"It" no more.

Being that I've been tagged a few times this week I'm herewith making good on being "it". For those of you new to this blogger-tag meme: each person who is tagged needs to divulge 5 things about themselves that others don't know--at least that's what I understand.

I thought I'd have some fun with this and divulge things about myself through parents, professors, "sisters", the Secret Service and the good ol' USA. Some of this stuff is revealing about my character, other stuff just reveals:

#1) Here's a Secret: In '96 I needed to interface with the Secret Service on a project. The event arena I marketed in Hartford, CT (15,000+ seats) was pegged as a site for one of the Clinton vs. Dole Debates. Problem was they told us for 6 months prior to the the event that we would host the VICE-presidential debate--only to change it into a Presidential platform 72-hours beforehand...a HUGE difference.  See, for "security purposes" they knew full well it could be changed all along but couldn't publicize it since evil-doers would have time to scheme their evil-doing plans. So we had to prepare for 3,000 press agents instead of 500. Overnight. Pure chaos and delight.

#2) North meet South: I have very different parents who greatly influence me. My Dad is a successful corporate exec. who pushes me to be top of my game. On the flip side, my southern momma argues that charm and personality are the keys to success. As momma points out, "most all beauty queens--and American Idol winners--hail from southern states". How can you argue with that charming logic?

#3) Blame it on the Greeks: I was a sorority girl. There I said it. And while you're chuckling away, let me say this: Alpha Xi Delta's rock! Tremendous group of "sisters" that are true-blue friends to this day. Girls who apparently knew me better than I. In appointing me "Membership Chair" of our Chapter, they declared against my hesitancy that it was "a role I was born to fill". "And what am I to do?" asked I. "Recruit more members, plan neat promotions and, well, market us" said they. That was my foray into this profession. The rest is history.

#4) Making the Grade: Speaking of college, I once got an "A" for a philosophy class that I felt I didn't deserve. My tests and assignments were A-level work but we were only allowed 2 absences and I missed 4 classes (yup, partying with my sorority sisters). When I asked my teacher to downgrade me he looked at me as if I was on crack and told me it was the first time in 20 years a student asked for a lower grade. We settled on an A-.

#5) All Over the Map: I've lived in many states including GA, TN, MA, NJ, WV, VA, MD, CT and NYC...in which I've lived downtown, midtown and uptown--and Brooklyn.

In keeping the blogger-tag meme going here are my 5 victims:

• Greg Verdino: Because he's kicked butt both in the 'sphere and in-world (Second Life) in all of 3 months.
• Vaspers the Grate: Because he'll likely tell me this is silly but because he's taught me so much in so little time.
• Drew McLellan: Because he's working on getting me my "marketeer" ears and is so passionate about this profession.
• S. Neil Vineberg: Because he was my off-line friend first and is as spiritual as he is successful.
• Stephen Denny: Because he's so smart and will have to figure out how to fit his 5 things into his famed "Note to CMO" format.

Note: If any of you have been previously tagged, my apologies. Hey, I got tagged nearly 3 4 times.

Comments

[Gavin Heaton]

Aha! I had you pegged as a Southern Gal. Too funny!

[vaspers the grate]

I think this "tag you're it" idea, asking the "victim" to reveal 5 things about him/her-self is really a very good idea.

It's a stress relief distraction, and it also benefits both the confessor and the readers. A nice little social media game that fits in with all my philosophies about the web and user-centric business models.

Chris Ritke, of 49 Media, tagged me a few days ago. You're supposed to reveal the 5 things in an email to the tagger, or in your blog?

[vaspers the grate]

Heck, I'll do it here.

5 Things Nobody Probably Knows about Vaspers:

(1) My first business job was at the database/direct mail firm, Ruppman Marketing Services (Peoria, IL), and the guy who trained and mentored me later started his own company, CDC Customer Development Corporation, which he later sold and it became ChoicePoint, the company involved in that well publicized scandal of customer data being sold to disreputable buyers.

(2) My dad worked for Caterpillar Tractor Company, as an engineer working with lasers, and secretly worked for the CIA and the Strategic Defense Initiative ("Star Wars") missile defense.

(3) I once caused a big upheaval at a Hunger Project/EST meeting at which I was a skeptical guest, when I refused to "consider donating money" to the project, and walked out of the meeting room. The group then spent the rest of the time arguing about my right to dissent, then the leader begged me to rejoin the group presentation.

(4) I once had a client who hired me to take digital photos of his restaurant, help him with wifi, create a blog, and do other marketing. I severed my relationship with him when he demanded that I also serve as a host and bus tables.

(5) I have never voted in my entire life, and have no plans to do so, because I have never had any interest in any politician and I feel the campaigns and conventions are a silly circus. i have also seen people irrationally defend candidates they voted for, seemingly just because they feel emotionally invested in their decision to vote for the person.

[Paul McEnany]

Asked for a lower grade? Are you kidding?

I've always been a big proponent of the work is the only thing that matters mentality. Doesn't matter if you never show up for one class, if the work is brilliant, it gets graded as such.

And, I actually used that argument with some success. :)

A sorority girl, too? I never would have guessed.

[mindblob]

Hi CK,
Thank you for participating. As one of the "taggers", I must say I'm not disapointed.

I am impressed by the story of the grade you thought you didn't deserve. An act of great honesty. Great class indeed. As a teacher I would have pointed your "act of honesty" and rewarded it by an A+. But of course, I'm not a teacher.
; )

[CK]

Vaspers: Thanks for letting us get to know you better ;-).

Gav: Pretty much 1/2 southern and 1/2 northern. It's a balance.

Mindblob: You are so great to me and I wanted to tag you...but you already got tagged!

Paul: Yep, I was all into Greek Life but it wasn't at all elitist, we were a great bunch of fun girls. Not snotty in the least (we laughed at the snotty ones).

[Tim Jackson]

Sorority girl? AND Southern? Dang, that's a dream package right there. ;-)

I did the same grade thing in one of my Lit' classes. I failed to turn in any of my homework assignments but aced all the tests and got a perfect score on the final exam, so the prof' gave me an A-. I asked about the grade and she said that it would have been an A+ if I'd turned in the work. I asked why the grade was still so high and she said that I was the student who "made the class" by participating in the class room and fueling the discussions. Half the final exam was near verbatim from some of the discussions. Too funny, my fellow Pisces.

Vaspers- I love this quote; "It's a stress relief distraction, and it also benefits both the confessor and the readers. A nice little social media game that fits in with all my philosophies about the web and user-centric business models." Pure poetry.

Thanks for great fun.

[Stephen Denny]

All right, already. Pushy sorority girl. Want to know five things about me that you didn't know?

http://note-to-cmo.blogspot.com/2006/12/note-to-cmo-womma-authenticity-and.html.

1. I am a hero of the People's Republic of China.
2. Halle Berry has been naked in my presence.
3. I have been 7,000 feet deep in the Cayman Trench.
4. I was the first foreigner to play intercollegiate tennis in Japan.
5. I saved the Sony S Mark.

You asked. You get. Hope WOMMA was fun - looking forward to catching up on who you saw and what you learned. I asked a few friends in the WOM space to find you!

[CK]

SD: Loved your post you "National Geographic Stud" thanks for giving a recap here. And yes, SONY is a flogging idiot.

[Drew McLellan]

CK,

Okay, I'm going to try this again. For some reason my comments are not showing up here. And I wasn't even a potty mouth.

Thanks for the tag. Rest assured...your ears are in production. As for my five, LIz Strauss got me a bit ago, so here's what I shared.

http://www.drewsmarketingminute.com/2006/12/tag_im_it.html

Each and every one is true. Not fascinating, but true.

Thanks for the tag!

Drew

[Greg Verdino]

Oh crap - I was feeling lucky for a while. Even Armano didn't tag me. Drats on you, CK. I just noticed this today. Keep your eyes on my blog over the next few days. G

[David Armano]

As a testiment to how the Social Network brings people together, I actually knew a lot of these things about you already through our e-mails and meeting in NY.

Though I didn't know you were a sorority girl...

:)

Thanks for sharing.