Wednesday’s Women: @angelamaiers @ardath421 @LisaPetrilli @tobeydeys @DabneyPorte

blog soup 02.15.2012

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Wednesday’s Women: A Celebration of Woman

by Stan Faryna

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Coldplay, Proof

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1. The YOU MATTER Manifesto by Angela Maiers

Writes Angela:

My friend and mentor Seth Godin says, “only reason to give a speech is to change the world”, so that is the context and the inspiration I share this message and manifesto with you:

You matter.

These two words can change your mood, change your mind, and have the power to change lives and the world world if we understand and leverage them in the right way.

My comment:

Bruce Sallan’s promos for his #dadchat with Angela Maiers reminded me of Angela’s message and manifesto. So I experienced her again: her Ted talk and her manifesto. And, again, my heart was filled and my spirit, uplifted.

Listen to Angela at the Ted Talk. Listen with your heart. And be inspired.

Thank you Angela Maiers. Thank you for being you!

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Subscribe to Angela Maiers’ blog.

Need more Angela Maiers? Check out the following:

The Courage to Teach

The 5 C’s of Passion Driven Leadership

The Power of Noticing
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Whitney Houston and CeCe Winans, Count On Me

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2. Expectations and Experience Are the New Competition by Ardath Albee

Writes Albee:

Due to the ease of accessing information online, a big part of what’s changed in the buying process are your customers’ expectations about the experience they’ll have along the way.

Because buyers can self-educate rapidly and much easier than the were able to in the past, they know more. In return for this education, they’ve raised the bar. They expect to continue to receive value each step along the way. And they expect it on their terms…

You’re no longer competing against the vendor with a similar product down the street. It’s the ability to exceed buyer expectations and provide a valuable buying experience that will determine the winner when the time comes to make a purchase decision.

My comment:

I found Ardath Albee via her comment on @BrennerMichael‘s blog post, Will Content Marketing Destroy Social Media. Her insight was all WOW!

And what she said on Michael Brenner’s blog applies to her own discussion on content strategy. Because engagement can’t just be all about your product and service. Great engagement has to have character.

The engagement has to be about them, the buyer, your potential or returning customer, and the human person. The experience, you design, therefore, must implicitly emphasize their relevance, significance, dignity, and agency in the world. Engagement must include the Courage to Teach. Great engagement has always taught and made us feel human again.

Need one example?

Note: If you don’t shed a tear watching this, you need help.

And, yes, what I’m saying is a tall order – especially for people trapped in the boxy mindset of commoditization, business, and fast transactions.

Part of the answer will be re-humanizing marketing with stories that illuminate the things that matter. Like people. Like you and me. And that is actually easy to do with the feeds-and-speeds content that Albee is worried about.

Something for Albee and you to consider. And I know she’ll turn it into Gold. You?

Thank you Ardath Albee. Thank you for being you!

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Subscribe to Ardath Albee’s blog.

Need more Ardath Albee? Check out the following:

The Content Marketing Continuum: Part 1

Are Shorter Sales Cycles a Wake-up Call for Marketers?

6 Tips for B2B Vendors Becoming Publishers
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Bette Midler, From a Distance

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3. The Introvert’s Guide to Leadership by Lisa Petrilli

Lisa explains that introverts can be great leaders.

Introverts can…

1. Rally the troops and inspire their teams.
2. Create presence, be recognized, and rewarded
3. Be decisive and persuasive

That’s what Lisa is saying. And she says much more than that.

My comment:

I discovered Lisa Petrilli via Mike Henry of the Lead Change Group and Mike Henry via my wonderful friend, Dr. Jack King.

As an introvert myself, I have faced the challenges of leadership (and, yes, failed at times). Lisa provides rich insight into how introversion comes with treasures and strength that apply to great leadership, service, and contribution to the world.

Thank you Lisa Petrilli. Thank you for being you!

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Subscribe to Lisa Petrilli’s blog.

Need more Lisa Petrilli? Check out the following:

Customer Experience is a Culture not a Project

5 Myths about Introversion from Harvard Business Review

Do Extroverts Have an Advantage in Political Campaigns?
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Sarah McLachlan, Angel

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4. Femurs and Philanthropy: A Legacy of Kindness by Tobey Deys

Writes Tobey:

Margaret Mead was a cultural anthropologist born at the turn of the 20th century who, throughout her 77 years on the planet, made remarkable contributions to the understanding of what, and why, we humans do the things we do. She was once asked by an interviewer: “What is the first sign you look for to tell you more about an ancient civilization?” (assuming Mead would suggest a broken pot or a primitive tool).

Her answer was surprising: a healed femur

Ms. Mead elaborated: “When someone breaks a femur, they can’t survive to hunt, fish or escape enemies unless they have help from someone else. Thus, a healed femur indicates that someone else helped that person, rather than abandoning them and saving themselves.

My comment:

I found Tobey Deys via her comment to a blog post by Lisa Petrilli. She mentioned something about being Yoda. She captured my heart with the metaphor. Just long enough for me to find my way to her blog. And, WOW, I loved where I landed.

Tobey throws out some ideas how we can contribute, give, and be true. Go read her blog post!

Thank you Tobey Deys. Thank you for being you!
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Subscribe to Tobey Deys’ blog.

Need more Tobey Deys? Check out the following:

Just in Time for the Holidays

Einstein. Gandhi. And You. The World Needs You Now Because #YouMatter

Three Little Words
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Aretha Franklin, Respect

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5. Social Media Girlfriends and Dabney Porte

My comment:

I found Dabney Porte via a mention by Tobey Davis in her blog post, What’s the ROI of Nice? I recognized Dabney’s name from last week’s #Dadchat with @AngelaMaiers.

So I expect to hit a website and get into some blog posts. See if this is something I’m comfortable putting in Wednesday’s Women. But it doesn’t play out that way. I don’t find blog posts. What I find is an invitation to join Social Media Girlfriends.

You Are Cordially Invited to Connect And Engage With Your Social Media Girlfriends 24 Hours A Day, 7 Days A Week By Following #SMGirlFriends

A Video starts to play. And I’m thinking to myself: This is cool and enchanting.

And then: Ouf! I’m not a girl…

I finally realized there’s a link to a blog. But it seems Dabney and the girlfriends are working on things. That’s ok.

Anyway, my point in mentioning my experience of that landing page was that it was enchanting. And I can still hear the song playing in my head as I write this.

Also some words from the video. They are rolling in my brain.

It is because of this beautiful connection that we are changing the world… for the better.

That’s what social media is about. Us. Connecting. Ultimately, helping each other to change the world. Because each of us must tend this garden of life- faithfully, courageously, and gently. In our little ways. For the better. With a little help from our friends.

And, yeah, I hear another song in my head.

Thank you Dabney Porte. Thanks for the RT last week. And, most of all, thank you for being you!

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Previous Celebrations of Woman:

Wednesday’s Women (ww004)

Featuring: @Bonnie_Greer @jaynalocke Yasmin Alibhai-Brown @kanter @biebert

Wednesday’s Women (ww003)

Featuring: @wordsdonewrite @bonnie67 @girlygrizzly @atugend @careyfuller

Wednesday’s Women (ww002)

Featuring: @brenebrown @carpathia16 @Nisha360 @Sandra305 @SusanMazza

Wednesday’s Women (ww001)

Featuring: @connectyou @JaneofAustralia @ElizabethKCross @MargieClayman @ginidietrich

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Stan Faryna
15 February 2012
Bucharest, Romania

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P.S.

No fairies were harmed during the writing and publishing of this blog post.