It started early spring, April 12 at Cibar wine bar in New York City. A week prior, a random email message from O’Reilly Organizers landed in my inbox. Didn’t know who it was from nor what the LBD Project was, but it said “A cocktail fund raiser in a Little Black Dress.” I thought, a cocktail on a Monday night in the Irving Park area, perfect. Monday is a great day for cocktails and making friends with strangers in New York City.

That is when I met Sheena Matheiken, creator of The Uniform Project and designer, Elizabeth Starbuck of Bright Young Things. Two remarkable and talented women who crafted the idea of sustainable fashion around one little black dress worn a million different creative ways. I wanted to be a part of it somehow. I wanted to participate.

Little Black Dress worn a million creative ways

So here we are, after a few months on the road with my macbook pro, kites, board and little black dress traveling with me from Key West, Miami and Maui, I finally hit San Francisco. My two-year old Cannon point and shoot camera died somewhere during the trip, so I had to wait a few weeks to find a replacement. With camera on hand, the San Francisco and California back-drop, my goal is to document, share and hopefully inspire with my personal rendition on the sustainable fashion and the Little Black Dress, from Bright Young Things.

Beginning July 14, Bastille Day witness my highs and lows in a little black dress during my 30-day wear-a-thon. Thank you Elizabeth for extending a piece of New York while I travel! Congratulations on the success of Bright Young Things! Thank you to new friends in San Francisco who are either helping with photography and styling!

• Many are still afraid to dabble in the most basic format of social media as it could be viewed as a waste of time and a shameless channel for self-promotion.
• Many do not have a clue on the creative uses and applications of these channels to build their personal brand or their organizational brand. Creating a Facebook or Twitter account is not enough.
• Many simply do not care to understand and prefer to hide under a rock while “attacking” those who are “socially enlightened”.
• Many see social media as white noise instead of an opportunity to learn and engage.
• Many are afraid of going public. Transparency is not an easy pill to swallow.
• Many make privacy an excuse.

For the first time in my years of learning and sharing about the digital space professionally and as an digital media entrepreneur, I received “hate mail.”

As humans we respond to confrontation or negative information in varied behavioral patterns.  I chose to reflect rather than react. Why? There was no point in glorifying my “attacker’s” limited perspective and understanding on the powers of engagement. Unfortunately to many, engagement is equivalent to conversation. This is an incorrect notion.

Barriers To Entry

What challenges are brands facing in today’s social web?

• Fear. Many brands continue to fear true engagement as it leaves zero barriers for criticism and attacks. Setting up a Facebook or Twitter account and displaying this information in your store-front is not equivalent to true engagement.

• Champion. True engagement within an organizational brand thrives when there is someone leading the project idea and program.

• Proof of Burden. Lack of internal data and specific market data showcasing that true engagement works and directly translates to revenue.

I could list more, in my opinion these are the top of mind barriers and reasons why brands are hesitant to embrace true engagement.

Characteristics of True Engagement

• Ecosystem. From the moment a user steps into your web destination a connection is sparked up to the point he or she checks out of your site and returns. A great example of an engaged ecosystem is Toms.
• Market Appeal. Your audience flocks around your brand like a moth to a flame for a variety of reasons and influences. Market appeal can be created by attaching your brand to a cause. A great example is One Day Without Shoes.
• Transparency. Be open and honest about what your brand can do and cannot do at the moment.The more fluff in your message, the more traction you’ll lose in convincing your audience to engage with your brand.

Lastly, here’s a book from Brian Solis that could help lead your brand to the next level of  Engagement.

Article first published as Understanding True Engagement on Technorati.

As a media blogger, I receive a number of book review requests. It is quite endearing to receive emails from publicists writing if I would like a freshly printed copy. Of course am happy to receive a copy. I love to read and learn more about how others are using social media . Obviously, the risk and reward pendulum is something to consider before asking a blogger or media personality to review your work. You never know when a recipient will love it or hate it.

Blogging To Drive Business by Eric Butow & Rebecca Bollwitt is a thumbs up in my world for these  reasons:

1) It gives you the ABCs of blogging in a step-by-step easy to read concise and comprehensive format. Immediately right after the introduction the authors dive into the importance of blogs and its uses from promoting products and services, reaching people, pushing content, how to get people to read your blog, crowdsourcing and more. With proper implementation and resources to support the delivery process blogs can be a truly effective communication, marketing and people gathering tool. As websites are the epicenter of your brand’s existence – blogs are the epicenter of your communication strategy.

2) Peppered with examples, case studies and visuals. The authors made sure that each chapter is supported with examples. A ton of them! From successful blogs and varying applications to a variety of platforms and plug-in tools to choose from.

3) To have a successful blog, there are rules and methods to follow. Rule #1 Listen to your audience. Rule #2 Create a platform for two-way discussion — this is not all about you. Rule #3 Listening by sharing. Visual media is a great way to spark a conversation. Rule #4 Create tools for your audience to communicate with each other and you. Measure the the energy level of your readers’ engagement, experiment and make corrections along the way.

Blogging To Drive Business is a definite read for those who are considering to use blogging as part of their business communication strategy. As a social media and digital branding expert, I use this book to help educate my clients. Specially the small to medium business owners. Recently, it helped me close recent long-term new business.

Thrilled to be part of this New York event for women in startups! I’ll be at the fair helping answer questions on digital branding, website development and social media. Also sharing lessons learned in starting up your own virtual business. )

Location: NY Kids Club on 68^th & Amsterdam

Event Time: 7-9:30

Panel: 7:30-8:30

Resource Room: 7-9:30

Register now!

This awesome event is sponsored by In Good Company Workplaces (@ingoodcmpny) and Baby Bites (@babybites)!

See you there!

Workplace for women entrepreneurs

social community for moms to be

Just Kite It dot com, a community for kiteboarding enthusiasts

After speaking with a friend kiter, she joined a few kiting message board forums, which seemed so outdated in comparison to the social media technology of web 2.0 standards. Armed with not much information about kiteboarding she took her chances and called a school in the Great South Bay, New York in July. Good idea? Bad idea. Summer is the worst time to learn the sport in New York and the nasty green flies leave you with painful bites. Not only is the Great South Bay a two-three hour train ride on the LIRR from Brooklyn and Manhattan, learning to kite is not inexpensive. A lesson can cost anywhere from $150-$200 per hour depending on the level of instructor. At times the school will share your lesson with another student and not inform you of this. In some cases, you could get five-hour lessons for $500. Granted the sport is difficult, you will need more than three hours of water instruction. Kiters who have sailed, windsurfed, surfed and wakeboarded could pick up the sport quicker and faster. It is 90% about the kite and 10% about the board. Meaning, understanding the nuances of the wind and controlling the kite within its power, your kite flying skills and knowledge about your environment is key to enjoying the sport, your safety and the safety of others in the water and on the beach.

In August 2009, after a number of frustrating attempts at lessons in New York and Cape Hatteras, NC due to lack of wind in the months of July – August, Jessica then ventured to the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. The wind capital of the Pacific North West. “I first discovered the River Gorge through a kiter friend on Facebook.” Jessica a natural traveler has not ventured beyond California for travels to the West Coast. “It looks like a little piece of heaven, why has not anyone mentioned this place to me before?” Another loop hole in the kiting world is the discovery and the level of detail that existing kiting web properties can provide. “Information sharing about kite education, kite spots and the consistent engagement of kiters worldwide is what we hope to solve for the progression of the sport.” Kiteboarding is breaking down geographic and gender barriers for over a decade now. So many untold stories are raring to be shared that will inspire connoisseurs of the sport, viewers and those curious about it. The global and local community’s affinity for wind, water and kite is a natural glue. Every kiter is in love with a fellow kiter’s skills and his or her experiences.

For version 1 of Just Kite It dot com our goal is to provide kiters worldwide and those interested in the sport with as much information about kite education, kite spots around the world through editorially curated from user-generated stories. Version 1.5 will be wrapped around extreme entrepreneurship and technology events for the startup community. It is a known fact, there is a growing number of technologists and startup founders who kite. This could be attributed to the leadership of the Silicon Valley VC, Bill Tai who has been featured on Forbes.com. Version 2.0 of Just Kite It dot com will showcase a fully social web property with mobile applications for engagement in a global scale.

The average age of kiters range from 30-35 professionals with a slow, yet noticeable adaptation of the twenty-something and baby boomer demographics. There is also a growing number of women who are kiting, up 30% from 2008. Kiteboarding is a lifestyle sport and it is growing at a steady rate of 20% annually.

Jessica Valenzuela is also the Founder and Chief Principal of a New York based boutique digital branding agency, Mavin Digital, Inc. the creators of Just Kite It. Her co-founder Marek L. Biestek is the General and Managing Partner of a New York based hedge fund, MSMB Capital, LLC. Jessica and Marek are kiteboarders who met at a parking lot on Tobay Bay, New York after a kiting session.

About Just Kite It dot com (http://justkiteit.com)
Welcome to Just Kite It dot com, a content publisher and social community focused on kite education, sports tourism and connecting likeminded professionals of the sport.

Founded by two kiteboarding addikts, with backgrounds in media, digital branding, social media, finance management and startups, Just Kite It aims to provide a place for sharing information and knowledge kite education, kite spots around the world and connecting likeminded professionals of the sport.

You can find us on Twitter @jkiteit and on our Facebook Fan page.

Mission:
Just Kite It is your source for kite education, kite spot locations around the world, inspiring stories from pro-athletes and enthusiasts,  networking events and off-topic features that will offer insight and make you laugh at the same time.

When I was three I fell into a well by accident. Since the accident, without realizing I developed fear of deep water. I didn’t learn to swim until swimming became part of my learning curriculum. I did it for the grade. I conquered the pool!  Yet I wanted more. I wanted more than my toes touching the waves. I’d sit and watch while others would play in the waves and silently wishing I didn’t have this angst of drowning.

Kiteboarding changed all that gradually. I’ve probably swallowed 18 gallons or more of The Columbia River Gorge, Kite Point in Cape Hatteras, The Slick at Real Kiteboarding, Tobay Bay, Napeague and the Flats in the Keys combined while learning the sport. I continue to do so as I progress. A few times since July this year I’ve panicked each time my toes do not reach the bottom. A drowning panicky feeling that leaves your brain helpless. You start to make mistakes when you panic. Bad decisions are made.

How is kiteboarding helping me get over this fear? Here’s what I learned…

• Your love for something or someone is greater than your fear. I’ve fallen in love with kiteboarding and the community that supports it. It is an amazing sport and it is supported by an resplendent community of exceptional individuals.

• You have a goal. I simply want to learn the sport and be decent at it. I realize I’ll never be a pro-kiter, yet I’d like to be able to execute tricks and downwind with a pack of kiters and discover different parts of the world.

• Higher calling. Kiteboarding is more than an adrenaline junkie’s sport. It is a lifestyle and a state-of-mind. You’ll have to try it to understand what it means to be a kiter. Once a kiter, there is no turning back.

• Practice, practice, practice. To be a better kiter and a self-proficient one, practice and dedication to the sport is a must. Which means I always try to be in the water when the wind comes. In different bodies of water with varying conditions each time. Each session is different from the last. It reminds you that life changes daily.

Since my last trip in the Flats, Key West, I’ve been able to minimize and dilute my panic attacks when I’d find myself out of tiptoe reach while in water.  Deep breaths, a clear mind and putting into practice each of the valuable lessons learned and shared by instructors and fellow kiters help me get through that moment. Since my kiting journey, I realize that the biggest fear I’ll ever have is not trying enough to succeed.

You are gifted to accomplish anything you set your heart and mind to do. Just go out and give it a try!

@mavindigital

Being in the service business we’re exposed to many scenarios presented by each client relationship. There are projects where we come in when the ship is almost sinking. So how do we help a client pick up the pieces?

Typical response to “when do you need this?” is “we needed it yesterday.” Which in all honesty never surprises me. So my next question is usually “where is your plan?” and “what documentation do you have existing?” As an agency partner, regardless of where we come in during a project phase, we like to dig deep into the history of what has occurred in the past 30/60/90/120 days of a project.

Here’s why I think it is important:

• Rigorous Cause Root Analysis. Helps determine the best solution to offer at that point of the project process. For example, when a brand finds itself stuck between a design challenge and the technology available to support that design which options would be best applied so the cost variable for change is minimal and will not radically affect the time to market. Other times, it could be pure code failure and the lack of a support team to help manage the site’s malfunction. For more examples read Five Whys from entrepreneur champion @ericries.

• Expectation management. Over promising is dangerous. Familiarizing yourself with the history of a project gives you room to manage expectations and set boundaries for the project parameters.

• Best of the best. When the challenge is clearly determined and all the stakeholders are in agreement to move the project forward we are able to bring the team that would be best suited for the project. Gaining insight on team temperaments, work styles and engagement required is helpful in creating that pivotal change to move forward.

It has been a while since my last post. Not for any reason of being too busy or not inspired enough to write. The back-end of my own blog had issues that took a while to troubleshoot. Code is code, nothing is impossible it just takes time.

Are you faced with a challenge that could hurt your business? Would love to hear how you managed change and risk.

It feels good to write again! Thanks for reading!

@mavindigital

Our first corporate reel focuses on our roots in New York, our new brand message and how we personify a company that engages and connects people with brands. You’ll also see some of our work. Watch the video below or you can visit our You Tube channel.

Mavin Digital, digital branding on a dime is about helping companies achieve the WOW factor and performance on any digital marketing and advertising budget.

In the coming months we’ll be sharing more news via our You Tube channel that showcases how our spitfire team, our belief in creativity without boundaries, inspirational digital branding delivered with the right dash of expressionism help organizations achieve their marketing and advertising goals. We hope to share conversational interviews with clients both startups and recognizable brands.

Much gratitude and applause in the completion of our first corporate reel goes to Stephanie Coggin our Communications Strategist and dear friend for the support and guidance in shaping our brand messaging, Sami Eddaikra our Iphone Lead Developer and dear friend for the original music, Jae Lee our Video Associate and Motion Graphics expert , Michael Kelly, our Technical Lead Director, Christopher Lorn our talented intern, our Advisory Board, with special thanks go to my mentor and trusted friend, Nanske Wood, our teams in Estonia and Bangladesh, friends near and far, clients and supporters.

Thank you for trusting and believing in the potential of Mavin Digital. More news coming soon, so stay tuned!

~ jessica valenzuela

Having empathy is a willingness to learn, unflawed by judgement and accusation. In design, it is a  complete acceptance and understanding of your end-user. It is a self-less approach that requires conscious effort and practice to completely put yourself in another person’s shoe and create a product that he or she will find useful and user-friendly.

Often my empathic first look almost always leads to a number of interesting ideas to explore for clients and personal friends. At times I am accused of already having figure things out…the truth is NOT! You’ve simply given me a wealth of material to work with by sharing whatever is on your mind about an idea, product, career, etc. Empathy gives me the insight to discover marketable nuggets in others capabilities, skills and ideas. The rest is about making a life choice based on comfort levels and then taking action. Having an empathic look at life and those around you is a great way to learn and discover a world and point of view apart from your own. It is the source of my relentless energy.

Here’s an insightful article from Wired on empathy about Steve Jobs and his family’s decision-making around a dishwasher back in 2005.

Do you have an empathetic mind? How has it helped your personal life, career and those around you?  Next time you find an opportunity, do it with grok.

It is quite exciting with a hint of nervousness as I go through the exercise. The list keeps on getting longer everyday. Last night I was deep in conversation with a friend and prospective new member of our Advisory Board sharing my vision on how we can strengthen our business services, while expanding into low-barrier to entry and highly scalable digital products. A few minutes ago I gave my associate a huge research task. On the same track, brand visuals are being designed while conversations on UX, tech specs and creative are happening. Oh yeah, and there is the legal and corporate structure to attend to…

In my journey as a local lone ranger entrepreneur, I have discovered that to have a bigger impact and ability to scale quickly you need a team who can react fast and are available locally. A strong team behind you who believes in your passions, are willing to take the ride and support your vision. I’ve carefully handpicked the team. Currently the Mavin Digital tribe is comprised of a local Technical Director (hooray!), an Associate and four members on the Advisory Board (may turn into five). Am also looking into a virtual business development resource to add.

Having a local team and Advisory Board opens doors to opportunities, ideas and more amazing people. While we’re making headway into new verticals and clients as a digital business services firm, we’re building new web properties and digital products that are highly scalable. In short, the journey so far is a whole lot of awesomeness!!!

My advise to fellow entrepreneurs, take a look at your business whether its a product or service and ask yourself how can I make this better for the market it is intended for? What are the comparable businesses and competitors doing to differentiate themselves? What can you apply to your business? What are my strengths? What are my weaknesses? It is like writing up your SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). The  SWOT exercise is something which every entrepreneur should do in the very early stages of their business and throughout its life cycle for checks and balances. In today’s overly communicated society, real contributions and impact can be easily diluted by a lot of talk and no action – don’t be that entrepreneur.