Hi, my name is @JenFriel and I am on the greatest journey ever!

Bottom Line Third Person "I sound fancy pants" Bio: Jen Friel is a corporate sponsored minimalist who gave up everything she owned to find happiness and currently spent the last year urban camping, living with readers of her site “Talk Nerdy To Me, Lover,” documenting all of her adventures in social media. (Which included but were not limited to, crashing the 2010 Grammys to meet Pete Cashmore, dancing on stage with Prince, hosting on the red carpet at the 2011 Academy Awards, eating beef jerky for 30 days, having her arm lit on fire, skydiving, flying cross country with Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, and The Fonz, learning how to drive stick on the Ford test driving track in Dearborn, Michigan, and going out on over 103 dates in 9 months from OkCupid.) She has previously worked for the founder of Myspace launching his start up LiveVideo, and was also a model on Deal or No Deal (5 episodes on the syndicated version #16), and for Snorg Tees respectively.  Her website is also being made into a pilot from the producers of Elf, Wedding Crashers, Meet the Fockers, and The Bourne Supremecy. She is also currently writing a book titled "A Nerd's Guide to Being Unapologetically Awesome."

 And now to keep it real: *waves* hello, my names @JenFriel. I'm the one in the polka dotted dress.

On the day this picture was taken, November 3, 2009, I was unbelievably frustrated with my life. Like no, seriously … I had just found out that this boy that I loved totally had sex with other people - we were living together, so I had to move … immediately. My grandmother was dying, and I didn't know how to process it … I was about to turn 25 and didn't feel particularly satisfied with anything I had done in life. I was managing a bunch of high profile social media accounts, and sites - but didn't really feel like anyone was taking my ideas seriously. I was a monkey just tweeting and plugging away - no bueno. I was very literally in this pit of desperation and thought, well, if I have nothing else left to lose, what would I do? My answer: Start a website - it was cheaper than therapy.

We're told we should "live every single day like it's our last" … that "the journey is the destination" … that "life REALLY is what you make of it" … I decided to put my own money where my mouth is, and test out some of those lovely sayings instead of allowing them to sit in frames all around my desk collecting dust.

"Where there is a will there is always a way:" On January 31, 2010 I successfully crashed the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards to meet the very very very sexy founder of my favorite blog Mashable. I didn't have a single connection, a single friend, a single anything. I literally put on a dress from my closet, a wee bit of makeup and went down to see what I could find. Oh I found something alrite …

... then livestreamed, tweeted, and twitpiced the adventure. After I met Pete, I went home to do laundry. Literally, haha! I turned right around and left. Mission was accomplished.

"Do what you love, and the money will follow:" I hated consulting. I was constantly chasing people for invoices, and I wasn't able to explore the space because people didn't really want to explore it, they just wanted to "play it safe." (I'm not one to ever play it safe.) I was hustling all day and night for people that I didn't particularly like, making money that seemed so useless to me. I got so annoyed one day with perpetually being so stressed that I just said fuck it. All I want to do is lifecast, there's gotta be a way this could support me. In February of 2010, I began bartering social media, and website optimization info as a means to live. I gave up my apartment, all of my belongings that weren't corporate sponsored, and decided to go on an adventure (technically speaking, the apartment was the last thing I gave up. I left my place officially on May 23, 2010). Also in that month I was named one of the latest agents in the Ford Fiesta Movement. Ford gave 20 teams across 16 cities cars, gas cards, tech toys, and a series of missions to compete in. Dude, best life experience ever.

Because of the Fiesta, and the gas card - I was able to live in the car, and get to as many meetings as I had to throughout the day. I slept down in Venice by Lincoln and Rose, and would sit in Solar de Cahuenga (best wifi ever), while I blogged and posted all of my thoughts on social media on this site. Ford absolutely changed my life. Because of them, I was able to live in this state of constant bliss doing nothing but things I ABSOLUTELY enjoyed.

"Go Big or Go Home:" In May, I faced my biggest fear - I jumped out of a perfectly good plane. I got a bedding company to sponsor the dive, on the condition that I showcase their sheets as a cape on the livestream up since they are "unapologetically awesome!" I was so scared, I wound up using it as a security blanket.

(and oh yeah, later that night - I also got to hear Deepak Chopra speak, and met him afterwards. amazing. amazing. amazing)

"Attitude is Everything:" In June, I got this site in front of the CEO of AOL, Tim Armstrong, as they were launching their AOL Lifestream platform, and the position included getting to spend the entire summer with Tim.

I wound up not getting the job, so I gave AOL a piece of my mind.

HAHAHA juuustttttt kidding! Amazing too since a few months later their LA office contacted me. Had I burned that bridge, I wouldn't have that new opportunity.

"Money isn't everything:" I've spent the entire last year with $10 to my name. It's hasn't been the same $10, but oddly enough, every time I spent the last dollar, someone, somewhere would gift me with money. Totally tripped me out! Don't get me wrong though, I've had to go to some pretty extreme lengths to survive. Like the time I ate beef jerky for 30 days just so I had something to eat. I called it the #BJDiet on twitter.

Get it? Get it?

#NerdsUnite: I've since traveled the entire country couch surfing on the Unapologetically Awesome Tour, and met readers of the site … listening to their stories, learning about their lives.
Dude, I even got to fly cross country with Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top!!!

Did you know he studied in an ashram in India for a bit? Hands down one of the coolest people on the planet. No, like seriously.

In July, there was the biggest nerd herd ever, Comic Con. I couldn't afford a ticket, let alone even get one - but a twitter buddy helped me out with a pass, and a friend from the coffee shop gave me a ride down there. Looky looky who I got to hang out with ...

(You have to sign into your YT acct to view this video. Stupid EMI. If you live in the states though, its totes available and a REALLY awesome vid!! Zach Levi is like the nicest human being on this PLANET!!)

"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it:"
This is my passion, this site is my heart, and we now have a staff of 60 that stand confidently behind it as well. Nothing about this site has ever been about the money; I wanted to find the meaning of life and I used this site as an excuse to find it by leading the life I always wanted to lead. I've been dropped off in crazy scenarios, and almost been arrested - twice, but everyday I am doing things that I love to do and testing out just how true these sayings really are. Social media is a reflection of life, by utilizing all of these tools in social media to make life tangible, I was able to uncover some amazing truths. I've never gone hungry, I've never gone without a place to stay (I only had to sleep in the car for 2 weeks), and I've never gone without a shower. All I have are the most epic adventures because I am consistently throwing myself at the universe and taking advantage of all of the opportunities it has had for me by being consistently prepared. Remember, luck is opportunity meeting preparation.

I can now happily say that I live every.single.day. like it is my last. And every.single.day. has become the best day ever.

This was SOOOOO much better than therapy. Thanks so much for reading!

Twitter: @JenFriel

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JenFriel

FourSquare: www.FourSquare.com/jenfriel

Official Twitter Hashtag: #NerdsUnite

Established: November 3, 2009

Theme Song by: Laura Cheadle

The actual Fiesta that I lived in. I had 6 compartments labeled all with my clothing, and misc. items. I donated everything else I owned.