brand-niche-marketing Archives - Page 2 of 3

Great Find: Programmer Meet Designer

August 12, 2006 by Liz

Sharing Skill Sets

This morning Cat Morley started my email day with a lovely link that I have to share with you. If lack of a skill or two is holding you back from getting something done. You simply have to check this one out.

Great Find: Programmer Meet Designer

Permalink: http://programmermeetdesigner.com/index.php

Audience/Topic: Programmers, Designers, Writers, Entrepreneurs

Content: Programmer Meet Designer (PMD) was started because the folks behind it understand that no one person has the complete set of skills needed to do all of the things that it takes to run a business online.

PMD helps programmers and designers partner up to make websites and web applications that look and work great. It also lets entrepreneurs and writers find people to work with.

The search engine asks for my job role, the job role I’m looking for, whether the job is paid or unpaid, and the approximate length of the work.

As you might guess by the title, there are more listings for programmers and designers. However, the site has opened itself to writers and entrepreneurs. I found listings for them, but not nearly as many. To check out Programmer Meet Designer, click the logo below.

It never hurts to take a look at what’s out there.

Thanks again, Cat, for sharing your resources.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

What to Do Before They Ask What Do You Do?

July 18, 2006 by Liz

What’s Your Name

When is a rose not a rose? When it is Compassion. When a car not a car? When its a Model J DUESENBERG. Why did I quit teaching? Because I couldn’t find another word.

It’s true that’s the reason.

I left college being called a master teacher, with student teachers following me into the classroom. It had something to do with my philosophy that if I couldn’t sit in a desk all day, I’d be damned if I would ask a 6-year-old to try to do so. I loved the kids and the teaching, but when new friends asked What do you do? I heard myself saying, I’m a teacher, but not like any you ever knew. That wasn’t good. That’s when I realized that I needed a new word or I wouldn’t be teaching.

You’ve probably not left a career over a word, and probably suspect there was more to it. There was, and there wasn’t. The way folks viewed me was the problem. I wasn’t what they imagined. I didn’t like being put in their box.

But we rely on words figure out our world view.

There is no getting away from that.The next best thing is picking our words.

What Are You? a Blogger? a Writer? a Publisher? a Sales Rep? a Marketer? a Citizen Journalist? a Critic? a Martyr?

What do you do? they say. What do I answer? [Read more…]

Critical Skill 6B: 5+1 Ways to a Best-Fit Niche for YOU & the Market

July 17, 2006 by Liz

Finding that Ellusive Niche

Everyone talks about finding their niche, but I haven’t heard much about how to do it. How do you do a niche that fits? Finding a niche is Critical Skill 6 in what I call The 10 Skills Most Critical to Your Future. Once you can find hidden assumptions, you’re on your way to finding hidden niches.

Finding a niche that fits you and the market takes involvement, patience, and self-awareness — you need to know all points of view to get the perfect fit, and nothing less will do.

That best-fit niche is a tiny space where you’ll live, work, and relate to people. You’re going to have to like it there, but so are folks who don’t even know you. How do you find the niche that works for you and attracts an audience? [Read more…]

Congratulations TECHCocktail 1!!

July 6, 2006 by Liz

The Event Was a Success!

A lovely event was held tonight at the restaurant State in the center of the Lincoln Park Neighborhood in the city of Chicago. It was attended by 200 or so techies, bloggers, business folks, entrpreneus, and VCs who talked about how the world in moving forward and how we all might work together.

Thanks to all who put it on, especially the guys at Feedburner.

TECHCocktail 1 was a success.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Email Subscriptions Got My Mother-in-law & 2 Nuns to Read My Blog

June 26, 2006 by Liz

Who Wants a Blog by Email?

See the subscription form in the sidebar under the search box? It looks like this.

I put it on my blog as an experiment. I was skeptical. I thought Who’d want a blog in their email box? Wouldn’t that change the whole experience?

3 Good Reasons

My dad used to say get 3 good reasons for what you want to do. I did my homework, and I got them. Three good reasons for trying email to my blog.

Some folks spend a lot of time on email and little time on the Internet.
Some folks don’t want to come to find me. They’d rather I came to them.
RSS feeds are hard to explain to folks who’ve never seen or used one before. I know. I’ve tried.

Two other reasons I gave email subscriptions a try were that I don’t have to pay anything, and I like the way the email version of my blog looks. I made a screen so that you could see for yourself. [Read more…]

Always Choose for Your Readers, Right?

June 21, 2006 by Liz

It Just Happened Again

I got a link to a fresh, vibrant article on how to make my business more fun. I wanted to leave a word, start a conversation, be a part of the discussion. Then I saw those words.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Why put a barrier to making a connection?

What I heard was I could talk, but only on the writer’s terms. I guess that’s okay. It’s his blog. but it didn’t feel very inviting. It didn’t seem like he cared much that I had anything to say.

I wondered what was going on. There was an About page, but there was no way to contact him. Maybe he’s new and left the login thing on by mistake. . . .

I left without him ever knowing.

I’ll tell the guy who had the link, maybe he knows.

I’m Still Hoping

I’m still hoping it’s accidental. I don’t want to think this fresh, vibrant writer has a secret club. That would blow my whole image of what he has going — friendly blog, fresh ideas, energy. He’s gotta know that you always choose for your readers . . . . always. Right?

Brand You and Me. Isn’t that how it goes?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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