“Moksa literally means ‘liberation,’ to be free. In the flow of our practice, it is the action of letting go. We do our duty, live abundantly, express gratitude, and let go… All of the passion we bring to the work we do… is for naught without the dispassion of moksa…. At the end of each of my classes, I say, ‘We show up, burn brightly, live passionately, hold nothing back, and when the moment is over, when our work is done, we step back and let go.’ Carry the two things in your heart, practice them as one, and your struggles with the world will come to an end.”
–Meditations from the Mat by Rolf Gates with Katrina Kenison, Day 133
I’m writing this week’s newsletter conceding defeat.
I have two half-written columns open. One is very heartfelt, relating to the subject from the quote above, and I couldn’t do it justice.
It’s a shame because it’s a great week for it. Jeremiah Owyang just joined the Serial Marketers community for our new group video series, and he led a discussion on the intersection of wellness and tech. There is so much inspiration that I can’t capitalize on at the moment.
I had another fun idea that was starting to come together but needs more time to bake.
And yet, as I keep myself up too late writing this, thinking of some other deadlines both imposed by others and self-imposed, and also thinking of wanting to get in a little bit of yoga for myself before bed, it came to me that it was time to act on what I’m learning.
There is the passion of action and then the liberation from letting go. I’ve been reading Meditations from the Mat daily for the past month or so, poring over more than one entry a day but stopping as soon as I feel myself losing focus and not internalizing the wisdom the authors are eager to impart.
Another favorite recent entry discussed habitual thought patterns that become harmful. Gates notes in Day 125, “The answer, according to the Yoga Sutras, is to tie your attention to the solution and not the problem… The joy of that passibility can imbue my day. In the end, it is all a matter of where I place my attention.”
Once we determine where to focus, it becomes clearer what we can let go of.
It is time to let go. Instead of conceding defeat, it’s celebrating a victory. It is making something of nothing while attempting to make something of myself.
From this, I can breathe deeper and easier, putting together the rest of this edition, clearing my head through a few postures, and avoiding the fear of not getting something resembling a half-decent night’s sleep.
There will be many more chances to write and many more things to write.
And there will be more opportunities to respond to you. Please be sure to let me know how you are doing and how your health is. Beyond that, the question remains: what are you making of yourself?
David
P.S. One thing I’ve been working is in the events section: the half-day event, How to Build and Grow Online Communities. It’s a nearly-free event, with just a requested donation (even $1) to support Feeding America’s COVID-19 relief efforts. See the list of confirmed speakers below.
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LEARN. TRY. SHARE.
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Beyond the resources below, we also have a #coronavirus channel in the Slack community for those who want to read and share more updates relating to the pandemic. Thanks to everyone who keeps sharing such useful resources. Please keep ’em coming in Slack or via email.
YOU GOT PPE? GOOD. SHARE IT
Laura Fitton put together this comprehensive guide nationally and state-by-state to help medical professionals
https://docs.google.com/
IT’S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
My friend Layne Harris and his collaborators came up with a way to support public health and personal hygiene while also supporting some terrific musical artists. Check out this Alexa Skill that doesn’t just play music but saves lives. And you thought the Jeopardy! skill was good.
https://www.handwashjukebox.
BRANDS VS. COVID
The World Federation of Advertisers compiled this list of how marketers around the world are addressing the crisis.
https://wfanet.org/
OOH: THE COUNTERVIRUS
The streets may be quieter in a lot of cities, but they’re not all empty. A lot of people are still exposed to digital out-of-home messages, so the DOOH industry (namely trade org DPAA and creative shop Madwell) launched a trade campaign to fight the epidemic.
https://wearethecountervirus.
A HOT TIP
Bartenders still need your tips. Here’s another great grassroots resource to support.
http://thevirtualtipjar.com/
HOOT IF YOU LIKE COVID NEWS
Business info database Owler has a free COVID-19 company news tracker.
https://www.owler.com/covid19
NOT JUST BAS-RELIEF
Springboard for the Arts presents this roundup, some specific to their home state of Minnesota, but also around the country.
https://springboardforthearts.
FREEBIES GALORE
Who’s offering some perks to boost your career, health, or mood during this whole mess? Well, the tons of companies here do that, for starters.
https://
FOUNDERS, LET’S
It really must be the end of times if brands are sharing this kind of spec work and giving credit to the designer (Luke O’Reilly). Next, we’re going to see brands offer to pay
https://www.council.club/lunch
A THOUSAND PINTS OF LIGHT
It really must be the end of times if brands are sharing this kind of spec work and giving credit to the designer (Luke O’Reilly). Next, we’re going to see brands offer to pay agencies faster. LOLOLOLOL. ROTFL. LOL.
https://twitter.com/
MORE RESOURCE HIGHLIGHTS
I’m adding a section on some other links from previous editions that may be helpful, and I’ll keep adding to them so you have them all in one place:
- Audible’s free audiobooks for kids
- Bing’s COVID-19 tracker
- Collaboration Superpowers presents tools for remote teams
- CoronaHub: the job board and Slack community
- Domo’s coronavirus tracker and visualizations
- Financial Times: coronavirus tracker and visualizations (access for free)
- Google’s COVID-19 resources
- Guild’s work-from-home guide
- NUMA’s collection of business resources
- Rockerbox’s D2C trends in light of shifting consumer behavior
- Springworks’ resources for managing remote teams
- Support Restaurants with dining bonds
- Upskilling During a Downturn: resources from Scott Monty and Jeremiah Owyang
- USAFacts.org: up-to-the-minute metrics
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EVENTS
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Below are events that are either virtual or scheduled far enough out that they hope to be real-world functions. Please send over any great virtual events you’re hosting or attending, and I’ll add them to the list.
All times for virtual events are EST unless otherwise specified.
NYC MEDIA LAB: COMBINE VIRTUAL DEMO DAY
April 3, 9:30-11am
Virtual
“NYC Media Lab’s Combine cohort will pitch their startup concepts virtually! The Combine 2020 startups range from AR/VR to eye-tracking video technology and solar powered chargers. Attend to see how 12 weeks of venture development and market validation shaped each team’s ideas.”
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
CREATING CONTENT IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
April 9, 11am
Virtual
Via my friend Jay Mandel who always puts terrific sessions together: “Learn practical ways to be relevant and empathetic from my obsession with how companies are responding to the Coronavirus.”
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
HOW TO BUILD AND GROW ONLINE COMMUNITIES
April 14, 12-5pm
During a time where so many people are predominantly interacting remotely, online communities have never been so important. That’s why we’re bringing together some of the most accomplished organizers of professional communities to share their tips and secrets. Presenters include:
- Skip Graham, OldTimers List
- Jessy Grossman, Women in Influencer Marketing (WIIM)
- Rachel Happe, The Community Roundtable
- Danielle Letayf, Badassery
- Charlene Li, Quantum Networks
- Veronika Sonsev, mBolden & Chamelon Collective
- Alex Taub, Upstream
- and your host, David Berkowitz, Serial Marketers
Come for one session or stay for all. The full agenda with timing and session names will be posted soon. Each speaker gets a 30-minute time slot with 15-20 minutes speaking and 10-15 minutes Q&A.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
SOCIAL MEDIA WEEK (PIVOTING TO VIRTUAL #SMWONE)
May 5-28
Virtual
The annual slate of thought-provoking programming returns. This is another can’t-miss event, even as the topics it covers expand way beyond social media as most of us know it.
https://smwone.com/
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES SUMMIT (NEW DATES)
August 11-13
Chicago
I loved this event so much in New York that I’m joining them in Chicago as both a speaker and media sponsor. I’ll be speaking about how to build and run a successful B2B community, and of course I will be including examples from many others, with a bit of experience covering mistakes I’ve made that others can learn from.
https://
LDV SUMMIT (NEW DATES)
February 10-11, 2021
NYC
“The premier global gathering in visual tech” is run by one of my favorite firms of any sort out there, LDV Capital. They specialize in bringing some of the best people together in all sorts of ways.
https://www.ldv.co/
RECURRING EVENTS
SERIAL MARKETERS SALONS
Tuesdays, 3pm EDT
Come join fellow Serial Marketers members for an upcoming virtual chat. Following the first one about working from home, our next one will be wellness. If you can’t make this coming one, you can sign in and pick whichever dates you want to RSVP for (I scheduled ten for now). Please note: it’s password-protected for members of the community. Email me for access or check Slack.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
PROTOCOL LIVE
Thursdays, 3pm EDT
Virtual
“At Protocol, we cover the people, power and politics of technology so you — senior tech and business decision-makers — are armed with the news and analysis to lead your organizations and build your careers. We have launched Protocol Virtual Meetups to provide you the inside scoop on what we are seeing out in the tech landscape and give us all an opportunity to stay connected in these wild times.”
https://zoom.us/webinar/
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JOBS
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Reach out to me if you want introductions or any additional information, and let me know if you have other job postings you’d like to share. There have also been many job updates within Serial Marketers, so if you’re part of that, be sure to check the #jobs channel for more.
WOMEN IN SPORTS TECH
Fellowship (paid internship)
“This Fellowship grant of $5,000 is open to all enrolled female full-time undergraduate and graduate students at an accredited university located in the United States. Students must be in good academic standing… For the first time, in addition to consideration of Self-Created Projects by applicants this year we also offer you the ability to apply as a General Applicant for one of the Structured Internships opportunities for applicants who do not have their own project in mind. Also, in addition to the $5,000 grant, WiST will cover the cost of housing and first and last flights up to an additional $2,500 for WiST Fellows. Please see the amended requirements below. Application deadline is April 17, 2020.”
http://womeninsportstech.org/
Other job resources:
- Ad Ops Online: Job listings for ad operations, programmatic account management, sales operations, and more.
- Built in NYC: Jobs at a range of levels and functions, as long as you’re okay working in this quaint, backwater hamlet.
- CareerList: Here’s a form for companies hiring and a form for job seekers; here’s the public list with tabs for both
- CoronaHub: Jobs relating to the crisis response
- ExecThread: Senior roles spanning a range of verticals and cities; membership is free but fully vetted (this uses my referral ID to get you in faster, but I don’t profit from it).
- The Hired Guns: An array of jobs in marketing and related fields at brands, agencies, and media companies
- Hunterz: A way for connectors to get paid to introduce startups to large enterprises
- NYC Ad Jobs & Networking: A popular Facebook group
- One Club for Creativity: COVID-19 Jobs Board
- TechNY Daily: While more technical, there are also some sales and marketing jobs at NY startups.
- VentureLoop: Free startup job listings; their paid option is $15/month and might surface more leads (but it might not).
- Wanted: Wanted helps top talent in tech and marketing find a job at your desired pay. Plug in your salary, stay anonymous at first, and connect with companies that want to recruit you.
Do you run or enjoy other job listing sites? Let me know, and I’ll share them.This column was originally published in my newsletter. While I share the introductory column here, other updates such as jobs, events, and commentary on news are exclusively available to subscribers. Sign up now to make sure you receive it.
