Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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

A Turning Point, a Realization, and Time to Take Back the Keys

Filed Under SOB Business, Successful Blog | 29 Comments

The Turning Point

The Living Web

SOBCon08 had a different effect on each person who attended. It had a stunning impact on me.

A most interesting and pivotal decision came my way on Saturday, May 3rd. The conference I planned was not holding to schedule — I had planned too much to fit in too little time. It was a risk I took come to haunt me. As the day wore on, I realized something had to give. One choice presented itself as the best. I would give up my speaker’s slot. It was the only way to put the conference back on track.

At the time, I knew exactly what the choices were: choose to speak or choose for the event. I chose not to speak, knowing that people who attended for the first time would leave with an incomplete picture of who I am and what I do.

I’ve been tracking the impact of that decision. It’s been there in the blog posts and the comments about SOBCon this year.

I hit a turning point in my life.

The Realization

The part that was harder to face was the realization that had I been fully engaged as a leader, I never would have faced that choice at all. The conference would have had more of my hand behind it and more of voice in it on that day.

I knew what to do, but I didn’t do it, because ghosts from my past got in the way.

Who are ghosts to get in my way?

The clear message of SOBCon was that it’s time to step to the plate. Our blogs, our businesses have to be about serving our customers, but that can’t be at the cost of ourselves.

We each have to own our future. I’ve reflected hard on that thought these past two weeks. Today I’m taking back the keys. I’m walking my own path, shining my light on what I know worth sharing, turning off the noise that gets in the way. I’ll be bringing the most meaningful business and life conversations to this blog now — rather than keeping them behind the scenes.

It’s no longer my father’s saloon. The bar is still open. This time the drinks are on me.

What will you have?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

The SOBCon Influence According to BuzzLogic

Filed Under SOB Business, Successful Blog, Tech/Stats | 16 Comments

Conversationally

BuzzLogic logo

This news from Valerie Coombs at BuzzLogic . . .

I just did an influence query on “sobcon liz strauss” and got these results.

How did we get these results?
BuzzLogic’s influence algorithm takes a dozen factors into account in determining the influence of posts and a blog overall. They include:

Congrats to Lorelle VanFossen for the most influential post in the entire sobcon conversation!

SOBCon Remembered and Recommended

See below the Top 25 right as of the close of SOBCon.

  1. Liz Strauss
  2. Lorelle – Lorelle has the single most influential post ever about SOBCON!
  3. Phil Gerbyshak
  4. Brain Based Business
  5. David Armano
  6. The Blog Herald
  7. James D Walton
  8. Timothy L Johnson
  9. Bootsnall travel community
  10. Ben Yonkavitz
  11. Joe Hauckes
  12. Tim Draayer
  13. Des Walsh
  14. Dawud Miracle
  15. Jon Gatrell
  16. Drew McLellan
  17. FutureLab blog
  18. Kent Blumberberg
  19. Geoffrey Philp
  20. Robert Hruzek
  21. Christine Kane
  22. Amy Palko
  23. problogger
  24. Mary Schmidt
  25. Adam Kayce

See the screenshot of the Social Map around Lorelle’s post. Click to see it full size.

BuzzLogic Conversation around the Most Influential Blog Post

We will continue to watch the conversation and update you on changes…. Valerie, BuzzLogic

Do you have influence? Will the SOBCon blog posts you write change this listing?

For more about BuzzLogic, visit Jeremiah’s post of Shel’s Interview with the Co-Founder. Sandra and Valerie are both in the vid.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Joanna Young at SOBCon08

Filed Under Business Life, Successful Blog | 8 Comments


Joanna Young of Confident Writing (http://www.confidentwriting.com/) is a joy and a wonder. Here she is in Chicago at SOBCon08.

Liz Strauss,
Founder of SOBCon

Community Specialist, Product and Content Analyst, Social Web Strategist
Be irresistible.
Mobile post sent by lizsun using Utterz.  Replies.

Supertramp, Terry Starbucker, and Chicago

Filed Under Community, Successful Blog | 13 Comments

Music, Love, and All of that Light

Chicago River at night by bjmccray


Terry’s reflection on SOBCon inspired me to sit down again with my thoughts. My heart was filled to bursting when they drove me home on Sunday. It was Terry, Jesse, and Chrisg riding along and commenting on the blueness of the lake.

Dreamer, you know you are a dreamer, but can you put your hands in your head? — Supertramp, Breakfast in America

That is the song that drives me. It’s the song that makes SOBCon happen. It must be a blogger’s song too because Terry points out that “We’ve got the Dreamer’s Disease.”
Making dreams a reality is even easier with Terry around.

I’ve always been a dreamer who needs a building crew. And I had a crew of usual suspects who stepped up to help and still others came from places I never suspected.

Terry attracts people, connects with them, and smooths out the rough edges in everyone. He gives in ways that most people don’t realize that they’ve been given to.

Lorelle had more drive, love, and honest ability than should fit inside someone so small. Chris, Lisa, and Dawud were a members of the team, too. Jesse and Karen were there when we needed them.

And there are all of you!
And Supertramp challenging me.

Could I let the people who came see the city the way that I do? Could we make an event that brought the commardarie of the event last year?
Would I see folks who stuck together like refrigerator magnets?

“If I could do something . . .
you can do anything you want, boy.”


Would the content work? Would the program fit? Would everything work it’s way through? How do I let Terry know my gratitude? How would I communicate to Chris and Lisa, Lorelle, Christine, and Wendy, Brogan and Clark, Garrett, Bullock, and Bruzzese, how much I respect and value them?

Anita . . . Value your words, your name, your reputation

Brian . . . Don’t build a blog, build an asset.

“If I could say something . . .
you can say anything!”


Lorelle . . . Know who loves you and work for them.

Chrisg . . . Have ideas everywhere and value them.

Dave . . . START selling. You have what I want.

If I could be someone . . .
you can be anyone– celebrate boy!”


Chris B . . . Businesses have people inside them.

Liz . . . Frosted Mini-wheats need meaning.

If I could do something . . .


Wendy . . . Who are you not to?

If I could do anything . . .
Can you do something out of this world?


I guess you can’t miss, when you put your hands in your head with a guy named Starbucker in the lights of the most beautiful skyline in the world.

After three hugs at the door to my building, I pushed my stuff to the elevator, and I rode up thinking . . .
How will I ever be able to look at the lake without remembering? I still have Christine’s music playing on the recorder in my head. I’m weeks away from knowing what happened . . . at least what happened to me.

“What a day!, a year! a life it is!
“C’mon and Dream and Dream along!”


Wonder whether Christine knows that she’s opening for Supertramp now?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

lyrics: Supertramp
flickr image: bjmccray, with permission

How Do You Build an Incredible Experience?

Filed Under Community, Successful Blog | 38 Comments

Communities Don’t Get Built, They Grow

relationships button

I’ve walked around for about an hour, trying to put words to the change that happened at SOBCon this weekend. I spent another hour trying to explain how it could happen twice.

Every sentence I made seemed inadequate and unworthy.

How do you explain an incredible experience of community, learning, and outright fun? I’m at a loss.

Here is a way to find out for yourself.

In other words, trust. Trust in people who trust.

An incredible experience is built on trust. Trust yourself. Trust the people around you. Trust that when things don’t go perfectly other folks will understand. People do the most amazing things in a community filled with trust. They change, grow, learn, connect, feel, and communicate. They smile at the drop of a hat.

It’s that easy.

I was changed as a person by being a part. . . .

Thank you to everyone who came to SOBCon08.

How do you do recognize an incredible experience?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Thank you, Thesaurus.com for help filling in the words.

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