It's a Small World After All - Jodee Bock on Where the Women Are

Recently I had the opportunity to interview Jodee Bock, "soul proprietor" of Bocks Office in Fargo, North Dakota. Below are my questions and her answers, with the answers in italic type.

What do you think of the April topic on the blog Synergy? ("Where are the women interested in the Power of We?")

I was especially interested in the April topic on the blog Synergy because I’m a woman blogger, and also because of the comments the original question has generated after the fact. This is why I love blogging … it gives people a chance to create a dialogue (suspending assumptions for the purpose of learning something) -  in other words, it gives people time to formulate their thoughts and to be reflective about the other comments that may be generated.

Ever since I got my undergraduate degree in communication and English, I’ve been very interested in gender communication, and the reflective nature of blogging may help explain why, at least in Synergy’s case, the women have taken more time to respond. However, now that I think about it, the majority of comments I get on my blog are from men … and they are the ones to follow up more assertively as well. Is it a lack of technological knowledge on the part of the women, perhaps for all the reasons in the original post? Or is it that women really can’t find the time to engage in dialogue for dialogue’s sake? I don’t know, but I’m interested in all angles of the original question, and the additional comments it provokes.

Do you have any suggestions on how the blog Synergy can engage women readers?

It’s difficult to find the blog Synergy unless you are pointed there by a post or by someone else’s blogroll. I’m not sure if that’s intentional or not, but even on your Make It Great! site there is no link directly to the blog … or if there is, I was having a tough time finding it. I saw the Synergy team, but wanted to go directly to the site and had to find it through a search of your site.
Now that I know about Synergy, I will add it to my blogroll, and will be talking about it on my own blog. Asking engaging questions and getting responses from the women the blog has been getting will definitely help to create a buzz about the nature of the blog.

I’m not sure whether or not it is intentional, but there is no description of the mission or cause of the blog Synergy. What do you hope to create with the blog? The first time I visited, I thought it was almost a private dialogue among the people on the team and I was eavesdropping by watching the dialogue. As a first-time visitor to the blog, I may read it differently if I know there is some mission that my voice may support by adding a comment.

Do you have your own blog or blogs?

I sure do. You Already Know This Stuff and three Squidoo lenses, Jodee Bock, You Already Know This Stuff, and Bocks Office

How comfortable are you with technology?

With your help, getting better! I’m not afraid to mix it up with stuff I don’t know much about if I can see the big picture – how this will benefit my efforts, whether it be in computer technology or any other form of new learning.

How much technology do you use blogging?

Not too much – I’ve copied other people’s code to add my own book links as an Amazon affiliate and have learned a lot from you – still want to get the Technorati tags down sometime…ready for my next lesson! I have a blog in Typepad, but haven’t done much with it. I initially got intimidated because I knew it would take more time than I had to learn all the ins and outs – Blogger has served my needs to this point.

Did you hear of the blog Synergy before (being contacted by one of the team)? If yes, how? Please elaborate.

I first read about it on your blog (Make it Great!) and responded to the original post because you mentioned me as one of your women readers on your blog. I was interested in what you must have been talking about, so I visited and really liked what I saw, at least as it related to this topic. As I visit more and more often, I get a better feel for the dialogue and will do whatever I can to promote your efforts.

Anything else about Synergy or blogging or anything else of note?

I am continually amazed at the number and variety of people I meet as a result of my interest in blogging. There are times it can feel pretty remote to be running a business from Fargo, North Dakota, especially as a “soul” proprietor. Blogging definitely makes the world a lot smaller. I have learned that I’ve been playing way too small in the promotion of my speaking and coaching business and will be more proactive with my blog to generate business.

Awesome stuff Jodee! Thanks for sharing of yourself with the blog Synergy and everyone else.

Phil Gerbyshak


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