Brazen careerist

Where ambitious young professionals connect and grow

Neal Schaffer

Newport Beach, CA

President, Windmills Marketing

Consulting

Windmill Networking - Social Media Strategy for Businesses & Professionals

Fans (38)

Following (55)

Groups (6)

Already a member?

Click here to login

Welcome to Brazen Careerist!

Neal Schaffer is using Brazen Careerist to share ideas. Join now to become a member and start networking with Neal Schaffer and other professionals just like you. Learn more.

All Activity

TOP IDEA: Olga Ocon Recommends Neal Schaffer's book: http://www.amazon.com/Windmill-Networking-Understanding-Step-Step/dp/143...

90 weeks ago

Neal Schaffer: Thank you so much for the recommendation Olga!!! I met Martin Yates last night...he is a great gentleman who I hope I have a chance to collaborate ...MoreThank you so much for the recommendation Olga!!! I met Martin Yates last night...he is a great gentleman who I hope I have a chance to collaborate with in the future. Thanks again for helping to spread the word!
90 weeks ago

Dean Soto Hey everyone, In a few weeks there will be another #connectOC event. If you are in the SoCal area, I highly recommend it. There are a lot of businesses Southern California that attend. I'll post the dates when it gets closer if anyone is interested!

91 weeks ago from SoCal Bloggers

Ryan Paugh recommended this

View 2 older replies

Dean Soto: @Neal no problem, bud! Have anything new on going on in SoCal in with Windmills Networking?

@Nicole Definitely will. Looks like it's going to ...More@Neal no problem, bud! Have anything new on going on in SoCal in with Windmills Networking?

@Nicole Definitely will. Looks like it's going to be in Late July or early August. It's totally worth going if you are in SoCal. There was just under 400 peeps the last time.
90 weeks ago

Neal Schaffer: So Cal Sushi event coming soon @Dean...make sure you join the LinkedIn Group to get details! MoreSo Cal Sushi event coming soon @Dean...make sure you join the LinkedIn Group to get details! http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=969757
90 weeks ago

Ann Smarty Are you guest blogging or plan to? I have launched a community that may help you find great guest posting opportunities and / or guest authors for your blog: http://myblogguest.com/ I'd love to hear your feedback on it!

95 weeks ago from Wordpress Bloggers

Melissa Breau and Melanie McGrath recommended this

View 6 older replies

The Writer: For more info on guest blogging and targeting the right sites to guest post on, check out this article: MoreFor more info on guest blogging and targeting the right sites to guest post on, check out this article: http://bit.ly/9siyuq
91 weeks ago

Patrick Pho: I was just planning a guest blog week for my site- thanks!
91 weeks ago

cedric tchoumbou Hello Everyone. I am cedric new member from LASC taking my general classes for physician assistant.

95 weeks ago from Los Angeles

Neal Schaffer: Welcome to La La Land!
95 weeks ago

Meagan I've been searching and applying to (paid) marketing internships in the Los Angeles or San Diego, CA area and have gone through all possible links, search engines, suggested/recommended site, etc. [Not even kidding] Now, I'm trying here - if you know of anything it would be greatly appreciated.

97 weeks ago from Wordpress Bloggers, San Diego Tweeps and Bloggers, Social Media Marketers and Brazen Undergrads 2 more

View 2 older replies

Leslie Allan: Hello Meagan. We are in Melbourne, Australia and have reasonably constant part-time contract work in marketing our web site at MoreHello Meagan. We are in Melbourne, Australia and have reasonably constant part-time contract work in marketing our web site at www.businessperform.com and others. If you are keen and committed, I don't think distance is an issue. If you want to chat more, please contact me at lespallan at gmail dot com and drop me your resume.
97 weeks ago

Erica Douglass: Hi Meagan,

I know a lot of people who would be interested in hiring an intern in marketing...but it all depends on pay. Shoot me an email: erica ...MoreHi Meagan,

I know a lot of people who would be interested in hiring an intern in marketing...but it all depends on pay. Shoot me an email: erica at erica dot biz and please include location, resume, and pay requirements.

Thank you,
-Erica
96 weeks ago

Cameron Plommer I am looking for a free theme. I'm currently using Atahualpa, but have been told by developers that it's not good theme because it's built using tables. It also does some really weird stuff. But it is very customizable, which is very important to me. I want a free theme that I can change heavily by myself. Any suggestions?

99 weeks ago from Wordpress Bloggers

View 4 older replies

Jason: check out themeforest.com. not free but most are less than $20. they feature some really great themes.
98 weeks ago

Neal Schaffer: I use Atahualpa for my site MoreI use Atahualpa for my site http://WindmillNetworking.com and have been very happy with how customizable it has been. That being said, I have found that customizing the look and feel of the sidebars have been difficult and it has been doing some funky things with particular plugins.

If you want something stable and customizable you might want to invest in Thesis..at least a lot of people use it, plugins work well with it, and it is relatively customizable. Costs money, though, of course...
98 weeks ago

Alecia Lott Hi fellow Wordpress fans! I just joined this website so I'm still learning how everything works. I've been blogging since January and love it. Any bloggers in the San Diego area? --Alecia, aka Bang-Bang

101 weeks ago from Wordpress Bloggers

Neal Schaffer: I'm in Orange County... ;-)
@NealSchaffer
MoreI'm in Orange County... ;-)
@NealSchaffer
http://windmillnetworking.com
101 weeks ago

Melissa Breau Came across this great post today on Life Without Pants - its about building your blog like a business. Thought I'd share! http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/blogging/blog-like-a-business/

102 weeks ago from Wordpress Bloggers

Neal Schaffer: Thanks for sharing Melissa! That was a great article!

Now it's time for me to share: here's one from late last year, meant for corporate ...MoreThanks for sharing Melissa! That was a great article!

Now it's time for me to share: here's one from late last year, meant for corporate bloggers, with 50 ideas on what to blog about! Enjoy!!!

http://www.verticalmeasures.com/website-publicity/50-topics-to-help-you-...

@NealSchaffer
102 weeks ago

Andrea V. Lewis I'm organizing my first Tweetup this Sat., Feb. 2/20/2010 at 11:00 a.m. in Santa Monica. Come meet local tweeps for coffee and conversations about social media. RSVP here http://twvt.us/0tiu

103 weeks ago from Los Angeles

View 6 older replies

Scott Asai: Neal, I'd like to talk about a possible collaboration on this. Just so you know, I'm not getting paid to do this, it's more of a business ...MoreNeal, I'd like to talk about a possible collaboration on this. Just so you know, I'm not getting paid to do this, it's more of a business promotion with a partner. If that's OK, let's talk!
102 weeks ago

Neal Schaffer: Well, if its a business promotion, it's a business, right? Feel free to send me an email with details...interested in discussing further.
102 weeks ago

Dan Schawbel 42% of Americans Google themselves now (http://bit.ly/cpucyS) - this number seems very low

105 weeks ago from Personal Branding

View 3 older replies

Melissa Breau: @Neal - very interesting to hear. I wonder if those results would be different in different cities? I know here in NY that would be significantly ...More@Neal - very interesting to hear. I wonder if those results would be different in different cities? I know here in NY that would be significantly higher - I've sat in on some of those conversations. Perhaps because so many NYers are in media?
105 weeks ago

Neal Schaffer: @Melissa Indeed, it could be that L.A. is behind in the Social Media Divide. I agree that NY and SF reaction would have been different (I would ...More@Melissa Indeed, it could be that L.A. is behind in the Social Media Divide. I agree that NY and SF reaction would have been different (I would hope!).
105 weeks ago

Patrick Ambron Interesting discussion about social media ROI on twitter today. Many people claim its hard to measure the ROI in social media. I disagree however. Especially compared to traditional branding efforts, I think social media has some pretty measurable metrics that line up with specific objectives. What do you guys think

105 weeks ago from Personal Branding

Brianne E. Villano: I'm a noob to the business end of social media and would love to know what tools you use to measure ROI or ROE (Return on Engagement) as I've seen ...MoreI'm a noob to the business end of social media and would love to know what tools you use to measure ROI or ROE (Return on Engagement) as I've seen written in the blogosphere lately.
Thanks Patrick.
105 weeks ago

Neal Schaffer: Agree with you 100% Patrick!!! I can't believe more people don't understand this...I think the problem is that the people preaching Return on ...MoreAgree with you 100% Patrick!!! I can't believe more people don't understand this...I think the problem is that the people preaching Return on Engagement are from the PR (?) side, not the sales/business side. There are "fringe benefits" like ROE that are also measurable (followers, web hits, et. al.), but if you're not evaluating your social media ROI, give me a call because I'd like to receive some of your budget!!!
105 weeks ago

Andrea V. Lewis If any of you guys are on LinkedIn please add me to your network. I'm trying to boost my connections to at least 100. Thanks in advance.

106 weeks ago from Los Angeles

View 9 older replies

La Donna Lokey: I'm a Recruiting Manager at Citi. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn at MoreI'm a Recruiting Manager at Citi. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/lalokey and I'll accept.
95 weeks ago

Andrea V. Lewis: @Anesha, @Jamie, @Elizabeth, @La Donna - I LOVE connecting with people on different platforms, especially from a wide variety of (professional) ...More@Anesha, @Jamie, @Elizabeth, @La Donna - I LOVE connecting with people on different platforms, especially from a wide variety of (professional) backgrounds. The more diverse my professional network is, the better. Thanks for connecting w/ me on Linkedin. =)
95 weeks ago

Hey everyone, I'm Lindsay. I'm a recent college grad who moved to Los Angeles a little under two weeks ago to be closer to the entertainment industry and to try somewhere new. I'm living in the Sunset Junction area of Silver Lake and loving it so far.

107 weeks ago from Los Angeles

View 1 older reply

: Hi Andrea, thanks for the welcome. I haven't done much exploring of neighborhoods yet, but West Hollywood seems like a pretty great area.
107 weeks ago

Neal Schaffer: A belated welcome Lindsay! I live in Orange County, but if you're ever out this way please give me a shout out as I'd love to meet!
105 weeks ago

Patrick Ambron IS BLOGGING WORTH IT? Blogging is time consuming and is difficult to attract readers? Are these the only measures of success? What has been your experience with blogging? What goals does it help you with? We've sparked a good debate via our last blog post and twitter. Check out original top here if youu'd like. http://su.pr/1k0BpG

108 weeks ago from Personal Branding

View 8 older replies

Elisabeth Ericson: With the caveat that I'm in college and not yet active in any professional field-- I don't primarily consider blogging a marketing tool. I blog ...MoreWith the caveat that I'm in college and not yet active in any professional field-- I don't primarily consider blogging a marketing tool. I blog because it helps me refine my views in a way that thinking or talking about them more amorphously doesn't; because it pushes me to improve the style and concision of my writing; and because it forces me to really examine my beliefs, articulate them, and then to stand behind them. It's definitely made me more assertive and unafraid to state opinions.
107 weeks ago

Elisabeth Ericson: That said, as someone who is still very much learning about my (would-be) field, I think the opportunities for dialogue and intellectual exchange ...MoreThat said, as someone who is still very much learning about my (would-be) field, I think the opportunities for dialogue and intellectual exchange are absolutely invaluable.
107 weeks ago

Rachel Vincent I was reading a blog post by Tamar Weinburg yesterday that was talking about connecting with people you don't already know. She had suggested having a facebook page (but how many of use are that big?) or LinkedIn, which, like facebook, I consider a trusted network of people I already know. Plus LinkedIn isn't a super interactive place. What have you guys found the most useful finding cool new people? Brazen of course. Twitter? Do any of you use Facebook or LinkedIn for that?

108 weeks ago from Social Media Marketers

View 4 older replies

Rachel Vincent: Ryan, looking at the lists of people I trust is a great idea! I've used the lists on blogs I love to find other blogs, but hadn't thought about ...MoreRyan, looking at the lists of people I trust is a great idea! I've used the lists on blogs I love to find other blogs, but hadn't thought about that as a use for lists. And thanks for the Matador Community suggestion. I love traveling, actually heading to India in about a month, so that sounds really cool.
108 weeks ago

Neal Schaffer: Rachel, as you get more and more involved in social media and make more friends, it gets impossible to keep track of everyone everyday. But you ...MoreRachel, as you get more and more involved in social media and make more friends, it gets impossible to keep track of everyone everyday. But you learn to keep track of those most important to you. It takes a leap of faith, but we are all getting more connected, so the faster we learn to do this (and the sooner we windmill network), the greater the benefits for those who need to ask their network for something when they really need it.
108 weeks ago

Cameron Plommer So I'm thinking of moving my wordpress blog to self hosted. As a person with little html and css knowledge is this a good idea/how easy is this to do? I want to make more design changes and add plugins, which is the main reason for the change. Can all the necessary information be learned online easy? Also would a premium theme (Thesis) make this easier for a non-techie?

108 weeks ago from Wordpress Bloggers

View 11 older replies

Neal Schaffer: Cameron,

To answer your questions:

1) Only pay for a theme if you have already blogged for a few months and see the potential value. I use ...MoreCameron,

To answer your questions:

1) Only pay for a theme if you have already blogged for a few months and see the potential value. I use Ahatualpa at http://windmillnetworking.com

2) Many webhost providers automatically install WordPress. I use BlueHost. There are a number of others out there as well that you could use.

3 - I use the theme that I do because the options to make changes are there in the "Theme Options" menu without knowing CSS.

4) Correct!

@NealSchaffer
108 weeks ago

Erick Hitter: @Cameron, I think you've pretty well summarized the discussion. To @Neal's point, many of the themes available in the "Extend" section of ...More@Cameron, I think you've pretty well summarized the discussion. To @Neal's point, many of the themes available in the "Extend" section of WordPress.org include customization panes, but learning a little HTML and CSS can't hurt either. As always, this group is a great place to post questions.
108 weeks ago

Neal Schaffer My personal preference is http://searchengineland.com/

108 weeks ago from PR & New Media

Stephen Debruyn: Ah, right, that's a good one too, thanks for that suggestion!
108 weeks ago

Sajid Akhtar Hi all, I'm a total newbie to social media marketing and would love to know where or how i could learn more about it as it seems pretty fundamental in many business, especially entrepreneurship, given how the social media revolution is going from strength to strength. Any books or blogs you guys n' gals can recommend would be great.

108 weeks ago from Social Media Marketers

View 2 older replies

Neal Schaffer: Anytime Sajid!
108 weeks ago

Sajid Akhtar: Hi Neal, you're man in the know, do have any suggestion on learning about organic/natural SEO? Thanks, Saj
108 weeks ago

Andrea V. Lewis What's everyone doing this weekend in L.A.?

108 weeks ago from Los Angeles

Neal Schaffer: What's going on Andrea? I'm chillin' this weekend, daughter's birthday party over the weekend and then Disneyland afterwards... How about ...MoreWhat's going on Andrea? I'm chillin' this weekend, daughter's birthday party over the weekend and then Disneyland afterwards... How about yourself and the rest of the L.A. crew?
108 weeks ago

Andrea V. Lewis: Running a ton of (boring) errands, cleaning, and laundry. Yawn. I'm going to try to see the movie the book of Eli, catch up on some reading, and ...MoreRunning a ton of (boring) errands, cleaning, and laundry. Yawn. I'm going to try to see the movie the book of Eli, catch up on some reading, and try out a couple of semi-raw recipes. Hope everyone in L.A. has a lovely weekend!
108 weeks ago

Patricia Fraser Hi, I have had a wordpress blog for nearly 2 years now. Yesterday I wrote a blog post and edited the publication time to today at 00.01. I have done this many times in the past. When I got up this morning and checked the blog, the post had not published. I tried many times to publish the post and it simply would not publish. I finally copied the whole thing into a new post and published it (it's at www.calcopyrite.com) Has anyone every had that happen to them?

111 weeks ago from Wordpress Bloggers

Neal Schaffer: Hi Patricia,

I had the same issue...it stopped working some time ago. Now I just keep posts in draft format and then publish them manually at ...MoreHi Patricia,

I had the same issue...it stopped working some time ago. Now I just keep posts in draft format and then publish them manually at the appropriate time. I searched and found a blog post which talked about the issue and the WordPress module that you can replace with an earlier version to fix the issue, but the fix didn't work for me. A little inconvenient, but I'm over it now....

- Neal
111 weeks ago

Jason Unger: Patricia - what version of Wordpress are you running? Best -
111 weeks ago

Dean Soto Okay SoCal bloggers, would anyone be interested in a meetup in February? I don't just mean at a cofee shop, but a catered meetup with some well-known bloggers in the area. Perhaps the LinkedIn master, Neal Schaffer, would grace us with a keynote. Anyone in?

111 weeks ago from SoCal Bloggers

Neal Schaffer: Dean,

I'm all game and would be more than happy to organize the event. Don't think we need to be catered, but it would be nice to have dinner ...MoreDean,

I'm all game and would be more than happy to organize the event. Don't think we need to be catered, but it would be nice to have dinner together. Why don't we start by asking everyone 1) what day of the week they prefer, 2) what time, and 3) where would be most convenient? I am flexible on all three points, although I prefer a weekday rather than a weekend night.

Dean, Tera, Scott, Melissa, Jun, Kristina, Joseph, George, Lindsay, etc...your thoughts? Please post!
111 weeks ago

Dean Soto: I am flexible on all three as well. Weeknights are fine for me as well. Anyone else have any preferences?
111 weeks ago

Neal Schaffer I have a question for you all on comments. I get pingbacks when my blog posts are tweeted from sites like topsy.com, ubervu.com, and realurl.com. While these pingbacks show up as comments and help boost the comment count, I worry that there are serious SEO implications. Do you all receive the same pingbacks? How do you handle them? Thanks!

114 weeks ago from Wordpress Bloggers

View 2 older replies

Neal Schaffer: @Joshua @Vicki Thanks for the input!!! Sincerely appreciated!
114 weeks ago

Jordy Clements: Most people that are serious about SEO change their robots.txt file so that the comments are nofollow. You can also add rel="nofollow" to ...MoreMost people that are serious about SEO change their robots.txt file so that the comments are nofollow. You can also add rel="nofollow" to individual links if you're worried. It's not as hard as it sounds.
113 weeks ago

Elizabeth Williams I've had a WordPress blog for my photography business for some time http://www.melizabethwilliams.com but when I'm not shooting / posting old photos, then I have no idea what to post on it. Thoughts on what would make some excellent content?

114 weeks ago from Wordpress Bloggers

View 1 older reply

Carlee Mallard: As a fellow photographer I have a few suggestions. To add to what Dean suggested, include the stories behind the photo shoots or stories behind ...MoreAs a fellow photographer I have a few suggestions. To add to what Dean suggested, include the stories behind the photo shoots or stories behind the people in the photos if they allow it. You should also check out one of my friend's websites- http://www.andunlimited.com/ She does a fantastic job blending a blog with her photography business and I know she draws a lot of readers/viewers. You might also try the blog section of http://www.robmiracle.com/ for some ideas.
114 weeks ago

Neal Schaffer: I believe that social media is about sharing information. Photos are one type of information, but who is your customer? What information and/or ...MoreI believe that social media is about sharing information. Photos are one type of information, but who is your customer? What information and/or types of photos would they be interested in? If you can add branded content that is both related to your customer as well as your own photography, you can find a formula that will give you lots of ideas to create content that will be both informative as well as valued by your potential customers. Good luck with it!
114 weeks ago

CJ Bowker Just set up a new blog http://cjbowker.com. I would love to hear what you think. What's the best way to set up threaded comments? I want to add the option to reply to another person's comments. I thought it would do it automatically but doesn't seem to. Thank you for your help.

114 weeks ago from Wordpress Bloggers

View 3 older replies

Rebecca Thorman: It looks great! I'm really picky about blog designs, but think yours looks nice and clean. I like the motto too :) Great job!
114 weeks ago

Neal Schaffer: I do not use the Thesis theme, but I do use the Disqus plug-in to handle my comments. Highly recommended! You can see it in action in my blog at ...MoreI do not use the Thesis theme, but I do use the Disqus plug-in to handle my comments. Highly recommended! You can see it in action in my blog at http://www.windmillnetworking.com.
114 weeks ago

Jordy Clements Does anyone include a facebook share button on their blog (http://www.facebook.com/facebook-widgets/share.php)? I see a lot of Retweet buttons, but not facebook. Just wondering if people think they're useful/will bring in traffic, or just add more clutter.

114 weeks ago from Wordpress Bloggers

View 16 older replies

Erick Hitter: @Neal, if you're still having trouble with the Facebook button, I just completed a plugin that integrates the Share button in an easier manner ...More@Neal, if you're still having trouble with the Facebook button, I just completed a plugin that integrates the Share button in an easier manner than those plugins currently available. It's available for download at http://disparate.info/plugins/simple-fb-share-button/ and you can see it in practice on my site.
113 weeks ago

Jordy Clements: In the end, I caved and added the facebook button, but it took awhile to finally get both it and the retweet button to play nice together. It ...MoreIn the end, I caved and added the facebook button, but it took awhile to finally get both it and the retweet button to play nice together. It looks like you guys went a different route, but in case you decide to use them, I think the key to having them both align vertically was adding this css property to the style field in the settings menu: "clear: both". Would love your opinion on how it looks: http://bit.ly/5hqu6T (sorry if that seems like baiting traffic)
113 weeks ago

Groups (6)

View All

Fans (38)

View All

Following (55)

View All