Successful Blog

Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: A Thank You Party!

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Yeah, Thank YOU!!!

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YES, the mic will be open again tonight. So start collecting your thoughts. Remember, you get to bring what you want to talk about.

The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

Tonight it’s about saying thanks to the world and each other!

We might also talk about

  • people we know who’ve done cool stuff
  • books, movies, songs that made a difference
  • things that make us glad that we’re alive
  • all things we appreciate

AND THE EVER POPULAR,
Basil the code-writing donkey, and Milton the Moose.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
The Mic Is on and We’re Going Exploring!

Kent Blumberg Is a B.A.D. Blogger

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Blogger A Day Call: Hello is Kent there?

After a talk with Barbara at my cellphone company to adjust my minutes higher — I should hold a contest to see who can guess how many a month are in my plan. — I was able to sit back, relax, and meet Kent Blumberg for our conversation.

Kent was well worth that cellphone plan adjustment.

I started with comments about Kent’s blog — how well focused and branded the message is. We discussed the short list of categories that tell a story and the short blogroll that relates and expands on the same theme. I wished out loud that I had such a clean sidebar. That discussion led to a comparison of WordPress and TypePad, with explanations of how he ended up on one and I ended up on the other.

Then I asked one of my favorite questions, “What do you do when you’re not doing this?” Kent explained his background in the paper business. I could related to that. We talked about the ways in which the paper business is shrinking, which led Kent to sharing his interest in a new industry.

Kent sees his future in working with cellulosic-ethanol. I didn’t know what it is either. Lucky for me, Kent does a great job explaining it. Get him talking about it and you might suspect that he had it for breakfast — his energy level goes up, as if he’s been refueled. (Okay so, now and then I go for the easy one. Sorry, Kent.)

Kent’s not only sure cellulosic-ethanol is in his future, but also sure that it’s in ours. He knows that the industry needs strong business leaders. He plans to be there to make the new fuel and new jobs this fledgling industry will bring.

I love the way that when bloggers talk, we can’t help but learn new things from each other.

B.A.D. Blogger Quote

People will hear more and more about cellulosic-ethanol. . . . All of the companies are run by by PhDs and they need people to build and run the businesses.–Kent Blumberg

Stop by Kent’s blog, and say hi!

Thanks, Kent, 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.

Net Neutrality 11-21-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

On Net Neutrality: Congress Wakes Up to a Watchful Public

On the issue of Net Neutrality, companies like AT&T, Verizon, BellSouth and Comcast outspent public interest advocates on a scale of 500 to 1 – pushing Congress to remove the longstanding nondiscrimination rules that enabled the Internet to become the greatest vehicle for free speech and economic innovation.

[ . . .]

As much as anything, the election sent a message to Congress to stop currying favor with moneyed interests and return to governing in the public interest.

Near the top of this new agenda will be restoring Net Neutrality. Many in Congress came to this realization after receiving more than a million letters from concerned citizens urging them to maintain a free and open Internet.

Whereas before, the phone companies had been confident that Congress would simply sign-off on industry-written legislation. Now — as the 109th Congress comes to a close — no member can vote with the telecom cartel without feeling the full heat of public scrutiny.

Want to know what you can do?
MA Bell Monopoly Versus the Free Internet — Tell the FCC Net Neutrality Is Not Negotiable

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Are You a Freelancer or a Solo Entrepreneur? Use Guy Kawasaki’s Mantra as He Meant

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Guy Didn’t Mean Don’t Have a Vision or a Plan

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With the start of the Perfect Virtual Manager, I’ve been talking a lot to bloggers. Even more interesting is that I’ve been not talking to a lot of them. I’ve noticed something about people who work outside of a traditional setting. We fall into two categories: freelancers and entrepreneurs. Some think they are one, and they’re really the other. Which one are you? Do you know that for sure?

Guy Kawasaki wrote a wonderful post in January called, Mantras Versus Missions. Thank you, Roger von Oech, for reminding me of it. You see, I think some folks do as Guy suggests — make a mantra — and unfortunately, they stop there. That’s not what Guy said to do. He was talking about replacing a mission statement with something more focused. His mantra was meant as a guiding force, not as a replacement for a business plan.

A person with fabulous skills and only a mantra is a freelancer not a solo entrepreneur.

The two think and work differently.

Do you know how to tell a freelancer from a solo entrepreneur?

Turn the page and I’ll show how.
[Read more…]

Wayne Turmel Is a B.A.D. Blogger

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Blogger A Day Call: Hello is Wayne there?

A Chicago podcasting guru! It started with a voicemail from Phil Gebyshak saying he knew someone from Chicago — someone I didn’t know. Phil likes to leave messages like that. He knows they’ll get me to call him back. That’s how I came to meet the Cranky Middle Manager, Mr. Wayne Turmel. That’s how I came to be talking to him yesterday.

My conversation with the Cranky Middle Manager actually started via email when Phil introduced us. I sent an email to Wayne Turmel with a few snappy words and a hello. I saw I was in for something when Mr. Turmel read my signature that says a 65th crayon if there ever was one and replied with a promotion to 63rd crayon. We set a date in that email banter to continue the conversation as a B.A.D Blogger call.

Wayne and I talked about his podcast and how it’s grown over the 15 months since he started it 71 shows ago. He and I agreed that everything is supposed be fun, including the things that people call work. He says he enjoys the experience of talking to people all over the globe amd hearing how they deal with issues, then passing those conversations on.

We analyzed the world of blogging and podcasting and the people who are part of it. He mentioned that his strength is in audio and spoke highly of the podcasting team that supports him. I spoke highly of the community of folks who hang out at Successful-Blog.

We traded stories of writing and talked about how visuals draw people in. We shared our amazement at how easy it is to say something for an audience via the Internet and how much harder it is to get paid for it. We also spoke about how important it is that folks feel that a real person is on the other side of the screen.

Most of all, we just had fun.

B.A.D. Blogger Quote

There’s something cool about a Canadian living in Chicago interviewing someone in the UK for a podcast hosted in Australia to be listened to by someone in Brazil- all with $15 in software. . . . —Wayne Turmel

Stop by Wayne’s blog, The Cranky Middle Manager Show, listen in and say hi!

Thanks, Wayne, 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