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The 2008 SOBCon Marketing Contest: Test Your Promotional Skill for Prizes Worth $750

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Want to get a free registration to SOBCon08, plus two night’s hotel thrown in for good measure?

The SOBCon founders and the good folks at Plante Moran Financial Advisors (www.pmfa.com) are co-sponsoring a SOBCon Marketing Contest, where the blogger who can refer the most traffic to the SOBCon website (www.sobevent.com) between February 11 and March 15 will win:

  • A free registration to SOBCon08 in Chicago, from May 2-4 ($450 value)
  • Two nights hotel accommodations ($300 value)
  • Podium recognition by the SOBCon MC, Terry Starbucker(promotional value for your blog and business – priceless)

Let’s get to the rules, but first a quick word about our co-sponsor, Plante Moran Financial Advisors (www.pmfa.com). They’re a group of financial professionals that are all about “you”, just as it should be. In their own words, “In saying “you” we encompass every aspect of you, such as your family, business, and personal interests into your investment strategy – today and into the future. You are our first priority and that is why our approach to your wealth management is as unique as you.”

OK, here are the rules:

  1. To be eligible you must register your referring site, via e-mail to terrystarbucker(at)gmail(dotcom). You can do this anytime before or during the contest period, but the sooner you’re “in” the better.
  2. We will count the referrals to SOBCon08 (defined as a “hit” to the site that comes from a link on your site) beginning on February 11, and running through March 15.
  3. The referrals must be from a sufficient variety of network and geographical locations (as determined by Google Analytics), as determined by the SOBCon contest committee.
  4. Speakers at the conference are not eligible, as well as the founders.
  5. If you’ve already registered, you can certainly enter, and see if you can win your money back (and then some!)

So, do you think you have the promotional moxie to promote SOBCon and get your readers to check out our site, and find out how irresistible and compelling this year’s conference is going to be? Are you looking for a way to get to SOBCon but all you have is a blog, and not the cash?

Than sign up and start promoting SOBCon!!

Good luck and have fun.

Win Hotel Stay and Registration at SOBCon08!

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Starbucker and Plante Moran SOBCon08 Marketing Contest!

SOBCon08 logo

Terry Starbucker and the good folks at Plante Moran Financial Advisors (www.pmfa.com) are co-sponsoring a SOBCon Marketing Contest, where the blogger who can refer the most traffic to the SOBCon website (www.sobevent.com) between February 11 and March 15 will win:

  • A free registration to SOBCon08 in Chicago, from May 2-4 ($450 value)
  • Two nights hotel accommodations ($300 value)
  • Podium recognition by the SOBCon MC, Terry Starbucker (promotional value for your  blog and business – priceless)

This from Terry Starbucker

Let’s get to the rules, but first a quick word about our co-sponsor, Plante Moran Financial Advisors (www.pmfa.com). They’re a group of financial professionals that are all about “you,” just as it should be. In their own words,
“In saying “you” we encompass every aspect of you, such as your family, business, and personal interests into your investment strategy – today and into the future. You are our first priority and that is why our approach to your wealth management is as unique as you.”

OK, here are the rules:

  1. To be eligible you must register your referring site, via e-mail to terrystarbucker(at)gmail(dotcom). You can do this anytime before or during the contest period, but the sooner you’re “in” the better.

  2. We will count the referrals to SOBCon08 (defined as a “hit” to the site that comes from a link on your site) beginning on February 11, and running through March 15.

  3. The referrals must be from a sufficient variety of network and geographical locations (as determined by Google Analytics), as determined by the SOBCon contest committee.

  4. Speakers at the conference are not eligible, as well as the founders.

  5. If you’ve already registered, you can certainly enter, and see if you can win your money back (and then some!)

So, do you think you have the promotional moxie to promote SOBCon and get your readers to check out our site, and find out how irresistible and compelling this year’s conference is going to be? Are you looking for a way to get to SOBCon but all you have is a blog, and not the cash?
Than sign up and start promoting SOBCon!!

Good luck and have fun.

—Terry Starbucker

What a chance to win your time in Chicago!
Liz
Work with Liz!! SOBCon08 is May 2,3,4 in Chicago. Register now!

Roadblocks and Breakdowns — Waste Energy or Have Fun?

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When Your World Goes Down

insideout logo-70

Yesterday and today, my usual means of connecting isn’t working. . . .

It’s a moment to think about what we do when things go wrong. A first response is to think what we’ve lost. It’s too bad some folks never get to what they’ve gained. When the world isn’t behaving, we get to pick waste energy or do something fun.

  • Five years from now will anyone care? Most of our daily disasters are fairly boring five minutes or five days after they’re gone. Seems a waste to put too much energy in something that won’t matter that far on. I’d rather do something else.
  • Do you have any control? Whether it’s the horrible traffic you’re stuck in or the electrical blackout caused by the storm, seems a waste to invest in talking about things we think should be going on. This is free time I hadn’t planned on having!
  • Could it be an opportunity in disguise? When a plan goes awry is something we’ve always wished we had time to do? Why waste an opportunity to think about or do whatever I want?

With a slight shift, an upset can become an adventure. . . . and adventures are way more fun.

What do you do when your world doesn’t behave?

Be irresistible,
ME “Liz” Strauss

A Playlist for the Network Breakdown

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Sorry I Was Hard to Reach

breakdown
  • Communication Breakdown by Led Zepplin
  • Zero by Smashing Pumpkins
  • Crash by Dave Matthews Band
  • Breakdown by Tom Petty
  • Too Low for Zero by Elton John
  • Crash by Gwen Stefani
  • Breakdown by Alan Parsons
  • Freedom at Point Zero by Jefferson Starship
  • Crash by David Byrne
  • Breakdown by Jack Johnson
  • Lost and Found by Trial and Error by Steppenwolf
  • Crash by Aerosmith
  • Detroit Breakdown by J. Geils Band
  • Disciplined Breakdown by Collective Soul
  • Crash and Burn by Simple Plan
  • Ground Control to Major Tom by David Bowie

Looks like other folks have had similar problems.

Feel free to add your own song titles.

See you back here soon.

Smiles,
Liz

Other People's Kids, My Social Network, and Friends

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We Change, We Grow

relationships button

Ever notice how other people’s kids grow up faster than we expect them to? Somehow we place them in time from the moment we last saw them and when we meet them again they’re bigger, older, and well, just different than we remember.

A colleague close to my heart been busy since the fall. So have I. . . . We haven’t really kept up with each other day to day. He popped up on Skype on day last week to make sure I am fine.

An interesting thing happened in that conversation. He assumed I was the same person operating from the place as the last time we spoken. But I’ve been through universe of realizations about life. I’ve made changes in who I am since that time.

I had to say, “Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. You’re thinking I’m who I used to be.”

I told him about the change in my thinking. He was surprised, but also pleased.

I keep thinking about that conversation. I never realized that I, too, had been expecting friends and colleagues to stay placed and unchanging in time.

What have I missed simply because I assumed no changes have occurred? Even that person in the mirror has changes I’ve not noticed.

I’m looking at everyone with new eyes.

And I take this thought to my personal social network.

If I’m looking, really paying attention, and I can’t tell when a people have grown, do I know them well enough to call them friends?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

The Mic is On: We're Talking About Wine!

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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.

Does anyone know how to pick which one?

We might talk about:

  • Red, white, or other
  • Sparkling, French, Australian, or Californian . . . you get the idea
  • We’ll talk beer too if you bring it up.
wine.jpg

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 links about wine to share!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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