At Sisarina we work to help you define your true identity. But even more than that, we aim to empower our clients, followers, and friends with the know-how for creating, marketing and managing your brand.

In the next few months, Sisarina will be out presenting at area conferences about social media, collaboration and communication strategies. Look for us!

What: EdSocialMedia Summit 2010
Where: Boston, MA
When: February 16
Topic: Strategic Marketing for Schools: Blending Web and Social Media
Who: Marisa Peacock, Sisarina & Angelo Otterbein, Silverpoint

What: Internet@Schools East 2010
Where: Arlington, VA
When: April 12-14
Topic: Collaboration – That 13-Letter Dirty Word
Who: Rebecca Brooks, Archivist & Head Librarian, Kelly Brown, E-Communications Manager, The Madeira School, Marisa Peacock, Sr. Project Manager and Media Specialist, Sisarina, Inc

What: A Day in the Life: Baltimore Design Conference
Where: Baltimore, MD
When: April 24
Topic: 140 Characters or Less
Who: Marisa Peacock, Sr. Marketing Manager, Sisarina, Inc

In addition, Sisarina will be working this year to host in-house seminars or online webinars. We want these workshops to be informative and as well as empowering, giving attendees the confidence to tackle keywords and social media activity and off page search engine optimization, to name a few.

We want to hear from you. What topics are you interested in? What skills do you want to develop? Let Sisarina guide you through the basics and if you need additional guidance, we invite you to inquire within about our services.

Tell us what you think.

We’ve all heard about the stupid things that clients have done (thanks to www.clientcopia.com and clientsfromhell.tumblr.com), but what about the nice things they say?

At Sisarina, we love all our clients. Not only would we be nothing without them, but they really are awesome! Every. Single. One.

In the spirit of the Holidays and goodwill toward (wo)men, Sisarina asks you to tell us: what’s the nicest, best thing a client has ever said to you?

Sisarina and her staff will select the top three submissions that warmed our hearts the most and you'll receive a Starbucks Gift Card in return. The only criteria? Honesty. Yes, by submitting a response you’re following The Honor Code.

So go on, spread the cheer and share the nicest thing a client has ever said to you!

1. Who are you?

Alan Harris

2. What do you do?

I am a professional web developer, author and IBM's Polyglot Developer

3. How did you get here?

I stumbled across Melanie's Twitter account by accident one evening and decided to say hello; being involved in the IT world I am always on the lookout for interesting new people and opportunities. The rest is, as they say, history.

4. Twitter handle:

@anachronistic

5. Favorite blog:

"Signal vs. Noise" by 37signals. There's not enough opinionated software out there. I admire a company that takes a stand even if it's not always in line with convention or consensus at the time.

6. What are you currently working on?

Currently I'm developing a couple of .NET sites and finishing up a book for Apress on building content management systems in .NET 4.0. I'm also working on a pet project of mine to provide Ruby on Rails-type functionality to streamline the typical ASP .NET application model.

7. Favorite Muppet:

Animal. I've been a drummer for more than 20 years, and this guy has always had my heart. He played next to Buddy Rich for crying out loud!

8. Guilty Pleasure?

Mountain Dew Amp. It's a rare day that you'll find me without a 16oz can on my desk.

9. Coffee or tea?

At the risk of being tarred and feathered, neither. See number 8!

10. What do you covet the most?

My books. I have a fairly substantial library of reading material at home. I love to read and I love to learn; take my books away and I'll be a pretty miserable guy, actually.

1. Who are you?

Eryn Willard

2. What do you do?

While most of my family thinks I draw pictures for money, my real job title is Graphic Designer.

3. How did you get here?

I started my career at a young age (5!) with a very large reference file of paper scraps and images cut from magazines. I didn’t realize until I got to college (Western Maryland/McDaniel) that what I’d been working toward was to be a designer. I have the greatest job in the world – I get to use my brain and hands to make things that help businesses make more money!

4. Twitter handle:

@Studio_22

5. Favorite blog:

If I have to pick just one, it is Post Secret.

6. What are you currently working on?

Website interfaces, annual reports, trade show graphics and event materials – yes, all at once!

7. Favorite Muppet:

Gotta go with Animal.

8. Guilty Pleasure?

Reality shows

9. Coffee or tea?

Both, but tea first thing in the morning.

10. What do you covet the most?

Expensive outdoor gear

1. Who are you?

AJ Pircio

2. What do you do?

Whatever Melanie wants. (I am a web developer and build web sites for Sisarina and our customers.)

3. How did you get here?

I wanted a new job and Melanie was nice enough to help make that happen. True story.

4. Twitter handle:

I don't believe in Twitter.

5. Favorite blog:

the nothing blog - ha!

6. What are you currently working on?

a lot of web sites. Workiing to perfect their functionality and user optimization.

7. Favorite Muppet:

Elmo

8. Guilty Pleasure?

Schadenfreude

9. Coffee or tea?

Cappuccino

10. What do you covet the most?

People with uninterrupted work days!

1. Who are you?

Teresa Thomas, Project Administrator

2. What do you do?

I help the cogs of Sisarina Inc run smoothly. From name tags, to accounting, to content entry to washing dishes, my job is to make sure everyone at Sisarina can do their jobs without having to worry about anything and to pick up the slack when things get hectic.

3. How did you get here?

After 7 years of teaching preschool, I was ready for a change when I was offered this position with Sisarina. As Melanie took on Sisarina Inc full-time she quickly realized that success meant more work than she could handle on her own. I was brought on staff to take care of the smaller jobs that took up so much of her time. As my position grows and changes, I am slowly piecing together a wide knowledge base that allows me to effectively help wherever I’m needed.

4. Twitter handle:

@themamateresa

5. Favorite blog:

Pajamas and Coffee. As mother of 3, this blog lets me laugh at almost all aspects of parenting and life in general. (also Failblog.org, but that may go under “guilty pleasure”)

6. What are you currently working on?

Researching online Project Management platforms, adding photos to Sisarina.com, keeping all our bills paid and redefining my role to better meet the needs of our ever-growing staff.

7. Favorite Muppet:

This is, seriously, the hardest question on this list! Rolf? Beaker? Gonzo? Statler? Waldorf? I love them all!

8. Guilty Pleasure?

The Twilight book series. Really. Try not to judge me. :)

9. Coffee or tea?

Either one, but I lean more toward coffee when given a choice.

10. What do you covet the most?

A maid. Full-time. Preferably live-in.

1. Who are you?

Marisa Peacock, Sr. Marketing Manager

2. What do you do?

I facilitate marketing and branding efforts for our clients. I help them tell their story. It’s much easier to market a brand when there is a story to tell. I also help our customers engage with their clients via social media platforms. There is an art to engaging with others online.

3. How did you get here?

I’ve worked for non-profits and independent schools, helping them to develop interactive web strategies. I also write for CMSWire.com, an online magazine that covers information management initiatives across the enterprise. I love that I’ve had the opportunity to work with different industries. It has helped me learn more about how they work. There are more similarities than there are differences.

4. Twitter handle:

@marisacp51 & @sisarinasays

5. Favorite blog:

Smashing Magazine. No matter if you’re a designer, developer or marketer, there is something for everyone.

6. What are you currently working on?

Redrafting content for various clients’ websites; developing marketing strategies for prospective clients; it’s safe to say that I’m always strategizing…

7. Favorite Muppet:

Sweetums

8. Guilty Pleasure?

Lady Gaga

9. Coffee or tea?

Always coffee. Never tea.

10. What do you covet the most?

A Dyson. The DC25 Animal, to be precise. Or an iPad.

At Sisarina we spend a lot of time getting to know our clients. We like to understand their personality as well the persona of their business, so we can design a website or marketing campaign that best represents them and tells their story.

However, to be fair, we want our customers to learn more about Sisarina and her staff so that they can better understand how we work and what we do. Web marketing and design is meant to be a conversation not a lecture. By learning more about us we hope that you can approach us more openly. From advice about marketing and social media to inquiring about our services, Sisarina’s door is always open.

Today, we bring you the first of 7 profiles of our staff. We hope you enjoy learning about us. We had fun putting these together for you.

1. Who are you?

Melanie Spring, Principal & Project Director

2. What do you do?

I run a successful web marketing company, setup kick-butt networking events, make sure that Sisarina’s views & personality are being spread the way they need to be and give clients an initial marketing meeting with tips on how they can improve what they’re doing or start what they are pondering.

3. How did you get here?

I started designing websites in college while working on my Communication degree.  After college, I moved into a sales role to learn the ins & outs of entrepreneurships and Fortune 500 companies. This helped me work with businesses of all sizes to fix many different kinds of pain. Once I got into the marketing field as a coordinator I quickly moved my way into a Director level position with the knowledge that businesses needed to help them grow. Now I help my staff help others.

4. Twitter handle:

@sisarina

5. Favorite blog:

Women Grow Business

6. What are you currently working on?

What am I not working on… setting up a fashion show, getting quotes to clients, updating our portfolio, setting up a CMS site for PICO, writing out a business plan (finally), working on state proposals, etc…

7. Favorite Muppet:

Big Bird – he’s just tall.

8. Guilty Pleasure?

Sleeping in on a Saturday with nothing to do.

9. Coffee or tea?

Hate coffee unless it’s a caramel latte – love tea but typically only if there’s caffeine in it otherwise I only do water.

10. What do you covet the most?

A Mercedes CLS-550. Makes me drool.

1. Who are you?

Amanda Huffman, Web Project Manager

2. What do you do?

Every day is new to me! Some days are filled with working with clients—from new business owners just crafting their missions to experienced companies redesigning their websites—and others are spent drafting proposals and making sure our creative designers and techy developers are all on the same page. Each day is fresh and exciting and I love that!

3. How did you get here?

I find my current role at Sisarina to be a result of a strong entrepreneurial spirit and obsessive desire to control things. (I kid!) I seek small, fast-paced businesses and have worked in operational roles at two law firms and an investment firm prior to Sisarina. My background is more management, less marketing, so I am working double-time to learn as much about marketing, branding and design as I can!

4. Twitter handle:

@manderhu223

5. Favorite blog:

Democracy Now!

6. What are you currently working on?

Several different tasks at the moment: checking the status of a few current projects to plan my next move, preparing some development spec emails, and drafting one rather lengthy proposal.

7. Favorite Muppet:

Definitely Cookie Monster. My first word was cookie; my second was monster.

8. Guilty Pleasure?

Ugly Betty

9. Coffee or tea?

Coffee!

10. What do you covet the most?

iMac…not practical for me, just a dream :)

For many of us the places where were have moments of creative genius are unconventional to say the least.

A quick poll of coworkers, friends and family indicate that our inspirational moments happen in a variety of ways—whether it be in the shower, washing dishes, reading or as of recent—while shoveling.

Are super smart ideas generated from the mundane, or is it that we need to be more mindful of how our actions can influence our ideas? Maybe it isn’t that routine work frees up space in our creative brain, but rather we feel less constrained or pressured at that moment, so we are free to let our mind wander and play.

Being more mindful of what it is that brings creative enlightenment may let us recreate it elsewhere. Yet, perhaps it wouldn’t make doing such “mindless” tasks as productive for our right brains.

What do you think? Tell us where your creative insights come alive. Do you think they happen during those moments on purpose?

The Sisarina bookshelf holds a wide variety of books. While we all work towards engaging our users and positioning their brands successfully in the marketplace, it doesn’t mean that we approach design and marketing from the same direction.

Earlier we discussed the different ways we find inspiration. The books we read cover a wide array of topics and interests, but essentially they all have the power to awaken us professionally, steer us in new directions and provide alternate perspectives.

Here are just a few of the current reads that have reveled the Sisarina staff.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Daniel H. Pink

Pink cites a dizzying number of studies revealing that carrot and stick can actually significantly reduce the ability of workers to produce creative solutions to problems. What motivates us once our basic survival needs are met is the ability to grow and develop, to realize our fullest potential.

World Orders Old and New
Noam Chomsky

Marshaling meticulous scholarship, this leading critic of American foreign policy  argues that Washington's support - open and covert - for repressive regimes in Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Angola and elsewhere has undermined attempts to create meaningful democracy, thus exacerbating poverty and misery.

Crisis Counseling: A Guide for Pastors and Professionals
Scott Floyd

Provides a much-needed resource for the professional, pastoral, and even lay counselor.  Providing a spiritually based framework for responding to a crisis event and the following times of trauma, loss, and grief.

How We Decide
Jonah Lehrer

The author arms us with the tools we need, drawing on cutting-edge research as well as the real-world experiences of a wide range of deciders and shows how people are taking advantage of the new science to make better television shows, win more football games, and improve military intelligence.

Breaking Into the Boys' Club: 8 Ways for Women to Get Ahead in Business
Molly D. Shepard, Jane K. Stimmler, Jane K. Stimmler

Why do women still have so much trouble making their way into the upper echelons of corporate America? According to the authors, it's not quality of work that holds them back but something more insidious. While women try to get ahead by logging long hours and working to become experts in their fields, their male counterparts are easily included in corporate culture (golf, drinks, lunches, etc.) and get inside information and more face time with superiors.

Woman of Influence: Ten Traits of Those Who Want to Make a Difference
Pam Ferrell

The author helps women see the call to mentor other women as part of the spiritual maturity process. By developing ten character traits, all starting with "I": impassioned, individual, intimate, idealistic, interdependent, initiative, integrity, intense, inquiring, and infectious, she tells stories from great women of the past, and those living today.

Share Your Bookshelf

What books are currently by your bedside? On your iPod or Kindle? Please share with us.

I always knew that I’d gain new experiences at Sisarina, I’d just never thought it would affect my toes.

Let me explain.

Today, Sisarina celebrated the end of the first quarter of 2010 with pedicures. Melanie, Teresa, Amanda and I ventured downstairs to the nail salon that resides below our office, wiggling our toes with excitement.

I will admit that my toes were wiggling with anticipation, as this would prove to be their first pedicure. It’s not that my toes don’t get any attention, mind you – it’s just that they’re usually busy running marathons or walking the dog. When a footbath is in order, it usually involves Epsom salt.

As I sat in my big massage chair, my pedicurist prepped my toes and I marveled at what a grown up I’ve become. Until my toes began to twitch. I tried my best to ignore the tickling sensation. Fortunately, Melanie was kind enough to abandon the book she’d brought and engage in conversation about last night’s networking event (which was super fabulous – more to come later).

Soon, I was bestowed with pretty red toes. I joined my colleagues outside and our toes danced beside one another’s in the bright sun. Shortly thereafter, we sprung up to our offices and got back to work. Underneath our desks, our toes celebrated a successful first quarter, while above, our fingers tapped away at keyboards planning for the next one.

- Marisa, The Woman

Earth Day is here!  More and more folks are working hard to be earth-conscious these days.  Here at Sisarina HQ we are always looking to reduce waste and save electricity.  Although Kermit the Frog didn't think it was easy being green, we think it is! Here are some great ways to save some trees in the process.

Ways to make your workspace more earth-friendly:

• replace your incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient fluorescent bulbs
• bring your own coffee mug to the office instead of using plastic or styrofoam cups
• use power strips and make sure you turn off all computers at night
• check office appliances to make sure they have a high Energy Star rating
• be conservative with your thermostat settings & use a programmable thermostat if possible
• make sure recycle bins & containers are easily available to everyone
• keep blinds/drapes closed when possible to keep office temperature stable

Make being green a habit and:

• print only when absolutely necessary
• use recycled paper and inks (or soy-based inks) for your printer
• when you must print, use the back of old documents for draft printing and then print your documents double-sided to reduce paper usage
• file digital documents electronically instead of printing and filing - Sisarina loves Dropbox!
• email newsletters instead of mailing them - Sisarina loves MailChimp!
• keep plants in your office to help purify the air
• recycle old business cards
• choose furniture, desk accessories and office supplies made from recycled materials
• look for environmentally friendly coffees and teas - Trader Joes and ZenTaraTea have some excellent choices!
• take the train, bus or metro to the office or meetings whenever possible

These earth-friendly tips can help you save the earth AND money! It only takes one to make a difference. Let's do it together!

Answer us: What are your favorite earth-friendly office tips?

Are you as transparent offline as you are online?

If you’ve embraced social media, you’ve embraced its call for transparency.

But has transparency seeped its way into your business? Are you just as open with your customers, staff and vendors in person as you are online?

It used to be that business leaders held their cards close to their chest. But now tactical transparency is the name of the game.

“Tactical Transparency” is what John C. Havens, co-author of the book by the same name, calls the “use of social media tools to let brands talk authentically about their products and services to their community.” Havens says “it’s a behavior as well as a philosophy.”

Of course we all know that if you’re not engaged online, whether it’s a blog, social media platform or website, your business is missing out on valuable face time with consumers and marketers. You might as well not exist.

Yet once you’re connected online, what can you do to make sure you’re staying connected on the ground?

Be Open. Be Honest.

Small businesses can be better suited for change than large companies, but change can still be abrupt and cause some disruption.

Maybe a vendor goes out of business. Maybe someone quits unexpectedly. These things can shift the focus away from work and cause distractions. No need to be shy about it.

By letting your customers know that deliveries might be delayed or that there’s a shift in organization, you can alleviate concerns before they escalate. In addition, by letting people know that you need a new printer, for example, will most likely bring in recommendations and other options.

Don’t Pretend You’re Invincible

You’re a small business and proud of it, so why are you pretending that you’re bigger or more financially secure than you are?

Celebrate the fact that being small makes you unique. And, as a result, it requires that invoices are to be paid and that meeting deadlines on time means that you can move onto the next project.

Your customers need to know that while you’re able to provide them a product that others can’t, money does in fact help the lights stay on and keep your employees paid.

Stand up for yourself and your business in a way that makes it clear that you can separate the personal from the professional.

Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk

Don’t just read books about cultivating your employees’ energy or attend conferences about facilitating change; take the steps to implement activities and initiatives that motivate, inspire and invigorate your company to do great things.

As a small business, we have the freedom to play.

So take a walk in the woods. Take your staff out for pedicures. Go to the movies.

Not only will taking a break show your employees that you care not only about the end product, but about their well being. As well, taking a break can bring new perspectives and ideas, which can help build and grow your company, while building trust and loyalty among your employees.

Tactical transparency doesn’t mean baring all. But it does require that you practice what you preach. A business that spends time reaching out online needs to invest equally offline.

More:

• How to handle sudden bad news, from BusinessWeek
• An older but still relevant interview with John C. Havens on building trust with transparency from Fast Company
• Tinu Abayomi-Paul on the limits of social networking surrogacy

By Melanie Spring - as published in Women Grow Business (Original Article)
Image: Courtney Murray Rhodes, Creative Commons

Reflections from Melanie Spring:

One year ago, on May 1, after years of giving my skills to help entrepreneurs & corporations, I went back to what I was meant to do – be an entrepreneur myself. It’s been one year of hiring, setting up an office, growth, pain and excitement. The knowledge that you and those working for you are relying on you and your decisions is scary but can show you who you really are.

Over the last year I’ve gone from having an office in my bedroom and being a jack-of-all-trades to being a boss with employees and an office in downtown Bethesda. Being salesperson, project manager, admin and accountant is no easy task for anyone so I found people to replace my lesser skills and every one of them excelled. Thinking you know everything is one of the biggest hurdles any entrepreneur has to get over.

Starting #DCTweetup and watching it grow has been a wonder in itself. In June 2009 we had our first, consisting of 10 locals. Our April event had 90 attendees and now we’re sponsoring #TEDxPotomac’s pre-party & after-party. The amount of incredible people I’ve met through these events is astounding. Networking & friend-making at its finest.

Setting up an office seemed like it would be cut and dry until our painter turned out to be the maintenance guy who knows less than I do about painting. After having the flooring installed and throwing painting parties to finish the paint, we started ordering furniture. Every day brought a box full of goodies. Waiting in painful anticipation for 100-year-old door desks custom-made by my father, as we worked at our conference room table while sewing curtains between projects, had its own set of excitement and drawbacks.

While I sit here looking out my big open windows reflecting on the last year of clients ranging from restaurants to coaches and international non-profits to government contractors, I smile that things have gone so well. We've even been interviewed by CNN! I wouldn’t be a true entrepreneur if I didn’t have knots in my stomach about what’s to come but with the ups and downs that have already happened, I’ve learned I can’t worry about what I can’t control.

Being an entrepreneur has taught me so much about my personality, how I deal with good things and bad, and I’ve grown from being an employee for someone else to running a full-grown company in just a year. Thank you to all who have brought me to this point. Sisarina, my once imaginary friend, is now my life and I have all of you to thank you for that.

“Will you walk into my parlor?”

Getting a client takes a lot of time, motivation and resources. Now that you have the client, how do you keep them coming back for more?

Being a business owner means keeping your best foot forward throughout the entire process to be sure they’ll talk about you or use you again. Making sure your clients are being taken care of while not taking advantage of you is the key.

Set expectations upfront

Make sure your client knows everything they’ll be receiving from and giving to you in the first meeting. Give them the full 4-1-1 on how you operate, your timeline for delivery, milestones for payments, and items they need to give you throughout the process.

If a client has their expectations set from the beginning, it’s hard for them to complain when you deliver just what you said you would.

Have a detailed agreement

People have been saying for years “the customer is always right.” As business owners we know that’s not true.

I believe we should change that to “the customer is always the customer.”

The first step of taking care of your customer is having a signed agreement in place detailing everything you will be providing along with everything they’re expected to provide. This protects them from getting less than they agreed to and protects you from having to give them more than you expected.

Be prepared to give a little

Although you have a detailed agreement you will still be asked to give a little to ensure the customer experience is up to par with their expectations. If the client isn’t fully happy with what they’ve received, realize you may have to put in extra time to appease them.

Being too stiff can cause you to lose your client or not tell others about your great products or services.

Don’t let the client walk all over you

In the same vein of giving a little, make sure your client doesn’t take license to walk all over you and your staff. Even though you set expectations upfront, giving a little sometimes gives clients the feeling you’re a pushover.

Reiterate what your agreement states and make sure they realize you have already gone above and beyond. If they continue to do so, they might not be a good client for you.

Be aware of the signals from the beginning and choose clients wisely in the future.

Up-sell to benefit the client

Up-selling typically benefits your company, but it should really benefit your client most of all. The initial meeting can flesh out a lot of what your client needs but other things will come up during the process of taking care of them that you can make a point of letting them know you also offer. Be sure you don’t try to sell them services they don’t need, as most business owners will realize your scheme.

If they feel you have their best interests at heart they will sing your praises for taking care of them.

Send a thank you card

Thank you cards are a nice touch as they are more personal than sending an email or just thanking them over the phone. Hand-written thank you cards are so rarely sent anymore that the recipient will typically hang it up near their desk.

Custom-branded cards are a great reminder of your business when they need to share your info with their colleagues or call you to discuss something new they’d like to do.

Send a survey

A short survey asking questions about your services or products gives your clients the chance to tell you how you and your staff did taking care of them. This gives them the power of suggestion to help you do things better, or a way to give you a reference you can use when finding new clients.

SurveyGizmo is a free service that allows you to setup a survey, which you can send directly to them through a link.

Keep them on your mailing list

Your regular newsletter will have new products or services along with reminders of things you’ve done which will keep you at the top of their mind.

You can also use these to feature your clients and the work you’ve done for them.

This gives them the sense that you really cared about their company and how you helped them. Stroking an ego is never a bad thing.

More from:

• Lori Saitz aka Zen Rabbit on the power of following up with customers
• How to become the “go to” person for your clients, again from Lori (there’s a reason she’s our customer service guru)
• Mayra Ruiz-McPherson on “PR drivel”

By Melanie Spring - as published in Women Grow Business (Original Article)
Image: William Cho, Creative Commons

by: Amy Liz Martin
Original Post on Gen Y Networking

Each Friday, its my goal to bring you an interview with someone who has walked many miles in your shoes: other employers. To kick off this new segment, we’re going to feature Melanie Spring, principal and project director for Sisarina. Her company is a unique website design, marketing and business branding “one-stop-shop” and has grown tremendously in it’s first year. You can also follow her on Twitter: @sisarina

While she’s been in the game for a while, Melanie is always on top of the latest digital trends and brings the best strategies to her clients. On top of it all, she is the queen of networking with Gen Y – one of the many reasons I wanted to interview her. Here are the highlights:

What stands out in your experience of working with Gen Y employees?
Motivation isn’t like it used to be. It used to be that people would want a raise, a bonus or time off. Now people just want reason to be working — purpose. Money is a little motivator but if you have collaborative space, a great company culture and dedicated people, motivation isn’t needed.

How do you adjust your communication style when talking to Gen Y employees or students you mentor?
I realize that it’s more about the impact we have, not the things we do that causes Gen Y people to grow. Being that I’m not too far ahead of that generation, I tend to identify as a ‘been there, done that’ mentor to my employees and interns. Too many people talk down to the younger crowd just because they’re younger. Allowing them to have an opinion is key since they have more resources at their fingertips earlier than even I did. They know a lot more than my generation did at their age.

You’re famous for your #DCTweetups (Twitter meetups) and they tend to pull in a significant Gen Y crowd. How do you best reach out to Gen Y and get them involved?
The old style of networking just doesn’t work anymore. Chamber of Commerce meetings are boring and just a ‘card-passing’ event. To keep up with the younger networkers, my events have become a social happy hour event with a friend-making and business connections component. People work with people they like, not people who sell them.

What do you feel motivates Gen Y to network in the ways they do?
The motivation for doing something that’s purposeful is the key. Paid or not, Gen Y is resourceful and understands they need to grow quickly to make it in the economy we’re in. Gen X is more of a social media generation right now but I believe Gen Y is growing in it and will just keep it at a steady growing pace as they get older. Being able to share what they know will only propel them forward.

What advice would you give employers in communicating/networking/mentoring Gen Y’ers?
Don’t talk down to them. Realize they probably know more than you and could mentor you in a lot of ways. Allow them to be heard but also give them the space to listen to you without feeling ‘young’.

Any other insights?
A lot of people say that Gen Y is a class of lazy slackers who just want more vacation time. In reality, they just want to work harder so they can play harder. I’ve rarely seen someone 10 years older who will work as hard at something. Congratulate them after they’ve done a great job instead of incentivizing them with money beforehand — they’ll work a lot harder if they get the recognition rather than the raise.

Melanie’s recommended reading: Dan Pink’s “Drive”

What insights would you add about motivating Gen Y to connect and perform to the best of their ability? Let’s keep the conversation going! And if there is anyone you would like to see interviewed for this feature, please let me know.

CNN came to Sisarina HQ in downtown Bethesda to interview us on how the downturn in the economy is affecting small businesses and came up with a piece on avoiding burn-out at work. We wrote a blog post in April about the experience giving tips on creating a better work life balance. Kudos to Sandra Endo for a great segment!

On CNN.com

ENTER TO WIN:

Do you find a lot of interesting articles, resources and fun facts on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn? We find employees, projects, clients, friends, networkers, blogs to read, articles about business, and so much more. Sisarina is interested to know about the best thing you've found with social media.

Please comment on this blog post by July 16th, 2010 with the best thing you've found. Think really hard, go back in time and remember what that thing was that almost made you pee your pants laughing or made you shed a tear of joy. We're excited to hear from you!
 

PRIZE: A one-year subscription to Thrive, the easy-to-use social media software from Small Act.

You can sign up for a free 2-month trial now! Just tell them Sisarina sent you.

Thrive is a one-stop shop that simplifies, organizes, and measures your social media efforts. In one easy-to-navigate hub, you can:

Publish
Thrive makes it easy to publish to one or several social networks with one click. Currently, this includes Twitter, Facebook and Flickr, with YouTube and other social networks coming soon. You can even schedule posts to these networks in advance with our handy calendar tool.

Engage
With keyword searches, you can find people who are already talking about you and your cause or business, and engage with your most active supporters.

Track
Social media can be a tough sell. Show it’s worth your time with helpful, in-depth charts and statistics that calculate how many people are seeing and forwarding your messages, clicking on your links, and more.

Find out more at www.smallact.com
 

RULES:
To enter to win, please comment on this post below using our comments section. Must be a social media user of some form & enter the 'URL' as your most used social media account (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, etc). Contest responses must be received between June 24 and July 16, 2010. All posts will be reviewed by Sisarina staff on July 19, 2010 and the winner will be announced on July 21, 2010 on our blog, via Twitter & Facebook and via email to the winner. Small Act will present the winner with the account & walk him/her through setup. A one-year subscription will be awarded at that time.

The contest we posted to find out about the best thing you've found via social media brought some wonderfully inspiring answers! The most common answer has been friendships - old and new.

Two of our favorite answers were the confidence Nicole found and the birth mother Jen was able to connect with. We weren't able to decide on the best between the two so we had a chat with Annie of Small Act and let her make the final decision. It was tough... but the winner is...

Both of them!!! Congrats to Nicole (@nicoleindc) & Jenn (@dateabledc) for your incredible entries!

Small Act thinks "you can't top finding your birth mother" but Nicole's was so well articulated. They will both receive a 1-year free subscription to Thrive!

Thank you to all who entered our contest. We appreciate you sharing your stories. All entrants from the contest will receive 2 months free trial of Small Act's social media software, Thrive.