Sandy Wilson, Public Relations, Media Relations, Communications in Jacksonville, Florida

Craving Dos Caminos Guacamole

2 Tbs fine chopped cilantro leaves
2 tsp fine chopped white onion
2 tsp minced jalapeno chile pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 large avocados
2 Tbs. finely chopped plum tomato
2 tsp fresh squeezd lime juice

Mash cilantro, onion, minced chile, and  salt together against the bottom of a bowl.  Add the avocados and gently mash the avocados with a fork till chunky smooth.   Stir in tomatoes and lime juice.  Serve with tortilla chips.

We're just back from the National Speakers Association 2010 Conference.

It was an excellent conference with a plethora of valuable workshops and seminars covering a variety of topics - social media, networking, marketing and speaking resources (of course). 

I attended to gather ideas on how to best market a client's Speakers Bureau.  I walked away with a lot more than that.

There is a welcoming attitude that is palpable in this great group of folks.  Family was a word that was repeated often.  Check them out whether you're looking for a speaker or want to grow your speaking career.

Looking for an environmental expert who would add value to your Green Conference or meeting? Environmental Services,Inc. (ESI) has a Speakers Bureau with topics ranging from "Archaeological Investigation of the Titanic" to "Zoo-archaeology."

Click here to check out ESI's list of existing conference and seminar presentations. They will also customize a presentation for you.

Full disclosure: ESI is a client.

I'm perplexed by LinkedIn's customer service strategy.

What customer service policy you ask?

Exactly.

After my friend, Cathi, asked me for LinkedIn's phone number because she could not log in to her account, I jumped on Google to search for an answer and quickly discovered that there isn't a phone number for LinkedIn Customer Service.

There isn't an email address either. And forget about a Chat option.

I'd love to read their Social Media Policy but I suspect that it, also, doesn't exist.

The irony is that, without a visible customer service contact on their website, LinkedIn continues to grow as a platform for virtual business networking.

This is an interesting comment on the general business world's technical proficiency and desire to leverage online communication.

For what it's worth, here is what I found yesterday through search: LinkedIn's Customer Support Center: How do I contact LinkedIn online?

I also ran across this on a blog: I'm Mario, the community evangelist at LinkedIn. Let me find out what exactly is the problem with your account. Moving forward, you can also ping me at msundar@linkedin.com with any questions or follow me on twitter (twitter id: mariosundar).

I haven't confirmed that Mario is a real person because I want to hang on to the notion that he exists for as long as possible.

Memorial Day marks the beginning of the summer season.

More important: Memorial Day is a day of remembrance.  Many of you will spend the day tomorrow remembering the ones you love and the ones you have loved who have bravely served our country.  

Every year at this time,  I think of my lifelong best friend's father  Charlie Lewis, who died serving his country in Vietnam and I silently thank him for his sacrifice.  I never met Charlie and know him through his daughter - he was a wicked poker player, he was a fair and honest man, he was a brave soldier and he loved his family.

I hope you have a safe and peaceful day tomorrow and that you also remember someone special.

I ran across this video of Hawaiian legend Iz singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and thought it would be OK to post a link to this video - click here.

I've never met Special Events Magazine Lisa Hurley in person but she has just become one of my favorite people!! How nice!

Lisa sent me the following via email and said that I can share the note:

Dear Sandy:
Thank you so much for keeping me in the loop on your big DMC client. You shared such pertinent information that I kept your release for months, using it when I worked on the next issue dealing with this topic.
Your hard work on behalf of your client shows the power of targeted, strategic public relations.
Best regards,
Lisa

Lisa Hurley
Editor
Special Events Magazine
A Penton Media Publication
17383 W. Sunset Boulevard, Suite A220
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
USA
tel  310 230 7179
fax 913 514 3941
Web
Special Events has been quoted by the Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, CNN, CNBC and the CBS "Sunday Morning" program, among many others--you are in good company with the foremost authority on special events.

Michael gave me a DOG book for Mother's Day with a note that said: Pick one!
So, I picked an Anatolian Shepherd & he said: No...too aggressive.
I picked a German Shepherd and he said: No... way too aggressive.
I picked a Bulldog and he said: No... too ugly and they slobber.
I threw in a Chihuahua just to test him and he said: No... too little and they're yappy.
So, I said: Michael, what kind of dog do you think I should I pick?
And he said: Why don't you pick a Lab?
So, now we're looking for a Chocolate or Silver Lab - a really big, yappy, slobbery one that will jump on bad guys who try to break into the house.
I'm giving Michael a fence for Father's Day!
It's going to take a while to pick out the material and design.

What does any of this have to do with green?

Well, the fence will probably be made from recycled materials and when I walk our Lab, I'll use biodegradable doggie bags.

So, like a lot of folks, I'm on Facebook. I use Facebook to catch up with friends and to stay connected in an increasingly disconnected world.

I created my Facebook Wilson Communicates. LLC Business Page today.   I'm going to post social media and green resources there. 

We all have a lot to learn about online privacy and safety.  With that in mind, I found some interesting articles about Facebook Privacy to share:

Facebook Privacy Settings: How To Fix Your Profile In 2 Minutes (VIDEO)

Price of Facebook Privacy? Start Clicking

Baskets /Bags
Use grocery store recycle bags. These bags come in a variety of patterns including colorful flowers. This will also give you an opportunity to discuss recycling with your children.

Straw
Use your paper shredder and shred virtually any paper for the basket straw. 

Eggs
If you don't want to recycle colorful, plastic eggs, here are some tips for Naturally Dyed Eggs:

Blue eggs - boil with blueberries
Purple eggs- boil in red wine
Pink or red eggs - boil with beets or in cranberry juice
Yellow eggs  - boil with saffron
Brown eggs - boil in in coffee

Cards
Send virtual cards. I really love My Punchbowl.

Happy Easter!

March has been a busy month for me! Working on client websites and building strategic social media channels has been great fun and sometimes challenging - however, in the process, I've neglected my little blog. 

March Tip:

Need help managing your Twitter account? Here's pretty much everything you could possible need to move Tweetward: The Only Twitter Application List You'll Ever Need.    I really love Twitter Keys, though I wouldn't use this for business Tweets. 

A lot of folks have asked me recently about the value of using Twitter for business.  Twitter is not for every person or business so the value of leveraging  Twitter truly must be determined on an individual basis.

That said: in almost all cases, Twitter is a great way to connect with targeted media.  In fact, you can identify some of your your media sources by researching the directories listed in the link above. 

This process also requires good old-fashioned research.  Identify your target media outlets.  Visit their websites.  Discover their Twitter identities.  Follow them.  Pay attention to their posts.  Does your business have information or services that appears to be a good fit for their readers?  Begin conversations.  Post resources.

It's a simple process that requires time, research, & thoughtful planning -  which brings me back to my little neglected blog. 

So, I've been busy but I'm back.