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Where the virtual meets the irresistible force of Liz Strauss

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Terry and Liz - SOBCon

Terry “starbucker” St. Marie shared his thoughts about Liz during “Gathering Stardust for Liz Strauss.”  You can watch the video of the gathering here. Terry also sent us a copy of his speech so that we could share it with you here on Successful Blog.

 

Hi everyone, I’m Terry “starbucker” St. Marie talking to you from smoky Portland, Oregon.

I was blessed to go on a 7 year journey with Liz as a business partner.

Liz inspired me from the very first time I read her blog way back in 2006.

It was a post entitled – “The Ferrari Analogy for Organized Writing”.
In it she said,

“A great blog post is like a car date. We spent time together sharing your view. I follow your logic and then, if we connect, we talk about it.”

I was intrigued to say the least by this very unique insight, so I very shortly thereafter participated in one of Liz’s Open Comment Nights

It was classic Liz, Macguyver-ing her comment box into a real-time communications platform and inviting everyone to join the spirited conversations, led by her selflessness, kindness, and passion for learning & growing as a human.

This was before Twitter or Facebook mind you, so as usual she was way ahead of her time.

We quickly became online friends and as one lively comment night led to another, in late 2006 someone put “it” out there.

The “it” was a simple musing – “hey, wouldn’t it be cool if all of us could get together in person?”

That was the official birthing of what became SOBCon – the Successful and Outstanding Blogger Conference.

Because with Liz, it couldn’t “just” be a get-together. She figured, if people were going to spend money to for travel and lodging they should get something more than just a few happy hours. “We should teach them something meaningful, and we could all teach each other”

So we somehow, someway cobbled together the first SOBCon in May of 2007. Some of you were there, and I’m sure you felt the same way I did after it.

75 people hung out together for a weekend, and talked about their craft, their passions, and their lives.

It turned out to be magical. Trust was high. Candor was abundant. Egos were checked at the door. There was a depth to the dialogue that prompted many to declare how “life changing” it was.

There were no barriers to learning. And it was good. It was magic.

And where did this magic come from? Who was capable of conjuring up the ingredients of this potent mixture of trust, humility, and candor?

It was Liz, who lived and breathed those qualities. She deeply believed in the basic generosity of the human spirit, and the magic came from her belief.

When she entered the room at that gathering in Chicago, and every other single SOBcon after that – and we did 10 of them, in Chicago, Boulder and Portland – something wonderful happened.

She was the catalyst of a powerful enabling force that unlocked that same generous spirit from everyone there.

Liz Strauss WAS SOBCon – I just had the unique opportunity to be her partner in the venture and have a front row seat for all that magic.

It wasn’t all a walk through the park – putting on conferences was a bit like walking a tightrope without a net. But somehow, Liz would rise to the occasion and just in the nick of time pull in one more sponsor, or sell a few more tickets, to get us to the across the chasm and to the finish line.

I learned SO much from her during those 7 years, and also had so many laughs and experiences. Our SOBCOn parties at South by Southwest were absolute blasts.

But what was always extraordinary to me as I went on this journey with her were the one on one conversations she would have with people that could leave such a deep mark.

I lost count of the times friends, and total strangers for that matter, would walk up to me after having a “Liz Conversation” and tell me that their minds were blown – for the better.

She just had that way of clearing through all the clutter that most humans put in front of themselves and getting right to the heart and soul of the matter.

And she was relentless in wanting to make sure that every single person who attended an event of hers was going to get something meaningful out of it.

And she was relentless as a business partner in pushing me to help her succeed with that goal.

And you know what, I believe she succeeded, hundreds and hundreds of times over.

That was her supreme gift, her superpower – helping others find meaning in their lives, and be, in her words, “irresistible”.

The tagline for SOBCon used to be “Where the Virtual Meets the Concrete”

That was wrong, actually – it should have been –

“Where the virtual meets the irresistible force of Liz Strauss.”

Love you Liz, and farewell my dear friend.

And to all of you, I will quote from a great rock band that the SOBCon community was particularly fond of –

“Don’t stop believin’”

Are You Determined?

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A Determined Mouse

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Nan’s Grandparents lived just south of Atlanta in a town of 200 where everything and everyone was an antique. They had no television. When folks might crawl into the TV for entertainment, Gram and Gramps would sit on the back porch pitting cherries, snapping beans, or peeling potatoes for a meal. When the chores were done, they would talk to each other or read.

When Nan and i went to visit Gram and Gramps she told us about when the refrigerator broke. Nan’s Gram said she put some things out on the back porch to “keep.” She figured they might as well be in reach of where she need them, while they waited for the the “Fix-it” man to come the next day. The back porch was enclosed and shaded from the heat.

Gram said the next morning she made coffee and went out to the porch to enjoy her garden and some time to think. That’s when she noticed that “a visitor” had come in the night to find something to eat.

“Must have been a field mouse,” she said as she described a flattened bag of chocolate chips meant for some cookies shed planned to make. “That mouse had a goal and worried that bag to death until he got the very last chocolate chip. He was a determined critter. He didn’t let some bag win.” That’s what Gram said.

Are You Determined?

Whenever I feel anxious or notice my motivation slip, I think of that mouse. I put my goal where I can see it. I become determined — like that critter. I let my goal determine where I’m going, what it takes to be satisfied, where I’ll be ending up. Then, I get determined about my success — I “worry,” plow, and navigate over, under, and through whatever irritations life throws between me that vision I value.

Are you determined?
Determined, resolute, decided, resolved — the end is undisputed.
Being determined is the difference between sticking out and leaving things unfinished.
Being determined changes roadblocks and obstacles in to problems to solved.
With determination, we change habits, attitudes, and even what we think.
Imagine where you might get if you’re determined.

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

4 Essential Elements to Deliver Consistently Repeatable Success

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Can You Articulate What Makes Success?

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Once, at least once in your life, you succeed at something big. You learned to read. You graduated. You built something, won something, proved you could do something well and elegant. You stood up for something believed in. You held a friend’s hand through the night. You were part of a winning team. Your team brought in a project in a way that only your team can.

You know the feeling of succeeding. Everyone does.
But can you articulate what made that success?
Can you repeat it, consistently achieve it, and deliver success with confidence?

4 Essential Elements to Consistently Achieve and Deliver Repeatable Success

Success relies on a four important characteristics to be realized – the right mind, the right heart, the right skills and talents, and the right focus and passion in the right direction. How do we align all of these “rights” in a truly successful combination?

  • The right mind – The decided outcome was clear. Success was defined in clear concrete terms. You named it and were determined to claim it.
  • The right heart – The currency was trust not fear. The idea that you or your team wouldn’t succeed wasn’t even on the radar. Getting to the goal was just the plan.
  • The right skills and talents – The chosen challenge was at the right level. Peak performance comes when the challenge stretches us just enough to keep us from being bored without causing anxiety.You played to your strengths. You took advantage of opportunities.
  • The right focus in the right direction – Obstacles, distractions, and roadblocks were irrelevant. When we have our entire focus and passion on the prize, those things that might have sabotaged, undercut, or sidetracked was simply another detail to deal with or ignore on the way to success. If we look back, every roadblock and obstacle to a true success seems like a learning experience, an adventure, or a quest that made the hero’s journey more valuable in our eyes.

Let me say that as clearly as I can. I’m willing to bet that …
Every time you succeeded, just as many obstacles and roadblocks found their way to your path as every time you tried something and left it unfinished.

Those four essential elements of success are all you need to repeat the success that you’ve enjoyed in the past. Everything else — the people, the resources, the money, the business plan, the whatever you might mention — depends on the four that I just named.

We have to know a few things, believe a few things, and take on our path fearlessly. It’s a matter of commitment of head, heart, talent, and focused passion to achievement. Or as my husband just said, “No victory is won by the side that is only willing to fight until it hurt a little bit.”

Which of the four essential elements do you need most to achieve and deliver consistently repeatable success?

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

Influence is the Most Critical Signal When a FAIL Noise Is Sounding

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(Updated in 2020)

10-Point Plan: Show Influential Leadership in Times of Trouble

Influence Is a Clear Signal Above the Negative Noise

I submit that every person or business with any shred of visibility has had this experience.

You make an offer or offer an opinion that’s meant to establish trust or build a bridge of good intentions. Someone takes it out of context and soon you’re branded as something that is the opposite of who you are, what you stand for, and what you do.

Really what could have prompted us to do something as thoughtless as to put the wheelchair sign next to the stone stairway and think that meant accessibility?

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People start repeating the wrong thing — not what you said or what you did, but some interpretation that sounds more interesting and negative. The tribe is speaking and they’re speaking negative about you. What do you do? Remember that you still have influence.

  • Realize that you’re still you. Capture your values in three words that are smart, heartfelt, and about other people.
  • Immediately move to remedy damage with leadership. Leadership is not a false apology. Leadership can be saying “thank you,” to a detractor. Leadership is what restores balance that moved.
  • Stand on your reputation and start talking too. Tell your story and your history in terms of those values with clarity and conviction.
  • Focus on the truth and compassion for those who misstate or misunderstand it.
  • Keep repeating your commitment to values and leadership.

What person or business has escaped the experience of being misunderstood? The person would have to be a hermit and the business, well, it couldn’t be doing much business.

Sometimes it’s hard to remember that it’s not about pleasing folks who don’t like us, but about truly thrilling and serving the folks who love every bit of us. They are the ones who bet on us when the going gets rough.

Before the Internet we called the people who watched out for us our support system, now we call them our personal or professional network. Whatever we call that group that surrounds us with the benefit of understanding, the reciprocity of keeping them nourished with our attention and fed with our gratitude can be as simple as remembering them.

The best thing we can do for our brand and our businesses is to protect and care for the people who protect and care for us … even when we’re not seeing them do it.

The most critical signal is the respect and gratitude we constantly and consistently celebrate for the people who share our values. It resonate still whenever any negative noise sounds.

What do you consider most critical when a negative noise is sounding around you?

Be Irresistible.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

READ the Whole 10-Point Plan Series: On the Successful Series Page.

How Will You Change the World By Noticing Someone Else?

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Change the World by Noticing Someone Else

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On Easter Sunday, we think about raising ourselves up to where we belong.

Today we remember Jesus a holy man who was about others. He made his way by saying “You’re as good as I am.” He believed in the good things that we all have to offer and challenged us to bring them to each other. He spoke of a world where faith, hope, and charity — love for others — were the cornerstone. That to live to a better purpose would bring great returns. It wasn’t easy then. Never has been.

That’s the sign of a leader — someone filled with passion fin service to a great vision who communicates how together we can build something better together than we ever can alone. You could say that was his brand.

And folks followed him, because he reached out to people who might see as he did. He supported them, told people about what they did, sent them off to tell their own stories and live their own versions of that same purpose. As great leaders do he had the long lasting effect that generations of those he touched are still talking about what he said and the vision he saw.

He made meaning that changed people lives.

We can do that same thing. We can offer our service by aligning our goals with good people and sharing their goodness with others.

Go out an raise up the people who are doing good things. Add meaning to the meaning they make. Find a way to be more than one by raising up someone else. Say thank you for their work and service. It will raise you up too.

How will you change the world by noticing someone else?

We can change the world just like that.
ME “Liz” Strauss

Change the Conversation to Change the World?

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When Talk IS Action

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Three years ago, I was not about joining. My experience had been that groups pushed aside individuals who had different-sized ideas. Then I became part of this culture — individuals who could work together and respect each other’s individuality.

The group projects that work that way are riicher, deeper, and filled with more ideas. Blog Action Day is one of those.

This year on October 15th, Blog Action is inviting us to change our conversation to one issue . . .


Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

Thousands of voices, talking with their own words about the same thing. That’s conversation as action.

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!