Iskra's Biz Talk posts

The Uses and Miss-uses of Self Esteem: calling all coaches!

In an article called "The Flat Trumpet of Self Esteem" artist and thinker Robert Genn has raised some issues that I think apply to business and the Biznik community as well. I have been following the Biznik conversation about how to create a better rating system for articles, and I think this applies -- I think it may also be of special interest to those involved in coaching.

Here is the start, take a read, and see the whole article and the hornets nest it stirred up at http://clicks.robertgenn.com/trumpet-self-esteem.php:

"The Flat Trumpet of Self Esteem: "Back in the good old days, the Girl Guides used to get badges for accomplishments. Nowadays they're also getting badges for loving themselves. The self-esteem movement is an epidemic that's been sweeping parts of the Western World--claiming that even young girls need to feel good about themselves before they can do good things. I don't think so. I think you have to do good things to feel good.

It's particularly noticeable in the art game. In some quarters, we go to a lot of trouble to help others feel good. These days some of us are getting all sorts of praise for just trying. The Internet is full of it. Jack writes to Bill: "Right on, Bill--I love your fence posts." Even though Bill's fence posts are substandard, he still gets approval and encouragement. I guess it's more democratic. ...."

Exactly what IS a lettering artist/designer??

Hey, I joined Biznik a year ago but never introduced my self and my company, Iskra Design. Now my new website is up and the visual elevator speech will I hope make everything clear from A to Z. Check out http://www.iskradesign.com and see the spoken word made visible: an in depth look into the world of custom letterform design for advertising, calligraphic illustration, and a linked blog called Alphabet Roadtrip that should make you take a second look when you're traveling down the highway.

I Take back everythinig I said about Linked-In: I'm a convert!

Awhile ago I posted a slightly (?) dismissive piece about social media and LinkedIn in particular and asked for Real Live Testimonials for how it had worked for people. Following up on a few suggestions, I searched for interest groups on LinkedIn, formerly known as the Graveyard for Resumes, and started following discussions and posting on a few.

A designer read one of my posts, went to my website, and wrote me an absolutely lovely letter to connect with me through our mutual passion for letterforms. I told her my site would be completely new soon and did she want a notice of the launch date. So......the launch was this Wednesday. She was about the 30th person to know of it. And instantly I got a message saying what everyone who has ever published a website dreads most: YOUR POSITIONING STATEMENT IS MISS-SPELLED!!!! And then she apologized that she couldn't help it, she'd always been a proof reader.

How many friends and advisers had read and reread this copy a hundred times in different forms and missed it??? How many boxes of chocolate do I owe this dear Linked In angel? I am eternally grateful, and yes, I see this whole social networking thing in a whole new light. It's no longer a chilly cyber graveyard but a heavenly street where in your random strolls you can bump into the kindness of strangers:)

--Iskra (Oh yes, and if you want to look for more typos in my new website you may do so at http://www.iskradesign.com) (I hope I spelled that right)

Is Social Networking for business just koolaide?

I have a read many many suggestions for how to Improve Presence and Up the Traffic and multiply my brand in as many venues as possible. I'm taking it all on faith, following suggestions and testing it out. Aside from Biznik, which is clearly focused on connecting business to business and creating a virtual and face-to-face network, and which I have seen be effective, I have yet to hear a single story of how people have gained actual clients via Facebook or Linked In. And I would love to hear some! As somebody in some fairy tale said, "I want to believe!" I'm having fun, I like the feeling of swimming in some collective ether of optimism and connectivity, but as far as business, is there any Here here? Or are most participants assuming that it will be mostly intangible, and a long term investment, like when you do a mass mailing to 3,000 and five years later an art buyer calls and says, I found your mailer and I have a great job for you!

Harper's article "The Last Book Fair"

For the hundreds (thousands?) of book people in Biznik, I recommend this month's Harper's article on the Frankfurt book fair. It is creating quite a bit of buzz, much of it critical (http://beyondhall8.blogspot.com/), but I thought it was hysterical. It affirms for me the quirkiness and individuality at the top of the food chain in book publishing. The major houses may all be owned by multinational conglomerates, but it is still hard to keep those literary personalities down on the farm.