Pick the Hit for the Playlist
For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life not-so-hypothetical question. . . .
We do it when we go to concerts. We’re hoping they’ll play that one song. . . .
With SOBCon07 just 9 weeks away, I have my presentation coming together in a uniquely Liz-like fashion. Based on a true a story, the saga will reveal through photos and bloggy observations how a bashful, clumsy, toddler grew through her gawky, invisible teenage existence into adulthood gathering knowledge as a writer to finally find that everything she learned about blogging, she learned in two places — her father’s saloon and dancing school.
It will be a comedy and an interactive relationship experience. However, as with any production I know, folks will come with preconceived notions of what they hope I will include. And to be frank — I know I’m Liz, but you know what I mean.– I want folks to get that one thing they’re hoping for.
So I’m asking, if you were going to SOBcon 07 — even if you can’t, suppose you were — what one thing just has to be part of my presentation “playlist” for folks to got what they came for? “What one thing would you hope that I would talk about?
Write your one thing in the comment box and I’ll fit your ideas in my time to talk.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Introducing Thomas R. Clifford, the Blog
SOB Hall of Famer: 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?
About that Road . . .
The Roads Not Traveled
It started with William Tully’s post, New meme? (likely not), in which he considers the “5 Goals He Never Took Seriously.” William gently tapped Robert Hruzek on the shoulder, asking what his answer to the same question would be. Robert wrote a post called The Roads Not Traveled in which he describes goals that “didn’t make the cut.” At the end of his post, Robert passes the question to David Armano, Matthew Stibbe, and me. It appears those two are like the boys in the neighborhood where I grew up — they’re waiting for me to go first. So here I go.
As soon as I saw Robert’s post I was reminded of a silly psychological test that asks for four descriptions. (You might want to read that test, to find out about your road and my road, before you read on. Go ahead, I’ll wait here.)
I bring up that test and my road, because my road has been such good one. It has wound and turned and let me try to so many things. It has been a windy road indeed. I’ve been a teacher since I was 10, a wholesale shirt sales rep, a writer, editor, and publisher, and a corporate strategist.
Yeah, my road is a windy one. My friend, Peg says she’s never seen me walk in a straight line. So thinking up goals that I never followed is nigh on to impossible. I’ve been thinking for days about Robert’s challenge and here’s what I found.
Five Goals I Never, Ever Wanted to Pursue
It seems as if I tried most things that I thought I might want to be part of my life. But there were some side roads that I was happy to walk right by. Those roads might be just as worthy an answer, at least I hope so, because here they are.
- I never, ever wanted to be a doctor, nurse, dentist, or any other sort of healthcare professional. Even when I was short and still in grade school, I didn’t want to give people injections or have to make them hurt to help them get better.
- I never, ever wanted to be a skydiver, a moutain climber, bungee jumper, or a wingwalker. Falling from high places wasn’t my idea of a good time.
- I never, ever wanted to be a astronaut, live on a spaceship, or be an astronomer. I like to keep my relationship with the universe on a romantic and magical plane of wonder.
- I never, ever wanted to be a roadie, a groupie, or a raging fan. I’m not good a racing after, lugging stuff, or in general being part of groups that follow blindly. I get bored too easily.
- I never, ever wanted to be a clueless, dorky, invisible teenager, but I managed to be one anyway. Go figure.
Life has so much to offer and I’ve always found that each new step is one that perfectly followed the step that was before it. I never spent too much time thinking about where I had to get, I always knew I’d be getting somewhere outstanding, if I followed what I do well and what I love.
There was the day I realized that I was too old to be a major league baseball player . . . but that was so long ago I can’t remember how that felt.
They say turnabout is fair play. I’m not sure this is what they meant. What are the things on your list of never, ever wanted to do?
–ME “Lia” Strauss
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Chris Cree Shares Why SOBCon ’07 Will Be a Different Conference Experience
SOBCon ’07 will be a different kind of conference. We’re all about community and building relationships with other bloggers.
We spend so much time writing to each other (and sometimes about each other) that it is sometimes easy to forget that there is an actual person who is doing that writing on the other end.
I thought it would be a good idea to give you a little voice message and share why this conference experience will be different from other conferences you may have attended.
I used the Evoca browser mic to record this message and their player to bring it to you here.
Evoca is one of our event sponsors and they are offering conference attendees something special. (But I think I’ll make you wait until tomorrow to find out what it is. )
Take a listen.
Do you want to leave a voice comment in response to this message? Here is the link.
Do you want to keep track of all the recordings that are made about SOBCon? We’ve got an SOBCon Evoca Group so you can do just that. And it even has it’s own RSS feed! Check it out.
Rory Sullivan is a B.A.D. Blogger!
Blogger A Day Call: Hello is Rory there?
Off in London is a dad, named Rory. What a nice man he is. What a gentle, kind man he is. He done so many things in his past lives. I like that he’s working as a window washer. I think that all guys should know how to make glass shine and sparkle.
Rory wrote to me to say that he would be interested in being a bad blogger. Who would I be to say no? The most interesting people come knocking with that same request. So, the next thing you know we were talking on skype, as if we had been talking all of our lives.
Rory said that his blogging started as something personal. He would blog each day for a month before he went public. His goal was a website and blog on parenting. His love is Annabelth his daughter. Have you been there yet? He’s a natural. His blog and website are what he wanted.
We talked about what it’s like to be a parent in these times. Rory said he wanted to offer some isnights and direction, maybe a little, to other parents, from his experience. He doesn’t know what I see by watching. That the love of one dad named Rory is more than experience enough.
Rory Sullivan is one special guy who mashes up life with the mahers he serves his daughter at dinner. Somehow it all works to make a life that others want to emulate and learn from as they watch.
Off in London is a Window Washier who goes by the name of Rory and he is one heck of a father who blogs so that we might learn what makes him so special.
But only some of that translates into words.
B.A.D. Blogger Quote
It is a world I didn’t know existed. —Rory Sullivan
Stop by Rory’s Blog, Hamelife and say hi!
Thanks, Rory, 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.
Thanks to Week 71 SOBs
Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,
Successful Blog SOBs.
I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.
They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.
I thank every one of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.
Should anyone question this SOB button’s validity, send him or her directly to me. This award comes with a full “Liz said so” guarantee. It is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.
Want to become an SOB?
If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame. Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.
–ME “Liz” Strauss