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ronaldsmcrae86 · 3 years ago

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How to Write a Bio Like a Superhero (Don’t Do These 6 Things)

Writing a good bio is hard.

You have to knock ’em dead with two or three dazzling sentences that show you’re a likable, credible, and accomplished expert.

When readers read your bio (aka byline), they must believe you’re the answer to their prayers — a superhero who will swoop in and solve the big problem keeping them awake at night.

(And if you’re a freelance writer, your short professional bio should make a potential client want to hire you on the spot.)

No pressure, right?

Here’s the good news:

Learning how to write a compelling bio that dazzles readers doesn’t require feats of strength or the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

And, best of all, it’s a process that works whether you’re doing a professional bio, an author bio, or a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram bio.

Let’s dive in.

But first, we’ll look at a few short bio examples that make readers run for the exits…

The 6 Common Bio Blunders That Make You Look Like an Amateur (And What to Do Instead)

1. Making It All About You

I’m Jill — a free-spirit with a passion for quilting, bird watching, Tai Chi, and calligraphy.”

Thanks for sharing, Jill. But do I really care? Nah.

It’s confusing, I know. “Bio” is short for biography, which suggests it should be all about you. But the main purpose of your author bio is to show your audience how you can help them solve their problem with the professional skills you bring to the table.

So, it’s not about you, Jill. It’s about them.

What to Do Instead:

In this post on sensory words, using almost the same number of words as Jill, Kevin gives us just enough information about himself to tell us what he does and how he helps his audience.

As the Editor in Chief at Smart Blogger, Kevin J. Duncan helps readers learn the ropes of blogging, hone their writing skills, and find their unique voice so they can stand out from the crowd.

It’s clear, precise, and focused on the outcome, not on Kevin. He uses phrases like “hone their writing skills,” and “stand out from the crowd,” which directly target the deep-rooted desires of aspiring writers. He speaks their language.

Here’s another tip: It’s usually best to write in the third person, as Kevin does in the above bio example. It’s more professional.

2. Writing a Condensed Resume, or a Laundry List of Accomplishments

John Brown is a qualified personal trainer with a sports medicine degree from Fremont College, as well as professional certifications from the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Your professional biography is not a dumping ground for your career path, job titles, and qualifications. It’s a tiny elevator pitch that’s selling you as a credible solver of your reader’s problems.

So don’t list every degree you have or talk about your first job out of school. Readers don’t really care. They only care whether or not you have the solutions they are looking for.

What to Do Instead:

Your bio should only include details about yourself that directly relate to your intended audience’s problem.

Think about your career, education, and skill set, and then carefully select the most pertinent facts that are going to impress the audience you are writing for. Like this:

Jessi Rita Hoffman is a book editor who helps authors get their books out of their heads and into print. A former publishing house editor-in-chief, she has edited books for Donald Trump and bestselling/award-winning authors. Visit her blog for writers here.

Jessi tells us the most important thing about herself (that she is a book editor), and what she can do for her audience (get their books into print), while establishing her credibility (“best-selling,” “editor-in-chief”).

Everything she mentions is designed to appeal to the audience she’s trying to reach.

3. Sharing Irrelevant Details or Stuff You Think Your Audience Should Care About

Joe Brown is a content and affiliate marketer with a passion for snowboarding. When he’s not at his computer, you can find him at his nearest half-pipe, or maybe on Twitter @joeb, where he likes to tweet about his pet python. Alternatively, try his email at [email protected], and he’ll probably shoot you back a list of his favorite origami folds.

This sample bio is from someone whose expertise is content and affiliate marketing, although he hides it well.

Much like your degrees and career path, your audience doesn’t care about your hobbies, passions, and personal details either, unless they directly impact the problem they’re trying to solve.

What to Do Instead:

As mentioned earlier, only share the details that your audience will find relevant.

If you’re mad keen on knitting and you’re writing for an arts and crafts blog, then go ahead and mention your passion. It’s relevant. But don’t tell them about your cat, unless Fluffy can knit too.

4. Trying to Cram Too Much In

Okay, so you’ve managed to include only relevant details about yourself, so you’re safe. Right?

Not if you included too many of them.

Like this one from Jo. She’s had an impressive career with many accomplishments, but her bio feels endless:

Jo Smith is a personal finance blogger with 20 years of experience in accounting, international banking, and financial planning. She started as a trainee bank teller in Little Rock, Arkansas, before completing her accounting degree and climbing the corporate ladder at Citibank. More recently, Jo decided to follow her dreams and leave the safety net of her six-figure salary to start her own coaching business.

This is way too much information.

Writing your own bio can be hard. Sometimes you’re too close to the subject matter to realize what’s important and what can be left out. But your bio isn’t the place to share your entire life story and every single accomplishment, and it certainly shouldn’t have an endless word count. You need to be picky.

What to Do Instead:

With some careful pruning, the real gems hidden away in Jo’s personal biography can be given center stage:

Jo Smith is a personal finance blogger and coach with 20 years of experience in the high-powered world of international banking and accountancy. Jo is on a mission to help everyday families build sustainable wealth, stop stressing about their financial security, and start living the life they’ve always wanted.

Go through your bio word by word and ask yourself, “Does this bit of information make any difference to my audience?”

If the answer is no, take it out, and limit your bio to two or three sentences.

5. Being Overly Formal (a.k.a. Boring)

Joe Jones is an accomplished marketing consultant who specializes in the field of physician practices. He works with medical centers and practitioners to maximize their online real estate, garner new market segments, and engender business growth.

If you’re anything like me, you had to read this bio more than once to get a sense of what Joe does. It’s way too formal. Most people will just glaze over this.

What to Do Instead:

Instead of using stilted words and phrases like “maximize their online real estate” and “engender business growth”, Joe missed a great opportunity to showcase his personal brand and make himself stand out from the crowd.

Perhaps he could have started with something like:

“Joe Jones is an expert marketer who can take your medical practice from queasy to fighting fit…”

Do you see how that might grab a few more eyeballs, cut through the noise, and make an impact with his target audience of doctors?

6. Being Vague (or Overly Woo-Woo)

Cecile is a life coach and devoted mom. She loves day breaks and giving things a go. She is passionate about her fellow humans and wants to be their inspiration for growth, as they find their way through the dark to their true self.

Hands up, whoever doesn’t have a clue what this person is talking about. What does she do? How does she help solve my problem? Why should I be interested in her?

You need to avoid ambiguous phrases like “inspiration for growth” and “find their way through the dark.” These phrases might have a nice ring to them, but they mean very little to your reader. They’re too open to interpretation.

What to Do Instead:

You don’t have time to beat around the bush in your bio. Get straight to the point. Like this:

Cecile is a qualified self-development coach who is passionate about helping professional women develop the skills and self-assurance they need to take control of their working lives. Download her free guide, How to Quit Your Dead-End Job Without Risking Your Income, and open the door to your dream career today.

In two sentences, Cecile tells me everything I need to know about what she does and how she can help me. No fluff, no messing about, and a juicy opt-in bribe to seal the deal.

How to Write a Bio That Begs to be Clicked

Introduce Yourself with a Bang

Call Out Your Audience and Say How You Help Them

Offer an Irresistible Reason to Click

So now you can see where you might’ve gone wrong with your bio after you started your blog, and you’re dying to write a new version of it. But how do you ensure your next bio won’t commit the same blunders?

Easy. Just follow this simple three-step process to write a professional bio that your ideal readers can’t resist clicking.

1. Introduce Yourself with a Bang

This is where you tell the audience who you are and what makes you different (while avoiding the common blunders we’ve just discussed). You need to spark their interest and curiosity and get them to say, “Tell me more.”

Let’s start with this example from a blogger in the personal development niche.

Sue Smith is a self-help writer and coach with a degree in psychology…

This tells me what Sue does, but it’s rather dull and same-y in a sea full of personal development blogs. For a first sentence, it’s too bland. There’s nothing here to set her apart or pique our interest.

Let’s give it a twist:

Self-help writer, Sue Smith, is part social scientist, part agony aunt, who…

That sounds a bit more interesting. Sue manages to appeal to her audience on different levels by sounding educated, professional, and personable at the same time. Describing herself as an “agony aunt” downplays the more clinical “social scientist.”

I’m curious to know more, and it certainly makes her distinctive.

But there’s another angle Sue could take:

Sue Smith is a certified psychologist who specializes in beating social anxiety.

Now, this one is more similar to the first example, but the difference is that it adds more credibility — “certified psychologist” sounds much more credible than “has a degree in,” which suggests she’s fresh out of college — but it also sets her apart more.

She has a specialty, which gives her ideas on the topic more weight than others. If you suffer from social anxiety, you’d want to listen to the expert on it, right?

Compare also:

Sue Smith’s books on beating social anxiety have won her international acclaim. She has been featured as an expert on Psychology Today, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Good Morning America.

This version goes even further in establishing Sue’s credibility. Not only has she published multiple books on the topic of social anxiety, but she’s even been featured on some well-known media channels, adding social proof to her expertise.

We’ve talked before about not delivering a laundry list of accomplishments, but if you have specific accomplishments that make you stand out, those are worth including.

Here’s an excellent bio example that both offers a point of interest and adds credibility:

Jessica’s outside-the-box approach to business plan writing has helped her clients collectively raise almost $50 million in financing to start and grow new businesses. Sign up for her 5-part business plan training series for FREE here so you can get your business plan done and get your money sooner.

Jessica doesn’t just say she’ll help you write a business plan, she mentions she has an “outside-the-box approach,” which immediately makes you curious what that approach is. Then she steps it up even more by mentioning her approach has collectively raised $50 million in financing. That’s nothing to sneeze at and creates instant credibility.

It’s an excellent bio that will absolutely pique her audience’s interest.

2. Call Out Your Audience and Say How You Help Them

Remember, this isn’t about you, it’s about what you can do for your audience. So you need to define who they are and what problem of theirs (their key fear or desire) you can solve.

You should aim for both a logical and emotional connection. It’s tough, but do-able.

Let’s take Kim, a blogger in the parenting niche:

Kim’s passion in writing is to inspire other parents to not just “hang in there” or “make it through” but to thrive. She does this through blogging at kimbiasottotoday.wordpress.com and speaking engagements.

By using language most parents will relate to and zeroing in on their fears, Kim makes a strong emotional connection. At the same time, there’s no mistaking the practical (logical) solution Kim offers.

Note: Of course, Kim’s bio would be even further improved if she had a call to action that linked to an incentive rather than her homepage. More on that in the next step!

Here’s another example:

Jessica Blanchard, registered dietitian and Ayurvedic practitioner, helps busy people re-energize with super simple food, yoga, and wellness strategies that work. Grab your free 7-Day Plan and learn to eat, move, and live better in ten minutes a day.

Jessica clarifies immediately who she helps (busy people) and how she helps them (by re-energizing them through food, yoga, and wellness strategies).

You must be absolutely clear about this. If readers can’t identify themselves in your bio and see you have the solution they’re looking for, they will move on.

3. Offer an Irresistible Reason to Click

You’ve told your audience who you are, what you do, and how you can help them. You’ve impressed them with your credentials and sparked their curiosity.

They’re ready to move to second base, but they need that last push. An irresistible reason to click through to your site and sign up. You need to offer an incentive.

Take a look at this bio:

Henneke Duistermaat is an irreverent copywriter and business writing coach. She’s on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook and to make boring business blogs sparkle. Get her free 16-Part Snackable Writing Course For Busy People and learn how to enchant your readers and win more business.

Boom! In 46 carefully curated words, Henneke tells us who she is, what she does, how she can help, and then gives us a gold-plated reason for parting with our email address.

Her free report is 16 parts, but it’s “snackable,” which makes it sound very easy to digest. And it’s for “busy people,” which shows Henneke understands her audience. She promises results and cleverly relates this back to her own blog, Enchanting Marketing.

Unfortunately, we can’t all steal Henneke’s bio, but we can use it as a fine example of how to write our own.

Ready to Write Your Best Bio Ever?

Writing a bio like a superhero is simple, but it’s not easy, so give your bio the time it requires. You should brainstorm several options for each of the steps.

Whether they’re concluding an article you’ve written or they’re inside your Instagram bio (or Twitter bio, Facebook bio, LinkedIn profile, or, heck, any other social media profile), a great bio is hard to craft. But, they are also one of the most effective pieces of marketing you can create when you get it right.

You now know how to write a bio your audience will love. They’ll want to know more and they won’t be able to resist your free offer.

They’ll see you as a credible, personable problem-solver. Their problem-solver.

And they’ll click through to your personal website, ready and willing to hand over their email address to their new blogging superhero.

You.

Note: For a handy visual reminder of the six bio blunders you can download or share on your own website, check out the image below:

Embed This Infographic On Your Site:

<!—– Copy and Paste This Code Into Your Post —-><a href=”https://smartblogger.com/how-to-write-a-bio/”><img src=”https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/6-common-blunders-v3.png” alt=”The 6 Common Bio Blunders That Make You Look Like an Amateur (And What to Do Instead)” width=”700px” class=”noa3lazy”/></a> <a href=”https://smartblogger.com/how-to-write-a-bio/”>The 6 Common Bio Blunders That Make You Look Like an Amateur (And What to Do Instead) from SmartBlogger.com</a>

The post How to Write a Bio Like a Superhero (Don’t Do These 6 Things) appeared first on Smart Blogger.

from SEO and SM Tips https://smartblogger.com/how-to-write-a-bio/

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wanderingtycho · 8 years ago

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Samurai Jack episode XCII

Alright, I just finished watching the highly anticipated return of Genndy Tartakovsky's "Samurai Jack", and as a lifelong fan of the original run I couldn't have been more thrilled for my favorite show to get its highly deserved continuation. Not a reboot, not a remake, not fan canon, the original team and cast(aside from the ineffable Mako as Aku, may he rest easy)all getting back together to see their vision to its long awaited conclusion. So, with all that said, what did I think of episode XCII?

I thought it was awesome.

That said, there are a few things that temper my excitement.

First we'll go over the great things about this entry into the new season, and rest assured there are lots of things to love both for newcomers and diehards like myself. The show is as beautiful as ever, even with a transition from entirely hand drawn to use of digital imagery, you wouldn't mistake the visuals for anything else. It looks and feels just like Samurai Jack, with more obvious polish and attention to the fluidity of movement, but the spirit of the animation is alive and well.

Next, the sound design, pitch perfect and just familiar enough to give tingles of nostalgia. Particularly the sound of crunching metal as Jack carves his way through the beetle robots, cant get more classic than that. Furthermore, the musical soundtracks are refreshingly updated while still keeping faithful themes from the original, each one appropriately crafted for the scene its used in.

Phil LaMarr reprises his role as the titular Samurai Jack, naturally, and he doesn't miss a single step. He does quite a good job of making Jack sound like little has changed over the course of fifty years, yet everything has changed, there's an edge of exhaustion and desperation to his cadence. Also, just as an aside before continuing, they got Greg Baldwin to be the new voice of Aku. GREG BALDWIN. The voice of Frank Fontaine from the first Bioshock game! Even though he only had one and a half lines in this first episode, I have upmost confidence that he'll make a fine replacement.

Perhaps most importantly, the two key elements of what made Samurai Jack so unique and beloved are present and accounted for, moments of silence and great action sequences. Very little exposition is used in this episode, which I think is both a wise move and possibly idiosyncratic, which I'll address later on. There isn't even a post roll opening, it just hard starts with Samurai Jack saving some helpless villagers from killer robots, then riding away on his motorcycle. Then Jack gives us a little set up, all of which we already heard from the trailers, essentially telling the audience Jack has been trapped in the future for fifty years yet isn't getting any older.

Now, as much as this episode may look and sound like old school Jack, there are some important changes I feel should be addressed. Firstly, despite the lack of exposition, this episode doesn't feel like a stand alone story. One of the hallmarks of Samurai Jack was that each and every episode felt like a complete narrative, even episodes that had a direct continuation, this means it's feasibly possible to watch the entire show out of order and not be totally lost or feel like you're missing out on something. In XCII, it's very clear they're designing the story to flow in a more traditional progression, the rising action and ending to this episode is basically set up for episode XCIII when its released. There isn't anything inherently wrong with this per say, as it allows the creators to instill a gradual build up of tension and anticipation for each new installment, all the way up to the finale. However, the fact remains that this style of storytelling isn't what Samurai Jack was known for, renowned for. Every episode of the original run was self contained, they could be thought of as a series of vignettes that loosely tied together, it was more of an odyssey than anything else. For this new season I feel like they're moving away from that in order to create a more congruent and complete story, which I am not against by any means, but I must point out that if so these last ten episodes will stand in stark contrast to the rest of the series when it comes to narrative pacing.

Secondly, in keeping with the theme of changing style, the focus in this episode is not at all like the older seasons. In Samurai Jack, the attention was almost exclusively on Jack, with a few notable rare exceptions when Jack wasn't the main character of the episode. These instances were few and far between however, and the point I'm trying to make is that regardless of who the episode is about, the story was told from a point of view exclusive to them. The focus didn't cut away to another group of characters doing something else somewhere else, each episode had a protagonist and stuck with them, with only occasional quick shots of antagonistic forces in between scenes. In XCII we have two points of attention, Samurai Jack roaming the countryside, and the Daughters of Aku undergoing their training. The focus is divided pretty much evenly between them, we see these young girls literally from birth up through their adolescence and grueling combat conditioning, serving as contrast to Jack's harrowing guilt induced hallucinations. Again, this structure is closer to traditional narrative storytelling, but it's apart from the style of how Samurai Jack was done. To reiterate, this method of structuring the new episodes isn't inferior to the older series, but not having exclusive focus on one protagonist will lessen the sense of immersion Samurai Jack was praised for achieving.

In conclusion, based on this first episode I think the new season is going to have great strengths to it, classic elements and newer concepts are combined to create a nostalgically thrilling experience. Jack is weathered, tormented and broken by decades of ceaseless fighting and failures, yet still just as capable and tenacious as he always was. The world is still vibrant and bleakly gorgeous, filled with striking and colorful characters encountered by our hero, I especially enjoyed the comedic musical bounty hunter Jack fights using a range of techniques. As excited as I am personally for the new season and hype matched if not exceeded by my fellow Samurai Jack fans, I feel its important to recognize that this isn't the same as the Jack we all remember, things have changed and we aren't getting an exact recreation of the original series. This isn't to say that the new season is doomed and just because it's different it can't be good, at the end of the day its still Samurai Jack, despite anything that may have changed we can all take faith in one simple fact:

Jack is back.

If you're a Samurai Jack fan yourself, lemme know what you thought of the new episode, I'd love to hear other peoples takes and predictions for how the new season is going to go. Thanks for reading. :)

-Tycho

#samurai jack #episode xcii #new season #jack is back

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aliciabuncle · 5 years ago

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Is Christmas spirit still the North Pole’s greatest asset?

Nestled at the northernmost point on the planet sits a legendary operation of massive scale. Producing billions of gifts per year, it has primarily relied on Christmas spirit to ensure that every child on Earth has a holiday to remember. But to make all of this happen is no elfin task. It is critical that the hundreds of thousands of pieces of equipment, workshops and one magic sleigh are operating at peak performance.

As we uncovered in our interview with the Chief Happiness Officer (CHO) and Chief Operations Officer (COO) last year, these complex, connected software-driven assets are the key to delivering the most joyful day of the year. To maximize their usage, intelligence has become the North Pole’s greatest asset using insights from data, IoT, and AI.

In last year’s feature, we focused on the health and safety of the equipment behind the manufacturing of these toys. This year we sat down again – with only the finest cocoa and sugar cookies – to discuss three key topics:

How to engineer billions of connected toys at scale

Creating the most enchanting workshop experience

Why arctic hares and musk oxen introduced the need for a remote monitoring solution

Since the CHO and the COO were away at the annual MUG Council (Merry User Group), they had us sit down with Twinkle, the Chief Tinsel Officer (CTO), Noel, the Head of Workshop Planning, and Kris, the Director of Chimney Operations to better understand how the North Pole continues to put data, IoT and AI to work.

Delight is the outcome that matters most

In an operation as complex as this, the primary goal is always to deliver higher-quality toys faster – at lower costs. As a non-profit operation, fueled only by Christmas spirit of the youth it serves, it is important to stretch every positive sentiment to the max. However, these young lads and ladies are not always easily impressed. In an era of limited attention spans and children who can navigate a smart phone before they are 6 months old, toys have become increasingly software-driven, connected and sophisticated. Development of these toys must respond in kind.

Elves examining the 2020 model of the next-gen toy car

How does a CTO with consumers who are not easily impressed always create such delight? Twinkle deploys an AGILE (Always Gifting Incredible Life Experiences) methodology to software development. Whether it is the toys that land under the tree or the software that guides the sleigh through the night to its billions of destinations, agile development means faster software engineering. Twinkle learned about this methodology at last year’s IoT Exchange from a presentation given by one of her peers. She has since found enormous value in implementation of the engineering lifecycle management solution.

“Informed by AI and letters to Santa, the North Pole has been able to cut software development and delivery time by 37%. If that’s not a Christmas miracle, I don’t know what is!”

Toys are more complex than ever before

As toys have evolved far past the traditional days of wooden pull-ducks, basic stuffed dolls, and pressed tin tanks, delivering them at Christmas scale has become a substantial challenge. But, toys, just like any other complex product, are only as good as the requirements that drive them and the tiny, adorable elf hands that craft them. For Yuletide Engineers to manage the growing complexity of connected knickknacks, they need better visibility into changes, deeper insight into data and shared tools for global distribution.

Operations at the pole form a traditional super-system and today’s systems-of-systems require mechanisms to create versions and variants of holly products while maintaining relationships between the traditional and the new. The CHO’s shared, digital dashboard stores data in a single location from which many different teams can benefit.

Complete traceability all through the year

This approach integrates project stages for complete traceability, starting the day after Christmas, in order to achieve evergreen compliance and become less complicated. All activity and changes in requirements can be viewed by anyone at any time. It shows relationships throughout a project such as circuit boards to R/C cars or batteries to Power Wheels. The documentation is built-in to help manufacturing teams conduct reviews and audits more easily while remaining both holly AND jolly.

“The last thing any of us wants to see is a disappointed look on little Billy or Sally’s face after they open a beautifully wrapped box and the surprise inside doesn’t work to their absolute delight. You see, there’s no amount of milk or cookies that can fuel the magic we need to bring smiles to all the little boys and girls around the world. We have to rely on advanced technology to enable the annual production cycle that we strictly adhere to. During that time, we have very little room for even the smallest errors in our systems, assets, products, and more. We turned to IBM Engineering Lifecycle Facilitator (ELF) for their leading end-to-end, integration and goodwill development solution for complex gift management and cheer engineering.” – Twinkle, North Pole, CTO

Elves are demanding a workshop experience that promotes community and cheer

When you think of the North Pole and the holiday it serves, what comes to mind? Probably singing elves, open-space workshops, festive décor, and plentiful milk and cookies. If you recall from last year, the North Pole is home to many festive facilities, such as:

Toy Workshops

Worker Housing

Reindeer Hanger

Bake Shop

Hoofsmith

Candy Shop

Hat Maker

Post Office

Cocoa Cafes

Sleigh Valet

Each facility is the workspace for an elfin community. Yet, last year, the Head of Workshop Planning realized some alarming trends. Certain workshops were showing decreases in SLEIGH (Singing Loud Eagerly In Great Harmony) measurements. There were also some shops that were over-crowded while others sat under-utilized. This led to an increase in artisan milk and cookies running out in the over-used spaces. It also meant we were spending way too much Christmas spirit, the currency of the North Pole, to power the under-used spaces. The North Pole is not a cheap location to host one of the largest operations in the world. With real estate costs being second only to the cost of homemade cookie delivery, managing those costs is critical. Noel was concerned by these trends and began to do some research on how to improve in these areas.

Millieni-elves are shaping the future of the workshop experience

What he found gave him pause. No matter where they spent their days tinkering, some commonalities arose in what elves value in their workspace. In a recent study that interviewed 500 Millenni-elves (those elves that had been in the workforce for only 1000 years or less), some commonalities rang true.

Optimizing workshop utiilization

Shops that rank high in elf engagement are 21% more productive and have 37% less absenteeism. They also have up to 59% less turnover than their less-engaged counterparts.

“There is nothing more disheartening to see than a disengaged elf. It’s just not in their nature so we knew we had to fix it ASAAP (as soon as angelically possible.) “

In addition to this, elves spend their entire lives training for this job. It is their livelihood. “The only kind of turnover we want to see in the North Pole is of the apple variety!”

Spaces matter for elf engagement

Noel took it upon himself to attend IoT Exchange in Orlando last April. While it gave him the opportunity to visit surrounding theme parks to do market research on his ideal customer, his biggest takeaways were around the technologies he could deploy to improve how his spaces were used. He wanted to make sure elves had the workshop setups that would ensure improvements in spirit and productivity.

Last year they had invested in additional Candy Cane Lane conference rooms and reduced the number of Snowball Bungalows. This had allowed them to save on square footage without needing to lease another building. However, they could see now that this shift simply wasn’t enough to increase elf engagement. Having rooms available was great, but not if it wasn’t easy to book one.

Jolly the Elf explains: “I had an important presentation to give last week about why we needed to enhance security measures on our AI-powered dolls after the release of the latest killer doll movie gave some parents a fright. It took me 15 minutes to find a free room and by then it was time for the bi-hourly cookie break and everyone had their next meeting to go to. Now I need to reschedule and it was a waste of everyone’s Christmas spirit.”

This experience is not uncommon for many elves. Nearly 70% of elves report that finding a place to meet is one of the biggest wastes of Christmas spirit. The average elf wastes 15 mins per day. Multiply this number by 400,000 elves and you’ve got a productivity issue!

While the North Pole has been using a facilities management solution for several years to manage maintenance and lease accounting, this expansion into space management and workplace experience has really helped them address their elf productivity issues.

In fact, in the most recent poll, SLEIGH scores were up 716% and turnover was at an all-time low. Noel is very excited to report these findings at IoT Exchange 2020!

Monitoring equipment near and far

Monitoring the operations of equipment at the North Pole is no small feat. A few things to consider are the extremely cold climate, unpredictable fluctuations on the naughty/nice list, and the global scale of operations. Think of what it takes to ensure that 2 billion chimneys are safe and operable for the CHO to scoot down each year! This can only be done using a state-of-the-art asset monitoring solution. Configurable dashboards and alerts mean that any change in chimney soot density is immediately detected and the nearest remote team is sent to restore to appropriate levels.

Ensuring equipment stays up and running with asset monitoring

On the Pole itself, they can immediately detect when there’s an overgrowth of ice chunks on the equipment that keeps the shops running.

“We have many Musk Oxen and Arctic Hares above the 85th parallel. When it gets cold, they huddle together for warmth. There was one time a few years back that we got a record-breaking cold streak and they needed to go to extreme measures to stay warm. They huddled together near one of our generators because it was emitting heat. But that then caused the generator to overheat. We had no monitoring equipment on it so it went down and caused 14 workshops to go dark for days. So much lost productivity and such a mess! It still makes my cheeks so red to think about!” – Kris, Director of Operations, North Pole

Thankfully now the North Pole has an asset monitoring solution that notifies them when temperatures and conditions are at risk for a similar situation.

“We’ve equipped all 7,000 of our power generators with sensors and are notified as soon as anything goes out of range. We send a crew out to clear the hares, oxen and/or ice chunks so there’s no more interruption to production. We’ve estimated that it has saved us thousands of hours of lost elfpower and many disappointed children. Can’t put a price on that, no sir.”

Bring joy to the world with IoT and AI

The North Pole has aggressive targets to meet and the goal every year is 100% joyful children. Any deviation from that is unacceptable to the elves that dedicate their lives to the toy craft. Joy is the goal and solutions from Watson IoT help the North Pole reach their targets every year. Infusing intelligence into everything from buildings to toys to equipment produces the results they require.

How can you bring more joy to the world? Come share your story and network with your peers at IoT Exchange 2020!

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claudeleonca · 5 years ago

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How to Write a Bio Like a Superhero (Easy 3-Part Process)

Writing a bio is hard.

You have to knock ’em dead with two or three dazzling sentences that show you’re a likable, credible, and accomplished expert.

When readers read your bio, they must believe you’re the answer to their prayers — a superhero who will swoop in and solve the big problem keeping them awake at night.

No pressure, right?

Here’s the good news:

Learning how to write a bio that dazzles readers doesn’t require feats of strength or the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

No, all you have to do is keep reading. Because in this post, I’m going to show you a simple three-step process for writing a bio readers will adore. But first, we’ll look at a few short bio examples that make readers run for the exits.

Let’s dive in.

The 6 Common Bio Blunders That Make You Look Like an Amateur (And What to Do Instead)

#1: Making It All About You

I’m Jill — a free-spirit with a passion for quilting, bird watching, Tai Chi, and calligraphy.”

Thanks for sharing, Jill. But do I really care? Nah.

So, it’s not about you, Jill. It’s about them.

What to Do Instead:

In this post on sensory words, using almost the same number of words as Jill, Kevin gives us just enough information about himself to tell us what he does and how he helps his audience.

As the Editor in Chief at Smart Blogger, Kevin J. Duncan helps readers learn the ropes of blogging, hone their writing skills, and find their unique voice so they can stand out from the crowd.

Here’s another tip: It’s usually best to write in the third person, as Kevin does in the above bio example. It’s more professional.

#2: Writing a Condensed Resume, or a Laundry List of Accomplishments

Your bio is not a dumping ground for your career path and qualifications. It’s a tiny elevator pitch that’s selling you as a credible solver of your reader’s problems.

So don’t list every degree you have or talk about your first job out of school. Readers don’t really care. They only care whether or not you have the solutions they are looking for.

What to Do Instead:

Your bio should only include details about yourself that directly relate to your audience’s problem.

Think about your career, education, and skills, and then carefully select the most pertinent facts that are going to impress the audience you are writing for. Like this:

Everything she mentions is designed to appeal to the audience she’s trying to reach.

#3: Sharing Irrelevant Details or Stuff You Think Your Audience Should Care About

This sample bio is from someone whose expertise is content and affiliate marketing, although he hides it well.

Much like your degrees and career path, your audience doesn’t care about your hobbies, passions, and personal philosophies either, unless they directly impact the problem they’re trying to solve.

What to Do Instead:

As mentioned earlier, only share the details that your audience will find relevant.

#4: Trying to Cram Too Much In

Okay, so you’ve managed to include only relevant details about yourself, so you’re safe. Right?

Not if you included too many of them.

Like this one from Jo. She’s had an impressive career, but her bio feels endless:

This is way too much information.

What to Do Instead:

With some careful pruning, the real gems hidden away in Jo’s bio can be given center stage:

Go through your bio word by word and ask yourself, “Does this bit of information make any difference to my audience?”

If the answer is no, take it out, and limit your bio to two or three sentences.

#5: Being Overly Formal (a.k.a. Boring)

If you’re anything like me, you had to read this bio more than once to get a sense of what Joe does. It’s way too formal. Most people will just glaze over this.

What to Do Instead:

Instead of using stilted words and phrases like “maximize their online real estate” and “engender business growth” Joe missed a great opportunity to make himself stand out from the crowd by creating a point of interest.

Perhaps he could have started with something like:

“Joe Jones is an expert marketer who can take your medical practice from queasy to fighting fit…”

Do you see how that might grab a few more eyeballs, cut through the noise, and make an impact with his target audience of doctors?

#6. Being Vague (or Overly Woo-Woo)

Hands up, whoever doesn’t have a clue what this person is talking about. What does she do? How does she help solve my problem? Why should I be interested in her?

What to Do Instead:

You don’t have time to beat around the bush in your bio. Get straight to the point. Like this:

In two sentences, Cecile tells me everything I need to know about what she does and how she can help me. No fluff, no messing about, and a juicy opt-in bribe to seal the deal.

The 3-Step Process to Writing a Click-Worthy Author Bio

Easy. Just follow this simple three-step process to write a bio that your ideal readers can’t resist clicking.

Step #1: Introduce Yourself with a Bang

Let’s start with this example from a blogger in the personal development niche.

Sue Smith is a self-help writer and coach with a degree in psychology…

This tells me what Sue does, but it’s rather dull and same-y in a sea full of personal development blogs. There’s nothing here to set her apart or pique our interest.

Let’s give it a twist:

Self-help writer, Sue Smith, is part social scientist, part agony aunt, who…

I’m curious to know more, and it certainly makes her distinctive.

But there’s another angle Sue could take:

Sue Smith is a certified psychologist who specializes in beating social anxiety.

She has a specialty, which gives her ideas on the topic more weight than others. If you suffer from social anxiety, you’d want to listen to the expert on it, right?

Compare also:

Sue Smith’s books on beating social anxiety have won her international acclaim. She has been featured as an expert on Psychology Today, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Good Morning America.

We’ve talked before about not delivering a laundry list of accomplishments, but if you have specific accomplishments that make you stand out, those are worth including.

Here’s an excellent bio example that both offers a point of interest and adds credibility:

It’s an excellent bio that will absolutely pique her audience’s interest.

Step #2: Call Out Your Audience and Say How You Help Them

Remember, this isn’t about you, it’s about what you can do for your audience. So you need to define who they are and what problem of theirs (their key fear or desire) you can solve.

You should aim for both a logical and emotional connection. It’s tough, but do-able.

Let’s take Kim, a blogger in the parenting niche:

Note: Of course, Kim’s bio would be even further improved if she linked to an incentive rather than her homepage. More on that in the next step!

Here’s another example:

Jessica clarifies immediately who she helps (busy people) and how she helps them (by re-energizing them through food, yoga, and wellness strategies).

You must be absolutely clear about this. If readers can’t identify themselves in your bio and see you have the solution they’re looking for, they will move on.

Step 3: Offer an Irresistible Reason to Click

You’ve told your audience who you are, what you do, and how you can help them. You’ve impressed them with your credentials and sparked their curiosity.

They’re ready to move to second base, but they need that last push. An irresistible reason to click through to your site and sign up. You need to offer an incentive.

Take a look at this bio:

Boom! In 46 carefully curated words, Henneke tells us who she is, what she does, how she can help, and then gives us a gold-plated reason for parting with our email address.

Unfortunately, we can’t all steal Henneke’s bio, but we can use it as a fine example of how to write our own.

Ready to Write Your Best Bio Ever?

Writing a bio like a superhero is simple, but it’s not easy, so give your bio the time it requires. You should brainstorm several options for each of the steps.

Bios are hard to craft, but they are also one of the most effective pieces of marketing you can create when you get it right.

You now know how to write a bio your audience will love. They’ll want to know more and they won’t be able to resist your free offer.

They’ll see you as a credible, personable problem-solver. Their problem-solver.

And they’ll click through to your site, ready and willing to hand over their email address to their new blogging superhero.

You.

About the Author: Mel Wicks is a seasoned copywriter and marketing strategist who helps bloggers and entrepreneurs put the “OMG! Where do I sign up?” into everything they write. Download her exclusive Fill-in-the-Gaps Cheat Sheet for an Instant Click-Worthy Author Bio.

Note: For a handy visual reminder of the six bio blunders you can download or share on your own website, check out the image below:

Embed This Infographic On Your Site:

<!—– Copy and Paste This Code Into Your Post —-><a href=”https://smartblogger.com/how-to-write-a-bio/”><img src=”https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/6-common-blunders-v3.png” alt=”The 6 Common Bio Blunders That Make You Look Like an Amateur (And What to Do Instead)” width=”700 px” class=”noa3lazy”/></a> <a href=”https://smartblogger.com/how-to-write-a-bio/”>The 6 Common Bio Blunders That Make You Look Like an Amateur (And What to Do Instead) from SmartBlogger.com</a>

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ellismorris0 · 6 years ago

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Going Inexperienced: Sustainable Spirits

A brand new yr evokes resolutions for improving oneself. No longer handiest is it vital to believe what we consume, but in addition what we drink. With that during thoughts, we concept we’d proportion some spirits manufacturers which can be developing sustainable spirits. Whether or not it’s decreasing emissions, re-using waste components, adhering to natural ideas or directly up philanthropy, the next manufacturers all take an environmentally conscious manner of their manufacturing processes.

Bakers Best Genever

Yearly over 260 million kilos of bread are left unsold in The Netherlands. Astonished by means of this quantity, two enterprising do-gooders, Nico Commandeur and Chris Rijkenberg, made up our minds to do so. They created Bakers Easiest, an eco-friendly oude genever comprised of waste bread.

Bakers Easiest Genever / Photograph Credit score: Bakers Easiest Genever

It didn’t take lengthy for them to collect the bread they wanted for his or her first batch. Distilled at De Tweekoppige Phoenix, additionally identified for Kever Genever, each and every bottle of Bakers Easiest incorporates more or less seven slices. ‘Theoretically, each and every batch of Bakers Easiest might be quite other, since the ratio of varieties of bread differs each and every time,” says Rijkenberg. “You will need to us to make the patron acutely aware of the chances of waste bread.”

Copper & Kings Distillery

Kentucky-based Copper & Kings helped put American brandy at the map, however do you know the logo may be extraordinarily prime on sustainability? “All of us wish to do one thing, even though gave the impression to be slightly a small initiative, and the little issues upload as much as large issues to creating a good environmental have an effect on,” says a emblem consultant. Copper & Kings makes use of solar power and distills with two closed loop water recycling arteries, whilst additionally utilizing repurposed transport bins in addition to recycled wooden for furnishings. Moreover, if you happen to talk over with the distillery by means of bicycle, you get a 50 p.c cut price for your excursion.

Copper & Kings “Let the Thriller Be” barrel / Photograph Credit score: Copper & Kings Distillery

Possibly the logo’s maximum curious undertaking is “Let the Thriller Be”, a soon-to-be-released spirit comprised of leftover bottles from distillery occasions. The number of spirits is then redistilled and is these days maturing in Copper & Kings warehouses, and can stay there for a minimum of two years.

Benromach Organic Single Malt

Whilst there are actually extra natural unmarried malts to be had, Benromach Natural was once the arena’s first unmarried malt whisky to be absolutely qualified by means of the United Kingdom Soil Affiliation—a rigorous procedure. Actually each and every step of the manufacturing procedure is punctiliously analyzed prior to certification is given.

Benromach Natural Unmarried Malt

For just one week yearly Benromach makes its natural spirit. However prior to manufacturing can start, an intensive cleansing and purging procedure takes position to steer clear of any go contamination. The barley, the distillation and maturation procedure, and the bottling all meet the rigorous requirements set by means of the Soil Affiliation. The virgin oak casks as an example, are sourced from environmentally controlled forests in Missouri.

Novo Fogo Cachaça

When your distillery is positioned proper close to the Atlantic Rainforest—some of the international’s maximum vital and endangered rainforests—you higher have the ability to reside inside the ecosystem. That’s precisely what Novo Fogo, a cachaça manufacturer in Brazil, has carried out. The logo’s hypermodern facility handiest makes use of natural sugarcane, whilst generating 0 waste.

Novo Fogo Cachaça / Photograph Credit score: Novo Fogo

However simply current and now not exacerbating the issue isn’t sufficient. The Atlantic Rainforest has already misplaced 85 p.c of its land mass. With this in thoughts, Novo Fogo began a reforestation undertaking, The Un-Endangered Woodland. To this point 690 local and endangered timber were planted, whilst 88 species of birds were registered utilizing the ones timber.

Journeyman Distillery

One of the most few qualified natural (and kosher) distilleries in the USA, Journeyman Distillery is a craft manufacturer from Michigan. To be qualified natural, no less than 95 p.c of its uncooked fabrics should meet the USDA’s inflexible requirements. The opposite five p.c can handiest be meals or processed with components on an authorized record. The grains as an example, are grown on land that has been chemical unfastened for a minimum of three years.

Journeyman Distillery Final Feather Rye / Photograph Credit score: Journeyman Distillery

Journeyman Distillery produces an entire slew of inexperienced spirits. From rye—which is composed of 60 p.c natural rye and 40 p.c natural wheat—to bourbon and single malt, in addition to vodka, gin, rum, brandy and several other liqueurs. Even if the logo has handiest been generating since 2010, Journeyman Distillery’s spirits are already slightly established.

Koskenkorva Vodka

Koskenkorva has been round since 1953, however handiest introduced in the USA in 2017. This Finnish vodka emblem makes use of native mountain spring water and two native barley types, Saana and Elmeri, that are a few of the northernmost barleys on the earth.

Koskenkorva Vodka / Photograph Credit score: Koskenkorva Vodka

Most significantly, the logo doesn’t waste any of it. Biofuel is made from the husks, and the on-site bio-energy plant has lowered emissions by means of 50 p.c. Barley that isn’t used for manufacturing is was paper or different merchandise. If you wish to be environmentally accountable, use Koskenkorva the following time you’re making your self a Bloody Mary.

Those spirit manufacturers aren’t going to resolve all our environmental issues by means of themselves. As a substitute, they function a catalyst. Like Copper & Kings, whose sun panels impressed others of their group to put in as much as 600 panels as smartly. They set an instance for us all.

With Distiller, you’ll all the time know what’s within the bottle prior to you spend a cent. Price, Assessment and Uncover spirits! Head on over to Distiller, or obtain the app for iOS and Android these days!

The put up Going Green: Sustainable Spirits seemed first on The Distiller Blog.

The post Going Inexperienced: Sustainable Spirits appeared first on Liquor Gift Baskets.

from http://liquorgiftbaskets.net/2019/01/05/going-green-sustainable-spirits/

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gailmalooft · 6 years ago

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Going Inexperienced: Sustainable Spirits

Bakers Best Genever

Bakers Easiest Genever / Photograph Credit score: Bakers Easiest Genever

Copper & Kings Distillery

Copper & Kings “Let the Thriller Be” barrel / Photograph Credit score: Copper & Kings Distillery

Benromach Organic Single Malt

Benromach Natural Unmarried Malt

Novo Fogo Cachaça

Novo Fogo Cachaça / Photograph Credit score: Novo Fogo

Journeyman Distillery

Journeyman Distillery Final Feather Rye / Photograph Credit score: Journeyman Distillery

Koskenkorva Vodka

Koskenkorva Vodka / Photograph Credit score: Koskenkorva Vodka

The put up Going Green: Sustainable Spirits seemed first on The Distiller Blog.

The post Going Inexperienced: Sustainable Spirits appeared first on Liquor Gift Baskets.

from http://liquorgiftbaskets.net/2019/01/05/going-green-sustainable-spirits/

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trendingnewsb · 7 years ago

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6 Famous People Who Hilariously Trolled Their Own Fans

Some celebrities see fame as tremendous burden and distraction from their craft, whereas others treat it as a golden opportunity to screw with thousands of strangers for no logical reason save “shits and giggles.” We’re talking about such famous rascals as …

Chris Pratt Trolls His Fans With Bad Jennifer Lawrence Photos

Hollywood certainly made a weird choice when it needed a hot new action star and decided to pick that zaftig fellow from Parks And Rec. During the press tour for the 2016 science fiction thriller Passengers, which starred Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, fans got overly enthusiastic about the pairing and started “shipping” them. (For those who aren’t up to speed on the internet lingo, that means they want the two to hook up and mash their bits together and make babies.) Followers of Pratt’s Instagram account started demanding that he take more photos of himself hanging out with Lawrence so that they could satisfy their vicarious need to imagine these two millionaires spending time with each other.

And so Pratt proceeded to do what the fans were demanding:

Chris Pratt/Instagram

Over the next few days, Pratt went on to post a number of Instagram selfies featuring himself and Lawrence together. Technically.

Chris Pratt/Instagram

You can’t argue that he didn’t give the fans exactly what they’d asked for. Still, a bunch of them didn’t seem to appreciate the photos, leaving comments like “Why isn’t she ever full in the pic” or “Why you cut Jennifer out?” Some people are simply impossible to please.

Nirvana Would Fuck Up Their Live Shows In Delightfully Stupid Ways

Nirvana are much better-known for their catchy grunge tunes than for Kurt Cobain’s primal screaming, but it’s not like he was intentionally trying to ruin the songs. Unless he was playing live, that is. Here’s a compilation of clips of Cobain mumbling into the microphone, or putting on a fake stupid accent, or sometimes replacing his lyrics with caveman grunts:

youtube

It’s more or less the Charlie Brown teacher voice.