Now I’ve seen this classic film about 40 times, easily, so I wasn’t expecting to be “thrilled” or “surprised” but I was both.  Here’s why: I shared the viewing experience with about 150 people. So, every corny joke, every tear-evoking moment became a shared experience.

Two points to be made here:

1. Life was meant to be shared, not hidden. That includes triumphs and failures, good and bad.  I don’t mean airing out your drama for all to see (pay attention Twitter celebs) or bragging to everyone that will listen when you do something amazing.  I mean embracing social media as a “group experience” that is made richer when you are genuine and truly interested in interactions with others.

2. You never know how many people you affect – and that’s okay too.  On the ride home from the movie, my wife Stephanie commented that she really loved seeing it again and wished she could have a “George Bailey moment” where she could see how her life has impacted others. In fact, she’s had an impact on a lot of people.  She just doesn’t always get the thank you cards or comments that say how she affected someone’s life.

But you know what? That’s okay. The biggest pay it forward advocates I know – and believe me I know a slew of them – all have one thing in common: they don’t do it for recognition.  They do it because that’s just who they are, and it comes naturally to them.

So, this Holiday season, remember that it’s a wonderful life – no matter what your circumstances – and share it with others! Embrace the gift that is the holidays – and take a moment to share it with others!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Always Paying it Forward,
Chuck

I come away from the show with a true appreciation for those industry leaders – and I’ll name them shortly – that are humble and graceful.

As I continue to travel to conferences and tradeshows – either as a speaker or attendee – I am graced with the presence of some amazing people who are role models and mentors.  Some are friends who have continued to rise in the world of social media, some I’ve observed from afar.

One in particular is Scott Monty (thus the title of this post).  As head of all social media for the Ford Motor Company Scott is constantly in demand as a speaker and an interview subject. Yet, despite his status, he continues to remain humble, accessible and a man of true grace.

He takes the time to talk to those who approach him, never shoves them aside, and tries to always be available if possible.  A man in his position doesn’t have to be that way, it’s a choice (I know because he’s told me so).

So-called social media “experts” could take a lesson from Scott Monty. Or Craig Newmark, Shel Holtz, C.C. Chapman, Peter Shankman and a myriad of other truly amazing people I’ve met and gotten to know over the last several years.

I often laugh when people say: “Oh you know (insert well-know person’s name here)?  Wow, what’s he like?”  My response is usually “he’s a normal human being.”

I have been incredibly blessed in the past several years to get to know a lot of interesting thought leaders.  But the real blessing isn’t from knowing an industry leader. It’s from learning how they handle their status – with a grace and humbleness I continue to see as a model for all in social media.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, social media “superstars” are, as a group some of the best people I’ve ever had the privilege to know.

The bottom line is a simple one: we are all people, with feelings and emotions. We all have something to say that is valuable.  And, we should treat each other with respect and caring.

The rest is easy – enjoy the ride, pay it forward whenever you can, be humble and graceful whenever possible.

What saddens me is that his death points out the potential trap we fall into online – that we are not alone if we have a lot of friends, followers, connections.

Trey is not the first person I’ve know over the past 10 years that lived a vibrant life online and a troubled one “behind the screen.”  It’ important to note that I didn’t know Trey well enough to comment further on this point about him.

Throughout my career first as a traditional PR guy and now as a PR/social media speaker/author and consultant, I have reminded anyone that would listen to “pick up the phone” and call their connections.  Bring the online friendship to real life.  I can’t tell you how many people are shocked when I suggest that to them.  It’s as if the in-person aspect of everyday living is a foreign idea.

Am I perfect in this regard?  Far from it.  I have a significant number of direct connections on LinkedIn and Twitter and only converse with a handful each week.  But, I do make the effort.  Whenever someone says “we should catch up,” I often work to set up a Skype or direct call to do just that.

I encourage all of us to do MORE of just that.  Pick up the phone. Set up a Skype video chat.  But more importantly, ask the connection how you can be of service to them.  And, remember to talk about them – not you.

You never know what life you might affect, what friendship you might deepen or rekindle, and what a difference you might make.

Pay it forward today by connection directly with an online-only connection.  Make the effort.  You’ll be glad you did.

Fast forward: you’re now a small businessperson trying to make a difference – attract customers, retain them, form new business partnerships.  Yet, you feel like you’re drowning in a sea of tweets, Facebook likes and LinkedIn invitations.

One of my favorite sayings is “treat your connections like they’re standing right in front of you.”  It’s a reminder that despite all the cool technology and newest apps – there is a real person behind that computer screen.  Keeping that in mind helps me connect more personally with those I meet online.

Here’s how you can differentiate yourself as a small business person and really make a difference:

1. When you first connect with someone online, listen to them instead of talking.  Hear what THEY have to say and what they’re interest in – what are their needs, concerns, cool things that make them who they are.

2. Take a minute on occasion to suggest an introductory call or meeting in person.  Skype is wonderful for this, as you can set up a video call if you’re so inclined, or a phone call to hear directly from them.  Again, LISTEN more than TALK. Find out what they’re all about.

3. Start any contact you make with a question: “How can I help you?” You’d be amazed how many people respond positively to this question.  We are so used to being “pitched” all the time that when a business actually asks how they can help we are at a loss for words.

4. Introduce your connections to other connections.  I recentlly met with a young entrepreneur who has a new retail online application.  I liked the guy – a lot – and wanted to help him in his business. I introduced him to a retail reporter at our local newspaper.  She was working on a story on loyalty programs (his business) and he was interviewed for her story that ran in the business section today!   What did I get out of it? The satisfaction that I was helping a business grow and a reporter find a source.

Finally, remember that unless you reach out with a Personal Touch then you’re just another piece of data in a constant stream of information that your connections are bombarded with on a daily basis.

The cool thing about the Personal Touch?  It’s fun to do, makes you stand out to your business partners and customers, and often makes you feel more human in an overwhelmingly impersonal and digital world.

Take a second today to reach out to a new connection, or one you haven’t talked to in a long time.  Tell them it’s personal.

Paying it Forward,

I’m excited to get a chance to work with Michael Hubbard, CEO of Media Two and his great staff to bring digital advertising capabilities to current and future clients.

This partnership also means I now have an office in downtown Raleigh, NC!  Chuck Hester Enterprises, and our parent company The Affinity Allliance, Inc. will be co-located at Media Two’s offices at 319 West Martin Street.

Here’s the news release announcing the partnership:

Raleigh, North Carolina (March 1, 2011) — Media Two Interactive, an advertising agency specializing in strategic planning, buying and design of digital and traditional media., and Chuck Hester Enterprises, a marketing communications consultancy, today announced a partnership to strengthen both firms’ capabilities.

Through the partnership, Media Two looks to bolster its commitment to its marketing mix by providing in-house expertise in the traditional public relations field.

“This is really a strategic play at two levels,” said Michael Hubbard, CEO of Media Two Interactive.  “Media Two has been on the forefront of this industry for quite some time, but we’ve never taken the time to tell anyone.  Second, our Social Media team frequently comes across situations that are more geared towards traditional public relations, and Chuck represents an in-house consultation for when those arise.”

The “forefront” of an industry is an understatement for the Southeast’s well-kept secret.  This 25-person shop, headquartered in the downtown warehouse district of Raleigh, NC, was the first advertising agency to beta test Google advertising before the popular AdWords program was launched, their Creative Director led the IAB committee charged with the standardization of banner sizes, and their Media Director released one of the first correlation studies on display advertising’s effect on Search Advertising.

“I couldn’t ask for a better partner in Media Two Interactive,” added Chuck Hester, Managing Partner of the Affinity Alliance, Inc. and Chief Connections Officer at Chuck Hester Enterprises. “Their team is the best in digital advertising and design.  The firm will be a great addition to our service offerings.  I truly believe in working with people who are the best at what they do, and who care about getting real world results for their clients.  Media Two definitely fits that description.”

As part of the partnership agreement, Chuck Hester Enterprises will have offices at the Media Two headquarters at 319 W. Martin Street, located on the 2^nd Floor, Raleigh, NC 27601.

About Media Two Interactive:

Media Two Interactive is an advertising agency that specializes in the strategic planning, buying and design of digital and traditional media. For over 12 years, the agency has focused on achieving the marketing and business objectives of clients that include Microsoft, 3M, Intel Business Exchange, RBC Bank, MF Global, the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School  and the Special Olympics of North Carolina. To learn more about our design and media strategy services, please visit www.mediatwo.net or hear what we have to say at www.MediaTwoPointOh.com.

About Chuck Hester Enterprises

A PR and social media consultancy with a difference, Chuck Hester Enterprises offers marketing communications planning and execution, influencer relations; and social media training and seminars for “The Rest of Us.”  The firm is an Affinity Alliance, Inc. company, a marketing and business services agency made up of seasoned professionals who are passionate about what they do.  Chuck Hester is a well known expert in public relations, branding and social media and sought-after speaker on LinkedIn, using social media for business and paying it forward. To learn more about Chuck Hester Enterprises, contact Chuck at chuck@chuckhester.com or visit www.chuckhester.com .

LinkedIn’s CEO Jeff Weiner pointed out in the article that “Facebook is broad and horizontal and its killer apps are social gaming and sharing, “Twitter is an app for social communication that is used for broadcasting what you’re up to. LinkedIn is a professional network.”

To me, that’s the key: professional network.  But, most people miss the power of LinkedIn and don’t understand how to take advantage of its amazing reach and functionality.

When I speak on the topic of using LinkedIn for Personal and Professional Branding, I always mention Facebook’s great member numbers – more than 500 million at last count – and I then ask the audience to tell me how many LinkedIn members there are currently.  Few get the actual number – more than 80 million!

Over the past 5 years I have built up my professional network using LinkedIn, and in the last two years augmented that with this website and Twitter.  During that time, I have discovered, refined and now teach, how to make the most out of LinkedIn.

The examples of how I have used LinkedIn to build my professional practice are many, inlcuding securing clients, speaking engagements and even finding the right CPA.

Chuck Hester Enterprises now offers LinkedIn Boot Camps to companies that want to train their sales forces, customer service folks, marketing departments – you name it – on how to use LinkedIn to find new customers, retain their current ones and build a professional brand that resonates.

For my business, LinkedIn is so powerful that when I launched my new business earlier this month I did not revamp my website into a business site, but rather maintained this site and made a few key changes on my LinkedIn profile.

Now, when potential clients need to know about my services, I point them to www.chuckhester.com and to my LinkedIn profile with key recommendations on my services, and my speaking topics.

So, the questions is, are you missing out on the Power of LinkedIn? Has the flash and fun of Facebook or the shiny object that is Twitter caused you to ignore the most important business network available?

Think about it.  And, think about your potential and current customers and where they live.  Are you in the same neighborhood?  I would be willing to bet that neighborhood is LinkedIn!

It’s official. As of 2 p.m. today, November 30, 2010: Chuck Hester Enterprises is open for business.  The news release that is scheduled for later this week (are you kidding, I’m a PR guy, of course there’s a news release!) will read:

A PR and social media consultancy with a difference, Chuck Hester Enterprises offers marketing communications planning and execution, influencer relations; and social media training and seminars for “The Rest of Us.”

My wife, Stephanie and I have been blessed with friends, family and colleagues who have surrounded us as we transitioned from iContact, where I was Communications Director for almost five years, to “The Next Big Thing.”  For that we are extremely grateful.

Although I was pretty sure this would happen, I’m humbled that it came together so quickly.  I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart and love the opportunity to help build companies and try new things.  Chuck Hester Enterprises, or CHE as several of my friends have started to call it, is an opportunity to do just that, and to be happy doing it.

It is my goal to bring real-world and grounded business principals to my clients. I am offering initiatives that are based on experience and a true understanding of how to reach customers.

In the next few days I will officially announce the formation of the agency, and also let you know who my first four – yes four! – clients are and what they do.

For now, here’s a quick overview of the practice areas of my consultancy:

• PR and Social Media Strategy and Tactical Development – with the goal of building (or rebuilding) marketing communications programs
• LinkedIn Bootcamps – seminars designed to teach businesses how to use LinkedIn (in conjunction with other social media tools) effectively
• Influencer Outreach – using the techniques I have perfected over the past 7 years to help companies get their stories told by connecting to key influencers in their markets
• Speakers/Seminars – I am available for conferences, trade shows and organizations to speak on using social media for customer service; social media marketing; and how to use social media to pay it forward
• Online seminars and DVD courses – in the next several months I will be developing a series of online seminars and DVD based on Social Media for the Rest of Us – stay tuned!

So, that’s Chuck Hester Enterprises.  Probably best summed up this way:

Not your typical consultancy, Chuck Hester Enterprises provides PR and Social Media services designed to reach influencers, increase a client’s profile and get their stories told to target audiences.  The firm specializes in PR and Marketing Communications strategies and tactics; social media training and influencer relations.

Feel free to contact me, Chuck Hester, Chief Connections Officer at chuck@chuckhester.com or on Twitter – @chuckhester or LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/chuckhester

The last five years have been amazing.  When I got the news that I was no longer employed at iContact, I knew that there was something bigger around the corner.  Now, I’ve found it.  Chuck Hester Enterprises is open for business!

As always, let me know how I can be of service to you.  I look forward to meeting you soon on this new and exciting journey.

Paying it forward,

Chuck

This is not going to be a “wonder why this happened” or “the bad guy is…” post.  This is going to be a quick look back at my five years at iContact in what I’ve often called my “dream job.”  It’s also a look forward to the amazing possibilities that lie ahead.

From the first meeting with Ryan Allis, CEO of iContact at a Council for Entrepreneurial Development event to the present it has been a “hell of a ride.”

During that time I have garnered press coverage for Ryan, his Co-Founder Aaron Houghton and iContact as a company in Entrepreneur magazine, Inc., Fast Company, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, NY Times, Wall Street Journal and many others.

We have raised more that $53 million in VC funding, were named to the Inc. 500 list three years in a row (with the first year’s rank at #87), and we’ve garnered accolades from Ernst & Young, CED, Triangle Business Journal and others.

I have been blessed by working with such great colleagues as James Wong, Brandon Milford, Jeffrey Gray, John Free – and many others that made my time at iContact one of the best jobs in my 30 years in PR.

But now, I’ve been handed my hat and asked to turn in my keys.  Am I bitter? No, frankly I’m excited about what comes next.

My last official day at iContact is November 30, but in the meantime I’m working to find “the next big thing” in my life.

Many are asking what I want to do next.  I’m open to all possibilities. including:

• Chuck Hester Enterprises – the best darn PR consulting firm in the Triangle
• An in-house position as a senior-level PR/communications professional
• A senior level VP position with an agency – either in the local Triangle area or in California

I’m also exploring other opportunities that have arisen just in the last two days.  All intriguing, all potentially fulfilling.

My vast social media network and connections have surrounded me with good messages and well wishes.  My wife Stephanie and I are truly blessed with friends and family that care deeply for us and want us to be happy and successful.  In particular special thanks to Brian Pittman and Fay Shapiro; Aaron Houghton; Albert Maruggi and John Cass. What you have said and done for us in this challenging time is extraordinary. It means the world to us.

By the way, LinkedIn Live continues on – with the next one taking place November 9th in Raleigh.

What’s next?  Stay tuned.  I have a feeling wherever I end up, whatever I do, will also be “a hell of a ride.”

For those of you not keyed into my network – I can be reached directly at chuck@chuckhester.com and you can access my LinkedIn profile at www.linkedin.com/in/chuckhester

I look forward to hearing from you and filling you in on my next adventure!
Stay well,

Stay connected,

Continue to Pay it Forward

Chuck

I will be creating a series of blogs relating to the book, and this is the first entry in that series.  I want to, as I did with my first book, Linking in to Pay it Forward, offer some insight into the process of writing and also share information with more than just my readers.

On twitter (@chuckhester) you can find a Social Media for the Rest of Us ™ Daily Tip.  Please RT if you like a particular tip and let me know if I’m off base in any way.

Social Media for the Rest of Us was created after something happened to me to make me realize that many people – both of my generation and much younger – are intimidated by social media and it’s increasing influence in marketing and our culture in general.

I gave a speech last year at a convention in Las Vegas, discussing LinkedIn and Twitter and how I used both for personal and professional branding.  After the speech, we went in to the typical Q&A session.  The first question related to Twitter, how to re-tweet, etc.  I rattled off an answer and the questioner sat down.

The next question came from a gentleman about my age (I’m 51) who stood up and said “Excuse me, I don’t have a question, but a comment.  I have know idea what the hell you’re talking about!”

That was what my wife would call an “Aha” moment for me.  Many professionals out their feel they don’t know what people are talking about when it comes to social media.  They see everyone around them – colleagues, friends – even their favorite TV and movie personalities – using social media and telling everyone how great it is.  PLUS, they are conveying the message that if you aren’t up on social media then you’re going to be left behind.

That’s when I decided that writing Social Media for the Rest of Us made sense.  In the book – and subsequently podcasts and other forms of media – I hope to let the “other” guy know that they don’t have to be intimidated by social media.  That they can embrace it on their terms – not the terms of the “cool kids that get it.”  (I probably have dated myself with that last phrase!)

Social Media for the Rest of Us will also be about how to use social media for the greater good, offer tips on social media etiquette and ways to make it work for you and your business.

So, stay tuned for more updates (and blogged chapters like the last book) as the book develops.

I hope to finish and publish by the end of the Summer.  I look forward to interacting with you along the way!

Paying it Forward,

Chuck