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The Impostor Syndrome. Feel like a fraud? You are NOT alone.

Posted by on Jul 31, 2013 in Carnivals | 0 comments

The Impostor Syndrome. Feel like a fraud?  You are NOT alone.

Do you sometimes feel you’re two or perhaps only one step ahead of the customer who you’re charging for your professional services? Perhaps you dread being caught out.  Or when someone praises you for a job well done, you really don’t believe them. Don’t feel alone.  So many business owners and professionals feel that have to ‘fake it to make it’.  In fact, it is so common it has a name, ‘The Impostor Syndrome’. This month the Word Carnies tackle this puzzling problem to explore what it is and what to do it you suffer from it. Tea Silvestre, aka the Word Chef: Confessions Of A Marketing Fraud @teasilvestre facebook.com/mywordchef Nick Armstrong of WTF Marketing: Think You Are A Total Failure, You’re Probably Right @WTFMarketing plus.google.com/+Wtfmarketing Sandy McDonald of Why You Must Blog: You’re Not An Imposter. You’re An Innovator @whyyoumustblog facebook.com/whyyoumustblog Michelle Church of Virtually Distinguished: Feeling Like A Fraud @virtuallyassist http://facebook.com/virtuallydistinguished Carol Lynn Rivera of Web Search Social: Sending Signals You’re Not Worth Doing Business Worth @CarolLynnRivera facebook.com/WebSearchSocial Michelle Nickolaisen of Bombchelle: That Sneaky Bastard Impostor Syndrome @_chelleshock facebook.com/bombchellebiz Ashley Welton of Miniskirt Ninja Media: The Only Answer You’ll Ever Need @miniskirtninja facebook.com/miniskirtninja Annie Sisk of Stage Presence Marketing: Three Confessions and  A Donald Sutherland Clip @AnnieSisk facebook.com/StagePresenceMarketing    ...

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Healthy Body, Healthy Business

Posted by on Jun 25, 2013 in Carnivals | 0 comments

Healthy Body, Healthy Business

Did you know your physical health affects the bottom line of your business? Well it most certainly does! This month, the Word Carnies tackle the topic of staying healthy while running your small biz.

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What I Wish I Knew Then: What I’d tell myself if I could travel back in time to My First Day

Posted by on May 29, 2013 in Carnivals | 0 comments

What I Wish I Knew Then: What I’d tell myself if I could travel back in time to My First Day

Standing where you are now, if you could go back in time to the first day of your business and give yourself one piece of advice what would it be?

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Vanquish Your Nemesis: A Guide to Conquering Small Biz Evils

Posted by on Apr 23, 2013 in Carnivals | 0 comments

Vanquish Your Nemesis: A Guide to Conquering Small Biz Evils

Every great story requires two things: a hero and an archenemy. In the adventure that is your business, you often play the part of the hero: the character who struggles with challenges big and small; who’s set out on a quest to right a wrong or bring “magic” back to the village. And along the way, you’ll wrestle with at least one or two (maybe ten) dark lords — those evil beings whose sole purpose in life is to trip you up and keep you from reaching your goals. Knowing how to spot them before they wreak too much havoc is what we’re after with this month’s carnival. Laura Petrolino of Flying Pig Consulting: The Battle of Idea-magedon @lkpetrolino facebook.com/FlyingPigConsulting Ashley Welton of Miniskirt Ninja Media: Wave Your Freak Flag – How To Stand Out In A Sea of Similarity @miniskirtninja facebook.com/miniskirtninja Clare Price of 5 Easy Pages: Vanquish Your Nemesis: What’s Stopping You? @ClaresTweets facebook.com/5EasyPages Michelle Church of Virtually Distinguished: How to Keep Your Online Presence from Making You Cry @virtuallyassist facebook.com/virtuallyassist Sharon Hurley Hall of Get Paid to Write Online: Five Fatal Flaws that are Killing Your Writing Business @SHurleyHall facebook.com/SharonHurleyHall Tea Silvestre, aka the Word Chef: Does This Business Make Me Look Fat? (Or, How to Get That Voice in Your Head to Shut Up) @teasilvestre facebook.com/mywordchef Nicole Fende of The Numbers Whisperer®: Quit Watching the Steampunk Chicken and Focus @NicoleAFende facebook.com/SmallBizFinance Sandy McDonald of Why You Must Blog: I Just Hate Sales @whyyoumustblog facebook.com/whyyoumustblog Annie Sisk of Stage Presence Marketing: What are You Afraid of? How Fears Derail Your Business @AnnieSisk facebook.com/StagePresenceMarketing Melanie Kissell of Solo Mompreneur: What Do a House Painter, an Author, and a Musician Have In Common? @melaniekissell facebook.com/solomompreneur Eugene Farber of Content Strategy Hub The Business Demon Lurking Over Your Shoulder: Stab Him in the Eye @EugeneFarber facebook.com/ContentStrategyHub Carol Lynn Rivera of Web Search Social: What To Do When You Feel Like You’ll Never, Never, Never Get Your Marketing Right @CarolLynnRivera facebook.com/WebSearchSocial photo credit: alee_04 via photopin...

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Close (Biz) Encounters of the Sci-Fi Kind

Posted by on Mar 26, 2013 in Carnivals | 0 comments

Close (Biz) Encounters of the Sci-Fi Kind

Feel like taking a trip? Then you’re in luck! For this month’s Word Carnival, we’re going to another planet – several of them. This month the fabulous Word Carnival bloggers cross the final frontier to explore the sci-fi side of business, whatever that means to them. From Darth Vader to Dr. Who, we’ve picked some of our favorite sci-fi heroes and villains to boldly go where no Carnie has gone before – to the stars! Don’t forget to beam up to the Twitter conversation with Carnies and readers this month – the hashtag #wordcarnivals will get you into the transporter room. Here’s this month’s fabulous lineup: Laura Petrolino of Flying Pig Consulting: Four things Darth Vader can teach us about marketing @lkpetrolino facebook.com/FlyingPigConsulting Ashley Welton of Miniskirt Ninja Media: Top Secret: How to Beam Your Blog from Bland to Superhero Status Now @miniskirtninja facebook.com/miniskirtninja Sharon Hurley Hall of Get Paid to Write Online: The Writing Biz: Six Lessons from Star Trek’s Mr Spock @SHurleyHall facebook.com/SharonHurleyHall Nick Armstrong of WTF Marketing: What To Do When Your Marketing Project Becomes a Wraith @WTFMarketing gplus.to/NickArmstrong Tea Silvestre, aka the Word Chef: Doctor Who’s Favorite (Marketing) Dish: Fish Fingers and Custard! @teasilvestre facebook.com/mywordchef Nicole Fende of The Numbers Whisperer®: Star Trek Voyager: Small Business Lessons on Going It Alone @NicoleAFende facebook.com/SmallBizFinance Sandy McDonald of Why You Must Blog: What’s Not Possible @whyyoumustblog facebook.com/whyyoumustblog Michelle Nickolaisen of Bombchelle: everything I know about business I learned from Buffy @_chelleshock facebook.com/bombchellebiz Annie Sisk of Stage Presence Marketing: The Tao of Joss Whedon: What Firefly Taught Me About Small Biz Marketing @AnnieSisk facebook.com/StagePresenceMarketing Evan Austin of Graphics (and more!) by Evan Austin Everything I Know About Business I Learned From Tony Stark @graphicsbyevan...

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All You Need Is “Love” – Whatever That Means To You!

Posted by on Feb 27, 2013 in Carnivals | 0 comments

All You Need Is “Love” – Whatever That Means To You!

This month’s Carnival, we’re trying something a little  — different … And that means one of two things, right? Either it’ll be awesome, or it’ll sink to the bottom of the ocean faster than the Titanic. (Too soon?) This month, instead of a specific topic, we’re going with a generalized theme, and that theme is love, sweet love. It is February – the month of hearts and flowers and chocolate and ooh, wouldn’t some caramel pecan turtles be good right about now? Where was I again? OH, right. Love. We hear it’s all you need. What do you love about your business? How can love as an emotion improve your marketing? What do you do when the love is all gone? Where IS the love, anyway? These musical questions and so many more — that’s what our brilliant, savvy Carnies have in store for you at the following links! And don’t forget to join the Twitter convo this month – use hashtag “#wordcarnivals” to chat about this month’s Carnival with the Carnies and other readers!   Nick Armstrong of WTF Marketing: Small Business Marketing: The Difference Between Love and Lonely Nights is Seduction @WTFMarketing https://plus.google.com/+NickArmstrongWTF/ Evan Austin of Graphics (and more!) by Evan Austin Communicating Love in Business: Colors and Imagery @graphicsbyevan facebook.com/eadesign.me Nicole Fende of The Numbers Whisperer®: Looking for (Business) Love in all the Wrong Places – Why Your Partnerships Fail @NicoleAFende facebook.com/SmallBizFinance Sharon Hurley Hall of Get Paid to Write Online: The Tools I Love for My Writing Business @SHurleyHall facebook.com/SharonHurleyHall Melanie Kissell of Solo Mompreneur: Turn Your Blog Into a Perpetual Valentine @melaniekissell facebook.com/solomompreneur Sandy McDonald of Why You Must Blog: How to Fall In Love With Your Business Blog @whyyoumustblog facebook.com/whyyoumustblog Michelle Nickolaisen of Bombchelle: Four Things I Love About Being an Entrepreneur @_chelleshock facebook.com/bombchellebiz Laura Petrolino of Flying Pig Consulting: How to invent your jump shot @lkpetrolino facebook.com/FlyingPigConsulting Clare Price of 5 Easy Pages: Yes! Running a Business IS a Popularity Contest @ClaresTweets facebook.com/5EasyPages Carol Lynn Rivera of Web Search Social: Money Can’t Buy You (Brand) Love @CarolLynnRivera facebook.com/WebSearchSocial Tea Silvestre, aka the Word Chef: Wanna Be My Plus One? Why I’m Falling In Like With Google+ (And Why You Might Too) @teasilvestre facebook.com/mywordchef Annie Sisk of Stage Presence Marketing: Self-Love: Embracing Your Inner Marketer @AnnieSisk facebook.com/StagePresenceMarketing Image Credit: The Graphics...

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Beat The Motivation Blues: Reboot, Re-Energize And Learn To Love Your Business Again

Posted by on Jan 29, 2013 in Carnivals | 0 comments

Beat The Motivation Blues: Reboot, Re-Energize And Learn To Love Your Business Again

Maybe it’s the weather… or the time of year… or the kids… or that annoying thing that just keeps happening with your client, you know, the one who’s been bugging you forever and you can never seem to make happy? Whatever it is, it’s got you in a funk and you’re wondering why you’re still doing what you’re doing instead of hanging out on a beach in Tahiti. We all get the motivation blues, but that doesn’t mean they have to stick around. This month, the Carnies tackle the trouble of inspiration (or lack of it) and talk about getting through your rough patches and reconnecting with what made you love your business in the first place. Sharon Hurley Hall of Get Paid to Write Online: Your Writing Business – How to Rekindle the Romance @SHurleyHall facebook.com/SharonHurleyHall Annie Sisk of Stage Presence Marketing: How to Find and Finesse Your Biz Mojo When It’s Been Wrangled and Wrestled Into a Sobbing Pile of Mush By Reality @AnnieSisk facebook.com/StagePresenceMarketing Carol Lynn Rivera of Web Search Social: If You Don’t Hate Your Business, You’re Doing It Wrong @CarolLynnRivera facebook.com/WebSearchSocial Nick Armstrong of WTF Marketing: How’d Those New Years Resolutions Go For You? @WTFMarketing https://plus.google.com/+NickArmstrongWTF/ Sandy McDonald of Why You Must Blog: Battle of the brains: Seven ways to shut the Lizard up @whyyoumustblog facebook.com/whyyoumustblog Nicole Fende of The Numbers Whisperer®: Hitting the Wall – Motivation for Small Biz to Reach Your Profit Goals @NicoleAFende facebook.com/SmallBizFinance Tea Silvestre, aka the Word Chef: Walk Like a Penguin (+ 19 More Tips to Love Your Marketing Again) @teasilvestre facebook.com/mywordchef Melanie Kissell of Solo Mompreneur: Motivation and My Gas Tank @melaniekissell facebook.com/solomompreneur Eugene Farber of Reality Burst Get Motivated to Write, Market and Succeed in Three Steps @EugeneFarber facebook.com/RealityBurst: Evan Austin of Graphics (and more!) by Evan Austin Where’s My Motivation? 4 Things To Do When You Don’t Wanna Do Anything @graphicsbyevan facebook.com/eadesign.me Clare Price of 5 Easy Pages: 2013 – Bring It On @ClaresTweets facebook.com/5EasyPages Laura Petrolino of Flying Pig Consulting: Why wearing a costume might save your business @lkpetrolino facebook.com/FlyingPigConsulting Michelle Church of Virtually Distinguished: Running on Fumes…Re-fill the Tank! @virtuallyassist...

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Letting go: How and What to Trim to Keep Your Business Lean and Focused

Posted by on Nov 27, 2012 in Carnivals | 0 comments

Letting go: How and What to Trim to Keep Your Business Lean and Focused

Each and every single one of us has said “Yes” way too often for our own good. Not only have we taken on the role of bearded lady, but we’re also the contortionist, the fire-breather, and the ringleader all in one. Some days, we’re even the guy holding the broom behind the elephant. That said, all of those roles are totally useful some of the time, but taking on too much can lead to ruin, burned tents, and a bad show for all involved.

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A Call to Arms for Decent Bloggers: What Carnies Want to Tell the A-Listers

Posted by on Oct 30, 2012 in Carnivals | 0 comments

A Call to Arms for Decent Bloggers: What Carnies Want to Tell the A-Listers

Love ’em or hate ’em, the topic of A-Listers will not go quietly into the night. For the first time in carnie history we had people submitting nearly two weeks in advance. The sideshow is taking over center stage, and it’s going to be better than the bearded lady, fortune teller and strong man all rolled into one. Over the past few months the carnies have noticed that the big tent of blogging has not practiced what they preach. The main acts aren’t always delivering as advertised, A-Listers giving advice they clearly don’t follow themselves. This month’s carnival will give the fire breather a run for his money! Read all 10, and weigh in with your thoughts, opinions, rants, pet peeves and solutions. Sharon Hurley Hall of Get Paid to Write Online: 10 Reasons Why I Spend Zero Time Thinking About A-Listers @SHurleyHall https://www.facebook.com/SharonHurleyHall Annie Sisk of Stage Presence Marketing: Caveat Emptor & the “A-List” @AnnieSisk https://www.facebook.com/StagePresenceMarketing Carol Lynn Rivera of Web Search Social The Myth Of The A-Lister: A Musing On Celebrity Status And Succeeding As A Business Blogger @CarolLynnRivera https://www.facebook.com/WebSearchSocial Nick Armstrong, WTF Marketing The Plumber’s Not So Leaky House @WTFMarketing https://plus.google.com/+NickArmstrongWTF/ Sandy McDonald of Why You Must Blog: An Appeal to You, The A-Lister @whyyoumustblog https://www.facebook.com/whyyoumustblog Sandi Amorim of Deva Coaching The Truth About One Size Fits All @SandiAmorim https://www.facebook.com/devacoaching  Nicole Fende, The Numbers Whisperer® The Grateful Dead’s Lessons for Future A-Lister’s @NicoleAFende https://www.facebook.com/SmallBizFinance Tea Silvestre, aka the Word Chef Warning! May be Hazardous to Your Business: Heroes, Gurus and Other A-Listers @teasilvestre http://facebook.com/mywordchef Melanie Kissell of Solo Mompreneur Straight A’s And Not A Snowball’s Chance In Hell Of Making the A-List Online @melaniekissell http://facebook.com/solomompreneur Michelle Nickolaisen of Bombchelle We notice when you don’t do as you say @_chelleshock http://www.facebook.com/bombchellebiz Eugene Farber of Reality Burst Blind Leading the Blind; Or Following A-Lister Advice @EugeneFarber www.facebook.com/RealityBurst Honorary October Carnie Illana Burk of Makeness.com Why you have a responsibility to not be an a#$* when you’re in the business of selling your expertise @illanaburk http://facebook.com/makeness photo credit: ‘Playingwithbrushes’ via photopin...

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How to Solve Small Biz Problems: The Art and the Science

Posted by on Sep 26, 2012 in Carnivals | 0 comments

How to Solve Small Biz Problems: The Art and the Science

Ever feel like you’ve got nothin’ but problems? Or just wish you had some strategies for when one of those “rare” monkey wrenches gets thrown into your normally smooth business operations? The carnies have your back on this one. This month’s topic is meant to help us all become better problem solvers. And just like no two snowflakes are alike, no two methods for solving big, hairy ass whoppers are the same either. Here are nine methods. Take your pick! Sharon Hurley Hall of Get Paid to Write Online: Writing and Business Problem Solving @SHurleyHall https://www.facebook.com/SharonHurleyHall Annie Sisk of Stage Presence Marketing: Problem Solving is a Productivity Issue @AnnieSisk https://www.facebook.com/StagePresenceMarketing Carol Lynn Rivera of Web Search Social When Customers Attack: 5 Hair-Pulling Scenarios And How To Deal With Them Gracefully @CarolLynnRivera https://www.facebook.com/WebSearchSocial Nick Armstrong, The Business Storyteller: Perspective, or Yet Another Story of Nick’s Incredibly Unhandy Exploits @WTFMarketing https://plus.google.com/+NickArmstrongWTF/ Sandy McDonald of Why You Must Blog: Solving small business problems. Art with a capital A @whyyoumustblog https://www.facebook.com/whyyoumustblog Sandi Amorim of Deva Coaching The Art & Science of Solution Focused Living @SandiAmorim https://www.facebook.com/devacoaching  Nicole Fende of Small Biz Finance Forum Inside the Mind of a Compulsive Problem Solver @NicoleAFende https://www.facebook.com/SmallBizFinance Michelle Church of Virtually Distinguished: The Importance of Systems to Stop the Pain @virtuallyassist http://facebook.com/virtuallydistinguished Tea Silvestre, aka the Word Chef: From Pickles to Possibilities: A Small Business Parable About Asking for Help @teasilvestre http://facebook.com/mywordchef photo credit: Double–M via photopin...

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