by Daria Steigman on October 8, 2009
My latest IABC Independent Thinking column is out, and the focus is on lessons learned over my 20 years in business. The article looks at six keys to business success, including blowtorches, community, quality, and change.
Take a read, then come back and tell me: what would you add?
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Business,
IABC,
Independent Thinking
by Daria Steigman on September 3, 2009
Do you value Michael Bloomberg’s experience as mayor of New York any less because he’s only making $1 per year? I’m betting his salary is irrelevant to you. So why do so many people undervalue their own or others’ volunteer work?
This post was prompted by an e-mail I received from Stacey Torrano in response to a column I wrote and the 6 Reasons You Should Serve on a Board post from a few months ago. She was looking for advice on how to market her new role as vice president of her co-op board.
My advice: identify the key business skills you’re using in that role, much as you would for any paid position. And don’t forget to talk about accomplishments.
For resumes, placement is tough, because people typically expect to see a chronology of paid positions. Thus I’d probably put the VP, Co-op Board position into a “Leadership” or “Other Professional Experience” category, depending on the structure of your resume. On LinkedIn, however, I’d consider adding it into the chronology (see my profile as an example), depending on what value it brings to you now and what other positions you need to post.
What advice would you give Stacey?
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Tagged as:
Independent Thinking,
Leadership,
LinkedIn,
Michael Bloomberg,
Professional Development
by Daria Steigman on August 24, 2009
A friend remarked the other day that my last employer did me a huge favor by throwing me out the door. Otherwise, she said, it might have taken me a long time to find my passion.
She’s right. That one post-graduate-school job wasn’t fun. It wasn’t pretty. Looking back on it, it was actually amazingly bad. But it also led me to where I am today.
That job experience took me out of my narrow jobs box and forced me to reevaluate my career goals really early on–and shoved me down the path of discovering what I really love.
As my business nears 20, I’m taking a little time to reflect on who and what got me here. I might well have ended up a solopreneur eventually — but watching my first plan blow up helped the process along.
What about your career? Encounter any blowtorches along the way?
Photo by vieux bandit. Flickr. Creative Commons License.
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Tagged as:
blowtorch,
Business,
Independent Thinking,
Professional Development
by Daria Steigman on June 4, 2009
Have you ever wondered why a growing number of small businesses are investing time and resources into starting and maintaining a blog?
My latest column for CW Bulletin is out, and the topic is blogging for business value. While there is no magic formula for business success, a well-written, well-focused blog can be an effective way of promoting yourself by adding value for your multiple stakeholders.
The column looks at three key reasons why, if you don’t have one, you might want to consider starting a business blog:
- content
- thought leadership
- street cred
Plus it features insights from Marc Meyer and A.J. Leon, both of whom know a little something about successful business blogging.
Read the column here, then come back and let’s talk about why you are (or aren’t) blogging for your business.
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Tagged as:
A.J. Leon,
Blogs,
Business,
CW Bulletin,
Independent Thinking,
Marc Meyer,
Value
by Daria Steigman on May 7, 2009
My new column is out. The Small Business Edge: Why Solopreneurs and Small Businesses Will Weather the Downturn, looks at why I believe that small business has a big edge in this economy. Five quick reasons:
- Innovation
- Networks
- Competition
- Nimbleness
- Flexibility
You can read the full column here. Then please come back and let’s talk in the comments about what you think. Do solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and small businesses have an edge? And what have you done to weather the downturn?
Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!
Tagged as:
Business,
CW Bulletin,
Entrepreneurship,
IABC,
Independent Thinking,
Solopreneur
