Tech Forward:

Candace Corlett, new co-chair, is at the podium now. She’s asked some good questions, such as:

How do you get face time? How do you make an impression? How do you find a mentor when you’re working in a virtual environment?

They just introduced panelists Tom Furphy, VP of consumables & AmazonFresh, Amazon.com; Robin Matza, director and Northeast Women’s initiative leader, Deloitte & Touche; Judy Spires, president, Acme Market; and Sheila Stanziale, VP, small format, PepsiCo.

It’s a top-notch roundup, and they’re already cracking jokes and giving serious inside scoops on how their companies are using virtual tools to cut costs and compete in an increasingly virtual world.

Judy Spires just shared that Acme Markets is using video conferencing, and its online grocery delivery service is making it easier for moms to get their vittles in a timely manner without having to leave Junior at home. Spires also just revealed that Acme Markets is going to institute a “no e-mail day” at Acme to make sure people continue to pick up the phone and connect with each other.

Sheila Stanziale of PepsiCo offers some cogent advice: Before you get started in your day-to-day job, make sure you meet key people in person. Take the time to do this. Don’t meet the people for whom you work and stakeholders in the “halo conference room.”

Tom Furphy from Amazon.com mentioned that Amazon does not use video conferencing but rather relies on teleconferencing for the bulk of its virtual needs. He says Amazon finds video conferencing technology too clunky and formal.

I just got a photo op of and an interview with Black Enterprise’s Shon Gables. I’ll be posting the photos via Flickr and the audio interview soon.

She shared some information about what Black Enterprise is up to in terms of leading the pack in an increasingly virtual world. I didn’t realize how diversified it is as an organization–it’s grown since I was on the cover in January 2001.

And, yes, Shon is just as smart in person as she appears on TV. Someone might be writing her content for the show (although she might write it herself, I don’t know) . . . even still, she’s the real deal, folks.

I’m going to be introduced in a minute, so I have to dash. I’ll be back . . .

Well, two possibly new clients and two new speaking invites later, I made it home from the Executing Social Media conference in lovely Pasadena. (I could so totally live there!)

We all had a great time, and what was most important to me, I think, was that all the attendees finally realized that they’re not “losers” for not being fully engaged with social media. There are multibillion-dollar brands that can’t yet use social media effectively, so no one should feel bad.

Social media has such a “keep up with the Joneses” element to it that companies with perfectly good marketing strategies and strong brands sometimes feel like they’re doing a horrible job.

Take that energy and put it into getting started. If you don’t have the resources or interest (or are just too leery) to launch your own social media initiative, use what I call O.P.S. (Other People’s Social) to dip your toe in the water . . . comment on other blogs and connect with people through offering advice and guidance in online communities. Never forget that you have to give to get.

And if you don’t want to be that active, just listen. Set up a Google Alert for your name, the name of your company, products, services and other phrases or unique words associated with your brand. You might even set up a Google Alert for the name of your industry–commercial construction, for example–to find out what’s being said about your industry overall.

The point is to start.

P.S. I’m still trying to get my hands on the social media resistance survey results from the Executing Social Media conference. When they’re uploaded, I’ll link to them. Thanks for your patience.

We’re doing the wrap up for Day One, and we’re all holding hands and singing “Kumbaya.“

No seriously, we are talking about what we all got out of the day; and Chris Heuer made the good point that 10 years later, we’re seeing the predictions in Cluetrain Manifesto come to life.

Heuer also shared a particularly poignant Shel Israel quote, “People usually overestimate the ability to create change in the short term and underestimate their ability to create change in the long term.” Amen to that.

George Wright from Blendtec just said, “Either you’re going to be a big boy and hike your skirt up and do something or you’re not.” Amen to that, too.

And I added to that: “As of now, everyone in this room has the potential to be a leader, and what you do with all this information that you get from this conference is going to separate the true leaders from people who can’t step up and effect change. And as of right now, you can’t say you don’t know about social media. Ignorance is no longer an excuse.”

We also spent a good deal of time talking about risk aversion and managing the legal department and its objections. To which, Jake McKee says, “Legal doesn’t own and operate your company. You do.” You tell ‘em, Jake.

Well, we’re just about to wrap up our last roundtable session, and then we’ll move into the evening cocktail hour–and that means drinks!

I also like the fact that there are some fresh faces speaking at this conference. There are some of the “usual suspects,” but there are also many new people leading roundtables and, as usual, many of the “usual suspects” are trying to take over the conversation from the new leaders. Ahhh, men in social media

Once the social media resistance survey results are released, I’ll let you know. Apparently, there is much interest about the results. I’ve been speaking and live blogging so I haven’t had much time to really look at the results, but when I post them, I’ll be sure to give you my two cents’ worth.

Oh, and did I mention that Jake McKee of Ant’s Eye View is here? The funny thing is, I didn’t know who he was until I went to his website. Then I put two and two together. Jake is a cool guy with a lot of insights about social media. (Isn’t it funny how I know people based on their websites and e-mail addresses? That says a lot about how times have changed.)

Oh, and if you want to check out photos from the conference, visit Flickr.

One of the things I like about small conferences is that they give you the opportunity to have real conversations with people. I mean really connect.

Today we had an awesome keynote from George Wright of Blendtec. You know . . . the brains behind willitblend? He actually blended a garden rake–live in front of us! It was the coolest thing!

But seriously, we are working here. I spoke with one attendee about social media for the Harley Davidson brand; we talked about the benefit in calculating your NetPromoter Score; we heard from Brian Solis, author of Now is Gone (well, I didn’t hear him because I had my own session to lead); and I also led a roundtable about getting social media projects approved by upper management and legal.

We also got a first look at the results of the social media resistance survey, and I’ll be sharing that information later. I can tell you that the results show that larger companies find online video and podcasts particularly helpful. What does that mean to you? If your market consists of large companies, you might want to consider launching a podcast or videocast.

More later. . .

Oh, and P.S. I got to have dinner with my WomanEntrepreneur.com editor, Eve, last night. She’s even cooler in person.

Well, I arrived safely here in Los Angeles to speak at the Executing Social Media conference tomorrow. I could have done without the toddler who screamed all the way from Kansas to Los Angeles, though. Someone should have told her that’s not the kind of social media we mean.

I read on Peter Shankman’s Twitter feed that he’s arrived here, as well. If you don’t know who Peter Shankman is, find out by subscribing to his Help A Reporter Out (HARO) service. It’s real, legitimate, free leads for media coverage. My company has received some great coverage by responding to some of the queries that come through his mailing list–and no, it’s not just tech stuff.

I took a nice walk around Old Town Pasadena today and I really like it. I can live here, but lately I’ve been saying that a lot about everyplace but New York. Hmmm . . . maybe there’s a small change brewing?

Pasadena is great, relaxed and the peeps are really friendly. You can wear flip-flops in just about every fancy restaurant. I collect art and I try to pick up pieces from my travels, so I asked a few local Pasadenans what Pasadena is famous for and they all said the Rose Parade. Soooooo . . . since I missed that, I’ll take a few pictures of the gorgeous architecture and leave it at that. Maybe I’ll have a fewshots framed.

Anyway . . . the conference starts tomorrow. I’ll try to do some live blogging, but I have a session to lead and a roundtable to orchestrate, so I’ll do what I can to keep you informed of what’s going on here.

Stay tuned…

My pals over at WME Books are thinking about creating a conference called Publishing 3.0: Books, Blogs and Beyond, but they want to make sure they develop a conference that people really want to attend.

If you’ve ever wanted to write a book, publish a book you’ve already written, write a blog or use a blog to market your book, then this is the conference for you.

To weigh in on exactly what you want to see, whom you want to speak and when you think the conference should be held, take two minutes and let them know.

Question: How many other conferences ask the participants before they schedule one single session?

Answer: Not many.

So, hop to it.

You know your events are popular when people don’t want to leave the room. That was the scene yesterday as we wrapped up the CfWBR Research to Roadmap symposium.

The facilities crew was literally taking the room down around us as we continued to share ideas and network.

Check out the Center’s live blog site (yes, CfWBR had its own freelance blogger!), which is sponsored by Verizon (had to plug the sponsors!)

I made a comment at the event that I’ll share with you here:

I thank the center for putting money, time and energy toward this research. No other organization had the gumption to nail down sponsors and commit to this process. And because of that, for the first time in 10 years as a business owner and as a woman of color, I feel heard. Thank you, CfWBR.

If you’re not involved with the center in some way, you should be. Reach out to the organization: 202-638-3060, tell  how you can help, ask for the help you need . . . just start talking.  Visit the website. Feel free to use my name or the name of this blog as an introductory point. Just do something . . .

Good grief, I’m tired! But in a good way…

I spent the entire day yesterday in Washington, D.C., attending the Center for Women’s Business Research’s Research to Roadmap event, and I must say it was first class all the way. There’s something about CfWBR events . . . you’re networking, learning about your business, planning for change. You leave physically exhausted, but your cup runneth over with ideas! Amazing. (And I’m not just saying that because I’m on the advisory board!)

Speaking of amazing, the research results are out and I’m absolutely floored. Check it out:

• There are 1.9 million businesses owned by women of color (gosh, I hope they counted my company!).
• Women-of-color-owned companies employ 1.2 million people and;
• Collectively generate $165 billon dollars in revenue (hello, Oprah!)

And, here are some more stats for your noggin:

In the six years between 2002 and 2008, the number of firms owned by women of color increased by 32 percent, the number of employees increased by 27 percent and revenues increased by a whopping 48 percent.

• Women of color-owned businesses make up 26.5 percent of all women businesses.
• Out of all the employees working at women-owned businesses, 15.8 percent of them work at a company owned by a woman of color.
• 15.6 percent of all revenue generated by women-owned businesses come from a business owned by a woman of color.

These numbers finally tell the rich story that I knew all along. Women of color are making money and, more important, we’re making a difference.

I might be able to squeeze in one more blog later, but right now I need to get mic’d up to go on stage and talk about “Indicators of Progress,” Boy did they pick the right person to address that See ya in a few . . .

I promised to get back to some of the answers from the group from Part 2 of this live blogging series from the Center for Women’s Business Research’s symposium, Research to Roadmap here in Washington, D.C.

So here’s what some of the women had to say in answer to the question of what needs to happen to accelerate the growth of businesses owned by women of color:

• Continuing research on women of color who are entrepreneurs;
• Providing educational opportunities on strategic planning;
• Winning government contracts;
• Preparing and understanding financial statement analysis;
• Entrepreneurship itself;
• Changing our perception of ourselves from the inside out;
• Creating lending circles for women; and
• Providing more opportunities for women to interact, engage and get to know each other, as we’re doing at this symposium.

Amen to that.