Leaning in to Experience what “Icky” Feels Like So I Can Expand and Take Flight in a New Way

I’ve been reading a wonderful book.  The title is  "The One Thing Holding You Back: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Connection" by Raphael Cushnir.   I stumbled upon this book while turning in some books for credit at the local Half Price Book Store in my hometown. The cover showcases the image of a hot air balloon that isn’t able to take full flight because a heavy anchor is holding it back.   That image is very powerful on many levels.

This book  strikes all kinds of nerves and notes with me.   The book asks us to allow the current emotion we are feeling to be truly experienced, as opposed to pushed to the side or stuffed below the surface.   When you allow yourself to FEEL the emotion and ride the waves associated with it, you can get to a place of expansion as opposed to contraction.  And expansion is a good thing.  I bring this up because it has been on my bucket list to take a hot air balloon ride for years.    There is an image of a hot air balloon on the dream board I look at every day.   A few years ago, my husband and I booked an appointment for our ticket to ride.  Mother Nature had other plans.  The wind kicked up, and it wasn’t safe for us to take flight.  It was a dream deferred, and off about our lives we went.

Just last week, we tried again.   We booked our appointment for our ticket to ride.  We got up at 4 a.m. to drive to the airport.   We were met there by a van that would leave the premises only when every seat in the van was taken.   By 8:30 a.m., we arrived at the venue where the hot air balloons were supposed to take off.   And, guess what?  At that precise time, Mother Nature expressed herself once again with wind.   The ride was cancelled for safety reasons.

Was I disappointed?   Yes.  Did I feel the emotion of that disappointment?   Absolutely.   My husband, son, and I all did our part to express our disappointment because, let’s face it, none of us like to wake up at 4 a.m. to be disappointed with a journey not taken.  We headed back to our hotel to take naps and figure out a Plan B for the day.

But why is this dream of taking flight with a hot air balloon so important to me?   I think I’ve been stuck in the weeds of my business and life for a while, and I crave a broader view from a higher place.   I’ve been reaching for the moon to land on a star for quite some time.  I make progress, and then I settle into a holding pattern before I grow again.   The waves of emotion that I feel as I journey forward are real and varied, and sometimes, I don’t allow myself to express them fully. 

In the spirit of authentic visibility, today I’ll share that one of my colleagues is doing a very similar bio writing workshop to the one I’ve been teaching since 2009, and I feel really icky about it. She’s got a pretty good sized ezine list of folks to whom she is promoting it.  It’s out there is a pretty big way from where I sit.

I’ve been allowing myself to truly FEEL what icky feels like.  I thought this person was a friend.   The last thing I expected is that she would start teaching workshops so similar to mine.  I am angry about it.  I feel betrayed.  I was so upset about this yesterday that I accidentally slammed my finger in my car door.   At that moment, I was feeling some serious pain, which led to tears falling.  That wasn’t so pretty either.

And as I feel into this "icky" emotion, I am starting to breathe in and out a bit more easily.   I realize that I have to run my own best race and serve my community the best I know how.   She has to do the same. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so some people say.   I am not so sure I agree. But that person who is doing something so similar to what I do reveals a lot by proceeding in this way.  From my view, that isn’t pretty.  

When others reveal themselves, pay attention — so said Maya Angelou.   I am listening.  

And maybe my own balloon of life and business can expand just a bit more because I have leaned in to experience this icky emotion to set it free.  Maybe that is the lesson for me today.  I’ve got plenty of good work to do to serve people in my own community, and I had better get on with it.   Set this incident aside as a distraction and move on.   I am ready to take flight now.

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Publicity Novice Earns Press Like a Pro and Spills the Beans about How Much Time She Invests to Be a Media Maven

Elizabeth Venturini is among the most focused, tenacious do-it-yourself publicists I have ever met.  She is SERIOUS about getting known for her expertise, and the media placements just keep coming, one right after the other.  She has earned 18 placements in just a couple of months for her expertise as a college placement strategist.  And, a press release she created for her husband’s Mona Lisa Code project earned over 191,000 placements around the world!

I asked her a few questions recently to find out how much time she is putting forth to get known and the specifics around what she is doing to make the noise.  Read on for the details to inform your own journey.

Question: Are you primarily responding to media queries, or are you initiating contact with the media on your “wish list” of best places to show up?

I am primarily responding to inquiries from HARO and Reporter Connection. I started responding to their inquiries last November of 2011. I also have a ‘wish list’ of parent publications and local newspapers that I follow and send information when I think it is appropriate.

Question: Are you getting better with a sound bite each time?

Yes I am. Because I created my Rock Star Press Kit, I have stock information of sound bites that I can modify very quickly depending on the story requirements. I am usually able to respond to the requests of reporters within an hour.

Question: And more confident?

Yes. Again, because I created all of the key components, photo, taglines, bylines, 50, 100, word bios, and website listing.  I have all of my printed articles in PDF format to send so the media can read what has already been written about me. I can give a reporter anything s/he needs without me being “under the gun” to quickly produce new documents.

Question: Are the media calling you yet?

To date the media has not personally searched me out for immediate quotes. However I have spoken with the media during scheduled interviews. When they speak with me directly I ask to have the questions ahead of time so I can think about the answers. Sometimes I just write the answers to their questions and send them back to the reporter/writer. This saves them a lot of time having to write the story and they use my copy as is without too much editing. I am doing my best to develop relationships with everyone in the media who uses my information. If they use my info I send each one of them a thank-you email and always state how it would be my pleasure to add input to any future stories for their readers.

Question:  Have you noticed anything in terms of measurement of results? For example, are more people visiting your website, asking for consultations, or hiring your services than before you made the decision to get known?

By using the bio information I learned in your class I gained one new client. I reworked my bio so it read as if I were a real person who parents would want to call to help them with their children. I notice that when I respond to media inquiries the writers/editors always check my website and LinkedIn account.

Question: What keywords do people search to find someone like you? I searched for college career strategist, and your name came up #2, #4, and #5 on page one of Google.

The key words I use are admissions, college admissions, college counseling, career strategist, career management, Strong, Strong Interest Inventory Assessment.

Question: How much time do you spend each week on getting known? Is it worth it?

I check HAROs and Reporter Connection three times a day.  Some days there are many requests for input on education or careers and other days there may be no requests. I submit my responses to meet the writers’ deadline.    I do my best to create a head turning headline so my response will stand out among all the responses that are submitted. To date I have sent out 46 HAROs and Reporter Connections. I have been published 18 times to date.   The time spent for me to work on getting known is worth it because I am building my credibility among parents as a thought leader in the subject of college and careers for their college-bound hopefuls.

“Google”  college career strategist, and Elizabeth Venturini’s name comes up as of today in the #1 ranked position, and she did this one media placement at a time.

Elizabeth is a graduate of the Broadcast Your Brilliance Webinar Series, and she is certainly applying the lessons she learned about preparing and sharing her best story to her expert advantage.

If getting known for your expertise is a high priority, start first by giving your bio a client-attracting makeover.   Join me for a free webinar I’ll be teaching on Tuesday, April 24 at 10 a.m. to show you how.  Here is the link to register.

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The Tender Underbelly of Visibility — What are the Solutions? Join this Conversation — Post Your Comment

So often, I read and write about the upside of visibility, and there is plenty to share on that score.   What I’ve been pondering lately is the tender underbelly of visibility.  This may not be something top of mind for you at this point because you are still intoxicated at the prospect of welcoming the influence, impact, and income that so often are associated with getting known for your winning ways.

That said, here are among the potential negative consequences associated with getting known that I have noticed in my own experience:

• Visibility is tough on thin skin.
• It makes you more subject to criticism and praise.
• Hecklers can be cruel.
• You may run into envy or jealousy from others.
• No more hiding out or being anonymous.
• Visibility brings up issues around worthiness.
• Visibility brings you face to face with lessons learned as a kid from parents and others in authority around bragging, self promotion, and standing out.
• Your wardrobe gets worn out fast, especially if you are photographed a lot.
• You may suffer loss of privacy.
• You may fear for your personal safety.
• Reputation management becomes more important and potentially expensive.
• Visibility can tax your “receiving” muscles, especially if scarcity and hard work are hard wired into who you are.
• It can be challenging to find safe ways to vent or ask for help the more visible you are.

Solutions

On the one hand, you could say, “Put on your big girl underpants and deal with it,” and that would certainly be one way to proceed.

My good friend Debbie Whitlock, managing director of the Seattle Chapter of eWomenNetwork, says that one solution is to surround yourself with truth tellers.  These are the people who help you put situations quickly in perspective, especially if you feel you are being picked at like those dastardly little birds that eat crud off a hippo.  She says it is important to remember that the brighter your light becomes, the more you will attract.  And sometimes those who are attracted aren’t ready themselves for the heat and intensity of the light.  She says, “Never dim your light to make anyone else feel safe or comfortable.  Stand centered and true to yourself.”

That is pretty stellar advice. 

And, the truth  is, some of these issues run pretty deep  and can’t be set aside with the shrug of a shoulder or the turning of a cheek.  It takes some real work.  Inner work.  And I am working on it.

I’d love to hear from you about some of the negative consequences you have encountered around earning more visibility in your life and business.  What have you done to overcome some of these challenges? This is a potentially powerful conversation that can be of service to many, so please share your thoughts by posting a comment.

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One Amazing Online Connection at Biznik Leads to Connections, Visibility, Influence, and More

A few years ago, Action Plan Marketing Founder Robert Middleton posted to www.biznik.com with a comment that turned my head.  He said he was a skeptic about the value of public relations and wanted someone to change his mind.   Having followed his work for years, I posted a compelling, concise, and provocative reply to his post.  That invited Robert to follow up with me to have a phone conversation to get to know me and my expertise better.

One good thing lead to another because Robert invited me to share my expertise with his Marketing Club members around the world via a 90-minute interview that earned some pretty great reviews  He subsequently  invited me to participate in a three-day weekend of collaboration in San Francisco with some power players including Bill Baren, Samantha Hartley, George Huang, John Eggen, and others.  That single weekend opened the door for me to meet and collaborate with a number of those same powerful people to bring my expertise to much wider audiences.

Today, things just got better because I’ve been invited to blog for Robert’s Action Plan Marketing blog as his publicity expert.  Once a month, I’ll be sharing useful tips, tactics, resources, and inspiration to guide independent business professionals around the world to get known, get paid, and enjoy the wow of leveraged visibility.

Opportunity to bring your message to more of the right people is everywhere if you just have the willingness to pay attention, take inspired action, and make your impact.

What will you do today to take inspired action on opportunity that is calling YOUR name?

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Stephana Johnson Emerges from the Rabbit Hole and Into the Light to Broadcast Her Brilliance

The success stories from the February session of the Broadcast Your Brilliance Webinar Series are flowing like music. Here is the latest good news.

“Right out of the box, changing a first person bio to third packed a punch. From there, culling testimonials, some of which I’d never had a chance to read – blew ME away.  Client raves I’d collected yet never shared. Nancy said,  ‘Get ‘em out, use them in your bio!’   Over the past couple of weeks she’s done jaw dropping bio  ‘hot seats’ on fellow participants. She got a hold of mine and said her famous words, ‘You buried the lead.’  That was one huge mistake I fixed FAST!

Using Nancy’s step by step process, I went from a repulsive (so much worse than a boring bio) to a ‘phone ringing, unsolicited speaking engagement, better than ever bio!’

I’ve got some work to do on this marketing and PR area, but I have never felt this effective all while having real fun. If you’re running on empty or feeling burned out in business, it just might be that boring bio and Nancy may be exactly what the doctor ordered.

My heart has never been in it like this. If you want a ride where you get to control the speed and volume – well bring it on. With Nancy’s Broadcast your Brilliance Webinar Series, you’ll certainly get huge return value for your investment. She’s the best out there – plus she is super cool and really nice.”

Stephana transforms lives from unfulfilled to belting out their soul’s sweet song with fearless abandon. Own your power today at www.stephanajohnson.com.

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Success Stories are Unfolding Daily for Broadcast Your Brilliance Webinar Series Participants — Market Research Expert Michele Zwillinger Leads the Way

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HARO! Wow, Thank You, and Lessons for You From My Winning Advertising Experience

Help a Reporter is one of my favorite media query services.  I scan the leads every day to seek out perfect media opportunities that can put my publicity and storytelling expertise in the spotlight.  Because I know that somewhere in the neighborhood of 135,000 and 200,000 spotlight seekers love and use this service, I made the wise investment to buy an ad on 1-17 to invite people to enjoy a “pink spoon” to get an irresistible taste of what Bye-Bye Boring Bio PLUS! offers.

If you didn’t know, the first message on the HARO feed is a paid advertisement.

My primary objective in placing this ad at the start of this New Year was to grow my list.  Let me share what has happened so far.

• Since 1-17, 19,580 people have clicked on my ad.
• Hundreds of people have opted in to enjoy the free gift.
• Hundreds of people have opted in to enjoy a free webinar I am hosting tomorrow, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m.
• Two interview requests have come in.
• Two speaking invitations have come in.
• Google Analytics for the 12-24-12 through 1-23-12 show that blog traffic at my site is up over 100% over the same period last year.
• And, I got to ROI on my ad investment by 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time after my morning ad debuted, and the sales continue to flow.

When I saw how well things were unfolding, I wrote to the advertising manager at HARO to share my success.  Then, guess what happened next? My expectations were exceeded beyond measure when the good folks at HARO ran a bonus ad for me because they had an opening on their calendar.  They also shared my success on their Facebook Fan page.

All I can say is WOW and THANK YOU.

By the way, this is not my first time placing an ad on HARO.  The first time was in 2009.  I got to ROI on my ad investment within the first twelve hours, and this success was reported in the Inc. Start Up Blog.  The second time was late last year when I ran a test ad for the business/finance segmented list to introduce Bye-Bye Boring Bio PLUS!   The traffic that flowed to my site as a result of that segmented ad convinced me that advertising to the master list would be a good decision.

With all that said, there are a few lessons for you in my example.

1. If you buy an ad and experience success, be sure you spell it out so the media outlet can enjoy hearing your good news.  You just might welcome an unexpected and welcome bonus or additional and fabulous visibility that makes a big difference in your success  to take YOUR message far and wide.
2. Take your message out for a spin to a segmented list to make sure the fit and the results are right.
3. And, if you have an audience of spotlight seekers among your ideal clients, take a fresh look at HARO as a way to advertise your product or service.  It sure has been decisive and rewarding for me.

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Content Trumps Puff

This email came in from a new client who decided to enroll in the next session of the Broadcast Your Brilliance Webinar Series:

“I have been going through your materials and holy buckets, do you know your stuff or what?! I initially thought, where in the world has Nancy been, I can’t begin to tell you how many guru’s and well intentioned professionals I have worked with that did not serve me half the justice as your program has – and I’m just in to the first document and recordings.”

This email reminds me of an important point.  Content trumps puff every day of the week.

And, this email is also a wake-up call to me.  As visible as I think I might be, there is a great universe of perfect people in the world who haven’t yet heard of me and the work I do to guide them to step into the spotlight and prosper now.  I must remain ever vigilant in getting the word out, just as you must do the same about your particular brand of marketplace magic.

As for the upcoming webinar series, my intention and pattern of performance is to pack as much actionable content and support as possible for every client.  I call this sustainable generosity (Thank you George Kao for that term!) The goal is to empower experts and those seeking to earn expert status to get known and get paid for their winning ways by showing them HOW and WOW. Step by step, we take on bios, press releases, pitch letters, and some aspects of online marketing to bring on the results in short order.

If you’d like to sample my teaching style, I am teaching a series of FREE webinars with amazing partners this week, including Therese Skelly, John Kremer, and Tad Hargrave. And, my own call is taking place 1-25 at 3 p.m. Pacific.  If you want to listen in and learn how to say “bye-bye to your boring bio” and “hello” to clients, speaking gigs, and media interviews by getting truly READY now, this call is for you.  Remember, there are always special treats to reward those who show up live, so be an early bird and show up to benefit.

And, here is inspiration to guide you forward:

–  Zig Ziglar

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“Don’t Let the Icky People Get Under the Tent” and Other Tips for Business Success

My ezine from yesterday includes some timely tips that might turn your head.  Read it  and share your tips and comments in reply here.

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Starting Off the Year Getting Quoted in Forbes.com — A Good Thing for Certified Financial Planner™ Steve Juetten

My husband Steve — to whom I’ve been married for almost 25 years — has been listening to my do-it-yourself publicity advice for quite a long time.  And he’s been learning his lessons well.  Today, he is quoted once again on Forbes.com in an article entitled, “The Easiest Way To Guarantee A 5% Return in 2012.”

The reporter connected with him on Monday and asked for Steve’s point of view by Tuesday.  Because Steve was ready, responsive, and eager to add value to the story, he was quoted extensively about a topic that is timely, newsworthy, and relevant to a great many people around the nation.  This is a prestigious online publication that a lot of his ideal clients read.

Are you ready to reply when an influential reporter calls YOU for your point of view?  If not, be sure to opt-in to my 1-25-12 at 3 p.m. webinar.  I’ll be sharing essential tips, steps to take, and examples of PR successes that contributed to revenue generation for speakers, consultants, and service professionals who made the wise choice to first be READY to respond when opportunity knocked.  Join in this live conversation so you can have what these fine folks are having!

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