trust

So why do we have the tendency to take an expert's words over our own? How come we relate to something thruthful being expressed when it is not said by an expert? In short: why on earth would we have the tendency to take another's word over our own?

This morning I read both a statement saying: 'trust your own inner guidance system' and saw a youtube video of a 8 year old girl with a delightful opinion on how things are being done in Egypt. Many people related to both posts.

It appears we may find ourselves increasingly so in a time where we learn to trust our own wisdom more and more. Only those who are unsure venture out to get confirmation on that which they really already know to be true. (That or if you would find yourself in a position of being lost or clue less.) So how do we get clued in? How do we find that answer we are looking for? Google it?

Self empowerment start at the front door. It starts with the dawning realisation that all has changed, gone to custard or need re-alignment. People only change when they see the need to. Once through the door of realisation we come to the newfound understanding that indeed we are in the ''in between'' stage. We scramble, we muck around, we play, whatever fashion feels right to guide our akward feeling journey towards a new discovery. And then all of a sudden; there it is! An apple lands on our head or something equivalent happens. We know instantly what it is we need to do. No one can deviate us from this because it's one of those big ahas.

And when this happens to us, oh boy, miraculous things happen! We get new work out of the blue, we meet the right people to take us further, we simply focus more on something that inspires us and drives us on, we simply as they say "just go for it".

So who is the best expert about what you should do on any given time? There you are!

forecasting?

With the economy in a continual state of change there is no way to predict anything solid. Or so logic would dictate. This means it may be best to stop trying to think we can get a handle on the future or the financial climate and simply accept that there is no fail safe format to "live". So toss that handbook and do your own thing.


Yesterday -as I was enjoying my weekly session in the hot tub- I came across Ms Lidewij Edelkoort while reading. This lady does trend forecasting for a living. (What a groovy job that must be!) From her website:


"Li Edelkoort is one of the world's most renowned trend forecasters. Her work has pioneered trend forecasting as a profession; from the creation of innovative trend books and audiovisuals since the 1980s to long-ranging lifestyle analysis and research for the world's leading brands today.

Li announces the concepts, colours and materials which will be in fashion two or more years in advance because, "there is no creation without advance knowledge, and without design, a product cannot exist." In this way, she and her closely-knit teams orientate professionals in interpreting the evolution of society and the foreshadowing signals of consumer tastes to come, without forgetting economic reality."

I was absolutely fascinated with reading her perspective on things in the interview in the latest Australian Vogue Living magazine. Most of all it was encouraging. (To get an idea what her general views are on what's to come between 2010 and 2050 read this.)


She was talking a lot about "re-connecting"; less to do about the ego and more about people as a group, or as Seth Godin would say, a tribe. Lidewij mentions that this century will be more about connectivity and networking then anything else. Also the new media will help us to be more intuitive and instinctive she says. The future will be about "us" and not about "me". Hence the success of movies like Avatar, where the primal aspect is very tangible that also appeals to us.


Interior design wise there will be less contrived homes, glam will not be "hot", the nomadic lifestyle will be. We are more and more putting architecture in the landscape as an integrated part, something that can be hidden or that is folded into the surroundings somehow. We are more likely to single out objects or pieces that we have a connection with, then whether the sofa matches the chairs. The story remains important. And everything will be tactile. The use of our hands has already made a comeback, whether it is to craft, or to prepare food in the kitchen. 


So what does Lidewij really think about her abilities to predict the future?
“People think I am some kind of mystic. Yet all I do is pay attention.”
Photo: www.stuff.co.nz

dedication

I've noticed recently that some people I know seemed to have the notion that I must have a lot of play time on my hands. Because why, I seem to be able to follow social media and write blogs. Forgive me but I'm baffled. Today someone literally said: "I don't have time for that as I'm too busy."

Writing blogs and following others on Twitter is not because I'm a lady of leisure, it's because I like to know what's happening out there. I've been writing since I set foot in New Zealand in 2002, it's not a recent thing. In order to sell my jewellery it's also helpful that I'm easy to get to know. To sum it up: I like writing, have a passion for designing and I love people.

I get the strong impression that many think sales is about getting to know people so they can sell their products or services. Buzzer! No. I sell both more furniture and jewellery when people trust me, because they like me, and value what I offer them. But the connection comes first, never the product. It's about building a relationship, not to 'score'.

Marc is from Business Blogs twitters (@BusinessTalk). He is on Facebook as well to promote Business Blogs of which he is the Founder, he's director at Mobilize Mail and owner at PropertyTalk.com. He runs these businesses from Wellington. He's a very busy man and has invited me to join Business Blogs. I am grateful that he appreciates my stories and that I'm getting to know him.

Marc says: "If you are not passionate about what you are doing then you will fail. Only do what you are passionate about as the passion will get you up in the morning after working 4 years without a holiday and keep you going when it all seems to get too much."

Is he someone to lounge about? I don't think so. How does business work: we trust someone, we like their services or products, we listen to them and we talk. Online and offline chats both have their value. Word of mouth even works in the twittersphere. What's important is how we think and what we spend energy on, how we represent ourselves and how we do our promotion. Things are changing. As my work dictates I have to stay put during the day, online media is another way of staying in touch. I have found Businessblogs a great read, have inspiring articles and good information.

"Buyers research online before making a purchase decision so if you cannot be found via search, blogs, forums or social media networks then you don’t exist! Businesses also need to gain trust with buyers and continue to deliver value. BusinessBlogs.co.nz increases the awareness of your brand and message." So building your name is groovy, but it starts with your passion. What makes you tick and how is that different from anyone else?

Basically: if you love your work: awesome. If not, you might like to think about why the heck you do what you do, and HOW. (Visit Jonathan Mead's website and download his free ebook on the Zero work week, which is what I'm currently reading.)

the conversation

Why do it? It adds value and connections. RT (retweet) @LizzHarmon Tip:

In social media age, getting better at PR means getting better at relationships vs. publicity.

So you decided you want to market your business better. How? You market yourself. Online and offline.

Gary Vaynerchuk –the social sommelier- is a great example of how social media can create a killer boost in sales. It’s also about being genuine. As Gary puts it: “Get up there and network. Connect and care about your users. The only way to succeed is to be completely transparent. It starts with the mirror: what do I want to do? It’s not about 9-5, f* that.” The guy is hardcore but clever. He turned his family's small New Jersey liquor store into a wine empire that grosses over $60 million a year. (See excellent video and info here)

Of course many of us network already 'live', and is it effective? What value do you bring? What problems do you solve? Do you educate? What makes you stand out? Most of all: what do you do for others and how is it actually different? It’s about what you can do for someone else that matters. If you chase cash instead of passion it's not gonna work.

What social media to choose:
Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin come out on top, there’s also others like Digg, Delicious, Youtube, Flickr etc. Each one has a different demographic core. Yeah you know the stuff, do you use it?

Benefits:
Connecting, information, chat, leads.

What are the benefits of using social media? Beside meeting other professionals and like minded individuals to network with I have found it an excellent news & information source. On twitter things pop up that conventional media pick up on later. Also there’s excellent reads to learn more about subjects of interest. Suddenly it’s possible to talk to anyone.

"Social media is about sociology and the understanding that with the new social tools available to us, we can more effectively observe the cultures of online communities and listen to and respond directly to people within the communities.” Source: Brian Solis,

So what to do?
You don’t have to become a social media expert to use it. Just start and see what you enjoy best. Give it a month or so to get a feel for what works for you. This Internet fluffy chat stuff is not going to go away. It’s all about the conversation now. More on http://gapingvoid.com/

Want to learn some more?

Essential sources:
1. Seth Godin: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/ number *1 read blog.
2. Gary Vaynerchuk: http://garyvaynerchuk.com/ social media sommelier.
3. Social media strategy and marketing: http://www.gallucci.net/
4. Social media guide: http://mashable.com/
5. Twitter tips: http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/dan-macsai/popwise/report-nine-scientifically-proven-ways-get-re-tweeted-twitter/
6. I have found the NZ http://www.businesstalk.co.nz/ to be very useful too.
7. Last resort: http://www.amazon.com/Social-Media-Marketing-Dummies-Singh/dp/0470289341

the online addiction

Nowadays the real world translates into the virtual global maze of networks. Since I've started tweeting (here) there's a whole new dimension to being online for me. Compared to facebook I find tweeting more fun and the interaction immediate. (No games and gazillion quizzes to do.)

The weird thing is that people we do or do not know are accessible and we can talk practically to anyone on the planet. How weird is that? It's surprisingly easy to chat to someone who's into the same line of work or has the same interests. As we work work work it makes it harder to see friends offline.

How do you communicate? Have you dived into Facebook, Hyves, as well as write a blog or follow others? What do you read? Online newspapers/magazines or blogs? Both? Are you on twitter too, do you run an online business? How does typing away everyday make you feel better? Why do you do it? One connection on my twitter professed to be hooked and wondered why no one was sending him a tweet for 18 minutes! Communication moves at an ever increasing speed nowadays. We wonder whether we can we do without the tool that is the internet, as it is practically everywhere.

As we have friends online and off, how do relationships develop? Have you got the feeling you're being listened to online? Do you feel the need to connect to others and is that why you're there? Making or having the time is the question. How does your real life connections compare to the ones online? I've noticed that a few of my friends have the habit at the moment to talk a lot but not to necessarily have the patience to listen as they're in a hurry to tell their own story. Why the need to talk so much? Is it harder and harder to just "be"?

The forward momentum of communication technology hasn't reached it's high yet and it will be fascinating to see where we're all heading towards. Let's hope that we can separate the online world to the "old fashioned" offline one and remember what our own and the actual reality is. Getting connected is a great thing, but if the power goes >>PLOP<<> that's it, we're on our own again.

Connecting

We are human therefor we desire to connect: we talk, we smooz, we joke, we support, we listen, we are there.

I decided yesterday to dust off my LinkedIn and send invites to connect to people I know. For some reason I ended up sending invites to 88 people but was pleasantly suprised by the amount of them accepting me on their network as yet. One mate send me an email saying, thanks, but I have enough trouble keeping up in the real world. He is right.

Why do we enterain the fact to connect online if we have so much on our plates already? Interesting point. All of us like to belong, in my case, to share, support and help. I like getting to know people and if I can do something for them, I will, as it's in my nature. I like learning from others as I'm quite aware I do not have all the knowledge or experience.

The people I seem drawn to in connecting with have the following attributes:

The Values of Entrepreneurs
Passion
Focus
Insatiable desire to Success
Intelligence
Confidence and Self Belief
Commitment
Loss Averse
Realism

(With thanks to Deborah Meaden)

I will add: alternate way of thinking + sense of humor

The ability to commit (to their vision) is a core character trait. They don’t care what anybody else thinks. Confidence attracts, and most people can sense it. They must be clever in a quick-witted way, with a mind that refuses to accept barriers and that can solve a multitude of problems within seconds. Everyone has their own expertise and strenghts because all of them are talented.

Going over the networks I'm part of:

Facebook, Linkedin, Flokka, Twitter, it's no wonder you get to a point where you think for the love of God, why would I want to join up with ANOTHER one? Good question. I'm waiting for Google WAVE (+ sign up). It's a new product and should make life easier, as it makes emailing a different experience and basically throws together a whole bunch of aspects these networks have. (It's coming out later this year and they're finetuning now to eliminate possible bugs.) Trust me, in this day and age, like my mate said: it's about making life very very simple and back to basics. Family time is the top priority along with our passion for our work, our vision. Time simply goes too quickly and we can't do all, or we'd go bonkers. So that means also being able to say "NO". (Remember that word? I'm using it now. Finally.)

So why the heck bother with networking? If you're interested in people it's a neccesity. Also, I think it's worthwile for me to keep reading up on what's happening out there in the world, the market place, and also locally. One of the topblogs is ofcourse Seth Godin's. Then I visit Hugh McLeod's Gapingvoid, Aunty Cookie, the Style Files, Chris Guillebeau's posts I get by email, DutchCowgirls, and a few more Design blogs to keep up. As I get to work at 8 am and officially start an hour and a half later, this usually works out fine. I don't need to read them to be able to design something, it's more to see what the demands are out there and what products are hot, juicy, working and succesfull. I'm focussing on what's happening here in NZ and Oz, the US and Europe as they are the main players for me.

So as you can see, enough to do. Time to get busy again. I'm excited about my accesory line for women. The pieces need scouting for the appropriate chains before I can do some photoshoots etc. It takes time, but better to get it right then launching it half assed (as they say here).

So what does it keep boiling down to? Be organised and as they say, it's not what you know, but who you know, that is important. Remember the fun aspect. Get that serious frown of your face, you will be nicer to look at and it saves buying expensive facial products.