Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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

Reaching through the Screen

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Thanks to Richard Reeve for supplying today’s guest post.

Richard Reeve is an administrator at the Family Foundation School, a
candidate for Analytical training at the C. G. Jung Institute of New
York. He blogs at Catskill Cottage Seed.

“And the Master said unto the silence, “In the path of our happiness
shall we find the learning for which we have chosen this lifetime. So
it is that I have learned this day, and choose to leave you now to
walk your own path as you please.” Richard Bach, Illusions, pg.23

Liz recommended Bach’s book to me last month when we shared a coffee
at Blogworld.  The tale that emerges from the soil of that Holyland
called Indiana has much to offer folks committed to creating content
streams in the new media.

Social Media gives us ample opportunity and leeway to play.  Our
activity, the specifics of our various moves (all of which can be
boiled down to this simple fourfold way: search, save, post, ignore)is
a useful way to think about our social media practice.

But what do we do, those of us who have found our commitment, if we
are looking to deepen our practice:

Identify your passion(s).

Often folks are in the ballpark of their interest, and if we take the
analogy seriously, they might even have season tickets.  The goal here
is to get out of the stands, put on the “uniform” of the player, and
step up to the plate.  Or perhaps one needs not to pick up a bat, but
instead the ball and walk out to the mound.  The point I’m driving at
is simple.  There’s a huge difference between being “around” your
interest
And going out onto the field of your passion and being a player in the game.

Consider typology within your audience.

By this, I’m picking up on the marketing technique of having a
customer profile, but trying to push it a bit further along the lines
of psychological typology.  Producing different types of content for
different types of people leads to a surprising range in the content
one produces and/or shares.  Thinking types have a very different
appetite for information than the feeling types.  The same can be said
of intuitives and sensates.  Exploring these preferences in others can
open options you might not have otherwise considered.

Avoid ruts at all cost.

Invest in rut insurance.  Anytime I’m struggling with my practice I
review this imaginary policy which states: nothing will be lost if one
lessons one’s frequency of participation, takes a hiatus, or stops
using any of these tools.

Be an individual.

We add more by walking through the world in our unique way than by
copying anyone else.  I dare you to live this fact through your
participation in social media (just as Liz did with me by suggesting I
read Illusions…

…and wishing you, Liz, the speediest of recoveries.

Going It Alone as an Entrepreneur

Filed Under Community, Marketing, Successful Blog | 12 Comments

Guest Post by Debba Haupert

debba-haupert-girlfriendology-founder-sq

It’s somewhat ironic, I know. But I write a write a blog and run a business about female friendship – all by myself. In theory, I should have started Girlfriendology LLC with a girlfriend (or two) and collaborated in building the brand and company. I should have women who share the work load and assist me in creating a business around women supporting each other. However, the reality is that I’m a passionate entrepreneur and I didn’t know anyone else crazy enough to start it with me, so I jumped in the entrepreneurial pool alone!

As entrepreneurs, we’re often alone. We typically work long and strange hours from home or finally get dressed to have occasional meetings in coffee shops. We wake up with ideas and do the research to explore them. We create and market products and solutions, and we generally are accountable to only ourselves. That’s a great scenario if you’re self-motivated and prefer not to deal with group decisions. It’s also a wonderful arrangement if you’re creative and dedicated to seeing your dreams become reality.

Self-motivated, creative and dedicated – I am, and I’m very thankful to be that way. But that doesn’t mean I HAVE to go it alone. I have received amazing support from other entrepreneurs in several groups that I’ve started or joined. For example, I’m working on eCommerce for Girlfriendology.com (to sell girlfriend gifts). I knew of several other women in town (Cincinnati) who sell products online. I also tweeted about it. Two weeks ago seven of us met to talk about our online stores, what worked/didn’t, technologies, trends and prep for the coming holidays. We plan to do this on a monthly basis as well as feature each other on our websites. I’m also part of an entrepreneurial group, LegacyConnection (www.legacyconnection.com) that shares resources for entrepreneurs as well as keeps us accountable in weekly group calls.

In addition to these groups, I am blessed with great girlfriends, supportive guy friends and a wonderful husband. My girlfriends share feedback, connections and ideas; my guy friends often look out for opportunities for me and my husband, who is a writer, has edited copy, helped with events and had many brainstorming conversations where we strategize on my business as well as his.

So, I don’t feel so bad that I ‘should have’ started Girlfriendology with a girlfriend. I have the support and assistance of a ‘village’ of friends who care about me and my business. As I share on Girlfriendology, if you need a friend, you to need to be a friend. The same goes for us entrepreneurs. Reach out to others, get to know their businesses and collaborate. Life (and business) really is better together with the support of friends and family.

How do you go it alone, but do it together as an entrepreneur?

——–
Debba Haupert is founder of Girlfriendology . She considers herself a ‘marketing mutt’ based on her 20 years of corporate marketing (from designing consumer products, studying trends in Europe, to writing an award-winning book, selling products on QVC and being a bank VP). She founded Girlfriendology LLC in January 2006 as a way to support and inspire women. She is a passionate entrepreneur and student of social media with over 850 blogs, 150 podcasts/BlogTalkRadio shows, 15000 Twitter followers (primarily ‘girlfriends’), and 1000 LinkedIn connections. And she loves Liz Strauss and is honored to call her a girlfriend! (-;

——–
Thanks, Debba. The respect, admiration, and friendship is mutual. I’m grateful to have met you.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

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Happy 4th Birthday to SOBs Everywhere!

Filed Under Community, Marketing, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 40 Comments

All Weekend It’s a Party!

Today is Successful-Blog’s fourth birthday.

happy-birthday-4

On October 24, 2005, I wrote my first blog post on Successful-blog. That week began the story and the wonderful relationships this blog has made. Some facts about what that has been:

Thank you everyone who has stopped by to read, leave a thought, be a part of this blog and my life.

It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

Here’s how it works.

open mike night

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.


Help Celebrate!! Bring a Link! Bring a Link!

That’s right, you’re invited to bring a link to your most successful post. When you leave the link, please write a comment about how you chose the most successful post to bring.

I’ll compile a list like this when the party is over.

Stopping to Celebrate! 100+ Party Links that Mark Our History

C’mon in and get to know us! There’s free beverages and snacks in the sidebar. Join the party. See who you meet. Stay and come back again. Happy Birthday, all of you! Thank you for making what we do meaningful! -

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Related articles
The Mic Is On: Happy 3rd Birthday to SOBs Everywhere!
2006 Birthday Party! The Mic Is On: Happy 2nd Birthday to SOBs Everywhere!

WordCamp Seattle Keynote and Master Classes on Attracting Clients

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WordCamp Seattle — September 26, 2009

WordCamp Seattle is only 13 days away … What an event it’s promising to be. I’m going out early and on the day before I’ve got a small offer for folks who want to fire up their business at the same time that they fire up their blog.

wordcamp-seattle


WordCamp Seattle Is Sold Out!

Great to hear that the Seattle community is coming together for what will be another great WordCamp event.

Friday Night will be a pre-WordCamp Meetup
Location announced soon … watch the WordCamp Seattle blog.

Then the event opens …
When?
September 26th, 2009 at 8:30 AM
Adobe
801 North 34th Street - Seattle, WA 98103

Look who’s going to be there and click to see what they’ll be speaking on.

Thank you, Josh Harrison, Calvin Freitas, Bean fairbanks, and Dan Smith, the WordCamp Seattle committee, for having us!!
I hear it’s sold out! Will I see you there?

I’m Bringing a Master Class to KickStart 17 Businesses

I’ve been thinking about the conversations I had I with Seattle folks since I was there for Gnomedex last month. Many of the people I was speaking with were changing up their businesses or looking for new clients. Flights and accommodations made it such that I could be in Seattle a day early this trip. A day isn’t much time, but it’s enough to help a few folks get their business moving at full speed immeditately.

So, I’ve made arrangements to offer a Mastermind Session and a Group Class on attracting new clients immediately. With help of a Seattle friend who offered space, I’m able to do this at a fraction of my usual consulting fee.

Liz Strauss: Authentically Attract Clients Who Love Your Work

Let’s get together and get your calendar filled with client work.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Raise your influence and income. Be Seen! Be Heard Be Hired!

What Is Facebook?

Filed Under Community, Marketing, Successful Blog | 14 Comments

The LANGUAGE of SOCIAL MEDIA

Words have a deep effect on
how we interpret and interact with the world.
The words we use and how we define them
reveal our interests, concerns, and values.
This series explores the words of social media.


facebook


Facebook — Has the Small Town Grown Up?

Facebook … is it part college yearbook and part small town? What’s been called the walled garden of Facebook is now a new place since they’ve invited mom and dad to move in. It’s even more changed since they added the dynamic stream of FriendFeed.

Wikipedia says:

Facebook is a social networking website that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc.[1] Users can add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region. The website’s name stems from the colloquial name of a book given to incoming students at Zuckerberg’s high school alma mater, Phillips Exeter Academy. The book shows the faces and names of the school’s students and faculty.

Still at the core of Facebook seems to be two highly different community ethics going on. A huge population of Facebookers never had a choice about being there — soon as college started they became part when friends uploaded their pictures and invited them to see which ones. The other population joined later. We’re newcommers to Ellis Island. Some of us are setting up business, trying to make a buck. Some of us are trying to find our past loved ones who’ve emigrated there. Some are trying to connect, fit it, make sense of it all.

The first population and the second population will never quite view Facebook the same. It’s kind of like anywhere … it’s different if you grew up there.

Here’s how some folks answered the question, “If twitter is a huge networking room, what is Facebook?”

@OwenGreaves: “If twitter is a huge networking room, what is Facebook? - A Chinese Bath :)”
@jeffw171: “outdated and arcane”
@AmberCadabra: “The same. With a different crowd. And stupid quizzes on the cocktail tables.”
@gurnage: “Facebook is an online reunion. Twitter is new friends, Facebook is old.
@abbebuck: “Liz, FaceBook is a soda fountain with pictures!”
@MargieNewman “high school”
@markramsey: “a network of interconnected microcommunities?”
@netcitizen : “its more about the people,faces,friends.”
@djwaldow: “It’s a huge networking house!”
@judel “I see twitter as a utility to meet people and have conversation before actually meeting in person, and for business leads & rel.”
@jennydecki “Facebook is a huge Frat Party - you can still make great connections but mostly it’s about funny farm animal stories.”
@AlliWorthington “chit chatting with everyone you already know?”
@cheapsuits ” it’s a cafe a bunch of friends show up at.”
@my3boybarians “a huge, creepy networking room?”
@JasonFalls “Lunchroom at most high schools … but now with old people eating there.”
@piero_ “your lounge?”
@ssmirnov “FB is a painfully awkward highschool reunion.”

@cassieaiden “facebook is a very informal resume….I think.”
@blancastella “more to click/type/apply yourself to, perhaps?”
@Cosecha “a huge, creepy networking room?”
@berrybrewer “Twitter is a conference where I pass out business cards; Facebook is a class/family reunion where I show pics of my kid.”
@Gestalt “Facebook is a walled garden. Today’s version of AOL.”

@hehotiron “Chuck E Cheese?!?”
@berrybrewer “Twitter is a conference where I pass out business cards; Facebook is a class/family reunion where I show pics of my kid.”
@Gestalt “Facebook is a walled garden. Today’s version of AOL.”

What is Facebook?

For more information see:
Wiktionary
Wikidpedia
Campus Firewatch
techterms.com

SEE ALSO:
What Is Social Media?
What Is Social Networking?
What IS a Social Community?
What Is Online Social Media Conversation?
What Is a Blog?
What Is Twitter?

If twitter is a huge networking room, what is Facebook?
Got more to add? C’mon let’s talk.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

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