When someone Googles you, they evaluate the results based on five measures: Volume, Relevance, Purity, Diversity and Validation. Validation is an extremely important measure because it adds credibility. Validation is all about having others speak for you.

Watch Personal Branding Guru, William Arruda, explain why external feedback is critical to your brand and learn about the tools available to help enhance your online personal branding with external validation

Stever Robbins – Be More Productive While Working Less.

Are you feeling disorganized and stressed with too much to do and not enough time? Stever Robbins, author of Get-It-Done Guy’s 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More, believes some counterintuitive suggestions may be just what you need to become more productive with your time.

Mr. Robbins’ ideas were a hit when he was a guest expert on the Reach Personal Branding Interview Series in January 2011. Consequently, we have asked him to share more of his ideas on May 19, 2011 in a continuation of his interview with William Arruda, founder of Reach Personal Branding.

Creator of the popular Get-It-Done podcast, Robbins will talk about his nine steps to work less and do more. In this interview, which will be recorded, you will learn:

• The nine steps to streamline and get more of what you want out of work and life
• The definition of real productivity
• The most common ways people make themselves nonproductive
• The different kinds of focus and why it matters
• How to set goals to be the most productive
• How to make best use of your time if you are in business for yourself
• How having strong relationships saves time, energy and effort
• The time-saving method of “optimize” and “leverage”

Stever Robbins

A graduate of Harvard Business School and MIT, Stever Robbins is a time management expert, executive coach, and serial entrepreneur (veteran of ten start-ups including FTP Software and Intuit).

His Get-It-Done podcast has been the #1 download in the business category on iTunes and has remained in the top 10 for the last three years.

Robbins’ mission is helping people reach their dreams and being happy doing it. He loves productivity in the service of fun.

LINKS:

• Work Less and Do More – A playful yet serious guide to creating a more productive life via nine steps.
• Download Chapters 1 & 2 of Work Less and Do More.
• Stever Robbins’ Blog
• Quick and Dirty Tips to Work Less and Do More – Listen to a short audio or read about “How to” tips such as “How to Manage Multiple Projects”, “How to Memorize Quickly”, and “How to Enforce Deadlines”.
• Stever Robbins on Twitter

Handout: Reach Interview Series Handout for May, 2011.

You can download the audio here.

Key Takeaways – Be More Productive While Working Less

• Step 1. Work on purpose. Train yourself to stop a few times a day and ask, “Why am I doing what I’m doing?” That’s the question that will uncover the goal (or lack thereof) behind what you’re doing. Make sure what you’re doing aligns with your actual higher-level goals. If you’re spending a few minutes on Facebook, ask “Why?” If you believe it’s to promote your business, be honest with yourself—has it ever led to new business? If you believe it’s to stay connected with your friends, pick up the phone instead; talking is faster and more intimate than typing.
• Step 2: Stop procrastinating. Easy to say, hard to do. But people are hard-wired to depend on each other. Get a procrastination buddy. Once or twice a month, declare an “Action day.” Check in at the top of each hour for 2-3 minutes. Tell each other, briefly, what you did last hour and what you plan to do next hour. You may get interrupted or distracted during the day, but the hourly check-ins will keep you returning to make progress on what you’ve been procrastinating.
• Step 3: Conquer your technology. If you’re reading this, you’re probably as addicted to technology as I am. Divorce your technology! Turn off your PDA, and move your computer away from your main workspace. Many people think of their computer as a place they hang out, not as a tool for specific tasks. When they have a free minute, they look around their technology for something to do. Instead, use technology like a tool. Work in front of a clean desk. When you need your computer, get it out, use it for a specific task, then put it away again. Hint: social media and web browsing is almost always the result of “hanging out in a place looking for something to do” rather than “I need a specific tool.”
• Step 4: Cultivate focus. We want to be responsive to other people, and often sacrifice our responsiveness to ourselves. Drive your own schedule, rather than letting others dictate your priorities. Set aside “interruption time” late in the day, say 4 p.m. When someone interrupts, politely inform them you’re busy and will be happy to help—at 4. Then return to focus on your task. If the building is burning down, sure, handle that now. But lesser interruptions get scheduled after you focus.
• Step 5: Stay organized. Organized doesn’t mean neat; it just means that you know where things are when you need them. If you have piles of “this needs a home” stuff in your office, stop and give it a home, even if that home is a pile somewhere. Just make it official, so when you need something, you know where it is. I have even been known to create signs for my piles, to make them official. For example, “Bills from Q1 that need to be dealt with.”

These five steps are broad categories. You can implement each in many different ways. Methodically making small improvements in the different areas where you can improve your work habits can add up to a big boost in results, without any more effort than you put in today. If you’re doing great things, do them in a way that makes the process great as well.

Want a fabulous training activity that’s also a stand-out marketing tool? Dot Calm stick-on stress monitors track one’s stress level by changing color. Now, for the first time, you can customize the cards that tell dot users what their colors mean! Engage your audiences and promote your services, products and events with these truly sticky takeaways. Through June 30, 2011, Reach Branding Club members will receive 20% off all Dot Calm stress monitors and cards by using the coupon code “reachblue” at the Dot Calm me site.

Dot Calm stick-on monitors change color according to your stress level. Stress dots are transfixing training tools, guaranteed conversation starters and come with access to free wellness-boosting resources.

William Arruda, founder of Reach Personal Branding talking about the 360Reach Personal Branding Assessment during his PMI Keynote in Calgary, Canada.

He gives you a details about how it works and the insights you can gain from this free tool. You can try it here.

Joe Chernov, Director of Content Marketing at Eloqua, was able to take a break from SXSW to talk to Don Fornes, CEO of Software Advice, about personal branding.

In this video, Joe talks about how Eloqua approaches personal branding:

“They still maintain their relationships with the Forresters and Gartners of the world. However, they have also adapted to changes in media, which means paying equal attention to the emerging trusted voices in the industry, like Software Advice (shameless plug).”

This is the third video in a series of three, so we’re all finished!

However, come back to Personal Branding TV to see more guest videos and, of course, check out Software Advice and Eloqua.

Do you need a blogsite? Need help building it? Watch this and get some answers!

Bio: Rachel Gogos is the founder of brandidD – one of the only personal brand led blog-building and online identity firms.

Joe Chernov, Director of Content Marketing at Eloqua, was able to take a break from SXSW to talk to Don Fornes, CEO of Software Advice, about personal branding. In this video, Joe talks about the nexus of personal brands and personal media.

This is the first video in a series of three. Stay tuned over the next few days for the follow-up videos.

From Issue 45 of YOUnique, the Reach Personal Branding Newsletter:

I love this commercial because: It touts a service that has come about thanks to Web 2.0. We can evaluate a product, service or person based on the feedback from others and we have an opportunity to share our feedback.

This ad and YOUR personal brand: How are you sharing feedback about your brand with the people who are making decisions about you? Do you have recommendations on LinkedIN? Are you sharing your 360Reach results? Do you get testimonials after each engagement?

Stever Robbins, author of Get-It-Done Guy’s 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More.

The reason most people feel over-worked, disorganized, and stressed out is because they believe outdated myths such as “Multitasking is the fastest way to get the job done” and
“Being organized means being neat”. So says Stever Robbins, author of Get-It-Done Guy’s 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More and the guest expert for the Reach Personal Branding Interview on January 20, 2011 at noon EDT. William Arruda, founder of Reach Personal Branding, will be interviewing Robbins about his new book and his counterintuitive tips that shatter common myths about productivity and time management.

Creator of the popular Get-It-Done podcast, Robbins will talk about how we can use technology effectively, how to quit multi-tasking, how to quit procrastinating, and more. In this interview, which will be recorded, you will learn:

In this interview, which will be recorded, you will learn:

• The nine steps for streamlining how to get what you want out of work (and life).
• Why living on purpose is critical to working less and doing more.
• How to overcome technology time-sucking traps.
• The best way to get and stay organized.
• How to make decisions faster.
• Time-savings methods such as “Optimize” and “Leverage”.
• One thing you can do right now to be more productive.

Stever Robbins

A graduate of Harvard Business School and MIT, Stever Robbins is a time management expert, executive coach, and serial entrepreneur (veteran of ten start-ups including FTP Software and Intuit).

His Get-It-Done podcast has been the #1 download in the business category on iTunes and has remained in the top 10 for the last three years.

Robbins’ mission is helping people reach their dreams and being happy doing it. He loves productivity in the service of fun.

LINKS:

• Work Less and Do More – A playful yet serious guide to creating a more productive life via nine steps.
• Download Chapters 1 & 2 of Work Less and Do More.
• Stever Robbins’ Blog
• Quick and Dirty Tips to Work Less and Do More – Listen to a short audio or read about “How to” tips such as “How to Manage Multiple Projects”, “How to Memorize Quickly”, and “How to Enforce Deadlines”.
• Stever Robbins on Twitter

Handout:
Reach Interview Series Handout for January, 2011.

You can download the audio here.

Key Takeaways – Work Less and Do More Tips

• Step 1. Work on purpose. Train yourself to stop a few times a day and ask, “Why am I doing what I’m doing?” That’s the question that will uncover the goal (or lack thereof) behind what you’re doing. Make sure what you’re doing aligns with your actual higher-level goals. If you’re spending a few minutes on Facebook, ask “Why?” If you believe it’s to promote your business, be honest with yourself—has it ever led to new business? If you believe it’s to stay connected with your friends, pick up the phone instead; talking is faster and more intimate than typing.
• Step 2: Stop procrastinating. Easy to say, hard to do. But people are hard-wired to depend on each other. Get a procrastination buddy. Once or twice a month, declare an “Action day.” Check in at the top of each hour for 2-3 minutes. Tell each other, briefly, what you did last hour and what you plan to do next hour. You may get interrupted or distracted during the day, but the hourly check-ins will keep you returning to make progress on what you’ve been procrastinating.
• Step 3: Conquer your technology. If you’re reading this, you’re probably as addicted to technology as I am. Divorce your technology! Turn off your PDA, and move your computer away from your main workspace. Many people think of their computer as a place they hang out, not as a tool for specific tasks. When they have a free minute, they look around their technology for something to do. Instead, use technology like a tool. Work in front of a clean desk. When you need your computer, get it out, use it for a specific task, then put it away again. Hint: social media and web browsing is almost always the result of “hanging out in a place looking for something to do” rather than “I need a specific tool.”
• Step 4: Cultivate focus. We want to be responsive to other people, and often sacrifice our responsiveness to ourselves. Drive your own schedule, rather than letting others dictate your priorities. Set aside “interruption time” late in the day, say 4 p.m. When someone interrupts, politely inform them you’re busy and will be happy to help—at 4. Then return to focus on your task. If the building is burning down, sure, handle that now. But lesser interruptions get scheduled after you focus.
• Step 5: Stay organized. Organized doesn’t mean neat; it just means that you know where things are when you need them. If you have piles of “this needs a home” stuff in your office, stop and give it a home, even if that home is a pile somewhere. Just make it official, so when you need something, you know where it is. I have even been known to create signs for my piles, to make them official. For example, “Bills from Q1 that need to be dealt with.”

These five steps are broad categories. You can implement each in many different ways. Methodically making small improvements in the different areas where you can improve your work habits can add up to a big boost in results, without any more effort than you put in today. If you’re doing great things, do them in a way that makes the process great as well.

The January 2011 Reach Personal Branding Interview Series is sponsored by Vizibility:

About Vizibility:

Take control of your Google results with a Vizibility SearchMe button. Put it on your Blog, LinkedIn, Facebook and other online profiles and get people to the Google results you want them to see first. Get yours free at this link today!

If you would like to sponsor an upcoming Speaker Series Interview, please send an email to
advertising at reachcc dot com.

Click on the microphone to listen…

REACH PERSONAL BRANDING INTERVIEW SERIES – October 2010

The Happiness Project Revisited: The Social Engagement Journey
Happiness is a universal aspiration and yet can be so difficult to attain. On October 21, 2010 The Reach Personal Branding Interview Series is bringing back guest expert Gretchen Rubin, author of The New York Times #1 bestseller The Happiness Project, who was previously interviewed in September 2008. Gretchen will discuss her literary and personal journey creating the project and the book.

In fact, The Happiness Project is more than a book and a blog, it’s a movement. Happiness Project groups have sprung up from San Francisco to Johannesburg, where people meet to discuss their own happiness projects. Dozens of blogs have been launched by people following Gretchen’s example; hundreds of book groups have discussed the book; and rights for more than 31 foreign editions have been sold.

Ms. Rubin was first interviewed by William Arruda, founder of Reach Personal Branding, before The Happiness Project was published. We have asked Ms. Rubin to follow-up with what she learned about happiness, social engagement, and her personal brand in the process of writing the book.

In this interview, which will be recorded, you will learn:

• Why The Happiness Project was both a book and a blog,
• What it takes to blog consistently and authentically on brand,
• How to handle criticism and negative comments online,
• Which tools can be most effective for social engagement,
• What practical, every-day activities can generate happiness,
• How online visibility can impact your personal brand, and
• How to balance online and offline social engagement.

Sign up for the interview with Gretchen Rubin and William Arruda above and do it soon! We rarely have guests on twice, but have decided to do this with our most popular past guests. Since we have a limited number of phone lines, we know registration will fill up quickly for this call.

Gretchen Rubin

Raised in Kansas City, she lives in New York City with her husband and two young daughters.
LINK:

• The Happiness Project: On this popular blog, Gretchen Rubin writes about her daily adventures in pursuit of happiness.
• The Happiness Project Toolbox: a site that provides eight fun, free tools to launch and track your own happiness project.

Handout:
Reach Interview Series Handout for October, 2010.

Click here to download the interview.

KEY POINTS – Five tips for making yourself happier in the NEXT HOUR:

1. Boost your energy: stand up and pace while you talk on the phone or, even better, take a brisk ten-minute walk outside. Research shows that when people move faster, their metabolism speeds up, and the activity and sunlight are good for your focus, your mood, and the retention of information. Plus, because of emotional contagion, if you act energetic, you’ll help the people around you feel energetic, too.

2. Reach out to friends: make a lunch date or send an email to a friend you haven’t seen in a while. Having warm, close bonds with other people is the KEY to happiness, so take the time to stay in touch. Somewhat surprisingly, socializing boosts the moods not only of extroverts, but also of introverts.

3. Rid yourself of a nagging task: answer a difficult email, do an errand you’ve been putting off, or call to make that dentist’s appointment. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a big rush of energy and relief.

4. Create a calmer environment: clear some physical and mental space around yourself by sorting papers, pitching junk, cleaning a closet, stowing supplies, sending out quick email responses, filing, or even just making your piles neater. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizable dent. Try to get in the habit of using the one-minute rule – i.e., never postpone any task that can be completed in less than one minute. And always make your bed in the morning! For most people, outer order contributes to inner peace.

5. Lay the groundwork for some future fun: order a book you’ve been wanting to read (important: not something you think you should read) or plan an excursion to a museum, hiking trail, sporting event, gardening store, movie theater-whatever sounds like fun. Studies show that having fun on a regular basis is a pillar of happiness, and anticipation is an important part of that pleasure. Try to involve friends or family, as well; research shows that people enjoy almost all activities more when they’re with other people than when they’re alone.

*William Arruda also interviewed Ms. Rubin in October 2008. Here is the link to that interview.