Thirsty Fish Thinking

Parenting Apps for the iPhone

2011-03-26T07:40:00.001-07:00

I am in the process of creating my own parenting app and did a little research on what is currently available for smartphones. Here's a helpful article on the subject or get mine at http://parentingtoolbox.isites.us

Tell us what you use for parenting on your phone by leaving a comment link or tweet us @ronhuxley

Amplify’d from www.brighthub.com

Best iPhone Parenting Apps

Rearing kids is not an easy task. Fortunately, for some of the most trivial parenting chores that we parents face, there is an app to help us get through. Our parents must be envious of our generation since we have several of these iPhone parenting apps that we can use to help us get through the day and successfully take care of our kids. Read on to find out whether you can use any of these iPhone parenting apps to your advantage and make the otherwise daunting task of raising kids an easier one.

Positive Parenting Practices I

The first app on our list of iPhone parenting apps is a pretty interesting one and based on the knowledge and teaching of Dr. Tom McIntyre, a former teacher of students with challenging behavior and learning disabilities at Hunter College of the City University New York. With that credential you can be pretty sure that all the helpful tips and information that this app gives you are accurate and applicable to children's behavior. With this iPhone parenting app you'll be able to understand the reasons behind your child's actions and master the effective use of proven behavior change strategies. (Price: $3.99)

Download Link.

KidsCheckup

Here's what is being touted as the perfect parenting tool which is quite expected from an app designed by pediatric experts. This app provides answers to questions about your child's health. Some questions answered by this app include - if your child's condition is really an emergency, or whether you need more information about your child's sickness. In other words, KidsCheckup tells you when your child, given their current condition merits a check up with your family doctor. The app explains symptoms and gives tips which are easy to understand. The app also has other features including maps to more than 50 Cook Children's locations, contact information and a visual tour of a medical facility. (Price: Free)

Download Link.

KidChart

Here's a pretty useful iPhone parenting app that gives you a most kid-friendly way of tracking and reviewing your children's behavior. What you'll appreciate about this app is the fact that it has an interface which will surely catch the attention of your kids even at a distance. The app also uses distinctive sounds that your kids will easily understand. The app gives you a list of your children's most recent and most frequent behaviors. It also lets you add or search for specific behaviors and lets you track that behavior as exhibited by your children. You can then use this list for reinforcing a good behavior or making them rethink their bad behavior. (Price: $0.99)

Download Link.

hAPPy family

The best feature about this app is the fact that it was created by a mom and former elementary school counselor. So you can rest assured that the information and the tips you'll get from the app are reliable and based on the developer's first hand experience of dealing with children's behavior. This is an engaging, unique and fun iPhone parenting app based on a simple reward idea. Your child selects from five collecting themes - marbles, bugs, ocean, animals, candy or treasures. You then assign the number of images that your child needs to collect before you give them a reward. (Price: $0.99)

Download Link.

iGrounded

Here's a simple app that allows parents to set limits and enforce appropriate consequences to undesirable behavior. So that when your kids break the rules, you'll give them the agreed logical consequences. The app features a grounded wheel of consequences, a mystery doors consequence game and more. (Price: $0.99)

Download Link.
Read more at www.brighthub.com

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How is your child affected during the first 9 months during pregancy?

2011-02-09T06:56:00.001-08:00

Amplify’d from www.parentsconnect.com

What are some Valentine's traditions I can start with my family?

The earlier you start traditions, the more likely they will continue to be practiced and cherished. For young ones, you might want to try putting red food coloring in their milk, make heart-shaped pancakes with red heart smiley faces or stick valentines and chocolate kisses in their lunch boxes. Do something uniquely meaningful for each of your children, to show them that they are each your special valentine. (And as they grow older, the specific "something" may change, but the tradition will remain.) Perhaps dinner can consist of everyone's favorite food—which might mean that you end up with several dessert items on the table!

You can also spread the tradition of love to include other people, or things. Teach random acts of kindness, and encourage your kids to find three ways that they can be loving and caring on February 14. Or do family acts of kindness. For instance, take cookies to a nursing home, bring food to the local animal shelter, send homemade cards to kids in the hospital or make a contribution to your favorite charity.

Answered by
Dr. Vicki Panaccione

Read more at www.parentsconnect.com

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How is your child affected during the first 9 months during pregancy?

2011-01-09T14:27:00.001-08:00

Amplify’d from committedparent.wordpress.com

Like it or not, parents and teachers are in the brain change business!

“No matter what business you’re involved in, first and foremost you’re in the brain change business.” So asserts Houston neuro-psychiatrist, Bruce Perry. In line with that premise, it makes great sense to know at least a few of the basics about how your own and other people’s brains grow and change in ways that could possibly help make them work like Einstein’s, Michelangelo’s and Mother Teresa’s all rolled into one!

The brain is perhaps best thought of as a collection of interconnected endocrine glands – roughly 52 indiv- idual parts controlling different actions. They all must work together to “process energy and infor- mation.” Thinking about the brain in such terms – as a network of organs that must optimally process the energy and information of our daily lives – turns out to be a very useful template to help us understand our own and others’ reactions to the world, and to make good decisions in response to them. Ideally, we only want ourselves and our family and friends involved in activities that their brains are developmentally suited to handle, and perhaps a little bit more. It’s the “little bit more” that can become tricky, which is how we build resilience in ourselves and our kids. I’ll be discussing resilience often in these columns.

Associations Make it Happen

Another important way to think about our brain is as an associating organ. By that, I simply mean that it learns a lot by putting things together. Things like words and pictures, up and down, hot and cold, thoughts and feelings. By pairing things that make the brain feel good with things that we want ourselves or our children to learn, the neurons in the brain become richly connected. A variation of this is sometimes known as “Grandmother’s Rule: You may do what you want to do – when you’ve done what you need to do.” By pairing preferred actions with less exciting necessary duties, like brushing teeth and going to bed at a set, regular time, reinforced learning takes place

Plastic is as Plastic Does

Finally, one last thing to realize and remember about the brain and the business of trying to change it, is that the brain is exquisitely “plastic.
Read more at committedparent.wordpress.com

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How is your child affected during the first 9 months during pregancy?

2010-12-04T07:18:00.001-08:00

We know that a mother who abuses drugs or smokes can cause damages to the physical and mental state of their children. What about one's general mental health and style of personality? Does playing Mozart really help the fetus? Can reading to a child in the womb make them a better reader? Author Annie Murphy Paul researches this very ideas in her new book. Take a look at the clipping form the Scientific American magazine on her book below. Share your thoughts on this interesting concept about the first 9 months!

Amplify’d from www.scientificamerican.com

Origins: How the Nine Months before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives

by Annie Murphy Paul. Free Press, 2010

Does your birth month have an impact on your mental health? The startling answer seems to be yes. “Schizophrenics are about 10 percent more likely than the rest of the population to have been born in late winter and early spring,” says journalist Annie Murphy Paul in Origins: How the Nine Months before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives. The reason for that could be that mothers are more likely to catch a viral infection during that time of the year.

Origins provides a journey through the burgeoning field of fetal origins. Paul explores the extent to which a mother’s experience influences the fetus’s physical and mental development.

Contrary to prevailing notions, the placenta is not an insulating capsule that completely protects the fetus from the outside world. Paul describes the womb as a mailbox that constantly accepts “biological postcards from the world outside.” The food a mother eats and the emotions she feels during pregnancy send important signals to the fetus that become “part of its flesh and blood.”
Read more at www.scientificamerican.com

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What are the 11 Big Trends for 2011?

2010-12-02T09:26:00.001-08:00

What's your take on these "crucial consumer trends?"

Amplify’d from trendwatching.com

December 2010 | Another new year, another roller coaster of threats and opportunities. We tend to focus on the latter as, amidst currency wars and defaulting nations, there are more opportunities than ever for creative brands and entrepreneurs to deliver on changing consumer needs. From Brazil to Belgium. No rest for the wicked in 2011!

1. RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

In 2011, there will be no excuses left not to be kind as a brand. Here's why... Read more »

2. URBANOMICS

Are you ready for hundreds of millions of more daring, more experienced consumers? And that's just one side effect of rapid global urbanization... Read more »

3. PRICING PANDEMONIUM

Flash sales, group buying, GPS-driven deals: in 2011 pricing will never be the same... Read more »

4. MADE FOR CHINA (IF NOT BRIC)

In 2011, expect an increasing number of 'Western' brands to launch new products or even new brands dedicated (if not paying proper respect) to consumers in emerging markets... Read more »

5. ONLINE STATUS SYMBOLS

In 2011, you can’t go wrong supplying your (online-loving) customers with any kind of symbol, virtual or 'real world', that helps them display to peers their online contributions, creations or popularity... Read more »

6. WELLTHY

As good health is now as important to some consumers as having the biggest, newest or shiniest status symbols, growing numbers of consumers will expect health products and services in 2011 to prevent misery (if not improve their quality of life), rather than merely treating illnesses and ailments... Read more »

7. SOCIAL-LITES AND TWINSUMERS

SOCIAL-LITES are all about discovery, as consumers become curators; actively broadcasting, remixing, compiling, commenting, sharing and recommending content, products, purchases, experiences to both their friends and wider audiences... Read more »

8. EMERGING GENEROSITY

In 2011, brands and wealthy individuals from emerging markets (yes, especially China) will increasingly be expected to give, donate, care and sympathize versus just sell and take. And not just in their home countries, but on a global scale... Read more »

9. PLANNED SPONTANEITY

With lifestyles having become fragmented, with dense urban environments offering consumers any number of instantly available options, and with cell/smartphones having created a generation who have little experience of making (or sticking to) rigid plans, 2011 will see full-on PLANNED SPONTANEITY... Read more »

10. ECO SUPERIOR

When it comes to 'green consumption' in 2011, expect a rise in ECO-SUPERIOR products: products that are not only eco-friendly, but superior to polluting incumbents in every possible way... Read more »

11. OWNER-LESS

2011 could be the year when sharing and renting really tips into mainstream consumer consciousness... Read more »
Read more at trendwatching.com

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What a deal? Facebook's new game changer?

2010-11-23T06:42:00.001-08:00

Do you offer 'deals" at your place of business or online marketing service? Share your thoughts here.

Amplify’d from www.atiattractionmarketing.com

Facebook Deals is a new feature of Facebook Places. Deals was created so businesses can offer specials to the millions of people participating in Places. What can Deals do for you? Simple, it can help you get customers, spread the word about your brand and build customer loyalty.

First off there are 4 kinds of deals you can offer:

Individual Deals: If you’re looking to offer a one-time deal, create an Individual Deal. You can offer this type of deal to both new and existing customers

Loyalty Deals: To focus on rewarding your most loyal customers, create a Loyalty Deal. You have the opportunity to create a deal that can be claimed after no fewer than two and no more than 20 check-ins. Virtual Punch Cards!!!

Charity Deals: Show people that you care about more than just the bottom line. Create Charity Deals to make a donation in the amount of your choice to the charity of your choice each time someone claims your deal. This is a great way for your business to give back to the community. Please note that you must manage the donation process.

Friend Deals: People don’t always buy, shop, or eat alone. To offer a deal to a group of people, create a Friend Deal. Friend Deals allow you to offer discounts to groups of up to 8 people, when they check in together. These deals can build even more exposure for your business because in order to claim your deal, your customers need to introduce what you have to offer to their friends and family.
Read more at www.atiattractionmarketing.com

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Untitled

2010-11-22T11:53:00.001-08:00

Amplify’d from www.heartmath.org

er as a day of gratitude for the nations’ harvest

Thanksgiving Day in the United States and – did you know – in Brazil is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November as a day of gratitude for the nations’ harvests

Advanced research at the Institute of HeartMath and elsewhere has provided evidence that gratitude is not simply a nice sentiment or feeling. Sustained feelings of gratitude have real benefits, including the following:

Biochemical changes

Increased positivity

Boost to the immune system

Emotional "compound interest"

Thankfully, gratitude and appreciation can create their own positive psychophysiological holiday in your body – without the necessity of a feast.

Appreciation Exercise

Take a few short appreciation breaks during the day. During each break take one or two minutes to breathe deeply through the area of the heart. While doing so, try to hold a sincere feeling of appreciation in your heart area

activating a positive feeling like appreciation literally shifts our physiology, helping to balance our heart rhythms and nervous system, and creates more coherence between the heart, brain and rest of the body.Read more at www.heartmath.org

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Follow Thirsty Fish on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter (tough decisions)

2010-11-14T09:40:00.000-08:00

When you are marketing, you have to be tough. That includes tough decisions, like to keep or not keep a blog running. I know a blog opens up search engine opportunities but I have had to look at my time and consider how to best use it to promote the Thirsty Fish mission and brand. Without going through the gory details, I have decided not to keep this blog running. Thirsty Fish will keep swimming along a sea of questions and answers but in new waters, so to speak.
Please continue to follow us here:
Linkedin.com
Facebook
Twitter

National Adoption Month: Foster Care Adoption Statistics

2010-11-09T07:14:00.001-08:00

URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/1...

Here are some alarming statistics on the number of kids WAITING in foster care today!

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2010-11-05T06:40:00.001-07:00

It's national adoption month. Tell us your story of adoption here or on our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=153708258000364 http://amplify.com/u/emfx

Do you love what you do?

2010-11-03T06:27:00.001-07:00

I have to say I do. Why do I complain about it. I guess I need lots of attention. I will make an early (or late) New Years Resolution to shut and be grateful for what I have and do. How about you?

Amplify’d from us1.campaign-archive.com

Though it’s not impossible to hate what you do and be good at it, it’s rare. Not to mention, it’s not much of a life (which if I may remind you, is short and you only have one of).
Read more at us1.campaign-archive.com

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Has your business tweeted, linked or liked yet?

2010-11-02T06:27:00.001-07:00

I confess I can be slower than most but I am still an early adopter of new ideas, especially social media. I know there are folks still farther down the line than I am even...If you and your business have not embraced social media, NOW if the time for Revolution. Authors Jay Baer and Amber Naslund have written a book called the Now Revolution and listed 7 ways you can change how you do business or suffer the consequences.

Amplify’d from nowrevolutionbook.com

The social web has changed the way we do business forever.

The future of your company is not in measured, considered responses and carefully planned initiatives. Business today is about near-instantaneous response. About doing the best you can with extremely limited information. About every customer being a reporter, and every reporter being a customer. About winning and losing customers in real-time, every second of every day. About a monumental increase in the findable commentary about our companies.

Engineer a New Bedrock: Strip away silos and overgrown business process, and create a culture of NOW

Find Talent You Can Trust: Hire and empower a new type of employee who is adept at pattern recognition, human relations, and immediate analysis

Organize Your Armies: Assemble internal teams for maximum external impact, and empower every employee as a marketer, even if they aren’t

Answer the New Telephone: Listen at the point of need and answer the new calls your customers are making

Emphasize Response-Ability: Travel the Humanization Highway, and respond effectively and persuasively to customer inquiries

Build a Fire Extinguisher: Plan for, find and manage real-time crises

Make a Calculator: Redesign success metrics in a business world that’s increasingly instantaneous
Read more at nowrevolutionbook.com

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50K Word Written in One Month?

2010-10-29T07:48:00.001-07:00

I might be crazy and truthfully, I haven't made that ultimate committment plunge yet, but I am thinking this is a great way to bust some creative blocks. Have you heard of NaNoWriMo? It stands for National Novel Writing Month and folks call it Nano. Are you willing to take the plunge?

Amplify’d from www.creativity-portal.com

In Praise of NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month

NaNoWriMo is thirty days of all-out writing madness, and only the strong survive. What I love most about November is it gives regular people the chance to write a book — folks who don’t necessarily think of themselves as writers.

an insane task — write 50,000 words in thirty days.

That’s the true beauty of Nano, in my opinion — there’s no time to get in your own way. No time for writer’s block — no time for the Inner Editor to trip you up. You just go.

Don’t expect a whole novel to appear, fully fleshed out with all its parts intact, in thirty days. If you’re lucky, you’ll have the bare bones of a story, a few intriguing characters, and a strong start.

What’s the number one reason novels don’t get published? They don’t get started. What’s the number two reason? They don’t get finished

Think you’ve got what it takes to Nano? Check out their website at www.nanowrimo.org for all the juicy details. You’ll find plot bunnies, fascinating threads and forums, tips on surviving NaNoWriMo with your sanity intact, Nano-bling, a calendar of events for your region, and more. •
Read more at www.creativity-portal.com

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Parenting Paranoia on Halloween

2010-10-28T07:19:00.001-07:00

The author quoted below makes a case that Halloween is the safest day of the year. She backs it up with research tested logic. Never the less, I remain paranoid. How about you? Do you send your children out unattended on Halloween? Do you check your child's candy before they eat it. I confess I did and I still would. Share your thoughts on this by clicking the comment link below or posting us a comment on our ParentingToolbox Facebook Group page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=153708258000364

Amplify’d from www.wallstreetjournal.com

Halloween is the day when America market-tests parental paranoia. If a new fear flies on Halloween, it's probably going to catch on the rest of the year, too.

Take "stranger danger," the classic Halloween horror. Even when I was a kid, back in the "Bewitched" and "Brady Bunch" costume era, parents were already worried about neighbors poisoning candy. Sure, the folks down the street might smile and wave the rest of the year, but apparently they were just biding their time before stuffing us silly with strychnine-laced Smarties.

That was a wacky idea, but we bought it. We still buy it, even though Joel Best, a sociologist at the University of Delaware, has researched the topic and spends every October telling the press that there has never been a single case of any child being killed by a stranger's Halloween candy. (Oh, yes, he concedes, there was once a Texas boy poisoned by a Pixie Stix. But his dad did it for the insurance money. He was executed.)

Then along came new fears. Parents are warned annually not to let their children wear costumes that are too tight—those could seriously restrict breathing! But not too loose either—kids could trip! Fall! Die!

And now comes the latest Halloween terror: Across the country, cities and states are passing waves of laws preventing registered sex offenders from leaving their homes—or sometimes even turning on their lights—on Halloween.

We can kill off Halloween, or we can accept that it isn't dangerous and give it back to the kids. Then maybe we can start giving them back the rest of their childhoods, too.
Read more at www.wallstreetjournal.com

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15 guidelines for trend watching...

2010-10-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

clipped from trendwatching.com

Let's face it, the only thing that separates you—passionate CEO, marketer, entrepreneur—from being in the know, is the time that must be devoted to tracking and applying trend content.
And yet, when we ask professionals if and how they spot and apply trends, we're told they're still having a hard time getting a handle on the basics.
So here are 15 trend watching tips, some practical, some more contextual, for you to run with today:

Know why you're tracking trends

Don’t get your trends mixed up

Know a fad when you see (or smell) one

Be (very) curious

Don’t apply all trends to all people

Have a Point of View

Benefit from an unprecedented abundance of resources

Name your trends

Build your Trend Framework

Start a Trend Group (even if it’s just you)

Secure senior backing or be doomed

Don't worry about timing or life cycles or regional suitability or...

Apply, apply, apply

Have some fun

Let others do some of the work for you in 2011

3 Big Lies About Networking...

2010-09-27T21:42:00.001-07:00

OK, I don't know if these are really the three biggest lies or not but they are frequent excuses heard from myself and other people. What makes them not true or are they true? You tell me...click on the comment link or twitter me a reply @thirstyfishinfo

Amplify’d from www.entrepreneur.com

Think about the most successful people you know. What's one thing they have in common?

They have mastered the art and science of networking, and business flows to them almost as a matter of course.

Before you can commit yourself to the task of building a healthy network, you probably need to overcome at least one of these three major networking misconceptions.

1. "I can’t network if I'm not an outgoing person."

2. "Person-to-person referral business is old-fashioned."

3. "Networking is not a hard science. Its return on investment can’t be measured."Read more at www.entrepreneur.com

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Have you mentally challenged yourself?

2010-09-17T06:19:00.001-07:00

We know that a child needs some mental stimulation to help them grow intellectually and emotionally. What about adults? Is it enough to just survive our days? Tell us what you do to challenge yourself on a consistent basis?

Amplify’d from www.nicabm.com

Which room would you prefer…

Or this:

Did you cringe at the thought of putting a child in the sterile room at the top? There’s nothing to interest or excite them in such a sterile environment.

Researchers Elizabeth Gould and Charlie Gross from the Department of Psychology at Princeton looked at the difference that habitats can make in brain structure.

have you mentally challenged yourself recently?

It’s so easy to keep to the same pattern of work, applying the same formula and seeing new but similar results. How about pushing that mental comfort zone, even a little?

what about social interaction?Read more at www.nicabm.com

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Social media "chicken and the egg". Which comes first?

2010-09-14T07:09:00.001-07:00

I liked this post as it reminds us all that social media is fun and it is work. I get a lot of complaints that folks don't have the time or interest to get a twitter account. Well, you don't have to...unless you don't want an audience. Then there is that thing about saying something that someone actually wants to hear. That is where the real work (or the egg) comes in. Thirsty fish thoughts? Let's hear them.

Amplify’d from www.convinceandconvert.com

There are many ways social media differs from traditional marketing. It’s approachable and human. It’s a two-way dialog, rather than unilateral declarations. It treats the customer as a teammate, rather than a target.

But there’s another big difference. In social media, the audience comes after the message, not before.

Thus, there are really no shortcuts in social media

Nobody ever promised social media was easy, just that it was fun, and effective.Read more at www.convinceandconvert.com

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How much influence do you have?

2010-09-05T06:48:00.001-07:00

Maybe a better question would be how do you get it but as you will read below, that is not an easy answer. Of course, measuring it isn't easy either. What we do know is that influence is essential for any type of leadership or business success. What about relationships, like the intimate kind?

Amplify’d from www.brasstackthinking.com

Influence is simple…

which makes it complicated.

When we talk about influence, and particularly when we talk about measuring it, we have to define our terms…and know the limits.

Influence is contextual.

Someone writes a post. Someone else retweets it. Another person sees the retweet, reads the post, and writes a comment. Still another person finds the post on his own and then follows the commenter’s advice, to the benefit of hundreds of others.

Influence is the product of reach and authority.

To influence the actions of others, you have to have access to them—and they have to perceive you to have some level of authority, either over them or in an area of expertise they value

(Most) Influence is invisible.
Read more at www.brasstackthinking.com

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How do you conduct a survey to improve traffic and reader value?

2010-08-24T06:08:00.001-07:00

The authors of Problogger give some great insights into how to use a survey to build more reader loyalty and participation. That translates into traffic and perhaps income if you are using an affiliate or ad model of income for your site. Even if you don't monetize your site at all, it is a great way to stay relevant. No one wants a site that gets no readers. Boring.

To practice what we preach, send us a comment on how we can improve this site as well! We want your thoughts...

Amplify’d from www.problogger.net

Determine What You Want to Know First

Ask Specific Questions

Set ‘Rules’

Set Good Expectations

Be Willing to Hear Critiques

If you’d like to see how I do this – I recently gave readers opportunities to comment on my main two personal blogs at How Can I Make ProBlogger More Useful to You? and How Can We Improve Digital Photography School.

For another example of how do this check out this recent post over at Copyblogger in which Brian asks readers to tell him what Copyblogger means to them. It’s a great question because not only does he learn a lot but readers are responding in ways that cement their readership as they’re telling each other what they like about the blog.
Read more at www.problogger.net

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Can artist benefit from social media?

2010-08-20T06:18:00.001-07:00

In other words, can you make any sales of your artwork using social media? The answer is YES...

Amplify’d from www.artprintissues.com

There is undeniable demonstrable value in social media for artists and other entrepreneurs.

Social media is far more than the ubiquitous Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn mentions. It includes blogging, publishing. networking, commenting, photo sharing, and more.

Working smarter is far more effective than working harder

Here are a few art marketing / social media suggestions

Look for groups and people where you might find potential collectors. Being in a bunch of groups with other artists may help you gain career or business insights, but not collectors. Limit the amount of time you spend posting to family, friends and old high school chums. When you do, find creative ways to remind them your art is for sale.

Get a tool like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck that will allow you to write a bunch posts that are set to publish at different times. Limit the amount of time you spend on social media. Don't sit there with it on all day long. It will suck your time and deplete your energy.

Don't try to work too many social media venues at one time

Make sure you do everything you can to get the email address of every potential collector you encounterRead more at www.artprintissues.com

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What are the real reasons someone is successful?

2010-08-11T07:06:00.001-07:00

I admit I haven't read Malcom Gladwell's book Outliers (I will order it now) but he outlines the effects behind success. You might be surprised what are some of the scientific reasons some people are more successful than others! Jimmy Kimmel is fun to listen to also :)

Amplify’d from www.youtube.com

Malcolm Gladwell "Outliers" on Jimmy Kimmel Live 1-13-09
Read more at www.youtube.com

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7 Ways to Push Your Creativity Levels to the Max!

2010-08-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

How do you challenge yourself to greater creativity? What do you do to push yourself, not just to achieve more but to master your business/art/relationships/self? In an effort to push my creative levels, I decided to sit down and write out 7 ways to push your creative levels to the max. I decided to do this without any prior googling (research) or in any particular order of importance. Here goes:

1. Challenge Yourself. Do something you have never done before. Take a new class in an area drastically different then what you are used to.

2. Limit Yourself. I do this when I paint. I try to limit myself to just a few colors or bits of ephemera in my collages. Otherwise, I get overwhelmed and eventually blocked. If you do #1, do it in a set about of time, be it one hour, one week, one month, etc.

3. Don't think. This doesn't mean don't use your brain but we can over analyze everything. Do what I am doing with this 7 things exercise and just be spontaneous. You might be surprised how much you really do know.

4. Break the rules. If you try to be creative and color inside the lines you might get stuck and/or be completely bored. New discoveries come when you do what is not supposed to be done.

5. Stick to the rules. OK, this goes against #4 but I can break my own rule not to follow the rules by following them can't I? This is similar to #2 where you limit yourself. Instead of limiting your resources, pick the a few rules in a certain areas and apply new ideas to them.

6. Be random. Explore new thoughts in diverse fields and apply them to your field or area of interest. I like to go to a magazine rack and pick a few random magazines and read random articles to see what this can spark for me. You can do this online with sites like popurl.com and alltop.com.

7. Be disciplined. The best thinkers on creativity seem to advocate that you do whatever it is you do every day! Start early. Work at a specific time everyday. This technique seems easier when you don't insist on an outcome. This always stymies me. Trust the process and let your creativity flow but allow it do so on a schedule too.

As I sat down to write these 7 ways to push your creativity levels to the maximum, I was a bit worried I would get stuck halfway through. I didn't. Whew. Actually, I could have written more or broken up various points into smaller chunks and so on. Put my goal was 7 so here they are. Share with me your thoughts or additional creativity maximizers by clicking the comment link or sending me a tweet at http://www.twitter.com/thirstyfishinfo

140 Twitter Tips

2010-08-05T06:40:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

140 Twitter Tips

View more presentations from Kyle Lacy.

Music Therapist Bloggers to Watch...

2010-07-29T07:03:00.001-07:00

I have been taking a closer look at the inter-relationship between music and therapy lately. Specifically, how does can it aid me in working with children and families that have suffered trauma? What does music do to the brain and how can it improve attachment between parent and child. In my effort to know more, I ran across these blogs...I plan to read them in more depth later but thought you might enjoy them now. Got others to share or something to say on this topic? Let me know by leaving a comment...

Amplify’d from www.musictherapymaven.com

Top 6 Music Therapy Bloggers

1. Rachel Rambach is a music therapist in Springfield, IL. She works full-time at the Hope Institute with children with multiple disabilities and maintains a private practice. Plus, she runs the awesome blog Listen and Learn music

2. Daniel Tague is currently pursuing his doctorate in music therapy. He posts lots of useful, concrete information and tips on his blog, Music Makes Sense

3. I have yet to meet Erin Breedlove in person, but I’ve connected with her frequently on Facebook. She’s a new music therapy student and is VERY passionate about her new-found calling. Erin runs the blog Empowering People and Changing Lives,

4. Roia may not post often (she had 39 posts in 2009), but when she does it’s insightful, thought-provoking, and genuine. Her posts on the Mindful Music Therapist

5. Michelle Erfurt is a music therapist in Florida with big ideas to help other professionals and students. She founded The Music Therapy Tween

6. I can’t believe I forgot this one! My original list did not include Matt Logan, but it should have. Matt launched the Music Therapy SourcRead more at www.musictherapymaven.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/85ou

25 Cent Solution to Greater Creativity

2010-07-28T22:03:00.001-07:00

How much does a plain light bulb cost? While the price might vary, it isn't much. Twenty-five cents or thereabouts. Some interesting research suggests that this is a cheap but effective way to increase creativity. Apparently, the mere presence of the iconic creativity symbol is all that is needed...

Amplify’d from www.neurosciencemarketing.com

As long as I can remember, the image of a light bulb has been a symbol of creative thought. Park a cartoon lightbulb over a cartoon scientist, and just about everyone will know the scientist just had a great insight. In a rather remarkable example of life imitating art, research at Tufts University has found that working next to a lightbulb actually increases creativity.

Priming the subjects with this iconic image actually boosted their problem solving skills

nearly 40%Read more at www.neurosciencemarketing.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/85a1

What is the H.E.A.R.T. of Social Media?

2010-07-26T09:29:00.001-07:00

I find that using social media is a very simple process. This may not be true for everyone however. Here is a simple formula to help anyone get to the HEART of the mattter...

Amplify’d from dannybrown.me

So how do you keep up and make sure you’re not the one left in the social media wastepaper bin? How about getting to the HEART of social media?

Hear what’s being said

Engage the conversation

Acclimatize to your new surroundings

Reach outside your core audience

Transparency is key

Most happy endings come from following your heart – why should it be any different for social media?
Read more at dannybrown.me

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/82ft

What would you do with more money?

2010-07-23T16:29:00.001-07:00

According to Guy Kawasaki, you would do poorer business. That is right: more money makes for less quality. He gives 6 logical reasons why...read on and share your thirsty fish thoughts in return.

clipped from www.openforum.com

Many entrepreneurs believe that the lack of capital is their primary problem. If only they had a fat bank balance, they could kick butt. As a venture capitalist, I’ve seen what happens when companies raise substantial capital. It’s not pretty—in fact, my theory is that too much money is worse than too little. Here’s why.

Expenses expand to the level of funding

Money creates a false sense of security

Money makes companies hire “proven” people

Money makes companies buy people with salaries

Money causes dependence on experts and vendors

Money makes entrepreneurship look like a serial process

What's the point?

2010-07-05T06:47:00.001-07:00

I have said it before and I will say it again: "I love the way Seth Godin thinks!" He is truly a Thirsty Fish Thinker. Read on and leave a comment/thought or two yourself.

clipped from sethgodin.typepad.com

An idea turns into a meeting and then it turns into a project. People get brought along, there's free donuts, there's a whiteboard and even a conference call.
It feels like you're doing the work, but at some point, hopefully, someone asks, "what's the point of this?"
Is it worth doing?
Compared to everything else we could be investing (don't say 'spending') our time on, is this the scariest, most likely to pay off, most important or the best long-term endeavor?
Or are we just doing it because no one had the guts along the way to say STOP.
Are you doing work worth doing, or are you just doing your job?

3 Steps to Simple Blogging Everyday!

2010-06-24T06:32:00.001-07:00

I found this article by Chris Brogan very helpful and convicting. He outlines in 3 steps the process he uses when he blogs - and he blogs a lot! That last part is what convicted me. Some would say I blog a lot but actually I don't. I should and that is what convicts me. Review his thoughts and share yours...

clipped from www.chrisbrogan.com

Let’s go through the formula:

Step 1: Decide WHAT the Post Should DO for You

To get a call to action.

To attract business.

To promote someone else.

To get links and bookmarks and reblogs.

To get a conversation started.

Step 2: How Can I Be Helpful?

tips and advice and ideas that you can use for yourself.

Step 3: The Actual Writing

start with a headline

find a picture on Flickr under their Creative Commons area

My first paragraph is always a personable lead-in, usually with a question

Keynote: Three Ways Social Business Must Scale

2010-06-12T08:16:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Keynote: Three Ways Social Business Must Scale

View more presentations from Jeremiah Owyang.

9 Money Saving Tips from the Great Depression

2010-06-09T06:37:00.001-07:00

Why don't we follow these simple rules about spending anymore? What other tips can you share to add to this list? Leave a comment...

clipped from carrieanddanielle.com

Live Under Your Income

budgeting your expenses and then just getting enough cash out every week to cover your needs and put those credit cards all away.

Less Focus on Wants, More Focus on Needs

If it’s clearly not a need you should put the purchase off for 24 hours before you complete it so you have some time to think about it carefully.

Stay At Home

Eat At Home

Pass Over the Alcohol

Shirk the Latte

Shopping and Entertainment Are Different, Don’t Confuse Them

Keep the Car

Use All of It, Wear It Out, Make Do with It, Do Without It

This is the motto that ruled the depression era. Keep this in mind and use it before you purchase something. Its tips like these that can get you through the worrisome times and help you save some money in the good times.

How can authors make promote via web/social media?

2010-05-29T07:25:00.001-07:00

If you are an author looking for ways to promote your new book, here are just 5 ideas to get going. Read the entire article for more tips and tools...

clipped from www.chrisbrogan.com

An Author’s Plan for Social Media

Set up a URL for the book, and/or maybe one for your name. Need help finding a URL? I use Ajaxwhois.com for simple effort in searching.

Set up a blog. If you want it free and super fast, WordPress or Tumblr. I’d recommend getting hosting like Bloghost.me.

On the blog, write about interesting things that pertain to the book, but don’t just promote the book over and over again. In fact, blow people away by promoting their blogs and their books, if they’re related a bit.

Start an email newsletter. It’s amazing how much MORE responsive email lists are than any other online medium.

Build a Facebook fan page for the book or for bonus points, build one around the topic the book covers, and only lightly promote the book via the page.

How do you keep referrals coming into your business?

2010-05-25T06:49:00.001-07:00

There are a few people that are simply must-reads. John Jantsch is one of them. It has been a while since his book the Duct Tape Marketing came out and this one is worth the wait. Pick up a copy and pump up your referrals today...

clipped from referralenginebook.com

Download a free chapter – Chapter 1 The Realities of Referral

Marketing expert John Jantsch offers practical techniques for harnessing the power of referrals to ensure a steady flow of new customers. Keep those customers happy, and they will refer your business to even more customers. Some of Jantsch’s strategies include:

Talk with your customers, not at them

The sales team is the most important part of your marketing team.

Educate your customers

The secret to generating referrals lies in understanding the “Customer Referral Cycle”—the way customers refer others to your company who, in turn, generate even more referrals

Do you doodle?

2010-05-20T07:15:00.001-07:00

I am one of those not-so-rare types that like to doodle. It has nothing to do with attention deficit, drawing skills or boredom. OK, sometimes it has to do with those things for me but as you can read below, it may have a greater reason too... Do you doodle? Leave us a comment, link or tweet.

clipped from www.creativity-portal.com

What do you think when you see someone doodling during a class lecture or a department meeting? Are they paying attention or mindlessly daydreaming? Do you ever wonder if doodling helps them in their learning process? You may be surprised.

Here's the old thinking and new wisdom Wenner shares about doodling:

Old Thinking: "Scribbling circles on a notepad while your company's chief inspiration officer drones on about synergy means you have trouble focusing."

New Wisdom: "Doodling can boost your mind's ability to notice and remember mundane information by nearly 30 percent, according to research from the University of Plymouth. The theory is that the act of drawing makes use of visuospacial processes in the brain that might otherwise be used for daydreaming, thereby preventing your mind from wandering."

Is your brain operating at its creative best?

2010-05-10T13:08:00.001-07:00

<p>&amp;amp;lt;a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Power-Hardcover-workout-creative-quizzes/dp/B002N887JI?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;amp;amp;tag=parentingtoolbox&amp;amp;amp;amp;link_code=btl&amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=213689&amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=392969"&amp;amp;gt;Boost Your Brain Power- Hardcover, mental workout &amp;amp;amp;amp; gift cards. Boxed set of logic &amp;amp;amp;amp; word games, number, memory &amp;amp;amp;amp; creative quizzes.&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=parentingtoolbox&amp;amp;amp;amp;l=btl&amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=213689&amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=392969&amp;amp;amp;amp;o=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;a=B002N887JI" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1"&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=parentingtoolbox&amp;amp;amp;amp;o=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;p=8&amp;amp;amp;amp;l=bpl&amp;amp;amp;amp;asins=0972028234&amp;amp;amp;amp;fc1=000000&amp;amp;amp;amp;IS2=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;m=amazon&amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;amp;amp;amp;bc1=000000&amp;amp;amp;amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;amp;amp;amp;f=ifr" style="padding-top: 5px; width: 131px; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=parentingtoolbox&amp;amp;amp;amp;o=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;p=8&amp;amp;amp;amp;l=bpl&amp;amp;amp;amp;asins=B003FJ64C6&amp;amp;amp;amp;fc1=000000&amp;amp;amp;amp;IS2=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;m=amazon&amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;amp;amp;amp;bc1=000000&amp;amp;amp;amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;amp;amp;amp;f=ifr" style="padding-top: 5px; width: 131px; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"&amp;amp;gt;</p>Image via Wikipedia

This article sounds like the old left brain/right brain discussion that has been around for a long time. I guess it is still of interest to everyone in trying to increase personal and professional performance. Take a look at the book for more in-depth exercises and creativity tools.

clipped from www.problogger.net

At a recent conference, Harvard psychologist Shelley Carson spoke on harnessing your brain state for optimum creativity. Carson is an expert on creativity research and the author of Your Creative Brain: Seven Steps to Maximize Imagination, Productivity, and Innovation in Your Life (aff).

The Deliberate Pathway

The deliberate pathway handles problem solving, planning, reasoning. You use this pathway when you’re actively focused on a problem or task. For those interested in brain anatomy, this pathway primarily uses the prefrontal cortex, the most frontal portion the brain.

The Spontaneous Pathway

The spontaneous pathway, on the other hand, comes into play during idea incubation, immersion, and free association. You’re in this brain state when you defocus your attention: when you’re sleeping, in the shower, in a boring meeting, etc. The spontaneous pathway uses posterior portions of the brain.

How do you define beauty?

2010-05-01T21:16:00.001-07:00

The best line in this article is "people tell me that I have captured the persons inner beauty. This is not about inner beauty, this person is beautiful!' Watch and read on...

How do you define beauty?

clipped from www.psychologytoday.com

Most of us feel that we aren't photogenic. But what if you have a genetic condition or physical trait that really makes a difference in how you feel about yourself and how others perceive you? Maybe it sounds counterintuitive, but photography actually can be the cure for a broken self-image.

We humans have a common response to other people who look different. We turn our gaze away from individuals whose physical appearances make us feel uncomfortable; just think of your reaction when you see those ubiquitous television ads asking for donations for children with cleft palates. Or some of us may even stare, mesmerized by what we have been conditioned to view as physical deformity, defect, or disability. But what if a photograph could change those reactions

What is the worst icebreaker game you have had to do?

2010-04-17T22:16:00.001-07:00

I am guilty of making my staff and people in my seminars do all kinds of teambuilding games. Why today I used duct tape on four people...it's a long story. Anyway, what is the worst icebreaker or team building game you have had to do? Share with us by leaving a comment or sending us a tweet @thirstyfishinfo

clipped from www.howstuffworks.com

It's your first day at a new job and you're ready to make a solid impression. You walk into the office and you're handed a card with an animal on it, you're instructed to take off one shoe and you're told to put on a funny hat.

Huh?

You've walked into an office icebreaker, and you can kiss your dreams of a professional first impression goodbye.

In the spirit of fighting fire with fire, corporate icebreakers fight awkward with more awkward. Not surprisingly, this tactic often fails. Icebreakers are games intended to encourage strangers to connect. Although they are most commonly used in teen groups or religious retreats, businesses have begun to adopt them to get their employees to interact and to increase teamwork. But many people feel meeting co-workers for the first time is hard enough without being forced to play a ridiculous game concocted by over exuberant group leaders.

10 Ways To Use Linkedin In Your Business

2010-04-10T21:18:00.001-07:00

Guy Kawasaki, my fav blogger, asked for some cool ways to use linkedin in your business. See how many you are using...

clipped from www.openforum.com

now there are over twelve million small-business people on LinkedIn, which is roughly 20 percent of its total user base.

LinkedIn recently provided me a list of ten additional ways small businesses can use LinkedIn:

Acquire new customers through online recommendations and word of mouth.

Keep in touch with people who care most about your business.

Find the right vendors to outsource services you’re not an expert on.

Build your industry network—online and in person.

Get answers to tough business questions with a little help from your real friends.

Win new business by answering questions in your area of expertise.

Raise funding.

Network with peers in your industry for repeat business referrals.

Convince potential customers of your expertise by sharing unique blog content.

Keep your friends close and your competition closer.

Classic Marketing Techniques to Increase Conversions

2010-04-06T05:56:00.001-07:00

Sometimes the best things are the oldest and simplest things. Read some of the old-fashioned sales ideas below. They have worked for generations and they will work for you to help you increase conversions on your website or with your product/service.

clipped from www.wilsonweb.com

But when it comes to your sales pages and most landing pages, some good, old-fashioned sales techniques still apply.

Here are some of the classics:

Urgency. Give people a legitimate reason to buy immediately. Offer ends soon etc.

Scarcity. Let people know that supplies are limited (if they are).

New. People always pay a little extra attention to something that's new.

Free. An old one, but a good one. Is there something free that you can include with the purchase?

Save. People love to save money.

Risk-free. People hate to take risks, particularly when buying from an online company they don't know very well.

Take a look at your current sales pages, whether you are making a direct sale, generating a lead, asking for a registration or selling a subscription.

Try adding one technique at a time. Try bundling two or three.

Then track the results until you have maximized your conversion rates for the page.

Who do you follow on Twitter? Here's 14 ways to get ideas...

2010-03-29T07:17:00.001-07:00

How do you decide who to follow on twitter? Who do you follow on twitter? Why would anyone follow you back? These are big questions that social media professionals ask themselves as they work with new client companies but it also may be a question you have asked yourself. Here's a list of 14 different online services that may help.

clipped from news.cnet.com

TwitterCounter. TwitterCounter shows you your worldwide rank in terms of how many followers you have.

TwitterHolic. If you want all the functionality TwitterCounter provides, TwitterHolic probably isn't for you.

WeFollow. It might be new, but WeFollow has already made an impression on the Twitter Community.

Just Tweet It. Just Tweet It is similar to WeFollow in that it asks users to add themselves to the directory listing that's relevant to them.

MediaOnTwitter. Though it's not the prettiest site in this roundup, MediaOnTwitter is a fine resource for those who want to find out which journalists, bloggers, and media outlets are on Twitter

Social Brand Index. Social Brand Index is a listing of Twitter accounts held by public-facing companies.

TrackingTwitter. TrackingTwitter wants to be the definitive source for "brands, media, television, celebrities, and electric artists

Twellow.

TwitterLinkUp.

Twibs.

TweeterTags.

TwitterVision.

Twubble.

WhoShouldIFollow.

Why do we dream at night?

2010-03-23T14:05:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had an important meeting scheduled for the next day and you spent the night before dreaming anxious dreams. This happened to me a while back and it certainly isn't out of the ordinary (I hope). As the research below describes, we dream to process the events of our day and the day to follow. It is the brains way of sorting what should be kept and what should be gotten rid of. Read on for a great synopsis about our dream life.

clipped from scienceblogs.com

While we're fast asleep, the mind is sifting through the helter-skelter of the day, trying to figure out what we need to remember and what we can afford to forget.

Unfortunately for me, there's increasing evidence that our dreams are not neural babble, but are instead layered with significance and substance. The narratives that seem so incomprehensible -- why was I running through the airport in my underwear? -- are actually careful distillations of experience, a regurgitation of all the new ideas and insights we encounter during the day.

the mind is sifting through the helter-skelter of the day, trying to figure out what we need to remember and what we can afford to forget.

In recent years, scientists have discovered that R.E.M. sleep isn't just essential for the formation of long-term memories: it might also be an essential component of creativity.

Should you have a mission or a mantra?

2010-03-22T16:08:00.001-07:00

age via Wikipedia

According to Guy Kawasaki, your mission statement should be only a few words and everyone in your organization should be able to chant it over and over again. This really hit home for me as I am in the middle of helping my company with a new vision of our mission statement. Can you chant yours? What is it, if so? Tweet us @thirstyfishinfo or leave a comment.

clipped from blog.guykawasaki.com

I give up trying to get people to create short, different, and meaningful mission statements, so go ahead and spend the $25,000 for the offsite, facilitator, and consultants to create one. However, you should also create a mantra for your organization. A mantra is three or four words long. Tops. Its purpose is to help employees truly understand why the organization exists.

If I were the CEO of Wendy’s, I would establish a corporate mantra of “healthy fast food.” End of story. Here are more examples of corporate mantras to inspire you:

Federal Express: “Peace of mind”
Nike: “Authentic athletic performance”
Target: “Democratize design”
Mary Kay “Enriching women’s lives”

The ultimate test for a mantra (or mission statement) is if your telephone operators (Trixie and Biff) can tell you what it is. If they can, then you’re onto something meaningful and memorable. If they can’t, then, well, it sucks.

Where and when (and with whom) do you do GREAT work?

2010-03-18T07:24:00.001-07:00

I try to read a little bit each week about some new ideas in my field of expertise. I also couldn't live with out my podcasts in a number of different areas to stimulate thinking. How about you?

clipped from www.entrepreneur.com

Whatever you're making, whatever services you offer, whatever you're selling, everything you do falls into one of three categories:

Bad Work is the work that wastes time, slows things down and sucks the spirit dry. It's bureaucracy, complexity and paperwork.

Good Work is what most of us do most of the time. It's comfortable, familiar and the heart of our business. As entrepreneurs, good work is our economic engine. It's that reliable product or service we produce for our customers, all with a profit margin that works.

Great Work is the flame that burns inside most entrepreneurs, the work that lights us up and excites us. It's the work we care most about, that stretches and challenges us. It's work that has meaning for us and creates impact.

So how do you manage the busywork so you can do less good work and more great work? Here are two simple and powerful tips:

Begin with the Great

set aside for great work

Find Great Work Allies

find people who are extraordinary

Use Twitter in a National Emergency...

2010-03-09T22:08:00.001-08:00

You might be able to use this line of reasoning to your spouse to let you buy the new Droid or 3G iPhone, but better yet to learn a few high tech, social media tricks to help you during a time of crisis. Any other tips? Tweet us @thirstyfishinfo or leave a comment!

clipped from mashable.com

Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes — lately, it seems like there’s a new natural disaster wreaking havoc on poor planet Earth every week. From our television sets to our Twitter () streams, it’s impossible to ignore the devastation these disasters leave behind.

Create a Plan

According to FEMA, the best way to avoid significant damage during a disaster is to prepare an emergency response plan in advance. The FEMA website is a great place to get that process started.

You can easily order ID cards online at places like Life360, a site that offers multiple mobile and web-based emergency planning services, including ID cards for your kids

your 3G-enabled phone will likely help you stay connected in case of an emergency. Even though phone lines may be down or jammed, the 3G network won’t necessarily be out as well. This is how Twitter status updates helped locate a missing person during the recent Chile earthquake

bookmark your local emergency services site

Google Docs

back up your important

papers

How do you use social media?

2010-03-07T09:47:00.001-08:00

Cover via Amazon

Chris Brogan is the author of Trust Agents and a great pragmatist when it comes to social media uses. Here's a great bit of how to make social media cool and use it for some great power business tools. What do you do with social media sites like twitter, linkedin, myspace or facebook that is cool?

clipped from www.chrisbrogan.com

Social media are a bunch of tools. They let us see things a bit differently. They empowered new ways of working together. But they’re just the tools. When this all gets cool is when we start really turning this stuff on our own passion projects, on our bigger goals, on what COULD happen.

Start a public list of Twitter accounts from local businesses. Point everyone in your community to it.

Start small mastermind groups on Google Wave (I have an incredible group going. Very small. Very useful.)

Donate four hours a week to a charity, giving them more promotion and exposure for their causes, equipping them with more ways to find what they need.

Connect to 10 people every day. Make it a blend of 5 people you’ve been in touch with, and 5 people you need to stay fresh with. Ask for nothing. Offer everything. ( Tim Sanders does this well.)

Give your local school teachers or library a free class on how to use the tools for their projects.

The Social Impact of Friendships and Lies | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Consulting - Convince & Convert

2010-03-07T08:36:00.001-08:00

We don't trust the media anymore but we do trust our friends online. Should we really?

clipped from www.convinceandconvert.com

Social Media Strategy Blog Social Media Consulting

What's your emotional trigger?

2010-03-03T07:08:00.001-08:00

We all got one! Some of us have a "hair-line" trigger and blow at the littlest things. More importantly, for marketing, what are you using in your copy writing?

clipped from www.entrepreneur.com

Once you identify the target audience for your marketing messages, you need to consider which emotional triggers you can connect to those messages. Following are 10 common emotional triggers that you can tie into your marketing messages to make the sale.

Fear: Fear is an emotion that can be used in a wide variety of marketing messages. Insurance companies often appeal to the emotion of fear with messages like "Don't get caught with too little insurance."

Guilt: Consumers are easily affected by messages that trigger emotions of guilt. Nonprofit organizations use the guilt trigger effectively in copy such as "Don't let them suffer anymore."

Trust: Trust is one of the hottest trends in marketing, and every company seems to be trying to jump on the trust bandwagon in their marketing messages. Financial companies are leading the way with messages like "no hidden fees."

Value:

Belonging:

Competition:

Instant Gratification:

Leadership:

Trend-setting:

Time:

Twitter Speeding Towards 10 Billion Tweets

2010-03-03T06:44:00.001-08:00

I was just chatting with a couple of friends who still haven't gotten on board twitter. Why not? Is it too late? I wonder...Click below to get more info.

clipped from mashable.com

About one year ago Twitter reached a huge milestone: one billion tweets. Four months ago, 5 billion tweets were served. And now, in about one day, Twitter

12 Questions to Ask Yourself about your business

2010-02-27T22:16:00.001-08:00

I am not sure I agree with all of the ideas suggested in this post but there are some very good and very hard questions to assess your success (or lack thereof). The point I disagree with the most is the need to work on weekends. I am sure the author doesn't mean every weekend and I have had a few weekends where I do work but overall there should be a clear line of demarcation between work life and family life. The one question I really appreciate is "Are you a defeatist." So many of us are negative! We create most of our own problems and blame them on everything else. What are your thoughts? Tweet us @thirstyfishinfo or reply below.

clipped from www.entrepreneur.com

Do you love your business as much as your family?

Do you take responsibility for every aspect of your business?

Do you play golf?

Do you work on weekends?

Do your workers respect you?

Are you aware of all of your customers and their needs?

Does your ego get the best of you?

Are you clear in your directions and do your employees listen to you?

Do you pay for performance?

Do you pay yourself well?

Are you a defeatist?

Are you satisfied?

The old "David and Goliath" Marketing Strategy!

2010-02-26T06:49:00.001-08:00

In this article Dan goes on to demonstrate that how this played out with a twitter post entitled: “Twitter plans to Mangle ReTweets.” He sets up the belief structure about how twitter is wrong and so, plays the villian. People identify with Dan and other tweeters as the victim and then act on Dan's request to fight back. The old David and Goliath strategy!

I actually read about this years ago from Guy Kawasaki about the making of software "evangelists" for Apple. He called it "blowing smoke up the nose" or some such thing. Obviously, Microsoft was the nose. Blowing smoke was to get PR and everyone who heard about it became the evangelists for the cause/company.

Who is your Goliath in your service/industry? How can you set up a belief system and use social media to blow the smoke? Thoughts? Share them by retweeting this now!!!

clipped from danzarrella.com

Us vs them is one of the oldest, and most powerful marketing ideas. Apple is a quintessential example: from their beginnings they’ve portrayed themselves as the small guy against the big powerful bully. In 1983 it was IBM and more recently its been Microsoft. The company turns customers into evangelists who are more than happy to spread the word about the good fight, but how exactly does it work?

If the listener accepts statements S1 through S99 they will act on S100.This is how many religions work, the belief system is the bait and attached to it is an evangelism hook.

The letter then explores a more subtle variation based on a simple structure:

The villain is wronging the victim.

If the listener believes this statement, and believes that the victim deserves to be saved and if the villain is bigger or more powerful than them they will realize that the only way to effectively challenge the villain is to recruit more people to help. The evangelism hook is implicit, subtle and powerful.

Twitter and Blogs = A perfect marriage?

2010-02-22T06:46:00.001-08:00

I am reposting this video on how bloggers can use twitter to enhance their reach/traffic. Here's some great ideas from the creator of ProBlogger. Enjoy!

clipped from thirstyfishinfo.amplify.com

Amplify'd fromwww.socialmediaexaminer.com

Darren also authored the best selling book Problogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income.

In this video Darren shares why Problogger took off and his great tips on how bloggers should use Twitter.

Listen to this interview to find out:

How creating a profile in one space can help you to springboard into another space

Why blogs no longer look like blogs and how they are changing

How to use Twitter to benefit your blog

Read more at www.socialmediaexaminer.com

Why you can't trust your brain...

2010-02-20T07:51:00.001-08:00

Here is a great article on how your brain uses shortcuts to manage the overwhelming number of tasks and details of life. There are 50 different "Brain Biases" listed here...you will have to click the link to read them all. I clipped the first few and got enough to chew on for some time. How do you conform, unwittingly, to the "group think bias" or the "loss bias", etc.? Share with us on twitter @thirstyfishinfo or leave a comment.

clipped from www.brainbiases.com

There's only so much information that can be analyzed by our brains before a cognitive load maximum is reached, and in the lead-up to that load, our critical-thinking faculties get sloppier. That's when mental short-cuts, like the brain biases, are useful.

The GroupThink Bias

The tendency to do (or believe) things because many other folks do.

The Confirmation Bias

The tendency to seek evidence that agrees with our position and dismiss evidence that does not.

The Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to take credit for desirable outcomes and blame others for undesirable ones.

The tendency to underestimate the time is takes to complete a task.

The Just-World Bias

The tendency for people to believe the world is "just" and therefore people "get what they deserve."

The Loss-Aversion Bias

The tendency to find losses twice as painful as we find gains pleasurable.

The Beautiful-People Bias

The tendency for beautiful people to receive more rewards than less attractive people.

Imperfection and Marketing (a Spiritual View)!

2010-02-18T09:28:00.001-08:00

Fr. Richard Rohr is one of my favorite spiritual writers. In today's meditation he looks at how we deal with imperfection in life. This is applicable in any area of our lives, especially work. You may not see work as spiritual but you do have to deal with your own attitudes and beliefs about imperfection. Fr. Rohr hints at the faulty ideas of dualistic thinking: Believing you are either all perfect or never perfect. One extreme of the other. That leads to paralyzed effort in my experience. What are your thoughts?

clipped from thirstyfishinfo.amplify.com

Question of the Day:

How does one incorporate imperfection?

In a Navajo rug there is always one clear imperfection woven into the pattern. And interestingly enough, this is precisely where the Spirit moves in and out of the rug! The Semitic mind, the Eastern mind (which, by the way, Jesus would have been much closer to) understands perfection in precisely that way. The East is much more comfortable with paradox, mystery, and non-dual thinking than the Western mind which is formed by Greek logic.

Perfection is not the elimination of imperfection, as we think. Divine perfection is, in fact, the ability to recognize, forgive, and include imperfection!—just as God does with all of us. Only in this way can we find the beautiful and hidden wholeness of God underneath the passing human show. It is the gift of non-dual thinking and seeing, which itself is a gift of love, suffering, and grace. In fact, this is the radical grace that grounds all holy seeing and doing.

Do you love your job?

2010-02-16T21:27:00.001-08:00

I have a bad habit of complaining about little things. I think there is a part of me that believes I shouldn't something too much so that I doubt get hurt or disappointed.I don't think I am alone in this attitude, am i?

There truth is I really do live my job. Loving it makes all aspects of it easier and more fun. This is one of the reasons I love marketing. If you don't like to market yourself you might want to ask yourself if you really like what you do. Do you?

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