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DailyPatricia.com is an online documentary project that follows serial entrepreneur Patricia Handschiegel. Patricia is a serial media and entertainment entrepreneur who founded a pioneering social media site in 2004, which she sold in 2007. She is currently the CEO of 9, a transmedia production and consulting company that builds and consults on franchise projects for traditional and digital media, entertainment and internet business. Her startups and business insight has been heard at events including South by Southwest, the Writer's Guild of America, Blogher, Women 2.0, Girls in Tech, and in mainstream business media/blogs including Mashable, Paid Content, TechCrunch, The Wall Street Journal, VentureBeat, TV Week, and others. As founder of Stylediary, her fashion advice has appeared in more than 250 media outlets. She's the co-creator of the popular Huffington Post series The New Power Girls and Thenewpowergirls.com blog, which covers news and profiles of women startups and existing companies in multiple markets. Prior to entrepreneurship, Patricia worked in internet telecom at the engineering level and all facets of consumer sites. She's a social entrepreneur using business for change in empowerment, the elderly and childrens causes. Contact her at patricia@whatis9.com

October 19, 2008

#17 - Giving Back

When I was 22 years old, I wanted to be a publicist. I knocked myself out not just in education, but also to network and learn from people in the market. Time after time, I reached out to others in the business. Nobody would mentor, answer questions, or help me. I wasn’t distraught, but I vowed that if I became successful, I would never hold my time, contacts, or experience so tightly where I didn’t help another person. There are probably over a hundred people to date that have benefitted as a result. I will help anybody who persistently asks - and that’s only because I’m so busy you need to stay on me. The only time I do not help is if it’s somebody associated with someone I do not respect in the market, and that’s rare.

My mom once said to me, “Patricia, every time God blesses you, you give it away.” In response, I said, “I have so much, I can afford to.” It goes beyond anything financial. Tons of people can benefit from knowledge if you’re willing to share it.

It’s a down market right now and I know people are scared. I know that many startups and CEOs are new to the business. I’m no expert, but I have not just an extensive background in social media, print media, TV and internet, but equally as solid in IP telecom (the web as a technology), e-commerce, retail, and mobile. I can talk with high level analysts and engineers about this stuff and hold court. I also have many, many contacts. I work in entertainment/TV, media (both digital and print) and internet. This isn’t a bragging right, I’m not like that. I’m just trying to say I might be able to help.

More importantly, I’m willing to. The most important thing to me isn’t money, recognition, etc. - it’s to create an impact and help others. It’s why I became an entrepreneur.

My email is ph@dslextreme.com, or Patricia@whatis9.com. We are in a down market and I do not want to see people suffer from it. If you own a business, want or have a career, want to move into a new category, etc., email me. I will try to help you. I encourage others to do the same. One helping hand in business can change somebody’s world. You won’t be sorry to lend yours.

11:12am | URL: http://patriciahandschiegel.tumblr.com/post/55316489/17-giving-back