Productivity Archives

Wendy's PR Crash Course
January 10-11, 2008
Orlando Marriott Downtown

It's official. After years of friends and clients asking why I produce killer seminars and conferences for other people and organizations but never host my own, I'm going to do so.

I've already lined up some of the top PR and business development experts in my personal database (developed over 20 years of actually working in the corporate world and PR industry, not just reading about them). From launching your own publicity campaign to streamlining your business, you'll hear from some of the best.

This will NOT be a "sit in your chair and listen to one talking head after another drone on about how they got super rich in just a few hours with very little effort" seminar. If you're looking to catch lightening in a bottle and get rich quick, this event is NOT for you.

Wendy's PR Crash Course WILL be a highly interactive, hands-on educational seminar from which you will leave with tangible results. You'll actually implement some of the tips and techniques we teach before you ever leave the event. That way, if you have questions, you'll still be in the room with the instructor and can ask questions RIGHT THEN to make sure you've got it.

Normally, I like to have every little detail finalized before I promote an event, but this is going to be so big, I wanted to let you know NOW so you can save the date and plan to make 2008 your best year ever.

For more details, visit our seminar page and look for Wendy's PR Crash Course

Download Microsoft's new Office Accounting Express 2007 software FREE. The press release offers a complete list of features. The site is pretty cool, with the virtual studio-created online videos my tech idol Tom Antion teaches people how to create.

Microsoft is doing a cool promotion in conjunction with the product launch. Susanna Hamner at Madison Avenue West has all the details. Download the submission form for the promotion. Even if you don't have a big idea to submit, take the time to think through and answer the questions on the application. It's a great way to take the pulse of your business D.R.E.A.M.

One of the joys in owning your own business is the ability to choose the people with whom you will work and the work that you will do. This ability translates into a huge benefit for both you and the client. You get to work with people you enjoy and they get a professional genuinely excited about the work.

On a rare occasion however, you may have a client who turns out to be a total nightmare and you're left pulling your hair out. You've exhausted all options and there's nothing else you can do. It's time to fire the client.

Todd Defren shares his views on firing clients on the PR Squared blog (I was amused to see his thoughts were posted on Valentine's Day.

Kevin Airgid offers some good solutions for "Managing the Monster" over at Creative Behavior.

Fortunately, I've only had to fire a few clients since launching Elizabeth Charles & Associates nearly ten years ago. The first time was a bit scary as I was still getting my business up and running, but years later, I count it as one of the best business decisions I made in those early years. The amount of time and effort saved during the first week after parting company gave me a chance to breathe. Without the unnecessary stress, I was able to think more clearly and focus more attention on my own business. It paid off - I landed two new clients in less than two weeks!

So how do you recognize the signs of a potential client from hell? I'll talk about that next time.

Dr. Jim Loehr, Chairman, CEO and co-founder of the Human Performance Institute will be the special guest January 11 at the Orlando Chamber's Listening to Leaders breakfast forum on January 11.

Earlier this month, I produced an industry conference for the Florida chapters of the Association for Corporate Growth. We hired Dr. Jim Loehr, Chairman, CEO and co-founder of the Human Performance Institute, to serve as the luncheon keynote speaker. The feedback from attendees was great.

The Human Performance Institute specializes in helping business executives, elite law enforcement teams, medical professionals, and professional athletes achieve full engagement in high stress environments. Dr. Loehr believes managing energy, not time, is the key to sustained high performance. He contends energy is the most critical resource we have at work - not the time we spend on a project or with a client but rather the energy we bring to that encounter.

I firmly believe energy is critical for success. So naturally I jumped at the generous invitation from Dr. Loehr's sales director to visit the Institute and experience part of their executive training program. Of course, this means I have actually chosen to subject myself to the horrors of being seen in a swim suit, getting on a scale in front of other people, and climbing into the Institute's "bod pod" machine to have my body fat measured.

This is one experience I am a bit hesitant to share with others (after all, some things are just better left private), but it is a critical step in setting my goals for 2006. And the bod pod fascinates me. It looks like a real George Jetson transport machine. Maybe they can transport the fat right out of my body!

Anyway, I need a full assessment of where I am today in order to measure my progress in the coming year. Health and fitness is on my goals sheet every year, but I want to really increase my level next year, so I'm taking steps now to determine how that can be done. I'm also doing a full assessment of my business, noting what worked well this past year and what I need to do in order to reach the next level in 2006. While the bod pod may not be for everyone, I do encourage you to review your business in 2005 and jot down a few ideas about how you can make 2006 even better.

You can start by finding your current level of engagement by taking the Human Performance Institute's free quiz.

"Never underestimate the power of a good pair of black pants!"

This is my personal quote, one I have been saying for years. It's a fundamental belief that a quick glance in my closet will confirm. Not sure whether the event is casual or business casual? Black pants. Too much pasta over the weekend? Black pants on Monday!

Black has long been recognized as a powerful color. When you think "power suit," you don't typically think yellow, right? Black symbolizes power and elegance. It can make a powerful statement when used correctly in graphic design.

Black is also considered a "slimming" color, so black pants are very good for hiding your three month absence from the gym (and hence my fondness for them). So next time you're not sure what to wear to a meeting, why not try a pair of black pants?

Does anyone have the real scoop on the latest edition of Microsoft Office? I've been ready to upgrade for some time but the Microsoft site doesn't offer much help.

The only info I could find on the site was a page about upgrading. The opening description on the page clearly notes Microsoft 2006:

Microsoft Office Small Business Management Edition 2006 includes the financial and customer management programs and tools that today’s small businesses need. Learn how to acquire Microsoft Office Small Business Management Edition 2006 and order it today.

Is the final verison still scheduled for a July 2006 release? Is the Small Business Accounting 2006 included or a separate purchase? Why would they update Outlook 2003 and call the new version "Outlook 2003 with Small Business Contact Manager" instead of "Outlook 2006?"

Update 10/15/05 10:00 a.m.: After further research, I located a bit more info on the Microsoft site. Unfortunately, this page also references and links to Office 2003 so it's not much help. If I read the page correctly, the new version of Office is just the old Office 2003 package with a "Business Contact Manager update" and "Small Business Accounting 2006" added.

I ordered the complimentary Small Business Accounting 2006 cd trial, but it's only good for 20 uses. It'll take me at least 1/2 that many just to get used to the interface. It should be here in 4-6 weeks.

Update 10/21/05: The trial cd is already here! Now THAT is impressive.

Doreen recently pointed to a post by Christopher Hawkins. The Thrill and Agony of Working from Home was well written with solid tips so I took a few minutes to scan the rest of his blog. This guy is good.

Those few moments and reading 11 Clients You Should Fire were enough for me to subscribe to his RSS feed. Whether you work from home or not, office productivity tips are always helpful. I really agreed with him on Tip #3:

Dressing the part is a big help.

I have absolutely noticed a difference in both my demeanor and my productivity when I dress like I'm going to work someplace as opposed to when I roll out of bed, pull on the nearest sweats and T-shirt, and hit the office. Sure, it's nice to be able to work in sweats and a T-shirt in the privacy of my own home. But without fail, if I get dressed like I have a real office to go to, I am more professional and more productive.

Check Chris out. And if you have a great productivity tip, let me know.

Inbox: 9
Sent: 637
Trash: 0

Goal: 0 in all categories by 9:00 p.m. tonight. Wish me luck.

Today's email battle strategy: spend two hours on Saturday morning cleaning up...starting with a sent folder containing 1,756, and whittle away throughout the day until the goal is achieved.

I just added Avery index labels to a conference planning notebook. The notebook is for an industry conference I am producing this fall for a client. The project started with a basic file folder in January but has grown into a three inch, three-ring binder.

Before working at Sprint, I used folders for everything. Then I met Debbie Mason and Alice Alfano. They put everything in three-ring binders. Everything! I thought that was really weird at the time but the longer I worked with them, the more I realized they really did have the whole organization thing down to a science. They are my office organization idols!

The big "aha" came for me when I was promoted to Manager of Special Events. Debbie handed me her notebook from an event. No files, no folders, just one large notebook that contained everything I needed. It turned out to be much easier to go through than folders and I have used binders for my events ever since. They are easily portable. Nothing falls out. I can flip back and forth through pages and sections quickly and easily, unlike papers in folders. I can expand the notebook and add another section by simply adding another divider.

Thanks, Debbie and Alice. Switching from folders to binders has kept me more organized and saved me countless hours and frustration over the years!

I have used Avery labels for years and have them in all kinds of shapes and sizes. They make my life easier. Unfortunately, I am an early adopter and don't always have the right template for the newer labels. Tonight I found the solution: Avery Wizard for Microsoft Word. I downloaded and installed the wizard and printed out dividers for my notebook in less time than it took to type this post (well, that's really because I had to take time to go back and look up the URLs so you would have the links).