networking Archives - saxtonstudio blog

March 11, 2012 In business, communication, life and the universe, marketing, networking, philosophy, social media By Patricia Saxton

Social Media Roller Coaster

I hear a bunch of exasperation out there about social media.

Bottom line, we have to make choices about our time ~ these days, almost on an hour-to-hour basis. In any given period we may ask, is this a good use of my time? Is this what I want to be doing, is this what I HAVE to be doing, is this just what happened when one thing ran into the next and here’s where I landed?

Those of us who are self-employed need to insert structure into our day, or we’d not be at all productive ~ and that requires a hefty dose of self-discipline.

This may work beautifully if you work with tasks that have clear beginnings and endings (not to say there aren’t snags and challenges that could send potentially simple project into galactic proportions), but far less controlled if you’re in the concepting stage of a design project where you’re, let’s say, trying to break the rules in imaginative, but still effective ways. You can’t set a timer for that. But you can set a timer that says it’s time to shift gears, have dinner, take a walk.

So what then do you do with the onslaught of social media demands on top of all the rest? Do you skip the walk to check your twitter feed? Post facebook quotes while you eat dinner? Pin on Pinterest early in the day, while checking email and planning calls … and yea … you see, things can start to overlap and then maybe your grip starts to slip, the ride is moving and your hat is flying… and you’re saying, “wait!, whoa, slow down!” Yet the world out there is saying, “ha! right! time waits for no one, better hop on!”

So you sigh and shrug and try to keep up.

Or you decide not to.

Here’s the thing: there’s no rule book that says you have to leap into every social media outlet that comes along. That said, I’d be leading you down the wrong road if I said you shouldn’t participate in at least a few of your choice. But by all means, unless you’ve got a budget and a staff whose sole job is to handle every social media site, be choosy.

When all those invites come in to join this group or that network, don’t impulsively jump. Let it sit. Check it out. If it feels right, you may want to climb aboard. If it feels a lot like “ugh, do I have to?”… then don’t.

Either way, don’t miss that walk in the park in order to get a front seat on the next social media wave. If it really sings to you, you can join in after your walk.

September 13, 2011 In art, books & stuff, communication, creativity, inspiration, networking, work and play By Patricia Saxton

Frank, Marie, Jason & Nancy: A Postcard Story

Nancy was expected. Frank, Jason and Marie were not.

On the spur-of-the-moment, my friend Nancy and I planned a belated birthday dinner at a posh-ish restaurant that’s got a great bar with an upscale “Cheers” kind of feel. Now Nancy is one of the absolutely sweetest souls around ~ but of her own admission, perpetually late, and so it went that I arrived first.

I noticed one empty seat at the busy-Saturday-night-filled bar. I should grab it, I thought, but it was cold inside (I hate to be cold), so I went back out to wait in the late summer air. After a while I remembered I’d brought my book along “just in case”, so went back in hoping to find a spot with some light. And there, as if invisible to all but me, was the same vacant seat. “Kismet”, I thought!

Plunking myself down, I ordered a drink and stealthily opened my book. (I know, who goes to a bar to read a novel? But I was close to the end, and you know how that is … )

Almost immediately the folks on the bar stools to my right started making fun. “You’re not really going to read a book, are you?” said the younger. “I didn’t know the library served alcohol!” said the elder.

And so opened the way to a night of raucous laughs and fun synchronicities.

Jason, the younger, and Frank, the elder, were father and son. Marie was Frank’s wife and Jason’s mom ~ and by the time Nancy arrived, we were fast friends. In no time flat, all 5 of us were bugs in a rug. I don’t remember sustained laughing-out-loud so hard in a long time (recall the “no lollygagging” post…). What great medicine that is!

When talk came around to “what do you do?”, I had a little something to show & tell, as it just so happened I had a copy of my new “52 Weeks of Peace” postcard book in my sack … which comes in handy if you’re someone prone to forget your business cards. (eh-hem) So they got the whole elevator schpeel, with visuals.

And all this happened to lead to talk of business collaborations as well as another cool kismet-like morsel ~ learning that Jason’s work was an uncannily similar, kind of modern-day version of what I was reading about in the historical novel that I’d so socially-incorrectly brought along. The odds of that were rare indeed!

The postcard book also just so happened to lead to The Postcard Story.

The story goes that Frank and Marie first met at a dance (I think) of some kind. Frank was smitten with Marie and asked if he could call on her again.

Marie, meanwhile, wasn’t the slightest bit interested in Frank. She dismissed him with “oh sure, send me a postcard sometime”. She figured that was the end of that, and she’d never have to see him again.

Apparently Frank didn’t get the message, because soon afterwards Frank sent Marie a postcard. And the rest, as they say, is history. Fifty-five years of marriage later, on a random night with strangers, here was another golden nugget of proof for the power of the written word. I just love that.

More stories followed. Good-natured, hysterical stories. Nancy and I were in stitches. I’m pretty sure the five us of were too loud, our laughter causing a scene and making us look like incredibly fun people.

So much for unobtrusively catching up on a little reading while waiting for a friend, eh?

And so much, yes, for the power of a postcard. (Thank you, Frank, Marie and Jason.)

And, call me crazy, but it was the kind of night where I had to wonder if the stage had not already been set, beginning with the empty seat at a busy bar. Hmmm…. Kismet?

August 16, 2011 In appreciation, art, books & stuff, branding, communication, creativity, design, illustration, imagination, inspiration, networking, social media By Patricia Saxton

52 Weeks of Peace / Peace Starts Here

Excitement! The “52 Weeks of Peace” book is almost ready…!

In the meantime, we’ve established a 52 Weeks of Peace / Peace Starts Here facebook page ~ please come on over and join in, “like” the page, let your voice be heard, spread some peace, share the love… see you there!

July 16, 2009 In advertising, art, business, communication, creativity, graphic design, illustration, marketing, networking By Patricia Saxton

It's All About Relationships

A recurring theme has been emerging in my world quite a lot lately. In talks over the past several months with colleagues, in twitter posts directed to Seth Godin’s blog, and most recently in a conversation over lunch this week with Milton Glaser who has unarguably seen and done it all, combining art and business with unparalleled success.

The theme? It’s all about relationships. Here’s my quick take on it, with regard to the graphic design business (or any business, for that matter):

………………………….

In this day and age of computer savvy, a glutton of designers and a climate of economic strife, it’s no wonder many artist’s and agencies are having a hard go of it lately. It could be there’s too much talent and not enough demand, as everyone – from individuals to families to small businesses and large corporations – is holding tight to their purse strings.

But in any business climate – whether it’s booming or equilaterally depressed – three key elements always reign supreme: creativity, quality, and relationship.

An unfortunate side effect of a distressed economic environment such as the one we’re experiencing now, is that some media-buying decision-makers may opt for mediocrity, somehow aligning their efforts with the mood of the times – the sense of “lack” or “needing to do without” – by shopping around for the lowest price, regardless of creativity, quality or relationship. It’s easy enough to do nowadays; just google graphic design and hundreds upon hundreds will come up.

What can also happen in this kind of situation though, is that while it’s still possible to find creativity, and still possible to find certain levels of quality, relationship may well be left out of the equation. And that particular absence can kill a project, or make people wish it did.

Despite all the wonders of online connecting, the enormous choices and competitive pricing available, if you don’t like the people you work with, it can be a miserable experience. It boils down to the old adage of being a pleasure to work with.

You can be as creative as DaVinci, with the quality and craftsmanship of a Frank Lloyd Wright; and likewise, you can be a brilliant business mind with a world-changing product. But regardless of whether wallets are open or whether they’re closed, at some point human nature always plays its card – and wins.

March 27, 2009 In marketing, networking, Uncategorized By Patricia Saxton

All a-Twitter

… thoughts for the uninitiated tweeter …

Twitter, Tweeting, Tweetchat, and Twerbose (my new favorite). It’s all the rage and has folks everywhere, well, all a-twitter.

I’m just getting my Twitter legs, but already I can see that it’s a pretty cool tool.

It took me a while to fully climb on board this latest and insanely popular networking train. I was among the many reluctant people who “don’t get it”, but still feel intrigued – or societally pressured – to find out what it’s about.

It can easily be seen as another time-waster, another thing on the to-do list, and for what purpose? And there’s the bit about “following” people, and they in turn following you, which basically means you can see what they’re up to via small word chunks. But really, besides friends and family, who honestly cares what I did today, or what I’m thinking or what I had for lunch?

Then folks began using it for business. Which made me wonder how anyone gets their work done between blogging, tweeting, linked-in-ing, facebook-ing, plaxo-ing and the scores of other online ways to connect.

Turns out though, it’s not the great intrusion I thought it might be. It’s actually a valid resource, as well as a way to expand contacts tremendously and easily. It’s a very open, uncomplicated place.

You can make short announcements, write brief words of wisdom, share a website, a book, a video – whatever is on your mind. You can use it to promote, learn, grab an idea. See what the President is up to. Receive inspiration. Chime in on tweetchats of interest. All very quickly. Because it caters to “soundbites” (small bits of info), it doesn’t take much time to update or to scour through others’ tweets.

Of course, you can ignore it, too. Up to you.

But one thing is for certain, tweeting is evolving. What started as a social mechanism has also become a business medium and a news medium. There are new uses being created by Twitter users all the time – which makes it feel very alive and adaptable.

Signing up is about as painless as it gets. Jumping in is a piece of cake. It’s what’s happening. And it’s actually pretty tweet.

http://twitter.com/saxtonstudio