Category Archives: Business Tools

How to Freelance

July 6, 2011 – 9:44 am
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“If I had seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” -Issac Newton
I’ve been down in D.C. for the week and have met a ton of interesting people, many of which are freelancers who are trying to build their businesses. Each of them wanted to know how what secrets I had for them. I have no secrets (expect be prepare to work your butt off and love it), but I can share what I have learned. Here are some items on How to Freelance:
I. Fuel : Why Drinking Coffee is Great for You
Before you begin, make sure you are energize and ready to take on the world.  Here is a few reasons why coffee is a great way to start you day and get you ready to build your business. To read the article, click here.
II.  The Idea: How to Start a Million Dollar Business
Every business, even a freelance one starts with an idea. Here are a few ways to find that idea and start a million dollar business. To read the article, click here.
III. Freelancer Toolkit: 201+ Amazing Tools and Resources for the Freelancer
Every freelancer and small business owner needs an arsenal of tools [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

The Importance of Transmedia Storytelling to Your Brand

June 8, 2011 – 11:33 am
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The following post is an article for Sparksheet, on brands and transmedia. Below is the extended version of the article.
What is it about a great story that stays with us?
In its simplest form, storytelling is an act of cultural preservation – from drawing on a cave wall to commenting on a friend’s Facebook status, the process of sharing information between two people is an innate part of being human.
But in an age where the distribution and sharing of stories across multiple channels is increasingly accessible (and people’s attention spans even more divided as a result), how do organizations get their stories out to an increasingly fragmented audience?
Enter Transmedia.
A Transmedia refresher
Transmedia storytelling, as explained by JWTIntelligence, “involves narrative threads tailored for different channels (from mobile to big screens, from social to traditional media) and audiences (gamers, readers, Tweeters, etc.)…For brand marketers, this means that rather than striving for consistency across multiple touchpoints, the goal is for different channels to communicate different things (within the overarching strategy), with an emphasis on putting the brand community at the center.”
A popular example would be the companion media to 2003’s Matrix Reloaded. The Animatrix, an original series of short animated stories, worked in tangent [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

How to Start a Million Dollar Business

May 13, 2011 – 9:23 am
start a million dollar business spark and hustle ja-nae

Yesterday I spoke at Spark and Hustle, on “No Money, No Excuse.” I love when I can share with people tips and resources that are in “How to Start Your Business with $100” and even my personal story.
For example, I was on a Skype call yesterday while one of my coaching clients. He knows that I advise companies on open innovation and sustainability, but he wanted to know the million dollar question: How can a person start a million dollar business?
At least he got right to the point!  But this is a good question that I encourage people to ask bluntly.  While creating a million dollar business is not easy, I believe starting a million dollar business is easier than most people think.  If you just have a great idea and a willingness to start, then you’re further along than most potential millionaires will ever get.  So, here are some of my best tips for anyone who is ready and willing to start a million dollar business:

Actually Make an Attempt.  Groupon.com was started by a guy in his basement a couple years ago.  Recently, Google offered to buy the company for billions of dollars.  Many reactions to the offer were [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

How to Read Body Language

May 10, 2011 – 10:15 am
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My friend Jen is in town for the Opera America conference this week. She and I had dinner at the hotel where the conference is being hosted, when all of a sudden, we were surrounded by attendees and colleagues. We found ourselves in the middle of an impromptu networking event.
I love being a spectator at gatherings like these because it allows me to observe what people are REALLY saying to you…..with their bodies. The body communicates much more information about how we are feeling than we do verbally. Most of the time, we are not even aware of the signals and signs we are giving off.
Here are a few ways to read body language and improve your own:
Mirror: If you have a strong connection with someone, you will start to mirror each other unconsciously. If you would like to enhance the connection, proactively mirror the person. If she leans in, then you might lean in. If he puts an arm over the chair next to him, you may want to wait a few minutes and then do the same. However, do not mirror too much. If it is obviously that you are mimicking the other person, it will have [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Language, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

How to Recognize Opportunity

May 5, 2011 – 10:20 am
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I have known Sam for years. But I also haven’t seen him in awhile, so getting together for a cup of coffee sounded great to me.
Sam is getting his MBA at a well-known institution in Cambridge (there are really only two choices, so I will let you decide which one you think he goes to). He was walking me through the curriculum when I asked, “What is the objective of most of these classes?” He looked at me like I had four heads and responded, “To solve problems, of course.” That’s when it occurred to me that this program (and many MBA programs) has it all wrong.
Life and in this case, business, isn’t about just solving problems. It is about recognizing opportunities. Those opportunities can come in many forms: some are where to present change and innovations. Some opportunities allow us to capitalize on a system that is currently working and integrate it into other areas or create derivatives of that model. That was why part of the Our Revolution team went on the road: to find the models that were working and share them with the world, so others could use them.
Not everything is broken. There are many things [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Marketing, Our Revolution! Project, Strategy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

It’s Obvious

May 4, 2011 – 11:23 am
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Jeff was looking for his glasses…again. This was the 3rd time this week. He had to find them and find them quickly because he was going to be late for a meeting. So, the search was on. He went through everything on his desk. He searched through his bags, tore up the living room, his bedroom and to no avail. “My jacket!” They must be in my jacket.” he scurried his way to the black jacket hanging there on the coat rack. He turned every pocket inside out. Jeff even shook the jacket.
Nothing.
After about forty-five minutes of searching, Jeff sulked down onto the couch furious with himself. As he glanced through the window, he caught something within the reflection. He saw a little glimmer from atop his head. He slowly reached up and realized that what he has been searching for had been with him the entire time.
Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation?
Most of the time, the answers we are looking for are right in front of us or within us. Keeping your eyes, ears and minds open to what is around you can help you find the resources you need or the solutions to your challenging [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

How to Be the Change You Wish to See In the World

May 3, 2011 – 12:20 pm

Every choice that you make impacts not only you, but others. Some you know and some you don’t know. How do you make the right choices? How can one person empower others to make a positive change; to turn ones life around and be the change they wish to see in the world.
Last week, I spoke on Creating Revolutions: How to Be the Change You Wish to See to the South Shore Women’s Business Network (great group). Here is the video of my talk. Check it out:

Are you ready for YOUR Revolution? Tell me about what you’re doing. Tell me how you’re changing the world. Create a video, entitle it “It’s MY Revolution!” and post the link within the comments of this blog or on my Facebook page. I will then post videos that I see in an upcoming blog post.
Cannot Wait to Hear from you!
Related Posts:
The Power of Vulnerability
Why I Started Our Revolution
Creating Revolutions, Reinventing a City, and My Story
The Revolution: 7+ Things To Learn from Tunisia, Egypt, and Iran

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Entrepreneurship, Our Revolution! Project, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

How to Successfully Create a New Habit

May 2, 2011 – 8:04 am
creating good habits creating new habits janae

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts the other night and there was a discussion whether aptitude or attitude was more important in defining individual success.   I believe attitude is far more important than aptitude.  All the talent, knowledge, and skill in the world will not make someone a success in life if they do not learn how to apply it productively.  I believe those of us who do reach our dreams are usually just the people who have accumulated the best habits.
Humans are creatures of habit.  Our bodies and minds want us to be stuck in a comfortable routine of homeostasis.  Subconsciously, your inner self is thinking only about survival and not about success, “I’ve survived this far doing what I’ve always done, so changing can only risk danger.”
So picking up a new habit or getting rid of an old one is a lot harder than we think.  We subconsciously fight against such change.  But the ability to form new habits is ultimately the key to success, so I want to share these 6 habit-forming steps with you:
1.       Do it for 30 Days – The common consensus is that it takes about 21 days of [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Entrepreneurship, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

How to Write Two Books in One Year

April 29, 2011 – 10:45 am
productivity 101 the freelancer janae

People often tell me I’m a busy woman.  But we’re all busy, right?  Everyone has to contend with finding time outside of their jobs, families, health, social obligations, and a ton of other responsibilities.  So when I mentioned to a new acquaintance that I am in the midst of writing two books (“How to Create a Revolution” and “The Expanded Edition:  How to Start Your Business with $100”), working on the Our Revolution Project, and composing an opera for the 140 Characters Conference, they ask me how I could possibly do all that. 
What can I say? I am all about effective productivity. There are a ton of things that I do and want to do, but still need and want my free time. Here is a list of tools and resources that I use to be productive:
Time Management Tools:
Are are some of my favorite tools that you can use to help save time.
1.       Evernote – Whether you are working on a big project or just need a place to organize your upcoming blog posts, Evernote is what I would recommend. The platform (and its Iphone app) are incredibly easy to use and allows you to categorize [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Entrepreneurship, Our Revolution! Project, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

50+ Business and Leadership Quotes

April 26, 2011 – 9:35 am
business and leadership quotes janae the freelancer

Have you ever had the morning where two cups of coffee wasn’t even to get you going to tackle the day? The type of morning where your bed is so comfortable that you wonder why you ever leave it to do other things?
Yes, it is that type of morning.
We all need a little motivation from time to time. One way that always gets me going are quotes that I love. From Vince Lombardi to Lao Tzu, here are 50+ quotes to help kick start your day!
1. “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” -Lao Tzu
2. “Leadership rests not only upon ability, not only upon capacity; having the capacity to lead is not enough. The leader must be willing to use it. His leadership is then based on truth and character. There must be truth in the purpose and will power in the character.” -Vince Lombardi
3. Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy. – Norman Schwarzkopf
4. The golden rule for every business man is this: “Put yourself in [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Innovation, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)