Writing

Each year during the holidays, I think of a theme or word that will define my focus for the next year.

For 2014, my theme is “No Excuses”.

As I was reading through an article over the break, the author said any time we make an excuse we are really lying to ourselves.

His comment stayed in my mind and I mentally chewed on his comment while running.  How many times had I made excuses to myself and others?   The more I analyzed the excuses, I realized they costed me money and wasted my time.

Excuses delay our decisions which create more problems in the long run.

Last year, I read Dr. Cloud’s “Necessary Endings” which was an enlightening book, it also made me think about my actions and excuses.

My goal for the year is to stop and think about the real reason behind the excuse then make a decision to act or not act at all.  Many times we make excuses to delay other people or to avoid a confrontation.

There were many excuses surrounding this blog.  I felt constrained that I could not freely express my thoughts on a range of topics.  I wanted to have a blog where I could mix both my business and personal life together because that how I live.

My career and life are intertwined woven together by interesting threads of events and people.   Being a small business owner, writer, and single parent everything I do is intertwined which always leads to a funny story or two.

In November, I started a blog on Google called “Just for Fun” because I made an excuse to myself that I needed a platform, a different place to write about fun topics that were not related to business.  Creating another blog to my already packed schedule didn’t make sense either.  I realized it was me and my internal excuses preventing me from writing what I wanted to write in this blog post.

My question to you for 2014 is what excuses both internal and external are holding you back or preventing you from doing something you really want to do?

Excuses are traps that keep us from taking action.   We feel the need to delay an action or decision so we make an excuse.

Or maybe there was no decision to be made in the first place but we feel pressured from family or friends to make a decision.   Maybe family habits or traits are obsolete because life is different now than when we were kids.

Whatever may be the case, excuses gain nothing and in the end are just a waste of time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since junior high I have been writing poetry, short stories and articles for local community papers.   I started blogging three years ago about startups, concept development and digital technology.

My goal is to complete “You Posted What! How to Help Your Teen Use Social Media For Future Career Success” by May of 2014.

The Internet provides a unique freedom for creative individuals; we can develop and share ideas with others around the world. I am grateful for this freedom and opportunity.

Deciding to self-publish was a no-brainer since my chances of securing a publisher were slim. Secondly, my goal is to write more books in the future and knowing how to self-publish early in the process would save time and money later.

In the past six months, I’ve discovered that writing the actual book is the easier part of the process. Learning the intricacies of self-publishing has become a daunting task.  Lack of consistency in information from “how-to” books and marketers has not helped either. Several friends have recently published books and were generous with advice and recommendations.

In May, I was reading about Kickstarter and begin to toss around the idea of launching a Kickstarter campaign to pre-sell the book. I’m curious about Kickstarter and would like to be part of the experience.

What I Have Learned So Far–

Writing the Actual Book

“Word” is the program of choice for many reasons, it is the most popular, easy to use and your files can be sent to editors and publishers with ease.

PressBooks is a new platform that offers the ability to write and publish an eBook using the WordPress platform.  For individuals who are bloggers and already use WordPress, this is an easy program to use.

I created an account to test drive PressBooks.  What I like best about platform is that you can visually see what your eBook will look like when it’s published.

Being a visual learner and thinker “seeing” the book in a digital format helped establish a visual image of the book I was writing.

Secondly, you can cut and paste from Word which is a nice feature. The down side to PressBooks is that you have been online to add content to your book. The information is stored in the cloud; therefore, you must be connected to the Internet to work on your book. There are times when I write on a notepad, scrap paper or on the laptop away from the office. Writing is a process and I always print a hard copy to edit.

Just like WordPress, you can select your book theme from a template or you can create a custom theme.

Publishers

Hyperink provides publishing services to well-known bloggers and business experts.  Brad Feld and Penelope Truck have published eBooks using Hyperink’s platform.  The down side is that you must be an expert or high profile blogger for Hyperink to publish your book.

Secondly, most of the book themes are very similar which makes it hard to differentiate the subject matter and the company requests that you complete your book in six weeks.

BookBaby is a unique publisher; the company was started by artists, writers and musicians as an alternative way to sell their art.  When I visited with the BookBaby representative she was helpful and happy to answer my questions.

However, she was unable to provide specific information about Amazon’s policies. I thought the pricing was reasonable for the services which included registering the ISBN number and book distribution.

Guy Kawasaki and Shawn Welch wrote “APE – Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur – How to Publish a Book” for first time authors.  Guy offered free copies via Google+ following the release date. The book is worth reading if you are first time author, I found some of the sections useful and skimmed through the rest of the book.

EBooks Thumbnails Matter 

Two bits of advice that I heard multiple times is to budget money for a good graphic artist and editor.

For eBooks, a strong thumbnail book cover will differentiate your book from the thousands of other listed on Amazon.  Second, the cover is used to market and sell your book.

Edit, Edit, Edit and Then Edit Some More 

You may be an excellent writer; however, having a second set of eyes is worth the money. Behind every successful author there is a really good editor. I have written this advice twice because good grammar is crucial. I spend hours editing my blog posts and know there is still room for improvement.

Make sure you include a good editor and graphic artist in your budget. After you have spent hours working on your book, why skimp and sell your book short.

One more thought on editing, ask your business associates, family and friends to read your draft and provide honest feedback for improvements For book reviews, ask several business associates and thought leaders in your industry to review your book.   These reviews will be used on the book’s Amazon profile page and in your marketing materials.

Funding – Kickstarter

Kickstarter offers a unique platform to pre-sell your book. Writers at all levels have used this platform to generate interest and sell their books. The money raised from the campaign depends on the topic matter and public interest.

Right now, I am planning on launching a Kickstarter campaign in September to pre-sell both the book.  I am excited about the potential of the Kickstarter campaign and understand that I will need to market the campaign to ensure success.

Market Your Book Now

Start marketing your book before the initial draft is finished. Start building your community now. Establishing an audience early is important and will help sell your book when it published. The general consensus is to market the book about year prior to the published date.

Currently, I am in the process of securing a graphic artist to create a poster and eBook cover for the Kickstarter campaign.   I will continue to share the information I learned as I work my way through the self-publishing process.

What is the purpose of busy work?

To keep individuals focused on mindless tasks to prevent them from questioning authority?

Busy work is a time filler that is used everywhere from education to non-profits.

Need to make a decision?

Let’s form a committee, two sub committees and a tiger team to find a solution.

Why?

We have been trained to believe that decisions cannot be reached without a committee.

Precious time is spent discussing the original problem to the point it becomes so watered down that we lose sight of what we were doing in the first place.

Wasted time that could have been used to find a solution and seek new opportunities.

Busy work is the norm in our public schools.

How else can the teachers keep the students focused when PE is eliminated?

Busy work accomplishes nothing.

Choose to Opt Out.

We are at the intersection of technology and humanities.   Understanding how technology and creativity impacts our career options will be crucial to maintaining employment.   No industry is immune as technology and the Internet has changed our economy and careers.

Big Data and 3-D Printers are opening up a whole new world of possibilities for established companies and startups.   Talented professionals who are both technically savvy and creative will see their opportunities increase as companies seek to improve their competitive edge.

I visited with Scott Ewert[www.lucasgroup.com/scott-ewert/]  (Managing Partner for the Lucas Group) last week to learn more about how technology and design were impacting employment.   Scott is a Dallas based IT executive recruiter who has a passion for technology, startups and social media.  He works closely with top tier Fortune 500 companies to locate and secure IT professionals for top positions.

We talked about the tech industry and how Big Data, the Internet, Mobile Apps and Social Media is changing our industries and professions.  When I asked him what sectors of the tech industry were growing, he said that it was hard to put your finger on any one sector as technology is part of every business.   I have summarized our conversation and added a few points of my own.

Big Data

He stated that the need for IT professionals will continue increase.  The demand for individuals who can understand big data, extract the data, act upon the data and then build a strategy increases each month.  Companies are seeking talented individuals who can make sense of the information.  To drive innovation, I believe we must understand how to connect these dots across multiple unrelated platforms.

Scott mentioned that all companies big and small understand the importance of business intelligence and big data.  He believes that big data will continue to be a significant driver for companies that seek to improve internal and external logistics.  Before big data, companies focused on B2B now businesses can understand at a greater level the B2C component.

Last week, Advertising Ad 2013 Review mentioned a potential problem for big data – a shortage of scientists.  Companies are seeking a data quant, yet there are not enough qualified computer scientists, mathematicians and engineers to meet the demand.

We both believe that technology is siphoning talent from other industries.  More college students are pursuing tech degrees instead of accounting.   The demand for computer scientist and mathematicians will continue to increase in the future as our world becomes digitized.

Securing big data is driving another demand – IT security experts.  Scott has noted an increase in request from clients for IT security experts.   I believe the need for IT security experts will continue to increase through 2013.  Companies will need creative IT security professionals to think three and four steps ahead of the hackers.

Mobile and Social Media

Mobile Apps and Social Media will continue to change the economy and how we obtain information from the Internet. Everything is going mobile and companies are spending more money each month to develop mobile apps.  Scott constantly seeks creative app developers for clients which drives demand for talented user experience front end developers.

Mobile Apps is still the buzz at this year’s 2013 CES Conference.  Our devices are now powerful enough to run what we want on them which generate strong demand from consumers.  Consumers and businesses want an App for everything!

Creativity

Creativity and design differentiates.  The company with the coolest, best designed device, app or online service wins.  Generation Y expects great design.  The Millennials grew up with Apple products and Starbuck’s.  Creativity is the foundation for great design.

Scott is receiving an increase in requests from companies for highly creative developers, individuals who can create something no one else has in the market.  Professionals with strong problem solving skills are also in great demand from top tier companies.  Creativity and problem solving skills are closely related as individuals must see multiple pathways to finding a solution.  He noted that problem solving skills are key requirements in today’s talent market.

Scott stressed that individuals must include on their resumes what they accomplished and the results.  All too often individuals list their job responsibilities and fail to include what they have achieved.

Created a new process – what were the results?  Think not like a factory worker.

Yes, LinkedIn Is Important to Your Career

Eighty percent of the professionals that Scott contacts are passive employees.  They are happy at their current position, compensated well and are not actively looking to change positions.   Most of these professionals do not have resumes.   He rarely if ever uses online job search websites like Monster.com to find candidates.

Scott spends four to five hours a day on LinkedIn searching for talent and creative developers.  We are all individual brands on the long tail of the new economy.

Scott’s Top Five Employment Tips:

• Professionals in all industries must embrace change.
• Avoid “keeping your head in the sand” spend time learning new technologies (social media).
• Professionals must stay relevant; create a LinkedIn profile while you’re employed not when you suddenly need to find a new job.
• The world is now transparent and having a social media profile is important (profiles are the new business card and resume).

Social Media can provide a career advantage.  To learn how to improve your career profile – check out Scott’s blog on leveraging your social media.

Connect with Scott Ewert
Twitter & LinkedIn

This is a picture of the office whiteboard.   Lessons learned – wisdom in a nutshell.  I’m a visual thinker and reading these quotes every day is an effective navigational tool.   Some of the quotes are lessons learned while working for a startup company and others are from thought leaders I follow.

Be FedEx Ship Every Day – Make Each Day Count 

Being FedEx and shipping your art each day comes from Seth Godin, I believe he is one of the best thought leaders of our generation and have read most of his books.   Shipping every day is the single most important action you can do.  For startup companies, you must learn to ship. Make decisions, and do something each day if not the company will never launch.

Chris Brogan talks about doing the grunt work to build your business.    This weekend, I read Burning Entrepreneur [www.hyperink.com/Burning-Entrepreneur-How-To-Launch-Fund-And-Set-Your-Startup-On-Fire-b1518] by Brad Feld.  My favorite part of the book is his discussion on spending his time and energy on the outcomes and achieving these outcomes not organizing his life.  The goal is to focus on what matters rather than spending time on busy work.

Eliminate Waiting For Others removes the shipping roadblock.  Often times, we allow others to dictate our schedules and due dates.  Do we give others power over our ideas and action plans unknowingly?  There is a balance when asking your network for help and I’ve learned from experience to think twice before I ask for something.

Before I send an email, I ask myself why am I seeking this information and do I know the answer.   Am I asking for validation or confirmation that the idea is feasible when in the end my team is the only one that can truly answer the question?

 No Fear

Fear shuts us down.  Nothing happens when we are consumed with fear.   For startups, fear of failure and what others might think can be crippling for founders.  Failure is where you learn. Feld talks about Fear as  mind killer in his book and that tenacity is the killer of fear.   I’ve gained more confidence by going outside my comfort zone frequently, taking action, and shipping regardless if I was ready or not.

Rethink Everything

In January, I began to rethink everything including the direction of my company (Dillon 5).  My goal was to determine which beliefs, habits and thought processes were obsolete and then eliminate them.  Rebranding the company under my name and shifting towards being a full-time author was energizing.  One of my favorite quotes is by Paulo Coelho “close some doors today, not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance  but simply because they lead you nowhere”.

Launching a startup can take many different paths and I have found that where you start and where you end are always different.   What is created from the process is the best part.   There are times when founders need to rethink everything – if only on paper or a whiteboard to gain a different perspective.

Think Like a Broadcaster

This quote was inspired from my trip to Madison, WI. To think like a broadcaster is to not let every little comment from the gallery get to you. Broadcasters receive hundreds of emails each year from viewers complaining about their clothes, hairstyles and if they should be wearing glasses or not.

When you launch your company in the marketplace be prepared for comments from the peanut gallery. I was talking with a chef last week about the comments he received during a recent product demo. He said a lady walked over to the demo table and told him his idea was  awful and then walked away.

The chef was confused as to why she would say such a comment and then not explain. I suggested he think like a broadcaster and let the comment float away into thin air. Feedback that is meant to improve a product or process has merit – not meaningless chatter or comments. When I was in elementary school, my mother always said – put on your turtle wax and keep going.

Eliminate Pedestals, Kool-Aid, Excuses and Justifications. 

Pedestals, Kool-Aid, Excuses and Justifications are roadblocks that prevent us from moving forward or facing the truth.   Placing investors, companies and people on pedestals is unhealthy and we fail to see the whole picture.  I have personally experienced placing someone on a pedestal and drank the Kool-Aid the vendor was selling. Going against my gut proved to be the costliest mistake I’ve made since I launched Dillon 5.

Kool-Aid is all around us and creates a herd mentality that can be costly for any business. Enron was one of the best examples of Kool-Aid being sold to investors. Excuses and Justifications – cost money every time. When founders justify or make an excuse for an expense it is time to step back and understand the real meaning of the excuse or justification. Why must I justify this expense or decision?

Be mindful when your team starts down the path of making justifications for decisions.  I’ve learned the hard way and now stop myself when I start to justify a decision.   Place the decision or purchase on hold when you are spending all your energy to justify your reasoning.

Listen and Learn 

Listen and you will learn. Filtering is key to balancing inbound information flow and learning to determine which feedback matters and which comments to ignore.