Shadow Footprints

1. Article/Post

Why Public Speaking Is Good for You & Your Brand

Most freelancers and small business owners are required – like it or not – to spend a substantive amount of time on marketing. To ensure that the jobs and the clients keeping coming, we are constantly hustling – pitching new projects, updating our portfolios and CVs, and taking exploratory meetings. Yet, one of the best ways to build and promote your individual brand or company is one of the most oft overlooked: public speaking.

2. Picture

For The Fallen
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

3. Comment

"Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions - it only guarantees equality of opportunity."
- Irving Kristol

4. List

10 Tips for Getting it Done Today

Most freelancers and small business owners are required – like it or not – to spend a substantive amount of time on marketing. To ensure that the jobs and the clients keeping coming, we are constantly hustling – pitching new projects, updating our portfolios and CVs, and taking exploratory meetings. Yet, one of the best ways to build and promote your individual brand or company is one of the most oft overlooked: public speaking.

The Benefits of Public Speaking

1. Know how long it takes.
2. No time like the present.
3. Challenge irrational thoughts and cognitive distortions in a daily journal.
4. All tasks can and should be broken down into parts.
5. Work backwards from a due date.
6. Keep track of it all in an organizer (or organizer app).
7. Keep a daily to-do list.
8. Start every day with a review of your day, week and to-do list.
9. Keep your schedule up-to-date.
10. Take back control and reward yourself when you finish a task.

5. Video

On a serious note you should watch Michael Specter talking at TED on The Danger of Science Denial

I've just finished another audiobook, Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization and I'm about to buy it. The audiobook version is inspiring.

The book has an accessible framework for evaluating corporate cultures, each with instantly recognizable traits:

Stage 1: Life sucks.

Stage 2: My life sucks.

Stage 3: I'm great (and you're not).

Stage 4: We're great (and they're not).

Stage 5: Life is great.

Most companies are either stage 2 or 3. This book guides you in way to break through to the next stage.

There's a TED Talk about these tribes. I'd had the audiobook waiting on my ipod but was busy listening to other thing until I saw the TED video. It's all I've listened to in the past few days. At the end I discovered it was abridged and I want to find out what I've missed. The audiobook is available free courtesy of Zappos, a company renown for its culture.

As I write this there are 34 five-star reviews on Amazon, and no lesser reviews. Do yourself a favour and listen to the audiobook, and buy a copy for your boss.