Successful Blog

Interview 10.2: Sebastian Blogs, Life, and Advice

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Seb Talks about Blogs and Life

Seb Prooth

When we left Seb Prooth of Seb’s Random Thoughts he told us about his current film work on YouTube at YouTube.com Melting Clock, http://www.youtube.com/meltingclock/ and the success he’d enjoyed being part of the www.globalgeekpodcast.com “>Global Geek Podcast.

Seb, How does blogging fit with your life?

This is a really interesting question. It just so happens that I have recently been making the conscious decision to blog more often. With the effect of quitting a weekly podcast and having no other connection with the fast moving world of digital media other than my blog, I decided it was time to take things more seriously.

Aside from that, I usually blog when I have something to say. For instance, last week when Richard Hammond of the BBC’s TopGear was severely injured in a crash, I covered the story on my blog. TopGear is one of my favourite shows and when I saw the headline I was compelled to write something.

Where has your blog taken you so far? Where do you see your blog taking you in the future?

My blog has made my writing better. I have written very formally on the blog at times such as when I talked about the effects of Digg and being Dugg when I openly opposed telemarketers making use of Skype to sell their goods. I see that my blog has made me a name on a couple of forums. On a Google search for “Sebastian Prooth” it pulls something in the region of 40 grand results. Although my efforts in podcasting contribute greatly to those numbers, many of the results are due to things I have said on my blog.

In the future I hope to see my blog progressing as it has been. I enjoy the casual nature of blogging. I have the motto on my site “writing not for hits, but to hit with what I write.” If my site gets Dugg and I get 20 thousand hits in 2 hours, I will be pleased, but If I continue getting 150-500 hits a day for what I write without the assistance of Digg or other mass media distribution service, I am happy with that.

What you tell a younger friend to do if he or she were just starting a blog?

If I was advising a younger friend about blogging I would probably tell him or her to go for it. Definitely. The Internet does not need blogs about what you had for breakfast (unless you are a gourmet chef,) or what you did when you had 20 shots of whatever on Saturday night. The Internet needs blogs where people talk with passion about what they know. I can’t stand it when I go to blogs that are there obviously to benefit a company or to push someone’s agenda. We all have agendas, your blog is not the best place to bare your agenda naked to the world.

The Internet is a cruel place at the same time as being the largest and most resourceful – resource on the planet. If you are going to start a blog, and you want readers the first thing you should consider is if what you are going to write about is of interest to anyone but yourself. I don’t really care if Joe Bloggs (pardon the pun) ate chilli for breakfast. It doesn’t have any bearing on my life. But if you are blogging about a feature on the latest beta release of Windows Vista, or reviewing a film that has just come out, or maybe one that came out before you were born, you have an audience there.

If you don’t care if anyone reads what you write, then I suggest you do whatever you like on your blog. Remember, even though now a tired cliché, do not release a great deal of personal information about yourself. And the last rule of blogging is – ENJOY IT!

Thanks Seb, can’t wait to see where you take your blog next.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Interview 10.1: Sebastian Prooth, Blogger, Podcaster, Film-maker

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Seb Talks about What He’s Been Doing

Seb Prooth

When Seb Prooth of Seb’s Random Thoughts and I first met, we had a comment conversation about a piece he wrote called, Blogger or Writer? Or Both? I enjoyed that chance to get to know a then new SOB in his “natural habitat.”

It’s been fun for this interview to check back with Seb to see how he’s been spending his time. The article that we discussed was posted last May 9th. It sure seems he’s done a lot since then.

Hi Seb! Tell everyone a bit about the guy called Sebastian.

Well that’s a complicated question! I was just talking about this very subject the other day when I was asked what I do, and I had to give a list of “occupations.” What do I do? Well I am a blogger, obviously. I’m also a writer, technology enthusiast and until recently a podcaster.

For my “real” work I am a student of media, and consider myself a film-maker. I am in pre-production on my first short film with real actors. You can see some of my current work on YouTube at www.youtube.com/meltingclock.

Other than what I do, I can say that I am an American residing in the UK. The reason for that is complicated. I am an old 20 next month . . . read into that what you will! There is a full bio of me on my website at www.sebrt.com/about.

My interests include all those things I do plus a crazy list of other things. I have this strange penchant for interviewing people on my blog. That started back on my first podcast “From the Director’s Chair.”

A little about my podcasting “career.”
I started podcasting back in December 2005 — I know that’s ancient history on the Internet — To make a long story short, my first podcast ran for 17 episodes, and I interviewed some of the movers and shakers in podcasting. In May I merged that podcast with another podcast I was creating with my friend Dave Gray.

Together Dave and I created and hosted what became the weekly “Global Geek Podcast” on which the co-hosts report tech news, web 2.0 happenings and rumblings in the podosphere. The show is light hearted and always includes a wacky news segment. Global Geek Podcast was nominated number 2 podcast to have on your iPod by .Net Magazine in their October 2006 issue.

I left Global Geek Podcast mid September to pursue other projects, however the show is still going strong with a new co-host. I hope that it will continue to grow and gain popularity as long as the hosts are hosting it! You can reach the Global Geek Podcast at www.globalgeekpodcast.com.

[Read more…]

Interview 9.3: Tammy’s Biggest Challenge, Her Wish, and Her Advice

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How Does One Mediate from a Blog?

Dr. Tammy Lenski

Dr. Tammy Lenski is an author, coach/consultant, teacher/trainer, mediator, and runs her practice both in the 3-d World and in the blogosphere. We talked about challenges, issues, and wishes her practice brings her.

Hi, Tammy! What do you find is your biggest business challenge as a mediator?

Conflict is uncomfortable and scary and preferably avoided by a lot of people. Even the word makes some people cringe. As a mediator and coach, I get to see the truly life-changing transformations that take place when a person steps up to her most difficult conversations with the support of someone who knows how to navigate these conversations effectively. But people who haven’t tried that have no real basis on which to really understand how they can transform their lives. Every time a client says to me, “You just changed my life,” I tell them to go out and tell that to 10 people they know!

What are the most important issues in your work?

I see people disempowering themselves every time they blame the other person for the conflict. When we blame the other person and tell ourselves they need to change or fix what they caused, we hand all our power to them. And if they don’t think it’s their fault (they usually don’t), then we’re stuck because we’ve made it their job to fix it. There are such straightforward ways to get beyond the blame game and I’d love to see more people doing them—from our country’s leaders down to the people at our own dinner tables.

What do you wish for?

I wish for a culture where people don’t wait until conflict’s really entrenched and stuck before they think about asking for some help. I wish for the telephone call that begins, “A co-worker (or spouse, etc.) and I have gotten into a bit of a difficult place with each other and before it gets really messy, I thought I’d get some guidance…” At the risk of sounding trite, world peace begins with every individual.

One last thing before we go, what advice would have for folks starting out?

Find your voice. Figure out what’s unique about you and be bold and tenacious in bringing that to the world.

That Tammy Lenski, she knows how to have a conversation. Doesn’t she? I can’t help but learn when I listen to her.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Interview 9.2: Dr. Tammy Lenski, Mediator, Coach, Blogger

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How Does One Mediate from a Blog?

Dr. Tammy Lenski

Dr. Tammy Lenski helps folks sort out a dispute and converse constructively, even when they’re frustrated. That’s her role as mediator — part coach, part strategist — in helping people solve communication problems. Tammy began blogging early in her business. Let’s take a look at what she has to say about it.

Welcome back, Tammy! About blogging, how and why did you bring your business to blogging?

I heard of blogging years ago when it first began, created a Blogger account, and put up a few posts. Back then it was mostly teenagers writing about their lives and I just couldn’t figure out how to get my clients interested, so I dropped it. Then, a couple years later, I read about the ways that blogging platforms can serve as content management systems. That got my attention, because I had hundreds of e-zine articles I was trying to manage effectively on a standard website—way too much work. So, I got a WordPress account, started educating myself about blogs (the idea of business blogging had been born by then and was in its earliest stages), and jumped in. I got to write about things that interest my clients, had an easy way to manage lots of articles on my site, and could interact with and learn from my readers.

What’s been the biggest surprise about bringing your business to blogging?

How easy it’s been to create real connections with people—like you—via the digital world. Though I was creating web pages and using email very early on in the development of those technologies, I was skeptical about real relationships being possible via the web. I thought that only happened with weird people who sat alone in their apartments at 2 a.m.!

Next the challenges and important issues of a mediation business.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Interview 9.1: A Conversation with Dr. Tammy Lenski

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How Did You Get that First Client?

Dr. Tammy Lenski

I first met Tammy Lenksi last April when she commented on a post I wrote. I liked her right away because, she taught me something new and useful, and did so in a cheerful and inviting way.

I suppose that makes sense. Tammy is an expert at conversations that other folks might find uncomfortable. She’s Dr. Tammy Lenski of I Can’t Say That! She shows people how to have tough conversations that build relationships with confidence and finesse.

Over the time since that first comment, Tammy and I have shared emails and gotten to know each other. She’s told me about her thriving practice as a mediator, personal coach/consultant, teacher/trainer, author, and speaker. I had the pleasure to interview her recently and over the next few days, I’ll be sharing what she said. The first topic I wanted to know about was how someone gets a practice like Tammy’s going.

Hi Tammy. I suppose everyone’s first question is . . . what do you do — what is the BIG IDEA of your business?

I help people talk out their differences and build stronger relationships in the process. I do this in three ways: As a mediator, I help pairs and groups work through and resolve disputes at work and home. As a coach and consultant, I help women prepare for and learn how to navigate the conversations that matter most. And as a teacher and trainer, I help people learn how to engage difficult conversations successfully on their own.

My guess is that the second most asked question would be . . . how did you get to be a coach and conversation mediator and strategist?

Mediators, people who step into the middle of other people’s disputes, have to be both strategists and coaches. We have to be able to figure out the best strategy for sorting out a dispute and we often need to be able to coach people in staying focused on goals and conversing constructively, even when they’re frustrated. I was a career coach many years ago, when I was first out of grad school, but it’s really my mediation work that brought me to the kind of coaching I do now—people started asking me for individual help in instances where they didn’t need a mediator but still needed a sounding board, advisor, guide and ally.

How did you connect with your first client?

I had worked in senior leadership in higher education for years, so the day I formed my business I called five college presidents and deans I knew. I told them what I was now doing and asked, “Do you see some ways I can be helpful to your institution right now?” Two of them said yes. It was my very first lesson in marketing: You’ve got to ask.

So that’s how Tammy came to start her business. She asked and was ready when people came to her. She told me that being prepared, letting folks know what we do, and asking for business are the key — that she counsels other consultants to do just that almost daily.

Do you have questions for Tammy about what she does or how she got started? I know she’s more than happy to answer them. After all, conversation is a big part of her business.

Next, we’ll explore how blogging fits it to make her practice both personal and virtual.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Interview 8: Marti Lawrence, Blogger, Author, Publisher

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An Adventure in Publishing

Enter the Laughter

I’ve known Marti Lawrence and her blog, Enter the Laughter for so long, that I don’t know how we met. I know she’s a great writer, that she’s smart, fun, and funny, and that she does what it takes to make a business work. So, when she emailed last week to say that she’d self-published a book of her humor stories, I can’t say that it really surprised me. When it sells like crazy that won’t surprise me either.

More and more folks are looking into self-publishing. I get at least one call about it each week. That’s why I asked Marti if she’d talk about her self-publishing experience with us. She agreed. She’s generous like that.

Meet Marti

Marti Lawrence is
Author of “Queen Klutz – The Misadventures of a Very Clumsy Woman”
Available at: Lulu Publishing: http://www.lulu.com/martilawrence/

Marti’s blog is: Enter the Laughter http://enterthelaughter.com/
Her Squidoo Lens is: http://www.squidoo.com/enterthelaughter/

Hi Marti. I love the title of your book, “Queen Klutz – The Misadventures of a Very Clumsy Woman.” What’s it about?

Awful things! (Just joking, that’s what I do.) It’s a book of humor essays about events that have happened to me and my family — broken bones and car crashes, some real tragedies. The stories are humorous and inspirational. They’re about overcoming adversity.

I’ve had so many mishaps in my life, I had to find the humor in them or the guys with the straitjacket would be dragging me out the door. It’s a compilation of newspaper articles, blog posts and essays written just for the book. Stories told with a humorous and optimistic outlook that subliminally whisper, “For a good time, buy me.”

What brought you to write it?

I’ve had a love affair with narrative my entire life. I’ve been a storyteller for as long as I can remember. At a young age I discovered the thrill of having people laugh at my anecdotes and have craved that attention ever since. My writing was first published when I was on the staff of my high school newspaper. After that good friends kept telling me I should write a book. I would tell them to sober up, but I kept thinking about it.

How long did it take you?

I wrote the first story in January of 2004, while convalescing from breaking my right ankle (for the second time). I needed to find the humor in the situation to keep from clubbing myself in the head with the cast. I started cobbling the pieces together in January 2006, and joined Lulu in February.

In March I asked Karen Maxwell for help because she is a whiz with formatting and artwork. I’d just started reading the blog “The Reign of Ellen” after seeing the great “Queen” illustration she did of you! When I was tossing ideas around with Karen, she suggested a cover drawing by Ellen. It seemed like destiny! I asked Ellen if she could do a depiction of me, then used it as the centerpiece of the cover, which took me about a month to design. It seemed to convey the goofy optimism of a very clumsy woman.

What made you decide to self-publish?

Abject isolation. I had no network of people in the industry, no friends who knew someone who knew an agent. I live on a pumpkin farm in a rural area. Representatives from publishing houses only know my area as the place they fly over on their way to someplace important. I had no budget for advertising or bribery. My query letters went unanswered, but probably made nice paper airplanes or bird-cage lining. A friend had self-published and was pleased with the process. She told me about it and I decided to give it a shot. I researched all of the companies and chose Lulu for their reputation, quality of product and the fact that they wouldn’t charge me up front or make me buy a thousand books.

What was it like to self-publish?

Horrible! Just kidding, it was great. Humbling. I learned (again) how little I know about anything. I’d never tried to format a document in book form, using headers, footers, and gutters. I was ready for the gutter after several attempts. Many times, I thought I had the Word document formatted properly, and sent it through the PDF conversion, then saw how repulsive it was. I worked on it some more, drank a lot, and finally got it right by reading the forums and chatting with the help desk guys at Lulu, who probably have my picture on their bulletin board of all-time ridiculous questions. I made them laugh though!

How can someone buy the book?

You must visit the bridge troll and answer his questions three. Nah, you just go to my storefront at Lulu [http://lulu.com/martilawrence]. Lulu offers authors the option of selling just through their storefront, or purchasing a global distribution plan which includes a galley proof of your book. When you approve the galley, then you are assigned an ISBN and bar code, which allows it to be distributed through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. Those cost dollars though, which are in short supply, so I’m selling through the storefront for now to raise money to purchase that. Help put a lonely bar code to work and have a good laugh! Thank you!

Thank YOU, Marti!

What’s your experience with self-publishing? Have you been thinking about it?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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