Happy 2013! It’s a New Year!

01 Jan 2013 by

Happy New Year! Every year I sit down, make resolutions that I try to keep- sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing. What this is though is a time to think about the last year, remember the good and the bad, what has held you back and helped you grow, the hellos and goodbyes, and everything in between. This was a year of ups and downs, but you have to take the good with the bad. And that is what this year has taught me.

This year has also taught me that I need to remember that I am stronger then I think I am. That I need to follow my dreams, no matter where they lead me. That I can accomplish much, even if I am not able to accomplish everything that I wish I could. It has also taught me that there sometimes comes a time when you have to let go of things that you are comfortable with in order to grow. That endings are difficult, but sometimes necessary. And that your true friends will stick with you to the end.

In this vein I want to try something different this year. I don’t want to give myself specific goals that I will most likely fail due to lack of time, direction, or life. Instead I want to give myself broad ideas that I can work with and grow throughout the year in order to be a better person and happier with myself. And I want to share those with you in case they possibly could inspire you.

1)      This year I want to take chances on things that have the potential to make me happy. I want to stop being scared of failing, or even scarier yet success. I want to take risks and watch them pay off – either in lessons or success. This isn’t limited to just my career either. I want to make this a way of life.

2)      Become a happier person. I want to be comfortable with who I am, physically, emotionally, and mentally. The path to this is harder to describe. But it involves getting certain aspects of my personality under control, including things such as what I call the Paranoia Monster.

3)      Create. It can be writing poetry, knitting, photography, scrapbooking, jewelry making. But I want to take the time and create something on a regular basis. Sometimes I get so busy that I forget to create just for the joy of making something.

I think those are enough for this year. Three big picture ideas that I think will make my life better and as a result make me a happier person.

What are you going to do to make 2013 a year to remember?

Category: Me  Tags: , , ,  2 Comments

Social Media Politics from a Professional’s Opinion

29 Apr 2012 by

A few weeks ago a friend asked me to write a short piece for his news journal website: Quarters Magazine. Below you will find my contribution for the article. Above is the link to the full article. Enjoy.

By now the word has gotten around the Internet about the practice that some employers have adopted of asking employees for their passwords. This has been in the news for at least the past month and has sparked multiple Twitter debates among advocates of free speech and privacy. I was even under the misconception that current labor and FCC laws protected the employee in this matter and that asking for an employees’ or prospective employee’s log in and password information was illegal. Unfortunately the recent failure of the proposed FCC amendment proved me wrong.

It outrages me that in this day and age of technical savvy individuals it wouldn’t be seen as an act against one’s privacy (and not to mention First Amendment) for a corporation to request an individuals’ social media passwords. As a professional in the social media world this also alarms me and would not only be a breach of my personal privacy but of the privacy of a variety of Facebook and Twitter accounts I manage.

For instance, since Facebook’s Terms of Service require you to connect to Facebook Pages via a personal account, there are multiple pages I manage that are connected to my personal Facebook account. Not only do I manage pages for my current employer but for a variety of nonprofits, a freelance client and friends who I help with social media, I also am an admin on multiple professional groups for the new media (and transmedia) industry. For me to give someone my password would require me to hand over not only my trust but the trust of many others. That I would be asked to do this would go against my moral code.

My only hope is that, until something can be agreed upon on a national level, that individual states with amend their legislation to uphold the rights and privacy of the individuals they have sworn to protect. Otherwise, I can only see even worse invasions of our privacy that would be coming in the future. And that is something no one would want to see happen.

Category: Me, social media  Tags: , , , , ,  Leave a Comment

Geek Girls – What’s All the Fuss About?

27 Mar 2012 by

So recent a friend of mine and intelligent geek tech girl, Tara, wrote an interested article for Forbe’s Woman regarding “Faux” Geek Girls. Then another friend of mine and amazing geek girl in her own right, Taryn, wrote a response article. This is a topic that has been floating around the internet on and off for the good part of the last two years, since the rise of the term “geek”, geek culture, and popularity of girls that identify themselves as geeks.

I’m not writing today because I want to redefine the term geek – I think that has been done multiple times. I just feel like the discussion in question has missed an underlying point of what I viewed was the core of Tara’s original entry.

Much of the criticism being brought against Tara’s post is based on the question: Who should have the authority to “label” someone a geek and what does that entail? Personally I think this completely missed the point of Tara’s article. Her frustration (and that of other geek girls I know) is with people who knowingly mislead their audience/clients/fans into thinking that they are geeks for the sole purpose of marketing themselves and ultimately making money.

It seems that being a geek is now cool. And if you are an attractive female that claims to be a geek you can potentially make a name for yourself. And for the record there are some legitimate geek girls that are making a name for themselves. People like Felicia Day, Casey McKinnion, Veronica Belmont and other wonderfully geeky girls are doing what they love and making a name for themselves by doing so. They aren’t doing it because they know “geek” is trendy – but because they believe in what they love and love what they are doing.

Personally, as a female who has loved uncool things since she was young (I grew up on comics, fantasy, and scifi), I feel that those people who identify with geek culture just to extort those that follow them give the rest of us a bad name. We love and want to share our love of things because it is what we are passionate about – whether or not that comes with an audience, money, or marketing plan.

So really – wouldn’t the true message of all this be the following:

“Be True to Yourself, No Matter Who You Are”

Whether you are a geek or not – being true to yourself and authentic with your audience is what I think truly makes a connection with them. Being something you aren’t just to get attention makes that connection weak and ultimately, if the truth gets out, can lead to a marketing disaster.

Category: Me, social media, Web TV  Leave a Comment

So much Social Media, So Little Time

18 Mar 2012 by

Hi Everyone! So I know I’ve been a horrible blogger lately. In fact… I think it’s just about reprehensible. However, that’s going to change because I really should be writing more. And what about? Well Social Media of course.

I guess first I should explain. I dropped of the face of the planet due to the day job (Social Media for a pizza franchise) as well as multiple side jobs (Social Media Manager for the IAWTV, Social Media Director for TransmediaLA, and Marketing Director for Wyrd Con). I also realized I’m learning a ton about social media that I’m not necessarily sharing with people because outside of my recent visit to SXSWi I didn’t feel as though I had people to share it with.

Then I had the epiphany: That’s the exact reason I had this blog in the first place! So please expect more about my journeys, trials and tribulations in the world of Social and New Media.

Also – I give all of you permission to harass me via twitter (@Lhriangel) if I slack on this blog again. Because sometimes everyone needs to be accountable to others.

Coming in the future:

  • SXSWi Panel blogs (once I recover my notes from work)
  • Google+ Best Practices and maybe even some Social Media themed HangOuts
  • Pinterest (everyone is using it – but should brands be?)
  • And eventually a complete website redesign with new look

So please, feel free to comment below and leave me suggestions. The more people I know interested in my ideas – the more I’ll be excited to share them.

Category: Me, social media  Tags: ,  One Comment

WyrdCon and my moderating my first panel!

09 Jun 2011 by

I want to tell you all about this amazing event that is happening this weekend, and that I get to be a part of. It is called WyrdCon.

WyrdConWyrdCon is an interactive theater convention. From my understand, Interactive theater covers LARPS (Live Action Role Plays), RPGs (Role Playing Games) and ARGs (Alternate Reality games). In my opinion these genres are types of entertainment that will only be more relevant to the general public with the convergence of various media forms. One of the important aspects of interactive theater is that it plays on the notion of escape and wanting to become someone else. Everyone wants to escape and be someone else at some point or another and this is a way to do so. To learn more about what exactly WyrdCon is you can click here for the mission statement and here for a Day in the Life of a WyrdCon organizer.

For the first time Wyrdcon will be hosting a Transmedia panel. This panel will be a Transmedia 101 of sorts to examine the different ways that various new media platforms can be used to enhance participants role and participation in interactive theater experiences. Personally, I’m extremely excited for this panel because it will be my first time moderating a panel! And I have some awesome people on the panel. If you are in the Southern California area and are interested there will be tickets sold at the door. Come by and say hi if you can make it, it is sure to be a great weekend.

And our WyrdCon Transmedia panelists are…

Hope to see you at WyrdCon!

Category: social media  Tags: , , , , , ,  One Comment

Be Inspired

11 Nov 2010 by

So, as many of you know, I’m a graduate student getting her Masters of Mass Communications, Advertising. This semester I have been ever more absent then normal due to something very exciting – my last semester! As I finalize things for my last 2 classes I’ll share with you a chapter of a book on Communication Technology… a chapter I wrote! About social and new media advertising! Very excited. Am working on getting approval to post my chapter as soon as it is edited and the such. One thing I can share with you now however is my final project. For the compilation of my 2.5 years of grad school I’m doing a final project instead of a thesis. It is one semester instead of 2 and is focused for the professional track that I’m on.

For our final projects we were to pick a non-profit organization and fulfill some need of theirs. My non-profit is Create Now, an arts mentoring program for very at-risk and high-risk kids in Southern California. The majority of these kids are in foster care or group homes, and have undergone many challenges in their lifetimes. To help the organization Jill Gurr, the founder, her AmeriCorps volunteer Laura and I came up with the concept for a talent showcase that would feature some of the kids that Create Now supports. There has been many trials and challenges on the way to getting this event accomplished but after long last it is here! 17 kids will be performing a mix of original and contemporary pieces and there will be music from a featured band, A Welcome Distraction, to cap the evening off. Please considering coming out to support these kids, you’ll be glad you did! Tickets can be found here, and hurry because they are only $12 until Friday at midnight.

FinalInspiredCreateNowPoster


Category: Me  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment

Social Media FTW

05 Sep 2010 by

I’ve been thinking about writing about the different types of social media and why each provides their own benefit for the last 48 hours. Partially this was drawn out of my own need to express myself and partially it was drawn out of convincing myself that yes, I do need to try out all the various social media tools out there in order to get a feel for what is around.

The first understanding must be that various types of social media satisfy certain needs in our lives. Some examples of this are:

  • Twitter – microblogging at its best. Best uses are to keep in touch with online acquaintances, businesses, celebrities and the latest news.
  • Facebook – social networking in all it’s glory. Best for maintaining personal relationships with friends and acquaintances.
  • LinkedIn – professional social networking. A must in the professional world of social media.
  • YouTube – Social viewing. Watching and discussing online content and short videos.
  • WordPress, Blogger, Blogspot – personal blogging software. Lets you expand on thoughts too long for twitter and facebook.
  • Tumblr, LiveJournal – visual, short blogs. A tool for those who want something in between Twitter and a blog.
  • Niche specific sites – bring together communities based upon a common interest.

The above list is by no means expansive. There are some sites that duplicate others (such as Vimeo being similar to YouTube), however it does give you the gist of what I mean about social networking sites each having a purpose and focusing on fulfilling that purpose. Some sites (such as Facebook) are trying to converge a variety of purposes under one roof. The problem with this is that it is harder to do many things well then do one thing excellently.

Personally I’d rather have applications (such as tweetdeck) that allows me to combine my social media in a way that I want to. For instance when I post this blog I can decide if I want to retweet it on my Facebook and LinkedIn pages.  I like to have this control because I can decide exactly how I want to promote myself across the different media.

All this comes around to me explaining what brought this along. With my final semester of grad school, job hunting, various outside projects, part time job, and life my mind gets a bit cluttered sometimes. And I don’t want to put my clutter here, because this if for my social media related posts, and I don’t want it on my Efficient Creativity blog because that’s for creativity related projects. Hence, I have decided on trying out Tumblr to see how it differs from other blogging software and as yet another tool to add to my toolbag. The link is along the side if you wish to join me on my journey.

Category: social media  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,  One Comment

A Geek Girl’s Guide to San Diego Comic Con 2010

22 Jul 2010 by

Friday begins my second San Diego Comic Con experience and I wanted to share some of my lessons learned last year with all of you. Enjoy!

  • Take Snacks – maybe you’ll be waiting in lines, have scheduled events to attend, or have to wait to meet friends for dinner. So bring snacks and water to avoid paying large fees at the con. My favorite picks are the Electrolyte Water and Granola bars from Trader Joe’s. They keep up your energy while allowing you still attempt healthy eating.
  • Business Cards (something with your name and contact information on it)- you never know who you’ll meet. Be prepared, even if it is just so they know who you are when you contact them later.
  • Camera and video may be a pain to carry but there will be things you want to remember.
  • Cash – even in this day and age of debit cards some artists ONLY take cash so be prepared.
  • Comfy shoes – no matter how close to the convention center you stay be prepared to do a lot of walking!
  • Cell phone (and charger) – it is almost impossible to find people without these. And you need the charger in the event that it dies – remember the convention center actually has reception but hotels usually don’t as a rule.
  • If you twitter set up your phone to do it before you leave! My friend and I got free statues cause we could update twitter on the spot.
  • Park EARLY or change your spot late in the day if you are staying overnight. I found $12 parking (overnight) right across from the convention center and was able to move my car there later in the day. This year was the first year they had prepaid parking and I think that was a great idea! We got parking for 2 days for 20 dollars. A HUGE improvement over last year and we know we have a spot waiting for us when we get to San Diego.
  • Use bag check, or if you parked close enough take things to your car. You will inevidently have too much to carry throughout the day.
  • The Hard Rock Hotel is a party hotel. Keep this in mind if know you’ll need your sleep.
  • Dinner reservations! Plan ahead if at all possible. We unfortunately were unable to on Sat. night and paid for it.
  • Talk to everyone! Sure you can read if you’re stuck in lines but isn’t it more fun to meet cool people and make new friends?
  • Pens and Sharpies! Trust me – you will use them. Also having them can make cool people like you.
  • You can’t see everything so relax, accept this and have fun.
  • After con organize and go through everything … add friends on facebook, twitter, and email. Follow through!
  • Don’t forget about the comics! There is so much to see that sometimes the comics and book section gets abandoned. This is a great place to talk to talented people. I even met some cool authors this way.
  • Be prepared but be flexible. Plan but allow things to change.

And one more thing… HAVE FUN! Yes there are crowds, yes there is too much to see but once you accept these things for what they are you can allow yourself to enjoy the experience despite (or maybe even because) of these things.

Hope everyone enjoys Comic Con and if I won’t see you there this year, remember there is always next year!

Category: Me  Tags: ,  7 Comments

Buzz Word: Social

09 Jun 2010 by

“Social” is the current hot buzz word for the tech industry. There is social networking, social online entertainment viewing, social media and even, as Miles Beckett of EQAL said, social shows.

This drastically conflicts with the warnings that many studies have gone to great lengths to prove, namely that if people use too much media and entertainment technology it will result in society becoming anti-social.

While I can get tired of the word “social” being thrown around so much these days I will say I think that technology has allowed us to become more social rather then creating an antisocial subculture. Think about it this way- People tweet to keep in touch with people they are interested in, they use Facebook to plan events with their friend and share online material including pictures, videos and articles. People use YouTube to create and post their own videos and comment on others. People have turned video games into a social environment where they can talk to others while they play. Even TV is slowly becoming an environment where you can connect with other fans (see Fox’s new Glee SuperFan player).

So while the word “social” may be getting a little played out I do think it is an adequate way to explain the current phenomena. We are becoming an even more social world – one in which it is possible to share almost anything at any time.

The question I ask you is – when does the sharing become too much?

Let me know what you think about the social new phenomena by commenting below.

Category: social media  Tags: , , , , , ,  11 Comments

Welcome to AngeliqueToschi.com

03 Jun 2010 by

Hello friends!

So over the years I wondered to myself, why don’t I have a website in order to market myself. I have a blog about creativity (and whatever else I want to write about), I tweet, I facebook, I link in – and yet I haven’t had my very own space on the web… until now.

I have reposted most of my social media and new media communications related posts from Efficient Creativity. I will be continuing to post here on topics such as:

  • New Media
  • Social Media
  • Social Entertainment
  • Career Development
  • The Job Hunt
  • Advertising, Marketing, and PR related topics

This will also be my new home base. If you want to see any of the other sites I participate please look to the “Follow Me” tab on the right side of the screen.

Thank you for visiting and please enjoy my little piece of the web.

Category: Me  Tags: , , , , , , , , ,  3 Comments
« Previous Entries