freshness

Sometimes I feel I am repeating myself, but let's face it: many ideas or things  seem to come back to us, by reminding us of something we have seen or experienced previously. Nowadays many things get a new jacket and they are out the door.


When was the last time you were genuinely surprised to find anything that made you stop and think, or at least made you realize that indeed this was a rare find! Was it yesterday, last week or a month ago? Then there's the 'eye of the beholder' aspect, so what could be an absolute gem to you could mean worthless crap to another. I'm just saying. Doesn't that make it fun though? I think so. (And no I'm not doing the chocolate box quote that would be SO obvious.)


So what I spotted today made me say: how clever is THAT! Now what is it?

Doesn't it look beautiful? This is how you whip it up: simple recipe! By Yoav Reches, artist.

(With big thanks to Richard of Bitrebels who always has great posts.)

Then I came across another read today, which details how there is now more and more a trend of seeing great design become accessible to those with less big-a-wallets. There are even designs that you as the consumer will need to finish off. The concept makes great sense, is fun and could even be considered "green" for a variety of reasons. (Read about the ins and outs of this post here on Fastcompany.)

And why is this interesting? Because to me this not new as an idea, but it is very current in todays market. What excites me is that the combining of whimsy, finishing it off yourself and the "green" of it has great marketing potential and opportunity. An almost self made unique design, fabricated locally, at low cost to the consumer, easy peasy fun solution. Very Ponoko too. If that doesn't spin your wheels as a creative I don't know what will. 

My brain fizz is already humming away, thinking on how this could be implemented. And that very way of thinking was also described by Gary Vaynerchuk, who's book "Crush it" I finally finished, having only had about 20 pages to go last Wednesday. His book details very well how entrepreneurs have to keep their eyes peeled for things popping up left, right and center, and what snazzy dish you can create from it yourself. Tasty stuff.

Note: Klout who analyse your Twitterness, assessed me as such, which I found amusing: @bonvivantmiriam is a Curator

You highlight the most interesting people and find the best content on the web and share it to a wide audience. You are a critical information source to your network. You have an amazing ability to filter massive amounts of content to surface the nuggets that your audience truly care about. Your hard work is very much appreciated.

Point of difference

Communication, whether online or off, can be altered to suit the writer. We all make our own truths, create our own private vision of the world. Now why would our view -generally speaking- be so different from someone else's? Because it will be like reading the same book, but told by a different person. Other highlights here, deleted paragraphs there. That, I find interesting. The whole concept of uniqueness and yet of sameness. Things may look similar, but are not.

I was going to write about my fabric today. That I'm working on morphing the Cows & Couches cushion design into a full blown upholstery pattern, how exciting this is, as it's to be printed for a cow rancher in the US. I was going to tell you about my Highland girls Kate and Elsie who inspired me. A lovely story about personality and fuzzy vavoom with horns. So what happened? Something else did of course: I got another idea to write about. (Apologies to the lovely Kate & Elsie.)

You see, (financial) planning is not my strong suit, organizing things I can do. I wouldn't say that I always 'wing it' in what I do, but I go with my inner compass which has worked brilliantly thus far. Thinking and planning of course has its merits. We don't jump into something we should think more about, like marriage, buying a house or whether to get used to eating pizza every Friday night. Then I realized something while reading 'Industrial Design Portfolio Advice: Back to Basics', an article by Designdroplets. Instead of following their excellent advice straight away I thought: sometimes it can be just fine to run with an idea and continue to work on it while you're running instead of waiting till it's all ready. Why?

You miss out on the fun of learning, meeting new people and finding new clients while not experimenting but wanting to do it 'right'. Even if they find you on your imperfect website, they at least find you. Naturally this could give you the image of being premature or unpolished as it's clearly in transition. To be honest: does it matter? Whether someone likes what we do or not, it's about carrying out our own ideas and seeing if they come to fruition. I'd rather not wait till I'm all properly prepared but just go for it. Maybe that is silly. Heck it could be. I know it takes time to perfect a website and get an online store up and running. The trial and error phase is definitely an essential part of the process IMHO.

And the truth is: we are never ready. Even if you finally stand up to get started: whatever it was that spun your wheels before, it may have ceased to matter. It's like saying: ok we will have a child now only to find out you can't have them anymore (because you waited too long to decide and your ovaries went on a permanent vacation or your partner's sperm has stopped swimming uphill and the whole IVF is not what you want to get into).

We can think too much, get too worried, always planning to conquer life. (Whatever that is.) For what? They don't say for nothing: We plan our lives and God laughs. It's great to learn, lets' not start by limiting ourselves or dictating an essay about how it all should be. Life is now, just have that coffee and smile to your neighbour or the strange lady passing in the street.

Start on your project. Write your own story as it comes to you. Do what feels right. You know best. And yes if that means you do want to plan it all then go for it, research does have its benefits, just don't wait too long to reach "Stage Perfect". It may not happen. You may regret the wait later.

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

showing your stuff

Lately I have found people coming up to me and there's a relation between what they do and what I do. I do not go out and track them down and smother them with my product, they simply find me. They listen and get excited; I listen to them and am interested and thankful for what they say.

I have chosen not to promote my jewellery products actively but let it simmer for a bit and when I come across someone I think would be suitable to show it to I find it works better. One step at a time.

Sometimes in the desire of making our product(s) succeed we are too much in a hurry or get too dependent on SOME people's opinion. Truth is, SOME people's comments do not matter, only those that have our respect, and the respect in the industry. Their assessment contributes to what is generally heard and accepted. If we choose to listen to everyone, we get nowhere but to dock at the mediocrity station.

As I have told a good friend recently, in whatever situation you find yourself it may be tempting to seek others council but have you considered that you yourself may be the best advisor you ever had, once you stop doubting yourself?