Archive for July, 2009

All the big players in the blog world are getting sponsors to go to BlogWorld and New Media Expo 2009 – or in other words, a company is paying for their trip/hotel/etc so that they will get press and someone talking about them the whole trip.

I like to talk. I have a blog. I am interesting and would promote a product well.

But, I am not a superstar blogger yet. I don’t have 100k readers, and so the sponsors don’t have a huge reason to want to pay for my trip to BlogWorld. Although, if they gave me 10 minutes, I could convince them…but most won’t even do that!

Catch-22 strikes again: They want to sponsor someone who has a following, but you gain a following by being able to attend events like this and learn to promote yourself better. It is hard to attend these events if you are a just starting out blogger who owns their own business, it is financially too difficult. So you can’t afford to go, which means you can’t learn all the great information and network to grow your blog, which means you can’t get a sponsor.

But what about passion? What about the fact that I would be so excited to be sponsored by someone that I would probably work twice as hard as a ‘power blogger’ to promote my sponsor before the event, at the event and after the event? I think thelostjacket.com‘s post on why companies can benefit from up and coming bloggers really hits the point home. Finding someone up and coming is the future…

So, I figured the best way to find a company was to ask those who already read my work – and know me a little, to help me with my marketing of myself! So here is my request:

If your company, or you know a company that is looking for a representative at blogworld, and would be interested in sponsoring me (even partially), please send them either the link to this blog, or contact me at kirsten(at)wrightcreativity.com:

Thanks for all your help and support!

We must have a theme, a goal, a purpose in our lives. If you don’t know where you’re aiming, you don’t have a goal. My goal is to live my life in such a way that when I die, someone can say, she cared. – Mary Kay Ash

Being the daughter of a Mary Kay senior sales director meant quotes like this were commonly heard in my household. If I was struggling with why I needed to get work done, or the reason behind a task, my mother always reminded me that everything positive we do leads us towards our goals in our lives. She was great with those motivational messages. Not only that, but she always kept multiple goal lists next to her desk, and in turn, I always had them as well (like mother, like daughter). Each list was laid out with 10-15 small goals, and then one large goal at the bottom. This goal was something that would take a long time to accomplish (months, years, decades, depending on the list. I had goal lists for soccer, school and personal life. Each one had an ‘ultimate goal’ with lots of little ones above it that would help me get there. Even after I left home, the idea of ‘goal lists’ was ingrained in my brain. I usually had 3-4 at a time, sitting somewhere on my desk throughout college. After college, when I started working for other people, I began to use my lists less and less. My goals just didn’t stay in the forefront of my mind, because I didn’t fully feel like I controlled my job or future. After I got laid off earlier this year, I decided that I didn’t want to be in a place where my goals weren’t important.

When I told my mom that I didn’t want to take another job working for someone else and wanted to start my own business, she was so excited for me. And of course, reminded me to make my goals list. It changes almost weekly, as I update and achieve goals, so as of today:

A few of my top goals are:

1. Go to BlogWorld and New Media Expo 2009 with a sponsorship
2. Have Wright Creativity making me a consistent income ? what I was making in the corporate world by December 2009
3. Become #1 on the adage power 150 list by my 2 year blog anniversary (July 27, 2010)
4. Make the OC Metro’s Hot 25 list for 2010
5. Rescue a greyhound
6. Purchase a home in Mission Viejo
7. Get my book, Riding with Lucifer published and on the NYT best sellers list

And the ultimate goal that these are all leading to: Stop working completely by the time my oldest child is 8.

If you notice, as you go down the list, the goals get progressivly larger and more difficult. But, If I do each of the goals above them, then the ones down the list aren’t actually that big. it’s like a snowball effect…the more goals I achieve, the bigger the goals I will be able to achieve.

Do you keep a goals list?

Remember, your goals are your goals. While you may have similar ones as someone else, there is absolutely no way that you will achieve them in the same manner. We all have different processes and ways to get to where we want to go – make sure that you are doing it your way, and you’ll find it much easier.

Remember Rebus Puzzles from elementary school? They were a great way to get your brain going and your mind creative…and still are!

Below are 10 rebus puzzles.

Put your answers to all 10 in the comments. Everyone who gets all them right will be entered for a chance to win a free Twitter Background designed by me (or service credit with Wright Creativity of equal value)!

I will choose the winner on Thursday, July 30th at noon, so make sure to get your answers in before then.

Good Luck!

Surprise someone

A year ago, I started this blog simply as an outlet for my creative ideas for business. I hoped that I might help my readers to improve their writing, business and life through the tips and advice that I offered. A year ago, I never imagined to be here – owning my own business, on the adage top blog list and closing the gap towards 1000 subscribers.

To celebrate my 1 year anniversary – I am making a few changes to the blog. The first, was to separate out my writing advice, blog management, website/blog design tips, and social media posts, so that they are easier to find.

The second change and on? Well, that’s up to you! I asking for your input:

1. What would you like to see from me over the next year?
2. Which posts have been your favorite and you’d like to see more of?
3. Any thoughts in general for me or my business?

Thanks for being here at the 1 year annive

What turns your attention? What catches your eye? Do you give yourself a chance to stop and admire whatever it is?

For me, designer shoes advertisements and incredible photo manipulations are my weakness.

Here are my two favorite of the moment:

Peter Lippmann for Christian Louboutin, Winter 2010

Fishy Island by Eric Johansson

With Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and more, it is so easy to forget how to communicate in a more personal manner. Emails are a quick way to send out thoughts or questions to someone, that means a little more than a direct message or a wall post. Most of us avoid email because we feel it takes too long, we have to write long messages, etc. Completely untrue. These 5 emails can all be written in under 30 minutes, and are guaranteed to make a difference. I know, I just did them all.

Write to:

1. Someone who is doing better than you are in one area of your business. Whether they have their accounting system managed more efficiently or they are getting more referrals than you, pick something you want to improve. Send them a quick email asking them for a bit of advice. Not sure how to start? Be honest and heartfelt. Most people are willing to help someone they inspire, even if they are in the same field.
2. Someone doing worse than you in one area of your business. We have all been at the point in our business that we need some help, but many of us are scared to ask. What if someone were to just offer a little advice without you having to ask? Wouldn’t that make your day? Thought so. Just remember, be helpful and caring, not condescending or all-knowing.
3. Someone on twitter in your same neighborhood that you have chatted with before but never met IRL. The only way to bring a connection out of the web world and into the real world is to reach out. Invite them to coffee, and give the connection a chance to grow outside of twitter.
4. Someone who influenced you this week. Did they write a stellar blog post? Just send you a tweet or wall post that boosted your mood? Or maybe they were just there at the right time. Tell them thanks. Thank you goes a long way when you mean it.
5. Someone that you have lost contact with. Is there someone that you have met in the past that you haven’t talked to in a while? Send them a message just to say hello. See how they are doing. Make the first move.

I know what you’re thinking: “What if I don’t have their email address”? My answer? Go find it. Almost everyone has their email on their website, or if nothing else, a contact form. Still can’t find it? Ask someone else who is connected to them if they can help you get it (make sure to tell them why).

Let me know which ones you do today, and what happens!

I hate to rant. I rarely b*tch and complain. But seriously, if you list your phone number with the line “Our fully trained and experienced customer service reps are always on call, waiting to help you” after it, don’t you think you should answer your phone when people call??? Just giving me a voice mail and saying “we’ll call you back” does not make me want to work with you. What it does make me do is send out a tweet looking for someone who does want my business.

In the last few weeks, I have gotten some amazing two word responses to my two words on Tuesday. However, that was not my original plan for these words.

Originally, I hoped that people would take my two words and either create a longer blog post with them, then link back, or to add a comment that does something with them…adds to them. But now, I realize that no matter what I thought it was going to be, once you give something to your readers, it is up to them! So, I am stepping back from what I though this should be, and letting it become whatever it is. Thanks to my amazing readers for showing me what happens when you ‘plan’ and forget who actually executes that plan. Take these words and really, do with them what you will (don’t forget to share, of course)!

Face Reality

If you live in Orange County and haven’t attended the OC Fair…what are you waiting for? Definitely a great night whether you have kids or not (my hubby and I love it and never miss a year). This year, we went with my sister-in-law and her boyfriend as well. My sister-in-law who absolutely loves, loves, loves pigs. Which is why this year, we couldn’t miss the pig races. (I really tried to get a picture, but I didn’t want to stand in front of the kids…)

I had never been before, so I don’t know who their sponsors has been in the past, but this year, the Pig races were sponsored by…. Ralph’s. The Grocery store. The place you can buy all sorts of pig products.

The tagline for the event? “Bring Home the Bacon”

And they were giving away coupons to all race attendees:

(yes, that really does say Free Bacon.)

Always being in marketing, I thought it was clever.

My sister-in-law, however, after posing with the winning pig, told me it wasn’t.

What do you think: Excellent marketing strategy or perpetuating the childhood nightmare of cute little pigs becoming bacon?