Not sure if many of you remember my Chris Brogan Project from a couple of years ago. I was going to take his post on 100 blog topics and cover every one of them each week for a year just like that chick from Julie and Julia. I got this far www.chrisbroganproject.com. Yeah, I stopped somewhere after post 16. The good news is, business picked up and I had no time. Well, ok, that’s not a good excuse. The truth? I got bored. I feared failure. I procrastinated. Yes, all of that.

I guess my dedication of a blog to his topics post must have peaked some ideas for him (I asked him permission before I did it and he gracefully gave it.). I mean what crazy person dedicates a blog and the time it takes to create one to one post? He promptly started a program shortly after I launched mine where you could actually buy topics from him each week. I thought, “Good for him! He figured out how to make that into a money-maker and help people at the same time.” Then that program went away. Not sure why.

So this morning when I opened my iGoogle homepage (RIP soon), Chris posted about his new blog topics program riding again or something like that. Turns out he has restarted his Blog Topic Program (affiliate link) but added a whole new dimension to it by adding a Master Class (affiliate link). KAPOW!!! I had just been thinking about how my blogging practice had literally gone to the dogs and needed a resuscitation. So as I read the description, I knew what I had to do. I had to invest in myself and take this 16-week class. After all, I’m worth it. (Shaking my gorgeous mane. Remember that commercial?) You’re worth it. Without you there is no audience and without an audience, there is no reason to blog. I know this was just the help I was looking for. Leave it to Brogan.

Minutes after I signed up I received the first email. I read it and knew I did the right thing. Chris was asking my permission to post my name if I didn’t do my “homework” somewhere very public, his blog. I didn’t think twice and said yes. Threat of embarrassment has always been a motivating factor for me. I don’t like it one bit.

He also asked me to write down on paper exactly what I thought of myself and who I was. I wrote the following:

I posted it everywhere. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and now here.

As an entrepreneur, sometimes I think we need to feel accountable in order to stop procrastinating behavior. (At least I do.) My boss is me. I’m too easy on myself sometimes (shhh, don’t tell my designers, devs and writers!). I’m going to let Chris and company inspire me to kick my own aspirations into high gear and help me become a better blogger, a better author. I owe it to you, gentle reader. I have to remind myself I’m here to teach others what I know about owning a business, technology and web design, my passion. One of the best ways to do this is to blog. We get so busy with the day to day operations we don’t set aside enough time to share our knowledge via our blogs. I’m definitely ready to get serious and become the author I always knew I could be. Chris, I’m all yours.

I play tennis. I’m also captain of an ALTA mixed doubles team that plays twice a year. I’ve learned you have to do the work if you want to win. Same in my business. There are no shortcuts. You also need a thick skin.

This Summer I’ve realized my potential as a better player by putting in the hours it takes to learn new and better habits on the court. In tennis you have 5 lines which play each week, 1 being the best players down to line 5 who are still really great players, but usually have a smaller percentage of wins. I was a line 6 player when I first started playing a year and a half ago. Yes, I was terrible. So, I did something about it. I practiced. I played. I joined league tennis and other ALTA teams throughout the past year and a half. I even made myself play singles three seasons even though it scared the hell out of me. I did it anyway because I knew the challenge of playing singles, relying on no one else, would be the only way to get better. It worked. I got a LOT better and went to playoffs my last singles season. I also went to playoffs my last league mixed doubles season as well as won a bag tag for a winning doubles season about a year ago. I employed visualization and meditation techniques into my game and literally saw myself getting better each week. I believed in myself and my inner tennis ace responded.

Today I played Line 2 with my neighbor (a very accomplished A player) across the street and we won. We both made mistakes but we recovered, tightened up our mental game and kicked butt. Ask anyone who watched. I cried when he told me the match was over and we won. I didn’t even realize we were done, that’s how intense it was. We went to a tie-breaker in the 2nd set and won 7-6. I cried some more and let myself embrace that moment when all of my hard work came together. I think the other players thought I was nuts. Who cares. Every hour I spent on the court over the past year and a half had finally paid off and I proved I could handle Line 2. I’ve never been as proud of myself as a tennis player as I was in that moment. Awesome!

So here’s where the thick skin comes in. Tonight, a friend of a member of my team said to another the only reason I decided to put myself at Line 2 and play with my A-ranked neighbor was because I was sick of losing. I guess it had nothing to do with the fact that over the past almost two years I’ve put in approximately 538 hours of tennis practice, lessons and matches. Those lessons were a big investment not only in time but also in money. I guess she felt I would continue to lose no matter what and my only option was to find a shortcut by playing with someone who could bring home a big win. She’s been to practice twice this season. I haven’t missed one. I didn’t think earning 2 bag tags (equivalent of trophies in league tennis) in the past year and a half and making playoffs 4 times would count as losing. Interesting. I’m sorry to hear she didn’t feel I earned the right to play Line 2 because of my own skills and hard work while everyone else on the team encouraged me to go for it and believed in me. BTW, my neighbor asked me to join him at Line 2. He had no doubt I could do it.

My friend Chris Brogan writes, “If you don’t do the work, you can’t be surprised that you’re not getting the results.” This not only goes for tennis, it goes for your business. Every day entrepreneurs practice their sales, accounting, writing, people and marketing skills. If you’re not practicing and cultivating better habits, you’re business isn’t growing and getting better. If you’re not challenging yourself, you won’t grow. Do things that scare the hell out of you. Find your weakness and face it head on by doing research to find how others have overcome that same issue. Make yourself learn more by following smart people; people that are doing it better than you. Attending conferences and classes. Practice what you learn as much as possible. Visualize bigger opportunities. Read books and write. I promise, you will see improvement.

Most of all stop listening to people who believe you’re taking shortcuts. Their opinions are really about themselves and where they are in the world at that moment. They have nothing to do with you. I promise.

BTW, next week we play Line 1.

The first change is the way I consume food.  I’m changing the way I eat because I’ve gained over 30 lbs. in the past year and a half dealing with stress in my life in very unhealthy ways. Emotional eating can be toxic to the system both mentally and physically. I invite you to view this 5 minute video on my plan to change my life with no more gimmicks, lab food or diets. I’m talking real food, exercise I enjoy (tennis anyone?) and a new outlook on taking control over stress. Simple right? HAH! Learn about my own personal demon which starts with a Capital C!

This series will also feature some cool tools I’ve found to help me along the way which I’ll share in the coming weeks ahead. (Here’s one http://crazysexyjuice.com/)

So get ready, fasten your seat belts, lock your tray tables in the upright position and find the nearest exit to health and wellness near your seat and let’s fly to a new level of healthy, magical living!

In honor of my talk I shared with the parents at Woodward Academy in College Park, GA today I want to present you with a great PDF resource guide for parents of teens who use social media. Feel free to download Social Networking Sites, A Parent’s Guide from the Federal Trade Commission.

My talk was about about keeping teens safe online and preparing them for college. Social media can be quite effective when used responsibly. Here are a few talking points:

• Parents should monitor activity if at all possible and talk to their students about how they would use social media. If they aren’t ready, don’t push.
• Teens can use social media to share their accomplishments. Leave a footprint of awards, activities and milestones that will impress.
• College research is a great use of social media. It gives them the ability to talk to department heads, students and other people who have experience with the institution.
• Encourage family to get involved and friend your teens online. Always good to have another set of eyes out there.
• Parents should be role models to their students in their own usage of social media.
• Get family involved and have older members friend the student and have dialogue with them. They should also be watching the students activity and report back to parents if anything is amiss.
• Teenagers in a creative field can use YouTube, Flickr, Instagram and other image and video and sharing sites to share their work.
• If your teen isn’t responsible or shows bad judgement, communicate and talk it out. Don’t accuse, be open to their reasons and make a judgement call over access after the talk.
• Parents should make it a point to learn how to use all the social media platforms themselves so they can have educated and effective conversations about privacy settings for each tool and how to use social media effectively.

This was reposted from the Bella Web Design blog, my business blog.

Thanks to Walgreens for sponsoring my writing. Help Walgreens help others! Visit their Facebook page here to learn about their charitable partners and decide which cause Walgreens will donate to with a quick vote.

There are so many ways to give back to your community. Here are a few my family came up with around the dinner table and I hope you’ll share more in the comments section. Giving back doesn’t have to cost a lot of money and in this day and age, people are looking for ways to give back without spending a lot in the process. Just volunteering your time can go a long way.

• Plant flowers or a community vegetable garden.
• Donate clothing to a local shelter.
• Learn a new skill by building a Habitat for Humanity House (you can use the skills on other projects around your home when you’re done!)
• Knit, crochet, sew, etc. baby clothes for your local hospital for needy mothers
• Run in a 5K, 10K, 1/2 Marathon or any race where the proceeds go to a local charity. (Get fit in the process!)
• Use your computer skills to help local charities update their website, database, phone lists, etc.
• Read a story at a local school to the kids. They love hearing a new voice!
• Pick up litter around your neighborhood or on your main road.
• Volunteer to drive someone who needs a ride for treatments at a hospital or to church.
• Visit a senior center and talk to the residents. They love the company. If you know how to play a musical instrument, sing or dance, the entertainment can really lift their spirits.
• Become a Big Brother or Big Sister or a mentor to a child in need.
• Donate time helping kids with homework at a local after school program.
• Offer classes in your expertise to local chambers, rotary clubs, etc. Helping people learn something new is always valuable and a win-win for all involved.

Don’t forget to help Walgreens help others! Visit their Facebook page here to learn about their charitable partners and decide which cause Walgreens will donate to with a quick vote. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

The program’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ABFamilyTalk has materials available for download and offers a forum for visitors to ask questions and share ideas with other parents.

“At Anheuser-Busch, we’re parents, too, so our aim was to redevelop this valued resource to help parents address the topic of underage drinking prevention in new ways,” said Kathy Casso, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility for Anheuser-Busch. “Family Talk offers parents an expert’s perspective on how to begin the conversation and maintain an ongoing dialogue, whether your child is in preschool, heading to college, or anywhere in between.”

Anheuser-Busch is hosting a virtual roundtable on the Family Talk Facebook page at  3 p.m. CT on August 25.  The roundtable will feature Kathy Casso and MJ Corcoran, educator and certified parent coach.  Danielle Smith, from the popular parenting blog Extraordinary Mommy, will serve as moderator and host.  Viewers of the roundtable can participate in the conversation by submitting questions in real-time.

According to the 2009 GfK Roper Youth Report, 67 percent of youth, ages 13 to 17, cite their parents as the No. 1 influence on their decisions about whether they drink alcohol or not. Additionally, progress is being made to prevent underage drinking.  The 2010 Monitoring the Future Study reports record-low levels for past-month drinking among 10th and 12th graders. The 10thgrade past-month drinking rate has declined 32 percent since tracking began in 1991.  Past-month drinking among high school seniors has declined 40 percent since tracking began in 1975.

Family Talkhas been successfully used for more than 20 years and was originally developed by authorities on education, family counseling, child psychology, and alcohol treatment.  The newly renovated program introduces the idea of parenting stages relative to the issue of alcohol and underage drinking.

Anheuser-Busch is opposed to underage drinking and supports prevention by providing resources to parents, retailers and educators.  In the past three decades, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers have committed more than $875 million in national advertising campaigns and community-based programs to encourage responsible drinking and prevent underage drinking and drunk driving.

I will definitely be on the forum to learn how this company is going to use social media to connect to it’s audience in real time. I hope you’ll join us!