social Media Guru Colleen Pence's Photos from last night

Correction: SBSW San Antonian "tweet up" is March 13th - same day as Luminaria...deciding between the two will be tough!

When it rains it pours

When it rains, it pours....

As I take the time to read blogs written by my collages and comrades I realize while some blogs are direct and instumental to a certain industry (tech reviews, wedding trend forcasts, etc) many have an underlying philosophical message.

I read one from a self-proclaimed Blackberry addict/enforcer.  His underlying message was to ask for what you want.  If you don't ask, you'll never know what you can't have...

Another "professional" blogger discussed social media in 2010.  The saying "It's not personal, it's business" doesn't pertain to the buisness world anymore.  Today business is extremely personal and on many different levels.  People are putting themselves out there on blogs and they are tweeting what they are doing at every moment because they want you to know!  They want you to know them - they want your product to work for them.  These same people read blogs and their "tweeps" tweets because they want to know you too.  Some people even want you to know where they have been throughout the city all day...

My last blog example: a mother of 5, who I shouldn't be able to relate to at this point in my life, is blogging every day about her children, her past and her future.  I just finished reading her 4th of "100 days of blogging" and I'm excited to read about her journey.  Her thoughts could be any woman's thoughts and  I am any woman.

I read a blog today

Actually I read blogs everyday.  When people tweet a link (and a description I may be interested in) I usually click that link and spend at least 3 minutes on that website.  I feel if someone is going to take the time to tweet that it better be important to them and if it is - it may be important to me.  I also Re-Tweet interesting and informative links.  I actually know what I'm RTing....I don't just RT what my friends tweet.  I'm a beliver in Social Networking

I also subscribe to blogs on my google Reader.  Some blogs are beneficial but ALOT leave me wanting more.  Specifically I want the answer to one of my questions. 

I guess I'm starting this blog in hope that my questions will be answered.