Well…Just like that, it’s been a year. I started writing weekly blogs about referrals, how to get more of them, and the ways to approach them, just 1 year ago. While I was writing blogs prior to that and posting them on my website, I wasn’t consistent with producing them, and now I know why.
I’ll share within this blog what I learned, what I hate, what I love, and if in fact, I’ll continue to do it!
Let’s start with why I did it. My mentor (self-selected by me) in the speaking business is Hall of Fame Speaker Bruce Turkel! When I met Bruce, he was a great speaker, with a ton of experience…real world experience too, not the made-up kind some speakers like to portray. Bruce is the real deal. Just after meeting Bruce he was awarded one of the highest achievements possible in the speaking business, some would argue “THE HIGHEST”, the coveted CPAE. That is the award given by your peers for excellence in speaking and that is voted on by all the current CPAE award recipients and signifies your entrance into the Speakers Hall of Fame! I had no idea that Bruce was getting this award when I selected him as my mentor! Yes…I said selected.
I met Bruce at a local chapter meeting of the NSA (National Speakers Association) where he was speaking about branding and his book All About Them (Amazon). It was during that talk that he spoke highly of blogging (which I knew all about from my days owning inConcert Web Solutions) however I just resisted the work! Bruce talked about consistency and a commitment to it! I then invited Bruce on my podcast to talk about his book, and it was great fun! You can listen to that podcast here: www.sprhpodcast.com/017
When I decided that Bruce would be my mentor, I committed to blogging more. I have always felt that one reason mentors get frustrated and give up on mentees is that mentees often they take up the time of the mentor and never implement things that the mentor gives them to do. I wanted to show Bruce (and frankly the world) that I was serious about this business. By committing to the weekly blog, I was putting my flag in the ground! Plus…if you choose a mentor and they believe something strongly, especially with a direct impact on your business, you should probably try it! I wanted to show Bruce I wouldn’t waste his time. I would, in fact, respect his time, and I was committed to making this business work! That is why I committed to a weekly blog. The first blog went live on 5/28/18 just after making the commitment, and I’ve released one every single Monday since, with only one exception…12/31/18.
While there are many excuses to why that one didn’t make it live, that’s all they are, excuses! I’m proud that I only missed one…considering the following….
I found out rather quickly that I’m not a fan of these deadlines! HAHAHA. Perhaps that is why the commitment and the deadlines work for others and for me…but some weeks it’s painful to write a blog. It’s a struggle. As they say, the struggle is real. It could be time restraints, it could be ideas, it could be the sense that the idea about the blog sucks! It could also be all those things combined! I’ve written blogs in airports, on my recliner, in my truck, on a plane, at the 11th hour, right after the Monday blog went out (so the next one would be done), and many other situations! I don’t love the pressure of writing the blog….but I sure do LOVE THAT I ACTUALLY DO IT! 🙂
I’ve learned that I’m a great typer and that I’m horrible at spelling. No seriously, I spell referrals wrong all the time and that’s my core topic! UGH! Thank goodness for spell check but even better is Grammarly. I use the Chrome Extension to keep me on point. I still make mistakes, many, and some make them into the blogs, where eventually if I see them I correct them. But I am much more confident in the blogs I put out due to this plugin. I highly recommend it!
I’ve learned really well how to systematize and organize a process to get the blog out, posted and into social media. I’ve brought on team members who have specific tasks to execute each Monday and that works really well. Early on I didn’t do that and it took longer to get the blog done from start to finish than it does now.
I love looking for the stories in my life and other’s lives that turn into blogs. That is fun!
I love the comments of readers who read, then provide simple short comments about the blog and the stories in them.
I love the shares, and the fact that someone shared it communicates to me that a blog has resonated enough to tell others about it!
I love that blogging requires me to go deeper into my topic, making me even more confident in my message! I truly love that aspect!
I don’t love the time commitment it takes, but I think that has been improving! I’m getting better at writing blogs in shorter time frames.
And yes…I’m going to continue my weekly blog. I’ve decided that even if no one else ever reads another blog I write, the content and the process is great for me, and it’s worth the thoughts, the time I put in, and the money, for me to do this!
Thanks for taking the time to read about my 1 year anniversary of blogging weekly. Maybe you will start blogging too if you aren’t already! Until next Monday…don’t forget…
Live Happy!
Smile A Lot!
And #High5 Everyone Around You!