Wednesday, Dec 30, 2015

I worked on more Talented Tuesdays posts today. I'm also working on a pilot script. It's a comedic drama. I'm not sure how it directly works into my Director of Diversity plans, but like my other scripts, it is about the lives of colorful women.

Tuesday, Dec 29, 2015

I made another automated Talented Tuesday post. Hooray! I also worked on more posts.

Monday, Dec 28, 2015

I had a meeting, which went fine. I also did some brainstorming about how to continue enhancing my social media presence and building relationships with like minded individuals.

Sunday, Dec 27, 2015

I started watching Club de Cuervos on Netflix today. How does this help my career search? I don't know at the moment.

I was going to start watching Jane the Virgin, but Club de Cuervos was higher in my queue. It's the first Spanish language original series on Netflix. It's funny. A cross between the sibling rivalry of Empire and the football politics of Goal II: Living the Dream, with a dash of the sardonic humor of The Office (US) and the paternity drama of Ugly Betty.

I also tweeted and Facebooked.

Saturday, Dec 26, 2015

I worked on more Talented Tuesdays posts today. Creating each one helps me learn more about the digital landscape, beyond the individual person that I am featuring. Knowledge begets more knowledge.

Friday, Dec 25, 2015

Happy Christmas!

I started watching Marvel's Jessica Jones today to keep up with the trending conversations on diversity in television. It has an SVU essence. Not bad so far.

I also watched the first three episodes of Sleepy Hollow. I do enjoy John Cho, but so far, the show is not as good as it wants to be. Still on the air, though, so kudos to you, Sleepy Hollow.

Wednesday, Dec 23, 2015

I engaged in a variety of entertainment today, much of which included diverse casts of characters. I also tweeted and napped.

Tuesday, Dec 22, 2015

I published my first Talented Tuesday post! Woo hoo! I'm making friends by being a friend.

I also watched Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball for the fourth time. It serves as inspiration for Talented Tuesdays specifically and my career goals in general. Women, especially colorful women, rarely get celebrated as historical figures, individuals who have shaped culture and revolutionized the world.

I want to change that. I'm working on it one step at a time. I don't have pig truffles or diamond gifts or a customized trolley on my ginormous Montecito estate. I do have internet access, prioritized periods of writing time, and appreciative quips about my fellow entrepreneurs. So I'll give what I have: my words and my time.

Monday, Dec 21, 2015

I finished my first Talented Tuesday post. It is scheduled to be automatically this Tuesday morning. I finished the second one, too. Hooray for me!

Still tweeting.

Sunday, Dec 20, 2015

I've started writing my Talented Tuesdays posts, to be published on an automated schedule each week. I am reminding myself, to make a friend, I need to be a friend. I also need to do what I am best at. Ergo, the combination of writing about other people and illustrating how great they are should be a positive, productive endeavor.

Friday, Dec 18, 2015

Pushback means you're headed in the right direction.

I don't know which of the many business authors I'm paraphrasing, but that sentence is relevant to me now. I'm not where I want to be, and I feel like I'm in the right area, but I have been experiencing an increase in resistance lately.

In the words of Kathryn Erbe in D2: The Mighty Ducks, "We look tired. We need to change places. Change it up!"

So, I need to do something new, while I also continue what's working. For inspiration on women in business, I like to refer to Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office, a book by Lois P. Frankel, PhD. Mistake 2, she writes, is Playing the Game Safely and Within Bounds. She uses an extended tennis analogy to show how winners have to play at the edges of the court. You can't win in the middle. Don't revert to playing safe.

I would have liked a reference to Serena Williams in the following chapter in which she discusses the more restrictive boundaries for colorful women, but let me digress to Gene Hackman in The Firm. He tells Tom Cruise to bend the law "as far as you can without breaking it." I don't plan on breaking or bending any laws. Rules, yes. Guidelines, yes. Expectations, definitely.

I also plan to watch The Firm and Top Gun again for approximately the tenth time each before 2016.

Thursday, Dec 17, 2015

I'm on the list. I'm in the room.

That's what I should focus on. But it's hard. I say that often. Yet it's true.

I went to another holiday party tonight. I encountered many of the same people I talked to on Tuesday night. Hollywood is a tiny world, especially for colorful people. One would think we'd be better at supporting each other.

Networking functions are awkward when you don't know most of the people. Even when you do know people, it can be weird, with some of them constantly looking around the room for someone else more important than you, the person standing in front of them.

It's exhausting trying to exude confidence in a loud room with people who have actual jobs and little interest in talking with a writer who wants to become a corporate executive in an area where half of the most senior people are burnt out. Yeesh.

I thought to myself, maybe I should aspire instead to succeed as a writer of individual projects or the best SAT tutor or a college admissions counselor.

And then I thought of the latest episode of Amanda Seales's web series Get Your Life that I watched today, about black and blackish women performers all fighting for an unsatisfactory piece of the Hollywood acting pie. The pie piece was even smaller and sadder than the paltry supporting roles for a handful of underpaid white women.

Then I thought of my daughters someday looking at me at saying, "Mommy, how come no one looks like us on TV? I thought you were going to fix that. I can teach myself the SAT. It's reading and math. Can I have some money for the mall? I'm taking your car. kthxbai."

No home training.

So, yeah, increasing diversity in media is important, and it's something I have loved working in for over a decade. And, if I do it right, it could be economically and socially beneficial. Therefore, I should make a career in an area I love which is growing in population and media attention.

I need to have faith in abundance and help spread the word that there is room for everyone in media, not only for white men and what white men want.

Tuesday, Dec 15, 2015

I went to a holiday party tonight. It went better than the one on Saturday. I met nice people working in entertainment. Many of them had similar advice about my career search: talk to people in the area I want to work in, and try to get a job either in diversity in a different industry or at an entertainment company in a different department. All good advice, though not easy to implement.

I also had a coffee meeting, which reminded me to follow the tenets espoused in The Tao of Pooh: follow the flow of life instead of trying to force people into situations. I need to allow success to find me, instead of attempting to make things happen unnaturally. It's hard because I am a driven person who likes to make things happen by actively pursuing what I want. It's not in my nature to wait for something to magically appear.

Monday, Dec 14, 2015

I was very productive today. I watched Twinsters and tweeted about it.

I continued filling in my Talented Tuesdays list.

I also took two naps. Delightful.

On Sunday, I got shirts to wear to the two holidays parties I will be attending this week. They each should say, "I am appropriately fancy for this gathering."

Saturday, Dec 12, 2015

I attended two holiday parties today, and I met new people who were mostly nice.

I worked on my Talented Tuesdays list. I'm making good progress on the picture downloads.

I am staying focused on and committed to my projects instead of giving up hope prematurely and abandoning them.

Friday, Dec 11, 2015

I am downloading photos for my Talented Tuesdays project. I'm staying on task, which is great. Not getting as distracted as I get through this list.

I also sent messages to people I met this week at the meetings I attended, and many of them were received positively.

Thursday, Dec 10, 2015

I attended another writers' meeting tonight. I met some lively people and received enthusiasm, encouragement, and advice about my career goals.

It is exhausting trying to fit all my tasks into one day. Although, it is nice encounter other people excited about increasing diversity in media.

Wednesday, Dec 9, 2015

Today I went to a writers' meeting, and I met two people who co-starred in two of my favorite shows. My family was satisfactorily happy for me.

I also added another person to the Talented Tuesdays list, and I listened to her podcast.

Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015

Still ill, but doing a modicum of work. I started downloading photos for the Talented Tuesdays posts on For Nerdy Girls. I need to stop obsessing over finding the best photo of each person. Hardly anyone even reads my blog. Good enough is good enough. I need to get it done.

I also watched Morning Glory once again. By now, I should own that movie instead of renting it repeatedly.

Monday, Dec 7, 2016

Due mainly to a major family event and partially to illness, I did not get as far as I would like on any of my projects today.

Five years ago, while I was dating my current/first/only husband, I put some of the things we now have on my dream board, and they came true. They didn't simply appear because we wished them into existence. We worked hard for them. So, I will continue to work towards my other goals as well.

Sunday, Dec 6, 2015

I am working on my Talented Tuesdays list, which is taking me down a Twitter wormhole. I love finding more amazing women doing amazing things, but reading all of what they makes it harder for me to complete the list.

I have difficulty believing that anything I'm doing is getting me closer to my goal. I know I'm not the only overeducated/underemployed person out there who has job search fatigue, but it's still hard to deal with. I look at my dream board to keep me on track. I can do it. I've done other seemingly impossible things before.

Friday, Dec 4, 2015

I watched The Wiz last night. To paraphrase Shani O. Hilton, it was an excellent example of black people having to work twice as hard to get half as far as white people.

It's also a reminder that it's even harder to achieve similar notoriety for people of Hispanic, Latin@, Asian/Pacific Islander, or Middle Eastern/North African descent. There aren't many Broadway musical featuring nonwhite characters.

The Lion King. Also black people.

That's all I've got. 

I also tweeted and Facebooked and brainstormed ideas. My latest notion is writing about diversity in media for actual publications and getting paid for it. I do receive monetary compensation for other types of published articles that I create, so I will figure out this situation.

Wednesday, Dec 2, 2015

I have been working on my Talented Tuesdays list. And I followed more people on Twitter, based on my listening to them as guests on some of my favorite podcasts. Some more people followed me, too.

Additionally, I am brainstorming ways to share my diversity services in a business development capacity as a consultant. I have valuable ideas. Theoretically, media companies would pay for them. I could base my packages on this graphic designer's price list:

Tuesday, Dec 1, 2015

I had a coffee meeting today, and it went well. I talked more than usual, which is good, because I am often the listener and nodder. I am working my way up to the 50/50 conversation, instead of the 80/20 that I am at most of the time.

I also scheduled another coffee meeting. And, I will be going to a book club tonight, continuing my moving and shaking in the world. And, and, I will be recommending a book for next year: Nice Girls Still Don't Get the Corner Office by Lois P. Frankel, fellow Trojan. The book is great read with excellent advice for women from a variety of backgrounds.

Monday, Nov 30, 2015

Tomorrow is December 1, 2015. My goal, created and written down this April, was to become a Director of Diversity at a Media or Entertainment company by December 1, 2015. I did not achieve my goal. That makes me sad.

Anyhoodle, today I did more Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter socializing.

I also watched the first part of Morning Glory in español for inspiration. If a fictional, plucky white Rachel McAdams can badger "fictional" Jeff Goldblum into giving her a glass cliff job with no specified salary in the dying industry of broadcast television, then maybe there's hope for IRL me.

Sunday, Nov 29, 2015

I've been working on a project called Talented Tuesdays for my blog, ForNerdyGirls.com. Each Tuesday, whenever I actually start doing this, the blog will feature a digital innovator who is less recognized than they should be. I put a list together of over 50 leaders in their respective new media fields.

There are hundreds of other women doing great thing in the digital world who should be lauded, but I'm only one person. Creating an Excel spreadsheet with scores of names and Twitter handles took long enough.

I also sent out some favorable tweets.

Saturday, Nov 28, 2015

I told more people about this blog and I tweeted a message of support to a fellow blogger. I also searched for jobs and applied to one.

Friday, Nov 27, 2015

I followed more colleagues on Twitter today.

In other news, I am delving into the Gilmore Guys podcast. Starting a new podcast is like jumping in double dutch ropes. You have to feel the rhythm and join the game already in progress at the right point, or it won't work. Not too early, because the hosts are still figuring out what they're doing. Not too late, because you won't get the recurring inside jokes. I started with some of my favorite Season 2 episodes, "The Road Trip to Harvard," "Lorelai's Graduation Day," and "I Can't Get Started."

Then I hit the holy grail of any podcast, the Paul F. Tompkins episode, live, on video! Pretty darn good.

Thursday, Nov 26, 2015

At Thanksgiving dinner, I told various relatives about my career search in Diversity & Inclusion in Media & Entertainment and yielded mostly positive results. No one had any suggestions regarding how to go about it, but no one threw a buttered roll at me either.

I also did some Facebooking and tweeting this morning, and people responded. On a national holiday! Hooray for me!

Tue, Nov 24, 2015

I posted my article! Monday Morning Quarterback: The Mockingjay Part 2 edition.

I am thinking about writing more unsolicited proposals for entertainment companies showing them how they can make more money. I'm sure my ideas will be received well. :|

Monday, Nov 23, 2015

I do tweet a lot. When I have the time. More than the average person, but not more than the average person on Twitter.

I worked on my Hunger Games article more, but I haven't posted it yet. It is not easy trying to do everything. I did write this post. And I got on this Twitter trend. Relevant.

Sunday, Nov 23, 2015

I'm working on an unsolicited assessment of the Mockingjay Part 2 opening weekend results. Since both the domestic box office and the international box office were lower than expected, I am providing solutions to the problem.

Will anyone read it? Maybe. Will anyone care? Doubtful. But they are good suggestions, and I will not hide my genius under a bushel basket.

I also Facebooked and tweeted, and other people shared constructive responses.

Saturday, Nov 21, 2015

I went to see Mockingjay Part 2 with my friends. That was fun. Then we had lunch and visited with my family, which was nice. I later tweeted and Facebooked about the movie, specifically questioning how the black woman elected as the new Panem President got her perm done.

This is why we need more colorful women at every level of media. Who's doing black hair is but one query I have about the apocalyptic situations of the districts in The Hunger Games. Where do the tampons and diapers come from? Who is manufacturing paint for the warehouses of explosives? How did District 12 building an underground District 13 without anyone noticing? Why are the majority of the extras white people? Did all of the Hispanic and Latino people in Panem disappear?

Friday, Nov 20, 2015

Today I followed more of my colleagues on Twitter. I retweeted someone else's article.

Much of my time today was dedicated to my current careers of tutoring, teaching, and writing test prep and admissions articles.

I also worked on one of my many pilot scripts that are in the outlining phase. I'll work on that more tonight.

Good job me.

Thursday, Nov 19, 2015

Strategic tweeting is my thing. I compose a (usually) complimentary post about someone or something I enjoy, including their name and/or a hashtag in the text. Then someone, hopefully that person, likes and/or retweets my post. Then, if I'm lucky, someone else likes the post and/or follows me.

This process, which I started this spring, has led to a 300% increase in Twitter followers over the past eight months. Coolness. I'm proud of myself, not only because the process has led to moderate success, but also because it's genuine. I don't write, or say, things I don't mean. If I like someone else's web series or website or podcast or TV show or movie or article or joke or pithy statement, then I will look for ways to both tell them I like it and share it with others.

I like connecting people to other people or places or things they will enjoy. That's one of the reasons I want to work as a director of diversity: to connect artists and other creative people to available resources, including each other. 

I strategically tweeted today. I did something valuable. And nice, too.

Wednesday, Nov 18, 2015

Today I tweeted about diversity in media, mainly about The Hollywood Reporter's all-white cover of women in film. Egregious. The apology from the magazine was equally as bad.

I had planned to attend a screening of a comedic film tonight, but I decided to stay at home instead. Strategically, I cannot do everything every day. I will burn out if I do. Plus, I'm running out of underwear. Doing the laundry is a better choice than going out to watch a movie I can rent.

I will start on one of the social media networking projects I planned for the week after next: adding my Facebook and LinkedIn colleagues to my Twitter feed. Not all of them at once. A few at a time, if I can find them.

Tuesday, Nov 17, 2015

I read the title of an article today on Lifehacker: The Best Way to Reach Your Goals May Be Publicly Recording Your Progress.

It inspired me to create this blog. As if I don't have enough blogs to maintain.

I haven't even read the article yet.

Since March of this year, I have been on a career search to secure a position as a Director of Diversity at an entertainment company or a media foundation. I set a deadline of reaching that goal: December 1, 2015. I'm not there yet.

I have the skills, the determination, and the chutzpah. But I don't have the position.

This blog will help. It's public, so other people will see it and expect something new from me.

I will write each day, ideally for 10 minutes total, documenting something I have done that day to help me achieve my goal of working as an executive in Diversity & Inclusion in Media & Entertainment.

Here's something I did today: I started this blog.

I also tweeted a bunch over here.

And I shared the article I wrote on Monday with my colleagues on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter: Less white men. More Asian women. Now.

I also went to coffee with a nice person.

That's a lot of stuff for one day, but I forget. I often focus on the fact that I don't have a job in Diversity in Entertainment yet. I don't look at all the stuff and things I do each day that are productive in helping me achieve my goals.

This blog should help.

If you readers have constructive suggestions, please share them in the comments. Thank you!