First Word

Keep it Simple Stupid... how many times did I hear that in high school? We'll distill this down to keep it simple, period. I'm not a fan of calling anyone stupid -- although some moments warrant the descriptor or moniker depends on how you use the name. So here is my real point. I've been learning our back-end systems at 3L Publishing , which includes the remittance functions for our vendors. Money is important after all. So in my intrepid exploration of the systems, I have constantly run into Apple-related (I won't be kind because honestly they earned it) stupidity. I am specifically talking about their two silos, which should be one system (take a hint from Kindle): iTunes Connect and iTunes Producer. First, let me express my disappointment that any Apple-related product be this disconnected and "dysfunctional". I'm a Mac diehard since the Mac resembled an over-sized lunchbox turned upright on my desk. I use all Apple products. I'm a fan. I am NOT...

It's Friday so I need to amuse myself. Oh so serious all week. A little levity is required. I've decided my brain is in overload with too many details. I misspelled my client's last name in a pitch ... Carol SHAVER not SHAFER. Carol gamely pointed it out to which I chuckled, "brain fart". A few of those this week. Fart! Fart! Fart! You know sometimes there really IS a devil in the details. I'm writing a training manual for my new operations manager -- this after I realized a simple explanation would not suffice. I've got a Catch-22 though. I am doing operations because she's not trained and that means I don't have time to write the manual which I need to do so she can do operations. Now I understand where the phrase Catch-22 came from ... well actually that's a book I read once that I remember thinking, "Do I understand this?" It's funny how our brains develop, and a book we read at age 20 we don't necessarily understand...

In business and life it's really important to set and maintain boundaries. The key (and this is important) you can't fold on your boundaries and move them. I've had it explained to me like this, with children they need consistency (they crave it). Consistency shows them the lines. When you show them the line and give them consequences for walking over it, they come to understand that line has meaning (consequences) that are negative. Without boundaries adults have the same problem. If you set a boundary and move it, adults don't know where they stand: what you say has no meaning. When you have a situation, especially one that involves, for example, substance abuse, and you let the abuser continually walk over your boundaries, they will keep right on doing and never hit rock bottom. If you have a worker than fails on his or her job, but she gets to keep her or his job anyway, nothing stops the behavior. Even if it's the two warning principle: do it once and I warn yo...

Time to celebrate your girls with a proper sense of humor about it. In my first book, California Girl Chronicles, our intrepid heroine who is trying to break into Hollywood as a screenwriter naturally doesn't immediately get that first job. So, she ends up working in a bikini shop and ... she gets to wear this gem of a phrase on her chest. You know, a girl has to do what a girl has to do. You can own your own T-shirt by clicking here .

I have had this said to me now enough times that I think I'll comment. A common comment people make to me is that (for someone who looks the way I do ... which I don't connect with the idea that looks give you any entitlement ... if DNA blessed you over someone else that is good fortune) for someone who looks the way I do I'm down to earth and so nice and kind. All right so this is the "lecture" of the day. Looks or good looks or anything related doesn't give anyone a ticket to treat other people badly. If I hadn't had so many people make these general comments about me enough times I wouldn't have thought much about it. But after a series of comments, I did start to think about it. After at least a dozen people having made similar statements, I pondered "skin deep" and just got turned off at the thought of women using their looks to get things or manipulate others. Your looks don't give you a hall pass to abuse others or take advantage o...

Always able to make jokes even during stress or giggle certainly at inappropriate times -- yes, that's typically me. If there is one thing you learn in business if you can't deliver, what is the point? I've said that phrase a few times this week. Thus, my sense of humor seems to have fled the office. A project in particular in which the client has an urgent deadline seems to be fraught with delays. It's Murphy's Law in action. I've never liked vendors who screw up and make excuses. So I like it even less when I have to make excuses about vendors who have not provided excellent service. Vendor selection and who I work with reflects back on me. So a vendor's excuse is not going to fly with me nor do I expect it to fly with my clients. I do like though something that my husband said, "You're only as good as your last book," which applies to the movie business, too. I don't consider myself a control freak by any stretch of the imagination. I ...

Common mistakes I see business owners make are valuable lessons for the rest of us. Here are the most common mistakes I see all of the time. No follow-up mechanisms . Most business people know they need to relationship build and network. They go out and network and/or speak to groups. They take business cards, enjoy a few conversations, find some prospects, and then what? About 75% of the time they return to the office and fail to follow-up. Do you realize that is like throwing money away. Creating opportunities and failure to follow-up is the same as walking to the nearest trashcan and tossing money in. Always make sure you have a follow-up system whether it's a pledge to email or call the person right after the meeting. Spending money on marketing tools and then not using them . Is your signage being used? Are your information sheets being passed out? Are your brochures given out? Do you hand out business cards or leave them in your pocket, wallet or purse? Do you have a news...

My associate Laura Sevigny, our new director of operations, marketing and sales, said this: "The biggest lessons I've learned were from when I failed not succeeded." I thought about that statement, and I agree. Then I considered my own biggest lessons from failure, and I wanted to share with my audience here on First Word . I must be the "master of my domain" (a funny line from Seinfeld which has nothing to do with business) . But it's true. As the CEO I should not be doing every job, but I should know how to do every job. After another "expensive education" (another Laura-ism), I decided it was time to pull back the curtain and figure it ALL out. Even though it's taken temporarily from my core work, I decided to devote a month or better to perform every task in my business down to shipping. In doing these tasks, I will now be able to answer every question firmly and without reservation. I can also gauge and understand what amount of time ...

The latest children's picture book released from my company 3L Publishing (www.3LPublishing.com) is one of my new favorites (they're all favorites), but this one stands out from the "pack" (ha, ha) because it has a strong social message. Written as a cautionary tale to guide and inform children (and adults) about the perils of dropping off animals in the countryside to fend for themselves. It's a sad story with a happy ending. The writing by Cathy Lagorio is well-done and well-thought-out, and the story based on her dog, Steve. The illustrations by Robert Kelley are fine art and gorgeous. It's a hardcover book, too. It's $21.95 and a purchase you'll feel worth every penny. Read it to your kids or grandchildren or even nieces and nephews, especially if they want or already own a pet. The lessons about pet ownership are invaluable. Buy it on the 3L Publishing website to fully support the author -- although it is available on Amazon, too. To purchas...

After deciding it was time to fully know every inch and crevice of my business, I ran across many "lost opportunities". I found a few hundred unused and undistributed bookmarks. I found that no one had cared about my T-shirt inventory of my "Love My Coconuts" and thrown it an open container. Check -- lost opportunities. Then I noticed that my own book California Girl Chronicles had been vastly under-estimated on available quantities, which is great for upcoming book festivals -- sort of lost opportunities but really more opportunities with less overhead. I also realized some inventory that was proposed as sold out was about as far from sold out as you can get. Other inventory that was supposed to have been properly disposed -- not so much. The lesson as a business owner is to designate at least one or two times a year to inspect your inventory. Do not solely rely on staff who don't have the same level of interest or passion in your business that you do to rep...

Does it matter what that picture says about me? Does it matter what my Facebook wall image suggests about me? Are you a business owner? Are you aware that people work with people they like? So back to those first two questions: yes. It matters in a direct and indirect way in how people form impressions about you. Those prospects who are researching and trying to figure out who they want to do business with are scrutinizing you. I've had several clients outwardly admit they watched me sometimes for over a year to see what I was about. This means I want to project positive messages (because I also want to attract positive people). When I post on Facebook, here are some things I gauge mentally against as I do it. Is this going to help someone else with insight that might not otherwise have about business or life? One of my main purposes with education-based marketing (and that is how I market) is to reach out and help other people. If I attract business from it -- great! But helping...

I am looking forward to the book festivals getting started. The funny stories await me. People are really something to watch, and book festivals almost always supply the "moments". Speaking of the moments ... so I meet 3L Publishing author Scott D. Roberts for lunch to discuss his forthcoming book Hidden Agenda . We're both kind of wise cracks, and he comes up with the absolutely best line that is what they call in the commercial "priceless". So here is why if you're a creative person you should always either keep a notepad (albeit your cell phone works too) by your bed (you know to capture dreams) or at least keep one in your pocket. Three days later, he texts me, "What was that line again?" It's a great line and now he wants to use it in the book -- and he can't remember. I couldn't remember the exact words, which were succinct and crisp. Lesson numeral uno: you never know when greatness will strike so you better keep a pen and paper...

I had this week that could be described as H-E-double toothpicks LOL ... I used to say that as a kid because you weren't supposed to say hell lest you go to the hot place yourself. And I'm sharing this because it's really only appropriate to laugh at one's self. Not that I didn't have my "cup runneth" over this week (I absolutely drowned in the run-over part), I realized things would be a "work in progress" (love my clichés) before it all got solved. So, I walked into my walk-in closet to pick out what to wear. After standing there in pure distractions for way too long, I just broke down. I bawled in the closet of all places. This makes me think of the overwrought housewife who screams infamously, "Calgon take me away." Here is the deal my many readers, you know what? Sometimes crying in the closet is all a girl can do. It's called stress management. "Release the hounds..."

This morning's adventure in the sublime and humorous -- a form in which they insisted I TYPE in the answers. Type? Huh? What? Does anyone actually own a typewriter anymore? Last I checked my IBM Selectric was sold in a yard sale about 20 years ago. I had a Royale too -- you know for term papers. I can't imagine typing anything nor can I even think of white-out smudges. The only thing retained from the days of yore (typewriters) is knowledge of the keyboard. I am a fast typist. I can type probably 100 words per minute or better. It's a brain-to-fingertips gift. Do you even remember when rewriting required white-out and what was it? That eraser "thingy" (my friend uses the word "thingy" all of the time). I just remember how important it was to get erasable typing paper; but you better get your thoughts down right the first time. No revising for you! Revising required re-typing. Good lord and no way. My now-computer-trained brain grimaces at the thought. ...