Tag Archives: Seth Godin

WELCOME TO THE O.C. MR. SETH GODIN – AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL

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To be successful, one does need to be inspired. I know that’s true for me. Inspiration and encouragement are my medicine of choice, that along with my faith.  One person whom I regularly mention is Marketing Visionary Seth Godin.  Seth is visiting my county today, Orange County, which is rare. He normally sticks to the East Coast which is his homeland. But, thanks to Social Media Guru’s like Bryan Elliott and his amazing LinkedOC group, Seth is speaking to a roomful of others who dare to conduct their lives and business differently than the norm. The norm is not good enough for us-we want to achieve more.

Seth Godin Shares His Thoughts to Help Others Make A Difference

INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS

I, unfortunately, will be missing Mr. Godin this time.  However, I wanted to welcome him to Southern California nonetheless and let him know that his voice is important and matters on the left coast. I wish we could have welcomed him with sunny skies, but his words will be uplifting enough despite the predicted rain.

If you haven’t subscribed to his daily newsletter, it’s a must for EVERYONE. Do it right now by clicking here.  And if you feel like you’ve missed out on something, you can follow another website that features Seth’s inspiring words at www.sethsaid.com

A MUST READ FOR PROFESSIONALS

Yes, Seth is someone you need to pay attention to for a number of reasons. And besides my Pastors and mom…I listen and learn from him daily.  What sort of things do I learn? Here are few of my takeaways.

  • Work is art.  You are always creating.
  • Think differently and create. Don’t put yourself in a box.
  • You don’t need more time, you just need to decide.
  • Cheaper is the last refuge of the marketer unable to tell a better story.
  • Selling to people who actually want to hear from us is more effective than interrupting strangers who don’t.
  • Focus on outcomes not fanfare.
  • New Media has become a synonym for “No Budget.”

Why I like him so much is that he inspires me to be the best person I can be.  I like hanging around folks like that, don’t you?

Please share your thoughts about Seth Godin. I’d love to hear them.

And Mr. Godin, this post is my way of welcoming you to Orange County and shaking your hand.

Thank you for coming and for inspiring me.

A Linchpin in Training,
Cindy Ronzoni

 

 

 

 

 

Favor or Gifts?

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Moving Friends is One of the Most Common Favors

Marketing Genius Seth Godin presented two very interesting thoughts regarding favor and gifts. His last two blog posts have dealt with each respectively and I’ve been puzzled every since I’ve read them.  For upon further reflection, both are extremely complex in how you use them in business.  They also say much about the personality of your company and brand.

FAVOR VS. GIFTS

So let me ask you a few questions about this issue.

Do you provide favors? And if so, do you expect something in return?

And if you answer no, that you don’t normally expect anything in return, then is that a gift?

These questions are perplexing for I believe that one good deed does deserve another.  I also am a woman of deep faith and believe that doing good things in the world is what I should always try and do. For instance, last year I provided resume writing services to homeless individuals.  I did this service as a volunteer fully knowing that I wouldn’t get anything in return. In fact, I didn’t want anything in return.  It was a personal gift to them and an honor that they let me help them.

That instance was an easy one for me.  It gets personally harder when I decide to help a professional, who has money, and provide a service as a favor. To be honest, my motives for those favors is the hope that they would recommend me for future business.  But, that’s not a solid guarantee.  So as I’m writing this, I’m asking myself – should I provide less business favors and only do so if I can ask for a tangible favor back? My business side says yes. My Christian heart says no.

THE PRESSURES OF FAVORS

The problem with favors is the fact that they do “one up you” to the recipient. Although, the words are never stated, the sentiment is there that I’m helping you with this, but at a later date, I’m going to ask you for a favor.  That sentiment is understood without words and is what Seth calls the “social contract.”

I personally do not ask for many favors – I probably should ask for more. So I think I will be a bit wiser now regarding each instance. If a business associate is asking me for a business favor, I might be a bit bolder and ask them how they could provide me with some extra help.  I’ve never done that.

I will treat each instance separately and decide whether or not I am willing to provide a gift or favor.

I am so thankful for these timely blog posts by Mr. Godin.  If he never penned this idea, I don’t think I would have ever changed my business tactics.

THE ANSWER COULD BE NO

And again, sometimes, the best answer to a favor is “no.”

Therefore, in conclusion, you control when you give a gift or not.  And when you bestow favor.

How do you dole out favor?

Please comment, I’d love to hear how you handle this sensitive subject.  LOL – You’d be doing me a favor by sharing your thoughts on this business approach.

 

Cindy

 

 

 

A Randy Smith Experience – Linchpin Series

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Randy Smith Experienced Life to its Fullest

(This post is the fourth in a series I have produced under the Linchpin title. The Linchpin philosophy is based on Seth Godin’s best-selling book, Linchpin. Linchpins are those people who make a difference in your life.  It is my hope that we all are Linchpins to others during our lifetime.)

Throughout my career I have produced numerous events – some global like the Prime Time Emmys and others local like food drives at my church. Each had strategy attached, but not once did I ever ask myself what the experience of the event should be. I guess I planned around that by asking myself what kind of tone the event should have, what type of services are needed and what personality the event was going to convey. But I never thought about the experience until now.

Last weekend I attended a celebration of a friend’s life. This celebration service was for my friend Randy Smith who managed the IT department at my church, Whittier Area Community Church. Since my expertise is in communication, it wasn’t long before I started working with Randy when I volunteered on projects. From the first day I met him, we hit it right off away and he quickly became one of my few “tech” friends. As a another dear friend Amy Kimes mentioned at his service, Randy was one of a kind.

Randy was a rare person for he was highly skilled in technology. But, he also was extremely creative and loved organizing events.  As such, one thing that he always emphasized in event planning was “It was  about the experience.” I learned about this important statement at his funeral on Saturday and thought I needed to remember that in every aspect of my life.  Then on Sunday, marketing guru Chris Brogan wrote about the importance of the experience.  It was just like Randy to be ahead of the curve.  He beat Chris Brogan to the punch.  And since these two early adopters mentioned the importance of experience, I knew it was a message for me as well and one that I should heed and not forget.

This post is about the experience of knowing Randy Smith.  I am honored to have known him and to have called him a friend.  He impacted so many lives during his short time here on earth and the tools that he taught all of us “his students” will stay with us as a lasting memorial.  He lived a large life by how he lived it for he lived for others. He was a master at finding solutions to problems and he was a true visionary. Because of how he “lived” and “carried” himself  I truly believe he was the definition of social media before it was even penned. For Randy always listened before he spoke. He loved connecting people and received such joy when he was able to spread content to others whether it was through Constant Contact, websites, video seminars, The Tournament of Roses telecasts or retreats.  He believed in “open source” and shared his knowledge with anyone that asked. He never held back his wisdom. He was always behind the scenes and happy to do so.  He loved gadgets, music, food, helping others and his dear precious daughters and family.

Randy Smith Loved Providing Solutions

He was a strong believer and so I know when he entered those pearly gates God probably asked him about “the experience.” Knowing Randy I’m sure he said he did his best and tried to be helpful whenever possible and that “his experience on earth” was fun.  And then I know he heard the words we all yearn to hear from God when it’s our time “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Randy – thank you for all the help you provided me through the years. You opened up the Internet for me and made it become a “fun” playground and less scary.  It is largely due to your influence that I am able to dream about the many possibilities that are available to us to use our voices and time to make a difference in the world. You made a difference in mine.

For yes, life is about the experience.  How would you rate your’s? That’s a great question we all should ponder.

5 Online Must Have’s – My Valentine For You

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In celebration of Valentine’s Day, I wish I could personally give you, my kind readers, each a box of delicious chocolates. Since I’m not able to do that, I thought the best way I could show you my “appreciation” and “love” is by letting you in on some of my favorite social media secrets and tips. Thereby, this post is my Valentine for you.

MY FIVE ONLINE FAVES

Last Pass is the last Password You'll Ever Need to Remember

1. My number tool that literally changed by life is the free password manager LastPass.com. With this product you never have to worry about forgetting your passwords again.  When my Facebook and other online accounts were hacked into last spring, it was a nightmare untangling all of my passwords.  Every online account that I had ever set up in my online life had to be changed for they were compromised. Now, I just need to remember the main login password to Last Pass and that’s is. It remembers the rest. Last Pass remembers all of the accounts that require passwords and even generates passwords for you. It’s easy to use and works well for both Macs and PCs. This application has made my life so much easier. I highly recommend it for you as well.

Hootsuite has a scheduled tweet function

2. Hootsuite -  Hootsuite is a twitter application that allows you to post tweets to multiple twitter handles and follow streams. The best reason I like this app over some of the other twitter programs like Tweet Deck is the fact that it allows you to schedule tweets. I love that I don’t have to be in front of my computer to send tweets.  This tool too has been a life-saver.  There is a free version and a paid premium service associated with this product.

3.  Social Media Examiner – I am often asked where I learn most of my social media ninja tricks.  I often

A Great Resource for Social Media Instruction

check in on the blog posts by Social Media Examiner and I purchase their webinars on Facebook and blogging. I find the information presented by this online resource as being top-notch, ahead of the curve and extremely practical. Michael Stelzner has put together a terrific educational resource.

THE WORLD IS ONLY A CLICK AWAY

There's Always Something Interesting Going on at Meetup.com

4. Meetup – If you want to find a group that meets together regarding one of your passions and/or hobbies, I highly recommend you check out Meetup.com.  There are dozens of groups gathering near you that discuss interesting subjects or provide fun activities. I belong to several. My favorites are my weekly social media club and my monthly WordPress group. These meetups for me are like going to school. It’s free education. They are a great networking resource and they help me get out of the house and mingle with others.

5. Seth Godin – You are what you read, I always say. And one person who truly inspires me with every thought he

Seth Godin is a Must Read Everyday

writes is Seth Godin. I have written about him before and my admiration still remains the same.  This dear, wise, intelligent marketer and seer of life imparts common sense ideas toward how we view every day business.  He is a prolific writer who often posts thoughts more than once a day. I promise that once you review his work, you’ll continue to come back for more.  He makes the world a better place.

And while we’re talking about people making a difference in the world, I would be remiss not to include you in that category as well.  Never forget that you make a difference in my life. You cause me to remain honest and true. And to share my thoughts and move forward. You cheer me on. Provide valuable feedback and encouragement when I need it the most.

Thank you all for being my Valentine.

Hugs,

Cindy

Freelance Freedom

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Hop on the Carousel of Freelance Life - You'll Love it. Credit: Flickr: Link576

Today I am speaking at a breakfast event held at the Publicists Guild in partnership with the Entertainment Publicists Professional Society (EPPS). The topic of the panel is freelance public relations.  And as such, the point that I hope that I am able to convey to those in attendance is the great need for them to allow themselves to work and think in entirely new ways about their work and their individual lives.

I do think that the statement “out of the box thinking” is over-used, but its meaning is spot on and not trite, trendy nor part of yesterday’s news.  It’s relevant for today, in fact, its mandatory. For if you haven’t noticed…things are not the same (job-wise or economy-wise) as it was say three years ago.  Things have changed and we, as PR professionals, must hop on that merry go around and learn how to enjoy the ride.

Facebook. twitter. Foursquare. Groupon. Blogs.  They’re here. They are real. And they are here to stay. And they are a major component of our communication tools.

Not only is social media a reality, but so are the manners in which we work.  With reductions of full-time positions, PR executives who were downsized are forced to become freelancers/consultants until something permanent does come around again.  And this can be an exhilarating experience and not one to be dreaded if you allow yourself to dream, think differently, and diligently break from traditional work practices.

As a freelancer, you finally are not shackled with promoting one company or touting a company line – you have FREEDOM to explore deep within yourself what would make you happy and finally Do what you’ve always wanted to do….like work for a non-profit that you are passionate about or take culinary classes and start your own cupcake business or open up your shingle and promote a wide range of services. You can do anything that you want…you are the boss of your own company. So who do you want to be?

Don’t let panic or desperation seep in.  Allow yourself the ability to dream.  Don’t stop working on landing a full time gig, but do that six hours in the day.  Spend  a couple hours each day to work on the job you would love to have and develop it.  You can create anything that you want.  Drop down the sides of your box and stand in the middle of it with your head raised skyward and  your hands held high…and enjoy your new found freedom.

I allowed myself to lead a job search work team and created a website.

Who am I to write such statements?

Well, I’m living this at the moment.  And I’m lovin’ it. My hands are no longer held tightly onto the carousel horses, but I’m hanging from the outside of the merry go round.  I’m smiling as it goes round and round and I’m letting the wind and sun shine on my face.  My clients and directions make no sense in the traditional world and I’m glad. I’m living in the social media world where we can create the things that make a difference in the world and matter.  And you know as you make a difference in the world, you are making a difference in your own life. It’s a win-win for all involved.  Let yourself serve wherever you can.

So, what am I doing?  I have a couple clients that are from my career experience, but now I’ve expanded my box to include teaching job search skills to those who are living in transitional housing facilities. I’m showing seniors how to use Facebook.  I’m speaking at colleges and churches. I’m learning how to code CSS and I have my own voice now on several platforms.  I could have never invented this crazy path, traditionally, but I allowed it to take its course and I’m working with nature and not against it anymore.

My box does not have walls…my office is virtual…and I’m free to create.

Freelance-Fear=Freedom

I love this quote that I stumbled upon on twitter from the eschelon2010 conference and I wish I could credit the writer. I hope it inspires you as it did me.  “If you want to make a successful start up, you need a huge vision, not something small.”

Let yourself think. As Seth Godin always reminds us – we are all artists…so allow yourself to create. Grab a paintbrush and put some paint on it.

If you need a little more inspiration….I’m including my favorite clip of all time regarding transitions…The Lemonade Movie.  Please watch it below and become inspired.

Here to serve,

Cindy

So now my question for you is…what would you write on your lemon? If you could what would want to do? Be sure to let me know, I’d love to hear.

Linchpin #2 – Dr. William Ankerberg

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An Inspiring Leader and Life Changer

Dr. William “Bill” Ankerberg has been my pastor for over five years and without a doubt his teaching and leadership at Whittier Area Community Church (WACC) has changed my life for the better in many ways.  I have attended many churches (all sizes) in my Christian journey, but, none have come close to impacting my life as WACC.

What makes this church body so different?

Without a doubt it is its leader – Pastor Bill.

Here’s why.  He makes each one of us who hear his words or those who know him better human beings.

“A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.” - Jim Rohn

And here’s how he’s been able to do that.  He lives his life transparently from the pulpit, office and home.  He lives his life honestly and has a God-given ability to understand where people are at and just loves them no matter their spiritual level. When you are with him, you immediately feel accepted and not judged – which is a huge accomplishment coming from a Pastor of 4,000 attendees.  He’s like the perfect Dad.

He’s kind. He’s generous. He feels for those who are in need. He wants to make a difference and as such, he’s teaching us those things.  The mission statement for the church is really his mission statement – Follow God + Love People. He loves his God and is obedient while loving people.  And he especially loves providing for people.

I have to admit that I was a bit more shallow of a person before I came to WACC, but, through the church’s teaching I have become more generous, more helpful to others, less self-centered, more God loving, considerate, kind and even more innovative in my thinking.  I’ve also changed my priorities in life from not pursuing my own best interests – but, trusting God’s plan for my life.

And I can fully say I’ve made these changes, because Pastor Bill gave me great opportunities to learn how to through endeavors he has put forth from the pulpit.  Here’s a short description of some events that helped me grow.

*Serve Weekend - One weekend a year the church shuts its doors so we can go out into the community and provide services for others in need. The church pays for all the necessary tools and equipment and off we go helping in over 100 projects.  In my time there, I’ve fed the firemen, washed police cars, packed up supplies for soldiers and painted new lines on an elementary school playground.  This event has changed my life and made me more civic minded.

We fed local firemen for an entire weekend to say thanks.

*Homeless Shelter – Our church assists in helping the town’s cold-weather shelter by providing meals to 40-some homeless adult individuals.  I’ve had the pleasure to lend a hand serving them a warm meal and have met some wonderful people who are trying to turn their lives around.  This event has opened up my heart more to others.

*The Malawi Miracle – The Malawi Miracle is an event that I will be proud of my entire life.  Because of Pastor Bill’s heart to help those in need, he wanted to help build a pediatric hospital in Malawi at the African Bible College.  His daughter recently ministered there and when she asked her dad if we could build a much-needed hospital in that location, he thought we could. He originally thought it would only take $60,000 to build it to help the people in the poorest nation of the world.  So he decided that he would donate our Christmas offering to go toward building that 40 bed hospital. He implored all of us to give as much as we could sacrificially.  Previously, the most our church has ever raised during Christmas was $27K. So we needed a miracle. And then we heard that it would take over $106,000 to build the AIDS hospital.  We needed a mega-miracle.  But, the people responded. They gave up Christmas presents and vacations. They sold jewelry, lemonade and cookies.  They gave up physical therapy.  And what was the final number? The church members gave over $500,000. It’s a miracle I will never forget and a project I am proud to say I was a part of.  To see a video created by Bono and Willow Creek Church about this Miracle, click here.
I could go on and on about him.  But, there just isn’t enough time…but, here are few other top line points about him that makes him so inspiring.

*He loves current events and the media. He frequently goes to the movies and always starts out the sermon with something ripped out of the pages.  This trait makes him so relatable to others.

*He answers his email quickly and is someone who is extremely approachable.

*He loves to learn and learn from others.

*He gives up his pulpit from time to time to give experience to other pastors on his staff.

*His management style is team leadership. He doesn’t micro-manage and supports good ideas.

*He stands by his word and is a man of integrity in all he does.

*His sermons are honest – he never asks us to do something that he doesn’t have to do himself.  Just take a look at this recent sermon when he told us how difficult marriage is even when you’re a pastor.

I am a better person with Dr. Bill Ankerberg in my life.  If you are reading this and do not live near Whittier, you can still learn from this wonderful man by visiting WACC.net or by dropping him a email and telling him hello.  Any communication  with him will change your life.

Thank you Pastor Bill for your support and love!

Best,

Cindy

This post is a second in a series I have produced under the Linchpin title. The Linchpin philosophy is based on Seth Godin’s best-selling book, Linchpin. Linchpins are those people who make a difference in your life.  It is my hope that we all are Linchpins to others during our lifetime.

Seth Godin – A True Linchpin

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Are you familiar with Seth Godin?

An Indispensable Man

He’s a prolific author, a brilliant marketer,  a visionary and one of the kindest human beings walking this planet.  He makes the world a better place.  And he makes my life better and he can do the same for you.

Mr. Godin embodies the modern day work force.  He gets how we tick and what motivates us as workers, consumers and bosses.  And he is our biggest cheerleader.

How so? Through his works, he tells us that we are allowed to dream and then, proves that we can actually achieve them.

He’s the light at the end of the tunnel during these tough, economic times.

He’s a linchpin – he’s indispensable. And he wants the same for you.

You may be scratching your head about my reference to linchpin and wondering what I mean.  Mr. Godin’s most recent book is called Linchpin.   I am in the middle of  reading the book now and it is impacting my life like none other than, well, the Bible.  But, I’ll use his words to describe it.

Here’s how Mr. Godin describes the idea of a linchpin.

A linchpin is an unassuming piece of hardware, something you can buy for sixty-nine cents at the local hardware store.  It’s not glamorous, but it’s essential.

Every successful organization has at least one linchpin; some have dozens or even thousands. The linchpin is the essential element, the person who holds part of the organization together.  Without the linchpin, the things falls apart.”

I am joining his bandwagon and will from time to time profile people who are changing others course of life; those who make a difference like he does.  In “Linchpin,” Mr. Godin challenges us to choose to become indispensable – to create art – do more on the job – be innovative – live without a map – enjoy what we do.

Also, to show you how much he believes in this way of life, he asked his blog readers awhile ago to send in photos of people who were linchpins in their life. He then used these photo to grace the inside cover of his book. It’s a marvelous image which is pictured below.

We all have linchpins and so, I would like to honor those in my life.  This is my first post of one of my linchpins and others will soon follow.  If you would like to share yours with me as well, I’ll happily post them on my site.

Linchpins should be honored and shared.  You can’t live without them.

Thank you Seth Godin for sharing your gifts with the world- you are helping others achieve a new way of life.

By the way, I emailed Mr. Godin to see if I could get his permission to use the term Linchpin on my site and being the true linchpin that he is – here was his reply.

“Go for it, Cindy.”

A Linchpin in Training,

Cindy

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