Escape from Cubicle Nation

What to do when you have the "good problem" of client overload

On this month's group coaching call, I was surprised to find that most of the participants were not cube dwellers getting ready to leap, but rather seasoned entrepreneurs who were overwhelmed with the amount of details they were juggling in their thriving businesses.

Michael Port, who I have mentioned many times and interviewed for my old radio show, has written a very thought-provoking and useful follow up to his first best-seller, Book Yourself Solid.  The book is called Beyond Booked Solid : Your Business - Your Life - Your Way - It's All Inside.  It covers how to plan for the inevitable "good problem" that happens when you work diligently to build up your business:  before long, you are overwhelmed with details and the quality of your life (and business) suffers.

This graphic, which came with the preview copy of the book and I hope is included in the final version, sums it up nicely (click on image to enlarge):

If you were to replace this business guy with a woman in jeans with two kids hanging off her hips, this could be me.

To put it bluntly, if you want to grow your business without systems, you are screwed.  There is simply too much to plan, do and remember to do it all yourself.  And this is the case even if you want to stay extremely small.

If you want a little free taste of the book as well as listen to what promises to be an interesting conversation, tune in Monday, April 28 at 12pm Eastern to hear Michael, my good buddy Rich Sloan of StartupNation and Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks discuss the book.  Even if you miss the live conversation, sign up here to get the recording.

I really enjoyed the book and hope you will too.  If you read it, please share your thoughts here!

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Update 4/28:

Since this post went out late, my friend Elizabeth Marshall of www.AuthorTeleseminars.com who hosted the calls was generous enough to share the download link with everyone.  I just listened to it here and it is a really interesting conversation. 

http://www.marketingmarshall.com/recommends/beyondbooked1

Note: this link will lead to a blank page and open a pop-up box
for you to click save and download the mp3 to your computer

If you sent me an email recently -- please send again!

Thanks to all who commiserated with me about my recent hard drive crash on my new iMac.  It made for quite an exciting couple of days!

Final report:

I got all my data back, except for everything in Outlook.  That includes current and archived emails, contacts and calendar information.

This is not all of my information from the beginning of time, but rather the last few months, when I switched from PC to Mac. 

So ... if you sent me an email recently and have not heard back ... would you mind resending? My email address is still the same, pcs (at) ganas (dot) com.

I will be sending a special note to all of my Escape from Cubicle Nation Advisory Council members who had submitted wonderful anecdotes and information for the book, which are now freely cavorting with each other in the "land of the lost files." (To find out more about my book advisory council -- details here -- I encourage you to sign up!)

I have forever sworn off Outlook and now am now a happy user of gmail.  I am busy incorporating gmail lifehacking tips from Gina Trapani's book Upgrade Your Life which I will blog about soon, as it is full of wonderful information.

Although losing data is never fun, in a strange way, I feel lighter, more free and excited about my new computer work environment.  I don't believe in accidents, so maybe this is part of a divine plan to make sure I have the most streamlined, secure and flexible work infrastructure possible.

Oh, and you can bet I will be backing up my files 3 different  ways every day.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Special note to Peter (last name?) who left a message today on the Martha Beck blog post "Do you HAVE to do anything?"  I accidentally deleted your wonderful comment!  We got sprayed by tons of "online poker and casino" spam, so in my haste to delete a bunch, I deleted yours.  I felt heartsick, as I loved the comment!  If you have the thoughts to share again (it was about your realization that you don't HAVE to read all your RSS feeds), I would be so appreciative if you would re-post them.  If not, know that I really loved your example and encourage you to keep the good thoughts going.  :)

Exceptionally rich and juicy post on becoming "lifestyle entrepreneur"

If you have been living in the corporate environment for a long time, it is easy to have the mentality that you must go from full-time demanding job to full-time demanding entrepreneurial enterprise.  This really doesn't have to be the case, as so clearly illustrated in a resource my buddy John Ahrens found (another example of a Twitter connection ... I tell you, all earlier skepticism about the usefulness of this service is GONE!). It is called Become a Lifestyle Entrepreneur and 40+ Resources.  It comes from Anywired, a blog I recently added to my blogroll.

This article aggregates some of the best thinking on designing a business around your desired lifestyle.  It is really juicy and I look forward to digging into the content.  Hope you do too!

The biggest loser: Pam's community service announcement

I am happy to announce that I have bestowed a new title on myself today:  The world's biggest loser.  Ok, to be fair, not an all-around totally clueless loser, but in the case of not having a file backup plan in place for my main computer, I win the prize!

Last night, after I tucked the kids into bed, I went to my iMac and prepared to start my evening's work.  I immediately noticed that my Outlook email was running really slow, but because I run Parallels software in my Mac environment (which basically allows me to run both Mac and Windows at the same time), I figured I would just restart and everything would be ok.

But it wasn't.

The whole computer was running slow, so I did a manual shutdown by holding down the power key.  Then I restarted.  But instead of my main screen coming up quickly as it usually does, I got a pale grey background with a folder icon with a flashing question mark inside.

I knew this wasn't good.

After a few more attempts at restarting, I shut the thing down and went to bed.  If I am cranky, a good rest helps, so maybe my computer felt the same.  It has been a couple of busy weeks, so maybe it just wanted the night off.

This morning, it was more of the same.  A couple of times I was able to get to my hard drive, but it was exceptionally slow, and by the time I was able to access a folder to start the backup process, my whole system would freeze and the restart process would repeat.

So after spending an hour with tech support on the phone, I drove my ill iMac to the Apple store. 

The "Genius" (their term for in-store technical wizard) behind the support desk poked around and said "It appears you have a bad hard drive."  Followed by "but you do have your files backed up, right?"

Herein lies the community service announcement.

No, I didn't have my files backed up.  I did a weekly backup to an external drive on my old PC, but when I got my shiny new iMac a couple of months ago, somehow I was blinded by a combination of slick marketing messages, which promoted the Mac environment as being much more stable than Windows, and good old fashioned stupidity. I thought "It is a Mac, it won't crash!  I'll figure out a backup plan later.  Now, I am much too busy."

One of you aspiring entrepreneurs should start a virtual business where as soon as someone utters such a thought, a large, concentrated electrical shock strikes them in the forehead.  Such thoughts should not be allowed to cross the minds of seasoned professionals such as myself, but alas they do.

Lesson for you:  BACKUP YOUR FILES RIGHT NOW!

Not tomorrow or next week, but right now at this moment.

Some of my Twitter friends (@fildawg, @braveterry, @rickg and @SherylSisk, who among others have held my hand through my Mac breakdown) recommend the following resources:

• http://www.corecode.at/smartreporter
• http://www.getdropbox.com
• http://www.sugarsync.com
• http://www.jungledisk.com
• http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/timemachine.html

If all this seems too much, hire the smartest person you know to figure it out for you. 

You never expect your hard drive to fail.  I know I never did, not on a brand new computer!  But technology fails.  And when you put food on the table by the intellectual property you produce, you better have a plan to keep it safe.

If you have a business providing technical support to others, you should create a service offering for backup assement, installation and maintenance that you will advertise to all of your customers.  Use my stupidity as a lead-in to your marketing message if you need to:

"Dear _____:

What would you do if your hard drive crashed this minute?

Pamela Slim, the author of a blog I read and who really should know better given her smart technical friends, had this happen to her today and almost lost her mind.

If you don't currently back up your files, I would be happy to assess the best service or product for doing so.  I will help you set it up on your computer and will put a process in place to ensure it happens on a regular basis.

If interested, call me at 555-1212 or email me@don'tbealoserlikepam.com

Sincerely,

-Smart Independent Technical Professional"

Bad marketing copy maybe, but you get the point, right?  Some people don't back up because it seems too difficult and time-consuming.  If you know how to do it, help someone out of the goodness of your heart or to make an extra buck.  It is worth it!

The final chapter

I was told by the Mac Geniuses that despite the early dire predictions, I will be able to retrieve my data.  I purchased an external drive which they are configuring for automatic backups as we speak, and I will also use a couple of remote backup services on a regular basis.  I am so thankful to get my data back that I will even hand-copy my files with a pencil on a legal notepad if need be.  As Malcolm X said (referring to revolution, not computers of course) "by any means necessary."

They say that those who know better do better.  Now we both know better.  Let's do better.

Back that drive up!

Happy Earth Day from me and Yoda

Inspired by the hyper-positive video blogging wizard Gary Vaynerchuk, I set out to test my iMovie capabilities today so that I could mix some video posts in with the written ones on this blog.  I also thought it was an opportune time to introduce my new buddy Yoda, who is keeping the force with me (not "the farce" John Trosko, you funny guy!) while I write my book today.

Enjoy!

Also, in the spirit of Earth Day, here is a picture of my favorite spot on earth.  It is Phoenix Lake, in San Anselmo, the little town in Marin County, California where I grew up.  Just looking at the picture makes me happy.  Thanks to Mom and Dad for always reminding me of the importance of being green, 4 decades before it was the chic thing to do.

Confession: my new passionate crushes

The first time I saw the term "professional crush" was on my friend Andy Wibbel's blog, and it refers to an episode of Seinfeld where George Castanza has a "non-sexual crush" on one of Elaine's boyfriends.  Unlike Matt Dillon, Benecio del Toro or Matthew McConaughey (I know, such the prototypical hunky blond, but ladies, can you blame me?), I CAN mention the following names to my husband without him getting jealous. 

These are people I have run across online in the last couple of weeks that jumped out and hugged me with their magnetic brands.  Each is smart, bold and very distinctive in his or her own way. 

I harp over and over again about the importance of a clear niche, honest writing and a brand that matches who you really are.  This is what I am talking about! They are great examples of how to stand apart from the crowd not by using tired hyper-marketing tricks, but rather by letting your true self shine.

So here goes:  my passionate professional crushes of the moment:

 

David Seah.  I found Dave via a post from my Twitter buddy Fred Schechter who blogged about meeting Dave in person for the first time.  Intrigued, I popped over the Dave's blog and immediately felt a rush of excitement.  He was smart, funny, cool and had a really distinct brand.  Not only that, but he has a pet project called "The Printable CEO Series (TM)" where he gives away gorgeous forms just dripping with productivity and lifehacking methodology.  A smart, generous and creative man who can design a form more attractive than most people's wedding invitations -- who could ask for more?

 

Communicatrix  is the brainchild of Colleen Wainwright and is a smart, wacky and very honest look into the world of words.  Colleen has one of those blogs that you stumble across and just can't get enough. The other night, even though I had huge circles under my eyes and was nodding off at my computer, I read her back posts until the wee hours of the morning.  As she says, "some people connect with stories, not how-tos."  I couldn't agree more.

Peter Shankman at first glance could be an action-loving cohort to 4-hour workweek phenomenon Tim Ferriss since he loves testosterone-induced activities like jumping out of planes.  What has impressed me about Peter, however, is how, in a sea of bland PR professionals, he has created a truly useful service based on the principles of social media and free information exchange. It is called "Help a Reporter"  and he collects requests from journalists and summarizes them in a newsletter to expert sources.  I love to scan for stories that apply to friends and blog readers, so I responded to a few myself.  In one case, I replied to a reporter's request 5 minutes after receiving Peter's email.  She said "Thanks so much for your referral -- thanks to Peter, I have already received 40 qualified sources in 20 minutes."  How is THAT for doing your job? 

Jonathan Fields.  Anyone who says "this ain't your momma's self help blog" is a friend of mine.  Jonathan is funny, sassy and wise, and offers really good information.  He is actually a direct competitor, as he offers coaching and career advice to prospective entrepreneurs.  I say, who cares?  If you work with Jonathan, I am sure you will get your money's worth. I don't say this based on meeting him in person or even talking to him on the phone.  We have had about three 140-character Twitter exchanges, enough to make me think "this guy 'gets it' and would be a blast to work with."  That is the result of really great copy and good content on your site -- people feel they know you, like you and trust you before even meeting you.

If any of you look at these sites and say "Yuck, not for me!"  that is the point!  Great brands should attract a certain demographic and repel others.  Because I am obviously the target market for these businesses, they speak to me. 

What do you think?  Who are your "professional crushes?  And how far does your brand need to go to jump out and hug a complete stranger?

 

Do you really HAVE to do anything?

Today's Martha Beck post is one of my favorite subjects ... "have to" vs. "choose to."  Just ask my husband what happens in my household when he utters "I have to do this."  Reason #25 to be very wary of marrying a life coach.  Enjoy!

If you have ever watched the Discovery Channel, you have seen the fury of a mother bear defending her cubs from the video lens of an over-eager nature lover. With fangs bared and claws ready to attack, she focuses all of her power and girth at taking down the potential threat.

Such intensity almost matches a creative father who adamantly defends his miserable career as a network administrator since he "has to" pay for his children's education.

Or a young college student who "has to" answer her overbearing mother's calls, even in the middle of a date.

Or a mother who "has to" feed her children only organic carrots fertilized with vegetable compost blessed by Tibetan monks.

Or an executive who "has to" work weekends and vacations in order to stay competitive.

The fact is, we don't have to do anything.  We choose to do things with specific consequences.  Different choices = different consequences.

This slight distinction has huge implications for your sense of personal power.

But releasing these ingrained "have tos," also called your "personal religion," is not easy.

To get you started, here are three short exercises:

1.  Body Compass:

• Close your eyes and deeply relax. Vividly recall an exceptionally painful or unhappy experience. Notice how this memory is making you feel, not emotionally, but physically. What bodily sensations or symptoms are connected to the negative event?
• Name this sensation with a word or phrase.
• Assign a score to this negative feeling from 1-10, with the worst possible score being a 10.
• Repeat this process, thinking this time about the very best time of your life. Notice your body symptoms, name the sensation, and assign a score.

Once you have this valuable information about your "body compass," you can use it to understand how you are really feeling about a situation. When you think a thought or ponder a decision, what do you feel in your body? Is it your "best" or "worst" feeling? What is the score?

2. Think of some things you have had to do lately that made you uncomfortable, sad or angry such as:

1. I had to lend my brother $250 (again) so he could pay his rent
2. I had to attend a boring all-day meeting
3. I had to enter my credit card items in Quickbooks to prepare for my tax filing
4. I had to attend a dinner party of a neighbor who I don't particularly like
5. I had to do my laundry
6. I had to fire an employee
7. I had to take my son's car away after he had an accident
8. I had to call a client and tell him we were behind on his project
9. I had to decline a weekend away with the girls since I didn't have enough money
10. I had to walk the dog in -20 degree weather

Using your body compass, assign a  number from -10 to +10 to each item, based on the way your body reacts to each item.

3.  Take the item with the worst score and examine the belief. Read the rest here.

Small business recession-proofing wisdom from John Jantsch

If anyone has a pulse on the small business market these days, it is John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing.  And I love this advice from a recent post on what to do in the current (dare we officially call it a) recession:

Some marketing experts may advise you to expand your marketing reach when times are tough, but I believe the opposite is true. (In fact, the only thing you should do in good times and bad is the right thing - bad times just seem to have a way of getting your attention.)

The most effective strategy you can adopt now and in the future is to think narrow.

• Narrow your target market focus - define who makes an ideal customer and who doesn’t - serve only one of them
• Narrow your core marketing message - find a way to stand out to be different and build all of your lead activities around owning that difference, that word
• Narrow the gap between you and your customer - build community around your current customers, bring them into your marketing mix, ask them what they think, give them something they didn’t expect, help them get more of what they want, call them for no reason at all - and build through their referrals

If you can become known by a very narrow target market for doing something very specifically unique in a way that your customers adore, you will no longer compete on price and no longer live at the mercies of the ups and downs beyond your control.

It is so common to panic in a tough economic climate.  But don't forget it also provides enormous opportunities for growth for those that are willing to see them.  And if things are slow, it is a great time to get back to refreshing your strategy, building your infrastructure, documenting your systems, organizing your workspace and, as John said, refining your marketing message.  Then, when the good times come again, you will be ready for them.

Read the whole article here.

Is there such a thing as a cool job?

My friend Alexandra Levit just wrote a book called "How'd You Score That Gig? A Guide to the Coolest Jobs- and How to Get Them."   Her book bubbled up from lots of conversations with friends at social gatherings where inevitably one person would describe a cool job that no one had heard of.

Despite what you may think of my opinion based on my blog's name, there are certainly times and places for a "job," rather than striking out on your own.  If you have to be your own venture capitalist for awhile, you might as well do it in an interesting profession! The more time that goes on, the more I see that feelings of liberation erupt from your own positive thoughts and beliefs, no matter your work configuration.

I interviewed Alexandra for my podcast where we discussed not just the contents of her new book, but also what it is like to be a successful self-employed writer.  She gives some tips for choosing book topics that are not just interesting to write, but that may pique the interest of publishers.

Listen in to our 33-minute conversation at this week's podcast.

See Presentation Zen in Action at Google Talk

I am an unabashed fan of both the person Garr Reynolds (a humble and very solid guy) and his work, the book and blog Presentation Zen.  I wrote a review of the book awhile ago, and have been happy to see it climb the bestselling ranks. 

Garr just spoke to the folks at Google about many of the concepts covered in the book.  It was fun to see him live, and to virtually experience the types of visuals that make a presentation engaging and interesting.

See for yourself.  I watched this late one evening and got inspired to spruce up my own presentations.  Thanks Google for sharing these talks through YouTube.