I'm often asked how to spot trends. Trends are all around us - the key is to learn to spot them when they are just starting and not when they are already big and about to jump the proverbial shark. There is no tried and true way to be sure that something is a trend - but you can develop habits of noticing things. If you start to see things multiple times - for example, all of the sudden you notice butterflies on clothing then butterflies on home decor - you can take an educated guess that butterfiles are trending.
Here's a silly video about trend spotting that I was inspired to create today because a few of my friends called me from an event in New Jersey and I felt like the grounded kid missing the slumber party. We were joking on Facebook and Twitter about NJ - and I asked if I needed to wear a Bump-It to join the fun. (Not that I could since I was sitting in my studio in Oregon!) Then inspiration hit - my friend Angela and I headed to the store to pick up a Bump-It and the rest is crazy accent history. (Please forgive my slipping into a southern accent at the very end... oops!)
I wanted to report in - I gave my 4 minute Teleseminar Secrets Challenge Speech last night and it went really well - or so I'm told! I was a little nervous but nothing like last year!
What I had to do was explain why I thought I should win "Top Vote Getter" for the Veteran Category - meaning I had made more than $1 with Teleseminars. It was supposed to inspire others, show my passion and what I felt teleseminars had done for my business. Would I be a good spokesperson for teleseminars? Did I make sense? Those were the parameters on which we were judged. (No results in just yet...)
When I sat down to write my speech, I thought about how much teleseminars had changed my business - how they have helped me connect with artists and other industry experts who have come on board to share. Most of all, I wanted to show how I felt it has helped all of us - now you can learn in the most remote region in your fuzzy slippers and you don't have to travel to New York, Atlanta or Las Vegas. (and neither do I! I'm in fuzzy socks - every time!)
I think I got the point across and here is why: a fellow student was giving me feedback on my speech on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/LoydLarue)
First he said: you did a gr8 job @ the challenge.
I of course thanked him!
Then he said: You Are My Everything @Michael Bublé ==>http://bit.ly/7f8PsV ==>this could be your biz song mantra...?? just a thought.
I didn't understand so I asked for an explanation. (Honestly, I have that song as the ring-tone when Craig calls so to me it was a romantic song)
@LoydLarue replied: I was just thinking of your passion towards your prospect / clients.. "You are my everything" made sense @ the time..lol
So I'd say my love for this side of my business shined through - yippee! I am also happy the speech is over so I can get back to my art and look forward to our upcoming teleseminars. You are coming right?
If you recall, I did a video proclaiming 2010 to be my year of "flow" - that's the verb I have chosen to guide me this year. I want to stop resisting and worrying and just go with the flow. The creative flow, the flow of opportunity, the flow of health and happiness... all of it.
And WOW! So far so good! We have some exciting things coming up - many of which I discovered or got a final "yes" to this year.
AskAboutSEOforArtists.com - the Ask Call for February (on Wed. the 17th) came to me via email – "I have this new product and thought it might be of interest to your audience..." Absolutely! What artist with a website doesn't want to know how to make it work more efficiently for them?
Ask Mary Engelbreit – 13 months in the 'wooing' - Mary will be the Ask Call expert on Wed, March 17th - can't wait!
And these are just the amazing things going on on the information side of my business - not the art side. But do you see a trend in these events? They are all opportunities that came from my taking the Teleseminar Secrets Class and learning to connect, teach and inspire by phone.
We're getting to the part where I need good vibes now...
The cool thing about the Teleseminar Secrets Class is that once you are a student, you are always a student and you can listen in every year to learn the new content and brush up on some review. I have 2 really cool things going on during the class again this year.
THE GOOD VIBE REQUEST: I entered the "Teleseminar Secrets Challenge" again this year (this time as a "Veteran" - if you read my blog last year you might recall I was a finalist for the "Newbie" category.) Well I am a finalist again! One of 6 Veterans who will give a 4 minute speech on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10th to the other students (usually about 500 people are on the line) and tell them why I believe I deserve to be the "Highest Vote Getter" among the 6 finalists.
For some reason I was REALLY NERVOUS during my speech last year - like, crazy didn't-think-I'd-get-each-word-out nervous. The level of it surprised me! I fully intend not to repeat that feeling. (The audio sounded fine but it didn't feel good while I was talking.)
So I would love to know that I have you on my side and sending calming energy to me, OK? (Very new-age, I know!) I have so enjoyed every Ask Call I've done or facilitated since my first call in December 2008 - and it's thanks to the artists and support you give. That was part of the challenge entry that got me into the finals...
I'll let you know how it goes on Thursday, ok?
Another fun Teleseminar Secrets addition - I have been asked to be on the "Faculty" to teach about using Twitter to grow a business. I was just tweeting away during class and posting to the Facebook fan page and suddenly heard my name and ended up on the live call... if you want to hear my basic thoughts and how this came about - you hear it all below...
So remember, none of these amazing things would be happening if I wasn't ASKING (for experts to become part of the ArtLicensingInfo.com family), TRYING (entering the challenge) or LISTENING (to new ideas like the SEO for Artists.).
You don't know what is possible for you or your business unless you try. So I encourage you to take a deep breath and GO FOR IT! The worst that can happen is nothing... the best? Who knows!
Oh yeah! This is a badge of honor if ever I created one myself. Let me explain...
I'm a bit chatty... I was never the girl to get in trouble for talking in class, oh no! I was a very well-behaved student. This is the first time that I can remember getting "in trouble" - we'll call it "Twitter Trouble" for 'talking'.
It was "The Big Call" with Alex Mandossian and the pre-kick-off party of sorts for the 2009-2010 Teleseminar Secrets season. Last year was the first time I took the class and it has changed my business. (go to TaraRecommendsAlex.com here for those details)
What was so cool was that not only did I learn all these amazing skills for my business, but I could interact and 'meet' other students on Twitter as long as I used the #tss hash tag. (That's how I could find them.)
Well on December 3rd, I was having a great time talking to everyone! Such a great time apparently, that I was told I was shut down for "Excessive Tweeting" and to "check back in a few hours". HUH?Sounds like social discrimination! Just because I'm a fast tweeter with a circle of friends I'm done!
At first, it was quite stressful. But I had an alternate account - as @MarianSparks said, "no one puts baby in a corner!" and Twitter can try and put me in time out but it wasn't going to stick!
Now I'm so enjoying sharing the story! I'm beaming with pride! This is fabulous! I think one other person got put in time out too - I'll have to confirm that with @NewThoughts.
I decided to make a badge, start a club and revel in my ability to out-tweet Twitter. (the rule, it seems, is no more than 150 tweets an hour...)
Feel free to DM me on Twitter if you ever get put in "Twitter Time Out" - you can put the badge on your website or blog and if you ask nice, I'll send you a button. I'll also put you on the list of club members.
Here's to connecting and turning lemons into lemonade! (The lemon being "Twitter Time Out" and lemonade being my "club")
Apparently "Branding" is on a lot of minds lately. I posted about it last week and started a great discussion on LinkedIn. (You do know there is an "Art of Licensing" group on LinkedIn, right? It is very thought provoking at times!)
Paul Brent just told me he wants to focus on Branding on his next "Ask Paul Brent" call... date to be determined so stay tuned...
And my friend Barbara Rozgonyi, a Social Media guru if ever I met one, just did a great blog post called "10 Branding Methods - Butterflies and Rainbows Optional".
What I love about her post is that it is short, sweet and skimable. I can look at it quickly, get ideas and go implement. It's like information for hummingbirds - I can flit in, get what I need and fly off. Perfect!
From identity design to personality to virtual and word of mouth - she boils branding down to some thought provoking questions and do-able action items.
P.S. Barbara is yet another fabulous benefit of taking the Teleseminar Secrets class last year. If you want to learn more about it and why I feel it was such a great investment, click here to go to my affiliate page...
...is that they are not a beauty contest! Unlike teaching or speaking at a live event where you have to look good, all you need is your voice and a phone line to deliver great content in a teleseminar.
Clean office? Not required!
Perfect hair, nails and makeup? Nope!
Does your outfit matter? Not at all!
All you need is a plan, something to say and a phone. I just went through an 8 week intensive course with Alex Mandossian called "Teleseminar Secrets" – it is not for the faint of heart because this man does not hold back. This course is for people who want ALL the information in Alex's brain, then it is up to the student to decide what parts and pieces work for them.
I did my 5th "Ask" call last night – spending an hour at home, in my comfy socks talking about art licensing, what could be better? This time I was the interviewer instead of the interviewee – I discovered I really enjoy both roles. Future plans include one night and possibly multiple part teleseminars. Who knows what else!
If you teach, have written a book or need to get some kind of word out to people, think about doing it by phone. No travel, less expense and of course, no beauty contest! If you want to learn more about how to do your own teleseminars, click on the link below. To learn about art licensing through mine, stay tuned!
I just got back from my Teleseminar Secrets Reunion for the class I just took with Alex Mandossian in San Francisco -- it was amazing! 2 days in a room filled with 185 people moving forward, doing new projects, optimistic and successful. I didn't sleep well last night -- all the notes, doodles and things I want to implement and work on swimming around in my head.
We saw a video that I absolutely loved and found inspiring. It's call 212 degrees. Taking water from cold to hot to steam can make such a huge difference in what the water can achieve. That last degree that takes it from boiling to steam is the key! Are you there? Are you working with steam? Or are you playing around in tepid water in the kiddie pool?
I think in some seriously hot water (in a good way!) but not sure I'm 'steaming'... today I'll be looking at that and figuring out how to get there and stay there.
Here's the video -- I hope it inspires your day, your week, your business!
Posted by Tara Reed on Feb 10, 2009 in Art Licensing
I am SO EXCITED I can barely stand it! I just have to share and ask for your good thoughts on Wednesday, February 11th between 6 & 7 pm, PST.
If you have listened to any of my AskTaraReed.com calls, you may remember me talking about the class I am taking, Teleseminar Secrets with Alex Mandossian, where I am learning all about teaching by phone. It is a great way to reach more people with either of us having to get on airplanes, stay in hotels, etc. We can sit in our pj's and chat. Fabulous!
Well, one of the ways Alex encourages his students to dive in and give his ideas a shot, is by holding a "Challenge". There aren't winners or losers, but highest vote getters. If you had some sort of Teleseminar between December 15th and January 28th, you could submit an essay explaining what skills you implemented and why you feel worthy of becoming, as I like to say, "Queen or King Vote Getter".
Of course I dove right in and my first call was on December 17th. I then wrote my essay about how great you all responded to the concept, how I was committed to doing this every month in 2009, etc.
Well I bet you can guess what happened next... YUP! Monday morning I got a call from Alex telling me I was one of 6 finalists in the "Newbie" category.
On Wednesday night, between 6 & 7, I will have 4 minutes to "plead my case" to all the Teleseminar Students who are listening as to why I feel I am a worthy newbie. I'll be talking about you all of course! (And hoping that you are sending good vibes my way!)
My "Sally Field" moment is that I am SO HONORED to have been chosen as a finalist... my goal is to be happy with the job I do in my 4 minutes. Whatever happens after that is cool. (I'll let you know.)
My mom always told me that if I didn't at least try something, I'd never succeed. And although I've tried many things and not gotten the results I wanted, I keep on trying. Because how would great adventures like this happen without trying?
So head out and try something new today. Do it for me. I want you to be as excited as I am right now. And don't forget -- send good vibes my way on Wednesday!
Tara
P.S. The next AskTaraReed.com call is in 2 weeks on Wednesday, February 25th. Go ask me questions! Even if you've asked before, give me some more! (I need more than the question from my boyfriend asking if I still love him although I laughed pretty hard when I read it!) Go. Now. Ask!
UPDATE: It's over! I survived! I must admit that I felt more nervous than I expected and am not sure why but I'm told my voice didn't sound as shakey as it felt. (Don't you hate that? I don't remember having that problem since high school!) Maybe it was having to talk and watch a stopwatch to stay under my 4 minutes... regardless I did it, it's done and I'm proud! Thank you again for all your support and kind emails -- you guys rock! The results will be in at the end of the month and although I don't expect to get the most votes, I'll let you know if I hear anything.
@FawnKey, @KimBeasley, @KellyRudolph, @KellieFrazier, @AlexMandossian and the rest of my teleseminar secrets friends in New Jersey - this one's for you!
where you have to look good, all you need is your voice and a phone line to deliver great content in a teleseminar.
