Join us for Likemind Social Media Club Milwaukee.

When: Friday, May 20 at 7 AM

Where: Bucketworks at 5th and Pierce

What:

Andy Wright (@adny) has a long history in digital solutions development and event marketing, most recently co-founding Social Media start-up Meet-Meme, Inc. Functioning in various, and often numerous, roles on project teams…. from analyst to developer, project manager to strategist, account manager to user experience designer; he has delivered a wide variety of digital solutions for many of today’s leading companies and their brands.

Sara Santiago, president of Roll Mobile, will lead an interactive discussion on the "state of mobile," on April 15, 2011, at 7 AM. She characterizes this discussion as having three parts: "Where we are, Where we're heading, and How fast we are adapting to new technology."

As an "added bonus," Sara will treat the audience to one of her infamous rants, The New Media Freakout. Sara adds, "You're welcome in advance."

This should be a blast.

Roll is a mobile development and marketing agency headquartered in Milwaukee, WI. Their focus is mobile:

• Developing marketing campaigns for mobile audiences
• Website and application design
• Tactical implementation

Sara has over 14 years of interactive marketing experience, as well as over a decade of technical marketing and electronic media development expertise.

She and her team of mobile marketing creatives, designers and strategists strive to grow and share their marketing knowledge on all things mobile and social, and blend their creative ideas into relevant mobile media programs for clients.

As practitioners in the mobile space for many years, Sara and her team are able to take the mystery out of the mobile channel and help clients understand how it works, how to get started, and how to measure the success of their efforts.

Another thing about Sara: We've never seen anyone rock multiple mobile devices simultaneously the way she can. It's like some kind of mobile wizardry.

Set your alarms for early in the morning on Friday, April 15, and head on over to Bucketworks. There is no cost, except for the coffee you purchase there in support of the facility.

So go ahead and mark your calendar. You won't regret it!

This month's Milwaukee Likemind event takes place this Friday, March 18, at Bucketworks. Our speaker is Jabril Faraj of Circle Social. Mr. Faraj will talk about how social media -- especially Twitter and Facebook -- have contributed in democratic uprisings within several Middle Eastern and Northern African countries. Specifically, he will discuss the following:

• The role of social media in mobilizing the grassroots revolution in Egypt
• The role of social media in engaging the American population and keeping them informed of actual events, as opposed to news stories presented by government officials or shown on government-controlled media outlets
• The role of Al Jazeera English in this movement and their new place in the Middle East as a watchdog/voice of accountability

Jabril Faraj is a recent graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. He describes himself this way: "I was raised in Milwaukee but my Lebanese heritage drew me to the Middle East and inspired me to study the area extensively. The recent public uprisings have only deepened my interest in those regions' current events." Faraj adds, "I am a social media believer and a zealous Twitter-lover. I love new technology (ask me what Hashable is if you don’t know), but nothing trumps a good conversation because -- let’s be honest -- people are just so darn fascinating."

Prepare yourself for a lively discussion with some eye-opening examples of how social media and new technology have helped citizens of these countries organize and take action in an unprecedented way.

Mr. Faraj is part of the start-up agency Circle Social, which he describes as, "One of the first agencies of its kind. Circle Social is a social new media agency, specializing in edgy, innovative video content creation and distribution."

The premise of Circle Social is that by creating video with an entertainment-first approach and then leveraging that compelling video content through their "vast social network," this content will reach potential far beyond what most agencies today expect or even believe is possible.

Come join us. Here's how to find Bucketworks, located at 706 South 5th St in Milwaukee. The event runs from 7:00 AM until the last people go home. (Although this usually is around 8:30 or 9 AM, last month's speaker wound up chatting with some until almost noon!)

Our next Likemind session is February 18, 2011, and features a very special guest. Lindsay Stevens Gardner, founder of Rock the Green, will speak about this event. Rock the Green will be held on the Milwaukee Lakefront, on Sunday, September 18. It is a one-day, near-zero-waste music festival featuring world class talent -- something that Ms. Stevens Gardner calls, "The first of its kind in the Midwest." The festival's mission is to educate and enlighten about sustainability issues -- all while entertaining the projected 15,000 attendees with a headlining act of the "John Mayer / Sheryl Crow caliber."

Joining the Rock the Green founder will be a panel of social media contributors to the soon-to-be-launched blog / official web site.

Lindsay is owner of LuLu Live, LLC, and has considerable experience producing festivals and other live musical events.

She has built a team of digital marketing strategists, editors and writers to support the online efforts leading up to and during the event. 

Learn From The Panel

The panel will comprise Lindsay and a few of her team to discuss the mobile marketing and social media aspects of the event, in addition to the overall benefits for Milwaukee and those interested in making a difference in preserving its natural beauty, recreational opportunities and overall ecological "health."

As always, the event is free of charge.

First Ever Co-Event

This is the first event presented in conjunction with the Milwaukee Social Media Breakfast Club. So set your alarm and be there, at Bucketworks, at 7 AM on Friday, February 18!

We're extending our holiday hiatus a bit, but the wait will be worth it. Watch this space for the announcement of the first of our extraordinary list of presenters!

Noah Brier is the head of planning and strategy at The Barbarian Group. He's also, along with Piers Fawkes, co-founder of Likemind ... a labor of love that has grown to international acclaim.

It was just announced that Noah is one of the iMedia 25, a list compiled annually by the editorial team of iMedia Connection. They explain that this list is, "Compiled with the help of our 2009 honorees and our community of digital industry professionals.

"This list recognizes the accomplishments of key influencers in interactive marketing, who not only excel in their own business roles but are also able to execute on innovative ideas, share them with peers and consumers, and push this vital field to new levels of success and significance."

Congrats Noah.

Want to be on next year's list? Of course you do!

You can start by attending the Milwaukee Likemind meetings! (What? It couldn't hurt!)

The next one is this Friday, at 7 AM. Read the prior post on this blog for information about Sue Spaight's conversational presentation about digital strategy. The cost is nothing but the donation toward a cup of delicious Stone Creek Coffee, which they supply for the event as their way of supporting this free meet-up. That's right, all donations go to the folks who kindly allow us to gather in their massive conference room: Bucketworks.org.

Taking Your Digital Strategy from Average to Activated

Why do some online strategies fall flat, while others get users fired up?

Photo credit: Troy Freund, @MidwestPhoto

In this month's Likemind conversation, Sue Spaight of Meyer & Wallis will share research, framework, observations and examples that can help you sharpen your game plan and activate your brand and community online. Covered in this highly energizing presentation will be:

• What do people really want from brands online?
• How do you integrate digital strategy with brand strategy?
• What are some criteria for a relevant, activated strategy?
• What questions should you ask yourself about your digital strategy?
• What are some examples of brands that are "doing it right?"

Join us for this and more, on November 19th, at Bucketworks, at 7:00 AM.

Those who have met James Carlson know he understands more about how we learn than most "traditional" teachers. He's made a career-long study of how our minds work, and the ways in which they fundamentally change when we learn something new. He'll be speaking at Likemind, on his home turf (Bucketworks). Here's what the Bucketworks site has to say about his presentation:

Join James Carlson and the LikeMind group as we discuss educational innovation in Milwaukee. James will walk us through some of the examples of educational innovation in the region, covering some of the alternatives to public school that are available. With MPS under new leadership, the public schools also have an opportunity to regenerate confidence in our educational system and options.

Other things you need to know about the event:

1. It's at 7 AM on Friday, October 15, 2010
2. It's at Bucketworks. Here's a map.
3. It's free. (Although we are going to be asking for a few bucks donation for the Alterra coffee we're providing, with all additional proceeds going to our generous hosts at Bucketwork.)

Set your alarm and be sure to attend!

The panel discussion at Milwaukee Likemind, early in the morning of Friday, September 17, 2010, will be about mind mapping for business.

 

 

Wikipedia.org says of mind mapping that can be used for: "problem solving, outlining, anonymous collaboration, condensing material into a concise and memorable format [note taking]," etc. It continues:

Mind maps have many applications in personal, family, educational, and business situations, including notetaking, brainstorming (wherein ideas are inserted into the map radially around the center node, without the implicit prioritization that comes from hierarchy or sequential arrangements, and wherein grouping and organizing is reserved for later stages), summarizing, revising, and general clarifying of thoughts.

Jeff Larche, who has blogged about the utility of mind maps in his business, will moderate the panel discussion. His blog lists this information about the event:

[It will include] these panelist:

• Bob Roman, president of Milwaukee Education and Training Organization (METRO), is a computer training specialist and curriculum designer at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare and a computer training specialist at Covenant Healthcare Milwaukee
• Jen Keller, a SEO specialist who has used mind mapping in her Milwaukee SEO (Search Engine Optimization) consultancy.

It's held at our new location: Bucketworks, 706 5th St., just north of National Avenue. Here's a map. There is no cost, but we will be accepting donations for the coffee that we're serving. The festivities begin at 7:00 AM sharp, with speakers typically starting at 7:20. Likemind provides an opportunity to socialize after the talks. The meeting breaks up (officially at least) at 9:00 AM.

The cost of the event is a donation toward the facility and the coffee that if provided. For the cost of a good cup of coffee, you'll walk away with more knowledge about an important productivity tool. You'll also likely make some new connections with some extraordinary business people. The event is not be missed!