Training For The Hy-Vee Triathlon Has Taught Me…

by "Get it Done Girl" on May 10, 2010 · 3 comments

in Free Agency

I started training for the Hy-Vee Triathlon on February 22, 2010. Yep, I chose a 16-week training program, so I’ll be ready on race day, logo-hy-vee-triJune 13. I needed a lot of help…

I did the Cy-Man Triathlon last year (just a sprint: 500 yard swim, 14.3 mile bike, and a 3.1 mile run) and had a good time, both during the training and on race day. I thought I’d step it up a notch this year and try Hy-Vee which is double the distance. I’m learning a lot about myself during this training process that parallels my life as a business owner:

  • When you think you can’t run anymore, walk for 30 seconds and then continue – it’s the only way you’re going to get stronger. There are some days when I struggle with getting all of my client work done – but I must. Taking short breaks really re-energizes my body and mind so I can push through.
  • Nutrition is important. You can train longer and be a better employee when you nourish your body correctly. After mile 3, I need water; if I don’t drink any, I’m not going to be able to make it to the finish. If you skip lunch, you know the consequences!
  • If you’re uncomfortable, you’re making progress. If you’re not physically achy the day after a workout, you didn’t pushed yourself hard enough. If you’re not constantly challenging yourself in your work, you will become stagnant…and then irrelevant.
  • You need to schedule it and stick to it. My workouts are on my calendar and I arrange all of my meetings around them. I like to train in the afternoon, so that means that I have to do some work “after hours” which is fine – I knew that when I got into this. What do you have on your plate at work that you just can’t seem to find the time to get done? Schedule it and stick to it…
  • I’m training alone, so it means a lot when people offer words of encouragement when I’m out training. I was doing my long run yesterday around Copper Creek Lake in Pleasant Hill and a lady I passed quite a few times told me that I was doing a good job. I smiled, said thanks and powered through the rest of my run. Wow, did her words make me feel good. Do you have cheerleaders like that in your work life who help get you through tough times?

I’ll be sure to let you all know how the Triathlon goes for me – Are any of you training? Do you bring that same work ethic to the office?

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Are You Collecting Testimonials?

by "Get it Done Girl" on May 4, 2010 · 0 comments

in Free Agency

People do business with others that they know, like and trust. I’ve been hearing that for the past year; even more so since I started my business in November.

Clients are always hesitant to engage with a new business for the first time. They’re not sure if the business can deliver what they promised; they’re not sure they’re going to get value from the relationship. Testimonials can reassure your prospects that you have a successful track record.

Now, there are great testimonials and then there are not-so-stellar testimonials. You’re asking your client to take time out of their day to write something for you, so you should make the process as easy as possible.

My process:

  • Either upon completion of a project or after benchmarks have been met, I send the client an email asking if they would be willing to write a recommendation (LinkedIn terminology) of my work that I’ve completed for them. If they say yes…
  • Send them a Recommendation Request through LinkedIn. I write the recommendation and tell them that what I’ve written can be used as their recommendation or merely a guideline to help them craft their own. This saves them time (faster turnaround time on the recommendation) and it gives them a point of reference.
  • When I receive a recommendation through LinkedIn, I re-purpose it. It goes on my website and in my newsletters.

How do you collect recommendations/testimonials from people you’ve done work with/for? Or are you???

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I almost fell off the Blogwagon!

by "Get it Done Girl" on April 30, 2010 · 2 comments

in Free Agency

When I started this blog for my business, my goal was to write one original post a week (inspired by The Brand Chef who has written, on average, one post/week for around 7 years) and then possibly graduate to two over time and then possibly three. I’m finally sitting down to write my weekly post and it’s “after hours” on a Friday night! How did this happen?

I have a reminder set up in Outlook to pop up on Sundays which gets me thinking about writing my post for the week. I don’t “dismiss” the reminder until it’s done. For some reason, this week, there were other things that needed to get done before blogging. This is a clear message that I need to SCHEDULE an hour each week to blog because it is THAT IMPORTANT.

Not only is blogging improving my page ranking, it is also shows my readers who I am, what I care about and how I can help.

To make blogging easier on me, I’m going to implement what I tell my clients to do:

  • Keep a running list of blog post topic ideas so when you sit down to write, you’re not spending half the time trying to figure out what to write about! That wouldn’t be a good use of time!
  • Create an editorial calendar so your posts coincide with promotions, workshops and holidays
  • Write in the same place during the same time each week. If you’re having a cup of tea while you blog, do that consistently too. It will get you into the Habit.

How do you set the tone for blogging? Do you write when the mood strikes or are you more of a need-to-schedule-it type of person?

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Social Media for Small Business Workshop Series

by "Get it Done Girl" on April 19, 2010 · 0 comments

in small biz

For most small business owners, myself included, time and money are in short supply, especially when it comes to marketing. The “Social Media for Small Business” workshop series will begin with a free workshop on why it is important to engage in social media as a small business owner and we’ll discuss which platforms you should engage in to get the most out of your time. Bring your laptops to the subsequent, hands-on workshops where we will create a WordPress website/blog, Twitter account, Facebook FanPage, LinkedIn Profile and a MailChimp e-newsletter. I’ve also designed a workshop which will introduce you to the tools necessary to manage all of these platforms and to create content to share with your consumers.


All workshops in the series will take place from 6-8pm in the Sienna Room of Connxions (Just off the Douglas Exit at I-80, 3901-121st St, Urbandale, IA 50323, Phone: 515-276-3333, www.connectingwithyou.com)


*FREE* Social Media for Small Business Workshop Overview, 18-May

In this FREE workshop, learn why it’s important to engage in social media as a small business owner and how best to engage in which platforms to get the most out of your time. Register for Social Media for Small Business Workshop Overview in Urbandale, IA on Eventbrite

Create a WordPress Website/Blog Session I, 25-May

Bring your laptop and we’ll create a basic website/blog for your business using WordPress. WordPress allows you to develop a website/blog for free. If your business does not currently have a website or blog this is a great start. Prerequisite: General computer skills.Register for Social Media for Small Business Workshop: Create a WordPress Website/Blog Session I in Urbandale, IA on Eventbrite

Create a WordPress Website/Blog Session II, 1-Jun

This is a continuation of the first session. Bring your laptop and we’ll continue to create a basic website/blog for your business using WordPress. WordPress allows you to develop a website/blog for free. If your business does not currently have a website/blog this is a great place to start. Prerequisite: General computer skills. Register for Social Media for Small Business Workshop: Create a WordPress Website/Blog Session II in Urbandale, IA on Eventbrite

Create a Twitter Account for Your Business, 10-Jun

Bring your laptop and as a group, we’ll go through the steps required to set up a Twitter profile and account for your business. You’ll learn Twitter etiquette and how to engage Followers on the platform. If you attended the fist two sessions in this series and developed a website, I’ll show you how to create a link on your website to your Twitter account. When you leave, you will have a firm grasp on how to find and follow people and how to create relationships that will help you in your business. Prerequisite: General computer skills. Register for Social Media for Small Business Workshop: Create a Twitter Account for Your Business in Urbandale, IA on Eventbrite

Create a Facebook FanPage for Your Business, 15-Jun

Bring your laptop and as a group, we’ll go through the steps required to set up a Facebook FanPage for your business. We’ll talk about the tabs and Facebook Ads, edit the Bio section, upload your business’ logo and add some content to the Wall so you can begin inviting your friends to become FANS of your FanPage. If you attended the fist two sessions in this series and developed a website, I’ll show you how to create a link on your website to your Facebook FanPage. Prerequisite: General computer skills and a personal Facebook page. Register for Social Media for Small Business Workshop: Create a Facebook FanPage for Your Business in Urbandale, IA on Eventbrite

Create a LinkedIn Profile and Company Page, 21-Jun

Bring your laptop and as a group, we’ll create a personal LinkedIn Profile and Company Page for your business. We’ll spend most of our time on the profile, but we will also talk about how to search for people you can build relationships with to help you in your business as either a customer or connector. If you attended the fist two sessions in this series and developed a website, I’ll show you how to create a link on your website to your LinkedIn presence. Prerequisite: General computer skills. Register for Social Media for Small Business Workshop: Create a LinkedIn Profile and Company Page in Urbandale, IA on Eventbrite

E-Newsletter Creation using MailChimp, 29-Jun

Having an e-newsletter for your business is a great way to stay in touch with customers – especially when they’re not quite ready to buy. We’ll set up an e-newsletter template using MailChimp (free for up to 500 email addresses) and you’ll leave with a firm grasp on how to draft your first e-newsletter and send it to your email database. If you attended the fist two sessions in this series and developed a website, I’ll show you how to create a newsletter subscription link on your website. Prerequisite: General computer skills. Register for Social Media for Small Business Workshop: E-Newsletter Creation using MailChimp in Urbandale, IA on Eventbrite

Content Creation and Management Tools, 6-Jul

I consistently hear from those not engaged with or new to social media: “I don’t have the time to do this” and “I don’t really have anything to say”. Bring your laptop and we’ll download TweetDeck to make it easier to manage your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn profiles and we’ll set up your GoogleReader so you can subscribe to blogs and searches relevant to your industry as RSS feeds. Prerequisite: General computer skills. Register for Social Media for Small Business Workshop: Content Creation and Management Tools in Urbandale, IA on Eventbrite

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What your Twitter Account Stats Really Say

by "Get it Done Girl" on April 12, 2010 · 0 comments

in Free Agency

Many people brag about how many Twitter Followers they have. The more Followers you have, the better, right? I say – WRONG! The same goes for those you are Following.

I manage a few Twitter accounts and every month I use Manage Twitter to “unfollow” Twitter Followers who haven’t posted an update in over a month. To me, this is an indication that they aren’t using Twitter anymore. If they’re not engaging with the community, I don’t want to have them be part of my statistics. This allows me to follow additional people without disrupting my Followers/Following ratio too much.

There has been some talk among the Twitter community regarding how many people you can “really” follow. If I’m following over 1000 people, am I really reading their status updates and engaging them? Most people who have a large number of people they are following rely on Twitter Lists or Lists within TweetDeck to manage the conversations. In this instance, they aren’t listening to all of the people they are following. It’s just not possible. At what point do you stop following people so you can actually nurture those relationships?

The one stat that I LOVE to see go up is the “Listed” number. The more lists my accounts are on, the more value the Followers place on the content that I’m putting out there. This statistic means the most to me and the accounts I manage.

How do you view your Twitter stats?

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