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Remarkable Communication

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How to Get Rich and Crazy on the Internet

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Remember in the old cartoons, when Bugs Bunny fell off a 90-story building and then emerged shaking his head with a funny little rattle?

That’s kind of what I feel like. 🙂

So yes, I am still alive! I want to let you guys know a) all the insanity I’ve been up to, b) some of the insanity I have planned, and c) a couple of things I’ve learned from it all.

I’m going to try to counter my usual impulse to write a 3000-word post (and put off posting anything any longer), and instead I’ll give you the best birds-eye view I can now, and then over the next couple of weeks I can share some thoughts with you about what’s been working, what’s been insane, and things you might try for yourself.

Too many launches

Late last year I had three projects that I was pouring everything I had into. Those three projects all came to fruition, which has been both amazing and scary.

The first was the Internet Marketing for Smart People newsletter over on Copyblogger. I’d been pestering Brian for awhile about adding an email newsletter, and he finally told me to shut up and do it already. (He didn’t actually say shut up, he’s quite a nice person.)

As you may know if you subscribe to one of my newsletters, I have a teeny tiny tendency to overdo it on these. I basically try to deliver a cubic ton of value, which means they’re no small effort to put together.

But the great thing is, once they’re created, they’re created. Put the work in up front and you’ll keep gaining the benefit from it. (Unlike a blog, which needs ongoing feeding.)

This one has 10 lessons written so far of the 20 I have planned. I’ve gotten a lot of really nice feedback on it, which is good, because I put a hell of a lot into it.

The second was to finally create the membership web site I outlined when I first joined the Teaching Sells program in late 2007. I launched that in December last year, the Remarkable Marketing Blueprint. This program is so, so dear to my heart. The first 250 beta members have been so smart, so supportive, and best of all, they’re actually USING THE MATERIAL AND MAKING PROGRESS.

I’m working out the last of the site’s kinks and my own process glitches now, and I expect to re-open it in a month or so. If you’d like notification of when it opens up, you can sign up for that here. Don’t worry, I won’t plague you with email. Not only do I try never to do that, but I’ve also got too much other stuff to do. 🙂

The third project was this “little idea” I had to create a private forum around the principles of the “Third Tribe.” In other words, of taking the best from the more traditional internet marketing “gurus” (solid direct response technique, a willingness to go ahead and ask for the sale, focus on conversion) and from the more kumbaya social media types (respect for audience, focus on communication, development of great relationships that go both directions).

Brian, as it turns out, doesn’t do little ideas. It’s just not how his brain works. So before we know it, we had Darren Rowse and Chris Brogan as business partners, we had the amazing Tony Clark (who built Teaching Sells) coding the site, and we had . . . well . . . a whole ton of customers for Inside the Third Tribe.

Passionate, engaged customers. Who were talking and creating and partnering and moving. It’s exhilarating and intimidating and kind of like giving birth to Godzilla. A really chatty, ambitious, friendly Godzilla.

And that was the last anyone heard from me

Well not really. You probably know that the best place to keep up with me has been over on Copyblogger, where I’m senior editor and doing my darnest to do really good work and keep the blog as amazing as ever.

But I just plain old haven’t been able to find the time or creative energy to write for Remarkable Communication, or for my own wonderful newsletter, which has been a labor of love for me since I started this whole wacky journey.

Now that the dust has settled a little from my Three Giant Projects, fixing that is next on my list.

Regroup and refocus

So my next tasks are:

  1. Reconnect with this blog and my list, and remind myself how much enjoyment I have always taken from writing for both of those.
  2. Get smarter about sharing some of my tasks, so I can preserve bandwidth for what I love to do.
  3. Start riffing here on some of the more personal elements of my Business Adventure that don’t fit at Copyblogger, and that you may find interesting or enlightening.

Along the way you will have opportunities to make purchases of various products should you so desire. 🙂 If you’ve been with me awhile, you know that I’m 100% cool whether you buy anything or not. My main interest is the conversations, and the financial part tends to work itself out.

OK, I seriously need to stop writing now so I can get this posted. I’m really looking forward to catching up more with you soon.

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Comments

  2. Good luck with your next actions Sonia! I love your content class and marketing toolkit email newsletters, and I’ve been learning and using them. They’ve helped me to clarify my message and marketing strategy, and I’m constantly improving on that end.

    I’ve been following your stuffs on Copyblogger and Third Tribe and I have to say they’ve been really awesome. You did a fantastic job. I’m also improving myself in the marketing and communication fields, and totally loving it!

    Thanks for the updates!

    Reply

  4. Hi guys! How exciting to actually get comments, nice to know people haven’t totally forgotten RC. 🙂

    @Maureen, I like small ponds too. And I’m very fond of this one!

    Reply

  5. Sonia!

    Whatever forum you’re in, it’s always a pleasure to hear from you. (And since I follow you in, ahem, ALL of those projects, I get lotsa Sonia!)

    I’m interested to see how you manage the workload in future. I’m sure it will be educational, or at least instructive. 🙂

    Cheers,
    Catherine
    .-= Catherine Caine´s last blog ..Website heresy: We’re not all the same =-.

    Reply

  7. Maureen, I’m with you, I much prefer small ponds. Sonia, I’m so happy to see your smiling face back here at RC! I know you’ve been an insanely busy little bee, but this is very nice. Welcome Back!
    .-= Carole´s last blog ..When Experts Mislead You =-.

    Reply

  10. Wow, it was a nice surprise to come over here and see a new post. 🙂

    Glad to see you’re regrouping… sometimes you just gotta focus on the main thing.

    I’ve been going through something similar with my online business. Kicking myself for not getting it up and running quicker, but then remembering I’ve been busy getting my offline business up and running (which generates cash a lot quicker), and looking after my daughter.

    Great to see you back!

    Reply

  19. So nice to see you all here. 🙂

    @Jim, that is a good question, and one I suspect I will be tackling often here. The short answer is I don’t get everything done that I want to do. I do prioritize my time with my family, and then I try to be very thoughtful about managing my priorities once family time is in place. But it’s not a system I have perfected, by any means. Every day I have to work on it, and I often don’t do what I intend to do.

    Reply

  22. Sonia, thank you for you thoughtful answer to my broad question. I’m a new reader here, and from the comments I can see your efforts are affecting many people. Organizing you, to fully affect you in that process must be a challenge (I often don’t do what I expect to do – but I work on it one small step at a time). I love the focus on family first. Look forward to your ideas. Thanks again, Jim
    .-= Jim Greenwood´s last blog ..You’re Given A Present To Use Everyday =-.

    Reply

  27. Thanks, you guys. I like being back. Except I barely know how this blog works any more! I’m trying to figure out how to post an image and it’s like putting in a contact lens with mittens on.

    Reply

  28. Sonia,

    Remember the old cartoon, Ricochet Rabbit?
    A feel like that is you. You are everywhere it seems.

    As I trudge forward with my blog and networking e-class ambitions, you make me realize that skill is useless without the sweat and hard work that goes with it.

    Remarkable post.

    Reply

  32. Aloha Sonia,

    I’ve been online a few years but for some unfortunate reason, I had never run into you online until now….you go girl! Great writing style and my wife and I love your humor.

    All the Best,

    John & Nan
    Kaneohe, Hawaii
    Big Kahuna Ventures LLC

    Reply

  33. Been far too long since I’ve been in the world of Sonia. I was reminded to come here by the fact that I am on hold with Paypal right now, and you are my PayPal Partner in Misery.

    Short story: Paypal rejected a recurring transaction to GotoMeeting. GoToMeeting changed their pricing to $499 month for my plan and now wants to stick me with it. I have $3,900 in available PP balance, and they had no explanation. GTM may let me off the hook…after I beg.

    You also forgot about 2009’s Freelance X factor which had the biggest bang for the buck and caused me to spend $1500 on teaching sells and $27 on scribe as a mere TIP…

    Anyway, it’s hard to say “here I am,” and not be into it. I generally get a kick out of your posts…and the fact that being polite rocks.

    Reply

  34. Is amazing that you do so much and do it so well.

    I got to know you on Copyblogger first, and then here. I feel like its like getting to hear the prom queen give her speech (Copyblogger – excellent) and then getting to take her to dinner afterwards (Remarkable Communications).

    Thank you for devoting the time to the little people as well. We appreciate any time you give to us.

    Reply

  37. Hey Sonia. Just wanted to congratulate you on an amazing year (although I guess it was last year!). I have been in Third Tribe for just over a month, the CopyBlogger newsletter, just listened to your whole interview at QTR with Johnny, and watched a short video of you and Clay calling Naomi bad names. So I feel like I know you just a teeny bit.

    All the best. Thanks for all the inspiration!

    Nanci

    Reply

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