Pushing Forward…

I have been MIA for a few days, I have just been busy juggling all the ventures that I am running. My weekend started wonderfully…a simple Friday (boss was out) and I had a party Friday evening and will come to an end tomorrow (I will be working from home, which I should do any way because going to DC each day is just a waste). There is something to be said about doing what you love and just living it up. And even though it may be tiring, there is something inside that just keeps pushing you forward.

On Friday, I had my Pure Romance debut par-tay and it was hit! Despite the late start (folks on CP time…since when does 6pm mean 8pm?) And half of the folks who RSVP’ed showed (blame DC traffic)…but I still scored big time in the sales department and booked 2 other parties! I am certainly thankful to the folks who came out in the freezing cold to party. It is interesting how many women feel like they need permission to want to have a fulfilling sex life and how many think that pursing their sexual needs in their relationships is somehow taboo. On Friday night, I heard a lot of bedroom stories, and I can’t believe how many folks opened up to me in the ordering room about their private sexual life’s. Which to me, means I did a good job. I wanted people to be comfortable, relaxed and to open up .  Everyone no matter, how they came into to the party or whatever feelings they initially felt left feeling the way I had hoped. It’s amazing how many women will lay there so their partner can get satisfaction and relinquish all control and hope of being satisfied.   So Friday was a good day for me, from many different aspects.

I also got some really good designs for my company conferences happening in Charlotte and Virginia Beach, so I will begin promoting that tomorrow. My speakers are pretty much lined up, and I am hoping that this one sponsor signs on the dotted line.

Tomorrow, I am having a phone party and by all indications it will go well considering, I just pulled it together about 1 day ago. I am still learning to work my other blog, I am self-hosting it and learning all that code and techy stuff has been quite the experience. But I haven’t blew up anything yet, so I think I am doing OK   Plus, I want to take my other business completely to a blog format (and can the website) among other changes that I want to make, so this will be good practice for me.

Going back to work…I am not looking forward to.  But I know it is just a temporary means to a greater end…so I will hang in there and work rapidly to get out of there.  Like is too too short to settle for the okey doke.

A Sista Is Tired…

So, it’s 5:45, and where I am? Still at work! Why? Because I have so much crap to do it’s crazy and they just keep piling it on. See, I am a contractor, I don’t work for my client, I work for my company. And I guess since the government folks don’t do any work…they give it to us to do. But for real, it’s like my boss doesn’t understand that 1 thing could take days…even if I worked on it without working on anything else. They don’t know anything…they don’t know how to work our software and databases, they don’t know how to work our Sharepoint sites…nothing! So guess what? They ask for stuff and don’t understand the complexity of the task because in their little minds, all I need to do is push a button and out comes this pretty user-friendly report with everything just the way they like it. NOT!

I am tired on several occassion to transfer within the company and my project manager just gives me lip service. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do not have deep feelings for any one job ever. If I am at a job for longer than a year, my friends and family think that’s a miracle…’cause I stick and move… But I want to stick around to be fully vested in my 401K and if they know what’s right for them…my raise should be sweet. But I don’t know how long I can last in this…on Monday I worked almost 12 hours…today it will be close to 9. Thursday isn’t looking too great either.

I have so much stuff to do it’s crazy… I am leading one group, the acting lead of another, a team member on this group, I just got the lead for anther iniatitve. PLUS, i sat in meetings 95% of the day today…how the heck am I supposed to get anything done sitting in meetings?

Then I have the stuff that I really like to do such as my businesses. I am planning a conference in Charlotte and Virginia Beach this year…and I LOVE doing this stuff. But I spend so much time at the JOB, by the time I get around to doing the fun stuff, I do get a second wind…but the next day I am so tired. Plus, I got my Pure Romance kit and I placed another order of stuff and I got it all and I just want to go home and play in it. I love it! I have my first party this Friday! YAY!!! So I am very excited. I will post another entry about the menu later. But I digress. Anyways, a sista is tired. I need to figure out a way to do what I want to do all the time and make a whole lotta money doing it!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…

I posted about me being stuck last week, and I think, finally I am starting to see the light.   I am starting to think being stuck isn’t always a bad then, especially if it causes you to pause and prevent you from making a wrong turn.

My problem, to an extent is that I try to put myself in a box.  And I can’t do that because there will never be a box that fully captures me, who I am, what I do, my interests, my goals, my dreams…  I am a constantly shifting paradigm, and, thats OK.

I may have several businesses, but I can never really be defined by one.  I am not a consultant, an event planner or a marketing expert.  Yes, I perform those functions but really at heart I am an entrepreneur, an innovator, and idea generator.  That’s who I am.

So being able to free myself of my self-imposed box really helps me to see the light shinning not too far away.  I think, i think I just may have got my mojo back.  I am working on a new venture and it is 1 in the morning.  I haven’t been up this late, this excited about anything in months.  I am reinventing myself and repositioning myself.  I am doing away with the old and embracing the new.  I told my self I would be financially independent by the age of 30, I that I will do.  I decided that it may make good financial sense to stay at my job, not only because the real work I actually do is interesting and will actually help me with my “side gigs” but also because If I can hang out for just another 18 months I will be fully vested in our 401k.  Which means that all the matching contributions my company has made is mine for the keeping and I like free money!!

One of the things that I have been researching for a few months now is becoming a consultant for one of those “sex toy party companies”.  I have been to a few parties (okay, a little more than a few), I have spent hundreds of bucks on “novelties” and I have always had a good time.  So I said, hey, I think I can do this.  In a past life I was a Director in Qualification for Mary Kay, I also was an associate for Pre Paid Legal, both of which I did very well.  Initially, I looked at Slumber Parties and Passion Parties but as luck had it I came across another company called Pure Romance.   And both me and my sweetie decided to do this together and we both love the company and have decided to give it a go.  Even though I have not officially signed up yet (will do that at the end of the week).  I have already created a blog site (I wanted a blog in addition to the company site they will provide) and set a date for a Trunk Show at my house.  When I get an idea, my time to market is rapid! LOL.

So I am excited and feeling good about 2009 and beyond.  On a whole other note,  I am also getting word that they killed Jenny in the next season of the L word.  Can’t say I will miss her, ’cause she was getting on my last nerve!  But that is still messed up.

I am starting to get really excited over here!

Stuck

As I have revealed in a previous post, I am fed up with the establishment…the corporate establishment.

I looked online today for an exciting job possibly in the areas of pr, communications or marketing and found none. Well one writing press releases for some boring government program. I feel like I am 19 all over again…I don’t know what I want to do with my life.

I have a small business, I have had several but that doesn’t do it for me. Yesterday, I thought about opening a branding, strategy and corporate communications company and today I am thinking about being a freelance writer. I have read all the top titles on finding your purpose, I have pondered the question “what would i do even if i didn’t get paid”.

The only thing that remains constant is the fact that i hate my commute…sitting in traffic going to and from work has to go! The other thing is that I hate not having the option of being home for my son. It is not that I want to be a stay at home anything. I just remember those times when I came home from school and my mom was there, I looked forward to that all day. My son goes to an after school program which is fine, he loves it. But I think what gets me is that I don’t have the option to be there.

One day I sat down and thought about how people get all happy when they start a job and they have a “great” benefits package complete with “2 weeks” vacation and sick leave. I am so over that! 2 weeks vacation really is only 14 days. And when life happens (especially if you have kids) you can use that up in no time. For example, if my sons school closes for bad snow and does that just 2x and I have to stay home…I am out 15% of my vacation time!

What crushes me is that I have seen a few “entry-level” jobs in fields that I have an interest. However, I can’t pay my mortgage on entry level pay. I have a great mortgage with a low-interest rate but Washington, DC has one of the highest real estate prices in the U.S. even in this market. So a home here costs much more than homes in other cities. I don’t envy homeowners in San Fransisco and NY for this very reason. So I have bare minimum level of income that I need to bring in.

When I was running my business (which I am debating what to do with) I worked with women entrepreneurs. One thing that irked me was that many would regale crowds with stories of how they quit their jobs and started their business. But what they don’t say mattered even more. These women were married, their husbands worked. These women’s incomes were probably not too important to the overall scheme of things, they were still insured (via their hubby’s insurance) so they didn’t have the same worries that a one-income household does. If I don’t have insurance, my son doesn’t have insurance. If I don’t make any money, there is no money coming into the house.

One of the the things that I need to get back on the ball with is passive income. I have earned a few hundred bucks through affiliate programs, so now I need to figure out how to turn those into 4 and 5 figure checks.

I am sick of the linear relationship between work and pay. Meaning, I had the notion of one hour of work for one hour pay. Which is why passive income is so great, because it pays off of work done previously and keeps coming.

One of the things I need to do immediately for the new year is fix my rental and rent it out. My rental unit brings in about $800 a month. But it needs a new toilet, paint and a few minor upgrades. I am going to try to do most of the work myself, but that will take time. If I bring in someone else to do it, that will take money. But I need to get it done ASAP. Rental income is considered active passive income since generally speaking as long as it is rented income comes in, but you do have to actively manage the property (upkeep, tenant issues, etc…). I need to do something (at the least get the toilet fixed) to capitalize on the inauguration rental frenzy. I probably can get about $1k for one week.

There are some new retail developments coming up and I know there is a way to capitalize on them…just quite haven’t figured out how yet.

Why was it that when I was younger, I had all the answers…now at 29…I have none?

Disenchanted With Corporate America

I feel really bad about writing this post, but damn it this blog is for me to say how I feel and I will do just that.  I hate my job.  I feel bad about saying this because of the many people who have lost their jobs or are on the verge of loosing their jobs due to this awful economy (throwing my shoe at W).

The commute kills me.  Now I only live about 25 minutes outside of DC but this place is so bad when it comes to traffic, that can easily turn into a 2 hour commute.  I remember one evening there was an ice storm, I left work around 4pm…I didn’t get home until after 11.  Traffic will drive you crazy, there is always traffic…always…everywhere.  It is insane.  Traffic was so bad that is was backed up on the exit ramps today.  No accident, no major happening…just bad traffic.  I left my house at 7:40 today, didn’t get to work until 10:15.  That’s crazy.

My boss does not know how to work the basics of Microsoft Suite…and who has to help him? Me.  How do you explain to someone without sounding condescending that you the reason why the words look different from those words is because the font is different?  I have to explain to him that if you want the text in the cell in the Excel spreadsheet to not be so bunched up you need to widen the column.  I swear to goodness everyday I get called over to help him with some minor shit at least 5x.  It’s crazy.  How many times can you show someone how to delete a document…at what point do  you just give up?!  I literally had to show him how to copy and paste information from one Excel workbook to another…  This guy used to be a HR director! He is a GS-15 which is bascially as high as a civilian can go in gov’t.  By 10am everyday I wish I had a rope…

What does it matter?  I am consultant (or contractor as the govt folks call us).  My undergrad degree is Economics and International Business.  My speciality? Lean Six Sigma, process improvement, strategic communications and organizational development and strategy.  What meaningful impact have I made on anything?  None that I can think of.   I mean I have either produced or helped to produce some great stuff meant to help businesses gain efficiencies and reduce costs.  My goal has been to help new products get off the ground and help organizations better communicate internally and externally.  While there have been some things that have moved me to tears in my excitement to see something actually happen, those moments are few and far between.  Most of the stuff we produce becomes shelfware.  It goes into a nice little binder and sits on someones shelf in someones office.  So when people come they can point to all the good work they did.  OR, if its a really progressive company…the shelfware is stored ona virtual shelf on some portal.  I am tapped out, burnt out and need to see the fruits of my labor…

I sit in meeting and am like most of this stuff is pure BS, just work for the sake of work.  Coming up with a new system to replace the old system just to say we are doing something.   Changing around the org chart…moving folks here and there.  Most of the people talking don’t even know what the heck they are talking about but just have to be heard!  I really hate meetings…

My gf I love her.  I envy her too.  Her job isn’t as high flutin’ as mine, but she helps people.  At the end of her day, single mothers have food for their babies, a family who has been turned upside down by unexpected illness and resulting medical bills have their electric bill paid a day before it is due to be shut off.  Under her, families have places to stay and resources to find a job.  Yes, she complains that some folks who come in there may be mentally unstable, a bit funky or a combination of both.  But heck so are the people at my job and I am forced to act like everything is fine.

Is it too much to ask to do something that matters?  Not to spend 4hrs a day sitting in traffic and still make a decent salary? 

I have a business too, I wanted to empower women to become entrepreneurs.  But I got so demotivated because everyone is looking for a get rich quick scheme.  Everyone wants it easy and fast.  And then they wonder why they get hustled so much.  Where are my authentic people?  The ones who want to do something that matters? Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with making a good living…my goal is to be financially independent by the time I am 30.  But for me, its about  passion, its about purpose, its about being me.  My business was consuming me and draining me…and when that happened I just pulled the plug (for now that is).  I am in the process of regrouping and focusing on what it is that I really need to do in order to get where I need to be.

Maybe this is a quarter life crisis?  But I really need to figure this whole thing out soon and I feel like I am wasting precious time…

My partner in crime (business partner) called me and is exploring contract opportunities that may come our way for an annual marketing conference my company does each year…so I am getting back on the ball with that and it’s exciting.  But I need a life that’s at least 90% exciting and purposed filled, not just 10%.

Barack Obama: A Marketing Machine…Take Notes!

I got this email today from Steve Harrison at freepublicity.com.  I love it!  Barack has created a marketing
machine that we have never seen before and Steve's email below does a good job with summing it all up.
This are not my words, these are Steve's.  But this is so good I just had to share. For more information
on Steve, please visit his site at:
http://www.MillionDollarAuthorClub.com/?10667

Six marketing lessons from Barack Obama

(Note: This article originally appeared as part one
of a two-part series in my Book Marketing Update
print newsletter. For info go here now: http://www.MillionDollarAuthorClub.com/?10667

"Barack is worth millions now. It's almost all based on
these two books. Being able to take your life story and
turn it into this incredibly lucrative franchise, it's
a stunning fact."
       -- Peter Osnos, former publisher of Times Books,
          as quoted in the New York Times.

No matter which candidate you like (or dislike) in the
current presidential race, one thing is obvious: Barack
Obama is one heck of a marketer.

Think about it. Back in 2003, who would have thought
back then that today the Democratic nominee for the highest
office in the land would be someone who has yet to even
serve a full term in the Senate?

He's never been a mayor, governor or corporate
executive. He's never served in the military. He's
never led a large organization. He's never drafted a
landmark piece of legislation. Prior to now, he'd never
run a national campaign. And he even admits to having
used marijuana and cocaine!

Add to that a name like Barack Hussein Obama, and you
can see why back in 2003, he would have been considered
"most unlikely to succeed." And that's really the first
lesson to learn from Obama.

=> Lesson #1: Don't let any perceived lack of
qualifications stop you.

I regularly talk with authors and experts who know
a lot about their fields and have great information
to share with others.

But many are held back by a belief they're not
"qualified" simply because they're not the world's
leading authority on their topic.

Others stagnate for years because they don't have a
particular degree (which usually most of their
prospects don't even know exists).

You need to be competent at what you do, but the
fact is you don't need to be the MOST accomplished,
MOST knowledgeable, MOST credentialed expert in your
field to be successful.

You do however need to be very good at marketing
yourself and your message. Rightly or wrongly,
marketing is more important than qualifications.

Think about it. Would you ever take relationship advice
from a former celibate monk, who then married, and
divorced?

Yet, John Gray has sold 40 million copies of
"Men Are From Mars Women Are from Venus" with that
background. People buy his message, not his resume. Same
thing with Obama.

Obama hasn't let any apparent lack of qualifications
stand in the way of making himself a wealthy, best-
selling author (3 million copies in print to date) and
the Democratic nominee for the highest political office
in the land. You shouldn't let any hole or flaw in your
resume stop you from getting where you want to go.

=> Lesson #2: Work at becoming a master storyteller--
especially when telling your own story.

People don't care nearly as much about your credibility
as they do about your story and how you can help them.
Obama first intended to write a book about race
relations. He soon realized he could make his points
more profoundly by sharing them in the context of his
own life story.

In his first book, "Dreams From My Father," he shares his
experiences and challenges of growing up as a biracial
child in two different cultures. He acknowledges using
composite characters, approximated dialogue, and even
taking events out of chronological order to make his
points through effective storytelling.

How about you? Are you making the most of your "before" and
"after" story?

Are you telling your own personal story about why you
do what you do in a way that connects with your
audience?

Are you telling stories which agitate people's pain and
shows them how much they need what you provide?

This kind of effective storytelling is so important
that I devote a significant part of my Quantum Leap
Publicity & Marketing Program to helping my clients
simply tell their stories in a more memorable,
compelling way.

=> Lesson #3: Focus on building your mailing list.

When it came time to announce Joe Biden as his running
mate, instead of doing the standard press conference
type announcement, Obama used the pick as a way to
build his email mailing and text message contact list
by promising that those on his list would be the first
to know his choice.

It was a brilliant move because like any sharp
marketer, Obama knows "the money is in the list" and
everything else being equal, the more people on your
list the more you'll sell.

By giving millions of people a compelling incentive to
sign up for his list, he's able to stay in regular
touch with them and raise a lot more money than he
would otherwise.

=> Lesson #4: Whenever possible, meet the media face-
to-face.

The New York Times recently wrote a great article about
Obama's rise and success as an author. It talks about
how, back in 1995, Barack Obama was totally unknown. He
contacted the publisher of N'Digo, a magazine aimed at
Chicago's upscale black readers. and asked if he could
drop by.

Why? Because he wanted the publisher to review his
book. Like all great politicians, he knew the value of
meeting face-to-face.

Later, this same editor, who initially decided NOT to
review his book, became the first to run Obama on the
cover of her magazine.

That's the kind of "good luck" that happens when you
stand out from the media's daily barrage of emails,
press releases, faxes and phone calls by actually
pressing flesh.

=> Lesson #5: Be determined and pleasantly persistent.

Back in 1995, Barack Obama was relatively unknown and
trying to get whatever publicity he could.

So even though he wanted to meet the N'Digo book
reviewer, he ultimately failed to persuade her to
review his book. But here's the key. He didn't give up.  He
persisted. "He would call me every week and say,
'Did you read my book?'" the publisher told the New York
Times.

Let me ask you, do you have that kind of persistence?

In 20 years of helping authors sell more books, I've
discovered 95% of all authors give up way too quickly
and easily. They're not determined and persistent.

But Million Dollar Authors are the ones who know how to
be pleasantly persistent. They're not considered pests
because they're always friendly, always patiently
staying in touch and continually giving the media some
new information or slant worth considering.

=> Lesson #6: Get feedback and act on it.

Most authors write a book and say, "I'm finished."

But that's not what Obama did. He did what Million
Dollar Authors do. He knew once his manuscript was
finished his real job had only just begun.

Obama sent several dozen drafts of his second book "The
Audacity of Hope" to friends, media, legislators and
followed up with them and asked them for feedback.

More importantly, he listened to what they had to say,
and made changes based on their feedback. If anyone
could have said, "I don't have time" to do this, it
would be a first term senator. But he didn't.

Like most Million Dollar Authors, he knows this
concerted effort to solicit feedback and make changes
to the manuscript is the key to creating a book that
connects with people's hearts.

It's also the key to writing a book that others
recommend to their friends. No wonder Obama's message
of "Change" has been so on target. He's a good
listener, and he adapts to feedback he receives.

One last thought. John McCain's campaign has been
stunned by Obama's success at fundraising and
campaigning. To date, they have been seriously
outmarketed and don't know what to do about it.

They remind me of unsuccessful authors who complain
that they're more qualified and have better material
than others who are more famous and established.

Resist the temptation to dismiss others as simply being
"great speakers" or "good marketers." Instead, watch
them and learn. Because if you're really serious about
making a difference, you need to realize you're not in
the publishing game. You're in the marketing game.  Barack
Obama knows it ... do you?