Transforming your business and yourself in 2011

With the New Year comes an opportunity to transform your business. This is especially true if you run a small business or are a sole proprietor.

You don't have to accept the label others have put on you. You don't have to limit your company by a label like "B2B" or "auto industry." Forget terms like lawyer, consultant, writer, singer, graphic designer.

What interests you? What do you love to do? Why not make that part of your work too!

Maybe you can generate a new revenue source. Maybe you can spruce up your personal brand. Certainly you can have more fun!

I've morphed many times. I worked on a bond trading desk. I acted in Japanese television commercials. I was Asia Marketing Director for Knight-Ridder, at the time one of the largest newspaper companies in the world. I was a VP marketing at several technology companies. I was a marketing consultant. Now I write books and am a marketing speaker and run full-day seminars on marketing.

Cliff Pollan transformed a company that used to offer a video channel by creating a new company name and a new business focus. Now VisibleGains provides marketers an easy way to create engaging and interactive video as a lead generation tool.

Doug Eymer is a terrific designer. He created my ebooks, site, blog masthead and much more. Doug recently transformed into a comedy writer by publishing the hilarious Tiny Mind Gazette. "Suburban Legends: Defined, Debunked + DeMythtified."

Grant Griffiths is a former Kansas lawyer. His blog was so instrumental in driving business his way that he now focuses on helping people Blog for Profit and become Home Office Warriors.

One of my favorite examples of transformation is country music artist Billy Dean. With twelve albums and eleven top 10 Billboard country chart singles over his eighteen-year career, Billy is a star.

Billy has transformed himself many times.

He started Billy Dean Writers Block Professional Songwriting Collaborative where, along with other award winning songwriters, he will critique songs and share inside tips on how to write a hit.

His Song Sessions is an interactive workshop designed to transform a staff of any size into a creative and powerful songwriting team. The goal of the Song Session is to capture what the company does and why it exists in a song.

He accepts song commissions to help organizations build a brand image. Here's a Ryder Cup example.

I had an opportunity to meet Billy backstage at a Boston area concert in late December. He was touring with Kenny Rogers and my friend John DiPietro introduced us. (John is also a man who has transformed many times. For example, here is his Motorhome blog.)

I spoke with Billy about Agritainment, a way for family farmers to find new revenue as tourist attractions.

Direct link to Billy Dean video.

With the New Year comes opportunity for you. How can you get out of your rut and create something new and interesting?

Corn Maze image Shutterstock / Alita Bobrov

Comments

[Sergei Samoilenko]

Dave, this Billy Dean interview is very inspiring. I am looking forward to some major transformations this year too. Thank you for this post.

[David Meerman Scott]

Sergei - Let me know when you've morphed yourself - I'm interested to see what you do!

[Matt]

Our 2010 year spent a lot on the Research and Development of our products and services.

We also spent a lot of energy learning on working with eacht oher and finding our best workflows.

2011 is all about changing the energy of "looking at each other" to "looking for the clients"

Hoping for a big push in sales and brand awareness!

[carenclibby@gmail.com]

Dave - With so many people in career transition, this is the perfect time to focus on doing what they love and go for it. That's my goal for this decade!

I experienced Agri-tainment with my grandsons last Fall...a wonderful experience. http://www.flickr.com/photos/caren/sets/72157625289448561/detail/

Thanks for sharing how you and others have made transformation work.

[Jane Hiscock]

Great post and love the video. Transformation and transition is the new up.
Happy New Year and keep changing.

[doug eymer]

David ::
Thanks for the mention. Obviously, as I have worked on your marketing pieces, I have absorbed your keen insight and out-of-the-box thinking!

My mother used to say, "If you were on TV, I would turn you OFF!" Thanks for helping to put me in the position where she can actually do so!

Doug.
www.eymer.com
www.tinymindgazette.com

[Michael Ray Hopkin]

David, great post to start out the new year. The idea of transforming your business and yourself is powerful. Thanks for the great examples.

I have to mention that I've been a Billy Dean fan since he started; he's the artist responsible for my wife liking country music (back in the early 90's). He's great!

-Michael

[David Meerman Scott]

Thank you all for the comments. Don't accept the labels that others apply to you or your business. You can do anything.

[outsourcing services]

Hi, thanks for being an inspiration. This article is an ideal topic to start this year.

[Tony Smith, Freelance Writer]

Thanks for posting this! This is a great reminder that we're only as limited as we allow ourselves to be. I recently morphed from a comic book/fiction writer to a freelance article writer. It's not a big leap, but it has made a huge difference to me.