Productivity

The Best Training to Be a Highly Paid Expert

Posted by scott on Jan 20, 2012 in Coaching, Learning, Marketing, News, Productivity | 0 comments

Greetings folks! Brendon Burchard is at it again, and I’m so incredibly excited!  I don’t normally promote these kinds of trainings or endorse other people’s products or trainings, but Brendon stands out!

Even if you just watch his free videos or pick up his book, The Millionaire Messenger, you’re going to think you’ve gotten thousands of dollars worth of valuable training on how to market yourself as an author, speaker, seminar leader, coach, or product developer. I’ve been learning from Brendon for almost a year now, and his training makes all the difference to me!

Click here for great free videos and to learn about Experts Academy with Brendon Burchard!

Introducing Protection Plus

Posted by scott on Nov 30, 2011 in News, Productivity | 0 comments

I’ve introduced a new service for my existing clients called Protection Plus.

Here’s why.

About a month ago, immediately following my move to Eden Prairie, MN, one of my clients’ web sites suffered a malware attack and was unavailable.  Imagine having this image in place of your current web site when a potential client comes to visit:

It’s no fun to get hacked or for a virus to infiltrate your site.  In this particular instance, the offender was a javascript file within a WordPress theme that Google and another third party search engine deemed “Malicious Code” or Malware.   After about 4-5 hours of combined time analyzing the site, restoring from backup, updating WordPress files (and plugin files), changing all passwords, and eventually applying a new WordPress theme, I was able to submit my client’s web site for another review by Google so that the big red box would no longer be shown, and the site would be live again.  Within 24 hours after the review, my client’s site was restored.

I was glad to help in this instance.   But in retrospect, had there been a regular “protection plan” in place with regular WordPress file updates, theme updates, plugin updates, and settings optimizations, this five-day downtime of my client’s web site could have been avoided.

So, starting RIGHT NOW – I’ve introduced what I’m calling Protection Plus – a yearly subscription service to help my existing clients stay up to date and protected, for just $99/year.  ($79 until December 31, 2011).

To take advantage of Protection Plus you need only be a client of HolisticGeek.com, have a WordPress-based site, and be hosted by TigerTechnologies (our preferred web host).

Please visit the Protection Plus Page for more details on this new service, and to sign up!

What’s your mobile strategy?

Posted by scott on Aug 8, 2011 in Mobile, Productivity, Videos | 0 comments

I really like the messages that Gary Vaynerchuk puts out on The Daily. This one especially got me thinking! While I’m still not a smart phone user, the message is very clear, that web sites and online marketing need to accommodate the wave of smart phone mobile users. Watch the video below, and then click the Read More button for my tips on your mobile strategy for 2012!

So, what can you do NOW to develop a mobile strategy for your website?
CLICK THE READ MORE BUTTON BELOW

iWeb and MobileMe Folks – Take Heed!

Posted by scott on Jul 21, 2011 in Learning, News, Productivity, WordPress | 0 comments

I’ve been receiving a few requests lately to assist with or convert web sites using Apple’s iWeb and MobileMe for web publishing. For beginners who have the time and gumption to create their own web sites, I think that iWeb is not a bad choice.  If you’re an avid Macintosh user, iWeb integrates very well with the tools you already use!

However, there are some things that you should know:

• Apple has discontinued their MobileMe product, and web publishing through MobileMe will end June 30, 2012. See this FAQ article from Apple.
• You can still use iWeb to design your site after June 2012, but you will need to manually ftp your files to another web hosting service.  This involves first saving your files to your Mac, then uploading them with an FTP program (an extra step)
• If you use the “photocasting feature” of MobileMe  – this too will no longer be available for your iWeb published site after June 30, 2012.
• You can still keep your email address and other features, but you will need to “convert” your account to the new iCloud service.  (Apple will roll out iCoud in the Fall).
• iCloud WILL NOT include a web publishing option.

From my perspective as a web designer and consultant, some other disadvantages occur when you choose iWeb, unfortunately.

• By default, your web URL includes the title of your iWeb site’s name, often making longer URLs than necessary (ex – www.holisticgeek.com/holisticgeek.com/Home.html) – the only way around this is to save to your hard drive, and upload to your web host.
• iWeb pages aren’t naturally “Search Engine Friendly” – but you CAN use RAGE Software’s iWeb SEO Tool for free!

But, to put a positive spin on all of this, perhaps now is the time to convert your iWeb web site to WordPress! At any rate, now’s the time to start your MobileMe transition/migration plan!  Why not pair it with a full-on solution that gives you the following:

• A longer term relationship with a reliable web host (I suggest Tigertech.net)
• Migration of your email from user@me.com to your full domain name (user@yourdomain.com)
• Strong, customizable, and scalable SEO options for your website and blog
• An open-source, standards-compliant web building tool that grows with you as your business grows

Have fun creating!!

The Best Web Hosting Company EVER!

Posted by scott on May 24, 2011 in Productivity, WordPress | 3 comments

A Soloprenuer Coaching Retreat

Posted by scott on Apr 23, 2011 in Coaching, Fun, Marketing, Productivity | 0 comments

I just returned home from facilitating a wonderful day-and-a-half, one-on-one coaching “retreat” that I arranged with a good friend of mine who is wanting to start his own consulting business!  It’s incredible how a focused series of conversations can help a person zero in on aspects of a plan or “roadmap” to a future endeavor.  What’s more, I think our time together helped him move forward a bit, through his own insights, ambitions, and desires.

Within this mini retreat, we explored not only timelines, business focuses, and goals, but we uncovered a lot of surprises too.

“What do you really want, and why is that important?”
“What could move you forward faster to what you REALLY want?”
“What are you doing now that helps this process?”
“How do you separate what you feel you ‘should’ do from what you ‘want’ to do?”

Throughout this process we also took time to take breaks, prepare and eat meals, and my friend/client got to fix some plumbing issues while I composed a document of all of the notes, impressions, and insights we came up with throughout the retreat (I’m glad I didn’t have to do plumbing work!).

I really enjoy the coaching process.  As a coach, I don’t set agendas and I don’t “solve” problems for other people. Rather, through deep listening, positive inquiry, encouragement, and asking what I call “questions that matter” – a coach is a partner who engages another person to find their own solutions and “draw out” those aspects of thoughts or passions that really make a person “come alive.”

Even moreso, through a conversation, or a series of conversations built upon positive energy and insightful questions – coaching can move people (often very quickly) into those “a-ha!” moments of clarity and focus.

Many thanks to my friend Chris for allowing me to engage this process for him!  I’m very excited and privileged to assist in the process of what’s growing and coming to fruition with his consulting business!  All I can say is “Look out for him in the future!”