Not-so-secret secrets revealed! Social media do’s and don’ts. What Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and Madonna have in common. YouTube teams up with Rumble Fish. Robert offers to throw a... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com Less

Alex Steininger, music journalist, 10 year veteran publicist, and founder of ‘In Music We Trust’ (a label, eZine and publicity company) discusses the ins and outs of promotion in the... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com Less

Alex Steininger, music journalist, 10 year veteran publicist, and founder of ‘In Music We Trust’ (a label, eZine and publicity company) discusses the ins and outs of promotion in the... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com Less

In another Bigg Success Show Expert Session , we talked with Barbara Rozgonyi from Wired PR Works . Barbara is a consultant and speaker, helping people get more media attention for their business by positioning themselves as experts. Here are some highlights from our conversation: ___ ___ ___ Every business owner today is looking, more than ever, for ways to gain a competitive edge and stand out. Yet we’re reluctant to spend money. So if you can find a way to get publicity for your company, it’s like free advertising. ___ ___ Today, we specifically talked about getting on the radio as an expert. Barbara, you have some great strategies to become a regularly featured expert on a few high profile radio shows. ___ ___ It’s like anything else when you’re doing communications – you have to have a topic and someone to listen to it. What I’d like to cover is how to get a topic that will get a radio station interested. What is hot? Because when you’re contacting them, you need something that will grab them and their listeners. One way to do that is to diagnose the pain. What are people really having trouble with and how can you help them? I’ve found that there are three easy ways to find out what the hot topics are. Think of yourself as a newsmaker, a trend setter, and a talk tracker. ___ ___ I really like that – newsmaker, trend setter, and talk tracker – the three easy ways to get up to speed on your topic. ___ ___ Yes, and once you put yourself in the place of someone else, and give yourself some authority in your own mind, it’s easier to assume that position in front of people on the radio or even in your conversations with your clients on a day-to-day basis. Let’s talk about what it means to be a newsmaker. For me, the easiest way to be a newsmaker is to follow who’s making the news. One way to do that is with Google Alerts. Google has this service where you can sign up to track what’s going on with a specific keyword. So for any topic you want, you ask Google to track it for you. Then Google e-mails you a digest of sites and blogs where conversations are going on around your topic. It might be a survey, the results of a test, press releases and blog entries. There will be a summary, too. So you can look at those and collect each one of them so you have an idea of what’s going on right now. ___ ___ This is how you begin to be the expert who knows what’s going on. You can use Google to get all of these notes and have your finger on the pulse of whatever your specialty is. ___ ___ Exactly. That makes you really attractive to a radio show host or even media in general over time. ___ ___ So, Barbara, now that you’re a newsmaker, how do you find receptive radio stations? ___ ___ There is a site, Radio-Locator. If you go there, you can type in your zip code or your city and it will give you all the radio stations within the radius that you select. So that would be a good place to start. ___ Visit Barbara’s web site, Wired PR Works where she has 500 articles on marketing and public relations. The articles are free and she’ll tell you more about getting free advertising! In the Expert Session, Barbara shared so much more. She gives a tutorial on setting up Google Alerts, tips on alerts you might want to set up and an example of how to do it. Even better, she doesn’t use “techie talk!” She also talks about: how to be a trend setter how to tap into the virtual water cooler to listen in on conversations about your industry what you need to promote yourself to radio stations the most important words to tell a radio host that guarantees you'll get more calls what you should have in your promotional package and much, much more in four tracks of about ten minutes each Click here for The Bigg Success Show Expert Session with Barbara. Thank you so much for reading our post today. We’ve all heard of “child’s play.” Check in next time when we discuss child’s work. Until then, here’s to your bigg success! Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes.  Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed. Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file: http://media.libsyn.com/media/biggsuccess/00269-112008.mp3 Related posts Increase Your Sales without Spending a Dime on Advertising How Opportunity Often Presents Itself Less

Surprise, surprise–The new Zune music player fails to compete with Apple’s new line of iPods. Kevin, Chris and Robert offer their own thoughts and processes on songwriting and Robert... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com Less

I started a series of New Media Challenges to entice people to start creating their own media. This is my response to New Media Challenge 001 - Introduce Yourself. (The video cuts off a few seconds before I was finished) From Careers in New Media and Podcasting New Media Challenge 001 - Introduce yourself Less

http://www.insidegeek.ca - In this video we are looking at the video distribution website called TubeMogul. This video does not include the newly launched TubeMogul Marketplace, but that’s another great reason to check them out. Distributed by Tubemogul. Less

Today on The Bigg Success Show , we welcomed Melissa Giovagnoli. Melissa is an author, speaker, coach and entrepreneur. Of her 11 books, four have been on the best seller’s list and one was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She is one of the world’s leading experts on networking and has appeared on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, and Fox. She was recently named the “best networker in Chicago” by Crain’s. Networking vs. Networlding We asked Melissa for her best networking tip. She says not to think of it as networking, but think of it as networlding, which is the title of one of her books. Networlding expands opportunities rather than limiting them. As a networker, you might set a goal of meeting two people. If you’re a networlder, you would set a goal of meeting two people who you can form a long-term relationship with and build opportunities for you, for them, and for the greater good. The “overstuffed Rolodex syndrome” Many people confuse activity with accomplishment. You leverage your network by thinking about who would be good connections for you. Start with people who have complementary values. With the online world, you can have quality and quantity by being specific about what you ask for to create a vibrant exchange. 7 levels of support Networking isn’t about taking. It’s also not about just giving. You can support people:   Emotionally By providing information By providing knowledge (information plus experiences) By promoting them Through wisdom sharing (the 20 percent that will yield 80 percent) By creating transformational opportunities Community (creating the greatest good for the greatest number) Links to Melissa’s sites networlding2.org This is Melissa’s most interactive community. The goal is for members to support each other in achieving their respective goals. You can create your own profile and build your own private circle around your special interest. Networlding E-Learning Here you’ll get six FREE lessons on networking for business and sales or networking for jobs. Melissa will also help you with writing a book. If you’re really serious about it, contact her. Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes.  Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed. Related posts Relationship Building Blocks 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success 3 Keys to Effective Networking The Two Most Powerful Words You Can Use The Other Pause that Refreshes  ShareThis Less

Rosanne and I will be joining some other LA New Media folks for this panel on The Future of Online Content, tonight, 730pm, at Blankspaces (5405 Wilshire Blvd, LA). Douglas Recorded video of the event Live .TV show provided by Ustream Here is the information on the panel… Panel on the Future of Online Content June 16th, 2008 — Tiger Team, mytvshow, online video, socialmedia, television [I'm going to ask my panelists about this eMarketer chart from last year showing advertising spending for online video and projections until 2011. I would like to know if they are heartened or saddened by these projections, and if they think they will remain accurate. Considering that advertisers still spend around $65 Billion a year for television ads, $4 Billion in 2011 is a comparatively small piece of the pie. See Paul La Monica's pithy blog post on these facts.] I’m moderating a panel on the future of online video content, from the perspective of those who are actually creating online content in a professional manner. I created this panel for the premier of atelevision show I co-created for Tru TV. Rather than go on about my experiences with network television, I thought it more appropriate to look to the future, especially because my primary profession is that of emerging media specialist, not a creator-producer in the entertainment industry. After the panel I will update this post with my thoughts on the bits of wisdom from my panelists. Panelists include: Amanda Congdon, the host and executive producer of Sometimesdaily. http://sometimesdaily.com/ and blogger at http://amandacongdon.com Gilad Lotan - Technologist / Digital Media, Endemol USA -http://endemolusa.tv Ken LaZebnik from http://www.Strike.tv Hayden Black of Goodnight Burbank: http://goodnightburbank.com and http://www.abigailsxratedteendiary.com Michael Pilla of http://www.indieflix.com Tim Street of http://www.frenchmaidtv.com/ Doug and Rosanne Welch, http://welchwrite.com especially with regard to podcasting a Douglas and Rosanne participating in New Media Panel this evening Less

Get your music reviewed by your local weekly! Amy McCullough, is the music editor for the Willamette Week, a popular and award winning weekly newspaper here in Portland with a circulation of almost... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com Less

Get your music reviewed by your local weekly! Amy McCullough, is the music editor for the Willamette Week, a popular and award winning weekly newspaper here in Portland with a circulation of almost... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com Less

Get your music reviewed by your local weekly! Amy McCullough, is the music editor for the Willamette Week, a popular and award winning weekly newspaper here in Portland with a circulation of almost... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com Less

During the last twenty years or so, I have collected a variety of Scouting commercials and promotion videos. With this post I would like to share three commercials with you. These commercials were created years ago by the Boy Scouts of America. I copied them from a video tape that the council had, and then put them on my computer some time ago. ?? This post includes three thirty second commercials. The first features Steve Young, the NFL quarterback, who was a Cub Scout. The second features Jim Lovell, and Eagle Scout who became an astronaut. The third features Scott Mitchell, another quarterback who also happens to be an Eagle Scout. Less

Kevin shares his adventures in the land of 10,000 bands at South by South West. Radiohead hits another line-drive and we wrap up our sync licensing episodes with some final insights. Join us as we... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com Less

Kevin shares his adventures in the land of 10,000 bands at SXSW (South by South West). Radiohead hits another line-drive and we wrap up our sync licensing episodes with some final insights. Join us... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com Less

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed You know the sites. You see them everywhere. “Sign up and get five of your friends to sign up… and you’ll win!” It’s not as easy as they make it sound. With so many sites who do the same thing, you’ll have a hard time trying to find even five who want to sign up under you. I received an email earlier in the week from Tom, asking me if these “freebie” sites are legitimate or not. I personally tiptoe very cautiously around things like these. The odds are not in your favor that you’ll really get something for free. It’s quite difficult to get enough people to buy in to whatever it is the site in question is selling or advertising. Most people will fail in getting the ‘free’ product. Yes… there are legitimate sites giving away real products. Just read the fine print. Make sure you fully understand the requirements that are laid out prior to getting involved. Heck… why not ask your friends BEFORE you sign up if they’re even willing to follow your lead and try to get something for nothing? Don’t throw away your money. Be smart. Stay away from all those scams out there. Anti-Scam Manual For Online Dating. Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video: <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m-OUbw2d8Bg"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m-OUbw2d8Bg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a> Related Content: iPod Skin Recommendations iPod Coupons My iPod Case Free Skype Credit OtterBox for the iPod Less

You’ve probably encountered people who never take responsibility for ANYTHING. That’s what sparked today’s blog – Does it pay to shift the blame? On the show, Mary-Lynn said that she believes it DOES pay. She said she is not a blame-shifter herself, but she has worked with them. In her experience, they often get away with it. Sometimes they even get rewarded with promotions or a better job! George retorted that it may work short-term, but it DOES NOT pay in the long run. He talked about a manager he had who never accepted responsibility. He knew that meant one of two things – either she wasn’t doing anything, or she was passing the buck. So he fired her. It hurts morale when employees see people getting away with not accepting responsibility. George said he learned this lesson the hard way – after firing an employee, another employee asked why it took him so long! As an employee, you don’t have many options when you’re working with a blame-shifter. However, there is one thing you can do – document, document, document. You don’t want to get blamed for THEIR mistakes. However, as a leader, you can create a culture where it’s okay to accept blame. That’s important because your employees are often afraid of the consequences of owning up to their mistakes. So focus on fixing the problem, not the blame. To rephrase an old saying, “It’s amazing how much gets accomplished when no one cares who gets the blame.” In our society today, we seem to do the opposite – we rush to find SOMEBODY to blame, rather than fixing the problem. Mary-Lynn said that’s why it pays to be a blame-shifter. George said he remembered an employee who always blamed something or someone. George told him that he had a lot of potential. He wouldn’t get fired for making a mistake, but he was going to get fired if he didn’t start taking responsibility. He became one of George’s top managers. That won’t work with all employees, but it will work with the ones you want to keep. Admit your mistakes Lead by example – when your employees see you admitting mistakes, they’ll feel safe doing the same. Distribute the credit liberally and focus the blame conservatively. Give more credit to your team; accept more blame yourself. You’ll win the hearts and minds of your team when you do this. How to get away with shifting the blame George said that there was one way you might get away with always shifting the blame. Be a moving target. If you’re constantly moving from job to job, company to company, place to place, you might get away with it in the long run. But do you really want to live that life – always looking over your shoulder, always worrying that you’ll be found out? Mary-Lynn responded that blame-shifters do move – and it’s usually UP – to a better job! What do you think? Does CYA pay? Our bigg quote today is by the great writer, Oscar Wilde. “It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how you place the blame.”  In the game of life, great teams experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat together, not as individuals. Next time, we’ll discuss what you can learn from jugglers. Until then, here’s to your bigg success! Related posts Getting The Credit You Deserve    ShareThis Less

  Yesterday, we said that persistence is the single most important ingredient for your success. If you persist long enough, you’re sure to succeed! However, you have to be smart about it. With that in mind, here are four signs that it’s time to abandon ship! Internal signs #1 – It’s affecting your health. Your health is more important than any career. You may be having anxiety attacks, experiencing constant stress, feeling burned out or fatigued. These are indications that it may be time for a change. To succeed bigg, you’ll feel stressed from time-to-time. You need to push on, unless it’s affecting your health long-term. NOTHING is worth that. If your long-term health is being affected by what you’re doing, it’s time to abandon ship! #2 – You’re bored beyond belief. You’ve been there, done that. Every day feels like a week. It’s harder and harder to get out of bed in the morning. You don’t look forward to work. You feel like you’re stagnating. The first sign covers your physical health. Here we’re talking about your mental health. When you’re bored to tears, it’s time to abandon ship! External signs #3 – There’s no room for growth. This is related to the second sign. However, in this case, it’s beyond your control. It may be that you’ve been promoted as far as you can go. Perhaps you can’t expect any significant increase in your income. Maybe your company is reaching maturity. You’ve taken it as far as the circumstances will allow. If there’s little or no opportunity on the horizon, it’s time to abandon ship! #4 – The trends are bad. Change happens. It affects your industry – for good or bad. If it’s creating damage, ask yourself  Is it a trend or is it a fad? Fads are short term – they will come and go. Trends are long-term things that you can’t change. Warren Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha, said, “When management with a reputation for brilliance tackles a business with a reputation for bad economics, it is the reputation of the business that remains intact.” We don’t doubt that you’re good. But even you can’t buck the trends. If it’s a fad, push on! If it’s a trend that’s devastating your industry, abandon ship! Have you felt the need to abandon ship? Or maybe you’re considering it now? Share your experience with us … leave a comment below! But don’t just jump ship … prepare your life boat first. Store up provisions. Find ways to save some money – skip that latte or pack a lunch until you get settled. Set it aside to provide for you and your family. Don’t forget your life jacket. This is your support network. Talk to people who will encourage you, weigh in with ideas, and perhaps refer you to good opportunities. Remember your compass. Obviously, you need to know that you’re headed in the right direction. Check out these great resources for guidance: Your Personal SWOT Analysis (Part I)     Your Personal SWOT Analysis (Part II)    Coping With Life Change     Your Potential Power     Are You Going Through A Mid-Life (Career) Crisis   Is It Time For You To Rock And Roll (Change Careers)     10 Signs That You’re Ready To Quit Your Job And Start A Business     Stretch Yourself Anew     What Makes You Tick     Finding The “Good” In Good-Bye     How Do You Define Success       Visualizing The Life You Want (Part II)     Climbing The Stairway To Success     Take your oars. You don’t want to just float, so grab your oars. These are things you can do to steer you in the right direction – like take a class or get a part-time job in a field you think might be interesting. Bring your flare gun. Prepare to market yourself – spruce up your resume and cover letter. Think creatively so you get the attention of the right people. Our Bigg Quote today comes from George William Curtis. “It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage.” You are the captain of your own ship. Usually you will persist and stay with the course. But occasionally, the best thing you can do is to find a new ship and start your journey anew. Bon voyage! Next time, we’ll answer a question for one of our newsletter subscribers. He wants some tips on wooing potential investors over dinner. We’ll talk about how to be dashing while dining! Until then, here’s to your bigg success! ShareThis Less

Artist management may not be the first thing on your mind when you’ve got your amp cranked up and your creativity flowing. But management is just as essential to cultivating and maintaining a... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com Less