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No Worries for You, Me, and Martha . . .

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I've been thinking . . .

When I worked in publishing, a beautiful young woman named, Martha, worked as the communications coordinator for my department. She is an amazing person, other-centered, gracious, gentle, and soft-spoken.

Martha and I would meet every morning and she was always able to tell me the exact location in the process of any lesson or piece of art across some 10,000 pages. She understood my quirks and habits. I often think on her as St. Martha.

She is such grace. I hear her say “Oh Liz,” and flash a radiant smile — the sort that people remark upon — as she reads that last paragraph. When Martha would get the slightest look of stress, I’d rush to say, “No worries,” and explain the possible worst-case outcome.

One day Martha said that she realized I picked up that phrase, “No worries” when I traveled in Australia. We talked a while about the work I used to do there. She told me she hoped I always used that phrase, “No worries.”

A few years ago, Martha moved to Houston. Gosh, I miss her. . . . This week Martha gave birth to her first born, a son.

So I write this for you, and for me and for Martha.

What ever we’re worrying about right now . . . worrying won’t fix it.

Worrying about it only takes away our brain power. With our worrying, we’re more likely to make our problems worse, not better. Our worries throw off our brain chemistry. They divert our best problem-solving energy. They channel our thoughts to a place where our negative imagining gets in the way of actual progress. We’ve left behind any chance of positive reasoning.

Change one little sound in that word, worrying and we find it’s wearing.. Oh how wearing worrying can be.

When I’m stuck in a loop, in which I can’t seem to stop worrying, I take a walk, fly a kite, clean out my closet –- do something physical that I know I can easily accomplish. I put my thoughts into the world. I get my blood moving into my brain. I let my subconscious work on the problem without my interfering help. It doesn’t need the road blocks my worrying keeps putting in the way.

That break from fretting and over-analyzing my situation brings me new energy and information. I come back refreshed and ready to face the problem minus that stress that I most surely was causing.

New resources show themselves more quickly. New solutions appear on the horizon. I figure out much more easily whether I need to find some help.

Losing my worries for a while always has a positive impact.

No Worries, have a weekend instead.

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High Times Shopping In The Sky Mall

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Sometimes I Don’t Get Marketing

Now I’ll be the first to admit that there are some things I just don’t get.

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For example I don’t get most things that have to do with home decorating. When Christmas rolls around my wife will take some classy looking ornaments and, say, arrange them on a side table over a snazzy table cloth with some glass bead strings snaked around the table.

It looks great! But I never would have thought to do that on my own. To my way of thinking ornaments belonged on a tree. Arranging them festively on a table would never have occurred to me.

This sort of thing has become a running joke in our marriage. We’ll see something along those lines and she will turn to me. Do you get that? You don’t get that do you?

Nope.

It looks great and all. But that someone would have taken the time and effort? Don’t get it.

I’m really OK with not getting some things.

I get most things about business. But there are some things about the whole marketing thing that I just make me shake my head. Nope. Don’t get that either. [Read more…]

The 5-Point Strategy to a Powerful Network

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A Networking Story

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Last Sunday, we released the announcement for SOBcon 07. It’s a relationship bloggers’ event. We lived our message. We reached out to our friends for help in spreading the news — if they believed the event was worth talking about on their blogs. Most everyone we asked to help has blogged about the event. We’re so grateful.

When we reached out to the folks to ask their help, something happened behind the scenes. Certain people I wrote emailed me back almost immediately. A few called or skyped. They had questions about the event. Those people, all friends and colleagues, contacted me for one of these reasons.

  1. They knew the people involved, and offered congratulations.
  2. They asked for more information upon which to make their decision.

In networking terms, their friendship, influence, and credibility and my friendship, influence, and credibility were talking to each other.

The 5-Point Strategy to Building a Powerful Network

Networks of people can be powerful influencers. A network of influencers expands our knowledge and our reach by engaging the power of “WE.” The problem is that networks take time to build and require attention.

You might have heard “It’s not what you know, but who you know.”

That’s not exactly true.

A powerful network requires two qualities: limited size to keep it sleek and easy to interact with, and people of like mind so that their connections and your connections are likely to be of the same quality.

Here is the 5-point strategy to build that powerful network.

  1. What you know is important. Learn as much as you can. Know what you know. Know its value. Don’t over value it. Don’t under value it. Understand how common or rare your knowledge and skill set are.

  2. Networks are built from relationships. Address books are filled with contacts. Relationships grow and expand as they age. They also require time and interaction to be of value. To build a top-notch network of people, choose people you would bet your reputation on — people who have your standards and similar goals. They will always connect to other people that you want to know.

  3. Who knows what you know is important. Read that again. Who knows what you know is important.Do you know the influencers in your market? Find ways to share your expertise with people who have influence. Influencers naturally talk about people who are great at what they do. Influencers are often asked for recommendations. How might you offer them a service that would put you on the edge of their network?

  4. Take an interest and be the first to offer a favor. When you meet someone of quality, ask questions, listen actively, and be the first to give a favor without strings. People remember sincere curiosity and true generosity, especially the first time it happens. Make friendships and relate positively to everyone that you meet.

  5. Listen for when a mentor appears, and welcome him or her gladly. Mentors are hard to find when we’re looking. They find us and show themselves by offering advice or wisdom to see whether we recognize it. Don’t miss (or mistake) the mentors who will come your way, offering their experience and connections. They see something in you.

These five points will lead to a network that is more powerful than most folks develop. It will be a group of people within the larger group of folks we know — a network built from relationships that are thoughtfully matched. Not everyone we meet is a lifelong friend. We already knew that.

Why am I thinking of kissing frogs and a prince?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
If you think Liz can help you find focus or direction, check out the Personal Virtual Manager on Work with Liz!! page.

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Self-Promotion as Easy as Knowing What You Do
Money Strategy, a Dead Horse, and Folks
Are You a Freelancer or a Solo Entrepreneur? Use Guy Kawasaki’s Mantra as He Meant

SOBCON 07 and Conferences? What Did We Talk About?

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Just Like the Very First Time Only Different

Here we were back again on Open Comment Night with one long, long, long, long, long page of comments. It was somethking like that very first night when that afternoon I had put the sign only because I saw the picture of the microphone in my files on my computer. It was just like that because we had no paged comments.

It was just like that except

we have a new design

and we had about 2 times the comments this time

and people came who we’re not around that first night.

Joe was here. Joe is our open comment nite hero.

Some one bright shining star broght the link we suggested.

Contrary ones brought other cool links instead. This time let’s do some links with some context.

  • bj said: I’m now on my laptop and just dropped a chunk of change at crucial to get my main box back online. and she said: I got a good screenshot of one–
    http://kickasswebdesign.com/wordpress/2006/06/contextual-blooper/
  • Chris Cree said: bj, here’s what Spiderman had to say about Periwinkle in his crayon review:
  • HART (1-800-HART) said Rick/Jessica .. http://LinkWorth.com // basically, you set your price .. but in addition to text-link, there is usually 3-lines of ads.. // check out on my site e.g. http://www.battling-cancer.com/ (skin cream)
  • Terry Starbucker said I’ve posted my picture from Wyoming – here it is: http://tshalffull.blogspot.com/2007/02/great-scenery-and-three-billion-years.html

    • HART (1-800-HART) said PS: I posted Funny Exam Frustrations pictures on my blog today .. I swear – I almost popped a vein laughing so hard! Good thing I finished my coffee a few minutes earlier than that.

Let’s Take a Peek at What We Talked About

[Read more…]

What Do I Offer Those Who Don’t Blog?

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I've been thinking . . .

If I asked you, “Are you 5 years old?”

You would say, “No.”

If I said, “Could you predict how a 5 year old child would answer my questions?”

You would probably say, “No.” again.

But you’ve been 5 years old, what would get in the way of your answering?

You no longer represent the group called “5 year olds.”

In the years since then, you have made discoveries; you’ve picked up details; you’ve learned things that you might not even remember how you know them.

Why am I writing about 5 year olds?

Hang in for one more minute.

Once I built my first blog and I learned to spell HTML, I left the world of “those who don’t blog.” I made discoveries; I picked up details; I learned things, things that I don’t even remember how I learned them.

I no longer represent the group called “those who don’t blog.”

Many of “those who don’t blog” read blogs, yet many will never become bloggers. Many more of “those who don’t blog” are bound to start reading blogs too.

What do I have to think about to be sure that I offer them the same positive experience that I offer bloggers? Hmmmm.

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