Renee Warren

Kill those vanity metrics! It really should be all about measurability and accountability. You need to know what you are getting for the money you are spending. Clicks, click thru rates, impressions – Yuppi!  What really matters?  GOALS. SALES. Money in the bank.

Numbers power real marketing more than ever. That means a complete understanding of analytics and metrics, the numbers behind your marketing efforts, is vital.

Why are numbers important?

Metrics are figures that allow you to concretely measure your marketing success instead of relying on superficial observations. They provide real insights into how your landing pages, advertisements, email communications and the like are performing with customers.

Without numbers, you are simply making uneducated decisions about what is working. Would Apple invest millions in an advertising campaign without studying the numbers and making sure it was a strategic move? No, of course not.

Perhaps the most important thing about marketing metrics and analytics is that they provide a tangible look at progress. There is accountability in numbers, which means companies can set and evaluate measurable goals. Numbers make actionable goals such as “increase conversion rate by 7%” a reality. ‘Conversions’ — there’s a word I like.

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It’s me! 100%. No not Steve Urkel or Steve Carell. Urkel is the traditional geek. You know the type: big glasses, socially awkward commentary, flood pants, suspenders – the whole nine yards. Carell, on the other hand, is the more modern geek: passionate about something unique, consistently funny and quirky. Ehh, ok he’s a bit too geeky.

The Evolution: Geek Chic

Most recently, being a ‘Geek’ quickly became cool. From Urkel to Carell, the understanding of a geek has changed substantially. The good news for all of the fanboys and computer nerds out there is that being a geek is actually pretty friggen cool. It’s not about getting awesome grades in school or having underdeveloped social skills…or even having any formal education at all. Instead, it’s about embracing your quirks and being completely awesome at what you do. And, let’s face it, that something often involves tech.

The Evolution to Stilettos

The kick-ass lady founders/co-founders of Cake Health and TaskRabbit, are enough to prove the uber chiqueness of the tech space.  These passionately talented and equally beautiful women are the epitome of geeks in stilettos. The kind that can take the stage in front of thousands and hypnotizingly tell their startup story….all while wearing stilettos.

That’s right, gentlemen, the female geek is not a myth. We’re reading our Kindles, updating our Tumblrs and downloading our Angry Bird apps. We’re ladies coding, watching too much YouTube, gawking at HD TVs. And the best part is that we’re growing in numbers each and every day.

If Michael Cera can rock his inner geek and get away with it, so can we.

So, the next time you see a woman shopping for clothes or shoes or even jewelry, look for the telltale signs of a fellow geek. Because, remember, geeks can wear stilettos, too. [With NO pocket protectors or calculator watches in tow]

And that is Lady Gaga.  She is UBER geek-in-stilettos.  <3 her

I see it time and time again, we give all our time/sweat to a job, a business, a child and obsessions, but neglect to give anything back to ourselves. Hiten Shahs (KISSMetrics) recent newsletter inspired me to write this and to reflect on what play means to me.

Play is about waking up everyday surrounded by the people you want to surround yourself with, doing what you love to do.  As Steve jobs put it “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life”.  This means ‘playing’ everyday. Not having to stop and play, but really making every living moment feel like a magical playground. Not by what others define for you, but by what YOU really want.

What motivates you to get up in the morning?  If it’s not your job, then quit. If it’s riding horses then go do it! Don’t settle for something because it was easy or pays the bills.  Yes, making money is important, but you can make money doing just about anything. Would you rather get paid $1mil at a job you hate, or $50k playing everyday? F*** the paycheque.

Though Hitens play is defined as rest time away from a particular task, why not make every waking hour playtime? I can surely believe that Steve jobs was at play everyday. As for me, I am rediscovering my life at play, realizing that money will come once I get on the jungle gym.

I haven’t had the chance to let it all sink in, but a recent slow time allowed me to really think about what happened two months ago.

Most girls spend their whole lives dreaming of their big day. They dream of their prince charming. Of the life they are going to live. I never did.

To be honest, I never thought I’d get married.  I had all these expectations and realizations of what my life would look like and it involved a career, house, and children, but the man associated to all that was always a blur.

Until July 23rd 2011 at 5:25pm. My amazing boyfriend Dan Martell brought me to the end of the dock where I grew up, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. Wow!  This was all surreal.

I couldn’t be happier. Dan is such an amazing man. A best friend. A confidant.  And, as many already know, a brilliant entrepreneur. He pushes me to be a better/stronger entrepreneur, motivates me to think bigger and to ‘reach for the stars’.

I could babble on for hours, but for the sake of this post, I wanted to say again and again, Thank You Dan. You F***** rock, and I love you.