doterati evolution • may 2009

Everybody's working ON the weekend...

I love 80s music and pop culture. Remember the song released by the Loverboy's, "Everybody's Working for the Weekend" and Dolly's "9 to 5" - they represent that decades approach to the work/life balance dilemma. Almost 30 years later a lot has changed in our society and I think some would welcome rewinding back to 9to5, Monday through Friday (without the shoulder pads.) I personally don't mind putting in a high volume of hours as long as I love what I'm doing. The world is moving so fast given technological advances, social media and the evolution of our ability to communicate.

I get it - everyone is busy. It's the common answer to 'how are you?' when posed in any number of social situations this year. The great news is that as individuals we are armed to make our own decisions and choices. There are tons of amazing things going on in Orlando in our industry, outside of our comfort zone and online. It's up to each of us to figure out our busy threshold and get involved in things we are passionate about, so get out there and figure out what's important to you.

If you're interested in networking with a diverse group of people and expanding your brain power at the same time, there are some cool things coming up worth considering. Also, if you take your free doterati website account to the next level by becoming a member, you'll enjoy these monthly educational events as part of your membership.

doterati's June educational breakfast event:
BrandFlakes: Online Creative Approaches
Rise and shine with a truly unique panel setup to discuss online design, strategic identity theories and digital branding. Find out what some of the top Orlando brands look for when executing their online strategy and what truly motivates consumer decision making.

We've also got an amazing educational event in the works for July, in addition to a full day workshop aimed to help us non-technical folks build websites via content management systems. Check back often for details on both of these and contact me directly if you'd like to get involved.

I'm happy to introduce this month's doterati member spotlight, Elizabeth Baranik. Elizabeth joined Sterling Raphael as doterati's co-web director in May - we are so happy to have her!

doterati member interview

name: Elizabeth Baranik
occupation: Marketing Director
industry: Interactive Technology - Social Media Applications and Event Technology for Associations and Organizations
twitter bio: Social Media, Marketing, Public Relations, Event Management and Execution, Account Management and more!
favorite thing to do in my spare time: Working out, Traveling, Beach Time, Live Music
little known fact about me: I used to play the saxophone for 8 years!
what I always have in my briefcase: iPHONE, Business Cards
why I joined doterati: To learn from others in each of their expertise areas, networking opportunities, educational benefits
advice for future members: If you want to be more engaged in your field, and bounce ideas off of creative, insightful individuals, doterati is the place to be a member.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ElizabethB
Blog: http://elizabethbaranik.com
Work Site: http://nfistudios.com
Email: elizabeth@nfistudios.com
Phone: 407-489-1324

I look forward to seeing all of you in between your vacations this summer at our events. Also, if you're not already volunteering for a doterati committee, we'd love to have you! Drop volunteer@doterati.com a line and let us know how you can help!

Here's what you missed in May:
Myths & Truths of Search Engine Optimization - a power packed panel with Janel Landis, Dan Kinchen, Renee Menkova and Dennis Miller. Event coverage will be posted shortly to our event library.