Core Beliefs:

I believe that chaos and structure are not mutually exclusive, that people can and do get ahead by doing “the right thing”, and that doing something out of passion and love is far more important than doing something for money.

Core Values:

• Simplicity
• Integrity of Word, Honor, and Deed
• Equality
• Be Remarkable Instead of Big
• Innovate or Stagnate
• Dream Impossible Dreams (or there is no such thing as Impossible)
• Rules are Meant to be Broken
• Speak Out
• Community Matters
• Fortune Favors the Bold
• Peace

Who Am I?

I am a Community Evangelist, A Designer, A Coder, A Hacker, A Social Media Maven, A Geek Gal, A Web Developer, A Community Leader, A Radio Personality, A Catalyst for Change, A World Traveler, A Writer, A Collector, A Blogger, A Creative, An Idealist, An Objectivist, and a Genuinely Good Person (or so Ed Tells me).

What do I want from my life?

I want to be able to live with Passion – to never compromise On The Truth, On My Reputation, or On The Quality of My Work. I want to build and nurture communities, I want to inspire – connect – and mentor people with passion.

What do I value?

I value talent, community, ideas, passion, curiosity, intelligence, and the truth.

What are my talents?

Creating Connections, Spreading Ideas, Inspiring People, Leading Communities, Connecting Communities, Teaching, Designing, All Things Techie, Social Media Strategies.

At the end of my life, what do I want to have accomplished?

I would like to look back on my life and find that I lived every moment – that I have had more failures than successes – and that I made a difference in the lives of the people I met along the way.

Two things immediately struck me.  First, whether I keep doing what I’m doing now, or I start doing what I’m dreaming of…I’ll still be living in accordance with my Core Values.  And what’s more, I’ll still be “nurturing communites, while inspiring & connecting people”.  Perhaps in a bigger way than I am now.  And that’s exciting.  And to top it all off – I’ll still be using my natural talents.  I know I keep returning again and again to Joseph Campbell (trust me there is a reason for this) – but my hope is that I am giving up the life I have planned, in order to have the life that is waiting for me.  Because, “The Privilege of a Lifetime, is Being Who You Are.” ~Joseph Campbell.

And the Second thing that struck me, is that it’s harder to grow when people look on you as an expert.  Even in a field that changes as rapidly as Technology & Social Media, at some point we all fall victim to our own echo chamber.  And it’s difficult to grow in a Vacuum.

But here is what’s great!  This gives me an opportunity to get Back to Basics.  Every great journey starts in Curiosity.  And that’s definitely what has been missing from my life.  An unstoppable drive to know.  But I’ve found it again, and in the most unexpected place.  And I get to go back to “Being Remarkable instead of Big”.  A lot of times we start to put too much importance on our own personal influence.  This is the biggest mistake I see people in Social Media making today.  We forget that influence is relative, conditional, and often fleeting.

This is something I personally struggle with.  I mean – I used to be the #1 Erica in the World according to Google…and then I was #2…and today I’m #3.  It’s tough when we build our reputations on Castles in the Clouds.  Sometimes you need to step back to basics and rebuild that foundation.