Swirly Girl

Marianne on Mother's Day

[My lovely friend Marianne Elliott, who I wrote about in the current issue of Artful Blogging.]

Today I'd like to share a Mother's Day message from the extraordinary Marianne Elliott ~

Every year as Mother’s Day approaches I wonder what to give my mother. She always insists that she neither wants nor needs anything except the company of her children and grandchildren.

I’m also loathe to spend money on something my mother doesn’t really want or need when there are so many other mothers in the world who could benefit if I did something more constructive with that money. So I usually concentrate on trying to get home to visit instead.

But this year my mother is in Uganda for Mother’s Day (yes, my parents are entirely to blame for my adventurous streak and these days I can barely keep up with them) so I can’t spend the day with her and needed to find something else to do to honour her.

Luckily, I’ve been able to be part of a fantastic project by Epic Change that gives us all a chance to honour the mothers in our lives at the same time as we help make one very special mama’s dream come true.

This year, my gift to my mother will be my personally created “heartspace” on To Mama With Love, and a donation in my mother’s name that will help another mama who is even further away. Her name is Mama Lucy and she’s literally a mother to an entire school that she envisioned and built using her income as a chicken farmer as seed capital. Serving over 400 children, the school is already one of the top-ranked primary schools in Arusha, Tanzania – all because of a woman with a vision of a brighter future and an organization called Epic Change who helped generate thousands of donations via various social media outreach efforts.

“I started learning at this school since I was six years old; Now I am 12. Mama Lucy is a founder of our school Shepherds Junior. She is a hard-working mama. She is kind. She loves us and I love her very much.”

~ Nihad, a student at Mama Lucy’s school, echoing the sentiments of her fellow students.

Mama Lucy has another dream. At the school, Mama Lucy’s next step is to build a home on campus for many of the children who attend, so that every child has a nurturing environment to learn and grow. With To Mama With Love, we hope to build this home out of the love we share for moms across the globe. Just imagine.

According to the LA Times, this year Americans alone will spend $14.6 billion on Mother’s Day. Imagine if the gifts we gave made the world a better place for children & mamas everywhere.

This Mother’s Day, as you think about the mamas in your life, consider doing two things:

1. Create your own heartspace to show how much you love the momma’s in your life. The donation to create your heartspace will go directly to Mama Lucy’s real-life heartspace – a children’s home in Arusha, Tanzania.

2. Post your special creation to your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. encouraging others to create theirs as well. This is a chance to make a real difference in the world for our next generation.

3. If you’re a Mom, I hope you’ll let those who love you know that this year, you want them to create a heartspace in your honor, too.

Together, we’ll celebrate how grateful we are for remarkable women, like Mama Lucy, who create a better future for all of us by loving, nurturing & educating the world’s children.

Practical + Exceptional

[My high school BFF Carrie with her high school sweetheart (now husband) Jim and their beautiful family - Jack, Ellie, Bayley and Benjamin.]

I recently received an email from my best friend from high school Carrie announcing the release of her husband's new book The Practical Guide to Exceptional Living.  I am excited to share my friends' new venture -  friends I've known since I was, oh, about thirteen years old.  What can I say?  These two have the goods on me, and I'm grateful they've never demanded hush money to keep quiet the stories all my teenage stumblings they saw on a daily basis back at Thomas Edison High School.

More than that, I love seeing these dear friends do so well and share their blessings and abundance in such creative ways.  Without further ado, meet Jim Garland, entrepreneur & author...

Hello Jim...Thank you so much for taking some time to hang out over here at Swirly Girl.  I was so excited when I got the email from Carrie about your new book.  I've read the synopsis on your website & blog, but I'd love for you to share with everyone here what your book is about. 

When and how did you first come up with the idea for your book?

Writing this book was something that I had been thinking about for 10 years.  I started to really hone in on the concepts and the reality of the book in the fall of 2008.  I have read hundreds of books on self development and I wanted to create one that was coming from someone who was an entrepreneur not from someone who makes their living writing these books.

Is the actual book much different from your original idea and vision?  If so, how did it evolve and change?

The name and some of the content continued to change over time but the core principles and ideas for the original book remained the same.  I always wanted it to be a 3-4 hour read and a book that gave a lot of practical info in an easy to understand and useable form  My goal was always to have a book that could be read by anyone, a house mom, an executive, a doctor, an artist, or a student, anyone can read this book and find something that will help them shift their thinking.
 
I love that your book title includes the words practical and exceptional.  To me that implies you are taking big ideas and grounding them in concrete, workable messages.  Can you tell me what each of those words means to you?
 
These two words can become very powerful when they are used together.  My goal was to provide very practical information that if used correctly could produce exceptional results.
 
Using the word Practical meant to me that it would be easy to understand and could be applied very easily to anyone’s life. The book had to be practical and not to outlandish or hard for people to grasp..
 
The use of the word Exceptional was an interesting choice for me.  To me exceptional has nothing to do with size and that was important.  I am not telling people they will achieve huge results, or full bank accounts, or 6 pack abs.  I am simply asking people to look inside of themselves and determine what an exceptional life would mean for them and then create.  What is exceptional for me might be something completely different for you, and that is the point.  We all have different views and ideas about what an exceptional life can be.

What I do in my book is give people concepts and ideas that can be easily implemented into their daily lives immediately and that can lead to exceptional results.  There are no quick fixes or get rich quick ideas here.  My book is really more about shifting how you think which in turn will shift how you act or react.
 
What advice would you give to someone wanting to live an exceptional, creative life? 
 
The first thing you must do is live with gratitude every day.  You must be able to get yourself into a mental state where you are grateful for all that you have in your life right now at this moment.  This was a big shift for me.  When I started to appreciate all that I had and stopped always trying to make my life better, everything changed.  You must then figure out what things in your life currently bring you joy, what are the things you could do all day every day and still enjoy them.  From that figure out a way to create a business or career that allows you to harness that creativity to produce a sustainable living.
 
Along with that I would suggest balance.  A balance between all of the things that can bring happiness to our lives, this can include but is not limited to the following things.  Your relationships, your income, your career, your time, your health, your leisure activities, and your faith.

Balance, as simplistic as it may seem has been what has created what I consider an exceptional life for me, my family, my employees, and my friends.  I have plenty of time to spend with my wife Carrie and our four beautiful children whenever I want.  I have a business that gives me the income I need and the stimulation of running a business, along with a team that loves doing their job every day.  I have time to exercise, spend time with m y friends, golf, surf, and create, as I have done with my book and my speaking.
 
You must have written goals that you can read and refer to daily.  Most people know this and very few actually follow through on this very simple commitment.
 
The last bit of advice would be patience.  Some will look at what I outlined above and say wow that guy is so lucky.  For those who know me they understand that this journey started in 1991, 18 years ago.  It has taken time, effort, trial and error, many mistakes and redirects, sleepless nights and sacrifice to get to the point where I truly feel at ease.
 
What and/or who inspires you on a daily basis?
 
Carrie and our kids, Bayley, Ellie, Jack, and Benjamin, you know all of them, and they are truly amazing.  I am so grateful to have all of them in my life and I am constantly striving to be the best role model, husband, and father that I can be.  I am also inspired daily by the opportunity we have in this world and for all of the blessing that God has given us.
 
In one of your blog entries, you ask the question How do you think about life?  So, Jim, how do you think about life?
 
I think about life as one giant unbelievable thrilling adventure.  I believe that we are all here to try to make the world a better place and to help better our fellow man or woman.  I am constantly asking myself how I can make the world a better place.  I apologize for pitching the book, but two of the exercises I suggest in the first chapter is to write, what I call your Legacy Goal and Your Ultimate Life Experience.  When you do this it will really shift how you think about your role here and what impact you want to have while you spend this short amount of time on earth.
 
When you look back at yourself in high school - was there any part of the life you are living now you saw then?
 
I knew early on that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Carrie.  When we were seniors in high school and were departing for different colleges we discussed spending the rest of our lives together.  I do not think this was by chance I believe we were always meant to be with one another. 
 
Thank you again for visiting with me and sharing more about your book The Practical Guide to Exceptional Living.  Congratulations on your new book and on creating a life that inspires so many.

Interviews

[Swirly & Marisa, Ms. Creative Thursday]

I've been blessed to have sparkling conversations with a number of extraordinary entrepreneurs and creative spirits.  Head to these websites for some inspiring discussions:

December 2009 ::  A Beautiful Ripple Effect

November 2009 :: The Get Inspired! Project

October 2009 :: What Are You Giving Away?

May 2009 :: Tranquility du Jour

February 2009 :: Jamie Ridler Studios

December 2008 ::  One Woman Marketing

November 2008 ::  Creative Thursday

And one more :: Art and Letter

Five Things

Today's Five Things are being brought to you by guest curator Elizabeth MacCrellish.  Because she's had more coffee, and is functioning better than I am at the moment.

1.   My Parents Were Awesome - the photo above is Swirly's favorite.

2.  Brandi Carlile with the Indigo Girls singing Don't Think Twice - the song T sang to Elizabeth the night they met.

3.  New Fairy Tales - Dedicated to publishing new fairy tales that are suitable for all ages.

4.  The Labyrinth at Blue Heron House - Note to T:  Elizabeth plans to build one of these in your front yard.

5.  La Bastide de Marie - Elizabeth has promised Swirly take her there.

And because she is, quite frankly, a giver, we offer you Bonus #6:

6.  Blue Poppy Clogs - Do I really need to explain this to you?

Guest Blogger :: Kelly Watson

Lessons Learned While Blogging For Business: Six Things I WISH I Knew

I am honored to introduce Guest blogger Kelly Watson, a marketing consultant who specializes in marketing to women.  Win a free copy of Kelly’s “Small Business Blogging Blueprint,” e-book and tutorial videos (a $29 value). Details are at the bottom of this post.

This month marks the one-year anniversary of my business blog, One Woman Marketing.  I’ve actually been blogging on and off since ’99, but this marks the first year I blogged for business … and let me tell you, it’s a whole new ballgame. If you want to reap benefits like increased credibility, more brand exposure, and more sales, you need a specific blogging plan to help leverage your time.

That’s why I created the “Small Business Blogging Blueprint,” a 68-page e-book that helps beginning and established bloggers set goals, track progress and get results. It’s filled with step-by-step instructions for each step of the blogging process, and troubleshooting tips for common problems like low web traffic and not enough sales.

I created the e-book because I wish I had something similar when I started blogging: it would have saved a lot of time and effort.  Here are five other things I learned along the way:

·       Get a little help from your friends. Your blog doesn’t exist in a bubble. You shouldn’t, either. If you see a blogger whose content you like, offer to trade guest blog posts. You could also ask to do an interview, then transcribe the answers in a blog post for your readers. (I met Christine when I interviewed her for a One Woman Marketing podcast.) This will give your content some variety, and will expand your reach in the blogosphere.

·       Prepare, prepare, prepare. Eventually, there will come a time when you just won’t be able to write a blog post. You’ll be too sick, or too busy, or will have some other circumstance that will keep you from getting it done. Prepare for these times by writing a few blog posts in advance, and have them saved in draft form so you can publish them at the click of a button.

·       Spy on the competition. By tracking competing blogs through a service such as Google Reader, you stay on top of current issues and you may even get some inspiration for future posts. It doesn’t hurt to leave comments, either: that way bloggers will know you’ve stopped by.

·       Don’t be afraid to ride rising trends. The next time an interesting topic or event dominates the headlines, try writing a post that makes it relevant to your readers. You’ll not only increase the timeliness of your blog content, but you’ll also catch some of the search traffic surrounding the trend. (I took advantage of Susan Boyle’s singing to comment about gender and double standards.) 

·       Reveal your human side. Being professional doesn’t equal being perfect. The posts that have generated the most interest have been the ones where I’ve admitted faults and reached out to readers for help and advice. Revealing my human side has done my business way more good than pretending I have all the answers, all the time.

What do you wish you knew before you started blogging? Leave a comment below with your answer, and you’ll be entered to win a free copy of the “Small Business Blogging Blueprint.”  I’ll pick a winner at random on Wednesday, October 21, 2009.

If your name is chosen and you’ve already purchased “Blogging Blueprint,” you’ll receive a full refund of the purchase price. So if you’re eager to check out the e-book  but you still want to enter the giveaway, go ahead! Even if you don’t win, you’ll still get a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Blog Give Away Winner:  Rachael is the big winner!  Rachael, please email Kelly at [email protected]!  Congratulations!!

My First Guest Blogger :: Marisa Haedike

As regular followers of my blog know, I have written extensively about the unique challenges that accompany having an online presence.  Trying to promote my work, share my experiences in a meaningful way, stay true to who I am and make connections with my online colleagues isn't always the easiest of tasks, but it is a worthwhile journey that has opened new pathways to creative souls all over the world.  My dear friend Marisa Haedike and fellow inspiring blogger has just introduced her new e-course, In the Fish Bowl, to teach participants how to maneuver through all the trials and tribulations of building a creative presence online.  I've invited her to be a guest blogger today to talk about her course, what inspired her to create it and what her secret to success is.  Welcome Marisa...

Some people are content doing the work they were meant to do privately while others feel compelled to transform that work into being a voice in the world; I've always leaned towards the latter.  And believe me when I say that if you get within earshot of me, there's a really good chance I will start asking you about your dream, and will do everything in my power during our time together, even if it's mere minutes, to convince you to follow it.

I believe in dreams coming true.  It's what I do.

And to be honest, I think one of the early passions behind starting my own business was so that I could confidently tell others that it's true:  You CAN make a living do work that you love.

I also believe that the more people live the lives they want, the happier the planet.  As soon as I began Creative Thursday, I knew my mission for it was to one day become a vehicle to encourage others to follow their dreams, especially creative ones.  So here I am.  It's time for me to share what I've learned with you.  Everything I've listed above is what has inspired my new e-course:  In The Fish Bowl :: Life as an Artist.Online

This is an e-course for artists that will cover a range of topics from making a living, marketing and maneuvering online, while staying true to who you are (which I tend to think of this as one of the most important parts).

There's so much to say on all of these topics, especially the one about being true to who you are, so I will do my best to keep this brief.  If you are here reading Christine's beautiful blog, then chances are you are a creative who is already quite familiar with the online world.  While the internet continues to move at the speed of light, it is becoming increasingly evident that in order to keep up - especially if you are also an online business - you will have to decide what you want your place to be in this world.  This does not mean, however, that you have to compromise your artistic and personal vision to be a part of this fast moving stream.  It actually means that now, more than ever, you have to become crystal clear about what your vision is.  And then you have to remain fiercely loyal to it.

Life online is about transparency.  And much like a fish in a fish bowl, it's about finding contentment within that transparency.  It's no longer just about sharing your work, it's about sharing yourself.  As Christine mentioned in her introduction above, developing an authentic online presence and all that accompanies this is not always the easiest of paths to travel, yet a willingness to travel it can open you up to opportunities you didn't even know were possible.

Developing supportive communities, your own "fish bowls", both online and in person are what will help you navigate these waters.  With this e-course I hope to be the beginning or addition of that community for you.  As I get students signing up from all over the world, I realize once again just how connected we all are.  The opportunity for us to learn from one another is like no other time before, and the more we learn from each other, the more likely we will all create and live the lives that make us truly happy.

In closing, Christine asked me about my secret to success.  Oh the pressure :)  Of course there is no one answer to this question, because there is no one answer to what success is.  So, first and most importantly, you have to define what success means to you, and check in on that from time to time, because you'll find that your definition may change as you grow.  Take time to discover what you love most in life, then you have to believe in yourself.  You have to know where you are going, even if no one else knows or sees it yet. You have to stay dedicated to that vision no matter what, and it goes without saying that you want to be gracious, genuinely kind, supportive and loving to others along the way.  Follow your heart, remember not to take it all too seriously and have fun, because it's all a journey - one that will always continue to evolve.

Thank you for having me Christine ~ and I hope to see you all "in the fish bowl"!

Register for Marisa's course right here.