So This Is My Life- No Regrets

Erin Schreyer, President of Sagestone Partners asked me to write a bio highlighting my career, current position and volunteer work for a panel I will be participating in soon. Thought I would house it here in case there are Friends that don't know my story. For the record, I consider my greatest achievements to be the care, nurturing and education of my two children. I walked away from an incredible career building world-class household brands with Procter & Gamble in order to focus on my own home-grown brands, and I'm happy to say I don't regret a single minute of my decision. The kids are doing well and my path led me to C3- which I absolutely am passionate about!

So here you go:

Career History for Strengths & Sisterhood Panel

2/10/11

Michelle Beckham-Corbin, Owner & Principal of C3: Creating Connections Consulting, LLC, a social media marketing strategy firm.

Michelle began her career as a Sales Representative in the Health & Personal Care Division of Procter & Gamble after graduating from Xavier University and rose through various Customer Business Development & Marketing management positions during her 15 year career with P&G. Along the way, she acquired an MBA in Management. Michelle later left P&G to devote more time to her two young children and to offer her organizational & training talents to family- based non-profit, Beech Acres Parenting Center, as a Contract Facilitator & Trainer for several long-running programs.

After several years, she returned to the business world working for a local marketing firm and became fascinated by the early world of Social Media. As she built up her knowledge base of digital media, she was sought after by many companies for her expertise. Her husband encouraged her to hang her own shingle and C3 was officially born in early 2009. Today she works with corporate clients, non-profits and start-ups consulting, coaching, training and speaking on all things social media.

Outside of running her company, and keeping tabs on her two high school children’s activities, Michelle is an active volunteer in the community. She is a former Girl Scout Leader, PTO Board Secretary, Parish Council Member and Lector for her Church. Michelle is a Board Trustee for the non-profit group Authentic Leadership Cincinnati and is on the Board of the IHM Job Search Ministry Group where she shares her knowledge of Web 2.0 job search strategies and social media promotion with those in transition. She is a member of the Steering Committee for the digital networking group, New Media Cincinnati and is the host of AC-TV talk show, Trustee Talk, on Warner Cable. Michelle is a frequent speaker, lecturer and trainer. Additionally, she is a published writer, co-author of Social Media book, Age of Conversation 3 (Channel V Books, New York, 2010), frequent commenter and Blogger.

She brings great energy and passion as well as a keen ability to deeply connect with people in order to create business building social media opportunities for her clients.

~So there you have it. Not the Bio that my clients usually see. This is the back story......


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2011

Driving My Passion With Virtual Grenades

I'd catch a grenade for love
Throw my hand on a blade for love
I'd jump in front of a train for love
You know I'd do anything for love
I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for you....

Bruno Mars sings these heartfelt lyrics in his fast rhythm song, Grenade. I love the beat; it has a pulsing tempo that just begs to pull your body into movement. However, if you listen closely, the lyrics will break your heart. When I take in his words, they makes me wonder about the things in my life that I would ascribe these same intense sentiments.

What are the passions that drive me to succeed and for which I would lay down everything. For me the number one answer would be relationships. I value the connections that I have with people. I am a deep, analytical soul and when I meet someone, I want to know everything about them.

Secondly I am passionate about self-actualization. I aspire to be the best possible version of me that can exist at this time and in this space. I love to make a difference in people's lives that will help them achieve their goals.

Lastly, I am passionate about leaving a legacy. I want to leave this earth having created pieces of myself that are left to lodge and grow and influence future generations. I don't want to disappear into the ether, but to have some tangible proof that I walked this earth and left it in a better state of being somehow.

So what do my ramblings have to do with unrequited love as it is described in Bruno's song. Well not much, but words and lyrics inspire me and cause me to reach deeper into my own psyche for parallel meanings.

What things in your life would you take a virtual grenade for?





Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2011

Escaping the Image of Me

Escaping the Image of Me

For years people have told you:

“You look just like her”

And while I don’t see the complete physical resemblance

Beyond similar hair and eye color,

I think what they were trying to do was to paint the feeling

That they had into words- the observation that our inner core, our essence is similar

Extroverted over-achievers with a flair for the dramatic and a love

Of being front and center

We have strong, independent personalities and value integrity and truthfulness

We are unflinchingly loyal,

Unless of course one has proven themselves to be lacking in the virtues we hold dear

Leaders

Thought provokers

Keeper of the peace

Risk takers (ok- we diverge here)

Brave hearts that seek to do what is right and not what is popular

Voracious readers of good content

Talented Writers

Gifted intellect


Lately you voice concerns about our similarities

And I ask, “Is there a reason why you don’t have positive feelings about being like me?

And you answer, “Because I feel like I am re-playing a movie role about your life”

Hazards of sharing journal entries of my life at your exact age….

And yes there are many, many similarities.

BUT there are differences that make you your own unique person

You are you and I am me

How lucky we are to have each other.

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2010

No Other Pain Like Losing A Soul Mate

To be connected with every fiber of your being to another person

Is an amazing, but dangerous thing

Feeling like one and understanding every nuance of the other’s persona

While the rest of the world is locked out

The ability to know what the other is thinking and

To predict how they will react in certain situations

Is bred over years of spending eons of hours together

When that connection ends, there is “no other pain, like losing a soul mate.”

Time works its wand and your memory fades

Life goes on and other passions take over

What was, becomes barely a whisper of a late night dream

And the written words have long been locked away in storage

So how cruel to see your picture appear on-line after all these years

At the very same moment that Xavier Rudd began singing

‘Love Comes and Goes’ on XM Satellite Radio

How very cruel indeed…..

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2010~ All Rights Reserved

Influence or Not?

Contemplating Influence this afternoon. Really fascinated with Fast Company's Influence Project . Here's the official statement about what they are trying to accomplish:

"We started with a simple question: Who are the most influential people online right now?

That's what The Influence Project is designed to answer. By participating, you will have your picture appear in the November issue of Fast Company magazine as part of an amazing photo spread. The more influence you demonstrate, the bigger your picture will be.

You may discover that you're more influential than you think..."

Thinking about influence within this context brings up some additional terms for me like:

• Reach
• Time
• Competition
• Curiosity
• Guilt

I think influence in this project speaks more to the amount of reach an individual has, the amount of time to connect within that reach and the curiosity of the people on the receiving end. There is also that competitive gaming aspect and the ability to have your name in lights. Well, ok, your picture in the Fast Company magazine spread. That should appeal to the narcissist in every social media aficionado out there, present company included. Guilt also may play a factor in the decision of the invitee to take action or not. Will my friend know that I ignored her request to click???

In the end, it doesn't matter how many people you know or can effectively reach, if they won't take the time to click the link, then your "marketing efforts" are for naught. We Facebook junkies have been conditioned into clicking links for a long time (how many Pages have you Liked??), and it only takes a second.

I measure true influence within this project based on those individuals that can "influence" others to create their own profile on the wall. In this case people are actually motivated to use a commodity: time. Takes some effort to write a bio, grab a picture and put it all together.

What's your time worth?

I plan on writing several posts that will capture my observations of this project, but in the meantime, I plan on staying in the game. Click my link and jump into the fray if you dare. I'll know if you did.......


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2010

Celebrating Social Media Day Cincinnati Style

Imagine setting aside one day out of the year to celebrate and build awareness around social media across the world. Top Social Media Blogger Mashable has declared Wednesday, June 30th, 2010: Social Media Day. Mashable states that this day was created “to celebrate the revolution of media becoming a social dialogue.”

Cities around the world are creating their own unique twists around the day and communities everywhere will be able to link their content on Twitter, Flickr and YouTube via the common hash tag #smday. You can keep tabs on the global celebration by connecting to the Social Media Day Facebook Page or Twitter feed.

Here in Cincinnati, the day is being organized by local social media networking group Cincinnati Social Media (#CincySM on twitter) founded by Kevin Dugan, Dan Lally and Dave Knox in partnership with Ignite Cincinnati. Ignite is a cool presentation concept with a quirk. The Ignite website describes it as:

“…a night of presentations with a twist. 14 presenters each get 5 minutes to talk about their subject. 20 slides that auto advance after 15 seconds. It is quick, fun, smart and fills the Know Theater.“

Cincinnati Social Media is known for sponsoring topical, thought-provoking seminars in cool spaces across the city which sell-out within an hour or two of posting. Read more about previous CincySm events here.

Wednesday’s event will occur at the Lavomatic Cafe in the OTR Gateway (Cincinnati’s historic Over the Rhine district) from 5:00 p.m.- 6:15 p.m. According to the event page, free drinks and appetizers will be available until the tab has been reached. This will be followed by the Ignite 3 presentations at close-by Know Theater. The event sponsor is Vitrue, a company focused on technology solutions for social media management.

Here’s an example of a recent Cincinnati Ignite presentation featuring Candace Klein, attorney and founder of the micro-lending program for women: Bad Girl Ventures.

All are welcome to attend Social Media Day Cincinnati, but you will need to pre-register here.

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2010

Once Upon A Time....

I feel the energy that is growing between us
The pull that takes me back years and years ago
to the time when you bared your soul and I
rejected you for another

Re-connected and traveling in the same professional circles
I watch you watch me out of the corner of your eye
The hug of greeting that you extend as
others shake hands around us
Is not the quick motion of two colleagues embracing
There is a pause and a deep tightening of your arms around me
Just for a second, a flash that only I am aware of

You are part of the reason for where I am today
You gave me confidence when I changed gears in my life
And inspired me to share my words with the world
No easy feat for a certified privately paranoid person

I remember things about you from long ago
Secrets from your family that you shared
with me within the dark spaces of our college dorm
Events that touched your heart, that I have kept close to mine

I remember that last snow-filled night, when our world
was swirling white with flakes
and sharing a couple of shots sounded like a good thing
Honey flavored liquor loosens tongues and causes the heart to spill
I am so sorry that I broke yours on that cold winter's evening......

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2010

YEARNING......

YEARNING…..

There is something about olives….

Cylindrical, smooth skinned, damp

Securing one in my mouth, I suck gently on its walls

Letting the salty, loamy flavor sink into my tongue’s taste buds

I close my eyes and see a distant land,

Filled with sand dunes and an oasis in the distance

A lone olive tree grows there

Bearing the fruit that touches my senses

Near the cool water that refreshes my soul

And you are standing beneath its shade

Waiting with arms open for me to return

Is this altered reality or a lesson in dreaming?

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2010

SOCIAL NETWORKING WITH MYSELF = A TRUE 24 HR DAY

Wishing for the first time in a very long time that there were really more than 24 limited hours in a day. There are so many things that I want to accomplish. So many incredibly fascinating paths of discovery to take, that I am wishing that I could work through the night just to satisfy my thirst for knowledge. I am so grateful to be working in disciplines that I absolutely love and have passion for: Marketing (including Market Research), Business Development and Relationship Building/Social Media Strategy.

I am a big picture person, yet also anally organized and detailed. I am an extreme connector who loves human interaction and have been known to talk to myself when out shopping if there were no available patrons to interact with (well at least I don't talk to the jar of beets!) I absolutely love my life! Having a home office and the flexibility to call the shots with my schedule is empowering and rewarding. The thing I have to watch out for is balance. I can push myself faster and further than most people and have a brain whose synapses fire at an unusually high rate thus allowing me to process information very quickly. The watch out for me is to take time out for myself and to step away from collecting and processing so much data on New Media and Marketing Trends that seem to update every 2 seconds on all of my feeds. I need to step away from Twitter @michellebeckham and Facebook every once in a while and get back to some personal time with myself and hopefully my writing. My professional social media sites seem to be working fine without me, so the others need to follow suit and take a little hiatus.

My goal for the next 40 days is to spend a little time social networking with MYSELF. Hope I find you there!

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin

WHY ME?

Why me, why now?

What name do I put forth to this driving need to rescue people from themselves? Why do I always let myself get emotionally involved in someone else’s problems?

I think it’s because I am too inquisitive and ask too many probing questions of people when others merely exist on a simple “Hi, how are you? I’m fine thanks. We’ll have to do lunch some time, gotta run.” basis. My top strength is Learner and I have always been intrigued by EVERYTHING, but especially human behavior. I constantly thirst to know more about anything or anyone that I come into contact with.

In our current fast-paced world, a good listener is hard to find. The fact that I listen is not a unique feature, it is the manner in which I take in your words and swirl them around in my head like a connoisseur judging a fine amber-colored whiskey in a glass by the fire. I let the flavor of your sentiments soak in and I taste them and take them in so far deep inside myself that I in turn experience your pain. For that one moment, I am you, but from a distance. This space in time allows me to view the totality of your situation and to offer counsel back to you. I think these are the things that make me stand out- make me approachable vs. another and unfortunately, sometimes very hard to let me go. Is this a gift or a curse that I have been given?

MICHELLE OBAMA ROCKS !!! !! THE GOLDEN RULE

I missed Michelle Obabma's speech the other night at the Democratic National Convention, but I did catch the post-event video clips. I was really impressed with what she had to say and one portion in particular really struck a cord with me. Here are her words, as well as a link to the actual speech text:

"...Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them."

"And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children — and all children in this nation — to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them."

Wow. Too bad she isn't running for president. These values:

• Working hard
• Doing what you say you are going to do (word as bond)
• Treat all people with dignity and respect
• No limits to your level of achievement

These are values that my parents raised myself and my three siblings with. My parents gave us a tool kit filled with these personal tenets as well as many others and the certainty that we were loved for who we were. There was never a doubt in my mind that I could achieve anything that I set my mind to if I only put forth the maximum effort. I have always led my life with a personal code of integrity. If I say that I am going to do something, I move heaven and hell to the best of my ability to get it done. I treat everyone I meet with dignity and respect and although there are times/situations/personalities that make this very difficult, I try to remind myself that behavior is sometimes the product of things immediately beyond someone's control. For example, that negative person at the next cubicle who doesn't treat others with respect may be harboring a secret life of abuse. There is always a back story for why people are the way they are; especially when it seems outside the norm or outside their usual behavioral patterns.

So to my namesake, Michelle Obama, I salute your effort in naming those things that connected you to your husband, Barak and applaud you for sharing them with the rest of the nation and the world. It is my belief as well, that these values will carry all of our children forward into the future as they continue to dream big and have the willingness to work hard to see their dreams fulfilled.

MICHELLE THERESE: THE EYES HAVE IT!