Ali Brown Shine Event: Billionaire Entrepreneur Coach Makes Social Media Blunder

November 12, 2009 by Jennifer Bourn | 23 Comments

billionaire entrepreneur makes social media blunderThis post is the second in a series based on the Ali Brown Shine event in Las Vegas. Check out my first post I Didn’t Really Come For All The “Woo Woo” Junk

The Shine event was a mix of Ali and several others speakers. There was a buzz humming through the room on the first day of the event and everyone was looking forward to hearing Ali’s billionaire entrepreneur coach speak.

I was especially looking forward to the presentation because it was on branding. As a trained graphic designer, former corporate branding instructor, and current brand strategist for entrepreneurs, I was interested to hear her insights on branding.

I wanted to hear her thoughts on branding a business versus branding an individual person. I wanted to hear some strategies about building a strong brand and brand equity. I wanted to hear how she would communicate to the room how much your brand can do for your business and what a difference it can make.

A special packet just for notes was passed out for the talk, so I was thinking this is going to be good! But what I wanted to hear and what I did hear were two completely different things.

What I heard was:

  • How much the Ali brand has changed over the years.
  • Examples of Ali’s design and some brainstorming.
  • What the Ali brand is becoming.

While that information and the examples shown were great in promoting the Ali Brand and showing her growth, not a whole lot of that would help a non-branding expert in developing their brand.

I heard several people around me whispering something along the lines of, “That’s great but how do I apply that to my business,” and “Yeah, but how do I do that.”

Seeing the progression of the Ali brand was interesting, but I was getting a little bummed at the lack of content and we were already over halfway through the presentation!

Finally we started to get to some content – not all on branding, but at least it was content. We covered things like:

  • Map it out and actually do the doing.
  • When you want it, make it happen.
  • Start somewhere. Start small. Make a Sh!t load of money.
  • Be a brand guardian. Make sure your essence is true and present in all you do.
  • A brand has a consistent look through every piece of marketing and representation.
  • Stay open. Influences can come from anywhere.
  • Don’t use many different designers. Stick with one who truly understands your brand essence.
  • Make sure your brand clearly communicates what you do.
  • Your identity is the verbal and visual expression of your brand.

Then I threw down my pen, I stopped taking notes,
and I said, “Oh no she didn’t!”

This billionaire entrepreneur coach then stood on that stage a told everyone in the room that having their photo on their business cards is stupid. This is ironic because last year Ali told people putting their photo on their cards was a good idea.

We were also told that our logo stinks if it doesn’t communicate exactly what we do all by itself, with no tagline. This I also disagree with. There are huge brands that are extremely successful that have logos that in no way communicate what the business does or what products they sell. And, what about the people who are their business, and their business name is their name. Heck, even Ali’s logo doesn’t say much alone.

She then told everyone that including social media profile links on your card is stupid and that no one cares. She said social media links have no place on a business card and that we’re all just wasting our time with social media and clearly our businesses aren’t successful because too many of us screwing around on Twitter all day which is irrelevant.

WHAT? Are you kidding me?

Um, Ali used both to promote her event and she used a Facebook event page to encourage networking on the site prior to the event.

These blanket statements, in my opinion, were a very bad move. Clearly she didn’t research her audience that well and clearly she doesn’t “get” the social media revolution that is taking place.

I don’t know about you, but I get a lot of business from my endeavors on Facebook and Twitter and a lot of speaking invitations from my LinkedIn profile. These social media sites have also allowed to me connect with people pre- and post-event to share photos, info, and stay in touch.

I’d have to say that statements like these make me wonder if this billionaire is out of touch. Maybe when you get that rich you can completely ignore social media and social networking – I get it.

What I don’t get it being so frank and sort of snarky about it on stage in a room full of women who are looking to you for advice and looking up to you as a successful woman business owner, especially when most of the room has their photo and their social media profile links on their cards!

What a way to make a lot of fabulous women feel really insecure about handing out their business cards.

How do I know people were self-conscious about it? Easy, almost every time I was handed a card at the event, the giver made excuses for having their photo on it or for including their social media links.

I for one say don’t make excuses. I have my photo and my social media links on the back of my business card and I am dang proud of my card.

That billionaire entrepreneur coach is wrong.

I love cards with photos and social media profile links because I remember you after the event and can find you to connect online. Those links help me to build relationships with those I meet and continue the conversations we had.

Elizabeth Potts Weinstein wrote a blog post on this same topic that I love.

So, with that said, I have to wonder, was the standing ovation she received because of the amazing things she has done for the Ali Brown brand (which are impressive), or for her presentation? I’ll leave that up to you.

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    About the Authors: Jennifer and Brian Bourn owners of Bourn Creative, a Sacramento web design company, help established businesses build beautiful, feature-rich, custom WordPress websites and blogs, design powerful, personal brands, and help their clients learn to leverage their website and blog to attract more clients than they ever thought possible.


    • Feedback and Comments:

    1. Adrianne Machina

      Nov 12, 2009 at 08:18

      I’m glad you kept your thinking cap on because so many people blindly accept what an ‘expert’ says. Ali Brown may be fabulous in 1000 different ways, but that doesnt mean that she’s right 100% of the time – or that what’s right for her is right for you.

      Like you, I have closed thousands of dollars in business on social networking sites, and I have my picture on my business card.

      It works for me because part of my brand is me!

      When people leave a conference with a 100 business cards in their suitcase, it becomes difficult to remember who was who. But when they see my picture and can connect it to our conversation, and then to my picture on FB, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., it’s a powerful reinforcement. We are wired to remember faces.

      It cracks me up that Ali doesn’t think social sites work because I wouldn’t know her at all if it weren’t for social sites. Thanks for the great post!

      Reply

      • JenBourn

        Nov 12, 2009 at 08:31

        Adrianne – Thank you for your comment. In too many cases people just do what the expert says with little or no regards to the big picture or what is truly the best for their business. It is so true that they are not always right, or that every scenario isn’t the best fit for you or your business.

        It’s interesting that over the next two days at Shine this business coach was mobbed by women in the “lobby” outside the ballroom, each waiting for her to critique their card.

        Interestingly enough she told several women, who have their photo on their card and also included their social networking profile links, that their cards worked for them and their business.

        Did some say something to her after that blunder on the stage? Maybe.

        Just shows speakers need to be very careful about the broad generalizations they make from the stage!

        Reply

    2. Amy

      Nov 12, 2009 at 08:45

      Thanks for sharing your experience. I have had so many people say they called me because of the picture on my card. They felt a good connection begin just from that.

      I’ve also had clients tell me that they chose me because I was on Twitter or Facebook. They felt that was a commitment of progressing with the times. I certainly don’t see how it could really hurt unless someone had really unprofessional tweets.

      Thanks for keeping your mind open and posting this. All my best to you.

      Amy Hale

      Reply

      • JenBourn

        Nov 12, 2009 at 09:00

        Amy – I appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment! I agree with you. I have had so many people reach out after big events and comment about my photo on my card making it easy to remember who is who. I’ve also experienced the “Hey were friends on Facebook,” or the “I follow you on Twitter,” realizations at events. It makes connecting with and meeting people so much more fun because it’s like you already know each other and meeting “in real life” is a bonus!

        Reply

    3. margie

      Nov 12, 2009 at 09:51

      Hi .. I wasn’t at the event but have to say, “I agree with you!” Yikes!

      Reply

      • JenBourn

        Nov 12, 2009 at 10:07

        Margie – Thanks for stopping by and letting me know you agree! I believe this can be a lesson learned for all speakers about the effect you have on your audience.

        This billionaire is truly an amazing business woman and has achieved a huge level of success that is very impressive and she deserves a lot of credit for that. I am sure all the women in that room would love to achieve that level of success and would jump at the opportunity to have her as a mentor.

        But, it is easy to be snarky with your comments when you’ve “made it” and your current companies make $300,000 a day.

        Reply

    4. Barbara Lopez

      Nov 12, 2009 at 10:17

      Then I threw down my pen, I stopped taking notes,
      and I said, “Oh no she didn’t!”

      ************* Jen, you crack me up.
      I wasn’t at the event obviously, but to me, her advice screams hypocritical. I mean, does Ali’s logo explain what she does? NO. AND her tagline is a PART of her logo – and even that doesn’t explain what she does. And the whole social media thing…hmmm! I do have to agree that there are folks that are on Twitter SO MUCH that I wonder how they have the time to even SERVE their clients, but I agree it’s a HUGE tool for relationship building and promotion. My goodness!

      Reply

      • JenBourn

        Nov 12, 2009 at 10:26

        Thank you, thank you very much ;) I was shocked and we (my neighbor and I) were saying the same thing! The whole time I am dying inside screaming to myself, “Noooooo! Are you kidding me right now!” Some of those comments may be true for some industries (like the celebrities), but most definitely not for all.

        Reply

    5. Alycia Edgar

      Nov 12, 2009 at 02:16

      It’s funny I was thinking I had really missed out big time by not being able to attend shine. But the more I hear the only thing I missed out on was connecting with people. I am just new to Facebook and Twitter and I find that statement she made about it very ill informed. In the little time I have been using these networks I have made many new contacts and new clients. Unless I am continually out there physically networking I cannot achieve that result in that short amount of time. Social networking is about conversations (and you have many). Much easier to start and or continue that conversation to build that “know like and trust” factor online than face to face meetings. Not only that, but I consider myself to be a shy networker and I am finding that I can “listen” in a little first to gain confidence to enter the conversation. You can’t really do that at a function or event as it would be considered rude. Not saying I am a stalker but watching the conversation allows you to enter into it more educated about the person you want to talk to and thus allowing for an easier opening line.
      Great post Jen. Shame I couldn’t be there for the networking!

      Reply

      • JenBourn

        Nov 12, 2009 at 02:28

        Alycia – Thanks for stopping by my blog! I hope you don’t misunderstand … This talk I am referring to wasn’t by Ali. It was by her business mentor and her presentation was only about an hour.

        Shine was a really good event. I think it was a little different that what people expected, but still, it was very valuable and I will be attending again next year, both for the event itself and for the networking.

        Ali shared a lot about her struggles while growing her business and I was really happy to hear her advising people in a very smart way. She advocates that while the big picture ideas and big goals are important, you need to focus on right here and right now, and the next logical step to take to keep your business moving forward.

        Not many “gurus” out there talk real world. Ali did. While dreaming on a million dollar business is great, she was very firm on that for many people, just getting some clients and paying the mortgage is a great goal for right now and I applaud that.

        While the event was much less business that I expected, I was inspired, motivated, and energized. I experienced some interesting realizations about myself and my business (which I’ll be blogging about too), and I did learn some new things.

        I hope you do attend next year, and I hope to meet you in person!

        Reply

    6. Elizabeth Potts Weinstein

      Nov 12, 2009 at 02:36

      You read my blog post so you know what I think ;) but another point here that is important, that Scott Stratten made to me (as I was DMing him during the billionaire’s talk, lol) –> do I really want to learn from a billionaire (or anyone for that matter) who is no longer open to learning herself?

      Reply

    7. Lisa Hines

      Nov 12, 2009 at 03:25

      Jen, I appreciate your outline of intentions for what to receive for the branding piece of shine. I wasn’t clear what to expect. Your list gave me a lot of great ideas of what to look for. Let me know if you plan on offering a branding/marketing course of some kind or come across someone that has a really good program.

      For me, I guess I’m just used to letting things pass by that don’t resonate with me and seeking out the gold nuggets that I need. Many are getting hung up on the details and taking things too seriously. Like the biz card and social media comments. I like my biz cards and like social media. However, what I really needed to “get” from “Billionaire Speaker” was to stop treating my business like a hobby, and to stop wasting precious time goofing around on Facebook and Twitter. I use them, but I do admit to spending entirely way too much unproductive time. The overall kick in the butt for me is to get serious and start working it. That in itself was extremely valuable for me.

      Many bloggers, twitterers, etc. are spending energy critiquing and that’s fine if it helps them find their voice and true self. I find it more like high school drama when presented that way. I would much rather here what one got out of it, what they’re going to do next, how they think it should be, without pointing fingers and placing blame. That doesn’t do much for me.

      I LOVE how in a comment of yours, you stated how much SHINE was beneficial to you and how you would go back again. I encourage a blog on that :) There’s enough struggle in life, and I like to keep things positive and moving forward as best as I can.

      Again…let me know if you have a marketing seminar coming up. Myself? I’m working on a business planning workshop because there is so much more to map out.

      Great day to you. Thanks for the conversation.

      Lisa

      Reply

      • JenBourn

        Nov 12, 2009 at 03:34

        Lisa – Thanks for commenting! I love that you mentioned blogging about what I learned. That is actually the theme for my next post going out tomorrow.
        I’m writing a series of posts based on my experiences at Shine … The next covers my “golden nuggets” and on Monday I’ll be sharing about some of the great women I met and how they inspired me!

        It is very true that people tend to get caught up in the negative because that is an easy place to be in. My problem with the negative is that often the positive isn’t shared.

        Just as there are two sides to every story, there almost always is a positive that goes with every negative … If you choose to see it that way.

        Reply

      • JenBourn

        Nov 12, 2009 at 03:41

        Lisa – One more thing … I’ll be hosting a workshop in July of 2010. I’m tired of going to events and not learning HOW TO DO IT. So I am putting together a multi-day workshop about developing a strong brand and marketing your brand online. It will focus on delivering serious content and HOW TO STRATEGIES, so you implement what you learn.

        I’m mapping out the details now, but you can be one of the first to know the official details by joining my list – you can do so in any header area of the site or at http://www.designandprofit.com.

        Reply

    8. Lisa

      Nov 12, 2009 at 04:45

      Awesome! Can’t wait for the golden nuggets and will definitely sign up to receive early bird info on the 2010 workshop!

      Reply

    9. Doreen Rainey

      Nov 13, 2009 at 08:34

      I didn’t attend Shine this year, but have been reading “reviews” to decide if this is an event to plan for next year.

      You bring up good points about speakers being out of touch with the audience and/or over generalizing. It’s important to take the information from the experts and decide if it works for your business. I am surprised by her comments about social media. While you can waste time online, the value of facebook, twitter, etc in growing your business cannot be ignored.

      I’m glad to see that you would attend next year and I think I’ll be doing the same.

      Reply

      • JenBourn

        Nov 15, 2009 at 09:47

        Doreen – Overall, Shine was a great event and the women in the room were incredible. Ali’s events definitely provide a very valuable networking opportunity. I think a lot of people came with expectations that it would be more business focused and were a little caught off guard that it was much more mindset focused. I for one had some great realizations from the mindset work (you can read about them here Ali Brown Shine Event: Golden Nuggets of Wisdom for the Entrepreneur Mindset) that made then event a great experience for me.

        I think it is always important to evaluate speakers and know that they are just one opinion and not the end-all, be-all when it comes to advice. Not everyone is right all the time and not everyone’s solutions will work for you and your business!

        Thanks so much for commenting!

        Reply

    10. Rosemary Santillo

      Nov 13, 2009 at 08:50

      I was really very disappointed at the Shine Event. Almost turned my stuff back for a refund. I also went for info on branding and found nothing. Very repetitive information if you have the Online Success Blueprint. Also, being a coach, I could have done without the values exercise, which I do with clients often.

      Reply

      • JenBourn

        Nov 15, 2009 at 09:50

        Rosemary – I am sorry to hear that! I do agree that some of the information was quite repetitive from the Online Success Blueprint Workshop (OSBW). If you haven’t already, I recommend you jump on my list. I am current planning a live event for July 2010 on building a strong personal brand and marketing that brand online. I’ll be covering the HOW TO that no one else seems to be sharing!

        Thanks for your comment!

        Reply

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    12. Susan Grey

      Nov 18, 2009 at 07:12

      Why we all need to learn from Ai’s Billionaire mentor. Oh you so were not listening properly to Anne McKevtt at Ali’s event . Anne actually said not to use Facebook & Twitter when you should be working. She said to use them in your downtime. That’s a whole lot different from you’re saying which is not factual. I know it doesn’t take a lot of brain power to work out whether to listen someone who’s made a billion or someone who has clearly not IE; almost everyone who has an opinion. Anne McKevtt would win hands down for me everytime. The rest of us are commenting on small potatoes while she’s plowing the fields. And in case your wondering this is my downtime & guess what I‘ve now found if I don’t twitter & facebook the whole day , I actually have time to make some money!

      Reply

      • JenBourn

        Nov 19, 2009 at 09:47

        Susan – Goodness gracious! Thanks for your comment. I appreciate your view.

        I want to point out that I never said that we shouldn’t listen to or learn from Anne. Anyone who is successful on any level has something to share and more than likely something we can learn from. Anne has achieved a level of success most people can only dream of and she has a great deal of experience and knowledge behind her that EVERYONE can learn from.

        My point is that leaders, ones people look up to, and look to for advice, need to be aware of the effect they have on their audience.

        While she may not have meant to say Social media was a waste of time, that is how almost everyone I spoke to at the event took it. Did I speak to everyone? No, but it was a hot topic for a while at the event for sure.

        It is important to note that A LOT of business is being done through social media and a lot of money is trading hands because of relationships built through social media.

        There are entrepreneurs who derive the majority of all of their income through the social media efforts. That is because they aren’t just aimlessly tweeting and playing on Facebook. They are using is in a calculated manner for marketing and each move they make is strategic and works toward building a brand and engaging a community.

        So to say that social media is a waste during the day when you could be making money is misleading and false.

        Will it work for everyone? No. But it does for many and broad generalizations can be dangerous.

        Reply

    13. Ali Brown Shine Event: Why I Said No to Advice From a Billionaire Entrepreneur Coach | Bourn Creative

      Dec 06, 2009 at 05:39

      [...] This post is the third in a series based on the Ali Brown Shine event in Las Vegas. Check out my previous posts I Didn’t Really Come For All The “Woo Woo” Junk and Billionaire Entrepreneur Coach Makes Social Media Blunder. [...]

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