In 2006, not many marketers realized the impact that this silly thing called “twitter” would have on our e-strategies. Here’s a great video clip of how Biz Stone got the word out in the early days.  Did you know it was originally spelled Twttr?

A sense of humor is critical in marketing, isn’t it!

(Credit for finding this video goes to Mashable and Say OMG)

This video was produced by Pita Communications/Vroom Media at last year’s e-Technology Summit in Hartford, CT. If you watch carefully, you’ll see my contribution at the 1:54 mark.

What do YOU think technology IS…?

Join me at 2010 e-Technology Summit – click here to for info and to order tickets.

Whether you’re self-employed or work for an organization, you don’t get to pick and choose which activities you want to do. While (hopefully) you enjoy a good portion of what you do, there are always some tasks you’re responsible for completing that make you uncomfortable.  Often it’s something you’ve never done before.

But here’s a newsflash – most problems in business require us to do what we’ve never done before. If there is a problem to be solved, raise your hand and volunteer to take it on.  I guarantee that no one else is sure what to do either.  So it might as well be YOU that figures it out.

When you work for yourself, it becomes even more difficult to force yourself out of your comfort zone.  It’s not natural to tackle something you find difficult, scary, unrewarding or boring.

But it’s in those uncomfortable spaces that big things can happen. And without big things happening, you’re doomed to mediocrity.

Not only does your business move forward, but you become more acquainted with discomfort and find a renewed confidence in yourself.

So what are you going to do today? Something new and scary, I hope!

When building a new business, where do you get your daily support from?  Who is your “go to” for sharing ideas, getting advice, celebrating victories or making it through rough days?  If you don’t have a business partner, it can feel a bit lonely.

In most cases, you cannot and should not rely on your family for too much emotional support.  Chances are your other half is carrying the financial load while you’re building your business.

What about friends?  As much as your friends want you to succeed, they are busy with their own agendas as well.  Yes, they’ll listen, but don’t expect them to share your passion or expertise for your specific business.

So what about complete strangers?  Well, we call that social networking! It’s a strange phenomenon – if done properly, all of a sudden people with similar interests will seek you out on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.  They’re enthusiastic about what you’re doing, and have some great ideas.

Perhaps the best solution is to seek out like-minded business owners in your local area who meet on a regular basis. And yes, social networking sites are a great way to meet folks, even in your area.

You know…the person who has always day dreamed and talked about great ideas, but never turned talk into action until…you know…the economy tanked and you found yourself without a daily grind.

What to do with your grind-less time?  Well, you could frantically search for another job.  But let’s face it…1 or 2 hours per day is the most you should spend on that. 

Why not fill the rest of your day turning one of your dreams into reality (sorry, that sounds too cliché).  Or at least learn something new that could actually make you more marketable!  It’s called Social Networking!  Get yourself a Twitter account, open a Facebook page (it’s not just for kids anymore) and set up your LinkedIn profile.

Not only will you learn marketable skills, you might find an effective channel to promote your business idea, yourself or both!

Now that’s a grind worth getting out of bed for every day!

…to go with my strengths.  After over 15 years of marketing and ecommerce experience, I know what I’m good at, and what I enjoy doing. 

Over the past year I’ve made the crazy transition from a corporate marketing job to working for myself (and my kids, and my house, and so on).  Well, let’s just say it’s been a transition full of ups and downs, but more ups than downs.  But I’m proud to declare that I think I’ve figured out how to juggle it all (within reason), and I really enjoy what I do.

So what do I do?  Good question.  While it seems that I’m doing a lot of different things, they’re all related.  My blogging feeds into my local home staging business and online forum.  And along the way I’m writing a book documenting my journey.  Sort of a “lessons learned” for anyone else considering making this crazy (yet amazing) leap.

So why did I get such a self-serving and long domain name here?  (Note: If you were a Smith, you’d have to settle for a long one too!)  It’s because I want to help people get their ideas off the ground and be as successful as possible. 

No, I’m not a “coach” and I’m probably the only person on Twitter who is not a self-declared “Social Medial Expert.”  I’m just a marketer who has learned first-hand what works and what doesn’t.

Not that I need another blog to maintain {mild eye roll}, but I plan to post some summaries of my lessons learned here, which hopefully will help others.