Grace Boyle
Business Manager at www.Lijit.com. Blogger. Wanderluster. ENFP. Italian. Foodie Blogger. Responsible Hedonist. Currently residing in Boulder, CO.
Updates
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Skimlinks Downplays Pinterest's Affiliate Link Practice http://t.co/6XFZ1AMB via @marketingland
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Sitting in my hotel lobby while "I think I'm going to like it here," song from Annie is blasting. Hm. Interesting choice in song...3 hours ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato (Valentine's Day!) Soup http://t.co/3qW73a1m via @nicoleisbetter. So cute!
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Marketers Who Share Content Drive Traffic, Gain Customers [INFOGRAPHIC] http://t.co/CH7Asfhb RT @mashable
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@JackieMPearce Yeah, it's fun. You can send http://t.co/mteHILf8 anywhere socially (and they're Colorado local). Love the app.8 hours ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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Aw @jlvorhaus @jrmoreau @katmaund! Road Warrior indeed. San Diego --> Portland, OR next. Love to you all.8 hours ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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A pretty place for lunch over the ocean #oms12 http://t.co/8pGXL17N
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@daveburdick @picnik Big bummer. Google+ has similar editing tools now and I've been trying http://t.co/LZPVqdUl + http://t.co/LZPVqdUl.27 hours ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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RT @James_A_Martin @Chrisbaggott #OMS12 @Chrisbaggott: Blogs have 16% CTR compared to 1.6% for average web site.27 hours ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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I will miss you @picnik :( You've always been the best. And how classy, you refund us all no matter what for the year.27 hours ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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New on the @Gnip blog: Top 5 Most Talked About Super Bowl Commercials on Social Media http://t.co/jH7DwBYs Beckham goes far on social media!28 hours ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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Nice to meet you today at #OMS12 @AmyKauffman!28 hours ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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@eplastino @jrmoreau Haha - truth.29 hours ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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@KatMaund As I walked by a lightbulb went on and I remembered their sister restaurant here. Good memories!31 hours ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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Day two. Saaandiaago. http://t.co/UsyJSbn9
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I've been to their Florence location! iPad wine list. (@ Acqua al 2 Ristorante w/ @pescatello) [pic]: http://t.co/tA7AGvKo
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Ask yourself is my content advancing the buyers journey? -Joe Chernov #OMS12 #contentmarketing
Posts
And the lion’s roar, the lion’s roar
Is something that I have heard before
A chirldren’s tale the lonesome wail of a lion’s roar
Love this song / video.
I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.
Death is certain, replacing both the siren-song of Paradise and the dread of Hell. Life on this earth, with all its mystery and beauty and pain, is then to be lived far more intensely: we stumble and get up, we are sad, confident, insecure, feel loneliness and joy and love. There is nothing more; but I want nothing more.
- Me: What do you do when you like a boy?
- Sister: You tell him.
- Me: And if he doesn't like you?
- Sister: You kill him.
This is the thing: When you hit 28 or 30, everything begins to divide. You can see very clearly two kinds of people. On one side, people who have used their 20s to learn and grow, to find … themselves and their dreams, people who know what works and what doesn’t, who have pushed through to become real live adults. Then there’s the other kind, who are hanging onto college, or high school even, with all their might. They’ve stayed in jobs they hate, because they’re too scared to get another one. They’ve stayed with men or women who are good but not great, because they don’t want to be lonely. … they mean to develop intimate friendships, they mean to stop drinking like life is one big frat party. But they don’t do those things, so they live in an extended adolescence, no closer to adulthood than when they graduated.
Don’t be like that. Don’t get stuck. Move, travel, take a class, take a risk. There is a season for wildness and a season for settledness, and this is neither. This season is about becoming. Don’t lose yourself at happy hour, but don’t lose yourself on the corporate ladder either. Stop every once in a while and go out to coffee or climb in bed with your journal.
Ask yourself some good questions like: “Am I proud of the life I’m living? What have I tried this month? … Do the people I’m spending time with give me life, or make me feel small? Is there any brokenness in my life that’s keeping me from moving forward?”
Now is your time. Walk closely with people you love, and with people who believe … life is a grand adventure. Don’t get stuck in the past, and don’t try to fast-forward yourself into a future you haven’t yet earned. Give today all the love and intensity and courage you can, and keep traveling honestly along life’s path.
(via Diana : megburns : haygirlhay : luciwithani)
Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.
Can this be in my living room?
I love this image! Who ever said we have to stop at Plan B? Life and big goals are always changing…we have so many more opportunities than we realize to learn, adjust, try, fail, get…
Love this. Great reminder.
Audio
Profile
Summary
By running two successful, award-winning blogs alongside my career, I effortlessly understand how to use social media, content marketing and writing to create effective brand engagement and growth.
Since 2008 I have worked with online publishers in the digital media industry at Lijit (served as team lead and grew the network over 5,000%) and now at the beginning of Kapost's growth.
Currently, as the Director of Marketing and Sales for Kapost, an online startup in Boulder, CO I run our marketing, public relations, social media, customer service, retention, account management, sales and network growth.
Experience
- May 2011 - PresentDirector of Marketing and Sales / KapostBuilding and running the marketing and sales department at Kapost, a 2010 TechStars company.
The Kapost Content Marketing platform enables companies to produce more compelling content, grow traffic and sales all with less effort. - Aug 2008 - PresentFounder/Blogger / Small Hands Big Ideas & Grace(full) PlateI have been blogging since 2008 and have been featured in numerous publications across the web, awarded as a top blogger for Gen Y and entrepreneurs, and have been invited to present or speak on panels at blogging conferences.
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Grace(full) Plate covers and reviews restaurants, culinary events, recipes, cooking and features companies in the food industry. I also run and manage: http://www.facebook.com/boulderfoodnews. - Feb 2011 - May 2011Business Manager / Lijit Networks, Inc. (acquired by Federated Media)After leading the recruiting efforts at Lijit for over 2 years, I was promoted to Business Manager in February 2011 to directly manage and guide Lijit's new, strategic inside sales team (Publisher Development Group).
Helped lead and build the hiring, training and new operational workflow for over 15 new hires to help actively grow Lijit's network and sales efforts. - Aug 2008 - Feb 2011Publisher Services Manager / Lijit Networks, Inc. (acquired by Federated Media)-Served as team lead to recruit online publishers and grow Lijit's network of users.
-Community evangelist.
-Managed Lijit's social media outlets (Twitter, Company Blog and Facebook).
-Guided publisher-to-product feedback.
-Hosted and helped organize marketing tradeshows and spoke and presented on behalf of Lijit: BlogWorld, Savvy Blogging, Blog Paws and Beer Blogging.
Proficient in understanding the online advertising landscape, resources and terms with Lijit's online advertising solution for online publishers.
Actively hit personal and team goal. Grew the network to over 300% - from 30 million monthly network pageviews to over 1 billion per month.
Was actively part of the 5,000% network growth from 2010 to 2011. - Jun 2006 - May 2008Event Coordinator / ECHO at the Leahy CenterServed as event coordinator and on site manager for staff, clients and vendors for each event at ECHO, a lakeside aquarium and science center.
-Traveled to industry tradeshows and booked sales
-Helped to hire event staff and intern team
-Implemented and booked client and vendor site visits
-Marketed and designed quarterly, "Lake Nights at ECHO"
Events ranged from business meetings, weddings & rehearsal dinners, charity fundraisers, and political functions for up to 700 people. Held job while in college, maintaining a 3.8 GPA. - Sept 2007 - Dec 2007Intern / Marketing Partners, Inc.Served as sole intern at Marketing Partners, a mission-driven, research-based and social marketing firm.
- Jun 2007 - Aug 2007Public Relations Intern / Kelliher Samets Volk
- Dec 2004 - Dec 2006Assistant to Director of Corporate Consciousness and Director of Marketing / Seventh GenerationSeventh Generation is the nation's leading brand of environmentally friendly and non-toxic household and personal care products.
Education
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2004 - 2008Champlain CollegeB.S. in Public RelationsActivities: Student Activity Planner, Peer Mentor First Year Seminar, Orientation Leader, Research team for new CORE education, Regional Student Ambassador, Ski and Snowboard Club
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2007 - 2007Scuola Lorenzo de' MediciPublic Relations in International media ethics, Art
Additional Information
Posts
I love being in a world where your network of skilled and brilliant friends, become relevant and necessary.
I find more and more, having the plethora of skills in your back-pocket and outsourcing to people you like and trust, is key.
In a startup, we have an in-house team but we also work with skilled consultants because we believe you can’t do 50 things amazingly (even though dammit, I try). It’s nice relying on people who are proficient in their niche, and most of all, we know them.
I find myself referring to friends and their services all the time.
One thing I’ve noticed is that few people have done something after the project is completed that have really impressed me. One recent consultant I had referred, did an incredible job, got the job done efficiently, her rate was competitive yet fair and at the end of the project, I found a gift certificate to Whole Foods in my inbox just as a “thanks.”
I was really impressed and touched. Because it was for business (not a favor) I was surprised by the gesture especially because I don’t assume something is necessary to be given back in return. Nonetheless, here I am writing about it unsolicited. I will recommend her to anyone (over and over) and I am touched by the kindness because it’s good business.
As a consultant side-hustler myself, I once did a last minute side project for a good friend. I would gladly do it without charging because it was for a good friend, but she paid me promptly and they also provided me with a gift certificate to my favorite spot in Boulder. I honestly said neither were necessary, but they respected my time and work, and without question just insisted on the provisions. My image of their business and work is very much intact and it felt like an equal exchange.
Both these stories show people who just think through things as a whole. They’re small gestures, and I agree, not always necessary but really set them above others.
I believe this completely applies to personal and professional relationships. You get what you give and without the necessity of bribing or going over the top, showing your appreciation or support can benefit both parties.
How do you show yours?
Snow day! I’m also so excited for Superbowl not so much for the football, but for the food. Yes, I just said that. It’s the second biggest food holiday of the year after Thanksgiving.
- Ophelia’s Webb: All You Need Is Love Series (Volume III) Elisa’s incredible series is on its third round. I participated in the first one and have always loved it.
- Flavorwire: 10 Albums You Need To Hear In February
- Simply Zesty: 5 Case Studies Of Brands Using Niche Social Sites (And Why You Should Too)
- Life is Like a Box of Chocolates: Lost and Floating On the Open Sea I know this is something we can all relate to at various points in our life.
I tag things on Delicious like it’s my job (please oh please, stay around Delicious).
One of my favorite tags are the online, fill-a-need, tools that I discover (and usually use). As a startup chica myself, I want to share the love.
In no particular order is a list of tools – plugins – applications (that I may or my not use, but either way I love them and a friend has likely recommended them):
- accompl.sh – develop, track and accomplish your goals
- betterment.com – invest the smart, simple way
- canvaspop.com – allows you to print any photos (think Instagram) to canvas
- barkbox.com – make your best friend happy, a once-a-month box of goodies for your pup
- postcardontherun.com – send real postcards from your phone
- stylate.com – reasonably priced brand packages for startups
- vizify.com/tweetsheet – your Twitter activity as an instant infographic
- cakehealth.com – the best free way to manage your healthcare expenses
- loosecubes.com – find shared office space by the day or month
- turningart.com – rotate artwork in your home or office
- redbutler.com – a personal assistant and concierge for professionals
- urbandig.com – off the beaten path experiences
- 7shifts.com – online employee scheduling for your staff
- themanregistry.com – gift registry for men
- tripit.com – travel itinerary and planner
- foodspotting.com – find and recommend dishes, not just restaurants
- occipital.com/360/app – realtime panorama creation
- hashtagmom.com – add #mom to your check-in, she gets an automated call or text, she knows you got there safe
- trello.com – a collaboration tool that organizes your projects into boards.
That’s my latest list. I tried to add the non-obvious (e.g. Twitter). There are more and as I find them, I’ll include another roundup.
Here’s to geeking out!
Tonight I’m going to the first ever WINTER concert at Red Rocks. Normally they close in the winter and host absolutely epic concerts throughout the summer in their outside venue. They’ve decided to try something different and it sold out. It’s with Atmosphere and Common and Common is one of my favorite original artists since I was bee-bopping to his soulful hip-hop in middle school. We all have many sides don’t we? What are you doing this weekend?
- Twitter Chat Schedule: Have you seen this? This is an all encompassing list of total Twitter chats and hashtags. Useful.
- The Rumpus: Transformation and Transcendence: The Power of Female Friendship One of my favorite things I read all week. A beautifully, raw description of a group of women, their story, their heartbreak and lives
- CNN Tech: 50 New Tech Tools You Should Know About
- Reuters: Facebook’s newest frontiers: inside the car I wonder if this trend will continue? Facebook now being built into systems for Mercedes
- What Would the Internet Do? http://www.wwtid.com/
My blogging friend Mehnaz, wrote a post in response to my 2012 year of saying no, where her year is to say yes more. I love how we all have different needs and pieces we want to work on. Makes me feel alive and diverse.
I know, it seems negative but this year, I am learning to say no.
I almost always say yes. It is excruciatingly hard for me to say no, moreso in personal relationships and requests, not so much business. My mom or boyfriend would joke, I’m great at saying no but that’s not the kind of opinionated no I’m talking about.
It’s when feelings are involved, it’s requests, favors and let me make your inconvenience mine (at a high level of repetition).
A true no doesn’t include making up an excuse or if I actually have an obligation, so I have to say no.
When I don’t have the capacity, I don’t want to, I can’t or I just am not up to it – those are true no’s.
I pride myself on giving and being helpful. I want that to be part of my life, forever. However, I resent the fact that I begin resenting situations or people, when their asking becomes an assumption, not a request. When their asking becomes so regular, you don’t remember not being asked. I feel drained if it’s take, take, take and I find sometimes, that what I begin giving back isn’t wholehearted or out of the goodness of my heart.
I still will say yes more than no.
I know that.
But I also know that I will feel empowered by speaking my truth and by just saying no, when I simply cannot.
I am scared because in general, we, as humans, don’t react well to no. More often than not, we request something from someone expecting them to give it, just assuming the no won’t be there.
It’s true.
I also recognize, that people come to expect me as the “Yes, whatever you need,” type-of-gal. I will still be reliable. If I say “No, I don’t think I can this time,” once every six months to someone that’s still reliable. There are just circumstances that don’t always align and the notion of asking, is that you are truly asking with a chance they may not be able to and it has nothing to do personally with you.
Those are my fears. Loud and clear.
More and more I find the need to exercise the no in my life. I barely have 30 minutes truly to myself these days and I find, with time to give back where and when I truly can and want to, it will be better for everyone.
Here’s to the no, opening up your life and allowing you to give back in the most honest way.
How do you say no in your life?
I wish there was a blog post in between last week’s Friday Linky Love and this one, but there isn’t. It’s part of the game. The words haven’t been there but I know they’ll come and go, so thank you for still being here. On that note, I do love these other stories and ideas so I’ll share those that do have the words.
- Positively Positive: The Anatomy of an Epiphany
- Giant Step: Pepsi and Pandora Provide Exclusive Grammy Content to Fans
- Stratejoy: Some Lovely Things To Shift Your Perspective
- Letters Of Note: I Know What Love Is
Happy Friday everyone!
Here are some goodies to send you off into the weekend.
- Mail Online: PLUS Model Magazine’s Katya Zharkova Cover Highlights Body Image In the Fashion Industry
- Mine Life with Life After College: Life After College Roadmap [INFOGRAPHIC]
- Just a Titch: Be Kind Online
- accompl.sh: After my resolutions post this week, my friend Tara shared this goals site. Interesting. Anyone else use it?
And thanks to Cirque Du Mot for including me in her list of marketers to follow!
As January 1 usually rolls around, I’m coming off a food + family + travel + holiday high (also tiredness) and along with that, I see a multitude of tweets and posts lamenting about resolutions for the New Year and how silly they are.
I actually disagree. I think that resolutions, challenges and goals are important. The part I disagree with is only doing them on New Years. I like to set quarterly goals throughout the year and my birthday, in particular, is “my” new year and beginning. Stepping back is what really helps me look back and forward.
We were up in the snowy mountains snuggled at Amazing Grace cafe writing our resolutions this New Years. The man and I.
Maybe the people who lament are the ones who can never keep goals? I think I know the feeling.
I’m all about progression and I’m the type of person when I write pen to paper and say them out loud, they are resounding. But here’s the thing. I set some hefty goals for myself this year.
I won 40 days of free yoga at one of my favorite yoga studios here and I wanted to start that January 1 and go at least 4 times a week for 40 days (even more if I could). I cut out gluten for the month of January (health testing) and I setup individual and professional goals as well.
On day 10, I feel good without gluten. I have to be conscious of everything I choose to eat (or not) and it’s definitely hard. I’m not the type to “limit” myself. I admit, I’m such an indulgent and spontaneous personality type that the idea of cutting something out, is HARD.
On the yoga, my first week, I put in 4 days and felt great. This week already, looks like it’s falling to shambles with no time to fit in yoga and I’m angry. At myself.
I hate feeling guilty. Guilt is wasteful. But I do. I feel somewhat like a failure.
Then I took a step back and realized, there is absolutely no point in punishing myself.
Each day is a new day. The resolutions are guidelines and visions for ourselves, but we just may not make or hit them each time. That is okay. I repeat, Grace, that is okay.
What’s the point in beating ourselves up? None.
So here’s to more yoga and less gluten and less guilt and more happiness.
Do you struggle with making goals? What’s something you’re so proud of and stuck with?
And after a few week hiatus from Friday Linky Love, I’m back. I have never taken a two week break like that from blogging and it felt great. I still love to share and blogging is a big piece of my life (personally and professionally) but it’s just as smart to take some time away, even from the things you love. Space.
- Feed the Pig: [INFOGRAPHIC for Gen Y] Discussing why Gen Y could and should save more and the stats around it!
- Sortable: Take the pain out of buying. Sorts by price, features, etc.
- The New York Times: The Joy of Quiet
- The Daily Love: Life Only Sucks If You Do (Bring The Radness)
Oh happy Friday!
I often muse about my teenage and early college years. My choice in men wasn’t totally piss-poor, but the me-now, wouldn’t have been with the men-then.
Most of the time, you aren’t developed enough mentally to truly understand what matters to you at those adolescent ages.
I’m not a big serial dater. I’ve had four long-term relationships (first love, high school, college, now) in my life that have all taught me something and I can firmly say, I do not regret. There are pieces where I shake my head, but I know I wouldn’t have learned. I just wouldn’t have.
For me, I don’t believe in marrying young. I want a lifelong partnership, not a piece of paper and first, I will develop the partnership. I know, it works for some people and high school sweethearts, well that melts my heart, but it’s few and far between. We simply want different things. We stay with someone for the wrong reasons and we don’t even know that it’s not right, until far after the relationship melted.
Now I look in my partner at: loyalty, trust, solid friendship, laughter, conversation that could go on forever, kindness, respect to his mother and other women, ambition, love, chemistry, personal and spiritual development, family oriented, wants a family, adventure and communication.
These are a lot of foundational pieces.
In my ex-boyfriends or ex-crushes, there wasn’t all that. I didn’t really care about personal and spiritual development or their ambition. I didn’t realize then, that the color of their eyes or their twisted smile or their bad habits didn’t equate longevity in a relationship.
When I’m 80, on my ass and tired from the wild ride of my full life, I’m not going to be checking out their bod or the “game” they play.
Also? If you want it bad enough, you always make it work. If they’re into you, they’re into you. If there’s confusion, then why didn’t I realize then, he’s/she’s just not that into you. It’s the truth.
I’m no relationship expert, but I’ve had my fair share to find for myself what I need and want. Like deeper, inside – that match my value system. I feel far too often are we driven by exterior, shallow motives. I’ve been there and some of the surface level “desires” we have are what my friend Jenny Blake calls, “nice to have’s” where it’s not a make or break.
If the foundation is there, you have something. That’s not saying you will have to work at the relationship and not just let it “fall” because everything else is just there. We grow and evolve as people, but if we went after matters of the heart and mind, there seems to be some strength there in relationships.
Something about looking behind, not lamenting but reflecting, helps me see how tuned and true I am being to myself in relationships. I cut out the toxic, romantically and platonically, because to me, there’s no room for that. Back then, I may not have.
It’s a work in progress, my friends, but it’s nice to literally see and feel the growth.
What about you? What did you use to go for?
