Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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

Talking Decisions and Self-Promotion with JenChicago

Filed Under Inside-Out Thinking, Successful Blog | 16 Comments

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You Just Watch

Friday morning, I met Jen Knoedl for an interview. We walked to a quiet part of Millenium Park. We talked about blogging, building a career that works, being a leader on your path . . . productivity, decisions, and SOBCon.

She’s left her corporate job to go for her dream — to be a talk show host Jen Chicago. Will she make it? She asks the best questions and edits like a fox. You just watch!!

UPDATE: JEN just posted it to the NBC 5 Street Team Blog Go See!

Here’s a bit she’s put together on decisions.


Liz Strauss: Choices and Decisions from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

and another on Self-Promotion


Liz Strauss: Self Promotion from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

No doubt.

Wow!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Get your best voice in the conversation!

Critical Skill 10: The 4 Keeper Traits of Productivity — Are YOU the New Killer App?

Filed Under Inside-Out Thinking, Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 8 Comments

Think and DO!!

Finding Ideas Outside of the Box logo 2

Are you guilty of having too many ideas?
Do people run when you get a brilliant thought?
Been there. The Internet and the innovative offline world are bursting with what ifs and how abouts.

BUT . . .
ideas vaporize when all we do is think about them.

We need to DO something with ideas to make something happen.

The 4 Keeper Traits of Productivity

In this series, I’ve laid out critical thinking skills important to success in a world of thinkers. Each is a way of using our minds to work with information and ideas to solve problems and move actions forward. The first nine skills aren’t much without the ability to manage and to apply them.

Productivity gets noticed because it produces results.

Various Language Products Written or Managed by Liz Strauss

Self-sustaining productivity gets noticed.

Whether it’s millions of books made especially for kids or it’s millions of kids who learned to read, because teachers cared that they did.

Results are the point. What good is all of this critical thinking without something to show for it?

Self-sustaining productivity has four keeper traits.

They all begin with C.

Self-sustaining productivity is confidence in relationships on the street, in the workshop, and in the boardroom. It’s confidence in ourselves and confidence that others invest in us.

I wrote this paragraph in the introduction to this series.

Intellectual property–content–is an asset that not only gets produced, but reproduced, reconfigured, and repurposed for variety of media. Those who produce intellectual property are builders of wealth. An original idea that solves a problem or presents an opportunity is worth more now than it ever has been. Those who develop and mold original ideas are the new “killer app.”

Be social. Network all you can. But don’t neglect the time to stretch your mind.

What are you doing to think ideas, solve problems, and make new realities?

Yeah, you. Can you be. . . will you be . . . are you the new killer app?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
The 10 Skills Most Critical to Your Future
Finding Ideas Outside the Box
Personal Branding: Strengths Assessment Tool
Brand YOU–What’s the BIG IDEA?

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SOBCon08: Badges, Subscriptions, Thank yous, and Biz School Mastermind Program

Filed Under Inside-Out Thinking, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 6 Comments

So Long 08, Here Comes 09!!

SOBCon08 Logo50

Now that I have a moment to reflect, I’m overwhelmed by the people who contributed to make SOBCon08, Biz School for Bloggers, the first of it’s kind. Not every moment came off without a hitch, but we were all on the same side of the table, pulling the same direction. How cool is that?!!

This weekend we’ll have finished going through the email lists and sponsor subscription offers so that we can send out the codes for you to sign up for pro accounts next week to those who attended. That email will include other news so watch for it.

Meanwhile I wanted to share a few badges with you to say “Thanks for the memories.” Feel free to “steal” one for your blog. I’ll be putting them in the SOBCon blog sidebar as well.

SOBCon08 See you in 09 badge

SOBCon08 I Was There badge

SOBCon08 I was a speaker badge

The Thank Yous

Thank you to the speakers who brought what they know without holding back. The content offer was 10 to the 23rd power higher than the price of admission. You all did that.

Thank you to our generous sponsors and partners.

And, of course, THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE ATTENDEES who’s ideas and participation really made the event what it was.

Introducing the Models and MasterMinds Group

Models and Masterminds

For those who couldn’t attend and for those who would like to extend the experience, I’m forming a limited mastermind group. The mastermind group program will cover the SOBCon08, Biz School for Bloggers, content in depth and extend it in detail to fit your business. This is an opportunity to learn solid business models, make an immediately actionable plan, and form deep networking relationships with a support group that will help you move your business forward.

The first Biz School for Bloggers mastermind group of five starts June 16. Other projects limit the space I can offer. Email me now if you want to participate –> lizsun2 at gmail.com.

Watch for other offers.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Focus your business like never before. Join the MasterMind Program with Liz!!

10 Advantages of Being A Beginner in a Blogger’s World

Filed Under Basics, Inside-Out Thinking, Successful Blog | 17 Comments

I Feel So Lucky!

Girl watching

We’ve all had the experience of not knowing how to do something. From the first day of school to the first day of work to our first try at almost anything, the experience of a new challenge can be joyful, exciting, and intimidating.

We like to know things. We like to learn things, but we don’t always like folks watching us learning.

That’s the special appeal of blogging.

The Advantages of Being a Beginner in a Blogger’s World

When I came to my first blog as a beginner, I found an realm of amazing people who made the way easier and more meaningful. They offered their shoulders to stand on as they shared their experience. I can’t help but recognize all I’ve learned in this Blogger’s World.

Some folks want to be an expert blogger. Me? The longer I’m here, the more I want to stay a beginner, for these and a bunch more reasons.

  1. Bloggers love beginners. We all remember our first blog post.

  2. Bloggers are connectors — link love is the culture. Beginners meet a friend and find a community.

  3. Bloggers are explorers or we wouldn’t be here. Beginners can find help to explore anything.

  4. Bloggers are generous and helpful people. Bloggers love to share their discoveries with beginners.

  5. As a beginner, I can try to blog about almost anything.

  6. The beginner in me can talk to bloggers who are as passionate as I am — even what I’m just trying.

  7. Every blogger knows something I don’t — it’s an endless opportunity for a beginner’s mind.

  8. Blogging is more fun when it’s about what I’m learning, not about what I know.

  9. Beginners get comments from people who see and know more. Every comment connects us and offers a new way to see the world.

  10. Beginners don’t look to be the best of all — today I want to be better than yesterday.

Thinking, writing, having ideas and talking about them has been a wonder. Making relationships and connections has made my life richer. I’m a better writer, listener and marketer. Most of all being here has made me a better person. I want to stay a beginner. New beginnings are exciting.

Have you thought about staying a beginner?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
SOBCon08 is May 2,3,4 in Chicago. Register now!

Getting Unstuck: Clear Thoughts During Chaos

Filed Under Inside-Out Thinking, Successful Blog | 9 Comments

Stop, Look, Listen

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Ever felt like your life is about weaving a fabric and events seem to keep unraveling what you just made? To me, that’s the definition of being overwhelmed. The chaos of too much to do in too little time can get us in a frenzy of reacting, rather than being in control.

What to do first is the decision we’re after. Sometimes we decide. Then we decide again.

Later hindsight tells what the decisions should have been. Why is hindsight better?

At times of chaos, we’re off balance. We get stuck in our heads. Our heads and our experience try to interrupt, but they’re more noise in the middle of too much. When the situation is over, hindsight brings all three together to look at what we did. Decisions are clearer when we calmly bring all of ourselves to them.

Getting Unstuck: Clear Thoughts During Chaos

One way to bring calm to chaos is simply getting out of where we’re stuck. I learned this from No Enemies Within, a book by Dawna Markova. (It’s unfortunately out of print. Still if you can find a copy I highly recommend it.)

Getting in touch with who we are, where we are, what we’re physically doing gets us back in balance. Stress lifts. Anxiety is relieved by perspective. Noise becomes information or fades away. We’re no longer stuck in one angular view. Empirical data centers us in the universe and in ourselves. We bring a sense of ourselves to sorting chaos . . . head, heart, and purpose focused together.

How do you still yourself so that you can move forward?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!! SOBCon08 is May 2,3,4 in Chicago. Register now!

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