Web Business Woman

As most readers know, I co-founded a new venture with Tom, my hubby and partner, and Caroline Golon of Romeo the Cat, last fall. About ten months ago, to be exact. It feels more like two years – two exciting and active years. But, ten months it is. BlogPaws, the new online pet community for pet bloggers, was created out of a desire to help our pet blogger friends and to give back to the pet community as a whole.

We were cautioned, at the launch ofBlogPaws, to do it “this way” or “that way.” Our goal was to organize and hold a conference where pet bloggers could learn how to use social media tools more effectively, and meet each other – and the brands they buy – IRL. We decided to hold that conference in April… in Columbus, OH… regardless of the fact that none of us had, at the time, any experience in putting on conferences.

We did it. We did it because we didn’t let “I don’t know how” get in our way. We did it because we are passionate about this cause and this community. We did it because we tapped into the very people we hoped to serve and asked for their help, and they jumped on board without hesitation. The conference in Columbus, fondly known as BlogPaws East, was a shining succeess!

It wasn’t without its issues, mind you. It wasn’t “easy” or “smooth”… we sort built the bridge as we crossed over it, and created a conference that could serve three purposes – one, to teach bloggers and brands more about the social media tools their friends and competitors are using today; two, to bring everyone together in one place for some fun and laughter; and three, to raise money for shelters and rescues.

The bridge we built was sturdier than you might think. We learned how to do things “right” by paying attention to what the bloggers and brands were asking for. We followed in some solid footsteps (using Blogher as our standard). Mistakes were made, but repaired mostly before anyone knew about them. Missteps were taken and became learning experiences. All in all, the conference got rave reviews and… shouts for “when is the next one?” could be heard across the blogoshpere and on twitter and facebook.

The “next one” is happening next Thurs through Saturday, in Denver. Yes, we are holding a second conference in the same calendar year. Yes, we realize that’s crazy. But, the bloggers asked for it. We exist for them – it’s not about us, it’s not even about the brands, although they are highly important to our purpose. It’s about the bloggers, and about giving back.

BlogPaws West is going to be as fantastic as BlogPaws East was. It’s going to knock some socks off. It’s going to bring even more bloggers, brands, and experts together – to teach each other how to use these new social media tools for — branding, marketing, raising funds, supporting shelters, taking photographs, understanding SEO, learning how to run contests and sweepstakes, getting a handle on the FTC rulings for product reviews, and a little session on writing by yours truly. There will also be hands-on sessions on WordPress, Typepad, Blogger, Lijit and Squidoo.

Yes, you can still register…here. No, you don’t HAVE to be a pet blogger to attend, just be aware – there will be a good many dogs, cats and at least one ferret, in attendance. We are very pet friendly!

But, that’s not the purpose of this post. The purpose of this post is to remind you that being an entrepreneur means taking risks. It means stepping out of your comfort zone. It means taking your passion to the next level, even when you don’t know what will happen. It means asking for help and accepting it. It means getting out there and actually accomplishing something – being what my friend Bruce Peters calls a bricoleur (getting it done with whatever is as hand).

We expect BlogPaws West to give the attendees the same positive experience that BlogPaws East gave them, and more. We expect to learn, again, what worked and what didn’t and what the bloggers and brands would like to see next. And, when BlogPaws West is over – when Sunday, September 12th dawns, Caroline and Tom and I will be meeting to put our thoughts and ideas for BlogPaws 2011 into action.

Stay tuned.

10. Everyone already knows you. You’re a Diva of the highest order known the world over. A blog would just drag you down.

9. You’re too busy. You work round the clock. A blog would just complicate an already busy work week. Never mind that it could take the place of your newsletter or half of your marketing.

8. Blogs and bloggers are just crowding the Internet with useless chatter. You don’t have time for gossip. Or, sharing your newest product development…you latest greatest hire…your key points relevant to your industry…your insight into thought leadership…your views on the economy…or anything else.

7. None of your clients, customers, or associates blog. Really, they don’t. No one in your industry blogs. No one. Really…no one. (obviously you live on another planet – I bet I can find a blog in your industry)

6. Your website’s contact page say it all. I mean, what else is there? Contact me… that’s successful engagement.

5. You prefer chat rooms where you can be “anonymous”… in case you say something stupid. Cause, you would never say anything stupid in real life – just online. You’re too smart to speak out IRL.

4. You know your opinion isn’t worth anything. Nobody ever listens to you. (maybe that’s why you’re struggling to get clients?)

3. Blogs have nothing to teach you, so why would you start one? To teach other people? Hey, you’re a business professional, not a teacher, right?

2. Blogs are dangerous! People say mean things on blogs. People criticize brands on blogs. People speak their minds. If you start a blog, they might criticize you! (on your blog… or on theirs… which is better? where will you be able to engage better – on their blog or yours? Or mine?)

1. And the number one reason you shouldn’t be blogging today – you prefer to be reactive instead of pro-active. Fix it when it’s broken instead of before it gets broken.

Classic! If you see yourself here – lock the door, stay home, and be careful turning on the TV – it could corrupt you with all that reality TV.

Today we have a new author guest blogging at Lip-sticking. Amanda Ponzar is the Director of Communications for Global Corporate Leadership at United Way Worldwide, the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit. You can read more about Amanda on the team page.

Enjoy Amanda’s insight on non-profits, today and every other Thursday, going forward.

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I just read a story in the New York Times about young lawyers choosing public interest work rather than making the big bucks.

With the economy taking a trip to Hades in a hand basket, why on earth do people choose to make less money to work for charity? Everyone I’ve asked has said the same thing, “I want to make a difference.”

Although cliché, I felt the exact same way before I broke into the seemingly impenetrable nonprofit world. Who needs Prince Charming?

I fantasized that I would ride in on a white horse, saving people every day, all while getting paid for it. I was a zealous do-gooder on wheels, volunteering all over the place, so who wouldn’t want to hire me?

Well, despite the fact that nonprofits are proliferating like rabbits and a new one seems to pop up every day, only 6.29% of Americans actually worked for a nonprofit in 2009, according to unpublished Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

So, how can YOU be one of these lucky 6%?

Let’s start with a tip from a friend of mine, Lisa Hamilton, VP of Public Relations at UPS and former head of the UPS Foundation.

Lisa is incredibly beautiful and creative. But don’t let that fool you. She’s also smart. Lisa started as an attorney, then served as program director in the tax department, and then made the case that her unique skills and experience would benefit the UPS Foundation.

“The lesson here is that when people pursue Foundation jobs, they often talk to hiring managers about their interest in the work or their experience as a committed volunteer,” said Lisa. “They fail to appreciate that Foundations are businesses and need staff who can bring excellent management skills (financial, legal, IT, HR, performance measurement, etc.) to the table.” Lisa’s advice?  “Stand out from the crowd” by emphasizing what you contribute. “As in any organization,” said Lisa, “you will be hired and evaluated based on your PERFORMANCE, not your passion!”

I thought about the last time I interviewed someone. I didn’t ask how passionate she was about the cause, I asked about her experience managing complicated projects and demonstrating return on investment.

Ladies, let’s help ourselves out. And no matter where we work, prove our worth with top-notch performance that gets results. That’s an asset anywhere.

More tips to come.

By Guest Blogger, Donna DeClemente, Donna’s Promo Talk

Today is the first of September. It feels strange to say September first because we’re having a heat wave with a week of 90 degree days. So it definitely still feels like summer. However, it begs the question, were did the summer go? 

I’ve been keeping up with my online reading this week and the bloggers and columnists who are not on vacation are writing about vacation. We’re all supposed to take this last week before Labor Day to unplug, unwind and relax and then jump back in next week. Easier said then done, right?

So here’s an interesting program that I thought I’d write about for those that are still online and want to take some time to explore and reflect on the summer. Back in early July Google announced the launch of “Life in a Day,” which they called a historic cinematic experiment which will attempt to document one day as seen through the eyes of people around the world. They chose Saturday, July 24, and invited people during that 24 hours to capture a snapshot of their life on camera. They suggested filming the ordinary such as a sunrise, a commute to work, a neighborhood soccer match, or the extraordinary such as a baby’s first steps, a reaction to the passing of a loved one, or even a marriage.

A video gallery has now been launched on the YouTube LIfe in A Day Channel making available raw footage from some of the 80,000 user-generated videos submitted from 197 countries in 45 languages. The gallery is searchable by geography, time of day, mood and more. Life in a Day is directed by Kevin Macdonald and executive produced by Ridley Scott at Scott Free UK. They will choose clips of the submissions to create a video of life on the planet for that day. The final video will become available in different languages via captioning on YouTube.

Kevin Macdonald will then choose 20 contributors who make it into the final feature-length movie to attend the 2011 Sundance Film Festival for the world premiere in January. Those whose footage makes it into the finished film will also get credit as co-directors. The movie will be available on YouTube at the same time as the Sundance screening.

LG Electronics is a partner and supporter of the project and their “Life’s Good” brand expression fits in nicely with the theme of the project. The project is one way for YouTube to promote itself as a facilitator of art.

So I invite you to visit the gallery, take a look around the world and try to remember what you were doing on Saturday, July 24, one day during the summer of 2010.

professional blogging as a blogger with “an interest in a subject…” to the point that the professional blogger, “has an interest, a professional objective, and a plan to achieve it.”

We’ve discussed the idea of planning more than once, on this blog. I recommend a plan – not always a full-blown business plan to get you started, but a plan that includes what you want to do, how you will do it, and why it’s worth doing. That goes for being a professional blogger, also. Planning is vital to your success. Those who stumble along without a plan…will be trailing behind those who sit down and think it through.

Susan rightly notes that blogging isn’t for everyone. While it helps connect you to a bigger network, if you blog consistently, and it can help establish you as a thought-leader, a blog requires almost daily attention. It’s not an “either/or” task – either I write today or I do my bookkeeping. Either I answer comments or I make phone calls. You must do both. Professionals know how important that is. You do what needs to be done, and blogging/answering comments should be a daily event – IMHO.

Susan gets into the nitty-gritty, which I’m not going to do, here, today. You should read her book and take note of her advice. She gives GREAT examples of success stories and outlines some ways others have tripped into professional blogging, almost by accident. Today, the landscape is full of bloggers trying to make money with their blog – forgetting that it isn’t the blog people will pay for.

It’s you. Your blog is you. Treat it with the care and attention it deserves, and you, too, can move into the realm of paid, professional blogger. Which has different meanings to different people, btw. Starting with this book will give you a leg up on your competition. Check out a review of the book here, and you’ll begin to understand.

Read chapter one of Susan Getgood’s book, Professional Blogging for Dummies (Wiley) and come on back to share your thoughts on what it teaches.

Come on back next Tuesday and I’ll discuss Chapter 2 – Finding Your Niche in the Blogoshere.

 Random thoughts on a late summer afternoon. How do you define a "brand
experience?" 

It seems to me .. the traditional "brand experience" is evolving into what it might be more appropriate to call .. the
"human experience." It seems to me .. brand experience goes beyond the customer use of the product/service, ad messaging, PR spins or slick logos that are all wrapped up in a beautiful bow of consistency across all communication channels. 

It seems to me .. that while those elements may be
important to build the structure of a brand promise, they become part of the
new brand equation. Add to that a not so minor detail of peer-to-peer
influence.

Example: What makes Zappos a great brand? It's not so much its offering of a zillion different shoe options or even the free return policy. It's the commitment to customer care which begins with its trust in its own employees. Employees are encouraged to take good care of its customers, as well as, to build people-to-people not brand-to-people, relationships from call center exchanges to tweets.

How odd it seems in 2010, to build a relationship with an inanimate
object when people (employees & customers), who are really the heart of a
brand, are out from the shadows.

Your thoughts? 

 Sidebar: Zappo CEO Tony Hsieh's, book Delivering Happiness, is worth a read.

It’s the 90th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. If you don’t know how hard Susan B. Anthony worked to bring this to pass, including her arrest for voting, you need to go back to school and brush up on your American History.

The good people of the Susan B. Anthony House in Rochester, NY have created a dynamic program to help her celebrate this outstanding achievement – as she did not live long enough to see the 19th Amendment passed.

Let’s promote this message: Bring Miss Anthony home! Click this link, or the picture of the Susan B. Anthony Dollar, and donate. OR, if you have dollars with her picture on them, send them home – in a symbolic gesture to send Miss Anthony back to her home, in Rochester.

Each dollar is matched, in the month of August – which only has 5 days left! Share with ALL your friends. Post on Facebook and Twitter. Keep her legacy alive – in honor of the enduring work she did – for us, all of us. Ladies (and gentlemen), it’s so easy to help – share and share alike.

Disclaimer: I was paid for links in this post. I was not directed what to write.

Not many people know that I used to be a telemarketer. Yes, it’s true. I got much of my business and sales experience talking on the phone. This was during a rough spot of my life and I will honestly tell you that, at the time, I considered the work I was doing as embarrassing and unfriendly.

Here’s the bold faced truth - working in a successful outsource call center, yes, the one I worked in was one of the best in the country, taught me so much about how business works and how to be good at customer service, I think it’s a great way for entrepreneurs to get some valuable insights into building a business of their own.

Call centers are tough places to work, unless you drop your preconceived notions that they’re one step above cockroaches. Good call centers work with the brands that hire them to reach the right people, and they train their workers well. I was trained extremely well. I learned how to be polite when my call was unwelcome. I learned how to gently ask the right questions to move the conversation forward. I learned to be professional, on the phone. And, I was taught the value of respecting clients.

It’s a skill not many people have, today. We’ve lost our ability to reach out and touch someone – in a way that they find acceptable. Texting is all the rage now - and social media. Impersonal connections. Using a phone brings a truly human quality to the forefront. When you’re hoping for a truly Global Response, as the good folks who prompted this post no doubt are, it stands to reason that you will put the time and energy into training your staff properly. 

When I get a call from a telemarketing company, and it’s clearly someone in a call center, I try to be gentle. Often, I discover that the person calling has information that’s useful to me. I discover that the voice at the other end is a real person and he or she is doing her job. The ones who do it well will go on to become successful business professionals if their company has a good product, trains them to represent that product well, and has researched the database the caller will be calling in to.