Long Time No Blog!

It’s good to be back.

I had some issues with my old blog and had all good intentions to move it to another server. And then sometimes life does a u-turn on you and before you know it, years have slipped by and no blog posts. None. Nada. Zip.

But I digress….what else is new? I am the Q of ADHD so deciding to start blogging again about one (well, maybe two or three) is major. Thus BUDDELISH was born – devoted to Food, Buddhism and the Search for Meaning of Life. Never let it be said that I back away from a challenge. Soooo, I figured I would start with food.

This past summer, I made the decision to drop animal products from my diet. After years of proclaiming myself a friend and protector of animal rights, I was struck by the thought that one does not eat one’s friends (except in Hollywood) so with a sigh and fond last look at smoked pastrami, sushi and chicken tikka masala, I made the choice to switch to a plant-based diet.

Thanks to my darling vegan warrior friend Pamela Whistley, and her cute hubby Dale Hendrickson, the transition has not been all that painful! I am happy to report that these days in the greater Los Angeles area, there are more than 60 restaurants identified online as vegan and/or vegan-friendly. And even when I traveled out of the golden state to South Carolina, I still found delicious non-meat dining options in Summerville and Charleston.

I realized that for me, food is all about the taste and, in particular, the sauces. I can eat most anything if the seasoning is delicious. Indian cuisine, Thai cuisine, Mexican, Italian…they all have an allure that draws me in. Sometimes, I just dive into Pinterest, find recipes I like and then “veganize” them.

I’ll share the ones that work as I go along. Even those that don’t are a learning experience. Keep checking this space for updates, but I can say one thing: I have definitely lost weight since dropping meat and I can have a clear conscience about matching my words, deeds and thoughts.

My new goal is to try each one of those 60 vegan-friendly restaurants to see if it is worth dragging my family and friends there. I’ll let you know!

Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo (that’s the Buddhist part) from all my diggities and kittehs at Best Friends Los Angeles.

Lisa Lyons

Lisa Lyons

“I smile as a cause not an effect…”

 

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Skyboat Scores Top Audiobook “Go the F*** to Sleep” with Samuel L. Jackson

With over 750,000 pre-orders, Audible.com was ready to bring the top-selling picture book “Go the F*** to Sleep” by Adam Mansbach to audio life. When renowned actor Samuel L. Jackson came onboard to narrate, Audible turned to one of their top audio production partners, Skyboat Media, to turn around the monster hit in record time. According to Skyboat’s Stefan Rudnicki, he and partner Gabrielle De Cuir met with Audible on a Wednesday, recorded the book with on Friday and the completed book was released the following Monday!

“Go The F*** To Sleep,” best described as an irreverent children’s book for adults only, quickly became a No. 1 hit on Amazon, had its movie rights optioned by Fox 2000, and now it’s a runaway best-selling audiobook. Click here to see some footage of Jackson recording the book at Skyboat’s Los Angeles studio (courtesy of A.V. CLUB – THE ONION).

Skyboat Media has a well-deserved reputation as the company that publishers turn to when they need an important project turned around quickly and expertly.The company has received numerous industry awards including two recent Audie® Awards from AudioFile Magazine.

Find Meaning in Work and Play

One of the smartest, funniest social media mavens I’ve met is Nicole Nicolay – aka nik_nik for those who Twitter. She toils away at reaching out to blogging Realtors via her “My Tech Opinion” blog as well as driving t Agent Reboot workshops. Did I mention she also started her own company, Agent Evolution and is mom to a rambunctious toddler?

As Nicole will tell you, she knows all too well how hard it is to juggle life/work commitments and find the time to blog meaningfully. I wanted to share one of her posts that will ring true for many of you.

“In the past I’ve suggested creating a content posting plan and shared several blog topic ideas. These tips can really kick start a new blog or create consistency with existing blogs. But what happens when the plan doesn’t match the voice?! Well, now that I’ve experienced this firsthand…I do have a few suggestions. So here’s my advice when you’re faced with a nasty case of “blogger’s block.”

1) Read, read, and read some more. Reading other blogs or a really good book will often inspire your own thoughts and ideas.

2) Go to an event, or just have a coffee (or better yet, wine) with a friend. Sometimes a good conversation is all you need to get your creative juices flowing. Plus you may have colleagues or friends that ask REALLY great questions…which make for great articles!

3) Make time to write…at the right time. Only you know the best time of day for your inner voice! So listen to it. But if you sit down…and all you can think about is “how do I get this over with”…walk away, go do something active or interesting. You can’t force the inner voice!

4) Your best bet, ALWAYS, is to write what you know or write about experiences you’ve had. Take that a step further by relating your expertise and experience to your target audience by giving them a little nugget of advice, a tip, strategy or an “ah-ha moment” that they can benefit from!

I know these suggestions may seem fairly obvious…but that’s because they work. And they are only suggestions until you put them into play! So go now…it’s time to play!”

I think that’s good advice – how about you? Do you find that when you seamlessly blend your work and play, life is so much more meaningful?

Will One More App Get You More Clients?

Time does seem to move faster these days, mostly due to the amazing speed by which we can connect with others. With so many social media tools at our disposal, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of using this new technology. But at the end of the day, is it really helping you and your business? Will one more app get you more clients?

Blogger Chris Brogan (I recommend subscribing to his RSS Feed) asserts that it is time to buckle down and get back to work:

“We have to wipe at least some of the foolish grin off our face and go back to making something happen. When the novelty wears off, ask yourself a few questions:

What am I doing with XYZ technology? Is it pushing my business forward?

How much time am I spending on XYZ social network? Is it getting me anywhere?

How much of this is pleasurable versus profitable? (And use “profit” loosely.)

What have I neglected while using these tools more and more?

In three years, what will my efforts of the last month have accomplished for me?

When the novelty wears off, the work becomes clearer…”

Your thoughts?

The Word

Does your company need to hire a social media specialist?

It’s a debate that has been popping up on various blogs and in publications recently, and there are a few varying outlooks on the topic.

First, there’s Peter Shankman, founder of the lifesaving website Help A Reporter Out (HARO). Shankman sums up his thoughts in a recent blog post: “If you call yourself a social media expert, don’t even bother sending me your résumé.”

He believes that social media, while a necessary element of marketing, should be a collective effort—“another facet of marketing and customer service.”

The Next Web, meanwhile, has a different take, asking, “Do startups need to hire social media experts?

Though their answer is not a resounding “yes,” it’s certainly not a definite “no.”

Francis Tan gives a solid road map for startups to determine whether a social media expert will help them reach their goals.

What’s your take? Has your company found success with a social media expert?

Courtesy of Kevin Allen via PR Daily

The Next(Gen) Big Thing in Social Media

What do you think the “next-gen” social media tool will look like?

SmartBrief’s Sean McMahon posed that very question to “Internet Warrior” author Mike “Zappy” Zapolin. Zappy’s prediction? Niche, niche, niche.

“If you’re in social network for a business or social media for a certain age group or a certain niche or geographic area, that I think could be the real breakout,” Zapolin explains, using the evolution of dating websites to support his idea. “The Match.coms of the world might dominate, but smaller sites that cater to specific dating desires (think JDate, eHarmony, etc.) have been able to succeed by fine-tuning the user experience.”

So how can you develop your own niche in the social media world? What would it look like? Who is your target audience? I’d love to hear some of your ideas!