#HowTo: Prep for the Biggest Meeting of Your Life

I have the biggest meeting of my life tomorrow. I've literally been trying to write for about the last hour how I feel and I keep typing, deleting. Typing. Deleting. Typing. Deleting.

That's not like me - at all. I pretty much just post random shit just so I can get it out of my head. I don't really think about people reading it. Actually, come to think of it, I don't even think I'm deleting it because I'm thinking about people reading it, I am just so fucking excited.

I think one of the hardest things anyone can ever do in life is learn how to step up to their own plate. When we're growing up, we are told to be here ... to be there ... do this ... to do that ... need permission for this ... you'll get in trouble for that ... it's a hard thing to be so conditioned like that as a wee one, and learn how to just break free from it as an adult. Ever wonder why we give permission slips to be Unapologetically Awesome? Cause otherwise, I know you guys won't do it! We always look for that little psychological cue. Get it?? Eh? Eh?! There's always a reason. Jiggggaaaaaaaaaaa

I'm really excited. We just got off a call with one of the duderinos, aka the hollywood god. I just like want to pinch that dudes cheeks. When we had lunch last year, I emailed him right back saying I wanted to work with him. Who knew what one year would bring - ahmazing. But for reals, he told me to just let loose on all my ideas for marketing and emerging media ... which to me, just makes me wanna cry. It's like finally! Finally!! I feel like I've been SCREAMING at the top of my lungs for the last year telling people, please, please, listen! This is a HUGE area of opportunity!! I literally just want to cry. I'm so thankful. I know these people are smart, and I know they're going to do something with it - which is just this huge relief to me. It's like FINALLY. THANK YOU!!!! We're already talking about your project, why the FUCK aren't you setting up the platform for us to do so!?! They just don't know! No one really knows what they can do with social media, the education on all of this is CRUCIALLLLLLL!!!

I just can't believe tomorrow I am fully stepping up to the plate, and I know it's going to be a homerun. There's nothing they can't ask me about this space that I don't know. I've been eating, sleeping, and breathing it in an extremely unhealthy way for the last year. OMG I can't believe I am turning into such a chick and tearing up as I write this ... I just, have worked so hard. So hard. And I didn't know what the "right" opportunity was - but I knew I wasn't going to ever give up. NOONNNNEEEE of this has been easy. I assure you, if I wasn't such a sick and twisted individual, I would have given up a long time ago. Not having any money is not easy - but it's certainly motivating. If I had sold a piece of the brand, or dude, even just ad space ... it wouldn't have kept me as hungry. I knew what I was doing, I just didn't know how to articulate that. This didn't start off as something that I wanted to do for money. I thought it was a cute idea, and by studying trends I was incredibly confident that it would work ... but no one knows for sure.

I love this video by Unkie Steve Jobs ... I've posted it a million times, and it deserves it a million more ...

Best advice ever: stay hungry - stay foolish.

Being hungry will keep you motivated, and being foolish allows you to think outside the box, and in certain cases even reinvent it. When it comes to anything worth doing in life, you can't chase the dollar. Money is just an illusion. It's all bullshit. It comes, it goes - and the adventures you have in between are really all that will EVER count. I cannot stress that enough.

I heard no less than 100 times that I was crazy. I heard no less than 100 times that what I was doing was foolish. I heard no less than 100 times, we're not interested. I heard no less than 100 times, get a job. I heard no less than 100 times you could just sell and this would all be over. My friends didn't know what to do with me, my family even stopped speaking to me for a bit ... this UNSHAKABLE belief that I was onto something, and your support was very literally the only thing that kept me going. Omg STOPP BEEINNGG A CHICKKK!! Here come the water works.

You guys mean the fucking world to me, man. Do you know how hard it is to wake up in a car, but hear heyyy! You've changed my life!! It's bat shit. But I knew it was part of something greater, I just couldn't see the whole path yet. Even now, I still don't know what tomorrow is truly going to bring, but I know I am more prepared than ever, and ready for ANYTHING ANYONE has for me.

#bringit

"You can do anything you set your mind to."

I Am Unapologetically #Awesome: @Zrdavis says "goodbye to me"

SOOO!! TNTML friend Zach was inspired by the celebration of unapologetic awesomeness, and just sort of how we all came about, and decided that he wanted to go on his own journey, and document it for all to see on his site as well. Dude, you guys are so effin awesome we were also able to hook him up with some SERIOUS gear!!!! Amazing, and it happened within about 60 seconds of posting on it initially. You guys work so faasssstttttttttttt!!! Thank you so, so, so, so much!

I met Zach for the first time IRL last weekend when I happened to be staying in San Diego in OH YEAH, the same damn house he used to live in. WEEEIIIRRRDDDD!!!! I told him it was great to meet him and all, but I couldn't WAIT to meet the Zach 6 months from now, after his trip! I said there's ABSOLUTTELLLYYY no way you can have an epic adventure like this and not come back a new person; it's absolutely and utterly impossible. I asked Zach to send me a post saying either hello to his new self, or good-bye to his former self. Here's what he sent ...

Zach Davis (AKA The Good Badger) is a nerd.  Inspired by fellow nerd- Jen Friel- and her spirit as a life-caster and true adventurer, Zach has decided to trade in his lifestyle as a servant to his laptop and instead embark on the journey of a lifetime...

Goodbye me.

You are on the verge of transformation.  You are on the verge of rebirth.

The person you've come to know over the years- yeah, he's about to go.

Go where exactly?

1)  Geographically: Georgia...then to Maine...by foot.  Six months of belongings on my back.  Just me and mother nature (and the 2,000 other people that attempt to thru-hike all 2,179 miles of the Appalachian Trail).

2)  Metaphorically:  Away. If not for good, then at least for the foreseeable future.

If growth is a byproduct of changing the patterns, stimuli, or environment in one's life- I'm rapidly approaching a spiritual puberty.

As of March 21st (Monday morning)- I will be embarking on a trek into the woods, through the mountains, in a state of near-isolation accompanied only by a friend and the few other backpackers crazy enough to walk the length of the United States' oldest mountain range.

This is as big a personal departure from my former life as humanly possible.

I grew up behind screens. As a kid, it was video games, chat rooms, and tv.  In my professional life, it's 70 hours a week behind the screen of my laptop as an Internet marketer and writer.

To classify my camping experience level as "beginner" is giving me the benefit of the doubt. I've slept in a tent three times in my life. The first time I've set up one up for myself, was two nights ago, on a slab of AstroTurf on a friends' patio.

It's time for that person to go.

The first 25 years of life have served the former Zach well.  But in 24 hours, I will say goodbye to him. Six months of new experiences, new challenges, new highs, new lows, will undoubtedly create a new individual that no one will recognize- myself included.

Goodbye me.  The new you waiting in Northern Maine is proud.

I was just saying this to this dude Jacob last night, kinda funny how full circle life seems to be - ALWAYS ... epic adventures just happen. Zach's case is extreme - he's going balls deep ... ahmazing. But I had no fucking clue what I was doing initially. Like at all ... and or what so ever. Remember, we can never see what we're doing when it's still "happening." Whatever that means to be honest with you, when is life ever not happening ... it's all always one epic journey anyway. I just had one guide in life "feels good/ doesn't feel good." If it felt good, keep going ... if it stopped feeling good, stop it. I just very genuinely wanted to keep having adventures and posting about 'em. That's it!!! If I sat there with this grand plan and said on November 3, 2009 this is what I wanted to do and these are my steps of next doable actions to execute. HAHAHAHAHAH!! Dude, I had NO idea what I was doing.

Seriously Zach - I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!! So. So. So. Excited for you man! And please, I'm not even kidding that if you get stuck somewhere, please tweet me, and we'll send in the troops! HIZZAH!!

Click here to read up more on Zach and his adventures!!

Stay tuned, holy crappidy crap crap this one's gonna be good!!!

#NERDSUNITE INDEED!!!



Unapologetically #Awesome Tour: What are the odds?

SOOOOOOO!!! Still in the San Dizzle. Just watching Wedding Crashers, while trying to put together how weird this scenario is in my head.

This duderino Zach emailed me a while back saying that the site inspired him to go on his own epic journey. Super rad; he's going to be traveling through the entire Appalachian trail starting next week. Well, his home page is in San Diego, so of course when I posted on my Facebook wall that I was heading down here, we arranged to meet up! Was super super super excited to meet this human being; we left the bar a bit early, and headed back to the house - so I gave him the addy ... and he goes no way! I was like, what do you mean? And he goes - I used to live in that same exact house!!!!!

I'm staying in a friend of a friends house, in San Diego, meeting ONE specific person on this trip, and I just so happen to end up in the house that he used to live in? San Diego has a population of 1.3 million. WHAT IS GOING ON!?!?!?!!? Crazy. Crazy. Crazy. Small world.

Ugh, social media - you make my life. Way to make tangible connections of life's oddities. BAHHHHHH!!!!!

#cantstandit

Unapologetically #Awesome Tour: Hello, San Diego!

#NowPlaying: Escapade - Janet Jackson

*waves* hello hello hellooooooooooo interwebz.

Currently kickin it at Starbucks - yay free wifi!

Dudes, and my friend got a free $15 starbucks card from them the other day with their 40th anniversary or somethin promo. Was pretty rad. I thiiiiinkkkkkkk it might still be going on today. Don't quote me - check out Mashable for the deets.

MMMMM caramel macchiatooooooooo with an extra shot of yummy in my tummy. 

WHY ARE YOU SO AWESOME?!?!?!!?

K. Ready for a rundown? First off, god bless being so effin nomadic. Dude, the am/pm that is next to the place that I kicked it last night, I have stopped at no less than 10 times. Between my work in cellular sales prior, and having training sessions down here - ANNNDDDD all the stuff with the Fiesta Movement, I was like woah! Totally checked in here before! Loves it.

I'm hanging with Polly Dixon from @dustycpollyd - and dudes, she's got a really rad story. Don't let her partying fool you, this chick is VERY LITERALLY one of the smartest people I have ever met. She's a lawyer, and just went through a really really really gnarly life experience that I am encouraging her to post on the site about. She's a fucking genius, just sort of processing a total life overhaul. Can COMPLETELY relate ... like hardcore. We had some serious bonding over some of these ...

Tampons were not included.

Who owns a shower cap? Like seriously??? WHO??!!

Either way, went out and got crazy with the cheeze whiz!

Met up with @davedemuth

and @blakeswan

See, the pink sunglasses is part of Polly's branding. Pretty smart what she's trying to do with it all. I'll let her tell you guys about it - as I only report on my things. Dude, her glasses are absurd. There's just NO other word for it. You bust out with those at the bar, and you are instantly the coolest person on the planet. Seriously. These pictures do not do the glasses justice.

Look ma, I'm having fun!

We pretty much closed the place down at that point. We got there kinda late, so that was going to happen anyway. Then we mosied on over to this place ...

OMMMMMMMMGGGGGGGG!!!!!! I totally had a burrito baby. It was buffalo chicken, and seriously made my life. LOOK AT THIS THING!!!!!

That was very literally the best burrito I have ever had - EVERRRR!!! Like ever ever ever ever ever ever ever. I don't know what was going on in my mouth, but I wanted more, and more and more. It was obscene, they should prolly get a restraining order - I'm not kidding you. NUTS!

HAHA! It was funny though, I was standing waiting for my food, and this dude who was pretty cute but definitely trashed was like "how you doin!" I was all, totes mcgotes awesome sauce duderino! He immediately pulls put with, "what's your facebook?" And me being me, and being handed an iphone - I get super excited and enter in my Facebook URL, click add - and even whip out my own droid to click confirm all while standing there. I was more excited about talking tech than I was about this dude getting in my pants, but it was pretty fucking funny - and totally smooth on his part.

 

Dude, his names Linden Broccoli. I kid you not - hahahahahaa! Best. Name. Ever.

He kept calling me Katy Perry though, it got a bit old. "When's your next album out Katy? Have you kissed a girl today?" UGGHHHHHH!!! I took it as a compliment, but the attention it got from the rest of the restaurant was a bit awkward. I was like do you not see the boobies? Big dif! She's known for her knockers - I'm known for the badunkadunk!

Thennnnnn ... we all called it a night. Unfortunately. Burrito baby had, alcohol consumed. Wasn't very saucy, more like a mild spread.

Grabbed my sleeping mask, WHICH btw for you fellow nomads out there, you should NEVER leave home without cause you never know when you're facing east, and might wake up in a SUPPPPERRRR bright room. Seriously!! Well, technically if you really tried you could use an app to assist in finding the north star, and then based upon that you could figure out pretty quickly which way is east - but who are we kidding. Just grab a damn sleeping mask.

Put on my "chill time" playlist on my ipod - and I was OUUUUTTTTTTT like a light.

Good night had by all. For reals.

Woke up this morning though, and had an idea for a social experiment ...

I bought this University at Buffalo School of Medicine hoodie at Goodwill a while back for $4. I want to see if by wearing this, smarter duderinos are actually attracted to it. Like hey, you went to med school? How rad!

I totally wanna jump your bones now.

I have no idea if it's going to work, or actually detract dudes today - but I'm definitely going to test it out, and report back my findings.

UGH! Note to self 2 am burrito babies are not bueno 12 hours later. Tummy not feeling so yummy.

#fail

Alrite, about to close up shop at this Starbucks, and head over to Pacific Beachhhhhh!!!! BEACH BEACH BEACH BEACH BEACCHHHHHHH!!!! Needs to happen ... like, now! If you guys are in the San Dizzle totally come hang out! Follow my checkins on Foursquare - Foursquare.com/jenfriel ... just do me a favor though, please tweet me prior to arrival. @JenFriel I get a lil spooked when people randomly show up behind me with a whats up! Takes me a minute to connect the avatar to the irl human being. WAHOO!!!

Have a great day everyone!!!

xoxo #nerdsunite

Unapologetically Awesome Tour: #RoadTrip Playlist

AHHHH!!!! So. Friggen. Excited. To be leaving LA for pleasure, not business. Well, technically speaking - my business is pleasure - and my pleasure is your business ... hmmm might wanna rethink a few things in this scenario.

Omg you guys I'm so excited. so so so so so so so so so excited.

Putting together a playlist for the drive down. Here are some of the first tracks:

Seriously, w2g proclaimers for still being so awesome after all these years.

I can see it now ... 4 redbulls down, head hanging out the side window screaming the chorus:

LIFE IS A HIGHHHHHWAYYYYYYYYY I WANNAAAA RIDDEEEEE ITTTTTT ALLL NIIGGHHHTTTT LONNNGGG!!

Like your mom. Clearly.

Dude, Roxette = makes. my. life.

I listen to an absurd amount of marley. Mostly Bob, some Damien - Jamrock = BEST ALBUM EVERRRR, and certainly Ziggy on road trips. Like for reals, that has to happen.

No playlist is complete without Edward Sharpe and the magnetic zeros. Like at all - ever, for all of time.

ANNNNNNDDD finally MGMT. Just need all of that, like right now. I wanna jump in this video and absorb my body in all of it.

Every lyric of this song is completely explaining my psyche right now. Ugh! Can't STAND it!

This is our decision, to live fast and die young.
We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.
Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do.
Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute.

WAHOOOOOOO!!! Hello, San Diego!

#nerdsunite