Working the job you love

Last night, I was at a “networking” event.

It was at my home.

I belong to a MasterMind group with some great folks. We were talking a couple of months ago about how much we hate most networking events. Why? Becuase that’s the purpose – “networking.”

Why not just hang out and meet other interesting folks? The goal being just that, meet other cool peeps (assuming you think you’re a cool peep! We do:)

Yesterday I spent most of the day getting ready. I was “working” at my home, making caramel corn (hey, it’s fall and I love caramel corn) and pumpkin bars. Cleaning my house and getting ready.

I even forgot to send an important email I had promised – not good I agree. However the woman I promised it to came to the event so I could explain it to her and she graciously understood.

So, I do love my “job!” The key is to do the work you love WITH PEOPLE you love to be with.

If you don’t “resonate” with the people you’re working with, well, it just isn’t fun.

I love my job helping people with Purposeful Online Marketing.

Do you love YOUR job?

If not, what can you do to change that?

Monday Monday

I work for myself, at home. So Monday’s are hardly what they used to be (dread, dread dread). It wasn’t that I hated what I was doing, it was that I hated leaving my home every day and coming home exhausted.

So I do just about the same thing now, only on my terms, with people I want to work with. It’s a blast.

So here I am, spending time with an update on my search for an apple peeler yesterday.

It was a GORGEOUS day for a drive in my convertible (I adore having a convertible)

I found the apple orchard where I bought my first apple peeler 18 years ago, on the internets of course:) It’s Lynd’s Fruit Farm, in Pataskal, Ohio — great, friendly place with lots of deliciousness in the fall!

I couldn’t find a peeler, amongst the thousands of other people who were enjoying the colorful, warm fall day at the orchard.

I went on my iPhone searching for another orchard. I found one about 30 miles north and waay past the Bed Bath and Beyond I was going to stop at if I needed too….

“This is dumb – they had one 18 years ago, they must have one today!” I thought with determination.

I asked someone who worked there and she said “We’re all out.”

Oh crap… I said after a few seconds of debating whether to cut my losses, “Are you sure?”

Sigh – she said she’d ask the manager.

I followed her and we waited for the manager to finish another conversation (with a very dapper, hip looking guy who was talking about his “corporate chef” coming out the next week to bake apple pies on the premises with the company’s staff – how interesting).

The manager (these were all wonderful folks, by the way), said no, she was afraid they sold out.

I looked down and saw one at her finger tips kind of hidden by all the manager stuff on the table…. “What about this one?” I asked.

She looked down a little surprised and looked back at me, “You really want an apple peeler today, don’t you?” she asked.

“Well, yes, I lost mine and I have a bunch of apples to peel!” I said. “And besides, you won’t believe how many people were upset when I told them I lost it – they remember me and my apple peeler going to town every fall…”

“Well then, you shall have it!” the manager said. “And tell them it’s only $25 at the checkout.”

So I went home a happy camper, with a brand new red apple peeler, sans the box.

 

Wow - isn't she a beauty?

 

And later in the evening, I made some freaking delicious apple crisp.

 

Brown sugary, buttery, apple goodness

 

So… again, back to my point about blogging, if you don’t have a plan for what you’re going to blog about, you may find yourself blogging about just about anything!

I’m working on my plan… and my new website will be up shortly. I’ve had a few DNS issues – go figure:)

Ta Ta for now.

Off to the apple orchard

Well, what do you know? If you don’t have a plan to blog, you’ll blog about just about anything.

I don’t have a plan (yet) but I feel like blogging.

As I said, I like to blather on and on about myself, and… I type really fast.

So, it’s a gorgeous sunny fall afternoon here in central Ohio. I have a bowl of apples that I paid hmmm. $33 for 2 weeks ago. Why $33? We were in Kentucky and randomly came upon a Shaker village that was having an apple festival. Well, I wanted to go, so my husband lovingly agreed. To our surprise there was a $15 admission.. off we went in search of lovely fall festival activities…

There were 2 tents of which there was basically nothing going on (some butter being churned and honey being sold.)

The bag to pick apples was $3.

So we picked a large bag of apples.

Well, being that we didn’t want to “waste” the $30 admission fee, we decided to walk around the village.

We had just come from the Biltmore estate. The Biltmore Mansion is one of the most interesting, places I’ve ever been. I don’t like opulent, over the top displays of wealth, so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the Biltmore. Don’t get me wrong, it’s over the top for sure, but in a strange way it’s welcoming and comfy(ish). You can feel the energy of a real family entertaining real friends. The history is fascinating, not only of the Vanderbilt family, but the lesson in how a heritage as massive and far reaching as the Vanderbuilt family can become such that it’s a household name a couple hundred years(ish) later.

In any case, the Shaker village was, well boring. Suffice to say, I’d been steeped in history and neither of us had any interest in the sparseness of the Shaker town.

So, admission, $30, bag of apples, $3. Hence a $33 bowl of apples.

Then, I get home and find out that my beloved apple peeler is missing. (Beloved?)

 

This is EXACTLY what my apple peeler looks like! If you've found it, please let me know.

 

Well, yes, I’ve had it for 18 years and have made lots and lots of bad ass apple pies, sauce and cobbler with it every fall. It’s kicks butt pealing and coring apples in one fell swoop (did you know the phrase “fell swoop” originates with Shakespeare??)

How it’s gone is a loooong story. Not one that I care to get into at the moment.

Let’s just say, I’m off to the same apple orchard I bought it at 18 years ago in hopes that they’ll have one there (yes, I did look other places!)

I’ve just proven something else to my self, people WILL blab on and on in their own personal blog… their own personal space on the World Wide Web.

Ta Ta for now!

Success

Well, I did prove one thing about WordPress.com.

I started an hour ago, and I’m successfully blogging!

My new website will be launching today I believe.

It has a built in blog which I’ll be using too.

I’ll keep you posted on the difference!

I do know already that the blog on my website is MUCH EASIER TO USE. There are much fewer links scattered around the page, because I designed it that way. Which is how all of my client’s websites and blogs are designed. To be REALLY REALLY easy to use. It’s created in Drupal – which is also an open source “free” software program for building websites and blogs (and online stores, calendars, forumns, etc.)

One drawback to this new blog – I sat down with the intention to do some other work. Instead, I’ve been blogging:)

Ta Ta for now.

 

 

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

How confusing!!!

When you just want a blog and hear that WordPress is the best.

Then come to find out there’s WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

Hmmm…. Here’s the difference…  in a NUTSHELL.

WordPress.org

At WordPress.org, you actually download software that has to be installed on a web server for your blog to be set up.

The option Andrea Conway has in her Transformational Blogging course is a good one! She has a deal with a partner who will set your blog up using WordPress.org for a very reasonable cost.

If you want a more customized blog and are willing to hire someone to help you (or if you know enough about websites and hosting to be dangerous and you want to stretch your skills) go for this option.

You need to work with someone (or be one yourself) who is capable of downloading free software to install on a web server.

This means it has to be HOSTED (you know, like at GoDaddy.com).

Yes, it’s free software, but if you don’t know how to do this (and most of us don’t), you need to work with someone who does.

There are TONS of “web designers” who’ve figured this out and either do it themselves, or partner with someone else who does.

It’s good software and has a lot of options, features and benefits.

Pros:

• Has lots of features that can be customized
• There are ton’s of “plug in” that can make your blog more interactive and like a full blown website
• There’s a large community of developers who use WordPress.org
• You can have a blog that is completely unique

Cons:

• You have to work with someone (or be that person yourself) who can download software and install it on a web server
• You need to verify that the company or person who you’re working with is backing up your blog
• It’s not immediate
• It’s not free (unless you’re setting it all up yourself, or have a friend who’ll do it for you – for free:)

WordPress.com

This is for those of you who want to go it completely alone. You don’t want to hire anyone to help you create a blog. You can literally create a free account and be blogging in minutes (like I did with this blog).

You only need to verify your account (from an email), at which point, you are assigned a “theme” (what your blog will look like.)

And whala, you can start blogging.

So, if you’re itching to just start blogging, and I mean NOW, create an account at WordPress.com and blog away.

If you have thoughts and ideas that are just busting to get out – go for it! You can figure out how to customize it later if you’re so inclined. Or you can find someone who will help you.

Pros:

• You can begin blogging immediately
• You blog is backed up
• You can choose from 100+ templates

Cons:

• It’s not integrated into your website, which can look unprofessional
• You can’t customize it (unless you upgrade to a paid service)
• You have to pay extra for your own domain name (yourname.com) or find someone who can map it to your blog
• If you begin blogging here and like it, you’ll eventually have to figure out how to upgrade it to become a more professional blog and website

This is a BRIEF overview. You can see more at the support section of WordPress.com

To blog or not to blog

Blogging good.

I love to blog.

I love to blather on and on about this and that.

I have a lot to offer to the world.

Really.

I have a blog on my website that’s just about to launch.

Many folks think that a blog at WordPress is better.

I’m checking it out to see what the difference is.

We’ll see.

 

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!

This is the default blog post that automatically appears when you set up your new blog.