.: My, Look At The Time... :.

Funny, my new job has forced me to look at "me" online and here is my blog...almost an entire year later....

So, I'm here alone this late at night at my new place of employment, Sprout Social. I've so much to write about my new jobber...just tonight, I've told my story about starting up with Sprout Social multiple, multiple times. What's one more time?

My beginnings with Sprout Social starts, where a lot of my stories start - lindy hop. As most know, I've been running the swing dance event at Fizz Bar and Grill for the last few years. Since the very start, I didn't use the typical routes for advertising the dance event. No flyers, No ads. I do not think I've spent a cent on promotion. Wait. There was the shipping cost of the free business cards. All of my promoting has been online. In the beginning, it was relying on an old friend called windyhop.org (remember them ;)) Just update the calender, write an article for an event, or start up a thread in the forums on WH.

Then this facebook thing comes along. I create a group for Swing Dancing at Fizz and then a fan page.

Then this Twitter thing shows up. After having @nuprinz for a bit, I give starting up @SwingAtFizz a whirl . Outside of the incredible word of mouth from Fizz's reputation all these years, these three social media aspects are the only forms of promotion I've used.

Most dancers at Fizz might not remember a time where we were ecstatic to break even or have 20+ dancers visit us. I have to look back at this time and laugh while getting my foot stomped on in a 100+ dancer crowd this past Monday.

Well,after a while, our venue, Fizz Bar and Grill...well, come to think of it I don't recall who approached who but this past September was the beginnings of a lovely relationship with me taking the reins as the Fizz's social media manager. This opened a whole other world of online social media to me. Foursquare became a force to be reckoned with, as was Yelp.

At the beginning of this year, I was struggling to keep my personal, Swing Dancing at Fizz and Fizz Bar and Grill various accounts in order. Then comes along my blues dancin' knight with an ever-present iPhone, Sam...

Tessa, he tells me, check out this site...it should help you out. He sends me a link to www.sproutsocial.com.

I use Sprout Social over the next few months to not only juggle the posts and tweets between my 3 accounts (Actually, you can make that 4 if you add the yearly WCLX event of which I was also policing.) but to also to monitor my new foursquare and yelp accounts. And lo, the have various searches that help me find other tweeters that have interests in lindy hop and/or beer gardens! Amazing! Among so many other incredible features..but that's another story...

But Sprout Social was (and still is) in beta. Considering I'd beta tested Windyhop a couple of times I had no problem whatsoever to point out what I did and did not like about the site. Soon, I'd gotten a tweet from @Justyn asking if we could meet to discuss how I use the site. I ended up meeting the entire starting crew over beers at Fizz.

A couple of more months go by and I get an email from Justyn asking if I could do what I do for the Fizz accounts but for Sprout Social. Just a few hours a week to start...

And here I am, alone in the Sprout Social office, finishing up the start of a Sprout Social fan page.... We go live in a few days and I'm totally on board. Sheesh, look at the time indeed! More later!

.: Fizz Flashback :.

Just coming home from yet another fantabulous night at Fizz. It was Fizz Five Dollar Flashback Night and it was glorious. Gosh, I had so much to write about when I started up this post but then I just hit a big wall of tired. I'll post this anyways since it seems I've forgotten how to post for some time now.

.: Happy Monday :.

Its a rare Happy Monday... a holiday... where I am glad to work... and I am thankful for the troops that have let me live the life I live and and : LIVE @ Fizz tonite Solomon Douglas & Quartet! http://tinyurl.com/fizvw2 Can't join us in person?check us out on the internets....

.: Worky Days :.

Well, tomorrow will be a very busy day for me. A rarity. A full day. So for some reason I'm a bit tweaked out about it though I should be trying to get some sleep to get a an early jump on the next day.

Saturday was a workday for my brain as it was the first day that I had a theatre/improv rehearsal. The very first one in YEARS. I have to admit that my ego had a work over as well but there's my expectation that I'm going to awesome after all that time not working on the funnies. Not only was I slow, I completely stalled and forgot simple rules. But honestly, it wasn't as horrible as I had envisioned it.

But I have to get my butt in gear. And fast. The group has been signed up to preform in the next few weeks. Let's see if I've still got it....

.: Blues Dancing :.

I dunno I needed a little more in my life. I've been doing volunteer work here and there. It only makes sense that I dedicate a little more time to another dance project.

But I'd ditched blues dancing for a while I just wasn't excited by it. Certainly with the lack of CUBE this past year I really really wasn't feeling it.

Then tonight I stay for the last part of John's set and have a couple of inspiring blues dances. It really made me remember what I liked most about Blues dancing. Two different dancers but brothers, interesting no? One brother gave a pretty secure lead to I felt relaxed about - just following along. The other brother gave me license to just go for it - which I did. Kinda fun but mostly just refreshing as hell. A very nice way to end the evening... off to bed. Sweet Dreams.

.: New Post, New Year :.

Been a long while... I've been doing a bit of writing just not here...

So getting a foothold into the new year and I'm looking at last years posts. I accomplished quite a bit to be proud of myself. I particularly love the 5K and The Fizz. I'm proud that I survived quite a few challenges that I didn't even bother to write about apparently... The last part of 2008 and probably even to now, I'm having a hard time. Basically, treading water. I've been here before. Things will "fall" into place. Meanwhile,

"Do any damn thing you have to do to keep the heart and the soul alive."- Peter Nichols, playwright

But I do have some new goals I want to become a part of my life.

1) Make simpler choices to be greener. I already carry around the great little bags my sister gave me. Recycle better. Not using paper towels.

2) Eat local and organic. Might be a little tough. Starting out small with just organic milk and what I can afford. I'm trying to definitely add more protein to my diet so organic meat will have to be a later goal for now. I'm luck to have a couple of open markets very close to my neighborhood in the warm months. I've yet to visit a Winter Market and check that out. Maybe next week in Evanston...

3) Take care of my brain more. I've been reading "Magnificent Mind at Any Age" by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. . Looking for some other things I can do than rely on meds to get me out of this funk. I'll have to expound on this later...

4) Open my heart more. Not only have I not been out there physically,I'm realizing I'm not there in spirit either. That's not good. Especially for someone like me.

Thinking back on my all my journals and blogs...I know I'm crazy and passionate and boisterous. Its written down. I've proof. I can't say that I've been being "The Tessa" lately. I'll work on it more this year...

.: Fresh Blood :.

I learned a few things at Fizz yesterday.

One. Never never ever forget to tell EVERYONE about the Halloween Dance. Fizz itself is always decked out with spooky, horrifying, gory stuff. It was really good this year. They had a ghoul sitting at the bar. I thought it was just someone all dressed up. I turn to actually look at it and ugh...creepy. Not alot of ppl were dressed up. Unfortunate. Again my fault. I couldn't find any of my wigs or anything to wear. Just picked up a witch's hat while I picked up the candy.

Two. I really really heart newbies. Just watching these new kids kinda terrified when they watch my own personal favorite dancers bust it out. *grin* I know all of them are intimidated but one of them is going to be so inspired...they are going to be awesome. What's more, and this maybe helpful or a hindrance, we (mostly me) are screaming with delight watching along too. Though its mostly for our inside joke entertainment, I hope that these new kids find it very entertaining too.

A - thareee. It has got to be fun to watch me dance. I must look like a complete dork goofing off more than "dancing" but its such a great distraction. Lately, I've been so strangely self-conscious about my dancing. It was kinda debilitating. I wouldn't take risks. I hated missing leads and making mistakes. In front of people. I hated hated hated not being one of the best in the room. I hated that there is so much I don't know. Hated that what I did know wasn't all that great. I was sucking.

Ok now here's the little circle... On Halloween I don't have to be myself and/or everyone else is in a crazy mood... The newbies are so entertained by whatever jackass dancing we do because we're insane... I get to dance (and like it) b/c I know I'm just adding to the fun in the room...

Lesson learned: you'll be happy making others happy and they make you happy and so on.

PS I just got the BIGGEST ego boost that night too... it made me feel special and remembered...

.: And I Get Paid For This? :.

Two things:

Fizz: I never really considered it my job. I have incredible fun putting up events with essentially money that is not my own. But then there is actual work involved. This is primarily when I have to put out someone's party. "No aerials on the social dance floor", "You have to play SWING music", "Listen, bitch, if you didn't pay at the door, you are not dancing on this floor. And I don't care that you are the bartenders wife!" and finally, ugh, telling someone that aren't going to be part of the Fizz party anymore. Well, in a different capacity. That is the worst part of my job, taking on the responsibility of being the party pooper.

New/Old Job: I really can't believe that I got my old job back! And I was getting so worried with the economy and my benefits and my 401K and a steady paycheck, etc.. And when I started up again, I got hugs from all my old co-workers with lovely compliments about missing me... And I get to be in a market again surrounded with foods, cheeses, and wine! And I get to help people to plan out their own little parties ;) I have yet to feel what will be the worst part of this job.. but I'm not going to be waiting for it...

.: Bad Ass Butterfly :.

So the plan is simply this. I'm going to climb into this cocoon. A nice, safe cocoon and hang out. I'll do my eskrima and keep on running. I'll write and tell stories. I'll get up and dance. I'll work at Fizz and keep talking to my bartender Peter.

For my birthday, I'll be a bad ass butterfly - all shiny and new.

.: In 21 Days :.

In about 3 weeks, I'll knocked out 2 of the 25 list. In three week's time, I'll be very very close to knocking out another two. In three weeks, I'll have a new DJ at Fizz. In about 3 weeks, I might end up the most physically fit I've ever been. Less than 21 days, I'll be a better person for me and no one else. And I'll deserve it.

.: Its The Little Things :.

Since losing my job I've:

1) Decided that I'm going to have another go at earning money as a massage therapist. Its weird having to earn money over things I would gladly barter or do for free. I still have long, ridiculous, and expensive steps to take but I'll get there. Anyone need a massage? I'm still charging only 80 dollars and I bring my table to you. Or if you just want to just give me the money I will take that too.

2) Had a swing dance event. It tanked. I was worried and anxious about it all that night. Luckily I had such a great support of friends and dancers. It sucked but I realized that putting events up for the scene is totally worth it. It was an endeavor. It didn't work and I'll try again. btw I made all the money back the next grad night :) AND finally decided I deserve a percentage of the income. I looked at the numbers from last year and the year before. I've almost tripled the attendance of when I started "working" at Fizz.(UPDATE: I forgot to mention the folks that were there had alot of fun so it only really was a failure in numbers.)


3) Got another job. Not a "real" job but some income right? I went into my favorite cafe Drew's. I decided that I deserved a scoop of really good mango ice cream. Drew asked how I was doing and I told him about my job situation. He'd said he'll keep his ears open. Then he said that he might need me. He needed someone to go out and advertise the store. As he said: "A bullshitter and a flirt" And I told him I was his girl. So I've a few hours every weekend to chat people up about a place I chat up already. This time I get paid.

Its karma. I swear to God.

.: Post-Awesome Night @Fizz :.

Shite dude I am so very tired.

Things went more than swimmingly well last night. It did a triathlon and got in second place.

Live band. Losta people. Alot more than usual even.

Alas not alot of floor space. I really didn't feel like dancing much anyways since 1) it was crowded, 2) Wanted to dress up so slipped on the red shoes again, 3) Was wiped out after running around doing last minute things.

Overall very successful! I just don't know if I can organize something like this again... can I be burnt out already?

.: I Just Slid Off My Heels :.

Crikey. I don't know I tend to dance in high heels. The challenge? The masochism? Because perhaps the shoes are friggin HOT?

I'd meant to get home my like an hour ago. But again, masochism. That and hanging out with people. I love people. Except for the ones I hate. I HATE those people.

Its been nice to hear that people are really excited about dancing at Fizz on Mondays. Mondays. A school night! Its been consistently awesome. I love my staff. I love throwing a party EVERY week! I love that my bartenders are awesome and understanding :)

I've said it before... These nights have saved my life on more that one occasion. Today was a really really bad day. The usual stuff got to be a little overwhelming. Took a few breaths. Drank alot of water. Calmed the fuck down then and went to Fizz. Funny. When shit hits the fan there I'm all over it. I don't bitch about. Atleast not to everyone. The point here is that I can handle it. I don't start crying and ball myself up in a corner. This is something that I can handle because i love it. I just have to find that love in a career... with bennies.