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5 +1 Whole Brain Steps to Believable Strategic Goals OR Find Your Bliss Without Wasting Time

September 13, 2006 by Liz

But the Sky Is WAY Up There!

Strategic Plans logo

When I introduced this series with the overview The 5 Step Strategy that Saved a Company Can Also Get You to Your Dream, Chris and Hendry Lee pointed out in the comments a mistake that is easy to fall into — setting an unbelievable goal.

After all, we’ve decided. We want to get going, make things happen, put our strategy in place. So let’s choose a goal that’s mighty, powerful, and going to get us there now. Friends and family, thinking the problem is self-estem, often advise and encourage us to do just that.

Soon enough we end up with a goal like this one.

“Find Your Bliss and the Money Will Follow.” That’s a dream — too nebulous to be a strategic goal. I can imagine bliss, sort of, but I can’t define it. I can’t put my arms around it or draw a map to show me or anyone how to get there.

The irony is that when we face an impossible goal, we become overwhelmed, lose that self-same self-esteem, and talk ourselves out of our quest, knowing we’d fail. After all, I can’t ahieve or become what I can’t define or see — I’m not foolish enough to try that.

End of quest, end of strategy to improve,.we’re left without the goal, somehow feeling less for even thinking about trying. We might even be thinking that strategy is something that other folks do . . .

Pfft! balderdash, piffle, and keruffle. All four apply to that response. Add to that . . .

Unbelievable!

We’re not what’s wrong in this picture. The goal is. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business Life, Customer Think, Marketing /Sales / Social Media, Personal Branding, Successful Blog, Trends Tagged With: basic-strategy, bc, blog-promotion, Customer Think, personal-branding, Strategic-Plans

The 5 Step Strategy that Saved a Company Can Also Get You to Your Dream

September 11, 2006 by Liz

The Value of a Strategic Plan

Strategic Plans logo

In June of 1995, I joined a $9Million company that was losing 10% per year. I was part of team that was determined to turn it around. My job was to write the strategic plan. In July or 1998, we sold that company for $35Million.

We did that because of a 5 step strategy.

The same strategy can work in almost any situation of your business, career, even your life.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Customer Think, Marketing /Sales / Social Media, Personal Branding, Successful Blog, Trends Tagged With: basic-strategy, bc, blog-promotion, Customer Think, personal-branding, Strategic-Plans

SOB Business Cafe 09-08-06

September 8, 2006 by Liz

SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the title shots to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Blog Blog has a new look, but the same great service since we met.

Blog Blog New Look

Simplenomics reminds that folks value what we value.

Be Proud of Your Prices

Business Blogwire is getting wired into a series on big, big business blogs.

Fortune 500 Corporate Review Series

Service Untitled takes us to the Ritz.

Customer Service Difference #3 Ritz Carlton

Workboxers has THE interview with Patrick Gavin, explaining everything, including how signing up for a Text Links Ad will help put my son though college.

Revealing All about TextLink Ads

Related ala carte selections include

The Hillbilly PhD has a great question and the answer’s not 42 OR 43.

 How Do You Define Your Personal Mission

It’s a Numeric Life isn’t telling tall tales here.

Tall People Earn More

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like.
No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Filed Under: Blog Review, Business Life, Customer Think, Motivation, SOB Business, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, Blog-Blog, Business-Blogwire, Customer Think, Hillbilly-PhD, Its-a-Numeric-Life, Service-Untitled, Simplenomics, Workboxers

Are Telcos Changing Their Ways Now?

September 7, 2006 by Liz

AT&T Call Number One

Customer Think Logo

About 6 weeks ago, I paid my ATT bill online, as I have for months. I finished. I got a receipt that said, “Successful.” I put it with the bill in the file where such things go. It was 3 weeks later when I got a notice saying my bill was unpaid.

I wasn’t happy. I called them up.

My first surprise was that my call didn’t cross an ocean. My second was that the person at that end listened and wanted to help. She was patient and as perplexed as I was at what happened. She gave me the time I needed to be sure that no money was taken from any of my accounts.

We settled the amount due. She removed the late fee. Subject closed. I said thank you for a most pleasant call. I meant it too.

I was surprised that things went so well.

AT&T Call Number Two

This morning I received the usual update reminder. It’s the one that tells me that my next online bill was about to come due. The “wonky” amount was sitting there again. “Too good to be true,” were the words in my head.

I wasn’t happy. I called them up.

My first surprise was that AGAIN my call didn’t cross an ocean. My second was that AGAIN the person on the other end listened and wanted to help. She assured me that my account was fine.

Then she let me know how I could get FASTER INTERNET SERVICE AT A LOWER PRICE. Did I want that?

Our conversation was professional and pleasant — so much so that I asked her whether AT&T had moved their outsourced calls back to the US. She said that they never had all of them there, but that yes they had moved many calls back here now.

She sounded like a telephone blogger — authentic, transparent.

I’m thinking that NET NEUTRALITY and bloggers have their attention. I’ve never enjoyed a conversation with AT&T until these two — I was thoroughly frustrated with them as recently as June 22, 2006. — Now I’ve just enjoyed talking to them twice in a row!

I’m not at all sure what to think, or what to do with this information. If they start actually doing customer service, I’m not sure I’ll remember how a customer acts.

–ME ‘Liz Strauss

Related articles
AT&T & ME w/o DSL — Why AT&T Won’t Fix Problems
See Net Neutrality Page I and Net Neutrality Page II.

Filed Under: Business Life, Customer Think, Strategy/Analysis, Successful Blog, Trends Tagged With: AT+T, bc, Customer Think, customer-service, Net-Neutrality

How Do You Show Readers You Value Them?

August 23, 2006 by Liz

Content Counts But . . .

People are the key to any brand. People are the center, the edges, and the bottom line. People are the reason that we write.

Want a way to show your readers that you value them? Click the title shot below.

Where Can I Find . . .

Relationships are built one person at a time.

Thank you, Rico, for this example of Successful and Outstanding Blogging.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Filed Under: Community, Customer Think, Marketing /Sales / Social Media, Personal Branding, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, blog-promotion, Customer Think, customer-relationships, personal-branding, valuing-readers

SOB Business Cafe 08-18-2006

August 18, 2006 by Liz

SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the title shots to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

A Consuming Experience offers us an in-depth first at the new Blogger Beta blogging software.

Blogger Beta Features Review

Christine Kane asks whether you’re the kind that marketers can hook?

Are You Hookable?

CTBIZ Blogs explains how a test drive in a GM car proved the value of video as a quick, effective marketing tool.

Online video in blogs for quick, effective marketing

Genuine Curiosity makes a great case for investing in yourself where the growth is likely to have the most impact.

 Where Do You Invest Your 10%

It’s Not About Your Stuff reveals the secret of how to let go of that pile of stuff you’ve got taking up space inside your closets.

817 12 strategies for (finally) letting go of stuff you don't really don't need

Related ala carte selections include

Creating Passionate Users shows us how to put star power into every customer experience.

Give Users a Hollywood Ending

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like.
No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Filed Under: Business Life, Community, Customer Think, Marketing /Sales / Social Media, Productivity, Successful Blog, Tools Tagged With: A-Consuming-Experience, bc, Blogger-Beta, Christine-Kane, Creating-Passionate-Users, CTBIZ-Blogs, curb-appeal, Customer Think, Genuine-Curiosity, marketing-hooks, personal-development, Productivity, s-Not-About-Your-Stuff, video-marketing

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