Betsy's comments

Zita, I love it when you talk plans and systems! So many times people think the sincerity is not there if the contact is planned, but I think it is exactly the opposite.

When you plan to stay in touch with someone it shows how important they are to you and that you don't want to leave it up to chance.

And it made me smile to look over this list of commenters and know I've received cards/blog comments/out-of-the-blue calls from several of them this year. You have a very considerate following, Zita!

I've seen the disaster scenario at play for solo entrepreneurs, and it is not pretty. Thanks for the very good advice - and important reminder - for all of us.

Excellent points, Debbie. I have Karen Rosenzweig as my personal chef, and it is much more reasonable than you would think. There are always healthy meals in my house, even when I'm too tired to think about what to eat.

Everyone has their something, and the ability to eat healthy with our crazy schedules was important to me (though I'm still cleaning my own bathrooms - what's up with that?!)

Great points, Nancy. I was just talking to Sheila Stewart of Empower Marketing earlier this week and she said your marketing efforts are 3-4 times more powerful now than before because so much of your competition may be cutting back due to economic concerns.

Learning more about social media is a great way to continue promoting your business, even on a tight budget.

Nice reminder about holding up standards for ourselves as well as those we allow into our lives.

Zita, I've been guilty in the past of wearing the basic business uniform, but this summer has shown me that people really notice what you wear and how it relates to your business.

A new client told me she wanted to work with me because she saw me wearing orange both times we met at a networking event and knew I "must be energetic and innovative to wear such a color." She wanted energy and innovation for her business. Isn't that interesting? No more boring black for me!

Judy, this is a great post. One question, though. Will there be live blogging at the after-party? Because that seems a little dangerous. ;-)

Great post on how to make the most of this event. I'm so sorry to be out of town and miss it, but I'll be checking your blog for updates.

As a recovering "over-sharer" I really appreciate this advice, Pamela. Clarification is often not needed and only confuses people (and sometimes me, too!)

Nina, what a great article! I am guilty of asking "what do you do?" instead of "tell me about yourself." That is so much more interesting and powerful. You're right - we are so much more than the jobs we do every day.

Thanks for the great tip!

Zita, it might be all that caffeine we are drinking at the coffee shops that make us go on and on and on about ourselves. :-)

Great points about respecting each other's talents and time. No one wants to have either one wasted or taken advantage of.

Jen, great point about the "transition time" between activities. This is definitely my weak spot. I've also discovered a tool called Rescue Time (www.rescuetime.com) that will track your computer usage and send you a weekly report. It's all there in black and white where you are spending your time. Yikes!

I used to work in Foxboro (and live in Milford) - I'll bet it is beautiful there right now! Thanks for your article.

Zita, every time I attend one of your events I learn something new. Thank you!

My 1:30 meeting got pushed back to 2:30, so I'll see you there!

Lisa, I've been the jokester and I've been stalked by the hard sellers - neither one worked out well! Thanks for the great reminder about good networking practices.

If you guys think this article was amazing, you should try spending a half-day with Kristen. Instead of the usual "feel good" coaching about being great at building your business, she gets down to brass tacks and talks about that taboo subject of money. Making money, lots of it, and having a plan for a great life of connection and contribution.

I just attended her workshop on Friday, and I think she is doing 3 more this summer. Don't just think about it - do it!

Nice article, Zita. I keep thinking of your "walking, talking billboard" phrase when I'm telling others about my business. I'm learning to be a little less wordy and a lot more memorable!

Welcome to Biznik! This is a great community of really smart people, and you will love the combination of online/live networking. I hope to meet you at a future Biznik event since we are both in the business of working with women.

Leif, I'm with you. There has been a lot of change in my business in the last 6 months, most of it generated by me, and I'm starting to see the payoff of all that hard work and change now. But I'm the sort that likes to shake things up, and I've already got a big new project slated for fall to keep me on my toes after the spring/summer stability sets in.

I guess I just like the ooze. :) Great to hear that you are responding well to the change in your business. Happy metamorphosis!

Hi, Melissa. Funny how the rules for having non-business conversations are exactly the same as personal conversations!

I find that more often my manner and a friendly smile is more effective than any words I say at the beginning of an interaction. Body language plays a huge part in a first impression.

Your writing style is just terrific - I can imagine us talking about this over coffee, which makes it more appealing to me than a standard business article. Thanks!

I'm all for simplicity. We got married in a simple courthouse ceremony in Maryland before heading to Paris for a wonderful honeymoon. My wedding cost about $50 and the honeymoon considerably more, but I wouldn't change a thing. Everything went exactly as planned, down to the hamburgers and champagne we enjoyed with a couple of friends before heading to the airport.

This is a great topic - fun to read everyone's stories!

You don't even have to be that great at telling stories, because just about any story is going to be more interesting than a list of your product or service's features. Trust me.

Great reminder - thanks, Chris.

Great event! I learned a lot about refining my pitch now that my business has evolved, and Cathy and Howard are a good team for presenting topics in an entertaining and memorable way. I hope they host future events together!

Well, I think it is safe to confess online that I have done a bit of private investigator work in my past. It was actually incredibly boring and before the Internet was so accessible (I'm sure it is much more exciting to do now!). I need to remember to tell that to John Hays next time I see him - he will get a kick out of that!

For revealing juicier secrets, I require a poorly lit bar, a captive audience, and a nice big cocktail (though I'm not sure I could top Rachel's odd job)

Nice to have you here, Levitea!

NYT article not live yet - I will let you know when it is. Thanks for your encouragement!