It’s April 2009. I’ve been running the New Media Cincinnati social media group for a year and a half. Still connecting with people in the Greater Cincinnati area. Still passionate about taking online connections in the real world.  I decide to take the day off the job that had the commute up to the Dayton area and make time to connect with my online friends in Cincinnati.

I put out the call on Twitter and Facebook, saying that I’d like to meet anyone who’s interested at the Max and Erma’s on Montgomery Road.  Among many who respond is Andy Warner, whom I’ve only known on Twitter and Facebook. We’ve never met in person.

Lunch at the Max and Erma’s goes really well. We’re all encouraged to meet together on a day that’s not the second Saturday of the month.  Andy and I hit it off well, and over the next several months we continue to meet from time to time.  I share my copy of Chip and Dan Heath’s “Made to Stick” with him, because it resonates so deeply with me. Andy even makes it out to a New Media Cincinnati event.

Some months later, Andy lets me know via Instant Message (because we’ve become that great of friends) that he’s moved to Portland, Oregon for a new job.

Many months later he invites me to be on his new podcast, “Mind Tilt.”  Andy describes it as “thought leadership at the intersection of sales, marketing and strategy.”  Last week he releases it to the public: 

Daniel has a deep passion for connecting strangers and promoting the richness of personal stories.  This driving force for Daniel is clearly evident in everything he does from his early days of daily phone calls during his commute to weekly lunch meetups to founding New Media Cincinnati.  Daniel and I discussed his learnings with New Media Cincinnati during this week’s conversation.

I’m honored that Andy let me come on his program and talk his head off  and tell the story of building community here in Cincinnati.  Check out our conversation here: Mind Tilt Podcast Episode 8 — Daniel Johnson Jr – A Community Manager Fighting for the Users.

A privilege and an honor, he lets me talk his head off about my approach in building and managing a vibrant community.

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Whoever said that the only constant is change wasn’t kidding.

Work status. This past Monday morning, my work at ThinkWare, the payroll processing solutions company here in Cincinnati, ended. I was laid off, not because of performance, but because business conditions facing the company, the industry as a whole, and the economy.  I know. I didn’t like the news either.

I especially enjoyed being immersed in the world of Microsoft Dynamics CRM from the customization and support side of things for more than six months, and I’ll really miss my coworkers. What a great team I got to work with! I’ll also miss the interaction with our great clients as well. We’ll see where the next stage of my career takes me. Hopefully sooner than later.

SummitUp. Later Monday afternoon, I found out that the organizers of SummitUp, the social media confab in Dayton, Ohio, were giving away a free pass to next Tuesday’s event. I entered and won! I’m floored and humbled — and genuinely excited that I get to (re)connect with people from the Cincinnati and Dayton area, and learn a lot from them as well. Thanks again!

Public Speaking. Later next Tuesday, I get to speak to the Insurance Women of Greater Cincinnati group in Fairfield, Ohio, about why social media is important. It’s a high-level discussion, and I’m really looking forward to it.

GospelFest. In the meantime, this Sunday at 4 PM, if you like Gospel music, and you’re in the Cincinnati area, I urge you to come out to GospelFest, a concert featuring a number of Gospel choirs in the Cincinnati area, hosted by the Cincinnati Church of Christ. The price of admission is a non-perishable food item that will be donated to the HOPE Worldwide Cincinnati food drive. So, come out to benefit a good cause, and be ready to enjoy the great music! (Oh, and I’ll be in the back, helping with the A/V.)

• GospelFest 2010
  Sunday, October 17, 2010 4 PM
  Cincinnati Church of Christ
  4220 East Galbraith Road
  Cincinnati, Ohio 45236 (map)

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Last week I mentioned that I spoke to a group in Anderson Township about effective networking, or, as I preferred to call it, building better relationships. A couple of other public appearances I’d like to tell you about – one this past Saturday and one this evening.

Cincinnati SPJ Podcasting Workshop

On Saturday I had the privilege to help with a podcasting workshop at Northern Kentucky University, sponsored by the Cincinnati Society of Professional Journalists. Cleve Callison had asked me to be a part of it since I’ve had almost 5 years of experience in podcasting. He and John Hingsbergen come from a radio background and talked about recording and producing audio. It was great to see it come together. The goal of the workshop was to show people who may have never had any experience podcasting how to plan, record, and publish audio to be released as a podcast.

I fell in love with the Zoom H2 Handy Portable Stereo Recorder (affiliate link).

Not only did we have an interesting debate over the Cincinnati Streetcar project with John Schneider and Tom Luken, but we also had a discussion about pizza and subs, and got to learn a bit more about one another.  Check out the audio at the workshop’s blog site.

How I Got My Job – LIVE tonight!

Prior to me getting my current job, many people online and offline asked if I would interview myself for How I Got My Job, once I finally landed. I have shared about how I’d gotten previous jobs two other times, here and here.

Over the past year I’ve been involved with a number of networking groups in the Greater Cincinnati area, and one of them, the $timulus Book Networking Group, is held on Tuesdays at 7 PM at the Barnes and Noble in West Chester. You might remember we brought best-selling author Mitch Joel in via Skype one evening to talk about his book Six Pixels of Separation (affiliate link)  (read the post - Six Pixels of Separation – In Action!).

Monte Washburn, the facilitator for the group, asked me to come in to share my recent job search success story. I asked if I could record it and release it as a special interview for my program, and he enthusiastically agreed.

Tonight is the night.

Tonight, instead of me interviewing myself (which would just be weird), the attendees will ask the questions I typically ask.

I have a bit more of an understanding of what my guests on How I Got My Job feel like as they approach being interviewed by me. Even though I’m very familiar with these questions, I haven’t really thought about how I will answer them. I think this is a good thing, in order to keep things fresh.

If you’d like to join us, feel free. By the way, we hop over to Steak and Shake afterward.

Directions:

Barnes & Noble in the Streets of West Chester
(I-75 Exit 19 Union Centre Blvd., Past The Rave Theater)
9455 Civic Centre Boulevard, West Chester, OH 45069 (map)

Make it a great day!

Daniel Johnson, Jr.

If everyone got along, the world would be a pretty boring place, wouldn’t it?

One of the great things I love about having a blog and using social networking tools is that they enable discussions to happen, so that I and other readers are able to see multiple points of view. I have often asked questions and set up open-ended discussions, just to see what others have to say.

It would be nice if everyone got along and viewed their comments as a way to add to the conversation. Yet, human nature being what it is, and the perceived anonymity of the internet being what it is, people can be downright nasty, not only to blog authors but also to others who comment.

Recent events have made it clear that it’s time for a Comments Policy on my websites. At the moment you’ll find a direct link via the top navigation of this blog, but you will also find it here. I’ll reprint it here, in this post, just so that you’ll read it at least once:—

Comments Policy

By commenting, you agree to the following:

• Keep comments on topic – any comment that appears to be off-topic will be edited or deleted.
• Own your comments – have the courage to put your real name with what you say.
• No keywords in author names – if I suspect you’re using an author name to simply include targeted keywords, I’ll either edit or delete your comment.
• External linking – external links are ok, if they are relevant to the original post and your comment. Simply linking to your own site will be frowned upon.
• Profanity – PG13 here. Moderate language is allowed, but I reserve the right to edit out anything offensive.
• Personal attacks – personal attacks on me or other commentors will result in an immediate ban. You’re in my house over here and I will kick you out.
• Editor’s right – While I encourage comments that challenge or offer constructed criticism, I reserve the right to edit or remove any post, for any reason.

I appreciate you reading and thank you for adding to the discussion. I hope the above will help you to add value to this blog, find value in the comments of others, and continue enjoying the site.

—

If you think you want to have a Comments Policy on your website, you’re free to copy or adapt what I’ve put here, or you can search like I did for other examples and adapt them to make your own. I believe having this in place will promote better community engagement.

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Close your eyes for a moment and listen to the world around you.

What do you hear? Music playing your computer? The TV? The hustle and bustle from the cafe you’re in, maybe. If your room is really quiet, you might even be able to hear the sound from the lights or the ticking of a clock. If you’re in class, you probably hear your teachers and fellow students. Maybe there are birds outside your window, and you’re able to hear them singing.

Now imagine if that has been taken away. Quite a different experience, for sure.

Our daughter, Keisha Johnson, was born with hearing loss in both of her ears. She describes this loss as experiencing life in black and white: no color, drab, and dismal.

With hearing aids, however, she says her life is in every color. The change in her personality and demeanor is completely different. She’s able to enjoy music, watch TV, listen to her classmates and teachers in school.  To hear her Mom and Dad’s voices.

We recently learned that the hearing aids Keisha has worn over the past five years are no longer able to help her. The new aids she needs will cost about $4000, and we are looking at many ways of coming up with the money.

On January 23, 2010, we are having a Premiere Premier Designs Jewelry Party, at the Panera Bread Company on Winton Road in Finneytown (map). A portion of the money from that event will go toward Keisha’s new hearing aids.

We’re holding this event in the Cincinnati area, but even if you cannot come to the event, we would still appreciate your support. You can donate (not tax deductible) via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=11116185

$4000 is a lot for one person to come up with. Or even two. Imagine, however, if 400 people were able to come up with $10 each. Or 200 people with $20. It seems more manageable and not as overwhelming, doesn’t it? What we are asking for is not just money. We are asking for you to help a child, our child, to hear again.

Would you?

UPDATE: Since we first launched this effort a few weeks ago, we have already raised $300.

1/26 UPDATE: Thanks to the generous support from people offline, money from other sources, and amount already donated online, I have updated the ChipIn widget to show that we only need to raise $800. Thank you so much!!!

02/09 UPDATE: Wow! Through resources made available offline, and the support you have given online, we are excited to share that Keisha is getting her new hearing aids today!

We cannot thank you enough for your generosity.

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This week has been rather tiring, but I admit, it’s been exhilarating at the same time. Here’s an opportunity for me to “come up for air” somewhat, and provide a recap, highlighting some milestones and other media-related items.

NaPodPoMo: 1 video every day for 30 days

Learning how to answer job interview questions and producing daily videos with the answers is a daunting task. I’m glad I don’t do this every day. I might consider doing it for money and am considering ways to reuse the work I’m doing to make it count for something more.

The National Podcast Post Month community is a group of weird folks like me who are podcasting every day this month.

Lights, sound, and media at church

Tomorrow our church is having its Women’s Day, and I and another guy will be in the soundbooth, helping with some things behind the scenes.  This past Wednesday I got a crash course in programming the lighting mixing board (I think I know enough to be dangerous!). It’s all good, and it’s amazing what we’ve been able to accomplish, even on such a short notice.

50th interview for How I Got My Job

One week from this coming Sunday, I will be releasing the 50th interview I’ve done for How I Got My Job.  I recorded that interview this afternoon and didn’t realize it until later this evening.  I don’t number the interviews on purpose because they are meant to stand alone and remain evergreen. Even so, this is something I’m very proud of.

Last New Media Cincinnati Second Saturday for 2009

On November 14, 2009 I will be running the last New Media Cincinnati Second Saturday for 2009. I am so inspired by the depth and breadth of talent and accomplishment in this group, and I look forward to hearing some great stories of how individuals have grown and changed this year.

We are planning a simulcasted meetup with the folks from New Media Dayton, and it was great to have many of them on last night’s planning conference call. Be sure to check out the recorded audio, if only to hear the interaction in the community and some great music from Rich Palmer mixed in during post-production.

On the search for gainful work

Next week marks 5 months since I was laid off from my previous employer.  It’s been an interesting journey, and I remain hopeful to find something soon.  There are a lot of things going on that I’m not able to talk about just yet, but if and when they come to fruition, you can bet I’ll be talking about it.  There are opportunities for work for someone else, and I’m also seeking opportunities to get things done on my own.

Speaking in Cincinnati next week

Next Thursday, November 12, 2009, I will be speaking to a group of job seekers at IHM in Anderson about the Emotional Side of Job Search. I gave a talk like this to some other job seekers back in April, and it will be great to revisit this talk, now from the perspective of being a job seeker again.

photo credit: “Coming up for air”

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Visit National Podcast Post Month

I know.

Let me start by saying, I know I need another project like I need a hole in my head.  I struggled with this one all the way up to the last minute. Well, actually the second day. I wasn’t even going to do this. Where might I post a podcast every day, for 30 days? I already have my mostly music podcast. I do a monthly conference call with the New Media Cincinnati folks.  I already have a production schedule for How I Got My Job.

Last week I came to the conviction that I wanted to start blogging more. I probably posted more on all my blogs last week than I had in quite some time. The key has been coming up with interesting, compelling content.

This past Monday, at the Job Search Focus Group of Hyde Park in Cincinnati, I came to a realization.  There was a woman named Paula Frank, who shared her job search success with the group.  One of the keys for her was practicing how to answer interview questions.  I remembered interviewing Brent Hosier for How I Got My Job, and he said the same thing.

I could practice answering job interview questions every day in November as part of NaPodPoMo at getthatjobonline.com

Over the weekend I’d started playing more with Windows Movie Maker again, having been inspired by some of the SummitUp videos Kevin Dugan recently produced. As with the start of my other new media works, there has been a lot of work up front to get theme, titles, etc., and the entire work process together to make it as efficient and (hopefully) take the least amount of extra time.

Here is the intro episode, from Day 1. Find it and all the others over at getthatjobonline.com

GTJTV NaPodPoMo Series: Job Interviewing Questions, Day 01: Intro.

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Just to get some things out of my head, I’m writing this post. This is more for me, but others reading it might also get something from it.

• I recently took the Strengths Finder assessment and learned that my top 5 strength themes are as follows (with explanations in my own words):
  1. WOO: Winning others over; ability to break the ice and make connections easily with others
  2. POSITIVITY: Seeing the best in people and situations; optimism
  3. STRATEGIC: Able to see multiple courses of action simultaneously and choose the right one to take; make complex subjects simple and easier to understand
  4. COMMUNICATION: Both written and oral, effectively expressing thoughts and ideas
  5. ACTIVATOR: One who gets things moving, especially when things have been at a standstill; learns by doing; sometimes characterized by impatience.
• Tomorrow is the 2-year anniversary of the New Media Cincinnati social media networking group. I can still remember chatting with Andy Osier about putting a group together in 2007 and just seeing who would show up at that first meetup in Middletown.
• Some people might look at people in transition as though they aren’t doing much.  If you know me, you know I cannot sit still (This might actually be related to my Activator strength above.). As I look back on the past few months, I’m glad that I’ve been able to keep so busy with other things. It’s done a lot for me, and, from feedback I’ve gotten from others, it’s done much for them as well. A couple things I have going on, in addition to looking for full-time paying work:
  • New Media Cincinnati: this is an unpaid part-time job, really. Love this group. In addition to the Second Saturdays, I’ve been conducting planning conference calls and releasing these as a podcast. These have been great opportunities to promote local Cincinnati independent artists as well.
  • How I Got My Job: I’ve released over 40 interviews since late November 2008. The listenership has grown, and I can appreciate this now from the perspective as a job seeker in addition to the roles of host and producer. This, too, is like an unpaid part-time job. I love doing it.
  • Production Assistance: I help run the audio/visual systems at my church. I have some great guys as mentors who are teaching me about all of this stuff. Even though I’ve done this for over 3 years, I still have much to learn.
  • Job Search Focus Group of Hyde Park (JSFG): Getting up, dressed, and out the door every Monday morning is worth going to this group. In addition to the great content and networking that happens, I’ve also been volunteering on the Marketing Committee and have given a couple of presentations on how job seekers can use LinkedIn and Twitter in their searches.
  • Journey Inside My Mind: this is my flagship blog and podcast, if only because it was the first one I ever started back in 2002 (blog) and 2005 (podcast). I enjoy stepping into the role of a DJ and using this vehicle to share not only what’s on my mind but also play some great music. Released the 4-year anniversary episode this summer.
  • Get That Job! blog: I haven’t been as active with this, but I’m finding it helpful to go back and see what I’ve collected and how to bring out some of the content in this blog that is also 7 years old this year.
  • Media/speaking opportunities: I mentioned what I’ve done at the JSFG Marketing Committee, but I’ve also had the privilege to speak at Podcamp Ohio and have been interviewed by different folks.  In two weeks I’ll be sitting on a panel to talk about the future of broadcast media to educators in this field. Next month I’ll be talking to another job search group about the emotional side of job search.
  • Freelance/consulting opportunities: I have occasionally been given the opportunity to train people and offer some web strategy advice to others.
• I’m also using the “free” time to learn more about digital marketing, including, but not limited to: web analytics, SEO, link-building, and e-mail marketing.  This is a goal I’d set for myself at the beginning of the year. I’ve been using my own projects as case studies and as my laboratory. I still have so much to learn in this area, and I’m excited about growing my skills in this area.
• Tuesday I was among 16,000 other people at the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati who attended the “Get Motivated” seminar. Some of the great speakers included Colin Powell, Zig Ziglar, Terry Bradshaw, and Rudy Guiliani. One of my biggest takeaways was something Rudy said (paraphrased in my own words): Relentless preparation helps you be ready for situations where you need to show courage, and you are more able to handle those situations you’ve never been in before because of it.

Hope your Friday goes well. Keep in touch, and let’s make it a great day!

[photo credit: "Tolkien Quote Bumper Sticker"]

Over the past couple years, I have had the privilege of being interviewed for my thoughts on domestic violence awareness, social media, and searching for a job in the 21st century.  In one case, I was asked to contribute an article to a newsletter.  I have put links to all of these, where available, on the Media page.

[photo credit: photoFunia]