5 Can’t-Miss Tips (and Tools) for Connecting at Conferences
By Tiffany Monhollon | July 16, 2010
There’s nothing quite like connecting with people in person. The more time spent online networking, sharing, and filtering, the more I crave the in-person approach. That’s one reason I love attending conferences, workshops, and seminars. (Plus the fact that input is one of my strengths, so I’m a nut for learning new things and collecting ideas.)
But with technology becoming such an important part of many live learning experiences, it can be hard to find the right mix between learning, meeting people, and keeping your eye on the virtual buzz.
I’ve developed a few tactics to help balance the pressures of digital with the opportunities of in-person using some great tools - some you’ve probably heard of, and others that may have slipped past your radar. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Do This, Learning, Networking, Personal PR, Social Media, Strategy, Tips, Twitter | 3 Comments »
57 Power Words for Writing Brilliant Headlines
By Tiffany Monhollon | July 1, 2010
Whether you’re a new blogger just developing your niche or a seasoned writer developing your next great post, finding just the right headline can be just the inspiration you need. Plus, a great headline can mean the difference between a great post that gets little attention and a great post that brings traffic, comments, and social media traction.
Over the years, I’ve practiced my headline writing skills both on this blog and in my day job, where I’m communications and social media manager leading a team of bloggers to develop content within two well-defined niches on a regular basis. When you write about the same general topics year in and year out, developing new, creative ideas can be a challenge. So, every week, I hold a brainstorming meeting where we develop ideas, play, and find inventive, fun ways to write headlines and e-mail subject lines that move people to action.
Recently, we launched a collaborative blog for business leaders called Refresh Leadership. It offers practical business advice for everyone from developing to mature business leaders. In the months since its launch, we’ve had more than 70,000 hits and have even seen some posts get picked up by Smart Brief. We’ve also posted a few articles that had great content but less-than-perfect headlines.
One thing I’ve learned is that sometimes, all that’s keeping your post from getting traction is simple word choice. So, here’s a list of headline power-words that you can use to strengthen your headlines. Try them on your next post! Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Blogging, Communicating, Tips, Writing | 3 Comments »
Meaning, Measurement & Numbers: Twitter’s Follower Bug & the Value of Social Networks
By Tiffany Monhollon | May 11, 2010
Would social media be better without public numbers?
Today’s follower bug on Twitter has stirred up questions again about the value of perceived personal and organizational social capital of social media sites that make front and central the numbers of followers of each user.
In case you missed it, for a little while today, the Entire Twitter Universe was rocked by a code error that caused all follower/following counts to display as zero.
It was so utterly epic, a friend actually called to tell me about it.
Sigh.
Topics: Communicating, Learning, Personal PR, Relationships, Social Media, Twitter | 16 Comments »
Edit (And the Danger of First-Draft Living)
By Tiffany Monhollon | April 6, 2010
This weekend, in a bout of spring cleaning, I attacked the living room with a wild abandon, taking bric-a-brac and hastily displayed household items like candles off shelves to dust. I tossed books onto the dining table and unwound picture frames from tediously placed arrangements.
When I looked up to survey my handiwork, I experienced how wonderful a little white space (or taupe, in this case) can be in a room. Carefully, I replaced a few items, leaving a pile of less-worthy pieces to be dealt with by garage sale. The effect was a relaxing, accomplished feeling.
You see, there’s something powerful about the art of editing. Not just in writing, but in life. Your resume’s too full? Edit. Your career lacks focus? Edit. Your routine’s too chaotic? Edit.
Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Business, Career, Generations, Life, Work Life Balance | 6 Comments »
Personal Social Responsibility & The Authentic Soul of Your Brand
By Tiffany Monhollon | March 2, 2010
In the world of public relations, social responsibility is a critical part of the heart of a brand. It’s an important way for organizations to connect with and give back to the communities they do business in. It’s a popular tactic for mega-corporations all the way to small businesses. When it comes to personal brands, we typically associate social responsibility with the high-dollar philanthropy of celebrities, high-profile business people, or politicians.
This year, we have already seen the incredible support for relief in Haiti following January’s catastrophic earthquake, with some celebrities donating as much as $1 million to aid in disaster relief.
But social responsibility is also an important part of the lives of individuals like you and me who may contribute by volunteering for local organizations or by financial support – though probably a little less than the million-dollar philanthropic donations that make headlines all by themselves.
When it comes to social responsibility, authenticity is important for corporate and celebrity brands alike. After all, giving back is a great way to demonstrate the heart of a brand. And those like Pepsi or Target are even going so far as to crowdsource philanthropy dollars – ostensibly to reinforce the idea that they care about what their customers care about.
But when it comes to personal brands, the idea of authenticity in social responsibility is even more important. After all, character is what you do when no one’s looking.
So what does that say about doing the right thing, and then asking people to look?
At first glance, the answer may seem obvious. But in today’s hyper-localized, super-personalized media environment, it’s not as cut-and-dried as you might think. In some ways, the lines are blurred a bit.
After all, your favorite charity likely to have its own Facebook page or Twitter account. And an increasingly critical way of giving back is simply to help scale and support that organization’s efforts through your own networks.
So, if you want to share some of the soul of your personal brand online, give of your money as you see fit, but skip the toot-your-own-horn approach. Instead, help build the brand of an organization you care about. Help them raise funds or recruit more volunteers. Become an official volunteer, board member, or group supporter. Help them gain awareness – online and off.
But most importantly, make social responsibility personal first. Give in ways that are meaningful to you.
Because giving not only reflects the soul, it refreshes it.
Your Turn: What do you think about supporting charitable organizations as a ‘personal brand’? Does it make your support inauthentic if you share it in a public way? Do you follow or support charities online? Do you think it makes a difference? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section!
Topics: Authenticity, Community, Personal Branding, Personal PR, Social Media | 1 Comment »
The Secret to Winning Your Inner (and Outer) Creative Battles
By Tiffany Monhollon | January 13, 2010
It’s not exactly rocket science. In fact, you’ve heard it time and time again. So have I. So, there’s no buried lead here. The secret, plain and simple, to winning your creative battles is pushing past “it.”
Maybe “it’s” familiar excuses. Like lack of tme, money, access, direction, inspiration.
Maybe “it’s” the unexpected loss of a loved one.
Maybe “it’s” added stress.
Maybe “it’s” loss of focus.
Maybe “it’s” fear. An illness. Office politics. The economy. Uncertainty. Perfectionism.
Whether internal battles or external battles, the solution is the same.
First, simply, you must move. Go. Act. Push. Innovate. Create.
So, if it’s that simple, why haven’t you done it already?
Unpacking Your Creative Baggage
I’m not sure how the term “baggage” became a negative metaphor for the things that weigh us down or keep us from moving in life, because really, what we’re talking about here is, plain and simple, life itself. The things that happen to us, the circumstances of our reality, our memories, our experiences, our family, our mistakes, our commitments.
But I do know that for the past few months, I’ve been taking things, circumstances of my life, packing them up, and letting them weigh me down creatively. And there it is: Baggage. “It.” Real, difficult, painful, frustrating, heavy life.
But today, I’m done with that. I’m unpacking that baggage right now, taking each piece out one by one to see it for what it truly is.
Instead of letting it weigh me down, I’m releasing it so that it can build me up creatively.
That’s the funny thing about creative baggage. The same source of obstacle can be a source of celebration, reflection, insight, creativity itself.
The Paradox of Time
It’s a simple secret. An easy answer.
But never confuse simple with easy. Or quick. Or effortless. After all, we call it a secret because it’s something we discover. Sometimes, winning creative battles takes time. Time and a lot of seeking. Time to reflect, heal, accept, investigate, relax, meditate, escape. Time to gain clarity and understanding.
The funny thing is, the sooner you give yourself permission to take your time, to put on the breaks, to examine your inner life, the sooner you reach the answer, and the clearer it becomes.
“Resistance has no strength of its own. Every ounce of juice it possesses comes from us. We feed it with power by our fear of it. Master that fear and we conqueror Resistance.”
– The War of Art, Steven Pressfield
Topics: Uncategorized | 7 Comments »
Does it Really Work? What Happens When You Risk It
By Tiffany Monhollon | November 13, 2009
There’s something to be said for planning. Being a strategic thinker is one of my top strengths according to the results of my Strength’s Finder test. On top of that, there’s ideation, which shows up in the fact that ideas fascinate me and I weave threads of connection between ideas, events, even people that may seem unconnected to most people. Then there’s input, my craving to know more and to obsessively collect and archive information, ideas, things, even relationships. All this falls heavy on the side of the creative process that tends towards analysis, perfectionism, and the propensity to write long yet grammatically correct sentences laden with syllables.
But all thought and no action is a recipe for nothing but regret, according to Michael Schwalbe, contributor to OPEN forum who cites research from happiness expert Daniel Gilbert.
Thank goodness the other two my my five response-generated strengths (that, interestingly enough, I’ve gotten both times I’ve taken the test) push me into the action part of creativity. Communication is the strength that led me to my profession. The strength of achievement is what gives me so much personal satisfaction from being productive and working hard - and is probably also what compelled me to break down into tears over the one B I got in college.
The Sweet Spot
So, for me, finding the sweet spot, the balance between thought and action is a continual adventure in learning. I collect motivational sayings on the topic to remind myself that I’m not the only person who’s trying to find that place.
“Don’t worry, be crappy.” - Classic Guy Kawasaki quote I first experienced staff meeting style, via VHS!
“Getting your ducks in a row is not nearly as powerful as actually doing something with your duck.” - Seth Godin
My new favorite is this simple yet elegant venn diagram from David Armano that I’ve been referring to mentally about three times a week ever since we met at Blog World.
Agile Planning by David Armano
Adding in Risk
Wait. With this talk about planning versus action, where does the risk part come in? Somewhere pretty close to the middle, according to some theories.
In fact, Schwalbe writes about risk in the article cited above, where he explains what he calls his 40-30-30 rule: that success in anything is like success in sports, where 40% comes from physical training, 30% from knowledge and skills, and 30% just from being willing to take risks. He cites Gilbert’s happiness research and notes that:
While we tend to focus solely on building our skill sets or expanding our knowledge, the greatest advancement and learning most often comes from action, experience, and taking risk. And our regrets in life reflect this. According to Gilbert, studies show that “in the long run, people of every age and in every walk of life seem to regret not having done things much more than they regret things they did.”
Because the truth is, no plan will ever be perfect. Or maybe it’s more like, if you wait for the exact, perfect iteration of the plan, you’ll never get anything accomplished. Because you have to try, and sometimes fail, and at the very least learn, to be able to move from where you are or to get beyond the idea you have at this moment.
Because ideas will keep coming. Innovation, research, thoughts, connections, relationships, life. It will all keep moving, changing, shaping the plan you’ve already made until at some point, you’ve got to abandon the idea or take the risk.
The risk of action in an imperfect world.
Without knowing what’s going to happen. Embracing the possibility of the worst. And the anticipation of the best.
So, is risk worth it all? For an extreme and highly interesting example, take a minute to listen to this story about Earl Cooley, a ground-breaking, elite forest fighter. He took a risk to jump out of a plane in 1940 to parachute into a burning wildfire to fight it. He went on to establish smoke jumping as one of the most effective forest-fighting tactics in history and just passed away this week a hero in his industry and at the ripe old age of 98.
Time, Discipline & Inspiration
My husband has this theory, (and no, he’s not alone in this thought), that over time, the more you take these risks, which are, almost always, just mental risks inside your own mind, and simply dedicate yourself to action, the better you will become - at whatever it is. As an artist, he extends this idea to the thought that disciplined action sustained over time can create results on par with the results you get from pure, unfiltered inspiration in an environment that lacks true discipline.
I think about that a lot. I see it happen in his art over time. The really inspired stuff is always brilliant. Everything else? His art is always good, but with discipline, it’s just as brilliant the more he simply commits to the process. Takes the risk of doing what he can (inspired or not) and moving on to the next page so he can keep developing the skill.
Taking action and putting yourself out there - especially when you’re not inspired - can be the ultimate test. The ultimate risk. In terms of risk and reward, this makes sense.
The more you work, the more risks you take, the more inspired you become.
Topics: Career, Leadership, Life, Motivation, Personal Development, Strategy, Success, Uncategorized, Work | 3 Comments »
