Bye, Bye Boring Bio!
October 22, 2010 by Mary Ellen
The simple bio is one of the most necessary and difficult pieces of collateral to create.
I labored over several versions, all less-than-stellar.
My friend and marketing troubleshooter Mary Schmidt advised me, “Write like you’re talking with me over cocktails.”
“Thanks, Mary. Good advice, but I don’t have a clue what that means.” More failures. Then another call.
Mary encouraged me. She questioned, she suggested (Although I begged, she didn’t write the darn thing!). She eventually coached me to a finish far stronger than my beginning.
Thanks to Mary, I experienced the difference between a story and a stiff recitation of achievements.
Instead of a glorified resume, I developed a piece that resonated with my small business customer.
I understand the agonizing effort it takes for most entrepreneurs to write about themselves. Funny, starting made all the difference.
If you’re upgrading your bio or working on your first one, my advice is to find a friend. Let your friend coach with questions like these:
How did you discover your passion?
Is there a funny story in your past that put you on your path?
What words do your clients use to describe you?
Why do you do what you do?
Or, assign yourself homework such as:
List five key phrases you’d use to tell a reporter about yourself.
Conduct an interview with yourself – who, what, when, why and how.
Imagine you’re reporting on your life-to-date. Tell us about three big defining decisions.
Write a story about one book, movie, mentor or quote to impact your life.
Once you begin to work, write a biographical sketch of 600-700 words. Refine it by reading aloud…first to yourself and then to a good friend or partner.
See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?
Need a different approach to your marketing? Today’s topic is day twenty-two of a 45-day step-by-step marketing master plan. Choose to take your business to a new level topic by topic, day by day, with specific actions, based on clear worksheets. Act now to maximize your time and return on time invested. As a result, you’ll be in an entirely new position this time next year.
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4 Responses to “Bye, Bye Boring Bio!”
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Hi Mary Ellen,
I was drawn to the title of your post because my book, Bye-Bye Boring Bio, has the same name. Just this week, the newly revised, updated, and expanded second edition of the book debuted on Amazon.
You are absolutely right. Business owners everywhere struggle with describing what they do for whom and why it matters, now more than ever. That is why I created the Bye-Bye Boring Bio program. Articles, road tested templates, bio examples in every format to suit today’s social media applications and more traditional uses for speakers, authors, and experts are packed within to make creating the right bio for every situation a breeze. The book even includes access to three content-rich audio files to guide users to become masters of client enrollment, convert sales from the podium, and generate revenue from their books before they are published.
If your readers are struggling with preparing their stories to invite the right attention, let Bye-Bye Boring Bio be a welcome solution to ease that pain. It is the ultimate action guide for solopreneurs the world over who want to get seen, heard, celebrated and COMPEN$ATED for their expert status. I even offer a “pink spoon” of the book as a free gift when folks opt-in to enjoy my ezine.
My invitation is for everyone to transform their boring bios from wallpaper to wow to attract clients, speaking gigs, and media interviews now. Why wait a moment longer when help is so close at hand and such bountiful rewards await.
Warmly,
Nancy Juetten
Thank you Nancy for such a thoughtful post and delightful conversation this morning. I appreciate you reaching out and I look forward to reviewing your book. Believe me, this story will be told and retold. Thanks for sharing.
[...] Bye, Bye Boring Bio! [...]
You’re right, Mary Ellen – this story will be told and retold.
I’m actually one of those rare birds that enjoys crafting a bio. I know. They have support groups for people like me.
However, allow me to clarify that I’m referring to a “short” bio. I’ve never had occasion to create a full-length version, but when I do …
I’ll be checking back here to re-read your post!
Love this topic,
Melanie
#blogboost
P.S. If I may … I’d like to suggest you ditch the captcha, Mary Ellen, and I believe you’ll start getting more comments on these glorious posts you write.