Crowd Accelerated Innovation and Me

At first Crowd Accelerated Innovation didn’t entirely resonate with me. Well, it did, just not to the level that I felt that it really applied to me nor did I feel like I was going to be inspired to write about it. I am not huge into social media. I RARELY use Youtube. I actually often forget about it. However, I was relatively aware of the fact that many people attempt to use it, and occasionally succeed at becoming successful. Whether that be in the form of having a large internet following, landing a really awesome job, or becoming an international superstar with an iconic band. I was a member of the dance community for a while, so I was also aware of Youtube’s role in promoting dance styles and helping dancers gain recognition and opportunities. I still never really considered it to be a truly legitimate means of making a living. And I definitely didn’t think of it in the way that Chris Anderson did. I just didn’t make that connection. In class we all, myself included, laughed at the mom that posted on Facebook asking when to use an Epipen. It seemed so absurd and so obvious to all of us, but at the same time, it perfectly highlights our thought processes when it comes to problem solving. Social media, and especially the internet, are synonymous with endless knowledge in an instant – possibly even quicker than a phone call. And in terms of social media, it was likely that she had some type of medical professional as a friend that she would trust more than a stranger on the other end of the phone or a [not so] timely ambulance. I certainly still have a hard time seeing her hesitation or how she could have possibly thought anything other than to give the child the life-saving medicine; but I do understand the urge to reach out for advice via social media. When this subject was first brought up as a connection to Crowd Accelerated Innovation, I couldn’t for the life of me see the connection until it was pointed out. Then, it made me draw a connection to a somewhat similar instance in my life.

We are about to get personal. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I have done something pretty similar to this, although not quite as intense/dramatic/life or death. When I was pregnant with my twins, even though this was my second pregnancy, I still felt like a first-time mom because it had been over 12 years since I had been pregnant. My husband and I were living with his parents while our house was being renovated, plus I couldn’t be left alone (I was incredibly sick – another story for another time). I got the most ridiculous urge to clean out and organize my mother-in-law’s kitchen cabinets. Somehow, I didn’t recognize it as what I know it is, nesting, probably because I was only 32 weeks pregnant and I am highly organized and she is not. A little later in the day, I began feeling contractions. I automatically assumed they were Braxton-Hicks – they weren’t very powerful – I was able to talk during them; a telltale sign of NOT being in active labor. I further did all of the things that you are told to do to distinguish false labor from the real thing. They still persisted for a few hours – though still not very painful. So, knowing that I have several nurse friends on Facebook, two of them were delivery nurses, I posted on Facebook asking for advice. I certainly did not feel that it remotely resembled an emergency. I refused to be that mom that ran to the hospital for every little thing, plus, I spent enough time in the hospital during that pregnancy as it was. Not to mention, that little run would actually be a 2-hour drive.  Of course, they all said, it was better to be safe than sorry; it’s better to go and be sent home than to wait too long; and the doctors really actually prefer you to come. With my medical history and experience, I knew better. Doctors tend to view women as hysterical. Again, that is another story for another time. So, after several extensive chats, I waited for my husband to come home and told him that I thought we should go to the hospital. We told his mom, and I swore even she thought I was over-reacting, but of course said it was better to be safe than sorry. Then, off we went, fully expecting to return that evening. This was his first experience with a pregnant mate, so he was more apprehensive, and he was asking if we need to be speeding and running red lights. Plus, he is just dramatic by nature. Hehe. I said of course not, this is likely not active labor; I am basically just going to shut everyone up at this point. We finally arrive at the hospital, and I am very much in active labor; I am about half way to delivery time. Luckily, they were able to stop it, and I made it to 35 weeks. That was the long way to say that I participated in Crowd Accelerated Innovation just as Epipen mom did. I had my audience (crowd) of 300+ friends including several nurses. There was light – bringing a problem to light as well as receiving feedback. Most importantly, desire. I had a desire to make sure my babies were safe.