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[Life After College Inside Scoop] You're the Best Sent Tuesday, August 9, 2011
(It's true! You're awesome. More below :)

Hi Everyone, 
 
Long time no talk! Two recent events have reminded me how ridiculously grateful I am for all of you: 
 
1) First, you did an amazing job of keeping the Google news under wraps until I posted on my blog -- thank you. Since we last talked, I announced my departure and have now made it through my first month as a solopreneur -- and am not rocking in fetal position in a corner or living in a van down by the river! Knock on wood :)
 
I actually broke even in July (income to expenses) which feels like a huge accomplishment. I have not looked back on the decision for one second -- I feel lighter, freer, and happier than I ever have in my life. There are low moments, just like in anything -- wondering where the next income will come from, losing almost all of my expected income for August in one week (!!) due to a few things being post-poned, and days where I do nothing but procrastinate -- but on the whole, I'm loving the challenge of learning so much every day, and of finally being able to give JBE my full time and attention. 
 
If you want to hear more, I encourage you to jump on the Q&A call next week -- where you can ask about whatever you want! Details are below. And yes, I schedule Q&A calls when I feel guilty that I haven't written often enough; that way I can answer any burning questions I might have missed, and just hear your lovely voices! :) 
 
2) Second, after Seth Godin posted the link to my book marketing spreadsheet, my LAC Book website got over 7,500 hits, and the Docs version of the spreadsheet has been used over 3,000 times. Pretty cool! I created an email mailing list specifically for the spreadsheet, and when I emailed the ~100 subscribers to ask for feedback and announce a Q&A call, I got...CRICKETS. Nothing! I already knew that you were all wonderful -- but this was a total reminder. THANK YOU for making me feel like you're listening out there! I love your replies, notes, tweets, questions and comments -- it's a wonderful two-way conversation, and I want to continue making sure I'm holding up my end of the bargain. 
 
Here's a short 2-minute thank you video from a recent blog post (you may need to click "display images") - the post also includes a summary of the recent LAC Survey results: 


 
Two bonuses for you today: I've put together an Organized Like a Ninja Toolkit for future newsletter subscribers and want to make sure you all have access too -- I'll be adding to this over time. 

I also created a sample chapter PDF of my book's Money Chapter (shhh...don't tell the publisher -- I'm asking for forgiveness here, not permission!) right click here to download it (if you don't already have the book, of course :). 

More below...big hugs and happy Summer!
Jenny 
 
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Q&A CALL INFO
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This call will be for Inside Scoop subscribers only -- it will be recorded, but because of the interactive/informal Q&A format please try to make it if you can! I'll answer any/all questions you have about leaving Google, behind-the-scenes development updates on Make Sh*t Happen, challenges I'm facing, help with your challenges, and anything else that would be interesting, inspiring and/or informative! 
 
Call in details: 
  • Tuesday, August 16 at 5:00PT/8:00ET 
  • Dial-in number: 1-213-289-0500 
  • Participant Access Code: 5992197 
Just like last time, please feel free to ask and vote on questions in advance on the Google Moderator page. If you would like a reminder about the call and/or to receive the recording afterward, please let me know here. Looking forward to it!
 
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PERSONAL UPDATES
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  • Life as a Solopreneur: I'm super stoked to be a keynote speaker at the 20 Something Blogger summit in a few weeks. It's my first keynote....talk about nervous excitement! I feel nervous because it's a group of my peers and I feel like any one of them could be up there. I want to deliver something powerful, real and inspiring -- so will be working on that these next few weeks. 

    I'm also thrilled to be getting back into my personal coaching (it used to be almost all Googlers) -- I'm working with some rock-star clients, and I'm loving the new format I set-up. I used to do coaching by the hour, but I felt like something was missing. Now I do coaching at a flat rate for the month -- so that we can really create a partnership (through weekly calls, assignments, and email inbetween). If you're interested in learning more, you can read about how I work here. If it sounds like just what you need, I look forward to hearing from you! 

    Even as I enter packing chaos getting ready for the big move to NYC, I'm finally settling into a daily routine.

    What's a day in the life like? 
  • I wake up around 7 or 8 (no alarm whenever possible), read Google Reader posts in bed as I'm waking up, then try go for a run first thing so I start the day off on the right foot (no pun intended, har har).
  • Late morning: answer important emails, then try to be REALLY disciplined about doing PROACTIVE work since the morning is my most productive and creative time. 
  • Around mid-day I have lunch and/or go to yoga class (on a good day!), then as my productivity wanes in the afternoon and evening I go back to answering emails and doing light project work. 
  • I end the day by reading my favorite guilty-pleasure gossip site to wind-down before bed.
  • I've been reducing my meeting days to Tuesday and Wednesdays which really helps me focus on the other days of the week. My meetings are a combination of working with coaching clients, networking/getting to know you calls, professional opportunities (speaking, partnerships), interviews (blogs, radio), Make Sh*t Happen planning with my MSH Angel Emily, and calls with my support BFFs (Molly weekly, and I talk to Elisa almost daily).  
  • Finally, I've been taking Thursday and/or Fridays as my days off, which allows me to feel productive over the weekend when the Internet (and my inbox) seem to slow down a bit. 
  • LAC Book Updates: The most exciting news this month is that my book is now required reading for a business class at Parson's New School of Design (yes, from Project Runway)!! I found out when the teacher emailed me to let me know -- I almost fell out of my chair!

    Sales have been declining, which makes sense since the graduation window is over, but I have also been very reactive lately -- one of my biggest lessons is that selling books really does take constant, active care and feeding. I'm going to do a big fall push once I'm all settled in NYC and can actually be making key connections. 

    The latest stats: ~350 books sold in July; 3,500 overall -- not bad!! It's pretty incredible to think that 3,500 people have my book on their shelves, even if it's a long way away from the 15,000 target; if I hit that within the first year, I get a $5K bonus from the publisher. 
  • Make Sh*t Happen Development: My MSH Angel, Emily Smith, and I have been working like mad-women on building out the course, and I am so excited slash NERVOUS AS HELL about it. This is my new baby, and on our call today Emily and I both agreed that this is DEFINITELY a "do one thing each day that scares you" project.

    We've collected 50 case studies, and I recently filmed the 20 videos (1-2 for each chapter). We're having fun thinking about how to build in accountability and engagement (we're going to put people in triads and send out 3x weekly emails) and how to delight people at the end. I'm nervous about getting everything done while moving and trying to launch my website design, but super excited about what's possible. Registration will open on Sept 13, and will be limited to 30 people. If you want to be on the early notification list (and get mini MSH tips in the meantime), sign-up here! 
  • Health Challenge: After I announced the start of my cleanse on Google+, I was inspired to create a template to help others get organized around doing their own Health Challenge. That one's got 60 users, and seems to be working well! I personally love checking things off every day and watching the cells turn green -- it's like getting a virtual gold star. 

    I'm one week into my cleanse (no caffeine, sugar, dairy, wheat, or alcohol for 21 days) and I feel AMAZING. The first two days were rough (I was craving sugar and coffee like a crack monkey), but now I feel happier, more energetic, more confident, and I've lost a few pounds! It's really helped me realize how dependent I was on food as an emotional crutch. 
As I transition off of the book process (for now) and into building my business, I'd love to hear from you -- what would make these newsletters helpful and/or interesting for you?

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RECENT BLOG POSTS
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QUOTES
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"What you seek is seeking you." 
−Rumi 
 
"That which you can plan is too small for you to live." 
−Saying told to me by my good friend MeiMei Fox (I wish I knew who said it!) 
 
"If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.
−David Viscott 
 
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STANDING LINKS
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I've tagged many more articles and resources in Delicious and my Google Reader page.
  
Feel free to forward this email to friends. View past issues of this newsletter at: 
Requests for specific content in future emails? Reply and let me know.  
 
That's it for now! Best of luck with all of your projects and creative pursuits until we talk again :)
 
Jenny 

The Book: http://LACBook.com
Speaking: http://JennyBlake.org/

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