Yesterday, I let the cat out of the bag and told you I’ve been having a love affair with a number of other bloggers.

Well not a love affair, but more of a one-sided crush…or a (well, just go and read the post and you’ll see.)

So here it is Friday again, so I’m going to tell you about a few other bloggers I am in love with (course they dont know, so don’t tell ‘em).

Christine Kane - Pretty much everything she writes is absolutely incredible. But her recent post on “7 Tried and True Ways to Stifle Your Creativity” really hit me over the head with a hammer because I am definitely guilty of all seven things!

Her number 7 on the list is one that I’m sure most of us can relate to:

#7 – Wait til you’re inspired.

Everyone knows how it works if you’re really truly for real creative:

You wait.

And you wait some more.

You stare at clouds.

Maybe you even eat some bon-bons.

Out of nowhere, the “muse” comes to you.  She takes your hand and leads you seductively to your desk. (She looks a lot like Liv Tyler in Lord of the Rings.)

Dreamily, you ask the muse what, oh what, should you write.

And she tells you.  It is like taking dictation. And you know for sure that you are, indeed, one of the chosen few. The ones who are Creative.

That will surely happen if you wait…

and wait…

and wait…

and wait…

The lovely Kelly at Copylicious blog has a post about Going on a Marketing Diet which features a conversation between Bob Bly and Merlin Mann.

And it’s hysterical.

It’s Monday, and a tiny Bob Bly and a tiny Merlin Mann are having breakfast at a tiny dinette set inside the tiny breakfast nook inside my head.

Bob Bly prefers to drink his coffee back in his wood-paneled executive home office, but Merlin Mann insisted they have a real breakfast with fresh orange juice, fried chicken, and waffles. Bob is indulging Merlin, but he’s just itching to get back to work.

They’re having another one of their non-argument arguments, where no one is talking and yet a great deal is said by the way one asks for the syrup and the other passes it. Bob Bly is reading the Wall Street Journal, and Merlin Mann is making up limericks. He likes limericks.

And lastly (for this Friday, anyway), Jonathan at Illuminated Mind wrote a post on Why Productivity is a Huge Waste of Time. He reminds me to stop beating myself up about my so-called productivity because our non-productive times are really important. He writes:

So why does productivity matter, anyway? What’s so important about achieving?

The answer… not much.

The feeling of needing to accomplish something stems from dissatisfaction with the present. With this mindset, the whole idea of achieving is to become something. On the surface, it may seem like you’re doing something positive, but there’s a subtle undercurrent of rejection of what is. Rejection of yourself.

When you really get down to it, the noise and distractions aren’t really obstacles at all. They’re actually there to help you see what’s true for you and what’s not. They are a means to contrast, something to show you what doesn’t matter, so that you might know what is truly important. Obstacles are there to help your spirit grow.

Love you guys. You awesome bloggers, you.

Love how you share your thoughts and voices.

Love how you make me think bigger and act deeper.

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Lately, I’ve been in a love affair with a number of other bloggers.

Well… it’s not really a love affair because:

1) I haven’t told them.

2) They don’t love me back (only because they don’t know anything about me or I’m quite sure they would really, really love me.)

3) I’m quite fond of my dear husband because he does sweet things like make my dinner and rub my feet. He might not appreciate me having love affairs with random bloggers.

So perhaps it’s not really a love affair, but more like a one-sided crush….or an obsession…or a stalking.

I have a crush on these bloggers because they are so friggin’ awesome and they inspire me to be a better person. I’ll tell you more about other bloggers in later posts.

But for now, I want to talk about Naomi over at IttyBiz. Oh, Naomi…

Naomi is so cool because she shaves her head and writes cursewords on her blog and she’s still invited to speak at events.

And I’m jealous ’cause I want to be that gutsy. But I doubt I’ll shave my head any time soon.

I might curse on my blog, though…

Dammit!
(ooooh)

But in addition to being that cool, Naomi also is helping me to get a different perspective on blogging and being a business owner and a marketer.

Naomi writes:

“Let’s say you have a thing. Sometimes your thing is a small thing — you want to spend more time with your kids. Sometimes your thing is a big thing — you want to stop world hunger. But you have a thing because everybody has a thing.

No marketing = no sales.

No sales = no business.

No business = no resources.

No resources = no thing.

The world needs your thing.”

So my marketing thing can help other people do their thing - like helping to rescue dogs or making poems or singing great music or solving problems with techy stuff.

Naomi has made me feel bigger.

I feel bigger because I know my marketing thing has a big impact on you.

The people who are in service professions are the people I help with their marketing.

You are all doing stuff to make other people do their thing better. And marketing helps you let people know about how your thing helps their thing. And that’s my thing.

How cool is that?

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It’s so easy to fool ourselves into thinking we are stuck.

But the truth is that there is no such thing as stuck. Stuck is a trick that we play on ourselves.

Stuck is a little game that happens when the monkeys in our mind start screaming.

They yell, “Shit! We’re stuck! We don’t know what to do next.”

Or worse, they yell, “We can’t do anything. We’re scared. We’re freaking out!

I don’t know about you, but I have 23 monkeys in my mind. And when they all start yelling about feeling stuck, I can start believing them. They’re very loud and insistent.

And obnoxious.

The monkeys are playing a dirty, rotten trick. And we just have to shout right back, “Monkeys be quiet! I’ve got things I’ve got to do.”

And then you take a step. It can be the teensiest, tinsiest, babiest step you can imagine.

But even the teeniest, tiniest step gets you into motion. And if you are in motion, you aren’t stuck right?

Let’s take writing as an example. As business owners and marketers, we know that writing is very important to get the word out there about what we do. But it’s an easy place to get stuck.

So, when you are about to write and think, “I’m stuck and don’t know what to write for my sales page, ezine, e-mail, blog, FaceBook profile…”

And the monkeys start to yell, “You’re stuck. You suck. You have completely run out of ideas.”

Then just sit down and write something. Write anything.Write one word. And then write another. And even if it is painful, just keep plugging along, placing one word after another.

But do it.

Sit. Your. Butt. Down. And. Write.

Once you start, your monkeys will shut up. Because they can see that, in fact, you aren’t stuck. You’re in motion.

And the cool thing is that once the monkeys shut up, you’ll find that the words begin to flow.

Success in business is not about being the most beautiful. Or the most popular. Or the most skilled.

It’s all about being the most stubborn.

And by stubborn, I mean resisting the monkeys.

So, whether it’s writing or making phone calls or raising your rates...just take one step. And then take another.

Get busy. Do it in spite of the monkeys. Do it to spite the monkeys.

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Hello readers,

I need some help and where better to turn than you?

I am looking for an ezine that is really cool, unique, and scintillating. I have become bored with my own format because there are so many other’s like it. It works, but I would like to shake things up a bit.

And I’m not looking for the “usual suspects” - you know, the gurus who have hundreds of thousands of subscribers who promote like hell to get people to buy. I don’t want a predictable, business as usual ezine. It doesn’t have to  be related to marketing or business - I don’t care what industry it’s from.

I’m looking for an ezine that does something a little different. One that delights you!

In the comments section, please tell me the link where I can sign up and why you like it so much.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Best, Wendy

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Oh my God. Is is Friday again? I thought it was just Friday yesterday.

How is it that now that days and nights are filled with baby love and baby squawks that life passes by so fast? I mean it’s not like I’m DOING much. I’m certainly BEING a lot though.

My darling LittleBug is more and more amazing as each day that passes. From gummy grins to drooly coos to newly-grasping hands, I am in awe and humbled that I get to guide this little person through life. He just had his 4th week of daycare and is doing amazingly well. He gives that big ‘ol smile of his everytime we walk in and he sees his “teachers.” A very social LittleBug.

This week, I have been reading some amazing blogs about business and art and life and parenting. The more I read a wider diversity of blogs, the more I continue to be amazed by their profound power to connect us and to allow us to express our individuality in the world. I am still plugging away at my Brilliant Blogging for Business program - it’s probably the slowest I’ve ever written anything, but life is different with LittleBug in the picture.

So, without further ado, I present my Friday Faves for 2-13-09:

Moving Beats Brooding by Christine Kane

I no longer “feel” mistakes like I used to because I can release them the second they happen. Contrary to what your ego would tell you, this is the fastest way to get back in the present moment and give a great performance - or succeed in anything!

How to Be Awesome by The Art of Nonconformity

Think about this every day:

“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” ~ Ayn Rand

If you aren’t comfortable with this attitude, it’s hard to be awesome. Sorry. You can be good enough without being assertive, but to a large extent, being awesome requires that you initiate, take action, and chart your own course through the norms of mediocrity.

Show Me the Funny (A Pre-Schooler’s Guide to Stand-Up Comedy) by MetroDad

Last night, the Peanut was in “the zone.”

Earlier, we were eating ice cream together. Suddenly, my dreaded lactose intolerance kicks in and I tell her that I’m going to the bathroom. With both her cheeks filled with so much Ben & Jerry’s ice cream that she looked like some sort of weird Asian chipmunk, the Peanut raises her head, gives me a thumbs-up sign, and yells out, “Go for it, dude. Good luck!”

Do You Have Enough Passion to Be a Renegade? by CopyBlogger

In fact, after so many people have been burned by the old rules that said, “give us your life, sacrifice what you love and we’ll give you your retirement,” we are about to see a rebound wave of homegrown, passion-driven entrepreneurship in the U.S. like never before.

Economic downturns often create once in a generation opportunities, your job is to look for the intersection between what makes you come alive and what the market is looking for.

Have a great weekend!
Wendy

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I read other blogs almost every day. And so, I am going to start a new habit here at Kinetic Ideas. I am going to begin the Friday Faves where I post great quotes and posts that I’ve come across in my travels through the blog-o-sphere. I hope you enjoy the wisdom and humor of other bloggers as much as I do.

Lies That I Told Myself That Kept Me Broke and Lazy by Self Made Chick

“When I quit my job and moved out to the middle of nowhere with no day job income to squander on useless things - - let alone pay rent or buy food, I learned what it really took to make money. It takes a burning desire to make money. It takes focusing 99% of your energy on taking action on things that will actually make you money, not prepare you for making money.”

What to Do When You Decide to Stop Settling for Less in Your Life by Rock Your Day

When you live purposefully, you decide to rise above what life seems to be giving you and you decide you’re going to take more out of it, either from stepping out and simply experiencing more or by beginning to build the circumstances you want.  And both of those actions begin feeding your sense of personal power, of self-worth, and of hope for the future. Even if you’re only taking the smallest of actions to change things, if you’re taking them on a daily basis it’s like adding kindling to the fire and keeping it active.

Taking action creates a massive power shift where control shifts to your hands, and when you’re in control, you feel better about your situation.  You feel that blessed relief you’ve been looking for.  You know what you want in life, what you want to be all about, and you have a clear finish line to start working from.  Having a purpose - a true, motivating, energizing purpose - is a game-changing advantage which opens the door to the richly satisfying life you’re really after.

7 Ways to Stop the Internet from Making You Stupid by Productive Flourishing

Rather than being a mere consumer of ideas, start being a producer. Creative processes ignite different parts of the brain than those required to chew gum and click on the StumbleUpon button.

Everyone can create something. Buy Legos and build a car. Draw a picture. Make a cabinet. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you flip the switch and start altering reality rather than consuming the alterations of others.

It doesn’t even matter if the idea that you’re manifesting makes any sense to anyone else. The real reason you’re creating something has nothing to do with what you’ve created, but rather has everything to do with exercising your brain by performing creative processes.

Are You One IN a Million or One OF a Million? by Monk At Work

If you’re unique, then why are you marketing yourself just like everyone else? Do you really think that just calling yourself a coach/trainer/designer/whatever-it-is-you-do is going to help you stand out from the rest of the vanilla, white-bread, snore-inducing coaches/trainers/designers/etc.?

It’s not a question of uniqueness. You are unique. Just ask a forensic scientist.

What makes or breaks the success of your marketing campaign (and thus, your business) is how clearly you can communicate what it is you do in a way that reflects your uniqueness. As Marty Neumeier, the author of Brand Gap says in his latest book, Zag: “When everybody zigs, zag.”

Happy Friday Everyone!

Best, Wendy

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I have been getting questions lately from readers along the lines of “Times are tough. How do I keep my business going?”

And I’m not going to sugar-coat the situation. Times ARE tough. There are a lot of people losing their jobs, their homes, and their savings. So to stay afloat in these times, it is crucial to keep your mind steady when there is turbulent talk all around you.

Tough economic time means that, as an entrepreneur, you have to hunker down and weather the storm. And it isn’t always easy. But, you can actually make money during a recession. What it requires is being nimble and creative.

Now, more than ever, you have to be the steward and the visionary of your business.

First of all, I firmly believe that when the economy slumps, marketing is what will keep your business alive. But not just any old marketing, but marketing that shows your customers and prospects that your services and products will add value to them. Because most people cutting back on their spending.

This means that you have to absolutely and unequivocally emphasize the benefits your customer will receive when they purchase your offerings.

• How will it make their life better?
• How will it solve their problems?
• What will the outcome of their purchase be?

Break it down for them and explain it step by step.

This is also an important time for you to nurture yourself. Watch your nutrition, your fitness, and your stress level. Keep these in check. Because to fully serve your clients, you must be taking care of yourself first.

And, because recession-proofing your business means being creative, make sure you are giving yourself enough time to be with your muse.

Watch your mindset. With so much gloom and doom around us, it is easy to take on that energy. And, your customer can scent despair and desperation from at least 10 miles away. If you start to feel anxiety or fear about the economy, keep returning your thoughts to abundance. Continue taking positive actions.

So you have to monitor the thoughts that are going through your head and the energy you are projecting. Are you are thinking thoughts like these?

• “I don’t have enough clients.”
• I’m scared of not making enough money.”
• “There isn’t enough work for my competitors AND me.”
• “I can’t charge very much because nobody has any money.”

These thoughts, unfortunately, can be a self-fulfiling prophesy.

The more you get mired in these thoughts and take on the turbulent thoughts around you, the more doubt that will spill into your interactions with your prospects and customers.

If you are nervous, they’ll be nervous. If you project calmness and confidence, they will be reassured by your attitude and stick with you.

So to recession-proof your business, market smart. Ask for referrals from past and present customers (don’t wait for them).

If you’ve been in business for a while and sales are slowing, go back to the beginning. Remember when you had to make all those cold calls? It might be time to pick up the phone again.

Don’t stop marketing to your target audience just because times are tough. Follow-up repeatedly. People may need more hand-holding to make a decision, so hold their hand with your newsletters, mailings, and phone calls.

Smart business owners survive the bad times and thrive during the good ones. You can do this! And when you make it through the recession, just think how well you’ll do when we pop out on the other side of it.

Best, Wendy

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