by Donna Johnson on September 30, 2007
Has technology ever disappointed you? Last week, my email software program suffered a massive coronary. At first, I refused to believe it, as if ignorning the problem would make it reverse itself. I rebooted and gently clicked all the right buttons. Ack! My mind screamed in frustration, yet I resisted the urge to kill Laptop and return to a regular job where an army of wizards would fix all of my technical problems.
Indie life isn’t like that, is it? You have a million things to do to keep the business going, yet when one thing you rely on — in this case, technology — stops performing, everything stops until a solution is found. Yes, it’s frustrating. But there are some up sides.
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by Donna Johnson on September 29, 2007
An Example of Living Well
When was the last time you read something that impacted the way you perceived life? Earlier today, I read "grow ’til you go" as the part of an endorsement on the outside back cover of a book. I can’t remember the book or the author, but I do remember that the endorsement was credited to African American musician, Quincy Jones.
At 74 years old, "Q" is an example of how following your passion and expressing your God-given talent can expand your world beyond anything you could ever ask for, given the confines of your own finite imagination. Q keeps on growing no matter what, even overcoming a life threatening brain aneurysm that ended his career as a trumpet player and nearly killed him.
I won’t weigh down this post with his many accomplishments, which you can enjoy at his Wikipedia profile. Reading it takes at least two cups of coffee, but it’s worth it to consider what one human being can do when he puts his mind to it and his back in it. And he never ever stops growing.
Since I want to know what Q plans to grow next, I asked to be notified when his new website launches. Imagine that, launching a new website at age 74. Hope I get my turn someday. Q and people like him are knocking the word "retirement" right out of the English language. I say, "Good riddance!"
by Donna Johnson on September 28, 2007
Going "whole hog" means devoting yourself entirely and completely to something. As Indies, if we’re not going whole hog in business, we’re pretty much not going anywhere, right? And if a blog is added to the mix, the only way to make it worth our time is to go whole hog with that too. Easier said than done, I know.
But consider that a recent New York Times article reports that blogs are becoming an increasingly important and effective business tool. According to the article, a business blog could result in "increased business visibility, excited audiences and added revenue." Well in that case, pass me some slop! Here are some tips to help you manage a whole hog business blog of your own. Oink Oink.
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by Donna Johnson on September 27, 2007
Forbes Magazine recently asked 20 rich business people — I’ll call them "Richies" — a series of questions. One of them was, "What was the hardest lesson you ever learned?" I thought the answers were insighful.
1. Don’t Lose Focus. One Richie said that losing focus caused him to go bankrupt. Don’t try to be all things to all people. Focus doggedly on what you do well and you’re practically guaranteed to succeed.
2. Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness. Money is good. But the business world is littered with unhappy billionnaires. Divorce, disappointment, broken business relationships. The love of money is indeed the root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10) Earn money, don’t worship it.
3. Patience. Three Richies said patience was a hard fought virtue. Patience comes with wisdom and practice. (Proverbs 19:11) It doesn’t come easy, but the rewards of practicing it are priceless.
4. Leaving $50Million To The Kids Is Too Much. I agree. Better to leave it to charity and teach the kids to fish for themselves.
5. Immediate Problem Solving. Letting problems fester until they explode is a poor way to manage a business. Better to prevent them to start with, but if you can’t do that, address them sooner rather than later.
6. Incompetent Attorneys. This could apply to any professional service provider. Get favorable recommendations from others before hiring anyone.
7. Delegation. Two Richies said learning how to let people make decisions without them was hard to do. Truth is, if you’re not an expert, you probably know just enough to be dangerous. Do what you’re good at and leave everything else to the experts.
8. People First. Love your family, cherish your friends and respect and support your community.
9. Ignore Mean Spirited Comments. Do your best and get on with it.
10. Wealth Corrupts. One of the most corrupting influences in life is wealth because it’s so easy to use and manipulate it to hurt other people.
11. Don’t Fret Over The Competition. Invest your energy in your own ideas instead of worrying about how you can copy someone else’s or about how others are copying yours. Assemble your vision and then get in the car and drive it.
12. Don’t Be A People Pleaser. Some people will hate you no matter what. Take what you can (if anything) from them and keep doing what you were called to do.
13. Don’t Throw In The Towel Too Soon. If you believe in it, but you give up on it, you’re the loser.
14. Be A Solid Manager. The only way to learn this is by doing it. Don’t beat yourself up when you make a mistake. Fix it, apologize and keep on truckin’.
15. People Are Not Created Equal. I disagree. I think we were all created equal by a loving Creator. However, we don’t treat each other as if we have equal value and that’s the problem. Let’s all do our part to fix it.
You can enjoy the entire survey here. I appreciate their wisdom, don’t you? Too bad none of the Richies were women. So, Indie ladies? What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned?
by Donna Johnson on September 26, 2007
Time for a contest. Everyone who posts a comment between now and midnight, Monday October 1 will be entered to win a 16-ounce jar of Bella Lucce’s Manuka Honey Drizzle.
Made with Manuka honey and extracts of sugar, maple, lemon and bilberry, you’ll be tempted to put it on your toast. But don’t do that. I like to pour it into a warm tub and then slather it all over my face while I soak.
Update: And the winner is Elke Von Freudenberg of the Beauty Blog Network! Though the winner was chosen totally at random, I read and enjoyed every comment submitted. Now for all you lurkers out there, if drizzling honey in your bathtub wasn’t tempting, maybe slathering butter cream all over your thighs will be!!
by Donna Johnson on September 26, 2007
As the leader of the 600+ member Indie Beauty Network, I work directly or indirectly with hundreds of companies to help them maximize their potential in life and in business. For most, both life and business center in large part around the Internet. We shop there, we sell there, we network there, we learn new things there. But for the value the Internet brings to our lives, I am amazed that so many Indies are surprisingly anonymous at the one place where they must make themselves known: their own websites.
Some people are naturally shy. (A shy business owner won’t be a business owner for long.) Some people don’t want to disclose personal information online. (Then take your business offline.) Some people are embarassed to say anything complementary about themsevles for fear of appearing to brag. (Get over it, you were meant for greatness.) Whichever category you fit into, here are some tips to help you get out of it.
Go to your website. If you don’t have an "About" page, create one. If you have one, make sure it contains at least these things.
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