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Hey, have you heard the news?
I have a new website! It's called Cash and Joy and its mission is to increase the awesomeness of the world - of course - through glorious and meaningful marketing.

Why did I focus on marketing? Because marketing can be the most fun and meaningful activity of your business instead of the most dreaded and icky... if you do it right.

Ask Auntie Catherine

By

So, I did it. I quit my job yesterday. (Yay! ARGH. *sniff* Woot!)

I have a bajillion ideas I need to think about and Important Decisions to make, a hundred lessons from the Awesome Fear-Wrangling launch to understand and use, and I’ll be asking your opinion on some ideas soon.

But now, it’s all about you.

Really?
Creative Commons License photo credit: volliem

What are you curious or frustrated or confused or concerned about? What have you wondered, “How does she bloody do that?” about?* What would you like advice on?

Ask Auntie Catherine, dearest!

Leave a question in the comments and I shall endeavour to answer it.

Here’s one I prepared earlier…

LaVonne, during our totally awesome interview, asked me about how I get so much work done. I write a 800-ish word post every day, reply to every comment, and am not exactly quiet and uninvolved on Twitter. Also, I gave 35 free consulting sessions in March. With a 40-hour-a-week Day Job. How the heck did I do it?

The boring logistical answer was that I got up at 5am, and used every spare minute (in lines, on the bus, while waiting for meetings to start or reports to run). But that’s not the important part.

The important part was about the choice of work.

My time and energy were limited, so I gave myself permission to only do the fun stuff, and not to feel guilty about ignoring the tasks I don’t enjoy. (SEO and Facebook and LinkedIn, oh my!)

I like writing. I love replying to comments. I love Twitter. I love interviewing! (Expect more of those soon.) Because they’re fun, I will always find time to do those things, the same way I can always find time to eat an ice-cream. And because they are high-flow activities, they energise me. At the end of a consulting session I usually have enough energy to do backflips and run up mountains; if I spent the same time in in-depth analysis of my stats I would be in a coma. I don’t ignore my stats (and if you like, I can explain which ones I track and why) but I don’t give them more than ten minutes a week.

I had faith that focussing all my limited attention into stuff that I would enjoy (and do really well at) would be better than doing a half-assed job of everything. It seems to be working. It certainly kept me sane the last few months.

What else do you want to know?

Ask me anything! In the comments!

*Bonus Muppet Treasure Island reference, for other fans.

32 Comments - Join the conversation!
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  • http://www.skajawills.com misty wills

    i couldn't decide on a question, which actually is perfect, cause now i can ask you about indecisiveness. do you have a difficult time deciding what to do next?

  • http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

    Generally not, because I usually have a potential list that's six miles long, so I just whatever seems most fun right now and go for it.

    When it's serious (like ensuring I complete all the tasks for creating a product) I use a Google spreadsheet to list out all the tasks and assign them to different days.

    But on the days when I can't decide what to do, even with all of that? I watch an episode of TV then come back to it. When I'm paralysed by indecision it's a sign that I need to take a break and chill the fuck out.

  • evanhadkins

    Some old ones about: how to build an audience, how to sell stuff to them.

  • http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

    The VERY short answer:

    Identify the kind of people you like most.
    Identify a problem you can solve for them.
    Hang out and tell them about it.

    Longer answers are here: http://www.beawesomeonline.com/category/reach-y…

  • http://www.scoutiegirl.com tara – scoutie girl

    love that you put this “out there.” that's exactly how i do “so much” too. bookkeeping, um, what?! what i love to do makes money. what i love to do finds new clients to make more money. what i love to do keeps me sane even would i should be completely mad.

    doing what's fun is good for business. and when you get to a point where you have to do the other stuff, you hire someone. i just did – liberating.

  • http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

    Exactly! I have plans to hire two people in the near soon to take care of some stuff that needs doing now I'm actually trying to make money. No plans to do it myself!

  • http://www.verbhounds.com Beth

    Dear Auntie Catherine,

    What should I write today's Directorate post about?

    Yours,
    Beth

  • http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

    Dear Beth,

    You should write about second thoughts and how, like sorrows (and mosquitoes), they come not single spies but in batallions.

    Or about your favorite pair of slippers.

  • http://www.verbhounds.com Beth

    Actually as soon as I typed that, I realized I should write about what to write about when you don't know what to write about. I will save your Sorrow-Mosquitoes for tomorrow. :) thanks!

  • http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

    I was going to suggest that topic, but I thought you would have dismissed it already!

  • http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

    Since you already answered my question, I feel left out now. ;)

  • http://www.MavenDiary.com Wendy Maynard

    Dear Auntie Catherine,

    After you've launched your first product, how do you decide what to launch next?

    (-:

  • http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

    You may ask another, of course!

  • http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

    Dear Wendy,

    Something SMALL. :)

  • http://picsiechick.blogspot.com PicsieChick

    Will I get my blog moved and re-launched by June 9? Will it be a success with droves of photo-hungry souls in need of photos and cards to inspire and ornament their lives? Will I live happily ever after?

    oh, wait. You're not the magic 8-ball!

    okay, then, What's you're favourite flower and why?

    Hugs and butterflies,
    ~T~

  • http://janebradbury.com/ Jane Bradbury

    I've got a question: is it possible in WordPress to have a separate content area that still displays posts like the main blog area does? I know I can make pages, but I could do with a content area that works like the blog area, allowing multiple posts.

  • http://www.ivanwalsh.com Ivan Walsh

    You can create a hook that pulls in specific pages and then displays these under its own tag/category/area. Is that what you mean?

  • http://fight-mediocrity.com/ Gareth

    Ooh, sorrow mosquitoes attacking in droves, and even the lone buzzing can be annoying. (I may be stealing this)

  • http://twitter.com/lucyviret Lucy

    Congratulations on quitting your job!

    I literally just launched my Thing(s!) today, and while I don't have questions, I really DO need to get on and start playing with your product that I just bought.

    I have a question, too! I find that I'm really cyclical about stuff. I can work really intensely for a while and then get burned out quite quickly (probably related to how long I've been ill, sigh). Do you have any tips for avoiding burn out or taking care of yourself while still working hard?

    Thanks!

  • http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

    I work cyclically, too. My best advice is:
    - make sure your schedule is flexible enough to allow you the opportunity to dive in when you need to, and potter when you need to
    - try not to make too many time-based commitments, because it seems to inevitably cause my energy to disappear when there's too much that Must Be Done
    - when you're in dynamo mode, GET AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER ONCE AN HOUR. Set an alarm clock or a concerned family member to remind you! Just get outside for five minutes, dance to your favourite track, get some water… and then get back to it because the fires are burning!

  • http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

    Jasmine, because it smells like nostalgia. :)

  • http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

    Yeah, that. Honestly I don't know much about how to do it, though!

  • http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

    Okay, how do you push through and get things done when you just don't feel like it?

  • http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

    Sometimes I don't. I put it off until later.

    Sometimes I know it's important and I'll get something out of it directly (like writing a post – comments are my lifeblood) so I focus on that.

    Sometimes I focus on the people I'll be helping.

    Sometimes I ask someone else to do it for me.

    Sometimes I take a walk and come back to it.

  • http://janebradbury.com/ Jane Bradbury

    Thanks for answering Ivan, but no, that's not what I'm after. I want to be able to write a post as usual but have it appear in a separate content area, rather than just the usual front page.

    With the talk of 'hooks' I guess you're using Thesis, which I don't have. I suspect it's not possible without a custom bit of coding, but I thought I'd ask.

  • http://www.ivanwalsh.com Ivan Walsh

    Hi Jane,
    You can do this on any WP site. I don’t think much of Thesis, tbh.
    See here http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/08/18/10-u…
    And you can setup the pages so they appear deep in the site, not at the front door.
    I think that’s what you mean, right?

  • http://janebradbury.com/ Jane Bradbury

    I didn't realise that hook was a term used outside of Thesis, so thanks again Ivan! Yes, I think I can now see how it might work; I'll give it some thought and see what I can work out. :o )

  • http://www.o-copy.com/blog Kathleen O'Connor

    Love the new header! But hey, who you callin' a weirdo?! ;)

    I have a question for ya. Don't know if it's too late, but I am wondering where you get the code to create the nice photo credit link for your Creative commons-licensed Flickr photos. I can't figure it out for the life of me.

  • http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

    You, of course. And the phrase is “delightful weirdo”. :)

    I'm using a plugin called Photodropper, because it's really fast and effective. And I keep finding nice images!

  • http://www.o-copy.com/blog Kathleen O'Connor

    Oh, cool! I had never heard of that tool. Gonna check it out. Thanks, auntie Catherine! :)

  • http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

    You are welcome. One of my delightful weirdoes recommended it and it's making image insertion MUCH easier. :)

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