Husband | Father | Filmmaker | Mid-Life Mystic
I always enjoy reading articles and news about small business. As a small business owner myself, any information on how to improve your small business is excellent news to read.
So, I was quite interested in reading Steve Pavlina’s “10 Stupid Mistakes Made by the Newly Self Employed”.
Wise information.
I’ve always been fascinated by the use of storytelling in the business world. Why? Because it’s so rare!
Having run that corporate race for 16 years, I have seen my share of really boring presentations and marketing material. If you’re trying to sell sleeping aids, then by all means, present the way you’ve always presented.
But today’s consumers are all about stories. That’s why I found this post on PresentationZen with Robert McKee (master storyteller) quite interesting.
Phil Cooke made an interesting observation:
The people who complain the most, are the people who have no stake in the outcome.
People who’s job depends on performance don’t complain much because if something fails, it’s their fault. But the members of you team or employees in your office that aren’t directly responsible for the success or failure of your project or company, are usually the first ones to whine and moan.
Good constructive criticism is good. But whining and complaining sow seeds of strife that will destroy a project, company, or organization.
So make sure every member of your team has a stake in the outcome. Make sure they’re responsible for something that matters. It will make a dramatic difference in their attitude – and your chances of success.
Blogging, podcasting, rss feeds, comments, trackbacks, pingbacks, twitters…you name it. The internet has truly evolved into something different, something interactive.
Seth Godin explains it well:
You can contact just about anyone you want. The only rule is you need to contact them personally, with respect, and do it months before you need their help! Contact them about them, not about you. Engage. Contribute. Question. Pay attention. Read. Interact.
Then, when you’ve earned the right to attention and respect, months and months later, sure, ask. It takes a lot of time and effort, which is why volume isn’t the answer for you, quality is.
That’s a great way to get a job, promote a site, make a friend, spread the word or just be a human.
In October of 2005, I decided to resign from my cushy, corporate job and pursue my dreams of producing. It was a scary but exciting step. And, today (a year later), I have no regrets (and still no health insurance). But, I’m loving life. Everyday, I get to create. I get to produce. I get to be as successful as I choose to be.
Taking that step was not as hard as it could have been, because I had partnered with a good friend of mine, Rick Morrison, to launch MorrisonPond, a creative marketing agency. Having that partnership helped me land a little softer on the other side of the pond. Thanks Rick!
In January 2006, Rick and I decided to “make a movie”. It’s both of our dreams to tell stories–me on the fiction side, Rick on the non-fiction. But, we’re storytellers. So, we decided to tell a story.
Recent Comments