I am very excited to announce I have been nominated to be the 2009 Canada’s Mom Entrepreneur of the Year!

*pause* I know, huge.

This prestigious award has been awarded to incredible Canadian Mom Entrepreneurs who I aspire to have as mentors and is sponsored by Savvy Media Inc., Today’s Parent, Enterprising Mom’s Network and Joe Fresh Style, just to name a few.

I was more than surprised by this honour and would very much like to win this award for a few reasons. I would like my kids to see that others have selected “mom” for an award for her work in her business and for them to see that it is possible to be successful with your children AND your business. I also would like to win so that the award prize ($15,500) can be invested into our Brands for a Better World program which benefits others!

I need your VOTE to win and it looks like I have some catching up to do as voting began in May and ends in August. (Yikes!)

Top Votes=Mom Entrepreneur of the Year

All you need to do is take 2 seconds (literally) to click on any link in this email and go to my nominee Mom Entrepreneur of the Year profile and click on SUBMIT YOUR VOTE NOW.

I would also ask you to please forward this email to all the people you know who would kindly support me by voting. THANK YOU!!!!

For those of you who have not met me, below are the highlights of my nomination profile:

WHO IS: Sandy Gerber, 3 DEGREES WEST Design & Communications

-Single Mom, Lindsay(7), Jack(6)
-Partner, Successful Brand, Creative and Marketing Agency
-Child Mentor, Kidstart Mentoring Program
-Author-Mom By Design (Design the Motherhood you REALLY Want)
-Bridges To Community Volunteer (Home Builder in Nicaragua)
-Weekend To End Breast Cancer Top Fundraiser
-Artist, Published Poet and Karaoke Fan
-Kid at Heart

AWARD PLANS:
“I would celebrate accordingly – with my kids (a first time ever in Disneyland for the three of us!) and with my business partner (in developing our Brand For a Better World Program which gives to others!)” ~ Sandy Gerber

To vote: http://momentrepreneuraward.ca/MomBio.aspx?momID=362

I sincerely thank you for your time and your consideration.

Cheers,
Sandy

I had the pleasure this afternoon to interview Kye Grace, a local Vancouver Realtor……
truth be told Kye was gracious enough to be my guinea pig as I delved into the dimension of podcasting!

I hadn’t yet met Kye in person, as we’d established a two dimensional relationship through the filter of TWITTER, so as you can imagine I was curious to see how his effective online brand and personality translated in person…….is it aligned and is it authentic? By the completion of our interview I can tell you a confident YES.

The reason I asked him to join me as our first guest was because online he is a standout, a relevant voice, backed up with real action and dimension in an industry, I consider to be, filled with cardboard cutouts cut from the same old traditional marketing mold and methodology. At first glance Kye is the guy next door, with an unsuspecting, warm smile, but then you get him talking about his industry and the passion that drives him and he gets this bright, keen glint in his eyes. It’s very quickly clear that he has created his brand very deliberately, and has plans to continue be on the bleeding edge of brand marketing in this tired industry.

If you want to learn a few things about standing out with your marketing and developing a “remarkable” brand have a listen to what this local Vancouver Realtor, who is generating recognition world wide in just his first year in the business, has to say……

Podcast : Karley Cunningham, 3 Degrees West Podcast with Kye Grace a Vancouver Realtor >>

I created a Twitter account because a person I know, who I value as an intelligent, professional business mind recommended the tool.(@BrandMaven)

My first questions were, “What is Twitter?”, “How do you use it?” and “Is it like Facebook?”- which I believe Facebook to be a cardholder for social inequities and a time waster for the popularity challenged.

To my great surprise, Twitter’s efficiency in connecting with others, broadening your personal and business networks and updating your activity to your followers is astounding! I jumped on the Twitter train, with no hesitation and I am loving the ride.

One of the things I have enjoyed most from Twitter is the learning and insight I have gleamed of the different stages I experienced in Twitterville.

From my perspective, there are really Four Stages of Twitter Life:

STAGE ONE: “The Tweetbie”

The Tweetbie is a new Twitter account owner, who has been referred to Twitter. He or she is optimistic and excited by followship growth of direct contacts and peers. The primary Tweetbie purpose of adapting to Twitter is to try the tool, to be cool. The Tweetbie typically for the first two weeks is active in posting tweets about their personal activities, food selections, weather and responds (”replies”) to his direct tweet network. He or she uses ample references to “tweet” in their posts, the Tweetbie is easy to spot.

STAGE TWO: “The TweetSpy”

The TweetSpy is a user who has been active on Twitter for a few weeks/months and is envious of profiles with tons of followers. This curious tweeter is extremely excited by receiving followship from strangers (a really cool feeling, making you feel worthy) and has dabbled in replying to people he does not know directly. The TweetSpy reads his/her tweets actively and begins to investigate the ample Twitter tools available.

*****This is a pivotal stage for the twitterer - it is at this moment that he/she chooses to make Twitter an active part of the day (read:a time committment) and he/she has shifted the posts from self confessions to responding to others and engaging potential Tweetbies from their network. The TweetSpy’s purpose is to connect with others, feel ignited by the knowledge sources and incredible possibilities of the tool.

STAGE THREE: “The TwitFix”

This stage of twittering is a blast and once you experience it, you will know the true beauty of Twitter. A TwitFix user is one who is focused on growing their followship - but for purposes of learning, growing and connection. It is at this TwitFix stage, that the Twitter user realizes how the tool connects us geographically by our profiles, interests and humour. There are conglomerate communities at this stage that enrich and focus on specific likemindedness. Some excellent examples (these are only a tiny spec of what is available):

TwitterMoms(personal fav), Authors, Coupon Crazy People, Dallas Cowboys Fans, Entrepreneurs, Firefighters, iPhone Developers, Military Family, Musicians, NASCAR, Networking Divas, Nurses, Plurk Users, Seattle SeaHawks, Small Business Owners, Tupperware Reps, Work at Home Dads, Youth Marketing and SO MANY MORE!!

There are even many tools, like the one I used for the above groups (Twitter Groups), that help you to find people and groups with shared interests.

The type of communication for the TwitFix is unique and giving. The posts are not self-serving, they are direct responses to people’s inquiries, RTs of interesting info (RT=Retweet, the biggest compliment you can give a tweeter) and humourous, genuine replies to follower posts. It is at this stage you must be FOREWARNED: DO NOT autoreply for tweet followers-it is not approved by the twitter community and almost brings you down to a Tweetbie stage.

STAGE FOUR: “The Twitistoric”

Now, this stage is hard for me to identify as simply there are few Twitistorics out there. These users are the leading edge of social media, they adopt technologies quickly, have relevant, interesting tweets and have a fantastic ability to aggregate and educate Tweetbies and TweetSpies. They are NOT Twitistoric because of their number of followers (some people will follow just to build #’s and then not be active in DMs, replies or posts). Twitistorics have been utilizing Twitter for ages, they welcome everyone, respond to DMs (1000s of them daily) and help people to embrace the tool.

Overall, the important thing to note is where you sit currently in the four stages of Twitter and where you want to be. When you are figuring that out, ask yourself, why? What stage are you aspiring to achieve with Twitter and why do you want to be there?

Me - I’m between a TweetSpy and a TwitFix, you can follow me @SandyGerber. I have definately learned that personal network posts are good for Tweetbies but responding and DMing Twitistorics provides me with way more enjoyment and education. Thank you Twitter for bringing our world together online with efficiency.

I recently had a friend describe Linked In as the “red haired cousin of social networking” and I laughed but also felt defensive at the same time. Weird, as I certainly had nothing to do with the development of Linked In, but I guess it is because I think the tool is good and is one of the more professional social networking options available.

Linked In is exceptional for evaluating business contact opportunities, posting and receiving valuable expert opinion, qualifying potential employees or employers and giving and reviewing real testimonials. My opinion on Facebook is very different, I think it is the pretentious cousin.

You have to understand, while millions of people were myspacing and facebooking it, I defiantly declined any suggestion to jump on the band wagon. One day, (when no one was looking) I took a stroll through the Facebook world, created my profile and then went to town looking for my friends and network.

I was so surprised to find the lack of boundaries Facebook provides and more importantly, the obvious amount of work I would need to do to even do a half-ass job at having my piece of Facebook pie. I mean really, how badly did my friends and colleagues need or even want my top Movie Picks? Did I really need someone to send me a virtual plant to say they are thinking of me?

As a business woman and busy mom, I am more interested in CREATING valuable relationships of which I can be introduced to interesting people and colleagues. The final straw was the image tagged of my twin sister in a tafeta prom dress from the eightees that one of her “friends” put up on Facebook. I deleted my Facebook profile and nixed it from my vocabulary, certain that someday the good features of it would be introduced in a new and better tool.

I am thrilled to say, that day has come for me. Twitter city, here I come!! If you are not using Twitter, no worries, you will not have that, “oh no, I am so behind” feeling. Just get an account and get tweeting, it is fascinating and opens you up to a world of information and like minded people. People follow you and you follow people, all at the click of a mouse and no unnecessary work is needed to update or “sexify’ your profile.

The choice is up to you, in my opinion, Facebook is for high school/university and popularity contests. Linked In is for business owners and professionals and Twitter is for everyone. Get tweeting, solidify your personal brand and follow me!

Everything you do affects how people perceive you, and the brand you wish to build. All the details count, the smallest detail can affect your credibility.

I just recently created a TWITTER account, and was excited to create a moniker that branded who I am, instead of just using my name. {Your name is can always create a good brand, but if there is “stickiness” to a moniker, then even better } First step, create my account….simple enough, right? Pick a username and away we go.

However I came up against the challenge of creating a new username for my TWITTER account. The username I usually use online was no longer relevant for the topic I want be seen as an expert on: brand building.

I started with something obvious: BrandGirl. Problem: username not available. Hmmmmmmm……..okay, how about: BrandChick. Available. But then I got to thinking……. is “chick” credible enough for the brand I wish to build. No. So I hopped over to one of my favourite tools thesaurus.com, and it kicked up a slew of options:

Brand_Babe: catchy, but not quite credible enough
Brand_Broad: too brash, and makes me sound like a 50 year old in leopard print, *shudder*
Brand_Dame: not catchy enough, doesn’t roll off the tongue well
Brand_Gal: too casual
Brand_Lady: dunno know why, makes me feel like a realtor
Brand_Lassie: well, as much as I have Scottish blood, too young sounding
Brand_Minx: ummmmm, a little too sexy-edgy for what I want to convey
Brand_Queen: getting closer, provides fun options for a logo, not quite there
Brand_Skirt: neat, a little different, but still not it, too much “huh?” factor
Brand_Wench: ha! need I say anything?

hmmmmmmmmm………….*think*think*think*………..and then something not even in the list, but it definitely lead me there…….

BrandMaven!

A quick check, on another favourite tool, dictionary.com.

Maven: (m?’v?n) n.
(1) A person who has special knowledge or experience; an expert.
(2) Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field.

PERFECT!!!
In two words it identifies what my focus is, credibility, with a little bit of edge.

So there you have the answer, to “What’s in a name?” A LOT!

I promised Sandy I wouldn’t rant, but I have to rant……

I was at Yoga the other day and our instructor (or should I say Yogini? Dunno, I’m new….) was announcing the 24 hr yogathon in support of children with HIV/AIDS living in 3rd world countries (coinciding with International AIDS Day), and it was suggested if you couldn’t partake, perhaps you would like to sponsor, and I thought, “Yeah, totally, I’d like to help.”

So after class I approached the instructor, during a break in her conversation with a couple of the other staff at the studio and asked if I could sponsor her team. She looked over her shoulder and replied, “Yes, the name is xxxxxxxxx” (a native indian word I had to ask her to spell, which seemed to annoy her). I was about to say something else to her, but instead, stood there with my mouth agape as she went back to her conversation with the staff, completely dismissing me, and not so much as offering a “Thank you.” I was stunned and irritated!

I was reminded just how much weight the words, “thank you”, really do carry.

It is my belief that no matter how you position your professional and/or personal brand, one of the key elements to success is incorporating the value of gratitude. A simple “thank you” to anyone who has assisted you, no matter how big or small the help, can make or break an interaction or transaction………even to the point where people will tell the world at large about it (this post, case in point).

Even more powerful, it can change the result of following actions that you may or may not want the person you are interacting with to take. In this case, I walked out the door and changed my charity of choice and donated to the local homeless guy outside of Shoppers.