The Technology Diet
The Tipping Point for Blogs?

Wedding Countdown - Day 3

Contrary to popular opinion, blogging doesn't take up my whole life. It takes up a fair amount because I blog professionally, but there are other events in my life that take precedence over blogging. One of them is my daughter's up-coming wedding.

The wedding will be on October 8th, one day after my dear, darling friend Jory gets married (here's hugs to you, Mom Joy!). At this time, only a week and a half before the big event, we are prepared for over 100 guests, most of whom are family. We have a large family, but not everyone can make it. Those who will be there are members of the true core family - mostly MY family. My three sisters and my brother, and various children from their families.

Then, of course, the Grandparents. Maggie is lucky to have all her grandparents alive and able to attend. My Mom and Dad (two outstanding folks who - after over 40 years being divorced, got remarried!), and Grandma and Grandpa DiVita, her Dad's parents. They're a bit older - this wedding will be difficult for them - traveling far from home, but they're determined to be there.

I wonder how much we folks who are into social networking take our friendships for granted? I am very close to many of my blogging friends, like Toby, and Susan, and Jane, and Joy (aforementioned - whose pet post, linked here, is adorable!), and Dennis and Matt, and the list could take up this entire post - but those friendships are a part of my life that is so separate and distinct from my family connections, it's as if I'm two different people, associating with groups of two different species.

That's an overstatement, I know. It's just that I act differently when I'm with my family, than I do when I'm with my friends. I feel differently. On Friday of last week, I attended my monthly CEO Fellows session where we discussed groups and how to manage them. I forget that I'm a part of many different groups - like Fellows, and my blogging connections, and my family. Having spent the day talking groups last week, I recognize that even within the family - there are separate groups. I'm one person to my children, a different person to my parents, and yet a different person to my siblings. Here_comes_the_bride

I was talking with two women locally - members of RAMA, our chapter of the AMA - and one of the young women said she can't be two different people, one at work and one at home. I didn't disagree with her but - she is two different people. She is many different people - a different person for each group she belongs to. That day, she was with myself and D-D and the group was communications. At home, regardless of whether she's working or not, she's Mom and Wife. And, when the hubby and kids are off to work and school, she's a professional working on PR and marketing. I hope she can open up and recognize that soon - or else may feel so torn apart, she could despair of being independent, and crawl back to corporate America. Eeek!

Here's your question for today - are you aware of the different groups in your life? In the lives of your customers and prospects? How can you help the women you would sell to embrace their different groups? Can you offer a personality test on your site? Dozens abound, all over the net. Can you offer stories and examples of successful ways to handle being in groups? I suggest inviting your website visitors to talk about how they handle groups - because the more you get them involved, the better you'll be at marketing to women online.

Here comes the bride!

Comments

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Toby

Thank you dear Yvonne for including me in your list of bloggy friends. Yes, we all have various circles of people that sometimes overlap like a ven diagram and sometimes do not. You are right we do tend to play different roles within those groups. Are we still real? Guess the answer is - it depends on how comfortable we are with the people and how secure we are within ourselves.

Marti

You must be SO excited! COngratulations to your daughter! (Or is it "best wishes"? I can't remember - LOL)

Joy

It's getting SOOO close Yvonne. I'm sending you MANY big, big hugs. Please use them wisely as I would like them to last you until you get through the wedding.

I so relate to this post sweetie. Not only that we both are going to be watching our babies enter a new and exciting time in their lives...through very teary eyes...but, also because I feel like a different person to different people in my life too. I'm a very different person with my family than I am with friends; and even different again in a professional working sense. (Although, I'm not sure where that Joy is anymore, since I've been out of work for over 1 1/2 years now.) It's an interesting observation, and one I hadn't really voiced until you so beautifully wrote of it in your post. Now I wonder if there's really ANYONE out there who is the same person...all the time...to EVERYONE! Probably not! P.S. Don't forget your kleenex! -xoxo-

Jonathan Hernandez

Congrats to your daughter - I'm actually down to crunch time myself, as my wedding (or rather HER wedding) is coming up on October 21. We invited 400 and are shooting for 250-300 to attend. I would have preferred a smaller one (like your daughter's) myself, but like Mr. Marshall Field once said, "Give the woman what she wants."

I completely agree with you on the different personas. I'm a different person at work than I am with my friends. I like to believe that the "real me" exists when I am with my bride-to-be. Not to say that I am fake when I am around others, but there are codes of conduct when in the presence of certain groups, and depending on who the group consists of, one acts accordingly.

Just my two cents. Great post - keep it up!

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