Category Archives: Writing/Blogging

Writing In Different Genres Succeeds (If You’re Made for It)

(NB: My posts on writing/blogging normally go live on Saturdays, but I’m publishing this a day early). Do you do "cross-over" writing (that’s how I like to think of it!)? In other words, do you write in multiple genres?

If yes, you likely know you’re one of very few. Most of the advice I’ve encountered from “experts” has tended to support specializing in a particular writing genre. According to them, doing otherwise would amount to spreading yourself too thin, to be effective.

Hmm, I would say, not necessarily. It depends on who is doing it!

For Some, Being Multipreneurial Brings Out The Best In Them (& Makes Them MORE Useful to Society)

Despite reading and hearing from people who know, for years (even when I was in paid employment), I’ve never been able to fall in line. I’ve never been able to endure sticking with one genre. Or “one” anything. I simply cannot help myself. It’s a compelling urge.

You see, I think I have a demon in me that won’t let me NOT put my entire wealth of unique abilities to use. I actually believe most human beings have similar multiple inborn abilities. But many choose to suppress them in favor of one or a few, to avoid freaking others out.

Who wants to be seen to have 8 arms (figuratively and literally speaking) when everyone else has only two? “Not me!” is what most easy going people would say or think :-)

If simply willing the unwanted arms into hiding was possible, they would do it. If not, they’d probably get rid of the six extra arms by surgical means!

For me however, I’ve been patient enough to discover that my multipreneurial tendencies – more often than not – help me make the world around me better.

We cannot all be the same. I do not want to be like – or better than – anyone. I just want to be the best of ME, and help others willing to do the same in the process!

Since arriving here in Benin Republic, I’ve continued relating with new/old clients, locally, as well as back home, and even abroad, in the different areas I offer products. And I’m getting referrals, and repeat projects from high profile clients. I’m living my dream – despite starting up through very humbling circumstances. You can too, if you do not limit yourself.

Two Writers Who Inspire Me With Their Ability to “Cross Over”

1. Wole Soyinka

Yesterday (28th August 2013), I read an announcement – on Facebook – for commencement of preparations for the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature.

The organizers have always made the awards open to writers from all genres, because Soyinka himself writes in all.

Not surprisingly, the level of interest from writers from various genres in Africa is far from small. Starting with 87 entries from 8 countries in 2005 (the first year), the biennial competition has seen 204 entries from 10 countries in the 2nd edition, 336 entries from 11 countries in the 3rd edition, and 402 entries from 26 African countries in the 4th edition.

Possibly in order to ensure balance in assessing writing from different genres, from this year on, each edition is focused on a particular genre.

For instance, the 2014 edition will consider Drama (for which Soyinka is most renowned). 2016 will be for Poetry and 2018 for Prose. In 2020, the competition will consider essays on Politics, Freedom, Human Rights and Human Conditions, Leadership etc.

As can be seen from the above list, Soyinka’s writing cut across all those genres. Yet he did well enough to be reckoned with internationally. No wonder he won the Nobel Prize for Literature!

Virtually all African writers from every genre can enter for the Soyinka award today (to have their works considered for a hefty $20,000 US dollar prize!), because he chose not to limit himself to writing in one genre. He simply followed his instincts, drawing inspiration from his environment.

I think all participating writers should thank him for doing that. The organizers should also thank him as well.

Why?

Because Soyinka’s versatility has made their award appealing to a wider audience of writers than they would normally have gotten, had they stuck to a single (or a few) genre(s): FACT.

2. Roy Stevenson

Professor Soyinka ability to effortlessly write across genres will always inspire me. But being a freelance writer, I can relate even better to Roy Stevenson’s achievements.

I’ve never met, or even spoken to him. Not even via email.

Yet I aspire to be like him. This is a guy who makes (at least in freelance writing) the world turn around on it’s head.

I first saw his name on a promotional page, which AWAI linked from an email offer (titled “Open Auditions for Travel Writers”) they sent out.

Read the introduction on his writer website. It clearly indicates just how versatile, and accomplished he is at writing stories for many different genres, and niche magazines.

It’s true that the copy on his website is designed to make him look good. But one cannot argue with facts either.

This guy gets a lot of his writing published (over 800 articles!) in more than TEN(10) very different genres! Examples include wine and beer, running and triathlon training, military history, film festivals, and even classic vehicles!

With respect to the title of THIS article you’re reading (right now), the last sentence in the second paragraph on Roy’s home page speaks volumes. It basically states that his achievements show freelance writers that they can get published in multiple genres and publications. Just like he does.

And his clients feel he does them a world of good (see link below).

Roy says he has “diverse interests and experiences” plus he “enjoys writing in many genres.” I just love how he put that. It so perfectly describes how I feel about my own multidisciplinary writing :-))

Qualities Required for Successful Multidisciplinary Writing

How do these guys do what they do? What makes it possible for Roy, in particular, to write – seemingly effortlessly – across a wide variety of genres, when others cannot…and some even say it’s not possible?

What makes him able to do so, often times better than those who focus on one or a few genres?

There are clues one can easily pick up from what those he serves say. I’ll use what editors said in their testimonials, and comments by Visitor’s Bureaus, to list a few that showed through:

1. He has a passion for diverse subjects. He comes up with great story ideas and builds them attractively.

2. He is disciplined, very thorough…and prolific (over 800 articles published speaks top level “productivity”!)

3. He knows how to get the information he needs – by research, interviews and site visits.

4. He knows how to present imageries via professional photography often handled by his wife (Linda Popovich) – who is herself well accomplished in Freelance Photography – to convey fuller meaning to readers.

5. He is very skilled at communicating, and following up.

6. He knows how to write without jargon, breaking down the information for non-technical readers’ comprehension.

7. He knows how to strike a delicate balance in his writing, to meet the needs of readers, and at the same time address the concerns of editors and visitor’s bureaus.

8. He’s also good at selling his ideas to editors and clients – making most of his pieces pre-sold. The result is that they often get top feature spots, and wide readership – to the delight of all!

No wonder he gets so many rave testimonials. Roy’s multidisciplinary writing is a blessing to many!

NB: Anyone who wants to achieve similar results to Roy’s a multipreneurial freelance writer, will find doing the above worthwhile.

SOME TRUE STORIES THAT PROVE THIS STRATEGY WORKS

I “enjoy” writing – daily – on six different categories on my multidisciplinary blog. In addition, I also greatly enjoy writing stories for clients on different subjects e.g. audiology, real estate, law/legal matters, medicine, hospitality and entertainment, interior design, water treatment and purification etc.

Working this way makes every project feel like a brand new adventure. Never boring :-)

But I’m not the only one who benefits. My clients equally reap useful multiple rewards from having me around.

I recently helped a new client convert his static html website (for his farm, which is located in South West, Nigeria) to a dynamic/database driven Joomla! version.

When I finished work on the website, he hired me to develop a custom Excel-VB software to manage the farm (His driver will be transporting me to the farm, in Nigeria today – 30th August 2013 – so I can conduct a preliminary farm "situation analysis". We return to Benin Republic tomorrow).

A few days ago, I pitched (via email) the idea of using many amazing true life stories he’d told me, as an article series e.g. for his online business promotion via the website and social media.

As you can see from the email below, he instantly bought into the idea – and even thanked me for proposing it!

==========I sent the email pitch (below) to him just before going to bed========

From: tayo at spontaneousdevelopment dot com
cc: tayo solagbade at gmail dot com
To: (Name removed for privacy)
[Email/PDF title removed for confidentiality)
27th Aug 2013 23:17

Hi Sir,

The attached is an example of an article series I believe we can use to

1. promote you farm online to attract interest from your target audience.

2. Start rapidly building name recognition and credibility for you as a farm business expert, who aspiring farm owners/prospective retirees would GLADLY pay to consult!

Like I told you, it’s web marketing strategies like this, that make people like the Nigerian based in Saudi Arabia pay N20,500 to buy my PDF handbook and software for feed formulation.

I believe we can create valuable information products in physical book form, DVD videos and audios as well as PDF based on your wealth of knowledge and information on your farm.

With proper use of writeups like the attached, made available on your website, people will gradually discover what you offer online.

Then as you continue the web marketing, you’ll build this new aspect of your farm business into a passive income generating arm.

I suggest you read thru the PDF draft to decide if you’d like to adopt this strategy of web marketing I propose.

My thinking is that it would be best to start it now, ahead of your formal disengagement, so that it will have begun working for you with the search engines.

What’s more, we could even work to have the first information product ready for SALE, by end October.

Just my thoughts,

Tayo

==========The client’s reply/acceptance (below) came first thing in the morning========

To: tayo solagbade at gmail dot com
From: (Name removed for privacy)
Your PDF write up
28th Aug 2013 06:58

Tayo,

This is a wonderful idea. I never thought you could succinctly capture my story this way.

After all, I am beginning to think its the best way to go because there still many untold story in try mind that could profit others and impact them positively.

We will keep it all the way. Thanks very much.

Looking forward to having a robust working relationship with you as we journey together forward at providing food and other products that would be pocket friendly.

Regards

(Name removed for privacy)

It goes without saying, that if I had stuck to my web design/excel software development services alone, this new opportunity would never have materialised.

If You Feel Like IT, Don’t Hold Back: Write On As Many Genres As You Find Necessary

IMPORTANT NOTE: I’ve never met Roy or Soyinka. Neither have I ever communicated with either of them. They are also not aware I’ve written this article featuring them , and I will NOT be telling them. I’ve used Soyinka as an example for obvious reasons (he’s a Nobel Laureate in Literature!); and Roy, because AWAI rate him very highly as a Top Instructor: which means he must be really successful as a freelance writer!

YOU (and I do mean YOU, reading this article at this very moment) CAN become another “Roy” or “Soyinka"…or better!

Something inside you could be telling you that, right now. Don’t ignore it.

Imagine if Roy had chosen only one or two, and turned away others who enquired after his services in their preferred genres? Imagine if Professor Soyinka had chosen to stick with just one genre?

Would the world have enjoyed as much benefit as it has today, from them?

I doubt it.

Indeed, as a multidisciplinary writer myself, I argue that those who follow this path can often use it to test and refine their writing in each genre. Over time they may find one that yields the best rewards.

In the process, they’ll also improve their proficiency in the other genres, often to a level comparable with that of those who specialize exclusively in them.

And the world would be a better place because they did so.

Click here to view larger image

Mutual Benefit Proposition for Sponsorship (Low Cost Microbrewery Drinks Production from Peels of Pineapple & Other Fruits)

[mpoverlay]By Tayo K. Solagbadewww.tayosolagbade.com | www.tksola.com | COTONOU, 22ND AUGUST 2013 @10:00a.m

Your organisation needs to market/sell your products, while building brand loyalty and long term repeat customers. What I propose below can positively influence your target customers, while also advancing your marketing objectives.

NB: See download link to a FULL PDF version of this paper (plus details of a Business Plan Presentation), at the bottom of this page.

What I Propose

That you sponsor formal Microbrewery production startup of a natural drinks range I created (fermented and non-fermented) using waste peels from Pineapples and other fruits, abundant in Benin Republic (and possibly Burkina Fasso).

Photo taken of a non-fermented vesion of my home-made Pineapple based drink

The prduction process I’ve developed, for creating different recipes/forms (e.g. concentrates, “dried tea” etc) is to be patented. Continue reading

If You Really Want Success, Lack of Money Won’t Stop You

Success in freelance writing – or indeed any other area of life – requires passion, backed by effort, commitment, diligence – and most importantly, relentless persistence. Except you want to cheat – your way to success (and some do!), the foregoing are a reality you must face.

But what if you lack money?

This article explains how the earlier mentioned qualities, combined with creative thinking, can still get you to your preferred destination.

When a Rich Person Says S/he’s Broke, It’s Rarely The Same Thing As What a Poor Person Means!

In other words, lack of money is often relative. It’s important that we always keep this in mind.

In the past I’ve had wealthy clients who paid hundreds of thousands for social pleasures like parties, holidays etc, right before my eyes.

And at the same moment they told me my fees, which were a fraction of those expenses I saw them make, were too high – offering to pay half or even less. When I suggested we wait till they had enough money to pay the fees I could accept, they insisted I start work, and that they would pay later.

The few times I ever accepted to do that taught me never to do so again. Getting them to pay up the difference was almost like trying to get the proverbial Camel to pass through the eye of a needle!

But in every single case, I did get my money.

Afterwards however, for such individuals, I simply adopted a 100% advance payment option – with 5 to 10% discount, if s/he accepted. Since they knew I was competent, those who truly needed it paid up.

In essence, I’m saying that we may not all mean the same things when we say we have no money!

So, What Do YOU Mean When You Say You Have No Money?

This is a function of how important your dream is to you.

Do a little hard thinking to see if there are areas you currently spend money that you can put on hold for now, to channel money from there to your goal.

I have done that many, many, many times – and at different levels.

For me, when it comes to pursuing my goals, I can be merciless with myself. I’m always prepared to get as along with as little as possible until my purpose is achieved. This mental attitude enables me get results when most other people would have thrown their arms up in frustration.

Believe it or not, I once went 48 hours without eating any food (drinking only water) – just to have enough money to continue working at a café, over a weekend. A client payment had failed to come in, and funds I was expecting had not arrived. I could have rightfully chosen to suspend my work online, but I felt too strongly about my work to do so!

That’s what it means to have heart i.e. so much love and passion for what you do, that you’ll endure any hardship to keep going!

Some Have Asked Me: Tayo “How do you do it?”….”What keeps you going?”

But even as I explain, I often see from the looks in their eyes, that most people would rarely accept to “punish” themselves (that’s how they see it) that way.

They however do point out0that I obviously get great fulfillment and joy from doing what I do. This could explain (at least in part) periodic observations by long term acquaintances, that I seem not to be aging :-)

Click to view on Facebook

Interesting, for a guy who "flogs" himself so mercilessly…to NOT look stressed, worn out or over worked?!

My experiences tell me the answer is in discovering your purpose i.e. what matters to you more than money. Then going after it!

That equates to adopting a “minimalist” existence, where/when necessary, in order to achieve what’s important to you.

I understand some call it being “Zen”.

Whatever name we give it, the reality is that all over the world, the global economic crisis is TEACHING more of us that it’s the wise way to live.

Those brought up in developed societies with the “Get it now and pay later!” mentality, are now adopting more prudent lifestyles. Couples are opting to share one vehicle to cut down on gas. More nature friendly ways of living are being adopted to save on power bills.

People are (wisely) giving up owning stuff, and sticking with the most essential… :-)))

Even more interestingly, many are relocating to Asia, and even Africa, to live – and work – more conservatively.

So, when you say you lack money to pursue your goals, have you considered making similar changes in your life?

This is about coming up with practical ideas about living smarter; to better pursue your goals.

But What If After Checking, You Find You Still Have No (or Not Enough) Money?

If that happens, first get this thought imprinted in your mind…now: YOU alone determine what stops you!

“Lack of money” has happened to some of the greatest people ever to walk the earth.

You’ve most likely heard or read their stories (If you haven’t, start with Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich”).

How did those great people overcome that potentially crippling obstacle?

The quote below, from Jim Rohn, offers an answer:

“Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.” – Jim Rohn

In other words, they each settled on a goal they were passionate about achieving: People with "empty hearts" would not have been able to do that!

Those great people then did plenty of real world relevant “thinking” about how to get money (and ultimately “grow rich”) by solving other people’s problems: People with "empty heads" would not even make the effort!

NOTE THIS: They often did not get results overnight. Instead, when success delayed, they persisted – with unflinching faith.

Many authentically successful people have confirmed the above process is what it (i.e. achieving success when you lack money) all boils down to.

If you think adopting it would a waste of your time, then authentic success might just elude you – because you’ll most likely succumb to cutting corners, when success delays in coming.

Error-Free People Rarely Achieve Authentic Success

Success tends not to go to the person who is error-free, because he also tends to be risk averse. Rather, it goes to the person who recognizes that life is pretty much a percentage business. It isn’t making mistakes that’s critical; it’s correcting them and getting on with the principal tasks.” – Donald Rumsfeld

I meet them every now and then. People who take pride in saying nothing ever goes wrong with their plans. They always get it right. You never find them looking vulnerable. They are always cool, calm and collected – ever so sure of the outcome of whatever they are engaged in doing.

People who act as described above often want to be seen as – and some claim to be – perfect.

In Reality Being Without Fault – or Being Perfect – Would Be Too Boring to Bear on Earth!

In my opinion, a person whose activities have such predictable outcomes (i.e. who always gets everything right and never makes mistakes) will eventually bore not just others, but him/herself as well.

But the truth is that no human can really be perfect.

I’ve written elsewhere that once a person can achieve real perfection in life, s/he no longer belongs here on earth. It would be time for him/her to move over to heaven…or anywhere perfect beings live.

Not everyone is a soccer lover. But most people who are conscious adults living on earth today will have heard of Lionel Messi. He’s the small man who makes big things happen for Barcelona FC in Spain.

Back in April this year (2013) his team got beaten by a massive 0 – 4 margin. I refused to believe Messi was on the pitch that day. And not just him. That team has some of the world’s best players on it.

That they got beaten that badly was baffling. But guess what? Messi himself admitted that his fitness was not the cause of the club’s 0-4 loss to Bayern Munich.

It is this demonstrated ability to admit he can make errors that’s helped him become a great achiever.

Acknowledging Our Faults Creates Opportunities for Self-Renewal & Growth

We can all learn from that. Messi knew – from his champion mentality – that the loss, though bad, would not end the world…or his career.

Indeed, we students of success know that such big time failures often serve as inspiration for us to move to the next level of achievement.

As a Writer, Aim for Perfection, but Understand That You Cannot Achieve It

“Perfectionists rarely get anything done, because they often want to get everything right.” – Tayo K. Solagbade

A person can achieve exceptionally high levels of competence in the process of aiming for perfection. In writing (like any other field) therefore, one must set a goal that challenges him/her to pursue perfection.

You will continually identify areas where you fall short, then make needed adjustments, and try again.  

Sometimes You May Have to Review Your Set Goal

If after repeatedly making needed adjustments, you still struggle to achieve your goal, you may need to re-visit the goal you set for yourself.

Ask yourself some serious questions…like the following…

How did you settle on your chosen writing goal?

Let’s say you’ve set a goal to write 2 blog posts per day:

a. Did you consider how many words each post would be for example?

b. Was the time needed to research each topic for useful information/ideas factored in?

c. What about the time to be spent editing and proof reading?

d. How many days in week would you be able to write at that rate?

And so on…

When you give honest answers to the above questions, does the goal you set still look realistic for YOU, at YOUR current level of competence?

Hint: If yes, keep persisting, and you’ll eventually breakthrough. If “NO”, sit down and re-do your goal setting, this time based on the insights gained from the above question and answer session.

Final Words: Perfectionists Rarely Finish Writing (On Time)

Whatever you do, never delude yourself into believing you must make your writing “perfect” – because pursuit of perfection is a never ending journey for use here on earth.

What you will find is that by chasing perfection, your work will eventually get so good that others will hail your accomplishment as a writer.

But in order for them to see it, you’ll have to know when you’ve done enough to let it go out and be READ as your published work, by others.

Sadly, perfectionists rarely get to that point when they can let go.

Rather, they tell themselves it can still be made better, and keep trying to do so, without considering other factors e.g. total number to be written, and delivery deadline.

In the process they end up never finishing – at least not on time. That bad habit eventually leads to disappointed clients – and fewer referrals or opportunities for new business.

Don’t let that be your story!

Your Writing Competence Matters Greatly

Be less concerned about how many “years of service” you’ve given, and more about how much you’ve improved over that period – Tayo K. Solagbade

Your competence as a writer will often determine how well you do in any field you choose to write  in.

We don’t often realise this, but it is quite possible for a person to have the so called “years of experience” and still not be competent.

In other words, a writer may have been “around”, writing for a while, and yet not write well enough to consistently get the rewards s/he seeks e.g. responses of potential buyers (i.e. sales leads) to sales copy on his website;  positive comments on his/herblog posts etc.

How Well Do You Write?

Is your command of your chosen language good enough?
Also, how fast – and accurately – do you write…or (better still) type?

What amount of editing and proof reading do your write-ups usually need, before you consider them good enough to publish?

How well you write, against the background of your target audience’s preferences, will ultimately determine how well you perform.

This is not a call for anyone to be perfect. I certainly can not make any claims to perfection.

You need not be a genius in English language for instance, before you can write something that readers interested in your subject appreciate.

Therefore when I ask how well you write, what I refer to is your ability to put together an easy to understand body of useful information within a reasonable period of time.

Question: Do you doubt that you can meet the standards required by your target audience?

There are people who experience this fear as a psychological obstacle. If you harbour such a fear, understand that writing – just like any other aspect of life – is a learning process.

If you’re not a native English speaker, and have to write in English, know that you are not alone. Tthere are many like you (e.g. this writer), who are also not native English speakers!

What you need to do is LEARN all you can to improve your writing. Then summon courage to put what you learn to use.

You will need to do this repeatedly, and consistently.

The more you write with a passionate focus on improving yourself, the better you’re likely to become over time.

Get Help If You Struggle Too Much…or For Too Long

You’re interested in results, not staying in school or “learning mode” endlessly. Therefore if it feels like you’re taking too long, you may need help.

Most of the writing ideas I offer on this website are meant primarily for website and business owners who desire to use writing for business promotion.

I realise that such persons may not always have free time to do as much writing as they may need – even though they may wish to apply what I’ve written here. This is because other aspects of running their businesses will periodically demand their serious attention and time.

If the foregoing describes you, consider getting support to keep your writing going, if/when inevitable “interruptions” occur.

For instance, if it takes you much effort or time to write, edit and proof read, get help from someone who shares your vision, and has reliable competence. S/he could do the editing and proof reading for instance.

If you need more elaborate and/or committed support, hire an assistant that you can count on.

Alternatively, invest in the services of a Contract Resource Person to ghost-write articles/reports, on your preferred theme/topics. If you’d like me to help click here to let me know.

Breakthrough to Purpose – Andy Brine Interviews Efe Ohwofasa (Verbatim Text Transcript Created by Tayo K. Solagbade)

Preamble: Why I Manually Transcribe Video and Audio Presentations (Especially Interviews) – By Tayo K. Solagbade

The thumbnail image below links to a verbatim PDF text transcript of a 23 minute long video interview conducted by Andy Brine (of Become Authentic on Video) with Efe Ohwofasa (Nigerian born, UK based business coach)

This is not the first time I’ll be doing a verbatim audio to text transcription of this kind. In the past, I’ve created similar resources from interviews and presentations with other experts and professionals.

Two examples are Burt Dubin (who I represent as Sole Agent on the African continent, for his speaker mentoring products and services), and Patrick Meninga (the gentleman who achieved fame as a blogger by building a $2,000 a month adsense website while working full time, and then selling it for $200,000).

efe-andy-thb

“But why do I do it?” many people are likely to wonder?

Is it to get publicity, or to get those I feature to notice me and give me jobs? What is my real motive?

1. My main reason is that I want to help people discover proven techniques and strategies they can use to IMPROVE themselves in whatever area of endeavour they are engaged.

That’s why I call myself a Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist & Multipreneur.

I have a passion that has endured for over 20 years (right from my days as a student in the University, through my time as a high flying employee in Guinness Nigeria), to help serious minded and results focused individuals develop and implement practical strategies to do what they do better.

Due to my versatility, and quick learning ability, I have over the years proven myself to be a valuable addition to the arsenal of any group or organisation.

So many people find me to be a useful resource because my active search for practical information about what works enables me add value to them. Anywhere I go, whatever I see or read, my natural instinct is always to find ways to share it with others to help them improve their performance.

I’m the kind of person who cannot help HELPING others. I am naturally driven to be a catalyst. No matter who I interact with, I create the impression of increase. People generally find that they are better off when they leave, than they were when they met me.

Most of my clients often get much more measurable value from interacting with me, than they pay for.

I work this way not because I want to be Pope, or because I’m a priest, but because I LOVE to see people make the best use of their God-given abilities to achieve their fullest potential – NO MATTER what challenges they have to confront and overcome in life.

And that is why I pick on videos and presentations of authentic achievers, whose messages convince me they are who they say they are.

Due to the challenges of poor connectivity in my part of the world, I realise many who desire to benefit from the wonderful video and audio presentations available online may not get ready access to them – except via text transcripts like those I create.

This is why I create my verbatim transcripts and offer them free.

2. Another reason I make these transcripts is to contribute to the work done by those who create these FREE presentations.

Their willingness to share their knowledge and insights at no charge to the target audience, as a way of gaining name recognition and credibility deserves to be encouraged.

Doing so gives people who seek help, an opportunity to make more intelligent hiring or buying decisions. Their competitors or rivals, who do not offer such presentations naturally get challenged. They must show what they are made of in a similar way, if they wish to be taken seriously by the target audience.

Ultimately, a healthy atmosphere is created for “buyers” of their products and services to make safer and more rewarding purchases. By creating these verbatim transcripts I believe I contribute my own quota to the above, and I like that.

Of course, it goes without saying that all the parties involved also get to know me. And that will certainly help ME as well. But even if it did not, I would still do it.

3. A third reason is to demonstrate to the featured (and other) experts, an EXAMPLE of practical ways they can re-package and re-present the same material to achieve wider reach and impact.

In providing Web Marketing/Performance Enhancement services to clients, this is a habit I encourage them to develop. That is, to explore as many intelligent and cost-effective ways as possible, to present themselves to the target audience.

4. Lastly, I do it to distil useful learning summaries &/or develop Actions Plans for target audiences to adopt.

I am not unaware of the availability of software used for transcriptions. However, you see I also LOVE to learn – and to help others learn better. That’s why I extract or “distilled” lessons from each interview.

Forcing myself to do the manual transcriptions enables me listen REPEATEDLY to the material, until I internalise most of it. Then over a few days I let it “cook” within me, and soon enough, the “lessons” to be had from it become apparent.

I then write and publish it as a blog post – linking to the verbatim transcript. That’s what I have done with other transcriptions. And that’s what I will do with THIS one.

I have found that this method dramatically boosts comprehension rates of people. Not everyone can readily extract a useful summary of learnings, and develop action points by watching a video, or listening to an audio recording.

Final Words

It is my hope that you will find this PDF transcript useful, in reaping more wisdom from the powerful message shared by Efe.

If it helps you, I urge you to please SHARE it with others you know can benefit as well. I thank you in advance!

You Cannot Teach Experience

“We can teach from our experience, but we cannot teach experience” – Sasha Azevedo

As a writer, there will be times when your knowledge alone will not be adequate.

In other words, if you’re honest with yourself, you will sometimes not have enough personal experience based insight, to do a good job writing on a subject or theme – even if it’s your specialty.

Personal experience will always be a viable source of unique writing “material” which a writer can weave into his/her prose.

Certain subjects simply cannot be understood by reading or hearing alone. They need to be experienced.

As a result they can be quite difficult to write about, if you do not have any personal experience (at least by way of observation of live events) to draw upon.

Examples of such subjects include “living in poverty” or say getting into “flow” or “the zone”.

Personal experience gives you greater insight, and equips you to do a better job of writing.

The following true story provides a good example :

A news reporter seeking an interview with the vice president of a Toastmasters’ chapter, agreed to attend the latter’s Saturday club meeting as a condition for getting the interview.

During the event, he was however surprised to be unexpectedly asked to address members on a topic chosen only moments earlier.

Later, during the interview, he asked his host about the incident. The vice president explained that the purpose was to make the reporter experience how members were trained to think on their feet by delivering spontaneous speeches.

The expectation was that he would gain better understanding to guide his writing. As the reporter himself admitted in the published interview, it worked!

Your lack of experience can make you keep drawing blanks – what some would (wrongly) refer to as being due to writer’s block.

What You Can Do?

Either get someone who has relevant experience to supply the insights you need (making sure to give due credit to him/her), or go out and get the experience yourself. It’s the most practical way to solve this problem. And what you get by doing it (i.e. the experience-based insight) remains yours permanently.

Passion Will Not Save You, If You Lack Mastery!

“Reading without thinking gives a disorderly mind, and thinking without reading makes one unbalanced” – Confucius

All the obsession and exercise in the world will not make you write better if you do not know enough about your chosen topic or subject.

It may appear like I’m stating the obvious, but I’ve read some blog posts and articles that make a mockery of writing on certain topics. Honestly!

This is why Google’s efforts to clean up the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) people get served with when they do online searches can be appreciated.

The bar has been raised, especially if you’re writing online for marketing exposure.

You therefore need to produce good quality content. And that requires knowing your subject well.

If there is something you’re good at, writing about it tends to be easy. You may however need to do some additional research to add more depth and variety. Quite often, the effort you make to investigate your topic to give readers value for their time will pay off via positive feedback and other ways.

One Question: Is it possible you’re trying to write on topics you do not know enough about?

If yes, I suggest you either switch to writing on topics you are more comfortable with, or devote some quality time to research the unfamiliar topic(s).

Then you can study until you feel better prepared to write.

If you do this right, you’ll easily write volumes on virtually any subject you choose.

I once wrote sixteen “750 word” web marketing articles on “hearing and speech improvement”, for an audiologist client within 5 working days by doing the above.

The Internet makes writing related research quite easy and convenient. And it often offers more up to date material as well. So, with access to the web, a “lack of adequate knowledge” should not be a difficult limitation for you to overcome – if you set your mind to it.

“The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read or write. They will be those who cannot learn, un-learn and re-learn” – Alan Toffer

 

Use Smart Time Management to Write More Successfully (3 Tips)

“Every morning in Africa, an antelope wakes up and starts running as fast as it can, so that the fastest lion does not catch up with it and eat it. At the same time a lion also wakes up and starts running as fast as it can so that it can catch and eat the slowest antelope.” – African Parable

Wild animals can be so diligent in making use of the time available to them each day. Their survival requires them to be that way. If they can do it, why can’t we…or indeed you – especially when your writing success is at stake?

How do you spend your 24 hours? How much of that time do you spend honing your writing skills every day you live through? How committed are you to the process of improving yourself? Does it show in your use of time? These are questions you need to answer honestly!

1. Adopt a Writing Schedule – It WILL Make You More Productive

Some people can write based on strict schedules. Others cannot. Less than a year ago, I used to think I could not write based on a schedule. But since November 2013, I’ve successfully published – on my new SD Nuggets blog, one post daily – on six different categories – in line with a writing schedule.

This is to ensure at least one new blog post is added to each of the six categories every week i.e. Public Speaking [Mondays], Entrepreneurship [Tuesdays], Self-Development [Wednesdays], Career Development [Thursdays], Parenting [Fridays], and Writing/Blogging [Saturdays])

Adopting the schedule has turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made about how to update my blog. And judging from the repeat visits I’m getting, it appears my readers feel the quality is not bad. Committing to a writing schedule in which a topic theme or category is pre-defined can cut the time and effort needed to do the work in half – literally. You’re forced to develop ruthless focus to get the post out before the day ends. Great stuff!

I’ve written on so many different subjects for different client industries. Based on hindsight, I now realize that working for those clients was similar to writing according to a defined schedule. No wonder I always felt more productive when working on a client project.

2. Capture Your Writing Ideas As Soon As They Arrive – Or You May Lose Valuable Ones

Before I started using the schedule, my own writing tended to be done in fits and starts. But for clients, I was often really focused on churning out the new set of articles for their web marketing to meet the agreed project deadlines.

I began using my daily writing schedule on 1st November 2013. Today I can easily turn out a ready-to-publish piece in under an hour if I set my mind to it. Note however, that most times the thinking up of content may sometimes happen as I go about my daily activities. And that’s where the use of time comes in. The truth is you may not always find the right time to write. So, I suggest you learn to make it happen on the move if possible.

Sometimes I stop driving to make an entry into my Blackberry memo pad, when another useful point for one of my posts-in-progress pops into my head. I STOP and record it so I don’t forget it, as can happen when one chooses to burden the brain with storing it.

Above: Screen shot from my Blackberry memo pad interface, showing titles of some posts-in-progress I’m working on for my SD Nuggets blog (www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets).

Sometimes I simply create the new entry with the title or theme that occurs to me.

Over the days or weeks that follow, I’ll add new notes or points to discuss. Then one day, when I need to get a post out, I’ll pick from here to my laptop, and finish it off.

3. Be Flexible – Adapt Writing Strategies to Suit Your Unique Circumstances

You may have noticed that I did not say that I have a specific time of the day when I lock myself in to do my writing.

I have a schedule which tells me I need to get a new post done within today’s 24 hours. So, I send my brain to work, as I move around. Sometimes I take advantage of free time from the day before, to finish one or more posts-in-progress (see screen shot below) to use for a few days…

Screenshot from my Blackberry memo pad interface, showing titles of some posts-in-progress Im working on for my SD Nuggets blog

The nature of work I do, and my personal responsibilities and obligations make it difficult for me to stick to a particular routine. In my part of the world, erratic power supply and limitations in available infrastructure make it necessary to adopt a flexible routine, and to be prepared to adapt to sometimes long periods of normal availability of net access.

I’ve learnt to do that, without letting it show in the quality – and volume – of work I do. I take advantage of every window of free time I can find, even when I visit socially, to move a writing task closer to completion, even if it’s by adding one extra paragraph into the copy of a post-in-progress on my phone!

In other words, I simply identify what I need to do to achieve my goal, and then actively challenge myself to create the time to make it happen. Until I achieve that goal, I ensure that any free time I have away from other priority tasks, is dedicated to making progress towards it, until I succeed.

Some successful people withdraw into isolation, in order to maintain the focus they need to achieve their goals. If you are not sure you can ignore distractions, do the same thing.

It will not matter if you only make tiny progress. As long as you commit diligent effort to moving beyond where you were the last time, you will be that much closer to your goal.

If you live alone, it should be easier. When you live with others – a spouse and kids for instance – it can be more difficult. But it can be done. I’ve been doing it – as a husband and father – for over 10 years.

Adopt a strategy that gets you the privacy you need: As I type these words, it’s 11.41pm and my wife and kids are all in bed. I’ve learnt to aim for periods like this, to get more work done on important tasks.

Spend a little time thinking up a strategy you can adopt for your unique situation. It’ll come to you.

“…Be a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you, opening new channels, not of trade but of thought.” – Henry David Thoreau

FYI: If You Experienced Difficulties Accessing This Blog’s Content between Monday 15th July 2013 to Saturday 20th July 2013, This Could Be Why…

NB: Let me start by saying this post is being made for information purposes only. And it applies specifically to the period between Monday 15th July 2013 to Saturday 20th July 2013.

In case anyone’s experienced difficulties accessing articles/content on my blog in the last few days…hostgator has now confirmed they’ve completed the migration of all customer accounts:

” onto brand new, more powerful hardware which will include the latest versions of cPanel and CentOS.”

Alert email notice announcing start of upgrade

Screenshot of email notice announcing start of upgrade

Screenshot of email notice announcing start of my hosting account migration

Screenshot of email notice announcing start of my hosting account migration

In response to my enquiry, they’d replied thus:

“…there may be some performance issues for the server since the migration process will have an impact on the communications performance of both systems. This effect should be temporary.”

The screenshot below shows their email notice that the upgrade has been successfully completed for my account.

Screenshot of email notice announcing successful migration

Screenshot of email notice announcing successful migration