Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Talent Activation is the 21st Centurys Talent Management

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Talent Activation is the 21st Century's Talent Management People are your organization’s greatest asset and most expensive resource. We recognize the importance of employee engagement and do our best to measure and boost it, and yet engagement is not always in a company’s control. Why not instead consider talent activation? Talent activation focuses on the experiences, processes, and metrics that create an aligned and equipped workforce in the best position to realize its true potential. Talent activation connects all stakeholders and their goals, elevates the employee experience, transcends traditional HR disciplines, and integrates day-to-day work into big picture strategy. How is talent activation different from talent management, you ask? Here are some specifics. Talent management is about one size fits all. Talent activation means adapting in real-time to business and employee preferences. Talent management works within departmental silos. Talent activation provides a bigger picture view of the entire talent ecosystem. Talent management involves HR paperwork or transactions. Talent activation is about understanding your leadership’s business goals as well as how to get there. Talent management focuses on full-time employees (FTEs). Talent activation takes into account everyone in today’s talent economy, including FTEs, contractors, freelancers, vendors, partners, interns, site visitors, and seasonal workers. Talent management mandates the collection data and generation of historical reports. Talent activation leverages analytics for meaningful business decisions. Talent management involves managing the hire-to-payroll-to-benefits funnel. Talent activation is about aligning individual goals with business goals, motivating them, keeping them engaged, moving them up, providing meaningful ongoing feedback and appraisals â€" and the learning to keep them going. Talent management is concerned with cost and time savings. Talent activation delivers new key performanceindicators about the ongoing post-hire journeys employees take. For more where this came from, head over to the SilkRoad blog.

The Importance of Learning Resume Writing

The Importance of Learning Resume WritingResume writing is a skill that is so often overlooked. Instead, people just seem to jump straight into the kind of job application and job interview process that needs to be properly researched and planned. It seems that instead of learning resume writing, people simply take the lessons learned from others and apply them with little or no knowledge of how the whole process works. Here are a few tips to help you learn resume writing and make sure you are using all the skills you need to achieve success in this field.One thing to keep in mind when you begin to learn resume writing is that you will not only need to write a good resume but you will also need to make sure it is professionally written. This means that the resume should be grammatically correct and make use of the proper grammar and spelling. If there are spelling errors, then the job applicant will not only be turned down but could be disqualified from the job. Good resume writing r equires an understanding of grammar and what is appropriate to use in a particular industry.While it is very important to be able to communicate your message well, it is equally important to ensure the resume is appealing and easy to read. Many people do not have the right font size, font color or even that their name has the right size. They will also be choosing the font style that best fits their personality, something that is important because many job seekers want to stand out.Remember that the resume is not just about you and your experiences. It is about showing that you can contribute to the company as a whole. That is why it is important to make sure that the resume does not only feature your accomplishments, but you are making an effort to show that you can contribute to the well being of the organization as a whole.Once you have learned some resume writing skills, you may want to incorporate some personal branding on the resume. When people look at your resume, they will want to know who you are and what you do. You can accomplish this by attaching a picture to the resume as well as a brief biography about yourself and why you are the perfect candidate for the job.After you have gotten used to learning resume writing, you may want to take some of your writing skills and apply them to your cover letter. Remember that the cover letter is a subtle way of contacting the employer to ensure they see your application. In fact, the cover letter is one of the most important parts of the entire resume as employers will often base their decision of whether to offer a job to a job seeker on the cover letter.When applying for a job, it is also important to understand the resume as a tool. In other words, when writing your resume, do not just throw it in front of the interviewer and hope for the best. You should first be aware of the fact that a resume is only as good as the person who wrote it. So it is crucial that you choose a style of writing that you find co mpelling and useful for your career.Resume writing is a skill that you can master. Whether you are just starting out and want to get your foot in the door of the job market or you have been employed for many years and know how to write a good resume, learning resume writing is a skill that can be learned. Be aware that you do not need to take the time that you would spend learning a difficult art such as classical music or drawing to get your feet wet with resume writing; it is important to take the time to build up your resume writing skills now before you face an employer.

Lines blur between non-profit and for-profit workplaces

Lines blur between non-profit and for-profit workplaces Jobs in the nonprofit sector are growing at a faster rate than jobs in the business sector. But this might not even be the big news. The big news is that the difference between the nonprofit sector and the business sector is shrinking, according to nonprofit veteran Seth Rosen who blogs at technovist.com. As the nonprofit sector professionalizes and the most successful for-profits recruit people with a drive to do something that includes a real public benefit, the culture of the sectors will look more alike. In twenty years the difference between nonprofits and for-profits may simply be their IRS classification. One of the biggest issues Generation X and Generation Y have is that they want to have impact. Nonprofit giving among Gen X, for example, has become very grassroots, as Gen X wants to be able to see clearly what change they are helping to instigate. And Gen Y has made it clear that working at a company where they dont understand how they fit is absolutely untenable they want to make a difference. Everyone wants to know how they make a difference whether its for-profit or not-for-profit. In the old model of nonprofits, individuals are removed from the bottom line in a way that undermines the meaning of their work. Take Andrew Broderick, for example. He used to do fund-raising for hospitals. For him, the worst part of working at a nonprofit was how far removed the compensation system was from the bottom line. I could raise $35 million or I could raise $1 dollar and Id earn the same amount of salary. Recently, he switched to a sales position at Royale Printing, a short- to medium-run printing company in Madison, Wis., where his compensation is a combination of salary and commission. He feels more connected to the bigger picture, If I make $10 million for the company Id get paid accordingly. Nonprofits are responding to defectors like Broderick. As there is more and more competition for resources there is clearly an awareness of how to be more efficient, says Russ Finkelstein, associate director of Idealist.org, a job listing service for the nonprofit sector. For example, Echoing Green is a foundation that gives grants to social entrepreneurs to create groundbreaking change in the nonprofit arena. The idea that these start-ups are accountable for creating measurable results is much more in line with the values of todays workforce no matter what sector they come from. And employees of nonprofits manage their careers with the same focus and drive as someone in the business sector. Jen Cormier works at Make-A-Wish in Boston. She networks with people in her field, she thinks of herself as a marketing specialist, and she plans her path through a few jobs and then graduate school as carefully as anyone going for an MBA. Similarly, in the old model of the business sector, you earned a lot of money and left the doing-good stuff to the nonprofits. Today, though, companies understand the need to make a difference no matter what sector you are in. There are a lot of companies that are doing things that are more socially responsible because creating this sort of work atmosphere retains people, says Finkelstein. Morgan Stanley, for example, gives employees time off to build houses for Habitat for Humanity. Salesforce.com set up a foundation to afford employees paid time to help in their community. Its not surprising that the gap between for-profits and nonprofits is blurring because the search for meaningful work is permeating the whole workforce. People at all levels are looking to learn and grow in their work, according to Jennifer Deal, senior researcher for the Center for Creative Leadership and author of Retiring the Generation Gap: How Employees Young and Old Can Find Common Ground. And while nonprofits have typically been the places to feed ones soul, the business sector has woken up to the fact that one of the best ways to retain young employees is to help them grow. One of the most shocking turns in todays workplace is that it used to be that young people went to the Peace Corps to grow. Now people go to big accounting firms because they are leading the way in retaining young workers, by infusing work with meaning. You get a mentor, you get rotating responsibilities, and you get opportunities to volunteer, on company time. A study by Deloitte found that volunteer opportunities attract a stronger candidate pool in the business sector. And Ernst Young rewards high performers with a Social Responsibility Fellowship. Cormier says people discouraged her from working in the nonprofit sector as being unrealistic and a poor career choice. A lot of naysayers told me wait until you get to the real world. Other people will view socially responsible business with cynicism firms providing do-gooder opportunities merely to win the war for talent. But you could also look at this as a sort of version of a golden age of capitalism: Finally, companies are giving back to the community in a way that touches employees at their core, and finally nonprofits are being run efficiently in a way that really does get help to the needy, and this, after all, is good for everyone.

Wearable Tech at Work Why Recruiters Need to Pay Attention

Wearable Tech at Work Why Recruiters Need to Pay Attention Wearable technology has the potential to revolutionise recruiting. Devices such as Fitbit, Jawbone, Niki+ and Apple Watch can collect, analyse and share information about employees’ private lives, and the technological innovations are not going away anytime soon. A recent study predicts that the  wearables market could be worth $71.23bn by 2021, compared to just under $30bn in 2016. A recent PWC study on wearable technology in the workplace described wearable tech as having the potential to unlock a new world of opportunity for both employers and employees, offering key information to understand and manage the workforce and increase employee engagement. Apps that were originally invented to record and analyse health, sleep quality, fatigue levels and location data, are now being used by employers to improve productivity and in some cases, monitor staff outside of work. Why are companies using wearable tech? Companies are using wearables for different reasons. In the United States, one of the biggest motivations is health. Many corporations want their employees to live cleaner lifestyles to help reduce absenteeism and improve productivity. By providing staff with wearable tech gadgets such as Fitbit, they can incentivise and nudge staff to exercise more. This is especially worthwhile if companies are responsible for their health insurance. BP gives their North American workers Fitbits and provides lower-deductible health incentives if they meet their activity targets. When the staff’s ‘million step goal’ is reached, the employee becomes eligible for organisation’s premium health plan option. In 2015,  24,500 of their employees were using Fitbits and other companies are now following suit. How can wearables be used effectively in recruiting? Wearables will play an integral part of the future recruitment process and no more so than in one-to-one interviews. They can help record, analyse and assess a candidate’s performance after the event. By equipping themselves with a recording device, the interviewer will be able to retrospectively evaluate candidate’s responses to questions. If you are interviewing all day, then it can be easy to forget important details about earlier candidates. By using a wearable device, the candidate’s body language and responses to questions can be properly analysed and this can help decide whether the candidate is a good fit or not. 1. Time management analysis If your candidate is placed in a new contract role, then wearable watches (or ‘beacon enabled phones’) can keep track of your candidate’s time management. If they are inclined to go on extended lunch breaks, this could damage your reputation as a recruiter. Also, if a candidate is taking liberties during their trial period, then you know wherever you place them, their errant behaviour is likely to continue.   2. Preventing injury If dangerous conditions form part of your candidate’s job, then wearable tech could help prevent injuries and reduce the chances of them making compensation claims. In the transport sector, wearable devices can help monitor your candidates heart and respiratory rates, ensuring they are less likely to put themselves in life threatening situations. 3. Compliance with the law While the potential for wearable tech is limitless, there are potential pitfalls for HR and recruiters to consider. Companies may want to monitor their staff’s data to review their productivity and make it part of the decision making process when it comes to hiring, firing and promoting candidates. Employees who suffer from health problems or a disability, could legally argue they are being discriminated against if they lose out to a more conventional candidate. Employers will also have to ensure that staff’s wearables comply with protection and privacy laws. Wearable devices that use insecure Wi-Fi connections are also potentially subject to corporate espionage. Another risk is that a rogue employee could use wearable tech to extract confidential data and sell them to rival companies, record team meetings without consent, or intimidate or bully an innocent member of staff. HR teams will have to ensure that all wearables are subject to strict legal policies, particularly for data protection, harassment and security reasons. 4. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) HR will have to consider their personal and company data as more staff work on their own smartphones and tablets. With more staff using remote devices at work, companies will be obliged to write up contracts that explicitly state that disciplinary action will be taken against them if company and recruiter policies (such as BYOD) are not obeyed. While it might be a few years before everyone is using recording devices at work, the wearable tech revolution is real and it will have a huge impact on the recruitment sector. From analysing a candidate’s performances in interviews, health insurance claims and privacy implications, the way we work is changing and the staffing industry needs to ensure it’s ready for the next challenge.

Writing a Resume in PowerPoint

Writing a Resume in PowerPointWriting a resume in PowerPoint has been helpful for me when I was starting out. I found that a presentation that includes the basics of the job and is formatted in a way that can be viewed easily by computer is easier to read, and that it will also look better on my computer's screen.The main reason that writing a resume in PowerPoint is helpful is because you have to write in small print first. This helps to avoid accidentally plagiarizing someone else's work, and at the same time saves time.In order to write a resume in PowerPoint, you must know how to use the program and how to format your text. You will need to set up the font, size, colors, and other options that the program will display. Since the template that is included in PowerPoint is fairly large, you will want to make sure that you have enough room to include all of the information that you want on your resume.When you are looking for a good template for your resume in PowerPoint, you should go online and find some templates. There are hundreds of free templates that you can download that will fit the needs of most people. Of course, if you want a template that is going to be formatted differently than what you see at the beginning of this article, you can always purchase a template to modify so that you can customize it to meet your needs.When you write a resume in PowerPoint, you need to know how to set up your table. You want to ensure that the text on the chart matches what you see on your monitor or on paper. The chart should be laid out in such a way that you can easily read the information that you put on it.One problem that I have had with writing a resume in PowerPoint is that the information that I have tried to include on it often gets cut off when the people look at the table. Sometimes you have to scroll down to read what you want to put on the table. The program also displays the word under in small fonts and this can sometimes be difficult to read.Anothe r issue that I have had with writing a resume in PowerPoint is that when you use the program to create your resume, it makes it seem like there is an extra space on the page. Because of this, it makes it more difficult to use your cursor to move around the table because you will always be using the bottom or right hand side of the screen to move around.When you have created a resume in PowerPoint, you need to make sure that you place your cursor in the first column to move the cursor around. You want to make sure that you always use the right hand side of the screen to move the cursor and not the left hand side as this will make the program harder to read and result in a boring resume.

Concentration on Resume - Why Minor Instead of Concentration on Resume?

Concentration on Resume - Why Minor Instead of Concentration on Resume?Should you be one of the many students that do not write a paper for a test or essay because it is just too hard, then do not write minor instead of concentration on resume. This may seem odd to you at first, but it is actually a better strategy to write a paper or even an essay on your major. Concentration on resume may seem like an obvious choice for those with less experience in writing because they are still learning to be an essay writer.The main reason why people do not write a paper or essay on their major is that they do not know how to write a paper. When they begin to write a paper, they tend to write something that is different than what they have been used to. Concentration on resume allows you to write a paper that is similar to what you write on your major, but you will not start to realize this until you make some practice.Concentration on resume is very different from concentration on exam. These t wo go hand in hand and there is no other way around it. Concentration on resume will make your skills in writing good enough to write a good paper. You should take advantage of this opportunity to put what you have learned about writing and communicate it on your resume and any other places where you will be reading.There are several ways to practice writing on your concentration on resume. You can start with short paragraphs and try to practice as many of them as you can. This will get you used to how you want to write so that you can write more sentences and paragraphs.Keep writing the same paragraph over again until you can write a straight story. You will find that each day you will be able to write better. However, make sure that you do not add much to it because this may make it harder to read.Concentration on resume will help you if you need to practice in front of a mirror. Try to make a mirror so that you can write from your eyes and not your head. This is very important be cause your head may be telling you that it is time to stop writing or that you are not finished yet. If you do not stop to correct yourself, you will eventually give up and just quit.Even if you are able to practice writing from your head and not your eyes, you should still take a small amount of time out to correct yourself. This is a very important step to ensure that you are doing the right thing. Remember, concentration on resume is a skill that you should learn because it will make you a better writer.When you do focus on your concentration on resume, do not worry about writing minor instead of concentration on resume. Focus on your ability to write on your concentration on resume to make it easy to read.

You Got The Job. Now Keep It.

You Got The Job. Now Keep It. 10 Flares 10 Flares This is a guest post from Leslie Williams.  Leslie is a writer for Jobfox Resumes, the largest resume writing service online. She specializes in using social media to connect to the right job Wedding planning is a booming business in this country. People want their wedding days to be perfect, and wont settle for anything less in every element of the event. They must have the most beautiful dress, the most romantic venue, the most delicious food, the most colorful flowers. You would think with so much wedding planning going on, the United States divorce rate wouldnt be as high as it is now. The problem is, people spend so much time planning the wedding, they neglect to plan for the marriage. It can be the same with finding a job. You may spend money on professional resume writing, buy the most successful-looking suit, practice and polish your interview answers, all to get that perfect job. But what happens once you get it? The newness will wear off quickly, and your boss will start asking him or herself some key questions: What are you bringing to the company? How are you growing? What kind of ingenuity are you offering? Once you get a job, you cant sit back, put your feet up on the desk and ride it out until retirement. There is a new deal in the workforce, and the days of guaranteed employment are over. The good news is there are a few things you can do to continue bringing value to your company, and to your resume for when you move on to other things. Leadership Programs and Executive Coaching It would be ideal if skills were bestowed along with titles. Although some people are naturals, good management skills are cultivated with time and effort. Several options are available to help kick start your development. A leadership program or course can go a long way to helping you be a better manager. If youre not a manager yet, a good leadership program can not only prepare you for a future promotion, it can also help you be a good leader of projects or working groups, which will help make you a better candidate for that promotion. Executive coaching goes a step further by giving you the opportunity to provide mentoring to newly promoted managers. If your company is unable or unwilling to pay for a coach, or for you to attend leadership training, its still a good investment to make in yourself. There are also some free programs available. A management course from MIT will look pretty good on your resume, dont you think? Educate Yourself A quick stroll through any bookstore will show you theres no shortage of books on business, management, and business management. Whether its about how to run a business, how to be a better manager, or how to make yourself indispensable to your manager and your company, a good self-help business book can help you maintainâ€"and buildâ€"your value. Granted, because there are so many books out there on these topics, many of them offering conflicting advice, it can be difficult to choose which one will help you the most. Ask your manager and your peers for recommendations. Knowing what others in the company are reading will help guide you to how they work so you can avoid adopting a different approach that may clash with what your manager and coworkers are already doing. Communicate Most people accept a job entering into what they hope will be a long-term relationship. Just like any relationship, communication is key to making it successful. Dont be afraid to ask questions, or to ask your supervisor for guidance when you need it. A good manager should appreciate your desire to mesh with the company, and to learn how best to contribute. You should also be ready and willing to offer suggestions and ideas, but use caution. Your first couple of weeks at a new job is not the time to do this. Your manager and coworkers have their systems in place, and youre the new person who doesnt yet understand the inner workings of the office, or the company, regardless of how many years of experience youre bringing with you. Ideas and suggestions should be welcomed and appreciated in a good working environment, but only after youve taken some time to learn how things work, and to build a rapport with the rest of the staff that will help them more readily hear or accept your ideas. To immediately jump in with suggestions for change, or to challenge how things are being done can make others bristle, and make you look like a know-it-all out to prove something. Half of communication is listening. Above all, remember one simple bit of adviceâ€"never stop learning. Some industries change more quickly than others, but there will always be something new you can learn, and something different you can do to keep that job once you get it. .

Yup. 3 Sign-Ups. (aka How I Screwed Up Majorly, and What Im Doing to Fix It)

Yup. 3 Sign-Ups. (aka How I Screwed Up Majorly, and What Im Doing to Fix It) Ever Tried Ever Failed Print by limeyts If you watched my I Quit My Day Job: 22 Month Update on Monday, then you know I wasnt my usual chipper self. I know, I know, its hard to believe but above and beyond the boob cancer, I was disappointed in the recent launch of my Clubhouse. It was something I was working on in the back on my brain for months, and real actively for 8-ish weeks. Everyone I told about it reacted super favorably, and would offer tons of encouragement and kudos. I told my Mom and my husband, I think Im going to make a lot of money this month my Clubhouse is opening up and I think the members will be pouring in! I even asked my Virtual Wizard if shed want more hours, as Id love to hire her more often since Im gonna get a nice foundation with The Clubhouse Money. Lets say I was Law of Attraction-ing it up, but in a I-really-believed-it way. I was sure. I was confident. I was On To Something. I wanted to launch it on my birthday, but that fell on a Saturday and I thought I shouldnt do it then. I thought of opening the clubhouse doors the day before, but Friday was the wrong day, too. And Monday was a national holiday, so nobody would be paying attention then(right?) So Tuesday the 17th it would be! I wrote the newsletter and scheduled it for 7a Eastern that day, and scheduled the blog post to go up a few hours prior. I let in The Sneak Peek People the week before, using them to make sure the welcoming process was smooth (which I could not have come close to doing without the help of my Virtual Wizard, Arwyn!), to see if anything was broken and/or confusing, and to give some life to the private Facebook group before the first official person came in on Tuesday at 7:01a Eastern (I presumed). 18 people were already there, and I felt confident that at least another 20 would join them that day. The first official Clubhouse member came in at 1:16p Eastern. I told myself, Everyone had a busy morning back at workthe sign-ups will be pouring in now! The second member came in at 2:48p Eastern. I told myself, OK, here we go be at the ready! The third member signed up at 9:51p Eastern. I told myself, (Gulp). And then I went to bed, too tired from the early-morning doctors appointment, my lack of sleep from the night before, and my unnecessary waiting at the computer. But even though I knew there were more important things to be upset about (read: boob cancer), I couldnt help but be disappointed. Its now a full week after launch, and I only had 1 other person officially sign up, at 1:06p Eastern on Monday the 23rd. That is absolutely positively not to negate the other 19 people in the Clubhouse -not at all! But those are my Brooklyn Brunch Business Babes (yes, we get together monthly to drink mimosas, eat bagels and talk about Woman of the World stuff) and my Grads, the former group gettin in because I value their contribution and feedback, and the latter group because I love my Grads so freakin much that I wanna do special things for them all the time (in this case, I refunded their first month if they joined the Clubhouse before Tue the 17th). Yes, they absolutely positively count, butthey didnt count. You know what I mean. I tried not to break down the 27 hours I prepped for the Clubhouse (I told ya Freckle comes in handy) into the money I made, including the refunds. But I did. $138 divided by 27 hours is (gulp) $5.11/hour. If I include my Grads, and assume they wont drop out after the first month, then Month 2 right now would bring me$327. Thats $12.11/hour, and that goes down the longer I continue to work on The Clubhouse (Ive spent an extra 3 hours on it today already). I mean, can you see The Travesty? The Embarrassment? The Head Scratching and Brow Furrowing, especially as I get emails and blog comments and tweets about how amazeballs The Clubhouse is and Congrats with it? I have to admit, I wasnt gonna tell you this in detail. Its why I was all Im disappointed in my launch on the video instead of Only 3 People?! What the Frackin Frack?! I dont like talking specifics when it comes to the money Im making, but thisit couldnt be ignored. It couldnt be brushed under the rug. I felt the need to share, especially after the comments I got on Monday thanking me for the honesty and the vulnerability. I cant help it Im committed to documenting it all here the ups, the downs, and The 3 People Launches. Well, I wouldnt be a life coach without document What Went Wrong (and How Im Gonna Make It Right), so here it tis: I sent the newsletter at 7a the day after a long weekend. I literally wanna hit myself. I should know better. People at corporate gigs were rushing in to work and didnt come up for air until lunchtime at the earliest. Moms were getting their kids ready for school and out the door after time off. Men and Women of the World (aka Entrepreneurs) were also digging out of Inboxes and probably feeling a bit guilty for not working the day before. If I sent that email on Wednesday or Thursday or even 6 hours later on Tuesday! I think it wouldve made a huge difference. In my Mailchimp campaign report, I had a 3.6% lower open rate than normal, with 1.4% less clicks than usual. Im still above the industry average (my open rate is usually 36.7% while the industry open rate is 15.2%), but if Im comparing myself to myselfthis didnt measure up as it usually does. How Im Gonna Fix It: Ill send another newsletter this afternoon, admitting my screw-up and telling everyone the details. I think theyll get it. I didnt tell any of my cohorts about it. OK, thats not true. When Id see/talk to/tweet em and theyd asked what I was working on, I would tell them all about The Clubhouse and, as I mentioned before, theyd be super enthusiastic. But, um, I didnt let anyone know when I was opening The Clubhouse, so I didnt have my usual amount of help in spreading the word. This is also tricky because I cant set-up The Clubhouse membership through e-junkie (because the Clubhouse payments are subscription-based, and e-junkie doesnt support that), which runs my affiliate programs, and so I cant offer anyone to be an affiliate for The Clubhouse. Im trying to think of other ways to compensate those who refer Clubhouse members my way, but still it doesnt excuse me not asking!  How Im Gonna Fix It: Im gonna send out an email to my beautiful, lovely, amazeballs colleagues, clients and cohorts, asking for some tweets or a blog post or some other way to help me spread the word. Ill also probably put some sor t of affiliate-like thing in place, but more of a whoever-refers-the-most-people-gets-something-every-month thing, just cause I cant track the direct clicks. I didnt advertise. Not only was nobody spreading the word for me, but I was barely spreading it myself! I know that its a good investment to take $100-$200 and take out a blog ad on some of my favorite Interweb homes. I mean really what the heck is wrong with me? How Im Gonna Fix It: Stop beating myself up and reach out to Alexandra Franzen, Kind Over Matter, and Kelly Rae Roberts STAT. I rested on my laurels. I have to admit I mightve gotten a bit cocky. With 6,000+ Twitter followers and 1,700+ Facebook fans and 2,000+ newsletter subscribersI mean, I dont think my numbers are huge, but I just figured thered be at least 20 people whod be picking up what Id be putting down, yaknowwhatImsayin? I put the button on the homepage and made the Clubhouse page live and wrote/recorded a song and scheduled some tweets and a blog post and the newsletter and thought, Well, I built it!Where the hell are they? It still has to be active at this point, people. I cant just put something new up and expect to make thousands.  How Im Gonna Fix It: The emails and ads above are a great start, with actually reading How to Launch the S*** Out of Your Ebook being a good follow-up (I cant even admit how long Ive had it, because its ridiculously long). I had almost 200 people look at the Clubhouse page that dayand only 3 joined. While I was super proud of how that page looks and how the copy reads, I knew there had to be something missing if something like 98% (math aint my strong suit) of the peeps who checked my page out (which mustve meant they were somewhat interested) clicked off. Um, the page has now been viewed 354 times in the past 7 days, andonly 4 sign-ups. So, I spent 3 hours today pulling quotes from my Clubhouse members as to why they joined, making them pretty on Picnik (dont tell me its closing Im still crying about it), and adding them to the page. I also took out the few times I said I needed to build something hands off for myself, as I now think it could give the wrong impression that I wont be around the Clubhouse very often (which so aint true!). How Im Gonna Fix It: Ya know, I have a feeling Ill be tweaking this page lots as time goes on and I get more Clubhouse feedback. I already added a new question to the FAQs, and within the week I wanna add a free downloadable exercise to that page, too. I listened to the shoulds. I originally wanted to launch this on my birthday, but since it was a Saturday nobody would pay attention. Well, on one hand I convinced myself of that, and on the other I decided to run a 34-hour sale in honor of my 34th birthday for my newsletter peeps only (no tweets, no blog posts, no Facebook updates) that started you can probably guess this on Saturday morning. I sold 27 workbooks by the time the sale ended on Sunday night. If that was the number who ended up in my Clubhouse that weekend, I woulda been thrilled. Thrilled! How Im Gonna Fix It: Tell the shoulds to take a hike and continue to conduct my business the way that feels good and makes sense to me. I also have to stress that at no point in time did I want to take The Clubhouse down. The Facebook Group still has 2 dozen really active creative ladies sharing their goals, their challenges, their blogs, and their stories to connect with, support, and help each other. Im still psyched to coach them as a group and offer a free session to one of em each and every month. Im thrilled that theres a built-in audience for my products and workshops (next virtual workshopll be on An Effective Escape aka quitting your day job without having to live in your parents basement on Feb 22nd). Im happy to (finally!) have a place where us creative types, who usually feel so all alone, can meet each other and not feel, um, so alone anymore. To ask them to Shamelessly Share what theyre working on and read about their mentor-seeking and agricultural-training and new-blog-launching and event-planning and product-designing and Etsy-shop-launching and media-site-creating and ESL-training and Mommy-danc ing-encouraging and lingerie-producing selveswell, Im not going anywhere, and neither is The Clubhouse. Yknow, I have a feeling that in a year Ill look at the few hundred people whore there and light up, knowing I Did That. And ya know what? Even if theres less than a hundred, Ill still be proud, because I would have achieved what I set out to:  connecting, coaching, and serving more clients at a (much) lower price point. So no matter whatI Did That. And Im proud. This is where youd expect a button to join my Clubhouse, but seriously overkill much?! Also, its my Moms birthday, and shes the bestest Mom in the whole entire freakin frackin world (sorry other Moms), and I just had to link back to this post because it still rings true. Even though were going through the s*** now, we have each other and I know thats the most important, because my Mom taught me that. Here we are toasting to her last year well have another one tomorrow!