Successful Blog

Beach Notes: Sandimal 4 – Tina Turtle

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by Guest Writers Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

This is the fourth of our “Sandimal” pictures of sand-sculpted animals and probably the last, unless our mystery sculptor returns one day. We have called this one Tina Turtle.

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We couldn’t think of anything particular to say about Tina, so we did some research on the well known fact of turtles’ longevity.

Did you know that the longest living turtle on record was kept by the royal family of the island nation Tonga, from 1777 to 1965? That’s 188 years and to put it in perspective, it’s from the year after the US Declaration of Independence to the 100th anniversary of the American Civil War. In relation to the history of music, that turtle was born in the year Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart turned 21 and died in the year in which Bob Dylan performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall, with audience members including the Beatles and Donovan.

Make of all that what you will, but a lot sure happened while that old turtle was around.

Suzie Cheel & Des Walsh

Thanks to Week 221 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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radsmarts
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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 01-15-10

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SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking — articles, books, podcasts, and videos about business online written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Remarkable Communicaton
The problem with putting so much you into your business is that there’s a finite amount of you.

in over your head
I don’t know about you, but I was pretty stupid when I was younger. I really believed that I should only do what I feel like at the moment, not what I really cared about in general. I wasted several years of my life as a result of it– sucks right?

Altitude Branding
When you think of social media roles, chances are you think of a community manager or the oh-so-generic “social media manager”, which is usually some function of the marketing department managing strictly social media programs. But there are loads of other potential roles that can integrate or represent social media alongside other business areas.

Diva Marketing
Candy button As I began building the deck (I often like to mix slides with conversation. People learn differently and PowerPoint offers a visual media.) candy dots ran through my mind. I thought it would be fun to include an image of candy dots to help illustrate the strategy trail.

Jonathan Fields, Awake at the Wheel
The questions lobbed across the table…

What impact do you want to have? And, on whom?

I sat, for a moment, like a dear in headlights.

Seth’s Blog
The first stand is run by two kids. They use Countrytime lemonade, paper cups and a bridge table. It’s a decent lemonade stand, one in the long tradition of standard lemonade stands.

Related ala carte selections include

Ian M Rountree
Stabbed myself with a screwdriver at work the other day. Hurt like hell. It’s better now – well, getting better anyway, that’s what a week of antibiotic cream is for. …

Yes. It stung. Yes. My hand is totally useless for now. Why do I say this taught me a few lessons?

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

I’m a proud affiliate of

CES: When Business Networks Rely on Business Broadband

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A Guest Post by Jake Green

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I just got back from a trip to the enormous and spectacular International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. As the world’s largest trade show for anything tech, CES brings together businesses of all kinds – from software engineers and industrial designers to auto industry executives and media personalities. I actually saw Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft, standing in the same room with the flamboyant pop icon Lady Gaga.

Las Vegas T1: At CES, The Internet Is King

In this kind of setting, networking is vital; you never know where you’ll make an important connection. The theme of connectivity was present even in the technology itself, as new and unusual products and technologies emerged, all aiming to promote a connected lifestyle. Throughout the show, the biggest technology trend I saw was the move toward 3D TV, which I have to say I find a bit creepy. But the second biggest trend was that of Internet connectivity in more and more unexpected places. This year, both your new Panasonic TV and your new Ford sedan will be connected to the Internet.

In the business world, as in the entertainment world, the Internet is everywhere. To me, the need for fast and reliable Internet connectivity has never been more apparent or more pronounced than it was at CES 2010. Even the lightening fast T1 connection at the Las Vegas Convention Center, over which information flowed effortlessly before the show began, struggled to keep up with the demand as more than a hundred thousand attendees tested the next generation of connected gadgets. One small software company tried to demo a new security application for business broadband users, but had to postpone because of problems with their satellite Internet service. How important it is for a business to establish fast, dependable Internet services from the right provider.

Leaving the show, I reflected on the diverse uses of the Internet, as I had seen them in action at CES. One company demonstrated an affordable way for small businesses to use MPLS VPN connections for faster and safer credit card transactions; another used the Internet to beam 3-dimensional images of a shark to a television set across the room. But when it comes down to it, the Internet, like any network, is about making connections.

I suppose the world of consumer electronics is no different from the world of business in general: the more connections you make, the better off you’ll be.

How much does your business network work rely on a reliable Internet network?

Jake Green is a freelance writer for Wpromote, Inc. , the #1 search marketing firm in the US as ranked by Inc. 500. He writes about PPC Management and how to grow online small business. Wpromote is also at http://www.twitter.com/Wpromote.

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Thanks Jake!

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

Buy the ebook. Learn the art of online conversation.

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10 Prompts to Start a Blog Post When Your Screen Is Blank

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Start with a Few Words

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Sometimes a few words can get a whole lot started. Try these prompts when you’re facing a blank screen and don’t know where to go …

  1. When I look at all of these social media tools, I think we need . . .
  2. Enough of this . . .
  3. When I started hanging out online, I thought it was about …
  4. If someone offered $500K to move away from network of friends and family, . . .
  5. Every relationship has an ROI. . . .
  6. Marketers dream of . . .
  7. Can you help me out here? Is this a new thing? . . .
  8. All the talk about smart phones . . .
  9. Every Friday, . . .
  10. At this very moment, somewhere in the universe, . . .

Add your own in the comment box if some jump to mind.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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SUCCESSFUL SERIES PAGE

Want More Fans, a Bigger List? There’s No Skipping this Step …

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We Make It Harder Than It Is

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Sometimes we try too hard. Sometimes we reach too far. Sometimes we take the long way home because we never stopped to think about the easier one.

Are you looking trying to expand your community, your business, your sales, your blog readership? Want more followers on Twitter, more fans on your Facebook page, more members in your community?

I’m going to tell you straight out, there’s one step you can’t skip.

If you want more folks to love what you do, you have to be able to tell them why you love it yourself — clean, clear, fast — in ways they enjoy and understand.

It’s not that hard to do. It works this way …

If we make beautiful glass like this …

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… we have to be able to tell people what’s to love about it. Here’s how to do that.

  • Find the love stories in what you do. You can love the challenge. You can love the chase. You can love the heroic heritage. You can love what it does for people. You can love the time it saves. I love beautiful glass because it reminds me of the beautiful, beveled mirrors my dad used make. He taught me to appreciate the value of hot-sweat and workmanship.
  • Once you have the stories, find the ideal people to share those stories with. The people who love what you love are sure to think a lot like you do. You probably already know some of them. The first ones are probably very close to you. They probably have a few friends who have a few friends. To find the folks who value what you do, just share the irresistible stories and love behind the work that you do.
  • Tell the stories in ways that invite them to share stories of their own. Stories connect us in ways that small talk and transactions never will.
  • Listen carefully for details and doorways. Their stories will reveal their values — some the same and some unimaginably different from your own.
  • Pass on their stories to connect with new people new ways. Those might be people who work with what you make, who want to use it in different ways, who have ideas for partnerships.

The stories of what we value define us and better and faster than anything can. When we share those stories our relationships, our knowledge, our networks and our collections of stories expand. It’s a natural progression.

Whether we’re a huge corporation or a solopreneur, there’s no skipping this step …

If we want more fans, we have be a fan first.

How do you share your love for your work?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Be Irresistible!

Buy the ebook. Learn the art of online conversation.

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