Speaking, Bullsh*t, and Billionaires: Post-#Shine Wrap Up pt 2

Speaking, Bullsh*t, and Billionaires: Post-#Shine Wrap Up pt 2

Posted on 11. Nov, 2009 by Elizabeth Potts Weinstein in Blog

(this is part 2 of the Post-#Shine Wrap Up … check out part 1: Do It With Your Eyes Open & Be Awesome)

More of what I learned after 5 days in Las Vegas:

I might be a real speaker.

I have a complex. (Okay, I have a few complexes, but let’s just deal with one at a time.)

I don’t think I’m a real speaker.

Yes, I regularly speak at live events. And I tell stories, make people laugh, teach them amazing content, and hopefully inspire them to take action on what they have learned.

But I’ve never been paid to speak.

You know, the person who gets paid $3K or $20K or whatever the heck people get paid to keynote an event. I’ve just done the free speaking, where you are supposed to be happy to be there so you can share your information & maybe add people to your list or sell stuff from the back of the room.

I have friends who are real speakers. They get paid actual checks (Do people still get actual checks? Either way, they get paid actual money.).

And I thought you magically get tapped to be part of the club once you become really good. Or maybe after you are President of the United States or save kittens from dying in Antarctica.

But as I was sitting in the audience listening to the keynote on Thursday, I realized that dude, I’m better than this chick.

I mean, yes, she started a company that she sold for millions and has a compelling story about her journey with cancer. But this woman’s success was based upon a lie, a bit of luck, and selling her business before the market changed. Her presentation was devoid of reproducible content, lessons that people in the audience could apply to their own business today.

And just like back in 2003 when I was inspired to start my financial business after I realized that I’m smarter than Suze Orman (there’s another blog post waiting to happen), I realized after watching this woman that I am a pretty good speaker already.

The only reason I’m not getting paid to speak is because I don’t think I should get paid to speak. Because I believe I’m not real.

Wow, as I wrote that last sentence I started to cry. Frak me. Well, at least now I know one thing I’m working on in 2010.

If it worked yesterday does not mean it will work tomorrow.

There is a business theory that reproducing what was successful in the past is a way to be successful in the future.

Now that’s not a completely insane idea, and in a slower moving world, it probably (maybe?) worked.

So today we go to events and listen to people who were successful yesterday, and they tell us the secret strategies & tactics of making their millions (or ahem, billions).

And tell us that if we do not follow their advice, then we are fools.

Bullsh*t.

If the only way to success was modeling tactics that worked in the past, we’d still be riding horses, taking ships to europe, sending checks via airmail, and turning on the news to find out what happened yesterday.

Cold calling would still work. Brand advertising would still work. People would still click on banner ads.

Technology & tactics change. And today, they change at exponential speed.

Even more so, the strategies that worked yesterday don’t necessarily work today, because technology has changed the sophistication of the customer.

People no longer respond to the push. They respond to building a . Especially in a service based, personality based business.

Sorry to break it to you, billionaire, but and facebook are not a waste of time.

Building relationships is never a waste of time. And /facebook/blogs/social media are powerful tools to build those relationships.

Can you waste time on social media? Obviously, just like you can waste money on branding and printing fancy business cards.

Do we have something to learn from what worked yesterday? Yes, because some principles of business & how humans work still apply today.

Telling an audience of 450 entrepreneurs that & facebook are a waste of time is a gross oversimplification and a violation of trust.

Psst … & facebook building leads to 90%+ of my revenue. What a waste.

Bullsh*t does not work on social media.

Now we are getting into pet peeve territory.

If you follow me on , you know that my style is hands on. No automation. No assistants tweeting for me.

Why not outsource? Think of it this way: would you pay a virtual assistant to go to a networking event on your behalf?

Would you pay the assistant to dress up in your clothes & put on a wig and pretend to be you?

No, of course not. That would be total bullsh*t. Fraudulent. Creepy. And would totally not work.

Then why would you have someone pretend to be you on ?

Now there is a way you can use staff to manage your social media, answer questions for you, or even have their own accounts to handle customers service. That’s a brilliant way to leverage your time & provide even more building opportunities with your .

Having others tweet as if they were you is just gross.

So when Ali was on stage on Friday morning and this tweet allegedly from her came across my iPhone, I called bullsh*t.

(in case you can’t read the graphic, the tweet from @alibrownla reads: “@barbaracorcoran so excited to meet you today and have you speak to my audience at #Shine. We have so much to learn from you!” and it is dated 9:25 AM Nov. 6th)

Ali was obviously not tweeting that as she was on stage. Either she had an automatic service tweet that out (somewhat lame) or her staff was pretending to be her (ick!).

So here I’m sending a message to Ali’s team (that they probably will not listen to, since Ali’s mentor thinks is a waste of time):

You. Are. Doing. It. Wrong.

And that is why you are getting mediocre results from your social media efforts.

Leverage Ali’s time, yes. Use staff to answer customer service issues, yes.

But either Ali tweets out as herself, or she shouldn’t do .

And … the CEO of a personality-based business who wants to be big must engage her audience.  The most simple & inexpensive way to engage is through .

#thatisall

(stay tuned for part 3 of the post-#shine wrap up, including: “The real magic happens outside of the seminar room.” & “It is possible to be married for more than 10 years and still have sex every day.”)

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  • karenfrank43
    Oh. MY. G - O - D!!! THANK YOU for calling this one. You rock!!!!!
  • Glorious rant-age! I always worry when I teach a class or give a talk that is my success reproducible for others. I also hate hate hate hate content-free talks that always start with the 'I was once like you...' thing (notice how everybody but you has lived out of their car - WTF). If I want to juice up my happy-glands I've got much more exciting ways to do that. Tools, tactics and tips!


    I just assume everybody is lying about their success all the time.


    p.s. Be sure to link to Part 2 from Part 1. :)
  • prosperitygal
    WOW thanks and praise whoever you pray to giggle.

    I just heard about what happened at Shine last night, so I am late for this party. I will be very transparent (always been so even when it was not called that) I have not been impressed with ALI from the get go. Do not misunderstand my statement. I am all about supporting and raising up women.

    I am grateful for Elizabeth being willing to be the town crier for the "empress has not clothes" (one of my favorite stories).

    Girl you have given me reinforcement to state what is obvious (like hiding and acting like it didn't happen ever works).

    I see a trend and have for a while that WE women who are talking here could be joining forces and creating powerful workshops together like SHINE and even better and more powerful ( hint hint Elizabeth and Leesa, let's talk)

    There is an emptiness in many workshops, bootcamps, conferences whatever you call the damn things that leaves one hungry. Why do we go, pay them just to find each other to network and build relationships with one another.

    Social Media only works when you are being SOCIAL. When the first thing out of someones mouth is "How can I monetize social media" I want to smack them. They do not take that attitude when they give referrals or use other forms of word of mouth DUH!

    Social Media is another platform for you to express who you are so folks do not have to pull it out of you-so to the extent you SHOW UP is to the extent you build that "know, like and trust factor".

    I also believe in seeing the lesson in every situation. What is the opportunity here? (yes, asking better questions is important to me too) We have opportunity to learn from Ali's mistakes and to also step up in a more powerful way.

    I encourage my fellow sisters to PLAY BIGGER. Why would you not think you deserve to be a paid speaker in your area of expertise? Why do we make excuses for not clearing out our limiting beliefs?

    Someone reminded me of a great comment-quote today-not sure who's it is:
    "how far you are down right now is how far along you'll be when you spring out of this, and you will"

    I am all for being honest and calling it when it strikes you wrong as well as offering up love and forgiveness when we each stumble and fall.

    So thank you Elizabeth for calling it and now let's send Ali and her speakers love and forgiveness while being willing to STAND in our own power and walk forward with confidence at the same time reaching back to bring along someone with us.
  • Great post, Elizabeth. I respect you for hitting publish (and I'm not even fortunate enough to know you... yet?) If you are real, I'm far more willing to read your thoughts and listen to you. This blog was my first read of yours and a good introduction. Thank you.
  • Well done for speaking out your truth in a world that is rather small in many ways and where there must a temptation to keep quiet and not ruffle anyone's feathers.
    I wasn't at Shine - but I am where I'm at today because I discovered Ali Brown in her Ezine persona almost two years ago and I did buy her Beyond the Blueprint which I found very helpful (give credit where credit is due as my mum always says). Having said that, the thing that has always bothered me about her (and a few other 'gurus') is that they do not produce their material themselves - their business background does not equip them to do so. Me, I produce all my own materials because my business and academic background enables me to do that and I teach a lot it on an MBA program but ...... no-one is going to rush to invite me to speak or hear me speak, or sign up for a Gillian Pritchett workshop on Generating and Evaluating business ideas because I am not known, not glossy and glitzy and showbizzie - I just share my knowledge.
    I do take comfort though from the thought that if tomorrow the internet vanished and we were back where we were 15 years ago I would still have a professional career. What would Ali and her ilk be doing ......
  • dupped and disappointed
    Thanks for your honesty, Elizabeth, and the comments and honesty all of you who joined in the discussion. I thought I was the only one who left Shine feeling I did not receive what was promised or what I expected from the event. It is definitely one of those events that overpromised and under delivered!

    Ali promised Shine would “establish a new standard for entrepreneurs, uniting purpose, passion, and self-discovery along with a strategic plan to build a successful and secure business model that can provide for years to come. …You’ll attain the clarity and certainty you've been searching for, and discover exactly what you want, why you want it, and how to get it - to be more fulfilled while you accomplish more than you ever thought possible” Talk about over-hype! Me bad for falling for it!

    There was way too much fluff and not enough substance. This probably sounds catty but perhaps Ali was too busy making “costume” and hair changes to stay focused on her purpose. I found the speakers to be poor selections for the event. I assume they were the only “celebrity” speakers they could book. I would have preferred to listen to people we had not heard of who had something to teach us. Although Marlee Matlin was endearing, she had no business message to relay. I was surprised at how uninformed Julie Clark was for being a “successful” businessperson. Barbara Corcoran was entertaining but I did not learn anything from her.

    And then there is the whole branding issue - OK girlfriends, if the truth be told, I cannot be the only one who has noticed that the cover design of the Ali mag is an exact copy of Oprah’s O mag. Anne is a very smart successful woman but not a deity. I think it is unfortunate that so many women took what she said as gospel and went so far as to throw away their business cards!
  • Beth
    After reading both the amazing post and all the insightful comments regarding Shine, I am glad I chose not to go. I am about to start an internet business, have been following several people for a couple years, and there were a lot of events and programs I had to choose from. Clarity for getting started was priority for me. I am spending over $1000 for an online program with advanced training at the end offline. It's just week two and so far this course I selected based on my gut feeling is everything I had hoped for and more. Following my intuition has paid off. I didn't need to network yet, just wanted useful content and a plan to follow that fits me. It sounds like very few who attended ended up with a written plan or strategy laid out.


    Elizabeth, you are really "coming into your own." I've been excited watching you grow in peeps so quickly by speaking your truth. I am also one of those extroverted introverts so your posts have really been resonating with me. Paid speaking you should honestly consider to add to your multiple streams approach of income ince you are good at it.

    Tweets scheduled to post at a certain time have their place, such as to remind followers of your teleseminar about to start. I'm just thinking that maybe putting PT in front so folks know it is a pre-tweet would be helpful. Then they wouldn't expect a reply if they tweeted back.

    Lastly, I am probably considered part of the older generation, but social media, the internet, and so many more new technologies and ways of doing business are absolutely exciting for me to be able to choose from to use! They have levelled the playing field due to their low cost and being able to develop those relationships. I believe there is room for old and new.
  • Elizabeth, I am with you 110% Honey! I'm a country gal and I know bullsh** when I smell it, and you definitely picked up the scent too!

    THANK YOU for clicking 'publish'... it's refreshing to have some from-the-heart, no-holds-barred, to-hell-with-kiss-ass-pc-talk HONESTY in our online world.

    No wonder you and @unMarketing are quickly becoming my new faves to follow! Keep it up girl!
  • sharonmc
    Well said Elizabeth. I think it was about 2 weeks ago you *tweeted* a comment about not liking automation in social media. My PP as well. But what put you on my A list was that you responded to me in a real, conversational way. We're all busy and I understand some more than others, but if you're on twitter and people show an interest in your business or your ideas it makes sense to use the medium for what it's for - *social* networking. If you only have time to issue automated tweets - why bother?
  • EPW, I thought I commented on this but I guess I did in my head. Or maybe in an email/text/skype marathon to you.

    From the beginning of our great ride together, I have been attracted to you on so many levels (calm down, guys). And above all, perhaps selfishly, I feel so grateful to be learning so much from you. And the beauty is how much we thrive off e/o when together. (Tissue moment...) Honestly, before you and Sarah, I was experiencing some less-than-truthful girl stuff.

    Speaking your truth, at the end of the day, is NOT always easy. Which is why most people make up their "truth" an then live the lie -- some very, very well. What this year, and you as such a big part of it, has taught me is that we ALREADY HAVE ALL OF OUR ANSWERS INSIDE. We can busy ourselves absorbing someone else's truth (or their fake version of the truth, as the case may be) or we can bask in our own and be OK with the fact that not everyone will love us, or jive with us or "get" us.

    I am sure hitting "publish" made you sweat more than a little (and I know your deo has been giving you trouble lately...) but you know what? Next time, even if you reveal something scarier and bigger (and you will), it will be that much easier. Because you have been flexing your truth muscle a whole lot, Lady.

    Love you,
    Alli
  • Wow! You drank a quadruple mug of courage on that one and I salute you! That is some of the most powerful truth telling I've seen... anywhere. No "culo-kissing" as we call it, you spoke your truth. You basically took the hallway talk to the public sphere and it's appreciated because there is way too much HYPE out there and people betting their life saving's on big money coaching sold to them with dreamy imagery, lame NLP techniques, and BS... oh i can go on and on.

    Can i just say that you, ElizabethPW, are now so way at the top of my list of people I want to hang with. Not to dish on internet marketers or glitz marketing, but to connect as truthful human beings. Love this, love the discussion here, love seeing the support (and a few f-bombs!) from the crowd.

    I wasn't at Shine, but I'm glad you were. Whether you liked the content or not, it gave you the gift of being royally pissed off to the point that you took amazingly courageous action. And look what you've created!

    keep at it!

    applause, applause, applause!
  • Love your honesty Elizabeth! While I certainly respect and admire Ali for what she has accomplished, I do agree that no matter how "big" one gets...relationships are THE key. And social media is absolutely essential for building those relationship.

    I have benefited immensely from both Twitter and Facebook and consider them indispensable to my business.
  • The only reason I’m not getting paid to speak is because I don’t think I should get paid to speak. Because I believe I’m not real.

    Oof. That's how I feel about my photography a lot of the time still. But didn't realize until you wrote that I think the exact same thing. Thank you.
  • James Wedmore
    Whew! Brutal! But I LOVE it!
  • So glad I found you through Escaping Mediocrity. This post resonated with me in every way. Speaking. Relationship Building. Authentic content. Authentic people. I think you and I would meet for coffee and leave hours later knowing we'd met just the right person! I'm grateful for this cyber meeting regardless of the fact you weren't here to tumble along this thought journey with me; and that my coffee came from the pot in the kitchen and is not a soy latte.
  • Elizabeth - great post! You tell the truth that I heard many SHINE attendees saying during the entire event. I agree that people are entitled to their opinion and how sad that it had a destructive effect on so many women just starting. When I got home I compared the pre-SHINE material and promises to what was actually delivered and found large gaps. I didn't get what I came for. My experience with other seminars has been quite the opposite, so I was disappointed. I enjoyed the speakers, their frankness and entertainment. One thing that was unsettling was the, not once but twice, request that people put away their business paraphernalia. That is very contrary to what I thought networking was. In fact, prior the event I emailed the SHINE staff inquiring about the proper etiquette for handing out any material including business cards. I received an email telling me to bring my materials, that there would be plenty of time for networking. I brought a Tip Sheet in the form of a bookmark which people loved. I was difficult watching people exchange material for fear of getting 'caught.' Anyway, hats off to you for speaking your mind and providing much needed feedback for the SHINE event people. Hopefully, they are reading!

    Karen Keller, Ph.D., MCC
    Real power for the owman who wants it
    http://twitter.com/karenkeller
  • Wow. Very impressive post and very impressive set of comments. I have nearly always found that the people you meet at an event are the true value. Social media is a tool just like any other. Some businesses will never run infomercials. Some will never advertise on TV or radio. Some only use network marketing. Some use Twitter/Facebook/Linkedin as part of their connection. Would we say that any one of these wouldn't work? Each business has its way of connecting and communicating.

    Tools like social media get complicated for most old school marketers because they don't control the message all the time. Do you need social media to be successful? Nope. Can it help many businesses? Yep. The only way to find out is to use it and build a relationship with your potential customers.

    Being honest should be non negotiable in business. Do I expect someone to have never lied? Ahh I don't have that high a hope for people. Do I expect them to work to be honest and strive to reach it every day? Oh yea. Would I do business with someone who admits they lied to be successful? Not in a million years.

    I wasn't at Shine though I think the ratio of men to women makes me want to consider going next time :) I have only the reports of people who were there on what was spoken. There is no ONE way to create a business. There is no ONE way to be successful. There are lots of rules that can help. The biggest one.. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's often referred to as the Golden Rule. It pretty much covers everything you need to be successful in life. The rest is just tactics and strategies.

    Mindset - I think that is the biggest limiting factor for most people in being successful. They don't think they are worth it. Once you decide you are, it is pretty amazing how easy the rest comes. Change your mindset and the world changes with you. Based on your writing, you will do well as a speaker :)
  • susan
    Wow and thanks for setting the example of owning your stuff and speaking up. I'm no where (like way way no where near and just figguring out where I "fit") the level you have in your work but - yeah! me too! I often see others who have made it huge and think the same things. thanks for being the first brave soul to say it out loud!
  • Although I can absolutely see people's objections to Shine as being vaild, especially Anne's comment about having your photo on your business card & saying social media is a waste of time, I think we also need to respect people's right to have an opinion.

    And anyone who runs a billion dollar company has a right to her opinion!!

    And please note on Day 3 Ali went through various marketing tactics and said that twitter and facebook have both got her a lot of leads and clients.
  • Obviously everyone gets their opinion!

    The issue I had was expressing it in a way that was degrading to the
    audience, as if all of us who use social media are wasting our time,
    and anyone who has a picture on their biz card is slimy. She built her
    huge business empire one way, but that is not the *only* right way.
  • Ok, so I'm signed up with a service that does my promotions for me via social media and finds friends/followers, but they also do a daily "inspirational quote" tweet or speaking tip for me. The rest is me. Is that ok?? I'm just trying to save myself some time here!

    Enjoyed reading your post!

    Best,
    Lily
  • *clapping* Go Elizabeth!
    I love your realization that you are a speaker and good enough to be paid for it... we women sometimes have a heavy dose of "I'm not good enough" perfection-ism going on. Please write a post when you get your first speaking check so we can help you celebrate! I've never been paid to speak either, just add to my list community & sell so thanks for the nudge for me too! [hmmm, could there be a cool women's challenge here!]
    Business models are morphing at an amazing rate right now and yes, we've all should listen to experts who've been successful, but much more importantly NEVER let that override our own sense of what will work (or not) for our businesses.
    And to be called fools to not do it "THE one right way" ... Oh puh-toey!
    You Rock! Love, Maritza
  • Wow! Congrats for speaking your truth. Yep - I'm inspired! :)
  • You go girl! I'm actually a bit jealous--I've been wanting to posting something like this for a while (about both the BS and Twitter) but was too chicken to do it.

    You are my hero for living your truth! :)

    Tracy
  • Right On! Live your truth!

    Go on ......get a speaking engagement for money. I double dog dare you. If you need help--just ask--

    I had to break away from your live video to take a call from a friend who said she was unfollowing me on Twitter because she was tired of reading about my personal stuff. She wanted me to understand that it was not personal--she still likes me and all--but she uses it for BUSINESS and I guess healers aren't supposed to drink coffee or have crushes or something.

    I thought about that for a long time. I am done being what I think other people want me to be. It's too hard trying to figure that one out.

    Love,
    Donna
  • heathernelson
    Geez - of all the events to miss this year I'm sorry I missed this one! Perhaps not for the content (sounds like I didn't miss anything there) but for this shift coming about. I see the fluff a lot with prospects (who remain prospects!) who get hyped up at events but lack any real long-term business ideas or substance. It's sad to see people inflating their numbers, never talking about the investment they made to bring in the revenue or creating testimonials out of thin air for products that don't exist until someone buys one.
    Don't even get me started on social media being on it's way out. There are buhzillions of people who need to be convinced otherwise. Hasn't everyone using social media (as you said - doing it themselves) gotten business or even developed JV's? I love going to events and meeting my Facebook and Twitter friends in-person!
    Thank you for sharing your REAL opinion and getting the conversation started!
  • I LOVE your authenticity, Elizabeth. Very refreshing and you inspire me - thank you!
  • Hi Elizabeth... I really know nothing about what the Shine event is about, but your comments about public speaking resonated with me. I often attend a conference an find that I know more than the speaker, that I am paying to learn from. Actually this post has been stuck in my head for two days now. Then I talked to an old friend last night, and found out he needs my help. The time for action is now. Thanks and good luck getting some paid speaking gigs...
  • Wow! This post takes some guts! You are awesome for showing your truth.

    As I was reading this I was thinking of when we met at Ali's workshop I think 3 years ago. We've come a long way since then!

    At an event I spoke at a couple of weeks ago - unpaid- ;) There were a lot of people talking about social media being a waste of time. I of course stood up for social media as it's been one of the best things for my business! Sure it takes some time, but it's free.

    I do admit to sometimes using tweetlater to send tweets I've already written about a teleseminar or something like that. But I haven't done it for a while, because it just didn't seem authentic to me. I say if you're not going to tweet yourself then what's the point.

    I do think that the people who say social media is a waste of time, just don't understand it or are maybe afraid of the technology part of it.

    For me, my business exploded once I got on Twitter! I made some amazing connections, got speaking gigs, and much more thanks to this free tool. Can't beat that.

    The point is what will work for some might not work for others, but don't say this is the only way to do business. If you don't want to Tweet than that's fine but don't tell me it's a waste of time.

    Keep telling the truth and rolling back the curtain, love it!
  • Jill
    Out of five roommates at Shine, four of us were scholarship winners and we were VERY excited to be there. I'm not sure about the rest of the scholarship people, but in my case it would have been financially impossible for me to buy a ticket. I had to take on so much extra freelance work to pay for air and hotel that I will be busy through the middle of December. So it was a pretty big deal for me to attend, and I'm sure others had to sacrifice to be able to afford the event, as well.

    Am I glad I was there? Yes!

    Would I have changed some things? Sure. We all feel that way about lots of stuff in life, even though it's not our party.

    A lot of the stuff was stuff that you've heard before if you've followed Ali for very long. But I figured she had to tell her background and bring everyone up to speed since many of the people had not been following her very long. I even heard a few people say they had no idea who she was until a couple of weeks before the event. That really surprised me -- the fact that someone would just find out about a person and be willing to shell out that kind of money for the event.

    I was concerned about the ideas being expressed as if they were THE only way to do things vs. being one person's opinion.

    There isn't just one right way to run your business.

    One of my roommates ordered a box of 5,000 business cards and the box was delivered to the hotel. When we checked out of our luxurious suite, she left that entire box for housekeeping to throw away, because the cards violated Anne's rules.

    The card would have worked perfectly fine for her purpose, which was to connect with people at this event. In fact, I think she used the cards throughout the event and just left the rest to be tossed.

    But why waste nearly 5,000 cards because one person says to go a different route?

    Something else I saw was a person getting on the phone with her new VA each frequently when we breaks, to tell her to change this and that based on whatever we had just covered in our sessions. Maybe that's just the way this person operates -- get an idea, share it immediately, move on, get another idea, share it immediately, etc.

    If I was her VA, that would drive me crazy. I mean, there are tons of studies on productivity that prove it is difficult to get back to work after so many interruptions. And none of the things she was sharing needed to be done immediately.

    I kept thinking, "Wow, is she going to keep spinning her wheels, changing that web site when she could be moving forward?"

    Like I said, maybe that's the way she works best. But why not absorb all of the information that's being presented and THEN decide which things you will implement and let the VA know?

    If we run around, changing our strategy every time one person announces their opinion from a stage, it can wreak havoc. Yes, that one person announcing their opinion from the stage might be the #1 authority on points A, B and C, but may be clueless about E, F and G. Plus there are other schools of thought on all of those points, some valid and some not.

    I had a fabulous time, though. There were a few things that I could have done without and there were areas that didn't deliver. For example, by the time we got around to the filling in the business plan, I felt like it was rushed. I also didn't feel like it was much of a business plan. It was more like a goal sheet, while I think of a business plan as the actual nitty-gritty on how it will be accomplished.
  • Jill
    Oops. Sorry about the typos. Typing too fast leads to trouble.
  • I was totally pissed that three of Ali's four speakers built their businesses on lies - AND that Ali's core value was truth? WTF? Yes, we all lie. I get that. But if Ali's core value is Truth (and I could write a whole post on that alone), why in the WORLD would you have three people get up on stage and talk about how they lied/BS'd their way to the top.

    Kudos to @marleematlin for being genuine - I was shocked when she said she idn't have a multi-million dollar business. She seemed the most successful and content person on the platform all weekend.

    Day two was a giant testimonial fest for her mastermind group - and felt like a HUGE let down in tems of content that could have been delivered. I emailed her team after I got home - because she promised a teleclass to finish up the content that wasn't delivered. And frankly, there was more content that wasn't delivered than I think she can fit in a teleclass. We'll see how THAT turns out. The reply from her team was dry at best.

    Anne's content was curious. As for picking a name that describes what you do... Ebay? Twitter? Facebook? Amazon? Pepsi? Nike? Starbucks? I think you get the point.

    And my business card totally violated the Anne McKevitt Rules of branding. Glossy, picture, AND I event included a blurb on the back of the card that told people where they met me. This morning alone I already added 25 new signups to my newsletter from that event. And they've been coming in pretty rapidly since Nov 4.

    I confess to occasionally using a scheduled tweeting device, though. It works for me, because I'm usually sending a last minute reminder before a teleclass or something like that.

    We have to remember, though that people generaly speak about the way they've built their business - and Anne didn't do that through social media. So she's kind of ignorant in that respect. I found it interesting, in listening to her talk that she refused to share any of the sites she built using Ali's OSBW blueprint - because she didn't want her competitors knowing how she did things. I guess she doesn't know you can do a WHOIS to find out who owns a site.

    And that whole sense of competition is the antithesis of what Ali's teaching in her world of abundance. Again, a real misalignment that I couldn't wrap my brain around.

    I didn't plan on going to Shine for the content - I knew it would probably be a glorified pitch-fest with a sprinkling of content. I came to hear the speakers, connect with some powerful, forward thinking women and test the waters on my new business - plus get some me time and some clarity on my 2010 direction - most of which happened outside the ballroom

    So was I disappointed? Only in the fact that I was hoping I would be wrong about the event. Sadly, my expectations were met in virtually every way. Which is a shame, because it could havebeen so much more. I was really loking forward to the peer-to-peer evaluation part of the event that never happened.

    As usual, your truth rocks. Keep livin' it!
  • heikemiller
    Unfortunately, I didn't attend SHINE, but I did attend ERS (Experience the Reality of Success) with David Neagle the week before in Las Vegas. At this event, too, was a marketing person (not David) who said that Social Media is not worth one's time.

    I noticed that he lost the interest of many people in the audience right after he said that. Looking at his overall presentation he appeared quite old (marketing) school, so I guess many people who haven't experienced Social Media and its powers (and joys) think it's all a fad and not good for anything. I don't think that particular marketing guy sold many of his programs after that comment. ;)

    And I agree, it is difficult for newbie business owners to actually make a decision what they should adopt for their businesses. I notice that clients who attend events get confused by the conflicting information out there. I guess this is unavoidable, but also agree, maybe there should be a disclaimer for speakers. ;)
  • ypadgett
    I agree you were brave to post this and that's bugging me that anyone has to be brave to tell their truth. It shouldn't be that way. As women, we are always so "nice" and "polite" to each other and never tell people the *whole* truth except our best girlfriends and I love it that you considered US your best girlfriend to share this with.

    I was not at the event, but I can compare it to many that I have been to where you are sitting there thinking that you've not gotten what you wanted, needed and paid for. I think that might be because when people are small and growing they rely on their friends/peers and relationships to fill a speaking rooster but as people get bigger they start thinking they need to "bring in the big guns" and they get away from what is really working. Plus, people may stop telling them what they like and dont like about their info product, even, seminar, etc. But I think that's because people DONT ASK for real feedback. If they don't ask people to tell them what is annoying them...they might not and they stop receiving valuable feedback which is helpful to their business if they dont take it personally.

    I'm not connected with twitter and facebook in a big way, but even I know how HUGE they are for forming connections. Keep speaking your truth, I think it will help more of us to speak ours. We so rarely do...in public I mean.

    Personally, I have limited expectations for anyone at an "event" to teach much, if they do it's a bonus, but just being out and about (read: out of my home office!) and networking with others is worth the price of admission! All the fun stuff happens in the bar afterwards anyway!!
  • Elizabeth, i was smiling the entire time I read this blog post. So happy you pushed publish. The amount of pseudo celeb bullsh*t out here in the entrepreneurial world is staggering and that's why I find you so "on point". You're a girl after my own heart. Best thing I've read all month. And yes kick that speaking up a notch would you? I'd definitely get on a plane for your event.
  • amyfranko
    Elizabeth, thanks so much for sharing your insights and "pulling back the curtain."

    I know I sometimes hold myself back, with thinking like - I "have to" do things a certain way, or that I'm not good enough, or gasp! what will so-and-so think?

    You didn't hold yourself back and I totally admire that.
  • baxie404
    I didn't attend Shine but this is seriously the best thing I've read all month! I am so tired of these "superstar" women selling their fluff but having no substance to back it up. There are plenty of great women, such as you, and others that have better stories, real substance, yet have only lacked the confidence or financial funding to get the same publicity. And as you said, Twitter is a great place to build a following and it's free!

    I had the exact same epiphany/feeling a few weeks ago when I attended an event for the "Girl on Top" book tour in Dallas. Nicole Williams was using events being held at The Limited to promote her book "Girl On Top". All the newsletters lead attendees to believe it was going to be a professional networking event (bring your business cards they toted) and that Nicole was going to give valuable tips on how women could get ahead in the workplace. Instead it was cheap wine (which they ran out of), some "duh" fashion tips that everyone already knew, and a reminder to "put on lip gloss before each meeting". I could have given the same speech she did.

    Also she stressed about a million times that she needed us to buy her book so she could make it to the New York Times best seller list. That would help us how?!?! My favorite was when she told us it was okay to buy a suit you couldn't afford if it made you feel confident. Just charge it to a credit card and pay it back over time, that's what she does.... yet this woman is selling advice to help other women get ahead.

    I didn't buy the book, I thought out writing a blog post outing her on her inability to produce anything worthwhile in the hour the event lasted and then I didn't because 1. The event was free and 2. What if it pissed someone off. I didn't have the guts to post so openly and freely about the fact that many of these self made guru's are giving half-a** bad information, with really shiny packaging and some glitter. Good for you Elizabeth and you do a service to all of us!
  • marieforleo
    Hey Lady. Huge fucking kudos to you for saying what you see/feel/think. For real (as a side comment - I know you do tons of videos - in which you are AWESOME - but your writing is UBER powerful. Please please keep it up).

    Few things. I totally agree with other's that have said you have a HUGE IMMEDIATE potential as a paid speaker. Rock it out lady and anything I can do to support you, I'm here.

    I also noticed that you changed your pic too. (you look beautiful any way you slice you :) I must say that it feels so YOU. Any reason for the change?

    Just a ton of love from NYC from me. xox
  • Girl, you are braver than brave to post this! Whoo hoo Miss Elizabeth!

    One GINORMOUS thing many of the branding experts are missing, the BIG KEY is......the gut feeling your brand creates for others. Simply put, your brand is a gut reaction to what you do without you saying a word. (and their gut feeling when you DO say something).

    But here's the REALLY BIG KEY....anytime you are OFF-brand, your customers will get a BAD gut feeling....a pause, or a hesitation if you will. It's like a "hmmmm. Maybe this isn't what I thought it was" kind of reaction.

    This is why you felt the dissonance with Ali's tweet. She IS such an awesome personality. And she is so incredibly wonderful! But when ANY actions, images, words (written or spoken) are presented that are not true to brand, that's when the problems start. EVERYTHING and EVERY way anyone would interact with you or your business from decor, to printed materials, to online stuff, to how employees dress and answer the phone needs to be TRUTHFUL- to your brand, and your brand only.

    That gut feeling is vital to where, when, and how you market. Some brands should rely on social media more heavily. Others should not. But THERE IS NO ONE CORRECT FOMULA for every business.

    I still am inspired by Anne's story and her achievements. And I adore Ali. (That girl got hit by the 'pretty tree' too many times- she's mega-gorgeous!) Hopefully they will realize that the biggest dissonance for attendees of Shine stems from a few things that were said (or done) that were off-brand.

    This is why YOU, Elizabeth, are so popular in the real & social media worlds. Now would you please use that amazingly powerful voice of yours and go speak? For money!

    Best wishes!
  • LiLi
    ckirin, I think you hit the nail on the head!!! I must say that I have purchased several of Ali's previous products (and was largely pleased with the content), but it appears that ever since she began to head in a "new direction", her brand position has become unclear and convoluted. I question some of the brand extensions as they feel inauthentic and a bit opportunistic.

    Its almost like when Coke decided to become "New Coke". I understand evolution (i.e. Diet Coke and hell, even Vanilla Coke) but you should never veer too far away from the core values and principles of your brand, especially if your secret-winning formula is unique and working for you.

    As for you EPW, I think you're awesome and I appreciate you speaking your truth. Thanks so much for this post.
  • katherinereschke
    Great calling people on their bull - and I totally agree with you.
  • wendymaynard
    Hi Elizabeth,

    As the owner of Kinesis, I've helped companies create new brands for the past decade. I can unequivocally say that to be successful, marketing has to tie in to a company's personality, goals, and target audience. So, what this means is that there is no one solution that fits every business. Branding and marketing has to be customized.

    More and more of our clients are looking to social media because that's where their customers are. Companies would be foolish not to put marketing efforts into the places where their prospects and customers are "hanging out."

    Additionally, huge numbers of the Fortune 500 companies are setting up Facebook pages and developing Twitter personalities. There is only one reason that the "Big Boys" do something - it helps them make money.

    So, when the Billion-dollar, multinational companies are involved, you can rest assured that Twitter and Facebook are NOT a waste of time. I've been writing about social media regularly on our blog. Here's a recent post that discusses this very thing: http://kinesisblog.com/design/social-media-mark...

    Thanks Elizabeth for writing such provocative posts. And as always, for speaking your truth!!

    Wendy Maynard
    http://www.kinesisinc.com
  • Elizabeth.
    Go on Girl. The more truth that is spoken, the more real we get, the better. I love that you are even speaking about other "women in our industry" it is usually easier to point out the male gender faux paux. We are all learning social media, so I can overlook some things, however, when there is power behind a microphone, then I gotta say something.
    At the last live event....I had the same realization of my professional speaking identity...not only am I MUCH more authentic, but I move people into a place within their heart. there are still way too many "talking heads" that know how to work a crowd, but leave you feel empty.

    I think it is equally ridiculous how people buy into the bull sh*t. Hey, if we stop falling for it, and paying them to "inspire us for nanosecond" then they will have to clean up their act. However, to me this is a great sign, for people that truly are coming from SPIRIT will RISE. Mark My Words.

    Bright Michelle
    Consciousness Catalyst, Truth Speaker, Soul Marketing Mentor
  • Dawn
    I love that you are real and that you have an opinion and is not afraid of telling it. Even if people do not gree with you, they have to stop and think about what you say and 99% of the time you probably hit on a nerve!!!!Keep on being you and doing you....Even when I may not agree with you, I will still love to hear from you....
  • isabelparlett
    Wow! Thanks for telling it like it is.

    I haven't quite mastered social networking but I am fascinated by how to create marketing that creates connection and by exploring how we can market, make great money, without all the hot air and hype.
  • Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Elizabeth,

    Scary? I would have been freaking out!

    You are the most amazing, courageous, truth sayer (female or male) I have ever met/known/connected with! I stand in awe of your light and your willingness to shine it!

    I not only had the same reaction to the Shine event, by the second day, I was thinking I wasted my money. If it hadn't been for some of the amazing women I met and masterminded business strategies/niches with, it would have been.

    I also expected to come away with the content promised in the preview calls, didn't happen. I have learned so much more from you than the event. Right now, I can't come up with one new business idea/plan/strategy delivered by Ali or the speakers! If I ever attend another Ali event, I will know what I'm paying for, the opportunity to meet and interact with the incredible women entrepreneurs at the event.

    I hear you saying you are capable, when really what you are is remarkable! When will you own that you are a Leader, Visionary, World Changer that walks with Truth, Integrity, and Love. ???

    News Flash: Elizabeth Potts Weinstein changes the face of business by being completely honest and transparent!

    P.S. Love the new avatar!
  • Thanks Teresa :)

    I have taken on as part of my job to say what everyone thinks and does not say. (The other part of my job is to live my truth & tell the whole story about it.) I'm honored that so many people are empowered by what I say/do.
  • melaniebensonstrick
    Oh my gosh...where do I begin?

    First, your courage is contagious, thank you.

    Second, what's up with this "not getting paid as a speaker thing?" Time to step into your power. I personally see a whole new wave of speaker payments getting ready to occur in our industry. Although many of us are paid through back of the room sales (hence a huge correlation between being authentic and having a good relationship with the audience and our payment), I think that strategy is getting ready to shift as so many of us are craving more "realness" in live events. I give Ali kudos for paying her speakers vs. doing back of room sales.

    So...my point, now is a great time to step into YOUR power and position yourself as a paid speaker. If more speakers hold fast to "I get paid to speak" vs. "I'll sell to get paid at your event" then conference producers will have to rethink their strategies too.

    Third, I hear you on the fake tweeting and agree that some times Ali and others who are that busy lose touch with what social media is really about. Most of the big brands/personalities have other people tweeting for them (I would name names but not my job to pull them out of the Twitter closet.) And it is a personal gripe that most never really respond to people who tweet about them...really, it's not that hard!

    However...I will make a case for pre-tweeting. I'll admit I do it...and not because I'm lame but because I thrive in productivity and I can't be tweeting when I'm coaching a client, speaking or writing. So I'll sit down and plan out a bunch of stuff I want to say, write it up and pre-tweet it. Sorry, but it is a decent way to stay connected (and it really is ME doing it) through out the day.

    I also tweet a ton live, especially in between calls, on my open days and when something gets in my head with "that was such a tweetable moment."

    Just making a case for why and how pre-tweeting can be a positive solution for time-blockers like me. =-)

    Keep em coming...love your new energy and no bullshit writing. Its fun to read and as I said earlier...makes me giggle.
  • This is a great discussion. I wasn't at Shine, but heard from others that were.

    I do want to say that I agree with Melanie. I do my own tweeting, but find I am more productive with "time blocking", so I occasionally pre-tweet. Many of the people I tweet with are on the opposite side of the world from me and with the 12 hour time difference I sometime need to rely on twitter tools.

    Anyway, I want to chime in and say that I'm really enjoying your blog posts and you have another new fan...egads! I hope you can handle it ; )
  • Thanks Melanie!

    I get your idea for scheduling tweets (and definitely different when *you* are the one writing them). But the power of twitter is in the conversation, and if you aren't there to engage when people to reply to your prescheduled tweet, then the huge power of twitter to engage in real-time is lost. :)
  • Oh man! About the paid speaking thing. I speak for leads and I speak for a few grand at a time. I was just at an event where the gooroo told the guy next to me with his aspirations of speaking, "Screw that. Everyone thinks you get paid big money for speaking. I never get paid for speaking."

    Why is it okay to let someone tell you to screw your dream? All you flippin need is a good one sheet, and a campaign to get you in front of peeps who hire speakers. The standing ovations come for that simple reason that "people never even remember what you said, they just remember how they felt in your presence." Oh and they remember a good story.

    I would go out and speak more, if if I could bring myself to hire a nanny (- an old ugly one who wouldn't be too much temptation when my Sailor is home!)

    Keep it up, Rock Star.
  • lol, the funny thing is that I don't necessarily want to be paid for speaking. it's more like I don't think I'm a "real" speaker or a cook kid b/c I'm not in their club. I speak to connect w/ people. :)
  • fitarella
    awesome. you. are. awesome.
  • Kudos for calling it like you see it, and for having the sense to know who you are and what you bring to the table. My friend, Lisa Manyon, tweeted this to me because I have a serious issue with tweets like the one you highlight above - she recognized that your post drove home a point I made on my blog in a post titled, Cross-Posting, It May Not Be What You Think. I find this type of tweeting disingenuous and it seems to go against the very premise a platform such as Twitter was born on.

    I wish you the best of luck!
  • Oh my gosh Elizabeth! I thought I was the only one that noticed her tweets that came out during Shine and I wasn't even there! Then I looked at the source Hootsuite and said oh, it must've been automatic. That was odd indeed, but most people who use the automatic feature do it for FollowFridays or quotes.

    I was reading the buzz on twitter about someone saying twitter and facebook were a waste of time and I said I bet it's because they didn't use it to get to where they were. Sean Paul said Bob Marley didn't use YouTube to spread his music globally lol. Your message is so on point with the way things have changed and we should use it to our advantage as we see fit. The thing is that is that's just one woman's opinion, everything doesn't work for everyone.

    Now about the lying thing, I'm sure those who were appalled at the lie never told a lie right? Ugh! I'm not condoning it by any means, but I felt people were looking for the negative and not necessarily learning whatever strategies she was sharing. Again, I wasn't there to know what was said. So many actors lie about their age...Better yet, so many internet marketers lie about their incomes or use copy to make things seem better than it actually is, isn't that a lie? It's no surprise that many of those same internet marketers are having a "come to Jesus moment" with how to be authentic, find your purpose and the like...

    Nonetheless, I applaud you for being bold enough to share your thoughts/experiences with us. Truly appreciate it.
  • I agree, lies like saying you are 18 when you are 15 to get a job are not a big deal. It's more like telling the story of your success, and your big break happened because you totally lied about who you were & what happened to someone -- that's not a reproducible lesson for the people in the audience to apply to their business. Unless the lesson is "lie to get ahead" which is not my idea of good business.
  • Ha! Great post Elizabeth. I keynoted once...for a bottle of wine - and I don't drink. I've only attended one SM event w/speakers and I have to tell you - much of it seemed pretty obvious. Yet, these folks received standing ovations. I was like...wha?? Anyway, excellent post. Like cream, talent always rises. Bullshit doesn't.
  • Wow! That's all I can say. Woozie! My own series of blog posts about Shine are coming. Yours are just helping me make sense of this whole experience.

    New word for Leesa - personality based marketing.
  • ava diamond @feistywoman
    I think you hit it on the head, Elizabeth. Going from unpaid speaker to paid speaker is a mindset shift. Have you checked out your local National Speaker's Association chapter? You can learn a lot there about "the business of speaking." The National Convention rocks!

    There is always some benefit to speaking for free to an audience of people who can hire you. You can have it in your plan to do those at some regular interval. Mostly, though, you should be paid to speak.

    And yes, they still use checks : )
  • Hey Elizabeth,
    You make some really great points. There's another bit of advice that was given that's stuck with me and isn't totally jiving. I personally get branding. Heck, I created a series of training seminars for the Idaho Small Business Development Center and one entire segment was on Image and Branding...but I digress. I personally wouldn't put my picture on my biz card. I know there are some schools of thought that think that's cool. I'm not saying it's wrong ( I just wouldn't do it because it doesn't feel right for me or my biz -- then again I have glossy biz cards -- supposedly another no-no -- I love them, they represent me and my biz and they still work --oh and other peeps love them too) and I woudn't tell a room of impressionable people it's totally wrong either. But, that is what happened and many of those people believe everything they hear. When they hear a message like this after they've just invested in biz cards with their smiling faces plastered all over them -- they get off track -- they feel like they are not doing things right and it derails progress because they're in panic mode and regress to overthinking their image again -- when instead they should move forward, make connections and earn money from those connection (virtually or in person -- both methods do work -- yes I get paid clients from FB and Twitter, too). My point is, I don't think people realize how much impact their words and advice have on people who are not totally confident in their own direction. This can be good and this can be bad. The bottom line is there should be some sort of speakers disclaimer that lets people know that this is one way of doing things. Not the only way and not always the right way depending on the individual situation and industry.
    Whew -- thanks for sharing your thoughts and letting me do the same. I need some coffee now. And btw -- it was great to see you at the Tweet-up. ;)
    Write on!~
    Lisa
  • Yes, and that's what made me the most sad. I don't like how it was presented as if it was the only way of doing it, so the people in the audience felt like they were stupid. Especially since they all have different kinds of business, and it may be appropriate for them. ::sigh::
  • sarahrobinson
    I so want to be you when I grow up. You are so clear, so brave and so strong. This post makes stand in awe of who you are my friend. Your ability to call people out without (at least showing) fear makes me want to stand up and clap and hoot and cheer you on. YAY!
  • terrygreen
    Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Thank you for confirming that I wasn't the only one out there that felt that way on so many points. Motivation is nice and hearing how someone else has overcomed obstacles is encouraging ... but it doesn't produce results. And ... Twitter and Facebook DO work, because I've gotten clients through the relationships I've built ... as well as gotten to know many, many cool people that have become colleagues and team members and great sources of referrals. I also like seeing someone's photo on their business card ... and (shudder), mine are glossy on the front :-)
  • I'm just so delighted I read this. You know, I think women are awesome. We do so much, we carry so much and we're hugely supportive of each other.....yet occasionally there are times when things feel out of synch and we don't speak up about it, because we don't want to rock the boat. Yet that gets us nowhere!

    I'm so glad you stepped out of your comfort zone and published this. This blog post showed vulnerability from you, honesty, a sense of rawness and truth.

    Thanks for being such a great role model - well done.
  • I'm just so delighted I read this. You know, I think women are awesome. We do so much, we carry so much and we're hugely supportive of each other.....yet occasionally there are times when things feel out of synch and we don't speak up about it, because we don't want to rock the boat. Yet that gets us nowhere!

    I'm so glad you stepped out of your comfort zone and published this. This blog post showed vulnerability from you, honesty, a sense of rawness and truth.

    Thanks for being such a great role model - well done.
  • This is the first time I've posted a blog that named names. Yes, very hard. But I do it for all of the people who are thinking & not saying this. As the live-your-truth girl, it's kind of my job.
  • TD
    *sigh* I knew it. I have suspected that Ali stopped doing her own tweets for a while now, but I didn't want to believe it. What is the point of having that big ol' Verified Account badge on your Twitter page if you hire someone else to do the Norman Bates thing? I am disappointed.
  • i totally missed the "verified" thing on her account. rflol. i kind of love the idea that I don't need a badge b/c it is so obvious that my tweets are me.
  • You. Are. So. Right.

    And I love you for hitting "publish." Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting your opinions on the b-b-b-billionaire.

    My experience with that: I was very excited to come see her, and completely jazzed after I had listened to her preview call. What an amazing woman and she's done some great things! But when she called me "arrogant" for wanting to connect with my new #shining, happy people via LinkedIn profiles instead of a traditional business card swap, I was saddened, frustrated and disappointed.

    I think there was/is a misunderstanding of exactly what LI is and how it should be used (ahem, um, for follow up, perhaps? to build a further relationship, maybe?) and therefore, I received the uneducated response to my question about my strategy to connect this way on purpose as a Social Media Marketing Coach. (This was part of my actual Marketing strategy.) I was told I wasn't on a "level playing field" by having this approach. Perhaps. Although we should define "playing field."

    During my time in Vegas, I "bumped" two people for their contacts via our awesome new iPhone app,"Bump," which literally took 5 seconds to swap info, and resulted in no cards to lose, no printing or design costs to shell out, or extra time or money spent to hire an asst to import my new contact(s) info into my cell phone. Plus, I got their PICTURE. Kinda important when you're thrown into a sea of faces to be able to put a human touch on the connection when you go back home. Some day we'll just have our cell phones, no biz cards. It's not here yet, but it's coming.

    Am I ahead of the curve? Yes. Can I spot trends? Yes. Was I in college the same time Mark Zuckerberg was? Yes. And although I don't have the millions like Facebook Mark does for developing these fantastic platforms, I think I'll do just fine helping out those clients of mine who DO want to learn. It makes my heart sing when someone sees tangible business results from Twitter or FB or LinkedIn. I love turning skeptics into believers. I just wish people were more open-minded and aware that technology is changing the game as we speak.

    The future is now. Not tomorrow. Social Media is not a fad. Twitter might be, and even Facebook, and I'm sure we'll all be moving toward the next popular thing soon. Why? My MySpace profile once brought in lots of $$$ and now it's a lonely stepchild in my Social Media family that I refuse to let go of. Too much time and effort spent on building relationships for the past 5 years.

    This is the progression of technology. We must learn to adapt quickly, but realize that the general concept of Social Media is here to stay.

    She was the second "old school" and very successful person from a seminar's stage I had heard in a two week period who had these way-too-traditional thoughts. Both of them were not only opposed to the idea of using Social Media for your Marketing, but they both seemed quite annoyed actually. One good thing - at least the gentleman I was in the audience for admitted out of frustration that perhaps if he just "learned how to use it" he would "get it" and then he'd be supportive. Oh, and that's after I could show him someone making $200,000/year using it for simply sales strategy. Ugh. Annoyed. We didn't come out of the womb knowing how to send an email, did we?

    Ok, I'm coming down off my pet peeve moment. I could go on for hours, as it seems you could, too. I agree with your points about hiring someone to tweet for you. My clients and I carefully include support team members for their Social Media efforts, but it's well thought out. Darn the transparency of it all, right? I love how it makes people held accountable.

    Great post overall. I look forward to reading more from you. (i'm nervous hitting "publish" too! Oh, well. It is what it is.)
  • Kerianne - thanks so much for such a well thought out comment!

    And yes, I agree that we are ahead of the curve ... and that's *great* not a bad thing. I still do carry business cards for when I meet people who have never heard of bump (and I even have people who don't have email, omg.).

    But since my best clients are ones who are at least willing to do technology, then it makes sense for me to lead w/ technology. There are more than enough people in that market to keep me busy for centuries.
  • Elizabeth - you're welcome. I didn't realize how long my comment was until it was posted! This little white box is deceiving, and obviously our buttons were pushed on this topic. So glad to know there's others who feel the same!

    I agree - leading with technology is a good idea ESPECIALLY when clients are scared to death of it. The #1 unique aspect of how I work with women is that we have to have FUN while doing it! Otherwise I don't deserve their money. Turning a very masculine and techy marketing strategy into a fun, feminine experience is the key.

    Smiles to you, girl. xoxo
  • whew, hitting "publish" on this post was scary.
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