Elaina Buzzell

Tag: strategy

Why am I here? One year of blogging

Flickr photo by Christine Young

Happy Birthday to my blog!

That’s right, it’s been almost a year since I started this website. I have loved having it, and I feel that it’s been a tremendous help to my professional networking. However, as it seems that its benefits aren’t obvious to all, as evidenced by the questions about it I receive in job interviews, I wanted to share my thoughts and reasons with you here.

It shocks me how few job seekers set up a website for themselves, especially for those going for communications and marketing positions. I set this up last year, when I was in the early planning stages of a cross-country move. Knowing that I would have to largely start from scratch networking, I wanted to make sure that I used tools that would quickly show that I was a qualified nonprofit communications and technology professional.

Here are some of the key benefits that I gain from having this site: Read the rest of this entry »

Communications Lessons from Major League Soccer

Those who know me or follow me on Twitter know that I am a huge fan of soccer and the Seattle Sounders. I played a bit of extracurricular soccer as a child, but it wasn’t until I found the supporter community here in Seattle that I became a passionate fan of “the beautiful game”.

I’ve had soccer on my mind since watching the Sounders’ fantastic home opener last weekend. In reading up a bit on the history of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the US, I found some insights that I would like to share with you on nonprofit communications strategies and getting started in social media. Read the rest of this entry »

Free as in Kittens: 5 tips to better use donated technology

Anya the free kittenEight years ago, I was looking into getting a kitten when a friend’s cat had an unplanned pregnancy. A few months later, Anya came to live with me, and I’ve had a good, if rude and rambunctious, friend since.

Anya was a free kitten, but I have made many investments in her since she came into my home. Litter, food, toys, vet visits and vaccinations have all added up over the years, and I have also spent a great amount of my time playing with and caring for her. To put it gently, if I had I insisted on my free kitten remaining free, our relationship would failed at the outset. Read the rest of this entry »