Randi Zuckerberg's Blog, page 60

What Happens When You Give A Celeb A Microphone

Our favorite holiday video of the week– Jimmy Fallon, Rashida Jones and Carrie Underwood change the lyrics to pop songs to reflect the season– too good!

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Holiday Shopping, No Movement Required

We’ve become ridiculously spoiled with how easy it is to pick the perfect holiday gift for a loved one. Our mothers and fathers actually had to leave the house and fight the mobs at the nearest mall to find the right present– these days, I can browse and purchase from anywhere, no car (or movement) required. I’m a little embarrassed to share this, but I’ve become so used to how easy it is to shop online that when I have to get up from the couch to find my credit card and type in all the information, half the time I’d rather just abandon my virtual shopping cart and do it all again later.

That’s why I love having a PayPal account– one click and I’m all paid up. When I had a chance to work with PayPal during my book launch, I jumped at the chance; we both have the same goal of making life with technology easier and simpler. For holiday shopping, that means no more getting up to dig through my purse (and inevitably forget to put the card back after I use it, causing a huge panic next time I’m in an actual store) and typing in a billing address and expiration date. One click and I’ve paid, at an extremely wide variety of retailers. Here are a few of my favorite places to shop that accept PayPal at the checkout.

1) ModCloth is a trendy fashion site with a solid mix of clothing, shoes, accessories, and home decor. Everything about it screams “gift-me,” from the cute descriptions of items to quirky product names. Started by high school sweethearts,  this awesome website has reasonably priced, one-of-a-kind products and a community feel.

Coveting these salt and pepper shakers from ModCloth.

2) 1 Sale A Day is not the place to go if you’re looking for something specific, but if you’re looking to be inspired and get a fantastic deal, this is the place to shop. Whenever I browse, I see high-quality products (think electronics and jewelry as well as toys and clothing) at huge discounts and I start to think how great that would be for someone. They don’t have to know what you paid! The discounts change every day at midnight so you can check back every day.

3) Zappos is the too-good-to-be-true website that set the new norm for online shopping. With free, really fast shipping and free returns, the convenience can’t be beat. They sell most major brands as well as a lot of brands you won’t find at the department store. While they’re billed as a shoe company, they also stock an impressive array of clothing, bags and beauty items. There aren’t many sales, but the items are fairly priced and the service (and free shipping) makes it worth it. Even Kanye West is talking about the site, with his usual optimistic outlook (for the full story, click here).

All three of these sites accept PayPal, meaning that after you select that perfect gift, you won’t have to move to buy it. Bonus: If you’re shopping for a partner you share finances with, use PayPal so they won’t see the receipt on your financial statement! Happy shopping!

Posted on 12/5/2013

Written by Randi Zuckerberg

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Books And Book Tour Schedule

Dot Complicated is now a book! We’re so excited to announce that Randi Zuckerberg’s debut book, Dot Complicated, as well as her children’s picture book, Dot, are now available to order.

The adult book, Dot Complicated, is part memoir, part how-to manual and addresses issues of privacy, online presence, networking, etiquette, and the future of social change. Randi has been on the frontline of the social media movement since Facebook’s early days and her following six years as a marketing executive for the company.

The children’s book, Dot, is about a spunky tech-obsessed little girl who learns to put her gadgets down and play outside. It’s fun, engaging and has a simple message easy for any child to understand. Dot is available for preorder here as well. Both books are available to order here.

We’d love to see you at one of the book tour events for Dot Complicated and Dot. Here is the current list of events– check back as we are continually adding locations! Meet Randi, get your copy signed, and mingle with other Dot Complicated fans. Remember to wear your polka dots!

Upcoming book tour stops:
Tuesday, December 10th– San Francisco, CA

6:00pm at the Commonwealth Club (595 Market Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105)

Tickets available here.

Monday, DEcemBer 16th– Los Altos, CA

4:00pm at Linden Tree Books (265 State St., Los Altos, CA 94022)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17th– Santa Clara, CA

5:00pm at MAC Cosmetics in Valley Fair (2855 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95050)

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Old Fashioned #Love And Match.Com Parties

I just got married. Unlike other, more social-media savvy couples, we did not assign a hashtag to our wedding. And even though I have many Twitter and Facebook connections, I didn’t post live updates of our special day online. My husband Eric actually doesn’t use Twitter, and he never plans on creating a Facebook profile. (Sorry, Randi!)

While Eric keeps his digital thumbprint at a minimum, my work as an author and performer actually depends on the opposite. Yet, I, too, strive to keep my personal life more on the private side. Needless to say, our marriage was announced in The New York Times, but we will never be “Facebook official.” Like Randi’s new book, Dot Complicated, suggests, it is, in fact, complicated.

To add to the perplexity of it all: guess where I met my stealthy husband who likes to fly below the Internet radar? Online. I’ve heard it said that you can’t buy love, but Eric costs me exactly $63.93— the cost of a three-month subscription to Match.com.

Another unusual point related to our meeting over the Internet is that, at the time, I despised online dating. Those two words conjured up a mixture of disappointment, depression, exhaustion, and shear annoyance. After years of online rejection and failure, I was bound and determined to meet someone the “old-fashioned” way— through a friend, my work, or in the grocery store checkout line.

Anywhere but the Internet.

Then my tech-smart friend and coauthor Jennifer J. Thomas, a clinical psychologist at Harvard Medical School, entered the picture. After many years of leading cognitive-behavioral therapy groups for women struggling with eating disorders, Dr. Thomas began to believe that a similar format might actually help some of her single girlfriends (like me) in their dating struggles. So, after one writing session for our book Almost Anorexic at her home in Boston, she held an impromptu, informal “Match.com party.” This essentially meant the main objective was “exposure therapy,” as she says, to encourage her single friends to create online dating profiles.

Jenni and Jenny on the night of the Match.com party.

Knowing that clear-cut evidence is important in encouraging people to take action, Dr. Thomas invited those who had successfully met their significant others by online dating to share their experience, strength, and hope. Think the principles of a twelve-step meeting applied to Match.com. And that’s how $63.93 got charged to my credit card.

Not long after, Eric sent me a message, and we seemed to have real chemistry— online, that is. He stood out from the majority of men I’d met on dating sites because Eric 1) actually read my online profile, 2) wrote more than “hey babe,” and, 3) worked toward scheduling an actual date rather than attempting to spend hours hiding behind his computer screen. Following our first date, we gratefully discovered that our online connection translated into a real one as well.

I have to admit that even though I had wanted a no-Internet-required type of romance, it didn’t take long for me to “Google” my new love interest. Unlike a previous date whose mug shot I discovered online alongside a long criminal history (we never went out again), not much appeared about my husband-to-be. A few links about his job revealed that he was, in fact, who he said he was. But I didn’t come across any family photos or information about what he did last Friday night. To learn more about this man, I was going to have to ask him. As it turns out, although Eric could have learned a considerable amount about me online, he chose to refrain from typing my name into his search engine and to talk to me instead.

Even if he had decided to all-out Internet stalk me, his efforts wouldn’t have helped him much in getting to know me on a deeply personal level. Just as my parents had done nearly fifty years earlier, we were going to have to resort to meeting up (in a real, not virtual, space), asking questions about one another, and truly listening.

While our face-to-face relationship seemed to be progressing, our technological connection—yes, the one I didn’t necessarily think I wanted—was lacking. Eric and I frequently would go out on a wonderful date, and then nothing. No text messages saying “Good night xo” or “Thinking of u.” Radio silence on my smart phone. And when he did send the occasional text message to confirm plans or share directions, he never added flirtatious smiley faces or winks. Eric’s lack of exclamation points, LOL’s, and emojis began to translate in my mind as a lack of interest. Maybe he’s just not that into me, I wondered.

Like any self-help author would do, I brought it up— in person. But, instead of eloquently expressing how his lack of emotion in text messages (and lack of texting altogether) made me feel, I just blurted out, “Your messages are really boring.” He didn’t take offense, since I was smiling when I spoke, and simply pulled out his phone. (Note: a smiley face does, in fact, go a long way!) We actually analyzed our text message conversations together right there at the dinner table. A comparison of his texts to mine revealed a lopsided amount of enthusiasm on my end and, he admitted, boredom on his.

After this honest conversation, Eric began to sprinkle a few well-placed exclamation points and smiley face winks into his texts, and I stopped reading so much into it all. I began to appreciate the fact that I had met a man in this digital age who preferred to share an actual smile over an emoticon.

A real hug is better than a virtual one any day. All in all, I found love in the place that I least expected it: online. In a not-so-old-fashioned way, the Internet pointed me to an old-fashioned kind of romance. And that deserves an exclamation point.

Posted on 12/4/2013

Written by Jenni Schaefer

Jenni Schaefer is an internationally known speaker, accomplished singer/songwriter, and bestselling author. She has appeared on shows like Today and Dr. Phil, as well as publications ranging from Cosmopolitan to The New York Times. Her books include Life Without Ed; Goodbye Ed, Hello Me; and her latest with Harvard Medical School, Almost Anorexic: Is My (or My Loved One’s) Relationship with Food a Problem? Jenni lives with her new husband in Austin, Texas, where they can often be found on their bicycles. For more information: JenniSchaefer.com.

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My Dot Complicated Story: Taking Time to Unplug

In the past year, I have made a concerted effort to unplug at specified times throughout my week in order to be present, de-stress, enjoy the people in my life, and make the most of those small but important moments in life:

1. Tech-free time with the kids – each night I try to have 30-60 minutes of tech free time with the kids: no phones, emails, tv, iPads – not even a quick glance at my phone.  The boys savor the opportunity to have my undivided attention and I love spending the time focused on them.  It’s also a great opportunity for my kids to unplug and enjoy activities that are not reliant on technology like books, board games and puzzles.

2. Weekly date night with my husband – My husband and I recently realized that both of us are either in front of the TV or working on our laptop almost every night that we are home.  We recently instituted a date night once a week where we unplug – no TV, computers, or phone.  This has been made easier since Breaking Bad ended!  These date nights have provided great opportunities to disconnect from the outside world and connect with one another.

3. Unplugged me time – Unplugged me time is not only unplugging from technology but also unplugging from the people, stress, and responsibilities in your life.  One way I accomplish this is by meditating for five minutes every morning.  Five minutes is about all I can squeeze in during the morning craziness between getting ready for work and getting the kids ready for school!  Even that small amount of time is a chance for me to center myself, reflect on what is important in life, focus on gratitude, and create my goals for the day.  I also carve out time to work out 3 times a week, which also allows me to unplug from technology and the world, focus on myself, and de-stress.

GIVEAWAY: Free Copy of Dot Complicated

I challenge you to set times throughout your week to unplug and focus on finding tech-life balance in your life.  Start now by entering to win my first giveaway, a free copy of Randi Zuckerberg’s new book Dot Complicated: Untangling Our Wired Lives which provides a ton of great tips.  To enter to win, just like The Modern Mompreneur Facebook page and comment with your tip on how to unplug or your thoughts on these tips. Contest ends Friday December 15th!

Posted on 12/3/2013

Written by Anjali Varma

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