The Success Center

Well, this is it, tomorrow starts a new year and decade. The last poll of the year asked a simple question that I find highly appropriate going forward, “Are you ready for 2010?”

80% of you said yes and 20% of you are nowhere near ready. Ready or not, the new year will be here in less than 15 hours.

I hope 2009 was a good year for you as it was for me. If you’re really ready to absolutely crush 2010 then I’d like to invite you to join me a hundred others in the “Win in 2010″ Entrepreneur Fast. I’ve partnered with entrepreneurs to bring in the  new year in an amazing way. If you’re looking for guidance, direction, and the right path to follow for your business in 2010 then join up with us.

2009 has packed its bags and is saying it’s final goodbyes on its way out the door. I’m really looking forward to the arrival of 2010, tons of great stuff coming up. What are you most looking forward to in 2010? Do you have any regrets leaving 2009? How ready are you for the new year? Share your thoughts below and I’ll see you next year!

P.S – Going forward, polls here will be monthly instead of weekly. I want to give people more of an opportunity to get in on the discussion and vote.

Subscribe Today & Receive Free Updates in Your Inbox!

You Like Free Stuff Don’t You?

 

Enter your email address:

Disclaimer: We will never share your email address with anyone, period.

About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

Continue Reading

Archive “Super Star” Spotlight: I thought it would be a good idea to start spotlighting a couple of posts that are buried in the archives. Some of you are fairly new to this site and others are lifelong followers (you are, aren’t you?). No matter what category you fall into, I’m sure there’s at least 1 article here you haven’t read. Enjoy one of the most popular articles here at The Success Center!

8 Magazine Strategies that add Value to Your Blog

If you’ve been keeping up with the news then you know that newspaper and magazine readership is in a bit of a decline. Most of that stems from new media technologies such as blogs, social networks, and all things “world wide web.” The emergence of these technologies has given everyday moms, dads, grandmas, and uncle Joes the ability to funnel news, information, and resources more efficiently than their parent media brethren. But don’t count out newspapers or magazines just yet. There are still a lot of things they do, that we as bloggers, can learn and apply to our own projects.

This weekend I took a trip to the bookstore to do a little research. My goal was to find out what techniques big brand magazines use to advertise, engage with their readers, and add value to their content. Here are the results of my research and a few tips on maximizing them for your blog;

1. Offer a free download with your newsletter subscription – Source: Success Magazine
   Strategy: First and foremost let me say that if you’re not currently offering a newsletter of any kind on your blog or website then you’re sorely missing out on a huge opportunity to connect intimately with your visitors/readers/audience. Your newsletter can be delivered via email daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or whatever floats your boat directly to your reader’s in boxes. Success Magazine offers a single MP3 audio download of a motivational speech. How long would it take for you to record one of your best articles and offer it as a free download for your newsletter?
   Why is it important?: For starters it’s a great incentive for people to sign-up. Secondly, who doesn’t like getting free stuff?
2. Develop an “Advisors Board” – Source: Success Magazine
   Strategy: An Advisors Board is a list of big name columnist that contribute to the magazine on a monthly basis. For Success Magazine that included Zig Ziglar, John Maxwell, and others. For you it could be other bloggers that you connect with that have similar goals and want to reach the same target audience. The key is to offer whomever is going to contribute to your blog more than just “an opportunity” to write for you. Dedicate a page for them which will display their profile and links to connect with them. Developing an Advisors Board is really kind of like partnering. It should be a win-win situation for everyone involved.
   Why is it important?: It adds value to your audience because they get to read articles from a different point of view or with a different style. It changes things up and plus, you get to take a little break from posting.
   Note: Guest posting is a common practice but it’s typically a one-time deal. An Advisors Board would be based on a continual and consistent posting basis.
3. Create an “Editor’s Note” – Source: Every major magazine
   Strategy: Whenever you open up a magazine you’ll see a letter from the editor. It’s typically a note that outlines the month’s issue and what to look for inside. But I would challenge you to take it a step further by doing it with video. A short clip introducing readers to your site, defining your blogging goals, or just saying hello to your audience.
   Why is it important?: It’s a great way to connect with your readers “from the jump.” It also reaffirms your personal brand by showcasing your character and not just your image (People get to see who you really are).
4. Do Book Reviews – Source: Success from Home Magazine
   Strategy: A lot of magazines offer short reviews of books they recommend along with web links to get more information on the title. However, as a blogger, you’re at an advantage because of the web. Instead of writing a review, do a video review. One blogger that does this well is Chris Brogan. Not only does he do quick, laid back, reviews, but he adds his Amazon affiliate link for the products below the video.
   Why is it important?: It’s another great way to share who you are and what you’re about. It’s another form of connection between you and your readers. Some of you already recommend books to your friends, why not do it publicly?
   Tip: Don’t just do a review a book to make a quick buck with affiliate links. Recommend something you have read or would read yourself.
5. Write “List” style articles – Source: Black Enterprise
   Strategy: I love the way Black Enterprise creates huge lists of just about anything you can think of when it comes to business. “100 Most Powerful Executives, 100 Best Service Companies, etc.”
   Why is it important?: The list article is easy to read, adds a ton of value to any blog, and never gets old. Sure, there’s a lot of research involved on the front end, but it’s smooth sailing once you start putting it together.
6. Create a Resources Page – Source: Entrepreneur Magazine
   Strategy: This one is a good one. Share information, tools, links, and other info that helps your blogging community.
   Why is it important?: It’s a sign that you’re a part of the community too and that you don’t have all the answers. Your visitors will appreciate, care, and respect you more for sharing.
7. “Ask the Expert” (Reader Q&A) – Source: Leadership Magazine
   Strategy: This was a great technique that utilized an expert in a specific field to answer reader questions in the magazine. The expert can be yourself or you can reach out to someone else (there’s the advisors board idea). Either way it goes don’t just write useful articles, share tips, and resources with your readers . . . become a problem solver. Darren Rowse from Problogger uses his twitter account to connect with his readers and answers their questions on his blog. Great use of social networking!
   Why is it important?: It’ll increase your expert status a hundred fold, encourage community participation, and adds value to your reader’s lives and not just the blog.
8. Make Subscribing Easy! – Source: All Major Magazines
   Strategy: In every magazine that I flipped through at least 5 or more “subscription” cards fell out around me. The pages were literally littered with them! It dawned on me that they made subscribing to the magazine easy. As a blogger you have to make sure that you’re giving readers and first time visitors the opportunity to stay informed and connected with your site. Do it by offering subscription links after your posts, in your sidebar, on your about page, and even on your contact page. Make it easy.
   Why is it important?: It’s a no brainer! The more subscribers you have the greater impact your content is making in the online community.

And there you have it. I hope this list was useful to you as it has been for me. Looking over it again, it’s kind of dawned on me that I have a lot of work to do. The best way to maximize this list is to print it out and check things off as you implement them on your blog. I made it a personal goal to tackle at least half of the items on the list this week. You should see my results over the next couple of days. This list is, of course, not everything you can learn from a magazine so please feel free to add to it in the comments below. What are some of your favorite magazines and how do they engage, connect, or add value to their readers?

Like what you’ve read thus far?

Subscribe to The Success Center

Subscribe Today & Receive Free Updates in Your Inbox!

You Like Free Stuff Don’t You?

 

Enter your email address:

Disclaimer: We will never share your email address with anyone, period.

About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

Continue Reading

We’re in the home stretch heading into 2010 and I couldn’t be happier. It’s been a great year – correction . . . it’s been an awesome year. Personally, I’ve taken some big strides with the launch of The Success Center and making a strategic move into becoming a flight attendant. People are still amazed to find out that I serve peanuts and pretzels on airplanes. I argue that I’m a servant leader so it’s by far the easiest job I’ve ever had.

My point in this letter isn’t to relish in the past, but to get you excited about the future. I’ve got some great things coming up for you that I know you’ll love. So, if you’ll loan me your attention for just a moment, I’ve got a couple of announcements to make.

“Win in 2010″ Entrepreneur Fast

Are you ready to take your life and business to the next level? Ready start 2010 off with a bang? Then join me and a multitude of other entrepreneurs in a one of a kind corporate fast. Fasting quiets your spirit and allows God to give you the direction, guidance, and keys you need to succeed. It’s sacrificing something (and in our case, a couple of things!) to receive something awesome from the big man upstairs. Seriously, this is how I started the Success Center. The idea of a blog-a-zine dropped into my spirit after I came off of my fast earlier this year. It’s a powerful tool for anyone who wants to know their next strategic move. Head over to the official announcement post, or sign-up by entering your email below, and get ready to “win in 2010!”

Open-Call for Guest Bloggers

My January schedule is filling up fast with the entrepreneur fast, planning some new interviews for Inside the Success, and other things (I’m doing it all for you!). I know a lot of readers here have their own blogs, are writers, small business owners, entrepreneurs, etc. I would love for you to share your wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in your field of expertise. If you’re passionate about social media, marketing, entrepreneurship, being a Christian entrepreneur, or something else business related, I want to hear from you. Email me rod[at]rodkirby.com or use the big orange contact button to the left.

Best of The Success Center 2009

This blog is only 6 months old but we’ve produced some pretty cool stuff, wouldn’t you agree? Here are some of my favorite posts and a few that you have rated as your favs as well. Enjoy!

A Love Letter to Chris Brogan

The Home Depot Guide to Success

The Coach John Calipari Guide to Effective Leadership in 5 Steps [with Pictures!]

Does God Want You to Succeed?

How to Create an Editorial Calendar for Your Blog

Archive Spotlight: How do you define success?

How to Use Social Media to Build Your Brand Locally

4 Secrets to Small Business Success

Repositioning Yourself for Success

5 Keys to Blogging Success

3 Magazine Advertising Strategies for Blogging Success

4 Reasons Why I won’t (and you might) Invest in Network Marketing

Are You Afraid of Success?

Quit Your Job and Make Millions

8 Magazine Strategies that add Value to Your Blog

5 Free Ways to Market Your Business – Introduction

How’s My Driving?

Wanna help me make The Success Center even better for you in 2010? Take this quick 3 minute survey!

See You in 2010!

Well, that’s all I got. Got anything for me? Questions, comments, or concerns? Feel free to share your excitement of the new year in the comments below. I’ll talk to you kiddies in two thousand and ten!

Rod

Subscribe Today & Receive Free Updates in Your Inbox!

You Like Free Stuff Don’t You?

 

Enter your email address:

Disclaimer: We will never share your email address with anyone, period.

About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

Continue Reading

Welcome to “Inside the Success,” where I take you on the inside of small business owners, entrepreneurs, industry professionals, and how they are finding their success.

There are so many tools out there to help you brand yourself, manage social media, and grow web presence. But do you have a strategy as to how to maximize each?

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to a good friend of mine, T.C. Coleman. She’s the CEO of Upwardaction a lawyerpreneur and business coach who has spent a decade in government and private practice advising multi-national private companies, public companies, financial institutions and entrepreneurs.

In this interview you’ll learn;

• What is personal branding and why it’s important to your business
• Why it’s important in maximizing tools for social media
• Some of the most important tools and how to maximize each for your business
• What second life is and how you can use it for your business
• And so much more!

Enjoy the show, it’s the last one for 2009. I’ll be kicking off the new year with new interviews and more insights from entrepreneurs who are really making it happen.

Subscribe Today & Receive Free Updates in Your Inbox!

You Like Free Stuff Don’t You?

 

Enter your email address:

Disclaimer: We will never share your email address with anyone, period.

About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

Continue Reading

Have you ever gotten a gift that you wish you give back? Only 2 more days until the big day and I’m sure you’ll get at least one gift like the one pictured to the left. It happens every year to millions everywhere.

Well, I’ve gotten a gift recently that I would love to give back, but it’s not what you think.

You guys (and gals) have continued to visit, post comments, tweet, and share the articles and it’s really made a difference. According to Alexa, the largest site for web metrics, this blog is the 139,723th visited site in the U.S. and it’s all because of you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Whether you wrote it in stone or not, you all have committed to making this site great by consistently engaging here. Since you’ve given me a gift this year I want to give you one next year. A gift of commitment. I commit to delivering high-quality and excellent information. I commit to giving you exactly what you need to succeed in 2010 and beyond.

I see this blog as a unique partnership between us. I’ll deliver quality content and you continue to be awesome and participate with the rest of the community. Deal?

I developed a short survey to help me understand your needs more. It’s comprised of 10 questions which took me less than 3 minutes to answer. It’s totally anonymous and none of the information gathered will be shared with anyone – scout’s honor.

If you’ve got 3 minutes, follow this link, take my quick survey, and help me serve you better next year. Just for giving a little feedback I’ve included a “super-awesome” free gift for you at the end.

I guess you’ll be getting 2 gifts from me, huh? One for this year and one for next. How cool is that?

Update: 12/23/2009 @ 12:00am – The survey is now closed. Big shout outs and thanks to everyone that participated in the survey. I really appreciate your feedback. As a parting gift to everyone that didn’t get a chance to participate, you all are welcome to the free gift that waited at the end of the survey, here. It’s a 15 page e-book called, “Explode Your Brand: 5 Things You can do now to make more money and have more fun!” by my friend and personal branding guru, Ronald Wilsher.

Subscribe Today & Receive Free Updates in Your Inbox!

You Like Free Stuff Don’t You?

 

Enter your email address:

Disclaimer: We will never share your email address with anyone, period.

About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

Continue Reading

Archive Spotlight: I thought it would be a good idea to start spotlighting a couple of posts that are buried in the archives. Some of you are fairly new to this site and others are lifelong followers (you are, aren’t you?). No matter what category you fall into, I’m sure there’s at least 1 article here you haven’t read. Enjoy!

5 Ways to Start a Business without Going into Debt

Would you accept a $10,000 loan to start a business if you were personally in debt by, at least, double that amount? Think about that for a moment. Whether the business idea is, “pure gold,” or, “the next big thing,” is totally irrelevant. I honestly don’t believe God would give you an idea just so you can go into debt (and for some, further debt) just to get it started.

Proverbs 10:22 (NIV) says,

The blessing of the LORD brings wealth,
and he adds no trouble to it.

Let’s examine this scripture for a moment. The Blessing of the Lord can range anywhere from your spiritual gifts, the talents God gave you, the skills learned, or the abilities passed down from your parents. But, rest assured, everyone has a blessing from the Lord. Even you. There’s something that you can do that no one else can exactly like you.

In the same line of that scripture it says that the blessing of the Lord brings wealth. For those of you who are afraid to step out there and start your business because of fear, you’re missing out on financial increase. Yes, the economy is in bad shape. Sure, we have businesses closing their doors all around the country. But, if God be for us, who can be against us? If He gave you the vision in the first place, why wouldn’t he give you the tools to build it?

I love the last line of that scripture. It reads,

” . . . and he adds no trouble to it.”

What does trouble mean? It means financial trouble, aka. debt. Whatever blessing God gave you to start your business it will not only bring you wealth, but you won’t go into debt building it, either!

Here are 5 ways to start a business without going into debt;

#1 – Store/Company Front: start your company digitally with all communication, services, or products via the web. Creating an E bay store versus leasing out retail space will save you thousands in fees, maintenance costs, insurance, and etc. Skype is extremely popular for making free calls via the net and open source e-commerce websites typically come with many web hosting services. (For those not up to speed with nerdy internet lingo, open source is free software made available to the public.) Some companies will have to have a store front or physical company presence. That’s understandable. However, don’t go overboard with credit cards, lines of credit, and second mortgages just to make it happen. Be smart and stay strategic every step of the way.

#2 – Employees: Let’s get one thing straight, your payroll will become the largest monthly expense you will incur as a business owner. So ease into those pains by starting off with your “employees,” as independent contractors. This means that when a job is complete, you pay them, they handle their own taxes, and they’re legally not your employees so you won’t have to worry about Uncle Same breathing down your neck. After a while, once your cash flow is moving like the mighty Mississippi, you can start to add regular employees. Strategically, hiring your main gunner full time and maybe one part-timer would probably be efficient for a start-up.

#3 – Legal: In order to start the business you’ll have to get your business license and applicable permits. However, plenty of people go into debt by filing trademarks, copyrights, drawing up legal documents, hiring a business lawyer to start the company, etc. While it’s smart to protect your ideas, it’s even smarter to protect your wallet to keep those ideas afloat. Don’t purchase trademarks and copyrights all at once. Save up for them and purchase them over time. Utilize your bank’s notary service and mail copies of sensitive material back to yourself for a cheap “government stamp” of authenticity. Check out Docstoc.com, they have free business, marketing, and other legal documents online for free.

#4 – Start-up Costs: Does it take money to make money? Well . . . it depends. To curve start-up costs, seek general partnerships with people you trust and who can bring their wallets, skills, experience, and talents to the table. Maximize every available resource, old computers, old software, furniture hand-me-downs, etc. until you can generate some income. Also, look for local “in-kind” sponsorships. Instead of sponsoring your service or product for money,  companies may be willing to give you tools, resources, equipment, or advice in exchange for promoting their brands.

#5 – Marketing: When it comes to spreading the word about your product or service, I’ve got 3 words for you; DIY,  networking, and Social media. (Well, 1 word and 2 phrases, ha!) Doing-it-yourself as far as creating your website, business cards, fliers, etc. saves an unbelievable amount of money in the long run. There are plenty of free design tutorials and resources on the net. Youtube is a great place to start searching for them. If you’re not networking at business or industry events then you’re missing out on opportunities to interact with potential clients and colleagues. Even in this digital age, word of mouth is still the number one free marketing tool. Social media includes, blogging (which gives readers an inside look into your life, business, industry, service, or product), video creation and sharing (possibly, tips, how-tos, or an extension of the “inside look” the blog achieves), and social networks like Twitter or Facebook (Great for getting into “the flow” of conversations happening in your industry, sharing information, and engaging potential clients in new ways).

Resources:

For more free ways to help you market your business check out my series;
5 Free Ways to Market Your Business .

Also, check out Resource Round-Up | 10 Small Business Links

If God, has given you a vision, now is the time to step out there and start it! Don’t be afraid. Hold on to His promise to bring you wealth and add no trouble (or debt) to it. What other ways can you start a business without going into debt? For all my small business owners, what financial challenges did you face when you started your business? Please, share your comments below.

Subscribe Today & Receive Free Updates in Your Inbox!

You Like Free Stuff Don’t You?

 

Enter your email address:

Disclaimer: We will never share your email address with anyone, period.

About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

Continue Reading

As an entrepreneur we are the quintessential fabric holding this country together. What it is you want to achieve, go for it. Here’s a little video to get you inspired. This is another great marketing video by a service company, but it’s really inspirational. Enjoy!

Subscribe Today & Receive Free Updates in Your Inbox!

You Like Free Stuff Don’t You?

 

Enter your email address:

Disclaimer: We will never share your email address with anyone, period.

About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

Continue Reading

Welcome to “Inside the Success,” where I take you on the inside of small business owners, entrepreneurs, industry professionals, and how they are finding their success.

Small business ownership used to be an American dream and in some ways I think it still is. . . it’s just a harder dream. In today’s economy you’ve got to be smarter, wiser, and more prepared to start a business. You can’t just take your idea from zero to sixty in six months with a little financing anymore.

Today I’m chatting it up with Melinda Emerson. Melinda is a veteran entrepreneur, speaker and small business coach whose areas of expertise include small business start-up, social media marketing and work/life balance. Known as “Smallbizlady”, she hosts a weekly talk show on Twitter called #smallbizchat. Melinda has become a well-known expert in achieving bottom line results and business success. Her first book “Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide To A Business That Works!” is due out in early 2010.

In this interview you’ll learn;

• What it really takes to be a small business owner
• Why you should have a life plan before a business plan
• How to plan for success
• What is platform development and why it’s important to your business
• How to maximize social media for your small business

Enjoy the show, let me know what you think in the comments below. When you get done, check out the Inside the Success show archives for past audio and video interviews!

Subscribe Today & Receive Free Updates in Your Inbox!

You Like Free Stuff Don’t You?

 

Enter your email address:

Disclaimer: We will never share your email address with anyone, period.

About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

Continue Reading

Archive Spotlight: I thought it would be a good idea to start spotlighting a couple of posts that are buried in the archives. Some of you are fairly new to this site and others are lifelong followers (you are, aren’t you?). No matter what category you fall into, I’m sure there’s at least 1 article here you haven’t read. Enjoy!

The Top Five Tips for Office Fashion

Getting dressed for the office can be daunting when dress code guidelines aren’t clear. With the advent of vague descriptions like “business casual”, “relaxed dress”, and “smart casual”, deciding what to wear can be downright confusing! Here are five fashion tips to help you get out the door looking your professional best:

1. Tailoring counts! I cannot stress this enough: Tailoring makes all the difference. Even a $10 suit from Goodwill can look expensive if it’s properly tailored to fit your body. If you don’t have a tailor, please Google “(Your City) tailor” and find one immediately! Here’s what to talk about when you get there:
Shirts & jackets: The armholes of your shirts and blazers shouldn’t be too high (this makes it difficult to raise your arms) or too low, and the shoulder seam should hit at the point where your arm and shoulder meet.

Pants: Pants should fit your waist smoothly with no gaps. Avoid trousers that create visible “pull lines” from your crotch to your waist–this means they’re too small. Donate them to charity. The pants should be long enough to create a nice “break”, but not bunch at your ankles.

Dresses and skirts: Dresses and skirts that hit at mid-calf are only flattering on supermodels. For us regular folk, just below the knee length is best for the office.

4. Don’t forget the details: Remember to accessorize! The right accessories can add interest to an otherwise plain ensemble. Great shoes are vital to a well-executed look, and the right ones can make or break an entire outfit.

Ladies can also experiment with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, leg wear, and scarves (though not all at once!), while men can play around with ties, pocket squares, and cuff links. I’m a huge fan of scarves for both sexes, and there are plenty of online resources for ideas.

5. Mix classic and unique pieces for a look all your own Have fun with your look! Clothing can be a very effective form of self-expression as well as an indicator of professional status. Wear things that make you feel good, powerful and confident and you’re already halfway there.

About the author:
Tamia Stinson is a Marketing and Operations Specialist by day, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Style Sample Magazine and fashion blogazine The Style Sample by night/early morning/weekend. When she’s not online catching up on the latest fashion and technology trends, she enjoys dancing, traveling and learning foreign languages.

Subscribe Today & Receive Free Updates in Your Inbox!

You Like Free Stuff Don’t You?

 

Enter your email address:

Disclaimer: We will never share your email address with anyone, period.

Continue Reading

If you could be any celebrity, business mogul, or leader who would you be? Who do you most admire, adore, and wish you could trade shoes with?

Most of us [me in included] would kill to be as [or more] successful as the people we see on television, read about in magazines, receive tweets from, are a fan of on Facebook, or read blogs from. It’s human nature to desire more for our lives and even envy the accomplishments of others.

I was on a coaching call last week and my client’s goal was to take his life and business to the next level. He mentioned that he wants to model his business after, social media super star, Chris Brogan.

Going deeper into the conversation he begin too compare Chris’s accomplishments to his own and quickly realized that how long of journey was ahead of him. It really upset me when my client began too compare what he didn’t have to what Chris does have.

This is the advice I gave to him . . .

Dear Chris;

First of all,

Chris Brogan doesn’t have super powers, can’t leap tall buildings in a single-bound, and wasn’t born in a manger. His blog isn’t “totally awesome,” aesthetically speaking, and if it weren’t for a few pics and graphics, it would be really bland. However, what God has given him in terms of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding is spectacular. What he shares is nothing short of awesome.

That’s what I love about God – he uses the ordinary and makes them extraordinary! And what I love about what Chris Brogan has achieved is his simplicity and his consistency. His blog is very simple but he’s consistent in delivering top-notch content. This has only been one facet of his success but it’s an important piece of the pie.

And second of all,

“You can’t go where God sent Chris Brogan and Chris Brogan can’t go where God is sending you.”

Sometimes we need a friendly reminder that our purpose and destiny is uniquely ours crafted by the hands of the master potter. I don’t doubt one bit that my client can become as or more successful than Chris Brogan. Not because he’s a better blogger, has more Twitter followers, or is a better practitioner of social media; but because he’s destined to impact the lives of people Chris Brogan can’t reach. He’ll be able to deliver content, products, and services that Chris won’t be able to . . . and so will you.

There’s a lot we can learn from Chris and others like him. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned;

Stay on purpose!

Staying on track with your goals is not enough, you have to stay on purpose as well. I think Chris has a good idea of what his purpose is for his business and where he’s going next. Purpose gives your efforts meaning, keeps you in the trenches, and becomes your compass toward success.

Watch them walk, but don’t walk their way!

Ever seen a model walk on a runway exactly the same as the one before her? Each model has their own rhythm, tempo, and puts their own flare into the walk. It’s ok to “model” yours like someone else’s but it’ll be your own personality that sells the crowd.

When I was in high school I used to copy the artwork from comic books that I admired the most. However, whenever I copied a drawing, I also copied the artist’s mistakes as well. After a bit of practice I begin to draw my own comics and made my own mistakes. But, I loved creating my own stuff. Trace someone’s success but be original and find your own way.

Capitalize on missed opportunities!

If you’re modeling your blog or business off of Chris Brogan’s be smart and claim some of the opportunities he may have  overlooked. Such as starting a forum on your blog, doing more 1-on-1 coaching, starting a podcast, or doing video interviews, etc. You never know, something might take off for you that may not fit with Chris’s readership.

What about missed opportunities in business? Who has Chris Brogan passed over in a mad dash to satisfy small business and corporate clientele? If he doesn’t focus on the solo-preneur then you should!

Love,

Rod

It’s ok to model your business after the success of someone like Chris Brogan. However, you have to keep the comparison as a model and it can not become the standard. Doing so hinders your confidence, your success, and ultimately the lives you were destined to touch.

Remember, the promised land that God wants for you  has your name on the gate . . . no one else’s. What have you learned from shining stars like Chris Brogan? Who do you model your business after? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

P.S.

Chris, if you’re reading this, everything in bold is my best advice to you and your continuing journey down the road to success. You’re experiencing a lot of awesome things in your life, but stay on purpose, be original, and capitalize on your missed opportunities. You’re at a critical phase in your flight to super-stardom. Follow this advice and you’ll remain in the air and drift toward the stars.

Subscribe Today & Receive Free Updates in Your Inbox!

You Like Free Stuff Don’t You?

 

Enter your email address:

Disclaimer: We will never share your email address with anyone, period.

About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

Continue Reading