The Power of Asking for Help
It happens to the best of us.
We are cruising along on our computers, working on our next great project or idea, when all of a sudden we hit a wall. Then, one little challenge becomes seemingly impossible to move beyond. We are so close to solving it, but it just won’t work. We try and try and spend hours figuring it out, but cannot triumph over it. We waste our time and energy for the sake of doing it ourselves, and don’t stop to think about what our time is worth.
We’ve all been there
I found myself in this situation when I was working on a personal website. I found a design theme I loved, bought a domain name, and got everything up and running in record time. Suddenly found myself faced with a little change that could only be made through writing some css code. Now, admittedly, code looks like the matrix to me and I avoid writing it like the plague. But I really wanted to make this change and move on. So, I spent an hour searching google and reading forum posts. I tried some of the suggestions. They didn’t work. I posted on two separate forums and even corresponded with someone from one of them at length. He just wasn’t able to explain what to do in terms that I would understand. I probably spent 6 or 7 hours trying to get around this one little glitch before finally, in desperation, I posted on craigslist.
I begged for CSS help and offered to either a)pay for someone’s time or b), trade someone for some home brewed beer (one of my hobbies). I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that I got two responses within one hour. After chatting briefly with one of the people who wrote, he jumped into the back-end of my website and made the necessary changes within a half an hour of getting access.
Are you in the process of launching a business online?
Maybe you have an offline business and have finally decided to go after that “web presence” that everyone tells you that you should have. Maybe you’re just struggling to use technology to make your life easier. You’re talented, unique and creative. You have skills that most other people don’t have, but dealing with technology may not be one of them. And that’s okay. One of my key takeaways from my craigslist CSS experience is that you should never hesitate to ask for help when it’s clearly needed.
I have found that giving that help to other people is one of the most rewarding and satisfying things that I can do with my time. That’s why I’m launching cloud-coach.net. I talk to so many exciting small business people with fantastic ideas and lofty dreams who are slowed down by little technology challenges. Taken separately, they are no big deal, but in concert they can be enough to stop someone with a great idea dead in their tracks.
In celebration of the launch of this website, I am offering one month of free coaching to two individuals. Whoever offers the best answer to this question in the comments between April 6 and 13th will win:
What is your biggest frustration or
problem when it comes to technology?
What would you stand to gain by
solving it once and for all?
You can also tweet to win– Simply share this page on twitter. If you’d like to write your own tweet, make sure it includes this link: http://bit.ly/cloudcoach. All tweets and comments must be written by midnight on April 13th, 2011.
Photo courtesy of Jill Clardy
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Thanks for your email Ethan, looking forward very much to working with you towards my goal.
Blue.
Thank you for sharing your expertise knowledge with us!
You're very welcome!
I have many technology frustrations and challenges, ranging from trying to learn more about using WordPress and making changes to my WP-based site to figuring out what social media sites (besides Facebook and Twitter - already very active on those) would be most beneficial for me to use more often to being buried in emails and not knowing how to shovel my way out and wanting to declare "email bankruptcy" but being then chickening out so many times that it is a wonder my Outlook inbox hasn't exploded in my face.
Would love to win some coaching to help with the email issue, since it is probably my biggest tech challenge and it isn't in the budget to hire someone to help with it. I know I'd be much more productive, better organized, and less STRESSED if I could learn how to manage email more efficiently.
Great idea for a business and best wishes on it, Ethan!
Thanks for sharing your insights and offer for free coaching. I too have hustled since the conference both in progressing with learning new technology and gaining new clients. Please stay in touch!
I have two huge frustrations right now. I am short on time (going to grad school) and have lots of great content, but my technology workflow is painful, so I end up not participating. I am also trying to find the right platform for a new photography website which compliments use of social media. I've looked at a couple of options, but the custom css needed has bogged me down to get it where it needs to be. If I could figure these out, then I could truly tell my story and present my work the way I feel it best works together. This vision I have would be become a reality!
My biggest tech challenge is that I wish it were invisible. I want to be totally connected, communicate, get traffic, whilst being able to meditate on a mountain top, no Twitter, Facebook, blog, just me. Maybe my iPhone. I guess I'm looking for minimal technology.
Congratulations Ethan! I know you've been working on Cloud Coach for some time. For me, the biggest tech problem is trying to do everything myself.
Cloud-Coach: Bookmarked. Favorited.
I don't know what my technology challenge is yet, I imagine there are many, many to choose from. I'm commenting because I saw a post by my friend Robin Shaw on FB, and it said something about this site, and free help. I'd love to try it in the next few weeks though. Thanks for the offer. Good luck to you with your new business.
My biggest problem when it comes to technology is ME. I am that person you described who will beat my head against the wall for days on some little thing because I just KNOW I'm smart enough to figure it out! But just because I CAN do something (given unlimited time), that does not mean that it is in the collective highest good. If I were to learn how to delegate, how to employ others and trust their in wisdom and ability to manifest solutions, my whole life would be different. By engaging others to do what they do best, I would also be affirming to life that, "Yes, I am fully available to do what *I* do best, and to live out my highest calling here."
Wow, I feel really inspired to do that now! <3
Great point, Kellie. There are definitely times when you should learn to let someone else do the work. And then sometimes we just need a gentle nudge in the right direction to be able to do things ourselves in a much more efficient way. Looking forward to hearing about your progress!
i have been the recipient of Ethan's concise, patient and well organized coaching. He is both resourceful and creative in his approach, and always had more than one way to instruct me and resolve my computer questions. He is a pleasure to work with and a dependable resource.
This is incredibly exciting Ethan. I'm sure you're going to help a lot of people with this. Can't wait to see where this takes you!
Thank you, Jonathan! Your help throughout the process was and continues to be invaluable.
Ethan! Thank you for empowering me with technology!! Your thoughtfulness and expertise is extraordinary!! I am so glad you will be available to help others and I am psyched that you are already helping people I know. Long live Cloud Coach!!
You are always welcome Abbi! Thanks for your awesome friendship and support :)
Ethan has been an invaluable resource and source of inspiration in helping me create a web presence for my band. Though I am fairly tech savvy, Ethan knew how to parse through the vast array of social media services available for musicians in order to find the ones that really worked for me. Thanks for helping us share our music with the (digital) world!
Glad we were able to figure it all out - congrats on getting Gallop online!
It's one thing to just possess the know-how; it's another to have the skills of being patient, amiable, responsible and professional that makes the difference when using that knowledge to make a difference for the small business person or aspiring business person. You are the person that I feel comfortable and confident working with to solve my problems.
Thanks, Ellen. It's been great working with you in the past!
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Hi, I’m Ethan and I’m the technology hero here at Cloud Coach.
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