Pick a Path. ONE Path.

May 11, 2010 By LaVonne Ellis 21 Comments

A fellow member of Dave Navarro’s More Buyers Every Month Group Mentorship forum advises flakes like me, who go off in all directions at once and get overwhelmed:

Pick a path. ONE path. (Or biz including concept and website). Work on it. Daily. Make a list of how to get from “here” to “there” and stick to that one path only.

That’s what I need: one path.

Okay, so what’s the path, Complete Flake or Awesometastic Audio?

I want to focus on helping other flakes, but I also want to do voice coaching, which I really enjoy.
What I DON’T want to do is spin my wheels learning to be an expert on audio equipment and podcasting software.
I don’t have the mental energy or focus to create two different businesses.
It’s clear that The Complete Flake is the one I want — in spite of that other great domain name. This one is even better.
But I’ve been advised by numerous people that this domain, and the whole flake concept, will hurt the voice coaching business. People won’t take me seriously.
Is it even possible to make money with the Complete Flake concept? I’m guessing it is, if I can provide value. I think I can.
Maybe this should be just a personal blog. But what about the whole brand of YOU idea? I’m pretty sure I own the ‘complete flake’ brand.
I think I can blog about both flaky goodness and voice tips. I mean, I’m doing it already on this site, using categories, so might as well move the voice coach category to a different domain and write those posts there.
I have yet ANOTHER domain, SpeakClearlyOnline.com, that would fit voice coaching better. Not as cool as AwesometasticAudio.com, though.
But we’re back to two paths again — or is it three? (Can you say ADD?)
And what’s the “there” I need to get from “here” to?

Can’t decide. What do YOU think? Chime in in the comments below.

Photo credit: Donnr

Filed Under: Business

http://www.skajawills.com misty obrien

it sounds like you really want to keep this site going. if you flip a coin, The Complete Flake on one side and AwesometasticAudio on the other, would you wish for a different outcome?

my opinion: if you feel you have the energy and focus to run both sites separately, go with that. if not, have the other domains point to this site. i think you can take the uniqueness of what you have going here and apply it to vocal coaching and have it work.

on the other hand, using The Complete Flake for a brand may, i think, help you find your right people. if someone is turned off by the name of your business or website, they may be a great individual, but they may not “get you.”

if you haven't, check out a couple of @havi's posts from The Fluent Self. they explain the concept of right people, and link to a couple other helpful posts:
http://www.fluentself.com/blog/biggification/re…
http://www.fluentself.com/blog/biggification/re…

i hope this helps. :)
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Yeah, I should have made it more clear that there is no question about
keeping this site going. I love The Complete Flake. I AM The Complete Flake.
And it looks like the vocal coaching will work out for me, so the real
question is, where should I put it — here, or there? I'd like to combine
the two, but you're the first person to say, why not? I love the idea of my
right people. OTOH, I can see how having another domain with just a sales
page on it for the vocal coaching would work.

Oh crap, let's be honest: I'm trying to avoid the work of having to build
content for another site. But now I see that it would be valuable for many
reasons to separate the two and have good content on both. I guess I should
stop panicking about content and just start producing it, as slowly as it
takes. I don't need to do it all at once. That's what the panic was about.
So: two sites, slow and go. I can do that.

Thanks for helping me hash this out!
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Yeah, I should have made it more clear that there is no question about
keeping this site going. I love The Complete Flake. I AM The Complete Flake.
And it looks like the vocal coaching will work out for me, so the real
question is, where should I put it — here, or there? I'd like to combine
the two, but you're the first person to say, why not? I love the idea of my
right people. OTOH, I can see how having another domain with just a sales
page on it for the vocal coaching would work.

Oh crap, let's be honest: I'm trying to avoid the work of having to build
content for another site. But now I see that it would be valuable for many
reasons to separate the two and have good content on both. I guess I should
stop panicking about content and just start producing it, as slowly as it
takes. I don't need to do it all at once. That's what the panic was about.
So: two sites, slow and go. I can do that.

Thanks for helping me hash this out!
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Yeah, I should have made it more clear that there is no question about
keeping this site going. I love The Complete Flake. I AM The Complete Flake.
And it looks like the vocal coaching will work out for me, so the real
question is, where should I put it — here, or there? I'd like to combine
the two, but you're the first person to say, why not? I love the idea of my
right people. OTOH, I can see how having another domain with just a sales
page on it for the vocal coaching would work.

Oh crap, let's be honest: I'm trying to avoid the work of having to build
content for another site. But now I see that it would be valuable for many
reasons to separate the two and have good content on both. I guess I should
stop panicking about content and just start producing it, as slowly as it
takes. I don't need to do it all at once. That's what the panic was about.
So: two sites, slow and go. I can do that.

Thanks for helping me hash this out!
http://www.skajawills.com misty obrien

you're quite welcome.

i'm sure i'm going to run into the same thing with the site i'm launching in the fall. it's art-related, but i'm also discussing art on my current blog, which i'm sharing with my fiancé. my reasoning right now is that by having a separate site, i can set it up to best work with the content i'm going to put there.

you're right: you don't have to produce all of the content at once. now that you have a plan, take the next step and the step after that. if it means you post less in both places, that's okay. committing to your best is much better than trying to do more than you're able to do.

i'm glad i could help.
http://www.MavenDiary.com Wendy Maynard

Life's too short to pick one path. I need to write a blog post about this, but we are multi-passionate people – why should our businesses be any less? People buy from YOU not your blog name. Not your posts. Not even really what you are offering. That's why a personal brand is so important.

Here is a great article about this:
http://marieforleo.com/2010/04/real-online-paid/
http://awakenyoursoul.wordpress.com/ Peggie

Dudette. I like Complete Flake better than Awesometastic Audio (which is awesome, but I think it gets you too pigeon-holed — there are likely flakes who want to learn to do voice stuff but who are sort of tired of the whole Awesometastic thing – it actually seems too trendy) Don't get me wrong – I'm a complete snob and wannabefitterin most of the time so if a term is picking up steam I want to USE the hell out of it. Then it gets overplayed and I just roll my eyes when someone starts using it like it's new to them and…wait, this is your post, and not about me.

I have like 7 different blogs languishing out there — because I kept thinking I had to segment (because, y'know, that's good business) but I keep coming back to just one. And that one is me. Because I'm passionate and when I'm passionate I can show people how to be passionate and live it on their terms. And they need to know that i'm 3 dimensional, y'know.

So, you can be the complete flakes audio go-to-gal. There are plenty of self-identified flakes out there and let me tell you their voices need to be heard — loudly. so they can change the world on their terms, in their way. You can help them. Heck, you have to. We need you to. I don't want to miss someone living their passion because they didn't know a speaker from a headset or whatever.

Technology will change, the tools will change — YOU teach them – give them something more important than which piece of equipment to use — their VOICE. And permission to be them – on the air. That's a gift.
http://awakenyoursoul.wordpress.com/ Peggie

Um Wendy. Just read your comment after posting mine. We may be twins separated at birth. you rock. #justsayin.
http://www.MavenDiary.com Wendy Maynard

OMG! I've been wondering where you've been all my life!!!!! (-:
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Thanks Wendy, I'll read that now.
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Peggie, I was starting to feel the same way about Awesometastic — it's overdone already. Good thing domains are so cheap.

Thank you for this great advice — which is great, of course, because it's what I want to hear. :)
http://awakenyoursoul.wordpress.com/ Peggie

I heart you.
http://www.engageyourstrengths.com wdaunheimer

LaVonne, I can't tell you how envious I am of your domain name. It rocks! Here's the thing – it's personable, it's relatable, and its memorable. The awesome idea is fine, but it doesn't bring to mind any particular image. Anyone could be writing that site. You embrace your flakiness, and I would think that people would find you more approachable because of it. You don't make pretenses, you write about the good and bad things about being a flake, you give those of us who never thought about owning up to our own flakiness courage to do so. A friend of mine who read my blog and followed a link to your site brought you up in conversation with me today. He couldn't remember your name, but said, “You know, the flake?” and I knew exactly who he was talking about.

You have a brand, while many of us are still struggling to find that perfect identity. What you do doesn't change who you are – you can do voice coaching as a flake, systems engineering as a flake, or nursing as a flake. I get being credible, but credibility comes from being yourself and anyone who wants an uber serious non-flake to coach them probably wouldn't fit your image of an ideal client, anyway.

My vote is for you to keep it all in one domain. People who relate to flakiness will come here and some of them might want voice coaching. People who want voice coaching will come here, and might find themselves in your blog posts about being a flake. Either way, they will remember you. And, you don't have to worry about posting daily content in two places.

Either way, I know you will be a terrific success!
http://www.engageyourstrengths.com wdaunheimer

LaVonne, I can't tell you how envious I am of your domain name. It rocks! Here's the thing – it's personable, it's relatable, and its memorable. The awesome idea is fine, but it doesn't bring to mind any particular image. Anyone could be writing that site. You embrace your flakiness, and I would think that people would find you more approachable because of it. You don't make pretenses, you write about the good and bad things about being a flake, you give those of us who never thought about owning up to our own flakiness courage to do so. A friend of mine who read my blog and followed a link to your site brought you up in conversation with me today. He couldn't remember your name, but said, “You know, the flake?” and I knew exactly who he was talking about.

You have a brand, while many of us are still struggling to find that perfect identity. What you do doesn't change who you are – you can do voice coaching as a flake, systems engineering as a flake, or nursing as a flake. I get being credible, but credibility comes from being yourself and anyone who wants an uber serious non-flake to coach them probably wouldn't fit your image of an ideal client, anyway.

My vote is for you to keep it all in one domain. People who relate to flakiness will come here and some of them might want voice coaching. People who want voice coaching will come here, and might find themselves in your blog posts about being a flake. Either way, they will remember you. And, you don't have to worry about posting daily content in two places.

Either way, I know you will be a terrific success!
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Wendy, bless your heart. :) I am SO TORN about this. Seems like all the
advice is split along gender lines. The women say keep it all here. The men
say the two should be separate. Well okay, one guy, Johnny B. Truant, agrees
with the women <http://marieforleo.com/2010/04/real-online-paid/>.

I've gone back and forth so often my head is spinning. The thing is, my
mentor, Dave Navarro, is strongly in favor of SpeakClearlyOnline.com, and I
can definitely see his point. [AwesometasticAudio is out.] Plus I have a lot
of respect for Dave and he's giving me free advice. AND he's going to blog
about my voice coaching thing, and wants me to have a site for him to point
to. Next week. Ulp.

But that doesn't mean this site will go away or fade into oblivion from
neglect. The other site won't require any more work to keep up than it would
to have the same information here. And I can easily link to that site from
here whenever there's something worth linking to. So I think it will be
okay.

But I can't tell you how happy it makes me that you and so many others care
so much about this site in the short time it's been in existence. That
really motivates me to get my shit together and get blogging!

xoxo
http://www.engageyourstrengths.com wdaunheimer

The fact that it seems split across gender lines isn't surprising. I think men find it much easier to compartmentalize than women do, and they also seem to naturally have a more narrow focus on one objective than women. Do you find one gender more responsive to your audio coaching (i.e. most of your clients are of one gender)? If so, that might also give an indication of how you should go.

I read a post yesterday on Copyblogger that might help: http://www.copyblogger.com/cornerstone-pages/. It talks about creating a landing page for posts about a certain topic. They specifically suggest using these for times when you are guest posting and want certain cornerstone content that will draw guests in at their first visit. Maybe voice coaching is your first cornerstone (this year's cornerstone – or, being a flake myself, maybe this quarter's cornerstone?). You will probably add areas of interest as you go along.

Additionally, you could also create that landing page with certain posts and redirect your speakclearlyonline domain to that landing page.

Gee, nothing like getting even more options when you are trying to narrow it down to one! Sorry if I'm making it even more difficult. The most important thing is that you go with your gut, which is what FEELS right for you instead of what you THINK is right. Then go with what that feeling says. If your gut screws up and you realize later you should have gone the other way, there's nothing wrong with chalking it up to a learning lesson and changing at that point.

At any rate, you have lots of readers and many of us enjoy your content regardless of how you organize it. Keep up the good work!
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

I love you, Wendy. You are exactly right. I need to go with what FEELS
right, not with what I THINK is right. And isn't that the exact difference
between us flakes and 'normal' people? They do the logical, practical thing
and I'm sure it feels right for them, but if it doesn't feel right for us we
can't make it work even if we want to.

Before reading your comment this morning, I had a little epiphany that's
pretty much what you said: I need to do it the 'flake' way or frankly, it's
not going to happen. So, despite advice to the contrary, the voice coach
will be known as 'that flaky voice coach.'

Yay!
http://talkingshrimp.com/blog LBelgray

Hi LaVonne, I love The Complete Flake. I identify with that concept completely – in fact, I'd thought about making it my angle, but never put such a brilliant title on it. I don't really have an angle to my blog, because I couldn't pick one (read: flake) but I love the idea of showing people that you can be successful even if you're not a born “successful person.”

I'm not sure how you fit voice coaching into that – maybe you make it about self-presentation. Play around with the idea that great vocal delivery gives a leg up to people who are flakes, by making them seem more powerful and self-assured. It's a way to come across as totally un-flakey.

Personally, I'm up to here with the word Awesometastic. For some reason, it's all over the online entrepreneur world and it's getting to be the new “talk to the hand.”

Glad I discovered your blog. I'm a fan of Catherine Caine's – great guest post.
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Laura, you make me feel so GOOD. I hope I really can show people that flakes
can be successful too, but I don't really know if I can pull it off. Just
going on faith here, faith that the key is to stick with it no matter what.
That's the hardest thing for me. I run away from anything that makes me
uncomfortable, and I am feeling seriously uncomfortable right now. But I
figure if I just report these struggles honestly, and what works for me,
others will get something out of it.

As for a voice coaching domain, AwesometasticAudio or SpeakClearlyOnline, or
keeping it here — I'm getting flaky again, as in changing my mind. Again.
Gah.

Thanks for visiting and commenting. I really enjoy your writing.
http://talkingshrimp.com/blog LBelgray

Hi LaVonne, I love The Complete Flake. I identify with that concept completely – in fact, I'd thought about making it my angle, but never put such a brilliant title on it. I don't really have an angle to my blog, because I couldn't pick one (read: flake) but I love the idea of showing people that you can be successful even if you're not a born “successful person.”

I'm not sure how you fit voice coaching into that – maybe you make it about self-presentation. Play around with the idea that great vocal delivery gives a leg up to people who are flakes, by making them seem more powerful and self-assured. It's a way to come across as totally un-flakey.

Personally, I'm up to here with the word Awesometastic. For some reason, it's all over the online entrepreneur world and it's getting to be the new “talk to the hand.”

Glad I discovered your blog. I'm a fan of Catherine Caine's – great guest post.
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Laura, you make me feel so GOOD. I hope I really can show people that flakes
can be successful too, but I don't really know if I can pull it off. Just
going on faith here, faith that the key is to stick with it no matter what.
That's the hardest thing for me. I run away from anything that makes me
uncomfortable, and I am feeling seriously uncomfortable right now. But I
figure if I just report these struggles honestly, and what works for me,
others will get something out of it.

As for a voice coaching domain, AwesometasticAudio or SpeakClearlyOnline, or
keeping it here — I'm getting flaky again, as in changing my mind. Again.
Gah.

Thanks for visiting and commenting. I really enjoy your writing.

Pick a Path. ONE Path.

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