I love the Internet. The Internet is a promise of freedom and sense fulfilled. I have abandoned the classic PR and social web is my main concern now. This is because I love people.
Business…
I established ‘PRpepper’ agency less than a year ago. Throughout the year, I worked fifteen hours a day on average. I tried to implement everything I thought I knew. That was important. I have worked in politics (Slovenia, Serbia), for NGOs (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia), for companies (Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia). The names, topics and how-to’s will be used to create case studies. I reluctantly use blog for advertising. Things are as they are. That’s the spirit I like to show. Do not claim- demonstrate! Therefore, I intend to demonstrate all this at conferences, soon.
I am in the business of Internet communications on a strategic level. I have a client, the circumstances are always new, there is a problem that the client is sometimes unaware of; I make a diagnosis; I conduct a comprehensive and detailed research, from internal and external perspective. I detect weaknesses that the Internet might rectify (sales, conversation, corporate (re)positioning, awareness). I come up with unique solutions. I convert them into ideas and action plans. I select the tools and tactics. I scratch my head thinking of measurements every day. It’s getting better.
I don’t do operational stuff. I’m not a community manager. I cooperate with great teams from all EX-YU countries (Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia). My primary concern is to create the community managers in the organizations I work for. We are waking up. I am waking up.
The time spent in organizations is reduced to a minimum. I don’t have enough time for long-term budget sucking. I’ve got plenty of work to do. My goal is to draw up the best strategy and to prepare the organization’s representatives to independently manage web conversations by following the rules of humaneness and common (wide & public= corporate) interests.
When I once said to an insurance company that it is not essential to hire young, super & net cool people for community management, I had to elaborate on this: I said that the public (me included) needs people who are already in the company, who understand the (insurance) business, the clients and the products; the ‘Internet’ can be learned. We need (only) people.
Lectures…
I teach often. I attend lectures as much as I lecture. Balance. The key word! Input& outcome of knowledge must be balanced! In the previous period I have attended the lectures delivered by some of the most interesting people today: Bill Clinton, General Powell, Professor Edward de Bono- the father of Lateral Thinking, Michael Porter- the true master of strategic management, Professor Denis Wilcox, Pascal Beuclear- the leading strategist in MS&L group, the world’s third largest PR agency, Jeremiah Owyang, Gary Vaynerchuk, Robert Scoble, and, wow, so many others. As for me, I have delivered lectures in some of the largest regional companies.
I have received some prominent affirmative replies for my work. For example, as of today, I have a Fan page on Facebook. Thank you, Danijel! I am truly touched. One of my posts is in Blogopedia.
Additionally, I was the official blogger of Le Web 2010, Europe’s biggest web conference held in Paris. Furthermore, I have been selected for the official judge for the presentation of EuroBlog Social Media Awards 2011 in Lisbon to young bloggers at the spring symposium of the European PR Association for Research and Education, also known as EUPRERA. Moreover, this May, I am a guest lecturer at 10th edition of Webcom 2011 in Montreal, Canada. The list of speakers this year includes Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, Janna Anderson, Ev Williams and John Adams from Twitter, Geoff Livingston, Vint Cerf from Google, Mitch Joel and, my personal favourites, Clay Shirky and Jeremiah Owyang. What a list! My hands are trembling as I type this!
This month I have become a WebIT Consul for Southeast Europe, and part of the team of excellent internet practitioners whose goal is further development and encouragement of the overall digital industry in this part of Europe. I am the official blogger of Webit Expo 2011 in Sofia.
Travelling…
I travel, often. Within a year, I’ve seen almost all of Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. I’ve been to Rome, Paris, Florence, Bologna, Pisa, Barcelona, Bratislava, Budapest. I’ve even been to war-affected Egypt. Wow!
On average, I spend 3 days a week abroad. In April, on my 30th birthday, I am presenting my Master’s Thesis at the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad. PhD thesis will be done by autumn, hopefully.
My own…
Nina is a straight “A” student. Jovana is already too self-confident.
I am very much in love. Like I’ve never been before! I’m burning, inside and out.
I even write poetry. I am re-reading Nietzsche, Kafka, Camus… Vuk has given me the latest top titles by experts: Umair Haque, Claya Shirky, Dan Ariely, and others. Ah!
And, at the end, something important for new beginnings….
I am trying to help young people who have noble ideas, who are trying to find their place in the world and who contact me through the channels I have made available all over the net. Thank you for contacting me! It is my duty, and my personal choice, to spread knowledge!
I am so very sorry I missed our BlogOpen and BizBuzz! Tut!
Owing to these wonderful events and dear friends, not the job, I have at least one additional assignment – every morning I try to figure out how to make my day at least two hours longer.
Thank you. It is you who are reading this, and you who are reading between the lines, that have taught me most.
Sincerely yours DDj
