My Big Fat To-Do List

See, I have my daily to-do list, where I write down the things that need to get done that day (as well as whatever else I can squeeze). This leaves a lot of things forgotten, especially personal things, or even bigger tasks that are tougher to break down into a few steps that could get accomplished over the next several days. I've decided to put together a to-do list of these things, as most of them either get forgotten or squeezed into the weekend, when I don't want to do them because it's the weekend. Hey, whatever works to remind myself and to hold myself accountable.

• Find and Choose Recipes - I've been eating out too much lately, so this means I've probably slacked on my veganism and nutrition. I need to get back on track by picking a few good recipes, buying the ingredients for those recipes, and then cooking the food. I have Pinterest and a couple of cookbooks, so really I don't have any excuses.
• Go Grocery Shopping - Purchase said ingredients, and other needed things.
• Prepare Food and Water for the New Kitty - Our new kitty is finally arriving from the shelter on Monday! We need to prepare the home for our new family members i.e. put out the food and water. The water dish just needs to be refilled since I've already washed it. I do want to change the food dish since the food has been sitting there for a few weeks with no one to eat it. It's probably dusty by now.
• Post a Hand on Flopturnriver.com - Did you really think I wouldn't have anything poker related to do? I played a cash game yesterday for an hour and lost two dollars. This was after being up three dollars after playing heads up. I grant, I got lucky. I'm not sure if I kept running into hands or if people were playing back at me. Maybe both. This is why I ought to post a hand (or two).
• Play Poker - I always need to play poker. It's always on the to-do list. Despite yesterday's losses, I might play again tonight. Poker is fun!
• Revisit My Content Inventory - This is an inventory of all the lead generation content Stirring Media has, and the last time I looked at this thing as at least a few months ago. Maybe more than that since I don't remember. I know I am planning new content, and have created new content since I last looked at the inventory so it does need a revisit. It'll also be a good chance to see which kinds of content I ought to create.
• Work on My Internet Marketing Guide - One of my first pieces of lead generation content was a white paper on building a keyword strategy. It was meant to be a series. However, I've only written the one, and I've kind of started on the next in the series, which is about business blogging. Not only does the first one need uber updating, but I should finish the series as well.
• Call HubSpot - Apparently, they still don't have my new address. So, they are sending checks to my old address, in which Ken has to call and tell me to pick up the mail. I don't want the building owner to see me, because I've cancelled my services with him, so I don't want him to get the idea I'm trying to steal. I swore I told them, but I need to do this.
• Exercise - I need to do lots more of this. I need to play more Wii, or go to Tower Grove Park, or take a class, or go running, or a combination of the above. It's part of my vision to achieve Oprah status!
• Drink More Coffee - This is always on the to-do list. It's yummy and empowering. And, obviously, I have a lot to do. When do I ever have nothing to do?

One Idea into 20 Pieces of Content

That was the inspiration to try and to come up with additional value for my clients with the content I am already creating for them. I wanted to come up with additional angles, additional types of content, additional research that could be used to talk about topics that I've been talking about for months and months now. However, I can't find the source of the idea, "20 pieces of content from one topic/idea". I thought it was in the book I just finished reading, but I conducted a search through it on both Google Books and on the Kindle and I go nothing. I tried a Google search and I can't it in any of the results that come up. I swear I didn't imagine it, but I can't find or remember the source.

Now, I'm Grumpy and Tired

I've been grumpy for the past two-and-half hours. I had high hopes for the latter half of the day. I still do, but now I'm tired and finicky and really want more coffee at 6:35 p.m. I still want to work, and there's still work to be done, but my brain is mush. I need to take a break so I can refocus myself. Fortunately, Sean is starting to play Age of Empires II. That is always fun to watch. I will do that and come back.

I'm Also Frustrated about This Pen

I'm really weird about pens. I like to use only a couple of pens at a time, use them all up before I replace them. I currently have 50 or so replacement pens right now. I'm also particular about which color I use where. My planner calls for a blue pen, as does my reporter's notebook. I like to use a black pen when I sign things and when I write letters for Amnesty International. I do this because pens have power. They are mightier than the sword so it's important to concentrate that power in a few select places.

Now, I'm frustrated about this specific pen because I think it's supposed to die already and it hasn't yet. On top of that, I can't tell how much ink is left and it doesn't have a cap. So, I can't bring it with me everywhere because it will muck up things. Therefore, I have this immortal pen and I don't know how to kill it.

One Idea into 20 Pieces of Content

I've decided that the best thing to do to make the most of this situation is to come up with my own way to turn one idea into 20 pieces of content. It will be published on my content marketing blog on Friday. I figure that others might be interested in how to get the most of their good ideas and topics in content marketing while making lemonade out of lemons. I also fulfill my goal of providing more value to my clients, and can perhaps come up with ways to augment my services and be able to charge new clients for them in the future. I already need to improve them vastly with what I learned from the marketing agency book I just read. I have to do a lot of things, really.

However, I have taken my break and eaten more food and now I am energized. I am now getting more things while planning for tomorrow and making progress with client projects. I am motivated to get more things done, to read another chapter or two in the new content marketing book I am reading (and perhaps make progress on our Amnesty book club book), make plans, and design businesses processes. It's all the fun stuff you get to do when you have your own business and work from home and neat stuff like that.

How About a Newspaper Comprised Entirely of Business Blog Posts?

Think of It as the Huffington Post of Business Blogs

I applied for an Arch Grant toward the end of last year. I didn't get it, but if I did, I would have put that money into a brilliant idea I have called The Stirring Standard. This idea is essentially an online newspaper that syndicates all of its content from business blogs. Nothing like it exists, at least not yet. I'd like to see the Stirring Standard live and thrive, and perhaps be a game changer for news and content marketing.

Why Is This Needed?

As someone in the content marketing industry, more and more businesses are buying into the idea of content marketing, starting business blogs and venturing into other types of content. This is great, however, businesses lack channels to get this content in front of consumers. Companies currently have their own website, search engines, social media, and co-marketing/guest posting opportunities. The first three are great, and there's nothing wrong with them. However, it's incredibly difficult to find and to build guest posting relationships (co-marketing isn't as difficult, but you don't want to co-market all the time, or co-market with just one or two folks all the time). Businesses want to get their content in front of more people, build their audiences, and to build backlinks, but all that is tough to accomplish with the channels that are currently available. The Stirring Standard is designed to be that additional channel, something that accomplishes those three goals but rewards great content that is of value to the audience.

Rewarding Great Content is Key

With content marketing on the rise, it's going to be tough for companies to have content that stands out from the competition. It'll come down to more than optimizing it right, and covering the right topic for your audience. Those methods will work for those who started creating content early, but it won't be enough for those who start this year. The Stirring Standard will be an entity that will set the standard for great content, and will make an effort to have that great content rise above the mediocre stuff. It'll also level the playing field between those who've been in this awhile and those who are just starting. As an online publication, there will also be additional opportunities to feature content that isn't a blog post. Calls-to-action will appear in the sidebars and at the bottoms of posts, leading to eBooks, whitepapers, webinars and other long forms of content. It also forces content creators to think about the audience, instead of writing about company announcements, products, and services.

What Do You Think?

If you have any thoughts on this idea, please let me know in the comments. Since I didn't get the grant, I am strongly considering getting this done on my own. I already have two separate companies submit their business blogs for consideration, and this is through no advertising and no action on the site since September 2012. Something must have caught their attention to submit their blogs, despite five months of inactivity on the website. I believe that businesses have a story to tell, and have stories that consumer would be interested in. I believe that businesses are some of the best experts in their field, and aren't driven to create sensational content or false content, which has plagued online and print publications in the past. That is my vision, and I think there's a lot of merit to this vision. I think a lot of businesses would be interested in this opportunity, and would be willing to pay money to be syndicated. So, please, let me know your thoughts here.

Back on Track

I woke up today and committed to making today a productive, awesome day. I committed to making today a great day and to getting things done. Not only did I accomplish that, but I also found a dollar bill this morning on my way to the bus stop. It's the second dollar bill I've found in a three-day period. I hope I find more money on the sidewalk within the next few days, the next one being a 10 or a 20. You know it's going to be a good day when you find money on the ground, especially when the ground is covered in snow.

However, I'm Nervous

I applied for an Arch Grant about two months ago, and today is the day when they are notifying who moves on to the next round. Haven't heard anything yet, although they announced on Twitter three hours ago that the notifications will go out by the end of the day. It's less than an hour until the end of the day and I haven't heard anything. What's considered the end of the day? I'm nervous because if I don't get the grant, I will start on my project that I hoped to fund through the grant. If I do move on, then I will do the next round and go through the waiting game once more. Getting this grant will be huge, but I think my idea is even better, and I will want to make the idea a priority. However, I don't want to start on it if I do move to the next round. When will I hear something? Eeek!

Other Than That...

Today was a committed and productive day, and I will continue this by playing poker tonight (or maybe game night with the neighbors, as they haven't said anything yet). I played a SNG yesterday and lost, but I was incredibly spaced out. Before I knew it, I only had 2/3 of my original chip stack, and it felt like I hadn't played any hands or made any bad moves. I had no idea where the money went. Alas, I will play again tonight. It will be fun, and I will make the best decisions possible.

Poker, Poker, Poker

I need to practice for my Las Vegas trip, which is less than month away. I am super excited to go! I can't wait. I have this trip to look forward to as well as the Heartland Poker Tour in April. On Pokertube, they have videos of two separate HPT final tables. I plan to watch that to get a glimpse of how tough the competition is that these HPT events. I'm excited, and nervous. I feel my awesomeness exponentially growing. I want to be featured on Pokertube because that would be the coolest thing ever. I would be a semi Internet star. Also, if I happen to win big over the next few months, I could maybe make it out to the World Series of Poker to play one tournament or two. I want to play in the WSOP so bad, even though 2014 is probably when I'll make my first appearance. I need to win super huge to be able to play this year, even though a couple of events have a $1000 buy-in.

Finishing Up

I need to hurry and to finish this post because I want to catch the 5 p.m. bus. I was hoping to catch the 4:30 p.m. bus, but I took too long thinking of something to write about and then I got distracted with the Arch Grant announcement. I keep hitting refresh, hoping to see the notification, but a watched pot never boils. It'll probably come in while I'm on the bus, and then I'll get home and completely forget about it. Then, I won't see it until tomorrow morning or something. Why wouldn't it happen that way? It's usually how these sorts of things go.

Snow Day Today

Today is a snow day in St. Louis. Lots of places ended up closing, closing early. I ended up working from home because the event I planned to attend tonight was postponed to next week, and even though I take the bus (and the bus is always running) the weather made it seem like the sidewalks were going to be awfully slippery. I don't like the idea of eating it on the sidewalk. I don't like the idea of waiting for the bus when it's below 20 outside, and that the bus is probably running late because the road conditions are so horrible. I love snow days because they don't exist in Hawaii, so interesting things happen on snow days like people leaving early from work to beat the weather, and fun things falling from the sky, and the fact that things close in St. Louis but if this happened in other cities around the country nothing would close and it would be business as usual. I also like the idea that everything shuts down and that people stay home and its okay to be lazy or to take the day to plan or to think about the future (when am I never planning or thinking about the future?) Snow days are interesting. I wish Hawaii had sun days, where it would be too hot or humid to go to school.

Today is Also Poker Day

Yes, it is! I think I might start playing in an hour or two, after I finish this blog post and maybe do a bit more work. Yes, even with the snow day I've been getting things done. I still have to catch up from not getting much done over the past few days, so I do find it a relief the event got postponed. I feel like I have some extra time to get things done. The only thing I'm worried about with playing poker is if the power or the Internet cuts out. I've had problems with that previously when the weather was severe, so it would really suck if I'm in the middle of a good hand and I lose it because I couldn't place my bet. I actually had a strong showing the last time I played. I was up for the day, even though I did make a few bad plays. Those bad plays did cost me some money, no doubt about it, but I feel like I'm playing very well and that I just need to plug these leaks.

Building the Business

One thing that I've realized recently is that I haven't been pursuing jobs on Elance and on other sites as much as I used to. Part of it is that I'm worrying about meeting the needs of current clients, so I don't have the time anymore to pursue leads. Part of it is also that I am starting to get more leads, and more qualified leads, through my website, so the time that I do have is better spent on those. Both are good problems to have, but I also don't want to be put in a position where I am unable to grow or unable to support growth.

Another thing I just realized about building my business is that I've slacked off somewhat on improving my website. It was a point since the beginning of the year to tackle a page per week, making the necessary improvements. I didn't do a page this week, and I don't think I did one last week either. I should put it in my calendar for next week, so that I don't forget and then end up not doing any more improvements until 2014. I should do that now, before I forget. I planned poorly for this week, so I'm being extra careful to make sure that I properly plan for next week.

All good things to do on a snow day.

Developing a Personal Brand

As I promised yesterday, I'm going to work on developing my personal brand and answer the pertinent questions to do that. I took these questions from chapter 5 of The Marketing Agency Blueprint: The Handbook for Building Hybrid PR, SEO, Content, Advertising, and Web Firm. With the way our digital world is evolving, you're missing out if you're not spending time at least thinking about your personal brand and what you present about yourself online. I highly recommend answering these questions yourself since personal brands are becoming more integral in building your career and in building your employer's brand and company culture.

1. What three adjectives would people use to describe you? - Hardworking, crazy, and cheerful.
2. What makes you unique? - "What about me isn't unique?" is the better questions, but I'll answer this one anyway. Well, I'm an Aquarius, and Aquarians are naturally unique people who think outside the box and do things differently. I'm also a native Hawaiian who lives in St. Louis, and moved here willingly from Hawaii, so that's something. I play poker, and not a lot of women play poker. I'm vegan, and went vegan three months ago after watching a documentary. The more colors something has, the better. I honestly believe my cat knows the secrets to life, but won't tell me because he only speaks Arabic. I aspire to save the world and be Martin Luther King Jr. Not enough people in the world want to do those things.
3. What life experiences have altered your views and actions? - Starting my own business has definitely altered my views and actions. I no longer believe that it's worthwhile to work for someone else because building your business has too benefits that a typical job doesn't offer, and I think self-employment has more job security than people think. I also like that with your own business, you make the rules and you can be yourself without worrying about fitting into a company culture and getting along with your coworkers. I don't think I could just go out and get a normal job anymore, even if my current business were to collapse.
4. What motivates and inspires you? - I am motivated by my own accomplishments and I am inspired by others who overcome hardship to accomplish something bigger than I've ever accomplished. I think about those women in Africa and developing nations who've managed to build successful businesses despite their hardships and I am inspired to do more and to be better because if those women can do it, then I have no excuses. I am motivated by my own accomplishments because they encourage me to set a new goal and to plan how to meet my new goal.
5. What are you passionate about? - I am passionate about content marketing, blogging, poker, human rights, and cats.
6. How do you balance your personal and professional lives? - I balance my personal and professional lives by scheduling my hobbies and personal activities as well as my professional activities. This ensures that I don't let my professional life take over by arguing I don't have enough time for anything personal. Also, since I work in a creative industry, I make it a point to take breaks and to get enough sleep so that I can create my best work every time that I am working.
7. Do your friends and family have different perceptions about you than your professional peers? - I think that there are some differences, but for the most part there's a lot of overlap. I think the two parties would differ on how crazy and quirky I really am, or on whether I'm working hard or too hard. Other than that, I think their perceptions would match.
8. Do you see challenges in life as obstacles or as opportunities? - Both, as challenges are opportunities to overcome obstacles and to become more awesome than yesterday.
9. Are you stubborn and closed minded? Or, do you view each experience as a chance to grow and expand your knowledge? - The latter, naturally. Isn't learning and gaining knowledge the fun part. As the saying goes, "you don't know what you like, you like what you know."
10. Do you take responsibility for your own success or failure? - Of course, although I might take more responsibility for a failure than a success. With success, there's usually other people involved who helped you to be successful. This is important in business as well as in poker. In either, it can be easy to blame someone else, but sometimes you can do everything right and still fail. In both you can also make a mistake that could ruin everything, or make a mistake that ends up turning out okay in the end.

What a Week!

Actually, the phrase should be, "What a Past Few Weeks!" I've been MIA on the blogging for two weeks now, where in that time I've turned 25, have quite possibly put my business on track to double last year's revenue (is it big shot to be able to say that February), and won my first online poker tournament (okay, it as a $15 win, but I bested anywhere between 164 and 324 people, which is an accomplishment no matter what the final prize is). I stopped blogging because I was really tired after hard week, too tired to write anything. I've started up again because a friend said that my blogging was amazing and wanted me to continue blogging. So, with a two week hiatus (which will be factored into the quarterly blogging analysis), I will restart this blogging case study of mine. I have one loyal reader out there, and that's good enough for something.

Not Without Hiccups

Of course, these past two weeks haven't been without their share of problems, even with the good things that are happening. I have a client who was trying to backup his Wordpress site, and now nothing happens when you want to add a photo, or change the publication date, or fix the widgets, or add tags to a post (can anyone tell me how to backup a Wordpress site and whether its worthwhile. I would think investing in Wordpress security is a better option, but oh well.) This started two days ago and it's still not working, which means there's not much I can do with it.

The Internet has improved at the coworking space, but it has been a bit choppy this afternoon. Watching video is still difficult, which makes me sad because I can't watch live poker when I eat lunch. Nothing like Monday or last week, but it's still no one hundred percent. I think the space got its own network yesterday, which should be fully functional tomorrow. Hopefully.

Managing Your Online Reputation

I also earned the ire of an "investigative blogger", who wrote a disparaging article about my company and how we provide awful advice to citizen bloggers regarding the first amendment. Fortunately, that's all that's happened, since this particular person has previous history of buying domain names and writing all sorts to stuff to trash your online reputation. It's also fortunate that both me and my company have maintained a strong online reputation, where one post isn't going to ruin our search engine results. I want to be as vague as possible about this, because this person hasn't made the connection between me and my company, and the last thing I want is an online cat fight or to have to defend myself against really odd claims. However, the article can be found on page two of results when you search for "Stirring Media, LLC", if you are interested in a laugh or some weird insight into the crazy world of online reputation management.

But, as the saying goes, "if they're shooting at you, you must be doing something right."

I'm Blogging Again, I Promise

This isn't some weird fluke to entertain a friend and this isn't some stupid "update post" where I apologize for not blogging for two weeks only to not blog for two more months and then apologize again in two months. I'm back in the swing of things, with good ideas to discuss! Tomorrow, I'm going to go over building a personal brand and answer a few questions to build my own personal brand (will do the same with my company's branding, but will answer completely different questions). This weekend is Mardi Gras in St. Louis, and I might have a few things to say about that (not sure if I'm going or not). I'll also do some blogging from Las Vegas, when I go in about a month. Plan to play a whole bunch of poker tournaments in the casinos. Crossing my fingers I can announce a few cashes!

The past two weeks may have been hectic, but I'm looking forward to the next two months, that's for sure!