Why would I, a seemingly intelligent woman with a lot of holiday obligations, think that the end of the year would be a good time to devote countless hours learning to become an internet presence? I like things to start on the 1st and end on the 30th. Start in January and end in December. Get it? I like and need deadlines. Even numbers and concrete start and end dates work for me. THAT’S what possessed me in October to launch my own website. I thought it should be as easy as Blogspot; just choose a few things, plug in some info and photos and voila! Little did I know that there was a helluva lot more to it than a simple plug & play job. TONS of decisions needed to be made on everything from host, template and design to colors, pictures and content. And each choice came not only with a HOW but with a WHY. So I have been worked up, worked over and generally distressed (albeit excited) for the past two months.
Some people say that launching a website is like giving birth. I beg to differ. It is more like getting the crazy idea to ask that hottie out on a date. When you ask someone out, you are making yourself INCREDIBLY vulnerable. What if they say no? What if they laugh at you? What if they just walk away? But they COULD say “yes”! Putting yourself out there on the web, feels like doing the same thing. The people still may say no, laugh at you or “walk” away, but they may also say “YES”!
Working with pros that I trust and have confidence in made the process so much easier. Thankfully I have had amazing help and support from two fantastic friends who are professionals in fields necessary to make this project work – Byron Gronseth (graphic design) and Erroin Martin (business coach and web design). They have guided and coached me in just the right way. Thanks guys, you are the best. I needed to be OPEN to criticism and suggestion, from friends no less. Here are a few examples:
- I had a single idea in my head of what I wanted my logo to look like and Byron dutifully drew a mock-up. Once I saw it I realized how truly ridiculous it was. Byron, having good sense, had alternatives ready for me to look at because he KNEW it was ridiculous, but told me in the gentlest possible way, with a chuckle in his voice, offering alternatives. FYI – the new logo looks nothing like I originally envisioned.
- I loved my little point and shoot camera. It fit into all of my handbags and I THOUGHT it took pretty good pictures. Erroin told me to go get a new camera (Moment of Truth – I spent more on this ONE camera than I have on ALL of my cameras in my lifetime COMBINED). Now I realize my little camera takes great pictures of people and suck ass pics of food, and that’s what you all really want to see! Old camera on left – New camera on right.
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- Byron lives in Seattle and Erroin lives in NoCal – and yes I am still in Vegas – but I learned there is so much more than Skype out there for videoconferencing. Did you know you can share screens? Well hot damn! Don’t ask me to set it up, but I know how to link in if you invite me!
- Both were incredibly patient with me while I learned a new language, tried to explain myself and adjusted to the fact that I didn’t know what the hell I was talking about. (I just found out what a “favicon” is, even though I insist on calling it a “FLAVicon”. I have one BTW.)
- They both encouraged me to be true to myself and stop trying to be so fucking proper. I am having fun discovering my authentic self (in print and online) and not focusing on what I think everyone expects. Huge thank you to THIS BOOK by Erika Napoletano.
And mostly thank you to my supportive spouse John. He took a simple conversation and ran with it. While we were talking, he went online, bought my domain and then said, “Congratulations! You ARE GoodforSpooning.com. Now what are you going to do with it?” He made everything possible not only financially, but helped me stretch my comfort zone and forced me to jump into the “big kids” pool.
These are the last words on Blogspot – next Tuesday Good for Spooning launches and the blog will be there, along with more info about me, my job and how you can hire me to improve your events.
Here goes SOMETHING…
