I know…I’m a little late to the party on this one, but I finally got around to reading Stephen Covey’s “international bestseller”.
This work is truly a guidebook on how to perform better in both personal and professional areas. Covey stresses that if we want to make a change, we all should first address our own personal attitudes and behaviors. Personal victories precede public victories.
- Habits 1, 2, and 3 deal with self-mastery
- Habits 4, 5, and 6 deal with teamwork, cooperation and communication
- Habit 7 incorporates all of the other habits to help an individual work on continuous improvement.
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I’ve been receiving quite a few e-newsletters lately that have needed second glances before they go out the door. Images not rendering, alignment off, hyperlinks not working…
There are several ways MailChimp makes this proofing process easy for the user:
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improv wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up by Patricia Ryan Madson is our final Book Club book for 2011 which we will be discussing on 8-Nov at noon at the Plymouth Congregational Church. The Meyvn Group does an amazing job of facilitating discussion that makes the book much more meaningful.
I’m the consummate planner. While I only have one “to-do list” (unlike some people), I’m very religious about it. It helps me make sure things get done.
I overly prepare for speaking engagements and meetings with clients. That’s what you’re supposed to do, right? Be Prepared?
I was a bit confused by this book. I think the main thrust was to lighten up a bit when it comes to your personal and professional lives, but not to let your whole world fall out of balance. Live an unscripted life like an improve actor does when they get on stage.
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Contemporary Business Solutions is holding a series of monthly Lunch and Learn workshops at the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce from 11:45am – 1pm. Attendees are invited to bring their own lunch and laptops. Reserve your ticket today for the MailChimp E-Newsletter workshop on June 5th. Attendance is limited to the first 15 registrants.
During June’s workshop, we will focus on how to use email marketing to remain “top of mind” with your prospects, clients and partners. We’ll create a MailChimp account, set up a mailing list and learn how to use MailChimp templates to create your first send. Bring your laptops and we’ll work through the steps together.
Please add the following dates to your calendars!
- August 7th, 2014 – LinkedIn 201: How to Supersize your LinkedIn profile
- September 4th, 2014 – LinkedIn 301: How to Use your LinkedIn profile
- November 6th, 2014 – TBD
- December 4th, 2014 – TBD
Join the Social Media Club of Des Moines for a great educational event on new digital marketing initiatives and the customer service revolution in social media presented by the Hy-Vee Digital Marketing team!
Customer service organizations face a lot of pressure to deliver better service amongst the midst of growing social media channels. The reach and immediacy of social media has made the voice of the customer extremely powerful! Bad customer experiences can quickly lead to PR disasters. Customers now expect to reach companies from anywhere, at anytime and through any device.
Join the Hy-Vee digital team for an educational event centered around the best practices in customer service on social media and new digital initiatives in marketing. Be sure to bring
your burning questions for these two social media veterans!
Refreshments will be provided by Hy-Vee. Tickets are $10 and are available here.
About the speakers:
Nathan T. Wright:
Nathan T. Wright began his career in the advertising agency world, where he developed digital media strategy for clients of all shapes and sizes. His interest in social networks led him to entrepreneurship and the formation of Lava Row, a consulting firm dedicated to helping large corporations navigate the ever-shifting digital media space with emphasis on training, best practices and business value. He joined Hy-Vee in a new Digital Marketing and Innovation role in October 2013.
Nathan is a frequent presenter at industry conferences such as South by Southwest Interactive and in front of professional organizations and universities. He has taught Internet marketing as an adjunct instructor at Drake University and is active in the Des Moines technology, start-up and entrepreneur community. He currently serves on advisory boards for the University of Northern Iowa Interactive Digital Studies program and Iowa State University’s Greenlee School of Journalism and Communications.
Larry Ballard:
Larry Ballard oversees Hy-Vee’s Customer Care team, responsible for supporting customers across Facebook, Twitter, email and phone. Previously he was an Assignment Editor at the Des Moines Register for over 12 years.
Time: May 15, 2014 from 5:30pm to 7pm
Location: Hy-Vee Conference Center
Street: 5820 Westown Pkwy
City/Town: West Des Moines, IA 50266
A few months ago, I decided (along with my husband) to train for the Des Moines Half Marathon taking place in October. While I’ve never considered myself a “runner”, I do triathlon and running is part of that, so it didn’t seem like that big of a leap for me. I mean, if my husband can do it, I can certainly do it, right? It’s only 13.1 miles…
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I finished another book as part of my professional development. As part of the Meyvn Group’s Business Book Club, we read Toy Box Leadership: Leadership Lessons From the Toys You Loved as a Child by Ron Hunter Jr. and Michael E. Waddell.
I had a bit of trouble relating to the content since it talked a lot about leadership within organizations – and as most of you know, I’m a one-woman show. But the authors do a great job of create a context for the creation and popularity of ten toys (i.e. LEGO® Bricks, Slinky® Dog, Play-Doh®, the yo-yo, Mr. Potato Head® and Rubik’s Cube®, the rocking horse, little green plastic army men, Lite-Brite®, and Weebles®) and then writing a chapter focused on the leadership lessons that can be learned from each.
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L-O-V-E-D it. Rework is the second book written by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, aka the founders of 37Signals. (Getting Real was their first).
From the book jacket:
Rework shows you a better, easier way to succeed in business. Read it and you’ll know why plans are actually harmful, why you don’t need outside investors and why you’re better off ignoring the competition. The truth is, you need less than you think. You don’t need to be a workaholic. You don’t need to staff up. You don’t need to waste time on paperwork or meetings. You don’t even need an office. Those are all just excuses.
What I loved about the book was – everything, including:
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I’m excited and honored to be a panelist at the Greater Des Moines Young Professionals Connection “All Things Entrepreneurship Lunch & Learn” this Thursday, April 24th from 11:45am-1pm at Startup City.
Any chance I get to talk about how I got started in my business, what I did to get here, where I got my ideas, etc., I take it! I wish that entrepreneurship was stressed more when I was in high school and as a young professional. It would have been nice to know that there are other options in life to earn a living besides getting a job working for someone else…
Register online for the event here.
WHAT: All Things Entrepreneurship Lunch & Learn, Greater Des Moines Young Professionals Connection.
WHEN: Thursday, April 24th, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.
WHERE: 317 Sixth Ave., fifth floor, Des Moines.
COST: $10 for members, $15 for guests and non-members. Includes lunch.
INFO: Learn how other entrepreneurs got their start, what they did, where they got their ideas or their funding. Come prepared to learn and ask questions. Panelists include Suzanne Hull, Contemporary Business Solutions; Jeff Bruning, Full Court Press; and Ryan Peterson, Impact7G, Startup City.
