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Fancy/Need/Want a Free CV Critique?

November 3 Dawn

Update: this opportunity has ended (6th Nov) however…

I’ve just added a 33 page, ‘quicketie’ read, tips, tricks and ‘please do this instead’ report called Why Your CV Ends Up In The Bin

It includes chapters on:

The Don’ts: What You Must Never Ever Do
How to Write Your Personal Profile (the part that makes people squirm in their pants)
A Section on Cover Letters (don’t overlook the cover letter)
Shattering Myths, why CV’s aren’t hard and it’s all in your head
The CV Stink Test! Part fun, part serious!
What Your CV Must Do, Always, No Excuse
And touching on the new ways of job search

You can get the report by using the big box below (it’s part of the Living Moxie Toolkit) or you can read more here.

How To Not Have a Crappy Day (Or Lessons From Orangutans)

November 1 Dawn

Not got time to read ’cause you’re having a ‘day’? Here’s 5 Quick Tips:

Working alone does not equal being alone: change your state, talk, make a call, anything!
It’s okay to raise a white flag no matter who you are or what you ‘do’. Cut yourself some slack.
It’s okay to have a ‘day of rest’ or ‘not going to plan’! Oh, I think that means we’re human!
Connection, connection, connection is KEY. Vital. Enough said.
Hang out with people who don’t ‘rescue’ you.

When was the last time you had a non productive day?

What do you mean you’ve never had one? You, you, you…saint!

I’ve just had one. Today.

I had great plans. Cultivated and seeded in writing before shuteye last night. Pretty little ‘get done’ list it was, handwritten too.

Woke up raring to go. Champing at the bit to get started.

But.

Today totally bombed. It was siphoned away from me, doing loads, but doing nothing.

The Teeny Weeny Problem With Plans

Please, no advice such as ‘why didn’t you just follow the plan’. I thought I was!

Plans are awesome, but surprise surprise, they they don’t work, when the person working them isn’t in top working order!

Funny, because I was reading Made to Stick (a great book on why some ideas stick and why some don’t, it’s in our bookstore: look under the category creativity, click here)

Authors Dan and Chip Heath discussed how armies plan, plan, plan, plan and plan some more. But when it comes to the crunch the army knows ‘No plan survives contact with the enemy’.

In the past (during perfectionism days) I would plod, today at 3pm I waved my white flag.

The enemy? Just me.

How do you manage your ‘off’ days?

I turned to a lovely group of extremely (cough cough) understanding peeps and said ‘I need a serious kick up the a*se, I have accomplished nada today’.

Being ever so caring and empathic, in a funnykindasorta way, they listened (well read) and replied:

Have you had your coffee? (Which made me laugh)
What is your preferred method of getting nothing done?

My what?!!

Preferred methods of getting nothing done

Huh?

Do you not just LOVE that?

I soooooooo did! No guilt, no beating myself up, no screaming or kicking myself at the waste of time.

My Well Thought Out Equation…

Laugher + Completely Different Perspective On Situation = Instant State Change

A quick break, cuppa and zippity back to it.

On reflection, do you know what I needed today the most?

Connection

That was all?

Yep.

Exactly what I say to you. We all need to feel part of, to belong, to feel connected.

Today, I just wasn’t feeling it. I needed to walk my talk.

And that applies to everyone, including solo business owners, I mean we aren’t Orangutans! We need connections.

(Apparently Orangutans like to live and work alone, but hermit crabs don’t, that’s a myth, they bury themselves hence the hermit part! I did have hermit crabs, but double checked and apparently Orangutans come out tops with not needing any connection!)

When I replied to the ‘preferred method of getting nothing done’, I was actually stunned at what I had achieved but hadn’t planned to ‘get done’ today.

So, how can I help you today? Do you need to connect?

Your Turn

How do you manage your ‘off’ days? Tips, techniques and silliness welcomed in the comments below, keep it clean though.

Photo credit again the lovely Hiking Artist

How Long Does It Take to Reach a Goal?

October 30 Dawn

To those who have ever asked…

1. You’ll know the exact time when you get there.

2. Or if you decide you didn’t want it after all.

Add extra time for getting steered off track.

Add extra time for not being serious.

Add extra time for not taking accountability: waiting for it to be delivered to you or your lucky break.

Add extra time for not believing in your ability to reach the goal.

Add extra time if you are scared of being criticised, ridiculed or stepping away from the norm.

Add extra time if you are frightened of failing.

How much ‘extra’ time?

Go back to number 1 and repeat.

To help you decide which routes to take try this otherwise get a pen, write down the time and date now, start, when you’re done write down the time, and the date, calculate the hours, minutes, days, months, years, or long decades inbetween.

Start.

How long? Who actually knows?

And as the quote says: “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?“

Are You a ‘Perfect’ Specimen of Someone Living Moxie?

October 28 Dawn

Not sure if you are or not? You’ll be able to decide in 2 minutes, lets start with a real life story:

Have you heard of Jane Tomlinson?

In 2003 she was awarded the most Inspirational Woman in Britain. In 2000 she was told she just 6 months to live, her diagnosis was breast cancer.

She passed away in 2007, after leaving a massive legacy, and (for me) she’s a perfect example of someone who lived moxie.

Why?

Because of her courage and bravery. I didn’t know her personally, I watched her life unfold from the sidelines. She deserved (IMO) 100% her award, she had guts, sheer determination, passion and offered hope to others, changed (and still does through her appeal) many lives, all while she faced her own adversity.

After diagnosis, going through numerous bouts of chemotherapy plus heart disease she raised £1,850,000 for charity: marathons, triathlons, cycling John O Groats to Lands End, Rome to Home, and make the 6781.8 km ride across America.

If you live in the UK, Europe or the States she passed your way.

That’s moxie, an epic life.

Moxie…

Slang

the ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage.
nerve, audacity, pluck and perseverance
strength of character, determination
guts, backbone, gumption

I’m in love with it.

Are you living moxie?

I think it’s an incredibly passionate word.

The word itself is, well, moxie!

And the reason it packs such an emotional punch is because (I believe) we have all lived moxie and will continue to do so as long as we’re here.

Including you.

Yes, you.

Don’t look round, it’s you and me here.

Maybe you don’t think you have any ‘moxie-ness’, and well, of course that could be true. Yet, we all have/are/will face our own challenges, and I’ll stick my neck on the line and say I bet you have it.

What life challenges and stories of adversity am I talking about…phew…well, for starters let’s look at my past clients:

Mental ill health, depression, unemployment, addictions, lack of meaningful relationships, lack of confidence, worth, feelings of hopelessness, getting fired, working a job you HATE, losing a business, marrying for the wrong reasons, divorce, unfaithfulness in marriage/relationships, debt, caring for a loved one, being deceived and lied to, dyslexia, homelessness, ill health, differently able, loss and grief, abuse, unable to have children, failing at…, being ‘different’, poverty, coming out, stigma, prejudice, bullying, rape…fill in the blank…

The list is endless. It’s individual.

And if you faced your challenges with courage, for the purpose of this post, you are to me, a living moxie.

Let me prove it to you

There’s a great phrase sweeping personal development, the ‘tinternet and motivational land’ right now, which is ‘be epic’.

I believe it includes being the hero/heroine of your own life.

The periods in your life where you’ve raised your game, with all your strength (when the easiest option was to crawl away) to make it out the other side: stronger, and a better person.

Living moxie is epic in itself

There’s a string of famous people you’ll recognise by name who have lived with courage, guts, determination and overcome their adversity: Helen Keller (born differently abled), Oprah Winfrey (raped as a child), Lance Armstrong (cancer), Micheal J Fox (Parkinson’s Disease), Christopher Reeve (spinal injury), and Stephen Fry (Bipolar).

(I do hate labels, do you?)

Back to you…

What about the people who live either side of you, in your street, in your town?

Those who aren’t listed in the Inc. 500, appeared on daytime TV, or have been awarded the OBE.

The people with stories and personal circumstances come to you via a friend of a friend, maybe even gossip or a family member.

I bet you’ll have plenty of examples of people in your life are living moxie.

Can you think of them now?

Are you able to pin down what they are teaching others?

Moxies teach great lessons…

Many of my own past clients have lived moxie, and still do.

They taught me lessons that aren’t taught elsewhere. They have changed my beliefs, values and shaped me into the person I am today. Yes, my clients did that, the people who I was training, taught me, probably more than they ever realised.

Plus human interest stories. The story that another human being is playing their part in on the other side of the world.

What is it about their story that touches you?

That makes you sit up and take notice.

Makes you connect with them without ever knowing them.

Like their message was meant just for you.

Is it because you can relate?

See, there’s no shortage of people to tell us their woes and troubles.

But there is a huge shortage of people sharing lessons that inspire and stick.

The powerful stories that come into your consciousness when you are facing your own, that make you think ‘if they can do that, so can I’: the stories that teach us how to live moxie.

Choosing to live a moxie life…

It is. Just a choice. A decision you make.

You don’t need to be facing any adversity at the time. You can choose to live moxie constantly.

It’s choosing to live in this world with courage and letting go of all fears.
It’s choosing to make decisions, get committed, determined and going all out to make things happen for you.
It’s choosing personal power, and empowering others.
It’s choosing to believe in…
It’s choosing to expose your fears for what they really are, just lies.
It’s about saying: ‘I’m here, I’m taking part, I am worthy and enough, now’.
It’s about turning your life around if it needs turned.
It’s not ‘dreaming’ but being totally awake and making things happen: for you, your life, your family, career, business, whatever is important to you.
It’s about using your strengths, working on the weaknesses and doing whatever, whatever, it takes.
And…what do you think?

Do you have it?

Do you want it?

Would living moxie fit with you?

Right now I can offer you this, the moxie clients I have worked with shared common behaviours and traits:

1. It’s was never about them.

They never expected applause or congratulations for what they had faced. They didn’t think their courage and bravery was that important. They made meaning out of their circumstances and they shared it with others.

Living moxie: don’t wait for the approval or ‘permission’ for others. When shrouded in fear it’s courage that will pull you through. Congratulate yourself, it’s not selfish, it’s about you taking back your own power (not power over – the two are very different.)

2. They made what seemed like impossible situations to others inspirational stories.

They all were amazing problem solvers. ‘I’ll find a way through it’ was a common phrase. Not stopped by barriers. Even when doors slammed firmly in their face, they bounced back, quickly. They weren’t their problems.

Living moxie: guts, sheer determination and will power. To make a decision, and stick with it (or change it). No bitterness, no blame: living life to the full.

3. They didn’t know how strong they were until they had to be strong.

Sometimes what they faced was a challenge that others found hard to understand. Sometimes they had to very quickly make massive life changes that were for their own and families personal and emotional safety. Sometimes they had to pull ranks to entire chapters, people and places that were familiar in their life. Letting everything they knew go.

Living moxie: you are so much stronger than you perhaps think you are.

You know it, I know it. It’s about finding it, making that strength that is readily available in challenging situations boot up all time.

Over to You – Have Your Say

What do you think are the qualities, behaviours and attitudes of an individual who is living moxie?

Do you know anyone, what is it about them that makes them a pure moxie? Before you go feel free to fire in any comments you have, or stories below: your share can be another’s lesson. Just sayin’

Until next time…

Photo credit: Puppyintraining.com (there’s a great story attached)

Solopreneur Interview #3 Susan Daffron ‘The Book Consultant’

October 21 Dawn

‘Tis Friday! Time for another solopreneur interview, up this week is Susan Daffron, owner of The Book Consultant (well, that’s one of her businesses!) where she offers Book Publishing for Savvy Entrepreneurs.

If I were to introduce Susan to you (and if she wasn’t in the room) I’d say “extremely professional, she is human but triples up nicely as part ‘Information Point’ (directs you to what you are looking for) and half GSD fairy (getting stuff done!), or fairie if you are in the US! No messing, no pretence, straight talking, and incredibly funny. She’s written and published 12 non-fiction books.

Right over to Ms D…

Susan, tell us who you are, what you do, why you decided to go ‘solo’?

“Here’s my story…

When I started my business in 1994, dozens of small software companies were springing up in San Diego. Most of them didn’t have tech writers. So, I saw an opportunity.

At the time, I hated my job, hated the company I was working for, and pretty much thought my boss was evil incarnate. In short, I wanted out of the cubicle.

Full-time jobs were scarce and I didn’t want another cubicle job anyway. So I started signing up with contracting companies, so I could quit the evil job, get a lucrative tech writing contract, and a quick influx of cash, so I could start my own biz.

I ended up taking a 6-week contract at Intuit reading the tax code help files. I’m not kidding! It was the most boring job I’ve ever had (and that’s including packaging candy at a factory while I was in college). But reading the tax code did pay well, so mission accomplished there.

While I was doing my existing job and working the contract, I was also setting up my new business, Logical Expressions on the side.

I got my business license and all the legal stuff done, created a logo, bought computer equipment, took an adult ed course on entrepreneurship, researched potential customers (at the library; this was 1994, so you couldn’t just research companies on the Internet!) I also wrote a business plan, signed up with an ISP, and got on CompuServe. (Remember CompuServe?!)

In January 1995, my contract ended and I was all set up. I mailed out my first direct mail piece to my target clients and got clients immediately. For a couple years, I did software documentation and worked for a couple tech publishing companies as well.

Later in 1995, my husband joined Logical Expressions doing freelance programming work. Then in 1996, we realized our dream of moving away from San Diego to the forests of Idaho. (We traded our 1,200 square foot condo for a log home in the middle of the forest.)

What made you choose this business?

When I started the company, I basically took the skills I had used in Corporate America and translated them into a freelance service (technical writing).

Since then I’ve switched my business niche multiple times. I’ve worked on tech books, published my own magazine, done web design, and most recently moved into book publishing. I got out of the tech world when I realized at some point that if I had to write “Chose File|Open” again, I might have to kill myself.

But with that said, the rationale for each switch of my niche was calculated. The reason I killed my magazine was because of the dot-bomb recession. (The mag was about how to use computers…yeah, kiss those advertisers goodbye!)

The reason for getting out of Web design was because I saw that it was becoming commoditized, I don’t like WordPress, and the economy was going to tank (again), so I couldn’t make any money at it anymore.

People will buy a $20 book on Web sites when they won’t pay for a Web designer. Now I’m looking at ways to capitalize on the massive changes going on in book publishing. (Kindle, Nook, etc. etc.)

One of the things I’m proud of is that even though it hasn’t always been easy, and there have been major ups and downs, our business has kept going and has supported us since 1995.

It also made it possible for us to move away from the city to a place we love and live a comfortable life amid 40 acres of trees and lots of dogs, cats, and other critters.

Being in business for myself has also given me the flexibility to explore other interests like gardening and animal-related stuff. I took the Idaho Master Gardener courses, and I volunteered for animal shelters and a spay/neuter clinic for years. That work led to me forming the National Association of Pet Rescue Professionals in 2008. The Association offers tools, resources, and information for people working to save homeless animals.

What drives you?

I love the life we’ve created, so that’s what keeps ME going!

If you had to start over, what would you do differently?

Not much actually. I read a ton of business book when I started and I continue to read extensively. There is always something new to learn and library books are FREE.

What do you wish you knew at the start?

That marketing is going to take up a lot of your time. You think you’ll be spending a lot of time doing client work. But if you stop marketing, no more clients. So you have to budget in that time now and forever.

What was the best piece of advice/learning?

At the entrepreneurship class I took, the instructor said, “nothing happens until somebody sells something.”

It’s true.

Any tips for anyone thinking of ‘going solo’ but haven’t yet?

1. Have a well-thought out exit plan. (No matter how much you may want to, telling your boss off and stalking out of your cubicle is not a generally a viable plan.)
2. Set aside money before you leave your regular paycheck behind you.
3. Read as much as you can about business before, during, and after going solo. Go to the library, check out books, and READ them. Also take advantage of other free or low cost business development resources in your community.

Shout Out: Susan can be found at The Book Consultant (if your ready to put your ideas into print) and the National Association of Pet Rescue Professionals. You can follow her on twitter @susandaffron, or Facebook. Susan also runs workshops to assist entrepreneurs to get their writing done. with virtual writing retreats

Solopreneur Interview #2 Eugen Oprea My Online Business Team

October 14 Dawn

It’s Friday! That means it’s time for another solopreneur interview. Not sure what these are? This post here will explain, and here’s the link to No 1 in case you missed it.

Onwards.

Today I have for you Eugen Oprea (pronounced u-gen) from My Online Business Team.

If someone were to ask me explain what Eugen does in a sentence I would say: ‘Eugen makes internet ‘stuff’ and all that SEO and analytics melarkee really really really easy for non techie types’. What an introduction!

He’s incredibly helpful, just follow him on Twitter and every morning you’ll read: ‘How can I help you today?‘, he means it to, it’s not just words, he expects you to reply! But you’ll have to go and prove that to yourself!

And we’re off…

Eugen tell us all who you are, what you do, and why you decided to go solo?

I‘ve always dreamed to become an entrepreneur. But just as anything in this world you need to take things step by step. So I started my journey by building computers, repairing them and ultimately selling them. But when I felt that I wanted to do more, I left home and moved to London.

Long story short, after 1 year the recession came, I lost my job, returned home, got another role at a software company and from September 2011 I’ve worked full time for myself.

Right now, I am somehow living my dream.

Pardon? Explain…

I‘m doing what I love.

It’s been a journey. Putting all the pieces in place, I mean ‘it’s happening’ this was the plan.

While I was working full time, I was building and running my business part time in the background including: making contacts, offering help, networking, learning, working out who I could serve best, I spent the same hours on my business as I did in employment!

A lot of people have told me that I know to translate tech for everyone to understand. My business is supporting other business owners: this is my chance to help people and change the world, helping others who are doing the same thing!

I do that over at EugenOprea.com, where I do my best to explain how WordPress works, what it takes to get on the #1 page of Google and how you can get more insights from Google Analytics data. This site is for people who like to get their hands dirty and get involved in the technical.

But for solo and small business owners who feel overwhelmed and would like to have someone else do it for them, I launched My Online Business Team with Rachel Mathews.

What made you choose this business?

When you decide to start a business you need to find a market first with a specific need and then see how you can apply your skills to cover the needs of that market.

So in 2010, when I took Sonia Simone’s course “Remarkable Marketing Blueprint”, I realized that there are people who don’t know specific things that for me seemed so easy.

This, somehow opened my eyes and made me see that I can help a lot of people just by sharing with them my knowledge. I noticed some people were really struggling, putting in all the time and effort and trying to fit together pieces of jigsaw, where I had the whole picture.

If you had to start over, what would you do differently?

If I had to start over, I would go back to high school and spend less time playing on the computer and more time learning new stuff.

I would read more books and I would invest more time into my personal development and professional development.

On the business side, I would choose more carefully the people who I work with. But we make mistakes so we can learn from them and I am fine with that.

What was the best piece of advice/learning?

Read, read, read… until your eyes hurt.

Not having English my first language, it was an obstacle. I learned English at school and from movies, but when it comes to writing that is a different story.

When I launched my blog I started to look for ways of improving my writing and get my message across more clearly and easier. During my research, I have found this quote and I did that to improve my writing.

However it misses something, after your read, read, read you need to write, write, write.

I would probably add to it, after you read you need to take action, action, action!

What drives you?

The feeling that I am able to do something that can change the world.

At the same time I am motivated when I see that the people I help are really happy with the results they get. I am driven when I see that my work has results, or when I get an email from someone who just wants to thank me for something that I did.

Yes, that makes me really happy.

What do you wish you knew at the start?

Nothing that I can really think of right now. I knew from the beginning that this journey may be hard, that there could be difficult times, but I was willing to take that risk.

I believe that anyone starting a solo business will do so at the right time for them.

As you design and build websites, let’s talk about those: what’s the worst website you can imagine? And the best? For a new solo business what do you think they must have on their website to make it look hottie and awesome to potential customers?

The worst website: one that has a design from 1991!

The best website: One that has a purpose, that sends a message across, that is well optimized primarily for readers, one that is not stuffed with ads or other thousands of things that make you loose your focus and one that makes hard for visitors to share it.

If people were building their first site themselves, what would you recommend?

Well, I use WordPress to build sites so I would say get a premium theme. They have clean designs, they are easy to customize, secure, they make your website look more professional and they are not expensive.

If you need help, get someone to help you. Personally, if I don’t know something, rather than spending 2 hours working on that bit, I would hire someone to do it for me in half an hour and spend my 2 hours making at least double the money that I use to pay that person. So it’s worth it.

Another thing would be to have a signup box that is visible, because it will help you grow your list and if you don’t have a list start one right now! Offer an ethical incentive to encourage people to sign up to hear from you again. Also use social media buttons that can let your readers share your content with just one click.

And if you are putting efforts in creating content, make sure that you do that on your home base (your blog, your website) and use Facebook, Twitter, Google+ as outposts not places to put all your work on.

I am saying this because you do not own your Facebook page and if Mark Zuckerberg decides to delete it, you can’t do anything about that. On the other hand, you own your website/blog and you can do anything with it.

Shout Out: You can find Eugen at myonlinebusinessteam, follow him on Twitter @eugenoprea or on Google+ Eugen also has a free Google Analytics Course over at eugenoprea.com