Coffee Break With Kelly & Nicole

I was eavesdropping on a Cross Blog Conversation the other day between Kelly McCausey and Nicole Dean, and was so intrigued with the concept that I decided to join in.

While their conversation is posted publicly, it has a very informal and personal flow to it - much like their private emails would be, I imagine. Its actually very refreshing to hear them talk business in such a laid back tone. Much more like the conversations you hear at casual meet-ups, or after hours at business events, than you would expect on a blog. I loved it!

I think the casual tone and the personal nature of the discussion really gave readers a chance to "get to know" both Kelly and Nicole, and I can see how the Cross Blog Conversation concept could be an incredible Social Networking tool.

Not to mention, great fun!

Very interested to see exactly how this all worked (the Cross Blog Conversation), I decided to pose a question to both Kelly and Nicole myself...

I’m curious what you do when you’re not online blogging, emailing your lists, working on your websites - and managing your online business, in general. What’s your personal life like, behind the scenes? As in, how do you spend your free time and what are your favorite things to get into?

It was pretty cool to log in today and see that they had both responded to my question, each posting a detailed response at their own blog.

Kelly answered my question, and also asked me a question in return. Nicole did the same on her blog.

A trackback showed up on my original blog post notifying me of their response, and I also noticed the new inbound links from them in my WordPress Dashboard.

I must confess, I had to fight the urge to start typing my reply in the "Leave a Comment" box at the bottom of each of their posts. Old habits die hard! 😆

The question I asked them gave me an opportunity to really get to know them both more as women and peers in business, than as bloggers and online business owners. I put on a pot of coffee and sat down at my desk to read their posts and to post a reply...

Hi Kelly & Nicole! I must say, I really enjoyed both of your replies to my rather personal question. What cool women you are! By the time I got to the bottom of your reply, Kelly, the last thing I saw you as was "an average woman". And Nicole, the image of you whizzing around the neighborhood on your bicycle made me smile - you go girl! 😉

Kelly: Well, I’m a single mom and I’m not dating anyone and haven’t dated anyone since my divorce when Sean was just two years old. I’m a very comfortable single and do not long for a soul mate at this point in my life. Someday though!

I can relate, Kelly - and I liked your phrase: "a very comfortable single". Good for you! I have been divorced 8 years now, and while I have dated some on and off over the years I really do find that I love my lifestyle as-is and enjoy the freedom and quiet time that it offers.

Your phrase pretty much sums up my own little saying: "I know how I like my eggs" (if you've seen Runaway Bride lol) 😉

Nicole: I love spending time with my husband. I’m one of those people who just flat-out likes her hubby. He’s my favorite person on earth, so I’m extremely thankful to have him.

I'm sure he feels the same! It sounds like you got that knight in shining armor - microwave and all 😉 . Your plans to travel as a family sound like a lot of fun. I'm curious if you'll be doing major outsourcing as Ferris suggests, or if you simply plan to be 'working abroad'?

Kelly, you mentioned travelling as well. I'd love to meet you in person, by the way! I enjoy a trip now and then myself, usually once or twice a year to business related events. More than anything I love the meet-ups and the after hours discussions - an opportunity to really get to know some of the people in our industry.

There are a lot of events that I would love to go to, but I do try to be choosy as its not something I want to be doing every other month (flying all over the place, that is). I love sticking close to home, being here with the kids, and the daily routine that makes up my life.

Too, its not always easy to break away during the school year. The kids are 11 & 16 now, one in middle school and the other in high school. And between cheerleading practice and band practice (my son plays bass) and all of the other stuff that fills their social calendars, being here and being available is more important now than ever.

Speaking of which, I just missed BigSeminarX for that very reason. The plans just didnt pan out. And honestly I didnt put forth a lot of effort into finding an alternate solution as I had other things I wanted to focus on - namely the 20/20 Challenge.

Since it was just in Atlanta (only 4 hours from me) I was going to drive down on Sunday evening and meet up with Alice and the Mom Masterminds group, but unfortunately I wasnt able to pin down details on that meet up.

Nicole: Hmmâ€¦ you want to know more about me? Well, I’m the type of person who will try pretty much anything once, and if I like it I’ll do it again.

That reminded me of something a friend of mine always used to say: "I'll try anything once. Twice if I like it. Forever if I love it." 🙂

It sounds like you both have very full and rewarding lives, which is really cool. How in the world you find time to blog is beyond me! But then, I guess you could say the same about me...

I play steel-tips darts for the local league and am captain of my team, so I am off to a tournament every week and also play at charity events from time to time. It has the reputation for being a "bar sport" but I play out of a trendy little coffee shop uptown that offers iced coffees and wi-fi access - right up my alley, of course 😉 .

I also love to read, mainly non-fiction and I love classics. I rarely watch television anymore but if I do its usually CSI or SVU, something like that. Its actually been months since I've curled up to anything other than the latest Netflix delivery though. This week its Georgia Rule - a movie my daughter and I are going to watch together tomorrow.

More than anything I love coffee breaks with close friends. We're all so busy it seems, so the rare opportunity to sit down and catch up over a hot cup of coffee is certainly enjoyed!

Kelly: Who would you like to engage in a long term cross blog conversation with?

Good question, Kelly! I think my first pick would be Alice Seba. I've known Alice for years and consider her a personal friend, and also have a lot of respect for her as an online marketer. We met up in Chicago and roomed together at an event a couple of years ago, which was great fun. I'd love the opportunity to 'pick her brain' a bit more 😀 .

Nicole - I'll reply to your question in a separate post (great topic!), and I'll close this by asking you both:

How much emphasis do you put on SEO (search engine optimization) and what are your general thoughts on the topic?

Best,