Switching out Seoul's background for Atlanta's skyline
For anybody who didn't notice, I skipped my regular posting on Monday. I was moving to a new house in Atlanta, consolidating and throwing out years of clutter - both mental and physical. Hauling boxes is no activity for a man safely into middle age.
Speaking of moving, this posting is a little more personal. When I left EarthLink last October, I had my heart set on San Francisco. I love San Francisco - the city, the climate, the culture. I have close friends out there and try to get out there as often as I can. Nothing beats its light, topography, and its vibe. And when it comes to social media adoption, few places can rival the Bay area.
So I had a decision to make. In San Francisco, companies "get" social media, but my barrier to entry is extremely high given the concentration of social media experts. (No one can rival Jeremiah's output.) In Atlanta, fewer companies embrace social media, but there are fewer social media professionals as well. I saw an opportunity.
Over the past several months, I reached the decision to stay put. Accordingly, I have been meeting and writing about companies and individuals here in Atlanta that are focusing on technology in general and social media in particular. I have also launched my media consulting practice. In short, I am connecting to my adoptive city like never before.
I don't generally follow astrology, but I was amused to read a recent horoscope in Creative Loafing - Atlanta's alternative weekly newspaper. It read weirdly enough:
Now that we're halfway through 2008, let's take inventory. You're getting better connected to your community than you ever have before, right? You've become far more purposeful and crafty about forging alliances you need to be effective, right? You're developing smart strategies for upgrading your unique gifts and giving them to the right people, right? You're working hard to create niches for yourself that suit your temperament and needs, and you're no longer leaving it to other people to shape those riches for your, right?
Never mind that the horoscopes for several signs were interchangeable that week. My horoscope hit home and seemed to validate what I was doing.
And accordingly last weekend, I took a break from moving boxes to get a new picture for my blog. Out with the picture from Seoul, South Korea and the centuries old Royal Palace background. In with Atlanta's ever changing, brand spanking new skyline. A picture says a thousand words, and so does this one. Halfway around the globe, Seoul embodied my desire to map the brave new world of social media, but there is still no place like home.
Now I made this change with some reservations. The Internet knows no physical boundaries. And neither does social media. While I have decided to remain here and will continue to post on Atlanta's social media scene, I don't view myself as a regional blogger. I will continue to highlight issues that impact PR and marketing professionals. And I ask of you to view me as a PR professional who appreciates the power of community (real and virtual). To me, Atlanta is interesting in its own right, but it also exemplifies the challenges and opportunities that social media presents most business communities outside San Francisco.
Let me get back to you.
Technorati Tags: Atlanta; Social Media; San Francisco;
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