#Fact: It's something unpredictable but in the end it's right, I just had the time of my life (cc: @stevenbward @blowfishshoes)

Wow. Wow. Wow. What an amazing weekend in Philly. I have to say, definitely top 5 in my life in fact.

The accidental DJ is still one of my favorite "I just pulled this out of my ass costumes ever." Plus, when I got awkward at the party I could do a one person dance party to Sussdio and no one even noticed. This photo though reminds me of the Baby Got Back video. HAHA classic! Dude, when someone hands you an ass at the party, you gotta start playing it! Jigga jigga jigga

Here's the song that goes with the post, btw ...

So, if you want the full rundown of the weekend you can check it out here. It explains how I ended up at a costume party on Saturday, and where I've been staying and all that jazz.

I just wanted to summarize in one last post my final thoughts if you will (hey Jerry heeyyyyyy. Jerry Springer, anyone anyone?) on the weekend as a whole.

I cannot stress enough how much I love social media. This ENTTIIIRRREEEE weekend from start to finish was fueled by social media.

It all started a couple Fridays ago when a friend of the site posted on my Facebook wall that I should come to Philly. I was all DUDE! Sure! If we get picked up for VidBlogger Nation season 4 I'll totes come down to Philly after hitting up NY - just lemme know if you have a couch I can crash on.

She was immediately all fuck yeah! I got a couch! Several, in fact.

Filed that away.

Then come Saturday, I was wrapping the filming of Season 3 for Vidblogger Nation in Boston and taking a break. I flipped on Vh1 and started watching Tough Love.

I had seen the show before, and loved it - but something in me clicked. I want to meet Steve Ward, I thought. I know a lot of people in TV, guarantee you one of my friends knows him - I should start feeling this out to see if anything is there.

I'm FASCINATED by social dynamics, and people in general - but it can be hard for me dating, because my analytical brain goes into overdrive and I'll want to break dudes down to figure them out. Certainly this is a defense mechanism on my part, but it is also pretty easy to do if you know what to look for - and after 103 dates I know what the fuck to look for. Dating for me as a whole is also incredibly difficult because I LOOVVEEEE what I get to do all day everyday. Do you know how rare that is with people? Seriously! People do not like their lives, and I cannot spend even an hour with someone, let alone a few months dating them if they don't jive with what they do.

In my head sitting there that Saturday night, I thought - this is a dude I need to talk to. Not just in a professional manner, but I was just interested in discussing attraction and social dynamics in general while batting my blue eyes of course and maybe periodically checking out the hiney.

OMMMMMMGGGG Steve is so fucking hot. Re-dic!

It's absurd. No one should be allowed to be that attractive, that intelligent, and into social dynamics. Me = putty.

So flash forward to Sunday, I had just gotten out of the shower and I pop on twitter to see what is going on in the world ... a friend of the site had tweeted out that Steve was livestreaming on Ustream.

STTFFUUUUUU, I thought.

Like I can talk to Steve.

Like he's right there on the other side of the monitor and like I don't have to even go through people I know I can have an IMMEDIATE connection with him?

I quickly click the link, and after a few minutes put my balls to the wall and ask him out.

I have nothing to lose in this scenario, and I also have no shame in general - so I very literally just asked him out right then and there.

He then clicks on my avatar, sees my twitter profile pic, and is all ... yeah! You're pretty cute. I'll go out with you.

HOLLLLLLLLLYYYY FUCKKKKKKK did I start screaming.

Really universe? Less than 24 hours after making a declaration with direct intent you deliver to me what I've been asking for?

WOOOOWWWW!!! The world is an amazing place.

Fortunately due to sheer luck, the chickadee that had posted on my wall that Friday just so happened to live in the same city as Steve, so not only did I have a place to stay - but a reason to go.

How to get there, I thought.

I then remembered that I had Southwest vouchers after posting about them when I was stuck in Chicago during my 4 cities in 30 days tour.

Ticket done.

Need a sponsor though, I thought.

See what I do is called narrative advertising; I am a corporate sponsored minimalist. I reach out to companies of products that I like and tell them a little bit about myself, my measure of influence, and then boom! I ask them if they are interested in sponsoring an adventure. We have a legit sales team now, and I just finished a super fancy pants sales video (it's not public but totes drop me a tweet if you want to see it) - but yeah - the bottom line is that if I was going to have an epic adventure like this, it had to be sponsored. This is my thing, man. I genuinely genuinely genuinely enjoy telling people about shit that doesn't suck, and I'm a sales person. Dudes, I was top rep for indirect sales in Verizon selling cellular activations when I was 22!! I was brought in to fail and became top in the nation - people enjoy buying, they just don't want to be sold to. I believe in Verizon and their handsets, so I could sell them! It's a fine line, but by finding products I am passionate about anyway, it just works.

One of the chickadees on the sales team suggested one of her twitter buds, this crowd called Blowfish Shoes as they have SERIOUSLY cute shoes, and every girl needs a cute pair of shoes on a date.

DONE AND DONE! I thought!

I then reached out to Blowfish (who had fortunately already heard of us), told 'em what was up, and they were SOOO rad, and TOTALLY game!!!!!

They let me pick out a pair of shoes, I picked Valora (size 7) ... OMMMMGGGG SO FRIGGEN CUTE!!!

Sponsor? Check

Flight? Check

Place to stay? Check

Ready to go? Absolutely!!!

Again you can read the rundown of everything over yonder - but basically, Steve handed me my ass on a silver platter during the date. I had no idea he was so passionate about tech and frankly so intelligent. I thought we'd be discussing social dynamics and he instead geeked out on google and dropped so much knowledge on me it shut me the fuck up.

I was very humbled. I wanted a date, but ended up with what I needed - a lesson.

Life is funny like that. =)

So that happened, and then to my surprise at the end of the date he asked me what I was doing Sunday night. Filming during the day, I said - but then after that not sure.

Come by my radio show, he said. I'd love to have you.

Wait, you just handed me my own ass, schooled me in my own game - and now you want to hang out again? Really? REALLY??

I wasn't even sure too what he meant by come by the studio. I didn't know if I was going to be on air, or very literally just sit by and watch.

I didn't promote it too much as to not let you guys down, but to my DELIGHTED surprise he actually did have me as a guest on his show.

I walked into the radio station strutting my stuff in my Blowfish shoes, and when one of the producers opened the door to the studio, Steve said JENNNN in a very excited voice, and said come here! Give me a hug.

OMG I thought. I am now hugging my crush. I might have partially blacked out and forgotten the first time, but this one ... this memory is STORED!!!

Here are some actual screen shots of the livestream that was up on Ustream broadcasting behind the scenes studio action ...

That's my elbow in the frame with Steve while I was writing down my twitter handle.

There I am sending out this tweet ...

HEHE that's me in the lower left hand corner. OMG OMG OMG me and Steve in the same frame.

::breathe Friel, don't forget to breathe::

Here I am getting the headphones on to talk on air.

One of the first questions he asked me was about dudes creeping on Facebook. Do you get that often, he asked. I shot back and said dude, I'm a lifecaster!! I welcome it!!! I'm transparent for educational purposes for others, and for spiritual purposes for myself.

His co-hosts all thought that was pretty rad.

There I am in the upper right hand corner talking on air, pretty much having the time of my life.

I was on air for about a half hour, then after the show wrapped everyone talked for a few minutes and then we headed out to our cars.

So someone really gave you their car to get here, said Steve.

Yeah! Ashley! The girl who posted on my Facebook wall in the first place offering me a couch to crash on. She gave me her car this entire weekend, how else did you think I was going to get here?

That's incredible he said.

That's what honesty gets you, I replied. People trust me.

He then thanked me for coming out tonight, and wished me luck. Keep in touch he said, and he leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

Like seriously?!?! FIRST I get hugged, THENNNNN I get a kiss on the cheek???

<tangent> Dude, when I crashed the Grammys to meet Pete Cashmore he didn't even send me a tweet or anything. I genuinely just spooked the dude that I was able to talk my way through 6 checkpoints and get to him. mwahaahahah! That was mostly just luck to be perfectly frank, but all luck is is opportunity meeting preparation. Minimalists are very very very prepared people. </tangent>

I stood there frozen for a moment in my Blowfish Shoes.

OMG OMG OMG OMG this is one of the greatest moments in my life - store this memory Friel.

I paused for a second, YEP! STORED!!!

I then got into Ashley's car, and updated my Facebook status ...

This is happening, I thought, and it happened all because of social media. WOOOWWWW!!! This is HANDS DOWN the greatest time to be alive!!!

I smiled, and then called one of the suits on the scripted pilot. He and his wife are big fans of Steve and when I told him that we were going to go out, he FRREEAKKEEEDD saying he would pay for ringside seats.

You two going toe to toe? This. Will. Be. Good.

I had updated him on the fact that my ass had been handed to me, but I left him a final update that he gave me a kiss on the cheek ... and yeah, man - my life was made.

It is SUCH an incredible time in this space where opportunities are ZOOMING by you at a mile a minute. Have a pure heart, pure intentions, and just GENUINELY love who you are and what you are doing and PEOPLE. WILL. TAKE. NOTICE.

I'm not special, just awesome. I've spent the last two years building this brand and focusing VERY strongly on myself and creating as many shifts in my consciousness as I could by placing myself in situations that made me uncomfortable.

Steve from a business perspective might be ahead of me now, but baby I'm just getting out of the gate! Good things come in good time, but first you have to be ready - and that my friends is my current mission. Remember life is reflective and has to meet YOUR expectations of it. Learn to step up to your own plate, be bold by doing things that scare you, and watch how your life can change.

Thank you for this weekend Steve, Blowfish Shoes (BIGGGG thank you to them as well for the sponsorship!!! Dudes, check their shoes out. SOOOOO friggen comfortable!! To go from vans to heels like that was a big step - no pun intended), a HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to Rachel and Ashley for your INCREDIBLE hospitality this weekend. Above and beyond doesn't even cut it. You BOTH will always have a place to stay in LA. Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!!!

And a special thank you to social media. For reals man, I adore you. Like I really really really do and like if you ever want to make out or anything - I'm like totally game just as an FYI. Upon making my declartion to the universe that I wanted to meet Steve, by using social media, and only social media, it only took me 13 days to be able to meet Steve and 14 days in total to get a kiss from him.

AMAZING!!!

Next up, I am headed to NYC to get my drink on this evening before my 6am flight from La Guardia. I'm going to map it out, but I know Megabus drops me off near Penn Station, so I'm just going to get a group together to kick it around there. If you're in the city and wanna grab a beer let's get this shit done man (hit me up on twitter)!! I sleep better on cross country flights with a buzz! HAHA!!! Loves it so long time.

#greatestweekendever

“Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard, and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

You can check out the livestreamed archive from last night on Ustream - go to LoveLab.com

You can see me enter in the studio at 2h:30, and at 2h:37 you can hear Steve say Talk Nerdy To Me, Lover (heheeheheeheh). AMAZING!!!

#Fact: My ass was handed to me on a silver platter by @StevenBWard

I ... don't know what to say. I don't know what to write. I spent an hour riding back from our lunch literally speech and tweetless. I very honestly have never talked to someone so intelligent in all of my life, and sat there saying less than 10 words out of fear of embarrassing myself.

I HAD NOTHING TO SAY!!! AND WE WERE TALKING TECH AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS!!!!!!!!!

I ... am humbled. I expected a douche and left being the douche.

Lemme back up first though and break this shizzy shiznat down for you all.

So, I asked Steve out on Ustream a couple of weeks back (read more about that here). He was super cool, DMed me his email and we went back and forth for a few weeks planning it all out.

Rad.

I've lived in LA for 7 years. I've done the whole hanging out/ dating celebs before, and sure Steve is on a popular TV show on Vh1 (Tough Love) - but would you like an award or a breast to pin it on? Hanging out with someone just because they're on TV does nothing for me. I am just GENUINELY FASCINATED by social dynamics, and dating - after 103 dates in 9 months I STILL date and STILL get jazzed about people and playing. I'm an ABSURDLY curious person and still young and crazy enough to go out there and do it. What interested me in Steve is his knowledge of people and matchmaking ... and ... let's call a spade a spade, I also wanted to touch the hiney.

Dudes, the guy is gorgeous. Period end of sentence, I will not even debate anyone on that. He is a very very very handsome human being. Even if I were a straight dude I'd STILL do him.

I was genuinely surprised when he said yes to go out with me - but even more excited with the planning of everything.

<tangent> OMG you guys, I cannot for the life of me fucking write this post out. I've never been so floored and so unbelievably impressed in meeting someone. Like my jaw is open. Hold on, lemme get some music up - that'll help.

Oh god yes. This song pierces my soul with joy and bliss. Great fucking beat, man. </tangent>

So, I emailed him this morning asking where we could meet up.

Devons 3pm, he replied back.

Devons? I thought, what's that? I pop over to google and realize it's actual a semi fancy pants looking restaurant.

Hmmm not bad. Alrite.

I email him back saying that sounds good. See ya there.

I then go into girl freak out mode of oooohhhhhhh holy fuck this is happening.

Get ready Friel, in 3 hours you are going to meet your crush.

I get ready putting on one of my favorite vintage dresses and topped off the outfit with my super sexy sexy kicks from Blowfish Shoes ...

SO FREAKING COMFORTABLE!! AND CUTE!!!

I'm currently staying with a friend of the TNTML community just outside of Philly. She was rad enough to offer up her couch, ANNNNDD even offer up her car for me to meet Steve.

Are you for real? I said!

Yep! Take it!

WOOOOWWWWWWW!!

And just like that ... someone that I met in person for the first time less than 24 hours ago gave me her car, with gas to go and see Steve.

Go get 'em girl! You look great, she said as I walked out the door.

I get in the car, pop in the address in google maps on my Droid, and head over.

Breathe ... breathe ... breathe ...

It takes me almost an hour (by the way the crow flies it was actually only a couple of miles - but Philly's traffic is pretty bad), and at 2:45 I park the car and start walking over to the restaurant.

Breathe Friel. Whatever you do, just don't forget to breathe. Stick to the life basics, and do this - I think pepping myself up.

As I am walking over to the restaurant I get an email from him ...

I'm running 15 mins late. Sorry!

Alrite, whatevs I think. Minor inconvenience but I have emails I can catch up on, I'll just sit at the bar.

I walk into Devons, sit down at the bar and email him back - See u when u get here!

I then proceeded like a mad woman emailing and calling everyone on my "to call" and "to email" list.

I get caught up, take another sip of my water, and then remembered how unbelievably weird I get when I have a crush on someone. I get PAINFULLY quiet, and usually say the DUMBEST shit on the planet.

When I crashed the Grammys to meet Pete Cashmore the first words out of my mouth were - "I recognized you by your jawline." WHO SAYS THAT????!!!!! I fucking do. My nerves get the best of me, I turned to twitter for support.

I then hear a voice - your hair is so much darker than in your picture, I didn't recognize you.

I look up and see a super tall hoodie and hat wearing gorgeous human being.

Oh fuck. I'm totally caught off guard not by his clothing but by his height!! On TV and in pictures he looks pretty short. I pegged him at being 5'8/ 5'9 at the most - he was EASILY 6'2.

I temporarily look like a deer in headlights. I was actually so shocked with his height and how attractive he was in general in person - the entire scenario threw me. I don't even know if I shook his hand, hugged him - or what. My mind went completely blank.

Breathe. Just remember to breathe and you're okay.

We then move to the other side of the bar. Here let's sit over here, I like to face the door - good Feng Shui.

Right out the gate we start discussing google plus. (Steve is a power user.)

I don't believe it is going anywhere, I said. The only people really excited about it are marketers - and while yeah, I get the value, google is reactive. When your grandmother is on Facebook, that says something. Facebook thinks a step ahead nurturing the end user's psychology by supplying us with what we need not what we think we want.

Steve shoots me this look - I will have to agree to disagree with you.

Eloquently put, but I felt that jab.

He then explains that because of X Y and Z google will dominate and because of A B and C - Facebook is going down.

Alrite, I thought. I'm never one to out right dismiss something, and I gotta admit - he had a point.

We'll see, I said.

What do you think about Graph?

Facebook's Open Graph, I ask?

No. Graph - Web 3.0

I don't have an opinion on it, I say quietly.

He then explains to me how we are becoming more and more intertwined electronically that we will eventually get to a point where every site you visit will be COMPLETELY personalized sans Facebook and Twitter connect.

I've heard that, I said. I haven't gotten to that place yet on an intellectual level, there are too many variables still I believe in the social space right now - but yeah, it all makes sense ... very Minority Report! I say with a smile as I take a BIIGGGGGG sip of my beer. Liquor will not make you smarter Friel, but it might kill off a few brain cells when it comes to the retelling of this story later. 

This guy is SO FUCKING SMART, I thought.

I had no idea you were this passionate about tech, I said. I think it's great, I just very genuinely had no idea.

A lot of people don't, he said. He then continues on talking tech, licenses, and general entrepreneurism.

This guy has built a fucking empire, I thought.

I started working with my mom a couple of years ago. At the time she was working from a rolodex, I changed that. I have an agent, no manager, no publicist, but a LOT of attorneys.

He then began discussing the current global economic crisis and explained to me ways that he was going to change things - I was literally speechless. Everything he said made so much sense, and the way he spoke, and the passion ... this guy is VERY LITERALLY a genius.

So, tell me more about your business, he said.

Oh my little business? I thought. Here I am with a website and community I built with my bare hands, a scripted, and an unscripted show in development - I have a channel on On Demand, and a book deal - and never in my entire life have I felt more like I knew nothing and have accomplished nothing.

THIS GUY IS SERIOUSLY WORKING ON THE FUCKING GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH EVERY MOVER AND SHAKER ... LIKE EVER!!

Really? Me? What the fuck have I done!!! I just have fucking adventures. I am now the littlest kid at the fucking big kid table, I think as I click the heels of my Blowfish shoes in shame. ::there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home. Please. Take. Me. Home.::

I explain just the bare bone basics of being a corporate sponsored minimalist, and explained to him that even my trip out here was sponsored. It's narrative advertising, I say taking another sip of beer. Please don't ask me any more questions - I have never been more embarrassed in my entire life that I feel like I have had zero contribution to the world.

He then receives a text message.

Oh thank god, I thought. Saved by the text.

He looks up and smiles showing me the text - it says Justin Bieber.

Like THE Justin Bieber, not someone he nicknamed in his phone as Justin Bieber. Like Justin Bieber actually texted him as I was sitting there.

Yo! Congrats on the new show! read the text.

Steve smiles not in a "wow look how cool I am way" but almost amused as well that it was pretty cool that Justin Bieber just texted him.

I then break the conversation placing both my hands on my chest saying, you're incredibly intelligent and really fucking cool. I'm not even just saying that to blow smoke up your ass - whatever. I've very honestly never felt more humbled in a conversation. I genuinely appreciate this and genuinely appreciate your time. 

You're welcome, he said.

His brain immediately bounces back into action - I'm going to get a tattoo tonight.

Amazing! I said. Do you have any now?

Yeah two.

One on my back, and the king of hearts on my arm, often referred to as the "suicide king." Heavy is the head that wears the crown, he said. Who does the king have to look up to when you're the king? 

A glimmer of sadness lingers in his eye.

I can't even imagine what dating must be like for Steve. Who the hell does he have to challenge him intellectually? The guy is a FUCKING GENIUS, gorgeous, totally real and down to Earth.

When I asked Steve out initially I got a lot of emails with people warning me that he's 31, still single and a professional matchmaker. There MUST be something wrong with him.

I have to say after spending an hour with him, the only thing "wrong" with him is that he is too fucking humble to admit to the world that he is A GOD DAMN GENIUS.

He is processing shit that has NEEVVVEERRRR even remotely processed into our frames of consciousness, and he not only gets people, he's pretty damn cool about it.

I have never in my life been more impressed by someone, and never in my life just genuinely enjoyed someone's company. To be that smart, that real, and that accomplished - not something you come across everyday in someone. Steve is a rare breed. I am UNBELIEVABLY humbled to even get an hour of his time.

We then close out, he pays for lunch and we walk outside. 

What are you doing tomorrow night, he says.

Filming during the day, meeting up with some people - then I don't know!

Want to come by my radio show?

RAAADD!! I thought.

I'll email you the address. Talk soon he said as he walked away.

And just like that ... he was gone.

I stood there temporarily frozen.

Did that just happen? Did he really just hand me my own ass, school me on EVERYTHING I thought I knew, and then invite me to hang out tomorrow?

Fuckin eigh, man. That's some gnarly shit. Alrite, I can go again for round two. 

Now excuse me nerderinos, I will now be spending the entire night googling "how to solve world hunger."

Must have something to report back to Steve tomorrow!!!

#staytuned

Click here to find out what happened on night two!

Special thanks to Blowfish Shoes for their sexy sexy kicks that I got to rock on this date! For reals, man - their shoes are SUPPPEERRRR comfy, and make my already tall 5'7 self SUPPERRR tall. =) YAY LIFE!!!

#NerdsUnite: OMW to my big date with @StevenBWard!!

AHHH!! BAHHHH!! and YAHHH!!! So FRIGGEN excited dudes!! I am just finishing getting ready for my big date this afternoon with Steve Ward from Vh1's Tough Love.

Like seriously this is happening.

::slaps face:: Keep it together Friel.

I never tweet when I'm with people - I very genuinely stay present, and have the experience ... but I WILL be tweeting immediately after to keep you all updated as close to real time as possible.

To stay updated hit me up on the twitter @JenFriel.

ANNNNDDDD special thanks to Blowfish Shoes for hookin a sistah up with some new kicks for the date! Dudes, have you seen their shoes?? They are AWESOME!!! Totally don't hurt my feet, and coming from a chick that rocked vans morning noon and night for 2 years - I am very very very into comfort and very very very picky with what I wear. These = the bomb diggity perschnickerty.

Peace love and lollipops nerds!! Wish me luck!!

#letsgetiton