2012 February

Building from the Real You

February 29, 2012 by dwellman Leave a Comment

Social Media Cafe (Photo credit: Cristiano Betta/Flickr photo)

When I first started developing an “online presence” I, like most newbies, thought that everyone who ever put an eBook together must have had something unique to say. I wanted to know everything I could about the ways of social media and more than anything wanted to make a big splash for myself.

What I found over time was that most people writing eBooks are just re-purposing the same set of “must haves/must reads/must do’s” and that making a big splash online wasn’t really me in the first place. I found that what really made me happy was building my business from the real me.

Having gone through this experience, I would like to make three suggestions for anyone trying to build an online presence for either fun or profits (or both):

Start by understanding you! Social media and the internet allow for you to present yourself in anyway that you like. Lasting success online will come by building from the real you.
Build organically! Great conversations with people who know, like, and trust you are always better than “spitting in the wind.”
Learn the proper blend of life and business. I really don’t care what you had for lunch, but do want to know enough about you to suggest your favorite quiescence when we meet for a business lunch. I want to do business with the real you!

What lessons have you learned in your time online? How to you share the real you in the online world? What suggestions do you have for new people/businesses trying to make there way in social media?

Filed Under: Designing Success, Social Media Tagged With: Business, E-book, eBook, Facebook, Internet Marketing, Marketing and Advertising, Social media, Success

Learning THE Secret to Success

February 27, 2012 by dwellman 2 Comments

A few days ago I got a great email from Chris Brogan (it was not a personal email, I’m just on his list!) In that email, Chris explained that the biggest secret that he knows is, “… the “system,” such as it is, wants you to be pacified. It wants you to yearn for those things that you can grasp, but that do not upset any the system’s larger games is of the utmost importance. I mean this with all sincerity, and without any hint of the feeling that “The Matrix” is all around us or other conspiracies. But I know, with all that I know, that all systems of power seek to prevail within their goings on and that neither you nor I are invited to participate.”

With that said, he followed with, “Here’s the secret: once you work hard to understand the systems, you can choose one of three actions: grind yourself against it and lose, or ignore it and seek a smaller system of your own, or disrupt it all and aspire to a much larger success and with it, a system of its own shall take rise, and then you will seek to protect and preserve this new system.”

The problem is that most people make the wrong choice. Banging your head against a system that your not invited to participate in makes no sense. Thinking that you can create a level of success that allows you to create the next great system only happens rarely. So, as Chris went on to say, creating a smaller system of your own is THE secret to success.

I have been “haunted” by this email since I read it (thanks Chris)! But I also realize how true he is and have dedicated myself to understand THE secret for myself and teach it to my clients. What do you think? Does Chris have it right? What would you add to his “haunting” thoughts?

Filed Under: Local Business Success, Small Business Tagged With: Business, Chris Brogan, Las Vegas, Secret, Success, THE Secret

When Social Media Turns Ugly!

February 22, 2012 by dwellman 13 Comments

Image via Wikipedia

I spend a lot of time on social media channels these days and I have found that since we”marketing experts” have discovered them, they have really lost their desire for simple people like me. I will admit openly and without reservation that I embraced these channels of communication and considered with glee the great opportunity they provided for business growth and expansion. However, after becoming the victim of the insanity, I finally came to understand that these wonderful opportunities for small and quiet voices to be heard had been overtaken by the loud voices of “the market” and their ability to control the whole system.

Everywhere you go (from Facebook to Pinterest to LinkedIn to Twitter and beyond) the social stream is less and less social and more and more another channel to inundate the public with more and more “stuff.” Even the concept of “inbound marketing” where content is supposed to be free and limited so as to create a greater sales cycle.

I am not against the use of social media for business purposes, but I am dismayed that nearly everything you read these days is a “not so veiled” sales pitch. This post marks a change in thought (as well as direction) for me. I am still going to provide what I hope will be great and informative content to my friends and readers, but I am going to let the decision to work with me professionally be entirely yours.

The result may be a lessening of readership, a fewer numbers of “lead captures,” and maybe even less income for our company as well as for me, but I am ready to do the right thing. How about you? What do you think would bring you to such a decision? Is it important for your company to be seen in this kind of light or is money and growth all that is important? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: Business, Facebook, Inbound marketing, LinkedIn, Marketing and Advertising, Pinterest, Social media, Twitter

The Art of Discovery

February 20, 2012 by dwellman 1 Comment

In my research for a new workshop my good friend Dallon Christensen and I are hosting, I have been amazed with the discovery phase of an entrepreneurs journey in the development of a new business. What has amazed me most is how little real real consideration is made in this phase of business planning. It seems that most entrepreneurs either hear about a “great business idea” or image one themselves and then (in as quick a time as possible) bring the “great business idea” to market.

I think that one of the reasons that the discovery phase is often dramatically shortened if not overlooked all together is that it is really more art than science. It requires a more “emotion based, introspective, who and what do you really want in life” approach than that of the “get a product to market” phase.

Discovery is really about:

Understanding who you really are at your core and then deciding if this “great business idea” allows you to be successful without compromising the real you.
Looking at the business from the perspective of your definition of success and seeing whether bringing this idea to market measures up to success as defined by you.
Understanding your life purpose and then determining whether or not this new venture will enhance or detract form that purpose.

As one who sees the potential in every business deal, I know from personal experience that to fail to learn the art of discovery can bring difficult times to what for an entrepreneur should be a wondrous experience. While you might not see yourself as the introspective type, you skip this step to your own peril. (Not just the time, effort, and resources, but also the heartache and emotional distress that accompanies the failure of living life in alignment with your core purpose.)

Take time to learn the art of discovery. It will make your life/business more successful and your life’s purpose more evident to everyone around you!

Filed Under: Designing Success, Small Business Tagged With: Business, Business development, Business idea, Business plan, Entrepreneur, Small Business, Start Up

Having a Strategy for Growth

February 16, 2012 by dwellman Leave a Comment

I have been online consistently now for more than two years. I have read blogs and ebooks and articles and white papers and listened to webinars and watched videos and …. well you get the picture! I have done everything that I know how to do to create a valuable blog for people who want to design a successful life/business plan.

strategy (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

Since re-focusing the Doulos Group in January my readership and other analytics have gone up and I am grateful. However, I have discovered something that I hadn’t seen before that I want to put into practice here and to share with you as well. I have been studying my blogging heroes (Chris Brogan, Seth Godin, Nancy Duarte, Mark Schaefer, and Scott Stratten, to mention a few) and have discovered that they have something that I don’t have. They have a visible strategy for their posts and the direction that they want their blog and business to go. Nothing seems to be “hit and miss” about their writings. They have a plan (strategy) and they execute it with precision.

I, on the other hand, have written about things that I thought were important for the moment. (Or things that other people said were important to business professionals.) At the end of 2011 I looked back and tried to decide what I had accomplished. I enjoyed getting better at writing, but I didn’t really take my readers anyplace specific. I didn’t have a strategy or plan for what my writing should do or what story I might tell.

I read a lot of blogs and find many like mine. Lots of information that is good, but no real direction/strategy. My goal in the re-focusing of my online venture is to establish and work my developing strategy. I would challenge every entrepreneur and new business start-up to really consider the strategy and direction of your business and create a focused plan for 2012. With a definite strategy and a direction for your business online as well as offline, you can’t help but create something special for your customers/clients.

What is your strategy for the new year? What direction is your business heading? Would you be willing to share some of your ideas about focus, planning, and direction?

Filed Under: Internet Tagged With: Blog, Business, Chris Brogan, Design, Focus, Mark Schaefer, Nancy Duarte, Online and offline, Plan, Purpose, Scott Stratten, Seth Godin

Delivering on Your Life/Business Plan

February 13, 2012 by dwellman 2 Comments

When it comes down to crunch time, the most important factor in success is delivering on your life/business plan. This is where the pieces all fit together and the dream becomes reality!

But, when working hard to deliver your life/business plan, don’t forget that balance in the areas of life and business are what will make the dream work and keep the dream from turning into a nightmare. Story after story abound where entrepreneurs did all the discovery and design work, came up with a powerful life/business plan and then failed miserably in the delivery phase because they lost their balance and fell into the “business success at all costs” mode. In this mode the rest of life falters and often gets left behind in favor of making the business work.

The idea of “these 16 hour days will end just as soon as …” never rarely seems to ever see the light of day. And in the end, the business becomes your life rather than being the method by which you are able to live your life.

I cannot begin to tell you what balance looks like to you. However, it needs to be deeply ingrained in the delivery phase of your life/business plan or it will never survive! Clients, opportunities, meetings, and the like will invade your plan at every opening. Only when you remain true to the balanced approach you planned for will your dream life be a reality.

Remember, what you do should always reflect who you are at your core. If your life/business plan is unbalanced, what does that say about you?

Filed Under: Designing Success, The Dream Tagged With: Balance, Business, Business plan, Consulting, Customer, Life, Life/Business Plan, Plan, Small Business, Success

Turning Discovery into Design

February 9, 2012 by dwellman 3 Comments

There are so many people who have a great idea for a business living within them. These people just know that if they could discover their life/business passions and develop a plan to bring them to the market that they could create the life of their dreams.

From that group of potential entrepreneurs, a substantial number actually spend time discovering how this big idea fits together with their life and business passions, their definition of success, and their desire to live life on their own terms. After this time of discovery, they are more convinced than ever that their passion is indeed a viable business opportunity.

But, even after all of this discovery, the rate of new business failures among new business start-ups is still incredibly high. I think that the primary reason for this is that most entrepreneurs don’t really understand the principle of turning discovery into design.

Design is the part of your business development that creates a business model, a business plan, and a marketing plan that will allow your vision come to life in a powerful and systematic way. This phase of business development must be accomplished in order to both understand how your definition of success looks from a business point of view and how to track the progress of your business to make sure that you are moving in the direction of that definition.

Without the creation of a business design even the best idea and the greatest passion is doomed to failure or the regret of what I “shoulda” or “coulda” done in life! How have you done in the design stage of your business development? What you recommend people look for when designing success?

Discovery – The Entrepreneur’s First Step to Success! (thedoulosgroup.com)
Three Key Pieces to the Business Success Puzzle (thedoulosgroup.com)
Goals Must Come from Purpose (whiteboardbusiness.com)

Filed Under: Designing Success Tagged With: Business, Business development, Business model, Business plan, Consulting, Deisgn, Discover, Discovery, Entrepreneur, Small Business, Start Up

Discovery – The Entrepreneur’s First Step to Success!

February 6, 2012 by dwellman Leave a Comment

I started my entrepreneurial adventure while I was living in Park City, Utah. As a young entrepreneur I walked into a friends business one day and saw a poster that almost drove me out of the business world forever.

Looking down main street in Park City, Utah, USA

Image via Wikipedia

What could have possibly have caused a young, passionate entrepreneur to cash it in so early in my career? Well, I turned the corner and in an out of the way spot in their store I saw a picture of a terrible storm on the ocean. You know what I mean; terrible winds and waves, etc. And there in the midst of this terrible storm was a little wooden row boat. Below this harrowing picture was a caption that said, “So you want to start your own business!” (I think that picture caused me to have nightmares!)

While I didn’t quit, the truth of that picture caused me to take the time to discover what it was that drove me to be an entrepreneur. As I boiled things down I came up with three things that drew me to the world of startups and have kept me here for over 25 years.

What three things burn in the heart of an entrepreneur that get them in the game and keep them there?

1. An entrepreneur discovers the person that they really are. This discovery usually involves an understanding that a “real job” just doesn’t work for them.

2. An entrepreneur discovers the passion that drives them to succeed no matter the challenges and struggles that being an entrepreneur brings.

3. An entrepreneur discovers that life is about more than money. Success takes on a unique and personal definition for the true entrepreneur. It is only when this personal definition of success if fulfilled that the entrepreneur is content with life and business.

I think seeing that poster early in my career was a great thing. While I never really considered quitting, that picture did burn into my mind the truth that being an entrepreneur requires more of you than most are willing to pay. But if you are willing to brave the wind and waves, the rewards are greater than any “money making” life option!

Discover who you are, what your passion is, and why business is about more than money and you too can take to the stormy seas and find yourself, your life, and your success!

What other things have you discovered that have made your entrepreneurial life a success?

Filed Under: Designing Success, The Dream Tagged With: Business, Careers, Discover, Discovery, Entrepreneur, Life Success, Park City, Passion, Small Business, Success, Utah, Your Passion

Designing Your Personal Brand

February 2, 2012 by dwellman Leave a Comment

Over the past year and a half of working with entrepreneurs and start-up companies, the concept of personal branding has come up time and time again and so I thought that I would talk a little about what I have learned over the past few months of planning and launching this new business.

Branding is about creating a perception of you and the business you operate as being of value to your potential clients.

Branding puts you at the top of people’s thinking when they consider buying your product/service within your chosen niche.

Branding makes you stand out from the crowd when people are choosing who they will buy from or work with.

So … how do you begin the process of branding yourself to your niche?

First of all take some time and decide what kind of business you want to build. You cannot brand yourself as an expert in a particular niche if you do not like working in that niche or with the people who populate that niche. When you have no desire to work in a particular area, you will not do your best for either yourself or your clients. You need to only consider niches that wake you up in the morning and keep you up at night!

Next, you need to decide how your skills can benefit those who work/play in the niche that you have chosen. Think about what they might want and need. Find out their likes and dislikes. Then design your business and your brand around what will cause them to take notice of you.

Then, design and deliver a marketing plan that will do two critical things: generate leads and convert the leads into customers/clients. This is where most people fall short in their branding efforts. They spend lots of time designing logos and developing their slogans, but when those things are done the campaign to get all of that out to potential customers/clients just doesn’t happen.

You should always keep the whole picture in view while building your personal brand. That “whole picture” requires lots of innovative thinking that will not only give you place as an expert in your chosen niche, but will also create a system that will market your expertise to that niche.

What do you think? How have you created and maintained your personal brand?

Filed Under: Designing Success, Small Business Tagged With: Brand, Branding, Business, Marketing and Advertising, Personal Brand, Small Business Branding