(Thanks @techherding for the faux yam news from #fakesxsw)

How a completely false online event Fake SXSW based off of a real event SXSW helped promote Bruce’s Yams… One of the strangest social marketing experiments that i’ve tried deemed it self accidentally successful. Here’s how it all got started… This weekend was South By South West Interactive in Austin, TX, it’s the mecca for all that is the web and media. Basically, if you want to know what the internet would look like in real life if your TV and Twitter follower list exploded, that’s SXSW.

Well, for all of us poor and ill folks not going to SXSW this weekend we started a twitter hashtag called #fakesxsw, little did we know on how huge (and entertaining) the fake event itself would become. Needless to say, whoever started #fakesxsw it created a monster. 2,846 tweets, 730 contributors, 406.6 tweets per day later we all found ourselves in a strange world of networking and fun. It even got a few write ups in the LA Times Blog and Huffington Post.

With the following faux events and fake panels ranging from:

• OMGWTFBBQ
• The Geocities Party… (Of course it’s under construction)
• Musical acts such as: Rick Astley, Hall and Oates, Danzig and even Falco.
• Special real life guests such as Ken Plume and Chris Gore joining in on the #fakesxsw madness.
• Read some about some of the rest of the events at http://fakesxsw.com (Yes, there’s a website!)

I gained 100 new amazing minds on Twitter, and Bruce’s Yams gained 40 new followers and ten pages of yam-versations about Bruce’s Yams at #fakesxsw! Wow. I didn’t even have to spend a penny on travel costs or fight through the crowds. One thing about #fakesxsw… you can do it all in your underwear! All I did was mention Bruce’s Yams once with the twitter hashtag #fakesxsw and the yam-a-palooza began for four days! People really seem to love the little orange squishy guys, and I love you all for making Bruce’s Yams a part of your #fakesxsw experience!

Here’s a little taste of the yam-ver-sations at #fakesxsw… Hilarious!

• I got a message from @Brucesyams! I will put you guys on the top of my grocery list! #fakesxsw
• “YamPanel: Is It Payola If You Blog For Syrup?” #fakesxsw
• Looking out my motel window at #FakeSXSW. Woody Harrelson with a shotgun, lawn chairs, and yams everywhere.
• Awfully quiet from my fellow attendees at #fakesxsw – too many yams?
• I have absolutely no idea what the heck #fakesxsw is. I am not a cool kid, nor do I know why the cool kids like yams.
• Why do I want #yams? I think this has something to do with #Fakesxsw
• After party at Rick Astley’s room at the Hyatt. Follow the smell of dank yams.
• Unlocked “Will Tweet for Yams” badge at Destructo Deviations AfterParty Austin, TX
• @missdestructo is THE VOICE OF YAMS. She’ll moderate or facSocMediate™ #fakesxsw #gonetoYamhab

Read all the #fakesxsw chatter about Bruce’s Yams here…. pages of conversations, very funny!

I can say that this probably the new beginning of #fakeevents, you may think.. “Oh there’s no value in fake events! *twirly mustache*” Oh, but there is! I can say that this was not only mind challenging and fun, but I met many smart, funny people that may turn out to be valuable connections in life. Not to mention, therapeutically… I was able to laugh my butt off about not being able to attend SXSW and it kept me occupied while suffering from a nasty coughing virus.

The proof is in the yam pudding… I hope I get to keep on promoting for Bruce’s Yams in the future! Who knows where we will end up next! #fakeblogher or #fakedragoncon maybe?

Keep it yammin in the real world,

Staying productive is sometimes very hard when you are sick. The last few days I have been trying to juggle work and flu. I’ve also been a complete annoyance to not only myself but to others, being that when I get stuck in the house too long I get cabin fever on top of the fever that has been controlling my life for the past few days. Here’s some tips for any of you that may be going through the same thing right now.

1. So yeah, fluids. We get it. But when I am sick, last thing I want is water. Teas are my solution to this, I get a huge mug and fill it with tasty tea so it not only soothes my throat but is actually enjoyable to drink throughout the day. Republic of Tea has some good teas, what are your favorite types of teas?
2. If you work at home like I do, sometimes being sick and being at work turns into working while sick. Take breaks, take naps, and don’t take nyquill during the day or half of your emails will sound like you just got back from the magical mystery tour.
3. Phone conversations, again limit if taking any kinds of medications or if you have no voice. Today, I sound like Dr. Girlfriend from the Venture Brothers, it’s not the kind of impression I want to make on new clients.
4. You can powder your dog. Seriously, I do this to Spike. Using baby powder, it keeps the oils and stinky off of him. If he’s going to be crawling all over my bed enjoying my misery and warm blankets. He’s gotta smell good.
5. Keep a notebook by your bed, seriously. Those fevers can bring on some crazy good ideas.
6. Don’t make others sick, if you have to do a meeting… use Google Wave or Ustream if possible.
7. Wheatgrass is awesome, I have at least 5 capsules of Sweet Wheat a day when I am sick. Keeps the fever down.
8. Romantic comedies on Netflix streaming…. either that or Rambo: First Blood whatever is a feel good movie for you.
9. Great time to get caught up on writing those thank you notes, just don’t sneeze on the note. “Thank you, here’s the flu..”
10. Whatever you do, don’t listen to Europe’s- The Final Countdown… Especially this version. I warned you. It is now forever on repeat in your feverish little head. Especially that rockin horn synth solo. Have fun with that.

What are your tips to fighting the flu and staying (somewhat) sane?

Learn how to really stand out of a crowd!

I can’t say enough thanks to Dan Walderschmidt for seeing the beauty in being different. I just read an article he wrote after his TedX experience called “Success Starts With You Being Different“and I have never read something before that completely encapsulated my whole mission statement.

And… he said it in only 6 easy steps.

1. Being different won’t kill you…
2. Being different will get you noticed…
3. Being different won’t have people outwardly lauding you… (at first)
4. Being different secretly makes people respect you…
5. Being different probably won’t get you the incremental job promotions…
6. Being different positions you best to be able to change the world…

I couldn’t have said it better Dan… I also was at TEDxGreenville and it was somewhat of a memory of a time when I lived in Greenville, had blue hair and found out that it wasn’t accepted to be different and very tough to find any respect in certain communities. I went through tons of tough times and lots of teary bedtimes after run in’s with people who would make rude comments or generally avoid me at all costs…that’s when I thought I would never fit in anywhere, I almost dyed my hair back to normal. That’s when I met TimTV and he inspired me to just be myself and that’s when my blog Destructo Deviations started to showcase the different side of Greenville. A year later I have learned that just being myself has made me stand out of the crowd and more opportunities than I can count.

I personally think the strongest people in this world are people who take the time to understand others, to let different become normal and to realize that the best qualities of someone is generally something that makes them stand out. Why not make your whole self your best quality?

Miss Destructo is Yammin it Up In Greenville from Miss Destructo on Vimeo.

As most of you know I just traveled to Greenville, South Carolina…. Why was I there? Because of Bruce’s Yams of course… to return back to the place where all the yamsanity began for me. I made this very special video for all the Bruce’s Yams fans and to tell a little bit more about the story behind the blue haired gal who tweets and types for Bruce’s Yams.

Attending the “idea” conference TedxGreenville was only the marshmellow fluff on the casserole for me. Tedx was a great place to share my Bruce’s Yam story with others to help inspire and spread the word about our favorite food.

At the end of the video I held a get together of a bunch of Bruce’s Yams fans and my friends in Greenville, South Carolina. The Yam-A-Palooza tweetup (twitter meetup) was a hit and many great ideas came from it. I can’t wait to have a contest to see who can make the best yam cocktails and t-shirt designs now! You may even see us (the cans, not me) at the media conference SXSW next week! I am now realizing the possibilities for yams are endless and people are willing to help start the spreading the word in their towns. Yams are a becoming of a trendy item, i’ve even heard of people going on multi city scavenger hunts to find a can of Bruce’s Yams!

Thank you all for the support and keeping me fueled with new ideas, if you have a cool yam themed event or something sweet potato related (festivals, personalities or whatever!) let me know, I might just show up in YOUR town for the next yamventure!

Oh, yes. And there’s a special yam dance I made just for you all in the video… feel free to make your own yam dance and send it to me!

Thanks again for being a fan of Bruce’s Yams and Miss Destructo!

Stay yamtastic,

I found my new archnemesis "Yam Coat" at TEDxGreenville

Last week was a rollercoaster, it started out not so good (as most of you know my father Cpt. Spauldad has been in the hospital), however ended with a great accumulation of returning to my past in Greenville and inspiration for the future.

Greenville, South Carolina… where this whole social media career started for me, where Destructo Deviations began as a blog showcasing different gems of Greenville while I was diving into cans of Bruce’s Yams because of unemployment. Now it’s funny that I am returning for a conference TEDxGreenville that showcases the talents of Greenville (and beyond) while working for Bruce’s Yams.

Talking with fellow Tampa social media tweeple (and all around awesome guy) Kevin Lyons, on the plane ride over here. It’s strange how only looking back a few months you find your self constantly moving yourself into either a step up or a step back, it all depends on your attitude. Working hard to succeed is always good, but we both found that it’s always the moments where you aren’t looking for something that you get the light that shows the next step in your path. However, it’s always good to look back (or visit) those old places you’ve been through those tough times in your life. Usually those times when you are yelling in your head “What am I doing?” or when you feel like you aren’t making progress in your current situation.

I spent my first hours in Greenville with Bryant who is somewhat a VIP at his local sushi joint, I felt like I was in the mob. Venturing upon plates of Sushi (no sweet potato tempura!) and learned the proper way to eat a bowl of noodles. He showed me these bubble gum flavored, Japanese drinks that have marbles in them. I looked at the Japanese food store we were in to see if they had any Sweet Potato Kit Kat bars. Hashtag this #Yamfail

Later on in the evening I attended the pre-TEDx Greenville meetup for the TEDx speakers and VIP’s, it was great to be able to network with some of the best of TEDx and see some of my very missed Greenville folks. I made so many great connections that night and new friends… It’s was interesting to see the mix of the old southern gentlemen and business ladies next to people like TimTv and myself. Even better it was amazing despite the differences, the similar connections you can make by just talking about a can of Bruce’s Yams, “Oh yeah! We love yams… *insert 10 minutes of rambling off their favorite yam recipes*” Bruce’s Yams and Miss Destructo, bringing people together. #yamwin

I can honestly say I didn’t know what to expect from TEDxGreenville, i’ve been to many conferences before where you pick and choose the people you want to go see and usually I stand out in the hallway meeting people more than I spend attending panels. But TEDx, is more of a “your butt must be in the seat” for every speaker, not so much to force ideas upon you but for you to share a common experience with your fellow attendees during a whole day of performances, speeches and inspiring stories. I just remember walking into the building in amazement of the number of people that had shown up, it was a packed house and as my new Tampa pal Kevin said “I can’t walk in front of you” as there was so many of my long awaiting twitter and blog fans stopping me in the lobby. “Miss Destructo!” was a common heard phrase that day and I have to say it was a pleasure meeting all of you. Without the fuel and ideas that I get from my followers and readers, my life would be much different and less full of yams. It was great to hear that most of you already follow my yamtastic adventures with Bruce’s Yams, most of the Greenville people I met can remember when I was running my “Will Work For Yams” campaign on my twitter account. That’s why Greenville and attending TEDx was so special for me, to open doors to new opportunities while among the people that first inspired me.

TedxGreenville was amazing, not only did I learn how to grow mushrooms and about the power of ignorance. But I learned that the greatest power of the event was it’s ability to connect a broad spectrum of topics and people to relate to every person’s life. Truly worth every penny, as I walked away from the conference that day with not only many new friends and career opportunities but enough knowledge to power a small country. For a small town, Greenville has a big community and an even bigger heartbeat in it’s role in social media, technology and business. As I got asked many times that day “Would you move back Miss Destructo? We miss you!” ah, my dear Greenville, it is a romance that is only a muse and not a long term relationship. But what I have taken away from this event will further my everyday quest to find my place in this world.

Ted X Greenville Re-Cap from Miss Destructo on Vimeo.

Huge thanks to Bruce’s Foods, Trey Pennington, Phil Yanov, Aaron von Frank, Susan Sebotnick, TimTv, Kamran Popkin, Kevin Lyons and all of my friends new and old for supporting me on my yamventures in Greenville. Keep rockin the yam pride, i’ll see you all again and next time I am bringing yams. Lots of yams.

View all my TEDx Photos on Flickr…. http://www.flickr.com/photos/missdestructo/sets/72157623456052513/

More TEDx Greenville Photos by @linkerjpatrick can be found here… http://picasaweb.google.com/thinkhammer/TEDxGreenville2010#5445544077092125714

Last week I had a conversation with Trey Pennington about Social Media Marketing and the methods that have worked best for me to find that next step in life whether it be a career opportunity, hobby or even personal life goals. I had discussed being yourself and being unique, this week I would like to further explore that topic as I get asked quite a bit by you the Destructo Devations reader “I want to do something new, but I don’t know how to do it.”

1.  Look to the past- When ever I feel that pulling sensation of either cabin fever with my life or just the “feeling stuck” syndrome. I spend a day in a huge tupperware box I have, going through old family photos and home movies. Sometimes when I feel that sinking feeling of “going nowhere”,  I look back on my life as a child and it really puts things in perspective on how far i’ve come and to not give up. Every time I go back and view a old home movie of myself at three years old, I realize that back then that these things now didn’t matter that much. It’s amazing the feeling you have when you put that mindset that money isn’t what your world revolves around, it’s that carefree childhood spirit that the best entrepreneurs have tapped into.

2. Get rid of negative people- Naysayers, people that gossip about you, those general debbie downers. Cut em off, don’t think that your friends make you. YOU make you. Many people get stuck in situations where their social circles have control over every aspect of their life and people that would stab you in the back to make themselves look better. This is the real world, people are fake, there are tons of snakes and sharks in any circle. Some people thrive off the success and downfall of others. Listen to your instincts and never let anyone use you for their benefit solely. YOU make your world, there’s a lot in this world we can’t control but take the reins over the things you can control.

3. De-Materialize- Look around your house, does it look like a thrift store? If so, it probably belongs there. If you need money, stop for a second and see what you can sell or downsize before you start complaining that you are broke. I recently got rid of half of my belongings and old clothes, most I just gave to Salvation Army… I’ve never felt so free!

4. Look in the mirror- After getting rid of so much stuff, I realized this was the perfect opportunity to start a new personal image. Just because that suit looked good in the 80’s doesn’t mean you still look awesome today. Sometimes we need to keep our image fresh and interesting to the public, just look at Madonna, David Bowie and Lady Gaga. Constant reinvention of the self! But what was the image I wanted to portray and how could I do this on a budget? Honestly, most of the time… I am a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal but i’ve always got a great pair of boots to back that up. Start small and find that one accessory that stands out, a great pair of glasses, nice shoes, a cool tie from Cyberoptix maybe? Whatever the accessory, make it you and make it unique, I have a cheap pair of red sunglasses that always gets attention. Sometimes though you need more help than that or have no fashion sense whatever, there are personal image consultants or look to a celebrity or someone that you admire. Steal ideas from their outfits and find the cheap knockoff of it….thrift stores are amazing for finding clothes! Sometimes I will splurge a little on key pieces that I will use a bunch (Shoes, Suits, Jeans) but never pay $30 for a t-shirt. I always again look back on people that I admired when I was younger for style choices, I can remember wanting Saffron from Republica’s haircut…but, I was always told by hairstylists “Good luck, it’s a hard hairstyle to keep up on curly hair” but I went for it (Big ups to my CHI Flat Iron!) . It really touches me when I get email from fans with their new hair color or bob haircuts inspired by me.  Oh and always get a little teared up when a little kid goes, “Mommy, I want blue hair!”, I can remember being that little kid. Whatever it is, don’t be an exact copy of someone else, make it you!

5. Nothing is a disability- If you have a unique physical appearance or a disability, make that a part of your personal branding. Don’t be ashamed of anything that is a part of you. It makes you special out of a crowd, for example Mr. D is a videographer has to wear an eyepatch sometimes. I suggested maybe he should become “the one eye camera guy”. Honestly, sometimes I feel like a freak being six feet tall and super skinny. For awhile there I didn’t even want to leave the house, people can be very mean. Once I learned more about other people going through the same thing, I felt a shift happen in my thinking, I was proud of my height and was able to focus more on the uniqueness of it. Sometimes your success in celebrating your disabilities can inspire others as well.

6. The “Deets”- Details, details, details… all the fun stuff that comes with running a business or trying to promote yourself. Make yourself a press kit, business cards, get out to networking events, start conversing with people on Twitter doing what you want to do.  Even in the unemployment line, start up conversations around you… you may find your new best friend. Every moment is an opportunity, always pay attention to the details and you may find yourself constantly with new opportunities for reinventing yourself.

7. Learn from others- One book that changed my life, was Design Your Self by Karim Rashid. This book has seriously been everywhere with me, through college, to Europe, Greenville and beyond. I don’t think there is a better book out there to reinvent yourself, Karim Rashid has taken his personal experiences as a graphic designer to create a guide to designing yourself. Not to mention it’s so easy to read and on the eyes, every page is a little piece of a typography masterpiece. It covers every single aspect of your life that could need redesign, even your love life. If you need a checklist or a one stop guide, hunt this book down now. Beware, don’t leave it in your bathroom or coffee table it might get stolen.

Never stop inventing yourself. We are never done, we are never finished with life until death. Keep life interesting and you will find new opportunities and inspiration for your next step. Open yourself up to the world and the world will come to you.

You only have one life… become the person you always wanted to be, RIGHT NOW.