Virgins are rare these days. And people admitting to virginity are often even more rare. But for many of us, the digital world is a relatively new frontier that we’re diving into, learning to navigate and integrating into the marketing and communication strategies we develop for ourselves or for our clients. And that makes us virgins. All over again.

I was a SXSW newbie last year and I remember being embarrassed (for about a nanosecond) at admitting that. I think it’s because we convince ourselves that it’s not cool to admit there was a moment in time when we didn’t know everything about everything. Here’s the thing – in spite of all the social media gurus out there, there are few people who know it all when it comes to the world of new media. No matter what they say or how they might preen and pontificate. We’re all learning about this stuff. Every single one of us.

This post is for those of you who’ve not yet been to the awesomeness that is SXSW — or other conferences that are specific to the digital world that so many of us live in these days. Don’t be afraid to admit to being a virgin, just dive in. It’ll be great to see you and no one (at least no one who really matters) will judge you for being a newbie. The reality is that there are more newbies in the digital space than there are “veterans” …. and most of us are really, really nice. And fun to hang out with.

Here’s my interview about being a SXSW virgin with the super perky (and fabulous) Ingrid Vandervelt, host of On the Road with IV, produced and directed by Lyn Graft, Founder of LG Pictures. Pay attention to them – they are good people doing great stuff.

And if you’ve not yet committed to attending this year’s SXSW conference, take it from me - register now. And book your hotel room NOW, or you’ll be stuck at a FiestaDeLaQuinta that is not only a million miles from the convention center, but also potentially not very clean. Just ask Sarah Caminker and Nick Downarowicz about that (but make sure you have a lot of time). And speaking of Sarah Caminker, here’s a video that shows some of the sweet swag we nabbed at last year’s festival. It also shows you why I room with Sarah every chance I get. She makes me laugh. Often.

Make your plans to attend SXSW (or any conference that’s on your radar screen) and don’t worry about being a virgin. It’ll only hurt for a minute. And if you make it to Austin in the Spring, be sure and ping me when you’re there so that we can have beers.

I Was a SXSW Virgin is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

Okay, so I discovered this video this morning while hanging out with my friends Alli Worthington and Sarah Caminker in our posh room at the Fiesta de la Quinta in Austin. We’re at SXSW, the veritable mecca of the tech world (or at least one of them) and so, it was especially timely to stumble upon this video. As I watched, I found myself smiling and nodding – you’ll know just what I mean when you watch it yourself. When I heard the words “Science is the new art,” I realized that truer words were never spoken. Science IS the new art and it’s a pretty amazing one. Surrounded these last few days in Austin by people with massively big brains and equally massive hearts makes me want to pinch myself to make sure I’m not living a dream. I’m a geeky girl and have been since my earliest days. I love words, thoughts, learning and information. And so, when I get to spend my career being surrounded by and collaborating with others who are equally as jazzed by the things that I love is really the stuff of dreams. Or maybe just the stuff of a pretty flipping incredible life.

Watch the video, whether you’re a dork or not, and I think you’ll enjoy it. And, if you are a dork, nerd or geek (or maybe a combination of all three, like me), I think you’ll see why I enjoyed it so much.

Proud To Be A New Dork is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

I’m headed off to Nashville to the amazing Blissdom conference tomorrow and am already impressed by the smarts exhibited by ConAgra, one of the conference sponsors. The folks at ConAgra were savvy enough to give a group of techie, blogging, busy as all get out women some swag that we can really use.  I mean, swag is, in general, nice. And it’s swag, so it’s free – and I’m not going to complain. But there’s a gigantic difference between nice free stuff and really rocking, amazing, stuff that I will use a LOT free stuff.

Please meet my new BFF, the Poken – an ultra cool gadget that is essentially your social business card. Poken is inexpensive, easy to use and a terrific way for a group of people to get and stay connected.

In a nutshell, you buy your Poken, plug it into your computer, enter all the information that you’d like people to have about you, and stash it in your handbag, put it on your keychain, or slip it into your jeans pocket. It’s small and easy to carry around and instead of fumbling around for business cards and collecting them from people you meet and want to stay in touch with, you can simply touch Pokens and, voila, your information is exchanged.

There are so many cool features about Poken – truly, the more I learn the more I love it. What a brilliant idea!! Why don’t I think of these things, darnit??

Since receiving my Poken (I’m a conference speaker, so I got my goodies in advance of the event, while the other attendees will get theirs upon arrival) I’ve told every friend I know – at least twice – how stinking cool this thing is. In fact, I’ve sent at least a handful of them directly to my friend, Coree Silvera’s site, to buy them. Coree is a Poken affiliate and an amazing woman, and when I buy things, I like to buy from friends. Check it out, find the Poken that’s right for you and you’ll be on your way to loving it as much as I do.

Even more brilliant is the move by ConAgra, purchasing such a clever gadget, branding it with their logo, and distributing it as part of the swag at the Blissdom event. Love my gadget, love the peeps who gave it to me. That’s how it works, you know. And for a pretty minimal investment, ConAgra has already endeared me to their brand – they gave me something super cool, that I love, that I will routinely use, which will make my life easier. Oh, and their brand is right there, front and center, for all to see.

Smart, smart, smart. In fact, I’m such an evangelist now – for both ConAgra and for Poken, they should both sponsor my upcoming trip to SXSW and let me recruit some new customers for them. And give me some really cool tee shirts to wear while I’m doing it (hehe).

Poken Me, Willya? is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency