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Tuesday, September 15: Social Media Road Trip to Lake Geneva

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Not the Same as College

relationships button

Offer a social media person a car for a few days and what happens? A social media road trip.

In the course of event sponsorship conversations, Hope Betram of Windy City Social was offered a chance to test drive GM LaCrosse, but she’s a city girl. So she invited Theresa Carter, Beth Rosen, and me on a road trip to Lake Geneva to put the car through its paces.

Hope has extensive experience as an event planner, so no simple day trip would satisfy her. She connected with the Grand Geneva Resort and arranged for us to stay there. We chose September15 -16 to accept the invitation to be guests at their beautiful facilities.

Hope and Theresa plan to check out the tourist city for the afternoon. Beth and I are planning a serious work retreat to finalize some details of SOBCon2010.

We’ll try to tweet you or make a video to let you know how things are going.

What I like about this offer to share their products is that the two savvy companies “get” that social media is about bringing people together, not pushing their products. I’m betting I’ll remember their products and services better because of friends and stories — not sales pitches — attached to them.

The whole trip has taken on a kind of “free taste of the ice cream at Baskin Robbins.” feeling. Maybe we’ll like this one, maybe not.

Will you be in or near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin while we’re there? Tweet me @lizstrauss

I make connections
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Buy the ebook. Learn the art of online conversation.

3 Simple Ways Passionate Problem Solving Attracts Clients

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When Passion is Sound Business

Creativity at Work

People say “do what you love.” Passion — a deep-seated desire to be doing what we’re doing — is key to keeping our interest through the pain it takes to transform an idea into business. But is passion enough? Not really.

It’s no surprise that passion needs to be directed toward solving a real problem that people need solved. If our passion is simply self-serving … well, I’m nice, but who really cares what makes me tick? Everyone is doing their own ticking and no one has a rewindable clock.

3 Ways Passionate Problem Solving Can Attract More Clients

As passionate problem solvers, what and how we present to clients and customers changes.

  1. Be an Advisor. Do the thinking. Builders offer products and services. Problem solvers listen, assess, and offer sound-thinking solutions that meet customer needs and desires. Demonstrate how you can focus on one bit of the business so that the client or customer can work on the rest.

  2. Be a Value. Demonstrate with numbers how investing in you will make more time or more money.

  3. Be Easy. Choose a tiny shared goal that can test the relationship. Make it something small and something easy.

When we’re talking about our passion, we don’t worry about whether we’re selling. When we frame our offers as opportunities that are easy and worth investing in, we no longer get caught in the idea of self-promotion or worry about personal rejection. We’re fully engaged in the ideas. People see our strengths. Relationships happen by attraction.

Clients who want to grow with us see the logic in our reasoning.

Have you got enough passionate problem solving into your work?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Check out Models and Masterminds too

WordCamp Seattle Keynote and Master Classes on Attracting Clients

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WordCamp Seattle — September 26, 2009

WordCamp Seattle is only 13 days away … What an event it’s promising to be. I’m going out early and on the day before I’ve got a small offer for folks who want to fire up their business at the same time that they fire up their blog.

 

WordCamp Seattle Is Sold Out!

Great to hear that the Seattle community is coming together for what will be another great WordCamp event.

Friday Night will be a pre-WordCamp Meetup
Location announced soon … watch the WordCamp Seattle blog.

Then the event opens …
When?
September 26th, 2009 at 8:30 AM
Adobe
801 North 34th Street – Seattle, WA 98103

Look who’s going to be there and click to see what they’ll be speaking on.

AN IGNITE SESSION AND MORE!!

Thank you, Josh Harrison, Calvin Freitas, Bean fairbanks, and Dan Smith, the WordCamp Seattle committee, for having us!!
I hear it’s sold out! Will I see you there?

I’m Bringing a Master Class to KickStart 17 Businesses

I’ve been thinking about the conversations I had I with Seattle folks since I was there for Gnomedex last month. Many of the people I was speaking with were changing up their businesses or looking for new clients. Flights and accommodations made it such that I could be in Seattle a day early this trip. A day isn’t much time, but it’s enough to help a few folks get their business moving at full speed immeditately.

So, I’ve made arrangements to offer a Mastermind Session and a Group Class on attracting new clients immediately. With help of a Seattle friend who offered space, I’m able to do this at a fraction of my usual consulting fee.

Liz Strauss: Authentically Attract Clients Who Love Your Work

Let’s get together and get your calendar filled with client work.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Raise your influence and income. Be Seen! Be Heard Be Hired!

One, Alone, but not Lonely … in the real world

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I've been thinking . . .

about the number one, about being alone and being lonely.

I’ve been thinking about how separate we are for almost as long as I’ve known me.

One. I was born one.
One of my friends — a twin — said that he so didn’t like being lonely that he was even born with someone else. But you know, I don’t even think being born with someone else closes the gap … between selves.

No matter how close two people get, we are never each other.
We will always be one.

It’s why I like this picture.

948591___01011000__

The minute we try to blend with another … be it a friend or a lover … hopefully we learn that alone is not the same as lonely.

One, alone, but not lonely is a proud and powerful word in the real world.

Have you felt the difference between alone and lonely?

Liz's Signature

SOB Business Cafe 09-11-09

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SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking — articles, books, podcasts, and videos about business online written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Transparency
Have you ever noticed how much of a difference your point of reference makes? It all has to do with who you identify yourself to be.

Seth’s Blog
All the evidence I’ve seen shows that positive thinking and confidence improves performance. In anything.

Collaborative Ideation
When I talk to people about Twitter that still question what it is, let alone what it does, I have an overwhelming urge to focus on the hive aspect of the community.

Punctuality Rules
I can’t be the only person who walks down the street shaking her head as the spoiled divas of the world pass by. Let’s call them DIPs (Delusionally Important People), because unlike rockstars, heads-of-state, and other assorted guests of honor, these people are only important in their own heads.

Life Beyond Code
Everyone has ideas and a small percentage of them will execute on their ideas too.

However, not all ideas fly.

Related ala carte selections include

spatially relevant
Bryan Jone’s presentation on social marketing is yet another view on social media sorta, but the whole “Be Nice and Play Along” concept is more or less spot on …

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

Do You See the Light Sources Shining On You?

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A Thought to Reflect Upon

This morning I caught this photo of the harbor. The hour was too late to catch the sun. You can see the shine, but not the source.

septemberharbor350

Shortly after I turned on my computer to find this love message from my new friend, Jade Craven,

Thank you so much 🙂 I see why many of my friends rave about you.

It struck that the photo and the message have something sweet in common. You can see the light shining, but not the source. You have to assume the sun. I don’t know which friend Jade and I might have in common.

That got me thinking about the friends and folks all through my life who said and done things to help me shine as I’ve grown. So many light sources have helped me shine. It’s a stunning thought to reflect upon. My light is filled with gratitude.

Do you see the light sources shining on you?

I make connections
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Buy the ebook. Learn the art of online conversation.