Seeing as how it’s Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d focus this post on something I truly love: food. More specifically, there’s a burger place in Seattle called Lunchbox Laboratory. You could order up a huge sloppy, delicious concoction of your choosing — beef, “dork” (duck + pork), lamb, “churken” (turkey + chicken), game — adorned with bacon, truffle sauce, gorgonzola cream, you name it, complete with a fries or tots with your choice of salt accompaniments and one of many different milkshake flavors to wash it all down.  It’s the sort of place you could go to for lunch where you’d gorge on a meal and be so full that you wouldn’t (or couldn’t) eat anything else the rest of the day. It’s a pricey excursion (two burgers, shakes and fries would add up to about $45) but totally worth it. Lunchbox Laboratory is considered to be one of Seattle’s best burger places and has graced many culinary magazines’ lists of best burgers nationwide.

So damn good

Or so it used to be. One of my favorite burger joints in town was recently bought by a somewhat craptacular establishment called the Eastlake Bar and Grill, and they decided to move Lunchbox Laboratory’s location from the tiny, hole in the wallish building where it used to reside in Ballard to a larger location in South Lake Union. I initially thought this was both spectacular and dangerous news, as the new location is closer to where I live. However, after checking out the new location’s Yelp listing, I can’t help but feel a bit heartbroken.

old location's Yelp listing

The old (now closed) location’s Yelp listing averaged four stars out of nearly 500 reviews. The new location, on the other hand, isn’t faring nearly as well:

new location's Yelp listing

Thus far the new location has only amassed 37 reviews, but it’s averaging a surprisingly poor 2 1/2 stars, down from its stellar four star rating. What the hell happened? After perusing through the reviews, it’s apparent that the location isn’t the only thing that Lunchbox Laboratory has changed:

• “…they are no longer getting the kaiser roll from Grand Central Bakery, and are instead using a bread that is so dense it ends up overpowering the burger.”
• “Looks like the new owners brought in their frozen food tendencies from eastlake bar & grill, etc and ruined a classic..  you would think they would expand options with a bigger space/kitchen but they did just the opposite. “
• “burger size has gone down considerably while price went up?”
• “They’ve taken everything that made Lunchbox Laboratory worth going to, waiting in line for, and paying $25 for a meal for, and watered it down to another link in a mediocre burger/bar and grill chain.”
• “…the selection just isn’t what it was…”

Some reviewers are chastising the folks who left negative reviews for being too “hipster” and bemoaning the changes (I suppose it’s the culinary equivalent of scoffing and saying you loved this band when they were more underground…maybe an “I had this burger on vinyl” approach?), but when you love something and expect it to continue to be that thing you love, you’re understandably upset and disappointed when it’s changed so drastically, you barely recognize it. It’s akin to coming home to your gorgeous, lovely wife from a hard day’s work, only to find that she’s inexplicably gained 120 lbs and grown a bunch of hairy warts over the course of eight hours.

Lunchbox Laboratory’s reasoning for their new shoddy service and product (subpar ingredients, poorly cooked food, smaller portions, no substitutions, severely neutered menu with jacked up prices) is that they’re struggling to properly train their staff, and that once they learn the ropes, they’ll adjust the menu accordingly. This is a hardly an excuse — as a business, you should know that you need to get your ducks in a row before opening or unveiling something new. If you rush into something before you’re ready just so you can rake in some green a week or two early, the extra cash you make won’t be worth the customer dissatisfaction and disappointment (which will hurt your wallet in the long run). They should have re-opened with their staff properly trained and ready to bring the same experience that established the brand and made it so great to begin with.

This is exactly the same thing that happened to Digg when it revamped its site to its now-famous version 4. They rolled out a bunch of changes in an effort to appease publishers, which would have made the site more money, but the radical revamp alienated and outraged its loyal users and drove them away. They learned the hard way that they really shot themselves in the foot and scrambled to restore beloved features that had been cut out of the recent design, but by then the damage was already done — many users abandoned the site and flocked to other communities like Reddit, which is now experiencing record growth.

Put simply, there’s a reason why your loyal customers are loyal. You offer stellar service, a great product, friendly ambiance, a simple design. Whatever it is, it’s working for you, and that’s why your customers love you so much. If you’ve got a user-friendly website that’s highly praised by your users and completely revamp it so it’s overly complicated and technical, you’ve just alienated every single one of them. If you’re a mom and pop store who offered warm, personalized customer service but got bought out by some corporation who switches you over to an automated phone system and thick-accented guys named “Bob,” your customers will wonder where that unique experience went. And if you sell your awesome little burger place to a shitty bar and grill chain and change everything that made your business great so you can make a couple more bucks, your rabid fanbase will shake their heads and say “You’ve changed, man.”

You can scoff and say it’s hipster or douchey to bemoan change, and I won’t argue that some change and growth is good for your business. However, once you start tinkering with the very thing that sets your business apart and makes it great, you’ve embarked on a very slippery slope. You need to really ask yourself the following:

• How will these changes impact my business?
• How will they affect my existing customers?
• How will they affect new/future customers?
• Is the bottom line worth the drawbacks these changes may bring about?

Basically, will the quality of your product and/or service be negatively impacted by these changes? Is it worth it to cut corners in order to make a bigger profit? If you’re a brand-centric company, it might not be — your reputation for quality and your customer loyalty may be too valuable to compromise. If you’re convinced that your radical changes will bring about a new crop of loyal customers at the expense of your old ones, I suppose that’s a risk you can take. However, ask yourself how often you’re willing to cycle through a new throng of loyal fans every time you’re itching to “reinvent” your business. There’s a reason why Garth Brooks’ alter ego experiment in the 90′s was met with head scratches and puzzled looks. Don’t be the Chris Gaines of your industry.  Your customers don’t want that.

No. Just no.

Back in December, This or That was looking for people to contribute content to our website, so we published some job postings and watched the emails pile up. And by “we,” of course, I’m referring to me. I became an Army of One, a lean, mean, writer hiring machine. It took me about six weeks to tame my inbox, but I managed to go through 724 application emails (and counting, though the job applications have slowed to a trickle by now). No, that’s not a typo. I read 724 emails and over 700 writing samples (not everyone who contacted me provided a writing sample because they apparently couldn’t follow simple instructions). Not only did I pick up some handy tips about what makes a candidate stand out among the competition (as I summarized in my recent post, 10 Tips for Freelance Writers Applying for Blogging Jobs), I learned a lot about the process from the employer’s perspective that I’d thought I’d share with you all in case you’re ever in a position to hire freelancers.

1. Casting a Wide Net Isn’t as Smart an Idea as You’d Think

Normally, you’d think that the more places you post your job opening, the better chance you have of finding great talent. I completely shot myself in the foot by underestimating a) how many people are in need of work right now, and b) the instant appeal of writing for an entertainment website as opposed to writing boring site copy for a legal services company. We paid for a ProBlogger job posting and also posted the job details for free in seven different cities via Craigslist. Our job post in turn got picked up by other job boards, and it sort of snowballed from there. Before I knew it, I was drowning in emails and the actual work-related messages were getting buried amidst ravenous freelancers chomping at the bit for a writing gig. If I were to do it again, I’d post it once, see what sort of candidates it attracted, and then go from there. If you can find a great pool of people with minimal work, obviously that’s better than taking the long route.

2. Trust Your Gut

Sifting through hundreds of emails and writing samples is an endurance challenge to say the least, so to cut down on time, you’ve got to trust your intuition. I mentioned in my 10 Tips post how, from the applicant’s perspective, first impressions are crucial. That’s because on the hiring side of the fence, my time is too valuable to spend wading through a haystack to try and find the needle. Very early on in the hiring process, I was able to determine within the first couple sentences of a writing sample not only if the author is a good writer, but whether or not s/he can craft appropriate content for our website. Some people write well but lack the voice and tone that we’re looking for, while others just plain suck. My job was to find the most qualified candidates as quickly as possible, and most of the time that involved going with your gut. If you’re feeling “meh” about someone, it’s probably best to move on.

3. Don’t Fight for “Just Alright”

Somewhat related to “Trust Your Gut” is my third lesson learned. I opened up a dialogue with some folks, only to run into a roadblock over pay disputes, paperwork issues, etc. You’ll put up with someone’s crap a lot more if they’ve got talent to back it up, but if it’s a middle-of-the-pack candidate who’s all butt-hurt over your payment structure or contract verbiage, don’t waste your time bending over backwards for someone whose work probably won’t be worth the hassle. Some people whined to me about how low our rates seemed to them, yet I had an inbox full of talented candidates who were thrilled by the opportunity and the pay rates. Be wary of people who are difficult from the get-go — it should raise a red flag and make you wonder how hard they’ll be to work with long-term. Really ask yourself if you want to waste your time and energy, especially if there are other folks lined up and eager to work with you.

4. Make Sure You’re Ready

Our timing was a bit off when it came to assembling a team of writers. For one, our blog editor wasn’t set up to deal with contributors, so we first had to code it, then test it. This process took much longer than we thought, primarily because we’ve got one main developer and one main tester (me), and each of us is busy with a million other tasks in conjunction with setting up the new writers. Secondly, we launched our first tournament, where we let the Internet vote for the 2010 song of the year, and with that came more bugs, marketing, and users to deal with. When you’re planning out new projects, it’s all too easy to put the cart before the horse, but before you get ahead of yourself, quadruple-check to make sure both your team and your site are well-equipped to handle whatever you’re going to throw at them. Sure, every new project comes with delays and hiccups, but you can minimize the headache by ensuring you’re as ready as possible before getting started.

5. Stay Organized

Hiring a team of writers by sorting through hundreds of emails, finding the right candidates, getting the proper paperwork in order, setting up their accounts, approving their ideas, editing and publishing their work, keeping invoices updated, making sure they get paid on time — all this puts a lot on your plate. The only way to manage all of this and remain somewhat sane is to come up with a process that keeps it all as organized and logical as possible. Set up lists and spreadsheets and stay diligent. Keep in regular contact with your employees to make sure everything’s running smoothly. The bottom line is that you’ve got to stay organized, whatever your process may be, in order to keep your site humming along.

6. Don’t Be Afraid to Get Tough

We’ve only been working with our freelancers for a couple weeks, and already I’ve shot down lots of ideas and deleted drafts that sounded good on paper but weren’t executed well. Some of the writers I’ve brought on probably won’t end up working out and I may need to cut them loose so that I can focus on the ones who are producing great work. You’re allowed to be a hard-ass with your expectations and deadlines because at the end of the day, it’s your business, your money, and your content on the line.

A short while back, a visual interface designer who’s done some work for Apple tweeted the following:

The next day, he tweeted this:

The guy seems seriously butthurt about simply designed sites that focus more on functionality and user experience than drop shadows and glossy buttons. Despite his insistence that Craigslist is “crap” in form and function, it’s one of the most well-known Internet success stories and a stellar example of Keeping It Simple, Stupid. Sure, Reddit struggles with keeping the site up but their problem is a lack of employees, not a too-simple design. We’ve seen what happens when a perfectly fine social news site undergoes a massive redesign and feature overhaul that ruins its community — it’s called Digg.

A chronic problem with so many websites nowadays is that they try so hard to be the cool hip Poochie the Dog of their industry or niche while largely overlooking functionality or whether the site even needs a face lift in the first place. If you’ve got midi songs and a blinking Under Construction gif, you probably do need a redesign…that is, unless you’re already getting massive amounts of traffic that converts well (there’s a reason why PlentyOfFish.com still looks like crap, folks). Design should strongly correlate with functionality — will this design improve usability? Does it clear up the registration process? Or are you just sticking up some stock photos of attractive people grinning because you think they look good?

Think about your industry and what you aim to focus on. Reddit and Craigslist are both information aggregators, so the need to be visually dazzling is low compared to the focus on the actual content the sites deliver. Something like Hulu.com is more visual by nature but still organized very cleanly and simply. This or That is very visual so we actually need a design that is both aesthetically pleasing and presents everything in a clear, logical way. We’ve struggled with hitting that sweet spot of design + function since we launched in June and have gone through a few subtle design tweaks as we better understand what our users expect and what trips them up. However, it’s not like we change the design up every month or so because we’re bored or because we want to seem like we’re cooler than cool.

The visual interface designer who tweeted the disparaging comments about Craigslist and Reddit is doing his job, sure, but his area of expertise has blinded him to the fact that prettier isn’t always better. Megan Fox is a real looker, but she’s not going to be winning an Academy Award any time soon. Some sites do their job well without being the most sophisticated-looking thing you’ll come across. Don’t get caught up on how pretty or cool you want your site to look if it’s not going to positively contribute to your goals, whether that’s more sign-ups, higher conversions, more money, etc. Test design tweaks little by little to see what works and what doesn’t. Consider A/B testing or focus groups, or show your site to people who aren’t working on it and looking at it 40 hours a day, 5 days a week, to see if what you’re tinkering with is truly working or if it’s just creating a bigger mess.

When it comes to the look and design of your site, don’t be afraid to be boring. There’s nothing wrong with being clean and simple — it’s classic and often underrated. The easier your site is to look at and navigate through, the better it is for your users. People grow tired of a dazzling visual masterpiece really quickly when it becomes clear how big a mess everything is underneath.

For those of you who don’t know, I work for a company that has created a comparison website called This or That. We’re a soon-to-be four person operation and have gone through a few different design iterations since we launched in June. Our most recent design change mixes user-generated comparisons with blog posts and news items in different categorical feeds. This shift means we’ll need a lot of content for the site, and since I’m the only content creator, that means a lot of work for me. Considering I, like many people in small companies, have a lot of different responsibilities, I can’t necessarily spend all day writing content when there’s other stuff on my plate. What’s a girl to do?

Fortunately, the boss man is behind the idea of hiring freelance writers to contribute blog posts, lists, charts, editorials, and other interesting content to This or That. One Problogger ad and several Craigslist postings later, I was up to my eyeballs in emails. I’m not kidding — I received over 700 emails from people who want to write for This or That. Hunting for writers was quite a learning experience for me (which I’ll cover in next week’s post), but I also learned a lot about freelance writers and the application process in general. Once you sift through hundreds of emails, you tend to recognize what works and what doesn’t when it comes to getting noticed and seeming fit for the job.

I thought I’d outline some tips for freelance writers who apply for blogging jobs — hopefully this will help any of you who do freelance writing and are constantly on the hunt for new jobs or opportunities.

1. Have a Catchy Subject Line

Unless the job posting specifies a particular title you should use for your email, think of something catchy and creative. If someone is sifting through tons of applicant emails, a unique subject line will catch their eye and make your email stand out among the rest. Instead of “Applying for the blogger position,” think of something a little less stale that showcases your creativity and ability to think outside the box.

2. Be Font-Smart

Be mindful of the Three Golden Rules when it comes to email font: Type, Color, and Size. Don’t customize the look of your emails because you think it’ll be fun and you’ll stand out. Oh, you’ll stand out all right, but not in a good way. I’ve had emails in Papyrus, Comic Sans, and other craptacular fonts that make me question the professionalism of the applicant. If it’s a stupid, unreadable font, I’m judging you as someone who doesn’t make good decisions. It’s akin to showing up for a job interview in sweatpants. You need to make a good impression because this email is the only reflection of you I have. Pick something simple, professional, and readable. The same goes for font color — I’ve seen pink, blue, purple, you name it. This isn’t a forwarded gif-laden chain letter from your great aunt, it’s a job opportunity. Stick with basic black and keep it simple, stupid.

Lastly, font size. I received one email with a font size so small, I’d need a jeweler’s loupe to make out what the person was saying. On the other side of the coin is font so huge, it makes me want to ask you what it was like living through the Great Depression instead of wanting to hire you to write for me. Pick a standard font size — it’s not that hard.

3. Personalize the Email

If you know the name of the person who will be reading the email, use it. If not, make references to the site or company you’re applying to write for in a way that makes the reader think you’ve done your homework. I’ve seen some really lazy emails where people have blatantly used search and replace to fill in the name of the website (all distinguishing details were in bold or italics). It doesn’t take long to do a little recon of the site or company and highlight some things you love about it in your email.

4. Get the Details Right

Of course, if you’re going to use someone’s name or the name of the company/website in your correspondence, don’t make any mistakes. When we were hunting for a new programmer, I had applicants email me and call me “Kelley” (my last name) or “Kelly” instead of Rebecca. I received a few emails from writers who referred to the site as “This and That” instead of “This or That.” Sure, they’re small, honest mistakes, but it’s the inattention to detail that makes me dismiss you as a viable candidate.

5. Show Some (Appropriate) Personality

Your personality should complement that of the site you want to write for. If it’s a serious site, be serious. Crazy right wing conservative site? Make Glenn Beck look sane. This or That is an entertainment site, so I want to see people who are, duh, entertaining. I don’t need to hear what boring awards you earned in high school and college or how you’re working on your third self-published novel about existentialism. I want people who seem fun, laid-back, and witty, and if that doesn’t shine through in your email, it makes me wonder how it’ll come through in your work. Remember that what you write in your email is just as crucial a writing sample as the ones you attach or link out to.

6. Follow Instructions Outlined in the Job Posting

When I posted the job, the only thing I asked for a writing sample. You’d be surprised how many people didn’t comply with my one request. If the job posting asks for something, supply it. Do they want a resume? Provide one. Are they looking for writing samples? Include them. Don’t make it hard for me to determine whether you’ll be a good fit for the site — if I don’t have everything I need in that one email from you to determine if I’ll hire you, I won’t. It’s as simple as that. If you can’t follow basic instructions outlined in the job description, what makes me think you’ll be a reliable writer?

7. Include Web-Appropriate Writing Samples

Your sample should reflect the tone of the site you’re applying to write for as closely as possible. I’m not a book publisher, so I don’t want to see excerpts from your Great American Novel. The same goes for poems, speeches, essays, dissertations, etc. Writing for the web is different than cranking out a paper for your college Literature class. Even if your writing sample is well written, it doesn’t show me how well you can craft content that’s succinct, to the point, audience-appropriate, and interesting. I want to see editorials, lists, and content that has the potential to be viral/share-worthy. Your emo-angst poetry isn’t something tens of thousands of people would want to bookmark and share with others.

However, if you’re applying to write for an emo-ansgt poetry site, your poems are perfectly appropriate. It’s all about context and relevance. Don’t send misogynistic ranty editorials to a women’s rights website, profanity-laden lists to a family-oriented site, or boring, dry reading material to an entertainment or comedy site. While I personally don’t want to read your book excerpt because it’s not relevant or appropriate for This or That, there are some instances where that type of writing is an appropriate sample. You need to be smart and know which writing sample from your portfolio is best for that particular job you’re applying for. Pull an Indiana Jones and choose wisely (and forget that the Crystal Skull turd of a movie ever existed).

8. Provide Your Three Best Samples/Links

I don’t need a list of everything you’ve ever written in the history of ever. Compile your three best samples that reflect your talents and are relevant/appropriate to the site and include those in your email. If you include a dozen links, I’m just going to randomly click on two or three and ignore the rest.

9. Highlight Specific Topics of Interest/Areas of Strength

If you’re applying for a site that has various topics or categories, highlight which topics interest you the most. This or That has several different categories, and it really helped me out when someone would specify that they really enjoy writing about politics or sports. If you’re especially awesome at writing about a particular niche or topic, make sure you say so because you’ll end up standing out more against the 300 people who all want to write about the more popular stuff.

10. Proofread That Shiz!

I’m an editor, so I understand that people make occasional spelling and grammar mistakes. Misspelling a word doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a bad writer. However, if your email is rife with spelling and grammar errors, there’s a point where I’ll stop thinking “Eh, everyone makes mistakes” and start to think that you just suck at writing. Err on the side of caution and be as typo-free as possible. You’ll make your editor’s job much easier and will appear more professional and legit as a writer.

I hope you enjoyed my 10 tips for freelance writers who are applying for blogging jobs. Next week I’ll go over the same process from the job poster’s perspective and will highlight some do’s and don’ts when it comes to hunting for freelance writers. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some emails to sift through…

The Internet is a marvelous thing. Never before have people been given such an easy opportunity to be passive-aggressive whiners or completely unprofessional within such a public forum. As long as you can hide behind that glowing monitor of yours, anything goes, right? Well, not really. Sure, there are people in various professions who have benefited and who have built a brand by being unfiltered and uncensored. Shoe himself has left a distinct mark in our industry for being unafraid to speak his mind and call people out. However, there is a fine line between being outspoken and being unprofessional and immature. In this post I’ve outlined a few different instances where it’s best to just STFU (Shut The F*** Up).

Posting Passive-Aggressive Updates

It’s all too easy to log into Twitter or Facebook and tweet or update something passive-aggressive and vague enough so that the person you’re talking about doesn’t know you’re talking shit about him or her, but angry and public enough that your friends will sit up and notice. When I was new to this field, I was guilty of pulling that move, and it’s a punk move. It doesn’t resolve the conflict with the person you have an issue with, and it just makes you look like an attention-seeking drama queen. Have a problem with someone? Act like a grownup and contact that person about it. Don’t fire up Facebook and post an update about how “I thought I knew who my true friends were but I guess I was wrong.” Oh really? Well I’m sure the person you’re talking about thought he had more mature friends than that.

Whining About Work in a Public Forum

Everyone bitches about work from time to time. Nobody’s job is 100% perfect. However, there’s a time and a place to vent about work frustrations, and that place isn’t on freaking Facebook. Remember PSN (Pre-Social Networking) when you’d have conversations with your friends and family in real life and could safely gripe about your boss or annoying coworker? That’s what you should do instead of hitting that “Share” button. News flash: your boss can probably see your profile, and if he can’t, plenty of other people who can show him can. Lots of people have been fired for posting dumb shit online. Hate your boss? Complain to your spouse or close friend. Bored at work? Browse crap on the Internet or play Angry Birds — don’t trumpet to the whole world that you’re bored on company time. It astounds me how stupid people are when it comes to oversharing.

Granted, you could argue that some office environments are more lax than others and that they don’t care if you post the occasional gripe or lamentation. I think that if you have a laid-back work environment and a mellow boss, you’re less likely to have a reason to complain in the first place. Plus, as an employer, you should care about what your staff is saying about you online. They’re acting as your brand ambassador whether it’s intentional or not, so you have to monitor these mentions and make note of any negative behavior. Would you want a surly, uninspired person on your team?

Whining About Clients/Customers in a Public Forum

You’d think this was a no-brainer, but I’ve seen it happen. Some people bite the hand that feeds them and will post complaints about clients or customers for their current and potential clients and customers to see. Pretty unprofessional in the most basic sense of the word, right? If you’re frustrated with a client or a customer, talk to your co-workers or your boss about it. The last thing you want to do is whine publicly about how stubborn and ignorant your client is being or about how big a moron this customer is for asking a stupid question.

Oversharing Private Work Matters

Nobody wants to see how the sausage gets made. Many companies seem like puppies and rainbows on the outside, but every business has its hiccups and headaches from time to time. Airing out your dirty laundry in public can make people question your professionalism and whether you guys have your shit together over there. If you’re firing someone, getting audited, etc., these sensitive matters should be handled with tact and grace instead of being trumpeted out to your 12,000 Twitter followers. You can share company news with your fans and followers, but you need to identify which information is worth sharing and how the message should be framed instead of being 100% transparent at the cost of inadvertently harming your reputation.

What say you, readers, are there any other instances where people need to step away from the computer and take a break from incessant over-sharing? Have you seen instances where public posts or rants have bitten that person or company in the ass?

By “taking what you want,” I don’t mean in a rapey Dexter season 5 villain sort of way, but rather when it comes to business success. Recently Shoe wrote about how growing up morbidly obese actually contributed to his success as an Internet marketer, and Lisa Barone followed up with the story of how she “made herself” into the successful young professional she is today. Basically, she believed she could and wanted to prove that to people who didn’t believe in her. Both Shoe’s and Lisa’s success stories can be boiled down to one thing: some seriously tenacious D.

In the context of this post, I’m not referring to Marv Albert’s basketball commentating or the Jack Black/Kyle Gass rock humor band. When it comes to personal success, tenacious d = tenacious determination. It’s how Lisa created a successful Internet marketing consulting company and how Shoe kept the weight off and has made a gajillion dollars. There are millions of people out there trying to do what you do. What sets yourself apart from the crowd is how determined you are and how much you’re going to hold yourself back. Not to get all Disney on you, but if you believe in yourself, you’d be surprised by what you can accomplish.

Here are a couple of personal examples for you. Many of you may know how I got started in this industry, but for those of you who aren’t familiar with the story, I’ll rehash it for you. When I was finishing my last year of college, I saw a Craigslist posting for a job that advertised a lot of writing and creativity. The listing piqued my interest so I sent in my resume and wished for the best. The job was for a position at SEOmoz, which at the time was a tiny three person company operating out of a one-room office above a movie theater. I came in for an interview with a nasty head cold but tried to be as witty and charming as I could despite the constant sniffles and husky voice. Much to my disappointment, I did not get hired (I was later told that I wasn’t considered “nerdy” enough, which is laughable if you’ve gotten to know me at all).

Even though I didn’t get the job, I wasn’t willing to give up so easily. I really wanted to work with the company in some capacity, so I thought I’d try to make my own opportunity and reached out to Rand via email to propose an interview. I still have the email, which I’ve shared below:

Hi Rand,

Hopefully you still remember me, since we met a whole two weeks ago. I applied for an open position with SEOmoz but did not get the job. I was wondering, however, if your company hires interns. I am looking for an internship for winter quarter, and I am still greatly interested in what SEOmoz does. The company has been stuck in my mind ever since I stumbled upon it, because it’s closely related to the field I want to be apart of once I graduate. If you allow me to work as an intern, you’ll get the following benefits:

1.  The best kind of labor–free labor!
2.  I’ll gladly do the most most mundane, bottom-of-the-totem-pole tasks. I aim to impress!
3.  You’ll get to work with my sunny disposition!
4.  I’ll work my hardest and best 15 hours a week to prove my commitment and willingness to learn every aspect of the company.
5.  Need a new movie release synopsis? I’ll gladly suggest what movies to see and what to avoid! [In my initial interview, I mentioned I was a huge movie buff.]

How do I benefit from interning at SEOmoz?  Well, that’s simple:

1.  I’ll get great job experience, which will look spiffy on my resume.
2.  I’ll learn a lot about business, writing, research, working on the Internet, and building interpersonal relationships.
3.  At worst, I’ll have a great contact for when I graduate and need to find a job. At best, I would (hopefully…you never know) get hired on by the fine, hard-working people of SEOmoz.

So there you have it.  I’m desperate for an internship, and free labor is always nice to have, right? Please let me know if you are interested and need extra help around the office.

Thank you!

Rand responded, impressed by my tenacity and determination, and agreed to bring me on as an intern. I worked there for college credit, wrote a paper about flat hierarchies (that turned out to be utter crap, but the prof liked it so hooray for a good grade), and got offered a full-time job when I graduated from school. By not giving up and working hard to take advantage of an opportunity that was presented to me, even though it was a small opportunity and the door was just barely ajar, I was able to get a decent job out of college, met a ton of great industry contacts, and paved the way to other awesome  job opportunities and a career I love (not so much the SEO part now, but more the writing/marketing thing).

My second example stems from a hobby of mine, which is training for marathons and triathlons. A few months ago I completed my first full Ironman. Most people can’t wrap their heads around the idea of doing an endurance event because they get too caught up on the physical aspect of it. While I’ll admit that a marathon or an Ironman isn’t easy, it’s far from impossible. The hardest part of completing an endurance event isn’t the physical aspect, it’s the mental one. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll obviously need to train — it’s not like you can go out and do an Ironman tomorrow within 17 hours without building up a good fitness base. However, the biggest roadblock to conquering that milestone is you. I believed I could do an Ironman. I kept believing it after numerous tough, demoralizing workouts and after all those times when a little doubt would creep into my mind. By the time August rolled around, I not only finished the race, I was well under my goal time. I stayed mentally strong, and that strength moreso than the physical strength is what led me to the finish line.

There are always going to be people who will try to fill your head with doubt. They think you won’t succeed. They’ll call you fat. They won’t hire you. They’re expecting you to fail. It’s up to you to decide what you’re going to do with that information. Are you going to accept it, or will you let your stubbornness and tenacious D fuel you to something greater? Giving up is easy. Not believing you’re capable of great things is easy. Being just “okay” at what you do is easy. If you’re content with doing things the easy way, that’s fine, but if you have that fire in your belly and that drive to do better, there’s nothing holding you back but yourself.

Tenacious D is the reason why Shoe is rich, healthy, and happy. It’s why Lisa is one of the top bloggers in the Internet marketing industry. It’s why Dave continues to lift more weight and get in better shape than ever before. It’s why Matt has one of the fastest growing and most successful web comics you’ll find. And it’s why I am an Ironman who loves her job. The question for you is do you have it in you? Is tenacious D the reason for your success, or will it be soon?

Making connections is an important aspect of business and often crucial to being successful. Whether you’re schmoozing it up at a conference or making the rounds at an industry event, meeting and greeting people is definitely important. I thought I’d share 6 random networking tips to help increase your number of contacts and hopefully create lasting connections.

1. Use normal-sized business cards. Standard business cards are 3.5 x 2 in. While I think it’s fine to use shorter than 3.5 inches (I’ve collected the occasional business card that’s shaped like a stick of gum), I wouldn’t go higher than that or wider than 2 inches. The reason for this is because bulky, odd-shaped business cards don’t fit well in people’s pockets or card holders. Every once in a while I’ll receive some stupid huge business card that doesn’t fit in my business card holder, so I end up having to awkwardly fold it or jam it into my card holder to fit or I just throw it away out of irritation. Guess which one I end up doing?
2. Arrive late or stay until the end of events. This tip came from my employer and friend Jon Kelly, founder of Sure Hits and, most recently, This or That. He told me that when he first went to search conferences, he would show up towards the end of different mixers and parties because most of the people he’d most want to meet would be the ones sticking around until the end. A lot of the big industry names and influential people love to network, and they’re more likely to stay out having drinks and chatting with people, so if you either show up late to an event or stay until the end of it, you’ll probably run into these people than if you show up on time and leave after a couple hours.
3. Do some light stalking (but don’t be creepy). One of Shoe’s best posts about how to get press for your website, business, or service suggests getting as much intel as you can on a person by scoping out his or her Facebook profile, Twitter account, and LinkedIn credentials. When striking up a conversation with someone, it’s much easier and fun to chat if you have a common bond. Do your homework — if there’s someone you specifically want to meet, look up that person’s interests so that you’ll have a nice ice breaker when your paths eventually cross. I’m more willing to want to talk to you about Dexter or The Walking Dead than Internet marketing right off the bat if we were to meet and converse over some drinks.
4. Act happy and interested, duh. I’ve met a large number of people over the years who act sulky, bored, or like they have something better to do when I try to introduce myself and get to know them. When they contact me at a later point and ask for a favor, I’m less than thrilled and am not exactly jumping out of my seat to help them out. You have to at least feign interest when you’re meeting people. It kind of goes hand in hand with successful networking. If you don’t act happy and interested when you’re talking to someone, it’s going to show in your body language and demeanor, and later when you call upon that person to help you out in some way, you may have blown your chances simply because you were acting too good to talk to him/her a few months back. Be polite, smile, ask questions, nod your head, give firm handshakes — even if you’re bored out of your skull, you can suck it up and endure a few minutes of idle chatter because you never know if the boring dude you’re talking to will end up being someone you need to contact in the future.
5. Send out unique follow up emails/social networking requests. When you follow up after an event, include a personal message. Don’t just send out a generic Facebook or LinkedIn request; customize the message that accompanies the request so that the person you’re reaching out to remembers you. When sending an email, include information about how/where you met and throw in a joke or reference from your conversation to show the person that you remember him/her. I’m more likely to recall follow up correspondence that includes personal details from our encounter (and maybe even kisses my butt a bit) than generic “It was nice meeting you at [insert event name here] and I hope our paths cross again soon” messages.
6. Don’t badger for favors. If you do meet someone and ask that person for a favor, don’t be pushy about it. Oftentimes people will make an empty promise or will say something they’ll forget when they’ve been drinking or have been up all night chatting with hundreds of different people. If someone says they’ll maybe hook you up with something, do a follow up about the favor but don’t badger the person. If you act like a leech about something that a person said s/he would maybe possibly perhaps look into doing for you, the more you bug that person, the more annoying you are and the less that person will want to help you out.

What other random networking tips do you have?