You are not your job.
No title can define you.
 
Just ask a kid what they do and you’ll be amazed at their answers.
 
Your life’s purpose was never meant to be a manager, employee, specialist, coordinator, ceo, etc.
 
From the moment of birth you embarked on a fantastic lifelong journey and have been collecting experiences and communicating your treasures, talents and unique perspectives through actions, ideas, conversations, values, music, wardrobe, friends and more.
 
A job is just a singular expression, not a definition.
 
If you are lucky enough to have a true calling it was sparked by the essence of who you and are reinforced by talent and passion. Whatever your calling - musician, author, poet, dancer, actor, teacher, caregiver, etc. - you just found one outlet through a job. There are endless ways to express and share your gifts. You have been doing it your entire life and will continue regardless of what you do to earn a paycheck.
 
Just as companies switch production and services to deliver what is needed, you can rest assured that there will always be an outlet of expression and appreciation for who you are outside a job. It’s why your friends like you, what your family relies on and what makes your heart sing.
 
I learned this valuable lesson shortly after I found myself without a job for the first time since I was 14 in December of 1999. Back in the early 2000s it wasn’t acceptable not to have an answer to ‘what do you do?’ that wasn’t a job title. I stumbled upon a couple jobs and quickly learned I didn’t belong. Not because my skills didn’t fit the job description but because I didn’t fit into the company's box of rules. Friends tried to tell me I couldn’t work for anyone. I didn’t understand that they meant I needed to launch my own company. I finally did in 2002.
 
I am forever grateful for a Fast Company magazine Community@Work conference I attended where no one was allowed to bring business cards. Instead, they supplied us with an unbusiness card printed with one word on the front that captured what we bring to the world. The purpose was to shift our mindset away from only identifying with a job title. The responses ran the gamut - Idea-synthesis, Connector, Contextualist, Social Revolutionary, Plant, Energize, Share, Catalyst, Renegade and many more. After a couple days of contemplation, I came up with Enlighten. Not because I think I’m some sort of spiritual guru but because I often introduce a unique view that invites people to look at things from a different perspective. It’s why I like Picasso’s cubism and why my logo is an unfinished cube.

The back of the card included a few descriptors such as a favorite quote, how we want to change the world and our true loves.

Over the years, I’ve come to define this exercise as creating a calling card, a reason why people would want to give you a call.
 
What is your impact?
How do you show up?
What difference do you make?
What attracts people to you?
 
Think about it and create your own calling card. Share it with me and maybe hand it out instead of a business card the next time you meet someone.
​
For more insights, ideas and inspirations on how to share your story, visit www.1bluecube.com.

As a solopreneur, I've worked from home since 2002.
I tried following the 'guidelines' for setting up a home office, getting dressed and going to work.

Guess what?!
It didn't take long for me to kick these guidelines to the curb. Everything about Public Relations is deadline driven so maybe it's easier for me but I bet your job is designed with deadlines, too. You, not your manager, know best how to do the work and I'll also bet your experience and ability doesn't rely on a suit and tie.

ABOUT THE OFFICE
The window in my designated office faced the house next door, that didn't work for me. Not only did it block most of the natural light, the view was literally blocked . . . by a wall.

Make your office work for you. Some days it may be the kitchen table or couch and some days on the bed or in the backyard. I also love the option of working from satellite offices such as a restaurant, park, bookstore, coffee shop or a colleague's conference room.

I understand right now your satellite office options are limited. Use your imagination! Set up a coffee table near your front door and wave to neighbors or have a picnic in the backyard and work on a blanket. Stay responsible and set up your office where it works for you.

A client used to call and ask where I was working because they were suck in an office. Enjoy the flexibility! Flexibility is one of the perks of working from home. You can work from anywhere as long as you deliver the work on time.

DRESS CODE
One of the coolest things about working from home is not wearing a suit unless it's a sweat or bathing suit. While dressing up for meetings is necessary to show respect and project a professional image, you can slip into something more comfortable in the comfort of your home office. If you really need to dress professionally to work at home, go ahead. It's all about what works for you. I like creating my own dress code - my house, my office, my rules. When working with 7-Eleven, the UPS driver who delivered packages of swag for radio stations loved that I often worked in my pajamas until 10 or 11. I didn't work less because I was wearing pajamas, quite the opposite. I was so busy I didn't have time to get dressed. Before you think I was lazy, let me clarify. I had already taken an hour walk and showered before putting on pajamas and beginning to work.

CLOCKING IN
Even though you need to be available during regular business hours, working from home allows you to make your own schedule. Being able to work at the bedside of my grandma and dad and take friends to doctor appointments was priceless. Not one of my office jobs would have allowed me that flexibility even though I never missed a deadline. Sometimes it meant I had to make up time late at night. I'm sure many of you do that, too, even though you didn't take personal time during the day.

BREAK TIME
Everyone needs breaks. Another perk of working from home is no one dictates when or whether you can take a break and how long. When I need to let ideas marinate, my go-to break is watching a movie. I call it a lunch break . . . hey, I eat popcorn! Taking a walk and getting some fresh air is another fave along with grocery shopping. This eliminates the distraction of wondering what's for dinner.

MEETINGS
When I first began working from home, one client thought we needed more meetings to ensure I was working enough to meet their expectations. Working from home has changed a lot since 2002. I was able to manage that by charging for the meetings, including the commute. Every interruption costs you at least 15 minutes to fully regroup and refocus.

Speaking of managing meetings, working from home allows you more freedom to eliminate dreaded meetings so they don't dominate your day. Remaining connected to colleagues and networking are crucial. I suggest you only attend gathering that feed your goals. There's no need to attend a stale networking group just because it's the industry standard. I've found attending groups outside my industry allows me to gain new insights, perspectives and opportunities. Over time, professional groups can experience member turnover and the makeup of members may no longer meet your needs. Maintain your connections in person and cut out the annoying networker interrupting your conversation. Does that work for you?

Everyone is different. It took a while for me to settle in and find what worked.
Let me know what works for you.

A friend from collage asked me to write a children's book for her kids. While I was flattered, I declined and said I wanted them to tell me a story. A child's imagination is magical and needs to be nurtured, encouraged and preserved.

This was my response to her request:

As the cool morning dew glistened beneath the grounded leaves in the early fall, a miracle happened. Not unlike any miracle before or those yet to come. You see, there is no once upon a time or fairy princesses or toads who, when kissed, transform into Prince Charming. There are no ogres or trolls or witches. No Land of Oz or Munchkins ever existed. These things are not real. Yet are are alive! Borne in the imagination of people, who were born on a day, just an ordinary day, like the one on which you entered into this world. Oh, their miracle could have happened in the warmth of a summer sun or the cold of a winter's night. That doesn't matter. It was just a day, or night.

You see, stories aren't real. But the imagination is - that magical, mystical place inside every child's mind lives fantastical places and extraordinary beings. Only those adults who are wise enough never to grow up can bring to life Dr. Seuss and the Grinch, Mother Goose and Grimm. There's nothing new or unique about these characters. They have lived before, their adventures untold in the imagination of children for centuries. Unfortunately, they are quickly forgotten along with teddy bears and toy soldiers, Barbie dolls and tiddly winks. For as we pick up the pieces of Candyland and Chutes and Ladders, we also shelf our wondrous imagination. We soon forget how to talk to imaginary friends or transport ourselves to another dimension.

So, tell me, where would you like to go today?
© Tami Belt

When I was young if I didn't like where I was I ran away.
No, I didn't run amok throughout the neighborhood. I wasn't allowed to leave the yard, much less cross the street. Instead I created magical lands, heroic adventures and daring deeds in my mind.

     
 

              My imagination
            ran away with me.

        
           Oh, the places I'd go!

Imagination isn't just for kids!
During stressful times your imagination is more important than ever.
I'm not suggesting you run away from stress. To the contrary!
Imagination can make the journey through it more bearable.

Stay present and tend to what's important while keeping an eye on the light at the end of the tunnel. Schedule imagination breaks.

     • Imagine what it will be like to get back to a normal routine.
     • Imagine a new job, career or better way to work.
     • Imagine better relationships.
     • Imagine a better way to use technology.
     • Imagine a better community.
     • Imagine a better world.

Back to reality. Imagination in action leads to manifestation.
     • What can you do now to start manifesting the world of your dreams?
     • Who can you enlist to help?

Whatever it is you wish could be different, better, eliminated . . . . 

IMAGINE THAT!
      

This Zulu greeting is a truly thoughtful way to acknowledge someone.
It means ‘I see you’.
The response is Ngikhona, 'I am here.'

I first heard about this greeting listening to an audio and more recently found it in a Ted Talk by Susan David.
 
Everyone wants to be seen, heard and understood.
It’s a basic human need.
 
Unfortunately, making eye contact is quickly becoming a lost art.
Our gazes are glued to a screen instead of seeing who is standing right in front of us.
Communicating via text has replaced real conversation . . . even between people inside the same building!
 
Social Media is an oxymoron that charades as a connector but in reality offers a virtual fake façade. The connection we think is at our fingertips is facilitating a divide that is driving us to lose touch with each other and the real world. Too often we only see a highlight reel of someone’s life that makes our reality pale in comparison.
 
We turn to likes, shares and followers to satisfy our insatiable appetite for attention . . . to be seen, heard and understood.
 
Instead, we only need to look at who is right in front of us.
 
Sawubona.
Ngikhona.

Today, everyone specializes in “content” . . . for blogs, for social media for SEO . . . oh, my!
 
NEWSFLASH!
 
Content isn’t new.
Content is stories.
 
Stories are as old as . . . well . . . man.
Cavemen were the original storytellers, communicating with stick figures on walls.
 
From cave walls to communities to the cosmos, how we share stories has evolved in conjunction with mediums available for scribes.
 
Everyone has a story as unique as the character it belongs to . . . from companies to charities, CEOs to entrepreneurs and everyone in between.
 
Today, Public Relations professionals are Storytellers who utilize the myriad of mediums available to spark conversations, build relationships and shape brands.
 
Let me explain:
            Public Relations is the strategic crafting of your story, your message. 
 
            Publicity is the result of your story being placed in front of your target audience through
            social, print and electronic media.
 
            Public Relations goes beyond telling your story to engaging your public in conversations.             
            It's about connecting and building relationships.
 
            Communication has come a long way, baby.
 
It’s a two way street.
 
Thanks to social media and other technology we can engage in conversations. The ability to listen to our customers and community to know what they think and want is game changing. Are you in the game?
 
According to Scott Bedbury, ‘A great brand is a story that’s never completely told.’
 

That’s good news!

You see, your brand isn’t your logo, your tagline or even what you say it is.
 
Your Brand is a perception in the mind of customers.  
You don't own it, they do.
 
You can, however, help shape the perception through stories, the 'content' you share. The key is to communicate clearly and consistently in every message across all mediums:
 
                 - articles and blogs                         - bios                                                                                         
                 - client testimonials                        - social media web site copy                                    
                 - collateral material                         - web site copy
 
While stories help shape the perception, before you know what stories to tell you first have to know where you are in the mind of your customers.
 
Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
 
Once you know where you stand in your customer’s mind, you can begin to shape the perception.  It takes more than randomly throwing stories . . . uh content . . . out there hoping something will stick. Random stories, like random ads, don’t work. There has to be a purpose to your prose.
 
You wouldn't build a house without a blueprint, so why communicate without a plan?
Communicating without a plan is risky business.

Clear, consistent and strategically planned communication is key to realizing your organization's goals. A well-designed communication plan can help you:
 
            • build your brand
            • position you as a leader in your industry and community
            • connect you with clients, community and employees
            • create customer evangelists
            • communicate effectively through targeted media channels
            • provide clear direction in a crisis
            • establish you as a valuable and reliable resource in the media and your industry
           
Make sure your message . . . uh content . . . fits the medium.
It’s about what’s news to the audience, not to you.
Here’s a few places you can start building strategic communication strategy: 

Web Site
            - Your web site is a living billboard for your company.  It houses:
                        • Bios
                        • Blogs
                        • Testimonials
                        • Case Studies
                        • Company story
                        • Customer and employee stories
                        • News stories
                        • Media Interviews
                        • Videos
                        • Photos
 
            What story does your web site tell?

Community Engagement
Translating the mission, vision and values of your company into a customized                                     community engagement strategy is the key to building lasting relationships.                                     Capitalizing on them through a well-crafted communication strategy connects you                         with your clients, community and employees.
 
            Research shows that companies that are involved in their communities:
                 • enjoy higher employee satisfaction and retention rates
                 • are viewed more favorably by customers
                 • increase market share from customers who switch brands to support a cause in which
                    they believe
                 • help strengthen the community in which they serve, creating a better place to live and        
                    do business
                  • get more press coverage from what they do in the community than what                              
                     they do as a company

It’s not what you sell it’s what you stand for.


Social Media
Social Media is comprised of communities. 
Knowing how to communicate in each one is part of a strategic communication plan.
This is the place to engage in conversations, listen and build relationships. 
It's a community, not a commercial.
            • A clear purpose is the roadmap for navigating each social media neighborhood
            • Ensure the message fits the medium and supports your purpose.
             • Just because you post doesn’t mean you’re communicating. Just because someone
               responds doesn’t mean you’re engaging in conversation.
             • Learn the etiquette and remain positive.
             • Like a good neighbor, don’t show up empty handed - contribute value.
             • Be responsive, don’t leave customers on hold.
             • Establish communication guidelines.
             • If you wouldn’t let them meet with and talk to customers, don’t let them speak for you on
               social media.
 
The real story about content.
 
Social media and technology have empowered communication on many levels. We must, however, remain aware of our consumption. Even though a diet of junk food might satisfy our appetite, it isn’t healthy. The same is true of a diet of fake media. Not everything you read is true. Just because someone can search for ‘facts’ and write a post doesn’t make them a journalist. Just because someone can tell a story doesn’t make them a PR professional. Just because someone can take a photo doesn’t make them a photographer. There are techniques, strategies, ethics and experience that separate professionals from amateurs This doesn’t mean that amateur contributions aren’t worthy, they are often instrumental in documenting breaking news, creating awareness for a cause or providing entertainment. Today, more than ever, we must remain diligent about the content we digest. Not every story is true. Not every content creator is trustworthy. Don’t believe every story you read. In conversation, as with content, always consider the source.

For more insights, ideas and inspiration to help you share your story visit www.1bluecube.com. 

You wouldn’t build a house without a blueprint so why do you communicate without a plan?
 
Communicating without a plan is risky business.
 
When you throw up post after post to see what sticks you’re playing social media roulette. It’s an ever-changing game where the algorithms are always stacked against you.
 
Like a house, a strong foundation lays the groundwork for success. For a business or nonprofit, the foundation is their story.
 
A solid foundation is built by diving deep to excavate, craft and share the story behind the organization. Today, that story is trendily referred to as the ‘origin story’.  Too often organizations want to launch a website, attract attention on social media and ask people to sign up before the foundation is built. This can do more harm than good because your first impression will be one of confusion and instability. A well-crafted story, shared on a website with valuable, relevant content, speaks volumes about you and your organization. At minimum, a good website needs to include:
 
            • A Homepage that is inviting, uncluttered and showcases the purpose of your company                                                        
              or nonprofit
            • An ‘ABOUT’ page that clearly communicates the story of your organization                              
            • Bios of the Founders that read like a highlight reel of their life, not a regurgitation of a
               resume or company commercial
            • Services/Products page that clearly defines what you offer to whom and why you are            
               the right choice for the clients you want to attract
            • Testimonials of satisfied customers and employees that showcase how you made them               
               feel, solved specific problems and what it’s like to work with you
 
Like a good story, a solid foundation is unable to support a weak structure. Having a good product or service is merely the price of entry. Ensure what you offer is backed by actions in alignment with core values, customer service and policies/procedures that reinforce your stories because actions speak louder than words.
 
Core values are your framework. They rise as an extension of the foundation to embrace your organization and serve as guideposts in all decision-making.
 
Policies and procedures provide the insulation to protect you inside and out while ensuring a comfortable atmosphere for all working in and doing business with your organization.
 
Core competencies are the walls. They house the talent and expertise that shape the structure of your organization, making room for products and services that reinforce your core competencies.
 
Once you’ve built a strong foundation and the structure is in place, you’re ready to put out the welcome mat and open the doors.
 
A strategic trail of stories, placed throughout the right social and traditional media neighborhoods, reinforced by consistent and congruent actions create the curb appeal needed to attract your ideal customers, employees, volunteers, donors and the community to your doorstep.
 
Constructing a house requires a plan and is done in phases. The same is true for creating a solid communication plan. Clear, consistent, strategically planned and placed communication is key to realizing your organization's goals.  A well-designed communication plan can help you:

• Build your brand
• Position you as a leader in your industry and community
• Connect with clients, employees, volunteers donors and the community
• Create customer evangelists
• Communicate effectively through targeted media channels
• Provide clear direction in a crisis
• Establish you as a valuable and reliable resource for the media and your industry

 
Contact me today because communicating without a plan is risky business. 

I should know, for years I was the in-house marketing department for a hospital. It didn’t matter how clever the tagline, how heartwarming the ad campaign or how many wonderful, feel good stories appeared in the press. If the patients, visitors, families, employees or volunteers weren’t treated right the image of the hospital was toast in their minds and the minds of everyone they told.
 
Everyone markets you. Your employees, customers, volunteers, donors, vendors . . . . even your children!. Anyone who talks about you is marketing you. From the way you answer the phone to what your office looks like to how it feels when someone walks through the door to the way you make everyone feel, you leave an impression that impacts your brand.
 
Make sure you make a good impression.
Building a brand takes time.
Ruining one only takes a minute.
 
Give people something good to say about your business or charity.
 
For more insights, ideas and inspirations to help you share your story and build your brand, visit http://www.1bluecube.com.

​​In stories we trust.
​
People believe people, not ads.
 
Every time someone tells a story about an experience with a product, service or organization it’s called word-of-mouth.
 
Word-of-mouth remains the best form of advertising.
 
Testimonials are one of the best forms of word-of-mouth because they showcase your organization’s products, services and solutions through stories. These stories help build your brand by providing new perspectives in the minds of customers, employees, volunteers, donors and the community.

Testimonials go beyond recommendations to tell a story about an experience. The best testimonials:
 
            • highlight how you met specific needs
            • showcase how you made someone feel
            • share stories that showcase all the products and services your organization provides
            • include employee, volunteer and board member stories about their experience:
                        - why they like working with your organization
                        - their favorite story about helping a client
                        - how they make a difference and contribute
 
Testimonials, like stories, are made for sharing.
Post them on your web site, as social media posts, video stories on appropriate channels and case studies for blogs and reports.
 
Testimonials are powerful stories to help:
            • build your brand
            • establish your expertise
            • communicate your value through memorable, relatable and repeatable stories
 
For more insights, ideas and inspirations to help you share your story, build your brand and connect with the hearts and minds of  your customers, employees, volunteers, donors and the community, visit http://www.1bluecube.com.

​The most effective communication starts from the inside out.
Everyone inside an organization needs to be on the same page.
Ensuring every manager, employee, volunteer, board member and intern is clear on the Mission, message and purpose of their company or nonprofit is crucial to building a brand and the bottom line.
 
Before I launched my own Public Relations firm, I worked in-house at several companies - a religiously-sponsored nonprofit hospital, a newspaper and a public education foundation in addition to serving on several nonprofit boards. Being responsible for communications meant I was charged with delivering a consistent message to every department and audience through a variety of mediums.
 
Getting everyone on the same page can be like herding cats. Too often, departments operate in silos with their own agenda, perspective and priorities. Each audience listens through their own filters. The key to true communication is to deliver messages in a way that breaks through the silo walls to highlight how each department’s piece of the puzzle is crucial to unveiling the big picture. Of course, first this meant listening to each department’s position, issues, goals and opportunities.
 
The way we talk to ourselves is also filled with a virtual cacophony of voices, each competing for attention. Orchestrating the voices into a single symphony in tune with our desired destination takes a lot of practice, patience and persistence. It also involves listening to the message behind each voice. First we must figure out if it really is our voice or someone else’s recording we let inside our head.
 
Stories are interesting beings. Yes, they are alive and as active as our imagination.
We need to excavate the Truth from the many sides of each story so we can re-solve, re-member and re-write our stories.
 
You see, our reality is shaped our perceptions. Our perceptions are shaped by the stories we tell ourselves. This internal communication dictates how we show up and travel through the world.
             • Do we see a friendly or hostile environment?
            • Do we perceive people as kind and helpful or out to take something from us?
            • Do we believe our good will come back to us or is life always unfair?
 
When I speak to college students about the power of storytelling to shape brands, I remind them that the most important story is the one they believe. Their first job, before any offer is accepted, is to get clear on their story. This builds a solid foundation that communicates who they are, where they’re going and, most importantly, why.
 
The most important story is the one you believe.
Make sure it’s True.

For more insights, ideas and inspirations to share your story to help build your brand visit www.1bluecube.com.