A Smart Conversation with Yvonne DiVita and Brand/Marketing Strategist Dorothéa Bozicolona-Volpe.
Branding and Storytelling
First of all, let me tell you that you will learn more from this one conversation, a little over 30 minutes, than you have learned all year, about branding and story and digital marketing. You will learn all of that because this woman doesn't hold anything back.
My good friend, and yes, you may wonder after the video how I got to be friends with such a fantastic woman but that's for another day, perhaps, Dorothea has such a beautiful smile, such an engaging personality, such a delightful way of telling a story - one that includes the listener with brilliant understanding - that she can be nothing less than dazzling throughout this short talk.
Here's what you need to know about here background: Dorothéa Bozicolona-Volpe was born in New York City to French and Italian parents. Her Father’s passing caused her family to move to Europe where she became somewhat of a nomad. She has lived in Italy, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Dorothéa is a strategic digital marketing executive who is fluent in 4 languages and specializes in developing business through digital, influencer and social media marketing for the world’s most memorable brands. Dorothéa teaches marketers and business leaders how to increase value and develop strong relationships between brands and fans.
Plus, she is an avid skateboarder who tweets to relax. Additionally, Dorothéa has appeared as a social media strategy subject matter expert on CBS and CNN.
Building Community -It's Not What It Was
This edifying conversation is about content and content makers - and how things have evolved over the last 20 -25 years, because that's when weblogs began - when folks like Dorothéa were using the web for community building in ways no one had expected. You'll learn that it's a little different now. Just a little. (well, maybe more than a little - watch the video and learn)
It's about how to understand that people choose how to connect with you using whatever tool they prefer. It may be a mobile phone, a laptop, a tablet, or your blog. YOU, dear content creator, must learn and understand how to get your message across in whatever modality your audience is using. And that's a big deal.
It's a big deal because the tools we use to communicate with each other dictate how that communication should occur. You must bring your message to your audience in the form that is most attractive to them, not to you.
We talked about books and authors and how social media is a great resource for them, but they shouldn't be sharing the exact same form of content on all channels. Pinterest aficionados don't consume content the same way Instagram fans do - though they are both a visual medium. And, how the end user consumes the content, on her laptop or mobile phone, perhaps, requires content to be relevant not just in message but in modality. Dorothéa says, "Relevant, rapid, release."
For my pet blogger friends, Dorothéa mentions your favorite community - BlogPaws, about eight minutes in. And her talk there, which was about Pinterest. A Pinterest that has changed over the years since.
Traveling Turns You Into A...
As someone who speaks 4 languages and is well-traveled, although I am not, Dorothéa closed our conversation with a couple of great quotes:
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert
And, my favorite,
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." Saint Augustine
But, perhaps, this quote, from Dorothéa herself, says it all, "Traveling turns you into a storyteller."
Watch the video. Take notes. I always tell you to take notes but you'll really want to take notes on this one!
Enjoy Dorothéa's many quotes and stories. Learn from her, especially how she weaves a web of understanding around digital marketing. We barely scratched the surface of what we can talk about so... subscribe to the Nurturing Big Ideas' YouTube channel to be apprised of the next time Dorothéa is on Smart Conversations.
Visit Social Espionage today and learn more about this special guest.
Find Dorothéa on all social media as @socialespionage
Visit the Why Me? page of Nurturing Big Ideas for more about your host, Yvonne DiVita.
A Smart Conversation with Annette Simmons, author, speaker, and storyteller
Telling the Best Story
Annette Simmons, author of numerous books on story and connection, including, Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins (which I am reading right now), shares a few stories of her own in this Smart Conversation.
This glimpse into the power of story is just that, a glimpse, because we barely brushed the surface of all there is to talk about when it comes to story.
What is story? That's a question I should have asked and will ask on our next conversation, but for now, let us accept that story is everything about us and about the world around us. Story is who we are and how we share that with the world. It's about how we define and understand our place in the Universe.
Is a picture worth a thousand words? you might ask. And I answer, yes. But, never forget - the words are there. The picture in and of itself must be appreciated by using our words. And, each story, while unique to its creator, is taken and defined and changed by the reader, listener, or watcher.
We, each of us, create the story we see in a painting, a sculpture, a novel.
The Psychology of Teenagers and Storytelling by Women
For Annette, she turned to psychology in high school in a failed attempt to understand popularity and be popular herself. What crazy things did we all do, back in high school, to try and 'fit in'? Hmmmm.... Never mind. This was after reading psychology books at fourteen because her father gave her books like Transactional Analysis and Rational Emotive Therapy to read. Oh, Dad. Really?
One of the beauties of this conversation is how it helps define the storytelling women do, and how that's different that the stories men tell. We talk just a bit about how the Cassandra Myth and how women's ideas and stories are too often brushed aside as too feminine - read: not worth listening to. To accept them, to listen to them, would - HORORS OF HORRORS! - emasculate the men. (she said, rolling her eyes)
A good bit of conversation is around the paradox of story. Of how we learn the story of man vs nature and who will win. When the question is, why does either one have to 'win'? Why can't both gain and collaborate and learn to live in harmony? It's the self vs the collective good. Annette tells us how we need to accept there is no happiness without suffering.
Instead of a constant struggle to predict long term harm, why can't we invest in long term good? Women are more suited to the long term good idea than men. We pay attention to a wider pool of people and things.
Peeing Over the Side of a Boat! Oh, Dad.
At only 10 minutes into this conversation Annette shares a personal story from her childhood. About fishing. And fun. And peeing over the side of a boat. And, ultimately, being sold a bill of goods. Like many of us.
Annette and I talked about the stories we tell ourselves and those we tell our children. To the stories handed down through the ages passing on an entire community's culture and world-view. Stories we women teach our children - of sharing, kindness, and the golden rule. How I do remember the coffee klatches of my younger years, when our eldest was in school but there were two at home and I would meet with the neighbor women to chat, laugh, exchange stories and ideas. A community brought together by shared values, and shares stories. (And still, the stories were not quite as authentic, now that I look back on them, as they could have been. They were just 'stories' we told each other, to fit in, to help our children fit in, to create a place for ourselves and our family in the picture of domestic bliss we all hoped to display.)
"I am not a natural 'feeler'," Annette's bio says. "So my understanding of human behavior and the art of communication includes all of the small details a 'natural' might miss."
All in all, there is more in this short conversation than one can try to share in a short blog post. At 25:45 minutes in, there is a short mention of baseball. Of why kids today are not into baseball. Which flows from a worry I have that too much social media time is harming our children by robbing them of the joy found in a book. In the real, solid, deeply told story flowing from word to word and paragraph to paragraph and page to page, allowing the reader to create whole new universes, beyond the sky out her window.
A blog post on Annette's site supports my worry about too much phone or internet time for our kids:
"From the beginning of time, humans have recorded organic wisdom with stories to guide real-life personal choices. Today it seems that a search for organic wisdom, or even a road less traveled, is blocked by increasing arrays of algorithmic chutes and ladders designed to lead us to travel only the roads that are profitable to the road builders."
The DNA of All Meaning
Daniel Pink, Author of A Whole New Mind, says this about Annette, "Once upon a time, story was banished from business. Then Annette Simmons came along to show us the error of our ways."
And so, from all her travels around the globe, back to the U.S. and to taking time to talk to me, Annette Simmons shares a bit of insight into the idea of story and how...it's the DNA of all meaning. Stay tuned for more Annette when her newest book, Drinking from a Different Well - How Women's Stories Change the Meaning of Power and Action comes out in October!
You can't serve from an empty pot. That's what Heneka tells us in this illuminating conversation about being an entrepreneur and searching for success, while not losing sight of the real you.
This phenomenal woman came to Smart Conversations from my friend, Kathleen Gage. I saw Heneka on Kathleen's show and knew I had to have her on Smart Conversations, too. She's not only well-spoken, and a prolific writer, she's spiritual and purposeful in everything she does. Her story in this video will inspire you to take a good hard look at what you're doing or not doing in your life around self-care. Yes, it's a cliché, but our bodies are temples and how well we take care of them shows quite visibly, every day.
This conversation doesn't follow any pattern. It's not one of those I ask and she answers, kinds of things. It's a serious conversation about being aware of your self as a spiritual being. Yes, we do get around to talking about diet - but not the "gotta lose weight" kind of diet. Our talk is about eating well diet (as in the food your put in your mouth), self-care, and prayer. Yes, prayer. How often do you pray? Do you join in with others to pray? What do you pray for?
For Heneka, eating right, exercising, meditating, praying, and being centered are all necessary parts of her entrepreneurial journey forward. She does all of this, pays attention to all of it, because she had a serious health scare not that long ago.
"I felt I was losing the real me," she tells us around six minutes in. The real me being her soul spirit - the intuition that guides all of us if we just listen to it. She had success. She had renown. She'd written books and co-authored books and even created an Online Health Summit. But something wasn't right. Something was missing. Where was the joy in all of that? Why was she so tired and listless?
What she discovered was that she is in adrenal fatigue.
I've read a bit about adrenal fatigue and it's serious stuff, folks. The best way to diagnose and treat it is with a naturopathic doctor.
"Naturopathic doctors are educated and trained in accredited naturopathic medical colleges. They diagnose, prevent, and treat acute and chronic illness to restore and establish optimal health by supporting the person's inherent self-healing process. Rather than just suppressing symptoms, naturopathic doctors work to identify underlying causes of illness, and develop personalized treatment plans to address them. Their Therapeutic Order™, identifies the natural order in which all therapies should be applied to provide the greatest benefit with the least potential for damage."
Her naturopath advised her to change her diet - to go vegan. And she says she's almost there. But she hasn't forgotten those days of insomnia, fatigue, and depression. I am 100% sure many of you relate.
If you are having even the smallest doubt about your path, your journey, your health as you build your business, you must watch this interview and learn how you can get back on track. Learn how Heneka took charge and began to seriously consider self-care in her daily life. She found a way to stay on the right path - to move with intention - to embrace the real Heneka, not the fake person society wanted her to be!
"We are spiritual beings in a physical body," she tell us at 17:36 in.
It's necessary - note that word: NECESSARY - she says, to recognize and understand what you can control and what you cannot.
You can control your diet! The food you eat to sustain you influences everything about you - including your stomach, your brain, your weight, your thoughts, your energy level. Be conscious of it!
We did talk about one of her books: According to His Word: A 31-Day Devotional for Entrepreneurs and she shared a few devotionals for us:
Here's what keeps Heneka grounded in her spiritual journey: the Bible. Prayer. Psalms. And all of that keeps her centered in her business, The Entrepreneurial You.
Seek out and find Heneka here:
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Brought to you by Yvonne DiVita of Nurturing Big Ideas.
by Yvonne DiVita - Smart, Sassy, Bold, and Brassy - Your Dedicated Book Coach
Yes, Joyce and I are 'of a certain age' whatever that means. To us, it doesn't mean anything because we aren't letting age slow us down.
This Smart Conversation is sure to be one of my favorites for many weeks to come. Talking with Joyce about how to use online tools like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn effectively, sparked new ideas in my brain on how to help my authors be more successful also.
Did you know, authors out there, that LinkedIn is also good for branding? Did you know it's a proven way to connect with other authors you admire or want to get to know better? Did you know all that networking is really up to you and, oh by the way, you can do it quite successfully on LinkedIn, if you learn how.
Talking with Joyce on how she came to start her company Boomer Social Media Tutor to begin with might resonate with some of you out there. I think it's always fun to hear the back story - and Joyce's is unique. Not only did she get encouragement from a boss - to do this on her own, with people of her "generation," she was still employed when that happened.Let's look at this closely - she was 61 years old when she decided to do this thing - this teaching social media thing - at a time when most people her age, my age, were not even on social. Think about it - she made that decision eleven years ago and you, or your grandma, or your aunt, were probably still tsk tsking everyone else for hopping on the Twitter, Facebook band wagon.
But Joyce's energy and her passion for learning new things were all she needed to tackle this big idea. Insert important note here: the manager who encouraged her was 35 at the time, a good bit younger than Joyce. And people say inter-generational learning and collaborating doesn't exist. (Do they say that? Who says that? If this doesn't change your mind and their minds also, well, you'll only have yourself to blame when it becomes the next 'big' thing. You didn't hear it here first.)
I asked Joyce to tell us the difference between LinkedIn and Facebook. Everyone seems to "get" Facebook. No matter your age, you know how Facebook works. But new, emerging small business owners, many of whom are over 55 because they're doing this in their 'retirement', don't get it. They shy away from it.
"Look at People magazine," Joyce said (this will be verbatim, so watch the video and get all of the advice). "You expect a certain kind of content there - gossipy articles, things about famous people, the stuff you read while you're in line at the grocery store. But, pick up the Wall Street Journal, and now you're standing up straight. Your mind is focused on the story and facts presented, as if you're in a business conference room, not at the grocery store."
People magazine is Facebook. Wall Street Journal is LinkedIn.
That's just the tip of the iceberg here. BTY, at about 10 minutes in there's BREAKING NEWS! Yep, breaking news about LinkedIn. Watch and learn. It's pretty phenomenal, especially for writers.
It doesn't hurt, of course, that Joyce has master's degrees in education and business. Or that she's worked in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors of business. She's a true professional but also so approachable you can bring all your friends to her for training, and be confident she will have answers (or find answers if she doesn't know that answer right then) to all their LinkedIn questions, without judgment. Her goal is to keep it simple, easy, and fun. Just like our conversation.
In the rest of the conversation learn about how Toastmasters influenced Joyce's path and how authors should be using LinkedIn for more than general 'conversation' about them and their books. LinkedIn can be a powerful tool, if you have someone like Joyce to teach you about it.
Find and follow her on these social channels:
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Visit Nurturing Big Ideas blog for content on writing, publishing, and marketing your next book.
Melanie Talks Journey
Let's talk about stepping out of your comfort zone. Yes, let's. This Smart Conversation with Melanie Hicks of Becoming Congruent, takes us on a journey in pursuit of congruence. Much like myself, Melanie was prolific as a child and wrote her first book at aged 10! But her book wasn't a novel or a short story made longer by continued writing.
Hers was a book about travel. A book to entice people to visit one of her favorite places. "Who knew I had the marketing gene, way back then?" she laughs now.
This conversation brings so much to life - including advice and encouragement, and I know you'll want to listen more than once, and share with friends.
A little background, however:
Dr. Melanie Hicks is an education and career consultant with more than two decades of experience. She has been published in numerous magazines and online publications, including but not limited to: Forbes.com; Authority Magazine; Marie Claire Magazine; and Moc Ideja, a grassroots policy manual for lawmakers in Bosnia funded by the US Department of State. Melanie holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Florida State University and has won numerous awards for writing and public service.
Her latest endeavor, a book titled Incongruent: My Misaligned Life and the Trek to Becoming Congruent advises us to become a flashlight and a mirror. While not published just yet, it will be out soon. Visit the link and watch the book trailer. In a little over three minutes it will start you thinking about your next journey and questioning some of the choices you've made so far in your life.
Incongruent takes the reader on a journey through Nepal as well as a journey to amplify the authentic self.
Life without luggage
Our conversation here is not just a story about the book, however. Our conversation is a change version for the everyday person. It's how Melanie took a year long journey to find meaning in her life and to explore and experience things she was afraid of. (when was the last time YOU did that? not travel so much as face things you're afraid of?)
The tale gets interesting about ten minutes in when Melanie shares her story of heading out for a yoga retreat, overseas, and becoming stuck in Paris. With no luggage. Then, on to the retreat the next day, still without luggage. She learned a good bit about asking for help and understanding that it's better to be 'in the moment' than to rely on strictly laid out plans. And, to let other people dress you. Well, that's in the video - I'm not explaining here. Watch and learn.
As a child, she did learn how to make the detailed plans. She traveled with her parents in a large RV, several weeks in the summer, through most of the contiguous United States. It was during these trips that she was exposed to the detailed planning needed for such a trek, by her father. but... she says, "there were also balls of yarn by the wayside of the road," compliments of her mother. You'll have to watch the show to figure out what that means.
I especially love the parts where she talks about Steven Cope's book The Great Work of Your Life. His story, another amazing journey into the unknown, taking paths not directed by well meaning friends and family, but by the instinct in your heart telling you, "Do this, not that," helped Melanie learn to face things she'd spent years denying. Melanie talks extensively about this and about why this book is so important to her. Perhaps it should be on all of our bookshelves?
To find Melanie and connect with her, follow these links:
Make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel for regular Smart Conversations. One of them might just change your life.
A Smart Conversation with Carly Catt and Yvonne DiVita
If you're writing a book, this is the conversation for you. Don't let the young, beautiful smile fool you. This woman is out to make things happen in writing and editing. Good things - for the authors she works with.
When I met Carly I was immediately impressed with her professionalism, her talent, and her approachability. If you're a subscriber or a friend, you know how important approachability is for me. If we meet and you do not present yourself as approachable, I'm likely to step back and move on to the next person.
Carly asked if she could guest post on Nurturing Big Ideas, and after reviewing her work, I accepted. You can find her post here: Do I Really Need A Copy Editor.
One reason I was so impressed with her is because her description of a copy editor is spot on:
"A copy editor reads the entire manuscript while checking for many things: incorrect grammar, spelling, and punctuation; spacing and basic formatting issues; effective writing techniques such as word choice, parallel construction, passive voice over active voice, limited repetitions and clichés, avoiding vague or offensive language; and consistency of spelling and treatment of names, places, objects, actions, etc."
You'll learn so much in this talk - about writing, editing, using a style guide, and the need to make sure each author keeps their own voice throughout the book. Plus, how to write good -slang- dialogue.
Including what Carly does in her work to assure author's get the best result at 3:50 minutes in.
And, why she likes working with self-published authors at 21:00 minutes in.
But the best part of this conversation is her story. You knew I'd get to that word, didn't you? Story is everything. Story is what being human is about. Story is how we connect and communicate and share - as intelligent beings who care about each other.
Her story, the story of being 8 years old and editing documents for her father, is priceless. Why? Because she was smart, that's why. And because she had a father who recognized that talent in his daughter.
Following that is the story of her light bulb moment and how she decided to go from psychology to copy editing. And how she studied to become the master she is today. I hope you take that part of this conversation to heart - because we all need to study and learn, and keep studying and learning our craft, whatever craft that is, to be honest professionals who do a good job for our clients.
Oh, and she danced competitively through high school! (plus she plays the piano - color me jealous!)
You won't want to miss any of this video, so watch it all! And then leave a comment or a question, for me or for Carly.
Visit Carly on -
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Website
Resource hub for self-publishers
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Nurturing Big Ideas is an AHA company: Authors Helping Authors.
contact Yvonne at yvonne (at) yvonnedivita (dot) com for a FREE session to uncover the book in you.
First the writing advice. Because, generally, writing comes before publishing.
(1) Take yourself seriously. If you don't take yourself seriously, no one else will, either. This means treating your writing as more than an afternoon hobby. If you're able to write and publish by treating your work as an afternoon hobby, why are you reading this blog post?
Malcolm Gladwell, in his popular book, Outliers - The Story of Success, tells us it take 10,000 hours of practice to become a master. This is not to say you will be the greatest novelist or inspirational writer of all time. It merely means, you must write to be a writer.
James Clear, in his book, Atomic Habits, says, if you do it, you are it. If you talk about it, you are not it. Oversimplifying a bit but the message is clear - in order to be a writer, a published writer, you must write. And then, you must publish. In the former instance, you are allowed to call yourself a writer. "I write," you will say, when asked what you do. But, when asked if I've ever read anything you've written, you want to say, "You might have. Last year I published..." This is better than, "Probably not. I've never published anything."
(2) When writing non-fiction, remember, it's still a story. It's not a report. Don't prepare a detailed look at how to do something, complete with graphs and charts and diagrams. Include them, but make sure you're telling a story the reader can relate to. The story of you. The story of how the reader can become successful, just like you.
A good place to start that story is in the introduction. That's where you get to be you, the person, before you're you the business professional. You, the person, is what will sell the reader on your advice. If she begins to feel connected to you via your story, she will want to learn all she can from you.
Yes, I know, a lot of people say they don't read introductions. You can make them read it, though. You can make reading the introduction a necessary part of the book's flow. "Remember when I told you about this or that in the introduction?" If I haven't read the introduction, now I feel compelled to go back and read it.
The reason story is so powerful is because it's what brings people together. It's what gets our attention. We might need the graphs and charts and diagrams, but unless you've hooked us with a story, we're just not going to pay attention.
(3) Learn exactly what 'story' means. I recommend reading fiction because the richness of the storytelling can inspire you to greater creativity. Creativity is essential to all works of art, but too many of us tend to leave it out of our non-fiction books, where it can provide such a powerful message, when used correctly.
But before you begin to apply that idea to your writing, learn a little more about story. Joseph Campbell considered story "a hero's journey."
As shown in this image, the hero is first called to adventure. Don't be fooled by the "supernatural aid" mention. That is, truly, for fiction. For us, the aid can come in the form of a mentor, a business advisor, a friend, a colleague, or, even a prayer. What's important here, is that there is a threshold and the beginning of a transformation.
And that is where your power comes in. You will help the reader transform her life by taking her on a journey, where she is the hero and you are the mentor/helper. Interestingly, I promise that you will also come to a threshold and be transformed.
There is a lot more to writing, of course, but one blog post cannot cover it all. Let's move on the the publishing advice. And boy, is there a lot of that!
The most asked question I get, lately, is, "How should I publish my book?"
Everyone sort of gets the "print-on-demand" model used by Amazon and many other small presses. Back in 2005, when I founded Windsor Media Enterprises, or WME Books, as we called it, print-on-demand was still in its infancy. Not many people 'got it'. (side note - all that's left of that publishing company is this page, which lists our books. There is a new brand on the market using our WME Books description, so don't be fooled. It's not us any longer. Our publishing company closed years ago to pursue other big ideas.)
Today, print-on-demand (POD) is so popular, just about everyone uses it. Even many of the big publishing companies have print-on-demand divisions.
The best reason to use this model is to be your own publisher. When you command your own book, and it's publication, you are the boss. For a bit of a deeper dive into this topic, follow this link to my blog post about publishing. Meanwhile, with POD, you get to do things like:
Things to know about print-on-demand are:
If it seems like there are too many "you" words in that list, let me share a secret with you.
Even if you get a traditional publisher to publish your book, you have to do a lot of that stuff. Yes, a traditional publisher will get an ISBN and copyright for you. And, a traditional publisher will take care of the index. They might even help you create a webpage for your book. But they will also dictate how long your book is, what the cover will look like, and what the title will be. And when it will be released.
You do all the rest. In fact, if you don't prove you have an established platform, with thousands of possible readers, traditional publishers won't even talk to you. No matter how great your proposal is. Oh, yeah, I forgot - before you do or prove any of the above to a traditional publisher, you have to prove you can sell the book and earn back your royalty for the advance. At which time, they may choose to remove the book from print - few books make it to a second printing. (side note: no you will not likely get a large advance to able you in taking time off of work or life to write your book; an average advance is $5000 but most people only get $2500 or so... and once you've sold enough for the traditional publisher to make back their money, they generally wave bye-bye.)
Traditional publishers do not put a lot of effort or money into marketing your book. Unless you're already famous. Or, again, they see that you have 9 million Instagram followers.
With print-on-demand, you own all the rights and set your own royalties and can keep your book in print for as long as it serves its purpose. (this is using your own company to publish - some small press publishers offer a royalty and do help with marketing, but you are still the one who has to do the heavy lifting)
All of this is GENERAL advice. There are pluses and minuses to anything and publishing a book is no different. As a writing and publishing services company, Nurturing Big Ideas works with you hand in hand to smooth your path along the way. Our goal is to get you on Kindle for Amazon, digital and print versions of your book.
You will have a professional product to serve you for many years, if you take the time to invest in your book writing and publishing endeavor.
What other questions do you have? We cover a lot of this in our weekly Smart News, also. Get on board now - you'll be privvy to inside deals and offers around writing and publishing, if you do. Oh, yes, since writing a book is much like starting a new small business, we work with you on that, too. We're serial entrepreneurs, after all.
I was watching a FB live one afternoon, where Pam Prior (remember her from a Smart Conversation just a couple of weeks ago?) was talking with Trish Shallenberger, but I was only half paying attention. My mind was on other things, and while the conversation they were having was interesting, I needed to get an email out and then...suddenly...something I heard made me jerk in my seat, turn my head around, and lean into the monitor to see what was going on.
I didn't want to just hear it. I wanted to see it! Because hearing and seeing together make a powerful combination for communication! (words and pictures together, of course)
The subject was about our service men and women. A story of how Trish had met a solider on a plane and decided to help him with his rough, red hands. After using the lotion she gave him, she offered to send him more, to wherever he was deployed. But he said, "No. I can't accept your help." The reason why will make you cry.
Trish did not take this lightly. In the conversation with Pam Prior, I learned how Trish went on to help hundreds of soldiers, by creating a company called A Soldier's Hands. "A non-profit that cares cares for our deployed military, integrates youth education, volunteer support, fundraising, and leadership in a uniquely touching way."
In this video below, a Nurturing Big Ideas' Smart Conversation, Trish and I talk about that fateful day she happened to be on that plane and how she happened to sit in that seat next to a young man who was a solider and how they got talking.
7:40 When she offered her help to him, his answer was a sheepish, no. He couldn't accept her help knowing that everyone else in his unit would not have the same. And that started it. That started transformation in Trish's life. Because Trish took the leap and said, "I'll help everyone in your unit. How many are there?" Let's say it was more than 10. Or 20. Or 30.
It didn't matter how many there were. Trish had made a promise. A commitment. And, once she got home, she started making things happen!!!
At 9:33, Santa Claus enters the conversation.
At 10:25 I try to remember this quote: "It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things." ~ Elinor Smith - American Aviator
The conversation continues as we talk about moonshine and a battalion of 800!
Trish tells us that, "It doesn't take that many people to make things happen," when I ask about the volunteers. To which, I say, today, things happen when you have a leader like Trish.
At about 30:00 minutes in, as we talk about the story, the power of what she did, about the divine intervention, Trish quietly says, "Good things come when this story is told."
Know this - A Soldier's Hands is a non-profit organization caring for our deployed military, that integrates youth education, volunteer support, fundraising, and leadership in a uniquely touching way. <<< "in a uniquely touching way" - if nothing else, watch to learn about that!
Trish, herself, has spoken to 1000s as a guest speaker for corporate events, local events, and veteran organizations. She has been featured in Authority Magazine, Thrive Global, Town & Gown Magazine, NBC10, and more. She's been on podcasts including Snack & Learn with Pam Prior, setyourselfree, Betsy Pake, Journey with Jen Poulson, and The Editor's Desk.
I hope my sharing this story and asking you to share it, will help make more good things happen. I urge you to listen to your nudges. They're trying to move you in the right direction. I'm sure glad Trish listened to hers. It was my honor to have her on Smart Conversations. For more information on what YOU can do, go to this link.
Last little note - Trish has this phenomenal saying in her email signature that offers me inspiration every time I see it:
"Not everyone can enlist to serve, but we can all serve the enlisted."
Oh, and on the back wall, behind Trish, the words, "You are enough" speak loud and clear to me. I know they also speak to my husband, Tom Collins of Old Dog Learning. Because sometimes we humans, caught up in one thing or another, forget that we are enough. Each and every one of us, is enough. Embrace your enough.
Please visit the website and learn what YOU can do. From right where you are.
Instagram: @asoldiershands
Twitter @soldiershands
Subscribe to this YouTube channel for more conversations about life, business, books, and why it's so dreary in downtown Binghamton all the time.
A Smart Conversation with Pam Prior and Yvonne DiVita
She's One of Those! Oh my!
When I met Pam Prior I wasn't sure what to think. She is certainly a dynamic personality, and after checking out her Facebook page, I knew she was one of "those people"... but I decided not to hold it against her. And am I glad I didn't!!!
What does being one of "those people" even mean? It means, like my kids, but especially my eldest, Chloe (pronounced Kl-oh... not Klo-e, thank you very much) who began her entrepreneur's life as a bookkeeper, Pam is a numbers person. She makes poetry with numbers. She reads your tea leaves in numbers. She looks at your palm and tells you the future in numbers.
No, that's not right. Yes, she's full of magic. Magic of the highest order, but she doesn't read tea leaves or palms. And I don't know if she writes poetry, of any sort. I made all that up.
What she does is close the space between what has to happen in your business and the boring dry space.
At five minutes in we talk abut the reasons people are afraid of numbers. Fear from where? Shame, a little? Embarrassment?
At seven minutes in there's a tiger. Yep, a tiger. In your face.
Let's Talk About the Magic
Truth is, if you ask Pam, she'll say she's "the dynamic opposite of every green-eyeshade accountant you’ve ever imagined."
And yes, she's written a book. She is the author of Your First CFO: The Accounting Cure for Small Business Owner, a best-seller that makes Finance fun and accessible for all entrepreneurs. But even more, she is also the entertaining and informative host of the “Cash Flow” Podcast on iTunes, and founder of the novel new Profit Concierge™ experience for entrepreneurs.
(notice how Pam uses some of the same words I use, but her focus is on the numbers story, a novel approach, don't you think?)
As someone who walks the walk and talks the talk, Pam brings her numbers expertise to fellow entrepreneurs in an approachable, joyful, and engaging way; all to help unleash their cash flow and kickstart their business engines.
(don't you love "business engines"? It speaks to me!)
But, it's her magic that makes the difference. Her magic is removing, once and for all, the frustration, fear, overwhelm, and tired old money stories that handicap so many of us in our businesses. To do that she delivers finance in a completely new way; yes, for those of us who are entrepreneurs, but founded on 30 years of Fortune 50 and Private Equity corporate financial leadership experience.
At eleven minutes in, we talk about how numbers lie! After all, they're emotional, just like words.
Clearing Away the Muck!
With Profit Concierge™, Pam weaves together all of the components – bookkeeping, accounting, forecasting, cash flow - into one seamless and totally new Finance Experience for entrepreneurs, clearing away the muck and allowing them to focus on their goals with full peace of mind.
She is committed to transforming entrepreneurial finance and accounting from nightmare to best friend for her clients and audiences of all sizes; and has been described as everything from “CFO Quarterback” to “Financial Fairy Godmother”, to “Friend in the Foxhole”. And she is, indeed, all of those things.
But, most of all, she's down to earth. She's relatable. She's approachable. And she speaks clear English! Yes, words you can understand, about numbers!
Watch for the word PLAYGROUND. I'm not going to tell you where it is. But, it's important.
Finance is Fun
In this fun and educational video, and I don't say that lightly, you will learn how finance is fun. Say it with me, Finance is fun. Pam Prior is a storyteller. She uses words to talk about numbers and crafts a story to help entrepreneurs like myself, and many of you, talk about finances, understand finances, and stop being afraid of finances. Maybe even learn to forecast for yourself.
If you're an entrepreneur, watch this and take notes. I took a lot of notes! I plan on having Pam back again soon.
Any questions you want to ask her?
Join Pam's Facebook group: Profit Concierge
Learn more about Pam on her website
As always, subscribe to the Nurturing Big Ideas YouTube channel to be the first to know what a Smart Conversation (or an Yvonne Talks) is posted.
Writing a book or thinking of writing a book? I'm your gal. Let's talk.
What is a copy editor?
A copy editor is a type of editor that focuses on every single word typed. We focus on aiding comprehension with proper grammar to avoid confusion.
Let me give you an example of confusion that could have been prevented by a copy editor. You know the song, “There was a farmer who had a dog, and Bingo was his name-o.” Wait. Whose name is Bingo? The farmer or the dog? Suppose Bingo goes on to drive a car and cook dinner. Is this normal farmer behavior, or does the dog know a lot of amazing tricks? This is a silly example where it doesn’t really matter, but I hope this demonstrates how confusion can easily occur in writing, and how a copy editor can be absolutely necessary to make sure your readers aren’t confused.
What does a copy editor do?
A copy editor reads the entire manuscript while checking for many things: incorrect grammar, spelling, and punctuation; spacing and basic formatting issues; effective writing techniques such as word choice, parallel construction, passive voice over active voice, limited repetitions and clichés, avoiding vague or offensive language; and consistency of spelling and treatment of names, places, objects, actions, etc.
Copy editors keep you from spelling names of things differently throughout the book. Is it Hannah or Hanna? Is the restaurant called Mo’s Bar or Moe’s Bar? Keep it consistent. We also make sure words are treated the same throughout the book. Is it Wizard or wizard? Either is fine, but it has to be the same throughout the whole book.
What does a copy editor not do?
A copy editor does not squash out your voice. That’s not our job. Our job is to make sure you know the rules so you can choose which ones help comprehension of your book and which ones you want to purposely break.
One of the reasons you might have picked self-publishing over traditional publishing is so you could have control over your book. Don’t let editors force you into things. You are ultimately the one in charge. I might ask you to explain your reasoning for wanting something, but you always have the final say.
When should I hire a copy editor?
Copy editors should receive your manuscript after the entire book is written and other editors have looked at it already (if you choose to do that). If you didn’t know that there were other types of editors, check out this post to find out about them! Other editors can help solidify characters, settings, scenes, plot, structure, pace, point of view, mood, tone, voice, etc. These are all big-picture things. After all of that is set, and you’re ready to move to the next step, that’s when you need a copy editor. Make sure to get those other things figured out first because if you have a copy editor check your manuscript word for word, then another editor tells you that you should rework a dialogue scene, you’ll need a copy editor again. So just wait until you’re happy with all the story elements and scenes before moving on to a copy editor.
Do I really need one?
Yes. Do you really want to spend all that time, effort, and money to publish a book that has confusing sentences and inconsistencies all over the place? What a waste! Show your project the respect it deserves by having a copy editor help you to clean up your manuscript. You want your readers to relate to and understand your characters without being pulled from the book to go back and reread a sentence to figure out what just happened.
How do I find a copy editor?
Ask around for recommendations from friends, writers, or other people in the self-publishing industry. Search directories, Google, or social media groups. Then when you find a few, check out their websites for reviews, credentials, relevant experience, and rates.
If all these things look good to you, reach out to get more information about a quote specific to your project. You can ask for a sample edit from copy editors before signing on as well. Some editors do those for free, others charge but put it toward your final invoice if you sign with them. Get in contact to get your questions answered. If you want more advice on how to find an editor appropriate for your project, visit my site and check out my blog!
Do some research to find out which copy editor is right for you and your project!
My name is Carly Catt, and I am a professional proofreader and copy editor for nonfiction and fiction books of various genres.
If you’d like more information about copy editing or the self-publishing process, don’t hesitate to email me! Feel free to check out my website or find me on Facebook!