CARMEN CARDOZA BUSINESS MATTERS

Strategy - Quality - Perseverance

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:27:00 +0000

I am thrilled to share that my first social media marketing seminar was a great success. The planning and coordination was impeccable thanks to the professional staff at the African American Chamber of Commerce. The attendance was impressive; including a variety of industries from banking, audio/visual/technology, leadership/talent development consultants, education, auctioneers, real estate/mortgage professionals, insurance, and a book author - to name a few. The response was so motivating and I am truly pleased to have followed through on this presentation. It was great to hear that the information was helpful, and that it was great to feel that the information and stories I shared may help an inspiring group of entrepreneurs and passionate professionals.

After practicing my presentation many times, my key messages finally jumped out at me - YESTERDAY - the day before my presentation. The three things that I wanted my audience to remember are to dive into the social media world with a strategy in place, to focus more on the quality of their social media marketing efforts and messaging, and less on the quantity they are reaching (or not reaching), and to persevere with patience. Why?

STRATEGIZE
When clients express frustration about how overwhelming social media is, or how they are not getting results, or how time consuming it is - I find that this is usually because they haven't worked at developing a detailed and workable plan of action, or setting workable goals. Many times they haven't identified a specific target profile, nor have they researched how information flows in their respective industry. Yes, this is work, but it is the necessary work to ensure that your efforts are progressive. So I equipped them with 7 STEPS TO BUILD A SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING STRATEGY.

Many couldn't wait until I host a follow-up seminar where I go through building a social media campaign - or the HOW. And I can't wait to present the HOW. However, I want to emphasize that you must go forth with a strategy to avoid burn out, disappointing results, and missing out on a great opportunity to really market your business - before you get to the HOW.

Rough beginnings of my blog editorial calendar

QUALITY
Another tool that I pushed during the presentation is to build an EDITORIAL CALENDAR. This is a life saver, motivator, and pain reliever all in one. Your editorial calendar allows you to map out an entire year's worth of messaging; everything from themes to topics, to content providers, and frequency of postings. Whether it's for a blog, a group you've created on LinkedIn, or discussions on Facebook - having an editorial calendar allows you to paint a chronological picture of what you are going to say, share, announce, and inform your audience about. It will allow you to determine if it's too ambitious, if you need to outsource your campaign, if it's underwhelming, etc.

An editorial calendar will help you provide quality content. Having goals also helps you implement a quality strategic marketing campaign because you will be more focused. It's not about saying 2,000 different things to 250 million users. It may be more about sharing and evolving a few key messages 2,000 times to 100 users (your dream clients).

PERSEVERANCE
Why perseverance? When you implement any marketing campaign you must factor in that you will not get immediate results. The same holds true for social media marketing. Yes, people are online all day, every day. However, it doesn't mean that you will get immediate feedback when you put something out into the world wide web.

With social media, you have to be proactively patient. Meaning, that as you are review your metrics, and they are not ideal numbers, you have to put on your analytical/imaginative hat and identify what you can do get more desirable results. This does not mean throwing the plan in the trash. This means taking your metrics, studying what's working, what's not working, and what is showing potential; going back to your editorial calendar and tweaking the messaging. You may have to do this over and over again, but it's easier now because you've already done all the hard work of setting it all up.

BUILD YOUR STRATEGY - THIS IS THE FIRST STEP
Social media is powerful. Social media has made marketing accessible to many more entrepreneurs. Social media is now an essential tool that should be a part of your marketing plan. Build your strategy. This is quite an endeavor but it is well worth the effort, and is actually a great opportunity to address gaps in your business, to be frank with yourself about what you have to invest to get it done, and to commit and follow through on something that is beneficial for you, your team and your business.

I will be sharing the slides of the presentation soon, so stay tuned!

Happy Freelancing,
Carmen

My Latest Obsession - Infographics

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:18:00 +0000

Flowtown - Social Media Marketing Application

My latest obsession - infographics. I'm actually in the middle of doing some inspiration research for an infographic project and have come across many lovely infographics which I'm sharing via Twitter and Facebook. I thought I'd share this one on the blog. It's "old" - 2010 but an interesting representation of social media world domination!

I feel that this will be the year of slide decks and infographics for me.

Enjoy and happy freelancing, Carmen

In Search of an Outfit for My Upcoming Presentation

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:50:00 +0000

Countdown - 10 days left to my upcoming Social Media Marketing presentation. I am going over my notes, tweaking my introduction to death, and making sure I'm cutting down on my "ummm's". But what will I wear??? I haven't bought a suit in YEARS! So I am planning to run to the stores in search of the perfect presentation outfit. My first thought was a suit, but I'm having a change of heart. I think a dress will suit me best. I want to look like a mature professional, yes. But I also want to wear some energy, creativity and fun. After all, marketing and design are about energy, creativity and fun. So here are some dresses I am considering.

This Michael Kors Tweed Belted Dress, complete with a brown leather belt, might be just the dress for my upcoming presentation.

I this this Trina Turk Mariposa Ponte Dress has a lovely silhouette with the draped side pleats on one side, giving it a touch of modernity and flare, but still professional.

Red? Yes, red. This Nanette Lepore dress is bold! I like V neck, spread collar, and cap sleeves. This would make for an interesting look for a presentation. I love the bold red and the contrasting black "belt"; the bows giving a hint of femininity.

A standout - this Moschino Sleeveless Color Block Dress Black and white block dress with gold accents - could work. I'm guessing the model is way taller than I am, so the dress may not look so short on me.

Back to a more professional look.

Gorgeous! Still hoping this wouldn't be as short on me.

I am a black-and-white print aficionado. and I love the smart stripes in this Ralph Lauren Cowl Neck Striped Dress. Fresh and modern, just what I'm looking for.

Okay, so decision has been made. I'm going for a dress. Now, what about the shoes???

Happy freelancing,
Carmen

Save the Date: Social Media Marketing Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:28:00 +0000

I am thrilled to announce I'll be hosting a seminar on leveraging social media to boost business development efforts and results. This seminar is made possible by one of my clients/partners, IQuest Concepts, LLC, and will be held at the National Entrepreneur Center: African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida - located at 3201 E Colonial Drive, Suite A-20 | Orlando Fashion Square (covered parking by JC Penney & Sears).

In this seminar, I'm not only going to acquaint you with the world of social media, but we will also go over how to build a social media marketing strategy. My goal is to make social media marketing less intimidating for small business owners, and to show the power of building a strategy and managing a campaign.

We will lunch, learn, and share successes and challenges when it comes to implementing and managing social media as a sales and marketing tool. This seminar will be held on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 from 11:30am to 1pm.

If you live in the Central Florida area and would like to participate, please RSVP to Reservations@BlackCommerce.org. If you have any questions regarding the seminar, shoot me an email.

Happy Freelancing!

Carmen

Creating a Logo with a Touch of Modern Grace

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:31:00 +0000

I am so excited about my new client, and if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you know that this is also my new favorite boutique and source for dresses - Modern Grace Boutique. What a dream to bring fashion, a boutique, and my work, all together.

Grace Mendoza, the owner of Modern Grace Boutique, and I made an instant connection when we met weeks ago. I fell in love with her boutique and with her story (more on that later). This post is about how we gave the Modern Grace Boutique logo a facelift.

1. Grace has kept a Nanette Lepore body lotion box for years, because she loves the colors and the flowers in the packaging. She was happy to finally bring out "the box" and share it with someone that could help her make her branding dreams come true.

2. The last batch of business cards and hang tags MGB printed include a graphic provided by an online printer. Grace loved the colors and the elements in the graphic - mannequin, storefront window, awning, etc., but admitted that it has a kind of elementary feel to it. There is nothing wrong with that, if that is what you are going for. We are going for a more adult whimsy.

3. Lastly, Grace actually drew the original Modern Grace Boutique logo (above) when she opened her shop over seven years ago as a way to save money. Her logo is a sofa; giving the sense of a welcoming, non-intimidating boutique. We wanted to keep the sofa, but take it to the next level.

First, I searched for a sofa with curvy lines. I chose to make the sofa black and white and put it against a soft pink backdrop.

Then I used the current MGB font, Parisian. It's an elegant font and juxtaposes nicely against the curviness of the sofa. The mannequin was necessary to ensure that consumers know that Modern Grace Boutique is a fashion shop, not a furniture shop.

Then, there is the window and awning. I used similar colors to those on the latest business card. Then I thought, "Why not put the Modern Grace Boutique logo on the storefront window?" Grace loved this because she actually does have a cream vintage sofa in her store, behind her storefront window.

Remember the flowers from the Nanette Lapore packaging? I drew similar flowers to put in the flower box of the storefront window. Since the mannequin looked awkward on the window, I placed the mannequin in front of the window instead, and changed its color from black to the darker pink hue.

To add more balance and texture, we added polka dots to the awning and a bar with scrolls to the top. This is the complete logo. However, we will use the simpler version below interchangeably.

We are quite pleased with the results. In fact, Grace's words were, "I love it. It's perfect. I want to marry it!"

Stop by Modern Grace Boutique's site, like MGB on Facebook, and follow MGB on Twitter. If you live in the Orlando, Florida area, you won't want to miss MGB's specials, events, and great selection. If you don't live close enough to stop by, show a little support to a small business anyway.

Happy Freelancing!

P.S. After writing this post, Grace and I agreed that although we love the big comfy new sofa, the old sofa was more abstract and had a real artsy feel - which we wanted. So I recreated the original hand-drawn logo digitally, cleaned it up a bit here and there, a nip and a tuck over here, a little shorter there, kept the white color, and voila -

We LOVE the results! It was actually a great idea to bring back the old sofa - new and improved!

Happy Freelancing!

Carmen

Client Love - Glitterrings

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:39:00 +0000

It's been quite an exciting month for one of my favorite clients, Glitterrings. A fashion jewelry line full to the brim with glamour, elegance, and luxury, Glitterrings works with designers across the globe to bring their customers unique, beautifully designed, top-notch quality fashion rings. Glitterrings launched in May of 2011. I was introduced to the company and brought in after the online store was launched to maintain the site's inventory. Our relationship has grown quite a bit since then and happily, so is Glitterrings.

Earlier this month, Glitterrings introduced plus sizes for a variety of their rings. I was very excited to add a beautiful collection of holiday inspired rings to the Glitterrings jewelry line - plenty of glitzy stocking stuffers. Check out the collection on Facebook - just lovely.

It was fun to add this press mention to the Glitterrings site. People StyleWatch included the Glenda ring in its pages. To top it off, I was filled in on a little secret that I will share when the time is right, but I can tell you that it's an incredible celebrity collaboration, and I get to be a part of it! How fun is that? If you want to stay on top of Glitterrings' happenings, follow them on Twitter.

So with all this activity, Glitterrings decided that as elegant and beautiful as their site may be, it was just too quiet and needed some life. They asked me for ideas, and I delivered promptly, as we wanted to do all this livening up in time for the holidays!

So when I look at the site, I think Bloomingdale's or Macy's storefront window displays. Each window spotlighting an incredible style. My thought was, let's add another 'floor' to this store and more 'windows'. These windows will include promotions, features, and announcements. They will encourage more interaction with customers and create a sense of activity. Glitterrings has lots to share this month, so we couldn't wait for the new and improved look.

So we now have a "first floor" and "second floor". The first floor welcomes you with information that engages customers. This season the windows share a feature in People StyleWatch, an introduction to Glitterrings' Holiday Collection which you can like on Facebook, and an announcement - Free Shipping during Black Friday weekend and a 20% off sale!

The second floor spotlights Glitterrings' main collections - Faux Real, Gilty Pleasures, Unforgettable, and Trend - directing customers throughout the store.

Go check it out live! We are all very happy with the results. I see lots of fun opportunities with the new window displays, and I'm really pleased that we were able to execute this makeover in time for the holiday season - timed beautifully.

Happy Freelancing!
Carmen

Training Makes Money: Challenge & Equip Your Team to Run Like a Finely Tuned Machine

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:22:00 +0000

You cannot set higher standards or expect your team to go to the next level of sales and service, if you are not equipping your team for business success. Ongoing and continuing training will help you build a finely tuned machine for a thriving business.

Some managers view training as an INTERFERENCE with “work” to be done.

But, consider the tale of the two woodcutters.

Woodcutter A diligently cuts wood all day.

While Woodcutter B keeps stopping and sitting down throughout the day.

At the end of the day...

Woodcutter B has three times more wood than Woodcutter A.

Woodcutter A is perplexed. "How could this happen? You were resting all day!"

Woodcutter B explains, "I wasn't resting. I was sharpening my saw."

The moral of the story - take the time to sharpen your skills, your tools, and your resources, and you will be more productive.

Whether you're a one-person army or a Fortune 500 firm, you need to be working on your skills.

TRAINING SETS STANDARDS

If you don't train your team, you cannot realistically expect your team to get to the next level or, to meet your standards and expectations.

TRAINING MAKES MONEY

Clients who experience consistent top-notch service, no matter who they are dealing with in your organization, will keep coming back.

TRAINING SAVES MONEY

Regular training reduces employee turnover. What's more, when employees know exactly what to do in any situation, they have the tools to thrive in your organization.

So, the most important thing you can do for your business and your team, is to insist upon mandatory and regular skills training.

Repetition is the key to preprogramming your company or department to run like a machine.

Consider a typical training program.

You are supplied with loads of information from very knowledgeable trainers.

Then they leave.

You are charged up and excited. You feel empowered and energized.

The perception is that you have received a lot of VALUE because you have gained a lot of INFORMATION.

In fact, the reality is that all that information remains as such, because without continuous follow-up, very little sticks from a one-shot training.

A better way is in sight.

Simple. By rotating core material regularly, the same concepts are constantly reinforced and reiterated.

Again, constantly teach new information, again and again, until the skill becomes PERMANENT.

After one training session, your skills improve and in time dwindle down and only some permanent skill remains.

Repeated training sessions continue to build on the newly acquired skills you have retained until you have mastered the skill.

So, here is how to run a training program.

Tell your team what to expect.

This includes: What will be covered. How long it will take. How the information will be covered. The objective of the particular session. The obtained skill or knowledge that you hope they will gain.

Create a training environment that is conducive to learning.

Make the training session fun and open to comments, jokes, and suggestions. A training session should be visual and interactive. Above all, make training sessions mandatory.

Let's take a look at some training methods to consider.

The Lecture Format is where you talk and they listen.

If you’re looking for substantial input or group processing from your training session, the Lecture Format is not ideal.

The Group Questions Format is where you present broad questions to the group and ask for a show of hands.

This is an interactive method of training. It makes for a good introduction tool. The Group Questions Format helps guide your group to conclude what is at stake in a given training session, if it is not addressed.

The Group Discussions Format is where you facilitate discussion around a given topic or issue for specific feedback from the group.

This format keeps participants engaged. The Group Discussions Format extracts common themes that need addressing in the training session.

The Demonstration Format is where the supervisor demonstrates how employees should perform a given task. This is a powerful training tool because it shows the team that as the leader, you are involved, and can relate to their challenges.

Furthermore, it allows you as the supervisor to test your processes and procedures and have greater insight.

Use the Demonstrations Format to solicit questions and probe, to determine the level of understanding from your team.

The Role Playing Format is where employees demonstrate back to the supervisor. Another powerful tool, this helps to take some of the anxiety from the salesperson, as s/he is confronting his/her discomfort zone, with the support of the team. It seems torturous but it is a great empowering tool.

Role Playing helps each team member automatically do what she is supposed to do even when she’s rushed, challenged, or surrounded by distractions.

The Going Deeper Format drills down on the minute details of a process until participants get everything practically perfect. This is particularly painful if you are the one on the hot seat, but it's a great tool for getting to the nitty gritty of obstacles and challenges with a new skill.

This is a highly eﬀective method to improve skills. The Going Deeper Format reveals gaps in the process or neglected steps in the process. It helps everyone in the team come up with solutions.

The Case Studies Format includes concrete examples and case studies in which the concept you are teaching made a big diﬀerence.

This helps make the training more entertaining. It helps create a more relaxed environment, and people remember stories, especially when they are dramatic or humorous.

The Test Before & After Format is where you develop a test for every concept or skill you teach.

These tests show participants how much they are going to learn and makes the answers stick when they learn them.

In the Spot Quiz Format, the trainer quizzes participants on material that has been covered to help program the basics.

Little by little, whatever you cover again and again, eventually sticks.

These are all great, individually. But the most powerful training you can conduct integrates all these formats.

The most powerful training you can conduct is the Workshop Training Format.

Workshops are a powerful way to facilitate training, improve skills, and implement new procedures.

Stay tuned for a slide deck on Workshop Training

One more thing...

You must have some kind of ongoing and continuing technology training so that all employees know how to take advantage of the technology in front of them.

A business that invests in regular training of its employees, builds a team of well-equipped, confident, and loyal professionals that attract more clients and consistently provide top-notch service. In turn, you gain happy loyal clients who help your business thrive; allowing you to further invest in empowering your team to succeed.

Are you ready to set higher standards and equip your team to run like a finely tuned machine?

Great Time Management Secrets in 6 Steps and 5 Minutes

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:33:00 +0000

Following, are six steps to great time management as outlined in one of my favorite books, The Ultimate Sales Machine. The key message being that we must condition our concentration muscles in order to get what matters done. This is about equipping yourself and your team to make the most of the work day, and make profound transformations in your business.

In your business or department, do you function primarily in a reactive mode or a proactive mode?

In order to build the ultimate productivity machine and avoid burn out you and/or your team must function in a primarily proactive mode.

Here are some good indicators to help you assess whether you are functioning reactively or proactively.

You must equip yourself AND your team to be time management gurus (and on the same page), if you wish for your business to thrive.

So here are the 6 fundamental steps to implementing great time management.

Step 1
Can I deal with this now?

In other words, to transition into proactive mode you have to stay focused on your must-do's. If it's not on your Must Do list and can wait - file the item in an appropriate folder, add it to your To Do list, and get back to your Must Do list.

Step 2:
A daily Must Do list will double your productivity.

Keep a master To Do list for all pending items, ideas, etc. However, keep a daily Must Do list of the 6 most important things you must get done today.

Step 3:
How much time will it take to complete each task?

This is important. Next to each item on your Must Do list, write down how much time you will realistically spend on each item.

Step 4:
Plan your day

Assign time slots for everything. Your plan should include your 6 must-do's, emails and phone calls, and miscellaneous tasks. Even carve out time for interruptions, as they will come.

Step 5:
Prioritize

You may want to go straight to the easier tasks first. Instead, tackle the more difficult projects on your must do list first. As the day goes by, you will lose some energy and focus. You don't want to confront the difficult projects at that time.

Tip:
Group all your reactive work together for better efficiency.

Step 6:
Will it hurt me to throw this away?

In other words, de-clutter your space and your mind. Stop holding on to busy work. You will waste precious time filing info that you may never refer to again or that you can find elsewhere, if necessary.

Conclusion
When something (someone) interferes with your schedule, deal with it/her/him and get back to your schedule.

Nothing new, right? We know all of this. So what's the point?

Implementation, is the point. Do you have the pig-headed discipline and determination to implement these simple steps?

I know I'm working on it.

Challenge yourself.

Are you a time management guru? How do you organize your day? Does your team follow the same time management principles that you follow?

Happy freelancing! Carmen

Slide Deck On Discipline & Determination for Business Success

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:05:00 +0000

You must apply pig-headed discipline and determination when it comes to marketing, managing, and selling your products and/services, for greater business development results.

Everyone loves a good quote.

PIG-HEADED DISCIPLINE & DETERMINATION aka PhDD

The powerful force you must apply for creating success.

The difference between mediocrity and greatness.

MARKETING, MANAGEMENT and SALES

The three crucial areas you need to focus on to master your business and run it like a finely tuned sales-making machine.

IMPLEMENTATION, NOT IDEAS

The key to real success. "Throughout my career and via benchmarking projects I have conducted for clients, time and time again I come across the same challenge for many companies, large and small – implementation."

No matter if you have the budget, the personnel, and all the resources and tools you could ever need - if you do not follow through on a project or idea, you cannot succeed - or fail for that matter.

FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS MOST

Building a sales machine is not about trying to do 4,000 new things each day.

It is about focusing on a reasonable number of key strategies and practicing each of those 4,000 times.

Absolutely commit one hour a week to see profound improvements in your business or department.

In that hour, do absolutely nothing else but work on making your business more effective.

Another good quote.

Postscript:

When I was in college one of my study tools was writing things down. Writing what I was hearing, reading, seeing, feeling, and learning helped me digest and retain information better. Years later, I am visualizing my note-taking. As I continue to evolve as a graphic designer, I am finding that those words that I am writing down to remember lessons, key messages, and research data, I now need to visualize. I want to give those words colors and shapes. I want to lay them out in a simple, clean manner. I guess it's my way of de-cluttering and organizing the information overload; putting all the data pieces together and connecting them.

One of my favorite books is The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes. Asisde from the title of the book, I really do think the information in this book is fantastic. I think the title is limiting and gimmicky. This book is not just about sales. It is about running a business/department. It is about productivity and results in business management. The subtitle: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies sits better with me than the actual title. I ran across a review of the book that pretty much mirrors my opinion on the title, but I digress.

I will be visualizing my notes on those 12 key strategies and sharing them on this blog. Hence, the slide decks. I hope you find them helpful.

Happy freelancing!

Creating a Logo with an I and a Quest for Innovation

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:51:00 +0000

Company: IQuest Concepts, LLC

Key Words in Creating Concept: modern, clean, creative, simple, i, q, young, innovative

Highlights: I love that the client and I immediately gravitated towards the color orange for this logo. It's a toasty orange and is quite lovely beside the charcoal gray with a hint of green. Very fresh - which is what IQuest Concepts is all about.

I also love that as I was creating the "cutout" of the lower case "q" on the orange background, all of a sudden the letter "i" popped out. Coincidentally, my client was secretly hoping for the letter "i" to make an appearance in the logo. We accomplished both, playing with the negative white space.

Now it's time to finalize the beginnings of our messaging. So far we've been able to define IQuest Concepts...

"IQuest Concepts, LLC is a multidimensional development consulting and business venture management firm. We partner with a select group of clients from concept to completion, creating unique and results-driven business solutions for start-ups, growth opportunities, and progressive market share.

Our team is built on professionals with the experience, expertise and passion, to deliver transformative results to emerging and growing businesses."

Happy freelancing!

I Quest Inspiration - A Latest Project

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:47:00 +0000

My latest project is with a new company, iQuest Concepts, LLC. The scope of the work involved includes branding, messaging, website design + development, integrated marketing (social media & traditional), etc.

We agreed to embark on this venture late last night.

Prior to having a Q & A session with the company this morning, I decided to look up the word 'quest' for some inspiration. Then I visited a new favorite site, Wordle.net, to visualize the words I came across.

Here's what I've got so far. It's a sweet site. I just plugged in the words, and it created this visual for me.

More interesting details about my work with iQuest Concepts to come.

Happy freelancing!
Carmen

Everything Else Is Secondary

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:20:00 +0000

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life...

Don’t be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.

And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

They somehow already know what you truly want to become.

Everything else is secondary.

Steve Jobs
1955-2011

How to Add a Blog Feed to Your Website Using Feedburner

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:31:00 +0000

One of the most important things you can do when setting up your blog is to get your RSS feed set up with a web feed management provider. Making it easy for your readers to get updates of your new posts is essential. If you have a website in addition to your blog, then let's take it a step further. If your website and blog work together then you should feature your blog on your website. In this tutorial you will learn how to set up a blog feed on your website using Feedburner.

A LITTLE 101
RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication" and is basically just a way for people to subscribe to your site and get notification each time there is new content on your site. Feeds are a way for websites to distribute their content beyond relying on visitors to come across their sites using search engine browsers. Feeds allow readers to subscribe to regular updates, delivered automatically via a web portal, news reader, or email. Feeds also package site content into "widgets," "gadgets," mobile devices, and other bite-sized technologies that can be displayed anywhere - blogs, podcasts, etc.

If you have a website, blog, audio/video content, or even photos, you can offer a feed of your content as an option. If you are using a popular blogging platform or publishing tool like TypePad, Wordpress, or Blogger, you likely publish a feed already. There are also tools on the market that can help transform traditional web content into the right format for feed distribution.

The Benefits of Setting Up a Feed
For the reader, you can keep track of a large number of your favorite websites or blogs without having to remember to check each site manually, or cluttering your email inbox. For the publisher, feeds permit instant distribution of content and the ability to make it "subscribable."

Why Feedburner?
Most blog sites already have an RSS feed set up and ready to go. Feedburner is a service provided by Google that includes many additional useful features to your RSS feed.

ADDING A BLOG FEED TO YOUR WEBSITE
1. Go to http://feedburner.com. If you already have a Google account, you can log in with your Google credentials. If you already have Feedburner activated, skip to step 4.
2. Type in your site or existing feed url to activate your Feedburner feed.
3. Next, type in a memorable and simple title and url for your feed.
4. Click on your blog link to open your dashboard. Now you can customize the appearance and activate extra features on your feed.
5. Click on the Publicize tab.
6. Click on BuzzBoost from the left sidebar menu. BuzzBoost gives you a snippet of JavaScript that you can paste into your html page.

7. Customize the feed settings including how many post items to display, if you want to include a feed title, the publication date, etc.
8. Activate/save your settings and copy the code snippet.

9. On your html page, paste the code snippet where you'd like it to be displayed on your web page.

10. You may want to change the appearance of your BuzzBoost feed to match the style on your web site.

11. Go to the Using and Customizing BuzzBoost Appearance page. Take note of the id and class names you can use to style specific elements in your BuzzBoost widget, using your Cascading Style Sheet. A few changes I made:

(1) Changed the list element's "list-style-type" to "none", to remove the bullet beside my post excerpt. (2) Styled the headline to look like the rest of the headings in my footer section. (3) Decreased the date's font-size to 90% and positioned the date to the right of and below the post excerpt. (4) Decreased the "excerptLength" parameter in the original JavaScript code snippet from 50 to 30 words to be shown in my blog feed excerpt.

That's it! Now those who visit your site can click on the blog feed excerpt and go directly to your blog to read more.

Happy freelancing!

Portfolios, Blogs, and Word of Mouth

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:13:00 +0000

Last week was quite an encouraging week. H.B. (mentor) and I are on quite a roll. Our weekly meetings are progressing very well, and last week I presented him with a revised marketing strategy that focuses primarily on social media marketing. Have you read my "huge" revelation?

Although not fully launched, I started taking inventory of my social media channels to see what could be improved thus far. I concluded that I must have two separate Twitter accounts; one for my creative outlet blog/adventures and the other for my freelance work. I also concluded that more how-to's and tutorials are the way to go because it's precisely the type of information I like to share. Can I tell you what a difference these small adjustments have made?

Within a week of making a few simple and focused changes, the rate of new followers of my blog has notably increased, and I was contacted by a company inquiring if I’d like to host a giveaway. This is for my personal blog. On the professional side, I was invited to join an online community, Forrst (more on how fantastic this has been to come soon) strictly for designers and developers. Now, I don't know how much of this to attribute directly to the changes that I am gradually making, but I am a firm believer that activity begets activity, and strategized activity begets real results. So here are a few things that I'm working on this week to get going.

Mini-Makeover
Currently I'm working on a mini-makeover of my website. I've streamlined my service offerings (design, development, and marketing strategies), made a few cosmetic changes here and there, and I am going to do a major redesign of my portfolio. Why?

My website is the beginning and end of my marketing initiative. I want it to be my 24/7 workhorse; providing visitors with enough information about me, my services and style, to incite a call/inquiry. As I work from home, my website is my store front/office. Since I have an insanely limited marketing budget, my website serves as my trade show booth, billboard, brochure, etc. I'm sure you get the point. Most importantly, my website will house my portfolio, giving visitors a glimpse of my design and development capabilities. Needless to say, I want this page to be special. Any ideas?

I'd love to get feedback on the changes I've made to my website so far. I do want to add a few dynamic elements like a feed of my latest blog post in the footer section, and perhaps some looping images.

Going Deeper
I've been studying my blog posts and the ones that have gotten the most visits. So, I'm brainstorming more tutorials, more tips, more lessons learned - the things that apparently readers are interested in. It makes sense since many of us are looking for inspiration, creativity and insight. So why is it important for me to work on my blog?

I started this blog to gather perspective, good information, real information, new techniques and strategies for business success, as well as solutions for my particular services in marketing, design and development. It made sense to me to share this information and these solutions as I go along. I want my website to be concise and to the point, but I want my blog to go a bit deeper than that.

Schmoozing
Admittedly, I know that Facebook will play a major role in my strategy, but I am still brainstorming on how to really work this tool, other than getting people to like my Facebook page. I have to say that I really enjoy Twitter. Twitter appeals to me because of its concise and to-the-point nature. I get links to really useful information from those that I follow. I give my followers and blog readers just the right amount of attention by sharing links to information that I find useful, helpful, or interesting, and simply letting them know when I've posted something new for them to see what I'm up to.

Facebook pages are more detailed than Twitter. You can include videos, photos, and longer descriptions of your products, services, or whatever you are sharing with your Facebook followers. It can even include testimonials for others to see.

On Twitter you can promote products/services/value propositions on an individual level, in short messages that followers are more likely to read. These messages can link back to your website and/or blog, be liked on your Facebook page, or just incite a direct exchange with someone who may or may not be following you, yet.

Conclusion
I strongly believe that blogging and social networking will help me grow my freelance business, open doors for me, and help me to gradually incorporate more traditional marketing mediums that I am eager to pursue as my marketing budget grows.

Do you have a strategy for your niche, product or service? Has social media marketing worked for you? Share.

Happy freelancing!

Create a Lunar Mandala with Illustrator & Photoshop, Part I

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:44:00 +0000

Today we are going to create a vibrant lunar phases mandala with a hand-colored style. In Part I, we will use Adobe Illustrator to lay out the artwork, create the shapes, and choose the base colors. In Part II, we will use Adobe Photoshop to paint the vector artwork.

I wanted to create an artistic representation of the eight phases of the moon cycle for an Intuitive Arts series I'll be posting on my personal blog, Poppies & Pencilshavings. During my inspiration research, I came across Amy Swagman’s Birth Art Mandalas, and was particularly drawn to the Lunar Belly mandala pictured below on the right, so I am using this particular piece as inspiration for my digital rendition.

“A mandala is an integrated structure  organized around a  unifying center.”

~ Longchenpa

A Little Information About Mandalas
Mandala is a Sanskrit word loosely translated to mean “circle.” It represents wholeness and depicts our relation to the infinite and the world within and beyond us. The mandala is believed to appear in all aspects of life i.e. the celestial circles earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community.

“In Eastern traditions, mandalas are used often as a teaching and meditative practice. In Tibetan Buddhism they create elaborate mandalas of colored sand to be brushed away when done, symbolizing impermanence. The act of creating a mandala can be a meditation unto itself, or you can meditate while gazing at one. In Christianity mandalas can be found in the form of a Celtic Cross, the halo, the rosary, etc.” [source: Amy Swagman]

Step 1 :: Set Up Your Canvas and Colors
Create a new document in Adobe Illustrator. Make it 615 x 615 pixels, the color mode depends on where you want to use your image – use RGB for monitor and CMYK for print. Let’s make a background first – create a 615 x 615 pixels square using the rectangle tool and fill with white. Rename this layer to bgrnd and lock it.

You can create swatches in your Swatches window to organize your color scheme and have it handy. This piece is about your creativity so go ahead and choose whatever colors you would like in your mandala.

Step 2 :: Create Circles
Create a 520 x 520 pixels circle and give it a golden yellow fill. Center it in your artboard and lock it into place [CMD + 2] to avoid selecting it when selecting smaller objects in your artboard. Next, we are going to create the eight moons representing the moon's phases.

Create a 104 x 104 pixels circle and fill with white. Align the first circle in the Top, Center of the artboard. This is the First Quarter Moon. Position the circle in the 53px Y position to sit a bit below the inside of the mandala. With the circle still selected go to Object - Transform - Move. You want to create a circle on the opposite end of your artboard. Insert Vertical Position 406/7px and press Copy. I calculated this number by adding the Y position (105px) of the first circle its height (104px) and subtracting that number from the height of the artboard (615px). You now have your Third Quarter Moon.

With both circles selected, right-click and select Rotate from the drop down menu. Rotate 45 degrees and press Copy. You have now added the Full Moon and New Moon, from left to right. Now press [CMD + D] two times to continue rotating and copying the circles.

You now have all eight lunar phases perfectly in place within the mandala. Select all eight moons, group them [CMD + G] and lock them into place [CMD + 2].

Step 3 :: Create Flowers
Create a 175px x 175px circle. Center the circle on your artboard and fill it with a rich red. With the red circle selected, go to Effect - Distort & Transform - Pucker & Bloat. Enter 100% and click Ok. Go to Object - Expand Appearance.

Now we are going to make the tip of each petal pointed. Click on the Pen Tool. Select Add Anchor Point Tool on the drop down menu. Add an anchor point to the tip of each petal. Now grab the Direct Selection Tool, press and hold down the Shift key to select the four newly added anchor points. Click on Convert Selected Anchor Points to Corner icon on the applications toolbar.

Right-click on the object and select Rotate on the drop down menu. Rotate 45 degrees and click on Copy. Select both objects. Go to Object - Compound Path - Make. Now your petals are merged into one shape.

With the Pen tool. Trace along the path of the star-shaped spaced in the center to create an object. Fill it with white. We'll come back to it later. Select the flower. Go to Object - Path - Offset Path. Offset: 10px - Joins: Rounded - Miter limit: 4

Right-click - Rotate. Rotate the new object by 22 degrees and fill with orange. We are now going to create a circular pattern of small flowers.

Create a small flower using the same steps above. Start with a 25px x 25px circle. Go to Effect - Distort & Transform - Pucker & Bloat. Bloat the circle to 85%. With object selected, right-click - Rotate. Rotate 46 degrees and click Copy.

Position the small flower in the Top, Center of the artboard. Then go to the Y axis on your Application Toolbar and input 190px to place the flower inside the orange petal. We're going to create a circular pattern of these tiny flowers. With the flower selected, go to Object - Transform - Move. Horizontal: 0 - Vertical:150px - Angle: -90. Click on Copy.

Then we are going to select both flowers. Right-click and select Rotate. Rotate 23 degrees to position flowers over the orange petals. Keep both flowers selected. Right-click and select Rotate. Rotate 45 degrees and click Copy. Then press [CMD + D] twice to complete the circular pattern of flowers.

Create a 175px x 175px circle, and center it on your artboard. Remove the fill and choose a stroke color. I went with a green-yellow stroke color. With the circle selected, go to Effect - Distort & Transform - Pucker & Bloat. Apply 100% Bloat.

Expand the object. Right-click - Rotate - 15 degrees - Copy. The petals are now overlapping. Press [CMD + D] repeatedly until you've created a circle of overlapping petals. Group and move the overlapping petals behind the small flowers.

Create a 275px x 275px circle and fill it with green. Move the green circle behind all the petals. Unlock your petals for a few adjustments. Let's make the orange petals longer and larger. Increase the width to 300px (constraining proportions). Change the width of the red petals to 270px. Change the width of the overlapping petals to 275px.

Step 4 :: Add Depth & Contrast

I wanted to add more depth and a contrasting color to the flower object. Create a 330px x 330px circle and fill it with a dark muted purple. With the circle selected, go to Effect - Distort & Transform - Pucker & Bloat. Apply 100% Bloat. Click OK.

Go to Object Menu and Expand Appearance. Now go to Effect - Distort & Transform - Transform. We are going to Rotate this object by 6 degrees 16 times. Select all the shapes and in Pathfinder, click on Unite. Reduce the circle to 285px. Center the circle on the art board and position it behind the green circle.

Let's change the white star in the center to something more floral. Change the fill of the existing star shape to a purple shade. Go to Effect - Distort & Transform - Pucker & Bloat. Apply -125% Pucker. Click OK. Now the shape blends in with the rest of the flower. Make sure all your layers are locked, with exception of the moons layers. It is time to create the phases of the moon.

Step 5 :: Create the Moons

Change the fill of the moons to a shade of blue, representing the part of the moon that is not visible. Copy the group and Paste Back. Change the fill of this moon group to a light yellow, representing the part of the moon that is visible. Copy this group and Paste Back. Change the fill of this moon group to the same shade of blue as the top moon group. These moon shapes will help when we are cutting out parts of the moon. Let's start with the easy ones first, shall we.

Ungroup all the moon groups. Let's start with the New Moon (Right, Center). Delete the first and second moon and keep the bottom (blue-filled) moon. Directly across the New Moon is the Full Moon (Left, Center). For this moon, delete the top-most and the bottom moon, and keep the middle (yellow) moon. Done.

Now we will create the half moons. For the Third Quarter Moon (Bottom, Center), start by deleting the top most moon. With your Direct Selection Tool, click on the right center anchor point of the yellow moon and press delete. This will cut out the right side of the moon, exposing the blue moon behind it. Group the two objects.

Repeat these same steps with the First Quarter Moon (Top, Center) just in opposite directions. For this moon we will want to cut out the left side of the yellow moon, exposing the blue moon behind it. We will now create the Crescent Moons.

For the Waxing Crescent Moon (Right, above New Moon) we will simply move the top blue moon 10px over to the left [SHIFT + <]. Select the top blue moon and the yellow moon behind it. Go to Pathfinder and click on the Minus Front tool. This will remove the top of the moon and what is directly beneath it, leaving you with a yellow crescent shape and exposing the blue moon at the bottom, serving as the remainder of the moon that is not illuminated.

For the Waning Crescent Moon (Left, below Full Moon), we will need to swap the colors. So the top most and bottom most will be yellow and the middle moon will be blue. Then we simply move the top yellow moon 10px over to the left [SHIFT + < ] revealing the blue moon underneath. Select the top yellow moon and the blue moon behind it. Go to Pathfinder and click on the Minus Front tool. This will remove the top of the moon and what is directly beneath it, leaving you with a blue crescent shape to the right. The yellow moon that is revealed below now serves as the receding illumination. Now we will create the Gibbous Moons.

For the Waxing Gibbous Moon (Left, above Full Moon) we want to shuffle the colors. So the top most and bottom most will be yellow and the middle moon will be blue. Then we simply move the top yellow moon 10px over to the right [SHIFT + >] revealing the blue moon underneath. Select the top yellow moon and the blue moon behind it. Go to Pathfinder and click on the Minus Front tool. This will remove the top of the moon and what is directly beneath it, leaving you with a blue crescent shape to the left. The yellow moon that is revealed below now serves as the growing illumination.

Repeat the same steps with the Waning Gibbous Moon (Right, below New Moon), just in opposite directions and no need to swap colors. For this moon we will want the yellow crescent on the left side of the moon. We are done with our moons. Let's continue to add more decorative elements, and play with colors and strokes to start giving our objects a hand-drawn feel, which is my favorite style of illustration.

Step 6 :: Style & Accessorize

Create a 17px x17px circle. Fill with purple. Center it on the artboard and position it vertically so that it sits slightly below the center of the moon. Go to Object - Transform - Move. Type 390px in the Vertical Position field and click Copy.

Now select both circles. Right-click - Rotate - 23 degrees. This will position the small circles between two moons. Select both circles again. Right-click - Rotate - 45 degrees - click Copy. Press [CMD + D] two more times to continue the rotate and copy patter until we have a circular patter. Now let's add one more decorative pattern.

I drew the red angels along the inside border of the mandala with the brush tool (Stroke Weight = 0.0137 and Brush Definition = Charcoal-Thin). I drew one angel and then followed the same steps above to create the circular pattern for the purple circles.

Now it's time to add more style to our artwork. Let's start by giving the edges of our elements a more hand-drawn feel. All your layers should be locked. Unlock each layer as you go, to keep everything in its place. Double-click the stroke icon on the Tools bar so that all the colors and styles you choose will be on the strokes and not the fills of your objects.

These are the stroke specs I used:
Purple circles :: Stroke Weight = 0.0097 Brush Definition = Pencil-Feather
Small flowers :: Stroke Weight = 0.0139 Brush Definition = Basic
Purple center :: Stroke Weight = 0.0022 Brush Definition = Pencil-Thick
Overlapping petals :: Stroke Weight = 0.0162 Brush Definition = Pencil-Thick
Red petals :: Stroke Weight = 0.0134 Brush Definition = Pencil-Feather
Orange petals :: Stroke Weight = 0.0327 Brush Definition = Pencil
Lunas :: Stroke Weight = 0.0078 Brush Definition = Charcoal-Tapered
Green globe :: Stroke Weight = 0.0139 Brush Definition = Pencil-Thick
Blue scallops :: Stroke Weight = 0.0168 Brush Definition = Pencil-Thick
Mandala :: Stroke Weight = 0.014 Brush Definition = Charcoal-Tapered

Generally, I made the stroke color a shade or two darker than the fill color. I also lightened the blue fill in the moons, and I gave the small flowers a blue-green hue as well.

Step 7 :: Label the Lunar Phases
It is time to label our lunar phases before we export our mandala into Photoshop. Decide which font you'd like to use for your art piece. I chose one of my favorite fonts - Pea Bhea Script, font-size: 15.35pt.

Create a circle that's 585px x 585px and center it on your art board. Now click on the Type icon in your Tools bar, and select the Type on a Path Tool.

Click on the bottom center of the circle to activate the function. Before you begin to type, select the font and the size on the Application toolbar above.

Type the lunar names with about 8 spaces in between the names. Go to Type - Type on a Path - Effect = Rainbow - Align to Path = Center - Spacing = Auto. Click OK.

Right-click on the path and select Rotate. Rotate 15 degrees to align the names with their respective moons.

Step 8 :: Export to Photoshop
We are finally ready to export our vector artwork to Photoshop. Click on File and select Export from the menu. Let's export this file as a PSD at 300 dpi with writeable layers.

Enjoy!

Part II, to be continued next week.

I wan to thank Amy Swagman for allowing me to use her work as inspiration for this tutorial. Please check out the rest of her work at The Mandala Journey.

Can Pro Bono Work, Work for You?

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:42:00 +0000

Vision without action

is a daydream.

Action without vision

is a nightmare.

~Japanese Proverb

Let me start off by saying that I've never been happier in my professional career. I am s-l-o-w-l-y building a base of clients that I enjoy working with. I've been able to execute most of my projects from my sanctuary - my home - which is where I work best. I've been pushed and challenged in ways that have forced me to take a really good look at myself. I'm writing again. Well, the list goes on and on. However...

When choosing to work as a freelancer, you must know that you may face moments of bewilderment, frustration and limits - none of which I like. As a beginner, my cash flow is unpredictable. A friend of mine put it best, "I'm making enough to pay the bills, but not enough to put back into my business." No schmoozing at expensive networking events. No "I'll get this one" at one-on-one lunches. No professional memberships. No super glossy die-cut brochures to mail to your dream clients and partners. No shelling out cash to pay for lead lists. That list goes on and on too. Nonetheless...

There are ways to invest in your marketing efforts with a non-existent or limited budget. My answer as of late is strategic pro bono work. Yes, it is a significant investment of your time and resources, but with the right perspective and a clear strategy, pro bono work can be a great way to do grass roots marketing with productive results.

A year ago, I started to work with a select few organizations on pro-bono projects. I couldn't believe it when before long I had paying projects from a few of the organizations. It felt great to know that they valued my work enough to hire me for their budgeted projects.

I only take on a couple of causes here and there, but the pro-bono work is working for me:
~ I'm working on fun projects.
~ It certainly helps with building my portfolio.
~ Pro-bono work can help cultivate business partnerships.
~ It's a great way to stay in the mix and continue to build your skills during dry spells.
~ And we can't forget the great feeling of being involved in causes or ventures you believe in.

Now off to update my portfolio.

What do you think about pro-bono work? Has pro-bono worked for you?

I'm Going to Make a Change

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:56:00 +0000

Action and reaction,

ebb and flow,

trial and error,

change -

this is the rhythm of living...

~Bruce Barton

This weekend I had a great discussion with my mentor. As we shared a plate of Macho Nachos at Wildside, we talked about my action plan for the next year. January of 2012 will mark the third year of my freelancing venture and I cannot believe it! I'm really proud to have kept afloat for this long. However, staying afloat is becoming exhausting - at the very least, I need a speed boat.

When I first started freelancing I kept my goals pretty simple. I just wanted to make enough to pay the bills, get rid of debt, build reserves, and be able to afford health insurance for myself and lil' one. Three years later, those are still my goals. I am surviving, and that has kept me somewhat content for a couple of years being that I was ecstatic to even make it each year. However, going into my third year, I'm thinking it's time for a change - for some aggressive growth. Although I am always thinking of ways to improve my work, currently I am seriously assessing what's been working, what's flopped, what hasn't even started, and what must change.

I was invited to attend a conference in October that will focus on SEM (Search Engine Marketing) and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). This conference is geared towards franchise business owners, but hey, treasure trove of information and networking opportunity, nonetheless! My mentor asked me to attend this conference to help him make decisions about the information that will be presented at the conference, as he is looking to strategize his Internet marketing efforts and investments. As we discussed the thousands of dollars he has already invested within the past few years with SEO/SEM agencies, and how little, if any return he's gotten on those investments - it hit me. Here I am, explaining to him why it couldn't work (at least not the way it was executed), why the agencies could not deliver on their promises, so on and so forth. As I was talking, there was a part of my brain that was getting super excited because I was simultaneously starting to propose a new project to my mentor AND creating my own new marketing focus and catapult - Social Media Marketing!

Although it was an "aha" moment, it was also a "duh" moment. Really, why did it take me so long to put 2 and 2 together? I'm a one-person force, with limited resources, a diverse set of skills (i.e. marketing, design, development), I'm always on the computer, and I work from home. What's more, I can attribute a significant number of my client projects this past year to the Internet.

Why didn't it occur to me sooner to focus my business development and marketing efforts on SMM? I won't spend too much time beating myself up about it, but come on. I'm the smallest of the small business and I have a teeny tiny marketing budget - if you want to call it that. Leveraging social media marketing is just plain smart. How else can you reach thousands of potential clients across the globe and strengthen your existing relationships with zero advertising costs? Ok, I'm done beating myself up. I have to get to work on my new marketing strategy now.

Happy freelancing!

6 Steps to Great Time Management

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:43:00 +0000

1. Assign an action to every thing you come across. Whether you can deal with something that lands on your lap now or later, at the very least, know what you are going to do with situation, jot it down, and put it in an action folder.

2. Make daily lists of the six most important tasks you must accomplish each day. We are not going to get everything done, but again, at the very least, you can take care of those items that have the most significant priority and that will make the biggest impact. Sure you have 100 other things that must get done, but you can detach yourself from your office knowing that you have moved forward a significant bit at a time.

3. Plan how long each task will take. This will help you see which tasks will take up the most of your time and allow you to see the big picture of your day.

4. Assign time slots for accomplishing each task. Although it appears to be regimented, assigning time slots may actually make your time more flexible. You can even schedule 'flexible time' into your day to deal with fire drills and unexpected interruptions. In other words plan for interference with your schedule, deal with it and then go back to your schedule.

5. Focus on the difficult projects first. You can devote your best energy to accomplishing the least desirable or most challenging tasks and look forward to the less trying ones.

6. "Will it hurt me to throw this away?" If you don't absolutely have to file something - don't. Recycle, consolidate, digitize - SIMPLIFY. Don't create yet another time thief in your life. Don't create piles and files, only to have to devote time to going through them later just to clean up your office and declutter your mind. Do it now.

Carmen's Notes on The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes

Words to Remember

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 19:16:00 +0000

A couple of years ago, when I was first starting my freelance venture, I went on a business trip with a client. We had a great dinner, she and I. She shared stories of how she came to own her business and I was inspired and assured that I was doing the right thing, at the right place, at the right time.

I wrote some words on the plane as we were heading back home. I came across that paper today as I was cleaning out files:

A few things I want to remember about this trip:

1. Do the things you love and make them a priority. In addition to my work, this includes yoga, reading, writing, walking and reading with lil' one.

2. Be yourself and respect others as they are - no matter what.

3. Give it all your best, because you are no less than that. Live, love, work and play with passion and enthusiasm.

4. Stop hiding your feelings.

5. Don't take yourself or others or things so seriously. Laugh. Allow things to roll off your back so you can move forward lightly.

6. Stop living your days with fear as your guide. Live your life with confidence.

7. Embrace yourself. You are smart. You are stunning. You are bright. You are kind. You are interesting. You are creative. You are quiet, but you have a bright spirit. You are positive. You are real.

8. Don't stop learning. Keep absorbing. Keep filtering. Keep pushing. Keep focused. Keep going.

Every day.

Happy freelancing :)

What is Dressy Casual?

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 04:42:00 +0000

So I was invited to attend an event this upcoming weekend and the dress code calls for "dressy casual" attire. What exactly is dressy casual?

Dressy casual is very similar to business casual, but slightly dressier/less informal.

What Not to Wear
Jeans
Tennis shoes
Sandals
Tight or short skirts
Hats or caps
T-shirts
Sweatshirts
Showy logos and slogans

Do Consider
Time, location, and weather

Women
Cocktail length dresses
Dressy top with a skirt
Dressy pant outfit
Accessorizing with jewelry is a must to complete a dressy casual look.

Men
Sport coat or blazer with khakis
Open-collar shirt
No tie

The event starts at 6pm. I live in Florida. So I'm considering a white button down dress with red square-tip heels, and white gold jewelry pieces.

Do You Dread Mondays? Have a Good Laugh

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 19:17:00 +0000

If you dread Mondays, this ecard is hysterical!

Hoops and Yoyo eCards - Mondays!

My New Mobile Office

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:56:00 +0000

I'm so excited. I finally ordered my new mobile office. It's a McKlein Glen Ellyn Italian leather briefcase in a beautiful soft aqua blue. It's a little investment in my quest to minimize things and maximize efficiency. With my new office I'll be able to consolidate my purse, laptop bag and file holder bag into ONE! I can take it anywhere, including my travels, as it has a detachable wheel and handle system.

Sometimes I want to get out of my home office and join other humans. Now I can go to Barnes & Noble, the library or Panera Bread without a bunch of bags.

Now I just have to be patient as I await the arrival of my new briefcase!

Happy Freelancing!

CC

Latest Current of Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Wed, 11 May 2011 18:27:00 +0000

When my mind is restless I like to feed it some inspiration. I like to visit sites and blogs to appease my hungry mind and boost my creativity. Below is my latest current of inspiration, each for distinctive reasons.

Blogging for Branding

Authored by Rosetta Thurman, Blogging for Branding! is a blog that offers great information, tutorials and challenges to learn how to blog your brand to build and grow your business and career. I'm inspired by the blog's focused, purposeful and relevant information.

Designers go to Heaven

Curated by graphic designer Andrei D. Robu, this blog is a collection of hand-picked graphic design works of art for those of who need frequent shots of inspiration.

I Love Typography

Penned by John Boardley, this site aims to make the subject of typography more accessible to the masses. Typography is an art in itself. Just look at all the beautiful ads, posters, or even the Declaration of Independence. I didn't study typography formally so I'm no expert, but this guy is and gets you uber excited about fonts!

Logo Pond

I just love to look at logos. They are small works of art. With a handful or two of logo galleries, I chose this one as my current stream of inspiration, but I have quite a few.

The Sartorialist

Started by Scott Schuman, this blog is impressive in that it uses the simplest layout available in blogger.com, doesn't host it's own domain, but receives 100's of comments daily, has been selected as one of Time Magazine's Top 100 Design Influencers. I admire this blog's growth, simplicity and impact. I appreciate the beautiful photography showing what "real" people are wearing.

The Write Curl Diary

Penned by GG Hill, The Write Curl Diary advocates for the success and emotional well-being of the modern woman. GG shares her personal journey of transformation on her blog. What I admire most about this blog is the author. A 9-5 professional, a mother of three, a wife, and she consistently delivers these lengthy beautiful essays. When I get my WriteCurlDiary in my inbox, I am always in awe of what she's written and in her delivery. When I feel uneasy because I'm not writing as much as I'd like, I visit The Write Curl Diary to rekindle that flame.

Finds: A Video About Shape Tweens in Flash

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:42:00 +0000

I came across this helpful video on Adobe TV. If you want to see more videos click here.

My New Portfolio

noreply@blogger.com (CARMEN CARDOZA) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:48:00 +0000

In the past month I've been learning Flash CS5. Being that Flash index-ability in search engines has improved and that Flash allows for an unparalleled level of interactivity and animation, I think that adding Flash to my tool belt will certainly not hurt me. I look forward to more Flash projects and combining my design visions with dynamic elements in the web.

Take a peek!

Happy freelancing,

Carmen