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Connecting Dots

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Connecting dots with The Idea Dude

Connecting Dots logo

Being asked to be a guest blogger for Liz Strauss is akin to being asked to be the opening act for The Rolling Stones. There’s an expectation to be “knock your socks off” great. Of course, this is all in my head, because Liz, in her sublime way, would say, “be yourself.”

It is inevitable that Liz and I would cross paths one day, we were both on similar quests… “to celebrate good blogs.” So this spot in particular is devoted to connecting the dots. Dots being blogs from Liz’s list and mine at TheGoodBlogs. Perhaps the best way to describe this is to show you. . . .

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All blogs don’t start off as conversations, they start because something tugs at you enough to want to share. Blogs have made the Internet personal and it is the personal nature that brings me back to visit your blog again and again. Take Liz’s post about the word can’t for example, she made it personal because at the end, she says It seems to make me smaller. When you read that, you know something happened that day that may have seemed impossible but she found a way to overcome that sense of helplessness. It got me thinking of how impossibility would make me feel small too.

Being personal is infectious.

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I headed over to Sean and he asked the question Can it be that all our choices are dominated by fear? So is can’t a reflection of reality or a reflection of our fear? Hmmm… Food for thought. Sean made his fear personal. He said, So I want to tell you a story. About me. Having followed his blog, I can tell you his entries that resonate the most with me are the ones that grab him in his gut so much he needs to share, the ones that stop him dead in his tracks and makes him think. It makes me think too.

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My good friend, Ben, talks about whether bloggers always follow their own advice. His fear or concern? His blog may cease to be a mirror of him. He tells us, he doesn’t want to speak for the sake of speaking, to walk the walk and don’t just talk the talk. My interpretation is that it is really a reminder to himself to keep his terrific blog real and not post merely to feed the Google juice. Ben says his blog is a reminder to him of what he should be doing. In doing so, he becomes our mentor of what we should be doing too. Ben is being personal.

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And sometimes being personal and sharing doesn’t have to have a lesson. Amy shared her Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad Day. It would be hard for any parent not to empathize with her. Wikipedia calls empathy a kind of emotional resonance… that’s deep. I concur. Judging from the comments to that post, Amy’s sharing resonated. I’m sure a few moms who read that felt a little better on Friday to know they weren’t alone.

Although none of the bloggers contrived to participate in a conversation, they succeeded in creating one in my head. Many of the bloggers above may or may not know each other…yet. But they were unknowingly bound together by their ideas, thoughts and emotions. They provided the dots. Liz gave me the crayon to connect them. The way I connected them was personal. It made me feel richer and some kind of wonderful.

Have an awesome week!

Vern, The Idea Dude

Change the World: Have Purely Selfish Reasons

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Hey, Drew, How Can We Change the World?

Change the World!

From the first hello on the phone, I have looked forward to every word from Drew McLellan. Drew has a magical way of seeing the world that combines humor and humanity into compassion.

So I wasn’t surprised to find out that Drew is on the board of Variety US, a charity serving children. Nor was I surprised at the way he chose to explain his “purely selfish” reasons for being there. A humble guy would make sure that you’re looking the kids not at him.

Variety for Purely Selfish Reasons

Guest Writer: Drew McLellan

Why would a guy get involved?

Why Variety?

Honestly, for purely selfish reasons. I admit it. I serve as an Iowa and US Variety board member for myself. After all, isn’t this the what’s in it for me era? So what do I get out of it? Joy. Pride. Laughter. Opportunity.

Joy? I am literally immersed in joy overflowing every time I participate in a Bikes for Kids rally or see a child’s face when they realize that the technicool wheelchair really is for them. The kids and their uncensored awe creates an energy that you can’t help but get caught up in — and I get to carry that with me for days.

Pride? How lucky am I that I get to use my god given talents and skills to change my little part of the world? I am so proud to be associated with the amazing staff and volunteers who give their all to raise the money that allows a young boy go to Diabetes camp or provides new school supplies so a little girl won’t get teased by her classmates and can actually look forward to her first day of school.

Laughter? Whether it’s a board meeting, fundraiser or just because, the incredible people that Variety attracts have enriched my life with their friendship, warmth and laughter. There is an aura of determined giddiness that seems to flow from these good people who make the time in their busy lives to help kids who will probably never meet their kind hearted benefactors.

Opportunity? Variety is my chance to say thank you. Thank you for a healthy daughter. And a blessed life. It’s my way of trying to tip the scales and share some of what I’ve been given because truth be told, in a blink of an eye — it could just as easily be me who’s pacing outside a peds ICU room or trying to understand why my child will never walk.

I’m sure most people give their time to Variety for the kids. But in my case, it’s all about me.

Drew McLellan

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Thanks, Drew, for your purely selfish reasons.
It’s the “purely” that makes the difference.

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

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If you’re ready to change the world, send me your thoughts in a guest post. Feel free to take the gorgeous Change the World image up there that Sandy designed back to your blog. Or help yourself to this one.

Change the World!.

Email me about what you’re doing or what we might do. Let’s change the world one bit at a time together. Together it can’t take forever.

Roving Sheila at SXSW Finale

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South by Southwest, SXSW, is a yearly conference in Austin, TX.serving the film, music, and interactice industries. The photo shows the goodies they gave out this year.

SXSW

Guest Reporter Sheila Scarborough

Hi Successful Bloggers,

This is it, sports fans, I am Interacted out down here in Austin. The film and music festivals continue, but SXSW Interactive has wrapped.

There was a terrific panel discussion yesterday on the future of online magazines, or “branded content channels/BCC.” Blecchhh, what a stupid name — what’s wrong with “magazine” until something better comes along to explain this online hybrid (and BCC ain’t something better.)

Turn the Page for the Highlights [Read more…]

Roving Sheila at SXSW 03-11-07 and 03-12-07

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South by Southwest, SXSW, is a yearly conference in Austin, TX.serving the film, music, and interactice industries. The photo shows the goodies they gave out this year.

Laptop_keys_courtesy_Flickr's_DarkSideX

Guest Reporter Sheila Scarborough

Hi Successful Bloggers,

To the regret of every geek within 200 miles of Austin, the online media/Internet buzzfest of SXSW Interactive ends tomorrow (although the film and music festivals continue. Party on, Wayne/Garth.)

There have been a number of interesting panels in the last few days, so I want to give you a Roving Reporter peek while you recover from Liz’s Virtual SOBCon.

** From a great David Shipley/Will Schwalbe panel on email disasters, the thought that “email problems are not a tech issue, but an emotional, anthropological and psychological issue. Mistakes are made in this medium by people who really should know better.”

Why?

The absence of tone in email encourages misunderstandings, so as an email writer, use more descriptive, clear language….make your emails come alive. It’s just good writing.

The speed of email encourages sloppiness, and since there’s no direct human interaction, you also get “disinhibition” AKA “cluelessness.” That ironically sounds like being drunk!
The medium also gives more opportunity for cowardly actions like firing people via email so that you don’t have to face them.

Good email? Short paragraphs, clear subject lines, good writing (even using emoticons to add flavor) and mostly, mindfulness. Follow the Golden Rule with email and you can’t go wrong.

** Random Twitter comment — “So I’m addicted to World of Warcraft. Drinking wine, twittering and playing WOW on a Saturday nite at SXSW — Help.”

** Gina Trapani of LifeHacker and Penelope Trunk (career advice writer) plus more awesome panelists with freelance entrepreneurship advice: Have an elevator pitch, which is just an answer to the question, “What do you do?” (And make sure that it makes sense; your mother should understand your elevator pitch.)
[Read more…]

Mini-Session 13: The Four Cs of Blogging

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Guest Speaker: David Armano

The Four Cs of Blogging

The 4cs of Blogging

Thank you, David!
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Visit Daivid’s blog, Logic+Emotion to experience the intersection of Marketing, Brand Engagement + Experience Design—where passive consumers become active participants.
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Group Discussion . . .

David regrets that a last minute meeting was called at his office, making it unlikely that he’ll be here for a QandA. We’ve still got the insights that he brought to the conference.

So I’ll start with a question. Which of the 4 Cs do you think most bloggers pay least attention to?

During the Virtual Conference today, you can take $100 off registration to SOBCon 07.

Mini-Session 12: Relationship Blogging

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Guest Speaker: Phil Gerbyshak

  • Want more people to comment on your blog?
  • Tired of blogging in a vacuum?
  • Want to make friends with your readers?
  • Wondering how to score some great interviews for your blog?

The Relationship Geek will answer these questions and more from 7 – 8 PM.

Thank you,
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Visit Phil’s blog, Make It Great!, where he offers a daily dose of relationship blogging — one of the many things Phil that has earned him the title of Relationship Geek. –ME “Liz” Strauss
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Let’s open the Q&A . . .

I’ll go first. Phil, what do you do when something’s gone wrong, and you’re not feeling very much like the Relationship Geek we all know you are?

During the Virtual Conference today, you can take $100 off registration to SOBCon 07.