Greetings from SXSW conference in Austin, Texas!

I had an opportunity to interview Fast Company Magazine’s Senior Innovation Editor Ellen McGrit and Pepsi’s Social Media and Digital Director Bonin Bough in the PepsiCo Plugged-In Stage at the Austin Convention Center during the SXSW Conference, which started last week. We discussed some of the themes that had been popping up during the conference, like how using social media for social good is changing the way we think and use social media and how it impacts in the global well being.

Ellen McGrit is the Senior Innovation Editor at Fast Company magazine, she covers a range of business topics, but never stops looking for the writer’s holy grail: The business ideas and the people who are changing the world, and her passion for this really comes through in this interview. Ellen McGrit was a senior writer for Fortune until February 2007 when she joined Fast Company. McGirt has served as a guest correspondent for CNN’s American Morning, and has appeared frequently on Good Morning America, CBS Early Today, NBC Nightly News, CNBC, CNN, and American Public Media, and also a columnist and editor-at-large for Money.

PepsiCo’s Global Director of Digital and Social Media Bonin Bough leads PepsiCo’s global digital charge. Bough has been instrumental in integrating social media and online conversation into PepsiCo’s overall corporate vision and for each of the company’s mega brands, engaging consumers online and tracking behaviors and trends to better inform PepsiCo and brand programs. Bough has architected the company’s leading presence at gatekeeper digital media events, including SXSW, BlogHer and launched what is one of my favorite campaigns; the “Dear Mr. President” viral campaign, among many others. In addition to his work at PepsiCo, Bough co-authored the book, “Perspectives on Social Media Marketing” which addresses some of the most compelling and important issues in social media marketing. Previous to his work with PepsiCo, Bough was Executive Vice President and Director of the global interactive, social and emerging media practice at the leading public relations firm, Weber Shandwick.

Please join us in our effort to raise funds for American Red Cross to help the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. Donate now.

I have been meaning to write about my SxSW experience and all of the people I met. But instead I am posting Top 5 photos from SxSW with some of my thoughts on how to navigate the big sea of social media.

1. Set Your Priorities Right

Pregnant & Beautiful, Cherishing the Moment. Pictured: Alyssa Francis

Many of us emerged into the world of social media love what we do, and one of the most asked question the digital moms ask is “how do we balance it all” with our families and our work. Set your priorities right, and take care first what really matters in life. The rest of it? Peanuts. Embrace those moments in your life that you’ll never get back, it’s ok to take a day off, or even a week off – we are all here waiting for you.

I love that when we were at SXSW John Andrews of Walmart showed Alyssa and me this beautiful location to take a few photos of Alyssa and her baby bump. Because moments and pictures like this… they need to be cherished when possible. Everything else can wait. Even in the social media world, where everyone is waiting for the instant gratification.

2. Be Patient

Patiently waiting. Dog at the Kirtsy/Alltop Party.

Money. Money. Money. Must be Funny. It’s the Rich Man’s World.
Everyone wants to monetize, monetize, monetize – while being authentic, organic and transparent. Right?

Yes, take the paid opportunity to write about dolphins, if you love dolphins, but don’t feel like you need to take every opportunity to make money only for the money’s sake. If you are not real, it will show through. Be patient – you will get more opportunities to make money with what you love, but stay focused and stick with what you love. Gary Vaynerchuk wasn’t an overnight success, why do you think you would be?

And go and read again Nro 1. Prioritize – is money really the most important thing for you, or is it just a cherry on the top?

3. There Is Your Truth, My Truth and The Real Truth

Someone’s sunny is someone’s crummy.

Someone sent me a message asking “How was SXSW? I heard the weather was bad” and it made me think of how people see things differently, and how “truth” can be something totally different to different people. I thought the weather was amazing in Austin, but then again, it was in the 30s when I left New York. Someone else’s expectations were probably much different from mine.

Sometimes it doesn’t really even matter what the real truth is, if people see things their way and think their “truth” is the only truth. It is just something we need to get used to it. Life is rarely black and white, and neither is social media.

There are three truths: your truth, my truth and the real truth, all of them different. This is the biggest difficulty and at the same time the biggest advantage of social media and citizen journalism.

We just need to stay true to ourselves.

4. Give Boot to Old Ideas and Be Creative

Cowboy boots turned into a flower vase at the Kirtsy/Alltop party.

Do I really have to elaborate this one? I didn’t think so.

5. Play With The Cards You Have.

Sometimes you might have the right hand without even knowing it.

It is too easy to compare yourself to someone bigger and better and more successful and start feeling the blues. Don’t do it! Don’t compare yourself to the others, and more importantly don’t try to be like others. Yes, have mentors, and idols, and people you look up to, who can be your role models.. But the key to success is not trying to be like them. The key to success is being you, being unique, offering something others don’t have.

Set your own goals and define your success – there is no one way of doing things, create your own path. And remember to look back and give a pat on your back when you have taken steps towards your goals.

If you want to see photos of people I met at SxSW, check out my Facebook page.

Elevenmoms joined their forces with PledgeToEndHunger.com to help feed 560,000 kids. The challenge kicked off last week, and one of the trucks full of food is already been sent to Capital Area Food Bank of Texas in Austin during the SXSW ’09 Interactive Festival. The goal was get 1000 pledges to get one full truck, equivalent of 140,000 meals – and we did it!

But there is more. So much more.

Tonight there will be a Social Media Smackdown kicking off a 10 day charity campaign. Walmart’s Elevenmoms have been chosen to be one of the “celebrity teams” to raise awareness and get pledges and donations for this important cause. We are against some big names here… Webcelebs like Chris Brogan, companies like Mashable, Kompolt, PayPal and celebrities including Alec Baldwin, Hayden Panettiere, Brea Grant, Corbin Bleu, Ernie Johnson, Kyle Petty and Linkin Park.

Please help us to show that 23 moms can collect more voices than any celebrity, online or offline celebrity.
Show that moms care.
Show that moms voice is strong.

I am asking you to join us to help to feed hungry children. Will you join me and the other Elevenmoms in this important mission?

If 5,000 people sign the #HungerPledge by midnight CT, Tyson Foods, Inc will donate enough food to feed 560,000 children in need.

After we reach our goal, the three states with the most people signing #HungerPledge will each get a truckload of food sent to a food bank in their state. 560,000 kids need you. Show that you are a mom who cares.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Important! Please use the specific link designated for Elevenmoms so we can track how many pledges we are able to collect:
http://tr.im/hpwlmt

Blog about it!
Tweet about it.
Add this to your Facebook profile.
Email to your friends.
Write about it in your online communities.
Tell your friends about it.
Stumble, Digg & Kirtsy this blog post and every other blog post written about this (and leave your link here so we can all drive traffic to each others’ blog posts)

Tweet this:
Show moms care and sign the #HungerPledge http://tr.im/sxsw5k 1 click feeds 140 kids. Pls RT

Show that you care – and let’s all together show that moms’ collective voice is louder and clearer than any celebrity’s.

WE CAN DO IT. DO IT NOW.

Pledge now to end childhood hunger!

Tyson Foods teamed up with other companies to Pledge to End Hunger – by collecting our voices, our pledges and driving a food truck to Austin, Texas, next week, and giving 140,000 meals to children in need.

For each pledge made via the online form, Tyson will donate 35 lbs of food product (the equivalent of 140 servings).

If the goal of 1,000 people taking the online pledge is reached, a semi-trailer filled with 140,000 meals will arrive at the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas in Austin during the SXSW ’09 Interactive Festival. I pledged – will you?

Pledge now.

There are several ways you can share and spread the word:

- Follow @HungerPledge on Twitter for updates and use #HungerPledge with your tweets.
- Write a blog post about Pledge to End Hunger.
- Email the link to your colleagues, family, & friends.
- Join the Pledge to End Hunger Facebook cause.
- Embed the Pledge to End Hunger Tally widget on your website, blog, or MySpace account.

Just in! John Andrews from Walmart had a huge surprise in his sleeve for the BlissDom Conference attendees.

Walmart is offering TWO trips to SXSW raffled TODAY on Saturday February 7th.

WHAT TO DO TO WIN:
Tweet a link to any Eleven Moms’ site & use #11momssxsw to win one of two trips to SXSW Conference in Austin, TX in March. Ends on Saturday February 7th midnite. MUST BE AT BLISSDOM TO WIN.

You can find all Elevenmoms blogs on my sidebar (and I am of them :) or at Elevenmoms.com.

Want a quick way to enter..? Copy and Paste and Tweet:
Visit @katjapresnal’s blog http://twurl.nl/75e4cu to find out how to win a trip to SXSW #11momsSXSW Pls RT

UPDATE: @sparksfley and @pensieverobin were the lucky winners!!