If you read this blog or follow me on Twitter, you may know that my company does a fair amount of PR for startup and technology clients. While half of our business is with companies in Ohio, all of our tech/startup work is outside this market. (The PR person in me says the local technology community needs to do a better job promoting its successes, but that’s a topic for another blog post.)

You  might not know it, but Central Ohio has an active startup community. That’s why I love projects/organizations like Built In Cbus, WakeUpStartUp, TechColumbus and other groups focused on supporting and promoting local entrepreneurs. So, when Built In Cbus asked to interview me and share the Geben story, I was flattered! Want to know how Geben got its start, why I don’t believe in answering the dreaded “where will you be in five years”-question, and who our most famous client is? It’s all in this five-minute video. Thanks for watching (and don’t make fun of my hat!)

Built in Cbus | Heather Whaling from Andy Newman on Vimeo.

As we wind down 2011, it’s only natural to reflect on the past year and set some goals for the new year. At work, perhaps you’ve done end-of-the-year reviews. Personally, I hate reviews. I’ll tell you in “real time” if you’re doing something well or not! No need to wait for an arbitrary date in December. That said, I do think some reflection and goal-setting is in order.

The past few years, I’ve set goals for myself and my company, but this year, I wanted to work with my team to reflect on their accomplishments, identify areas for improvement and to set their own goals. As an employee, take a two-pronged approach to creating work-related goals: 1) Establish specific milestones or achievements that you personally want to accomplish; 2) Identify ways that you can contribute to the overall growth of the company.

With that in mind, I developed the 3-2-1 review/goal setting process. We’re following this approach at Geben, and I’d invite you to take our model and tweak it for your own use.

3-2-1: 2012 Goal Setting

Create a new document to list the following 3-2-1 items.
3:

• 3 greatest accomplishments (yours … what you’re most proud of during this past year)
• 3 areas where you can improve
• 3 personal (but still work-related) goals, including a timeline and what you’ll do to hit those marks

2:

• 2 company-related goals (what you can do to help the company grow, be more efficient, improve our work product, etc. Basically whatever you can do that will help the company be better.)
• 2 things you need from your boss/superior/mentor  to help you achieve your goals (personal and/or company-related). Note: You have to tell your boss how she/he can help you. Tell them you’ve set some goals, but that you need some assistance. I bet they’ll be impressed that you took the time to set goals and will be happy to help you get from Point A to Point B.

1:

• 1 thing you’re most looking forward to in the new year.

Keep this document handy (Google Docs, Dropbox or Evernote are helpful here!). Frequently review it so your areas for improvement stay top-of-mind, and you maintain focus on your goals. Remember, this doesn’t have to be a solo project. Ask your boss or co-workers to help — whether that’s providing mentorship or just keeping you accountable. Don’t just make a New Year’s Resolution because it’s the thing to do in January. Instead, set a goal. Then, create and implement a process to accomplish the desired outcomes.

Want to give the 3-2-1 process a spin? Feel free to share some of your goals or what you’re most looking forward to in the comments. Let’s help each other grow and succeed in 2012!

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2011 has been a magical year. In the past year, thanks to this blog, I’ve had amazingly positive experiences, including witnessing the hope and resiliency of the Haiti people and being reminded of the importance of true friendship, thanks to Valerie Simon and #TeamMeg. In my own corner of the world, Geben Communication became a “toddler,” hitting the two-year mark, and growth remains strong. Beyond thankful doesn’t even begin to describe my feelings about 2011.

Don’t get me wrong: Too many people are without jobs or underemployed, the economy continues to plague hard-working families, and this country faces more than a few long-term problems. But, as we enter the homestretch of this year, let’s reflect on the amazing experiences, good friends, personal/professional growth, and magic that defined 2011.

With that in mind, Geben recently hosted an office warming-meets-holiday celebration, and my incredibly talented friend Eric Leslie with On Scene Productions offered to film it for us. So, to all of you who couldn’t physically be here with us for the festivities, here’s a little peak at the fun! (Check out the app-inspired cookies!!) From all of us at Geben Communication, happy holidays!

Geben Christmas Party 2011 from On Scene Digital Printing on Vimeo.

Can’t see the video in your reader? That’s ok – just click here!

Celebrating Geben Communication’s two-year anniversary and the holiday season seemed like an appropriate occasion to finally create a prTini. Last week, I asked readers of this blog to submit your suggestions for consideration. Let’s just say you have wide-ranging tastes! The eventual winner caught my attention for two reasons: Her concoction sounded delicious and she mentioned that the color would coordinate with my blog design. (Who can say no to a color-coordinated beverage?!)

Tonight is Geben Communication’s holiday party, where the prTini will be making its debut. If you’d like to experience your own prTini, here’s the recipe, submitted by Christa Marzan. Enjoy!

It’s been a big year around here. One of my goals heading into 2011 was to grow Geben Communication and continue to expand the team. Grow we did — so much so that we had to move out of my home office (otherwise known as my dining room!) and into an actual office, complete with  storefront windows and a conference room.

Having an official workspace provides a fantastic excuse to host an office party –  part happy holidays, part office-warming. And, so, next week, we’ll be hosting a little gathering for some clients, partners and other Columbus friends. In honor of our first office party, we’re also debuting the prTini beverage. After writing this blog and tweeting as prTini for years, I’ve received more than a few requests for the official drink mix. So, let’s do it.

But, I need your help. See, the truth is, despite the online name, I’m not actually much of a martini drinker. (Red wine is my favorite, in case you’re wondering!) So, I have no idea what a prTini should taste or look like. And, that’s where you come in. I’m crowdsourcing recipe suggestions for the prTini debut (which doesn’t necessarily have to be a martini. Be creative. Think outside the box.). I’ve posted my request on Zaarly. Follow this link, sign-up for the service (if you’re not already a user), and then submit your recipe. It’s super easy, and if I choose your mix, you’ll win $20, and I’ll donate $20 to the charity of your choosing.

What’s Zaarly? Yes, Zaarly is a client, but it’s also a service that I love. Individuals post what they want, when they need it and how much they’re willing to pay. Then, the Zaarly community gets to work fulfilling your request. I’ve used Zaarly to find a baker who makes fresh cookies that I can take to meetings. Also, Zaarly came to the rescue when I forgot my computer charger during a work trip to California — a disaster-in-the-making. I posted a request for someone to go to the Apple store, buy a charger and deliver it to me. Within hours, I had a new charger. Seriously amazing. (And, in case you’re wondering, no Zaarly didn’t compensate me for this post or to use the service for my prTini search.)

Enough talking. I need to see your recipes. Recipes must be submitted this week. So, click here and let me see what you come up with!

Normally, I try to avoid personal rants on this blog, but I’m so dumbfounded by this, I had to share …

As I was getting off the phone with a local utility company, I requested documentation of the service changes we’d just made. I was thinking they could fire off an email confirmation. No big deal, right? Not so fast. When I asked for the email, I was told, “We don’t email.”

Huh?

At first, I thought maybe she meant she couldn’t email, so I politely asked if someone there could email me the confirmation so I’d have it for my records. Again, I got the exact same, “We don’t email.”

To that, I had to respond with an incredulous “What do you mean you don’t email? It’s 2011. How does a major company like yours not email?”

The rest of the conversation isn’t really important. My point is, what kind of customer service are you offering if you are unable to communicate with customers via email? I’m not even asking this company to hear and respond to me on Twitter or create a Facebook page where I can ask questions. Nothing that advanced … just looking for some email.

Two lessons from this situation:

1. If you’re a company that provides itself on customer service, yet you’re unable to communicate with your customers in the way they want to be interact with you, that’s a problem. Nowadays, I think it’s pretty common to expect email confirmations to be available. And, if your customers are the tech-savvy set that flocks to Twitter or Facebook, a niche forum or some other online site, why aren’t you there, standing by ready to assist? (Even if you aren’t “there” all the time, don’t you think if someone sends you at “at reply” on Twitter, you should at least respond?)
2. Not everyone is as far along the technology spectrum as we’d like to believe. I wasn’t on the phone with a mom-and-pop bakery. This is a multi-million dollar company with 1.4 million customers (according to their website). If that kind of company hasn’t even figured out how to work email into customer service, perhaps we all need to take a collective step back and realize that the whole world isn’t quite on board with things like “social CRM” or even monitoring company mentions on blogs or Twitter.

Anyone else *shocked* that the customer service department in a large company like that still can’t email?!

Ok, that’s the end of my rant for today … what’s going on in your world?

Last week, Jeana (Geben Communication’s first hire!) gave me  Anything You Want, by Derek Sivers. I’m not one for “business advice”-type books. As in, I rarely read them because I normally find them incredibly boring! But, Jeana said this one reminded her of the way I think about owning and growing a business, plus she promised I could read it in about an hour.

So, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I decided to give the book a try. If you own a business, or want to start one, I’d suggest you read the book, too. In the meantime, some of my favorite one- (or two-) liners:

What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received?

(If you’re reading this in a Reader and can’t see the images, click over to prTini.com for the full post.

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I’ve always been a big believer in under-promising but over-delivering, of exceeding client expectations, and doing everything in my power to complete the task at hand. As a business owner, I take that responsibility even more seriously now. After all, it’s my name on the (proverbial) door. It’s my reputation and credibility on the line. I don’t want to disappoint. I’m elated when clients tell me that we are doing a good job and that they value us as part of their team. And when a client sends me a business lead? Pretty sure that’s the best compliment I can receive.

Why am I telling you this?

Because there’s lesson we can all learn. We’re all working hard every day. But, how often do we stop to tell our employees, partners or vendors that we appreciate their efforts? Do we play matchmaker and connect the dots between people in our networks who could benefit from knowing each other? How often do we refer business to a trusted partner or offer advice to help them land a big contract?

Sometimes, it’s those little gestures that mean the most. As we all work to build our virtual networks, our capacity to connect others also increases. What are some ideas to show appreciation and connect in meaningful ways?

My hometown newspaper, The Columbus Dispatch, played a major role in catapulting Ted Williams, the now-famous homeless man with the golden voice. More than a month ago, Dispatch videographer Doral Chenoweth III shot the original video of Ted, which was posted on the Dispatch’s website on Jan. 3. That next day, a Reddit user posted a copy (without Dispatch permission) on YouTube. Thousands of Reddit comments and YouTube views later, and Ted Williams was quickly morphing into an Internet sensation. On Jan. 5, the Morning Zoo, a local radio morning show, even bumped an interview with Snooki to devote more air time to Mr. Williams. On Jan. 6, the national media tour kicked into high gear, including appearances on The Early Show, the Today  Show and Jimmy Fallon. Since then, Ted has received multiple job offers.

It didn’t take long for the video to become a viral sensation, generating 12+ million YouTube views in just a couple of days. The problem — at least for the Dispatch — is that heavy doses of web traffic was going to YouTube, not Dispatch.com. According to Dispatch reporter Randy Ludlow:

Interestingly, this Dispatch.com version of the video includes sharing functions — including the HTML to embed the video as well as sharing to Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. However, this version of the video does not include those sharing items. (Note: I’ve contacted the Dispatch in an attempt to confirm when the sharing features were incorporated. I will update this when I receive a response from the Dispatch.)

The Dispatch filed a copyright claim with YouTube, which resulted in YouTube removing the video — and erasing millions of views and hundreds of comments in the process. It seems the Dispatch hopes to ride (and capitalize on) this wave of attention by directing all web traffic to Dispatch.com.

However, this raises questions about modern-day journalism challenges: Would “The Homeless Man with the Golden Voice” have become a national sensation without social media? Probably not. Would this video have been viewed, shared and discussed so frequently without the prodding of the Reddit community? Not as likely. Would the video have seeped into pop culture if it was only available on Dispatch.com, or did YouTube enhance the viral nature of the story?

Long-time media critic Jay Rosen offered his thoughts on Twitter this morning:

If we assume that the story wouldn’t gone viral without social media — and consequently wouldn’t have captured the attention of national, traditional media outlets — I have to wonder why the Dispatch would pull the story from the very channels that helped it catapult to Today Show-levels. Presumably, traffic to the Dispatch’s website spiked as a result of the national media coverage and high volume of online chatter. But, now that the story has gone viral, the Dispatch wants it off YouTube?

Newspapers across the country are struggling to turn a profit. Clearly, the business of journalism is very different today than even just a decade ago; however, this is a prime example of why it’s critical for traditional media to embrace (and benefit from) social media. As the golden voice videographer noted in an online chat earlier this week, “It’s expensive to produce this type of journalism, and although it does appear on our website, it’s ripped by people posting on YouTube and we don’t get the ‘clicks’ to show our advertisers.” The challenge then becomes, how can traditional media monetize a stronger online presence? A growing number of traditional media outlets are leveraging social media as a means to support the evolving business model.

A “Golden” Learning Opportunity

Looking at this as a learning opportunity, let’s discuss some ways traditional media outlets can protect their content while still capturing online attention:

• Create a YouTube channel. As Jay Rosen noted, you can’t control what goes viral … and what doesn’t. So post all videos on a branded YouTube channel. Maybe even add a something to the beginning or end of each video with a link to the Dispatch website. The YouTube Partner Program can potentially be a revenue generator. Get really interactive and create “hypervideo” — incorporating hyperlinks throughout the video to take viewers back to the Dispatch site. Something like klickable.tv can help with this.
• Encourage and train journalists to interact on social media sites. By creating interactive, two-way conversations, journalists can help drive traffic to the main site. (This does not mean simply auto-tweeting a link  to the latest articles. That’s an example of what not to do.)
• Embrace multi-media … but not just on your own site. For example, create a videocast (see: New York Times TimeCast); host a podcast to discuss the latest news; follow NPR’s lead and share photos on Instagram (or a similar service) to give audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the news.
• Get smarter about mobile … and quick.
• Integrate Facebook — and not just a “Share this on Facebook” link. Perhaps look at how Huffington Post “socialized” its site and borrow a few ideas from them.
• Create “Web 2.0″ sites. Far too many newspaper websites are still very static — nothing more than links to stories, photos and videos. Why not incorporate some real opportunities for interaction? Even something as simple as letting users vote stories up or down would be a good start.
• Think digitally. During a shooting in Orlando, the Sentinel leveraged social media, including Twitter lists, photo galleries and URL redirecting, to keep readers informed and to disseminate updates.
• Research opportunities to incorporate hyper-local news and location-based services. The Cincinnati Enquirer is already experimenting with this concept.

Just some unsolicited ideas off the top of my head. Decreasing newspaper circulation isn’t a new problem; however, traditional media outlets need to master digital communication — and sooner, rather than later. If not? They may miss the next “golden” viral news opportunity.

Author’s Note: I have contacted multiple people at the Columbus Dispatch to get their perspective on this story. If/when I receive a response, I will update this post accordingly. This is my hometown newspaper, so I think it’s a shame to see the paper’s handling of the video being discussed in such a negative light — especially after they uncovered such a fantastic, positive story. Hopefully, this is a minor bump in what is otherwise a story with a happy ending.

UPDATE 1: About an hour after my original post went live, the Columbus Dispatch created a YouTube channel and uploaded the video.

UPDATE 2: The Columbus Dispatch posted a statement on its blog, which you can read in its entirety here. I’m no SEO expert, but I find it intersting that they didn’t use any of the likely-to-be-searched key words in the URL or headline. Either way, an excerpt from the post:

Our video was posted on dispatch.com January 3. When an unauthorized person posted the video on YouTube January 4, it was done in violation of The Dispatch Printing Co.’s copyright. YouTube was asked to remove the copyrighted video and redirect interested parties to the original video on dispatch.com. On January 6, YouTube removed one of the unauthorized videos, but did not include a link to the original video.

At no time was The Columbus Dispatch trying to prevent anyone from seeing our video. In fact, it has remained available since it was originally posted to dispatch.com. It has also been reposted on YouTube under our copyright.

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A couple weeks ago, I spent a few days in Mexico on a family vacation. With virtually no access to Internet or phone, I was truly disconnected for the first time since my honeymoon a couple years ago. This “unplugged” time gave me ample opportunity just to think and get some perspective. As a result, I have a much better feel for the types of clients I want to work with heading into the new year. It’s amazing the high-quality thinking that can occur while staring out at the ocean! (I’ll share more details about the “ideal client” in an upcoming post, but if you’re interested in working together, let’s chat.)

A few weeks ago, I identified three goals that I’d like to see Geben achieve in 2011, as well as a few personal goals for 2011. By taking the time in Mexico to better understand exactly who I want to work with — and consequently how to allocate resources — I’m putting myself in a stronger position to actually achieve these goals.

Have you created goals for 2011? The process doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as it may sound. You could take the Chris Brogan’s “three word” approach, instead of developing traditional goals. Or, you can identify a few things you realistically want to accomplish in the coming year. Maybe you want to set a few short-term goals that will help you build toward a more long-term vision. Whatever your process, take some time to reflect on what you want to accomplish. And then determine how you’re going to get there. But, be proactive. Don’t just leave it to chance.

If you’ve created goals for the new year, feel free to share them in the comments!