By Marci Shimoff

What’s the one thing that would make 2012 your best year ever? More money? A better job? Losing 20 pounds? As great as those might be, there’s something else that I guarantee will create a magical year: unconditional love. It’s the one thing that changes everything.

What if you could live in a state of unconditional love all of the time? The kind of love that lets you bring the highest and best part of yourself to your family and friends, to your work, to your community, and even to the things that you find most challenging—and in so doing, create a life of profound happiness and fulfillment for yourself?

That’s the question I set out to answer in my latest book, Love for No Reason. In my earlier book, Happy for No Reason, I had interviewed unconditionally happy people to find out how to be truly happy. I took the same approach here, this time interviewing the experts on love. I talked to more than 150 people I call “Love Luminaries,” including scientists, psychologists, spiritual teachers, and people whose lives were rich in the qualities of the heart. These people weren’t just experiencing Hollywood or Hallmark-card kind of love, but love as a state of being: the kind of love that is limitless and doesn’t ask to be returned. The state I call Love for No Reason.

What I found is that although the Love Luminaries come from all walks of life and have diverse personalities, they share certain qualities that we all can develop to experience more unconditional love.

Ten Tips for Living Life in Love

Here are 10 tips from my new book to get your New Year off to an unconditionally loving start:

1. Anchor Yourself in Safety. Feeling stressed, unsupported, or fearful essentially takes love off-line. It’s impossible to activate the physiology of unconditional love when you’re experiencing stress and your body is in fight or flight. To quickly switch out of stress mode, take a few deep breaths and consciously relax your pelvic floor, located at the base of your body. This kick-starts your parasympathetic system and sets the stage for what mind/body health expert Dr. Eva Selhub calls your body’s “love response.”

2. Sense Your Support. Einstein once said that the most important decision you can make is whether to believe you live in a friendly universe—one that is always supporting you. When you’re facing a challenge in life, sense the support of this friendly universe by looking for the ways that the situation is ultimately serving you. Ask yourself, Is this for my enjoyment, growth, or both? This helps you avoid generating the biochemistry of anger and sadness and keeps your love flowing.

3. Feel Your Feelings. What I discovered from my research is that stifling your emotions or expressing them excessively is equally damaging to your capacity to experience love. Luckily, there’s a third option: feeling your feelings. Practice experiencing your feelings directly and completely by observing them as they move th

rough your mind and body—and then letting them go.

4. Practice Self-Compassion. Try a simple self-love technique that brings you into your heart and reminds you to treat yourself with care. Throughout the day, ask yourself, What’s the most loving thing I can do for myself right now? or What’s the most loving way I can be with myself right now? And then pay attention to the ans

wer and actually do whatever it is. When you love and take care of yourself, you’ll find it inevitably serves everyone.

5. Unleash the Power of Forgiveness. If you’re holding on to any resentments or grudges—past or present—they’re blocking your ability to love. Use the ancient Hawaiian kahuna technique of Ho’oponopono to release and forgive. The technique consists of sitting quietly and mentally repeating, “I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you,” over and over. Based on the principle of taking total responsibility for everything that happens to you, Ho’oponopono allows you to bring the vibration of pure forgiveness into any situation.

6. Let Love In. Receiving from others is an act of love and connection that opens your heart – and benefits your body too. Research shows that when you receive, your levels of serotonin – the neurotransmitter of well-being and happiness – rise just as much as when you give. The next time someone offers you a gift – whether in the form of a present, a compliment, or some assistance – graciously receive it. Smile and say thank you, while consciously feeling appreciation in your heart.

7. Live with a Grateful Heart. Start your own gratitude practice by consciously registering and savoring all that you’re receiving right now. Gratitude is the fast track to love. List five things you are grateful for at the end of each day. It turned my life around and it will do the same for yours.

8. Speak the Language of Love. When we speak directly from the place of unconditional love inside us, we touch that same love in the people we’re speaking to. To amp up the wattage of your love-body and have the most positive influence on the world around you, use words that transmit frequencies of love – not fear.

9. Listen for the Subtitles. During a conversation, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to read subtitles that spelled out what the other person really meant? If you only listen to the words spoken, rather than the underlying intention, you can end up feeling blamed or attacked. When you hear from your heart, your body’s fear system shuts off and you stop seeing the other person as an enemy. Instead you see the person’s humanity and how alike the two of you are, culturing more compassion and love. Create a safe space for others to communicate with you by being sensitive to the unspoken feelings and needs that underlie people’s words.

10. Plug into a Larger Heart. Love thrives when we feel at peace inside. Recharge your spiritual batteries by investing time each day in silence, meditation, or prayer. Tapping into this inner wellspring of spirit will connect you to the energy of unconditional love and boost your capacity to experience Love for No Reason by a factor of infinity.

Use these tips to create magic in your life this year. When you’re open-hearted and loving, you attract the good, because you’re radiating the good. What could be more magical than that?

About the Author:

Marci Shimoff is the author of Love for No Reason: 7 Steps to Creating a Life of Unconditional Love (Free Press, December 2010). Love for No Reason offers a breakthrough approach to experiencing a lasting state of unconditional love—the kind of love that doesn’t depend on another person, situation, or romantic partner, and that you can access at any time and in any circumstance. This is the key to lasting joy and fulfillment in life

Many of the responses thanked me for reminding parents of the core values we need to instill in our children. While others – far too many, shared poignant stories of a child’s passing.

As devastating as they all were – this one has been in my thoughts constantly:

“Ok, you got my attention with this subject line, but getting a broken arm from being hit by a car and being back in school the next day is not a parent's worst nightmare. 

I have lived the real nightmare. 

My child at the age of nine and a half was kidnapped, her hands tied behind her back and she was shot in the head execution style. Her body was not found for two weeks, and in the mean time I had to put up with the FBI treating me as a suspect. That is a parent's worst nightmare.” 

This email has not only kept me up at night but has relentlessly remained in my core being, including while I tuck each one of my children in bed each night. Partly because I do not know how to respond to this grieving mother beyond saying that I am so very sorry for your lose and that you are correct – I can not begin to imagine what a real life nightmare this has been for you and that you have endured more heartache then any human being should have to.

And partly because it has reminded me that everyday we have with each other is truly a gift; and that we need to honor that gift by living each day with unconditional love. 

In the spirit of such I went back and re-read Marci Shimoff’s book Love for No Reason and asked her to write a very special message to you. 

I hope you enjoy this issue of Working Moms Only.

Cheers,

ME

By Jeff Vacek and Ken Preuss

Most people don’t realize it but there’s a ‘silent revolution’ happening all over the world.

It began a little more than a decade ago and by all accounts is still in its infancy.  This underground movement is allowing average, every-day people just like you to transform their financial lives within a matter of weeks and months rather than years.  Sound far-fetched?

To be specific, this movement allowed a broke and laid-off IT professional to completely replace his corporate income within 3 short months.  This same movement also allowed a former school music teacher to generate exactly $12,370.80 in his first 59 days – which quadrupled his previous teaching salary.  This movement has allowed countless honest and hard-working folks to finally create the life and income they desire while doing something they are passionate about.

Oh, by the way.  The former IT professional mentioned above?  That’s me, Jeff Vacek.  The former school music teacher?  That’s me, Ken Preuss.  We’re both normal, every-day guys with wives and families who have literally transformed our lives through the new online frontier:

Information Marketing

Before going any further we need to clarify something.

The selling of information is hardly a new concept.  Newspapers and books have obviously been around for decades upon decades.  Informational CD’s and DVD’s are widely available on all kinds of topics.  And anyone who has stayed up watching television past midnight knows that infomercials aren’t going away any time soon.

But… have you noticed how things are changing? Old models are disappearing and new models are stepping in to replace them. Business visionary Seth Godin talks about this a lot.  Outdated institutional advertising models are literally dying and getting replaced by a new set of behaviors centered around one core medium: the Internet.

Think about something.  Back in the year 2000, if you wanted to find, let’s say, a local auto repair shop to get your car fixed… where would you have gone to look for that?  Most likely you would have opened up your local phone book or the yellow pages.

However, these days that behavior has been almost entirely replaced by an incredibly powerful combination:

1) The Internet – Aggregated statistics tell us that over 71% of people now begin their search for information on any given subject online (this percentage is increasing every single month)

2) Referrals – Due to far more consumer choices existing in the marketplace than at any time in history, personal referrals now hold more weight than EVER before

You see, the revolution that’s taking place is based on this powerful combination of the Internet and Referrals.  Once you understand the simplicity of how to combine these two elements properly, you can create a hugely successful business for yourself in record time and generate more income and free time than you ever thought possible using the most powerful business model in existence:  Information Marketing.

“Jeff and Ken, what exactly IS Information Marketing?”

If you find yourself asking this question, that’s a good thing because it shows how young our industry is – thus creating even more opportunity for you.

Before we explain what Information Marketing is, we should first tell you what it is not.

Information marketing…

•     Is NOT selling cruddy e-books and reports that bring zero value to the marketplace
•     Is NOT creating in infomercial-type pitch and selling it to anyone with a pulse and a
credit card
•     Is NOT throwing together a half-baked course or training program and expecting it to
sell like hot cakes

Chances are good you may have experienced at least one of the above scenarios as a customer.  We can assure you that what you experienced was not Information Marketing.  Or at least not the way the most successful marketers in the world do it.

When done correctly using the principles practiced exclusively by 6 and 7 figure marketers (the exact principles we teach our students) Information Marketing…

•    Allows you to choose a topic and a customer you’re truly passionate about serving in some way
•    Allows you to get in front of a specific segment of that customer group (very important) that is already spending hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars per year on Information relating to their specific want or need
•    Allows you to quickly and easily create high-quality Information that these specific customers already want (NO guesswork)
•    Allows you to effectively tap into already-existing Internet traffic streams to find these specific customers (who already have money in hand)
•    Allows you to do ALL of the above while creating a business you’re proud of and a huge financial legacy that lasts

Information Marketing represents an opportunity for you to not only begin generating a substantial short-term income within a matter of weeks, it also represents how you will finally create the consistent and long-term financial freedom you’ve been seeking.

The Hidden  Income Stream

A specific example of the power of Information Marketing:

Back in the summer of 2004, I (Ken) literally found my financial back against a wall.  I had made a bold choice to quit my job as a school teacher for one main reason: I wanted to spend more time with my family.  Even though I had summers free as a teacher, my income was limited, I had amassed a lot of debt and refused to allow life to dictate my future for me.

So I quit teaching and immediately started two businesses: a real estate investing business and another business that brought theatrical presentations into local schools teaching students about various topics.

The problem: both of these businesses were not consistent at all.  The real estate business was great when deals were closing regularly, yet horrible when they weren’t.  The school presentation business was solid during the school year, but dead during the summers.

If you’ve tried your hand at entrepreneurship, maybe you can relate to this phenomenon of roller-coaster revenue that plagues the vast majority of small business owners.

The bottom line for me in June 2004 was if I couldn’t make something happen fast, my bank account would literally be empty within 60 days.  What I needed at that time was something specific we now teach known as speed-to-market.  I needed financial results, and I needed them pronto.

The one positive thing I possessed was the ability to accurately observe what was happening on the Internet.  Specifically, I observed many marketers selling various kinds of information to real estate investors – a perfect market for me based on my passion and skills.

Best of all I could see these successful marketers were making 6 and 7 figures selling information that actually helped people.   Fortunately for me, I had the nerve to believe I could do the exact same thing: turn my passion for real estate into big profits.

Using a specific set of proprietary techniques we now teach to people all over the world, I was able to quickly amass a very small list of followers: 91 people to be exact.  (By most standards this is a ridiculously small list – almost laughably small)  The truth is that once I created this list of followers, I had absolutely no idea what to do with it.  I simply modeled what I saw the top marketers doing and had complete faith in myself.  After all, my family’s ability to eat was at stake.

The result?   Exactly 59 days after starting with Information Marketing, I transacted exactly $12,370.80 directly into my bank account.  To be clear, I accomplished this entirely from scratch with no previous Internet experience and almost zero technical skills.

The best part?  I (Ken) have not only been able to replicate that success every month since, my results have grown exponentially as online technology gets cheaper and easier to use.

Our point in sharing all this with you:

When you uncover your passion and commitment for a specific type of customer audience and combine it with the power of the Internet to easily reach those customers and provide them with exactly what they’ve been wanting, an additional 6-figure income isn’t just probable… it’s predictable.

Want to Learn More?  If you’re interested in attending a FREE online training on exactly how to turn your passion into a successful Information Marketing machine in the next 90 days, register now: http://gotothewebinarnow.com/wmo3

By MaryEllen Tribby

On any given day, most of us dedicate time to our children, spouses, careers, friends, charities, churches, parents, siblings, clients, household activities, and, oh yeah, if there is a little extra time left in the day, ourselves.

So why is it that only a select few of us can make it look easy… while so many look like they have been run over by a tractor trailer?

The answer is simple.

Most working moms don’t evaluate the project or the task at hand before they begin. This holds true whether they are working on their business lives or on their personal/family lives.

Instead of taking a hard look at the task or project, they simply try to get it done. They do whatever it takes.

But unfortunately, the price they pay is very high.

They sacrifice special moments and milestones with their kids. They risk losing the closeness and tenderness of their spouses. They even jeopardize their own health. They take on all these hardships in order to prove that they are “superwomen.”   And to add insult to injury, in the end, they often miss their deadlines, fail to properly complete the project, and neglect their spouses and children.

Why do they do this to themselves?

Because all of their lives they have been told they have to multitask. They have heard the old mantra,  “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself” about a million times. And they don’t want to appear inferior.
If this sounds remotely familiar, I need for you to make yourself and me a significant promise.

You need to vow here and now that you are ready to read this issue in its entirety and apply my 3D Strategy to your life starting today.

This strategy is so powerful that you will have an immediate sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.

When done correctly, it will allow you to have m

ore free time and make more money in your busines

s. Y

our fri

ends and family will notice immediately that you are not stressed and moody. But most importantly, your “happiness meter” will be heading in the right direction – up.

And here’s the really beautiful part – it is so simple!

 My New 3D Strategy

Allow me to introduce my 3D Strategy.

Ditch, Delegate, and Duplicate

When you start to evaluate every project or task that you THINK has to be done and done by you every day, you will soon find that the task could fall into three possible categories:

1)  Ditch: Working moms – more than any other subset of people –  have the hardest time with simply saying “no.” Most are unable or unwilling to say that a task is not important enough for their time or anyone else. Look: we all have the same 24 hours in a day – no more, no less. So why is it that we sometimes feel that we should accomplish 28 hours’ worth of tasks in a single day?

In order to turn down a task, just ask yourself the following question: “What will the result be if nothing is done about this project?” This makes your decision very easy. And when you are completely honest with yourself, you will find that 20% to 30% of the things you spend time on don’t need to be done at all!

2)  Delegate: The art of delegating relies on finding the right person whose strengths are YOUR weaknesses. You need to do what you do best. Not spend time and energy on tasks that you are not particularly good at or that don’t excite you. Your time and energy should be spent on your natural gifts; things that are innate and that you love doing.

You should apply this rule at home and at the office. For example, I’m not particularly good at building websites; this is something I delegate to team members. At home, I don’t enjoy cleaning my house. This is a task I delegate to a cleaning woman who comes to my home and – believe it or not – loves to clean.

Because I do not spend my time on tasks like these, I get to devote that time to tasks that play to my strengths. At the office, my strengths are marketing and content creation. At home, one of my strengths is helping my kids with their homework. These are things that I am very good at and I love doing.

3)  Duplicate: Have you ever wished you had a clone? I sure used to! Now I have several.  Being able to make more money and have more free time comes down to doubling, tripling, and quadrupling your output without YOU doing the actual work.

The reason so many people don’t duplicate is because they don’t understand the correct way to do so. Most people think, “I will never find anyone as good as I am.” Here is the beautiful part – you don’t have to. You see, you must simply find different people who can do specific tasks as well as you can. So perhaps you need to find three or four people.

These people need to share some of your qualities. You need to check your ego at the door and strive to find people who have the ability to be as good as and even better than you are. So if you write all of your promotional copy, make all the affiliate deals, and develop all your products, you need to find three duplicates: One person to write the copy better than you do now while maintaining your voice and style.

One person to cultivate new affiliate deals. This person should have your vivacious personality and be extremely outgoing (if these are your personality traits). And one person to develop products – someone who has even bigger ideas and the ability to get the products completed faster.
These are three simple things that you can implement TODAY. But they only work if you do them and do them right.

In the name of full disclosure, you should know that while this 3D Strategy will help you immensely in your quest to balance your work and personal life… It’s not the only proven, easy-to-implement technique you can use to create a happier, more productive, more balanced (and richer!) life for yourself.

If you want to take this further and get all my secret strategies to having it all, I have written a special report that can literally change your life. Find out more by clicking here: http://www.workingmomsonly.com/tips/?id=424

By Carol Tuttle

Just imagine tomorrow starts this way…

You open your closet to a wardrobe full of back-to-back gorgeous outfits. You get ready in a snap, look in the mirror—amazing! You wouldn’t change a thing.

Then you fly out the door, looking just as fabulous and confident as you feel. Today, you’re going to knock ‘em dead.

Magic, right? Turns out, it’s easier (and less expensive) than you think.

These Wardrobe Secrets will help you build a professional wardrobe that works as hard as you do…

Wardrobe Secrets Finally Revealed

#1 Put yourself first, clothes second.

If you think that a killer professional wardrobe is all about clothes, stop right there.

I’ve spent years helping thousands of women to make over their look. And you know what I’ve found?

Nothing ruins amazing style like a little self-doubt. Nothing.

A winning wardrobe actually starts from the inside out. And little things can trip you up.

If anything puts a hiccup in your confidence at work, take care of the issue right away. Do you need to resolve conflict with a co-worker? Do it. Want some added help with a project? Ask. Pave your own way to confidence, so you can do your best work.

Don’t skip this vital first step! No power suit can compensate for a lack of inner confidence. Sometimes, a mini pep talk is all it takes.

Try it with me. Say to yourself: “I am important and I am making a difference.”

Next time that old self-doubt kicks in, say that phrase again. Believe it. Keep boosting your inner confidence. And then get dressed…

#2 Boost your wardrobe’s flexibility.

Ever look in your closet and feel like you have nothing to wear?

Chances are, you own a large number of clothes that just don’t work together.

To create a more versatile work wardrobe, try this…

Choose your best outfit. Which article of clothing always gets you compliments? Which outfit in your closet makes you look and feel fantastic?

Now wear that five-star work outfit on your next shopping trip.

Only take items into the dressing room that could mix and match with that outfit. Try different tops, bottoms, layers, and shoes. Just a few perfect items will give you more options than you realize.

The best part of shopping this way? It saves you time and money.

You’ll narrow down your options before ever walking in a store. And you won’t waste money on items that need their very own outfit.

As you add pieces to your professional wardrobe, your closet will start to take on a consistent color pallette, making everything in your wardrobe more versatile. Getting dressed for work will be easy—and just plain fun!

Want to make your wardrobe even more flexible? Here comes tip number 3.

#3 Without a necklace, you’re naked. Accessorize!

If you want true professional style, you need to accessorize. It’s your big chance (every day!) to highlight your face and set you apart.

And jewelry isn’t the only way. Do you love scarves? Hair clips? Nail polish? Purses? Even one statement accessory can really bring your look together. Plus, the variety will make your wardrobe stretch.

Warning: plenty of fashion “experts” will tell you to keep professional accessories small and simple. In fact, a lot of working women don’t wear jewelry at all. But this isn’t always the best plan.

I truly believe that every woman has an intuitive sense of her own best style (more on that in a second). Trust yourself to wear items that make you feel comfortable just being you. If that means trying something a little bigger, go for it.

The biggest thing to remember: Everything you wear should highlight YOU.

Here’s what I mean…

#4 Don’t let “professional” mean “invisible.”

As a working woman, you need your style to send this message: “I am a smart, capable, hard-working woman.”

But the answer isn’t always a black blazer and a skirt!

So what is the answer? Wearing clothes that reflect the true (and beautiful) you.

For example, I know a woman with a naturally quieter personality. She was good at the details of her job and wanted to be noticed. So she wore clothes that made a strong statement—lots of big, bold colors. And something surprising happened….

She disappeared! In her effort to stand out, she wore clothes that didn’t match her subtle personality. And her clothes actually made her more invisible than ever.

It can happen to any type of woman. More bubbly women try to dress seriously… and get labeled “silly.” Dynamic women try to tone down their look… and their fiery personalities are seen as “aggressive.” All because their appearance doesn’t match up with who they really are.

Is the same thing happening to you?

Here’s the secret: Dress true to yourself, not to any trend or expert.

Accept and love your true inner nature. Dress in a way that honors it. And people will start to notice YOU, not your clothes.

Does that sound tough? It isn’t if you try out my next tip.

#5 (Bonus Tip) Tap in to your beauty sixth sense.

Here’s the ultimate key to wardrobe well-being…

Your Beauty Sixth Sense.

Your beauty sixth sense is an internal voice that knows which styles are best for YOU. Every woman has one. Even you.

When you ignore your beauty sixth sense, you actually waste money by filling your closet with items that don’t send the right message at work.

So how do you get in touch with your beauty sixth sense?

Try this. Pick an item from your closet that you absolutely love—something you reach for over and over. It should make you feel fabulous. If you can say, “I LOVE this!” your beauty sixth sense probably helped you pick it out.

What if you could say that about 100% of your closet?

You can. You just need to in touch with your beauty sixth sense. It can take some trial and error. But keep practicing!

Remember: only buy something if you can say, “I love it!”

I’m on a mission to help women tap into their beauty sixth sense. If you want a little extra help in finding yours, take my 3-minute beauty confidence quiz.

Click here: http://www.workingmomsonly.com/beauty-quiz

Get ready to walk out your door, totally confident. Get ready to knock ‘em dead.

About the Author:

Carol Tuttle, best-selling author of four books, and creator of Beauty Profiling and Dressing Your Truth, wants women everywhere to know how beautiful they are. Her revolutionary makeover program has transformed the look (and lives!) of women all over the world. She wants to help you learn the truth about your beauty so that you look great and feel confident–every single day! Visit www.dressingyourtruth.com for more information.

By MaryEllen Tribby

It started out like any other school day morning. The organized chaos of brushing Delanie’s long locks, searching for Connor’s math book and trying to extract Mikaela (our teen ager) out of bed.

Once the morning was in full gear and the kids were ready to be taken to the bus stop, I gave them all their lunches and kisses and wished them a good day. I took a few moments to prepare for my day, thinking that hubby would be back in 10 minutes to do our morning briefing and to say our daily goodbyes before we both jumped into our workday.

But 10 minutes passed and hubby wasn’t back. Knowing that my first appointment at the office was an early one, I figured I would just pass him on the way out of our community.

The second I walked outside I instantly saw why he wasn’t back yet.  I could see the brilliant red and blue flashing lights from our hilltop and my heart sank.

I jumped in my car and raced down to the bus stop. Among rows of stopped cars I noticed our abandoned Escalade with the driver’s door wide open.

As I approached the scene, I could see my husband directing traffic, not letting anyone park by the bus or the police cars. Still searching for answers, I soon spotted a very small and frail body laying in the road, with her mom and several policemen attending to her.

I finally reached my traffic control husband and all he said was “Molly was hit by a car while running for the bus. The ambulance is on its way and I need to keep this area clear.”

He assured me our kids were safe and that he would call me later and sent me on my way.

As I drove away I could see the terrified look on all the kids faces that were safely looking out the bus windows.

The entire way to the office all I could think of were my husbands words “Molly was hit by a car while running for the bus.”

And suddenly with tears running down my face I thought, DAMN, why was she running for the bus . . .

Practice What We Preach

Teaching our kids certain skills and personal habits just isn’t good enough. In order to improve our kids personality, we need to lead by example and live the skills and traits we teach.

Not only when it is convenient, but all the time.

Now before we go on, I can gladly report that Molly was taken to the best Children’s Hospital in Texas and released with bumps, bruises and a broken arm. She was sitting next to Connor in class the next day.

However, it could have been so much worse. Think about it, a moving two thousand pound car struck a little 65-pound girl. And the worst part, it was totally senseless and avoidable.

We teach our kids to look both ways and to take their time when crossing the street. Yet, when we are running late, we have them dash across a street to catch a bus.

According to the bus driver, this is an everyday occurrence and it just so happened that it was Molly who paid the price of continually bad decisions by parents.

So, in honor of Molly, I have created a list of what I believe to be the seven most important characteristics and skills we need to instill in our children and live ourselves every day as kids personailty directly affected by our daily life practices.

I think of them as my core values for my family.

The 7 Most Important Characteristics to Improve Kids Personality

1)    Street Smarts: This includes everything from teaching our kids to look both ways while crossing a street to understanding how to trust their intuition. We want them to know that if they feel uncomfortable with a stranger, or even someone they know, they need to seek help immediately.

2)    Respect: The best way to teach respectfulness is to treat your child respectfully. You should give your child the same courtesies you would give to anyone else, regardless if it is in business or pleasure. Children treat others the way their parents treat them. Your relationship with your child is the foundation for their relationships with others.

3)    Honesty: There is a direct correlation between honesty and trust. Trust is the foundation of any relationship. We instill this in our kids from birth. We have taught them that although they will make mistakes, as long as they are honest with us, we will be able to reward this.

4)    Kindness: When Delanie (my six year old) came home from school the day Molly was struck by the car, the first thing she said was that she wanted to bring Molly a teddy bear because that was her favorite kind of stuffed animal. The quality of kindness is one of the things that I am must proud of my kids for.

5)    Determination: This begins by setting a reasonable goal that is within an individual’s limit and that they want intensely.  Then they work conscientiously toward the achievement of that goal. We need to teach our kids that goals are important for personal confidence.

6)    Dependability: This begins by understanding that others rely on them to do what they say they will do. This mans they must act to be sure every commitment is met on time and in the most complete manner possible. By being a dependable parent and following through on promises and commitments, our kids will learn to do the same.

7)    Love: Studies have show that it is not possible to spoil a child with love. What we often think of as the product of spoiling a child is never the result of showing a child too much love. It is usually the consequence of giving a child material things in place of love. The beautiful thing about love is you can never give or accept too much!

Of course there are other personal characteristics and traits that are important to improve kids personality; but these seven are foundational.

Once your child has truly mastered them – others follow pretty easily.

By Ori Bengal

In 1997, when I started making websites, things were a lot different.  You had to know a lot of code, spend months on each site, do everything yourself, and everything cost a bundle. Today, the world has dramatically changed.

Before I demonstrate that websites are basically free these days, and can be done in less than a day, let me tell you what spurred me on to true freedom.

I never liked having a boss. I’m stubborn, and I always thought I had a better way to do things.  So when Wara would complain that I’m not stacking the papers the way I’m supposed to, I was ready to leave.

It was 2005, and I was working at OneModelPlace.com – the world’s largest online community for models and photographers. Yours truly was handling all of the print and design, which took more than 90 hours a week, and (this is not a figure of speech) I had my own air mattress there.

Going solo sounded like the way to go.  I’d be able to work fewer hours, make more money, and be able to enjoy the outdoor activities that South Florida offered in the daytime.

After a year of being on my own, I realized that my freedom was actually kind of boring.  None of my friends were as entrepreneurial as I was, so they could not go to Disney or kayaking with me in the middle of the week. So, I have suggested them them to make websites in order to change your life.  It was in 2006, when my landlord called me up and said she’s raising the rent, that I decided it was time for a massive change.

Rather than renew, or move back in with my parents, I decided that I’d travel around the USA completely based on “Who’s couch am I crashing on next?” Then I’d find out where I want to move.

It’s now 2012, and I just (last night) moved into a place.  It took me 6 years to decide that Austin, Texas is where I feel at home. I’ve had many adventures, and changed many lives (especially my own), and yet… the number one question I’m always asked is “How the heck do you pay for it all?”

Fox Business did an article on me, and called me “The Most Highly Skilled Hobo in History” – as I do photography, videography, business coaching, life coaching, PPC, SEO, web design, print design, copywriting, and a bunch of other things… But, creating websites has always been my bread and butter.

If hearing this makes your eyes glaze over and say “Forget this article… I’m not a techie… Websites are difficult to make!” then sip your coffee, and keep reading, because you can change countless lives, make great money, and have freedom… with websites…. All without being a certified geek.

The reason I even got into websites was because I wanted to promote my other skills–the things I wanted to be in my business (such as 3D Animation, later Photography).

When my friends realized that I do websites, they’d ask me for help.  Their designer locked them out of their site, or was taking too long to make a change, or… wanted an obscene amount of money for every single change.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that every person in the world needs a website.

I was making more money, and solving more problems for more people, with this website stuff… but it required a lot of learning.

In 2006, my web design life changed when I discovered WordPress.  It’s free, it’s beautiful, it’s easy for my clients to use, and now it has the largest developer base… so you can get custom looks and function for free to dirt cheap.

The days of spending $10,000 dollars for a simple site are over… unless you listen to designers that want to take their time, and charge you that much.

Before WordPress, you had to be a techie, now all you need is a hosting account to change your life. It costs less than $10 a month.

Want to add a new page? Press the “new page” button.

Want to add an image to your website?  Drag it onto your website.

Want to change the entire look and feel of a site?  Install a theme.

It’s as easy as that!

Websites Can Change Your Life!

You can get the word about your cause or business.  You can generate leads, clients, or branding.

I made my parents a website for their daytrading business.  I made a website to raise $2,600 for a year-old poodle that was going to die without an operation. I’ve blogged about my travels.  I’ve made sites to generate affiliate sales. I’ve made on-line stores.

Additionally, websites are extremely profitable, should you choose to do them for other people (plus my favorite perk: you can work from anywhere)! So what you are thinking of, just change your life.

Let’s Get You Making a Website

Not too long ago websites were much more difficult to put together.  If you decided to use WordPress, you’d have to install it manually which took about 10 minutes. But now, you just have to push a button to change your life.

The first thing you need is a domain (your website name), and hosting (where you keep your website).
You can get a domain at most hosting sites.  I change my mind as to who the best host is, and one that is always at the top of my list is http://GetGoodHosting.com.

You want to make sure that your host offers “Cpanel” – because through here you create email addresses, or install WordPress.

Rather than waste precious space in this fabulous publication with describing how to set up WordPress, I’ll just tell you to youtube search “How to install WordPress with Fantastico (or simple scripts)” your cpanel will have one of those two.

The Business Suit of Communication

Many people have a website, with a gmail account.  This is a wasted branding opportunity.

In your Cpanel, you can add yourname@yourdomain.com by clicking on “Email accounts” and then just choosing a username and password.

Don’t worry, there are tutorials in Cpanel.

The Showcase Secret

Want your site to look like you had a team of designers spend months slaving for you? It’s easier than you think, and might cost you $40.

Think about what your site is for. Let’s say it’s for a restaurant.  Google search “WordPress Restaurant Showcase” (without the quotation marks).

There’s two things you may find here: examples of amazing restaurant websites done in WordPress, and restaurant themes.

Think of a theme as your house’s exterior.  Is it vinyl siding?  Brick? Wood?  IS there a lawn? Lighting?

With WordPress, you can change everything with a push of a button.  Googling restaurant showcase (design showcase works great too) will find many amazing looks.

If you’re on a budget, you can search “WordPress free theme showcase”.

All you have to do is choose and install the theme you like.  Then, you can easily customize it.

Another place to type in “Restaurant” (or whatever you’re looking for) is http://ThemeForest.net – this is a my favorite place to buy themes. They’re cheap, high quality, and most have tutorials.

Many are complete applications, providing (in the theme) slideshows, easy to control menu, a booking system, a contact form (using our restaurant example) .

You could charge a restaurant owner $2,000 for that website, and it’d still be a bargain.

It’s All About Content

No matter what your business, copywriting is king.  Consider what the end result is… building trust?  New clients? New leads? Branding?

Who is your audience?

It is always wise to have a good market to message match.  Keep that in mind when you write the text that goes on any of the pages / posts or videos (which are also easy to add).

Secrets of Looking Like a Pro

Let’s be honest…. If your website has no images, or low-quality images, it’s pretty darn boring.   Let’s fix that.

What’s your article, page, or site about?  Consider that when adding pictures.  Every post can benefit from pictures.

Where to find awesome images?  http://istockphoto.com/  You can buy pictures for a dollar or two.  Don’t get the bigger sized images (which cost more), because those are for print.

Images on istockphoto are searchable, so you should easily be able to find something to match any post.

If you’re using your own images (pictures of the staff for example), please make sure they are well lit, and decent quality.  Webcam pictures tend to suck.  Hire a photographer, or find a friend with a Digital SLR if you have to.

Go get started now! Every day you don’t have a website, or have an ugly website is a day of negative branding!

About the Author:

Ori Bengal is a creative problem solver with an emphasis on keeping things fun.  He’s been traveling for the last 6 years based on who’s couch he’s crashing on next… which has connected him with many leaders in the marketing and business world.  He is a public speaker, business consultant, and teaches people how to easily create their own websites.

By MaryEllen Tribby

“I can’t believe she just gave up,” commented my doubles partner Fran.

All I could say at the time was, “It is so incredibly sad.”

You see, it went down like this…

We were at three-all in the first set of our tennis match. We broke our opponents and took the lead at 4 – 3.  I served and we won another game for a score of 5 – 3. They served and edged closer; 5 – 4. Fran served and we won the first set, 6 – 4.

First game in the second set, we broke their serve and BAM! Our opponents’ body language screamed, “There is no way we can win – we may as well give up now and get this over with.”

And that’s what happened. Fran and I went on to win the second set 6 – 1 and took the match easily. Not because we were technically better players, but because we cared about the outcome more.

You see, little did they know that just last week Fran and I were in a similar position. We were losing the first three games, at one point down 5 – 2, only to fight back and win the first set 7 – 5. We ultimately went on to win the match.

How?

By never giving up.

Why?

Because regardless of whether it’s sports, business, or family life, when I do something, I give it my all. I figure if I am going to invest my time and attention in something, then that something must be important. Otherwise, why do it at all? And I make it a point to surround myself with people who feel and live the same way.

Seems so obvious… Yet 90% of people walk through life like zombies just hoping to make it through the day with as little effort as possible.
Always hoping for a different outcome while maintaining the mindset that they deserve better.

These are the people who, when left in any position within an organization, can single-handedly destroy morale, consume mounds of energy, and obliterate profits!

They are called Complacency Campaigners or CCs. Many business owners and managers underestimate their power to ruin a business. They are full of excuses. And the drama is endless.

Complacency Campaigners can be anyone. They have no requirements or application policy; they come in all shapes and sizes. They are disguised as CEOs, Marketing Managers, Mail-room Clerks, and Sales Representatives. And they thrive on recruitment more than James Jones and the most sophisticated MLMers.

So why are they so prevalent?

Although complacency is pervasive, smart, experienced, and refined people do not always see it. They may mistake activity for productivity and franticness for urgency. And because CCs are skilled at shuffling papers and drumming up “emergencies,” it’s easy to overlook the fact that they are actually doing nothing.

But when you as a business owner, entrepreneur, or manager recognize this business cancer and do not take a stand against these CCs, you are as guilty as they are.

Door Number One or Door Number Two

When you decide to take a stand you have two choices. You can either let the CC go… or you can coach him and turn him into a valuable team member.

Truth be told, option number two is tough. Tough because very often the CC had a supervisor who let the problem go on way too long – either at your organization or at a prior company. The CC’s complacency may be too thoroughly ingrained for her to change.

However, it is possible to turn a CC into a valued member of your team. And I will admit, I always try that first even though there is only about a 25% chance that the infamous CC stays on board.

But when their “ah ha” moment strikes, you know the effort was worth it.  You can see the transformation from hypnotic complacency into a true sense of urgency.

You can recognize those who really get it. They have the following traits:

7 Ways to Spot a True Sense of Urgency

1) A Winning Team: With a strong sense of urgency, people quickly identify critical issues and form strong teams that are committed to ambitious change even when those members are already working hard.

2) Vision and Strategies: Strong and committed teams organize the effort to find smart strategies and envision long-term outcomes when dealing with essential issues, even when the best strategies are hard to pin down.

3) Communication: High urgency teams inherently feel a need to persistently communicate the vision and strategies to the appropriate people to get them on board and generate still more urgency.

4) Empowerment: Those with a strong sense of urgency empower others who are dedicated to making a vision a reality by removing obstruction in their path.

5) Short-Term Wins: High urgency teams celebrate short-term victories and make them visible to the entire organization.

6) Never Give Up: After minor and/or great success, teams with a true sense of urgency never let their team slip back to complacent inertia. Instead they expand the effort and strive for improvement.

7) Making It Stick: Teams with a true sense of urgency feel duty-bound to find ways to make sure any change sticks by incorporating that change into the structure, the systems, and – most importantly – the culture.

Here is the truly amazing thing: Working with a sense of urgency actually requires less energy than complacency. And the rewards are ten-fold.

By Ryan Deiss

Designing the perfect persuasive email subject line campaign is a fine art. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise…

BUT even if your emails were so incredibly powerful, so intensely persuasive, that they literally made prospects faint with an overwhelming desire to buy your products…

None of that would matter if your emails were never opened.

If they got buried in a ­­­­flood of junk mail, or were simply deleted before ever being clicked on, it wouldn’t matter how amazing your content was.

It would simply be wasted… having never got the opportunity to put all those buying objections in a sleeper hold.

That’s precisely why you need a spellbinding, lapel-grabbing subject line that virtually guarantees that your emails will hit their mark.

Writing subject lines can be tough, and it’s nearly impossible to know which variations are going to get the best click-through-rates…

Unless you test those headlines using our old friend: The scientific method.

Why You Need Proven Subject Line Tactics?

Simply put, the best indication of future success is past performance.

And when you’ve run as many email campaigns as we have at Digital Marketer, you have boatloads of DATA.

That’s basically a fancy way of saying I’ve run a TON of email campaigns and learned a thing or two about what works… and what doesn’t.

Each one of these had its role in developing the following best practices for creating killer subject lines.

By studying these best practices and implementing them in your email marketing, you can bypass all the rookie mistakes that I’ve gone through in my career.

Trust me, learning the “hard way” is WAY overrated.

Email Subject Line Best Practices

As I hinted at before, in order for your copy writing magic to actually work, your emails must first get opened.

In fact, that’s the ENTIRE purpose of your subject line. Let that sink in for a moment…

Nothing happens until the email gets opened — your message is pretty much DOA.

. These tactics have given me the highest open rates of any that we’ve tested:

1. Use Odd Numbers: Not “odd” numbers as in odd or even — odd as in unnecessarily specific. Don’t just go with some nice, round number like 8,000. Go with 8,213. The closer to the front of the subject line, the better it will work.

Example: Why He Paid Google $524,838.71…

2. Question Marks: This one’s pretty simple. An email subject line that ends in a question mark usually gets a higher open rate than one without this valuable piece of punctuation.

Example: Google Made Me Slap Proof?

3. Percentages (%): These work in much the same way as odd numbers work, because of the curiosity factor. People just love percentages and, more importantly, they are super curious to learn where they come from.

Example: 99% of People Dieting NEED to Do This

4. [New Video], [Video]: Having a “[Video]” in your subject line is a great way to add interest. It’s basically a pattern-interrupt as someone’s scrolling through their inbox; it causes them to pause. Overusing this trick, however, doesn’t help.

Example: [Video Blog Post] 89 pip gap open

5. (Free Report): If you’re giving something away of value in your email, like a lead magnet or an mp3, mention it in the subject line. Once again, this piques curiosity and let’s recipients know that there’s someone of a higher value in the email. Higher value equals higher conversions.

Example: 7 Deadly SEO Mistakes (Free Report)

6. Personal Pronouns: Personal pronouns (You, Your, etc…) help create the sense that you’re talking directly to the recipient. It’s a way of being conversational, specific, and engaging.

Example: Why YOU need to update your profile

7. Confusing, shocking, or just plain weird subject lines can boost open rates as well.

Here are a few examples of random subject lines that, for whatever reason.

By MaryEllen Tribby

“You do what?” I asked Cathy, a young lady who had just informed me that her occupation was teaching people how to be authentic on Facebook and Twitter.

“That’s right, I teach people – more specifically, women – how to be themselves on social networking sites. That way they can connect and really bond with their customers… which of course helps them make more money.”

Still not grasping the concept, I replied, “Isn’t that a bit of an oxymoron? I mean, I just don’t understand how YOU can teach someone ELSE to be THEMSELVES. Because wouldn’t THEY in fact know how to be THEMSELVES better than YOU would?”

Her obvious frustration showed as she replied huffily, “You clearly don’t understand what’s happening with Facebook today. What I really do is teach women how to portray themselves in their best light.”

Okay, my turn again. “Then, in fact, you are not really teaching people how to be authentic. You are teaching them how to act so they can make more money.”

“Exactly,” she said.

“Faker,” I said.

Kiss, Kiss or KaChing, KaChing

Are you as sick and tired as I am of the fakeness on Facebook?

Now, don’t get me wrong. A lot of wonderful people use Facebook. Generous, giving people who want to connect with friends and help anyone they can.

And then there are the fakers!

You know who I mean. The ones who constantly preach how much money they make and how happy they are. And of course they just love everyone.

Unfortunately, many of these people really lead miserable lives… do not have successful careers… and talk smack about their “friends” behind their backs.

These are the same people who complain about others promoting themselves… only to do it 10 times more often!

And every time I see a post like this one, I want to scream!

“Be happy!! Irritate the heck out of negative people around you!”

But instead of screaming, I simply hit that little “x” that removes this person from my life and think, “Another faker.”

You see, a really happy person would not want to go out of her way to irritate people. As a matter of fact, a truly happy person would go out of her way to help a negative person.

Sadly enough, my opinion of Facebook seems to be a growing trend among women in general. Especially working moms, who simply do not have the time to live in the land of unicorns.

The Shocking Truth About Social Networks Like Facebook

Here are the shocking facts that you as a marketer need to embrace.

Shocking Fact #1: In a recent study from Burke Research, women find niche communities more valuable than sites like Facebook.

The study found that women can still socialize with friends and family, share information, and give advice on these niche community sites in the same way they can on Facebook… But they have the added value of having more in common with other members of community-based sites.

Shocking Fact #2: The same study also found that women trusted the niche sites most, especially for information on brands and products, and they felt the people on women’s sites were most qualified to understand their needs.

Shocking Fact #3: This study went on to say that social networks like Facebook, by contrast, were seen as less useful, less trustworthy, and more of a waste of time.

You can see from the graph below that even some large portal sites are seen as more useful and trustworthy than Facebook.

This study clearly states that Facebook is most valuable to consumers as a means of keeping in touch with friends and family; it’s also a source of entertainment.

As a marketer, you would exude more credibility advertising your eBook on alternative health, for example, on a site like iVilliage than on Facebook. And more credibility leads to better results.

As you continue your marketing efforts this year, don’t put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to advertising dollars. Branch out and test other kinds of websites to find the right customers for your community. This is the best way to find the customers who embrace your values and who will benefit from your products.

By Kate Buck, Jr.

One of the biggest complaints I hear most often from the business owners that I consult with is that they STILL haven’t seen any results from social media. They are wondering, is it everything they say it is? Am I just wasting my time? When is this finally going to pay off?

You see, these business owners are already using social media (or trying to, anyway). Most have read blogs or news articles, they have some fans or followers and they spend some time on a regular basis tweeting and posting on Facebook.

All of this is great – I’ve made a lot of connections, I’ve learned a lot, but HOW exactly do I use this to grow my business?

Does that sound about right to you?

I’m sure it does.

“But, Kate, social media marketing people say I’m not supposed to sell… it’s all about the relationships.  They say a sales pitch is like social media marketing suicide. But now I have all these relationships, but no sales. So now what?”

The truth is while social media marketing IS all about the relationships you must also find creative ways to sell your products and services.

Most people do one of two things: they either ONLY sell and are spammers, or they don’t sell so they aren’t a spammer. A good

social media marketing mix has BOTH.

When you develop relationships with your potential customers using social media marketing  channels, doing business with you naturally becomes an opportunity, or the next step.

Today, I’m going to share with you my system for developing relationships AND how to sell your products or services in social media marketing to maximize your results.

The effective social media marketing

Steps Involved in Social Media Marketing

STEP ONE: FIND & LISTEN

Listen is a buzzword you hear thrown around a lot lately – but what does it actually mean?

Listening is about using social media marketing as a tool to research what people are saying about a topic, right now.

Let’s say you want to open a toy store in your city and you want to know what people are saying about different brands of toys. Or let’s say you own a landscaping company and you want to know what difficulties people are having with lawn care. You can find out the answers to these and just about anything you can think of in social media marketing.

You do this by:

-searching keywords on twitter

-reading consumer blogs

-monitoring google alerts on the topic

-participating in online forums

The idea here is to participate in social media  marketing as if you were your customer, not the business owner to find out exactly:

-Where do your customers ‘hang out’ online?

-What do they talk about?

-What do they need instead of what you are selling?

-What are their problems and how can you help solve them?

Now that you’ve found your customer and you’ve listened to them, it’s time to connect with them.

STEP TWO: CONNECT

Connecting is either directly following or sending a connection request to literally connect your profile with the profile of your target customers.

Some types of people you might follow in addition to your target customer might be:

-experts in your industry

-colleagues

-people in your geographic area

-related business, professional services

These are all people you can do business with in various ways, like:

-affiliate marketing

-cross-sales & upsells

-joint ventures

-referrals

I suggest you be selective to a degree, but don’t get hung up on this!

STEP THREE:  ORGANIZE

It’s true, there is a lot of noise and garbage out there, and if you aren’t organizing your connections in social media marketing, you’ll quickly get swept into it, and social media marketing will become a time-management nightmare.

As SOON as you connect with someone, you must organize that connection, using lists on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Typical ways I organize people:

-Influencer, expert

-Type of lead

-Current customer

-Potential partner

-Geographic

The key here is to categorize the person you’ve connected with by their relationship to your business.

This doesn’t just apply when you connect with others, remember it also applies when someone follows you or sends you a request. You should assess both whether or not to connect, and what the potential relationship that person has to your business and then organize them on the appropriate list.

Now, you have some context when you are spending time in social media marketing: WHO are you talking to and WHY are you talking to them.

In my opinion, this is the MOST CRITICAL step in social media marketing that most people overlook.

STEP FOUR: SHARE & ENGAGE

When you’ve done the leg work to know who you are engaging with to and why you are engaging with them, the time you spend in social media marketing will be much more productive and useful.

This part is the most natural part for people  – the talking part – which is why we tend to skip all the other steps and jump straight to it.

People still ask me, what do I talk about?

-Share about yourself (you don’t have to share “private” things to share “personal” things)

-What are you doing right now? What inspires you? Makes you laugh?

-Ask thought provoking questions

-Share your best tips, tricks, and strategies

-Answer questions and be helpful

-Movies, music, and other interests

-News and current events

The most important thing is find your unique voice and not just broadcast but also converse. Remember this and you’ll be golden, “Be interesting AND interested.”

STEP FIVE: INVITE

Let’s recap a minute. You have:

-Found your target audience and listened to what they really want

-Connected with them and organized them accordingly

-Engaged with them – both by sharing about yourself and getting to know them

Now this is where the rubber meets the road! It’s time to sell, or extend the opportunity to take a committed action (beyond the social channel you’re engaged in) or the opportunity to do business with you.

I call these social “invitations”. Things you can invite people to:

-Read, comment or subscribe to your blog. (When you do this, ensure your blog has compelling   links to your products and services   prominently displayed for readers to see and click on.)

-Subscribe to your Email Newsletter or SMS list for exclusive content and discounts you don’t share in social media marketing.

-Free information on teleseminars, webinars, e-books, etc

-Speaking Events, meet ups, and offline events like community or social events

-Links to connect with you on other social media marketing platforms

-Enter a contest or sweepstakes

-Links to product reviews or affiliate product offers

-And, gasp! Links to new products and services that you think would be of interest and benefit to them.

Once again, you shouldn’t be ONLY doing this, but you should be peppering these marketing messages creatively into your social media marketing  strategy while continuing to implement all the other steps.

Of course, if you haven’t built relationships by with steps one through four, offering a product or service is like a tree falling in the forest, and there’s no one there to hear it.

On the flip side, relationship building without ever selling anything, makes social media marketing  a “social activity” rather than a “business building” one.

So once again, the formula for building a successful and profitable business in social media is:

1.  FIND & LISTEN

2.  CONNECT

3.  ORGANIZE

4.  SHARE & ENGAGE

5.  INVITE

About the Author:

Kate is passionate about helping individuals and businesses get started marketing themselves online.  Her mission is to bridge the gap for those that are apprehensive or overwhelmed by all the “hype”. Her approach makes social marketing manageable, affordable and effective for her clients.

Since launching KBJ Online, Kate has consulted for dozens of individuals and businesses around the country. She frequently live tweets/blogs events she attends, as well as leads strategic social marketing campaigns for the independent films Let Him Be and EXIT.

Kate lives in Austin, Texas (the Social Media Capitol of the World!) with her husband, Chef Morris Buck, and her 2 step-kids. She enjoys watching sports, dancing  and spending time out on the lake.

Click here to hear more about Kate: http://www.workingmomsonly.com/kate