Ad Operations and then some

It's about that time in my life where I rejuvenate all cranial activities to have the knowledge to teach and guide others. Yes, I am over 35.

This week I have decided to take up as much information as possible while managing a team of 10, fighting for Playpen as a start up, helping those with Ad Operations needs, and (apparently) decide to blog again. It's funny how that happens (with me). If I task my brain to do 100 things, I just feel obligated to write about it. Here are some things I would love to share with you: (and is a good reference to me to see how long it takes to complete)

• "Social Media Metrics: How to Measure and Optimize Your Marketing Investment" by Jim Sterne. I saw a presentation last week by Jim Stern at the OMMA Metrics conference. I declared him my Hero and told him so. Details of why he is my new Hero... well I'll let you know after I tell him myself and report his response. Plus I bought his book that day and am finishing it this week. Book Report coming! So far... it's awesome. Well written, informative, and it's like a guide to anything you ever wanted referenced on social media metrics with re-usable quotes that last centuries.

• "Don't Make Me Think" by Steve Krug. Truthfully, I have owned this book for a year. It came highly recommended by the UE guru at Playdom. But this week, I'm giving it to my lead Creative Services person and will receive a Book Report! (yup, that's 2 BRs!)

• "Delivering Happiness" by Tony Hsieh. I've seen this book in just about every start-up I walk in to have a meeting, like Zivity, ngmoco, and more. I own 2 copies thanks to who knows who. Again, I haven't read it but I know it's importance. RETENTION is a big part of our favorite 3 R's: Reach, RETENTION, Revenue. So last week, I gave it to one of my Campaign Managers to read and provide a BR. More to come!

• Last week I attended a Venture Shift event, invited by our friends at Ackrell Capital, Ilan & Micheal himself. I learned that I have could have profited from going to one of these events 2 years ago before trying to embark on my first start-up. There are yummy tidbits to carry home from these events. Watch out when smoking a cig with a panel member, they are extremely jaded and have "done these events too many times, and don't understand why an entrepreneur would waste their precious time at an event like this rather than actually producing a product." OK. That's kind of fair. But really, had we just taken a breather, networked better, and attended 1-3 events, then we would have been much better shape, felt like we had people to talk to, and have received some solid advice. BEWARE OF THE JADED! BUT DON'T HEED THEIR WARNINGS!...as really you don't have to go to too many of the same events to realize that they are truly a waste of time.

• An old friend, now the head of Ad Products for Google, introduced me to Aditya Vuchi the CEO of Media Mint, an outsource Ad Ops solution. With my 10+ experience in Ad Operations and consulting around the bay, he asked that I be an Advisor. Well, hell yeah! Why? Cause I feel his passion and love what he's doing. He's fighting those outsourced Ad Ops giants (insert Operative here) and is the only CEO of an outsourced solution that truly ran campaigns. After working at Tribal Fusion, he returned to India to make his dream happen on his own dime. Go Aditya!! After just over a year, he has a handful of clients and a pipeline of Ad Ops individuals ready to roll... he's even working with the nearby university to train Ad Operations and fill his pipeline of specialists.

Fun 7 days? Yup! More to come? Double Yup!

I'm back bitches!!