Talk It Up!

Like my shots?

A lot of people admire my headshots--and I tell them that it's all the photographer who does such a great job of bringing out my personality and making them look like the best ME out there. Truly, if you don't have a photographer who understands bringing out your personality, your photos will indeed be crap!

So if you're considering new photos, my magician just let me know she'll be in Chicago shooting headshots from August 27th through August 31st. 300 images, makeup included, on-line proofs and photo CDs for $395. Contact Maia Rosenfeld at www.letsdoshots.com to book a time, and let her know Heidi Miller sent you! She is mucho talented; I've never seen her do anything other than rock-solid miracles!

Jack's Notebook

After a meeting last week, a client, Gregg Fraley, was kind enough to give me a copy of his latest book, Jack's Notebook. It has the curious subtitle: "A Business Novel about Creative Problem Solving." I've never heard this term "business novel" before--have you? I mean, I know that most business books I read are peppered with anecdotes and case studies, but... a business novel?

Well, it's sorta half and half. The first half of the book is indeed the story of a guy (Jack), who is stuck with two dead-end and low-paying jobs but who dreams of being a photographer. He meets Mannie, who takes him through a six-step process of structured brainstorming, checking feelings, reframing the problem, generating more ideas, finding solutions and taking action over several weeks and several meetings. That bit is pretty transparent, but hey, it's a helluva lot more interesting than reading about it in six chapters with titles like "Generating Solutions." And there is a cute little romance with the barista from the internet cafe where Jack does his research, which makes it more palatable as a novel.

Then the author did something really gutsy halfway through--just when you think the entire novel is about how this schmuck lived his dream to become a photographer, he throws in a secondary conflict, which ends up taking over the novel: the cute barista disappears, and Jack is roughed up by thugs who threaten worse if he keeps dating her. The second half of the novel is a wild, search-and-rescue adventure, and the kicker is that the mission is carried out by normal people by way of--you guessed it!--creative problem-solving. Actually, it's pretty riveting and a nice, non-boring way to showcase that particular type of process thinking. Doesn't have to be all business, does it? Why not throw a little rough and tumble in there, a la McGyver, huh?  I mean, if that guy didn't approach problems creatively, who did? :-)

At any rate, I enjoyed the novel and enjoyed watching the characters approach their conflicts and problems this way. Hey, I might even have learned a thing or two. ;-)

Notes from Vicki Austin

Met with the fabulous Vicki Austin, Worldwide Business Coach Extraordinaire and fellow francophile yesterday. We sat at Argo Tea and chatted about everything from Paris to self-employment to the dearth of female CEO's in the Chicago area, and a few concepts solidified from our conversation:

• Make a contribution--to your communities, your business (if you work for someone else), your clients. To be happy, most of us want to be part of something larger than ourselves.
• We are ALL in sales, and we are ALL in customer service, no matter what our job description is! When you work for yourself, you are simply trading one boss for 20 bosses (or however many clients you have). And even in-house in a cubicle, you're part of the company image.
• When you're on the phone with a client, people shouldn't be able to tell that you're not talking to your best friend. You shouldn't sound "professional;" you should enjoy the personal contact as much as you do the rest of your life.
• Persistence + Sense of Humor = Success (by whatever definition). My first rejection letter from a company I'd love to work for is proudly tacked up on my bulletin board, awaiting future phone calls, emails and meetings before the acceptance letter arrives.
• Real people really want to help. The time I spend helping, coaching, advising, chatting and laughing with women and men, business partners and friends, is the stuff of which life is made. It's not a trade with expectations of a return, but a way of life.

Who will you have coffee with this week? Who inspires you? Whom will you inspire?

Blogging basics

I want to start blogging.

When I hear these words, usually the first response is, "Why?" (the answer can be very telling, especially if it's "because everyone else is" or "because I want to leverage" something or other).

And the second response is to suggest that the would-be blogger read The Cluetrain Manifesto. Yes, I know it's a bit older, but it's really a classic for explaining the revolutionary shift from the idea of one-way communication to two-way, authentic, human super-engagement. Cluetrain is like a social media bible for me; it's a great jumping-off point for understanding why we're here and how we're supposed to act  within a community and fosters a lot of discussion of how exactly we accomplish that. Some favorite quotes include:

One definition of "community" is people who care about each other more than they have to.

Engagement in these open free-wheeling … exchanges isn't optional. It's a prerequisite to having a future. Silence is fatal.

The point is that these conversations are already happening in the blogosphere  and podosphere, with or without us. For example, people are talking about trade show speakers and spokespeople already--on the phone, in forums, via email, in blogs. I can join in that conversation and defend the value of the intelligent, experienced spokesperson against the stereotype of the "booth babe," or I can ignore the conversation all together. To shorthand good reasons for blogging:

1. People are starved for conversation with a real, live human being speaking in a real, human voice
2. The conversation is already taking place, with or without you--why not join in?
3. People want to be spoken with in a conversation, not spoken to with marketing messages
4. It's a lot easier and more fun to be authentic than coming up with a marketing message, anyway

So what do you need to know before you start blogging? A few basics I'd recommend:

1. Begin by reading other blogs. Go to Technorati and type in a keyword of something you're interested in--health care industry, creativity, dog-walking. Read a few articles from a lot of blogs and see which authors speak in a voice that you can relate to.
2. Then start commenting. Add your voice to existing conversations. Click the "follow this thread" button to get responses to your comments emailed to you and get a feel for the conversation a blog post can engender over time.
3. Create a focus for your blog. What do you want to talk with the community about? Remember, the answer is not "my business." What do you want to start a conversation about? What are you so passionate about that you can't shut up about it?
4. Choose a blogging platform and start writing. You don't have to write every day or even on a regular basis, but you should write about what you're passionate about. You don't need to write formalized, structured articles or sound like an authority, either--remember,  you're just starting a conversation here. Just be you and ask for feedback.
5. Comment on other blog posts related to what you've written. Do more Technorati searches and read what others have written on topics similar to yours. If they have an interesting perspective, comment and link back to your article to further the conversation. (For a step-by-step on this, read Amy Gahran's excellent post on strategic commenting.)
6. Stay real. Stay you. Don't sound like a company. Don't lecture. Feel free to rant.

More blogging basics resources:
Easton Ellsworth of Business Blogwire has a good starter article
Chris Cree of SucessCREEations has a great Business Blogging 101 series
Amy  Gahran's How  to Persuade Your Boss to Allow Blogs
Shel Holtz' book Blogging for Business
Common Craft explains the differences between message boards and blogs

DSSP #92: Social Media Stupor Syndrome

Show Notes for Diary of a Shameless Self-Promoter #92: Social Media Stupor Syndrome

Coming up on this week's show: social media stupor syndrome with underlying microblogging paralysis--symptoms and treatment.

Direct download is here.

00:00 Introduction
Welcome to DSSP! Send comments to OUR NEW COMMENT EMAIL: shamelesscomments@gmail.com or call the listener comment line at 206-309-SELF, and be sure to check the Talk It Up! blog during the week! Sounders are graciously provided by BuzzCutzAudio.com. If you're interested in podcasting, check out all the free resources at www.podcastingprincess.com

1:00 Sponsor: GoDaddy.com--keep using POD65 for 10% off!

2:00 Social Media Stupor Syndrome

Why there was no DSSP for June and how sick I've been wth SMSS; my own writing on this and how the blogosphere and podosphere have reacted; I was nearly carted away for treatment by the dusky handmaidens of the Podcast Asylum!; my new trial of Thunderbird and Gmail for dealing with mounds of email; sticking with Facebook and CAPOW

11:00 Wrap-up
Why not recommend Diary to a friend? Send the link via email and spread the word! Visit us at Blubrry.com; email Heidi at shamelesscomments@gmail.com , call the listener comment line at 206-309-SELF, and don't forget to visit the show blog, Talk It Up! during the week, for articles and updates. Thanks for listening!

DSSP #91: Shameless Self-Promotion for Women

Show Notes for Diary of a Shameless Self-Promoter #91: Shameless Self-Promotion for Women

Coming up on this week's show: shameless self-promotion tips for women in the workplace.

Direct download is here.

00:00 Introduction
Welcome to DSSP! Send comments to OUR NEW COMMENT EMAIL: shamelesscomments@gmail.com or call the listener comment line at 206-309-SELF, and be sure to check the Talk It Up! blog during the week! Sounders are graciously provided by BuzzCutzAudio.com. If you're interested in podcasting, check out all the free resources at www.podcastingprincess.com

1:00 Sponsor: GoDaddy.com--keep using POD65 for 10% off!

1:45 Announcements and Feedback

Creating Passionate Communities is rescheduled for September; Mike Bellina comments on PowerPoint being evil and on his recent feedback that people couldn't listen to a seminar without PowerPoint! Heidi comments that live presentations of live sites (for example, of Second Life) are more effective and engaging than canned PowerPoint; Charles Miller says DSSP is an inspiration for his consulting biz but my "dubdubdub"s drive him CRAZY--OK, you're right. No more dubdubdub!

11:20 Geek Girl Minute: Twitter

Using Twitter as a to-do checklist, link archive and to promote transparency of your biz. Try "Three Things I Made Happen Today" with your Twitter! Follow me on Twitter here.

12:30 Interview: Shameless Self-Promotion for Women,

Jane Pigott of R3 shares her insights on shameless self-promotion for women in the workplace; how women sabotage themselves in the workplace; saying positive things and creating visibility for and about other women; her advice on dressing appropriately in the workplace; contact her at 312-628-4743 jdpigott@r3group.net

37:20 Wrap-up
Why not recommend Diary to a friend? Send the link via email and spread the word! Visit us at Blubrry.com; email Heidi at shamelesscomments@gmail.com , call the listener comment line at 206-309-SELF, and don't forget to visit the show blog, Talk It Up! during the week, for articles and updates. Thanks for listening!

DSSP #90: Email signature lines

Show Notes for Diary of a Shameless Self-Promoter #90: Email Signature lines

Coming up on this week's show: how to shamelessly promote yourself through your email signature line.

Direct download is here.

00:00 Introduction
Welcome to DSSP! Send comments to OUR NEW COMMENT EMAIL: shamelesscomments@gmail.com or call the listener comment line at 206-309-SELF, and be sure to check the Talk It Up! blog during the week! Sounders are graciously provided by BuzzCutzAudio.com. If you're interested in podcasting, check out all the free resources at www.podcastingprincess.com

1:50 Sponsor: GoDaddy.com--keep using POD65 for 10% off!

3:25 Listener Mail

Tom Comeau writes about a science outreach podcast--Skywatch; he also comments that blogging is "inexpensive" not "cheap" and that nonprofits need to focus on results and stories, not begging for money. His examples include www.horserescue.org, www.hubblesite.org to show mindshare; Keith from Michigan sends in an audio comment asking about email signature lines

7:00 Topic: Email signature lines

Chris Brogan says sig lines should have two pointer maximum; suggestions for creating a sig line; Nancy Schwartz has these suggestions for non-profits--keep it brief (four to six lines) and don't waste time including your own email address; also, why not add an issue-oriented tag line or quote?

13:15 Wrap-up
Why not recommend Diary to a friend? Send the link via email and spread the word! Visit us at Blubrry.com; email Heidi at shamelesscomments@gmail.com , call the listener comment line at 206-309-SELF, and don't forget to visit the show blog, Talk It Up! during the week, for articles and updates. Thanks for listening!