Tag Archives: Goals

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Platform Conference Recap: 8/10 – John Saddington

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The eighth speaker at the Franklin, TN, Platform Conference was visionary entrepreneur John Saddington. John is the founder of 8Bit, a self-described band of digital rapscallions. One of their products is Standard Theme, a premium WordPress theme for publishers and photographers. If you like the layout of my blog then you like Standard Theme as it’s what I use. John spoke to us on ‘Finding Opportunity in the Ordinary’ and outlined a method for looking at the things around us that can help in giving direction on what our platform could be, focus if we already know it, and ideas if we are stuck.

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As so many speakers had, John related his ‘story’ as he opened. He described being a student of engineering, breaking some rules, failing at engineering, taking two masters degrees at Dallas Theological Seminary. None of this speaks to the ‘normal’ path to net success. However, if you have been reading along on the 10 part series you will have discerned a subtle truism. There is no normal path. You have to be you, and you have to share a lot of you with others.

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Platform Conference Recap: 7/10 – Carrie Wilkerson

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Our seventh speaker in the Platform Conference recap series is Carrie Wilkerson, better known as the Barefoot Executive. Carrie was the perfect antidote to the post lunch slump. Energetic does not begin to describe her. She spoke to us on Filling Your Stadium: Building More Fans, Friends, & Followers. Who knew the Wonderful Wizard of Oz would figure so prominently into this presentation? Join me after this awesome Lego representation of

Follow the Yellow Brick RoadCarrie described herself as almost an accidental success story. Leaving the corporate world to be a stay at home mom to two toddlers she had adopted she found that her priorities changed as did her workplace. Since then she’s has built several businesses as well as being a coach to others.  Along the way she described overcoming extreme debt, losing 110 pounds and having two more children.  Her big leap into ‘brand name’ recognition followed the publication of her book, “The Barefoot Executive’. Much of the advice she gives in the book comes from her own experience, but she had to be talked into writing the book as she initially felt that she was not qualified to write it. She already had a large following but was conflicted in her mind on how best to proceed.  She knew that in defining her niche she was inevitably going to lose some of those followers.

Therein lies a key learning. Don’t be afraid to NICHE DOWN. Continued focus on a clearly defined niche will alienate some of your tribe that is looking for broader content. However, it will multiply the followers who are looking for targeted content in the niche.  Content without the fluff. These are the followers that really care about the message and are the raving fans we all seek.

photo by: pasukaru76
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Were You Promised A Rose Garden?

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Sometimes life just does not go your way. I know I’m not the only one who can attest to this fact. When it does not go as planned do you accept defeat or do you brush yourself off and carry on? Did someone promise you that life would be a rose garden?

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When Lynn Anderson recorded Joe South’s song ‘Rose Garden’ in 1970 it shot straight to number one on country hit charts around the world. It even got to number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Why?

I think it is because the song, if you will pardon the pun, struck a chord with so many people. It still does. Just read these lyrics.

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3 Discoveries From My One Year Water Photography Project

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A couple of years ago I was searching for a project that would be simple to do daily but challenging to keep up with for a whole year. Nothing at all like this blog, right? What I settled on in the closing days of 2009 was to take up the theme ‘water’ and post a photograph to Facebook every day for a year. My discoveries went much beyond just taking photographs.

Final Water Shot – Dec 31 – 2010

The concept is simple enough and there are no end of these 365 type concepts out there. I dreamt this one up on my own and really was doing it just for me. The only rule was that the photograph had to have water in it. Easy right? No, but more on that later as it relates to third of my discoveries.

But first, why water? Honestly I am not sure if consciously thought of the many reasons that later became evident, but four I can highlight are: