Posts Tagged ‘Guy Kawasaki’
Project Update #3: AnthemVirtual.com
Let's see... I'm on day 29 of the AnthemVirtual.com launch. Many reasons for delay keep cropping up and begging me to call them excuses. However, this little drummer-boy is marching forward. I've been feeling overwhelmed with my acting-role of SuperDad. At the end of every day I found myself with feelings of great dissatisfaction, that I didn't get near enough completed. I finally found myself saying (okay, I was screaming), if I only had 3 hours of actual productivity every day, oh what I could do. Going back and forth with my wife, trying to figure out her work schedule with mine (hers is making money), along with the kids' schedules and the kids getting sick (seems each of them had something unique). On top of these "normal" abnormalities, there's an issue of chronic fatigue that comes into play in my frustration, too. Okay, enough of the Real-world (I only share to shout out to you and myself that there are no excuses good enough to stop me). Here's what I ended up doing. First, I realized that my 'night-owl' tendencies could serve me well. I have 3 hours from 10PM to 1AM every day. Viola! An instant 3 hours. Just what I was looking for, right in a time-slot that my fatigue rarely kicks my butt and the children are sleeping. Okay, next I needed to ensure that these three hours were PRO-DUC-TIVE! This meant I needed to have an absolute plan for things that were my absolute priority. Get this plan written down (long before the production period was to start; like the end of the previous work-day). Once things were written down, all I had to do was keep the promises I made (borrowed from Stephen Covey's '7 Habits of Highly Effective People'). As long as I'm making promises based on my priority objectives - to myself and others - then I do all I that is humanly possible to keep those promises, prosperity naturally follows (of course, tweaking priority objectives when needed). Create A WEEKLY PLAN using Google Wave (no other collaborators, just me). a. Plan should cover four areas: Heart, Mind, Spirit & Body (the PC in Covey's PC/P concept) b. Plan should cover top TWO major accomplishments for the business for that particular week (based loosely on Tim Ferriss' 4-Hour Workweek. If these are the ONLY 2 things accomplished this week, it will be a fantastic week for the business). Create a DAILY PLAN within the same Wave a. What are the TOP TWO accomplishments for the next business day. b. Any sub-tasks that need to go with this? I don't want to use anything more complicated than Wave, tho there are many project management programs out there; and I'll be using a project management program within AnthemVirtual. However, I want my Weekly Plan / Daily Plan to be very simple. As well, I chose Wave instead of a simple Google Doc only because I wanted to familiarize myself with Wave a bit more as I'll soon be using it to track communications between the company and our Clients [...]
Project: AnthemVirtual.com – 14 Days to Launch
I set out to launch Anthem Virtual™ in just 14 days. The good news, I'm "kinda" on schedule. The bad news, only "kinda". The other good news, I think I discovered a surefire path to getting projects completed. Here it is: Step 1. Get a general outline of what needs to be completed, and by when. Step 2: Fall behind in that schedule. Step 3: Get completely pissed off that you're behind; so angry, in fact, that you re-commit with total focus; thus, getting yourself back on track. ++++++++++++ Okay, that said... here's how I started this project: I started by sketching out a simple, general outline of for the projects Main Objective. Main Objective: Reach Break-Even in 90 Days or less. To do this, I used the outline in Guy Kawasaki's book, The Art of the Start. I focused solely on the section I call The First Five. He calls it: Part 1, Causation > Chapter 1, The Art of Starting, The Five Most Important Things an Entrepreneur Must Accomplish. My title is much shorter. I took notes on a fresh sheet of Google Docs. I made a 2-column table and placed summary details into the right hand column and left the left-column blank (I know, I know... Guy told me (in his book) not to do this anal kind of list-making, structure focused stuff. Well, to emphasize moving ideas from mind-to-market on the cheap, I had checked the book out of the library and needed to have a physical reference. When the idea earns sufficient excess, I promise to buy a copy of the book, and hopefully Guy will sign it for me). Anyhow, back on topic: So having the main points of The First Five really helped the planning process. As you can tell, I can get long-winded (long-fingered?) as well as go off on tangents (no, really. I'm serious). The First Five outline was completed on January 18, 2010; which put my goal of a 14 day official launch date on February 01. The next thing I did was I drew out a calendar for the first 30 days of my 90-day project. As this is my first project, I required it of myself to keep this calendar in front of me daily. Since paper gets buried, and an online calendar often gets glossed over (if it gets glossed at all), I took a dry-erase marker and drew out my calendar on our sliding-glass door. I included the start date, the two-week launch date, our First 30 day Milestone Objective, and the shorter-term tasks that needed to be completed. Our proto-type "product" was really a website; something we could share with our prospective clients, strategic vendors, and prospective Virtual Agents (those who will be contracted as laborers). Having a website that appealed to all three audiences could have put me in Hey Dave, Why Don't You Over Complicate This mode. However, realizing this ahead of time (thank you, past experience) I made it a point to make it as simple as possible. Keeping this simple remains an issue, but for now the focus needs to be on getting a product out [...]
What’s the dealio?
So, yes... I went from content 3 to 5 days/week to like, 1 new post a week. Not that you've been complaining (why not?). Here's why: I've been busy. Yes, that lame excuse that all of us seem to have at one time or another. Really, I just wanted you to know that it really IS me writing these posts and not some hired hand (Ha! Wouldn't that be great?). "Busy doing what?" I'm glad you asked. As the tagline of this blog'azine is "The Business of Being Yourself", I've been busy being myself. Note that the tagline USED to be: "Moving Ideas from Mind to Market on the Cheap." Well, I've been busy doing that, too. But wait, there's more. And I'm gonna tell you about it (Aren't you the lucky one?). One of the reasons I started this site is to embrace the ME that can't sit still (EADD: Entrepreneurial Attention Deficit Discombobulation). I love ideas. I love people bringing ideas together. I love bringing people and ideas together. I get bored with ideas once I see them taking hold and feel compelled to move on to the next new, shiny concept. Well, if this blog'azine counts as the first of the ideas I'm rolling out, it's time (in my little world) to start out on the next idea - which, conveniently enough, gets to act as an extension of the first idea; by my reporting on the implementation of the second idea. Lucky for my wife and family, and for those I owe money to, the second idea has been created with the idea of profitability in mind. In fact, I've got ideas coming down the line that will rely on this second idea in many ways. I'm hoping that YOU, with whatever it is you're working on, might also benefit from the new idea: I'm using Guy Kawasaki's book, The Art of the Start, as an outline for getting the concept launched in only 14 days; and for reaching that "Break Even" point in 90-days. You'll be able to follow along and see how I do, good and bad, and apply that to your own project or business.(Buy the book from this link: Any proceeds paid to me from Amazon to me will be sent to Doctors Without Borders to support the people of Haiti- Doctors Without Borders has a FOUR STAR RATING at www.charitynavigator.org) In addition, the type of project we're launching may be able to help you in other ways: There are many tasks that need to get done in a business project. Many of these tasks can act as a distraction from what actually puts dollars into the business account. Our concept can help minimize these distractions so YOU can remain productive (cheap plug alert - cheap plug alert). So, "What's The Big Idea," you ask? "Why have you deprived me of spectacular reading content for a week or two?" you inquire. The concept is called AnthemVirtual. We're using concepts learned starting back in 2008, when I created an online event called The Virtual Business Summit 2008. The event was a BOMB. No, not THE BOMB, but "A" BOMB. The speakers were fantastic, actually. I had a wonderful line-up. It's just [...]
How I use Twitter: A Conversation on Skype
Rick Says: When you get time I need help with twitter Dave Charbonneau says: I'm here. Rick Says: I am now but are you still there? Dave Charbonneau says: Hi. Rick Says: How are things Dave Charbonneau says: I'm good. Feel a bit like hurling; but I'm good. How're you?' Rick Says: well Rick Says: so how do I get a lot more followers on twitter Dave Charbonneau says: Um... Dave Charbonneau says: There's a cupla ways. Dave Charbonneau says: First, get a foundation to build upon. What are you using it for. What info are you wanting to get out there. Grab hold of a twitter philosophy. Dave Charbonneau says: I recommend NOT to think of Twitter as an outlet for spreading the word about something; and instead to see it as a conduit for CONNECTING with ppl who have similar interests. Dave Charbonneau says: Everybody hates spam and holds disdain for spammers. Good thing abt spammers = if you provide great value, you look intelligent and get LOYAL followers; these are ppl who share your stuff with others. Dave Charbonneau says: Have you read that Crush It book? Rick Says: NO Rick Says: did Dave Charbonneau says: Okay. That's a great place to gain that philosophy (everything begins w/philosophy). Rick Says: Then I shall read it Dave Charbonneau says: Next, hang on and I'll get you...
Know What You Do, and Do It
As any bruised and battered Self-Enterpriser will tell you: Know what you do and don't divert. As you're following along your road map, whether it's Gary Vaynerchuk's Crush It! or Guy Kawasaki's Art of the Start, or Mike Michalowicz'sess's The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, folks will want to do stuff with you. Heck, they may even want to do stuff TO you. And you may want them to. It may sound exciting. But check the Opportunity Costs: What will it prevent you from doing instead? Weigh your options first, and only then move forward. (I've heard it said: Say YES now; you can always say NO later. This is a good way to burn a lot of relationships fast if you start allowing people to count on you but end up leaving them hanging. Also true about how much time you take to 'decide' whether or not you'll participate with someone). Define what it is you do, the meaning you want from it, and the meaning you want others to experience. Then, stick to that. Take on additional opportunities only when it will compliment what you're already doing. In all of this opportunity weighing, ensure you remain self-sufficient. In other words, don't jump on board with things that "could MAKE you"; cuz those opportunities have a tendency to pull you away from your core, and any reputation your new partner earns, you may end up with as well. All this said, people will want to partner with you, and this is a great thing. The best types of partnerships are with those who are already making money without you, you're making money without them, and the relationship won't change that. Also, talking from my own experience, the value that both you and your partner will gain should result in dollars (or gold, or something of exchangeable value). Okay, I'll add to that, eyeballs (preferably attached to people, and - unless you're in the mortuary biz, they should also be at least somewhat living). There are plenty of individuals who will absolutely LOVE what you're doing, and just want to be a part of it for the joy of it all. If you cave and decide to work with these people (and they're very nice people), ensure the tasks they're providing are only sprinkles on your cake; this way if they don't come through for the project, the project will still advance without missing them. Keep on Rockin' Your World, you Self-Enterpriser, you. --Dave C. Photo Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sally_12/ / CC BY-SA 2.0
