MoxieWorks

Do Our Clothes Make Us More Productive

Recently, when talking to a friend, the subject of dress codes came up. She, and I to some degree, thought that people perform to a different level when they aren't dressed as a complete slob. When I was at Bechtel Engineering I had found the dress code for women from the 1940's that required them to wear gloves to work, not for cold weather! Everyday! I just couldn't imagine trying to type in gloves or do anything actually productive. They eased up by the time I got there in the 90's! 

I know that there is advice, even for stay at home mom's, to get dressed in the morning. Don't slub around in sweats and a ripped t-shirt. That getting dressed helps you feel better about who you are, making you more productive, because we all know that self esteem in direct correlation to getting things done. That said, should there be a dress code in offices? As solo entrepreneurs should we be spending money on clothes that make the man or woman.

Truth be told I moved from San Francisco, partially, to escape some of the ridiculous costs of clothing. Suits aren't cheap, and I could never compete with single ladies who had no dependents and cash to blow on a new wardrobe each season. Thank goodness black is the color of choice for all in the Bay Area.

I firmly stand in jeans most days. I am comfortable, I can do anything that needs to be done, and I feel pretty productive. Granted, I change my shirt if there is even a dot of something and get rid of anything that has holes or tears (except that sweatshirt I've had for over 30 years that is so soft, but that doesn't go out of the house.)

The question remains, are we more productive when we are dressed better? Doing a simple search on Google will tell you the results are mixed. There are advocates that vote firmly no and those that think it does. Where do you fall into?

Single Tasking Experiment - Week 4

In the last couple of weeks I have adopted three new ways of working/living: Not emailing while I am on the phone, putting down the devices when I am in person with someone, and lastly thinking before I speak. All three have serious challengers, mostly my flitting magpie of a mind, but when I actually committed to doing them my conversations were deeper, my work was completed faster, and my words seemed to have more impact.

This week, the last week of the experiment I am taking Sundays off. No phone, no internet, no Twitter, no blogging, no Facebook. I believe that we need time to not be online. We need to live our lives, not just Tweet them. So, Sunday will be dedicated to the spirit or a sabbatical. Soup will be made, life will be lived, movies will be watched, walking will happen and my spirit - hopefully - will be renewed for the coming week.

• The Rules:
• No phone, internet or ipad before 8PM
• No work unless a crisis occurs
• After 8PM I can do an overview of my coming week and check my schedule and task list

Digital Sabbatical - it's what all the cool kids are into and it is the last part of the tools I want to cultivate to work smarter.

Follow Me Around the Web

If you are growing your business, need to stay inspired or just want to keep up with marketing trends for small businesses, towns and solo entrepreneurs you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

I post different things on each of those channels, engage in real time conversations, answer questions and listen to what you are searching out.

If you want to know more about me you can take a peek at my @Vizify bio or link up on LinkedIn. Really, it is all about relationships, as we used to say at Carlson Marketing Group. I'm happy to connect you wherever you need to be, if I can!

Moleskine ® - News Detail

 

As someone who keeps offline old school notebooks and is now trying to incorporate Evernote this looks AMAZING. A must try! I'll let you know what I think.

The new Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine uses Evernote’s Page Camera feature to capture the pages of your notebook with your smartphone or tablet. 

Evernote Page Camera is available for the current iOS release for iPhone and iPad.

Evernote Smart Notebook features unique "Evernote ruled" and "Evernote squared" page styles with dotted lines designed to ensure a clean image when digitally capturing your notebook. Moleskine Smart Stickers introduce Evernote-ready analog-digital tagging into your workflow. Ideas and memories are safe, secure, and shareable wherever you are in the analog or digital world.

 

 

Show Me With Vizify

I have never been very good about sharing what I do. Some people hone thier resume with every single project, but I am much more apt to just move onto the next project. I also don't want to actually say everything I've done because it feels like I am bragging. I realize though, now at the ripe age of 42 soon to be 43, if I don't tell people what I do who will? The answer, my friends, is no one.

So for the last year I have been looking for a way to point people somewhere to share what I do in a fun, informative way that encompasses not only my work, but my philosophy of life. We are so much more than what we get paid to do.

Enter Vizify. A new, very new, graphic showcase of you and your life. It pulls data from LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and FourSquare. The premise is that you need to show not tell, and for this longtime creative that is the story I've been sharing for a long time. Music to my ears, so to speak.

The best part, is easy. You can customize the screens or just let it pull the data and be done with it. And to be honest, the animation on where you have lived/worked is enough to make me want to see yours, too.

Sure, there is LinkedIn, and that is valuable for sharing the nitty gritty of what we do with potential clients, partners and employers, but when you are looking for a way to easily show case the full picture of who you are Vizify does that beautifully. We are much more then our work history. We are our Facebook updates, our check in's, our Tweets, our photos and where we hail from. All of that makes up who we are and now, and with Vizify you can easily show it.

Granted, that brings up living your life transparently on the web, but that is for another discussion. Instead, let me share some super secret codes so you can get your very OWN Vizify! Use the code: jacquelinew 

When you are done building yours; leave a link in the comments and I'll check it out. Show me your story, here's mine!

Single Tasking Experiment - Week 3

So far my Experiment in Single Tasking, or realizing that we mostly suck at multitasking, has focused on Email vs. Phone and Putting Down the Device. The first was actually harder. It is SO easy to sneak an eyeball at the screen when you are on the phone, but I could easily tell that my conversations were reduced to "mmm hmmm" and "ohhh" instead of actual words. If I walked away it is so much easier. No screen to sneak a peek at.

The second week I added putting down the device when I was meeting with someone in real life. That was actually easier. No phone, no iPad to disrupt the flow of the moment. I don't want to get all kumbaya, but I felt like the conversations were better. I was in them and not totally distracted by a device.

This week I am adding the idea of Think before you Speak. I saw this last week on The Secular Buddhist and it triggered a big AHA! Last week I was holding a meeting that although good in theory quickly dwindled to a gang of gossiby geese. Not the most productive moment and although I like all the folks there who knows who will repeat some sliver of stupid that was said meaninglessly.

And that is the catch - words said meaninglessly can cause harm, even unintentional harm. So what if instead we thought about what were saying instead of just filling a void? I'm not saying that we need to be silent monks. Far from it, but maybe we need to think a little before we gush out the next thing that surfaces. 

This week the experiment takes on THINK (obviously some family or kid related communication advice that I am not above employing in my own life.)

Before you Speak:
THINK
Is it True
Is it Helpful
Is it Inspiring
Is it Necessary
Is it Kind

Cute. I know, but if used with care I suspect that it will elevate the conversations rather than let them devolve. At least that is my hope!

Single Tasking Experiment - Week 2

Last week I attempted to not read my email while I was on the phone during my Single Tasking Experiment. The ONLY way I could do this was by turning away from the computer or shutting the laptop. If it was open, I was drawn to it like a moth to the light bulb on our porch. So, I did that. I walked away and focused on the conversation at hand. Better conversations, real listening, and complete focus. The change was immediate and I could feel my brain syncing with the task at hand.

Single Tasking Experiment - Week 2 - Put Down the Device

In addition to the no email while talking on the phone rule, I will attempt to put down the device during one on one encounters. This is going to be difficult. I am guilty of looking at my phone during meetings, when I am bored, while watching TV with my husband, etc. I realize, though, that by not paying true attention to the people in front of me I am being rude, not making personal connections and, possibly, damaging relationships.

"Focusing on more than one thing decreases your productivity by 40% and lowers your IQ by 10 points, according to Harvard Business Review. And it almost goes without saying how dangerous it is to multitask while driving." Matt Petrinzeo of Mashable

The Rules: Set down the device during one on one encounters.

I'll keep you posted mid week. This is, by the way, in addition to the no email during phone conversations rule. We are ADDING to the Single Tasking Experiment each week, not trying one skill and letting it drop. What do they say? 21 days makes a habit? Something like that; let's hope that is true.

Photo courtesy of People Against Distracted Driving

Stop Listening

Yesterday I was given some powerful advice that I wanted to share. Sometimes I have the tendency to want to listen to everyone. I want to get their feedback. Although this practice, often, causes me conflict and I feel overwhelmed by all of the opinions expressed.

My goal is to hear everyone out. Get their buy in to what I am doing. The problem with this is that people aren't always interested in the good or the best, they are interested in themselves. Clearing through that clutter can be difficult.

The advice: create a strategy, implement the strategy - doing good work, shut your ears to all the babble

Yep. Stop listening to one more critique, idea, thought, improvement, etc. of the work that you have developed, planned and are accomplishing. Instead, create a mechanism for them to give you feedback where you can assess it in your own quiet way. 

Seriously, do we need to check in on every single thing we are doing? Can't we just do good work and leave it at that? The constant need to reach out is beginning to seem more like trying to get approval. That old people pleasing instinct that we all have so deeply rooted within us. 

Now, I'm not saying don't collaborate, don't get input in the development stage or even feedback at the end. I am just saying that maybe we can shut our ears to the constant critique by people NOT doing the work while we are busting our butts.

This is advice I am trying. Care to join me?

Pinterest for Small Business, Bloggers and Nonprofits

Yesterday I presented to The Belford Group team about using Pinterest for Small Business, Bloggers and Nonprofits, a presentation that is part of my Crash Course series that I teach Main Street communities, Chambers, and more.

You can see the presentation that I uploaded to SlideShare.

After the presentation I do a live demo, that is not included.

How to be Pinteresting - Pinterest for Small Business, Bloggers and Nonprofits:

• Pinterest Basics
  • An overview of what Pinterest is and what the terms are. "Think of yourself as a curator of your own museum."
• Let's Organize Ourselves
  • Creating a profile strategy, setting up boards, and using your own images from your own site.
• Gaining Followers
  • Email Strategy, Facebook Strategy, YouTube Strategy, Twitter Strategy, 
• Photos that Make You Go Ahhh...
  • I include the types of photos that most often are on the Most Popular page of Pinterest, yes puppies!
• The Top 10 To Gain Traction
  • Relationships, #Hashtags for SEO, and more

Then I do a live demo showing examples of Pinterest - it is a lively good time where we can take your clients and see how Pinterest can work for them. 

I will be presenting this at the Destination Downtown Main Street conference in September 2012. You can follow my work on Pinterest too.

New Business Cards Have Arrived