Social Media Savvy Culture Club: High Tech with High Touch To Transform Your Business

Today's marketing evolution from offline to online has taken the form of cultivating well intended cultures of like minds. Meaning, we have expanded our reach as entrepreneurs to a virtual world that has powerfully changed the game of connection that transforms to building a global business for the solopreneur.

And that is incredibly powerful.

Because of Social Media, we have the luxury of creating and nurturing our own hand chosen cultures - (Friend community on FB, our Fan base on our business pages, our Twitter followers, and our contacts on YouTube and groups on LinkedIn). We have far reaching capabilities for our businesses due to the power of Social Media.

BUT, how do you truly monetize this platform and build these online cultures that reflect your values, intentions, brand and target market?

This is why I created the FIRST ever Social Media Savvy Culture Club. This is my "entry level" group coaching program where you can find like minds, learn how to build a SAVVY personal brand and monetize your business on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LI.

The CLUB is where innovative thinkers and doers mastermind to support one another in their challenges and successes. It's a NEW playground for personal growth, money mastery, Social Media savviness, and entrepreneurial inspiration.

An underlying premise to the program and how I encourage entrepreneurs to use Social Media is staying grounded and keeping connected to your offline life. I am not about you losing yourself in the process of becoming savvy in your Social Media efforts. That was a fear of mine early on as an adopter of Social Media and then a coach of the powerful strategies.

Many of us have this fear, as I did, that we will lose touch with our lives because Social Media and technology is so seducing to our senses; hence we lose ourselves in all the techie stuff.

I am very high tech and ALWAYS high touch.

I often catch my breath and pull back so I can stay grounded and connected to my life. I disconnect from high tech for moments in time and reconnect with the rich texture of my life. I aspire the same for you.

This program has been a long time in coming and GEEZ am I glad it's finally here! I've invested plenty in myself (evolution) over the last three years to serve you more and feel good about it!

Would love to have you as part of the CLUB!

For details and benefits of membership, Click here.

The Secret to Living in a Glass House Era: Stepping out of your comfort zone and into the money zone

In our "Facebook Age" world - every aspect of our lives is changing where everything that once used to be "private" and kept at bay - is now acceptable and almost expected to be shared with others. Anything (well almost) is sharable today because of social media and its powerful effect on our lives. We have gone from seclusion in our homes and offices to an accepted "voyeurism" where we have opened our arms and hearts to collaboration, connection, and expansion in new ways.

So how does this affect you the business owner? It's time to let go of hiding or keeping your life so private from your clients, patients, and customers and be authentic and transparent when delivering your brand on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and LI. Today's marketing requires YOU to be the brand - personal and business are one in the same. No longer separate.

The acceptance of being transparent is still a challenge for most clients who begin their programs. When they come to me - it's usually to learn the technical end of all this digital tools. But what they come to find out is - they have a fear or hesitation of being exposed - living in the limelight - living in a fishbowl, therefore preventing themselves from expanding their business.

No worries. Here are three tips to stepping out of your comfort zone and into the money zone:

1. Take it easy on yourself. Being savvy in Social Media means being classy about the content you post; not overexposed. Be selective about what you share, but always make it authentic and real. Yes, that means being emotionally vulnerable. No "putting on a show or facade " - just real daily stuff with class and care. Your friends and target market require the real you; it gives them permission to do the same. :)

2. Trust ...when you come from authenticity and transparency while using FB or Twitter, it's a natural human response for others to embrace all of who you are. We are all here with the same challenges, fears, concerns and more in life. Compassion is available and plentiful in your online communities. Reach out and RELAX.

3. Your willingness to express the person behind the business will reap rewards. Today's sophisticated consumer wants you to communicate in your own voice (verbal and written) while using Social Media. You create raving fans that know, like, and trust you (and promote you on Facebook & Twitter) when you post emotionally compelling content.

Lead your Social Media communities with soul and state of heart

Beautiful. An excerpt from Deepak Chopra's The Soul of Leadership:

"A leader’s responsibilities fall into 8 areas: I am responsible for: what I think, how I feel, how I perceive the world, quality of my relationships, my role in society, my immediate environment, my speech and my body. Each can be mastered once you are committed to being guided by your soul. You begin to master not just the art of leadership, but the art of living. Your soul starts to influence you in everything you do, as it does, the gap between you and your soul closes. Wholeness starts to dominate."

Lead your social media communities with soul.

Or are you hiding from your customers on Facebook or Twitter? Are you in fear of appearing less than who you really are? Is the thought of being transparent on Facebook and Twitter make you feel very uncomfortable? Are you resistant to the blending of "personal" and "business" while strategically using Facebook and Twitter?

Find out what’s holding you back and stopping you from leading from your soul ( this is a form of leaving money on the table). Book your 45 min complimentary social media discovery call now. Evaluate how effective you are at monetizing your brand using Facebook and Twitter and design a solution once and for all. Email: Marla@ecreativebiz.com.

In gratitude,
Marla

Connection. The art of storytelling; it's in your DNA. It's the heart and soul of your brand.

As part of our research for our upcoming Video Marketing PLAYSHOP, my partner Chris Lombardo of Red Guitar Films and my son Taylor attended a Drucker Business Forum lecture yesterday featuring Peter Guber, Hollywood Producer and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group. He was on his promotional book tour for his just released title, TELL TO WIN. Peter is a master storyteller given his natural gregarious personality and long term career as a film producer and executive.

As a special BONUS, I gifting you with an article as a way to ignite and inspire your imagination and possibility thinking in terms of your personal brand. I am very passionate about this topic given it's been the core of my past PR career as a publicist and now the heart and soul of my coaching business.

Please allow me to impart some highlights of yesterday's captivating lecture with Peter reflecting content from his new book (which I highly recommend).

Connection. The art of storytelling; it's in your DNA.

It's the heart and soul of your brand.

Your personal brand is your most powerful asset in your business today.

Why? It speaks to your emotional core. It connects you to your audience on your social networks and offline. It’s the leading edge in marketing today. The days of product/service marketing are long gone and replaced by personal brands, which are synonymous with your business. You can no longer separate your “personal” from your “business” while marketing. It’s one-in-the-same. And we have the extraordinary power of Social Media to thank for that.

See, many still have a challenge transitioning their offline world onto the virtual world. And rightfully so. It can be hard to wrap your head around this “thumbnail” size photo of you and expect people to “get” who you are. Today’s marketing requires us to be very authentic and transparent using Social Media because of the nature of this virtual world. The secret is by posting in authentic conversational form 1^st person, we can translate our offline lives onto this virtual platform that offers outstanding networking and relationship building for our businesses. Essentially I am giving you permission to be you in all your marketing! No “business” façade.

The real you in savvy style.

Furthermore, it’s the accumulation of your postings on your networks that form your “personality” and your compelling story, which is your brand. You are delivering YOU as the brand of your business in form of words, videos, photos, etc. Here’s the good news accentuated by Peter Guber in his book,

“There’s a treasure to be discovered, and it’s inside you. Built into your DNA is humanity’s ten-thousand-plus years of telling and listening to oral stories. This veneration of story is a force so powerful and enduring that it has shaped cultures, religions, whole civilizations. Now through telling to win, you can harness this force to achieve your most cherished goals.”

Monetize what comes natural to you. Tell your story and other stories with emotion, drama, compelling twists and turns. Bring the audience in. We are taking people from their head to their hearts as they listen (video) or read your postings with the core of your personal brand at play. When you master the art of storytelling, you can win at most endeavors because you are igniting the common bond: emotion; and that will always move people to action.

So in closing, “Today everyone, whether they know it or not - is in the emotional transportation business. More and more, success is won by creating compelling stories that have the power to move people to action. Simply put, if you can't tell it, you can't sell it." –Peter Guber

To begin forming your personal brand, answer these four questions:

1. What are your five leading personal qualities that define you the most?
2. What are five passions that light you up and magnetize people to you?
3. Five recent successes and gratitudes.
4. What were some of your most challenging times that resulted in a reinvention or upleveling of your life? (transformation)

The answers to these questions make excellent content for your Social Media postings. Weave in conversation with any one of these. Be creative with how you use these while posting on Facebook or LinkedIn. Stop hiding from your target audience on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Youtube, and speak your truth! Be you. Your mindfully chosen communities will reward you by being loyal and committed to stick around for a while.

And that’s a sign of conversion. That is how you monetize YOU.

To your success!

Marla

eCreativebiz.com

The New Level of Personal Branding. Are you in?

Personal branding has been taken to a whole new level in the last two years making way for incredible success, especially using social media to brand you and make you visible to thousands, millions.

The secret? Transparency and your real compelling story behind the scenes.

The veil has been taken off and we are showing our true colors. Proof? Just look at the MEGA success Reality TV franchise of The Kardashians. Who would have thought? Look at Justin Bieber's new film - about his story - FAST climb to success. Be real. NO hiding. People want to connect with you and relate to you.

We have the luxury of defining and designing our own brands today with social media unlike in years past where most of the branding was on a “hope and prayer” the newspaper reporter, TV reporter, magazine writer, or radio host got the true essence of we are. Well, you know how that went. NO fault of their own, often the facts were skewed or the journalist gave their professional perspective of the content you were hoping to convey. Hey, it’s their job as a journalist to do so.

But now, it's a whole new way of branding and it's about being unedited, raw and sometimes bold.

The great news…we have our brand in our own hands via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. These avenues have made unknowns into media darlings, reality stars and successful entrepreneurs.

So where do you begin? Understand the art of storytelling in your branding.

Three reasons why storytelling is so important: (resource: Daily Grommet)

• People can relate to brands through their stories. Stories are humanizing. People connect with stories.
• People remember details and messages more effectively through stories. Storytelling helps people create images in the mind and these images "stick" better than just talk. (So don't shy away from the colorful, quirky details that give your story character.)
• Storytelling conveys the unique evolution of your brand. Beyond the benefits and features is the journey of how your business came to be and why it endures.

What’s next for you to monetize your social media marketing by being the real (awesome) you?

Email me at Marla@ecreativebiz.com with a yes for a complimentary 45 min Social Media Discovery Call to discover a glimpse of your personal brand.

I promise I will get back to you within 24 hours or sooner. In that same scheduled call we will discuss the choices in how to monetize your social media marketing by being the brilliant authentic (sometimes off balance – sometimes quirky) you!

I am only offering 5 of these comp calls a month.

These are for those who are serious about wanting the one-on-one attention and investing the time and money into your personal and professional growth.

It's for those who are confused, frustrated and tired of not feeling fulfilled by their marketing and how they show up in the world.

It's time to get real. It's time to shine in your own way. Allow me to give you my brilliance so you can prosper.

Need more proof? Click here to read testimonials at my business fan page.

Then email me. Let’s get you rockin on social media so people take notice.

Let's Walk and Run for Life!

April 2003 I heard the words from my doctor "You have breast cancer." My life changed forever as you can imagine.

Now almost 8 years later I am thriving and living a life I love.

I turned my challenge into a gift almost immediately after diagnosis. I stepped into activism for Susan G. Komen Foundation. I inspired women and their families for over 6 years when I spoke to audiences large and small about my survivor story and Komen initiatives. I was honored. I then became a board member for two terms.

What a journey.

Now, as a past speaker chair and past board member, I know this organization walks their talk. I am proud and honored to be part of a movement that saves lives in more ways than you can imagine.

I have started a team for the 15th annual Race for the Cure event March 6th 2011 at Dodgers Stadium.

If you have not experienced a Race for the Cure® day, you are in for an emotionally-charged, inspiring and revitalizing memory. Over 10,000 people bring their energy and compassion for a day of fitness and giving back.

Come join my team! Put on your best running shoes, pack your water, (I'm supplying the energy drinks for my team members), and bring an open heart to give all the love you can to this remarkable cause! It only takes a minimum $40 registration fee (or more if you like to donate) by clicking here on my team page.

Please help reach my fundraising goal of $5,000 by making a tax-deductible donation. Serving on the board I saw where over $1 million annually was being disbursed. It's real. Women and programs are being funded all over Los Angeles County.

75% of funds raised remain in LA County/25% go to national headquarters for research.

Come on! Let's have a ball! Get your running shoes on and let's save lives together, ok?

Isn't it Time You Stop Hiding and Show Up on Social Media in a Bigger Way?

Can we talk? I want you to imagine I am sitting (or standing) right next you. Because I am.

This is not an impersonal email. I just happen to be sitting at my computer right now allowing my heart and soul to reach out to you via this medium.

I am here 100%. So let's get real, ok?

How's your social media marketing REALLY going? Are you building communities that resonate with you? Are you allowing the REAL you to show up through your updates?

Or are you hiding behind the computer hesitant to post something in fear it may come across wrong or not appropriate? Are you afraid of being "seen" in the wrong way?

One of my students in this week's Facebook teleseries said, "I feel so relieved. You (Marla) are giving us permission to just be ourselves while on Facebook and make it ok to shine the light on our brilliance while we serve our expertise to our communities."

See, she and many others are in BIG fear of appearing incorrectly or being too "boastful" about your business, your accomplishments, your lives.

And that is such a BIG lie you tell yourself. (that's ego not spirit)

We are here to shine our lights to inspire others. It's not about you. It's about you showing up in the world in your most authentic light that inspires others to be their best. And Social Media is a gift that allows you to do just that!!

So, as you make yourself visible on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn, --you are marketing you as the brand. You have an obligation to expose your talents that can transform someone's life.

Small or large - you are here to serve.

And this is where my Social Media Savvy brand comes in. I guide you how to be savvy & sophisticated in your presence - your virtual voice online - your image. Because, you then give others permission to do the same and then we have thousands that are serving one another in a BIG way.

I was humbled when I read this comment my student Gina posted Wed on Facebook because she really got what I am here to serve. See if you get it:

"There was such an important theme under tonight's class. As we ALLOW ourselves to SHINE our authentic brilliance, we also assist the rest of the "social consciousness" to evolve!!"

Isn't it time you stop hiding and step up to serve others by being the real brilliant you and show up on social media with all the gusto you've got?

How can you do that?

By replying here with a yes for a complimentary 45 min Social Media Discovery Call to discover a glimpse of your personal brand. In that same call we will discuss the possibilities of you investing in YOU via a VIP day (phone or in person) with me and how it shifts you into monetizing your social media marketing by being the brilliant you.

I am only offering 5 of these comp calls.

These are for those who are serious about wanting the one-on-one attention and investing the time and money into your personal and professional growth.

It's for those who are confused, frustrated and tired of not feeling fulfilled by their marketing and how they show up in the world.

It's time to get real. It's time to shine. Allow me to give you my brilliance so you can prosper.

Just reply. Need more proof? Click here to read testimonials at my business fan page.

Then just reply.