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SOB Business Cafe 05-07-10

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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

End Homelessness
There are first times for everything. The first time I drove a car, first time I broke my leg, first time I ate sushi, the first time I went to work, the first time I was fired, and I’ll never forget my first kiss. ‘Firsts’ are memorable parts of life and growing up.

Well, the same goes for that first night spent on the streets or in a homeless shelter. The first time you’re homeless, the intense feelings of fear and uncertainty are impossible to forget.

CommonCentsMom
Earlier this year I wrote a post about how important online relationships are and well WON my way to this room of people. Many of my blogging heroes where in this room. Well life threw a curve ball and I couldn’t go. I was blessed enough the the founders of SOBCon let me pass my win on to another Canadian blogger. I gave my ticket to Scott Stratten..and if you are in the marketing world and don’t know who he is may I suggest you read his new book due out in August.

So what about the girl who didn’t get to go? The one who got stuck sitting at home?

Ramblings from a Glass Half Full
And when we finished, all of us were transformed.

I know, transformed is a pretty strong word, and for those of you who have never been to a SOBCon, I can understand some skepticism here. How can that happen? It’s just a conference, right? And we all know what happens there – speakers speaking, panelists pontificating, and audience members watching passively (and checking their watches looking forward to the next coffee break).

Wrong.




Related ala carte selections include


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

third-tribe-marketing

How to Raise a Barn in a Weekend

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SOBCon2010

sobcon-vmc

Stunned and staring at my screen. Fingers resting on my keyboard. I walk around to find out what I’m thinking …

Last Friday morning at SOBCon2010, we looked at our hands and considered all the ways we use them to communicate — all the information and feelings that we pass through them.

Today my voice is gone and my two pairs of glasses still qualify as 1. lost and 2. broken. My head and heart are filled with meaning. Yet my fingers aren’t feeling so eloquent.

Sometimes words are inadequate. I trust you’ll read the spaces between them this time.

Wish more than anything I could reach through my computer to shake a few more hands, to underscore an idea, to give one more hug or handshake while a taxi was waiting.

How to Raise a Barn in a Weekend

Raising a barn can’t be done by one person. In fact, it helps to start with a truly committed and generous partner … one who will sing if he needs to … even when an executive from a leading business website and verified platinum-selling rockstar are in the room.

At SOBCon2010, we offered an invitation, an excuse, a reminder to “raise a barn” of ideas, strategies and tactics and a 150 incredible people laid aside their self-consciousness and invested the time of their life to be there — for some it was easier, for some not so much so. It takes practice to be fear-less.

People came together in unexpected combinations.

dave_taylor_terry_starbucker_carol_roth-by-bjmccray

Barn raising is a noble investment.

If you’re wondering how you might raise a barn, it’s been my experience that raising a barn is easier if you …

  1. Show up in spades. Be there. Gather everything you might be, everything you might offer, and all you believe.
    No barn was ever raised by, for, or with someone who didn’t invest, want, and already see one.
  2. Bring a simple plan and a people-centered process. Support and encourage expression, participation, and creativity. Don’t five undue attention to nonparticipants. Some folks need to find their own way in … Instead be attractive.

    Getting started is the hardest part. Make it the easiest.

  3. Fill the quest with quality. Have the best leaders, the best tools, the best food, the best places to think, talk, work and relax.

    Live the vision. Don’t just talk about it.

  4. Know, love, and trust the people who are investing. Welcome everyone who came to contribute. Let them know they are valued. Leave room in the plan for positive mutations. Let people be smarter, than you are.

    Realize and recognize that every act of generosity goes both ways.

    5. and when the barn is almost finished …

  5. Give back, give forward. Take action that keeps the momentum. Work in full gratitude by, for, and with everyone who participated to celebrate what’s been raised. Find ways to help them pass on the experience and insights they gained to those who could use them.

    Imprint every learning by inviting every learner to be a hero and a teacher.

    6. sobcon2010-day-3-by-adrants

Thank you to every sponsor for looking acting and investing right with us. Thank you to the presenters, who delivered the content as members of the audience. Thank you to every person who helped us build more than we imagined. It will take a while to unpack the complete value of your contribution.

Without your fearless participation, we might be remembering a meeting.

Instead we built meaning. We saw, heard, and understood each other.

And

Damn it’s fun to take your brain out to play in a roomful of smart people!!

No wonder I keep staring at my screen.

You have changed my life.

Can’t wait to do it again!

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

SOBCon BlogIt EarnIt Discount Get $250 off until April 1

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Because You Asked …

sobcon-vmc

Suppose you could take a weekend retreat away from the noise of the Internet …

  • to focus entirely on your business
  • to work with the support of a mastermind team
  • to get quality time to interact with the top people in social media
  • to get the best information AND time to discuss how you’ll apply it
  • to work with sponsors who are doing the same thing
  • in a room limited to 150 people — all focused in the same direction
  • without worry because the food and the wireless are outstanding.

Imagine a weekend work retreat with these people totally invested in sharing this content.

The BlogIt EarnIt Discount Until April 1!!

I’m delighted to announce that Terry and I get to make this offer …

Write a blog post about what “The Virtual Meets the Concrete” means to you. We want to celebrate how our relationships online help our lives and businesses online and off. Tell us why online and offline relationships and strategies matter.

Here’s how to qualify for the discount

1. Write a blog post about a person (or people) online or off who has (or have) made a difference in your life. Celebrate how they have made your life easier, better, smarter, more productive, more meaningful.

2. Then let us know by tagging your post #SOBCon2010 and leaving a comment with a link to it on this post. Include a working email with your comment and as a thank you for sharing your story, we’ll send you a special code to take $250 off the $895 FULL conference rate – that’s over a 25% savings! (We won’t use your email to spam you.)

Or, if you can’t make to SOBCon2010, you could “pay it forward” and pass the discount on to one of your friends — or offer it back to us as a gift for us to pass on for you.

We’re doing everything we can to bring you all the value, the experts and expertise, and the time to work and network that you need to make your business outstanding and extremely profitable in 2010.

What could you do with a weekend of the time, expertise, and support you need to focus your business?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Register for SOBCon2010 NOW!!

Make the investment.

Don’t Miss the FREE SOBCon Webinar at Noon EST Monday – Feb 15th!!

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Brogan, Garrett, Naslund, Strauss, and Starbucker

We’re delighted to invite you to a conversation about strategy and tactics and the relationships that move our businesses online and off.

Join us at noon EST on February 15th, to kick off a special SOBCobn2010 Webinar with Chris Garrett, Chris Brogan, Amber Naslund and Liz Strauss

SOBCon2010 Webinar
Mon, Feb 15, 2010 12:00 NOON EST – 1:30 PM EST

Just click this link.

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/197073915

We’ll be talking the entire SOBCon Program and how the virtual meets the concrete in own online businesses.. We’ll also be announcing the winner of the SOBCon FREE Trip and a new special limited time offer! I’ll add an update to this post with the name of the winner after the webinar.

Meanwhile, here’s what SOBCon looked like last year … via @ramseym

We’re doing everything we can to bring you all the value, the experts and expertise, and the time to work and network that you need to make your business outstanding and extremely profitable in 2010.

What could you do with a weekend of the time, expertise, and support you need to focus your business?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Register Now!! for sobcon-vmc You need to be there.

Look Who’s Entered to Win a FREE SOBCon Trip — OR Get a $250 Discount

by

150 People to Fine Tune Your Web Presence

sobcon-vmc

Suppose you could take a weekend retreat away from the noise of the Internet …

  • to focus on your business with the support of a mastermind team
  • to get quality time to interact with the top people in social media
  • to get the best information AND time to discuss how you’ll apply it
  • to work with sponsors who are doing the same thing
  • in a room limited to 150 people — all focused in the same direction
  • without worry because the food and the wireless are outstanding.

Imagine a weekend work retreat with these people totally invested.

Here are the entries to win …

  1. Jon Swanson @jnswanson wrote How Becky McCray Changed My Life
  2. Leia Ferrari @lferrari2 wrote My BlogCrush confession
  3. Cynthia Smoot @ohsocynthia wrote Getting Back to Basics …
  4. Kristin Rielly @geekgirls wrote Opportunity Can Be the Greatest Motivator
  5. Ria Sharon @RiaSharon wrote How Our Relationships Matter
  6. Deb Brown @debworks wrote The Virtual Meets the Concrete
  7. Ellen Nordahl @ElleLaMode wrote Inspiration to Embrace Uncertainty
  8. Laura Maly @laura_maly wrote Online Thoughts Crash Into Reality
  9. Esther Crawford @faintstarlite wrote My Internet Addiction
  10. Glenda Watson Hyatt @glendawh wrote Lives Change When the Virtual Meets the Concrete
  11. Jasmin Tragas @wonderwebby wrote Virtual Adventures and Girl Scout Cookies
  12. Ken Trump @safeschools wrote Inspiring Person: Liz Strauss
  13. Paul Merrill @paulmerrill wrote How Chris changed my life
  14. Teri Conrad @tlchome wrote The Doctrine of Stephen Jagger
  15. Susana Molinolo @foodplayground wrote #SOBCon2010
  16. Lynne Jarman-Johnson @LjjSpeaks wrote Work + Fun = Passion
  17. Erno Hannink @ernohannink wrote Als online ondernemer doormodderen of in stroomversnelling – SOBCon 2010
  18. Stephen Sherlock @SherSteve wrote Hitchhiking with Aloha
  19. Hope Bertram @windycitysocial wrote SOBCon2010 – Getting to know Hope
  20. Connie Roberts @ConnieFoggles wrote Connecting Is The Easy Road To Blogging
  21. Carole Hicks @carole_hicks wrote SOBCon2010 – The People Who Have Made a Difference For Me
  22. Deb Hildreth@adlex wrote I am …
  23. Hollie Pollard @commoncentsmom wrote They Don’t Even Know
  24. Chris Burdge @b_WEST wrote #SOBCon2010
  25. Pieter van Osch @pyotr wrote Online Creativity Accelerated by Off Line Event
  26. Lisa Grimm @lulugrimm wrote Reflection: Inspirations From the Web
  27. Dave Murray @DaveMurr wrote #SOBCon2010 – To Everyone, Thank You for Being Here and for Helping Make This Ride All the More Meaningful
  28. Nathan Hangen@nhangen wrote 3 People/Places that Have Inspired and Educated Me for Online Success
  29. Nerissa Marbury @OneEpiphany wrote The Person I Secretly Admire (or use too)
  30. Lynn Reidl @lynnreidl wrote Peace of Mind: a Concrete Reality
  31. Phil Gerbyshak @philgerb wrote Big C Communities Matter: #SOBCon2010
  32. Tamara @unexperiencedmom wrote Liz Strauss Labeled Me an SOB!

    33. And this just in from

  33. Jordan Cooper, stand-up comedian @NotaProBlogwho wrote Nigerian Spammers Changed My Life

Would you write a blog post to get a chance to win a FREE SOBCon Weekend?

An Expense Paid Ticket!! AND the BlogIt EarnIt Discount

Here’s what they did to enter …

Now, we’ll put all of the entries in a random drawing and choose one lucky winner. We’ll announce the winner at the Webinar on February 15th. The winner will receive:

  1. a free ticket to SOBCon2010 – $895.00 value
  2. airfare and three nights at Hotel 71 – up to $1105 in hotel and airfare

A total package value worth as much as USD $2000 – nontransferrable, nonrefundable.

And remember as a thank you for sharing a story, we’re sending everyone who enterred a special code to take $250 off the $895 FULL conference rate – that’s over a 25% savings!

If you can’t make to SOBCon2010, you could “pay it forward” and pass the discount on to one of your friends — or offer it back to us as a gift for us to pass on for you.

Don’t Miss the FREE SOBCon Webinar Monday

Join us at noon EST on February 15th), to kick off a special SOBCobn2010 Webinar with Chris Garrett, Chris Brogan, Amber Naslund and Liz Strauss

We’ll be announcing the FREE SOBCon Trip contest winner and a new special limited time offer!

SOBCon2010 Webinar
Mon, Feb 15, 2010 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/197073915

We’ll be talking strategy and tactics for our online business.

We’re doing everything we can to bring you all the value, the experts and expertise, and the time to work and network that you need to make your business outstanding and extremely profitable in 2010.

What could you do with a weekend of the time, expertise, and support you need to focus your business?

We’re all coming for the same reasons.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Register Now!! for sobcon-vmc Make the investment.

Win a FREE SOBCon Weekend — $2000 Value !! AND Get a Discount Code to Explode Your Network!

by

150 People to Fine Tune Your Web Presence

sobcon-vmc

Suppose you could take a weekend retreat away from the noise of the Internet …

  • to focus entirely on your business
  • to work with the support of a mastermind team
  • to get quality time to interact with the top people in social media
  • to get the best information AND time to discuss how you’ll apply it
  • to work with sponsors who are doing the same thing
  • in a room limited to 150 people — all focused in the same direction
  • without worry because the food and the wireless are outstanding.

Imagine a weekend work retreat with these people totally invested.

Would you write a blog post to get a chance to win a FREE SOBCon Weekend?

An Expense Paid Ticket!! AND the Return of The BlogIt EarnIt Discount

I’m delighted to announce that Terry and I get to make this offer …

We had such fun last year with the SOBCon “BlogIt, EarnIt” discount. We’re bringing it back again. Again this year, we’d like to hear from you — this time about what “The Virtual Meets the Concrete” means to you. We want to celebrate how our relationships online help our lives and businesses online and off.

Tell us why online and offline relationships and strategies matter.

Here’s how to qualify for the discount and enter to win

1. Write a blog post about a person (or people) online who has (or have) made a difference in your life. Celebrate how they have made your life easier, better, smarter, more productive, more meaningful.

2. Then let us know by tagging your post #SOBCon2010 and leaving a comment on this post. Include a working email with your comment and as a thank you for sharing your story, we’ll send you a special code to take $250 off the $895 FULL conference rate – that’s over a 25% savings! (We won’t use your email to spam you.)

We’ll also tweet your blog post so that we can celebrate the folks we all think make us stronger.

Get your posts up before Noon EST on February 14th, 2010, and noon EST pm the next day (February 15th), to kick off a special SOBCobn2010 Webinar with Chris Garrett, Chris Brogan, Amber Naslund and Liz Strauss (details coming soon), we’ll put all of the entries in a random drawing and choose one lucky winner who will receive:

  1. a free ticket to SOBCon2010 – $895.00 value
  2. airfare and three nights at Hotel 71 – up to $1105 in hotel and airfare

A total package value worth as much as USD $2000 – nontransferrable, nonrefundable

Blog your thoughts, share it, link it back to this post, and broadcast it on Twitter (hash #blogitearnit). We’ll also encourage you to link to the SOBCon blog for others to see and learn. And remember as a thank you for sharing your story, we’ll send you a special code to take $250 off the $895 FULL conference rate – that’s over a 25% savings!

Or, if you can’t make to SOBCon2010, you could “pay it forward” and pass the discount on to one of your friends — or offer it back to us as a gift for us to pass on for you.

We’re doing everything we can to bring you all the value, the experts and expertise, and the time to work and network that you need to make your business outstanding and extremely profitable in 2010.

What could you do with a weekend of the time, expertise, and support you need to focus your business?

We’re all coming for the same reasons.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Register for SOBCon2010 NOW!!

Make the investment.