I recently attended the 2008 Internet Summit in close by Chapel Hill, NC. The line-up for the event was somewhat impressive for the Southeast- bringing in Gian Fulgoni Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, comScore, Tim Schiegel CEO of ShareThis & Mike Doernberg CEO of Reverb Nation. One of the speakers that really struck a chord, and delivered such a compelling speech was Bob Young.  Bob originally co-founded Red Hat and then moved on to build one of the most successful self publishing companies in the world. One of the best attributes I think Bob Young posses is the ability to be REAL.  What I mean by real is that there is no false facade when he speaks... heck, he doesn't even really get dressed up to speak in front hundreds of professionals!  and with that, he speaks humbly and gives great sound advice. Here is some bullet points I learned: -Bob Young explains, "I am lazy. I must have a coping mechanism to get out of bed. So I figured I would  only do the things I love." Define and concentrate in on your coping mechanisms. Never waste time doing things you don't want to do. -There is not one way to do ...

Hello! Here is the latest Seesmix which sadly, is Giselle Kennedy (the stellar host of Seesmix) last Episode. I had the amazing opportunity to meet Giselle when I went out to San Francisco for the TechCrunch conference. We are all going to miss her being away from Seesmic, but I am truly happy that she is taking the time to do some freelancing, explore the world, and enjoy life. If you have never met Giselle-you should! She has an amazing spirit and overall, is just a fun loving gal. My best wishes go to you Giselle, and hopefully we will cross paths again! Seesmix: November 13th, 2008

Am I going to the LeWeb Conference in Paris, France on December 9th and 10th of this year? Watch the video to find out... I think one thing that I failed to capture in this video is the amount of excitement I have for receiving this opportunity. Also, I want to further highlight how thankful I am for having iContact sponsor my trip. I have such enormous respect for my employer and truly want to extend a true "thank you" for this wonderful opportunity (special thanks to Ryan Allis and Chuck Hester for all their help). I will be working as a representative for iContact while I am there- so if any of you have questions regarding email marketing, be sure to hit me up! I would also like to take time out to thank Seesmic- Loic and Geraldine, for all their help with logistics. You have made a tremendous impact on my life in the last few months, and I would like to thank you for your kindness. I can't wait to go to LeWeb and report back to the lovely Seesmic Community! As I mentioned in my introductory post about LeWeb, I am overwhelmed with passion for changing the world. Please ...

I recently took a trip up to Washington D.C. to visit a few friends while celebrating Halloween and overall, basking in the beautiful weather. On Friday the 31st, We ventured downtown to take part in the riff-raff. Someone managed to snap a picture of me in my Hugh Hefner outfit, right as we were about to board the metro at 2:30am. Classy, right? Amidst the holiday weekend, I wanted to share a few thoughts with my kind readers. 1) I found that spending time with ones you love, friends old and new, makes life truly inspiring. This year alone I have had the great privilege to enjoy my free time with good friends and colleagues (despite how busy life has been). 2) Complain only when it is necessary. When I was younger, I made a mess of complaining to my parents, teachers, etc. about how difficult life can be.  I now know to take life as it comes and embrace going with the flow. 3) Everyone should travel. Whether it is 30 miles down the road or 3,000 miles cross country. Getting the chance to see our great nation (as well as other fascinating countries in the world) allows great knowledge to be shared, ...

Bonjour Readers, I am writing this blog entry to patiently ask for your help. In my best effort, I am trying to raise money for a plane ticket to the LeWeb 2008 Conference in Paris, France on December 9th/10th of this year.  Before you close out of this window or click the back button on your browser, I encourage you to hear my reason and overall- the passion I have for wanting to go. The first thing you may be wondering is, " Why are going through all this effort just to attend a Technology conference?" Well my friends,  here is my answer: LeWeb is not just another conference. It is an event created by Geraldine & Loïc Le Meur looking to inspire conversation on wider array of topics than just technology. Yeah, technology is an important aspect of our future, but can technology be used in other sectors as well? Perhaps for social change? I want to go to the conference to discuss with companies and startups and invoke conversation on how we can change the world. I strongly believe that technology will play a huge role in accommodating and perhaps solving some of the world's most difficult issues. So this ...

So I sign onto Seesmic last week (after a week and half sabbatical; occupied by moving to a new place and getting situated), and notice that many of my fine Canadian friends were having trouble signing on. I was soon notified via Twitter by Jennavive and Miranda McCurlie , some fine Toronto-nians (is that a real phrase? cool I just made it up) that the Rogers Communications Provider went out in the city. This means no Internet anywhere... WHAT!?!? do you know the ramifications that would occur if say, AT&T or Verizon went out in the states? Major refunds and a heckling from a wide consumer base. Maybe these things just happen in Canada... Please enjoy this fine clip of me being picked up in yet another Seemsix Episode. I love you guys over at Seesmic! SSeesmic eesmix 91! Post Script: I added Seesmic Comments. So if you have a webcam, please leave a video comment!

Last week we re-debuted the Social Media Club-RDU chapter and hosted our first meeting back- at iContact. With help from my colleagues Chuck Hester, Wayne Sutton, James Wong, and Lisa Braziel- we held a panel discussion on, "Who owns Social Media?" There was a good showing, great conversation, and a hope to keep the buzz surrounding Social Media alive in North Carolina. The meeting brought together several different viewpoints on social media and how it should be used in the workplace. I believe we came to a consensus on the fact that social media isn't owned or managed by one specific department, but the focus should lie on how it is carried out by members of any specific organization. Other topics associated with the conversation include: Brand Reputation and Management, SEM/SEO, and the use of various media outlets. Below is a picture of yours truly making a presentation about Seesmic/TechCrunch 50 and how I have used it to meet great people and get to do amazing things . Be sure to check me and other attendees of the SMC-RDU, in the video on 30Threads' "Who and what is Social Media?" Apparently someone commented with, "Taylor is the best" in the video comments. ...

I am back! It took me a week to get my head straight, catch up on work related stuff, and read all of YOUR wonderful blogs.  For those of you curious of where I have been, I was in San Francisco to meet up with the fine folks behind Seesmic and to attend the amazing Tech Crunch 50 Conference. Here is my story... Tuesday, September 3rd- I sign on to Seesmic at about 10:00 p.m. and find out there is a contest running to win a ticket to be a Seesmic Reporter at Tech Crunch 50 the following week.  Rules were simple: Make a 30 second video (which I broke the rules! whoops.) explaining why you should be the Seesmic Reporter at the conference. I stay up till around 1:30 am figuring out what I was going to do. I came up with an idea, did a few takes and then finally submitted. Wait... What happened to my video? It got lost in cyberspace and I went to bed slightly annoyed. Wednesday, September 4th- After I find out that my video was in fact "gone," I rushed home after work to record my final chance for the ticket. To tell you the ...

How about it? a credit card that helps your charity go even further. For those of you unaware of Kiva, it is organization that allows users to finance entrepreneurs in developing countries with small loans. People just like you and I can sign up through their website and support a butcher looking to open his/her own shop, or a designer looking to sell his or her clothes to their community. Here is the back story: Credit card issuer Advanta entered into a partnership with Kiva. The initiative is called KivaB4BProject and Advanta will match the loans made by business card holders with up to 200 US$ per card. Card holders simply select a business owner to sponsor through Kiva and make a grant using their Advanta Business Card. Advanta matches that grant, dollar for dollar, and Kiva distributes the total resulting funds. If you are a business owner, I urge you to at least give this card a try. I think it would be a great way to instill philanthropic initiatives; give the Kiva B2B Card to managers and employees that have expense reporting, and be satisfied with a shared contribution. For more information please visit their site here. Best wishes, Taylor

Greetings! As responsibilities and activities in my life start to re-develop, I have been somewhat, "slackish" on my website and blog posts. I would like to thank all the people who comment and subscribe (I truly appreciate all your support), and apologize for the recent lackadaisical attitude. Now on to the post... How do you know your following your heart and choosing what is best for you? When do you know to leave a certain situation to seek better opportunities both professionally and personally? I have asked myself these questions, more than once in the past few months. Here are a few tips that walked me through a positive transition: Find what motivates you, then go after it! Sometimes it takes people years to find their niche or area of specialty. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself on what inspires you- day in, day out. Break those Excuses: Never make excuses for yourself. People get comfortable with situations. Regardless if the situation or activity provides a positive or negative outcome in their lives, it is sometimes human nature that tells us to stay comfortable. Don't be afraid to ask yourself, "Is this the job I can't wait to get out of bed for in ...