Yvonne DiVita of Lipsticking wrote a post about Networking in the Social Media Age. Debbie Weil of BlogWrite for CEOs who did a short video with Seth Godin and he talked about the TRUE way to network. So to the point. It isn’t about quantity it is about QUALITY and GIVING. Thanks Seth and Debbie!
So poignant. So true.
Also, found this article on Friday from Business Week on Seth. Profile of a Marketing Guru. Enjoy.
This week I am “mixing it up” again and found blogs in honor of some special days for September. Innergize Day (September 23rd) and National Women’s Health & Fitness Day (September 25th).
In celebration of National Women’s Health & Fitness Day, I would like to showcase I few ladies’ blogs:
Pam Archer of ArcherFitPress and she did a recent post about 5 ways to Avoid Back Pain . In her post she mentions about not bending and twisting at the same time. Also wear comfortable shoes…great tips!
Gina Loree Marks of Embody Grace – where she shares about how to keep your life in balance. Her latest blog post titled Breast Cancer? Breast Health! is a book review of Susan Weed’s book on breast health.
And one more stop. We will go to Jill Nussinow’s blog called Veggie Queen Adventures. One of her lastest posts was about how more people are eating soy. Well, I would be one of those people. I recently started drinking soy milk instead of skim milk. I also tried a GenSoy bar the other day – pretty good. When I am in a fix for some food but running around too much to stop…I will have these on hand to give my body nutrients.
This next one is for the Innergize Day: The Phenomenal Entrepreneur radio show is about every day people who live their passion. People who have come to know what lights their fire, sets them apart, and have moved into a space of fulfillment by doing what they love to do and making money at it. This week she has Lynn Scheurell, Creative Catalyst, works with soul-driven entrepreneurs to create a living from who they are, because that kind of alignment allows tremendous abundance and enhanced contribution to the world at large.
I really liked listening to this 30 minute show because it focused on FOCUS. And knowing your life purpose. And sometimes your life purpose isn’t what you think it is but what it right for you. She explains her 4 D’s and the GEENA system. LOVE it! Very moving , motivational and inspiring.
And speaking of living your passion and sharing it with others – I have the honor of being a guest on Katherine Reschke’s Blog Talk Radio show called The Passion Project today at 12pmEST. I truly enjoy my work with authors, speakers, and writers and Katherine will be asking me questions about how I came to do what I love and find my passion.
One final note: Another lady who lives her passion and is always in my corner, Heidi Richards, Editor in Chief for WE Magazine for Women. I wanted to celebrate the Fall 2008 edition of WE Magazine for Women
Full of great articles, tips and resources for you, your life and your business.
I have the pleasure of interviewing Donna Cutting regarding her 1st book, The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets for Delivering Red Carpet Customer Service. I hope you each will take the time to pick up this book as it has some very concrete ways to help every business owner really show their customer (I mean their celebrities) red carpet treatment.
Please give us a bit of background about you (where you grew up, where you were born, and if you have any siblings) I was born in Stoughton, MA but grew up in Westport, Massachusetts, a small community outside of Fall River and New Bedford, and just on the other side of Tiverton, Rhode Island. I have a sister named Julie and a half-sister named Melissa. Mom is a nurse, and Dad worked in construction and later owned a deli called Phil-a-deli (his name is Phil). The whole gang lives in Tampa Bay, Florida now – where I also live with my husband Jim and our Maltese, Snowball.
For those whom are beginning writers (or those whom wish to write but are apprehensive, what is your advice? The hardest part is sitting down. Just write – don’t worry about how well you’re writing, or what the outcome will be. Write first and edit later.
When did you start writing? To be honest, I didn’t start out as a writer. I have been speaking about customer service and employee engagement for years and as my career has developed I’ve published several articles on those topics. People seem to respond to my writing, so I guess I found a talent I didn’t know I had. I’m simply writing what I know – what I’ve experienced or learned from others.
Please let us know your inspiration for the book? It hit me one day that people who serve celebrities know how to deliver true red-carpet customer service. I wondered what we could learn from them about making non-famous people – our customers – feel like stars! One interviewed led into another, and the book took shape from there. People who read The Celebrity Experience are getting a real insiders’ view on how to make others feel like they’ve received the star treatment.
Can you share a few tips from the book?
Sure.
· Roll out the Red Carpet by finding creative ways to use your customer’s name – verbally, on signs, on menus, on your website.
· Be Unforgettable by remembering details about your customer and Wowing them with your recollection. Did they tell you they are expecting their first grandson any minute now? Send a Congrats to the new grandma card. Do they have pets? Send toys for their four legged friends as a thank you gift.
· Master the basics of customer service…and then some! It’s in the “and then some” that you are giving extraordinary service.
So, what is on the horizon for you and your writing? Nothing definite yet, but I anticipate my next book to be more about the process of managing The Celebrity Experience. The first book tells you what it is, and gives concrete ideas that readers can use. The second book will give you a step by step process to implement The Celebrity Experience in your company.
As a speaker, do you have advice for others who would like to get involved in a speaker career? Yes. Get involved in your local chapter of the National Speakers Association – http://www.nsaspeaker.org. If your state doesn’t have a chapter, or the chapter doesn’t allow guests to attend, get involved in the National Association by subscribing to their magazine, signing up for their Academy, and attending their conferences. Practice so you become a better speaker, grow your expertise, learn as much as you can about the speaking business – and apply what you learn. It’s not an easy career by any means – but it’s a wonderful career if you really work at it.
What do you like to do when you aren’t speaking or writing? Spend time with my husband Jim and our dog Snowball, as well as with my friends and other family. My husband and I love to travel, kayak and spend time outdoors. We hope to visit every National Park in the US someday. I love movies, theater, music, and I’m almost always up for a new adventure.
Here is a question just for fun—what is your favorite food and why?
The answer to that question is YES! LOL!
It’s hard to pick one favorite. I love clamboils, which were a tradition in the New England town I grew up in. Occasionally my Dad will order clams from up North and we’ll have one here. Steamers in a pot with onions, Portuguese sausage, corn on the cob, hot dogs….yum!
I love donuts from Butlers Donuts – a small donut shop in Westport, MA – you haven’t tasted heaven until you’ve had one.
When I visit different states or countries, I enjoy eating the food they are famous for. I like to immerse myself in the culture – especially the food!
How can others get in contact with you and purchase your book? You can reach me via my website at http://www.donnacutting.com.
This interview is part of a blog tour.
You can visit blogs on the tour from yesterday Sept 20th:
Michelle Waters / Watersweb Solutions
Terri / Pop Art Diva
Dawn Goldberg / Write Well Me
and Today
Dr. Sally Witt will conduct a book review on her blog.
And Tomorrow on the blog tour:
Betty Lynch / My Country Kitchen will showcase a book excerpt from Donna’s book.
Phil Gerbyshak / Make It Great who will run his own interview with Donna.
Becky Wyatt / Becky Wyatt Online where she will showcase Donna Cutting’s book.
The Celebrity Experience is available on Amazon.com and anywhere books are sold. If your bookstore has sold out of it, they can order a copy for you.