Biznik Blog

The SHINE Interview Team put in a lot of work to keep people talking, not only during the big event Wednesday, but most of them attended a training session prior to SHINE. In fact, David Kuhns, Amy Woidtke, Laila Attallah and Stefani Quane teamed up to conduct a handful of pre-event workshops of their own, which greatly helped camera-shy members prepare for their moment to shine. You guys are (as David says) AWESOME!

We broke the interview teams into three shifts, so that no team had to work more than two hours throughout the evening. It seemed to work very well, and the only complaints I heard was that some team members wanted MORE time to work! Love it.

Here’s the breakdown:

Shift I :

• Carolyn May
• Christian Jacobsen
• David Kuhns
• David Merwin
• Janet Ott
• Jeff Leisawitz
• Jenna Rizzo
• Joan Hitchens
• Judy Tallant
• Karrie Kohlhaas
• Kathleen Minetti
• Laila Atallah
• Sandra Jones

Shift II:

• Christopher Novak
• Cynthia Duval
• Daniel Cardenas
• Debra Synovec
• Elisebeth VanderWeil
• Iskra Johnson
• Kate Phillips
• Katie Beck
• Lori Zue Stevens
• Paul Sweum
• Rebecca West
• Stefani Quane
• Suzanne Griscom
• Tshombe Brown

Shift III:

• Amy Barker
• Brendan Thorson
• Carrie Lanza
• Charlie Czech
• Debbie Sutherland
• Jay Sutherland
• Jeremy Dodd
• Leif Hansen
• Lisabet de Vos
• Piper Salogga
• Ruth Hartman
• Samantha Lamb
• Sandi Olson
• Wendy Keen

I’d like to give a huge THANK YOU to all of the members of the SHINE Welcome Team. They were the people who made you feel at home while you were waiting in line, and who welcomed you at the door:

• Alix Estrada
• Allen Cooper
• Amy Woidke
• Andy James
• Annie Jacobsen
• Barbara Crummins
• Beth Schermer
• Charlie Czhech
• Connie Carlson
• Debbie Rosemont
• Jacquelyn Wendland
• Jana Rekosh
• Katharine Burks
• Kathleen Whalen
• Lori Richardson
• Natasha Packer
• Penny Wight
• Pete Di Santis
• PJ Harris
• Rita Gruzman
• Sara Eizen
• Tammy James
• Tom Baker

Renee Metty and Banu Sekendur worked closely with this team to ensure everything ran smoothly throughout the night.

Make-up artist Tiffany Nash of Uniquely You worked the long waiting line throughout the evening, providing makeup - totally at her own expense. And there was one other makeup artist, named Brandy, whose last name I don’t know and whom I can’t find on Biznik. Anyone know her?

Oh, and Amy’s Limousine Service parked a couple of swank rides out front (thank you Amy Barker for that invitation to kill a bottle of champagne in the back, that was quite a treat). And Dante Rivera! The inferno hot dog guy. Thanks for showing up with your stand to feed us. You’re a true entrepreneur.

If your business needs video production services, you can’t go wrong with this hard-working lot. These are the talented video camera operators and producers who made SHINE happen. If you’re exploring how Web video can help your business grow (and if you’re not, you seriously SHOULD be - it’s the fastest growing part of the Web), start with this list:

• Anthony Tackett - Absolute Tech.
• Basil Shadid - Being Media.
• Cary Ray - BrainStorm Video Production
• David Barbosa - 3rd Eye Films.
• Goldie Jones - Subversionz Media.
• Grace Stahre - Versant Media.
• Greg Sommers - Flying Gecko.
• Len Davis - Pangeality Productions.
• Staci Bernstein
• Steven Bradford - VidTeams.com.
• Travis Becker - Victory Studios.
• Valerie Vozza - Double V Productions.

Three other key players who were deeply involved in SHINE, by supplying video cameras from their production companies (Daniel and Jeremy also were interviewers at SHINE):

• Daniel Cardenas - Sierra Media
• Jeremy Dodd - RedGrey Concepts
• Sunshine Whitton - Absolute Tech

On the editing side, we have:

• Caution Zero Networks, with two talented team members: Stephen McCandless and Ben Laurance.
• Chris Julian - Christohpher Julian Designworks.

Shine’s production team featured these talented members:

• David Guilbault, documentary filmmaker
• John Patzer, Snacky! Brand Media
• Lorraine Montez, marketing, writing, film production

Biznik members David Kuhns, Amy Woidtke, Laila Atallah and Stefani Quane are hosting a total of three workshops on Monday, May 4, all for the purpose of helping you brush up on your storytelling techniques so you can shine when you sit down in front of the cameras Wednesday night. Here’s the scoop:

9:00 AM with David Kuhns and Amy Woidtke

10:30 AM with David Kuhns and Amy Woidtke

6:30 PM with Laila Atallah, Stefani Quane & David Kuhns

When you head to SHINE on Wednesday, leave your elevator speech at home. We want to hear your REAL story. (Seriously, is the world hungry for more rehearsed elevator pitches?) Here’s a list of questions that you might hear when you sit down behind the camera at SHINE. They’re designed to help you tell your story in a way that communicates deeply who you really are and why you do what you do, because if there’s one thing that’s true about small business it’s this: people want to do business with people, not pitches.

When did the idea for starting your business come to you?

What have you learned from failure?

Biznik member Kammie Lisenby has been teaming up with Biznik members like Sweet Lilly Salon owner Erin Riordan and Kick It Boots and Stompwear owner Angela Rae to host a category-busting new kind of business networking event. She calls them “Organize Your Best Life” events, and so far she’s hosted 5 of them. Two more are in the calendar for later this month. Check out the video above for a taste of what Kammie and her partners serve up - looks like fun!

Upcoming events:

• Organize Your Best Life: Image Consulting - May 13
• Organize Your Best Life: Photo Shoot! - May 17

At Shine on May 6, volunteers will be organized into three major teams:

• Green: Video Team (operating cameras and doing production work related to filming operation)
• Pink: Welcome Team (welcoming guests, collecting door charge, showing people where lines are, etc)
• Blue: Interview Team (helping you tell your story by asking great questions and keeping the stories flowing)

Thanks to Seattle illustrator Jana Rekosh, who created a great illustration for shine, which these badges are adapted from.

If you’re a volunteer, your badge will be waiting for you when you arrive at the venue on May 6.

I’d like to send a special thank-you to David Barbosa of 3rd Eye Films, who will be supplying a 35mm lens pack as well as his HD camera and his talents as a camera operator all evening long at SHINE on May 6. Here’s a bit more about David:

David Barbosa began channeling his energies on the TV and film industry in 2000. Graduated from UTP (Brazil) in Marketing and Advertising, David moved to the States after a promising start in Brazil. David has worked as a Director for TV shows and 3 short movies. Check out David’s demo reels on YouTube. Below are samples of his work from his YouTube channel:

I want to send a big thank you to musician Jeff Leisawitz, whose original music is featured in the SHINE trailer. Jeff’s music spans a range of electronica. You can find his most recent album, In the Shadows of U2, on iTunes.

Little known fact: I designed the CD cover for Jeff’s first albumn! Jeff was among my very first clients when I began freelancing in 1999. The artwork in that album is a flaming closeup of the sun, taken from the Hubble space telescope.

Jeff is also a key member of the Shine Interview Team. Many of the songs on his albums feature interviews with people talking about their lives, set to electronica tracks. Great stuff.

With more than 500 rsvps and one week to go until SHINE, the excitement is palpable and the potential impact is growing by the hour.

You know this is an event not to be missed, but do your friends? Do you know someone who should SHINE with you on May 6? If you know someone who is building a small business - or who is thinking of starting one - please invite them now using the text below. Join us in this rare opportunity to make history. There is only one week left, so tell the world you are going to SHINE on May 6th. Feel free to customize this text as you like:

Hi [friend],
I’ll be attending this amazing event called SHINE next Wednesday in Fremont. You should join me!

On May 6th, the largest collaborative social media film project Seattle has ever seen is happening, and I’m going to be part of it. Biznik is bringing together a dozen professional videographers, scores of expert interviewers and hundreds of Seattle’s entrepreneurs to tell a big story about small business in America. You’ve got a story the world should hear and this is your chance to SHINE!

Check it out here: http://biznik.com/events/shine-tell-us-your-story

Over 500 people already are planning to attend, and they’ve had 100 people volunteer their time and talent to help create something incredible. Clear your calendar and be there!

Can’t make it to Seattle on May 6? No problem. Grab your camcorder, look straight into the camera, and tell us your story. Then, post your 3-5 minute video to this YouTube group:

http://www.youtube.com/group/shinestories

I’m including a list of questions below, which you can answer to help get your story flowing.

After you’ve posted your video, be sure to view and rate your favorites from among the other stories that others have submitted. And invite your friends to vote for you - the most-viewed and highest-rated stories will have a shot at being included in SHINE: A Big Film About Small Business.

Suggested Questions:

When did the idea for starting your business come to you? 

What have you learned from failure?

SHINE is a huge project, with more than 100 volunteers. Meet a few of the Video Team members and learn what’s on their minds as May 6 gets closer.

This is a first-cut at a teaser video for SHINE, and gives you a little taste of what to expect at SHINE on May 6.

Design credit: Jana Rekosh.

Small entrepreneurs like you are the heart of the American economy. And when times are tough, communities pull together to make it through. One of the ways we do that is by telling our stories.

On May 6, the Biznik community will undertake the largest collaborative social media film project Seattle has ever seen when we gather hundreds of small entrepreneurs to create a film called SHINE. We want you to be part of it.

Our goal: to tell a big story about small business, and to provide you with video you can use to promote your own businesses on social media like YouTube, Facebook and Biznik.

Why did you start your business? What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome to pursue your dream? How do you define success?

For one huge night, the cameras will be rolling for YOU. It’s your chance to shine.

SHINE will be entirely filmed and produced by volunteers from Seattle’s 10,000-member small entrepreneur community, Biznik, and directed by filmmaker Ben Medina. It’ll tell the story of how enterprising small businesses and the spirit of community combine to solve the tough economic challenges we’re facing today.

Web video is a powerful way to spread good ideas. But since we added video to Biznik profiles, we’ve realized that many small businesses are not equipped to produce even a basic video profile. That’s partly why we’re doing this event: to bring together talented videographers with small businesses, not with a sales pitch, but with an opportunity to collaborate on a real project.

Join us on May 6 and shine the social media spotlight on your business. Make friends, make business and make history.

Bring a bottle (this is a recession-friendly BYOB event). But most importantly, bring your story.

There will be a $5 fee collected at the door to cover venue and production costs. Remaining proceeds will benefit Northwest Harvest.

RSVP for the event here. Then download this image and place it on your website or blog to tell the world that you are going to SHINE on May 6. Make sure you link it to http://biznik.com/events/shine-tell-us-your-story.

The response to SHINE - a big film about small business - has been extraordinary since we announced the project a week ago. 96 Biznik members have signed on so far as volunteers.

Caution Zero Networks has stepped up in a big way with editing (thank you Steve McCandless) as has Chris Julian, and Renee Metty has joined the team as event director, assisted by volunteer coordinator Banu Sekendur. David Guilbault will produce SHINE, assisted by John Patzer and a team of more than a dozen videographers:

Basil Shadid.
Chris Julian.
Goldie Jones.
Grace Stahre.
Greg Sommers.
Jeremy Dodd.
Lenn Davis.
Mark Brent.
Mitch Mattraw.
Steven Bradford.
Michael Foster.
John Robertson.

This epic collaboration will take place in Seattle’s largest film prouction studio thanks to Scott Jonas of Fremont Studios. Go team.

If you’re on the fence about attending, now would be a great time to get off and get out your story. Why did you start your business? How do you define success? The cameras will be rolling for you on May 6…RSVP

I got an email from a former client of mine the other day, a woman who works at a large organization who is responsible for hiring web designers and developers to work on their projects. She had a project she was trying to find a developer for, and she had contacted several Biznik members via their profiles, with requests for information. Unfortunately none of the members had bothered to respond to her. Here’s what she wrote me:

It’s my first choice to work with one of the many fine folks I read about on Biznik. As a staff member at a big bureaucracy I am actively seeking a compatible contractor virtually. So it’s confusing when I don’t get a response. It makes me feel that Biznik is just a social networking site…a place to make friends. And I wind up with an agency–exactly what I was trying to avoid–because they return interest quickly….

Maybe all the web developers she contacted were just so busy they simply didn’t need the work. Or maybe they (mistakenly) decided she wasn’t a “serious” client and simply ignored her. What a shame.

The drive for 100,000 members of Biznik passed another milestone today when Betsy Hiebert became the 27,000th member to join Biznik. She’s an inventor and custom publisher from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Remember: You + 3 = 100,000 members. What the economy needs right now is for small businesses to succeed. So take a minute and think of three people who need to succeed. And invite them to Biznik.

More about Betsy, from her profile:

I help companies put their brand in the hands of consumers.

I also help patients and families record their medications, appointments, tests and more in a simple easy-to-use book.

What Betsy does best

Connect with people from all walks of life and professions.

What does Betsy need?

I need companies, businesses and people interested in putting their brand in the hands of consumers. The Personal Healthcare Journal is available for co-branding on the front cover as well as custom publishing.

I’m also looking for organizations who want to fundraise, and stores like hospital gift shops, pharmacies, etc. who want to purchase the Personal Healthcare Journal to sell.

Education

University of Winnipeg

Public Relations Diploma
Communications Certificate
Life skills and on the job training as an entrepreneur!

Experience

Plenty of first hand experience in the healthcare industry from a patient and family perspective.

Over 10 years in the communications field - helping companies find more effective ways of communicating their message.

A member forwarded this to me this evening, and it vibes on our frequency so much I just gotta pass it along to you: The 350 Project. These guys are speaking our language, and we heart the 350 project!

3 - Think about which three independently owned businesses you’d miss most if they were gone. Stop in and say hello. Pick up a little something that will make someone smile. Your contribution is what keeps those businesses around.

50 - If just half the employed US population spent $50 each month in independently owned businesses, their purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. imagine the positive impact if 3/4 of the employed population did that.

68- For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain only $43 stays here. Spend it online and nothing comes home.

1- The number of people it takes to start the trend…..you.

The first video made by filmmaker Ben Media is set to deploy shortly to the home page of Biznik. We had hours of fun in the studio making these videos. The entire project, which is still just getting started, has been the product of Biznik members: We’re renting the studio from Biznik member Scott Paul; we’re interviewing real Biznik members like Piper Lauri Salooga, Kammie Lisenby and Debbie Rosemont (three three who appear on this first video).

Our purpose in making these videos is to capture the personality of Biznik members, and tell their stories, at the same time showcasing Biznik as a community of entrepreneurs dedicated to helping each other succeed.

So. How are we doing so far?

We had several reports over the weekend from members who received spam messages directly to their private email accounts. Here’s what they look like:

One irate member even questioned whether we’d sold his email address to the spammers. We share your pain - we hate spammers just as much as you do. And for the record, as we’ve stated clearly in Biznik’s terms of service, we will NEVER share your email address with anyone.

We did some investigating, and here’s what we discovered. Quite a few members have, perhaps without thinking, posted their private email address onto public pages of Biznik, such as into promotions, into Biz Talk posts, or on their profiles. This is a very bad thing to do if you want to avoid spammers, because once you’ve made your email public in this way, it’s a simple matter for spammers to harvest it.

To avoid this from happening, we created the private, in-house messaging system which we recommend all members use on Biznik to contact one another. It’s the only way we can prevent your email address from being harvested. So please, DO NOT publish your email in any public forum on Biznik if you want to avoid getting spammed.