2-6-20 I enjoy telling stories about local businesses

I am a story teller at heart.

A few years ago I got into writing stories about Whidbey businesses. My professional background was as a marketing research and public involvement consultant. Then I moved to Whidbey and was asked to write a couple of stories about marketing research for a local business magazine (Northwest Business Monthly, which no longer exists). I don’t even remember now what first created my connection with the magazine. Then, I was asked to write stories about local businesses for that publication.

Somehow, the publisher of Whidbey Local, JoAnna Weeks, learned about my writing, and she asked me to do business stories for her on-line publication. She encouraged me to write what I wanted, in my own style. She has now branded me as the “Business Spotlight.”  Each week, she trusts me to choose a business, tell their story, and it is published without any editing (my husband is my “official” editor).

I feel very privileged because I am having the delight of making my own choices and telling stories in my own way.

 I believe that what makes a business story appealing is knowing about the person or people who started the business. I ask three basic questions: Why did they come to live on Whidbey? Why did they decide to create their business? What is special or unique about the product and/or services they provide?

For me, a business story is really about the people behind the business. If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact me: carolyntamler@whidbey.net.

And, I invite you to check out a new story each week on The Business Spotlight on Whidbey Local: http://www.whidbeylocal.com/articles/1/5243

1-30-20 What draws attention to a Blog? A cat or a new baby

A couple of years ago, I wrote about not knowing or understanding what draws attention and responses to a blog, especially when you check your postings to see how many people opened and/or “liked” what you wrote.

Last time, I said that what really seemed to command attention was my cat, Dash. It seems as though whenever I post a picture of him (and, yes he is pretty handsome), I get several likes.

But in the last week, a new posting has drawn far more attention that our cat.  A week ago we welcomed a new grandson into our world. The picture of our newborn Jake got more responses than anything else I have ever placed on my personal Facebook page.

Guess Dash will just have to accept that he is not as attention-getting as a newborn.

Bard’s Boutique, a special way to promote theater on Whidbey

Every theater group has to look for ways to promote itself and bring in money to pay for the actors, directors and all of the people needed to put on a production.

Whidbey Island is blessed to have so many theater companies on the island.  The Island Shakespeare Festival, which operates in the summertime on Whidbey, has come up with a clever way to promote the festival, as well as bring in some funds to help with the cost of the productions.

Bard’s Boutique in Bayview Corner provides a range of Shakespeare-themed items for adults and children, plus some handmade items by local artists and craftspeople.  To learn more about Bard’s Boutique, read the recent article in the Business Spotlight of Whidbey Local:.

1-16-20 Are emails and texts good forms of communication, and are we losing some of our communication skills?

I’ve talked about this subject in earlier emails, but I am starting to have real concerns about whether the generations coming after me, and after my children, are going to lose basic communication skills.

Have you received an email with several misspellings or grammatical errors?

Have you had numerous text exchanges with someone and finally gave up and made a phone call to resolve something?

Have you received a group email that got sent around several times to several people, including you, even though you didn’t want to receive it?

Do you find yourself sometimes struggling to get through a long email, only to reach the end and realize you’re still not sure what it was all about?

Have you sent an email or a text assuming the other person would understand your words and your tone, only to get a response back that didn’t really relate to your intentions?

I’m sure you can come up with several other items to put on this list. In our high speed communication age, we rapidly email and text and tweet several times a day (our President believes in this). But are we really communicating?  There are some disagreements about how much human communication is non-verbal, but I think that we all can agree that lacking voice intonation, facial expression, body language and simply feeling another person’s energy, words alone will not necessarily convey thoughts accurately.

I have a bit of a silly streak in me (those who know me might say it is more than a bit). I learned a long time ago never to use my silliness in an email unless I was absolutely sure that the person knew me well enough to understand the communication (and I’m not sure it’s wise to send anyone a silly email). Of course, I can add an imogi, but……

Here are a few suggestions to avoid misunderstandings when emailing or texting:

• Keep it short and simple
• If at all possible, save your sincere, serious communications for in-person or by phone
• Read every email over before you press “Send”
• If you are sending out a longer email or something with important information, make sure you have someone else read it before you send it
• If you are feeling angry or frustrated with someone, DO NOT send them an email or text and let them know this; cool down first, and then make a phone call
• If you are sending an email to a group of people, use the bcc, even if everyone knows each other; it will seem more personal and it will be impossible for someone else to press the “Reply all” and send out swirling emails that can drive us crazy.

Better yet, whenever possible, call or meet with the person to whom you are sending an email.

1-9-20 Creating a vision for your business will help you attain your goals

I am a believer in the power of writing down your ideas and your plans for the future as a major way to accomplish what you want.

For your business, as well as your personal life, it helps to have a vision of where you want things to be a year from now (or you can do six months or some other time period, if you like).

Here is a simple process I have used when walking with business people about their goals for the future. I ask these three questions:

• If you can create a vision for your business (or yourself) a year from now, how will you describe what it will mean to accomplish that vision? Take time to list as many ideas as you can.
• What exists now to get you to that vision?
• What do you need to change or add in your life to accomplish that vision?

It’s a good idea to revisit these ideas during the year, and see if you want to add something else.

Take time also to congratulate yourself whenever you have accomplished something you set out to do.