Hey guys! I have graduated to wordpress.org account. (Cue: oooooooooooh’s). Thank you for all of you that have read this blog. I think there are 3 of you.
Head on over to www.jasonrosoff.com and take a gander. It literally looks the same, but now I have a lot more plugins and other options to expand, of which I have not really done any, but want to!
Thanks again yall!
Random Thought for the Subway: The R Train is very slow.
Recently I actually took the advice of 2 professionals I know and ran with it. The Social Media Ninja @Thrillist, David Pessah, sat me down showed me a little thing called Google Form. It’s a little sad that I had never used it before, but extremely happy to be exposed to it. That with the advice of my @DachisGroup Guru bud Lauren Picarello, to use interviewing as an effective research technique brought me to my little experiment.
I created a fun, short Google Form Survey to test the waters. It was a very simple process. Head to Google Docs, Click Create New, Choose Form and then start creating your survey. You can choose from text, multiple choice, check box, list, scale or grid style questions. The amazing part is that every time a person completes your survey, their answers are sent to a separate Google Doc spreadsheet and listed in order of time they were completed.
You can also see your results in graph form in the “Summary of Responses” under the Form tab:
Since this was just an experiment, I didn’t come out with any substantial data, but I did walk away with some helpful lessons:
Random Thought for the Subway:Did James Franco have his phone on stage at the beginning of the Oscars?
Picture This: You’re walking, or more often speed walking, down the street, having a silent conversation with the ground, with 10 different tasks circling in your head. This is a common practice here in NYC and after a while, the speed and stress, (and of course the Rent), of life here can easily overwhelm any joe…or jane.
The Social Media World is a very fast paced business that is only moving faster. With this and many other businesses you have to find a way to balance it all and keep your productivity moving in a forward and positive way.
Since I am on a “Being Aware” kick right now I want to share 5 literally simple things I do to get out of my head for a minute while in transit here in NYC. Keeping an open awareness of your surroundings helps to sustain a mental balance that can enable a good work ethic and positivity in your life…deep!
1. Look Up: Walking with your head down is blocking out all the other crazies on the street. Look up, smile at them, and then see what an amazing city (or wherever you dwell) you are in.
2. Take a Breath: Give that brain of yours some needed oxygen and put some space between you and your tasks. 2 deep breaths and then move on.
3. Rock Out: Put on that I-pod jam that gets your adrenaline up or just makes you feel good and have some fun. You’re walking anyway, why not be in a good mood during it.
4. Sit Down: Aside from our very chilly winter we are having, taking a load off on a park bench, or inside of a Starbucks for NY’ers, can give you that extra min. of chill time to re-focus your day.
5. Laugh: Yes another I-pod situation, but download your favortie comic’s CD (I love me some Mitch Hedburg) on your very popular device and get some good laughs in. Someone told me laughing is a happy trait.
Yes, these are simple obvious ideas, but it’s the simple things that make up our days. We should put some focus towards them and not spend it all on the major crises of the day.
Random Thought for The Subway: What happened to Nick Nolte? I miss that angry, possesed, Blue Chips actor.
I went and saw Black Swan last night. There was definitely an excited vibe emanating from myself and my fellow movie goers. I tweeted about it, I Foursquare shouted it out to the heavens, popped out a classic status update and even had a face to face convo with a friend about it (weird, I know). After a nice little snack at Cosi I was ready for the some Aronofsky film fun.
He delivered, as he has in the past, with a unique movie style and numerous moments that had me working on my abs. Today I was still thinking about the movie and still soaking in the overall feel and message of the movie for me. A big buzz word present was perfection. The main character was obsessed with the essence of perfection, to only have it destroy her in the end.
Perfection is an old school term that should be left in the trenches. It is an unattainable goal that is sadly still a benchmark for many people. The only true perfection is in your own personal balance.
As I am starting up some Social Media Consulting research/ gigs I find myself becoming concerned about my level of knowledge, skill, and experience not being at a high enough level. I’m realizing that I can only be where I am at this moment. To down play my skills now will only hurt me later. Embrace your imperfection and with that you will find true balance and a more open mind for learning, growing, and success.
That last paragraph got a little deep.
Random Thought for the Subway: Someone told me today that all this NYC snow might be part of a climate shift for this part of the world. WTF?! Where’s Dennis Quaid when you need him?
For starters, I am an avid Foursquare user who enjoys the friendly competition of gathering badges, Mayorships, and 20% off my bar tab.
Now that that’s settled, at my current internship there has arisen a race for the mayorship of the office. Sadly, I am not even a contender, but do wait for the day when I will see “You are 5 days from becoming mayor” and strike while the Blackberry is hot.
This all got me thinking about how many times a person can “check in” to gain the lead and gather a slew of mayorship trophies. After seeing all the angles it seemed downright obsessive: Checking in at both subway stations to work, then the news stand, then starbucks, then your building, then your actual office and then do it all again on the way back. I’ve seen some people check in on the highway they are driving on. “I wasn’t texting officer, I was Foursquaring. Big difference!” This is not a made up plan, it’s reality for some people.
My ranking among my Foursquare folk is pretty much average, with stints of above average skillage. Some of my friends are downright experts and it just made me ask, is this Foursquare behavior a sign of diligence and forward thinking, or just a bit obsessive?
In my classic Libra…I mean Virgo way I will say it’s a bit of both. Foursquare will only become more popular among businesses, as location based services are gaining popularity by the day. So I salute my Foursquare champions and am glad to just be in the game.
Random Thought for The Subway: Do you look up or down when you are silently riding the elevator with another person?
Actually, I’m 31, but this title had a much higher “wit factor “…giggiddy.
In this midst of this career transition I have been missing the beginning job search X-factor, better known as the Internship. Recently I’ve joined the ranks and am happy with the result. No excessive coffee runs or lunch orders. Just good ole fashioned work, in a great environment, with a lot of opportunity to learn and grow.
The funny, and obvious, thing is that I’m not in between my junior and senior year of college. This internship feels like a job to me and not a summer fling. I’d be happy to go in everyday for 8 hours a day, if it wasn’t for my landlord always reminding me that apartments don’t work on the barter system.
I’ve read that it’s becoming more common for career transitionees to partake in internships in their later years. I hope that wasn’t an onion article. I am appreciating this internship way more than I would have 10 years ago and I guess it helps that my young looking face blends in well with my fellow
interns. Exciting times are here.
Random Thought for Subway: I heard the monthly nyc subway pass is now over $100…HA! No Way.
During a session with a Burger King Whopper, the greatest of fast food sandwiches (hold back the death rays Big Mac Lovers), I couldn’t help but stare at their “Pay First” Cyber Cafe. I guess I had forgotten that people still pay per minute to use the internet. I should probably look within, but with Tablets, Laptops, and Smartphones I thought the old Cybercafe would be extinct.
What I ended up seeing is that there are so many people who can’t afford the luxury of a blackberry, I-pad or even what I thought was a standard Laptop. It helps to take a breath, look up and realize that things could be so much worse and be grateful for what you have. Without that clarity you might finally get that I-pad, or whatever and already be looking for the next great thing.
Random Thought for Subway: Why do 75% or more of NY’ers wear black coats? It makes that guy in the Blue Ski Coat look like an alien.
This phrase has come up numerous times over the past year and I just don’t get it. Are turtles not awkward enough? They have a huge shell for a body and walk at a pace that my grandmother gets annoyed at. Does calling them awkward make it funnier? If you saw a bale of turtles, could you point out the most awkward one? Maybe I am missing the subtly here. It wouldn’t be the first time.
I am trying to tie this all together into an inspiring haiku of genius, but I’d rather leave it as is.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Today, I finished a Temp Gig working with a very high profile fashion PR department. I was only there to help them move their office, which they were given 24 Hours notice with a 24 Hour Deadline to move. This wasn’t the most ideal situation for me, but it was great to be there nonetheless.
Fashion PR Firms/Departments have a steady reputation for being high stressed with a side of no nonsense. These 4 ladies blew that stereotype out of the park. They were one of the most relaxed/organized/appreciative departments I have ever been exposed to. They were being moved into a conference room that was half the size of their office and I never once heard any of them complain or bitch or whatever. They just joked and went on with business as usual.
Work does not have to be so stressful. It’s how you deal with issues, that makes them stressful. It proved to me that you can have a successful company in a high profile market without being Rude to your co-workers and/or clients.
Disclaimer: This philosophy isn’t for everyone
I have been temping a little bit recently. I’d rather not, but Time Warner keeps asking for their money. They are so diligent sometimes.
This lovely image is where I mainly worked for about 3 weeks. I’m not writing to complain or stand up for the rights of Temps. In all honesty, I never complained about the standing or laborious scanning because I knew it was only temporary, just like the position states in the ole’ name.
Simply put, Temp Work a perfect position to either propel you into success or help you sink to mediocrity and beyond (just like that sand pit in Princess Bride). I appreciate this sad office and all my not co-workers who walked by me awkwardly. I can look back and know exactly where I do not want to be, and also appreciate that fresh dose of humility. I applaud all current temps and hope you find your full time position soon!
