Sallying

When to Crash a Party

This post is a bit overdue, but still appropriate for New Year’s Eve and the Mardi Gras season.

(Note that the title is not “How to Crash a Party.” My legendary gate-crashing tactics remain a closely guarded secret, for now.)

When to crash:

When you are 23, poor, and no one knows you

When tickets are sold out

When it’s part of the culture of the event, ie, the conventions, Gold Cup

When you are tagging along with a group of invitees who know the host won’t mind

When it’s going to be so big no one notices a few extra people

When you know people inside will have extra credentials to give you (Washington Mardi Gras)

When not to crash:

When you were intentionally not invited

When you are over 25 and just don’t want to pay

When your entrance keeps a real guest from attending (stealing tickets, using a real guest’s name at the door)

When people will know you don’t belong (like a Washington Post gossip reporter)

When someone could get in trouble for helping you get in (whether it’s three Secret Service agents or your roommate’s brother)

When it’s a fundraiser where everyone else is paying (unless you are specially invited by a host or the honoree)

When it’s just inappropriate for you to be there (Um, State Dinner?)

Other tips:

Dress to fit in and compose yourself. This is not the time to be the center of attention.

Don’t be greedy. Be grateful you got in at all- don’t try to sit in the $20,000 seats.

If called out, just admit that you crashed. If you follow the “do’s” above, this should be okay with most people.

Domain Crazy

My latest purchase makes me happy. Last night through an international site, I found and snapped up the domain name Sally.sm. I want to use it to market my social media training classes, but for now it’s pointed to my online resume (http://HireSallyAlbright.com).

I confess I’m a bit of a domain junkie. My habit started when I worked at the U.S. Internet Council, where our Vice President was a full blown addict. He registered new domains almost weekly. He bought ILoveYouJanet.com for his wife, SeeBusterRun.com for his dog, and HappyBirthdayJulie.com for his daughter. (Names have been changed.) This was back when you could still get a good dotcom domain pretty easily.

So under his influence, I started buying domains. While most of them expired before I bothered to point them anywhere, I’m glad I grabbed http://SallyAlbright.com when I did. (Sally.com was taken years ago, and an artist in California has it locked up for another decade.)

My habit didn’t turn chronic until I discovered GoDaddy. Now that I can have the domain of my dreams in a matter of minutes for around $12, I’ve gone a little crazy. I’ve purchased several different versions and spellings of my name as well as my husband’s. I’ll buy them for my blogs, for new business ventures, for books I might someday write, for parties I host, even as gifts for my friends. Sometimes, I’ll buy one just because it’s cool.

Do you own a personal domain name? If not, you should get on the ball. Besides GoDaddy, there are hundreds of registrants. Just type in what you want and they will show you what’s available. You may not think you need a domain name now, but chances are you’ll want one at some point. Best to choose sooner rather than later.

You should definitely try to to buy your first and last name followed by dotcom or dotnet. You can also get away with dotorg or dotus. If you have a common name that is already taken, try a nickname, add a middle initial or reference your location. Get creative. If down the line you think of a better one, buy it too!

As far as I’m concerned, you can’t have too many.

Social Media 101

The other day I ran into a colleague, a woman I’ve always looked up to who also works in communications. We exchanged business cards and briefly caught up. When told her that I had branched into social media consulting, she sneered, “I don’t do all that social media nonsense. If someone needs to reach me, they can email. I do email.” Looking at my card with contact info for half a dozen social networking sites, her companion exclaimed, “There’s no mailing address on here!”

I can’t remember the last time I sent a mass email. I’m pretty sure any lists I used to use are tragically out of date. I haven’t received anything business-related through snail mail in years. And even my mom uses Facebook.

Were there really smart, savvy professionals out there who weren’t taking advantage of social media? I had no response. When I related the incident to Leslie Bradshaw, Director of Engagement at the powerhouse New Media Strategies, she shrugged. “Tell them social media is an accelerator for business and networking. Why drive 45 when you can drive in the fast lane?”

Why indeed? I was hardly an early adopter of social media, but I recognized its potential right away, and now I am fully immersed in the technology and the culture.

New media isn’t a fad, it’s a new way of life. I know there’s a huge learning curve for people who have always worked a certain way, but there is no excuse for getting left behind. My friend Wendy laments, “It’s like our parents not knowing how to program the VCR,” and she’s right.

I’d like to be a resource for my peers who are hesitant about using social media. There is a lot of information out there, but I can break it down for mid-career professionals who don’t know where to start (or fear they will do something wrong.)

Look for regular blog posts on tips and tricks for getting started in social media, branding yourself online, and integrating new technology into your every day life.

(I have a strict policy against blogging about my clients, so I’ll be looking for case studies. I’d love to offer individual consulting for anyone who will allow me to blog about the process.)

To My Foster Dog

I used to hold you
in moments stolen from my own
Before I delivered you into loving arms.
They took care of you while they could.
And you were happy,
content to wait.
You knew you’d come around again.
And when you did
you’d get to be
my dog.