Two weeks ago, we had the opportunity to present at a panel in the 2013 Pivot Conference (@PivotCon), held from Oct. 15-16 in New York City. And to be honest, our heads are still spinning from the wonderful whirlwind of events that took place in such a short amount of time. It is always a great privilege to rub elbows with so many prominent social business thought leaders. Here’s a quick recap of some of our highlights.

Getting social with @dynamic_signal

One important takeaway that stuck with us through this whole process was this: while changing times may occasionally raise the stress levels of those at the epicenter, the good news is that an overwhelming sense of optimism for the future is usually following right behind. Such was the atmosphere at one of our first stops at the conference, a video interview with Dynamic Signal (@dynamic_signal) exec Ajay Ramachandran (@ajay). During the interview, we discussed what is means to be a social employee, how social executives can be catalysts within their organization, and what it means to take part in branding along the infinite curvature of the Möbius strip.

Aside from taking the time to interview us about some of the key concepts of our book, The Social Employee, Dynamic Signal also sponsored a book signing event during day two of the conference. This signing a joy to be part of, and it was a pleasure to meet and talk with so many people interested in both our book and what the future might hold for social business. So, a double helping of “thanks” goes out to the wonderful people at Dynamic Signal. We hope to work with you again!

Innovation internally

Also during day two, we moderated a panel called “Inside Out: Innovation Internally to Innovate Externally.” Joining us were David Edelman (@DavidEdelman), Partner, Marketing and Sales Practice at McKinsey & Company (@McKinsey); and Dana Williams, Director, Integrated Marketing & Communications at Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir). I’m sure that it will come as no surprise that these two were consummate professionals during this discussion, and perfect models of what it means to be a social executive in a new era.

We are forever indebted to these two both for their contributions to this panel and for their equally generous contributions to The Social Employee. And although Kevin Randall (@Kevinbrandall) couldn’t join us in NYC for the week, his presence was certainly felt during our discussion and book signing. His masterful afterword for The Social Employee was just the cherry on top we needed for the book, and hopefully one day soon we’ll have the honor of sharing the stage with him.

Upping the “wow” factor

Somehow during all this excitement, we were also able to take in some sights and sounds, reconnect with good friends, and sit in on some fascinating presentations and talks. It’s safe to say that the “wow” factor at this year’s Pivot Conference was off the scales. Brian Solis (@BrianSolis) seemed like he was everywhere all at once, bringing his endless charm and goodwill everywhere he went. It was a lot of fun to watch him work his magic up close—what a great ambassador for the social era!

And of course, last but not least, we would like to send a special thank-you out to Mike Edelhart (@MikeEdelhart), CEO at Pivot. We know that putting together an event of this magnitude isn’t easy, but from where we’re standing, everything came off without a hitch. Thank you being so accommodating to so many of us, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for the conference next year!

Please check out @SocialEmployee media buzz!

“Great brands have always started on the inside, but why are companies taking so long to leverage the great opportunities offered by internal social media? . . . The Social Employee lifts the lid on this potential and provides guidance for businesses everywhere.” —JEZ FRAMPTON, Global Chairman and CEO, Interbrand

The Social Employee offers an unparalleled behind-the-scenes look at the social business success stories of some of the biggest brand names in the business world, including IBM, AT&T, Dell, Adobe, Southwest Airlines, Cisco, Acxiom, and Domo. These cutting-edge brands have all come to the same realization: the path to social business lies through empowering the social employee.

The brands that leverage their employee base in order to engage customers and prospects through social media are the ones destined to win the marketing wars. This book not only details the astronomical rise of the social employee, but also outlines the innovative methods that leading companies have employed to foster cultures of enthusiastic and engaged workers.

FOREWORD by David C. Edelman, Global Co-Leader, Digital Marketing & Sales Practice, McKinsey & Company