An Honor: Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

This is an unusual post for me and comes as the result of a happy surprise. Turns out two of my online friends and faithful blog readers have nominated me for the “Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award”. The first thing I wondered was, “Does that come with chocolate?” And the second thing I did was thank them profusely. (Guess I should’ve done that in reverse, huh?)

Well, I’m pretty excited to be recognized and want to say a very big and heartfelt thanks to them now. First is Cat Alexander, a no-excuses, get-real, tell-it-like-it-is chick who knows how to… well, tell it like it is. You won’t get any vague wishy washy junk at her Internet Marketing Success blog.  Check it out for actionable ideas and a kick in the pants when you need one.

Second is the prolific Sylviane Nuccio who will take you on a tour of France at her France Travel And Food blog,  give you some thorough writing advice on her Persuasive Writing And Marketing blog, and seriously challenge your stuck-in-the-mud thinking at her Understanding Your Subconscious Mind blog. I have no idea how she manages to do so much but you should check out her bio if you really want to be impressed.

Sisterhood Of The World Bloggers Award Rules

Ok, so the Sisterhood doesn’t mess around and there are rules.

1. Recipients need to thank the giver (check!)
2. Include the logo of the award in a post or on your blog (check!)
3. Post 7 things about yourself (hold your horses, it’s coming)
4. Pass the award onto 7 other bloggers of your choice and let them know they’ve been nominated (good stuff on the way)

7 Things You May Find Interesting About Me

1. I grew up in a large, Italian family where we ate macaroni and meatballs every single Sunday without fail. After I got married, I never ate another meatball on a Sunday again. But I make a mean one on Tuesdays. I often think that the predictability is what catalyzed my magnetic attraction to change.
2. I have five younger brothers and the youngest was born when I was 16, so I was old enough that he was more like my own child than a brother. We had ridiculous fun together. Sometimes I think that’s why I never wanted kids when I “grew up” – been there, done that! When I look at the grown man he is today I get that weird mom-like feeling of “How the heck did we get here and where did the rest of those years go??”
3. I outgrew girly stuff a long time ago. I dislike pink quite a lot, never made best friends with a diamond and haven’t owned a dress since my honeymoon 15 years ago. My idea of a good time is a cigar, a bottle of whiskey and some Wipeout on TV. Sometimes this amuses people. Sometimes it irritates them. Either way it’s ok with me.
4. I love olives.
5. My first “business” was designing and making jewelry. I rented a corner in someone else’s craft shop and made very little money. I knew nothing about marketing and even less about what my demographic wanted. A cousin put it bluntly and succinctly when she told me that the reason nobody was buying my stuff was because it was “too perfect”. It looked less handcrafted and more like something that came off a factory assembly line. Turns out all those painstaking, obsessive hours I spent getting everything perfect did not pay off. I’ve learned to be a whole lot less perfect since.
6. I cry every time Frosty the Snowman melts.
7. I believe in the power of kindness. Practice a little every day and you’ll start to see the world transform around you.

And Passing It On…

Ok, I’ve got to be a rebel here and make up my own number of people. Mostly because I wracked my brain and thought of a bunch of people who are terrific business people and bloggers. It’s like a wedding… if you invite one cousin you have to invite them all…. And I didn’t want to leave anyone out. Plus I know a ton of super talented guy bloggers but figured that was pushing the rules a bit too far.

So I’m taking a different approach. Not seven, but four, because I want you to take these four seriously and enjoy, learn from and get to know them.

Here are two women who have recently inspired me…

Annie Sisk of anniesisk.com and Pajama Productivity for her incredible strength and perseverance. Annie defines “survivor” and “success story” and writes with heart and passion and a uniqueness you don’t want to miss.

Christine Brady of Sweet Spot List Building. She’s focused on providing the good stuff – no rushed-off junk on her blog. She’s a pro at building online relationships and knows the power of people and relationship-building.

And two who have already been nominated but have something special to share with the world.

Adrienne Smith of adriennesmith.net for her amazingly positive attitude and encouragement. This is one dedicated blogger who knows the value of relationships and friendship.

Donna Merrill of Donna Merrill Tribe. If you ever need inspiring and encouraging words, visit her blog. She’s a real dynamo.

That’s it! And in the spirit of sharing, I’d love for you to tell me something completely arbitrary and interesting about YOU…. And if you have a super awesome blog that you think is worth sharing with the world, by all means add a link.