Full Disclosure: You can’t ride two horses with one behind + professional ethics

When I write blog stories that include a clients, I DON’T put them into our TIME sheets as billable hours. When adding the time to the project, I record it as “0” time. I tell clients about the stories in reports, but they’re not TIME related to our commitment to them for duties that are performed per our agreements. It’s important for me to tell clients about the stories, so they don’t think I’m off wasting hours in places not assigned to me. These stories are just part of me having down time, away from all of my assignments. They let me get my head screwed back on straight, so I can get back to 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., throughout the week; and, even some of this work is spilled into my weekend. It’s a matter of ethics. If I don’t believe in a brand, I won’t work for it. (I’ve walked away from many companies, because certain standards fell apart.)

Disclosure:

PHOTOGRAPHY: The images contained on this wine blog are the property of the following:

• Jo Diaz, the primary source (assumed)
• Jose Diaz, in shared travels and choice of best image; noted when they belong to Jose Diaz
• I-Stock Photography, purchased because it fits
• Wikipedia is through Wikipedia code and offerings
• When borrowed from other Websites, it’s so noted

SAMPLES: Occasionally I do receive request from suppliers for wine, books and other wine related objects. They’re for me to sample and write about, if I so choose. I don’t accept any money to do so. I accept the items with no strings attached, and only write reviews of samples that I received based on my enjoying what I received. If what I have received I don’t enjoy I prefer to not write about it at all… Following my mother’s advice; i.e., “If you don’t have anything nice to say, say nothing at all.”

COPY WRITING: Jo Diaz is the editor and publisher of Wine-Blog’s Juicy Tales, a wine industry publicist, and the founding executive director of PS I Love You.

CURRENT CLIENTS

Band Together, Charles Creek Vineyard, Concannon Vineyard, Custom Tour Concierge, Custom Wine Concierge, Diamond Ridge Vineyards, Grape Crafter, Happy Camper Wines, Oak Grove, Oak Knoll Winery, PS I Love You, Platypus Tours, Pure Luxury Limos, Respite Wines, Robert Biale Vineyards, Roulé Rouge, Suisun Valley Grape Growers Association

FORMER CLIENTS

Academy of Wine Communications, Alhona Vineyards, Artisan Family of Wines (Red Cote, Sly Dog Cellars, Seven Artisans), Black Coyote, Bob’s African Wine, Custom Wine/Tour Concierge, Dalst Stone Wine Cellars, David Bruce, Donati Family Vineyard, Enoforum Wines, Feast Bistro, Foppiano Vineyards, Field Stone, Marr Cellars, Fred Tibbitts & Associates, J Wine Company, Miller Wine Works, Mills Reef, Pacific Star, San Francisco Wine Exchange, Shady Lane Cellars, Shannon Ridge, Silkwood Wines, Tequila Semental, Trentadue, Underdog Wine Merchants

As of July 1, 2009, social media is now part and parcel of what I do for PSILY‘s PR efforts.

As of June 2011, I’m putting stories about the OR Pinot Gris Symposium on my site, while working for Oak Knoll Winery.

As of November 2011, I’m working on the Roule Rouge Website, blogging; I’m managing, blogging, and working on the Oregon Pinot Gris site.

I do NOT do social media for the rest of our clients. If I mention them on Facebook, Twitter, or this blog, I’m doing it for the sheer passion, with no compensation. They each have their own social networking people filling that segment of their marketing needs, if they have anyone doing that for them.

On this blog, I’m sharing my personal learnings about my clients and their brands, while working with them; and my blog posts are for entertainment purposes, only.

Clients do NOT pre-approve what is being written on this wine blog. What’s on this website are my own observations and personal opinions, unfiltered, unfined, and uncensored.

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Now that that’s out of the way, what I would really like to post on this one, but know that if I did, the government might then want me to calculate all the free stuff I’ve received (or not, but said I did). Then the next step would be for me to put a price tag on it, so they can tax me.

I am, therefore, just adding this wonderfully classic addendum from John Chow Dot Com as comic relief. He’s given the world permission to use his Disclosure as a template. I’ve added “wine” in every instance; otherwise, it’s his great copy and concept. I’ve also borrowed this great image that he’s used from a1rnmu74.

* I make money from every post I put on this wine blog. If I’m not making money from every wine blog post, then it was an oversight on my part and it will be corrected soon.

* Every link on this wine blog is a paid link. If it is not a paid link, then it was an oversight on my part and it will become a paid link soon.

* Every product I write about on this wine blog, I get for free. If I didn’t get it for free, then there was a miss-communication with the company that sent it and I will be billing them for the cost so the product becomes free.

* I make money from every wine tweet I send out on Twitter. If I didn’t make money on the wine tweet, then it was an oversight on my part and it will be corrected soon.

* If you email me, all of the information in your email is mine to do with as I please, such as exploit for financial profit, use as blackmail, or quote on my wine blog.

* The T-shirts you see me wear at wine trade shows. I get paid to wear them. If I didn’t get paid to wear them, then it means I ran out of paid shirts and had to wear a free one. In which case, I will go to the company that gave me the free shirt and ask them to sponsor it.

* If something on the Net is making a lot of money, you can bet I will be in on it. If I’m not in on it, then it was an oversight on my part and it will be corrected soon.

* Just because I get paid to blog, tweet, wear T-shirts, etc. does NOT mean I will give you or your company a positive review, wine blog post, or endorsement. As a matter of fact, chances are pretty high that I might slam you.