Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You're only a stranger once.

Life Under A Rock Promotes Productivity?

Filed Under 121 Conversation, Successful Blog, Writing | 7 Comments

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Do you ever find yourself furiously typing at your computer, scripting blog posts, guest blog posts, website pages and the like, and you haven’t been attuned to what’s going on in the world? When I say that, I don’t mean to say that you don’t keep tabs on major current events. Instead, you find yourself so immersed in your work that you haven’t taken the time (or had the time, for that matter) to stay abreast on the trends in your niche.
That’s how I feel right now.

Life under the rock isn’t that bad

That’s what I said. I don’t mind being under a rock. It’s quiet. I get a whole lot accomplished. I don’t have to really deal with anyone because I’m working on my own personal projects. It’s really not that bad.
Here are some of the things I have noticed about life under a rock, engrossed in my work:

In a way, I prefer life under a rock.

I do enjoy people. I’m no introvert. But there’s something to be said when all you have to contend with is writer’s block, research options and sentence structure. No bad attitudes. No annoying behaviors. Nothing to deal with that I cannot control.

That said, I feel like an outsider to the blogging world.

It’s dark under the rock

Even though life under a rock can be a productive experience, it can leave you missing some things. For instance, I haven’t been able to regularly keep up with any other bloggers. Sure, I catch a post here and there. But I miss reading their regular work. I haven’t even gotten to stay up-to-date with my favorite bloggers, the people whose information I admire and treasure.

Also, and most shocking to me, I have had to turn down work. (This statement is shocking to me because not so long ago, I didn’t imagine I would be one of those freelancers that had a booked schedule).

I only have so many hours that I have allotted to my writing work, and I will not exceed my limit. I Don’t Want to Be Rich. I want to do what I love, but I want to have time for the people I love. I have chosen to trade time with my family for time that I could have used to make money.

Uncovering the rock

I want to reasonably spend most of my work time under my rock with my personal writing projects and at least some time out of the rock, connecting with the bloggers and other professionals I’ve met. I suppose the best solution is a schedule. I’ve used my schedule to plan out my time under the rock. Now, I need to schedule time out of the rock.

It can be an overwhelming task – reading blogs, commenting, tweeting, etc. It all takes time. How do you allot time to stay out of life under a rock?

—-
Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small. She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas . You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger

Thanks, Terez!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
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How Has Social Media Changed the Way You Do Business?

Filed Under 121 Conversation, Successful Blog | 9 Comments

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More to Pick From

Dawud is back, a proud dad of a new baby, and we’re picking up the conversation where we left off.

At the end of his recent post, Dawud asked me a question is far simpler than its answer.

What’s one way you’d say social media has changed the way you do business?

Forgive me Joyce Kilmer,

I think that I shall never see
a clock as hungry as social me – dia.

An activity whose hungry mouth is prest
Against my blog’s flowing breast.

A front page that looks out all day
While bloggers talk, submit, and pray.

How Has Social Media Changed the Way I Work?

When I turn on my computer, it’s not really that unusually that within a few seconds I might get a Twitter message. I jump on and say, “Hi Tweeple!” And folks answer with their greetings. We pass messages that eventually become conversations about what we’re doing.

Some Twitter folks are folks I’ve met. Some are folks who visit my blog. Some are neither one. Some are folks I’ve wanted to meet for a long, long time. We all message to each other in the same 140 characters. Occasionally that leads to a telephone call or an email.

When I Digg, I don’t break a sweat. And when I Stumble, I don’t fall. I find myself among a group of people who surf the Net and serve me up a menu of ideas and inspiration in the form of articles and blog posts that they have found. Sometimes we meet under the surface by way of a message to discuss what we do when we’re apart. I’ve done business, been introduced, and gotten beautiful picture gifts from folks I’ve met in those two places.

Over at the local Facebook and down at the Linkedin location, I connect with folks I know and meet new ones. I especially look for folks who live in Chicago or who are coming to visit. It’s a good thing to get a chance to have a sit down with a new friend face to face. I never know where such a meeting will lead me, but those hellos usually become important working friendships.

Those are just five, but I think you see the patterns.

Of course, it happens that people I meet in those places often tell other folks about me, and everyone knows I just can’t keep quiet about the cool folks who cross my radar. They come to visit my blog. I go to visit theirs. More than anything we share ideas in every way we can.

It’s time invested in new places, but going to the same end . . . relationships.

Speaking of relationships, I ask Dawud and everyone reading . . .

What do you find is the key to great relationships with social media friends?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

One2One is a cross-blog conversation. Find the answer at dawud miracle on Monday. You can see the entire One-2-One Conversation series on the Successful Series page.
In Case You Missed It: Writing 06-13-07

121: We Met, But Did I Ever Say Hello? [blush]

Filed Under 121 Conversation, Successful Blog | 26 Comments

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A Meeting of the Minds

This cross-blog conversation that I’m having with Dawud is taking some windy turns and travels. Have you been riding with us? My last question to him was Do you see a difference between your online relationships and those offline — beyond the obvious physical differences?
Dawud didn’t take a breath before he answered. “Without a doubt!” He remarked on how easily he’s been getting to know virtual strangers in this virtual land. . . .

Then he asked me, What’s the oddest beginning to a relationship that you’ve developed through your blog?

I guess it would have to be the odd start to how I met Chris Brogan. I knew about Chris from the wonderful and insightful, people-person Ms. Becky McCray. One day, I read a post in which Chris talked about how we should extend the conversation to people outside our circle.

That struck a chord.

I picked up the phone to tell him . . . punched his number and waited. I got a message that said something like, “Hi, I often don’t get these messages. If you want to be sure to reach me, send a text message.” I thought it was ironic. The guy who said, “Reach out.” Was out of reach.

I didn’t realize that, he was at a conference at the time.

I figured I should be doing my real work and got back to it. It was April 26. SOBCon 07 was only 16 days away.

In June, Jeff Pulver came to town for a conference and a party. We met in the afternoon for a conversation. He graciously invited me to join his group for dinner. I waited at the restaurant. Jeff came in with another man. The man turned and smiled across the room It was a sharp, clever smile filled with playful mischief.

While Jeff checked on the reservation, the man came over to introduce himself.

“I’m Chris Brogan. You must be Liz.”

“Ah! Chris Brogan! You don’t pick up your voice mail.”

I’m not sure that I ever said a proper “hello.” [blush]

I’ll blame the smile . . . it’s killer.

Who’s the person that you’d like to meet?

Since this is a conversation, if you’re reading this, I’m not just asking Dawud the question, I’d love to hear your answer too, in the comment box below.

PS To Chris Brogan and to everyone, I’ll offer this song, “Hello, I love you. Won’t you tell me your name?”

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

One2One is a cross-blog conversation. Find the answer at dawud miracle on Monday. You can see the entire One-2-One Conversation series on the Successful Series page.
In Case You Missed It: Writing 06-13-07

3 Ways the Blogosphere Made Me a Better Business Person and Human Being

Filed Under 121 Conversation, Successful Blog | 8 Comments

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It’s the People

On my blog I finally took the time to think through what I believe. On my blog, people asked what I meant by what I said. On my blog that I dared to think and to dream — out loud and with commitment.

On my blog, my head and heart connected to the people I met.

The relationships I’ve made as a blogger have made me better as a marketer, a better writer, and a better human being. Here’s how and why.
I’m a better marketer.

I’m a better writer.

I’m a better person.

How has my blog changed how I think of relationships? It’s only made them more dear, more important, and more cellular to every letter, every link, every learning that is in this text.

I can’t imagine looking at any part of my blogging career without seeing the people who in a word, have made me who I am.

The people of blogging have made me a better person.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

One2One is a cross-blog conversation. Find the answer at dawud miracle on Monday. You can see the entire One-2-One Conversation series on the Successful Series page.
In Case You Missed It: Writing 06-13-07

121: I Knew Everything about Relationships Until an Audience Came

Filed Under 121 Conversation, Successful Blog | 11 Comments

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It’s Not About Thinking

Did you catch Dawud’s Monday installment in our ongoing conversation? He deftly answered What Do You Do When A Commenter Just Isn’t Hearing You? Dawud described a gracious way to respond and reminded us that we’re always talking to another person, not just words in a box. Then, he followed with a question for me — Liz, the relationship blogger.

How has your blog changed the way you think about relationships?

Ah Dawud, what a question.

The short answer is completely.

I Knew Everything about Relationships Until an Audience Came

I used to think I knew about relationships. They were an idea, involving people. I thought that relationships were a choice — take part or not. I thought they fell into neat categories like blog posts in my sidebar do — family I claim, family I don’t, friends of my heart, folks at work, folks I’ve known, . . . folks I’ve met — the fiends, the forgiven, the forgotten, and the forgettable.

I used to think I had a big heart, but obviously I was suffering from relationship myopia. It’s a common malady.

Then I got a blog.

I was already a writer. I made a blog place under a white oak on the riverbank. I prepared to write alone. A few friends would be listening — the friends of my heart. They were a handful at most. After all, how many folks want to know what I know, what I think, what I dream, what I remember, what stories I have to tell? That’s what I thought. That’s who I was.

I knew everything about relationships. I was a writer, a manager. I had been there.

Then an audience came, an audience who talked back to me.

I met a fine writer, who blogged the most marvelous stories of his past and present days. I met another who made sense of life in California . . . . and on a lonely Friday night I found someone who reveled in the glory of a weekend with a child, a poet who understood what I meant when we disagreed, and a science fiction artist/writer who virtually visited me when I wrote — I’m still inspired by them.

I met a brilliant scientist . . . moms who shared their families, an artist, a home builder, the small business guy, the crusader, the hero, the leader, the guy in charge. They didn’t fit in categories.

Someone said, “I never expected to care so much about these people who have become so dear to me.” I know exactly what she meant.

That audience, those readers, changed the way that I think and the way that I see.

I don’t think about relationships anymore. I see the people I have relationships with and the incredible differences they make. I see the changes we make in each other.

I got a blog. An audience came and changed everything. It’s still a wonder.
________________

Now a question back, Dawud.

Do you see a difference between your online relationships and those offline — beyond the obvious physical differences?

If you’re reading this, I’m not just asking Dawud the question, I’d love to hear your answer too, in the comment box below.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

One2One is a cross-blog conversation. Find the answer at dawud miracle on Monday. You can see the entire One-2-One Conversation series on the Successful Series page.
In Case You Missed It: Writing 06-13-07

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