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

I’ve been gathering tips and suggestions on e-mail etiquette for a while now, and looking for the opportunity to share them. ‘Respect’ seemed like the right framework, so with no pretences at originality, here’s are some classic ways to disrespect my inbox plus a collection of great links and resouces on how to get it right.

Confident Writing is exploring an in-box epidemic.

Christine Kane is exploring fixes some folks search a lifetime to find. Read both parts.
The problem with all of it is this:

It’s externally focused.

It’s what I call “fixing the outside form.” It’s like trying to change a movie plot by rushing up to the screen and shouting to the characters what they should do next. Very tiring. Not very productive.

the Blog Herald is exploring handwriting analysis in a new way.

business Opportunities and Ideas is exploring how to fix a lack of attraction.
Sadly advertising does not work for the majority of small businesses. So they give up believing that advertising is only something “big businesses” do, claiming that “advertising doesn’t work for my type of business”.

Write to Done is exploring the “writes” of success.
I love reading about my favorite writers and what writing habits led to their success. Below, I share with you some of my favorite writers’ work habits … and it’s obvious that there’s no single way to success.

David Airey is exploring words that look good.
Inspiring typographical Flickr collections, for designers and type nuts. The following groups contain more than 50,000 images showcasing typography. Just about enough to quench your type desires.

Related ala carte selections include

Carpe Factum is exploring that eternal question . . . while you’re there contact him about the deal he’s got on group purchases of his business fables.

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

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

own your brand has thoughts about creativity.
“I can help him!” declared the neighboring teller.

“No, you can’t!” replied “my” teller.

BIGG Success has thoughts about how to get where we’re going.
In this age of personal branding, a coach can do the same for us – take us where we can’t take ourselves. We’ve found that our coaches save us time – we get where we want to be faster because they help us identify what’s most important.

the brandbox has thoughts about things rolling downhill.
All of us, at one point or another, have had a bad experience with a company. Sometimes, it’s mild enough for us to grumble for a few moments and go on our way, and give them another shot another day. Other times, it’s bad enough that we’ll never do business with that company again, but we don’t spread that to other people.

Bold Enterprises has thoughts about checking out and checking in.
If you were to lose your job, how surprised would your network of acquaintances be to hear from you?

Occam’s RazR has thoughts about tricks to get your attention.
Which is worse:

A title that goes overboard with buzzwords?

Or that sinking feeling in your gut where you realize you’ve been gamed through human engineering?

Related ala carte selections include

influx technology has visuals on the future of information retrival.
Mac Funamizu a web/graphic designer working in Tokyo, Japan has developed some great visuals showing some interesting concepts around the future of search.

Have a few thoughts about that brand new feeling. . . .

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

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

The Marketing Fresh Peel has brought us . . . an entertaining and enlightening conversation.
I’ve hosted some excellent authors in past Post2Post series, but interviewing Tom adds a whole new level of excitement for me. I’ve been a fan of his cartoons for a number of years and I’m routinely amazed at how with a simple cartoon, he can take issues that baffle brand managers and marketers and portray them with such clarity.

Loudmouthman has brought us . . . a real opinion.
There is this snobbish notion that my profession and interests are not Real. That conversations via email, skype and twitter are not real compared to conversations you may have when you meet face to face in physical sense , the term more commonly referred to In Real Life.

Confused of Calcutta has brought us . . . some reasons to remember how our links connect us to each other.
When I read this evocative piece by Tim O’ Reilly on Linking To Yourself, and began to understand just how widespread the “habit” had become, I began to wonder.

Engaging Brand has brought us . . . something to wonder about.
Seven more wonders of the — ahem — business world.

45 Things has brought us . . . the wisdom of family television.
When I saw the apartment, I fell in love. It was in an old Victorian home that the owner had converted into three units. High ceilings, a claw-footed bathtub and no olive green appliances. I immediately grabbed it and put down my deposit.

But after moving in, I began to discover some things that I had not observed in my first starry-eyed inspection of the place.

Related ala carte selections include

Less Ordinary has brought us . . . a reason to bring out the living color.
I don’t know about you, but when the weather is like this I find myself sinking into a colour slump: that state in which you no longer really see colour around you, you become very serious and work-orientated and you forget to have fun.

Meanwhile . . . thanks to everyone who bought my eBook this week.

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

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

Technosailor sees the gaps.
Gap Marketing is the idea that, when you’ve done everything you can to cover the large target audiences, there are still small gaps to fill.

Leadership Ramblings sees how leaders changes their view of leadership.
I started out on my young career wanting to be a manager, wanting to lead a team. My main motivation was that “being a manager” would look good on my resume. It would look good in the eyes of others. It would look good professionally, and it felt good personally. Essentially, I was in “lust” with leadership.

Beth’s Blog sees a distinction between starting a conversation and starting a community.
A critical factor for success in both is having an engagement strategy. An engagement strategy can help your organization attract more traffic, loyal supporters, more content, more links, and other values. But it requires investing the time to build relationships with people (yes, even one-on-one interaction) or “network weaving skills.”

Global Neighbourhoods sees the personal side of personal branding.
In social media, it seems like the people who give the most valuable or interesting information establish the strongest brands. They become trusted sources. The trust of others builds influence. Your personal brand may or may not help your employer. But what makes it personal is that it moves around with you wherever you go.

leah in chicago sees the value of being with people in person. Her cat might disagree . . .
It must be working, because now people say to me, “you go out every night, don’t you?”
My knee jerk reaction to that is to say, “No, I’m a total homebody, I never go out.” But then I go home and my cat yells at me, “Where have you been all week? I need some attention and a treat!”

BawldGuy sees the need for a little perspective.
At a family dinner tonight we had three generations at the table. We were at one of our favorite places, and were enjoying several appetizers. Grandma came up in the conversation as we were talkin’ about the Great Depression. The usual stories were told, but then my daughter asked me to tell her favorite Grandma story.

Here’s some perspective against which you can evaluate our current economic challenges.

Related ala carte selections include

David Bullock sees you on the Olympic track running against yourself.
It is you, your track shoes and your opponent seems to be the rest of the field.

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

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

Real Lawyers Have Blogs proposes a new look at our courtrooms.
Corporate communications pro, Shel Holtz, picked up news of something I thought we’d start seeing. Twittering of trials from the courtroom.

Copyblogger proposes three success secrets within reach.
Actually, there are three secrets that work together. To be blunt, these three magic success secrets separate the winners from the losers. Master them and you’ll start to move forward.

Levite Chronicles proposes a new view of the last days of summer
So there isn’t much time left to waste. But here’s how you can make the worst of it.

Dosh Dosh proposes a new view of highly populated areas.
What marketers and anyone who wants to promote themselves can learn is the strategy of seeking out people-saturated public spaces (online or offline) and seek to populate that area with your message. Buskers, beggars and poster street teams are all familiar with how to promote their agenda or needs in areas where people frequently pass through.

Blogging Tune proposes a new themed view from a new feed reader.
But those who read techcrunch a lot wouldn’t want to miss their blog theme in their feed reader too.

Joyful Jubilant Learning proposes a new view on pretzel meditation.
Infinity means unboundedness or without end. Although the infinite pretzel above is quite concrete (and maybe a little salty) the concept of infinity to me is abstract, elusive and without end.

Related ala carte selections include

The Onion proposes another glance in the mirror. . . .

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

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

in over your head asks if we’re thinking about what it means.
Some may applaud Apple’s decision to remove the $1000 iPhone app (the one that does nothing) from its store the other day but, in reality, it’s deplorable.

Jonathan Fields asks if you’ve been paying enough attention to your friends.
When people you speak with constantly dart between listening to you, giving you their attention, then wandering offer, especially mid-sentence, it’s just incredibly disconcerting. It makes you feel belittled, insignificant, frustrated and angry. Oh, hell, it just plain sucks!

remarkable communication asks whether you know how to make someone
We want someone who really gets us. Someone who speaks to us, and just to us. Someone who listens to our problems and fears, and then makes those go away.
feel special.

Steve-Olson.com asks whether you can handle your life gracefully.

BIGG Success asks how you know your own attitudes?
If you keep running into a wall, you have to ask yourself if you’re being persistent or stubborn.

Related ala carte selections include

1 Good Reason asks which way to turn?
You’ll know social media and the internet are the primary source for people to get info when that’s where they turn first in an emergency.

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