Yellow Dog Consulting

Sales & Marketing Consulting for solo-preneurs.

September Pop Culture Round Up

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Sept 2020 Pop Culture Round UpThe smoke filled air had most of the west coast stuck inside for about a week this past month. It was hard to not get out and exercise or just sit in the backyard and read. The rain finally arrived to wash away the AQI numbers and help us to breathe a bit better. I realized it didn’t help with my reading – I’m a loud and proud outdoor reader, so a week away from my patio was hard on reading. I’ve also been in a weird reading slump…Here’s what has kept me sane in September…

Reading

I am slowly making my way through How to Be an Antiracist. I’m trying to just read one chapter at a time to give myself some time to process the book. It’s REALLY great and I highly recommend it.

I kept hearing great things about Wow, No Thank You. Samantha Irby is HILARIOUS. This book of essay’s has had me laughing SO LOUD I’m afraid I’ve scared the neighbors! And, I am not constantly in the mood for essays. I picked up this from the library and since there are SO many holds on it, I ended up buying a copy (well two, one as a gift!) so I can savor it.

Last month I won a gift card to Elliot Bay Books in Seattle (yes, super random) so I ordered Transcendent Kingdom which I just started and it’s FABULOUS. I will read everything Yaa Gyasi writes from this point forward. She’s an incredible author. I’m finally out of my reading slump.

I also ordered The Three-Body Problem which I have heard great reviews of, and with the recent news about who’s adapting the trilogy, I am excited to be on top of this soon to be pop culture HIT.

Listening

It was recently the 21st Night of September, so there’s been an increase in my Earth, Wind & Fire consumption as with most September’s. My dad has been around more lately which usually means more Steely Dan in our lives, which is always fine by me.

I listen to What a Day pretty religiously, and Akilah Hughes response to the Breonna Taylor DA was so sad and incredible.

I always make time for Majority 54 and Missing America continues to be a great podcast as well.

With the fires in Oregon I had a hard time keep up on ALL the news. Between The Daily and Think Out Loud I mostly stayed on top of it! I also loved hearing my fellow Emerge Oregon classmate Candace Avalos on a recent episode talking about police oversight in Portland.

Dax Shepard’s podcast is one I don’t usually listen to, but his episode last week “Day 7,” is a great conversation about addiction, recovery and being honest with ourselves.

Watching

For about a month my dad would NOT stop talking about I’m Sorry on Netflix. And he was right, it’s HILARIOUS. I had half-watched the first episode late at night a while back and am SO happy I gave it a second chance. And I devoured the series, this will be a very rewatchable show. Add it to your list if I haven’t told you to already.

I also devoured The Home Edit on Netflix. I LOVE organizing things, but that Marie Kondo hoarder clean out doesn’t work for me. So, I was nervous. But I shouldn’t have been – I now need to AGAIN reorganize my pantry and buy ALL the clear bins for my whole kitchen. And while I loved most of what they do, I will NEVER organize my books by COLOR. This former bookseller and current Library Board Chair can officially say that is BLASPHEMOUS.

I’m slowly making my way through Lovecraft Country and really like the cult aspects (big surprise) and the over the top monsters.

Last weekend with the rain I rewatched Always Be My Maybe and it is great for a rewatch!

The best thing I’ve watched this month though? Teenage Bounty Hunters. Yup. Private Christian school twin sisters become bounty hunters in suburban Atlanta while balancing dating, church and race. I know you skipped right over it and don’t believe me. But you should…

Back to Business on LinkedIn!

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Today’s guest post is from my friend and favorite LinkedIn Expert – Karen Rosenzweig of One Smart Cookie Marketing. Karen is THE PERSON for all your LinkedIn and social media questions. You may still be wearing yoga pants to the home office, but it’s time to spruce up your LinkedIn profile this fall my friends…

back to business on linkedinSeptember has arrived, which means back to school time – and back to business time! The summer is behind us and it’s time to set some solid business intentions to earn you more visibility and more money.

A great place to start is reviewing your presence on LinkedIn, the world’s largest business social network with 675 million members. This is a place to be found, look good, and get business done, so here are my top tips to do just that.

Be Found

Before any of the magic can happen, you need to be “found” on LinkedIn. This happens via introductions from your connections, LinkedIn searches, and clicks from the news feed. To be sure you maximize your visibility here, it’s time to freshen up your LinkedIn profile.

  • Revisit your “headline” which may just be your job title now – but consider boosting its effectiveness by creating a keyword-laden headline (search friendly) or a benefit statement headline (what people experience when they work with you). Here’s an easy article to get you started with that.
  • Be sure you have “keywords” throughout your profile for the areas you want to be found for – realtor, Portland, first-time home buyers, small business owners, etc. Be sure those words are in your headline, about section, job experiences, and recommendations to give you maximum “findability”.

Look Good

If you’re lucky enough that someone finds your profile, make sure you look like the amazing business professional you are! Your profile needs to be current, interesting, compelling, and demonstrate how you can help your target audience.

  • Your “about” section is similar to a cover letter that accompanies your resume. More than 50% of people on LinkedIn don’t have an About section now and that’s simply crazy! You don’t want to be judged solely on the jobs you list in your profile (right?) so here’s where you craft a compelling and valuable narrative. Tell your story and earn their business! Check out this article with an easy-to-follow structure for your About section.
  • If you searched for someone on LinkedIn and found two good candidates – one with 14 recommendations and one with 0 recommendations, which would you click on first? It’s time to get that social proof on your profile, so invite your 1st degree connections to write you a recommendation – and perhaps start the party off by writing them one first.

Get Business

Do you sometimes feel like you are the best kept secret in your industry? You can change that dynamic in a hurry by creating a strategic plan to share your great content and engage with others so you show up on their profiles. You must do something to stay top of mind with your connections and establish yourself as the trusted resource in your field.

  • Posting regular “status updates” (original or shared) on LinkedIn allows you to demonstrate your expertise and add value to other businesses. Taking it a notch up by writing LinkedIn Articles – which are essentially longer form blog posts – that allow you to show your knowledge, provide insights, and establish yourself as a go-to person in your field.
  • “Liking” other people’s posts is a fine strategy but a much better one is to actually comment on their posts. When you comment, you leave your name, photo, and headline on that post, allowing others to notice you and perhaps click over to your profile (especially if you have a snappy headline!) It’s like dropping little business cards all over LinkedIn, but not in a cheesy way – because you are adding smart, insightful comments, not trying to sell anyone.

There you have it, an easy game plan for the fall (I can’t wait for football!) to boost your visibility and credibility on the world’s largest business social platform. It’s a strategy that has worked for thousands of business professionals so give it a shot and let me know what magic happens!

For those that need a little boost to get started, I invite you to check out my LinkedIn Reality Check service ($97) – a full written evaluation of your LinkedIn profile along with a 30-minute Zoom call with me to review the feedback and get your questions answered.  I look forward to working with you soon!

About Karen

Karen Rosenzweig is a marketing consultant, social media coach and trainer, author, and owner of One Smart Cookie Marketing. She has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and small business owners increase their customer base and gain visibility through Facebook, LinkedIn, blogging and other social media tools.
Her coaching program allows her to act as “training wheels” for a business, teaching them how to authentically and successfully manage their own social media.

She is a fun and dynamic speaker and presents engaging workshops to audiences eager to learn how to leverage social media tools to make more money in their business.

August Pop Culture Round Up

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I hope you’re having a lovely “end” of summer. I’ve been taking Friday’s off since July which has been REALLY nice for my mental health. An extra day to not look at a computer screen has meant more time to get all those other chores done, and spend time absorbing more pop culture. Here’s a few things I’ve loved this past month…

Reading

I started off the month with one of the longer books I’ve read in a while – The Likeness by Tana French. French is an Irish author and her Dublin Murder series is one that a client of mine has been recommending for a while now. I finally picked this one up when she said it was her new favorite. And it’s BANANAS. if you love a good murder mystery and an undercover cop story this is for you. If you don’t, you really should try this, it’s awesome.

My friend gifted me a copy of Garth Stein’s new graphic novel – The Cloven. I love a good graphic novel and loved that this one is set in Seattle and since Stein is from the area, he gets the geography right (you’d be surprised how often authors don’t!) If you liked Orphan Black (yes the TV show) this is for you. I promise.

A few years ago I read My Sister, the Serial Killer and LOVED IT. The author is Nigerian and her stories take place there. She has a new short story (30 pages) on Amazon called Treasure. It was a fun short read and I like the way she ends her stories.

I’ve been a fan of Bess Kalb’s Twitter account for a while now and was excited to pick up her new book Nobody Will Tell You This But Me.  It’s a quick, HILARIOUS and sweet read. It’s a “memoir” (ish) based on her and her Jewish grandmother’s relationship. It’s sweet and funny and I read it in two days.

I have started and am deliberately making my way through How to be Anti-Racist and really appreciating it so far. I am also continuing to read the Anti-Racism Daily newsletter which is chock full of great information and great calls to action.

I picked up The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes from the library last week and it was a fun summer read. It takes you back to the world of The Hunger Games but MANY years earlier. It’s a good origin story and it I keep thinking I should probably rewatch Mockingjay to remind myself of what a terrible guy Snow becomes…

Listening

I am really enjoying What a Day as a great way to start off each morning with a healthy dose of the news. I continue to look forward to Majority 54 each week, and the episode with Jason Sudekis last week was GREAT. I appreciate Missing America and the back stories that Ben Rhodes can apply to current situations going on in the world. The episode on authoritarianism is a can’t miss.

Chef Tom Colicchio has a podcast I just discovered called Citizen Chef – I really am enjoying it! He talks to people in different food communities about the work they’re doing or their experiences. I highly recommend the How We Feed Our Students episode…

Watching

I watched almost every night of the Democratic National Convention, and yes even cried a couple of times. If you haven’t watched either of the Obama speeches, you should go do that. I’ll wait. I of course have balanced out the high brow with the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills & New York. Sometimes you just need to watch rich ladies being ridiculous.

I finally started watching the final season of Orange is the New Black. I didn’t like the previous season so when it finished I had planned to call it quits. But a friend of mine said the final season is great AND it talks about ICE and child separation and wraps up the series well. I have one episode left and I am glad that I decided to finish the series.

I have watched the pilot for Lovecraft Country and I loved it! It’s the right amount of horror for me (I’m not a fan of scary, but the occasional other world monster is fine). I kept reading that it was the perfect series right now, and I have to agree…

Alright, what pop culture is keeping you sane as summer wraps up?