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Aditya holds the honor of being the first intern that we had at Lijit AND the first that we hired upon college graduation. That’s how important QA is to us. Here he is in the Lijit offices, working diligently on the white board, or for the purpose of this picture, pretending to be…

(And yes, Aditya is a little out of focus but it’s only because I was playing with my new camera and amazed at the focal capabilities.)

What is your Lijit contribution?

As part of the QA team at Lijit, I work on making sure that the Lijit product is as bug-free as possible. The best part of my role is that I get to see and test all of the cool features being added to our product before they are released to our publishers. The more bugs I am able to test and find, the better the quality of the product.

What turns you off, creatively, spiritually, or emotionally and why?

Not being appreciated for the work being put in. It is my belief that appreciating an individual’s effort, however small, helps to bring out the best. And this applies to any setting.

What is your favorite word and why?

In recent times, I think my favorite word has become ‘Verified!’ because that status on a bug means that the product is cleaner and of better quality. With releases becoming more frequent, it has become my new mantra.

What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt and why?

Playback Singer in Indian movies because I love music. I think music has the ability to influence people’s moods and I would love to be able to do that. And since I have grown up on Indian movies (Bollywood!), it would be great to be a part of them.

Something you’re guilty of…

I am crazy about cricket and can never get enough of it. In the summer, I play the game at least 3 times a week (I wish it were sunny all year in Boulder) and watch pretty much any cricket match that India is involved in.

We love having Aditya around and hope that as his first job out of college, we haven’t set him up for future disappointment when he realizes other companies aren’t as cool as ours. Here’s to Aditya’s ninja-like QA skills and many more successful bug smashings! (Insert the Hulk’s menacing growl here.)

I don’t even know where to begin with introducing this one. Grace installed Lijit on her cute blog soon after moving to town and I reached out, via email, to thank her. Next thing you know, she’s working for us. Nice how things work like that in Boulder.

We’re so glad to have Grace’s youthful outlook and enthusiasm around the office. She’s a crazy mad tweeter and constantly blogs up a storm. With all of that Gen Y energy, how can she not help our company succeed? (Plus, she likes to pretend she’s tumbling for international judges.)

What is your Lijit contribution?

My title is Business Development, which means I help acquire new bloggers or publishers to understand and use Lijit while also helping to bring in any new business. I do a mix of customer support with our current users, account management, marketing and connecting with new bloggers not yet using Lijit. With that being said, I probably discover and talk with hundreds of bloggers each week!

What sound or noise do you love and why?

The sound of a wine cork popping open and/or a champagne bottle, then the fizzing afterwards. Not only is that sound related to celebrations and happiness, but I love me some wine.

What is your least favorite word and why?

When people (in real life) say out loud, “LOL”, “OMG”, or “WTF”. Why do you have to shorten and abbreviate? I’m right in front of you and you aren’t typing. Express yourself!

What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt and why?

I’ve secretly been harboring this idea and I recently revealed it, so I’m going to keep going and see where it takes me. Drumroll…Traveling Food Critic. Let me tell you why. It combines all of my passions: I love to travel and explore different cuisines from around the world. I think that writing is a fantastic way to express yourself and I enjoy interacting with people, so if I could have all those bundled up to one profession I would love it. That is, I could still live-tweet, blog and v-blog my way around the world with my very own “Grace Happens” global culinary tour.

Something you’re guilty of…

Laughing at inappropriate times and busting into dance moves when no one else is dancing (ie: middle of a street, empty dance floor, in my chair at the office).

Grace is an amazingly unique individual and is doing wonderful things for Lijit. To get even more Grace in your life, be sure to check out her blog, Small Hands, Big Ideas (take my word for it…those hands are tiny), follow her on Twitter, or look for her traveling food show coming soon to either the Food Network or the Travel Channel. Thanks for all you do to make us smile every day Gracie!

Not soon after Ryan lost his kite, I told him he was the lucky next employee to be featured on our company blog. As you might imagine, this was enough to turn Ryan’s frown upside down. I was happy to return the favor since Ryan is continually bringing a smile to everyone’s face in the office. Whether he’s sharing his tea stash (seriously, it’s next to his desk) or teaming up to play foosball, Ryan is, as we like to put it around here, good sauce. Judge for yourself after reading his profile…

What is your Lijit contribution?

As part of Lijit’s Web team, I code some of the core components of our application that users see on a daily basis. 90% of the work I do involves some sort of acronym, such as “PHP” or “XML”, with the exception of “JavaScript”. I also contribute to foosball development in the office - being the “less skilled” half of any team I join - by helping to keep my teammate’s foosball skills sharp.

What sound or noise do you love and why?

One of my favorite sounds is someone asking me “Do you have lunch plans?” because I enjoy getting out of the office and getting to know my coworkers on a different level. And, by the time I’m asked that, I’m almost always very hungry. I also enjoy hearing “Let’s get some drinks” and “Yes, I will make out with you”.

When I work, I usually listen to downtempo music, followed by podcasts such as “This American Life” or “CastaBlasta”.

What turns you on creatively, spiritually, or emotionally and why?

Problem solving and overcoming challenges is extremely rewarding to me, and I’m lucky to be in a profession where that is essentially the job description. When coding through a problem, there are a few Zen moments, when everything makes sense and you know you are on the right track. It’s a good feeling.

Working out is awesome too - and can definitely get me going. I almost always feel great after a workout.

What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt and why?

I’ve discovered that I enjoy teaching - not necessarily in an academic setting, but I enjoy explaining things and helping people learn and grow.

Something you’re guilty of…

Perhaps I make fun of Twitter too much. Or not enough?

I can be a heavier drinker - of caffeine.

Sometimes people can’t tell when I’m sarcastic. And I was really happy to answer these questions.

Although Ryan can be an occasional rule breaker, as evidenced in the above photo, he’s generally an upstanding guy who writes a mean haiku when he’s inspired. Also, while he may say he makes fun of Twitter too much, you can find and harass Ryan on there if the desire strikes you. I appreciate him being a good sport and taking the time to help make our blog that much cooler. Plus, I can attest that he’s a good guy to have hanging around.

Today, we gathered as a company for one of our regular brown bag lunchtime meetings. The point of these brown bags is for different people to share their area of speciality at Lijit, helping to keep us all informed of what everyone else is working on. We also wanted an occasion to celebrate our newest publisher, a little site that you might have heard of, and there was really only one way to do that properly.

Cheeseburgers all around! Luckily, our CEO was feeling especially sentimental and did a great job of recording the event for posterity. Thanks for the pictures Todd!*

*Although if some of us had known you were taking pictures, we might have tried a little harder to look awake…no offense, Shawn.

The best part of Todd documenting our cheeseburger feast? Getting to watch Walter, our COO, really enjoy his burger. We’re talking edge-of-your-seat excitement here people.

See? We do know how to have fun without alcohol.

Before Mark joined Lijit, we were having problems with numbers. The kind of problems that only a really good finance guy can solve. Especially a really good finance guy with a real live calculator. So, we were really excited to have Mark (or Chess as he’s called by some around the office) come aboard. Not to mention the fact that when he started here, he had the added benefit of already working with a bunch of us in the past.

However, you probably don’t know him, so I managed to strongarm him into answering some questions for me. Those finance guys…they just don’t know how to arm-wrestle. Enjoy learning the ways of the Mark.

What is your Lijit contribution?

I am the OFG (only Finance guy)- I am responsible for the Accounting and Finance functions at Lijit, which involves producing timely and accurate financial statements, handling a variety of financial analyses, and managing company financial planning.

What is your favorite word and why?

Consistency - because it is a foundation for success both personally and professionally.

What turns you off creatively, emotionally, or spiritually and why?

Lately, I’ve been turned off by the overwhelming negativity of the mainstream media. I notice this especially in business and sport coverage because I follow those areas the most closely. As an example, sports coverage used to focus on individual and team achievement, now it seems like it’s all about manufactured locker room controversies, nasty salary negotiations, brushes with the law, etc.

I think there is some carry-over to our society in general or maybe society is driving the demand for negative news? Either way, I think the pendulum has swung too far to the negative slant in reporting.

What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt and why?

College football offensive coordinator. There are a few reasons I would like to attempt this. First, it involves complex decision making based on analysis of both real-time and historical data for play calling - in a way, it’s very similar to business decision making. Also, the results of your decisions are known right away, allowing for a constant flow of new information that can be utilized immediately. I think the coaching/teaching aspect of it would be rewarding as well. On top of the specifics of the job, what could be more fun than being directly involved in college football?

Something you’re guilty of…

I am guilty of being a college football addict. (See answer to #4). I have gone to or watched on TV nearly every single University of Colorado football game for the last 15 years, including traveling to at least one away game per year.

 

Mark looks really happy in the above picture because just a week or so before it was taken, his wife gave birth to twins. So that smile is really a slap-happy grin due to lack of sleep. Whatever the reason, we’re all smiles around the Lijit office having Mark here. And when our company starts making large amounts of money, he’s just the one to trust to count it all.

(Side note: Don’t you enjoy the fine artwork that Mark has hanging in his office in the above pic? Yes, it is a post-it note with an outdoor scene of mountains drawn on it.)

(Last side note: When I asked Mark if I should link to his blog in this here profile, he said that it was less a blog and more a “static webpage”. That means he doesn’t update his blog. For shame, Mark…)

This post is courtesy of today’s birthday girl, Grace Boyle. Besides being an under-appreciated Gen Y blogger, she’s now 23 and most definitely appreciated around the Lijit office.

You never know what kind of shenanigans or *surprises* are going to come your way here at Lijit. One such surprise I received recently was from a loyal Lijit user, Andy Nulman. He is a fantastic, blogging entrepreneur from Montreal, but he is also an author and released his book Pow! Right Between The Eyes! Profiting From the Power of Surprise not long ago.

This is how Andy describes his book:

“Pow! is three things in one: the name of the world’s most entertaining business book, the sound your brain makes while reading it (akin to 1,000 lightbulbs over your head going off at the same time) and the difference between Holy Jeez! and Who cares? when it comes to your projects.”

Since he has many tricks up his sleeve, in January he offered 200 free copies (pre-release) of his book to anyone who requested via blog that they wanted it. Of course, I had to indulge, so on my personal blog, I sent a shout-out and a month later, I received his book.

Great idea for a book promotion, right? But wait…there’s more. I opened up the book and inside was a certificate to be the next literary giant, entitling me to the services of book agent Bill Gladstone, of Waterside Productions. Just a small sampling of Andy Nulman’s POW! Surprise tactic.

So, thank you Andy. Congratulations on your book release this month. All of us here at Lijit wish you the best of luck. You can follow Andy’s book release excitement on his blog and to check the book out yourself, it’s available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, 800 CEO Read, Books-A-Million, and Amazon.com.

Before Shawn graced us with her presence at Lijit, we didn’t have a QA team. Okay, we had one, but it consisted of everyone already employed by Lijit coming in for releases and doing lots of late-night testing. So you can only imagine how happy we were when Shawn was hired. As it turns out, not only is Shawn awesome at what she does, but she’s also a wonderful person to have around. Plus, she was game enough to answer the questions that I ask of everyone in this series.

What is your Lijit contribution?

Bringing more quality to the company and the features we release to our publishers by noticing and squashing bugs in Lijit’s offices before they crawl outside.

What turns you on creatively, spiritually, or emotionally and why?

Experiencing that you’ve done something good by seeing things come full circle. In July 2002, I had to put my Australian Cattle Dog, Kaena, down after a hard fought battle with a nerve sheath tumor, a low incidence type of cancer. It took 2 years to be diagnosed however, after the diagnosis, his lame limb was amputated and he lived a happy 18 months as our “tripod”. Knowing that this type of cancer was rare, I vowed to donate him to research when the time came. My personal loss became a gain for science. The lead veterinarian on Kaena’s case at Colorado State University wrote me a note expressing gratitude for the immense knowledge that Kaena’s case provided to all the veterinarians, both seasoned and new, that were present during his autopsy.

What sound or noise do you hate and why?

2 things…breaking, slamming and banging things in anger. It’s wasted energy, you’ll need to use more time and energy to fix what you’ve broke, and you can’t take back the impression you just made. Plus the high-pitched shrill of screaming people hurts my ears.

What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt and why?

Barrel Racer. I marvel at the teamwork, speed, control and athleticism that exist between horse and rider in professional barrel racing.

Something you’re guilty of…

Having too much fun on hockey road trips.

How can you not love someone with a name that’s as fun to pronounce as Shawn’s? Don’t believe me? Say her name a couple of times and appreciate the way it rolls off the tongue. And let’s not forget about the fact that she’s a hockey mom from Hawaii. We love having Shawn as part of our team and hope we don’t scare her off anytime soon. (And she looks fab in her Lijit vest!)

You can read the guest post she wrote last year about why she enjoys working at Lijit or check out her blog to find out more.

Next weekend, I’m heading to Nashville for the Blissdom Conference and am most excited to be going. In addition to speaking on a panel about blogger outreach, I’ll also have the chance to meet lots of bloggers getting their bliss on. The conference has sold out and the list of activities is impressive. I took a quick look at the attendees and can’t wait to meet the following Lijit users in person…

Her Bad Mother
Complete Organizing Solutions
The Bean
Velveteen Mind
The Inspired Room
Successful Blog
Blissfully Domestic
DesignHER Momma
Alex Year Two

…not to mention having the opportunity to evangelize Lijit to many other bloggers. If you’re going to be at the conference, be sure to send me a note and let me know your t-shirt size. You know I’ll be packing some serious swag with me.

Okay, okay, to start with…Jackie Jo isn’t really her name, but it is the sweet nickname that we gave her shortly after she started working here. (Blame our CEO.) It took Jacqueline a while to warm up to everyone, but once she did, she never looked back. Whether it’s never wearing socks in winter, sending IMs with many typos or pushing out emails to the entire company warning against the dangers of putting your hands in the M&M jar, she has made her mark here at Lijit. Especially when she represented us at the Blog World booth in Vegas…

Fortunately, when I told her I was resurrecting the “Get to Know Lijit” series, she was game to answer the usual five questions. Enjoy getting to know one of our Community Catalysts.

• What is your Lijit contribution?

I am on the reactive end of customer support. I work with potential and current Lijit users to ensure they’re happy with our search, in addition to helping acquire new publishers through biz development strategies.

• What is your least favorite word and why?

Frustrated…because I can’t seem to pronounce it and then I just become “frustrated”.

• What sound or noise do you love and why?

The sound of fireworks…it’s just spectacular.

• What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt and why?

Relief aid worker because I’m passionate about helping others or owning my own bookstore because I love to read.

• Something you’re guilty of…

Spending money on Tory Burch shoes, eating red meat when I say I don’t, and sticking my hand in the M&M jar.

And just so you don’t think Jacqueline is all serious business, here’s an awesome image I captured outside of our office building when she just happened to match all of the construction that was taking place on our sidewalk. Notice her yellow shoes that blend right in with the caution tape.

If you’d like to get to know Jacqueline even better, feel free to follow her on twitter (JMalan) or check out her blog (A Cowgirl’s West). Big thanks to Jacqueline for making our office an even better place to work!

While Tara was at Chicks Who Click ‘09, I was out in Las Vegas speaking at WordCamp Las Vegas (which occurred during CES, which Todd Vernon, our CEO attended).

Whew!

WordCamp Las Vegas was a wonderful event, where Wordpress users and developers get together to discuss all things Wordpress.

This WordCamp was a bit different in that there was also a good discussion around the business of blogging and social media.

The speaker list was quite the who’s who of social media. Chris Brogan (Lijit User), Liz Strauss (Lijit User), Warren Whitlock (Future Lijit User), Jim Turner (Lijit User), Jim Krukal (Lijit User) and Dave Taylor (Lijit User) all gave highly interesting and informative talks.

My presentation, You Are The Center of Your Universe can be found here.

Luckily, our host, John Hawkins captured it all on Ustream here.

It was great to hang out with Matt Mullenweg (who celebrated his 25th birthday) and the couple of hundred folks the came to the conference.

I am planning on speaking/attending about 4 other WordCamps this year, including Chicago, DC, San Francisco and Denver (I might head down to Dallas as well). Let me know if you are planning on attending a WordCamp and I will bring you a Lijit T-shirt!