The Laid Off Chronicles.

Week 1:

It was a Monday morning just like any other Monday morning. I got up at 7. Walked the dogs, got the kids ready for school and got myself ready for work.

It was a balmy morning. I had condensation on my car windows. I backed out of the driveway without being able to see almost hitting the mailbox. That should have been a sign that the day was not going to go well.

Before I went to work I needed to stop by a clients shop to pick up a camera we were going to use for a shoot. I picked it up and went on my way to work. While driving to work I felt a bump on my lip. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw the beginnings of a cold sore. That was sign number two that I should just turn around and go home.

I arrived at work and started my daily routine of checking email and some online sites for news and content. I received a call from my boss asking me to come by and chat. It did not go well…..

Laid Off!!

D’OH!

I left my boss’s office thinking about what a great opportunity this was going to be. You must be thinking that I am crazy but I really felt good about the lay off. Yes, money is going to be an issue but I now have freedom. Being laid off forces me to branch out of my comfort zone and look for opportunities around the country (just don’t tell my wife). I immediately started to network. I first posted my situation on Facebook and the outpouring of good thoughts and people wanting to help was phenomenal. I then went on to LinkedIn and made sure all my setting were up to date. I contacted old collegues and asked for recommendations. One thing to note: You should ask for recommendations way before something like this happens. Also, keep your resume fresh. It helps when you have to post it on a job board quickly.

So with that I am starting a series of blog posts dealing with my being laid off. I might even add some video content as well. I am a little camera shy though…..

Oh, and if you are reading this and need a communications professional send me a message. Click Communications Professional to view my resume. 🙂

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Social Media Case Study for QdobaNC

Yes, I am back! It’s been quite some time since I’ve written a blog post. Yes I have been busy but I also have been a little lazy. 🙂

So what have I been up too? We’ll I have a new client and they have let me and my agency start to handle their social media outreach. I even get to play director and videographer, more on that later.

The client is Qdoba of the North Carolinas. They have a modest number of restaurants in Charlotte, Raleigh and Triad . Qdoba of NC or QdobaNC wanted to establish social media channels to engage with their existing customers. We have started Facebook pages for all three NC cities so that we can talk directly to that customer base. Along with the Facebook pages we have a central Twitter feed called @QdobaNC. This feed is geared to engage all the Qdoba fans in the North Carolina area. Along the way we have found a number of Qdoba Brand Evangelists. Click on the hyperlink to see one said fan.

One of the things I am really excited about is the QdobaNC YouTube Channel. This is the first time I have shot video content for a clients channel. QdobaNC has a weekly Tailgating Tips episode that talks about well….tailgating. So far we have 4 shows up on the YouTube Channel with more slated through the tailgating season. The Tailgating shows have talked about how to grill and marinate chicken to how to make pico de gallo.

In upcoming episodes we will be taking the QdobaNC Tailgating Tips show on the road. One destination is Raleigh where we will have a fan co-host an episode with us. Speaking of co-hosts we had a fan send us her own tailgating tips and we have asked her to help co-host an episode as well.

To date the QdobaNC YouTube Channel continues to grow at a moderate pace. One thing that we have seen is that QdobaNC is starting to get referrals off of YouTube searches. With YouTube being the second most used search engine the QdobaNC Channel should see more growth over the next several months.

Modest QdobaNC YouTube Stats

QdobaNC has great content coming this fall. From more Tailgating Tips episodes to Twitter parties (Qweetups). I will keep this blog updated with new Q news as I get it.

Enjoy!!

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