Ellen Fruchtman vs. Ellen Fruchtman: Identity in the Age of Social Networking
By the other Ellen Fruchtman. (Could there be another?)
I adapt to change. Far from my beginnings on a manual typewriter and a rotary phone, technology has become my friend. I am proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. I have a Facebook page. And I am “Linked in”.
I am also having an identity crisis.
Many years ago I vacationed at the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, AZ. The desk clerk clarified at check-in, “which Ellen Fruchtman would that be– Atlanta or Toledo?” “You have got to be kidding me,“ I thought. Over the years I have had similar experiences—a spa here, a hotel there.
As Divisional Vice President of Public Relations for Macy’s, I speak with reporters daily. A business writer from Toledo called for information. After a short chat, he seemed curious. He had me confused with Ellen Fruchtman from Toledo, a public relations professional he had worked with on retail stories. Okay…… So this other Ellen Fruchtman is in Public Relations and Marketing in the Retail Industry. What a coincidence.
“Do you know how many items come up when you Google your name?” my friend asked a few years ago. I didn’t. Kind of creepy if you ask me. Was it normal for him to Google me? Hell, I hadn’t even Googled MYSELF! Later that night, I slipped into my home office, shut the door and, I admit it, I GOOGLED MYSELF. There she was. Ellen Fruchtman—Marketing and Public Relations. Her own website, her own clients. Thankfully she was a professional. What if she had been a stripper? What would people think?
Last year, Ellen and I “met.” On a whim, I invited her to “Link-in” with me. Her reply? “Finally I can put a face with my name!” Since then, we have maintained our correspondence. At the January Jewelry Show in Scottsdale, a former co worker sought out Ellen, expecting to find me. Ellen told me- via email, of course. Without the technology that ultimately connected us, Ellen and I might never have met. The tentacles of technology let us reach farther and faster into our network of connections. Eventually, our paths may have crossed since we have common interests. We are both helping non-profit organizations reach their communication goals. We both have tremendous background in retail marketing. And believe or not, we both attend synagogues that share the same name (Etz Chaim in Marietta, GA and Etz Chayim in Toledo, OH).
So, I am glad to know this other “Ellen Fruchtman,” and I am certain that we will stay in touch. Who knows, one day we may actually pick up the phone and speak with each other.
Ellen M Fruchtman is a Marketing and Public Relations Strategist living in Atlanta, Georgia.
By Fruchtman on March 2, 2010 :: Filed under Think
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March 5th, 2010
This post was hilarious, Ellen and Ellen! My name is pretty unique, but I have friends who have had major problems – one discovered that his name sake was a murderer from Ireland! So count yourselves lucky!
All the best,
PJ