Event Production Great CJ DiRoma Talks Entertainment, Staying Up All Night, Jack Lemmon & Branding Your Best Business

CJ DiRoma & the "Station Avenue Girlz"

CJ DiRoma is a legend. One very savvy ninja diva with a passion for event production, marketing, branding, creative "anything" and a talent for entertainment! CJ DiRoma is Station Avenue Productions @StationAvenue, a leading event production firm headquartered in South Jersey and serving all size venues throughout the United States.

CJ has worked with legends - Barry Manilow, Kenny Rogers, Charlie Daniels and scores and scores of epic greats in the world of music and entertainment. Has she worked with any great comedians? Has CJ ever worked with any great bands? Ever heard of Boyz II Men? Ever heard of Jim Belushi, Lewis Black, Howie Mandel or "Mike & Molly" star Billy Gardell? CJ is not only gifted at envisioning, organizing and producing events of all sizes - from concerts to non-profit galas - she is also "connected" to all the right entertainers to ensure every event gets the right entertainment.

CJ DiRoma works with Jim Belushi and countless entertainers!

As if that were not enough to impress, CJ is also a branding and marketing expert, who, during 2011, founded The asterism* Group, a boutique marketing and creative services firm that includes the talents of Station Avenue Productions. In addition to the proven event production services of Station Avenue, The asterism* Group delivers services with Station's two sister divisions, Consumption Marketing and Little Flower Creative. Does CJ have too much energy for ONE petite, power player. Probably, but CJ wouldn't have it any other way.

CJ, you have such a diverse and robust background - and all creative! You are the visionary behind concerts and large venue community events. You have delivered beautiful and successful non-profit events. You are a branding maven. You are a strategic marketing executive. You mentor rising stars in marketing, branding and event campaigns. You have worked with legends in the entertainment world. You even can your own tomatoes! Where do we start? How about this: What do you LOVE to do the most, when it comes to your professional life?   

CJ DiRoma works with Jimmie Van Zant.

My favorite part is seeing the joy on guests faces. Creating a memorable moment whether it be a client seeing their vision come to life with a cool brand or guests at a party or event getting lost in the talent.

As Founder and CEO of The asterism* Group, you are the visionary not only fueling the successful entertainment and event production company, Station Avenue Productions, but also the creative eye behind Consumption Marketing and Little Flower Creative. Consumption Marketing relies on your success as a marketing executive and branding expert. Little Flower Creative turns to you for everything from unique product launches to literary guidance and even interior design expertise. When do you sleep? 

HA! Sunday night between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. if I am lucky!  Just kidding!  I have great energy and time management skills.  I am guilty of working too much.  I also have great support team.

CJ, real quick...read a book or watch a movie?  

CJ DiRoma works with The Charlie Daniels Band.

Movie for the time saver but also I am visual person.

Who is your favorite Hollywood great? 

I love old Hollywood.  If I had to pick...Jack Lemmon.

What is your favorite band?

The last band I worked with...I fall in love with the magic each group creates.

Who is the celebrity that you met that actually made you nervous?    

No one yet!

When you work with large firms and non-profit agencies, not to mention leading entertainment venues and conferences, what are the key goals when it comes to getting an event off the ground - the right way? 

Communication and planning.  I'm a stickler for detail and back up plans!

What event are you most proud of, in terms of being its event production cornerstone?

TOUGHIE! I have had some great challenges.  If I had to choose it would be the Chef Brian Duffy event at Cove Haven Entertainment Resorts in the Poconos.  We served a full dinner to 500 plus guests as they watched the food prep from stage in an old theater with cocktail tables. A full dinner table setup was executed on those tiny tables! An outdoor kitchen tented with the culinary staff working on the celebrity chef's menu and fantastic wait staff that delivered the plates all at once to keep the show moving - all tremendous details and lots of energy, time and preparation.  Food as entertainment was the theme!  Marvelous job by all!  Plus, the food was all locally sourced and or specifically created for the event.  People involved in the behind the scenes aspects of the event and its layers of planning STILL talk about the nightmare logistics and how it was FLAWLESSLY executed. We even brought in a local, world renowned distiller to provide the matching spirits.

You lend your creativity to so many businesses throughout the Delaware Valley and beyond. Is there one commonality among businesses today, in terms of mistakes they are making in their branding. You will have to put your Consumption Marketing hat on to answer this one! 

Not engaging in social media or my biggest pet peeve an inconsistent parallel language used in advertising or marketing materials.  Define , design, be social and be consistent.

Think fast...if you were a tree, what color leaves would you have blowing in the summer breeze? 

Willow branches remind me of southern summers with my grandmother.

Why do you feel it is important for women to help other women in business today?

CJ DiRoma is CEO of The asterism* Group. 

We have to pay forward. Women face too many of the burdens in our society and often feel they have the drive or idea but not the connection to go up against the norm.  If you made it, and you know who you are, help another woman no matter what level you have achieved.  There is someone who wants to be you!

Tell us why social media is important for businesses that want to truly brand their expertise and services?

So many choices now to reach your potential customer or client base.  There is great debate on the ROI of engaging.  However if you don't brand online ... your competition is!

You will be teaching a course at Burlington County College in the Fall all about branding. What do you hope your students come away with, in terms of the MOST important thing they need to keep in mind when branding a business?

Define your product or service!
Define how you want your customers to view you and create that environment!

Turning the spotlight on Station Avenue Productions, Station Avenue has produced everything from live concerts - 70,000 at FEDEX field - to business conference events, non-profit galas (Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation), academic celebrations and major events (Burlington County College, University of Pennsylvania) and countless venues, venues, venues from Los Angeles to Atlantic City! 

Station Avenue Productions is a leading entertainment industry event production firm, producing memorable entertainment experiences that achieve success in all key areas of event production - entertainment coordination, creative branding and marketing, fulfillment of event goals and objectives, audience enjoyment, as well as public and media relations outreach and support.

Station Avenue brings exceptional event entertainment management and industry leading event production services to The asterism* Group. And yes, currently, Station Avenue Productions is the event production and event coordination firm of choice of Cove Haven Entertainment Resorts in the beautiful Pocono Mountains Region of Pennsylvania. Station Avenue Productions has also coordinated events for non-profit organizations, including The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and many more. Station Avenue Productions routinely coordinates and produces signature events of all sizes - and anywhere in the country! We are the good guys in black staging and coordinating major corporate, community and entertainment venue events - we thrive in the spotlight.

CJ DiRoma works with thousands of diverse entertainers, including Cirque Zuma Zuma!

CJ, please share with us one of your favorite quotes.

Success comes to those who hustle...while they wait.

Learn more about CJ DiRoma and Station Avenue Productions @StationAvenue, as well as its sister divisions, Consumption Marketing @rockinurbrand and Little Flower Creative by visiting blogs, social media and more at The asterism* Group! Visit @AsterismGroup for The asterism* Group!

Michelle Glover On Chasing Entrepreneurial Spirit, Building Internet Businesses, Never Giving Up & Feeding Hungry Fish

After Michelle Glover earned her PhD in Genetics, she discovered she had more of a passion for business and traded in her lab coat for high heels.

While working for a Fortune 500 company, Michelle incubated start-ups as serial entrepreneur, founding and co-founding businesses such as:  

DreamLife Properties
The Tea Oil Tree Review
Alpine View Investments
The Chips
Slime Sandwich

Michelle’s highest desire and calling is to help women in business actualize their dreams.  Her blog on business information and tips can be found at Girl EnTREEpreneur. On Twitter, Michelle is @enTREEpreneurz.

Michelle, women entrepreneurs and business owners have it rough. The demands of starting a business, finding the time to give their ideas creative energy and branding and competing in the business world, perhaps for the first time, can be overwhelming. You work with so many diverse women, providing expertise and inspiration.  What is your greatest hope as you speak to women building businesses today?

First, I agree with Arthur Golden who said, “Never give up; for even rivers someday wash dams away.”  Of course you need a good idea and business map, but in building a business, the main ingredient is a conviction of will to never, ever give up.  Second, know that failure is only temporary.  And most of all, know that in the journey, women have something special – they have that bond with other intelligent, capable and caring women who can help them to overcome anything.

What is the "internet business code" and how can women entrepreneurs use it to build their businesses?

At Girl EnTREEpreneur, in building internet businesses, I teach the Girl EnTREEpreneur Ultimate Business Formula. If you follow this formula, treat people with kindness, have a bit of faith and a good coach or mentor, you can create a kick ass business and life you love. Here it is:

LOCATE A HUNGRY POOL OF FISH.  
AND FEED THEM AGAIN.
DISCOVER WHAT THEY WANT TO EAT.  
FEED THEM.  

Does every boutique, salon, accounting firm, law office, design studio, bakery, consignment shop and business consulting firm really need a Twitter?

I specialize in building online businesses so social marketing is a must.  Besides SEO, it is one of the most cost effective ways of marketing your business.  It can take a lot of time, so entrepreneurs should design an effective social media plan to reach their customers and build excitement for their brand.  As far as local business, it depends on how creatively and effectively you can reach your customer.  Check out Dan Kim @DanKimRedMango on Twitter; he is a genius at using social media to sell yogurt and smoothies.

Michelle...great book or classic movie?

Neither.  Give me the Cliff Notes.  I’ve got too much to do. Strike that – I’ll watch Notting Hill anytime it’s on!

Are you a morning person? 

Yep, but I like to sleep in a bit, have breakfast and a good cup of coffee while I talk to my husband, spend time with my kids, and love on my dog, Miloh.

What are the three biggest mistakes women make when they are developing a business plan?

I’m just thrilled if they actually develop a business plan.  Often women seem to think just because they bake a mean cookie, there is a business behind that.  I teach women to make sure there is a hungry pool of fish before they jump into the deep end.  Regarding business plans, I’d have to agree with Anthony Robbins that a business plan is a thing of the past – business, technology and competition is moving so quickly that women need to create a business map if they want to succeed. http://tinyurl.com/n7zqh2j 

What are the three greatest lessons you learned from three of your greatest business mistakes?

I’ve learned that I HATE mistakes!  Ok, now that I feel better, I can admit my most important lessons have been the fruit of my many screw-ups.  I’ve learned that timing is important – launch too soon and a bad product will turn off the customer; launch too late and the competition will already own the market.  I’ve learned the old adage is true – hire slowly and fire quickly.  Last, keep costs low and push to make a profit as quickly as possible, as cash is the life-blood of any startup.

Why is it important to fail...to succeed?

You can’t succeed without failure.  Teddy Roosevelt said, “Fail while daring greatly, so that your place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat.”  The old Rough Rider is right.  Every great adventure or business is built upon the back of more failures than you’ll ever think you’ll have.  But it is all worth it.  Remember take the risk, but make sure you fail forward fast, so you can learn your lesson and live to fight again.

What are you most proud of, professionally? What is your "signature" project or startup that, in many ways, defines your expertise beautifully and makes you most proud?

I’m probably most proud of becoming financially free from some of the early real estate businesses I started.  There is great freedom in knowing that should the sky fall, my family is protected.  Although I am very proud of my new startup, The Tea Tree Oil Review, I am enjoying helping women to have financial success at Girl EnTREEpreneur.

Have you discovered the best ways to balance work and family? If so...share!

Balance?  I admit I haven’t figured that out.  This year, I am really trying hard to put away business so I can spend more time on my health, family and matters of the heart.  I think the biggest thing is to really remember all those things are vitally important and to schedule times to nourish each area of your life – and to actually honor those times!

Are you reading any interesting books at the moment?

Oh, yeah!  I’m really enjoying anything by Seth Godin.  I’m also catching up on some products by Jay Abraham, Brendon Burchard and Jeff Walker.

Please share one of your favorite quotes.

I love two quotes by Maya Angelou:  “Love recognizes no barriers.  It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”  I also like, “There is no greater agony than burying an untold story inside you.”

www.theteatreeoilreview.com

What do you feel is the secret to entrepreneurial happiness?

Build a business that you really truly love and serves others. I believe entrepreneurs need to connect deeply with the thing that drives them to stay motivated during the difficult times.  For me, it’s the opportunity to give greatly to this world.  Ten percent of the profit from the The Tea Tree Oil Review will go to KIVA and ConcernWorldwideUS.

Girl EnTREEpreneur Helping Women Build a Business One Leaf at a Time!

twitter: @enTREEpreneurz
website:  www.girlentreepreneur.comwww.theteatreeoilreview.com
email: pepperminttopia@live.com

www.theteatreeoilreview.com

Branding Expert Jill Celeste Talks Online Personal Branding, Creative Strategy, Making Twitter Sing & Branding Scarlett O'Hara

In 2010, Jill Celeste became an entrepreneur, running her own social media marketing agency called Hound Dog Social Media. Like many creative thinkers, Jill needed to find a way to be one step ahead of her competition. Her business was doing mediocre, at best, and Jill could not figure out why it wasn't attracting ideal clients. Then, it hit Jill – the key to being more successful didn't lie in branding her company; it lied with branding herself.

So, being a social media enthusiast and, more important, expert, Jill plugged into all her social media marketing superpowers and created an authentic personal brand that builds her status as a trusted subject matter expert, allowing Jill to network with ideal clients, and have fun and enriching conversations with prospects, customers and peers. Today, Jill has over 3,000 Twitter followers @Jill_Celeste and counting rapidly, and has worked with dozens of leading entrepreneurs and businesses in identifying their core brand and, in the process, empowering their professional opportunities.

Jill, you always say, an important part of creating an online personal branding strategy is often the part most skipped – the process of discovering what to brand yourself as. Many entrepreneurs and professionals are eager to get to the “how to” part of personal branding, but it’s equally important to know what you’ll be branding yourself as. Otherwise, how will you know what you’re branding? How do you help businesses and entrepreneurs understand the value of personal branding?

I often ask entrepreneurs and professionals to think about experiences where they’ve purchased from someone, or hired someone for a project or job. Let’s say you need to hire someone to paint your house. How do you find the perfect painter? You search on Google, you get recommendations, you look at contractors’ websites and you interview the painter. In the end, you hire the person who you can trust. Now, flip that scenario to your situation. How can you influence clients to purchase from you? How can you convince someone to hire you, or give you a promotion? Just like hiring a painter, you want to be the person who the client or employer trusts – and the way to achieve that trust is through personal branding.

You advise people that they should not brand themselves online before they truly discover what is at the core of their personal brand. For some, this discovery may be very natural, creative and easy. For others, this could be a bit of a struggle. What are your views on the process of discovering one's personal brand? Is it easier than it sounds? 

I think everyone’s heart holds the key to her personal brand; it’s her head that gets in the way. The process for discovering one’s personal brand is a deeply personal one. Yes, some people know exactly what to brand themselves as; others struggle. Each journey is unique. You have permission to mull it over, change your mind and reconsider your options. I think when people listen to their heart – and get rid of the noises in their head – the personal branding decisions become easier.

You have worked with scores of diverse entrepreneurs, business owners and creatives, Jill, have you ever encountered a professional with a split "branding" personality? For example, someone that was an true outdoorsman, but, as a popular regional baker, was in the business of creating deliciously glorious cupcakes? How do you build a personal branding when two worlds collide?

I would say that in this example, you don’t have the case of a split personality. You have a fabulous regional banker who happens to enjoy the outdoors. The banker should brand himself professionally as a banking guru, and then throw in his outdoor hobbies to humanize his brand. People would grow to trust and love him if they see he likes to fish, hunt or bird watch too.

Jill, real quick...read a book, listen to music or watch a movie!

Read a book. Always.

Now, real quick...if you were a tree, what color leaves would you have blowing in the breeze? 

I should say green, because green leaves mean a healthy, vibrant tree. But honestly, I like to stand out a little. So purple leaves swaying in the breeze for me!

What are the five biggest mistakes people make when trying to discover their personal brand?

(1) They don’t take the time to self-discover what makes up their personal brand.
(2) They worry that people won’t believe that they’re an expert in something.
(3) They don’t bother to discover what makes up their personal brand.
(4) They don’t understand that it’s okay to change their mind.
(5) They listen to what others think, over what they know to be true in the their hearts.

Jill, what do you do when you meet a professional. They are AWESOME! They are clearly experts in their field and they communicate with enthusiasm and energy. They are dynamic! They are memorable! They have a book coming out that will surely target traction in their field. They have no website. They have no blog. They have no Twitter. They have no Facebook. Do you bite your tongue? Or share your vision?

I would share my vision. I believe I am being stingy if I don’t. Depending on the situation, I may just drop a tip or two, and then leave my card with him or her. If I have her card, I would follow up via email and check in – maybe with a link to a relevant article (not necessarily one penned by me). If the professional doesn’t seem to want any more advice after this initial contact, then I let it rest. I can go to sleep at night, knowing I offered my assistance, guidance and love.

What makes a personal brand...great?

Authenticity. Every time. To be honest, if you’re not being authentic during personal branding, don’t bother.

Jill, it's just us, you can tell me...do you really like Twitter?

Today, I love Twitter. There have been times in the past when I struggled with it, but I have my groove now. If you are where I was six months ago, then I recommend the following:

(1) Find a Twitter automation tool (I use TweetAdder and Hootsuite);
(2) Designate a certain time of the day to tweet, engage and interact – and stick with it; and
(3) Remember, quality over quantity. That’s for tweets and followers.

Why do you feel retweeting matters? Does it, really?
Retweeting absolutely matters. It’s one of the best ways to engage authentically through Twitter. If you find a tweet that strikes a chord with you, retweet it. It’s one of the ways to play nice in the Twitter sandbox.

Please share one of your favorite quotes!

I have no idea who said it, but I love this quote: “Just because you have the right to do something doesn't mean it’s the right thing to do.”

Please share one final thought for people searching to discover and promote their own personal brand.

Ask yourself: What do I want people to say I am an expert in? That usually leads you to exactly how to brand yourself.

Jill, real quick, thunderstorm or blizzard?

I’ve lived in Florida for most of my life, so I would have to say blizzard. It seems appealing to be stuck in your house with a blazing fire, warm blanket and a good book. As long as I don’t have to shovel the snow.  (And probably after experiencing one blizzard, I would be happy to go back to thunderstorms!).

Last question: If you could brand anyone in history...who would it be?

I hope it’s okay, but I am going to switch this question just a tad – and answer it from a historical fiction perspective. I would love to brand Scarlett O’Hara. You may say she’s already branded, but I think people have Scarlett all wrong. She was played beautifully by Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind, but if you’ve read the book, Scarlett is even more complex. She was an anomaly for her time. She was unabashed, beautiful, cunning and an opportunist. She could make a dress out of curtains and then run a saw mill with prison labor. She did things women during her time could not even dream of. I would brand her as an entrepreneur with love for God, family and land. She would certainly keep a personal branding coach busy, especially with her procrastination and unscrupulous behavior. Boy, though, she would be a fun challenge!

http://www.jillceleste.com 
http://www.jillceleste.com/blog 
https://twitter.com/jill_celeste 

Behind The Tweets is a Twitterverse Q&A blog by Marie Alonso @DigitalPRLady. If you know a great Twitter ninja, contact Marie via Twitter and recommend a Q&A today! https://twitter.com/DigitalPRLady

Tamer Tewfik Talks Big Video Projects, What Businesses Must Know Before Video Shoots & The Essential Nature of Music

As the President of SQ Video Productions, Tamer Tewfik applies his skill in the art of storytelling to provide his clients a competitive edge in their corporate videos. As an active musician, composer and technology enthusiast, Tamer employs passionate music, clever camera work and creative editing to lead his creative team in making their client's videos shine in the best light possible!

Tamer, you are have the gift of creativity. Video. Music. More. Your creativity can be seen in everything from commercials to corporate videos to spotlights on ESPN and more. Is creativity a gift?

I believe all human beings have the desire for a creative outlet. It's our duty as human beings to find our outlet. I think the true gift is being able to use your creative mind to make a living.

What was the first big video project you did, and were you nervous?

Our first video project was also our longest. Turned out to be a 40 minute documentary on the history of an educational organization. I suppose it's always a little nerve-racking to be the creative, staring at a blank canvas with the expectation that you're going to make something wonderful, but I've been doing this long enough to know that it will be great. Videos are stories and stories are a process. Stories tell you where to go, you don't tell the story where to go. If you are able to see the direction that the story is giving, you will always get a great result.

In working with businesses, what have you found is the pros and cons, in terms of delivering exceptional corporate videos that merge your eye for creative detail with their requirements for client recruitment and service promotion?

There is always a tug-of-war between the artistic creative side and the corporate informative side. You have to find a balance between both. Some clients tell us, "This project is in your hands! Do what you do best! We trust you!" Other clients have a specific vision of what they want and they do not want to stray from that vision. Sometimes you have to know how to just cover the gig. In the end, the client has to be happy with the result.

Would you rather read a book or listen to music?
Music is the best story. I hear music as stories.

What are the three biggest elements companies must keep in mind when beginning work on a corporate video project - other than budget! Speaking strictly creatively, assuming they have all the money in the world, what would absolutely make their video memorable? 

The first element is IDENTIFY. You want to identify the purpose the video will serve, who your audience will be and what information you want the audience to remember. The second element is EMOTION. A good story always makes you laugh and cry. Music is essential for this. Watch a sad scene from your favorite tear-jerker on mute and you will not be affected the same way. You have to find the inspiration in the story and use pictures and music to get that emotional trigger. If you can inspire your audience, you will make a great video. The last element is QUALITY. You need crisp clear images and full sounding audio. Your video message is how you are presenting yourself to the world. If you look like you're not being serious with your business, your audience will have no choice but to assume that you would not be serious with theirs either.

Tamer and his beautiful wife, Kirsten. 

Do you enjoy working with live events more than staged video projects? 

I really do not have a preference but I can tell you that LIVE events are little bit more nerve-racking as you only have one chance to get that shot!

You are a musician too, tell us about your life in music?

Music is my life. I have always been fascinated with the fact of music can manipulate our emotions. This is the reason why we work very hard to find the right music for our videos. To us, it's the most important part. Sometimes we have to compose our own music to get the right kind of feeling for the scene. I cannot imagine my life without an instrument in it. I continue to play piano and sing with my jazz ensembles. My music site is www.tamertewfik.com.

What are webmeracials? Are businesses using them more, and why?

Webmercial is a recently coined term which basically means a short video meant to advertise on a website. The standard television commercial is 30 seconds. The standard radio commercial is 60 seconds. Webmercials really have no time limit but we have found that when you are trying to sell B2B or B2C It is helpful to keep the video length under a minute. Two minutes maximum.

For more, visit Tamer Tewfik at http://www.sqproductions.com.

Lynn Bardowski: The Million$ Party Girl Talks Social Media, Ego Mistakes & Your Inner Visionista

There is only one Million$ Party Girl...and it's Lynn Bardowski! You can meet Lynn, if you do not know her already (shocking!) at her site, www.milliondollarpartygirl.com.

Lynn is an energized person who literally shines!

One of Lynn's sayings that she adores is, "A candle loses none of its light by lighting another candle" and, in Lynn's case, she is certainly the embodiment of that expression.

Who is Lynn Bardowski?

Lynn is a mother. Lynn is an award-winning author. Lynn is a motivational and inspirational speakers at scores of business events and networking galas. Lynn is a mentor. Lynn is one of the South Jersey Biz Magazine Top Women To Watch! Lynn is an entrepreneur...And she is the Million$ Party Girl!

How would you describe yourself, if you had one minute?

I describe myself as a Visionista. (Visionista i
s defined in my book is “A woman who knows who she is, where she’s going, and guides her tribe of leading ladies to the top.) By the way, I’m a Maxxinista too. My philosophy is you can’t build a million dollar brand with a $10 Vision. Start with your vision, create a brand that communicates your vision and “show up” as your brand. Then, market the crap out of it.

What mistakes do you feel most people make when it comes to telling the world about their superpowers?

Ego is our kryptonite. Men are very good at telling the world about their superpowers, but make big mistakes when they use their superpowers to feed their ego. Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong come to mind. For women, our egos work in reverse, feeding our limiting beliefs. We tend to feel pushy and see sharing our superpowers as bragging, and feel guilty about tooting our own horn. The biggest mistake women make is not letting the world know what their superpowers are. I’m on a mission to change that.

Now what do you feel are the biggest mistakes most BUSINESS make when telling the world about their superpowers?
Not delivering on what is promised. If your superpower is leaping tall buildings in a single bound, you better be able to leap really high, and look good doing it. If you don’t, say you’re sorry and work hard to make it right. As a result of social media, consumers want brands to speak directly to them in “social-speak” vs. salesy marketing lingo. Domino's Pizza is a great example of this. They built a brand on fast pizza delivery. It turns out their superpower tasted pretty bad. After listening to customer feedback Dominos basically said, “My bad. Our pizza stinks.” To fix it they created an ad campaign called Pizza Turnaround that was a huge success. Consumers love it when brands share their faults and keep it real.

What is the biggest mistake you ever made as an entrepreneur?
My biggest mistake was letting my ego get in the way. When I failed, I took it personally, and let failure define my value and self-worth. It was as if failing was something that happened to me. It took me a long time to learn failing doesn’t make you a failure. Now I embrace failing as part of the success process. You can’t have one without the other.

What are the marketing and branding tips you feel are most important for entrepreneurs today, in terms of defining who they are and what they do - and making sure potential clients realize all they have to offer?

I could write a book about this. Here’s a thumbnail version. It starts with creating and communicating your vision. Vision inspires you, and others, to act. Find your niche and start to build your tribe by launching with a live event. Not everyone will “get you” or want/need what you have to offer. That’s ok. You can’t be all things, to all people. Branding is not about getting potential customers to pick you over the competition, it’s about being perceived as the only one that can solve your clients problem.

Avoid the logo-in-a-box trap (no free biz cards from vistaprint please) and hire experts that will help you get your message out. When I created the Million Dollar Party Girl brand I hired a branding expert to create my logo, a lawyer to trademark it, a web designer to create my website, a PR rep to send out a press release, an editor for my book and a professional photog for a branding photo shoot.  Within a year of that process I became a #1 best-selling author, radio host, blogger, created LynnTV and Visionista U, won 3 entrepreneurship awards and I’m a sought-after speaker. If you’re the best kept secret in your field, you’re playing too small. If you need help, class is in session at Visionista U.

Lynn, social media is so important when building a brand - personal or business. Why?

Social media is #uberimportant when brand building because it gives you a platform to share your message, and what makes you unique, to a world wide audience at warp speed. No business card needed. Twitter, Facebook, Google+ , Linkedin, Instagram (the list goes on) are all essential tools to shaping brand perceptions, driving traffic to your website and serving your tribe with valuable content.

What is your favorite social media task, and why? Is it tweeting? Or do you strategize about your LinkedIn messaging? What are your regular social media activities, which are your favs...and why should more entrepreneurs be like you.
I spend most of my time on twitter but I'm working my way over to Google+ (which I originally ignored until I read What the plus! by Guy Kawasaki).  I like Twitter and Google+ because it's like being in a world-wide networking group, with like minded people. Where else can you join a global community and connect with humans over shared passions that include everything from entrepreneurship to chocolate?

All my social media activities have 3 purposes: inspire, educate and encourage a smile, or two. Life is short so we might as well have fun along our success journey. Speaking of fun,  I just discovered a cool website that makes a video of your twitter account.

Here's my video and you can also make your own (Warning: It's addicting).

https://www.vizify.com/lynn-bardowski/twitter-video

Of course, each social media platform has a different purpose. You have to decide what platform is best for you and your brand message. Whether we like it or not, size matters. Brands are judged by how many followers, fans, friends and connections we have. Simply put, if you're not "out there" on social media you don't exist. That's why you should be more like me. Connect with me @LynnBardowski.

Contact Lynn at lynnbardowski@gmail.com for sales/marketing consultations or to book her as an inspirational motivational speaker at your next event. Go http://www.milliondollarpartygirl.com.