Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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

Introducing Thomas R. Clifford, the Blog

Filed Under Successful Blog | 4 Comments

SOB Hall of Famer: Thomas R. Clifford

thomas r. clifford

Thomas R. Clifford is a award-winning documentary filmmaker. His Director Tom blog focuses on igniting conversations by helping people tell their story authentically and dynamically. His passion for the past 23 years has been filmming remarkable stories from remarkable organizations. Tom uses that passion that has produced films for a variety of organizations — including The NFL Hall of Fame, Deloitte, and more — to give readers a look into the “what and how” of corporate filmmaking.

Tom also co-produced a one hour worldwide documentary entitled, “The Men Who Brought the Dawn.” It featured the surviving airmen who flew both atomic missions to Japan. A shorter version was produced for the NASM at the Smithsonian Institution to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the atomic missions.That experience and expertise shines throughout his remarkable blog.

Notes from Liz: When I spoke with Tom on the phone, his enthusiasm for the blogosphere and for sharing what he does was wildly contagious. When he talks about making corporate films, he talks about diamonds . . . “the job is not done until they are cut perfectly.” It’s easy to see why he calls the folks he films at each organization heroes — he makes sure that he tells the story in a way that they truly are. Tom’s blog is energy, information, and techniques, made readable.

Thanks, Tom, for wanting to share what you’ve learned in your award-winning career.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Has your SOB Blog Been Introduced to US?
Blog Promotion: May I Introduce You?

We Know A Lot About Blogging . . .

Filed Under Comments, Community, Links, Marketing, Outside the Box, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 10 Comments

. . . And Here’s the Wrap-up

This week on Tuesday Open Comments Night we talked about the use of blogs in the classroom, blogging mistakes that were doozies, blogging about books, podcasts, giving away ideas and solving problems, when to move forward with a secondary website or blog, introducing folks to blogging for business, redesigning blogs, publishing books, business and blogging goals for 2007, business books, making money from a blog, people who comment on blogs — or don’t, favorite blog platforms, links to your blog, blog carnivals, memes, migrating to another platform, hosting services, domains and vendors, writing books, MP3 laws, and spam.

There was also conversation about the new year, chauffeuring kids, weather challenges, poetry, health issues, food and drink, studying languages, and a duck.

Here’s some of the links we shared.

Thanks for the cool links and for being part of the conversation. I wish I could quote you all, but I know you have an idea of how much time it takes to make that long link summary happen each week. I hate to let it go, but I thought you’d understand.

So, for 2007, we’ll just tell the story and share the links that you bring.

After all, how DO YOU explain Open Comment Night, if you’ve never experienced it?

See you next? I sure hope so.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Chris Cree Is a B.A.D. Blogger!

Filed Under B.A.D. Blogger, Community, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 10 Comments

Blogger A Day Call: Hello is Chris there?

The phone call came from Savannah, Georgia, and in reality, it was Chris Cree asking for me. Let’s just say that Chris Cree has my number. . . .

What fun it is to have a conversation with Chris! From the first words, I knew it would be an adventure. Even when Chris is dead on serious talking about life and it’s ups and downs, he knows the value of laughter and sharing it with other people. Chris has a way of adding a spark of life to things.

Chris and I talked about his upcoming speaking role in Savannah’s first ever Blogging Conference. I teased him that I had to read about it on is blog. He laughed with me. He said he knew of a whole group who had signed up already just for his business blogging seminar. That’s so cool! I wish we could all get together and take road trip down to see it.

That bit of conversation led us into a discussion of his new clients. He’s choosing his clients carefully and has a great outlook. “If there’s no joy in it, I might as well stay in my day job,” is how he sees it. His newest clients are raring to go — how excited they are to be breaking into blogging. I’d say that Chris’ criteria seems to be working.

Chris is looking forward to getting these clients running before he comes to Chicago next week. When he returns, he’ll be showing them the details — ins and outs of trackbacks and coding. Yet, Chris has confidence that his handholding won’t last long. He says the fire he saw in the group was sure to ignite in one individual who would take up blogging naturally.

I suspect Chris will be introducing a new member of Tuesday night comments to all of us in a few months.

Chris and I talked about the lovely morning writing time while our significant others are still asleep. He says the irony is that he gets up early because he’s not a morning person. I think that nothing could make him a morning person more quickly than having that time alone to write. We both think of that time as a bit of a luxury. It’s cool to think that he’s writing when I am.

As I write this, I still hear myself telling Chris how my morning ritual includes a moment, when I whisper, “Honey, Sleep longer, a little longer, sleep, sleep, sleep.”

B.A.D. Blogger Quote

I meet new people I would never connect with otherwise, people from all over the world. I love it. I don’t have to be someone I’m not. I like it because I can be just be.” –Chris Cree

Stop by Chris’ Blog, SuccessCREEations, and say hi!

Thanks, Chris, you B.A.D. Blogger!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Want to be a B.A.D. Blogger see the. . . . a B.A.D. Blogger? page in the sidebar.

Introducing Principled Innovation

Filed Under SOB Business, Successful Blog | Leave a Comment

SOB Hall of Famer: Principled Innovation by Jeff De Cagna

You?

principled innovation

The Principled Innovation Blog, written by Jeff De Cagna, seeks to drive a new conversation in the community of non-profit membership associations. Innovation is critical to the long-term success of associations and, contrary to popular belief, it is possible for associations to innovate in a principled, values-based way. And yet many people still believe that “association innovation” is a contradiction in terms. The Principled Innovation Blog will always push back against the popular mythology and prevailing orthodoxy surrounding innovation, and will continue to challenge association leaders to accept responsibility for making innovation happen in their organizations.

Notes from Liz: Jeff’s blog is definitely one that’s dedicated to a niche, and when I say dedicated I mean all of the time and personal investment that word can imply. You can hear Jeff’s commitment and energy in every paragraph. He’s taken the time to show exactly how much he believes in the idea of strategic innovation to create a new culture of growth and success in the world of nonprofit associations. He has me convinced.

Thanks, Jeff, for sharing your vision that quality, principles, and values matter in every endeavor where people work together.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Has your SOB Blog Been Introduced to US?
Blog Promotion: May I Introduce you?

6 Easy Steps to a Career Basecamp in Cyberspace

Filed Under Branding, Customer Think, Marketing, Strategy, Successful Blog | 29 Comments

It Was Someone Else’s Turn

Personal Branding logo

When our son was 9 months old, my husband said to me, “I’ve done everything I want with my career. From this point I don’t expect a lot of new challenges — 21 years is a long time. It’s someone else’s turn. . . . You’re having such fun with what you’re doing. If you can replace my salary, I’ll stay home with the baby.”

I did. He did.

This morning I realized that 21 years later, I had a similar conversation at a trade show. A VP asked why I started blogging. This was my reply.

“Because I was a VP of Publishing, this industry sees me as a product person. Folks don’t value my experience in marketing, acquisitions, and training.”

He said, “You’re right. When I look at a resume, I look at job titles first. Then, if I’m interested, I look at skill sets.”

“That’s why I blog,” I said. “My blog is a 360 degree resume. It’s an ongoing interview in cyberspace.”

It’s true. A blog can be that.

These days no one has job security. Everyone needs an updated resume. Why settle for only a resume?

You can blog your way to brand that defines who you are and what you do much more completely. Make your blog a foundation — a career basecamp in cyberspace — a showcase of skills and expertise you have that future employers and clients need.

Turn the page. I’ll show you how.

Read more

« go back — keep looking »