“She discovered she was the hero she had been waiting for.” - Wyanne

Last Thursday… I don’t even know where to start. I started the evening in a cab going to the SIFF red carpet with Clark Gregg and Nathan Fillion and ended it in a cab to go dancing with Joss Whedon.

What…the…

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This past week I attended the Sunscreen Film Festival in St. Petersburg, Florida… I was honored to be asked to attend, however being in social media I was feeling a little out of my element… curious to see where I could make connections with filmmakers and actors other than the obligatory comments of “Are you a model?” or the sleazy “Would you like to be in my movie” followed by awkward winking and pointing gestures. I actually ended up in many in depth conversations of low budget productions and/or struggling actors that have a severe gap in the promotion of themselves and/or movies especially online through social networks.

The lightbulb went off after talking about my personal branding, the Miss Destructo myth.. the breaking of the windows, my story, blurring that line between what is real and what is fiction..Just like creating a character on the screen, it’s all about the creation of myth and the art of seduction through many forms of media. While keeping the storyline consistent and wanting your audience on their toes waiting to know the next bit of the story, giving them a escape into an another world. Now, what if their online promotion tied in the storyline of the movie, through the website, promotional items, the actors promoting themselves as their characters with a unique character voice. This building of a multimedia, multi-platform, viral marketing powerhouse is called Transmedia.

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Last year, some of you might remember the hashtag phenomenon I started on twitter #FakeSXSW, where we who could not attend made up fake events going on at the actual SXSW. I never thought I would actually make it to the actual event. A few weeks ago I visited the SXSW (South By South West) conference is an annual conference in Austin, Texas. If you are a tech nerd or a musician, you know as this as the behemoth mecca of all that is good and holy… aka the internet has exploded and god save our Lone Star beer ridden souls. I was blessed with the opportunity by the fabulous red haired wonder that is @EdRabbit to speak on the “How Not To Be A Douchebag” panel on how to efficiently network at SXSW without being “that guy”, we had a packed room and tons of great feedback on the panel. Only a few douchebags but they were atomized immediately after the panel by the mix of self-implosion and Axe deodorant.

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Hey there! I know it’s been awhile… I’ve been busy with my social media agency Head Of Lettuce Media and all kinds of amazing new developments at Destructo HQ. I just thought I would give you all a little insight on what’s been going on in the world of Destructo the past few months and what’s in store for the next few months.

Attending Social Fresh in Tampa tomorrow, just a year ago I was still new to the whole business of social media and was still evolving into what I am doing today, I wouldn’t have imagined i’d be running my own social media company and that and in just a few weeks i’ll be accomplishing one of my ultimate goals speaking at South By Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, TX.

Come check out my panel at SXSW called “How Not To Be A Douchebag at SXSW“ where we will teach networking skills and how not to be “that guy/or girl” at SXSW.

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When I was working in the music industry, there was one venue that many artists would talk about called the Pearl Theater. Most of anybody who is legendary has gotten to play on this stage in Las Vegas at the Palms hotel. I never could have imagined that little ole me from New Port Richey, Florida would be rockin it out on that stage.  How did this happen? Recently I got the chance to visit Las Vegas for the first time to attend Blogworld New Media Expo, but hold on to your butts kids. Blogworld is much more than just 10,000 bloggers and social media mavens getting together in the middle of the desert. I know you are probably visualizing a very strange techy version of Burning Man, some guy running around in body paint painted up like the Twitter bird. Blogworld was filled with the leaders of the tech and social media communities and lead influencers along with up and comers, all sharing one space to learn, network and celebrate new technologies and products.

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Photo by Radko Keleman Photography

Alright. I am a huge Adam Lambert fan, my father was actually the fan first religiously watching American Idol and dragging me into the living room to hear “the goth Elvis with the nail polish”. I sat there in awe, I saw a larger than life stage presence, someone that was going to really grab America’s attention and say “I’m strange, I’m different.. but I’m talented and im going to rock your face off.” I could easily relate to this motto and I have to admit, he’s been a huge inspiration for me in the last few years. And yes, I went to my hairdresser Vanessa @LilMissVG with a picture of Adam Lambert. True story. Adam tested and approved, he thinks I have kick ass hair. *falls over*

Yesterday, my sister Amy and I were invited out by the 933Flz crew to get in on a fan chat session with Adam Lambert. The chat session which was aired online through their website, it was a interactive chat where Adam was taking questions from the chat room, twitter and the in studio audience. From what 933Flz staff tell me, they could hardly keep up with the amount of tweets that were streaming in for Adam. I’d love to get some stats on that! *cough*

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Last year, about this time… I was making a huge life change, ridding myself of 75 percent of my possessions and moved back from Greenville, SC. It was a time of great uncertainty, being back in my hometown of Tampa, Florida. No money, all my old friends had gone away, however as much as I thought I lost in my transition I gained something much stronger, my perspective on life was much different. If I could build a network in a small southern town, I could certainly rock it up a bit in my hometown using social networks. Maybe. As many of you know, the Tampa bay area is huge. Many different communities and cities, not to mention we’ve got an amazing diversity of cultures here.

The last thing I could think ever being possible was a year later being voted by the Tampa community “Best of The Bay” in Creative Loafing magazine, that’s just crazy talk. It’s a big honor in our local community, well, unless you are voted “Best Sex Scandal”. But it happened, just a few days ago… I became Tampa’s “Best Twitter Personality” and runner up for “Best Blogger” and I am still in a bit of shock. Creative Loafing has always been a huge part of my life since the mid 90′s, I could have never thought I would be in it’s pages with such an honor. Thank you all for voting.

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Simply put, without too much detail or spiritual reason…I have always believed that people meet each other for a reason. There was a part of my past I locked away for years with a plane ride to anywhere but where I was. I was left in the burning ashes of a great fire, thinking I had made the biggest mistake in my life. I realize now it had made me a phoenix sent into flight, if none of that had happened in my life and I didn’t take a huge risk and leave it all behind. I would never be doing what I am doing today. Things would for sure be majorly different if I had chose to let someone else be in control of my life. But somethings still stay the same in sinewy rhythms… fleeting but I still somehow have a pulse of memories that haunt me.

Time has passed… I am amazed with where life has brought me in the last few years. The road again has lead me to a point of great decisions. It’s my first time being single in a long while, I have a built an small empire in only a short time. I can honestly say, I am blessed. I love the people that have came into my life. My friends even my enemies. You all make it happen.. you fuel me. Yet. There’s something greatly missing…  I should be healed, I should be able to trust. to love. to allow myself to be close to anything other a cup of coffee. It’s the only thing I know that will never fail me, unless it’s decaf. It seemed like I was starting to give up on the genuine good in people…

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Have you ever had an online friend that became an online fiend? It usually starts off innocent, a friend request, a tweet.. then the persistent messages…wanting you to chat with them, wanting to meet up with you in real life, odd worded messages that give you that “ick” feeling in your stomach? With the rise of social networks and the ease of finding or meeting people through social media sites, I have personally known many women and men that have had very terrifying experiences because of “just being nice”. Here’s a few ways you can spot those stalkers and stop any situation before it becomes out of control…

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For me, i’ve always wanted to cut my hair super short… to have a punk rawkin mohawk or a cute Audrey Hepburn do. I’ve always had this motto in my head, “Do it while you are young”… today, it was “It’s only hair…” That’s right folks, I have went from a bob to a super short pixie cut. As my friend Allie from That Girl Allie put it “The shot heard around the world” as if I can’t count the number of comments I received when I announced the news online earlier of my new ‘do.

Was this planned. Uh no. Yes, that was decided just this morning…No, i’ve never had my hair this short. Honestly. It was nerve racking yet thrilling to finally do something i’ve always wanted to do. Something in me has always wanted to try a short hairstyle like this, but I was always with that feeling… “I’ll look hideously boyish”. I’ve always been one to oooh and ah over the short haired divas like Annie Lennox and all those ladies that rock the androgynous style. I figured what the hell, it’s only hair… if it was only that easy to decide since my hair is such a part of the Miss Destructo brand, but it’s about time I got away from that old image and haircut that still didn’t feel like ME.

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I think since childhood, i’ve heard the song “Hey Jude” hundreds of times on the radio, in the car, in elevators, crappy cover bands and drunken karaoke. I never really think that song could change my life at such a perfect time, I don’t know if perfect is the right word to use for this time in my life… but it’s certainly a lyrical mirror to my current situation brewing in my head and home.

The last few days i’ve certainly hit a rough point… feeling like a stranger in my own town, helpless to my ill father and wondering if what I am working so hard towards will even work out. I can’t remember the last time i’ve seen a paycheck or a full wine bottle. If there was a hashtag for this it would be #passionFAIL. The other day, I had the radio on and “Hey Jude” was playing once again, almost tuned out like most things entering my brain currently. This time I sat there, listened and sang along. A wonderful celebration of life at one of my darkest hours,  the words spoke to me telling me to keep going. To take this sad song and make it better.

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“Cause we all have wings, but some of us don’t know why”- INXS

Usually when I get asked what I do, I tell people Social Media Consultant. *blank stare* “Uh, I community manage and create brands online…” *blank stare* “I play with twitter and facebook.” OHHHHHHH….You can get paid for THAT? *faceplant* “Yeah, most of the talented ones make over $100,000 a year”

So, uh… why don’t you get a real job?

*ouch*

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