First Word

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 ...

As an entrepreneur and business owner, I have a lot of freedom. With great freedom though requires discipline. Some people need accountability to get their work done. People like myself do not need anyone ruling their schedules. My own drive and ambition rules my schedule. So how do you keep yourself on tasked and focused when there is no force behind you? Keep a routine. Routines help you define your activities for the day. For example, I get up and blog every morning. Then I do public relations activities, promotion and marketing. I like to edit and project manage in the afternoons. If I have a meeting this, of course breaks up the schedule and gives me some variety. Discipline . A routine actually helps maintain discipline since you know your schedule. You'll find many distractions and temptations, but maintain your discipline. Don't let the distractions, well distract. For me I go directly and get a cup of coffee and then go right to my desk and start my routines. Per...

What does it say about me that I drink coffee out of a Hello Kitty mug on a Mickey Mouse coaster? I have no idea, but I thought it was amusing when I thought about it. No, I swear there is coffee in the mug and not hot coco LOL. Now I'm not opposed to hot coco, mind you, but it's too sweet and not my thing. I say bring on the mocha instead, but can I just complain for one moment ... what's with $3.50 for a Tall Mocha at Starbuck's. Wow! What a racket the Starbuck's corporation has created. Imagine your coffee costs almost as much as your lunch! Now this begs the question of market positioning ... yes, I had a point in here somewhere that related to business. Who do you want to be in the market? Do you want to be Mercedes or Ford, because at the end of the day, how you position your company is how you're perceived in the marketplace. Believe it or not, it is a choice and it's all done through your marketing and branding campaign. In my 3L Publishing world,...

I am back in Northern California this week to focus on my core business base and rebuild. I am focused on relationship building and business development. Relationship building is critical and core to business success in today's environment. In LA I am one of thousands. Here in Northern California, I have a strong base of associates and people who know me. It is a great base to work on and rebuild toward further success. I have not been able to effectively network for sometime. I will be focused on networking, meeting new clients, and focus on getting to know them to find out how I can help. If you would like to work with me, please send me an email to Michelle@3LPublishing.com.