Remember that chant – back when you were a child. Someone would say something mean or hateful, and your response would be the sing-song, “I am rubber – you are glue! Whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to YOU!”
Web 2.0 gives us a real opportunity to share our thoughts spontaneously. Whether it’s posting to your own blog, making comments on other blogs or sending bulletins via MySpace – sometimes we might share things we wish we hadn’t. If we’re lucky, the rest of the world will be so self absorbed that most people won’t notice when we expose more than we planned.
I recently got a notification about an article which is getting a lot of attention on one of the various social networking sites to which I belong. The article was written by a member who is telling business owners to get control over their personal spending lest it ruin their business. I think I’ve gotten more insight to her spending habits than she may have been planning on providing. I thought it was just common sense, but if you want to promote your services as a financial manager, don’t tell me how many checks you’ve bounced in the past few weeks!
Meanwhile, the article makes me laugh because I am currently working with a client who has EXACTLY the opposite problem. This client is processing her own credit card orders manually because she doesn’t want to PAY an assistant to do this menial task for her. As a result, it’s taking WEEKS for some orders to get processed – money that could be safely in her bank account – less a small fee for hiring an assistant to handle the order processing.
We’re in the process of automating this process for her, by the way so she doesn’t have to hire the assistant – however, she’s reluctant to make the investment needed to make this happen. Her business is relatively new and she’s having trouble making the transition from “requisition forms” to “you’ve got to spend money to make money.”
I can TOTALLY relate to my client because I too have battled trying to achieve balance between the art of bootstrapping and being silly.
For example, I remember that I worried for MONTHS over the prospect of spending $35 per year to register my domain name (way back in 1998) and the subsequent hosting fee! It took me a long time to get used to the idea that I had to SPEND money to MAKE money. I’ve learned that it’s just a part of the transition from “employee” to “business owner” and for some of us, it’s a tough hurdle to overcome.
Meanwhile, the world is full of therapists involved in horrible relationships who spend their days “fixing” other people’s relationships – doctors who smoke, drink and abuse drugs but reach out selflessly to heal their patients – accountants who can’t keep their own finances in order. The list goes on and on but a key player in this kind of behavior are the MMO bloggers who aren’t making any money.
While it’s true that “The cobblers’ own children rarely wear shoes,” if you want to convince others that you know your stuff – you’d better have some impressive samples.
As always, this is going to come BACK to blogging. One of the reasons I ADORE blogs is that it’s hard to “fake” expertise over the course of 100 or more posts. When these MMO pretenders post their monthly earnings and think $89 a month is a sign of their success – well, it’s yet another reasons I ADORE blogs!
If you’re not authentic – or if your SOLE purpose is trying to fleece the masses – then don’t launch a blog and DO NOT participate in social media marketing. If you’re a pretender, your blog will expose you as one!
If on the other hand, your business is in the business of helping people solve their problems, achieve their goals or placate their desires – the step right up to blogging and Web 2.0. While you won’t find OVERNIGHT success, you’ll find it’s a fun and fulfilling path to travel.
Your blog won’t be a 30 minute solution to your marketing dilemmas – it may not even earn $89 per month in direct income for you, but it will be great way to begin spreading the word about the solutions you offer!
Spending money to make money “seems” to be like putting the cart before the horse to most people. Blogging? Yes, from my experience it is definitely a fun and fulfilling path to travel. It takes a lot of time and effort and I know that if I were “pretending” it wouldn’t be worth all that. Pretenders want it easy.
Davinas last blog post..Thanks, It Means The World To Me
Talk about words to live by: “Pretenders want it easy.”
No truer words were ever written! THANKS for dropping those words of wisdom here! I am HONORED!
Hi Kathy – am LMAO at the cheque bouncing financial adviser. How can she expect anyone to want to use her services?
What you say about blogging is so true – the fakers soon get found out. I called out a visitor to my blog. I hated doing it – but he was making derogatory comments about folk going bankrupt. Trouble is, he didn’t stop there – he kept coming back and saying more.
So I mentioned the fact that I didn’t think he should be advertising that he could help folk turn a small business into a multi-national one when he obviously didn’t have a clue about business. He didn’t even understand what a profit was.
The only thing he seems to have going for him is the fact that he wants to be a multi-millionaire and he doesn’t want to work long hours – 9 to 5. And I get the feeling that his obsession will probably lead him to crime, or something unethical. It’s sad. I guess these people buy into the bullshit stories by the folk who claim to have become millionaires over night.
I struggled with the concept of spending more to make more initially. It does take getting used to. Then there have been times when I spent more and it was the wrong move. Getting the balance right is tough isn’t it?
Cath Lawsons last blog post..Thanks For Reading With Your Mouth Shut
Oh, could I tell you stories about the therapist couple I lived next door to! What loony tunes they were! I’m here because of your “one less honest politiian in Washington” comment elsewhere. Who knew there was one to begin with? 🙂
It all goes back to authenticity, isn’t it? We all long to connect, to find out truth, because phoniness fills the world. Web is an impersonal media. We can hide what our facial expressions cannot, if we are to meet face to face.
That’s why I always leaned on the side of getting a bit more personal than I feel comfortable to. If I am asking someone to read what I wrote, I owe that much to my readers.
Just in my recent post, I mentioned about weariness of rock stars at charity/peace concerts. Those I hear are not living peacefully. And they wonder why their efforts aren’t given any credibility….
Living true to one’s values is not only a necessity, but a starting point. Only then, you can truly reach beyond and touch other lives.
ari
Ari Koinumas last blog post..Blog Action Day: Abundance
@Betsy
The “honest politician in Washington” comment was the only way I could describe the way I’m feeling these days! I was just contacted by an SEO “expert” who is anything but!!! Because I’m “web savvy” I could tell with a quick glance at his PR and Alexa rankings.
However, he has a long list of people who he claims are clients who are obviously more clueless than he is. I HOPE this is just a case of he thinks he knows more than he does rather than he’s a crook and a liar!
Like I said in that comment on Barbara’s blog, there are times when I want to run SCREAMING from this “niche” of helping translate “Geek Speak” into plain English. So I have to assume that if there IS an honest politician in Washington – that he/she feels the same way!
Ari,
NICE COMMENT!!! Thanks for leaving it!!
If you hang around her for long, you’ll see I’m a BIG believer in authenticity as the key to long term success. (Politics aside!)
Kathy,
I have to tell you, I am a real tight wad looking for a good deal. I know how to find a good deal and believe me, your book is WONDERFUL! I am talking about the 8 Weeks Power Blog Launch. It is extremely practical and well written. Thank you so much.
Ellen
Ellen,
Well you ARE a sweetie!!! THANK YOU so much!!!!!
Can I buy you a pony or something?
Hi Kathy – You made me laugh with this post. I’ve been on blogs that at first I think “this person really knows their stuff”, and then I continue to read. As the days, weeks, and months go by, they let things “slip” and I soon realize they are faking it. As much as I hate to unsubscribe from blogs, those I do.
Barbara Swaffords last blog post..Blog Registry – Open Mic
Barbara,
This is why I ADORE blogs!!!
Cath Lawson is the one who introduced me to the term “knowledge gatherer” for these kind of folk. Unfortunately, I’ve actually hired a few of these to work for me and trust me, it’s easier to unsubscribe from a blog than to fire an employee!