Jacks and Kings

My Jack of Hearts

I had a profound experience with my dog, Jack Bauer, this morning. Anyone who has met Jack knows he has a will of his own and a lot of energy to match. Jack graduated 2nd in his obedience class 2 months ago, but you wouldn’t have known it this morning. As we have slacked on our training, Jack’s independent streak has taken over.

When I went to bring him inside the house this morning, he was on top of his game of evasion. There were no tricks I could pull, no bribes I could offer, and time was ticking away. I became so irritated that I started, in great futility, to follow him around the yard with visions of major punishment when I finally caught him.

Finally, I stopped and thought about the situation. If I was a dog, the last place I would want to go is into the hands of someone who has major punishment planned and a look on her face that says “I will end you.” I thought back to our training and how we were supposed to use praise as a motivator, and then back even further when we first got Jack and I realized my propensity for control rather than relationship.

So I stopped. I leaned against the house and turned my back to him. Jack Bauer might be an American hero, but he’s a sucker for attention and love. Little by little, when he couldn’t provoke me or get me to look at him, he drew nearer and nearer. When he was a yard away, I praised him and said “good boy,” but I kept my back to him and didn’t reach out in order to prove that this wasn’t a trick. He walked away for a while, and I waited patiently until he came back and came a little closer. After a while I slowly walked back into the house, praising him when he drew nearer to me. When I walked out later, he came right up to me and licked my hand.

How much is this like our relationship with God? I think we often treat God as if he is intending to punish us at every mistake and waiting to control us. He turns his back to our wrong actions and waits for us to draw near. He lets us wander until our curiosity and need for love overpowers our other interests or our need to be in control. And when we do approach him, he is waiting with a gentle hand and a face shining in love. He is still just and will teach us better actions, but his love is what brings us back.

Who knew God could teach through a dog. Thanks Jackie.

The Phantoms of Social Media

Shel Israel’s post today had me really thinking, and I think he is absolutely right. Some of the conversations have changed, and they’ve somewhat gone back in time. I wondered out loud how this affects our trust of each other- being more “professional”, being free of tyypos and taboos, being bland. For me, it definitely erodes my trust. The masks that came off to start real conversations have started going back on, and the step towards establishing authenticity is no longer simply having a presence on social media. I don’t believe who you say you are. I believe in spontaneous conversations, my experience with you, and others’ experiences with you.

Whenever I talk to a business- especially small business- about using social media, I’m adamant about not using corporate language. If people want a boring news feed that’s all about you, they can visit your site. Being on social media means joining the conversation authentically. No timed tweets, NO auto DM’s, no having some random company or careless college student run your social media for you. Invest the time and be there.

When I think about why any person (or company) goes corporate in their language and approaches, I’d venture that it is mostly for the sake of liability and therefore fear. Now that people have something to lose again- credibility in the eyes of the world, a following, a job- I see many deciding that there is too much at stake to drop an occasional faux pas or go against the grain. The people that are still making a difference in social media are the ones who continue to be fearless.

Is the fear returning because people project the same fear in other parts of their lives onto social media, or has social media become an unsafe place? Is it that the early adopters are the fearless ones, and they have been joined by the fearful critics? How do we regenerate authenticity, or is authenticity moving to a new place?

My mask is still off.

Carbon For Sale

There is no more blue sky. It was just a reflection anyway. The lone building that held up the umbrella of clouds became a tent pole of manmade kingdom. Now all the horizon holds is towers of concrete and steel frames.

Manmade light. Manmade structure. Manmade world. Was the world ever organic?

A web of invisible wires strings our words and energy together. Buildings of thoughts, ideas, words, movements rise to the ceiling. It used to be nature that inspired them. Now we think nature was just a placeholder. We have carbon for sale, and the manufacturer won’t take it back.

If there is any room left between buildings, it will only be for small roads. Crowded roads. There is no wandering when there is a prepared course of action. The roads are formulas. The roads are popular opinion. The roads, paved with instant gratification, only connect buildings now and where they lead is sadder yet.

The development of man seems unstoppable. Everywhere a city, everywhere an ambition. Everywhere the shadow of steel and thought lays barren a carbon landscape with never a thought to what it once gave tribute to.

Manmade world with its bejeweled decadence at night and egotistical prominence by day- it will only be for a time. Its steel frames are but straw and its lofty ideals are but dust. One day the war between manmade and the carbon creator will end, and through the crumbled ruins will appear a sunset of hope. The carbon will reclaim the land, and continue the song it never really stopped singing.

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

-A letter from Paul to the church in Rome, first chapter, twentieth verse

Climate Control

Climate control keeps us in our comfort zone, and I’m turning mine off.

I don’t like to be uncomfortable (who does?), and there’s no wall insulation or temperature regulator in our 1904-built house. I’m the regulator. In winter I’m always adjusting the heater- on off on off. In summer it’s the air conditioner- on off on off. When we go somewhere, I pack suitcases for all weather no matter the destination or time of year. I dress in layers. When we talk to people outside after church, I move in and out of direct sunlight. I constantly regulate my temperature. I even regulate my life. Food, schedules, places, and so on.

My mentality is “I don’t HAVE to be uncomfortable, so I’ll choose NOT to be uncomfortable.”

Imagine my surprise a couple weeks ago when I sensed a growing feeling of discomfort that I couldn’t ignore anymore. My first instinct was to regulate it. “What do I need to adjust to get comfortable again?”  Ironically, it turned out to be the discomfort of being IN CONTROL. My climate control mentality was affecting my walk with God. I had been trying to limit how God grows me or uses me to my comfort zone, and the resulting lack of peace was evidence that I idolized comfort over my own God.

A self-centered focus on the present is the right condition for a climate control mentality. An outward-focused eternal perspective makes a comfort zone pretty irrelevant. When I think about what this life is for, it’s for our refinement and to further God’s kingdom. I think the more refined we are, the more effectively we can be used for God’s kingdom. The refinement of silver requires heating it to allow impurities to rise to the surface and be removed until the silversmith can see his reflection perfectly in the melted silver. My refinement requires me to be out of my comfort zone, willing to be in heated circumstances of God’s choosing.

When I realized this, I was flooded with a peace and excitement I hadn’t felt in a long time. Not only am I relieved of the burden of responsibility that comes with being in control, but now I’m back in the exciting adventure of an unlimited God.

The Unconference

I’ve helped with (and attended) a LOT of conferences. As my friend Dawn would classify them, most are led by “talking heads”. If you’re attending, you’re there to hear the message. If you’re putting it on, you’re there to project the message. Highly informational, highly one-way. Sure, it’s about networking with people while you are there, but the program itself- a big production. If you have purchased a conference pass, you have paid for that production.

Contrast that with an attendee-driven unconference, like The Idea Camp (www.theideacamplive.com) that happened this past weekend in Irvine. No direct mailers, no theme, no printed schedules, no advertisements, no vendors, no airs (as in putting on), and NO COST. Access to other attendees and speakers before the conference online, during the conference including general sessions via texting, after the conference with their Twitter ID’s. “Great- Scott!”

The beauty in the unconference is the authenticity and humility. It is the most servant-led conference I’ve ever been part of. General sessions were attendee interactive, even driven at times. Breakout sessions were attendee driven. At  no point did I ever hear the host venue promote themselves; the people putting it on never made celebrities of themselves, only of causes. There was no gain for the people putting it on except the celebration of good will toward the world that would be planned by attendees and carried out by attendees. The standard was authenticity, and it was exceeded by everyone there, attending or staffing.

What did they do right?

1. They offered it for free. They found people to sponsor the site (common with unconferences) and found sponsors and volunteers for media and other costs.

2. They cut unnecessary costs. They smartly used social media to spread the word and connect with attendees. They didn’t create a theme to have to match everything to- the cause of the conference was theme enough. They let people find or bring their own meals and accommodations. They didn’t print any schedules or maps- a few schedules were posted around the venue and all information was available on their mobile site, m.theideacamp.com.

3. They let attendees lead. They had breakout session topics open to be crafted by attendees; the conversations about topics started before the conference online and gave it momentum. Any attendee could host a breakout session on any topic. The sessions themselves were powerful discussions- powerful because the facilitators only helped it along instead of dominating. Attendees could text in questions to different speakers during general sessions and panels, which connected the audience with the people on stage. They streamed sessions and panels on the net so that anyone anywhere could participate. Remote attendees could interact with the sessions by text too. They did interactive polls throughout the conference that revealed things like almost 50% of attendees primarily used Twitter as opposed to fractions primarily using Facebook and Myspace.

4. The conference was focused on giving. Giving ideas, giving talent, giving time, giving resources. No matter what a conference is about, the element of giving and being outwardly focused keeps everything in perspective for attendees. There was a overarching theme of generosity, and it was unbelievably humbling.

What an amazing event with all of the right things focused on. The exciting thought that hit me as we left was “What if they all became like this?”  What do you think about this?

If you are putting on an event and would like consultation on how you can use social media to improve the experience and lower costs, please email me at danatwichell@gmail.com or direct message me on Twitter @danatwichell.

Dumb Quackers & Eagle Eyes

When is the last time you went to a pond and tossed pieces of bread to ducks? It’s been a while for me, but I still remember the avian chaos that ensues. One piece of bread and there’s a flurry of feathers. Chances are about 10 ducks actually saw the bread and went for it. But the other ducks? The ducks 50 rows back? All they see is that everyone else is going for something and they madly follow.

Eagles, on the other hand, are careful scouts. You never see a bunch of eagles clammoring for anything. They stay at bird’s eye view and carefully scope out the best nest locations and the best meals. 

Now, ducks and eagles, apply that to marketing. Are you following what everyone else is doing with no reason, or are you keeping a bird’s eye view and choosing carefully from what’s out there?

If you are a duck, you are dangerously not thinking for yourself. The mob you are following doesn’t care if what they are doing is best for you. Chances are they are outdated or going after the wrong thing themselves. (A plastic bottle cap will have the same effect on the duck group as bread.)

If you are an eagle, you are an investigator. Your eyes are open and your senses are keen. You have defined goals and you can zero in on your target from a mile high. Don’t be the 50th row duck, or even a duck at all. Be an eagle.

Now that you have the marketing perspective of an eagle, it’s time to leave the USA Today ad for the ducks and get the mile high perspective again. Marketing is and was always about relationships and trust. If your goal is (and should be) to build relationships with your guests, customers, or clients, you need the relational tools (also known as social technology) to match. Not every social technology tool matches every goal:

• Goal: Listening to your guests/customers/clients         
  • Tools: Private online communities, Ratings systems
• Goal: Talking to your guests/customers/clients             
  • Tools: Blogs, Online communities, Viral videos, Engage on other social sites
• Goal: Energize current guests/customers/clients          
  • Tools: Create a community for them & be part of it, Provide ratings/reviews system, Ambassador programs
• Goals: Helping your guests/customers/clients  support each other
  • Tools: Wikis, Online community forums
• Goals: Embracing the ideas of your guests/customers/clients         
  • Tools: Idea ratings site, Online community forums

                                                                            This summary courtesy of Groundswell.

Now before you jump all over these, be an eagle and read to learn about how each of them works before you implement them: Groundswell by Charlene Li & Josh Bernoff.

Twitter- Land of Opportunity

Among the business shoptalk you hear nowadays, you hear Twitter again and again. What is it?

Plain English: If I find a useful website/video/blog/picture/resource, I post a “microblog” or a 140 character update on Twitter to say “Just found a blog that talks about good marketing. [insert link]“. All of the people that subscribe to my updates can get this great info. I, in turn, subscribe to people who share information that is useful to me.

Want to see an example of the power of Twitter?

Last week, I noticed a tweet from a person I subscribe to, Rick Sanchez, who is a host on CNN. He tweeted to his subscribers from the studio, “Hey, we’re on the busted water main & wondering about infrastructure issues. you worried about stuff like that? water/bridges/rail/etc”. I then learned about the 60inch water main break in Bethesda,MD. I happen to know from my last job at a software company that if counties and cities use software called “GIS”, they can manage infrastructure (roads, pipelines, bridges, telephone polls, etc) maintenance and emergencies more effectively than without it. In an emergency like that, time is precious. I posted a tweet to Rick Sanchez, “@ricksanchezcnn It’s emergencies like water main breaks that you hope counties are using GIS to manage infrastructure to quicken remediation.” On CNN, they scrolled all of Rick’s Twitter replies for an hour. My message and my name scrolled across over 15 times.

Who cares? Maybe not you, but what about a city or county official dealing with aging infrastructure? If they read my scrolling message anywhere in the country, they may have asked “Why would GIS help? What is it? Who is using it?”. My hope is that they were curious enough to google “GIS” and find some info from the top search result & GIS world leader, ESRI. CNN putting my username DanaTwichell next to my quote positioned me as a knowlegable resource on GIS and infrastructure. People are looking for solutions and want to know who has them.

So what will be your CNN? What questions or urgent needs out there can be answered with the solution your business provides, and are you answering them? For Christian camping professionals: If Rick Sanchez ever tweets “We’re covering the breakdown of the American family unit. Any thoughts?” you can bet your bottom dollar my tweet will scroll across CNN saying “Families need a place to connect that isn’t a hotel or Disney. Christian family camp is known for bringing them together again. www.ccca.org”.

The bottom line is that Twitter is one of the top places that people are sharing solutions and information. It’s not a place to broadcast, “BUY MY STUFF.” It’s a place to listen, build relationships, and seize the opportunities to answer questions when they come along.

Camping professionals: Somewhere, someone is asking “Where can I go to get away from it all and grow closer to God again?”

Everywhere, someone is asking “Where can I get what I need?” Are you ready to answer?

Megaphone vs The Conversation

From a direct mailer from a cable company: “Dear Customer…”

“How personal,” I thought to myself. “Greetings, faceless nameless source of our income.”Do you know why I was addressed as “customer” and not by my name or nickname? I received the same mass-produced message as thousands, possibly millions of other people. Instead of personalizing the message to each person, the company opted for the cheaper, less caring route. Same greeting, same message. Oh, and add a live stamp and print the envelope in cursive to “feel” more personal. Breaking news: it’s not personal. If everyone has different needs and yet they all received the same letter, it wasn’t personal.

A few thoughts on marketing.

1. Different needs= different messages. No business is one-size-fits-all. And here is the clincher- the way that you feel when you receive a generic plea for your disposable income is the same way other people feel when they receive it from your business. The message is loud and clear- “we may have something truly good to offer, but our need for income is more apparent than our willingness to know you.” Personalized doesn’t mean printing someone’s name on a letter- it means proving that you want to understand and meet their needs. Broadcasts messages only get attention, not develop relationships. It says “It’s all about me, not you.” How are you demostrating that you want to know your customers?

2. Megaphones are not designed for two-way conversations, telephones are. And aren’t you glad- imagine every 10 year old at camp talking back to you with a megaphone. Yikes.

The shift we are seeing as a culture is that people are 1) making buying decisions based on recommendations from people they trust and 2) buying more from brands that show they value relationships with their customers. Who are they less likely to listen to? People with megaphones, bull horns, magazine ads, and anything “in your face”.

Why would I buy anything from the phone company that shouts at me with a megaphone (aka sends me a generic letter) when I know I will get a personal call from Verizon Wireless telling me they think my bill is too high for the minutes I am using and would I like to scale down to a smaller package? Excuse me for a second- WOW! In this economy, Verizon valued me enough to find out who was paying too much, call me from that list, and ask me to spend less for the same great service. Do you know that I can’t bring myself to buy an iPhone because I would have to switch to at&t? That is good marketing, even to an existing customer, and that story could likely influence more buyers that trust my opinion.

My point is that megaphones are still fun and still have their uses, but relationships are where the real marketing happens. Who is spreading the word about your camp and how are you encouraging them? How are you reaching out to people that don’t know you and starting relationships?

3. Stop and Read.

Hearing about social media as “the new way to develop relationships”? Don’t jump into it as a business until you have read Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. Jumping on the wrong trend can take you 2 steps back instead of two steps forward. Figure out what you want to accomplish as a camp, what social media tool matches that, THEN go.

Happy relating, “Customer”!

The Power of Together (another one for you camping professionals!)

“What’s Mine Is yours, what’s yours is mine. The more you share, the more the sun will shine…”They are the lyrics to a song from an old cartoon movie you might remember, All Dogs Go To Heaven. The movie wasn’t that great, and it certainly wasn’t worth having a theological debate over, but something about that song always stuck with me.

The refreshing and inspiring phenomenon about Christian camping is that it’s not a giant competition between camps. You aren’t hotels vying for guests, theatres competing for audiences, or politicians rallying for votes. Everyone in this industry is available and ready to minister with hospitality, teaching, and freedom from the shoulder-weight and distractions of the world.

And while all camps are unique in their gifts and talents, just as we are individually, you have a lot of the same needs. How are you banding together to supply needs and cut costs? How can you share and stretch our dollars in a tight economy?

Proximity counts for a lot these days with rising cost of fuel and maxed out time & energy budgets. Are there resources you can share with other camps in your section? Food? Vehicles? Printing? Staff? Staff retreat swaps? Insurance?

Many of you probably already trade off staff retreats, share carpenters for capitol improvements, and go in together for printing. Can you dream even bigger?

Guess where you can share your bigger dream with other CCCA members and make it happen? (Hint: Starts with “www.cccamember” and ends with “connection.com”)

Free Sample: A Taste of Camp (For you camping professionals!)

Last year, I earned a free loaf of French bread using my Albertson’s (grocery store) card. I had never bought a loaf of French bread before, yet within a minute, a store clerk handed me a *hot* fresh loaf of the best bread I have ever had. This launched an insane French bread addiction that lasted for a few months until the scale yelled at me. Even now the thought of that bread makes my mouth water. So hold onto that thought while you keep reading…As part of a new online community for camp and conference professionals, I saw a new group form around the growing popular activity- geocaching. (Visit http://www.geocaching.com/ for more info.) It’s the scavenger hunt gone hi-tech with GPS.What a GREAT experience- getting outdoors and away from the TV and the computer, inspiring your adventurous side, having fun with a group of people.

Here comes the French bread reference. It got me thinking- this would be a GREAT way to introduce your camp or conference center to new people- a free sample! Not an overnight stay, not a free retreat- just a fun day event on grounds. During your offseason, the weather is cooler, the grounds are emptier, a lot of animals have gone into hibernation, and you have the perfect opportunity to get new potential guests on your grounds.

By offering a free geocaching event to your local churches or community, you can give them a pressure-free chance to explore your property, meet your staff, have thrilling recreation, even taste your food if you choose to close the event with a tasting or lunch. Or make it a late afternoon event that ends with a s’more roast.

The more options for retreats and vacations people discover online, the more important it is to captivate their senses with tangible experience. It could be enough to get people hungry for a longer experience and stronger relationship with your camp or conference center. And a camping addiction, unlike French bread, will not add to the waistline.