12 Qualities of a Social Expert

How good are your social skills? Here's a quick list of qualities only the most proficient of social artists can boast. Learn these skills and you'll be well on your way to becoming a social bad ass. How many boxes can you check?

   1. Being a good listener

   2. Introducing yourself

   3. Breaking bad moods

   4. Remembering the person you came with

   5. Heartfelt compliments

   6. Talking about the other person

   7. Being real

   8. Knowing how to accept compliments

   9. Reading the signals

   10. Looking at everyone in the conversation

   11. Making someone else the expert

   12. Accentuating the positives

No matter how social you think you are, it's important to continue refining your skills. Even the most advanced have room for improvement. Continue growing you social skill set: Social Skills Checklist

Dogs in the Office

Bo, accompanying the President on his daily errands.

Allowing your four-legged friend to join your work day is cute and everything, but there are actual, real benefits to having pets in the workplace that extend beyond simple novelty:

1. Improved Health

[Companionship and closeness = higher levels of serotonin and oxytocin
= more positivity and more energy]

2. Stress Relief
[Stress balls are way more fun to fetch]

3. Heightened Creativity
[Higher levels of activity and interaction create a more engaging and energetic workplace]

4. Increased Productivity
[Adding another responsibility to your daily workload may seem counterproductive, but it’s quite the opposite]

5. It’s good for the dogs too

[Quality of life means longer life]

6. Atmosphere and Personality

[A positive, energetic workplace boosts productivity and creativity]

7. Contagious Compatibility

[Dogs help to connect with customers]

For the full read, check out the original article: 

Pets in the Workplace

7 Things You Should STOP Doing (Socially)

No matter how advanced you suppose your social skills to be, there is always room for improvement. Hopefully this list will help you become a better person socially by knowing what behaviors to avoid:

1. Gossip

[Gossip can be social poison]

2. Negativity

[Don’t be a Debbie Downer]

3. Making everything about you

[And PLEASE don't try to "one-up" the person talking]

4. Interrupting

[Hold your thought until the other person has completed his/hers]

5. Using others as an emotional dumpster
[Save it for a few close friends]

6. Talking about people or topics others can’t relate to

[Don’t alienate members of conversation]

7. Talking too much about yourself

[Know when to shut up]

For more social help, check out the full list: 

Social Skills Checklist

Experiential All-Stars

When planning an experiential marketing campaign, it's important to consider what motivates consumers' basic desires and emotions, research what has been successful in the past, and establish specific, strategic objectives.

Here are a few great examples (Each is linked to original context):

1. Share a Coke

"Share a Coke", a campaign that started in Australia in 2011, began with the swapping out of the Coke name on Coke bottles with the individual names of people. It worked

2. Red Bull

Almost everything Red Bull does is experiential marketing. Red Bull's sports sponsorships, the F1 racing team, the Red Bull Music Academy, the Stratos Jump, and even Red Bull Girls are testaments to the brand's ongoing marketing efforts

3. Don't Be A Lab Rat

In the wake of marijuana legalization, the State of Colorado worked together with Sukle, a Colorado-based advertising agency, to come up with a way to acknowledge the debate over the consequences of marijuana usage by younger users.

Each example is linked to a more thorough description with photos and all that. Happy Marketing!

Favorites from Expo West

The Natural Products Expo West took place in Anaheim this March. The show was bigger and more impressive than ever. Here are a few brands that impressed me the most.

Each brand is linked to original context:

1. Vertical Water - Water derived from maple trees

2. Smari Organics - Icelandic yogurt

3. Van's Foods - Gluten-free snack foods

4. Evolve - Plant-based protein drink

5. Duke's - Smoked meats

6. Free2b Foods - Allergen-free chocolate treats

7. Tasty Bite - Frozen meals

8. NatureRaised Farms - Wholesome food options

9. TANKA - Tender beef bars

10. Noosa Yoghurt - Gourmet yoghurt

11. Wonder Fuel - Coconut oil energy beverage

Each brand is linked to a more thorough description. The show was overwhelming, but fun. I can't wait for next year!

Benefits of Working on Your Feet

1. Workstation:

Not simply a desk where I locate yourself daily, but a workstation. Working with focus for extended periods of uninterrupted time can become monotonous and exhausting, so standing helps break up those long periods.

2. Back-wellness:

Sitting compresses the spine far more than standing. When sitting, the core is not as activated as it is when standing, which is essential to good posture. Standing properly loads our bodies key positioning of our shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles, and reduces our discomfort. You will notice more energy, and less back pain & fatigue after only two days of standing while working.

3. Unforeseen benefits:

The following was only realized after my decision to transition to the standing workstation:

a) Standing puts me up at eye level when speaking with someone who has approached, where previously, people would stand over me, talking down, or even behind me over my shoulder. This change has had an immediate effect on subliminal communication, body language, and general conversation within the team and especially with guests. It has seemed to neutralize and even things out.

b) My higher workstation now separates public and private space more clearly in my small area, clearly defining my space differently from a lower common table in the middle of the shared working area.

c) It is easier to move away from the workstation quickly without having to get up, and I find myself moving away and returning more frequently because I'm already standing.

4. Increased energy:

I feel more focused, have more energy, and seem to be less tired when I leave at the end of the day.

5. Less laziness:

I don't want to sit all day just because dogma, habit, and assumption have defined the evolution of the modern office the last 100 years.

6. *Mic drop*

4 AM

*disclaimer*: this isn't a sob story or anything, I just needed to write down some of my thoughts, and I don't care if other people read them.


Anyway, I still don't know what i'm doing with my life. And as much as I hate to reference a musical, an example to which most you theatre "freinds" can relate would be that I feel a lot like Princeton searching for his purpose. But that's just about the only similarity--I am niether light orange nor made of cloth...and by no means do I let people stick their hands up my butt to get a reaction from me, but most of you know that already.

I'm rambling.

Anyway, I'm still closed. About as closed as that Venture that used to be on Shawnee Mission Pkwy near Pflumm (now it's the big Powerplay). If you know me well, you know how I tend to hide my feelings and emotions. I'm getting better at it. So good luck.

boring..

I'm going to KU now (obvious statement of the day), and I am really enoying it so far (not quite as obvious, but predictable). I have my own little apartment all to myself, which is nice when you want to be naked, but sucks when you want to be social...(or socially naked.. :-/). But anyway, it's comfy. Classes are good, weather is nice, football game was awesome (good start to the season).

what else...

All-in-all, I couldn't be more happy with my life right now....ok well, that's not true, but it's hard for me to be negative. Even though my life may not be "ideal", I like to see it as art, like something created, and I can appreciate it better that way (even though it might look ugly in some parts to some people--especially to me). Regrets?..I don't have any. Mistakes, I have plenty..but no regrets. Everything is a learning process, and the mistakes we make decide who we become, which is never anything but perfect.

wow. eloquent....

umm..that's all ya get for now. I'm tired.