What I learn from messing up with mashing up

Messing up or mashing up?

Robert Hruzek has initiated projects title “What I Learn From” or WILF, it’s a group writing project where you are given a challenge about what you have learned from a certain topic. The topic is changed every month, and this month’s is “What I Learn from… Mashing It Up!”

Mashing it up!? It’s a new word for me too. Initially I was just reminded of mashed potato as well, wondering if it’s the same thing. And strange… it’s not! Here is Robert’s definition on mashing it up…

It’s where somebody combines two or more things together and produces something really really good.
~Robert Hruzek

What have I mashed up? Or maybe messed up?

I guess I have mashed up or maybe messed around with this blog. You may notice that I have been experimenting the past 1 month. I started guest post exchange, group writing project, marketing review, and the latest is the product review. Supposedly, I wanted to increase my traffic and subscribers. On the other hand, my subscription is more or less the same for the past 1 month, few people unsubscribe, none participates in the project, and emotionally I’m very disappointed as well.

The lesson

Stay to the course, young man!
~Donald Miller (Making Sales Making Money)

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Popularity: 13% [?]

No better mom than you…

Happy mother’s day!

For all the mothers, I’d like to contribute this songs to all of you. Jennifer Tham, the author of the song, won the first prize in the Super Mum contest held by AsiaOne.

Here is her letter sharing the brave story about her mom…

My mom is someone that I really admire, I’ve created this song to show how my mum worth far above all the rubies on the Earth.

I still remember when she suffered from cancer a few years back, and yet she was as strong as any healthy mom could be. My mom always girds herself with strength and strengthens her own arms just to support for my education. She still works after her treatments and wouldn’t let me see the tiredness that unfolds. And no matter what happen, her unconditional love never fails to watches over me and guide me through the steps of life.

Dear Mom, for whatever things you do, I know you’ve always been this true … Your love to me, speaks all the words can’t say. For every tear you shed, I know I’m always in your care.

If someone ask me, do I want to have other Mom?
I’ll forever say :
“No I couldn’t ask for a
better Mom than you,
Hanny Soelowidjojo Tjeng”

Love you, Mom
Jennifer Tham

And here is the song. The video is produced by Lydia Isnanto, one of the 12 great friends I mentioned earlier.

I believe our mother is a very special reason why we have our smile. She loves us unconditionally and her love is eternal. Do remember them and appreciate them. For all the mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

Cheers,
Robert

Popularity: 9% [?]

Product Review: Personal branding with The Logo Creator

Logo and your personal brand

I came across a book titled You, Inc. in the bookstore nearby. I haven’t got a chance to buy and read the book, but the title really gives sort of impression on me. I believe the book is about your personal branding. How you market your success. I shared before that my opinion on selling is much more of relationship rather than money or profit. In life you certainly deal with people, so it’s almost impossible that you don’t need to sell, nor building your personal brand.

On the series of turning limitation into advantages, I shared that limitation is also useful in marketing yourself. But it’s certainly not enough, success requires you to build your strength, and market them. That is the essential of the personal branding. That is about the value you bring to people. Particularly this article will share with you the benefit of logo in your personal branding. It’s not everything but undeniably, it’s useful for your branding, for both your personal and business.

This article is a sponsored review I am writing for The Logo Creator. I picked this review as an opportunity to explore more on logo, personal branding and affiliate marketing opportunity. At the end of the article I will share more about my finding with the applications. Meanwhile, enjoy what I want to share about the benefit of logo, image, or design in your personal branding.

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Popularity: 9% [?]

Money and blogging, the opportunity and the dilemma

You may have noticed in my last post; Reason-4-Smile got its first sponsored review. That means a paid review, and that is the real first opportunity of monetization (besides earning from Adsense that I can’t even cashed it yet).

It was a surprise to me. Denise Adams contacted me in the middle of April. She prompted that she enjoyed my article and how I write. She commented on my About page, and she is interested in a paid review for her website. I hope you do not take it as if I’m boasting. The money is not much worth boasting for, but the lesson is much more worthy. It is what I wanted to share with you, the opportunity and the dilemma that comes with this offer.

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Marketing Review: Subliminal Audio for Self Improvement

What do you think of improving yourself using subliminal tapes and CDs?

This post is a sponsored review on subliminal tapes. Denise Adams approached me personally for the review on her website, subliminal tapes.” The site is promoting the products it is selling, the subliminal tapes and CDs. You can also see the demo here. For clarity, I will refer to the site as STSI from this point.

What am I reviewing here?
I am reviewing the STSI website and not the products. I am coming from exactly the same point of view as anyone of you, a potential customer having no information on the product. What I am going to do here is reviewing the business STSI is in and its marketing, particularly through its website.

For those of you who do not understand subliminal message, here is a statement about the subliminal message from the Wikipedia

A subliminal message is a signal or message embedded in another medium, designed to pass below the normal limits of perception. These messages are unrecognizable by the conscious mind, but in certain situations can affect the subconscious or deeper mind and later actions or attitudes.
~Subliminal message @ Wikipedia

What’s the challenge to market subliminal message?

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Ten reasons why introverts fail at networking

What is holding you back from networking?

This is the last part of the networking for introvert series. There have been 2 articles from the experts, the first one is written by a financial adviser: Lim Chih Yang, and another is from a networking specialist: Jason Jacobsohn. Both admit that they are introverts by preference but both of them have made great steps into a career that involves a lot of networking. What does that mean? introverts have potential to be a strong person in networking. It’s not undoubtable, yet it has to be developed.

In the previous articles, there have been a lot of tips on making use of introverts’ strength in networking. Some to be mentioned are listening, focus on few people, analyze your way of networking, be authentic, and many others. Enough about the strength, now we need to get into the introverts’ weakness. You will not be able to change unless you understand what makes you weak on networking. Awareness is very important, especially not to fall into the same trap again and again.

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How to win extroverts in selling and networking

How can introverts better extroverts in networking and selling?

Here is another guest post on networking. This time, it comes from an expert in networking, Jason Jacobsohn, someone who is passionate about advocating for entrepreneurs through his business and community efforts.

Jason Jacobsohn is well known in the Chicago area as a “connector” and go-to person for entrepreneurs who want to grow and maintain their success. He is a seasoned relationship builder who enjoys sharing resources through his Website, Jacobsohn.com, newsletter, Network Your Way to Success, and blog, NetworkingInsight.com. Jason regularly speaks to groups about networking and is a featured columnist for MidwestBusiness.com, Personal Branding Magazine, and SoHo Magazine.

Five techniques to help an introvert to become an effective networker

When you think of a good networker, you probably think of someone who is outgoing and can easily talk to people. While this may be true for someone people, introverts can also be effective networkers. Below are five techniques that if implemented can give the introvert the confidence and mindset that building relationships is possible.

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The 5 simple things to appreciate your friend

You may have read it in my 12 tips to become a great friend, but I’m going to separate the post, first to respect Bruce who is holding the challenge. Second is not to distract my 12 tips with too many details.

Five simple things to appreciate your friends

It is the 5 little things challenges that Bruce from Brucism has started. I would like to share with you the 5 simple things that can help you appreciate your friends.

1. Listen: Friendship always listens. Similarly you need to give your ear while conversing with your friends. Listen what they like and dislike, listen to their question and opinion. Listen and do not judge too fast, and you will learn a lot from them.
2. Observe: Sometimes you just could not aware your friends’ strength just from the relationship you have with him/her. His/her strength may compliment others and not you. That’s why you need to observe his/her relationship with others. It is a way that you can see how he/she has really become a great friend.
3. Remember first: For a few friends that I have listed down there, I just started with the name first. I just somehow so thankful of this friend, and I want to put him/her in the list. The title/uniqueness comes later, amazingly in few minutes I can find a little thing that I can be thankful of from them. And from there I can describe much more.
4. Have a miracle from them: Albert Einstein said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Take the little things that your friend has done to you as a miracle, an encouragement is a miracle, an SMS or a simple gift is also a miracle. A pat in the back is a miracle, even how they call you brother/sister is also a miracle. That’s a secret of how you can find happiness in your daily life as well. Have a miracle everyday from your friend.
   
5. Believe: How do you bring the best in people? John Maxwell shared that “believing the best in people usually brings the best out of people.” Give your friends the benefit of the doubt. What does that mean? If you are doubting on the motive/reason behind their behavior, learn to give them the benefit of your doubt, means that try to always take it as they have the right motive behind. My manager, Dayal, taught me on the principle as well, he said… “Trust anyone until you have got a proof that you can’t trust them.” Give your friend your trust and you will bring the best out of them.

One last tip:

Do not let situation matter more than the relationship. Do not let disagreement to ruin the relationship. Remember the good time and you will appreciate your friend more.

Join my Group Writing Project: Reason-4-Smile - Our Friends, take the exercise to appreciate the friends in your life by giving them some title!

Cheers,
Robert

Popularity: 15% [?]

12 ways you can become a great friend

Reason-4-Smile Group Writing Contest! I’m holding a group writing project on friendship, with free ads and Entrecard credits as the prizes. Please check the details below.

Do you have living saints in your life?

I have been tagged by Evan for a meme project, it’s called “The 10 Saints”. I was honored to get a title of patron saint of personal development from him. Yet, it comes with a price =), I was tagged to follow the same project, writing the 10 saints in my life as well.

The Saints (or the X-Men)…

I really enjoyed the process of finding the 10 saints, even to the point that I find 10 is not enough. There are 12 saints that I would like to share through this project. All of those 12 are friends that I know personally, the people around me who have touched my life in a special and unique way.

If you don’t like the word “saint”, you can think of them as your X-Men. I like watching X-Men, partly because I’m excited with the variety of talents and skills that each individual has, but somehow they can work together to complete their mission. Similarly, these 12 saints, 12 real friends in my life will share with you their unique talents, their 12 ways how you can become a special friend to someone. So… let’s get started!

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Let’s have fun! The trivia facts about me

I guess I’ve been pretty serious with all my articles before. So let’s have some fun. I’ve been tagged by Cherryl from ButWhatNow.com and I’ll share more trivia facts about me.The rules of the meme project are following

1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share 4 things in these themes.
4. Tag 4 random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

As it’s for fun, and fun does not follow all the rules (am I right?). I’ll skip the rules number 5. I guess the bloggers I tag will know with when they get my trackback =)

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Popularity: 26% [?]

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