Successful Blog

Have You Found the Great Leader in You?

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A Guest Post by
LaRae Quy

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Good Leadership Begins with You

Everyone talks about developing good leadership skills. The truth is that the only person who can really teach you how to be the best leader is . . . you.

It’s tempting to rely on an expert to show you how to mine the hidden truths about good leadership. The bookshelves are stuffed with leadership assessments and techniques. They can all add value but they cannot answer the most important questions: Who are you and what do you believe?

No expert can tease those answers out into the open except you, no matter how much money you spend or how hard they try. A lack of self-awareness and self-knowledge produces a leader who is grounded only in the latest model or theory—a little like switching religion when the going gets tough or when something better comes along.

Models and Theories

I wrote a blog a few weeks back that talked about how I used different strategies as an FBI agent to surround the foreign spies I was trying to recruit to work for the U.S. government. An individual commented and asked why I didn’t use a leadership model that is currently very popular in training circles.

In actuality, there is nothing wrong with the leadership model he mentioned, but he missed the point because anytime you’re dealing with people, models and theories can only guide a leader so far. At some point, good leadership comes out of what is inside of you.

To paraphrase the venerable Jim Collins, if you’re a leader who doesn’t know who you are and what makes you tick, you will never move from good to great.

I relied on sound theories and dependable models when leading a team, but I distinguished my investigation from the others in the pack by drawing from my personal strengths. I’m not talking about the strengths that come from a skills assessment—I’m talking about the strength of character that girds and sustains us when we’re not sure where else to turn to or who else to trust. This is the type of self-awareness and self-knowledge that is our true north in any situation.

The admonition to become more self-aware can create a point of stickiness because many leaders can be self-absorbed. This is the opposite of what I’m talking about. A leader who is self-aware has not only accepted their weaknesses, they’ve faced them head on and have learned how to manage them as well. There is no room for fantasies or ego.

The heart of good leadership is connecting with others so they will follow us. Like the Wizard of Oz, people will only follow a promise for so long before they pull back the curtain to get a good look at who is behind it. Don’t let them see an empty suit.

The Key Areas for Self-Awareness

People are diverse and complex which is why it’s hard at times to accurately interpret our reaction to different situations. Here are key areas for self-awareness and self-knowledge:

Personality

  • Remember that it does not change as you age
  • Spot ways it impacts the way in which you interact with others
  • Identify your strengths and assets
  • Recognize your weaknesses and vulnerabilities
  • Create opportunities that allow you to thrive
  • Minimize situations that trigger the less desirable personality traits

Personal Values

  • Make a list of values that are important to you.
  • Prioritize the following values: honesty, self-awareness, listening to others, attentiveness, spirituality, authenticity, gratitude, trust, gentleness, humility, courage, self-knowledge, self-discipline, patience, integrity, forgiveness, compassion, charity, freedom, generosity, peace, joy, hope, and decisiveness.
  • Think of times they have provided direction in your life
  • Identify how you keep sight of your most important personal values in the busyness of your day-to-day activities

Patterns

  • Recognize that you are a creature of habit and are predictable in your response to the unknown, the unexpected, and the uninvited events in your life
  • Identify the patterns that emerge in those responses
  • Distinguish between the patterns that are beneficial and those that interfere with your effectiveness and productivity.
  • Pinpoint the patterns that help you succeed and minimize those that impede your progress.

Emotions

  • Identify the emotions that reveal themselves most often
  • Name the ones that rarely reveal themselves
  • Recognize the triggers for negative emotions
  • Make an association between your emotion and your behavior
  • Consider that awareness of your emotions leads to greater control over them

Good leadership begins with you. You will always be the best expert on you—no matter how much you pay a consultant or coach.

How can you begin to reflect on your daily experiences to gain more self-awareness and self-knowledge? Do you want to make that commitment even if it means you’ll need to eliminate something else? What external factors will help you be faithful to the process? What doubts do you have about digging deeper into understanding yourself better?

What are your questions about reading the leader in you?

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Author’s Bio:

Larae Quy

LaRae Quy was an FBI agent, both a counterintelligence and undercover agent, for 25 years. She exposed foreign spies and recruited them to work for the U.S. Government. Now she explores the unknown and discovers the hidden truth via her blog Your Best Adventure. You can find her on Twitter as @LaRaeQuy

Thanks, Larae!

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Be irresistible.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

What Makes A Successful Infographic?

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A Guest Post by
Ryan Bayron

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5 Traits of Great Infographics

The blogosphere makes it very clear that some people love infographics, and others hate them. These days, it seems that anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of basic vector graphics software believes that they can and should contribute to the ever-growing number of infographics floating around the internet. After flipping through hundreds of infographics and trying my hand at a few of my own, I’ve discovered some common characteristics of those that succeed, and of those that fail.

  1. A successful infographic is targeted. The creator knows what the content is about, who will care about that content, and what they want to see. A successful infographic with medical statistics, geared toward physical therapists will look drastically different than one about fast food that’s geared toward soccer moms. Successful infographics are not one-size-fits-all. ( This is good. | This is not so good. )
  2. A successful infographic is accurate. At the bottom of all infographics is (or should be) a list of sources from whence the author gathered the information. When this list contains links to .gov and .edu sites instead of Wikipedia articles and TMZ articles, it makes a difference. People notice that kind of thing. Successful infographics are painstakingly researched, citing public domain scientific journals, published research documents and statistics reports from research agencies. ( This is good | This is not so good. )
  3. A successful infographic is navigable. A person never just looks at the entire Mona Lisa. Studies show that they always start at her face, then move down her arms to her impressively detailed hands. The point is that when we look at an image, our eyes move through it, one thing at a time. Successful infographics provide a clear path and discernible cues to show the viewer what to look at next. ( This is good | This is not so good. )
  4. A successful infographic is novel. It’s not enough just to be informative anymore. Infographics that get shared have a sense of novelty to them – something their readers haven’t seen anywhere else. Whether it’s infographics, online videos, blog posts or flash games, novelty always boosts shareability. Successful infographics are designed to transcend the mere combination of graphics and text. (This is good | This is not so good )
  5. A successful infographic is simple. If someone is overwhelmed by colors, massive text blocks, giant diagrams and in-your-face pie charts, they’ll bounce before they finish reading the title. Simple is not always boring. Successful infographics don’t get in their own way – they make the information easy to find and easier to read, and the graphics are a supplement to the info, not the other way around. (This is good | This is not so good. )

At the end of the day, a successful infographic is just like any other piece of quality content. It must be relevant, accurate, fresh, engaging and unique. In a world where people spend hours on end scouring the internet for things to share on their Facebook walls and Twitter feeds, a successful infographic is a powerful tool for building links, engaging users, spreading information and promoting your brand. The key is to take time to hash out the details and make sure it’s truly worth sharing.

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Author bio:
Ryan Bayron is the owner, author of The Line Theory blog. His website is Byron.org. You can find him on Twitter as @BayronDotOrg

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Thank you, Ryan! Successful infographics can really add to a site’s appeal.

Be irresistible!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

8 Ways the Creative You Can Make Money Online

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A Guest Post by
Rachel Carlson

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More Creative Ways to Make Money Online

Let’s face it – money is a huge concern for people these days. According to MSNBC, about 6.5 million people in the U.S. were working two jobs in 2010. The fact that you’re reading this article probably means that you’re looking for your own second job, or at least some supplemental income. Well, the Internet certainly provides many opportunities and advantages when it comes to making money. For example, many people are familiar with tactics such as flipping vintage items on eBay or Craigslist, taking advantage of the “one man’s trash, another man’s treasure” adage. There’s also the very common practice of freelance writing for sites like eHow and WiseGeek.

But there are other, more creative, possibly even fun ways to make money online. Very few of these solutions will provide you with the amount of cash that a second job would, but you’ll also be saving time and money by working at home. Think about it – there’ll be no cost of commuting or going out for lunch every day. And if you’re lucky enough to have something approaching a clear wireless internet 4G connection, you can “work” from anywhere at any time on a laptop or even a smartphone. So stop worrying and start getting creative:

1. Sell Video Game Money

Are you an avid World of Warcraft player? Why not monetize those hours of playing by selling some of your gold for real-world money? There are several sites that will pay you actual cash for your WoW gold; alternatively, you could just contact other players with offers on your own. Also, if you’re not too attached to it, players have been known to sell their accounts for hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Similar things can be done in the game Second Life. Also, if you’re planning on spending time playing Diablo III when it’s released, take advantage of its innovative real money auction house.

2. Sell Stock Photos

Get out the camera – pictures that you take can be contributed to services like iStockPhoto, Stockxpert, Fotolia, Shutterstock, Dreamstime and Clustershot as stock photos that are available for public use. Every time someone downloads one of your pictures for any reason, you get paid. The money results are often miniscule until your picture receives hundreds of downloads, but success isn’t uncommon. According to ABC News, this photo has already earned the photographer over $10,000.

3. Sell Items on Etsy

Etsy is a place where anybody can sell their handmade or vintage items. This includes jewelry, clothing, accessories, housewares, pet supplies, toys, decorations, and many other categories. It has become an extremely popular site for buyers who are looking for unique items. So, do you knit in your spare time? Maybe you have metalsmithing skills that you’re not putting to use. Any unique product that you can hand-craft can be sold on Etsy. And people are buying – $45.8 million of goods were sold on Etsy in August of 2011.

4. Become a ChaCha Guide

Have you used ChaCha? Basically, it’s a service that allows you to call or text with a question that will be almost instantly answered by a knowledgeable guide. Now, this “guide” is usually just looking up the answer on the Internet, but they do have to be pretty creative, as ChaCha has been known to receive some fairly outlandish questions (i.e. “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck?”). So, if you want to increase your Internet search skills while gaining knowledge in just about any subject, consider becoming one of these guides. The pay ranges from around 2 cents to 20 cents per answer, but if you work quickly you could earn a decent amount of spending money.

5. Blogging

Starting and maintaining a blog takes a lot of work, but it’s potentially more profitable than any other suggestion on this list. You’ll first have to decide what your blog will discuss. If you’re just looking to make money, you could focus your blog in a niche industry that allows you to attract advertisers and affiliate relationships, as well as allowing you to make sales yourself. You’ll then have to decide on a blogging platform, a domain name, and a hosting service. You’ll also need to start regularly creating content and keeping your site updated. Performing SEO and link building doesn’t hurt either. After all this, it can still take quite a while for your blog to ever start making any money (it might never), but there are plenty of success stories showing that people can make a lot of money when blogging.

6. eJury

eJury is a site where trial attorneys try to get a feel for public opinion regarding a case. It helps them evaluate their evidence, choose jurors, and make compelling arguments in the court room. Here’s how it works: after registering for eJury, you’ll occasionally be sent an email asking you to examine a mock trial. You’ll have a specific amount of time to complete the questions, after which you’ll be paid $5-$10. Doesn’t seem like much money, but it’s not much work either. Here’s an example of an eJury mock trial.

7. Do Some Freelance “Geeking”

If you’re looking to make money on the Internet, chances are good that you already have some experience with coding, web design, or SEO. If this is the case, why not offer your skills up to small businesses that are trying to make it on the web? Contact small businesses about building web sites, or just offer to help them implement a shopping cart, redesign their site, etc. You’ll need to be able to build trust with clients before you can start, so be sure to have a professional resume and portfolio ready. A site like Warrior Forum can help you find this type of work.

8. Enter Logo Contests

Are you a budding graphic designer? You’re probably already aware of the competition in this field, but it never hurts to submit some of your designs in for contests to get a chance at winning some cash. You’ll be building a portfolio and networking at the same time. So, be sure to check out sites like 99 Designs, which has hosted over 100,000 contests and has awarded over $25 million to designers.

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Author’s Bio:
Rachel Carlson is a writer and student that works from home. While she spends a lot of her time writing, she also helps different companies like Clear Wireless with gaining exposure through various blogs and websites. She has recently started a new Twitter account and is finally going to give it a real shot. She can be followed at @carlson_rachel.

Thanks, Rachel!

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Be irresistible!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Beach Notes: Camel Rides

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by Guest Writers Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

Camel rides were a popular feature of the kite festival at local Kirra Beach, Queensland, last weekend. In the 19th century thousands of camels were imported to Australia to help with the colonization of less hospitable parts of the country, mainly in central and northern Australia. Then with the arrival of motor transportation, the camels were released into the wild.

They multiplied. So the very accommodating and apparently docile animals in the picture have a great many wilder cousins in Australian central desert regions. An interesting factoid for a trivia quiz is that, with over one million camels now roving free – and estimated to double every nine years – Australia has the largest feral camel population in the world.

Suzie Cheel & Des Walsh

Motivational Triggers: Ninja Secrets to Increasing Conversions

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By Pawel Reszka

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Uncovering Your Readers’ Hidden Motivations

No matter what anyone tells you, selling isn’t easy. There’s no magic formula that says, “Put this product in front of this group of people, say this specific thing and you’ll get sales” – despite what all of the long form sales letters floating around the internet would have you believe. Instead, it’s up to you – the blogger – to figure out the right combination of product selection, positioning and advertising copy that will lead to sales or conversions on your site.

To do this, you’ll need to uncover your readers’ hidden motivations. You need to know what makes them tick, what gets them motivated and what types of information or products can’t they get enough of. Once you have this information, you’ll find it much easier to choose the right products and target the most effective emotional triggers to maximize your blog’s profits.

So to get started, the first thing you’ll need to do is to understand more about how your audience thinks. Getting to know your audience members is crucial for a couple of reasons – not just to encourage more sales. Understanding who your audience members are will help you to choose the best content to post to your site to encourage repeat visits, as well identify the products they’re most likely to be interested in.

As Liz said in a past post on knowing your audience on the site:

The more you know and understand about your audience the better job you’ll do at giving them what they’re looking for. As well, there are other benefits; your writing will come easier, you’ll better communicate your ideas, you’ll stress less and you’ll enjoy it more.

Whether you’re just starting out as a blogger in your niche or you’ve got extensive experience in the field, the following are a few of the things you can take into consideration when getting to know your audience members:

  • Demographic information – As readers leave comments on your posts, do they appear to be primarily male or female? Young or old? Does the quality of their comments suggest anything about their education levels? By painting a picture of your audience members in your mind, you’ll be able to extrapolate some of their concerns, fears, interests and passions.
  • Primary interests – Do your readers tend to respond more frequently to one type of post over another? For example, if you get more comments on your “how to” posts than your personal development posts, you might conclude that your audience is interested in more practical, applicable advice than nebulous, indistinct recommendations.

By paying attention to these types of information, you should start to get a general idea of who your audience is. But while this is important, it’s also only half of the battle. The key is to use this information to successfully tailor a sales message for your unique visitors, based on what you’ve identified as their primary fears and motivators.

Suppose you’re blogging in the personal finance niche and find that you have a large following of single mothers. While you won’t be able to make assumptions that apply to every single one of your readers, you can make some generalizations that can guide your product selection and positioning.

For example, it’s probably safe to assume that many single mothers worry about making ends meet and about what would happen if they were suddenly unable to take care of their children (whether due to death, illness or disability). From a personal finance standpoint, products that help these mothers manage their bills or set up the legal and financial safeguards that ensure their children will be cared for in the event of an emergency could be hugely appealing.

Making assumptions about your audience in order to identify the best products and/or services to pitch to them is important, but the final step in the process is to tie everything together with emotional triggers. An article from Entrpreneur.com on common and effective emotional triggers identifies the following 10 factors to consider while building your product copy:

  • Fear
  • Guilt
  • Trust
  • Value
  • Belonging
  • Competition
  • Instant Gratification
  • Leadership
  • Trend-setting
  • Time

Here’s how to use these emotional triggers in your sales messages:

Fear – As seen in our earlier example about the concerns of single mothers, fear can play an incredibly powerful role in getting people over their objections to buying. While the fears of running out of money and of children being left on their own are major fears, even something as simple as the fear of missing out on something – as emphasized in your sales copy – can encourage conversions.

Guilt – If you’ve ever seen a charity commercial entreating you to “Donate Now” to alleviate suffering, you know how powerful a motivator guilt can be. Use this emotion in your sales copy by emphasizing something that the reader isn’t yet doing well (but that could be remedied with your product).

Trust – As a blogger, you’ve likely built a rapport with your readers over time, which may make them more likely to trust the product recommendations you make, based on the relationship you share. Just be careful not to abuse this trust by making your sales pitches carefully for products that you truly believe in.

Value – Everyone wants to feel like they’ve gotten the best deal possible, which is why you see customers buy name brand products off the grocery store shelves when they have a coupon – even if the store brand product is still cheaper overall! Emphasize the value of your product or service by comparing it to comparable options, quantifying money saved or including bonuses that increase the perceived value of your offering.

Belonging – Facebook and Twitter are two powerful examples of our need to belong to a social network. You can use this motivation to your advantage by offering the people who purchase your products or services special perks that set them apart as part of an exclusive “members club”.

Competition – The classic “Keeping up with the Jones” scenario highlights the hidden competitor that lurks within each of us. If your audience is especially conscious of status and image, simply suggesting that owning your product or buying your service will make friends and neighbors jealous will cause sales to skyrocket.

Instant Gratification – Buying lights up the pleasure centers of our brain, and this effect is enhanced when the product is immediately available for consumption. Whenever possible, make some (or all) of your product available digitally so that it can be accessed right away in order to play to this emotional trigger.

Leadership – If your niche consists of experienced industry personnel, you’ll find that the desire to differentiate ones-self and be seen as a leader is a powerful motivating factor. In this case, use your sales copy to highlight how your products will make these readers feel powerful and authoritative in their personal or business lives.

Trend-setting – Younger audiences or those who are particularly susceptible to brand messages often respond well to sales messages that position products or services as “trend-setting”. Look no further than the Apple iPod, Gucci bag or Vibram Five-Fingers to see how influential trend-setting brands can be.

Time – There’s no one out there that couldn’t use more time, but busy professionals and parents are two groups in particular that look to time savings as a key selling point. Emphasize how your product or service appeals to this trigger and you should see a corresponding increase in conversions.

Again, it may take some time to gain a good enough understanding of your audience that you’re able to identify the hidden motivations and feelings your readers are experiencing. However, with continued effort, you’ll be able to pair the correct products with the right emotional triggers and increase your site’s profitability dramatically.

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Author Bio:

Pawel Reszka is the founder of Affhelper.com, a blog where he shares tips and strategies on how to make money online. He talks about blogging, affiliate marketing, and content marketing. Check out his short guide to making money with blogs where he shares some great tips for beginners.

Outstanding information, Pawel! Thank you.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!