We launched our new website the week of April 9th…in the middle of the night (like all website launches go) and…voila! New digs! We hope you like them! We’ve added some new services, plus we’re launching a new Happy Hour series next month! Be sure to visit us often for latest happenings and sign up for e-mail updates.

In other cool news, last month ended with the Gasparilla International Film Festival and the 6th annual event earned itself a mention in the Hollywood Reporter, and Marvelless client Mark Kamp held his book launch party for Opportunity Rocks! in Cape Girardeau, MO. Plus our friend Shaun C. Robinson, CEO of Strong College Students was nominated for Black Enterprise magazine’s Small Business Awards 2012!

Speaking of nominations, I (Nancy) had the honor of being nominated for the Biz Bash Reader’s Choice Awards in the PR Professional of the Year category. It was really cool to be in the running with such dynamic industry talent! Many congrats to Mabel De Beunza of Fontainebleau Miami Beach who won in the PR Professional category and Alyssa Rhoads of Tampa Bay Business Journal who won Corporate Event Planner of the Year! And also, Monica Varner of Elan Event Studio, Event Producer of the Year and Brooke Palmer of RSBP Events, Social Event Planner of the Year who repped the Bay area as finalists! Kaidy and I headed down to Ft. Lauderdale on April 18 for the Biz Bash conference and to enjoy the event festivities.

We attended an innovation meeting hosted by 83 Degrees Media, Tucker Hall and the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, and within hours one of the many ideas that were discussed was launched! Check out 1,000 Small Businesses  in the Bay by clicking here. You’ll recognize number 28.

This cool week ended with an opportunity to hang out with the team at one of the coolest women-owned companies on the planet, Rhonda Shear Intimates and Shear Enterprises. I had the pleasure of introducing Rhonda at the Working Women of Tampa Bay’s first conference event on April 20.

That weekend I made the trip to the Sustainatopia Honors 2012 conference and awards where Kimberly Hendrix of khendrix was featured. It was inspiring to hear from social impact experts and influencers, along with sustainable companies that truly care about the current and future condition of our planet, environmentally and socially.

The same night our client/friends at Modfire were featured on DIY Network’s Yard Crashers. Plus an exclusive deal was signed this week – we can’t wait to announce AND they’re also featured in Dwell Magazine’s Outdoor, Special Edition 2012 (p. 104). Awesomeness!

And you know how some experiences just get you pumped and you want to do more, do better, be strong and maybe go a little hardcore? Well, that’s what Fuse Pilates’s exclusive preview of their method was like on Wednesday, April 25 at Exhale Spa in the Gansevoort Meatpacking District in NYC.

A select number of individuals were invited to experience the Fuse Pilates method, its first official debut in the Concrete Jungle. Media invitees from SELF, Whole Living and MSN’s Fitbie were in attendance, along with bloggers and other special invited guests.

Take a peak:

The event also included fabulous swag from: Hint Water, Twin Cottage Industries, Good Earth Tea, One Bar, Naked Calories by Mira Calton, Nutrience and Wonderful Almonds and Pistachios.

And finally, Kaidy and I ended this week at the swank Tampa Bay Metro’s Summer With Style event at Neiman Marcus, where there was divine Chocolates by Michelle and cute kids who were beneficiaries of The Children’s Dream Fund. Those wonderful children were really full of life, love and inspiration! And they did an excellent job of getting everyone to fork over some dough…White Book cheerfully included!

We can’t wait to see the greatness next month brings and are grateful for the cool happenings this month!

How have you found yourself grateful and inspired this week/month?

For those of you familiar, you know we embrace change and really dive into “experimenter” mode – almost like mad scientists with cute shoes.
Periodically we’ll go through a “scrub it clean, get(stay)-out-of-any clutter” process.

We put together a quick list of three tools that are keeping our organizational game in check…

Dropbox
With all of this “thinking outside the box” it’s time to get into the box (of sharing) if you’re not there already. Get out of your e-mail file folders (we know some of you live there) and share your documents, pics, etc. via Dropbox. Anyone whoever e-mails us a kazillion files automatically gets an invite to Dropbox. You’ve been warned!

Teuxdeux
It’s a simple “teux deux” list. We like to call them “ta da” lists, courtesy of our friend, Staci Backauskas because getting things done should be celebrated, as in “Ta da! It’s done!” And let’s face it, sometimes it is a bit of a wonder (perhaps, miracle?) how you get it all done, superstar! Well, we’ve found this simple type it in, cross it off, drag it to the someday list to be easy and efficient.

Socialcast
One of our favs. It’s like Facebook for your team. Yes, similar to private FB groups, but with Socialcast you can actually separate areas. Some info may only be pertinent to your HR team or your marketing team, etc. and you can house it all in one location and under different groups.

How are you staying organized?

Last night (3/28/12) Neiman Marcus hosted a mini- Shoe & Handbag preview (and while some were not able to make it out – next time!), it was nice to catch up amongst gorgeous shoes with those who were able to attend. For those who shop between March 29-April 1, bonus In Circle points – 10,000 bonus points, that is. Who doesn’t need another pair of shoes, right?

Tonight is Opening Night for the sixth annual Gasparilla International Film Festival, and the board has done another amazing job this year with film selections and participation from filmmakers and actors. More than 10,000 will be in attendance for the festivities.

Below is a run down of activities for GIFF, be sure to check out the website for more information. (Oh, and the secret location for the Closing Night party was also announced!)

Thursday, March 29
6pm-7:30pm: Opening Night VIP Reception at Tampa Theatre
7:30pm-10pm: Opening Night Film at Tampa Theatre
10pm-Close: Opening Night After Party at Fly Bar

Friday, March 30
5pm-12am: Film Screenings at Cinebistro Hyde Park & Muvico Ybor
6:30pm-9:30pm: Soundstage in Hyde Park Village – live music, beer trucks, food trucks
10 pm-Close: Celebrity bartending – 717 South

Saturday, March 31
11am-12am: Film Screenings at Cinebistro Hyde Park & Muvico Ybor
7:30-11:00pm: Reels on the Rooftop – Drive-in movie theatre on the Rooftop at Hyde Park Village
Until 12am: After party to follow until midnight on the rooftop

Sunday, April 1
11am-4pm: Film Screenings at Cinebistro Hyde Park & Muvico Ybor
4:30pm-7:30pm: Closing Night Film & Awards at Tampa Theatre
7:30-11pm: Closing Night Party atS.H. Kress & Co. Building

See you there!

83 Degrees Not Your Average Speaker Series ~ Creating Place: The Influence of Art & Design

Panelists include:
Bryan Roberts: Roosevelt 2.0
Monte Olinger: Baker Barrios Architects
Peter Hepner: Holmes Hepner & Associates Architects
Robin Nigh: City of Tampa
Shaun Drinkard: Tampa Downtown Partnership
Tracy Midulla Reller:Tempus Projects, [5]art

Moderated by: Peter Kageyama, Author of “For the Love of Cities”

Date: Tuesday, March 13
Time: 5-7pm
Location: Stageworks Theatre (1120 E. Kennedy Blvd., West Building)

Afterwards, enjoy extended happy hour specials at Pour House and Sea Dog Cantina. RSVP here!

See you there!

Below is a guest post from Christopher Wallace, VP of sales and marketing for Amsterdam Printing and fellow fan of the pretty, we mean, infographic.

What’s Your Point?: Designing Infographics for the 10 Second Attention Span

In the five minutes since I sat down to write this post, I got an email asking me to listen to my cousin’s band, and a Facebook alert that I’d been tagged in a photo. I clicked through to the band’s MySpace page and gave a few songs a ten second preview, simultaneously flipping through the Facebook picture album of a wedding I attended last month, giving each shot only the time it took to click to the next one.

Somewhere in the midst of it, I was reminded of a piece of stand-up by comedian Lewis Black I heard last week, where he fumes about scenarios like this, screaming, “No wonder we have Attention Deficit Disorder!”

He’s right. For most of us, our work hours are a constant battle between distractions and the task at hand. A byproduct of that has been the decline of email marketing as an effective tool, since we’re constantly in a quest to quickly hit ‘delete’ and tame our always-bulging inboxes.

Enter the infographic — of course, pie charts and bar graphs are nothing new, but in a world where we’re trained to skim instead of read, a picture is worth its weight in gold.

A good infographic needs to cater to the modern web surfer’s abbreviated attention span. Your goal here is to create something that within ten seconds will have not only conveyed its message, but inspired the viewer to share the image on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.

“In the first phase of a design project, I ask clients to define what their key message is,” says Randy Krum, the founder of InfoNewt.com, an infographics design firm. “If someone looks at this infographic for literally less than ten seconds, without reading into it, will they walk away with the key message the company wanted them to convey?”

Although this post won’t presume to teach you the years of training that talented graphic designers possess, it’s important for everyone involved in an infographic’s creation, from the boss to the writer, to understand what makes a good visual.

Keep It Simple
First, click here to look at this data set, collected by Hotels.com about what men and women want out of romance.

Second, check out this handy infographic created by InfoNewt to convey that information (click image for larger view).

Which one holds your attention longer? Most importantly, thanks to a clean three-color scheme and clear, uncluttered layering, we know exactly what we’re looking at.

Make it Timeless
The Hotels.com survey may have been conducted in 2012, but the information about what the other sex wants on Valentine’s Day is infinitely relevant. By turning percentage values into a visual, and offering us graphics to accompany other stats, we’re hooked in a matter of moments. Best of all, when we post to Facebook or ‘Pin it’ on Pinterest, it will spread and find new life next February.

Share It, with a Homing Device
An infographic’s best asset is its spread-ability. Don’t you think your friends would have appreciated this type of information as they planned their own Valentine’s dates last week? Of course, once the infographic leaves the Hotels.com site, it takes on a life of its own. Notice the link at the bottom of the graphic? Wherever it travels, it knows how to get its users back home.

Be Useful First, Sell Second
I’m a huge fan of this infographic by CertaPro Painters in Louisville, Kentucky. In a matter of seconds, I’m given ideas and justification for the colors I should paint each room in my house. It’s a detailed graphic, allowing me to dig in at my leisure, or I can just ‘Pin it,’ bookmark it, or drop it on my desktop and revisit it later when I’m ready to paint.

I don’t live in Louisville, but this graphic still has relevance to me. It’s something I would immediately think to send to a friend who just bought a house and is deciding on a color scheme. Of course, if that friend lives in Louisville, they’re now more likely to choose CertaPro Painters for their supplies and services.

Had the infographic bombarded me with CertaPro right at the top, I’d have likely disregarded it as useless marketing that was irrelevant to me.

Even if your company is a one-person show or doesn’t have a graphic designer, you can still use infographics to make your point. Sites like Many Eyes, Hohli and StatSilk offer simple tools to create charts and figures. Especially in the case of numbers, don’t just throw a bunch of statistics into an email and expect anyone to decipher it. Infographics make comprehension quick and easy, ensuring that you get your point across instead of being ignored. Use that to your advantage, and your company’s message will spread naturally.

~Christopher Wallace is vice president of sales and marketing for Amsterdam Printing, a leading provider of personalized pens, promotional pens, and other personalized items such as imprinted apparel and mugs and customized calendars.

Kristie Baxter Photography (Stock Vault)

We all know that people are on social media for different reasons. Some to interact with their family and friends, some for business, and some because someone else told them they were missing out if they weren’t on [insert any of the social media sites]. Oh, and of course, some for all of the above!

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, social media is a business tool. It’s not the magic bullet for business and shouldn’t replace other methods of getting the word out about your business. Especially when it comes to building and maintaining solid relationships with customers, media, vendors and partners.

Social media functions best through connections and is fantastic for outreach, but who do you really “know”? Can you really name all of your 2,000 Twitter followers? We dare you to try!

If you’re on social media for business, use the tools accordingly for your business, and be sure to reserve an opportunity for truly authentic connection on platforms. Don’t ask, “So what do you think about [insert your product/service]?” if you’re not prepared for honest feedback. People want to be heard. Indeed, filter through the naysayers, but be sure that you’re engaging with those individuals as well.

On the flip side, don’t ever underestimate the value of picking up the phone or lunch appointments. Actually “meeting people” (not Tweeple), speaking with them on the phone or even having an e-conversation that goes beyond 140 or 400 characters is critical. Some things to remember:

Filter Through Connections. Would you prefer 100 people who actually know and love your product, or 1,000 people who will never purchase a single thing from you? Quality versus quantity people will prefer the 100 because they know if they do a great job engaging those 100 individuals, those people will tell 10 more, who will tell 10 more, etc. Plus, the “who” you know is important when an actual relationship exists. Have you ever heard people say, “I’m Facebook friends with [insert person]”? And that means…?? Being connected is beneficial and can open the door to further communication, however, not if you’re not there to actually establish a relationship.

Do Your Research. Just because Susie is connected to Bob, who is connected to John, who is connected to your cousin, Faye…this does not mean that Susie can be “vouched” for. Having 50 people in common shouldn’t automatically make [insert name] your new BFF. Reach out to people you do know, ask questions, find out how they know “so-and-so,” and if they actually know so-and-so. You’ll be surprised at how much more valuable a connection may be when an actual relationship exists. Oh, and because it’s a small world after all…remember to always be good to people. Need a reminder? Go here.

Things Aren’t Always What They Seem. We’d like to believe that most people’s online personality is consistent with their real personality. Sense of humor? Great! Occasional snark? Cool! Full of wit? Brilliant! But you’ve heard of stage personality or persona, right? Some people just know how to “turn it on.” Same is true for social media interactions. Some people who have vibrant social media personalities may be horrible speakers and not the ideal keynote for your next event. Pick…up…the…phone and schedule a face-to-face meeting.

What other tips do you have to build and maintain relationships beyond social media?

If you haven’t heard of the site, consider yourself warned, because it’s slightly addictive. You come to realize how powerful visual stimulation is and may become a pinning fool. Pinterest serves as an inspiration or a vision board for some, a showroom for others and another way for people to express themselves.

We know that you may be overwhelmed with all of the available social media tools, however, if this one is right for your business, you’ll find that the interaction is different and rather enjoyable. Who doesn’t like to look at cool visuals or get inspired?

Some quick ways to jump in on the fun:

Share Your Personality
Whether you’re pinning for your business or for yourself, or collaborating on a board, Pinterest allows you to share a little bit of your personality with the world. Who knew you liked tattoos and puppies, right? How does this help from a business perspective? While some may be concerned about sharing too much, sharing things that resonate with your business or personal brand allows you to attract the types of clients who want to work with you and whom you’ll also want to have as customers. Plus, they may serve as great conversation starters!

It’s Not Just About You
As with all social media sites, the goal should be connection for businesses and while you’ll be pinning for your board, don’t just pin about your business or your clients’ businesses. Yes, upload your latest products, but also share the inspiration behind the product, which may make for great visuals. For instance, a fashion designer may share a landscape scene that inspired her new collection. While it’s about her new collection, it’s not just the finished product with a price tag. She’s sharing the story.

Be Creative
You have an opportunity to share quickly with Pinterest and it doesn’t take a lot of effort for people to become engaged with your boards and pins. You can share pictures of your staff when they were kids and have your clients/customers guess which pic belongs to whom or posts pics of your pets or even before and afters.

One question we received from a client is whether they should follow or re-pin images from their competitors. This definitely depends on your business. (Note: Do not get yourself fired! And use good judgment!) You’re probably not likely to re-pin or like all of your competitors’ products, however, if there’s something you like and it’s appropriate, why not? Your Pinterest account, boards, pins, etc. may then be used as a resource or “must visit” since you’ve pinned the coolest, most interesting things, regardless.

How are you using Pinterest?

(*Updated 2-1-2012: Also known as rip-off artists.)

We helped to bring a dynamic panel of women together for Working Women of Tampa Bay‘s Spotlight Series. Featured speakers included:

• Diane Egner, publisher and managing editor of 83 Degrees Media
• Nancy Walker, president and CEO of Walker Brands
• Bridgette Mill, publisher of the Tampa Bay Business Journal
• Korey Beyersdorf,  casting and media director at HSN and owner of Avonlea Communications

Walker Brands, Tampa Bay's first Gold LEED certified building

The event was hosted at Walker Brands, Tampa’s first LEED Gold certified building. Upon entrance, you immediately recognize that the building naturally fosters creativity, and I’ve always said that when you’re in that space ~ you just feel smarter. It’s a smart space, with smart people!

The night began with mingling, light bites from Tatiana’s, sweet treats and wine from Carol Prokap of PR Wine International, and then we opened up into the discussion.

While the audience was largely made up of small business owners and working professionals, the questions I selected for the panel were not just business focused. As women, I believe we recognize the whole person – what makes them who they are personally (as a wife, mother, sister, aunt, friend, etc.) and professionally (entrepreneur and/or executive). There are varying opinions on a balanced life, and blending and/or balancing our professional and personal lives is an act that is ongoing. I wanted the questions to share with the audience how these dynamic women make it all happen successfully.

There was valuable information shared and as one of the women noted, we could have talked all night! There were several smart and valuable sound bites and tips shared. Here were some of my favorites:

“Don’t do more, do less well.” This one was courtesy of Nancy W. She shared this nugget when an audience member wanted to know how to cram all the “to dos” a small business owner has into a day. Instead of trying to figure out how to do more and driving yourself crazy, it makes so much sense to just do a fantastic job on a few things.

“Only do what you can do,” was a tip Diane shared from a friend. (One who is actually a special friend to me as well, Deanne Roberts, who has undoubtedly left her legacy here on earth. We love and miss you, Deanne!) Another useful tip from Diane was her use of lists for clarity and identifying strengths. She said she broke down her list to include:

• What I like to do that I’m good at
• What I don’t like to do, but that I’m good at
• What I’m not good at, but I like to do
• What I’m not good at and don’t like to do

After identifying these things, she worked to eliminate that last bullet.

They’re watching! Bridgette shared the secret (and at White Book, we know, not so secret) fact that the media is looking at your social media profiles. Your tone and tweets on Facebook, Twitter, etc. would do well to match the tone and image of your business brand. If your personal profile isn’t for public consumption, you may need to use some of Facebook’s privacy filtering features. Your goal as a business owner is to a leave a positive impression.

And Nancy W. added that how you feel now, may not be how you feel about an issue, topic, etc. in two years. Think about how much you’ve grown in the last five years…two years…heck, this month! Think before you post (both comments and pictures)!

Keeping it real and training. Korey shared the importance of being realistic with yourself. As the casting and media director for HSN, she frequently receives requests from people who want to see themselves on television. She shared how it’s not just a great product, a pretty face or even that “spark” that’s going to seal the deal. It’s a combination of these elements…and training, that helps.

Each of these women is admired, respected in the community and inspires others in some way, shape or form in their profession. Last night’s event was informative and a great reminder to stay inspired on our entrepreneurial and professional journeys.

What and who keeps you motivated and/or inspired? What questions do you have about the media and business?

We hope to see you there!

We hope your year is off to a fantastic start and you’re on track with your business and personal resolutions for the year.

It’s easy to start off full steam ahead and then the momentum starts to slow down or excitement wanes because: you’re bogged down with e-mails, calls and/or follow-up, you ran just a few minutes behind schedule, deadlines are approaching and well,…life.

Hopefully you’re not experiencing any of these things yet and you’re still moving along. There may be a day in coming weeks when things just don’t go as planned and we wanted to send you some quick tips to refer back to so that you stay motivated:

Divide and Conquer
Whether you do this now or later, break up your goals and to-dos in manageable pieces. In business life, sometimes what you think is supposed to be on your plate may need to shift to someone else’s or you may want to tackle things at a later time. Review your list of goals and resolutions frequently as this will allow you to make adjustments as necessary, delegate and/or eliminate. When you mark out steps toward your goal, this may include pushing back your timeline (on occasion). This is OK. It’s better to give yourself a little more time to work toward your goal (if you have the flexibility) than to give up all together.

Consider giving yourself benchmarks to check in against as well and allowing yourself at least 90 days to complete large projects (e.g. launching new campaigns or programs, hosting an event, writing a new chapter for your book, etc.)

Enlist Allies
Sometimes it’s easy to charge full speed ahead with your goals, passing all others and leaving them in the dust! Fantastic when this goes as planned, not so much when you need assistance through the process. If you launched out the gate really quickly, well…it may be a long walk back. Call upon your business peers who are able to assist you with select endeavors. Sharing what your goals are:

a) allows others to share their experiences (learning how someone else set-up their CRM or is tackling their project management is a time-saver and may prevent costly mistakes), and

b) provides you with an accountability partner who can give you that extra push when you need one.

It may also give you a much needed break from all the to-dos when necessary, with quick coffee/tea/smoothie breaks. You can share your Google calendars with one another, create a private Facebook group or use a collaboration site like Socialcast to check in and keep track of your progress.

Pace Yourself
Here’s where we plug in: “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and “Money doesn’t grow on trees” cliches. It’s going to take equal amounts of patience (to build the empire) and hard work to achieve your business goals (oh, and if money did grow on trees, even planting those things wouldn’t be a breeze!). If you decide to showcase a new product or service, but it’s not moving as quickly as you’d like, you’ll have to solicit feedback, make adjustments, re-launch. Perhaps your media campaign gains some momentum but seems to stall or halt. You’ll need to be open to switching gears, reaching out to different and perhaps new outlets and re-crafting your pitch.

Sometimes you have to go cold turkey, but moderation can be everyone’s friend…so pace yourself when it comes to your business goals (and maybe even personal). After all, it has only been five days! If you’re slacking in reaching your goals or staying on track in June, let us know and we’ll give you some tips to jump start your “get up and go”…or scare you straight into action.

Let us know how things are going thus far and what tips you have to stay on track!