web counter

The Real-World Social Media Heroes List

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 20 Comments

Who Are the Real-World Social Media Heroes?

Cars_on_Wet_Lake_Shore_Drive_by_Liz_Strauss

In 2006, Time Magazine named us as “. . . an explosion of productivity and innovation, and it’s just getting started, as millions of minds that would otherwise have drowned in obscurity get backhauled into the global intellectual economy.”

This morning, listening to the cars on the wet pavement outside my window, as I consider requests for real-world causes, I’m thinking about what we’re doing with that explosion of innovation Time magazine described and the opportunity they saw within it.

This is an opportunity to build a new kind of international understanding, not politician to politician, great man to great man, but citizen to citizen, person to person. It’s a chance for people to look at a computer screen and really, genuinely wonder who’s out there looking back at them. (Time Magazine)

Oh yeah, we’re doing lots of that, but have we lost track of how few of us there are and how small our conversation really is?

Few people in the cars driving by think or care about the words flying from my computer to yours. But I care and I know that if you’re reading this, you probably care too.

It’s awfully fun to explore these innovate tools of communication, but the truth is Internet tools aren’t much if they can’t fix problems the Internet didn’t cause.

Some folks never missed that point from the start. They’re not the ones who are always quoted. You can’t measure their success in followers. They’re the ones with their feet on the ground.

Let’s celebrate the folks who are using social media tools to change lives and businesses slowly, solidly in concrete and lasting ways. They’re the ones who are changing the world.

I’ve started a list with those three: Beth Kanter, Robyn McMaster, and JP Rangaswami. Who are the real-world social media heroes you see? Who are the folks using the tools to make a difference in the world?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Get your best voice in the conversation!

Share This

What Do You Do When the World Makes You Feel Small?

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 14 Comments

Looking Up

I grew up with two brothers - one who is 8 years older than me and one who is 15 months older than he is. Winning at anything was a losing proposition unless they were placating me. One brother says he decided that I was his personal pet. The other brother said most days somewhat of a pest.

That’s not to say we don’t love each other to death . . . But relationships and little kids can wear on big brothers’ smiles, and I was a little kid who was particularly good wearing things out. It was a lonely “talent” and it often caused responses that made me feel smaller than the little kid I already was.

Yet as I look back, I realize that I learned a lot from my brothers who choose not to entertain the pesty, persistent interrupter that I was.

I learned to find my own measure of how big I am.

With enough practice walking off with my chin on my chest, I figured out that it’s hard to smile when I’m looking down. I also noticed that sidewalks and feet present limited possibilities to think about. We’ll not even talk about how boring I find mulling over the idea of the world is against me again.

looking_up_from_sxc.hu

Looking up has much more to offer than looking down.

Just raising chin makes me feel taller and like I belong. Looking up offers new perspectives and possibilities. Even if I imagine myself tiny enough to stand under a flower I feel important enough to accomplish what I came here for.

Looking up is where the light is, where the clouds can take any form.

When things get big and I’m overwhelmed by it all, I look up. I feel power.

It’s hard to feel less than anyone else under the sky that’s bigger than everyone.

What do you do when the world makes you feel small?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
image: sxc.hu
Work with Liz!!

Get your best voice in the conversation!

Share This

Jumping a Tuesday Train to a Four-Day Week

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 6 Comments

Stop the Train! I Wanna Get On!

speeding_train_from_sxc.hu

In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill officially changed the observation of U.S. Federal Holidays to Mondays. It took effect in 1971.

Whose bright idea was that? Mondayless four-day weeks start in the middle with no chance to catch up.

That law is another brilliant accident that occurs when folks don’t think through the implications of grand ideas before they make them reality.

Transitions back to the work week are hard enough. Starting on Tuesday is like jumping a train that refuses to stop to let passengers on.

If I’d been asked, I’d have voted for Fridays, not Mondays, off. Jumping off a moving train is easier than jumping on one.

It’s a small thing for sure, but it’s a distraction to get operations back in line. The four-day holiday weeks never fully seem to be fully on track. Guess it’s good I work at home.

I’m just sayin’ . . .

What about you?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Get your best voice in the conversation!

Share This

A Conversation about Life in Perpetual Beta

Filed Under Interviews, Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 9 Comments

Thank You, Melissa

I met Melissa Pierce at SOBcon. She’s an attractive and focused woman with a wonderful project called “Life in Perpetual Beta.” It’s going to be an interactive movie made from, around, and through interviews with people who live their lives by embracing positive change.

This conversation with Melissa was filmed out by Belmont Harbor in Chicago. We talked about life online, leadership, and how things come together.

I’m thrilled to be a part of this project. I’m also honored by what she wrote about the video on her blog.

Paradox Found - Liz Strauss Bridges the Gap



Paradox Found - Liz Strauss Bridges the Gap.


Head over to read the blog about it. Then watch a few more interviews. You’ll be glad you did. Daniel Pink, author of “A Whole New Mind” is supposed to go up today. I can’t wait for that one.

Thanks, Melissa! It’s going to be some movie, when to put all of this together!

No doubt.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Get your best voice in the conversation!

Share This

Step by Step

Filed Under Guest Writer, Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 5 Comments

Beach Notes by Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

 Today’s beach notes has a new twist:
Idea and image by Suzie and the verse by Des Walsh

beach notes-onefoot
(c) Suzie Cheel


Yesterday as we were walking on the beach, earlier than usual I saw this perfect line of single footsteps and thought that would be great for beach notes. I sometimes get impatient taking one step at a time. As Des says ” You are not a kangaroo”!

Des then penned these words:

We were made

To go one step at a time

We try too often

To rush the process

We stumble

When will we learn?

Step by step works.

I know when I take one step and follow through things flow. I am learning:)

–Suzie Cheel

Share This

keep looking »