If you are at a loss on what you can do to impact the world, do not fret.

I have a very simple solution.

Share What You Know!

It does not matter how simple or silly the idea or need.  The world is just looking for somebody to share their wisdom.

Formalize it and turn it into a blog.

Here are some ideas:

• Teach someone how to change their motor oil.
• Teach someone how to set up a Gmail Account
• Teach someone how to use Google Reader
• Teach someone how to care for tomatoes
• Teach someone how to cook a crepe
• Teach someone how to write a Haiku
• Teach someone how to organize their files
• Teach someone how to care for a baby
• Teach someone how to train a dog

This quite simply is the easist way I know to make the world a better place.  Simply Share What You Know!

Do You PK?

I do and so does Cincinnati!  Sleepy and conservative Cincinnati has joined the international movement known as Pecha Kucha Night.

You are probably thinking Pecha Kucha, isn’t that one of the Pokémon characters and why is Cincinnati celebrating a “Pocket Monster?”  I don’t blame you for the confusion.  Pecha Kucha and Pokémon do have a common root as they are both English translations of Japanese words.  Pecha Kucha simply translates as “the sound of conversation.”

Pecha Kucha Nights are the creation of a pair of architects, Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham as a technique or style of presentation for designers to share their work without boring the daylights out of everybody involved.

Klein and Dytham came up with a simple idea of 20 slides or images timed at 20 seconds each.  6 minutes and 40 seconds, pure genius, with the limitation of 20 slides at 20 seconds each, the presenters are forced to present only their best work allowing the cream to rise to the top.  If there is no cream to rise the presenter is limited and no awkward yawning from the audience because their time is up.

I was introduced to the concept of Pecha Kucha by Daniel Johnson Jr. the founder of New Media Cincinnati, a local group of social media addicts who meet monthly to share ideas and to be “social.”  In November our monthly meeting was conducted Pecha Kucha style.  I was immediately attracted to the idea due to my nearly two decade career in audio visual productions and sitting through hours, days, weeks and years of really boring PowerPoint presentations.  Pecha Kucha is an answer to my prayers.

My inspiration led me to whip up a Pecha Kucha in under an hour since my 3 week old daughter did not allow for much more.  I parsed my notes for a business networking e-book I had been working on for a few months and “20 Ninja Networking Secrets” was born.

You can view my slide share below:

After the meeting I was inspired to research hosting a Pecha Kucha Night in Cincinnati and I started creating a team of advisors to help me launch the project.  I emailed Klein and Dytham and did not hear anything back.  Pecha Kucha is a trademarked concept so I did not want to step on any toes.  Over the holidays I shelved the project and planned to start gathering a team after the first of the year.

A good friend from the past contacted me over the holidays looking for audio visual assistance for an event she was putting together with a coworker.  She asked about my experience in the Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati and asked if we could meet.  She had no idea I had any knowledge of Pecha Kucha.  I asked about the event and she mentioned designers and artists would be sharing their work at the event.  I asked, “Is this a Pecha Kucha Night?”  She was floored.  Although Pecha Kucha is an international movement, the average person will look at you a bit funny when you mention the name.

I shared with her that I had a vision of hosting Pecha Kucha nights in Cincinnati promoting the city to attract conventions and meetings.  I shared that I wanted to host one on Fountain Square in Downtown Cincinnati, her team had the same idea.

I must admit at first I was a little disappointed, my ego wanted the glory of bringing Pecha Kucha Night to Cincinnati but I quickly realized that a ready made team was the way to go.

My friend invited me to a planning meeting and it just so happens that the Pecha Kucha founders replied on the same day with their contact info for the Pecha Kucha Cincinnati team.  I must admit it is interesting how life’s twists and turns often lead to the same place.  Pecha Kucha found me.

I am now an official member of the Pecha Kucha Cincinnati planning committee and my employer Prestige AV & Creative Services is on board as a sponsor of the event.

I hope you join us on February 13th at the Contemporary Art Center.

Visit DoYouPK.org for more details.

Follow on Twitter @doyoupk

Recently I ran a contest on Twitter.  I offered 100 Word Promo to my 100th follower on Twitter.  I find it rather interesting that a Social Media Company ended up being my 100th follower.

For those of you unfamiliar with Twitter, it is basically summed up as a Micro-Blogging platform limited to 140 character length blog posts.  This seems like a ridiculous format but it has become the rage of the blogosphere.  The key feature of Twitter is the “Follow” feature.  You choose who you want to follow and therefore you get only the information you approve.

Twitter lends itself to Personal promotion and interaction but many Brands have jumped in setting up Twitter profiles.  The jumping in of Brands on Twitter often pisses people off since many of these brands forget Twitter is a personal platform.  They forget to talk to people versus broadcast at them.  Their manners often come off as a one way conversation.

I have not been following @HubSpot for very long on Twitter but I will give them a pass on setting a Twitter profile since they add value in a number of ways.

Hubspot’s tag line is “Inbound Internet Marketing System”

Hubspot is actually an evangelist for the new marketing model.  Instead of broadcasting at everybody they teach you to develop a web presence which attracts the people who want or need your product.  It’s the smell of home cooked cookies approach versus the megaphone approach to marketing.

I recommend 4 HubSpot Products:

HubSpot Internet Marketing Blog

Website Grader is a great tool for identifying what areas your blog/website is performing well and what areas your blog needs improvement.

Free Internet Marketing Kit, They might call you once but they have not bothered me since.

Twitter Grader is just another way to benchmark yourself against other websites and bloggers.

My Grades:
Website Grade: 89 (up from 59 in July)
Twitter Grade: 59 (My first reference)

Thanks HubSpot for following me @coachbriany

I think that was a bit more than 100 Words!

Have you ever given yourself permission to write a rough draft for your life?

Instead of creating goals, create drafts.  They are more flexible and allow for more creativity.

Drafts are guides which lead to goals and results.

Momentum Monday Assignment:

Write a rough draft of 10 things you could do in the next 6 months to spice up your life.

Don’t censor, just draft.  A draft is a place to dream.  Most of us quit dreaming when we graduate from High School or College.

Let me know if you feel less pressure when you call it a draft versus a plan?

The world according to the movie Dumb and Dumber:

Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) wanting to date Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly)

Lloyd: The least you could do is level with me. What are my chances?

Mary: Not good.

Lloyd: You mean like one out of a hundred?

Mary: More like one out of a million.

Lloyd: So you’re tellin’ me there’s a chance.

Sometimes we all need a little encouragement when starting a new adventure.

Today I submitted my blog to be included in the branding section of Alltop an up and coming blog aggregater.   Alltop describes itself as the as a “digital magazine rack” for the Internet.  It categorizes popular blogs by topic.  The cool thing about Alltop is the listings are hand submitted by a real person.

A real person included my blog, I am so excited!  Of course I sent them an email and a bribe with an Alltop banner on my blog and asked for them to include me on Alltop.

Hence, not only do I have a chance but they like me.

You can see me at the bottom of the branding section on Alltop, which if you read about Alltop is actually the top.

Alltop Listing

Have you ever felt like a fraud?  If you are new to blogging or writing you may be experiencing what I like to call Fraud Factor.

I experienced my first case of Fraud Factor when I started my personal coaching business in 2001.  In 2001 blogs were a mere sparkle in your eye.  E-zines or E-newsletters were all the rage for marketing your coaching business or just about any business for that matter.

I started by giving my E-zine a title “What’s Up With That!?” it later morphed in to “What’s the Big Idea?” and that is about where the  fun ended.

I figured it would be an easy venture but as I sat down to write my first article I started to experience this weird feeling that I was a fraud.  There was no reason for me to feel this way.  I was not trying to mislead or rip off anybody but inside I felt like I was misleading or better yet, maybe I was not up to the task.  Maybe I really did not know what I was writing about.

How could that be true?  I was merely sharing my idea or opinion.  How could I be a fraud? It was my opinion or idea…right?

You might be experiencing something similar.  In many writing books they call it the inner or self critic.  Whatever you call it, it can be a crippling experience.  Sometimes when I feel this critic creep up in my mind, I can’t even write a draft.  I start and stop, rethink and judge my work.  Over the years I have created some strategies to overcome the critic or Fraud Factor.


Here are 5 Strategies to Overcome the Fraud Factor:

1.  Write frequently and request feedback from friends and family.

2.  Set a time limit for writing an article or post make no edits until after the time limit has elapsed.

3.  Write about what you know like the back of your hand, put away being clever write about the obvious.

4.  Forgive yourself for being less than perfect. You will probably never feel 100% confident about all that you write.

5.  Take a class, a seminar or read a book; continued education is the key to becoming an expert.  The more you know the greater your confidence.

As you grow the Fraud Factor will creep up from time to time.  It can mean one of two things.  You are trying to share what you don’t really know or you are actually growing and claiming new territory.

So the next time you feel like a fraud it might actually be a good thing.

STOP Right Now and write down one thing that is nagging you!

Have you written it down yet?  I am not going to move forward until you write it down.

OK, now write down one thing that is nagging you that can be fixed within the next 24 hours.   This could be dirty dishes, paying bills, a phone call to Mom.  You get the picture.  The key is you must be able to complete it in the next 24 hours.

I am going to let you continue reading only if you promise you will complete this item within the next twenty four  hours.  Otherwise, come back when you are ready.

In 2001, I when I was training to become a Personal Life Coach, I was introduced to this simple but effective assessment called the “Clean Sweep Program.”  It’s 100 items broken up into 4 categories including physical environment, health/emotional balance, money and relationships.  The goal of the program is to clean up loose ends and lighten your life increasing energy and balance.

In starting my blog Expert in the Rough, I have found when I have lots of loose ends it is hard to write.  I think anytime you are trying to make a transition in your life the negative loose ends are like the parachute on a drag racer, it slows you down.  Your goal is to eliminate that drag.

Your Momentum Monday Exercise is two fold:

Take take the Clean Sweep Assessment.  You can download a pdf copy by clicking here.

Second to complete your 24 hour assignment.  Feel free to use the assessment to come up with other items.

Note: Not all items are going to be applicable to all people. If you feel something is unrelated cross it out and add your own.  It’s the spirit of the assessment not the items listed.

Use this tool anytime you feel stuck.  I think it’s good to take the assessment quarterly and check your progress.  I will be sharing some more advanced assessments in the future but have at this one.  It can be a very powerful tool to create momentum in your life.

If you are “blogged” down with too much content, RSS, is your answer.

You have surely seen the letters “RSS” or the “Feed Icon” around he internet.

RSS Feed Button

If you’re a “Web 2.0 Expert” you can go ahead and skip this post but for those of you who are still getting your feet wet; this is they key to filtering the muck without blowing up your spam filter.

I have had various explanations of what RSS stands for but the most common reference is Really Simple Syndication.

Basically speaking an “RSS Feed” is a broadcast or reference which allows a “RSS Feed Reader” to know when a blog or website is updated.

This is beneficial to both the publisher and subscriber.  The updates are automatic and come in various formats.

My favorite part of subscribing to a RSS Feed is it allows me to keep track of my favorite blogs without actually having to visit each and every website to check for updates.  It’s a huge time saver. You might be tempted to say, “I could just bookmark my favorite sites” but remember your bookmarks will not tell you if there is new content. (Some browsers may be able to provide this information)

My favorite feed reader is Bloglines. It allows me to create folders and publish a public list of my feeds.  I like the public feed so you can see the blogs I read.  I think it’s a great way to share where my opinions are influenced.  You can see the feeds I subscribe to to the right listed as “The Blogs I Read.”

I also recommend Google Reader.  Its easy to use and allows for sharing of your feeds with other Gmail users.

All About RSS, BlogOhBlog (Great Overview of RSS!)

RSS Wikipedia Entry

Ed Dale YouTube Video On Bloglines

Your Momentum Monday Assignment:

Set up a feed reader account.  If you don’t want to use Google Reader or Bloglines there are a number of other options.  Do a Google Search and pick the one that fits you best.

Now that you have your feed reader set up.  Subscribe to the Expert in the Rough Feed on the top right.

Extra Credit:

Send me your public list of feeds in your reader via the comments section below.

SquiDoo, take me seriously on this one!

Squidoo is a serious website with a silly name.  Quite simply Squidoo is a website that allows you to host free one page websites on any topic of your desire.  Squidoo calls these web pages “Lenses.”  A “Lens” is basically your take or “view” about your chosen topic.  The idea is your lens will help others focus on what is important about your topic.

Besides the opportunity to share some knowledge, Squidoo is focused on creating value for you the user.

The entire focus of the website is creating an environment that everybody can win.  Of course as with any open forum people will try to take advantage of the system but Squidoo’s team has been vigilant about keeping it a credible and authentic place.

Here are my ten reason’s why you should create your first lens:

1. It’s Free
2. Part of the profits go back to charity (you can donate as well)
3. You can express yourself
4. Google loves it (most of the time) and will help your website if you have one
5. You can use it as a website if you do not have one
6. Great training on internet and website development
7. Squidoo is a dedicated community who will share the love
8. It’s a great place to learn about a variety of topics
9. I forgot you can make money too (don’t quit your day job)
10. It’s addictive once you get started

This is your Momentum Monday assignment;

Learn more about Squidoo.  Sign Up and create your first lens.  If you already have a Squidoo Lens you can create a new one or update and old one.  Whatever you do, please share your creation via the comments section.

Here are some links for my Squidoo Pages:

Brian Monahan’s Profile

Marathon Training Schedule (My best ranking)

White Elephant Gift Exchange (my best montly performer ever)

Brian Monahan’s Book List

After you get an opportunity to get aquainted with Squidoo, I will be sharing more detailed strategies to create traffic for your website or blog.

However, in the mean time think of it this way.  Advertising and creating content for your website alone, limits your exposure.  Squidoo is like having your own personal billboard.  I have one caveat before you proceed and this applies to Squidoo and anything you create.  Content is King and unless you create something of value the opportunity for benefit is nullified.

Go ahead and Create Something Awesome!