OK…I’ll admit it…I’m a social networking junkie/whore (why is it that the terms that seem most relevant here are pejorative?) I’ve lost count of how many I’m on and I’ve been doing it since the ‘net was just a twinkle in Al Gore’s eye. Recently I became involved in a conversation on Biznik relating to the decision process people use to decide whether or not to add someone to their network. My criteria for accepting invitations/add requests/etc vary widely but relate specifically to the reasons I’m a part of that particular community.

I wear many hats in my roles on various social networks - sometimes I am acting on behalf of an employer or client…other times it relates to a particular professional or personal interest of mine. For work I’ve belonged (and in some cases still belong) to networks focusing on topics as diverse as surgical nursing, C++, SQL Server, business banking, Croc wearers, and Pokemon. Personally and professionally the topics range much further including living with cancer, Steampunks, books, comic books and cartooning, local history, entrepreneurship, startups, recruiting, competitive intelligence, librarians, school alums, user interface, and writing.

I’ve had my moments of going over the top – I once got thrown off Matchmaker.com for creating a profile of the ultimate Booth Babe in rhyming computer slang…but I did get a hire out of it ;-). Certainly I’m a big fan of wit and humor when approaching people you don’t know, but want to get to know, and believe that a common interest can indeed act as an introduction. I’m also not opposed to networking with people I haven’t met in person. When I first was starting out as a consultant a number of my clients were people I met on Guy Kawasaki’s Rules for Revolutionaries mailing list. I met a business partner there and we created an online community website (this was 1999…we were unfortunately, a wee bit ahead of our time) without ever meeting in person, working primarily by Instant Messaging.

Here are my guidelines -

1. Social Networks are for creating connection and community. Look to thine own self first…for what you can give, not what you can get! Are you someone that others want to connect with? What have you offered to the community? What have you done/said that might attract others to want to connect with you? On Twitter I always do a quick browse to see if there’s a question I can answer, a recommendation or introduction I can make, a website I can point to, or a friendly nudge in the right direction. And, on the whole, this doesn’t mean always referring someone to my own website or blog. When I’m deciding whether or not to follow someone I’ll look at their recent tweets and see if they’ve done the same…or at least provided a good laugh!

2. Social Networks consist of human beings. If you don’t speak in a human voice, you’ll be dead in the water. There is nothing that makes me hit the delete button faster than receiving an invite/intro/add request with nothing but the canned lines in it. I don’t care if we’re in the same subgroup together or were in the same room with a 100 other people at an event or went to same school. Those are all good starts…but, like Meredith Grey, I want you to “pick *me*”. Tell me that a mutual friend thought we’d hit it off, or you overheard me telling a story and laughed so hard your martini came out your nose, or my last blog post was brilliant, or we met in a past life, or that *something specific* in my profile made you think I might be interested in your upcoming event.

I met my husband online. I had spent 2 years dating the dregs of humanity and was considering joining a nunnery. I signed up for a trial on Yet Another Online Dating Site and put up a profile that was quite specific about who I was seeking and pulled no punches explaining just what to expect from me. He wrote me a charming note, fully demonstrating that he recognized all my obscure movie and book references, that he enjoyed my warped sense of humor, that he “got” me and knew our connection was worth pursuing. I wrote back (from Seattle), “Dude…you’re in California! What are you thinking?” A few weeks later he came to visit and never left.

Online connections are like any other. They need someone to take the first step and both people to be open to possibilities. They need to be mutually beneficial. They take some investment to have them continue and grow. Every day I wake up in awe of who I might meet today, just sitting in front of my computer screen. For every person halfway around the world, there’s also someone just across town that you never would have known about without [insert your favorite social networking site here.] Know what you have to offer and what you’re looking for – then go for it!

March 25th, 2009 | Tags: Anthony Jon Hicks, author Ann Wendell, Biznik, Guy Kawasaki, online community, Rules for Revolutionaries, Seattle, social media, Social Networking, twitter | Category: Social Networking | Comments (3)

I’m telling myself I’m doing my bit for sustainability by re-purposing and recycling my newsletter as a blog post. At moments I can even believe that. For the most part though I just feel like I need to hire someone to be my Information Filter…oh wait…that’s what I do. Yikes.

At the moment my sister is 15 min away from picking up  my daughter and I for the Wendell Girls Road Trip (hmmm…I guess I’m the only Wendell…no wait…I’m pretty sure in my sister’s many name changes that she actually hung on to Wendell in some way and my daughter has now turned 18 and reached the age of reason where she could, if she so desired, drop her current last name (her father’s) and use Wendell which I conveniently gave her as a middle name proving of course I can see the future. ) We’re on our way down to Portland…and then McMinnville for a whirlwind college tour. My daughter is participating in Scholarship Day at Linfield College on Sunday and we’re going to tool around University of Portland and Reed today.

So…my sister and I are staying at the Hotel Oregon in McMinnville on Sunday night…which is….tada…the Oscars. Hotel Oregon is owned by McMeneman’s so I was figuring they’d have some kind of of hootnanny going on to celebrate…and of course they do…in Portland. I write to the Hotel (which doesn’t have TVs in the rooms to encourage serenity) and plead for some sort of frivolity whereby we can have a few champagne cocktails and hoot at the celebrities on the red carpet…or at least huddle around an old TV in the staff lounge. I get a call from the manager and…he’s working on turning on the sound on the TV in the billiard room. Don’t worry he says…worse case scenario you can watch the Oscars with subtitles. Anyway….here’s my announcements!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 6:30 – 7:30pm: Ann reads from ‘ Seattle’s Ravenna Neighborhood’ at the Northeast Branch of Seattle Public Library

Ann will be sharing pictures and talking about her first local history book, Seattle’s Ravenna Neighborhood. Come see why Ravenna Park was called Big Tree Park when it was a private attraction for visitors to the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in 1909. You’ll also learn about the historic college in Ravenna that was not connected to the University of Washington. In addition Ann will be talking about local resources from which she acquired the pictures and a bit about researching and writing local history.

This program accompanies the neighborhood history exhibit hosted by Northeast Library during the whole month of February. Third Place Books will be on hand selling copies of both of her books – Seattle’s Ravenna Neighborhood and Frederick & Nelson.

Library events and programs are free and everyone is welcome. Registration is not required. The Northeast Branch is located at 6801 35th Ave. N.E. For more information call 206-684-7539 or visit the Seattle Public Library events calendar.

If you missed Ann’s interview on January 28^th’s Sound Focus on KUOW 94.9FM you can still go to their website and listen to, or download, the interview. Ann joined host Dave Beck to talk about Frangos, the Tearoom, and the other elements that made Frederick & Nelson such a center of creativity and community.

See the photo spread in the January 15th Bothell-Reporter.com – “Memories Flow at Frederick & Nelson Tea Party”

Author Ann Wendell joined the residents of the Chateau at Bothell Landing for a holiday tea and book signing party focused around the memories and lasting impressions of one of Seattle’s oldest and most revered department stores.

February 21st, 2009 | Tags: Academy Awards, author Ann Wendell, book promotion, Frederick & Nelson, Hotel Oregon, Images of America, Linfield College, Local History, McMeneman's, Oscar's, Portland, Ravenna, Seattle History, Seattle Public Library | Category: Customer Service, Frederick & Nelson book, Local History, Ravenna | Comments (7)

It’s my birthday too yeah! I was born on my father’s birthday February 3, 1958 (he’s was of course before that…47 years before to be exact.) Over the years my dad and I perfected our birthday greetings to each other into something resembling a vaudeville routine – “Happy Birthday to you!” “No Happy Birthday to you!” My mom would get us a cake (she didn’t do cakes…pies OTOH were her specialty and in later years I would always have a birthday menu that consisted of Eggs Benedict and Lemon Meringue Pie…preferably in bed) from Carolyn’s Cakes on Capital Hill (gone but not forgotten)…yellow cake with chocolate frosting that said simply “Happy Birthdays.” When I was pregnant with my daughter I tried for the three generation Hat Trick to see if she would join us on the 3^rd but alas even then she had a mind of her own and waited until the 8^th. My dad passed away when he was 83…on Feb 9^th…I always thought he waited until after both ours and his granddaughter’s birthdays to go…and my mom many years before that. I miss them both…all the time…but am glad I have so many wonderful memories of them.

So…to all the February 3th Birthday Buddies out there -

Happy Birthdays to Us!!!!

February 3rd, 2009 | Tags: birthday memories, birthdays, Carolyn's Cakes, happy birthday, Seattle | Category: Local History, Personal History | Comments (1)

OK…getting pretty sick of this whole snow thing…it was cute at first…all picturesque and all but now its become annoying, to say the least. Right now I’m supposed to be at KUOW taping an interview about Frederick & Nelson and the Christmas experience but unfortunately the host…and the back up host…are unable to make it in to the station after standing in the snow for hours waiting for the Metro bus that is probably jack-knived in the middle of an intersection near you. Here’s what I wrote in response -

Thanks for giving it a go…I am disappointed that it didn’t work out for today…it would have been the most perfect thing for your listeners to hear today as they are most likely a captive audience! Alas we mere mortals aren’t capable of the lengths F&N would go in their quest for amazing customer service…I’m reminded of the story (I can’t remember if I told Dave) about the 1928 Christmas Ship to Alaska that ran aground destroying all the gifts on board. F&N hunted through hundreds of sales slips by hand, recreated all the orders, commissioned a new boat to sail, and when they arrived in Alaska chartered planes and dog sleds to deliver presents by Christmas Day. Unfortunately all we have is Metro…a poor substitute for a dog sled if I ever saw one.

Then I was perusing the LinkedIn:Seattle discussion that’s been going on regarding memories of F&N and tried to set the record straight on the topic of Frangos using my finest command of weasel words -

Yes…you can get something called an official Frango at Macy’s (there was a heated battle over the rights to the name, shape of the box, etc. when the store closed involving over 9 companies and far too many lawyers) but…is it the recipe we all remember? Or does Seattle Gourmet Chocolates have the Mint That Dares Not Speak Its Name? I’ll just say that at the Frederick & Nelson Retired, Fired, Quit Club Holiday Luncheon, which I had the honor of attending with Lamont MacDonald - the inventor of the Frango mint machine, - what they had available were what they called “the familiar mint” from Seattle Gourmet Chocolates.

When I had my book launch a couple of weeks ago, my friend Kim Carsberg made several Frango mint desserts from recipes she had obtained from the Bon Marche soon after F&N closed (and they held the rights to the Frango name.) They were amazing and were gobbled up immediately. Later we were talking of the history of the Frango and Kim told me that she hadn’t wanted to tell me that getting all the Frangos she needed to make the desserts was just too expensive at Macy’s so she went to Costco and bought Seattle Gourmet Chocolates in bulk. She was afraid I would think them inauthentic…she couldn’t have been more wrong

December 24th, 2008 | Tags: author Ann Wendell, book promotion, Customer Service, Frango, Frederick & Nelson, Local History, Seattle, snow | Category: Christmas Culture, Customer Service, Frederick & Nelson book, Local History | Comments (1)

I’ve been having a bit of the pre-Christmas blues…never fun to be unemployed at this time of year (as much of America is well aware of right now) and struggling to come to terms with the fact that my publisher, when faced with publicizing a book a book that is frankly All About Christmas has taken a very Scarlett O’Hara approach and decided to think about it tomorrow…or rather in February. And combined with the fact that the weather has been frightful…with not a whole lot of delightful to go around and I’m sitting surrounded by unsold books and merchandise for events that got buried under several feet of snow…well…you get the idea. But…somewhere out there Clarence must have done a stint at F&N and had a few left over good deeds to perform because I’ve been hearing a few bells ringing the past few days.

On Saturday Tony and I had no less than 3 parties and an event (the Steampunk Caberet) to attend and we were all dressed up and ready to go. (I was wearing this amazing 100 year old beaver top hat adorned with a poinsettia the size of a cabbage that I had gotten at my buddy Matt’s shop in Montlake – M.R. Johnson’s Antiques.) But the event and one party were cancelled and another was in Shoreline and we decided that we didn’t really have a death wish to make that trip so we went to Montlake to my friend Sally’s house for her annual Christmas soiree. On the way we’d stopped at Bartell’s and happened to meet a soccer mom we knew who wanted a book…and of course I just happened to have some in the car. Because this is what I’ve come to…selling books out of the back of the car like fake Chanel bags in East LA. On to the party which was fabulous and I sold a few more books (although I really think Tony’s comments on Am-way were uncalled for.) Spent some time talking with a very charming Irishman who lived across the street and was a big F&N fan. At one point he said wait right here and ran (ok…plodded through the blizzard) to his house. When he came back he handed me two plates from the Tearoom “made expressly for Frederick & Nelson” and said these are for you. Wow. Later we were exchanging emails and when I saw his name – Peter Mack – I had this flash from 20+ years ago of a cute charming Irishman named Peter who was a world class pianist. Someone had brought him to a party that my 1^st husband and I had thrown and we had gotten to talking about immigration woes. My ex and I had, at that point, just gotten married and gone through considerable money and anguish to get him (an Australian) permission to stay in the country. We recommended our attorney Karen Gilbert, a powerhouse with a heart of gold. And apparently the rest was history. Peter said that recommendation was the reason he was in the U.S. today and his partner thanked me profusely
Yesterday my husband, daughter and I were shopping at the University Book Store and my daughter came running over and said Mom come see this! There was my book (with a very nice write up) in the Staff Picks! Seeing as I didn’t even think you could *find* it in the city I was thrilled. I let the staff know the Author Was In The Store and they set me down with an enormous pile of books to sign and told me it had been “flying off the shelf.” Wait…let me say that again, “flying off the shelf.” Have sweeter words ever fallen on an author’s ear?

Today…after struggling to go through Arcadia to get book signings set up at Costco I had Costco’s book buyer call me back from a message that I had left last week. She’s being great and I feel I couldn’t be in better hands to get something set up. And…she sent me the cutest Santa photo ever! Here’s Pennie Ianniciello on the F&N Santa’s knee – 

Earlier this evening my sister called to check in and wish me a Merry Christmas from the wilds of Bellevue. We chatted a bit and I told her we still hadn’t gotten a tree yet and the odds weren’t looking good. She called me back about an hour later and told me she had arranged to have a Christmas tree delivered to my house tomorrow…from Chubby & Tubby!! I am now surrounded by wonderful F&N memories and will have a tree from Chubby & Tubby – as a Seattle native, I couldn’t ask for anything more.

December 24th, 2008 | Tags: author Ann Wendell, Chubby & Tubby, Costco, Frederick & Nelson, Images of America, Local History, Peter Mack, Seattle History, Steampunk, University Book Store | Category: Christmas Culture, Customer Service, Frederick & Nelson book, Local History, Steampunk | Comments (2)

Having recently published my second local history book I’ve been bracing myself for the emails, phone calls, and stage-whispered asides at book signings where someone announces that you’ve gotten it wrong…wrong…WRONG. Sometimes it’s a heartbreaker as in my first book when I didn’t make clear the contributions of a mother, recently passed away, to a family business. Sometimes it’s an honest mistake…that was a picture of Uncle John and *not* Aunt Alice?? Often it’s a piece of seeming trivia that appears to only be remembered (in excruciating detail) by that person who passed through town for 15 min in 1942. But let me tell you it matters…it matters to each and every person for whom what you’re writing about was a part of their personal experience. And so it darn well better matter to you.

Today an article about me and my Frederick & Nelson book was published in a local newspaper, the North Seattle Herald Outlook. I had met with the editor, Vera Chan-Pool, last week and had a great time talking with her. Definitely one of the most fun interviews I’d ever done. And I’m thrilled with the article; well researched, thoughtful, and far ranging in scope. But there are a couple moments…as with all publicity…where I said to myself OMG did I say that??? (And there were many more moments when I said to myself OMG did my Close Personal Friend and Former Editor Julie Pheasant-Albright really say that? and that???) Is Nordstrom going to blackball my Nordy’s card because I implied they owe an unacknowledged debt to F&N? (I guess I’m just lucky that what I had to say about trying to get Macy’s to call me back couldn’t be printed in a family newspaper.) But the line that I don’t actually remember saying but that definitely strikes a cord was, “It’s a big responsibility to be the guardian of Frederick & Nelson memories.” And no…I don’t think I’m the only one…the Anointed One…who has the Only True Memories. Far from it…what I loved most about doing the book was hearing and reading so many other people’s memories. And I’m trying to continue to be the conduit of those memories by posting them here in my blog. A friend recently directed me to a group discussion on LinkedIn Seattle entitled “In Fond Memory of Frederick & Nelson: What do you remember about this Pacific Northwest retailer?” There’s been 22 comments in the last couple of days and this is so not the first place I think people would think of to talk about F&N. But now we can’t be stopped. By Christmas Eve we’ll all be downtown staging a takeover of Nordstrom, performing random acts of exemplary customer service and scattering Frangos in our wake. Are you in?

December 18th, 2008 | Tags: author Ann Wendell, book, book promotion, Customer Service, Frango, Frederick & Nelson, history, Images of America, Local History | Category: Customer Service, Frederick & Nelson book, Local History, Writing | Leave a comment

In my last blog post I blathered on about my Zazzle gallery and directed everyone and his brother with an Internet connection to check out my dazzling array of wares. Which would have been just great had there been anything there to see. I had slaved away for hours creating all manner of merchandise to promote my upcoming book Images of America: Frederick & Nelson and I was excessively pleased with myself. Besides posting the merchandise to my public gallery for sale I also placed a rather substantial order for myself so that I would have both giveaways and sale items for my Book Launch Party. Imagine my horror when I visited the next day and found that almost all of my items had been deleted due to “possible copyright infringement.” Yikes! Here’s the thing. I’m thrilled that Zazzle is vigilant about copyright issues…as a writer and librarian this is an important issue to me. Heck, I once worked for iCopyright.com…and all I have to show for it is this lousy mug…but that’s another story.) I sent off proof of my copyright and when I hadn’t heard back called them the next day. Forty-five minutes on the phone later I had approval and assurance that my order was still in process. That’s the good news…the bad news is that I had to spend hours recreating all my merchandise as they “couldn’t put it back.” I also expressed concerns about my order getting to me on time with these delays and offered to pay for rush shipping but was told that would “put my order back to the beginning and delay it another 2 or 3 days.” Huh? Today I see that all of my order has shipped so I’m a happy camper. And everyone I talked with on the phone was pleasant and sincerely trying to help.

While I was still in the hysteria stage I decided to get some collateral made at Kinko’s for an event I have coming up on Thursday. They had an Entrepreneur Package with 300 flyers, 300 postcards, 300 business cards, and one counter poster for $99. Sounded good to me. My husband – That Illustrator Guy – was going to do the layout for me so I called to get the dimensions and details and was told all the items would be in black & white only (unlike the illustration in their ad.) That wasn’t going to work for me as I wanted my book cover prominently displayed…in color. So…we worked out an order for less than half as many items for what turned out to be almost twice the money. I’m not thrilled with this but felt up against a wall time-wise. So…my marriage hanging in the balance my husband works to the wee small hours and turns out impeccable work…as always. I take the images in today and…they can’t find my order. Luckily the guy that I had talked with at 10:30pm the night before was still there at noon today (does he sleep there?) and they found it, downloaded the images, and said they would call me to look at proofs. Three hours later they called me and said they had lost the images I had brought in. Yikes! I take them back in and wait there while they run proofs. Turns out the sweet young thing that had helped me earlier (he…making conversation asks about my book and I tell him it’s about Frederick & Nelson which closed in 1992. Oh, he says, that’s when I was born) somehow saved the images to a customer folder and…as they are of course concerned about maintaining privacy and all they have those set to delete the contents after a certain amount of time. Seeing as I had last altered the images at 2:00am the computer felt that was time enough and had immediately deleted the images.

So…two companies trying to do the right thing end up inconveniencing me and giving me minor heart attacks. But I’m sticking with them and would recommend them because…they acted like human beings. They both explained what was going on, admitted that some policies or procedures weren’t great, and made me feel that they really were looking after my best interests. So…Zazzle Customer Service and Fed Ex-Kinko’s by the University Village in Seattle (which I would link to if I could but I can’t as the corporate office doesn’t believe they exist) – give your people a raise!

December 3rd, 2008 | Tags: author Ann Wendell, book promotion, Customer Service, Fedex Kinko's, Frederick & Nelson book, Zazzle | Category: Customer Service, Frederick & Nelson book, Writing | Comments (3)

This morning I was reading the New York Times (now there’s a phrase that evokes an image for me…lazy Sunday mornings in bed with the Times spread out around us…drinking steaming cups of coffee and munching on bagels and lox from Zabar’s…wait…I’ve never actually done that but it seems a mainstay in most every novel I’ve read. Unfortunately, I’m sitting at my computer in my drafty little office eating leftover turkey and stuffing but you get the idea.) While reading about the Wal-Mart Shopping Stampede (a friend, native New Yorker, called me to tell me the news and my first reaction was “were these people trying to get into a Wal-Mart or protesting its very existence? Exactly she said…an irony lost on the masses apparently,) and came upon this article - Transforming Art Into a More Lucrative Career Choice.

The author states “Rather than seeing art as something to pursue in the hours when they are not earning a living, these artists are developing businesses around their talents. These artists are part of a growing movement that has caught the attention of business experts and is being nudged along by both art and business schools.” And goes on to say, “Living in the Internet era has certainly helped.”

This struck quite a chord with me as I had spent the night before working on my gallery at Zazzle. My book, Images of America: Frederick & Nelson, is coming out on December 8^th and while of course I hope it sells like hotcakes, if I sat back and just waited for the royalties to roll in…well let’s just say I’d probably be using that New York Times to keep warm instead of reading it (and that’s going to be particularly difficult when it’s online.) So…I am embarking on a major marketing and promotion campaign and merchandising is going to be a major “String to my Bow” (a reference to the fabulous Bagthorpe Saga by Helen Cresswell which is quite simply the funniest (laugh out loud and fall out of your seat on the bus, milk squirting out your nose…or as George Carlin (who knows from funny) would say “… passed a whole cheese sandwich through his nose. Sister Annunciata thought it was a miracle.”) series I’ve ever read.

In an interview I gave for the book I say, “All over the Pacific Northwest there are thousands of people who, on any given day, wish they could walk into the building on 5^th Avenue and Pine Street in Seattle, step into the way back machine, and be transported to the time of their favorite experience at Frederick & Nelson. It’s my hope that this book will accomplish that for them.” I’ve tried to carry that theme over into the items I’m offering for sale…mugs, aprons, Christmas cards with classic Santa photos or photos of the store’s legendary decorations, a bumper sticker that states, “I’d Still Rather Be Shopping at Frederick & Nelson.” Merchandise isn’t my only “string” of course…I’m getting a number of events scheduled (see my website www.annwendellbooks.com for more details), and am planning my World Tour any day now (hahaha.)

I sent the article to my husband Tony Hicks as well as we’re going to be ramping up his career as an artist next month as well. He has a place holder website up now and a PDF of his portfolio for his Natural Science Illustration. And today we’re off to the junk stores to gather arcana for steampunk inspired collection boxes – more on that soon!

November 29th, 2008 | Tags: Artists, author Ann Wendell, Bagthorpe Saga, Career Planning, Frederick & Nelson book, New York Times, Steampunk, Wal-Mart, Writers, Zazzle | Category: Artists, Career Planning, Frederick & Nelson book, Local History, Steampunk | Comments (4)

Earlier today I received a follow notice on Twitter from @worldhistory and had to check it out. It’s a new web application currently in private beta (but you can sign up to take part at World History.) It got a good write up on Tech Crunch and they link to the demo videos. Basically you can use their interactive map to find locations you’d like to learn about and access all types of historical information on the events and people associated with a particular time and place…anywhere in the world. There are plans to be able to add your own ancestors and genealogical information to the site.

The company is also developing an iPhone application so that you can access historical information near where you live or are visiting. It’ll be like having your own miniture tour guide in your pocket.

The product is a spin off from FamilyLink, those good people of Utah who seem to have a monopoly on accessing geneological history. I can’t wait to see what it’s like when people start uploading their own information. I’d certainly love to have my books in the Images of America Series – Seattle’s Ravenna Neighborhood and Frederick & Nelson – included. I know there are people out there that think the rest of the world wants to read a 400 page book on their Uncle Leo’s bottle cap collection when in fact most people would gnaw off their arm to avoid it…and yeah even a history geek like me has her limits but…what I loved most about researching and writing my books was discovering the every day personal stories…the same for when I travel. Sure I want to know the big stuff…but what makes it real to me is the context and personal connection that an individual’s story can bring.

November 19th, 2008 | Tags: author Ann Wendell, FamilyLink, Frederick & Nelson, history, Images of America, Local History, Ravenna, Tech Crunch, World History | Category: Frederick & Nelson book, Local History | Comments (2)