Honey, I'm home!

This is what I'm feeling like tonight.  I love Shania:



This is an interesting article about corporate game changers and innovators, as influenced by the social web.

This is what was in my Japanese Marukawa gum, a temporary tattoo:

And this is me hitting the sack because I'm tired tonight,


Aimee

Art Everywhere!

Job 47 is confirmed for ArtAnywhere.com!  Here are the deets sent from co-founder Julian Haber:

Hi Aimee,

Thanks for the call this morning and the enthusiasm. (And no, you won't be asked to wear or unwear any special clothing for this video shoot.)  The rough timeline is sometime in early-mid July for an install that you can film. You are welcome to come by our offices whenever you can fit it in, to grab some video of us here.

In brief, our "call to install" process for mounting a pop-up gallery is:

1. Find client interested in hosting a gallery in their office space.
2. Put out a call for submissions online (on our site, by email, various artistic newsletters).
3. Receive and assemble artist submissions (images and bios) and send in one online gallery to client for selection.
4. Client selects works, notifies us of the selection and we notify artists.
5. Artists arrive with their works on the appointed day of installation. They install their works in areas the client has designated for the art.
6. Work is up on the wall, ArtAnywhere puts up the appropriate labels and posters and the show is up for 60 days.

Our goal in doing this is to give clients (business owners, managing directors mainly) an easy (free) way of discovering new, locally created original art in the hopes of inspiring them to purchase a few pieces, support local artists and start a corporate art collection.

Cheers!
Julian Haber
CEO & Co-Founder
ArtAnywhere

IN OTHER JOBS: 

Speaking of supporting local artists, to remind everyone, I am submitting a piece to District101's "Hang" art show which runs July 6 - 11 at District 101 Gallery, Suite #101, 48 Notre Dame Ouest, Montreal.  All art exhibited is $250 and unlimited in number so long as there is space on the walls for artists to fill. I hope I sell my piece and call it a job!  I'll be working on it all week.

Je suis un artiste,


Aimee

Spontaneous Crapshoot

I'm proud to announce that another one of my blog posts is featured on Brazen Careerist today: Top 5 Reasons We Are Workaholics.

The good news: I got rid of the virus that redirected my Google searches.  The bad news: I'm still a workaholic. :D

Two legit job updates: I am likely working for ArtAnywhere for Job 47 or 48.  I am speaking with the owner tomorrow.

Also, I MAY be hand delivering a business proposal to Quebec city tomorrow.  Since I haven't driven in 3 years, the job may go to someone else... but how cool would it be to go on a spontaneous road trip?

IN OTHER JOBS:

*bangs head against wall*  I applied for a mysterious modeling job on Craigslist on Saturday which labeled itself a "Spontaneous Photoshoot", valued at $100.

I've always maintained that a lack of specificity is a good way to determine if an offer is illegitimate, spammy or just plain creepy.  In this case, the mysterious theme of the photo shoot was the first red flag, but I applied anyway, just in case the poster was in a rush during his last minute casting.

At around 6 p.m., the man got back to me via a phone call that I missed and several "enterpaining" text messages.  What follows is a transcript of our text exchange.  He's in pervy pink, I'm in chaste blue. Everything BOLDED IN BLACK is "perv clues": 

Hi Aimee you replied to my ad on craigs regarding a spontaneous evening shoot :)

Hello! Sorry I missed your call... I already made plans and ate a big burger for dinner!*

* I had developed cold feet at that point after listening to the seductive tone of his voice mail message left late in the day.

Oh does it mean you can be ok for 10 PM maybe lol?

What about 9 - 12? What is the theme exactly?

Yes that would be awesome. Theme would be use of contrasts... like professional but with something off etc... Do you have a business suit with a skirt for that matter?

This message reassures me: he wants to shoot a business look! Whew! And it's shot acceptably early! With renewed enthusiasm, I reply: 

Yes I do! what would be the off element? Like glasses? You could be my 47th $100 job if you don't mind me filming you with my flipcam, too! We could also promote your media! To clarify, I have bright red sunglasses, for instance - suppose mood would play into it as well, and situation. Have many dresses too... Or is it like business woman unleashed?

15 minutes elapses with no contact. Like in the cruel, casual dating world, I assume my enthusiasm turned him off.  I reply:

Yes or no?

Sound good but I don't want something cliche... key idea is to keep it subdued but very primal... I have a few locations in mind. How comfortable are you removing your panties in the middle of the street? nothing would show but I want you to be feeling a certain way at the animalistic level*... Female psychology is submissive to a degree**, but with an action and reaction. I know quite a bit about anthropology and psychology so I don't want you to think I look for a cheap way to get you undressed***. I want something formal more than professional... since it's Saturday night lol.****

* What, like TERRIFIED in the seat of my soul?!?!?

** Could have fooled me: I'm generally pretty aggressive when faced with a persistent perv.

*** No, I think you are looking for a cheap way to fulfill your "wearing no panties in public" fetish.

**** An outfit change now too? Shorter skirt, perhaps? EW EW EW EW EW!

I reply with the certitude of a woman who knows when a job isn't worth completing: 

Oh wow... I appreciate you being upfront and do not doubt your intentions, but I think I am going to politely decline. I am conservative when it comes to such matters.

He calls 4 TIMES IN A ROW then texts: 

 So 9 - 12 am? mmmm how does 11 PM look like?

He calls 2 MORE TIMES. I reply:

Sorry, I can't. Have a good evening and enjoy Montreal!

He replies:

Thanks... let me know if you are free again. hope I didn't say something that made you change your mind :( You sounded pretty enthusiastic. Anyhow too late now. Going back to LA tomorrow. Good luck with your career.

He hopes he didn't say something to make me change my mind???? Well, duh, buddy, don't ask for a model and hope for someone willing to provide mild sexual services, because I will argue that removing your panties for money in the middle of the street is providing a sexual service!

One positive thing about pervs: at least they are upfront about what they really want BEFORE I get to the job.

Wearing panties while blogging, k thanks bai!


Aimee

P.S.  Totally unrelated to anything:  How cool is this e-mail, which landed in my inbox today, from ViaRail.ca, for travel to Pride Toronto?:

Montréal – June 28, 2010 - VIA Rail Canada is proud to be an official sponsor of Toronto Pride Week. As part of the 30th anniversary festivities and in partnership with Conxity, VIA is offering a unique “Ride to Pride” package on specifically designated VIA Pride Trains from Windsor, Ottawa and Montréal.

Departing Montréal on Thursday, July 1st and Ottawa/Windsor on Friday, July 2, the VIA Pride Trains provide the perfect setting to relax before the excitement of Pride festivities begins.

One-way economy fares start at $58 CDN plus tax and include a complimentary drink, gift bag and a $10 donation to the local Pride organizers in the town where you board. In addition to VIA’s onboard at-your-seat service, customers on board the Montréal Pride Train will have exclusive access to the Pride Bar Car with its elegant stand-up bar, sleek armchairs grouped around café tables and full picture windows. Enjoy the passing landscape while being entertained with music and plenty of oo la la from Quebecois drag personalities.

For more information and to book, visit viarail.ca or call Conxity at 1-800-387-1240.

That train ride sounds almost as fabulous as hand delivering a mango cheesecake from Montreal to Toronto... in drag!!!  Happy pride!

Twit Psychology

Coolsauce! I just found the first Twitter analytics tool that ticked my fancy in a while: TweetPsych.com.

Here is my highly entertaining report:

So as I read it, I am a sociable, present-focused, sex, leisure, media and work obsessed creator.

Sounds about right.

Bling, sex, drugs and rock 'n roll!


Aimee

P.S. Please show me your graphs in the comments so I may continue my reign as workplace mASStermind!

Günthermania

I'm going through a phase right now, or more accurately, a period. A Günther period.

Who is Günther?

Signature trout pout.

Günther is an amazingly talented*, hilarious, ex-male model cum eurodancetrash superstar who also refers to himself as the "Pleasureman" (and has an eponymous album).

*Debatable, but he owns his schtick. No, not that schtick.

If ever there was a new media candidate who embodies a successful execution of You-commerce for performing artists in the YouTube era of self-broadcasting, it is Günther. He picked a fun online persona and turned a stalled career as a model into something much more compelling, entertaining, memorable and lucrative.  His viral success on YouTube undoubtedly translated economically into multiple sold out concerts, several European top 40 hits, and continued sales of custom merchandise.

I just bought a t-shirt, okay?!??!?!?!?!

I am so "inspired"* by him that I am going to put together the ultimate fan video over the next few weeks.  I Identify with Mats Söderlund (his real name); I'm also a disaffected model who could use a little viral push... in my ding ding dong?

*maybe I have a little crush on him too?  God help us all.

WARNING: Most of Günther's masterpieces are NSFW:

Original hit:


Ding ding creepy:


Bananas, melones, yeah!


It's a no-no, and I like it:


My personal favorite:


You are the COMMERCE, you heat up my heart!


Aimee

P.S. You are allowed to groan.  Maybe I am working too much?

P.P.S. Full disclosure: I had a massive crush on the lead singer of A-HA, Morten Harket, during my psychocrush formative years:



I blame A-HA.

Top 5 Reasons We Are Workaholics

It's La Fête Nationale today in Québec, otherwise known as St. Jean Baptiste. Happy St. Jean to those who are celebrating, and to those who are working: join the club.

Because I feel like Letterman (or Leno... Or Coco... Or Kimmel... who the hell is on anymore? I just watch the 'net), I came up with the top 5 reasons why it is so easy to be a workaholic in North America:

PLEASE NOTE: I will add links and statistics once my computer is freed from the Malware that is redirecting all my Google searches. If I ever find the HAXOR FUXOR who did this, I will beat him with my tower until he bleeds PWN juice!!!

1. Coffee: Without this stimulant, 80% of us would be a heck of a lot less productive. I'm not going all conspiracy theory here, but there is a definite correlation between the rise in coffee consumption in the 20th and 21st century and the number of hours employees willingly devote to work. I'm shocked that some offices make employees pay for coffee because it benefits their productivity so much.

Also, coffee is generally more heavily caffeinated in North America due to the larger consumption of filter coffee than in other parts of the world, like in Europe. We're more wired to keep on working. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that coffee allows you to concentrate for longer periods of time on less sleep and lessens the effects (including pain) of sleep deprivation. It also has concentration augmenting effects similar to the Attention Deficit drug Ritalin (also a stimulant).

I won't get into the 1970s stimulant habit that fueled all night sketch writing binges for Saturday Night Live...

2. Fast Food, Microwaves, Laundromats and Dishwashers: If you don't need to worry about the time suck that is taking care of your basic needs, you have more time left to... work!

3. The Cold: This includes both the weather and air conditioning. Because of the 4 seasons, we are forced to stay inside longer hours for 8 months of the year, and what else is there to do but work? Likewise, air conditioning enables us to stay perky and awake when we could be taking siestas in the summer. North Americans do not have tropical work hours or ethics, we have temperature control.

4. The Internet: I said this before: the digital second shift is alive and well. When you can bring your laptop home, work on work remotely, e-mail clients all night, network on Twitter 24/7, and submit your pitches at 4 a.m., you typically keep working even when you should be in bed and even when you may be the next victim of digital burnout.

5. Peer Pressure: I don't know of an era where professional development was so touted in all of our social networks online and offline, the worst offenders being Twitter and LinkedIn. We're not keeping up with the Joneses anymore, we're kissing Jobs' ass and macking the Mashables. If you're not networking, attending unconferences, meet-ups and breakfasts, and perfecting your online persona and digital brand, clearly you are destined to work at a gas station, dummy!

Sample dialogue, "Oh my god SHE HAS 8 CONNECTIONS ON LINKED IN? OMG she wrote OMG online... what about her IMAGE? SHE HASN'T HEARD OF HOTCROSSBUN CAMP? WTF??? She's broadcasting what? She's CRAZY. She isn't broadcasting? She's CRAZIER! Pleasereadmyebook."

We are becoming more Industrialized, as human beings. The typical Starbucks experience explains it all: get your caffeine fix, plug in, connect to the net, order your groceries online, watch a Webinar and keep on working, sucker!

Admits she has a problem, sips coffee and orders in take-out,


Aimee

BOOM!

Webcom[edy]!

Job 45 was statistical science employment, featuring bad hair, my son Max, a bunny and a little math rap:



Did you feel the earthquake this afternoon? I sure did. I thought it was my nasty neighbour starting his motorcycle in the garage beneath me again. Nope, just the grumblings of mother nature.

Creating the video for Job 45 and reviewing Claude's interview reminded me of this great video explaining web 2.0 in simple terms:



Web 2.0 is people empowering people,


Aimee.

Over Capacity

I made this:

Moo is fried; Moo will resume regular posting tomorrow. Still not finished her Job 45 video edit. Moo needs more arms, legs and brains.

Best moment of the day: I confirmed JOB 46 today: assisting at an Indian Wedding on August 21, 2010. YAY!

Regularly scheduled programming will resume tomorrow. And I'm not doing low carb any more.

Me without sugar is like Twitter without high powered servers,

Aimee

Peas and Turnips

Zowsters.  No rest for the self-employed.  Am chowing down as I type this: decaf, turnips, canned peas and chicken.  Surprisingly delicious. Computer eats: the entrepreneurial meal.

Yummy.  Why didn't I add BACON???

Today, I worked for three different clients: for my regular boss who hires me to take care of social media strategy (I'm looking for a French language theatre buff tweeter and blogger, if you want to apply), for Claude Malaison finalizing my statistical analysis for Job 45, and for an at-home video audition to do the hosting for a medical centre corporate video. Yes, all that in eight hours and I even clocked in some work in the park:

Many papers, luckily little wind.

It's a numbers game. 

I still haven't completed my video from Job 45.  Tomorrow it will be released, I promise!

IN OTHER JOBS:

I am totally applying for this:

Artist Call! (Old Montreal)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2010-06-20, 11:30PM EDT

Reply to: gigs-jusby-1802353227@craigslist.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
district 101 espace créatif presents:
HANG One “1 show, 1 piece, 1 price”
* Come Sat, July 3rd 9am – 48 Notre Dame Ouest, #101 (buz 01) with:

* 1 ready to hang piece (space available until walls are full)

* name of piece, dimension, materials used,

* 200 word or less artist statement or explanation (french and/or english)
painting must be aprox. 1200 sq in. — be priced at $200

Show runs Tuesday July 6th to Sunday July 11th –
questions: district101.info@gmail.com

http://www.district101.ca/index.php?/project/news/

--

I am guessing I'll get 50% of the sale price, which is conveniently $100!  Yes! 

Now what to paint...

Moo at work,


Aimee

Ask Me Anything

My friend Jennifer from SheDoestheCity.com  interviewed me about One Hundred Jobs for a project she's doing. Here's the Q & A, helpful to those who may have just stumbled upon One Hundred Jobs.


What was the motivation behind your 100 jobs initiative?  Where did you come up with the idea?


I had been working as a cleaning lady for my building's superintendent

while unemployed as an actor, so I needed to find additional paid work

in my field. Another web series I had produced, Fashion Ambush, was on

hold, so I decided to create a zero budget web series and blog that

could award me some contracts for a minimum of $100 each.


What was it like when you first started?  Did it ever seem impossible to achieve?


It was very exciting when I first started, because I was hired for my

first job contract within six hours of creating the blog and posting

my first call for jobs on Craigslist. In my mind, the concept was so

fun and simple, that I instinctively felt my journey would appeal to

others.


Do you ever get discouraged?  How do you deal with rejection?


I have had moments in 100 Jobs where I have felt that the project

wasn't moving fast enough. However, I believe my positive attitude

and belief that I can and will be successful ensures that I am. I am

not self-defeatist and frequently what stops people on the path to

greatness is convincing themselves why something is impossible,

instead of figuring out how to achieve their goals and make their

projects work.


I deal with rejection by keeping refusals in perspective: if one job

doesn't work out, I have faith there will be other offers. You can't

focus on closed doors, you need to aim for the ones that are open.


Do you ever worry about not being able to support yourself, or your family, or pay the bills?


I have never had a problem making ends meet because I manage my

finances very well, and I have a large roster of good clients who hire

me several times a year for modeling, marketing, conferences, and now

for social media consulting and community management. You get back

what you put into your career. And if all else fails, I'll get a desk

job.


Has it been profitable?


Yes. The value of the professional connections I am forging far exceeds the

minimum $10 000 value of my project.


What has your favorite job been, to date?


Hand delivering a mango cheesecake from Montreal to Toronto as a

surprise gift. The second would be having my portrait painted by

Stephen Frew.


What has your strangest job been to date?


Either photoshopping artistic nudes for a man who wanted to spank me

(I refused) named George, or walking around in public in a white

unitard for GynAd.com.


How are you spreading the word about your availability?


I am using word of mouth, networking events, Twitter, Facebook,

Youtube, LinkedIn and online classifieds to spread the word about my

project.


What would you recommend to someone, say a student, who hasn't been able to get a job this summer?


I would tell the student to create a professional profile on LinkedIn

and tirelessly scour the online job sites and classifieds online, like

Craigslist and Kijiji. Also, they should focus on their skills, and

find a social network suiting their career objectives, create a

profile and network there. Social networking is the newest and

frequently the most underutilized job search tool.


Has anyone else been inspired by your plight? Any friends/family/followers attempted it themselves?


I have been told that my hard work and dedication is inspiring, but so

far I don't know of anyone who is doing the same concept as me.


And also just a little bit of background bio stuff, like where you live?


I now live in Mont-Royal with my 9 year-old son Max. I am still

acting and modeling and also handle social media strategy for

Productionsnetmedia.com. I like long walks, singing and vintage rags!


What do your parents think about your project?


My parents are very laissez faire but they are proud of me!


I guess because you are going from job to job, you aren't really eligible for employment insurance or anything, are you?


Nope, I am a true capitalist entrepreneur: zero social benefits. Thank

God health care is free and daycare is cheap in Quebec!


To y'all reading or trading in my human stock, 100JOB,  feel free to ask me more questions in the comments, especially controversial ones!


I *heart* challenges,



Aimee

4 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 1 + 5

The title explains my duties for Job 45: manually compiling feedback statistics from surveys given to conference attendees at Montreal Webcom's latest edition.  I'm all bug eyed and data'd out.  Luckily, my boss and my colleagues were very friendly, hospitable, thoughtful and helpful.  Claude's shirt was adorable.  You'll see it when I post the job video sometime this weekend.

Tonight, I am sure I will dream of elementary school addition, rating things on a scale of 1 to 5*, calculator spelling (linguaphile word of the day: official term for the art of writing words on your 'calc:  beghilos!), the mental rituals of obsessive compulsive disorder and, last but not least, visual field distortions:



1 + 2 + 5 + 4 + 5 + 5 + 2 + 4 / 8 =  0_0


Aimee


P.S. The answer is 42.  Thanks, Alex from Akoha.


P.P.S. *(I'm a 5.)

Empire of Ice Cream

Woah!  I just joined Empire Avenue this morning because of an invitation from Brent Barrett of Social Media Montreal (who was my first employer for One Hundred Jobs!) and I am officially overwhelmed by the purchase of myself as a social media stock.  My stock symbol is 100JOB and I am worth $17,488.62 as of 5:45 p.m.  The community seems very active, even if the site is still in beta.  I'll have more to report, I'm sure, as I increase my participation and wrap my head around its purpose.  The site will be worth the time investment if it translates into new connections or more real life jobs, naturally!

IN OTHER JOBS:

I had a meeting with Robin Anh of Flow Ventures this afternoon and I may be working for one of their start-ups, Art Anywhere. We are going to reveal a pop up gallery in action!


Tomorrow I complete Job 45 for Claude Malaison.  Wish me luck!


I'm off to another media networking event, so I'll leave you with some Wallace Stevens:

The Emperor of Ice-Cream
Wallace Stevens

Call the roller of big cigars,
The muscular one, and bid him whip
In kitchen cups concupiscent curds.
Let the wenches dawdle in such dress
As they are used to wear, and let the boys
Bring flowers in last month's newspapers.
Let be be finale of seem.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream

Take from the dresser of deal,
Lacking the three glass knobs, that sheet
On which she embroidered fantails once
And spread it so as to cover her face.
If her horny feet protrude, they come
To show how cold she is, and dumb.
Let the lamp affix its beam.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.

 The only Twitter is the empire of Tweeters,


Aimee

Widgety

I'm trying out some new widgets on the right hand side of my blog.  What do you think?

I only want to add useful widgets, like the WidgetBox YouTube Player, as not to bejewel and bedazzle my readers like it's 1989.

Pimp my blog, image via LaBellaDiva.com

I really want some solid recommendations as to what page elements are cool or are missing from my blog.  Design is really overwhelming because there are more choices for widgets than jelly bracelets at a dollar store.

Is my blog circulation okay? Image via Justaddh2o.

I hope the e-mail subscription link allows me access to the database of e-mail subscribers.  Otherwise, it's useless.  Oh Blogger, whenever will you become Wordpress-y without the headache?*

* I have only briefly used Wordpress and am too lazy to try again.  Convince me otherwise?

IN OTHER JOBS:

I'm still holding at Job 45.  Mind you, I have also been mounting a social media campaign all week for Theatre de Rougemont and its summer showing of "Piaf", while singing in my living room, so I haven't posted anything new on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. 

But I did find this:

Looking for people who are fed up with 9-5 jobs (Montreal)

---

Date: 2010-06-16, 11:13AM EDT
Reply to: fedup@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

---

Hi,

I am a artist who is not suited to a 9-5 job and love to travel. If your like me maybe we all can get together and find creative solutions to live better or make money.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Fed Up,

Digitally empower yourself: come join me in the blood, sweat, and tears new media revolution!  You'll work from home 12-12, 7 days a week, but you'll have your freedom!

Come up with a marketable concept! Start a blog! Open a Twitter! Create a YouTube channel! Register on LinkedIn! Attend networking events! Research! Comment! Engage! Stay Current! Attract Sponsors! Be original! Take your vitamins! Sleep, sometimes! Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!

That should save you from the desk job, if the necessary digital commitments of becoming an entrepreneur don't bother you too much.

Or you could just collect the cheque and be done with it,

Aimee.

Oh yeah!  Maybe Tara and I should do this one at the retirement home?


Aimee

P.S.  Update:



Even.better.  MMMMMMmmmmM!

P.P.S EAVB_DDLPIHYIQG

Raise Your Voice

Some people work all day; I sing.  Here I am practicing for Job 8, entertaining residents at a retirement home, paid for by my friend Cheryl, the same friend who wants to pay me to get 1000 Facebook Fan Page members.  She's generous!

Or she doesn't yet understand the ear torture I can inflict. LOL:



I'll let you know now that my special guest accompanying me during the karaoke concert is going to be the super awesome diva, Tara "Miss Rogue" Hunt, author of "The Whuffie Factor"  I've been out to karaoke with her before and she does a mean Mr. Roboto.  We met through a mutual social media contact!

Incidentally, the lyrics to Mr. Roboto, by Styx, are quite eerie in our current digitally immersed (oft imprisoned?) culture:

You're wondering who I am: machine or mannequin?
With parts made in Japan, I am the modern man.

I've got a secret 
I've been hiding under my skin,
My heart is human, my blood is boiling, 
My brain I.B.M.
 
So if you see me acting strangely, don't be surprised.
I'm just a man who needed someone, 
and somewhere to hide
To keep me alive, just keep me alive,
Somewhere to hide to keep me alive.

I'm not a robot without emotions, I'm not what you see.
I've come to help you with your problems, so we can be free.
I'm not a hero, I'm not a saviour, forget what you know,
I'm just a man whose circumstances went beyond his control.
Beyond my control-we all need control.
I need control-we all need control.

I am the modern man, who hides behind a mask,
So no one else can see my true identity.
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto, domo...domo
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto, domo...domo
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto, domo...domo
Thank you very much, Mr. Roboto,
For doing the jobs that nobody wants to,
And thank you very much, Mr. Roboto,
For helping me escape just when I needed to.
 
Thank you-thank you, thank you,
I want to thank you, please, thank you,
The problem's plain to see: too much technology,
Machines to save our lives. Machines dehumanize.
The time has come at last,
To throw away this mask,
So everyone can see,
My true identity...
I'm Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy!

Deep (really).

Never gonna give you up,


Aimee

No Doubt

Nope, I'm not talking wicked, kick ass 90s girl bands:



I'm talking about managing self-doubt.

You see, performers are sensitive souls, with paradoxically massive egos, so we don't like to be perceived as less than perfect, sane or aesthetically pleasing and we certainly don't like to be rejected.

Too bad that's not the way the entertainment BUSINESS works.  95% of the time the role goes to someone else and 100% of the time no-one is perfect.  Bair hair days happen; you will get older.

How do I deal with the emotional trappings of the business?  I keep it in perspective and I manage my emotions.

Yes, it's not always easy, and there are days like today where I feel like crawling under a rock and declaring myself out of the loop, over the hill and past my prime.  That is where my left brain intervenes and says, "You need to keep working and stop feeling.  Self-doubt is counterproductive.  As long as you keep trying, you aren't failing." 

Do you ever struggle with feelings of inadequacy on the job?  How do you keep it in perspective and do the work instead of giving in to negative thoughts?

IN OTHER JOBS:

I met up with couple photographers Manon and Claude Dagenais  from studio Two Humans this weekend:

 Claude and Manon traveled across North America in a remodeled 1979 Riviera Volkswagen bus, named Brandon, this year, meeting up with other photographers and taking photos along the way!

They are going to hire me for a bunch of different things: as a general laborer for the house they are building for $100 (details soon), and for a sweet contract outside of my 100 Jobs project, to manage a meet-up stock photo event for Istock.com members all across North America, which is also the final destination on their bus tour.  I'll be the queen model manager and help newbies with their poses and photographers with their shoot ideas.

I am set to purchase two things this week: a new HD camera to replace ol' liney, my Samsung SC-MX20R.  The second is this portrait by artist Stephen Frew, made from the photos he took of me during Job 25:

I feel less self-doubt when I see myself painted in this way.


Strength and confidence,


Aimee

Salone Stallone

I came across this Craigslist posting this morning: seems interesting and so I sent off a pitch e-mail.  We'll see if I can parlay the contest into a real job.

store name contest

---

Date: 2010-06-11, 10:30AM EDT
Reply to: italia@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

---

looking for a creative and catchy name for a modern italian furniture store.
Winner will receive a $200 award

• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
• Compensation: 200

____________________________________________________________________________

I should get downtown and check out all the crazy stuff going on for Formula 1.  Boulevard St. Laurent is closed off and has all sorts of hustle and bustle. I should join the street promo reps and promote 100 Jobs by handing out my cards... tomorrow afternoon?

I feel a video in the making.


Aimee

10 Things I Have Learned Doing 44 Jobs

This post will also be featured on Brazen Careerist: a job search, social and professional networking site for Gen Y. Ryan Paugh asked me to write an article on the top ten things I learned after completing almost half of my project.

10. Creativity is a renewable resource: In "One Hundred Jobs", I perform at my creative maximum. I am always finding new ways to deliver interesting content to my online audiences, provide innovative solutions to my employers and discover unique ways of obtaining new clients. It's common for entrepreneurs to worry that they missed out on the one good business idea they should have followed up on and that creative exhaustion is imminent. I say, if you have one good idea, chances are you will have 100 of them. Trust, relax, dream, create. Repeat.

9. Always be pitching: Even if you have established clients, your goal should always be to expand your business. My project is still not at the point where massive crowds of employers are knocking at my door, so I target at least two new potential clients per day, even if I'm tired, and even if I worry they may reject me. Rejection is nothing and effort everything. Similarly, if the job doesn't exist, conceptualize it, connect with someone in the industry, and offer to create it.

8. Offering a unique, affordable service will land you clients: My series concept is original and it provides businesses the opportunity to have a temporary employee for a day AND gain online exposure across multiple social marketing platforms, for a very small financial investment. I believe that explains the success of my project, to date. If you have a way of providing a service or fulfilling a niche that no-one else does at an amazing price, chances are you will be presented with many business opportunities.

7. Find your truth and market it: I call this approach You-commerce. I love entertainment, acting, new media, and entrepreneurship. By executing a zero cost new media project, I found an inexpensive way to package my passions, expand my networks and generate business. If you love marbles, roast chicken and socializing, you should create meet-ups at Swiss Chalet for a marble tournament and make darn sure blog, vlog and tweet about it.

6. No failure is a complete loss: Failure is inevitable, a teaching moment and an opportunity. I didn't get cast in Sean Aiken's One Week Job Project Summer Program. However, I was provided the opportunity to make noise about my project across North America for one week during the voting period. Also, as an entrepreneur, as you take more risks, make make more mistakes and realize they aren't a big deal, you learn to fail faster, analyze and keep trying.

5. Trust your intuition: If a client seems sketchy, wants to spend twelve hours with you on a "surprise project" and you get the heebie jeebies, trust your instinct. Your gut knows more than your head. Equally, if you feel like a deal is all talk and no signing, heed your instincts and invest your energy elsewhere. As my mother says, don't count your chickens before they hatch. And if the hatchlings don't emerge, keep the potential client on your callback list and touch base once in a while.

4. Some clients are nasty - deal with it: It's like a Dan Brown novel, Some clients will be angels, others demons. Deal with it and diffuse the difficult to your advantage. And I believe it is better to exorcise the demons than alienate them, because sometimes an angel is a demon in disguise. Business is impersonal at times, which is a good thing.

3. Expect the unexpected: As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." There is opportunity in the unexpected. Because I worked for Maya at Divine.ca, I found out about Montreal Webcom, and I met Claude Malaison of Emergence Web who will be my client for Job 45. By chance, at the conference's closing, I also met someone else who will hopefully be my most impressive client to date, for Job 50. It's also inspiring to know, especially when nothing seems to be happening, that an opportunity may present itself in the unlikeliest of places, at the most unexpected moment.

2. Do your homework: Keeping up to date with developments in your field allows you to offer the best service to your clients. Educate yourself by reading blogs and articles from credible sources about your area of expertise and follow thought leaders on Twitter. Attend conferences, and take professional development courses. Always strive for continuous self-improvement and intellectual enrichment. Be a life long student.

1. Maintain a social life in the real world: Death from too much work is so commonplace in Japan that there is a word for it, karoshi. Don't karoshi, commune. Disconnect and spend time with warm blooded beings at regular intervals. I'd be happy to have a coffee with you anytime, just follow me on Twitter and we'll enjoy a latte.

***

IN OTHER JOBS:

Speaking of 44 jobs, Claude Malaison, or @emergent007 on Twitter, co-founder of Montreal Webcom, just hired me for Job 45, next Friday. I will be compiling data from conference attendee's surveys, and interviewing Claude about his expertise in web 2.0 and internal business communication strategies.


Aimee.

Digital Second Shift

New social reality: the digital second shift never ends until you stop.

I have always been someone who is extremely dedicated and who works longs hours at her projects, but I have found that it is increasingly easy to find job-related tasks that I could or should be doing at all hours of the day: Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, Commenting, E-mails, Pitches, Analytics, Job Search, Job Applications, Webcasts, Signing up, Signing in, Signing out!

Some nights, like tonight, it burns me out.  I need to replenish my energy.  Luckily, I have trained myself to recover in as little as 5 hours away from work, these days, which is vital to being able to accomplish my goals professionally. 

I really underestimate all that I accomplish in one day (Today: drop son at school, prep for telephone meeting this morning, have meeting, learn lines for audition, get beautified, run to bank, have audition, have second business meeting, pay for son's summer camp, take bus home and ZZZZ), and as a result my body takes over and just screams: STOP!

I am glad I napped and snacked.  Sleepy is not productive, but I am not a robot.

Are you suffering from digital exahustion or future fatigue?


Aimee

Manual Manfail

Craigslist never disappoints.


IN JOBS FROM AROUND THE WEB:

Recherche - Etudiante pour travail manuel (Montreal)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2010-06-07, 3:55PM EDT
Reply to: thatkindofmanuallabor@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bonjour, tu es jeune, jolie et tu veux te faire de l'argent comptant? Reviens-moi vite et tu verras que le travail manuel offert est sans effort, dure 15 minutes et paye $40. Tu dois être ouverte d'esprit et disponible de jour de preference.

Aucune obligation de ta part......

•Location: Montreal
•Compensation: $40
•This is a contract job.
•Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
•Please, no phone calls about this job!
•Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
 _____________________________________________________________

Let me translate:

Seeking - Female student for manual labor (Montreal)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2010-06-07, 3:55PM EDT
Reply to: thatkindofmanuallabor@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello, are you young, pretty and you want to make some extra cash? Get back to me quickly and you'll find out that the manual labor that I am offering is effortless, lasts 15 minutes and pays $40.  You have to be open minded and preferentially available in the daytime.

No obligation on your part......

_____________________________________________________________


What the Sam hell is this man talking about?

Pulling weeds... while he pulls?

Dusting furniture... while he polishes?

Doing dishes... while he scrubs? 
 
Cleaning up... while he makes a mess?

Hammering nails... while he hammers!

Clearly this perv wants sexual favors for $40.  I wonder if this dude is the same as the other who wanted intimate dates for $50, and realized that $40, 15 minute, student hand jobs is a better deal.  Did he read some student painter postings and get inspired?

And what does he mean by "no obligation on your part"?  No obligation to keep going if he doesn't finish after 15 minutes?

YUCK YUCK YUCK YUCK!

*shudders*


IN OTHER JOBS:

The mystery client I obtained at the garage sale just wrote back to me and she wants to get the ball rolling on the web development, so I'll be working on that most of the week.

I also need to finish my treasure hunt for LeisureRules.ca!  I have a draft hunt, but it isn't clever enough for my standards, so I must revisit it before I totally fail at my job, due to being intellectually lazy and/or not meeting with the client's vision.  Jim, I want the hunt to be great!

Another client, a photographer who may want to hire me for Job 45 has been communicating with me all week, so we will see if that leads to a solid booking early next week.  I think he needs some help restarting his photography business.  I'll assist as best I can.


Enjoy your manual labor-free afternoon,


Aimee

My Mad Skillz

I was talking to my friend, comedian Peter Radomski, today and he asked me if I could tell him what my employment skills are, so that hopefully he can find me a job or four.

I mulled over Radomski's question, and besides having the skills of being able to A) make something out of nothing and B) make a big deal out of nothing C) make funny, here's a list of the things I can do and/or want to do:

1. I am highly skilled at Photoshop; I single handedly created and edited this faux photo booth strip montage for Fashion Ambush Episode 4:

 Aww, beautiful people in love. Bastards.

2. I am a great salesperson. Got junk? I can sell it. Got an oddball idea? I can market it. Have a lycra-based company? I can promote it. Got a trade show? I'm representing like a shark on Benzedrine.

3. I'm a decent writer. I've been blogging since 2000, before blogging was corporate cool. I'm also really good at paperwork and bullshit reports.  It's a wonder I don't work in an office, "outperforming in Q2 across all verticals."

4. I am a big idea man who thinks outside of the box. Did you groan at that one? You were supposed to. But if you need concept, I've got creativity.

5. I have a pretty good handle on social media. I know how to make friends and influence people without being a total asshole. mostly.  I also know more than you might think about start-ups and entrepreneurship.  Maybe I even have a business in the making... like a lemonade stand.

6. Act? Of course I can. Anyone can act if they are telegenic. Oh, sorry, you mean acting is a serious Union-mafia controlled business involving years of training.  Just look at Megan Fox and Nikki Blonsky. Serious talent.

7. Medical knowledge. I used to be a medical writer for Askmen.com. I was a cadet in St. John's Ambulance as a teen.  I'm good at spotting hypochondriacs and creepy ladies with Munchhausen by Proxy.  House tickles my fancy when it's not preposterous AND predictable.  Okay, maybe Hugh Laurie proves that acting is an art form.

8. Webskillz.  I has lotz and can keep up with the Cheezburgers.

I'm up to Job 44, peeps, and I need more. About seven jobs are almost confirmed or hoping to show up late in the game... but I won't get there unless I work NOW!

IN OTHER JOBS:

This isn't really a job, but I made this video photo montage on Friday after a friend who's a soccer fan sent me an alphabetized list of beautiful Magnum soccer photos from the 20th century, to celebrate the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa:



Enjoy and stay in the game,


Aimee

Best Date EVAH!

IN JOBS FROM AROUND THE WEB:

I found this irresistible piece of dating employment flotsam floating around this morning on Montreal Craigslist:

Looking for a female writer to handle my dating site profiles
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2010-06-05, 12:26PM EDT

Reply to: bestdateevah@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi,

I am looking for a female writer that will handle my online dating site profiles. You will have to send emails to women for introduction, reply to my mail, get me dates that align with my taste, handle scheduling and getting me ready. If you are experienced in dating, seducing and with strong writing skills, send me a mail with a short introduction and why you would be a good fit for this post. We will follow up with a phone interview. I pay 50$ a week, plus 25$ per 1st dates that occur (50$ if intiimaty occurs). If you find me a steady female partner 'no strings attached' you get 500$ bonus. If I meet someone for a long term relationship, you get 500$ bonus as well.
_____________________________________________________________

Dear Serial Dater,
 
My name is Aimee Davison.  I read your post on Craigslist and I wanted to say that
 
YOU, SIR, ARE NOT LOOKING FOR A WRITER, YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A PIMP.
 
I am going to assume I know what "intiimaty" is, and wonder if you did the math and  concluded a $100 blowjob on Craigslist was more expensive than hiring a literary madam.
 
The psychology of both a long term relationship and a fuck buddy being worth $500 is priceless.  A willing body or a willing heart is worth the same in pussy bonus! As long as the ends justify the means, eh?  Wink wink, nudge nudge!
 
And what, to you sir, constitutes a long term relationship?  Not getting a drink thrown in your face within the first ten minutes?  Not being escorted out of the club?  Not having to return the DVD rental until next Sunday?
 
You give love a bad name,
 
 
Aimee.
 
***
 
P.S.  I'm e-mailing that to him. 
 
YUCKY MANFAIL!!!
 
Aimee

Social Media Intelligence

I wrote this today for one of my clients.  Feel free to debate in the comments; my brain needs a workout.


The Value of Social Media for Businesses in 5 Points

Aimee Davison


Social Media is all the rage there days, but how do you capitalize on

its value in a business context?


1. Building a network on Twitter and Facebook is like acquiring

business cards at a networking event: Every person that follows you

is both a potential client and a potential lead to other clients. Any

time you send out a tweet you are communicating with your contacts

which could then convert into a sale or a suggestion on whom to sell

to.


2. Twitter is a self-organizing market segmentation; the people who

follow specific brands tend to be target market of those brands. A

Twitter account creates greater ease in finding these appropriate

markets and connecting with them. Facebook functions in a similar

way, but at a more personal level.


3. Having a social media presence is now a prerequisite in any

marketing and PR strategy. If you don't exist as an online presence,

you don't exist at all. The general public WANTS to know the

personality of your brand, a means to connect with your business and

the freedom to directly communicate with a company representative.

When you create a social media presence, you enable word of mouth

advertising and potentially a community of brand advocates who will

spread the word about your company at zero cost, but with very

positive returns.


4. Twitter and a Facebook Fan Page allows you to track customer

feedback and suggestions, and allows your business an opportunity to

improve. You can monitor what people about are saying about your

product, brand or service and follow-up and create appropriate

solutions. You can also monitor competitor's developments and evaluate

their progress online and co opt their effective strategies.


5. Social media is a means of broadcast, distribution and promotion

of your business' products, services and content, IN REAL TIME. As

soon as you are ready to launch anything related to your company, you

can do so immediately to your audience and market. The roll out time

of a company message is immediate.


Social Media is marketing, PR, sales and customer service all rolled

into a dynamic online presence, managed by a strategic community

manager.

Green Beans: Stay Motivated

I keep getting asked this question, "What keeps you so motivated at your projects?"*

*subtext: when you make so little moolah, lone urchin blogger.

Well, the answer to that tonight is a plate of raw green beans, a glass of water and my son scurrying back and forth to the kitchen sink and freezer to "experiment."

But to depersonalize my motivational quirks tricks, here is what keeps me powering forward:

1. Having a concrete goal:  I am doing 100 jobs for 100 bucks. Enough said. I want to stay the same weight, so I can only eat max 2000 calories a day. I cannot afford a huge dental bill, so I brush and floss every night. I will cut a b*ch if she steals my man.  Okay, not the last one. I share.

2. Fear of the alternative:  I do not want to be what I fear is the worst case scenario, professionally. For example, I do not want to work as a cleaning lady EVER AGAIN.  As in, I would rather, gasp, work in an office (this is big for me, the uncaged, work-from-home-when-I-damn-well-please, bird) where my intellect is employed, respected and well-compensated, than to associate myself with dirty toilets and, more importantly, creative failure. I also cannot bear the thought of some other actor selling a million books and having a hit web series when I haven't worked until I cry trying to achieve my goals. I don't want to be the bridesmaid, I want to be the bride, metaphorically speaking. Marriage. *shudder*

3. Desire to not be less successful than those I admire:  If s/he can do it, so can I.

4. Desire to always be creating (ABC):  If I have too much time on my hands, I either A) Think about boys or B) Think about Cellulite. Neither is productive, six days out of seven.

Creativity is such an amazing outlet for me that invigorates my spirit and calms me the fuck down. I want to DO a project, not BE a project. (Tell that to my ex, please.) I also believe that you are what you leave behind, in this life.

5. Passion:  Yeah, yeah, this one is overused in the entrepreneur's handbook, but I am driven because I truly love what I do and enjoy being the master of my own destiny. (and domain.)  I loathe passivity and take an active, engaged, committed approach to my successes (and my failures as teaching moments!).

6. Genuine love of the human experience: We are here to learn, build, grow and love.

7. Lots and lots and lots of green beans. Planned treats help a lot. If I work 5 hours straight, I get to go on a hike to the Salvation Army and score a vintage dress. My working environment is comfortable and smells good, so I can tolerate long hours. I live to work and play.

This green bean is GOING PLACES!  Image via Bay Area Bites blog.

Do what you love and love what you do,


Aimee

Goodbye My Spank

I successfully pointed my blog to Onehundredjobs.ca this afternoon.  I also imported my 100 Jobs resumé, listed above (Just for you, Chuck!).  I will be modifying it further within the next couple of days.

IN JOBS THAT NEED TO JUST GO AWAY:

Aside from losing my chance to complete 8 One Week Jobs this summer, I also lost my bet to George for the number of views that the 100 Jobs Underpants Dance would acquire.

Stiff like Deadeye Sadface Holmes and her Hubbard hubbie.

Just like on Aiken's contest, I chose not to inflate my counts with artificial clicks, so I lost out by 50 some odd votes.  Here is the correspondance between George the Debt Collector and Harried Campaigning Blogger:

Subject: Turning the other cheek

Uncle George to me

show details May 25 (9 days ago)

Hi there Aimee,

Can I take your lack of response to my bet repayment proposal (a predictably lewd email sent to me on Sunday) to mean that you are amenable to my terms?

George

--

Aimee Davison to Uncle

show details May 25 (9 days ago)

No... sorry, so busy. I was going to counter offer but now this crazy

voting thing has overtaken me.

Will get back to you.

--

Uncle George to me

show details May 26 (8 days ago)

I am willing to negotiate. I's hate to see you have to refund my $50 if there are suitable alternatives, such as spanking. I decided I would even let you wear your shiny green unitard during the spanking, rather than expose your lovely bare bottom. :-)

--

A day passes. No response from me due to being ridiculously busy.

--

Uncle George to me

show details May 27 (7 days ago)

Aimee,

Love the Curry-esque pics! You are making me much better at one-handed typing. Take one more shot of your bare butt, looking over your shoulder, so I can see your face in the pic, send it to me, and we are even!

Alternatively, you could pose for me when I am in town, and I'd subtract the $50 from your modeling fee. Note this would be have to be an implied nude shoot, like the twitpix you posted, except with better lighting.

Or you could just send me the $50!

Love and spanks,

George

--

No response again from me due to business and mild irritation...

--

Uncle George to me

show details May 31 (2 days ago)

www.paypal.com

--

Aimee Davison to Uncle

show details May 31 (2 days ago)

yes, indeed... i have had little time to counter offer. you have no

idea how busy i have been.

--

Uncle George to me

show details Jun 1 (2 days ago)

If you don't have time to make a counter offer, and you do not find any of my suggestions acceptable, you can simply give me back my $50 today.

--

Aimee Davison to Uncle

show details Jun 1 (2 days ago)

what is your legit e-mail?

--

Uncle George to me

show details Jun 1 (2 days ago)

This is my email for paypal.

--

Aimee Davison to Uncle

show details Jun 1 (2 days ago)

What other funny music video could I make?

I still can't consent to actual spanking.

--

Uncle George to me

show details Jun 1 (2 days ago)

I'm not really interested in another music video. My purpose in commissioning the last one was to help you launch your customized apparel operation.

--

Aimee Davison to Uncle

show details Jun 1 (2 days ago)

Unfortunately, there is no demand for my customized apparel operation.

I think most people are t-shirted out. Unless I came up with

ridiculously cool designs.... so far no interest at all.

--

Uncle George to me

show details Jun 1 (2 days ago)

Bad business decision on your part. Luckily I only invested $19, pending the return of my $50.

--

Aimee Davison to Uncle

show details Jun 1 (2 days ago)

What is a bad business decision?  To not sell or to determine that

there is no demand?  Shoving voting down people's throats was bad enough.

A

--

Uncle George to me

show details Jun 1 (2 days ago)

I was referring to launching the apparel business in the first place before determining whether there was demand. Luckily you didn't invest much into it.

Not hearing much from you in terms of viable counter-offers.

--

Aimee Davison to Uncle

show details Jun 1 (2 days ago)

money sent.

A

--

Uncle George to me

show details Jun 1 (2 days ago)

Bittersweet. Good of you to honor your bet, so sad I will never spank that size 7 derriere.

--

Aimee Davison to Uncle

show details Jun 1 (2 days ago)

love hurts.

--

Uncle George to me

show details Jun 1 (2 days ago)

LOL!

I wish you much success Aimee. Hopefully the world will someday fully appreciate your many talents.

George

--

So I'm $50 less, but a lesson learned: $50 in bets is worth two spanks in the bush.

And George, it's better to have hoped for spanks than never having spanked at all.



Fin de conte de fesses et bonne soirée,


Aimee

A little late...

... is better than never. This was Job 44, shot and edited yesterday:



Bonne continuité et merci for the French lessons in high school!

IN OTHER JOBS:

I got this amazingly wonderful offer tonight for an upcoming job:

Hi Aimee,

I came across your project online and wanted to know if you'd like to be a wedding planner for a day on August 21, 2010. It will involve putting together centerpieces and placing them on the tables, and ensuring all other wedding and reception decor items are in place. To boot, you could attend an Indian wedding (if you find that interesting) :)

Let me know if it's something you might want to do! I'm still working out a lot of details and don't know what I will need, but thought I'd ask if you're interested at least!


Rachna

I'm so in like Jennifer Lopez in a cheesy RomCom!!!



Related: I went to Sex and the City 2 tonight and had a blast.  It's not as bad as the reviews might lead you to believe, aside from a painful interlude in cultural education about the Middle East.

Girlfriends, Louboutins and sondages forever,


Miss Moo