Tag Archives: azaroff

Internet Marketing Conference coming back to Vancouver in September.

Internet Marketing Conference - Vancouver, Canada - September 16-18, 2009I have taken 2009 off from presenting at conferences, and it’s been a good decision. I’ve really enjoyed being able to focus on work and family here in Vancouver.

But I am making one exception.

The Internet Marketing Conference is coming back to Vancouver September 16-18, 2009 at the Four Seasons Hotel. Last year’s was a great event, and this year I’m speaking on a panel entitled Social Media for Business.

The panel is described as so:

Social media is the new hot thing. It’s a great way for consumers to share their opinions and interact with leading brands. But how does social media fit in the B2B/B2C environment? Panelists will discuss how they use social media for their clients as well as their own businesses.

A couple of my fellow panelists are the same as my fellow panelists from last year (which is good thing).

The panel includes:
JP Holecka, Powershifter Media
Christopher Berry, Critical Mass
Patrick Schwerdtfeger, Tactical Execution
Warren Sukernek, Radian6 ( who will be moderator)

You can register now.

10 years ago today.

I’m in a reflective mood today. Ten years ago today I finished shooting what would be my last film.

The Engagement Party is a full-length comedy about a young couple trying to maneuver through a disastrous engagement party their families have thrown for them. I wrote, co-produced, co-edited and directed the film. I raised the money, I worked hard to try and sell it to a distributor. I spent several years of my life working on it from the beginning of the creative process of screenwriting to the nuts and bolts business side of negotiating a deal.

It’s funny the course life takes. Looking back, I can see how making The Engagement Party led me on the journey I am now on.

I became disenchanted with filmmaking after producing that film. It was heartbreaking pouring so much of myself into a project that fizzled out. It fizzled out because of the competitive nature of the business, because of the lack of household name talent, because of the digital format, and, in the end, because it wasn’t all that good (believe me, it wasn’t). Film is such a precarious business, and I became frustrated with having to prove myself repeatedly.

The Engagement Party was a very early digital feature and experimenting on new digital formats and taking on a pioneer role opened up opportunities for me that led me deeper into new media, emerging technologies and the web, and onto my current career path. I would not be where I am if it wasn’t for that film.

I was a mediocre filmmaker, but I’m a great producer. I’m good at bringing people together, getting them on the same page, inspiring them and getting them focused and all rowing in the same direction. My talents as a producer continue to serve me exceedingly well. And I love taking the entrepreneurial attitude and approach, which is a prerequisite for being a filmmaker, and applying it inside an organization I care about. Being an intrapreneur.

I wonder what I would have thought if you had told me then that ten years later I would be working at a financial institution. I probably would have been disappointed. And yet I love my job. I look forward to coming into work every day, and relish in the challenges, successes and occasional failures. I am a very lucky person to have what I have, and to have had all the experiences that brought me to this point.

Including making a digital feature film in Seattle in April of 1999 called The Engagement Party.

PS: I just realized that I have the words Director and Engagement in my title, so it’s not all that different really.

Hey, I’m a GonzoBanker.

GonzoBanker of the Month: William Azaroff, VancityWhen I started working at Vancity in September of 2005 I was brand new to the financial services industry. My previous job was working at a telecom, and in my time there I never really learned much about that industry. From the beginning at Vancity I wanted to learn about credit unions and FIs so I could be more useful to the company and craft a more relevant business plan for what the web could do for the company.

So I began looking for good websites and online publications to teach me a thing or two about banking. One of those was the enewsletter, GonzoBanker, which gave me great insights into the industry, full of humour and street smarts. Their writers get to the heart of the issue, and certain posts have become classics – like Steve Williams’ brilliant Y Bank With Us? and Tripp Johnson’s Web 2.0: It’s Not Just for Customers Anymore (which mentions my blog). I have always appreciated that they don’t take themselves too seriously, but have good, informed opinions about the industry.

So I was incredibly honoured when they named me GonzoBanker of the Month for March. As someone who is new to this industry, recognition like this is both inspiring and humbling.

Thanks a ton to the entire GonzoBanker team, and especially Diana Ferguson!