Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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

Fire Up a Kindle Fire & Re-Kindle that Resolution to Be Tobacco-less in 2012!

Filed Under Great Finds, Successful Blog | 2 Comments

They’re Letting Me Do This!

You might recall a post I wrote called Mission: When My Mom Died and Who Saved My Life. Since then, I’ve been a fan and an advocate of Safe Cig. I’ve joined their team and have my own Safe Cig battery charger in the USB of my computer. I’m proud to be working with them.

Today, I’m teaming up with the folks at The Safe Cig to move the mission to see a tobacco-less world. And I get to offer anyone over 18 in the US a chance to win:

_________________________________________________________________

Here’s what you do to enter and get a chance to win!

Post your entry by midnight Pacitic time on January 25, 2012

1. Choose a who, a what, or a where that refuels you, that fires up your life.
2. Take, make, or find a free image to represent . Write a caption starting with words “Dear Safe Cig, My life is fired up by … ” no longer than 50 words.
3. Post it on http://www.facebook.com/thesafecig/
Share it on your wall too.
SEE: the sample entry picture and caption that follows.

SAMPLE ENTRY


Dear Safe Cig My life is fired up by the color and music in the people, places, and things that inspire me.

ENTER a new image of something you love EVERY DAY if you like.

_________________________________________________________________

Here’s how we’ll pick …

The winner will be announced on The Safe Cig Facebook page by noon Pacific Time on January 27, 2012

What a great way to start off the New Year again.
Do this for yourself or for someone you love … for life.

Any Questions??

Be irresistible.

Liz

How To Hack Knowledge Through Online Resources

Filed Under Business Life, Great Finds, Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | Leave a Comment

A Guest Post by Lior Levin

The aim of going to college is to learn new things to further your education. Whichever class you take, it is supposed to help you to get further towards the career that you choose. Unfortunately there are some instances where the tutor isn’t as great at explaining things as they should be. If you end up stuck in a class that doesn’t seem to be teaching you anything then there are some options available to you. Maybe you are learning things but you would like to increase your knowledge even more quickly? If so then you should consider using online resources.

What Are Online Resources?

With the Internet you need to be careful which information you study. There is a lot of conflicting information online. Not all sources are credible. This means that you will need to really search the Internet until you find reliable sources.

Online resources basically comprise of websites, blogs and forums. There are several blogs for example, which are run by students just like you and by university professors. Some are even run by scientists. These types of online resources can be extremely useful and you could learn some really fascinating things.

The Benefits of Online Resources

There are numerous benefits of online resources. The main one is that you get to learn things at your own pace. Perhaps you struggle to ask questions about your course in the seminar? Maybe you find your lecturer too hard to understand? If so then online resources can help you to learn everything that you need to know, but in an easier to understand way. Many of these sites also have a community section where you can meet new college students.
The Best Online Resources

If you are struggling to find decent resources then a good site to try out would be Ted.com. There you are able to view talks on various subjects. If you are studying science then you could listen to Paul Root Wolpe talking about why it’s time to question bio-engineering. Or you could view demos about human exoskeletons. There are so many interesting and educational talks on the site. From science to technology and entertainment to business – no matter what you are studying you should find this resource really useful.

If you have any science related query then a good online resource to visit is Refdesk.com. It provides a large number of links to websites that will give you the answer to practically every science related question that you could have.

Another great online resource that you should check out is the Khan Academy site. It provides information on maths, chemistry, economics and history. The site is designed to try to change education. You will find more than 100 different self paced exercises that you can complete. From algebra to biology and brain teasers to currency – there is so much to learn in the form of videos and blogs on this site.

BetterGrads is helping current students connect with older ones to expand their knowledge base. You could take part in eMentoring and there are great college question and answer resources. It is actually a program that you join, and it is run by a non-profit organization.

Overall the above are just a few of the online resources that can help you with your education. Don’t forget to double check the credibility of each resource that you use. There is a lot of misguided information out there. If you do find a resource that you aren’t sure about then you can always ask your lecturer after class.

—–
This was a post by Lior Levin who works for a psd to css company that does psd conversions. Lior also advises to the MA in security program at the Tel Aviv university. You can find Lior on Twitter as Liors

Thank you, Lior. I love the way you approach ideas!

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

Buy the Insider’s Guide to Online Conversation.

Simon Mainwaring says We First – Do You?

Filed Under Business Book, Great Finds, Marketing, Successful Blog | 4 Comments

We First: An Invitation to Build a Better World
By Simon Mainwaring
Founder, We first

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Let me start out by saying this is a big picture blog. I am seeking your support for a movement to build a better world. That’s a sizeable request, I know, but let me explain because this will be important to you both personally and professionally.Several years ago, I read a speech Bill Gates gave at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He asked corporate leaders to come up with new models to justify doing business in the poorest regions of the world. He exhorted that corporations have an obligation to raise the standards of living throughout the world, even if they cannot capture their usual profit margins. Gates called it “creative capitalism” and he challenged the business world to get involved.

Does this message resonate with you? Do you think the world could be in better shape were capitalism to function better?

I did. Gates inspired me and I began thinking. Since then, I have devoted myself to formulating ideas that could fundamentally alter how we practice business. I call it We First capitalism in opposition to Me First capitalism. It is based on the premise that we are now living in a complex, interconnected, globalized world of 7 billion people in which our economic decisions and business practices ripple everywhere to impact millions of other people. We can no longer accept that capitalism functions as an engine of selfish short-term wealth creation, winner-take-all, profit-for-profit’s sake system of commerce. Capitalism cannot remain an elite economic activity whose results provide happiness and prosperity for a limited group of stakeholders, leaving billions of others living without opportunity or hope, and our planet in shambles.

My purpose in formulating We First capitalism is to persuade corporations and businesses of all sizes that we all must accept greater social responsibility. Building a better world must become what our businesses do every day as part and parcel of our operations, not something we do after we make our profits. The scale of crises in the world needs more than charitable contributions reluctantly squeezed out of pre-tax net profits. Business itself must become a smarter engine of constructive contribution to solving the world’s problems, not just a mindless motor churning out profits from our consumer culture.

In recent years, we have seen many of the leading companies in the world start to tackle their social responsibility. Brands like Nike, Starbucks, Pepsi, Patagonia, and even the largest brands like P&G and Unilever are responding with programs to implement sustainable manufacturing, develop Fair Trade suppliers who support indigent farmers, and assist NGOs on the ground not just with their money but with their expertise, distribution resources, and leadership. We First is not wishful thinking for two reasons. First, research shows that consumers are increasingly attracted to companies that practice social responsibility. They prefer to do business with socially-oriented companies and they are even willing to switch brands to a product that supports a cause if the price is about equal, especially Moms and Millennials who are the major markets for many consumer products.

Secondly, social media is connecting up consumers and empowering them as never before to have a voice and communication outlets to talk back to irresponsible businesses. Through their fan pages on Facebook and twitterstreams, consumers have new opportunities to protest against the bad actors of the business world, to organize boycotts and buycotts, to reward the good and punish the offenders. New smart phone apps are giving consumers the tools to scan barcodes and get information right in the shopping aisle about a product’s ecological and social footprint so they can make smarter choices about which companies they want to support.



So whether you are a corporate executive, manager, entrepreneur, or small business owner, the movement to temper capitalism and bring social responsibility to the forefront is going to impact you and your business. If you are looking for guidance as to how to respond, I hope you will order We First and join other individuals and companies in building a better world.

——

wefirst-book

Simon Mainwaring is the founder of We First, a social branding consultancy that helps companies, non-profits and consumer groups build a better world through changes to the practice of capitalism, branding, and consumerism using social technology. You can find more about We First capitalism and its principles in his book, We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World (Palgrave/Macmillan, June 2011) at www.wefirstbook.com

Simon writes at SimonMainwaring.com and you find him on Twitter as @simonmainwaring

Thanks, Simon! It was easy to feature what you’re doing. I know your head is connected to your heart.

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

SOB Business Cafe 01-07-11

Filed Under Great Finds, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 3 Comments

SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking — articles, books, podcasts, and videos about business online written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Business Insider
First, only 8% of American adults use Twitter. This is more evidence that, despite its enormous popularity among tech and media folks–and its massive global user numbers–Twitter has yet to go mainstream.

Second, fully half of these Twitter users basically never listen to a word anyone else says. In other words, half of Twitter users use Twitter as a sort of digital closet that they go into once in a while to mutter to themselves, with no one else listening.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-usage-2010-12#ixzz1AH3h8pV0

THE TRUTH ABOUT TWITTER: Half Of Twitter Users Never Listen To A Word Anyone Else Says

Top Rank
I know the right thing to do is talk about social strategy and broader level considerations before getting into the tactical details and specific tasks. Sometimes showing minute by minute examples of what a Community Manager does is jumping the gun for a new discussion on social media but it might be the only way to reach those that will perform the new role. Think of it as bottom up social media strategy if you have to. The more front line and middle managers that “get it”, the more powerful winning executive support will be.

What Does a Community Manager Do? Take a Glimpse.

Cloud Ave
Yet in 2010 I noticed the impact that Technology/Brand Evangelists are having on their companies. I noticed how they’re using social media to create real sales opportunities. I noticed how they’re creating exceptional buzz around their brands that was once the domain of the world’s largest media powerhouses.
And I noticed why Robert Scoble exemplifies this phenomenon.

Bottom line: These Evangelists are creating real shareholder value. Allow me to make the case.

Does Every Company Need a Robert Scoble?

eMarketer
“Bringing Facebook profile data into retail sites makes sense because it influences consumers when they are close to conversion,” said Jeffrey Grau, eMarketer principal analyst and author of the new report “Social Commerce: Personalized and Collaborative Shopping Experiences.” “In contrast, many consumers on Facebook are mainly socializing with friends and further removed from making purchase decisions.”

The Future of Social Shopping

Ask Spike
The one point that I would like to make is this: the words are gone. And ultimately, don’t you want your icon – your company – your brand – to be so well-known and ubiquitous THAT YOU DON’T NEED YOUR COMPANY NAME in your logo any more?

A Quick Word about the Starbucks Logo

Smashing Magazine
The performance of a website including a background video depends significantly on the speed of the user’s internet connection. Video backgrounds certainly do not fit in every setting; they wouldn’t be meaningful in online magazines or blogs. However, they can work really well in entertainment and certain corporate settings which are supposed to communicate artistic qualities, exclusivity, branding or even high quality standards.

Creative Use Of Video in Web Design: Background Videos

Related ala carte selections include

Adrian Chan at gravity7

Social Media Personality Types
View more presentations from adrian chan.

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like. No tips required. Comments appreciated.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Buy the Insider’s Guide to Online Conversation.

I’m a proud affiliate of

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How to Make Quality the Signal above the Time and Money Noise

Filed Under Community, Great Finds, Marketing, Successful Blog, Writing | 1 Comment

10-Point Plan: Train Self-Managing Teams with an Outstanding Bias Toward Quality

Show Me in the Contract Where It Assures the Work Will Be Good

insideout logo

Spend enough time in business you hear the saying, “Fast, Quick, and Good, Can’t have all three!” or some version of it. In my business it was Quality, Schedule, Budget, Pick Two!”

I watched and wondered for years what made this algorithm work. Observation proves that without constant surveillance it consistently comes out the same.

Schedule and Budget win out over Quality.

Quality is hard to define, protect, and keep. It’s high touch, high concept, by it’s very nature qualitative and subject to discussion. Schedule and budget are right there, out loud, down on paper easy for everyone to measure and see.

In a business endeavor, every member of a team knows exactly how late, how much over budget some effort might be, but few can agree how much it has slipped on quality.

If we’re talking about products, it’s hard enough judge the quality gap — that’s the job of the product team.
But suppose we’re talking about quality leadership, quality thinking, quality communication, quality relationships, or living out a quality social media strategy?

How Do You Keep the Noise of Time and Money from Killing Quality?

Quality leadership does the quality thinking that forms the quality decisions. It’s quality communication that builds long-term quality relationships. That kind of quality is at the foundation of any team endeavor that succeeds. It’s also the at the core of any quality social media strategy.


Whether we’re talking to employees, customers, or volunteers, it’s important that we telegraph with every nuance of our brand that quality will always be the signal above the noise of time and money. Because quality is about them.

How do we build an outstanding bias toward quality into the fabric of our organization and our teams? Use the same steps we used to build a brand-values baseline and if you can, invite help from that same core team.

Research has proven we go where we look and we change what we measure. If we want our bias toward quality in thinking, leadership, communication, and relationships to grow, we have to look at, measure and talk about them in the same ways we do schedule and budget. If we want quality to be the signal above the noise, we have to invest our schedule and budget in making it so.

People look at what we do — not what we say — to know what we believe.

How do you prove to your employees, customers, and volunteers that quality is above the noise of time or money?

READ the Whole 10-Point Plan Series: On the Successful Series Page.

Be Irresistible.

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

Buy the Insider’s Guide to Online Conversation.

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