Today in church while I was learning about pride and how destructive that can be in our lives, I started thinking about some of my friends and how thankful I am for them. Much of the way I am is because of my friends. Ever since I joined the social media super highway, I feel I have become a much better friend and a lot is due to the people I surround myself with.

I have hundreds of new digital friends that I have met from my social media outlets and some I have met IRL, in real life. I have one in particular, who has been quite an inspiration, I want to tell you about.

This gal who we shall call double M, M2 for short, is a single mom of one… and is just amazing. If you ever have a friend and say to yourself, that person is really incredible… I say that all the time about M2. Why incredible? I’ll get more into that later.

First of all I have all the respect in the world for single mothers. Something about motherhood that has a special reverence in my heart. Mothers are just so special and to think M2 has to raise a child all by herself… wow!

Since the first time I met M2, there was just something about her that made me say hmmm. At first I was a bit taken aback by her approach, and I can’t actually say what it was. What I can say is that I was 100% wrong. Its never easy to say that you got a wrong read on someone, but more then once I have said I WAS WRONG! I’m not ashamed to admit it.

Why was I wrong? I was wrong by just the plain fact I rarely have I met a more knowledgeable business savvy gal in the social media field. M2 is the friend you know, who is always sharing the information she finds. She is a wealth of information and has a thirst for being better. She never seems happy with the status quo. M2 is the one friend how invites those who are down and out to stay with her til they get back on their feet. There are moments that make it seems like this was a bad idea, but the fact that she was willing to open her home to someone in need, that speaks for itself!! All this coming from someone who has sacrificed and sacrificed to bring her child the best.

So why do I feel she is incredible. She high on my list due to the fact she makes me want to be better. A better dad, husband and most of all better friend. How does M2 do that.. I’m not sure, but do I really need to know exactly? I guess the fact that she makes me a better person is all I really need to know.

I guess this is what friendship is all about, making people better. THANK YOU M2 for your friendship. I wish you all the best blessings in the world. You have nowhere to go but up. It’s so great to watch you shine!!- Tommy

more funny pictures

Below are some of my presentations and video speaking engagements that I have been involved in. I try to keep it up to date

How to be a Killer Social Media Advicate -

Leaderfest 2011

April 20th, 2011

Tommy Clifford from HC MIller and Jess Dennis from Red Shoes PR speak at Leaderfest for one of the breakout sessions. The topic for their discussion is how to be a killer social media advocate for your business.

Leaderfest is a  Regional Young Professional event on April 20th hosted by Pulse, the Young Professionals Network of the Fox Cities Chamber. Below is a video of one of the sessions as well as the presentation itself… Enjoy and comments are always welcome!

Be a Social Media Rock Star

August 12th, 2009

The Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce presented Be a Social Media Rock Star at the F.K. Bemis Center at St. Norbert College in De Pere Wednesday, Aug. 12 at 7:30 a.m. I was the opening and closing presenter and what an amazing time had by all. It was so great to meet all fine folks in Green Bay. What an honor to be a part of that group. Such a great time and I learned to much!!!

You can follow along with all the action on the What the tweet website…

Or you can see the youtube video that Sara Nisler Flimed here…SMROCKGB Youtube Channel

The seminar was the offspring of the chambers first social media seminar, What the Tweet Is Social Media Marketing? Breakout sessions focused on Twitter; Facebook; LinkedIn; blogging; YouTube, photo/video sharing and online buzz; and selling social media to CEOs — policies and procedures. The seminar also included ideas for creating and deploying social media strategy.

Presenters included Tommytrc, Dana VanDen Heuvel of MarketingSavant, Kiar Olson, and Dave Sauter of ENVANO, Todd Lohenry.

Here’s a short video that was put together by the boys over at Freshpaintdigital for the video. This rocks!!

Here’s my Speach, THANK YOU Andy Crash for taping this…

PART ONE

PART TWO

My Presentations

This week while in church, I was sitting in the “customary” Clifford back row pew, where we always sit and have sat for quite some time. I like the back row cause I can keep tabs on whats happening while still sitting in the chapel, without sitting on the harder chairs setup in the overflow area. Well after Sacrament meeting concluded, I kept my soft, warm spot, playing with Drew and readying myself for Sunday School which is taught in the same room. In between feeding Drew and a quick cat nap…at least I’m honest that I doze in church–I noticed the sweetest thing that I thought I would share.

Sitting a few rows in front of me was a college student who was here on internship. We shall call him B.A. to protect his identity. He was flanked by his new bride in the right as well as his sister, and his mom on the left. Now B.A. is a tall man. He’s got to be 6’7″or better and have the wing span of a B-52… huge! Well what got me was when he put his arms around his wife and his mom at the same time. Just the sweetest form of family love. The sign of a true man is one who honors his mother and treats his wife like a queen. B.A. comes from one amazing family and I learn so much from them each and every day. We really need more strong family bonds in this world.

Here’s a pick of the Clifford fam taken last week at Church, the week of Baby Drew’s blessing. Pretty great, broken arm and all. I love you Clifford’s!!

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Lisa Cruz, President of Red Shoes PR in Appleton, WI to do a guest blog posting on the Red Shoes PR blog. I was totally 100% overwhelmed and humbled by the invitation. The reactions and comments have been stunning. You can read all the comments here. My life has been forever changed by the relationships I have made. It keeps getting better and better…  – Tommy
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Today’s guest blogger is Thomas Clifford, or tommytrc as his followers know him as. Red Shoes PR first met tommytrc via Twitter during the fall of 2008. Tommytrc regularly ranks as one of the top three Twitterers in Wisconsin and top 100 in the world. Tommytrc’s presence on Twitter skyrocketed after tweeting throughout the birth of his son. We asked him to share his passion and expertise on social media. Thank you tommytrc!

I come from a very heavy Italian background. My grandfather on my mother’s side was born in Sicily, so eating and food preparation took a major role in my social upbringing.

Social media is like the recipe for Mom’s favorite spaghetti sauce or chocolate chip cookies. Everyone has a recipe and each is a bit different than the next, though the purpose of the finished product remains bringing smiles to the eater’s face!

Like every good recipe, you start by throwing a few key ingredients together, season to taste and Voile! your masterpiece takes shape. The key ingredients to social media engagement are really simple. Your mileage may vary as everyone’s social media engagement “strategy” is different. Here are my five key ingredients to social media success:

Interaction
It’s next to impossible to be involved in social media without interacting with others. Interaction is one of the main ingredients to a successful social media experience. Regardless of if you are using Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, the base for each of these social media services is interacting with others. This may be the hardest work you do. You must get out there and meet people, strike up conversations and do some old fashioned “networking.” People can tell if you are genuine or not, and in social media, the one thing you cannot fake is interaction. While some people may find it hard to strike up a conversation on social media sites, I say just like the first dip into the pool, just do it! Once people start replying to your questions or comments, you will get the bug. And it’s infectious. Interaction feeds on other interaction, and before you know it, you will be a social media butterfly.

Share
As you build your social media recipe, it’s next to impossible to go through your day without seeing something that is worth repeating. Whether it’s a post on Twitter or a comment on Facebook, if you like it, spread the word. Like a telephone operator in the old days, if you see a comment that you feel your network of friends will like, “patch it on in” and pass the good 411 around. On Twitter you would retweet it, or on Facebook you comment on it. That way people in your networks can be exposed to valuable information and find people they normally would not cross paths with. In the Twitter world, the sincerest form of flattery is to be retweeted by someone else. Sharing is critical for true social media engagement.

Listen
Many times, the most important ingredient for your master recipe is also the one that you are most likely to leave out. Kind of like the salt in your mom’s favorite chocolate chip recipe, “Why does something sweet need salt??” You may think that skipping this all-too important ingredient will not make any difference, but have you ever tried chocolate chip cookies sans salt? You get the picture. In social media, the top engagers are also the best listeners. Its one thing to want your message heard, it’s totally another to listen to other’s messages. Like a great parent, favorite teacher or counselor at school, what makes them great are their listening skills. Many times it’s not what you say that is important, it’s the fact you give someone a listening ear.

The same holds true to social media. Just like an IRL (In Real Life) conversation, listening is one of those ingredients that can make or break the interaction. A conversation without listening is just like mom’s chocolate chip cookies without salt. Do not forget to listen.

Moderation
A great cook knows when to hang up her apron and leave the kitchen. Likewise, in social media sometimes you just need to log off, shut down and spend some quality time doing something else. I’m not talking about just going to bed either. You cannot be a top engager in social media if you are not engaged in real life. You cannot neglect your local friends. Things like local tweetups, local Twitter meet-ups, are great opportunities to network and build new friends, while also feeding your hunger for social media interaction. Locally, we have a pancake tweetup every other Friday at 7 a.m. This is a great way to put real faces to the Twitter avatars and talk more openly about issues and situations. These local interactions actually strengthen our Twitter relations because now you are true friends with these people.

Family
Like moderation, family time is one thing that you may not expect to hear in a social media engagement “must have” list. But, family is one of those ingredients that will add so much pizzazz to your social media experience. Looking for content to share on Twitter or Facebook? Look no further than family oriented stories and experiences. Nothing builds more credit on the social media networks then someone who shares true blue family interaction. You can’t build good family interaction if you are on Twitter or Facebook all day, which is why the family ingredient goes hand-in-hand with our moderation ingredient. Showing family pictures and stories not only warms the heart of your friends and followers, but also shows you are a real person, which in turn builds your followers and friends. It’s a vicious circle that works.

Now, just because you talk about your family, does not mean you need to give up their identity. Privacy is one thing we all need to be careful of. I talk about my wife online all the time, but instead of giving up her name, she is referred to as “mrstommytrc.” This makes it fun, while also keeping your privacy level high. You can experiment to see what works for you.

Now remember kids, if your initial blend of herbs and spices isn’t exactly right, no need to worry or fret. Social media is your creation and you make it what you want. I know from personal experience that mom’s special sauce was always a work in progress. A little more of this, or a little less of that. Like all great cooks, experimenting to get the blend just right takes time and practice, but once you hit it, you will be a social media engagement gourmet!

Connect with tommytrc:
Twitter: @tommytrc

Contact: Lori Kaye Lodes, 920.593.3423 or llodes@titletown.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

One of Wisconsin’s top Twitterers featured at “Be A Social Media Rock Star”

Green Bay, Wis.­- (July 29, 2009)- Tommy Clifford, one of the most avid Twitterers in Wisconsin, will kick off and close the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s “Be A Social Media Rock Star” event on Thursday, Aug. 13, at the F.K. Bemis Center on the St. Norbert College campus.

Clifford, known as Tommytrc to his Twitter followers, regularly rates as one of the top three Twitterers in Wisconsin and the top 100 in the world. He has more than 15,000 followers on Twitter and has created more than 50,000 tweets – and counting. Tommytrc’s presence on Twitter escalated to new heights when he tweeted about one of the pivotal events in his family’s life: the birth of his son, Andrew, on May 22, 2009. The resulting followers – from Hong Kong to Los Angeles – and ensuing news coverage even astounded Tommytrc, a self-professed technology nut.

“Being Twitter centric is what has gotten me where I am,” said Tommytrc. “But it’s not about me. It’s about my followers and the relationship we have.”

Case in point: After tweeting about his son’s birth, Tommytrc’s family got to know a California family who baked cupcakes in baby Drew’s honor and photographed themselves with them and a sign wishing him a happy birthday. The Tommytrc family responded with a cupcake “thank-you” video they posted themselves.

Tommytrc’s presentation at the Be A Social Media Rockstar event will address how personal experiences like these with his brand can translate to business brand- and relationship-building.

“I’m very passionate about this. People can see the passion I have about building my personal brand. If I can do this myself, others than do it themselves. They can translate it to Anna’s Autoparts, Jimmy’s Quilts or Susie’s Cookies and turn their brands into rock stars.”

Join Tommytrc and several others presenters for the day at Be A Social Media Rock Star, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the F.K. Bemis Center at St. Norbert College. The hands-on learning will include breakout sessions on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Blogging, YouTube and photo/video sharing, and Selling Social Media to Your CEO. Attendees can opt for four of the six breakout sessions and attend the TweetUp after the event. Event presenters include Tommytrc, Dana VanDen Heuvel of MarketingSavant, Kiar Olson of Element Creative and David Sauter of Envano. The cost is $69 for Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce members, $119 for non-members.

Special thanks to major contributors MarketingSavant and Element Creative and event sponsors Global Recognition, Cineviz and Nicolet National Bank.

To learn more about Tommyt

Overstock Deal: Fahrenhype 9/11 (DVD) – $4.00

Across America people are asking if Fahrenheit 9/11 is a healthy dose of dissent, or shameful cowardice. Is it truth or hype? Heading a search party for the truth is Dick Morris, the man Time has called “The Most Influential Private Citizen in America.” His insider insight into the real motivation for making Fahrenheit 9/11 is election year dynamite.

Originally posted by mike glozman from Cheap Stingy Bastard

Well life in the Clifford household got a bit more complicated thanks to a gal at the mall who was gabbin’ on the phone while driving. She just didn’t see me in the Volvo half way through the intersection and pulled out…right into the drivers side quarter panel. Ouch. Of course this really made my day all $3450 worth…and of course I had an extra $250 around to pay for the deductable. What else is insurace for?

So the next day I called the insurance company and they sent me to my trusty local body shop Goss Auto Body. I had no idea I would be taken care of so well. Their awesome treatment included a loaner…

Oh what life is like with a loaner vehicle.
As I got to Goss, I saw a row of late model Chevy Caviliers with big numbers pasted in the rear drivers side window. A trip inside to drop off the broke Volvo 850 turbo and I was on the road with old loaner number five. I affectionatly call her #5. At first sight I could tell she just was no replacement for the much loved volvo. Can you believe I actually had to use the key to unlock it…what’s that all about? My thumb felt so slighted that it could not hit the door button on the key fob. So I manually unlocked the door and sit down and shut it…which closed with a tinny clink. I was then stunned to find out that I had to manually adjust the seat–and what are those handles on the inside of the door. What…what –what is this? Manually adjustable windows.!?!? What ever is this feature missing from the Volvo? Rolling those windows up and down had me finding muscles I didn’t know I had. Not to mention the adjustment levers fo the side mirrors. Holy cow I was amazed what I take for granted driving a finely tuned and oiled European sports sedan. The Cav rattled and shook like Janet Reno on Capitol Hill. And power, wow did #5 have 4 of the most awesome cylinders I had never felt so much lack of power. Even Becky’s Vibe has more vim and vigor then #5. I hit the gas, paused for a minute and the engine would react like Cap’n Kirk asking Scotty for more power. It truly gave me all it had and the pinging of the lifters reassured me that American quality was job #1.

It certainly ws better then walking…don’t get me wrong. But still no substitute for the Volvo…sure glad its back

A good friend of mine sent me this great quote…sure speaks for itself
Thanks Joel. – Sparky