#NerdsUnite: Ask That Nerdy Chick ...
I get asked a lot of absurdly random things by you wunnerful wunnerful people everyday - so I wanted to just start posting some of them to see if anyone else can relate, or help out with info if I can't answer ... etc.
I don't really know where I'm going with this, but I have a feeling you guys will throw some cool shit my way. HAHA!!! Here's one I just got on OkCupid ...
I actually found your OKC profile because a google search lead me to talknerdytomelover.com, so am I doing it wrong? :P
103 dates in 9 months, with only 4 that had any potential. That's fucking awesome! That's what real sociologists do: field work. You put in the time. I can't wait to read your master's thesis about the "root of attraction." I'm being 100% serious.
Are you going to follow up with those four now that the nine months are over?
I'm still reading through your tons and tons of material on your site. It's pretty incredible that the whole thing was a response to getting your heart broken. What kind of man could have that power over you? It's awesome that you were able to turn that pain into something positive.
JK Rowling's ex husband must be kicking himself.
Anyway, you seem super interesting, and I'd like to hang out, and perhaps keep in touch on twitter and facebook, but I don't think I'm interested in dating you, so I'm not really going to put the kind of stuff that I usually put in these messages. I'm just going to keep grilling you about your experiment because it fascinates me :P.
So how much traffic do you get to your site? It looks like it has its own faithful and active community. That's really good. I'm trying to figure out how you are monetizing it. I spend a lot of time thinking about shit that's boring to most people like "business models."
Is maintaining the site your full time job now? Sorry if this is already answered somewhere on your site. This is the first I'm seeing it :P. You have so much content!
You know what your site sort of reminds me of (in a very distant way)? Another strong personal brand: Gary Vaynerchuk. A lot of people think he's kind of an obnoxious jerk, but I think it's just Gary bein Gary. He has very few filters. It looks like you have zero filters :D.
You know, you've inspired me. I'm going to subscribe to your site, read through the massive archives. I'm going to start posting some blogs under my own name, build my own brand.
Oh, and since you're an expert at OKC, please feel free to give me harsh criticisms of my profile. I'm a big boy, I can take it. And I'm actually super curious about your opinion.
Keep being awesome!
K
Wow. so many questions - first off thanks so much for reaching out. really genuinely appreciate it. the fact that you found us via google means I'm doing some rad SEO ::evil laugh mwahahahaha:: Dude, Google and Squarespace do not get along. Blows major chunks - but whatever. Free hosting, I'm not mad at it.
Am I going to follow up with the 4 now that the 9 months is over? No unfortunately. They're all said and done. Honestly had I felt that any of them were going to work out then I would have stopped the experiment. There was no set time frame for this - it just became so popular organically that I just sort of kept up with it unintentionally and then one day sat through and counted and realized I was close to 100. HAHA! So so so nuts.
Thank you, yeah this site got started because of a broken heart. Crazy, but I never wanted to fully admit that to anyone. I'm not much of a chick in the chick department, I don't really do the whole oh woe is me - men blow. But this guy did. HAHA!!! I even said outright that I never wanted to post on it, and when I did - I found hundreds of people that wrote to me being able to relate, and share their stories of heartbreak. Literally blew me away. Took a lot out of me to write, and I need to recognize that I am still healing, but what a rad way to go about it. Really made my life. (Read more about the mentalist and how we got started here) What kind of man can have that power over you? I dunno! Love makes you do some crazy things, but it certainly took two to tango - so I played my part just as much as he did.
I'm super super super proud of our nerdy little community, and all of the people that read us. I used to actually send out thank you notes every night to each "liker" on Facebook. That was until Facebook limited the amount of messages you can send in a single day. When I started the site, I didn't necessarily want to just strictly focus on traffic - I was more interested in engagement, and really building a strong foundation. Anyone can get traffic with a super creative SEO, but not anyone can build a following - that takes heart and passion, which I hope shows through.
I don't monetize the site in the traditional sense with ads. I was more interested in being a brand evangelist, and going the route of finding sponsors for my social experiments and for me personally as a lifecaster. It's a new age in advertising - it's a trust economy. People are still going to buy, but they don't want to be sold to. I had to find products that I very genuinely genuinely liked, and start from there. I don't just take on sponsors to take them on ... it's super lame, dilutes the brand, and I didn't do all of this to have it one day be watered down to a piece of crapola. Not my style. The only ads on the site are from people that have sponsored me personally, or sponsored housing, food, or clothing for my journey over the last year. And yes, this is my full time job, my full time EVVERRRYYTHIIINNGGG. Wakes me up in the morning, and tucks me in at night - still can't believe it's my life, but from the depths of my soul - I am grateful.
I love Gary V! Got to meet him at Tahoe Tech this year- haha yes we have similar energy. I am very much a no bullshit, go and get 'em kinda chica. I think Gary is just following his passion, and I am doing the same. That's all that it boils down to. But thank you ... that is an incredible compliment.
Sure I'll definitely take a look at your profile, albeit offline - haha as I am posting this response on my site. Don't want to call you out in front of the world. Not my thing. But yeah, I plan on over the next couple of weeks writing a thesis on my findings, and on online dating in general, especially since tomorrow I'll be announcing a new social experiment. Timing was perfect, and totally unintentional.
But seriously man, thanks for reading and thanks for reaching out. Really appreciate it. Just doin what I love to do, I hope you find the same as well. LMK if there's ever anything I can do to help.
Keep on keepin on!
#nerdsunite
Got something to ask?
Here's my twitter: @JenFriel
Facebook my butt: www.Facebook.com/jenfriel
Or get old school and email me: JenFriel@TalkNerdyToMeLover.com
Senders identity will be kept anonymous.
THANKS!
