My Blog Has Moved!

There will be no more post on this blog. I have continued on with a new "Soul Sis Speaks" blog at www.donnabaxterporcher.com/ See you there!

What are you most famous for?

If You're Most Famous for Something Bad, How do You Make it All Good? Here is a photo of me in my hometown Johnstown PA, standing in front of city hall. Unfortunately, Johnstown is most famous for its three floods. I am pointing up above my head at one of 3 High water makers that shows just how high the water level got to during the 1977 Johnstown flood. Click here for larger view.

Today, the stories of that tragedy, told in-depth by the Johnstown Flood National Memorial and the Johnstown Flood Museum, still are the "hooks" that draw visitors to Johnstown, a town of 24,000 that's about 90 minutes southeast of Pittsburgh.

Part of Johnstown's comeback -- after the floods that earned it the moniker of "The Flood City" and its other major disaster, which was the closing of the Bethlehem Steel mills -- is based on tourism.

So what if you are most famous for something negative? Whatever it is, how can you change this negative label that has been bestowed upon you into a positive? Maybe you could change your ways and write a book about it to help others – My life as a Slacker and How I Overcame it. Maybe if you were most famous for being in a gang, you could dedicate your life to teaching young kids how to not get involved with gangs. And fellas, if you were known as a player, how about blogging to teach single women how to avoid Mr. Wrong! Whatever negative label has been put on you, own up to it -- if it's true, make steps to change – if you want to change, and then flip the script and make it work for you in a positive way!

soulsis@thesoulpitt.com

Carlton “Don’t Blink” Haselrig

Soulsis would like to give a big congrats to Carlton Haselrig, who is from my hometown in Johnstown and also a former Pittsburgh Steeler, on his big win on April 19th in the Battle Cage Extreme fight in Atlantic City against Shane Ott. Ott is a big man and I was kinda nervous. But Haselrig won by TKO in the first round. That’s why they call him “Don’t Blink”! Check out the fight flyer here and you can also read more about what Carlton Haselrig is up to since his days of wrestling and football and how this fight will turn his life around. Click here for article in the Post-Gazette

Tribute to Tracy Gaines-Jeffries

We often mention the famous or popular people who pass away, however today, I want to mention someone you may not know. A young lady from Johnstown that I grew up with passed away yesterday (6-14-07). No, she wasn't famous, nor was she tremendously popular, she was just a hard working, intelligent, black female. She went to college, became a Doctor and taught as a professor at a school in NYC. These were great accomplishments period, but especially coming from a small town such as Johnstown and being African-American. She leaves behind her 3 children and a wonderful family (mother, father, brothers and sisters). Tracy will be missed in this world as she did contribute something to it and strived to help people to make it better.

I was proud of Tracy's acccomplishments and proud to have known her. Her sudden death makes me once realize again that life is short and you can't wait to pursue your goals and dreams.

The Soul Pitt is Nominated for a Black Web Award!

Over 500 Finalists, including Pittsburgh's own TheSoulPitt.com, begin the final journey towards Best in Category. Winners will be announced at an invitation only premier gala awards program on October 28, 2006. Voting lasts from August 28 - October 20, 2006. The Soul Pitt needs your help! Submit your ballot for free and vote for TheSoulPitt.com at: http://www.blackwebawards.com/top_categories Click on the drop down box near Best Local / Community Site - East USA and pick TheSoulPitt.com to win!

Satisfied Customers

I've found that being an entrepreneur means that you affect people in different ways. If you do a good job or provide a good service for your clients/customers, they are happy. They walk away feeling satisfied. They feel glad about the fact that they made a good decision in using your services or buying products from you. They tell everyone about how wonderful you are.

But treat a customer bad – and you can forget it most times. They leave feeling cheated, unsatisfied and as though they are not worthy to get your business. They bad mouth you to everyone. (Now I do feel that Blacks are harder on Black business owners than others, but that’s whole different blog!)

Now, it can be hard to please everyone and at times you may forget to call or follow-up with people, you may even sell them a defective product or take longer on a job than expected. You will have an unsatisfied client (or 2) during your time as an entrepreneur, but you have to know how to make it up to that client. Offer them a discount, an apology, a card – something. They may seem like they will just go away, but you never know how much business they are causing you to lose by sharing their experience they had dealing with you to another potential client. But don’t beat yourself up over it, because there are those people who just like to be difficult and so demanding that you can’t possibly please them – no matter what you do. That’s when it’s time to pass them on to someone else. Yes, even if it’s a competitor of yours!

Networking 101

I was very pleased to see many "soulful" faces at the NAWBO networking dinner on Wed March 15th. Networking is crucial to any business owner - Black or White. Joining a networking group that can offer training, mentorship, information and advice to help your business grow is well worth it. I have been a NAWBO member for about 1 year now. NAWBO stands for the National Association of Women Business Owners. I love being in a networking group of multi-racial individuals. It seems to be a more supportive envioronment.

Networking is an essential skill for most business people, but especially for entrepreneurs. The strong association between the entrepreneur as a person and his or her business demands that entrepreneurs get out into the world and create and maintain business relationships.

With all the demands on our time made by our business, professional and personal lives, it is tempting to assign a lower priority to networking as an activity designed to meet new people. After all, we have so many commitments at the office and at home -- to colleagues, family and friends – that it is difficult to set aside extra time to bring even more people into our lives.
This thinking would be wrong, however, on two levels. For one, we are constantly being introduced to new people anyway, every day, with no disruption to our schedules.
Secondly, by not consistently widening our circles of acquaintances and contacts, we may be severely curtailing our chances for advancement and success. It is estimated that the average person knows about 250 people. And each of those people knows, in turn, another 250 or so people.

This means that for each new person you meet, you gain access to a potential pool of 62,500 people separated from you by just two degrees!

If you would like to find out more about NAWBO Pittsburgh chapter, please email me at soulpitt@aol.com

Happy Networking!