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6 Ways to Make Yourself More Marketable

Posted November 30, 2017 By Frank Strona

Making Yourself More Marketable

Making yourself marketable has never been more critical than in today’s saturated and cutthroat market. For every job position you interview for, there are about a dozen active candidates who come from the same educational level and bear the same skill set and knowledge base. Here are six ways to distinguish yourself from them:

Marketable Tip 1: Be a Team Player

It’s about all the parts coming together as one

Technical proficiency is no longer enough to make it as a professional. Employers also look for recruits who can fit the company’s culture. Practice your social skills, mainly how well you work with others. Showcase to employers that you can be a team player by working on group projects and reaching out to people to either help them or ask for it. Being part of an effective team includes knowing for to share credit and when to step back so that others can shine.

Take-away reminder: Recruiters tell me that this is a place they often see candidates fail. They are so focused on themselves they forget to build into the responses the acknowledgment of how others added or supported successes.

Marketable Tip 2: Be Knowledgeable

From the fundamental concepts to the legal aspects of the job, showing that you are knowledgeable can impress a lot of employers obviously. If needed, talk to an employment attorney to ask about legal matters, such as standards and rights set forth by the state to protect employees. But knowledge is not a flat process, is it part contextual and part application and part process. Be sure to include elements of your responses to include all the aspects. 

Take-away reminder: There is nothing worse than “giving the answers only because you read it somewhere,  without any context on how “it” was applied and the lessons learned from the process.

Marketable Tip 3: Collect Online Courses

While stand-alone online courses such as those host on Edemy.com are still not recognized by some companies as an equivalent to a traditional two and four-year course-specific programs, with accredited training curricula It can still be an excellent credential to add to your resume. Online courses are well-suited for professionals who are working full-time or have other obligations to fulfill and cannot commit to a traditional immersive curriculum. A lot of these programs are usually done at the student’s own pace. Courses are also tailored to specific technologies, skills, or practices. Once you’ve finished a course, make sure to update your resume, then be sure and keep up with what you learned. Check out this article from LearningEvolution.net about alternative online course options beyond Edemy.com.

Take-away reminder: Once you take a course, practice your new skill. Create an online portfolio of projects that illustrate how you take what you learned and created something, or wrote something, etc. For instance, if you take a coding or web-design course; offer to do a small web project for a worthy non-profit. It will be good exposure and gives back to the community.

Marketable Tip 4: Work on Side Projects

This is a side project of mine that looks to create storytelling space around food & family memories for those without a blog source at BiteTheRoad.com

Side projects are especially prevalent if you are applying for a tech-related job, such as a web developer or software engineer, but can still be an applicable technique for other industries, like finance and social engineering. Work on side projects during your downtime, but make sure that it showcases the technologies and concepts you’ve learned and mastered throughout your professional career.

Take-away reminder: Don’t forget to create a portfolio of your projects!Self-promotion is part of the game. It will be even richer if you include clips, quotes or feedback from the clients/hosts.

Marketable Tip 5: Journal Everything

This is my actual journal that I use to plan holiday gatherings.

First get in the habit of taking notes. You can use the standard “Moleskine” notebooks I favor or any that fit your particular lifestyle. You can also use OneNote or EverNote programs (If you tend to use an Ipad – there are many that work great as well as these – these just happen to be my personal favorites), both great integrated tools for keeping track of notes and projects. This also ends up being your first draft of your thought process for later on.

From there, considering starting a blog and include anything and everything related to your profession. This includes hobbies that are relevant to the job position you are applying. Make your journal as detailed as possible. The more in-depth you can discuss your interests and passion, the better your employers can get to know you. This may lead to an invite for an in-person interview. Several tools are available as well as easy to do it yourself training on blog platforms such as WordPress.com and WIX.com.

Take-away reminder: Need help with getting your Blog online? You can connect with me for support or read my two-part post on getting started with Blogging Part 1 and Part 2 or read my post  “Have you blogged that?”.

Marketable Tip 6: Network, Network, Network

This is one of the cards I used to have printed.

Last but not least, don’t underestimate the power of a reliable network. Make sure to have glowing references from previous employers and colleagues. Be sure that you carry some kind of contact card; I have been happy with  VistaPrint, Cafepress, Moo, and PsPrint depending on the need. They all offer low-cost printing options and have special reduced rates you can take advantage of. Look for local and national organizations that share and overlap in your interests. Participate in online forums by making well thought out comments to blog posts. Allow yourself to stand out as a well-spoken and thoughtful person. This isn’t the time to be “right” rather you want to be recognized as “in the know”. Consider submitting for a conference. being part of a panel or workshop gives you a level of expertise and is a great way to shine (it also is something worth noting on the CV, social media profiles).  If you don’t have one – consider how you can create and polish up your LinkedIn.com profile. Aren’t using social media? I can help you get kick started with my Bootcamp program.

Take-away reminder: To get noticed and on the mind of those in the industry- you have to get out from behind your workspace and put yourself out there.

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Fresh Start: Steps to Build a Better Life from the Ground Up

Posted November 24, 2017 By Frank Strona

Everyone deserves a fresh start in life.

Sometimes it’s because you decided it was time, while occasionally it is because you had that decision made for you.

Never think you can not rebuild a fresh start, and create for yourself something new from the ground up by making some simple positive changes. Letting go of the past, changing the way you do things, and adopting a new, more confident mindset will help you reach greater heights, and become the person you’ve always wanted to be. Essentially it is never too late, no matter how hard it may feel or how insurmountable the odds may feel stacked against you.

Here are few tips for getting a fresh start in life. Much more exist and the best part if finding out new ones. But taking those first few steps are usually the hardest.

 

 

Incorporate More Fitness

If you’re like many people, you could use more exercise in your life.  Believe I am right there with you on that! Try as I might – there is no ignoring the fact that establishing a regular workout routine will help you feel more comfortable in your own skin and help you feel in control of your life. Starting up a new workout or exercise program (or even just adding a daily walk to your day) can transform your body by building muscle and shedding extra pounds. Being more physically active will also help you set goals and establish better structure in your life. Be sure you make reasonable goals for yourself and don’t push a new thing too far. Another result of this is the mental calmness that often seems to come after the workout. It is as if by focusing on the workout – your brain gets a little stress vacation.

 

Make New Friends

Surrounding yourself with new people is a great way to adopt a new mindset and see life from different perspectives. This may mean having to cut ties with old friends who’ve been bringing negativity into your life. Meeting new friends is hard, but not impossible. Start by changing routines, going to new places in your town, and going to new events. You can also go online and find groups of people who share the same interests as you and sign up to participate in group activities.

Take Time For Your Self

Somewhere along the road to “growing up” we learn to equate relaxation, contemplation and the “art of doing nothing” as weakness and foolish, non-productive activities. Truth be told, it is the exact opposite. The more to build into our lives times to for ourselves to “be in the moment” the stronger and more productive we can be. Now, this will look different for everyone; to some, it may be as simple as a walk by the water, or finding a “happy place” to sit. But it can be as simple as getting out of the office, away from the computer and sitting on a park bench. The essential part of it is; give yourself permission to detach from the deliverables and distractions for a set period of time without guilt. A place with limited or turned off gadgets and people.

Clear Your Past Record

If you’ve ever been convicted of a crime, you might be able to have your record cleared or sealed. The expungement process makes it possible to have certain offenses erased from personal records so you can be hired for jobs and have more opportunities available. To start the process of clearing your record, consult with an expungement attorney who can advise you on the steps to take. You can also clear a past financial record through clearing debts, or by declaring bankruptcy. Leave yourself open and available to new things by getting your past out of the way.

Change Careers

Finding a new job in a more desirable field might be just what you need to start a new and rewarding life. Changing careers can help you increase your income as well as learn new skills that might benefit you in other areas. If you need more schooling to get the job of your dreams, you can earn a degree or certificate online and complete your coursework during times that fit into your schedule.

 

You have the power to control your life and write new chapters that pave the way to rewarding opportunities. If you’re willing to do the work and make the right changes, you can rebuild your life in the most effective ways imaginable. Remember -you don’t have to do this alone. Support and mentors are available. When you find yourself looking for that support – reach out

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How to overcome your fears after an accident or significant emotional moment

Posted November 20, 2017 By Frank Strona

The Journey To Overcome Fear

As the recent months have shown. Life isn’t with some amount of uncertainty. While any sort of natural disaster, such as the recent fires in Northern California, or the devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico, can cause fear. So does a life-threatening accident, be it a car accident, nearly suffocating in a house fire, or even falling through the rotted plank of an unsafe floor. Each of these moments can be a debilitating experience both in the present as well as over time. Such events can have a ripple effect on the lives of their survivors. These “ripples” can include crippling fear whenever placed within anything related to the accident, fleeting moments of frozen terror, nausea, nightmares involving the accident, disgust, or obsessions with all things pertinent to the accident. Other emotions like denial, depression, hallucinations and even paranoid delusions can manifest with PTSD after an accident. While any of these conditions would be difficult to incorporate into daily life, the good news is, there are many ways a person can work through their personal fears and disturbances individually and as part of a group experience. Knowing how to overcome these feelings of trauma can be both empowering and uplifting towards helping you move on.

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Psychotherapy

While this is the most obvious method to recovery, and a common process used to overcome fear, it is still worth mentioning. A psychologist is a professional listener who can work you through your anxieties through talking and exercises. A psychiatrist is someone familiar with the works involved in psychology, but who can also prescribe medications to aid those suffering from more dramatic problems. Professionals in this field are growing and emerging with new techniques including the ability to see patients online and while mobile.

It is important to understand you aren’t alone. A fact I picked up on the website for the American Psychological Association (APA).  “According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than a quarter of American adults experience depression, anxiety or another mental disorder in any given year.”

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

“CBT” is a series of exercises used to rewrite a person’s reaction to, particularly stressful or unpleasant behavior.

The definition from the Mayo Clinic is another way to understand how CBT works; “Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common type of talk therapy (psychotherapy). You work with a mental health counselor (psychotherapist or therapist) in a structured way, attending a limited number of sessions. CBT helps you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so you can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way. “

For example, a person who survives an accident involving a semi-truck might reflexively begin to scratch at the parts of his body that were injured from the collision whenever a similar truck is within sight. Using CBT, a victim might be told to remain mindful of triggers and to actively do something else with their hands whenever triggered. After enough time and practice, the individual’s constant awareness erodes the reflexive fear, resulting in a minimization or removal of the fear.

Exposure Therapy

This subsection of CBT involves steadily increasing the patient’s familiarity, proximity, and duration of exposure to the source of debilitating fears. By slowly and methodically upping the period of exposure, a person begins to see the trigger as less threatening and more mundane. It takes a lot of time, but exposure therapy can be effective, especially when walked through it professionally. In 2016, the Atlantic did an interesting article worth reading on State Of Art Exposure Therapy.

 

Exercise

Physical exertion, such as a one-mile jog, or a game of basketball, has been shown to improve a person’s mental well-being by distracting the person from his fears and also serving as a means of bolstering self-esteem. This is a great way to work through restless energy and adrenaline that can come with fear, and help to make your experience in recovery shorter. But remember the exercise doesn’t have to mean you go from zero to ten. if you aren’t someone who does it regularly start slow. Walks alone or with a friend. Consider borrowing a friends dog if you haven’t one and volunteer to take that 4-legged stress reducer for an always welcomed outing.

 

Next Steps & Resources

While everyone is afraid of something, not everyone shows fear the same way. In cases where a person develops intense fears after a traumatic or other frightening experience, it’s heartening to know there are multiple routes that can be used when restoring a calm state of mind.

I have listed more resources that can help you with a journey to overcome fear on the MentorSF Links page.

For those considering mental and emotions health support, two recommendations here in the Bay Area that I am especially impressed with include EMERGE™, the Adams-Tynan Clinical Foundation (ATCF) is a nonprofit therapeutic organization founded by Luke Adams and Chad Tynan and led by trained, intuitive, Somatic, Environmental, and Transpersonal healers (full disclosure here, I was so impressed with them, I recently agreed to sit on the Advisory Board) and Steven Tierney of the  Tierney Psychotherapy Group. For those of you on the East Coast, I recommend you check out Psychotherapist, Sex Therapist, and Educator, David Ortman.

For other locations, you can call your local or state psychological association, which may have a list of practicing psychologists organized by geographic area or specialty. Or use the online directory, at the APA’s Psychologist Locator Service.

 

Narrative Resources:

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Retirement isn’t the end

Posted November 13, 2017 By Frank Strona

It seems to say the words ” retirement ” is to equate itself with  of “being of no more value“

  • I could make a snarky generalization and say that it comes from an over-eager, self-indulgent, up and coming generation who thinks they have all the answers and anyone older than 50 is outdated.
  • I could say it comes from a youth-obsessed tech world which values high-energy and creative ignorance over focus, commitment, and expereince
  • I could even say it comes from inexperienced leaders who struggle daily with having to manage people older and more experienced  then they are with different work ethics

I could.. but that wouldn’t really fix anything.

Retirement or bust

Like everyone today, unless you are in the top 10% income bracket – you are struggling to get ahead and stay relevant after retirement. So when you find yourself in a place where, after having your “paid your dues” and you have put your time in, ready to enjoy a new role in life – you end up realizing that, the hoped-for stability is no longer a viable option. Don’t give up. There are a number of senior professionals and retirees out there struggling financially, which is prompting many to think outside the box. To consider launching the business that they have dreamed about on the back burner for so long. Do not think you are the only retiree out there starting a business.

There are a number of senior professionals and retirees out there struggling to find a new path, which is prompting many to think outside the box. Consider launching a part-time business that you have dreamed about, but placed on the back burner while putting children through school or being the “good” employee. Maybe it is time to take stock of your assets including yourself and see what you have to offer. Yes, I will admit that “being white, male, attractive-looking, and living in a place like Boston or San Francisco” does tend to be the recent trend of who gets funded. But that shouldn’t stop you. More and more I see opportunities for seniors to launch new ways to make money. Building on years of experience and observations, the key is how to harness what you know into a profitable path. 

Much of my work with seniors include helping them to find a new path, to help them find a way to find a voice in business today. From becoming a consultant (in some cases back to the very places they retired from – but on new terms), to launching online and mobile administrative and service-oriented opportunities and more. In fact, the Storytelling Boot Camp started because I was approached to create a new way of learning for seniors who wanted to use social media more proficeintly that learning from “the grandchildren”. What I see happeneing now is retirees are rethinking a future for themseleves.

If you need some inspiration, here’s a few success stories to get you going.

Ray Kroc

One of the most famous stories of a successful retiree making it big is Raymond (Ray) Kroc. The man was over 50 and pursued the idea of making a business into a successful enterprise. He was not successful for some time, but he finally found success when he met the McDonald’s brothers. He partnered with them and helped the brothers turned their idea into one of the most successful franchises the world had ever seen.

Harland David Sanders

Colonel Harland David Sanders was above a certain age, and he was also interested in forming a successful business. At first, his dream centered around providing delicious food to patrons, but it did not take long before the idea turned into a franchise. His restaurant became what most people know as KFC, and it took the world by storm, cementing that it is never too late to start a business.

Yuval Zaliouk

Yuval Zaliouk is another person worth mentioning, especially if you are considering starting your own business. Zaliouk was a retired symphony conductor but saw that his wife was very interested in selling her cookies. The couple decided to invest into their cookie-making business, which they called Almondina. The company has done very well since it launched and is featured in major chains, such as Trader Joe’s. It definitely proves why taking a risk and investing in your concept might be the right move. Sure, getting enough capital might seem hard, but you can do something as easy as selling your life insurance policy to start your business.

Frankie Locallo

Frankie Locallo’s story tells you that you can do what you love, and it is not too late to start doing so, even though you are retired. Locallo was hungry to start a business and decided that whatever business she started needed to couple with her love for dogs. It was at this point that she thought of Puppy Love. At first, she was just providing puppies for children’s birthday parties so that the kids could play with them, but her business has grown beyond that. Adult parties, corporate parties, and many other types of events are falling in love with her little business.

These are just some of the businesses that were started by retired people. It goes to show that retirees starting a business later in life is not too strange. In fact, it can be thought of as common. Go forth, and believe in yourself and the idea you have tucked in your heart. It’s never too late!

Additional Resources

http://money.cnn.com/2014/10/09/retirement/retirement-income-gap/index.html

https://becolife.com/financialadvisor/

https://www.inc.com/leigh-buchanan/next-act-the-real-reasons-so-many-baby-boomers-are-starting-businesses.html

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Taking the time to QandA group lists

Posted November 8, 2017 By Frank Strona

QandA – Question and answer advice to grow on; the practicality of updating your business plan

From Real World MBA / S.F. group’s classes train people to run businesses article – Chronicle 1998/Brant Ward

This week on Alignable, a locally focused business networking site I recently became part of one of the other members posted to the QandA or question and answer section: What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever gotten?

At first, I wasn’t going to bother posting on this one – I figured I wouldnt have anything unique or memorable to share. Then I remembered my old friend and colleague, Hal Heller, whose support, friendship and insight was crucial to me when I first started working for myself. Hal was a graduate and often served as a student mentor at the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center here in San Francisco. He was also the owner of Bay Area Motorcycle Training until his death. He had a love of seeing small and creative entrepreneurs take control and rise to success. Always encouraging people to see opportunities as a chance to explore and find new ways to rise to them. We both shared the belief that life wasn’t about geting stuck and staying in a rut. Rather life life offered each of us multiple opportunites to get unstuck if we stayed ready for them. So my answer, which I posted reflects his message told to me and others so often…

When asked on a QandA “What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever gotten?”

My answer would be:

The best advice I was ever told (and is often the one even I can forget to consider) is when making decisions such as developing and implementing a new strategy or direction in my business, to always “go back to your business plan, update it the plan to reflect your new activity and add the budget changes to the financial pages”. By taking the time and energy todo this routinely, with dedicated time and focus on spent on updating the business plan – serves as a perfect way to  clarify if a new action fits with your goals and mission. It will also remind you to take the emotional excitement of a “new opportunity” and put it on hold for a moment while you do a deep dive into the ‘nuts and bolts” of practicality.

The yield is usually a better understanding of how the change meets your brand; helps to make your concept tighter and in most cases actually may shed light on other changes in your plan that need to be reflected.

Not updating our business plans seems to be a major action that many business owners forget once they get busy in the day to day running of the project.  By going back in and revising that business plan, not only do you refresh your thinking, you ultimately, as you add update the story and numbers, get a better picture of how that change it will affect your bottom line in the both the short and long term.

 

FYI -Anyone can join Alignable. if you are looking to expand your local professional network. Use this link https://www.alignable.com/join/hxcabnimxncev4imoogkeg 

Note: I am not affiiated with it in any way other than a member.

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Pay attention to all of the data available to you. More “Where do I post it?” thinking

Posted November 6, 2017 By Frank Strona

Pay attention to what data is out there when considering which platform to use

Several weeks ago I did a  “Post-it where?” blog entry that looked at the thinking behind which social media platform and how to determine the best thinking and fit towards your goal. This week a new version looks at the concept of ” Pay Attention to the data” content was released by Social Media Today’s blog and I thought it worth a mention and encouragement for you to check it out.

This weeks post “The Advertiser’s Guide to Social Media Demographics” written by Taylor Schaller, does a nice job simplifying the various social media platforms and include short infographics to drive the points home. Below is a few examples. Take the 10 min to review the post and keep it handy for sharing with others.

 

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

 

 

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5 Wild Ways Your Bad Habits Affect Your Life

Posted November 2, 2017 By Frank Strona

Bad Habit.. Who Me?

Everyone has a bad habit or two (maybe more). Maybe it’s a mundane bad habit like nail-biting, pen clicking, hogging the remote, or foot tapping. Or maybe it’s a bad habit that affects your life a little more, like non-stop snacking, hogging personal space or talking space in meetings,  procrastinating, or overspending. Some bad habits cause short-term harm to people’s health and relationships. Other habits can cause long-lasting pain and suffering in ways that most people who do them have never imagined possible. Some can even get you fired, or worse, not even get you hired in the first place. Take a few minutes to look at 5 of the more common ones many of us share and some thoughts on how to “break” them.

Repetitive Gum Chewing

  • Chewing gum every now and then is perfectly fine, but for those who chew gum daily or even multiple times a day, it can cause problems for their health. Chewing gum too frequently can force teeth out of a healthy position, tighten and strain chewing muscles, and dislodge fillings. It can lead to nighttime teeth grinding and jaw clenching. Over time, all of these can wear out your jaw joints, which puts pressure on your nerves and causes joint and ear pain.
  • Beyond your dental health, chewing gum may affect your diet, causing you to eat more junk food and less fruit. It can also lead to gastrointestinal problems like irritable bowel syndrome. All of these can impact your life detrimentally. Not only will you probably irritate your coworkers because you’re constantly chewing gum, but jaw pain and gastrointestinal issues can affect your productivity.
  • Gum chewing in the workplace is also a common “top 10 pet peeves” among people who share offices or work in cubes.

My Hint: Chew less or at least chew smaller pieces. Over time you may find that splitting that stick into thirds, will fill the urge to chew, but isn’t such a mouthful.

Constant Daydreaming

  • Fantasizing is a normal human behavior. Pretty much everyone does it occasionally. However, habitual daydreaming (also known as maladaptive daydreaming) can disrupt every part of your life. Many people who daydream like this do it to escape the pain of real-world troubles like extreme debt, job loss, suicidal feelings and debilitation from medical conditions.
  • Fantasy worlds can take over your life so much that you lose track of time, stop cultivating relationships, decrease positive personal care habits like bathing and eating and pace uncontrollably. If can even cause mental and physical exhaustion as well as joint and muscle pain. The more these fantasy worlds invade your thoughts, the less you focus on the real world, which can lead to lost friendships and, even worse, lost jobs. Employers don’t like employees who can’t focus or constantly arrive late.
  • Seems that for some this is just a “mental break” taken to get through the day, but for others, it is a condition that can be explored with understanding how you sleep and or therapy.

My Hint: If you aren’t feeling challenged or feel your workplace is lacking in some creative time in your career – speak with your leads to explore ways to spark your creative process. Otherwise – take control and do it on your own. Sign up for a class, a book club or some other activity that may ignite your brain into a more creative mood.

Ignoring Medication Warnings

  • Many people ignore label warnings on prescription and over-the-counter medications (Yup, I will own that – I am bad that way).
  • Even many common drugs can cause horrifying side effects when used improperly. For example, if you take too much acetaminophen, you can black out or experience severe liver inflammation and/or damage. The same can happen if you drink too much alcohol or come down with infectious mononucleosis while taking acetaminophen. Other drugs can increase the risk of sunburns or heat exhaustion, or cause rashes and even strokes in high temperatures and with direct sunlight exposures. Even just getting drowsy at work can be problematic; imagine blacking out because you didn’t know the side effects of your medication. You should never just pop pills. Always read the labels.

My Hint: Ask your Pharmacist; they often can tell you right in the moment if what you are taking can be a problem with other medications or if it has known warnings.

Distracted & Drunk Driving

  • Maybe you’ve got a habit of texting while driving because you just have to be in-the-know at all times. Did you know that texting while driving makes you as impaired as you’d be if you’d drunk four beers and gotten behind the wheel? Texting while driving can be even more dangerous than drunk driving. No matter which one you have a habit of—texting while driving or drunk driving—any type of distraction while driving could destroy your life. Not only can it ruin friendships, but you could also find it much harder to get a job if you have a criminal record.
  • All it takes is looking away from the road for a second for a child to run out in the street or to swerve into an oncoming lane of traffic. If you accidentally injure or even kill someone, you’ll end up facing criminal charges, and even if you don’t end up in jail or prison, you could still end up with community service, fines, or a lawsuit for punitive damages.

My Hint: Just stop. You aren’t better than everyone else at multitasking while driving. This is one of those “you know it’s going to get you in trouble eventually – so what not correct it now before you or someone you love gets hurt.”

Smoking Around Non-Smokers

  • It’s well-known that smoking is unhealthy, but that doesn’t stop millions of people from doing it. The problem comes when those smokers don’t think about how their habit affects those around them. It’s not just your own health you’re damaging. Breathing in the smoke secondhand can damage the health of non-smokers as well. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals that can cause health problems from heart disease to cancer. Smoking even just once in a non-smoker’s home can potentially harm their health immediately via the smoke or over time through ash dust.
  • Even if you respect your non-smoking acquaintances and only smoke in designated smoking areas, smoke still travels and it stays on your clothes. The people around you can still breathe in those chemicals just from being near you after you’ve smoked. The more you smoke, the more you risk negatively affecting your relationships with non-smokers, because they won’t want their health compromised from your bad habit.
  • Lots of alternatives exist these days to move towards being smoke-free. They should; the “stop smoking” industry is almost as well funded as the tobacco companies themselves. So look towards your local healthcare provider, social service organizations, your health insurance company website or visit SmokeFree.gov for other ideas.

 

Having one or more of these habits could have a strong affect in your life in ways you might not even register until they become a problem. It’s time to consider which is the best way to dump or at least minimize them. Improve your life and the lives of those you interact with daily. Remember, January is right around the corner – wouldn’t it be cool to move into the new year with some healthy resolutions already practiced and in place?

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Talking about Mentoring LGBTs in Tech at Tech Inclusion

Posted October 30, 2017 By Frank Strona

Talking about Mentoring LGBTs in Tech at Tech Inclusion

As I posted earlier this week on the latest post of my food and culture blog BiteTheRoad.com, I had a super busy few weeks. One of the highlights was surely the 10 min “TED” style talk on Mentoring LGBTs that incorporated storytelling as a way to share about the importance of mentorships and mentors for the LGBT person in Tech. It was a great afternoon with so many very cool people present. I had forgotten how I enjoy the process of planning using the storytelling technique and coaching through humor. The best part for me personally was the moment I reminded myself – that this was what I loved doing. Showing and modeling how the power and importance that comes with taking to a platform or stage and storytelling, not only the “wins”. Those are often the easy parts, but also sharing about the hard stuff, the almost and most definitely the big “fails” we all go through. After the talk, several folks took the time to let me know how they appreciated my candor and honesty, about the power that ignoring an opportunity because of fear, labels or difference of beliefs or race can raise. So TechInclusion was a personal win for me!

 

It was also fun to be back in the San Francisco Armory in this other role, as I always enjoyed it from my other one. As a venue – they do a great job of hosting programs. one of the folks snapped a picture of me in motion and I dressed it up a bit and shared with my social media hubs as well.

Below is the video of my presentation session and under that the slide set.

 

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Holiday campaign planning – done your 2018 plan yet?

Posted October 25, 2017 By Frank Strona

From David Fowler’s ’Tis The Season: 11 Email Best Practices For Holiday Campaigns List

Holiday campaigns, really? already?

Now really – I know, it barely October and at least here in San Francisco, I can tell the New Year is months away, because, on October 1st, they already start slowly sliding in the holiday drama so that by the 15th, its a full out reminder that the winter holidays will be on us soon.

Many of you are already thinking, that means a “todo list” of performance plans to complete, vacation and the resulting scheduling of staff and more importantly the planning a holiday campaign. For non-profits and those seeking to bring in funds that capitalize on the end of year funds, donations and other key revenue streams having an end of the year or holiday campaign is crucial. Stuck wor ideas – this is a good time to check the blogs as many of your favorites will start publishing “best pick” types ones. On the Hubspot blog, in Lindsay Kolowich’s “12-minute read” recent post “15 Brilliant Examples of Holiday Marketing Campaigns“ offers some good ideas as a starting place to get your thinking going. Last year I posted about “promoting your content” and you can find that here.

David Fowler recently shared this post; ’Tis The Season: 11 Email Best Practices For Holiday Campaigns which suggest 11 of his “best practices” for your holiday campaign. It’s a good read for those of you thinking or who haven’t started thinking of your end of year promotion/campaign. From his list 5 of them stand out for me as the ones that always seem to catch people by surprise

My 5-holiday takeaways from Fowler’s “11 Email Best Practices For Holiday Campaigns” list:

  • Email list hygiene – This means that quarterly email lists (and snail mail address list) you keep meaning to do a review of – it really needs to get done. Doing in October with a planned completion of October 31 will leave this task prepped for the holiday campaign and bring you into the strategic planning for the next year with demographics that may shape your outreach.
  • Review current levels of engagement – This goes hand in hand with getting your list cleaned up. Now is the time to be brainstorming and networking to determine how you want your engagement to look next year. Take a critical, but kindly, look at what yours looked like this year. Include the wide landscape of your reach; Internal, external, influencers, missed opportunities and dig into that file of “maybe I shoulds”.
  • Link email campaigns with other digital marketing activities: This is my reminder to also expand your thinking about partnerships and storytelling as a way to expand your reach, brand and develop new opportunities both digitally and in real time. By linking and cross promoting other peoples efforts, you build cross-over demand and inspire new followers. I know this is the perfect time to start thinking about interviews, podcasts, and other marketing tools that encourage interactivity and reach. Or develop a “free” digital “something” and offer it to key select partners to offer via the platforms that promote as a holiday extra and negotiate the tracking and sharing of the downloads.
  • Ensure networks can handle increases in email traffic: Yeah – this not the time to get skimpy with your tech needs. Not a good time to roll out any new functionality that is temperamental. Do some forecasting with your tech team. If you are the “teach team”don’t use this time to make significant changes without backup. But at the same time – it’s a perfect time to check with your hosting services and other supplemental tools to ensure you can handle an increase in traffic or web hits. Oh and this also includes and subscription renewals you have pending – get them taken care of early. Also, try to get some forward reading in now on how to prepare or prevent your traffic gridlock.
  • Set realistic expectations and goals – much of the above all play into this one. Its good to aim hight for your goals – but maintaining your own “reality check” as to what is realistic is also important. When I work with small businesses and/or the individual business owner, this is the time I encourage them to take a three-prong new year planning approach and introduce time to brainstorm and journal the follow considerations; a) How will staying the same affect us,  b) what would big growth mean and c) what happens if we stumble.

For the full read of Fowler’s article, visit this post on the CMO.com opinions page

 

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A few “good reads” From my Monday list

Posted October 24, 2017 By Frank Strona

A recap listing of what I read on Monday

  • LinkedIn has been the social network geared to professionals for years—but it’s growing in popularity due to its people-centric approach.

    ’Tis The Season: 11 Email Best Practices For Holiday Campaigns Because email lists and the infrastructure to process digital campaigns are the backbones of successful digital holiday campaigns, think of your No. 1 priority as checking email lists, and checking them twice. Here are some tips for things you can start doing today to help assure success this holiday season. [NOTE: I am posting about this later in the week]

  • 3 simple ways to stop a Twitter catastrophe In today’s world, customer service starts on Twitter. Instead of waiting on hold for 30 minutes, fighting with an automatic answering service and praying to speak to an actual person, millennials are turning to social media to air their grievances. It’s more efficient, but your brand is vulnerable. When you receive negative customer complaints on Twitter, your organization is pushed into the spotlight. How you respond can make all the difference.
  • Facebook Live adds its own screen-sharing feature When you want to share your screen to Facebook Live, you hit the button on the Live interface that says “Share Screen,” and you’ll be prompted to allow the extension to be installed to your browser. It worked with Chrome, but the option wasn’t available in Firefox. [Note: This makes me wonder how this will impact bandwidth in the workplace]
  • Why LinkedIn is a hot spot for communicators [See the Infographic on the right] LinkedIn has been the social network geared to professionals for years—but it’s growing in popularity due to its people-centric approach. A growing focus on personal branding, networking online and content sharing are just a few reasons that more users than ever (roughly 500 million) are using it. [Note: I am still not convinced about LinkedIn; I remain on the fence as to its usefulness and authenticity.. that is not to say I am not on it either. I just am not sure how much real networking ROI it adds to me professionally]
  • KFC Quietly Followed 11 Herbs and Spices on Twitter, Then Waited to See If Anyone Would Notice “We planted this on Twitter over a month ago,” said Freddie Powell, creative director at Wieden+Kennedy. “Frankly, we weren’t sure if anybody was going to find it. Sometimes you just have to put stuff out into the universe and cross your fingers that the internet will work its magic.” [Note: This was clever, I have to say — even I noticed this getting air-time and watching it happen]
  • An addict’s tale: My week without social media By Monday I’d deleted Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn applications off my phone and logged out of all accounts on my laptop: it had begun. Hi, my name is Inés and I’m a social media addict. But this week, I decided to go through digital detox by turning off all of my major distractions. [Note: I do this periodically and even used to assign a “weekend” version to students having them write by hand no less, an essay in class following the weekend]

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