Times, they are a changin’ and for Ginkgo Consulting that means quite a few things.

1. We’re in the process of re-structuring. There are some amazing new projects in the works that I’m going to be heavily involved in, and therefore need to come up with some really cool ways to keep Ginkgo running but with less of my individual time. This means I’ll be needing some more really cool people to help me do that.

2. I’ll still be doing the consulting work. Be it on the phone or in person – I’m the one you’ll be speaking with when you have questions, be they about work we’ve done, work you need done, or simply training you may need.

3. Tying up some loose ends. Right now I’ve got two “charity” projects going on, and a few client projects still on the table. While I’ll always spend available time on a project I believe in for charity, at this time I’m not sure we’ll be able to take on any further clients. At least not until I get the restructuring done. If you don’t have an immediate deadline, you can always call and we’ll see what we can do. Worst case scenario, I can refer you to one of several colleagues who I’m confident can help.

4. I’d like to make it clear that I’ll still be blogging here, as well as at my other sites. I’m not going anywhere, that’s for damn sure. You’re actually more likely to see me than ever before, but that’s all part of the “Very Special Announcement” I just can’t make right now. I promise, you’ll be the firsts to know once I can! Your best bet to keep tabs on me? My hub, Lara Kulpa. It’s not finished yet, or designed yet, but it’s there.

So there you have it! Thanks for staying tuned in, and don’t go anywhere! It’s going to be an interesting Q4, and an amazing 2010!

As usual, I’m still working with Darren Rowse over at ProBlogger, but now I’m also managing content for him over at TwiTip, which is quite the Twitter resource! I’ll also be helping out with the 31 Days to Build A Better Blog project starting this Monday, April 6th. (If you haven’t signed up yet – don’t miss it!)

Along with that, I’ve worked with my dear friend James to launch two projects of his, America The Lost and Shoot. Edit. Publish.

America The Lost

Shoot. Edit. Publish.

James also did a guest post over at Digital Photography School (another of Darren’s blogs) titled 13 Tips For Improving Outdoor Portraits which has been a great traffic boost to both new project sites. America The Lost currently is receiving a decent amount of search traffic – which completely debunks the myth of the Google Sandbox, but that’s another story for another time.

In the midst of all of this, we’ve done most of the work on the liquor store client site, and are now waiting for the newest list of wines so we can add them to the site, work on the front page, and make an official launch.

We also did a big revamp of another great site: Cookerati. Prior to working on the site, it was a fairly old install of WordPress with an outdated theme. So we managed an upgrade and customized a design for them that added some great color and layout changes. There’s been some great feedback from the site’s regular visitors already, and thankfully the owners are pretty excited, too!

Cookerati

Dark Shadows Magazine

We’ve also done some work for a revamped online fashion ‘zine, Dark Shadows Magazine. It’s editor is Genn Shaughnessy, who is a celebrity and fashion makeup artist. She’s phenomenal, folks. Really something!

All in all it’s been a good first quarter, to be honest. I’m feeling good about our clients and their needs being met, despite the economic situation we’re all in.

What You Can Look Forward To

• More frequent blogging. We’re taking “consulting” to an extreme in the coming months, and will be talking more frequently on the blog about helping you, either as an individual or as a part of a larger business model, to continue to profit from your online efforts.
• Premium WordPress Themes. I can’t say when yet, or how much, but it’s something we’ve been thinking on for quite some time. And yes, there will be an option to have us customize for you. And also yes, there will be free options.
• More client launches and relaunches. We’re really firm believers in helping to highlight our great clients. No, it’s not just to show off our stuff (though it helps), but rather we want to share with the world how awesome we think our clients are. We hope you don’t mind the intrusion.
• More details on consulting services offered, and improved scheduling options. We’re looking to add more options for lower rates and lesser minimum hours. We know times are tough for everyone, so we want to help as best we can.

So there you have it! We’ve got an exciting quarter planned and hopefully we’ll make it through the above mentioned points and much more!

In three words: I’ve been busy.

It’s funny, because I’m always telling my clients that it’s important to blog on a regular basis – at least 3-5 times a week, every week. Yet here I am not practicing what I’m preaching!

I’m actually working hard on trying to develop a better “routine” – it’s something that as a business owner wearing a thousand hats, I’ve had trouble with quite a bit. Add to that, I’m mostly doing things all on my own plus that I work from home (which in and of itself is known to prove troublesome at times for most people) and I’ve got a list of excuses a mile long.

Anyway, I just wanted to update and let you all know about the projects I’ve recently completed and those I’m working on currently:

America The Lost – A project by my friend James Pickett. I can’t reveal any more than the fact that his tagline for the site is “Inspiration is not lost.” Right now, you can go and sign up to be notified of the launch via email.

Shoot. Edit. Publish. – Another project by James, as he’s a professional photographer. He’ll discuss photography (digital and traditional) and videography there. We’re planning on taking submissions from contributors as well and are planning on adding a forum. Again, this one has a form on the front right now, where you can enter your email address to be notified of the site’s launch.

The Saratoga Comedy Club – Right now, the site isn’t showing any changes, but the theme there now is an outdated one and it’s in dire need of a revamp, so that’s on the table as well.

Cookerati – A re-design is in the works for this blog project. Should be a great update from the also outdated look it has currently.

Luna Fabulous – This is a personal project of mine that’s been in dire need of attention and thus is receiving that. It’s about living a fabulous life, regardless of where you think you might be now.

Montréal On The Cheap – This is a great blog part of an “On The Cheap” network, featuring various cities across North America. The blogs are written by people who actually live in those cities, so they’re passing along “insider” information about how to live, work, and play in today’s economy.

I’m still working over at ProBlogger, and while Darren was away on vacation, I did some work over at Digital Photography School and TwiTip. I’m also working on a project for a local liquor store, which is an online wine store and wine blog (I’ll announce that link when the site’s completed.)

James and I were also working on getting some of his fine art photography prints framed and shipped off to a red carpet charity event in Las Vegas for an event called The Great Pit Ball. It’s put together by Brandon Bond, international tattoo artist and pit bull activist. The event will feature his documentary film, Viktory the Underdog and the whole thing serves to benefit animal rescue (more specifically pit bulls) and the Villalobos Rescue Center in Canyon Country, CA. Villalobos is the largest, no-kill Pit bull rescue center in the country. It’s a really cool project.

So there you have it… all the food on my plate right now! I promise I’m going to start working towards regular blog posts, though. Since Ginkgo Consulting has opened up services to include blog consulting (by phone or email) and so on, I want to offer up better tips here on the blog itself.

Thanks for your patience!

• Tina Dame-Zawisza – Tina’s one of the stars of the new hit reality show on ABC “The Ex-Wives Club” (her episode aired Monday, June 4th, 2007). Tina had us build her a site a while back when she was doing more of her modeling and acting work, and we decided it was time for a fresh new site because of the show.
• Lynn Jones – Lynn’s another wonderful lady I met because of Tina, who is also on the show (I’m not sure yet when her episode airs, but check out her site – I’m sure she’ll post it.)

I’ll be spending the latter half of this week at the FOOA Conference and with Darren Rowse at a meetup on Saturday night – all in Manhattan. I’ll try to post while I’m there, but conference trips are never predictable!

Please, PLEASE advertise this on your blog, even if you’re not from NY, not planning on attending, or what have you. I promised the folks at Eat Drink & Be Merry that I’d get them lots of blog traffic – so please help me to not let them down!!

That said, I’d love to see you there – please let me know if you plan to attend! (And head over to Darren’s to let him know as well!)

Where: Gotham Hall

When: June 7-8, 2007 – 9am – 530pm

How: Register online! I’ve been given a 10% discount promo code to share with my readers because I will be attending (Thanks Darren and Ryan!).
Enter the following on the registration page: 10p3rc

Cost: 1-day pass $795 / 2-day pass $995 / Conference in a box (CD with video and audio of all sessions) $895

You can see the list of speakers at the event here: FOOA ‘07 Speakers and it’s sure to be a really remarkable event! I know I’m super excited to be able to attend!

Also, stay tuned for more information on the next ProBlogger meetup NYC scheduled for June 9th! I’ve been working on settling on a location and fine-tuning the details, so the announcement will be made Monday or Tuesday. Darren’s going to be in town for the FOOA conference, so he wanted to set up another event and I’m proud to be a part of helping get us all together again!

If you missed the last one (my links: 1 2 / Darren’s recap: 1, this would be a great way to get in some double-duty on your trip to the city! Hit up the conference on Thursday and Friday, hang out the next day in the city, and then meet up with Darren and all the other “ProBlogger” friends and fans on Saturday night! It’s a win-win for sure!

More details on the PB meetup coming soon!!!

• Saratoga Comedy Club – We did a complete overhaul on the site, building it back up from scratch using WordPress for the content management system. The site now offers full RSS feeds, so those who enjoy the club locally can get the news and updated schedule right to their feedreaders. It features a much more streamlined look, with less clutter than before. I’m really pleased with the way the site’s turned out, as are Jodi and Vinnie and their patrons to the club.
• Laugh and Heal – Brand spankin’ new site for comedian John Mulrooney. His old site was extremely outdated (For those of you who might understand this, it was built (and currently maintained) with FrontPage 3! I didn’t know any computers out there could still run that!) so we really needed to do a brand new site. There are a few tweaks still being made at this time, but for the most part, it’s exactly what John wanted, and his fans are already coming through to compliment it!
• Comedian Steve Adiletta – Steve Feels Funny – Steve wanted a site without too much “clutter”, a sort of “shiny” appearance, simple yet dramatic. I grabbed a theme I found at WordPress Themes and did some image tweaking and code editing to get it just right. Proof positive I can work with any budget and provide either tweaked themes or fully customized ones!
• Readings by Waterfal13 – Psychic offers a variety of readings via phone, IM, or email. She also needed a brand new site, as her other one gave her too many limitations and didn’t give the opportunity for flexibility or SEO. We’re now working on updating her content and doing some marketing work to get more traffic as well as provide a way for her to make some money by selling advertising on the site.
• Maurice Walker – Nashville Council At-Large – You might remember Moe from the first season of “The Biggest Loser”, but now he’s garnering for a seat on the Nashville City Council. Moe and I met a while back and when he decided to run, he came looking for a campaign website. The site’s still in progress, but it’s live.

So there you have it… there are a few more in the works right now, but we’re trying to focus more on the consulting and PR work we’re doing. We’re pretty busy on the design/SEO/marketing end, so if you’re interested, get in touch with us right away to book a spot on the schedule. If you’re looking for PR campaigns or on-site consulting, we’ve got a few spots open in the coming months, so act now!

Guess who won a copy of Six Figure Blogging? (Hint: I’ll give you three guesses, and the first two are for the other two winners.)

Many many thanks again, Darren – You’ve done so much for people, and it’s truly an honor to have met you. I can’t wait to get my copy and get into it. I’ll have to post some reviews for sure!

via: NYC ProBlogger Meetup Prizes

Dad and I on the train from Poughkeepsie down to the city. I’m dragging him, kicking and screaming (okay, so smiling, too) into the world of blogging!

We left the house around 12:30pm and drove down to Poughkeepsie, hopped on a train, and arrived in Manhattan around 5pm. We meandered a bit, and then found our way over to Connolly’s.

We were a little early, so we had to find our way to where they were hosting our party. Apparently they had 5 parties going on last night, one of which was a man’s 50th birthday, another was some sort of HBO party. Too cool that we were smack dab in the middle of such a neat place! They eventually put out a chalkboard to direct people where to go… it was packed in there!

As people arrived, I got to take a bunch of pics with some of the greatest people! Let me first say that Darren and his wife, “V” are absolutely the nicest people I’ve met in a long time. V and I were chatting together for a good part of the night, and she shared her feelings with me on what Darren’s doing. (Of course, I shared mine as well, and no, Stephanie, I didn’t forget to say that you think Darren’s a ROCKSTAR! )

She was floored at the sight of all these people there to see him – and I explained to her that there are 20,000+ people who are super sad that they weren’t able to be there. She’s extremely proud of him, and rightfully so! And we both have the same affinity for “Wicked” now – which is too cool! (I’m holding off on posting a pic until I get permission – these other guys are expecting it, but I’m not sure if V would expect it, so I want to ask first.)

Lara stopped chatting a locomotive into Darren’s ear to stop for a quick photo.

Darren, V, Dad, and I all got a few minutes to sit together and chat about some ideas for getting Dad deeper into blogging. It was great – because I think Dad walked away from the whole event getting a better idea of the fact that blogging truly is for just about anyone. If you have something you’re passionate about, you can have a blog. It doesn’t matter if you’re a huge conversationalist or not – you just have to be able to expand your thinking to cover all possible areas of the topic you’ve chosen, and you’re guaranteed to find something to talk about. Even if your passion is American muscle cars.

One of the first people to arrive, actually before Darren made his entrance was Aaron Brazell (technosailor and b5media). Aaron is super cool – we talked about everything from blogging for b5 to Alexa to WordPress – you name it!

And last, but certainly not least, I met Patrick Gavin from Text Link Ads. I can’t say enough good about all these people – I just loved this event so much!

(What a cutie he is! Yes girls, he’s taken. LOL)

Patrick was telling me about his move to NYC from Iowa – I can’t imagine the culture shock in terms of lifestyle and living! For those of you who don’t know, I’m a HUGE fan of TLA for both advertising for business/blogs and income for bloggers. H.U.G.E. fan, and now, I’m an even bigger fan of Patrick’s. He’s super easy to talk to, and just one of those people you’re happy to know.

All in all, I’ve got to say that the meetup was a success. Darren, Patrick, Aaron, and others were so much more accessible than you’d think, and it was great meeting and talking to every single person I did. The thing about these guys is that meeting them actually makes you proud of them. Proud to know them, and just thrilled that they’re doing the things they are, not for the benefit of yourself, but for the benefit of the industry. I love these guys!!

Here are some more pics of the crowd – click on the thumbnail to get a better peek.

And one other shot of the view down the street, just because I thought it was pretty:

I’m also a huge fan of Text Link Ads, as they’ve helped me monetize my sites with truly relevant links (of my own choosing, essentially), as well as to secure links on relevant sites for my clients (That link includes a $100 in free links promotion!). I’m mad for TLA!

Next Thursday, TLA is hosting a ProBlogger Meetup in Manhattan! Free food, free drinks, and up close and personal time with Darren and the folks at TLA. The coolest thing is that Darren’s Australian, so short of mobbed conferences or huge gatherings that beckon his attendance, there’s little chance to really be able to snag his attention (he’s in high demand, you know!) in person so I’m just really thrilled for the opportunity, and grateful to both Darren and TLA beyond words!

Okay, I know I sound like a raving lunatic here – but as my friend Stephanie from Back In Skinny Jeans just said to me the other day, “Darren is a rock star!” (She noted that he’d likely laugh hysterically at that statement, but I can’t argue with her one bit!)

Alright – enough of the little girl squealing – if you’re interested in meeting up with Darren, the TLA team, and other bloggers (or even if you’re interested in meeting little ol’ me!), here’s the details. Head over to the TLA post and let them know you’re coming!

THURSDAY, March 29, 6:30pm to 9:30pm at:
Connolly’s Pub and Restaurant
121 West 45th St (between 6th and Broadway)
(212) 597-5126 phone
*please note this bar has three locations in the area so use the address above.

That said, if you think you might be able to make it, also let me know here in the comments so I can keep my eyes peeled for ya!

Note: This post contains both referral and natural links.