Life really does come full circle sometimes. It’s interesting that I spent my formative years observing my parents as professional educators – and now I find myself in the same place. Some people have told me I was destined to be an educator. I don't know if that's true. But even though everything in my extremely busy life indicates I don’t have the luxury of surplus time right now, I felt the need to jump at an opportunity that recently came my way.

Ah, yes – the freedom of being a freelancer. The carefree life of the consultant. The pain-in-the-ass clients who pay late. With the exception of ravenous otters gnawing on your extremities during a dip in the ol’ swimming hole, nothing sucks more than waiting for an invoice to finally be paid. Sure, patience is a virtue. And politely standing by without making waves will maintain a good client relationship.

Just like your mom when you came home with that first tattoo – I was shocked when I saw the blog post from Cathryn Sloane entitled "Why Every Social Media Manager Should Be Under 25" Shock is the only possible reaction to this story, which advocates that social-media professionals over the age of 25 can’t possibly have a clear understanding of the medium.

Suck it up, put on the big-girl panties and host your first webinar! You know you should produce a webinar to extend your messaging. The problem is that you are intimidated because of the technical challenges. You think putting on a webinar is a daunting, complicated integration of technology, preparation and promotion. Good! Because you are absolutely right.

Think back to your first real job. Remember that one old-timer who had all the great stories? I don’t mean the bitter guy who wore a tie with his dandruff-covered short-sleeved shirt, and referred to upper management as “The Gestapo.” I mean the funny dude who seemed to know his shit, but also had a million great stories about the industry. He knew every client, went to all the trade shows – and talked about flying on airlines like Eastern and Pan Am. Back when they served real meals. In coach.

If you're a digital integrated marketing professional who isn't thinking 50 percent mobile deployment, then you are already behind the curve. Anything less and you’re acting like that last printer in town who refuses to utilize InDesign because he’s absolutely certain Quark will finally version out a better product. I get it. There are only so many hours in the day. And thinking about or learning about ONE more thing means taking time away from the “important things.”

WARNING! - If you don't live in the haus of marketing I'd respectfully advise you skip this post because it will bore you to tears. Ahhhh, guilt free. Remember that thing you keep talking about in meetings but you never do? No – I’m not talking about doing more cardio. Although that’s not a bad idea.

So you intend to hire a social media professional. You come to the point in your marketing where you understand that you have too many social channels, too much conversation occurring and too many metrics to follow to make any sense of it. Consider this a measurement of your marketing growth. Five years ago, to staff for this position seemed ludicrous and something that you would just train for internally. Now we see that this isn't simply a necessity within your business, but an opportunity to serve your customers in a much better and engaging way.

My 4-year-old daughter “Sydney” is a great many things to me. First and foremost, I hope she becomes a valuable member of society. Secondly, I hope that she can teach you a few things that she has already taught me:

If you asked Donald Trump to describe his business like a board game, he would probably compare it to Monopoly. Then he would buy your mother and tattoo “Trump” on her forehead in bold, gold letters. You and I are a bit more cerebral about our industry – which is why I compare media relations to chess. It takes strategy, finesse, a little luck and some art. Sadly, I’ll probably never meet your mom, because she won’t be caught dead in the bars where we hang out.

I joke about everything, having said that, I also want you guys to have as much 'actionable tactics' as I can muster. Therefore, here's the biggest brain-dump I could put together on the 'hot as a firecracker' social channel of Pinterest. So let's give birth to this thing and move along!

My cohort @shawnvincent recently made a great point about this graphic: "OWNING negative comments. I've always thought a couple negative comments give credence to the good comments. And so often the negative comments are clearly authored by someone who is CRAZY."

Don't go at it alone Integrated marketing requires more than one channel. That's where the "integration" comes from – duh. Look at your advertising campaigns like a theatrical performance; everyone plays a part to tell a much larger story.

Something immediately pops into your mind when you hear the term “social media. But your definition might differ from that of your boss, or your neighbor, or Seth Godin. The fact is that social media is far more nuanced than most people realize. This topic is near and dear to my heart, and I’ve been preaching about it for the last year – "social business."

Last week I had the opportunity to speak at the University of Central Florida's COMM DAY, which is a personal-development event for students transitioning into the real world. I was a little concerned that they just wanted me for the “after” example in a before-and-after comparison, but it turned out the whole thing was legit. The students from UCF’s Nicholson School of Communication were a fantastic audience, and even a slightly older dog like me learned a few things.

From time to time I look at a client’s audience and realize it is far too broad for just one social channel. This often happens with travel, destinations, trending products and seasonal variances that can attract a broad demographic.