Two weeks ago I received an email from friend and fellow certified Go-Giver speaker and coach, Linda Ryan. It was an offer to participate in something called a Writer’s Blog Hop. I had never heard of the concept but told Linda yes. Basically it involved answering four questions about my writing.
As I learned more about the concept I realized that I was feeling excitement for several reasons. This was the first opportunity to work with Linda, albeit an indirect collaboration. Being highlighted on her blog would provide me with incremental exposure. In turn, I am able to feature three bloggers I read, learn from and respect (Brian Rogers, Doug Wagner and Gary Campbell are all introduced at the end of this post). Most importantly, it would force me to do some self-evaluation – which is always a good thing. Those insights are what I share here. You can read Linda’s post – Writing About Writing – on her Mind Over Matter site. Here’s what I came up with.
What am I working on/writing?
My ongoing writing is my blog series – Friday’s Fearless Brand. Working on this post has forced me to refocus on my larger writing plans. There is a book in me that needs to come out. Actually, there are two – both currently being written exclusively in my mind. That is partly the result of my ‘process’ (see Q4 below) but also due to not yet having found the true conviction needed to get started. It’s time for me to quit getting ready to be ready and start writing – and I will.
How does my writing differ from others of its genre?
This is a very intriguing question as I’ve never compared my writing with anyone else’s – in my ‘genre’ or not. I believe that there is neither a right nor a wrong style – so long as the author is authentic in their writings. My blogs tend to be longer than many others. They are written to inform, entertain and provide significant insights into the power of branding – and for that matter, what a brand truly is. I don’t count words nor do I give a great deal of thought to SEO – although it would be wise for me to be more diligent in that regard. Basically, I just write the best content I can at the moment.
Why do I write what I write?
I love branding. I write about building fearless brands. I love to help people find the magic that happens when competencies, passions and relevance collide. That is what I hope to achieve with my writing – helping people to discover clarity of purpose, define their success and realize that they can achieve dream results. Every fearless brand yields a lesson. My blog subjects include world leaders, businesses, a monster, films & books and one of my favorites, my brother David and many more. I purposely choose a diversity of subjects because I find these brands incredibly interesting. Importantly, I want to demonstrate that my fearless branding concepts – building maximum value – are applicable to all brands.
How does my writing process work?
My process? What’s a process? 🙂 Seriously, I am constantly up against my deadlines. I publish on Friday mornings and often don’t complete my post literally until the eleventh hour Thursday night. I consider several subjects, do research and then let the information ‘sink in’. I always start with a working title and an image for the subject – those two things start to provide a framework for me. Eventually the story I want to tell and the key learnings start to take shape and I begin writing.
Thank you for your interest in my writing and its why’s. I urge you to take a few more minutes to learn about Doug, Brian and Gary below. Bookmark their sites and read their work. I am confident you’ll be informed, entertained and educated.
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Doug Wagner
Doug Wagner is President and co-founder of Sunwapta Solutions; a company providing business consulting and information technology services since 2000. He is a Manifast™ Business coach, trainer and consultant, a Certified Go-Giver Coach, and the co-creator of the Manifast™ Business Success System.
The Manifast™ Business Success System is a unique combination of business training, coaching and consulting and a powerful online software tool that allows your entire team to work together on your business.
As a lifelong learner and student, Doug really likes to get up into the big picture, connect pieces together and then bring it back down into a practical solution for moving your business forward.
Without the aid of any superpowers, special ninja techniques or Jedi mind tricks: he is helping people achieve their full potential and Manifast their dream businesses by day and a Celtic musician by night.
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Brian Rogers
Brian Rogers is an attorney with the soul of an entrepreneur. He understands that those building businesses do so as an extension of themselves. Their business is an investment not just of money but also their hearts.
When it comes to his profession, Brian is first and foremost a highly qualified attorney recognized by colleagues and clients as an expert in his field. Added to that is Brian’s love of small business and his empathy for the entrepreneur.
This combination of legal expertise, business knowledge, and caring makes Brian uniquely positioned to support small business creation and growth.
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Gary Campbell
Gary Campbell, SPHR has over twenty years of human resources and leadership related experience. He became professionally certified in 1995 as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) before attaining his Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) in 1998. He is currently is the Principal for Impact2Lead, a leadership and professional services consulting firm and also serves as the Chief Operations Officer for Johnson Health Center. Prior to his current positions, he was the Head of Procurement Operations Services for Bayer in Pittsburgh, PA. There, he led a team focused on enterprise wide contingent labor staffing and procurement operations. He came to Bayer after leading the consolidation of contingent labor activity across all business functions in the United States as Vice President, Service & Quality at Ensemble Chimes Global (ECG). He served as Manager, Human Resources for LexisNexis in Charlottesville, VA prior to his leaving for ECG. He is a Certified Go-Giver Coach through Burg Communications.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources Development and his MBA from Averett University in Danville, VA. Gary currently serves on the Lynchburg Regional SHRM Board of Directors and has led speaking engagements and panel discussions on career planning and staffing throughout his career. He remains active with Staffing Industry Analysts in the area of contingent workforce planning as a guest author.
Coach, International Speaker and Thought Partner - Bill’s mission is to add value to the world – one brand at a time. Bill guides individuals and companies alike in building what he refers to as a ‘fearless brand’. This is the process of discovering, embracing and delivering their greatest value – which allows them to realize greater profit. Read More
