Who Would Like A Copy of Felicia Slattery's Latest Book?

Thanks to the generosity of my friend, Felicia Slattery, I have the chance to give away a fabulous gift - an autographed copy of her latest book, 21 Ways to Make Money Speaking.  Recently, Felicia had a little contest of her own.  She would give a copy of her book to the first two people that would Tweet her.  I promptly sent a tweet praising her book to encourage others to participate and that actually was the first one she received.  So I won!  But...knowing how fabulous her book was going to be, I had already purchased my own copy as soon at it was available.  What to do with the second copy?  Pass it on to someone else! 

Why do you want to win this book?  I have been speaking as a trainer and coach for several years and I must admit even I discovered some exciting new ideas in this book. If you are a new speaker, this book will be an invaluable tool in helping you learn to build an income as a speaker.

The book is amazingly easy to read in spite of being packed full of information. I read it through the first day. Now, I am going back through it and picking out the ideas that I want to incorporate into my own business. I suggest you take the time to read it thoroughly the first time. Have a highlighter with you so you can highlight the ideas you want to use. One of the fabulous things about this book is that it is filled with ideas you can use now. Today. So you will want to take note of them so you can put them into practice. Now. Today!

Not only does she give you ideas for making money as a speaker, but most of the chapters provide a list of resources to help you get started. No searching for the information or tools necessary. Felicia leads you right to them.

21 ways to make money speaking. Each one described so you know exactly how to do it. With resources to help you get started. And guidance from one of the best professional speakers and coaches in the business - Felicia Slattery. If you have ever dreamed of making money as a speaker, this book will give you everything you need to succeed. How do you win your copy?  Easy!

To be entered to win Felicia's book, simply post in the comments what you love about Felicia or why you want her book.  The winner will be randomly chosen from all the entries.  That's it!  So post your comment now to win Felicia Slattery's book!

Business Building Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs - Revealed!

After several years of meeting and learning from some of the most successful internet and home business entrepreneurs in the world, I have discovered the secrets to their success.  And today I am going to share it with you.  Are you ready?  Here it is.  THERE IS NO SECRET!  That's right.  There is no secret formula or system or tool that is going to build a successful business for you.  It takes hard work and dedication, passion and creativity, patience and persistence. 

That doesn't mean there aren't some tips and tools that they know that you don't.  Not secrets - just some tips they have learned along the way that you may not have discovered yet.  And that is what we are going to share.

1.  Before you do anything else - and I mean ANYTHING else - learn all you can about marketing your business.  If I had taken that one small step, I would have saved myself years of wasted time, effort and money.  No matter what business you are in, you have to know how to market it if you want to succeed.  Whether you are in the coaching business, or the sales business, or the design business, or any business, you are also in the marketing business.  And the best resource I know for anyone beginning to learn the marketing business:  Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch.  It has become my marketing bible.

2.  Be yourself! Capitalize on what makes you and your business unique.  Copycat businesses, cookie cutter websites, and outright plagiarism are everywhere these days.  I Googled a phrase just the other day and pulled up 4 websites that all had the exact same information - word for word!  And yet each of the owners of the sites publicized themselves as "experts".  Experts in what?  Don't lose touch with yourself. Too many entrepreneurs try to pretend to be something or somebody different from what they are just to be successful. They only thing they are is phony. And most people can spot phony right away. If you aren't credible, you and your business won't go anywhere.  The best resource available to help you showcase all that is special about you - Own Your Niche by Stephanie Chandler.

3.  Do something everyday!  Seriously.  Many beginning entrepreneurs are also still working jobs or are busy caring for children - or as in my case, a parent.  We work all week at these and save our business-building tasks for the weekend.  But then the weekend comes and there are chores to do and errands to run and before you know it our business idea is just a distant dream.  And then we start to make excuses.  I know them all.  I used to use them myself. "I'm not sure this will work." "I need more information." "I'm waiting until the new _______ (computer, software package, printer, etc) goes on sale." "I can't afford _____ (to advertise, host a website, hire a coach, etc)." "I don't have enough time." "I just need my _______ (website, infoproduct, ebook, etc) to look a little bit better."

Determine never to be idle. Do at least one thing every day to advance you toward your goal. It may be the wrong thing sometimes, but it's still better than doing nothing. Thomas Jefferson said, "It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing" Think how much you can accomplish towards your business and financial goals if you do one thing every day.  Bob Jenkins says it best:  Take Action.  Revise Later!

4.   Learn to serve. Your value to others is directly related to how well you serve them. Focus on providing the best possible service to as many people as possible and the rest will take care of itself. The Bible says it very well - "As ye sow, so shall ye reap." Focus on serving your customers and I promise your business will grow in direct proportion to your service.

5.  Network, network, network! Even I have had to concede and jump on the Facebook bandwagon. You never know where you might meet your next customer, mentor, partner. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn all have hordes of loyal users. Learn to put yourself and your business in front of them effectively using these tools.  And don't forget live networking events.   I started out in business as a meeting planner and Ken McArthur was one of my clients. He often invited me to attend one of his events and finally one day I was able to. That event changed my life simply because of who I met there.  By the way, I will be attending Ken's next jvAlert Live event in Denver, July 26 - 28.  I would love to meet you there!  Not sure how to take advantage of all the possibilities?  Read Currency:  Striking Networking Gold in a Relationship Economy by Carrie Perrien Smith.

6.  Never stop learning. Attend a seminar. Read books - business books, leadership books, inspirational books. Take a course. The more you know, the more you can offer. And the more you can offer, the more valuable you become.

Network Marketing Tip - What I'm Making Doesn't Matter!

"So...how much money are you making?"

I love it when prospects ask me that question! I just had one potential team member refuse to join today because I wouldn't tell him. In his opinion, that meant I wasn't making anything and didn't want him to know the truth. And this situation happens often enough that I felt compelled to address it here.

Let's be real! It doesn't matter how much I make. If I make $10,000 a month does that mean you will? Of course not. And if I'm only making $10 a month, does that mean you will? No.

I personally have sponsored several people who have gone far beyond what I'm making. And I have also sponsored several people who never made a dime.

What I'm making doesn't matter. What matters is how much you want to make.

Network marketing, in general, is a great opportunity. But like all opportunities, some are good and some are not.  Some people will take full advantage of it and some won't. If we all based our potential on the success of those around us, how many of us would ever accomplish anything?

Explore Your Business Options

Once you've decided that the entrepreneurial life is for you, the next step is to figure out how you are going to make this a reality.  Owning your own business is great, but you have to have a plan to get there.

Many coaches will tell you that you don't have to love a product or service to promote it.  It's simply business and as long as it helps you reach your goals, who cares?  I disagree.  I think the more passionate you are about your chosen business, the more likely you are to stick with it and make it successful.  People - prospective clients, customers, business partners - can sense that passion and gravitate towards it.  I know I would rather do business with someone who loves what they do!   So while you shouldn't automatically rule anything out when exploring your options, I would watch out for the "business is business" mindset. 

Choosing a business is all about matching your skills, interests, desires, values, and goals together.  I am a certified coach and trainer (skill).  Education is important to me (interest).  Helping others is important to me (values).  I want to have more time for my family (desire).  I want to have my own business (goal).  Skill + Interest + Values + Goal = Training/coaching business!

I have a friend who is wildly successful in network marketing and while  I also do network marketing, I am not nearly as successful at it as she is.  It is not where my interest or skill set lies.  I am not passionate about it.  And so I don't put as much time and effort into it.  And like anything else in life, you will get out of your business what you put into it.

Running your own business is not a walk in the park.  It takes time, patience, dedication.  It takes the ability and desire to learn the skills necessary.  It takes financial investment. 

Ready to start exploring your business options?  Think about the following question.  They will help you assess your skill, interests, and goals and start you down the path to your perfect business. 

1. What activities do you enjoy most? What are you passionate about? What ideas could you create around what you love to do?

2. What are your strongest skills? What are you REALLY good at?  What ideas could you create around your skills?

3. What are you weaknesses?  I don't care how passionate you are about something.  If you don't have the skills, you won't be successful.  You need to know this up front so you can plan to outsource them or look at other business options.

4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?  How much money do you want to make?  Where will you live?  What will your perfect day look like?  Dream big! 

5. How much time, money, and effort can you invest in reaching these goals?  Be honest!  It is not always necessary to invest a large amount of money to get started, but you will almost always need to invest a little.  How much can you afford? And starting a business will definitely take time and effort.  How much of each will you realistically devote to this?

Next step - matching your skills, interests, goals, and resources to the perfect business for you!

Best Selling Author, Internet Marketing Genius And All Around Great Guy!

Wow!  I am going to be moving now!  I just learned 10 Crucial Steps to Get Your Site Into the Top 1%.  And The Secret Ingredient for Wealth.  AND Five Easy Steps to Find 4,000 People Who Adore You!  AND How to Pick a Coach or Mentor. 

This is all fabulously useful info!  What makes it even better?  I didn't have to search all over the internet to find it.  It is all available in one place.  And it is all written by one of the savviest internet marketers I know - Ken McArthur.

I have related the story of how I first met Ken many times, so I am not going to go into it again.  Let's just say you never know who you might meet via email marketing and leave it at that.  But I will say that I have stayed in touch with him - sometimes from afar but never TOO far - over several years.  He is one of the few people whose emails I make time to read and whose website I make sure to visit regularly. 

The topics listed above show why.  10 steps to get your site into the top 1%.  What internet entrepreneur wouldn't want that information?  Five easy steps to fine 4,000 people who adore you.  Wouldn't you like to know what they are?  How to pick a coach or mentor.  This information alone would have saved me tons of time and money when I was getting started.

One of my goals this year was to help promote friends and fellow entrepreneurs.  While Ken is one of the most popular guys on the Internet and really doesn't need my help building a reputation, reading the wealth of information available on his site today reminded me of why I am such a fan.  So just in case some of you have not yet stumbled across him, I decided to share.  The man is a genius.  Not only that, he is a genuinely NICE guy.  (Really!  He does NOT pay me to say this stuff about him!). 

So do yourselves a favor.  Click on over to Ken's website.  Check out the articles listed above.  Or any of the several others posted there.  I promise it will not be a waste of time.

By the way - Ken hosts these wonderful events called jvAlert Live!  I will be attending the one he is hosting in Denver July 26th - 28th.  I invite you to join us.  What better way to spend a weekend than with some of the brightest marketing minds on the planet?  Sign up today at jvAlert Live.com so you don't miss out on the latest updates.  See you there!    






 

31 Days to Build a Better Blog

When I started blogging, I had big dreams for my blog. I had read about others who were making money blogging. I knew people who were having an impact on the world through the messages in their blogs. And I just knew I was going to do the same.

Well it didn't work out quite the way I dreamed. It took a long time and lots of trial and error before I started getting regular readers to my blogs. In fact, at first, my numbers were downright embarrassing. I hesitated to even call myself a blogger. If only I had found this resource then. What a difference it might have made.

I have been blogging for several years now. I am actually earning money through my blogs. I have heard from readers that I have made a difference in their lives. But I know there is still room for improvement which is why I took part in ProBlogger's 31 Days to Build a Better Blog.

I love this ebook! First, you know up front exactly how long it will take to see some results. 31 days. Actually, I saw results much faster than that. But 31 days, if you follow the steps, will see a dramatic improvement in your blog.

It works because it is so easy to follow. Each day there is some training. Not only on what to do, but also on how to do it and why it's important. More importantly, he doesn't just leave you on your own at that point. Each lesson also comes with a task for you to complete so you can put what you just learned to immediate use. I had such a feeling of accomplishment as each day I completed my assignment and then little by little started seeing the results - more readers, more income, better blog.

This alone would make the book worthwhile. But Darren doesn't stop there. At the end of each lesson are suggested resources so you can expand on what you have already learned. I found several of these invaluable and would have gladly paid just to get that information. Instead it was included in the book.

Whether you are an experienced blogger or are just starting out, you need this book. I am so amazed at the results I am getting that I have become an affiliate for it. So yes, if you do click on the link and purchase, I will get a commission. Thanks! But even if I didn't make a dime, I would still recommend this resource. So go ahead. You have 31 days. Build a better blog!

Do you know the problem with having a job?

(Besides your boss, that is.)

Guest post by Linda Gracy

Let me address that question by asking you another question:  If you were going to do a one-time job, and you had two choices for getting paid, which of the following would you choose?

A) $50 one time
B) $10 per month for the rest of your life

Obviously, “B” is a MUCH, MUCH better deal.  It’s called “residual income” and it’s much like writing a best-selling book or a hit record and getting paid royalties on it forever.

For example, I read that Elvis Presley made over $40,000,000 last year . . . and he’s been dead for decades! (Or MIA, anyway, depending on which theory you subscribe to. )

If you’re like most people, you have a job.  The problem with most jobs is that it’s like option “A.” When YOU stop, the money stops!  You’re trading hours for money, and you can’t build wealth that way.  To build wealth, you need to tap into Residual Income.

Residual Income is of course one of the crown jewels of a good network marketing compensation plan.  As a distributor, you can refer other distributors and earn commissions on their efforts as well as your own.

And then you will receive commissions on the production of the people they refer, and the people they refer, and so on.

Some people call Residual Income “Passive Income,” and in a lot of ways it is.  What do I mean by that?  That means that top earners can take weeks off at a time if they choose.  They can go on a month-long vacation.  When they return, their commission checks will be waiting for them in their mailbox.  (Or, with many companies, you can do like I did, and choose to have your checks direct deposited into your bank account.  That way, you won’t be worrying about your check sitting in your mailbox while you’re visiting the Eiffel Tower.)

Indeed, your commission check often will have INCREASED while you were off with your family on a cruise, a trip to Europe, or golfing, boating, or relaxing on the beach!

How can this be, you might ask?  The fact is, if you’re like most people, you’ve been wrongly
conditioned your whole life to think about income as a process of trading time for money, which
is actually an ANTI-wealth program.

I can guarantee you that Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and Donald Trump don’t make their money
that way!

Another reason why you’ve probably been stuck with the J.O.B. (“Just Over Broke” or, alternatively, “Journey Of the Broke”) mentality is that, frankly, there have been VERY FEW real opportunities for the “little guy” to tap into significant Residual Income.  Network Marketing has changed all that, by providing a way to market goods and services that people use every day – and pay for every month. This makes Residual Income (and many other benefits) available to people from all walks of life.

With network marketing, just a few personal referrals can, over time, turn into hundreds, even thousands of affiliates generating hundreds or thousands of dollars in sales . . . many on which you can earn a percentage.

And, unlike a job, the income doesn’t stop when you stop, because it’s not dependent on you.  Rather, your income can continue indefinitely and can even increase as time goes on because the large, global sales team you started, with your handful of personal referrals, continues to flourish because of many, many others who have a vested interest in its ongoing success.

By the way, Donald Trump was once a guest on the David Letterman Show. You may have seen it. As the interview came to an end, Dave looked at Mr. Trump and asked very seriously,”If you lost everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, what would you do to get it all back?”  Mr. Trump, without hesitation replied, “Network Marketing.”  Immediately there was laughter and snickering from the audience — I guess most of them thought he was joking. Donald Trump turned to face the audience and as politely and graciously as possible, smiled and replied, “That’s why you’re out there, and I’m sitting here.”

Linda Gracy is a career veteran of network marketing. She has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs achieve financial freedom, and is dedicated to helping thousands more reach their dreams.  She loves working from home with her husband and menagerie of rescued cats and dogs. You can learn more about her at www.YourWealthIsYourFreedom.com or www.LindaGracy.com