This blog has moved

Dear Friends:

As of January 1, 2011, this blog has moved. The new link:

http://thewriteconcept.com/blog-2/

Hope you will be joining me there soon!

Linda

The Proof of the Pudding

My grandmother used to say “The Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating” whenever anyone complimented her on the aroma of her kitchen. She knew that if the meal didn’t hold up to its mouth-watering aroma’s promise, her reputation was at stake.

Too bad so many business owners don’t understand that concept when it comes to their marketing.

Just today I saw an online article in which the author claimed his was “the fastest growing….company in the world.” Hhmm… really? The fastest growing in the world?

In my industry, fact checking is critical. I don’t take claims as fact unless they are documented and provable. So I checked the company’s website. He’s a relatively new, tiny business in a tiny town. There are no indicators on the website that would give credence to his claim that he is “the fastest growing…company in the world.”

In my industry—copy writing and marketing—you don’t make claims you can’t substantiate. Filling your marketing materials with puffery doesn’t help you — it hurts you. It hurts your credibility and your reputation. It hurts your sales, too.

So take a look at your website, flyers, brochures—even your business card. Are they truly representative of your business, or full of puffery and unprovable claims? How tasty is your pudding?

The Power of Perseverance

For those who haven’t learned how to be two places at once, and thus missed Linda Angér’s talk at the MCC Birthday Bash and Leadership Expo: here is an MP3 of the talk (recorded separately from the event) and a transcript…

Your feedback is requested – Thanks!

click here for audio

TRANSCRIPT

My name is Linda Angér. I am one of the founding members of MCC, and the founder/president of The Write Concept, a 10-year-old marketing communications company based in Rochester Hills, and I’m here today to speak on the Power of Perseverance.

I can stand here and tell you the platitudes – you’ve heard them a million times. What I really want to share with you is the value of drawing strength from facing the adversity inherent in perseverance. Success, in my book, is not about coming through a challenge unscathed – because adversity isn’t a obstacle to “get around” – it is a part of our life.

I believe things happen FOR us, not TO us… I repeat: things happen FOR us, not TO us. I know that every single thing that has occurred in my life, no matter how positively or negatively I perceived it, happened FOR my ultimate benefit. I hope that 6 minutes from now, you will understand what I mean.

The first story I want to share with you is the tale of Matt Weinstein, a workplace humor and team building expert.  Matt was a self-made and quite wealthy man. One day, while cruising Antartica on a Russian ice-breaking vessel, he got a satellite call from his wife, who said “Bernie Madoff has been arrested. His entire fund was a scam.” In that moment, Matt Weinstein went from a self-made and very wealthy man to a self-made and virtually penniless man. In January 2009, he said “What we came to understand was that Bernie Madoff stole all of our money – but it was up to us to make sure he didn’t steal the rest of our lives.” What an amazing catalyst that experience was FOR Matt Weinstein and his wife. They refused to allow the Madoff madness to happen TO them, and saw the ultimate benefit in their lives. THAT is the basis of Perseverance.
I ask you – when was the last time something you perceived as negative became a blessing in your life?
J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected by 12 publishers, and even Bloomsbury – the small house that finally purchased the manuscript, told her to get a day job.  She was in the midst of a divorce, her mother had just died, and she was living on gov’t subsidies. She ignored the naysayers, kept on writing, and wrote herself into a $15 billion dollar brand. How much of a deaf ear do you turn to the naysayers in your life?

Greg Mortenson, founder of the Central Asia Institute, and author of the book “Three Cups of Tea,” tells the story of a mullah in Afghanistan who refused to allow education for girls in his village. It took Mortenson 8 years of conversation and thousands of cups of tea before the mullah relented and allowed 1 girl to go to school.

Would you have the patience to stay with an unlikely prospect for eight years? Would you?  We have become a culture addicted to fast food, instant response and gratification, but Mortensen says “Anything truly important is worth doing very, very slowly.”

Who among you feels comfortable in saying you know me fairly well?  Would any of you say that I was shy, distant, and most of all, a negative thinker? I didn’t think so, but I will tell you that for the first 23 years of my life, that was the absolute truth.

I was born with “problematic” legs. At the age of 12, and again at 15, I was subjected to experimental bone surgery that only served to make things worse.  For all those years, I was told in many ways – subtle and overt – that I would never be “normal” and shouldn’t bother trying to do any of the things the other kids did without thinking. I was “Different,” and “different” was not a good thing. For the first 23 years of my life, I believed it and let it rule me. I couldn’t see, at the time, that it was a blessing for me.

Then came the day that a friend challenged the “victim” mentality I was trained to carry. He laid down a challenge I couldn’t refuse – I was determined to show him that he was wrong, that I was physically incapable of doing what he challenged me to do. I surprised myself and did it, and I loved it. That young man’s insistence on getting me out of the psychological straightjacket I wore for so many years changed the course of my life forever. I thank the gods for his persistence – he was the one who taught me to drink deeply of every opportunity, and never substitute “I can’t” for “‘I’m afraid to fail.” It was one of the greatest things that ever happened FOR me.

From the time I started writing stories at 9 years of age, I was told I could never earn a living as a writer. But I have, inside the corporate world for several decades, and as as a small business owner, for over 10 years. That’s Persistence… and trusting that the Universe will always conspire in my favor.

12 years ago, my house burned to the ground. When all you have left is your life, you quickly realize that “stuff” doesn’t matter, and you become far more persistent in pursuing the things that do matter, like – friends, and Wisdom,  your capacity to love, your willingness to give of yourself.

For the better part of the last year,  I’ve been conquering cancer. Many of you have been with me through this journey – and it is your part in it has made cancer an amazing blessing that happened for me. My gratitude to each of you is boundless. For those who can’t fathom how cancer could be a blessing,  I invite you to contact me and we’ll talk.

My doctor and my chemo nurse tell me they have never seen anyone come through cancer and chemo as cheerfully and uneventfully as I have.  I told them about my awesome friends, and what I learned from Aimee Mullens, a parolympian who holds world records in the 100 meter dash, and long jump. She once said, “Opening ourselves to adversity, dancing with it, is natural and useful. No prognosis can be as powerful a determinate as WILL.” No prognosis can be as powerful a determinate as WILL… and I’ve determined that I am and shall remain a cancer Conqueress.

I ask you: what role does WILL play in your life so far? and, I tell you: no matter how outrageous or scary it seems, when you can see and feel your dream in your minds eye – leap like your pants are on fire! This amazing universe will surely catch you.

I came here today to talk about the power of perseverance… to honor the unstoppable spirit of Terry Bean in his vision of building the best networking group in Michigan…. he’s succeeded, as this day proves. And I leave you with this:

Sir Edmund Hillary, the famous explorer, said,  “It is not the mountains we conquer… it is ourselves.”

Another wise person said “Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.”

And finally, the saying from the Chinese that has been my mantra for many years:

“Those who say a thing cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”

My name is Linda Angér, from The Write Concept.  THANK YOU for your attention.

Now go out there, and make your day magnificent!

The High School Exam

You must have a minimum of four correct answers to pass this test…

1. How long did the Hundred Years’ War last?
2. Which country makes Panama hats?
3. From which animal do we get cat gut?
4. In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
5. What is a camel’s hair brush made of?
6. The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?
7. What was King George VI’s first name?
8. What color is a purple finch?
9. Where are Chinese gooseberries from?
10. What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane?

ANSWERS: Remember, you must have at least 4 correct in order to pass!

1. How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years
2. Which country makes Panama hats? Ecuador
3. From which animal do we get cat gut? Sheep and Horses
4. In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? November
5. What is a camel’s hair brush made of? Squirrel fur
6. The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? Dogs
7. What was King George VI’s first name? Albert
8. What color is a purple finch ? Crimson
9. Where are Chinese gooseberries from? New Zealand
10. What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Orange (of course)

Thanks to my friend Chuck Boltwood, Paint World of Rochester  http://www.paintworldofrochester.com/ for sending the test to me.

I flunked, by the way.  How about you?

Make Your Day Magnificent!

Your Words Are Your Reputation

It used to be that reputations were ruined by pencil scrawls on public bathroom walls, or derogatory notes passed in class. A single word or phrase could destroy your life – but that is ancient history, right?

Not so.

Every post you make on your websites, blogs, or social networking sites impacts your personal and business reputation.

Now, I am a writer, so maybe I go a bit overboard. But from my perspective, messages containing spelling or uncommon usage errors cause me to question whether that person pays attention to quality in other aspects of their business — particularly when I see similar errors across multiple messages.

Here are three examples I’ve seen in the last week. The improperly used/spelled words are in blue:

More homeowners choose us to market there properties then any other agency.

… those of you that have been apart of the community…

… few our harnessing the true power…

Maybe the people who wrote these posts were in a hurry. Or, maybe they don’t care if their message is misconstrued or they look foolish. But the world is watching, and judging.

Double check your emails – even your Tweets – before you hit “send.” Have someone else proofread your web content and articles before they go live.

Your reputation is at stake.

Frozen Leaders

Head over to http://tinyurl.com/eosduane for a compelling article by Gino Wickman of the Entrepreneurial Operating System, and thaw yourself out.

It’s spring outside – how long will you cling to an internal winter?

And Thank you, Duane Marshall (EOS) for posting the article link on Motor City Connect.

The Camping Trip

Thanks to my friend Rick Weaver, President of Max Impact in Rochester Hills, MI for this delightful story:

Here is an old story that is still appropriate for today’s management leaders.

It tells of a camping trip taken by Sherlock Holmes and his faithful sidekick, Dr. Watson.  The two had spent a rigorous day of fresh air and activity before laying down for a welcomed night’s rest.

Sometime in the early morning Holmes awoke and tapped Watson on the shoulder.

“Watson, look up and tell me what you see.”

The sun had not yet begun to rise and the sky was clear with natural beauty. Watson replied, “I see millions and millions of stars.”

“What does that tell you?”

Watson thought momentarily before replying. “Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day. Why, what does it tell you?”

(for Sherlock’s answer, click the link below, and enjoy!)

http://www.getmaximpact.com/IT09-04-08-Camping.html

Voices of Detroit Airs the Good News

Pay no attention to the naysayers – the doom-and-gloomers – the mainstream  media.

There are great things happening in metro Detroit… and great people who know that the innovation, creativity, and unstoppable spirit that made Detroit an entrepreneurial center a century ago has not withered or died.

Thanks to Larry Henry (Two Floors Down Productions) and David Benjamin (The Sales Matrix), people across the planet are hearing the good news about Detroit -  from those that are making it happen – in their Voices of Detroit podcasts.

My friend and colleague, Theresa Thompson (Tea Time Events) and I were guests on issue #17 of Voices of Detroit – recorded March 26 at Goldfish Tea in Royal Oak. If you haven’t been there yet, now’s the time!  Great hot and cold teas from around the world with a casual, hip atmosphere. Try the Wild Berry Black Tea Smoothie – major yummy!

Listen to the podcast right here, through the link below, or go directly to the Voices of Detroit podcast site for the RSS feed.

voices_of_detroit_17-teatimeevents_and_the_write_concept

Make your day magnificent!

Linda Angér, The Write Concept, Inc.

Involved in Non-Profit work?  Visit www.TWCGrantwriting.com

Stand By Me

One of my favorite songs, and one of the best “around the world” videos I’ve seen in years -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM

Pretty as a Picture – or Maybe Not

Mary had a slick new company website built by an independent developer. She loved the colors, the typeface, and especially the half-dozen photos placed throughout the site. She loved the kudos the site received from clients and friends. She loved everything about it, until her bubble was burst by a single phone call.

She was being sued for photo copyright infringement.

The developer had used stock images from a popular photo distributor. That in itself was not the problem, as stock photo usage is common on the web and in print. The problem was that Mary didn’t know there was such a thing as photo licensing, didn’t know the developer had not secured legal rights to the photos, and didn’t know that as owner of the site, she was liable for every bit of the content, including the images. She had the developer remove the images immediately, but was still charged a hefty fee for the months the photos had been illegally used on her site.

Many of you compliment me on the images I use in the marketing pieces I write and design. They are all stock art. I pay a subscription fee to the distributor for their use, but I do not “own” the images. When a friend told me of Mary’s plight, I called my subscription service to make sure I understood the fine points of the legal agreement tied to my subscription.

I have “rights” to use the images I download, within a long list of very specific guidelines and parameters. I can use them in your brochure or other pieces I’ve designed—but I cannot “give” you the image to forward to your web developer. I cannot “give” you the image to use independently from your desktop. To avoid the potential of copyright infringement charges for pieces designed by anyone other than me, you would have to purchase a license to the images in your own name.

The moral of the story: Don’t leave the legal aspects of photos, excerpts, or other elements in your marketing materials strictly up to your developer or graphic designer. Whenever stock art is used in your marketing, make sure you understand where and how images were secured, the limits of the license, and your responsibility in allowing their use on your site and in your materials.