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Only 14 Days to a Blogging Experience Like No Other

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SOBCon 07:

When you join content-rich conversations with authentic relationships, you are bound to make an amazing experience.

Here’s what you can look forward to.

  • Phil Gerbyshak’s conversation will explore how to create and grow relationships on your blog, and “how to be a relationship geek,” with 3 simple, but not easy, methods.
  • Liz Strauss’s interactive discussion on the stages of building a high-trust environment, how our writing voice builds loyal readers and keeps them involved, and how to win when we let the community drive our blog.
  • Brad, Sheila, and Marcus, who know how words make connections with readers
  • David Armano, Creative VP at Digitas, will discuss how “conversation architecture,” visuals, and “experience design” can establish and enhance our brand, our community, and our place in the market.
  • Jesse, who can see how a gamer might get over a wall, and he’ll be listening with the mind of a designer to be.
  • Rodney Rumford and Ben Yoskovitz will talk about how Video Blogging and Podcasting can extend our reach and the wealth of opportunities we can offer to invite readers to be part of our blogs.
  • Tony, who can diagnose a problem inside a plan and Tony D. Clark whose voice over talent could support the entire conference for at least 30 years.
  • Andy Sernovitz, the man who wrote the book on Word of Mouth Marketing, is sharing his experience and expertise on how to get important people interested and talking about us.
  • Tammy, who knows the people in every part of our job and the dynamics of conversation, and Lorelle on WordPress who can spread information faster than most bloggers.
  • DrewMcLellan, Mike Sansone, and Mike Wagner, are discussing the ins and outs of making our brand contagious in the very best ways through customer-centered business blogging.
  • Ashley, who brings a painter’s vision and delicate hand, Joe, who brings those grounding questions and computer expertise, and Jeff, who understands good to great and will get there.
  • The Tools Panel: Chris Cree, Robyn Tippins, Diego Orjuela, and Vernon Lun will explore how widgets expand our audience through social networking, vocal interaction, and connections to other blogs.
  • Tim and so many others, who bring the heart that calls folks to join with us, Steve, who is the extreme leadership that lifts us to try, and Dawud, who brings those goals he wrote that prove we express ourselves in our business.
  • Wendy Piersall, just back from the Elite Retreat, will be talking about how to attract and keep readers in the audience beyond the blogosphere.
  • Vernun, who knows how to celebrate others as part of our dream, >Robert, who will be there with a practical eye toward what is real, and Muhammed, who can’t help but provide energy and new ideas.
  • Franke James and Timothy, who know the “group think” of the situation
  • Our host, Terry Starbucker, Liz, and the Audience will blog critiques to answer the question, What Makes a Successful-Blog?

–Me “Liz” Strauss
SOBCon 07 limited seating. Register Now!

What Do You Call a Meme that Isn’t a Meme?

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Yes, Virginia, There Is Such a Thing

I get tagged A LOT by memes. Some are fun. Some are not. Some hit me as downright silly.

Don’t get me wrong. Some are quite fun to write and fun to read. Some are educational and informational. Some, however, suck eggs and are the epitome of egotistical kerfuffle.

Lately memes have looked less and less like a fun way to answer questions, and more and more like a way to boost a Technorati rank. That got me wondering just what a meme is. I was sure that a meme had something to do with ideas and culture.

What is a Meme Anyway?

In his book, The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition–with a new Introduction by the Author, Richard Dawkins coined the term, meme, (rhymes with dream) to mean an idea that can replicate and evolve to spread through the culture. Memes are basic idea units that move, mutate, and adapt. They are the cultural equivalent of genes.

Beyond the personal belief about God is the idea of god as a cultural meme. Dawkins explained that God exists culturally. Here’s the page where Dawkins explained what he called the “god meme” and why it survives.

The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins, p. 193

How Do Memes Spread?

Memes mutate, crossover from generation to generation. adapt, and change. They spread in ways more subtle than blog posts and tags that branch out by five times five.

It’s suggested that memes survive the same as genes — through natural selection. Six conditions can effect the ability of a meme to spread.

  1. Experience If a meme correlates with your experience you are likely to spread it.
  2. Pleasure or Pain If a meme has caused a feeling of pleasure or pain, you are more likely to remember it and to pass it on.
  3. Fear/Hope If a meme promises a future, a threat, a cause, a philosphy, a reward, or great benefit, you are more likely to believe it and spread it.
  4. Censorship If a meme is censored, it can be destroyed.
  5. Economics If those with money exhibit a preference for certain memes, those memes will have an advantage, will be imitated and spread.
  6. Distinction The memes of leaders, intelligent people, and celebrities will spread more easily.

I suppose one could argue that blogging is a meme. But I’d have to say those blog posts that link back and tag five people forward would have to be memetic mutations.

I like the ones that tell more about the blogger . . . but I can’t get my head around calling them memes anymore. Anyone have suggestion about how to introduce a meme to rename the things that we have misnamed as memes?

How’s that for a problem?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Change the World: Put Your Feelings Back

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changetheworld8

In 1990 my friend, K, convinced a “psychic” to come to Austin to meet with a group of K’s friends for a friendly event. Part of the deal was that the psychic lady would give readings for fee, but that K and I would get time at no charge to hear what the lady saw.

K called me when she arrived and I drove over. To my surprise, the psychic lady looked like a middle-adged house wife wearing a red-beaded, knit pant suit. I guess I had expected some sort of Halloween garb and a silky purple sequin scarf.

The people came; food was served; and the psychic lady spoke of what she did, and told stories of what she saw throughout her life. This psychic lady knew quite a bit about health and wellness. She was also well read..People asked questions about what they might expect.

One by one, people met with the psychic lady in another room. One by one, each person came out looking thoughtful and satisfied.

She then invited me to take my turn.

As I sat in the rocking chair across from her, I thought what an unlikely psychic she is. Then I thought she’s a highly perceptive, intelligent woman. maybe that’s what psychic is.

The woman started by saying that the first thing she noticed that day about me was that I was a person sho people misunderstood. She said that people often felt threatened by me. She was right, but I didn’t say that I had no idea why.

She asked me what color my feelings are.

“What color?” I stopped to think, but saw a color, a scene, immediately.

I said they are “indigo, blue-black — the color of the sky on the night of a starry, full moon, safe and beautiful like inside a mother’s womb.”

I wondered where that answer came from. It was true, but I’d never thought of it before. So, I’d surely never said it.

Then she asked, “Where do you carry them — your feelings?”

I closed my eyes and went inside my head to find the answer. I realized that my feelings weren’t in my body at all.

“I keep them right here,” I said, putting my hands like parentheses in the air next to my left hip. In a heartbeat, I knew the moment I had pushed them out there.

She asked the quietest, most powerful question, “What would happen if you moved them over, if you put them back inside you?”

I didn’t have to answer. I already knew I’d be whole again.

She said, “Now when you meet people, they won’t wonder what you’re hiding.”

She was right.

After that day, somehow people could tell.

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 mini

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.

Black Belt Business Intuition

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Adam Kayce Has Something on His Mind

Adam Kayce at Monk At Work is teaching a workshop that starts next week. It’s unique and interesting.

Great Find: Black Belt Business Intuition workshop at Monk At Work

Great Find: Black Belt Business Intuition workshop at Monk At Work

Permalink: http://www.monkatwork.com

Target Audience: Small business folks wanting to develop their intuitive abilities

Content: Adam, a professional intuitive for the past ten years, is teaching a tele-workshop to help you grow your intuition, so you can use it in your work. Everything from decision-making to understanding your clients’ needs to strategizing… you name it. And it’s not just about hunches or quick flashes, but asking detailed questions and getting detailed answers in return. Click the title to go the the workshop page.

Black Belt Business Intuition

If you want a chance to see what it’s about check out the free webinar on Wednesday.– The Key to Knowing Your Purpose

Thanks, Adam.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

10 Great Traits to Look for in Managers and Clients

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What to Look for Before You Start

Business Rules Logo

So we meet for the first time, and we think we want this job or project. Sometimes we get so involved in proving ourselves worthy, we forget to look at the person we might be working with (or for) until after the project has started.

Whoa! If only we would slow down. A longer look before we jump into a relationship can often save so much heartache and time — yes even money — later. Just a longer look might change our mind about how much we want this job and the manager or client who comes with it.

10 Things to Look for in Managers and Clients

Managers and clients. They’re people too — human as we are — replete with our great qualities and our great . . . ahem . . . tiny . . . things that need working on. Every one of us has ’em. Some go better together than others, that’s all.

When it comes right down to it, we can spend more time with managers and clients than we do with our family and friends. Managers and clients have an impact on the quality of our lives. So it makes sense to make sure that they are the sort of people we work well with. Here are 10 great traits to look for in managers and clients when you’re deciding whether you want that job.

  1. They already know who they are. A great manager or client is self-aware. You can talk frankly about what you do, what’s going wrong and right, without needing to preface or sugarcoat what you have to say. They look at the work. They look at you. They look at the big picture, their boss, and the market without using that information to define who they are.
  2. They listen actively. When you speak, they hear what you say and what you mean. They ask questions to be sure that they understand. They are curious about your ideas and your view point, because they know listening is one of the most powerful tools available to them.
  3. They are “the guide on the side, not the sage on the stage “ When they model or teach, it’s by telling stories or by participating with authentic curiosity and willingness to share.
  4. They don’t add too much value. They know when it’s someone else’s turn. Sometimes they don’t attend a meeting or don’t lead a discussion because they know that they can douse a fire by adding too much fuel.
  5. They respect the intuitive detail of those who do the work. Great managers know that those who live the work on a daily basis take in information and perceptions at every level. Those managers and clients realize that there’s a wealth of experience to be tapped if the right questions are asked. They also know that sweeping general decision they might make can disregard something hidden in that intuitive detail.
  6. They stand outside the process as much as they can. Great managers know that if they participate in the thinking, then there is no one outside of it to serve as a check. They have learned to hold the bigger picture to balance the folks who have the intuitive detail.
  7. They offer new perspectives and paradigms. When the going gets rough, great managers know what to say to get things back on track. They restore the vision by re-aligning the perspective that may have gone off track. They offer new paradigms when folks get stuck in problem thinking.
  8. They hold folks accountable with both head and heart. Great managers hold us all accountable for our professional behavior — in process, communication, personal, and interpersonal skills. That is a promise of a team well led and a project done well.
  9. They understand the business they are in. This may sound obvious but, if they don’t understand the business they are in, those above don’t matter, because we’ll all run out of money and have to find other jobs.
  10. Great managers understand that all people including themselves can only do what is humanly possible. They know that as long we can say that no one is going to die and we’re still going to eat tomorrow we are indeed lucky.

So the next time we go in for that job or that project, we might review this list from the bottom to the top and jot a few questions of our own. After all, a good fit saves everyone time and heartache and lots of other things you can count on a spreadsheet, that on a sunny morning don’t seem to mean nearly as much.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Are you coming to SOBCon 07?

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Business Rule 7: Sound Bytes, Stories, and Analogies
Business Rule 6: Who Dropped the Paddle?

Why SOBCon — Not That Other One?

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Conversation Means YOU Talk Too

A conversation involves more than one person talking. A conversation means you get to talk too. The best ideas come when we mash up the knowledge and approaches from different fields and when we look at ideas from all points of view.

Imagine SOBCon — a room filled with web publishers, many you have met on your blog or blogs like this one.

See the SOBCon presenters. They’re leading conversations.

Can you see it? It’s an audience of people engaged in swapping strategies, offering top-notch thinking from which you get to choose . . . Here’s just a few of the folks who will be adding value.

  • Brad, Sheila, and Marcus, who know how words make connections with readers
  • Lisa, who brings the soul of an actress and the mind of a teacher
  • Jesse, who can see how a gamer might get over a wall
  • Tony, who can diagnose a problem inside a plan
  • Dr. Wolcott, who is at the top in the field of business innovation
  • Ashley, who brings a painter’s vision and delicate hand
  • Sandra, who knows tools and techniques of visual thinking
  • Joe, who brings those grounding questions and computer expertise
  • Jeff, who understands good to great and will get there
  • Tammy, who knows the people in every part of our job and the dynamics of conversation
  • Steve, who is the extreme leadership that lifts us to try
  • Dawud, who brings those goals he wrote that prove we express ourselves in our business
  • Vernun, who knows how to celebrate others as part of our dream
  • Muhammed, who can’t help but provide energy and new ideas
  • Robert, who will be there with a practical eye toward what is real
  • Franke and Timothy, who know the “group think” of the situation
  • Easton, who knows how to organize and monetize without killing the grace of an idea
  • Ann and Kent, who are leaders that know presentation is as important as content
  • Troy, who thinks big and challenges everyone to take permission to do so

And add to that list people from every walk of business life — corporate innovators, public relations communicators, and the hippest new media contributors — no kidding really. I’ve seen who’s coming and they’re all on it.

Why SOBCon 07 and Not That Other One?

An entire room of experienced minds challenging each other to find the best ways of

  • engaging readers and connecting with customers
  • drawing people into deeper and more meaningful conversation
  • using architecture that invites people hang out around and talk longer
  • converting visitors into friends and super influencers
  • reaching out beyond the blogosphere

And of course, each person’s answer will be different.
Think about that . . . a roomful of minds all looking the same direction — toward how relationships can build a business — your blog, your business.

SOBCon 07 is more than a conference. It will be a one of a kind experience.
A roomful of incredible minds, ideas, and choices.

You can’t get that just anywhere.