Michael Hyatt's Blog, page 165
June 27, 2013
Written More Than Read
I never desire to converse with a man who has written more than he has read.
June 26, 2013
#060: How Do Busy Leaders Find Time for Social Media [Podcast]
I speak a lot on the topic of platform-building. Inevitably, during the Q&A time following my speech, I get asked, “How can I find time for social media? I am so busy now. I can’t imagine adding one more thing.”
I understand this feeling. However, if you want to leverage your leadership and increase your impact, you must make time for social media.
Click to Listen
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play in browser | Download
In this episode I want to share with you four tips for finding time for social media.Reframe the activity.
Set reasonable goals.
Schedule time to do it.
Use the latest tools.
You can be active in social media and still have plenty of time for your other activities.
Listener Questions
Alex Barker asked, “How can busy leaders authentically engage with their followers?”
Bosede Santos asked, “How can I juggle all my various social media accounts, blog, and still find time to write a book?”
Lori Lane asked, “What parts of our social media activities can be delegated without losing our authentic voice?”
Vincent Duncombe asked, “Where should social media rank on our priorities?”
Special Announcements
If you are considering launching your own platform—or just getting serious about it—you need to start with a self-hosted WordPress blog.This is not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, I have put together a step-by-step screencast on exactly how to do it. You don’t need any technical knowledge. I walk you through the entire process in exactly 20 minutes.
The Launch Conference for this fall is filling up fast. In case you don’t know, this is the conference for professional speakers or those who want to be. It’s all about the business of public speaking.Specifically, we teach you a powerful, four-part framework designed to help you:
Discover your assets.
Design your products.
Develop your market.
Determine your value.
This is the conference that launched me into my professional speaking career. We will be holding the conference on September 16–19 in beautiful Vail Colorado.
This is one conference that will pay for itself almost immediately. I paid for mine in the first month after I attended.
If you register before June 30, 2013, you can take $200 off the registration price. Just use the discount code HYATT.
I am on sabbatical for the next few weeks. While I am gone, I am running a series of “Encore Episodes.” These are my most popular podcasts ever, as measured by number of downloads. Enjoy!
Episode Resources
In this episode I mentioned several resources, including:
Conference: Launch Conference
Membership Site: Platform University
Screencast: How to Launch a Self-Hosted WordPress Blog in 20 Minutes or Less
Software: Buffer App
Software: Feedly
Software: Hootsuite
Software: Rhino Support
Show Transcript
You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode here, courtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who handles all my transcription needs.
Subscription Links
If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe:
iTunes
Zune
RSS
Your Feedback
If you have an idea for a podcast you would like to see or a question about an upcoming episode, e-mail me.
Also, if you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out! Thanks.
Question: What is keeping you from spending the time you know you should in social media? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
June 25, 2013
Presenter Manifesto
Ever wondered how to create a world-class presentation? This slideshow by Eric Feng list eight things to keep in mind when preparing your next presentation.
June 24, 2013
The 4 Hidden Rewards of Rejection
I am on sabbatical for the next few weeks. While I am gone, I have asked some of my favorite bloggers to stand in for me. This is a guest post by Michele Cushatt. She is a communicator and storyteller whose speaking experiences include Women of Faith, Focus on the Family, and Compassion International. You can read her blog and follow her on Twitter.
For months I wrestled with a new book idea. I didn’t want another rejection. So I crafted a killer proposal, polished the chapters, and sent it off to a publisher. Then I waited. And waited. The only time I’d gladly wait so long for results is on a deathbed.
It’d been six years since I first started writing. Finally, after thousands of hours spent learning, creating, and rewriting, I believed my time had come. My book would be published.
Only that’s not what happened. Within a couple short weeks, I received one more painful rejection to add to my pile. Defeated, I threw myself a five-star pity party and contemplated torching my manuscript in the backyard. Surely flames would make me feel better.
In between tears and rants, I asked myself the same question I torture myself with at least once a week:
Why do I keep doing this to myself? Why, oh why, do I keep writing?!
Of all the crafts to pursue, writing must be the most grueling and least rewarding. I can think of a hundred occupations with much better effort-to-success ratios than this one. Even baseball players post better stats than writers do. And I’m convinced we work harder.
So why did I continue to try? Why did I keep cranking out proposals and posts, when rejection seemed the constant response? I wasn’t sure my ego could take any more hits. I didn’t have enough confidence left to even call it an ego.
It’s been nearly a year since that rejection. I mourned my failure for weeks. But eventually a circle of steadfast cheerleaders—including Michael Hyatt—urged me back into my writing chair. And I tried again.
Only I wasn’t the same writer I was before the rejection. Somehow that “failure,” as big as it seemed, became the groundwork for success. It changed me. I knew my message better, believed it more, and found my voice. All because of one more “no.”
If you’re a writer (or blogger or leader) weary of rejection, you’re not alone. I’ve yet to meet a writer who doesn’t contemplate quitting. But a “no” might actually be a “yes.” It all depends on vantage point.
Resist defeat. Lean in. Why? Because a publishing rejection is packed with the following four rewards:
It Sharpens the Message.
I often receive manuscripts and proposals from in-progress writers asking for advice. One of the most common flaws I encounter is a weak message. The writer hasn’t spent enough time with it, hasn’t sharpened it to a powerful, focused point. It’s stiff, bland, and emotionally distant.
My proposal had the same flaw. The “no” forced me into a space to refine it, find my voice in it, and make it better.
It Distills Your Motives.
It pains me to admit it, but part of my drive had a less-than worthy motive: I wanted the unpublished monkey off my back. My speaking schedule takes me around the United States, and at every turn someone asks, “How many books do you have out?” I cringe, feeling somehow less-than worthy.
After this “no,” however, I cared less about public opinion. I wanted to write this book because the message mattered to me. It was worth the honor of my effort, regardless of the publishing outcome.
It Creates More Content.
Author Henry David Thoreau said, “How vain it is to sit down and write when you have not stood up to live.” While you wait to be published, life is being lived. Unfortunately, we spend too much time dreaming of what’s ahead to the exclusion of the incredible stories unfolding in the present.
Today’s painful circumstances are tomorrow’s killer content. After my painful rejection? I wrote a raw and honest blog post. As of today, it remains one of my most popular posts.
It Strengthens Character.
I know, I know. I get weary of character building, too. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? The problem is I believe writing could, in fact, kill me. It’s difficult. Exhausting. And frustrating. Death would be easier. But hardship is the surest crafter of character.
There are no shortcuts to great books and great authors. Life itself is the teacher, and to circumvent the experience of it is to cheapen the end result.
Are you facing a “no”? Go ahead and rant for a while. Maybe torch the rejection letter in the back yard. But then welcome the “no” as a means to a better story.
By the way, I’m shopping that same proposal again. It may or may not sell. But it’s better. All because of one more “no.”
Question: Have you faced a rejection? What reward was hidden within? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
June 22, 2013
Replay of the Platform-Building Teleseminar with Jeff Goins
Last Thursday night, I hosted a teleseminar with Jeff Goins. If you don’t know, Jeff is a full-time author, blogger, and speaker.
We had some technical challenges in the call when we were both suddenly dropped by Skype—twice!—but we kept forging ahead. Regardless, Jeff shared some powerful content for anyone who is serious about building an online platform.
Click to Listen
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play in browser | Download
Specifically, Jeff explained how he:
Attracted an audience of over 100,000 monthly readers,
Built one of the most popular writing blogs on the web, and
Became a professional author and speaker in less than two years.
He also shared:
The five types of platforms and which one is right for you
The little-known techniques you can use to connect with anyone
The secret weapon most A-list bloggers used to build their platforms
How to get a book deal without worrying about rejection
Why you should self-publish NOW
Finally, we talked about Jeff’s Tribe Writers course. More than one thousand people have already gone through this practical eight-week resource.
Tribe Writers teaches you how to build a community and get the attention your writing deserves. He also offered an exclusive $50 discount for my readers. (This offer expires at 5:00 p.m. CST on June 28, 2013.) You can click here to learn more.
Question: What questions do you have for Jeff or for me about platform-building? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
June 21, 2013
What If You Could Get Paid Doing What You Love?
Perhaps you think you can’t do work you love and get paid for it. That’s what I used to think, too. Until someone showed me how to do both.
If you can’t see this video in your RSS reader or email, then click here.
I had always had a desire to have a great impact through speaking and writing. I just couldn’t figure out how to get paid for it—at least not enough to make a living.
Then, four years ago, I attended my very first Launch Conference. It is designed to help speakers (and other communicators) start or maximize their business.
Launch is the conference that helped me decide to “turn pro” and become a professional speaker. Sure, I had thought about it before. In fact, I had dreamed about it for years. But this four-day training event gave me the information, tools, and confidence I needed to get started.
I literally would not be where I am today had I not attended that first event. It changed everything.
The Launch Conference was originally created by Ken Davis, a popular speaker and comedian. After his career took off, he was inundated with pleas for help. Aspiring speakers, comedians, and other performers wanted to know how to do what he had done.
In response, Ken distilled everything he had learned over the course of his career into a simple but powerful four-part framework. (More about that in a minute.) It has helped hundreds of speakers launch their careers and maximize their income.
After attending Launch, I was so enthusiastic about the content—and the results it delivered—I became Ken’s business partner. (In addition to Launch, we also co-produce the SCORRE™ and Platform Conferences.) My goal was to help Ken take this training to a much wider audience.
If you have ever thought about pursuing a career in public speaking or if you are already a professional but know you are not earning what you should, this conference is for you. It provides three benefits:
You will learn our proprietary, four-part framework. We teach you how to:
Discover your assets. You will take inventory of your talents and gifts. You’ll consider your status and platform. You’ll even learn how to convert your weaknesses into strengths. You’ll discover your unique expertise and voice.
Design your products. This is all about packaging and selling your assets. We ask, “What product are you really selling to your buyers?” It could be a live product like a speech, seminar, or conference. It might be a physical or digital product like a book, audio, or video series. It could even be a service, like coaching or consulting.
Develop your market. You’ll learn the basics of marketing, including how to use social media to gain visibility with your target audience. You’ll discover what meeting planners are looking for, how to develop effective promotional materials to reach them, and the pluses and minuses of booking agents and speakers bureaus.
Determine your value. We discuss why you should charge for your services and why you are cheating your customers if you don’t. We explain how to establish your pricing and how to negotiate the best fees possible. We also share a strategy that will enable you to raise your fees over time without jeopardizing the number of requests you are getting.
You will interact with top industry professionals. In addition to Ken and me, Danny de Armas, Ken’s former manager, will be joining us. He is a phenomenal instructor with more than thirty years of experience. New York Times bestselling author, Dan Miller, will also be teaching on “How to Develop Multiple Streams of Income.”
This is a boutique conference. We limit the registration to just 60 attendees. This means you get plenty of time to talk to our instructors (including me) and learn from them throughout the week.
In addition, our Master level attendees will get personal, one-on-one coaching from Ken and me throughout the week. Note: we only have two of these spots left!
You will enjoy the camaraderie of fellow students. This is one of my favorite aspects of any conference, but it is especially true of the Launch Conference. The problem is that most of your family and friends don’t understand what you do—or want to do. They may try to encourage you, but—let’s be honest—they don’t really have much to contribute.
But you don’t have to struggle alone. At the Launch Conference, you will meet fellow-travelers. These are people who are on the same journey, chasing the same dream and facing the same challenges. You will have an instant bond that may well last a lifetime.
The Launch Conference isn’t theory. It’s not speculation. It is a proven system that provides the inspiration, training, and resources you need to succeed. It has worked for hundreds of others. It will work for you.
Whether you are just considering a career in public speaking, thinking about adding it as one of the services you offer, or taking your current career to the next level, this conference is for you.
As a reader of my blog, you can take $200 off the Early Bird discount by entering the code HYATT when you register. This offer is good until June 30, 2013. And, as usual, I personally guarantee the results:
If you attend the conference and at any time before it’s over determine that we haven’t delivered as promised, I will promptly refund your money. No problem. No questions asked. You have my word on it.
Think of your registration fee as an investment. It will pay for itself almost immediately. You will leave pumped about the possibilities, with concrete ideas you can put to work immediately.
I hope to see you there.
Question: Have you ever thought about a career as a professional speaker? If so, what appeals to you the most about it? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Have You Ever Dreamed of Becoming a Professional Speaker?
Four years ago, I attended my very first Launch Conference. It is designed to help speakers (and other communicators) start or maximize their business. In a moment I’ll explain how you can save $200 off the Early Bird rate, which expires on June 30th.
If you can’t see this video in your RSS reader or email, then click here.
First a little background …
Launch is the conference that helped me decide to “turn pro” and become a professional speaker. Sure, I had thought about it before. In fact, I had dreamed about it for years. But this four-day training event gave me the information, tools, and confidence I needed to get started.
I literally would not be where I am today had I not attended that first event. It changed everything.
The Launch Conference was originally created by Ken Davis, a popular speaker and comedian. After his career took off, he was inundated with pleas for help. Aspiring speakers, comedians, and other performers wanted to know how to do what he had done.
In response, Ken distilled everything he had learned over the course of his career into a simple but powerful four-part framework. (More about that in a minute.) It has helped hundreds of speakers launch their careers and maximize their income.
After attending Launch, I was so enthusiastic about the content—and the results it delivered—I became Ken’s business partner. (In addition to Launch, we also co-produce the SCORRE™ and Platform Conferences.) My goal was to help Ken take this training to a much wider audience.
If you have ever thought about pursuing a career in public speaking or if you are already a professional but know you are not earning what you should, this conference is for you. It provides three benefits:
You will learn our proprietary, four-part framework. We teach you how to:
Discover your assets. You will take inventory of your talents and gifts. You’ll consider your status and platform. You’ll even learn how to convert your weaknesses into strengths. You’ll discover your unique expertise and voice.
Design your products. This is all about packaging and selling your assets. We ask, “What product are you really selling to your buyers?” It could be a live product like a speech, seminar, or conference. It might be a physical or digital product like a book, audio, or video series. It could even be a service, like coaching or consulting.
Develop your market. You’ll learn the basics of marketing, including how to use social media to gain visibility with your target audience. You’ll discover what meeting planners are looking for, how to develop effective promotional materials to reach them, and the pluses and minuses of booking agents and speakers bureaus.
Determine your value. We discuss why you should charge for your services and why you are cheating your customers if you don’t. We explain how to establish your pricing and how to negotiate the best fees possible. We also share a strategy that will enable you to raise your fees over time without jeopardizing the number of requests you are getting.
You will interact with top industry professionals. In addition to Ken and me, Danny de Armas, Ken’s former manager, will be joining us. He is a phenomenal instructor with more than thirty years of experience. New York Times bestselling author, Dan Miller, will also be teaching on “How to Develop Multiple Streams of Income.”
This is a boutique conference. We limit the registration to just 60 attendees. This means you get plenty of time to talk to our instructors (including me) and learn from them throughout the week.
In addition, our Master level attendees will get personal, one-on-one coaching from Ken and me throughout the week. Note: we only have two of these spots left!
You will enjoy the camaraderie of fellow students. This is one of my favorite aspects of any conference, but it is especially true of the Launch Conference. The problem is that most of your family and friends don’t understand what you do—or want to do. They may try to encourage you, but—let’s be honest—they don’t really have much to contribute.
But you don’t have to struggle alone. At the Launch Conference, you will meet fellow-travelers. These are people who are on the same journey, chasing the same dream and facing the same challenges. You will have an instant bond that may well last a lifetime.
The Launch Conference isn’t theory. It’s not speculation. It is a proven system that provides the inspiration, training, and resources you need to succeed. It has worked for hundreds of others. It will work for you.
Whether you are just considering a career in public speaking, thinking about adding it as one of the services you offer, or taking your current career to the next level, this conference is for you.
As a reader of my blog, you can take $200 off the Early Bird discount by entering the code HYATT when you register. This offer is good until June 30, 2013. And, as usual, I personally guarantee the results:
If you attend the conference and at any time before it’s over determine that we haven’t delivered as promised, I will promptly refund your money. No problem. No questions asked. You have my word on it.
Think of your registration fee as an investment. It will pay for itself almost immediately. You will leave pumped about the possibilities, with concrete ideas you can put to work immediately.
I hope to see you there.
Question: Have you ever thought about a career as a professional speaker? If so, what appeals to you the most about it? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
June 20, 2013
Read and Write a Lot
If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.
June 19, 2013
#059: What I Learned About Leadership from a Fight with My Wife [Podcast]
My wife, Gail, and I have been married for thirty-five years. She is my lover, my best friend, and my coach. But a few months ago we had a doozy of a fight.
As I was reflecting on that experience, I thought to myself, How can we avoid slipping into this same conflict in the future?
Click to Listen
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play in browser | Download
I want to share five lessons I jotted down from that experience. I believe they apply in any situation—even work—where you are trying to resolve a conflict.
Clarify our expectations up front.
Assume the best about each other.
Affirm the priority of the relationship.
De-personalize the problem.
Listen more than you talk.
What does a fight with my wife have to do with leadership? Well, as it turns out, everything. If you can’t lead yourself, you can’t lead others. And if you can’t learn to manage conflict with those closest to you, you can’t possibly expect to manage it with those who have less of a stake in the outcome.
Listener Questions
Amanda Vosloh asked, “If and when is it appropriate for married couples working in the same field to market and promote themselves together?”
Charles Pobee-Mensah asked, “How do you view a husband’s role as different from that of a wife in a marriage?”
Kevin Bemel asked, “What do you see as the differences between leading a family and leading a business?”
Steve Spillman asked, “How do you and Gail discuss and perhaps disagree about a business matter without it affecting your personal relationship?”
Special Announcements
If you are considering launching your own platform—or just getting serious about it—you need to start with a self-hosted WordPress blog.
This is not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, I have put together a step-by-step screencast on exactly how to do it. You don’t need any technical knowledge. I walk you through the entire process in exactly 20 minutes.
The Launch Conference for this fall is filling up fast. In case you don’t know, this is the conference for professional speakers or those who want to be. It’s all about the business of public speaking.
Specifically, we teach you a powerful, four-part framework designed to help you:
Discover your assets;
Design your products;
Develop your market; and
Determine your value.
This is the conference that launched me into my professional speaking career. We will be holding the conference on September 16–19 in beautiful Vail Colorado.
This is one conference that will pay for itself almost immediately. I paid for mine in the first month after I attended.
My next podcast will be on the topic of “How Do Busy Leaders Find Time for Social Media?” If you have a question on this subject, please leave me a voicemail message. This is a terrific way to cross-promote your blog or website, because I will link to it, just like I did with the callers in this episode.
Episode Resources
In this episode I mentioned several resources, including:
Book: Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs by Emerson Eggerichs
Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Course: Facebook Influence
Website: Amy Porterfield’s Website
Show Transcript
You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode herecourtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who handles all my transcription needs.
Subscription Links
If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe:
iTunes
Zune
RSS
Your Feedback
If you have an idea for a podcast you would like to see or a question about an upcoming episode, e-mail me.
Also, if you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out! Thanks.
Question: What has your own marriage taught you about leadership? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
June 17, 2013
6 Reasons You Might Be Losing Blog Subscribers
In this brief video I talk about the importance of retention in building your blog’s traffic. Simply put, you can’t afford to lose readers if you want to grow.
If you can’t see this video in your RSS reader or email, then click here.
If you are losing readers, especially subscribers, it is usually for one of six reasons:
Your titles don’t pull them in.
You’re not using enough stories.
You’re posting too infrequently.
Your posts are too long.
Your posts are unfocused.
You’re not engaging in the conversation.
I not only address these problems, but share how to fix them.
At the end of the video, Stu McLaren provides an overview of the content we’ll be sharing next month with our Platform University members.
In our Master Class, I interview Amy Porterfield, the world’s leading authority on Facebook marketing. We talk about how you can use Facebook to expand your reach and grow your platform.
In our Backstage Pass, my team and I share with you the challenges and the payoffs of putting on a live event. We go behind the scenes at our first ever Platform Conference.
In our Member Makeover, Megan Miller, Dean of Platform University, and I review the platform of one of our members. We share with him ten recommendations to take his platform to the next level.
In addition to this, I will be hosting our members-only Live Q&A Conference Call at the end of the month. This is an opportunity for our members to ask me any question they want about platform-building.
If you’re not a member, check us out. I created Platform University to help you build your platform bigger and faster than you could on your own. Don’t miss this opportunity to get the inspiration, training, and resources you need to succeed.
Question: What makes you unsubscribe from a blog you have been reading? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
