It Starts Today

After a few months of absence and tweaks and reworkings… I’m back, baby!

And as if he was on my wavelength (or me on his, or possibly both, in a very Being John Malkovich way), Chris Brogan posted about what he’d do if he started today.

Riffing off of Chris’s post, here’s what I’ve been up to, and here’s where we’re going… starting today!

Step 1: Listening

• Chris writes: “Listening is my first move… go and read the blogs that are out there. Read from different genres. … [S]tart listening to the conversations that are out there.
• My journey: My biggest blogging boom came as a law student. I’m not a law student anymore, and I’m not even at the place where I would’ve guessed I’d be, had you asked me during those law school years where I saw myself two or three years out. I’m somewhere totally unexpected.

  

  Photo by Orange Beard

  My blogging needed to catch up with my life.

  So I took some time out to listen what was making me spin with excitement, get jazzed about my days, and spark heaps of creative outbursts. I found whole new neighborhoods in the blogosphere and became a regular reader and erstwhile commenter. I explored more social media than you can throw a terabyte at, and learned how they all work together and the strengths of each.

  I went into my researcher mode, and listened to where I am now, as an attorney, computer whisperer, strategic can-do-ologist–and, of course, a perpetual Curious George.

Step 2: Blogging

• Chris writes: “No matter what, the very first piece of social media real estate I’d start with is a blog.”
• My blogs: I’ve gotten domains for my blogs and redesigned their layouts. I’ve been busy collecting ideas for content and usability. My job, just like my personality, is multi-faceted, and my websites reflect that. One is dedicated to my legal services. One is dedicated to my quote collection. One proclaims the spirit of Strategic Can-Do-Ology: “Professional. Efficient. Human.” And Daily Struggles is where all of the hodgepodge comes to play, from work-related to pictures of my beloved dogs.

Step 3: Outposts

• Chris writes: “I’d build outposts which help me reach into lots of different places and communicate with people where they might be. Depending on my needs, I might use different tools. At the very minimum, I’d start accounts on Twitter, LinkedIn, [and] Facebook.”
• My outposts: You can find me on the “Big Three” Chris mentioned (follow me on Twitter, connect with me on LinkedIn, and friend me on Facebook). I’ve also been establishing a presence on some other social media, including Diigo, StumbleUpon, Plurk and Digg–along with a slew of others. Each provides a different way of interacting with others, and a different sphere of people with whom to interact.

Steps 4 & 5: Audience & Experiment

• Chris writes: “Once you have a primary place to express yourself (your blog), and a few outposts where you can communicate in a less structured, more real time way (outposts), the next [thing] I would do is find like minds. … Experiment. Try new things. … You learn by doing, not reading.”
• My take: I’ve got the structures in place now, and I’m ready to reconnect with my Daily Struggles audience (hello, returning readers!) and to reach out to some additional folks that I’ve met along the journey. As for trying new things? C’mon… remember, I’ve got that Curious George streak. It’s a no-brainer.

And I am so flattered, excited, and happy-happy-joy-joy-ing to have all of you reading this along for the ride. Please always feel free to leave comments or send me an email. I promise, every single one gets read and pondered.