In Productivity

So I had a great idea of what to do with The Complete Flake: How about I chronicle my flaky efforts to start a new business? Should be entertaining, right?

And let’s reposition this blog as The Complete Flake’s Guide to Getting BUSINESS Done instead of Getting THINGS Done. Because I’m pretty sure most of you are trying to figure out how to make money with this blogging thing, just like me. Who cares about housekeeping, anyway? Not me, DEFINITELY not me.

What’s great about it is, this way I can share with you what I’m learning about how to start a business. I can tell you what my flake mistakes are and how I solve them — and also how some of my flakiness works in my favor. What? It could happen!

Here’s what’s been going on so far…

A few weeks ago I joined Dave Navarro’s More Buyers Every Month Group Mentorship program [affiliate link]ย — and was bowled over, not only by the amazing amount and quality of content available, but the very supportive people who were already in the forum portion of the program, just waiting to help us newbies. I dug in and quickly got overwhelmed (of course) but I’m hanging in there.

In the forum, social media business coach Wendy Maynard was the new friend who pointed out that I should be leveraging my radio experience to create a business. Since then, others have chimed in — including the great Dave himself! — encouraging me to absolutely go forward with that idea.

Oh yes — the business?

How to create your own online radio talk show, webinar, video, or podcast; how to interview guests; what equipment you need; what is the best software to use for editing; and how to make money with your talk show/podcast/whatever. Plus advice and coaching on how to sound your best to get your message across.

What do you think?

I love it. Love love love it. And I love this idea to of chronicling what I’m going to be doing over there. When I figure out where over there is going to be. I need to get a good domain. Meanwhile, I’m setting up the blog at a temporary subdomain and filling it in with content.

One of my favorite things is to set up WordPress blogs. I don’t know why, I just do. I’m embarrassed to tell you how many WordPress blogs I have right now that I don’t actually blog at; I just like to fiddle around with them, play with new themes, learn about CSS, try new ideas. It’s crazy, but it does feel like a very creative process — and it’s fun, which is the whole point.

I’m ADDICTED to WordPress themes, so it will be fun to figure out what to use for the new blog. This one is using Thesis [affiliate link], but I don’t have a developer license for it so I can only use it for one site. Can’t afford to upgrade it right now. But thanks to my addiction, I also have access to all the gorgeous themes at Woothemes [yup, another affiliate link!], so I’ll have a lot of fun setting up the new site.

More soon…

But enough about me. What do you love to play with? [Be nice, now!] Oh, and if you have any suggestions for a good domain name, let me know!

Photo credit: laughingsquid

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Showing 20 comments
  • Alexia
    Reply

    AWESOME! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Doesn't it feel great to find something that fits so well? Can't wait to see what you do!

    And I love to play with WordPress, too. So much that I have a side biz called WPChick. I'm in the middle of changing focus to more how to use it for marketing rather than building wordpress sites…

    And I love to play with paper and pens and paints.

  • LaVonne Ellis
    Reply

    It feels fabulous — and I love being able to say out loud that I am a flake, live with it. I think talking about how a flake gets business done will be helpful to a lot of other flakes. Of course, that implies that I will actually get business done, but I'm not going to give up, no matter what.

    So you're WPChick, nice to meet you! I started a similar site myself but couldn't sustain the interest. It's another of my poor, neglected blogs, lost in the wasteland of abandoned sites. Looks like you take yours a lot more seriously. Nice work. ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Amy Sey
    Reply

    That's a really cool idea! I have been thinking about doing things with podcasts/radio type information but really don't know how best to get started. I guess I'm your market! ๐Ÿ˜€

  • LaVonne Ellis
    Reply

    Amy,

    Cool! Maybe we can help each other. I could help you figure out what
    you want to do [podcasts, radio talk shows, webinars, teleconferences,
    etc.], help get you set up and comfortable with it. In the process I'd
    be learning how to help others do these things and gathering material
    for blog posts on the new site. Interested?

  • wendymaynard
    Reply

    I really like the idea of you keeping us aprised of your project. As a complete flake, myself, I know how hard it can be to more forward on just one idea. And I love, love, love your new business idea too (but you knew that)!

  • LaVonne Ellis
    Reply

    Thanks, Wendy. I really appreciate your encouragement and support. ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Gareth
    Reply

    Cool, sounds great. Will definitely be reading/listening/watching the content. (I'm currently considering doing audio/video stuff for dodgy movies so will be nice to have a resource to use.

    As for domain names, what about something like talkingtothenet.com or talkingtotheinternet. yourvoiceonline, theonlinevoice, talkyourwaytoprofit (although that sounds like some cheasy get rich quick scheme)

    (this is what I do for fun. i like thinking up domain names. If I get any more I'll stick them on twitter)

    completevoice, completerecording, theflakesvoice, snowrecords (I like this one, but it's taken) Let me know if any of these have promise and I know what direction you're looking at.

  • wdaunheimer
    Reply

    LaVonne, this is a terrific idea and I'm sure it will grow your following and your business! I'm so glad Dave Navarro's program helped you out. I was interested when he sent his early invitation, but the price tag was a little high for me. It's awesome that you feel its worth every penny.

    I love creating WP sites too, and was a web developer for many years. I came up with an idea to turn that into a business model, but wasn't sure how profitable it would be. It would be fun to chat with you sometime about it and see if we could have a joint venture someday.

    I've never been in radio, but truly love public speaking so I'm looking forward to hearing how you turn your experience into products that help all of us who are entrepreneurial in nature. Best of luck!

    Oh, and I love your current domain name. If you identify with it, I would keep it. What you apply your talents to might change over time (radio might be this year's focus, it might be something else next year), but your core identity isn't likely to change. Just a thought. I can see a whole line of “Complete Flake's Guide to” products, this being the first of many.

  • LaVonne Ellis
    Reply

    OMG, I would love to talk to you about a joint venture – that would be so cool! Thank you for suggesting it. Email me anytime at lavonne at completeflake dot com.

    As for the domain: I've been stuck about setting up a completely new blog at a new domain, and I think you're right. “The Complete Flake's Guide to ____” products is a BRILLIANT idea! So I'll just grow this site to include the radio stuff — much better. Takes a lot of stress away for some reason.

    You are one smart cookie, thank you!

  • LaVonne Ellis
    Reply

    Thank you so much, Gareth, and thanks for the excellent domain suggestions. Thanks to wdaunheimer's idea above, I've decided to stick with completeflake.com and create a line of “The Complete Flake's Guide to ______” products. Makes more sense and won't pull me in two different directions.

  • Gareth
    Reply

    That's definitely the best option. Good luck with it all. I watch with baited breath.

  • wdaunheimer
    Reply

    Anytime! I'm glad the idea helped.

  • Wendy Maynard
    Reply

    Just so you know, the title of this post sounds like a freebie or ebook or report or podcast or something.

  • LaVonne Ellis
    Reply

    Oh. Not good?

  • Wendy Maynard
    Reply

    No – very good! I meant to sound excited. As in, I love the title of this post. It sounds like a catchy name that you could call a product or freebie that people would remember!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I used a lot of exclamation points so that you knew I was excited (-:

  • LaVonne Ellis
    Reply

    Phew! The other Wendy, who comments a lot at beawesomeonline, and now on
    completeflake, suggested I call all my products [when I figure out what they
    are] “The Complete Flake's Guide to ________”, with I think is brilliant and
    definitely plan to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [excited]

    p.s. Haven't done all my homework yet for tomorrow's class. ๐Ÿ™ But I'm
    trying!

  • Amy Sey
    Reply

    Yikes, took me a long time to reply!

    I would *love* some one-on-one help, and I don't mind being a guinea pig for your site. I experiment on my friends all the time. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • LaVonne Ellis
    Reply

    Yay! I thought I came on too strong and scared you away. This is exciting.
    Let me get my thoughts together about this and email you in a day or two. I
    should come up with some questions about what you want to do and what
    problems you're having getting to that point. Wait — I guess I just did. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Well, think about that, and let's connect in a couple of days. Thanks!

  • Amy Sey
    Reply

    Yikes, took me a long time to reply!

    I would *love* some one-on-one help, and I don't mind being a guinea pig for your site. I experiment on my friends all the time. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • LaVonne Ellis
    Reply

    Yay! I thought I came on too strong and scared you away. This is exciting.
    Let me get my thoughts together about this and email you in a day or two. I
    should come up with some questions about what you want to do and what
    problems you're having getting to that point. Wait — I guess I just did. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Well, think about that, and let's connect in a couple of days. Thanks!

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