We might also talk about what’s working and what’s not; cool tips and tricks; what causes us the most stress; and whatever else comes up.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
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What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?
Shirley George Frazier’s first comment on Successful-Blog was November 10, 2005. Making this call was going to be exciting. It’s not every day I get to have a conversation with a Week 4 SOB!
Shirley and I started right in talking about her books. She’s written several, but I was asking about one — the one she was writing and documenting on her blog when I met her. She told me the story of how her publisher had a slightly different vision for the release of it. She related one of the biggest differences — the book was finished months ago, but wouldn’t be published until next fall. We talked about her disappointment that 1.8 billion individuals who work as solo entrepreneurs would have to wait for the help she had gathered, how some of the information might be outdated. . . . Then there was the boring title issue, but we didn’t dwell on that one.
Shirley’s reaction? “Things that are negative make you want to go after the things you can control.” She’ll be self-publishing her next book for sure. That’s what Shirley said.
Thinking like that and being an entrepreneur, Shirley told me, is in her DNA for generations. She provided the proof by telling me family stories. My favorite was the tale of her grandmother, who ran a strawberry business in 1905 Virginia. That story lead to the stories of each of her parents in New York City. I told a story or two of my own.
Shirley’s own entreperneurial path led her into the specialty gift basket business. She was all energy when she talked about how it began and how the business grew into something remarkable. Shirley had some quite famous clients, who still call her up when they need something special even though she doesn’t do that for anyone but them anymore. When she wrote a book about how to do what she did and began to speak on the subject, Shirley had to hire people to run the business. Now her primary work is speaking, writing, and blogging on small business topics both online and traditional. She sounds jazzed about every minute of it.
What fun it was to get to know someone I’ve known for so long. She’s exactly as cool and as much fun as I expected, only 100 times even better.
A person who is under the radar can share an opinion, and still stay under the radar if they want . . . but they can still have a voice. —Shirley George Frazier
Stop by Shirley’s Blog, Solo Business Marketing, and say hi!
Thanks, Shirley, 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.
Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,
I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.
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.
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
An email came to my old account. I was late in getting to it.
Hi Alyice,
It’s Liz from Successful Blog. I’m sorry it took a while to get back to you. I thought I’d removed all references to that email address at aol. I hardly ever check it these days, except when I use it for a contest.I’m interested in what you have to say and like the way you write a lot. I’d like to know a little more about you. Let’s have a conversation. Would you like to be a B.A.D. Blogger?
A lovely reply came back that from a writer who said she had moved many of those “I thought I’d changed that email address” moments. She also said that she had never talked to another blogger via phone before. It seemed about time that we do something about that.
Alyice told me that her online story starts in 1999. She said couldn’t find information on how to become a Real Estate Notary, so she ended up online learning about it. As she spoke, I could hear her discovery. She said she saw small businesses starting out. It didn’t take much for Alyice to see that here was place where she could live her dream of owning a magazine. That’s how Dabbling Mum Press and her Ezine got started. Her magazine has been a professional reality, paying its way for some years now. Her readers enjoy interviews with important writers and her advice on writing and business.
Alyice said that she has always been writer, that writing comes more easily than talking does. We told a few stories about the shy sides of ourselves, weaving them inside our conversation about writing.
Alyice said she began writing for the web back when she discovered it, and I got immediately curious about the kind of freelance writing she did and had done. We discussed freelance writing services and job lists — how they’re really not much help. We each went down our list of experiences with clients who want too much for too little return and the circumstances of how you learn to identify who they are. I asked how she found her clients now. Alyice said they mostly find her through her monthy column in the ezine and through her blog.
This year for Alyice is going to be a one of a dream being lived. Alyice told me that, ever since she can remember, she has wanted to be a phorographer, “telling people’s life stories in pictures and words . . .” She said her natural shyness kept her away from the camera, but this year she decided that a person shouldn’t leave her dreams behind her. Alyice’s husband bought her the camera, the equipment, and the software. She started a photo blog to document the process of becoming a photographer. She’s chosen a project that has meaning.
It’s obvious, if you talk to her, that Alyice has become a photographer already. She just needs the practice to get the skills to live the reality.
Just before we ended our conversation, Alyice said she had been nervous before the call started. I’m always a little bit nervous before these calls myself.
Every important thing lets us know it’s important . . . if we are listening.
Not only are my readers learning, I’m learning from everybody. —Alyice Edrich
Stop by Alyice’s Blogs, DM Speaks, her interview blog and Dabbing Mom Writes, her photo blog and say hi!
Thanks, Alyice, 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.Alyice
It was Chicago calling Toronto when I got Bill Tully on the line and any conversation between those two cities almost always requires a discussion of the weather — even when one of the participants is woefully lame at small talk — that would be me. It went fine. It went fine because weather talk isn’t small talk when you’re discussing winter in Chicago and Toronto, and we both knew that.
Almost immediately I was telling Bill, about my affection for Toronto, about how it reminds me of Chicago. He mentioned what he knew of Chicago. And next I was off on a story high up, in an elegant Toronto restaurant. I described the head waiter dressed in a Prince Charming uniform who delivered handrolled chocolate truffles on a porcelian plate that was set on red velvet pillow. I explained how I reached up to take the plate and was told that one truffle was what I was being offered.
How could I not love Toronto? I had my first genuine chocolate truffle there.
Our conversation turned from chocolate to writing and then to why we write. We spent some time discussing and dissecting that condition folks call “Writer’s Block.” I said that since I write for a living, I can’t give credence to it or i might go broke. Bill said that blogging was his plan to take him out of his comfort zone to write for everyone. He talked of a plan to write his blog into a book. We talked about the best ways of doing that. His plan is solid and well-structured. His premise is compelling — it’s about how people interact with the world.
Among the ideas that Bill is writing about is the fact that the Golden Rule really doesn’t work. He pointed out that we really don’t want someone with a bad self-concept to treat us as they might want to be treated. I told him I thought so too. He’s a philospher. Mr. Tully is. He said, “We draw on what we know and get to know other people that way.”
Our conversation went deep and wide. It followed no particular straight or narrow pathway. It had it’s own logic to it — sort of like a blogging thought highway. I keep thinking of the guy in Toronto who is writing about logical emotions. It makes sense if you read it, if you get to know him.
The tagline on Bill’s blog says, It isn’t about what I have — it’s about where I’m going. That’s a glimpse into how the man thinks.
People by the millions trying to be part of a community . . . It gives people a chance where they can actively participate. Somehow, somewhere, at some point . . . — William Tully
Stop by William’s Blog, Logical Emotions and say hi!
Thanks, William, 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.
This week on Tuesday Open Comments Night we talked about the use of blogs in the classroom, blogging mistakes that were doozies, blogging about books, podcasts, giving away ideas and solving problems, when to move forward with a secondary website or blog, introducing folks to blogging for business, redesigning blogs, publishing books, business and blogging goals for 2007, business books, making money from a blog, people who comment on blogs — or don’t, favorite blog platforms, links to your blog, blog carnivals, memes, migrating to another platform, hosting services, domains and vendors, writing books, MP3 laws, and spam.
There was also conversation about the new year, chauffeuring kids, weather challenges, poetry, health issues, food and drink, studying languages, and a duck.
Here’s some of the links we shared.
Thanks for the cool links and for being part of the conversation. I wish I could quote you all, but I know you have an idea of how much time it takes to make that long link summary happen each week. I hate to let it go, but I thought you’d understand.
So, for 2007, we’ll just tell the story and share the links that you bring.
After all, how DO YOU explain Open Comment Night, if you’ve never experienced it?
See you next? I sure hope so.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?