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Are Your Goals as Sweet as Halloween Candy?

Whether you’re talking personal or professional goals, they’ve got to light a fire under you the way Halloween candy motivates kids.

How much time do you spend setting goals for your business and personal lives? And do you stack the deck in your favor by limiting the challenging goals so that you’ll be able to check off a lot of items with little effort? Or do you strategically set goals that challenge you, your colleagues, your family?

This photo was taken several years ago – after a successful Trick or Treating venture. Not one to be outsmarted by her Mom who had put the candy on top of the fridge for safekeeping, Julia quickly plotted her path to sugary bliss. She dragged the highchair over to the fridge, climbed up the highchair, and scaled that mountain. Execution was flawless, and the rewards were sweet.

This small act shows the power of a young child’s mind: with no fear of failure, and no obstacle too big to overcome, the strategic mind went to work. A boost from her chair was all Julia needed to begin her quest the sugar. Whatever ramifications might be in her future – falling, being caught in the act by Mom, realizing Mom had already eaten the good stuff – would not stand in her way. These risks paled in comparison to the goal of reaching that Halloween candy stash.

What do you think the world would be like if we followed Julia’s lead on a regular basis:

acting quickly on a hunch with the possibility we could reap a sweet reward?
seeking out those things that bring us joy and a sense of accomplishment?
throwing caution to the wind just for the heck of it?

Sure I realize we have adult responsibilities and that setting goals is a serious business. I also realize that when we bring that childlike belief that anything is possible, we can see a whole new world of opportunity. Give it a try; make sure the highchair is in place!

Are Your Goals as Sweet as Halloween Candy? was last modified: October 27th, 2015 by Deb Nelson

Do You Know Your Audience(s)? Are You Sure?

When was the last time you confirmed whom you want to reach with your messaging? Has your business focus and audience changed / expanded / contracted over the past year?

Your business is humming along. You’re meeting your sales goals. You’re following your business plan (or at least what you remember of your business plan). Still, you’ve got this nagging feeling you’re missing something – that there may be even more people who could benefit from your products or services.

Take a lesson from Dr. Christiane Northrup and look at those you’ve identified as your target audience(s). Northrup is a leading authority on women’s health and wellness who has “spent [her] my career helping women get healthy and stay healthy through proper diet, exercise, medicine, and a positive attitude about their bodies.” Realizing that younger girls could also benefit from her wisdom, she and Kristina Tracy wrote Beautiful Girl: Celebrating the Wonders of Your Body. It is the authors’ “hope that this book will be a starting point in a much longer conversation between you and your daughter . . . that will lead to a lifetime of vibrant health and happiness.”

By writing this book, Northrup provided a valuable product for a both a new and existing audience that was in sync with her mission. While she could have continued to focus on women’s health and wellness, Northrup was smart and brave enough to look at her work through a different lens. She was the able to see that she could add a new audience to her business and share her wisdom with young girls. The beauty of this book is that it also helps her existing audience – mothers – talk with their daughters.

Can you take a step back, as Northrup did, to ask the tough questions and identify additional audiences that can benefit from your wisdom?

Do You Know Your Audience(s)? Are You Sure? was last modified: May 26th, 2015 by Deb Nelson

Be Different

As we share the stories of our business, we’re encouraged – even pressured – to highlight the differences between our business and that of our competitors. Surprisingly, though, we’re still encouraged – even pressured – to blend into the crowd in our personal lives.

So today, I invite you to join me in taking a pledge to be different:

Be Different

Be Bold

Be Purposeful

Be True to Yourself

As we make this commitment to honoring ourselves, it’s equally important to honor others who are sharing their different selves:

Be Respectful

Be Open

Be Receptive

Be Tolerant

I would love to hear how embracing your different self – in your business and personal lives – works for you.

Be Different was last modified: April 14th, 2015 by Deb Nelson

10 Tips to Get More Followers – Courtesy of Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick

If sharing is caring, Kawasaki and Fitzpatrick are the King and Queen of caring.

Hubspot’s Amanda Sibley hosted a webinar featuring Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick a/k/a The Dynamic Duo of Social Media. This was a no-nonsense webinar packed with useful information. Here are the Duo’s 10 Tips to Get More Followers:

Be Valuable
– Inform, assist, and entertain your followers
– Pass the reshare test: create content people want to share with
their followers
– Embrace the NPR model: check their tweets out; you’ll want to be
just like them
Be Clever
– Piggyback onto existing services (Kawasaki’s Alltop.com, for example, where content is ready and waiting)
– Share what’s already popular – in a timely fashion
– Use lists, circles and communities – take advantage of existing groups
Be Gracious
– Show a little social love and share other people’s content
– Give thanks if someone shares your content or provides content you find valuable
– Stay positive or stay silent
Be Organized
– Use the right tool: Buffer, Sprout Social, Hootsuite
– Create a calendar
– Be consistent
Be Dramatic
– Add visuals
– Add text on top of visuals
– Add user-generated content
Be Optimal
– Perfect your profile – your face for profile pic; photo that tells story for cover photo
– Add share buttons: make it easy for your followers to spread your content
– Use optimal visual sizes for each social media forum: use largest photo
size possible to make your photo stand out
Be Bold
– Take a stand on an issue
– Express your personality
– Be topical and timely: jump into the conversation when it’s hot
Be Tough
– Embrace complaints
– Ignore trolls: you’ll come to recognize them soon enough
– Go three rounds: let the conversation go – three responses show that
you paid attention, and engaged your audience
Be Active
– Be calm and post often
– Repeat your tweets – Yes, repeat your tweets – 3x, every eight hours
– Get on Pinterest
Be Curious
– Experiment constantly
– Watch what others do
– Use incognito mode

Over-delivering on their promise of sharing their top 10 tips, Kawasaki and Fitzpatrick also let us in on a few power tips:

You can add up to four pictures with each tweet; one picture will double your engagement.
You can tag photos in your tweets and names tagged will not count as part of your 140 characters.
Upload your video directly to Facebook rather than embedding a YouTube video on Facebook
Promoting posts on Facebook is inexpensive and effective.
In their continuing education, Kawasaki and Fitzpatrick are experimenting with paying to promote on Pinterest.

Put these tips in place, and I suspect your audience will grow and become more engaged. Keep me posted, and let me know about your success.

10 Tips to Get More Followers – Courtesy of Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick was last modified: February 19th, 2015 by Deb Nelson

January’s Clean Slate: Take Advantage of the Opportunity to Recharge, Restart, and Reboot

Thanks to the Your Turn Blog Challenge, I’m on a roll. This is day four of the seven-day challenge. I’ve completed four blog posts, joined two blogging communities, and put an end to my drought in the blog-o-sphere.

Like many people, I’m using the start of the new year as an opportunity to set some goals, reassess what’s important to me, and get down to work. How lucky am I that Winnie Kao and Seth Godin are using the new year to motivate bloggers to put their thoughts in print. Brilliant for them; inspiring for me.

Creating quite a buzz online, this group of hundreds is burning up the interwebs with thoughts that otherwise would not have been shared. I’ve read some amazing posts; take a look at this post by Heather Parady. It by far my favorite: Intense. Real. Thought-Provoking. Head on over to twitter and search #YourTurnChallenge. Set your timer; this is a seemingly endless rabbit hole – all good stuff that will keep you here past your bedtime.

Now take a look at your plans for 2015. Use this challenge to move the needle on your goals. What small steps can you take today to move forward? And then tomorrow? Remember, you’ve got that clean slate. No labels. No negative self-talk. No excuses.

2015 appears to be the year for shipping. I’d love to know what you’re shipping.

January’s Clean Slate: Take Advantage of the Opportunity to Recharge, Restart, and Reboot was last modified: January 22nd, 2015 by Deb Nelson

Oxymoron or Smart Strategy: Planning for Spontaneity

I don’t use the word oxymoron every day, and that’s probably a good thing! While the concept of planning to be spontaneous sounds a bit odd, let’s see how these two concepts might work together in your business.

You know where you want your business to go. You know where you want to be in three years, five years, and beyond. And yet, you’ve got no plan. This raises many questions, including:

Mapping out your approach can pay off in a number of ways for your company — Mapping out your approach pays off for your company

How will you know which tactics have been successful, or not-so successful?
How will you know what to repeat, what to tweak, and what to promise NEVER to do again?
And, of course, what was the ROI?
One of the questions I always ask, though, is How will you know when to do the sweet happy dance of success?

All of these questions also lead to another valuable question to ask yourself: What did you miss out on because you didn’t have a plan?

If you’ve got a plan – well, you actually need a number of plans: business plan, marketing plan, fundraising plan, event plan, etc. – AND you’re working the plan(s), and an unexpected opportunity knocks on your door, no problem – you assess your current situation and decide whether or not this opportunity is worth pursuing.

If you’ve got no plan, it’s really hard to determine whether this “opportunity” is actually (1) a worthwhile opportunity for you to pursue, or (2) just one more distraction that will help you continue to spin your wheels without moving forward.

Make a plan. Work the plan. Celebrate your results.

Oxymoron or Smart Strategy: Planning for Spontaneity was last modified: September 23rd, 2014 by Deb Nelson

Attitude of Gratitude: There’s a Lot to be Grateful for in my Life

A favorite lunch spot along Maine's rocky coast in Bar Harbor. Uninvited seagulls never fail to join us. — A favorite lunch spot along Maine’s rocky coast in Bar Harbor. Uninvited seagulls never fail to join us.

Faceboook is overflowing with gratitude challenges. People are challenging their friends, family, and colleagues to identify those things in their lives for which they’re grateful. My friend, Maura Halkiotis, challenged me to identify and post three things I’m grateful for each day for five days. I altered the challenge a bit: here’s my list – all 15 in one day, no particular order except for number 15 (no skipping ahead).

Laughter. Listening to a child’s infectious giggle or an adult’s belly laugh stops me in my tracks and immediately puts a smile on my face.
Coffee Shops. Working out of my home as a consultant has given me a great appreciation of coffee shops – even though I’ve ditched coffee for green tea. These satellite offices provide a place for me to meet with clients; allow me to be in a room with people when I’ve spent too much time alone; and, of course, there’s always a great cup of tea or snack awaiting.
Friends and Family. There is nothing like sharing successes and setbacks with people I love and respect. I’m blessed to have family and friends who open their hearts and homes to my husband and me; and I’m especially grateful for those of you who share your children’s worlds with us.
My preferred mode of travel takes me through the marshes of Cape Cod.
My Bike. My pink bike has taken me places I never imagined I’d travel. And, yes, I’m grateful each of those 30 gears to power me over hills and through trails.
Water, Water Everywhere. Beaches, marshes, lakes are mesmerizing. I feel lucky every day to live in the beautiful State of Maine. The rocky coast is a stunning backdrop for a good life.
Second Chances. We can all use a do-over every now and again.
Living in a Country Where Disagreements / Debate Take Place. While our country certainly has its issues, there’s no place in the world I’d rather live. Disagreements can be debated publicly; political change takes place seamlessly; in spite of disagreements, there is a sense of compassion (most of the time) that transcends politics.
Generosity and Philanthropy. Working in the nonprofit sector allowed me to see on a daily basis how dedicated people are to helping those in need. The generosity of people to share their time, talent, and financial resources is truly heart-warming.
Public Spaces. Imagine a world without public beaches, parks, or museums. No thank you.
Pioneers. I’m so grateful for those bold pioneers who turn a deaf ear to the naysayers and forge a new path.
My Health. I’ve been researching the relationship(s) surrounding lifestyle and cancer for close to three years now. I’m grateful every day to be healthy, sometimes in spite of my choices, and sometimes because of my choices.
Loud Music. Whether I’m cooking in my kitchen or driving my car, a loud blast of music can change the shape of the day.
Artists. Creativity provided by artists – photographers, painters, singers, musicians, etc. – opens our eyes to new possibilities and perspectives.
Social Media. The power and ease of connecting has never been greater since social media entered our world. Personal and professional lives collide, multi-generational conversations bloom, and the world is a better place for it.
John Nelson. I saved the best for last. I’m grateful every minute of every day that John is in my life. Lucky me to have a husband who is my best cheerleader, sounding board, and friend.

This was a valuable exercise for me to complete. While it may sound a bit contrived, developing an attitude of gratitude can change the way you see the world AND the way the world sees you. So give it a shot: I encourage (or should I say challenge) you to take a few minutes and think about those people / places / things that make you smile even when you’re trying your hardest to be cranky. Don’t let anyone else write your story; it’s yours to tell.

Attitude of Gratitude: There’s a Lot to be Grateful for in my Life was last modified: September 18th, 2014 by Deb Nelson

Serving Your Clients: Are You Giving Your Clients What They Need, or What YOU Want Them to Need?

There you are happy as can be, having more fun than you ever imagined. Your product is operating just as you hoped it would. And yet, you can’t do the happy dance of success. Why not? Nobody’s buying what you’ve got to sell.

You see, it doesn’t matter how good you are at serving up widgets if your clients don’t see any value to those perfectly formed gems.

An example of a mind-baffling gift from Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) sits right in my backyard. There’s a park-and-ride lot in my town that can accommodate 300 cars. It seems, though, that MDOT forgot to tell us why we need this lot, and just who needs this lot. An article at the end of 2013 in a local paper reported that area students have found an alternate use for the lot. The lot, with its flat terrain and no obstacles (i.e., cars) becomes a training area for roller-skiers.

Built on the theory that if you build it, they will come, these photos taken June 25 reflects typical usage of the lot. If it were an ad, it would be the ultimate representation of use of white space. Not so good for a park-and-ride lot. So…yes, a great park and ride. BUT – whom is this lovely lot intended to serve? How about a marketing plan here? Or is word of mouth going to build usage over time? Hmmm…stay tuned on that one.

Few companies have the time MDOT has to wait for people to discover their need for a product. So how can you make sure you’re offering products and services that will be embraced by your clients?

Meet with your clients to find out what they like about your current offerings. Ask for their input: What is it about your service / product that keeps them coming back for more? What could you do that would make their lives even better?
While you’re hearing how wonderful your product is, don’t miss the opportunity to ask your clients what you could be doing better. Don’t defend against the short-comings. Thank your clients for their honesty here. AND – follow up on these points later. Maybe there’s a fix in the works; maybe there’s already a fix that your client didn’t know about. Or, maybe it’s back to the drawing board for you.
Share results with your co-workers. Have brainstorming sessions. The collective power of sharing information can be transformational.
Test drive before launch. Let a select group see what it is you’ll be offering up; this will help build a loyal following. It will also make sure you’re heading in the right direction even if you take the Steve Jobs approach: “It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”
Create and implement a marketing and communication plan.

While there is no foolproof plan to guarantee the success of every service and product, you can easily reduce the likelihood of providing a service (or a park and ride) that nobody knows they need.

Serving Your Clients: Are You Giving Your Clients What They Need, or What YOU Want Them to Need? was last modified: June 26th, 2014 by Deb Nelson

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