ThoughtShot Consulting :: Karrie Kohlhaas. Grow Your Business. Smarter.

Bad blog going around about you, have you read it yet?

by Karrie Kohlhaas on October 15, 2011

in Boundaries, Fear, Grow, Manage, Reputation, Snags, Social Media, Tools, Twitter, scams

Yep, all the things I thought I could keep hidden from the world are now circulating around the internet sky like one of those airplanes at the beach that pulls a banner behind it for all to see. And it will never run out of gas, because we all know the internet is FOREVER!

I was on the phone with my mom and suddenly saw this tweet incoming on my iphone:

“Bad blog going around about you, have you read it yet?”

“Um, Mom, I think I need to handle something right now. Call you back later.” In fewer than 140 characters, I felt my reputation dangling from a thread on the world wide web. What was someone saying about me? Could it really be THAT bad that someone would need to alert me about it on a Saturday night?

I am usually not a sucker for an identity theft scam, but man, it’s easy to fall for a line like “bad blog post about you”. It preys on our fears, just like all the other scams online and off. I know I have flaws–and big ones at that! I just don’t need them announced in such a public and unstoppable way.

It’s embarrassing, but yes, I clicked. I was redirected to a Twitter login page. Wait! That’s not a Twitter login page. (Always look at the URL box before re-entering your account info!) It’s a plague on the internet, otherwise known as a phishing scam. GRRR!

If you received one of these emails from me or someone else, I am here to save some face and tell you exactly what you need to do to stop the madness.

If you clicked, you tipped the next domino. Check your Message Tab on Twitter and you will see to whom you unknowing sent the alert that a bad blog was circulating about them, waking up their self consciousness demons, causing them to click and sending the message to their friends, triggering more demonoes…ad infinitum. Your Twitter account will automatically send the message to 250 people on your list. Good thing there are limits for private messages on Twitter or else the phishing mafia would have sent to your entire list. Not a huge deal, but if you did click, like I did, now you look a little foolish.

Kind of ironic, isn’t it? If I didn’t care so much what people might be saying about me, I wouldn’t have been tempted to click and 250 people wouldn’t be questioning my internet judgement. By simply deleting and not being concerned, the whole mess could have gone away.

I hope no one went any further than that. If you did input your Twitter account and password on that page that opened up, you may have just lost your Twitter account to some jerk who thinks this whole situation is really funny.

Here’s how you can remedy the situation, both socially and technically:

1. Change your password.

Even if you didn’t input your password on the imposter Twitter page, it’s a good idea to change it periodically. Make sure your password includes letters, numbers and punctuation. Best if it does not spell anything.

2. Change any other similar passwords online.

When it comes to passwords we do lack creativity, don’t we? If you use the same password all over the internet, well, um, I am worried for you buddy. Not a good strategy. Make them different and quickly, especially if they are the same as the compromised one.

3. Revoke access to third parties.

In your Twitter account, click your Twitter name in the upper right corner. Then click “Settings” and go to the “Applications” tab. Revoke access to anyone you don’t know.

4. Admit your gullibility, and fast.

Cover your bases and message all of your social networks. I heard from people on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and from private emails asking me if they should click the link. Others may not think to contact you first.

The sooner you can let people know about your little break from online mental clarity, the more hassle you can save them. If you don’t you may find yourself losing friends quickly. I mean, you don’t want someone circulating a bad blog post about you, do you?

I am glad I caught this early and was able to do something about it. Humble pie apologies to all of you who were inconvenienced. I do hope this blog post can be a useful tool to undo any harm you’ve caused in your own little Twittersphere.

In the meantime my mom thought there was a real emergency and called my honey, Todd. He rushed home and opened the door “Are you okay?”

Sheepish smile, “Yeah.”

Let me know below if you’ve ever been hit with a scam like this. Did you fall for it? I’m a sucker, right?

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Researching the competition : How do you measure up?

by Karrie Kohlhaas on July 14, 2010

in Anthropology, Cultivate, Cultural Commentary, Market, Networking, Partnerships, Recommended Reading, Taking Risks, competitors

Researching the competition is necessary because you need to know what businesses in your field are doing and see how you measure up, right? Everyone needs to enter into a little competitor analysis from time to time just to stay up on your game. Is that true?

Some sources suggest spying on the competition — driving by their location, shopping their store or calling “in cognito”. You’ve gotta know what they are up to, those conniving business owners!

Yes, I think it’s a good idea to know what other people are doing in your field but keeping a file on them starts to seem a little weird. Being aware of your colleagues can inspire new ideas and even build your confidence. It can help you figure out how you want to position yourself in the marketplace and set yourself apart.

The downside: It seems like everyone has experienced the “stomach drop” or that ZING of adrenaline at finding yourself one up or one down from someone else. Though comparing can be helpful, it can also land you in your own Alice’s Wonderland. Depending on which arbitrary measurements you have set up, you may feel like a tiny defeated bug or a mighty giant. As Alice said, “Being so many sizes in a day is very confusing.” Plus, it’s bad for your adrenal glands.

This reminds me of an incident I had at the pool recently…

I was doing my lap swim at the gym and found myself speeding up to compete with the woman in the next lane. She didn’t know it but we were racing. I gave it a good fight, but this girl had a mean front crawl. She touched the wall before I did and without a care did her fancy flip turn and continued swimming. I felt silly. She was just doing her thing and I was trying to compete with her. A lap later, I complimented her stroke and asked her for some pointers. She was super nice—not the mega-snob I had imagined her to be. She took several minutes to watch me swim and dissect my stroke, offered great feedback and said I could stop her any time for help. I went back to swimming at my own pace, swallowed a lot less water and knew I had an ally in the pool.

The small business world is changing; we are seeing a shift from compete to collaborate, from conquer to connect. That’s a good thing. There is plenty of business to go around and we can all help to boost each others’ reputations and feel a little less alone. I challenge you: next time you find yourself playing comparison games, stop comparing and connect. Send an email telling that person what you admire about them. Ask them to coffee. Brainstorm ways to support each other. Connecting and building relationships will build your business a lot faster than slumping down in your chair, lurking with binoculars and a bag of Doritos.

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Should I wash my mouth out with soap?

by Karrie Kohlhaas on June 28, 2010

in Authenticity, Boundaries, Cultivate, Cultural Commentary, Manage, Networking, Presentation, Shake It Up!

Too much cussin' at the lemonade stand.

I have a friend whose wife has been urging him to cease swearing, especially in business situations. According to her, swearing only creates “throw-away sentences.”

This got me thinking; do I swear too much?

In client sessions I can get excited and a four-letter word may get tossed into the mix. Like a few candied pecans on top of a really healthy salad, I feel they add flavor, texture and they are naturally occurring. I don’t drench the conversation in high fructose sensationalism syrup (it’s in everything nowadays) but I do value being my authentic self and that means I swear, on occasion.

For most entrepreneurs, a major drive to work for oneself is to be completely free of inhibiting factors like timecards, dress codes, asking for time off, and rules / meetings / memos outlining what you can and can’t say. We make our own salads and put whatever we want in them, damn it.

What do you think about cussing in your business?
Do you refuse to censor yourself since you are the boss? Or do you think that four-letter words make you a bleeping wo/man of “throw away sentences” and cause your listeners to respect you a tad less–maybe even cost you business? I’d like to either start a brawl or get a consensus on this, so please, make your comments below, expletives and all.

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SHINE: What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?

by Karrie Kohlhaas on August 17, 2009

in Cultural Commentary, Recommended Reading, Video Blogging

Over 500 entrepreneurs were involved in the making of this movie. SHINE is an exploration of what entrepreneurs go through to find and maintain their independent lifestyle. I was both interviewer and interviewed and had an amazing experience being on both ends of SHINE. Find out how I view the path to entrepreneurship. You might be a little surprised by what you hear…

I’d love to read your comments below.

SHINE Official Trailer 4 from Dan McComb on Vimeo.

SHINE will debut in Fall 09 in Seattle.

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