Is Your Marketing Aggressive Enough?
Walt Goshert
http://waltgoshert.com/is-your-marketing-aggressive-enough/

Walt asks: "Is your marketing “sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads” aggressive? " The subtitle was enough to catch my attention. The message is a wakeup call for me!

If You Want To See Entrepreneurs, Go To China
Scott Shane, BusinessWeek
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/mar2010/sb20100311_996919.htm

In China, the rate of self-employment is 51.2%, compared to the US 7.2% (I assume it's similar in Canada). Why the difference?

Is Selling Somehow Unprofessional?
Geoffrey James, BNET Blogs
http://blogs.bnet.com/salesmachine/?p=8449

Too many solos resist letting their friends and colleagues know what they're doing.

A Curler's Guide To Marketing
Jackie Adkins, The Curbside Marketer
http://www.jackieadkins.com/2010/02/18/a-curlers-guide-to-marketing/

Three interesting insights why marketing is a lot like curling.

How To Make A Living Out Of Your Obsession
Jonathan Mead (guest post), Productive Flourishing
http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-to-make-a-living-out-of-your-obsession/

As a solopreneur, why are you still looking for "balance"?

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Check out these and more shared items on my Google Reader page: http://www.google.com/reader/shared/CoachDavender

and on my Google Buzz feed: http://www.google.com/profiles/coachdavender

Now for the fun stuff...

The scene from "Austin Powers" where Dr. Evil makes his request: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh7bYNAHXxw

And where Scott grants Dr. Evil's wish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pozlp_wnkRk

Here are some recent articles I recommend: 

Is Entrepreneurship A Management Science?
Eric Ries, The Conversation (Harvard Business Review)
permalink:  http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/01/is_entrepreneurship_a_manageme.html

Traditional concepts in management science tend to fail when applied to startups. A startup has to deal with conditions of extreme uncertaintly, which impedes the ability to do traditional planning. This article talks about shifting the attention at the startup phase from the outputs (measuring the results) to the inputs (measuring how the team is learning).

This Year, Say Yes By Saying No
Alexandra Samuel, The Conversation (Harvard Business Review)
permalink: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/01/say_yes_to_saying_no.html

This is the time of year where we get bombarded with offers. Be clear about your intentions and goals, and make "no" your default answer.

You're Not Small, You're Just Human (And So Are The Gurus)
Ali Hale, Dumb Little Man
permalink: http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009/11/youre-not-small-youre-just-human-and-so.html

Even "gurus" have off days. Don't beat yourself silly trying to achieve the illusion of perfection.

Best New Year's Resolution? A Stop-Doing List
Jim Collins via Marcia Conner, LaughLearnLead
permalink: http://marciamarcia.tumblr.com/post/283672685/best-new-years-resolution-a-stop-doing-list

Are you productive, or just busy? Take the time to focus on only doing what counts most for you.

Goal Setting Accountability: Is It For Losers?
Naomi Dunford, IttyBiz
permalink: http://ittybiz.com/goal-setting-accountability

There's a place for accountability, and there's a place for privacy

Networking Reconsidered
John Hagel III and John Seely Brown, Harvard Business Review
permalink: http://blogs.hbr.org/bigshift/2010/01/networking-reconsidered.html

Applying the lessons learned from social networking to the traditional real-world networking environment.

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Check out my Shared Items on my Google Reader page: http://www.google.com/reader/shared/davenderg

If you know of any interesting blogs or posts (especially if they're yours!) please share them through the comments below.

• Successful People Focus on the Process, not on the Result
  Chuck Blakeman - TeamNimbusWest Blog
  http://blog.teamnimbuswest.com/2010/01/successful-people-focus-on-the-process-not-on-the-result/

Are we too focused on the result, thinking that “arriving” will make us happy? Why do athletes, music heroes, and business people who are already at the top of their field and financially secure keep going? Why don’t they retire as soon as they get there?

• Success and Motivation: What will you remember when you are 90?
  Mark Cuban - BlogMaverick
  http://blogmaverick.com/2009/12/04/success-motivation-what-will-you-remember-when-you-are-90/

Mark Cuban may be a multi-millionaire, but he does ask a good question that puts wealth (and the pursuit of wealth) in a proper perspective

• What Makes An Entrepreneur? Perspiration (6/11)
  Mark Suster - Both Sides Of The Table
  http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/12/21/what-makes-an-entrepreneur-perspiration-611/

A great series of posts by an entrepreneur-turned-venture capitalist about what it takes to succeed today. I like the point that he makes in this post the best: "If you want a safe job or a balanced life don’t be an entrepreneur."

• 6 Things They Mean When They Say They Have No Money
  Naomi Dunford - IttyBiz
  http://ittybiz.com/customers-cant-afford-it/

The brutal truth about what "I don't have the money" really means (and what to do about it)...

For more information

Check out these and other posts that I share from a list of over 220 blogs on my Google Reader sharing page:

https://www.google.com/reader/shared/davenderg

Do you have a blog you suggest I should follow? (Maybe even your own blog?) Post it in the comments below!

Are You Programmed to Fail?
Geoffrey James - Bnet SalesMachine
http://blogs.bnet.com/salesmachine/?p=7008

If you're letting little things get to you, you're "programmed to fail". How to reset the program? Change your rules.

The Magic of the "I Message"
Bob Burg
http://www.burg.com/2009/12/the-magic-of-the-i-message

Especially in the "festive" season, sometimes tensions can run high. Practicing the "I Message" is a powerful tool to defuse a situation. Bob shares a great technique to make the transition without making the other person feel manipulated. Great post.

8 Spectacular Christmas Light Shows on YouTube
Samuel Axon  -  Mashable
http://mashable.com/2009/12/24/christmas-lights/

And all I have on my door is a simple wreath...

Check out my Shared list on Google Reader here:

https://www.google.com/reader/shared/davenderg