It’s hard to believe I’ve been a Community Manager for almost two years. And it’s even harder to believe that two years ago I had no idea what a Community Manager was. At that point in late 2008 it was an extremely new role, almost entirely specific to web startups as the big corporations hadn’t yet realized the potential of social media. The way Sprouter’s Founder/CEO Sarah Prevette described the role to me was quite simple - social media, communications, events, public relations, and writing. All things I had at least a little bit of experience with, and all areas I felt comfortable pursuing within a small startup company.

Two years later I’m almost an old-timer in the field. I’ve met Community Managers from all over the world - at big companies like Rogers and startups like PostRank and Lymbix. I’ve spoken to media about being a CM, and I’ve spoken at conferences about why it’s an emerging and important position within an organization. Along the way I’ve learned so much, and I’ve watched my role continually evolve from those first days at Sprouter. It got me thinking about what I know now that I wish I knew then - and what new Community Managers should know before they jump into this career.

1. Your role on Day 1 will be very different from your role down the line. I started at Sprouter on the day we launched in public beta (we were called RedWire back then), and not a single soul knew who we were. For the first several months my job was getting us on the map - through attending events, commenting on blogs, building a social media presence, and shaking as many hands as I could. Eight months later the focus was on getting media attention for our re-launch. And a year after that the focus is on growing the community, launching new features, and an increasing amount of biz dev and strategy work. The role of Community Manager will never be the same - it will change and shift based on the priorities of the company. Don’t expect to wake up to the same job every day - but be thankful that you’re always learning and trying something new.
2. Growing a community is really, really difficult. Unless you’re working for a big established company part of your role as CM will be to grow the community - whether that means increasing the number of website users, sales, or event attendees. And while you may think your company is the best thing since sliced bread, not everyone will. And while you will try as hard as you can to build the company to epic proportions, it will be a process. You will have to work extremely hard for every sign-up, follow, comment and other measure of success.
3. Extracurricular activities count. Being a CM isn’t a 9-5 job - it involves traveling, attending events, and responding to e-mails at odd hours of the day. But being a Community Manager isn’t just about what you do for the company - it’s about what you do in the community. If you want to be an effective CM you need to be a recognizable face in your local community, or online with your niche audience. In my free time I help organize charity events like TwestivalTO; I write for publications including BlogTO and Women’s Post; and I keep up my own blog and social media presences. Sure I do all these things because I love doing them, but I also realize the importance of raising my personal profile, which in turn raises my company’s profile.
4. People won’t understand what you do. Oftentimes when I say I’m a Community Manager I get blank stares. I’ve explained the role to everyone from my mom to my friends to people at conferences. Some people nod and smile, some people seem really intrigued, and some people scoff when they realize it’s one of those new-fangled “social media roles.” I’d rather be ahead of the curve than the last one on the bandwagon though, so bring on the questions. I truly believe that the CM will be the hottest role of the next decade, so I don’t mind the obligatory explanation. Hopefully you don’t either.
5. Just because you Tweet doesn’t mean you’ll be good at this job - and just because you don’t doesn’t mean you’ll suck at it. People often ask me what qualities I think a good Community Manager should possess. My answer is never “an active Twitter account.” While having experience with social media is an asset, it definitely isn’t a requirement. To succeed in this position you need to be smart; able to adapt to different situations/phases of the company; a gigantic multi-tasker; passionate; and have an innate interest in whatever the company does/offers/sells. I love entrepreneurs and am passionate about Sprouter and its mission - that is way more important than knowing what an @ reply is. I also have a background in PR and journalism, so aligning my skills with the company’s focus was important. But if you hire someone smart they can always learn how to Tweet - so hire them for their ability to learn, and watch them grow into the role.

As this article from the Harvard Business Review blog argues companies should be hiring Community Managers over many other traditional communications roles. The opportunities will be there, and hopefully you’ll take advantage of them - and learn from my challenges along the way. 

This article first appeared on the IGLOO Software blog. Check it out there! And would love to hear your opinions on being a Community Manager, or aspiring to be a CM. 

Is it possible to live to 125 or maybe 150? It's certainly a possibility, as discussed on Oprah Winfrey's recent show on longevity. She visited me at my farm to learn how, at 86, I am enjoying the robust health, energy, and mental creativity of someone many decades younger. My secret: large quantities of fruit and vegetables, plus an hour of daily exercise.

No pills, not even aspirin, and certainly no supplements ever enter my mouth -- everything I need comes from my fish-vegetarian diet, which incorporates 30-40 different kinds of fruit and vegetables every week. Even though I am Chairman and Owner of Dole Food Company, I do most of my own grocery shopping, and even took Oprah on an impromptu trip to Costco, in a day that included bike riding, exercise in the gym, and juicing vegetables in the kitchen. Oprah marveled at how much I eat, and yet never gain a pound. In fact, I expend a lot of energy in my 50-60 minutes of cardio and strength training every day. Plus there's the fact that fruit and vegetables tend to be lower in calories, but higher in filling fiber and other nutrients that help you feel satisfied.

By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity. Obesity accelerates aging even faster than smoking, according to scientific research.

We created the North Carolina Research Campus to study the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. It is the only campus in the world encompassing eight universities all working together for the benefit of health and longevity. These include Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, NC State University, UNC Charlotte, North Carolina Central University, NC A&T State University, UNC Greensboro and Appalachian State University. We've gathered a comprehensive array of famous scientists and scientific equipment under one roof, including a two-story, 950 megahertz, 8-ton superconducting magnet. It is the largest and most powerful magnet in the world and will help us look at both plant and human cells at the most minute level. We are constantly doing research on all fruit and vegetables, including the ones listed below, which are the mainstay of my diet.

The Healthiest Foods on Earth

Pineapple	Speeds post-surgery	Promotes joint health	Reduces asthma inflammation
Blueberries	Restore antioxidant levels	Reverse age-related brain decline	Prevent urinary tract infection
Spinach	Helps maintain mental sharpness	Reduces the risk of cancers of the liver, ovaries, colon and prostate	Top nutrient density
Red Bell Pepper	Reduces risk of lung, prostate, ovarian and cervical cancer	Protects against sunburn	Promotes heart health
Broccoli	Reduces diabetic damage	Lowers risk of prostate, bladder, colon, pancreatic, gastric and breast cancer	Protects the brain in event of injury
Tomato	Reduces inflammation	Lowers risk of developing esophageal, stomach, colorectal, lung and pancreatic cancer	Reduces cardiovascular disease risk
Apple	Supports immunity	Fights lung and prostate cancer	Lowers Alzheimer’s risk
Artichoke	Helps blood clotting	Antioxidant Superfood	Lowers “bad” cholesterol
Arugula	Lowers birth defect risk	Reduces fracture risk	Protects eye health
Asparagus	Nourishes good gut bacteria	Protects against birth defects	Promotes heart health
Avocado	Limits liver damage	Reduces oral cancer risk	Lowers cholesterol levels
Blackberries	Build bone density	Suppress appetite	Enhance fat burning
Butternut Squash	Supports night vision	Combats wrinkles	Promotes heart health
Cantaloupe	Bolsters immunity	Protects skin against sunburn	Reduces inflammation
Carrot	Antioxidants defend DNA	Fights cataracts	Protects against some cancers
Cauliflower	Stimulates detoxification	Suppresses breast cancer cell growth	Defends against prostate cancer
Cherries	Alleviate arthritic pain and gout	Lower “bad” cholesterol	Reduce inflammation
Cranberries	Alleviate prostate pain	Fight lung, colon and leukemia cancer cells	Prevent urinary tract infection
Green Cabbage	Promotes healthy blood clotting	Reduces risk of prostate, colon, breast and ovarian cancers	Activates the body’s natural detoxification systems
Kale	Counters harmful estrogens that can feed cancer	Protects eyes against sun damage and cataracts	Increases bone density
Kiwi	Combats wrinkles	Lowers blood clot risk and reduces blood lipids	Counters constipation
Mango	Supports immunity	Lowers “bad” cholesterol	Regulates homocysteine to protect arteries
Mushrooms	Promote natural detoxification	Reduce the risk of colon and prostate cancer	Lower blood pressure
Orange	Reduces levels of “bad” cholesterol	Lowers risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, breast and stomach, and childhood leukemia	Pectin suppresses appetite
Papaya	Enzymes aid digestion	Reduces risk of lung cancer	Enhances fat burning
Plums & Prunes	Counter constipation	Antioxidants defend against DNA damage	Protects against post-menopausal bone loss
Pomegranate	Enhances sunscreen protection	Lowers “bad” cholesterol	Fights prostate cancer
Pumpkin	Protects joints against polyarthritis	Lowers lung and prostate cancer risk	Reduces inflammation
Raspberries	Inhibit growth of oral, breast, colon and prostate cancers	Antioxidant DNA defense	Lower “bad” cholesterol levels
Strawberries	Protect against Alzheimer’s	Reduce “bad” cholesterol	Suppress growth of colon, prostate and oral cancer
Sweet Potato	Reduces stroke risk	Lowers cancer risk	Protect against blindness
Watermelon	Supports male fertility	Reduces risk of several cancers: prostate, ovarian, cervical, oral and pharyngeal	Protects skin against sunburn
Banana	Increases Fat Burning	Lowers risk of colorectal and kidney cancer, leukemia	Reduces asthmas symptoms in children

One of my missions in life is to share this kind of knowledge with others, so they can live more vital, active, satisfying lives. Since acquiring major interests in Dole 26 years ago, educating the public on proper diet has constituted the agenda of my Dole Nutrition Institute. We publish the Dole Nutrition News -- enjoyed by 2.5 million subscribers (sign up at www.dolenutrition.com). We create cooking and nutrition videos, cookbooks, brochures, and other educational collateral, like the chart above. We also provide educational support to teachers, parents and kids through www.dolesuperkids.com.

While Arianna and I do not agree on all issues, we both believe in the importance of proper nutrition. I've known Arianna since she arrived in this country, many decades ago, and am godfather to one of her daughters. I've enjoyed many Mediterranean-style healthy meals at her home, and am helping her increase access to nutrition information, which is why I wanted to share some "food for thought" with her intellectually ravenous.

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David H. Murdock is Chairman and owner of Dole Food Company, Inc., the world's largest producer and marketer of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, packaged and frozen foods. He is also Chairman, CEO and owner of Castle & Cooke, Inc., a leader in real estate development.

Mr. Murdock advocates healthy eating to promote longevity. His Dole Nutrition Institute is dedicated to nutrition education through an award-winning monthly newsletter, health brochures, cookbooks, videos and the Dole Nutrition website. He recently dedicated the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Building, the UNC Nutrition Research Building and the NC State Fruit and Vegetable Science Institute Building at the newly opened North Carolina Research Campus, representing a historic partnership with leading universities to advance knowledge about nutrition and disease prevention.

We need to identify and celebrate this kind of initiative around here that's for sure.... where do the local makers hang out???

Owen Sound’s First Rate People have released their new single, “Gentleman’s Club,” today (July 28) and to celebrate, they're offering the song up for stream and free download.

Quick review of some websites/web videos discussing how to price your art. Any suggestions to add... leave a comment at ucsart.com