Two weeks ago, I spoke at Rochester Institute of Technology’s Social Media And Communication Symposium (SMACS). In my talk, I used the analogy of a cupcake to social media strategy.

Cake: Start with the cake of a cupcake. With Social Media, the cake is you, your brand, your product or service, as well as your message and mission.

Filling: Whether it is gooey caramel, cream or jelly, cupcakes often have a filling. For a social media strategy, the filling is the content. With every social media Strategy there needs to be a content strategy. The content strategy is what you say, when you say it, and how often. Content strategy is also who you listen to and who you are talking to.

Frosting: Some people believe that a cupcake is just a delivery channel for frosting. Similarly for social media, many focus too much on the delivery channels of their content. Twitter and Facebook and pretty essential, but don’t forget blogs, as well. Blogs are where you can write longer than 140 or 420 characters. If you are doing social media for yourself, not a business or brand, then Google + can be effective. However, if it is for a business, you may want to hold off using Google+ as a delivery channel until the business profile for Google+ become available.

Sprinkles: For cupcakes, the sprinkles are often optional. When it comes to social media, sprinkles work as long as they fit the flavor of your strategy. If the social media strategy is for a storefront business, then using geo-location services like Foursquare, Yelp, Foodspotting, Google Places may be great for you. If you want to offer deals, then you can check out Living Social or Google Offers. If you or your product is photo-friendly, then sites like Instagram and Flickr is great.  The point is to figure out which sprinkles are effective for executive your strategy. When the sprinkles work, they add an extra oomph to the social media strategy.  If the sprinkles don’t work, then brush them off and enjoy the cupcake.

marie claire 2011 august Olivia Wilde

This is the best stuff I gleaned from this issue.

What tennis star Maria Sharapova keeps in her carry-on

• Cole Hahn Ballet Flats
• Stella McCartney roll-on perfume
• Kanebo Sensai sunscreen SPF 30
• Sharpie for signing autographs

Horoscope says that I will be hooked on a new fitness regimen.
Samara O’Shea’s essay on her condition, limerence.
There is a such a thing called sex headache. Happens pre-orgasm. Solution: pop an aspirin before sex or wear socks to bed.
Study found that looking at art gives people a physiological thrill in the same way that gazing at someone you areal attracted to. ( I wonder if the reaction is the same while looking at bad art.)
Sexsomnia exists.
Bone marrow matching essay
Eat bamboo shoots
Bobbi Brown Beach Body Oil
Makeup for ladies with Jet-Black hair : shades of berry and violet
Burt’s Bees Milk and Shea Butter body wash.
Victoria’s Secret red pencil skirt
Coach watches in bright colors
Plum and bright yellow
Olivia Wilde
Music: Que Que by Dillon Francis and Diplo, The Look Metronomy
Lisa Kudrow’s web series, Web Therapy
An ad for Manilla.com
New book, I Killed Scheherazade by Joumana Haddad
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
Carol’s Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair
Where to buy button down shirts for plus-sized women: Land’s End, Marina Rinaldi, Lauren by Ralph Lauren , Talbots
Alexis Bittar jewelry
Look: flirty dress with parka
White sunglasses for fall
Bees are the new owls.
Varsity Jackets

Good news! My site got a little makeover thanks to ArtDeal Designs.

What’s on deck?
July 9: Philadelphia Vendy Awards
July 13 through July 17: I will be in Montreal on vacation.
July 18: Cupcake Meetup at Brooklyn Charm in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Last Saturday was the second annual TECHmunch NYC. It was so amazing with the space, the food sponsors and the panels and presentations. Everyone who attended left with the full belly and full of ideas of how to make their blog bigger and better. Thanks to Babette of Bakespace.

Here are some of the blog posts recapping the event:

Danielle Gould from Food And Tech Connect,  Jackie Gordon of The Diva That Ate New York, Shoshi of Modern Courtesan, Constance Koral of  Two Grape Nuts,  Chelsea Grant of  The Food Buff,  Tricia Okin of PapercutNY and Chobani.

Thanks to all the sponsors at TECHmunch NYC 2011.

• Chobani Yogurt (also smoothies and dips) – @chobani
• KitchenAid – @kitchenaidusa
• The Harvard Common Press – @hcpdishes
• Driscoll’s – @driscollsberry
• Four Roses Bourbon – @4rosesbourbon
• Wichcraft -  @wichcraft
• Brooklyn Brewery  – @brooklynbrewery
• Brooklyn Gin – @brooklyngin
• Robicellis – @robicellis
• Jacques Torres Chocolates – @jacquestorres
• Tasty Morsels Bakery – @tasty_morsels
• Danny Macaroons – @dannymacaroons

Also thanks to Brian Quinn for bartending and to all the volunteers for helping out during to make it a success. See you next year!

I am co-producing three events this month.

June 11: I am so happy to co-produce the second annual NYC TECHmunch. TECHmunch is a food blogger conference where we talk about what’s new in food and tech, making videos, building your brand, SEO optimization and working with brands.
Jacques Torres will be speaking as well. Astor Center. Register here.

June 16: Bloggers Delight. Monique Valeris of Decor Musings and I have created a fun mixer for lifestyle bloggers. It will be at Linger Cafe 553 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Free. Register.

June 18: The Fourth Annual Cupcake Picnic at Central Park. Rain or shine. Bring cupcakes and picnic gear.

I never took a women’s studies class in college. Also, I didn’t know what first, second or third wave feminism was until after moving to New York City where I met many writers and such who did. In 2004, I came up with the idea of starting an all-female stand-up comedy show after asking a friend if one already exists. I had no experience in producing a show, nor was I a comedian. I did know how to organize events, so I just did it.  I first started with securing a venue, then scouted comics, and then came up with a name for the show. In May of 2004, Chicks and Giggles was born.  The show ran for nearly four years and got press mentions in The New Yorker, The New York Times and BUST magazine.  The one thing about running Chicks and Giggles is that it made me into a feminist.  In promoting my show, I found myself constantly defending and/or winning over some people who had  preconceived notions about women comedians.  Not every female comic is going to talk about their periods, ex-boyfriends or their mom. The diversity and talent of women who performed at Chicks and Giggles was amazing. The show was great, but it got to be exhausting.

Flash forward to May 2011- there has been a strong campaign for every woman breathing to go see “Bridesmaids” on its opening weekend as if their life depended on it. I am all for a good comedy and will go see “Bridemaids” soon, but the push of the movie via social media was so heavy handed with promotions with Yahoo Shine, Groupon and Living Social.  I actually don’t mind the social media targeting in as much that there was an undercurrent of FOX News-like fearmongering.  It implied women have to go see “Bridesmaids” or there will NEVER be another comedy starring women ever again. IMHO, going to see “Bridesmaids” was not a feminist act like participating in a Slutwalk. “Bridesmaids” is a major Hollywood movie, and the box office receipts over the weekend ($24 M) prove that Kristen Wiig and company will be alright. Going on stage to tell a funny story,  doing an open mic, producing a one-woman show or just laughing as loudly without worry are better ways to support women in comedy.

A few days ago, someone recognized me from Cupcakes Take The Cake and said, “You do that cupcake blog; why aren’t you famous yet?!”  In some ways I am famous. Some of the fans of the blog ask to take photos with me. Some people have hugged me and told me that Cupcakes Take The Cake brings a little happiness to their life daily.  I feel good when I hear that but I don’t feel famous. I am not sure if Cupcakes Take The Cake will ever make me famous, and that’s fine.  I appreciate that it adds to my income and that affords me access to food events and meeting cool people in the food industry.  Is there pressure to be a top blogger when you didn’t initially set out to be?  I don’t feel it.  I am not competitive with other bloggers.  I am generous. I give people blogging and social media advice because I want them to do well.  Success breeds success. Keep on keepin’ on.

Natural Gourmet Insitute invited me to one of their Friday night dinners. In celebration of Earth Month, a percentage of the proceeds benefited Green Guerillas.  Chef Jay Weinstein planned a delicious and healthy three course meal.  The Natural Gourmet Institute has lots of public classes including a vegan cupcake baking class.

Asparagus Salad with Grain Mustard Vinaigrette and Spring Greens.

Chickpea Spinach Croquette over Parsnip Puree with Baby Carrots and Foraged Ramps and Mushrooms.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp with Cinnamon-Coconut Ice Cream and Fresh Mint

Last week I bought Tina Fey’s “non-memoir” memoir, Bossypants. I read it and loved it.  It’s a very funny collection of autobiographical short stories.

As a big fan of 30 Rock, I wished she talked about:

• The casting of Jane Krakowski over Rachel Dratch as Jenna. I love Jane in the role, but I wonder if network execs had pushed for Jane because of her looks.
• The rivalry between “30 Rock” and “Studio 60 on The Sunset Strip”. Studio 60 got canceled after only one year, but I thought Aaron Sorkin’s recent cameo on 30 Rock was generous considering he just won an Oscar for The Social Network.

Some people wanted to her talk about how hard it is for her juggle her career and family. Some people want to hear about her politics and feminism. I want to know more about her success with running “30 Rock”.  I wish she wrote a book like Jack Welch did about GE, but it about would have more about producing, writing and starring in a network comedy show.

Wednesday, I got an email from the Museum of The City Of New York offering a deal on a lecture if you ordered your ticket within 24 hours. I think that there should be a Groupon like site for city attractions like botanical gardens, museums, and zoos. Does Gilt City do that?

Anyway, I bought the $6 ticket for the lecture, Segregated Sound. The panelists were Dr. Patrick Burke, Washington University, author of Come In and Hear the Truth: Jazz and Race on 52nd Street (University of Chicago Press, 2008); soul, blues, and traditional Native American musician, Martha Redbone; and Dr. Maureen Mahon, New York University, author of Right to Rock: The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race (Duke University Press, 2004).

The panelists were super knowledgeable and I felt the panel could have been better if the moderator didn’t talk as much and asked clunky questions. Also, I think actual music cues during the discussion would have been good. Play some Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Living Colour. It would have nice to hear a bit of Martha Redbone’s music as well.

I organized a fun four ladies lunch with Nicole (@foodculturist), Jean (@swee10_) Dara (@insanemomposse) at Saraghina in BedStuy. Dara took the picture.

I meet lots of people, and it is hard to give them your life story at a party, so I am listing 12 things you may not know about me.

1. I still have my wisdom teeth. They grew in OK, so I didn’t have to have them extracted.
2. I have been blogging for more than seven years.
3. I worked at Pizza Hut in high school.
4. I used to produce a weekly stand-up comedy show called Chicks and Giggles. It ran for almost three years.
5. I have appeared on the Martha Stewart Show.
6. I have a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
7. I was in Las Vegas for a conference during 9/11.
8. I have been to Aberdeen, Scotland.
9. I won my elementary school spelling bee.
10. I have organized book parties for authors.
11. I have never been fired.
12. I  have been asked to leave a bar.