Successful Blog

The Mic is On: We’re Talking about YOUR Ultimate Retreat!

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It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

The Mic Is On

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

You with a LIVE Audience . . .

Everyone seems to have a seminar or a retreat of some sort. What would yours be? Tonight it’s about YOUR ultimate seminar or retreat:

  • What’s the draw?
  • Would you do it alone or with a partner?
  • Where would it take place?
  • How many in the audience?
  • Go ahead DREAM BIG!!
Retreat_sky_by_Liz_Strauss

And, whatever else comes up, including THE EVER POPULAR, Basil the code-writing donkey . . . and flamenco dancing (because we always get off topic, anyway.)

Oh, and bring example links to share —

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: YOUR Ultimate Retreat or Seminar

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Join Us Tonight

You with a LIVE Audience

Everyone seems to have a seminar or a retreat of some sort. What would yours be? Tonight it’s about YOUR ultimate seminar . . . What’s the draw? Would you do it alone or with a partner? Where would it take place? Who would attend? How many in the audience? Go ahead DREAM BIG!!

And, we’ll talk about whatever comes up, (because we always get off topic, anyway.)

Oh, and bring example links to share —

The rules are simple — be nice.

Do be nice. 🙂

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Keep Listening

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I've been thinking . . .

about talking and listening.

Ostrich_from_Geek_Philosopher

I like to watch people talking — people networking, people starting meetings, people in conversation. Last night, I was with a group of people who didn’t know each other, or who didn’t know each other well. I got to see how people said “hello,” and how they responded when that “hello” was answered. Some people seem to hear the response. Some people don’t.

During the evening a project was discussed with the group. Questions were asked. Some were answered. Some were not. Conversation continued in twos, threes, and fours. I was fascinated by who was listening and who was only pretending to keep track.

I was part of several conversations myself. Most were exciting exchanges. Passionate ideas were shared and possible plans were drawn.

But one man and I just couldn’t find conversational common ground. Whenever I tried to add to what he was saying, he came back with something that, to me, made my words sound out of place and wrong. I started focusing on my ideas and explaining more — losing track of him and myself.

Pushing my words didn’t inspire him to listen. Did I think it would? Had I been thinking about such things at all? It was 10 minutes gone wrong. This kind of miscommunication doesn’t happen often, but it’s same every time it does.

I can’t force someone to hear me, . . . especially if I stop listening myself.

Does this happen in your life too?

Liz's Signature

Image: GeekPhilosopher

Social Media Perspective: Are We What They’re Searching for?

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The Bigger Picture

The Living Web

As I get further on the quest to reconnect with the concrete world, I’ve gained new perspective. I’ve come to see that the problems worth solving are older, more familiar, and more interesting than the problems caused by the Internet.

Social media is important. The participatory culture is changing the very nature of human relationships. But that change is barely a glimpse. It hasn’t happened yet.

A little perspective: In a PEW Internet and American Life Project report released August 6th, Deborah Fallows offered some stunning research that might ground things.

Almost half of all internet users now use search engines on a typical day

PEW Chart of Daily Internet Activities

Email 60%
Online search 49%
Check news 39%
Check weather 30%
Research hobby 29%
Surf web for fun 29%
Visit social networking site 13%

30% of Internet Users are offline on a typical day.

The report explains that searchers are likely to have some college education, incomes over $50K, and are more likely to be men (53%) than women (45%). 58% of those with broadband at home search daily, while only 26% with dial-up search that often. The age ranges breakdown like this:

18 – 29 years 55%
30 – 49 years 54%
50 – 64 years 40%
65 years and older 27%

Explanations are given in the report.

Participation is big in our tiny corner of the Internet it’s not big in every person’s life. The participatory culture is hardly on the radar for most human beings. They’re not near here yet.

Few folks care about another fix for Twitter. Life goes on for most humans without a thought to a dashboard for organizing social networking sites. In the world of human problems, all of social media and social networking issues are a tiny dot.

Social Media Market Problems

Real people still have real problems — the kind that social media folks ALSO have. Social tools and social strategies that solve those problems are worth something.

Meanwhile, real people are searching . . . are we what they’re searching for?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Chart: via PEW, hat tip to Clickz

An Update from Brad Shorr

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Brad wanted to let the SOBCon community know what he has been up to:

Brad ShorrI have installed a new WordPress theme to better focus my Web site and blog on my core services:

  • Content strategy,
  • Copywriting,
  • and business blog services.

The navigation of the new theme allows me to highlight important Web pages that were practically invisible with my old theme. Since my site traffic is steadily increasing, I decided it would be worthwhile to start monetizing.

I’ve developed a long term plan and in July began selling ads on my blog, very selectively. So far the response has been positive. I have a couple of new online service offerings in development that I plan to roll out before the end of the year.

Brad Shorr
Word Sell, Inc.
www.wordsellinc.com

Good luck with your new focus Brad! Check out Brad’s site and let him know what you think of the new look.

Inspiration When You’re Not Inspiring

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Be Productive

Puppy

In a perfect world, I might find every day motivating. I might wake up inspired and inspiring, filled with energy and energizing those around me.

It’s hard to do some days, especially on Mondays.

But I’m learning. . . .

I don’t think I’ll ever hit the ground running when my uninspired self is in the building. I’m learning not to force things. When I push myself to be more than I’ve got with me, I somehow start pushing other people and pushing over things.

When I’m uninspired I walk slowly, make room for big thinking, and do something to improve while I wait for the idea machine. Accomplishing one thing — a clean space a new blog post — can be incredibly inspiring.

How do you get inspiration when you’re not feeling inspiring?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Image: GeekPhilospher – free photo