I’ve met and conversed with Mitch Joel two or three times and not for about a year. So when I thought about writing the opening sentence to this blog as “My friend Mitch Joel has a new book coming out…” I stopped.

Mitch Joel is a very nice guy as far as I can tell but he and I aren’t friends; friendly certainly. Were time and place different, I think we could be friends– I don’t know. But today he likely wouldn’t know my name if he saw me nor does he know the names of my children or even that I have children; I’m absolutely cool with that. We all have business contacts like this.

But I wanted to say “friend” because ever since I met him at the very first Podcamp Toronto where we both presented, truly enjoying his great presentation on personal branding there and then subsequently as I watched the spotlight of social media and personal branding grow on him, I’ve quietly felt proud of him, like you would be of a friend. His blog posts and his insights on Twitter (he makes pretty good use of 140 characters) teach me a lot or at least make me think about things, much like a friend would.

I think that it boils down to Mitch’s overarching message that people need to communicate within social media as real people; we want real interaction – authenticity. Not some sales pitch…not the one way conversations that permeates so much of social media. Authenticity is Mitch’s on-line message for himself and its a key point of his new book, Six Pixels of Separation.

Enjoy this wonderful Twist Image video about Mitch’s book (courtesy of CC Chapman, who actually is a personal friend of Mitch Joel’s) and then please reserve your advanced copy of Mitch’s book.

Tags: commentary, facebook, internet, linkedin, podcamptoronto, social media, twitter, video by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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If you waited to make your reservation or you thought you could stroll up to the door, sorry but the presentation of The New Big 3: Understanding and Applying Facebook®, LinkedIn® and Twitter® for YOUR Business is very sold out.

It’s the first sold out dinner meeting in many, many years for the Buffalo Niagara Sales and Marketing Executives.

Now all I have to do is figure out something to talk about 😉

Tags: commentary, facebook, linkedin, the new big 3, twitter by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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There are certain times in your life when you should NOT do that math. This occurred to me the other day when I was puttering around the office doing some stuff and I noticed my membership directory from Buffalo Niagara Sales and Marketing Executives (BNSME). This year will mark my 20th anniversary as a member. That means I was 25 years old when I joined in 1989. This is the kind of math avoidance I am advocating.

I am also advocating that you join myself and Todd Salansky, CEO, online thymes llc, for our May 18, 2009 BNSME presentation entitled “The New Big Three – What’s In It For Me”. The presentation will take place at the 31 Club, 31 N Johnson Park in Buffalo and is sponsored by Days Inn, Wingate by Wyndham, West Herr Automotive Group, Business First and Sound Video Solutions.

The goal of the presentation is to help participants understanding and applying Facebook®, LinkedIn® and Twitter® for their businesses as explained not by two experts (though Todd really knows his Social Media “stuff”) but rather by two active and practiced users of these services and Social Media in general.

By sharing an overview of the services, an explanation of how Todd and myself are using them to the advantage of our businesses and then offering participants a hands on tour of the services, we hope to remove the apprehension some people have experienced about Social Media and provide practical ways business owners can actively and successfully use these services as part of their marketing mix.

If you can join us, I think you’ll enjoy the presentation and some great in-person networking too. For reservations, please call Jeanne at the BNSME office at 716-662-2279.

Tags: audio'connell voice over talent, commentary, facebook, linkedin, the new big 3, twitter by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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A quick trip to Milwaukee on Friday for some biz that went successfully.

On the way to the airport, I had a bit of extra time that provided a nice cushion before my plane left so I GPS’d (on the great i-phone) the office of my voice over agent in Milwaukee, Lori Lins of (not surprisingly) Lori Lins Limited Talent Management. We partnered in 2007 but I had never met her and only communicated via email. As the stars seemed to align on this trip, I stopped by unannounced just to say hi.

Had they said they were busy or otherwise occupied, I would have been cool with that as mine was a bit of a drive-by. But Lori came right out to greet me and we chatted for a good 15 minutes about my career, her agency and the VO business in general.

Naturally, I forgot my camera in the car (stupid!) so I didn’t get a picture with Lori but the quick shot in the blog spot through the passenger window of my rental car (again, courtesy i-phone) at least proves I was there.

My thanks to Lori and her staff for being so gracious. And Lori, Nancy Wolfson says hi via Twitter.

Tags: audio'connell voice over talent, commentary, travel, twitter, voiceover, voiceover meet-ups by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Today my friend and client Leesa Barnes came to Buffalo to speak at a lunch seminar hosted by the Buffalo Niagara Sales and Marketing Executives. She didn’t come in from her hometown Toronto either, she flew in via Las Vegas having attended and presented at the National Association of Broadcasters convention there.

Having gone through airplane connection hell in her travels back, Leesa tweeted me this AM asking if I would be able to pick her up at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. After we agreed to the fare… (just kidding!)

Glad to see her in action, presenting “Be Marketing Fit: 3 Ways to Get Active Using Social Media”. The 30+ in attendance really enjoyed her content as did I.

Leesa and I first met up in Toronto when Social Media and Social Networking were first starting via an international on-line networking group called Ryze. The Toronto Ryze chapter actually had in-person meetings and I would go up to TO and make contacts. That group eventually faded away.

Then she told me about the first Podcamp Toronto, which was great. Subsequently I’ve done voice over work for her podcasting clients and her podcasts as well.

But there you have another use for Twitter and Social Media…hailing a cab, or a ride anyway, from the airport. Monetize that, pal! 🙂

Tags: commentary, podcamptoronto, podcasting, social media, social networking, twitter by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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People with a vested interest in any marketing tool tend to take it waaay to seriously sometimes. I understand why, to a point – it is how they make their living and they are also passionate about what they do. In that passion, sometimes we all go a bit overboard.

Which brings us today to the froth that continues – even after the weekend – over Ashton, Oprah and Twitter; I never really thought I’d write about two of those three on this blog but never say never.

Is Oprah (who had Ashton on her show last week after he broke the one million followers mark) going to ruin Twitter? Lots of back and forth on the net over this but I’ll summarize it in a word: no.

But as with all this “deep dive” nonsense comes someone with a bright idea and a good sense of humor which makes great fun of all of the discussion: herebeforeoprah.com. You type in your Twitter handle and it figures out if you were B.O. or A.O. in the Twitterverse.

Silly? Yes. A time-suck? Under a minute, but it’s a great way to make fun of the whole discussion and ourselves in the process.

Tags: commentary, silliness, social media, twitter by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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