Stuff In SFNative's Head

Should Safeway hire locally or not?

2011-04-19T03:34:00.000-07:00

My Millbrae Patch.com video. I asked local residents their opinion on Safeway's history of hiring non-union, lower wage, non-local construction workers as city officials consider plans for construction of a new Safeway in downtown Millbrae, CA.

Chinese New Year Greetings 2011

2011-03-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

My Millbrae Patch "On the Street" video where I asked people at the Millbrae Library last month to share their Chinese Year Greetings and experiences. It's the Year of the Rabbit.

Bay Area Asian Bone Marrow Drive - News Article

2010-12-26T22:06:00.000-08:00

I produced a news story about the need for Asian and Pacific Islander bone marrow/stem cell donors. The Alameda, CA based Asian American Donor Program is conducting year long donor drives throughout the Bay Area.

This story has a face to it, instead of a statistic, as one San Francisco native must undergo a bone marrow transplant next month. Diagnosed with leukemia in September, she hasn't found a match...yet.

The self help swab donation kits can be mailed to residences. It's a simple process including paper work processing.

For more information about the Asian American Donor Program, visit http://www.aadp.org/.

My news article: http://patch.com/A-cG

Eco Educational Juggler

2010-12-17T23:54:00.000-08:00

I shot a news video of San Francisco Bay Area juggler, Doug Nolan, who entertained patrons at the Millbrae Library, located in the northern peninsula area.

He educates children about recycling with his various comedic juggling acts. As you can see and hear in the video, parents and children of all ages can't keep their eyes off him.

This was the most entertaining video I've shot so far. I had to control my giggles to prevent my camera microphone from picking it up.

Bay Area and World Series nostalgia

2010-10-27T00:52:00.000-07:00

I produced a feature video story for Millbrae Patch in memory of a Bay Area and World Series icon, Joe DiMaggio, days before the Giants won the National League pennant. I heard about this story from a local Millbrae resident while I was shooting video for another story right across the street from Leonardo's deli.

If you're ever in downtown Millbrae and have an appetite for good Italian food and baseball nostalgia, check out this neighborhood favorite. Pictures of other iconic athletes, such as San Francisco 49er Joe Montana and Oakland A's Reggie Jackson, are also displayed.

Memories...

What Is Renewal Energy Enterprises - REEF?

2010-09-07T01:42:00.000-07:00

A video I produced for Renewal Energy Enterprises Foundation www.alleviatepovertynow.org, an Oakland,CA based non-profit helping create solar powered hospitals in agricultural provinces of northern Philippines.

Shooting a Music Video for the 48 Hour Film Project

2010-08-16T04:01:00.000-07:00

Last week, my friend Vincent Lowe asked me to shoot a music video of the up and coming Indian acoustic Marin rock band, Raj Ramayya and Brett Boyd of the Beautiful Losers as part of the 48 Hour Film Project multi media montage which includes clips of this years' San Francisco film entries. I suggested we have a two camera shoot for variety and insurance. So I invited my colleague Cory Oberdorfer to be the second camera person.

Just so happens I had a full blown cold with the chills. Jeeez. Triple Darn. But the show must go on! I powered up my Panasonic, set the controls and handed it over to Cory to start the shoot while I rested inside the car. I woke up in time to shoot some of the goat scenes. The grazing goats were shy at first, wondering what the heck were these singing humans doing parading around their pasture 'hood holding these sound emitting accouterments. A few warmed up to the camera.

Brett and Raj were a great and flexible team to work with as they were very comfortable in front of the camera and the goats!

Like what you hear? See the Beautiful Losers perform at San Francisco's Hotel Utah on September 10!

Visit www.thebeautifullosers.net for the 4-1-1.

FeatureThis! 48 Hour Film Project 2010 - San Francisco Style

2010-07-19T00:44:00.000-07:00

Interview This! 48 Hour Film Project - San Francisco Style

2010-07-16T01:30:00.000-07:00

So who the heck are these filmmakers who paid to get their one-weekend-produced film on the big screen? And in this economy? The 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) in San Francisco is an annual homage to quickie film making where producers have only two days to create a film out of scratch.

When I first heard of 48HFP, I thought these people were bananas. Film production is an unpredictable, challenging and expensive hobby. Why go through the torture, stress and looming deadline and not get paid for it? Uhhhh, can you say out loud P-A-S-S-I-O-N? You can't put a price tag on creative drive and entrepreneurial spirit.

Directors, Producers, Writers, Editors, Sound Engineers and Actors from 70 teams showcased their pride and joy during the five day screenfest. These are some of their stories from the June 30 premiere screening that was held at Landmark Lumiere Theater.

But wait! Come back for more. I'll upload another feature video this weekend.

48 Hour Film Project - San Francisco Premier Interviews Tonight!

2010-06-30T16:21:00.000-07:00

Guess what? There's only two more days left of the 48HFP San Francisco screenings. If you haven't seen the films, you're missing out. You'll get more bang for your buck. You can't beat watching over a dozen films for the same price of just one Hollywood film at a mall rat movie theater. Plus you get the chance to be interviewed by me. Tonight I'm going to scope the waiting line tonight, hunt down unsuspecting patrons and make them talk to me on camera! I know, I'm mean but I get a kick out of it. Take a seat at the Landmark Lumiere Theater today June 30 and/or tomorrow July 1st. Visit The 48 Hour Film Project for ticket sales and times.

My First Video Contest Entry!

2010-05-12T01:46:00.000-07:00

I'm sooooo excited! Why? Because I shot video for the Art Shots 2010, film contest which partners upcoming film makers with creative and musical artists and performers from Silicon Valley in California. Collaborators of this premier event are Artsopolis, a non-profit online arts guide and the San Jose 48 Hour Film Project. Six filmmakers are competing and are judged by online votes. Produced by David Nigel Brooks, I shot the dancing footage of contest entry, "Wednesday Night Hop" which is located at the Cheryl Burke Studio ("Dancing with the Stars" instructor ) in Mountain View, California.

It was a joy to watch and interview the dance instructors. What's even more amazing is that our film crew of three met for the the first time online the weekend before when we were asked to produce the film with a one and a half week looming deadline. The previous producer had bailed on the project. With the time clock ticking away, we took a deep breath, hustled and got our stuff together.

Please submit your vote by May 21 on http://www.artsopolis.com/poll/detail/25

I also shot footage of dance instructors, Trevor Gattis and Audrey Kanemoto dancing no holds bar with flips and turns to the delight of strolling spectators at the Shoreline Park in Mountain View. This second entry didn't make it in time for the contest but you can still enjoy it on You Tube. See below video post.

So spread the word, or actually the contest link, and vote for Wednesday Night Hop!

My Video for ArtShots 2010: Audrey &Trevor

2010-05-12T01:41:00.000-07:00

I shot video of Lindy Hop dance instructors Audrey Kanemoto and Trevor Gattis at Shoreline Park in Mountain View, CA last month for the ArtShots film contest in partnership with Artsopolis and the San Jose 48 Hour Film Project. See previous post. But with only a running total 90 second video limit and 1.5 weeks to organize, shoot, edit and finalize with all parties involved, it's amazing we were able to rise to the occasion.

Producer David Rigel Brooks went in editing overdrive to edit three videos. His first entry is about artist Lori Krein. The Wednesday Night Lindy Hop is second. This video of Audrey and Trevor didn't make it in time for the contest deadline. But you're welcome to enjoy their fun and smooth dance moves and share your feedback.

This was my first time at Shoreline, and it's absolutely beautiful, quaint, clean and peaceful. This gem of a lake and park is well hidden among the techi business parks. Google is just a few skips away. I never knew this existed!

When I arrived at the park, Audrey and Trevor were already rehearsing their moves. I only had a little over an hour to scout some location spots, set up my gear and press record. After dancing for about 10 minutes straight, the enthusiastic couple never skipped a beat under the rising morning sun. They even attracted some admiring attention from on lookers who applauded them when I finished shooting the first half of their moves in front of the lake. Even the ducks were in rapt attention. Hopefully this video will give The Wednesday Night Lindy Hop Class the overdue exposure and attention it deserves.

Rhomobile blasts off the Launch Pad - web 2.0

2010-05-07T02:33:00.000-07:00

Can you spare a buck fifty? Listen to my quick interview with Launch Pad Winner Adam Blum of Rhomobile. Quick because I caught Blum on his way out the Moscone door after he briefly checked out of the Rhomobile exhibitor booth. He was heading back to his Cupertino office, which is located next to Apple. The man had little time to celebrate or rest on his laurels.Rhomobile opened for business on September 2008 and is currently staffed with 12 employees. They create a cross platform for smart phone apps. They build native smart phone applications for the iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile , Symbian and Android.The Launch Pad is the talent contest for up and coming innovators of now and next year. Six finalists pitched their companies to a crowd of curious on lookers, three expert judges, and potential partners and VC’s.

Praying for an iPad at Web 2.0 Expo!

2010-05-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I attended the three day long web 2.0 Expo Conference at Moscone Center West in San Francisco. With my free Expo pass, not only did I have free reign to the Sponsored Sessions, I had access to the more than 70 exhibitors which included big wig sponsors such as Adobe and Cisco to non-profits such as Give@Asia. Adobe had all day demos of their product lineup.

Adobe presenter, Paul Trani showed off the Adobe Flash Builder 4 to the 60+ curious onlookers. I’m not a flasher (I just couldn’t resist) and don’t know how to write code from scratch. But given the fact that you can extract a Photoshop (and other Creative Suite tools) image from your desktop and use the software’s various custom templates and applications, the steps looked pretty straightforward. Trani transformed his static Photoshop generated image into a mobile flash game of a floating creature eating other aliens. I’ve used Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design and Final Cut Pro and I’ve taken a basic web design class. So I had a pretty basic understanding but uhhh, just don’t test me on it!

Free I-Pad prizes were all the rage at some of the booths such as “How Do You.com” booth which was rigged with a RED video camera aimed at your face the minute you step up to the plate, so to speak. RED is a 10lb mother of digital video cameras that cinematographers used to shoot feature films and documentaries. I’ve never seen one before but it was a beast rigged with all the heavy duty accoutrements. Wow. Give me RED over a new car any day.

To celebrate the 25 year old .com era (yup, quarter of a century old folks), the friendly Utah based marketing team invited anyone who was brave enough to face the RED to briefly explain how and/or why the .com era has changed his or life. Everyone received a free t-shirt. They’re also automatically entered to win a free iPad. If you’re camera shy, you can just write or email in your entry. But wait there’s more. They’re giving away 1st, 2nd and 3rd cash prizes as well. All videos and text entries will be judged by popular vote and/or official judges. The contest runs until August 31. Of course, I didn’t hesitate to advertise my mug online and pitch myself. Crossing my fingers. Check out my You Tube interview with Manager Supervisor, Jeremy Tippetts for more details.

And kudos to Account Supervisor, Brooke Knutsan and Video Producer John Williams for running a smooth ship.

Just around the corner another exhibitor called website magazine also had a contest for a free iPad. Just drop your business card and wait for a sign from God. But you do get something in the meantime. One year free subscription to their print and online “magazine for website success” - the cover’s subtitle. The publisher is based in Chicago and their May issue features interesting articles about SEO in the hot topic world of social media, the editorial effects of Google Analytics (with detailed how-to steps), and e-commerce. Hmmmmm. This is good digesting.

After walking around the Expo, picking up flyers, and looking for freebies ( I have no shame), I visited the Launch Pad contest where startups pitched their services and or/or products to the audience, fielding questions from a panel of three experts. Winner are picked based on the applaud o-meter. I interviewed the winner, Adam Blum of Cupertino based Rhomobile before he quickly headed back to the South Bay. No time for basking in the glory. He’s got to get back to the salt mine! I’m working on that post next so stay tuned!

Cinequest : Social

2010-02-22T22:19:00.000-08:00

Cinequest : Social

Entrepreneurial events this week.

2010-02-01T09:21:00.000-08:00

Network, learn and get inspired. It’s been awhile so I’m back to compiling a list of free or affordable (for my wallet!) seminars, events and conferences in the Bay Area. About what? The topics target small businesses, aspiring entrepreneurs and curious and nosy folks like me. But it’s not all business. I found a restaurant crawl event in the revitalized jazzy Fillmore district in San Francisco. So mark your calendars! Bring your business cards, open mind and appetite. Smiles are free!

Mobile Web – What you need to know (Seminar)

“You'll learn: critical factors your website must have; avoidable pitfalls that send customers running; understanding the vast sea of handheld devices; tremendous mobile marketing opportunities; and low cost ways to get started now.” - Small Business Administration

February 2, 2009, 6pm-7:30pm

At the San Francisco SBA Entrepreneur Center, 455 Market St., Ste 600, SF

Free - RSPV at http://www.sbatraining.eventbrite.com

Cocktail Crawl & Competition (Mixer and Networking)

“Yoshi's, Rasselas Jazz Club, and Sheba Lounge are opening their doors and serving up signature cocktails, appetizers and live jazz for the evening. Each of these participating venues will compete to create an original libation (featuring DonQ Rum) that best represents The Fillmore's distinct place in San Francisco's music culture.”- International Advertising Association

February 2, 6:30pm-9:00pm

At Yoshi’s - 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco

Free for VIP'S (You) if you RSVP at the IAA West LinkedIn Group or http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=261614160833&ref=ts

Building Your Own Social Media Dashboard (Seminar for Non-profits)

“The workshops are designed for those starting out in social media as well as those who have established a social media presence.Participants set up their own “listening dashboard” where they can track the impact of their online communication efforts (web, Facebook, Twitter, and more), while also tracking issues pertinent to their organization, all with a single free online tool". - Aspiration Tech

Two separate dates: February 3 and February 4, 2:00pm – 4:00pm

At the San Francisco Nonprofit Technology Center, 1370 Mission St, 4th Floor, SF

Free. Space is limited: RSVP to seminars@aspirationtech.org and specify which date you'll attend.

Total Access (Conference - Event Series)

“Join entrepreneurs Jeff Depew, Will Harvey, Steven Hoffman and Steve Larsen in a discussion on what company founders need to think about as they embark on their journey. Orrick partner Lowell Ness will moderate the discussion and demonstrate how to utilize Orrick's complimentary Start-Up Tool Kit to plan the founders' financing round and explore the various options available to founders.”- Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

Panelists include: Jeff Depew, CEO & Co-Founder, Imara Will Harvey, Co-Founder & Chairman, IMVU Steven Hoffman, Chief Thinker, Think Huge Steve Larsen, Co-Founder & Former CEO, Krugle (sold in April 2009) - currently, COO at CallSpark.

February 4, 8am-10:15am

At Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, 1000 Marsh Rd., Menlo Park

Free - RSVP at http://tinyurl.com/FoundersPlanOrrickEvent-Feb4

Happy 2010 Volunteers!

2010-01-25T17:10:00.000-08:00

What a way to start the New Year. I worked for the first time with a video production crew comprised of volunteers who all had one goal in mind. Shoot footage of the local community transform a weed infested and overgrown yard of Pine Hill School in San Jose, CA school into a colorful and thriving garden. On a cloudy Saturday morning, the crew and about 30 other adults and children braved intermittent showers, 50 degree temps and periods of sunshine playing peek a boo with the gray clouds.

The organizers of this first time event are on a mission. To inform, inspire and spread the word that local communities and non-profit organizations can band together and fill the educational void or gap that is desperately needed in the public and private school system, especially for children with specific and special needs. Pine Hill School is a special education school and has been serving the South Bay community for more than 35 years.

I didn’t now know who would show up since the Bay Area survived its first full week of thundershowers. Saturday, January 21^st was the much needed break. Plus it was my first time working with eight people from the production team. So I was naturally full of anticipation and excitement when I arrived at the school to meet my new team cohorts. As far as gardening volunteers, I guessed that at best, at least a dozen would appear. But to the organizers and my surprise, 30 arrived! A family of three (thanks Gay Bawanan) came as far as Sacramento; the others came from Santa Clara County such as Milpitas and North San Jose. I was the lone San Franciscan.

The volunteers arrived at 10am and were plowing away past lunchtime.Some of the volunteers don’t have a garden or never explored their green thumbs. A majority brought their own gardening tools. What’s more impressive is that they were still working at high speed past the 3:00pm - the designated clock out time.

A local family were one of the few groups that stayed past 3:00 pm. I rarely saw the papa-san (who was probably in his late 60's- early 70's), his deep furrowed brows covered with sweat, take a break. He and his family told me they have their own garden and often receive compliments on its beauty. The son said his father loves gardening can do it all day.

Three mothers told me they had a sore back from all the bending, digging, and shoveling. My prescription: dip into a hot tube, deep tissue massage and a big hearty meal! Hopefully their chuckles brought some temporary relief. As true garden warriors, they returned to the dirt mounds without complaint. What troopers!

It’s good that a playground was nearby for the little ones to blow off steam and make new friends. I was so impressed by how all the kids were well behaved and that they weren’t squeamish about getting dirty, discovering earthworms and helping each other out. The proud moment for all was when some of the young girls planted colorful flowers in their freshly plowed flower beds. To see their faces of proud accomplishment was more bright and eye catching than a rainbow after a thunderstorm break. Their smiles were the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

This collaborative effort is the brain child of Vincent Lowe, Managing Director of Schoolhouse Earth, a nonprofit organization delivering alternative and local educational programs…anywhere, and Jennifer Timmerman, Pine Hill School Parent Coordinator/School Liaison. Her son is a student at the school.

For more information about Schoolhouse Earth, visit http://www.transformationofeducation.org/schoolhouseearth/index.html

For more information about Pine Hill School, visit http://www.secondstart.org/pinehill.html

BizTechDay: Entrepreneurship, Optimism, Filipino Talent

2009-11-13T09:29:00.001-08:00

I wrote an Inquirer.net news story about the second annual BizTechDay conference and workshop held in Millbrae, CA a few weeks ago. I heard nothing but great and positive responses from attendees, speakers and exhibitors.

I discovered the event when I attended a MeetUp Business Entrepreneur session in San Francisco last spring. I've been to many business networking events but this one was more interactive offering valuable press and social networking marketing opportunities for all attendees on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and the Meetup site. To add to the building excitement, esteemed guest panelists were lining up as late as two weeks before the event such Craig Newmark, Craiglist Founder followed by Kevin Rose, Digg Founder .

Get your BizTechDay 2009 Interviews here!

2009-11-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

Last month’s BizTechDay (BTD) 2009 came and went but the dream team behind the business-technology entrepreneurial conference is not sitting on its laurels taking a breather. They’re already ramping up for next year’s event – a great idea while it’s still fresh in everyone’s mind. I attended the entire two days but felt like I had only scratched the service of their offerings. “Offerings” sounds like what someone is passes out like free samples or goodies. But that’s what it felt like.

For two days they offered a chock full of accessible workshops and forums and I wanted to attend 90% of them but couldn’t. Well, I was kind of tied to the Inquirer.net booth, the online publishing company that I freelance my writing and project marketing services to. I had a full plate of four objectives which make it quite a challenge to keep track of the days’ events:

Set up the booth and pitch Inquirer’s services, interview people for Inquirer.net story and for this blog, shoot video and photographs, network on behalf of Inquirer.net and myself (Freelance Writer/Project Marketing). Wrote and blogged. Next, edit and post my video and photos. Editing is a chore for me especially since I don’t have (can’t afford) Final Cut Pro ($$$)...yet. I prefer writing, interviewing and shooting video over editing but boy do I digress!

Basically I missed out on interviewing some key speakers such as Tim Ferris (4Hour Work Week Author) and Justin Chan (JustinTV). They’re still on my hit list, so I’m sure to find them at future events.

I interviewed and met so many interesting entrepreneurs that only a handful made it on my Inquirer.net story - BizTechDay: Entrepreneurship, Optimism, Filipino Talent . I got some great quotes, impressive backgrounds, a diverse pool of talented, passionate and good people. Yes good people. So heeeeeeere ( “Here’s Johnny ” ) they are! They’re listed in the random order that I saw (torpedoed) and grabbed them: Trademarkia, Lift Your Spirits and Elite Leads Business Development.

Bryan Zing - Trademarkia . Exhibitor at BTD.

(I visited Trademarkia’s booth and ended my interview so quickly only because people began to hover around his table for information. I sure don’t want to cost him potential clients!)

Bryan: We are an online trademark search and we allow consumers to file trademarks online through our service.

Me:What makes your service different from the competition?

Bryan: Our closest competition is LegalZoom. We are different because they charge for their search feature and our search feature is free.

Me: You mentioned you were at TechCrunch50 in San Francisco, another tech conference, and had a good response?

Bryan: Yes.

Me: This is your first time at BizTech?

Bryan: This is our first time BizTech. We actually launched three weeks ago at TechCrunch 50.

Me: What kind of reaction are you getting here compared to TechCrunch50?

Bryan: The reaction here seems to be more positive since we’ve been around now and more people are noticing our site.

Me: You mentioned you had a recent visitor who was interested in your service?

Bryan: I told one woman about our feature. She owns a small business was looking to trademark her name. She wasn’t sure if she should go to a trademark attorney or not. I told her about our site and since it’s so much cheaper, she decided to go with us.

Me: So you’re getting busy, you’re getting responses. Are you going to be here next year?

Bryan: Yeah definitely.

Me: Have you attended any workshops yet?

Bryan: I want to attend the app (application) workshop.

Jennifer Duchene - Lift your Spirits, Home Transformations

(Jennifer was on her way home for some much needed rest. She came to BTD early and packed the entire day attending workshops with little sleep.)

Jennifer: I’m a one day homemaker specialist. I come to your home and use what you have already and I make space work for you. (I help you with) your style and what you need to function with how you live within your budget. It’s my savvy because I have the talent to bring it together.

Me: What’s your background?

Jennifer: I studied interior design at University of California, Los Angeles. Been doing this for the last six years and I’ve worked in the corporate world.

Me: Why and how did you make this transition? Did you see a need for it and how did you make that move?

Jennifer: I saw people are confused by either on what to buy or what to do after they buy it. You have your furniture and stuff and then it accumulates. Then you don’t know what to do. Then you buy new drapes thinking it’s going to fix it. But it doesn’t.

It’s not what you have but you how you place it. (You can also) save money and it’s green because you’re not throwing things out. Helps with clutter because what happens (is) when we come in and move stuff around, you realize this is stuff you don’t need and you feel it’s easy to get rid of it.

Me: Why are you here? What attracted you to BTD?

Jennifer: I want to network and meet new people. I want to find the cutting edge technology to help my clients and my business.

Me: Which workshops have you attended so far?

Jennifer: Finding your Niche (online) with LGBT and Women (Community). How (sic) people buy, that women are 51% of the buyers. They’re a huge group of people. The LGBT group is also niche based and very loyal to their brand, and how to connect with them. How to Approach Corporations to Fund Your Business Venture or Non-Profit? And How to Get Publicity? That was great too.

Me: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs? Explain in 30 seconds your top five tips?

Jennifer:
1. Ask yourself: Who are you? What’s your brand? How do you differentiate yourself?
2. Have a plan. Set up your tools or business plan. What is your goal?
3. Make sure you can live and survive. It takes a while for the business to get off the ground.
4. Network, network, network. Show up and get to know people.
5. Go out there and figure out what you can do for your customer because that translates into relationships and people come back. That’s the key to your business, not what they can do for you.

Me: Will you be here tomorrow?

Jennifer: I hope to be!

Me: If you wake up?

Jennifer: (Laughs)

Sharyn Abbott - Elite Leads Business Development

Sharyn: I’m really excited about the people that I’ve met. Had a couple of questions answered with some challenges that I had and that was wonderful. I sat in a couple of presentations that gave me some answers about a non-profit that I’m starting. What a great resource to come to one place and get all these challenges dealt with.

Me: There’s a lot of networking events in the Bay Area - conferences and workshops. What makes this event different?

Sharyn: As a business owner and working with so many entrepreneurs, I face a lot of problems that most people don’t have to even think about.

Me: Such as?

Sharyn: Like converting websites into WordPress for their blogs. That was one of the major challenges. I realized that WordPress has more power than a website. I’m getting my authors to convert into WordPress to get higher rankings. There’s simple ways to do that. They (WordPress) have a website with more than 1000 video how-to’s. Now I don’t have to be the expert. I can direct them to that site. That’s a huge resource for me.

(My Note: WordPress is a blogging platform and BTD sponsor/exhibitor. Founder Matt Mullenweg was a panelist on How to Raise $100,000 to 3 Million for Your Business forum.)

Me: Have you been able to network or find potential partners?

Sharyn: One of the first people I met was at 9am this morning. (He) looks like he’s going to be a new client who’s writing a book. He’s having a terrible time finding a publisher and I’m really glad because if he found a publisher, he’d be lucky to get .50 a book. I’ll show him how to get 75% of the sales price as his profit.

Me: Which other workshops have you attended?

Sharyn: How to Do Virtual Fundraising? How to Get Teams Built for a Nonprofit? I want to attend the How to Build Your Online Community from Zero to Millions?

Me: Anything else?

Sharyn: Not yet. I’ve been too busy talking! (Laughs)

Me: That’s a good thing. You talk to a lot of entrepreneurs, some who may be sitting on the fence, worried about the economy. What do you tell them?

Sharyn: 90% of all of my clients meet or exceed their business plan every year regardless of what’s going on in economy. I teach a program called Seven Techniques to Thrive in Any Economy. When anybody does all seven, the business just flows naturally. I’ve already had 10 of my clients meet their business plan in August.

Me: What’s your 30 seconds of advice to people who are just starting out?

Sharyn: If you hang out with people who are successful, it’s a lot more fun to be successful. It’s easier to find success the closer you are to people who are making it happen.

Great parting note! Now, are you making it happen? Come back for the video and photos!

Got corporate programs for Women Entreprenuers?

2009-10-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

I attended the Women Web 2.0 - Startup Essentials http://www.women2.org/october-2009-startup-essentials/
last night, a three part series covering three core components of running a successful business: Product Development, Law, and Public Relations. I've received many of their LinkedIn Group invites and yesterday's course was my first time attending one of their events.

It was refreshing to attend an all women group since the past couple of workshops and events that I attended comprised of men and women. Not there's anything wrong with that but the dynamics of an all women group fosters a more supportive, engaging and collaborative atmosphere. I must preface that men are also welcome to attend these events.

Christina Pearson, Attorney for Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw & Pittman conducted the Legal Night workshop. She thoroughly covered various topics from the types of companies (Partnership, LLC, Corp) and funding to employee status and intellectual property. I won't be utilizing any of the very helpful information any time soon as but it's good to know and anticipate the lists of dos and donts which could save you thousands of dollars of damage repair and bottles of Tylenol. Extra Strength...

At the end of the two hour workshop, one attendee, who just finished her MBA, asked a question to the group of their experience or knowledge of programs or groups that support women business owners. I mentioned the Contract Supplier Diversity Programs of the utility giants (AT&T, PG&E, etc.) that support and hire subcontractors owned by women, minorities or disabled military veterans. Judging by everyone's reaction, these outreach programs are a big secret yet they've been implemented for years. This conversation was followed by a suggestion from one of the Web 2.0 facilitators for further research or inquiry into these types of unfamiliar programs.

I wrote a news article about it when I covered the PG&E's sponsored Matchmaking Workshop last July http://globalnation.inquirer.net/region/americas/view/20090730-217903/Fil-Am-businesses-get-boost-from-CA-agencies.

http://sfnative2008.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html

If anyone is interested, please take the time to research each of the corporation's site, especially if they have a workshops events calendar. They're free to attend and it's another valuable venue to network, learn and possibly partner with a fellow sub-contractor!

Located in San Francisco, Women Web 2.0 is "committed to increasing the number of women entrepreneurs starting high growth ventures by providing the resources, network, and knowledge for the launch and growth of their company." - Women 2.0

Let's Go To Biz Tech Day!

2009-10-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

Are you going to BizTech Day 2009? If you're not, you should. It's THE place to be for budding, thriving and future entrepreneurs. More than 1200 are expected to attend the two day event. I'll be there! Regular admission price is $595 but get $200 off when you use my personal discount invite code DynaLopezVIP. It will be worth the investment!

What: BizTechDay 2009
When: October 22, 2009, 9am - 10pm; October 23, 2009, 9am - 8:30pm
Where: Hyatt Regency SFO, 1333 Bayshore Highway, Burlingame, CA 94010
Tickets: $595. Take $200 off with my discount. Offer expires 10/20.
Info: www.biztechday.com

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE

Edith Yeung | 415-867-4203 | edith@biztechday.com

Over 1000 Entrepreneurs join Tim Ferriss (4-Hour Workweek), Kevin Rose (Digg.com) and the Office of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to Learn How to Use Social Media to Fight Against the Economic Downturn.

On October 22-23, 2009, more than 1000 small business owners and entrepreneurs are expected to attend BizTechDay 2009, a hands-on business & social media conference held in the San Francisco Bay Area. BizTechDay will feature bestselling authors Tim Ferriss of 4-Hour Workweek and Michael Gerber of the eMyth, techie founders of Kevin Rose (Digg), Craig Newmark (Craigslist), Matt Mullenweg (Wordpress) and 40 other technology and business leaders.

More than 1000 small business owners and entrepreneurs are expected to attend BizTechDay held this year at the Hyatt Regency SFO in Burlingame, CA on October 22-23, 2009.

Launched in 2008, BizTechDay is a two-day intensive learning experience that will feature more than 40 speakers from Google, Yelp, Comcast Business Class, Digg, Virgin America, LinkedIn, Twitter, WordPress, Elance,Virgin America, Eventbrite and the Office of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger who will share business and technology strategies to help business owners stay innovative and grow in the economic downturn.

With over 30 sessions, entrepreneurs will learn the latest strategies and tools to successfully raise funds, build a strong brand on Google, Yelp or Facebook, forge partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, access the federal stimulus program and make money on Twitter.

"I hear from businesses all the time looking specifically for this kind of help," said Gary Marshall of the San Francisco Small Business Administration district office. "Small business owners will definitely benefit from an event like this."

BizTechDay will also feature the popular Genius Hour where attendees learn directly from business experts and technology gurus during a speed-dating format - facilitated and timed. Genius Hour offers not only a learning opportunity for attendees, but also incredible exposure for the presenters, who are often also small business owners.

"I firmly believe that when entrepreneurs get together, amazing things happen," said Edith Yeung, Founder of the BizTechDay Conference. "Together at BizTechDay, we will inspire, learn and truly connect with each other. By working together using these free social media tools, we and our businesses can grow beyond what we can imagine."

BizTechDay will also include the culmination of a year-long Big Success Business Pitch Contest, where Bay Area small business owners pitch their idea to a panel of judges for a chance to win a 30-minute interview on CBS5 and a trip to Miami.

"We know entrepreneurs can make magic happen when they turn their dreams into real action," said Mark O'Leary, Regional Vice President of Business Services for Comcast's California Region. "BizTechDay 2009 Conference fosters a spirit of camaraderie, community and entrepreneurship like no other event, and we are excited to become the presenting sponsor for this
exciting conference."

Sponsors & Partners
National and local sponsors for BizTechDay 2009 include Comcast Business Class, Elance, Constant Contact, CBS 5, Virgin America, Small Business Administration, American Express, Yola, WordPress, Keiretsu Forum, Meetup.com, Women 2.0, NAWBO, Association of Women MBAs, Astia, MagCloud, TIE, Oriented, PRNewswire, Hatch Network, Powwow, Webgrrls, Eventbrite, Girls in Tech, eWomenNetwork, SFNewTech and SavortheSuccess.

About BizTechDay
BizTechDay is a business strategy and technology conference launched in 2008 in San Francisco. In 2008, the conference attracted more than 550 entrepreneurs and featured Tim Ferriss, bestselling author behind the "4-Hour Workweek"; George Wright, the marketing genius behind the 'Will it Blend' YouTube campaign; and Scott Heiferman, Founder of Meetup.com.

BizTechDay was founded by Edith Yeung, a small business marketing consultant and the organizer of the San Francisco Entrepreneur Meetup Group with over 2600 members.

Back in the Entrepreneural Mind Set.

2009-10-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

My head is still buzzing from my entrepreneurial networking trek across the bay yesterday. I attended the Union City - Hayward Chamber of Commerce Expo, the cities' first ever joint venture. My second stop was a Berkeley Meet Up - Entrepreneur Camp; Small Business Academy. It was my first time attending these events. Although I was tired, sweaty and hungry my from mini road trip, I left these events pumped for more.

The Union City - Hayward Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, is a first ever partnership between the neighboring east bay cities. Mt. Rose Hospital provided the The Big White Tent which housed more than 200 exhibitors from the business, educational, non-profit, and green communities.

Two companies that stood out for me is Gerry's Grill, a Filipino barbecue chain restaurant and a multimedia production company, dualstar.digital. I was impressed by the variety and quality of merchandise and 10 year run managed by only three employees.

Union City's Gerry's Grill was the best of all the food vendors and I'm not just saying that because I'm Filipino. Where else can you get free non-greasy Lumpia (Filipino Egg Roll), moist Pancit (rice noodles) and tasty barbecue pork. I've seen their booth at local Filipino festivals but I've never tasted their food because the long lines of hungry people ordering always frustrated me. On that day, I filled my second plate with no shame.

Two hours later I’m at my next stop Hotel Shattuck near U.C. Berkeley. The Meet Up - Entrepreneur Camp: Small Business Academy is organized by Patrick Schwerdtfeger. The group has existed for three years with consistent positive feedback from attendees. The fact that 60 people signed up last night and that they had two guest speakers, Kane Minkus and Jeff Slater to share their sales success tips, peaked my curiosity. The topic is appropriately called "Blatant Unfair Sales Magic Sooo Powerful You Might Be Afraid To Use It." Did you get that?

From the start, the cordial and welcoming Patrick wastes no time in getting the party started beginning wth introductions - but he has a very novel approach. Attendees are invited to pick up a playing card which is displayed on a big screen behind him at the front of the room. Whoever has that card has 30 seconds to stand up and speak up. And when your time is up, that's it. No re-winding. Short and sweet? Short and nerve wracking?

I liked it but then I like the thrill of impromptu. A majority of attendees presented their services pretty well, some more versed than others as I believe they begin every MeetUp this way. It's a necessary skill. Learning how to be part salesman, cheerleader and spokesperson all in one.

The business owners represented a diverse bag of service and product offerings: media, publishing, blogging, retail products, web and merchandise design, business/personal development and finance consulting to leisure and entertainment ventures. This of course is not an exhaustive list. They are great resources to network and learn from. Actually, this was the most entertaining networking event that I've attended due largely in part to the lively and very cordial atmosphere amongst the attendees and with Patrick. It helped that I felt very welcomed.

I don’t want to reveal all the free advice that was shared by Kane but will say that his sales techniques were spot on such as knowing how to gain trust and connectivity with your client. How to effectively present your sales pitch in just four to five simple sentences. But he just didn’t lecture and hammer these tips into our heads. We went through some concise written exercises and he did a walk through with a couple of brave volunteers who came away with the session more confident and focused in their delivery. Keywords of the workshop: Accelerated Results, Be in Action, Happy, Results You Produce, and Keyword Backtracking.

The last hour was jam packed with great and useful advice that everyone can use. My notebook is filled with uh, notes. Well, to others, it looks like chicken scratch. But I wasn’t scratching my head as Jeff rattled off his tricks and tips. Now that’s interactive learning.

To top of it off, Edith Yeung, the mastermind of BizTechDay dropped by and pitched her event. The event is a two day business strategy and techno conference for entrepreneurs. Big wigs from Virgin America, Yelp, 4 Hour Work Week, Comcast, and Digg is just a tasty sample of the guest speakers. She told me last night, that Craig Newmark of Craigslist was recently added to the impressive panelist lineup! More than 1200 are expected to attend , doubling last year’s numbers. Plus I’ll be manning the Inquirer.net booth and interviewing people for my Inquirer news story and blog.

And I can't forget BizTech's CIO, Andrzej Buszko. I've seen his cc'd name in my email correspondence with Edith but never met him. Glad we bumped into each other. Well, actually he asked me if I would interview people at BizTech. I Would have loved to if I wasn't already committed but kept my door open for future projects.

Overall, my trek to the east bay was a very productiv, interactive, informative and enlightening experience regardless of the traffic and parking challenges.

What's Happening San Francisco?

2009-10-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

Ohhh, I've neglected my site for so long. After a brief a hi-cup, I'm back on track. But let's start with the fun stuff. We've had two nice weekends in row so why not enjoy some fun outdoor events. Mid 70's temps are rare and nice for San Francisco. Yes, please just walk away from the computer over the next two days. Try try try to refrain from checking your emails on your cell phone.

So wazzz up?

SAT 10/3

Food On Fillmore: Fillmore between Pine/California St. *** free ***
Oktoberfest at Pier 48
Dancing in the Streets: 2nd/Market and Civic Center *** free *
Blue Grass Festival at Golden Gate Park: Fri-Sun *** free ***

SUN 10/4

Castro Street Festival - Sunday 10/4 *** free ***
Sandcastles at Ocean Beach - *** free ***

Give your eyes a computer screen break - slather on that sunscreen, exhale, and stroll through the city streets.

Next week it's back to business. I'll post a list of workshops to attend that can help you and your business grow. Or at least help you get off of the "I've been wanting to run my own business" fence.

San Francisco mayor kicks off celebration of Fil-Am History Month - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2009-09-29T18:24:00.001-07:00

San Francisco mayor kicks off celebration of Fil-Am History Month - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Shared via AddThis

Gmail is Down!

2009-09-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, it's 2:25 PST and I still can't access my email. Instead I get an error message.

Three hours ago Google acknowledged the problem which apparently is a global issue. Oh-oh.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/google/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=219500837

Who else out there is griping? On Twitter, Facebook, SMS, etc.???

Business Minded Workshops This Week

2009-08-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

*** Update: I just added two networking events. Drink, nosh and share ideas! ***

The following are more classes and seminars serving the San Francisco Bay Area that target small business owners, entrepreneurs or anyone thinking of making the leap, such as myself. Unlike the free or low cost seminars that I've previously posted, these require a fee. Please review links for more information. And let me know if you attend. I want to attend all of the workshops but can only fit one in my schedule. I'm curious about the turnout, the responses and if the classes were helpful.

Mark your calendars:

*** NEW EVENT***

Business Mixer with Latino Associations

WHEN: August 27, 2009 6:00pm-8:30pm

WHAT: Joint business mixer. Networking with Latino professionals. Call (415) 278-9611 for more information.

WHERE: Roccapulco, 3140 Mission St, San Francisco

MULA: $10 for San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce members. $15 for non-members.

*** NEW EVENT***

Green Drinks Sustainability Networking (Great title!)

www.NBSBA.org
WHEN: August 27, 2009/5:30-7:30pnm

WHAT: "Lively social and networking gathering for business people interested in sustainability, including green business, architecture, design, organics, clean energy, local economy and other topics." - North Bay Sustainable Business Alliance.

WHERE: Novato Oaks Inn, 215 Alameda del Prado Ave, Novat0

MULA: $20. Click on link to RSVP

Successful Consulting

WHEN: August 28, 2009 / 8:30am-3:00pm
WHAT: For people interested in pursuing a Consulting or Contracts business: Pros and Cons.
WHERE: San Jose Entrepreneur Center, 84 W Santa Clara St., San Jose
CONTACT: Silicon Valley SCORE at 408-288-8479

*** Check back for more additions to this weekly list ****

PAST EVENTS:

Crafting your online integrated marketing campaign

http://bit.ly/socmed4you
WHEN: Aug 26, 2009 / 9:30am-12:30p
WHAT: "Define your personal brand and design your integrated marketing campaign. Identify your tagline and keywords. Write online profiles, polish your resume, and create short and long form bios." - iRM Consulting
WHERE: San Francisco State University Downtown Campus, 835 Market St., SF
MULA: Click on link

Job Seekers Looking to Network

http://www.meetup.com/Bay-Area-Job-Seekers-Professionals-Looking-to-Network/
WHEN: August 26, 2009 / 7:00pm - 9:00pm
WHAT: Network with employed and unemployed professionals. Everyone, especially recruiters and HR professionals encouraged to attend.
WHERE: The Bar On Church. 198 Church St., SF
MULA: Click on link. You must RSVP for this MeetUp event.

***PLEASE NOTE THAT FOR THIS EVENT, YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED JOB SEEKER OR NON-JOB SEEKER ON THE WORKYOURCAREER.COM SITE, OTHERWISE THERE WILL BE A $5 FEE AT THE DOOR THE DAY OF THE EVENT. CREATING A PROFILE ON THE WORKYOURCAREER SITE IS FAST AND FREE, AND YOU CAN DO SO AT: http://workyourcareer.com/signup.aspx

Free Seminars & Counseling for Start Ups

2009-08-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

I've discovered a slew of free and low cost training workshops, business resources and counseling services in the San Francisco Bay Area. The presenters or consultants are experienced professionals in a variety of fields.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) - San Francisco Main Office
http://www.sba.gov/localresources/district/ca/sf/index.html
Main one stop information source in starting, funding and running a business. So far I've taken free classes in blogging and business registration.

SCORE: Counselors to America’s Small Business
www.sbatraining.eventbrite.com
Part of the federally funded SBA. Free Business Counseling, Business Training Seminars and Online Assistance

San Jose Entrepreneur Center
www.ecenteronline.org
Programs include Financing Programs, Technical Assistance, Training, and Procurement Assistance.

Commonwealth Club - Main office in San Francisco
www.commonwealthclub.org
August month long forum series “For Richer, for Poorer: Surviving and Thriving in the Great Recession". Upcoming lectures include Technology in the New Economy, Prospering in a Recession and China, the Great Power Interrupted.

San Francisco Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
http://nc.ecenterdirect.com
Free Confidential One on One Consulting:
Hands on Workshops: Free or low cost in state of the art training center: Marketing , Sales, Technology, Internet, Business Planning and Financial Management
Access to Capital: preloan and loan assistance

Business Center at the San Francisco Public Library
http://sfpl.lib.ca.us/
Resources on start up manuals, data, business planning guides, etc. Focus on Business, Science and Technology.

Patent and Trademark Center, San Francisco Public Library
http://sfpl.lib.ca.us/
Computerized searching of patents and trademarks.

What is the future of mobile phones and entrepreneurism?

2009-08-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

The fate of mobile phones, secrets to startup success, starting a SF business and landing that Federal contract - pick the brains of industry experts as they share their words of wisdom, experience and advice this week.

WHAT: The Next Big Thing in the Mobile World

WHY: “Industry experts will discuss the benefits and challenges facing companies as customers and businesses demand more content of higher quality and speed wherever they are and on any device.” – Commonwealth Club

https://tickets.commonwealthclub.org/open.asp

WHEN: 8/05/09, 7:00 pm - ?

WHERE: Microsoft, Building 1, 1065 La Avenida, Mountain View

MULA: $15 Commonwealth Club members, $25 non-members

WHAT: Entrepreneurism: Begin with the End in Mind

https://tickets.commonwealthclub.org/open.asp?show=1288

WHY: Find out the secrets to success for start ups and business builders in today's world. Ernst & Young 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year, Jon Fisher, will explain the benefits of an approach that emphasizes potential acquirers and a powerful economic predictor.

WHEN: 8/05/09, 6:00pm - ?

WHERE: Commonwealth Club San Francisco Office, 595 Market Street, 2nd Floor

MULA: $8 for Commonwealth Club members, $15 for non-members

==================================================================

WHAT: Starting a Business in San Francisco

http://www.sbatraining.eventbrite.com

WHY: San Francisco officials review permit process and business name registrations in this one stop seminar.

WHEN: 8/05/09, 11:30am – 12:30pm

WHERE: Small Business Administration (SBA) Office, 455 Market St., SF

MULA: Free!

==================================================================

WHAT: How to contract with the Federal Government

WHY: Benefits and advantages of small business certification and what the procedures are.

WHEN: 8/6/09, 9:00am-12:00pm

WHERE: Small Business Administration (SBA) San Francisco Office, 455 Market St., SF

MULA: Free!

** Read my Inquirer.net news story on how small business owners, and women/minority/military disabled veteran business owners can score a contract with utility giants (Comcast, AT&T, Verizon) and CA state agencies. **

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090730-217903/Fil-Am-businesses-get-boost-from-CA-agencies
See my introduction on Thursday, 7/30/09 blog posting

How to score a contract with PG&E or AT&T

2009-07-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

I wrote a news story about PG&E's sponsored "Supplier Diversity and Matchmaking Workshop" that was held at their San Francisco office recently. Click on http://globalnation.inquirer.net/region/americas/view/20090730-217903/Fil-Am-businesses-get-boost-from-CA-agencies
for my complete story on Inquirer.net.

I go in detail on how small businesses and businesses owned by minorities, women, and disabled veterans can gain access to contract opportunities with utility giants such as Comcast and AT&T through state certification.

Listing on this major certification database is free but only 3,000 California businesses are in the directory which tells me that this valuable and reputable resource is largely unknown to small business owners. Basically its THE go to bible that these big companies first reach for when they need quality contractors.

You may be thinking, what kind of services can I provide to PG&E? The electric/natural gas giant may not be your target market but they may need to contract with a printing company to create their newsletters. Or your company can subcontract with their main contractor. The partnering and networking opportunities are endless.

But what about start ups? I've met many aspiring and current entrepreneurs at various industry events in the Bay Area. Are they aware of the "Supplier Diversity Programs"? PG&E, AT&T, Verizon and Comcast's websites explain the process pretty thoroughly, some have calendar of events, community outreach workshops and even scholarships.

Verification Analyst Gary Ma said start ups make up about ten percent of certification applications. The guidelines and procedures are not as strict for start ups since they have yet to acquire all the required documentation that more established companies submit. It's good to know this process allows flexibility for the little guys still trying to spread their wings.

So if you want to get on that database, first research the company sites and check out their providers and procedures. It's free and it usually takes about a month to get get certified. What do you have to lose?

For DGS – www.getcertified.dgs.ca.gov
CPUC - www.cpuc.ca.gov
PGE - www.pge.com/purchasing
AT&T - www.attsupplierdiversity.com
Verizon – www.verizon.com/supplierdiversity
Comcast – www.comcast.com/diversity

Networking - Bay Area Style

2009-07-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

Professional Networking and Workshops This Week in San Francisco Bay Area. Bring those business cards, questions and ideas. RSVP through the links below. Check back for updates!

SESSIONS MIXER. This is a pure social mashup event = geek + business+pixel. No lecturing. I’ve never heard of this type of event! Sounds like a playground for entrepreneurs with no rules as long as you can play well with others.http://mixer10-linkedin.eventbrite.com/

Why: Tables and booths for demos, business pitches and giveaways = heaven
When: Tuesday, 7/28. 530pm-10pm
Where: Financial District, San Francisco
Mula: $15

BRINGING AUTHENTICITY BACK. Lecture by best-selling author and renowned marketing expert, Rohit Bhargava – different approach to marketing. http://www.svama.org/

Why: “Learn why authenticity is the new secret to effective marketing and how you can make your business more authentic today.” – Silicon Valley American Marketing Association
When: Thursday, 7/30. 530pm-9pm
Where: Hewlett Packard, Palo Alto
Mula: $15-$45 depending on membership status.

NON-PROFIT SEMINAR. Forum on unique challenges that non –profits need to overcome to stay viable.

http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=OPQXSVZBTGWEAAUUFMQW&li=iq&src=email&trk=aei6

Why: Learn about tax changes, accounting practices, compliance issues, and employee benefits for Free! Network with other non-profit professionals.
When: Thursday, 7/30. 10am-11am – ish.
Where: Civic Center, San Francisco
Mula: Free!

CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES!

Attention Media – Check me out!

2009-07-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

You're a start up company writing your business plan (you should if you haven't), ramping your product development or services, developing your website but don't have the budget for public relations or an ad agency. How do you get your message across on the boob tube? Last night's Meet Up event answered those questions.

I attended the "How To Get Media Attention to Your Business" at the Metreon Theater in San Francisco last night. It was a very useful presentation for startups vying for free and accessible publicity in this information overloaded society of online social networks, You Tube, radio and television.

Television News Reporter Sue Kwon was the guest speaker for the three hour presentation. Panelists included media expert and entrepreneur Dr. Brenda Wade, Comcast Marketing Manager Tracey Awad and BizTech Day Founder, Edith Yeung. Kudos to an all women panelist presentation! I know I’m partial, but hey, how often do you see women headline this type of presentation.

As a former television news reporter turned online marketer and features writer and videographer, I was curious to see what would be covered and who the attendees were as I’ve given similar advice to media newbies at various professional networking events. I also wanted to learn what people were hatching in their basements and test the entrepreneur waters myself.

The Media 101 crash course covered all the basics complete with real case scenarios. The short video snippets of Sue's interviews with various CEO's, from an unknown online travel agency to video game powerhouse, Electronics Arts, were really helpful in showcasing on camera presentation red flags and tricks to delivering and managing the conversation your way, a major weakness for most newbies. But then with everything in life, it’s takes practice and useful tools, such as this event, to hone your skills.

My 1990 college communications course mantra, “the medium is the message” still rings true in 2009 but if you can’t concisely explain your objective within the 30-45 second sound bites, then you’re going to lose your audience.

Online interviews are a slightly different story as they have more cushion as far as length. Absence the restrictions of a 20 minute television news segment, the length of online videos are unlimited and the visitor has the power to replay the message.

Actually, I have yet to see an “average length” of online news/features videos. Besides the television broadcast news sites, I have yet to find an industry standard even on my company’s 24/7 online news site. That could work against a company being featured in the story if the editor and/or videographer doesn’t understand basic story telling structure.

Just imbedding raw footage with no format or directions can confuse the viewer if there is no focus. Again, like a well written news, features story or press release, engaging video still needs a basic outline mixed in with some graphics:

1- Tease
2- Introduction
3- Sound bite (eyewitness account, testimony, real people reaction)
4- Script and/or graphics (supporting evidence, research, referrals)
5- Repeat 3+4 (not necessarily in that order)
6- Solid wrap up (summarize)

The networking aspect was another treat. Overall I met a lot of bright eyed and bushy tailed entrepreneurs. I say that fondly not in jest. Seeing the flicker in their eyes as they passionately described their services or products was infectious and encouraging.

But what also stood out was the energy and buzz in the theater. Of all the industry networking events I’ve attended (User Generated Content, Licensing, Comicon, Journalism, Media, etc.) this was the most friendly and sincere bunch. People were genuine in hearing each other’s goals and plans. I experienced an even exchange - give and take conversations as opposed to the one sided, self promoting soap boxes. You know what I’m saying.

They also pitched BizTechDay (www.BizTechDay.com). I briefly read about the San Francisco, October 22-23 event but didn’t think much about it until Edith gave the crowd a chock full of juicy information. Apparently, it’s THE place to be for new and established business owners.

According to their flyer, it’s an “intensive small business strategy and technology conference”. Movers, innovators and fence sitters co-mingle, learn and hopefully partner with each other. I’m there! And thanks to the gracious and accommodating Biz TechDay team (Jini, Edith, and Matthew) for answering all my questions and more!

These are the kinds of events where you lose track of time immersed in the organic free flow. Unpretentious, not jaded and transparent! Although hungry, thirsty and tired, I walked away from the Metreon inspired, intrigued and motivated. I met some very interesting people that I intend to stay in touch with and I can’t wait to attend BizTechDay!