The Surprising Lesson I Learned from Foursquare

I have read blogs and reports on how Foursquare can be utilized in social media marketing, more particularly in location based marketing. Unlike restaurants, retail stores, movie theaters and hair and nail salons, where I can easily see the marketing potential on how it can be integrated into local marketing campaigns, a scenic rental company is a bit harder to figure out…Trust me, I amworking on it though. Nonetheless, being a social media geek, I am hooked on this “adult” game of checking in and unlocking badges. I am currently “The Mayor” of Grosh Backdrops and Drapery and Immaculate Heart High School…which leads me to my hard lesson learned.

When you view my check in history from a Friday to Wednesday you will see:

@Grosh Backdrops and Drapery (2 hours ago) Work 7am-3:30pm
@Immaculate Heart High School (19 hours ago) Coaching HS Track 4pm-5:15pm
@Grosh Backdrops and Drapery (1 day ago) Work 7am-3:30pm
@Immaculate Heart High School (1 day ago) Coaching HS Track 4pm-5:15pm
@Glendale Sports Complex (1 day ago) Soccer 5:30pm-10:30pm
@Grosh Backdrops and Drapery (2 days ago) Work 7am-3:30pm
@ Immaculate Heart High School (2 days ago) Coaching HS Track 4pm-5:15pm
@Rite Aid (2 days ago) Stocking up on wine
**Sunday soccer 8:30-10:30am***
**Saturday soccer 10:30am-12:30pm***
@Blockbuster Video (3 days ago) Stay home movie w/wine
@Grosh Backdrops and Drapery (5 days ago) Work 7am-3:30pm
@ Immaculate Heart High School (5 days ago) Coaching HS Track 4pm-5:15pm

I am a workaholic. I eat, sleep, breath work and when I am not working I am too tired to go anywhere. I get my workouts in at track practice and soccer. The only reason I play on so many soccer teams is to squeeze workouts in during the week to stay in shape. I figured if I pay the dues, I HAVE to go. Reviewing my short check in history on Foursquare was a wake up call to me. When I first joined the social media site I was excited about all the fun and interesting places I could check in to…

Foursquare to me is what a food diary is to someone dieting, trying to learn to eat healthier.

So how does one get out of a rut and break out of a 9-5pmer “Office Space” syndrome? Well it starts with, oddly enough, work. I am an obsessive compulsive, perfectionist, and control freak so you can imagine what a fun manager that makes me…Anyways, moving on…

Here are my 5 tips:

1.) Learn to let go and to trust! My motto for the longest time has been if I want it done right I have to do it myself. That is of course not true. If one does not trust, one can not fully develop into their true potential.

2.) Enlist help and delegate smaller tasks to others. Giving people additional responsibilities can be empowering and with proper training in place the transition can be seamless.

3.) Regressing can be a good thing. Think back to when you were a child and life was good and every discovery was an adventure. Learn to appreciate the little joys of life again like walking down to the coffee shop, reading the newspaper, Kindle or Ipad, stopping to pet a dog on the way to the local farmers market for some breakfast and organic veggies while you have your best friend from college on the phone.

4.) Vacation getaway, it’s all you ever wanted right?!? Get the most out of your vacation days! I recommend getting out every three months. By scheduling your vacation days around paid company holidays you can better utilize your allotted days off. You will be surprised how far you can stretch your vacation how much you can benefit from a long relaxing weekend getaway…and I don’t mean Vegas…we all know it takes at least 2 weeks to recover from that!

5.) Just say NO! This phrase can be used in many ways. Sometimes being selfish is a good thing. By prioritizing yourself to be #1 in your life you become more productive.

So there you have it, being the workaholic that I am…as I finish writing this at 9:30pm on hump day…my 5 tips to break out of your 9-5pm rut. I didn’t realize the vicious cycle I had wrapped myself up into until I saw it spelled out for me in my Foursquare check in diary. Here is to all of the 2010 resolutions made and then forgotten. Let’s vow to Trust, to Live and to appreciate the little things in life. Let us vow to ask for help and to not over extend ourselves. Here is to saying NO and at the same time being more productive! Cheers! I for one am excited about all of my future Foursquare check in adventures.

Got any great advice? I’d love to hear from you. What are some ways you break out of a rut?

Special Events Tradeshow Meets Twitter in Real Time

This past week I was in New Orleans for the Special Events Trade Show. It included 4 days of seminars and 3 days of exhibitors on the show floor – and yes Grosh was one of them. A highlight for me was that at #tse2010 a tweetup was arranged at the Hilton Bar. For once it was very comforting to meet a group of people for the FIRST time and feel like I was at my high school reunion. Name tags were handed out and attendees were instructed to write their Twitter name like @LindsayFultz from @Groshbackdrops.

This was my first trade show since entering the world of social media. I knew a handful of people that I follow on Twitter would be attending and I was anxious to get the opportunity to meet some of them face to face. For those of you who have never met someone in your online network in person before, the initial meet and greet goes something like this…

Person #1 walks up to person #2 and just stares at them right in the face…seconds pass which seem like minutes until both people blurt out the others Twitter name. Person #1 says “I thought that was you from your twit pic.” Person #2 says “You are smaller in person than I imagined.” Smiles, handshakes and hugs are exchanged and without skipping a beat the dialogue picks right up to where the Twitter/real-time/virtual engaging left off.

The great thing about Twitter is that there are no friend requests or annoying application notices to accept or deny. You follow who you want to follow and share what you find helpful building a solid, mutually beneficial online community. Social media may never fully replace face-to-face meet and greets but it certainly enhances the quality of the meet up. I find that social networking streamlines the “awkwardness” of meeting someone in person. We’ve all seen it before or experienced it first hand, the need for “liquid courage” or team huddle for encouragement before approaching a certain someone or situation. It was a special #eventprofs chat session held live and made my first trade show experience very memorable.

In March I will be attending the Event Solutions/Catersource Trade Show and I can’t wait to meet everyone again, @PinkDeb from Pink Inc Design, @KingDahl from MGM Mirage Events, @Lara McCulloch from Ready2Spark and some for the very first time. I hear that @JeffHurt and Lara will be featured speakers! Social media breaks the ice and enhances the quality of face-to-face meetings. Twitter real time updates speed up the “courting” process by familiarizing trade show attendees with exhibitors creating more qualified leads with less foot traffic.

Revealing Your True ‘Oz’: The Power of Transparency

Cira Center: Picture courtesy of Creative Commons

A couple weeks ago, I was listening (yes, listening) to Trust Agents by Chris Brogan & Julien Smith and found it odd when the name Liz Strauss was mentioned. Why? I clearly did not understand her scope of work. After all, I’ve been a Twitter follower of hers for a couple months. I’ve had dialogue with her. She’s commented on my tweets, thanked me for retweets and even added me to a couple of her Twitter lists; A pretty normal procedure for Twitter users. But after noting more than 36,000 followers, I quickly realized Liz is anything but normal.

One of the most extraordinary features of Liz is her low profile. By no means is this an indictment on her social regard, in fact, quite the opposite. It’s a reflection of supplemental efforts required to maintain dialogue with her mass of followers.

A few weeks back, I mentioned the phrase, “Revealing your True Oz”, when referring to the importance of business’ having a Social Media profile to exact truth, personality and trust with their audience. Not only can this be an important concept for those businesses looking to remove the natural disconnect between business and consumer, but it can be essential for us individuals to apply as our networks continue to grow.

There are some simple principles to apply. These have been proven by trailblazers like Liz, but will require the same level of attention and dedication any successful venture needs:

Be a Listener – Be genuine with your audience’s message. Take an interest in what you hear. Don’t be surprised when you’re given something of worth.

Pay it forward – Recognize the value of your audience. When they comment on or distribute your messages, you’ve got a set of Brand Ambassadors on your hands. Give them the accolades they deserve…they’ll be an ambassador for life.

Be Self-Effacing – Bridging any inherent divide is dependent on an evolution of communication that is natural to your audience. Be cognizant of their perceptions of you and more importantly, be aware of your own perceptions of you.

Maintaining a balance of varying levels of dialogue within Social Media networks is always a critical component for success. What elements have you witnessed and applied to your own strategies?

Guest blog by Eric Lukazewski

Eric is a creative director at Echelon Design & Tradeshow Insight. Eric provides marketing strategies through various social environments to the tradeshow and events industry. Coupling his passions for technology, design and social media, Eric positions his insights along side and in front of current trends for an optimal trade perspective.

2009: The Year in Review

S2621-Fireworks Backdrop

The Year in Review

With 2009 coming to an end, I can’t help but think how bittersweet this year has been. Professionally, thanks to social media, I have made great strides in my career. Personally, I lost an uncle and one of my best friends.

Together, we entered the year in a recession which was said to be the worst this country has seen since the great depression. Jobs were lost, companies went bankrupt, houses were foreclosed on, and loved ones were lost but not forgotten.

Consumers and companies both found themselves needing to cut expenses without trying to reduce their quality of life, products and services. For consumers this meant coupon clipping, price comparing or simply going without. For companies this meant layoffs and/or getting creative by greatly trimming their budget. At Grosh we chose the latter. We understand our employees have financial responsibilities and families that depend on them. After all, we are also a small, family owned and operated business. In April we launched our social media marketing campaign and started connecting with people on a much more personal level via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, EventPeeps and our blog.

Thank you to all our friends for welcoming Grosh Backdrops and myself into your community and for sharing your stories, pictures, videos and memories. I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to celebrate birthdays, holidays, graduations, weddings, births, recitals, productions and performances with all of you. We have endured a lot together this year and I look forward to ringing in the New Year with you all.

Cheers! Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2010!

ES2544-Celebration Backdrop

How to Build NEW Brand Ambassadors

Grosh Backdrops and Drapery Brand

A NEW brand ambassador is a passionate consumer that actively and willingly promotes your brand, product or service through social media outlets creating a “viral word of mouth” marketing campaign FREE of charge. These people provide credible feedback and first hand knowledge of whatever it is you offer and increase your company reach and visibility. Sounds great right?

Where to start: “If you build it, they will come.”

To build NEW brand ambassadors you must first become one yourself! Practice what you preach. What brands are you loyal to? Why are you loyal to them? Tweet away! Champion a cause and let your voice be heard!

Be accessible:

One of the great things about social media is that “key” people are more accessible these days. It used to be that if you had a question, comment, concern or complaint your only option was to call a 1-800 number and listen to an automated teller ramble on while you press zero over AND over AND over again trying to get to the operator and talk to a live person. These days with just one tweet or post, key decision makers are at your fingertips. So listen up, social media company contacts whether it be CEO’s, VP’s, customer service and account reps, sales and marketing managers, it is good business practice to make yourselves accessible. Respond back to the good, the bad and the ugly questions and comments of your “potential” consumers and current customers because just as one tweet can make Dell 6.5mil, one tweet from an unhappy camper can certainly lose you money.

Mutually beneficial relationships:

A couple other ways you can build new brand ambassadors AND mutually beneficial relationships are through guest blogs and Twitter chat sessions. Guest bloggers not only lend their unique voice to your blog but they also bring their legion of friends, fans and followers to your website. They get to separate themselves from the crowd and promote their talent and brand while engaging a whole new network that may be unfamiliar with them. With Twitter Q/A chat sessions companies have a chance to gain valuable feedback on their products and services. Chat sessions are a way for consumers to voice their opinions and feel like they made a difference. Great for troubleshooting! It is also a wonderful opportunity for a company to build rapport and earn trust from consumers.

RTR: Rapport, Trust, Referrals

Rapport + Trust = Referrals: By being accessible and engaging with your current customers and potential consumers in your network you begin to build Rapport with them. By building rapport you gain their Trust. By gaining their trust, you get Referrals which leads to a viral word of mouth marketing campaign. Just like in face to face meet and greets, make sure you are genuine. Do not push the “hard sell.” Remember, new brand ambassadors promote willingly and that the most solid relationships are mutually beneficial.

***pic courtesy of www.405club.ning***

10 ways to tell if you are addicted to #Twitter

1.) You start speaking in 140 characters or less.

2.) U use a lot of abbrev when writing,

3.) Your dreams are told through twitpics.

4.) You’ve tweeted from at least one of the following: church, stoplights, movie theatre, while on a date, on the operating table

5.) You know the entire Twictionary by ♥: http://bit.ly/5d0fok

6.) Your entire tweet consists of hastags: #omgfacts #haveuheard the new #Tigerwoods #joke. He’s no longer a tiger; he’s a #cheetah #justsayin.

7.) You get the “twunchies” if you haven’t tweeted in a while.

8.) You want to go #officespace on your computer when you see that #twitter whale pop up.

9.) When relaying a message or story in person you say RT @____ and then proceed to tell it.

10.) You are a member of #TwitaholicsAnonymous that chat up every M-Fri @4pm. #justsayin. #justmessinwithyouted

Yes, all of these signs of addiction are indeed given in 140 characters or less AND no I do not have a problem.

Twas the Night Before Christmas…

and all through Grosh Scenic Rentals, our scenic artists were busy working round the clock to create beautiful backdrops in time for holiday productions.

Much like our scenic artists, Grosh Backdrops also works round the clock for you. Our customers, friends, fans and followers can secure backdrops and drapery 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!

Please enjoy promo code HDAY09 and save 10% off all your rentals between now and Jan 1, 2010.

New Backdrops & Drapery Newsletter and Happy Holidays Promo Code: HDAY09

Happy Holidays!

How to turn a basketball court into a spectacular gala!

S2849 Church Interior Backdrop

See how S2849 Church Interior Backdrop transformed a basketball court into a spectacular gala!

“Hi: I would first like to say that Carrie was so great to work with on my recent big Gala. She was very attentive, and caring. I have attached a couple of pictures for your review. Our event was just awesome. The event was for a local college celebrating St. Domenic weekend. Their invitation featured a stain glass window, and from there I ran with your beautiful church panels. People could not believe that they were standing in a basketball court. The head priest and President of the College said that the room definitely had a ‘wow’ factor! Thank you again to Carrie., and to Grosh for such great backdrops., and quality service. I hope I get the opportunity to design another event using your backdrops. Enjoy your day!”

Nancy Archambault PMA Industries, Inc., in RI

Pictures courtesy of Kizirian Photography. On behalf of the entire Grosh Scenic Rentals staff, thank you Nancy and PMA Industries for letting us be a part of this wonderful event. Absolutely stunning!

Top 10 places to visit while in Hollywood!

S2163-Hollywood Hills and sign drop backdrop

Meet Grosh’s Senior Backdrop Consultant Carrie John’s:

One of the main reasons why I have been at Grosh for 18 years is that I love being a part of one the most unique, family owned scenic studios in Hollywood, California. I enjoy my job and thoroughly enjoy our customers! One of my most profound memories is working with the late, great Photographer, Herb Ritts and hanging out with Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers in our lobby. Hollywood is such an amazing place to live and if you are ever in our neck of the woods here are my top 10 Landmark suggestions to visit:

1.) The Magic Castle

I went to the Magic Castle for the first time 2 years ago
when my brother performed in the main showroom.
The magicians at the Castle are dedicated to preserving the ancient art of magic and the talent is comprised of the top magicians from around the globe.
Tip: You need be invited by a Magic Castle Member.

2.) Pink’s Hotdogs

The is my favorite late night stop when I’m painting the town red in
Hollywood. My favorite hotdog is the Rosie O’Donnell Long Island Dog.
Tip: They only accept cash!

3.) The El Capitan Theatre
This Theatre’s interior is breathtaking and if you are in town you must go see a movie here! El Capitan is situated in the center of Hollywood Blvd and is considered “Hollywood’s first home of spoken drama”.
Fun fact: Real Estate mogul, Charles Toberman and Sid Grauman had a vision of Hollywood being a thriving theater district so together they developed three theatres, all with different themes: The The Egyptian, Chinese and El Capitan.

4.) Greek Theatre
This is my favorite outdoor theater! I’ve seen Journey
and Peter Frampton at this venue and there is not a
bad seat in the house. There is a reason why it has won the Best Small Outdoor Venue award 5 out of the last 6 years!
Tip: Bring a jacket! The Greek lies nestled in the hills of Griffith Park and can get chilly…or at least as chilly as southern Los Angeles can get.

5.) Griffith Park
The largest park in Los Angeles is full of adventures within itself. You can
hike, bike, jog, golf, play tennis, soccer, ride the famous merry-go-round and go horseback riding just to name a few! This is where I like to go to escape from the city.

6.) Canter’s Deli
What can I say, they have the best pastrami
sandwiches in town, not to mention a slew of celebrity sightings!

7.) The Grove
Covered with celebrity sighting from Steven Tyler, to Victoria Beckham, Winona Ryder, Dave Navarro, Nicole Richie: This is the place to go to get your celebrity fix! You can shop, dine at the original farmers market, watch the choreographed fountains, take in a free outdoor concert or partake in a movie. I like the trolley ride myself.

8.) The Original Pantry Café
There is no such thing as small servings at this Café. Be very
hungry when visiting this establishment. My favorite is
the top sirloin.
Fun fact: The Pantry’s current owner is former Mayor of Los Angeles, Richard Riordan.

9.) Hollywood Farmers’ Market
Every Sunday, between 8am-1pm between Ivar and Selma Ave is the Hollywood Farmers’ Market. This is the place to go for fresh local produce, boutique shopping, wide variety of hot cuisines cooked right in front of you, live eclectic street music and some of the best people watching in town. Also great for celebrity sightings.

10. ) Grosh Scenic Rentals
Last but not least, the unique scenic rental studio in Hollywood. We have been around for over 75yrs! Our backdrops can be seen in a countless numbers of movies, television shows, commercials, award shows, music videos and some of my favorite theatrical plays put on by high schools. If you are ever in town feel free to stop by for a tour. Our door is always open!
Fun facts: 25 Random Things about Grosh Backdrops and Drapery: You’ll be surprised by what you learn!

~Guest blog by Carrie Johns

The E True Twitter Story: The woman and story behind the #EIR phenomenon

When I first started using Twitter, I admit I was pretty much there just to people watch. I would follow people, read their tweets, bookmark my favorites and apply what I learned to my professional career. I learned a lot, and with all of the added knowledge I selfishly hoarded from Twitter, I was promoted twice. I consider myself an extremely lucky individual, especially in this economy to be in the position that I am. I owe a lot of my good fortune to the tweeps I follow and that is why I am a big advocate of the retweet.

Generally every Friday you will see hundreds of tweets that begin with #FF (Follow Friday) proceeded by lists and lists of names. The main problem I have with #FF is that most people use #FF to gain more followers. Look I don’t care about creating an “army of followers” and I do not want to become part of any army. Does anyone even read #FF tweets anymore? More importantly, does anyone even take those recommendations seriously? I can honestly say that I have never followed anyone from a #FF. I choose to follow people that engage, inform and retweet.

#EIR (Engage, Inform, Retweet) is fast becoming the new #FF and this is all thanks to it’s creator, Jenise Fryatt, or as the Twitter and the #eventprofs, community know her as lyksumlikrish. “I was looking for a way to say WHY people should follow who I recommended and stay in the 140 char limit”. The #EIR endorsement is brilliant because it gives you THREE great reasons why you should follow people. #EIR is what Twitter is all about!

This Friday and every Friday I encourage you all to UN #FF and to #EIR. Let’s bring value to our community!

“Tweeps who engage, inform & retweet #EIR are fun to follow. Those who yell “Buy my stuff!” are not. “~Lyksumlikrish