Before I start on a cooking frenzy, I wanted to make sure to tell all of you how much I am grateful for your friendship.

My son Josh (pictured above!) calls you all “my students”and reminds me daily to share things with you.

So from my family to yours, enjoy your day. For those of you outside of the U.S., you can join us by cooking and eating a really big meal, lying on the floor groaning, then watching your sport of choice.

In all the excitement of my book launch, it would be hard to top the moment I handed the very first copy of the final book to my Dad. He was a constant source of support and inspiration while I wrote the book (not to mention my whole life), and is even featured in the first chapter.  I dedicated the book to him.

Following that sweet moment, I have had countless delightful encounters with readers who shared their personal stories and reaction to the book in emails, tweets and blog comments. I cannot believe how far and wide it has traveled — in addition to all over the U.S and Canada, messages from readers have come from Qatar, Indonesia, Brazil, India, Kenya, Taiwan, Australia and numerous other countries.

I am amazed at how much the global workforce shares a common experience with cubicle life. And I am inspired to hear about entrepreneurs all over the globe who are slowly working on their plans to change the world.

All this connection has come from a common root: this blog. This is the place where everything started, back when my daily readership was my Dad, my sister and my best friend Desiree.

You have all contributed to the content of the book, cheered me on when I was writing it, and sat patiently waiting for new posts as I gallivanted around the country promoting it.

All the hard work has paid off — Escape from Cubicle Nation has been nominated for Best Small Business Book of 2009 from the well-respected Small Business Trends blog.

It is in great company — some of my favorite friends and authors are also up for the award, like Career Renegade by Jonathan Fields, Trust Agents by Chris Brogan, The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web by Tamar Weinberg, Me 2.0 by Dan Schawbel and BAM: Bust a Myth by Barry Moltz.

Because the award is reader’s choice, it would mean a lot if you would stop by and vote.  You choose your five favorite books from the total 47 nominated.

Vote here.

Thanks for your support!

My legs were trembling uncontrollably as I strained to maintain my squat.

Sweating and looking in my trainer’s eyes, I realized that I had only completed five deep lunges.

Back in the day (now, more than 15 years ago) when I was in the prime of my martial art training, I would pound out 200 lunges in one session, and hardly even feel a burn.

But today, a decade and a half, two kids, one book and a much larger butt later, I felt defeated.

While I strained and shook, my inner voice took over saying:

“Can you imagine if your old students could see you now?”
“Will you ever get back to your old shape, or are those days gone?”
“You have too far to go, give up, it will be too hard.”

I realized that I had lost my mojo.

When you are at the top of your game in any aspect of your life – relationship, career, business, finance, health, fitness – you don’t think you will ever come down.

But you do.

You get laid off. Hit a really rough spot in the economy and stumble in your business.  Lose your marriage. Gain two pant sizes from stress and overwork. Get writer’s block. Lose a mentor. Get your heart broken.

And when you get through the rough patch and try to get back on your horse, if you stay focused on how great things used to be, you will give up before you even start.

Remember what you felt, not what you did.

At the beginning of anything great, there is a heated rush, excitement and flow. Think of a great romance in your life: in the first few weeks, you floated around with a big smile on your face, amazed at the generosity of the universe and the beauty of every living thing.

This is beginner mind.

It is the state of mind that will bring you back to excitement about the possibility of a new job, even if you have been unemployed for eighteen months. Or truly happy to go on a date, even if your husband ran away with his secretary. Or eager to sit in front of your computer and write your next book, even if the last one sold two hundred copies (unlike your first, which was a bestseller).

When I calmed my inner voices and tuned into my body this morning, I realized that it was saying:

“Thank you so much for using these long-neglected muscles!  We are so excited to get back into a zone of challenge and exertion. We cannot wait to run and jump and dance. You love to work out and will be strong and powerful again before you know it.”

Tonight at the American Music Awards, Whitney Huston was presented the award for  International Artist of the Year.  Anyone who has followed her career knows that after skyrocketing stardom, she fell deep in the pit of drugs, self-loathing and, well, Bobby Brown.

As she took the stage, dressed in a pure white gown and bathed in dramatic light that made her glow from behind, she sang her new song “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength.”

“I lost touch with my soul. I had nowhere to turn. I had nowhere to go.

I lost sight of my dreams. I thought it would be the end of me.

I thought I’d never make it through. I had no hope to hold on to.

I thought I would break. I didn’t know my own strength.

And I crashed down. And I tumbled. But I did not crumble.

I got through all the pain. I didn’t know my own strength.

Survived my darkest hour. My faith kept me alive. I picked myself back up. Held my head up high.

I was not built to break. I didn’t know my own strength.”

What I saw among the swelling music, makeup, glitzy production and flashing lights was something very sweet and simple.

Whitney found joy in singing again.

That’s how you get your mojo back.

—

Update: Thanks to my reader Steve (eighth comment below), we have a common definition of mojo. Personally, I should have said that I was using the Austin Powers definition, explained here by Dr. Evil:

I don’t know about you, but I get mighty tired of reading newspaper articles and blog rants about the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of stimulus money on our economy.

What makes me frustrated is that we waste hours a day fighting with each other about things outside of our control, instead of using our own brains to do something about our local economy.

So here is my list of 10 things you can do, right now, to stimulate a small corner of your local economy without spending a dime:

1. Mentor a new business owner.  If you know how to build an effective website or display goods more effectively on a shelf or close a real estate deal, share your knowledge with someone just starting out. Your input will lead to faster sales.
2. Host an event at your local coffee shop.  If you have been meaning to gather friends together for a social event, suggest you meet at a favorite local haunt. The dollars spent there will be appreciated. I am sure you all know a place as great as Liberty Market.
3. Send an email to friends raving about your favorite business.  It could be a dry cleaner, restaurant or babysitter. A personal note will make a big difference in their buying decisions.
4. Give feedback to a business owner about something they should fix. We often speed through our day, annoyed at something in a local business that inhibits buying. But we never take the time to tell them. Tell them, and they may make more sales.
5. Constantly promote others on your social networks.  If you see one of your trusted friends promoting a course or workshop or selling a great product, spread the word.
6. Hook up people who should work together. Maybe you know a graphic designer who would work really well with your friend who is a copywriter. Make the connection, and both businesses can grow.
7. Host a Laid Off Camp.  If you are worried about the amount of people in your local community out of work, host a Laid Off Camp like we did here in Phoenix this summer. Volunteer your time and enlist your friends to help get your workforce supercharged and employed.
8. Attend a local Chamber of Commerce meeting. Find out what your local businesses are doing and see if you can support them.
9. Rave about your local community, and encourage investment and tourism. I am a proud new member of the Phoenix community, and tell anyone who will listen what a great place it is to live, work and visit. Do the same for your favorite location.
10. Use your superpowers for good.  This is a favorite expression of my dear friend Marilyn Scott-Waters, otherwise known as The Toymaker.  If you walk around being open and friendly and encouraging, everyone will feel better. The better they feel, the more motivated they will be to tackle tough problems and get our economy back on track.

There is a lot that is out of our control. But if we each step up our concern and support for our local businesses, we will make a difference in our economic recovery.

What did I miss?

There are few things that get me fired up late at night like watching TED videos. For the uninitiated, TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and is a conference that takes place once a year. The videos from TED are shared free on their website, and the talks are enough to get you standing up with your fist in the air, clutching your heart with tears streaming down your cheeks, or doubling over with laughter.

TED is undertaking a new initiative which is to encourage local communities to sponsor their own events, called “TEDx.”

We are hosting ours here in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday, November 6.

I am excited about this event because:

• The kind of people who are attracted to TED are smart, funny, creative, enterprising and socially conscious. I can think of no better crowd to hang out with.
• My new hometown of Phoenix deserves recognition as more than a place to watch Spring Training or where models come for rehab in fancy spas.  We are a great place to start your company, expand operations, hold events and find killer talent. And for those of you worried about the summers, don’t worry, it is a dry heat.
• When you come to a place where people are sharing good ideas, you will ask yourself “what good ideas do I have to share?” And if you don’t have any, you will realize that you better start thinking of them. And you will get inspired to do something in your own life that makes you feel alive.  And when you feel alive, you will want to do something bodacious. And you will share the idea. And the world will be a better place.

Sign up here to attend TEDxPhoenix on November 6. You will not regret it!

TEDx events are happening all over the world. Go here to find one in your local area, and if there isn’t one, host one!

If you want to talk to others who are spearheading local TEDx events, here is a start:

1. My awesome friend from Top Shelf Escapes) is hosting TEDxSLO in San Luis Obispo, California in March, 2010.  Check out her event here.
2. The force of nature that is Andre Blackman is planning a special TEDx focused on public health next year. You can find him at Pulse and Signal or @mindofandre on Twitter — ask him for details once they emerge.
3. Our organizing crew here in Phoenix are amazing. Once they recover from launching the first TEDxPhoenix, I am sure they would be happy to share lessons learned with you. Volunteer crew here. (I am listed as a “Strategic Adviser” which is a kind way of saying I do no real work except sing praises over the Internet)

If you are still on the fence, here is a selection of a few of my favorite TED talks. Do not say I didn’t warn you that they are highly addictive.

Ken Robinson on Why Schools Kill Creativity

Elizabeth Gilbert on Creativity and Genius

ZeFrank on why is the Internet so funny?

Becky Blanton, who I just discovered on TED today and realized she is the woman I talk about in my book who lived in a van down by the river! She won Daniel Pink’s contest for the last chapter of his Johnny Bunko book, which got her a ticket to TED in Oxford, which inspired this talk.  The small world connections here blow my mind!

See you on the 6th!

—

And if you get so fired up at TEDx that you decide to finally start your business, attend our day-long Entrepreneur Conference on November 12. All proceeds go to a great cause, and I will be speaking alongside some other wonderful and inspiring entrepreneurs. Sign up here!

Sitting in the Dallas airport after having spent the weekend speaking and participating in Milana Leshinsky’s Coaching Millions Super Summit, I watched Chris Brogan’s 3-part video series on Overnight Success and felt my heart melt.

I related to so much of what he talked about, since I have spent so much time this summer on the road, promoting my book.

Getting out in front of people is critical, spreading the message of hope and connection through entrepreneurship is imperative, and creating a powerful business model that serves people well and provides well for my family is a must.

Thanks Chris for starting this conversation, and for illustrating the reality of what it means to do work you are passionate about.  Here are my thoughts:

At the management conference I attended in Pärnu, Estonia last week, we had a speaker from Denmark, Morten Lund,  a long-time entrepreneur who had, among other things, made good money investing in Skype.

As he launched into his presentation, he said:

“I have founded over 88 startups. And at the moment, I am bankrupt.”

Due to a failed investment in a newspaper business in his native Denmark, he had lost a lot of money.

But, he said, he actually was feeling quite good. He was spending lots of time with his four kids, whom he obviously adored.

And he remained passionate about entrepreneurship, saying that risk is a huge part of working with startups.

This news first came to light publicly at LeWeb in 2008, when he shared his story very openly with Loic Lemur:

Most people would do just about anything to avoid talking about personal failure. You can see Loic squirming a bit with the directness and honesty in the conversation.  We are not used to airing dirty laundry in public, and hearing it can make us uncomfortable.

Many entrepreneurs become paralyzed by it, even before starting their business:

“How can I coach if everyone knows I struggled with alcoholism?”

“How can I give others financial advice if I still carry debt?”

“How can I write about parenting teens if my child attempted suicide?”

It is scary as hell to talk about failure.

But a better question to ask yourself than:

“Who am I to talk about …”

is rather

“Who am I NOT to talk about …”

When you focus on meaning made in the world as a result of your work, bumps along the way must be part of the picture.

There is no shame in failure, only anxiety in keeping it hidden.

If you have failed, welcome to the human race. Please don’t let that stop you from starting a business.

I have been a fan of Gary Vaynerchuk for many years, enjoying his in-your-face enthusiasm and style on Wine Library TV and his own blog GaryVaynerchuk.com.

Gary used social media, crazy hard work and heart to grow his Dad’s (successful) brick-and-mortar wine business from $4 million to $60 million in five years. He has been featured on major media shows such as Ellen, The Today Show and Conan O’Brien (and about 12 others, the guy has got mainstream press mastered).

He just wrote a new book, out next week, called Why Now is the time to Crush It! – Cash in on Your Passion which explains the tactics he used to grow his business, and those of many others he consults with.

While not many people have the endurance and enthusiasm of Gary, we can all learn about working hard, choosing something we are truly passionate about and, in Gary’s words, “working our faces off” to get the word out using social media.

My favorite parts of the interview:

• Gary’s passionate view that if you don’t have a great product or service, all the marketing in the world won’t help
• “If you are worried about credibility, you don’t have it.”
• People in the 1930’s and 40’s would have “thrown up” in excitement over the power of free tools we have today to conduct business. So if you are not using social media yet, do it!
• “You can’t just read Chris Brogan’s blog and go to South by Southwest then call yourself a social media expert.”

I conducted the interview at my favorite local co-working site Gangplank. Thanks everyone for your support, and I sure am proud to be a member of the Phoenix entrepreneur community!

Enjoy the 20 minute interview, and pick up the book here, or from an independent bookstore.

Interview with Gary Vaynerchuck, author of Crush It! from Pamela Slim on Vimeo.

Phoenix residents: Gary will be here in the valley LIVE on Monday, October 26 at 7pm at Changing Hands bookstore in Tempe. Details here.  Please come down and hear him live, he is a great speaker and will fire you up! I will see you there!

—

(Technical note: I conducted this interview over Skype, and you may note that after the first minute of the interview my video box drops out of sight. I resized my Skype window so my friends at Gangplank could see the screen while I was doing the interview, and in doing so, it lowered the position of my dialogue box on the video. Oh well, you know me, you want to see Gary anyway! )

Spurred by some great emails and goading about my own pricing from friends and clients, I am really interested in doing a week-long series on my blog in November about pricing for small business.

It is a topic that involves a lot of art and science, and tends to bring up many strong feelings and emotions in new entrepreneurs.

I want to feature perspectives for different types of businesses like consulting, software as well as things like photography, art and hand-made crafts.

Some people I would like to interview are (I haven’t asked them yet, but with this post, the cat is out of the bag):

Havi Brooks from Fluent Self
Mark Silver from Heart of Business
Alan Weiss, known as the Million Dollar Consultant
Kendall Summerhawk who does a lot of work with coaches
Joel Spolsky from Fog Creek Software and the blog Joel on Software
John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing
Martha Beck, to talk about the fears and limiting beliefs that affect our pricing choices

My aim is to get a lot of different perspectives that will be useful to a broad range of entrepreneurs. If there is one thing I have learned about pricing, it is that there is no one approach that works for everyone.

Whom do you want to hear from?

What questions do you have about pricing?

I will work on this series and launch it in mid-November.

Thanks for your input!