Even STARBUCKS didn’t get back to me. Starbucks! And I’m a former employee. (I don’t understand it, either.)

I’ve heard it’s easier to get a job when you have a job. And from the look of it, and seeing my employed colleagues move onto new jobs, I can believe that.

To date, I have 164 emails in my “Job Applications” email folder. This contains both application notices and rejection emails.

This is not a pity post, or a plea for empathy. I honestly feel that I’m the closest I’ve been in a long time to doing what I’ve been created to do. And I wouldn’t be here (literally) if, say, Porter Novelli said “Yes.”

Just for fun, I’ve complied a list of everyone I can remember interviewing with and applying for. These are in no particular order:

Interviewed with:
Southwest Airlines Head Quarters
Nordstrom Head Quarters
Samaritan’s Purse Head Quarters
The National Partnership for Women and Families
Porter Novelli
Bates Creative Group
INM United
American Forest Foundation
Edelman/StrategyOne
World Hope, International
Relevant Magazine
Vineyard Vines Head Quarters
Crosspoint Community Church
Asurion Head Quarters

Applied to:
Warner Music Group
Jibe
Emma
Starbucks
Cirque du Soliel (how cool would THIS have been?)
TPAC
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
MTV
CMT
Thomas Nelson
Sony Music Group
Gaylord Entertainment
Dave Ramsey
HealthSpring
The Home Depot Head Quarters
DC Water & Sewer Authority
Twitter Head Quarters
Facebook Head Quarters
GAC
American University
RedPeg Marketing
Show Hope
Disney Imagineering (Social Media & Video Communications)
American Progress
ISEP
Living Social
Living Social Adventures
Nissan North America
Global Impact
Huge, Inc.
Halogen TV
American Public Health Association
Perkins Eastman
Jason Communications
NBC Universal
The Ellen Show
Maximum Impact Churches
Blackboard
Ketchum Washington
APCO Worldwide
CoStar Group
Paladin
MDB Communications
Forest Hill Church
CIRCA
Jaleo Crystal City
B-Reel
Creative Circle
AKQA
DDB Talent Management Group
Aquent
National Wildlife Federation
Doorways for Women and Families
Project Hope
Atlantic Media Company
Central Intelligence Agency (yes, even the CIA! – But I couldn’t tell anyone in case I actually got an interview)
USA Today
Intelsat
MarketArt
District of Columbia Public Schools
Home Builders Institute
The People’s Church, Spring Hill Campus
Discovery Channel

Wow… now there’s a list! And to everyone above I want to say thank you! Thank you for not hiring me. I feel more than ever that I’m closer to where I need to be in order to do what I’ve been created to do.

I’m producing two films first quarter, I’m screenwriting, I’m having a blast. Granted, I’m also waiting tables and dealing with some pretty crazy customers, but I’m the happiest I’ve been in two years! And it’s not about the money (clearly.) It’s about doing what I’m supposed to be doing. The money will follow. (I pray, dear God, that the money will follow.)

Some would look at a list this size and feel like a failure. I look at all those doors that didn’t open and then look at the ones that did and I’m encouraged.

Now, that’s not to say that I’m content to remain under-employed. I’m not. There’s a difference between being HAPPY and being CONTENT. I believe that happiness is a choice, and contentment is a catalyst. Am I content with where I am financially and professionally? Heavens no. Not at all. But am I happy? Yeah, sure. My discontentment drives me to create change and keep chasing certain lions.

Someone once said to me, “You’re like my husband. Never happy with what you’re doing.” And to that I say, “I’m VERY happy with what I’m doing. I’m the happiest I’ve been in two years. TWO YEARS! But I’m not content to stay this way.” That’s the difference.

So again. To everyone who told me “No” over the past few years, Thank you. For the ones who are going to say “Yes!” in the coming months, I say “Let’s do this.”

For the past year, I’ve been working as Communications Director for Inside|Out Global (much more on this later…) but since we don’t have any funding, I’m needing to find something “officially” full time (salary & benefits). It’s time. I’ve been on my own for the past three years operating my own design company and it’s time I get paid twice a month every month.

That I want a job that uses is social media is the reason I’ve decided to use it to get a job. Enter the #hiretoby campaign. What better way to show I have a good grasp of social media than to actually USE it.

I’ve created a website aptly called http://hiretoby.com that houses a general cover letter and includes my resume. My social media links are listed there as well as my references. It’s a place free of distractions, ads, and other people. It’s all about me, my abilities and experiences.

On twitter I write tweets as if they were coming from a personals ad in the paper: “ENFP seeks employer with benefits. http://hiretoby.com #hiretoby” and so on. I include the hashtag #hiretoby so I can search who’s talking about it and track the response.

Feedback for #hiretoby:

“…I love your [#hiretoby] campaign! Smart use of SM!” – @BevJack – Marketing & Social Media engagement for the GRAMMYs

“@tobysturgill love your use of twitter for seeking employment. Perfect example of what I was teaching career transition group, thanks! – @barnettwebsites – web designer, graphic design

“…[#hiretoby] is brilliant!” – @EmoryColvin – actress, production geek, founder of @dramaticncountr

So check it out, RT my #hiretoby tweets and get me a job! :-)

As with everything these days, this concept has already evolved into Augmented Reality (AR): “in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality.” – Wikipedia.

I’m not concerned with how they do it. I’m more interested in how we use it. Marketers and advertisers are constantly having to break through the clutter and noise to get our attention. And since our smartphones and iPads seem to have a lot of that attention, it only makes sense for said groups to figure out how to use them. Enter QR Codes and AR Codes.

Here’s a great practical way to use AR Codes thanks to USPS:

And a brand becomes interactive in London with the same technology:

How can your business or product utilize this technology? The sky’s the limit. Hop on the bandwagon, there’s still room.

The position I’m interviewing for is their Social Media/Marketing Specialist/Communications opening. What’s even cooler is they contacted ME. They saw one of my shamless #hiretoby tweets on Facebook and wanted to set up a phone conversation. That led to a few more phone calls which led to a face-to-face meeting at their International Headquarters in Boone, NC tomorrow.

Boone is home to Appalachia State University and a host of out door sports: hiking, biking, rock climbing, white water rafting, skiing, etc. I could get really jazzed about what Boone has going on.

While there hasn’t been an official offer made, I’m excited for the opportunity and the attention from such a prestigious organization.

Wish me luck!

purchased from iStock Photo

Upon the foundation of inventiveness, music and imagination, a love for the arts and filmmaking was built. I could recite any song by Rogers & Hammerstein and I knew the script to Newsies backwards and forwards. I wanted so much to be part of these great films. I was fascinated by the behind-the-scenes segments and the how’d-they-do-that shows on TV. Any chance I got, I wanted to see what was going on behind the camera.

As I matured through adolescence and into adulthood, my passion for film also evolved. It isn’t just about the music and lyrics. It’s about the story and the impact it has on popular culture. It’s about being part of something greater than myself. It’s about creating change.

Arguably, the most influential medium of our day is film. We discuss movies long after we watch them; we quote lines and reinact scenes from our favorite films long after we leave the theater. Talk about influence! It’s my belief that stories can stir spirits, soften hearts and change minds. If you can change minds, then you can change the world.

The past six years have not only allowed me to grow as an artist and businessman, but have also exposed me to some of life’s most harsh realities. I’ve risen above the ashes of divorce, despair, and shattered dreams more determined to inspire and give people hope through entertainment.

I’m not abandoning graphic design and social media. While I’m not pursuing a career as a designer, I can still offer than knowledge in a producing position. The same goes for social media. It seems I have too much social media experience for a print design job, but not enough for a social media job. It’s time that I at least give my childhood dream of working in entertainment a chance.

What I’m most interested in is being a Producer: the one who pulls everyone together, the linchpin of the project. They get the ball rolling, find the story/script and assemble the team who can pull it off (casting directors, directors, accountants, etc). They oversee every aspect of the film from inception & development, to production & location, to delivery of the final film & marketing/distribution. Also, they’re the ones that take home the Oscar if their film wins “Best Picture” at the Academy Awards.

There are a few ways I can go about this:
1) go to grad school and get an MFA in Producing. This would be the most natural and “easiest” entry into the film industry (that is if I can get accepted into a program… they’re extremely competitive) The quickest option, but also the most expensive.

2) take any job I can to get experience. I don’t have any professional experience in producing, so I need to be willing to start at the bottom and work my way up.

3) do it on my own. I’ve gone out on my own before with design (you might remember Gradient Overlay). While this would be the slowest option, it’s still an option.

If you or anyone you know has a job opening for any kind of producer role I would love to hear about it!

How do you use Facebook and Twitter?

The web landscape is dominated by a large number of blue brands… but Red occupies a large amount of space as well. What’s driving this? You might want to say that carefully organized branding research and market tests were done to choose the perfect colors to make you spend your money, but a lot of the brands that have grown to be global web powerhouses, started as small web startups… and while large corporate giants with branding departments spend quite a lot on market research, user testing, branding, etc.

Lots of the sites listed above got started with brands created by the founders themselves with little to no research into the impact their color choice would have. I once asked Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook why he chose blue for his site design… “I’m color blind, it’s the only color I can see.” …and now 500 Million people around the world stare at a mostly blue website for hours each week.

While the initial reasoning for the colors chosen may be trivial, the impact that these dominant players now have in the web world will surely influence the smaller startups that want to share in the positive color associations created by their bigger siblings… Once a rocketship of a web startup takes flight, there are a number of Jr. internet astronauts hoping to emulate their success… and are inspired by their brands. And so Blue and Red will probably continue to dominate, but we can have hope for the GoWalla‘s, DailyBooth‘s and other more adventurous brands out there.

The next big trend:

You are the next great founder, designer, influencer or creative mind that may build the next Facebook. You have the power to influence future color trends… What colors will you choose?

(HT: ColourLovers)

This was the ad I responded to: Would you consider yourself creative, artistic, and inventive? Are you organized, structured, and prepared? Would others say you’re hard-working, meticulous, and detailed? If you answered yes to all these questions, we want you! We are looking for a project manager to take lead in a busy, fast paced, demanding, yet entertaining atmosphere. Must have strong familiarity in graphic design and style! Excellent verbal communication and writing expertise is mandatory!

The Park is “DC’s premiere night time experience.” They offer a restaurant, event space, and a night club in a setting that looks like it’d be right at home in Vegas. Four floors, eight (or so) bars, VIP Lounge, three DJs throughout the building, bottle service, amazing food, and an outside patio makes it the most sophisticated night time experience in DC.

I’ll keep you posted with how everything turns out. Below are some pictures from The Park. Wish me luck!

This is a screenshot of the back cover from the latest Crate and Barrel catalog. Note the two signs of social media in the bottom right-hand corner.

It’s amazing how social media is now a part of normal, everyday life. Marketing folks call this “online/offline integration.”

It looks a bit flashy, but it’s TGIFridays in Time Square so they’re on brand.

Greeting folks as they enter Dillard’s in Cincinnati (Glenway/Western Hills)

at Coffee Emporium in downtown Cincinnati

Interesting to see how Oreo pushes people to their Facebook page to engage with the brand. Note it says TELL US vs. FOLLOW US. Subtle but important.

HT: PR Daily

ScanLife produces a 2D QR Code (boxcode) that can be programed to do a multitude of tasks. One code may take your smart phone to the ad’s website, or if the article or ad is about an artists’ debut album, the code might take you to iTunes to download an exclusive single. Or maybe the code is on your business card. Once someone takes a picture of it with their camera phone through the ScanLife app, all of your contact information can be automatically inserted into their contact/address book. That, is cool.

The way it works is simple. Download the ScanLife app from the App Store, “scan” (take a picture) of the boxcode/barcode within the app and let it take you to where you need to be. That’s it!

Now print ads can offer you more information about the product they’re talking about. Stores can now offer exclusive incentives to those with the app. Artists and musicians  can now sell tracks right from a print ad. Who knew?

Below are examples of how business are using ScanLife:

Esquire Magazine is using ScanLife as part of their  “Esquire Collection” which details the essential wardrobe that every guy should have.  25 codes are connected to each individual item throughout the layout which gives readers a menu of options in one-click.

Morgans Hotel Group celebrates their 25th anniversary with a code that links to video and offers.

Scan this code to see blooper videos of a Fanta commercial in Scandinavia.

This code links to the book’s Amazon.com page for easy on-the-go online purchase.

Scan this code to get animated desktop wallpaper from NIKE.

How can you and/or your business use ScanLife?