Working Together - We Can Create Friendship, Business and Love

As a member of The National Writers Union for many years, I have been aware of the problems experienced by educated, professional writers. Many have been deprived of their contracted fees. Others have had their writing plagiarized or syndicated without their consent and without payment to the writer by unscrupulous publishers and authors. But the Writers’ Union has done something about that. Jointly, as a group, they have managed to fight for the rights of individual writers. In the process, they have confronted some leading publishing house representatives and retrieved large sums of money for members who had been wronged. Few writers can fight a big publishing house alone. Together, huge companies have conceded and were forced to provide what had been promised.

As a sex therapist working in a solo private practice, many years ago I organized the Metropolitan New York area AASECT section. A group of therapists, educators and researchers met regularly to share our insights and concerns. At one of our local meetings we discovered that three of us had submitted papers to present at the National AASECT Conference and that all three had been rejected. Together we created a mini-conference at the conference. Forty people attended and all of us got to present our papers. The following year, to our delight, all three of us were accepted onto the main conference program. We discovered the power of “we.” Alone, each of us had been pushed aside. Together, the leaders took notice and obstacles were removed.

For the past few years, I have been involved with a wonderful local organization, The Women’s Prosperity Network, WPN. Three ambitious and courageous sisters decided to make a difference in the lives of women. Their goal has been to bring women together to support each other’s physical, emotional, career and financial well being. Their regular mastermind breakfasts and luncheons, evening networking events and yearly UnConference have enabled countless women to create new businesses, brand themselves, gain the confidence and skills required, and establish solid working relationships with other women and with men. When someone puts on an event, they are no longer alone – there is a whole sisterhood cheering them on and assisting when needed. When tragedy strikes, this wonderful group of women band together to raise money and do what is necessary to help out. WPN has a special motto that says it all. “We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.”

When I first began blogging and writing articles in 2008, I know that some people did read my articles because they contacted me and became clients. However, I had very few comments or response to my personal blogs and I did not have any sort of consistent following until I found out about blogging tribes. I had the good fortune to get involved with a substantial group of bloggers, from many different industries and professions, in the Tribe Syndication Association. By reading each other’s blogs each week and following the rules set up by the leaders, we established a large network of colleagues that we began to know, like and trust. We share each other’s content across the internet. We learn all sorts of tidbits of information about technology, marketing, love relationships, healing, nutrition, exI had the good fortune to get involved with a substantial group of bloggers, from many different industries and professions, in the Tribe Syndication Association. By reading each other’s blogs each week and following the rules set up by the leaders, we established a large network of colleagues that we began to know, like and trust. We share each other’s content across the internet. We learn all sorts of tidbits of information about technology, marketing, love relationships, healing, nutrition, exercise, business around the world, and so much more.

Kimberly Castleberry has taken over the task of rejuvenating this blogging tribe, giving it a new name Biz Blogging Buzz (B3), and simplifying the process to make it more accessible for bloggers to utilize and connect with each other. When bloggers work together with other dedicated bloggers, leaving uplifting and supportive comments and syndicating the blog posts on social media sites, each blog develops its own social proof. The blog site is seen as valuable and the blogger is viewed as an expert in his or her niche. People like to do business with someone who is successful. They also need to know, like and trust the business owner. When a new person arrives at a blog that is flowing with comments by people who obviously know the blogger, people from varying professions and from different locations around the world, that person is much more likely to like and trust the writer. Business is just one click away as they eagerly sign up to receive the free report, newsletter, audio, webinar or whatever is presented as the ethical bribe.

If you have been hesitating about joining a blogging tribe or business blogging affiliation, then think again. Check out some of the blogs in the B3 spreadsheet. Notice how exciting it is to read a blog with so many enthusiastic comments. Allow your mind to be stimulated by the wide variety of topics and the valuable insights and information provided. None of us can create a successful business alone. We need each other. We need support, witnesses, validation, training, and real relationship building skills. This process works if you do. Sign into the spreadsheet, start commenting and syndicating, write a new blog post with valuable information each week, and watch your connections, your list, your confidence and your business grow in ways you could never have imagined.

You can’t build a business all alone and it is also difficult to build a great relationship alone. Sometimes you need an outside, experienced professional who can provide a sense of normalcy and more netural, unbiased perspective to help you sort through the rough edges and trying moment.