I pride myself on a hard work ethic, for me it’s what creates character. I strive for it to be something I practice in all aspects of my life: personal and professional. Because work ethic is such a prominent theme in my existence, when situations aren’t successful for me (both personally and professionally) I take it very hard and go into hyper self-analysis mode.

This past week, I found myself at a crossroads. Now anyone who knows me will tell you I’m my own worst critic, but it would not have taken Roger Ebert to figure out something was off in my normally sublime world. “You have to roll to the bottom before you can reach the top” seemed to be the song lyric of choice on repeat in my mind.

Before I realized it, my team (in both work and life, that’s how we roll) was surrounding me in a veil of support, being able to recognize the one thing I could not: I was struggling.  I felt it of course. I knew in the back of my mind that I was having a tough time, but whether it be my ego  or knowing that saying it out loud made it true, I couldn’t acknowledge it… until I had no choice.

There is beauty in truth. We forget sometimes that colleagues, family, best friends, acquaintances, clients, and even your favorite barista at Starbucks are not mind readers and you probably do a better job at concealing your feelings than you give yourself credit for. Recognizing that I was struggling made it real, but it also provided the people who care about me and want to see me succeed step in.  So what did we do next? We owned it as a team and had a fantastic whiteboard brainstorm session (ask anyone else who knows me, I love a good whiteboard).

Now this is where the fun comes in. After our fantastic whiteboard session we had a plethora of re-organization: new ideas, new strategies, new processes, and I had my sublime spirit back. I was back the next day, ready to tackle our tasks in a smart, methodical and strategic way. Now, a year ago I would have dwelled on the fact that at first I did not succeed, but this time I moved on. Not being successful 100 percent of the time is life; it’s how you recover, learn and move forward that counts. Michael Jordan said it best:

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

I learned a lot this week, I felt a lot this week and I moved forward a lot this week. But I didn’t do it alone, I couldn’t do it alone and I wouldn’t want to. It’s pretty liberating to say that struggle creates success and I’ve never believed anything more.

Here are 2 ways to avoid social media disasters that cause usually savvy business professionals to flee the new media scene:

1. Think twice before you post. Whether updating your status on behalf on your business or yourself, it is crucial think about the purpose of that post and if it aligns with how you want to be perceived. Double-check your spelling and grammar. Think again. Then go ahead and post.
2. Don’t ignore a negative comment. The horror stories about big name companies getting slammed online often stems from a few complaints or negative comments about the brand that went unnoticed and weren’t dealt with immediately. In order to handle these situations properly, businesses must monitor the conversation around their brands/services and then be ready to respond. The comment of “Thank you for voicing your concern, we are looking into it”, is perfectly acceptable until you can determine the next steps.

Above all, the more educated people become on social media and how to use it, the less scary it will be. Like all powers (not to get all Harry Potter on you), there is a dichotomy of positive and negative. There are any overwhelming amount of amazing stories about the good that social media has brought. The negative action will happen whether you are logged-in or not, but chances of stopping a viral catastrophe are much higher if you are already conversing on the networks.

How do you view the online social realm? Do you reside in the bubble like me? What are your fears?

Today on my trip back to San Diego from Los Angeles, my simplicity in chaos theory was thrown directly out the window, landing somewhere between Wilshire and Fairfax. As we made our way from the 101 South the traffic stopped, we didn’t think much of it seeing as how we were in Los Angeles. As we inched our way to the ramp to enter the 5 South, my heart skipped a beat: the entire ramp to the 5 freeway was shut down for construction all the way to Irvine. My simple trip home had suddenly become complicated. We quickly found ourselves in a slow moving lane of traffic on the 10 East, next to the University of Southern California campus. We pulled off at the next exit and quickly and stopped at a 7-11 to reevaluate our situation, as we were in unfamiliar territory, low on gas and extremely tired.

After a quick call to our hostess and a couple of road checks on our iPhones, we had a new route home, one that involved a bit of backtracking and various freeway numbers that ended in 05 and 10. My heart rate began to accelerate and I started to get very nervous. I was very comfortable with my simplistic drive to and from Los Angeles; I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about this personally unexplored, new path home.

Eventually (and not in too terrible of traffic) we were on the right freeway home and coasting to our final destination. I started to think about all the metaphorical references I could use this experience for, how many goals (or final destinations) do we have at any given time period? How many of us stay on the path we feel most comfortable with to get there?  How many of us get nervous when a path less traveled is the only option for success?

I make goals every day, some lofty, some realistic. I believe that hard work takes you to your goals, that nothing is unattainable with the right work ethic, constant education and determination. However, I missed one very big lesson- change. Working methodically, on a path that you know will succeed is smart; however being unprepared for adjustments is not. Unforeseen changes can happen at any moment, in any aspect of life. Methodical paths are not always going to stay on the straight and narrow and, in some cases one must apply the old adage, “if at first you don’t succeed try, try again”.

What is the lesson here?  Sometimes the freeway is going to be closed. You can’t control it, you can’t change it, but you can recognize it, own it and find another freeway around it. The path to success varies, and the simplest route won’t always be open. Don’t get discouraged, simply find a new freeway.

Oh and yes, I made it back to San Diego by way of the 101 North to the 110 South to the 10 West to the 405 South and eventually, back to the 5 South. It was a beautiful trip… and one worth taking.

Manage/Monitor: update/monitor networks daily to grow loyal follower base, increase search engine visibility, interact with online users to create awareness, and monitor your brand.

In grade school we had our names listed on a board with stop light colors next to them. Green meant you had turned in your assignments, behaved and could go to recess. Red meant you didn’t and were staying inside. A stoplight held us accountable for working hard. No one wanted to be the kid with the red light that had to sit with their head down at their desk while everyone else went outside to do penny drops off the monkey bars.

In high school and college hard work was rewarded with letters.  An A meant you worked hard, a D meant you didn’t. A simple piece of paper with letters on it that was given out twice a year, this piece of paper held us accountable for working hard.  No one wanted to be the kid that was left behind, no one wanted to take a piece of paper home with five D’s on it, everyone wanted to write their dream college on the map in the guidance office before graduating.

Flash forward to after college graduation, where until now our whole lives hard work had been rewarded with colors and letters, a simplistic reality at its finest. Here we are in the work force, fresh faced, idealistic, dreaming big dreams of a big life that still seems foreign to us. Except now there are no stoplights, or pieces of papers with simple letters. The only thing holding us accountable for hard work is us.

Judgment is no longer simple- no green, no red, no A, no F. Judgment is messy. It’s from bosses and co-workers, clients and friends. Not working hard now means losing jobs, income and livelihood, not just recess.

We often times find ourselves wondering what is the payoff? I’ve spent a lot of time thinking of hard work. I’ve learned over time and with experience that working hard is a daily task, a decision that one makes minutely and hourly. Hard work is a chain reaction the pay offs come in small victories that when strung together create success.

There is no magic formula for hard work, it’s not a step that can be falsified or skipped.  What I’ve learned is to work hard in everything you do, at the end of every day ask yourself if there was anything else you could have done. If there is, learn from it and do it better the next day, if not be satisfied.

Learn to work hard, ask yourself the tough questions decide if you deserve a green light or red. Nine times out of ten hard work will lead you to recess.

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Stilettos at CES

Welcome to our new blog series, “CES in Stilettos”.  The Bolt team is walking down the red carpets of CES 2010 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and getting the inside scoop on all the latest tech to give you a glimpse of the show – all done in stilettos, of course.  While Engadget, Wired, Gizmodo, and every other top tech blog will provide a great analysis of each new product or gadget intricacies, we will deliver an overview of what everyone is buzzing about; style of booths, products, and people; and tips on how to maneuver CES in heels.

Let us know what you want to see at this year’s biggest consumer electronic convention in the world and we’ll do our best to deliver.  What’s the point of going to Las Vegas if we can’t share our fabulous experiences, discoveries and lessons with the world?

I got to college and headed straight for the Communication school. I wanted five inch stilettos, two cell phones, lots of responsibility and the ability to make five grown men cry. I knew I had a long way to go; I had cut off jean shorts and converse on, but I was 18 years old and inspired. Fast track to many years later as I sit in my office and write this. Looking back, I wonder what I’d tell the 18-year-old version of myself? What advice would I give to any inspired 18-year-old that wanted to enter public relations?

Here’s my best advice:

• Get involved: PR pros are in the know, so be a part of something. Most universities have Communication honoraries, Public Relations Student Society of America chapters, and public speaking groups. This will not only provide networking opportunities, but also support groups after graduation.
• Know your tools: Become immersed in public relations tactics. Learn about newswires, white papers, press releases, media advisories and social networks. You will feel much more prepared when you enter the workforce.
• Follow trends: My college experience acquainted me with social networking, and now I use it daily in my profession. Stay on top of the newest trends. You never know when it will change the way we work, and live, for that matter.
• Get back to the basics: I will freely admit that my basic grammar skills are not perfect. It is so important, especially for a generation that grew up on AOL instant messenger and now writes in 140 character spaces, to know where to put a period. If you struggle, take a course and refresh your memory.

Many years later, I’m still inspired. I work in public relations and learn something new every day. I’m only wearing two-inch stilettos and have one cell phone. I have a lot of responsibility and still haven’t had that opportunity to make five grown men cry, but I’m working on it. I’d like to tell the 18-year-old version of myself, and any other Debbi Mazar wannabe, that when you are young, the best part is learning who you are and what your passion is. I’m lucky I found mine.

For more links on getting involved check your local university website or  http://www.prssa.org/.

BusinessWeek took a position in 2008 and stated that organizations could “go ahead and bellyache about blogs. But you cannot afford to close your eyes to them, because they’re simply the most explosive outbreak in the information world since the Internet itself. And they’re going to shake up just about every business—including yours. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shipping paper clips, pork bellies, or videos of Britney in a bikini, blogs are a phenomenon that you cannot ignore, postpone, or delegate. Given the changes barreling down upon us, blogs are not a business elective. They’re a prerequisite.” Now that we’ve established social media as a prerequisite, how does a team handle its varying clients with varying needs to create a successful social media campaign?

The answer lies in strategy with a purpose. As writer David Finch acknowledges, social media is more than just a buzzword. There are opportunities and results that are measured which can be extremely beneficial to businesses of all sizes. However, simply knowing how to operate social media tools is not enough to furnish a successful campaign; businesses must become immersed in strategy.

Here are a few of my best practices on creating a successful campaign for any sized business:

• Get creative: Utilize all the resources social media has to offer. Creativity, backed with the speed at which social media moves, can offer unlimited opportunities.
• Research target markets: Where are you engaging? Different demographics use different social media sites. Make the most of your opportunities by using the right channels for your target audiences.
• Be accessible: Consumers build higher trust margins with businesses they believe to be accessible and transparent.
• Provide information: Followers, friends, consumers and associates are utilizing your social media site to access information. Provide it, it will bring a consistent stream of visitors.
• Be engaging: Talk with your clients, consumers, customers let them know their social media channels are a way to connect.

The evolution of social media reminds me of my favorite quote from Hunter S. Thompson: “buy the ticket, take the ride.” Social media strategy requires commitment, but it’s definitely a ride worth taking.

Let us know what you think! How do you strategize for clients on social media relations? How is your organization using social media?