Arun Rajagopal

Getting to know ‘Age of Conversation’ Authors – 7 May 19, 2007

Hello there! Click here to visit the updated profiles of ALL ‘Age of Conversation’ authors on one page. UPDATED ON 16 JULY 2007.

I’m back with my seventh post in the ‘soon-to-end’ ‘Age of Conversation’ authors series. Have got one more left. I would like to thank Cam Beck, Sean Howard, Roberta Rosenberg, Toby Bloomberg & Tony D. Clark for their kind comments 🙂 Sure Toby, you can be envious of my 43 days off… I just hope I can keep blogging on a regular basis, especially when I get to India for a month in a few days from now. It will be the height of monsoon rains when I get home and I will post snaps of the rains, some trains and a lot of greenery. My blog will then look more like a travel blog… Let the profiles begin…

Mike Sansone from Des Moines, Iowa has got probably one of the most interesting domains on the World Wide Web – www.converstations.com. Nope, it’s not conversations, but ‘converStations’ – a coined word obviously, but one with a lot of meaning. And Mike calls him a ‘conversation conductor’. Mike is an independent business consultant specializing in business blogs and conversational copywriting. His experience in public speaking, sales and marketing, writing, and real-time online communication are strengths Mike relies upon in his role as a Conversation Conductor. Mike’s passion is to build communities – offline and online. He’s taken on many avatars do that – property management, online community programming, volunteerism, and – for a short time – as an assistant pastor at a Baptist church in Maryland. (Interesting that I’m now mentally imagining Mike as a conductor in a symphony leading ‘conversations’ between different ‘players’ and then also as a conductor in a train or bus helping people be a part of the ‘travel experience’ and then as a conductor in physics helping  the conduction of ‘charges’ which also a type of ‘electrical communication’. So there you go, so many meanings from a simple word – conductor.) Wow! Kick in the Caboose????!!! Mike, are you a rail-fan? Paul McEnany is a new media marketing strategist at a Dallas agency, and writes for Beyond Madison Avenue and The Madison Avenue Journal. He is also the greatest advertising human alive today. 🙂

If you were looking for the magician with the key to a box full of fun ideas to stimulate your creativity, look no further. Roger von Oech is an author, inventor, and consultant. He started his company, Creative Think, in 1977 to stimulate creativity in business. He’s probably best known as the author of A Whack on the Side of the Head and the Creative Whack Pack, and, most recently, as the creator of the Ball of Whacks (a set of 30 magnetic design blocks that act as a creative stimulant and mind freshener). Roger has a Ph.D. from Stanford in “History of Ideas;” and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Ohio State. Read his post ‘Think Like a Fool’.

Podcaster-Blogger-Coach Anna Farmery qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG, joined the printing industry as a Financial Controller before being made Managing Director at the ripe old age of 25. She continued in industry with a growing reputation for motivating people, working for FMCG companies. After 20 years of being a Corporate Director – and latterly as a Group HR/Finance Director for a major worldwide brand she decided to establish her own company – The Engaging Brand. The Engaging Brand works with companies both small and major corporations on how to boost profits through motivating their people. She is a regular speaker on areas such as personal and employer branding, motivation and social media. She produces The Engaging Brand podcast and also coaches individuals on how to improve their leadership capabilities. Anna lives every moment like her last & can be the ultimate brand ambassador for iPod.

 “Stop calling yourself a blogger,” proclaims David Armano. A Creative VP at Digitas, David Armano’s personal blog Logic+Emotion exists at the intersection of Marketing, Brand Engagement + Experience Design – where passive consumers become active participants. In his 100^th post, Roger von Oech chose to interview David. His post ‘What makes David Armano tick?’ is the probably the finest piece on the David Armano story.

At his blog ‘One Reader at a Time’, Bob Glaza asks: why not bite off more than you can chew? Bob’s blog is about blogging and building community – learning and growing. He says: I hope one person at a time will find a bit of value. My wanderings stumble onto worthwhile blogs and sites. The reflections and posts focus broadly on imagination, marketing, print media, building community…and baseball. This blog expresses my opinions only. In addition, it expresses opinions of the people behind the links. Any similarity to real life just might be true! Bob has been in the newspaper business for over 20 years. “Technically in circulation and distribution for 19 and Consumer Marketing for the past 2 years.”

Mark Goren worked for 10 years in marketing as a copywriter at several traditional advertising agencies, before learning one sure thing: the traditional advertising model is broken. Mark’s now into new marketing consulting, freelance copywriting, social media advocacy, and anything else that’ll pay for a family of four to see the Habs in person. His marketing consultancy Transmission Content + Creative is designed to help ‘open-minded clients reach their targets in non-conventional, financially friendly ways by cutting out waste and targeting qualified prospects’. Openly. Honestly. Authentically. 

Matt Dickman (Mattanium) is the quintessential technomarketer as well as an interactive marketing strategist, speaker and technology evangelist working at DigiKnow, Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio. Click here for his recent seminal video tour on ‘Web2.0 for marketers: what it means for you’. Though he describes himself as ‘an amateur photographer finding the balance between work and photos’, I recommend a visit to his Flickr Travel snap collection.

The Social Media Marketing Blog is where you find Scott Monty’s perspectives on B2B implications of social media – the convergence of marketing, advertising and PR on the Web – for marketers, agencies and companies. Scott is currently Relationship Director & Consigliere at crayon, LLC plus Writer/Content Developer/Strategist at The Social Media Marketing Blog & The Baker Street Blog. He has also served time as Account Director at PJA Advertising & Marketing. A ‘benevolent idealist’ according to his DNA type, Scott is one of the most passionate online canons of Sherlock Holmes giving us what the world really needs: a blog about the world of Sherlock Holmes. 

Richard Huntington is a planner by trade and the former planning director of both HHCL and United London. Over the years he has made rodeo sexy, produced food porn for Diet Tango, helped men confront their fear of the phone, got the frozen retailer Iceland to care about food issues and had his last Tango ad banned for encouraging bullying. More recently he was busy making Sky more appealing to digital refusniks and doing serious harm to the ad industry by popularising their DVR, Sky+. He is on the management committee of the Account Planning Group in the UK and the Chair of Judges for the APG Creative Strategy Awards as well as a member of the IPA Strategy Group. He blogs at adliterate where he provides radical thinking for the brand advice business. It aims to be deliberately provocative with radical views and sets itself against orthodoxy in any form. The modern-day agent provocateur. Neat. 

Getting to know ‘Age of Conversation’ Authors – 6 May 17, 2007

Hello there! Click here to visit the updated profiles of ALL ‘Age of Conversation’ authors on one page. UPDATED ON 16 JULY 2007.

The weekend’s here in Muscat and I managed to squeeze in some time today to profile some of the participants of the ‘Age of Conversation’ e-book project. I’ve just got a couple left now! And oh yeah, my annual vacation has just started… 43 days where I’ll be away from work. But I will hold on to blogging, and all I can tell you now is that there will be so much to look forward on this blog in the days to come. On with the show!

At ChaosScenario, Cam Beck (aka Cameron Beck), along with a motley crew of online media specialists, provides information, insight and commentary on the chaos that marketers are facing as the forces of technology, consumer apathy and marketing integration shape our world. Cam has spent his career looking for easier ways of doing things. As an information architect and content specialist for Click Here, the interactive unit of The Richards Group, Cam takes full advantage of troubleshooting skills developed over 14 years in to create an easily understandable, highly usable interactive land of milk and honey. He’s got a personal blog here (comes with some powerful commentary on US Government, politics and military), and let me share some insider dope: Cam is an ex-Marine, having worked as a Electronic Switching Equipment Technician with the US Marine Corps for over 8 years, and is the Webmaster for and Chief Operating Officer of OO-RAH.com, a unique company dedicated to helping United States Marines and their families flourish. Read this post on the origin of OO-RAH, the spirited cry of the US Marines. Way to go, champ!

At ‘My 2 Cents’, P.R. veteran David Reich muses on marketing, media, public relations… and life. David says: After 30+ years in this business, I still look forward to going to work. Rarely are two days the same, and the challenges are varied and stimulating. Before founding his own business, Reich Communications, Inc. in 1990, David worked in senior roles at Manning, Selvage & Lee and The Rowland Company. David lives in southern Westchester, 15 miles north of midtown Manhattan, in the same town where he grew up. “Money-earnin’ Mount Vernon” is how the town is now known, as a center of hip-hop culture, but it also claims as native sons Denzel Washington, Dick Clark, author e.b. White, Art Carney, Art Buchwald and Sean “P-Diddy” Combs. David plays an active role in his community’s civic and school affairs and has served as a pro-bono public relations consultant to two mayors and the city comptroller. If he were not a P.R. man, David would have been an all-night Jazz DJ. (After all, he’s co-hosted a jazz show with the master horror filmmaker Wes Craven, for a semester at college.)

Luc is a man who wears many hats – marketing communication specialist and film producer, head of TV for an international advertising agency, managing director of small size company and so on. He is always on the lookout for: new challenges (!) – strategic planning – innovation – technology – state-of-the-art – cutting edge – pioneering processes – project research and development. The title of his chapter in the ‘Age of Conversation’ e-book is : “The Dawn of Shared Consciousness” and it floats around evolution and revolution. His blog Mindblob is nominated for 3 categories on Blogger’s Choice Awards: Best Blog Design, Best Marketing Blog & Best Blog about Stuff. At the moment, he’s probably having a ball holidaying in South of France.

Sean Howard’s blog is titled… CrapHammer. Prone to addiction ofcoffee, gadgets, software, cats, ideas and exploration, Sean’s currently a partner in spinglobe inc., a word of mouth, viral and social networking digital communications firm in Canada. His interests include ultimate frisbee, philosophy, gadgets, cats, and anything resembling ultimate frisbee. Sean blogs on Social Media, Social Networking, Viral / Word of Mouth & Web 2. His LinkedIn summary reads: Hacker turned Juggler; Brief foray into 3D special effects and Animation; Web Developer in the early standard war years; VP at a dying CD shop; Partner in an Interactive Agency; on to a Senior Strategist at ICE; finally Head Banana at spinglobe inc.

Tim Jackson is a ‘life-long, dyed in the wool jersey bicycle geek’ who is now living out a dream as the Brand Manager of the bike he lusted after since he was 12 years old; Masi Bicycles. In Jim’s own words: If you ever saw the movie ‘Breaking Away’, then you probably recognize the name Masi as the bike ridden by the movie’s hero Dave. Since seeing that movie in 1982, I have been a compulsive bike geek with little hope of salvation. Tim’s blog is the ultimate journey to a bike geek land. Happy ridin’ buddy! Oh yeah, did I tell you? Tim’s daughter Katie is on the blogosphere too… Katie’s a bright creative genius, philosopher & kindergartner whose blog you must visit.

Patrick Schaber is a Marketing Manager at Transition Networks, B2B manufacturer of networking hardware products in Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area. His blog is titled ‘The Lonely Marketer – a discussion for the small business marketing manager’ and serves all those with great marketing ideas, limited time and budget, and only a small crowd to hear you present your thoughts. Patrick believes that a small company Marketing Manager has an exciting position – maintaining a consistent marketing plan while expanding boundaries into new and unchartered territories. And the Lonely Marketer serves his purpose of writing about and generating discussions on a variety of current marketing trends for such marketing professionals.

‘The Copywriting Maven’ is the ultimate online epository of direct response marketing & SEO copywriting tips, techniques and reviews of incredibly useful resources for professional and aspiring marketing copywriters. And that just about makes Roberta Rosenberg the ultimate copywriting diva on the blogosphere. Click here to read her “elevator speech” about who she is and her experience. And what makes her so special for young writers such as myself: her need to share her knowledge. Here’s my high-five for you, lady. Tony D. Clark his home at ‘Success from the Nest’, a resourceful yet entertaining blog that offers inspiration, tips and advice for the home-based entrepreneur and those aspiring to one – laced with humor and cartoons. Being a work-from-home parent himself, Tony has given advice, shared resources, and helped others who are interested in working from home. When it comes to work, he is…an entrepreneur, artist, writer, and designer. He is also the founder and partner of EfficiencyLab, LLC – a software and Website renovation company and a regular contributor to lifehack.org – a productivity and personal development blog. And the cartoonist for Implementing Scrum – a site designed to help software teams with the methodology. Tony lives in North Carolina with his wife, 3 daughters, and a dog.

At ‘Todd And – The Power To Connect’, Todd Andrlik blogs at the very serious yet often comical crossroads of marketing and media. Todd says that the power to connect is vital in today’s global economy and broadband society. In addition to ‘Todd And’, he’s also a contributor to Forward, a blog providing career development and professional perspective for students and young PR professionals. Todd has spent several years working for global PR firms, including a four-year term at Weber Shandwick, before taking up his current position as director of marketing and PR for one of the largest construction firms in the US. Tony and his wife are parents to an eight-pound Silky Terrier, Wrigley. He enjoys European travel and improvisational comedy. In 2004, Todd retired from his improv troupe after 14 years of performing.

Uwe Hook is Director, Interactive Marketing Strategy at Genex, a full-service digital agency in California. Uwe has over 15 years of creative advertising, marketing, strategic planning and client experience, coupled with 10 years of online media experience. His blog’s where ‘Real Life 1.0 meets Web 2.0’. His Interests: Anything. Except Professional Darts. Click here to check out his profile at AdGabber. Or click here to read his articles on imediaconnection.

Here’s the scoop on social media marketing expert Toby Bloomberg. A native of Boston who found her way to to Atlanta. Over 15-years experience in marketing. Hooked on potential of the Internet in ’97. Always reseach-based. National speaker and facilitator of Social Media Marketing and traditional marketing topics for organizations like the American Marketing Association, the Olympic Organizing Committee and SCORE. “Other life” includes serving on boards of the American Marketing Association, the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association. Has most fun chairing the American Marketing Association’s online communities and being moderator of Internet/eCom SIG. Blogspeak: Diva Marketing is a state of mind. It’s an approach to marketing that’s fun, bold and savvy … but always strategically aligned with your brand’s objective. Steve Woodruff is Founder of StickyFigure, a consultancy that provides ‘sticky’ creative branding, identity, and market strategy services. Steve is a complusive lover of effective communications and can’t help thinking about more impactful logos, taglines, and market strategies. Steve led sales, marketing, and business development efforts for two decades in the healthcare field before launching StickyFigure and a consulting business on pharma sales training. Steve describes himself as ‘an unusual hybrid of conceptualizer, strategist, analyst, wordsmith, semi-techie, and all-around nice guy.’ Except when there’s bad coffee or lousy wine. Steve also writes as a contributor at the Small Business Branding blog, has been interviewed as an industry expert by TheStreet.com, recently launched the Marketing Bloggers Portal, and is working with other marketing bloggers on some new collaborative initiatives.Steve’s chapter in the ‘Age of Conversation’ e-book is titled ‘The Lowered Fence of Collaboration’.

Steve Bannister is a speaker, coach and educator from Canada who uses high-energy customized programs to empower people and organizations to get results. A ‘positive change catalyst’, Steve motivates people and organizations on how to get from planning to performance. An expert communicator and motivator for 20 years, Steve has a Masters in Education specializing in Teaching & Learning and is certified as a Professional Speaker with the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS). Click here to read his article ‘The Secrets of Effective Decision-Making’.

Steve Roesler is the guy behind ‘All Things Workplace’, a blog on ‘Life at the intersection of people and work. . . for executives, leaders, employees, and their consultants’. Married to “B”,  Steve and his better half live 20 miles from Philadelphia in a tranquil, wooded area surrounded by lakes. Steve incorporated the Organization Effectiveness firm Roesler Group in 1977, specializing in communication training and development with an emphasis on improving systems, relationships, and large-scale change. He has spent lengths of time developing up-and-coming managers in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. He has also served as a Drill Instructor in the Army, musician and singer, and has been involved in broadcasting for more than 30 years. He has attended various institutes for the study of human behavior, but believes that none of them equals a single day’s education watching people at an airport check-in line.

Profiles of ‘Age of Conversation’ authors: Stanley Johnson, Spike Jones, Nathan Snell, Simon Payn, Ryan Rasmussen, Ron Shevlin, Roger Anderson, Bob Hruzek, Rishi Desai, Phil Gerbyshak, Peter Corbett & Pete Deutschman.

Profiles of ‘Age of Conversation’ authors: Nick Rice, Nick Wright, Mitch Joel, Michael Morton, Mark Earls, Mark Blair, Mario Vellandi, Lori Magno, Kristin Gorski, Krishna De, Kris Hoet, Kofl Annan & Kimberly Dawn Wells. 

Profiles of ‘Age of Conversation’ authors: Karl Long, Julie Fleischer, Jordan Behan, John La Grou, Joe Raasch, Jim Kukral, Jessica Hagy, Janet Green, Jamey Shiels, Dr. Graham Hill, Gia Facchini & Geert Desager.

Profiles of ‘Age of Conversation’ authors: Gaurav Mishra, Gary Schoeniger, Gareth Kay, Faris Yakob, Emily Clasper, Ed Cotton, Dustin Jacobsen, Tom Clifford, David Pollinchock, David Koopmans, David Brazeal, David Berkowitz & Carolyn Manning. 

Profiles of ‘Age of Conversation’ authors: Craig Wilson, Cord Silverstein, Connie Reece, Colin McKay, Chris Corrigan, Cedric Giorgi, Becky Carroll, Andy Nulman, Amy Jussel, Kim Klaver, Sandy Renshaw, Susan Bird, Ryan Barrett & Troy Worman.

Getting to know ‘Age of Conversation’ Authors – 5 May 13, 2007

Hello there! Click here to visit the updated profiles of ALL ‘Age of Conversation’ authors on one page. UPDATED ON 16 JULY 2007.

I’m still at profiling the ‘Age of Conversation’ authors. Behold today’s picks:
At Brand DNA, Stanley Johnson aka Stan Lee takes us to the weird and wonderful world of brands and communication. He is employed in the media / communications industry as a ‘creative problem solver’. I like his short blog posts & his pithy commentary on the latest brandcom buzz .

Copywriter Spike Jones is also the ‘Firestarter’, the official ‘voice’ and the ‘New Business Hound’ of Brains on Fire, a national naming and identity company based in Greenville, South Carolina. Spike holds a double major in Environmental Studies & Journalism and is also an experienced cattle ranch hand. Spike comes from the Lone Star state, where he was born and raised. Spike considers BMW the ultimate driving machine (he writes copy for BMW Manufacturing btw), and I hope BMW pays heed to his roundel request. (BOF’s got such a cool website too.)

Nathan Snell blogs on Giddlebits. Originally from CA, Nathan lives in NC. Nathan’s currently a junior in the entrepreneurship & business development program at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington. He’s been involved in internet marketing, design, web development, CRM implementation for small business, training for said implementation, mutual fund analysis, game design, I.T. work, lead event media & more. And he likes long walks… on the beach…

Writer, editor and marketing consultant Simon Payn is the go-to guy if you want to discover how powerful customer newsletters can benefit your business. Simon believes that newsletters are so powerful that every business should have one. That’s one reason he gives one free away at Ready to Go Newsletters. With 13 years’ experience at all levels in magazines and newspapers, and a successful 7 years developing and managing the content of continental Europe’s leading online English-language publisher, Simon can help you achieve your editorial and marketing aims – in print and on the web.

Based in Chicago, Ryan Rasmussen is Director of Social Media Engagement and Research at Levenger, a company that manufactures high-quality planning and organizer materials including stationery. As a part of his job, Ryan researches emergent social communication networks and engages communities to elicit co-creation of new products and services. In addition to speaking with customers in blogs and community forums, he uses services like Flickr, Twitter, Blip.Tv, and interactive virtual environments, like Second Life, to cooperatively redefine brand experiences. Collaborative Ideation is a tumblelog he uses to synthesize voice and perspective for the various social networks within which he experiments. Ryan-speak: I’m here to listen, learn, and participate in discussions about organization and creativity.

Ron Shevlin is VP of Marketing at Epsilon in Wakefield, MA. Prior to joining Epsilon in April 2006, he spent nine years at Forrester Research where he was a Research Director and Principal Analyst of the Financial Services team, and led Forrester’s consumer research efforts in financial services. He has set 3 objectives for his blog: 1) Help marketers succeed. 2) Make marketers smile. 3) Enter into new conversations. To achieve  any or all three of the above objectives, please visit his blog! Read his post How To Give A Great Presentation (In Nine Words).

Roger Anderson is a Scientist, Entrepreneur, Evangelist, CEO, Consultant, and Author. After obtaining his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Caltech in 1996, he has been on the business side of science. He has experience in three previous start-ups, twice serving as CEO a combined 6 years. Dr. Anderson has also served as a consultant to dozens of companies in the laboratory reagents and diagnostics markets.

He is the first person in the whole wide blogosphere to link to me. A native of Houston, he has worked as a (among other things) Fuller Brush salesman, carpenter’s helper, piping designer, Y2K consultant, management consultant, and a mechanical engineer. These days, he is enjoying his current job as a project manager for a large engineering firm. He’s moved at least 60 times since marriage and took over 20 years to complete his first degree, but then went on to complete his Master’s in Engineering Management and a Doctorate in Business Administration to round-off things!!! (Both exceedingly rewarding experiences according to him.) His blog Middle Zone Musings is where you go to have a good time and participate in the occasional literary contest that brings bloggers from the world together. Three cheers for Bob Hruzek.

Design and Management student at Parsons School of Design, New York, Rishi Desai’s blog ‘Gumptious Design’ is a simple, austere yet intense intersection of design and society. Rishi is the Founder and Chairperson of the Parsons Sustainable Design Review that aims to foster and encourage awareness of the social, artistic, and design-based sustainable solutions to the dynamic challenges presented to students at Parsons University.

Phil Gerbyshak is a writer, motivational speaker, helpful guy, blogger, and lifelong learner. He is the president of  the Professional Help Desk Association, works as a Help Desk Manager at a financial services firm in Milwaukee, WI, a prolific blogger, and an overall great guy who enjoys spending time with his wife and his friends, and is willing to help you Make it Great! He is also the author of the book ‘10 Ways to Make It Great!’

Peter Corbett blogs on ‘Advercation = Advertising + Education’ and is Manager, Marketing Services at Blattner Brunner, a leading full-service ad agency with offices in Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Washington D.C . Pete’s interests include interactive advertising, interactive guerrilla marketing, integrated marketing, international content licensing and social media. He received an ‘Excellence in Volunteer Service Award’ (2003) from Former President Jimmy Carter in 2003.

Pete Deutschman is the Chief Buddy and Founder at the Buddy Group, an interactive creative agency based in Lake Forest, California that uses the ‘Buddy Up!’ spirit  to bring in trust, camaraderie, heat, energy and fun while creating compelling online brand communciations for clients such as eBay, Washington Mutual, AOL, Reebok, Hansen Beverage Company and Warner Brothers. Pete’s interests are: Youth and Entertainment, Viral Marketing, Rich Media, Interactive, Online Creative, Application Development, Promotions, Live Entertainment & Interactive Video. He has worked in commercial theater and earnt his MFA in Theater Management from Columbia University School of the Arts.

Profiles of ‘Age of Conversation’ authors: Nick Rice, Nick Wright, Mitch Joel, Michael Morton, Mark Earls, Mark Blair, Mario Vellandi, Lori Magno, Kristin Gorski, Krishna De, Kris Hoet, Kofl Annan & Kimberly Dawn Wells. 

Profiles of ‘Age of Conversation’ authors: Karl Long, Julie Fleischer, Jordan Behan, John La Grou, Joe Raasch, Jim Kukral, Jessica Hagy, Janet Green, Jamey Shiels, Dr. Graham Hill, Gia Facchini & Geert Desager.

Profiles of ‘Age of Conversation’ authors: Gaurav Mishra, Gary Schoeniger, Gareth Kay, Faris Yakob, Emily Clasper, Ed Cotton, Dustin Jacobsen, Tom Clifford, David Pollinchock, David Koopmans, David Brazeal, David Berkowitz & Carolyn Manning.

 Profiles of ‘Age of Conversation’ authors: Craig Wilson, Cord Silverstein, Connie Reece, Colin McKay, Chris Corrigan, Cedric Giorgi, Becky Carroll, Andy Nulman, Amy Jussel, Kim Klaver, Sandy Renshaw, Susan Bird, Ryan Barrett & Troy Worman.

Getting to know ‘Age of Conversation’ Authors – 4 May 10, 2007

Hello there! Click here to visit the updated profiles of ALL ‘Age of Conversation’ authors on one page. UPDATED ON 16 JULY 2007.

Heyall: I’m back with more interesting bios of the ‘Age of Conversation’ writers: Nick Rice, Nick Wright, Mitch Joel, Michael Morton, Mark Earls, Mark Blair, Mario Vellandi, Lori Magno, Kristin Gorski, Krishna De, Kris Hoet, Kofi Annan & Kimberly Dawn Wells.

Let me specially thank Drew McLellan, Kris Hoet, Scott Monty, Gavin Heaton, C.B. Whittemore, and Lewis Green for their very kind words of encouragement and appreciation. Thank you. Enjoy this post!

Nick Rice is an accomplished marketing consultant based at Lexington, Kentucky having rendered marketing and advertising advice to global businesses and small organizations over a decade. In his present avatar, he is responsible for Account Strategy and New Business Development at Cre8tive Group, an organization that creates ‘cause communication for social innovators’. Cre8tive Group works with cause-driven organizations that struggle with awareness and stakeholder commitments. Here are two things that differentiate CG from a typical marketing communications firm – they only work with eight clients at a time and donate 10% of profits to a non-profit foundation that tells the stories of cause-driven firms who cannot afford their services. In addition to writing Strategic Design, a Top 150 Marketing blog, he is an Expert Blogger for the Fast Company magazine and writes for SmallBusinessBranding.com. His chapter in the ‘Age of Conversation’ book is entitled, “Authenticity-based Branding”. Click here to read Nick’s article – 5 Steps to Join the Conversation Economy.
(Full-marks to Cre8tive Group for an effective website that captures their brand essence exceptionally well.)

Nick Wright is a Freelance Research Consultant from London who blogs about Vir(tu)al Marketing and Media – How is social media affecting the world of advertising?. He says: I blog because I enjoy it and can’t hear enough about the latest Web 2.0 marketing trends. I’m always trying to find the best, most creative solutions for the problems clients face in regards to Social Media today. I find his blog loaded with rich nuggets of knowledge on Web 2.0, viral marketing, user-generated advertising, social media & mobile video.

Perpetually dressed in shades of black, Mitch Joel started off as a rock music writer. Called “Canada’s Rock Star of Digital Marketing” by Marketing Magazine, Mitch Joel, 35, is President of Twist Image, a Digital Marketing agency & a marketing and communications visionary, interactive expert, community leader, freelance journalist, Blogger, Podcaster and believer in doing the impossible. But mostly, Mitch is a passionate entrepreneur and speaker who connects with people worldwide by sharing his communications insights, marketing strategies and commitment to building a better community. He has recently completed 50 episodes of his marketing podcast Six Pixels of Separation – The Twist Image Podcast. His other blog ‘Foreword Thinking’ discusses today’s top business and motivational books. He is presently writing his first book, Six Pixels of Separation – How Marketing Connects in a World Where We’re All Connected. Mitch also co-launched Distort Entertainment, the only hard music label in Canada to have major label distribution (Universal Music) and whose roster features the platinum-plus and Juno Award and MuchMusic-winning acts, Alexisonfire and City And Colour. He’s on Second Life as Mitch Till. Wow!

Michael Morton brings in oodles of energy and professionalism not only into his office, but also into his blog – Marketing Monster. He believes that knowledge is power, that leadership trumps management, that customers are more influential that advertisements, that content is king, that two heads are better than one, and that he’s a darn good marketer. He says that Marketing is fun as you must always learn new tactics and technologies to make marketing worthwhile to your company. Currently, he’s a marketing associate for Inventory Locator Service, a Memphis-based business-to-business Internet company with thousands of clients across the world while pursuing a Masters degree in PR. He enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and swimming. (Mike, I’m hooked onto the Nintendo Wii after reading your post. Quite the consummate marketer you are!)

Mark Earls leads the ‘Herd’ – a journey that aims to expose the hidden truth about who we are. He is a proponent of the Herd theory – an alternative view of human nature that suggests we do what we do largely because of the influence of other people. Mark has worked for most of his working life in advertising and communications as an account planner – at agencies like St Luke’s, BMP and Ogilvy. Mark says: My only intent is to make things better by making our thinking about things better – a lot of the time our thinking is quite lazy. I don’t have all the answers – never would pretend to – but by engaging folk in thinking about our assumptions has always helped my thinking (and I hope theirs) be better, clearer and more effective… I’ve now written my third book or second-and-a-half. I’m passionate about many things. And I’ve given up the day job to make more time for Herd and these other things. Because frankly life is too short. His interests are: Creativity, Music, Marketing, Advertising, Psychology, Econophysics, Neuroscience, Sociology, Art, Cooking, Cricket, Fishing, Diving, Spirituality & Changing the world.

Mark Blair is a coffee guzzling (just like me!!!), web-developing sociologist from Sonoma County, California. He’s been following the growth of social media since the late 80’s and obtained his degree in Sociology from Sonoma State University in the early 90’s. From there, he went on to co-found Pacific Web, a web development company with a special emphasis on building community-oriented websites. Mark’s SMO Blog is an exciting safari into the jungles of Social Media Optimization and Marketing. He continues to do consulting, development and marketing for select clients under the banner of Blairworks. You might also be interested in his website optimization blog, where he shares valuable tips on how to better optimize your website in general.

Mario Vellandi shares his latest thoughts on the world of business and design at Melodies in Marketing. Mario says about his work: I do graphic and interactive design for small businesses, on some days. Basic marketing consulting and giving referrals on other days. Lastly I’m on a self-study personal MBA program. Mario is also involved in Volunteer OC, as the Community Manager for a local nonprofit group. His topic for ‘The Conversation Age’ is Collective Intelligence. And I think The Spirit of Paris is his best snap in his Flickr album. Wait, I like the Sacre Coeur too.

Lori Magno describes herself as an Audi driving, Mac using, doppio drinking, (mostly) Red Sox loving liberal. Based in Boston, Mrs. Magno’s interests include jewelry design, precious metal, clay, gemstones, 60s California pop music & Noir films. Lori is an accomplished fashion designer / jeweler who sells ‘accessories for stylish living’. Visit her shop Moda di Magno. She’s the livewire at Moda di Magno, a blog started with a simple goal of presenting her take on handmade jewelry, metal arts and design. And along the way it has wandered into politics, the Boston Red Sox, a category called WTF and lots of marketing news. She also blogs at The Digital Hive, the “official blog” of Digitas, Boston, that brings the world of marketing, advertising, social media and active branding to life in one place. Her chapter in the ‘Age of Conversation’ book is entitled “Speak to me TJX” where she ponders on what has happened to the deep and abiding relationship she’s had with TJX, the largest apparel and home fashions off-price retailer in the U.S. and worldwide. I’ll be back at the Moda di Magno soon.

Kristin Gorski is a freelance writer, editor, copyeditor and proofreader who blogs about anything and everything to do with the written word. Join her on her wordy quest through life at her blog ‘Write now is good’. Back in the days, Kristin was a college-radio disc jockey and music director. It’s May 2007, and she’s involved in some very exciting projects. Apart from her recent contribution to “The Age of Conversation”, she’s presently working a journalism endeavor called “Assignment Zero: Adventures in Pro-Am Journalism”, which is supported by Wired Magazine; researching “crowdsourced novels”; blogging on occasion for PSFK, an inspiring blog about ideas, trends, and culture; and finished her second novel’s first draft, apart from regular freelance writing and editing assignments. Prolific, I say.

Krishna De is an international broadcaster, journalist, professional speaker and business development mentor and the Managing Director of Oneocean Ltd, a business strategy and development consultancy for professional services firms, and is Ireland’s leading Personal Branding Strategist. She was the youngest person and first ever female to be appointed to the board of Guinness Ireland. She is also the host of Biz Growth Live, Europe’s leading virtual branding and business development programme for corporate leaders.

Kris Hoet has written a few thoughtful words on my humble profiling project. Thank you Kris! It means a lot. Moreover, this feedback is very encouraging for a young blogger like me who is otherwise content to write about movies in Oman and travel in India. Kris is a colleague of Geert Desager, who I’d profiled in Getting to know ‘Age of Conversation’ Authors – 3. Kris studied Communications Management in Antwerp, Belgium. After a 7 year online marketing stint at Kinepolis.com, he joined Microsoft MSN where he has been the Consumer Marketing Manager for MSN/Windows Live in
Belgium for 1½ years and is now Consumer Marketing Manager on the EMEA team. You will find him these days in the Microsoft offices working on all the new Windows Live services. I think Kris’ idea of creating a map to highlight the locations of the contributors of the ‘Conversation Age’ is quite exciting & will highlight the global aspect of this project. Actually your comment has had me thinking… firstly, the e-book has done a terrific job of creating this super-club of conversationalists, and now with my little profiling endeavor, people are getting to know each other better… and now we need to think on how we can as a collective group work together on more such endeavors… I’m sure Drew and Gavin will be mulling the same. (I’ll be reaching Luc soon to complete my profiling of the triple ace ‘Belgian’ club. I can’t wait. 🙂 )

In a rapidly changing world, the African influence is often overlooked. From Sydney to Sao Paulo there are individuals who are helping shape a new image of Africa. Kofi Annan’s Annansi Chronicles reports on the styles and trends which are ushering in a contemporary definition of Africa. He also profiles Africans who are making an impact in the world we live in. A Ghanaian fashion designer and strategist (cultural trends, marketing, branding) who specializes in the emerging African market, Kofi is the principal of Annansi LLC a consultancy which produces both Annansi Chronicles and Annansi Clothing Co., a premium streetwear clothing line. Annansi LLC’s goal is Makin’ Africa Pop(ular)!™.  Read Kofi’s Interview on “Bling is Dead”. Here’s to Kofi’s mission – Afrique C’est Chic” (Africa is Cool).

“Like anything worth writing, it came inexplicably and without method.” Kimberly Dawn Wells from Medford, Wisconsin is an individual with many qualities and who’s into – everything! She is the Editor of the SquidU Review for Squidoo.com, the Topic Editor for Suite101.com and current Resources for Writers Topic Editor, and currently owns a variety of CafePress shops. She “retired” from her 8 year career as a web designer in March, 2005 and has been writing full-time ever since. She currently has a contract out for three non-fiction (real life) books and is working on about 20 different fiction (made up) books. She’s enjoys fighting flames… she joined the Medford Area Fire Department in August, 2004 and says it’s a blast to be a firefighter. She’s musical – she’s been playing the piano since she was 5, violin since she was 8, drums since she was 14 and many more instruments. She’s also an ‘unnatural’ redhead, born on June 23^rd (a day after me), draws cartoons, collects snowmen, digs the color red and abstract art, roots for the Detroit Red Wings, and is 24 years old. Touché. And this is how her brain works.

Profiles of ‘Age of Conversation’ authors: Karl Long, Julie Fleischer, Jordan Behan, John La Grou, Joe Raasch, Jim Kukral, Jessica Hagy, Janet Green, Jamey Shiels, Dr. Graham Hill, Gia Facchini & Geert Desager.

Profiles of ‘Age of Conversation’ authors: Gaurav Mishra, Gary Schoeniger, Gareth Kay, Faris Yakob, Emily Clasper, Ed Cotton, Dustin Jacobsen, Tom Clifford, David Pollinchock, David Koopmans, David Brazeal, David Berkowitz & Carolyn Manning.

Profiles of ‘Age of Conversation’ authors: Craig Wilson, Cord Silverstein, Connie Reece, Colin McKay, Chris Corrigan, Cedric Giorgi, Becky Carroll, Andy Nulman, Amy Jussel, Kim Klaver, Sandy Renshaw, Susan Bird, Ryan Barrett & Troy Worman.