The Echo Chamber
Dang you Mark Zuckerberg. You’ve done it again. Just as I was starting to spend less time on Facebook, you sucked me back in. For those of you who didn’t get this news in their Facebook feed yet: The 800 lb. Gorilla of Social Media changed its algorithms last month with the express purpose of getting people back together again. It has deprioritized click-bait stories and organic news posts designed to stir things up. The experts said you were nuts, Mr. Zuckerberg, and Wall Street punished your stock the day it was announced. But I like stirring things up. It’s kind of fun to post something on a friends wall, just to get their reaction. If they are a conservative, I can post a picture of Nancy Pelosi. If they are a liberal, I can post a Trump tweet.
Despite last year’s election and the great divide it caused, I refuse to live in an echo chamber. I get my news from both WRVA 1140 AM and WCVE 88.9 FM. I have friends on both sides of the aisle. I hear them, see them, listen to them, laugh at them, and laugh with them. But I didn’t unfriend them on Facebook because they had a different world view. Glad I didn’t, and glad to see them more often on Facebook. Thanks, Zuck.
Monday, February 19 – Not My President’s Day
The only good thing about President’s Day is that there is absolutely no traffic on the Powhite Parkway. Unfortunately, many kids were off from school too, so Madison+Main-iac parents with school kids were OOO. Although I’m not a fan of traffic, it does give me more time to listen to John Reid on Richmond’s Morning News and Jeff Katz on WRVA 1140AM during drivetime.
It’s especially cool when Mr. Katz interviews one of your clients. Last Friday, FC Richmond Director of Coaching Trip Ellis was on the “50,000 Watt Voice of The South” letting everyone know about their upcoming Juggle Challenge. Thanks Jeff! You’re a real #Mensch
Check out Jeff Katz interviewing FC Richmond’s Trip Ellis about their upcoming Juggle Challenge.
Tuesday, February 20 – Brandy FTW!
On Tuesday, we dropped by to see one of my favorite people, Minister Aimee McLain Carter. Aimee, formerly a morning news anchor on WRIC 8News serves at Mt. Gilead FGIM, an impressive church in Chesterfield. We’ve been helping them “spread the word” with Facebook marketing.
Tuesday evening, Brandy won the Outstanding Performance Award at Dale Carnegie Training. Her award-winning talent? Baking cookies. #awww #shebaked
Wednesday, February 21 – It’s getting hot in he-yah!
With record-breaking temperatures in RVA, it was getting kind of steamy at M+M HQ. So as we turned on the AC, Brandy, Leanne, and Haleigh ventured onto the roof to escape “Women’s Winter.”
Speaking of high temps, we were happy that when we switched the AC on Wednesday. Our new HVAC unit from Southern Goodman Mechanical worked great! And since we had lunch with Southern Goodman President Kevin Lader and Office Manager Tiffany Smith, we had the chance to thank them in person. Happy to hear about their recent successes and what a cool (no pun intended) company they’ve built.
Thursday, February 22 – To The Extreme
Thursday marked the record breaking run of To The Extreme, the second album of rapper Vanilla Ice. The album sold 7 million copies. #iceicebaby
Interesting Fact of the Day: Vanilla Ice, aka Robert Van Winkle, was born on October 31, 1967 — meaning Vanilla Ice and I were born on the same day…and we are the same age. #WordToYoMutha
The look on your colleagues face when she realizes you and Vanilla Ice are the exact same age.
Calendar!
Richmond Home + Garden Show
Richmond Raceway Complex
March 2-4
At this year’s Richmond Home + Garden Show you will see everything you need to make your home more beautiful, energy efficient, safe, and comfortable. Whether you want to remodel your kitchen or bath, add or rebuild a deck, or replace that old electricity-eating heat pump, you can find it all over three days at Richmond Raceway Complex. Meet Bristol and Aubry Marunde from HGTV’s Flip or Flop Vegas, shop, compare, and save with our trusted exhibitors. Tickets are on sale now!
FC Richmond Juggle Challenge
Huguenot Park
March 5-6
Youth soccer players from FC Richmond will be putting their fanciest footwork on display for a good cause this March. The club is hosting a Juggle Challenge to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, as well as the club’s new soccer complex. Interested in supporting a great club? Donate today!
DRIVE SMART Virginia’s Who’s Your Driver Race Weekend
Martinsville Speedway
March 24-25
It’s the first short-track race of the season and NASCAR‘s biggest and best will try to master Martinsville in the STP 500. Don’t miss your chance to see the best racing in the world and visit the Who’s Your Driver tent and pick up some schwag. Get your tickets to the race today!
Friday, February 23 – Professor Kaitlin
On Friday, Sr. Account Manager Kaitlin Thomas led us through her edition of Madison+Main-iac University, which is a fun and informative “lunch and learn.” It’s a chance to learn more about our colleagues, personally and professionally. Kaitlin told us about her addiction to schnitzel, introduced us to an online file converter called ZamZar and shared a little about what life was like working at her previous employer, The Martin Agency. #crushedit
Also, we are about to launch a pre-opening campaign for our client River City Roll, the new dining and bowling destination on the Boulevard opening in April. Our creative team got extra creative with this new Carousel Ad on Facebook. #sneakpeek #letsroll
“Let the people on both sides keep their self-possession, and just as the other clouds have cleared away in due time, so will this, and a great nation shall continue to prosper as before.”
– Abraham Lincoln