with chris in NYC earlier this week

Today is the launch of my friend and mentor Chris Guillebeau’s (you can follow him on Twitter too!) newest book, The $100 Startup. I’m so excited that it launched to such a great reception–it’s #9 on Amazon now, and #1 in entrepreneurship, self-help, and education. Yowza.

Personally I’m a bit over the moon because I’m featured in The $100 Startup. Chris talks about my unconventional career and how I made my work fit seamlessly into my life as I grew into a coworking studio space, had a baby, etc. There are tons of profiles of crazy unconventional businesses that are different from mine so you are sure to find inspiration and motivation from this book.

I sat down for a bit in Central Park with Chris on Sunday when I was in New York City, where he kicked off the book tour today. I encourage you to check out the list of his stops on the $100 Startup Book Tour and see if you can make it to one of the events. I wish we were hosting one at CAMP again this year but it was just not to be–glad I got a chance to say hi when we crossed paths in NYC though!

Let me know if you pick up the book, and tell me what you think!

xx
meg

Big Omaha is an awesome tech/start-up/creative superconference to bring together forward-thinking entrepreneurs, developers, creative types created by Silicon Prarie News to inspire, support, and connect entrepreneurs who come from all around the country to attend. This year’s tickets all sold out in mere minutes (although you can still get on the waitlist!).

Omaha is an amazing place to live because we’re kind of within this huge wave of change in the way we work and live. On the economic side, our entrepreneurs are becoming more comfortable with risk, investors are noticing the start-ups coming out of the Midwest, and the tightly-knit, accessible community makes it easier to get more for your investment. On the cultural side, our music scene here is already well-known, but we’re also growing in bars and dance clubs, sports franchises, and fine arts attractions like ballet and opera. The close, supportive community has been really advantageous to our growth.

But enough of an Omaha commercial, I guess–I know that I’m mostly in the wedding industry and most of my readers are brides (and I know that most of them skip over posts like this), but I also know from my reader surveys that 30% of my readers are male and 65% of you LOVE the business posts. So knowing that, many of you reading now are probably entrepreneurs–creative, tech, or otherwise–and you’ve probably gone to a few conferences or at least thought about attending. On the #BigOmaha Twitter feed, I’ve seen a few people asking if anyone had any advice for first-time conference-goers. I tweeted a few tips and decided that I really wanted share them in a post.

1. Sit up front

If you want to pay attention and engage with the speakers, you can only sit up front. If you want to take bathroom breaks and have whispered side-conversations with a cool new person you’ve met, stand in the back. But don’t miss a chance to have an emotional connection to an awesome speaker–in the front row, they’re sure to remember you if you want to talk later.

2. Think of two questions for each speaker

You’ll most likely get a chance to ask them, either with a microphone after the talk, or at an after-party or chance hallway encounter. Pay attention to what your internal dialogue is doing as you listen and react to each talk. Was a detail left out that you’d like to understand more clearly? Do you have a question about how to apply the speaker’s lessons to your own experience? Think of a few questions you can ask because you will definitely get the opportunity.

3. Eat lunch last

So part of the reason you’re going to a conference in the first place is to meet people, right? One of the biggest opportunities to network is over the long lunch break. So if there’s a line to wait for a buffet-style lunch, wait until it dies down before you dig in. You’ll have time to eat, and you won’t waste any of it standing in a single-file line when you could be meeting some exciting people or joining a table of experts you’ve been wanting to meet.

4. Follow the Twitter feeds and hashtags in advance

Following the social media stream (for Big Omaha it’s #BigOmaha) for the conference you are attending in advance will make it easier to find and connect with the people you really want to meet. Follow some people, reply to some people, ask people some questions, answer some questions…then when you finally meet them in person you sort of have a foundation already and you’ve built some trust.

5. Put together something cool to leave with people

If you have a business card, that’s okay. I always try to do something a little more creative. I like this post and discussion on Robert Scoble’s blog about business card best practices. Flickr has more creative inspiration like the “Nice Package” and “Crafty Packages” groups.

6. Go to the parties

They’re fun, you’ll meet people, get your picture taken, and get free stuff. Parties are usually open to the public, so if you couldn’t snag a ticket, you can still drop in and absorb some of the energy and make some connections. And put your phone down while you’re having a cool conversation.

7. Be kind

You’re being recorded all the time–whether it’s literally by a photographer or videographer (which are everywhere), or just in the memories of everyone around you. Don’t be a jerk, remember to use your magic words, and share a thoughtful compliment when you can. You’re always broadcasting your brand, and people always remember the very good and very bad.

Finally, follow up with people you meet. Whether it’s informally through Twitter, or via e-mail–I’ve even snail-mailed people little packages before–just send the people you connected with a little shout to thank them for the friendship. Ask for help when you need it and be open to people who reach out to you.

I love going to Big Omaha because being an artist is not only creative, it has a lot to do with running a business. And as an entrepreneur, I’m excited to attend an event where I can meet other entrepreneurs and forward-thinkers who do work in creative industries. Big Omaha is my favorite conference because they do this so well, emphasizing business and technology and welcoming the artists, musicians, and designers, and writers–people who may normally be in the minority at conferences like this.

So that’s it.
I hope I see you at Big Omaha! I’ll be there with a posse–Sarah Lorsung-Tvrdik, my business partner, Shannon, my assistant, and my husband David who recently started a video game design company is coming too. I’m definitely dragging them all up to the front row with me. I hope you say hi when you see me, and I look forward to making lots of new friends!

xx
meg

This week I'm sharing lessons every day designed to help readers who are "waiting it out" in jobs they don't love for the right opportunity to start their own ventures. Yesterday we talked about positioning your content and your message, and today I'm explaining the cherry on top, the "make it pretty"--creating a beautiful experience for your audience.

Dear awesome readers:

Our motto and mission at Princess Lasertron is simple: “Make it pretty.” We will always make what we make—textile wedding bouquets—better than any of our competitors that spring up and inevitably die out because we have the passion, the forward-thinking vision, and the talent to design a great product. We’re the best in our category. But the frosting on top, the thing that differentiates us most, is the pretty. It’s the attention to user experience in design. It’s going to a website that doesn’t suck. It’s the ease of the ordering process. It’s the experience of seeing the square box on your doorstep, unwrapping our signature packaging, and holding something in your hands that a human touched for over 20 hours, making it absolutely perfect for you. What adds value to the basic process—the “good work” and “quality product”–is the pretty. It’s design, both in the digital and physical experience of interacting with the Princess Lasertron brand.

Nobel prize winning researcher David Kahneman found something that has been intuitive to many successful businessowners for centuries–that over 70% of a consumer’s decision to purchase a product is emotional. Start looking at your brand as a product, and add value by making customers (or users, or readers) feel emotional about it.

Obviously one way to make it pretty is to literally create a pretty package with the help of a professional. In Omaha, you can’t spit without hitting a graphic designer, but the really good ones are a little more rare. Luckily, because of social media, all of them are accessible to you. Get a consultation. Ask about rates. See if you can do a trade. Another great resource for design talent are colleges—ask a graphic design professor to recommend a promising student who needs some portfolio work to get your branding off the ground.

Other than that, notice the ways design pervades every other aspect of your brand. The typefaces. The photography. The language in your tweets. The way you dress at work. The objects you have on top of your desk. Everything that influences your experience at work will influence your customer, so look at the image and the product you’re making and ask “Is this beautiful? Is this useful? Will this improve someone’s life? Will this make someone happy?” If the answer is no, it should never have been made, it should never reach your customer, and it has no place in your life. Care about quality and experience in a world where quality is declining. Your customers will notice.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Who is this person?

…Kat Williams of Rock N Roll Bride, badass British wedding blogger and fabulously tattooed trailblazer.

Photo by Daniel Muller

Q: What is your passion?
A: My blog, Rock N Roll Bride, is all about alternative weddings so that’s where my initial passion lay. I started the blog because I was bored to the back teeth of the generic and cookie cutter wedding ‘stuff’ that was thrust at me during my own wedding planning. I was sure there must have been other brides (and grooms) feeling the same!

I’ve recently just expanded the blog and created a new section called The Green Room which is all about running your own wedding business. In the same vein as the weddings I feature, the advice in The Green Room is all about doing things your own way and in a way that works for you, not what others expect of you…so I guess what I’m trying to say (in a very roundabout way!) is that my biggest passion is about a) being true to myself in whatever I do and b) empowering others to do the same!

Q: What was the smartest decision you made in starting or growing your businesses?
A: Getting my husband Gareth on board full time. When I was earning enough money that he could quit an IT support job that he hated, it was a no brainer but to do it. Not only has it made him exponentially happier but his skills and expertise are freakin’ perfect assets for a blogger like me! He is the other half to my whole.

Q: When did you know rock n roll bride was going to be a success — was there a moment, day, or event when something specific happened?
A: It still blows my mind to think about where my blog has got me today. Every day (literally!) I’m shocked, surprised and honoured by the things I’m able to do because of it. I guess the very first event would have been back in the summer of 2008 when I was still working as a producer of a shopping channel here in the UK. I’d been running the blog as a secret hobby since late 2007 and one of my managers at work somehow found it and called me into his office. I thought I was in trouble for sure! However he told me that he loved the concept and the idea and that he was sure I could make something more of it. He took me to a few meetings and the like, and although nothing really came of them, his confidence in me and the brand really gave me a kick in the right direction.

Q: How do you feel at the end of each day? What goes through your mind as your head hits the pillow?
A: “I am so flipping lucky” and “Jeez, I’m tired…”

Q: How important is aesthetic and beauty to the value of your business?
A: So important! I want my blog to be an inspirational and happy place. I want people to come to my site and be blown away by the awesome and prettiness of the amazing weddings. Showcasing fantastic wedding photography is so important to me, if a wedding isn’t photographed well it not only makes my site look bad, but you really don’t get to see the wedding in the best light. Similarly the design of my site is really important. One of my blogger friends once said to me “well, no one wants to read and ugly blog” and she’s so right! If the site is unattractive why would people want to spend time on it! I’m constantly working with my graphic designer, Nubby Twiglet, to improve the site. I think it’s imperative.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Who is this person?

…Daniel Muller of The Mullers Photography, photo wizard and cat lover.

Q: What is your passion?
A: Observing. I take photos for a living and all the technical stuff means nothing unless you’re capturing something genuine.

Q: What happened before you made the leap into entrepreneurship?
A: I was working at a restaurant. I worked there for two years as a server, manager and then finally as chef. The decision to go full time with photography

Q: What was the smartest decision you made in starting or growing your businesses?
A: Not going into any debt. I purchased all my gear will still working a full time job. I built the business while working 50+ hours per week.

Q: Was there a moment or event that happened when you thought, “I’m really going to be successful with this” ?
A: There was a day in January (2012) where my wife and I booked two weddings, received a couple of inquiries and had a client meeting. That felt good. Success is a hard thing to measure, but I am happy, clothed and fed so I guess I am doing all right.

Q: How do you feel at the end of each day? What goes through your mind as your head hits the pillow?
A: No matter how long or stressful a day is, I know my job is awesome. Not because I get to sleep in when I want to or take long lunches, but because I am doing something that I love and have worked so hard to achieve. It has been almost one year since I went full time and I haven’t looked back once.

Q: What role does beauty play in the value of your work?
A: That is the core of my work. If people (including myself) don’t find beauty in the images I create, I won’t succeed.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Finally, you can’t outsource relationship-building—as you continue to share your life and your identity online, you are going to find yourself on a level playing field. Seek out people who are talking about your field of expertise and weigh in. Jump into conversations, respond to debates, and reach out to customers to thank them for their support. You can do all of this through Twitter, and build a vast network of both professionals and customers who will offer thousands of opportunities every day to have an emotional connection if you can just spare the time to type 140 characters.

The message that I most want you to take away from this series is that your potential is all up to you, and no matter where you are—self-employed or working for another company—you can leverage the power of your community to blow up your business. You have to have hustle for that success and gratification and happiness. You have to care about the experience of your users and make it pretty, and you have to believe totally in what you are creating. Tell the story, share your journey, and start creating a community.

xo
meg

This week I'm sharing lessons every day designed to help readers who are "waiting it out" in jobs they don't love for the right opportunity to start their own ventures. Yesterday we talked about working smart and hard, and today I'm excited to share some lessons I've learned about getting your work in front of people who will use it and enjoy it. Whether you're in a job you love, or looking for a chance to escape and chase your own passion, join the conversation about using the social community to find professional happiness!

Dear readers:

I launched Princess Lasertron with a marketing plan that assumed I had  to talk to customers in the spaces they already occupy—for me, that was wedding blogs. A big part of my growth strategy from 2005-2008 was getting personally acquainted with the people who did many of the major wedding blogs, and using them to promote my bouquets to their readers. Sometimes it was in the form of a paid advertisement or advertorial, sometimes I offered giveaways to incentivize people to spread the word about this totally new design I had created, and sometimes I was just blessed by the good will of the editor with a generous post or feature. I had success because I had a great product that the market hadn’t seen before, a great story that made readers give a crap about my process and success, and I used social media muscle to shout it from the rooftops with a medium that my clientele was already using comfortably. I wish I had a budget for magazine ads or the funding to hire a great PR agency, but when you’re bootstrapping, you have to take stock of your skills and just decide how best to use them in marketing. I can write and I can speak, so I set out to make a small dent in the blogosphere. I’m not as great on film, so I didn’t start there.

Even if your product is perfect—whether you’re selling it yourself in your own business or pushing someone else’s—nobody will know if the message doesn’t reach them. For you to make your message relevant, you need to figure out the habits of the people you want to reach. Think creatively about who your customer is now, and who it should be. What spaces online do they occupy? Do they like blogging, video, photo-sharing? Whatever.

You also need some genuine, well-made content that you can stand behind proudly. Bad content will make your product look valueless. Stock photos, .99 logos, a slapped-together WordPress template, a Twitter account full of soapboxing and zero reader interaction—these kill the value of your content and keep people from taking you seriously. Don’t even start a blog unless you have good content for that platform (and you do if you’re blogging about your passion and expertise), but maybe you’re a better talker than a writer, and you can better convey your passion and expertise via video. Maybe you have a knack for visual design, and you can start by sharing your beautiful Pinterest boards through Twitter and Facebook. Social media is free–take advantage of it and think creatively about how to reach your market using these resources.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Who is this person?

…Chris Guillebeau, world traveler, authority challenger, and best-selling author.

Q: What is your passion?
A: I’m excited about building a legacy focused on creative work. I’m also traveling to every country in the world.

Q: What is one decision you made in the early phases of your unconventional journey that you feel was most vital to your success?
A: The decision to raise the stakes! I used to be a fairly private, introverted person. Then I started writing for a small army of remarkable people—the change has been very good for me.

Q: What has been most surprising about your personal experience as an entrepreneur?
A: I’ve been surprised to see more possibility and opportunity than ever before. It’s just getting easier and more accessible for someone to start their own career all the time.

Q: How do you feel at the end of each day? What goes through your mind as your head hits the pillow?
A: It depends on what I’ve accomplished or “shipped” during the day. If I’ve used my time well, I feel good and I look forward to the next day. If not, I think … what could I do better?

Q: What strategies do you use to maximize the time you spend on each project or goal you set?
A: I don’t really divide my time well. I work on what I want, when I want to. Fortunately I love most of my work, so there aren’t many things I dread having to tackle.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Who is this person?

…Dusty Davidson of Silicon Prarie News, Tripleseat, and Layeredi. Lover of wine, diet mountain dew, and silicon prairie evangelist.

Q: What is your passion?
A: My passions have changed over the years as I’ve grown as a business person and experienced new things. I’m passionate about software – specifically cool, well-designed, easy-to-use web software. I’m also passionate about building great teams of people to build successful companies (software or otherwise). I’m passionate about connecting entrepreneurs with the resources and things necessary to help them be successful (thanks Jeff Slobotski for instilling that in me). And I guess you could say I’m pretty passionate about Omaha and the Silicon Prairie. Oh, and I’m suuuuper passionate about Diet Mt. Dew.

Q: When I think about someone who positions their content well, I think of you and Jeff at Silicon Prairie News. From the beginning, you had great intuition about using a variety of platforms to push out your content. What was your strategy with that?
A: We had the good fortune of launching Silicon Prairie News (SPN) roughly at the same time that Twitter was becoming popular. The initial growth of the SPN community coincided with such things as Tweetups, Barcamp, and the general growth and adoption of Twitter in and around Omaha. So for us, using Twitter / Facebook to push out the content we were producing was a logical first step.

Q: When did you know your business was going to be a success — was there a moment, day, or event when something specific happened?
A: I don’t like to think of any of my businesses as “successful” (yet), but they certainly are sustainable. I think that’s a key first milestone. For SPN, the first glimpse we had of that probably was after the first Big Omaha, where we finally realized that maybe we had a “real business” on our hands. People were willing to pay us for what we were producing. It was that point where we laid the groundwork for growing and further growing SPN into a fully sustainable (and hopefully someday successful) organization.

Q: How do you feel at the end of each day? What goes through your mind as your head hits the pillow?
A: I’m generally pretty tired, mostly because I stay up waaaaaay later than I should. I’m often anxious for the next day, as I’m juggling lots of things and have lots of things churning in my head.

Q: What strategies do you use avoid wasting time? When do you say “this isn’t working” and try something else?
A: Focus is the biggest thing I strive for to avoid wasting time on things. I have a tendency to lose focus and spiral off into things that are either unrelated or way out of scope for what I should be working on. So for me maintaining solid todo lists, and empty inboxes, and appropriate priorities, and anything else that can keep me focused on the tasks at hand.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

What motivates me every day and helps me get my attitude right is living like I’m going to meet Martha Stewart or Cindy Gallop or any of my personal heroes at any moment. When you express identity online–whether it’s in a professional or personal context–you never know who is reading. That’s why it’s worthwhile to take the time to think about how you’re positioning content to make sure the right people are going to see it.

xo
meg

This week I'm sharing lessons every day designed to help readers who are "waiting it out" in jobs they don't love for the right opportunity to start their own ventures. Yesterday we talked about developing your identity, and today we're talking about hustle--that's working smart and hard. The idea is to help you leverage your talents, your resources, and the power of your community to develop professional happiness.

Dear readers:

You will be shocked how many hours you find in the day when you are working on something you are passionate about, so there is no valid excuse for why you can’t just start today. You can work while you watch tv, you can ask your spouse or partner or friend or roommate or mom or mcdonalds to prepare one meal per week so you can use that hour to invest in your passion. You can wake up an hour earlier or stay up an hour later. When you love what you do, you won’t notice the hours going by because you can’t wait to show your blood sweat and tears to the world and say “THIS is what I made. This is what I care about.” And if you create with hard work and are smart about it, your results—whether it’s sales, readers, clients, whatever—will be bananas.

Working hard is something that’s ingrained in our culture, especially here in the Midwest–we come from pioneer stock. What sometimes comes with that unfortunately is pressure to become a work martyr…to stay at work with your butt in the seat because working longer hours automatically means you’re more dedicated and doing better work. If you take part in that BS, it’ll eventually make you resentful of your job, you will lose your sharpness, and you’ll get burned out. You’ll also look back on the time and wonder where it all went because you’ll have nothing to show for it.

Instead, work smart and work hard. Evaluate the effectiveness of your methods, and be ready to change (or even apologize) if you’re getting feedback from your audience that it isn’t working. Leverage your resources—social media, professional connections, personal skills and strengths—to get your work in front of as many people as possible, and opportunities will come. Someone will pick it up and it just takes one little break, one great connection, to start the series of dominos falling.

(And if that’s not enough of a reason, if you don’t work smart and hard, you can bet someone else out there is, and they’re going to kick your ass.)

Even if you are working in a job where you are happy—and I mean really happy, like you are stoked to wake up every Monday morning and you don’t count down the minutes on Friday afternoon—you can build equity and value for the skills you bring to the table in your industry. If you are passionate about social media and you aren’t seeing your company embrace it in a meaningful way, use your free time to build a proposal to offer to your marketing department, and offer to help implement it. If you are passionate about blogging or podcasts, figure out who you need to talk to to introduce that into your company’s culture and take control of the project. Do a series of video blogs. Write a short how-to series for something relevant in your field that your company can put on its website. This is the kind of stuff that gets attention from people who can really change your life—you could get opportunities to write, to speak, or land the gigantic client that will position your company perfectly to grow.

If you aren’t happy in your job, I can tell you with certainty that your life will get better when you stop wasting your time and pursue a career in your passion. If you identify the thing that you love more than anything, the thing you could talk about all day, the thing you could work on for sixteen hours a day without looking at the clock, and position your message well, you will be able to tap into a market to make a living. It’s a bet I would take.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Who is this person?

…Matt Secoske of Social Assurance, founder of Barcamp Omaha, and active participant in the open-source community

Q: What is your passion?
A: I love solving problems. I love working with others to solve problems.

Q: What was the smartest decision you made in starting or growing your business?
A: Starting. I knew for a long time that I needed to do something… different. Putting it out there made it real.

Q: When did you know your business was going to be a success?(one example is cool)
A: I’m not sure it will be yet, at least in the financial sense. That said, it was successful the moment it first taught me something.

Q: How do you feel at the end of each day? What goes through your mind as your head hits the pillow?
A: Always Exhausted. Also: Nervous, Excited, Pensive, Worried, Happy.

Q: What strategies do you use to maximize the time you spend on each project?
A: I still struggle a lot with ancillary BS like Social Media feeds and Hacker News. Trying to remove all distractions and STAY FOCUSED and constantly moving the business forward.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Of course, as an entrepreneur, I think that all of you should plan smart (and work hard) to leave your jobs working for other people. You have to have the freedom in your day to build equity in your identity, your idea, and your value so you don’t miss out on the incredible opportunity this economy offers for people with passion. If there’s something you love, something you can share with the world, you should be leveraging your time to break away from your obligations to someone else’s company and build your own legacy of happiness. Life’s too short.

xo
meg

This week I'm sharing lessons every day designed to help readers who are "waiting it out" in jobs they don't love for the right opportunity to start their own ventures. Whether you're biding your time or well on your way to living your passion, I hope to inspire or re-inspire you to leverage your talents, your resources, and the power of your community to blow up your business!

Hello dear readers!

It’s a great feeling to love the work that we do. Doing work you enjoy gives you energy, it gives you enthusiasm every day, and your confidence grows with every small accomplishment and problem solved. And as you start to enjoy what you do more and more, people will start to notice.

And that’s when people will start to say…”Who is this person!?”

I know that “transparency” and “authenticity” are huge buzzwords right now, which has created a market for people to come around and tell you how to be yourself and help you figure out who you should be online. As a child of the 90s who has literally always had a computer in her house, and as an adult now immersed in this crazy fast-paced tech and entrepreneurship culture, the thought of constructing a “business persona” or a “personal brand” is funny to me, because I have been basically “performing identity” my whole life. Between the physical world and the online world, the line is completely blurred. So don’t talk about who you’re going to be “as a business person.” Instead, think about how your personality can drive your business.

Showing my quirks, my interests, and even my weaknesses authentically both online and offline, I believe, has greatly increased the value and quality of my relationships with my friends, mentors, and customers. I don’t have to switch from “work mode” to “friend mode.” People know that what they see is what they get, and I don’t have anxiety about living up to others’ false expectations of me.

There is always a question of how much info is too much–especially when you are associated with your employer–so that’s a line you have to draw for yourself personally. For myself, I don’t say anything online that I (a) wouldn’t want everyone in the entire world to know and read and gossip about, or (b) would come back to haunt me if I ran for president. And, I mean, I tweet anything from fart jokes to my deepest fears so obviously my line is pretty broad. I’m also self-employed and I don’t have to feel liable for as much as the controversial content I produce, but I have also capitalized on my candidness and leveraged my reputation as an opinionated person and I’ve found that there are lots of customers who love to work with a company headed by a strong personality. Just be honest and be polite and use good judgment. That is owning your identity and being proud of it.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Who is this person?

…Candace Kalasky of Lovestruck Social Events and event planner extraordinaire

Q: What is your passion?
A: I’m passionate about designing events around my clients’ personality, style, and love stories, so their weddings feel intimate and special. Every bride and groom deserves a wedding that celebrates their love and the most important people in their lives.

Q: What is an average day for you? How do you choose to divide your time?
A: I wake up at 6:00 am and run 4-6 miles. I then shower, blow dry my hair while scanning my Google Reader feeds, and throw my hair up in a top knot. I work at my part-time job as a web developer from 8:00 am until noon. I usually run errands as I drive back to my house where I start working on Lovestru.ck projects. I break for dinner around 6:00 (the hubbs is an amazing vegetarian cook). After we’ve finished dinner and our daily crossword puzzle, I get back to client work. I climb into bed around 1:00 – 2:00 am.

Q: How do you manage the challenge between having a day job to pay the bills, and pursuing your dream of becoming a celebrated event planner?
A: Juggling my part-time job and my own business is a challenge to say the least. I don’t get a lot of sleep, but I am motivated by my love for what I do and by the clients I work for. As you know, running your own business takes a lot of self-discipline and drive, but I’m empowered by my ability to fuel my creativity as well as my love for logistics and organization. I also team up with some incredibly talented wedding professionals in the midwest and finding people who share your passion is energizing.

Q: What was the smartest decision you made in starting or growing Lovestru.ck?
A: I am the daughter of two educators, so I have always valued the stability/job security my parents have as teachers. With my husband’s encouragement, I was able to muster up the courage to go part-time, and it is one of the smartest decisions I have made.

My second best decision was downloading Insight.ly, my Customer Relationship Management tool. I would highly recommend this tool to any small business that works with multiple customers at one time. Insight.ly allows me to customize my workflow, group jobs/opportunities, and manage my day-to-day tasks for each client.

Q: How do you get the word out about your business? (What have you done to grow the business or reach more people?)
A: A lot of my business is generated by referrals from friends, family, and other Nebraska wedding vendors. My blog is also a great tool to connect to other businesses, reach out to perspective clients, and beef up my SEO.

Q: How did you know that Lovestru.ck was going to be a success?
A: There wasn’t a specific “Aha” moment, but I remember putting together my first few designs for clients and feeling enthusiastic and optimistic about what I could provide couples in the midwest. Everything just felt right. I can only describe the feeling as a crazy mixture of calm with a momentous amount of energy. I have these “pinch me” moments on a weekly basis, and I have a good feeling they’ll never go away.

Q: How do you feel your identity separates you from your competitors?
A: I think I present a consistent brand through my blog/online communication, face-to-face client meetings, and print collateral. Design is obviously very important to me, so I like to make sure I’m presenting not only a consistent but attractive brand/package to everyone that encounters Lovestru.ck. My programming background also helps me keep my website up-to-date and utilize different social media platforms to attract potential clients.

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If you don’t have a job where you can perform your true identity both online and offline, I’ve gotta speak as an entrepreneur and say it’s time to either propose a social media plan to your team developers, or move onto more modern pastures. Even if you’re going to work for a boss at Acme Cool Stuff Co. forever, you’ve gotta start using the tools and resources out there to represent yourself and your work or you are sorely selling yourself short. Your tweets show the world what you like, why you’re relevant, and what you represent. If you lost your job today, you’d have social capital built up around your identity and you’d have a community to support you as you moved into better things. You use the content you create online to make sure people understand who you are personally and professionally–and you can use that whether you’re working in a cubicle or a coffee shop.

xo
meg

One common theme I’ve noticed in each talk I do–whether it’s to college students or 45-year-old businesswomen–is that there’s always a portion of the audience that is biding their time in a comfortable job waiting for the perfect time to finally do whatever they’d rather be doing. Just waiting. I’ve heard so many people say things like “It’s just a job. Once I’m doing what I really want to do, I’ll be unstoppable.” My message is that it’s not just a job–it’s not a rehearsal for a cool life you’re gonna earn later. Which is why I put together a business series for this week called…It’s Not Just a Job!

Maybe you feel like you’re biding your time too, or maybe you have a job you love love love, but you need help forming a strategy to really start killing it in your position. Or maybe you want to inspire other people in your office to work as hard as you do so your team can be more successful.

The whole idea is that you can channel your passion in the right ways–relevant, productive ways–to have more professional happiness. Waiting for your life to start is bullshit–just because you are working for someone else for now doesn’t mean your actions, attitude, and relationships aren’t important. The lessons I’m sharing this week in this series will help you prepare wisely and start your new venture with an advantage, and they’ll also help you leave your current job with great relationships and a great reputation when you’re finally ready to put your two weeks in.

So here’s the schedule of topics…
Tuesday: Be proud of your identity. (Because it’s your key to the party!)
Wednesday: Work smart and work hard.
Thursday: Put your content on the right platforms.
Friday: Care about quality and experience. (Don’t gross people out.)

See you tomorrow! Bring your best attitude!
xo
meg

Q: What’s the idea behind CAMP? How is CAMP doing and what kind of growth have you seen with it? (From Adam)

A: CAMP has evolved a lot and the picture we have of what coworking looks like in Omaha is very different from when we first began. What I have learned is that as different businesses come and go through a coworking space, the culture and atmosphere can change–and that’s what makes coworking fun. Over the last year, the word about what I’m trying to do here has spread and I’m seeing more and more variety in the types of workers we are getting. Some become members and use desks for their businesses, but most drop in throughout the day and just benefit from the community we’ve developed here. My purpose with CAMP is to give Omaha’s freelancing and entrepreneurial community what it was lacking, and over the last year we’ve come to a much better understanding of what that is.

Q: What trends are you noticing right now in the wedding industry? (From Lori)

A: What I have noticed from what my customers are ordering is that we may be seeing more “lean” weddings in the coming season, with brides and grooms refocusing their priorities for their big day. I think we will be seeing more socially responsible decisions in wedding planning–green stationers, more DIY, a focus on reusable favors and repurposed centerpieces, for example. That trend toward understated, elegant simplicity can also definitely be seen in wedding fashion trends. This month I did two weddings where the bridesmaids wore simple cotton dresses and the groomsmen wore dress shirts, slacks, and suspenders or bow ties. It’s almost like a look back into the past, not for a literal vintage look, but with a focus on the values of a simpler time.

Q: I miss your “What I’m Really Into Right Now” posts. What are you into now, Megan? (From Jason)

A: Glacier Freeze G2 Gatorade, using a tiny flat-iron on my bangs, lean startup philosophy, the colors coral, mint, and navy, Alice’s daily new words.

Q: From before I was engaged I knew I would be a very nontraditional bride, but now as my wedding day is approaching I’m not sure what that “looks” like for me. I don’t want to look like someone I’m not, but I want to do a better version of myself I guess? I think that’s something you did really well in your wedding and I wanted to ask your advice. (From Brianna)

A: You’re right about taking cues from your own interests and wardrobe choices when you choose clothing and accessories for your wedding day. What are your favorite accessories or trademarks of your own signature style–big belts? Sequins? Polka dots or stripes? A slicked-back ponytail? Pay attention to the trends that you like most, that already represent you, and just turn up the volume for the big day. Add a little more magic and splurge on a bag in your favorite color, or a beautiful hairpiece to spruce up your signature hairdo. Your intuition is totally right–your wedding is the perfect excuse to express your own style at its best. Knowing who you are and feeling confident in your dress and accessories–not just what others say you should wear–is what will make you feel like a rock star as everyone’s eyes are on you.

Q: You seem very proactive and far from falling into procrastination. Any tips? (via Formspring)

A:  I really don’t like to feel like I’m wasting my time. Wasting your time is wasting your life. I love to relax, but I have a lot more fun relaxing when it’s intentional and I know I’m not stealing time from another responsibility. Here are a few tips I have.

• We all have the same amount of time in each day. The reason some people are kicking more ass with their time than you are is because they are using it very deliberately. Audit your time and figure out where you are losing minutes and hours–watching tv, going to bed at 10, reloading Facebook–and take responsibility for that lost time. Don’t allow yourself to have an excuse, because this is your only life. We only get one bat at this.
• If something’s not working, it’s okay to give up. You won’t get a trophy for breaking your back trying to finish a doomed project. Recognize when you’ve crossed the point of the hours being worth the effort, re-evaluate, and change your focus to something more successful.
• When working in a group, insist that everyone produce something and lead by example by being a doer. Lots of “leaders” will delay productivity and results by getting bogged down in assigning tasks, double-checking, finding consensus, etc. Surround yourself with people who break out of that pattern and you will be amazed by how contagious the motivation is.
• If you don’t look forward to your work every day, figure out what you can do to make it better. Rock your own boat.

I do procrastinate a lot and I notice that I tend to use the excuse of being busy with other things. For example, I’ll be working on packaging orders or sewing while I avoid returning a phone call or answering email. Communication is my weak point, which really sucks.

Q: Are you planning to have any more children? (via Formspring)

A: I think so, but I wish Dave could carry the next one. We want to live with Alice in Berlin for a year when she is five, so we’re trying to decide if bringing a baby is a good idea or if we should wait a bit longer! I’m okay with waiting. And I guess you never know what will happen.

Q: How did you get featured in all those magazines shown on your website? Do you actively pursue PR opportunities? What’s your strategy? (From Heather)

A: I’m thinking about a website redesign–it’s been three years–and the “featured in” section probably needs to look different now. I’d love it to be more interactive so you can go into all of those resources and articles. Just having the tile on there is kinda 90s.

My entire marketing plan is unforgettable customer experience–hopefully in a positive way, of course. I don’t mean “customer is always right” stuff, I mean thinking creatively to find a way to bring joy and delight to each customer in a meaningful way for them. For example, when you order something from ModCloth, the unboxing process is always a thrill and it’s always different. Sometimes you get confetti, sometimes the inside of the box is printed with a brilliant pattern. It’s a delight. When you order something from Net-a-Porter, you receive a measuring tape and a sizing card in case you need to exchange what you bought. When you call Zappos customer service, you can ask them anything–including the best place to order a pizza. With my businesses, I’ve learned that it’s so important to just give a shit about what it’s like to order something from me. To get an e-mail from me. To come to my website and read a post. As a two-person operation here, it can be a lot to handle during busier times but it’s what’s grown my business and brought me more opportunity than any ad I ever bought. I admit that I overdo it, I over-engage, but I also over-work and over-execute. It’s a balance.

I’m available through social media–Facebook and Twitter especially–to talk and answer questions and engage all the time, which both customers and press take advantage of. And I try to offer a transparent and open look into my life and my business here on my website. There is a lot of opportunity in the business world when you engage through social media and become part of all the micro-conversations going on. Talk about what you’ve learned. Ask about what you want to learn. Share opinions, have a backbone, know what you represent–that’s how you attract superfans. A devoted fan will bring you more value than any advertising could. These tactics are great because they’re free, but also because you put yourself in a position to authentically represent your business–your passion–in a space where your customers already are. Make it easy for them to learn about you, to share your news, and to interact with what you’re actually selling. I’m learning a lot about that lately.

Thanks again for all of your great questions.
xo
meg

Photo by Anthony Licari

Peep dat vid:

Big Omaha 2012 from Silicon Prairie News on Vimeo.

Tickets for Big Omaha go on sale on March 21st, and it’s worth the trip in. Watch the website for updates and a speaker list.

On a similar note, Less Conference 2012 just wrapped up in Atlanta and I’ve already bought my ticket for next year’s event there as well. So I’ll see you in Atlanta in Spring 2013!

xo
meg

Some great idea were born out of that session and I’ve even had several students follow up with me in email with their progress. What are you working on right now?
xo
meg