This great post is by a new pal, Bill Dorman. Bill is a blogger who enjoys networking and adding value to his relationships. He is an insurance broker by profession. You can find him any day at billdorman dot me (www.billdorman.me) where all strays are welcome and you can even subscribe to his content.
Everybody has a story to tell about the journey that led them to blogging and thinking their work was worthy of publishing for all the world to see. Who didn’t have a few butterflies the very first time ‘publish’ was hit?
Most bloggers have some type of pedigree related to writing but some are novices just like me who thought “I can do this too”. There was no special ‘club’ to join; you didn’t have to be in the ‘in’ crowd so it was just a matter of making it happen.
One of the common threads is the love of writing and actually having a platform where you can publish your work whenever you want. And not only publish, but in most cases get immediate feedback. Most would agree it is unique indeed brought about by this crazy world we call social media.
Am I any good?
There are various forms of measurement used in social media and you can belabor which are valid and which are just an illusion. Probably the best form of measurement is the amount of satisfaction you derive when you hit publish and know it was a worthy post.
Yes, when people stop by and comment on your work that does provide a certain sense of validation; but then you have to avoid the tendency of only keeping a tally of ‘who’ is coming by as well.
If you write for yourself and don’t change your style just for a ‘certain’ audience, this is where you can ‘avoid the noise’ and find your own voice. It keeps you from always chasing and letting you develop your own audience.
But look what I found on my way to the blog
I found some friends; and not just friends, but friends so diverse and widespread it’s almost like I won the lottery. Between interacting, engaging and blogging, it has provided a vehicle to meet some incredibly talented and interesting people I would have never had the opportunity to meet otherwise.
Blogging provides a platform for the perfect blend of every personality type, social status, age, etc to come together and express thoughts and ideas.
Maybe you are an introvert and aren’t comfortable walking into a room full of strangers; or your stay at home status or job doesn’t allow the opportunity to meet new people. Blogging provides a comfortable, safe way to do this and actually allows you to talk to other people and even be heard; anytime you want to. It can be a great confidence booster as well.
But what if they aren’t who they say they are
Some people will try to project their persona as something they are not, but if you engage with someone long enough eventually the true colors will appear. Most in the blogosphere are out there trying to find their own way just like everyone else, no more and no less.
What is your ‘why?’
It has been said if you don’t know the ‘why’ you are blogging it is just a recipe for failure. It will certainly help if you have direction on your journey; but look at all the people you can meet along the way. That alone is worth something, right?
Blogging is the perfect networking tool; you can be as focused or broad as you want to be in your efforts. There are no barriers or boundaries per se.
What is your why? Have you found one of the main benefits of blogging is the opportunity it provides to meet others?
What has blogging done for you?
Image by Stephen Eastop. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/Eastop
Hi there Bill,
Through my blog, I have met people like you. I have made some friends that I would not have made any other way. I really do love that part about blogging, and maybe that is why I get so turned off when bloggers do not leave replies to my comments.
I have made some great friends both on my blog and on Twitter (actually Twitter was first for me then the blog) I began blogging because I have always loved writing and needed to see if I could stick with something. The theme of the blog about giving others hope is fairly broad and open ended and I think that is a good thing. I did not want too narrow a focus, at least not yet.
Nice job Bill. Nice to see you over here!
@NancyD68 Hello you; big game tonight, it should be interesting.
It does seem odd at time the number of visitors vs comments; because I do like the interaction I would be ok if they just said ‘nice post’ or ‘this post sucks’. At least I will know they have been there and thought something about it………..
I’m a networking kind of person anyway so social just seemed as an extension of my personality anyway. I’m a firm believer in making the relationship first and then everything else will fall into place from there. If I’m only trying to make a relationship just for the sale, people can usually see right through that. I’m ok with getting to know you first……….but that’s just my MO.
Obviously my focus is still pretty broad but I’m working on it. You don’t know how many times I will have the thought pop in my head to that I need to pick up my game. Marcus’ latest post really got me thinking………..
Good to see you as always and thanks for coming by. I hope you have a happy post for tomorrow.
Hey Bill,
Great post man. I have also met some absolutely amazing people so far (including yourself), and I want to keep growing and interacting. Unfortunately, as you mentioned, there are a few people who are either users, or blog totally for ego – great point about not relying on other feedback and no. of comments etc too much. However, good news for us all is that these people are few and far between.
Whatever someone’s priorities and/or business strategy, it’s the community and interacting that makes it all worthwhile. You can’t put a price on real connections.
Great job bud. Margie, love the blog. Thanks for featuring this awesome post.
Speak soon
Rob
@robertpf Hey Robert, thanks for stopping by and commenting. When Margie asked if I wanted to GP I did one of those looks over the shoulder and asked ‘are you talking to me’? She assured me she was so I wanted to come up with something that was appropriate for her site. Margie is one of the most creative and giving persons I have seen in the blogosphere; she is always trying to come up with some that will engage her community, I admire that.
I truly have met some great people literally from all over the world. What other platform is out there that you can do that.
Personally, I think social could be the game changer on the way to a more friendly, less apt to war global influencer. Can’t we all get along?………..:)
Hope all is well and certainly great to see you.
@bdorman264 You’re welcome Bill. Haha you are the man for this guest post buddy! I can see that Margie cares greatly about her community, I love to see that.
Exactly, I have met some awesome peeps too. Most of the people I connect with live thousands of miles away – pretty hard to do that anywhere else!
Yeah Social is a massive game changer. Yeah I hope it can lead to everyone getting on better – its already made fundamental changes to the world, but I believe the best is yet to come.
All is well thanks Bill. Hope all is with you too.
@robertpf Social really does flatten out the world, doesn’t it?
@bdorman264 Yes sir! Making the world a “more level playing field” in more ways than one!
thanks so much, @robertpf !
you’re welcome 🙂
@margieclayman you’re welcome 🙂
Bill,
I have met so many amazing people online! When I began I never expected to form relationships with anyone, they were all going to simply be readers of my blog, that was the extent of it. But right off the bat I befriended a few people, actually, they befriended me. It was fun!
It is funny how open the blogging world can be. I also thought if I knew people online I would basically only befriend women like me. So wrong! I can boast I know a young single women in Peru, a young married women with young kids in Reno, a very distinguished man in Florida, a great pal with a daughter with disabilities in DC, another great pal with twins in the Bay Area, a young man fresh out of college working on starting his life with his girlfriend, a guy with diabetes, a single dad, a work at home wife…the list goes on! Where else would a married mom of two be friends with this diversity?
Why does this work? We all have that common bond- blogging. And trying to be the best blogger we can be. We all learn from each other and help each other.
People shun the Internet, I don’t understand why. It can bring people together in so many great ways!
~Allie
@AllieRambles I agree with you in that the internet is the gateway to so many opportunities and access to so many people. Yes, it can be abused but it can also be used for some pretty amazing things as well.
Whereas your in real life social circle might be X, online it might be A B C and X Y Z. That is what makes it so neat and unique. At the end of the day we are all just ‘people’ trying to find our own way, right?
The other good thing with blogging vs just writing is the feedback you can get; it does create dialogue. It also allows you to visit others and have dialogue there too.
At times I wonder what I’m doing and what all this is about, but certainly the ‘friends’ aspect makes it easy to keep plugging away.
Thanks so much for stopping by today Allie; it is truly a pleasure to see you.
Well, after reading @AllieRambles response here, how much more can I say? Yup, it happened for me, too. The activity isn’t as much on my own blog (I don’t write often enough) but I’ve made so many great connections on other people’s blogs. Who would’ve thunk it?
@aliciamjay@AllieRambles I’m ok with being the comment guy; a lot less pressure than the blog…………….:). Maybe I should star working my way backwards, huh? If comments are the meat of a post, the connections would be the icing on the cake.
Bill the no-longer-invisible blogger, friend and quickest wit guy…fab post. I don’t know how you do it: your own blog, your guest posts, your commenting all over the blogosphere…you must have the same clones Gini does;)
What’s my “why”? I started blogging simply to eradicate the self-editor in me. There’s a phrase that goes “Nothing was ever created and perfected in the same moment”, but I used to be one of those who yearned for it to be “perfect” right off the bat. I’ve now sent the self-editor packing, and I’ve achieved my goal: to write from the heart, with truth and abandon.
I’ve met amazing people on my journey, many of whom I call friends. People I know I could call or contact in a pinch, be open and honest with, and the door would be open to them to do the same. I’ve learned that I can’t be everywhere all the time, so some blogs, and hence people…I’m not so in touch with anymore. It happens. But I love what I do, I love to write, so now, after seven months’ experience, I feel I’m just starting to gain the wisdom and traction to take things to the next level.
You really have a gift for writing Bill. I know that you’re always self-deprecating, but I think (hope) you know how much we enjoy what your write, your humour (yes, I did have to throw a Canadianism in there:) and your unique personality that shines through. I’m honoured (double Canuck:) to be your friend.
Margie, thanks for bringing us a slice of Bill: very enjoyable. Cheers! Kaarina
@KDillabough Wow, that was some pretty nice things to say. When I first started blogging I thought you had to craft a masterpiece and it might take weeks to work on before it was ready to be published. Since then, I have found some of the posts that resonate the most were done off the cuff, from the heart and in less than a hour’s time. I think in this forum and this format you don’t have to be perfect, just be sincere.
I too have met some amazing people along the way, and you certainly being one of them; coach.
Believe it or not, I am not around as much as I used to be. I too have had to be more selective where I spend my time; it’s just the nature of the beast.
To be honest, Margie surprised me with the request. I did feel a little pressure because she gave me a deadline too but I was able to pull it off………………:).
I know, I have some other GP requests out there but it does take me out of my comfort zone somewhat so I guess I just need to get over it and crank them out.
So good to see you today and hope your running is going well; remember my tip about increasing distances if you want to lower your 5k time.
@bdorman264 You shouldn’t be surprised. You and @KDillabough were on my list from the start 🙂
@margieclayman@bdorman264 I like that list:))))
he’s pretty super duper, @KDillabough . And just think, I met both of y’alls cuz of Gini-san. See how that works? 🙂
@margieclayman@KDillabough Ahhhh Gini-san, the great connector. She still won’t take me out in public however, something about reputation, socially acceptable and whatever buzz words they use over there at Spin Sucks………..
But guess what? I get to meet her in real life in Orlando this month on the 17th; if she thought I was socially unacceptable online wait ’til she has to hang with me in real life………..:). Who invited that guy, huh?
@bdorman264@margieclayman@KDillabough If Bill is meeting Gini, I personally want to see video! This could turn out to be classic!
@NancyD68@margieclayman@KDillabough I’m leaving my phone and wallet in the car since the tweet-up is by the pool. I have a feeling she will ‘accidentally’ bump me into the water…………
When I started blogging and took it serious, I had similar worries: ‘OMG what if no one reads it ?’ and perhaps scarier, ‘what if they DO?!’ Comments, people, networking, connections.. scary world out there, especially when you have to show your true colors, what you’re made of.
Like you blogging has made relationships, and a few good professional friendships. It’s made me smarter, a better, more confident writer, and just much more in touch with my industry and the world around me. Now if only that money train of clients wants to start reading, my evil plan would be successful beyond my wildest dreams. FWIW.
@3HatsComm I hear ya; I hear that train a comin’, a comin’ round the bend……….:)
When I started blogging I really thought it would be under the radar and could write anything I wanted because nobody would be reading it anyway. The first time I hit publish however, it felt like I walked out my front door without any clothes on though.
I like to think the blogging has helped not only with my communication skills but also makes me ‘think’ more. It helps get my mind thinking and giving some thought to what message I want to say. Yes, most of it has been fluff stuff, but I consider it a work in progress.
With enough writing it definitely shows your true colors and I’m ok with that. I have no problem with people knowing what I am all about. Hopefully for most it is in a good light, but if I’m not your cup of tea then I’m ok with that too…………….kind of……………
Always good to see you Ms D; I hope all is going well in your world. I can tell you have cut back on some of your activities, and I’ve just been missin’ you. Glad to know you are still out there….
@bdorman264 My blog’s RSS feed decided to take a vacation without me but I haven’t gone anywhere… yet. I haven’t been around as much, another part of the blogging scene – you miss the discussion. I really think that putting thoughts into words, poured out on screen for others to review, that does make a difference; it doesn’t just make me a better writer, I think it forces consideration and clarity, makes me a better communicator overall.
@3HatsComm I’ve noticed some other’s taking vacations without me; maybe it was your RSS feed that pulled them along too……
@bdorman264 Who knows? I still ain’t got it working, will fight with it when I get back.
Hey Bill! Great post! I love “But look what I found on my way to the blog”. That’s my favorite part – the people. My “why” is writing, both the blog and my books. But the community and the conversation and the inspiration far exceeded my expectations that first day I nervously clicked “Publish”.
@Lori Famous BTW……………….and I’m ready…………..
I like to write, but my ‘why’ would be the people. If I can connect that is the first building block and everything else we can figure out later.
I had an inkling because I started out on just the commenting side but could tell some great friendships had been formed by people who had never met in real life. This is probably what propelled me to start the blog and take it to the next level. I could probably be ‘ok’ with just being a commentor, but the blog helps me in other ways with commitment, thinking, engaging, communication, etc.
I haven’t made it to your place yet but looks like we will be talking via Google + at 1:00 pm. I’ll warn you, I’m having just an ‘ok’ hair day but should be able to make it through. I’ll probably lose the tie this time.
What is my why for blogging? Well, I refuse to answer on the grounds that I haven’t had a cup of coffee. Maybe I’ll come back later and share a thought, provided that we don’t have to engage in higher math. I don’t do higher math on Thursdays.
@TheJackB Get your cup of Joe, we don’t want a cranky Jack do we? I never engage in higher math. True story, because I was such a disinterested student in high school once I took Algebra I, I was good to go. I figured I wouldn’t need no stinking math……….all that did was get me in the Army. When I later went to college and had to take not only Algebra but Trig and Calculus I REALLY had to pay attention. Thanks dad for thinking I was mature enough in high school to make those kind of decisions, huh?
Well, we’ve discussed the why before. I have a fairly narrow business purpose for blogging, so what has been most interesting is the phenomenon you point out in “look what I found on my way to the blog” Friendships began to develop, and in some cases, in curious and unforeseen places.
The meeting of friends was by far the biggest surprise I had in looking back at my first few months blogging. And since this is your post, I should say that I’m certainly proud to count you among them. 🙂
Great stuff Bill!
@adamtoporek And I count you as a friend as well and glad we will be able to meet up in real life on the 17th. Just remember my ‘safe’ word if it appears I have had too much to drink. The last time I went to one of these gigs I fell in the pool and we certainly don’t want to embarrass our host Ms Gini, do we?
In my book it all starts with the people; with the people come the relationships; with the relationships come the opportunities, whatever they might be. It’s ok to keep it real simple and figure it out from there.
I see you had a post pop on Steve Jobs so I’ll have to get by there and check it out. Thanks for stopping by.
@bdorman264 Well, you know if there’s a chance you’re going to embarass ginidietrich there’s no chance I’m stopping that, right? 🙂
@adamtoporekginidietrich I can probably do that just by showing up; did she say if we were supposed to wear shoes?
This line right here is the money one, mate:
“Probably the best form of measurement is the amount of satisfaction you derive when you hit publish and know it was a worthy post.”
Anything else is a bonus. 🙂
@DannyBrown I agree sir, everything else is a bonus. Take care of the basics and shut out the noise and everything else will take care of itself.
Good to see you my friend and hope all is well with you; thanks for coming by Margie’s place today, she’s good people.
I blog so that others will read my blog and say, “If that guy’s doing it, then I can do it too.”
I blog because it helps me think.
I blog because I like to set writing challenges for myself.
I blog because there are days when words possess me and I needed to channel that kind of energy into something creative, structured and potentially helpful to others.
And finally, I blog because I LOVE IT.
@StartYourNovel I like your first line because everybody who reads mine seems to have that same thought…………..or, along the lines ‘if he is doing it, it can’t be that hard’……..:).
Truthfully, it isn’t that hard, it’s more of just committing to it and keep trying to get better.
I LOVE the interaction it allows because it opens up the relationships you have developed over time. That is really the main reason I want to have some stickiness to my blog so I can get to know these people. It saddens me if people are leaving because I suck, but I’m trying not to.
Good to see you JM Bell and will be by to check your GP as well; thanks for your support.
Ah, another great post by Mr. Dorman… Way to go Bill, you are really getting yourself out there my friend. I’m so impressed!
So I have to agree with everyone else, my favorite part of blogging has been the people I meet along the way. I got into this thinking that I had to brand myself so I could build a business, yada yada yada. I was told to go comment on other blogs to drive traffic to mine. Man was I ever shocked at all the knowledge I ran across and the connections I started making. All of a sudden everything else kind of took a back seat to the reason I was doing this. And low and behold, the rest just ended up falling into place.
I never considered myself a writer but I do enjoy expressing my thoughts. Little did I know that some people would appreciate my open style as well as I have come to appreciate so many others. It’s really the connections I’ve made while on this journey that mean the most to me. And you are included on that list as well Bill.
Thanks Bill!
~Adrienne
@AdrienneSmith Yay, and I am very thankful for connecting with you as well. Your philosophy is not much different than mine; relationships first and everything else will work out. It’s almost like you have to walk before you run but some people get in here and thing they have to build it overnight. It’s one thing to be focused, but you still have to have sincerity as well, right?
Yeah, who woulda thunk I would be Mr Guest Poster; way out of my comfort zone for sure.
There is a lot of knowledge to be had in this crazy social world AND you can make connections as well; how can you lose.
So good to see you and your support is very much appreciated. If you didn’t know Margie before, she is definitely one that can wear the ‘writers’ hat.
I’ve been blogging long before the word, blogging, was cool. Until recently, if you had called me a blogger, them would have been fighting words. [grin] So I have repented of my arrogance and pride. And I have the sackcloth and ashes if you need to verify.
In the beginning, it was all about me. I loved it. I also wanted to connect with the world. On my terms. I also wanted to see if there was an audience out there for my voice. Again, on my terms.
In the last three years, the all about me has been shifting to the we. I have experimented much. That’s been fun. I still experiment with the blog form. That’s still fun. But like I said, the emphasis is on the we. And that shift has its own rewards. As Bill observes, new friendships are among them.
Recently on my blog: A Fan Letter to Penelope Trunk and her farmer http://wp.me/pbg0R-qQ
@Faryna Hi Stan, thanks for dropping by. Well I’m glad to hear it was all about you in the early years, because it feels like that when I write sometimes it’s all about me (and I’m still in the early years). That will cull an audience real quick, huh?
I too like the ‘we’ better. WE are all in this together, right?
I like the blog format because of the feedback, I think that’s pretty cool. That’s why I get antsy if people don’t respond and I feel as if I’m talking to myself.
Starving artist my friend; it comes with the prerequisite sackcloth and ashes………..:).
Bill, What an outstanding piece. Blogging is art, it’s an expression that we send out to connect with others and build relationships. I like to think along the same lines, my blog is my way to put out there my art and hope that I resonate with an audience that will join in the discussion, build friendships that are long term. It is daunting the first time you send out your post and wonder if anyone will comment. Those comments are gold, they are the payment for your work. I truly admire your talent, your art and look forward to more. And thank you, Margie, for bringing in such amazing writers to share their gifts as well. Cheers.
@gingerconsult Wow, that was quite the compliment and not sure if I’m that deserving but now that you have said it in print you can’t take it back so I will run with it……………:). Seriously, that was very nice of you to say.
I do cherish the relationships it brings and like the communication as well.
The commenting I can do pretty well and if it isn’t happening at my place I will just go visit a neighbor and make it happen there; that’s the beauty of blogging; you can always find something to talk about.
Thanks for following me and once I have the opportunity I will certainly follow back. I also will stop by and check your site out too.
Good to see you.
Bill,
A long time ago someone paid me a priceless compliment. She was trying to explain to someone the difference between my husband and me when it came to our individual styles as innkeepers. At the time, we owned and operated a country inn. It slept 120 guests. We did this for almost 12 years. But back to the story: From Jeanie’s perspective, Dennis was the talker and I was the communicator!
So in a nutshell, I have a personal blog and I comment on other’s blogs because I enjoy communicating. Not very many people comment on my blog and that is ok. It is a life record, something I can refer back to or offer to my children. It is my virtual scrapbook.
Talk to you later.
Judy
One more thing…I have made a lot of nice friends through blogging. And I am looking forward to seeing a number of them in person at Blog World Expo LA. It will be nice to attend the conference and make a connection in real life. My first experience at BWE 09 was pretty scary. But last year got better and this year will be even better. Friends…”we’re friends, aren’t we?”
@JudyHelfand Can’t we all just get along?………..:)
I won’t be in LA but would love to just to meet a lot of my online friends. However, there is an event in Orlando in a couple of weeks that a handful of my online friends will be attending and I’m going to crash the party. I’m pretty excited for the opportunity to meet them. Hopefully I don’t kill any coolness I might have been able to build up at this point.
@bdorman264 I was quoting the movie “Beaches”. The cute little scene with CC and Hillary meet on the beach. They take their photo in a photo booth, and when they have to part, Hillary tells CC to keep in touch. CC says, of course…”well sure, we’re friends, aren’t we?” Of course the story is based on their letters over the years. Remember letters, pen pals? Long ago, those letters were our blogs. And if you were very, very lucky you eventually met in person.
@JudyHelfand True story, I had a pen pal in back in Jr High and High School. Eventually we quit writing and went on to live our lives. I was at an event recently where karyn buxman was speaking and she mentioned she grew up in Hannibal, MO. This was where my pen pal was from. After her talk I approached her and asked if she knew my pen pal; lo and behold they went to school together. She also mentioned they were Facebook friends. Long story short, through that meeting I was able to get back in touch with my ‘pen pal’ and now we are Facebook friends. Social really does make this a small world.
@JudyHelfand Being in sales, sometimes I feel like I’m the talker but I want to be the communicator; able to weave the story and connect all the parts. Hopefully, through blogging I can get better at this.
I have a personal blog as well and will definitely come check yours out. Are you saying that what we are writing will stay on the internet forever?……………….doh…………………..
Thanks so much for coming by Margie’s place to day. I certainly appreciate it as I’m sure she does as well.
Best of luck in your journey.
@JudyHelfand Judy, I really like what you said here. Blogging is the best platform for me as a “communicator,” for sure, along with other social media platforms, of course. I feel more comfortable here, and blogging or conversing on Twitter can be a great gateway to actually talking to someone, imaging that 🙂 Great point!
Bill,
This was the first post I have read since coming home! A fabulous way to kick it back into gear.
“I found some friends; and not just friends, but friends so diverse and widespread it’s almost like I won the lottery. Between interacting, engaging and blogging, it has provided a vehicle to meet some incredibly talented and interesting people I would have never had the opportunity to meet otherwise.”~ You said it perfectly.
My “Why” is finding the people I can share Chisana with. Sure, it started with finding people who would come and pay us to do what we do…. but it is so much more now and has been for awhile. I feel that I have been given so much by so many of you and it has made such a huge difference in my life. I would like to think, in my own way I may someday do the same, have someone say the same of me and mine.
Thanks for this, Bill and Margie for having this dude this morning. I am so happy to be home! ~Amber-Lee
@girlygrizzly Welcome home Ms Girly Grizzly; even though we knew where you were, you have been missed. I’m glad mine was the first post you read as it can only get better from here, right?………………:).
People first; find a way to connect and communicate and everything else will work it’s way out. Maybe naive and maybe simple but it seems to work for me.
Your place has definitely made my ‘to do’ list and I will find a way to make that happen; your stories really bring out the intrigue and adventure of the place and I can’t wait to experience it.
So good to see you and thanks so much for weighing in; Ms Margie and I appreciate it tremendously.
Hey Bill! I believe we’ve started blogging in the same social circles, so to speak, and after reading this post, I have only one question….WILL YOU BE MY FRIEND?!?
@Ruth – The Freelance Writing Blog Absolutely; this has been a great social circle to get started in too. Thanks for taking the time to stop by; much appreciated.
Hey Bill, I still get nervous pressing the Publish button. Every time. I wonder if I could have done better, added or deleted more. We put self-imposed deadlines on ourselves and then wonder if they were realistic. We stick to publishing schedules then wonder if anyone would notice if we didn’t meet those artificial deadlines.
The blogging community is an amazing dividend I have reaped from writing my blog. The supportive friends I have made have been truly incredible as I have ventured on this journey. I thank you, Bill, for being one of those supportive friends.
Maggie, great job in getting Bill to be a guest author! I would love to have him post at The Wonder of Tech but I can’t afford his fee of a Ferrari. 😉
@wonderoftech yeah, you’re right – the car was was a heavy price to pay. However, the ROI is clearly a win 🙂
@margieclayman Ok, looks like the party is over; I will lock the door on the way out. Thanks for having me, I had fun; it was quite the honor. You are always welcome to GP at my place if you so desire, you have an open invitation.
@wonderoftech I think Margie uncovered the secret to get me to GP. I have several open-ended requests out there but w/ no set deadline. Margie asked if I would, and when I said ‘yes’ she said ‘would you like to write one for Tues or Thurs?’ This was last weekend, so of course I chose Thursday………but Margie is smart like that, she knows I can be lazy like that…………:)
I have self imposed deadlines for my site but realistically I don’t think many would notice if I skipped a beat. However, I need some structure so I do try to maintain a schedule.
I agree that the community is an amazing dividend, for a social guy like myself, it doesn’t get much better than this.
I think you owe me a GP now that we are past summer, right?
Hey Bill,
Sorry I missed this yesterday. I write because I can. Because it’s fun. I’m wondering what people do with all of the thoughts in their heads if they don’t write?
I don’t know if this is relevant, but because I wasn’t able to read or write yesterday I got a picture in my head from an objective perspective about what’s going on online. There seems to be two groups of people. And those groups overlap and support each other from time to time.
I see producers and consumers. All of the art (pictures for posts), quotes, stories,poems, and videos that instruct and inspire are the product of someone else’s imagination and hard work. We consume those things without conscious thought sometimes. They’re just available.
While driving and thinking I realized that to blog is fun , but I’ve become more of a consumer because I spend so much time roaming around. and not enough producing something that feels fulfilling to me. Probably just tiredness sinking deep! Glad to be back/
@BetsyKCross Yes, sometimes I get too deep in thought about social but I do find myself thinking more about ideas for posts at times. I do agree about the producers and consumers as well and because I’m just a show up kind of guy I tend to be too much of a consumer. Now Margie, she is definitely a producer and she is always thinking about something to bring value and bring her community together. I admire her immensely for that.
Fun I like and for now that is enough of a justification for me. I don’t know if it’s a sustainable business model but fortunately I’m ‘established’ in my business so it gives me the luxury of taking my time to see what I want to do with this.
Good to see you, I was thinking I didn’t see you yesterday; hope all is well and you have a great weekend.
Hey Bill,
Looks like I’m late to the party. I just underestimated the time it would take to structure and comment on my latest post. I really need to speed up the process. And … there is the day job which is just getting in the way now 🙂 Good thing I’m the boss.
What is interesting is that I now consider you a friend, but we have never talked on the phone. I guess we’ll have to change that, eh? My wife was asking me, “who is that Bill guy who keeps cracking on you?” Then she said, “I like him!” just like that, and you can guess why she likes you. I need to show her Danny Brown’s skills in this department too. I mean, the man has the skills. Mad skills.
No real structure for now, just once a week. It is coming though, some structure, that is 🙂
I am simply amazed at the quality of people I’ve met online. I honestly didn’t think it would be this cool. Certainly glad I jumped in for that reason alone.
Good to see you here. I’ve been lurking on Margie’s site for a bit, and love the content. I figured it was about time I came out of my shell and commented 🙂 Hi Margie. Later, Bill.
@Craig McBreen Yeah, sometimes it’s hard to make the rounds and keep your house clean as well. This is a good place to visit however, Margie is very talented and creative.
There is really some great people to hang with out here in social and most times I’m just glad they let me hang around. I’m just trying to learn from them all, but it has definitely been fun.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by; I’m glad Margie invited me and also glad it turned out ok.
I hope you have a great weekend.
@bdorman264
I have been blogging for a while without any why. Well, I started up blogging because I wanted to learn about marketing and share what I was learning. But then, things started happening, people read what I was writing, and I was surprised. In the beginning it felt like I was only writing for myself, and I didn’t do anything when it comes to networking. I was just writing. I guess my first friend online was Google, and she brought me some new friends.
Now, I feel like I have a lot of friends online, and even though I have never asked any of them how old they are, I believe that I have friends who are kids and some are even considered senior citizens. And they are scattered all across the world. It’s awesome. To me, blogging has become so much more than just a way to learn and share information. It’s now more about relationships.
Like I said, I believe the why will change during our time online. We start out with one why, and end up with another.
– Jens
@jens I’m 82 BTW, but I write much younger……yes, not only is the audience diverse globally, but by age, gender, religion, etc. What a fantastic melting pot.
Recently it seems to me more of my ‘group’ has seemed to either drop out, change focus, or went off in another direction. It was interesting to see it happen all at once. The writing is a commitment and I question where I’m going at times as well. As long as I’m engaging and developing relationships for now, then that will sustain me.
As I told Betsy, I like the instant feedback aspect of blogging. You can kind of tell how well you did.
Blogging has helped with my communication and thought process…….I think…..I still get social media mush brain at times trying to delineate between social and real life at times…..:)
Good to see you Jens, thanks so much for stopping by my friend.
Bill, aloha. Great to see you over here at Margie’s place. Boy, what a combo the two of you are!
As you already know from commenting on the post I wrote earlier this week, I consider the people I have met in the blogosphere to be the biggest benefit of blogging. Those relationships, initially developed through commenting on each other’s blogs as well as reading comments left on other blogs, expand to other parts of the online world and move offline as well.
Though my intention when I started blogging was to meet and to connect with people, what has happened and the relationships that have developed are far beyond my wildest imaginings. The diversity and the depth of the relationships is truly amazing.
Because I care about leaving a relevant comment on a post, be it a response on mine or a comment on someone else’s blog, my communication skills have increased significantly. Speaking of comments, Bill, I also appreciate the great ideas, tips and inspiration I get when I read comments.
Bill, I believe blogging is one of the greatest personal development programs ever. In order to blog for a sustained period of time and have some regular readers, you have to grow as a person, as a writer/communicator as well as learn how to develop relationships in a whole new way.
Without a doubt, Bill, blogging is one of the most serendipitous experiences of my life. Bill, thanks for enriching my life with your posts and comments. Best wishes for a terrific weekend. Until next time, aloha. Janet
P.S. Nice close, Margie. The old “either or” approach gets them ever time! Margie, I am thoroughly enjoying “getting to know you . . .” through your posts and interactions with the group.
@janetcallaway Yes, if she would have left the request open-ended she might still be waiting for it………….:)
I too like to leave a relevant comment and it does take some time and thought. However, I think it has allowed me to create meaningful dialogue with this approach. I probably emulated Griddy with my commenting style; it’s kind of sad not to see her out any more.
Blogging is the perfect vehicle for allowing for personal development. You are putting your thoughts, feelings, dreams, expectations on paper and people are responding. Instant feedback, that is pretty cool I think.
Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by Margie’s; you definitely need to check her work out as well.
I blog because I enjoy what I’m writing about, ,and I hope to gain exposure (and a job!) through my blog. I’ve met so many very kind and helpful fellow bloggers, @Margie Clayman and @PegFitzpatrick, and….I could go on and on with all the people that I have met through Margie!
I really enjoyed reading this, and I’m glad you were asked to guest post! Thank you!