Having the opportunity to work and collaborate with a professional you have respected since you first started working in the industry is truly special.
There have been several professionals over the years I have had on my bucket list to not only meet, but have the opportunity to work with.
Today, I am happy to say I have been able to achieve this!
I have been a fan of Brian Solis and the work he has done for our field for over a decade. His work was some of the first I read that really sparked my interest and passion for the social media industry. My entire dissertation at the University of Tennessee was filled with references and citations to Brian’s work. I even did a research project on him. It is currently the most downloaded article for Public Relations Review.
Yes, a research project exploring personality traits of social media influencers. This was the first real conversation we had via email. I remember sending an email to Brian:
Hi Brian! You do not know me, but I just did a research project on you, and here’s a copy!
And the rest is history! We stayed friends and connected online and I am still a fan of Brian’s work to this day. I have all of his books and when I heard he was writing a new one that was different from others he has written in the industry, this peaked my interest.
Lifescale is a book that focuses on addressing the issues and challenges social media brings to the table, but also provides actions, strategies and best practices on how to deal with these digital distractions.
This was last fall and a few months ago, I had a phone conversation that gave me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I was going to be working with Brian to help develop Lifescale University.
This is going to be a place to bring a community together to go through various activities, exercises, answer questions, and apply some of the concepts Brian discusses in the book into actionable strategies.
This book in my opinion is a game changer. I have read the book several times, and each time I am able to get something new and relevant to the work I am doing. This is a book that is not only relevant for technology or communicated based classes, but should actually be the required reading for all disciplines. In fact, I think it should be added as the first year book all freshmen have to read as they enter college. It’s that important.
This has been such a rewarding project to be a part of – Brian is a great colleague and friend, and it’s been amazing. I’ve had the opportunity to be able to create materials for other certification programs (lessons, exercises, workbooks, assignments, content, etc), and these experiences really prepared me for taking on this exciting new project.
I am excited to see what my fellow colleagues, friends, and educators think about Lifescale! This will be a book I will be adopting for all of my classes this upcoming year, and I know it will be extremely beneficial for everyone!
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
