Yes, as of last night, I officially dropped the 2nd half of my Twitter username, and acquired the @jackie Twitter account.

I’m not saying this to brag (well, maybe a little), but rather to spread the word on how I acquired a dormant Twitter username, as a few folks had mentioned they had tried in the past and were unsuccessful. No promises it will work for everyone, but the least you can do is try, right?

I’ll begin with saying I have zero special connections at Twitter. I’d heard folks say that you needed to “know” someone in order to get anywhere, but that wasn’t true in this case.

Additionally, you probably need to make sure that the Twitter account that you want is, indeed dormant. If you’re trying to get one that is active, you probably have a better shot at changing your legal name, and then looking for that Twitter name.

Anyways, it’s nothing tricky (you don’t have to push up-up-right-right-A-A-B), you simply fill out the impersonation form on Twitter’s website.

I think you can handle it from there (sorry if you were looking for something a little more complicated). I received an e-mail one business day later asking for me to reply with whether I wanted my existing username transferred, or asking me to set-up a dummy account which could then be transferred to the desired username. In the end, two business days later I received an e-mail informing me that the transfer was successful.

Good luck getting that username you’ve had your eye on. If anyone else has been successful in acquiring a username using another method, please share in the comments!

To say that I’m excited to put together this blog post is a severe understatement. I’ll get the suspense out of the way right up front: on Monday, I’ll begin my new role at GMR Marketing as an Account Coordinator on their Lowe’s Racing team here in Charlotte. Woohoo!

Since I graduated from UNC almost 2 years ago, I’ve had the pleasure of working at Sports Media Challenge. My role has always been a malleable one, ranging from analyst, to strategist, to account executive, to community manager, and everywhere in between. I’ve managed the community for a robotics football competition. I’ve spread word about our own brand monitoring tool, BuzzMgr. Heck, I built our website. So, when I say that I’ve had the opportunity to learn skills and do things that I didn’t even imagine that I’d be doing when in college…I truly mean it.

So, why the change?

Well, their are a number of reasons, but to put it simply, this move is what I believe fits in to my long-term career goals best.

I’m very excited first of all to be joining GMR Marketing. Ever since Brian Gainor introduced me to the company a couple of years ago, I’ve had a lot of respect for the way that they approach engaging consumers and I believe that buying into their philosophy will come quite naturally for me. I love marketing, and from everything I’ve heard, GMR gets the job done in that department (the SBJ named them the top sports event marketing firm in 2009), and they have a blast doing it (they’ve been recognized as a top workplace multiple times), which I’m thrilled about. Not to mention, I’ve genuinely enjoyed talking to everyone I’ve met at GMR and am excited to work alongside them and get to know everyone.

While social media will still be a piece of my responsibilities, I’m excited to be able to step back a little bit and really get my hands dirty in marketing from a broader perspective. I’ve always enjoyed seeing what sort of event marketing brands use to reach their consumers and believe that the impact of a well executed event marketing campaign can have a significantly greater impact than a social media campaign (we can debate that in the comments, if you’d like), so I’m pumped to be involved on that side of things.

What’s it mean here at the Curb? Not a lot, really, other than now that I won’t be splitting blogging duties between here and the BuzzMgr blog, I’m hoping to be producing more regular content once again. I think that the change of scenery and new challenges I’ll be facing will do a lot to energize me, which means nothing but good things for blogging.

So, in a way, this wraps up one chapter of my professional life, but I’m really freakin’ excited to see what this next chapter has in store for me.

The holidays are upon us! During the month of December, you’re likely to wonder what to get some of your friends for the holidays, or maybe you’re even looking for ideas as to what you want for yourself this holiday season. Well, have no fear, we’ve got you covered here at the Curbside Marketer with a version of my own “Favorite Things” a la Oprah Winfrey. Unfortunately, I can’t give away each of these awesome gifts to all of you readers (that would be legit, huh?), but I sure do hope you enjoy them and let me know if I inspire you to buy anything for yourself or someone else!

So, on with the show…

Action Book

I just found out the Action Book in GQ Magazine and can’t wait to get one of my own. Basically, it’s your standard notebook with space to take notes, but to the side of it, it has many different boxes for you to write key takeaways or actionable items from those notes. There is also a “Backburner” section where you can write notes to come back and easily find later down the road. This will without a doubt help take the notes you spilled on to the page and put a little order and sense into them. Makes you wonder why someone didn’t think of this sooner. The action book only costs $15.00.

GRID-IT

The folks at Coccoon Innovations who make GRID-IT claim that it is the most versatile organization system out there and I have to admit, it is pretty awesome. I bought one of these for myself after seeing Chris Brogan write about it a long time ago and have gotten a ton of use out of it. Basically, it’s something you put in your briefcase or bag that holds all of your personal items in place. Just think of how you’re always digging around in there trying to find a pen, your camera, or a certain cable. This solves that problem and comes in many different sizes. Also, it’s not too expensive, starting at only $9.99.

A New Book!

Stop right now and don’t go down that road you thought we were going down. I don’t want you to buy Engage by Brian Solis or The Now Revolution by Jay Baer and Amber Naslund (obviously, you can if you’d like, and they’re great books, but that’s not what I’m talking about!) Buy a non-business related book that you’ll enjoy. Take your pick from one of the “classics” or from one of the NYT bestsellers this year. Whatever it is, read something that isn’t talking about what you’re dealing with every single day at work. These books will not only give your brain a bit of a much-needed rest, but they could even help you look at things in a different manner and give you the bit of inspiration that you’ve been dying for. I wish that for every business-related book people read, that they’d follow it with a non-business related one. I think it would have a VERY positive impact on us all.

Business Card Holder

In the past, I would go to a networking event and get all sorts of business cards, come home, and not know what to do with them other than put them in a pile and wrap them up with a rubber band. After a while, I invested in a swanky little business card notebook and was able to get these tiny rectangles into a bit of order. Sure, it’s not a flashy gift, but it sure does have a lot of utility to it. I think I got mine for $10-15 at Staples, but I’m sure you can spend as much on one as you’d like.

New Clothes for Work

Let’s face it, folks in advertising and marketing can sometimes have a reputation for dressing overly casual to work and industry events. Don’t be afraid to wear a tie to work when few or nobody else wears it. Your appearance, no matter what you’ve come to believe, has a major impact on how coworkers and clients perceive you, so you might as well invest in some solid work attire. For the men out there, The Gap, despite their logo fiascos, has some good clothes if you’re on a budget, especially some basic khaki’s and other pants. If you’re okay spending a bit more, Brooks Brothers has some great dress shirts and, if you go with their slim-fit or extra slim-fit, they look darn good on us younger folk. If you’re looking for ties, go check out The Tie Bar, where they don’t have a thing that costs over $15. And, of course, make sure you have some quality shoes, as if you’re GQ’d out but rocking your Converse, it could take you down a couple notches on the looks scale. Women…you’re on your own here (sorry, can’t say I know much about your fashion!) Ultimately, find your style, find a couple stores you really like, and wait for the sales and then go to town. Think of it as an investment. Ask for a gift card there for Christmas so you can go try some things on and find what you really like.

Some New Tunes (and Headphones)

Let’s face it, sometimes there are so many distractions going on around you that you need something to just get you in the zone. So, buy some new songs on iTunes or check out Amazon.com which typically has mp3′s for even cheaper (and without the license restrictions). Every month, they have 100 albums for $5, so you’re bound to find one you dig. Then, go buy some new quality headphones that do a good job of drowning out the noise. Don’t buy cheap $5 ones without trying them out. Make sure they’re comfortable for prolonged use and don’t let in too much ambient noise. I bought some over-the-ear headphones myself and can barely hear anything going on around me…which can be a good and bad thing at times. I’m not saying go buy some Beats by Dr. Dre headphones or anything, but don’t be afraid to splurge a bit.

Desk Decorations

Maybe you’ve been dying to get a bobble head of your personal hero, maybe you want a little hula girl that sways back and forth, or maybe you want a couple of pictures to pin up on the wall. My personal favorite is my “Easy button” on my desk at home. Ultimately, your desk should be a place that you don’t mind spending time at, so do some decorating to make it a fun atmosphere. The holidays are the perfect time to ask for those one or two items that would make for perfect stocking stuffers.

Dual Monitors

If you’re looking for a high-dollar item for this holiday season, this may be it. Many folks, including my wife, don’t understand the benefit of rocking a dual monitor set-up, but once you start using it, you never want to go back. As if you’re multitasking wasn’t intense enough as it is, just imagine doing whatever you do on TWO screens. Game-changer. Personally, I have my laptop synced with a nice big Dell monitor and have been LOVING it. I’d recommend going with at least 20 inches on the monitor, but, I’ll leave that decision up to you. You can get one for as low as $100 or easily spend $200-300 on a top of the line one.

Guilty Pleasure Fun Item

Maybe it’s tickets to a concert or maybe it’s a new video game for you to blow some steam with. Just keep in mind that you’ve (hopefully) worked hard this year and it’s time for a nice little reward. So, don’t be afraid to put some fun items on your wish list this year and remember this rule of thumb: the more batteries it uses, the more fun it will probably be.

So, what’s on your wish list for the holidays?

Image by jcoterhals

Have no fear, this isn’t a post about the value of a college education. Personally, I think that is a tired discussion that is talked about too often for no particular reason. This is more about why we’re not getting the most from that education.

In high school and part of college, I was a soccer referee. I officiated games ranging from 6 year olds running around in packs, chasing the ball in circles, to intramural matches between rival fraternities whose pregame routine consisted of shotgunning a few beers instead of stretching. Pretty quickly, I became used to being one of the most disliked people on the field before the match even started. It taught me that you earn the respect of your colleagues and others by doing your job well. If you want players to quit yelling at you, you need to not only make calls correctly, but you need to carry yourself in a manner that demands respect, as well.

It taught me how to remain intensely focused on a task before me, paying attention to the smallest details, even while sprinting down the field while simultaneously having coaches, players, and (of course) parents yelling things at me that I couldn’t help but to smirk at. It helped me develop the skill of remaining level headed in stress and high tension situations. As a referee, if someone is pissed off about a call and starts yelling at you, you can’t escalate the situation by yelling even louder (unless you’re a baseball umpire). The best referees are the ones who take control of the situation of the field without ever becoming the center of attention.

I also had to learn how to work with others, as a team. There are three officials on the field in soccer, and oftentimes, you’re left wondering how they passed the qualification test to even purchase a referee uniform. You have to pick up their slack and do your best to make them look good. Finally, it taught me that at the end of the day, at times it’s okay to put the day behind you. You made a mistake, you learned from it, so don’t spend all night dwelling on it.

Funny isn’t it? We go through so much trouble searching for internships that will help us professionally, yet some of the most valuable experiences we take part in don’t come from anything remotely related to our profession. I think it’s pretty easy to see how my refereeing experience went a long way in preparing me for any business related career.

So now it’s your turn. What odd-job has helped shape you professionally.

Image by Donovan Henneberg-Verity

Tune in today (Thursday) at 3pm EST on Twitter for #CupChat, where we’ll spend an hour talking about “the beautiful game.” The chat is set up both for soccer fanatics to discuss the top issues around the World Cup and also for soccer noobies to join in on the conversation. So whether you’re wanting to complain about the new ball or just looking to educate yourself in preparation for the World Cup, you don’t want to miss it!

Let me start by saying that if you’re looking for a marketing or social media post, then carry on and come back next week. Today, I have a public service announcement to make. That announcement is: the greatest sporting event in the world, the World Cup, begins tomorrow. You can catch games on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC.

In case you weren’t already aware, you also now have plans on Saturday, June 12th, as you’re going to be watching Team USA take on England in their opening match of the tournament. If you ask me, the way to watch the game is going to a local bar, as it will be 10 times more fun watching it with a crowd of people who are hooting and hollering during the entire match. Check out the list of official US Soccer bars on their site.

If you are planning on tuning in, I’d recommend giving the @USsoccer Twitter account a follow, as they are really good about giving live updates as well as behind the scenes content. You can also check out some of the great videos they have through their Studio 90 crew on their website, where you can learn about the team, see where they’re staying in South Africa, and all sorts of other behind the scenes info (be careful, it’s easy to waste an hour or two watching).

Now, since most of the games are taking place at 7:30am, 10:00am, or 2:30pm, the world will be watching as we are…working. While some of you may prefer to avoid any mention of the games to avoid spoilers, others may want to follow all of the news and updates with the marvelous tool that we know as social media. So, to your employers, I apologize, as your productivity will likely decrease until July 11th, but hey, following your country at the World Cup isn’t just fun, it’s patriotic gosh darnit!

For Twitter, there are all sorts of Twitter accounts that can keep you up to date on the action while at work. For some of those, check out the Twitter list I’ve created over at http://twitter.com/jackieadkins/footy-footy-futbol

And, as far as staying up to date via blogs and such, some mighty fine options for you there include:

• Soccer by Ives
• The Shinguardian
• Unprofessional Foul
• Match Fit USA
• US Men’s National Team Blog

So there you have it, now you have no excuse to not be following the World Cup over the next month.

Have some other great social media resources to share? Leave them in the comments below!

Image by whats_ur_flava2000

Just a random little diddy for you guys today. Yesterday I had 2 chances to take online relationships offline and they were both amazing. For lunch, I was able to meet with a client who I had only emailed and spoken on the phone with previously. GREAT conversation and so glad to finally meet her. After work, I attended my first CLTweetup and was able to meet a couple people I’d tweeted back and forth and meet even more people I knew nothing about.

I know, I know. Everyone, including me, has already said taking these online relationships offline is where you can really make great things happen. But just let this serve as a friendly reminder to get out there and build REAL relationships. Whether you’re an individual OR a brand.

Because that’s where the magic happens.

So, since we’re on the topic, if any of you guys are ever in Charlotte, NC or nearby, be sure to give me a shout! I will do everything I can to try and meet up with you. If you have no plans of ever coming to Charlotte, well, you’re missing out, but shoot me an e-mail and let’s set up a Skype call to talk about anything under the sun (sports, marketing, the weather, music, you name it).

Blogging and tweeting is good and all, but let’s take our relationship to the next level (and I mean that in the least creepy way possible ).

Image by Aidan Jones

I hate to break your hearts, but there’s no Analogous Friday post today. In the wake of the events that have taken place in Haiti, I want you to just take a second to think about your family, your closest friends, and just be grateful. You’ve seen the stories and news coverage I’m sure, and it was hard to think a country like Haiti could be much worse off in the first place, but that’s exactly what’s happened.

I know there are people that say we should be helping like this all the time, not just when disaster strikes. This may be true, but the Haitians need help now more than ever. They need us. Whether it’s our thoughts and prayers or our relief. So anything you’re able to do, please do it.

If you would like to give monetarily, you can head over to any of these places:

• American Red Cross
• Hope for Haiti (through 12for12k)
• Mashable had an article with numerous organizations you can donate through
• If you’re unable to donate yourself, or you already have, consider simply tweeting out a message encouraging others to do so.

Well it sure has been quite a year. I’ve graduated, gotten a job, got engaged, and lived to tell about it all. But instead of getting all warm and fuzzy and reflecting on the year that was, I want to look at what’s ahead for The Curbside Marketer.

Goal setting is a crucial aspect for any venture, and it’s something that many people overlook. Not only should you have goals, but they should be SMART goals (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely). It’s not enough to say hey I’d really like to get more people to my blog, you need to say you want x people by y date.

So, for the sake of accountability and putting these goals somewhere so that I won’t forget them, here are a few of my goals for 2010.

15% increase in page views each month.

At first I had a goal of x% by the end of the year, but thought that would be silly, how could I measure progress if I only have one finish line. This way, I can monitor my progress throughout the year.

50% increase in average comments by the end of June. And another 50% by 2011.

The posts have ranged from 15 comments to 0 comments recently, but I feel like this metric is a good measurement of both the quality of the content as well as the level of engagement both on my blog and outside of it on Twitter and other blogs.

Do at least one guest post a month.

This one is probably going to be pretty tough for me. When I write on my blog, I have no regard for what I write because I know that if it ends up bombing, I have another shot in a couple of days. No harm done. When it comes to writing on another person’s blog, I feel an extra sense of pressure to write something particularly exciting and smart. If I don’t, then they’ll be left wondering, “Man, Jackie really let me down.” I need to get over this and spread the love of The Curbside Marketer.

Redesign using Thesis and have it beautiful by the end of February.

Hooray for redesigns! Starting tomorrow, I plan on getting into Thesis and working on revamping jackieadkins.com using Chris Pearson’s terrific theme. I’m pretty excited to play around with it and look forward to unveiling some beautiful

Get one paid consulting job by the end of the year.

So far I haven’t done any paid consulting or freelance work, just a couple unpaid projects. You’re probably saying “Way to aim high, Jackie,” but much of my free time will now be dedicated to planning a wedding (or at least nodding to my fiance saying “Yes, I love those flowers for the wedding!”), so get off my back (I say that with the utmost love . I don’t care if this is as simple as designing a blog with my new found Thesis skills (*here’s my card*), or teaching small businesses how to use social media tools, but something’s going to happen.

Read more books and fewer blogs.

It’s not that I think that I read too many blogs, rather that in order to read more books, I need to read fewer blogs. I think a reasonable goal (for me) to read a book every month and a half, putting me at 8 books this year. Again, you probably are thinking that’s low, but for me, that’s about 4 more than usual.

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So there you have it, some goals for The Curbside Marketer for this year. I’m sure Vegas just opened up the betting on whether or not I’ll achieve each of them, so you can start placing your bets now. If I achieve all of them (which, I guess is the *goal*) I’ll be pretty psyched come this time next year.

Do you use SMART goals on a regular basis? What are your goals for the coming year?

Photo from Optical illusion

MERRY CHRISTMAS!