Today's a very special day. I'm pleased to announce that the new Men with Pens website is live, looking spiffy and ready for you to enjoy. Click here - come take a look. It's a fresh, fun design we're really proud of, because it's modern, stylish and fits us just right.
I have an important announcement to make: This website is coming down for good. That's not to say it's the end of Men with Pens. Hell no - I didn't come this far to give it all up now!
Six years ago, I moved across the United States, from West Virginia to Colorado. I didn't know anyone except my husband. And I was lonely for my friends back east. I needed to find a way to connect with new people - preferably ones who cared about the same interests I did.
A note from James: "Wait - what?! Fiction?! On a blog for businesspeople?" You bet. In many interviews, I've mentioned that learning how to write fiction can definitely boost your copywriting skills - the two skill sets cross over more than you'd think.
In July, I moved into a farmhouse in Montana on 20 acres of land. It's a dream I never seriously thought I'd realize - a home in the country. And in almost every way, the dream has met its promise. I said almost: The dream didn't provide much guidance on Internet access.
I recently wrote about how to turn your ebook into a workshop and ways to make sure it's a surefire win. But then you have to get on the stage or in front of the group and talk. Nervous? Then this post is for you.
I recently wrote about a sure-fire way to maximize your business potential, and it was a big hit: Just turn your ebook into a workshop. Then get ready to impress the socks off new prospects. But exactly how should you set up that ebook-based workshop? How can you make sure it's a win?
So you wrote an ebook... now what? Most people just slap their ebook up on their website and offer it to blog subscribers as a free download. A few others stick a price tag on their ebook and try to make a few bucks.
If there's one thing that devastates us, that stops us from doing what we're truly capable of and prevents us from achieving our dreams, it's fear of failure. Many of us go through our lives never knowing what we could have done...
The other day, someone asked me this question: "What's the key to produce outstanding content?" My eyebrows rose, and I couldn't resist a glib mental answer: A direct line to The Muse, the strength of Hercules, the cunning of Hades and a really nice magic wand.
I'm not a self-schedule-oriented person. It's far easier to stick to someone else's schedule than your own. Self-discipline can be HARD. So when James told me that I need a daily writing schedule, I balked. I don't want a schedule! I can't guarantee where I'll be at any single time.
"Pitch me." Every now and then, I toss those words out to select people whom I think may be beneficial to my business. They seem engaged, smart and able to help me, so I offer them their chance to make me their client.
Over the past few weeks, I've started down the path of " ghostwriting ". To be honest, I did not like the idea. I despised the whole concept of allowing someone to put their name next to my work. I loathed plagiarizers in school.
Are you aware that your website may be costing you fistfuls of money? An eye-catching website design will set the stage for your business, obviously. But that powerful first impression only buys you a few seconds of attention. If what you SAY on your website gives visitors the wrong impression, you're chasing potential clients away.
Today is Valentine's Day, and people all around the world are celebrating with chocolate, chick flicks, flowers, fine wine, and touching cards that say it all. I'd send each of you a card and some chocolate if I could, just to show my appreciation that you're part of my readership.
Sure, I'll admit it: I procrastinate. Not just a little; I'm a devoted procrastinator and I put everything off until the very last minute possible. Just ask my husband. And I'm not necessarily looking to cure my procrastination. But yeah, it causes me problems from time to time.
If you've ever watched Dragon's Den (or its U.S. counterpart, Shark Tank), you're intimately familiar with that final verdict. It's uttered by some very successful entrepreneurs when they decide a particular investment opportunity isn't a good fit. So how often do you say it to your prospects?
Most freelancers suck at meeting deadlines. I've heard horror stories from disgruntled complaining about people they've worked with in the past, and I've dealt with my own fair share of flaky freelancers. Blown deadlines, forgotten deadlines, missed deadlines, stretched deadlines and the mysterious so-called "flexible" deadlines...
You should hear me when I write an email. I mumble, I whisper, I grin and give a little snort... I'm a noisy, noisy writer. And that's how it should be.
You know that writing great content is crucial to success in today's online world. Search engines need it to find your site and present it to people searching for what you sell. Potential clients and customers need it to get excited about doing business with you.
For all my years of experience, I completely understand why many people end up feeling frustrated, confused and absolutely unable to move forward. It isn't because they don't have the money to get where they need to be. It's that they don't have the knowledge they require.
I have a confession to make: I don't want to be rich and famous. Well, that's not quite accurate. I do want to be rich, and a little bit of fame never hurt anyone. I just don't want to become either according to today's cool kids standards.
Some years ago, a few friends, my wife, and I took a one-day rafting trip down the Payette River in western Idaho. I made the arrangements, and without consulting the rest of the party (nice guy that I am) I opted for the most difficult route that the outfitter offered, a journey that included several Class 4 rapids.
Chris Brogan is a nice guy. He's also really smart, friendly and has great taste in shoes. (I know. We went shopping together.) But I digress. A few months ago, Chris sent out a newsletter that talked about bigger brush strokes - that painting the story of your life (and your business) means believing you can do more than you do and be more than you are.
Words (to SEO experts like me) are just tools - tools used to acquire links. It's not that I don't appreciate great writing, a clever turn of phrase or an insightful comment. But blogs, guest posts and articles are a means to an end - getting higher page rankings for our clients.
