Rachel Friedmann

I first learned about Dunbar’s Rule or the Rule of 150 in Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point. He states that the optimal number of individuals in a society that someone can have real social relationships with is 150, therefore companies and communities are most effective when they are less than 150 in number. I challenge anyone to sit down and write down the name of everyone you are in regular contact with – friends and family. This should not include all 1000 of your Facebook fans.

I am an avid reader and have to get in my fix of easy reading. I was surprised when I read in Cosmo magazine that we only really keep in touch and have relationships with 150 of our friends on Facebook. In Spencer Well’s Pandora’s Seed, he makes a connection between our hunter-gather ancestors and Facebook. In his book, he states that the average number of friends people have on Facebook is 130, just under the 150 cut off. Therefore, for the majority of Facebook users that want to stay in touch and share with those they have the closest relationships with just like bands of hunter-gathers that didn’t go behind that count in their groups.

The next time you think about adding another Facebook friend, consider whether or not they fall within your 150? I know I probably won’t….

In Robert Cialdini’s book “Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Persuasive,” I first learned about the concept of the labeling technique. This strategy involves assigning a trait, attitude, belief, or other labels for person, and making a request of that person consistent with that label. In a nutshell, it’s an easy way of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Recently, I saw some Green Peace workers on the street. One person’s technique was to call out to people “hey, you look like an environmentally-friendly person.” Of course, she was using the labeling technique in order to then ask for support for Green Peace. I liked her strategy, but unfortunately it didn’t work for her from what I saw.

After Seth Godin’s event yesterday, I got to thinking about this concept. I have worked in environments, where people subscribed to the belief that they are anti-lizard brain, to use a Seth Godin’s term. Basically, the lizard brain is our innate sense of resistance for self-preservation. What’s humorous to me, is that I have noticed a lot of people who label themselves are actually the opposite. In one work environment, where people were actively reading Seth Godin’s blog, I received the most resistance to small risk-taking and creativity; because they really wanted another cog in the factory to do as they were told.

Another area where I’ve seen self labeling hypocrisy is in the DC social scene. I was recently out with people who were self-described as “genuine.” The opposite was the case. These people were the first to question another person’s “worth” before continuing a conversation. This got me thinking, are people’s self-awareness completely off or do some people strive to be something they will never be?

Today is graduation day, but I am not going. I made the difficult decision to forgo going to my second masters graduation (up in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins) to go to an event I have been working on for months and that will continue to propell me forward professionally. As a friend recently put it, isn’t that the point of my getting the marketing masters in the first place?

Tonight the American Marketing Association presents Chuck Porter of Crispin Porter + Bogusky who will be talking about effective marketing. I could go on about how his agency has been named the agency of the decade, won numerous awards, and are behind campaigns we are all familiar with – Gap, Best Buy, American Express, Windows 7, Burger King…Instead, I am going to discuss what his presence means in DC. When I moved up to DC almost 6 years ago, I had no idea that there was a marketing and advertising community flourishing here, I don’t think most people do today. That is changing. Having Chuck Porter and Mark Bisnow (the AMA Hall of Fame recipient this year) share a stage shows that DC is changing.

People are starting to take note of DC in a different light. More reality shows are coming here – Top Chef, Real Housewives, Real World…DC is becoming its own scene, no longer “New York lite.” I am excited to watch the continuing transformation and hope to be a part of it in some way.

It worked in New York, Paris, and Vegas, therefore it will surely work in DC – not necessarily. I went to an opening party for a new bar a couple of weeks ago and thought interesting location, good drinks, good food, nice decor – but was it a bar?

Market penetration at its best, is bringing a great product that works into a new market/location. Last night I went back to this bar to find it more than half empty, no one dancing, lousy music, young crowd, and tables setup for a restaurant.  The location will be great in 5 years and if they learn what DC wants, it will be more than an upscale restaurant. For others take on it, check out Yelp at http://www.yelp.com/biz/buddha-bar-washington.

On Friday morning, I went to a Bisnow event discussing “Where Do Women Stand?” The food was lacking, but the panel was amazing. The panel included anchorwoman Barbara Harrison, Kiva.org & ProFounder.com co-founder Jessica Jackley, UN Foundation CEO Kathy Calvin, and FEED Projects Lauren Bush. I could write a few blog entries about this evnet and may end up doing so.

One of the many comments that stuck in mind was a question asking if women tend to stand in other women’s way. Unfortunately, I thought of a couple instances in my life where this has happened to me. Women have come so far in the work place arena that we should be pushing each other forward, not holding each other back.

In one of my experiences, a supervisor of mine did not allow me to excel. A few told me she was threatened, but I don’t think that was the case. As women we have the tendency to control things in our lives. As the one who runs the household, we manage and control what our families activities are, what they eat, do chores, manage finances, and the list goes on. I think that for some this tendancey moves over to their work lives as well. I know women managers who tend to be micro managing and controlling of their subordinates.  I have had female friends, who have had similar experiences as well. I sit here hoping for an epihany to help those with these types of managers in their lives and can not think of a good solution.

For women managers out there, remember your employees are not your children, your partner, or your pets. As I recently read on my favorite blog – ZenHabits.net :

“Treat others as you’d want to be treated (in their place)”, but in another conception, how you treat others is how your treat yourself.

Consider: when you react to others with anger or meanness, you are putting yourself in an angry mindset, a bad mood. You’ll likely feel pretty crappy for at least an hour, if not all day.

One year ago today, HBO announced it was canceling DC’s favorite pastime Screen on the Green. Since then an acquaintance of mine started a facebook group called “Save Screen on the Green.” Jesse Rauch’s perseverance paid off and Screen on the Green was saved. The program is still in jeopardy and in need of support. Visit http://savescreenonthegreen.com/ for more details.