Welcome to Beyond the Boardroom - August in Review.
Each month I will write a summary of my almost-daily emails where I highlight the possibilities and opportunities awaiting those stepping away from corporate life.
First up:
Exposing the Truth: How LinkedIn "Gurus" Are Hacking the System - August 1
The latest LinkedIn hack gives you thousands of content views and lots of comments.
I see some LinkedIn "gurus" receiving tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of content views.
I recently invested in a course from one of these "gurus"
Read this article for my thoughts after completing the course. Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
The Man Behind the Coach: How Robert Middleton Shaped My Career - August 2
My first marketing mentor, Robert Middleton, is calling it quits after 39 years.
Robert is the founder of Action Plan Marketing. I became aware of him in late-2001 when I was finishing my coaching certification.
Read this article, and congratulate Robert on his retirement! Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
Navigating 64 Tabs: A Look Inside My Content Chaos - August 3
Could you believe that I have 64 tabs open on my browser?
Remember when we used to bookmark sites?
I have bookmarks that are at least a decade old.
I know I could delete my bookmarks and start over, but I may need one of those bookmarks someday (haha the jokes on me).
I leave a tab open thinking I'll get back to that site, but I rarely do.
Read my latest article if you can relate. Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
Termites, No-Reply Emails, and Snake Oil: A Marketer's Adventure - August 7
This post is not about termites and how you should treat them... It's about a pet peeve I have.
Why do businesses email you a quote using a "no-reply" email address?
Aren't we supposed to make it easy for our customers to communicate with us?
Read this article for my thoughts on the matter. Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
Be a Morning Procrastinator: The Lazy Way to Accomplish More - August 9
We’ve been coming to this resort at Lake Tahoe for over 25 years and every summer day starts the same way.
Mother Nature has her morning routine.
My vacation morning routine is sitting on the beach for an hour enjoying Mother Nature’s routine.
At home, I have a similar but different morning routine.
Read this article for more and to see how this relates to LinkedIn or running your small business. Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
Zoom's AI Policy Uproar: What You Need to Know - August 11
Zoom created a firestorm this week when they updated their terms of service to include an updated AI policy.
The new terms of service were released in March, but nobody noticed until this week when Hacker News wrote a blog post about the changes.
Read this article for an update explaining the policy and everything you need to know. Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
Are You Making This LinkedIn Mistake? - August 15
Every day someone asks me what's working on LinkedIn.
I ask them what they're trying to accomplish on LinkedIn.
Some say lead generation... Some say they want more exposure... They all say they want more clients.
Read this article to find out the mistake they are making when it comes to accomplishing this. Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
Are you making the same mistake?
Good enough is not good enough - August 18
I first heard it from Dan Kennedy.
"Good enough is good enough."
"Ready, fire, aim," the gurus tell us.
Don't spend hours making your product perfect.
Start selling then make adjustments.
Just get it out there as soon as possible.
Read this article for my thoughts. Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
Why you need to stop focusing on your ideal prospect - August 21
Marketing 101 teaches you how to create your ideal client persona or ideal prospect.
I was watching a video from Jon Benson, and he talked about focusing on your ideal buyer.
It hit me like a ton of bricks... Wouldn't it be better to focus on your ideal buyer instead of your ideal prospect?
Read this article for my thoughts. Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
They laughed when I sat down at the piano - August 22
I always wanted to play an instrument.
I tried drums... I tried piano... I tried guitar.
I even sucked at playing the recorder in 4th grade.
For some reason, the musical part of my brain doesn't work.
Read this article if you're like me. Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
Here's what happens when you make assumptions without facts - August 24
Ever make an incorrect assumption?
When the dot com crash hit, I thought I would bounce back quickly.
For 20 years, my skills were in high demand, so finding a job was easy.
I didn't realize the dot com crash changed everything... It took me time to realize my tech career was over.
I assumed my career would come back, but I was wrong.
Assuming I knew it all was my biggest mistake.
Read this article to find out what I learned. Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
Cold showers, broken promises and bad marketing - August 25
A few months I realized our hot water heater was 25 years old.
Mr. Proactive thought it would be a good idea to replace it before disaster struck.
Well, I tried to be proactive but...
Read this article to find out what happened. Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
Why Upskilling Is No Longer Enough - August 28
In today's world, you need to proactively address upskilling AND reskilling to remain competitive.
What I'm getting at is...
If you are offering products and services developed a few years ago, you need to make sure you are solving a problem that still exists.
Read this article for more on why upskilling is no longer enough. Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
How Mastering One Skill Can Transform Your Business - August 29
When I started in marketing 20 years ago, I thought I needed to learn everything.
Automated lead gen systems didn't exist so I learned HTML, copywriting, Google ads, Facebook ads, social media, and SEO.
I was a jack of all trades and pretty good at some skills but I always felt I had to learn more before clients would hire me.
For years, I could keep up with the latest trends in online ads, SEO, and website platforms.
As time went on, the pace of change left me in the dust, and I realized I had to narrow my focus.
Read this article for my thoughts on mastering one skill, rather than being the jack of all trades. Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
How to make a fool of yourself at a networking event - August 30
When I finished my coaching certification in 2001, I knew absolutely nothing about marketing or networking.
One of my coaching mentors said I should start attending local networking events.
I attended one of the first meetings of the Bay Area Consultants Network ready to land my first coaching client.
Read this article to find out how it went! Visit my website's blog, or find it on LinkedIn.
That's all for this month.
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- Ted
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