While these activities kept me too busy to blog much, they pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to try new things, meet new people and think in new ways.  I had to solve different kinds of problems, talk to different kinds of people and navigate different types of relationships.

Stepping outside my usual boundaries has helped me understand the importance of shaking things up every once in awhile.  It is far too easy to keep doing the same old, same old.  We are so good at convincing ourselves to dig a rut and stay in it, even when it no longer fits.

Taking on these projects – projects that at first glance seem so different from creating still photographs – has shown me that most of us define ourselves far too narrowly.  I’ve learned that my expertise is far more adaptable than I’d realized and discovered, as Chris Gillebeau so eloquently puts it, that if you’re good at something chances are you’re good at something else.

The first step, as always, is figuring out what you really want out of your business (see the Satisfaction Exercises in the tab above) but once you’ve got those details worked out, the PEST analysis can really help you put your plans into context.

You can find all kinds of worksheets and explanations for PEST Analyses by doing a quick Internet search.  Or, you can just crib the list of factors I use when conducting a PEST for my business.

Marketing is simply the process of communicating to others – clearly and succinctly – what you do that can benefit them.  To do that effectively, you have to understand – clearly and succinctly – who your business benefits and what they want and need.

You also have to know what kind of business you’re really looking to build.

• How big do you want to grow?
• Do you want the help (and responsibilities) of maintaining a large staff or would you rather work alone and bring in free-lancers as needed?  Where do you fit on that continuum?

• What does it make sense for your business to focus on?
  • What are you the most passionate about doing?  What are you best at? What unmet needs do you see in the market?  Where do these three areas intersect?

• Who are your best prospects?
  • Do you need the world to know about you or just a handful of repeat customers?  Are there enough people locally to support your business or do you need to look globally?

These questions will help you understand what you’re trying to build, who you’re trying to reach and what you can offer that will satisfy their needs and yours.

Even though I was lucky enough to have a very easy recovery, seeing that black background with a grinning skull above a mysterious box that started generating text about “root access” replace my home page was pretty freaky.  They definitely got my attention.  As my Dad likes to say “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not following you.”  From now on, I am going to be über vigilant about protecting my stuff.

So, learn from my experience. If you don’t already have a comprehensive back up plan in place – not just for your computers, smart phones and smart pads, but for all those vital communications vehicles that other people host for you -  do yourself a favor and make that a priority.  Here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way that may help:

1. Contact your host and find out what their policies are.  Do they maintain emergency back ups of your data?  If so, how long will it take them to pull and restore it if needed?  What will they charge for that service?  The answers to these questions will help you determine how critical it is to maintain your own back ups.
2. If you’re backing up the data yourself, follow the 3-2-1 system whenever possible.  That’s 3 copies on 2 different types of media (e.g. DVD or Blu-ray and hard drive) with 1 stored off-site. You’ll find lots of good information about general back up principles on the Digital Photography Best Practices and Workflows site: dpBestflow.org.  Though targeted at photographers, the information you’ll find here will work for anyone needing to back up their data.
3. If you’re running WordPress, the database that houses your posts is stored separately from all the files that manage the administration of your site (theme, dashboard, style sheets, etc.).  Make sure you’re backing up both.  You’ll find a useful article about this in the Spring 2011 issue of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) Bulletin. (Note:you may have to complete the free registration to read the full article.)
4. To reduce the chances of getting hacked, make sure you (and your host) run all security updates and patches as soon as they’re available.  WordPress users in particular should always run the newest version as they almost always include security updates.

I would love to hear of any other recommendations or resources for keeping sites and blogs secure so please share your experiences!

One of my audience members chimed in to say that once she started really talking about her food photography business with her in-laws, she discovered they had relatives who were close friends with Martha Stewart.  Talk about 6 degrees of separation!

A few weeks later, I found out that one of my clients was working on a project where she needed to connect with a linguist who specializes in obscure languages.  She mentioned this to me in passing – as part of a longer story related to the work we’re doing together.  Little did she know that my second cousin is the editor of a linguistics publication and did his doctorate in exactly the area she needs help with!

It just goes to show – the more people you share your passions with, the more likely you are to find someone who knows someone who can help you.  So make sure your network knows what you’re up to ‘cause who they know only matters if they understand enough to make those connections.

Swear words aside, we each got our own c&%ksucking boulder that we’re pushing up our own mother$&%king hill.  But, does it have to be so hard?

Colleen herself shows us the answer with her 50for50 project.  For her 50^th birthday, she decided to raise $50,000 in 50 days for writegirl, a non-profit organization that empowers High School girls by connecting them with mentors and workshops that help them find their voices through creative writing.  She hit her goal in just 40 days and the dollars keep rolling in.

Reading Colleen’s posts about this experience, one thing becomes abundantly clear.  Colleen loves the hill she’s climbing.  Her desire to climb this hill surpasses all obstacles.  She’s writing more than ever.  She’s working harder than ever.  She’s tired.  She’s achy. But every step she takes exhilarates and the view is so very sweet that the boulder she’s pushing barely even registers.

A couple of years ago, my partner and I hit a point of complete and total burnout.  Too many things – many of which were beyond our control – had been too hard for too long.  We were tired, we were overwhelmed, we had lost our vision and our way.  We didn’t know what to do, where to go, or how to get there.

So we looked for help.  We found it in the form of a consultation with Danielle LaPorte of WhiteHotTruth.com, who said “The two of you are in a valley, looking up at a mountain.  And the problem isn’t that you don’t know how to climb the mountain – you’ve climbed this mountain a million times – the problem is that you’re tired of climbing this mountain.  Go find a mountain you want to climb.”

The realization that we had changed – that our dreams had changed – was a huge epiphany for us.  One that freed us from self-imposed constraints we didn’t even know we had and opened the way for new dreams, new priorities, new goals – for new hills and vistas, for lighter boulders that were easier to roll.

If the hill you’re climbing feels like a mountain, if the boulder you’re pushing keeps pushing back, it may be time to ask yourself if you’re on the right hill.

And, if this post resonates in any way, there’s still time to help yourself by helping Colleen.  If you act fast, you can donate through Danielle LaPorte’s website and get access to a one hour ask-anything-telejam with the Firestarter herself (Wednesday, 9/7 12 pm pacific, 3 pm eastern).  Or you can choose from an assortment of other fabulous prizes, by donating directly at indiegogo.com/50-for-50 through September 13^th.

Compelling stories told in person, through social media or through photographs, podcasts and videos, can be one of the most powerful marketing and sales tools available – especially for people who want to earn a living doing what they love.  Take the excitement and passion we have for our businesses and the way we light up when we speak of our work then add in a well-crafted story and you’ve got a combination that’s tough to beat.

Glass identifies the key building blocks to a good story: the anecdote, which acts as the bait that hooks your listener; and the “moment of reflection” where it becomes clear why the listener should care. He stresses the importance of finding and using your own voice and explains how good stories resemble good conversations – they can’t be just about you and they can’t be just about the other person, they have to be about both.

Along the way, Glass provides powerful messages for anyone earning a living doing what they love.  His observations about professional practice – how you can create luck by simply being out and about so much that you’re bound to eventually be in the right place at the right time; the value of walking away when you know story (the deal, the job, the client) just isn’t going to work out and the effort it takes to find a good story (or deal or job or client) – have application far beyond the world of producing great radio content.

As I refine my elevator speech, start developing promotional videos and expand my social media presence, I know the information Glass outlines in these videos will help me find the right story for my listeners and the right listeners for my story.

You’ll find Ira Glass on Storytelling – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 – on YouTube.

An artist/jeweler I work with recently described a similar experience. “I go to grab a paintbrush and I see a phone message I never returned, then I reach for the phone and spot a piece of jewelry which reminds me that I need to send an e-mail and on my way to the computer, I remember…”  Long story short – she never gets back to the paintbrush or the phone message or the e-mail and at the end of the day she’s been busy every minute but hasn’t accomplished much.

It wasn’t until she relayed her story that I realized the core of the problem I’ve been struggling with.  I have been so busy for so long that my normal organizational tasks – filing papers, organizing e-mail, going through the piles on my desk and, Oh My Lord, throwing stuff away – have been put off for so long, I’m no longer able to function efficiently.

This past week, I back-burnered everything I possibly could and focused on getting my systems in order.  What a difference!  I am more energetic, I am more optimistic – it’s like every piece of clutter I clear lightens my mental load.  Sure, I’m going to have to work like hell to catch up but at least when I do, I’ll know where to find everything I need and I’m willing to bet dollars to donuts that it’ll take me less time and I’ll feel less frazzled.

From now on, I will do my damnedest to stop treating organizational tasks like the ugly step-children of my business.  They are as vital to my company’s well-being as the money-making work and without them, the money-making work doesn’t get done as well, as fast or as profitably.

Hmmm, how do you explain that concept to a 4-year-old…and then I had it.  “A business is when someone or a group of people decide to make something that helps people.  In order to do that they might have to make phone calls, go to meetings, make something, perform, write, travel – but everything they do relates to making something that helps someone.”

I realized as I was talking how often we lose sight of this simple fact.  If our businesses aren’t helping people, they won’t attract buyers. You don’t get to earn a living doing what you love just because you love it.  You have to find a way to make it help your clients.

For the past 20+ years, I’ve been earning a living doing what I love in a market that has grown increasingly competitive.  Technology has simultaneously lowered the bar to entry and reduced the perceived value of professional training.   With this new definition in mind, I’m changing the framework I use to evaluate my business.

Instead of trying to top competitors in an over-saturated and shrinking market, I’m taking a good long look at my customers and prospects.  Who needs what I love to do? Who values my expertise? Who can I help the most? What are people struggling with that I can make easier?  By figuring out who my audience is and what they need, I can design a business that will truly help them and, along the way, allow me to do the work I love.

You see, up until that point, it had never occurred to me that earning a living costs you something. And I’m not talking about the “gotta spend money to make money” kinds of costs.  I’m talking about what you pay from your life – your time, your energy, your heart, your soul and all too often, your dignity and self-respect.

A recent blog post from Ellen Boughn reminded me of how important this concept really is. Ellen decided to walk away from a lucrative writing client because she realized that their ‘edit-by-committee’ approach was robbing her of her voice and, more importantly, her confidence.

I know from my own experience that working with the wrong clients can be worse than not working at all.  In these tough economic times, it’s hard to sacrifice short-term profits but we all need to pay attention to the long-term costs.  Preserving our confidence translates directly into long-term growth as we cannot produce the kind of outstanding work necessary to move our careers and businesses forward without it.

In the world of big business, in survey after survey, employees consistently report that financial compensation levels have little bearing on their job performance, satisfaction or desire to stay with the company.  This concept shouldn’t just hold true for employees.  As business owners, we also need to recognize when projects or clients cost us more than they are worth.