Alpha Mom, Not

Monday, February 11, 2008  by Lynn Wendyger
Category: Education, Alpha Mom, Beta Mom, Technology

Have you heard about the Alpha Mom? The concept has been around for a couple of years.  According to the article in New York magazine that started it all, the Alpha Mom feels that with “the right planning, resources, and work ethic, you can, too, be a perfect and fulfilled woman, raising a perfect and happy child.”  Alpha Moms can do it all, and in style. They are the trendsetters, the leaders of the pack.

And although I hold a job, am raising two kids, and strive to be in the know about new trends and technology, I know I don’t qualify. My house is messy and I don’t have a Blackberry. It took me two years to use my iPod Shuffle, and it’s already out of date.  I’m a Beta Mom - I fall short of Alpha Moms. In fact, I just heard about them last week. 
 
But I am insatiably curious about the role that technology plays in work, home and education. As a masters level Clinical Psychologist in a past life, and a Performance Consultant in Training & Education in my current life, I'm interested in how technology enhances life and learning... and how it can also make it more complex.  

In this blog I’ll be sharing my own experiences with technology at home and at work. I would also love to hear how you use-  or don't use-  technology in your life. Do you let your kids have a Facebook? Why or why not?  Do you participate in any social networking sites?  Which ones? Have you tried any online learning classes?  If yes, did you learn new skills?

Many of these insights will help me, as part of the Training & Education team,  develop the right kind of learning support needed by Independent Business Owners.  And if I’m really lucky, you’ll raise my hip quotient with my pre-teen and teen.       

Comments

# Tom in Atlanta said on February 11, 2008 1:01 PM:

Welcome to the O'Zone, Lynn!  This is a great blog target subject and I'm excited to hear what you have to share.

I don't have any kids of my own but I do participate in social networking sites.  I've found though that it would be better to invite people we meet in those communities to a community of our own.  

What do you think about an online Amway Global Community?  This would help our online prospects get a better community feel and make it easier to share information about our business and products in a more organized, seamless way.  Corporate participation in our 'conversations' through the production of the online community itself, the information and manner in which it is shared would add credibility to our conversations and help keep the information shared consistent and accurate.

As things are currently, we really need to be proficient in all the places that our business can be found on the internet.  The new person has far more important things to learn in the beginning regarding their business.

Why not link it all together through one community?  The sites could still be seperate but connected in this one place.

For instance:

Just like the other online communities, we recieve an invitation from a current community member (customer or IBO).  We click on the link and set up our free profile. This could allow us to upload a photo and tell a little about ourselves. (transparency)  We could also be instructed on the Quick Product Checklist, Ditto delivery and how we will benefit by using them.  The QPC results could also trigger targeted advertising on that person's profile.  

Also, on the profile could be corporate resources links that may include O'Zone blogs (based on whether they are a customer or an IBO) or new customer oriented blogs.  Communication and information could also be based on and limited to LOAs as well as pin level or if they are a customer.

The possiblilities are profound and no other community is better suited for an online community of this magnitude and purpose than the Amway Global brand.

This is web 2.0 at it's finest!

With absolute excitement,

Tom in Atlanta

# Lynn Wendyger said on February 15, 2008 5:24 PM:

Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Tom. You are right, the possibilities are endless. What is the one applications that would help you the most? Using a social community to learn something? Helping your downline learn? Showing the community to prospects? Other?  Beta Mom

# Tom in Atlanta said on February 16, 2008 1:22 AM:

Those are all the exact reasons for a community.  I've always thought that there should be a community 'wrapper' for Quixtar.com.  I think that Quixtar.com or AmwayGlobal.com (or whatever the new address will be) should be more than simply a fantastic website/online catalog.  

As a community, the business opportunity is the 'reward' part of the old commercial; http://youtube.com/watch?v=YzB80KvKfz8&feature=PlayList&p=4C3D7940398B5088&index=0  

Creating an online community like we are talking about would be something cool to join and easy to share with our friends, family and people we meet in other online communities.

The customer/community member's profile would have customer education links that would explain the benefits of Ditto and use the QPC to help them set up their Ditto profiles.  This adds immediate benefit in the community and makes people naturally want to share this with their friends on a more social tone.  

By making the profile a part of registration, they see more quickly how they are joing a community rather than just being someone's customer.  Part of their profile would be private and function as their household/lifestyle management system- Ditto delivery and access to exclusive premium brands and community stores (partner stores).

Everyone in the community, customer members and IBO members, are encouraged to invite others to join.  If a customer member refers someone who joins, they are prompted on the benefits of being an IBO.

Each member would have an area on their profile that they can use to send these invites which could allow LOS tracking and prevent mass invitations.

What about socializing the titles of the community members? Maybe calling customers 'members' again and IBOs 'equity members' or something.

I think this is exciting to talk about.  What do you think of this?  Think it's a possibility?

Tom in Atlanta

# Lynn Wendyger said on February 18, 2008 4:20 PM:

There are several people here at the company delving into IBO and customer needs for social community at Quixtar. I'll make sure they see these ideas. How about the rest of you out there? Do you like Tom's vision? What, for you would be the first best thing we could do to tap this way of communicating?  

# Denelle in Ohio said on April 7, 2008 7:55 PM:

new to blogging...interesting ideas from Tom...but concerned...how about a social community inside the Quixtar/Amway Global site?

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