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	<title>Marketing Coach Blog</title>
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	<link>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress</link>
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		<title>Seeking Advice to Save Time at Work</title>
		<link>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/08/18/seeking-advice-to-save-time-at-work/</link>
		<comments>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/08/18/seeking-advice-to-save-time-at-work/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:25:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[MarketingTips & Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/?p=1367</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[using online tech tools to save time at work-a call for advice!]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>I need your help &#8211; your insight, experience and knowledge. </strong></p>
<p>Can we use our facebook or other easy-access tech to help us save time or coordinate our busy lives?</p>
<p><strong>I want to hear your experience or ideas. </strong>(please comment below to do that).</p>
<p>As a<a href="../../services"> marketing agency consulting  CEO&#8217;s &amp; business leaders,</a> I find that all business leaders need to save admin time  so we can focus on marketing and more importantly, having more time to focus on our clients.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #8151ad;">HERE&#8217;S THE QUEST</span></strong></h3>
<p><img class="alignleft" src="http://www.onetown.org.uk/healthcheck_web/images/bridge_road_traffic.jpg" alt="" width="163" height="145" />Last night I raced to San Francisco across a jammed Bay Bridge to teach a class for my favorite microenterprise training company, the <a href="http://rencenter.org/">Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. </a>Turns out, the class was cancelled and I never received the email. Ah well, that&#8217;s life.</p>
<p><strong>Am I the only one this has happened to</strong>? I think not!</p>
<p>Have you found great online tools that might solve this? Would you share your suggestions to<strong> save us all time at work.</strong></p>
<h3><span style="color: #8151ad;"><strong>ONE TIME SAVING IDEA</strong></span></h3>
<p>Thanks to my colleage Joshua Zerkel of <a href="www.customlivingsolutions.com ">Custom Living Solutions</a> (Prez of Professional Organizers Assoc.), I learned about &#8220;<a href="http://doodle.com/">Doodle</a>&#8221; &#8211; a super easy way to schedule meetings online. I even use it w/ friends to schedule walks, events, etc.</p>
<p><img class="alignleft" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="http://doodle.com/graphics/iconDate.png" alt="" width="126" height="141" />Through <strong>online tools</strong> like this, the &#8216;training coordinator&#8217; (admin) can send notices to the whole group so they&#8217;re auto-delivered via email, saving her valuable work time.</p>
<p>Plus as a participant, I could go to this site to double check status before wasting fuel and my time in case changes were posted.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #8151ad;"></p>
<p><br style="clear:both;" /></p>
<p>SECOND IDEA</span></strong></h3>
<p>Could one setup a <strong>facebook page for communicating with groups</strong>? For example, could the training coordinator set up a  page for business that posts times, reminders, updates for both the businesses being consulted and for us consultants advising the businesses?</p>
<p><img class="alignleft" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="http://creative.ak.fbcdn.net/ads3/creative/pressroom/jpg/n_1234209334_facebook_logo.jpg" alt="" width="94" height="57" />Could we all then &#8216;friend&#8217; that page so we&#8217;re notified if there are changes, updates, info to review, etc? Wouldn&#8217;t that save everyone time and potential missed emails? (sure it&#8217;s still email notification, but facebook does seem to reliably deliver emails).</p>
<p><strong>Is facebook the best &#8216;tool&#8217; for this?</strong> Or is this even allowed on FB? Just seems like it would save time, efficiencies, and have a central place for updates for everyone that way. It would save admins (or anyone coordinating meetings,events, etc.) time by only posting to one website which notifies everyone at once of updates.</p>
<p><strong>What am I missing here?</strong></p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #8151ad;">OR IS THERE A BETTER IDEA?</span></strong></h3>
<p><strong><img class="alignleft" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="http://www.raineandhorne.co.uk/images/technology.jpg" alt="" width="138" height="72" />Please post your great ideas, comments, tools, or corrections</strong> to my likely misassumptions by clicking on &#8216;comment&#8217; below. There are many readers who could really value from your input.</p>
<p>As a<a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com"> marketing agency</a>, we encourage you to put in a<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> 5 word only</span> plug for your business if you take time to leave a comment, too!  [as an example, here's my plug: "solving business &amp; marketing quests"].</p>
<p>Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge. After all, <a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com">knowledge is bliss! </a></p>
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		<title>Entrepreneurs &#8211; Deserving Hero Worship</title>
		<link>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/08/16/entrepreneurs-deserving-hero-worship/</link>
		<comments>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/08/16/entrepreneurs-deserving-hero-worship/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:16:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[MarketingTips & Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/?p=1362</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m always curious about our cultural tendency of hero worship for sports icons, politicians or celebrities. Having worked with each of those categories of people during my years in film &#38; tv, I found that usually their depth of soul or knowledge wasn&#8217;t as impressive as the entrepreneurs I now serve. What about those innovators [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;m always curious about our cultural tendency of hero worship for sports icons, politicians or celebrities. Having worked with each of those categories of people during my years in film &amp; tv, I found that usually their depth of soul or knowledge wasn&#8217;t as impressive as the entrepreneurs I now serve.</p>
<p>What about those innovators who are really changing our world with at least as much talent, discipline and hard work as anyone else- artists &amp; entrepreneurs?Why don&#8217;t we &#8216;hero worship&#8217; them?</p>
<p><strong>ENTREPRENEURS CHANGE THE WORLD</strong><br />
While artists (writers, musicians, filmakers, photographers, etc.) expand our thinking, it&#8217;s our risk taking entrepreneurs who make vital changes to our lives: just think how much time is saved with entrepreneurial invention of cel phones or email communication. Or how easy it is to find answers on Google than it was just a relatively few years ago. Why don&#8217;t we worship the artists or philosophers who stimulate entirely new ways of thinking that change our lives, our world?</p>
<p><strong>WHO ARE ENTREPRENEURS DESERVING THIS HERO WORSHIP?</strong><br />
While Google gets the press, there are many worthy entrepreneurs I get to meet in my work. I look forward to featuring a few in this series of &#8220;ENTREPRENEURS: DESERVING HERO WORSHIP&#8221;</p>
<p><strong><img class="alignnone" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="http://www.multiplekineticsystems.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/MKS-logo.jpg" alt="" width="146" height="193" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>&#8220;MULTIPLE KINETIC SYSTEMS&#8221; , HUNTERDON, NEW JERSEY</strong><br />
Tucked away in the pharma belt of New Jersey are four entrepreneurs who are taking on conventional medicine by offering a brand of innovative &#8220;five level&#8221; treatments healing patients in ways that allopathic doctors simply have no training for, no knowledge or experience. Connecting physical, neuro, holistic dental, and even family constellation therapy their methods are delivering significant patient results. One of their philosophies: &#8220;love is all&#8221;. Begs inquiry, doesn&#8217;t it?<a href="http://www.multiplekineticsystems.com"> </a><a href="http://www.multiplekineticsystems.com">Details and articles on web. </a> Learn<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Allison-Bliss-Consulting/137061816335959?ref=sgm#!/pages/Multiple-Kinetic-Systems/121532187890930"> tips on their facebook page. </a>I&#8217;m honored to help their company and learn from their entrepreneurial  spirit.</p>
<p><strong><img class="alignnone" src="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs076.snc3/14336_170977623476_753303476_2786016_925109_s.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="139" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>&#8220;A GENIE LIVING IN LOS ANGELES&#8221;, CALIFORNIA<br />
</strong></p>
<p>Linda Salazar, author of <a href="http://www.awakenthegeniewithin.com/">Awaken the Genie Within</a>, takes her background in filmmaking to help clients develop new life stories of their own through her coaching and books. Now that&#8217;s inspired entrepreneurialism!</p>
<p>She presents nationally to nursing and hospital organizations teaching her unique form of &#8216;geneology&#8217; &#8211; magical techniques for practical wisdom. Her books remind us how to create new stories (or ways of being) that save our souls, stresses and life challenges, or cope with difficult people at work and keep our &#8216;gremlins&#8217; at bay so our &#8216;genies&#8217; can thrive.</p>
<p>She really walks her talk! I just haven&#8217;t seen her give up in the years I&#8217;ve been helping her promote her talents &#8211; I&#8217;ve learned so much about my own &#8216;gremlin&#8217; by watching her &#8216;genie&#8217; cheer us on.</p>
<p>Linda&#8217;s booklet <a href="http://www.awakenthegeniewithin.com/html/52tips.html"><strong><em>52 Tips for a Magical Marriage After Your Child is Born</em></strong></a> has great tips to keep a marriage joyous after the huge shift of having a child. I found it inspiring even for us animal parents. If you know an organization who could benefit from providing these books to their members/patrons, please let us know.</p>
<p><strong><img class="alignnone" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="http://dha-environmental.com/images/Bolinas-Lagoon-panorama.jpg" alt="" width="162" height="81" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>&#8220;SAVING CITIES FROM ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER&#8221; SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA<br />
</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://dha-environmental.com/">Douglas Herring &amp; Associates</a> enables projects to get built for cities, counties or public agencies through planning their environmental impact to protect natural resources.  To me, Doug is another kind of genie who figures out how to  get their projects expeditiously approved and  built through his high quality knowledge, planning and environmental analysis.</p>
<p>Better, he&#8217;s an avid hiker, biker and lover of our earth. Isn&#8217;t that someone who you want to protect our environmental rights with his complex analyses and planning? He&#8217;s one of those brave entrepreneurs holding onto a verifiably worthy business even in this slowdown of economic development nationally.</p>
<p>You likely won&#8217;t get to meet this unlikely hero at <a href="http://dha-environmental.com/">Douglas Herring &amp; Associates </a>unless you manage a city or county planning office, or a development project, but you can certainly <a href="http://dha-environmental.com/contact.html">email him</a> at his <a href="http://dha-environmental.com/">website </a>to let him know he&#8217;s appreciated!</p>
<p>**********</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s some earthshattering news: <strong>We&#8217;re moving our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#!/pages/Allison-Bliss-Consulting/137061816335959?ref=sgm">facebook page</a></strong> so please send us a friend request to our new page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#!/pages/Allison-Bliss-Consulting/137061816335959?ref=sgm">http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#!/pages/Allison-Bliss-Consulting/137061816335959?ref=sgm</a>.</p>
<p><strong>We&#8217;ll let you know on facebook when the next hero worship series is posted!</strong> If you have some heros of your own worth sharing, please let us know by commenting below. After all, Knowledge is Bliss.</p>
<p>And if you are a hero-worthy leader, CEO or entrepreneur yourself and need marketing strategy or support, you&#8217;ll find information on our <a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/services.htm">website. </a></p>
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		<title>Inspired Business Leaders</title>
		<link>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/08/03/inspired-business-leaders/</link>
		<comments>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/08/03/inspired-business-leaders/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:37:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspired Ideas]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/?p=1310</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[tribute to thought leaders changing corporate culture through music, teambuilding, global consciousness, and humanity in business leadership. Includes videos of Chip Conley's talk at the Ted Conference, Demonstration of One World Music in action, And Ed Cohen interview on global leadership. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Need some inspiration today for your business? Here are a few business leaders- just like the rest of us &#8211; who started as small, struggling entrepreneurs. Now they are leading organizations and truly changing the world.</p>
<p>I wanted to give a small tribute to them for the lessons they&#8217;ve taught me.</p>
<h2><span style="color: #825ba4;"><strong>BRINGING HUMANITY TO BUSINESS</strong></span></h2>
<p>I was so honored to help<a href="http://www.chipconley.com/"> Chip Conley</a> and his team at <a href="http://www.peakorganizations.com/">Peak Organizations </a>create their website. Here&#8217;s a leader who truly walks his talk. I listen to this short video when I&#8217;m struggling to find a creative solution, can&#8217;t find an answer, or need to be reminded that there are some, like Chip and his highly talented<a href="http://www.peakorganizations.com/"> Peak Leader</a> training teams, changing corporate culture by bringing deep<a href="http://www.peakorganizations.com/"> humanity to business:</a></p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="305" height="184" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UROCz70tlMY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="305" height="184" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UROCz70tlMY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<h2><strong><span style="color: #825ba4;">USING MUSIC FOR TEAMBUILDING &amp; LEADERSHIP</span></strong></h2>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Can you ima</span>gine a thousand corporate employees playing music, laughing and gaining some profoundly deep lessons on communication, or teambuilding together? Or having global leaders harmonize and resonate with their workforce? Don&#8217;t believe it? I didn&#8217;t either until I got to help (and learn from) my amazing  client <a href="http://www.oneworldmusic.com/index.php">Gary Muszynski of  One World Music. </a></p>
<p>As a <a href="http://www.oneworldmusic.com/blog/?p=3">thought leader in experiential training</a>, Gary uses the performing arts to engage, enlighten, and transform  organizations of all kinds, one beat at a time. Think it&#8217;s not possible? <a href="http://www.oneworldmusic.com/media/full_player.php">Watch their short One World Music video.</a></p>
<h2><strong><span style="color: #825ba4;">CREATING A CONSCIOUS CULTURE</span></strong></h2>
<p><span style="color: #825ba4;"><span style="color: #000000;">Yesterday I got to speak with one of those truly thoughtful, kindhearted leaders whose firm, <a href="http://nelsoncohen.com/">Nelson Cohen Global Consulting</a>, seems to be readjusting how business is conducted worldwide.</span></span><strong><span style="color: #825ba4;"><span style="color: #000000;"> </span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #825ba4;"><span style="color: #000000;">His book</span> <a href="http://ridingthetiger.com/">&#8220;Riding the Tiger: Leading Through Learning in Turbulent Times&#8221; </a></span><span style="color: #000000;">is described as providing</span><strong><span style="color: #000000;"> &#8220;</span></strong>a rare opportunity to learn from a catastrophic event that  shook the foundation of a thriving global organization&#8221;. His ingenuity and compassion for forming a &#8216;conscious culture&#8217; speak through his work at many levels.</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="295" height="269" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cVwuwjWNUAg&amp;color1=0xb1b1b1&amp;color2=0xd0d0d0&amp;hl=en_US&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="295" height="269" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cVwuwjWNUAg&amp;color1=0xb1b1b1&amp;color2=0xd0d0d0&amp;hl=en_US&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;fs=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
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		<title>Make Money Walking: Press Release</title>
		<link>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/27/make-money-walking/</link>
		<comments>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/27/make-money-walking/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:06:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/?p=1210</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[July 26, 2010 Contact: Allison Bliss, Allison Bliss Consulting: abliss@allisonbliss.com; 510-879-7600, www.allisonbliss.com Oakland, CA – In response to American workers and entrepreneurs craving more exercise, and less time spent in meetings, this week Allison Bliss Consulting, a San Francisco Bay Area marketing agency, launches a service coupling business-building education with stress-reducing waterfront walks. With the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>July 26, 2010</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Contact: Allison  Bliss, Allison Bliss Consulting: <a href="mailto:abliss@allisonbliss.com">abliss@allisonbliss.com</a>; 510-879-7600, <a href="../../../../../../">www.allisonbliss.com</a></strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Oakland</strong><strong>, CA</strong><strong> – </strong>In response to American workers and entrepreneurs craving more exercise, and less time spent in meetings, this week Allison Bliss Consulting, a San Francisco Bay Area marketing agency, launches a service coupling business-building education with stress-reducing waterfront walks.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-761" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/money-on-the-move-creative-strategy-walks/ali-beach-walk-photo/"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-761" style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" title="ali beach walk photo" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/ali-beach-walk-photo-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>With the goal of helping entrepreneurs flourish, the agency’s main consultant, Allison Bliss, takes clients outside for her <a href="../../../../../money-on-the-move-creative-strategy-walks/">“Money on the Move Creative Strategy Walks”</a>. During the one-hour, marketing-focused walks, CEOs and business owners are guided to create specific and customized revenue-building strategies – even as they are being soothed by waves, or entertained by pelicans hunting along the Bay Area’s shores and beaches.</p>
<p>Clients who have taken advantage of this unique service have experienced vast business shifts, such as figuring how to create an extra $100,000 in passive income; how to reach an entirely new market to generate continuous revenue; and how to create a comprehensive branding strategy – all while indulging in some stress-reducing exercise.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-767" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/money-on-the-move-creative-strategy-walks/ali-takes-phil-dock-walk/"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-767" title="ali takes phil dock walk" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/ali-takes-phil-dock-walk-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>“When we expand our environmental horizons our creative forces are stronger, and our resistance to business change is reduced. Thus, more success is possible,” Bliss states.</p>
<p>Participants depart with a recorded action-oriented plan to implement business-building ideas generated during the walks, which take place weekdays-only after work. Costs are reduced during the launch period this summer. Details can be found at: <a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/money-on-the-move-creative-strategy-walks/">http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/money-on-the-move-creative-strategy-walks/</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Agency Profile: Allison  Bliss Consulting</strong></p>
<p><a href="../../../../../../pdf/alameda-jounal-biz-woman-award.pdf"></a><strong>2009 Woman-Owned Business Winner (presented by the Women&#8217;s Initiative)</strong> Allison  Bliss Consulting is a <strong>Marketing &amp; Communications Agency</strong> for companies requiring an outsourced marketing department, creating branding, strategies and promotional materials that incite business growth. One-on-One <a href="../../../../../../services.htm#speed">Marketing Coaching</a> rescues business owners who are completely bogged down with their day-to-day survival, and often lack the knowledge or perspective needed to reach their target market or earn the revenues they need. <a href="../../../../../../services.htm">Allison Bliss Consulting </a>offers strategic marketing planning and resources such as websites, social media, website optimization, promotional materials, connections, sales training and total support. <a href="../../../../../../contact.htm">Contact</a> Allison Bliss Consulting at <strong>(510) 879-7600</strong>. For updated news, special offers or resources, see the agency&#8217;s blog at: <a href="../../../../../">http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/</a>.</p>
<p>###</p>
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		<title>The Beauty of Oakland</title>
		<link>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/23/the-beauty-of-oakland/</link>
		<comments>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/23/the-beauty-of-oakland/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:31:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Other Points of View]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty of oakland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sites in oakland]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/?p=1047</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It seems so unfair that the preponderance of news about Oakland is so awful, crime-ridden or disparaging. My friends, family and even some clients have a bit of trepidation about visiting our new lovely office in this so-unfairly-unappreciated town. In an attempt to bring equity to our fair city, I wanted to show off some [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It seems so unfair that the preponderance of news about Oakland is so awful, crime-ridden or disparaging. My friends, family and even some clients have a bit of trepidation about visiting our new lovely office in this so-unfairly-unappreciated town.</p>
<p>In an attempt to bring equity to our fair city, I wanted to show off some of the ways I find Oakland so beautiful. And I want to hear about your favorite places,events, hangouts or wonders of Oakland, too. (Either email them to me to post at abliss@allisonbliss.com or post your written comments below).</p>
<p><span style="color: #8553ac;">7<strong><span style="color: #8553ac;">/23/10: went for just a one hour morning walk around Piedmont distric</span></strong></span><strong><span style="color: #8553ac;">t</span></strong><br />
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<div id="attachment_1048" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 160px"><a rel="attachment wp-att-1048" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/23/the-beauty-of-oakland/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-634/"><img class="size-thumbnail  wp-image-1048" title="7-23-10 all photos on camera 634" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-634-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">organic market outside Kaiser</p></div>
<p><br style="clear: both;" /></p>
<p>Loved that Kaiser, true to it&#8217;s clever branding allows an organic (tiny, but lovely) farmers market outside it&#8217;s hospital.</p>
<div id="attachment_1074" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 160px"><a rel="attachment wp-att-1074" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/23/the-beauty-of-oakland/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-630/"><img class="size-thumbnail  wp-image-1074" title="7-23-10 all photos on camera 630" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-630-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">alley off Piedmont</p></div>
<p><br style="clear: both;" /></p>
<p>Look at this darling greenery-lined alley off Piedmont Ave. Doesn&#8217;t it entice you down the path?</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-1077" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/23/the-beauty-of-oakland/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-633/"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1077" title="7-23-10 all photos on camera 633" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-633-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
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<p>There are adorable tea shops along the shopping district</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-1055" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/23/the-beauty-of-oakland/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-609/"><img class="alignleft  size-thumbnail wp-image-1055" title="7-23-10 all photos on camera 609" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-609-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p><br style="clear: both;" /></p>
<p>some strikingly colorful floral shops,</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-1068" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/23/the-beauty-of-oakland/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-623/"><img class="alignleft  size-thumbnail wp-image-1068" title="7-23-10 all photos on camera 623" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-623-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p><br style="clear: both;" /></p>
<p>And some horrifying fashion, making me smile</p>
<div id="attachment_1072" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 160px"><a rel="attachment wp-att-1072" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/23/the-beauty-of-oakland/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-628/"><img class="size-thumbnail  wp-image-1072" title="7-23-10 all photos on camera 628" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-628-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">fenton&#39;s</p></div>
<p><br style="clear: both;" /></p>
<p>Oaklanders take pride in their famed ice-creamery, &#8220;Fenton&#8217;s&#8221;. I wonder why it&#8217;s so good?</p>
<div id="attachment_1064" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 160px"><a rel="attachment wp-att-1064" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/23/the-beauty-of-oakland/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-619/"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1064" title="7-23-10 all photos on camera 619" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/7-23-10-all-photos-on-camera-619-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">window boxes</p></div>
<p><br style="clear: both;" /></p>
<p>there are gorgeous neighborhoods, lovely homes with spectacular window boxes, and . . .</p>
<p><br style="clear: both;" /></p>
<p>much more I&#8217;ll post later! Keep an eye out. Send me your faves!</p>
<p>_______________</p>
<p>7/24/10: thanks to the brilliant  photographer slash Director of Photography, <a href="http://rickwisedp.com/">Rick  Wise,</a> for these gorgeous shots of the beautiful <a href="http://rickwisedp.com/RW%20Director/stills.htm">Lakeside farmer&#8217;s  market. </a></p>
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		<title>Marketing, Productivity &amp; More Money</title>
		<link>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/14/marketing-productivity-more-money/</link>
		<comments>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/14/marketing-productivity-more-money/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:35:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[MarketingTips & Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/?p=951</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[investigating environmental impacts on marketing success. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #8353ac;"><strong>DO HIGHER REWARDS BRING GREATER PRODUCTIVITY?</strong><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p>Thanks to my genius organizational mentor and client, Gary Muszynski of <a href="http://www.oneworldmusic.com">One World Music</a> for tipping me off to this great video on<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc&amp;feature=player_embedded#!"> rewards and productivity. </a></p>
<p>This information fuels my passion for defining how our environment serves (or limits) our marketing and thus our ability to make money.</p>
<p><span style="color: #8353ac;"><strong>WHEN ENVIRONMENT AFFECTS MARKETING</strong></span></p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-1034" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/14/marketing-productivity-more-money/ali-ofc-cubes/"><img class="  alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1034" title="ali ofc cubes" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ali-ofc-cubes-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>While some people can work in a tiny cave surrounded with piles of paper, the rest of us get heart palpitations working like that. A professional organizer once told me those &#8216;messy people&#8217; are the visual workers who feel that if their papers are out of sight, they&#8217;re out of mind.</p>
<p>Then, there are others of us who need a pristine workplace just to think clearly. Maybe it&#8217;s because we like to free our mind to float into creative tangents so need our space organized to keep us, well, grounded.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #7f50af;">Why is it that our marketing and our businesses are so affected by our environment?</span></strong></p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-1035" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/14/marketing-productivity-more-money/ali-gothic-cathedral/"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1035" title="ali gothic cathedral" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ali-gothic-cathedral-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>In fact, the study of architecture is all about environment and space,and  it&#8217;s psychological affect on humans in various functions from homes to workplaces.Gothic cathedrals, for example, were designed to have darkness on the ground floor and light spilling in from the clerestory windows high above to pull your attention and &#8216;elevate your spiritual thinking&#8217; towards the heavens.</p>
<p>Psychologically similarly, if we&#8217;re not comfortable in our work environment, our likelihood of earning larger revenues or profits &#8211; or being most productive in the workplace diminishes greatly.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #7f50af;">ARCHITECT&#8217;S INSIGHT ON PRODUCTIVITY AT WORK<br />
</span></strong></p>
<p>I interviewed <a href="www.auroradesignplus.com">Suzan Swabacker, an architect with Aurora Designs</a> about this who further explained that in workplace environments older workers generally like their privacy rather than cubicles where someone is watching over their shoulder. Countering that, younger workers seek fun at work. Think: Google or Pixar&#8217;s game rooms, or Clif Bar&#8217;s climbing walls.</p>
<p>Perhaps it&#8217;s building fun into their work so it&#8217;s a place where employees want to stay, or maybe the comraderie-building aspect of having games-at-work, but whatever the reason, that&#8217;s what forward-thinking architects are noticing when it comes to peak productivity.[Suzan had many more useful insights which I'll share in future articles on this topic].</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #7f50af;">A FEW TIPS FOR A PRODUCTIVITY-ENHANCING SPACE</span></strong></p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-1038" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/07/14/marketing-productivity-more-money/home-ofc-with-cats/"><img class="  alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1038" title="home ofc with cats" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/home-ofc-with-cats-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>I noticed long ago that a home office was a far more productive place for me than a sterile, cat-free space. I can work at 3am or 9am, depending on when I&#8217;m most productive. I get more done when not spending hours on office politics. I light cinnamon incense when I need an energy boost. My friend <a href="www.visionary-resources.com">Pat Sullivan</a> who runs the <a href="www.visionary-resources.com">Spirit at Work Resource Center</a> taught me to build a shrine on my desk to remind me of my deeper values at work.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #7f50af;">What techniques do you use?</span></strong> I&#8217;m creating a list and want your ideas! I&#8217;ll credit you if you wish, too.</p>
<p>To make more money, create an environment conducive to productivity. Simple, right?</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #7f50af;">AN EASY ANSWER</span></strong></p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-761" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/money-on-the-move-creative-strategy-walks/ali-beach-walk-photo/"><img class="  alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-761" title="ali beach walk photo" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/ali-beach-walk-photo-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>To me, the penultimate productive environment is outside when you&#8217;re moving. I&#8217;ve noticed that when I have a client with a marketing dilemma based on resisting a needed change in marketing (oh boy, we all resist some parts of our marketing! Any bazillionaire will confirm that!), then removing ourselves from our normal environment and taking a walk stimulates our endorphins and creative breakthroughs.</p>
<p><span style="color: #7f50af;"><strong>WHAT YOU CAN SOLVE</strong></span></p>
<p>While moving, we can propel ourselves to shift gears and open to the possibilities of:</p>
<ul>
<li>new branding that could radically help our company, or</li>
<li>learning to conduct outreach to more lucrative markets, or</li>
<li>imagining and talking through development of hundreds of thousands of dollars in passive income products, or</li>
<li>calibrating instructions for employees so everyone is more satisfied, or much more.</li>
</ul>
<p>I&#8217;ve combined studies of feng shui, architecture, interior design and successful entrepreneurial businesses into a dynamic and motivating presentation which looks underneath our marketing to find the roots of what is holding us back from top earnings, along with techniques to solve these issues.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #7f50af;">WHAT ORGANIZATION WOULD BENEFIT FROM THIS PRESENTATION?</span></strong></p>
<p>If you belong to an organization who would benefit from this presentation, let me know. I&#8217;m thrilled to share this with worthy people who work hard but just aren&#8217;t getting the results they should.</p>
<p>And if you want to experience one of our <a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/money-on-the-move-creative-strategy-walks/">&#8220;Creative Strategy Walks&#8221;,</a> just <a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/contact.htm">email our marketing line</a> to set a date and time for your own breakthrough experience: abliss@allisonbliss.com. We can be reached at: <strong>510-879-7600. </strong></p>
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		<title>Mass Mingling</title>
		<link>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/06/29/mass-mingling/</link>
		<comments>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/06/29/mass-mingling/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:53:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[MarketingTips & Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/?p=694</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For fun, I&#8217;m bringing you an update from a &#8220;trendwatching&#8221; report I follow to stay current for clients: June 2010 &#124; Long gone are the days when &#8216;online&#8217; was synonymous with social isolation and loneliness. In fact, we&#8217;re now witnessing the exact opposite: technology is driving people to connect and meet up en masse with [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>For fun, I&#8217;m bringing you an update from a &#8220;trendwatching&#8221; report I follow to stay current for clients:</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-696" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/06/29/mass-mingling/trendwatchmassmingling/"><img class="  alignleft size-medium wp-image-696" title="trendwatchmassmingling" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/trendwatchmassmingling-300x131.png" alt="" width="266" height="116" /></a><strong>June 2010</strong> | Long gone are the days when &#8216;online&#8217; was synonymous with social isolation and loneliness. In fact, we&#8217;re now witnessing the exact opposite: technology is driving people to connect and meet up en masse with others, in the &#8216;real world&#8217;. It makes for an interesting, easily-digested trend, begging to be turned into new services for your customers.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-695" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/06/29/mass-mingling/trendwatch-group-of-people/"><img class="  alignleft size-medium wp-image-695" title="trendwatch group of people" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/trendwatch-group-of-people-300x190.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="190" /></a></p>
<p>As predicted by digital gurus more than a decade ago, hundreds of millions of people are now living large parts of their lives online (and lovin’ it!). However, this has not turned entire generations into homebound, anti-social zombies (another popular forecast). Au contraire: social media and mobile communications are fueling a MASS MINGLING that defies every cliché about diminished human interaction in our ‘online era’.</p>
<p>So (for now), forget a future in which the majority of consumers lose themselves in virtual worlds, with cities dying and kids never seeing the light of day; expect people to mingle and meet up like there’s no tomorrow. A definition:</p>
<p><strong>MASS MINGLING</strong> | Thanks to the online revolution, hundreds of millions are now actively searching for, finding, connecting/signaling, and staying in touch with likeminded souls in the virtual world. Constant updates, GPS and mobile online access is now bringing this explosion of dating, networking, socializing and mingling to the real world domain.</p>
<p>Here’s what driving this trend, in more detail (If you have all day to read the entire &#8216;<a href="http://trendwatching.com/trends/massmingling/">trendwatching</a>&#8216;  report, take a look here:) <a href="http://trendwatching.com/trends/massmingling/">http://trendwatching.com/trends/massmingling/</a>.</p>
<p>People love to connect:</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-697" href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/06/29/mass-mingling/trendwatch-facebooker/"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-697" title="trendwatch facebooker" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/trendwatch-facebooker-275x300.jpg" alt="" width="275" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>If you&#8217;re ready to jump aboard the mass mingling train, but don&#8217;t know how to get started, we created a<a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/services.htm#socialmedia"> social media tool </a> just for this purpose: <a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/services.htm#socialmedia">http://www.allisonbliss.com/services.htm#socialmedia</a></p>
<p>If you find this marketing trend briefing useful to your business, I invite you to subscribe to this blog and we&#8217;ll keep you posted on items we think are<em> actually </em>worth your time. Look at top right of page for subscribe button:</p>
<h2>&#8220;Subscribe by Mail&#8221;</h2>
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<h3><strong>If you <a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/marketing-services/">need  marketing services</a>, we&#8217;re standing by to help you!</strong> After all,  knowledge is bliss!</h3>
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		<title>Protected: Web Design Tutorial</title>
		<link>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/06/18/619/</link>
		<comments>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/06/18/619/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jun 2010 17:13:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[MarketingTips & Resources]]></category>

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		<title>“A Few of Our Favorite Resources For Smart Entrepreneurs”</title>
		<link>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/06/08/%e2%80%9ca-few-of-our-favorite-resources-for-smart-entrepreneurs%e2%80%9d/</link>
		<comments>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/06/08/%e2%80%9ca-few-of-our-favorite-resources-for-smart-entrepreneurs%e2%80%9d/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:29:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[MarketingTips & Resources]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/?p=585</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Marketing Agency head &#038; Marketing Coach Allison Bliss shares some of her favorite resources for smart entrepreneurs: from databases to cost-saving tips for mailing to innovative new techniques for marketing solutions. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As a successful, hard-working entrepreneur, you’re tasked every day with making smart decisions that pay off and get the job done.  In order to this, we know that using the BEST business tools can skyrocket your productivity, save you time, money, and help avoid hassles and headaches down the road.</p>
<p>That’s why we’ve put together this list of our favorite resources that will help you grow your business:</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #7b5ea1;"><span style="color: #7437c7;"><img class="  alignleft" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 1px;" src="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/wp-content/themes/snowblind/images/rsstop.png" alt="" width="80" height="80" />1. Our Blog:</span></span></strong><strong><span style="color: #7b5ea1;"> </span></strong>We update our blog often with specific and useful information for entrepreneurs – from how to get more clients through “vertical marketing,” to truths and tips on using social media for swift results!  This blog has relevant and timely information at no cost to you.  If you haven’t already done so, subscribe today and start receiving tips for working smarter and boosting your income.</p>
<p><strong>See how our readers are getting results! </strong> Recently we conducted an experiment with one of our blog posts and invited readers to ‘ask for what you want to find if you’ll get results in one week.‘  By leaving comments and engaging in a ‘conversation,’ fellow entrepreneurs asked for leads, shared new resources and generously gave ideas for helping one another grow their businesses.  The response was astounding!  In just one week, 50% of the participants got what they asked for.  Check out <span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="../2010/04/26/results-in-one-week/">Results In One Week!</a></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #7437c7;"><img class="  alignleft" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 1px;" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/verify-your-emails.jpg" alt="" width="80" height="80" />2. Sending Emails to a Large List? </span></strong> You cannot send emails to hundreds of people through Outlook or they will be tagged as <span style="color: #000000;">‘sp^m</span>’ by your recipient’s server, which would be a <em>very</em> bad thing.  <a href="http://www.verticalresponse.com/pt1/">Vertical Response</a> is a low-cost, pay-as-you-go program that allows you to send large quantities of email without getting tagged as a sp^mmer.  And, get this, it only costs about $30 to email 1,000 people.  Now that’s leverage!</p>
<p>This powerful email tool also allows you to send your ‘designed’ e-newsletters.  Or you can just broadcast a plain, text-only email message to your entire lead list.  As a smart communications tool, Vertical Response will help you manage your email marketing efforts with ease and efficiency; giving you reports on the crucial aspects of email marketing: delivery rate, open rate, click-through rate, &amp; unsubscribers.<span style="color: #000000;"> </span>This valuable data helps you improve your marketing in the short and long term.</p>
<p>To get a step-by-step process for creating email campaigns that work, get our special report: <a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/resources.htm#11steps">11 STEPS TO BUILD ENEWS CAMPAIGNS</a> | cost: $12.99</p>
<p><span style="color: #7437c7;"><strong><img class="  alignleft" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 1px;" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:k-z5T37I6gr_YM:http://www.che.iitm.ac.in/~alchemy/images/website-maintenance.jpg" alt="" width="80" height="80" />3. Need a Website or Internet Marketing Advice?</strong></span> With all the ‘noise’ online, how can you be sure your website will get found?  And once people find you, will they buy from you?  These are the top concerns of every smart entrepreneur.  To ensure you have a website that gets results, we’ll either <a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/services.htm#website"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">build you a fully functional and search-optimized site,</span> </a>or conduct a<a href="../../services/internet-marketing-website-consultation.htm"> </a><a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/services/internet-marketing-website-consultation.htm">web marketing review</a> of your current site.  Expert advising with a sales and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) evaluation can uncover all kinds of missed opportunities, or recommend small adjustments that can dramatically impact your bottom line.</p>
<p>Recently, we had the opportunity to <strong><span style="color: #7437c7;">work on the website of one of our heroes, Chip Conley, of Joie De Vivre Hotels</span></strong>.  If you haven’t read his book,<span style="color: #000000;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peak-Companies-Maslow-non-Franchise-Leadership/dp/0787988618"><span style="color: #000000;">Peak: How Great Companies Get T</span></a></span><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peak-Companies-Maslow-non-Franchise-Leadership/dp/0787988618"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="color: #000000;">hei<span style="font: bold 100% serif; border: 0pt none; position: static; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: none; color: red; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;">r Mojo </span> from <span style="font: bold 100% serif; border: 0pt none; position: static; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: none; color: red; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;">Maslow</span></span>, </span></a>w</span>e highly recommend it.  Check out his <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.peakorganizations.com/">Peak Organizations website</a></span> to learn about their Peak Trainings, and get some inspiration on leading your own organization.</p>
<p><img class="  alignleft" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 1px;" src="http://www.atcinsulators.com/atcinsulators/images/testimonials/testimonial.gif" alt="" width="80" height="80" />What was their experience with our service?</p>
<p>“Allison Bliss used a combination</p>
<p>4.<strong><span style="color: #8554ab;"> Filemaker</span></strong> <strong><span style="color: #7437c7;">Pro. </span></strong> Like many entrepreneurs, we’re always juggling multiple projects, with multiple deadlines, involving multiple stakeholders who perform multiple tasks &#8212; <span style="text-decoration: underline;">all at the same time!</span> But rather than pulling our hair out and losing sleep, we easily keep track of all those activities using a database called <span style="color: #000000;"> Filemaker Pro. </span>This robust program allows you to custom tailor project notes, and efficiently track your marketing campaigns and sales activities. And <em>that</em> makes you better at what you do.</p>
<p>There are many database programs to choose from, but we find<span style="color: #000000;"> Filemaker Pro </span>to be the most adaptable for just about any type of company.  To get you up and running quickly with it, we can even train you to use it and add custom marketing fields, too.</p>
<p><span style="color: #7437c7;"><strong>6. Creating Breakthroughs. </strong></span>You will not find this marketing tool anywhere else!  We&#8217;ve just launched our novel<a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/creative-strategy-walks/"> </a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/creative-strategy-walks/">‘‘Creative Strategic Walks!”</a><a href="../creative-strategy-walks/"> </a></span>service this month. And&#8230;It&#8230;Works!!</p>
<p>These revelatory (and fun!) sessions literally take entrepreneurs <strong>out of the office and out for a walk along the water. </strong> Walking together with a marketing strategist to guide the conversation, the exercise and fresh air combine to increase your endorphins, foster more creativity and clarity, and set the stage for breakthrough ideas to emerge.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve noticed over the years that when I&#8217;m  outside in an informal setting with clients or colleagues, we’re able to <strong>stimulate our imagination and innovative thinking. </strong> Some of the most <em>successful</em> ideas we&#8217;ve come up with for clients and colleagues have come from these <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/creative-strategy-walks/">‘Creative Strategic Walks’.</a></span></p>
<p>So, if you’re not earning enough income, not sure why your clients don’t get the value of your offerings, or realize things just aren&#8217;t working for you, this just might be that magical answer you&#8217;ve been looking for!</p>
<p><span style="color: #7437c7;"><strong>7. Do You Need a Blog? </strong></span>When you’re using this medium the smart way, it’s a powerful marketing tool that reaches new prospects, provides value and education to your existing clients, and builds Search Engine Optimization (SEO) benefits right into your website.</p>
<p>But technology and content seem to be the biggest concerns among our clients when it comes to incorporating a blog into their marketing plan.  Fortunately, we’re able to eliminate these worries through our<a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/new-marketing-services-and-products/create-a-blog-package/"> Create A Blog Package.</a> We’ll work with you on planning, design, and content, while making sure the technology and training are in place to ensure your success.</p>
<p>And if you want a first class education, inspiration and support for your blogging, I highly recommend my colleague, Cheryl Liquori&#8217;s Breakfast Blogging Club’ events. Don’t miss her <a href="http://events.linkedin.com/Blogging-Cash-Clients/pub/341467">terrific event coming up June 26th. </a></p>
<p><span style="color: #7437c7;"><strong>8. Article Marketing. </strong></span>Publishing articles online is one of the most effective strategies for marketing your business and sending traffic to your website.  And<a href="  http://ezinearticles.com/"> ezine articles </a>is the best place to start.  Once your article is posted on this popular site, we’ve found that it’s often picked up and posted by numerous other websites as well.</p>
<p><strong>NEW UPDATE 7/9: </strong></p>
<p>9. <a href="http://doodle.com/">Doodle.com</a> allows you to schedule with multiple people without having to weed through dozens of emails to coordinate. So easy to use. Creates a form allowing invitees to schedule online, privately. Saves time!</p>
<p>10. <a href="http://www.tweetdeck.com/">Tweetdeck </a>all0ws you to manage twitter- when you&#8217;re being searched, track categories, various communications all in one place. use on iphone or ipad, too. Saves time!</p>
<p>When you add an author bio at the end of your article with a link back to your website, you can really begin to improve your web traffic and getting found on Google.  Contact us to get dozens more smart resources for article marketing! Call <strong>510-879-7600</strong> or email to:<strong> abliss@allisonbliss.com.</strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #7437c7;"><strong>LET US KNOW YOUR FAVORITE RESOURCES</strong></span> BY ADDING A COMMENT TO OUR<a href="http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/"> MARKETING COACHING BLOG</a> (click on &#8216;comment&#8217; below).</p>
<p><strong>Bookmark this page to find periodic updates</strong>. After all, knowledge is bliss!</p>
<p>Need more results from your marketing efforts? We have a full service  marketing agency standing by to help you increase revenues with <a href="../marketing-services/">social  media, websites, planning, marketing strategy, SEO</a> and more!</p>
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		<title>Steps to Make a Winning Video</title>
		<link>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/05/17/steps-to-make-a-winning-video/</link>
		<comments>http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/2010/05/17/steps-to-make-a-winning-video/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 May 2010 16:24:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advertising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MarketingTips & Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[editing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to make a winning video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tips for video]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.allisonbliss.com/wordpress/?p=567</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Tips to Make a Winning Video by Rick Wise, Director of Photography/Editor]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><img class="  alignleft" src="http://www.kolkeyproductions.com/Los_Angeles_Videography_Video_Production_Company/Videography_Video_Services_Images/Videographer_Camera_Operator.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="100" />This week I&#8217;m featuring an article by top <a href="http://RickWiseDP.com">Director of Photography/Editor/Film &amp; Video Expert Rick Wise. </a>I&#8217;ve always admired Rick&#8217;s vast knowledge, mastery of <a href="http://RickWiseDP.com">film &amp; video</a> &#8211; both in lighting/shooting, his directorial abilities to know what works and what doesn&#8217;t, the ability to guide clients who&#8217;ve never worked in this surprisingly complex media through tough choices in <a href="http://RickWiseDP.com">editing, </a>and his efficiency getting months of work done in just days. He teaches at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and is writing a book on lighting for film/video. (you&#8217;ll see his mastery in the video links at the end). This article summarizes his top tips for using video on your website. THANKS RICK!</p>
<p>______</p>
<p>Placing a video on your web site or blog is a great way to introduce prospective clients to you and to your services. When well crafted, videos draw people in to spend time with you. As an added bonus, <strong>Google places a lot of value on videos </strong>and pushes your site up in its ranking so that a prospective client searching for your service is more likely to find you.</p>
<p><img class="  alignleft" src="http://www.moneymint.in/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/film.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="100" />At first blush, making a video about you and your service looks like a simple thing to do. And in the hands of a professional, making a good video can be relatively simple for you. Yes, you can find a friend to slap something together. But to craft a video that both entices the viewer and promotes you and your service in a way that future clients will want to come to you, that’s not likely to happen by itself. After all, if you needed someone to work on your teeth, or paint your house, or give you legal counsel, would you pick just anyone to do the job?</p>
<p>Let’s parse that out a bit more. Here are some of the <strong>steps it takes to end up with a winning video:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Identify what you have      that sets you apart</strong> from others in your field. This can be a surprising      difficult step. A professional such as Allison Bliss will help you      enormously with this part of the process.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Write an <strong>outline of      points you want to make</strong> to support step one. You will likely want to      include both testimonials of some of your clients along with a taste of      what you do and how you do it.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Write a script </strong>fleshing      out the outline.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Line up the people</strong> you      want to video along with time and place. If you are shooting outside of      your own place, obtain permits to shoot if necessary.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Line up the video and      sound equipment</strong> as well as the <strong>locations</strong> that you will need.<strong><img class="   alignnone" src="http://www.rebooting.ca/carc/alberta-stories/movie-camera.gif" alt="" width="100" height="100" /></strong></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Shoot the testimonials</strong>,      perhaps at your  place, perhaps elsewhere. To get five  minutes of good      testimonial footage  it takes several hours and sometimes <strong>days of shooting</strong>.      Capturing good clean sound as well as shooting people so they look      interesting and inviting is an important part of this step.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Shoot the sections of      the video that <strong>show you at your work</strong>. Whether you are a dentist, a lawyer,      a healer, a florist, or any other profession, there is always a way to      make what you do look friendly, inviting, and professional. If you can get      what you want by shooting ten times as much footage as you end up using,      your are being extremely efficient.</li>
</ul>
<p><img class="  alignleft" src="http://behance.vo.llnwd.net/profiles/56901/projects/146267/569011226503975.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="100" /></p>
<ul>
<li>Find and shoot or      obtain the right <strong>graphics.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Edit. This can take      multiple days</strong>, and many trials and revisions. In many ways, less is more.      It is so much better to make a <strong>short, compelling video </strong>than a long one      that bores the viewer. There is always a conflict between the desire to      tell your “whole story” and the reality that at this stage no one really      wants the whole story. What the viewer wants is a delicious taste of you.      All the details will come later in person-to-person meets.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Find the right music      and obtain rights</strong> to use it.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Encode </strong>the completed      video so that it can be easily seen on your web site.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Publish</strong> to your web      site.</li>
</ul>
<p>All of the above is labor, time, and equipment intensive. And that is why it is eventually going to save you both your time and money to hire a professional to craft this video with and for you.</p>
<p>Here are a few links to some <strong>sample videos.</strong></p>
<p><strong><img class="  alignleft" src="http://www.oneworldmusic.com/images/template/banner-right.png" alt="" width="195" height="31" /><br />
</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>The first one is a video I edited to promote Gary Muzynski’s team-building service, One World Music, and is based on two-camera shooting at a convention site. Go to<span style="color: #0000ff;"> <a href="http://www.oneworldmusic.com/index.php">http://www.oneworldmusic.com/index.php</a></span>, and click on the small TV screen to the right. The editing took about seven days with revisions. The shoot itself took a day.</li>
<li>For a totally different style, a video with no words or “sell,” here’s “Kansas Harvest” that I shot and edited for a client who wanted to sell her farm in Kansas in a very different way:<a href="http://rickwisedp.com/RW%20Director/kansas_harvest.htm  "> <span style="color: #0000ff;">http://rickwisedp.com/RW%20Director/kansas_harvest.htm</span> </a>I shot this video and another one on location in Kansas over four days. I edited both over seven days.</li>
<li>Finally, here are a couple of commercials I shot for broadcast: “Keds” (<span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://rickwisedp.com/RW%20Director/keds.htm">http://rickwisedp.com/RW%20Director/keds.htm</a></span>) and “Box” (<span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://rickwisedp.com/RW%20Director/box.htm">http://rickwisedp.com/RW%20Director/box.htm</a></span>)</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://RickWiseDP.com">http://RickWiseDP.com</a></p>
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