My readers over the years have been some of the most encouraging people in my life. Lately, I've received a couple of nudges: "Julie, are you ever going to blog again?" and "Are you okay, I haven't seen you update your blog in ages." I can't tell you how nice that is when it happens. I hardly get over to blogs any more with all the social media short-cuts like Twitter updating and Facebook statuses (or is it stati?). I haven't given up on blogging though. It's just that right now, my life needs to be shielded from too much public scrutiny. When I get to the "other side" of the biggest hurdle in my life, I'll share much more freely (retroactively) because I have SO MANY IMPORTANT THOUGHTS ABOUT ALL OF IT. :) Or, more like, I'll be happy to catch you up on what you missed if you want to know.
In the meantime, here's a little bit of what's happening that I can share.
As I get nearer to 50 (I'm 48 right now), I find that I'm not afraid of that number at all. 40 was a bitch, 41 was downright depressing. But somehow, as I look ahead to 50, I'm excited about it. I'm ready to do the things I'm meant to do, which will include surfing.
I'm officially at the end of the homeschool years. My youngest two have opted for fulltime enrollment in the local high school starting in the fall. I'll have three kids essentially out of the house (two at Ohio State). That means only the dog and I will be home sipping tea and clicking the keyboard (or at least, I'll be doing those things and Rocky will be hogging the only pool of sunshine that leaks through the windows).
Brave Writer is growing... again. For some reason, speaking invites are tumbling into my in-box so I see planes in my future as well. The other day I was scrolling through my 8000 emails (I do not possess the will to delete) and felt this surge of gratitude for all the wonderful families I know through my business. For instance, in some cases I'm teaching the third, fourth and in one case, sixth child in a family. Incredible. And what commitment! No wonder we get tired or burned out or anxious about the outcome of all those years invested.
I've had a few people ask me how I feel about Obama, now that he's been doing his thing for a year. I still believe in the guy. You know why? He's doing just what I hoped he'd do when elected. So let me let you in on why I voted for Obama in the first place. It wasn't healthcare or Iraq that made me vote for him. The reason I walked dozens of miles and made hundreds of calls on his behalf? Barack Obama demonstrated to me his commitment to transcending the polarization of politics in America.
So what's happened? Both sides got even more polarized. The progressives want Obama to bully the R's and get his agenda passed (enough bi-partisan discussion they say!). The right tags Obama as socialist, dangerous and completely unworthy of negotiation. All the while, Obama won't give up his original vision: transcending the debate and expecting both sides to work together. It blows me away, frankly, that he still believes it's possible for two sides to create solutions they can both support. Obama hasn't forgotten his pledge to bring America together. It's not surprising that that commitment is being tested in the most extreme way.
This is what I like about Obama though. It's what made him a different candidate. It's what makes him a president I continue to admire and follow. The House vote on HCR is slated for Sunday. I look fwd to seeing how it all plays out. I think the year long debate was entirely appropriate.
And that's it from West Chester! Would love to hear how you all are doing in comments if you want to share.
Love,
Julie
Showing posts with label Brave Writer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brave Writer. Show all posts
Friday, March 19, 2010
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wasting time online = good business
Here's the question I get asked: How do you use social media to help your business grow?
Social media is so recent, who knows? On the other hand, an active online presence across all kinds of communication technologies is what enhances any online business. Being a person, not a business, is what it's all about these days. In other words, I think wasting a lot of time online as yourself is the key to helping your business grow devoted, repeat customers.
I've logged thousands and thousands of hours online since 1995, when I first dialed up to connect. I've written hundreds of thousands of words (maybe millions, but I lost count after ten). I've posted my heart, soul, thoughts, secrets (consequently, I have few), mistakes, regrets, questions, answers, help, insight, mistakenly-believed-to-be-insightful-at-the-time remarks, quips, jabs, passions, premature commitments, and the odd overstatement-passed-off-as-fact.
In that time, I've cultivated a vibrant online life that has resulted in more in-person meetings than most skeptics of the virtual world would guess (numerous retreats all over the country with online women friends, BBQs with out of state theological pals, meet ups for concerts, coffees and desserts, drop-ins from both a client and two friends moving from point A to point C and Cincinnati turned out to be point B). I've been invited to and spoken at a conference on the strength of a tweet (twitter). I've walked on a beach with a homeschooling mom and her kids when she heard I was in her neighborhood.
I've made local friends and networked myself into a social media community (recent!), I found fellow Obama campaigners through my online life, I discovered fantasy football and U2 fans and the important world of gay rights issues because I loved the movie "Brokeback Mountain." I've contributed to two books as a result of these passions: Get Up Off Your Knees (about U2) and Beyond Brokeback (about the movie's impact) based on posts I'd written. I wound up in a Scot McKnight book because I posted a lot to his blog. Currently I'm working on two projects: Divine Feminine Version of the Bible and a project called Wikiklesia that is focused on women in ministry. Online relationships made both of these happen.
I've made friends in foreign countries and have a strong following of homeschooling mothers in Australia and New Zealand (I will get there and use my business to pay for it, yes I will!).
When someone says to me that they don't have time for a virtual life, I think: I don't have time not to! My richest, most satisfying personal relationships hands-down have come through writing back and forth online. And even the less personal ones have been a rich source of insight, support, and challenge in ways I don't achieve in person. The power of the written word combined with the significance of self-selecting community has revolutionized relationships.
Still, my business is writing and this post is supposed to be about how social media adds value to business. And everything I said above falls into that category. I don't think there is anything you can do to get people to be interested in your business through a couple of tweets a day or a fan page on Facebook. Who cares? You have to start by being interested in other people. The only way to do that is to talk to them about what they care about. For hours. On end. Even when it has nothing to do with your business.
Brave Writer began because I wasted so much time talking to homeschoolers online. I got to know them, enjoyed them, asked them questions, shared my insights; we became friends. We talked about stupid stuff like favorite snack foods we hid from our children. But we also talked about best methods for tackling spelling.
I learned everything I needed to know about how to make a successful writing program by listening to moms tell me what frustrated them about writing and teaching it to their kids. I paid attention. Then I figured out how to meet that need. I ruminated, researched, tested, shared, gave away my ideas, helped moms with no compensation whatsoever. Slowly, I built a little credibility when my ideas worked.
I was lucky. I didn't have to earn money right away. But that first check for $25.00 told me everything I needed to know. I had no website, I had no business name. Yet my first online class in 2000 was full (25 families). And so was the next one, and every one after that for the first five years, even while I raised my prices to over $100.00 per family in that time. I started with my name, and I was known in homeschooling circles because I had spent so much time hanging out, chatting with homeschoolers.
I've hardly advertised (maybe 8 weeks of a banner ad once). Word of mouth, email lists, discussion forums, blogging, and now, the miracle of twitter have accounted for all my business. Simply being transparent, available, and frequently online has been the key to generating interest in Brave Writer. It helps that the mothers (and some fathers too!) I work with are incredibly generous with their ideas, support, issues and needs. We know each other. In some cases, I've worked with every student of a family with eight kids.
To me, the question isn't "How do I use social media to generate business?" but rather, "Who have I connected to today?" Jon used to say that I got paid to give compliments. There's some truth to that. We all need encouragement. If there is one thing I've learned online—most of us are looking for support and reinforcement in our primary commitments. Brave Writer exists to give moms the courage to follow through on their best intentions for writing and language arts, while nurturing their relationships with their kids. Brave Writer provides the resources and support to to get it done. I'm every homeschooling parent's biggest fan and cheerleader. I believe in my committed, devoted, amazing customer/parents. I enjoy them. I learn from them. I like hanging out with them.
To me, that's what it's all about.
Social media is so recent, who knows? On the other hand, an active online presence across all kinds of communication technologies is what enhances any online business. Being a person, not a business, is what it's all about these days. In other words, I think wasting a lot of time online as yourself is the key to helping your business grow devoted, repeat customers.
I've logged thousands and thousands of hours online since 1995, when I first dialed up to connect. I've written hundreds of thousands of words (maybe millions, but I lost count after ten). I've posted my heart, soul, thoughts, secrets (consequently, I have few), mistakes, regrets, questions, answers, help, insight, mistakenly-believed-to-be-insightful-at-the-time remarks, quips, jabs, passions, premature commitments, and the odd overstatement-passed-off-as-fact.
In that time, I've cultivated a vibrant online life that has resulted in more in-person meetings than most skeptics of the virtual world would guess (numerous retreats all over the country with online women friends, BBQs with out of state theological pals, meet ups for concerts, coffees and desserts, drop-ins from both a client and two friends moving from point A to point C and Cincinnati turned out to be point B). I've been invited to and spoken at a conference on the strength of a tweet (twitter). I've walked on a beach with a homeschooling mom and her kids when she heard I was in her neighborhood.
I've made local friends and networked myself into a social media community (recent!), I found fellow Obama campaigners through my online life, I discovered fantasy football and U2 fans and the important world of gay rights issues because I loved the movie "Brokeback Mountain." I've contributed to two books as a result of these passions: Get Up Off Your Knees (about U2) and Beyond Brokeback (about the movie's impact) based on posts I'd written. I wound up in a Scot McKnight book because I posted a lot to his blog. Currently I'm working on two projects: Divine Feminine Version of the Bible and a project called Wikiklesia that is focused on women in ministry. Online relationships made both of these happen.
I've made friends in foreign countries and have a strong following of homeschooling mothers in Australia and New Zealand (I will get there and use my business to pay for it, yes I will!).
When someone says to me that they don't have time for a virtual life, I think: I don't have time not to! My richest, most satisfying personal relationships hands-down have come through writing back and forth online. And even the less personal ones have been a rich source of insight, support, and challenge in ways I don't achieve in person. The power of the written word combined with the significance of self-selecting community has revolutionized relationships.
Still, my business is writing and this post is supposed to be about how social media adds value to business. And everything I said above falls into that category. I don't think there is anything you can do to get people to be interested in your business through a couple of tweets a day or a fan page on Facebook. Who cares? You have to start by being interested in other people. The only way to do that is to talk to them about what they care about. For hours. On end. Even when it has nothing to do with your business.
Brave Writer began because I wasted so much time talking to homeschoolers online. I got to know them, enjoyed them, asked them questions, shared my insights; we became friends. We talked about stupid stuff like favorite snack foods we hid from our children. But we also talked about best methods for tackling spelling.
I learned everything I needed to know about how to make a successful writing program by listening to moms tell me what frustrated them about writing and teaching it to their kids. I paid attention. Then I figured out how to meet that need. I ruminated, researched, tested, shared, gave away my ideas, helped moms with no compensation whatsoever. Slowly, I built a little credibility when my ideas worked.
I was lucky. I didn't have to earn money right away. But that first check for $25.00 told me everything I needed to know. I had no website, I had no business name. Yet my first online class in 2000 was full (25 families). And so was the next one, and every one after that for the first five years, even while I raised my prices to over $100.00 per family in that time. I started with my name, and I was known in homeschooling circles because I had spent so much time hanging out, chatting with homeschoolers.
I've hardly advertised (maybe 8 weeks of a banner ad once). Word of mouth, email lists, discussion forums, blogging, and now, the miracle of twitter have accounted for all my business. Simply being transparent, available, and frequently online has been the key to generating interest in Brave Writer. It helps that the mothers (and some fathers too!) I work with are incredibly generous with their ideas, support, issues and needs. We know each other. In some cases, I've worked with every student of a family with eight kids.
To me, the question isn't "How do I use social media to generate business?" but rather, "Who have I connected to today?" Jon used to say that I got paid to give compliments. There's some truth to that. We all need encouragement. If there is one thing I've learned online—most of us are looking for support and reinforcement in our primary commitments. Brave Writer exists to give moms the courage to follow through on their best intentions for writing and language arts, while nurturing their relationships with their kids. Brave Writer provides the resources and support to to get it done. I'm every homeschooling parent's biggest fan and cheerleader. I believe in my committed, devoted, amazing customer/parents. I enjoy them. I learn from them. I like hanging out with them.
To me, that's what it's all about.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Home again, home again, jiggedy jig
Due to the benevolence of the weather gods, I escaped Cincinnati's "worst winter blizzard" in thirty years by traveling north. That just shows how incredibly popular I am with the sun. Grand Rapids was all melting snow just because I happened to drop in.
The weekend workshop I conducted, titled "Nurturing Brave Writers," gave me goose pimples and warm fuzzies, gratification and a sense of pride that the disparate bits of who I am have indeed coalesced into a more certain whole. I didn't expect it. I've given these talks for years - about writing, revising and editing, language arts, homeschooling. What emerged, though, in ten hours of talking was something else. Brave Writer is more than a system of tackling objectives for education. It has to do with a lifestyle that values ideas, talking, interaction, evaluation and reevaluation of what constitutes a rich educational life. We focus on writers, not writing.
As I presented the material, I noticed how comfortable I've become in my own skin. For a long time I've had to walk a tightrope between my business world and my personal evolving religious and political convictions. Yet this weekend, I didn't. Without divulging personal details, I found that my private conversations with these mothers surprised and gratified me. There were several who were shedding the voices of old English teachers, legalistic, fundamentalist parents, their own internal editors. Having been through so many deconstructions myself, I felt uniquely able to listen, to offer support, to validate the tentative steps toward clarity and confidence. Really cool.
I have more to share, more to talk about on this blog than me. I hope to get back to it asap. Until then, thanks for reading along. My readership has really grown this year and I enjoy hearing from you a lot. So thanks. (Btw, I would love to add you to my blogroll if you aren't already there. Send an email or post a link in the comments.)
I have also promised to share how Dave and I solved the democratic race for the nomination. And we did. If everyone would just listen to us! Stay tuned. :)
The weekend workshop I conducted, titled "Nurturing Brave Writers," gave me goose pimples and warm fuzzies, gratification and a sense of pride that the disparate bits of who I am have indeed coalesced into a more certain whole. I didn't expect it. I've given these talks for years - about writing, revising and editing, language arts, homeschooling. What emerged, though, in ten hours of talking was something else. Brave Writer is more than a system of tackling objectives for education. It has to do with a lifestyle that values ideas, talking, interaction, evaluation and reevaluation of what constitutes a rich educational life. We focus on writers, not writing.
As I presented the material, I noticed how comfortable I've become in my own skin. For a long time I've had to walk a tightrope between my business world and my personal evolving religious and political convictions. Yet this weekend, I didn't. Without divulging personal details, I found that my private conversations with these mothers surprised and gratified me. There were several who were shedding the voices of old English teachers, legalistic, fundamentalist parents, their own internal editors. Having been through so many deconstructions myself, I felt uniquely able to listen, to offer support, to validate the tentative steps toward clarity and confidence. Really cool.
I have more to share, more to talk about on this blog than me. I hope to get back to it asap. Until then, thanks for reading along. My readership has really grown this year and I enjoy hearing from you a lot. So thanks. (Btw, I would love to add you to my blogroll if you aren't already there. Send an email or post a link in the comments.)
I have also promised to share how Dave and I solved the democratic race for the nomination. And we did. If everyone would just listen to us! Stay tuned. :)
Friday, March 07, 2008
In Grand Rapids
to give a homeschool writing workshop tonight and tomorrow. A bonus: seeing Mr. Pomoxian on his home turf. We intend to solve the debacle that is the Democratic race for the nomination by the end of tomorrow evening, in case you're wondering. Details to come.
I'm still recovering from strep and apparently Liam now has it as well. Jon is holding down the fort at home in the middle of a snow storm, with a sick child and a dog who had to have his bandage changed at a busy vet office. Said dog then rewarded Jon's patience and driving all around town by pooping in my van. You have to wonder: who is really working this weekend? Me or Home Executive, Mr. Jon? I tell you what - I'm nominating him for the Best Damned Husband Award! Deserves a big chocolate bar and thorough foot rub.... both of which I plan to give him in the biblical sense when I get home Sunday.
Until then, I'll be talking, sucking on throat lozenges (does anyone call them that any more?), and selling books. I'll also be sleeping on a very comfortable Hampton Inn bed. See you later.
I'm still recovering from strep and apparently Liam now has it as well. Jon is holding down the fort at home in the middle of a snow storm, with a sick child and a dog who had to have his bandage changed at a busy vet office. Said dog then rewarded Jon's patience and driving all around town by pooping in my van. You have to wonder: who is really working this weekend? Me or Home Executive, Mr. Jon? I tell you what - I'm nominating him for the Best Damned Husband Award! Deserves a big chocolate bar and thorough foot rub.... both of which I plan to give him in the biblical sense when I get home Sunday.
Until then, I'll be talking, sucking on throat lozenges (does anyone call them that any more?), and selling books. I'll also be sleeping on a very comfortable Hampton Inn bed. See you later.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Six words to say it all...
I read a great article in the LA Times (see my delicious links) that described the process of writing a six word memoir that would encapsulate your life.
One of my Brave Writer moms sent the following two to me this a.m. to describe Hillary and Barack. These were each written by one of her kids.
Obama:
Hope. Children. Change. Yes we can!
Clinton:
She was weaned on a pickle.
Ah the skies are already clearing a bit. I love my Brave Writer families. :)
One of my Brave Writer moms sent the following two to me this a.m. to describe Hillary and Barack. These were each written by one of her kids.
Obama:
Hope. Children. Change. Yes we can!
Clinton:
She was weaned on a pickle.
Ah the skies are already clearing a bit. I love my Brave Writer families. :)
A morning from hell...
Without casting aspersions or blame, let's just say that this morning didn't go quite the way I had hoped. It's class registration day for Brave Writer and my FTP program decided to quit working right after Jon's computer's start up disk took a late winter's nap. Ergo, I had no way to make the registration page go live at the 12:00 noon time mothers around the world were waiting for. In fact, I got an email from a mother in Australia telling me she had stayed up until 3 a.m. her time for that magical "live" moment... which didn't come.
After 100 attempts to fix the problem before the clock struck noon, I writhed on the floor in desperation and then stopped the hemorrhaging by sending out an email with the registration links (only to discover that the email itself had the wrong links in it!). Oh horribly cruel world!
At that point, I sent another email, slathered the information on my BW blog, yahoo lists, the public Brave Writer forums and answered the endlessly ringing phone with sincere moms who were sure that they had done something wrong (Btw, can I just say I love women? They are always so much more willing to assume the best about you and the worst about themselves than the men who call...). In any case, of course they had done nothing and they all immediately empathized with my plight, offering me verbal hugs and ladle sized doses of forgiveness.
For some unknown reason to any but the computer gremlins, my FTP program decided to work again about ten minutes ago for ten minutes. It is now officially not working again, but it was enough time to make the links go live. Which matters. Johannah's college fund will thank it.
And now I am sitting in my office, staring at a dreary, rainy world of downpours (which means bailing water in the basement). All I can think about is the election, the importance of these returns, the enthusiasm of the campaign this month and the heart-break it will be if Clinton hangs on to her lead. I can't stomach any more of the attacks - her aligning with McCain saying they have experience and Obama has speeches, intimating on Sixty Minutes that "Of course Obama is not a Muslim... as far as I know." It's enough. She's willing to tear the party apart to win. Obama just keeps pounding his platform.
So today is a fittingly stressful grey unsunny day. May the skies clear tonight!
After 100 attempts to fix the problem before the clock struck noon, I writhed on the floor in desperation and then stopped the hemorrhaging by sending out an email with the registration links (only to discover that the email itself had the wrong links in it!). Oh horribly cruel world!
At that point, I sent another email, slathered the information on my BW blog, yahoo lists, the public Brave Writer forums and answered the endlessly ringing phone with sincere moms who were sure that they had done something wrong (Btw, can I just say I love women? They are always so much more willing to assume the best about you and the worst about themselves than the men who call...). In any case, of course they had done nothing and they all immediately empathized with my plight, offering me verbal hugs and ladle sized doses of forgiveness.
For some unknown reason to any but the computer gremlins, my FTP program decided to work again about ten minutes ago for ten minutes. It is now officially not working again, but it was enough time to make the links go live. Which matters. Johannah's college fund will thank it.
And now I am sitting in my office, staring at a dreary, rainy world of downpours (which means bailing water in the basement). All I can think about is the election, the importance of these returns, the enthusiasm of the campaign this month and the heart-break it will be if Clinton hangs on to her lead. I can't stomach any more of the attacks - her aligning with McCain saying they have experience and Obama has speeches, intimating on Sixty Minutes that "Of course Obama is not a Muslim... as far as I know." It's enough. She's willing to tear the party apart to win. Obama just keeps pounding his platform.
So today is a fittingly stressful grey unsunny day. May the skies clear tonight!
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