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Guess who came to dinner?

By March 23, 2010How To

I’m not really going to make you guess: it was Chris Brogan. And we ate oysters and gnocchi and risotto Parmesan fried stuff and beets and pistachios and shiitakes. We finished it all off with Pot de Chocolat.  And as good as all of that was, the conversation was even better.

Not because he’s ‘Chris Brogan’ or a New York Times bestselling author or a blogging hero. But because he’s just a good guy – smart, funny, interested, interesting, genuine, gracious. Looks you in the eye.

This was my second dinner with him, so I knew it already, but this trip really solidified it – because he came all the way to our little island to talk for 90 minutes and sign books for the MV Women’s Network. Which, to be perfectly honest, is like having Matt Lauer deliver the news on your local cable access station. And he did it with grace and respect and curiosity and kindness.

In the end, Chris is very much like he is on his blog. I dare say his Trust Agency and his success depend on it. I’m guessing his sanity does too. I know mine does – I can’t imagine the schizophrenia of being me #1 here and me #2 there. As many of you know, I love being myself here and there and everywhere. And I think some of you can verify the following statement:

You don’t meet me in real life and go, ‘Whoah! I did not see that coming!’ I’m basically the same online as I am in person (just bodaciously three dimensional).

Are you?

Why? Why not?

Image credit: the justified sinner

Join the discussion 15 Comments

  • I would like to think I am, with the exception of live in person I’m likely to be a little more introverted than I am online. Other than being a little quieter and/or shy, I’d hope that anything I can say to you online, would be something I am comfortable saying to your face – its only fair if so.

    I guess having to think about it is the point – finding out someone isn’t what you thought they were isn’t pleasant, but finding out that it was YOU that’s not what you think cannot be all that easy either.
    .-= Mark Sherrick´s last blog ..Down With Social Automation =-.

  • Bonnie says:

    Thank you for bringing Chris to MV. I thoroughly enjoyed his talk this morning. He is informative, humorous, and authentic.

  • Aaron Pogue says:

    I’m the opposite, Mark. Which is weird, because I’m a deep introvert and I’ve got some pretty severe social anxiety.

    I’ve been dealing with those things all my life, though, and I’ve gotten pretty good at forcing myself to act outside my comfort zone in order to thrive. I’ve spent the last few months trying to establish myself as a blogger, though, and I’m realizing I don’t have any of that experience online. I let my shyness and fear that I’ll look stupid get in the way of joining in the conversation.

    My actual blog posts are all rambling stories and abstract lectures, though, and that’s me to a T.
    .-= Aaron Pogue´s last blog ..The Shape of a Document =-.

  • jacqueline says:

    This is always an issue – how you are you online. I have done this by having two blogs, a personal blog and a professional one. The truth – the personal one is way more interesting and gets more attention. Granted I talk about money, religion, sex – all the things that are taboo. I have asked over and over to “experts” about merging them and the thought is no, you can’t talk about “those” things professionally – hence the two blog world. Sigh.
    .-= jacqueline´s last blog ..5 Steps to Getting Paid =-.

  • Gurl says:

    I cannot IMAGINE how..confusing it would be to have on personality online and a different one off. Granted the whole more shy IRL is probably common…the personality doesn’t change with that,really.

    I am glad I am one of many who try to “keep it real” online. Those who try to emulate others or pull of an alter-ego usually come off as fake at best. Although, if its someone just going a bit more over the top than they might IRL..yah that I find entertaining :)
    .-= Gurl´s last blog ..Thoughts on Marriage =-.

  • Aaron – you just have to go for it, sir. You’d be surprised. I too thought, and still think that nobody gives a crap what I have to say…and sometimes that’s true. But most of the time it’s not. I have great conversations on Twitter about my passions and loves and things like that, and I try to blog about things I’d want to talk about in the comments sections and stuff. Sometimes it all works, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s my fault, sometimes it’s not. But the fact is, I did it…and you can too.
    .-= Mark Sherrick´s last blog ..Down With Social Automation =-.

  • Julie Roads says:

    …and being shy IRL at first doesn’t mean you aren’t you online! Don’t some of us get a little shy when meeting/approaching someone new on a blog or something?

    I’m not trying to suggest we’re ONE THING on and offline. But a collage of relatively similar things both on and off.

  • Gurl says:

    Totally agree one can be exactly the same online as off. Or slightly different, but still authentic to who they are.

    I maybe strange, but–unless I am asking to guest post or something similar–I just jump right in and speak my mind on blogs, twitter, facebook… pretty much anywhere. Of course, I am sort of like that IRL as well… Hmmmm, food for thought actually!
    .-= Gurl´s last blog ..15 things I really wish women would GET… =-.

  • Of course not, Julie – there are many shades of gray to deal with…It just depends on where you are in your spectrum at any point in time.
    .-= Mark Sherrick´s last blog ..Down With Social Automation =-.

  • Amanda says:

    For reals? I’m pretty much what you see on the ‘net is what you get IRL. I’ve got transparency issues… as in, I’m WAY TOO TRANSPARENT.

    Also, I’m jealous. When do we get to do dinner? <3
    .-= Amanda´s last blog ..Where we’ve been. Where we’re going. Ride on, baby. =-.

  • Jan Pogue says:

    You might have had the food for the stomach, but the Martha’s Vineyard Women’s Network, where Chris spoke, got the benefit of the food for the mind. Bravo, Chris!

  • juliana says:

    I try to be the same online and off, though I have two different blogs because there are two sides of my personality that need expressing — the personal stuff, which can get kinda silly, is over at one blog…while the writing and creative exploration and sometimes more “serious” stuff is on “write. play. repeat.”

    Still, I’ve never had anyone say I was very different online. Friends that read both blogs have mentioned that they both express “me” which makes me feel confident that I’m open when I write entries.
    .-= juliana´s last blog ..Thursday Poetry: Affirmation =-.

  • Julie Roads says:

    As soon as possible, Amanda.

  • Hey Julie,

    I think that I am me..But I am a complicated person and have many different aspects of me. I have started become more of an active participant on the web and that does mean I occasionally put my foot in it (as I do in real life).

    I would say that I am definitely the same person – because I can’t fake it well at all and I enjoy being me. Silly mistakes and all.
    .-= Trisha Cornelius´s last blog ..The Stories Changed Me… =-.

  • Andi says:

    I confirm that is 100% the case! I am 75% what I am on the blog, the other 25% I don’t share as I want to keep my day job!
    .-= Andi´s last blog ..French Friday – Parispoolza! =-.

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