Carnival of the Vanities needs your help

Carnival of the Vanities is the longest running blog carnival on the internet. In fact, the concept of
Carnival of the Vanities to have a different blogger host the best self selected posts each week, is the reason for the spectacular growth of internet carnivals on every topic.

Sadly, however, the grand old Carnival of the Vanities has fallen upon some hard times in recent months. A lack of hosts, concerns over post quality, spam entries of little value, and a failure of entrants to link back to the weekly host are only a few of the issues facing carnival caretakers Zeuswood and Stingflower. It's time to restore the Carnival of the Vanities to its former glory.

Not so many months ago, there was a backlog of hosts extending an entire year plus a waiting list. For the past few weeks, the carnival has had to scramble to find a last minute home. The carnival needs hosts, if we want it to continue providing a venue for our best posts, into the future. It's that simple.

Carnival of the Vanities needs hosts for upcoming editions. As a blogger, there is no one better qualified to host the Carnival of the Vanities than you!

Here is the e-mail address so you can become a host for a future edition:

Contact: host [at] firstcarnival [dot] com



When you send an entry to Carnival of the Vanities, or any of the many internet blog Carnivals, don't forget to link to the hosted edition. It's not only common courtesy, but helps to increase visitor traffic for all entrants. It also shows your appreciation of the hard work done by the host in preparing the post. Everyone shares in the benefits of the expanded Carnival readership. Show the Carnival some linky love. It will be repaid many times over.

When you submit your entry post to the carnival, be sure to read and follow the new entry participation guidelines. They are there to help keep the quality of posts at a high level. Read them, and put their spirit to work for everyone.

Contact carnival caretakers Zeuswood or Stingflower and become a host of Carnival of the Vanities. Let's put the prestige of hosting and participation back into the grand old carnival again. With your help, Carnival of the Vanities can once again be a major force in the blogosphere.

Volunteer to host Carnival of the Vanities today.

You'll be glad that you did.

Tags: Carnival of the Vanities, blogging, carnivals, promotions.

Nine Lives of Leadership by Lisa Haneberg - Book Review

Nine Lives of Leadership

Provocative Advice for Great Leaders

By: Lisa Haneberg; Jack Covert (foreword)

Published: Oct 10, 2005
ISBN: 0000000054
Format: eBook, 83pp
Publisher: 800CEORead



My good friend Lisa Haneberg (and also a provider of excellent advice to me) of Management Craft has written a powerful 83 page e-book, packed with useful and practical information called Nine Lives of Leadership Provocative Advice for Great Leaders. By working together with publisher Jack Covert (who authored the book's foreward) of 800-CEO-READ, Lisa has produced a handy and easy to download and read pdf format e-book.

Her premise was to interview and pick the brains of many of the leading experts in print today. In effect, Lisa gleaned the best ideas, from many of the well known authors of business books, on the market today. The collection is, in effect, many books in one. It's like a one stop idea shopping spot.

Her list of authors interviewed is impressive:

Jason Jennings
Laurence Haughton
Sally Hogshead
Gary Neilson
Peter Han
Tim Sanders
Luda Kopeikina
Eileen Shaprio
Keith Ferrazzi



The information is presented as expected from a leading business blogger like Lisa Haneberg (pictured left). It's informal, often funny, entertaining, and highly informative. I enjoyed the book immensely, and I recommend it for anyone seeking practical hands on advice from industry experts. One of the strengths of the book is the ability to read it in any order, as each interview can be read as desired and reviewed over again when required.

To be on the same management page as your competitors, you will need to read this book. You know that they are absorbing the wisdom from the interviewees too. You can stay a few steps ahead of your competition if you beat them to the ideas presented in the e-book.

For more information on purchasing the book, check out the publisher 800-CEO-READ for all the details.

Get some no nonsense business from well known business coach Lisa Haneberg, and from some of the leading business book authors publishing today.

Tags: None Lives of Leadership, Lisa Haneberg, Jack Covert, business books.

All your base are belong to us

All your base are belong to us.

That is the cult classic line from a very badly translated Japanese video game. The term has become an underground slang part of the English language. While I don't write much in the way of slang on my blog, I avoid profanity as a form of written expression. I prefer not to write in that way.

On the other hand, many bloggers rely heavily on slang and four letter words for shock value on their blogs. I have no problem with anyone writing any way that they choose. In fact, that's one of the most important features of blogging. You can write whatever you want in the way of topics and vocabulary selection. The blogger is the editor.



Because a blogger self edits each post, there is the possibility of inconsistent quality. Of course, having a bad editor wouldn't correct that shortcoming anyway. While a good editor can guide a writer to bring out more of the background and dig more deeply for information, a poor editor is of little help at all. The blogger is on at least equal ground with a writer working with an incompetent editor. I would prefer to be self edited instead.

As bloggers, we can write whatever we want, and build relationships based on that open and transparent message. There are no editors or gatekeepers demanding we remove words, sentences, paragraphs, or even entire postings. We have freedom of expression to use in any way that we choose.

And I always wanted to write "all your bases are belong to us". With a blog, I can post that sentence, with the famous bad grammar and all.

After all, blogging is all about freedom of choice and freedom of expression. You are always free to post whatever you choose as your topic and your writing style.

That is the power of blogging.

Tags: freedom of expression, blogging, posting, self editing.

Carnival of the Vanities 204 at Spooky Action

The 204^th edition of the longest running internet blog carnival, the well known Carnival of the Vanities appears at Mike DeWitt's business blog known as Spooky Action.

Carnival of the Vanities has a new home at Zeuswood and Stingflower's dedicated to all things carnival blog, appropriately titled First Carnival.

Carnival of the Vanities participants and hosts should take note that there are new submission guidelines in place for all future Carnivals.

Carnival of the Vanities is the original collection of blog postings, assembling some of the best and wide ranging bloggers on the internet.

This week's Carnival of the Vanities entries include politics, literature, science, humour, technology, business, and some spooky activities.



I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Vanities as well.

My post is titled "Brand Royalty by Matt Haig - Book Review" where I discuss how the impact of the top brand names on our daily lives is undeniable. For Matt Haig in his book Brand Royalty How The Worlds Top 100 Brands Thrive & Survive, the question is what makes the top one hundred brands so successful. In a series of fascinating case studies, author Matt Haig outlines what makes the most important brands so influential and so powerful in the global marketplace.

Carnival of the Vanities needs hosts for upcoming editions. As a blogger, there is no one better qualified to host the Carnival of the Vanities than you!

Here is the e-mail address so you can become a host:

Contact: host [at] firstcarnival [dot] com



To participate in the Carnival of the Vanities or any of the other blog carnivals, one of the easiest techniques is to use the all inclusive carnival entry form at The Conservative Cat.





Another participation option is to simply e-mail your entry to the new e-mail address:

cotvmail -at- gmail -dot- com

As I suggest elsewhere, hosting and contributing to the various internet blog carnivals is a great promotional idea for your blog.

When you send an entry to Carnival of the Vanities, or any of the many internet blog Carnivals, don't forget to link to the hosted edition. It's not only common courtesy, but helps to increase visitor traffic for all entrants. It also shows your appreciation of the hard work done by the host in preparing the post. Everyone shares in the benefits of the expanded Carnival readership. Show the Carnival some linky love.

Next week's edition of Carnival of the Vanities appears at Andrew Ian Dodge's eclectic political blog known as Dodgeblogium.

In the meantime, head on over to the Spooky Action: Carnival of the Vanities #204 - The Last Free-for-All hosting of Carnival of the Vanities and enjoy the posts on offer.

You will almost certainly be introduced to some great new and interesting blogs.

Tags: Carnival of the Vanities, blogging, carnivals, promotions.

E-mail marketing industry survey available for download

E-mail metrics are often difficult for many online marketers to track. Often the results of an e-mail newsletter marketing campaign are left to chance. The marketer sends out the e-mail, crosses some fingers and toes, and hopes for the best. With few industry guidelines and benchmarks as references, many marketers are left int the dark. Thanks to a new study by eROI E-Mail Marketing, that is about to change.



According to public relations professional Rachel Weikum of Weikum Communications, the results are very important to the internet marketing industry.

Rachel says:

Email marketing expert, eROI, surveyed over 300 B2B and B2C customers and here's some of what they found:

Highlights –

1. The Q2 06 email study, as did Q1 2006, show that weekends, across the board, provide the best opportunities for emarketers.

2. We saw in Q1 2006, that newsletters were sent out by marketers more than any other form of marketing collateral. This quarter we also find that 24% of those surveyed use false email addresses for consumer newsletters.

3. Other key findings include – the best time to send email (noon and evening), frequency and what causes folks to unsubscribe.

eRoi have been publishing a quarterly email report since 2004. These studies show interesting trends in terms of best day to send email (B2B & B2C), the best time to send, what causes people to opt-out of emails and other interesting statistical data.

I was noticing an interesting trend when reviewing the last two years of the study – in 2004 the best day to send was Thursday’s, in 2005 it was Friday’s, now for 2006 we are seeing the board, provide the best opportunities for emarketers. This goes to show that the "best" day is a moving target, validating our hypothesis that best days are a fluctuating and ever-changing element and that testing is vital. While this seems like common sense it does show that patterns exist on a macro and micro level and you need to identify those by performing, at minimum, a quarterly audit of the emails sent.

The entire report is available for download and it contains some not to be missed information and statistics. These benchmark numbers can be put to use in your own e-mail marketing campaigns. Of course, be certain to run tests against your own already existing in-house data, as results of e-mail marketing projects can vary significantly.

The importance of the eROI study is the establishment of some industry baselines. Your results could exceed their survey standards, or they could fall short.

As always, never stop testing and recording the results of your e-mail marketing campaign. Study those metrics and put them to use on your next successful sales venture.

In the meantime, download, study, and put to use the eROI e-mail marketing idustry survey.

Tags: eROI, e-mail marketing, Rachel Weikum, industry survey.

Carnival of the Capitalists at BarryBlog

This week sees a bookish approach to the travelling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists makes a visit to Barry J. Moltz's business and book blog known as BarryBlog.

This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists highlights some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today.

Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, market trading, internet commerce, marketing, the national and global economies, and technology.

As you would expect from BarryBlog there are many discussions of economics, marketing, entrepreneurship, and books.

It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere.

We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced many of us to some brand new ones.



I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Capitalists as well.

My post is titled "The John Deere Way by David Magee - Book review" where I discuss how you've probably heard the slogan, "Nothing runs like a Deere". For giant farm,industrial, and yard equipment manufacturer John Deere, it's more than a mere catchphrase. It's the way the company does business. In The John Deere Way Performance that Endures, author David Magee interviewed John Deere employees from CEOs and executives to assembly line workers and janitors. The resulting book is a testament to an unwavering committment to excellence.

If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to the new address:

cotcmail -at- gmail -dot- com

You can always use the handy entry form at Gongol.com where all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Talk about making it easy to be included!

Another brand new form for sending entries to all of the internet carnvivals is provided by The Conservative Cat. This is a great one stop entry drop, for all your blog post entries, for every blog carnival.

Note as well that Carnival of the Capitalists. has a new URL at http://thecotc.com/. Be sure to update your links and bookmarks.



If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.

Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.

The extra visitors sent to your blog won't hurt either!

The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. Each hosting, brings a fresh assortment of new readers, to the various blogs involved.

The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.

Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.

Many people are introduced to some tremendous blogs that they might otherwise have missed.

Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists will be at the entrepreneurship, branding, and business blog known as Strange Brand.

In the meantime, click that mouse over to the BarryBlog hosting of Carnival of the Capitalists.

If the great posted entries don't convince you to click, or the possibility of finding some brand new blogs to read doesn't do it, then Carnival of the Capitalists certainly will get some of reading done too. (groan)

Tags: carnivals, capitalism, business, marketing.

Conversations with experts: Sylva Leduc - Free teleseminar

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line

Are You Committed to Achieving Your Goals or Just Kinda' Interested?

Wednesday, August 16, 2006, 8:30 p.m. ET (no charge, registration required)

Guest Expert: Sylva Leduc, Leadership Coach, Window Syl

How often have you heard someone lament they aren't achieving the goals they set for themselves? People can have great ideas, yet lack the process, structure and commitment to achieve their goals. So they don't stick to their plan.

Syl Leduc calls it "pin-the-tail on the donkey goal setting," an ineffective hit-or-miss approach to success. Is this you? It may be that you convinced yourself you're committed to your goals when you're only kinda' interested in success.

Okay, so is there a better way? Absolutely! Join Denise and Patsi as they talk with Syl about getting the results you want, year after year.



Syl Leduc, MEd, MPEC (pictured left) is a Leadership Specialist and Business Coach. She's a self proclaimed "techno geek" who founded (now former president of) a software company, called Client Compass. Syl is committed to making every year the Best Year Yet for herself and her clients. At Desktop Goals you can attend a free online goal planning workshop (use the "secret" password). Visit her blog Window Syl and learn what name you should never, ever call her.

Register for this conversation with Sylva Leduc:

ConversationsWithExperts.com

If you missed any Conversations With Experts, you can become a monthly member of a private blog. As a member, you gain access to the entire Conversation With Experts audio series of guest experts, past and present.

Conversations with Experts is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.

Tags: teleseminars, Sylva Leduc, achieving goals, success.

Rivers of Revenue by Kristin Zhivago - Book review

Rivers of Revenue: What to Do When the Money Stops Flowing

Author: Kristin Zhivago

Published: August 2004
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
ISBN-10: 0974917915
ISBN-13: 978-0974917917
Publisher: Smokin' Donut Books




What do you do if your job disappears?

Where do you turn if your business fails?

You need a way out of the nightmare, and author Kristin Zhivago provides the roadmap. Her book Rivers of Revenue is a step by step plan to get the income flowing your way once again.

Bringing over 35 years of hands on experience in helping businesses reach their goals, Kristin Zhivago offers the reader the same advice that has worked so well for others. Written in a conversational style, like that of a patient and supportive friend, Rivers of Revenue reads more like a blog posting series than a business book.

The secret to getting your business, your career, and your life back on track is to stop trying to sell to people. Whether it’s ideas, your products and services, or yourself, no one wants to feel like they are getting a sales pitch. Instead, everyone wants you to support them and their buying process.

In turn, they will support you.



Kristin Zhivago (pictured left) suggests that life should be a pleasure, and not simply hard work and drudgery. By taking the time to find out what people really want, you can work with your clients and customers in a winning relationship for all concerned.

She teaches you to avoid time wasting wild goose chases, and how to find and develop concepts that help everyone to achieve their needs and goals. You will benefit right along with your customers, who will stay with you permanently, because of that caring approach.



For those climbing the corporate ladder of employment, Kristin shows you how to earn and keep the respect of your peers, and to gain the attention of those at the top rung of the corporation. Instead of office politics, your career will blossom from achieving the company’s goals.

Take away:

Kristin Zhivago teaches, in easy to understand step by step lessons, how to find what your customers want and need in the way of products, services, and customer support. By taking that time on their behalf, your customers will enjoy buying from you, as a person who supports them in their goals. As a result, the Rivers of Revenue will flow freely for everyone.

Rivers of Revenue by Kristin Zhivago is highly recommended for business owners, corporate managers, and sales and marketing professionals. Your success in business and life will be achieved, by helping others reach their goals too.

Read Rivers of Revenue: What to Do When the Money Stops Flowing and start those many and varied income streams flowing for you.

Tags: business books, Rivers of Revenue, Kristin Zhivago, book reviews.

Managing With Aloha by Rosa Say - Book review

Managing with Aloha

Bringing Hawaii's Universal Values to the Art of Business

By: Rosa Say

Published: Nov 19, 2004
ISBN: 0976019000
Format: Hardcover, 266pp
Publisher: Ho'ohana Publishing




The timeless wisdom of Hawaii, and its spirit of Aloha, are the values that author Rosa Say recommends for your business, in her landmark Managing with Aloha Bringing Hawaii's Universal Values to the Art of Business. Ageless themes of unconditional love for others, for giving of yourself, and sharing what you possess, are only a few of the eternal values expressed in the book.

Overall, Hawaiian resident Rosa Say outlines 19 traditional values from the islands, and how they can mean success, in the modern world of business. While the products and services may change over time, the interpersonal relationships between individuals remain the same. Caring for others, teaching them freely with your learned wisdom, and showing them respect as human beings are as ageless as the islands themselves.



In the spirit of full disclosure, author, consultant, and blogger, Rosa Say (pictured left) is a good friend of mine. As I have come to know Rosa well over the past couple of years, it is a fact that she lives every single one of the values expressed in her book. If ever an author, and the lessons outlined in the volume were inseparable, Rosa Say lives and breathes in the pages of her writing. Every word is written from the heart. As such, the concepts expressed in the book can be trusted as authentic. There is nothing artificial about anything in Managing with Aloha.

We have all met authors whose ideas expressed in their books touched us deeply in some way. An important thought can strike a chord within us and can even change our lives. We have also met authors who wrote about values, but showed none of them in their personal or public lives. Rosa Say lives aloha and all of the other values described so eloquently in the book. In her business and personal life, the ageless wisdom of the islands is her guide and touchstone. This powerful book can be a personal and business guide for each and every one of us.



Aloha means unconditional love. In another sense, it means treating others as you would like them to treat you. In business, a close interpersonal relationship, based on mutual respect and caring, has value in several ways. The well treated customer will remain with your business through good times and bad. They will recommend you and your company to everyone they know. Aloha and the values of Hawaii are simply good business.

Read Managing with Aloha Bringing Hawaii's Universal Values to the Art of Business, and let Rosa Say be your guide to the universal truths and wisdom of the ages. The values of Hawaii and its past, can be your roadmap to a successful and personally rewarding future.

Tags: Managing With Aloha, Rosa Say, values, Hawaiian wisdom.

Small is the New Big by Seth Godin - Book Review

Small Is the New Big

And Other (Little) Ideas That Change Everything

By: Seth Godin

Published: Aug 17, 2006
ISBN: 1591841267
Format: Hardcover, 288pp
Publisher: Penguin USA


Any new book by the well known marketing wizard Seth Godin is a business book publishing event. Small Is the New Big And Other (Little) Ideas That Change Everything, the latest work from Seth Godin (pictured below left), is certainly no exception. The book is a collection of the author's best short essays and blog posts, all packaged neatly in one volume.

As a book of collected essays, the short and snappy pieces can be read in any order, and in any amount. Like a generous thought provoking smorgasboard, the book sets out ideas in abundance. While not all of the ideas are for everyone, or for every business, there are enough gems of advice, marketing wisdom, and creative thinking that everyone is assured of finding real value. Indeed, the author recommends sampling his wares over an extended period of time, for proper idea digestion.



There are 193 essays, arranged alphabetically, for the easy reference later. With so many concepts, spread throughout the book, the table of contents is a lifesaver for the reader. Not all of the essays are about business either, but they all reflect the book's basic themes. In fact, some of the more thoughtful pieces are on popular culture, to impressions of various people, both in and out of the public spotlight. It's easy to spot the impact of blogging and its influence on Seth Godin's writing. That's a good thing, as the personality of the author shines through every short work.

The major theme of the book is how it's not an advantage any longer to be the biggest business on the block. Acting small helps in relationship building and in developing respect for the customers, staff, and anyone who comes into contact with the company.
An authentic message shared by your company, and its unique story are what will spread the word. The only thing that will move faster is exposure of any lies and misinformation. In the modern, wired global community, bad news about an organization travels the globe several times in nanoseconds. At the same time, it has never been easier to make a positive impression.

In the modern age, Seth Godin believes that mediocrity is certain to spell the demise of any company. The business must become remarkable, he says. Fortunately, that ability to stand above ones peers is at your fingertips. He also believes that everything a person does had effects. They are not side effects, but are important central events in a person's or business's life. As such, everything anyone does should be authentic and remarkable.

Small Is the New Big And Other (Little) Ideas That Change Everything by Seth Godin is a delightful and informative book on authenticity, and becoming remarkable. It's about how being small can make it big in the modern world. As a result, Seth Godin challenges your current worldview, and demands you reconsider the status quo. He is definitely very successful at shaking things up for the better.

Tags: Small is the New Big, Seth Godin, marketing ideas, business books.