One Is the Loneliest Number. So Let’s Call It Twelve
(With a Special Request for You, Dear Reader, in the Post Script)
One year ago today, Kelly Erickson boldly sent a little post out into the world, launching the Maximum Customer Experience Blog.
Twelve months have flown by, and my world is forever changed. Lucky, lucky me.
Experience Design. What is it all about? And why do you need it? That’s been the mission of MCE, to answer those two questions, one little tease at a time. If you get the essence of your blog-writing down to two sentences you will never wonder what to write about, I guarantee you. In a year, I’ve rarely strayed.
Without further ado, the lists of twelves.
Note: I get a great number of searches, perfectly pinpointed to our discussions, coming here for exactly the right things: Customer Experience, Experience Design, Pain Points, Growing Your Small Business, and others. Let’s not talk about those, because they are not silly enough and it’s a birthday party!
Hang on a minute, I have to put my partyboots on. Yes, friends, as some of you have long suspected, I really own purple suede boots.
12 Long Tail Search Terms That Real (Strange) People Used to Come to This Site
1. “kelly erickson” “paws” (He or she spent over 8 minutes on the site, people, because y’know, I am all about paws here! Can you say “sticky search term”?)
2. navel angst (Glad I could help… I think…)
3. open fire grow maximum client (Chestnuts roast there sometimes, too.)
4. when you are still a wimp as an adult (Grow balls. I have no other advice.)
5. handsome Canadians (I get way too many hits for this term—is it so difficult to walk down the street and see one?)
6. papier mache dragon trophy (When I’m not all about paws, I am all about papier mache. Oh, yes.)
7. poptarts/make your own poptart (I am all about… Oh, forget it.)
8. what happens when libraries close on weekends (Umm, you can’t get books.)
9. what is the number for brand riffs (If I even knew what you were talking about, this is one I’d consider answering.)
10. share kelly erikson (I wish you would! Then maybe I could gather more strange terms for my next birthday post! But SPELL IT RIGHT, please…)
11. sales of mclobster (Brett, you did this to me)
12. pictures of a person growing to a next level (This frightens me in more ways than I could possibly name)
13. BONUS: arnie’s artic cat in novar, ontario (HOW can I possibly come up in a search for this?)
12 People Who Would Never Believe I Get Search Engine Traffic From Their Names
1. Dave Balter (Okay, he’d believe it, I did a couple of posts discussing his brilliance)
2. Chris Brogan
4. The Other Kelly Erickson (*sigh,* still #1)
5. Bill Gates (#2, in number of folks coming here after searching for something about him)
6. Bob Hoffman
7. Guy Kawasaki
8. Brett A. Legree (Is that your middle initial, Brett?)
11. Lou Reed
12. Mr. Rogers
12 Topics You Should Never Write About (Unless You Want This Kind of Reader, in Droves)
1. Giving away the milk for free
2. Dead mice
3. Harvey’s
4. McDonald’s
7. Toupees
8. Never falling in love again
9. Ersatz anything (Friar…)
10. Bowling balls (see #7)
11. Kid Rock
12. The Yellow Pages
12 People Who’ve Made the Last Twelve Months Funnier, Sweeter, Smarter, and More Inspirational for Me and MCE
(No pushing in line—alpha order, folks) ::hugs:: and a link to my favorite Customer Experience posts
1. Amy, Write From Home
2. Brett, 6 Weeks
3. Caroline, Caroline Middlebrook and Life Should Feel Good!
4. Friar, The Deep Friar
5. Glenn, Customer Service Experience
6. Graham, Strong White Papers
7. James, Men With Pens
8. Janice, Painting a Day
9. Sonia, Remarkable Communication
10. Steph, In Other Words
11. Steve, All This ChittahChattah
12. Wendi, Life’s Little Inspirations
13. BONUS 1 (You know I can’t stick to thanking 12 people): Brian, Copyblogger (I’ve said it before, MCE wouldn’t be here without him)
14. BONUS 2: The Kid
15. BONUS 3: Mom and Dad
And to all the other folks who really should get a mention here, because I am devoted to you and thrilled that you are devoted to me, a *big, big thank you.*
As a blog author, you, dear reader, are my customer. I strive every day to remember that this “business” is all about you.
The minute I chose to start a blog, I made that choice. From readability to information to entertainment (c’mon, it has to be fun, at least some of the time, right?), I’m here for you. Without each and every reader, this would be nothing more than a diary.
We create Maximum Reader Experience every day, together.
As I blow out the candles on this twelfth month (237th post, for those of you who are keeping track, with a beautiful 2,315 comments), let me tell you what I’m wishing.
I wish for daily Tweets and a million Stumbles. 
*ahem* No, seriously…
I wish for wonderful word-of-mouth growth in readers; I wish I could have conversations with more of you here in the comments and as I learn about you back at your own blogs; I wish to help you to flourish in your workaday life, to create the Experience you want for yourself, your colleagues, and your customers. I wish to get your head nodding and to give you an occasional grin.
I wish for your business, your heart, and your mind to grow, and I wish for your person and your family to be well.
My very best regards,
Kelly Erickson
P.S. Writing a birthday post, it seems to me, should be done by a guest poster. At my 100th post I jumped right in with gusto. Here at twelfthmonth, Happy Birthday to Me seems to be causing me fits of self-examination angst, which is nothing like navel angst (unless it is?).
>>So I would love it if you all, my devoted readers, would put a link in your comments today mentioning your favorite post here at MCE. It would be a lovely birthday gift to see what has touched you, helped you, or made your laugh the most. Thanks in advance!<<
If you enjoyed this post, please Subscribe (it's free!) 
Comment 
Share
Trackback 
17 November 2008, 5:54 am
Happy Birthday, MCE!
Though I’ve only commented maybe once, I love every single one of your posts, and I’ve found inspiration from quite a few of them.
Here’s to much more MCE to come!
Allison Day’s last blog post…Island Roll
17 November 2008, 6:05 am
*launches into the Québecois Happy Birthday Song with great gusto…*
Ma chère Kelly, c’est à ton tour de te laisser parler d’amour,
Ma chère Kelly, c’est à ton tour de te laisser parler d’amour!!!
HuZZah!! Cheers!! *claps loudly with a huge grin*
Et glou, et glou, et glo- Oh, wait, no, wrong type of party.
Back later with a post link for you. Coffee first.
James Chartrand – Men with Pens’s last blog post…Interview with Pen Man #3: Charlie Pabst Goes Naked
17 November 2008, 6:49 am
Friar, Help! What did James say?
Babelfish says: “My dear Kelly, c’ is in your turn to let to you speak d’ love And glou”
Which is almost as well as I did on my own. I had to look it up for “tour” and “glou,” but at least I knew the d’ meant “of.”
Allison,
Thanks for the well-wishes. “Every single one” beats me—I’ve got a few I don’t love, LOL. Glad to have you around!
James,
Hello, stranger! So the feed may not be fixed (did you re-subscribe here at WP? Maybe the feed I brought over from TP is being weird, though I haven’t heard other complaints), but I knew you’d hear me if I thanked you (loudly) for being such a delight to parry with. En garde!
Thanks with all my heart, dear Pen Man.
Oh, please do come back and bring your gift. If folks play along I’ll get such a kick out of seeing what they’ve enjoyed!
Regards,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 6:53 am
Friar’s an Ontarien. What would he know of it?
James Chartrand – Men with Pens’s last blog post…Interview with Pen Man #3: Charlie Pabst Goes Naked
17 November 2008, 6:58 am
Nooo. Speaks funky French as well as you do, dear. Moved to Ontario later. He’s… what do you call it? A Francophone? I can’t remember if that’s the term.
17 November 2008, 7:01 am
Here you go, my dear:
This is the post that I got most fired up about and had the most thoughts (read: strong opinions) on. I actually stopped commenting because I disagreed so much with what was being said here and there that I thought I’d say something stupid.
http://maximumcustomerexperience.com/2008/09/03/inspiration-points-how-much-money-should-you-be-charging/
This is the post that I remember the most – and think of every time I see a car or truck with a poor advertisement sticker. It was a memorable post not only because it was right, but because … tada! You put a picture.
http://maximumcustomerexperience.com/2008/04/26/tip-of-the-week-the-simplest-way-to-avoid-naming-disasters/
James Chartrand – Men with Pens’s last blog post…Interview with Pen Man #3: Charlie Pabst Goes Naked
17 November 2008, 7:02 am
Go fish my links out of Askimet!!
James Chartrand – Men with Pens’s last blog post…Interview with Pen Man #3: Charlie Pabst Goes Naked
17 November 2008, 7:03 am
Oh, is he? Didn’t know that. Thought he was one of those bilingual Ontarians. Isn’t quite the same thing. Wrong accent, wrong words, no passion… Reminds me so much of that movie Bon Cop, Bad Cop
James Chartrand – Men with Pens’s last blog post…Interview with Pen Man #3: Charlie Pabst Goes Naked
17 November 2008, 7:11 am
James,
Re: Friar—He is a very Bon Cop, though I haven’t seen the film. And you are certainly very Bad.
Re: photos—and not a word about my purple boots?
Re: Your faves/ not faves—those were two I really enjoyed writing, too. Yes, I knew you disagreed violently, but some things have to be said. Like the $5 articles thing. It’s not that you can’t do them if you need the bread, just that a customer should know that’s not what to offer. It’s not right, however possible it may be.
Every time I see that darned ICE truck since then I giggle and scratch my head all over again. A true mystery of stupidity.
Later,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 7:53 am
Purple boots!!!!! How fun. Happy wonderful day!
I wore mine to church yesterday just to shake things up a little.all the little old ladies whipered in my ear that they loved them.
I have to wake up the kids and do the mom thing in a minute so no link present yet, I’ll come back later, but thanks for the link and the boots pic!!!
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post…Are you Planning for the Fog?
17 November 2008, 7:57 am
Kelly,
Happy Birthday!
(Hey, nice legs, never mind the boots! I didn’t even see the boots…)
Not only is “A” my middle initial, but there’s a “D” after the “A”… being a “good” Catholic boy, I’ve got a third name, but I never sign my name B.A.D. Legree because, err… anyway, so you’re getting searches for Arnie’s Cat House!
Brett Legree’s last blog post…the game.
17 November 2008, 8:01 am
Wendi,
I have been trying for quite a while to fit the boots into a post, but y’know, it’s hard to make them work. So yesterday, me, party dress, and camera on a timer… boom! The purple boots.
Just sent kid off on the bus, now I have to go do the “me” thing. Thanks for popping in so early in the morning!
(Friar, who is wisely still not up, I hope I got that “moved” thing right. Now I can’t remember where I read that, he he. Too much reading around!)
Later,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 8:03 am
Ack… it wasn’t supposed to submit quite yet…
I’ll be going through Novar at Christmas, and I’ll take a picture of Arnie’s sign for you, to put up on one of your posts (I checked Google Images and couldn’t find one).
My favourite post – well, there are several, actually – the ones you’ve done based on the emails we exchanged. You have no idea how helpful that has been. It will bear fruit, believe me – just takes time with my schedule and other obligations. But I’ll have you to thank, in no small part.
So thank you, my friend. And once again, Happy Birthday!
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…the game.
17 November 2008, 8:07 am
Brett,
Thanks and thanks! *blushes*
People who search with your middle initial seem so serious. When folks come here looking for Monsieur Chartrand, they never use a middle initial. Watch your back, LOL!
BAD Legree? What were your parents thinking?
Re: Cats—Did we discuss it in the comments? I never got around to figuring out why yesterday, what with all the other things I had to hunt down.
Until later,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 8:08 am
@Kelly
Happy Blog Day! (Or Bloggiversary…or whatever it’s called!)
And is that really a photo of your legs?
’cause if it is…FORGET the purple boots…..I’m more interesting in the NICE GAMS!
@James
Eh, Tabarouette!
Kelly has it partly right. I’m Anglophone, not Francophone, but I’m BILINGUE. Born and raised in Montreal. I went to French school, even had a few scary nuns.
But I live in Ontario now.
@Kelly
Actually, Babel Fish gave you a pretty decent translation (not that it helps) . James was singing you the equivalent of “Happy Birthday”, in Quebecois.
Having been in Ontario for a while, “Glou”, I’m not so sure about. I’m assuming this is the equivalent of “Chug! Chug! Chug!” (Am I right, James?)
Friar’s last blog post…Vintage Friar-Toons
17 November 2008, 8:09 am
Sneaked under me again. About those posts, believe me, I got as much out of our exchange as you did. Any time I don’t know what to say I go sneaking through those emails again and find a fresh angle. It’ll be three years before I’ve finishing not-quite-referring to you in posts, so thank you!
Oh, yes, a picture of Arnie’s would be great. I can hardly wait to think up a post on that topic.
17 November 2008, 8:12 am
Alright, I have to step in and solve the mystery…
My dear Kelly, it’s your turn to speak of love,
My dear Kelly, it’s your turn to speak of love.
Now. How in christ that becomes Happy Birthday is beyond me. I mean, what in hell does that have to do with birthdays at all? I have no clue. But it’s what we sing. Loudly. With gusto and passion.
And then we chug a beer back while everyone chants, “Et glou” and claps in rythm. Which usually involves in someone puking. Charming, eh?
@ Friar – Really? I didn’t know that! Which school?
James Chartrand – Men with Pens’s last blog post…Interview with Pen Man #3: Charlie Pabst Goes Naked
17 November 2008, 8:14 am
Friar,
Yes, my legs, taken yesterday afternoon. I only run photos I took myself here (well, except that 100th birthday cake, I didn’t have one of those lying around).
& Thanks, he he.
See, I said I couldn’t remember the term. But whew, I got the “moved” part right. I was sweating it.
James loves daring Babelfish, I think. “Chug” is good, but not at this hour. An Irishwoman’s got to draw the line somewhere.
I can’t get ready for my day if everybody keeps sneaking comments under me, but I’m happy!
Regards,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 8:18 am
James,
You Quebecois get so many things right.
That translation was the gist I had, with my limited understanding of French, before I had Babelfish “help” me. It’s a very sweet sentiment (except the throwing up part).
Now I need Alex to come sing in Spanish, because that I can translate on my own.
Later,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 8:23 am
Kelly,
Yeah, I wonder who’s been searching for me (maybe that’s why I didn’t get one job or another… oh well!)
I think my parents were trying to warn the world about me… (I’m always making the ladies blush)
Oh, we discussed Arnie’s place in one of your posts about signs and whether the words on the sign told the reader what the business was all about. I think it went something like that. But I’ll be sure to get a pic of that. And I’ll dig up another one I have at home (a deli shop called Knuckle Sandwich that I saw last year in Auckland – I always tell my kids they’re getting a knuckle sandwich for lunch, and when I show them that picture, they laugh non-stop!)
If you figure you’ve got about three years of posts from those emails, then that’s good, because it will take me about three years to get that business going!!!
Thanks for everything over the past year – Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…the game.
17 November 2008, 8:58 am
@Kelly and James
Yeah, for the life of me, I don’t know why repeating those two song lyrics means Happy Birthday (Why not Joyeux Anniversaire?).
That’s one of the many unique little quirks that makes Quebec so “distinct”.
@James
I grew up in Pointe Claire.
Elementary School: Ecole Marguerite Bourgeois (1972-76)
Ecole Secondaire St. Thomas (1977-79). (Though now it’s Felix LeClerc).
Our family moved in ’79, but I went back to work in the West Island from 1997-2000.
Friar’s last blog post…Vintage Friar-Toons
17 November 2008, 9:19 am
Happy birthday, Kelly!! Well, happy birthday to the site and all that. And yeah, if those are your legs…holy shit! Niiice!
I will comment more later – have to walk the dog and then go off to my first day at a “real job” after a long time working from home. Petrifed? Yep. In the meantime, thanks so much for the link, and I’m sorry I haven’t been here very much lately, or at least commented.
I’ll be back, I promise.
steph’s last blog post…WOOHOO! The only time you can call me an SOB and not hurt my feelings…
17 November 2008, 10:07 am
OK,
I know which post it is, but I can’t find it to link it, I bet you could do it faster and put it in this comment..it’s your 100th post, I’m pretty sure its the right one that had all the links in it from all your other great posts. I had bookmarked it in my other computer before the great crash…now I don’t have it anymore. But it was great and I learned a lot from it.
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post…Are you Planning for the Fog?
17 November 2008, 12:04 pm
Hi Kelly,
Happy Blog Birthday…
I have started reading your blog last month only…some compelling thoughts. Hope to read some good thoughts about customer experience in the coming years.
Adesh Sidhu’s last blog post…Saying Thank you…
17 November 2008, 1:11 pm
Happy birthday! There’s something so nice about blog birthdays. Those first couple of months it’s really hard to see what it’s going to end up looking like!
May this be the first of many!
Sonia Simone’s last blog post…Dumb Things Small Businesses Do That You Can’t Afford #5: The Worst Number
17 November 2008, 1:28 pm
Brett,
Ah, now I remember the conversation.
With all you have going on, I’m shocked you have so much on your plate, nevermind that you also manage to move forward. Take your time.
Friar,
“Distinct.” that’s the word that always comes to mind. Yep.
Steph,
*giggles* Thank you. Who knew my legs could cause such a fuss? (Well, one hopes…)
You go work that new job like anything, lady. They don’t yet know what a prize they’ve gotten. C’mon back when you have time!
Wendi,
Thanks. I linked to that one in today’s P.S.—I’m glad you liked it. I hope other folks will get a kick out of it, too. I had such fun writing it!
Adesh,
So nice to meet you! Welcome to MCE.
Hopefully, I’ll keep coming up with new ideas until they throw me of the ‘net. And hopefully, that will never happen.
Sonia,
Just like a baby. Kinda cute in those first weeks and months, but not fully chiseled yet. Hopefully, MCE will keep going full steam ahead for a very long time.
I loved when you did the big retooling and The Move (to WP), because it was like you grew six inches overnight and you’re all grown up. That must have been a great feeling!
Thanks, all,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 2:21 pm
Happy birthday Kelly and MCE. I love you and your navel angst. xxxooo
(The top crazy search at my blog is still “OCD batshit crazy schizophrenic” … in case you were wondering.)
Off to
pimp you out— ahem — spread the love about you now.17 November 2008, 2:30 pm
Amy,
Thanks so much, and back at you. Not too surprised about your search term (hope the potty searches have calmed down?), and of course when we mention them again, it only makes it worse.
In real life that strikeout is what I use all the time to refer to my helpful friends’ attempts to… get my legs on a dancefloor, shall we say. ROFL.
Until later,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 2:35 pm
P.S. My favorite posts are the ones about your kid. Sorry, I suck like that.
17 November 2008, 2:41 pm
Amy,
Her faves, too. She thinks she’s brilliant and I’m just sitting around waiting for some other bon mot to fly from her lips.
Some days she’s not far off…
17 November 2008, 2:47 pm
Hey Kelly,
Happy Birthday!
And wow, to think I picked you as my “most datable blogger” before today’s picture. Yeah, like Brett said, if you really want to show off those boots, you’ll have to put them at the bottom of someone else’s legs…
Hard to pick one “favourite” post. What I find interesting is that your posts and the subsequent comments often don’t align. I guess you might blame that on some unruly (mostly Canadian) hijackers. I prefer to see it as you providing the creative spark to set in motion a whole different piece of art. But potato/pomme de terre, I guess…
Here are a couple favourites though, if pressed. Love your post on awnings — that really inspired me to think outside the window box. (http://maximumcustomerexperience.com/2008/09/27/tip-of-the-week-can-you-do-it-when-its-been-done/)I also just referenced your post on using fonts in logos in my post today. (http://maximumcustomerexperience.com/2008/07/26/tip-of-the-week-saved-from-typographic-disaster-7-type-resources/)
As for discussions, I liked the One About Living in Hamilton, and the One About The Inappropriate Signs.
Which reminds me — saw another inappropriate sign on the way to Hamilton this fall. It was for a town called Elliot Lake. This used to be a mining town (or some such resource-based town) until the mine was emptied. As people moved away, the town reinvented itself as a retirement town, creating an infrastructure aimed at seniors. It advertised heavily in Toronto and that region, hoping to attract retirees to move where they can live with others their age in comfortable, affordable houses. (As far as I know, it worked.)
However, apparently the town is now going with an “outdoors” focus, because I just saw a sign with the tag line “Follow Nature’s Footsteps”. Maybe it’s my own warped sense of the world, but is that not a little inappropriate for a retirement living community? Might as well make the slogan “Accept the Inevitable”…
Thanks too for the mention in your Top 12. I’m truly honoured to be on that list. And Happy Birthday once again!
~Graham
Graham Strong’s last blog post…How to Backup Your Blog Automatically
17 November 2008, 2:49 pm
Happy Blogiversary Kelly! (Yes, that’s my word of choice)
And I must say I have to jump on the “I want legs like Kelly” bandwagon. Damn, I need to work out…
Congrats on a great blog and being one class act!
Karen JL’s last blog post…My Feature Favorites: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
17 November 2008, 3:14 pm
I was visiting my friend Amy and she said that you blog was having a birthday, so Happy blogversary to you!
mike golch’s last blog post…Life Lessions.
17 November 2008, 3:14 pm
Graham,
LOL about being dateable! That was all James’ fault, as I recall, and he wimped out.
I think I need more locals reading this blog today. He-llo, out there. People are being so nice to me…
I (mostly) have great fun when (mostly) Canadians hijack my comments. That’s what the comments are here for. It really is like living art. We start in one place and then shape it together. I love that.
Follow Nature’s Footsteps is definitely creepy for a retirement community. You wonder what they were thinking? They could have incorporated nature in a much better way than that.
Karen,
Thanks, thanks.
I’ll give you my super-secret workout tip: put a treadmill in the corner of your living room, where you can’t possibly miss it. Then pile stuff that has to go to the car with you tomorrow, on the treadmill. You can’t possibly miss it.
See how the comments go someplace you didn’t quite expect here at MCE?
Oh, and I had the worst time choosing between birthday and blogiversary. Then I decided that I’d gone with birthday before, so I’d stick with it.
Later,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 3:22 pm
Mike,
Welcome! Amy is a heck of a lady to send you over here. Thanks so much for stopping by, and for your good wishes!
Regards,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 3:26 pm
Hi Kelly,
Actually, it was Urban Panther who was guest-posting at MWP. But it was you who piped up that nobody was playing the game right. I agree though, James did wimp out!
As for the whole Elliot Lake thing, I think it was probably the typical thing: they changed marketing agencies, and nobody bothered to look at the new alongside the old (including the town uppy-ups, apparently). So you get mixed messaging because Agency B wants to leave there mark despite what Agency A did first. (Incidentally, one good reason why I freelance instead of work for an agency…)
Glad I’m not the only one to see the creepiness in it. Laughed for miles over the absurdity of that one. Even got my son to jot the tag line down in his DS so I wouldn’t forget it…
~Graham
Graham Strong’s last blog post…Short Sabbatical
17 November 2008, 3:34 pm
Graham,
OMG I forgot that. Guest posts at MWP are so rare.
Integration, people! Clear, long-term Purpose! Don’t the folks in Elliot Lake read MCE, for goodness’ sake?
*looks in stats for readers in town-I-never-heard-of, Canada*
Gee. There’s so many towns I never heard of in CAN in my stats. Hijackers, all, but none from Elliot Lake. There’s still work for me to do, here…
Later,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 3:46 pm
For a good time, call a 1-800-Go-Canuck.
James Chartrand – Men with Pens’s last blog post…Interview with Pen Man #3: Charlie Pabst Goes Naked
17 November 2008, 3:52 pm
@Kelly
Forgot to tell you my favorite post.
It was the one about the free Harvey’s hamburger.
Not only because you quoted me (I was a newbie blogger, and I was flattered that someone had reached out to me ). But I like the pleasant memories of Harveys (Mmmmmmmm…Hamburgers!)
Not to mention, I think that was a turning point, at which I realized you weren’t just a typical blogger. But that we’d quickly become really good friends.
Friar’s last blog post…Vintage Friar-Toons
17 November 2008, 3:57 pm
James,
Bad cop. I can’t figure out if you’re answering about pimping, dating, locals not reading here enough, or Elliot Lake. Any way I take that teensy comment I’m ROFL.
Friar,
AWWW.
Group hug!
Later,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 4:55 pm
Kelly,
Most definitely – taking action, but with carefully calculated steps – I want to do it right.
The combat drugs help, though…
^ ^
. .
^
o
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…the game.
17 November 2008, 6:28 pm
Happy blog-o-birthday, Kelly. I enjoy reading your blog. And thanks for making me one of the 12:-)
I’ll be reading….
Glenn
Glenn’s last blog post…Three Qualities I Look For In A Sales Associate
17 November 2008, 6:47 pm
Brett,
Combat *pay* might be more helpful!
Glenn,
You’re always making me think. Your blog’s been my best CE find of the last six months.
Thanks for the well-wishes!
Until later,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 7:16 pm
Kelly,
I’ve been following your feed, but it’s been way too long since I stopped by to pipe in. But how can I not on such a happy and momentous occasion? Congratulations on reaching your first year! Now, on to 12 more informative and entertaining months!
Matt Tuley, Laptop for Hire’s last blog post…New Series Kickoff: How to Grow Your Business in Any Economy Using the Internet
17 November 2008, 8:12 pm
Hi, Matt!
Nice to “see” you again.
Thanks so much. I’ll do my best to keep things lively!
Regards,
Kelly
17 November 2008, 10:25 pm
Congrats ! Keep on keepin’ on and you’ll keep on, er … or something like that.
17 November 2008, 10:33 pm
Kelly,
I suppose the combat pay I’m receiving is the little private army that’s developing right before my eyes. Snow shoveling was very easy on the weekend – all I had to do was keep the kids away from the cars (ack!)
Hey, is there any cake left over?
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…the game.
18 November 2008, 1:03 am
Amy told me to come say Happy Birthday…to be honest I’m kind of scared of her, so here I am!
HAPPY ANOTHER-YEAR-SPENT-ALIVE!
Matthew Dryden’s last blog post…I Didn’t Know If You’d Do It Or Not
18 November 2008, 3:46 am
Zorionak!
(That’s congratulations in Basque and one of the few Basque words I know).
Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome’s last blog post…Clearing Inner and Outer Space: Lisa Chang Interview
18 November 2008, 8:05 am
dropped by from Commentluv — but laughed my tush off reading your 12 lists — but than again anyone who would admit to wearing purple suede slippers and then actually post a photo of them is okay in my books for sure.
Have one heck of a happy blog birthday — will be back for more that’s for sure.
Larry’s last blog post…Matrix passport
18 November 2008, 8:26 am
Mike,
Long time no see! I’ll do my best to hang.
Brett,
Always meant to get me one of those armies. Now that I’m in the land of almost no snow, I suppose I don’t need one as badly….
Matthew,
How can a writer as good as you are be afraid of Amy? Fight back with more of your great words! Glad you stopped by anyway. Welcome!
Alex,
Los vascos (sp?) were in the news yesterday, funny you should mention them. Now how come zorionak doesn’t look anything like French or Spanish? Too much mountain living?
Thanks very much. I was expecting a round of Feliz Cumpleaños, hehe.
Larry,
Great way to drop by. CommentLuv is super. Glad to have you in, and I look forward to seeing more of you. Thanks!
Until later,
Kelly
18 November 2008, 8:39 am
@Kelly
Because Basque is a non-Indoeuropean language that’s not related to any other known living or dead language in the world.
And it’s damn hard to learn! I’ll give it a go probably about 5 years time when my Castellano is solid.
Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome’s last blog post…Clearing Inner and Outer Space: Lisa Chang Interview
18 November 2008, 9:26 am
You know, I was gonna make a comment about the legs in photo, but I posted my congrats before reading the other comments and wasn’t sure if that would be out of bounds. Having read the other comments, I will now add my own: Dayummm!
Okay, now I think one of our goals has to be getting “kelly erickson’s legs” to be on next year’s list of “12 Long Tail Search Terms That Real (Strange) People Used to Come to This Site.”
Matt Tuley, Laptop for Hire’s last blog post…New Series Kickoff: How to Grow Your Business in Any Economy Using the Internet
18 November 2008, 9:26 am
Hey Kelly,
I must say that I’ve not been to an online birthday party, but this rocks!! Lots of guest, lots of laugh . . . fun . . purple slippers and heck, you are still #1.
18 November 2008, 9:34 am
@Matt – lol — Googling that phrase lists this post at #6. But when you see the top 5, you’ll see why it will be difficult to reach the #1 spot…
~Graham
Graham Strong’s last blog post…The Art of Perception (Part IV): What Colours People’s Perception of You?
18 November 2008, 9:42 am
Happy Birthday Maximum Customer Experience! You’ve done very well Kelly!!
Lance’s last blog post…Don’t Worry, Be Happy
18 November 2008, 11:57 am
Happy Blog’o'birthday! Lining up to spank, courtesy of Amy Derby!
Karen Putz’s last blog post…A Neat Gift: GiiNii Digital Picture Frame
18 November 2008, 12:59 pm
Ahem…
Amy told me to come say Happy Birthday…to be honest I’m kind of scared of her, so here I am!
… BWAH HA HA HA HA HA HA!
*composes herself*
So, um, yeah. Kelly, I love your kid. Please tell her crazy stranger-lady Amy from Chicago would like to come kidnap her (and her dollhouse, sans any actual dolls), and tell me if it’s a go… See my plan here is, I put her and her brilliance to work, and then you’ll HAVE to come visit me because you’ll probably miss her.
Are you hung over from your party?
(I kinda want a poptart now.)
Can’t wait to see what glamorous wit you have in store for us this year. You know, along with all that important stuff you’ll teach us… like the number of brand riffs it takes to make a papier mache dragon trophy.
Amy Derby’s last blog post…Happy Birthday to Maximum Customer Experience Blog
18 November 2008, 2:36 pm
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Maximum Customer Exper-i-ence!
Happy birthday to you-ooooooooo!
And many moooooorrrrreeeee.
Urban Panther’s last blog post…Check that phone at the door
18 November 2008, 2:48 pm
Alex,
“Because Basque is a non-Indoeuropean language that’s not related to any other known living or dead language in the world.”
Frack. All my years of Spanish down the drain if I ever want to go hide in the Pyrennes, eh? I’m trying to remember if I knew that once and forgot it, or never knew that, but I can’t remember.
Matt,
More giggles and thanks.
Sarah,
Welcome to MCE. Glad you like this little get-together, and I hope you’ll come back often!
Graham,
Do you ever get the feeling that nobody read my post on Googling Yourself (it’s linked up in this post, #4 under people I get traffic for)? Or if they did, they didn’t get at all curious about why I can’t set an alert for my name?
OMG, this post is #2 for the phrase now. I can not believe it. Nor, frankly, do I want to. LOL, LOL…
You just never know where Maximum Customer Experience will take you, folks, but I hope it won’t take me to this place too often…
Lance,
Thanks!
Karen,
Hello and thank you! Thank goodness here at MCE I’m only 1. Not too painful.
Amy,
Troublemaker. “Spank” is not a useful term for MCE to rank for, y’know.
You and I will both have even funnier long tail terms now…
As she heads into the tween years I think both she and I have moments when she could happily head for Chicago. On foot. But then, if it ever snows here, apparently little people are very handy, so I should probably keep her around.
Too many toasts yesterday with y’all went to my head, and I went to bed at about 9:30. It was glorious, snuggly, “how did I get to bed this early” kind of sleep. Mmm.
Cake, I want. Poptarts, not so much.
I LOVE the long tail. Disturbing, LOL peeks into people’s psyches. Since you can’t really plan for that, though, I guess I’d better keep tossing out the glamorous wit.
TO ALL:
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA of the real life razzing I took over my legs today? People suggesting I just take over for that other K.E. so I could make some $$ off this blog?
Thanks.
It was a riot. Now go on and grow your businesses, friends and future friends, and do come on back for another year of MCE.
Until later,
Kelly
18 November 2008, 3:31 pm
Panther,
I knew there was something missing! English!
Thanks so much.
I’ll do my beeeessst… (Am I typing off-key? Oh, dear.)
Later,
Kelly
18 November 2008, 4:09 pm
@Kelly
You could hide out in the Eastern Pyrenees – they speak Spanish and Catalan there (which is like French/Spanish/Latin/Portuguese).
Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome’s last blog post…Clearing Inner and Outer Space: Lisa Chang Interview
18 November 2008, 4:55 pm
Augh, Kelly- Happy Birthday! I thought for a sec I was on the other Kelly’s site..LOL… LOVE the boots.. then I saw all the Canadians…figured it MUST be a party…
Picking a favorite post here is no fair, but I pulled out one from your Wednesdays. Those seem to launch some pretty interesting discussions. Oh, the others do too and you always make me think or laugh, or make mayhem where we can…but I like these thrown into the mix of most excellent Max Customer Experience posts. Those high Kelly Standards don’t cha know.
http://maximumcustomerexperience.com/2008/09/24/inspiration-points-cheers-to-failure/
And believe me, you just keep getting better and better. Cheers darlin” and many congrats . I am in such notorious company. And I LIKE it. Artist rubs her hands together thinking mischievous thoughts. Bonne Anniversaire!
Janice Cartier’s last blog post…Hi Ho Hi Ho
19 November 2008, 8:07 am
Alex,
Short learning curve there, then, as I can make out a little bit of Portuguese and French, and Latin and Spanish I’ve got covered. If I could just mix them any ol’ way… he he, wouldn’t that be a horror. My problem is if/when I ever get back to Spain I won’t want to hide out in the mountains, I’ll want to head straight for the beaches! (Well, after a stop in Madrid!) It’s the only place I’ve ever really enjoyed being a beach bum.
Janice,
Mm, the poor dear, some Experience Designer ranks reasonably for legs now. I feel awful about it.
As I said to Steph somewhere up there in the comments, who knew?
I attract very special Canadians, because really, I don’t remember so much rabble-rousing when I’ve visited their fair country. I wouldn’t put all of these folks in the same province, or you’d have separatism for sure!
Oh, I loved that Picasso one, too. He said a lot of great things, but that one’s very close to my heart.
Thanks, I’ll keep bringing as many notorious folks around as I can so we can mix a little fun in with our work!
Until later,
Kelly
19 November 2008, 12:05 pm
“attract very special Canadians, legs”
Hah! There’s some SEO for you. LOL
Janice Cartier’s last blog post…Hi Ho Hi Ho
19 November 2008, 5:43 pm
Reading as ever but not commenting, however I had to step in to wish you happy blog-day. (And yes, I like your paws.)
19 November 2008, 7:51 pm
GirlPie,
Happy to have you lurking, as ever. Thanks so much!
LOL. My purple paws. Oh, when will this silliness which I brought upon myself end?
Hopefully never.
Regards,
Kelly