Successful Blog

The Mic is On: We're Talking About Wine!

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It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

The Mic Is On

Here’s how it works.

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.
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.

Does anyone know how to pick which one?

We might talk about:

  • Red, white, or other
  • Sparkling, French, Australian, or Californian . . . you get the idea
  • We’ll talk beer too if you bring it up.
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And, whatever else comes up, including THE EVER POPULAR, Basil the code-writing donkey . . . and flamenco dancing (because we always get off topic, anyway.)

Oh, and bring links about wine to share!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: Let's Talk About Wine!

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Join Us Tonight

Does anyone know how to pick which one?

We might talk about red, white, or other and sparkling, French, Australian, or Californian, or whatever else comes up, even flamenco dancing.

Oh, and bring links about wine to share!

The rules are simple — be nice.

Do be nice. 🙂

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Thank You, Lisa and Chris!

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Dear Lisa and Chris,
I write you as family, because, for me, that’s how it is. I know it was a tough decision to give up your roles in SOBCon08. Don’t think for a second that it changes a thing. Your hands, hearts, and minds are woven through the SOBCon reality that we made from air. No one at SOBCon07 could possibly remember the event without remembering both of you.

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But your life, your new business, the future you’re building is a giant dream. It’s worth the journey you’ve set yourselves on. It will be amazing to watch you as you grow your business into your potential. I can’t imagine anything in your way. I sure can see the good things you will do and make.

How could I not have mixed feelings about seeing you leave the team?
I’ll miss your shoulders next to mine. Wonderful folks will help pick up the work, but it will be a long while before I stop looking for the two of you.

But I won’t miss your voice on the phone, because we’ll still take all of the time. . . . and I’ll still see you in Chicago in May!

To SOBCon Founders, Chris and Lisa Cree,
Blessings and Love on your new business,
and the biggest congratulations of my heart.

Thank you,
Liz's Signature

Work with Liz!! SOBCon08 is May 2,3,4 in Chicago. Register now!

Liz and Lorelle at WordCamp 2008

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Okay So, Lorelle Is No Surprise!

WordCamp Dallas Logo

One might expect to see Lorelle VanFossen, THE Lorelle of Lorelle on WordPress, to be speaking at an event such as WordCamp Dallas. But, I’m delighted to announce that I’ve been invited to participate as well.

The event, WordCamp, was started by WordPress founder, Matt Mullenweg, and has become an international event. Here’s a bit of the history described by the Weblog Tools Collection Blog.

The first WordCamp conference was held in July of 2006 in San Francisco. Matt Mullenweg pulled this event together in only three weeks time and ended up with about 300 people in the Swedish American Hall. The first international WordCamp event was held in Beijing China on September 1st, 2007. However, not too many people knew of the event. So the first KNOWN international WordCamp event took place in Israel on October 25, 2007. Since then, there have been WordCamps all across the world including Hamburg, Melbourne and soon to be Dallas.

WordCamp Dallas is a two-day event being held in Frisco, Texas at the George A. Purefoy Municipal Center on March 29 and 30, 2008. Here’s the list of speakers and what presentations are about.

You can see plenty of reasons to attend! Click this logo to register now!

Let me know if I’ll get to see you there!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Thanks to Week 119 SOBs

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Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,

and the right to call themselves
Successful Blog SOBs.

I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.

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They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.

I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.

Should anyone question this SOB button’s validity, send him or her to me. Thie award carries a “Liz said so” guarantee, is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and is backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.

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Want to become an SOB?

If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame– A-Z Directory . Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

SOB Business Cafe 02-01-08

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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 titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Dosh Dosh is talking about influencing behavior.
This doesn’t mean that you should deceive customers or readers by providing false or misleading facts but rather, that its useful to situate your marketing campaigns within frames which appeal to your audience’s interests.

Christine Kane is talking about influencing how we look at our lives. You can make it job-related (getting fired) or home related (getting evicted) or even health related. It’s not the situation that matters. It’s how you handle the situation.

Seth’s Blog is talking about the difference between influence and hype.
The idea that a single influential individual (even a blogger like Guy or a talk show host like Oprah) can individually change the herd is crazy, and I don’t think anyone has argued that.

Problogger is talking about other people using our influence without our knowledge.
Last week I had a quick conversation with Seth Godin via email about Twitter and in passing I mentioned his Twitter account. I was shocked to get a response to him saying that he doesn’t use Twitter and that the account I was referring to was actually being run by someone else (who that is I’m not sure).

Simplenomics is talking “too much” influence.
I’ll guarantee that you’re too something. Your company is too something. Your website is too something and your marketing is too something.

Trevor’s Writing is talking about the editor’s influence on what we write.
In the editing stage you need to go back over every word in the piece of writing; it doesn’t matter if it’s a fifty word filler paragraph or a five hundred thousand word novel.

Related ala carte selections include

Drew’s Marketing Minute is talking about the influence of color on a brand.
But sometimes, people do crazy, unexpected things with your brand. Take M&M’s for instance. We’ve all known about the powers of the green M&Ms for years. Pretty darn sure the folks at The Mars Company didn’t start that myth.

M&M capitalizes on a myth

Brain Based Biz is talking about the influence of color.
“Color is so amazingly powerful,” according to psychologist Joerg Bose, “that it is no surprise people throughout centuries have sought to connect it with something meaningful beyond the experience, itself.”

Color Your Banner – Color Your Brain!

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

–ME “Liz” Strauss