The year 2010 started out with a bang. I was laid off of my job on January 1. We all know how difficult the economy is right now and I have many associates who are unemployed and have been for some time now. It’s not easy to find a new job.

Having learned so much over the past few years, networking and meeting so many great connections, I came to the conclusion that I needed to start my own business. As it turns out, it was just the right move at just the right time.

I’d like to introduce to you my company, Fresh Squeezed Creative, and also my business partner Chris Vandeventer.

Through referrals from our contacts, we haven’t had to do a lick of advertising to remain busy and even successful. That said, we have been so busy that we haven’t even had time to create a website or a logo for ourselves. As a matter of fact, our website redirects to our Facebook page that includes a pretty full portfolio. All of our business has been generated via word-of-mouth marketing and social media. That’s when I knew I’d done something right.

So there you have it. My newest endeavor with my new business partner. Right now we’re working primarily with smaller to mid-size businesses on website development, social media and marketing strategy. Do you know someone who needs a website or advice on how to use Twitter or Facebook to help market their business? Give them our website: FreshSqueezedCreative.com! We’d love to help!

This week I am leading the small business panel at the 140 Characters Conference in Los Angeles, California on behalf of my employer, America’s Best Companies. This is pretty significant in that I will be sharing how small business is being effected by the real-time internet. Basically, I’m going to talk about how Facebook and Twitter (social media) are helping your business in the current state of the world, even in this economy.

This panel and conference isn’t all about me. I’ll be sharing the stage with some fantastic co-panelists: Scott Townsend of United Linen and Neal Rohrbach of Idea Anglers. Together we hope to give you a rounded view of how small business works with these medias from beginning to end. We’re calling our panel Small as a Tweet. We’re taking a few questions up front. If there’s anything specific that you’d like any of us to answer, you can ask at our website or on our Twitter account.

The entire conference will be broadcast live on the internet via the conference website. If you’d like to tune in live for my panel, you can visit http://lax.140conf.com/ on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 1:55pm PST. Once the video is gathered afterwards, I’ll share it here on the ABC site as well. There are many other layers to the conference and a lot of big names going to appear and speak. I encourage you to check out the other panels and see if there are specific speakers that would pertain to your niche.

On a more personal note, I’m really looking forward to meeting so many of the fabulous people that I usually only interact with on the social networks. Along with my co-panelists I’m hoping to meet Anita Campbell, Jeff Pulver, CC Chapman and lots of other equally amazing individuals. If you’re going to be there please track me down!

Can’t find me in the crowd? Catch me any number of ways: my mobile (text or call) is 937-757-1331, Twitter via DM or @message me! I’d love to talk with you! Seriously.

It is no secret that I am looking for a job right now. One of the most frequently asked questions I’ve received since I’ve started looking again is, “Why do you want to stop doing the self-employment bit to get back out into the corporate world?” My answer to that is pretty simple. My work has taken over my life. I need a healthier balance between personal and business. I often find that I have so much to do that I’m unable to find the time to update many of my blogs or social networks. If you’ve paid any attention to the dates on this blog, you’ll see that I’ve neglected it as well.

Why did I choose to pursue self-employment in the first place? Many of my reasons are personal and for those, my plan worked out fantastically for a time. The other natural desire of self-employment is to be your own boss. That was great too, but the reality is that you’re never your own boss if you have clients. Each job comes with its own job description and someone on the other end who will approve your work; I’d call that a boss. Bosses are good for all of us because they give you goals and something to strive for, even if sometimes they are a bit warped. Let’s face it though, who isn’t? I’ll wait for comments from the peanut gallery on that one.

Aside from the reasons I’ve already mentioned, self employment is lonely. Sure a lot of what I do is in new and social media so I get a lot of opportunity to talk to people every day. The difference with that is my interaction is on a computer, not always verbal and usually not in person. I’ve found that I really miss the personal interaction with others, even if it’s just a few people a day. Who would have thought working alone would be lonely? Bring on the office politics I say!

Seriously though, it’s just time for me to get back out into the world and take on someone else’s new and social media desires or their requests of graphical goodness. I’m good at marketing for others and making it look fantastic. Let me work someone else’s projects so that maybe I can get back to my new and social medias being just for fun. Don’t get me wrong, I still have fun in what I do. It’s all the requirements of what I’ve taken on that have eaten away my desire to continue the personal consulting full time. I’ll continue to do some freelance consulting, of course. When I work for someone else, their priorities will come before those of my own, as I feel that it should be.

Today is the day I unleash my new site here to the masses. I want to explain a bit about what it is that I want to do here and why I’m doing it.

The Finger Trail
I’m a graphic artist. It’s what I went to school for. It’s the degree that I graduated with. It’s why I was the president of my school’s graphic design club. It’s the title that I’ve held professionally for the past five years. I love graphic design and I love being creative. Over the past year I’ve felt like there’s been something missing within the realm of my career. I haven’t really been able to put my finger on it. Finally I decided to stop running around in circles and put my whole hand down on what I want; not just that finger.

Final Destination
Playing around in new and social media is something I’ve been doing for about four years now. I say playing because it’s something that’s merely been a hobby of mine. Help is something that I have offered freely and likely will continue to do. Today I focus and make it a part of my career.

I say a part of my career because I’ve proven that I am a good graphic artist but that I’m also good at producing and consulting in new and social medias. I am creating a workable relationship between design and new media. I have no doubt in my mind that this can and will be a good thing. The next step is application and follow-through, which we all know is the key to any relationship.

The Key
I look forward to using this key to open doors not only for myself but also for those people whose paths I will cross. There are people who will benefit from the skills that I have to offer. I love to help out wherever I can, and if it’s something I don’t know how to do then it’s something I’m going to learn how to do. I love a good challenge. What’ve you got?

Welcome to the Kim Fenolio redesign and rebrand. The goal is to embark upon a career path that will not just be monetarily rewarding but also enjoyable. The concept is quite simple, the road however is a bit more rugged.

As I design, tweak, code and create myself again (did I mention again?) on the interwebs I’m finding new and different things that I can do and also enjoy doing. I don’t just put my mind to something. I put my mind to something and I finish it. If I don’t have the answer, I will find someone who does.

I’ve built this great network of people by means of social networking. Some of these folks I’ve met through podcasting, through Twitter, through Facebook and other forums. The point is that I have a large pool of talent and knowledge available to me. All I have to do is ask a question and so many people are willing to share and give of themselves and their knowledge. It’s actually quite amazing. Without my having met and spending some time to create a relationship with each of these people, I wouldn’t be the talent that I am today.

The point is that when you get me, you also get connections. I have strings attached, but they’re not in the conventional way that you would think strings are attached. It’s the idea that you get more bang for your buck.

Welcome to my personal brand. Welcome to my life. Welcome to Kim Fenolio.