Reasons Why I Read Your Blog (or why I don't)

I've been thinking about what attracts me to the blogs that I frequent.

I read blogs that:
(1) have solid, well-written, thoughtful content.
(2) are written by people I know personally.
(3) are written by authors, leaders, politicians, or journalists who I admire.
(4) are written by bloggers who frequent my blog and contribute.
(5) provide links to new research, interesting websites, or current events.

Note: If the blog fails to deliver #1 (solid, well-written, thoughtful content), I quickly move on regardless of #2-5.

I don't read blogs that:
(1) have too much advertising.
(2) have too many "buttons" and "blogger awards" on the side columns.
(3) are too long.
(4) are too negative or too sarcastic.
(5) are too personal without any broader relevance or message.

I'll end my post now for fear of losing readers for reason #3 (too long).

Why do you read blogs?

(Photo by: heather)

Books that Important People Read

Zane Safrit wrote a post on his blog on 6-27-07 entitled "You are What You [Read]" based on the NY Times article - "C.E.O. Libraries Reveal Keys to Success."

The NY Times article described the wide and varied libraries of C.E.O.'s - their shelves contained everything from Aristotle to William Blake to Arthur Miller. And, apparently, many C.E.O.'s are prolific readers...

One quote from the article particularly struck me:
If there is a C.E.O. canon, its rule is this: “Don’t follow your mentors, follow your mentors’ mentors,” suggests David Leach, chief executive of a non-profit accreditation organization.

Great advice. I'd like to take it. Maybe I will think of five people that I admire and ask them for their favorite ten books - and then read them. (By the way, what are your favorite books...?)

(Photo by: chotda)

"If I Were a Rich (Wo)man..."

In the classic and much-loved musical entitled "Fiddler on the Roof", there is a memorable scene in which the lead character, Tevye, sings about all of the things that he would do if he were a rich man...

And I was just thinking about what luxuries I might indulge in if I were very, very rich:

A. a maid - maybe even just once a week (I'd love to spend my "cleaning" moments on playing with my little girl or going for a jog or writing a letter).
B. A personal shopper - especially for grocery shopping (which is definitely not on my list of favorite tasks).
C. A trip to Canyon Ranch or some other recreational resort - I'd love to relax, hike, take dance classes, enjoy gourmet food, ride bikes, and spend some quality "retreat" time to pray and write down my goals.

What would you do if you were a rich man/woman?

P.S. Click here for a clip of "If I Were a Rich Man" from "Fiddler on the Roof" (the movie). Thanks, YouTube.

(Photo by: CMP73)

the stuff of life

“Time is life. It is irreversible and irreplaceable. To waste your time is to waste your life, but to master your time is to master your life and make the most of it.” (Alan LaKein, Time Management Consultant)

My husband and I decided tonight that it's about time for us to write out our goals again. We usually go on a little "goals retreat" every six months - or, at a minimum, every year. And we ask ourselves, "where are we heading?""Who am I now and who do I want to become?" "Where do I want to be in five years, ten years, and beyond?"

Then, we discuss and debate and probe and cross out and re-write. Until our goals are there. On paper. Living.

Then, we move toward them.

(Photo by: slack12)

How to Save Money In College

I applied for over 55 scholarships my senior year in high school - and ended up heading off to college without shelling out any money (my own or my parents).

Once I arrived on-campus, I diligently pursued ways to save and earn money - and my dedication paid off. I graduated two years later with no debt. That's a semi-extraordinary feat in today's world wherein "the average graduate owes $19,000" and many graduates have debt "exceeding $40,000" (Source: 2006 USA Today article).

My motto was (and still is) to avoid loans at (almost) all costs.

Here are a few fantastic ways to get through college debt-free:

1. Keep applying for scholarships. Just because you've set foot onto the college campus of your dreams doesn't mean you should give up on the scholarship quest. In fact, don't simply think of the "now." Think about how to get scholarships and grants for next year, the year after, and beyond.
   
2. Take more credit hours. Many universities charge you the same amount of money if you take 15 credit hours or if you take 25 credit hours. And students are notorious for not taking advantage of this.
   
3. Graduate in three years. Yes, it is possible. Most bachelors degree programs require about 120 credit hours. So, if you take 18 credit hours for six semester and 6 credits for two summers, you'll graduate in three years. And save yourself an entire year of college costs!
   
4. Apply to niche programs. Investigate your options - the Honors Program, the Pre-Med Club, the Education House, etc. Many academic clubs and programs offer scholarships.
   
5. Utilize the university library. Why pay hundreds of dollars for textbooks when you can just check them out at the university library? Really!
   
6. Work on-campus. Apply for FAFSA. If you qualify, take advantage of a work-study program on-campus. If possible, look for a job in your major or department so that you can establish connections in your field.
   
7. Don't take out loans. Loan companies will call you because they think you are vulnerable and naive. Other people in your life may encourage you to take out a loan. My advice: pursue ALL other avenues. Debt is dangerous and often it is the easy way out of working hard...

(Photo by: entropia)

How to Attract Readers to Your Website (hint: don't hire a marketing pro)

So, you've been thinking about hiring a marketing consultant for your blog, your website, or your business. You want to attract customers, traffic, and readers...why not turn to a "professional"?

Well, put simply, because you should look for someone that can do a better job.

Here's some tips for locating help:

• Don't search for help under "Marketing" or "Advertising" or "Business."
• Think of someone you know who is a good writer and who has good social skills.
• If you don't know someone like that, ask around.
  
• Good marketers typically don't go into marketing. They are people in other fields who have an excellent mastery of the English language and who are likable because they are just really nice people. [They won't be pushy, manipulating, self-serving, or dishonest. And they won't claim to be doing it all for a greater good. That's the kind of marketer that you'll probably find if you search "marketing" on Google.]
  
• If you find a potential candidate, go out to coffee with him/her. See if he can market himself (the real test). What does that mean? Well, do you walk away, thinking "that's a caring, intelligent person with a purpose greater than themselves" OR do you think "just another schmooze who spends way too much talking and way too little time listening"? If he/she is the caring, intelligent type, then you can move to step two (asking about other skills they might have...).
  

So, if you're looking for a marketing pro, look in unexpected places. Maybe it's your son's fifth grade teacher or the stay-at-home mom down the street or that recent college grad you struck up a conversation with at the coffeehouse...

(Picture by: sgis)

Finding My Voice (in the blogosphere and in real life)

As many of you know, I'm in my twenties - a time of colorful dreams, lofty goals, and whirlwind growth.

If I wanted to allegorize my life, perhaps I would compare it to building a house. I'm in the process of gathering all the right tools (education/experience) and enlisting the help of qualified people (mentors). And I'm trying to decide what exactly I want my house (my future) to look like.

It is the age of self-discovery. I ask myself, "who do I want to be? what bold and beautiful future lies ahead? what legacy - what glorious imprint- will I leave on this world?"

I notice in this process that I am trying to figure out my specialization and my tone of voice in the blogosphere (and in real life). I notice that some people are sarcastic; others are funny; others are just plain honest; others are experts.

And I think I want my voice to be one of kindness and compassion and optimism - but also of information and ideas. Maybe the girl who "has a lot of innovative ideas and uses them to help people."

(Picture by: robyn00)