CoffeeJitters » Publicity & Marketing

When you go to the orthodontist and a blogging conference breaks out

Judy Schwartz Haley — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:49:53 +0000

I have a face for radio, and a voice for print media, so blogging is the perfect venue for me. Orthodontics really doesn’t fit into that picture. So, when Mama Kat posted an invitation to a social media conference at an orthodontist’s office, I was intrigued, but a bit skeptical. Why was an orthodontist hosting a social media event? Also, is this something I want to get myself into?

Kat would be there, and I trust her judgment (or at least if it turned out to be lame, she’d be an entertaining companion with whom to endure lame), and it was just exactly in my price range: free. Also motivating, I would get to talk to grownups; as a SAHM blogger, that is a rare and precious occurrence. Other mom bloggers to talk to? I’m in.

So I sequestered my paralyzing fear of dentists into a small dark corner in the pit of my stomach, and braved up. After all, it wasn’t like I was going in for treatment, right?

I was still curious about what social media had to do with orthodontics, and I have to admit, there was a part of me that was picturing the requirement to sit through a time-share sales pitch before getting to go one the 2 hour booze cruise. As it turns out, there were no time-shares, and no booze. This all played out before noon on a Saturday morning.

I walked in, said hi, and they took me back to take an impression for my teeth whitening tray. Wait, what? The little ball of fear in my tummy churned a bit. But it was just an impression… quick and easy. No drills, needles, or reprimands about flossing, and the need for more frequent dental visits. I had forgotten that the swag for this little gathering included a custom fit teeth-whitening kit. Awesome!

So what was this all about? What was the orthodontics angle? It turns out that Dr. Molen is quite the savvy orthodontist. He recognizes the power of social media and mom bloggers, and also made the connection that most of his patients have moms or are moms. So if he provided a space for mom bloggers to come together and talk about blogging, maybe they would blog about their experience in his office… Hey, look what just happened here.

Kat put together a great presentation on blogging basics that covered everything from “should you start a blog?” to finding your niche (which I still haven’t done) to monetizing your blog. The discussion came at a timely point for me, because I’ve been putting a lot of thought into how I’m making money from blogging. Thanks to her presentation, I think the best choice for me personally is to use my blog as a showcase for my writing, a portfolio of sorts, to generate paid writing opportunities elsewhere, rather than focusing on paid product reviews and advertising. Perhaps I should start proof-reading and using spellcheck as well?

After Kat finished up, Dr. Molen stepped up and took a few moments to dispel some myths about orthodontics. I have to admit that I was holding on to some incorrect ideas about what orthodontics entails. I really thought it was only about straight teeth, I had no idea of the artistry involved, or the impact on the entire face.

I also came away with some specific red flags to keep in mind in case my daughter ever needs orthodontics. I know now to turn and run if any orthodontist wants to fit her with headgear like I wore through 5^th and 6^th grades.

Are you laughing at that poor 11 year old in the picture? It’s all right, Internets, I embrace my inner awkward.

By far, the best part of the entire experience was the time we had to sit around and chat. There were, I believe, six of us bloggers in attendance, so it was a small enough group to really have a nice chat. I would have enjoyed more time chatting.

I would have enjoyed more time chatting so much that I wonder if other Seattle bloggers would enjoy time chatting in the real world. What do you think? Is anyone else interested in meeting up in a coffee shop for some “Coffee Talk”? (Admit it, you said that in a Linda Richmond/Mike Meyers voice.) No agenda, no presentations, no entrance fee… just bloggers meeting up somewhere in the Seattle area to get a cup of coffee or glass of wine and talk blogs, SEO, parenting, privacy, trolls, and anything else that happens to be on our minds. Is there enough interest to set up a Meetup? What do you think?

I want to send out a big thank you to Dr. Aaron Molen at Molen Orthodontics. Thank you for thinking of us, coming up with a completely original idea, and making it happen. I’d love to see more of this. And to the other ladies in attendance, @youcanstayhome, @improperlykeli, and @BitingMyHand, it was so lovely to meet you!

photo courtesy of Dr. Aaron Molen, @MolenOrtho

Reasons I Love Seattle: #5 We’re never far from mother nature

Judy Schwartz Haley — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 04:17:19 +0000

All the benefits of a robust metropolis and yet, nestled between the mountains and the Salish Sea, it takes no effort at all to let nature envelope you in Seattle.

And now, from around the interwebs…

Me: As Seen On…

TV: yes! really! I was on CNN! So here’s the deal: I got an opportunity to say thank you, and help tell the story of a woman who was there for me while I was going through the worst of my cancer treatment. Debbie Cantwell created The Pink Daisy Project to pay it forward after her own bout with cancer. She helped me at a time when the expense and exhaustion of getting through cancer treatment was really wearing me down. She sent gift cards so I could get food, diapers, and gas, and she hired some people to come clean my home. It’s hard enough to keep your home clean with a toddler – add the side effects of cancer treatment, and it’s overwhelming.

From what I understand, out of the 25 heroes highlighted throughout the year, CNN will be selecting 10 finalists for the awards ceremony. Web traffic and buzz are considered in their selection criteria – so the more you view and share this story, the more you like or recommend it on Facebook, and the more you comment on the story there on the CNN website, the better the odds that Debbie will be selected as one of the finalists. As a result of the story so far, Debbie has already received an increase in donations to help more women. She also received a significant increase in requests for help. As we get the word out more, Debbie will be able to help more and more women. And that’s the whole point.

There is also a second video; this one is even longer and shows more of my family.

Darrah Parker Photography: We met up with Darrah at Ravenna Park on a sunny afternoon, and she took the most beautiful pictures of us. My little family was hot and tired, and bordering on cranky, but Darrah found the best in us. We had a grand time posing for photos, and the results are just lovely.

Awesome stuff I found while I was pretending to be busy

It Matters: Mama Wants This explores the unexpected ways her life has has been enriched by blogging, and the unexpected ways in which she has been hurt by blogging.

The Aums: a discussion of that emotionally charged issue of, gasp, body image.

Dog Days of Summer: Northwest Mommy hosts guest blogger, Diane LeBleu, and her discussion of starting a business, getting a dog, breast cancer, and other bad ideas.

Peanut Butter in my Hair: finding beauty in unexpected places

The Days Pass: Susan of Toddler Planet is one of my heroes. She’s battling her fourth cancer in four years; this time it’s metastatic. She writes so beautifully about balancing her pain management so that she can tolerate the pain, yet still savor the moments with her husband and young children.

There is no great writing, only great re-writing

Judy Schwartz Haley — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 07:57:01 +0000

I don’t know how many times I heard the above quote at the Write on the Sound writers’ conference last weekend, but it was definitely something I needed to hear. I write, and I write, and then I sit and don’t write because I think I can’t write. What I don’t do is re-write.

I suspect I’m not the only writer that combines this odd mix of arrogance and self-flagellation by thinking my first draft should be good enough, and beating myself up when it’s not. Is there a self help group? A pill? Perhaps I should paint in big bold red letters above my couch “IT’S JUST A DRAFT!“

I did get more out of the writer’s conference. It was my first one and I’m hooked. I got home and immediately went online to see if there were any more conferences coming up in the area.

And now I’m going to go ahead and hit publish on the first draft of this post. Really, I did learn that lesson. I also know that sometimes you’ve gotta just do it or it will never get done. It’s been a week since I posted anything in here, although I’m sitting on several posts that I’ve been re-writing. Life is a balance folks.

What writing issues are you working on?

I’m Almost Famous

Judy Schwartz Haley — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:52:00 +0000

Another CoffeeJitters photo featured on Seattlest.

CoffeeJitters’ Photo Featured on Seattlest

Judy Schwartz Haley — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:59:00 +0000

I woke up this morning to find that Seattlest featured one of my photos in this post.

It’s a happy, surreal feeling to see your work acknowledged and featured. Thanks Seattlest.