Successful Blog

Here is a good place for a call to action.

Search Results for: questions

5 Tips to Getting the Best Job

by

Word Tags Circular Wordcloud Of ResumeIn the job market that is latter 2016; many Americans are keeping their fingers crossed for the New Year.

For many, the hope is that 2017 will produce more job opportunities, opportunities that rise above either part-time work or low salaries for full-time work. Either way, 2016 has been a rough year for many individuals either out of work or working several jobs just to make ends meet.

How many of these workers got in the positions they are in today varies.

For some, they’re stuck in low-paying jobs; jobs that at least help keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Others, meantime, can’t get their foot in the door for an interview, this after either being let go via layoffs or firings.

If you find yourself in the position of needing a job (or at least a better one at that), what are you doing to improve your odds?

Review Your Approach to Finding Work

For starters, how you go about getting interviews and ultimately offers is as important as anything else you will do.

While there are no guarantees that a stellar resume and/or a great interview will provide you with an offer, they are critical nonetheless.

That said remember these 5 tips to getting the best job possible:

  1. Resume – First and foremost, how good is your resume? Given how competitive the job market is these days, an average resume just won’t cut it. Although you may think you are a wordsmith extraordinaire, you are better off turning to the pros in putting together this critical document. Take note that great resumes can make the difference when searching for that ideal position. Don’t hesitate for a moment to use a professional resume writing service if that is what it will take to get you noticed;
  2. Interview – Once you get your foot in the door for an interview, you simply can’t blow it. The interview will tell a prospective employer much about you. He or she will not only want to know your background and how it benefits their company, but also how you’d work with others. It sounds like commonsense, but you’d be amazed how many people flunk the part of the interview that involves being on time, dressing appropriately etc. Don’t take any of those important tasks for granted.

How Bad Do You Want the Position?

  1. Motivation – Just how motivated are you for the position you’re interviewing for? While some candidates can pull off the fake smile and/or the fake attitude, many others simply can’t. Go into your interview knowing as much as possible about your prospective employer. Without turning the interview around on them, ask pertinent questions about the position, the company, the staff etc. When someone sees you’re motivated, it tends to rub off positively on you;
  2. Personality – Even though it is great to be motivated about a potential job (you should be), don’t go overboard. Most employers and/or recruiters can see through someone’s fake exterior. While you should definitely show interest in the job and the people working there, don’t lay it on too thickly;
  3. Follow-up – After your interview, be sure to send a thank you note to the employer and/or recruiter. Letting them know (in writing) that you appreciated their time can go a long way. Even if you don’t get the position this time around, another one could open down the road. When an employer sees that you took a few minutes to thank them for having you in, it can separate you from others not choosing to do so.

Finding the right job in today’s world can prove challenging, but would you have it any other way?

Accepting the challenge and meeting it head-on can do wonders for you. If you’re still looking for the right job, don’t give up hope.

Remember…. quitters never win, winners never quit.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Does Your Brand Get the Attention It Deserves?

by

Top Performers written on a wooden cube in a office deskWhat exactly are you doing on a regular basis to give your brand the attention it needs to thrive?

Unfortunately, some business owners are doing next to nothing, leaving their brands dangling in the wind. In doing so, they are missing out on golden opportunities to get their brands noticed, notice that can mean the difference between a good financial month and a mediocre one at best.

That said it is important that you review any and all promotions you are doing, see what is working and what is gaining little or zero traction.

At the end of the day, brand promotion is essential to a healthy business.

Use Myriad of Brand Promotions Regularly

When attempting to promote your brand, you should remember the following tips:

  1. Targeted audience – Where exactly are you looking to have your brand heard? Depending on the size of your business, you may be limited in the scope of how much brand promoting you are able to do. If this describes your business, be sure to maximize your brand promotion efforts and dollars. This means doing the needed research to you see just exactly those making up your audience. Are they young or old? Do they have notable or modest incomes? Will they typically shop in-person or online? These are just some of the questions you should be able to answer (at least to some degree) about your customers. If you can’t, start taking time to delve into their interests, with surveys/online questionnaires etc. a good way to start;
  2. Targeted marketing – Knowing the audience you have makes it easier to market, though you can still market outside your targeted audience, knowing that you may land some new customers along the way. As part of your marketing efforts, make sure you focus on items like your blog, social media, videos and podcasts etc. When using one and all of those items in promoting your brand, make sure you essentially put on a happy face. This means any and all imagery you use is positive, shying away from any negative vibes. Many consumers lead busy lives, some of which can be downright tiring and even negative. As a result, putting a positive spin on your brand gives you a better chance of making a sale when all is said and done;
  3. Targeted social media – If you haven’t been taking advantage of social media up to now, why is that? Social networking can do wonders for your brand, all the while really costing you nothing other than time and effort. With that in mind, make a concentrated effort to use social media on a daily basis. Among the advantages of social media would be promoting your blog articles on a variety of social sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.), getting valuable consumer feedback when they turn to social networking to discuss any concerns etc. with products and/or services, and the opportunity to see what the competition is doing among other things;
  4. Targeted growth – Finally, you need to determine how quickly or slowly you want your brand to grow. In some cases, you can indeed grow too quickly, putting you under the gun in terms of resources and finances. On the other hand, not recognizing the opportune time to grow your business can lead to setbacks too. With that being said, it is important that you recognize not only the trends going on in your particular industry, but also look to see what the competition is doing on a regular basis. This will allow you to have a better handle on when growth is necessary and when you need to apply the brakes to such ideas.

For your brand to succeed, you need myriad of things in play, so don’t turn a blind eye to all of them.

In today’s digital age, so much more of what one does to successfully run a business is determined by what they do online.

For better or worse, things are not going to change; in fact, the online demands are only likely to accelerate in the years to come.

That said will your brand get the attention it deserves?

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Anything You Put Your Mind To – Paperback Released Early #LizBook

by

Anything Books

GeniusShared Press is excited to announce that the paperback version of Anything You Put Your Mind To by Liz Strauss has been released early! You can be one of the first people to hold Liz’s incredible new book in your hands by ordering today!

Anything You Put Your Mind To

An adventure in remembering

we decide the stories

that decide our lives

by Liz Strauss

with Foreward by Jane Boyd, Story Editor

 

by Liz Strauss

What People Are Saying . . .

In Anything You Put Your Mind To, Liz uncovers one of the great secrets of success in both business and life: the potential of narrative to forge one’s own path. People underestimate storytelling, but its power is infinite: the stories we tell ourselves constitute our reality.

With verve and clarity, Anything You Put Your Mind To brings home the importance of reconnecting with our stories, and demonstrates how anyone can follow Liz’s lead and bring direction back to their self-narratives. The verities of this book–that the roads to every kind of both success and failure start inside our own heads–are striking, challenging, but ultimately liberating. Liz’s account is searingly honest and her writing is compelling and lyrical. I loved how she skillfully manifests the clamoring forces we all internally wrestle with on a daily basis. Larry and the dog, the central characters of the book, are rendered with the weight and force of a fable. Every last word is heavy with the power of Liz’s personal investment in her vision. No one else could have written this book.

Anything You Put Your Mind To will benefit anyone who wants to tell themselves better stories; that is, anyone who wants to change their life. Knowing which of our narratives to discard, which to alter, which to champion–this is the road to so much of what we call prosperity. This book is rich with the hard-won wisdom of one who has walked this road, and returned to tell the tale. Start reading. Now.

— AJ Leon, Founder of Misfit and author of The Life and Times of a Remarkable Misfit

There is no one like Liz Strauss. Liz is living insight, jumping over boundaries. Conversations with Liz are legendary for dizzying changes in perspective, unexpected connections, and bright ideas. This book is like a conversation with Liz, only portable. And more intense.

— Becky McCray, Entrepreneur and author of Small Town Rules

Liz Strauss is a world-renowned storyteller, so it is only fitting that she would use stories as both the framework and roadmap to help you to achieve success and everything that you want out of life. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a busy professional, or someone who’s just asking, “what’s next,” Liz’s unique, humorous, and insightful parable provides the perfect inspiration.

— Carol Roth, Billion-dollar dealmaker, Judge on TBS’s America’s Greatest Makers, and author of the New York Times bestseller The Entrepreneur Equation

Liz Strauss shares stories that illuminate who she is and at the same time will help you understand who you can become. This book will twist, bend, and batter your reality and that’s a good thing. All of us need to make great leaps in our mind, and yours will start when you read the first chapter.

— Tim Sanders, Author of Love Is the Killer App: How To Win Business and Influence Friends

It would have been easy for Liz Strauss to pump out a business book. Or an inspirational book about conquering cancer. Or a series of ebooks on social media marketing.

Instead of taking the expected path, Liz zigged when she might have zagged. She’s written a beautiful, jaw-droppingly original story that calls to mind Og Mandino, or perhaps Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Her unique and incisive perspective shines through, hitting the reader right between the eyes by becoming fully vulnerable. If you’ve ever caught yourself “hiding in your thoughts,” looking for human connection, or seeking to be understood, this book will become a treasured keepsake.

You’ll understand what I mean when you read it. And you must read it.

— Rosemary O’Neill, Co-Founder, Social Strata

“Wouldn’t that be cool?” Whenever I’d hear Liz Strauss utter those words, I knew I had just been given a gift from a dear friend–a tiny but yet oh so significant tidbit of wisdom that had been processed, analyzed, and delivered from one of the most brilliant minds I have, or will, ever encounter. So it was with great anticipation and pleasure that I dove into Liz’s new book, Anything You Put Your Mind To.

It’s a book that reveals the emotional and personal heart of this “65th Crayon”–a poignant and unflinching glimpse into a fertile and wondrous imagination, revealing rich textures of insight, wonder, and in the end, many simple truths we can take with us to guide and instruct our own lives.

She takes us on this personal journey with her “time machine”–a rich musical and lyrical accompaniment, a library of touching stories from her childhood, and two special friends–Larry and the dog.

And, there’s the sky, where Liz gazes up and finds her place and part in the universe. The truths that she so eloquently notes ultimately leads to a larger life lesson–the way to find yourself is to look back, AND up–and just BE, with child-like curiosity and a reflective innocence.
Experience this wisdom yourself by reading this wonderful story, and then embark on your own journey of personal discovery. Wouldn’t that be cool?

— Terry St. Marie, Portland, Oregon

A seemingly simple awakening of personal growth–set in modern day. Readers will meet the woman who is an “everyman”: successful but unsure, loving yet controlling, happy and unbalanced, as well as righteously hypocritical. She is we.

The writer’s distinguished intelligence and prose tell us her story in a wax-on, wax-off parable that is rich with clever insights and self-deprecating humor, which beckons the reader to relate and then question our own place in this world. All this is accomplished with introduction of a mysterious character named Larry and his dog.

As a reader, I cherished each word and chapter. This is a book you take your time with because, just like the main character, you will have to stop, pause, and listen to your inner voice. That voice might be telling you to address your buried Freudian issues, learn self-love, as well as how to give and receive, before you can enjoy your success.

Anything You Put Your Mind To will become the contemporary life-lessons business allegory for the 2010s; just like The Alchemist and The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant were for the late 90s and early 2000s. I will regularly pick this book up, again and again, to reread chapters, especially Liz Strauss’ explanation of the “65th Crayon.” I highly recommend this book for anyone who thinks they might be stuck, or who thinks that they already “have it all,” or maybe they just want to reach further in their career.

—Jon-David, Author of 9 Amazon ebooks, and a world-leading social media expert in the Salon Industry

It doesn’t take long to recognize the truth behind Liz’s recommendation, “Be curious about everything.” In this dazzling, rippling adventure tale we are given the ride of a life. The secret ingredient propelling this story of stories is the thirst for knowledge driven by an unquenchable curiosity. Ever questing, Liz offers us a path to reflection and self-understanding both accessible and divorced from the step-driven, self-help of the past.

Through Liz’s passion, her vision, and her unbridled willingness to explore we are offered a model for making and remaking ourselves. For those who know Liz and her work, this is a welcome glimpse into “the Way of Liz” and offers revelations and surprises of all sorts. With wit she disarms and with wonder she instructs. All you have to do is keep up with this Alice in the wonderland that is her imagination.

— Andrew [Drew] Marshall, CEO, Primed Consulting, LLC

The best stories let you get lost in them and come out with new insights and actionable ideas; Liz creates that journey for you with this book.  Liz has been an amazing friend and mentor for almost 10 years and I know that conversations with her can stretch your mind and open your eyes to opportunities you would have never seen otherwise.  The sooner you read this book the sooner you can begin to live your new, exciting life stories.

—Mark J. Carter, Founder of ONE80 and creator of Idea Climbing™

About Anything You Put Your Mind To

In Anything You Put Your Mind To, master storyteller Liz Strauss hooks us into an adventure of remembering that we decide our future. We discover that by deciding the stories we believe about ourselves we decide our lives. Strauss offers a fresh energy and approach, bringing something new to the topic and keeping us engaged. Along the way, she offers snippets of insight and wisdom on the human condition that take us beyond the theme, helping us find “our own normal,” and making the experience memorable worth returning to again and again.

Alice, a quirky, intelligent, and outright funny book editor, who is on quest because her job isn’t working for her and she has “edited out” the rest of her life. She’s seeking out a new purpose by going “running” through her mind, revisiting stories she believes about herself to get her back to a life she wants to live. While running through her mind, she meets two strangers — a guy and his dog — who already seem to know exactly who she is. Who are they? How did they get in her mind? They join Alice’s quest, asking questions, lending support and compassion. Will these two, seemingly invented, characters give her the clarity she needs to find her way or send her on a trip through Wonderland? And where does the Lone Ranger fit in all of this?

Authored by Liz Strauss
Designed by eBookDesignWorks.com
Foreword by Jane Boyd
Drawings by Jackie Lea Shelley
Cover design or artwork by eBookDesignWorks.com
Consultant editor Richard Balkwill
General editor Jane Boyd
Edition: First Edition

Market a Brand Consumers Will Come Home to

by

work smarter advice - words in vintage letterpress wood type bloIn today’s world of B2C marketing, it is imperative that businesses do their utmost to get their brands properly marketed.

That said some companies are literally dropping the ball when it comes to telling consumers why the brands they have offer the public are light years better than the competition.

So, what are you doing to go out of your way to market your brand properly?

Whether it is more along the lines of traditional marketing methods, perhaps leaning more for mobile and social media marketing, there are myriad of ways to get your brand heard and recognized.

At the end of the day, the goal should always be to market a brand consumers will come home to.

Get Your Message Out There

In order to have your brand stand out from the competition, make sure you are doing the following:

  1. Properly planning – Your first and foremost objective is to make sure you are properly planning any and all marketing initiatives. For example, if your company’s main offerings are home renovations and other home improvements, be sure your marketing efforts are geared towards the right demographics. While some senior citizens later in years do in fact make notable renovations and/or additions to their homes, many of them are content with what they have at home or are renting properties (senior center apartments or condos etc.). As a result, they’re not going to be your primary source of business. On the flip side, people who are either moving into an older home that needs work or consumers looking to upgrade the homes they have had for a number of years now, these would be some of the individuals/couples you want to target. Having done your research will help you in more effectively targeting the right audience;
  2. Imagery is key – Even though information etc. is certainly important in the area of home renovations and additions, the impact quality imagery has can’t be overlooked. Whether you are Utah web developers or another such brand, showing consumers images that can’t be beat will help you in landing more business. This is where both your website and a quality social media presence are so important. Be sure your website is chock-full of imagery, imagery that shows how quickly a residence can go from looking rather ordinary to looking quite extra-ordinary. That imagery should also be shared on social media sites, especially ones like Instagram and Facebook, both of which are great for telling a story through pictures;
  3. Providing unparalleled customer service – Where are you when it comes to providing customer service? This is one of the critical elements of being a successful brand, so don’t take it lightly. For example, consumers may come to you in-person or via the web to ask questions about home improvements. Don’t use the opportunity to try and push a sale down their throats, but instead use it to not only educate them on the best ways to go about home improvements/renovations/additions etc. but also to show that their interests are your interests too. By being there to answer their questions and give them the information they were hopefully looking for, you potentially gain their trust. Once that is gained, the door can quickly swing open to be a potential business-customer relationship for many years to come.

While sound marketing is not rocket science, it does take some effort and ingenuity, both of which should always be two staples of your business approach.

In the event your brand marketing techniques have been coming up a little short as of late, there is still plenty of time to change course, giving you the opportunity to make headway with consumers.

Some brands naturally sell themselves; others need a little extra push.

If your brand is one of those that needs a little extra kick in the pants to secure more business, don’t be afraid to step outside the box with your marketing initiatives.

Whatever you can do to secure more business, make sure you are doing it.

When consumers know your brand is the one that offers them the most, they are certainly more apt to come home to you.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

It’s Not Your Passion, But Your Purpose

by

Everyone feels lost sometimes.

Everyone feels lost sometimes.

I don’t think I know anyone who hasn’t been lost in their head at one time or another — even those folks overachieving all over the Internet. We all find those moments that we wonder about who we are and what we want. But the question is not whether everyone gets lost, but how we get ourselves back on the road to the life we want.

Ask everyone how to get back to moving forward, and soon enough someone will say, “Follow your passion.” Follow your passion? What if my passion is sitting on the beach, listening to music?

When faced with the questions of who we are and what we want, the road to moving forward follows your purpose. Passion is only half the story. However you define success in business or in life, a critical component is finding your purpose — your unique ability to help others that involves both your mind and your heart.

Purpose is both credibility and passion. Credibility is at the heart of knowing who we are. To find your credibility, ask yourself what you’re already known for, what you’re good at, what you’ve accomplished. Passion is at the heart of knowing what we want. To find your passion, name what you talk about, think about, and do every day — without payment — simply because it makes you feel like you’ve got a contribution to make. In other words, concentrate on combining what you do well with what you really like.

If you’re an ex-lawyer fascinated by marketing. You might find your crossroads showing lawyers how to market their business. If you’re a mother who wants to start a small business, research small businesses for mothers or by show mothers how they might get started in business. Then help others who feel lost find their unique space.

It’s hard to feel lost when you’re helping people find their own way.

Be irresistible,

Liz

Put Your Mind to It

Set your mind to find the crossroads of your credibility and your passion. You’ll find a problem that you have solved for yourself in your own, unique way. Consider how you solved that problem for yourself. Then go solve that problem for everyone else.

More from Liz . . . about Not Passion, But Purpose:

Are You Seeing the Things that Make a Difference to Your Business and Your Life?

Choosing and Deciding: How Do You Sort a Path to Opportunity?

Finding Leadership within Your Business

by

Business people in board room meetingAre you truly confident that you have some leaders from within your business?

While some company owners are quick to answer yes to such a question, others no doubt have to stop and think about it.

If you feel like you are having trouble finding leaders inside your company, do you plan to do anything about that moving forward?

If not, this does not mean your business is doomed for failure anytime soon.

What it does mean, however, is that you may want to take a little time to see if you not only do have some leadership talent within your ranks, but also how best to utilize that talent to motivate others inside your business.

Using Outside Examples to Inspire

Even though there are different ways with which to go about finding and bringing out the leaders in your company, it sometimes just comes down to simple things.

For example, you may have some budding leaders within your ranks, but for one reason or another, they are timid about putting those skills to use. If that’s the case, how do you (and should you) bring out those skills?

Always keep in mind that you should never force an employee into doing something they’re not comfortable with or becoming someone they truly are not meant to be. That said it is perfectly fine (sometimes quite necessary) to ask them to take on more authoritative roles if need be.

If you feel like you aren’t quite sure how to go about getting the most out of them, sometimes you might want to think about turning to others to provide sound examples.

For instance, having your employees view and listen to some individuals that have been proven to demonstrate leadership skills is a good start.

Public speakers such as Ron Fournier can provide their years of experience in the political world, transferring that knowledge over into the business community, all the while providing your team with valuable leadership tips.

When you stop and think about it for a moment, the political and business worlds have more in common than you may think.

For one, political leaders have to do all they can to amass support from their constituents, many of whom are either business leaders or employees of the former. While finding the true leaders from within your organization is not simply deciding by a vote which individual is the most popular and/or poised to do the job, it does mean identifying those employees willing to take on a more important role.

If you are trying to find leadership from within your ranks, remember to look at:

  • Motivation – First and foremost, which employees within your company seem most motivated to be leaders? This is not always something which is easy to tell, so it will likely take some doing on your part to identify such individuals. Search for those workers who come to their jobs each and every day looking to better than the day prior;
  • Helping co-workers – You know how some employees all but despise the idea of helping co-workers. To them, they have enough on their daily plates, so why ask them to assist others? As it turns out, those workers who are true team players within the office could be tomorrow’s leaders. Such individuals don’t think twice about lifting a finger to help their co-workers. In turn, those are the kinds of employees who will typically also go that extra mile for your customers;
  • Asks questions – Finally, which of your employees is always trying to learn more? While some workers may seem a little over the top when it comes to asking questions, you want those employees who are willing to roll their sleeves up and essentially get dirty. Such workers usually are interested in all facets of how the company works, with an eye on staying and growing with the business. These are typically the people who will stick around with you for a longer period of time than those who just come in and do their jobs, showing little or no effort to learn more about how things work (that is not true in all cases, so never punish or look down on those who are quiet and yet do a great job).

If finding leadership from within your business has been a challenge at times, consider taking a look outside to see how others can assist in motivating your team.

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business and leadership topics on the web.