Personally, I loved her story about the entrepreneur in land-locked Rwanda who started a business making toilet paper and now supplies the majority of the country’s product. It’s the common theme of starting a business – discovering a need and filling it.

You can listen to the podcast below, or subscribe in iTunes. Thanks for listening, and let us know how we’re doing!

Amazed by those who shoot themselves (and their biz) in the foot, over and over again. Relationships and reputation come first, people.

Today I wanted to expand upon this thought, as it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot in 2009. I’ve seen this happen countless times, regardless of the individual’s age, experience level and profession.

Reputation and relationships are the building blocks of any business, and if you can’t remember these fundamentals, you are absolutely doomed.

Here’s a not-so-hypothetical situation we came across earlier in the month. Hillary and I were in a meeting with a prospective client, and they specifically mentioned a few disparaging Twitter posts that a local businessperson had made about them months earlier. The company remembered every detail, down to the specifics of this person’s Twitter avatar, and one of their team members stated “doesn’t this person realize they might be in a position to do business with us some day?”

Translation: Every person you meet and every relationship you forge is a potential business opportunity, or at the very least, a connection that can benefit you down the road. Today, with self-publishing tools like Twitter and blogs, our voices have amplifiers with unlimited reach. So, if you’re in business for yourself or publicly representing someone else’s business, use these tools wisely. Everyone you haven’t met yet is now potentially your audience. And, oh yeah, Google remembers everything.

Just to be clear, I think it’s awesome that social technology platforms have given consumers a louder voice and direct contact with companies, bypassing the old gatekeepers. You have every right to expect good service, and you have every right to gripe online if you got ripped off or treated poorly. But this post isn’t about the tools, nor is it aimed at the Pizza Hut customer who just got a cold pizza. This is about being a grown-up, professional businessperson and acting like one.

Your reputation is with you for the long haul. Consider that the next time you feel the urge to call someone out or ignite a flame war online. Today’s social tools give us immediacy, but also they tend to disrupt our self control. Think about the tone of your post — would you say it the same way if you were face-to-face with that person or company in real life? What’s the end result you’re expecting by making the post? Can it be achieved by picking up the phone or firing off an email and respectfully asking “Hey, what’s going on with this? I have some concerns.”

Again, you have the tools and freedoms to create whatever digital assets you want. These assets form the foundation (positive or negative) of your online presence, which will inevitably be seen by potential employers and clients. How will you be perceived? The answer is firmly within your control.

I’ve spent most of this post talking about digital relationships, but of course your IRL ones matter, too. If you’re rude, obnoxious, disrespectful and generally unlikeable in person, other human beings won’t want to do business or even interact with you. Plain and simple. Your competitors will pick up on this immediately and eat your lunch.

Look, I’m not saying you need to censor yourself or neuter your personality. I’m talking about using common sense when dealing with other people, online and off. We’ve all made these mistakes. I’ve made them. Be helpful, decent, and keep those doors open instead of closed.

Image credit: Despair.com

Two years ago, public speaking isn’t something I imagined doing a lot of in my career, or even enjoying. Fast forward to today, and in fact quite the opposite has happened: I do a significant amount of it and I actually look forward to each and every engagement.

For those who are considering getting more active with public speaking, or maybe even thrust into a situation where it’s required of you, I wanted to create a post that serves as a guide for getting comfortable, getting better, and getting more gigs. Let’s get started.

Do it for free for one year.

This exact bit of advice was given to me by Drew McLellan when I was just starting out. I stuck to this motto and accepted every opportunity thrown my way – large and small. This kept me highly visible and I slowly built up a reputation network, a few connections here, a few references there, and so on. Today, public speaking is one of our services and makes up a significant percentage of our revenue. If compensation is your end goal, remember that you need to earn it first. Nobody invites you to speak and hands you money just because. If you do a good job, word will spread, and opportunities will come your way.

(Oh yeah, it’s cool to keep taking free gigs. Often times high exposure will beat a paycheck. You get to build your own filter.)

Learn from others.

I recently attended BlogWorld Expo 2009, and while the content was excellent, I learned just as much about speaking styles (and improving my own) by studying some of the individual speakers. Jeremiah Owyang‘s solo session taught me how to keep focused on connecting with the audience and their needs, putting less reliance on slides. Patrick O’Keefe demonstrated an amazing ability to lead an efficient panel discussion and keep each panelist on task and topic. (Not an easy task when Robert Scoble is one of the participants and wants to show off Twitter Lists!)

Go out and observe other speakers. Figure out what they’re doing right, what they’re doing wrong, and how you can adapt some of what you learn into your own presentations.

Prepare for questions.

Honestly, Hillary and I spend more time preparing for (and trying to anticipate) tough questions than we do buttoning-up the presentation itself. If you can’t answer your audience’s questions, chances are likely you won’t be getting many more speaking opportunities. Think ahead about their specific challenges and fears, and try to predict them. Have case studies in the hopper and be flexible. (This gets easier and comes more naturally over time.) Remember, they’re looking to you as the expert, so be ready to step up.

Be ready to adjust on the fly.

Despite all the time and effort you put into preparing for a speaking engagement, the needs of your audience may not fit into the exact framework you assembled. For example, let’s say you’re giving a Social Media 101 presentation, and multiple audience members really don’t get the benefits of having a LinkedIn account, and they want you to help them dig deeper. Be ready for this. You’ll also need to stay aware of how much time is left and what to skip over. Always come prepared with more ammunition and inventory than you think you’ll need.

Meet as many people as you can.

This one’s a no-brainer. Call it old-school social networking. Get to know the people who run conferences and professional organizations. The more people who know about you, the better. I recently spoke at the MIMA Summit but made a point to get to know Jennifer Kane (a major decision-maker). Ideally, this will help me get invited back next year.

Give them proof.

If you want to seek out bigger speaking opportunities, you’re going to need proof that you’re good at what you do. Document your speaking gigs with video, photos and share your presentations on Slideshare. I’ve organized all of my material, plus some references, on a speaking page that I often refer people to. I patterned my page after Chris Brogan’s, which is awesome. This gives anyone thinking about hiring you an idea of what to expect.

Create opportunities for others.

My very first speaking opportunity was actually handed to me by Mike Sansone, who had a conflict and couldn’t make it. Along the way, you’ll come across gigs that aren’t a good fit or just don’t jive with your schedule. This is your chance to recommend someone else – maybe somebody who is just getting started but knows their stuff. This is good karma. Use it!

Be entertaining.

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Even if you’re the most knowledgeable person on the topic, you can easily bore a room to death if you don’t show any personality. Make fun of yourself. Tell a funny story. This will help you make an instant connection with the audience. You’re there to inform, but you can also entertain.

Wrapping up

So, there you have it. Mr. Brogan and Owyang also have a ton of smart, insightful things to say on this topic, some of which overlap with mine. I’d encourage you to read those posts, as well.

What are your suggestions and tips on how to get started? What’s worked for you? What hasn’t? I’d love to hear your thoughts below.

We all know health care is ridiculously expensive. For small businesses and entrepreneurs it can be a nightmare. The potential runaway costs can be preventative to someone making the jump and starting their own business, which is not what we need right now in this country. We need more people starting new stuff, not less.

I was so excited when I stumbled across the above video of Mike Draper (owner of SMASH, no relation to Don Draper) testifying about the need for health care reform in front of the House Ways and Means Committee. Yes, that’s Des Moines’ own mikeD in … gasp! … a suit! SMASH is an apparel and screenprinting store in the East Village with 12 employees, just across the courtyard from our little office.

Mike candidly, eloquently and humorously makes the case for reform in this video, and totally throws down for Des Moines. Over the past couple of years, Mike has become a cultural force within our city (whether he knows it or not) and it’s fantastic to see him get this opportunity. I really respect Mike, his achievements, and what he’s been able to build. If you’ve never been to Des Moines, be sure to stop in at SMASH and buy a t-shirt from the gang there. Enjoy.

Three things:

1.) This is awesome for Des Moines and Iowa. The future of Des Moines’ tech and innovation community gets a huge rocket boost with news like this — SmartyPig proves that you can have a good idea here, find the talent and resources to build it here, and be successful on a global scale.

2.) Personally, I love this line from the Register article:

(SmartyPig’s) growth has come with very little paid advertising… SmartyPig has used social networking sites, including Twitter, Facebook and others, to encourage its customers to connect … and spread the word about its unique savings accounts.

Building off my comments about the social media time investment, the SmartyPig team spent two years connecting with customers in digital mediums and busting their asses with online PR, not lazily paying overpriced ad firms to design wasteful billboards and print ads that nobody would notice.

3.) Back in February, Marc Andreessen appeared on Charlie Rose and noted the need for creating new banks instead of bailing out old, broken ones. SmartyPig is absolutely the kind of thing Marc was asking for. I’ve posted the video below.

Big congratulations to the entire SmartyPig team! Onward and upward!

Disclosure: We weren’t asked or paid by SmartyPig to write this post. We have done project work for them in the past but this article comes 100% from our excitement for them and the Des Moines tech community.

Descriptions for the workshops and venue location are below. We want to stress that this programming track is “101″ in nature — meaning that it’s perfect for those who have not jumped headfirst into the social media world, but are curious about it. Tickets are $25 per person.

Building business intelligence and managing reputation through social media
Monday, May 18, 11:30am-1:00pm, Des Moines Social Club

Fact: Your customers are talking about you online. This workshop teaches you and your team how to harness listening and monitoring technology (Google Reader, Technorati, Twitter Search, etc.) for the purpose of scanning conversations in blogs, social networks, user forums, message boards and online communities for mentions of your business, competitors and other relevant topics.

You’ll also learn how to effectively engage your online audience on their own turf with honest, human-to-human discourse, as well as how to deal with detractors. We’ll cover best practices, share real-life case studies, and help you set up a company-wide engagement strategy (what to respond to, what not to respond to, and who in the company should respond).

Tickets are $25 per person and available at the door. RSVP at MeetUp.com.

Expanding the Digital Footprint of your Business with Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn
Tuesday, May 19, 11:30am-1:00pm, Des Moines Social Club

Social networks are getting a lot of buzz right now, but how can a business actually execute an strategic presence within them? What are the demographics of these social networks and should you expect your audience to be there? This workshop will answer that question and more, including best practices on how your company should behave and participate within online social channels and what to expect in terms of ROI.

Tickets are $25 per person and available at the door. RSVP at MeetUp.com.

The Des Moines Social Club is located at 1408 Locust in the Western Gateway of downtown Des Moines. Please enter through the front door. We’ll see you there!

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If you’re interested in any of the other topics we cover with businesses and organizations, please check out our social media workshops page.

If you’ve recently started your own business, or you’re trapped in a cubicle thinking about ditching “The Man,” we’d love for you to attend. Each session will consist of a conversation between two local speakers sharing their personal experiences, emotional highs, lows, hurdles and triumphs – with audience participation, of course. The full line-up is outlined below.

We’re experimenting with a couple of ticket payment options. Series passes are available for $150, or you can name your own price for individual session tickets. Please visit the event registration page on EventBrite to RSVP and purchase your passes. All proceeds from the series will go towards keeping Impromptu Studio a low-cost facility option for entrepreneurs, and a hub for the technology community in Des Moines!

Lunch will be provided. You’ll have a chance to network and eat from 11:30 am – 12:00 pm, and the speaker conversations will last from 12:00-1:00 pm. Hope to see you out there!

Making the Jump: Mistakes and Hurdles
Friday, January 30 – 11:30-1:00
Join Liza Kindred (Lullabot) and Brian Hemesath (Diligent IS, Catchwind) as they discuss common pitfalls and mistakes made when forming a business, and how to overcome various logistical and emotional obstacles.

Networking: Get out there!
Friday, February 13 – 11:30-1:00
Andy Drish (Principal Financial Group) and Justin Brady (Test of Time Design) will share various methods of getting out there and networking yourself socially and digitally – whether you’re looking to start your own biz right now or a few years down the road.

Avoiding the Day-to-Day: Staying Inspired & Motivated
Friday, February 27 – 11:30-1:00
Ron Wagner (comic book & storyboard artist) and Teri TeBockhorst (serial entrepreneur & former owner of East Village Books) join forces to talk about the emotional side of being in business for yourself: how to stay motivated, how to avoid depression, and how to constantly reinvent yourself.

Running Cheap & Lean: Bootstrapping 101
Friday, March 6 – 11:30-1:00
Jason Walsmith (The Nadas, Authentic Records) and Doug Mitchell (CreateWOWmedia) share success stories (and horror stories) of how they bootstrapped their respective businesses.

Character: Don’t be an @$$hole
Friday, March 20 – 11:30-1:00
Brett Trout (Law Offices of Brett Trout) and Adam Steen (25 Connections) talk about the importance of character in business relationships, and how it can affect your reputation, referral network and bottom line.

Marketing: How to get creative in a tight economy
Friday, April 3 – 11:30-1:00
Speakers: Mike Ferrari & Mike Wagner
Mike Ferrari (SmartyPig.com) and Mike Wagner (White Rabbit Group) share various ways in which they’ve creatively (and inexpensively) marketed their businesses in a tight economy.

The official series page is set up here over on the Impromptu Studio blog. Thanks to Andy Brudtkuhl and Daniel Shipton for helping put this together!

However, the one social network that I’ve derived the most professional value out of thus far has been Twitter, hands down. For those that aren’t familiar with Twitter, it’s a growing social network of about one million users, built upon short, 140-character status updates (or "tweets") between participants.

Twitter is virtually spam-free and has connected me to dozens of like-minded people working in similar industries here in Des Moines, and beyond. Eventually I’ve ended up meeting most of these connections in real life, either through Des Moines Twitter Meetups (we call them "TweetUps") or at industry conferences.

So, if you’re a freelancer, a small business owner, an entrepreneur, or in a sales role, I would absolutely recommend adding Twitter to your social networking toolbox. (I’m assuming you already have a presence on LinkedIn – but if not, you should do so.)

One thing to note about using Twitter: Unlike LinkedIn, you’re expected to not just have a presence there, but participate in all the conversation going on. Twitter’s value comes from the quality of conversation you engage in and the quality of connections – not the quantity.

Happy tweeting!

Be wary. Getting involved with Big-Talkers will waste your valuable time, and at the very worst can damage the reputation of you and your business. After dealing with enough of them, I’ve started to develop a “spam filter” (if you will) so that I can efficiently weed them out.

If the following criteria apply, you’ve likely sniffed out a Big-Talker:

Do they talk about large budgets in the first conversation?
Do they feed you lines like “I’ve got a big-time client that I need your help with” or “We’re devoting lots of money to this” or “We’ve spent $X already.” In most legit cases, people won’t reveal budget specifics until further into the relationship.

Do they contact you from far away, but never inquire about where you’re located?
This means they didn’t do their homework when looking you up, and are probably in panic mode, looking for somebody to clean up their messes.

Do they want to “pick your brain” for suggestions and strategy before entering into a contractual agreement, or at the very least, a face-to-face meeting?
Your experience and knowledge should speak for itself. I firmly believe that ideas are intellectual property, and should be treated as such — especially if your livelihood depends on it. When putting forth spec ideas in a proposal, make sure to include the appropriate legal verbiage to protect yourself.

Do they suddenly go very quiet, and sometimes disappear, right after you propose your fees?
If this happens, don’t waste your time following up — they were never serious.

Can they be found in Google searches, or on LinkedIn?
If there’s no trace of them online, there’s probably a reason.

Do contracts and work orders make them sweat?
Big-Talkers will say things like “Oh, we work without contracts all the time” and will push you to start projects before everything is signed off. Always get signatures.

Do they contact you from a weird e-mail address?
Seriously, it’s harder to trust catlady1799@aol.com as a serious business prospect.

Avoid these types at all costs. Even as minor annoyances, they steal precious time that could be better spent elsewhere.

Click here to see how we can assist your company or organization, or find out who actually works at Lava Row. (Hint: everyone.)

Don’t hesitate to drop us a line, we’re always up for a chat. More good stuff coming soon, we promise!