Now for something a little different…

Have you ever gotten a new technology “toy” to play with and find yourself using it a lot because it’s so easy and fun? And yes I did use the words toy, easy and fun all in reference to technology. This certainly could be an anomaly because most technology certainly isn’t easy, or fun, especially when it comes to computers.

Yet, there is a very cool shining star in stores right now that’s my favorite new, fun and easy technology toy. It’s called a Flip. Some of you may have already heard about it. In fact my favorite tech editor David Pogue from the New York Times just did an article and video about it. You can check out his article to discover more or just read on…

A flip is this sleek new and simple to use video camera. So with my new flip in hand, I’ve been videoing everything. (It takes 2 double AA batteries, holds 30 minutes of video and about $114 on Amazon.) Mainly I’ve been videoing our new 8 month old puppy Lily. (She’s a Golden Shepherd that we rescued.) Of course everyone thinks their dogs are cute and funny, and of course she is! The best part of the Flip is its SO EASY to upload the file from my camera to my computer. It has a simple USB port and downloads in a snap.

In fact I was so excited and motivated (I also found I had Moviemaker on my computer.) that I created a Youtube account for the Lily and uploaded my latest creation. Warning, if you’re not an animal lover, don’t check out this video. Now here’s the best part- you can actually use this for your business! Yes, you can get one of these little cameras and start using it to tape your video testimonials or interview people for your website. Second warning- I’m no Spielberg, so don’t expect an award winning creation. Yet, I do promise you’ll smile.

The kicker, is you can go on Youtube right now and register a channel for yourself and start uploading videos . There’s so many things you can do with this to drive traffic to your website. I know many information marketers who have their own channel and have tons of videos up there that give lots of value for their clients for free. So go check out Youtube, have some fun with it and think of the new possibilities. In fact, after posting my video of Lily, it inspired me to get my own channel for my business. My next step is to upload some value added marketing videos, so be on the look out. In the mean time, go get this new technology toy, have some fun and maybe you’ll even think up some great new ideas to help you in your business! P.S. More Lily videos to come

Don’t be afraid of your “super powers…”

I’m dumbfounded by the number people I meet and work with who take so much of their talent for granted. They take their own knowledge for granted and assume everyone else has the same knowledge that they have. Time and time again, I run across this and I’m not excluded in this category either. I think I’ve gotten much better over the years in really recognizing my knowledge (or as my Executive Coach calls “my super powers.”) in certain areas, how it’s useful, how I can help others, and even how I can package and sell some of it.

We did a great exercise at our Mastermind meeting where we had to list our “super powers.” This was really fun and kind of cool. By “super powers” I mean things that you’re really good at above all else. You ought to get your pen out right now and try this, I dare you. Some examples could be- you’re a stellar writer, you’re a fantastic editor, you’re a great listener, you can add big numbers in your head, etc.

Photo Caption: Shannon & Batman at the 2007 Marketing Superconference

My list started out with only 1 thing, then the more I thought, the more I wrote. Not that you need more than one, but I bet you everyone has at least 3 or 4. I’ll let you in on one of mine, it’s x-ray vision into people’s businesses. Which means, being able to assess someones business or situation, and give them some concrete solutions to help them right away. I have an uncanny ability to zone in on the problem areas in people’s marketing of their business and will give quick easy steps to fix them.

So think of something that you do really well, something you’re really good at and that you love to do, and write it down. Knowing what your “super powers” are will greatly enhance your skills and how you do business. Having this laser focus will get you one step closer to bringing your business to that next level.

Before I end, I just wanted to say that after last weeks blog I received quite a few emails from folks. Shielding myself from negative news and negative people really hit a cord with many of you. In fact, I even found a cool website you can check out that only talks about “and now for the good news.” Click on the link and see for yourself. I think it’s wonderful idea and needs to be passed on. So feel free to share this link with as many people as you think would enjoy it!

The Little Engine That Could…

Do you remember this childhood story? I remember it well. Maybe because I’ve read it to my nieces, nephews and my own son many, many times. This story about the little engine, huffing and puffing his way up the mountain was always a favorite of theirs. I think it struck a cord because it was a classic tale of the little guy saying yes and going beyond his comfort level to persevere. This story was originally written by Watty Piper (a pseudonym used by publishing house Platt & Munk) and published in 1954.

A quote from the book that is most famous today (which you may remember well) is one that I think all of us ought to look into adapting as our own- “I think I can, I think I can…” The thing I found most interesting was that this book was written to teach children the value of optimism. This is something we all need a great dose of now and often! I used to be so pessimistic and negative about my life, my work, etc. It’s been only recently in the past 4 years that I’ve really worked on this aspect of myself and think I’ve come a long way.

Hence, I’m writing today to inspire that little engine inside all of us, to wake up, and to get back on that track and know that you can do it. You can do anything you set your mind to. I mean look at Oprah and her online book club course with Eckhart Tolle. It only took her and her engine of experts 1 week to fix the internet problem of having a half a million people watch 90 minutes of streaming video all around the world, and take Skype video/phone calls and email questions. I was on the class last night and was so thrilled to be able to see the whole thing. It was an amazing experience for me.

You might be thinking, well yeah, that’s Oprah, she can do anything. But that’s a whole other discussion I’ll save for my newsletter. The point is- we all have the inner makings of being our own Oprah (so to speak:-)), of persevering, knowing that we can overcome that next obstacle. The thing is, we just have to take some action, even if it’s only one small step, to get up that mountain. So what’s one small step you can take in your business to propel yourself forward? What do you need to help get you there? Because I know you can and I know you will. I’d love to hear about it.

Lessons from Oprah

Last night was a pretty big internet event- Oprah held her first ever online, live streaming video class. It was the first class of ten where she interviews and talks to Eckhart Tolle, author of A New World, Awakening To Your Life’s Purpose.

It was a fascinating event. I signed on early and got my “seat,” wondering how they would pull this internet feet off without a hitch. I mean trying to stream video to over half a million people around the world is pretty gutsy and courageous, yet this IS Oprah.

The first 20 minutes were amazing. Hearing him talk about why he wrote the book, how important is was for him to make space to write and honor the time to do it daily. He said, “I find spaces of stillness to find my answers.” Wow, this was pretty fascinating and something I’ve been trying to do for years with my meditation. In fact, I meditate every day for an hour with a program called Holosync by Centerpointe It truly has helped me in all aspects of my work and my life. So picking up Eckhart’s book and listening into this class was really moving me to shift and change.

The only downside was after 20 minutes the internet connection basically collapsed and I lost the feed. Of course I tried everything to get it back, to no avail. I was hugely disappointed that I couldn’t participate and see the rest. Yet, it got me thinking that there was a reason I only saw part of it. This must be my lesson from Oprah. I only needed small chunks of information last night.

The other lesson from Oprah was she really knows how to think big. She’s not afraid to try something, like do video stream for half a million people, knowing there would certainly be problems. Which later I found out today, there were many. I was not alone when I was knocked off. The big question was who got to see the whole thing live? No worries though, Oprah’s put the video on her website and you can download it to watch on your ipod or your computer at your leisure.

So let’s take these lessons from Oprah, let’s think big in our businesses in our lives. What step can we take right now to do something different, to get out of our comfort zone. Let’s not just sit there anymore and be happy with complacency. Let’s all do one thing to shift, to grow and to make a difference in our businesses and our lives- do it today!