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Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: All Things Mexico!

Filed Under Community, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 1 Comment

Join Us Tonight

Hola!

With Cinco de Mayo this week, Tim Johnson suggested that it’s a great time to go just a little south of Chicago to Mexico. We’ll talk about trips and vacations in Mexico, our favorite Mexican foods, Mexican holidays and Mexican traditions, stories about Mexico that we know and anything else that comes up.

Oh, and bring example links to share — about Mexican things.

The rules are simple — be nice.

Do be nice. :)

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Supertramp, Terry Starbucker, and Chicago

Filed Under Community, Successful Blog | 12 Comments

Music, Love, and All of that Light

Chicago River at night by bjmccray


Terry’s reflection on SOBCon inspired me to sit down again with my thoughts. My heart was filled to bursting when they drove me home on Sunday. It was Terry, Jesse, and Chrisg riding along and commenting on the blueness of the lake.

Dreamer, you know you are a dreamer, but can you put your hands in your head? — Supertramp, Breakfast in America

That is the song that drives me. It’s the song that makes SOBCon happen. It must be a blogger’s song too because Terry points out that “We’ve got the Dreamer’s Disease.”
Making dreams a reality is even easier with Terry around.

I’ve always been a dreamer who needs a building crew. And I had a crew of usual suspects who stepped up to help and still others came from places I never suspected.

Terry attracts people, connects with them, and smooths out the rough edges in everyone. He gives in ways that most people don’t realize that they’ve been given to.

Lorelle had more drive, love, and honest ability than should fit inside someone so small. Chris, Lisa, and Dawud were a members of the team, too. Jesse and Karen were there when we needed them.

And there are all of you!
And Supertramp challenging me.

Could I let the people who came see the city the way that I do? Could we make an event that brought the commardarie of the event last year?
Would I see folks who stuck together like refrigerator magnets?

“If I could do something . . .
you can do anything you want, boy.”


Would the content work? Would the program fit? Would everything work it’s way through? How do I let Terry know my gratitude? How would I communicate to Chris and Lisa, Lorelle, Christine, and Wendy, Brogan and Clark, Garrett, Bullock, and Bruzzese, how much I respect and value them?

Anita . . . Value your words, your name, your reputation

Brian . . . Don’t build a blog, build an asset.

“If I could say something . . .
you can say anything!”


Lorelle . . . Know who loves you and work for them.

Chrisg . . . Have ideas everywhere and value them.

Dave . . . START selling. You have what I want.

If I could be someone . . .
you can be anyone– celebrate boy!”


Chris B . . . Businesses have people inside them.

Liz . . . Frosted Mini-wheats need meaning.

If I could do something . . .


Wendy . . . Who are you not to?

If I could do anything . . .
Can you do something out of this world?


I guess you can’t miss, when you put your hands in your head with a guy named Starbucker in the lights of the most beautiful skyline in the world.

After three hugs at the door to my building, I pushed my stuff to the elevator, and I rode up thinking . . .
How will I ever be able to look at the lake without remembering? I still have Christine’s music playing on the recorder in my head. I’m weeks away from knowing what happened . . . at least what happened to me.

“What a day!, a year! a life it is!
“C’mon and Dream and Dream along!”


Wonder whether Christine knows that she’s opening for Supertramp now?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

lyrics: Supertramp
flickr image: bjmccray, with permission

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How Do You Build an Incredible Experience?

Filed Under Community, Successful Blog | 38 Comments

Communities Don’t Get Built, They Grow

relationships button

I’ve walked around for about an hour, trying to put words to the change that happened at SOBCon this weekend. I spent another hour trying to explain how it could happen twice.

Every sentence I made seemed inadequate and unworthy.

How do you explain an incredible experience of community, learning, and outright fun? I’m at a loss.

Here is a way to find out for yourself.

    Build an experience for intelligent, passionate people — head and heart in a meaningful context.

    Invest all you are — commend, commit, confide, consign, give, hand over, trust.

    Hold up every person who wants to be part – bank on, believe in, count on, depend on, reckon on, rely on, have confidence, trust.

    Make it easy to trust and talk — caretaking, watching, overseeing, be trustworthy.

    Listen with an open mind, heart for the meaning they take, give, and find on their own.

In other words, trust. Trust in people who trust.

An incredible experience is built on trust. Trust yourself. Trust the people around you. Trust that when things don’t go perfectly other folks will understand. People do the most amazing things in a community filled with trust. They change, grow, learn, connect, feel, and communicate. They smile at the drop of a hat.

It’s that easy.

I was changed as a person by being a part. . . .

Thank you to everyone who came to SOBCon08.

How do you do recognize an incredible experience?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Thank you, Thesaurus.com for help filling in the words.

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The Mic is On: It’s about the State of…

Filed Under Community, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 248 Comments

It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

The Mic Is On

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

… the Blogosphere!

204252734_fba1eb1bb5_m.jpg


Let’s start with:

  • What’s changed since we started blogging?
  • What do we miss about when we didn’t blog at all?
  • What are we most grateful that we found in the Blogosphere?
  • What are we most concerned won’t stay the same?

And, we’ll talk about whatever else comes up, including THE EVER POPULAR, Basil the code-writing donkey . . . and flamenco dancing (because we always get off topic, anyway.)

Oh, and bring links about the blogosphere to share!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Image Source: flickr

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Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: It’s about the State of…

Filed Under Community, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 4 Comments

Join Us Tonight

… the Blogosphere!

We might talk about what’s changed since we started blogging, what we miss about when we didn’t blog at all, what we are most grateful that we found in the Blogosphere, and whatever else comes up, even flamenco dancing.

Oh, and bring example links to share — about the state of the Blogosphere.

The rules are simple — be nice.

Do be nice. :)

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

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