Tidbits from our Spark & Hustle adventuresTumblr (3.0; @toryjohnson)http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/Inc. loves Spark & Hustle: Wow…love this piece that captures what Spark & Hustle is all...http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4634969314http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4634969314Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:00:50 -0400yup — i am! abcnews.com/toryjohnsonhttp://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4634943026http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4634943026Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:59:18 -0400“New study says multitasking makes you forget short-term more easily, especially if...http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4534403701http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4534403701Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:32:38 -0400&#8220;Be more concerned about people listening to you than worrying about them stealing from...http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4532984306http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4532984306Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:34:09 -0400“New study says multitasking makes you forget short-term more easily, especially if...http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4532152903http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4532152903Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:57:53 -0400I first met Wendy Piersall at BlogWorld in Las Vegas where I interviewed her and I was thrilled to...http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4480012648http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4480012648Sat, 09 Apr 2011 20:19:00 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljes0hcEFZ1qi5fndo1_400.png"/><br/><br/><blockquote> <p>If you’re sleeping in, you’re sleeping on your dreams. — Candi Carter at Spark & Hustle Chicago</p> </blockquote> <p>The founder of It’s Hip Hop Baby (<a href="http://www.itshiphopbaby.com" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.itshiphopbaby.com" target="_blank">www.itshiphopbaby.com</a></a>) is also a fulltime senior producer for Oprah — and she started and runs this successful company on the side.  Her message: You can always carve out time for the stuff that you’re determined to accomplish.  Wake up earlier, stay up later, figure out how to make it happen. </p>http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4479078865http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4479078865Sat, 09 Apr 2011 19:31:30 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljcwk9lXuU1qi5fndo1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p>Women have trouble viewing themselves as experts.  But if you don’t view yourself as an expert — and declare your expertise — you can’t generate media coverage to grow your business. <br/><br/>The brilliant Sarah Evans (<a href="http://www.prsarahevans.com" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.prsarahevans" target="_blank">www.prsarahevans</a></a>) talked about <strong>GETTING SOURCED</strong> at Spark & Hustle Chicago.   <br/><br/>Some nuggets of her great advice on getting media coverage for your business: </p> <p><strong>Have the basic fundamentals down:</strong> What are the key messages of your organizations? What’s your 30 second soundbite? Have supporting statements around that to back it up.  This is an ideal way to be media-ready.<br/><br/><strong>Think of yourself as a news producer</strong>.  Have an updated headshot.  Have stock photos that could be used to make the story more robust. <br/><br/><strong>Be familiar with all of the platforms.</strong>  Web, TV, print — all very different. Befriend someone who’s in PR.  If you can’t afford a PR firm, ask a PR friend to help you get media-ready. <br/><br/>Five ways to use traditional and social media to identify story opportunities:</p> <p>1) <strong>Create a media list.</strong> Cover three categories: traditional media, bloggers, online influencers. List is about quality not quantity.  Build the list — it takes time.  Who would you likely pitch? Who covers what you do?  Organize it and get to know the work of the people you’re targeting.  Aim for 20 people in each of the 3 categories. <br/><br/>2) <strong>Leave a digital trail. </strong> You have to be searchable and findable online.  Journalists have expanded the way they find sources and many times it’s online.  That’s a great reason to be active in social media or to write a blog.  (It’s NOT just about sending out a press release.)</p> <p>3) <strong>Produce interesting content. </strong>Centralize it such as here on Tumblr or a blog.  The more my clients blog, the more they see media interest in their stories.  Create an editorial calendar for your own content around holidays, topics, news events, anniversaries, etc. You’re creating this content to build your expertise — and then you must share it through social media.  People love LISTS, so create some content in list form.</p> <p>4) <strong>Ask yourself some key questions.</strong>  Is it new? Is it timely? If the event is tomorrow, you should have pitched it a week ago.  Who will the story impact? Local, national?  Is it unique? Is there a trend? Trend stories are huge.  </p> <p>5) <strong>Don’t let stories die</strong>.  Use links in your email signature.  Put the links in other stuff you do so the stories have a long shelf life.</p> <p><strong>Some valuable resources:</strong></p> <p>—Reporters check <strong>TweetDeck</strong> when they’re looking for sources.  </p> <p>—<strong>PitchEngine.com</strong> is a valuable resource for sharing your materials for media.</p> <p>—HARO — <strong>HelpaReporter.com</strong> </p> <p>Learn more at <a href="http://www.prsarahevans.com" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.prsarahevans.com" target="_blank">www.prsarahevans.com</a></a> and follow her at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/prsarahevans" target="_blank">@prsarahevans</a>. </p>http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4451263368http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4451263368Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:14:33 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljcdr0Eb6e1qi5fndo1_400.png"/><br/><br/><p>“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes…as long as they’re NEW mistakes.”  </p> <p>That’s how Michael Alter, CEO of SurePayroll, kicked off his session at Spark & Hustle Chicago. I have extra reason to love learning from Michael at our events because Women For Hire has been a SurePayroll client for more than a year…and SurePayroll is the sponsor of the Spark & Hustle tour.</p> <p>Here are the notes I took during his session:</p> <p>Be ready to correct those mistakes quickly.  When you try something new, you shouldn’t expect to get it right every time.  You must be willing to try new things and know they won’t all work out every time.</p> <blockquote> <p><br/>“Every year, SurePayroll celebrates its BEST NEW MISTAKE - emphasis on NEW.”  Michael Alter, CEO, SurePayroll   </p> </blockquote> <p>The award looks at what mistake did they learn from most and did they fix the fastest. If you’re going to make mistakes, you better be willing to learn from them.  Look at it as paying tuition.<br/><br/><strong>Use your negatives as a positive.</strong>  You don’t have the resources of cash, brand recognition, or other things that a big corporation has.  But you have advantages because you are small, so use small as a win for you.  Flexibility and ability to be innovative are huge assets if you leverage them.<br/><br/>Say NO more.  <strong>Choose when to say NO</strong>.  Don’t jump at every opportunity that comes your way.  Plenty of people will give you tons of ideas — and they’ll all sound better than the next.  Don’t get distracted by your core business.  Say no to other stuff that’s not what you do.  FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS.  Everyone always says FOCUS, but the best way to do that is to say NO to the stuff that’s out of your focus.<br/><br/>Instead of focusing on your weaknesses, <strong>play to your strengths</strong>. Hire or outsource your resources. </p> <p><strong>Leverage technology</strong> to change the way you do business.  </p> <p>Learn more — and get a three-month free trial — at <a href="http://www.surepayroll.com" target="_blank">www.surepayroll.com</a>. </p>http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4442993495http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4442993495Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:28:13 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljcadab1LF1qi5fndo1_400.png"/><br/><br/><p>Bridget Brennan kicked off Friday Spark & Hustle in Chicago on why and how women buy — including advice on killing birds. </p> <p><strong>Women own it:</strong> Women control the purchasing decisions for everyone and everything from babies to elderly.  Women take care of everybody, which is why we’re so powerful to the economy.</p> <p><strong>How will our purchases impact the other people in our household? </strong>Women have a bigger guilt gene than men when we spend money on ourselves.  So the most successful campaigns convince women that when they make a purchase it’ll benefit everyone in their home.  When Nintendo introduced the Wii Fit, to sweeten the deal and get over the price barrier, Nintendo had to convince mom that she could use Wii Fit to workout out home AND that everyone else in the family could use the Nintendo Wii too. </p> <p><strong>Are you addressing the time-starved? </strong>Women are so time-starved and looking for convenience.  Retailers are in jeopardy when they don’t cater to women’s lifestyles.  On Chicago’s North Michigan Avenue or New York’s Fifth Avenue, droves of people are hustling and bustling to get to work between 8 and 9am — walking past every major retailer, all of which are closed.  They open at 10am, but that’s when working people are at work. When workers manage to get out during lunch to go to the bank, post office or anything else, many shops are staffed down because their own employees are at work.  So all of this has driven women to shop online.   </p> <blockquote> <p><strong>How many birds can you kill at once?  </strong>Women want to kill two birds with one stone.  Tell women how many birds can be killed with their purchase from you.</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Women over 50 are the most overlooked population in the world. </strong>They’re amazing buyers because they know it’s now their turn.  They’ll convert the kids bedroom into an office.  They’ll take off on vacations.  They’ll upgrade their car. They’ll upgrade their wardrobe.  They’ve got money and nobody’s targeting them. They’re ready to embrace brands that will include them in their messaging.  How are you targeting this group?</p> <p><strong>Face to face vs. shoulder to shoulder?</strong>  Bars were designed for men to sit shoulder to shoulder instead of face to face to avoid eye contact.  That’s because sustained eye contact can be an invitation for aggression: “You looking at me?”  That’s why when women are offered a seat at the bar, they decline, opting instead to wait for a table where they can sit face to face.  Is your environment conducive to women?<br/><br/><strong>Give women something to talk about.</strong> It’s part of our culture for women to pass along information. What kind of messages are you offering women so they can talk about your product or service?<br/><br/><strong>When all things are equal…:</strong> Women will always give their business to someone who they believe best deserves their business.  Women work so hard for everyone else, so we recognize when others work hard for us.  How hard do you hustle for your customers?<br/><br/><strong>Mind your manners</strong>:  Women need to hear the please and the thank you.  We notice it when someone doesn’t say it.  (SO TRUE! My kids know how much it bugs me when sales associates at the drug store or the dept store don’t say THANK YOU whether I’m spending $3 or $3,000. What’s so hard about thanking a customer and perhaps even a smile?)</p> <p><strong>One MUST: </strong> If you can only do one thing to target women: <strong>FOCUS ON SERVICE.</strong>  With women, service is everything.  In most places, the bar for service is so low.  Anyone going above and beyond is amazing because it’s so bad almost everywhere you look.</p> <p>Recommended reading:<br/>WHY SHE BUYS, by Bridget Brennan<br/>YOU JUST DONT UNDERSTAND, by Deborah Tannen <br/>THE FEMALE BRAIN, by <span>Louann Brizendin</span> </p> <p>Bridget’s site is <a href="http://www.thefemalefactor.com" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.thefemalefactor.com" target="_blank">www.thefemalefactor.com</a></a>.</p>http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4441868569http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4441868569Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:15:10 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljb2z5xOBD1qi5fndo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><span>Loved meeting the brilliant (and VERY funny) Vera Bradley co-founder Barbara Bradley Baekgaard as she kicked off Spark & Hustle Chicago!<br/><br/>Her friend and partner were delayed at the Atlanta Airport and realized that women had ugly luggage — and they got the idea to create something beautiful for women. That was 29 years ago.  They each contributed $250 and started Vera Bradley from Barbara’s basement.   All of the money was used to buy beautiful fabrics.   LESSON: You don’t need a lot of money to start; just use what you have to buy only what you absolutely need.  And get hustling.</span></p> <p><span>Even though Barbara could sew, she was better at sales, so they hired a sewer (and then more and more).   The gals started selling from Day One — asking everyone they knew to bring bags into stores to ask for orders.   LESSON: There’s no business until you have sales.  Sell, sell, sell.</span></p> <p><span>When orders were placed, they didn’t have a plan for how they’d get all the bags made….instead they figured it out when the order came in.   LESSON:  Forget lengthy plans. You’ll scare yourself with a long plan.  Just figure it out as you go, especially in the early days.  Barbara said a Harvard MBA would be terrified to discover how they launched without a plan.<br/><br/>Even though the company is named after her mom, Barbara left us advice from her dad, Ed Bradley: sell yourself first, then your company, then your product.  There’s no shortage of competitive products, so someone will buy yours because they believe in you and/or your company.  LESSON: It’s all about relationships.  </span></p>http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4426961724http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4426961724Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:37:51 -0400<a href="http://abcn.ws/fkqMj0 ">Click to watch what Spark & Hustle means to some of my favorite people on ABC News</a>http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4409463338http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4409463338Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:45:34 -0400“Starting planning now what you’re determined to accomplish this week. Will you commit...http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4324499242http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4324499242Sun, 03 Apr 2011 19:27:09 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lisjndlHTF1qz6jf5o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://emmasophiejohnson.com/post/4170237917" target="_blank">emmajohnson</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>My mom went to the Tumblr offices today! She met the founder and he gave her a little present on the way out. </p> <p>I LOVE TUMBLR!</p> </blockquote>http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4324441779http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4324441779Sun, 03 Apr 2011 19:25:01 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lizoibjRCK1qi5fndo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Driving sales on a <a target="_blank" href="https://squareup.com/">Square</a>!</p>http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4263962709http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4263962709Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:51:47 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lizocapbOv1qi5fndo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><!--StartFragment--><span>Check out <a target="_blank" href="http://sparkandhustle.com/">Spark & Hustle</a> attendees using <a target="_blank" href="https://squareup.com/">Square</a>, a mobile payment device that pops into an iPhone or Android allowing them to take payments on the go. </span> <!--EndFragment--></p>http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4263890653http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4263890653Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:48:08 -0400<span id="video_player_4194408575">[<a href="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" target="_blank">Flash 10</a> is required to watch video.]</span><script type="text/javascript">renderVideo("video_player_4194408575",'http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/video_file/4194408575/tumblr_liud8syCCY1qi5fnd',400,225,'poster=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_liud8syCCY1qi5fnd_frame1.jpg,http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_liud8syCCY1qi5fnd_frame2.jpg,http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_liud8syCCY1qi5fnd_frame3.jpg,http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_liud8syCCY1qi5fnd_frame4.jpg,http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_liud8syCCY1qi5fnd_frame5.jpg')</script><br/><br/><p>We love <a href="http://www.surepayroll.com" target="_blank">SurePayroll</a>, sponsor of the <a href="http://www.sparkandhustle.com" target="_blank">Spark & Hustle National Tour</a>.  Even before they partnered with us on the conferences, Women For Hire has been a very satisfied SurePayroll customer.  Listen to advice from SurePayroll CEO Michael Alter. </p>http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4194408575http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4194408575Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:04:15 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lisjndlHTF1qz6jf5o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://emmasophiejohnson.com/post/4170237917" target="_blank">emmajohnson</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>My mom went to the Tumblr offices today! She met the founder and he gave her a little present on the way out. </p> <p>I LOVE TUMBLR!</p> </blockquote> <p>And I love me some Emma Johnson!</p>http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4174512537http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4174512537Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:55:49 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lisewvAYhU1qi5fndo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Spent the afternoon shooting segments at Tumblr headquarters with hot shot founder David Karp.  A year ago there were less than 4 million blogs on the site. Today there are more than 16 million.  Are you here?</p>http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4167580361http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4167580361Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:41:19 -0400In the midst of Spark &amp; Hustle Dallas, I took time out to shoot a segment for Good Morning...http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4150864825http://tory.sparkandhustle.com/post/4150864825Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:16:48 -0400