What I learn from messing up with mashing up
May 15, 2008
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)
Popularity: 14% [?]
Product Review: Personal branding with The Logo Creator
May 10, 2008
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.
Popularity: 9% [?]
Money and blogging, the opportunity and the dilemma
May 5, 2008
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.
Popularity: 29% [?]
Marketing Review: Subliminal Audio for Self Improvement
May 1, 2008
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?
Popularity: 17% [?]
Ten reasons why introverts fail at networking
April 30, 2008
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.
"Networking for introvert" articles:
- The introvert’s way to networking
- Five reasons why you need networking break
- 12 ways you can become a great friend
- How to win extroverts in selling and networking
- Ten reasons why introverts fail at networking
Popularity: 15% [?]
How to win extroverts in selling and networking
April 28, 2008
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.
"Networking for introvert" articles:
- The introvert’s way to networking
- Five reasons why you need networking break
- 12 ways you can become a great friend
- How to win extroverts in selling and networking
- Ten reasons why introverts fail at networking
Popularity: 19% [?]
12 ways you can become a great friend
April 25, 2008
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!
"Networking for introvert" articles:
Popularity: 35% [?]
Five reasons why you need networking break
April 20, 2008
HELP! Are you feeling tired of networking?
Yesterday, my very first guest post has just published. It is titled “The Trap of Networking” and it is posted in Jason Jacobsohn’s blog: NetworkingInsight.com. It also talks about networking, but the trap that it might have. What I am emphasizing there is networking with the focus on the result and not the activity. It’s not the issue of how many people you’ve got to know or how many networking event you have attended. It’s the matter of how many win-win relationship you have formed. Check out the article to know what the trap is.
While some suggested practicing networking to become better at it, I find that taking a break from networking is equally important. And even more, it’s actually advantageous to your networking. Let’s find out why:
"Networking for introvert" articles:
- The introvert’s way to networking
- Five reasons why you need networking break
- 12 ways you can become a great friend
- How to win extroverts in selling and networking
- Ten reasons why introverts fail at networking
Popularity: 29% [?]
The introvert’s way to networking
April 15, 2008
Does introversion label you?
One thing I want to consult you. I’m an introvert like you. I found that sometimes it is really hard for me to make friend with others or we usually call it “networking”. Do you have any suggestion for me?
The question was asked by one of my readers, Harrison from Finandom.com. He blogs on pursuing financial freedom, and I believe that networking is extremely important to achieve them as well. Why does introvert think that making friends or “networking” sometimes difficult?
I have ever posted a short post on networking for introvert before. It was inspired by an article from BusinessPundit.com: Networking for introvert. I found the article when I google for some tips on networking that I am about to do at that time. The article has a good position on the search engine. The author and the former owner of the blog, Rob May, even admit that the article is the most popular article of all time on BusinessPundit.com. That really shows how introverts really struggle and need helps on networking.
Before I’m sharing my answers and insights on networking, I will share with you some tips from my friend cum financial advisor, Lim Chih-Yang.
In our last meeting, I shared about my blog to him. His reply surprised me, he confessed that he is also an introvert. It was hard to believe that. He is a full-time financial advisor and practically his work is all about networking, meeting up new people and building relationship with them. I believe that he must have challenge to decide on taking this career path, but the courage is inspiring. He is one of the persons that come to my mind when it talks about networking for introvert. He is an introvert and he is full-time networker. So… I’ll pass the mike keyboard to him… and here are the tips from him…
"Networking for introvert" articles:
Popularity: 26% [?]
How to be successful, uniquely yours
April 10, 2008
How do you define success?
That question has been in my mind since I’m putting “Helping introverts to be successful” in my tag line. I was fortunate that nobody asked me what I mean to be successful until now; otherwise I would not be able to give a strong answer.
Sadly, many relate success with what they have and achieve, that can be money, material things, positions, titles, responsibilities or even friends and families. But how about relating success with our potential? That is relating success with who we are instead of what we have.
Craig Harper, in his article Potential for Greatness shares a definition of success that relates very much to the potential.
…successful person (success of course being different things for different people) is not necessarily the one with all the talent but rather the one who simply uses more of what he/she has been given when compared to what the bulk of the population does (or doesn’t do) with their potential.
~Craig Harper (Potential for Greatness)
When success is related with who we are, that will be a success custom-made for each of us. Certainly, that success will not come overnight, that success requires a process. This article will share the process of manufacturing your custom-made success, a success uniquely yours.
Popularity: 52% [?]
