Housekeeping Notes from the Marketing Misfit

I’ve compiled a handful of “housekeeping” items to share with you as I start out my 2009 …

Upcoming speaking engagements

January 31, 2009 :: Hebron, Kentucky

I want to take a quick moment to publicly thank Justin Siebert, President and founder of Direct Online Marketing in Wheeling, West Virginia for punting over a public speaking opportunity to me for January 31, 2009 for the National Academy of Television Arts & Science’s (NATAS) 44th Annual Ohio Valley Regional Emmy® Awards. I’ll post more information about this exciting presentation shortly but the point here is that Justin originally chosen to speak. Due to other commitments, he was unable to and was most considerate in thinking of me and passing along the opportunity, for which I am very much appreciative. Thank you, Justin. More about this upcoming event in the next few days …

March 24-26, 2009 :: Boston, Massachusetts

Thanks to Meghan Jacobi of World Research Group who found me on LinkedIn and recruited me to lead a 3-hour, highly interactive workshop for The Business of Community Networking: The Best Practice Conference on How to Create Social Networks & Measure ROI of Online Marketing conference being held from March 24-26, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. More details here…

And if you are are in the DC/MD/VA area, you just can’t miss *this* event

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

How often do we have direct access to social media superstars like Rohit Bhargava and Frank Warren? Not often, I tell you. At least, not like this … Thanks to Network Solutions’ Social Media Swami, Shashi Bellamkonda, for leading this event and to Robin Ferrier, Communications Manager for Johns Hopkins University Montgomery Campus for being the sponsor. We already have 40+ registered attendees, who btw are paying zip, zero, nada to attend cuz the event is free. I will be there, taking notes, helping to administer and definitely will be live bloging, tweeting and taking tons of pics to share with those who can’t attend on Flickr. If you are there and would like to catch up, that would be fun … I’d love to meet you and learn more about you. See you there?

• View the press release here for complete details
• To register for this event, please click here

Jefferson County adult education courses start this month

teaching four classes; three new

I am very excited to start teaching my adult education classes again for Jefferson County, West Virginia. I am also going to be making an effort to expand my adult education courses to Frederick, Loudoun and possibly Fairfax counties. If you have any connections with these adult education programs, please help me get connected. Thank you.

web site changes and updates

gradual content changes to come

As part of my 2009 objectives, I’d like to get a bit leaner and more organized. This won’t be an easy thing for me because I tend to be a pack rat and find it very hard to part with stuff, including data, files, ideas and the like. But as part my 2009 goals, I am going to “let go” of things that I just can’t keep up with due to time constraints. I want to focus on activities, events and efforts that are (a) a better use of my time and/or (b) that will produce a better hard and soft ROI for myself. Therefore, as you visit me here on my blog and site, you’ll note that some content areas are new, others will be integrated into other areas or entirely gone. Should you ever have a question about any blog post or web site item that you thought was once out here but no longer can find it, drop me a note and let me know if I can point you in the right direction.

no more e-newsletter back issues

As shared above, my e-newsletter section is one area where I am currently working to upgrade and simplify in an effort to keep things more maintainable and manageable. This was definitely one of the primary reasons I gave my e-newsletter a complete image and content overhaul for 2009 (read more about this makeover here). Given that 90% of what is in each e-newsletter is available info on my site, there is no need for me to archive back issues. And that special 10% that would be included in the e-newsletter that is not otherwise available on the site … I’ll be sure to add that special 10% to the blog after each edition goes out. So please expect some rearranging of this section as well as other blog areas as well.

no more industry events

This was a hard decision for me but a necessary one. I just can’t keep this industry calendar updated successfully. Plus there are too many other places to get the information and I really would much rather spend my time promoting my own events, workshops and seminars and/or other events where I am helping to promote or administer. Sorry if that sounds ego-driven; I sincerely don’t mean it to. But time is so very precious and I just can’t dedicate the available time I have to maintaining an industry calendar that changes much too frequently for me to upkeep.

other things will come and go

Over time, other site and blog areas or features will change, as they should, to keep things lean, fresh and extremely relevant. 2008 was very experimental for me in many ways with this blog. I wasn’t sure what areas would be more of interest than others. I also wasn’t sure if which direction it would all go, if it would take off, if a community would arise from the ground up and if, quite frankly, I’d continue blogging, period. But from much of the comments shared on this blog, from the many supportive emails and messages on LinkedIn, etc. (some of which you can now see here), I believe I will and should continue with what I’ve started.

thank you for your support and encouragement in 2008; let’s grow together in 2009

I treat my blog as an open door, allowing you into many aspects of my life in and outside of marketing. I really want to open the door a bit further this year and let you in just a bit more by sharing more, exchanging more and giving more. I hope that you will enjoy continuing to read my postings and writings throughout 2009 and I very much look forward to learning from each of you as well. Often, I visit, learn and comment on blogs from folks that visit me so that a genuine, two-way street is established, nurtured and can grow with the passage of time as well as our own efforts.

Thank you and wishing you the BEST for 2009!!!

Mayra Ruiz-McPherson
Marketing Strategist
Editor, Marketing Misfit Newsletter