5 Free Tools for Quickly Hosting Online Brainstorming Sessions

5 Free Tools for Quickly Hosting Online Brainstorming Sessions

This is a great article, will be trying each out and seeing if we can get what Barbara Sher calls an Idea Party going in the next week or so using one of these!

Jack of all Trades... Master of None?

I'm in a group on Facebook that is geared towards Scanners, Renaissance Women and Men, Polymaths, Slashers... or whatever you like to call us.  It's an amazing group for someone like me, and the people there are thought-provoking, supportive, and they inspire me constantly.  Today one of them asked for help in how to respond to Specialists who don't understand Scanners.

It also brought to mind some of the articles I've been reading lately in which "Slashers" have been denigrated, a post from a "friend" on Facebook today where she was appalled that someone reveled in being mediocre, and other articles I've read.  As a quick aside, a slasher is someone who's title is made up of slashes.   Mine is (or could be):  Trainer/Coach/Writer/Photographer.  It made me realize that there are people out there who quite simply do NOT understand us.  So first I'll give you my response to the Specialist who calls us "Jack of all Trades" in a derogatory way, and then I'll move on to what we're really about, and what some of our strengths are.  

My response to someone who intimates that I'm a Jack of all trades, master of none is to tell them the full quote:

Jack of all trades, master of none, though ofttimes better than master of one. -Geffray Mynshul (1618)

It gives a different feeling, doesn't it?  Typically, I'll leave it at that.  But if someone desires a more full understanding, it's this:  I have a breadth of knowledge in a variety of subjects.  In business, and with clients, this allows me to have a better idea of what the bigger picture is.

Consider this scenario:  I am a writer, photographer, typist, bookkeeper, teacher, trainer, and many other things.  I'm very good at all of these things, although there are many who are better at any one of these things.  I tend to prefer jobs that hold the title of Office Manager, working for a small but growing company.  Why is that?  Because it's a job where all of my experience and interests come into play.  I am currently creating a marketing brochure (using my photography, design, and writing skills).  I also do invoicing (bookkeeping skills), and write and type business letters, for one company.  They don't need a professional photographer on staff, nor do they need a staff writer.  But they need someone with my combination of skills.  It's a win-win.  Does this employer look down on me because I have chosen not to get a degree in Accounting, or don't have my CPA?  No.  He appreciates the skill set that I bring to the table, because he needs a generalist, not a specialist.

If I meet someone, and I explain it in this way, many times, I'll see the "aha!" moment when they get it.  Maybe it changes his/her mind permanently.  Maybe it doesn't.  But generally speaking, when I explain that I am a Creative Career Coach, and I help people figure out how to create a life they can love living, I'll ask for the Specialist's business card.  I explain that I keep a resource bank of names, numbers, and specialties, so that if a client comes to me requiring more in-depth knowledge than I have, I would love an opportunity to be able to call on them for their expert opinions.

I've never looked down on Specialists.  I have a fascination that they can love one thing so much that they know that's what they're meant to do.  I have a deep appreciation for the time they have spent honing their craft, the dedication it takes for them to reach the pinnacle of their career.  All I ask for is the same respect for them.  I choose to be a generalist.  I choose how in-depth into a career or hobby that I get.  And I learn from it.  In reality, I am a specialist in learning and teaching.  I just prefer a breadth of knowledge rather than a depth of knowledge about any one thing.  It doesn't make me less-than.  In fact, I'll wear the badge proudly (if such a badge existed).

In my coaching practice, having such a breadth of knowledge is essential.  If my client describes the job above as her dream career, if I only know of being a Specialist in a large corporation, I can't help her find her way to her dream job.  But with my knowledge, I am able instead to direct her to the types of companies that might need her particular skill set.

So, the next time you hear someone call someone like me or you a dilettante, slasher, or any number of derogatory terms...  think twice about judging them as harshly as they've judged me or you.  Try to appreciate them for being the Specialist they are, and try patiently explaining why I am or you are the way we are.  After all, it takes all kinds...  

I heart connecting with people!

I'm always amazed when something I've written, posted, or advertised causes me to connect with another person.  And I LOVE to connect!  So, interested in connecting with me?  Find me here...


Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/authorkimearley  I try to share inspiring posts of others, some of my own, and interact with friends, family, and people who are interested in what I do on this page.  Start a conversation!  I'll join in!  :) Link is also below.

Follow @kimberlyearley
Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/kimberlyearley  I'll be honest here.  I just don't remember to use Twitter very much.  But occasionally I do.  So if you'd like to connect with me here, I'll try to remember not to forget to talk to you.  :)



LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyearley  Again, Facebook is my main way of interacting with others, so don't be surprised if I'm quiet on here quite a bit.  But I do really like to network, and LinkedIn is a good way to find people that are already living your dream life (the career portion, if you want a career).

Connecting with others means we each have the opportunity to find out we have interests in common, a common goal, or simply that we can enjoy and appreciate one another!

Victoria, TX Dream Team Forming Now

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The FIRST EVER Victoria, Texas Dream Team is forming now.  We are looking for 4-5 people located in the general area to join.

As this is the first local group, and I intend to be a member as well as the facilitator, the usual low cost of this DREAM TEAM is waived!  There will be no monthly charge for this team, or for my expertise leading it.

Do you want to live the life of your dreams?  Maybe you have a clearly defined idea, but are unsure about how to get past the obstacles you see in your way (the most popular obstacle - and often the easiest to solve - is money).  Maybe you don't even know what your dream life is, you just feel unsettled, restless, like there's something more to life than what you're living.  Your dream can be personal or professional.  We're happy to help you find friends or a traveling companion, or help you take your business to the next level.  As long as you can brainstorm ways to help others find and get their dream lives, we can help you, too.  

Cost:  $0

Commitment:  1 day per week for three months minimum

Needed:   The desire to reach your dreams, and a willingness to brainstorm with other members of the group to reach their dreams, too.

How to join:  email me at kimberlyearley 'at' yahoo 'dot' com.  Be sure to tell me your area of town (or town, if you're in the surrounding area).  If you know what your dream/obstacle is, let me know.  If not, no problem!  Let me know what days/times you are available to meet (assuming that our meeting place is in Victoria).

I look forward to discovering our dream lives together!

Delivering Happiness - the movement

I went to the library last week, and got several books on my current passions.  One that I got was Delivering Happiness:  A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh.  The book is part how he became a self-made millionaire (along with the mistakes along the way), part encouragement to follow your passions, and part how to live your life to be happy.  The last is what I was most interested in, but the book was thoroughly entertaining and quite educational.

I remember hearing when I was a young adult from a wise woman that happiness was for children.  I had a child of my own, and I needed to understand that I needed to buckle down and join the adult world.  That very wise woman was right in many aspects... I was still very childish, and I knew that my dreams needed to be put away for a while so that I could earn a living and support my fledgling family.  But she was also wrong.  I didn't know it then, and am just learning it now.  It is possible to have dreams and follow them responsibly.  Happiness is not a pipe dream for children.  It's something we as adults can do every day.

The second badge above, from Ralph Waldo Emerson, hung in the bathroom my sister and I shared as a child.  It continues to hang in my bathroom today.  They are the truest words ever spoken, and something I've at least attempted to live my life by.  "For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness." - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

If you agree, and you'd like to join in making the world a happier place, click one of the badges above.  It will take you to the website.  See what you can do.  Read inspiring stories from others around the globe.  And most of all, remember that anything and everything you can do starts with you first.

"We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong.  The amount of work is the same." - Carlos Castaneda.

One more quote from the book that has resonated with me is, "Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself." - George Bernard Shaw.

I can't say it any better today.  Off to explore more on the site.  :)

Books I Love

These are my all-time favorite books (for now).  :)

Barbara Sher's Teamworks! on the left, Barbara Sher's I Could Do Anything If I Just Knew What It Was, Barbara Winter's Making a Living Without a Job, and Barbara Sher's Wishcraft.  Any of these books (except possibly Teamworks! which is now out of print) can be purchased from Amazon.com by clicking on the book in the carousel below, if you're interested in reading them for yourself.

They are the inspiration for my Dream Teams, and we rely heavily on Teamworks!, Wishcraft, and Making a Living Without a Job with our teams.  It was these books, along with a few others, that solidified my desire to create the Dream Teams, along with my coaching practice.

If you have ever seen my LinkedIn profile, you will see that my professional/business experience has really run the gamut.  While I enjoyed certain aspects of nearly every job I've ever had, I knew that each one wasn't a particularly good fit for me.  I enjoy working with start-ups from the idea forward, and I enjoy checking on their progress, offering help here and there when they need it.  But the day-to-day functioning of a business is not for me (other than my own).  But for me, the most fun is the idea phase... which led to my creating Dream Teams.  Seeing someone light up when they realize what it is they want to do is the second best part of my "job".  The first place moment is when I see their dream come true... when the doors to the coffee shop opens, or they leave for their trip across America (or overseas).

What's your dream?

Thought of the day...

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Mark Twain

Another one of my favorites...  What will you dream today?

Dream Teams

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/poweryourfuture/welfare-mom-creates-million-dollar-biz-how-she-did-it-2573956/

I love stories like this one!  I love seeing them in national news.  I love knowing that I'm in a position to where I can help someone write their own story like this... and that I'm writing my own.

Did you notice that she credited her success at least partially to her Mastermind group?  That's a Dream Team!  Ready to start writing your story, living your dream life?  Contact me today!

Thought of the day...

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.”

Christopher Reeve

So many of these quotes about making your own dream life happen really resonate with me. It's more than I think I can, but also as basic and simple as that.  If you dream it, believe in it, and make the effort to get to it, you can do it.

Thought of the day...

"Until you are committed, there is hesitancy... Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.  Begin it now." - Goethe

Thoughts?

Scanner Daybook

I've started my Scanner Daybook, as Barbara Sher's I Could Do Anything... if I Just Knew What it Was challenged me to.  Although I already knew that I was what she considered a Scanner, my daybook really proves it.  I'm interested in so many things, and just getting them into a book seems to take a load off my mind.  It helps me concentrate.  It's a pretty drawing pad, with the word Dreams inscribed on the front cover.  I figure that's very apropos.

So many of the ideas I have, I have no intention of bringing to completion.  Maybe one of my clients will, at some point.  I love the idea that they may see the light of day, and I could gauge the success of the idea by someone else's bringing it to light.  I don't have to do it all, I just think of it.  I'm the Idea Lady.  :)

Do you have a Scanner Daybook?  What's in yours?

Dream Teams

Photo via Creative Commons license:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/werkheim-hamburg/4520499850

I have been studying Barbara Sher's materials (along with several other authors) for well over a year now.  I've always had a passion with trying to discover how to balance work and family.  My husband and I have both worked, for many years, outside the home.  We also had an opportunity to run a home-based brick and mortar business (electrical contracting) for a few years.  We found that running our business took even more time away from our family, even with being essentially home-based.  I went back to the drawing boards in 2007, shortly after we closed that business, attempting to find the secret to work-life balance, to be able to give my children more of my time and undivided attention while still providing a good life for them, financially.

It wasn't until about eighteen months ago that I came across Valerie Young, Barbara Sher, then Barbara Winters, and many other authors and bloggers that were living their dreams.  I've read, studied, and then read and studied some more.  I've looked into Mastermind groups (which have a similar theory, but focus almost exclusively on business and professional goals), and I have combined many of their ideas along with my own to create the best way to make your dream life happen... whether that dream life includes backpacking across America, owning your own small farm, or changing careers.  "But wait!" you'll tell me.  "I've got kids to support, (parents to take care of, or a home that needs tending).  I can't just run away from my responsibilities."  No, and I wouldn't encourage you to run away.  Unless that's what you want to do.  But I'll show you how to take care of your responsibilities, yet still make your dreams happen.  When your dreams seem out of reach, I'm here to tell you that they're not!

I have created my own version of what have been called Success Teams or Mastermind Groups, or they can go by many other names.  I agree wholeheartedly when Barbara Sher says that "Isolation is a dream killer."  Having a team does wonders to help you achieve small steps toward your dreams.  Helping others achieve small steps towards their dreams will help you just as much!

If you're interested in joining a Dream Team currently being put together in Victoria TX or the surrounding areas, or if you and some of your friends/acquaintances just need some help getting started, contact me!  I can help!

What is a Renaissance Woman?

The question I'm most frequently asked when I hand people my business card, is "What is a Renaissance Woman?"  So that's what I'll talk a little about today.  No, we're not talking about the time period here... Renaissance Women in art is a completely different story...  What we're talking about is a modern Renaissance Woman.

A Renaissance Woman is defined by Dictionary.com as: 

Renaissance woman
noun ( sometimes lowercase )
a woman who has acquired profound knowledge or proficiency in more than one field.

According to Wikipedia, a more recent term for Renaissance Woman is Polymath.  While I'll agree to both terms, I prefer the romanticism that Renaissance Woman invokes.  :)

Another phrase that's been around for quite some time (although the second half is not widely known):
Jack of all trades, master of none,
though ofttimes better than master of one.
-Geffray Mynshul (1618).

So, basically a Renaissance Woman is one that's been trained in a variety of disciplines and has proficiency in all of those.  When looking at my full resume, you would find that I have been largely self-trained, and am proficient in:

Writing (both fiction and non-fiction), Copywriting, Marketing and Advertising, Photography (commercial, product, portraits, and stock photography), basic graphic design, website design (again, basic... I can work with template and insert a small amount of HTML code), website content, basic computer troubleshooting,

My job descriptions have included:  retail sales, cashier, administrative assistant, executive assistant, travel agent, photographer, marketing assistant, marketing associate, customer service, office manager, accounting assistant, full-charge bookkeeper, freelance writer, freelance photographer, freelance bookkeeper, freelance marketing consultant, treasurer (volunteer), social media (volunteer), graphic designer, newsletter publisher, personal banker, bank teller, personal assistant, landman, dispatcher, event coordinator, and others that I've since forgotten.  :)

The industries that I have worked in (whether freelance or as an employee) have been varied, but I have in-depth experience in Construction, Real Estate, Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, and Transportation.

My interests (non-paid) is an even longer list, but have included reading, learning Texas civil (custody) law, dancing, crafting, scrapbooking, sustainability, earth sciences, and many, many more.

I intend for this blog to be a showcase for the type of work that I do, the type that I'm interested in, and a little more about what makes me tick.  ;)  The majority of posts will be work-related, but there will also be posts on what I've enjoyed studying (non-work-related), too.

If you have questions, please feel free to ask!

Playing with my camera - Part 2

 

More playing with my camera.  I love the pictures of the flowers, but my favorite is this last one.  

What about you?  

Which ones do you like or not like and why?

Ashes was enjoying the tree, and I was enjoying the setting sun and my camera.  :)  

Feel free to tell me what you think...

Family Photos

I'm definitely still learning about photography, and again I thought I would share with you my errors and fixes.  :)  Below you'll find some before and after photos, along with descriptions of what I'll do differently next time.

One thing I will note, taking photos of your own family is very difficult, especially if you want to be in the photos.  I've got a friend that I'm going to ask to do my photos this summer, to hopefully get some better shots.  I'm also about ready to start experimenting and learning with indoor lighting (I've been setting money aside to buy a starter studio kit), but I have an intense love of natural light photography, so I'm sure that will continue to be my favorite type of photography.

The examples above are all of the un-processed shots I had to choose from.  As we needed fairly level ground for this shot, and we were on a hill, I chose to shoot with the children leaning on a slight upward angle (so they wouldn't tumble backward).  Unfortunately, this meant that I would have the sidewalk and a portion of the building in the background.  I went into this portion of the shoot knowing that it would need processing (which I typically try not to do, as I prefer to attempt to perfect my ability to shoot without needing post-shoot processing).  When shooting portraits, especially with so many subjects, I tend to shoot 7 or 8 frames for each pose, in hopes of catching the best expressions in a single photo.  The shot I chose is below:

Shot with my Canon Rebel Ti1 in automatic portrait mode, I chose the photo with the best expression on everyone's face.  I cropped in as close as possible to keep all of the children in the shot and focus on their faces.  I then set the white-balance, and noticed a problem... because I was shooting in portrait mode, it narrows the depth of field, which is preferred in a portrait (blurring the background).  The unwanted side effect of this is that not all of the faces were in sharp focus.  That means this will make a nice 3x5, maybe even 5x7, but it will not look nearly as good as an 8x10, which I was hoping for.  Next time I will make certain that when I am hand-holding the camera (i.e., not in the shot), I will use an aperature-priority mode that will allow me more flexibility to control the depth of field.  I decided to use a selective un-sharp mask to sharpen and clarify my daughter's face.  I then used the clone tool to remove the sidewalk that remained in the background.  The result was a nice photo of all of my children, along with my new grandbaby.

Reviews of more photos to come.  Let me know if you like to read these things.  I've been rather quiet lately, getting used to working full-time again, enjoying spring break with our kiddos, and homeschooling.  But if you enjoy reading about the photos, getting tips and tricks from someone learning along the way, please let me know.

Photo Published!

I've got a photo published over at Pond Ripples Magazine.  It's already been featured here on this blog, but head on over there and check it out!  :)

New Year's Resolutions

Rather than choosing a bunch of New Year's Resolutions this year, there is a movement in Social Media to choose a word to represent how you want to change in the upcoming year.  As my resolutions are rarely fruitful, I've decided to give that a shot.  So, this year, my alternative to the New Year's Resolutions is the word ACT.

How does this affect my photography?  It means to quit telling myself that I'm going to make time and do some landscapes (which only happens every six months or so right now), and ACT on it.  When I think it's time to do some photography, and start making a plan to do it, I need to put the computer or pen and paper down, and just go outside and start photographing.

It means instead of thinking maybe I should take this photography class at the school next semester, I need to ACT... go sign up for the class and get started. 

Instead of making vague lists in my head of things I want to learn, I need to ACT, and start learning them. 

It's part of where this blog comes in.  If I learn a new tip or trick, or want to learn how to shoot (for example) a shot of sparklers frozen (vs. the light trails from sparklers moving), then I'll research it, blog about it here, and try it out, posting my results here.  I hope that you'll find the information helpful in your own photography, and let me know if you've started your own blog, posting the results of similar ACTs of your own.

In the photos in this post, I really enjoy the light trails left behind with my husband and one son (right) by leaving my shutter open 5 seconds, but the image of my son looking at me (above) was better, I think, although it mostly froze the image of the sparks by leaving it open 1 second instead.  Both were relatively hand-held (stabilized on my porch rails), and no editing has been done as yet.

Do you have a word for this year?  Or do you have resolutions?  What are some of yours?