I've written about authenticity in the past, as I feel pretty strongly that it is correlated with personal success.  While that isn't today's thrust, I just want to assure you that this isn't about $140 pants, fashion, or the like.  This is about authenticity in blogging.

My eldest son is a computer geek.  He laughs at me on a regular basis, which I just LOVE! 

Yesterday, we happened, he and I, to have a conversation about blogging.  He's impressed that his aging mother even "gets" the topic, let alone DOES it, which I ALSO LOVE!  

I mentioned to him that the anonymity of blogging is much like the anonymity of acting.  On "stage"/on "line" we can either be desperately authentic or desperately fantastic, but we're safe behind our disguise.  I used the example of being able to convince, on a blog, the world that I am young, svelt, busty, and blue-eyed.  We chuckled about that for a second.  Then, he and I discovered, that in our separate blogging lives, we had each chosen to be desperately authentic; possibly a little more authentic than we allow ourselves to be in reality.  This, of course, is more than a little ironic, but is just one more thing to LOVE about life, about the safety and freedom of on-line blogging, and about my relationship with this son!

At 50, I'm more than middle aged, and more than grey (don't color, don't tint, don't highlight, although I have "henna.ed" in the past).  Don't do drugs, don't cheat on my husband, don't well.....lots of stuff).  I've earned the right to be me, and to be the kind of me I choose.  If you cut me in half, I'm pretty much the same color all the way through.  Know why?  Its simpler that way.  What, after all, at this point in my life, have I to fear.  Short of death, which cannot come to me DIRECTLY from Active Rain, I'm fairly safe here.  I is iwhat I is.  You can love me, hate me, shun me, or embrace me.  I will always feel the impact of your view, but my self respect is not tied to that impact - at least, usually.  Know what else?  When you're not afraid to be you, you run your business with confidence, pride, and ultimately, with success.

So, in addition to all the things Active Rain has done for me, I love the additional boost that my "safe" authenticity has provided.   When we meet one day, I hope you'll not only recognize me from my picture, but from my words.  Here's to that day!

Normal person,         plus anonymity,        plus audience        can equal crazy.  If you're not careful.

Active Rain is like a national cocktail party.  You can show up at any time, and something's going on.  Never know who might be in the room (although you can frequently count on the "regulah's").  And, like the actual cocktail party, at the virtual party, everyone has an agenda.  The nice thing is we can get to our point fairly quickly without going through 2 hours of small talk.  So...

"Hi, everyone, my name is Jaynee, and I'm from Washington DC".  How's everyone today?"  "Great!"

"I wanted to tell you about this woman, Debra Lynn Dadd, her work in chemical-free living, her free newsletter, and the two "green homes" she has for sale in Florida".  She and her husband renovated these homes using chemical-free materials, have installed a chlorine-free pool, and a sustainable kitchen garden."

"I'm thinking that Active Rainers in the Eco group, Florida groups, and  Realtors would cherish this information for their clients, and could help make just the right match of home to buyer".  "Wouldn't it be a terrible waste if these homes went to a "normal" buyer who might renovate them "normally", and undo all that work?"  "And, what a gift it would be for the green home buyer to find these properties, after looking at an endless string of new wall to wall carpeting, VOC-soaked walls, and pesticide-ridden basements?"

"Don't you agree this is the right place to spread the word?"

"I think I'll have another glass of sparkling water; may I get you anything at all?"

"Love your shoes!"

PREAMBLE:   A client gift is a client gift; not necessary, but these days in Real Estate, somewhat expected.  When we closed on our last house ($715k) we received a musical refrigerator magnet and breakfast at a diner.  It was lovely.

But as much as those of us in the industry want to give gifts, how well do we really know our clients?  How can we gauge what they'd really love (that is reasonable to afford)? 

Lately, even with family and friends I've been providing gifts of service or gifts that are consumable.  I see the same great applicability in Real Estate, and here's my idea.

SO HERE'S THE BIG THING: 

For each client that purchases from you, donate $50 (or more....a percentage of the sale?) to their local fire department.  In exchange, ask the chief to schedule a home visit to walk through with your new owners, discuss an escape plan, review the potential hazards of all homes, and the specific hazards of THIS, their new home.  

If there are children in the household, make sure they are part of the experience.  Go one step further with them to establish an off-site location to meet, should the worst occur.  Escape or rescue plans for pets can also be determined. 

Not many of us do this with our own families, even though we know we should.  Moreover, how amazing and awe-inspiring is it, to a child, to have the fire chief, in full garb, walk through your house with you?  Talking TO YOU!  Just the smell of their coat and equipment is impressive.  The experience is indelible, and could save their lives.

RESULT (THERE ARE NO MEDIUM THINGS AND NO SMALL THINGS IN THIS POST): 

A quick, no stress, easy gift for you to give.  It supports critical community services, means a great deal to the fine men and women who volunteer and risk their lives, and can save the homes and lives of your clients.  

Priceless.

Just my two cents, from the Queen of Cheap...

One simply needs two walk through one Circuit City, or Best Buy to understand how electronics-crazy we currently are.  Being a household with three children (ages 22-12), our family consumes our share.  But, not until going into staging did I realize the density of this consumption.  Silly Jaynee.

In and around the DC area, I have staged homes with TVs in kitchens, in formal living rooms, in every bedroom.  How about a TV in a 3-year-old's room, with a PlayStation and two remotes on a swivel base, so he can play it from his bed, or from the recliner across the room.  How about a TV inside a crib?  I kid you not.  Still haven't seen one in a bathroom, but I expect at least one of you will comment that you have. 

Many here on AR have discussed this disgusting phenomenon (not just culturally, but visually), and we all know that the GIANT TVS are the elephants in the rooms.  The units themselves are fairly utilitarian, but not ugly.  It's all the ding dong wires and peripherals that create the monster. 

Smart homeowners who are on the market will jettison some of their units; smarter homeowners will jettison all, or all but one.  Some, as we all sadly know, will jettison none. 

But, as time and technology march forward, these brain-numbing machines are at least getting prettier and more visually friendly.  The latest one, Sony's Organic Light Emitting Diode TV is introduced soon.  We must only wait until December.  Hmmmm, December.....interesting timing, don't you think?   This snappy little number looks as demure and sleek as a large digital picture frame.  Very sexy.

So here's a glimpse of the OLED  and here's a photo  -------> 

Of course, this model is simply another step in the continuum of consumer electronics.  What is next?  Tiny units that can literally fit in a coffee cup?  Yes, they're in the works.  Then there's my personal favorite:  the flat mount screen (one in every room) framed like artwork, that will become our interactive media center for speaking to one another, watching TV, or working electronically.  When not in use, they're beautiful pieces of 2-D art.

I can't wait.  <sigh>

I’m stuck in a corporate career....wait; let’s start again...I’m stuck in year EIGHT of needing to maintain a corporate paycheck.  Yes, that’s better; more to the point, really.  So I began squirreling away tiny tidbits of money for my emotional and creative rainy day, which by the way, began to occur....like SEVEN years ago. 

I’m a creative spirit in conservative skin.  When I’m in a tense or rigid environment, I yearn to break free.  When I’m in a relaxed, fluid environment, I seek boundaries.  What’s my point?  Well, as an emotional schizophrenic, I get stuck, as we all can.  But when a girl is emotionally and philosophically bi-polar, it helps to have someone else in the room; just to break the tie.  This costs money, but I suggest that wise and clever women know when they need help.

Synergy is the name of my game.  I’m pretty doggone creative, and amazingly (I’m told) resourceful; but, not always.  So when it came time for me to dip my toes in The World of Staging, I knew I needed guidance, support, new awareness, synergy (great word, that).

So when my tidbits reached $XX,XXX.00.  I turned to my brother in law, a successful business pioneer, for advice on starting my own “design” (it’s a VERB .... please understand my meaning) business.  I described to him my goal of starting part time, working with at least one partner, and.....

“No, Jaynee”, he says with confidence.  “Part time is a hobby; full time is a business”.  No part time.  Wait until you can go full time before you try anything at all. “And no partner”.  Partnership is for those who cannot do everything themselves.  You have everything you need to do this on your own.  “The business must be YOURS.  No partner”.

Uh.....well.....my dreams of beauty, my dreams of laughter, my dreams of service, all begin to evaporate (like the pink smoke in I Dream of Jeannie).  Nooooooooooooo, I cry!  Come baaaaaack, I cry.  (like Dory in Finding Nemo). 

So I ignore him (like Dorothy in The Wizard of....never mind).

So I start, part time, with other women.  Okay, I’m a sexist.  I’ve never staged with a man.  I’m PART TIME for Heaven’s sake, there has NOT BEEN THAT MUCH OPPORTUNITY.  But, this staging with women thing is KEWL!  There’s just something about a sisterhood, even when you’re sisters from different families.  That understanding!.....That connection!....That “sommos mas que dos”!

For a gender that’s as incredibly competitive (hair color, weight, dress size, carat size, house size, yadda yadda) as we babes are, we sure do bring it together in staging!

You see, alone -at the beginning- we all reinvent the wheel.  Then, as experience begins to prevail, we rely on a template; a formula.  If we’re not careful, that template becomes a pattern, and that pattern becomes predictable.  No good.  Not in staging.  New looks, new ideas, new creations, new perspectives...that’s the ticket.  Look around at the NAMES of our staging businesses.  Nothing stale there.

For men, in a product-related industry (my brother in law), I’m sure the advice was sound.  Full time? no question.   Sole proprietor? no question.  [Bad grammar in this post? no question, but I’m writing for DRAMATIC EFFECT, and am prepared to take the internet consequences 19 years from now, so hush].

For creativity, for freshness, for joy.....put a bunch of us “gals” together.  Stand back and be astounded at the success.  Watch our clients be thrilled!

Cheers! from DC...

   Jaynee

For me, there's always a tightrope to walk.  Unlike the professional tight rope walkers, I get better at this as I age.  I'm not sure there are many 50 year old "real walkers" out there, but I could be dead wrong. 

As a parent, I constantly wonder if I said too much or too little.  Did I speak too soon or too late?  Were my words too harsh, or too forgiving?  Did I offer enough or too much?  In business, did I bring enough expertise to the table, or should I have documented more?  Should I have made that extra visit; that extra trip, or is my client sick of seeing me?  As a consumer, do I buy ‘top of the line' hoping it will last, or mid-range with updating in mind?  Sometimes I simply make my decision based on choosing which side of the argument is most comfortable when I fall.

I used to stand on the edge of the platform, suffering, as most young folk do.  These days, I take a quick glance left and a quick glance right, and start dancing across.  I'm still on the tight rope, still prepared to fall, but at this point I grin with the confidence that I'll bounce, and any bruises I earn in the process will heal.  Nonetheless, when it comes to my clients, I still have moments of "suffering on the platform."

This is why I love staging with a partner or team.  The synergy of ideas is inspirational.  If the job is mine, I can reject the ideas and do it "my way", or integrate the new concepts into the room design.  If the job belongs to another, I can offer my two cents, and be fine if they're accepted or rejected.  This is the premise under which I work with others, and it's a winner, every time, because the final product is what the client was "sold".  

My favorite staging partner is my daughter, who at age 12 has a fabulous sense of color, space and balance.  But she's busy and isn't always available.

So synergy, quite frankly, is a luxury.  Most often staging solo is the only method that makes sense, and being alone, I sometimes get stuck for inspiration.  On those early jobs, the negative self talk would kick in and say... "You don't know what you're doing!".  "You don't have a solution here".  "There's no one to help you".  "Look!  The sky is falling".                                          

So I built myself a Happy Bag.

The Happy Bag started as my lunch/dinner bag.  It very quickly morphed into its state of "Happiness".  For $7, I bought an insulated beverage cooler (that holds a 6-pack).  I removed the plastic insert (recycled it), and filled it with things that can change my mood; things that make me happy. 

CONTENTS OF "THE HAPPY BAG":

The practical essentials:  my mini-first aid kit, Advil (aka The Stager's Friend), and anti-acids (lots of bending over....).

The uplifting elements:  a ginger-scented body lotion, a little bag of unusual cookies (even when I'm in a pseudo-South Beach week), my toothbrush and a fun-flavored paste, lip balm, and a little brush. 

The fun stuff:  a tiny slinky, a Superball (for VACANTS ONLY), gum, fake nose and glasses.

When I hit that bump of confusion on a job (which I refer to - professionally - as a "brain fart"), I open my Happy Bag.  So far, there's always been something in there to change my outlook; my moment.    It was startling to realize the impact of something as simple as brushing my hair.   Five minutes of Happy Therapy, and I'm back on the road to brilliance and creativity; for less than the price of hiring another stager.

So, these days, I take lunch in a brown paper bag.

Just my two cents, from

PREAMBLE:  My Mother

My mother was born in 1918, oldest daughter of a hard-working German family in Pennsylvania coal country.  Money was scarce for all, even though entire families, down to the youngest of the children, contributed to their family's survival.  Still, there was always time for school.

To whomever it was that taught the third grade in Sandy Township Elementary, you’re the best.  The things you taught those kids stands as the best today, eighty years later.  You were probably paid less than the guy who ran the gas station, but you were brilliant, and you’ve made a difference in my life, and in the life of my children, in 2007.  Thankyouverymuch.

My mother went to college and became a teacher.   That teacher, spoke perfect King’s English at home, and by fiat and example, required that her younger brother and sister, and later we children, mirror her example.  She was gentle and soft spoken, but she was exactingly clear about right and wrong, on all levels. 

BIG THING:  Good Grammar

In 1965, I was probably the only 8 year old who answered the phone:  “Finch Residence”.  If, by any chance the caller asked for me, which, LIKE NEVER happened, I’d reply:  “This is she”. 

How many other kids of the KC and the Sunshine Band generation said, “This is she” ?  Good grammar is in my veins, and as a child I was pushed around because of it....well, and probably some other terrible stuff I did or said.

Here, on AR, our words are our businesses, our reputation, our thoughts, our convictions, our personalities.  Would you choose to stand in front of a professional photographer without combing your hair?  Would you walk into a listing appointment wearing pajamas?  

An incredible point, a compelling perspective, the description of a new business tool, intimate reflections on a moving experience....all gain power when presented correctly.  All lose power when presented poorly.    

MEDIUM SIZED THING:  Spelling

My reputation as a business person, as a mother, as a volunteer, as a Stager, hinges upon the project I’ve just completed.  We’re only as good as our last gig, our last committee meeting, our last event, our last interview, and our last blog.  Right? 

After just a few months of being an AR Blogger and reading all I have time to read, often at every opportunity, I offer the following; humbly; as if my mother were in the room. 

Those posts that catch my eye are those that speak of logic, of poetry, of beauty, of business, and of rationality.  Those authors to whom I instantly connect are authors of grace, dignity, intellect; and articulation.  In many ways, my mother, gone mentally since 1991, and physically since 1998 IS still in the room.  If she had been reading over my shoulder, this is what she would say:

• their (possessive form of they)
• there (in that place)
• they’re (contraction of they are)
• accept (a verb, meaning to receive or to admit to a group)
• except (usually a preposition, meaning but or only)
• who’s (contraction of who is or who has)
• whose (possessive form of who)
• its (possessive form of it)
• it’s (contraction of it is or it has)
• your (possessive form of you)
• you’re (contraction of you are)
• affect (usually a verb, meaning to influence)
• effect (usually a noun, meaning result)
• than (used in comparison)
• to:  (modifier)
• too:  (adjective referencing an excess)
• then (refers to a time in the past)
• were (form of the verb to be)
• we’re (contraction of we are)
• where (related to location or place)

TWO TINY THINGS:  A lot of looseness.

“A lot” is not a term.   “A lot” is the degenerative vernacular of :

    - a lot, meaning a collection of items (as in an auction)

    - a lot, meaning a segment or area of land (as is a building lot)

    - a lot, meaning a set of circumstances (as is “your lot in life”)

Rather use  (when referring to quantity):  many, more than I care to imagine, tons, far too many, oodles, zillions.  When referring to frequency, try using:  often, frequently, commonly, many times.

Loose means

            ·  not restrained or confined or attached

            ·  not compact or dense in structure or arrangement; "loose gravel"

            ·  (of a ball in sport) not in the possession or control of any player; "a loose ball"

            ·  not tight; not closely constrained or constricted or constricting; "loose clothing";         

            ·  informal: not officially recognized or controlled; "an informal agreement

            ·  free: not literal; "a loose interpretation of what she had been told";  

            ·  unaffixed: not affixed; "the stamp came loose"

            ·  (of textures) full of small openings or gaps; "an open texture"; "a loose weave"

            ·  not fixed firmly or tightly; "the bolts became loose over time";

            ·  idle: lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; "idle talk"; "a loose tongue"

            ·  not carefully arranged in a package; "a box of loose nails"

Lose means:

            ·  fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense; "She lost her purse”

            ·  fail to win; "We lost the battle but we won the war"

            ·  suffer the loss of a person through death or removal; "She lost her husband in the war";

            ·  misplace: place (something) where one cannot find it again; "I misplaced my eyeglasses"

            ·  miss from one's possessions; lose sight of; "I've lost my glasses again!"

            ·  allow to go out of sight; "The detective lost the man he was shadowing "

            ·  fail to make money in a business; make a loss or fail to profit; "I lost thousands of dollars”

            ·  fail to get or obtain; "I lost the opportunity to travel"

            ·  miss: fail to perceive; "I missed that remark"; "She missed his point";

Conclusion:  My mother’s lesson to we three girls: 

You are deeply treasured by those who love you; but the world is vast and everyone is busy, struggling to accomplish their own goals.  If you are to make a difference, you must be outstanding.  Go forth, and be brilliant, and be YOU!  My mother, born during WWI, child of the Depression, a mother during WWII, had drive and hope.  

We now live in a time of peace (on our borders.....without military occupation; without curfew, without dictatorship), of affluence, and of choice.  Choose to be brilliant.  Choose to be outstanding. You will find personal success.  From there, you will find business success.....naturally.

Choose!

Just my two cents, from 

A Channel girl, I'm not.....trust me.  But I was a model in 7th grade, mostly because I was 5'9 and hadn't yet broken 100 pounds.  That experience taught me to stand up straight, but it didn't last more than a few years.  High school dances are tough on the posture of Amazons. 

PREAMBLE:  Be Yourself

  

TINY THING:  Stir the Soup
Mix trendy with classic.  Mix lasting quality with unbelievably cheap.  Mix yin with yang (but then, close the door and leave the room).  There's no math in this section, so you get full credit, and can skip to the next segment.  Don't forget to use your #2 pencil, and fill the circle completely with the correct or best answer.

 THE NEXT SECTION:  Result

You swish out of the house wearing your fabulous pants, your snazzy new top with an amazing silk scarf and bracelet, looking like a million.   

Here's the math on that:  How much is a million?  Correct.  You get an "A".
Just my two cents, from The Queen of Cheap

Ask anyone in the business where it is, and they’ll draw the line for you..  The problem:  the line is in the sand.  Tides are high, the wind is picking up, and everything shifts....all the time.  The line keeps moving. 

I’ve been criticized (not harshly), corrected (at length), and, uh.....squinted at (which is by far the most hurtful) for using The D Word:  DESIGN. 

UPDATE TO THE ORIGINAL POST:   To be clear, I have been cautioned (in training, in conversation, at group meetings, and finally on a professional conference call) not to use the word "design".  Rather, I'm advised, refer to it as "staging".  As you all know, I'm fairly obedient when sober, so that's what I tried to do.  But for me, like all the other potty mouths out there, the D word slips out when I'm not looking.

If you knew my family, you would not be surprised that my degree is in criminal justice.  Never changed my major, graduated with high marks.  Never worked a day in the field, but not by choice, by economy and job freezes.  Happily, that’s a good thing.  If you cut me in half, I don’t bleed red, but in “rich, velvety burgundy”.    When I make strawberry shortcake, and the tender biscuit is still warm in the bowl, I top it with “gently whipped cream”.  I paint pears and tangerines in metallic colors and scatter them on my Thanksgiving table.  It is a very good thing no one ever gave me a gun.

My point -- and I do have one -- is that my brain naturally thinks proportion, balance without symmetry, color, texture, shape, light, and emotion.  I can’t help it. 

I’m a stager.  I go in to every manner of home, and I don’t even have to flick the “on” switch to start doing my job.  The job starts to happen the second I see the driveway, and continues, often at lightening speed.  I cannot take notes or pictures fast enough.  My ideas...my work, feels like DESIGN.  It makes me happy, and my energy levels soar; I'm in The Zone.  I may be “STAGING”, but who said staging may not be artistic, dramatic, powerful?  What is the fear?  

Okay...if I paid tuition, sat my tushie in a classroom, and studied for four years to become degreed and/or certified, I'd be peeved if someone after three days of training, or $49.99 for an on-line certificate was claiming the same credentials.  [I know I'm on thin ice here, and have no interest or intent on offending.  I'm making a comparison between a weekend of work and four years of work.  Please hear this...thank you.]  I DO NOT CALL MYSELF AN INTERIOR DESIGNER, but am I not allowed to design?  Design is a VERB! 

Further, I understand that DESIGN is TO PLEASE the homeowner.  I AM designing for the homeowner; it just happens to be a homeowner that neither I nor the Realtor have yet met. 

So where’s your line between staging and designing? 

Just asking.....from DC!

   Jaynee

AND, BY THE WAY, P.S.:  Why aren't all the professional, experienced (and probably Unionized) stage hands at the Kennedy Center, the Met, or the Bolshoi, all screaming at us because we use THEIR verb? 

1.  Introduction

At a cocktail party, you hear about Active Rain from an associate.  You wonder about the stupid name, but decide to investigate; hey, looks cool. 

You receive an invitation from your friend, but you're a busy professional, so you ignore it.   

They send it again, so you join, and start working on your profile.  You have no idea how to upload photos, and aren't sure what to write, but you want to appear brilliant to the world.  You force yourself to slam out 17 pages of scintillating information beginning with early childhood experiences. 

Then you start to panic.

2.  Confusion

You question your masterpiece.  Does it help readers connect with you as a person?  Do you say too much about your amazing professional prowess?  Is your phrasing powerful, or cliché?  Will anyone understand what you're trying to say?  Okay.....maybe you should cut out the parts about your First Communion, Girl Scout cookie sales awards, Junior High Drama Club, your six bridal showers, the Birthing Center, your mother-in-law, and Fluffy's abdominal surgery.  There, that's better.  You believe this is coming together, but for the life of you, you cannot find that photo of you, your son, and the mayor....

3.  Overwhelm...ment?

Holy Cow, just WRITING your profile gave you 1,200 points.  You join...this group.... and this group..... and this group.  You think HIS writing is GREAT, and subscribe.  Wow, you think SHE's cool, and add her as an Associate.  Hmmmmm; what does this button do?  The screen doesn't change, so it must do nothing.  You push it 7 more times just in case; still nothing.  

Gee...you didn't know that about mortgages.  How did they get 221 comments on this blog?  Here are some posts about coastal real estate...and look at this chunk here..., and here.  Real Estate and religion.  Real estate and  children.  Estate and Zucchini Bread.  Real Estate and Crescent Wrenches.  OMG, you'll never get through all this information.

4.  Dipping your toes

Okay....this person makes a compelling point, but you disagree.  Time for your first comment.  You must be forceful and clear, but don't want to offend.  You try being sweet; doesn't work.  Okay....factual and to the point.  No personality needed; you're just stating an opinion.  Fine.....you post the comment. 

Didn't go through. 

Oh, you have to type that little blue word in the rectangle.  Then you might as well check the little tiny box.  Okay, not so bad, you can do this, and you got 25 points.  Whoo hoo!  Maybe now you have the courage to write your first POST!

5.  Inability to look away (lack.a.points.a.phobia)

You break 20,000 points.  To celebrate, you upgrade your keyboard to a fancy black ergonomic one.  

This should help you type faster.  

You're polishing up your 32nd post, which MIGHT be Tthe One".  Maybe it will help if all your friends log on and comment on your new post.  You quickly email each of them.  EIGHTEEN MESSAGES?  Man, it WORKED!  Okay, you have time to answer each individual comment before you leave.  Oh man!  Twenty seven more? 

Well Ding! Dong!, you've been FEATURED (spontaneous and awkward victory dance).  Now 44 comments?  Well, you can skip the Homeowners Association Meeting and answer them tonight.  After all aren't Vice Presidents supposed to be able to run meetings, too?  On the way home you scribble down an agenda, and drop it off at the VP's house, wishing her luck.

6.  Immersion

Only 1,600 more points before you become NUMBER ONE in the COUNTY.   You can TOTALLY do this TODAY.  Your phone rings.  It's your wife.  "Honey" don't forget to pick up the kids from school".      "Okay....what's that little one's name again"?   Blog blog blog blog blog.   Your phone rings.  It's your wife.  "Honey, you forgot to pick up the kids".  "Oh. Sorry.  What time it is?  "Midnight".

7.  Relaxed Competence

Now you understand how to manage this stuff.  Delete, Delete, Delete, Delete, Delete.  Comment, Uncheck the Box. Delete, Delete, Comment, Comment, Comment, Comment.  Check point totals.  Comment Comment Comment. 

Feng Shui; what's that?  Let me read an article or two....hmmmmm.  Okay, I can knock out one more blog before the 3pm sales meeting.  I'll call it "Feng Shui for Dummies".  Great....perfect....it's ready, BUT it is Tuesday and on Tuesday afternoons at this time typically only 1,100 people or so are logged on.  You choose to save it as  a draft until tomorrow night when your calculations indicate nearly three times that number will be out "in the Rain".  

8.  Veteran Nonchalance

After you don your smoking jacket, buff your nails and wax your moustaches, you clear your throat, and decide to post.  But first a spot of tea...

You log on. 

Your new password is FABU-MAN. 

You critically scan your electronic library of pre-written posts, with hyperlinks, embedded photography, and animation.   Shall you submit "Attracting Affluence"  "Burgeoning Business Blunders",  "Contracting Challenges", "Different Designations", Effortless Elegance"? 

Effortless Elegance!  That's the one.  Now you overlay the soundtrack you threw together yesterday... 

Cheers! from DC...

   Jaynee