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 |   The Good Life. |
I am a professional musician  , worship leader , small business owner , songwriter , aspiring author and freelance nonfiction writer with a chemical engineering degree . But that's just my resume. My profile of qualifications is only one of the ways in which I am unique. Here I chronicle my personal and professional goals and my efforts to achieve them. Occasionally I fail. Mostly, I take daily baby steps toward all my long-term goals. Much like the stories I pen, the songs I compose, and the businesses I run, I am always a work in progress. ![Merit Badge in Music
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To a dear friend whose talent for writing music is sensational. May you have a fabulous New Year, (((Brandi)))!!! *^*Kiss*^*
Big hugs,
Sherri *^*Heart*^*](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Music-1050.gif) ![Merit Badge in Organization
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I don't know how you do it, but I assume there's magic involved *^*Bigsmile*^* I have really enjoyed this month of planning and preparation for NaNoWriMo and I love how organized it all is. Thank you for hosting a great challenge and for your dedication to helping so many of us prepare with confidence and trepidation for National Novel Writing Month (known to sane folks as 'November' *^*Laugh*^*) at your [Link To Item #1474311]](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Organization-1150.gif) ![Merit Badge in Leadership
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For your hard work, commitment, talent and innovation in running the October NaNoWriMo Preparation each year, which helps many of us get our scattered thoughts together for November's novel-writing. And also because this badge has ducks on it.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Leadership.gif) |
Random temporary goal: PAY TAXES BY 4/15! Scheduled: Tuesday afternoonPost at Advice for Business Managers once per weekday. N/A. I am digging through the Adsense help files and forum to see how the heck you make money on ads. It's like this baffling algorithm even more complicated than, "How do I get my website to the top of a Google search?" Google is the King of Baffling Algorithms.One thing is becoming clear: The more valuable your keywords, the more advertisers are willing to pay for clicks and impressions. Therefore, a blog on business management, for example, is more valuable to advertisers than a spec fic ezine. Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week. Goal met, but I should go ahead and schedule a new post for Monday.Write one Textbroker article per weekday. Gah! Bonus weekend! I don't plan to write for Textbroker on the weekends on a routine basis, but I can earn extra money if I write this weekend. Textbroker offers bonuses when the writers aren't keeping up with the orders. Meet other writing goals.  MochaNotes.com list: No activiry.Launch one new performance repertoire song per week. Goal met.Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Hey, Baby" [E], Hey, Baby Brand the biz(es.) Goal met. More lessons, which Allie taught (yippee!), and I set up my desktop computer finally. I can use my laptop while students are in computer lab.15 minutes of small biz research per day. {e:FAIL} I was going to spend the weekend preparing for my meeting with my new attorney tomorrow, by reading up on the LLC entity and possibly drafting appropriate documents. That way, the attorney just has to read and give feedback rather than write from scratch (which, for a guy who charges hourly rates, is significantly cheaper.) Unfortunately, the Ohio Secretary of State website has been down so far all weekend. *kicks* Perform one household chore per day. Goal met: dishes.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. Meals: 7:00am Coffee (1) 8:00am Two cookies (4) 10:00am Two cookies (4) and three pieces of pound cake (6) 11:00am Candy corns (1) 12:00pm Tortilla (1) with cheese (2) and salsa (0), lima beans (3) 12:30pm Chocolate (3) TOTAL POINTS: 25 |
The StoryMaster  is offering discounted Gift Points as a way to spend your tax refund. What if you owe? Can we sell our Gift Points to pay our tax liability?  Random temporary goal: PAY TAXES BY 4/15! PENDING... with plans to do this Tuesday afternoon. {e:sternlooktoself}Post at Advice for Business Managers once per weekday. Goal met yesterday. No post today! It's Saturday.Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week. Goal met.NEW GOAL: Write one Textbroker article per weekday. Goal met, and I changed the goal to "weekday," so no article today, either. Meet other writing goals. MochaNotes.com list: No activity.Launch one new performance repertoire song per week. Goal met.Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Hey, Baby" [E], Hey, Baby Brand the biz(es.) Taught lessons, moved lesson times, worked on more floor plans.15 minutes of small biz research per day. I'm reading up on JavaScript.Perform one household chore per day. Nope. We did the Friday night thing. Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. Meals: 8:00am Coffee (5) 10:00am Bacon (5) 3:30pm Skinny roast beef sandwich (7) 4:00pm Candy corns (1) 8:00pm Salad with croutons (2) and dressing (2), cheesy cauliflower (1) 9:00pm Ice cream (3) TOTAL POINTS: 26 |
| Random temporary goal: PAY TAXES BY 4/15! PENDING! Post at Advice for Business Managers once per day. Goal met. I also planned my series of posts for next week, based around the theme of workplace integrity.I wonder if advertising the site would bring in visitors, which would increase my ad revenue? That seems backwards, paying advertising costs to generate advertising revenue, but if I could garner a loyal following, the blog might spread by word-of-mouth and see ongoing income. SHAMELESS ADVERTISEMENT: Sassy, fun, and sometimes un-PC biz management advice! Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week. Goal met.NEW GOAL: Write one Textbroker article per day. Goal met. In the absence of DirectOrders, I grabbed an OpenOrder. I grabbed another for today.Meet other writing goals. MochaNotes.com list is pending. Based on my experience with the new schedule, I maybe have another hour or so to dedicate to writing other blogs, articles, etc. each morning. So I may need to narrow down the list.Launch one new performance repertoire song per week. Goal met.Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Hey, Baby" [E]Brand the biz(es.) Goal met!!! I did some serious performance biz branding yesterday: dropped a promo magnet off with the owner of a pizza place who hired me once before; he wants to hire me again dropped a promo magnet off with the *new* manager of Crown Sports Pub - apparently Adam is no longer there dropped a CD and biz card off at a bar owned by a fellow church member; he was on vacation, so I sent him a FB message, too rescheduled my nursing home gig for a conflict-free date in May recorded and uploaded Time recorded and uploaded Hey, Baby Lessons today.  15 minutes of small biz research per day. The one property manager didn't like my counter-offer. But when my broker talked to him, they may have reached an understanding, so the manager is going to counter-counter-offer. And I expect to draft a counter-offer for the other place, my fave, this morning. Fun times.Perform one household chore per day. I took out the trash, stopped at the store for ice cream (for the boy... not for me... for the boy... I mean, I only sampled it before he got home because I wanted to make sure it was as delicious as it looked... wouldn't want to disappoint with nasty ice cream...), and I slaved all day over a pot roast. Not really. It took 5-7 minutes in the microwave. Thanks, Bob Evans and the freezer section at Kroger. Incidentally, that's also where the ice cream is.  Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. Meals: 7:00am Coffee (1) 8:00am Coffee (1) and pretzels (1) with icing (1) 9:30am Cinnabon bar (3) |
Random temporary goal: PAY TAXES BY 4/15! Pending. All I have to do is print the vouchers, write the checks, and take them to the post office. How 'bout let's not wait 'til 4/15 and stand in a long line, eh?  Post at Advice for Business Managers once per day. Goal met.Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week. Goal met, but I still have two new original songs to record and post.Meet other writing goals.  Textbroker articles: None pending. Prepare MochaNotes.com for future blog opportunities: Yep. MochaNotes.Com The SpecFic Ezine seems to be popular with WDC friends. Which is all fine and good, if I can develop a business plan for the project. Would-be small publishers, take heed: You only make money when you sell a product. You may think you can beat the powerhouse big boy publishers by being nicer to your authors, but it's actually your customers who matter. If my Biz Managers blog actually earns money, it won't be because I'm selling blog posts or advice. It will be because I'm selling advertising space on my blog. Why am I not selling blog posts or advice? They are a dime a dozen. You can get them for free all over the Internet, and since everyone knows the secret to SEO, it's pretty much impossible to optimize and beat the competition; the competition is doing it, too. And, frankly, the advertising space does not appear to be worth much, at least not yet.In an ironic twist, Robert Waltz  directed me to this blog because he proposed I add an anti-Penelope Trunk blog to my MochaNotes list. Apparently, he's not a fan. But I stumbled across this post, which articulates what I just said above nicely:8 Reasons Why You Won't Make Money From Your Blog (Sorry, Waltz.)Launch one new performance repertoire song per week. Goal met with my new original song, "Hey, Baby." It's upbeat and fun. I'm trying to do more positive music. "Time" is positive, particularly lyrically but a little darker in the chord progression.Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Hey, Baby" [E]Brand the biz(es.) Goal met. added an RSS feed to Michelle Tuesday's Blog (thanks for the tip, Waltz!) added social networking links to Michelle Tuesday's Blog overhauled Michelle Tuesday Music School That last one was a big job, *whew*. Check it out - I embedded a video of a band I coach, Sapphire Blaze, into my Music School site. I still need to populate pretty much the entire contents of the site. Only the "Home" link points to anything other than a construction page. But, hey, the framework is in place, along with the cover copy. Now it's a matter of writing all the filler copy, and maybe taking photos of students to upload. And, finally, I the nursing home who visited my Potbelly and took a biz card called yesterday to book a gig. I need to call back today and reschedule, though, because I have a conflict. I need to stop by the bank and open a biz account under my fictitious name. I have checks to deposit! 15 minutes of small biz research per day. Looking up how to add RSS feed and social networking links to my blog totally counts, along with reading why I won't make money from my blog . Perform one household chore per day. Goal met.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. 155.0Meals: 6:00am Coffee (1) 8:00am Six Triscuits (2) with pepperjack cheese (1) and coffee (1) 9:30am Toaster Strudel (5) and coffee (1) 1:45pm Skinny roast beef sandwich (7) 3:30pm Pizza (8) 4:00pm Light ice cream (2) TOTAL POINTS: 28 |
Random temporary goal: PAY TAXES BY 4/15!...just to keep this to-do in front of me.  Post at Advice for Business Managers once per day. Goal met. At the recommendation of one of my ongoing Textbroker clients, I installed an SEO plugin on the blog... wow! Cool stuff. I also created link graphics for MochaNotes.com , which appears to be turning into a one-stop-shop blog center for your coffee break reading enjoyment. Besides the Advice for Business Managers column, I'm considering adding: Advice for Music Educators Advice for Music Students Speculative Fiction Ezine Any other ideas??? I don't have enough to do!Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week. Goal met.Meet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: None pending. If I don't get a DirectOrder by the end of the week, I may start looking for one OpenOrder per day. Music Educators blog: On hold... but on the horizon.Launch one new performance repertoire song per week. Pending, and now that I have more time, I'll start taking it more seriously. My repertoire is getting stagnant. I'm taking requests. Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Hey, Baby" [E] (...recording pending, along with "Invalid Item" )Brand the biz(es.) Goal met. Check out the website overhaul: MichelleTuesday.com 15 minutes of small biz research per day. Goal met. I spoke with an attorney, who may end up being my long-term biz attorney. When I bitched that Ohio still hasn't sent my ficticious name certificate in the mail for my stage name, he looked it up at the Secretary of State website and found my certificate, which has been in effect since January 26th. He printed it for me. Would have been nice for the state to let me know it existed. But, hey. I like the attorney.Perform one household chore per day. One load of laundry, and I mowed the lawn at my house. I also made dinner: Stuffed peppers and salad. I feel all domestic. I worked hard on the peppers. I had to slit the pastic with a sharp knife and push buttons on the microwave, and -then- I had to spoon sauce over the peppers and push more buttons in the microwave! *whew* I'm not sure I"m cut out for this domestic stuff.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. 154.8Meals: 7:00am Coffee (1) 8:00am Pretzels (1) with icing (2) 9:00am Coffee (1) 11:00am Cashew granola bar (3) 1:45pm Skinny roast beef sandwich (7) 3:00pm Coffee (1) and a piece of Easter chocolate (1) 4:30pm Stuffed pepper (3) with reduced-fat Parmesan cheese (1) 5:00pm 1/2 cup frozen yogurt (2) 7:00pm Four Triscuits (2) with pepper jack cheese (1) TOTAL POINTS: 26 |
Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. Goal met!!!     I think, quite possibly, this has finally sunk in. ...and we're moving on with life. This goal comes down tomorrow. I'd like to say I'll forget all about Abbott, but I actually hope that's not the case. I've got a pretty good field of potential clients there.  Successful self-employment requires discipline. In my case, discipline comes with structure, so I need a daily schedule. I plan to write in the morning, play Potbelly at lunch, work on my music instruction/performance business in the afternoon, and teach lessons in the early evening. My goals are arranged to more easily keep track of that schedule. I'd also like to include one household chore per day, plus daily dinner prep, just to keep the peace. Although I plan to make a shitload of money eventually, I am going to be dirt poor for the next two years. I ought to be nice to the boy who drives in rush hour traffic and bows to the Corporate machine five days a week so we can continue to pay the bills.  I'm finding that I'm more productive in the morning than the afternoon. Post at Advice for Business Managers once per day. Goal met. I'm loving my posts. Since I'm writing completely anonymously (if you don't count my brazen ownership admitted here in this very blog), I am writing with abandon that belies my conservative pen/stage name character.I'll probably go to Hell. Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week. Goal met, with a new post yesterday.Meet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: None pending. Music Educators blog: On hold.Launch one new performance repertoire song per week. Pending.Write one new original song per month. In progress: "Hey, Baby"Brand the biz(es.) Working one counter-offer, submitted the other. Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday: on Easter Sunday, the band and I played some kickin' U2 at church. A bar owner whom I've been trying to get to hire me was in the congregation that morning. Way better than handing him a CD.15 minutes of small biz research per day. Goal met. I did some research on web design. I have a website revision in progress offline.Perform one household chore per day. Went to TSC to exchange mower blades and buy veggie seeds for the veggie garden we decided to start ( !), took out the trash, emptied the dishwasher, and washed a load of laundry. Okay, that's four chores... but last week was Easter, and I was still employed way back then. I got a little behind!!! (Not that getting a little behind ever hurt anyone.  )Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. In progress. I did okay yesterday. I went over my limit, but at least I paid attention. It's an improvement, and I'll do better today. Baby steps, just like all my other goals.Meals: 7:00am Coffee (1) 8:30am Coffee (1) and cashew granola bar (3) 1:45pm Skinny roast beef sandwich (7) 3:30pm Three Peeps (2) 4:45pm Pretzels (1.5) with icing (2) 6:30pm Stuffed pepper (3), salad with dressing (1), croutons (2), and cheese (1) 7:30pm Graeter's kid scoop lemon sorbet (3), and a couple bites of coffee ice cream (1) 10:00pm Bite of Easter chocolate (1) TOTAL POINTS: 29.5 |
| My name is Michelle, and I am a Civaholic. Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. Goal met! ...which means, no Abbott tonight. Brand the biz(es.) Keith likes the property we saw yesterday, and I approved a floor plan for quoting.15 minutes of small biz research per day. Nope, but this week will be *full* of biz stuff. I have afternoons free after Potbelly, so I'm thinking of making that business planning time.Post at WordPress at least once per week. Pending.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. In progress. Today I start working on a formal dietary routine. Also, Keith is a big fan of walking, so maybe we'll take walks after dinner every night. 5:00am Coffee (1) 7:00am Coffee (1) and fiber granola bar (2) 1:45pm Skinny roast beef sandwich (7) 3:30pm Gummy bears (3) 4:15pm Malted milk eggs (3) 5:15pm Twelve Triscuits (4) 6:00pm Salad with dressing (1) and croutons (2) 6:15pm Frozen yogurt (2) 9:00pm Graeter's junior scoop mango sorbet (3) with cherries (2) TOTAL POINTS: 31 Write one new original song per month. In progress: "Hey, Baby" (I'm growing fond of this title.)Launch one new repertoire song per week. Pending.Maintain Business Managers blog. Goal met through today. I need a routine here, too. My tentative plan is to write a post each morning to publish the next morning. Therefore, pardon me while I go write tomorrow's post. On a related note, I wish WDC blogging had a "schedule" option. Meet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: None pending. Music Educators blog: On hold. |
| Alleluia! He is risen! {e:lily} Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. Goal met.Brand the biz(es.) I have an appointment with the dentist who owns my favorite commercial location tonight, because Keith hasn't seen it yet. We are having dinner at his sister's house, and then we'll head over to the property. We'll have the kids, so they'll get to see it, too. It'll be fun. Our own little Easter Sunday field trip.15 minutes of small biz research per day. Can't say I squeezed much of this into the last two days of lessons, Potbelly, and church, but I did at least hand out registration forms to the students for whom I don't have them, and I begged, pleaded, and cried that they turn in their forms.Post at WordPress at least once per week. Goal met. In retrospect, I did this three times this week, if you include my official goal-meeting post, my first post at my new blog, and the post at the old blog pointing to the new blog. That makes up for the last month of goal failure, I suppose.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. In progress. It's Easter. Next week, I resurrect my diet.Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Time"Launch one new repertoire song per week. Goal met.Maintain Business Managers blog. Goal met through tomorrow: http://mochanotes.com/adviceforbusinessmanagers. Fortunately, I have tomorrow evening free and can schedule a post for Tuesday. I haven't decided yet if this will be a morning or evening activity. I need to dedicate a daily chunk of non-Keith time to writing, and another to studio work.Meet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: None pending. Music Educators blog: On hold. |
| Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. Goal met. I'll be removing this goal next week sometime. Brand the biz(es.) Continued work on my new blog, web home, and commercial property search.15 minutes of small biz research per day. Still working on the studio layout.Post at WordPress at least once per week. Goal met.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. In progress: 155.8Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Time"Launch one new repertoire song per week. I remember the song I played through but didn't actually sing: "Up Where We Belong"Maintain Business Managers blog. Goal met through Monday: http://mochanotes.com/adviceforbusinessmanagersMeet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: None pending. Music Educators blog: On hold.It's Easter, folks. I know you're shocked by this, but: I'M BUSY. |
Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. Goal met.    It's Holy Week at church, today is Lesson Day, and invoices are due because it's the first of the month, so I still feel slammed. Right about next Tuesday, I'll start to really feel it.Brand the biz(es.) I didn't get any farther on my new web home, but here it is: http://michelletuesday.com/blogOnce I get that thing established, I'll post a "final" post at Wordpress.com pointing to the new blog. I've also been back and forth with the architect at one of my commercial locations about floor plans. I really like him and the landlady. Nice people. I'll choose them first if they can come down to the price I can afford.15 minutes of small biz research per day. Yep. I researched music lesson room sizes, and found some great photos of a studio online:http://www.examiner.com/x-2561-San-Diego-Womens-Business-Examiner~y2009m9d12-New... Post at WordPress at least once per week. Goal met.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. In progress.Meals: 7:00am Coffee (1) Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Time"Launch one new repertoire song per week. I did play through a new song I had in my folder, but I can't remember what it was. I didn't sing it for fear of collapsing in a fit of couging, but remember thinking, I got this one. I could sing it. It's hard to retain this stuff for later blogging, because it's not like I have a pencil in my hand when it happens.Maintain Business Managers blog. Goal met through Monday: http://mochanotes.com/adviceforbusinessmanagersMeet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: None pending. BUT... my five articles from last week were reviewed by both the client and by Textbroker. The client always has nice things to say, but his review was exceptionally nice on my "Health and Nutrition" article on fast food. Textbroker, on the other hand, almost never comments unless there's an editorial correction. On a very rare occasion, I've gotten simple positive feedback like, "Good article."This is what Textbroker said about my Health and Nutrition article: "[dis artikall haz da lolz]" It appears that the Textbroker editors were kidnapped by LOLcats: http://www.textbroker.com/blog/content/april-fools.html Music Educators blog: On hold.On a completely unrelated note, I may shut down "Prodigy: Youth Writers' Competition" [ASR] if I don't get any entries this month. |
| First, a very cool article by a talented author: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/30/AR2010033004260.... Now on to the goals: Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. Today, I turn in my badge.Brand the biz(es.) I've been working on my web page and blog. Probably more to come on that tomorrow, since it isn't complete, but in a nutshell: (1) I launched a new YouTube channel for Michelle Tuesday, and I'll eventually shut down my wdcbrandiwyn account, and (2) I launched a new blog on MichelleTuesday.com, and I'll eventually archive my Wordpress.com blog. I'm bummed, because my old theme is no longer available, so I'm still playing with a couple different themes. Hence the W-I-P. In both cases, I'll probably post notifications on both old sites pointing to the new homes and leave them up for awhile. 15 minutes of small biz research per day. Yep, I looked up some marketing ideas, and I drove past the new 3k studio my old boss opened up. It looks nice. It's kind of tucked into a corner in a strip mall, and the sign isn't up yet, so I'm interested to see what kind of visibility it ends up with. My two fave locations have *great* street visibility, plus they look classy (the one in particular), and great signage opportunities. That's probably why they're so flipping expensive. But... we're negotiating. Post at WordPress at least once per week. Goal met.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. Well, not so much progress on this one. But it's okay, because next week, I'll be unemployed. Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Time" - but I've polished up "Hey, Baby" quite a bit, identifying a complete verse and chorus. Now I just need another verse or two, or a bridge or something. I was on a roll, so I started setting another set of lyrics to music, too.Launch one new repertoire song per week. No activity, and right now, I'm not that concerned about it.Maintain Business Managers blog. Goal met through Monday: http://mochanotes.com/adviceforbusinessmanagersMeet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: None pending. Music Educators blog: On hold. |
Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. 2 days.  Brand the biz(es.) Got a quote on the third commercial property, finally. I'm in negotiations on my favorite two. I haven't replied to the third, and probably won't, so long as the other two come down to a level I can afford.I also had a great idea for daytime revenue opportunities involving retirees and nursing homes. It helped that a nursing home took a field trip to Potbelly yesterday, and the Activities Director left me a tip and a business card. That kind of inspiration does tend to get the creative juices flowing. 15 minutes of small biz research per day. I read some tips on SEO, talked to an artist friend who wants to collaborate on a graphic novel, and got a referral to a highly recommended small business attorney close to my home. I also saw a Facebook status update posted by my former employer, who appears to be opening a new 3k-sqft studio with a stage and band waiting rooms, and she's hosting a battle of the bands this summer. Post at WordPress at least once per week. What the hell do you know? I posted. Check it out: http://michelletuesday.com ...but on that note, I decided it's time to switch my hosting from WP.com to my GoDaddy account. I've got it pretty much figured out, thanks to my  Biz Managers blog.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. Weight: 155.4 Meals: 8:30am Coffee (2) Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Time," and I swear I have the beginnings of another song, but I need the Time (heh) to flesh out the lyrics better. I hate to lose this one over negligence, though it wouldn't be the first time. It's as of yet untitled, with a working title of "Hey, Baby" for reference purposes only.Launch one new repertoire song per week. No activity.Maintain Business Managers blog. Goal met! I wrote and scheduled blog posts for today, tomorrow, Friday, and next Monday. http://mochanotes.com/adviceforbusinessmanagers Meet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: None pending. Music Educators blog: On hold.DUDES. I AM LEAVING MY CUSHY, HIGH-PAYING CORPORATE JOB IN TWO DAYS TO START A BUSINESS THAT IS GUARANTEED TO PUT ME IN DEBT FOR AT LEAST EIGHTEEN MONTHS. No apprehension, here. None whatsoever. |
| Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. 3 days... and it's getting surreal. Brand the biz(es.) Allie, my new teacher, is lined up to teach her first students Saturday. Also, after Potbelly this afternoon, I am meeting with my broker and the architect for one of the properties I'm considering. It's negotiation time!15 minutes of small biz research per day. No. My flipping laptop wouldn't charge again, so the extent of my small biz research was to send a nastygram to Dell.Post at WordPress at least once per week. Nope.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. Weight: Meals: 7:30am Coffee (1) I may be going to Bob Evans with Keith's family today. His brother is still in the hospital, and now he has blockages in both legs. Surgery again today. Keith is taking it all pretty hard.  Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Time"Launch one new repertoire song per week. No activity.Maintain Business Managers blog. No more on my Wednesday article yesterday. I was going to, but then my battery was dying, and I couldn't charge it. I got it to charge again overnight, but it's like you have to seat the plug *exactly right* in the jack. It's pissing me off. I don't have time for dead laptop batteries.So, this morning I'll finish Wednesday, write Thursday, and hopefully write Friday. I need to find a rhythm to getting these scheduled, but I figure next week, when I'm unemployed, I'll have lots of time for rhythms. Did I mention how surreal that is?I did look up my Adsense account to see how I'm doing. The blog is getting a decent amount of hits, but not a single click on my ads yet. I'm interested to see how that goes. If any of y'all did click on any ads, be sure to let me know, so I can make sure that report is right. Meet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: Yep, and the last one was accepted with an "Excellent" rating. Music Educators blog: On hold. |
| Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. 4 days! This is my last week. Brand the biz(es.) I have been busting my ass on my biz plan - financial - for a couple days.15 minutes of small biz research per day. I've been looking up business filing requirements for the State of Ohio, thanks to info provided by Molly Jean  ! Cuz she totally rocks.Post at WordPress at least once per week. Nope, nope. I need to do this. It's been like three weeks.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. Weight: 155.8 Meals: 7:00am Coffee (1) 7:30am Fiber granola bar (2) 11:30am ZonePerfect bar (4) 1:45pm Skinny roast beef sandwich (7) 6:00pm Twelve peanut butter pretzels (3), whole wheat crackers with cheese (3), and two mini snickers bars (2) TOTAL POINTS: 22 Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Time"Launch one new repertoire song per week. No activity.Maintain Business Managers blog. Yep, my first post published today! I also started working on Wednesday's post. I'd finish it tonight, but I need to finish my last Textbroker article.Meet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: My last DirectOrder is in progress and will be complete by the end of the night. Music Educators blog: On hold. |
| I woke up with a headache this morning. That can't be good. I think it's because I'm stressed, not getting enough sleep, and physically don't feel well because I'm eating too much. See, this is why I got an engineering degree. I was always much better at theoretical derivation than practical application. (with my apologies to Robert Waltz , who actually puts his engineering degree to practical use.)Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. 5 days! I work Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and then I'm done. Too bad I don't have time to throw a party Friday, since I'll be teaching lessons all day, playing Potbelly at lunch, and directing worship at the Good Friday service in the evening (three reasons why I can afford to resign from Abbott, LOL.)Brand the biz(es.) I told a bunch of friends (from Via de Cristo - a local Ohio Christian community that's unrelated to my church) who didn't already know about my music school start-up venture. I didn't hand out biz card (yet), but I'll see them again in two weeks and probably will.Meanwhile, I'm pulling my hair out trying to figure out where I'll teach until my studio is ready, because I won't be able to get in my space and hold a Grand Opening until June 1st at the earliest. If my house suddenly sells, I'll either have to teach at Keith's (and let Allie teach there, too) or rent a space, like on an hourly basis. 15 minutes of small biz research per day. Yesterday was booked from 9:00am - 8:00pm... without Internet access!  Post at WordPress at least once per week. No activity.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. Weight: Meals: 7:30am Coffee (1) - and I swear, I'm going to take it easy today. No goodies at church! {e:sternlook to self} Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Time"Launch one new repertoire song per week. No activity.Maintain Business Managers blog. I scheduled posts for Monday and Tuesday. Since I'm writing this afternoon , I might work on a couple more articles. I decided I need to add bylines to each article. I have two writing personas, one that specializes in business (Corporate America-style), and one that specializes in music (and small biz, because she -ahem- left Corporate America to start a music school.) I might buy articles in the long-term, if I find that my Google Adsense account actually earns me enough money to pay for it. I'd like to have a variety of bylines in the blog, and maybe even publish bios on the "About" page that explains why each persona is qualified to speak on the business management topic.Which means: I need to develop bios for my two personas. I may have to pull from a past life (job) for the less developed persona. Meet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: I have to write all five today. {e:procrastination} Music Educators blog: On hold. |
| Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. 6 days! Brand the biz(es.) Taught lessons. Confirmed with two students that they'll give Allie a shot. 15 minutes of small biz research per day. I spent a bunch of time developing a two-year cash flow plan. Interesting. I'll be pretty far in the hole before I start making money.Post at WordPress at least once per week. No activity.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. Weight: 155.2 Meals: Via de Cristo meeting - lots of food. Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Time"Launch one new repertoire song per week. No activity.Maintain Business Managers blog. You know, it occurred to me that I own the rights to all of my Helium articles, and I can pretty much republish any of them on my blog. On the other hand, I could also cross-link between Helium and the Biz Mgr blog, which is good for SEO on both counts, and might increase my He traffic earnings to boot. Meet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: Nope, and I have five due by the end of tomorrow. Music Educators blog: On hold. |
| Today is Lesson Day. Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. 7 days!Brand the biz(es.) I polished up my biz plans with the new numbers. It's not pretty. Some serious negotiations on these locations are in order, or else I'll need to scale back my biz location and open someplace less attractive and visible.I also worked on my studio website and added cover copy to the front page. It's a work in progress, but feel free to send comments or suggestions: http://michelletuesday.com/musicstudio 15 minutes of small biz research per day. I spend several hours on the IRS and Small Business Administration websites last night. It started with an innocent search for the forms I need Allie to fill out, and I got SUCKED IN. Fabulous reading material.I'm only half kidding. Post at WordPress at least once per week. No activity.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. Weight: 158.0 I had a long talkemail exchange with Keith after my weigh-in this morning about needing his support. We LOVE to eat together. We eat out all the time, and we eat in, too. I sent a big long list of changes we need to make to our eating habits, and he's promising to support me. That's easier said than done when you're addicted to food like we are, so we'll see. Meals: 8:30am Fiber granola bar (3) and coffee (1) 9:45am Coffee (1) 1:45pm Skinny roast beef (7) 2:30pm Almond Joy egg (3) 3:30pm Nuts (3) and peaches (2) 4:30pm Square deep-dish pizza (6?) Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Time"Launch one new repertoire song per week. No activity.Maintain Business Managers blog. I played with the format of the online blog and created a database for planning my articles. I spend lots of time preparing for a blog and no time actually writing it.Meet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: No progress whatsoever. {e:procrastination} Music Educators blog: On hold. I sold a Helium article out of the blue yesterday. They have this Stock Content offering where publishers can buy the rights to print your article for $5 (well, that's my cut.) So I didn't do anything at all (except write the article like a year ago) and randomly earned $5. I'll try not to spend it all at once. |
| Okay, some explanation about Keith's brother is obviously necessary to stave off any further insensitivity on the part of our illustrious readership. Ken is very ill. Last March, he had a stroke. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and then further digging revealed stage 4 (terminal) lung cancer. Doctors operated on his brain and removed the tumor. He still has side effects, which include dilusional behavior. A couple weeks ago, he injured his toe. He ignored it and refused to go to the doctor. He finally went because the pain was unbearable, and the gangrene was set in so bad that they had to amputate his leg all the way to the knee. Hence, Keith's brother was in the hospital Tuesday having his foot removed. Moving on... Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10 8 days...and only five more days of actually going to work!Brand the biz(es) (1) I hired a teacher (Allie) , and (2) I got a quote on another property. It's too high, but we're meeting with the architect on Tuesday and working on a counter-offer.15 minutes of small biz research per day Allie brainstormed ideas with me for a bit. I also bounced the latest real estate pricing off my MBA advisor, Jamie, and we looked up some competitor info.Post at WordPress at least once per week Pending, and it's a damn shame cuz my song is pretty sweet.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10 I'm headed the wrong way. I swear I'm going to focus on this again soon.9:00am Fiber granola bar (3), fiber yogurt (0), and coffee (1) 1:45pm Skinny roast beef sandwich (7) 6:30pm Cheese crackers (3) and twin granola bar pack (3.5) Write one new original song per month In progress. The lyrics need a revision, but the hook is catchy as hell. I need to flesh it out, because the tiny bit of the song I've got finalized won't get out of my head, and I need more of the song in there to keep it from driving me crazy.Launch one new repertoire song per week I've forgotten my folder all week and been playing from memory, which makes it hard to try out new songs that I don't know yet. (For some reason, I can't remember them.)Maintain Business Managers blog I have been saving links when I find interesting articles.Other Writing Goals Textbroker: Like an idiot, I accepted the new Direct Order. Now I have five in my queue.On hold: Music Educators blog, although I keep grabbing and saving articles for linking and cross-reference. |
| Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. 9 days: we're into the single digits. I'm just tired. I worked day shift today, and I'm so busy all the time. Meanwhile, Keith's brother is in the hospital and had to have his foot removed, so Keith's been spending a lot of time visiting. We've met often enough for dinner, so we're seeing each other, but the laundry mountain keeps growing. Brand the biz(es.) Grr. Where are my commercial property proposals? On the plus side, I've been giving out a lot of business cards lately, and I may have a teacher lined up. I'm meeting her in the morning.15 minutes of small biz research per day. Abbott was really busy last night, and then I worked day shift today. This is the first moment I've had to do anything non-work related in two days.Post at WordPress at least once per week. Pending. I need to post my new song! Sheesh.Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 6/1/10. I pushed it back two more months. I had Chinese for lunch today.Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Time"Launch one new repertoire song per week. Pending, unless you count my new chord progression. I have a song half-written, but I don't like the lyrics I've been using. They make a good foundation, but they need some work. It's good, though, because what I have sticks in my head all day.Maintain Business Managers blog. Nope. Nuthin' in the last two days. Randomly, I entered (and didn't win) the Writer's Cramp. I guess I just liked the prompt. I think I'd forgotten how to write fiction.Meet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: I accepted the last four, and then got another Direct Order from a random client. If I were hurting for , the steady income would be nice. Music Educators blog: On hold. |
| Resign from Abbott by 4/4/10. 10 Days. I'd be more excited, but I'm so freaking busy. I have a meeting with an attorney this morning about a shared land ownership situation. Even though my ex has been paying for years, it's in my name, and he can't get it in his name. I need a way out. It could keep me from getting a lease or biz loans, which would be BAD. Brand the biz(es.) Ate at the Mexican place Sunday, where I dropped off a CD and chatted with the owner about playing for him this summer. That was a few weeks ago. I didn't get the warm-and-fuzzy the last two times I've been there. He hasn't brought up the possibility of a gig.15 minutes of small biz research per day. I looked up the dentist who looked me up Saturday. I just need to sign a lease! I can't do any marketing until I have an ADDRESS! {e:grumble}Post at WordPress at least once per week. {e:FAIL} Eh. You'll have that. {e:PENDING} for this week. Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 3/31/10. {e:FAIL} It ain't gonna happen. I'm going the wrong way! ...and trying to decide how to revamp this goal. Weight: 158.6 (although that's temporary, it's still scary) Tuesday: 8:30am Coffee (1) Monday: Zone bar & coffee, Potbelly sandwich, Tumbleweed... and I just nibbled and nibbled and nibbled on chips, fries, bad stuff Sunday: Baked goodies at church, grilled cheese & tomato soup, Mexican Write one new original song per month. Goal met: "Time"Launch one new repertoire song per week. Pending.Maintain Business Managers blog. No activity. It looks like I'm waiting another week to launch this.Meet other writing goals. Textbroker articles: I finished four yesterday, and now I have four more to write. Music Educators blog: On hold. |
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