Illumination Tuesdays

Seth's Blog: Advice for authors

Link: Seth's Blog: Advice for authors.

Seth Godin is a really smart man. And this is really smart advice for all those who are contemplating authoring a book. Some of my favorite points from his blog:

2. The best time to start promoting your book is three years before it comes out. Three years to build a reputation, build a permission asset, build a blog, build a following, build credibility and build the connections you'll need later.

7. Think really hard before you spend a year trying to please one person in New York to get your book published by a 'real' publisher. You give up a lot of time. You give up a lot of the upside. You give up control over what your book reads like and feels like and how it's promoted. Of course, a contract from Knopf and a seat on Jon Stewart's couch are great things, but so is being the Queen of England. That doesn't mean it's going to happen to you. Far more likely is that you discover how to efficiently publish (either electronically or using POD or a small run press) a brilliant book that spreads like wildfire among a select group of people.

17. Publishing a book is not the same as printing a book. Publishing is about marketing and sales and distribution and risk. If you don't want to be in that business, don't! Printing a book is trivially easy. Don't let anyone tell you it's not. You'll find plenty of printers who can match the look and feel of the bestselling book of your choice for just a few dollars a copy. That's not the hard part.

Now go read the whole blog post.

15SecondPitch: Market yourself effectively in 15 seconds

Link: 15SecondPitch: Market yourself effectively in 15 seconds.

The best "elevator speech" is one that is unique and comes from the heart. But you have to start somewhere. Use the "Pitch Wizard" ath 15SecondPitch to get yours started!

Magazines for the mind and spirit

There was a great thread on a coach’s listserv about what magazines we read.  It was fascinating to see the variety of topics, but no great surprise considering that most entrepreneurs I know are avid readers across many subjects. 

I read some magazines monthly (or almost monthly) and others just occasionally.  I have also taken to heart the advice of my mentor, the late Thomas Leonard, to read something new each month.  Here are my favorites...both regularly read and occasionally read. 

Fast Company While this magazine is no longer as edgy as it once was, it’s still leaps and bounds ahead of the curve. 

Worthwhile  The tagline for this magazine is “Work with Purpose, Passion and Profit" and it offers profiles and feature articles that inspire and inform.  If you’re looking for proof that there’s more to life than work, Worthwhile is indeed worthwhile. 

O, the Oprah Magazine Whether you love Oprah or not, she has inspired a nation of women to be more and do more with their lives.  I want to know what they’re thinking...don’t you? 

Enlightenment  Thought provoking convergence of philosophy and spirituality.  Here you’ll find a mix of new science and the ancient traditions, of art and culture, of business & politics. Well worth the cost. 

Wired As a self-professed closet techno-geek, I need my fix of new technology.  I get my daily fix from several blogs I read.  And eagerly watch the mail for my subscription each month.  But it’s not just new technology, it’s innovation, science and medicine, business and global politics, arts and culture, the best new products, and more. 

Newsweek If you’re looking for straight news reporting, you won’t find it here.  But if you want a pop culture view of US and global affairs, Newsweek’s coverage is eminently readable. 

Harvard Business Review    While I may not always agree with the authors’ articles, and many are very self-promoting, it’s a good place to see what conservative business folks are thinking. 

Utne  Not your mainstream magazine, for sure.  Utne offers views on social change, environment, community, politics, and humor.  An antidote to sameness. 

Mother Jones There are no sacred cows.  Mother Jones takes on the issues with superb investigative journalism and wonderful writing. 

Mental Floss Is it entertainment, education, trivia?  It’s all of those and more.  Quirky and fun 

Real Simple We live in a complex world and more and more people I speak to (myself included) are seeking to simplify.  This magazine offers systems for reducing clutter, saving time, and reducing stress

Defining Success by Your Standards

Below is the audio for today's call on Defining Success by Your Standards. 

Success = Happiness The mistake made by so many people is that they think that Success BRINGS Happiness.  Instead, it's important to define success by your standards, not those imposed by society, your next door neighbor or what you were taught in school.  If I listened to what was taught in my school, today I would be an elementary school teacher, and that would not be my path to success. 

I spoke to a young women the other night who was a freshman in college, and when asked her major her response was risk management.  It seemed incongruous, so I asked what made her choose that.  Her answer startled me, although it shouldn't have.  It seems that one of her parents researched good careers, and chose that for her.  She had no idea what it entailed, or even if it held any interest.  But that was the path she was on.  I suggested that while she was in college she explore some alternatives, just in case that wasn't the right path for her.

You get to choose.  You have the right to choose.

We also discussed making small changes in your life to start making success happen.  Listen in.

The Best Jobs to Have in 2006 - All Business - Yahoo! Finance

Link: The Best Jobs to Have in 2006 - All Business - Yahoo! Finance.

Personal Coaches have made it onto the list of the top jobs to have.

Thanks to Bobette Reeder and Elizabeth Tull for sending this news my way.

Becoming Reaction Free

Thanks to all who attended this week's Illumination Tuesday call.  Below you'll find the recording of the call on Becoming Reaction Free. 

Remember, the three steps to becoming reaction free (as much as that is possible) are:

1. Notice when you are in reaction mode.  What triggered the reaction?  What was the reaction?
2. Try to figure out why you are reacting?  Has a boundary been crossed?  A value?  Be curious.
3. Decide whether you want to transcend the reaction (in other words, work on no longer having that reaction pattern...this usually means working on your personal development) or whether you need to redesign your environments to avoid being put into the situations that cause you to react.

You can listen to the call here:      

Or, you can dowload it to your MP3 player here:            

Enjoy!

Donna

Squidoo : Lenses : Everything you need to know about becoming a Successful Coach

Link: Squidoo : Lenses : Everything you need to know about becoming a Successful Coach.

Now it can be told. I've been among a small group of beta testers for Seth Godin's newest venture Squidoo. I've got four lenses going and given time...will probably add more. The above link is to my Becoming a Successful Coach lens. But I also have one for personal development, one for business building...and just for fun, a foodie lens.

What's a lens? A single page site that includes a set of handpicked, organized content about a single topic. Check it out. While you're there, you may be inspired to start your own lens. Do email me if you do!

Does exposure equal success?

Link: Scott Andrew - lo-fi acoustic pop superhero! > blog > archives > 2005 > 11 > overexposed and http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2005/12/posture_matters.html

I frequently hear "I want to be on Oprah" from authors and other entrepreneurs I coach. There's a belief that being on Oprah will create instant fame and fortune. But, sadly, that's not true.

I know people who have been on Oprah, and their sales have not risen one iota, they have not gained even one client. Nada. Zilch.

That's true of other exposure as well. I've been quoted and written about in the local papers, the NY Times, a syndicated column that appeared in major newspapers all over North America, and more. I can't say it's brought me anything more than visibility and credibility...nothing to sneeze at, but not fame and fortune.

Further conformation came via a musician's blog. Scott Andrew writes about a colleague that was prominently featured at MySpace:
" One of the band members posted the numbers:

number of times their music was played: around 20,000
number of MySpace friend requests: 1200
number of mailing list sign-ups: over 100
number of CDs sold: ZERO "

So what does this mean? Truth is, in today's over-glutted world, the best way to fame and fortune is your friends and family. Your network and six digress of separation is the best way to get yourself out there. Good old-fashioned grass roots and buzz.

It's not just a numbers game. It's about getting known to the right people. The people who crave who you are and what you have.  Seth Godin is right when he says " It's not just what you say, it's where you say it...it's an essential lesson in the value of permission... done right... over time. Not all at once."

So go out and party. Make some friends. And turn them into raving fans. Enjoy!

Dec 6th Call

Join us on Tuesday, December 6th at noon eastern.

Doing What You CAN Do - An Introduction to Abundance Intelligence with Kim George

The New Year is coming and that means more New Years Resolutions. Are you recycling unmet goals from last year? Are you frustrated because you know what you want to do, but cannot seem to do it? Join us as we talk with Kim George, author of Coaching Into Greatness: 4 Steps to Success in Business and Life, to explore scarcity mentality as the biggest barrier to greatness. In this discussion, Kim will introduce the concept of AQ, Abundance Intelligence, and how an abundance mentality is the ultimate catapult to the life and business you want, right now.

To register for the class send a blank email to [email protected] with 10097-1 in the subject line.

On Spirituality

Maria E. Andreu, author of Lotus and Stilletos: a practical guide to finding spiritual balance as a woman in today's world, joined us for a discussion around Spirituality.  We talked about spiritual balance, the difference between spirituality for women vs men, and the role of spirituality in coaching. 

Maria also shared with out her "10 Reveals” of Spirituality:

1.           Evoke presence for the client.

2.           Expand client’s sense of meaning

3.           Ignite profound questions

4.           Encourage the spark of the divine

5.           Co-create meaningful ritual

6.           Face and resolve emotional conflicts standing in the way.

7.           Explore oneness

8.           Make joy a focal point of life

9.           Confront the void and understand death.

10.        Seek uncompromising truth.

If you enjoyed hearing the discussion on spirituality, women's issues and coaching led by Maria E. Andreu, sign up for the Lotus and Stilettos update list by sending a blank e-mail to

[email protected] .  You'll get information on how to participate in the spirituality and coaching R&D, invitations to further discussions and more.