Here are the slides from my presentation The Non-Designer’s Guide to WordPress this afternoon at Minnebar8. Thanks so much to my attendees for the great conversation.

This weekend I took part in the Deep Freeze Dunk – jumping into a frozen lake to raise funds and awareness for the good work of Haiti Outreach.

It was definitely a life-affirming experience and had been on my bucket list for some time now. The tie-in with such a worthy cause was a great motivator.

Over 5 million people in Haiti lack access to clean and safe drinking water. The funds raised by my team will not only help build a well in Haiti, but teach the people in the communities where wells are drilled how to manage the wells themselves and how to maintain a community fund to repair and maintain them. This is not about relief but about supporting sustainable development and change.

My team, The Disco Dunkers (hence my leisure suit), raised over $8k! I’d like to thank all of my generous donors for helping me raise $311 of that total. I’m not sure if I’ll do it again, but I feel lucky to have been a part of such an amazing group of dedicated and passionate people.

Relive the experience through photos and video below…
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I’ve been making holiday mixtapes as gifts for years. They’ve evolved into two distinct themes — that warm and fuzzy feeling the holidays can bring and the darker, more stressful and confused condition that can too easily befall us during this time of year.

No matter which camp you’re in I invite you to sit back, grab a cup of eggnog and enjoy. Happy holidays!
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This month, my co-host Missy Berggren (@MarketingMama) and I welcome the following guest:

Amber Carter(@ambercolorlife), blogger at An Amber-Colored Life , SMBMSP#52 panelist and the author of the new book(s) All the Things You Never Knew and Certain Things You Ought to Know.

Also, we share our geek gift ideas. Not to be missed!

Click the link below to listen…

Listen and download past episodes at smbmsp.org.

It’s Give to the Max Day! Thousands of Minnesota nonprofits and schools will come together today to raise millions of dollars online in just 24 hours. Your support can go even further as many have obtained special matching funds and every donation you make gives your favorite nonprofit or school the chance to win even more money from GiveMN.

Here are the groups I’m proudly supporting and why. Please consider making a donation to any or all of them in any amount (although donations for $10 or more will be eligible to win through GiveMN incentives). The clock is ticking, don’t wait. Thank you! Continue reading →

This month, my co-host Missy Berggren (@MarketingMama) and I welcome the following guests:

Rick Mahn (@rickmahn), Senior IT Architect – Deployment Technologies and founder of Social Media Breakfast – Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Bryan Person (@bryanperson), Director of Customer Success at Lithium Technologies and founder of Social Media Breakfast.

Click the link below to listen…

Listen and download past episodes at smbmsp.org.

I originally created this collection a few years ago based on the “I Voted” stickers we get at the polls here in Minnesota. This lastest version includes more design options and is sized to easily replace your Facebook profile pictures and cover photos
I’ve redone

I’m releasing them into the Public Domain. They are free to use or share any darn way you like. And if you haven’t yet, get out and vote!

Right-click (PC) or control-click (Mac) to grab the image.

Profile Pictures/Avatars

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If you haven’t heard, it’s Movember. Thousands of men in US and around the world will grow moustaches (or Mo’s) this month to raise funds and awareness for men’s health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives.

I believe that men need to be more proactive when it comes to our health so I’m taking the plunge this year and attempting to grow my own Mo. I’ll be posting daily photos of my progress on my Mo Space page. While you’re there please consider making a donation in any amount. Thank you! Continue reading →

This month, my co-host Meg Knodl (@DotMeg) and I welcome the following guests in honor of our 50th breakfast event on October 26:

Rick Mahn (@rickmahn), Senior IT Architect – Deployment Technologies and founder of Social Media Breakfast – Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Bryan Person (@bryanperson), Director of Customer Success at Lithium Technologies and founder of Social Media Breakfast.

Click the link below to listen…

Listen and download past episodes at smbmsp.org.

I’ve been a long time advocate for using social media for more than just poking and tweeting. Nonprofit organizations can harness these power of the social web to garner support and advocacy as never before. Equally true, it’s never been easier for individuals to support these causes. So please join me in taking a moment to learn about a Minnesota charity trying to make a difference.

Madison Clarie Foundation was started with a simple goal. They want to build a fully accessible playground  in Woodbury, Minnesota (it would be the first in the Twin Cities).

Why? To enhance the lives of children and families living with physical and developmental disabilities by giving them the opportunity to play alongside others. They feel, and I agree, that playgrounds should be for everyone. Continue reading →