I’m Saying Goodbye to Cleveland and Hellooooo to Austin!
If you’re not a sports fan, you may not catch that reference. Keith Jackson, while calling the Ohio State Michigan game uttered the words, “Hellooooooooooooo Heisman” as Desmond Howard crossed the goaline after returning a punt.
Anyway, back to the real show…
You never know when opportunity might knock on your door.
About three weeks ago, I was trying to ease into the holiday season. I had planned to spend some time with the family, but also enjoy some downtime before 2010 kicked into fifth gear.
Well, just when I thought the downtime would actually happen, I was contacted by the folks at WeissComm Group in Austin, Texas. They were looking to expand their social media/interactive team and wanted to talk with me. First off, I have to say that I was completely flattered by the opportunity to speak with Bob Pearson, Paul Dyer and Bob Blount (among others). These guys are doing tremendous work in social media/interactive. Secondarily, an opportunity to do social media for some great brands in one of the growing technology centers in the country was very appealing.
So, fast forward a few weeks to today. I’m writing this post to tell you that I’ve accepted a job as Social Media Associate at WeissComm Group in Austin.
It was a tough decision as I’ve made some great friends in Northeast Ohio in personal and professional circles, but the opportunity to collaborate with some social media heavy hitters was just something I couldn’t pass up. I’ll be making the move to Austin starting on February 12th, and start at WCG on February 15th.
At the risk of leaving someone out (and if I do, please come and correct me) I’d like to personally thank (in no particular order) Aaron Strout, Tim Walker, Sonny Gill, David Spinks, Katie Huntley, Amanda Vasil, Tracy Burt, Dawn Lacallade, Dominic Litten, Ken Burbary, Adam Cohen, Warren Sukernek, Abbey Linville, Zak Zajac and Arik Hanson for all of the amazing advice you’ve given me over the last few weeks. I’ll never forget the advice/time you’ve given. Here’s hoping we stay connected/friends for a long time to come.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also thank the good folks at Radian6. Not only did you make the connection between WCG and myself, but you provided a forum for me to share ideas on social media. For that, I am eternally grateful, and hope that we can continue working together to advance the practice of social media for years to come. Cheers to you David Alston, Marc Whitchurch, Amber Naslund, Lauren Vargas and Craig Comeau (among MANY others). Hope to see you all at SxSWi!
One final note... I’ve met a lot of students/professionals looking for employment over the last two years who shun social media as either a fad, or a big time sink. Going through this process I think I can safely say that you are flat wrong. Not only did the opportunity with WCG come about because of a relationship developed through social media, but I would’ve never known the people who’ve helped me along the way without it. So with that, I’ll say get in there! Start connecting!
Here’s to some great times Northeast Ohio, and to even more in Austin, TX!
Cheers!
UPDATE - I was remiss before and didn't mention Jason Sprenger. Thanks a lot for your advice sir, and incredibly sorry I left you off the list.
