There are an inordinate number of conversations we have, in both business and life, that are designed to conjure-up ideas. We sit around and birth ideas like rodents, crapping out concept spawn like it’s a numbers game. If only half survive, HEYO! It’s a win.

But there’s value in destruction as well. Merciless killing. Murder.

In the process of putting together the first half of my book – yeah, that one I’m being paid to write – I sat and looked at over 10,000 words and…killed them. A big ass highlight-and-delete action. And nothing had ever felt so good. We focus so much on quantity, word count, deadlines – that we forget the inherent value in ruthlessly murdering something we’ve created (and on occasion, in cold blood).

There’s more than 10,000 words in my life that need some killing off, mostly to make room for things that are worthwhile. My business is the same way. Now, to figure out the means. Hachet, .45 caliber, Chinese throwing stars, quarterstaff or dagger – they need to go and it won’t be pretty. But here’s the deciding factor: I can see everything I want and need standing right there behind all of these things that need to go. The problem is that all these shitty, obstructive and demanding things are keeping me from getting a clear line of sight the the things I hold most dear. And that’s gotta stop.

I can see them through the sea of quantity (not quality), excuses, delays, Pick Mes, Hey Yous and I Hate These, so I think it’s best to mow them own like something out of a Michael Bay flick and get on with the business of life and business the way I’d rather have them…instead of the way I’ve let them become. And if I spent more time on killing things off actively then letting them die on the vine, well, that’s energy well-spent.

Kill, kill, kill.

(coffee’s ready)

“Laws are partly formed for the sake of good men, in order to instruct them how they may live on friendly terms with one another, and partly for the sake of those who refuse to be instructed, whose spirit cannot be subdued, or softened, or hindered from plunging into evil.” ~Plato

Damn that Plato and all his wisdom, but doesn’t his quote perfectly describe the underlying law of the blogosphere? Living on friendly terms with one another. We’re wordsmiths with the potential to maim and injure with a mere sentence. Sometimes aim is taken and other times none, our words thrust forward onto an unsuspecting audience.

Do we have any idea how naughty we’re being in the blogosphere?

On Monday of next week, I jet off to New York City for the week to speak at Blog World East. The topic? The legal implications of blogging.

Stop the snickering. Who better to give a presentation on how to give a legally correct Bitch Slap than the queen slapper herself? I’m joining forces with Janet Cullum, a leading intellectual property attorney with Cooley LLC (and thank you to Jason Mendelson for the introduction to Cooley!) and together, we’re presenting an hour chock-full of “tsk-tsks” that are going to make your head spin!

Let’s face it: we live in a world where most everything we want is a Google search away. Images, facts, opinions…and in the middle of all of those pics and words, there are people. Real people. Some of them jerks, and boy – would we like to teach ‘em a thing or two. But how do we say what we want to say and find the images and words to back up our arguments without getting into legal hot water? It’s a minefield and most of us are wandering around unaware of just how much naughtiness we’re engaging in on a daily basis.

Between you, me and the tree, it’s possible I’m going to have a slow burn in hell for some of the things I’ve done on my blog in the early days. But if my readers know anything about me, I’m constantly preaching things like:

• Permission
• Proper attribution
• Copyright
• Rights for images
• and other legal, boring shit like that.

I’ll pretty much guarantee that everyone reading this post today has something LEGALLY wrong with a post they’ve written (ahem – digs toe in sand). Our session is built to serve everyone from the personal brand to the corporate marketing go-to and designed to:

• Help you avoid the slow burn from legal missteps (unless you just like margaritas because I’ll be making those fresh each day in my condo in hell)
• Understand in NORMAL PEOPLE WERDS the key legal issues you need to understand if you’re going to run any sort of blog
• Make ridiculous fun of people who have made some pretty heinous mistakes online (did I hear Cook’s Source from someone in the audience?)

So, Janet and I hope you’ll join us for a rollicking session of She Said, She Said at Blog World Expo East next week! We’re leaving 15 minutes at the end of the session for Q&A as well – ask a blogger, ask an attorney. God knows, if you’re looking for two kinds of people with thoughts and opinions on something, what better pair than a blogger and an attorney?

Some steps to get this on your calendar (whether you’re attending Blog World or not):

• Register for Blog World. Yes, REGISTER!
• If you can’t attend in person, you van always register for the Virtual ticket, giving you access to all of the recorded presentations (ours will be recorded!).
• Our session is at 10:15 EST on Tuesday, May 24 – use a sharpie and ink that shit onto your calendar.
• Use the Interactive Schedule Planner to get this session on your agenda for Tuesday.
• You can follow the conversation on Twitter with the following hash tags: #BWENY #BWEEAST (both for the conference) and #naughtyblog (for our session)

See you, physically or virtually, in New York!

And it was very quiet.

I have two three-year-old dogs. Hippopotamus (55 lbs) and Penelope (12 lbs) have free run of the house and I leave the back door open so they can do what they will. When they’re quiet, it freaks me out.

I got up from my office chair and walked out into the living room to find Big Dog and Small Dog on the cream-colored mid-century modern vintage sofa with a organeish-pink smear in front of them. They’d scored a cup of sweet and sour sauce. <insert expletive here>

Today’s blog is sponsored by Shout and one of these. Thank god for polyester blend upholstery.

Silence. It’s the number one sign that trouble is brewing in your business. We bitch and moan about our inboxes filling up and incessant phone calls, but here it is: that deafening silence? A sure-fire bet that you’re about to be hosed. When the clients stop asking questions, when the new business inquiries stop coming in, it’s likely a function of something you’ve done.

Or more importantly, not done.

And to some extent, we’re all a bit afraid of the phone ringing and emails pouring in, because they we have to figure out how to deal with the noise. I’m no different – there’s an Oh Shit factor attached to every one of my communication devices. But here are some ways I’ve come to welcome and deal with the noise, because the longer I deal with it, the more it begins to sound like a killer Etta James tune than a jackhammer outside my window:

• Flag Football: There’s a flag football game going on in my inbox. If I can’t get back to something immediately, I flag it with the goal that I don’t close the computer for the day until I deal with my flags. And while sometimes that doesn’t happen, I can sort my inbox by flagged items at any time and see where I can eat crow and get back to people ASAP.
• Program Your Phone: I try to get every one of my client phone numbers into my cell phone as soon as possible. Why? Because sometimes I have to ignore a call and I’m diligent about returning calls. Know who’s calling. Call them back. This keeps the phone ringing and also makes use of valuable car time. On the road? Call a client to touch base. Say hello. It’s the human side of your relationships (and the side that is often the most fun).
• Get Help: Dear business owner – You cannot do this alone. How many times do I have to say this? Amber Naslund had a great post earlier this week about email management and I admitted that I sucked. One of my followers contacted me that she’s a wiz with organization systems. BAM. You’re hired. She logs into my computer via LogMeIn when I’m offline for the evening and is getting me sorted out. There are a lot of things that I outsource so that I can pay attention to the parts of my business that keep business rolling in. And yes, they cost money. But it’s a small price to pay for sleeping at night, going to the gym in the morning and having ME at my beck and call 24/7.
• Manage the Asks: I met up with my colleague Doyle Albee earlier this week and he talked about The Levels of Ask. (And my friend, I can’t remember the blogger you mentioned who pioneered the concept, but weigh in down below if you can.) Lots of people will ask for your time. Favors. Access to your connections. Resources. You have to weigh these asks and sometimes, the asks are out of whack with the relationship level. For instance: if you’ve just met or have never met me and want to take me to lunch…that’s a HUGE ask. That’s time and intellectually intensive. However, if you drop me a two-line email with a simple question, I’m probably going to respond even though I’ve never met you. Different level of ask. You can’t give your time to everyone though everyone (quite simply) deserves it, so managing the asks will help you feel less shortchanged and make you, ultimately, more helpful. And some people just don’t know how much of your time they’re asking for. What seems small to them (coffee/lunch) might be a huge ask in your eyes.

There are times I love silence at they are usually ones that come when I’ve closed the MacBook and I get to pay attention to The Real World. But that’s my personal time. Silence in my business? Never a good thing. It means you’ve left something on the counter in Big Dog’s reach and you’re about to walk out and find a hot mess on your sofa. Polyester blend upholstery or not, cleaning it up is a bitch. Do what you can to keep momentum. Keep the noise coming. And soon enough, you’ll hear the rhythm in the chaos. It’s soothing, I assure you.

This guy is HOT and he is happy for me.

So, a few weeks ago, I woke up to an email in my inbox that prompted a bit of a shriek. No, it wasn’t another one of these. And for all that’s holy, it wasn’t another one like this one.

It was one that made me do something I’ve loved doing for 38 years: call my mom.

The last time I called her, this column got a mention in the New York Times. Although a blurb, there were plenty of years where the only mention she’d ever figure me for in that paper was an FBI wanted notice. So it was sweet.

And my last call to her (and forgive the shit out of me for calling her before all y’all) was to tell her that I’m Entrepreneur Magazine’s newest columnist.

I’m a bit of a fan girl right now, because beginning with the June issue, you’ll see me alongside the likes of Richard Branson, Chris Brogan, Gary Vaynerchuck and like…OMFGBBQhamstersonastickSAUCE. I’ll be in both the print and online editions, which means you can line your catbox with my column or draw sexy moustaches on my byline pic when you’re done reading it. And what’s it all about? Well, Amy Cosper (Editor in Chief, Entrepreneur Magazine) has graced this redhead with an uncensored column called “All Up In Your Business” on successes, grievous failures and all that is the rolling, messy tide of digital marketing.

In short: I’m going to be getting paid to drop the f-bomb. Suuuuuuuckit!

And here’s where I say: you are the reason I got this opportunity. You. You come by, you read, share and comment. You dish it out on my Facebook page and are the reason I get my best ideas. You subscribe to this blog and let me violate your inbox like a parking meter multiple times each week. If it weren’t for you, I’d just be a crazy lady with a keyboard.

So thank you. Every goddamned one of you who’s ever taken the time to stop by read, share love, empathy, sympathy, tell me I’m a bad example, a bitch or just too damn lippy. You’re the reason I get to wake up each morning and do what I love. And maybe it’s a little stupid, but yes — I’m crying a little bit. Fuck off. It feels good to call my mom.

PS: It’d be solid if you followed Entrepreneur Magazine on Twitter and hit ‘em up style on Facebook.

Could I buy you coffee?

Would you guest post for me?

May I guest post for you?

We’d like to get your opinion on…

What do you use for…

Would you teach me how to… ?

The past several days, I’ve been reminded of an important question we all face each day in our business lives: what do we give away and what costs money? Chris Brogan covered it last year in The Audacity of Free and Gabriella Sannino broached it again in a post today about social media ROI. Today, I’m going to try to break down this pervasive question into one simple thought: strategy.

Why Do We Give Things Away For Free?

I’ll dispell the myth now: 90% of the time, it isn’t out of the goodness in our hearts filled with unicorns and rainbows. It’s because we’re looking to add people to The Funnel. Now, The Funnel varies depending on your business. Perhaps you want email addresses for a mailing list. More RSS subscribers. More Twitter followers or Facebook Fans. But the bottom line of it is we are all selling something and it’s pretty shitty to hate us for it.

Giving things away gets people’s attention and it might get them in your circle, but you’d better have a strategy behind what you’re going to do with them once you get them there. And I’m exhausted with the begging and bitching. Stop asking people who work for a living (just like you) to give you something for nothing. We’re all giving something away. Me? I give away copies of books. iPod Touches. VISA gift cards. Seats to PAID webinars I’m teaching. Why do I do this? As a thank you. To get some new eyes on my site. But I know WHY I’m doing it. If you’re giving something away for free, here four hard truths you better own – we’re all hookers and hookers don’t rent fishnet stockings.

• People will complain that what you’re giving away isn’t enough.
  • Appropriate Response: Shut up. It’s free.
• If you run a contest, people will complain about not winning.
  • Appropriate Response: Ummm…call Publisher’s Clearing House. If they give in, I’ll give in.
• If you’re looking for something for free, you’re going to get a lot of 36,000 foot view information mixed with some 5,000 foot view gems. If you want ground level insight, that shit costs money.
• If you give something away for free, you need to compel people to return to your site/you/your business. It’s not a hit and run technique. It’s relationship building. Free was just what got them in the door.

Sometimes Free Costs You

I occasionally guest post on outlets like Copyblogger. Why? Aside from having been a long-time reader, they have kickass site traffic. I can get new readers and reach thousands of people who aren’t on Redhead Writing’s radar in a single post. And I do it for free. That’s my trade off. It costs me time an intellectual property.It’s an opportunity cost I’m willing to bear. And I’ll keep doing it as long as they’ll have me because not only are Brian and Sonia pretty kickass human beings, I can justify the expense.

But free can cost you.

There are those coffee meetings. The “pick your brain” sessions. The new client courting processes. I have new rules for anyone who wants to buy me a cup of coffee that I don’t already know. I’ll find the time to met with anyone if you tell me in advance (1) what your agenda is for our meeting and (2) why I’m the one you want to discuss it with. I think that’s common courtesy. And I have a certain approach I take with new clients as well.

We’ve all walked away from coffee meetings thinking, “Holy balls – that’s an hour of my life I can’t get back.” We’ve all been three months into a prospect only to realize we’ve just spent about $2,500 on earning business we haven’t closed yet. Both are bullshit.

It’s up to you to put the hammer down on free things that cost you. Just like there’s no crying in baseball (except opening day always leaves me a little weepy). People who want to pick your brain are asking for something for free. You have to be in control of what you’re willing to give as well as have the cajones to explain to people:

• It’s awesome that you see me as a credible resource. That’s why I offer consulting services. This is my business and if we’re going to proceed, it’s probably smart for us to get a scope of the project put in place so we can hold one another accountable.
• While you think you’re buying me coffee, a $5 chai isn’t proper (repeated) compensation for my time.

Your clients aren’t in business for free. Neither are you.

Strategy: It’s What’s For Breakfast

It should actually be every meal of your business day. Sit down today and consider what you’re giving away for free, why and what it’s REALLY costing you. If you’re on the hunt for free, understand that it’s going to be a lot of general mixed with few specifics and in order to get more, you have to pay. There’s nothing wrong with running a business and earning a living and the people who want you to give away more are much more concerned about their bottom line than yours.

Today’s post is authored by an ACTUAL redhead, known as The Naked Redhead. If that’s not enough to get you to read, I have no idea what is.

“Bring a donut for yourself, and you’re a hog.  Bring a donut for the whole office and you’re a hero.”

–T. N. Redhead

Have you ever noticed the difference between the donut eaten furtively in the privacy of your own home, and the dozen donuts purchased to surprise the office?  With a simple act of generosity, you’ve transformed from inhaling several hundred calories all by your lonesome, to sharing a delicious sugary treat experience as a group (P.S.—group calories are null).  In blogging and social media, you’re either eating a donut by yourself, or you’ve brought some to share with a couple thousand of your closest friends.

In other words, “It’s not about you.”

I gotta be honest, I learned this lesson the hard way.  My first experience on the blogosphere was reading the “big blogs”…the ones where people wrote stuff and other people flocked to read said stuff just because it was there.  That was in the early stages of the blogging boom where truly, the Field of Dreams statement applied:  “If you make it, they will come.”

Blogging, however, has changed (and if someone tells you otherwise, run far away.  People who have instant success overnight with blogging are the exception, not the rule), but I didn’t get it for a long time.  I figured if I slapped some words on a screen, Ray Liotta would friggin’ step out of a corn field and be my best online dead baseball playing friend.

But then one day it hit me:  NOBODY CARES unless you show them you care first.

It’s a lot like real life, right?  If you want to have friends, be a friendly person yourself.  When I realized that it wasn’t about me and my little bloggy donut, boy, did things change.  Here are a few things sharing donuts has taught me about blogging and social media:

Find out what kind of donuts your audience likes.

You like donuts, and your donut of choice is a Long John.  Your audience, however, might really prefer plain glazed most of the time, and will only occasionally eat a Long John.  One of the best ways to figure out what your audience likes is to do a quick and easy survey.  My most recent survey (via Survey Monkey) was a mere six questions long, and it helped me to channel my content more concisely than ever before.  I also displayed the results so my readers had a bigger sense of their collective “TNR Reader” identity.  Six easy questions that were not about me generated a bigger community response than one more post about how awesome I am.

Share your donuts with a genuinely generous and kind spirit.

It’s okay to know that in some way, you’re sharing donuts so that you can also one day benefit, but there’s a big difference between saying, “HERE ARE MY DONUTS!  Now where’s MY present?” and saying, “Here are my donuts.  I really hope you like them,” without expectation of immediate, tangible return.  That’s what a gift really is, right?   You wouldn’t bring a donut to your boss and say, “Here’s a donut, gimme a raise.”  Ewww…jerkface.  Don’t do that to your readers, k?

Let your new “It’s not about me,” attitude filter into every part of your online personality.

When I realized it wasn’t about me, I not only refocused my blog’s content, but I also immediately changed my auto-responder on Twitter from:

“Thanks for following me, now read my awesome shit here http://linktomyawesomewebsite.com!”

To:

“Thanks for the follow.  What’s one thing I should know about you?”

My response percentage went through the roof, with even savvy, experienced Tweeters responding to say, “Is this an auto-response?  I can’t tell.  Oh, I really like ducks.” (ßParaphrased from an actual response)

At that point, my new followers didn’t even care that I might not have personally typed that specific message the moment they followed me; they were just excited that someone out there cared enough to ask about them instead of simply eating a donut in front of them. (And for those with inquiring minds, yes, it’s an auto-DM. The question, however, does stem from a genuine place, the means is simply necessary from an efficiency standpoint. I absolutely answer every response.)

Because that’s what those “read MY stuff” auto-responders, ad nauseum “buy my shit” posts, and spammy e-mails are like.  They are the equivalent of solo-scarfing a goddamn delicious, chocolate covered, cream-filled donut on stage in front of a crowd of hungry, salivating people.  It’s a show, sure, but not one that people will ever watch again.  In fact, don’t be surprised if some of the audience likes the “performer” just a bit less…especially after the grand finale of languorous finger licking.

And finally…

Lest you think this post is saying that you should slave away for years bowing only to the whims of your audience, denying yourself any pleasure or financial return in your whole little bloggy quest, remember that just because you’re sharing donuts, doesn’t mean you don’t get to eat a donut, too.  I mean, that’s the whole fun of bringing donuts to a gathering, right?  You all get to dig in as a group and eat the shit out of those sweet confections.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m about to fall into a sugar coma.   Mmmm…donuts.

I had a whopping 650 square foot studio with a separate kitchen (SHUT the front door), and where I turned right to head down Vine towards the theatre, I used to stay straight and begin the hunt for a parking space outside my $800/month dwelling treasure. Funny how I’d forgotten that.

And so it came to pass that the bright lights of Hollywood brought me to writing this Generic Blog Post.

I wonder what else I’ve forgotten. What I’ve remembered in their places. And how blogging/writing gives me an outlet for meandering through my mind via words.

I think that we quite often feel that blogs have to be heavy-hitting. Primed for massive retweet and sharing action. Speak to everyone and be laden with so much universal appeal that we shit ourselves in the race to get them out and set them loose as fast as we can. Aside from the ensuing skid marks…why?

But we run away from the Generic Blog Post. Like this one.

Maybe what I have to say isn’t important…earth-shattering enough. Laden with enough f-bombs or rich with sassy metaphors. But it’s what’s running through my red head today on a day following the realization that…

man, have I forgotten a lot of things over the years.

We’re richer and more complex than our protective outer layer, the one we let people see each and every day. We exist beyond our here and now (though we apparently do our damnedest to forget that). We forget where we used to live and how we got there. Yet when we pull into the familiar, we’re lucky enough to be graced with memories.

A generic, ordinary, everyday life. It makes for Generic Blog Posts like this one.

I like it. Look for more of them.

Now, you guys know I love boots. Hats. Fabulous fashion. I took those proclivities and wove them into a brand new post:

Tim Gunn’s Top 5 Tips for More Stylish Content

Who’s Tim Gunn? Have you been under a rock? He’s the dashing silver-haired voice of reason (and oftentimes, hilarity) for the hit show Project:Runway. Stop by Copyblogger today and check out this tidbit. Drop a comment, share it on Twitter, print it out and wallpaper your bathroom (or cat box) with it. Turn it into New Years confetti…awwyeah.

Enjoy – it’s delicious that I get to do what I love in more than one place. And yes, I realize that sounds a tad dirty. Did you expect any less from me?

Someone escaped from Romper Room

As a huge fan of lists and seeing what others find influential, I trekked over to the post in question and proceeded to flip through the 50 who made the list. Given that the site is targeted toward the online marketing (affiliate, MLM and Network Marketing realm), the list members were of no surprise. Leo Babuta, Brian Clark of Copyblogger, Chris Brogan, Darren Rouse, Katie Frieling…some true heavy hitters in the online space. But the descriptions of each blogger were lacking. The blogger, Michael Dunlop kept citing blog subscribers and Twitter followers as “influence.”

I called it crap. So I left a comment – and here it is in its entirety:

Interesting comment, Michael. It seems you’ve compiled a list of bloggers who are most recognized in online marketing, affiliate and MLM/Network Marketing circles. Great industry, no doubt, but just a few thoughts for you.

When you make a list of bloggers, it’s not just about content. It’s about community. Do they drive comments? Do people share their content? What makes them compelling? Do people ACT based on their content? You can’t argue with the inherent power behind names like Katie Freiling (I’ve been a long-time subscriber) and Leo Babuta (ditto) – that’s just silly. But their realm of influence is specific to a certain niche, and that doesn’t make them influential on a grand scale.

Perhaps you’d want to clarify in future lists, instead of just listing 50 people, WHERE these people are influential and why. Twitter followers and blog subscribers don’t make you influential – they make you popular. It’s your community – the statements they make and the actions they take as a result of the content you put out there – that makes a blogger influential.

But then again, what do I know? I’m just one of those bloggers with a “nice” blog (who happens to stir the pot with guest posts over at Copyblogger on occasion). And I don’t think it’s at all about male or female – but I think that while you’ve compiled a who’s who of online money-making, affiliate and MLM/Network marketing bloggers they might find as valuable adds to certain RSS feeds, you might want to rethink the “Most Influential” title and give your readers a bit more meat to chew.

And then I got an email saying it was approved. And then it was deleted.

So I left a ANOTHER comment asking if he was deleting comments. And I also sent an email to him directly, asking him if he was deleting comments (as he’d already deleted Marian Schembari’s earlier – she’d DMd me the details).

The following is Mr. Dunlop’s complete email reply:

Wow….
If you and your friend were to spend your time working on your blog instead of focusing on other peoples sites you would be featured on lists like this.
Unfortunately not ay..

Kind Regards,
Michael Dunlop—————————————————————Founder Of A Bunch Of Cool Sites:
http://www.IncomeDiary.com – Make Money Blogging
http://www.Retireat21.com – Young Entrepreneurs Making Money Online

On 12 Oct 2010, at 16:31, Erika Napoletano wrote:

You’re kidding me, right?
Standby.
Shame you feel that way.
Erika Napoletano
Head RedheadRedheadWriting (da blog)
Follow RedheadWriting on Twitter (da tweets)
Be a fan of RedheadWriting on Facebook (in da face)

On Oct 12, 2010, at 9:26 AM, Michael Dunlop wrote:

Hello Erika,
Must be an error with the comments system, however I haven’t accepted either of your two comments.
I have taken on board your comment, however haven’t accepted it because it’s not required. I have had a conversation with who I’m sure is one of your friends and don’t really want to go over it again.
No offense, but you have come to blog in an aggressive manner, looking for what I presume a fight? I have better things to do with my time, I listen to all comments and think I can learn from anyone but don’t really think your comment was constructive.

Kind Regards,
Michael Dunlop—————————————————————Founder Of A Bunch Of Cool Sites:
http://www.IncomeDiary.com – Make Money Blogging
http://www.Retireat21.com – Young Entrepreneurs Making Money Online

Michael, you’re getting Bitch Slapped.

If you feel my comment wasn’t constructive, you have a lot to learn at your tender age of what I can only presume to be twelve, about operating in the online community. I never took a hostile or adversarial tone with you, yet what I’m thinking is that in your infinite maturity, you’ve confused people who disagree with you as “not productive.” (Whoops – I’m being adversarial NOW, aren’t I?)

It’s time to stop breast feeding and start learning, kiddo.

Having a blog is about building a community, not catering to a herd of sycophants who hang onto your every word. It’s awesome that you’re a baby-faced online money making machine, but what you’ve done here is piss in my ocean by acting downright disrespectful. My ocean – that’s writing and creating online content. You’re not interested in blogging. You’re not even interested in community (as you so blatantly display in your highly valuable Twitter stream where you’re only following 210 of some 14,000 people with no @ replies in sight). So if you’re going to build some ass-kissing list that happens to include people that I admire and in select instances am delighted to have earned the right to call friends, don’t piss on their names with your poor manners.

People like Chris Brogan and Brain Clark understood what it takes to build a community to drive their respective businesses. You, young one, can learn a thing or two from the people you’ve included on the list. Deleting comments and starting a nanny-nanny boo-boo email chain isn’t going to get you the fame and fortune you desire. It’s going to get you published on my blog because you decided to act like an asshat. And it’s also going to be seen by MY entire community.

Because that’s what I’ve built – a community.

Now, I will say this: if you decide to grace my blog with your side of the story, I won’t delete your comment. My community understands MY comment policy and it is thus:

• All profiles must be validated through the Disqus comment system
• Spam will be deleted
• No selling

Other than that, part of the reason my community keeps coming back and leaving hundreds of comments on posts like this (oh, and this one…and this one over here…WAIT – this one, too) is because they understand that I WANT to hear what they have to say. Agree, disagree – everyone is welcome here. And while I think it’s precious that you “listen to all comment and think you can learn from anyone,” the manner in which YOU handled this situation was not constructive.

Hence, you’re getting Bitch Slapped and I’ve got a notion to call Romper Room and let them know that a little one from the cast escaped from under the fence.

Now, I’ll let my community have their way with you and the manner in which you’ve chosen to run your “blog,” or shall I dare say, online portal designed to do one thing and one thing only: present a limited view of praise-only sentiments toward ass-kissing lists to get you notice by people in your sphere who actually practice good blogging protocol.

I wonder what the people on the list will think when they see how you’re handling things where their name is displayed…hmmm.

If you’re going to run a blog, have some blogging ethics. You can’t conduct business behind the scenes and expect it won’t surface, kiddo. When the sting subsides, I hope you’ll bestow upon us your mind-boggling reasoning for your actions above.

You’ve been slapped.

Squeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Well, it looks like my readers are going to have to prepare themselves for boudoir pics of me and MY NEW iPAD! Trada announced on Saturday morning that our collective voting efforts worked and that I was the proud owner of a new iPad.

In all seriousness – thank you.

This is what community is about. It’s not about ME winning an iPad – it’s about being ABLE to reach out and garner a response. I’m fortunate that I’ve build a community where people listen when I write. So I owe each and every one of you a HUGE thank you.

For reading, commenting, voting, emailing, tweeting, sharing and coming back post after post. Without you – my readers – I’m just a crazy lady with a keyboard. (Fine – I’m a crazy lady with a keyboard already, but since you listen, it keeps me out of the asylum.)

Now, a bit about Trada – have you ever wondered what it would be like to have HUNDREDS of  PPC experts working on your online marketing campaign (instead of just one or two)? Here are just a few cool tidbits you might like to know about this Boulder-based gem:

• Advertisers reduce their CPA by an average of 10% after joining Trada
• The average campaign has 24 (!!!) PPC experts working on it at one time
• Trada campaigns have an average of 10 times more relevant ads than before joining the market place.

Don’t believe the hype – see how it works. I was turned on to Trada by seOverflow, an incredible Denver-area SEO firm that I’m fortunate enough to work with on a regular basis. I’m looking forward to their full report!

Now – go forth, prosper, do all that Vulcan shit and tell Monday to kiss your ass. And thank you for being part of my community.