That Christmas Week — When No One’s There

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 8 Comments

I've been thinking . . .
This is a Friday when most folks aren’t in the office. When I used to have an office away from my home, this day and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day were my favorite days to sneak in for an hour or two to organize things.

It was the “be there when you don’t have to be” feeling.

It was the “be with the handful of folks who are also there” camaraderie.

It was the “I can clean out my files and talk about anything” freedom.

It was the “everyone has taken a vacation from deadlines” lack of stress.

It was the “I can toss this, move that, and add a picture” comfort and pride of ownership.

It was the space, the quiet, the room to breathe.

We spend more waking time in our offices than in our living rooms. It only took an hour or two to make my space somewhere I wanted to be.

Liz's Signature

The Work We Do

Filed Under Business Book, Business Life, Motivation/Inspiration, Perfect Virtual Manager, Successful Blog | 3 Comments

A Few Words from Michael E. Gerber

I read this last night, and I had to share it with you.

“He said,’The work we do is a reflection of who we are. If we’re sloppy at it, it’s because we’re sloppy inside. If we’re late at it, it’s because we’re late inside. If we’re bored by it, it’s because we’re bored inside, with ourselves, not with the work. The most menial work can be a piece of work done by an artist. So the job here is not outside of ourselves, but inside of ourselves. How we do our work becomes a mirror of how we are inside.’ ” –Michael E. Gerber, The E-Myth Revisited, pp. 199-200.

I can’t add a word to improve that.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

The book is in my store and at Amazon.

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.

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How to Age Ideas Like a Fine Cognac OR Making Compelling Writing the Center of Your Brand

Filed Under Audience, Branding, Idea Bank, Motivation/Inspiration, Outside the Box, Successful Blog, Writing | 13 Comments

I Love My Pocket Journal

Finding Ideas Outside of the Box logo 2

Yesterday in the comments to Inside Out Thinking: Catching Ideas Coming In and Going Out, Hans at Blogosquare asked a question that was one I had when I first started writing. That made me think that others might have it as well. You see, Han’s problem is that he has too many ideas and his exuberance makes him anxious to use them all as soon as he gets them.

. . . I just don’t have to sit back and wait for thoughts, actually they are filling me. When I get a thought, . . . I just can’t wait for that thought to leave me. So I write it down quickly, quickly and post it and there when I see it I feel much relieved.
How in fact to you deal with thoughts when they come in? Should I set myself to some relaxation or things like this? All day long everything I see, read, and hear just give me thoughts and ideas. . . . Right now after reading the post above, I just got that thought and couldn’t wait to put it down, to get it off my mind. Am I not normal? [edited with Hans permission]

Hans, my friend, I value you and your passion for writing. Turn the page and I’ll answer your question with the seriousness it deserves.

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Inside Out Thinking: Catching Ideas Coming In and Going Out

Filed Under Idea Bank, Motivation/Inspiration, Outside the Box, Successful Blog, Writing | 13 Comments

Everyone Has Endless Ideas

Finding Ideas Outside of the Box logo 2

Ideas.

Can’t write without one. I’ve tried. It doesn’t work.

If you’re reading this, you probably know that. So let’s move around that dead, old horse.

What’s an idea anyway? A thought, a stimuli, a catalyst.

Everyone has endless ideas in our brains every minute that we’re alive.

We can get to them two ways — from the inside or from the out.

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