Successful Blog

BRAND NEW BLOG Slide Show and the Now YUDU IT! Challenge

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A Time Line of Digital Publishing Buzz

YUDU Media

Four weeks ago I tried to break WordPress here by releasing a blog post every minute to showcase 260 of your blogs. That event got the attention of BlogDesignStudio, who said to me, “We’d like to offer to your readers 50 of our Edge, Premium Theme, to boost their blogs.”

A new event came from the first.

Eleven days ago: We launched that event. It was called, That Brand New Blogging Feeling Event. Fifty participants each received a copy of the Edge WordPress Theme and a copy of my eBook The Secret to Writing a Successful Blog in return for submitting a photo with a caption describing the feeling of writing their first blog post.

I promised to compile the entries into a published whole.

Three nights ago, Tim Sanders and I were talking about the Responsibility Revolution happening in business. He spoke about green publishing which got me talking about the carbon free digital publishing platform I used to build the Brand New Blog slideshow.

Two days ago YUDU.com — that carbon free publisher, who now officially is my client — thought it was great idea when I said this a cool opportunity to sponsor a contest. So check out the slideshow of all your cool photos and captions on YUDU — where the site links actually link back from the photo pages.

But do remember to come back because what we have planned next is something also cool with cool prizes too.

Yudu Nav bar

OR click the link under the slideshow to see the ENLARGED version
in its natural habitat as two-page spreads.

ARE YOU READY TO KICK IT UP A NOTCH?

I made this slideshow. Now it’s your turn.
The folks I work with a YUDU are blogger friendly. When they heard about what I was doing they wanted to be a bigger part. We talked about the possibilites and the next thing you know we were defining

NOW YUDU IT! Challenge at 1pm 3pm Chgo Time Today

Start with a free YUDU account.
Get a chance to win a MacBook Air!
The TOP entry will get a US$180 professional acount at YUDU.com

Details will be on this blog at 1pm 3pm Chicago time today!
(See the clock in the sidebar to set your watch.)
Will you take the challenge?

C’mon, I did it. Now YUDU It!

If you would like a .png of the slide for your photo, you’ll find in the flicker set.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
See the Work with Liz!! for how to start some business rolling for yourself.

Why We Touch The Rock

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Beach Notes by Guest Writer Suzie Cheel

A Daily Habit

Each day when Des & I walk on the beach we have a habit of touching the rock at one end of the beach.

and the other.

We started this daily habit not long after we started walking on this beach 4 years ago. We noticed the resident patriarch of the morning beach walk tribe, Frank touching the rock. We learnt it was an unwritten rule, so we followed suit.

A guest staying with us last year observing this ritual asked: “What happens if you don’t touch the rock?”

Well nothing happens!

By touching the rock at both ends it is a way of ensuring that we have completed the full distance. without having to think about it.

I recently thought about how I might apply this to other areas of my life to get more completed efficiently. In other words have some kind of simple ritual to help me complete one task before moving to another. I am not sure how that fits with multitasking, but I am working on it.

“What’s your equivalent of touching the rock?

Great Graphic Ideas: Nebon Media

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Cool Things Are Happening

If you know an outstanding design site, email me a link and tell me why you think it’s important to share. Then I can pass it along. Lorelle shared this design group with me.

Great Find: Nebon Media

Permalink: http://www.nebonmedia.com/en/inthehut.html

Target Audience: Design clients

Content: Any web citizen who appreciates great design likes to check in what cool designers are doing. The folks at Nebon Media have some great ideas. Take a minute to check them out. Click the screenshot to make a visit.

I don’t know them. I’ve never talked to them or worked with them. I just like what they’re doing visually. Notice how you can see through board to the trees behind the “hut” the shelves are in.

Great design engages imagination ways like that.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Related
Sandy’s Great Graphic Find: block posters
Sandy’s Great Graphic Find: Pixel Ruler
Great Find: PDF Online — Free

Thanks to Week 151 SOBs

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Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,

and the right to call themselves
Successful Blog SOBs.

I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.

muddy teal strip A

They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.

I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.

Should anyone question this SOB button’s validity, send him or her to me. Thie award carries a “Liz said so” guarantee, is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and is backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.

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Want to become an SOB?

If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame– A-Z Directory . Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Useful Conversation, Relaxation, or Time Spent?

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I've been thinking . . .

about conversations with friends.

Last night I had a conversation about social networking with a good friend, it went something like this.

My Friend: On August 1, I had 166 followers and now I’m over 400.

ME: So?

My Friend: Surely you’ve heard that in sales it’s all about the numbers. But you’re saying numbers aren’t the only thing.

ME: So, these people, your followers, are the people who are going to buy from you?

My Friend: You’re saying the key is to convert them into buyers. That’s why I’m networking — having conversations like this one.

ME: What’s the purpose of collecting a higher number of followers? Are those followers the right people for “networking”? Do they move your story forward? Is it useful conversation, relaxation, or just time spent?

My Friend: You’re saying “go after the ones I want to be my clients.” Qualified leads would raise the level of my business. I see your point.

ME: I like this dialogue. You find the answers and give me credit for saying them.

My Friend: You’re saying I’m a good friend to have a conversation with. . . .

— That’s not exactly how the conversation went, but it’s MY story.
He can tell it his way on his own blog. —

How would you tell my friend to adjust his networking time spent to make it a more purposeful investment?

Liz's Signature

SOB Business Cafe 09-12-08

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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 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