BuzzBoost and PurpleWren

We’re taking a little snooze over here, but you will find me blogging at PurpleWren. Here are the latest headlines, compliments of FeedBurner.

Follow Me to TypePad

Sorry for the lag in posting. I started another blog site on TypePad because I work with several clients on that tool and am really used to it now. http://purplewren.typepad.com

Being somewhat of a perfectionist, I wanted to get the new blog “finished” and then publish the site and point everyone over there. But life has kept me busy on other projects and it’s not totally done yet. So, since one of my favorite expressions is “good enough,” I’m making the switch anyway. You can watch my progress on the site and we can continue the conversation in the new location.

Hope to see you there.

Photo on Flickr by SparkyLeigh

Oh yeah, here’s a test to see if you’re too hard on yourself.
technorati tags: Blogging, TypePad

It’s All About Me…

After reading the Battles Hymn of the Bloggers at ConverStations, I wanted to comment. I’ve been a wallflower for awhile and decided to join in the conversation. Then I read the other comments and followed their links. Thanks to Liz Strauss I found the post from Chartreuse. Love it! Be sure you follow the first link to the CNNMoney.com article, “50 [People] Who Matter Now.”

When I first started this blog, I wanted to name it “All About Me” – not because that’s all I think about (in fact, sometimes I don’t think about me enough), but because the bottom line is that we each care about how “IT” affects us, whatever “IT” is, and I wanted to write from my viewpoint. So I’m thrilled to see that You! (and me) really matter. What a great time to be here, collaborating with all of you and using all these new tools. It reminds me of the early days of the Web. Wonder what 3.0 will be?

Photo from cnnmoney.com

CompUSA Offers Excellent Service

Well, it’s been two (2) weeks since I got my MacBook Pro and yesterday I finally found someone who had the experience to load Boot Camp and Windows XP. I didn’t have time or knowledge of OS X to tackle it myself.

So… if you need assistance and you’re located in the Des Moines, Iowa area, contact CompUSA. The technical people are very knowledgeable, fast and thorough. Less than four (4) hours and it was back in my hands. What a relief! How is the service at your local CompUSA?

More about my frustrating experiences later…

creativity counts

Here’s another great example of the ingenuity people show. This is from Anthony White Artwork. He has been selling these pieces for a couple years, but now that he has a web presence, it will probably go much faster. The whole idea is he sells a painting for the amount. $1 for $1, $2 for $2, etc. And you can’t buy a number until it comes up. He has branched out to several currencies. 

And don’t we all say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”  But we can think of creative ideas. Take a chance. Step out of your comfort zone. Do something you always wanted to do. What if you fail? Pick yourself back up and try something else.

I just love the WWW and the chance we have to expand our community and sphere of influence. Be a good example to others! It’s always motivating to me when I find examples of entrepreneurship. Now if I can just figure out what I want to do…

taking the challenge

OK – sometimes I take the challenge and sometimes not… Mike Sansone of ConverStations has issued one that I'll answer.

My Blog Posting Process

1. Just start writing – Eventually something comes to me and while it may not be what I started with, it usually turns out OK
2. Save as a draft often
3. Follow Mike's first 7 rules – I usually forget #8 (to ping'em) but maybe I can get that set up soon to occur automatically
4. Spell check – Yes, part of the charm of blogs is that they aren't perfect, but I can make an effort to use correct grammar, punctuation and spelling so readers aren't distracted by errors
5. Check the links in preview mode – You would be surprised how often my copy and paste function doesn't work
6. Step away for awhile – Either physically or mentally I take a break and browse somewhere else on the blogosphere before a final read (old proofreading habits)
7. Post it
8. Check the links again - Just my compulsive nature
9. Smile – It really does get easier every day to make writing a habit

Thanks Mike. Hope this still counts since it's past June 14, but thought maybe you could use a bit of coaching help today, too. I'll look forward to reading Steve Farber's book, The Radical Edge.

Photo on Flickr by Sean McNeil 

What Story Would You Tell?

I recently attended a meeting of Digital Arts Group held at Haddock Computer for the first time. It was great! The topic was Digital Storytelling by Joann Schissel, DAG President (thanks Joann). Everyone was very friendly and welcoming – and I learned something new. What more can you ask from an association? This is a group you might want to check out.

Here's a few links from the presentation to share. Digital storytelling is definitely an art form to keep your eye on. You may even want to try it yourself – the cost of technology makes it possible for most of us to participate. What story would you tell?

• The Digital Drive-In
• PhotoBus
• dorelvis
• Scott County Schools
• jasonOhler.com
• Center for Digital Story Telling

Great stories! Helpful information to get you started.

taking initiative

I love onethousandpaintings.com and the creativity and initiative Sala has shown. He will reap the rewards – not only in money – from creating his personal brand. Everything I read about this new world of free agents indicates that we need to be ourselves and live the life we dream about. Here’s a young artist doing just that! Congratulations Sala.

 

professional development workshop

On April 5 I attended a full-day workshop hosted by IABC/Iowa, and presented by Todd McDonald of ATW Training & Consulting, Inc. of Des Moines. We're fortunate to have world-class trainers headquartered in the metro area.

The morning session was based on the book by Tony Jeary entitled "Life is a Series of Presentations." As the title implies, life indeed is all about presenting ourselves and every interaction is a presentation that influences someone. It was a good workshop for me as I continue to brand myself. 

The afternoon session was "Developing Your Leadership Influence." If you're interested in professional development opportunities in Iowa, check out this association. Of course, I'm biased because this year the VP of Professional Development is me.

More later…

association blogging

I kind of stumbled upon the professional association, IABC/Iowa, about three years ago. Initially I started out assisting with their Web site and eventually I joined because everyone was so friendly. The members are in various stages of their respective careers and they are working on personal and professional skills. It seemed like the place I wanted to be (and still is).

If you haven’t checked this association out, now is the time. Iowa has one of the fastest growing chapters in the international association (International Association of Business Communicators). In fact, we celebrated the 125th member in April with Cookies by Charstie.

The international association also has a blog - since 2004. I continue to be impressed with this forward-thinking group. The business community is teetering on the edge, getting ready to jump feet first into blogging. We’re in for exciting times in the communication field.

More later…

technorati tags: Iowa, Blogging, Food and Drink, Associations