I read your blog post, and I have more than a few things to say about your review of Ignite Lansing.

I am one of the core volunteers for this Ignite and the two prior events.  I am wide open to feedback, and would welcome it in a constructive manner.  But you are doing a disservice to your employer, our community and to the individuals that are trying to keep Lansing competitive on a global scale.  Someone in your position, supposedly posting a review has a professional duty to do their due diligence.  I guess I just don’t understand why you used your position of influence to post this.  Please explain.

As a PR professional, I would have enjoyed the opportunity to work with you on your review of Ignite.  I personally gave Lansing City Pulse writer, Gretchen Cochran a site preview Thursday afternoon and granted early entry to Life in Lansing reporters Anne and Mark.  I have given countless interviews to others that were interested in hearing from us.  I have worked with journalists for many years at both the local level and at some of the most prestigious nationwide publications around the world.  What I know how to do, is tell you the what and why of an event.  Especially one like Ignite Lansing.

Ignite Lansing is not just an event that Lansing wants (proof: we’ve more than doubled our attendance in less than a year); but an event the world is supporting.  Ignite was started by O’Rielly Media, a global publisher and event producer.  Ignite Lansing was just one of more than 65 Ignites happening all over the globe last week.   An event that cost nearly $20,000 to produce solely through the support of local businesses and organizations who see the value.  One sponsor, Capital Macintosh told me he’d support Ignite every time, in a conversation where I was soliciting feedback from him.

Am I personally, offended?  Absolutely.  I have dedicated much of my personal time to trying to improve the Lansing State Journal.  I have had several meetings and conversations with former LSJ reporter Robyn Miner-Schwartz, Elaine Kulhanek and was invited to speak to your editorial board about this “hip-looking young folks holding bottles of beer” in December.   A meeting that I was not only happy to do, but one that I did not blog about publicly.

About the presentations.  I find it highly offensive that you call a presenter who is clearly not a native speaker unintelligible.  I realize the stereotypical mid-westerner doesn’t typically hear from folks from different parts of the world, but that is bigotry.   There will be some presentations that were better than others, which is why we enable the public to pick the presentations they will hear, but also to vote for a winner.

Not only have you inspired nearly 600 proud Lansing advocates against you, I imagine you will be hearing from the Kiwanis club as well.   I saw several Rotary Club members, and leaders at the event who not only enjoyed themselves, but had the decency to stay awhile.

If you would like to meet or talk publicly about your misunderstanding about the changes happening in this community, I’d be happy to. There is a new direction, a new focus and if you’re not on board, get out of the way so we can get something done.   I have seen many of your colleagues, competitors and co-workers present at these events.  But never you.  So, I guess I’m not surprised that you don’t get it.

Kind regards,

Jennifer Middlin

jmiddlin@gmail.com

1. Listen.
2. Listen some more.
3. Reply in context.
4. Be respectful.
5. Have resources at the ready.
6. You’re always on the record.
7. Be human.
8. Have a sense of humor.
9. Don’t take it personally.

90% of Social Media is just showing up. Its the other half that’s hard.

You can’t outsource a conversation.

A nice chat!

However… One of the reasons I have avoided some of the classic chamber-y networking mixers is because of the trolls.  The men.  Yes, THOSE men.  They show up to professional mixers with the sole purpose of trying to pick up women.

During a conversation with my good friend Bugsy and one of the waitresses/interns for M3.  These men (trolls) interrupted our conversation so one of them could get her phone number.  The pick up line went something like “oh, you’re a copy editor.  I don’t really know what that is?”

I pulled out the nastiest, angriest Middlin I could find and replied with:

“Oh, she could help edit the a**hole out of your Facebook profile.” 

Not my best moment, but it demonstrated everything I HATE about the classic “mixer” mentality.

I gave the group half a chance to redeem themselves and they failed.  Miserably.  Instead of owning up to either a) being unemployed or b) owning up to who they actually worked for; when I asked what they did for a living (after all, we are at a professional networking event) they said, and I quote:

“I do, um, stuff.”

Trolls.  To follow up my incredibly poor attitude, I verbally dismissed them all.

I do not attend these events to watch poor women harassed by drunk men.  I have had my fair share of completely inappropriate trolls.  It is despicable.

Find a way to have a meaningful conversation or relationship with other attendees.  Facebook, Twitter and other social media make it possible. 

A call to action to Lansing.  Let’s evolve trolls.  Networking 2.0, anyone?

I don’t apologize for my behavior.  Trolls deserve to be humiliated for terrible judgment.  I hope the next GRC event I attend is better.  It was great to bump into new friends, and old.

Tuesday: Potential client meeting with an incredible company about community engagement and a first phone interview for a full-time job that I’d kill to have.  Also, an IT Council marketing meeting.  We had really good feedback about the Entrepreneur Panel presentation last week that I put together.  More cool concepts to come!  I’m excited to finally fulfill some of my marketing chair duties and bring more cool IT topics to the community.

Wednesday: A very cool non-profit I’ve been working really hard on is announcing their existence.  I’m on the board and have helped quite a bit – but it is not my project.  I’m really excited about it.  It is one of those projects that could transform our region.  I’ll blog about that later.

I’m meeting with the Chautauqua group from MSU’s RCAH to talk about Ignite Lansing and TEDxLansing.  I’ve volunteered for all three Ignite’s and am leading the charge on TEDxLansing with some of the coolest people in town. 

Thursday: Meeting with the Greater Lansing Business Monthly and some others to discuss student entrepreneurs and mentorship programs.  Should be a productive brainstorming session.  Then, the best part of my day – Lunch with Jo!

Saturday: I’m going to a PRSSA event at MSU to hear Scott Monty speak and sticking around to help judge a project the students are working on.

Today’s lesson: Working for free is fun and extremely rewarding.

So, I decided to do some freelance marketing work with a partner.   As many of my close friends know, that didn’t pan out.  This was my “last week” with him. Neither one of us had the clarity or communication to each other to really make it work.  Furthermore, if I am going to do freelance marketing work – I would focus in on the areas I am extremely good at and outsource or make recommendations on other elements. 

So here I sit.  I could call myself “unemployed” or a “professional volunteer” both seem appropriate.  Both are temporary.

I have a lot of opportunities in the pipeline:

1. I have a meeting next week that may lead to a consulting gig in a field I am extremely talented in and would suit me well.
2. I have an telephone interview for a full-time position that ties together much of the volunteer work I do to a larger organization. 
3. I am a candidate for a part-time position that involves a lot of the community work I’ve started.  Just waiting for a follow-up phone call.

So here are my paths:

• Start working full-time again.  There are some downsides and upsides.  While I have enjoyed my time at home with the kids, I think that we’re driving each other crazy.
• Work part-time and substitute some freelance work in to make ends meet and to keep my on my toes.  I wouldn’t actively market the freelance work – just take projects that are worth the time and money.
• Focus 100% of my time on freelancing.  The inconsistent money situation is scary and I’m not entirely sure it is what I want to be doing.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

I wish I had a clear sign that would point me in one direction.  It’ll come to me.

Are you serious? In 2008, iTunes reached the 5 billion mark for songs sold and remains the top music retailer in the United States.  That same year, the IFPI claimed that songs were "illegally downloaded by a ration of 20:1" (though debatable).  Consumers are not purchasing albums anymore.

Then, I realized that he is a rather big offender of the “Bonus Track”:

When thinking about the product, CDs do not come with a set minimum or maximum number of tracks.  They are time limited, but not track limited.  Unlike the shampoo that is sold in a 28 oz. bottle 95% of the time, but makes a 35 oz bottle for the same price.  That is a bonus.  Getting something extra for nothing.

There is no “Bonus Track” in the creative field.  You can’t sell what should be part of the product.  You can create surprises to further enhance the CD purchase.  But pretending that 40% of your content is a bonus is bullshit marketing hype.

I must disclaim: I actually adore Brett Dennen.  No hard feelings.

1. See in Eric Clapton in concert.
2. Visit Yellowstone National Park.
3. Run a 5k.
4. Get a crazy hair color. Pink or purple are at the top of my list.
5. Own a home in northern Michigan with a dock on the water for sipping my coffee.
6. Earn my master’s degree.
7. Ski in Colorado.
8. Spend a summer in Lake Tahoe, California.
9. Work for a non-profit agency.
10. Be a trained pastry chef.
11. After retirement, own a bakery.
12. Play the piano, again.
13. Climb to the top of the Statute of Liberty.
14. Spend one day in each of D.C.’s museums.
15. Design, build, implement, and
    enjoy a four-seasons room in my home.
16. Improve my crossword abilities so that I can do one daily.

… more to come, and some to check off.

• - Desktop writer, not in a Firefox or IE client, which crashes constantly.
• - Much better UI for interacting with writer features.  I found when doing a lot of edits in previous posts, I was hunting and pecking a lot.  This is good stuff.
• - What seems to be flawless integration with WordPress.

After using it for all of 5 minutes, I’m in.  Thanks Betsy!  Everything cool originates with Betsy (except for the bean shooter at El Azteco – that is NOT cool).

I’m actually glad I waited this long to start blogging on my own.  These tools have gotten much easier to use.  There are various players at each level.  As much as I love Google for creating a free tool that democratizes nearly every aspect of tech living, I needed more than Blogger could give me.  Such is life, eh?

It is kind of hard to say that I miss him because I honestly can’t say I knew him that well, but I do have some memories that are wonderful. Some might consider it abnormal, creepy or otherwise strange, but I was very lucky to be by his side when he passed away at our home. I don’t think I could ever thank my parents enough for allowing us to be part of that moment. My mom, this lady, has been a nurse her entire life and I think that she probably knew that it would be healthy for us. It was.

This time of year is always difficult for me personally, but it was especially hard this year. As many of my friends know, I was experiencing chronic headaches for more than three months. I tweeted about regularly. After several different tests, prescriptions, etc. I had an MRI done that revealed a mass in my maxillary sinus. I’d be willing to bet most people don’t a) realize that they have more than one sinus cavity and b) know the name and location of their maxillary sinus. But I do. So does my brother Tom.

It is where dad’s cancer started.

I tried not to panic. But circumvented the usual ‘let’s see what this medicine does’ and completely ignored the advice of two doctor’s who assured me that “it was probably nothing”, and the fact that it was rather large “was nothing to worry about”. I called my father’s ear nose and throat doctor who treated him in the 1980′s and who performed surgery on my son as well, Dr. Kurt Richardson. I had that bastard removed in December and the headaches disappeared.

My father’s cancer was likely the result of exposure to agent orange in the Vietnam War. A war he was drafted to fight in. A war that we couldn’t win. A war that was wildly unpopular and a war the killed my father, over a decade after he came home.

We fought like hell to prove the connection between the toxic chemicals that were used to eliminate brush, but to no avail (US Court of Appeals, Oct. 1995). We grew up receiving some social security benefits, but no VA benefits and there is nothing to be done about it now.

I’m happy that technology has given me tools to piece together who my dad was. I can read quotes he gave to the paper, but I do look for more. Sometimes I read books and look at war photos or videos to see if I can see him. I never do.

I am proud that he fought for his own life, the lives of his Army brothers and honestly, for the future of his children. I must get some of that from him, even if I didn’t know him that well.

I miss him most on this day.