Successful Blog

This Just In: Almost Real Secrets of Shel Israel Revealed

by

Breaking News

As 2008 opens, we find that new information about Naked Conversations author Shel Israel has surfaced. Robert Scoble is said to be in shock and crestfallen to be caught unaware due to intrusions by Google. Over at Global Neighborhourhoods, once called the Red Couch, things seem slightly different.

Shel never participates in blog memes, but he tagged Toby and Liz just this week.

Has Shel been taken over by aliens?

The FBI, the CIA and the ABCs are looking over the highly esteemed blog for things out of place.
“Where’s the pods? Where’s the pod?s” the Director said.
One man was heard to say, “They’re here! They’re here!”
“Not the iPod, you idiot,” was the last that was heard.

Are the Stories True?

Did Shel once run for the Presidency of Spain?

Is that What Shel Said?

Shel was overheard remarking to Tris Hussey, “Nevermind. fuhgetaboutit.”

You’ll find all of the almost real secrets from Liz and Tony at Marketing Diva.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Photos via flickr by Victoriano and Donncha

Why Blog? . . . "Follow Your Calling" She Said

by

A Calling

When I was 7 years old, my teacher told me to listen for my calling. She said if I listened to my heart and my mind, I would find the future that was right.

Liz Strauss as a child

My teacher said “You’ll know because you’ll be making a difference in people’s lives.” I remember exactly where I sat when I let her words into my head. That’s when I started thinking about the possibilities.

I grew up with more curiosity than wisdom. I traveled with my feet on the ground, my head in the sky. I needed 23 lives to follow the callings I heard. . . . be a teacher, be speaker, be a writer. I wanted to build things and fix things, and of course, to be smart, wealthy, and rich. I wanted the life of a freelancer and the community of a company at the same time.

I tried them all — even tried a few more that came along.

Still that thought hung with me, You’ll be making a difference in people’s lives.

I ended up an educational publisher. For a while, I felt it might be my calling, but I wondered was I really making a difference or just making books? I worked freelance. I worked company jobs. I worked on projects of so many kinds. I not only loved publishing; I knew, for sure, that I’d never get bored.

Then I did.

I went off on my own again.

Was I Called?

A friend did call to ask me, if I would write a blog for a science education company. I thought I’d better find out what was involved before I answered. So I started a blog.

Early on I met the most excellent people — so many of them — and found IT changed MY life! Though I went down some windy roads, when I thought of giving up, one of those first friends, Jeremy, said, “Why don’t you join b5media instead?” Though the network was plenty busy with the work of being born, they didn’t blink before they took me in. Suddenly I was a freelancer in a thriving community.

Later that year, Darren set a challenge to write blog goals. I wasn’t going to participate, but I did. That’s when I found that my blog is my home. That’s when I realized how much I am like my dad.

If you read what I wrote, it says,

You see, my father didn’t work at the saloon. He lived it. He also earned enough to feed a family and send three kids to school. Somehow in doing that, he managed to make a difference in people’s lives by sharing what he knew and who he was.

My blogging goal is to do the same thing
with my blog that my father did with his saloon.

and that’s why I blog.

As for why I keep blogging, well it’s because every now and then I’ll get an email that says

Aside from business, people desire answers, they are hoping that someone believes that there [are] answers, and that just maybe, they can have hope too. — Steve

and it makes me think I might be making a difference.

“Follow your calling” she said.
Thank you for helping me know what my calling is.

Now will you tell me? Is it a calling, a hobby, a quest?
Please tell me. Why do you blog?

Liz's Signature
The question, “Why Do You Blog?” is final week’s challenge of the b5media Apprentice Challenge. Over 30 blogs on the b5 Business Channel started the quest, only four are left: Accounting Solver . . .Home Biz Notes . . . Greener Assets . . . Successful Blog.
The winner will be chosen from one of these four.

Will you join in deciding who becomes the b5media Apprentice? Every comment you leave on a final challenge post counts as a vote! The voting is open until January 7th. So c’mon tell me why you do you blog!

The Mic is On: It's the Very First Time . . .

by

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.

… in 2008

They say the first time is unforgettable.
We might talk about:

  • that first blog post, first job,
  • the first time we drove a car, rode a horse, or tried out skates
  • first prizes
  • first big breaks
  • first collosal mistakes
  • maybe even the first time we tried flamenco dancing.

I wonder who’ll arrive first?

Number 1

Oh, and bring links about firsts to share!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: For the Very First Time . . .

by

Join Us Tonight

… in 2008

They say the first time is unforgettable. We might talk about . . . that first blog post, first job, the first time we drove a car, rode a horse, or tried out skates. We’ve first prizes, first big breaks, and first collosal mistakes . . . We’ll talk about those firsts, and whatever else comes up — even the first time we tried flamenco dancing.

I wonder who’ll arrive first?

Oh, and bring links to share!

The rules are simple — be nice.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

The Cool Kids’ Guide to Blogging 2008

by

Connections and Relationships on the Living Web

The Living Web

Everyone can see what the A-List bloggers are doing. People report daily on their every move. Knowing that is almost self-preservation in the way knowing what the teachers in high school are up to. But what’s going on under the surface? What’s new and cool where they live?

A signal comes through the noise.

It’s no longer a question of relationships versus information. Connections and relations are the living web. Today’s question is one of managing quality versus quantity of relationships and contacts. Just under the surface of what we see, we’re talking to each other in ways that didn’t exist when 2007 saw the first sunrise.

New apps let us meet to

We’re even ranking those ways for how they’re being used.

Jeff Jarvis is proposing a Social Airline. I like the idea.

Skype is being used by the mainstream. Utterz has gotten folks to “audiofy” short thoughts for friends to enjoy. We can’t go from one New Year’s Eve Party to another without a Twitter. Messages under the twitter time line are becoming business deals.

Brogan has Upgraded our Attention and PulverTV is showing us how live BlogTV works.

Have you seen an episode of seesmic or of SeeSmix yet? The cool kids are using twitter to talk about getting naked marimbas to appear in an episode.

Even all-text blog networks are changing in scope and presentation. The a team blog is featuring many of our friends. Even so some folks are still inventing ways to hide behind the words.

The more things change . . . My mom used to say, “One day we’ll all laugh about this.”

Social. social. social. Media. Media. Media. Connections. . . .

We’re moving from Web 2.0 “me,” to Web 3.0 “we.” Are you about relationships yet?

Where do you see it all going?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Related
The Cool Kids Guide to Blogging 2007.

New Year’s Eve Celebration: 24 + 144 Dishes at the SOB Business Cafe

by

SB Cafe

Everything’s Special,
Especially the Patrons
Welcome to the SOB Cafe

All through the year, we offer a fare of the best in thinking — articles on business, blogging, and just plain living. On a day of celebrating 2007, we’re bringing hit selections to share with you in this very special menu.

Please enjoy these as much as I enjoy having you visit.

The Specials of 2007 are:

Success from the Nest pointed out that As a home-based business person, not knowing where your nuts are can make you crazy. Now, at this point you may be wondering to which nuts I am referring (and those of you snickering, I know what you’re thinking). Well, the nuts I am referring to are…

Shards of Consciousness explained . . . I found several how-tos on the domain moving process itself. However, none of these were clear enough for me. And none of them covered all the issues involved in changing domains. There are six main aspects of moving a WordPress blog from one domain to another.

Copyblogger pointed out Since different people connect with different things, joining in on a conversation that naturally compares and contrasts your style and expertise with that of your peers is smart marketing. More importantly, it exudes confidence.

Spooky Action gave us the model and said Why is a model of game design important to experience designers? Because the game design paradigm is DESIGN ONCE, EXPERIENCE MANY TIMES.

Seth’s Blog wondered What do most people get out of blogging? After all, most blogs are virtually unread by outsiders… Be sure to read the comments that follow it.

Logic and Emotion challenged us to consider If we claim to be marketers, advertisers, designers, public relations or communications professionals—we must take it upon ourselves to fully comprehend the significance of a lone consumer who takes on a huge company with nothing more than a blog and tape recorder.

The Life Coaches Blog started by saying Believe in people. See them better than they see themselves.

Steve-Olson.com offered an incredible curiosity quencher. I decided to provide you with some of my favorite websites, news articles, and blog posts about understanding intelligence.

Alister Cameron put it bluntly If what you do with the best hours of your day is not also the thing you’re passionate about, stop right now!

Manage to Change outlined why The real power of blogging is that it’s one more way to forge meaningful relationships with people and actively participate in communities and conversations.

ChristineKane.com laid out a challenge. Who among us has said this very thing – or some variety of it – to her/himself? And – here’s the kicker – who among us has been lying when we said it?

Design Your Writing Life takes up Where ChristineKane.com left off. What? Write for 15 minutes? What the hell can you accomplish in 15 minutes? See all there is about Writerly Lies.

DaveOlson.ca was questioning I don’t know when it happened but somewhere in the last few years of life, I forgot how to ask learning questions and honestly it’s kinda got me freaked out.

Circular Communications invented a genre. In this context is the deciding difference however that the interviewer has to do all the present work including picking the topic, choosing the participants, formulating the questions and finding the answers.

Chrisg got to thinking about the kinds of bloggers we are. While I patiently explained the different types of blogs to those guys I realised many of us probably have some sort of cross-over between types and rarely consider what our dominant blogging style is.

JeffPulver.com shows the online conversation in the offline world. When checking out, I noticed a personal note from their general manager, Barbara Gross, who made reference to a blog post I had written earlier this week . . . it is an example of how many small (and not so small) businesses can benefit from implementing their own social media strategy around their customers.

Instigator blog writes when we see examples of people building out mini-media empires like TechCrunch, GigaOm, ProBlogger, Know More Media, Positive Media Blog Network, and others, we feel like it’s possible for us as well.

Carpe Factum connects that Sometimes, it’s important to find the support that is hidden to the naked eye. That applies in our professional lives also, doesn’t it?

Jonathan Fields asks Have you ever lost time doing anything? You know what I’m talking about. Those moments when you become so absorbed in what you’re doing that an hour becomes a minute and a day becomes and hour. You blink and it’s time to go home, but you’d kill to be able to stay just a little bit longer.

Pick the Brain motivated us with There’s a big myth in our culture: that passion can only be spontaneous. . . . I disagree. Passion can be created. Even for things you don’t currently enjoy.

Orbit Now! characterized things in a way. Here is my spin. It is perhaps NOT as sticky, but that should come as a surprise to no one.

chrisbrogan.com explained
There are SO MANY situations where a social network’s communications functions, when aggregated as part of the “informational whole,” have more value than a more formal tool like a document or email.

Codswallop offered efficiency. Are you working with Excel and want take your Excel skills to the next level? Or do you want to learn Excel and don’t know where to start?

The Artsy Asylum questioned How do we communicate with each other in 2007 and beyond? How does that make a difference in how we think about the world, and our lives, and each other? How does the 3-D web play a part? Big brains are thinking about this so I don’t have to do it all.

And for the Dessert Buffet

Please enjoy these 144 links from Successful and Outstanding Bloggers.

Sit back. Enjoy your reading. Nachos and beverages will be right over. Klondike bars and Fat Tires are in the cooler under the sidebar Stay as long as you like. No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great celebration!

–ME “Liz” Strauss