teamstrub

12 #SMMW19 Speakers To Plan Your Schedule Around, w/ @ChrisStrub & @BrandessoSD

Chris Strub — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 04:52:42 +0000

Ashley Graham, Stephanie Liu and Chris Strub

Social Media Marketing World 2019 is right around the corner. With over 100 of the best social media marketing speakers from around the world, choosing the best sessions to attend is an important step to making the most of your experience.

Tracks at Social Media Marketing World are organized largely by platform, or other themes, but this year, the sessions I’ll attend in person will be decided by the human-to-human connection these speakers have made during the year(s) before the conference itself.

Every session at Social Media Marketing World is bound to be valuable and impactful — the team at Social Media Examiner has spent nearly a decade identifying great speakers, and focuses year-round on building a diverse and balanced schedule to optimize the experience for each attendee.

But if you’re new to Social Media Marketing World, and aren’t already familiar with many of the names of the speakers — this article is meant for you.

If you don’t already have your tickets to Social Media Marketing World 2019 — click here to buy right now .

Here are 12 Social Media Marketing World 2019 speakers you should circle on your schedule, brought to you by me and Ashley Graham, Lead Brandista at Brandesso .

1. Mark Schaefer (keynote)

2. Shaun Ayala

3. Tyler McCall

4. Jennifer Watson

5. Chris Ducker

6. Marcus Sheridan

7. Owen Video

8. Roberto Blake

9. Brian Fanzo

10. Dan Gingiss

11. Stephanie Liu

12. Bella Vasta

If you’ve enjoyed this article and videos, please share on your social media channels and use the hashtag #SMMW19. Feel free to tag me @ChrisStrub and Ashley, @loveandmimosas. Let us know which SMMW speakers YOU are most excited to see!

And of course, I’d love to see you in my session at Social Media Marketing World — Friday, March 22 at 3:40 pm Pacific.

We’re also throwing an exclusive networking event on Friday evening at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, with the world premier of ‘50 States, 100 Days: The Film.’ Connect with me on Twitter and Instagram to be alerted when we open up RSVP’s.

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Chris Strub is the CEO of I Am Here, LLC; author of ‘ 50 States, 100 Days: The Book ,’ and works as the ‘Giving Day Guy,’ partnering with local and regional giving days around the United States to raise awareness and drive donations. Check out the video below for more from Chris and Ashley.

10 Reasons Why You Should Come to #SMMW19 (feat. @ChrisStrub & @BrandessoSD )

Chris Strub — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 20:37:03 +0000

Social Media Marketing World 2019 is approaching quickly, and tickets will never be less expensive than they are right now.

So why should you invest in making the trip to San Diego for Social Media Marketing World? I recently joined Ashley Graham, lead brandista at Brandesso, for a fun discussion of our Top 10 reasons why you should get your ticket right now for Social Media Marketing World 2019.

Can't watch the whole video right now? No worries -- here are the Top 10 reasons:

No. 1: Community. This is really what it's all about. Spending three days with thousands of other people in your industry is extraordinarily refreshing for the soul, especially when your work requires modest physical isolationism -- publishing, Tweeting, recording, and so on. You'll meet tons of other professionals going through the same issues and experiencing the same anxieties that you are -- and leave with a new set of friendships and relationships that will help you all year round.

No. 2: The Informational Sessions. You'll be astounded by the quality and the marksmanship of the 100+ presenters at Social Media Marketing World. CEO Mike Stelzner, Director of Events Phil Mershon and the Social Media Examiner team have spent nearly a decade evaluating talent from around the globe, bringing in only the very best in the industry to provide maximum value to attendees. No matter what your area of need, there's bound to be a track of sessions geared specifically toward you. And -- cheap plug alert -- if your primary goal is to build relationships, you'll love coming to my session at 3:40 p.m. Pacific time on Friday, March 22 about using Twitter to efficiently network year-round.

No. 3: Social Impact. Think SMMW is just about tech wizardry, apps and gadgetry? Wrong. Prepare to be blown away by the depth and the complexity of the individual stories that you hear from the different presenters, as well as the volunteers and attendees. Listening to the tales of the people involved with Social Media Marketing World will be an eye-opening experience that introduces you to a number of new causes and ideas for your brand and business. Which leads us to ...

No. 4: Gain Additional World Perspective. People fly in from all around the globe to speak, attend and volunteer at Social Media Marketing World. There is no better opportunity year-round to meet more marketers all converged in the same place, and compare ideas, thought processes and societal norms across different cultures. Last year, I lost count of how many different countries and continents I was able to connect with, just in a matter of hours. One of my best friends in the industry, Zala Bricelj, hails from Slovenia -- I couldn't even point out Slovenia on a map, but I could call her on a moment's notice and have a conversation. These types of international relationships will not only help you build your business but also make you feel more complete and world-informed as a human being.

There is no better opportunity year-round to meet more marketers all converged in the same place, and compare ideas, thought processes and societal norms across different cultures.

No. 5: Trip to San Diego! This is the easiest sell of them all. Southern California is notorious for warm, sunny and overall beautiful weather, and with the Convention Center cozied up against the bay, you'll have plenty of opportunities to soak in the sun while enjoying a spectacular water view. The SDCC sits at the edge of the famed Gaslamp District, with plenty of restaurants, bars, nightlife opportunities, shops and all sorts of hotel chains (and hostels) in within walking distance. If you've never been to California, this is a perfect opportunity to do so.

No. 6: The Parties. Thursday night will take the mantle of the 'signature' #SMMW19 event, as a karaoke party with an 80's theme will bring together hundreds of attendees and speakers with their all-access passes. Yes, it's great to attend sessions and learn, but the networking opportunities at #SMMW19 are unparalleled. Looking for something to do on Friday evening? Follow me on Twitter for updates on the world premier of '50 States, 100 Days: The Film,' based on '50 States, 100 Days: The Book' -- we'll be doing an exclusive screening at the Grand Hyatt hotel just yards from the SDCC after the conclusion of the closing keynote -- details to come.

No. 7: Emphasis on Service. The volunteers and staff at Social Media Marketing World are like none other that I've ever seen at another event. Everyone at Social Media Examiner, as extended through the volunteer corps, is trained to think proactively about how best to serve each person they interact with, which leads to a wonderfully positive and encouraging atmosphere. The volunteers in particular go way above and beyond to make sure that every single person in the Convention Center is achieving their ideal experience at the conference. You'll never feel lost, alone or confused at any moment during #SMMW19 -- the volunteer staff is kind, generous and informative, which really separates this conference from any other event you'll encounter.

You'll never feel lost, alone or confused at any moment during #SMMW19 -- the volunteer staff is kind, generous and informative, which really separates this conference from any other event you'll encounter.

No. 8: See How a Great Event is Run. Perhaps you are involved in some form or fashion with planning or executing an event in your own community somewhere around America ... keeping an eye on the way that #SMMW19 is planned and executed will provide you a master blueprint for success. CEO Mike Stelzner's extraordinary attention to detail permeates through the Social Media Examiner staff, which spends the entire calendar year building towards this one capstone event. Breathe in the program layout, the seating configurations, the scheduling, the subject matter of the sessions, the audio/visual executions, and the nearly infinite other logistics taking place at the SDCC and you'll feel inspired to improve your own local event no matter what the size, scope and focus.

No. 9: Investing In Your Marketing. Key here: investing. Often times as business owners, we get pulled in a million different directions. Social Media Marketing World should be your annual opportunity to physically and financially invest in your marketing efforts. You'll take home loads of notes, actionable takeaways and inspirational messaging to execute year-round. Yes, #SMMW19 is an investment, no matter what role you play in the production, but the return on that investment is consistently and unquestionably high.

No. 10: Get Known. Closing keynote speaker Mark Schaefer's book, 'Known,' is a guiding light for me in the social media industry -- where you can be absolutely phenomenal at what you do, but unless you're known, you're not going anywhere. Simply put, Social Media Marketing World is where marketers can go to get known. Come meet Mark, myself and Ashley, and thousands of other like-minded thinkers and creators at #SMMW19, March 20-22.

Click here to get your tickets -- if you purchase with my link, I will throw in complimentary access to my online course about mastering Instagram Stories: www.LearnIGStories.com (a $197 value).

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Chris Strub is the first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states, author of '50 States, 100 Days: The Book,' and works as the 'Giving Day Guy' with regional and local giving days around the United States. Come see his session about Twitter at #SMMW19 on Friday, March 22 at 3:40 p.m. Pacific. Get your ticket to SMMW 19 now at http://is.gd/SMMW19 .

An actionable Instagram Stories strategy to lead up to your Giving Day

Chris Strub — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 03:18:15 +0000

Last month in San Antonio, I gave a 2.5-hour presentation to a group of around 60 nonprofit representatives, focusing largely on the importance of establishing a strategy in the lead-up to your giving day.

While we focused mostly on Facebook Live, there were a number of questions about Instagram and how to best leverage that platform en route to The Big Give 2019.

Instagram is a great platform to focus on, although I always make sure to mention the important caveat that Instagram is owned by Facebook. Because of that, some of the biggest changes to happen to these two platforms in 2018 have been cross-pollinated integrations -- and I strongly suspect in 2019, Facebook and Instagram will continue to inch closer to each other, capabilities-wise.

The biggest shift happening this year -- and not just in the Facebook space -- is Stories. I've been extremely bullish on Stories for years, having used Snapchat to tell 'Stories' during '50 States, 100 Days' in the summer of 2015. (Get the book)

The rise of Instagram Stories is accelerating at such a rapid pace that soon, Stories are expected to out-pace Feeds as the primary means of social media content consumption.

This is as critical an observation as you'll find in the social media space these days, so to repeat for emphasis: by as soon as mid-2019, Stories are expected to out-pace Feeds as the primary means of social media content consumption.

OK, so cut to the chase: how can we use Instagram Stories to build momentum toward a successful giving day in 2019?

Here's how.

-- Determine a consistent thread of stories that you can tell throughout the year. Try and think of the category of story you can tell at least, let's say, a dozen times. Preferably more than that. Often times, the best approach is your people. Pull out a blank sheet of paper, or open up the Notes app on your phone, and make a list:

--> Our top volunteers

--> Charismatic kids in the program

--> Clients who have succeeded in our program

--> Camera-friendly staff members

Any one of these categories would work great. Think about the stories that best represent your organization. Again, it's a great strategy to focus on your people, but it doesn't have to be people-based:

--> Animals we've served

--> Pieces of art that adorn our walls

--> Memorable dates in the history of our program

--> Places around the community where we offer services

I need you to think creatively and strategically here about a THREAD of stories that you can tell on an ongoing basis. Write them down.

-- On a calendar, either digitally or printed out, determine how frequently you can tell one of these stories, divided equally between now and your giving day. So if you're in Louisville, and your giving day is in mid-September, you have almost 300 days (as of now in December) to go. If you set your plan in motion, let's say, the first week of January, you could take your list of 30 stories and plan to tell just one story per week leading all the way to Give for Good Louisville.

(Quick aside: I DEFINITELY do not think you can start a protracted strategy like this 'too early.' That's the digital equivalent of saying you don't want to exercise yet because you won't have to don that bikini until June -- sure, you can wait as long as you want to get started, but the longer wait, the more difficult it's going to be in the long run.)

I strongly encourage you to start your long-term strategic approach with a big-picture look at the inventory of stories that you can tell. By knowing in advance what content you're going to create in future installments, you'll feel much more comfortable building toward those stories that lie ahead. You can even reference them conversationally as you go along. And most importantly, your audience will become accustomed to your style, delivery and frequency -- listening to these stories will become habitual for them.

I want you to check out this episode of The Write Podcast, which I recorded earlier this year with Julia McCoy, CEO of Express Writers in Austin, Texas. We talk extensively about the importance of taking an episodic approach to your content strategy, and I think it'll truly inspire you to embrace the episodic model.

-- Record your stories. This might sound like the hard part, but once you get accustomed to conversationally using Instagram Stories, you'll find that it is, in fact, quite simple. Don't overthink it: if you can point your phone at yourself and talk for 15 seconds at a time, you can tell a story.

Don't be afraid to start simple, although there are plenty of ways to 'get better,' so to speak, at creating Instagram Stories:

--> If you don't feel comfortable speaking 15 seconds at a time (it is an acquired art), you can download an app called 'CutStory' and just speak for a couple minutes into the camera (vertically oriented, of course), and then use CutStory to break your one video into a sequence of videos that are 15 seconds apiece. Instagram pros Sabba Quidwai (@AskMsQ) and Dr. Karen Freberg (@Kfreberg) use CutStory frequently to share experiences about their travels and their work.

--> If you want to build some simple custom graphics for your stories, Canva is a terrific free app with tons of versatility. You can use the many templates that are available within Canva, or use their easy interface to build your own customized look.

CAUTION: DON'T GET TOO CAUGHT UP IN IT

. The worst story you'll ever create on Instagram is the one you didn't record. One thing I like to do with Canva is tell myself that I have, say, 15 minutes to build what I need. Once that 15 minutes is up, you're done. This will keep you from obsessing over perfectionism and keep you on your time budget.

--> Want to really get the most out of Instagram Stories? Invest in a course to learn how to take advantage of the many bells and whistles that make Instagram Stories such a dynamic, interactive platform. When you're creating in Instagram Stories, you can tag your location, incorporate hashtags, tag other users, freestyle with a paintbrush, throw in animated GIFs, and much more, all of which will help keep your audience captivated, as well as allow your content to be seen by more people. Luckily, I've created a course that explains exactly how all of these different features work, and why they are each so important.

You can use discount code BIGGIVE2019 to Save 60% at LearnIGStories.com

... or, use the same code to save 60% on the SocialWithStrub course bundle, which includes the Instagram Stories course, along with courses about live-streaming video, Twitter and Snapchat Spectacles.

-- Use Instagram Stories' highlights feature to create a living, breathing gallery of content on your profile. This is the real key to a successful IG Stories strategy for your giving day, because you'll want your new donors and followers to be able to easily access ALL of the stories that you're creating. For a great example of how a nonprofit can catalogue its best Instagram Stories, check out @metrounitedway - the Metro United Way, based in Louisville, Ky., or @salarmychicago (The Salvation Army Chicago). When new donors come to check out your Instagram page, they'll see your Instagram Stories highlights lined up across your profile, and they'll be able to browse and dive in to check out your stories before committing to make a donation. It's critical to use highlights if you're creating an episodic model where you aren't posting every day, because by having those highlights around, new followers will be able to check out stories from you any time they want. You can also check out my Instagram Stories highlights on my profile, @ChrisStrub.

I talk extensively about Instagram Stories highlights right off the bat at LearnIGStories.com -- it is far and away the most important feature that Instagram has added in 2018. By leveraging highlights, you'll be able to keep all of your nonprofit's best stories at the top of your followers' minds year-round, and build a powerfully engaged audience that will be thrilled to donate to you once your giving day finally rolls around.

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Is your nonprofit leveraging Instagram Stories, and stepping its game up with IG Stories highlights? I'd love to check out your work. DM me on Instagram -- @ChrisStrub -- and I'll be happy to take a peek.

Chris Strub is the Giving Day Guy. Learn more from Chris with his set of online courses here, and get a copy of '50 States, 100 Days: The Book' here.

Your Definitive LAST-MINUTE Giving Tuesday Digital Marketing Strategy

Chris Strub — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 02:30:15 +0000

So your local giving day is tomorrow.

I hope you've spent at least some time on your social media strategy over at least the last few weeks, but no matter what the circumstance, these last-minute tips and tricks are for you.

So what specific tactics can your organization employ *immediately* to get the most out of your giving day?

Here's exactly what I would recommend:

1) Prepare an email blast.

If your audience isn't properly conditioned to connect with you on social media, they can at the very least check out what you're doing in real-time. I'm (obviously) a huge proponent of social media, but your email list is still statistically the most effective and straightforward way to reach your crew. Of course, you'll want to alert them that tomorrow is the big day, but you'll be better off alerting them to the value you'll be delivering on social media. Try your best to get this email sent by 4 p.m. local time at the very latest, so that recipients see it before they head home from work.

2) Customize your cover photos.

After your email goes out in the morning, there's a good likelihood that your supporters will be visiting your social media profiles tomorrow, so you should take a bit of time to 'dress up' for the occasion. Sure, you can change your profile pictures as well, but your cover photos provide much more real estate to add some impactful text and, perhaps, the logo of the giving day, so if you only have time to swap out one, go with the cover photo. Not a graphic designer? Don't you worry. Download the Canva app on your phone -- it's free -- and you can design/modify an image in seconds.

3) Post an Instagram Story.

I'm very bullish on the value of Instagram Stories, and I'd make the case that if you do *not* use Instagram Stories, there's no better time than right now to begin. I've put together a course, available at LearnIGStories.com, that will walk you through the most valuable aspects of Instagram Stories, headed up by the (relatively) new Highlights feature. This allows you to 'pin' a Story to your Instagram profile, and in fact, that Story is pinned *above* your Instagram grid -- directly below your profile. To post a Story, simply open Instagram, go to your feed (the main screen, where you see content from other people), and swipe to the right. This will bring up a front-facing camera (surprise!!!), and to record, all you need to do is hold down the button at the bottom of the screen. If this is your first experience with Instagram Stories, don't overthink it! Your audience will be thrilled to see you in a new place, and will surely be understanding that you are sharing this learning experience with them. Authenticity is everything on social media, and the good news is, you'll have a 365-day head start on using Instagram Stories strategically to build toward next year's giving day.

4) Go Live on Facebook.

I could inundate you for months with materials on how to improve your live-streaming prowess, from costly hardware, to various third-party websites, to detailed strategy concepts, and so on. (Check out my course, 'Livestreaming for Nonprofits, here.) But absolutely none of it matters if you don't have the courage to, as Brian Fanzo would say, 'Press the Damn Button.' The best time to start your live-streaming strategy towards the giving day was probably about six months ago. But without the luxury of a time machine, the second-best time to start is immediately. Don't overthink it! Take your cell phone, place it at eye level -- steady it on a water bottle, or up against your desktop computer tower, or atop a stack of textbooks -- type in a simple description -- "The Giving Day is here!" -- and just talk for a few minutes.

Your audience LOVES you. Your supporters are actively looking for ways to help you. You've been waiting all year for this giving day to arrive. NOW is the time to put yourself out there and make that ask. And just as I mentioned with your first Instagram Story, if this is your first time broadcasting live on Facebook, I guarantee your audience will absolutely love that you're giving your time to them to tell them about the value that they can provide to you.

There are infinity ways to build out a successful live-streaming strategy, and there are infinity ways to make your broadcasts look, sound and feel better. Now is not the time to think about all those things. Your responsibility is to your organization and the people it helps year-round, and now is your chance to make the ask.

Ideally, though, you'll at least be able to plan out what time you want to broadcast live on your giving day. I would recommend either the morning -- so that replay viewers can see the broadcast all day long -- and/or the evening, after work hours, so that people are able to watch without taking themselves away from their own work responsibilities. Both is much better than neither. But if you can plan out a time to go live -- let's say, 9:30 a.m. -- mention it in your email blast that goes out, so that people can plan on joining you for the broadcast.

5) Tweet using the official event hashtag.

You might have to dig a little deeper to find your organization's Twitter password, but trust me, on your community's giving day, it's well worth the trouble. Even if you've never Tweeted before, your giving day is the right time to jump in and join the conversation on Twitter. And why is that?

Of all the social media networks we've talked about to this point, Twitter provides the most shared visibility for your content. That's not to say it's the most popular platform -- Facebook and Instagram both far outweigh Twitter's cumulative punching power -- but when a community comes together to amplify the event's hashtag, great things can happen.

In fact, I was really impressed to see Minnesota's #GTMD18 -- Give to the Max Day -- trending nationally, from here in Greenville, South Carolina. (Yes, Twitter trends can be impacted by both your location and your own personal network's contributions to the trend.)

You might say to me, "Chris, our organization only has seven Twitter followers. Why should I spend time on Twitter today?"

The answer is threefold:

1) The cumulative voice of the community will be most well-represented on Twitter. Applications like Tagboard allow organizations like the Community Foundation of Louisville to display all of the collective contributions to their hashtag together, in one place. So even if your organization has a handful of followers, its Tweets using the hashtag will show up alongside those who've spent many years building an engaged audience on Twitter.

2) The lifespan of a Tweet is infinite, and as it relates to an event like a giving day, its long-term discoverability isn't as poor as you might think. In fact, if your giving day uses the same hashtag year after year -- like #GiveForGoodLou -- there's an excellent chance that supporters will be looking through that hashtag in years to come, and even during the rest of the year as they learn about the giving day for the first time. The same thought process applies to posts on other social networks, too, but the effect is most apparent on Twitter.

3) Don't undervalue those seven Twitter followers. If you don't Tweet at all, and yet someone has gone out of their way to find you on Twitter, there's an excellent chance they are just aching to contribute to you in some form or fashion on your giving day. One of your seven followers could be the President of a local corporation, with the deep pockets to support you heartily. Or it could be a major local social media influencer with a huge, engaged audience, who can retweet you and help you grow your audience incrementally on your giving day.

I can -- and will -- write a full blog about how to best utilize Twitter during your giving day. But for now -- just do it. Send out a few Tweets, preferably periodically throughout the day. (Infinity bonus points if you use video, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.) The only thing you really need to know for the time being? DON'T FORGET THE HASHTAG.

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Without a long-term strategy, it's likely that your organization will miss out on its true potential on social media during your giving day. Stay tuned to GivingDayGuy.com for more giving day ideas and analysis.

Chris Strub is The Giving Day Guy. Get a copy of '50 States, 100 Days: The Book' here.

Introducing the Giving Day Guy ... #GivingDayGuy

Chris Strub — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 02:29:53 +0000

If you work at a nonprofit that participated in an annual day of giving, this is the blog for you.

And if you run a giving day in your community, this is *definitely* the blog for you.

My name is Chris Strub, and tonight, I’m announcing the launch of GivingDayGuy.com — a blog designed specifically to help you step up your digital marketing for your giving day efforts.

Whether you’re trying to jump up the leaderboards, reaching for a valuable bonus prize, or just getting started with your first giving day experience, I’m here to help you figure out a plan to achieve your objectives — and inspire you to take immediate action to get there.

If you’re new to my work, welcome. You can read about all my prior experience on my blog here . To summarize quickly, though:

— I was inspired to work with nonprofits after partnering in 2014 with Pay Away the Layaway, a 501(c)3 founded by my RA at Binghamton University

— In 2015, I quit my job in Greenville, SC and took a road trip to volunteer with a different youth-related nonprofit in all 50 U.S. states. During this journey, I became the first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 states. I self-published ‘50 States, 100 Days: The Book’ that December.

— In 2016, I worked for seven months as a traveling social media consultant with Humana. I met individually with about 50 nonprofits in Louisville, Tampa Bay, Baton Rouge, Knoxville, San Antonio, New Orleans and Broward Co., Fla., and assisted with Humana’s corporate live-streaming strategy.

— In June 2017, I co-hosted the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America National Conference on Facebook Live. Interviewees included Kate Snow, Frankie Muniz, Beachbody’s Joel Freeman and NFL Hall of Farmer Darrell Green.

— In November-December 2017, I served as a National Red Kettle Ambassador for The Salvation Army USA. I completed the ‘Fight For Good Tour,’ visiting Salvation Army locations in 25 states, from Houston to New York City.

— In 2018, I partnered with Scofield Digital Storytelling in Indianapolis to commission ‘50 States, 100 Days: The Film.’

My love for giving days stems from working with the Community Foundation of Louisville on their ‘Give for Good Louisville’ campaign. I worked with the foundation to co-host their giving day on Facebook Live in both 2017 ($4.6 million raised), and 2018 ($5.4 million raised).

Now, I’m looking forward to working with the Nonprofit Council in San Antonio on The Big Give 2019, to be held at the end of March. (I’ll be back in San Antonio in February for their official pre-Big Give training session.)

My work with nonprofits has paralleled my work in the social media space. I’ve spoken, led workshops and keynoted at events from coast to coast, and in September of this year, made my international speaking debut in the United Kingdom. I’ve spoken on a broad variety of topics, and in March, I’ll present at Social Media Marketing World, the world’s premier social media conference, in San Diego. ( Get your tickets to see me speak — I’d love to meet you!)

Now, on the eve of Giving Tuesday 2018, I’m thrilled to launch GivingDayGuy.com, where I’ll be blogging about all things giving day marketing.

I’ll be keeping an eye on giving days around the U.S., offering recaps, critiques and constructive criticism about the various marketing techniques employed to raise funds for thousands of nonprofits from coast to coast. I've posted a couple items in the past that are highly relevant to you -- the case study about #GiveForGoodLou and a separate post offering tips for your Giving Day marketing plan -- and tonight, I'm also sharing a blog post focused on last-minute social media options for your giving day.

Moving forward, this blog will be my home, and hopefully a valuable bookmark for you and your team as you navigate the complicated digital marketing space for years to come.

And very soon, I’ll be offering another option to get even more access to me, have your questions answered and see more of a hands-on explanation to the different concepts I’ll discuss. Stay tuned.

For now, let’s connect across social media channels. You can:

— Give a ‘like’ to my Facebook page, Facebook.com/TeamStrub

— Connect with me on Twitter, Twitter.com/ChrisStrub - hashtag #GivingDayGuy 😉

— Find me on Instagram, Instagram.com/ChrisStrub

Say hey on any of those channels, and I’ll be back soon with more blog content. Stay tuned.

Chris Strub is the ‘Giving Day Guy.’ Get a copy of ‘50 States, 100 Days: The Book’ here .

8 Ways to Work, Engage With and Support Chris Strub

Chris Strub — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 14:34:32 +0000

In an industry where so much of our interactions take place among a throng of tens of thousands of other engagements, we can sometimes lose track of how we are able to actually work with one another.

Above: Chris interviews Susan Barry, CEO of the Community Foundation of Louisville, on a Facebook Live stream during 'Give For Good Louisville' 2017.

So I'm taking a page out of the book of the brilliant Mark Schaefer and piecing together a list of ways that you and your brand can work with me. Notably, this list isn't exhaustive -- as you'll see, I'm quite flexible when it comes to brand partnerships.

Let's start simple:

1. (FREE) Join my Facebook Group: SocialWithStrub.com

My official Facebook group, located at www.socialwithstrub.com, is a place where 100+ people from around the world come together to learn how to become more comfortable using video on social media. Every Monday, I post a video challenge, where the group is encouraged to respond via video, and engage with one another in the comments. The Social With Strub Facebook group is and always will be free, and selling in the group is generally not allowed, so it's a warm, welcoming and comfortable space.

You can join SocialWithStrub.com by clicking here.

2. ($19.99 USD) Buy and read '50 States, 100 Days: The Book'

My proudest work is '50 States, 100 Days: The Book,' a 230-or-so-page paperback about my journey in the summer of 2015 to work with youth-related nonprofit organizations in all 50 U.S. states, in 100 days. The book was written in Nov. 2015 and published in print in March 2017. 'The Book' is described as a 'Heartfelt Hug for Humanity,' and as of Oct. 2018, has a clean five-star rating on Amazon.

You can buy '50 States, 100 Days: The Book' on Amazon by clicking here, or if you would prefer a signed copy (USA ONLY), PayPal $25 USD to chrisstrub [at] gmail with your USA emailing address.

3. (FREE) Submit a video review of '50 States, 100 Days: The Book'

Since the publication of '50 States, 100 Days: The Book,' I've worked hard to cultivate a community around the story. More than 30 people have submitted video reviews of 'The Book,' which live on this YouTube playlist, as well as on my Facebook page.

Readers are encouraged to create a video in any format where they are comfortable, whether it's a Facebook Live, a Snapchat story, an Instagram Live or IG Story, an edited YouTube video, or even just setting your phone on the counter and chatting for a couple minutes.

4. ($19.99 USD) Buy and read 'Fight For Good Tour: The Book'

Released quietly earlier this year, 'Fight For Good Tour: The Book' tells the story of my 25-state, 38-day solo road trip in November & December 2017 with The Salvation Army USA. The trip begins with an incredibly emotional day in Houston, a city recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, and ends with a return to my home state of New York, concluding in the Bronx. The 25 stops include major cities like Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., and reveal a snapshot of the real people who are fighting for good every day with the Army in their respective communities. 'Fight For Good Tour: The Book' serves as somewhat of a sequel to '50 States, 100 Days: The Book,' with enhanced video content and embedded links in the text, making the reading experience quite interactive.

I'll be doing a broader release of this book soon, but for now:

You can buy 'Fight For Good Tour: The Book' on Amazon by clicking here.

5. (Various) Take one of my instructional online courses

This summer, I released a set of courses focused on helping people better use social media to establish relationships, both with one another and with customers. Each course focuses on a specific platform, but as I wrote about in this blog post, I strongly recommend an interconnected social strategy, that leverages each of the channels I talk about to succeed. The flagship course, and where I'd recommend you get started, is LearnIGStories.com -- a big-picture look at how to utilize the tools within Instagram Stories to get the most out of that particular platform.

Or, sign up for the 'SocialWithStrub' course bundle -- which includes the courses on Instagram Stories, Twitter, live-streaming video and bonus material about Snapchat Spectacles by clicking here. Use discount code SocialWithStrub to save.

5b. ($497) Take the 'Livestreaming for Nonprofits' course

Another course that I offer is called 'Livestreaming for Nonprofits.' This was my first course, and it is significantly longer and more in-depth than the previous courses. It is almost completely video-based, and will walk you through, from beginning to end, how to establish an effective live-streaming video strategy for your nonprofit. The course includes full sections about content ideas; cost-effective gear; and frequently asked questions. This course is designed for those who are serious about getting moving with live-streaming video, and is perfect for the lead-up to Giving Tuesday.

6. Hire me to speak at your event

Over the last three years, I've traveled around the United States speaking on a variety of topics, including Instagram Stories, live-streaming video, Snapchat and more. I've keynoted both the Business Vlog Summit in Las Vegas, and the second annual Marketed.Live conference in Nottingham, United Kingdom. I love bringing a strong, positive energy to every event I speak at, and I often create a lot of social media content relating to the event in the lead-up to and during the course of the event.

Contact me via email to discuss rates for 2019.

7. Hire me to co-host your Giving Day

Does your community have an annual Giving Day? That is, a 24-hour period of giving, where nonprofits work together to raise as much money as possible from the community. If so, I would absolutely love to be there to support the team and bring massive attention to the participating nonprofits and their causes. I've worked the last two years at Give For Good Louisville, where the community raised $4.6 million-plus (in 2017) and $5.4 million-plus (in 2018). I'll be working the Big Give San Antonio in March 2019, and am actively looking for more giving days around the country to partner with.

Contact me via email to check schedules and let's make it happen.

8. Bring me aboard to execute some customized roadtrip marketing

Want to work with me on an even bigger scale? I am absolutely down. Here are two big, tangible examples of ways I've done this:

In 2016, I was contacted by the team at Humana in Louisville, Ky., and I moved to Kentucky in 2016 to execute on a seven-month assignment. The Bold Goal team dispatched me to work individually with nonprofits in their seven Bold Goal markets around the southeast U.S.: Broward Co. (Fla.); Tampa Bay; New Orleans; Baton Rouge; San Antonio; Knoxville; and Louisville. I consulted directly with dozens of nonprofits in these markets, in addition to creating content for the Humana social team, and participating in online trainings for the Humana corporate team.

Read the full case study about my Humana work on my blog.

In 2017, I was contacted by the team at the Salvation Army USA, and I traveled to Texas to begin a 25-state, 38-day road trip called the 'Fight For Good Tour.' As one of the Salvation Army's four national Red Kettle Ambassadors, I created vlog content for TODAY.com through a national partnership with NBC Universal, supported the Army's national social media efforts with live-streaming videos and Instagram takeovers, and collaborated with each of the local marketing teams in 25 states around the Eastern half of the country -- all in 38 days. Together, we raised more than $6,200 for the Salvation Army, which was more than each of the other national ambassadors -- skating icon Tony Hawk, U.S. Olympian Lolo Jones and frisbee trick-shot artist Brodie Smith.

Read the full case study about my work with The Salvation Army USA on my blog.

These adventures, and the '50 States, 100 Days' tour (that case study is also on my blog), have prepared me to work on a big scale with your brand -- and I am extremely open to having conversations with you and your team about the different ways we can push the limits of 'roadtrip marketing' in 2019. I am particularly open to working with a national fitness chain like Planet Fitness; an automobile company like Honda; a national or regional health chain like Smoothie King; or, of course, a national nonprofit, like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America or the Boys and Girls Club of America.

Sound like fun? Contact me via email and let's make some world-changing, award-winning content.

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Chris Strub is the first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states. The best way to get his attention is on Twitter: @ChrisStrub.

56 Female Speakers You Should Hire in 2019, and Why

Chris Strub — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 01:29:13 +0000

Some people say 2018 is the 'year of the woman,' but 2019 should be the year that women get their due on stage at traditionally male-dominated marketing events nationwide.

I've been extremely blessed to present at over a dozen marketing events over the last couple of years, and although the speaker mix still tends, overall, to favor males, I'm hopeful that this list will help conference organizers identify and bring in even more women in 2019.

And so, as a male speaker, I pledge to do more than just talk the talk: from now on, I'll be sending this list along to every event that reaches out to me. Every one of the women listed below is extraordinarily talented, and I'd be honored to share a stage with any and all of them.

I recognize that a lengthy list like this can be tough to interpret, which is why I've tried to include as much relevant information as I can for you, the reader/decision-maker, to consider. This includes whether or not I've actually seen the person speak in real life, and if so, when and where, because I believe transparency is critical. (I have at least met all but four of these women -- Jenn Herman, Jennifer Watson, Quinn Tempest and Julia Campbell -- in person.)

And although this list includes 50+ people, I've decided to 'rank' only the Top 10. This was, predictably, quite difficult, and each woman mentioned here brings her own set of strengths to the stage. My biggest deciding factor in these 'rankings' is energy -- how will this speaker leave your audience feeling?

Knowledge and teaching ability are obviously critical skills to yield, but to me, what sticks in your mind, and what inspires genuine action, is not always what you say, but instead how you say it, and how passionately you feel about it. The women listed in my Top 10 will move and authentically inspire your audience, guaranteed.

The rest of this list is in no particular order. So without further ado -- here are 54 incredibly talented female speakers that you should consider in 2019:

Jenn Herman

Based in: San Diego

Twitter.com/Jenns_Trends

I've seen her speak: Never in person, but multiple times via live-streaming Bring her in to talk about: Instagram

Madalyn Sklar

Based in: Houston

Twitter.com/MadalynSklar

I've seen her speak: Never in person, but dozens of times via live-streaming

Bring her in to talk about: Twitter; the power of video

Julia Campbell

Based in: Wenham, Mass.

Twitter.com/JuliaCSocial

I've seen her speak: Never in person, but numerous times via live-streaming

Bring her in to talk about: Social media for nonprofits

Brandi Boatner

Based in: New York

Twitter.com/ThinkBluePR

I've seen her speak: Presented together with her at the "Un-Session" at the Social Shake-Up Show 2018 in Atlanta

Bring her in to talk about: Storytelling; influencer marketing

Tiffany Lanier (above)

Based in: Boynton Beach, Fla.

Twitter.com/LiveWithTiffany

I've seen her speak: At Social Media Week Lima (Ohio) in 2018

Bring her in to talk about: Living purposefully on social media

Rachel Moore

Based in: Denver

Twitter.com/RachelMooreRS

I've seen her speak: Never in person, but dozens of times via live-streaming

Bring her in to talk about: Live Video

Kristyna Torres-Cruz

Based in: Houston

Twitter.com/PR_Kristyna

I've seen her speak: At Social Media Day Houston in 2017

Bring her in to talk about: Social media for nonprofits

Erin Cell

Based in: Denver

Twitter.com/ErinCell

I've seen her speak: At her Social Media Day Denver event in 2018

Bring her in to talk about: Instagram

Jennifer Watson

Based in: Atlanta

Twitter.com/JWatson_Wx

I've seen her speak: Only via live-streaming

Bring her in to talk about: Live video; creativity

Pam Moore

Based in: Orlando

Twitter.com/PamMktgNut

I've seen her speak: In St. Louis, at the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference 2018

Bring her in to talk about: Social strategy; goal-setting

Julia Jornsay-Silverberg (above)

Based in: Buffalo, NY

Twitter.com/JBethJS

I've seen her speak: Only via Periscope, but met her IRL in Buffalo

Bring her in to talk about: Mental health in social media; social strategy

Marisa Lather

Based in: St. Louis

Twitter.com/MarketerMarisa

I've seen her speak: At the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference in St. Louis, in both 2017 and 2018

Bring her in to talk about: Influencer Marketing

Amber Tiana

Based in: Los Angeles

Twitter.com/AmberTiana808

I've seen her speak: At VidCon 2017 in San Diego

Bring her in to talk about: Live-streaming video

Carrie Gottschalk

Based in: Denver

Twitter.com/carriejessica

I've seen her speak: At Social Media Day Denver 2018

Bring her in to talk about: Chatbots

Rebecca Councill

Based in: Houston

Twitter.com/RebCouncill

I've seen her speak: At her Social Media Day Houston event in 2017

Bring her in to talk about: Social Strategy

Kerry Flynn

Based in: New York

Twitter.com/kerrymflynn

I've seen her speak: Never on stage, but met her in New York City

Bring her in to talk about: Current events; Technology

Amy Landino

Based in: Columbus, Ohio

Twitter.com/schmittastic

I've seen her speak: At Social Media Day Wichita (Kansas) 2018

Bring her in to talk about: Video

Quinn Tempest (above)

Based in: Phoenix

Twitter.com/QuinnTempest

I've seen her speak: Never in person, but via live-streaming

Bring her in to talk about: Instagram

Jana Francis

Based in: Salt Lake City

Twitter.com/jana_steals

I've seen her speak: At Summit Live 2016 in San Francisco

Bring her in to talk about: Being a multi-million dollar female CEO; online commerce

Cielo de la Paz

Based in: San Francisco

Twitter.com/CieloDLP

I've seen her speak: At the Business Vlog Summit 2017 in Las Vegas

Bring her in to talk about: Creating video on your phone

Meagan Williams

Based in: West Palm Beach, Fla.

Twitter.com/TheMegsLV

I've seen her speak: At the Business Vlog Summit 2017 in Las Vegas

Bring her in to talk about: Instagram; Snapchat; MLM

Cami Cruz Thomas (above)

Based in: St. Louis

Twitter.com/CamiCruzThomas

I've seen her speak: At the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference 2018 in St. Louis

Bring her in to talk about: Culture marketing

Carmen S. Collins

Based in: Orlando

Twitter.com/CShirkeyCollins

I've seen her speak: Never actually seen her present live, but have met her multiple times Bring her in to talk about: Instagram and Snapchat

Natalie Ellis

Based in: San Francisco

Twitter.com/NatalieDiver

I've seen her speak: At the Business Vlog Summit 2017 in Las Vegas

Bring her in to talk about: Instagram

Sunny Lenarduzzi

Based in: Vancouver

Twitter.com/SunnyLenarduzzi

I've seen her speak: On the big stage at Social Media Marketing World 2018 in San Diego

Bring her in to talk about: YouTube

Jen Cole (above)

Based in: Wichita, Kan.

Twitter.com/JenColeICT

I've seen her speak: Never in person, but many times via live-streaming

Bring her in to talk about: Live-streaming; Twitter

Mia Voss

Based in: Denver

Twitter.com/MiaVossOnTheGo

I've seen her speak: At Social Media Week Lima (Ohio) in 2018

Bring her in to talk about: Travel

Vanessa Cabrera

Based in: Chicago

Twitter.com/VanessaCabrera

I've seen her speak: Presented on a panel with Vanessa at the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference 2018 in St. Louis

Bring her in to talk about: Live-streaming video

Sabba Quidwai (above)

Based in: San Francisco

Twitter.com/AskMsQ

I've seen her speak: Only via video, but I met her in San Francisco

Bring her in to talk about: Education development

Aleshia Patterson

Based in: St. Louis

Twitter.com/IAmAleshiaP

I've seen her speak: Presented on a panel with Aleshia at the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference 2018 in St. Louis

Bring her in to talk about: Social media for nonprofits

Sara McDowell

Based in: Charleston, W.V.

Twitter.com/sarabinwv

I've seen her speak: Technically never seen Sara on stage, but have met with her many times

Bring her in to talk about: Social media for nonprofits

Samantha Kelly

Based in: Dublin

Twitter.com/TweetingGoddess

I've seen her speak: Didn't catch her session, but met Sam in person at Social Media Marketing World 2018 in San Diego

Bring her in to talk about: Twitter

Teresa Heath-Wareing

Based in: United Kingdom

Twitter.com/theathwareing

I've seen her speak: Haven't seen her speak, but met her in person in Nottingham in 2018

Bring her in to talk about: Relationship building

Hannah McCreesh

Based in: Sheffield, United Kingdom

Twitter.com/hannahfmccreesh

I've seen her speak: At Marketed.Live 2018 in Nottingham

Bring her in to talk about: Podcasting

Evie Yannakidis (above)

Based in: Toronto

Twitter.com/eviewhy

I've seen her speak: At multiple episodes of Mario Armstrong's Never Settle Show, Season 1 (2017) in New York City

Bring her in to talk about: Live video, or to host your event

Anh Nguyen

Based in: Houston Twitter.com/AnhTNguyen

I've seen her speak: Only on video, but met her in Houston

Bring her in to talk about: Mobile

Rocky Nash

Based in: Las Vegas

Twitter.com/RockyNashLive

I've seen her speak: At Summit Live 2016 in San Francisco

Bring her in to talk about: Live video

Stacey DePolo

Based in: San Francisco

Twitter.com/sdepolo

I've seen her speak: Presented together in a three-hour live-streaming workshop at the Social Shake-Up Show 2018 in Atlanta

Bring her in to talk about: Live-streaming video; relationship building

Heather Dopson

Based in: Phoenix

Twitter.com/heatherdopson

I've seen her speak: At Video Marketing World 2017 in Dallas

Bring her in to talk about: Relationship building; employee advocacy

Christine Gritmon

Based in: Nyack, NY

Twitter.com/CGritmon

I've seen her speak: Haven't seen her speak live, but have spent time with her in numerous cities and countries

Bring her in to talk about: Video

Amanda Robinson (above)

Based in: Toronto, but currently a digital nomad

Twitter.com/shewakeboards

I've seen her speak: At Social Media Day Denver 2018

Bring her in to talk about: Chatbots; Facebook advertising (often co-presents with Kelly Mirabella)

Kelly Noble Mirabella

Based in: Santa Clarita, Calif.

Twitter.com/Stellar247

I've seen her speak: At Social Media Day Denver 2018

Bring her in to talk about: Chatbots; Facebook advertising (often co-presents with Amanda Robinson)

Katelyn Brower

Based in: New Jersey

Twitter.com/BrowerKDnB

I've seen her speak: Only via live-streaming, but met her in Atlanta in 2018

Bring her in to talk about: Social media for B2B

Jenn Nelson

Based in: Virginia

Twitter.com/JennsLIVE

I've seen her speak: Many times via live-streaming

Bring her in to talk about: Live video

Gelie Akhenblit

Based in: Phoenix

Twitter.com/Gelie

I've seen her speak: Never in person, but met her in Phoenix

Bring her in to talk about: Power of networking

Jessika Phillips

Based in: Lima, Ohio

Twitter.com/JessikaPhillips

I've seen her speak: At her Social Media Week Lima (Ohio) event in 2018

Bring her in to talk about: Relationship Marketing

* If you are enjoying this article, please SHARE it on your social media channels. Tag me @ChrisStrub on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn ... wherever you like. Thank you! *

And as promised, here is my Top 10:

10. Dr. Karen Freberg

Based in: Louisville

Twitter.com/kfreberg

I've seen her speak: Surprisingly, never in person, but have met with her multiple times

Dr. Freberg is the world's leading social media educator, and her impressive CV and schedule of speaking engagements backs that up. She's the founder and trusted leader of the #SMProfs Facebook group, and her new book, 'Social Media for Strategic Communication,' is a timeless resource about the principles of social media, being implemented into curricula nationwide. Dr. Freberg is one of the most well-networked people in the Midwest, and one of the most supportive individuals in the space. She'd make a great addition to any conference, especially those focused on education.

9. Julia McCoy

Based in: Austin, Texas

Twitter.com/JuliaEMcCoy

I've seen her speak: Never in person, but met her in person in Austin

Julia is one of the world's forefront content marketing experts, with several books and workbooks to her name already, but her forthcoming work will be the closest to her heart: an autobiographical memoir about her escape from her family's cult in western Pennsylvania. Julia, the CEO of Express Writers, has been utilizing live-streaming to get beyond her fears of the camera, and in 2019, I think she'd be one of the most impactful and powerful additions to any speaking lineup, especially at an event like Content Marketing World.

8. Sara Moore

Based in: Dayton, Ohio

Twitter.com/saradmoore

I've seen her speak: At her Social Media Day Dayton event in 2017

Sara is one of the brightest, most inspiring individuals I've ever encountered, and the way she pours passion into everything and anything she does gives her a phenomenal stage presence that belies her diminutive stature. At her inaugural Social Media Day Dayton event in 2017, this young Mother of two had the audience in tears, as she emphasizes the psychological and emotional impact of the work that she does, a quality that carries over to the strategies of her company's clients in the Dayton, Ohio area. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone with a bigger heart than Sara Moore, and you won't regret letting her demonstrate that compassionate spirit on your big stage.

7. Daphne LeBlanc

Based in: Dallas

Twitter.com/cafeandlaptop

I've seen her speak: At SMTulsa 2018 in Tulsa, Okla.

Coffee is a common cliche among digital marketers, but everywhere she goes, Daphne LeBlanc hits the stage like a quadruple shot of triple espresso. Daphne is a brilliant digital marketer with an uncanny ability to deliver her message with unmatched velocity, which makes her an obvious asset to any conference organizer looking to compose a schedule that stretches through a long day. Daphne has mastered the art of both educating the audience and inspiring them to take action right on the spot -- her presentation at SMTulsa had the entire crowd on its feet, interacting and engaging with one another, and creating a tidal wave of viral content that was a huge asset to the conference's digital footprint. Daphne's energy is infectious, and her approach on stage is fun and inviting. You'll be thrilled with your decision to bring Daphne to your conference in 2019.

6. Holli Beckman

Based in: Washington, D.C.

Twitter.com/Apartmentalist

I've seen her speak: At a PR News event in San Francisco in 2017, and at the Social Shake-Up Show 2018 in Atlanta

To this day, when I chat with Holli Beckman, I still reminisce about the deeply emotional presentation she offered up at PR News's 'Big Four' conference in San Francisco in 2017. Holli is a razor-sharp talent with a heart of gold, which translates to her sensational storytelling prowess on stage. As the co-founder of Apartminty.com, Holli focuses mostly on her work and limits her speaking engagements throughout the year to a few here and there, which means when she does take the mic, she's all-in on delivering her very best work every single time. I'm a huge, huge fan of Holli Beckman, to the point that I wish she would get out and speak more often, because she's *the* difference-maker in any speaker lineup. Smart conference organizers will get Holli on the phone and convince her to take the stage -- she's one of the very best in the business.

5. Chelsea Peitz (above)

Based in: Phoenix

Twitter.com/ChelseaPeitz

I've seen her speak: Never in person, but met her in Phoenix in 2017

There are tons of social media books out there, but Chelsea Peitz's 'Talking In Pictures' is quite honestly one of the top two or three I've ever read. Chelsea isn't your typical social media practitioner -- she focuses her professional efforts in the real estate sector -- but she's developed a rabid fan base through her incredibly down-to-earth demeanor across her personal social channels. Chelsea's 'camera-first' approach inspired her to research and put together 'Talking In Pictures,' and it's such a spectacular read that it's led her to a number of highly impactful speaking engagements, mostly around the Phoenix area. In 2019, major conferences nationwide, and even around the globe, should be knocking down Chelsea's proverbial door to get her to their events, because she is one of the most relatable women in the business.

4. Miri Rodriguez

Based in: Seattle

Twitter.com/MiriRod

I've seen her speak: At the Social Shake-Up Show 2018 in Atlanta

Miri Rodriguez is already one of the foremost brand storytelling experts on Earth, and in 2019, her reputation should only continue to grow. To me, what makes Miri so special is the way she harnesses her extraordinary talent with a sparkling sense of unpredictability -- she's like the Cardi B of digital marketing. Miri's tell-it-like-it-is demeanor is guaranteed to light up your conference, loosen up everyone in the room, and bring the entire crowd back to earth in ways that no other speaker I've ever seen can manage -- and did I mention she works for one of the world's leading technology companies, Microsoft? Miri's inspirational, educational and encouraging presence will stick with you all year long -- you'll remember not just what she speaks about, but *how* she delivers that brilliance to you. I absolutely adore Miri Rodriguez, and if I was building my own conference, she'd be the first speaker I'd put on stage. Nobody sets the tone like Miri -- she's brilliance, personified, and she'll make your conference better, guaranteed.

3. L. Michelle Smith

Based in: Dallas

Twitter.com/LMichellePR

I've seen her speak: At a Brand Innovators Summit event in New York City in 2017

Boy, this list gets tough to disambiguate as you get closer to the top. I hadn't ever heard of L. Michelle Smith before a Brand Innovators Summit event that I attended in mid-2017, but even *before* she took the stage at Spotify HQ, you could tell she was the slate's main event. As a senior leader at AT&T, Michelle has been a game-changing pioneer in the company's diversity efforts, and when she yields a microphone, it's instantly apparent how her passion, her eloquence and her confidence inspires action among everyone fortunate enough to work with her. Michelle is one of those women who doesn't just talk about breaking the proverbial glass ceiling -- she spends every day building extensions on the top of her ladder, and she's climbing with a diamond-tipped sledgehammer. Michelle's ambitious, question-everything, change-the-world approach -- both personally and professionally -- paired with her razor-sharp networking prowess, inspires everyone in the crowd to dream bigger, to think differently about their work, their goals and their own career paths. If you want your event to leave your attendees feeling empowered, inspired and truly circumspect, L. Michelle Smith is exactly the woman you're looking for.

2. Stephanie Liu

Based in: San Diego

Twitter.com/HeyStephanie

I've seen her speak: Presented with her on a panel at the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference 2018 in St. Louis (and I was *BLOWN AWAY*)

I've been thinking about this blog for a few days now, and this was one of the toughest calls I've had to make in a long time. Simply put, I am blown away by both of the last two women on this list. Stephanie Liu is a skyrocketing star in every sense of the word, and we're going to see her keynoting some of the world's largest conferences in the next few years, I guarantee that. Stephanie has literally everything you could possibly be looking for in a speaker -- she has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the digital marketing space; an unquenchable thirst to push the limits of innovative digital strategies; a legitimate determination to be an accessible, bottomless resource of knowledge for her audience; and a genuine love of the industry. If I'd never met Stephanie in person, I think I'd still have her near the top of my list, but what will truly amaze you is that she's even *more* charismatic, even *more* energetic, and seemingly even *more* knowledgeable in real life. I'm going to make a bold statement here: Stephanie Liu deserves to be the face of digital marketing, and before we realize it, I think she will be. I've been blessed to meet some truly special people through my work in the social media space -- Stephanie Liu has everything an individual could possibly need to be a transcendent figure in the industry. Stephanie deserves your biggest stage.

1. Bella Vasta

Based in: Phoenix

Twitter.com/Bellas_Pets

I've seen her speak: At Social Media Week Lima (Ohio) in 2018

Have you ever seen someone do something -- anything, really -- on a relatively small scale, and said to yourself, "Holy smokes, that person is going places?" THAT, to me, is Bella Vasta. I met Bella at Social Media Week Lima (Ohio) this June, at one of her first social media speaking engagements, and I knew right then and there that the trip I'd made to Ohio was well, well worth it. Bella, who's worked her way up the proverbial ladder by being the leading resource in the country for pet-sitting and dog-walking business owners, is working on expanding her goals in the digital space by focusing on the successful model she's built with paid Facebook groups. Similar to Julia McCoy and Sara Moore, Bella has an uncannily powerful back story of her own -- her young daughter, Olivia, was born at just six months, and Mom & daughter spent several months in the hospital, with no guarantee that Olivia would even make it. These days, Olivia's miraculous growth and growing strength seems to fuel Bella to work harder and harder at her craft. Bella's already an incredibly talented speaker, but one of her best traits is her sponge-like ability to absorb ideas, constructive criticism and best practices from colleagues and put them into action. Although Bella is relatively new herself to the speaking circuit, she's also spent years behind the mic with the 'Bella in Your Business' podcast, which has featured many of the world's leading digital minds, in addition to a collection of pet-sitting aficionados. Her conversations have led to strong, powerful business connections, as if she's been building a rocket ship to the top that she's slowly but surely lighting. As our societal dependence on the Internet, and ultimately social networking, continues to deepen, Bella Vasta is positioning herself to be not just a digital pioneer, but a modern-day cultural icon. This is why I think Bella Vasta is the No. 1 speaker to bring in ASAP: in the years ahead, I think she has Oprah Winfrey-type potential, and any and every event that brings her in will be telling stories, for decades to come, of how they once had Bella on stage.

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That's it, that's my list: 56 women you should bring to your digital marketing/social media event in 2019. I do apologize for any glaring omissions to this list, and would love to hear your suggestions as to who else you would love to see on stage next year. I encourage you to pass this article along to the organizers of your favorite events. I've listed the Twitter account of all 52 women on the list, and you should be able to find additional information about each speaker from there, but if you need further contact information for any of them, or would like a warm introduction, please don't hesitate to contact me, via email (chrisstrub -at- gmail) or Twitter (@ChrisStrub).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Chris Strub is the first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states. He is the author of '50 States, 100 Days: The Book,' about his journey to work with youth-related nonprofits in all 50 states in the summer of 2015. Chris is the founder of SocialWithStrub.com, a community designed to help you get more comfortable using video on social media. Chris has online courses available about live-streaming video, relationship building on Twitter and how to make great Instagram Stories, all available at http://academy.teamstrub.com. And if you prioritize diversity and female speakers, Chris would love to speak at your event in 2019 -- contact him at chrisstrub -at- gmail.

Prioritizing Balance: Why I’m Launching a Set of Social Media Courses

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 18:41:00 +0000

Last month, my friend Dan Gingiss asked me to contribute to an article for Forbes by answering this simple question:

“Name the ONE thing marketers must do this year to stay ahead of the curve in social media?”

My response, perhaps predictably, focused on Instagram Stories: I was fresh off of presenting about IG Stories at conferences in Wichita and Denver, and given that Stories consumption is up more than 842% since 2016 (as reported by TechCrunch), I’m personally very bullish on the future of Stories.

I took a moment today to reconsider Dan’s question, and it’s leading me right back to an announcement I’ve been wrestling with exactly how to shape, so here goes:

To truly stay ahead of the curve in 2018, marketers should be focusing not on one particular medium or another, but on balance.

Balance.

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Over the last few years, I’ve been blessed to spend a lot of time with a lot of people in the social media industry.

I make it a point to try and attend a broad variety of social media conferences around the country, and next month, I’m fortunate enough to have been invited to keynote my first conference overseas: Marketed.Live in Nottingham.

I’ve been blessed to speak to audiences featuring some of the world’s largest brands, and crowds filled with solopreneurs and nonprofit representatives. The logos — and marketing budgets — vary greatly, but in speaking with people from coast to coast, no matter how big the brand, one consistent theme always emerges:

“How can I do more with less?”

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Whether you’ve landed your dream job with a big company, you’re wearing 10 hats within a medium-sized agency, you’re searching for job interviews or — especially — if you’re all-in on doing your own thing, the one skill that you really need is, frankly, all the skills.

And here’s the contrapositive: if you’re a senior-level marketer, accustomed to doing things one way for your whole career, you must prioritize developing at least a cursory understanding of what the next generation is doing — or you could soon find yourself without a job.

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At each step of my career, I’ve tried to be a Jack of all Trades. Dating back to my first job, at AMC Theaters in high school, I could sell bucket combos with the best of ‘em, but I also took great pride in learning about each movie to succeed at the box office, and I strived to determine the fastest route to clean each movie theater.

Being well-rounded is a skill set that will serve you well anywhere. In baseball, general managers are shifting dollars from the muscular sluggers, like Mark McGwire, to the “super-utility” guy, like Ben Zobrist, who can play any position. The Golden State Warriors feature sharpshooter Steph Curry and big man Kevin Durant, but the not-so-secret weapon is Draymond Green, who can adapt and defend any position on the floor. In tennis, you could have the best forehand in the world, but if you can’t hit the backhand, you’re screwed.

We value being well-rounded in every other aspect of our lives — never skip leg day, right? — so why would social media be different?

Hiring a social media marketer who only excels at one platform is like hiring a chef who’s only proficient with one knife, or a drummer who can only play the cymbals: it’s short-sighted and silly.

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But being well-rounded is only part of the puzzle. Today, I’m launching the #SocialWithStrub Course Bundle because I think it’s critical to emphasize balance.

SAVE $200 ON THE BUNDLE WITH CODE SocialWithStrub - Get it now

Through all my travels and studies of the social media industry, I determined four major areas of importance for content creators:

— Instagram Stories

— Live-streaming

— Twitter

— Snap Spectacles

In my work with clients nationwide, their exact needs will differ, but I couldn’t imagine trying to take on assignments without this variety of tools in my toolbox.

And in conversations with social media professionals of all experience levels, their thought process almost always defaults to this sort of statement:

“Ooh, I wish we were doing more ____________.”

I see this everywhere, and I see it every single day: live-streamers dipping their proverbial toe into Instagram Stories; power Twitter-ers experimenting with live-streaming; Snapchatters being totally perplexed about the value of Twitter.

And there’s good reason for it: if you’re not balancing your efforts over these different channels, you’re missing out on audiences that are looking for you. Guaranteed.

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My new set of courses, called the #SocialWithStrub Bundle , tackles this exact issue head-on. It is perfect for the marketer who feels weak in one or more of those four areas. It is perfect for the aspiring social media speaker, who may be asked to fill a spot on stage about one of these topics in the future. (I’ve spoken about live-streaming, Snapchat and Instagram Stories this year, and am applying to speak about Twitter at another major conference soon.)

It is also perfect for the non-profit marketer, who doesn’t need the best, brightest and most sophisticated approach — she needs a practical, simple and applicable solution, and she needs to learn it quickly.

And it is perfect for the college student or recent graduate who recognizes the value of building his brand on social media beyond 4am drunken pizza-and-beer boomerangs. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

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Each one of these four separate courses includes a detailed PDF (the Instagram Stories course alone is a hair shy of 10,000 words); an audio recording of the PDF, read by yours truly; and an interactive video that brings you directly inside my phone, demonstrating in real time, exactly the steps that I’m discussing. The bundle includes more than five hours of totally exclusive video.

I strongly encourage you to consider the bundle and use the code SocialWithStrub to save $200. For a limited time, you can get all four courses for the price of the IG Stories course ($197.) Click here to check out the bundle .

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I designed these four courses with the “Frankenmarketer” in mind: that person who needs to know a little about everything, and quite honestly doesn’t need to know everything about everything.

And I designed it that way on purpose: because at the end of the day, balance is what’s most important.

Unlike many social media practitioners, I don’t feel overwhelmed by social media. I don’t feel the pressing crush to create. And if you know the first thing about me, you know for certain I am not intimidated or obsessed with perfectionism. I’ve led a successful social media career by staying balanced, staying authentic, and staying human — and my hope is that these courses can help you achieve the same.

SAVE $200 ON THE #SOCIALWITHSTRUB BUNDLE WITH DISCOUNT CODE SocialWithStrub

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Chris Strub is the first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states, author of ‘ 50 States, 100 Days: The Book ,’ and host of the SocialWithStrub.com Facebook Group , designed to help you get more comfortable using video on social media.

Four-plus great Social Media Conferences to Attend in 2019 & Beyond

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 21:38:43 +0000

The secret is out: the key to success in social media is networking and relationship building, and there's no better place to do that than a great social media conference.

I've been to a bunch of social media conferences around the United States, and still have yet to find one I didn't like.

But each conference I've been a part of has its own strengths, and hopefully this post will help you make some decisions in 2019 and beyond.

Here, in no exact order, are the social media conferences that I would recommend:

I was overjoyed to be on the 'Social Media for Nonprofits' panel on Day 1 of the 2018 edition of the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference

The Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (#MDMC19); St. Louis, Mo.; April 16-18, 2019

Literally the only thing that I don't love about MDMC is that they wait to officially release dates for the following year. (I'll happily update this post when I get them, though :D)

UPDATED: #MDMC19 will take place April 16-18, 2019. See you there!

MDMC has become my favorite social media conference to take part in, year after year. The vibe at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel is immensely positive and energizing, and the slate of speakers that Perry Drake and the team bring in seems to get brighter and stronger every year.

Networking at MDMC is simple and straightforward by design -- unlike some other larger conferences, everyone is pretty much in the same place during the whole event. The sessions, which are carefully scheduled and all valuable in their own ways, are clustered together in one part of the hotel, which makes it really easy to stay near your group of friends/colleagues between sessions, and decide together which topics you want to tackle in the upcoming hour. This year's keynote room was packed out twice for speakers Dre Baldwin and Pam Moore, while the previous year included one of the best speakers you might not have ever heard of, James Whittaker of Microsoft.

I also keep a mental list of the best speakers I've ever encountered, and this year, Stephanie Liu easily cracked that list for me. St. Louis natives Jade Harrell and Vernon Ross are also a definite treat to meet and hear from.

MDMC attracts speakers from some of the biggest digital brands in the world, but what makes it top of mind for me is the cost: a basic two-day pass starts at $159 (!!!). A full-access pass escalates to $219, while a premium pass clocks in at $339. (Note: these prices go up after Feb. 28.) Weighing pass options? In addition to a t-shirt and a sweet swag bag, the premium pass gets you access to the VIP Lounge, where a lot of the speakers (including me these last two years) do spend a good portion of their days.

MDMC is produced by UMSL -- the University of Missouri-St. Louis -- and as such, it is made extremely accessible to college students. In fact, local students can get passes for just $50 (!!!!!), and the experience and knowledge they can absorb in those two days, in my opinion, far outweighs coursework and textbooks that would come with some extra 0's on their price.

For those looking to attend their first conference, the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference is, 100%, the perfect option for you. But it's not just for rookies, either -- there are some heavy hitters at MDMC, and the blend of a great atmosphere, talented speakers and a fun cityscape around the beautiful Union Station makes it the sort of event that I would recommend to people of all experience levels in the industry.

I can see MDMC continuing to grow exponentially over the next few years, and you'd be smart to snatch up tickets ASAP -- that is, once those dates are revealed ;).

I was joined by, left to right, Shonduras, Amanda Robinson, Brian @iSocialFanz Fanzo and Sara Moore on the USS Midway at Social Media Marketing World 2018 in San Diego

Social Media Marketing World; San Diego, CA; March 20-22, 2019

The 'Grandaddy of them All,' so to speak, Social Media Marketing World will be a conference on my schedule for many years to come.

Hosted by Social Media Examiner, 'World,' as it's known in the industry, provides the ultimate destination for any speaker in the social media industry, and thus attracts a broad crowd of thousands each spring to the gorgeous shores of southern California.

The 2017 edition was my first trip out there, and I left with some heavy eyelids, a slightly raised resting heartbeat, a couple extra pounds on my not-yet-a-Dad-but-still-Dad-bod -- and an overwhelming amount of exciting memories, new friendships and plenty of knowledge to apply to my career in the field.

I might compare 'World' to another type of world -- Disney -- in that it's the quintessential choice for an exciting adventure. Some people who have been to San Diego four, five, six times have mentioned that it becomes monotonous after a while, but I'd return to my metaphor: would you get tired of Disney World?

I could never imagine getting 'bored' of attending this particular conference, year after year, specifically because of the extraordinary variance in the audience. If you use social media to effectively build relationships year-round, Social Media Marketing World is your very best opportunity to gather with your people from around the globe. It's accessible from all corners of the planet, and the diverse international squad that descends into San Diego makes this the unquestioned best place to initiate and solidify relationships that you can benefit from year-round.

Of course, you can also use the wide hallways and generous table seating at the San Diego Convention Center as a content creation stage, and quite literally record enough content in a short week to sustain your weekly podcast, video show or blog for an entire year. Talk about efficiency -- Social Media Marketing World is a content marketer's dream.

And if Twitter is your forte, nowhere else will you find a hashtag hotter than #SMMW19. In 2018, my Twitter ended the week with 3,207 interactions -- a very clear, data-based indication that Social Media Marketing World is the epicenter of the foundation of social media, year in and year out.

UPDATE: Guess what ... I’ll be speaking at Social Media Marketing World 2019! The date and time of my session is TBA, but I’ll be speaking about Twitter, specifically building relationships and networking via Twitter. You can get your ticket at the lowest current price HERE ...

(Edit: These ticket prices are out of date, as ticket prices for SMMW gradually escalate throughout the year.) Ticket prices vary greatly based on your intended experience; you can get in the doors for $297, but the 'Marketer' pass for $647 represents a much more valuable opportunity (including seeing sessions). $797 gets you the all-access pass, and although that might sound steep, that dollar amount could easily land you a number of new clients, valuable connections or even a new job.

I grabbed a selfie with the attendees at a three-hour pre-event workshop about Livestreaming at the 2018 Social Shake-Up in Atlanta.

The Social Shake-Up; Atlanta, GA; May 6-8, 2019

Looking for a more corporate-focused social media event?

The Social Shake-Up is the one for you.

The pre-sale rates for The Social Shake-Up 2019 are $995 for the Shake-Up pass, or $1,290 to include the afternoon workshops the day before.

For the young marketer just getting her feet wet in the game, $1K may be a bit steep for a conference, but in terms of pure concentration of corporate marketers in one spot, you can't beat The Social Shake-Up.

I won a ticket to the conference in 2014, where I met a gentleman named Dan Gingiss, (as well as the event's since-deceased founder, Robin Carey). After connecting via Twitter, Dan and I connected IRL and have since become best friends.

I attended again in 2017 and 2018, speaking three times this year, and got extraordinary value out of the event all three times. PR News, which has taken over the Shake-Up since purchasing Social Media Today in 2016, does a terrific job of organizing panels and picking speakers who are not afraid to encourage significant changes in your social media marketing strategies.

The conference slate is a who's-who of big brands, with an emphasis on companies local to Atlanta, including Coca-Cola. Event organizers have gotten creative in establishing fun ways for people to network both on-site and around Atlanta, with activities like an Escape Room, aquarium visit and 'Sip and Paint' highlighting this year's schedule.

Industry-wide awards are also distributed at the Social Shake-Up, which means your brand could be highlighted on the big screen and represented by the faces of your brand on the big stage, even if you're not a well-known social media speaker.

I genuinely love the Shake-Up, and each time I've attended, have found that opportunities abound, as big brand representatives are there to genuinely consider new approaches to their social strategies in the months ahead.

Social Media Day (June 30); various cities around America

So you've attended World, MDMC and the Social Shake-Up -- what now, to do with all this knowledge?

OR -- you couldn't travel to San Diego, St. Louis or Atlanta, but you'd still love to participate in a social media conference sometime?

Social Media Day is growing in popularity around America, and as more and more events continue to pop up, the chances of finding an inexpensive opportunity within driving distance is becoming better and better.

I've been to Social Media Day events in Dayton, Ohio; Houston; Wichita, Kan.; and Denver (pictured), plus Social Media Week Lima (Ohio), which lands just before the official Social Media Day on the schedule, and #SMTulsa (Okla.), which isn't an official Social Media Day event, but is awesome nonetheless.

Major events also take place in Phoenix, Jacksonville, San Diego, Philadelphia and more, and plans are underway for at least one more in 2019 in Charleston, W.V.

No matter where you go, you're likely to find a strong and supportive social media community. I can't overemphasize how important that real-life, human-to-human connection is, and there's no better place to make 'real' friendships than at a 'real-life' event.

Regardless of your experience level in the industry, you're sure to love your experience at an event near or far.

And if you prefer the 'far,' or you're reading this overseas, I'd very highly recommend Marketed.Live, an event just two-plus months away now in Nottingham, England. I'll be the closing speaker at this all-day event, and it'll be my first time outside of North America -- so if you've never taken a trip over the pond, you won't be the only one in attendance.

You can save 25% on your ticket to Marketed.Live by using this URL to register: http://marketed.live/Strub.

Save 25% on your ticket to Marketed.Live by using my discount code at www.marketed.live/strub.

What are your favorite social media conferences? What have I missed? Please

JOIN MY BRAND-NEW FREE FACEBOOK GROUP, 'SocialWithStrub,' by visiting www.socialwithstrub.com

, and join the discussion!

You can see the complete list of live events that I have appeared at, both as an attendee and as a speaker, HERE. You can see a full list of my online appearances -- podcasts, video interviews, etc. -- HERE. And you can see the full list of nonprofits that I have worked with around the country HERE.

Chris Strub is the first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states, author of '50 States, 100 Days: The Book,' and creator of the online course 'Livestreaming for Nonprofits.' Chris would love to speak at your event in 2019 -- contact him at chrisstrub gmail com for rates and availability.

Seven great people to say hello to at #MDMC18

Mon, 26 Mar 2018 14:12:12 +0000

So you’re going to #MDMC18, the Midwest’s premier digital marketing conference, this week in St. Louis. You know you’re hoping to connect with some great people, but you’re not quite sure who those people are yet.

Don’t worry — I’ve got you covered. Here are seven people to keep an eye out for, with pictures and Twitter handles to make the journey even easier:

Vernon Ross - @RossPR

One of the nicest, kindest and most supportive people I’ve ever met, much less at a social media conference, you’ll see Vernon all over Union Station this week, between his speaking engagements and his work as a committee member with the conference. At #MDMC17, which was my first conference as a true solopreneur, I was a bit intimidated to introduce myself to Vernon — he was on a bunch of official videos on Twitter, mostly in his signature bow tie, and I figured there was no way this guy would want to say hi to me, much less know or care who I was. I couldn’t possibly have been more wrong, and my interaction with Vernon last year transformed the way I view all social media conferences and speakers. In addition to all the great work he’s done as an author and a podcaster, Vern is quite possibly the nicest guy you’ll meet all week, (and as a bonus, there’s a good chance you might see me, too, since I love hanging with good people like him!) Don’t leave St. Louis without meeting this fellow, who is a tremendous representative of everything that MDMC is all about. Put Vernon Ross atop your list.

Kristy Gillentine @KrisGillentine

One of my best friends and another of the kindest souls on the planet, Kristy is jet-setting it this week to come to MDMC all the way from Houston. Although she isn’t speaking this week, Kristy is preparing to keynote Social Media Day Houston, which will feature a spectacular cadre of presenters and a super-tight-knit community built heavily on Snapchat relationships. Kristy is one of the premier Snapchat thought leaders in America, and is the host of #Chatsnap, the only Twitter chat about the Snapchat community, which will feature thought leaders like MPlatco, Nick Cicero and CJ Operamericano in the months ahead. Kristy works for DriveWest Communications in Houston and has helped develop winning strategies for many clients in south Texas. More importantly, she is phenomenally kind and generous and I guarantee she’d be humbled to meet you this week in St. Louis. Don’t leave Union Station without finding KG!

Ross Woods - @RossWoods10

I met Ross at this conference last year and we’ve become closer and closer friends since. Ross, a supremely talented digital editor who’s traveling over from Indiana for #MDMC18, is organizing a Monday night bowling event that’s open to everyone, and if the official parties are intimidating, it’ll be a great, low-pressure opportunity for you to meet some awesome people. Be sure to hit him up on Twitter if you’re interested in joining us!

Sara McDowell - @sarabinwv

I met Sara three years ago in her hometown of Charleston, West Virginia, along my ‘50 States, 100 Days’ tour, and she’s become one of my best friends and biggest allies in the social media industry since. Sara is the Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central West Virginia, and she’s very bullish about the importance of a crisp and focused digital marketing strategy for her organization — and for all nonprofits. Sara is a magnificent human being with a bottomless heart, and I couldn’t possibly be more excited that she’s joining the fun here at #MDMC18. Don’t miss her!

Kendra Ramirez - @KendraRamirez

As head of her own digital marketing agency, Kendra is a big dreamer with both an infectiously sweet personality and an unquestionable set of data-based results to back it up. Kendra and I met last September at Social Media Day Dayton, closer to her hometown of Cincinnati, and she’s stoked to be making the journey out here to St. Louis to meet some driven and like-minded marketers here in Cardinals country.

Isaac Irvine - @theisaac

One of the faces of the GoDaddy brand, Isaac Irvine is genuinely one of the most sincere people you’ll ever meet. Perhaps best known for his surprise hyper-viral video about bullying with his son, Isaac is a gentle, caring and super-knowledgeable Dad with one of the most well-traveled personal brands in America. He’s here from Phoenix, and your conversation with him is sure to be a highlight and key takeaway from the conference. Make it happen!

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Update, July 2018: A previous version of this article, originally posted in March 2018, included a laudatory reference to a digital marketer who has since been accused of online and offline harassment. That individual has been removed from this list.

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There are many more people I’m excited to connect with further this week, including my co-presenter on Wednesday, Cara Baribeau of the Community Foundation of Louisville — we are talking at 10:40 AM on Wednesday about how they used Facebook Live to raise $4.6 Million in 24 hours last September , and I really hope you’ll join us at that session on Wednesday morning. (Please!)

Cara and I live-streaming from the Big Four Bridge in Louisville on Give For Good Louisville day, Sept. 14, 2017, when we raised $4.6 Million in 24 Hours.

I’m also super excited to meet my fellow panelists for both the livestreaming session and the social media for nonprofits session, which are happening on Tuesday; and I’m amped to meet up with Chris Reimer, Cami Thomas, Mike Allton, Bonnie Frank and, of course, everyone on the MDMC leadership team, like Perry Drake, Brianna Smith, Marisa Lather, Kristina Medvedeva ... and so many more. And if you’re not here, I very highly recommend you plan on doing so in 2019 — this is a conference I hope to be at for years and years to come.

TL;DR: There are a ton of really wonderful people here this week for #MDMC18, and the most value you can get out of an event like this is meeting and directly engaging with as many of those people as possible. I hope this list has brought you value — let me know on Twitter who’s on your list, and of course, hit me up on Twitter @ChrisStrub if you’d like to meet me! (I’m very much pro-selfie!)

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Chris Strub is the first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states, author of ‘50 States, 100 Days; The Book,’ creator of the online course ‘Live-streaming for Nonprofits’ and CEO of I Am Here, LLC. Chris will be the official Snapchatter for #MDMC18 and is speaking twice on Tuesday and then presenting on Wednesday. Learn more about Chris and get a copy of his book at TeamStrub.com .

Eleven Pro Tips to Crush It On #Snapchat At #SMMW18

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 04:56:16 +0000

Social Media Marketing World 2018 is the world’s largest social media marketing conference, and thousands of marketers, creators and aspiring influencers will be looking to make their mark in San Diego.

Of course, the best way to absorb the Social Media Marketing World experience is to be there in person. (BTW, if you can’t make it, there’s a popular “virtual ticket” option available, too.)

Attendees will also use a broad variety of their own channels to share their own learnings from Social Media Marketing World. There’s sure to be plenty of Facebook Live’s, Periscopes, quickly arranged YouTube vlogs, live-Tweeting, recap blogging and, surely, much more. (I can barely keep up with the kids these days!)

One option you may consider to either chronicle your own experience and/or follow the travels of others is Snapchat.

I have a hot-and-cold relationship with Snapchat, one of the most polarizing platforms out there. As the first person to Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states, I’ve had a chance to speak about Snapchat all around the nation . I did a Snapchat takeover for livestreaming platform Live.me last June at VidCon , and another one in September for my alma mater, Binghamton University , for their Homecoming weekend. I used Snapchat Spectacles during my 25-state roadtrip with The Salvation Army USA last Christmas season, capturing video memories from a successful solo fundraising adventure.

Snapchat is a great mechanism to grab selfies at different events, as I did in Atlanta, St. Louis, Anaheim, Las Vegas, Houston, New York, Dayton, San Diego and Dallas last year. (BTW, if you can name everyone in this picture, I’ll send you a copy of my book 😉)

Snapchat can be a great on-the-go storytelling tool, especially when there’s value at every turn — which makes it perfect for an event like Social Media Marketing World. The platform is most effective when your 24-hour-shelf-life story is saved and shared across other social media channels, where it can be found by people who aren’t native users of the platform.

In March and May, I’ll be the official Snapchatter of these two conferences that I attended last year.

I’ll be the official Snapchatter of the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference in St. Louis in March, and the Social Shake-Up Show in Atlanta in May, and Social Media Marketing World will be a great opportunity to share immense value as well. Here are the actionable tactics that I use to make the most out of Snapchat at a social media conference.

—> Don’t be shy to turn the camera on yourself.

Yes, it’s great to see shots of the hallway, or your view from the sixth row to see Lewis Howes, but for the most part, your audience is tuning in to see you. Snapchat’s camera defaults to front-facing for a reason: we want to hear your perspective, your voice and how the lessons learned are impacting you.

—> Don’t try to over-do it with filters, etc.

Sure, Snapchat filters can be a lot of fun. But in a fast-paced environment like #SMMW18, with WiFi, data and, especially, time, at a premium, if you’re going to grab a Snap with a passing friend or a speaker, don’t worry about making sure you’re both puking rainbows. Not only might your phone slow up quite a bit, but give thought to the overall story you’re trying to tell for the day. Think about using filters to break up monotony — i.e., if you’re doing a lengthy day recap on your own, back in your hotel room. But if you’re speaking to 10 different people in your story, there’s plenty of variety in the unfamiliar faces your audience will be seeing. As the great Joel Comm once told me, if it’s not adding something to the story, it’s taking away from it — don’t overdo it.

I spoke last August on the big stage about Snapchat at PR News’s “Big Four” conference in San Francisco.

—> Bring your Snapchat Spectacles ... (but ...)

It might be too late now for you to grab Spectacles, but if you can get your hands on a pair, do it. Specs are not only a great way to capture unique content on the move, without taking up one of your hands — they’re also still quite a novelty, and just having a pair on your forehead will be a great conversation starter. In a space where conversation sparks can be at a premium, take advantage of every one you can get.

—> (... but) ... don’t get too hung up on Syncing your Specs.

The one procedural drawback to Snapchat’s Spectacles is that they can take a few minutes to sync. Try and plan those minutes carefully — maybe sync as soon as you sit down in a session room, as everyone’s quieting down. Don’t miss out on your opportunities to actively network with as many people as possible without getting tripped up by your technology. Remember, those Specs Snaps will still be there later.

My Snapchat Spectacles were a huge hit last year during the 2017 Salvation Army #FightForGoodTour, including this stop in Charlotte.

—> Know who you want to track down for your story.

There’s no shame in having a list, either in an Evernote, on a Hotel notepad, or even on the back of your hand, of your social media friends and influencers you want to find. This is my first Social Media Marketing World, but if it’s like every other conference I’ve been to, you’ll be surprised to find that almost every bigtime speaker is a lot more approachable than you think. And if you’re shy, find a few of these fine folks below and feel free to tell them Chris Strub sent you — I guarantee they’ll be happy to snag a selfie with you, whether you’re a multi-year seasoned SMMW pro or an introverted rookie:

— Miri Rodriguez

— Dan Gingiss

— Brian Fanzo

— Joel Comm

— Madalyn Sklar

— Nick Cicero

— Jen Cole & Julie Riley

— Shaun Ayala

— Owen Hemsath

— Sean Cannell

Sean Cannell, a speaker at #SMMW18, is one of the world’s leading YouTube experts — but he’s also incredibly down to earth. Ask him about his first half marathon!

—> Save your Snaps, and your full story!

If one of your goals is to bring more attention to your brand through your Snaps, multipurposing your Snapchat content is going to be critical. If you find, let’s say, Brian Fanzo, and grab a selfie or maybe a few seconds of video with him, make sure to immediately hit save before you post to your story (or you’ll likely forget later). You can also play with your settings so your Snaps save automatically. You can then post that Snap to Instagram, Facebook, or better yet, Twitter, using the hashtag #SMMW18, and your Snap content will suddenly be right in the midst of all the other conversation taking place about the conference.

—> Deliver value with every clip

This is more a general Snapchat tip than a SMMW-specific one, but it holds true: think about why someone would want to see/hear what you’re posting before you share it out. This is a broad question with no right or wrong answer, and I encourage you not to be shy about sharing, but do think about what value that clip you’re sharing will add to the discussion. The more value you can pack into your story, the more authoritative you’ll become.

*** If you’re enjoying this article, please be sure to share it out on social media when you’re done reading! Tweet using #SMMW18 and mention me @ChrisStrub 👻 ***

—> Use the Snap Map!

Even if you don’t love using the Snap Map while working back at home, the Snap Map will be a great resource during Social Media Marketing World 2018. There’s bound to be an enormous amount of content shared live from the scene, and there will be plenty of marketers from around the world stifling their FOMO by tuning in to that area of Southern California. Make sure you have your bitmoji in proper SoCal attire, and be certain that your settings allow for discoverability. As time allows, you can also watch other stories from SMMW18, but yes, time will be at a premium. Try and meet up with other Snapchatters at the conference — there’s an excellent chance they may become life-long friends!

My Snapcode backpack, pictured here during the #FightForGoodTour in Independence, Mo., helps me stand out, and helps people new to my Snapchat connect with me quickly and efficiently

—> Have your Snapcode somewhere on your person.

I’ve got my Snapcode in all sorts of places — stickers, my business cards, my Snapchat backpack, and heck, Madalyn Sklar might even talk me into getting it tattooed on my bicep (ok, maybe that’s pushing it, but you get the idea ...). Be prepared to show your Snapcode right away. One great tip I picked up at Summit Live 2016 was to make your Snapcode your phone’s lock screen image. (🤯!!) Your Snapcode can and will be scanned repeatedly at Social Media Marketing World — be prepared!

A Snapchat geofilter can be a really memorable aspect of any social media conference.

—> Consider getting a Geofilter.

Snapchat geofilters are themselves a polarizing subject. I’m not certain if SMExaminer has closed off the territory for individual Snapchat geofilters, or if the inventory may already be sold out, but if you do grab a filter for either your personal brand and/or your business, you’re sure to grab the attention from all the Snapchatters in San Diego and prospectively their networks in an efficient, cost-effective fashion. I’ve used Snapchat geofilters at smaller conferences before and they’ve generally worked terrifically well. Feel free to message me on Twitter, @ChrisStrub, if you have more questions about geofilters.

—> Repurpose, repurpose, repurpose.

I mentioned this earlier but it’s crucial, and the single biggest strategy I use at each conference: save and share bits and pieces of your Snapchat story onto other social media networks, especially Twitter, as you go. And don’t forget to use the hashtag #SMMW18. The biggest reason Snapchat gets a bad name sometimes (since I think we’re finally beyond the teens-sexting era) is the inability to find its content outside of Snapchat. Use that weakness to your advantage — by sharing great Snapchat content onto your Twitter feed, you’ll be at the forefront of the attention of a lot of decision-makers, both there in San Diego and around the world.

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There you have it, my 11 tips to crush it on Snapchat at Social Media Marketing World. I guarantee if you embrace all of these tips, you’ll have plenty of success with Snapchat at #SMMW18.

If you’ve gotten value from this article, please do me a favor and go ahead and share it onTwitter using the hashtag #SMMW18. You can tag me, @ChrisStrub, and I’ll be sure to Tweet you right back. Of course, you can also find me in real life at Social Media Marketing World 2018 — I’d love to take a Snap with you!

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Click to add me on Snapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/ChrisStrub ... and f

ollow me on Instagram: @ChrisStrub

Chris Strub is the first person to Snapchat and live-stream in all 50 U.S. states, and the author of ‘50 States, 100 Days: The Book,’ about his journey to work with youth-related nonprofits in all 50 states. Chris, the CEO of I Am Here, LLC, was a 2017 Red Kettle Ambassador for The Salvation Army USA, visiting Army locations in 25 states over the course of 38 days. Chris’s online course, ‘Live-Streaming for Nonprofits,’ is available now at http://academy.teamstrub.com .

Chris Strub is available to speak at your event in 2018, on Snapchat or on other social media- or nonprofit-related topics. Contact Chris at ChrisStrub (at) gmail (dot) com.

Case Study: 2017 @SalvationArmyUS #FightForGoodTour

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 17:23:26 +0000

The 2017 Salvation Army Fight for Good Tour was a 25-state, 38-day solo roadtrip that took place between Monday, Nov. 6, and Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017.

Chris Strub with Commissioner David Hudson, the National Commander of the Salvation Army USA

The #FightForGoodTour began in Houston and wove north to Minnesota, east through Detroit, southwest into Little Rock, back east to Jacksonville, then wiggled back north through the Carolinas to D.C., Philly and finally, New York City. Here’s the route, which clocked in at 6,152 total miles:

These graphics, variations of which I included in all the vlogs and across my social media channels, were built by the team at The Richards Group.

The Tour was designed as an awareness-building fundraising campaign, part of the Army’s national Red Kettle Campaign. I was one of four designated National Red Kettle ambassadors, along with YouTube frisbee trick-shot artist Brodie Smith, U.S. Olympian Lolo Jones (who was helped by the Salvation Army during her childhood in Des Moines, Iowa), and skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. My goal was to raise $25,000; the final total in my kettle, ending Dec. 31, was $6,152.

The Tour was a progression from my 2015 journey, ‘50 States, 100 Days,’ where I drove solo to the lower 48 states (and flew to Alaska and Hawaii) to work with nonprofit youth-related organizations around the country. During that trip, I became the first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states.

Chris Strub takes a group selfie at Camp Massapoag in Lowell, Mass., near the end of the ‘50 States, 100 Days’ adventure in Aug. 2015. (Photo courtesy The Lowell Sun)

The idea for the #FightForGoodTour was born in the spring of 2017, after I was contacted by Dallas-based agency The Richards Group. I sketched out a proposed route for the tour, which was modified several times by the Salvation Army before final approval.

The length of the tour corresponded loosely with the Army’s Red Kettle season, which officially kicks off on Thanksgiving Day during the Dallas Cowboys football game. However, in many states around the U.S., red kettles are unveiled in early November, which allowed us to get an earlier start.

Chris rings the red kettle bell for the first time at City Market in Indianapolis, a few days before Thanksgiving

In planning, the 25-state number was very important to me, both in its congruity to the 50-state trip and its overall simplicity and marketability. Versions of the itinerary up for approval during the summer included 25 total stops in fewer states, but I insisted on visiting 25 states.

The 38-day timeframe was determined in part by a partnership with NBCU. During the course of the trip, I’d submit four sets of video commentary, to be edited together by a team at NBCU, to be hosted on TODAY.com. This arrangement was part of a larger media partnership between NBC and The Salvation Army that also included Tony Hawk appearing on the TODAY Show live on Giving Tuesday, and Lolo Jones appearing on The Steve Harvey Show. My trip was to be completed by Dec. 14 to give the editing team at NBC the maximum opportunity to edit together my fourth and final piece.

Only one of the four official NBC vlogs appeared on their Facebook page, but it gathered 337,000 views and over 230 shares.

The stops along the journey were determined largely due to geography — I was the original author of the itinerary, and chose to travel north, then south, to minimize the possible impact of winter weather in late November and early December. But the Salvation Army had final say over the stops, which led to modifications that included a seemingly illogical jaunt from Atlanta to Jacksonville, Fla., to Greenville, S.C.

But those modifications were purposeful. The Salvation Army’s communications team, specifically David Jolley, handled hundreds of emails and phone calls to “sell” the idea of the trip and individual visits to teams in 25 cities. When the plan was presented to me by TRG, it was comprehensive and detailed — with dates and times, contact information and complete information on the nature of the activity taking place that day.

The Salvation Army’s communications leaders were absolutely stellar in their handling and execution of the #FightForGoodTour. Because I was traveling solo, I relied on them to help me create content at each stop.

In Houston, I helped kids at KIPP Peace Elementary School get fitted for new shoes, which were being provided by Zappos. Photo by Sybil Sanchez

The methodology worked extremely well from stop to stop. While I had some sophisticated camera equipment with me, like my GoPro’s and a pair of DJI Osmo gimbals, the entirety of the #FightForGoodTour was shot and edited on iPhone. The local communications lead was tasked with my phone, shooting video and photos that I would later turn around and edit myself.

In Indianapolis, I helped Major Beth Petrie, left, cook up some scrambled eggs with cheese. Photo by Samantha Hyde

This was the real key to the entire #FightForGoodTour content strategy — enlisting help locally with the camera work. Even if I had traveled with a camera crew, I think their presence would’ve detracted from the authenticity of the moments we captured. Having the Army help with photography and videography was the perfect solution.

Snagging a quick selfie at the Canathon in Atlanta on Dec. 1, 2017

The #FightForGoodTour was dramatically different than most other nonprofit influencer marketing because the focus was so consistently on the local message. I was able to undertake a broad variety of experiences that each had a hyper-local feel.

For example, in Jacksonville, I participated in a taekwondo class that is provided free to the community through a partnership with The Salvation Army. The class participants were all good sports about my presence — as I obviously had no idea what I was doing.

In Jacksonville, we used Facebook Live to broadcast interactively from the Salvation Army/YESHA Ministries partnership on a Monday evening. Video shot by Kelly Belich

The activities in each city were unique to that local community, and many of them were special opportunities that we were able to schedule into the framework of the tour. For example, I was able to interview Grammy nominated recording artist KEM before his performance at the city’s Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Detroit.

A selfie after a great interview with KEM in Detroit. KEM credits The Salvation Army with helping him through addiction and possibly saving his life

The trip included quite a few other special opportunities, including serving Thanksgiving dinner in Louisville, helping with the Prison Toys program in Milwaukee and attending a Christmas party in Delaware.

It wouldn’t have been a trip without getting a picture taken with Santa Claus in Delaware. (Photo by Carl Colantuono)

The content plan going in was multifaceted. As the ‘captain’ of the Tour, it was largely my decision how to handle my content creation on the road, and I decided to take a distinctly different approach than ‘50 States, 100 Days.’

Specifically, I thought it best to create edited vlogs at each stop. This required a lot more back-end editing at night, but the results were a more polished and contemplative final video in each state. With this in mind, I had the Salvation Army shooting horizontal video 90% of the time.

The Vlog from Greenville, S.C., where I did some community outreach with Jim Abbott, was the longest of the trip — 17 minutes, 6 seconds.

During the course of the tour:

The vlog series was viewed a total of 14,200 times, between Facebook and YouTube.

My Instagram Stories received 24,276 impressions, while my Instagram grid received 39,605 impressions.

I lost count of my Snapchat views, and official data was not available, but based on my average views, I’d estimate about 25,000 impressions.

On Twitter, between Nov. 5 and Dec. 15, my 1,676 Tweets had a total of 885,245 impressions; 16,378 engagements; 1,566 retweets and 615 replies. Stretched to Dec. 31, the official end of the Red Kettle season, the total Tweet impressions for @ChrisStrub exceeded 1 million.

I also created several Periscope videos and Facebook Live videos on both my personal channels and the Chris Strub - #TeamStrub pages that garnered a few thousand more cumulative views.

And in addition to these figures, I also created content on behalf of The Salvation Army, including four Instagram Story takeovers and the Facebook Live from Jacksonville. And the TODAY.com paid appearance on their Facebook page gained 337,000+ views, 2,300+ reactions and 235+ shares. See the whole series here .

In terms of donations, we raised $6,152 , which was the more than Lolo Jones ($3,445), Tony Hawk ($1,350) or Brodie Smith ($2,900) collected in their individual kettles.

I had my picture taken thousands of times during the trip, but this had to be the coolest one, in New York on Day 38. (Photo by Stephen Ditmer)

Logistically, I had no official brand sponsorships beyond the Salvation Army. The social media team at Chili’s was gracious to offer me $300 in gift cards for use during the tour, which helped me get past halfway. In terms of lodging, I was provided a hotel room for two nights in Houston by the owners of Hotel Ylem; one night in Oklahoma City by the team at VisitOKC; one night at Hotel Louisville by the team at Visit Louisville; and one night at the Dylan Hotel on the last night of the tour in New York City by The Salvation Army. I also spent two nights in Salvation Army shelters — one in OKC, one in Alabama. Other than those nights, I used Hotels.com to book day by day. I had no fuel sponsor and I paid out of pocket for my membership at Planet Fitness, which I frequented along the way. I drove my aging 2007 Honda Accord, which I call the “Honda Hotel,” but I have no affiliation or connection with Honda.

Chris stands with his trusty “Honda Hotel” outside of The Salvation Army in Baltimore.

The #FightForGoodTour is a gutsy, big-picture swing at compassionate content marketing, made possible by the trust of a stellar group at The Richards Group, the steady leadership of Dave Jolley and his communications team at The Salvation Army, and the enthusiastic efforts of the Army locations in all 25 states I visited. While it’s to be determined if there will be a second such #FightForGoodTour, I’d be overjoyed to work with The Salvation Army again.

Chris Strub is the first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states, and author of ‘50 States, 100 Days: The Book.’ He’s the creator of the course ‘Live-streaming for Nonprofits’ and the CEO of I Am Here, LLC. Want to work with Chris or have him speak at your event? Email chrisstrub (at) gmail (dot) com.

Five Questions to Jumpstart Your Giving Day Marketing Plan

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 02:32:00 +0000

Giving Days are a happening trend for communities around the country, and no two Giving Days are the same.

Chris chats with the team at Hand 2 Hand Ministries in Louisville during the 2017 #GiveForGoodLou on Sept. 14.

Last September, I joined the marketing team at the Community Foundation of Louisville for a very successful Giving Day. The social media strategy for #GiveForGoodLou 2017 was built largely around Facebook Live videos with an influencer, and they raised a local record $4.6 million in 24 hours.

And while there is no way to directly and exactly correlate social media exposure with donations, there is plenty of data available to show that the community was further energized by that day-long buzz created on Facebook. In fact, we collected over 14,000 organic live views in less than 24 hours. See the full recap blog here .

Live-streaming video is becoming increasingly commonplace. Donors are looking for direct connections to local organizations, while Facebook and other platforms are adjusting their algorithms to favor live video (and to de-emphasize other content from brands and pages). Live-streaming and Giving Days are a perfect marriage, due to the inherent sense of urgency of a 24-hour donation period.

But before you draw a social media strategy of any kind, it’s important to ask yourself and/or your team a few questions. This self-assessment should take place well before your Giving Day.

1) What are our goals for the Giving Day? What exactly does success look like, and how will we define it?

It’s a sure bet that you have a nice, round donation figure in mind as a goal, but there will be plenty of other data to track: number of donors, average donation size, number of participating nonprofits, donations in the morning/afternoon/evening, etc. If it’s your first Giving Day, think big; if it’s not your first, be sure to set reasonable expectations above and beyond last year.

Your social media strategy should have its own set of goals, too. Likes, comments and shares are the easiest metrics to track, but Facebook’s native analytics platform gives plenty of additional data on click-throughs, watch time and much more. Larger communities should consider third-party platforms like Delmondo to extract even deeper data about their content.

The holy grail is, of course, attention. Great live video content can be the answer to capturing people’s attention for longer periods of time, and with the right message and calls to action, that can easily equate to donations.

2) What are the human resources at our disposal?

As every nonprofit professional knows full well by now, social media can be a major time-suck. On Giving Days, your team will be all-hands-on-deck. Nonprofits will undoubtedly have questions, concerns and individual situations that will require your team’s assistance. Without proper planning, this can seriously bite into the social media strategy you’ve developed.

Remember, too, that social media is not just a one-way channel. A social strategy done right will lead to plenty of questions, interactivity and user-generated content to monitor, respond to and potentially re-broadcast. Include time in your team’s day to be flexible, reactive and interactive.

If live video is a consideration, think hard about who you are putting on camera: can this person/people really represent the energy and the atmosphere that we are trying to create for this day? Some organizations have incredibly talkative, camera-friendly and video-ready stars on staff — others do not. Does it make sense to have an influencer who’s accustomed to being on camera voice your message?

3) What are the physical resources at our disposal?

If your organization is fortunate enough to have camera equipment, microphones, stage lighting, a selfie stick, Snapchat Spectacles, etc., your Giving Day is when it should all be on the table — literally.

Your Giving Day is your chance to shine, and real-time storytelling is critical when all eyes are on you. No matter what kind of equipment you own, your biggest resource is the people and the stories within your community, so whether you’re creating a bunch of content in advance to share during your Giving Day or approaching it on the fly, make sure you have the ability to tell those stories to the best of your ability.

This is most of the equipment that I brought to Louisville last September for #GiveForGoodLou on Sept. 14. The microphones and gimbal cameras were incredibly useful.

This is where working with an influencer can really be beneficial on your Giving Day. They may have photography/videography equipment that you do not have access to. It can be cheaper and less stressful to utilize an influencer for a day than to acquire equipment on your own and assign your team to learn how to use it on the go.

4) What are the physical constraints of our event?

#GiveForGoodLou in Louisville has a spectacular mid-day bash that features hundreds of participating nonprofits at a central location in downtown Louisville. Additionally, organizations host events all around the city during the 24-hour stretch. These circumstances, along with Louisville’s quality cellular network, make it the perfect opportunity to maximize through Facebook Live.

But not every Giving Day has a structure that is so convenient to mobile live-streaming. Maybe the geographical area you represent is enormous, and it’d be impossible for a team of one or two to even make it to the different areas being represented. Maybe your city is more rural and has a much weaker 4G/LTE signal, and video streaming would only make sense where WiFi is available. (Remember, it must be strong, reliable WiFi!)

Live-streaming professionals are used to dealing with tricky circumstances. Assuming your Giving Day is on a weekday, it’s safe to assume a large portion of your audience will be able to tune in while at work, and another significant portion will be more likely to tune in in the evening, after getting home from work. Don’t underestimate the audience that will tune in as your Giving Day winds down, too; #GiveForGoodLou ended at midnight, and we had a huge audience watching along with us as we counted down the final couple of hours, and the last few dramatic minutes before midnight. You should be prepared to communicate directly with your donors all day long, whether you’re out in the field or at your so-called home base.

5) Who are your donors?

This last question is somewhat of a trick. No matter how you answer this one, it’s likely that they are on Facebook. So no matter what your strategy looks like, I can almost guarantee you it includes sharing content on Facebook during the day.

Live-streaming video is the ultimate way to capture the attention of your community. When done correctly, live video can be an enormous value add to your own brand, your donors and all the participating nonprofits. With proper resources, it can also provide plenty of content for your other social media channels as well — video clips can be shared on Twitter, Instagram, Instagram Stories, even Snapchat.

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One more thing: when building your Giving Day social media strategy, it’s critical to start early. In Louisville, the Community Foundation marketing team used live-streaming video for months in advance, which conditioned their audience perfectly for the extravaganza in September. It also helped their marketing team get extremely comfortable with the medium, and made them able to adapt to the challenges that inevitably arose.

I joined the Community Foundation of Louisville to help them tell stories of the many benefiting organizations of the day using live-streaming video. If you’re interested in working with me to help bring a similar execution to your city, contact me today: chrisstrub (at) gmail (dot) com.

Chris Strub is the first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states. He’s the author of ‘50 States, 100 Days: The Book,’ creator of the course ‘Live-streaming for Nonprofits’ and was the host of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America 2017 National Conference. Learn more about Chris at TeamStrub.com.

Eight non #SMMW18 Speakers to Track Down at Social Media Marketing World San Diego

Sat, 03 Feb 2018 16:42:39 +0000

February 2018 is finally here, and we’re just a few weeks out from Social Media Marketing World, the largest social media conference on Earth.

This will be my first Social Media Marketing World, and like many other attendees, I’m geeking out over seeing some of the bigtime speakers. I’ll be a volunteer at the event, and there’s plenty of buzz in our private Social Media Marketing World volunteers Facebook group about the familiar names that everyone is excited to see. (I’ll admit, I’m pretty amped about meeting Shaun Ayala .)

Me with Social Media Marketing World 2017 track leader Dan Gingiss at The Social Shake-Up 2017

But my favorite phrase in social media, courtesy of Joe Wilson, is that “We are all famous to a few people.” For every great speaker flying into San Diego this month, there’ll be a hundred attendees with diverse backgrounds, interesting backstories and their own brands they’re working hard on.

Here are eight non-speakers that I’m particularly amped to meet up with at Social Media Marketing World 2018, along with their Twitter handles:

Brad Ouldhouse @NextGenBizMan

Founder, Socialflixx

Former host, “The Snapchatters Podcast”

Brad has been atop my must-meet list for years. Brad is a pioneer in the business of video, recently founding SocialFlixx as an unabashed dive into helping businesses around Montana master the medium to reach their goals. Unlike many other social entrepreneurs who spend years or decades trying to refine their approach, Brad has found his way with SocialFlixx and continues to humbly put businesses around Montana — Montana! — on the proverbial map. I’m a big fan of Americana, and it’s awesome to always be able to tune in to one of Brad’s client videos to learn more about a state that is sometimes overlooked on the national stage.

But Brad’s been in the game since way before this recent launch, and what really got me hooked onto his brand was “The Snapchatters Podcast,” a passion project fueled by his pure appreciation of the Snapchat community in its glory days, and the creators who drove much of that wave of enthusiasm. Brad built his reputation through hard work and respect, and now it’s continuing to pay off with SocialFlixx. Brad is all-around one of the nicest guys in social media, and gives the state of Montana a great representative at the world’s premier social media event in San Diego, even if he’s not on a big stage. For all these reasons, Brad O tops my list of finally-must-meet non-speakers.

Logan Riley @logannriley

Media Buyer, The Penny Hoarder

I attended a bunch of smaller (by comparison to SMMW) Social Media events in 2017, and Logan might’ve been my favorite person I met all year long. At Social Media Day Dayton (Ohio) in September, Logan was a complete firecracker on stage, the sort of panelist who stole the show for all the right reasons. Logan’s a young, hilarious, endlessly energetic and delightfully outspoken millennial who works hard and plays harder (she’ll be the first in line for any karaoke events!). I appreciated Logan’s efforts at Social Media Day Dayton so much that I wrote an entire separate blog post inspired by her . Logan’s flying in from St. Pete to bring her #DogMomAF perspective to the world’s biggest social media extravaganza. Look out, world.

Todd Bergin @toddbergin

Todd.Live

Creator, ‘Grammer School’

Within the inner circles of the live-streaming community, everyone will tell you that Todd Bergin is “one of the good guys.” Todd is genuinely supportive and helpful to so many of us trying to make it in the space that he’s established quite a community of his own, despite his relatively late entry into the live video space. Todd’s equipment setups are second-to-none, but what I admire about the guy is his nose-to-the-ground style of try, try, try again: while others tend to marinate on ideas that often never materialize, Todd’s portfolio includes a deep mix of live-streaming shows and podcasts that have connected him with many of the biggest names in the industry. Todd’s well on his way to someday speaking at SMMW, and after meeting him and his entrepreneurial young daughter (follow her on Instagram: @ooeyooeygooey) in person last year at VidCon, I’m excited to see him again in a few weeks in San Diego.

Jen Cole @jencoleICT (right) & Julie Riley @SocialJewelsICT

Co-founders, DepICT Media

Jen and Julie are two of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet, social media-wise or not. They recently merged their social media enterprises in to create DepICT Media, which is bound to quickly monopolize the local market in lovely Wichita. In addition to building successful strategies for their clients, these two young ladies stage a weekly show on Facebook Live that has plugged them — and, by association, the city of Wichita — into the rest of the world. Marketers can seem like a dime a dozen in places like LA and NYC, but Julie and Jen are a duo of true diamonds in the rough in the great state of Kansas. (Note: although they’re not speaking in San Diego, the DepICT team both work on the Social Media Examiner squad as community managers.)

Jerry Ascierto @jascierto (pictured with Shonduras)

Executive Editor, PR News

Jerry won’t be on the stage in San Diego, but like many other social media executives, he’ll surely be doing “opposition research” as planning continues for the major conference he’ll be leading, The Shake-Up Show 2018, in Atlanta in May. Jerry’s different than the average suit, though; he’s an energetic, down-to-Earth, fun-loving fellow with a sharp wit and a keen sense of humor. If you’re an aspiring social media speaker, Jerry is a guy you definitely want to connect with at Social Media Marketing World.

Ai Addyson-Zhang, Ph.D. @aiaddysonzhang

Edu Tech Evangelist

It’d be difficult to find anyone genuinely more supportive of her social media community than Ai Zhang. I’m amazed that our paths haven’t crossed in person yet, as I’ve watched with serious FOMO as she joined the #TwitterSmarter crew last year at #SMMW17, recently presented with Dr. Karen Freberg (@kfreberg) in Chicago and even toured her current home of South Korea with my pal Sabba Quidwai (@AskMsQ). Ai airs a weekly Facebook Live show called Classroom Without Walls: Using Technology to Reimagine Education, and it’s been wonderful to see how well-connected she has stayed since moving back to South Korea in 2017. I’m very excited to meet Ai in real life back in North America in a few weeks.

Zala Bricelj @ZalkaB

Content Whisperer / Team #TwitterSmarter

I’ve never been to Slovenia, but I’m blessed to have a good friend there in Zala Bricelj. Growing up, the idea of a pen pal in a foreign country was jaw-dropping: getting to hear, maybe once every few weeks, a few words from another soul on the other side of the country would be a major joy. Social media has infinitely accelerated those friendships, and today, I find myself publicly trading 90-second video replies with Zala, and the world, at the touch of a button on a mobile device. The #VideoReplyDay movement — formerly known as #TwitterVideoReplyTuesday, and successfully multiplied by (#SMMW18 speaker) Madalyn Sklar — has sparked a frenzy of “face”-to-“face” interactivity that will culminate in once-unimaginable real-life meetings at Social Media Marketing World in San Diego.

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There’s many more folks, speakers and non-speakers alike, that I’m looking forward to seeing again/meeting in San Diego, but I’m curious, who’s on your list? Tweet using the hashtag #SMMW18 and feel free to @ me ( @ChrisStrub ), and let me know if you’ll be there!

Chris Strub is the first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states, author of ‘ 50 States, 100 Days, The Book, ’ creator of the Thinkific course ‘ Live-streaming for Nonprofits ’ and a National Red Kettle Ambassador for The Salvation Army. Chris will be speaking at the Midwestern Digital Marketing Conference in St. Louis in March, the Social Media Strategies Summit in Chicago in April and The Social Shake-Up Show in Atlanta in May. Learn more about Chris at TeamStrub.com, see his full list of live appearances past and upcoming here , and subscribe on YouTubehere.

On Pizza Monday, How @PlanetFitness Changed My (Entire) 2017

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 16:23:31 +0000

Yesterday was New Years’ Eve, and wherever you were around the U.S. or the world, you likely saw those giant purple-and-yellow Planet Fitness hats dotted all around New York’s Times Square.

It’s one of the oldest cliches in the book — New Year, New Me ... time to sign up for a gym. And every year, Planet Fitness embraces this opportunity like no other, partnering with ABC to plaster its brand all around the festivities, and all over the Rockin’ Eve show.

This year, the holiday even fell on a Sunday, meaning at the company’s 1,400+ clubs, New Years’ Day is 2018’s first ‘Pizza Monday.’

That’s right — Pizza Monday, at a gym. The internet tells me this tradition started in New Hampshire back in 1998, when staff ordered pizza for members when the club’s hot water heaters broke. Shape.com reports that each club serves about 5,500 slices of pizza per year.

If you miss Pizza Monday today, don’t worry; PF’s New-Year deal runs through Jan. 10, which covers next week’s Bagel Tuesday — yes, free bagels (and usually spread), the second Tuesday of each month.

And of course, the bucket of Tootsie Rolls on the front desk is full 365 days a year.

As a Planet Fitness member, these #treatyoself traditions can be a bit confounding; but as a marketer, they’re absolutely brilliant.

I get the idea of seasonal marketing; having just wrapped up the #FightForGoodTour, a 38-day, 25-state road trip with The Salvation Army that raised over $6,100 for their Red Kettle Campaign, of course it makes sense for PF to capitalize on the world’s good-faith resolutions this week.

But with our increased interconnectivity through social media, Pizza Monday, Bagel Tuesday and daily tootsie rolls become more than just cheat days.

Planet Fitness, as they should, encourages participation in a PF Members Facebook group. At some clubs around the country, large digital screens display examples of people’s success stories, shared to the group.

This week, the group has been ablaze with scores of encouraging photos from gyms around the nation. But throughout the rest of the year, the group discussion often centers on light-hearted memes that lampoon healthy habits.

In the clubs, Planet Fitness takes great pride in being a “Judgement Free Zone,” yet the comments on these images is — as you might expect — often an intersection of diametrically opposing opinions.

The big screens at certain clubs around the country do a great job of reinforcing positivity and resilience of the group’s contributors, and are a great example of one positive change the company could make in 2018 — standardizing these digital visuals at every club.

Without having ever worked at a Planet Fitness, I can tell that standardization is an enormous focus from a corporate perspective. I was shocked to find a couple of clubs that don’t have a city name in bold-faced lettering, glued to the wall; it’s one signature mark of (almost) every location in America. While most people go to just their home clubs, the uniformity from city to city, state to state and even region to region is impressive. And germophobes, rest easy: it’s clear that cleanliness is probably a Page-1 training priority.

Planet Fitness could also benefit from better highlighting positivity through its social media channels. The brand built a fun, simple Instagram Story last night from Times Square — one of just a few stories they created in all of 2017. The biggest strength that Planet Fitness has is its hundreds of thousands of individual success stories, the vast majority of which go untold on their channels. It would be endlessly inspiring, and surely beneficial to the business, to see Planet Fitness commit to identifying and sharing the stories of its people through social video.

On Twitter, @PlanetFitness hasn’t posted a non-reply Tweet since Halloween, not even a single pinned message to wish members a Happy New Year, and/or advertise the ongoing membership deal. I guess this could’ve been related to the price increase for a Black Card Membership — $19.99/month to $21.99/month?

But for me, that $20/month (existing members are Grandfathered in) is well worth it, even without the complementary carbs.

By my count, I visited Planet Fitness more than 200 times in 2017, including 110+ at my home club in Melville, NY, and 24 times to the brand new club on Motor Parkway in Smithtown, NY.

But the most exciting part of my Planet Fitness journey in 2017 was the roadtripping. In January, and into early February, I traveled solo from Louisville, KY (my home club was the 2nd Street location near U of L), to Portland, Ore., and then back to Long Island. It was fascinating to find clubs in Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, Reno and more.

I journeyed south from Long Island to Atlanta for a social media conference in May, making good use of my Black Card along I-85.

In March, I thought it’d be fun to create a Planet Fitness Challenge — that is, to run a mile at each of 13 clubs around Long Island, starting in Riverhead, NY. I Snapchatted the experience with my Spectacles, and PF thanked me with a cool gift box that included a couple shirts and a hat.

And finally, the 25-state #FightForGoodTour, which brought me from Houston to New York City, and would not have been possible without the luxury of working out in Wilmington, DE; Minneapolis; Jackson, MS; Jackson, MI (best club WiFi ever, FWIW); and — of course — Jacksonville, to name just a few.

Through the course of all those experiences, I learned a lot about Planet Fitness, and it had nothing to do with Tootsie Rolls.

Mostly, I gathered that any day with a workout was better than one without. Sleeping better, feeling better and looking better all rang true, and I can’t remember a single experience where I felt uncomfortable at a gym, from Oregon to Florida, from Arizona to Pennsylvania. Nor did I ever see anyone be bullied, teased, laughed at; when they say the Judgement Free Zone, they mean it.

And even without pizza on the counters, if you’re looking for that bit of comfort before you leave, the Massage Chairs and Hydromassage Beds — which are always free for Black Card members — have been truly transformational.

But I want to emphasize, again, that this wasn’t just a first-week-of-January thing. Planet Fitness appears to focus almost 100% of its annual media buys in this two-week period, but all of its clubs are open, what, 360+ days a year — including all 12 Pizza Monday’s, and all 12 Bagel Tuesday’s.

With a renewed focus on highlighting its success stories through Instagram Stories and/or Snapchat, and a commitment to invest in increased visual emphasis on those stories in all its clubs around the nation, here’s hoping that Planet Fitness will shift its approach and actively encourage all its paying members to stick around throughout the year — and not just this week.

Chris Strub is a digital storyteller, proud Planet Fitness Black Card Member and author of ‘50 States, 100 Days: The Book.’ Learn more about Chris at www.teamstrub.com.

Announcing Chris Strub’s 2017 #FightForGood Tour With The Salvation Army

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 01:03:48 +0000

In every zip code in America, the people of The Salvation Army are dedicated to Doing the Most Good.

This holiday season, I'm honored to have the opportunity to use social media to introduce you to many of those heroes -- in our own neighborhoods.

Beginning next week, I'll be partnering with The Salvation Army to bring you the Fight For Good Tour, a 25-state road trip designed to highlight the decisions that people living in poverty must make every day -- and how The Salvation Army helps meet need in communities across the U.S.

The trip kicks off Nov. 6 in Houston -- a community recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey this August.

From there, we'll head north, through the nation's spine, to Minneapolis, and turn east, towards Milwaukee, Chicago and Detroit.

We'll head back south, spending Thanksgiving in Louisville, and reach the Gulf Coast with stops in Biloxi, Miss., and New Orleans.

Finally, we'll set sights back to the Northeast, with stops along the I-85 corridor, before making it back to New York City on Dec. 14.

The full, 25-state itinerary will be available on my donation page at SalvationArmyUSA.org, and you'll be able to follow every aspect of the journey with me on my various social media channels.

I'll post a video recap of each visit on my YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/chrisstrub and Facebook page,

Facebook.com/TeamStrub . You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Swarm, @ChrisStrub, but most importantly, make sure you're subscribed on YouTube . See my introduction here.

I sincerely hope this trek sparks a nationwide conversation about what poverty in America truly looks like, as well as the good work taking place in our communities every day. Keep in touch with me the whole way through on social media by tagging me @ChrisStrub -- I'm always accessible, especially on Twitter . Be sure to use the hashtag #FightForGood and #FightForGoodTour. I encourage you to please make a donation through my Red Kettle donation page here; my goal is to raise at least $25,000 by Dec. 14.

And how did this trip come to be? In the summer of 2015, I visited 50 states in 100 days, and volunteered with youth-related nonprofits in all 50 states. You can learn more about that trip in my book, ' 50 States, 100 Days: The Book. ' The full list of cities I've visited and organizations I've worked with is available on my website here. Since the trip ended, I’ve worked with Humana on their Bold Goal initiative; co-hosted this summer’s BBBSA National Conference; and helped Louisville raise $4.6 million on their annual community-wide day of giving. (Check out my blog across the top of my home page for more.) So when The Salvation Army contacted me about joining the Fight For Good this holiday season, I knew right away that the Fight was on!

Who exactly am I? My name's Chris Strub, a 32-year-old native Long Islander who's lived in both Greenville, S.C., and Louisville. I graduated from Binghamton University in 2007 (Go Bearcats), and have spent the decade since building newspapers, kneading pizza dough and moving back and forth between Greenville, S.C, Louisville, and upstate New York. In January, I launched 'I Am Here LLC' and have spent most of 2017 traveling the U.S. speaking about social media. I love meeting new people, seeing new places and living life to the fullest, and I’m a big fan of the Chicago Cubs and Dallas Cowboys.

My truest passion, though, is bringing attention to those in need, and I couldn't possibly be more excited to partner with The Salvation Army to kick off the #FightForGood Tour on Monday, Nov. 6.

Please take a second and share this link out on social media, use hashtag #FightForGood, feel free to tag me ... and stay tuned -- much more to come!

<<>>

-Dates Subject to Change-

Nov. 6 - Day 1, State 1 - Houston

Nov. 8 - Day 3, State 2 - Oklahoma City

Nov. 9 - Day 4, State 3 - Independence, MO

Nov. 10 - Day 5, State 4 - Des Moines

Nov. 13 - Day 8, State 5 - Minneapolis, MN

Nov. 14 - Day 9, State 6 - Milwaukee

Nov. 15 - Day 10, State 7 - Chicago

Nov. 17 - Day 12, State 8 - Detroit

Nov. 20 - Day 15, State 9 - Indianapolis

Nov. 22 - Day 17, State 10 - Cincinnati

Nov. 23 - Day 18, State 11 - Louisville

Nov. 24 - Day 19, State 12 - Memphis

Nov. 25 - Day 20, State 13 - Little Rock, AR

Nov. 27 - Day 22, State 14 - Jackson, MS

Nov. 28 - Day 23, State 15 - New Orleans

Nov. 30 - Day 25, State 16 - Birmingham, AL

Dec. 1 - Day 26, State 17 - Atlanta

Dec. 4 - Day 29, State 18 - Jacksonville

Dec. 5 - Day 30, State 19 - Greenville, SC

Dec. 6 - Day 31, State 20 - Charlotte

Dec. 7 - Day 32, State 21 - Alexandria, VA

Dec. 8 - Day 33, State 22 - Baltimore

Dec. 9 - Day 34, State 23 - Wilmington, DE

Dec. 12 - Day 37, State 24 - Philadelphia

Dec. 13 - Day 38, State 25 - New York City

Chris Strub’s Five Social Media Mentors

Wed, 11 Oct 2017 14:15:15 +0000

The following post was written between two flights: Sept. 27, 2017 in an American Airlines EMB140 at 36,000 feet above Pennsylvania and Ohio; and Oct. 10, 2017, in an American Airlines 737 over a similar stretch, heading to Chicago.

———————— As I head to my second Social Media Day event of 2017, I can’t help but think of the people I look up to in the social media industry who have not only inspired me, but lent me their time, energy and attention to help me get where I am today. The cliché phrase “Follow Friday” doesn’t do this group justice. My friendships with them transcends any button on a digital platform. My philosophies are very much an amalgamation of their unique approaches. I highly value the generosity of their time — not just individually, but the ways they interact with everyone they know. I guarantee if you get to know them as I have, you’ll feel similarly enriched. So who are they? In no particular order:

BRIAN FANZO I can’t say enough about the impact Brian has had on my career, which is why I’ve written about the guy several times prior to this post. I knew of Brian well before he’d heard of me, and in a world where data-based “leaderboards” can — for better or for worse — camouflage people’s genuine personalities, I’d have never imagined I’d even get to speak with the guy. Now, more than two full years after the glory days of Meerkat, Brian and I will share a stage together tomorrow in Ohio. Brian’s a terrific conversationalist and an exceptional connector, but even among this group, his thought processes on the business side of social media are industry-leading and prospectively transcendent. I have “borrowed” — with proper attribution — his “Think like a fan” catchphrase in dozens of meetings, but even more important, culturally, is his new mantra of “Be Yourself.” It’s remarkable how two phrases can redefine a listener’s approach, but Brian’s thoughtfully sharpened ideas have made a difference for dozens of businesses, tens of thousands of fans (“fanz?”) — and me.

Follow Brian: www.twitter.com/iSocialFanz

DAN GINGISS Dan was the first of this group that I met. In fact, he was one of the first “social media people” I ever met, at The Social Shake-Up in Atlanta in 2014. We first communicated via Twitter, through a hashtag-based conversation about millennials, and kept in touch into 2015, as I embarked on a trip to visit 50 states in 100 days. Dan and I agree on some things — go Cubs go, of course — but what I value most about our friendship is our propensity to disagree on quite a bit, but always be open to conversation and debate. For example, Dan knows in his heart that the tomato-sauce-and-mozzarella-cheese-soup they serve in Chicago is not pizza, but he’s consistent willing to refer to it as such for the sake of debate. (I kid. Or do I? A native New Yorker knows his pizza.) On a more serious note, Dan has proven himself as one of the most influential and well-respected digital thought leaders on the planet, with high-profile roles at Discover, Humana and now McDonald’s. Dan’s push for innovation while at Humana earned him a prestigious award — and a keynote slot on stage — at the Shake-Up Show 2017, where our friendship came full circle at the same hotel where it began three years earlier. (Edit: I flew to Chicago this week to attend a Cubs playoff game with Dan, and even though the weather kept us from seeing them clinch the NLDS, it was well worth the adventure.)

Follow Dan: www.twitter.com/dgingiss

GEOFF GOLBERG It’s been fascinating to watch Geoff’s ascension as a live-streaming thought leader over the past 2.5 years. Geoff approaches his digital endeavors a bit differently than the others in this post, but certainly not to any less effect. As one of the earliest adopters of both Meerkat and Periscope, Geoff not only jumped in early but with complete enthusiasm. Not only was he one of the most consistent live broadcasters around, he quickly carved a niche as the face of New York City — while hardly ever showing his own face. Instead, Geoff focused on building a tremendously engaged and dedicated community, splitting time between delivering tons of valuable content and supporting others who were doing the same thing. Geoff’s a masterful relationship builder, perhaps the best I’ve ever met. He’s a dedicated creator who isn’t afraid to call out BS, and stand up for his morals and convictions. In fact, ironically, he’s currently banned from Periscope for publicly pointing out the app’s hypocritical practices regarding its community standards. Having gotten to know Geoff personally over the years, I stand 100% with him and am among many who feel he deserves to have the ban lifted. But with or without Periscope, Geoff’s stature and reputation in the social community sphere are cemented. He’s an industry standard-bearer who’s positioned himself at the forefront of the live video wave, even while declining almost every podcast request, Twitter chat invite and the like. I’m proud to call Geoff a close friend and am extremely grateful for all the help, advice and support he’s provided over the years.

Follow Geoff: www.twitter.com/GeoffGolberg

MARIO ARMSTRONG What does the face of live-streaming look like? One look at Mario Armstrong and you’ve got your answer. Mario, the uncannily accessible, ultra-transparent, unfailingly charismatic host of his dream-turned-reality Never Settle Show, hit his stride in 2017 after years of hustle, spotted with flashes of greatness. For almost any aspiring entertainer on the planet, a recurring drop-in role on NBC’s TODAY Show would be the proverbial top of the mountain, but Mario’s world-changing dreams didn’t stop at Rockefeller Center. And while most entrepreneurs seek a tribe to cheer them on, Mario does one better, genuinely involving his devoted fans and followers to the party. Through weekly “co-producer” meetings on Facebook Live, Mario and his team draw legitimate direction and guidance from the audience, which makes each live broadcast of the show feel like a genuine culmination of a futuristic approach to crowdsourcing. While broadcast networks and digital content factories scramble to figure out ways to make viewers feel involved, Mario’s already one season deep into a brilliantly schemed, industry-leading, award-winning solution, and there’s no slowdown in sight: Season 2, fresh off a summer of reflection and innovation, is just around the corner. But what matters most in a world of mounting transparency is attitude, and nobody brings more genuine positivity than Mario Armstrong. I rarely watch Periscope replays, but in the rare instance I do miss Mario live, I’m grateful for the chance to captively catch up. No one does it like Mario, and as his stock rises in the months and years ahead, I’ll be grateful for the chance to say I know the guy.

Follow Mario: www.twitter.com/MarioArmstrong

JOE WILSON While the others on this list may yield bigger names, more speaking engagements or a higher profile, I’m not sure there’s anyone in the space I truly respect more than Joe Wilson. In state after state this year, I’ve been blessed to take the stage and there’s only one slide I reference in every talk or presentation I give — be it mic’d up in front of a crowd, in a board room with nonprofit execs, on the phone for a podcast or even in person. “We are all famous to a few people.” I look at Joe’s wisdom — which stretches well beyond those eight words, just to be clear — as many of you might see Gary Vaynerchuk, Simon Sinek or Elon Musk. Joe’s unflinchingly grounded approach has inspired me to grow in ways I would have never dreamt imaginable, and I’m just one of thousands who look up to him. When I find myself at a career crossroads, I call Joe. His long, windy career path has led him to, what appears at a distance, at least, self-actualization, even if the dollar signs and speaking engagements haven’t materialized yet. Joe’s a brilliant relationship-builder with a heart of gold (and a truly remarkable woman, KZ, by his side). So many of the relationships I see budding online share the Joe Wilson linchpin, a constant testament to his gravitas as a creator, a speaker, a confidant and a best friend. Joe is an incredibly kind, funny, creative, talented and supportive guy with a sterling reputation, and I’m blessed to have gotten to know him over the last few years. Among my personal career goals is to be in a position to give back to those who’ve helped me get where I’m going, and Joe Wilson is at the top of my list. Follow Joe: www.twitter.com/JoeWilsonTV —————— So how does this list help you? Easy. Jump on Twitter, follow these five gentlemen, and send a Tweet saying hi. Feel free to name-drop me and/or this post. Find a podcast they’ve guested on, listen in and absorb. I promise you, if you get to know these five guys as well as I do, your career, and your demeanor, will be better for it.

**********

Chris Strub is the first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states, author of ‘50 States, 100 Days: The Book,’ and creator of the online course ‘Livestreaming for Nonprofits.’ Follow him on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, @ChrisStrub, and learn more about his adventures at www.teamstrub.com .

Case Study: #GiveForGoodLou 2017

Sun, 24 Sep 2017 23:23:58 +0000

On Sept. 14, 2017, I joined the Community Foundation of Louisville team for their biggest event of the year, a 24-hour online day of giving titled “Give For Good Louisville,” or #GiveForGoodLou.

By the stroke of midnight, the event had raised more than $4.6 million for more than 500 participating nonprofits in the Kentuckiana area. The day was highlighted by a 90-minute midday nonprofit rally at 4th Street Live! in the heart of the city, where about 200 organizations had informational tables and booths set up. Additionally, nonprofits were encouraged to hold their own events around the community.

Donations were only accepted online through the Community Foundation’s website, which featured a live leaderboard, featuring breakout statistics like “Most Unique Donors,” “Most Total Donations” and much more. Orgs were also competing for “Strategic Prizes” of $1,000 apiece, awarded for criteria like “Most Unique Donors Between 7am - 10am,” or “Most Donations of $250 or More Between 3pm and 5pm.” Every donation through the 24 hours was eligible to be matched with a $1,000 “Golden Ticket,” thanks to a $30,000 grant from Delta Dental. (Six additional tickets were awarded to attendees at the midday rally.)

The intricate juxtaposition of “real-life events” with online-only giving, in a frenzied 24-hour period, made Give For Good Louisville the perfect event for Facebook Live coverage, and the Community Foundation of Louisville came well-prepared.

VP of Marketing and Communications Cara Baribeau drew up a sophisticated, two-pronged, hour-by-hour plan: an itinerary for herself and marketing associate Molly Melia; and one for me and marketing intern Emily Gahafer. (A third document detailed planned appearances for CEO Susan Barry.) Organizations had been informed that if they submitted their events to the official CF calendar, they would be listed on the website and may be highlighted with additional coverage.

The Facebook Live coverage was part of a broader social media plan, most of which was handled by staff at the control center at the CF Louisville office. But fans of the Community Foundation were conditioned to tune in on Facebook; for months, Baribeau had utilized Facebook Live in an ongoing series called “Getting to Know the Good,” where orgs were invited to share their stories in interview-style live videos from the office and around the community.

And on Sept. 14, it was all systems go. We called the day the area’s “Super Bowl,” and decided, given the enormous attention directed our way, that we couldn’t really over-do it. We planned aggressively.

Baribeau led off the Facebook Live coverage from the office at midnight Sept. 14, announcing the first Strategic Prize award while ensuring that all donation systems were operating smoothly. I’d negotiated a good night’s sleep in lieu of an afternoon nap, and made my way to the office at 6:30 am.

From 7 am forward, we’d broadcast at least once hourly, all the way through midnight. After our first joint update at 7:10, Emily and I walked with CEO Susan Barry to an outdoor yoga event, for our 8:10 am update. (She’s pictured below left, in blue.) I hosted the 9:10 update again from the office, and we were off to the proverbial races.

The nonprofit rally was predictably chaotic. Tables were crammed from end to end, buttressing the main stage, where local dignitaries, media representatives and performing groups offered continuous entertainment. With Cara managing the stage activities, and various members of the CF team controlling different aspects of the event, Emily and I were free to roam the rally and broadcast to the world.

The rally was loud — very loud — but my MXL MM-130 mic helped us elicit perfect sound on three Facebook Live broadcasts from the scene. All day long, we stabilized the video with the DJI Osmo and Osmo Mobile, making every mobile broadcast immensely watchable and listenable. I decided to create three broadcasts from the rally: two interviewing the early Golden Ticket winners; and one 37-minute walkthrough of the entire rally, interviewing groups like the YMCA, the Urban League, the Salvation Army and many more.

Throughout each broadcast, viewers were interacting and engaging with us through Facebook comments. I made sure to repeatedly mention the important calls to action, both generally — to donate at GiveForGoodLouisville.org — and specfically, like the criteria to win a specific Strategic Prize, or to use the hashtag #GiveForGoodLou on social media to join the online conversation.

After the rally, the excitement only kicked up a notch. Emily and I had a brief break to charge batteries — our own, and those in my devices — before we set out on a grueling afternoon-evening tour. As Emily chauffeured us around, I recorded some additional non-live video for us to use on other social media channels. I also wove together a 22-minute Snapchat story showing the behind-the-scenes of our day.

The day was a whirlwind, but by the time nightfall arrived, the onus was on us to keep the energy high. After our 9pm appearance at Drepung Gomang — a considerable drive East from downtown — I talked Cara into stopping and doing a 10pm update live from outside of the Big Four Bridge — Louisville’s most iconic landmark. Emily parked her SUV facing us, so we could take advantage of the headlights, and we stacked a handheld spotlight in her off hand.

And when we reached the day’s 24th hour, there was no rest for the weary. We surpassed the previous year’s donation mark of $4.3 million early in the hour, and I urged our captive Facebook Live audience to push to the last possible minute. Positive emotions ran high as the clock struck midnight, and the team broke into applause — live on Facebook, as I exhaustedly signed us off for the night.

After the dust settled, we’d broadcast live on Facebook 23 times in 24 hours. I was on 18 of those broadcasts — plus several other non-live videos, the lengthy Snapchat story, and a couple of quick updates to the CFLouisville Instagram story. The most important figure, of course, was the $4.6 million in donations, but I was also extremely proud of our live video success: over 14,500 views, scores of shares and hundreds of comments.

The organizations that we visited during the day were ecstatic about the additional social media attention we provided. The rally was particularly special, and representatives at almost every table were eager to chat live with us. I can say without a doubt that incorporating Facebook Live coverage added an enormous amount of value to organizations participating in #GiveForGoodLou, both on Sept. 14 and as a permanent documentation of the activities that took place all day.

For its first time using live video in this fashion, the Community Foundation of Louisville did a phenomenal job of showcasing an event that demonstrates the best of its city. For any city holding its own online day of giving, I would very highly recommend incorporating a live video component. Check out all of the Community Foundation’s video efforts on their Facebook page here .

Working with the Community Foundation of Louisville for #GiveForGoodLou was my favorite day of my career, and I am already looking forward to returning to Louisville to help them break more local giving records in 2018. If your city/foundation is planning its own online day of giving, and would like to incorporate a winning plan of action using Facebook Live, contact me today at chrisstrub (at) gmail.com. I would love to work with your team to develop a successful, revenue-generating strategy.

Keep up with me on Twitter, @ChrisStrub , and like my Facebook page for more content from my work and travels. Check out my homepage at TeamStrub.com for more info about my trip to volunteer with youth organizations in all 50 states, to get a copy of my book, ‘50 States, 100 Days: The Book,’ and to access my press kit.

Case Study: Big Brothers Big Sisters of America National Conference 2017

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 20:19:27 +0000

This June, I was invited to help host the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America National Conference at the Sheraton Marina Hotel in San Diego.

The BBBSA national team did an extraordinary amount of work preparing a detailed plan of action for our Facebook Live coverage, and coordinated an official partnership with Facebook Live that brought a tremendously professional spirit to the whole project. They worked with their advertising agency to build a full-size step-and-repeat, and acquired flood lighting, boom microphones, director's chairs and computer equipment that made everything we accomplished on site possible. (Pictured above, in pink, is Nicole Burdick of BBBS of the Black Hills in Rapid City, S.D., and Sara McDowell, of BBBS of South Central West Virginia.)

When I arrived in San Diego on Sunday morning in advance of the Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday conference, I was incredibly impressed by the presentation of the 'stage' they'd set up. What we accomplished in San Diego would, in no way, have been possible without the hard work by many members of the BBBS national team.

We also worked together to plan a schedule throughout the week that included a mix of staff and board members, award winners and celebrity guests, including NBC's Kate Snow, actor Frankie Muniz ("Malcolm in the Middle"), NFL Hall of Famer Darrell Green, Beachbody celebrity Joel Freeman and keynote speaker Vu Le, among others. On Monday and Wednesday, I co-hosted with Sara McDowell, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central West Virginia, while on Tuesday I handled the hosting responsibilities solo.

Throughout each day, we invited notable staff members from around the country to join us for a few minutes on the Facebook Live stage. Participants were hand-picked based on successes in their local markets; for example, the teams from Miami and Los Angeles were recognized for their 'Bigs in Blue' program, which pairs young people in need of mentors with members of the local law enforcement community. Below is Armen Babajanian from Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas.

In three days on "set," I contributed to 25 live interviews from the set with dozens of BBBS VIPs. I also attended the official launch of the 'Bigs in Blue' program at Petco Park in San Diego, and was brought out onto the field as BBBS CEO Pam Iorio threw out the first pitch on behalf of BBBS nationwide. I used the DJI Osmo Mobile to film an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Pam's warm-up pitches and pre-game discussions with Padres staff. Our most viewed video of the week was with Donnevin and Alex from BBBS of Northeast Indiana; see it here.

Additionally, I presented a 75-minute session on how individual affiliates nationwide can use live-streaming to further their mission; the beginning portion of that session was also live-streamed on the BBBSA Facebook page (unfortunately, the connection dropped several minutes in, but here's the video). I also had a Snapchat geofilter on the final day of the conference, which NBC's Kate Snow used in a selfie with me on her own account.

BBBSA staff also faciliated the production and live-streaming of the conference's general sessions, including the keynote speakers like Darrell Green (pictured above), although I was not involved with the streaming of these sessions.

After the dust settled, the Facebook Live videos from the FB Live stage and the baseball game gathered nearly 46,000 organic views. Add in several thousand views for the general sessions and the Big Brothers Big Sisters conference live videos earned over 52,000 views on Facebook.

All things considered, this conference, in my opinion, set a new standard for the way that national nonprofits must use live-streaming to share their message through social media. Working with CEO Pam Iorio, above, and the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America team was a joy, as their preparation and hard work paid off. I was grateful to be part of the team, and look forward to hopefully working with them at their 2018 conference in St. Louis.

If you represent an organization looking for additional attention for your conference, contact me via email, chrisstrub (at) gmail.com, and check out my homepage at www.teamstrub.com for more information about other events I’ve worked at, my press kit, my book and more.

Case Study: Humana Bold Goal work

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 19:35:24 +0000

On May 31, 2016, I arrived in Louisville, Ky., to begin a 30-day assignment with Humana and its Bold Goal team.

Taken directly from their website, here is how Humana defines its 'Bold Goal:'

Our Bold Goal is to help make the communities we serve 20 percent healthier by 2020 by making it easy for people  to achieve their best health. Through physician, non-profit, business and government partnerships we are dedicated  to finding solutions to complex health problems. Together, we are addressing social determinants of health like food insecurity, loneliness and social isolation because good health is good for everyone. Join us!

Humana, based in Louisville, is currently focused on seven communities through this initiative: Louisville; San Antonio; Knoxville, Tenn.; Baton Rouge, La.; New Orleans; Tampa Bay; and Broward Co., Fla.

As a traveling social media consultant, my first assignment was the base community of Louisville. (Above is a photo from a day with the Metro United Way in early Nov. 2016, when I highlighted a number of their programs, including the Little Free Library.) I had 30 days to quickly learn the ropes at Humana, then meet with as many of our key Bold Goal partners as possible. Each meeting lasted between two and four hours, and was completely individualized to the organization's specific social media needs. At the conclusion of each meeting, we'd shoot some video: generally, a live-stream interview on my Facebook page; and a Snapchat interview, to be re-purposed, also onto my Facebook page. (The photo below is taken from the deck of the Ideas XLab artist-in-residence area, where I lived in June 2016.)

Within those four short weeks, and after undergoing standard onboarding procedures, I met with over a dozen Bold Goal organizations, using social media to highlight their efforts and share on social media how their mission is positively impacting Louisville and the Kentuckiana area. The full list of organizations I worked with in June 2016 is available here, along with links to the various videos we shot on premises. (Pictured below is my first meeting with Charlotte Stites, visionary and founder of the Smoketown Family Wellness Center.)

Perhaps the most impactful meeting I had in this first month was with the Community Foundation of Louisville, a philanthropic leader whose objective is to "connect donors, nonprofits and civic partners to create lasting impact." Each September, the Community Foundation hosts its biggest event of the year -- an event now called "Give For Good Louisville." After meeting with me for several hours, marketing director Cara Baribeau implemented a digital promotional strategy centered around a series of Facebook Live videos she called "Getting to Know the Good." The series was a huge success, and that September, the Community Foundation went on to raise more than $4.3 million for nonprofits in and around Louisville. (A year later, the Community Foundation would invite me back to co-host their Facebook Live coverage of the event along with Cara; this year, even in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters in Texas and Florida, we raised more than $4.6 million. See all of the videos here.)

As June 2016 wound to a close, Humana and I agreed to terms on a six-month contract extension, that would allow me the opportunity to travel to the company's six other Bold Goal markets to offer the same in-person, individualized services around the country, while also continuing to serve various organizations in Louisville. (Needless to say, I was ecstatic about this opportunity.)

I worked closely not only with London Roth and the Bold Goal team in Louisville, but with strategic leaders in the other six communities to coordinate tightly scheduled week-long visits. Meanwhile, as live-streaming technology evolved, I began acquiring new cameras, microphones and other tools, including the DJI Osmo (pictured below) that would further improve the look and feel of what we were creating.

In August, I flew to San Antonio, the first of the six other markets. The organizations I worked with, including Eva's Heroes and the San Antonio YMCA, were eager to meet with me, and several of them have continued to implement Facebook Live as part of their digital marketing strategies. Pictured above is my meeting with the American Heart Association in San Antonio.

In September, I traveled to Tampa Bay for a week, followed by a week in Broward County. Organizations like Metropolitan Ministries, FLIPANY, IMPACT Broward and the Tampa Bay Healthcare Collaborative were particularly receptive to the idea of implementing live-streaming into their broader strategies. Again, you can see the complete list of all the organizations I worked with in all seven Bold Goal markets here.

October was my busiest month, as I flew to Baton Rouge, roadtripped for a week up to Knoxville, and then concluded with a full week in New Orleans. The city of Baton Rouge had been hit particularly hard by localized flooding just weeks earlier, and so we coordinated fundraising efforts and a day of corporate volunteerism at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank (pictured below), in conjunction with Humana's 'Carry the Baton' 5K. At this Saturday morning race, part of their broader partnership with the Rock N Roll Series, I went live on Facebook from Humana's company page, broadcasted live from @Humana on Periscope, and created an Instagram story for the brand.

In November 2016, with visits to the seven markets in the books, my responsibilities shifted from Humana's Bold Goal team to their social media team. I focused primarily on live-streaming efforts with the company's Guidance Centers, including a trip to Chicago -- ironically, the morning after the Cubs won the World Series -- to highlight Chef Nino Thibodeaux and his healthy cajun-style cooking. That video received more than 437,000 views on Facebook.

In December, I helped orchestrate and film a Facebook Live video on the brand's page titled "Harmonicas for Healthy Lungs," a digital representation of a popular class offered at the Louisville Guidance Center.

At the conclusion of my contract with Humana, I launched 'I Am Here, LLC,' my social media consultancy that has opened doors for me to speak at conferences from Atlanta to San Francisco and many places in between in 2017. In June, I hosted the Facebook Live efforts at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America National Conference in San Diego, and in September -- just last week, as I'm writing this -- I was invited back to co-host #GiveForGoodLou 2017 in Louisville. I am still in contact with a number of the organizations I met with during my time in Louisville and six weeks of traveling to individual markets.

To see all the interviews I conducted and other content I created while working with Humana, check out www.Facebook.com/TeamStrub. The videos I contributed to are listed among the brand's other videos at http://www.facebook.com/Humana/videos.

Me with Chef Nino in Chicago

Case Study: #TeamStrub 2015 - 50 States, 100 Days

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 16:28:44 +0000

On May 15, 2015, I left Greenville, S.C., in a 2007 Honda Accord to travel solo to all 50 U.S. states over the next 100 days. Below is a photo from Day 1.

During this trip, my objective was to volunteer with youth-related organizations in all 50 states, and use social media to document and share the adventure.

The original idea for a solo, cross-country roadtrip came to me Dec. 31, 2012, over a few adult beverages at my studio apartment in Binghamton, N.Y. I decided that night to set a goal of visiting the lower 48 states during the summer of 2013.

Through the winter and into the spring of 2013, I decided to postpone that road trip a year, and travel around the U.S. in the summer of 2014 -- which I did, from May 29 to Aug. 25, 2014, starting from Binghamton, with a first stop in Burlington, Vt., and a final stop in Wilmington, Del. (I've written at length about that trip in other blog posts on this site.)

That trip largely inspired this second, 50-state, 100-day adventure. I also drew inspiration from an experience I had with an organization called 'Pay Away the Layaway' in Greer, S.C., in Dec. 2014; and my role in Raleigh, N.C., with the Binghamton University Alumni Association's Global Day of Service in the spring of 2015 (pictured below).

I first started physically planning the 50-state trip -- known henceforth as just "the trip" -- in Feb. 2015. The first step is to use a website called myscenicdrives.com to sketch out the physical route. From there, I used a Google Docs spreadsheet to list out the dates and cities in order, as well as Google Calendar to physically lay out the sequence.

The most important piece, however, is the spreadsheet. It was here that I filled in the different organizations that I reached out to, one by one, along with individual contact information, and a color-coding system to indicate the status of each 'lead' -- white was 'haven't emailed yet;' yellow was 'emailed, haven't heard back,' orange was 'email conversation in progress,' red was 'they said no,' and green was 'confirmed.' The color coding and sequential nature of the document allowed me to prioritize contacts, a process that continued until the very last day of the trip.

As the document evolved, I used the same color-coding system, on the same sheet, for local media outreach, as well as outreach to local Minor League Baseball teams in relevant cities. I ended up throwing out -- I believe -- 12 first pitches at minor-league baseball games. (Don't quote me on that number.)

As May 15 approached, I quit my job as the General Manager of a Sbarro at the Haywood Mall -- the largest mall in South Carolina -- and throttled all my time and energy into confirming meetings. I didn't properly document this figure, either, but I estimate I had about 50% of the stops confirmed when I left South Carolina, including most of the first stretch. I did not have full confirmation from State No. 2 -- Georgia -- or State No. 7 -- Tennessee -- but time pauses for no one. Most of the end of the trip -- I'd say from State 40, forward -- was nowhere near confirmed; this would need to be done from the road.

Sponsorship proved much more difficult than I anticipated, and so I ended up departing without any sponsors. Most of my outreach went unanswered; the few companies that did reply let me know that I needed to have completed this outreach much, much further in advance. I didn't think that emailing in February about a May departure was too late; it turns out that it absolutely is. However, I did have a connection at the Hard Rock Cafe through my father, Charlie Strub; after several high-level discussions, Hard Rock Cafe agreed to provide to me a meal at each city I visited that had a Hard Rock Cafe. There would be no compensation provided, other than food (no alcoholic beverages), and some sort of souvenir at each stop. At the first Hard Rock Cafe stop in New Orleans, I chose to take with me a small teddy bear with a tiny t-shirt that said 'Hard Rock Cafe New Orleans;' I would go on to collect the same bear, with a local t-shirt, at each Hard Rock Cafe I visited that summer. I was not permitted to say that I was "sponsored" by Hard Rock Cafe -- only that the trip was "supported" by their brand. I staged photos at each Cafe I visited, and live-streamed at most of the stops, including a full tour given by senior staff in Memphis and San Diego. I had the same beverage every cafe -- a Strawberry Lemonade, which is phenomenal, especially in the middle of the summer in San Antonio and Honolulu -- and made sure to artistically include it on my Snapchat story every time. Hard Rock Cafe never mentioned me or the trip on any of their social media channels.

In addition to Hard Rock Cafe, I had pitched to quite a few brands before the trip began, including multiple popular name-brand hotel chains; one where I had a very high-level connection. My ask was relatively modest, especially of the hotel chains; I would've been overjoyed to trade summer-long media mentions for a warm, safe place to sleep each night. I attempted to reach car companies, including Honda, the brand of vehicle I would be driving all summer. I was in contact, and had multiple productive conversations with, a startup that handled on-vehicle advertising. All of my outreach was inevitably rejected or, mostly, ignored. I pressed on.

As a one-man operation, media was a summer-long challenge for me, particularly early in the trip. It turns out most local media find it hard to believe that one man is going to volunteer in all 50 U.S. states in 100 days. I did obtain media coverage in Greenville, S.C., before the trip began, including one afternoon television interview that delayed my departure on May 15. The first interview from the trip came from the Montgomery Advertiser in Montgomery, Ala., at Peter Crump Elementary School. Ironically, this was one of only two times during the trip that I was photographed not in the #TeamStrub yellow t-shirt (I was wearing a smock to protect clothing from paint, which was our activity that morning). [The second photo came at Impression 5 Science Center in Lansing, Mich., where I staged a photo with their volunteer coordinator of me wearing an orange Impression 5 t-shirt. I was, and still am, very protective of the yellow 'I AM HERE' brand.] The first earned television media from the journey came in State No. 6 -- Mississippi -- from a station in Jackson that missed the morning interview window. I had to return to the Jackson YMCA that afternoon for an interview and to stage images, which is why that first story doesn't show me doing the activities I was there to perform (preparing meals for kids).

Media coverage began to pick up steadily as the summer went on, and media organizations began to see that this trip was, in fact, for real. There could have been significantly more media if not for some unfortunate circumstances. Notably, the day I visited Wichita, the local airport was opening a new terminal, and a new Wal-Mart was opening across town, so the local media we'd planned became unavailable. I was also offered the opportunity to appear on a morning interview show in Anchorage, but not until the day after my flight left for Hawaii. I did consider moving my flight back, but such a maneuver would've been cost-prohibitive for a solo, unsponsored traveler.

The most media in a single day came in Binghamton, N.Y., on July 30, when I was interviewed by every local television station, as well as a local radio station. In 2007, I graduated from Binghamton University, and I lived in Binghamton for 11 years before departing for that first trip one year prior, so I knew stopping in Binghamton would be a valuable and meaningful use of my time, and could bring a lot of attention to the Magic Paintbrush Project. However, the story was not picked up by the Press & Sun-Bulletin, the local newspaper in Binghamton where I had worked for seven years, because of a decree from the paper's new Executive Editor that they don't offer coverage to people passing through the area. By the way, here is an article from the Press & Sun-Bulletin about the recent Bon Jovi concert in Endicott. I was disappointed the paper chose not to highlight the Magic Paintbrush Project and the special event that director Jen O'Brien had set up. You can donate to the Magic Paintbrush Project here.

The final 25% of the trip or so led to the most earned media attention. After a small featured photo in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and all the media except the paper in Binghamton, the story was picked up by various outlets in Burlington, Vt.; Lowell, Mass.; Wilmington, Del.; Baltimore; Charleston, W.V.; Charlottesville, Va.; and Lexington, Ky., as well as my "home town" of New York City/Long Island. The final remaining city was Asheville, N.C., where I had set up a "grand finale" whirlwind tour, to visit six different organizations around the city in one day. I prepared a special press release detailing the big day. The media never replied, and there was no coverage of the final stop until the Greenville (S.C.) News wrote a follow-up piece the following week.

Tracking data about the trip was a priority, but became increasingly difficult in the final stretch of the trip. I kept a separate spreadsheet with financials and daily data about mileage, etc., but reviewing that spreadsheet today shows that I lost track of these data points as I embarked on visiting seven states in eight days after Binghamton. As of Day 78, I had been averaging 153 miles per day -- a number that likely decreased with the shorter trips through the Northeast. Through Day 78, I had traveled 11,990 miles in the car -- a number that, of course, did not include the lengthy flights from Seattle to Anchorage, Anchorage to Honolulu and Honolulu back to Seattle. I estimate the final, physical cost of the trip at around $12,000 -- a number that, of course, does not include foregone income. The trip would've cost more had I not slept in the back seat of my car 14 times -- the first, in the rental car in Anchorage; the most memorable, being July 4, after a six-pack of Budweiser and falling asleep to light rain and fireworks at a Wal-Mart in Dickinson, N.D.; the last, outside a Home Depot in Baltimore.

I have not aggregated data about the total views, etc., from all the videos from the trip, mostly because the vast majority of exposure about the trip came from the earned media along the way. It's near impossible to quantify the views from a broad variety of television stations, listens from radio interviews, story reads from print and digital newspaper avenues, and so on. (Below is a photo from Wilmington, Del., where the trip was picked up by ABC 6 on TV; WDEL on the radio; and the Wilmington News-Journal in print.)

I've written and spoken extensively about the impact the trip has had on my life and career, and the details of each of the 51 stops (50 states, plus a bonus stop in Huntington, N.Y.) are laid out in '50 States, 100 Days: The Book.' In addition to the writings, there are extended interviews (shot via GoPro) and 2-minute-or-less Snapchat interviews (shot via iPhone 5S) all stored on my YouTube channel and Facebook page. My Instagram features well over 100 photos from the trip -- including every Hard Rock Cafe I visited -- and there is a smattering of archived live-stream content on my YouTube channel as well. (The technology to automatically save live-streams, Katch, was not introduced until I got to San Antonio, Texas, so there are no preserved live-stream videos from the beginning of the trip.)

After the trip ended, I rested for several days before pursuing marketing/communications/social media jobs in Greenville, S.C. Unable to secure a job in my field, I accepted a job offer to work for a consolidated design studio with Johnson Newspaper Company in Watertown, N.Y., and moved to Watertown in Oct. 2015. '50 States, 100 Days: The Book,' the e-Book, was published in Nov. 2015. My first social media speaking gig came in Jan. 2016 at Periscope Summit in San Francisco. From late Feb. to April 2016, I executed the #StrubSnapSwaps Snapchat collaboration, a 50-day Snapswap project that grew my daily Snapchat views more than 600%. In May 2016, I accepted a role as a traveling social media consultant with Humana, and moved from Watertown to Louisville, with a start date of June 1 -- an experience I will write about in the next blog post.

Learn much more about the journey by reading the book, watching or listening to any of the interviews I've done about the journey, or poking around a bit more on TeamStrub.com. There is a state-by-state list that details each nonprofit I visited, where you can immediately find more info about the organization I worked with in your state. And of course, connect with me on social media -- the best place is Twitter -- for all the latest news and info.

Bridging the Blog Gap

Sat, 16 Sep 2017 22:31:12 +0000

If you've relied exclusively on checking this blog for updates on my career/life, you might've thought I died in October 2014.

Well ... the good news is, I didn't!

The relatively unfortunate news, however, is that I did move all my writing efforts from here to my Medium account. So if you're digging through my blog posts here, you're bound to encounter some pretty dusty, dank stuff.

Quite a bit has happened in the last three years, though, so let's go ahead and catch you up.

* * * * * * * * * * *

In October 2014, after several deliberative weeks alone at my Uncle's cabin on York Beach, Maine, I moved to Greenville, S.C., with no home, no job and no friends or family in the area. I applied, unsuccessfully, for a smattering of marketing and social media jobs, before landing a gig as Manager of a Sbarro at the Haywood Mall.

I found a (really nice!) apartment near Haywood Road, to be told I'd be shipped to Winston Salem, N.C., for three weeks for training, along with our store's new General Manager, who'd been hired simultaneously (and I had not met).

I showed up for Day 1 of my managerial training, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, black slacks and safety shoes ready to go.

There was one problem: the new GM was nowhere to be found. Several phone calls later, we determined there was no new incoming GM, and I'd instead be undergoing training solo.

Great.

Two weeks into the training, with no GM in place at the store I was about to head back to, upper management decided to offer me the role of General Manager.

Talk about being thrown into the fire; I was 1,000 miles from "home" (New York); had never worked in the food service industry before, much less at a Sbarro; and was hardly a pizza-making expert. But with the mall's heavy shopping season on the horizon -- Black Friday, of course, being the busiest day of the year, just about a month out -- I was suddenly anointed General Manager of Sbarro #318, Haywood Mall.

The stress of the upcoming holiday season exacerbated my desire to find another job; on Black Friday, I worked a 28-hour shift rotating pizzas until I could barely stand anymore. The regional manager ended up talking the previous GM out of retirement to join me, but (obviously) I wasn't about to take a pay cut, so after some tense negotations, #318 headed into Christmastime with co-General Managers.

Just before Christmas, my friend Lee Karchawer called with an opportunity relating to his nonprofit, Pay Away the Layaway. With their donation pool expanding, they were looking to execute payoffs in different cities around the U.S. -- and Greenville, S.C. made the list. We coordinated schedules and even had a customized t-shirt printed in Greenville, which I wore to a media-friendly payoff at a Walmart in Greer, S.C.

This would be my first experience with Pay Away the Layaway, but not my last. I asked a couple of Sbarro colleagues if they wanted to join me; no bites. I went alone, in my bright green tee and red Santa Claus hat.

Here's the concept: Parents/grandparents with limited incomes can purchase holiday gifts on layaway -- more or less, credit extended by big-box stores. Often, the families are unable to complete payment, meaning that for many children around the U.S., there may be no gifts at all for the holidays. Pay Away the Layaway's donors make possible these media-friendly "payoffs" at stores around the U.S., where "layaway angels" arrive to pay off the bills of families in need. In recent years, PATL has worked with celebrities and athletes like Kendra Wilkinson, Dexter Fowler and Khris Middleton, among others, whose presence helps raise awareness of the organization.

On this unseasonably warm December morning in Greer, I played the role of "angel," representing PATL to the families, store management and local media.

It. Was. Life-changing.

You have not felt genuine euphoria until you save Christmas for a stranger and her grandchildren. I'd never experienced the emotion I felt that day, but I knew I wanted to feel it again.

It was that day that I started to envision my second cross-country roadtrip -- to all 50 U.S. states, in 100 days.

* * * * * * * * * *

If you're here on TeamStrub.com, you likely have heard of that second adventure, which would begin May 15 from Greenville, and end Aug. 21 in Asheville, N.C. But there were still tens of thousands of pizzas, strombolis and breadsticks to be made in the meantime.

Even as I was imagining traversing the United States again -- this time with purpose -- the daily slog of a 55-hour work week was weighing on me. If you've ever worked in a shopping mall, you know that the post-New Year's plunge in business corresponds with a drop in hours -- and when you work at a small shop with two General Managers with mandatory 55-hour responsibilities on its payroll, staff assignments become really difficult to come by.

As I was a bit more computer-savvy than our talked-out-of-retirement GM Emeritus, if you will, I created the schedule each week -- and our staff of about 10 knew that. So when their hours dropped from, say, 35 hours a week to 10 (or even less) -- the blame fell directly on my shoulders. I'm a fairly happy-go-lucky fellow, but the challenge of running a store in January and February was in many ways even tougher than the holiday bonanza.

When an opportunity arose for a GM in our region to spend two weeks managing a store in Asheville -- about an hour north of Greenville -- I jumped. Any sort of variety, any travel opportunity -- anything, honestly, to get away from the daily doldrums of the Haywood Mall -- was music to my ears.

Along with the late-winter, no-staff-hours stress came the company-wide re-branding. My favorite part of the whole job was stretching the limits of the menu; we had maybe 20 different types of pizza, and about 9 different stromboli combinations, at our fingertips. To the astonishment of my colleagues and regional manager -- but probably not anyone who knew me outside of Sbarro -- I could sell strombolis better than anyone in the southeast. Haywood Mall #318 led the region in stromboli sales, and the staff in Asheville took to 'Stromboli Saturdays,' where I made and showcased, literally, every stromboli in the book. I took enormous pride in offering variety, as well as my own ability to make the perfect stromboli -- mostly because I was perhaps the worst pizza maker in company history. (Same ingredients; totally different technique.)

As spring rolled in, word came down from corporate of a nation-wide simplification of the menu -- absolutely the right move from their perspective, and absolutely terrible news for me personally. The only real fun I had at Sbarro was being taken away.

Thankfully, I had another plan in the works.

* * * * * * * * * *

I've written and spoken at length about how leaving my job at the advertising agency in Binghamton was the hardest day of my professional career; resigning from Sbarro was not nearly as challenging. Regional management and my co-GM both knew I was disappointed about the stromboli realignment; what they did not expect was my real reason for departing.

Through the months of March, April and into May, I spent every waking minute planning a complex 50-state, 100-day adventure that involved highlighting a different youth-related nonprofit organization in each state. In April -- while still with Sbarro -- I spent half a Saturday roadtripping to Raleigh, N.C., to volunteer during the Binghamton University Alumni Association's inaugural Global Day of Service. It was this 'Global Day of Service' concept (which, by the way, is not unique to Binghamton; it's an incredible initiative that's taken hold at many colleges worldwide) that corresponded *perfectly* with my vision of volunteerism in every state -- and because of Pay Away the Layaway, I decided to focus on youth-related organizations.

After volunteering in Raleigh, I drove the two-plus hours home to Greenville -- threw on my black slacks, apron and mesh hat, and went in for a rare Saturday closing shift. (Chuck's days off were delivery day Wednesdays and Sundays, so I took Mondays and Fridays and very rarely closed Saturdays.)

I worked up until just a few days before the trip began -- so much so that the headlines in the upstate S.C. media described me as "local pizza manager." I still, to this day -- almost three full years after accepting that job -- don't quite believe I actually did it for eight months. I left on good terms, but not good enough that when I returned in August of 2015, that they'd have any interest in bringing me back -- and why would they? I was a great employee (although a below-average-at-best pizza maker), but clearly a nomadic soul in disguise.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Now, about that trip. Again, if you're reading TeamStrub.com, you've almost certainly seen, heard and/or read about '50 States, 100 Days.' Since the trip ended, I've been more or less a digital broken record about being the 'first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states.' I Tweet, Facebook and yammer consistently about '50 States, 100 Days: The Book,' and my YouTube channel is filled with friends and colleagues from around the world offering their enthusiastic video reviews.

If you're not familiar with the trip, here's where I'd invite you to poke around a bit. Although not on this particular website's blog, there is an astronomical amount of content on the web about the trip. I've done dozens of podcasts and video interviews, and of course there's all the video from the journey itself. I won't waste characters in this already-much-too-long piece about the trip, other than to say it was magnificent, I don't regret a second of it, and I'd do it all again tomorrow if I could afford it.

But readers of the book know how abruptly it all ends -- that's exactly how my entire life felt on Aug. 21, 2015. Suddenly, I was back on my leather loveseat in my still-furnished apartment in Greenville, with a decorated car, long, shaggy hair, a grotesque beard, an exhausted body -- and a brain filled with, what I believed, to be one of the coolest stories ever told.

* * * * * * * * * *

I couldn't believe I was back in almost the same situation that I was in nearly a year before. After a couple of extremely well-deserved days of relaxation, it was time to figure out what happened next. I came quickly to the realization that instead of planning 100 days, I probably should've been planning 100 years -- but too late now.

Again, I applied to a ton of jobs around Greenville, this time with the added advantage of living there. One of the largest marketing firms in the U.S. is based in the heart of Greenville, as is the most compelling (in my opinion) Convention & Visitors Bureau in the country. (The award-winning #yeahTHATgreenville campaign was, and still very much is, absolutely brilliant.)

I'd known before the trip began the potential of a dedicated, genuine, all-in content marketing strategy -- and now I had the experience to prove it.

Kind of.

Being a one-man team has its benefits, and it definitely has its drawbacks. Here I am more than two years later, still trying to upload all the content hiding on my hard drive; still trying to unravel all the photos and videos on my phone; still trying to cough up all the stories strewn scattershot around my brain. I knew then as I know now that brands have this same problem, even if they don't recognize it, and I knew then as I know now that the best approach is to roll up your sleeves and start telling stories.

I wanted to work with a brand to tell stories. It didn't have to be a nonprofit, and it didn't have to necessarily be in Greenville, as much as I wanted to stay there. At my core, and as I proved during the summer of 2015 -- that's what I do: I find, share and tell stories through digital avenues.

I'm not a "Snapchatter." I'm not a "live video star," and definitely not a self-proclaimed "influencer." But I like to travel, I like to identify stories, and I take pleasure in telling them. Most importantly, I've never wanted to live to work -- I want to work to live. Skipping ahead a bit here, I cringed so hard at an alumni event several months ago when I heard an alum several years my elder focus a conversation with recent grads about what job they want to have. "Your life, and your value, isn't defined by your job," I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs.

And yet here I was in Greenville, applying -- again -- for job after job.

* * * * * * * * * *

I don't remember every last detail of my second job search in South Carolina; I do remember driving across town to an Olive Garden, where the manager ended up not being available, and leaving repeated voicemail follow-ups at a Taco Bell. I also filled out an application in-person for a relatively well-paying temp role at BMW, with a huge presence in nearby Spartanburg. The young, attractive brunette who formerly was the office manager at my apartment complex had taken a role at a staffing company, and so I knew at the very least I could line up something through her.

Nope. Nope. Nope. And nope. Everything I applied for locally fell apart. It's probably best, in the long run, that I didn't land the role as GM of a Taco Bell, because heck, I still like eating Taco Bell now.

As it turned out, at the last minute, I did get accepted somewhere in Greenville -- as a server, at a popular chain restaurant that I won't identify. I went in for the first day of training, was shown around the kitchen -- not bad, but not nearly as clean as mine at Sbarro -- but the red flag came right before I left, when they handed me a signature polo shirt and told me it'd be $16. (Or whatever the cost was; doesn't matter.)

I told them I didn't have cash on me and that I'd bring it in the next day.

I never went back.

* * * * * * * * * * *

All the while, I'd been being courted by my old boss, Al Vieira, from the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin. He'd since been among the many, many layoffs at Gannett, and subsequently accepted a role at a newspaper in upstate New York -- way, way upstate New York.

Two hours north of Binghamton, to be exact, with the Johnson Newspaper Company -- parent of the Watertown Daily Times, among a bunch of other small publications in nearby Malone, Massena, Lowville; even as far as Batavia, among others.

Al, with his decades of experience with Gannett, a rapidly shrinking media conglomerate, was recruited to help JNC consolidate production of its broad portfolio of papers into the 'hub' at Watertown -- and I was to be among his hired guns. Al had generously left a job offer on the table for me for weeks, as I searched far and wide, unsuccessfully calling every Taco Bell in town in South Carolina.

I made no secret that I really wanted to stay in Greenville, but you can only live without an income for so long. I accepted the job in Watertown, packed up the Honda Hotel, and headed back to upstate -- up, up, uppppstate New York -- to return to the copy desk, a role I'd departed at the Press & Sun-Bulletin four years prior.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Life in Watertown was interesting. The fall foliage up there is spectacularly gorgeous -- that is, until winter arrives, and you're living in one of the snowiest cities in America. I found an apartment just blocks from the WDT offices -- not that Watertown is all that big to begin with -- and re-started my life as a page designer.

Working at the WDT was uniquely challenging. I quickly picked up on the tactical stuff -- Al knew I'd have no problems learning the system within days -- but, again, found myself professionally hamstrung by two key traits: my burgeoning creativity -- from a design perspective, "they" wanted 100 duplicate cheese pizzas, I wanted 9 different strombolis -- and my unending need to question systemic imperfections -- "Why are you teaching me a CMS that is horrendously inefficient?"

I'd win the first battle -- my co-workers on the design desk loved the newfound freedom I'd earned us -- and lose the second. Instead, I just never really learned how to manage the digital side of things at JNC, even though I'd been brought in with that dual expectation. I was invited to meetings with senior digital staff to envision a cleaner, more effective web system -- almost certainly just for show -- but never empowered to help execute those well-laid plans.

I'd seen dozens of colleagues get laid off at Gannett due to the company's institutional failure to think digital-first, and now I was on staff at a smaller organization, even further isolated from NYC-based media conglomerates that are at least trying, that was throwing in the proverbial towel.

I'd quietly eat alone, collect my bi-weekly paychecks and focus on bigger things..

* * * * * * * * * * *

In November 2015, now fully indoctrinated at JNC, and seeing colleagues I'd just gotten to know get laid off, more or less, at my expense -- not a good feeling -- I decided it was time to start writing.

I'd never written a book before, but it couldn't possibly be harder than visiting 50 states in 100 days, so why the heck not.

I decided to write the book the same way I'd approached planning the trip -- one state at a time. On my hard drive right now live 51 individual chapters -- all 50 states, plus a second stop, of course, in New York.

Each chapter stands perfectly well on its own, and the book is less one continuous story and more a sequential collection of newspaper-style columns.

In fact, I explored the idea of selling the set of columns to newspapers around the country, to be run weekly, starting Jan. 1 and running all year long. With an introduction, a 52-week series through all 50 states still sounds like a fun content idea to me.

It might've worked, too, had I pitched to newspaper conglomerates in 2006 -- before the tsunami of iPhone-yielding, digital-attention-grabbing, print-averse millennials like Chris Strub.

Oh, the irony.

* * * * * * * * * *

The book was a work in progress when I tuned into a live-stream broadcast by a gentleman named Brian Fanzo in late Nov. 2015. Brian, a proudly self-proclaimed "pager-wearing millennial" from Pittsburgh, and I had become acquainted through the live-streaming app Meerkat, but on this evening, Brian was tinkering with another app hoping to become the next big thing. (That I don't even recall its name should indicate how that went.)

Brian was preparing to host the second Periscope Summit -- the follow-up to a successful first go-round in New York City, to which I was invited (shortly after '50 States, 100 Days') but could not afford to travel. This Summit, scheduled for a swanky high-rise hotel in San Francisco, would attract creators from around the globe, and in the digital neighborhoods where I spend my time, it was a huge deal.

I was watching quietly from the Lovesac in my living room when Brian noticed my name in the audience and encouraged me to join the broadcast. I immediately sprang up to find a signature yellow t-shirt -- really, my only public look at that point -- and accepted the invite.

Looking me, as he would so eloquently say, in the 'digital eyeballs,' Brian spent the next couple of minutes explaining to his audience what I'd accomplished earlier that year -- you know, the 50 states thing, not the stromboli sales in Asheville -- and proceeded to invite me, live, on the spot, to come speak on stage at Summit Live in San Francisco.

I nodded, thanked him profusely, left the broadcast, texted my parents and cried my eyes out.

* * * * * * * * * * *

We'll leave this story here for now -- an appropriate spot, since it was my trip to Periscope Summit -- which would be re-branded as Summit Live -- that launched my career as I now know it.

My speech in San Francisco was underwhelming to say the least, but it was a speech, on a stage, at what I would call the world's premier live-streaming conferences. It brings to mind two critical refrains that I cite often:

"Done is better than perfect." My speech that day sucked. But I gave a speech, at Summit Live, that launched my career. I could've easily declined Brian's invite, with the excuse that I needed to brush up on my public speaking skills. I could've skipped attending the Summit, with the excuse that I'm just a copy editor in up-up-upstate New York with half an e-book in hand. The speech was imperfect. The book is imperfect. This blog post is far from perfect (especially the hungrier I get here). But it's (just about) done.

And,

"We are all famous to a few people" -- Joe Wilson. Case in point: It doesn't matter how many people came to my session at Summit Live; it matters that they were there. In less than two weeks, I'll be speaking on the same stage as two of the attendees in that room: Sara Moore, organizer of Social Media Day Dayton (Ohio) ... and Brian Fanzo himself.

* * * * * * * * * * *

I'll be updating my blog here on TeamStrub.com quite a bit this week, to get you up to speed on all the events, career twists and turns, and exciting things happening lately. Moving forward, I'll be using this space exclusively to post about the various travels and adventures to come. Please subscribe to my email list, which I'll also be relying upon more often in the immediate future. Please get your copy of '50 States, 100 Days, The Book' now on Amazon, and if you feel inspired, leave a review both there and via video for my YouTube channel and Facebook page.

And if you enjoyed learning a bit more about my back story, please share this blog post out, and hit me up on Twitter. I'd love to hear from you and, most importantly, learn how I can help you along your journey.

Keep in touch.

Why I'm all-in on Oakland this October

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 15:47:40 +0000

It’s a great day to be an Oakland A's fan. Tonight, A’s ace Jon Lester takes the mound in Kansas City against “Big Game James” Shields in a do-or-die, one-game playoff. In July, A’s fans certainly weren’t thinking Wild Card. First-place Oakland sent seven players to the All-Star Game, led by MVP candidate Josh Donaldson and now two-time defending Home Run Derby champion Yoenis Cespedes.

Through my wild, summer-long journey around the United States, I had the pleasure of catching six A’s games in five ballparks. In planning my trip, I swear I wasn’t coordinating schedules; I just happened to find myself in the stands a half-dozen times for the team that, to me, has to be this October’s feel-good story. Here’s my Oakland six-pack:

GAME 1 - I first caught the A’s in Baltimore on June 6 -- a game that marked the return of Jim Johnson to Baltimore (back when that mattered). The A’s took the series opener, 4-3 in 11 innings, surviving a towering (and, apparently, PED-enhanced) Chris Davis homer to left that landed about 10 rows in front of me and my friend Jeff. A couple of pre- and mid-game Natty Bo’s (I’m told that’s a thing in Baltimore) added extra excitement when Donaldson (who hit his 17th homer of the season in the 1st) assertively tagged Manny Machado in the third inning -- the spark to what has become a season-long, multi-chapter rivalry. The next day, the hot-headed Machado would fling his bat at the pitcher’s mound, leading to a lengthy suspension for the young O’s slugger. A’s - 38-23 overall (best record in majors), 1-0 (Strub games)

Donaldson homers seen: 1

GAME 2 - After a month of westward interstate travel, I arrived at one of the best pitchers' duels of the season: Jeff Samardzija vs. Felix Hernandez, just three days before the All-Star Game. A modest hangover from a thrilling Seattle pub crawl the night before couldn’t deter my excitement for these aces; I was particularly pumped to see Samardzija, who I’d never seen throw for my Cubbies. (As it turned out, this wouldn't be the last time I saw the big lefty this summer.) The red-hot A’s took the wind of out of the crowd early, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first that left me and many others feeling a little underwhelmed. But then Felix settled in. The yellow K placards out in left field appeared early and often, as The King followed his rocky first inning with seven scoreless. With three hard-earned runs giving the M’s a one-run cushion, Fernando Rodney’s entrance music electrified a thrilled Seattle crowd. Rodney pitched into and out of a jam for his 27th save, to help the AL Cy Young frontrunner improve to 11-2.

P.S.: If you ever make it to Safeco, go out behind center field and buy yourself a set of cantina tacos. Without question the best stadium food I've ever had. A’s - 58-35 overall, 1-1 (Strub games)

GAME 3 - My journey brought me to the Bay Area in mid-July -- timed conveniently with the arrival of the aforementioned (and hated) Orioles. At the time, this series certainly looked like a possible ALCS preview, and if all goes well this week, it still could be. The series opener on Friday night was Bark at the Park night -- and it was AWESOME. My friend Matt and his girlfriend Paty brought along their bite-size mutt, Howey, whose love for snuggling is only superseded by his hatred for loud noises. (More on that later.) This game was just incredible. His five-game suspension long since served, Machado -- perhaps the most hated man in Oakland -- drilled a two-run shot off of, who else, Samardzija, to give the AL East-leading O’s a seventh-inning lead. The two-run cushion wouldn’t be enough for O’s closer Zach Britton. After the game’s most menacing pure home-run hitter, Cespedes, legged out a Jeterian dribbler off the plate to lead off the inning, Brandon Moss’s single set the table for Donaldson. First pitch. Bottom of the ninth. Eight hundred canines and their drunk owners filling the outfield. Donaldson drills a laser to dead center. Game over. A walk-off, three-run home run to beat the rival O’s. The crowd went berserk. It was one of the best moments I’d ever seen at a baseball field. But my summer was far from done. A’s - 60-36 overall, 2-1 (Strub games) Donaldson homers seen: 2

GAME 4 - I made it back to O.Co -- oh, lovely O.Co -- the next evening for Game 2 of the three-game series with Baltimore. This game wouldn’t go quite as well for the A’s. The much-maligned Jason Hammel got lit up early and often, and mop-up man (and the pride of Union-Endicott) Jim Johnson didn’t help matters late. But this game was tremendously special nonetheless. A couple nights prior, I had met a pair of Australian sisters, Annie and Jess, during a pub crawl around downtown San Fran. They’d never been to a baseball game before, and so I offered to show them around the Coliseum and teach them the ins and outs. As far as first impressions go, perhaps O.Co isn’t the best overall representation of a top-notch Major League Baseball park. But despite the concrete jungle and the poor performance by the home team, it was a night the Aussies and I will never forget. A’s - 60-37 overall, 2-2 (Strub games)

GAME 5 - The eastward leg of my journey brought me to Minute Maid Park in Houston, where the A’s post-ASG slide continued thanks to former Cub Jason Hammel. In an early afternoon matchup -- absolutely nothing I love more than day baseball -- the righty got lit up for eight runs, including six in the first inning, leading MLB reporter Jane Lee to prognosticate that the start might be his last in an A’s uniform. Hammel -- the pride of Greenville, South Carolina! -- pitched a smidge better down the stretch, and preserved his spot in the A's rotation, but this day belonged to the Astros. Ironically, AL batting champion Jose Altuve made both the first and last out in the fateful first inning, with the rest of the Houston lineup picking up the slack. Minute Maid Park was alright; in general, I’m not a fan of domed stadiums, and there was nothing particularly special here in downtown Houston. This game turned out to be a bit of a laugher, but there’s never anything boring about seeing a new park for the first time, which I would do again just a few weeks later in Atlanta … A’s - 66-41 overall, 2-3 (Strub games) Donaldson homers seen: 3

GAME 6 - Thanks to interleague play, my first trip to Turner Field was my sixth time seeing the not-exactly-rival Oakland Athletics. For this Saturday night contest, Oakland handed the ball to Sonny Gray, looking to break a three-game losing streak. Despite having lost six of seven, the A’s still had the best record in the majors (and, of course, the lead in the AL West) -- but this night would belong to the Braves, who desperately needed a sweep to gain ground on the division-leading Nationals. Gray was outpitched by Julio Teheran, but more memorable than the 4-3 final score was the performance of a comically tanned male streaker, who burst over the first-base dugout and made it all the way to center field before being detained by security (and ignored by B.J. Upton). The Aug. 16 loss, on Throwback Night in Atlanta, gave the division lead back to the L.A. Angels, and continued to pry the door open ever so slightly for the surging Mariners in the Wild Card race. A’s - 73-50 overall, 2-4 (Strub games) - - - - - - - - - - Thanks to a Sonny Gray gem on the final day of the regular season, the A’s clinched a spot in the AL Wild Card game tonight in Kansas City. The Home Run Derby champ, Cespedes, will be left watching with a beer somewhere, but his replacement, Jon Lester, brings to the mound the third-best ERA in playoff history (2.11).

Having seen Oakland play six times, and with my woeful Cubs surely golfing today, I can’t help but root for the suddenly-underdog A’s this October. Seeing Samardzija succeed in October would be a great feeling, and as the hopefully-soon-to-be newest resident of Greenville, I’m sure Jason Hammel has got quite the hometown story to tell. No matter what happens with the A’s, though, I couldn't be more excited for what’s shaping up to be an awesome October. (And if the Royals win tonight, well ... I guess I can say I was there, too.)

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Remember, to see photos from 24 ballparks and all 48 states, follow @ChrisStrub on Instagram.

36 Lessons Learned On A 90-Day, 48-State Road Trip

Fri, 12 Sep 2014 20:07:44 +0000

This summer, Chris Strub quit his job to take a wild, 90-day, 48-state, 15,484-mile solo road trip. Here are 35 lessons he learned:

1) The best cheeseburger in the country can be found in downtown Milwaukee, at AJ Bombers.

2) Baseball fans in Fargo never scream at umpires during Red Hawks games ... even if they deserve it.

3) If three girls at a bar in Wrigleyville, Chicago, ask if you want to go on a boat -- GO.

4) Downtown Portland, Oregon, has an awesome, diverse selection of awesome local beers.

5) It never rains in Oakland. Ever. Ever.

6) Tinder is the greatest iPhone app of all time. (No explanation necessary.)

7) There is nothing -- NOTHING -- like seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time.

8) When trying to navigate the traffic hell that is downtown Houston, not even Waze can save you.

9) Cat’s Meow Karaoke Bar on Bourbon Street only has two Britney Spears songs to pick from.

10) Heading southbound in California, If you have a choice between the 1 and the 101, always take the 1, or you’ll regret it later.

11) Hooters in Bloomington, Ill., has Guitar Hero, and Shannon is very, very good at it.

12) Never trust a hotel’s guest laundry machine.

13) Hash House A Go-Go in Las Vegas is absolutely worth the wait.

13a) Saving money with a hotel off of the strip seems like a good idea, but it’s not. Spend the extra to stay on the strip, and save yourself the cab rides. (There’s no Uber/Lyft!)

14) The larger-than-life television screen at AT&T Stadium (take a video tour with me!) has its own elevator INSIDE.

15) Hostels are an inexpensive, awesome way to travel without busting your budget …

15a) … but sometimes, you get what you pay for.

16) Almost every continental breakfast in the south offers biscuits and gravy.

17) The worst baseball stadium food in the country might just be in center field at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

18) The best baseball stadium food in the country might just be the cantina tacos at Safeco Field in Seattle. (See video!)

19) If you visit the Liberty Bell and there’s a line out the door, stand in it. It moves very quickly and it's totally worth the wait.

20) When planning a 48-state road trip with the itinerary printed on the back of your t-shirt, don't forget about Rhode Island.

21a) Actually, Rhode Island really wasn’t too bad after all.

22) Invest in a GoPro. It’s unbelievably worth it.

22) If you take a guided tour of Beauvoir -- the retirement home of Jefferson Davis -- ask if you can sit up front during the horse-drawn carriage portion ...

22a) ... then go down the road to Shaggy's and order the crab cakes.

23) No cross-country trip on Route 80 is complete without a stop at the Cozy Inn in Salina, Kansas.

24) People everywhere are really nice, but it’s hard to top the good folks of Wisconsin.

25) For all the crap it gets, there’s really a lot to like about Cleveland.

26) The best beer in the country? Heady Topper, out of Burlington, Vermont.

27) Presidential birthplaces are super cool, quick tastes of American history.

28) Junkman’s Daughter in Atlanta is a true hipster’s paradise.

29) Yes, altitude makes running a half marathon way, way, way harder.

30) If you find the real-life Los Pollos Hermanos (Twisters in Albuquerque), for the love of god, make sure you order the green chile on the side.

30a) If you do the Breaking Bad tour, skip Rio Rancho High School (Walt’s school) -- it’s way out of the way and there’s nothing photogenic about the exterior.

31) I still have no idea what’s so great about Waffle House.

32) Great American Ballpark might be the best stadium in the U.S.

33) Jack Kerouac’s favorite bar, Vesuvio’s in North Beach, Cali., does not serve food. If you ask for a menu, they will laugh (politely) at you.

34) Pulling off for a picture with every “Welcome To" state sign sounds like a really great idea, but in reality it can be super dangerous. States in the northwest are the easiest -- some even have clear pull-off areas.

35) If you have a dream, and put your mind to it, you can do anything.

36) America is the greatest country in the world …

36a) … but there’s no place like home.

-- Check out Chris on Instagram to see photos from all 48 states --

-- Buy the official #TeamStrub t-shirt and help Chris get back out on the road --

Eating around America

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 14:15:30 +0000

For many people, a 90-day, 48-state road trip with no job might mean dozens of cans of soup, peanut butter and jelly, and assorted bomb shelter-type sustenance.

Not me.

I left New York on May 29 in hopes of finding some of the best local cuisine America had to offer -- and I found it.

To be clear, I wasn’t on the road Googling “Springfield Illinois fine caviar” or “Santa Monica filet mignon,” although I did wind up at a couple of high-brow establishments. The places I targeted were local diamonds in the rough -- affordable, yet spectacular. (Think one or two dollar signs on Yelp or Foursquare.)

After reviewing scores of food videos today for the above compilation, I thought it’d be fun to piece together a list of the Top 10 eateries I found across America.

Turns out, I thought wrong. This process was agonizing! With so many great places to choose from, this list unfortunately leaves out quite a few 5-star spots. These 10 places provide a nice starter kit for any aspiring nationwide foodies -- and, take my word for it: my Top 3 NEED to be on your bucket list.

The Honorable Honorable Mentions: You wouldn't believe these spots didn't make the list; they deserve at least a little photo love.

If you're eating at Tony's Pizza in San Francisco; Titletown Brewing Company in Green Bay; Anong's Thai Cuisine in Rawlins, Wyo.; or Denver Biscuit Company; you're going to have a great time. Don't let their omission from my list be an indictment on the quality of their food, service or experience.

HONORABLE MENTION: I would very highly recommend each of these places, which just barely missed the Top-10 cut:

Spirits Food & Friends - Alexandria, La.

(Day 70) - Sneaks in under the cut line for the Applewood smoked bacon mac & cheese.

Chuy's - Houston

(Day 68) - Out-of-this-world good Mexican food, but more memorable for the mixed drinks. I’d never before had a spicy martini; now, I’m afraid to try one elsewhere for fear it won't live up to Chuy’s. Major props to Stacey (@Hey_Stacey_Kay) for bringing me.

Food & Fire BBQ & Taphouse - Johnson City, N.Y.

(Day 64) - Wings, wings, wings -- the best in the Binghamton area. Sometimes, the entrees here can be hit or miss, but F&F makes the Honorable Mention cut for the signature dry-rub wings. Don't even mess with the otherwise delicious variety of sauces offered; the wings are perfect dry, with one of the bar’s 40 beers on tap.

Illegal Pete’s - Denver

(Day 35) - On the recommendation of former Bearcat star and current Cincinnati TV personality Jacki Kane, Pete’s in downtown Denver was like Moe’s on steroids. Spectacularly terrific tacos in a super-hipster environment; might’ve been better had I sprung for a margarita, but it was lunchtime.

The Delachaise - New Orleans

(Day 71) - Three words: goose fat fries. My best friends Emily & Danilo brought me to this wine bar in 2013 for my birthday, and we went back this year. Hard to rank a wine bar on a top-10 ranking of eateries, but go try those fries, or the signature frog legs, and tell me it wouldn’t make your list.

Ruth’s Diner - Salt Lake City

(Day 40) - Outrageously good pudding followed a perfectly prepared Panini. The expansive menu makes you wish you could bring Ruth along for your road trip. Had a wonderful experience here with my Aunt & cousin.

Alright, enough of the runner-up business. Here, without further ado, is my Top 10:

10)

European Republic - Huntington, N.Y.

(Day 89) - Okay, a little home cooking here, literally and figuratively. Euro has been my favorite food for decades and, upon returning to Long Island at the trip's end, I beelined right for the No. 15 - Crispy Chicken Wrap combo. The wrap is good but the European-cut fries, with your choice of mayo-based dip, are -- well, I suppose, WERE -- my go-to for most of my adult life. If you're on the Island, Euro is an absolute must-try.

(CHEAP PLUG: To see photos from all of these places, and everywhere that didn't make the cut, Follow me on Instagram.)

Matt’s Bar - Minneapolis

(Day 27) - The Minneapolis episode of Man vs. Food, which featured the famed Jucy Lucy at Matt’s, played a big role in making the #TeamStrub journey come true. In reality, the Jucy Lucy at Matt’s is outstanding, good enough to put it on this list (and good enough for President Obama to show up a few days later) -- but not as overwhelming as I dreamt of. Additionally, the French fries here are below average, if that -- and don't forget to bring cash. Matt’s is a must-stop for any Man vs. Food fanatic, but not even close to the best cheeseburger I found this summer. Read on, my friends …

The Rustic - Dallas

(Day 62) - Peanut. Butter. Pie. After dinner and a couple Dallas beers with my new friend Hannah, I took one bite of the peanut butter pie and literally fell off of the bar stool. That’s how unbelievably decadent this pie was. And granted, I actually did not eat much dessert this summer -- half-marathons be damned -- but that had to be the best dessert I’ve ever had. Their 17,000+ Facebook fans can't be wrong; the dinner itself was terrific, and I can always say I’ve now tried calf fries -- “if you have to ask,” reads the menu (they’re fried cow balls, which I learned afterwards) -- but that pie was bucket list-worthy.

The Slanted Door - San Francisco

(Day 54) - Located in the famed Ferry Building in downtown San Fran, The Slanted Door doesn’t quite fit the aforementioned “affordable diamond in the rough” descriptor. This is a five-star restaurant with five-star prices, and you most certainly get what you pay for. My friends Evan and Jane let me fifth-wheel for their double date reservation, and I’m very glad I did. Our quintet split a whole bunch of sensational 'Modern Vietnamese' dishes, but the one that truly stood out was the pork belly. Great wine, a great view and great friends landed Slanted Door at No. 7 -- although I’m still wondering whether or not this place actually has an uneven entryway.

Kaleidoscope Pizzeria & Pub - Medford, Ore.

(Day 46) - Here’s a name you wouldn’t expect to see. Located in tiny Medford, just south of my hotel in Central Point, making the short drive to Kaleidoscope (instead of walking to Burger King) was one of the best decisions of the whole trip. Broadly praised on Foursquare, Kaleidoscope absolutely lives up to the hype: I can still taste the first bite of the Asparagus Bacon pizza. The Chicken Rockefeller was just as good, and I’m willing to bet seafood aficionados would appreciate more than I the fresh halibut that, according to the bartender (who was awesome, btw), is flown in from Alaska every Thursday and Saturday. (Check out their online menu for other superb options, including The Mt. Ashland, The Garcia Bleu and The Peter Griffin). The expansive local beer selection was a bonus at this gem that’s absolutely worth a stop on your way south from Seattle or Portland to California.

(CHEAP PLUG: To see photos from all of these places, and everywhere that didn't make the cut, .)

Cibo e Beve - Atlanta

(Day 81) - Another highbrow spot a smidge above the average price range of this list, but much too delicious to leave off. Cibo e Beve felt like the class of Atlanta -- excellent service, excellent entrees and perhaps the best appetizer of the summer: honey-compressed watermelon with prosciutto. Let me repeat that, slowly, for emphasis: Honey. Compressed. Watermelon. With prosciutto. Believe me, it was ten times as delicious as it sounds. My entrée -- a Georgia flatbread, complete with local peaches -- was great (and even better the next morning left over for breakfast), but the looks of my friends’ plates left me questioning my choice. (Here's the full menu.) If you’re looking for a great dinner experience in Atlanta, you won’t be disappointed here.

Cozy Inn - Salina, Kan.

(Day 33) - The menu: Cozys, chips and cans of soda. And don't even think about asking for cheese. The Cozy Inn has been cooking up Cozys -- slider-size burgers sautéed in diced onions -- on the same cast-iron grill, since 1922. One bite and you’ll immediately understand: if it’s not broke, don't fix it. The simple wonder of this tiny eatery, located in the middle of nowhere, Kansas, has earned it some well-deserved national recognition, and now the No. 4 spot on this list. I was blown away by the taste of these seemingly innocent little burgers, and sitting inside atop one of the original six bar stools only added to the experience. Any drive across Kansas NEEDS to include a pit stop at the Cozy Inn -- trust me.

And on to the final three. Seriously, for any non-vegetarians that love their taste buds, these three places need to find a place on your bucket list. Welcome to what fantasy football lovers might call the ‘Top Tier’ -- much like Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles and LeSean McCoy, these three could fall in any order and you wouldn’t get an argument from me. (And BTW, if you want to see even more from my trip -- which was much more than a food tour -- find and follow me on Instagram.)

AJ Bombers - Milwaukee, Wis.

(Day 25) - I wrote it on Instagram on Day 25, and I’ll stand by it: Quite simply, AJ Bombers was the best cheeseburger I have ever had. Ever. Forget the sweet potato chips in my photo that mask the utter perfection that is the Milwaukee Burger. Every ingredient that composed this cheeseburger was stunningly incredible. (Here's a link to their full menu.) The key, clearly, was the dedication to locally sourced products. The ground beef was wonderful, but the kickers were the Wisconsin Colby cheese, the Schlitz onions and the thick, juicy Nueske’s bacon. I successfully tinkered by adding avocado -- anything and everything is better with avocado -- and the result was pure bliss. The funniest part was, the (super polite and cool) staff made me think I’d actually missed the eatery’s (other) signature offering: a Barrie Burger, slathered in peanut butter. (Apparenty that's a thing outside of the Northeast ...)

This was a late lunch for me, which usually equated to less culinary satisfaction (dinner = bigger meal = more opportunity to impress), but even with a Diet Coke, I walked out knowing this was one of the best foods in America. Even at the off hour I visited, and just needing a single bar stool to sit at, I endured a 15-minute wait -- obviously more than worth it. (Impatient? They'll even text you when your table/spot is ready.) Another huge plus: the guy greeting you at the door managed their Twitter account on the fly, so if you had a compliment (or a problem), he'd be on it instantly -- and personally. Listen -- if you love your country, and you love a good cheeseburger, make a pilgrimage to AJ Bombers ASAP.

And now, the toughest decision since picking one Disney park to visit a few weeks ago …

Jack’s BBQ - Nashville

(Day 19) - One bite at Jack’s way back in June, and I immediately realized this was the best-tasting food I’d ever eaten. (Of course, I still had 71 days, and a lot of states, to go.) Highly regarded as the cream of the crop amongst a broad variety of stellar Tennessee BBQ options in Musicville, (here's more high praise from USA Today), I was particularly blown away by the Texas BBQ sauce, which I very seriously considered bottling up and bringing around the United States with me. The pork shoulder was the right choice -- hot, moist and all-around perfect -- and the baked beans were an excellent compliment.

The only concern I had about Jack’s was the atmosphere itself. Served lunch-line style (check out their Facebook cover image, of a line down the street!), I expected a little more from the service at a place held in such high regard. Not that it was poor -- I’d just hoped for some enthusiasm or, at the very least, a hint of a smile. The food itself was unquestionably wonderful … but, admittedly, the portion size on the standard meal left me wanting a bit more. It’s for those nit-picky reasons, and those alone, that Jack’s falls half an ‘mmm’ short of the top spot on this list …

Bacon Bros. Public House - Greenville, S.C.

(Day 83) - As close as I’ve seen to the perfect place. I fell head over heels for Bacon Bros. the moment I saw the freshly printed, fully loaded menu. Amusingly, I almost didn’t end up at Bacon Bros.; I’d searched Foursquare for the top-rated BBQ joint in Greenville … BB was No. 2. Sadly -- or, perhaps, luckily -- Henry's Smokehouse (a few miles up the road) was closed Mondays, which led me to this seven-days-a-week barbecue heaven. The friendly bar staff eased me in the direction of the pulled pork, (with sides of bacony collard greens and grilled corn on the cob), and I’m prepared to say it was the best meal of my entire trip -- and the best meal of my life. So good, in fact, that when Jason offered me a dessert menu, I declined in favor of the REAL menu -- and proceeded to order more meat. (Which was almost better than the main course.)

A walk-in refrigerator just steps from the bar (pictured) is filled with curated meats, a sight sure to appease the ravenous eyes of carnivores from any state (or planet, for that matter). That this independent diamond in the rough is both very social media-savvy (Twitter and Instagram, anyone?) and hungry to open new locations in the region made me even more excited about having stopped. And the bill, even with my spicy coppa “dessert,” was extremely reasonable for the portion sizes. My **only** minor challenge to the good folks running this place, would be to increase, from six, the number of craft beers on tap; luckily, on Day 83, I wasn’t feeling thirsty, but when I come back (you better believe I will), a broader selection would be ideal. (I do recognize their commitment to a good cocktail.) All things considered, though, congratulations to Bacon Bros. for running what, in my humble opinion, is the No. 1 eatery in America.

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So there you have it, America … the first #TeamStrub Top 10. (If you liked what you read, why not 'share' with your friends? You can also help me write more pieces like this by purchasing a #TeamStrub t-shirt.) Hopefully, I can find the time to crank out more of these lists but, for now, I’m issuing YOU a challenge: where’s the best eats in YOUR town? Whether I visited your city this summer or not, I want to know what YOU think is the best eatery in America. Send me your feedback on Twitter with the hashtag #TeamStrub and who knows … maybe the #GoPro and I will make an appearance next summer.

Until next time … stay tuned …

A declaration of love

Fri, 29 Aug 2014 01:29:59 +0000

Love.

Four simple letters that mean vastly different things to different people.

This summer, the #TeamStrub journey allowed me to tell you about every kind of love.

There was love in the most traditional sense: the respective, beautiful marriages of Jay and Holly Boulia in Ithaca, N.Y., and Ron and Jill Sweeney, in Kansas City, Mo.

There was plenty of “nontraditional” love: amazingly cool lesbian couples in Akron and Oakland, a hilarious new gay friend in Denver, and a hostel filled with homosexuals during Pride Weekend in Chicago.

There was family love: a very surprised young cousin in Salt Lake City (right); my aging-but-courageous Uncle in Pittsburgh; my Yankee-loving Dad witnessing Derek Jeter in Tampa Bay.

(Plug: See ALL of the photos from #TeamStrub 2014 on my Instagram.)

There was all sorts of animal love: Sammie and Teppo in Arlington, Va.; Arrow in Nashville; Lewis, Marshall and Molly in New Orleans; Olivia and Taylor in Atlanta; Howie in Oakland (circling the outfield at O.Co Stadium, left), Teeka in Cincinnati, and so on …

There were countless spins on love. James and Wyatt’s love for delivering perfect watermelons around Holt, Fla. Jane and Evan’s love for covering the pennant race in the AL West. Berry’s love for the perfect shave and a haircut in Redding, Cali. (pictured).

Doug’s unshakable love for the Green Bay Packers. Bob’s love for homemade chocolate chip cookies in Vergennes, Vermont. Ken's love for his new hometown of Portland. Patrick’s love for an outstanding craft beer in Atlanta. Steve’s love for Qd10d in Las Vegas. And how could I forget “Tiny,” the ironically nicknamed barfly in Colby, Kansas, who loved pounding Keystone Light and playing Megatouch …

The moral of the story? No matter what state you’re in, everyone has something -- and/or someone -- that they love.

This summer, I left in search of love, and the hundreds of photos, hours of video and millions of memories I collected left me with one rock-solid conclusion about my love:

I love traveling and encountering love, and I love sharing this love with the world.

And so tonight, after an incredible, unprecedented summer of love, I’m prepared to announce that in the summer of 2015, I have every intention of taking another extensive road trip around the United States.

Love never comes easy. Love takes sacrifice, it takes confidence, it takes a genuine, unflappable sense of faith. And the path to love is rarely a straight line.

And so, unlike my last announcement in May, strictly outlining daily stops and attractions, this announcement is purposefully much more vague.

Naturally, this may lead to some questions, so I’ll answer some of them here:

I don’t know when I’m leaving. I don’t know exactly where I’m going or for how long. I don’t know if the trip will be coined #TeamStrub, or if there will be t-shirts, or if there will be a charitable affiliation. I don’t know for certain that I will travel alone. I don’t know where the trip will start and/or end, I don’t know if I’ll make it to Alaska and/or Hawaii. I don’t know if I’m returning to __(your city here)__. I don’t know if my goal will again to be to visit all 48 or 50 states.

More urgently, because many have asked already, I don’t know where I’m going to reside in the time period leading up to my departure. I’m currently home, in Huntington, on Long Island (east of New York City), but I’m not likely to spend an extended period of time here.

One thing that I DO know, is that I hope to spend my time between now and then telling as many people as possible about the wonders of solo travel, and the reality of being able to follow through with one’s dreams. I hope to speak on college campuses around the country, and my immediate priorities include background work, networking and outreach to make that a reality.

Many have offered their congratulations on completing my “once-in-a-lifetime” dream. Your kind words are deeply appreciated; however, my belief in the principles that inspired me to pursue this endeavor hasn’t waivered -- in fact, like true love, it has only strengthened.

There will be changes. There will be bumps in the road. There will be stressful moments, there will be (more) tears, there will be times when I feel I’ve made an enormous mistake.

But this, my friends, is true love, and love finds a way to persevere.

America, I will see you again real soon. Stay tuned.

Get together

Fri, 08 Aug 2014 20:00:14 +0000

The following was written Aug. 3, 2014 aboard United Airways Flight 3596 from Binghamton to Newark. - - - - - - - - - - Few things in life are better than a get together. Why do we love sports? Sports give us the opportunity to get together with friends and family, and give us something in common to feel passionate about. Why do we love weddings? Weddings bring people together from many different places, sharing a goal of celebrating the bride and groom. Why do we love a good bar? The shared camaraderie of getting to sit and talk about life with others, with, of course, the auxiliary social benefit of alcohol. There's not much I love more than a good get together. A Seattle Mariners game. An old roommate's wedding. Pints at Great Lakes Brewing Company. I LOVE these experiences; I love the feeling of seeing old faces, and I love the feeling of meeting new ones. And for the same instinctual reasons I love attending these events, I LOVE sharing these experiences with the world. I LOVE taking pictures, I LOVE shooting video, I LOVE the feeling of letting the world know: YES, I'm here; YES, I'm smiling and YES, hopefully I can make YOU smile, too. This summer, I'm taking a Yoenis Cespedes-sized home run swing. I've sacrificed everything I've ever known in New York, to see what this great country has to offer. And I want you to come with me. I want you to experience the same amazing emotions I feel when I arrive at the Grand Canyon, or walk for the first time through the gates at Wrigley, or bite into the best barbecue in the state of Tennessee. For this adventure, I've sacrificed everything I had: financial stability, a comfortable place to call home, physical well-being, emotional comfort. And it's difficult. I am spending every last dime I have (literally -- damn those 'exact change' Texas tolls!). I am gaining weight. I ride an emotional roller coaster every day. But I do it because I BELIEVE in the principle of the get together. I BELIEVE that making people happy is my calling, the reason I'm on this earth. I BELIEVE in the unique, unprecedented power of this magical 5-inch device I'm typing this on. I BELIEVE that the journey I am on is, in a digitally revolutionary way, a get together. I BELIEVE that these social mediums allow us to congregate in ways we would've never thought possible, and I BELIEVE I am pioneering a disruptive, unconventional vocation. (I also believe I can do this much better than I am doing this summer.) Most importantly, I BELIEVE that if what I'm doing makes people smile, that I am accomplishing something many people may never do: spending my life in a way that makes a positive difference in the life of others. And so, despite all the difficulties, all the hardships, all the frayed friendships and all the sacrifices, I roll on. In 5 minutes, I'll land in Newark, New Jersey, and connect on a flight back to Houston, where the Strubmobile awaits. Because, #TeamStrub, I promise you, despite spending this weekend with the best of friends in upstate New York, I am far from done ... Day 67 ... on we roll.

On the road

Fri, 25 Jul 2014 00:30:07 +0000

The following was written at Vesuvio's Cafe in San Francisco, California, 7/20/14. - - - - - - - - - - -What happens next? To me, #TeamStrub is the ultimate leap of faith. A leap from a cozy perch in upstate New York into the great unknown. But is it truly unknown? Is a cross county roadtrip truly filled with genuine revelations at every turn? Yes and no. The last couple of weeks have proven this to me: that in Portland, Oregon, 3,000 miles from that so-called comfort zone, my childhood friend Ken Wood's illogical passion for his New York Mets is the same as it ever was. In Oakland, my old friend Matt Sobin's pragmatism and generosity? Same as it ever was. In Seattle, my old friend Amanda Mohlenhoff's coy smile and uniquely clever sense of humor? Same as it ever was. And so on. Today, at Vesuvio's, I'm coming to the same realization: No matter where I am, I'm the same as I ever was. Do I miss Binghamton? Of course. Do I miss Huntington? Definitely. For better or worse, I am me -- I am who I am. Whether they demonstrate it or not, I feel strongly that people are who they are ... but, unfortunately, certain people let circumstances get in the way. For seven years, I let circumstances get in my way of being who I am. For seven years, I felt comfortable. For seven years, I treaded water, adding crooked numbers to my age, notches to a bed post, Tweets to a digital abyss. Many men will wake up at 58, or 68, or 98, and come to a realization about the man they've become. I was lucky enough to find it at 28. And I realized, job or no job, apartment or no apartment, money or no money -- I am who I am. But I was letting circumstances get in the way. Fortunately for me, within its confines, my job offered a broad variety of positive qualities. Creative freedom. Travel. Authority. Camaraderie. But, by necessity, all of those qualities came with confines, with limits. And so the man I was becoming, was limited. Was confined. So what happens next? I want to be free. I want to be the person I know I am, and know I always have been. I want to inspire people to be themselves, and not be confined by circumstances. If that inspiration proves disruptive, so be it. Because just because somebody is somewhere, or works somewhere, or is dating someone, doesn't mean it's RIGHT. Let me reiterate: just because you ARE doing something, doesn't mean you NEED to do something. When you take time to explore, to think, to dream, you realize that the only person holding yourself back is YOU. So, let me flip the script. What happens next for YOU? I urge you to draw inspiration from my friends Ken and Meg, who quit their jobs to trek across the United States not knowing where they'd end up (Portland), or what they'd end up doing. I urge you to draw inspiration from my friend Matt, who weathered an extremely difficult circumstance in his personal life to settle with a beautiful, bright young woman in Northern California. I urge you to draw inspiration from my friend Amanda, whose personal quest took her to Korea for several incredibly enlightening years before she settled back in the Pacific Northwest. All of these great people decided they were not going to be victims of circumstance, and made incredibly positive changes in their own lives to let themselves flourish and shine. And what is the one thing all these individuals have in common? Moreso than any of us ever realized in high school, they have all been true to themselves -- and, even in just briefly conversing with each of them, I see their happiness is tied directly to their decision to unshackle themselves from various circumstances. My faith on this trip is certainly in America, and Americans, to prove the beauty and character of our great country. But even more important right now is my faith in myself. The lessons I've learned in the concentric worlds of journalism and advertising, sure, but more importantly the character that my parents installed in me from day 1. I believe in what I'm doing, I believe in what I'm after and I believe in me. And for me, time is much too short to let circumstances get in the way. Stay tuned.

An open letter to Tom Ricketts

Mon, 30 Jun 2014 23:32:34 +0000

The following is an open letter to Cubs owner Tom Ricketts. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dear Mr. Ricketts, First, I wanted to say thanks for an overwhelmingly incredible experience last weekend. I’ll always cherish the memory of getting to sing “Go Cubs Go” after the Cubs won the very first game I saw at Wrigley Field. The brief few hours I spent at the park are a memory I will always cherish, and I’m thrilled to be able to share those emotions right now, with America, and

Uncomfortable

Wed, 18 Jun 2014 23:51:35 +0000

I want this to make you uncomfortable. Not necessarily this blog post, though that lead might’ve made you shiver a bit, but the entire #TeamStrub journey. Yes, I want this, all of this -- the website, the Instagram photos, the official #TeamStrub t-shirt -- I want it to make YOU uncomfortable. You read that right. Uncomfortable. Uneasy. Unsure. I want you to look at my pictures and see that dreams can come true -- but that the only person who can make that happen for YOU … is YOU. Being

"Good at social media"

Wed, 18 Jun 2014 03:02:30 +0000

A lot of people tell me I’m “good at social media.” For the last two years, I “did” social media as a career. Worked with dozens of local businesses, listened to a bunch of special webinars, spoke at social media seminars. It was great! I love “doing” social media and I hope to have a long, prosperous career in the field. But the billion-dollar question is: what differentiates a “good” social media professional? Because, let’s face it, anyone can read a whitepaper of Twitter tips and tricks.

Day 19 - sponsored by Team Maddie

Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:08:22 +0000

Friday, May 23 was a special day. I invited everyone I know to my favorite Binghamton eatery, Food & Fire, to say farewell before I embarked on my 90-day journey around the United States the following Thursday. I’d received the shipment of freshly printed #TeamStrub t-shirts the day before, and offered people the chance to support my trip and my friend’s charity, Pay Away the Layaway, by purchasing one. It was a day of celebration for sure. Many of my closest friends came down to give me a hug,

Best friend

Mon, 16 Jun 2014 04:11:51 +0000

Best friend. Take a moment and breathe it in: Best. Friend. For just 10 letters -- two syllables! -- it’s a surprisingly heavy phrase. Best friend. Many of you get to hang out with your best friend every weekend. Some are even fortunate to wake up with your best friend every morning. Me? My best friend lives in Nashville, Tennessee. More accurately, just south of Nashville, in a small town called Franklin. For the past few years, I’ve lived in Binghamton, New York … approximately 900 miles, or

Happy Father's Day

Sun, 15 Jun 2014 01:16:03 +0000

Sunday is Day 18 of my 90-day journey around the United States. More importantly, it’s Father’s Day. I thought all week about writing that my Dad is a big reason why I’ve embarked on this journey. Yes, that’s true … but my ties to my Dad go much deeper than that. Everyone that’s met him knows that my Dad is the man. He’s the best chef ever to step foot on Long Island, and if you've eaten something fantastic on the Island in the last 40 years, it’s highly likely my Dad played a part in it. In

Day 7 Update

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 00:56:44 +0000

#TeamStrub has reached Day #7. Frankly, I’m tired. I’m riding the adrenaline of kicking off this journey right, trying to do everything with everyone. It’s exhausting, but my goodness has it been fun. What have I learned so far? I’ve learned that people’s kindness and generosity stretches far beyond what you might think. I’ve learned that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I’ve learned that people love telling you their own story. I’ve learned you really, really don’t need as much stuff as you

Dear Maddie,

Mon, 02 Jun 2014 13:26:41 +0000

Madelyn Shaw is a 9 year old girl from Binghamton, NY that was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma Cancer on December 6, 2013. Ewing's is a very rare form of cancer that affects 2 in every 1 million children. Maddie is undergoing treatment at Golisano Children's Hospital in Syracuse, and is scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday in Philadelphia. Maddie is a very strong, sassy young girl that has proven to have incredible strength in her fight against cancer! This is just a speed bump in the road

Day 4: I am tired.

Mon, 02 Jun 2014 02:44:41 +0000

I’m tired. That’s right, I said it. I’m worn down. Physically, emotionally, psychologically, and so on, I’m spent. Nobody said this would be easy, and lord knows I completely signed myself up for this. I’m not complaining at all, I just wanted to share the feelings with you. I guess a part of it has to do with the fact that two of my best friends, my rocks, are both going through extremely difficult (and totally different) situations in their personal lives right now. Both of these people have

Day 3 Update

Sat, 31 May 2014 15:27:13 +0000

(BTW, above is the video from Day 1; I have another video done on my iPad, just not enough signal strength to upload it from the cottage here.) Good morning from York, Maine. I’m typing from the couch at the Strub household. Yeap, you read that right … Night 2 was spent at “home.” And what a beautiful home it is -- a cottage owned by my Aunt and Uncle, a couple hundred yards from Long Beach, Maine. So super grateful to them for letting me crash here for a day. I got a ton of work done on the car

An open letter to America

Thu, 29 May 2014 05:11:14 +0000

The following is an open letter to America. Dear America, ‘Sup? My name's Chris. I’m a 28-year-old single guy with a dream and a few dollars in his pocket. For the past 11 years, I’ve lived in this city called Binghamton. No, not Birmingham, or Burlington, or Binghampton … Binghamton. It’s a pretty cool place, this Binghamton. I came here in 2003 because my high school guidance counselor told me Binghamton University was a pretty good school. She was right. The school was, and still is, awesome.

An ode to my "Baby" sister

Wed, 28 May 2014 13:09:55 +0000

Today is my last day before my journey begins. It’s hard to sum up all of the emotions going through my head. But somehow, very few of those emotions have to do with the trip. Wait, what? I’m writing this in bed -- in Huntington Station, New York, 214 miles southeast of my departure point tomorrow morning. Am I crazy? How could I possibly not be finishing last minute prep? Well, several months ago, I received a text that I immediately knew would bring me to Long Island yesterday: My baby sister

Memorial Day tribute to James Byler

Mon, 26 May 2014 13:29:18 +0000

Three days from today, my life changes dramatically. I’m leaving on a crazy 90-day journey to every corner of the greatest country in the world, the United States of America. I’ll do it all: ballparks, bars, concerts, sightseeing and, perhaps most importantly to me, running three half-marathons. As the song says, we live in the land of the free, home of the brave, and as word spreads about my journey, people keep asking how I have the gumption to go. I like using this blog to thank those who

To me, Binghamton is home.

Thu, 22 May 2014 13:15:08 +0000

Less than a week to go. The two biggest things on my mind at this moment? How am I going to get rid of the rest of this stuff filling my apartment? How can I properly say thank you to everyone in Binghamton? I’m not terribly worried about the stuff part, but the thanking this city part? Weighing on me like crazy. Three or four times over the last two days, I’ve considered sitting here and individually thanking as many people as I could think of (and there are a lot!). But this blog isn't about

BREAKING NEWS: Daily sponsorships now available!

Wed, 21 May 2014 13:22:43 +0000

On Day 33, I’ll drive 209 miles from Omaha to Abilene, Kansas. Day 21, I’ll make my first visit to St. Louis. And Day 76, I’ll lay my head at a hotel in Mobile, Alabama. 90 days, 90 totally different adventures -- and RIGHT NOW is YOUR opportunity to directly take part in each of those different experiences. Today, I announce the #TeamStrub “Daily Sponsorship” program. It’s fairly simple -- here’s how it works: Each day of the journey will be sponsored by one of the purchasers of the first 90

Redefining my "everyday" life

Mon, 19 May 2014 21:00:22 +0000

What makes social media so addicting? In my mind, it is the ability to tell the story. But we’ll get back to me in a minute. More broadly appealing, perhaps, is the ability to sit back and consume everyone ELSE’s stories. We’ve all been there. For so many of us, our day begins and ends by opening up Facebook and checking the News Feed. Or our Twitter feed. Or BuzzFeed. What’s with all the “Feeds?” We’re hungry. We’re hungry for information; we want to be FED, figuratively, emotionally, even

Once-in-a-lifetime sponsorship opportunity

Sun, 18 May 2014 20:51:28 +0000

On May 29, my maiden voyage around the United States begins. I’ll spend a lot of time on social media keeping in touch, but for a moment, forget the laptop, iPhone and iPad: the one machine that I’ll rely on the most is my ever-trusty ‘07 Honda Accord. 15,000 miles at 60 MPH would leave me behind the wheel for 250 hours -- more than 10 full days, on pretty much any and every highway you can think of. For a brand seeking organic national exposure this summer, the #TeamStrub journey is about as

Pay Away The Layaway

Thu, 15 May 2014 16:28:17 +0000

Let me tell you about my good friend Lee Karchawer. Lee and I met in the Fall of 2003: me as a pimply-faced BU freshman, he as the omniscient (or, at least to me) second-year RA way up on the fifth floor of my dorm, Mohawk Hall. Spend just a minute or two conversing with Lee (blue hat), and you’ll quickly learn he is many things: a leader, a jokester, a listener, an innovator, a creator. That year, Lee (of Goshen, N.Y.) and I became good friends through a handful of activities related to our

Happy Mother's Day, Part Deux

Sun, 11 May 2014 18:24:15 +0000

Growing up away from home isn’t easy. All of the built-in advantages of living where you grew up go out the window. For better or for worse, you’re left to associate with the people around you, to assimilate, to develop your own “culture” and try and “fit in.” For the last 11 years, this has been my life. I have been lucky enough to meet thousands of wonderful people (and, of course, a handful of not-so-wonderful people). I’ve been fortunate enough to befriend quite a few of these wonderful

Every day is Mother's Day

Thu, 08 May 2014 18:16:22 +0000

To me, every day is Mother’s Day. Sure, this Sunday, our Facebook/Twitter/Instagram feeds will be flooded with pictures of all of our friends with their Mothers, their Grandmothers, etc. Wonderful stuff, I can’t wait to see them all. But is it really fair to squeeze the adoration, the love, the gratitude that our Moms deserve into one day? Of course not. Let me take a minute to tell you a bit about my Mom. Her name is Jane, and she is the greatest Mom ever to walk this green Earth. That’s right,

#TeamStrub - Running across the U.S.

Tue, 06 May 2014 12:39:47 +0000

True life: I’m addicted to running. I officially quit my job last week -- a whirlwind of a week sandwiched by a pair of incredibly exciting Sunday races. Last Sunday was my first Seneca 7 -- a 77.7-mile, 7-person relay around Seneca Lake. My team, Liar Liar Feet On Fire, projected an aggressive pace of 7-minute miles -- a pace I honestly wasn't sure I could keep, even though I, as a last-minute fill-in, had the shortest total distance of the 7-man team. But I was wrong. In each of my three legs

Inspiration, Part 1

Mon, 05 May 2014 11:11:29 +0000

Inspiration. One of my primary goals this summer is to inspire people to do their own thing. If my journey can inspire even one person to attempt to change his or her life for the better, it’ll have been a success. Luckily for me, I have a good friend who knows what it feels like to be that inspiration. A few years ago, I was introduced to Andrea Kuchinski through a common friend, Sara Delmar. Without question, you could tell the moment you met her that she was a certifiable bad-ass -- the sort