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What We Have Is . . .

October 24, 2007 by Liz

A Successful-Blog Birthday Reflection

by Scot Herrick

maritalbliss– Scot and Kate

Today, Liz Strauss is celebrating the birthday of Successful Blog and she
has asked that we share with her and her community something that is both
successful and outstanding with us in our lives.

Well, it turns out that today is the wedding anniversary with my wife, Kate.

If I were to look at my life and figure out what is both successful and outstanding, the relationship with Kate would be number one on my list.

It was, of course, not easy getting to this point in our lives. There have been previous relationships that have not worked out. In both my wife’s and my life there have been the challenges, the falls, and the triumphs — everything that is wonderful, hard, and fleeting.

It simply prepared us for each other.

I have searched a long time for the right relationship. It has been said that I have been unwilling to settle and have been willing to start over with nothing to find the right relationship. I’ve always questioned — and admired — how people could really believe that they have found the
love of their life.

I don’t question that any more.

Tonight, Kate and I will enjoy a quiet anniversary dinner at a wonderful restaurant. In between the courses, we’ll again weave the story of our relationship — the triumphs, sorrows, and laughter — that continues to add to the foundation we have built together. We’ll wonder at how all of this came together; grateful and knowing how the past has shaped what we now have, knowing that we share the future.

We will have no regrets and great confidence in our relationship together.

Because what we have is successful and outstanding.

Scot. Cube Rules

————————————————–

Thank you, Scot!
Liz's Signature
birthday balloon The party is Oct. 24th! Come for the surprises! Bring a link to your success!!!

Filed Under: SOB Business, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, Cube-Rules, Scot-Herrick, Successful-Blog-Birthday

Change the World: Personal Service Counts

January 21, 2007 by Liz

Hey, Scot, How Can We Change the World?

Scot Herrick has been a friend of so many in so many ways for so long. He has a natural sense of people and how they work together. Scot also pairs this sensibility with a business view that brings a well-rounded, real-world focus.

When Scot sent a post for adding his voice to this series, I knew that I would use it — even before I read it. I knew that Scot would offer a work of substance and value, a practical, personal way that we might change the world. I wasn’t wrong about that.

Change the World: Personal Service Counts

Guest Writer: Scot Herrick

Change the World!

Have you noticed the large increase in self-service options available to you? Sometimes the only option?

There’s a reason for that, you know. Self-service is the least cost option available for companies to provide you service. That’s because it is your time spent searching for answers and a small group of people pumping possible answers into a database to present to you when you check things out online.

Now, I like doing business online. Usually, the process around purchasing or servicing or finding out about stuff is pretty straight-forward and now almost standard between sites. For example, I’d much rather order online than go to a retail store and buy something or call someone up and order something.

Most of the time.

I’d contend that we live in a self-service planet – but we need to live in a service-rich world, one where self-service is merely an option to all different kinds of service levels.

After researching products on self service sites, for example, I walked into a retail PC store to buy a high-end laptop PC and spent an hour trying to get an answer or two from a salesperson, who was one in name only. I wanted to spend the money. I couldn’t because I couldn’t get a tiny bit of professional knowledge and service about what I was asking.

I contrast that with the same self-service information, moving up the service chain by calling a professional salesperson 1800 miles away the next day who supplemented an online ordering site, having a good 15-minute conversation about my computer needs and mutually determining what fit the best for those needs with the products they offered. I then confidently ordered a laptop that met them – for about $300 more than the one I was trying to buy in the retail store.

The entire service chain – from self-service, to personal service, to fulfillment of an order, to servicing the order – counts as part of your service experience. Have anything fail in the service chain and you are left with that bitter feeling of not getting what you needed.

It’s not hard to be of service to others: simply listen to the other person and think through the fit of your products and services based upon the other person’s point of view. Not having a service that meets the specific needs of a person is a legitimate answer. Referring another who can provide the service means your person will remember you — who referred well and received no gain. The person you referred to will remember you as well.

This is true whether you work for a large corporation, are a self-employed home worker, or helping your friends.

People looking for help remember professional, expert people who helped them – not systems, not databases, not knowledgebases, not tools, and not the Internet. People remember great people.

Self service can be the lowest cost service option. But lowest cost doesn’t figure in the price paid for not offering great, professional service.

Help others by providing personal service. We can change the world if we do.

Scot Herrick writes at Cube Rules: Career Management for Cubicle Warriors

Thank you, Scot, for showing us how.
We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

______________
If you’re ready to change the world, send me your thoughts in a guest post. Feel free to take the gorgeous Change the World image up there that Sandy designed back to your blog. Or help yourself to this one.

Change the World!.

Email me about what you’re doing or what we might do. Let’s change the world one bit at a time together. Together it can’t take forever.

Filed Under: Community, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, Change-the-World, Cube-Rules, management, Scot-Herrick

Holiday Gifts: Energy, Insight, and Ideas!!!

December 13, 2006 by Liz

Holiday Gift Ideas at Pimp Your Work

Tris Hussey and Scot Herrick, two SOBs, are showing folks how to “add shizzle” to make work days better at Pimp Your Work. Energetic and positive discussion of work in both traditional and non-traditional settings is the hallmark of every information-packed post you’ll find there. And both Tris and Scot aren’t afraid to share ideas and resources, singing their praises in the best traditions of the blogophere.

This week Pimp Your Blog sponsored a b5 Business Channel Theme Post on Holiday Gifts. That’s what inspired my 31-Day January Calendar of Blog Post Ideas. Great writers and great ideas make this gift list. Click on the title below to take you there.

Holiday Gifts

While you’re over there getting energized and getting ideas, do tell Tris and Scot that I said hello.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

PS I have a family illness to attend to this afternoon. So, I put you all in charge of each other. Remember there’s only one rule here. “Be nice.” I’ll be back soon.

Filed Under: Idea Bank, SOB Business, Successful Blog Tagged With: 31-Day-January-Calendar-of-Blog-Post-Ideas, bc, Business-Channel-Theme, Holiday-Gifts, Scot-Herrick, Tris-Hussey

SOB Business Cafe 08-04-2006

August 4, 2006 by Liz

SB Cafe

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 title shots to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Darren Rowse offers an interview with Dave Sifry on Blogging Popularity.

Dave Sifry on Making Your Blog Popular

Mike Sansone considers whether blogging can be called a conversation . .. really.

 Is Blogging Really a Conversation

Christine Kane lays out 7 great reasons why you should forget about email until after noon.

 7 Great Reasons Not to Check Email til Noon

Scot Herrick has a fabulous read on creativity and innovation as a strategy in today’s Cubicle Nation.

Creativity and Innovation Series

Ann Michael has Google’s number laid out in keywords.

Google Are Key Words King

Related ala carte selections include

Minic Rivera has some Blogging Times News for Artists.

 Gawker Offers Free Ad Space to Artists

Please know that I include this last because everyone should see Susan Reynold’s wonderful art. Do click on it to see it full size. The image is amazing.

Susan's Wonderful Art

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like.
No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Filed Under: Design, Marketing /Sales / Social Media, Personal Branding, SEO, Successful Blog, Trends Tagged With: advertising-for-artists, Ann-Michael, bc, blog-promotion, Blogging-Times, Christine-Kane, creativity, Darren-Rowse, Dave-Sifry, Gawker, Google, innovation, keywords, Mike-Sansone, Minic-Rivera, Productivity, Scot-Herrick, Susan-Reynolds, Technorati

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