Blisscraft Life With Christina Katz

Just because you have a bio does not mean that it is communicating the best of what you offer and how what you offer sets you apart from the crowd.

Another problem happens when you have not taken the time to really think about these details and how much they matter to those reading your bio.

So, the ten million dollar question becomes:

Do you know what you offer?

And the next question is: do you know how what you offer is different from what everyone else offers?

And finally, can you describe in exquisite detail your most current offerings in ways that make it so we can’t resist at least checking them and you out?

Here’s some help. If you include these ten things in your bio, then the answer to all of the above questions will be soon be YES.

Your bio should include:

1. Who you are

2. What you offer

3. When you offer it

4. How frequently you offer it

5. Where you offer it

6. Why you offer it

7. How you offer it

8. How we can get in touch with you

9. How you like to connect with us

10. What we can expect from you next

If your bio is not communicating all of these things, I hope you will check out my latest online course, Build A Better Bio.

All this and more! Please subscribe to The Prosperous Writer Blog and sign up for The Prosperous Writer Newsletter, for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere.

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What Pre-launch Students Are Saying — So Far — About Build A Better Bio!

Just finished all the videos…excellent!  ~ Monica R. on Facebook

Probably the most information-packed course I have seen. All of it is totally relevant and points out that I need to build a better bio! Amazing insight, bringing all the major social media platforms into the discussion. Well done. A real career-changing approach to writing a biography for more successful results.  ~ posted in the course discussion by Heather

Great so far — watched the 1st video yesterday, printed the first 2 worksheets today, will have more time for it Sunday!”  ~ Lisa C. on Twitter

Build A Better Bio is now in launch phase at the price of only $20.

If you missed the pre-launch this time around, please don’t miss it next time. I like to give my closest friends the best deals on my new courses.

But don’t feel badly if you missed the pre-launch, because for the launch phase, I am offering a FREE bio review.

See the class discussion inside the course for details to take advantage of your free bio review.

And don’t miss this time-sensitive offer. You must sign up by midnight on February 28th to claim your bio review.

I don’t plan on offering it again, so this is your only chance outside of a phone consult to work with me on your bio.

Click Here & Go Directly To The Registration Page

While you are here, why not subscribe to my YouTube page, where I have updated the promo video for this course.

Stay tuned for my post tomorrow on questions your bio must answer…

If you feel like folks are not responding to your bio, then that’s not good.

You should actually be hearing from those who encounter your bio for the first time and who are nodding along with what you have to offer because it sounds so much like what they are looking for.

This is accomplished when you get beyond merely describing yourself and get into describing your platform dynamic instead.

Your platform dynamic is how you do what you do that sets you apart. If you are not well-versed in your platform dynamic, then you are probably not able to communicate it in a way that draws people to you.

Your bio should also create what I call the Universal Yes. It should not only present the who, what, when, where, why and how of what you do, it should also create interest in all of those things at the same time.

This sounds like a tall order, but it’s not hard, once you get the hang of it.

Interest drives engagement. Engagement drives interaction. Interaction increases the chance that folks will want to work with you or purchase your offerings.

And of course, I’m talking about authentic engagement with real people, not just attempting to dazzle everyone while you run away and hide. Although your bio can and should communicate your availability, too.

Your bio should read like you are sticking out your hand and saying, “Hello, nice to meet you. Here’s what you can expect from me. And here’s how we should keep connecting.”

You can measure how well you did writing your bio by how folks are responding to it and to you.

If no one is responding, then your bio is not working for you and it needs improvement.

Improving your bio is fun and empowering. You can have fun learning how to write your bio and gain insights that will help you connect and keep connecting with your audience by taking my new Build A Better Bio class.

I hope you can join us!

Photo Credit: handshake II by Alvaro Canivell

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I am always encouraging my students to turn their lemon life experiences into written lemonade. And this is me following my own advice.

I was persecuted and harassed in a huge online community yesterday, and lemme tell you, it was WEIRD.

The person doing the bullying seemed quite fixated on me and was following me around as I moved from group to group, chastising me in a private Facebook message thread that she initiated.

I persistently asked to understand what her issue was with me, and my question was never answered.

The only comment that came close was, “I want you to buy into what I’m trying to do, that’s all.”

Sooo, yeah. Let’s just say chasing me around on social media is not a good way to get me to buy into to WHATEVER you are trying to do. Especially when you fail to communicate to me what that is.

In the end, I could not reconcile with the person, so I left a group she facilitated that I was part of, and reported her to the folks responsible for the larger groups’ existence.

But I did not get away from her before she took some totally uncalled for swipes at me.

Now I am quite clear that I did not deserve to be chased around on social media nor bullied nor called names. It was pretty ugly stuff and borderline absurd, from my point of view.

Afterward, however, I still felt hurt. I had used reason as long as I could, but in retrospect, and to protect myself, I think I should have used instinct sooner.

I should have said simply, “You need to stop.”

And if she did not stop after I said that, then I should have said, “I am leaving this conversation.”

And then I should have reported her, just the same, because even the beginning of the interaction was weird and confusing.

Boundaries are hard sometimes. They are especially hard if your boundaries were messed with when you were younger.

Have you ever needed to say, “Stop,” to someone online and not done so? Or not done so soon enough?

Have you tried to reason with someone online when reason was futile?

Have you ever tried to preserve a relationship when the relationship is clearly not worth preserving?

And now here’s the big question, are you negatively obsessed with another person’s behavior? Do you follow them or monitor them just to keep tabs on how they behave? (Please say, no. Cause it’s not healthy, people.)

One thing is certain, folks have some pretty crazy ideas about what constitutes appropriate online behavior.

What can we do about it as individuals?

I say, take care of yourself first, especially if you have been legitimately hurt. And then speak up about the offense. Because no one is helped if we all keep silent.

And if you were bullied than there is a good chance someone else is being or is going to be bullied, as well.

I would like to hear stories, not in detail about the harassment because that would go on and on, wouldn’t it? There is just SO MUCH of this online.

Instead, I’d like to hear stories from folks who successfully set boundaries, walked away and reported offenses. Or whatever else you did that created a positive impact in a negative situation from your point of view.

I think we all need help in this regard and sharing empowering success stories can be helpful. It’s good for all of us.

That’s my lemons into lemonade. Thanks in advance for sharing your strength if you have something inspiring to share!

~ Photo credit: Finger Wag by Lara604

I am a veteran journalist, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share. I am focused on making the world a saner, more expressive place. I help folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, I can help you embrace your personal strengths, explore your creative possibilities, and evolve incrementally into your most inspiring self. If you are ready to achieve creative consistency in your life and career, email me about monthly coaching calls. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out my online school. Stay tuned for ways to save money by becoming a Beta User for my next new course by subscribing to The Prosperous Creative. And don’t forget to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox, so you never miss a post. If you appreciate my work—school, products, blog and social media posts—you are welcome to make a contribution of any size at any time. Thank you for your support!

Introducing a brand new video course by Christina Katz…and a special discount just for you!

Build A Better Bio: Learn To Draft, Edit & Polish Bios In 30 Minutes That Convert Online Connections Into Paying Clients & Career-long Fans

Learn Quickly & Work At Your Own Pace — 100% Video Course With Six Downloadable Worksheets

Have you ever wondered why some online marketers seem to attract fans all day and night?

And have you also wondered why folks pass over your offerings without making a purchase, even though you are deeply committed to offering quality and service?

Have you ever stopped to consider that maybe your online bios are not pulling in potential customers the way they could?

I bet you are sincere, motivated, and hard-working. I am, too! And so are thousands of other folks who offer their products and services online every day.

If you are tired of working hard and getting little in return, maybe it’s time to build a better bio for your business.

In fact, let’s upgrade all of your online bios including your one-page bio, your one-paragraph bio, and your social media bios, while we’re at it.

Even if you have been in business for many years and think your bios work well already, you can likely make them better.

I will walk you through 30-minutes of video instruction and then you can use the six downloadable worksheets that come with this class any time you like to build a bio that will set you apart from the crowd.

In this course, I have made it easy for you to condense your one-page bio into a one-paragraph bio and to leverage your one-paragraph bio into eight social media platform bios.

I have 14 years of experience coaching writers and authors to take their professional communication skills to the next level and I can help you, too.

Remember, the busiest professionals have bios that constantly reach out and connect them to new prospects. Are your bios doing this important work for you?

If not, then it’s time to build a better bio for your business and leverage it into as many helpful versions as possible.

Click on the Take This Course button to get started. You’ll own the materials for life, so you can come back and update your bio as you continue to grow and expand your business in years to come.

And you’ll become part of a collective of motivated individuals who are all working on building better bios. So come on in! The bio-writing is fine. I look forward to working with you.

Learn More About Build A Better Bio

Don’t delay, this offer expires Saturday, February 21st at midnight!

Please feel free to share this offer with others during the deep-discounted pre-launch phase.

One thing I have trouble tolerating is a jaded writer. I find evidence of them in open Facebook groups and they drive me away in about .5 seconds.

Why do I flee? Because I don’t want what they are having, to paraphrase the famous line from When Harry Met Sally.

These are writers who have turned over their idealism to cynicism and let it wear them down. They have let what they perceive as the system define them and determine their attitudes and actions.

The solution to this reminds me of a quote that my friend and mentor Jane Friedman lives by. The quote is by Joseph Campbell who wrote The Hero’s Journey and many other very wise books.

“Is the system going to flatten you out and deny you your humanity, or are you going to be able to make use of the system to the attainment of human purposes?”

This is a good question for writers to answer on a daily basis, so no wonder that Jane has made it her mantra.

It’s all too easy to be cynical. I would even go so far to say that it’s lazy. But it takes energy and determination to want to express yourself and to steer your self-expression in ways that positively impact the world.

How many times a day do you experience someone saying something cynical on Facebook or Twitter or somewhere else?

You know what I suggest?

I suggest you unfriend them or unfollow them and get back on your creative quest.

Recognize that cynics and whiners and blamers are never going to do you or your writing career any good.

Also, your time is valuable and your energy is precious. So do not waste even one second with negative, draining people.

And PS, it’s not your job to fix them or make them feel better, either. That’s their job. Let them do it.

I can tell you right now that those people are not going to be able to use the system for human purposes. You have to be smarter than your sources to leverage the system in ways that are good.

Since your writing career is yours, you should love it. Not in an overly sensitive, cloying way, but in a joyful, generous way.

No one wants to participate in anything else, for all of the reasons I just mentioned.

And if you need an attitude adjustment on any of these points, feel free to set up a coaching call with me. Because everyone gets down or discouraged at various points in their writing career — that’s normal.

But letting the disappointments and the setbacks make you cynical — that’s an affliction and it impacts others negatively.

You have to decide if whatever is impeding you is going to stop you or make you wiser and more resilient.

Really, writing career success is so simple. You move away from what isn’t helpful and move towards what is helpful, just like in regular life.

So go follow Jane because she’s helpful. And she isn’t going to let you fall into cynicism or self-pity. And that’s hard to come by in this world!

Writing for love and money? This sounds idealistic. But your unique path is the only one worth pursuing, so go for it.

Your journey won’t look like anyone else’s in the rear view…and this is how it should be.

All this and more! Please subscribe to The Prosperous Writer Blog and sign up for The Prosperous Writer Newsletter, for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere.

In America, we have been raised to believe that anyone can succeed if they are determined enough and work hard and consistently over time.

As a writing coach, I have seen this belief in action. From my perspective, the most determined writers, who never give up and bounce back fastest seem to succeed the most, as opposed to the most talented writers, who often give up quite easily, and therefore don’t succeed as much as you might expect.

Determined writers who enjoy learning and thrive on growth, are also just a lot more fun to work with and to be around than writers who project superiority and entitlement.

Writers with grit spend a lot less time feeling sorry for themselves or thinking that they will never succeed.

If you are a writer, and you are feeling stuck, ask yourself if you have mastered the all-important growth mindset.

According to an uncited handout from my daughter’s school, growth mindset means you embrace challenges rather than avoiding them.

You persist in the face of setbacks rather than giving up too easily.

Growth mindset means you see effort as positive, and as a path to mastery rather than fruitless or worse.

It means you learn from criticism, rather than ignoring it.

And growth mindset means you find lessons and inspiration in the success of others rather than feeling threatened by their success.

People with growth mindset, reach ever higher levels of achievement, because they set their minds on becoming more successful.

The other way of thinking, a fixed mindset, is likely to inhibit you from achieving your potential.

Furthermore, folks with a fixed mindset maintain a deterministic view of the world.

After 14 years as a writing coach, I have had the opportunity to observe many writers in action and I have noticed that it’s not necessarily the most optimistic but the most determined folks, who succeed.

It’s not the most easily inspired, but the folks most willing to do something with the inspiration, who succeed.

It’s the folks who see the journey as a process of give and take, who persist and therefore succeed eventually.

Writing career success is humbling and empowering. There is typically not a whole lot of free lunch for writers.

Writing career success is about answering the question, what are you going to do today with the best of what you have to offer?

The folks who get busy pursuing the answer to that question succeed in the short run and the long run.

So, here’s a question for you? Do you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset?

Are you interested in challenges, obstacles, effort, criticism, and ultimately success…or are you content with keeping things the way they are?

Your answers are more likely to determine your fate than any amount of talent you do or do not possess.

Will the groundhog see his shadow on Monday?

Will we have six more weeks of winter?

I guess we’ll have to wait and see what Punxsutawney Phil has to say on Monday.

In the meantime, are you planning to become a better writer in February?

Are you working on your writing, rewriting, and selling skills?

What about your creativity? Are you nurturing it?

If you had not thought much about it until today, I can help.

Because whether we have six more weeks of winter or not, you can do a little bit each day towards becoming a more inspired writer, and it will only put a tiny dent in your bank account.

Here are the challenges that begin on Monday. You must register today, Sunday, February 1st by 9pm PT to participate in the February round of challenges.

Registrations after 9 pm tonight will be moved to the March round of challenges, so don’t delay.

While you are thinking of future challenges, sign up for The Prosperous Writer (in the sidebar >>>) so you won’t miss future discounts offered exclusively to subscribers.

And don’t miss my brand new challenge, Unwrap Your Creative Gifts. My daily creativity challenge designed to awaken your creative sensibilities. Click on any badge to register:

Receive 21 excellent examples of great writing in your inbox daily for 21 days. Click on the badge to learn more and register:

 Receive 21 more excellent examples of great writing in your inbox daily for 21 days:

 Receive 21 more excellent examples of great writing in your inbox daily for 21 days:

Anyone who is looking to become a more facile and joyful parenting article writer should take my Article Writing Challenge.

Anyone who is looking to become a more thoughtful and skillful parenting essay writer should take my Essay Writing Challenge.

Anyone who is looking to become a more thoughtful re-writer and polisher of her own words should take my Grammar & Punctuation Challenge.

Anyone who is looking to become more brave about selling work should sign up for my Sell Your Writing Challenge.

Taking this article writing challenge has given me a bank of article outlines to begin the new year and a way to keep on creating more and more when I get to the end of my current list. I highly recommend it for the writer dry of ideas, needing some sort of method to keep her inventory supplied, or just starting out and learning how to create ideas for herself. The best $20 I’ve spent to further my career.  ~ C. Alexander

During 21 Moments I discovered ideas for many intriguing subjects I wanted to write about that had not occurred to me prior.​ An excellent kickstarter to writing for pleasure as well as potential profit.  ~ M. Clair

Once again Christina has aimed her arrow and hit the bull’s-eye with a useful daily challenge. The Grammar & Punctuation challenge helped me efficiently revise current article drafts, keep an eye on tricky punctuation mistakes I shouldn’t be making, and hone my word choice and sentence structure. Writers can expect this challenge to be an effective continuing education tool to help them improve their overall writing.  ~ R. Franz

I like taking online writing classes or workshops, but by far I got the most writing out of 21 Moments. It really clicked with me, that a moment is just a segment of time. Since I don’t have a lot of time due to my day job and other commitments, doing the moments really fit into my schedule.  ~ J. Huspek

~ Ground Hog photo via Michael Wallace on Flckr

Have you received spam e-mail that appears to be sent to you from me?

But I am not spamming you. I wouldn’t, even if I knew how.

There are a lot of very intelligent people out there in the world, who do not necessarily use their skills for the common good.

I have been the victim of a spamming for some time now.

What the spammers do is use my primary e-mail as the reply address when they mass-spam lists of people.

Where do they get the lists? Why are they using my e-mail? What is the point of all of this?

None of these answers are forthcoming.

At first, I was upset. I felt victimized. I was angry. I wanted to know what I could do about it.

I also wanted to strike back…because they were using my identity to do their dirty work.

After all the time I have spent building up my reputation, spammers could just swoop in and ruin my name with one click of the “send” button.

That stinks.

Initially, I felt threatened by their misuse of my identity.

I realized I could go to great lengths to try and correct the situation, and to try and protect my e-mail addresses from spammers in the future.

But there is no guarantee that I can protect my e-mail addresses from falling into the hands of spammers now or in the future.

So, I’ve chosen to change my attitude about the situation instead.

I am powerless over spammers, the same way I am powerless over the behavior of anyone. And since I am not the one who is doing anything wrong, I have decided to let the whole thing go.

So if you get an e-mail that appears to be sent from me, it isn’t. It’s sent by a spammer.

I don’t know how they got their hands on your address. I don’t know why they think spamming is the best use of their time and energy. I don’t know what brought them to this level of desperation.

But I do know that I don’t have any energy for them beyond sharing this information with you.

And I would encourage you to ignore them, too.

If you are a victim of spammers, I am sorry. I know how it feels. It really does stink. But don’t let it ruin your day, okay?