Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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

5 Ways to Mine Gold When It’s Raining

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 4 Comments

Last night we went out to dinner, the weather was unfriendly — cold, rainy, with a hard wind blowing us down the street. As we sat in our favorite pub enjoying the haven, we listened as each person commented on the weather as they arrived.

People competed for negative adjectives — awful, frightful, dismal and nasty were just a handful they chose. … And they frowned when they said them.

And each time those remarks were made, I thought I wanted to back off from the speaker. Who wants to be talking with someone who’s mad about the rain? Let’s just say we’re not golden when we’re unhappy with things we’re not about to change.

5 Ways to Mine Gold When It’s Raining Outside

This morning before I even look out the window, I could hear that the day wasn’t bringing any spring sunshine. No folks would be running along the beach. This is not picnic time. I started to form the thought, “another nasty day,” then I stopped myself thinking “nah, think like that and I won’t want to spend the day anywhere near me.”

I decided that today has every potential to be golden.

<a href="http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=469365"> Photo by Pat4 </a>

Photo by Pat4 -- Click image.


I can find gold with everything I try.

  1. I can write with my own light about the people who inspire me.
  2. I can look for the golden opportunities to help other folks shine.
  3. I can mine my archives for ideas that will become stellar blog posts.
  4. I can gather sparks of insight and energy from my friends and the wisdom they write.
  5. I can take the example of the power of the rain outside my window and apply that power in my life.

Nothing wrong with not wanting to be cold, wet, and blown around. I’m choosing not to participate in a day that’s not human friendly. If I don’t have to, I probably won’t join it. But I’ve decided it’s not at all awful, frightful, dismal, or nasty. It’s a chance to see what I make shine inside.

How do you mine gold in your life?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Go for the Gold Inside You!

11:00 - Liz Strauss on Building a Personal Development Network

Filed Under Marketing, Successful Blog | 68 Comments

The theme of SOBCon09 is the ROI of Relationships. Relationships with customers, employees, colleagues, coworkers, builders, contractors, developers, and CUSTOMERS — in the form of readers, buyers, clients, and others — are the success of any business.

How do we form the best relationships; bring our best to them; build environments that nurture them; and measure our success?

Join the Comment Box Conference. Ask questions. Discuss answers. Meet people in the comment box. Find out.

Liz Strauss

Liz is a social web strategist and community builder. Coming from a background of publishing, business, and instructional design, Liz understands how people perceive a blog, a product, and an experience — how the head and heart engage to make a fiercely loyal customer. She can articulate what makes things irresistible — what keeps people coming back — from literacy, editorial, design, and marketing sensitivities. Liz will tell you that brands and social media are the same in that “You gotta live it, walking ever word you speak.”

Today Liz is here to talk about how to build a personal development network of support and growth. Some ideas and talking points might include:

Building a Personal Development Network

1. Start with a personal foundation built on concrete not sand.

Know what you know and never discount its value.

2. Know Your Context — Pick your path.

3. Enlist Developers — Choose unique and valuable guides.

4. Regularly Reassess — Seek opportunities to learn what you’re learning.

5. Develop Others — Return the favor and pay it forward.

6. AND THE ONE THAT WAS MISSING — Communicate. Let your network

Let’s let the questions start rolling. I’ll offer the first one!

Liz is a founder of the highly successful business and social media conference SOBCon She has been named to the Top 100 Social Media & Internet Marketing Bloggers Top 100 Most Influential Marketers of 2008, the 50 of the Most Powerful and Influential Women of Social Media, NxE’s Fifty Most Influential ‘Female’ Bloggers

Liz Strauss writes about branding, social media and how businesses can use the entrepreneurial spirit to understand and build successful relationships and communities on the Internet. You’ll find her at Successful-blog.
Follow @lizstrauss at Twitter.

Register for SOBCon09 NOW!!
Develop your strongest personal network.

Will I See You at WordCamp Las Vegas Jan. 10-11?

Filed Under Community, Successful Blog | 4 Comments

Flying without a Net?



Just put the finishing touches on my presentation. conversation. It’s called, “From Blog to Community,” but I think of it as “Flying on the Interwebs Without a Net.” No powerpoints, it’s going be the speaker’s version of a blog post.

WordCamp Las Vegas is a two-day event being held at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino, just off the Las Vegas strip on January 10 and 11, 2009. You’ll find the complete schedule here. I’m speaking on Sunday after lunch and I plan on keeping every one fully engaged.

Anyone who’s been to a WordCamp event knows they’re a great deal. $20 gets you a t-shirt and access to some outstanding speakers, including Matt Mullenweg, Aaron Hockley, Lorelle VanFossen, Dave Taylor and many more. And did I say I’d be there?

Let me know if you will be there too!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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SOBCon09 is May 1, 2,3 in Chicago. Register before 2009 and save!

Buyers, Readers, Buzz Snackers and Bandwidth Bandits

Filed Under Successful Blog, Tech/Stats | 5 Comments

Not Live, but from Blog World Expo

Some asked that I post my slide deck. I’m delighted to say an hour after I put it up on slide share last night it was featured on the front page.

The Presentation had two parts.

The main points of Part One are about stats.

The main points of Part Two are about strategically using stats.

The rest supports those points.

Buyers Readers Buzz Snackers Bandwidth Bandits By Liz Strauss
View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: strategy business)

Note: Clicking the little screen next to the x/23 pages allows you to see the show full screen.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Forget Brogan, Forget Me While You’re at It! Meet GLENDA at BlogWorld Expo!

Filed Under Successful Blog | 12 Comments

Go for the Gold

I’m writing in response to Brogan’s blog post. He’s only telling his part of the story.

Last year at BlogWorld Expo, the first person I met in the hall was Chris Brogan. I already knew him.

Yet everywhere I went there he was again. In the hallway, Chris Brogan. In the breakroom, Chris Brogan. In the lunchroom, Chris Brogan. I love Chris Brogan. I think he’s awesome, but I was beginning to think there were 55 of him.

Finally, I ducked into the b5 Chris Brogan-less educational session. What a joy! Who should I spy there in the front row, but my dear friend, Glenda Watson Hyatt and her husband! Of course, we had no chance to talk, because speakers were speaking. (Speakers seemed to be doing that in every session.)

Do you know Glenda Watson Hyatt? She’s the one you really want to go to BlogWorld Expo to meet. She’s a published author, an accomplished blogger, and an adovocate of accessibilty rights like no other. She’s also an SOB like most folks around here.

Of course, when I got my opportunity to talk to Glenda, who should be there already romancing her . . . yep, the infamous Mr. Chris.

Glenda_Watson_Hyatt_and_Liz_Strauss_BlogWorldExpo07

We got Brogan to take this picture — the three of us got some quality time talking together.

She’s the gold.

Forget about meeting me. Forget about meeting him. Glenda is the one.

Of course, then, you could meet all of us at BlogWorld Expo. It’s Sept 20-21 in Las Vegas, NV.

I hear the BawldGuy is going to be there too.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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