Snapshot # 1 – Jon is at the convenience store at the end of our street buying something when the cashier, who is exceptionally friendly, asks him if he might also want to buy a Chihuahua puppy. He declines,  but while she finishes the sales transaction, she explains that the reason she has puppies for sale is because her mother’s pet monkey kept opening the male Chihuahua’a pen and letting him out, giving him access to the female Chihuahua, from whom he is supposed to remain separated.  Yes, she says, the monkey is a good pet, except for this pesky habit of freeing the Chihuahuas. Oh, and the monkey also bites people, except that’s not a problem since they had its teeth removed…  Now he just gums people.

Snapshot #2 – Me, checking out at the Fellini Kroger, two or three blocks from our house. As the check out guy bags up my purchases, he complains vociferously about the raw chicken juice that apparently dripped all over his hands from the last customer’s leaky meat purchase. As he complains, he alternately wipes his greasy hands on his shirt and then runs them through his hair.

Check out the terrific line-up of expert panelists and moderators at our upcoming Knoxville Social Media Summit. I am so excited that this has come together so well. We’re expecting a big crowd, so be sure to get preregistered!

For those of you who aren’t from Tennessee, or who don’t follow college football, you may not be aware of the big drama this week when the University of Tennessee’s football coach, Lane Kiffin, abruptly announced that he was leaving UT for a head coaching job at USC, only one year after coming to Knoxville to head up the Vols’ football program.

Here in Tennessee, this was a VERY BIG DEAL, and the way it all played out – with only a few hours from first rumor that Kiffin was leaving to late evening, official press conference on the UT campus – made it even more dramatic. Locals, Vol fans all over the country, and UT students were NOT happy with Kiffin’s graceless exit, and by the time the press conference was ready to roll inside an Athletics Department building on the UT Campus at around 10pm that evening, a large crowd of angry students were gathered outside the building, and a large crowd of anxious journalists were gathered inside, ready to hear what Kiffin would say to explain himself.

One of those journalists was my former News Director, Bill Shory of WBIR-TV, the NBC/Gannett affiliate here in Knoxville. He accompanied his reporter and photographer to the presser, and it’s a good thing he did because when he got there, the UT Athletics Department media spokesman announced that Kiffin – a public employee giving a press conference inside a public building to which press had been summoned late at night – would be setting the rules for how his comments could be covered. UT’s Athletic Department media rep told the broadcast journalists in attendance that they could not roll on the whole press conference; they were informed that they could only shoot Kiffin’s brief, prepared remarks, and would be required to turn the cameras off for the remainder of the press conference. In other words, Kiffin and the university told the broadcast journalists that part of the press conference would be on the record and part of it would be off the record. Print and radio reporters would not be at the same competitive disadvantage, as they could continue to roll audiotape during the entire event, but Kiffin and his handlers clearly did not want any video of Kiffin’s reaction to reporters’ questions or of anything else that might take place in the highly charged room.

Everyone in the room agreed to this dictate, seemingly without much concern about it. Everyone, that is, except Bill Shory, who – as you will see in the fantastic video below – held his ground under extreme pressure from both the UT reps and against many of the other journalists in the room who seemed just fine with doing as they were told by the subject of this major news story, and who mostly seemed to consider Bill’s position an annoyance rather than an ethical stand on an issue that should matter to all of them.

Bill held firm as the pressure mounted. Watching him on this video makes me so proud to have worked in his newsroom and so proud to call him a good friend. This video is the best example I have seen in a long, long time of why real journalism and real journalistic ethics still matter. Maybe this was just a story about college football, but it could have played out exactly the same way in the White House press briefing room. Bill Shory’s willingness to take a stand against manipulation of the press and the public by a government institution sets a shining example for journalists all over the country. See for yourself in the video below.

I don’t consider myself particularly photogenic, but I have to admit that I was rather shocked – and not in a good way – when I happened to run across a certain photo that someone had taken at the recent Knoxville Twestival fundraiser.

This is, without question, THE WORST PHOTO EVER TAKEN OF ME.

Yes, from a certain angle, I sometimes pick up just the merest hint of a double chin in photos. I know that. I’ve accepted it. But what’s the deal here with the ENORMOUS ARM that I seem to have acquired just before this photo was taken? My arm in this photo is literally bigger than my head. It looks like my arm ate several other partygoers and was storing them up for the long winter ahead.

At first, I was horrified by the photo. But I began to see the humor in it as I observed other people’s reactions. My husband laughed so hard when he first saw it that I thought he might levitate with glee. Same for my sister. So yeah, now I think it’s pretty funny, this horrifying, giant arm/pinhead photo.

(But not so amusing that I don’t find myself compelled to post a second photo of my arm, the same arm, in its natural state. Not because I am sensitive about the Big Arm Photo’s continuing existence on Flickr, but just – you know – for the sake of comparison…)

NOTE: Someone just told me who took the Big Arm Photo, and as it happens, this person is actually very talented, and this was obviously just an unfortunate, one-off shot that is not reflective at all of the great photos he usually takes. Also, the GUY in that photo with me is my friend Alex Lavidge, who ALSO got the shaft in this particular picture, as Alex is actually an exceptionally attractive (and incredibly interesting) fella!

My friend Julianne Applegate recently launched her own line of gorgeous, super-environmentally friendly handbags.

Julianne is a former VP and designer for LeSportsac,  but with the launch of JulieApple – her very own, start-from-scratch company – she’s kicking it up a notch!

(Photo courtesy of the Knoxville News Sentinel)

I am in absolute awe of Julianne’s boldness in getting JulieApple off the ground in this economy, including handling all design, manufacturing and distribution for her bags by herself. Plus, she’s dedicated to running her business in ways that are consistent with her values as a person, so all of her bags are created and produced using innovative green technology, and she adheres to equitable trade and labor practices. Last, but not least, Julianne is a very busy, hands-on mom; she and her husband Toby have three terrific children, ages 8, 7 and 2.

JulieApple is the American dream, done right.

I am a huge JulieApple fan, and having been lucky enough to actually see and touch her beautiful new collection firsthand, I KNOW her bags will be a big hit – and her start-up company will be a success – if we can get enough people to see JulieApple products and tell others about them.

So that’s where y’all come in!

I would like to ask all of my blogreaders, whether you are a daily visitor here or just stopped by for the first time today to consider doing me a personal favor; please help me get the word out, guerilla marketing style, about JulieApple.   If all of us spread the word to our own online networks of friends, followers and fans, Julianne’s mom-run, bootstraps startup can get some traction. And truly, she deserves it. It has been an inspiration to me watching her throw everything she has into something that many people told her wasn’t possible, going out on her own and turning her passion into a business in a very challenging economy.

What can YOU do to help, you ask? Well, here are a few options:

• Use your Twitter and/or Facebook account to let all of your friends and followers know about this great contest that JulieApple is running at the moment (and more of these contests and giveaways will follow in the weeks ahead).  Basically, everyone who tweets about @JulieApple or becomes a JulieApple Facebook fan before noon on Tuesday is entered to win a beautiful JulieApple Hardworkin’ Hobo bag, a $128 value, shipped free straight to the winner’s door. On top of that, EVERYONE who gets 50 or more retweets of a @JulieApple Twitter post during that same time frame gets  a $50 gift certificate toward anything in the JulieApple Online Store. It’s a supereasy way to help the word out about my friend’s company and her handbags, plus, you may win a beautiful JulieApple bag yourself! You can read all the details on the contest at the JulieApple Blog. Please join in, and let all your friends know!

• If you have a blog yourself, please consider writing up a little post about JulieApple, asking your own readers to help spread the word. Feel free to cut and paste any and all of what I’ve written here, and just copy it on your own blog, or you can write up something new. You could tell your readers about the contest, or mention the cutting edge ways that Julianne is minimizing her company’s impact on the environment in her design and production process. Or you could simply direct folks to the JulieApple Flickr feed, where they can get a look at dozens of her gorgeous designs and fabrics for this season.

• If you are a member of the media or a blogger, and you would like to do a story on JulieApple or interview Julianne yourself, send me an email (katie.granju – at – gmail.com ) and I will get you set up with a digital press kit right away.  I’ll also get your interview scheduled at a time convenient for you. This is an inspiring story about a passionately determined female entrepreneur and mother of young children working to start her own company in a highly competitive industry – fashion.  Not only has Julianne Applegate managed to launch her startup in this down economy, she’s walking the walk with unique and forward thinking green, sustainable and fair trade practices.  Julianne would be a terrific guest for your TV or radio show, as she’s articulate, poised, attractive, and funny.  So if you are interested in covering the JulieApple story,  let me know how I can help you.

• If you are a blogger with a significant readership,  or you host a TV or radio show, and you would like to request a comped JulieApple handbag or yoga tote to review or giveaway to your audience, send me an email (katie.granju-at-gmail.com) letting me know what you have in mind.  Julianne is very happy to offer bags for review and legitimate promotional purposes.  Each request will be reviewed on a case by case basis to make sure it’s the right fit for all involved, but please ask!

• If you practice yoga, or have a yoga blog, please let your yoga pals and online friends know about the JulieApple line of stylishly sustainable yoga totes.

• If you own, manage or buy for a boutique, store or catalog – online or bricks & mortar – please consider carrying some or all of the JulieApple line for your customers.  You can contact Julianne directly at Julianne – at – JulieApple.com to talk about her line and how to carry it in your own store(s) or catalog.

• If you live in Knoxville (or even if you want to come into town for the event), please join Julianne for the Official JulieApple Holiday Launch Party,  starting at about 8:30 pm on December 4.   The party will be a First Friday event, held at KnoxIvi on historic Market Square, and will feature tasty food and drink, plus an afterparty ’til 1am with a DJ.  Guests will be able to meet Julianne, check out the JulieApple collection for themselves, and be entered for the chance to win a JulieApple bag at a drawing during the party.  It’s all free and open to the public, although if you let Julianne know that you plan to attend with an RSVP via the party’s Facebook invitation,  that would be great. Let your friends, coworkers and family know about the JulieApple Holiday Party, and even if you can’t attend that night, you can keep up with all the fun via the LIVE blogging, photoblogging and twittering that we’ll be doing from party central. It’s going to be a lot of fun!

• And last, but CERTAINLY not least, SHOP JULIEAPPLE! Consider buying a JulieApple bag for someone special on your holiday gift list, or as a treat for yourself.

Thanks to all of you who are willing to help with my totally volunteer (Julianne is not my client and isn’t paying me), shoestring, word-of-mouth-marketing initiative for my pal.  Consider it good karma if you take just a few minutes out of your busy day to let your friends, family and coworkers know about JulieApple, and about what makes this wonderful, family-owned startup truly special.

Thanks, y’all!  – KATIE

This week I will be part of a panel discussion on branding, marketing & digital media held at the Bush Brothers & Company campus. Bush Brothers is an incredibly successful, 4th generation-family run business, with a history dating back to 1867.   Although they produce and sell a variety of foods, Bush Brothers  is primarily known for being a company that sells one heck of a lot of beans, all over the world.  In the southeast, where I live, Bush Brothers beans of all kinds have been a much loved culinary tradition for many families over many decades.

Today, the company is widely recognized for the thoughtful way in which it’s still run by the Ethier family, 100 years later.

From a Knoxville News Sentinel story on the company’s recent history:

A $25 million research and development center at its Knoxville headquarters was added. Some $170 million was spent in Chestnut Hill, projects that automated and streamlined production while increasing capacity to ensure the jobs of its 330 employees and then some. The Wisconsin plant also was upgraded.

Investments were made in employees, with an internal Bush University offering a range of seminars including “bean counting,” or how to read the company’s annual report, published for shareholders and employees. A generous tuition reimbursement was launched, as was a profit-sharing plan.

And family members took steps to ensure that A.J. Bush’s descendants would continue to serve as good caretakers.

Family retreats hosted experts to advise shareholders on governance, estate planning and other financial issues. Family members and their spouses also have attended courses on family business at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and continue to do so..

The Family Senate was reconstituted and is working on a policy that rewrites and adds to the family employment guidelines adopted some 25 years ago. The policy requires that family members who wish to take on a leadership role have a college education. Post-graduate work is encouraged, as is career experience before joining the family enterprise. The new proposal “in essence, says again, we love to have the family employed, but in terms of ascendancy in the company, they don’t get any special treatment. This is not an aristocracy but a meritocracy.”

The event in which I will be participating this week is part of the company’s ongoing plan for including all of its employees in regular educational and conversational opportunities related to various areas of Bush Brothers operations. The audience will include everyone from top Bush Brothers execs to maintenance employees, and each person has the same opportunity to ask questions and throw out ideas. I love this. I think it’s a fantastic way to get everyone in a company engaged in areas beyond their own job descriptions, and to identify and grow future company leadership from the inside out.

I am one of five invited panelists; the others are Steve Knox, CEO of P&G’s Tremor, Susan Ashley of Resource Interactive (Bush’s new Digital Agency of Record), Jim Price, VP of Media Innovation from Empower Media Marketing and Jeffrey Kissinger, VP of Interactive Marketing for Scripps Networks. and I am really looking forward to the opportunity to listen and learn from each of these smart and accomplished folks. It should be a fun day, and I appreciate having been asked to join the conversation.

SOCIAL MEDIA 101 FOR GROWNUPS – a Knoxville Panel Presentation from Leadership Knoxville

What Facebook, Twitter and Linked In mean to you!

Facebook this, twitter that, Linked In where?

“To friend or ignore?”

“When to “defriend?”

“What not to tweet!”

Wondering why social media is all the buzz, and how and why people are using these tools?

Join us for an informative discussion with local social media experts to keep you in the loop and on the scene!

Please bring your laptop so you can get free assistance on getting started and learn more about these new forms of communication.

Speakers / Topics will include:

Katie Allison Granju Director of Digital & Social Media / Ackermann PR
Social media is the new ‘civic’ club. Learn how to make it useful personally and professionally.

Bob Wilson Director of New Media / Moxley Carmichael
Nuts & Bolts of Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. How to get started and what you need to know now.

Suzy Trotta Realtor / Coldwell Banker Business Benefits of Social Media. Hear how her own use of social media and personal branding has produced measurable ROI in this challenging economy.

Gavin Baker, Community Manager for Ruby Tuesday on Social Media in a Corporate Environment.

Don’t be left out of the know! Seating is limited so reserve yours now!

Reserve your seat today!

Knoxville Chamber Markethouse Room
17 Market Square

Wednesday, Oct. 28th
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Laptops encouraged – wireless provided!

LK Alumni $20 per person

Opens to General Public Oct. 21 $30 per person

rsvp@leadershipknoxville.com

Leadership Knoxville ι 17 Market Square Suite 201 ι Knoxville TN 37902 ι 865.523.9137

Have you bought your tickets for Knoxville Twestival yet? Tickets are available on the Twestival site (see previous link), and will also be available at the door.

What? You have no idea what Twestival is? Well, let me get you caught up…

Knoxville Twestival is part of a charitable event taking place in communities all around the world during August and September. The
local Twestival is co-sponsored by Social Media Club, Knoxville Overground, and the Knoxville Social Media Association, and it uses the power of the local digital community to encourage people to support a specific local charity effort. This year’s fundraising recipient for Knoxville Twestival is The Salvation Army.

The crowd-sourced, viral process by which The Salvation Army was chosen was unique, and was the brainchild of the volunteers behind Knoxville Twestival planning. Beginning August 1, Knoxville-area, non-profit organizations were encouraged to fill out an online form at the Knoxville Twestival site explaining they should be chosen as the designated charity for this year’s Twestival event. All entries received by Friday, August 7 were then published on the Knoxville Twestival blog, where readers were able to cast an online vote for their favorite charity. Voting was driven via social media, as supporters of each charity encouraged their friends and followers on Twitter and Facebook to go cast an online ballot on their charity’s behalf. In the end, 35 charities were submitted for consideration, and close to 4,000 votes were cast.

Voting ended at 5pm August 11, and at 6pm the same day, a panel of representatives of Twestival’s three co-sponsoring organizations each cast a single vote to choose the winning charity from among the top three online vote getters. The Salvation Army emerged the winner, and Twestival fundraising efforts on the charity’s behalf began.

Twestival organizers and supporters, as well as fans of The Salvation Army, will tap into their own online social networks to drive
donations during the fundraising period via the Salvation Army button that is now live on the Knoxville Twestival site. Fundraising efforts will culminate with the September 10 Twestival event from 7-10 pm at The Knoxville Zoo, featuring live entertainment, as well as food and drinks.

Twestival attendees are in for a real treat, because a great group of acclaimed local performers will be on stage at The Zoo that night. Twestival performers are:

Todd Steed

Chris & Jay

Stewart Pack and the Special Kays (featuring Jeff Bills of the late, great V-Roys)

Leslie Woods, featuring Sarah Griscom and Jeff Schaefenocker

Econopop

Randall Brown

The Lonetones

There will also be a silent auction at Twestival, with a fantastic (and growing) selection of items up for grabs, including everything from a guitar signed by members of U2 to gift certificates from Nama and Glowing Body, and lots more. Look for more details later this week on the complete list of silent auction items.

We’ll have beer donated by Cherokee Distributing at the event, as well as wine and some tasty food (think hotdogs and funnel cake type-stuff)

100% of all funds raised via the Twestival site, as well as all money collected for silent auction items and ticket sales will go directly to The Salvation Army.

So go pick up a ticket or two now, over at the Twestival site. This will be a beautiful early fall evening of Knoxville music and socializing in a fun setting, and it’s all for a truly fantastic cause. You don’t want to miss it!

We would also be grateful if you would consider mentioning Twestival (and linking to this blog post, or directly to the Twestival site) on your own blog, Facebook page or Twitter feed. Please help us spread the word. And last, if your business would like to offer items for the silent auction, or a cash sponsorship, contact Nikka Harvey at nikkaharvey@gmail.com.

For more information about Knoxville Twestival, contact us:

Nicole Van Scoten at nicole.vanscoten@gmail.com
Katie Allison Granju at katie.granju@gmail.com
Alex Lavidge at a.lavidge@gmail.com

In the past two or three days, folks around Knoxville have been rather horrified to see a large banner with a graphic photo of an aborted fetus being flown overhead, pulled by a plane. In the case of my sister, the plane flew over her 7 year old and 10 year old outside their school, leaving the children upset and frightened.

What I don’t get is how anyone thinks that this kind of tactic actually does what they claim they are trying to do, which is reduce the number of abortions in this country. I suspect that they are actually just attention hounds, like the PETA people, who care more about creating spectacle than they do about creating real change on this issue they claim to be so passionate about. And I have heard several of my staunchly pro-life friends say that they are equally annoyed by how extreme and pointless grandstanding like this gives people the wrong impression of their cause and the people who support it.

My sister took the time to track down the contact info for the organization behind this week’s city-wide campaign of visual harassment, and here it is for those of you fellow locals who also want to contact these people and tell them to knock it off:

Fletcher Armstrong, PhD CBR Southeast Region Director
P.O. Box 20115, Knoxville, TN 37940
phone: 865-776-3261
e-mail:Fletcher@CBRinfo.org
For more information on CBR-Southeast: www.ProLifeOnCampus.com

This is the email my sister sent them:

Mr. Armstrong,

My summerlong quest for the perfect margarita has come to an end just as the season wraps up. After trying various options – restaurants, bars, my own concoctions – I can now report with confidence that the best margaritas in Knoxville, TN are the work of one Dr. Jay Pfaffman. Apparently, it’s all about key lime and triple sec.

Now, what should my Fall quest be?