Announcing Community Divas!

I’m passionate about a lot of things.

One of them is Bargainista. Why? Because of you! Without you, it wouldn’t exist. If no one was here reading, leaving comments or writing guest posts, I don’t think I’d still be here doing this almost two years later. We are all part of this community.

And that leads me to another one of my passions: community, especially the ones I belong to online. They are made up of real people sharing common interests and ideas while forming real friendships. Many of us have been able to get together offline too.

The podcasting community is one of those online communities very near and dear to my heart. With the urging of my friend Connie Crosby, I joined the PodCamp Toronto organizing team last fall and attended Podcasters Across Borders (aka PAB) in June. I didn’t have a podcast but I didn’t let that stop me.

Now all that has changed. With the help and support of many of our friends, Connie and I teamed up and we decided to host our own podcast about online communities and some of the social networking tools that help build them. It’s called Community Divas. The first two episodes feature an interview with our friend and community builder, Jay Moonah. We hope you’ll listen and participate by giving us your feedback and offering suggestions on how we can make it more meaningful for you.

Follow Community Divas on twitter; join the fan page on Facebook.

If you’re interested in learning more about podcasts and social media, consider attending Niagara on the Lake Podcasting and Social Media Meetup next weekend and PodCamp Montréal, September 20 & 21. Admission is free for both events.

photo credit: Glow Bracelets on PAB Cruise by Andy Caster on flickr

Bargainista talks shopping with On the Log

I met John Meadows at PodCampToronto 2008 just after he had launched a new podcast, On the Log - an interview series.

Recently, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by John about the impact of technology on the shopping experience in the latest episode, The Collective Shopper.

I quite like John's mellow style. For those of you who know me, I'm working very hard to become more comfortable with the sound of my own voice. John made it all seem so easy. The interview was recorded using Skype.

Have a listen and share your thoughts.

Photo credit: bowbrick on flickr

Weekly Wish - Women who rock!

This was a big week for After a Fashion. While having a virtual meet-up on Monday, we decided to have a real-life dinner gabfest at Fire on the East Side Wednesday night, along with the divine Jen Evans (centre).

As we shared insightful conversation and lots of laughs over good eats and pretty martinis, there was a lot of discussion about why women in the social media space aren’t getting as much recognition as they should.

From my Bargainista perspective, most of the people pitching me are either women with little blogger-relations know-how or straight men who just don’t have the requisite passion for products or services targeted to women.

I interviewed some young PRs on twitter (note: predominantly male) and asked them where the females were. They said there are just as many Canadian women PR students and/or recent grads embracing social media but the males are far more active and vocal.

PodCamp Toronto 2008 was an unconference for podcasters and social media enthusiasts held in February. I was a member of the organizing team. We had 7 members (3 women; 4 men). We treated each other respectfully every step of the way. When it came to the actual sessions and attendees however, women were definitely in the minority. What was even more disconcerting was the lack of young girls. There were a handful of teens in attendance: all male.

Taking stock of the marketing/PR/corporate communications professionals who blog and podcast (I belong to that community too), the content creators are predominantly male.

Although based in Connecticut, Joseph Jaffe who wields a pretty big stick in the social media community, put out a call for requests to join his blogroll. At last count, 33 men and only 3 women responded.

The men in this community are a tight-knit group and share a lot of link love, not that I’m saying that’s a bad thing. On a one-to-one basis, they seem to have a lot of respect for their female peers but many only shower their love on a couple. When it comes to blogrolls and conference speakers, women are also noticeably absent. Why?

Women who are active in the digital and social media space can’t blame it all on the men. We can and should do a far better job of promoting ourselves and sharing the love. It’s up to us to make our voices heard and get more involved in the community.

As a start, I’ve added a new blogroll - Women who rock! - it lists my female friends and those I admire in this space (with the exception of those on the original Bargainista blogroll). Stay tuned for more real-life initiatives supporting women from the After a Fashion gals this spring.

So this week, if you haven’t already figured it out, I’m wishing us gals will stand up and be counted. Have your voices heard and share the love!

Pictured (l-to-r) Michelle Tampoya, Connie Crosby, Kate Trgovac, Jen Evans, me, Kathryn Lagden and Jenny Bullough.

After a Fashion meets PodCamp Toronto

You didn’t think I’d spend a whole weekend at PodCamp without sharing, did you?

If you’ve been following the adventures of After a Fashion, you’ll be pleased to know Jenny Bullough aka Chloe Barbosa and Paradise Wunderland (that’s me) gave a presentation: “Everything You Need To Know About Second Life”.

Of course we talked about shopping. ;) Jenny also shared her wonderful case study about eHarlequin’s book launches in Second Life. I’m leaving a copy of the slides here so you can have a look:

| View | Upload your own

There were many fascinating sessions at PodCamp. Check out the media archive you can catch up on the latest in social media and podcasting. See, sometimes the best things in life are free! Thanks to all our sponsors.

Personal note: You may know I was on the PodCamp Toronto 2008 organizing team. I want to give a big shout out the other team members: Connie Crosby, Dave Fleet, Rob Lee, Katherine Matthews, Sean McGaughey, Jay Moonah, and Tommy Vallier. You’re amazing!

Keith Burtis’ social miracle will melt your heart

Keith Burtis is a professional wood turner and cabinetmaker with a big heart. He is an old-world craftsman who has embraced the new world technology by using twitter and his blog to create awareness for his wood-turning creations.

I “met” Keith on twitter. He lives in Snyder, NY. I’m looking forward to meeting him and his soon-to-be financée, Michelle, in person at PodCamp Toronto.

Keith was planning to make a final payment on his sweetheart Michelle’s engagement. He’s been planning on proposing to her on February 22 – the night before PodCamp Toronto. Unfortunately, he ran into some financial challenges. He’s not letting them get in the way.

On Valentine’s Day, Keith reached out to his twitter community asking for help. He asked his “friends” to consider purchasing one his bowls so he could earn $700 in a hurry for what he calls: “My Social Miracle”. Since then, Keith has been working practically round the clock and even customizing his creations. He’s adding each new item to his blog and keeping everyone up-to-date on his progress, including sales.

Everyone who has heard Keith’s story has been deeply touched. I’m betting he’ll surpass his goal – maybe even raise enough for a romantic dinner with Michelle at one of Toronto’s finest restaurants during their weekend getaway.

If this story touches you, consider buying one of his handmade bowls. Each one comes with it’s own photo documentary, two of his hand-turned exotic wood bottle stoppers and a $10 gift certificate for his future Etsy storefront. My sushi set is on order. ;)

Join me at PodCamp Toronto 2008

Last year I extolled the virtues of PodCamp Toronto and told you about some of the wonderful podcasts available. But PodCamp isn’t just about podcasting. It’s THE unconference for podcasting and social media. This year, PodCamp Toronto is taking place February 23 and 24 at Ryerson University in Toronto.

I learned a lot and had a great time meeting new people last year. So when Connie Crosby asked me how I felt about joining the 2008 organizing team, I jumped at the chance. In addition to Connie, this year’s team includes: Dave Fleet, Rob Lee, Katherine Matthews, Sean McGaughey, Jay Moonah, Tommy Vallier and yours truly.

Less than five weeks away, there are already more than 200 people registered and a slew of jam-packed sessions. There is an exciting new concurrent track – From Zero to Podcasting (Z2P) – offering a mix of campfire style discussions and technical presentations aimed at helping everyone, from newcomers to advanced podcasters. You can even start from nothing and learn the skills necessary to plan, prepare, produce, publish and promote your own podcast.

Have a listen to the audio promo.

Hope to see you there. Did I mention registration is FREE! Sign up on the wiki. Volunteer, it’s a great way to get involved and meet new people. If you have something to share, why not offer a session. I am.