Job [and Client] Hunting ala Liz

Filed Under Branding, Business Life, Marketing, Strategy, Successful Blog | 23 Comments

Gosh You Look Great

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You have your act totally together. You know how to answer every question. You can explain how to capitalize on your strengths and how you make your weaknesses irrelevant. You can explain your biggest challenge and how you handled it with finesse and outstanding interpersonal skills. Your resume is a personal branding brochure and an inviting picture of who you are. You can see yourself as a leader and explain what your best traits are in simple, clear sound bytes. Your personal branding BIG IDEA shines through your eyes, your words, and everything you do. You are cool.

That doesn’t change the fact that job [and client] hunting is stressful. Even if you didn’t put your pants on backwards. Read more

Blogging Improves Job Prospects

Filed Under Business Life, Content, Strategy, Successful Blog | 8 Comments

The Boston Globe Says So

On Apri 16, boston.com, the blog of the Boston Globe, ran a story called Blogs ‘essential to a good career’. It’s a paid subscription to the old paper’s archives so I’m going to summarize the argument — use it when you need to explain blogging as more than an online diary.

The main points of the blog post are that

  • blogging gets folks visibility
  • blogs update more often and so rank higher in search engines when employers Google candidates, which employers are doing
  • blogging forms connection with other bloggers much like networking
  • blogging shows a blogger starting conversations and interacting with others, which are positive traits that employers look for
  • blogging is the consummate home page, resume, and interview put together
  • blogging is an education–in order to blog on any subject daily a blogger gets to know it well
  • blogging opens up opportunities–blogging IS walking the walk–a blogger can pretend to know and so opportunities start to show up.
  • blogging offers a chance to add content to the Internet rather than always taking it away.

But then, if you’re a blogger, you already knew that. In fact, you probably don’t need this list at all.

Here is the link to PAY FOR What’s Obvious.

Just kidding, Boston Globe. I’m the nice one. Really I am. I was also careful to have the article in the other room while I wrote this summary down.

[Hat tip to Kaps for helping me source link the article]
–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Did You Drive My Blog Yet?

Filed Under Basics, Community, Customer Think, Strategy, Successful Blog, Writing | Leave a Comment

Grab the Keys, Take a Spin

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Yesterday I wrote a few words about the Path of Favors–how they multiply and come back in lovely, unexpected ways. I was lucky in that through a path of favors a problem I’d been thinking about had been mentioned in passing. That lighted a doorway where I was able to walk through and enlist some help to move toward solving it.

I did. I asked folks who were reading yesterday to take the driver’s seat. I threw out the keys to my blog. After a minute or so getting used to the steering, we had quite a dialogue. It was fast and furious and filled with ideas that every blogger should know. It’s still being added to.

Whoa! Am I learning a lot. It’s thrilling to hear what people really think.

Thanks Again

Here or there it doesn’t matter where you write if you have comments. What matters is that your ideas are important to me. If you don’t want to drive my blog now, that’s okay. Do read what’s there from those who did. There’s great advice all through those comments. This blog got better just by having them.

Thanks to everyone who did, or will, take the keys and drive my blog.

Brand you and me is made of two.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
Introducing Customer Think

An Open Thought: Please Take the Keys

Filed Under Business Book, Comments, Customer Think, Successful Blog | 58 Comments

32 Reallys

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Last night, Gary paid me a stellar compliment for the whole world to see in two separate places. Wow, it was such a cool gesture, on so many levels, and totally unexpected. After a certain age, unexpected surprises aren’t usually good, so that made it even better.

On top of that, what Gary said underscored what I had said in the post that had started the entire chain of events–if you take a few minutes to do a favor for someone it often comes back in the most unexpected ways. Thank you, Gary. Thank you, Joe. Thank you, Keith.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. As my son used to say, “32 reallys.”

A Path of Favors

A whole string of events have occurred to lead up to this post. I think of them as a path of favors. One conversation led to another and then to another until we are here. The chain of events, the path of the two favors in question, went like this.

The Path of These Two Favors

    1. Joe and Keith each asked me to do a small favor–something I do anyway, every day–read and write.

    2. I was already at the keyboard when each man asked. Each favor took almost no time. Both favors were a fun break from the boring work I was doing, and both times I was left with a feeling of doing well by doing something good for someone else.

    3. My small gesture came to me in not two, but three, unexpected ways–from Joe, Keith, and then Gary.

Then a bonus occurred.

    4. Inside his response, Gary did me a favor in return without knowing it.

That’s the thing about favors and saying YES–the universe often starts saying YES back in so many ways. Favors reproduce faster than Easter bunnies (and folks don’t bite their heads off.)

Leaving a Thought Open

You see, I’ve been working on a problem with my writing, especially the writing I do on this blog. Conversation is so important to me. It gets lonely here inside the computer, and ideas need dialogue to grow. The blogosphere doesn’t need me talking at it. It needs folks talking together, shaping ideas–twisting and turning them, stretching them into new thinking. Besides, it’s more fun that way.

Gary stated my problem for me last night in a tactful and generous way–much better than I could have done myself. He said

I used to comment more than I do now, but she writes so completely that I find it difficult to add my thoughts to hers.

I know that’s a compliment, Gary. Thank you.

I value your mind and your thoughts and insights too. I can’t seem to figure out how to leave a thought open enough so that you and everyone else can have room to speak.

That’s the problem I’ve wanted to ask you about. My book background taught me to over-explain things. When I do that, you have no room to talk.

The Lost Relationship Builder

This particular skill, this blogger’s relationship builder–leaving a thought open–I had this skill not ago–It seems to be one I’ve lost track of. I keep tying things up so tightly, even I can see there’s not room to add much. I’ve been reading old posts to find out what I did differently a few months ago, especially this one, More Blog Designs to Discuss.

That was December 2005. Obviously my customer think was different then. It had to be. I’d love to get some of that back. We all need that skill.

Please Take the Keys

Movie stars have directors. Olympic athletes have coaches. I’m just a blogger. I have you.

If we’re talking about customer think–brand you and me–what better case study than this blog itself? You can’t hurt my feelings talking about my writing. I know it’s not who I am. I’d like to know how to get myself off the stage and back into the audience again. Will you tell me what you see? Would you do me that favor? Just say YES.

Sometimes the customer needs to be in the driver’s seat. Please take the keys.

How will I learn if you don’t?

Brand you and me.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Just Say YES!

Just Say YES!

Filed Under Branding, Business Life, Customer Think, Marketing, Successful Blog | 9 Comments

Unless There’s a Really Good Reason Not to

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When someone asks for a favor, just say yes. Most favors don’t take as long as thinking up a reason to turn them down would. Doing one feels better than turning one down does. You might be surprised at the ways that the favor comes back to you. I was reminded of that twice just this week with a lovely gesture and a clever response to a request for a critique. Take a look, if you have the time. I’d love for them to get them your comments.

There’s no rule that says you can’t run a business and have a heart. In fact, I look for a heart in the people I do business with.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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