Update: #FocusRally!

Wow, thank you guys so much for the tweets. If you didn't hear by now, I didn't get the Focus Rally. I think there is a point in time when you can know too many people.

1. I was part of the Ford Fiesta Movement, so yeah! Me and Ford got it on, and pretty hardcore. Super super super grateful to them for that experience.

2. The Focus Rally is brought to you by the creators of The Amazing Race ... oh, you mean Bertram Van Munster? Dude, that guy is the SHIT! I was writing his online bio last year, and I'm not even kidding you - writing that thing while going on my epic adventure was one of the most motivating things on this planet. Bert is a cool, cool, dude. I'm still the FourSquare mayor of his office ... YESSSSS!! I never invoiced him since I knew he would question it, and obviously I could tell him what I was doing without being all "pitchy." (Dude, his face ... PRICELESS!) So in the very technical sense, I was not employed by him - just wrote a kick ass 4 page bio that is still sitting pretty. He's been a super big help with things for me behind the scenes as well. Very grateful.

3. The casting people? WELLL!!!! The main casting duderino knew the duderino that cast me in Deal or No Deal Syndicated, ANNNDD this pilot that I did for NBC called 20Q. I want to say he was even the best man in his wedding ... I can't remember now. We totes became besties.

So yeah - I think there is a point in time when you can actually know too many people. Either way, I very genuinely LOVE all the people involved in this - so please support the rally as much as you guys can! This is a REALLY cool idea, and I'm STOKED to see where it goes!!

Thanks for the opportunity, guys!

And no worries TNTML, I've got PLLEENNNTTTYYYYY more adventures coming soon. RAWWRR =)

click here to check out more info on the Focus Rally

xoxo #nerdsunite

#FocusRally Update!!

Alrite, so I like you, am still on pins and needles wondering who got the Ford Focus Rally. See, Ford is teaming up with the creators of the Amazing Race, to send 6 teams across the country for 6 weeks to compete in missions with their twitter, Facebook, and blog followers invited to participate and help out. Watch this vid ... it explains it way better:

Um. Yeah. Talk about the greatest thing ever.

Me and my buddy @lindsayMC are still in the running, and I'm just so gosh darn excited, that I decided to send the head of social media at Ford @scottmonty a little love note as we're BFFs on Facebook, asking if he knew when the winners were going to be announced.

His response was that they will be announcing the teams in early January - most likely around the North American International Auto Show (aka NAIAS).

I had no idea when NAIAS was ... but thankfully! *lightbulb* There's google!

NAIAS =  slated to run from January 10- 23, 2011.

Alrite, so there you go. El senor Ford big wig says the announcement will come around then.

#FINGERSCROSSED

BAHH!! Nerds, Lindsay and I will have a chance to win 100K, and TEN CARS to give away on TNTML. Dude, to a homeless chick that has survived off of $10 and social media for a year ... that = life changing. For reals.

Sooooo stay tuned! Less than a month until the announcement hopefully.

#nerdsunite

An open post to @JusticeMitchell re: #FocusRally

*waves* Hi Justice. I'm @JenFriel ... just read your post regarding the Focus Rally, and can honestly feel your pain. I however am approaching this with a slightly different mindset.

I am very very very active in the social space, was even part of the Fiesta Movement, and yada yada - read the About Us over here. That pretty much sums up me. Cool, ya back? Man, you read fast! Either way ... I know my shit, but what I also know is Hollywood. I've been around this block for 10, now almost 11 years as a professional actor ... and honestly it sucks. Like really sucks. Like sucks so bad it hurts.

The thing with any audition is, is that you have to go in - do a bang up job, and then walk out completely forgetting about it. You can't let things with the Focus Rally stress you out, you just need to own your own awesomeness and rock out with your sock out. I commend you for claiming the twitter handle, and monitoring the Facebook like page as well. Super shocking that they didn't claim it - but awesome that you stepped up to the plate.

Yes, we are in this time in social media where it is very hippie and free loving - totally works! We all need to work together, and collectively we've managed to take down the mainstream media. Dude, so awesome ... either way, Hollywood hasn't changed. They take FORREEVVVEERRRRRRR to cast. Like FORRRREEVVVERRR FORREEVVERRRR!! I myself even just called the casting office this week to ask what was up, because I literally am trying to figure out where I am going to live next. I live ENTIRELY off of social media. So, if I am going to be traveling for the first quarter, that is something I need to plan for in some capacity since as of right now I don't even have a car in operation. So, dude, I get it ... but this stuff takes time. It's a numbers game, and a series of profiling each candidate to see who people can relate to based upon the target demographic, and all that snazzy jazzy stuff.

I've held castings myself, they're exhausting - and you very literally never know what you are going to find until you hold one. That being said, the majority of people suck. Literally ... I have to go through SOOO many people to find even just a handful that I mildly like.

Either way dude, totally get it ... and just wanted to say that I am feeling your pain, however, this stuff goes on all the time. It's not Ford's fault, it's the machine behind Hollywood pulling these strings. Welcome to the jungle. One thing I am doing differently though is continually working the hustle on multiple gigs. It takes 10 of them to be in the works to have 1 pop ... so just keep hustling man. It'll work out - this space is so alive right now, it's not even funny. Just keep being awesome, and coming up with cool shit that people will notice. Build your own brand ... make it an UNDENIABLE option for Ford to NOT pick you.

Best of luck to you new friend. I'm totally following you now on twitter btw. So if I'm ever in your area and see a FourSquare checkin from you ... don't be surprised if I say hi. K ... that is all.

#NerdsUnite

#Randombling: That Nerdy Chick

Randombling: A 5 minute long unedited random stream of consciousness produced by a nerd for nerds.

#nowplaying: Kids, Sleigh Bells

AH! So much going through my head ... What a crossroad. These next few weeks are going to say a whole lot about my entire first quarter of next year.

First off, on Monday - I'm going to start making some phone calls to the casting peeps at the Focus Rally. I need to figure out where I am going to live next, as things with the now TV show are picking up (remember, the feature film got turned into a pilot? Yeah! Cool shit man!), and if I don't get the Rally I need to be more centrally located to Hollywood since as of December, I won't have a car anymore either. My registration is up entirely on that thing now. So I've pushed the limit on driving it until the end of November, but for reals ... driving without insurance or registration is just retarded. I am about milking the system, not setting myself up for a really gnarly lawsuit. That being said, I need to plot my next move within the next 2 weeks. If I get the Focus Rally, I won't necessarily need to be in Hollywood - would just need to get a storage unit for a bit to throw all my things in. Maybe I can do another down size and just get a locker somewhere. Hmmmmmm ... Dude, plus I'd get 10Gs for doing the show. Is the experience alone not the most amazing thing ever ... really? You're giving us money too? Epic. I can totally use that to pay some debt.

It's gonna suck to not have a car, but again - if I'm just centrally located enough ... I can figure the rest out. I just can't live alllll the way in the valley and make it to all the meetings that I know I'll have to be taking. You just have to be prepared. That's all luck is, is opportunity meeting preparation. I'm one of the most prepared people alive. FOR REALLLLSSSS. I'm always on my toes thinking 10 steps ahead. I have to be. It's my thing.

I'm also going to follow up with Playboy this week, as I know they were looking to start with their project for first quarter. Working for them would be AHHH-MAAZZINNGGG!!! I know there is some serious cross nerdy loving that we could do. I'm pretty excited.

Either way, I just have to close a few of these open doors just to see what is up. 2010 was the creation of all of this story. 2011 is going to be all about what's next, and explaining the lifecasting formula to as many people that will listen. I know this shit works, but I am sooooo not interested in money or running the financial components of a business. Don't get me wrong, I'm a saleswoman ... HAHA! I am AWESOME at upselling. But after a year of living with $10 to my name, I just discovered none of it means anything anyway. Now having all this money next year STILL won't really interest me, but it will give me a foundation to do some pretty cool stuff that I haven't had this year in a physical sense. My only address has been this domain. Even though I loved it, learned a lot, and told a great story - it has to have better structure to it. I got the attention I wanted ... now I just have to step up to my own plate.

So yeah ... gonna be a busy week. I'm pretty stoked. YAYY!!!!

OH AND before I go, you HAVE to hear this song from Skins, which is this big UK show coming to MTV - its in the :30 TV spot and I'm in LOOVVEEEEE!!

Thanks again for finding the vid @Wibblenut!

Night night lovers!!!

xoxo

#NerdsUnite

An open letter to @JenandChanda re: #FocusRally

Alrite ... so I have keywords set up on my tweetdeck for the #FocusRally ... and I just saw a post from a team that I could not ignore.

Before you go any further ...

Click here to read the post I will be referencing.

It's totally kosher, I'll sit here and wait for you. Doop dee doo ... doo doo dum. Hum hum yum. K, ya back? Awesome sauce.

Ladies, what are you thinking? For reals. Get it together, babes! I'm a finalist too. I totally get the anxiety. It's maddening. You have to understand, this is a casting - and Ford has not publicly said anyone has been picked yet ... so the rest is kinda here say, and you've just gone and said all that? Are you for reals? This is the internet, nothing goes away.

We have no idea what they are looking for - but these things are mostly a numbers game. What type of reach does this individual have in social media? Are they someone the viewers of Hulu can relate to? Are they physically and mentally stable to compete in a high stress competition like this? Someone once told me for the Fiesta Movement they put us through about 40 different groups and types of background checks before we were selected. They check out EVVVEERRRYYYTHIINNGGG, it takes time. Furthermore, the bottom line in all of this is about money. Ford is trying to sell cars, and the creators of the Amazing Race are trying to do something innovative with interactive media. It's NOT about you. I say this all not to put you down in any capacity. In fact, I really do hope you guys get it - you're clearly incredibly passionate individuals. However, I just feel the need to educate, that people can do some really sneaky things in castings. Other competitors might post that they received some sort of special "insider info" to psych you out. Congrats, from the sounds of it - it looks like they got to you.

Take a deep breath, and keep being awesome. Show Ford that you'd be a FANTASTIC candidate if picked, and you won't be a sore sport about the process in general if you aren't chosen. There are so many opportunities in this space right now, I would hope that you guys could take some of that passion and energy into building your brand and exploring more of those options.

I very sincerely do wish you guys  well - and really do hope you guys get it ... but man, you just gotta breathe. We're all in this boat, we're all nervous ... but the final decision hasn't been made. Don't make it easier for them by going off the deep end.

If you need to vent, I can offer a helping hand to help appease the nerves. I do some gnarly yoga and meditation - we can just make it a Skype session. =)

JenFriel@TalkNerdyToMeLover.com

Facebook.com/JenFriel

Twitter.com/JenFriel

#NerdsUnite