Date: May 2013

Kylie Saw from Marketing Eye Melbourne office did some investigation into a new trend on Twitter. This is what she found:

According to the latest figures from Emarketer, Twitter is now the fastest growing social media networking site in the world.

Over the years, we’ve witness how Twitter has transformed into different versions of itself while maintaining the core elements. For instance, integration with other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, Photo Card to attach photographs and App Card to promote directly to mobile phone applications. Today, Twitter is recognized as the best social media channel for lead generation. And subsequently, is identified as a key marketing tool for brands everywhere.

Just this week, Twitter has unveiled an upgraded feature on its Twitter Cards program – the ‘Lead Generation Card’.

This Card is exactly as its name suggests – it generates leads.

I sat in my car on my one-hour journey to work in the frantic combustion of Melbourne peak hour traffic, I flicked the radio channel from Mix to Fox Fm to Nova trying to find some music, anything to pass the time. As per usual, there was no music playing but rather the drone of their voices over the latest hot gossip on celebrities and news of the world.

As they chatted about celebrities’ latest love affairs, divorces, D.U.I (drinking under the influence), drug dependencies and criminal convictions I wondered what a life of money and fame would be like.

I met a guy at the bar at Treetops Restaurant on Peachtree Road in Atlanta a few months ago. He had a hint of an Australian accent and in no time at all was talking to me about how we both derived from Australia and were embarking on business expansion.

Quite a smart man, he was fascinating in so many ways; his knowledge of the world, people, psychology, business and his story on how he had grown up and started doing what he does today. I would imagine him to be a highly successful businessman who commands the attention of everyone in the room.

This morning I was a little shocked. Someone who I had never had a conversation with, who is an indirect competitor of my business, said something that was defamatory about my character.

12-months ago, I would have fallen in a heap, so devastated by someone actively going around (in this case internationally) to deliberately try and ensure that an opinion was made of me that is not only incorrect, but is made to ensure that others have the same opinion.

‘Every risk is worth taking as long as it’s for a good cause and contributes to a good life’ Sir Richard Branson

It’s been a while since my last post when I decided to ditch my un-planned plan of travelling, chilling out, having some ‘me time’ (as the self help books would put it) and taking a breath. Let me tell you; I’ve been taking a lot of deep breaths in the last couple of months (into a paper bag at times) and it’s not that I haven’t thought about posting it’s just, well, I haven’t quite known how to articulate what’s been going on.

As I sit here in front of my computer, thinking about what to write, I am overcome with guilt. I haven't written in two weeks. This is so unlike me. I enjoy sharing my journey, or things that I have learnt from sitting at my desk as the Managing Director of Marketing Eye. It's quite therapeutic in so many ways. 

An update:

The once applauded "Tiger Mom" has taken a fall from grace in the past few years, receiving criticism from psychologists around the world.

It's a parenting style that is all too familiar for anyone over the age of 40 years, and still exists in some countries that continue to support this method of parenting.

For those who are not familiar, the Tiger Mom has come under scrutiny and criticism, due to her stricter parenting styles and the authoritative voice of the parent. It promotes conformity over creativity and the child does as they are told.

Stuck on a plane somewhere between Chicago and Los Angeles, I pulled out a magazine I had bought at the airport. It's one of my favorites and is always full of stories that inspire, educate and enlighten me on topics that are interesting.

Inc Magazine is an entrepreneurial stable. It is one of the most popular magazines in the world for entrepreneurs and people who run businesses. One of my good friends Kevin Daum, a guy that I met way back in 2002 in Sydney, Australia, is a New Yorker who submits regular articles to Inc Magazine that are read by thousands of people.

As I read the article, "I thought I knew you - Entrepreneurship changes people - and not always for the better", I reflected on my own experiences.

Has entrepreneurship changed me? Is it for the better?

Do you actually know what get's you in the door of a prospect? If you don't, then there is someone who you need to meet. Her name is Caryn Kopp. Seriously, if you run a small business, you need to remember this name because she is dynamite, built in a small package with an enormous explosion just ready to come out at any time. The explosion however, isn't the kind that you need to be afraid of. Instead, its a bundle of energy that opens doors; left, right and center.

I met Caryn Kopp in unusual circumstances - for me at least! In the restroom of the Nascar Center in Charlotte, North Carolina at around 10pm at night.

Apparently, as she later explained, she saw me earlier in the evening and thought I was beautifully dressed (thanks to the great designs of Sass and Bide in Australia). Her immediate reaction was to think that perhaps she didn't wear something that was dressy enough. She noticed the long, blonde hair on the black dress and the risque spikes that turned what is otherwise a pretty dress into one that is there to be noticed. She then looked at the name badge and although, like most of us, she had trouble focusing on the small print, she noticed the spelling of my name on the badge. It's unusual.