Posts tagged with "Business"
New Company Page
September 2nd, 2010
A good company page should answer a few different questions:
- Who are we?
- What do we do?
- How do we do it?
- Why do we do it?
While that information is important, not every “about us” page has to highlight only the business. It’s also important to show the people behind the company. We’ve been making changes to our company page over the last few months. We’re proud of our team, which is why we made sure that you, the readers, can get to know us better.
Blogger Tax = Sad Face
August 26th, 2010
On Monday, the city of Philadelphia came under attack for the so-called “blogger tax.” When I first heard of the news, my reaction was to laugh at the absurdity of it. Now, a couple days later, the act sheds a lot of light on the dire situation the American economy is going through, making this feel a bit more severe.
The nickname given to the measure is misleading. Bloggers who had reported income to the IRS, no matter how little, were flagged by the city and hit with a ‘business tax’ of $300. The city argues that blogs are generating money which automatically categorizes them as a business. And, like any other business, the individuals that run them should be taxed for running a business.
Community Management: It's more than a job
August 19th, 2010
“What do you do for work?” “What’s your job?”
I get asked these questions a lot and I haven’t admitted it before, but I hate them. I don’t hate the curiosity or the intent behind the question, but I really don’t like thinking of what I do as a job. A job just sounds like a means to an end. Call me crazy, or a social media hippie, but this isn’t my job. It’s my passion.
I might not spend my days typing up guides to becoming an internet warlord or scheming up ways to become the most popular tweeter. I’m not planning presentations or slide shows for panels; in fact, I’ve never been on a panel before. But that’s because every day I am getting involved, staying active within the community I’ve built as well as others and, possibly the most important task of a CM, listening.
The Power of Communities
August 17th, 2010
Every day we are influenced by our friends, co-workers, families, celebrities, and even blogs, Twitter or other online forums. Communities, whether online or off are becoming major players in our lives. For example, Jenn, our community manager forced influenced me to write this blog post. Okay, I can’t give her all of the credit. She may be the motivation behind posting, but I have to thank the Reddit community for inspiring the post.
While browsing Reddit’s best section — AMA (Ask Me Anything) — I stumbled upon an article about unicycling. In AMA, people share a random piece of information about themselves and encourage others to ask them anything. After reading Unicyclist level 5, I was intrigued.
Cold Calling: A Warm Up
August 12th, 2010
Recently, I found myself making some cold calls to contact sponsors about a possible event partnership. The process of cold calling is fascinating because, regardless of the purpose of a cold call, there are some key principles that hold true across the board. A good cold caller has a goal, a script, and has done her research prior to the call.
The most important element of cold calling is the goal. Am I calling to introduce myself, introduce a product, get an email address, or generate and close a deal? Knowing the goal is the first step towards effective and efficient preparation. If I’m calling to introduce myself, for instance, I can keep the initial tone of the call more casual than if I’m cold-pitching a product. Once I know my goal, I can begin to plan for the call.
Glass, Anonymous Content and Chrome
August 10th, 2010
People have been bombarding our inboxes and mobile-devices-of-choice asking when Glass will be released on the Chrome browser. The answer is soon. We have been working on it for awhile now. There are a few kinks, but, for the most part, the Chrome version of Glass we have internally is pretty close to its beta Firefox counterpart.
Except for one main feature: Anonymous Content.
We at Border Stylo strive to raise the bar of privacy in the social media and tech spheres, a goal for which we have various innovations and breakthroughs, but we prefer to enumerate them when we have reached the overall level of privacy and data protection we envision. In our ideal world, we would list out the privacy guarantees Glass will offer so users can see all the goodies we are working on (and how we enjoy making our own lives more complicated). However, since many of these goodies are not as tested as we would like to have them, we have not lined them up in a beauty contest of sorts.
Defining the Role of a Community Manager
August 5th, 2010
Ask any community manager to describe their role and you’ll see that it is not very easy to do. Many times I forget an aspect or two of my job. Other times I completely overwhelm the person who asked. Either way, I always make sure to throw in “the community manager’s job will change and shift based on the priorities of the company.” (Well said Erin Bury – Community Manager at Sprouter!)
Because of this, community managers have to be excellent multitaskers. CMs have one of the most distracting jobs in the company. They actively monitor, participate in and engage others within their community, as well as other online communities.
How to write an effective résumé
July 22nd, 2010
If you are applying for a job at Border Stylo, you might be interested in this blog post. I want to thank Ray Schneider, our HR Director, for his help with it.
First of all, let’s clear something up: A résumé is a tool to get a phone call, period. It’s not a diary or a list of every single thing you’ve ever done. There are many different opinions on how to write one. The truth is that there is not a single right answer on how to do it. However, there are some tips that might help you write yours in a more effective way. Here you have a list of some recommendations and some things that you should avoid doing.
Setting the Stage for Quality Customer Support
July 1st, 2010
At some point we’ve all been down the rabbit hole that is Customer Service. Being on hold for (insert humanoid voice here) “an estimated time of 5…minutes” is not much more fun than being transferred from one department to the next, only to end up right where you started. And just when you think you’ve figured it all out, you go ahead and press “0” to surpass all this nonsense and talk to a (gasp) real live person; but low and behold, the “instructions have changed” and there is no magical “0” option to ask your 5 second question to a real person (who often hates his/her job and wants you off the phone ASAP) until your “5…minutes” are up.
Social Media gets Sporty
June 24th, 2010
When most think about sports, “social media” is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind, but don’t be fooled. Professional sports are not immune to the cult of the celebrity, and just as with Hollywood stars, fans want to have more and more access to their favorite athletes.
Thus, once untouchable professional sports stars are gaining followers beyond traditional media as they expand their digital presence and fan base. By removing their helmets, shoulder pads and baggy shorts, their real and uncensored selves shine thru Twitter, YouTube, and the blogosphere.
Border Stylo is looking for Catalysts
June 17th, 2010
We’re a rapidly growing internet start-up that’s ready to make the internet a better place for everyone, and we want you to be a part of it.
We’re assembling a team of Catalysts for our summer program who will help champion our new product, Glass, across the web. The Catalyst Program is a three-week crash course in web product and evangelist-based marketing.
What is Glass?
Glass is an add-on for the Firefox browser that creates a virtual canvas over the entire internet. This allows you to share your thoughts online by literally placing notes on top of any website for anyone you choose. We’re currently in Beta, so you’ll be one of the first to have access to this brand spanking new technology. For a quick preview of Glass, check out our Quickstart video here.
Concert-Going 101: Tips from an Usher
June 10th, 2010
One of the great things about our team is that there’s a healthy mix of backgrounds. Some of us are music and entertainment fans, while others are social media or programming enthusiasts. We all have different hobbies and I love learning about them. One thing we all share is a love for the city we work in. We’ve highlighted a few of our favorite parts in the past, but today we’re showcasing another side. Today’s post is for music fans and concert-goers.
Goooooooal!
June 8th, 2010
With the World Cup (and our World Cup party) just days away, we’re all feeling excited and energetic. We took advantage of the extra energy to make another office video.
We have some big soccer (or futbol) fans in the office, but I think some people might be taking it a bit too far. See what I mean in the video after the jump:
Viva Futbol
June 4th, 2010
“Ole Ole Ole Ole!”
You might not be familiar with these words, but in one week this chant will take over the world. The World Cup comes around once every four years, and has earned the title of the biggest sporting event in the world. If we learned anything from the last world cup, over 700 million people will put everything on hold and lose their voices cheering for the World Cup Final.
One of the disadvantages of being a soccer, or rather, futbol fan in the U.S. is that we don’t fully feel the impact of the FIFA World Cup because soccer is not the dominant sport in our country. That is starting to change as more and more people from the U.S. join in the World Cup craze. With this post, I am going to take you through 80 years of World Cup history so you’re ready to chant with the rest of them during the 2010 World Cup.
We all speak marketing
May 28th, 2010
Marketing. It’s where I work at writeonglass.com. It’s where people hang out with wall balls and develop interactive events. It’s an area enclosed by a few walls and managed by a few people.
Or is it?
Yes, we have fun toys and develop interactive campaigns, but every word, image, or color that is published is marketing. The words here, the headers, the footers, the posts, the titles, and everything else that’s built into a product is a part of your marketing. Once it is published, and viewable by the world, your users will have another brand element to consider which helps them make a decision.
Experience Likeable LA
May 25th, 2010
It’s true, a lot of people don’t like Los Angeles. But most of those people don’t live here and have judged it based on stereotypes, or they do live here and just don’t know where to go. If you’re like me, you have no patience for traffic, long lines, and the types of people you’d find in normal Hollywood-type clubs. You also are on the lookout for more cultural and interesting experiences, and perhaps you’re a bit of a foodie/drinkie. Here’s a list of some of my favorite neighborhoods and activities, so next time you have friends visiting from SF or NYC, you can show them that Los Angeles isn’t the touristy, insincere place they think it is. Also, if you’re a single local, these make great date ideas.
People don't like talking to robots
May 20th, 2010
… Unless they’re into robotics and what not. But people who use social media don’t like talking to robots. A successful social media campaign creates a personal voice for the brand with which they engage the community. This usually comes in the form of a community manager. Hello, I’m yours.
Each community manager adds a little bit of their own persona when creating the brand’s voice. From writing style to loves, likes and dislikes, we’re in there. We also keep in the mind the culture of the company. A lot goes into creating just one voice.
Got Questions?
May 14th, 2010
If you’ve come to our site for the first time today, you’re probably wondering what do we do? We’re currently focusing on Glass (http://www.writeonglass.com/), an add-on for Firefox that allows you to share your thoughts with your friends, and have conversations, on top of any website. All of those conversations are socially-directed, meaning that they are only seen by the people you want to share with.
“How does this work?” you might ask yourself. When you install the Glass app, it creates a virtual sheet of Glass across the entire internet. Essentially, it builds a platform upon which you can currently place messages, and in the future you’ll be able to place photos, videos and even other applications.
Productivity 101
May 11th, 2010
You might not recognize me because I’m the new guy here at Border Stylo. This is my first official blog post – cue the celebratory noises. I have been sweating this for a while, mainly because I have never written a blog post before. But as the saying goes, there’s a first time for everything. Since joining the team I’ve had a lot of firsts, including joining Twitter, which led to spending more time online in the last month than the rest of my Internet-deprived life. I’d like to thank our Community Manager for that, and especially for pushing my blog deadline ahead by a month – I think it’s her way of welcoming me with opening arms to the marketing department.
The Good Ole’ Beta Days
May 6th, 2010
Software betas, in traditional terms, are defined as being the stage at which a software product is feature-complete (but not yet to its full capacity) and usually entail testing of some sort. In reality though, that flashy ‘beta’ banner found on a website signifies something far greater than mere testing; it stands for something new, fresh, and exclusive — it essentially symbolizes copious opportunity for the company behind the product that just took its first breath of fresh air.
Creating Tech Needs
April 29th, 2010
Cure for Cancer. Sliced Bread. Cars that run on water. These are all inventions which are obvious winners. However, to me, “interesting” innovation not only satisfies our practical needs, but unveils needs we never knew we had.
For example, I’m a fan of the service Evernote, which unveiled an organizational problem in my life that I never thought about solving until I stumbled upon the service. When I go on a trip, I take notes of addresses, phone numbers, landmarks, and restaurants I’ll pass along the way. I had been saving these notes within my email or on a piece of paper, which worked great until day two or three of the trip when the ‘list’ turned into an organizational mess.
99 Problems but a News Feed Patent Ain’t One.
April 28th, 2010
Back in February I received an email from someone asking me if Facebook’s patent on its News Feed affects us. Clearly, this person had both (a) read an article about Facebook’s patented feed and (b) used our product enough to notice that Glass has a feed of its own kind.
After quickly reading the article, my gut was to say, no this does not affect us much. I immediately thought our feed is much more different on a few levels, including usage, design, and what information populates our feed, etc. In fact, I was surprised that the Facebook patent in question had gone through the USPTO because it seemed so abstract.
Take A Peek Inside Border Stylo
April 27th, 2010
Border Stylo might be a technology company, but we’re a creative bunch with unique personalities. That’s why we’ve made sure our workspace is comfortable, creative and fun.
I thought I’d take this opportunity to let you peek inside Border Stylo’s doors and see the place that has become our home away from home.
Humanizing Your Brand
April 22nd, 2010
On Monday I attended my second Social Fresh event in St. Louis. For those who don’t know, Social Fresh a day-long event for marketers and social media enthusiasts, full of speakers, panels and case studies. At each event I go to, there is usually one speaker, presentation or piece of advice that stands out. This time, for me, it was simple:
It’s not about the product, it’s about the soul of the brand. It’s about people, not logos. In short, humanize your brand.
Humanizing a brand can be done in a number of ways; the goal is to show that there are people behind the logo and not just number-hungry monsters. Here are a few examples of companies that are getting it right:
Where Amazing Happens
April 15th, 2010
Being a vocal NBA fan can cause some eyes to roll when working at a tech company. That’s fine, I don’t take it personally. I know there are “better things” that I could be doing with my Monday night than going to the Staples Center to see the Clippers bench players phone it in on their way to a 23 point loss. I still find myself being extremely entertained on a number of levels- and besides, 70% off End of Season Sale on all merchandise!!
With the NBA playoffs starting this weekend, I figured now was as appropriate of a time as ever to shine a light on different ways in which some NBA players and the league itself are embracing the web and integrating new technology.
How do you win the internet?
April 2nd, 2010
Every day, I wake up excited to find out what I will discover online. Yeah, I know, I’ve talked about this before, but I really mean it.
The internet is an ever-changing world with the most amazing things inside of it. You never know what’s going to be released and some days are just the best internet days ever.
But…
With every good day and every day, there must be a winner.
Confessions of a Newb
March 25th, 2010
So I finally joined this generation and bought a smartphone, an Android to be exact. To be honest with you, I was overwhelmed at first and semi-hated it for a few minutes. Yes, I know I should be judged and made fun of for making that type of outlandish statement. How can I work for a tech start-up and be afraid of technology?
I couldn’t help it though. I went from a phone with a decent touch-pad and ugly browser (too horrific to use) to a mini computer in my purse. I had convinced myself that all I needed was a phone to text and make phone-calls. Nothing more or less. I was in denial and this made me reminisce about the days of little me. It was then that I had my ‘a-ha’ moment.
Codeword: Roadkill Jerky
March 19th, 2010
We’re back in the office after our whirlwind trip to SXSW. Our time in Texas was outstanding and the enthusiastic reception of Glass exceeded all of our expectations. There’s just too much to recap in one post, but I wanted to start by breaking down something that we’ve been asked about: roadkill jerky.
On the convention floor, we had old school gumball machines setup, and anyone who wanted to use a Glass token to win a color-coded capsule could win swag ranging from hats to rubber ducks. The three luckiest winners could win a brand-spanking new netbook. Much to our chagrin, after almost two days at the booth no one had won the big prize.
Even Reality TV Values IP Strategy
March 10th, 2010
I was recently hooked on a reality television show called “Shark Tank.” I know, I know! Before you go judging me, just hear me out. And yes, this somehow relates to intellectual property (IP) matters.
For those of you that do not know, the show, which is a remake, offers a fascinating look into investment negotiations between hopeful entrepreneurs and potential angel investors. The show is obviously over-dramatized and keenly edited to show some sort of tension. Entrepreneurs pitch to a panel of five veteran investors, to artificially create an environment of out-bidding and competition between the sharks. Needless to say, most of the fun with the show stems from watching crazy ideas fall flat on their face and, on the upside, cheering on novice businesses as they make a dream deal.
My 5 Favorite Career-Specific Sites
March 8th, 2010
We find that many of the folks (folks such as yourself) come to visit our site in search of jobs. While software is our game, our team members themselves bring a wide-range of job experience to the office every morning, reflecting that we have a unique blend of personalities on our team who have a many of passions and pursuits. Some of the other jobs of our team members have included, just to name a few, film producer, online video director, military soldier, smoke-jumping fireman, doctor (pending), open source guru, lifeguard, dock worker, business manager, real estate agent, TV studio page, concert security guard, financial analyst, stand-up comic, artist, blogger, screenwriter, machinist and baseball vending barker. Clearly, we all have a wide-range of interests and pursuits.
How OK Go and Ignite LA blew my mind
March 2nd, 2010
Last night I sat in a room with at least one hundred other people for Ignite LA. If you’re not familiar Ignite LA is a series of presentations by people who are passionate about something. Each speaker has 5 minutes, 20 slides and 15 seconds per slide. This event takes place in multiple cities, so definitely take the time to see if it’s near where you live.
At the beginning of the evening, we were told that by the end our minds would be blown. I wasn’t so sure. The first couple speakers were really great, but I wouldn’t say I was blown away. But I spoke too soon.
What in the world is Lomography?
February 25th, 2010
My experience with photography is very limited. I spent a couple of years buying disposable cameras in college before finally picking up one of the cheaper digital cameras I could find. The words, “alright, on 3” usually preceded the pictures that were generally taken so we had proof of being somewhere. You just never know when the insurance company might follow up on a claim (only kidding).
I read about a movement in the world of photography called Lomography last week and learned that there were workshops for beginners/novices taking place down the street from where I lived. Armed with a good excuse to get out of the house on a sunny day, I decided to head over to the Lomography shop to see what it was all about.
Don't Fear The Tweeter
February 23rd, 2010
I have immersed myself in the world of social media. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t tweet or check Facebook. Even when I try to have a technology-free day and disconnect, I’m still scheduling tweets and blog posts on the conversation calendar in my brain. It’s become so natural now; it’s a part of my routine. I wake up, check networks, go through Google Reader, search for and share interesting tidbits and start all over. It’s a viciously wonderful cycle that rarely ever leaves zeros on my alerts.
Because social media is such a big part of my life, I sometimes let my jaw drop when I learn that someone isn’t using it. Sure, I’m caught off guard when someone tells me they’re not on Twitter, but that isn’t what causes my jaw to hit the floor. We have been using social media for years, we just haven’t had a name for it until now.
The Monetization Challenge for Internet Based Companies
February 18th, 2010
One of the most complex problems that Internet based companies face is how to sustainably generate profits.
Having a huge user base has proved not to be a guarantee of becoming profitable. Some of the great players in the market have had trouble doing so, even when they have strategic relationships with marketing agencies, vast amounts of cash to advertise their products and experienced business developers. The cases are well known, You Tube, Facebook, Twitter. The increasing pressure from stockholders to bring in cash has pushed their business developers along with the engineering teams to look for more creative ways to translate usage into money. When it comes to generating revenues there are currently two ways to go:
Where's an app for that
February 16th, 2010
As many of you (presumably) are, I am also paying about $50 too much for a ‘smart phone’ that makes calls and checks e-mail.
‘Don’t forget about the apps,’ you say?
Apps are indeed one of the major selling points for these phones and have enabled that flimsy devise of ours to do much, much more than simply make or receive a phone call—they are essentially what we’re paying for.
However, I’m sure the App Store was once some happy place where folks found useful applications that actually made our lives better; but it has now become that (sometimes, not so) wonderful place where we get to fill up our phone memory and prepare our thumbs for countless right to left, page-turning motions to go through the seven seas of apps that we end up never using.
Creating A Social Balance
February 11th, 2010
Last week I wrote about networking events and stepping outside of your comfort zone.
On Monday I had another chance to do that and boy did I step far outside of my comfort zone. I attended Social Fresh in Tampa, FL with our Strategy Analyst. Anyone having anything to do with marketing, no matter how indirectly, should attend Social Fresh. We probably didn’t need to fly across the country for this event, but the list of speakers were too good to pass up.
Should the CEO be worried? (Part 1)
February 9th, 2010
Napoleon was a prototypical CEO, one could argue, and I am sure many people secretly see themselves as his modern counterpart. One of the things he used to do (it was said) was to go amongst his soldiers disguised as one of them, to hear their conversations and observe their morale. I, of course, cannot disguise myself (or … can I?), but I do try to spend time with my “troops,” and sometimes I … see things. I thought I’d share some of these with you in my new Series “Should the CEO be worried?”
Make It Work, For You
February 4th, 2010
I’m a big fan of Project Runway, the reality TV show where fashion designers create a new look and fashion piece every week with a limited amount of time and materials. I admit that I’m not a fashionista like the show’s host, Heidi Klum, but I do have ‘girly girl’ tendencies like an insane love for accessories and shoes. However, I’d like to think that my girlish ways aren’t the only things that contribute to my obsession with the show. I consider myself a fan because I enjoy watching the creative process each designer goes through. To witness the inspiration behind an idea and then watch it evolve and come to life is intriguing.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
February 2nd, 2010
One of the scariest things you can do is put me in a room full of one hundred strangers and tell me to mingle. You probably wouldn’t guess that if you met me, but I’ve once been described by a friend as the most social anti-social person they know. I like to stand back and take in the room, observe people and eavesdrop on as many conversations as possible. That doesn’t mean I don’t like people. It’s just that I get extremely nervous, turn red and stumble over my words when people look at me. Hence my unhealthy love for Twitter.
Old School
January 28th, 2010
Let me start by saying, I’m With CoCo. To those of you who have been living in a bunker below Mount Whatthewhat for the past month, Conan O’Brien is no longer the host of The Tonight Show. To those of you who have been living in a bunker below Mount Whatthewhat for the past year, Jay Leno is still the host of The Tonight Show. I’m not here to breakdown the parties involved, as that has been done ad naseum.
However, I did want to take pause to recognize how Conan ended his reign as host of the most storied franchise in television.
How a fish became a girl...
January 26th, 2010
Taking risks is scary. Every day, we analyze costs, risks, time, potential success, and a host of other variables, to balance the analytical and the creative. But, every once and a while, you see things that seem so insane, you’re not sure how they got past the number crunchers and risk analysts.
For me, that’s the movie Ponyo.
No Headphones Thursday
January 22nd, 2010
Fun fact: I moved to Los Angeles from Chicago for a job that I couldn’t tell people about.
As you can imagine, I get asked about my job a lot. Most people are naturally curious. Family members just want to make sure I didn’t run off and join a cult. My tech-savvy friends are especially interested, hoping they get first dibs. No matter the person, I always answer with “I love my job.” And I do!
When you are in the dark, you can see the stars
January 21st, 2010
I would be highly surprised if I had any new information to add to the Internet.
But therein lies the principle of this entry. What if the point of this entry was to encourage others to subtract from their ever-expanding body of knowledge?
What Makes You CL!CK?
January 12th, 2010
The Internet’s head nearly exploded yesterday with all the hubbub about Facebook’s privacy shenanigans. If you were one of the many people tracking that story, or playing with your new Google Nexus phone, then you probably missed out on some pretty exciting news. Here’s a hint: It’s awesome. What could be more awesome than a brand spankin’ new Nexus? Well, a shark with laser beams on its head for one. I sent a letter to Sea World and everything! Could you imagine…? Shark Week: With Lasers! Ahem, anyway. This week’s news involves LEGOs. Yes, those wonderful magical toys that can keep any kid (or adult) entertained for hours upon hours.
Born 2 Clown
January 7th, 2010
I was able to travel during the holidays this year and decided to take a trip up and down the West Coast. After ringing in the New Year in Seattle, it was time to hop in the car on New Year’s Day and make the 12 hour drive from the Emerald City to Oakland. That drive on New Year’s Day sparked something in me, while relatively simple; I will keep in mind as I start the New Year.
Stay Classy Internet
January 5th, 2010
If 2009 has taught us anything about social media, it’s that it is way too easy to become overwhelmed and lose sight of goals. New tools are popping up every week and the network has become better, stronger… faster.
Favorite Songs 2009 (Noise Bleed)
December 23rd, 2009
When I told Jenn I was going to write a blog post about music she rolled her eyes. In the office/life I seem to go on prolonged rants about music. I guess I get a little excited talking about this stuff. So I thought I actually write some of them down for you nice folks!
Holiday-itis
December 22nd, 2009
Originally I was going to share a post about transparency, privacy and everything in between, but with the holidays so close, I decided not to bombard you with life-lessons, how-tos and to-do lists. What can I say? Holiday-itis has set in! Instead I wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday season…
The Human Aspect of QA Testing
December 17th, 2009
When it comes to software quality, technical testing is not enough. You have to let a real human try it out, see how it works. This will assure your product to comply with the highest standards.
How hard is it to vanish in the digital age?
December 15th, 2009
If you could disappear and reinvent yourself completely, would you? Before you answer that, let me tell you about Evan. Evan Ratliff is a freelance journalist and feature writer for Wired magazine. On August 14, 2009, Evan was officially on the Lam. No one knew Evan’s plans; not his girlfriend, family or friends. If he was discovered, it would be because of his own mistakes. You see, Evan wasn’t dropping off the radar to hide away in another country. His intentions were to drop his life and pick up a new one. If found, you were to say the password, “fluke,” and take a photo. Upon confirmation you would be awarded $5,000.
Towers of ‘Babble’: a Tale of International Marketing Mishaps
December 10th, 2009
In today’s day and age, where advances in technology seem to be growing at an exponential rate and the force of globalization is at no foreseeable slow-down—we have collectively been introduced to a new socio-cultural and economic paradigm in which our interaction with other cultures and languages has become a part of our daily lives.
Tear Down Those Cubicles!
December 8th, 2009
There’s not a moment during the day that I don’t become a little stoked by the many impressive personalities that surround me here at Border Stylo.
Honestly, I don’t like to dwell on it much because then I begin to think I’m too boring. But then I remember that I’m a movie trailer junkie who listens to mariachi love-ballads from the 1940’s and 50’s.
March of the Wooden Soldiers
November 23rd, 2009
As a kid, my family used to watch “Babes in Toyland” every Thanksgiving morning. Contrary to what the title might indicate, this movie was never featured on Skinemax. Instead, the film is an early comedy classic that’s replayed on our local syndicated TV station every year.
Food For Thought
November 19th, 2009
LA is known for people making big statements, after all our malls look like theme parks, but that’s not where our quirkiness ends. There’s an interesting phenomenon in LA that some people love while others only hate (I’m a lover, not a hater), and this phenomenon is the ‘gourmet’ food truck.
Pardon Our Dust
November 17th, 2009
You might have noticed that things have slowed down a bit here at Border Stylo. Well, they have. BUT (there’s always a but, right?) I can assure you that doesn’t mean we’ve slowed down inside the office. In fact, I think we’re busier than ever right now.
Hungry? Try GrubHub
October 13th, 2009
Being from a city that is known for its pizza and hot dogs, it should come as no surprise that I like to eat. I’m also used to working long hours, skipping lunch breaks and avoiding long lines. Then I was introduced to GrubHub.com. GrubHub allows you to discover who delivers in your area and order your food online (or by phone.)
A Small Victory
October 6th, 2009
Fun Fact: I’m moving to Los Angeles in less than a month.
Not So Fun Fact: Apartment hunting is both killing my sanity and inbox.
Customer Support Scoreboard
September 22nd, 2009
I admit it. I’m a bit of a customer service snob. If I’m paying for a product I expect to receive good service in return. If the service isn’t up to par, I will question my future with said service. I hate to admit that AT&T is an exception, but I’m a slave to the iPhone. Don’t judge me. A wise man once said that customer support is the engine that makes the company go.
Pack a Parka
September 17th, 2009
I like the internet. I love all the stuff on it and how it is constantly changing.
I RSS, I follow, I friend, and I surf.
But I have to wonder, why is it still called surfing? I’m done being pushed back to shore. I’m going to call it Sherpa-ing cause it seems to me that we’re all looking for a way up the internet mountain. I want to know the best line to take. Where are the best blogs and the most entertaining videos? And how can I avoid the angry yetis of the internet?
PAX: More Than Just Long Lines & Video Games
September 15th, 2009
Recently I attended the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) with another Border Stylo team member, Lindsey. I’ve been to conferences before, but never something gaming related. And never as part of my job. Most of the conferences I’ve attended have been blogging related and I was there mostly to catch up and meet other bloggers, not necessarily for the topic/content provided.
Team Building 2.0
September 10th, 2009
With companies hopping on the “Web 2.0*” train these days for the marketing, recruiting and customer service needs, you’d think they’d apply that knowledge to their team building strategies.
Spelling Bees and Street Lights
September 3rd, 2009
After I turned in a decent performance in my grade school spelling bee, my mom had the dubious, gas-guzzling honor of driving my brother, sister, and me an hour and a half so I could compete in the bee the next rung up the illustrious competitive spelling ladder.
I was prepared. I was a word wizard. I was eliminated in the first round.
Gen-Y: Underrepresented?
September 1st, 2009
After attending a number of blogger-related conferences, I noticed a lack of twenty-something representation or even acknowledgment. Why are we still under-represented in these blogger and social media circles? Our generation wields $150 billion in buying power (Info from 20SB blog). And let’s not forget peer influence.
Surreal Comfort: What’s in a name?
August 27th, 2009
Border Stylo. That is the company’s name.
Geez, were all the good names taken? Some wonder…
First of all, it is pronounced Border Steeeelo. As the FAQs say, it is supposed “represent our heritage.”
Pet Peeve: Being On vs. Being Active
August 25th, 2009
A few minutes ago I received an email from an organization I am a part of. After reading the preview on Gmail, I decided that I wasn’t going to open it. Not because it was spam or because I’m lazy, but because instead of writing “Dear Jennifer,” they went with the ever personal “Dear Full_Name.” Companies, if you’re going to use a form letter, make sure to write in the correct name. I realize that using form letters save time, but I hate that so many people use it as an excuse to be lazy.
If You Offer Cupcakes, They Will Come
August 20th, 2009
Last week the Border Stylo team said goodbye to Laura, who was helping with our College Outreach Coordination. She’s off to Germany to study abroad and send us postcards. We made sure to give her a proper send-off.
Customer Support: The Engine That Makes The Company Go
August 13th, 2009
What’s the engine that makes the company go? Is it the initial investors and their capital? Is it the engineers who design the product? Is it the team that promotes the product here and wide? The iPod is a magnificent bit of synergy, on these fronts: the money was invested by Apple, the people who designed it came up with a novel- yet intuitive- interface, and the marketing team came up with a brilliantly a-la-Thunderball promotional environment. But think a bit- have you ever seen a product with all of these factors in play that went nowhere? Sure you have. Why, then?
Community Manager Introduction (and Pigasaurus Rex)
August 6th, 2009
I just wanted to take a minute to introduce myself to everyone. My name is Jenn and I’ve recently joined the BorderStylo team as a Community Manager. Before joining the team I was an active member of the Twenty Something Bloggers community as well as a freelance writer and stick figure doodler extraordinaire. As the Community Manager I’ll be available to our readers on our blog to talk to, and more importantly, listen to all of your suggestions, questions and feedback.
Border Stylo and the Con of 2009
July 31st, 2009
Being a tech company, we like to think we’re good at “geeking out”, so who better to hook up with Glass Swag than our fellow geeks down at San Diego Comic Con. On Thursday, we made the trek down to the whale’s ______ with t-shirts, waterbottles, buttons, and stickers, in hand, to give away to the lovely patrons of the Con and good times were had by all.
Border Stylo Site Launches!
July 21st, 2009
When I was in high school, I learned about B.F. Skinner. Skinner was a psychologist who believed that all activity, animal and human, boiled down to instinctual responses to stimuli.
Building cities, making art, falling in love — all were explained by complex sets of stimulus-response, like Pavlov’s dogs hearing bells and salivating.