A couple weeks ago, I did the one of riskiest thing I have ever done for my business in the past year. What was it? I sang my heart out to win one of 5 seats to an event I really, really, really wanted to attend.

The name of the event is called Shine and it’s hosted by self-made multi-millionaire Ali Brown. You can watch my entry below.

I actually composed the song for another event, but as soon as I saw the announcement by Ali looking for video entries for scholarships to her amazing event, I quickly changed the words and enlisted the help of one of the most creative and talented artists I know, Tabitha Lewis, to play the acoustics.

In case you were wondering, yes, I won a seat to Shine. But there was a bigger lesson that I learned about this entire experience.

Risk Is Uncomfortable, But Regret Is Much Worst

After I recorded the video, I sat in front of my computer for almost 6-hours wondering if I should upload it. I waswondering what my clients and colleagues would think if they saw me begging for a seat to an event. I worried that the perception of me as a successful entrepreneur would be tarnished by sharing my singing video online for the entire world to see.

After I showed my family the video and got their thumbs up, I shared my nervousness with them. My sister said something that I’ll never forget. She asked:

“What would not doing it cost you?”

Wow! That’s why I love my sister. She’s always challenging me. As I thought about her question, I knew that if I did not upload the video, I would live with regret for the rest of my life.

The lesson? I would rather try and fail, then not to try at all. So with my sister’s question still ringing in my head, I submitted the video with about one hour left before the deadline.

Standing Out Doesn’t Matter If You’re Not Memorable (Or, Be the Purple Cow that Moos Loudly)

Before I recorded the song with Tabitha, I took a look through the various entries that were already uploaded to Ali’s Facebook page. As I watched the various entries, I was amazed that these business women were putting themselves out there.

A few of the entries really stood, but I wanted to make sure that I was one of the people selected for the 5 seats. I really, really, really wanted to go, and that’s when I knew that I singing my entry would be fun, bold and memorable.

Now, in Ali’s instructions, she said nothing about singing your entry. The 35 entries I watched were people talking about why they should be selected and I wasn’t sure if singing would disqualify me. I think at this point, I was actually afraid of standing out.

And then Ali posted this quote from Shiv Kera in her Facebook status:

“Winners don’t do different things. They do things differently.”

That’s when I knew that singing my submission would not only get Ali’s attention, but help me to be remembered. Here’s what Colleen Fanning said after viewing my video on Facebook:

The lesson? You don’t need permission to do something different. Stand out by being the purple cow and be memorable by letting out a loud moo (I got 2 of Seth Godin’s books as a gift from Zappos.com on my recent trip to Las Vegas, so hence the reference).

Ask for What You Desire, Then Stop Worrying

Like I said before, I really, really, really wanted to go to Shine. Why? Because I’m in transition with my business and at Shine, I’m going to work on my business plan and leave the event with it completed.

Knowing that I had to go on 2 business trips in the days before the Shine event, there just wouldn’t be enough money left over to pay for Ali’s event. Also, because I’m transitioning from being a social media consultant to producing virtual events, I have to really watch my pennies.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to get to Shine, so I prayed. I told God that I really wanted to be there. I shared with God my desires and said that if it’s His will, make it work.

And then, I left it alone.

The lesson? I didn’t stress, I didn’t worry. Frankly, I didn’t have to. I knew that if this was the event I needed to attend, God would work it out.  Then, the scholarship opportunity came out of the blue and the rest is history.

Where One Sees Scarcity, Another Sees Abundance

I’ve been following Ali since 2005 and one thing she has NEVER done is give away seats to any of her events. Well, I shouldn’t say never because she does offer complimentary gifts to her Platinum and Diamond mastermind clients, however, these people have already spent money with her.

When she announced the scholarship contest, I was wondering why is she doing this. How could she give away 5 seats valued at $1,400 each to people who may have NEVER spent money on any of her products or services?

Well, guess what happened? As details of my win started circulating amongst my network on Facebook and Twitter, two of my colleagues contacted me to say they were going to sign up.

The lesson here? Generosity comes back around 10 fold. Add generosity to your business plan.

I got word last week that I won a prestigious award. The Harry Jerome Awards, which celebrates excellence in achievement in the African-Canadian community, is presented each year by the Black Business & Professional Association (BBPA). To give you a comparison, this award is similar to the NAACP Image Award given to African-Americans.

The award is named after Harry Jerome, a man who blazed a trail of success in track and field. Harry set a number of records and died too soon at the young age of 42. Despite his early demise, his legacy lives on. Reading about all that he accomplished, it’s clear why the BBPA feels that Harry is a man of excellence.

I’ll receive the Technology & Innovation Award and I’m the first sole female winner in that category. I share this with you, not only because I’m tickled pink about this honor, but also to ask you a very important question:

“In your opinion, which person embodies the spirit of excellence?”

Your definition of excellence will be different from mine. But, there will be a common theme that will appear. Please share your definition of excellence, who embodies it and how you use this person as an inspiration in your daily life.

Podcamp Toronto gets better and better every year and the event organizers should be proud of the results of all their hard work.

I was going to recap my experience about the 2009 Podcamp Toronto event, when I saw this tweet from Bob Goyetche this morning:

Someone tell me why leesa barnes is running this bloody session.

Curious, I replied to Bob saying:

i was running the session cuz no one else was. and as one of the organizers of the 2007 event, i jumped in to help.

Another reply came in from Whitney Hoffman, one of the organizers behind Podcamp Boston and a welcomed presence at many Podcamps, said:

Are you absolutely crazy? That was an absurd and hurtful thing to do to the people who have run the show for the past 2 years.

Now, I’m totally confused. So, I pinged someone I trust who was there to get his thoughts. Once he shared with me his interpretation, I totally got it.

Just to give you some context, the very last session on Sunday was called Podcamp 2010: An Open Discussion. I got to the room and chatted with a old friend, Charmaine, while waiting for the session to  start. The session was supposed to start at 12:15, but by 12:22, we were still waiting.

So, being the “take action” person that I am, I jumped up, grabbed the microphone, introduced myself as one of the organizers of the 2007 event just to give people context as to why I was standing in front of the room, then started to facilitate a discussion. Here’s the video of the session (32-minutes).

Jay Moonah and Connie Crosby – 2 of the organizers behind the 2009 event soon joined – and I continued to facilitate asking attendees what went well with the 2009 event and what could be improved. I saw Rob Lee and Eden Spodek pop in and out and Dave Fleet soon joined, all organizers of the 2009 event. I continued facilitating until 12:45pm, then turned it over to Jay.

I didn’t realize that my helping was being interpreted as taking credit for organizing the last 2 years of Podcamp Toronto.

I was floored. I’ve facilitated panels at other events in the past and no one ever said I was laying claim to organizing their event due to facilitating.

Yet, Podcamp Toronto is different. There’s history. There’s a story. And, based on my friend’s feedback, I totally understand. You see:

• While the 2007 event was good, there were a few loose ends that was inherited by the 2008 organizing team. That was totally not fair to them and as lead organizer of the 2007 event, I should’ve done a better job of closing the loop so the 2008 team could start with a fresh plate.
• Even with those loose ends, the 2008 organizers were able to not only organize a fine event, but also help sponsors feel confident about partnering on the event again.
• Also, I was totally absent from the Podcamp Toronto scene in 2008. I handed over the paperwork and washed my hands of Podcamp Toronto. I didn’t offer my help or any guidance in any form. Although Jay Moonah was the only person who continued from the 2007 organizing team to the 2008 event, I could’ve stayed on as well to help out. I didn’t.
• And in hindsight, once the organizers were present in the room, I should’ve asked if they wanted me to continue.

I recognize that as lead organizer of the 2007 event, the transition to the 2008 organizing team was lousy. Because of this, I should’ve been more cognizant of this legacy and should’ve been more aware of how facilitating one session at Podcamp could’ve been interpreted by my peers.

So, Jay Moonah, Rob Lee, Connie Crosby, Eden Spodek, Dave Fleet, Tommy Vallier and Sean McGaughey, and the rest of the volunteers behind the 2009 Podcamp Toronto event, my apologies for stepping on your toes.

I truly thought I was helping. I certainly could never take any credit (none whatsoever) for the amazing work you’ve done for the 2008 & 2009 events as that would be completely dishonest.

Thanks to Bob Goyetche for tweeting his thoughts about this otherwise, I would’ve never known. And thanks to Laurent LaSalle for recording the session (here’s the link again to view it).

I’m celebrating yet another milestone. As of February 15, 2009, I now weigh 185lbs. When I weighed myself at the start of my weight releasing journey in July 2008, I weighed 205lbs. That means, I’ve lost 20-lbs in 6-months.

The picture on the left shows the difference. You can see it in my face. The image of me in the white was taken at the 2008 New Media Expo in Las Vegas. I was chunky.

The image of me on the right where I’m wearing pink was taken at the Personal Branding Summit on February 18, 2009. I’m looking more lean.

Many have asked how I was able to drop 20-lbs without following some crazy, unhealthy diet. Here’s what I’ve done.

• I cut out chicken and red meat from my diet. Stopped eating meat in November 2008 after my sister gave me her summary of Skinny Bitch. The part that got me the most is the stress that the animals are under before they’re slaughtered. I aim to live a stress free and positive life, yet here I am eating food that was filled with negative energy. So, I no longer ingest the stress.

My advice? If you’re interested in becoming a vegetarian, drop meat from your diet slowly and get as many recipes as you can. Being a vegetarian isn’t about eating just vegetables and beans. I eat a variety of foods, including soya-based veggie meats, tofu and cheese.

• I found a workout time that my body responds to. I used to workout in the evenings, but my body just wasn’t changing. So, I started getting up at 5:30am and hitting the gym at 6am. The results? The fat started to melt off my body. It seems like my body loves the early morning workout and responds well to it.

My advice? If you’re going to the gym and your body hasn’t changed in months, change the time of day that you workout. It may mean crawling out of bed earlier in the morning or negotiating with your spouse to get the kids ready for school so you can hit the gym early (or late). There’s no perfect time to workout, but there is a perfect time for you.

• I do exercises according to my body type. I grow muscle quickly, yet it’s not as easy for me to lose fat. Knowing this, I’ve designed a workout that helps me to keep my heart rate up for 45-minutes while doing low weights, high reps. Circuit training is perfect for my body type. I do 15 reps at a light weight for each muscle and I move from machine to machine rather quickly. It’ll take me about 5-10 minutes to do weights for my back, chest, quads, hamstrings and arms.

My advice? Work with a personal trainer who can design a workout plan for your specific body type. If you’re the type who has difficulty building muscle and you’re already thin, your workout will definitely be different than mine.

• I’ve connected an active lifestyle with my Creator. I recognize that by staying in shape, I’m honoring what my Creator has given to me. Ever since I made that connection, I’ve been more motivated to workout. When I do arm curls or do an aerobics class, that’s my time to connect with my Creator and thank Him for allowing me to make a choice to stay in shape.

My advice? Change your mindset when working out. If you approach going to the gym as something that’s negative, your body will not respond. However, if you make working out a positive experience and think of all the good it’s going to do for your health, you will lose the pounds quickly. Your body is a gift. Every lump, jiggle and flab is a gift from your Creator. Honor your Creator by being joyful about your time at the gym.

What has been your experience with releasing weight? How successful have you been. Please leave your comments below.

As my 35th birthday comes to a close and I writhe in pain at the amount of vanilla cake I ate, I can say that it’s been a great 35-years thus far.

My phone rang a few times and it was good to hear the voices of old friends and family members wishing me Happy Birthday.

But the wealth of birthday greetings took place where I hang out the most – social media. I got over 150 birthday greetings on Facebook and about 30 on Twitter.

Some of the ones that stood out?

“Celebrating with eating cake is a great way to get the new year going. Eat on. Happy Birthday!”

“Today’s your birthday. Oh yeah. (Doin’ the birthday boogie in honor of you! Good thing you really can’t see me dance!)”

“Happy Birthday Girl! Give yourself a treat…no spinning class today…on me…LOL! Muah!”

“Bust open the bubbly, it is Leesa Barnes day!!!”

“Sing with me “Leesa it’s your birthday. Happy birthday Leesa” or just sing the littlest hobo theme..whatever works.”

“You’re getting better with each passing trip around the sun!! You are a kindred spirit and I hope you have an awesome birthday. Work up a good birthday sweat.”

These birthday greetings followed a few accolades I’ve received so far in 2009:

• Profectio listed me #2 on their list of Canada’s Top 10 Most Influential Women in Social Media.
• I was nominated by my community for a Shorty Award in the social media category.
• Marketing Fit was selected by Viva Visibility as the best rebrand in 2008.
• I was also recently profiled here and here by some pretty smart people.

Some might say that this is all a popularity contest and it holds very little weight. Oh contraire. Social media is all about being “popular” and you do this by giving, sharing and helping people with their issues and challenges.

As Rae Hoffman said on the Profectio blog:

“At its core, that’s what social media boils down to – being popular and having a large reach because so many people pay attention to you as a result of your popularity.”

Dave Forde, an influential Canadian blogger, recently asked the question about who is Canada’s Most Influential Women in Social Media after reading that I made Ron Hudson’s Top 50 list a few weeks back.

He is now asking people to vote on the Top 3 Most Influential Women in Social Media in Canada based on 31 nominations.

To vote for me…ahem, I mean, for one of the ladies on the list (me), click here to submit your vote. Voting closes December 20, 2008.

I promised my sister that I would go meat free for the month of November. I already gave my account of how week 1 went. Here’s week 2.

I still haven’t given up the eggs and frankly, I don’t think I will. Everytime I eat them, my sister reminds me that I’m eating an undeveloped chicken fetus swimming in its protective amniotic fluid. It doesn’t deter me. I still love my scrambled eggs.

I ate less beans this past week which my body loved since it practically cured my flatuence. On the flip side, not eating enough beans made me feel as if I were missing something from my diet. I’ve been eating more veggie meats and tofu, although they both lack enough protein for me to function. I had a protein deficient headache one day this week and it wasn’t fun.

On Sunday, I thought I was getting sick. I had a killer headache, my muscles were aching and my stomach felt weird. Yet, I wasn’t coughing, nor did I have a sore throat. Odd since those are the signs that I’m getting sick.

On Monday, I started to feel better. I determined that I wasn’t getting sick, instead I had “overdosed” on raw cashews. I ate too many of them on Saturday. Most of the things I ate on Saturday had raw cashews in them.

• I had a tofu strawberry “yougurt” that I made that had raw cashews ground up in the mixture.
• Then for lunch, I had tofu spinach patties, again with raw cashews ground up in the mixture.
• Then, I pigged out on at least 1 cup of raw cashews as I watched re-runs of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 1 on Saturday night.

So what did I learn from week 2?

• Even vegans have to eat things in moderation. Just because raw cashews are good, it doesn’t mean that they can be eaten in huge quantities.
• Beans aren’t the only things that contain protein. It can be found in other foods.
• There are tons of alternative out there to take the place of your favorite meat and dairy products. I just have to remember to choose a variety of things to eat.
• Maybe the vegan lifestyle isn’t for me. However, I’m enjoying being vegetarian. Being meat and dairy free is doing wonders for my state of mind and my body.

More next week when I recap Week 3.

photo courtesy estaticist

November 11th is called Remembrance Day in Canada. In the US, it’s known as Veteran’s Day. Whatever day it’s called in your country, do take some time to honor those who are braver than you and I to leave behind all they know to face the ugliness of war.

It’s a sacrifice.

I watch on TV as coffins come back from Afghanistan containing the body of a young Canadian who has lost their life. Their family stands on the side in tears. A father, a mother, a wife (or a husband), young children. They cry because the person they love walked on a plane, but returned lying in a coffin

I watch the news and see people lining overpasses, saluting the hearse that drives along the Highway of Heroes (the stretch of the 401 between CFB Trenton where all dead soliders are sent to and downtown Toronto where the autopsy is performed).

Civilians waving the Canadian flag, soliders saluting, police officers standing at attention. The scene sends a shiver up and down my spine. It’s real life.

I get reflective. No matter how much I love my country and my way of life, I always ask myself:

“Do I have the courage to leave all that I know and love behind to fight a war? Do I love my country enough to make this sacrifice?”

I think of my dad who served in the Jamaican army. While he was never deployed, I honor his decision to serve his country. One of my uncles fought in the Korean war. I honor his sacrifice.

No matter your feelings about war, just remember that those who fight in it are real people. Men and women with families, feelings and values.

Don’t honor war on this Remembrance Day. Honor lives lived and lost.

Update: Global National reported that MSNBC did a piece on our Highway of Heroes. Very touching to see how Americans reacted to the story. I could find the video clip of the MSNBC news story on their site, but found it here. Watch it.

I just completed my first week as a vegan. After my sister gave me her summary of Skinny Bitch, I promised her that I wouldn’t eat any meat for the month of November.

The first week wasn’t as bad as I thought. I imagined that I would crave meat all week. That my mouth would salivate at just the thought of deep fried chicken or a well done peppercorn steak.

Neither has happened.

I must admit that I’m not completely vegan. I think I’m more of a vegetarian because:

• I had cheese on a vegetarian pizza on Nov 5th.
• I had French toast twice last week (eggs are the culprit).
• And I had egg in my Pad Thai from Spring Rolls and in my fried rice from Asian Legend.

What have I eaten this week? The common misconception is that a vegan diet is rich in tofu. Well, I’ve had tofu this week, but I’ve also had beans, lots of vegetables and soya products, such as soya ground, soya chunks and soya milk.

Easy Transition

The transition has been relatively easy because:

• I’m lactose intolerant and I don’t consume much dairy anyways, except yougurt and cheese. Not having milk, sour cream or cottage cheese was easy since I don’t consume them.
• I typically eat red meat once a week, so cutting it out completely for my so called vegan diet was simple.
• Being active means that I watch what I put into my body, so I’m used to being selective about what I eat.
• I’ve been exposed to vegetarian foods all my life. I tend to mix my diet with vegetarian dishes, so instead of doing that once a week, it’s now every day.
• I don’t like biting into fruits, so I use a juicer daily and mix different fruits together. Since I was already doing this, it was easy to do more of this as a vegan.

What I Like

What am I enjoying the most about my so called vegan diet?

• I’m not hungry at all. I used to eat 6 small meals a day, but now, I eat 4.
• My last meal is around 6pm and except for some air popped popcorn around 9pm, what I eat for dinner takes me through until the next morning.
• I lost 4 lbs this week alone. It just melted off.
• I feel more alert. I don’t know what it is, but I now have more energy than I did before.
• I see meat, yet my mouth doesn’t water. I even went to my favorite Chinese restaurant over the weekend and my sister ordered my favorite chicken dish. Yet, I didn’t crave it.
• I’m sleeping better. I now tire around 9:30pm and can fall asleep by about 10:30am. This is perfect since I’m at the gym by 6am 4 mornings a week.

What I Don’t Like

There are some drawbacks:

• I miss cheese, especially old cheese and yougurt. I tried soya cheese, but it tasted gross. My sister has given me a tofu, cashew, frozen fruit recipe that’s just like yougurt, so I’m going to give it a try.
• I had a problem with flatuence. It would go on for almost 12 hours. I cured that problem with Beano and so far, it’s working.
• I now have to plan my meals for the week. Lots of work involved in shopping for lentils, beans, tofu and then grinding them into pastes and liquids for the week. Of course, working from home makes this easier to do, but now I have to fit food preparation into my daily schedule.

Action for Week 2

This week, I’m going to add a little bit more variety to my vegan diet. I’m going to add more nuts to my foods and I’m going to try and cut out eggs from my foods.

Also, I’m going to check out the Toronto Vegetarian Association website based on a referral from my Twitter pal, Angela del Buono.

If you have any vegan resources, eg associations, receipes, etc. do post your links in the comments area below.

photo courtesy estaticist

I didn’t realize that Star Trek The Experience is actually connected to the Hilton. I got off the monorail and was barreling through the lobby when I encountered the Borg.

My heart leap to my throat as I came face to face with 3 of 6. Can you guess what my first question was? Watch this 1 minute video to find out.