Originality Matters

You're struggling to create content. No ideas are blossoming. You scroll social media, read a few blogs, check some newsletters and suddenly, there it is! The perfect piece of content. It's a bit old. And the source is a bit obscure. But that's all the better! People are less likely to remember it. So what's the harm if you copy it and use it as your own?


Well, there is one small problem.  Facebook, Google, your audience all value ORIGINAL content. Content that comes from your heart. Content that springs from your own personal experience. And they will punish you for copying and pasting someone else's material. Facebook and Google by limiting your reach. Your audience by limiting their engagement with your content. (Not to mention you are now guilty of plagiarism).

Ok, so can change up the wording some to make it sound more like you, and without too much effort, you can still have a great piece of content. Better? Not really. If you look and sound just like everybody else out there, even if you are using "your own words", why should I follow you? What's the value?

Let's create content that's truly yours. Your insights. Your perspective. Your experiences. It doesn't have be to some deep-thinking, earth-shattering piece of content. You just need to be YOURSELF. You need to share your knowledge and experience.

Sure there are a lot of network marketers out there. A ton of health coaches. Lots of makeup consultants. Jewelry makers. Financial advisors. In fact, you can choose almost any niche and it's loaded with folks trying to build a business. But none of them are YOU! None of them have seen things through your eyes. They haven't had your successes or your failures.


Why was my little network marketing book such a hit? A best-seller? Because I took everything that other "experts" were teaching and used my own experience to show why most of it didn't work. I wasn't afraid to admit that I struggled. Quit. Got back up and tried again. Repeatedly. And every time I learned something new.

I wasn't afraid to say that most of the "gurus" didn't really know how the average network marketer worked. And eventually I put all that experience into a book. I gave my audience something they couldn't get anywhere else no matter how hard they searched. Me. My experience using what was being taught at the time. And the ways I had found to make my business work.

I don't know about you but I'm tired of seeing the same copy/paste content. Let's share the most valuable content possible. You. And if you're still struggling with how to just BE yourself and still earn money, BeClub is launching. Ask me for an invitation. I mean, it's free and all, so what's stopping you?

Where Will You Be One Year From Now?

I totally overslept today! I was awakened by the menagerie of fur babies that decided they had waited long enough for "walkies" and breakfast.

I am glad that they feel loved and protected enough to get up on the bed to wake me. They are all rescues and have had some bad experiences so that makes me feel wonderful.

I remember when each of them became members of the family. It was frustrating. One would hide under the bed. One wouldn't come out of the carrier. One would hiss and spit if you tried to pet him. But slowly things, turned around and eventually things got better. Now we're all family!

Our businesses are like that. They take time. They take lots of patience. Consistent love and attention.  And yes, they take work. But how can you be consistent when you're not seeing results? You know it takes time. You know it takes work. But it's SOOOO hard because you aren't seeing the results!

You are missing that positive feedback mechanism. (Yes, I took Psychology in school). Almost everything worth waiting for takes time. Losing weight. Exercising. Eating better. earning a new language. Creating a business...

Did you know that if you start where you are and improve by just 1% every day, you will be 365% better a year from now? Yes, it's very slow progress at first. Most people will give up. But it starts to accelerate over time. Start today and improve 1% tomorrow. Rinse and repeat.

Don't do this for me. Do it for you. Start your own challenge. Do a 30 day challenge...of anything. It could be walking. It could be drinking water. It could be creating videos. It could be personal or business. You choose.

I'm doing my own personal challenge of morning exercise. I am not a morning person so working out first thing in the morning is a way to get my energy flowing. So far I've done 7 workouts in 7 days.

It only takes 21 days to build a habit (so they say) so if you want to do a 21 day challenge to get started, that's fine too.

So I'm asking you today what is your personal challenge? What are you going to challenge yourself to do? You can do whatever challenge you like. Personal, business...or BOTH!

Think about where your business will be a year from now if you just start something today.

P.S. You might find this 3 minute TED Talk from Matt Cutts (yes, that Matt Cutts) inspiring.

Challenge Yourself!

Defining Your Perfect Day

I have a question for you. What's most important to you? What is the one thing you really want to do on a daily basis that would make a big difference, but you just can’t seem to find the time for?

I mean, it is that time of year, right? The time for "spring cleaning." Renewal. Rebirth. Getting our summer whatever.

So what good habit do you want to cultivate that would make a real impact on your life?

Really think about this for a moment. Don't just resort to the standard "lose more weight", "make more money", blah, blah, blah. REALLY give it some thought this time. It can be in any area of your life.

Health and fitness...

Making more time for self-care.

Starting a walking program.

Drinking water instead of sugary drinks.




Or it could be business related...

Generate better quality sales leads.

Improve your SEO.

Increase brand exposure.

Create and maintain social media profiles.




Or it could be something important...

Spending more time with your family and friends.

Or as simple as getting in the habit of reading every morning.


You have to figure out what you want to work on, what you want to improve, and what's important to you. Then you can think about how to make it part of your daily routine.

So sit back and imagine your perfect day. It isn't stressed and rushed. You have time for everything on your list.


A long shower.

A run before breakfast or after work.

Meeting friends for coffee.

Carving out an hour first thing in the morning to work on your side-business.


So many possibilities!


The key is to start with what's most important to you. Then think about how you can fit it into your daily routine. Yes, we're just dreaming and imagining at this point. We'll have to figure where to find the time to fit it in and how to make it all work out later. But for now, simply paint a vivid picture of what your day could be. Imagine it in as much detail as you possibly can. Write it down in your journal. Define your perfect day.


Why is this so important? Because you can’t start to make any meaningful changes until you know what your goals are. You need to know your destination before you can start to pick a route and figure out how you’ll get there.

That’s what BeClub is all about. BEcoming who you were meant to be. It's a whole new way of thinking. It's about creating your dream life. It's about freedom.

We're just getting started, so you haven't missed anything. But we're ready to rock. Helping those who know who they want to BE. And those who are still figuring that out.

We have all kinds of tools and resources to help you get there. Webinars. Meditations. Masterminds. Live chats.

Yes, we have revenue streams.. 5 of them! Because even simple dreams need money.

And there are marketing materials. Lots of them. Created by the best minds in the business.

But the best part is the people. A whole bunch of people just like you. People who want a better life for themselves and their family. People who want the freedom to live their dream life. And who want do it without all the hype, hustle, spammy, scammy, get-up-and-grind crap others try to sell you.

So come check us out. See what we're all about. It's by invitation only, so reach out to me if you want to join us.

Whether your dream life is a country home at the end of a dirt road like mine, or a NYC high rise.

Traveling the country in a van, or cruising the world in style.

Figuring out what you want to BE, how you're going to get there, and finding the community that will support you along the way is the most important step you can take.

If it's time for you to take that first step, connect with me and say "I'd like an invitation to the BeClub."

When You Don't Have A "Why"

I was always told you have to know your "why". And if it doesn't make you cry, it's not big enough. I have even told my folks the same thing. If you are a regular follower, you have heard me say it. You have to find your "why". But secretly - just between you and me - I always thought that was kind of hokey. It wasn't not having a "why" that kept me from being successful when I started out. It was not understanding I already had everything I needed to get there.

I was always motivated. I took action. I was just taking the wrong kind of action. And so it was very hard to understand people who didn't take action. And I certainly didn't understand this "why" thing. My "why" was obvious. I wanted more money. And so it came as a big surprise to me when a few years ago, I lost all motivation.

I've never shared this with anyone, but I was so lost, I went back to work at a JOB! Granted it wasn't your typical 9-5 job. I was working as a trainer for a large company. Lots of freedom. Travel. Good money. But still, I was trading my time for someone else's money.

I didn't understand what had happened. I just knew my business didn't excite me like it used to. And then one day it hit me. I HAD LOST MY WHY!

When I started my business I NEEDED money. But more importantly, I needed the time freedom to care for my dad and to be there for my kids.

My family is the most important thing in my life. They were my why. My dad, my daughters, my husband were my LIFE! But time moves on. My dad passed. My daughters are all grown with children of their own. They have moved away with their husbands and families to start their lives and pursue their dreams. My husband was busy with his career. No one needed me anymore.

What do you do when your whole reason for everything suddenly disappears What do you do when your need to work like crazy is gone because you created residual income? And now there is nothing that you have to do. Nowhere that you have to be. And suddenly you realize what it's like for all the folks you have been telling to find their why.

You sit down to write a blog post or record a video and go BLANK. You have no words. There is nothing to say. I have said it all already. It's what got me here. Is there more in me to share? And then you pray. And you wait until a feeling comes. Until a voice inside you says, "Now you understand. There are people that need to hear what you have learned."

This was my lesson that I needed to hear. I understand now what "know your why" means. I understand why it is so hard to take action when that why isn't present.

So if you are still struggling to find your way, trust me, I understand. And the things I have learned through this experience are these:

It doesn't do any good to beat yourself up over it. It doesn't do any good to walk away. It just makes things worse.

What DOES work? For me...

Seeking inspiration.. Music. Books. Meditation. Prayer.

SILENCE. Because if you ask and then are still and listen long enough, you WILL hear something that will guide you to the people, to the place and to the things that will once again move you forward.

I also learned something else.

Your why is never about money. Yes, I needed money. But the reason I needed money was LOVE Everything I have built was built out of love. The love for my family that made me want to do whatever it took to be there and care for them when they needed me. Money made that possible. It gave me the freedom to allow my dad to live with me until he passed. (Alzheimer's sucks)

To be there for my daughters as they watched their biological dad drift out of their lives. (Divorce sucks).

But the money is not what drives you. If it were, wouldn't everyone be out there getting rich?

I have so much more that I have discovered and I'll reveal it all. But in the meantime, love yourself.

And ask - in your prayers, in your meditations, in whatever way you seek guidance, "Why have I been given a desire to have a business and yet not been give the DIRECTION?"

And then be still and LISTEN. See what speaks to you.

And if I can help in any way, let me know.

I can teach you how to market all day long, but I can't give the FIRE Just like no one could give it to me. It emerges when you are ready. When you have learned whatever the universe is trying to teach you. And when it does, watch out world! Here you come!

The Power of 360 Marketing

A few days ago, I was part of a presentation to a group of entrepreneurs where we talked about BeClub and the Power of 360 Marketing.

The response was amazing!

I also had a few people asking if there was a replay since they missed the original presentation, so we did another overview of the 360 Marketing Method with other founders of BeClub.

I was traveling, so I wasn't on this time. But I was listening! And it was every bit as good as the first presentation.

You see, most marketers only use one or two channels to promote their business. Which means you are leaving money on the table. The 360 Marketing Method teaches you how to use multiple channels.

They only way you can access this information, of course, is to become a member of the BeClub. And it's by invitation only at the moment.

So if you want to BE a member, just reach out to me. Leave a comment. Email me. Connect with me on social media. Just let me know you want in, and I'll get you an invitation.

If you are a marketer that is tired of instability and that has finally come to the realization that the long term play is understanding that success lies in you, not a product or a program....

But YOU! Being who you were born to be....

Then this is definitely the group for you.

We have workshops, seminars, open mic nights for member discussion, live events, and much much more.

We promote programs together as a group with provided marketing materials utilizing 360 Marketing Method tactics to create stable recurring income while giving you the freedom to be...


Be who you are meant to be

Do what you are meant to do

Have what you are meant to have


NO PURCHASE REQUIRED!

We aren't selling anything.


(We do encourage you to take a look at the things we market. One or more of them may be a great fit for you!)




See you on the inside.

 

Social Media Marketing Priorities

I'll be talking a lot in the coming weeks about keeping your marketing plan updated for 2023. So let's start now with a good look at social media marketing.

Warning!!!!

This is a LOOONG one, but full of good info!

"You must be on Facebook to build your business"

"Everyone knows Instagram is best for business"

"TikTok is the hot new platform for business"

"YouTube! It's all about YouTube!"


And don't forget Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn...

Clubhouse (yes, people still use it)


And of course, with the "impending demise" of Twitter under Elon Musk, there are plenty of new platforms springing up to take its place.


Mastodon

Counter Social

BlueSky


And probably a host of others I haven't seen yet.

And while I personally am finding the whole "Elon and Twitter" or "Zuck and Facebook" or "China and TikTok" thing pretty entertaining, for others it's a bit overwhelming.

Where should you be? What should you be doing? Let's break through all the social media hoop-de-do and get to it!

Social media is a great place to build your audience. It can be difficult, but not impossible, to monetize. But the better your followers get to know, like and trust you, the more likely they are to buy from you. THAT is what social media is all about. Building relationships, growing an audience, and creating that know-like-trust factor. It is not about SELLING. No one got up this morning and said "I need to lose weight. I think I'll see what's on Facebook." Or "I want to get into an MLM. Let's go jump on Twitter and see what's available." Once you understand that, the rest is pretty simple.

Deciding where to plant your social media flag depends on a few things...

How much time you have available

What type of business you have

Your personal inclinations


Time

If you are building a business part-time around your job, that's great. Definitely do that! And look for social media where you can get the most bang for your time. Best bets...Facebook (you can set up a business page and save the time and investment of building a website while you're growing)

Pinterest...people actually DO shop on Pinterest. It's image based so you can showcase your products and each post is a clickable link.

YouTube...people also shop on YouTube. One video a week showcasing your expertise and giving links to what you offer can build an audience - and some sales - pretty quickly.

Type of Business

Some platforms are more image based while others are text-heavy. If you have a product-based business where you can highlight your offerings with some great photos, definitely hang out on Instagram and Pinterest. If you're more service-based, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Clubhouse may be better suited. They give you a space to share value and showcase your area of expertise. No images necessary. If your business is more "local", you seriously want to think about setting up a Facebook page. Your prospects are already on Facebook. A Facebook page will help them find you.

Personal Inclinations

Social media should be enjoyable. If it's just another marketing chore, chances are you won't really put the time and effort into it to gain the benefits. Each platform has its own unique "personality" that some folks love while it drives others crazy.

Facebook

Facebook is arguably the social media network for building personal relationships with a large audience. On the plus side, Its interactive nature makes it easy to talk and listen to your visitors. However, we know all too well that Facebook does not like anything that takes people away from the platform. So posting links to your business will get your posts limited. This can make it difficult to promote your offers.

You CAN run ads on your business page. But you can spend a lot of money before you get any real results while you learn the ins-and-outs of FB advertising. And whether you are a fan of content moderation or not, we all know that Facebook can be a bit overzealous at times. (Anybody spent time in FB jail? Come on...admit it. I know I am not the only one.)

Twitter

Some may find the the 280-character limit difficult. You have to learn to get your idea across quickly and clearly. However, by niche-tweeting, you can use Twitter to forge relationships with your ideal target market.

Twitter is EXTREMELY fast-paced. Expect to tweet several times each day. There are some apps that can help you automate your posts. I use Social Jukebox, but there are several others.

Twitter can be a very toxic environment if you get caught up in all the trolling and hate speech. Right now, even with Elon at the helm, it is still manageable by simply not following the trolls and haters. The benefits of being able to tweet links to my offers outweighs the nonsense. If that changes, I'll let you know.

YouTube

I admit I am not a YouTube expert. I do have a channel but I am still figuring out how to use it most effectively. But video production is becoming less complicated all the time. I basically use my phone or Zoom to record my videos. If you have mad video skills already, this is your platform.

Short form video is the hot marketing tool right now. With the creation of YouTube Shorts, YouTube is keeping up with the trend.

If you are comfortable with video and your business lends itself to video demonstration, creating a YouTube channel could be a terrific source of prospects.

Pinterest

Pinterest started as a social media site, but it has since evolved into a search engine in its own right.

You can save photos to boards that you create. Each board can be based around a particular topic. For example, if you are in the health and wellness niche, you might have a board highlighting your products, one focusing on weight loss, one focusing on nutrition, etc.

Each photo is a clickable link that you can direct to your offers or website. And people do buy on Pinterest.

It takes a bit to learn how to use it effectively, but it can be well worth the effort.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a networking site focusing on professional rather than personal networking. It has good potential if you're looking to expand your business network. Financial planner, accountant, web designer, social media manager are only some of the professions that can benefit from LinkedIn's network.

Instagram

I like to think of Instagram as sort of a cross between Facebook and Pinterest. Like Pinterest it is image based and people DO shop on Instagram. Like Facebook, there are no places to post links, except in your bio. But there is ample room for text to get your message out there. Since it is owned by Facebook, there are a lot of other similarities. And for some reason, Instagram is more prone to having people clone your account than any other platform.

Instagram is another platform that can be very toxic. Again, the trick is to be careful who you follow.

TikTok

This is the place to be at the moment. The trendiest spot in town. I have only started using it recently and am slowly building my audience. I have heard all the rumors about TikTok and so far, I have not experienced anything negative. And I must admit I do enjoy the challenge of getting my point across in 30 seconds or less while trying to capture everyone's attention. If you like video and enjoy being really creative, check it out.

Clubhouse

Clubhouse is an audio only platform. You set up a room, where you can invite others to come and listen to you speak on any topic you like. You can also invite others to speak with you. There is no way to record your presentation so once it's over, people can't go back and listen to it. But many people who don't like video are using it to build an audience. If you're naturally chatty but don't like being on camera, this might just be your platform.

All the others

Too new. And most were created to replace Twitter during the Elon debacle. I would wait to see if they hang around or if they go the way of Parler and MySpace...still here but no one you know will admit to being on them.

There you go. Consider the different platforms. Look at the time you have for social media. Look at your business. Determine which platform best suits you personally. Social media is an ever-growing part of the marketing landscape. You want to do it well or not at all. Choose carefully to get the most out of your business building efforts.

Planner Printables, A Sick Puppy, and The Painters

I haven't posted much this week. It's been a CRAZY week! But I have lots of stuff for you in this post, including info about an upcoming webinar, an update on what's going on with me since the launch of Life of the Dirt Road, and an awesome $10 deal! So keep reading so you don't miss anything.

If you follow me on Facebook, then you'll know that my little dog Austin had surgery for cancer. This was a recurrence of a previous issue. And so we made the decision to shut down the "It Should Be A Dog's World" website and FB page. My heart just wasn't in it knowing that the cancer will almost undoubtedly return again and I will lose my boy. He is 15 years old now and this past surgery was hard on him. We won't put him through it again. He will just be allowed to live in comfort, surrounded by love, until the time comes to help him over the Rainbow Bridge.

On another note, the painters finally came out to start on our house! Yay! There is no way it will be finished in two weeks as estimated. Not yay...

We are now living in total chaos. I am choosing paint when I have absolutely no sense of color. My husband and I are having endless debates over furniture purchases.

In other words, we are having an absolute blast turning our house of the dirt road into our dream home! Even as we squabble over the Malted Milk baseboards...

Life on the Dirt Road

I am busily working to bring my vision to life. Of course, there will be revenue streams. I've joined at an MLM that I think will be a perfect fit. (Yes, I'm back in the MLM biz!) Plus a few other support revenue streams.

And there will be products, and workshops, and events, and gatherings, and masterminds, and videos, and a podcast, and book clubs, and mindset calls, and all the good stuff you need to find your "dirt road" and design your best life.

If any of this sounds interesting, just keep reading this blog because....as always.....

As I flesh out my idea and launch new pieces, my loyal readers will get first dibs.

Now let's talk about that $10 awesome deal!

Speaking of which, I'm pretty happy with the first product piece to be offered.

Designing My Best Life Planner Printables

The one thing that has really helped me in my business is planning and tracking. Now planners and trackers are everywhere! That is not going to change anytime soon. You can even buy them at Walmart. But my Planner Printables are different.

If you are looking for a planner that is designed specifically for the home business person, this is it.

You will get goal setting worksheets, daily, weekly, and monthly planners, checklists and trackers to help you stay on the path towards your goals, content creation planners, as well as tips and information on a variety of topics to help you design your best life.

The planners and worksheets come in a variety of formats so you can choose the one that best fits you.

And it's printable...which means you don't have to buy a new planner every year. Just print the sheets you need.

Plus as a bonus, I've included my Vision Board Journal and the Living Abundantly Abundance Log.

Normally $27, I'm giving all this to my readers for just $10 for a limited time.

Click here to purchase now

You'll think this lead gen strategy is too good to be true. It's not.

Let's face it. Even though we know we shouldn't, we always have our radar up for the magic online lead strategy.

The kind where you don't have to do much but the leads flow in anyway.

While there really isn't such a thing, a busy teacher named Bryan might have stumbled upon one of the closest things to it.

And he's about to give us the good on exactly how it works.

If you can download an app on your phone, you can do this.

And there's a massive pool of people waiting on this app to hear about your business or opportunity!

In fact it works so weel, this guy Bryan got 98 leads in 24 hours using it.

An 8 year old can literally do this. And so can YOU!

Register here...