Purple Wren

SOBCon09 is Next Week!

Can you believe it's almost May?

SOBCon is next week. If you're serious about blogging - or want to be - you have to attend this event. Check out all the people who are already signed up. Look at all the opportunities to learn and socialize with other bloggers.

I still am unsure if I can attend. It's been a scary year so far for me and I have not been working as much as I would like. So my reasons for not attending have been based on finances. And then today a fellow blogger, Deb at debworks told me that Naomi from IttyBiz is unable to attend and is giving away tickets. You can be sure I went right over and signed up. And I told Jim about it because he really enjoyed SOBCon08.

I figure "if it's meant to be" we'll get tickets. It was a "meant to be" event that brought Deb and me together just as I am contemplating my future as a blogger.

Time is running out! Sign up today.

I'm sorry Naomi can't make it though. Be sure to check out the IttyBiz blog.

WAH Expo Presentation

I'm supposed to be sharing my presentation at the WAH Expo shortly, and due to unexplained technical difficulties - most likely my computer - I can't join the conference. So far I've missed both days of the expo.

My apologies to all.

Here is my presentation. I'm with you in spirit!

| View | Upload your own

Business Conference 2007: Secrets of Successful Professionals Revealed

UPDATE: This business conference has been postponed until later in the year. Stay tuned for further information.

Calling all business people!  There's a local business conference on the horizon that you don't want to miss.

Topics include:

• Brand Strategy
• New Networking
• Blogging for Business
• Managing Office Politics
• Business Mobility
• Leveraging Technology
• Making Work Fun Again

The lineup includes presenters from Seattle, WA, as well as Iowa.

• Kevin O'Keefe
• Drew McLellan
• Mike Sansone
• Adam Steen
• Jim Goodman
• Shirley Poertner
• Tre Critelli
• Victoria Herring
• Timothy Johnson
• Mitch Matthews

What are you waiting for? Check out the detailed speaker info and conference updates.

Des Moines Alliance of AWC Features Author, Mary Kay Shanley Rhodes on Mar. 28

Being an Author:  Why Would Anyone Do Such a Thing?
Presented by Mary Kay Shanley Rhodes

Mary Kay Shanley will share stories on how she got started in her current career as an author and what it's like to write books. She is the author of nine books, including the best-seller She Taught Me to Eat Artichokes.  Her books range from the practical (Survival Secrets of College Students to be released by Barron's this spring) to historical (Our State Fair: Iowa's Blue Ribbon Story) to sentimental (when I think about My Father: Sons and Daughters Remember and The Memory Box: Gathering Keepsakes of the Heart).  Mary Kay began her career as a reporter at The Des Moines Register and is a former member of AWC (when it was known as Women in Communications).

DATE: Wednesday, March 28

LOCATION:  Hotel Fort Des Moines, 10th & Walnut, Des Moines (map)

TIME: 11:30 a.m.-Registration/Networking  |  11:45 Lunch | 12:00 Presentation

COST: $20 for members | $25 for nonmembers | Late Registration/at the door--$30 | Students--$15

MENU SELECTION: Whitefish with tomato salsa OR Cheese quesadillas

RSVP with menu choice to: Joyce at (515) 255-3153 by 9 AM Monday, March 26.

Cancellation policy: If you need to cancel, please let us know by 9 AM Monday, March 26 , to avoid being charged for the meal. Call Joyce at 255-3153.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR. The next monthly luncheon is Wednesday, April 18, at the Botanical Center. Sherry Barrett discusses The Seeds of Innovation.

AWC Des Moines

Don't Sit on the Fence! Quick, Persuade Liz, Save $100

Have you ever sat on the fence, not quite able to decide on something?

When they announced SOBCon'07, I was the first one in line to pre-register, but I did not pay. You can see my name on the attendee list.

Then this week I started teetering - trying to talk myself out of going because I missed the special price earlier in the week. Here's some of the the thoughts that ran through my head: it's too far, it takes too much time, it costs too much, I won't get much out of it, and my favorite:  who will miss me, nobody likes me, guess I'll go eat worms...

Enough of that! When I talked to Liz yesterday, I asked for another chance at the special price. I really do want to be there. Liz asked me to convince her.

Want to know what I told her?

Here is why I want to be at SOBCon:

• I blog, therefore I am
• I want to improve my blog
• I'm a SOB
• I wanna meet you and the rest of our community - live and in person
• I'm a contributing editor at Successful-Blog
• I attend Tues. Open Comments (a lot)
• I spoke at the Virtual Conference
• I will make the audience better, and so will you

Guess what!  Liz said yes!

Would you like to have the same chance to save $100? Hurry up quick though.

Go here - I bet you can persuade her, too. She's the nice one.

See you in Chicago!

Oh yeah, thanks Liz.

Live Blogging: The Branding Imperative Workshop

The last session of the day is a panel discussion with the following speakers:

• Mike Wagner, moderator
• Jan Burch
• Bob Mitchell
• Mitch Mathews
• Mike Sansone

The most interesting part for me is the concept of cooked vs. raw. In the past our brand marketing and advertising was "cooked." It was carefully crafted and produced. Today our messages are more "raw" and authentic. That's also what people expect. Today the cooked message is often rejected.

Raw feels unsafe because so many of us have been brought up on cooked food.

Wow - I got involved in the discussion. There's too much to write here. Great interaction and input from all these people. Look for The Branding Imperative Workshop - coming soon to a location near you. And if you don't see it advertised, contact The White Rabbit Group and ask where you can get a seat.

Live Blogging: The Branding Imperative Workshop

Still coming to you live from The Branding Imperative Workshop at Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Des Moines. This session is "Hiring Passionate Brand Owners" by Jan Burch and Bob Mitchell. Combined, they have over 50 years of experience in the HR field, and several awards.

• Jan Burch bio
• Bob Mitchell bio

We're talking about questions to ask, what not to ask, and what qualities to look for when hiring employees.  They recommended several books and shared sample interview questions. The highlight was the stories they told.

One of my favorite lists is "15 Ways to Get Rid of Your Employees." Do you know what the #1 way is? Never acknowledge a job well-done. 

People want to be acknowledged and appreciated. How do you acknowledge your employees?

Book:  What's in it for me book

Live Blogging: The Branding Imperative Workshop

I'm writing from The Branding Imperative workshop in Des Moines.  This morning  we had two sessions by Mike Wagner from White Rabbit Group. 

Mike is a dynamic speaker who lives and breathes the branding message. I have several pages of notes, many recommended books, and much to ponder about D.I.R.T.Y. branding. Don't know what that is? Check out Mike's blog, Own Your Brand.

If you're looking for a speaker, check out White Rabbit Group. It might be the boost your company needs. As businesses, we need to distinguish ourselves in the marketplace. What makes you special?

Join Us for a Business Blog Workshop - Jan. 25

Tomorrow - Thursday, Jan. 25, Mike Sansone continues the Show Me Your Commitment Business Blog Workshops (6:30 AM CT), at Panera on University in West Des Moines (map).

The topic of this session will Technorati - Not Just an Ego Tool. Join us to discuss some of the ways you can use Technorati. Read more at ConverStations.

The workshops are free (and they're pretty early). See you there!

Tomorrow - Thursday, Jan. 25, Mike Sansone continues the Show Me Your Commitment Business Blog Workshops (6:30 AM CT), at Panera on University in West Des Moines (map).

The topic of this session will Technorati - Not Just an Ego Tool. Join us to discuss some of the ways you can use Technorati. Read more at ConverStations.

The workshops are free (and they're pretty early). See you there!

Join Us for the Business Blog Workshop: Jan. 11 at 6:30 AM

Join Mike Sansone (and me) on Thursday, January 11, for the Business Blog Workshop (6:30 AM CT), at Panera on University in West Des Moines (map).

This week the topic will be Dissect the Blog Posting Mantra. You can  read the original post or view the SlideShare.

These Iowa workshops are held at Panera on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month, and  conference call workshops at BlogTalkRadio are held on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays.

The workshops are free and open to the public.

Get started blogging! Hope to see you there.