CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-21 16:12:41 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

I have a new "geek hero" and it's Zach Galifianakis. He befriended an elderly laundromat attendant before he became successful as an actor and filmaker and now takes her to events and covers her rent.

She looks like quite the spitfire and has a great outlook on life and an amazing sense of humor.

2013-05-20 19:22:54 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 30 +1s)

I'm excited to see this interactive resource from +The New York Times on where you can find open beaches down the shore in New Jersey! Yes, there are many parts of the state that are still horribly battered from SuperStorm Sandy last year, but for the most part the boardwalks and rental properties are ready to go for summer 2013! I hope to get a week down the Jersey shore with my family this year.

#JerseyLove  

2013-05-20 19:01:32 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 11 +1s)

Thought I'd share a circle today since I haven't in a very long time. These are my favorite #Philadelphia PA ( #Philly in the house!! ) friends. These are some of the best movers and shakers in the Philly tech / startup / social scene. Got any more for me to add?

2013-05-20 15:55:05 (0 comments, 8 reshares, 35 +1s)

For the next two weeks, we're partnering with +Google+ to highlight creative ways it can support your organization. Check out our page each day for guest tips and stories written by G+ experts. Here's our first post, by +Susanna Kohly Jacobson:

Use Google+ hangouts to hold face-to-face meetings. If your team is scattered all over the world, schedule a hangout to provide a simple way to come together, collaborate, discuss ideas, make decisions and share documents. 

Use the Google Drive button to easily access any Google docs, spreadsheets or presentations. The Screenshare button easily allows you to share what is on your screen to present a pitch or collaborate on a document together. 

2013-05-20 14:21:15 (7 comments, 22 reshares, 55 +1s)

Six Ways Google Is About To Transform Your Small Business

Great summary article of the new Google changes and improvements in the works and how it affects small businesses written by +GENE MARKS. My personal favorite improvements across the Google product line is in Google+, but Google Payments and the toolkit upgrades are a huge perk since I work at a tech company!

2013-05-17 15:27:03 (17 comments, 68 reshares, 161 +1s)

Hangouts Easter Eggs

Some of you may already figured out the hidden Easter Eggs in the new Hangouts.  Here is the full list to have some fun with them. Keep in mind that those codes only work with Hangouts on Google+ and the Chrome Extension. 
Not in video calls or mobile.

#io13   #googleplusupdate   #hangouts   #eastereggs  

2013-05-17 14:11:55 (8 comments, 18 reshares, 75 +1s)

Entrepreneurs. Freelancers. Work from home / coffee shop / a borrowed desk folks. You are going to want the new book my friend +Simon Salt has coming out, "Out of Office: How To Work From Home, Telecommute or Workshift Successfully". I've already preordered it!

2013-05-17 01:58:54 (27 comments, 6 reshares, 151 +1s)

Everyone gets cake!!!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! This is my second birthday celebrated on Google+ (my 42nd birthday on the planet) and I'm glad to say that I now have 1.5 million new friends. Okay everyone, what's your favorite cake or sweet treat? I have a lot of baking to do to have a party for this many people!!

Hugs and love to all of you for the connection and well wishes!

#blog   #happybirthday  

2013-05-16 18:05:30 (6 comments, 3 reshares, 28 +1s)

Save the date IABC Philadelphia event w +Lynette Young -  May 21, 6PM: How Does Google+ Add up? 

2013-05-16 02:47:14 (7 comments, 2 reshares, 112 +1s)

One more plane until home... Someday I will really get to go back and visit all the places I travel for work, but for fun & with my family.

2013-05-15 21:34:49 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 18 +1s)

There was a zombie restaurant in Des Moines and I didn't get to go?!! WHAT!!

2013-05-15 21:20:57 (19 comments, 2 reshares, 45 +1s)

Yeah, so. You know my book and all the presentations I've done in the past day week month quarter about Google+.... the UI has just changed!

Not sure when the new interface is rolling out to everyone, but here are some screen grabs of what you can expect.

2013-05-15 19:19:37 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 37 +1s)

Come and get it! New Google+ updates and features. Yes, it changes. It evolves. BRING IT!!!

2013-05-15 16:00:46 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 25 +1s)

This makes me outrageously HAPPY. I need to see if the artist David Trumble has prints for sale.

2013-05-15 12:00:30 (7 comments, 4 reshares, 27 +1s)

Now that I think about it, color has a tremendous impact and design in my work life. I can remember 'way back when' in the beginning of my corporate life and I hoarded highlighters and pens.

Before digital PDAs or iPads I was a compulsive note-taker and used a DayTimer. My entire professional life was organized in those things! I also carried around multiple highlighters to categorize my notes. Yellow was for important information, green was for phone numbers, pink was for dates/deadlines, and blue was for people's names.

Every day I wrote the date and day of week under the previous day's notes and drew a box around it so I could flip through quickly and find a dated piece of information. I can't even tell you how many times I'd be talking to someone that 'forgot' that they had mentioned something (or missed a deadline) and I'd pull out mytrusty... more »

2013-05-13 16:07:16 (8 comments, 4 reshares, 49 +1s)

What a great project to do with a daughter (edit: I think this would work equally as well with boys and great role models!) This photographer snapped pictures of his 5 year old daughter mimicking poses from famous women throughout history. Now those are some role models to emulate!

...let’s set aside the Barbie Dolls and the Disney Princesses for just a moment, and let’s show our girls the REAL women they can be.

2013-05-11 12:32:23 (27 comments, 7 reshares, 122 +1s)

Geek Girl Tech Conference 2013

Today I'll be an instructor at the +Geek Girl Tech Conference in Cape Cod MA. I cannot even tell you how nervous and excited I am to be in a place where 500 tech savvy (and want to be tech savvy) women are in ONE PLACE to share, learn, and grow.

The organizer +Leslie Fishlock and I mostly met on Google+ (although I'm sure we have known each other for a million years somewhere else on the 'net), and now I'm an instructor at her event. Leslie and all the other organizers and instructors are so absolutely dedicated to helping other women AND GIRLS learn, embrace and accept that women can excel in not only computer tech, but STEM fields. I feel like an ant among giants...

Thinking back to when I was in my early 20s and a professional women in the technology field - I swear I never thought I'd see the day whereI... more »

2013-05-11 03:35:32 (0 comments, 8 reshares, 60 +1s)

2013-05-09 19:07:48 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 26 +1s)

"We need more men who have the courage and the strength to start standing up and saying some of this stuff. And standing with women, not against them and pretending that this is somehow a battle between the sexes and other kinds of nonsense. We live in the world together."

2013-05-09 17:13:00 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 31 +1s)

+Mark Horvath is someone I've followed online for quite some time. His project +Invisible People (http://www.invisiblepeople.tv) brings the lives and stories of homeless people front and center and transforms them from invisible to valuable.

One of my other favorite documentarist on the subject is +Charlie O'Hay with his amazing photos and stories of the homeless in Philadelphia PA.

Especially around Mothers Day, I think about all the moms and kids that live on the streets or in shelters. Just as +Jessica Gottlieb says in the video, a lot of folks are just two paychecks away from the streets.

2013-05-08 23:58:22 (5 comments, 7 reshares, 47 +1s)

+Carter Gibson is one of my most favorite 'finds' on Google+. Back when the platform first launched, I'd bump into him from time to tim online and l instantly loved his outward personality and no-holds-barred attitude to everything. I got to meet Carter in person at a HiRL (Hangout in Real Life) during a tour of the NYC Google office. Carter and I were in the same tour group. He's destined for greatness and I'm so very glad to know him.

His story and so many others are a perfect example of how a social networking platform can bring out the very best in people and transform lives. I do have to disagree with something he wrote in the article. Carter have never been a 'nobody'!

Best of success with +The LittleBigFund Carter - you have already changed the world... keep doin' it!

2013-05-08 17:20:33 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 19 +1s)

Check out "Email + Social: The Powerful Pair" - new free ebook from +Jason Falls  and our +Hunter Boyle! And join us for a live Hangout on Thursday 5/16 from 2-3pm EST on this topic. 

2013-05-07 20:58:39 (0 comments, 11 reshares, 40 +1s)

Some highly-requested improvements to Hangouts On Air

Have you ever missed the beginning of a live Hangout On Air and wanted to rewind? How about viewing and sharing your recording right after your broadcast, versus waiting for "processing…"? Today we're launching these, and two other features, to improve your Hangouts On Air experience: 

- Rewind live broadcasts. Regardless when you start watching, you can always go back to the beginning.

- Access recordings immediately after your broadcast. Once you're no longer On Air, your recording will be waiting for you on YouTube.

- Watch higher quality Hangouts On Air on the go. If you're tuning in from your mobile device, you'll notice better-looking video.

- Start live broadcasts without having to refresh. When you visit a page with a Hangout OnAi... more »

2013-05-07 17:28:28 (0 comments, 12 reshares, 36 +1s)

New to Analytics? +Jeff Sauer has a great presentation to help you get started.

Google Analytics Certified Partner Jeff Sauer created a great 101 presentation to help those who are new to Analytics. In it, you'll learn:

-What do Online Marketers often get wrong? 
-How to get Google Analytics on your site
-Mastering your initial setup of Google Analytics
-Advanced techniques and tactics to get the most out of Google Analytics

Check it out at the link below and start your analytics journey today.

2013-05-07 16:10:58 (1 comments, 4 reshares, 14 +1s)

Do You Need a Consultant or a Coach?

Professionally I fill roles as either a consultant or a mentor (some call it coaching), depending on the professional, company and situation. In my old line of work (enterprise technology) a consultant was usually a semi-temporary non-employee team member that was brought in to fill a specific gap in talent - and come off a different line item for payment in the books (no health insurance or taxes to pay either). Consultants felt a bit more expendable than employees, made more money, and were the first to get cut when budgets got tight.

In the true meaning of consulting (such as what my business partnership with +Faucet Group behaves as), the practice revolves more around generating new ideas and facilitating progress. Bringing in 'temp' help at an advanced level to get your company over a hurdle or growth jag - as well as infusinga ... more »

2013-05-07 13:03:24 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

Excited that +Geek Girl Camp founder +Leslie Fishlock and I were quoted in an article written by Candace Hammond today's Cape Cod Times newspaper.

My favorite quote (from me!!) is:

"Today's technology is nothing more than another way to communicate," Young says. "People put up artificial walls and say they are afraid of technology or don't understand it. As humans, it is in our nature to communicate with each other, and technology is just a tool to expand our reach."

A favorite quote from Leslie,

"The world is wired, so if you aren't then the world will most certainly pass you by," she says. "It's not a suggestion anymore. It's real life. And it is never too late to learn. I think a lot of people have a lot of pride and try to push it aside sometimes. Everyone needs to embrace it at any level.An... more »

2013-05-06 18:38:46 (0 comments, 11 reshares, 55 +1s)

Mixing digital technology and organic bodies to enhance senses. Brilliant!

2013-05-06 17:04:57 (20 comments, 3 reshares, 66 +1s)

Since I can't post about tech any longer this week (too many people felt they need to pee on the Internet to prove "they" are "right"), I thought I'd share the fact that I accidentally got smacked in the chin by my preschooler when he tried giving me a hug today at school drop off.

After an ER visit, I'm working from home for the rest of the day. I'm also on a liquid diet because I can't move my jaw (something about TMJ, need to consult Dr. Google about that) and have a double ear infection to boot. I'm thinking this isn't going to work out so well as someone that is a speaker / trainer for a living!

Here's hoping you have a better Monday than I am!!

2013-05-06 16:55:56 (30 comments, 44 reshares, 109 +1s)

The other day I shared an article (http://goo.gl/1jKkQ) about the 10 technology skills that will no longer get you hired. Today I found an article about the 10 tech skills that WILL get you hired.... today.

Some current favorites are HTML (I'd personally specify HTML5), Java/JavaScript, C#, and Python (which my 11 year old daughter has already taught herself).

The salaries don't look too shabby either, just keep in mind that's probably going to happen in tech hubs (Silicon Valley, Boston, Philly, NYC - where am I missing?) and with a bit of experience.

Shutting down comments yet again because people can't seem to understand that a share of an article and civil conversations are not the place to start pissing matches about who's tech is better.

2013-05-04 02:50:05 (57 comments, 92 reshares, 287 +1s)

As a 'reformed' enterprise technology engineer, I can add to this rather long list of outdated tech skills. Sadly I still see a lot of them listed prominently on LinkedIn profiles.

2013-05-02 19:25:21 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 20 +1s)

Pat Walsh, one of the +Faucet Group team, gives an insiders-look at the +Michael Port seminar "Book Yourself Solid - the Illustrated Version" he recently attended. Pat's excitement is contagious!

2013-05-02 15:15:23 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 19 +1s)

This quote stuck out to me immediately:

"Five years ago people thought Twitter was a bunch of bird spotters. Today, if you're not on Twitter and understand it, your business could be dead while you're thinking about it. Embrace media...and all the media available to you."

Online communications tech evolves at a much faster pace than corporations were used to even 10 years ago. Many companies are outsourcing or flat out hiring talent that can get them up to speed quickly and stay on pace with their competitors and the Internet.

Sadly, I still talk to people in 2013 that run mid-size companies that barely see a need for a website or blog let alone utilize digital communications and social networking. Well, hold on. That's not entirely true. Those companies that felt that way three years ago that still haven't jumped in are floundering and have dropped... more »

2013-05-02 14:24:43 (32 comments, 9 reshares, 74 +1s)

America is ready to elect its first Madam President. The thought of this in my lifetime makes me giddy.

Be sure though, that it needs to be the RIGHT person, woman or man, in that office. Picking women for the sake of picking women is stupid and actually sexist in my opinion.

2013-05-01 23:37:52 (9 comments, 26 reshares, 85 +1s)

Hangouts Remote Desktop: tech support with a personal touch

For those of you who play tech support for friends and family, there’s now a Hangouts app to make things easier -- powered by the same technology behind Chrome Remote Desktop. 

Hangouts Remote Desktop lets you help others by controlling their computer remotely (with their permission, of course). And because you’re both in a Hangout, you can talk with and see each other during the session.

To get started, just start a Hangout and click View More Apps > Add Apps > Hangouts Remote Desktop. 

Let us know what you think, and please keep the feedback coming!

#googleplusupdate

2013-05-01 15:25:19 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

I am a +Geek Girl Instructor and will be teaching two in-depth classes on Google+ and Google+ Hangout / HOA. If you've ever wanted to spend a day with me to pick my brain ... THIS is your chance!

Are you tech challenged? Need to get new skills for that dream job? Want to start your own company and need the latest in technology to get you going? There are plenty of classes and instructors available ranging from straight up coding to Photoshop and MicroSoft classes.

Info: *Geek Girl Tech Conference* at Cape Cod Massachusetts May 11th from 8am - 6pm! Follow for more info = http://bit.ly/13CfWfE

2013-05-01 13:47:37 (51 comments, 99 reshares, 365 +1s)

Sleeping giant no more...

2013-04-29 17:40:35 (35 comments, 1 reshares, 21 +1s)

I tried, really I tried...

+Google Drive is about the worst cloud storage I've used to date. I pay extra every month to use more storage, and so far I haven't been able to get  a fix to a problem I've been having for months. MONTHS.

I have Google Drive installed on three computers (one desktop Mac & 2 laptop Mac's) and iPhone and two iPads. Two of the computers - my MAIN desktop and my OLD laptop - will not recognize Google Drive under any circumstance. I've done every trick that is listed in official Google support forums (and a lot by 3rd party blogs) and still I'm stuck with a computer that cannot access 23G of data. Basically my desktop stopped recognizing my local sync Drive folder. The help documentation said to delete the folder and let the system re-sync it all. So I did. And now NOTHING works.

I'm crazy busy this weekbut pl... more »

2013-04-29 15:29:48 (27 comments, 16 reshares, 69 +1s)

Do You Really Need to Build a Professional Brand for YOU?

Building a 'brand' around yourself - not your company - is a topic I speak about quite often. I will be chatting it up again tomorrow at the MSPC's Executive Women's Networking Group in North New Jersey with some of the area's most successful women professionals. So, while I'm freshening up my thoughts on the topic, I wanted to have the same conversation with YOU.

The first point of contention is that a 'brand' is something that in today's aggressive business environment seems to be a volatile commodity. Brands can quickly become hot or cold in the eyes of consumers both because of actions from the 'brand' or external factors unrelated - or uncontrolled - by the brand. For example, Apple is a global company that sells electronics and operates a digital merchandise store.Above ... more »

2013-04-27 18:23:11 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 37 +1s)

At Philly Tech Week and watching 'speed talks' about local tech companies and startups gone big! Loved the +AWeber session by +Hunter Boyle!

2013-04-26 16:05:49 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 18 +1s)

I'm excited that a friend +David Thomas shared the beginning of the video series he's making on the city and our technology roots -- and future -- titled "Developing Philly". It's already an interesting look at the tech scene in the city of brotherly love!

Tonight and tomorrow I will be in Philly Tech Week (http://www.phillytechweek.com) for a handful of events and hope to run into some of the tech startups featured in the film!

2013-04-25 14:00:43 (20 comments, 3 reshares, 261 +1s)

Take Your Daughter to Work day.....

2013-04-25 19:36:59 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 34 +1s)

Today is "Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work" day. My office will soon be overrun by SIX preteen girls (and my poor little nephew).

By the end of the day I will have taught them all how to

1) properly use a Keurig machine
2) create and present a Power Point / Keynote presentation
3) write a summary of what the adults do every day at work

In reality they will run around like crazy and hit us all up for money for water ice.

EDIT: Apparently they have all decided to make a lemonade stand and set up shop outside the office. Entrepreneurship at its finest!

2013-04-25 13:30:56 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 25 +1s)

If you are at all interested in doing business online, +HubSpot's free 2013 State of Inbound Marketing report is now published. This is the 5th year Hubspot has published this report and I can tell you as an industry professional, their insights and advice is spot on.

I've already downloaded it and will read it over coffee this morning!

2013-04-25 02:12:03 (0 comments, 17 reshares, 71 +1s)

This is a powerful - and truthful - message about body image and women. Luckily people, both women and men, are made up of more than what we look like.

2013-04-24 19:03:42 (15 comments, 49 reshares, 151 +1s)

In my latest blog post at +SwellPath, I not only got to break down a super cool new functionality for Google+, but I released a free tool for composing and pushing out Google+ Interactive Posts on the fly!

Download the +Google+ Interactive Posts Command Center and let me know what you think.

2013-04-24 17:20:57 (25 comments, 1 reshares, 47 +1s)

I've been offline since yesterday evening and this is what I log back in to see. In less than 24 hours. I need to revisit the idea of a new assistant or intern! (My email inbox also contains nearly 100 actionable emails every day...)

How do you manage the tidal wave of information crashing at you every day?

2013-04-23 17:29:55 (8 comments, 31 reshares, 76 +1s)

How well do you know Google Analytics? Is GA all it's cracked up to be?

Now it's easy to figure out the answers to those questions, just checkout the wonderful Periodic Table created by the talented +Jeff Sauer.

You can access a easier to see mouse hoverable on each element version on Jeff's website: http://goo.gl/XDnQq <Click

It is also a handy list you can use when starting the process of buying a digital analytics tool. Use it for your RFP. [More: http://goo.gl/idgdJ]

For the next iteration it would be cool to link the table to helpful articles or even the support site so that you can learn more - and get so deep into this that you never come up to see the light of the day! :)

2013-04-22 21:13:29 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 23 +1s)

Google+ has always been a treasure chest of photographers and fans. Glad to see a popular resource join up in our communities!! (Now off to look around and see if they are iPhonegraphy-friendly!!)

2013-04-22 21:11:05 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Any Des Moines IA friends? I'll be out your way next month on May 15th.

(Just realized my birthday is the day after!)

2013-04-22 15:15:40 (5 comments, 2 reshares, 41 +1s)

This is such an incredible story and account of the Japanese internment camps written by
+George Takei for the +The Huffington Post. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, many Japanese/Asian-Americans were rounded up at gunpoint and forced to move "for their own safety". Sadly it was one of the United State's darker moments... one I hope we are smart enough to finally learn from.

My own grandmother was a Holocaust survivor (she passed away last May) so this story goes right to my heart. With so much finger pointing and stereotyping going on in the world today, George's message here is more important to heed than ever.