I am a JDate success story, two times over!

InteractiveAmy is a Jdate Success Story!

In addition to reconnecting with the first boy I ever kissed (and marrying him) I also was the matchmaker in another Jdate wedding!

Twice, really? How does that happen?  Before finding my man I was an avid dater, I love meeting new people and I approached dating with a sales mentality.  It’s all a numbers game! The more people you meet, the greater the chances of finding a love connection!

After going on a date with a very nice person it was clear there were no sparks…where others would just end it we parted as friends and continued to hang out. He was a great catch, just not right for me.   I set him up with my friend, and they were engaged less than a year later!

My pay it forward attitude payed off one month later when I found Josh online.  With one round of JDate instant messages we established that we were each other’s first kiss, from summer camp in the early 90′s!  After a whirlwind romance he moved from Boston to Chicago to be with me, and we were engaged the following year!

Last month I was asked to participate in a special JDate Success Stories Twitter giveaway! @JDate partnered with @PopJudaica on September 23, 2009 to give away free 1-month JDate memberships and t-shirts from PopJudaica to Twitter fans.

I was chosen as a Twitterer who represented a JDate success story and was fortunate to give a month of Jdating away to the first person who correctly answered a trivia question!  I got to share my favorite story (how I met my husband!) with a new audience and give people hope that the will someday meet the partner of their dreams!

Jdate twitter contest

I believe in connecting people, and I was honored to give others the chance to find love and friendship.  The Internet brings people together everyday. Whether you are looking to buy or sell a product or service, need a question answered or are looking to grow your personal and professional network, you never know who you will meet online!

Have a great online connection story you’d like to share, please do!

No related posts.

Is  it possible for a weekend at WordCamp to turn someone into a blogger?

Yes, I am living proof!

This past weekend, I attended WordCamp Chicago to immerse myself in the world of WordPress.  While not an entry level blog conference, this blogging newbie was on a mission to learn from the best.

I will follow up with more WordCamp Chicago highlights and presentation recaps in posts to come, but in the meantime here are some takeaways that inspired me to log into WordPress and create an account before heading home after my first day at WordCamp Chicago.

Liz Strauss, founder of SOBCon and blogger extraordinaire kicked off WordCamp Chicago with a lesson on how to make your blog stand out.  With over 100 million blogs out there, any and all tips will certainly help!

If you’re still thinking about what you’re going to blog about  – choose something that you love! Blogging about your passion will attract like-minded people, and you will also look really smart!

People can find information anywhere, blog your experience with your information.

• For example – if movie critics only blogged information, all of the movie reviews would be the same.

(And speaking of movies, if you are a movie buff with a small bladder, check out RunPee.com, it tells you the best time to run to the restroom mid-movie, just heard about that site and had to share!!)

So now that you have something to write about, how does one build online influence?

According to Micah Baldwin, founder of #FollowFriday, if you truly want to be influential online, just influence one person.  He even provided a formula to back that up:

• Influence = Reach [Brand*Expertise*Trust], where reach is a multiplier of influence.

If I lost you at #FollowFriday, here is the run down – each Friday on Twitter, users recommend interesting and exciting people to follow, and people follow them back.  Talk about extending your influence, a recommendation from someone you trust goes a long way!

WordPress can do just about anything…So where does one begin?

A great way to learn is by example, and seeing how other people have used the platform is a great place to start! Luckily, Doug Hanna’s session was about “Showcasing the WordPress Showcase.”

In order to be included in the WordPress Showcase:
-    you have to use WordPress in a unique and innovative way,
-    have thousands of regular readers,
-    be written by someone famous, or notable in his/her particular field,
-    or represent notable organization, government entity, corporation as an official blog or website.

If WordPress is good enough for Martha Stewart, Sir Richard Branson, Harvard Law School and I Can Haz Cheezburger, it is good enough for me! Check out the showcase, what are your favorite WordPress sites?

You didnt have to attend WordCamp to have great advice to share – so tell me, what are your tips for new bloggers? Please share some pearls of wisdom, resources or words of inspiration for those who are just joining the world of WordPress.

Related posts:

1. What I Learned at WordCamp 2010
2. Becoming an Internet Celebrity – Erin Blaskie at WordCamp Chicago
3. WordPress.com is the Gateway Drug!

Within my first 24 hours on WordPress I got a shout out from Matt Mullenweg, the founding developer of WordPress, during his “The State of The Word” keynote at WordCamp Chicago!

Matt Mullenweg and interactiveAmy at WordCamp Chicago

What precipitated this occurance?

It is the Law of Attraction in action, my friends. Simply put, you attract your dominant thoughts.

I attracted this amazing experience and I want to share with you how it came to be.

My Goal – to be a blogger.

My Thoughts – desire to start a blog, imagine myself blogging, seek knowledge, follow my passion, belief that I can do it!

My Actions – register for WordCamp, go with open mind, receive knowledge, launch blog.

My Thanks – to Matt Mullenweg for envisioning and developing WordPress! Matt, thank you for giving the world a platform on which to blog! Thank you to everyone who visits my blog, and to the community for your help, support, and encouragement along the way!

It is no coincidence that this experience is a perfect segue to a subject I plan to explore in greater detail; using the Law of Attraction in business, in life, and within social media.

How does the Law of Attraction work?

* Set a goal that makes you very excited
* Visualize your goals
* Take Action
* Express gratitude

Starting a blog was my goal. Examining the ways people are using social media to meet their goals is just one of the subjects this we’ll explore together.

To kick off the conversation, in the comment section please share with me what goals excite you!

You are the only one that creates your reality.

Related posts:

1. WordPress.com is the Gateway Drug!
2. To Blog or Not To Blog
3. What I Learned at WordCamp Chicago