August 2, 2010
Just for Fun
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A few days in sunny, gracious, magnificent Victoria British Columbia certainly lifted my spirits and opened my eyes of rainbows of new possibilities for my life and business.
For the first time in years, I stayed officially “unplugged” from Facebook, Twitter, this blog, and every other aspect of technology and just focused on relaxation, enjoying my husband’s company, and considering the here and now.
No matter how my business garden grows, I know that taking time out to nurture my soul and my marriage means the world to me and sets the tone for whatever may be coming next.
How long has it been since you completely unplugged? Are you ready to give it a try? I highly recommend it!
July 5, 2010
Be Heard, Just for Fun
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Call me crazy, but I just might have the juice to qualify for this contest. Do you? Here is the link to share your story. Here is mine:
Oprah’s been with me through every major life transition of my life — big or small — over 25 years as I’ve worked to find my voice, be heard, and make a difference in my life and in the lives of others. When Oprah said to toss out all those artificial flowers and wreaths in favor of “live” plants, I did it. When she alerted the world that women everywhere were wearing the wrong sized bras, got a fitting and gave the sisters a lift.
When Oprah declared Miraval to be the world’s finest spa, I experienced a life changing week of self-care after a scare with breast cancer gave me a wake-up call. The lessons I learned from Wyatt Web about fear and self doubt still guide me eight years after the fact. I even ran a half-marathon in 2002, which was a big, darn deal for a gal who prior had scarcely run 3-miles at a time before or since.
From “remembering my spirit” to fighting “the mommy wars” to figuring out how to design and live my best life and career to figuring out what I know for sure, Oprah has been my favorite guide. I have even saved every O magazine ever published and consider the magazine set a treasured collection.
I’ve been listening to the whispers and making an ongoing contribution as I guide others to get seen, heard, and celebrated. You can see what I have brewing at my blog at http://www.mainstreetmediasavvy.com/about.
Nothing would make me happier than to be in Chicago to celebrate the last 25 years among Oprah’s ultimate show viewers. I, like so many others, have embraced the Live Your Best Life vision to my advantage and to the benefit of the clients, causes, and important milestones in my own life. I’d be honored to join in the celebration. I’ve done Oprah proud. And bigger dreams are brewing. It’s a beautiful thing.
June 30, 2010
Just for Fun
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It’s summertime, and the neighbors are on a three-week tour or Europe. The good news for me is that I am enjoying the puppy energy and fun of puppy-sitting for Scooby, the yellow lab. Scooby and Shadow, my golden retriever, are having the time of their lives. Running around in the yard chasing balls looks pretty good to me, especially since I work pretty hard at this work that I do.
My passion for dogs has been life-long. There is something about that unconditional love and those adoring brown eyes gazing at you that just melts life’s troubles away. Around this time in 2004, I said goodbye to my first golden retriever. Her name was Amanda, which means “worthy of love.” She was.
As I smile at these two energetic dogs who can’t wait to welcome life with great joy, I will share the tribute to Amanda I wrote when she passed. I miss her still, but she is alive forever in my heart.
For the Love of a Great Dog Named Amanda
My husband I moved to the Seattle area just about in 1987, and I didn’t know a soul. Fortunately, we adopted a golden retriever puppy a few months later. Amanda helped open doors to new friends and neighbors and wonderful places to play and explore. Some say the people in the Northwest are nice, but not friendly. I can say with fond authority that having a dog like Amanda makes all the difference in the world.
Read the rest…
March 12, 2010
Just for Fun
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I don’t have a lot of things on my “bucket list,” but meeting Oprah Winfrey is one of them. That’s why I am counting the minutes to take my shot at buying my ticket to the 10 Year Anniversary Celebration for O Magazine taking place in NYC this Mother’s Day Weekend – May 7 – 9. Tickets go on sale Monday, March 15 at noon (Eastern Time.) I’ll be logging on to Oprah.com at 9 a.m. (PST) with high hopes.
Prior events have sold out within four minutes, so I have learned from reading the comments on Oprah’s site. I am going to just intend that I’ll be one of the lucky ones to score a ticket.
All the details are noted at this link. Tickets for the full weekend of activities are $375. Who is with me?
February 15, 2010
Just for Fun
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Need some creative inspiration to plan a fabulous and inspired year of marketing activities? Check this out — The Quirky Marketing Calendar: 365 Ways to Grow Your Business Using Zany and Non-traditional Holidays. The projects and ideas in this ebook will help you create your own unique marketing calendar that you can use year after year even build upon and improve as the years go by. What makes this book different is that it includes ideas for 365 holidays and at the end of each chapter is a comprehensive list of little-known national and international holidays that you can use to come up with even more marketing programs for your company.
In addition to 12 months of marketing ideas, there is a comprehensive resource section including media contacts, press release distribution sites, podcast, video and social media resources and much more. And there is another feature this book has that other editions did not – several forms you can use to jump-start the programs you create for your business.
If you have found yourself running out of ideas to promote your business, if you have come to a standstill with your marketing department, if you ARE the Marketing department of your company, if you need some fresh ideas to grow your business… then the 2010 Edition of Quirky Marketing Calendar is just for you. For more information, go to this link. And put some FUN into your business marketing this year!
Thank you Heidi Richards Mooney for the opportunity to contribute content about DIY publicity to this year’s effort. If ever there was a tool in the marketing “wow” chest that can be used for quirky marketing and so much more, DIY publicity is it. Get into action and share your 2010 success stories please!
February 1, 2010
Just for Fun
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Would it surprise you to learn that in my stocking feet, I stand almost six feet tall? I mention this because I met three amazing business owners at the Robert Middleton Info Guru Summit in the Bay Area last weekend who were surprised enough by my stature to comment on it. (By the way, in the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing plenty of amazing new resources, stories, and ideas based on the great information I learned while attending this event, so stay tuned.)
When you do business in your own backyard, people see you and know how tall you are. Even though I have a full body shot of me in a hot pink trench coat on my blog, it never occurred to me that it wasn’t immediately obvious how tall I really am. Tips Booklet Queen Paulette Ensign, who I’ve worked with since 2006, said she had it in her mind that I was five foot two! So, for those of you who haven’t yet met me in person, now you know. I am a tall drink of water, as my friend Warren Talbot likes to say.
Main Street Media Savvy Question of the Day: What about you that you think is immediately obvious is likely a surprise to people who meet you for the first time after connecting with you online? Think about it. The answers might surprise you … and give you something to blog about, just for fun.
December 31, 2009
Bye-Bye Boring Bio Success Story, Just for Fun
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Before we turn the page on 2009, here’s a quick wrap up about some of the news stories that captured my attention:
In my business, two of my best finds on the Internet to help me grow my business this year were:
My proudest contribution to the marketplace in 2009:
- I brought to market the Bye-Bye Boring Bio Action Guide in September and have since earned glowing reviews and sales from business owners all over the world. This product has only begun to make the difference for others that is possible. If you’ve written a rock star bio with this guide as your tool of choice, send in your finished bio. I’ll gladly blog about it! If you are a member of a group that needs guidance about how to tell a story so the right people will listen, invite me to speak. If you are a fan of the product, I’d be honored for you to advocate to others about it as a proud member of my affiliate program. Then, when your colleagues buy, you earn generous sales commissions. If you are a member of a direct sales organization, professional association, or other fabulous group and would like to inquire about quantity purchases or licensing agreements, let’s talk! The mission is to banish boring bios forever with the Bye-Bye Boring Bio Action Guide leading the charge. I can’t wait to see the magic that manifests for all along this journey!
I’ve been thinking a bit about trends and what to expect for 2010. Last year, I offered a few ideas in this regard with a few of my colleagues/friends at this post. As for me, I stand by my comments from last year. If you have comments about what is in or out for 2010, please comment!
No matter what the new year brings, may you be surrounded by others who lift you higher. May you be inspired to achieve great things, doing what you most love to do. May you be lucky enough — as I am — to share your life with an amazing partner. Quoting from Julie Powell in “Julie and Julia” — which was my favorite movie for 2009 – Steve, you are the butter to my bread and the breath to my life.
Happy New Year, one and all.
December 29, 2009
Just for Fun, Media Savvy 101
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If you and your family are looking for a magical visual and musical display to get you dancing and ready to welcome 2010, don’t miss Celebration Lane in Downtown Bellevue. The show continues nightly through 12-31-09 at 7 p.m. The drummers drum, the music rocks, and the sense of optimism and excitement for 2010 are all alive and well. It’s free to enjoy the visual and musical splendor. The Bellevue Reporter did a nice piece called “Behind the Curtain at Snowflake Lane” that shines a light on the drumming talent of young musicians from the area.
Main Street Media Savvy Tip of the Day: There is always a back story behind every big event that can invite the attention of your community newspaper. Dig deep to find the story behind your big event that is timely, newsworthy, relevant, interesting, local — and visual. Then make your pitch. Whether you live in Bellevue or anywhere across Main Street USA, this recipe always delivers.
December 15, 2009
Just for Fun, Media Savvy 101
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Would you believe if I told you that my husband’s iPod made the journey through the washer and the dryer yesterday and lived to tell the tale? It’s true!
When I found this item in the drum of the dryer, my heart sank. How careless of me to forget to remove this valuable item from the pocket of my gym jacket before starting the laundry.
Miracle of miracles, Steve charged the iPod after its most unfortunate journey. Guess what? It still works and holds the scores and scores of carefully selected music within.
This my friends, is an alert the media moment. Thank you Apple for creating a fabulous, DURABLE product. My holiday miracle came early. Hurray, whew, and amen.
Main Street Media Savvy Question of the Day: What stories can you tell about your cell phones, iPods, and other electronic devices defied the odds and kept working? I know there are some amazing and amusing stories out there, which brings me to a useful DIY publicity tip. One incident doesn’t necessarily a story make. Two incidents starts to sound somewhat interesting. Three incidents is what we call in the media business “a trend gathering speed.” Reporters love to write about trends, so go deep and find three really great examples of how your idea is gaining speed. Then, position your own story first among the three as you make your pitch and offer a sassy sound bite to demonstrate why your story is timely, newsworthy, relevant, and interesting right now. You could be on the right track to earning media attention.
December 10, 2009
Just for Fun, Publici-Tea™ Graduate Success Story
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I have to hand it to Betsy Talbot of Married with Luggage for walking her talk. She and her husband Warren have been downsizing for the last couple years so they can upsize their lives. They are less than one year away from taking their long-awaited trip around the world. Betsy will be first to report that it is quite a process to de-clutter home and closets, save enough money to fund the trip, and work through the many logistical details associated with taking a journey like this. (Oh, by the way, Betsy wrote an e-book that explains how she and Warren saved enough money to take a year or more to travel around the world, and you can get your copy for free at this link.)
To celebrate her 39th birthday last night, Betsy hosted a “My Favorite Things” reverse gift exchange party during which she invited her best gal pals to bid on 39 of her most treasured possessions. If more than one guest wanted the same item, they had to do a “style off” so the rest of the guests could vote on who wore it best. The guests then modeled their selections to the beat of “You’re So Vain” and “Anticipation” by Carly Simon. There were laughs and happy tears all around.
Betsy labeled all her favorite things with tags explaining the stories behind each item. There were some pretty sassy, memorable stories, which I am sucker for — as you might expect. Sexy, high heeled black leather boots, a silk scarf from France, a red cashmere wrap from Italy, a multicolored evening jacket with Murano glass beads from Venice, and a perfect red wool beret were among the delights on display. Every item went home happily with a new owner who will have a very personal keepsake to hold Betsy close to her heart as she travels around the world in less than a year’s time.
In this season of gift giving, I think Betsy Talbot has come up with a brilliant idea that folks around the world can enjoy, while bringing smiles all around. Thinking big and with some anticipation of my own, I venture to say that this is just the kind of gal pal gathering that Oprah Winfrey could celebrate as a new take on her very popular “Favorite Things” holiday broadcast. I sense a new movement afoot in these demanding economic times that could really elevate Betsy’s reverse gift exchange to a worldwide stage.
(Featured in this photo are Betsy Moore, Nancy Juetten, Birthday Girl Betsy Talbot, and Debbie Whitlock. The “ladies in red” have Betsy to thank for their purchases! Photo taken by Karen Rosenzwieg)
When that happens, we’ll all have Betsy Talbot to thank. In the meantime, I’ll snuggle up in my new red cashmere wrap and happily wear the lovely necklace and earring set I chose from among Betsy’s favorite things. They are now my favorite things.
Be sure to visit Femme Finance, which is Debbie Whitlock’s blog, for her take on Betsy’s party. Her blog post should be “live” by Wednesday, December 16. She’s also got a new radio show by the same name that you can enjoy on the I’m Thankful Network.
(Both Betsy Talbot and Debbie Whitlock are Publici-Tea™ graduates. They make me so proud.)
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A few days in sunny, gracious, magnificent Victoria British Columbia certainly lifted my spirits and opened my eyes of rainbows of new possibilities for my life and business.
