Buddhist Marketer

Saturday Talk - Feedback

Happy day - just got some feedback from my talk on Saturday (”Yale Is Bad For Your Career”):

Thank you for your wonderful workshop at the WLI Conference, Anittah. You are an amazing and wonderfully engaging speaker.

*Blush*

Thank you for the kind words, Ms. 1Y0!

It’s nice to know I didn’t need to become a b-school prof in order to trot around in front of a classroom :)

This Is My Brain On Tape

You didn’t think I was going to die before trying my hand at podcasting, did you?  Pshaw!

Names dropped:

• Laura Allen, Founder, 15SecondPitch.com
• Emily Bell, Co-Founder, Young Professionals for CARE - NYC
• Damon Bethel, EVP of Strategic Planning; Biz Dev, DBG
• Anthony Bourdain, Author, “Kitchen Confidential“
• Joanna Breen, EVP Production, Touchstorm
• Victor Frankl, Author, “Man’s Search for Meaning”
• Bill Harvey, SVP; General Manager of OpenTV Research
• Dave Jackson, SVP Advertising Sales, Grab Networks
• Joanne Lipman, Founding Editor, “Portfolio”
• Jack Mason, Social Media Strategist, IBM
• Mary Miller, Dean, Yale College
• Dan McKillen, President & CEO of HealthDay
• Sharon Melnick, SharonMelnick.com
• Mark Ranalli, President & CEO of Helium
• Todd Sokolove, BewareOfTheBlog.Blogspot.com
• Rachel Weiss, NYCBabylon.Blogspot.com
• Ralphie, Character, “A Christmas Story”

Talking Points Memo Needed

I need some talking points regarding How To Be Like A Talking Head (sort of).

Why?  Well, the temporary office space provider I’ve been using since January offered a free video profile and I took them up on it.  It was the first time I had someone filming me since the Reuters crew came into Citigroup for “Jello Wrestler By Night; Banker By Day” footage.  And I must say, the video sucked. We’re talking skeeriously bad.  I’m so busy trying to seem smart to the production crew that I come off as

• Angry
• Mean
• Grumpy
• Cranky
• Generally unpleasant

Now, the veracity of these adjectives notwithstanding, if I’m going to make a sales pitch video I should probably not come off like a total curmudgeon.  And frankly, the videos that I’ve made on my own I’ve come across as something entirely different, more like

• Zany
• Fun
• Creative
• Spontaneous

These are closer to how I’d like to be perceived.

My initial thought was to take a media communications class.  But over dinner this past Friday with a good friend from college, her reaction to this suggestion was as follows:

Anittah in “Official Interview” mode is fine, but off-the-cuff and relaxed Anittah is so much more compelling.  I’m not sure that being totally polished is necessarily how you want to go.

Fair enough.  But in order to let my voice sing, so to speak, I suspect I need to learn the language first, and I think it’d be useful to learn how to be authentically me while still smiling and being peppy and stuff.

I don’t think Sarah Palin is going to be offering classes in my nabe anytime soon, so I turn to you:  what advice would you give me before creating my next video profile thing?  Should I take a class? If so, what and where?

Oh, and, you can see the abomination for yourself here:

At least my eyebrows look good!

Hat Optional

“And here on this slide we see some women in sexy panty-things…”

Schmoozing 101

Several days ago, I presented a Successful Networking workshop as part of a day-long symposium for high school girls organized by fabulous not-for-profit organization PowerPlay NYC.  Imagine, if you will, yours truly wielding a purple dry erase marker and demonstrating a fake phone call with real estate entrepreneur and Miami Social / The Apprentice star Katrina Campins.  Needless to say, the girls really enjoyed it, except for the one that was drooling on herself napping (it was a mid-afternoon session so I can hardly blame her).

Me in action:

You can learn three super-quick networking tips that I shared during the workshop by clicking here.

Not All Yalies Are Doctor- Lawyer- Banker- Types

This weekend I moderated a panel of creative Yalies:

Come hear from fellow class members who are living proof that not all Yalies become doctors, bankers, or lawyers when they grow up.  ELI KINTISCH is a writer for magazines include Science and Slate.  MAIYA MURPHY is an actress, dancer, and doctoral candidate.  ANYA LIFTIG is a performance artist, sculptor, and photographer.

Kintisch, Murphy, and Liftig discussed the role of the artist in a challenging financial environment, what it’s like to be a temp in your late twenties with a Yale degree, and what to do with guys in hazmat suits come to escort you out of the abandoned pesticide factory you’re living in.

Perhaps someday, Yalies won’t be accused of being one-dimensional.

How To Start A Bidness

This weekend I moderated an entrepreneurship panel at my reunion:

Thinking of starting your own business? Ever wonder what it takes? Panelists JAMES GUTIERREZ, CEO and Co-Founder of Progreso Financiero, and DAVID FISCHER, Principal at both DreamStaffing and Avity, will share their experiences from the front lines of the business battlefield. The discussion will include additional perspectives and advice from the audience regarding navigating today’s unique business environment. Moderated by ANITTAH PATRICK, Founder of CATEGORY:OTHER.

The panel discussed the impact of today’s financial environment on their businesses, shared encouraging words for those who are thinking of starting their own company, and commented on matters ranging from how to identify bad apples on your team and what to do with them as well as the role of the cult of personality in starting a company.

Much thanks to both David and James for participating, as well as Angel Falcon for organizing.

If You’re Tall, Try Eddie Bauer

This past weekend I was a panelist on Your First Job - What To Expect for the Women’s Intercollegiate Sports Endowment & Resource at Yale.

One of the tips I shared with the undergraduate women, many of whom are (like me) long-limbed, was to check out Eddie Bauer and Lands’ End for oxfords with long-enough sleeves.  Plus,

Anittah Patrick ’99, former member of the track and crew teams and one of the roundtable leaders, said the weekend also allowed the alumnae to connect with each other. “What was wonderful for me was to connect with the other alumna athletes. Although they were in much older classes, I was impressed by their accomplishments and moved by their honest insights.”

Click here to read more.

How To Find a Job And Develop Your Career In A Tough Economy

Next week I’ll be moderating a panel entitled “How to Find a Job and Develop Your Career in a Tough Economy” for the Professional Women’s Alliance of New York City.

Tuesday, February 18, 7:00 pm

A panel of experts will offer some practical career development advice in these tough economic times. Whether you’re job searching or not, these tips are invaluable to any career woman.

Location: The Williams Club, 24 East 39th (at Madison Ave.)

Come ask some zingers!