Chunk of Change

Business MMA: The Rowdy Roundtable

olga — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:00:08 +0000

Hey Long Beach-area entrepreneurs and locals who naturally think outside the box! I’d like to invite you to join me IN PERSON for an exciting event next Tuesday, May 28, 2013.

Come bring your ideas and challenges that keep you up at night to the Business MMA: Rowdy Roundtable. Instead of “mixed martial arts,” we’ll be showing off our “mixed marketing arts”!

So, get ready to connect with other entrepreneurial-minded individuals in our friendly, intellectually-driven discussions. Come and pick the brains of featured speakers, participate in a “corporate cage match” and “go to the mat” with fellow entrepreneurs, discussing ideas. Possible topics include…

…the latest trends and challenges in tech, business, marketing, advertising, social media, and more.

Open to all those seeking solid advice and community with other like-minded business change-makers, this group aims to be the go-to entrepreneurial mastermind of the Long Beach area. Moreover, find the moral support you’ve been looking for by connecting to other Long Beach Linchpins. (Why should L.A. and Orange County get to have all the fun?)

Heard of Seth Godin, Bryan Solis, Daniel Pink, Daniel Ariely, Chris Brogan, Malcolm Gladwell, Sally Hogshead, or Peter Drucker? Is Mashable or just good ol’ Wall Street Journal a trusted source to you? Ever wish you could present your unique concerns to local experts to help your business grow more effectively and efficiently?

Then come get into the ring—this group is for you!

Tuesday, May 28
6:15 p.m.
The Grand, Long Beach
A Whopping $5 Per Person

Your facilitators for the May event will be me, Olga Mizrahi, Principal of local creative agency ohso! design, and Sarah Daniels, Editor-in-Chief of Play On Words.

Can’t wait to meet you! Sign up HERE!

People Power: Part 2 Of The Melissa G. Wilson Interview

olga — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:00:01 +0000

Last week, I brought you Part One of my interview with Networking Is Dead author Melissa G. Wilson. The writing, publishing, and social media leader has shifted gears recently into full-time mentorship, and now spends her time helping others achieve success.

“It’s always about people first, opportunities, second!” ~ Melissa G. Wilson

Olga: What tools do you recommend to help keep track of contacts that you make and create deeper, more meaningful connections?

Melissa: I have my own guidebooks and I’m always offering them to others to give them a way to keep track of all the different people we connect with. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed. It helped me to stop confusing activity with…

…accomplishment. I know it seems counter-intuitive to flip it upside down and think smaller. It’s not about having so many in your pipeline. It’s better to pick 10 people and then really leverage those relationships to become strategic partnerships. That’s “The Power of 10.”

Olga: It is always important to give back. For those who feel they already put this recommendation into practice, how or when should we feel enough is enough?

Melissa: Even if you’re mentoring, you do need to see that appreciation coming back. It’s absolutely not quid pro quo. But you at least need the emotional support back.

I am always excited to think that there’s someone out there who can really offer me a very vibrant exchange. Even though [I have been doing this for] 20 years, I’m still very open to that.

Olga: Have you been able to witness your networking expertise work as well for others as it has for you?

Melissa: When I met my husband…one of the things I did was present to a group of companies in the restaurant manufacturing space. What happened, was my husband started a group on LinkedIn. He looked at his Power Of 10 group and it made a huge difference. At the end of the year, he looked at his alliance network. His is now one of the largest groups on LinkedIn. He grows every year based on the methodology.

People who utilize [my technique for] Networlding had a 33% increase in the connections they made. It was a very powerful experience for them to be a lot more strategic with their connections.

One business owner said, “I didn’t realize that I could look at next year and think, next year, I won’t be working with anyone I don’t like.” He was able to remove the weakest links. So many of us, when we analyze our network, realize that there are weak links. Find people who are the right connections and work with those people for a lifetime. Quality equals quantity.

In real life, seeing one’s face this close violates every rule of space!

Olga: How do you make new LinkedIn introductions happen through those you are already connected with?

Melissa: There’s a way to start the relationship socially that leads to a network. The introduction is the new referral. With connections on LinkedIn, you can go to people focused on their passions. Do an advanced search page for “integrity” or “socially responsible business” or “Boy Scouts,” and you’ll find people who have the same passion you do.

Olga: Can your in-person methods be translated into an online-only experience? So many connections are made online. Does, at some point, the connection have to be made face-to-face?

Melissa: I do believe that you can truly connect online. It’s now the standard for experts to say that you need to have a face-to-face connection. I’ve never found validation for the idea that face-to-face connections are “seven times more powerful than on the phone.” I think it’s incredible to keep an authentic space online and keep it open to others.

***

It is clear from her answers that Melissa is really pushing the importance of quality in your network, rather than quantity. Size is a non-factor within networking; strength is key. The connections to the best people are out there. Your job is to capitalize on them.

EXCLUSIVE FOR CHUNK OF CHANGE READERS: Melissa has graciously offered her book of 101 networking tips as a FREE download for a limited time. All copyright and rights of 101 Great Tips for Building Relationships and Opportunities in the Age of the Network are exclusively hers!

Thanks, Melissa!

So, I’m curious: What networking tactics have you put into place that have worked for you?

Also, I’m always up for connecting with readers! Take a moment to say hi! (poke optional)

Networking Is Dead: An Interview With Melissa G. Wilson

olga — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:05:54 +0000

“Don’t push into somebody’s life. Invite them in.” ~ Melissa G. Wilson

I caught up with Melissa G. Wilson, author of fifteen books (five on bestseller lists), and CEO of Networlding—a publishing company that helps authors write, publish, and market books that turn into top sellers. After two decades of speaking, coaching, and writing books, Melissa is now mentoring others on what it takes to really make networking work.

In this two-part interview–based on the book Networking Is Dead: Making Connections That Matter–Melissa describes to me exactly what it takes to make the proper network connections, and…

…keep them strong.

Olga: How did you develop this approach? What did you see out there in the networking world that made you want to approach it from a different angle?

Melissa: In 1993, I was working for a large accounting firm in Chicago, and I noticed that many of the accountants, lawyers, and bankers spent a lot of time networking. They shared their frustrations with me about the process. I used the accountants as “guinea pigs”—looking at what they were doing and how they were doing it. I saw that they were mistaking activity for accomplishments. So, I looked for a better way to create relationships that were sustainable.

I started out doing a lot of interactive events. I have an undergraduate degree in sociology, so I just observed…and then developed a six-step process. [My book] Networlding came out in 2000, and I kept practicing. All these years, I’ve continued to practice on this methodology. Most people don’t have a system.

Olga: What is it that you wanted out of that? Was it a goal to become a consultant for the large guys…or did you just want to change the status quo?

Melissa: My goal was to change the way that people built relationships. We did Networlding bootcamps. It was a movement and we kept growing it. Then, I started traveling and licensing Networlding. What happened was that I got to a point, by staying with the brand and really building it, that I wanted to have more support from corporate. Everything changed with the social media world. I did enterprise-wide training for LinkedIn. I’ve brought Networlding into the online world.

Olga: Tell me about a difficulty you’ve personally had with networking? What didn’t work for you?

Melissa: I can honestly say that networking and relationship building comes naturally to me. One of my secrets is to keep others engaged with you and to keep them informed about how what they gave you has made a difference in your life and share, specifically, the outcomes of their efforts. These feedback loops go a long way to build trust and further opportunities for exchange.

Olga: How often do you recommend getting in touch with others, and how—via email, a call, or a casual lunch? What do you do when that person doesn’t reciprocate?

Melissa: I recommend making contact at least once a month. Or if there is a special occasion like a contact’s birthday or anniversary, it’s nice to reach out to them to acknowledge that. People appreciate the details.

Beyond that, InMaps by LinkedIn offers an opportunity to visualize the cluster of contacts in your network graphically and zoom in and out to see who are the “bridgers.” … [There's also] CardMunch, a LinkedIn app that allows you take a photo of someone’s business cards after meeting and sends a request to link to them on LinkedIn, that helps you keep track of connections that matter.

That said, if the person does not reciprocate, do not take it personally. Professional people are very busy and juggle several projects at a time. Give them space and try to reconnect further down the road…

So, I’m curious…how do YOU network? Got any expert tips to share?

Next week: Read Part Two of Melissa G. Wilson’s networking interview right here!

Getting A Foot In The Door: Using Yelp To Build Business

olga — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:00:47 +0000

Dear Olga: Even though we’re an established physical therapy office, in our seventh year, we always need to generate new business in order to keep our calendar full. Physical therapy isn’t a seasonal thing or an economic thing; it’s a year-round business. We recently hired a new physical therapist—as well as a massage therapist—and we’re prepared to take on more patients.

We really haven’t used social media as much to our advantage as we’d like to. We don’t do any advertising, and so, we get most of our patients through word-of-mouth. We also do area events (like a 5K run we’re sponsoring) and support local groups (including Tribe, a triathlon club). At this point, we want to be even more involved with student athletes and Crossfit clients.

All that said, what are the best no-cost ways for us to increase foot traffic and awareness? ~ Julie & Ismael F., Body Solutions Fitness and Therapy, Long Beach, CA

Assuming you already have the basics covered (e.g. strategic partnerships with doctors’ offices, membership in local chambers and clubs, etc.), the best thing to do is…

…to turn to Yelp.

Whereas, in the past, most people would be referred to a physical therapist by a doctor, referrals are no longer the sole source of new business. Today, with all of the choices available at your fingertips, people tend to look online for their practitioners. And they often go to Yelp to see an office’s reviews before making a decision.

As such, you need to make sure that you’re on Yelp, accounted for, and being positively reviewed.

Yelp will also help you gain visibility—not only in Yelp searches (that’s a given), but in Google searches, as well. The more reviews you have, the higher your search results can potentially be. The higher your search results, the higher the likelihood that Googlers may just stumble upon you.

Claim Your Profile

If you haven’t done so already, open up a Yelp account and claim your business listing. Make sure you fill out the whole profile with your hours, directions, photos of your office (an important component!), and everything else that makes it easy for potential customers to find you.

Make it even more enticing by offering a first-timer coupon. People love coupons. Even though you’re a physical therapy office—which doesn’t really lend itself to a typical coupon—you can always offer a perk or piece of swag. Why not order custom YouBars (with your logo) and hand them out to new customers…and at events?

Get Reviewed!

You’ll need to encourage your current clients to post reviews. A happy client is the best advertising. They are your free walking, talking billboards.

Put a fun sign up in a prominent place in your office (like the back of the reception room door), asking current customers to leave a review. Be sure to include a QR code on the flyer that links directly to your Yelp page.

Note: Yelp may poo-poo your efforts to solicit reviews, but it’s not against the “rules” to do so. So, why not?

Respond To Your Reviews

Don’t forget to respond to your Yelp reviews, both the good and the bad. Make sure to graciously thank the people who have taken the time to give you a glowing review and reinforce their raves by repeating key words in your comments.

What do you do if someone is overly critical of your stellar service? If the review is negative, acknowledge the consumer’s experience and apologize. Then explain what happened, how things have improved, and invite them back.

By taking advantage of your best resource (i.e. your existing customers), you can parlay your current feet on the floor into new feet in the door.

So, I’m curious…what’s holding YOU back? Send in your questions TODAY, either as a comment below or up in the box on the right hand side.

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Don’t miss Olga’s upcoming meetup, where you can ask your own questions! Entrepreneurs and those who naturally think outside the box, come bring your ideas and the challenges that keep you up at night to the Business MMA: Rowdy Roundtable on Tuesday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m. at The Grand in Long Beach.

Note: This post also appears in this month’s Ask Olga Column in the Long Beach Post.

Entrepreneurs, Marketers, And Crazy People Who Dance On Street Corners: The New Art of Business

olga — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:00:40 +0000

This past Saturday, I was a keynote speaker for the Santa Barbara Business Expo, the inaugural event and brainchild of Sandy Goe. I met Sandy last September, when she approached me after I spoke at the California Women’s Conference. At the time, the expo was just a dream of hers. She really wanted to connect business people in Santa Barbara in a different way.

Business As Art

Sandy seems to have really embraced the concept of business as an art form…and opening up new opportunities for artists of all kinds. It wasn’t just by incorporating visual artists and jewelers into the day—which was a pleasant surprise at such an event—but also her artistic ability to pull a wide variety of business people into a Saturday event on a gorgeous Santa Barbara day to learn about emerging web technologies, social media, SEO marketing, legal and finance, insurance, business tools, and best practices.

Art like this is, indeed, making its way into the business world. In fact…

…“at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, an elective course on creativity will become a mandatory component of a revamped MBA this fall,” reports The Globe and Mail.

Likewise, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, “a growing number of art colleges are now offering business degrees on the undergraduate and master’s levels for students seeking to work in management or, more generally, the business side of the arts.”

Perhaps this is because—as the new book Rethinking Undergraduate Business Education: Liberal Learning for the Profession recently reported on a Carnegie Foundation study that found—“most business programs rarely challenge students’ assumptions, ask them to think creatively, or understand the broader context of business.”

As Marketing-Guru-With-Own-Action-Figure Seth Godin recently said, to Entrepreneur, “the time is ripe for impresarios and artists to take the lead in the business world.” Godin believes that, “It isn’t just painters and potters and poets. Entrepreneurs, marketers, crazy people who dance on street corners, and anyone else who isn’t afraid to express themselves has the opportunity to find an audience.”

When I spoke about Unique Value Proposition (up on my soapbox, once again), I felt a palpable change in the room. As people started thinking creativity and artistically about their businesses—instead of focusing on trite mission statements—there was a true excitement about it.

I was thankful for being able to share my art and planting the seed for other business owners to grow theirs even further. Can’t wait until next year, Sandy. And congrats on your original masterpiece.

Now tell me about your “art”? What Unique Value do you shout from the mountaintops?

Face Facts: How To Allocate Your Money and Time To Facebook

olga — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:00:41 +0000

Dear Olga: I get so distracted by social media that I feel like I’m not committing to other parts of my business. What percentage of my marketing budget (and my time) should I be allocating to Facebook… or should I bother at all. ~ Alicia L., Handbag Designer, North Hollywood, CA

First of all, there isn’t one set answer to this question: for some, the spend on social media may be 5%, for others, it may be 95%. If you’re re-posting cat pictures and memes all day, though, it might be time to re-think your strategy.

Real Facebook Marketing Strategy

The first real question is what your ultimate social media goal is. Are you looking to educate people about your product, get new fans, sell handbags, get a discussion going, create a buzz, etc.? It’s helpful to understand your priorities–especially since the answer “F: all of the above” will surely drive you insane.

IMHO, the top goal should be to drive people back to your site. You’ve gotta make social media work for you–not against you. Get ‘em to your site.

The second issue is…

…where your target customers spend their time online. For a handbag, I suspect your targets spend a lot of time on Pinterest and Pose. Those might be better channels for a visual product, such as yours. (Even so, you’ll need to integrate that stream through Facebook.)

Third, you have to decide how you’ll allocate your money and time within Facebook. You can’t just go after paid placement. (And CERTAINLY don’t pay for likes!) You *may* pay to show up in your users’ streams…and your competitors’ users’ streams. By all means, promote your posts (that lead to where? pop quiz! A: your site, not your FB).

But think about community, too. (I’m not trying to be glib; this could be a whole topic in and of itself. Check out the competition here. The point is: do whatever you need to do to build a community.) Don’t forget to pay attention to your existing fans in the effort to get new ones.

Finally, stop driving your self nuts: create an editorial calendar. Don’t just go posting willy-nilly. Consumers are savvy and naturally suspicious of marketing efforts. If you can’t find a way to be helpful or intriguing, you might as well just forget it.

SO…I’m curious, who’s doing it right and–even better–who’s doing it wrong? (See: https://www.facebook.com/corporatebollocks for some amazing examples of wrong-ness.) Scroll down and share your faves and fails in the comment box below. Do it!

Starting Strong: The 27 Most Important Marketing Strategies For A Web Startup

olga — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:00:01 +0000

Dear Olga: What are the most important marketing strategies for a web startup?
~ Nora M., Social Media Startup, Calabasas, CA

First of all, every startup needs to keep in mind that there are still offline marketing strategies that work. So, even though you’re a social media startup, you’ll probably get your first clients by meeting (and being helpful to) people in your real-world community and immediate circle. Then, you can ride that wave online.

Second, if possible, carve out a niche–geographically or by industry—so that you can have a targeted marketing strategy.

Third (in the world of social media especially) you have to understanding what your strengths are and how those translate into measurement. In other words, you have to be very clear about what you’re offering (enhanced social connection, more friends, better feeds, etc.).

Beyond that…

Getting started…
1.) Make sure you have a simple, descriptive, easy-to-remember, and easy-to-spell domain name
2.) Have a video on your homepage
3.) Create an interactive demo
4.) Start a beta site/version with key “insiders”
5.) Offer a free trial
6.) Allow users to login using Facebook and get users top enable the app to “post on your behalf”
7.) Participate in live, one-on-one events (like trade shows, Chamber events, and so on)
8.) Reach out and create your own support structures (such as an advisory board that meets quarterly to help you examine key issues)

Getting ramped up…
9.) Have a really clear, concise, and targeted branding strategy
10.) Focus on SEO, starting with the Yoast plug-in for WordPress
11.) Create a YouTube channel with fun and/or informational videos
12.) Make social media sharing easy by making it easy for things to go viral (such as tweetables, Pinterest pins, share buttons, G+, Instagram feeds, etc.)
13.) Use other forms of social media to engage in conversations…and listen to responses
14.) Incentivize users to get their immediate offline contacts to sign up

Getting going…
15.) Pay attention to conversion…and the action you want people to take
16.) Do A/B testing to optimize your site
17.) Engage users in rich content marketing
18.) Write as a thought leader on your own blog
19.) Write guest posts on other people’s blogs
20.) Do monthly e-newsletters
21.) Create compelling case studies
22.) Share your unique content across different sites that highlight your expertise (via SlideShare, Quora, etc.)

Getting established…
23.) Speak at industry events and conferences
24.) Selflessly serve on advisory boards to help others
25.) Perform webinars with strategic partners
26.) Solicit feedback from your users and get them involved in your evolution
27.) Create loyalty programs for existing customers

So, I’m curious… If you have a startup of your own, which of these things have you found most useful in your process?

Are You Being Helped? How To Evaluate the Success of Your Content Marketing

olga — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:00:41 +0000

Dear Olga: What’s the best way to evaluate the effectiveness of my content marketing efforts?
~ Erik D., B2B Technology Consultant, Seal Beach, CA

First of all, let’s define “content marketing.” I suspect that you’re using one or more of the following avenues:

Social Media
Photos and Videos
Articles
Blogs
E-Newsletters
Case Studies and White Papers

These types of content marketing can be measured in a wide range of ways: from…
…page views to comments to downloads, successful conversion on specific calls to action to actual leads, and more.

According to BlueGlass, and their “Content Marketing Explosion” infographic (below), increased web traffic is the most widely used metric—at 58%—to measure the success of content initiatives.

Created by BlueGlass Interactive

BlueGlass notes that top goals of marketers utilizing content marketing include:

Brand Awareness (69%)
Customer Acquisition (68%)
Lead generation (67%)
Customer Retention / Loyalty (62%)

Of course, your business goals will ultimately dictate what the right metric is for you.

If you are trying to increase sales, then you should probably focus on:

Making your SEO efforts lead users directly to the item-detail page. (Side note: Nothing turns off buyers faster than an item detail page without enough information about the product.)
Using the promotions you’re running to entice and convert your traffic.
Measuring and continually optimizing landing pages.

If your goal is to bolster your other marketing efforts, then you can:

Include your customers, potential buyers, and industry leaders in the conversation.
Share your content in the social network that most applies to your product or service (e.g. Pinterest, SlideShare, Instagram, etc.)
Pepper in calls to action within your content, so that users can more easily share your stuff.

Especially if your end goal is increasing brand awareness, then your metric comes down to an increased amount of visitors and a specific call to action that will convert the new visitor. Once you have those numbers coming in and are looking to improve, then your next step is your willingness to test.

Content marketing shouldn’t be confused with shoving your product or service down the consumer’s throat. You need to come from a genuine place, where help is offered freely, and contributions are made to your community.

Finally, content marketing is for the long haul. Most SEO efforts do not come up on the radar for three to six months. And, as much as everyone would love to “go viral,” you’re more than likely to gain momentum incrementally as you put more helpful content out there.

Feeling The Love With Live Tweeting

olga — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:00:04 +0000

Last week, I went to see a rare West Coast Seth Godin presentation, brought to Costa Mesa by Linked OC and Bryan Elliott. The room was packed with hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners (and those aspiring to get out of their current corporate positions), and the atmosphere was abuzz with Godin-esque excitement.

When Seth finished signing books and taking photos, he took the stage with his signature yellow glasses and shining ‘do.

Seth spent the better part of an hour alternating between his signature unconventional wisdom and silly slides of signs that led to a few great jokes.

He talked about the purple cow, how all marketers are liars, the lynchpin, that we are all weird, his tribes, and the idea virus…among other things…hitting the high points of all of his bestselling books.

I decided to Live Tweet from the event and was able to connect with fellow Godin-ites in the room—and beyond. The result was unexpected…

A social coup occurred that extended beyond Twitter and actually spilled over to my Facebook page and my blog.

Here are some of the comments that prompted the sudden surge of followers:

And a few of the responses…

So, I’m curious…Have you ever felt the love from Live Tweeting?

Do you have a question for me? Just jot it down below or in Ask Olga and (surprise) I’ll answer!

Embrace The F Word

olga — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:00:12 +0000

Seth Godin’s musings are a bit like junk food to me. I take them in quickly, enjoying the tasty morsels. Because he understands new readers are coming in all the time, at times it’s too much of a salty good thing, and feels like stuff I’m munched on before from past works, hoping it tastes fresh again. Nevertheless, even when I get a bit of a Godin-overload, I am always craving more. A spark from Seth gets me going for days, and most likely it revolves around my favorite subject: Change.

I think Seth’s tribe is one of connection and so it should be no surprise that…

Seth’s concept of us all living in the connection economy is taking root. Connecting the disconnected is the holy grail. As a marketer, I know that no matter how great of a value I can bring, it will never go anywhere without clarity and connection. Attention becomes currency in the connection economy. My own passion thrives in our change-driven economy: helping small business and home-based entrepreneurs discover their own “-ests” and communicate that clearly to the marketplace.

Today, my intention is to feed you a few yummy nuggets out of Seth’s newest book, The Icarus Deception. We all remember the fable of Icarus flying too high and thereby melting off his wings leading to demise. Godin argues that we have forgotten that part of the teaching is to not fly too low, as that also leads to a less dramatic crash and burn. Keeping our nose to the grindstone and not making waves crushes our inner “artist.”

Art isn’t defined by just music or canvas (or that unfortunate convention picture your mom shouldn’t see). Art is inside you and it craves to create by uniquely contributing only something that you can. Art in Godin’s definition is embracing your work and sharing it with the world boldly. By flying too low, we’ve bought into the industrialist culture that we didn’t even know was staged all around us. We’ve been standardized, productized…and do our best to avoid the pain of criticism and social pressure.

If you buy this, then are you craving to break out of it? The following are five steps to take to get you on your path. They are true to Godin’s teachings with my own little spin.

1. Do the Work and Let Go of It.
My little first grader, like most 6 year olds, is a prolific artist. So many masterpieces! Where to store them? A common parental headache. She loves to share her newest work with a smile, and then move on to the next–without attachment. There is no need to hoard our ideas, afraid to put them out there. Put out your work with a smile, and move on.

2. Be Bold.
What’s wrong with being shameless? I love that Seth Godin speaks of being shameless in a new light, one that embraces shame in such a way that it is no longer society’s favorite tool of conformity. You’re not going to get kicked out of the village, left to be eaten by the wolves. You’re just going to gain attention and bring something new to the world. The key to being boldly shameless is not “spray and pray”; it is really confidence in putting your ideas into the universe.

3. Involve Your Tribe(s).
Newest TED darling Amanda Palmer made news with her incredible kickstarter campaign, raising over $1 million dollars to fund her newest project. How many people contributed? About the same amount that bought her “failing” album, her tribe of 25,000.

4. Be Vulnerable.
“Art is vulnerability without the prospect of shame” – Seth Godin
This one is a personal struggle for me. In my work life, I’ve been criticized for being overly helpful, intimidating, “too smart,” a perfectionist, and overwhelming. In my desire to help, some were left with the side effect of feeling that I was too demanding, creating angst with impossible standards. In reality all I’ve ever wanted anyone that truly puts themselves out there to know is one thing, the most important thing: You Are Enough. Only recently have I let go enough to allow for a focus on the home-based entrepreneur and small business. I’m building specific tools that embrace our attention-deficit ways, lack of time and managing it all on your own. I’ve worked with the big guys, and they don’t need another me. Instead, I’ve chosen to do my best to help those that want to help themselves stand out in the connection economy.

5. Embrace the F Word and Learn From Your “Failures.”
What is to be learned on your journey? There are few things as hard to recover from as putting in your work and sweat, only to be met by crickets. But all is not lost. The important thing is the work (and the art) you’ve created. Simply put it all to use on the next big thing and don’t be afraid to simply move on.

If you still feel hungry, join our @linkedoc tribe by meeting Seth Godin in a rare Orange County appearance on Friday.