[Today's guest post…..Sean is the Head of Business Development at Bravo Video, which enables businesses to capture video from customers, users and fans - right over the web.]

Notice any trends lately on Phil’s blog?  If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably noticed a handful of self-recorded videos in some of Phil’s recent posts.  Knowing what we know about Phil, my guess is he’s on to something.

We also know that video is incredibly powerful, so I won’t spend too much time arguing this point (although I do feel the need to mention that a recent report from comScore shows that online video increases consumer preference by 25%).  Shooting video is incredibly accessible as most of us can get away with using our webcams, smartphones or tablets.

But what holds most of us back is uncertainty.  How will we look?  Will we come across as confident, or nervous and plagued with verbal diarrhea?  Will it help or harm our own reputation, and the reputation of the products/services we’re looking to successfully promote?

Here’s the bottom line – block out an hour or two and just do it.  Nobody does it perfectly the first time around – and that’s OK.  But with a proper preparation and a little practice, we eventually get the hang of it.

Here are what I like to call the 3 “R’s” of DIY video:

1.  Record
Just do it already.  This first step is often the most difficult.  Reserve some time to stumble, embarrass yourself a bit and get the kinks out.  Record 10 takes without even rehearsing it.  Pretend like you’re speaking to someone in person, and avoid looking directly into the camera if need be (you can achieve this by focusing an inch or two away from the camera in any direction).  When you pitch your product/service to someone over coffee, you don’t find yourself with a frog in your throat.  Preparation and practice can go a long way here.

2.  Rinse

OK.  The worst part is over.  Now the fun begins.  Take a look at the many takes you did.  What did you like about your video?  What didn’t you like?  Have fun with this second step, and remember not to take yourself too seriously.  Take detailed notes of the positive elements in your first initial takes – you’ll want to keep these in mind and use them as a reference point when shooting the final cut.  

3.  Repeat

Now we’re gearing up for the grand finale.  Dive back into record mode, and remember those positive elements.  I’d recommend getting right back to recording after you’ve gone through the rinse stage, so the takeaways are still fresh in your mind.  Record a few takes again and compare them to the initial takes you did in the first step.  You should see improvements. If you’re not satisfied, rinse and repeat again until you’re pleased with the the results.

I recently downloaded a great resource provided by ProposalApp (a sales tool that leverages video during the proposal delivery process) called Video 101:  How To Shoot Video Like A Pro.  One of the many sections in this document focuses on technique, and I think it’s appropriate to summarize these recommendations to assist you further:

Energy – keep your energy levels high.  If your energy is a 7 out of 10, it may be perceived as a 5.

Voice – free up your diaphragm, open your throat, and enunciate clearly.

Hands – these can be used effectively to communicate.  But don’t over-do it.  Use them naturally to keep the video engaging.

Eyes – use your eyes to express emotion.  Engage the viewer, excite them and be motivational.

My best advice to you?  Just do it.  Leveraging quick and simple DIY video techniques on your website, blog and social media properties can make an impressive impact on your promotional activities.  Execute these 3 “R’s” and tell us about your results in the comment section below.

Approximately 27 million people a year are trafficked worldwide for labor and sexual exploitation. Of these, 80% are women and 50% are children. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Estimated to generate $32 billion annually, it is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world.

Due to increased media attention, many Americans are more aware of the horrors of trafficking. But most perceive it to be a crime isolated to the far corners of the globe rather than a domestic or local issue. Trafficking victims have been identified in cities, suburbs, and rural area in all 50 states including every county in the state of Wisconsin.

WHAT? The state of WISCONSIN?

What the heck?

No way you say?

Yes – yes way.

Even in Milwaukee – there is human trafficking.

More Human Trafficking Facts

• Milwaukee Police Department task force has reported trafficking in every county in the state of Wisconsin.
• Between 100,000-300,000 children are sexually trafficked in the US each year.
• Girls have been known to be recruited into sex trafficking from Bayshore, Mayfair, and South Ridge Malls.
• When underage girls are picked up for trafficking by law enforcement, they are released and typically return to their trafficker because there is no aftercare facility for girls rescued from trafficking.

I had no idea it was this serious – or this close to home – and I live less than 1 mile from Bayshore Mall.

I have 2 nieces who live in Milwaukee. I would do ANYTHING to protect them, and if anyone messed with them, I would hope there would be a way to get help. Thankfully, there is.

So how can you help?

Attend the Freedom + Art Event – On May 4 from  5PM-11PM at the  Hudson Business Lounge (this is where I office) there will be a Silent Auction, with 100% proceeds go to Exploit No More – a local organization (501c3) building a safe house here in MKE for underage girls rescued from human trafficking. There will be live music and much networking. You can learn more about this event at http://elmbrook.org/freedom-art or https://www.facebook.com/events/595929410436367/.

Attend a kick off on May 5th, 2013 – If you can’t do  the 4th, no problem! Attend the kick off the day after the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/623340424349766/?fref=ts

Learn more about Exploit No More.

Please SHARE this with your network. Make others aware of this. It’s amazing and scary how close to home this is for me, and probably for you.

For more information about the event, please contact Lexi lbehrndt@elmbrook.org or Cullen cteska@elmbrook.org; 262.364.5341

For more about Exploit No More, contact Jan jan.k@exploitnomore.org

Not directly mind you, but indirectly. All of the marketing you do, all of the people you hire, and yes, all of the reasons you’ve started your business, they all matter to somebody, often to you.

What story gets passed down from generation to generation? That your company had another record year in 2008? Or that your company was founded in 1997 by a single dad looking for a better way for his son not to have to play baseball by himself because Dad came home after working a 16 hour day as a mid-level manager in a non-descript company, and he felt guilty about missing so many baseball games? Obvious, don’t you think?

Take the time to think about your stories. Some of the best stories might be about:

Why you started your business

Why you hired your first employee

What your promise is (and why your customers should care)

Who you are and what you stand for

How you knew you needed to do what you do every day

Stories impact clients and prospects in many ways. They give them content to connect with. They give them context to see them in our business. And most importantly, stories humanize the business brand, helping move from a logo and a building, to a cause, a reason for being, and a greater good. A well told story allows customers to get lost in your story, to see where they fit in your story, and most importantly, they help them see how your product or service can help them make an even better story than without you.

Practice your stories. Write about your products, your services, your brand, yourself. Figure your stories out and then share them with your world.

YOUR TURN: What’s YOUR best story about your company? Share a link or a comment below and let’s get the story telling started.

In Nielsen’s 2012 annual Social Media Report, they reported that Americans were, collectively, spending more than two billion hours on social media sites every month.

With 212 million Americans using some form of social media, businesses (both small and large) cannot overlook these sites when coming up with a marketing plan.

Here are a few tips to nail your company’s social media presence:

1. Plan Your Strategy

With so many social networking sites to choose from, each with its own style of conversation, you’ll have to come up with a plan in order to be successful. Before you make your first post or tweet, you need to decide which networks will work best for your company’s product or service, and how you’ll use those networks to keep your name in front of customers.

2. Choose Your Networks

On that note, you should choose networks with a format and style that will work for your business. For instance, if you have a service-oriented business that doesn’t lend itself well to a photo format, you’ll want to stay away from Pinterest. But if you sell a tangible, specialty product, Pinterest may be the perfect way to keep people talking about it.

3. Take Care when Crafting Content

You can’t just toss out a link to your product or service at regular intervals and expect people to be engaged. If your Twitter feed is full of links to your products, with no conversation or other interaction, other users may view your profile as spam. Take the time to craft lively, useful content for each network — and share content created by others if your followers will find it useful.

4. Tailor the Message

You also shouldn’t post the same content to every network. Your Twitter feed should look different than your Facebook wall, and both should have content other than just links to your company blog or products. Ask and answer questions on Twitter; create polls and video content for Facebook; and engage with your readers on your company blog.

5. Share the Love

If all of your profiles are all about you, all the time, you’re going to lose followers faster than you gain them. No one wants to hang out with the guy who talks about himself all the time, and it’s the same with a company’s social media presence.

Think about what your customers need, and what information they crave — and then help them find it. Post a link to an interesting news article about your industry, or re-tweet a customer’s link to her blog post about her great experience with your product.

Navigating the ever-changing social media landscape can be confusing, and you don’t want to build a bunch of profiles, only to see them lie dormant and neglected.

But if you have a plan from the start, you can make your company’s social media presence a success.

About the Author: Angie Mansfield writes about a range of business topics for a variety of sites, includingReputation.com.

Very often I get what I expect, for better or for worse. I always expect the best out of people, and fortunately, I get what I expect. People generally EXCEED my expectations – and they’re even better than I’d hoped they’d be.

But I also prepare for the worst. I leave myself extra time everywhere I go – just in case. This morning offered a great reason of why I do both of these things.

I am on my way to Phoenix for a speaking engagement. I booked the first flight of the day out, as I always do, just in case there are weather problems out of Milwaukee, or Chicago, as is often the case. This morning was no exception.

As I was driving to the airport, I learned my flight was delayed and I’d only have a 5 minute window for connection in Chicago. No way would I make that. Chicago is a HUGE airport, so I prepared for the worst and called American Airlines. And then I expected the best – and Alicia didn’t disappoint. She got me on a later flight through and made sure I didn’t have to go through Chicago. HOORAY!

I also expected the folks at the check in counter to be the best, and they were. Even though Scott wasn’t sure it was a good morning, once we got chatting, his mood changed and he got me into a great seat out of Milwaukee.

Once again, I prepared for the worst as I walked to my gate. The weather wasn’t any better, so I found a comfortable spot to sit and do some work. And I got a delay – now for another 90 minutes, so I’ll be able to get a ton of work done now.

As I was wrapping up the video part of this post, they just announced there is an 18 minute window from Milwaukee to Chicago so everyone had to get on the plane NOW. Crazy, but typical.

In business, I find the same things happen to me. I always prepare for the worst. I have a plan in case someone blows up my name online, and, unless it’s a major publication, it will be hard to top the work I’ve done to manage my online reputation. But I expect the best – and I let just about anyone be my Facebook friend, my Twitter follower, my LinkedIn connection, as long as they’ll add value to my network. I also am saving money for a rainy day (pun intended) in case things go sideways for my business. One never knows what might happen. I’m expecting things to get better and better, and I am confident they will. I know that at any time, business could change and I might be suffering from a sequestration like my friends who do a lot of work with the military.

How about you? Are you preparing for your worst case scenario – and yet expecting the best of those around you?

NOTE: If you can’t see the embedded video, read the article, and I’ll click the link at the end of the article.

Today I was stopped in my tracks by an article that was a lot different than I expected. It’s in praise of being unremarkable and I think it has some valid points.

To quickly summarize, the author points out that not everyone should choose to flower “rainbow bombs” or pursue other lofty dreams, that instead they can choose the unremarkable. As someone who is following his passion, I didn’t think this would resonate with me at all – but it did. It made me think about the power of choice, and in finding meaning in whatever we are doing. The remarkable nature of everything is there, we just have to look for it, sometimes right in front of us, and sometimes more deeper.

Finding your why – your purpose – your meaning, and then working for that can be rewarding and, dare I say, remarkable. When I coach people, I encourage them to find THEIR why, and then work towards that. That’s the end of days. That’s your legacy. What legacy do you want to leave?

I have 2 brothers who I love and admire greatly. They both have 2 children, and do more traditional jobs than I do. One is a public school teacher, and one is a salesman. They both work really hard, and they are really good at what they do. They are amazing guys – and amazing men – and their legacy will be their children.

Every choice they make, they think about their children first. And for that, I stand in awe of them. For their choices, and for being glad to make those choices. Not begrudgingly, not because they have to, but because they WANT to.  They are great dads, and I know their children, and the world, will be better for the work they have put into their families.

That my friends is remarkable, and that is inspiring to me.

If you’re doing work you are proud to do, then you too are remarkable my friend. If you choose to do what you have to do, and you do it well, then you are remarkable. Embrace what you do. Love it all up. Find what’s passionate in what you do, and follow that.

You don’t have to be me and be an entrepreneur to be remarkable. You have a choice – and neither is wrong. But please – choose. And then move forward, passionately.

Couldn’t watch the video? Here is the video about the choices we make about remarkability.

In What’s Your Green Goldfish? Stan Phelps shares the “secrets” to employee engagement – and ultimately, the secret to adding green to your bottom line. From little things like toilets to big things like benefits for employees after they die, Phelps has found and catalogued all the best ways your company can use employee engagement to make your business great.

In this quick interview, Stan and I discuss many of the ways employers can engage their employees and increase their bottom line, without spending a ton of money.

I LOVE THIS BOOK and you will too! I gave a blurb for it and I think it is a must have for small business owners and managers and leaders at EVERY level!

FREE KINDLE BOOK: Thanks to the wonderful folks at Amazon, from now until April 5th, 2013, you can get a free copy of What’s Your Green Goldfish on the Kindle. Download What’s Your Green Goldfish? now – and enjoy it forever!

1. Do What You Love… and KEEP Doing It.

I know, I know, we hear this absolutely everywhere. “Do what you love and the money will follow,” right? Only it doesn’t always. At least not right away. So here’s the REAL reason to do what you love – the dirty, gritty, ugly side of entrepreneurism that inspirational speakers don’t always talk about: it’s HARD.

It’s SERIOUSLY hard, and you’re going to run into obstacles – massive, looming, gargantuan-sized obstacles – and there are going to be times when you think to yourself that this is just never going to work, never ever. It’s going to repeat over and over in your head like some kind of miserable, existential children’s rhyme: “never ever ever never never never never ever…” It just is. Sometimes.

When this happens, when things just aren’t working out and your dream isn’t blossoming into the myriad of happy, shiny rainbows that dance in your imagination and the real world walks right up and gets in your face and smacks you in the side of your head – HARD – well if you don’t love what you’re doing, you’re not going to get back up for round two.

Take me, for example. I love computer programming, specifically programming mobile apps. I love it. I live it breathe it can’t get enough of it love it. So when our little LLC released its first app this past November and over the next three months managed to sell exactly 30 copies at a revenue of just over $2.00 per sale, I was profoundly disappointed. EXTREMELY disappointed. But I love programming, so I didn’t give up. I really don’t think I have it in me to give up programming. It’s not that I don’t want to, you understand. It’s that I CAN’T.

So when I say you have to do what you love I mean you have to LOVE it. You have to want this thing to work so badly that you just refuse to give up. When your first product goes live and hardly anybody buys it, you have to refuse to give up. When you send out fifty press releases and nobody, I mean NOBODY, picks up the story, you have to refuse to give up. The business you’re trying to build can’t just be a “wouldn’t that be nice” kind of dream. It has to be more of a “this is my destiny” kind of dream, especially in today’s economy. It has to come from deep in your gut and fill your heart with passion and make you want it so badly that you can taste the sheer joy of it from five or ten years away or however long it takes no matter what.

2. Be Customer-driven… Even If They Drive You Off the Road.

When we built our first app, “Heirlooms,” and I say “we” because like any other entrepreneurial venture the whole family got dragged into it, we designed it for my mother. So we had a design-inspired customer base of one, but at least it was a real person who had a real need we were trying to meet! (Shameless plug here: Heirlooms in the App Store is for both iPhone and iPad and retails for a whopping $2.99.)

The app was designed to let Mom save information about family treasures in her iPad so that stories and information about things like the hutch that my great-great-grandfather built or the painting that she and my dad bought on their honeymoon would be preserved for the next generation. The kids actually loved it too and spent most of their Christmas visit with Grandma and Grandpa asking where everything came from, including every single Christmas ornament we put on the tree. Mom LOVED it. But other people weren’t as happy.

As i already mentioned, we didn’t sell a whole lot of copies of the first version, but in early to mid January we got an e-mail from a disappointed customer saying that because she couldn’t get her heirlooms information out of the app she felt she had wasted her three dollars. So here we are, two months into what is turning out to be a completely failed launch, we’ve sold almost no copies, and now the only feedback we’ve gotten from any customer is completely negative. Last thing I wanted to hear in the world, right?

WRONG! Finally! Someone was telling us what they wanted! I read that email and all I thought was, “[Enter your favorite expletive here], I guess we better fix that!”

Just five and a half weeks later we released version 1.1 as a free update to the original app. Now users could e-mail their heirlooms to other people as file attachments. Realizing that this wasn’t especially useful if the recipient didn’t happen to have the app, we also introduced a free reader version of the app (entitled, in a flash of creative inspiration, Heirlooms Free) that people could download to import the heirlooms attachment, view the data, and even add their own story and send it back.

So now we had TWO happy customers. Only it turned out to be more than two…

We went back to our list of people and blogs and organizations we had contacted about the first version of the app and let them know about the update. This time, people wrote back. We even had one reviewer who had promised to write something about the first version and somehow never got around to it, but posted a rave review on her blog just HOURS after receiving the news about the update. (Shameless plug number two: the rave review.)

But even before the reviews started hitting the Internet, we had people downloading the free version to try it, apparently just finding the app through random searches in the App Store. Which leads me to my third key principle of entrepreneurism…

3. Let Them Try It… BEFORE They Have To Commit To Buying It.

The truth is we are in a TOUGH economy right now. It’s getting better, I guess, maybe, according to the news, some days, but we all know it’s still not great. And in a tough economy people are a lot more careful with their money. So even though this is really just a corollary of being customer-driven, it is important enough in today’s economy to talk about it separately.

In hard times, people are tougher consumers than ever. Our whole app update came from a customer who was upset enough to write to a company for not giving her enough for her three dollars. Three dollars! But that’s the reality of today’s market, and to be honest I thank God that she was upset enough over the three bucks to write to us about it. If she hadn’t been, we never would have known what our customers really wanted.

I attribute only half of our turn-around success to the update itself. I attribute the other half to the release of the free version. Yes, people like to communicate – look at Facebook for heaven’s sake – so adding the ability to e-mail heirlooms back and forth is a huge plus. But people also want a chance to give something a try before they shell out their cash for it. Or they want a money-back guarantee.

And hey, to be perfectly honest, this applies to me too. I am far more likely as a consumer to shop at a place that has cheerfully accepted my returns in the past with no questions asked. I am far more likely to buy an iPhone game if the developer gave me a few levels to try for free so I can make sure I like it. Sure, it LOOKS cool, but you really don’t know until you get your hands on it.

That’s today’s customer. They want to get their hands on it, drive it, taste it, try it on, try it out, kick the tires a few times before they’re sure. Today’s customer is TOUGH, and we as entrepreneurs need to understand that, accept it, respect it, and adapt. Give them a chance to try it out and make it good enough that they will consider it a decent value for the price.

So that’s my story so far, and I promise you there will be more to tell down the road, because I love programming too much to believe I will ever stop doing it. I’ll let you know the next chapter as it unfolds! In the meantime, if you want to be successful as an entrepreneur, remember: do what you love… and keep doing it; be customer-driven… even if they drive you off the road; and let them try it… before they have to commit to buying it. Today’s economy might be tough, but there is still room for success if you navigate it well.

About the author: Erin Michelle Sky is the co-founder of Trash Dogs LLC, a mobile app development company based in Georgia.

So, what do you do when your online reputation is being called into question? Do you panic? Do you try and cover things up? Lastly, do you fight to restore your good name and that of your business, hoping not to take much of a financial hit?

As some business owners have discovered over time, it just takes one negative comment, one questionable posting, one miscommunication to put you and/or your business in peril.

Before there was the Internet, business owners typically only had to worry about the occasional irate customer showing up at their store, mailing them a nasty letter, or picking up the phone to vent.

Now, however, the Internet means that many customers can take to the electronic airwaves to vent, sometimes putting you and your company in jeopardy, a situation that can play out in front of countless eyes.

According to a 2012 Safe Home Products survey of U.S. shoppers, 91 percent of consumers use online shopping for researching goods and services, while 78 percent claimed they were going to spend more time utilizing online shopping going forward. The bottom line, that means more potential eyes are checking out your company website, not to mention your social media pages.

With that being the case, business owners need to make sure their online footprints will not get them stuck in quicksand.

Among the ways to protect one’s online reputation:

* Know the reason behind your visits – What exactly is your reasoning behind being online in the first place? Are you there as a business owner to promote your company’s goods and services, assist customers who have questions or issues, give your rivals some competition in the social media and online marketing world or just feel like you have to have a presence in today’s information age? Clearly, you need to have some reasoning behind why you have a company website, utilize social media, and engage in online forums etc. Always know the purpose behind things you do, so that you stand a better chance of succeeding;

* Think before you type and/or post – With all you have to do as a business owner, do you allocate the right amount of time to being online? For some business owners, they farm out the work they want done on social media, blogging, talking with customers. Others, however, like that hands-on approach. Whichever one works for you, make sure there is time and effort put into it. If you or one of your employees has a run-in with a customer, don’t take to social media as an example to rant about it. Not only could you lose business over it, but it makes you and/or your company look unprofessional. If you are celebrating an event in the office, do not post images that could offend people on your company Facebook or Pinterest pages. What seems innocent to you could offend others, including current and potential customers. Always run through your head as to whether or not something is appropriate for others to see online before posting;

* Know what is being said – Finally, do you know what is being said online about you and/or your business? Too many business owners get tied up in their everyday business dealings, therefore not having time to check their online reputations. Along with customers, there are companies out there conceivably talking about you and your business online, offering private information that you may not want out there. Do a Google search from time to time to see what is being said about you and your company, especially looking to dismiss negative information.

If your online reputation means as much to you as it should, then make this the year your reputation gets your full attention.

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers small business and career topics for various websites, including perfecting your online reputation.

Start  by Doing Your Homework

If you walk into a meeting with a financial person totally unprepared, it’s going to make you look bad and likely will waste both parties time. You need to do your homework on the front end and find out the basic concepts of finance. If the expert has to start from square one explaining basic concepts to you, then you will not be able to get very far in one conversation, and you’ll likely not be seen as a good client. It will take a little bit of effort on your part, but it will make the meeting much more productive and will waste less of both of your time.

Know What Questions to Ask

When you are about to get involved with a financial expert, you need to know what to ask them. Research your business’ financials and figure out what you’re having trouble understanding. If you know what you want to accomplish with your business, you’ll be able to ask better questions. For example, you might ask a specific question about online savings account interest rates and why they are what they are. Most financial experts will actually enjoy and want to do business with someone who knows what they are doing in this regard. When you ask uninformed questions, you won’t be able to make a very good impression with the expert and likely will not be able to secure this professional’s services.

Do more homework – research the expert

If you will take the time to research the expert you’re meeting with before your meeting, you’ll make a better first impression. For instance, if you know that the expert used to work for an online stock broker, you can make small talk about the broker or even the online investment world. Anything you can find out about the financial expert before you go into the meeting can be beneficial. Start with a Google search, which should turn up any online profiles they have, and provide you with plenty to talk about during our meeting.

No matter how good the first meeting goes, take time to develop a long-term relationship. Keep in contact with the expert, by adding value to the relationship, and you’ll have a much better chance of developing a positive working relationship. Though you’re hiring a service provider, if you respect the expert’s time and bring as much to the table as you can, the relationship will be win-win and the other person will actually pick up the phone when you call and not dread your number on their caller ID.