July-August Be The Boss Magazine by Be The Boss Magazine

contents Six Steps To Writing A Good Press Release....10 PUBLISHERS Right Brain Publishing Shelly Rice and Margie Baxley Cover Photo: Don Kreutzweiser, Photographer 918.313.0813 donsimages.com

How To Write Your First Book .............................22 21 Ways........................................................................23 Thoughts Before COFFEE.....................................24 9 Surefire Topics to Cure Writers Block............26 Toni Harris...................................................................30 The Making of a Speaker......................................31 Being the Best Boss................................................34 What Does Your Image Say About You?.........35 21 Ways To Make Money Speaking..................37 Do You Have a Prosperity Mindset...................38 Increase Your People Power................................40 Judys World................................................................42 How To Develop The Right Attitude................43 The Art of Fear-Free Living..................................44 How to Build a Successful Team........................46 Have You Made Any Mistakes?...........................45 Chocolate Blues ......................................................4 Could YOU Be Our Next Cover Story...............4 Bizfestival.com..........................................................6 Preferred Business Directory...............................50 Tuesdays At Two .....................................................55

Write and Publish Your First Book in 2012 Peter Biadsz

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of the Month

This issue of Be The Boss Magazine features authors and their books from around the country. All of the articles and stories have been written by published authors. Our next issue is “Networking and Quality Business Connections”. If you’re a business connector, contact us, we may feature you in our next issue.

business book

We hope that you enjoy Be The Boss Magazine. Shelly Rice & Margie Baxley, Co-Publishers, Be The Boss Magazine, Right Brain Publishing

What is a Chocolate Blues And Business Networking Festival And Why Should You Get Involved?

What is a Chocolate Blues and Business Networking Festival?

“Chocolate Blues” is a giant business to business networking event that brings together hundreds of business owners and professionals. This event features a business expo, open networking, door prizes, ice breakers, networking games, on the spot appointment setting, round table workshops, a giant business card exchange, business coaching, brainstorming circles, book signings, media mixers, blues background music and of course, chocolate treats!

We are one of the largest, most successful and longest running networking events in the country... Hundreds, sometimes thousands attend our events. Our goal

is usually 500-800 participants but sometimes our crowds are much larger. We have had as many as 2,730 people show up for a single networking event. So plan for 500 and don’t be surprised if we exceed your expectations. Experience makes the difference...we produced our first business event in 1989 and have hundreds of successful events to our credit. We’re currently in more than 40 cities and our events have resulted in thousands of connections and success stories for our clients.

There are many ways to participate at Chocolate Blues... Attend as a Networker: Bring business cards & your appointment book. Be a Featured Vendor: Showcase your products and services, hand out literature, book appointments, sell products & collect leads. Our vendor fees are low and vendors receive admission tickets to pass out. Host a Round Table Workshop or Coaching Circle: This is a vendor package with the added bonus of mini workshops or coaching sessions throughout the day. (No extra charge). Sponsor An Event: Sponsorship includes our standard vendor package, plus extra perks, recognition and advertising in our national magazine. National No-Show Sponsor: Chances are you can’t personally be at all of our events, but now your business can be! Be an Ambassador: Are you new to networking or maybe you’re a little shy? If so, working the door as a greeter or hosting one of our games is a great way to get involved, learn the ropes and get connected.

We are currently in 40 U.S. cities and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re expanding. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a new business, or a 2nd income, love to network, enjoy sales and want to make a strong, positive impact on your local community, consider joining us as a Chocolate Blues Area Director. Like any business, there are some start up fees, but the fees are reasonable. Please contact us for more information. 417.353.2610 Ask for Shelly.

Travel agent, Jeanne Felix traveled from CA to join us at the Vegas Chocolate Blues.

Great networking connections were made at the Bowling Green, KY event.

Door Prize given out by our vendor, Lux Magazine in Tampa Bay, FL.

Thanks to BMW for sponsoring Chocolate Blues. Who won the door prize? (wink).

A great time was had by all at the Tomball, TX Chocolate Blues.

Foot Solutions were great sponsors of the Stockton Chocolate Blues. 7

Click To Read A Sample Chapter

Buy This Book Now!

Meet The Authors: Called the “Father of Modern Neworking“ by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is the Founder & Chairman of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization. BNI was founded in 1985. The organization has over 6,200 chapters throughout every populated continent of the world. Last year alone, BNI generated 6.9 million referrals resulting in $3.1 billion dollars worth of business for its members. Join Dr. Misner’s Facebook Fan Page

Hazel Walker’s passion for lifelong learning, personal growth, and relationshipbuilding has been invaluable in her evolution to serial entrepreneur, seasoned author and dynamic speaker. Join Ms. Walker’s Facebook Fan Page

Frank De Raffele incorporated his first business at the age of 18 while attending college at Syracuse University and an has been an entrepreneur ever since. He calls himself “unemployable” and has started, grown and sold several companies. Frank has learned the right things to do in business through his experience of doing many things wrong. His ability to understand his mistakes, learn from them and implement his corrections has been a key to his success. This, along with his inspirational communication style, is what allowed him to found his Consulting and Training firm and become one of the most sought after speakers in the USA, Europe and Asia. Join Mr. De Raffele’s Facebook Fan Page 8

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Six Steps

T o W ri t i n g a Good Press R El e a s e

Written by: Sandy Lawrence

ook Good and Inspire Others to Act

If I Had Only Known It Would Be This Easy To Get Publicity, I Would Have Done This Years Ago

When you write a good press release, you create publicity at will for your company. Writing a press release is easy and there are lots of examples and templates available, but there are specific steps to take to write a good one that brings results. Here are some best practices for crafting a release that will drive traffic to your website. The focus will not be so much on the format of the press release, but instead on the thought process of creating the release. 1. Know what you want your readers to do. Do you want them to click to your site, or do you want them to visit your blog? At the end of the release, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have the opportunity to tell the reader about your company and link to it, so make sure you link to where you really want them to go.

2. Make sure your release is timely. This is a news release, so you’ll need a newsworthy hook to grab the reader’s attention. For example, if you see a news story about social media management’s effectiveness and you’re a social media manager, use statistics from the story as your newsworthy angle. If your release isn’t informative and newsworthy, it will be rejected by the distribution websites. The worst thing you can do is write a 500-word advertisement for your business. Think news, news, and news – not sales and marketing.

3. Grab attention with a strong headline and summary. You have two to three seconds to grab the reader’s attention with your headline. Make them stop in their tracks. You don’t necessarily want to scare them, but startling them is perfectly OK. Make them think, and be specific. For example, if you’re a medical device manufacturer and your latest machine saves doctors time in the operating room, say it! Find out what the average time savings is and put that in the headline. If your business is helping sales people close more sales, and you’ve determined that you help them increase sales by 43%, put that in the headline. When writing headlines, quickly draft five or six including keywords, then walk away for a few minutes. Come back and look at them as puzzle pieces. Take the first few words from one and add it to the last few words of another. Create three or four, and then walk away again. Continue this process until you have your winning headline. The summary paragraph is a brief 1-4 sentence description of what your press release contains. You may wish to write this last and incorporate the headline’s main idea. Sometimes, the header and summary are all a reader sees, so the summary needs to accurately depict the release.

as early in the release as possible. The most crucial information comes first, and the less vital but important info comes later. Keywords should appear in the headline, summary, and first paragraph. The general rule of thumb for keyword density is once every 100–150 words. 5. Limit industry jargon, and write well. You want anyone who sees the release to be able to read and understand it. If you load your release with jargon, you lose readers. Use correct grammar and spelling. Find someone to edit the press release before you submit it for distribution. Nothing turns off readers more quickly than sloppy grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

6. Walk the fine line of giving the reader enough information without being wordy. You want to make sure the reader has enough information to be interested in your company, but you don’t want to bore him or her with too many words. Press releases should run 300–800 words, with 350–500 being ideal. Armed with these suggestions, you’ll write a press release that gets plenty of publicity for your business and visitors to your website. One last tip: Remember to include as much contact information as you can so readers have a choice in how they reach you. Sandy Lawrence www.perceptivemarketing.com sandylawrence@perceptivemarketing.com Cell: 281/989.8892

4. Remember the 5Ws and an H. This is a news story, so use the journalists’ standard of telling the reader who, what, where, when, why, and how

Write Your First Book

A Fathers Love Righting Wrongs

The Journey Shadow Truth

By Peter Biadsz, President, Total Publishing And Media Author of “Write Your First Book”

“I

have an idea for a book, how do I write it?” or “I have written a book and want to get it published, what do I do next?” are the two most common questions I hear on a regular basis. As an author of 16 books I really enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise with authors and author wanna-be’s. 12

As President of Total Publishing And Media, my goal is to ensure your book is available to anyone around the world who wants to buy it. As one of the few truly author owned publishing companies in the country we can have a deeper “author to author” discussion in a language us writers, being cut from a more creative cloth, seem

to understand. I am a publisher to assist in educating authors reach their goals. So many people had the same questions when it came to writing a book I wrote a book on how to write a book titled “Write Your First Book”. It seems the same challenges I had as a writer are fairly universal, especially when it

Write and PublishYour First Book in 2012 comes to overcoming the frustrations in writing a book. Writers, you are not alone in your struggles and challenges as you write your masterpiece. Writing a great book sometimes is nothing more than just being yourself and having a good editor.

Editorial text leave here, this is an example text Publishing, the other hand, changes as thehere, industry evolves to helponyou. Editorial text leave this is andue to ever improving technology. Giving authors the latest information and how it example text to help you. ditorial text leave here, honestly affects them is vital. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than showing this is an example text to help you.

an author how to add value to their book and teach them about the industry in which they want to become a part of. Total Publishing is “total” in that we are the total resource to authors for the writing, publishing and marketing of books. Rather than tell you our philosophies as a publisher, here are what some of our authors, the real stars, have to say: “I truly believe I would not have written my first book if I had not met Peter Biadasz. He made me believe I could get the book out and he is so encouraging and inspiring. His experience as an author and speaker was invaluable when it came to coaching me through the process. Receiving my book in the mail was one of my proudest moments and doors have started to open for me I never expected.” Toni Harris, Author of An American Nightmare - The Pitfalls of Home Ownership

“I wanted to find a way to take the essence of my research and turn it into a book which would help others. I was able to do this with Total Publishing and Media.” Paul Chabot, Author of Eternal Battle Against Evil “Total Publishing turns your ideas into a book, and your book makes your ideas into reality.” Scott “Gonzo” Weaver, Author of “Hey Look, I Found the Loose Nut” “Being guided by Peter Biadasz and publishing through Total Publishing and Media has expanded my market, led to speaking engagements and to having my book placed on a reading list at University of Maryland. “ Shirley Hall, Author of the 3 books One Day, Listen and Embrace “Thanks to Peter and Total Publishing and Media, they have helped me take my company (via my book) to the next level.” Kevin Houston, Author of Cutting The Red Tape “Thanks Total Publishing And Media for giving this author a chance. I would not trust my material anywhere else.” Mosezickle Pitts II , Author of Sweet Home Acres. Continued on Page 14 13

“Working with Total Publishing (4 books so far, #5 is on the way) is a pleasurable experience that I am happy to share with other authors.” Larry Tate, Author of Shadow Truth, Righting Wrongs, The Journey, Promises And Pathways “Peter and his professional staff were always there to answer questions, make suggestions, and provide sound guidance. As a first time author it was important that I chose a publisher that really understood concerns from an author’s point of view.” Mariah D’Laine Wacha, author of Change Your Behavior, Change Your Results “Whenever I call him (Peter), he either answers the phone or calls me back soon. I feel heard by Peter.” Rabia Erduman, Author of Veils of Separation “Although I am new to the writing scene as a first time author, working with Peter and Total Publishing has already opened so many doors for me. “ Debra Hofer, Author of Kido “Peter Biadasz has been very helpful in the design and layout of my book. This has been very gratifying.” Bill Lee, MD, Author of Over 50, Feeling 30 “Total Publishing And Media did a great job in helping me get the book to the market place. Peter stands by you at every step offering much needed advice and guidance along the way. Peter is an author’s publisher. The book has positioned my as an expert in the field of sports injury profession. Peter does an excellent job in helping the new author achieve his/her dreams and goals.” Dr. Malcolm Conway, Author of Raising Elite Athletes

“As a first time author I had no idea what to expect and Peter guided us through the entire process.” Dana Lam, Author of Does This Ponytail Make My Butt Look Big? “Total Publishing’s President, Peter Biadasz, was the guiding force that helped navigate me through my mistakes, fears, set-backs, rewrites and edits. He was kind, not critical, forgiving and encouraging throughout the entire process.” Lydia Ford, Author of Don’t Forget To Say Your Prayers “I’m very grateful and thankful Total Publishing. They have been very helpful and patient with me with on my first book. I have received requests and opportunities from coast to coast and border to border, all because of Peter and his team’s efforts.” John Robertson, Author of A Father’s Love “Help is always just a phone call away in all phases of the writing, publishing and marketing process, whether you are a first time or an established author.” Judith David, Author of Before You Give Your Heart Away The publishing environment should assist authors in their creative processes. I enjoy talking with authors. Feel free to contact me at Peter@TotalPublishingAndMedia.com or 918-624-9300. Also, visit www. TotalPublishinagAndMedia.com and see how your book idea can become a reality. 14

Write Your First Book by Peter Biadsz Turn your book idea into a published selling book.

Total PrayerTalking to God Is Easy by Peter Biadsz Decrease your stress level today.

External Battle Against Evil by Paul Chabot â&#x20AC;&#x153;Becoming an author has turned into an enriching life experience where I can share my knowledge and passion about combating drug cartels, terrorists, gangs and organized crime.â&#x20AC;?

Current events in a poetic way. Embrace is spicy! Listen, Embrace and One Day by Shirley Hall

Hey Look! I Found the Loose Nut

Cutting the Red Tape

by Scott “Gonzo” Weaver

By Kevin Houston

Hilarious stories of the crazy things which happen when cars need to be fixed. Without trying, people can be so funny. Laugh at them in this book.

Does This Ponytail Make My Butt Look Big? By Dana Lam and Emily Couc h This book will inspire everyday women to “get up, dust off her cheese puff stained sweatpants, and make some changes to her wardrobe (and her life).” 16

A Fathers Love by John Robertson

Cutting the Red Tape was written to reduce time on finding and winning a government contract.

“My book is about helping people to do something about the epidemic of fatherless families in this world we live in, which I believe is because of a lack of understanding a Father’s Love.”

Tale of Tails with a Thirst for Verse

Veils of Seperation

by Larry Tate This book is a treasure trove of pieces about life, love, God, nature, science and family in a melding of stories and poems. Subjects of romance, cuddly dogs, adventure, mystery, and even a creature from Jurassic park will trap you with an urge to keep turning pages.

by Rabia Erduman “It is my own healing journey in a fairy tale form. The message is that we don’t have to stay stuck in our negative conditioning, beliefs from the past. Now, as adults, we can choose to heal our old traumas and live a joyful life.”

The Journey

Shadow Truth

Righting Wrongs

by Larry Tate

By Larry Tate

by Larry Tate

The Journey is a novel with a purpose which helps the reader understand the source of discouragements and how to overcome them.

Shadow Truth is a frank depiction of the underlying currents that are slowly but surely taking our country down a slippery road toward socialism and moral breakdown.

Righting Wrongs is a futuristic novel that begins with the discovery of a 6,000 year old caveman who was shot and killed by a twentyfirst century weapon.

Promises and Pathways

Before You Give Your Heart Away

Over 50, Feeling 30

By Larry Tate Promises and Pathways explores many of the Promises in the Bible

by Judith Ames David A practical guide to understanding how the lack of a positive father figure in childhood greatly impacts all of a daughter’s relationships later in life.

by Bill Lee, MD “I am so excited to be able to get the message out to men and women that bioidentical hormones are not only safe, but essential.”

Change Your Behavior, Change Your Results written by: Marian D’Laine Wacha Helping women find their value and self worth is the mission of this book.

Don’t Forget to Say Your Prayers by Lydia P. Ford Most people identify with the struggle to maintain faith in God when a loved love dies. The message of this book is about the power of our words through prayer, as well as provide the healing balm I needed to deal with the loss of my daughter to pancreatic cancer in 2010. 18

Kidos By Debra Hofer Kido’s Magic Breath lets every child discover their self worth and grow their self esteem.

An American Nightmare The Pitfalls of Home Ownership by Toni Harris A Realistic examination of the American dream and home ownership.

Author of Raising Elite Athletes by Dr Malcom Conway “I wrote my book Raising Elite Athletes to help parents know what it really takes to help their son or daughter truly understand what it takes to make it in sports.”

Written by: Brad Szollose The Digital Divide has become a very real issue these days. Invisible forces have created a new generation of worker…and customer. How do you manage, market and sell to a generation that refuses to be managed, marketed and sold to? Web Pioneer Brad Szollose is the *award winning author of Liquid Leadership: From Woodstock to Wikipedia which explores the subject of new leadership styles — mainly how to get the techsavvy Generation Y and analogue driven Baby Boomers working together. But this is not based on management theory: Brad is a former C-Level Internet Executive who went from entrepreneur to IPO in 3 yrs—co-founding K2 Design —the very first Dot Com Agency to go public on NASDAQ!!! His Results Only management model was applied to the first wave of Gen Y workers with great results— winning K2 the Arthur Andersen NY Enterprise Award for Best Practices in Fostering Innovation among employees! In the pages of Liquid Leadership, Brad presents a dynamic approach to managing a company in the 21st Century. From exploring the 3 key factors that influenced Gen Ys behavior to developing a creative work environment, delivering the engagement necessary to nurture a vastly diverse and talent-rich workforce. This wide-ranging discussion provides an entirely new perspective on the major factors affecting business today. Written by: Dr. Lily L. Jenkins There are times in our lives when we look around and wonder, “Am I the only one that is going through?” We feel like everything seems to be falling apart—our finances, our relationships, our children, our careers— nothing seems to be going right. Many times, it leaves us bitter, even to the point where we don’t feel like praying, because we are so broken and think that because God is so mad with us, what we have to say couldn’t possibly reach the courts of heaven. But God knows every situation. Believe it or not, He is concerned about our circumstances. He hurts when we hurt and is happy when we succeed. Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” This is a 30 day testament to the love that God has for you. God promises to give you the desires of your heart as you delight in Him (Psalms 37:4). So let these affirmations of God’s promises resonate in your spirit and give you a renewed sense of love for your heavenly Father, for He certainly loves His own.

Written by: Penny Fryman About the book: “What do you do, where can you turn, when life gets so bad you want to take it? Alice had gone to the diner with just enough money for a cup of coffee. She had lost her home, her family, everything she had. Her life made a quick turn around when she met Megan, a waitress that was a spirit filled child of God. She taught Alice the meaning of life and gave her another chance at happiness in the Lord.” Author bio: Married at 17 and having completed a Business Degree from U.K. while raising 4 great children, Penny Fryman found herself divorced and facing the closure of the business she had worked for the past 29 years. It was time for Penny to face her dream of finally putting pen to paper and writing the novel that had been waiting to be released all her life. One Chance In A Lifetime was published by IUniverse in 2010. Now Penny has 4 novels released and a fifth on the way. Writing has given her the freedom to do what she loves and she is enjoying every minute of it. Whether she is writing or being a grandmother to four precious angels, Penny isn’t sitting still. She recently claims home to London, Richmond, and Irvine, KY as well as Wilmington, OH. Penny may be a hard person to catch up with, but her novels are equally as hard to put down.

Written by: Dale Little “Tiny Book of Business Tips” shares actionable tips and techniques in the most important areas of business: Communication, Marketing, Networking, Customer Service, Professionalism, and Motivation. Available for free at http://dalelittle.com/bookstore/ Dale@DaleLittle.com

How To Write Your First Book Start writing. Write comments, quotes, blurbs, stream of conscious notes, whatever… just start writing.

Written by: Dale Little

Publishing a book you’ve authored can be a great marketing tool, as well as a marvelous way to establish yourself as a Pro in your industry. It can also be a daunting task. Developing a written plan for the development of your book can alleviate a lot of the “pre-writing” anxiety. These techniques will get you on the road to the completion of your first published book: Determine a topic that you’re passionate and knowledgeable about, preferably one related to your business that also targets your niche market.

Schedule time to write each day. This should be uninterrupted time spent doing absolutely nothing but writing your book. Initially this may be an exercise as indicated below. If typing and/or handwriting are a challenge for you, check out some of the dictation software widely available for both Mac and Windows.

Develop a book outline. Break your topic down into segments of supporting information. For instance, if your book is about the care of cats segments of your outline may include information about care and feeding, play time, training, etc. This outline may ultimately serve as a guide for the creation of your table of contents. When you’re not writing your book, read. Read everything you can find about the topic you’re focusing on. Consult the library, bookstores, online blogs, articles and newsletters. Research is crucial in the creation of an informative and interesting book. Give yourself a break! Don’t worry about Spell and Grammar check as you’re developing your content; and you really don’t need to reread each sentence as soon as it’s written. Allow your creativity to flow. There will be plenty opportunity for proofing later in the process. Use a variety of types of content to make your writing more entertaining. Some options include quotes, photos, infographics, and even cartoons.

Again, ease up on yourself! Your first book really doesn’t need to be a 10,000 word hardcover publication. Start small, and build from there. The prospect of writing a 5-7 page e-book is much less unnerving. After the writing comes the editing. This is the time for exhaustive Spell and Grammar check, reading and re-reading, and the ultimate step in faith... asking trusted colleagues to read your book and offer suggestions. Connect with other authors. They’ll be an invaluable support system, and a wealth of information for success tips for writing, publishing and marketing your book(s). In many ways authoring a book is like starting your own business. The published book is your dream. The process of making that dream come true takes time, patience and diligence. Just as you started your own business, and you’ve made it a success, you can also write a great book! Don’t put your dream off another day. Start your book now!

I’ve been an active part of the book publishing industry since 2003, so when it came time to write and publish my own credibilityboosting book for my business, it was a no-brainer. What I wasn’t expecting was the huge increase in business I would see when it was published. I knew of the gap for my audience and I knew I could fill it. Entrepreneurs are busy people. They don’t have time to read a 300-page book about how to write a book for their business. They need fast, short solutions they can implement on right away. These solutions are what inspired me to start the 21 Ways series of books. In 2011 I published 21 Ways to Write & Publish Your Non-Fiction

Book. A few months later I published my next book in that series, 21 Ways to Powerfully Network Your Business. Within the first 30 days of the first book’s release, my business income grew by over $18,000. I was blown away! I signed some high-end clients who told me that book was the primary reason they chose me over my closest competitors. And both of them have gone on to pay me thousands of dollars for consulting and production of their subsequent books. The second book got me a sponsor, several paid speaking gigs and a book signing that led to a major speaking gig at a huge conference where I signed $12,000 more in new clients. I’ve told my authors about this possibility for years, but didn’t experience it myself until I buckled down and got my own business building book done! Currently I’m working on expanding the 21 Ways series to other authors and adding more of my own books to it. My next titles will be 21 Ways to Be a Kid Again & Get Adult Results, 21 Ways to Automate Your Business and 21 Ways to Create a Creativity Space. I also have about eight other authors under contract for their own 21 Ways books, as part of my newly formed traditional publishing arm. You can apply to be part of the series at 21WaysBooks.com.

sought-after publishing authority and award winning international speaker who has started 42 publishing companies and published 112 books and eBooks. She is founder of the “I am Published!” Ghost Publishing program and the “21 Ways” book series. Kristen J. Eckstein, Imagine! Studios, LLC “Books that Bring You Business” UltimateBookCoach.com

Kristen Eckstein is a highly

THOUGHTS

before coffee

Robert Christiansen

There’s a powerful ancient Chinese proverb - commonly attributed to the noble Profession of teaching - which goes; “Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I’ll understand!” Clearly, involving people to actively engage and participate with you in any endeavor is the best of the three methods for teaching, and for business as well. Dwell on the quote for a bit and consider that your business - whatever it is, regardless of the industry you operate - is about people being of service to people. “Success in life, in anything, depends upon the number of persons that one can make himself agreeable to.” Thomas Carlyle When it comes to business, people like to make referrals for a variety of reasons; quality of service, quality of product, price, selection, and so on. Stop me if you’ve ever heard this before. “Referrals are”, said the salesperson, “the life blood of my business!” That being said, referrals have also been the ultimate goal of sales and marketing for so long, that you would think everybody already knows how to generate referrals! “We never listen when we are eager to speak!” - Francois de la Rochefoucauld The simple truth is, very few do. They marvel at those who have thousands of Facebook friends, tens of thousands of twitter followers, and mastery of social medialand, then wonder, “Why them? Why not me?” First, like anything worth doing, it takes time and dedication. Besides that, you’ll do more business with people you meet personally than on line. Why doesn’t this happen all of the time? A couple of all-too-typical reasons come to mind; # 1 - Too much talking; not enough listening, also known as ‘blathering’. # 2 – Presentations that are ‘Death by PowerPoint’ or over-complicated. # 3 - Failure to involve your prospects in your process.

Let’s focus on these three, and why real conversations matter. “He that converses not knows nothing.” – English Proverb If you haven’t heard to be successful in sales is to talk less and listen more, then you’ve probably only been in sales for maybe an hour. Don’t worry, you just read it, so now you know. If the only voice you are hearing is your own, you’re talking too much. Best bet is to involve others in a conversation. What you talk about isn’t as important as the questions you ask about the other person. It’s up to you to keep offering verbal cues to keep them talking. FYI… The best verbal cues are questions about them! “The great gift of conversation lies less in displaying it ourselves than in drawing it out of others. He who leaves your company pleased with himself and his own cleverness is perfectly well pleased with you.” – Jean De La Bruyere Nothing repels people faster than a PowerPoint presentation that’s longer than the movie ‘Titanic’. When it comes to presentations, less is more. Slides are for background to your conversation with the audience. Use slides as visual cues to move your ‘conversation’ forward. Remember, you aren’t reviewing a 1,000+ vacation photos with your family. This is business. Keep focused on the topic and keep your audience involved! “It is good to rub and polish our brain against that of others.” Montaigne Lastly, always involve people in what you are doing! Ask them for their opinions. Provide an example problem and ask them how they would handle it. Ask them what they know about your business then, pardon my bluntness, shut up and let them tell you! Don’t get defensive, get informed and be informative! “Many can argue – not many converse.” - A. Bronson Alcott

Hot Introductions Now all about introductions… Referrals have three levels. The lowest and ‘COLD’ referral is when a client provides you with the name and phone number or email address of someone they know. This is slightly better than cold calling, but not by much. The middle and ‘WARM’ referral is a recommendation. This is when the client gives you a contact name and number, than makes the call recommending you to that person. The highest and ‘HOT’ referral is an introduction. This is when the client takes you by the hand, drives you in their car to their friend’s office or home, introduces you, and doesn’t leave until you’ve had a conversation and booked an appointment. “You can be professional while also ‘keeping it real’ with your customers. By interacting with customers in a less formal way, you’ll build a strong human connection that helps build brand loyalty.” David Hauser, co-founder of Grasshopper An introduction is the highest level of referral. Knowing this, why wouldn’t you seek to give and get introductions every single day? Now that you understand these distinctions, let’s take a look at my version of the Chinese quote… “Refer me and I’ll forget. Call me and I may remember. Introduce me and I’ll understand!” - Bobism

just a professional one, is very relaxing. Your ears are more open to someone who is not a cantankerous buzzard.” - Jacqueline Bisset Just so you know, I personally never claimed to know a lot of thing. But I do know a lot of people who know a lot of things, and in the end that has made all the difference! The ability to influence isn’t about control, but lack of control in trade for a more expansive effect in the world. More important than to control is to create. Many ideas are thought yet not done, until that is, you are introduced to someone who thinks your ideas are amazing, and willing to take action with you on them! There’s magic in introductions. Go out today, introduce some people to one another, and make magic happen! “A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” ― John Lennon

Chocolate Blues™ Area Director Robert ‘Bob’ Christiansen, Jr. is a dreamer, imaginist, conceptualizer, dabbler and optimist; his strength is inspiring others to believe in their ideas. A native Long Islander, Bob’s trained people around the world with humorous interaction, bringing belief for their dreams. Whether leading classrooms, or boardrooms - on topics ranging from community projects to business leadership - his simple yet inspired social marketing practices produce real positive results. Consistently raising the bar and bringing it crashing down on stagnating anachronisms, Bob personifies possibility – “See Something, Do Something! Why? Because You Can!” Contact Robert Christiansen by E-mail at Bob@ Bizfestival.com or by phone 631-334-1766. Let’s Connect! Via facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ rchristiansenjr

Connectors only do introductions. Connectors are people who make it a point to connect great people with great people. They are movers and my strongest recommendation is that to work with ‘Connectors’, you need to be a connector! “Being around people with whom you feel a connection, on many levels, not

9 Surefire Topics To Cure Writers Block Written By: Michelle Ketterman At some point in our lives, every one of us has that pull. That nagging feeling that tugs on our heart, telling us that others want to hear our voice, our stories, and our writing. Unfortunately, more often than not, this great thought goes no further than that initial tug. But why is that? Quite simply, it is because passion does not understand writer’s block. Wouldn’t it be easier if our heart and passion was directly linked to our typing fingers? It would. But until then, there are several tricks to help get your creative juices flowing. Start writing even when you have nothing to write about, sit down and write anything that comes

to mind. The key is quantity, not quality. Do not worry about what you write...only that you write.

Please complete the following sentence: I am really good at ______________.

Schedule writing time especially when you have writer’s block. It is imperative to work writing time into your plan and routine to allow for good writing to happen.

Step away from your computer and clear your head. The best fuel for new writing ideas is to think of something else...anything else.

Draw from everyday instances and experiences as foundation for possible writing projects. Reach out to others. Try this exercise: send the following email to 50 acquaintances and make sure to include people you know from different sources, like friends, family, coworkers, networking partners, masterminding buddies, etc.:

Watch the news and look for stories that pique your interest or imagination. Interview a mentor or wellrespected elderly member of your community. These guys are the backbone of society and coincidentally have amazing stories; learn from them and use their experiences as foundations for strong writing.

Meet a friend for lunch and talk about anything except your current writing project (or the lack of one). Spend time with a toddler. Nothing gets your mind off routines or the stress of writer’s block as efficiently and quickly as a small child’s point of view. There are countless ways to conquer writer’s block. These are just a handful of ideas to overcome this common affliction. Whatever method you use to overcome writer’s block, the important thing is that you do SOMETHING; don’t just give in to the void, do anything you can get past the block as soon as possible!

Toni Harris to what may not be the best “investment” for their situation.

Toni Harris, also known as The Turnaround Queen, has taken drastic steps to author two books in 2012 while being a full-time student and a caregiver to her husband. The first book, “An American Nightmare”, is an educational memoir dedicated to those who either lost their home, chose not to buy a home or wonder if home ownership is right for them. The book takes a look at the traditional way of purchasing a home and lets consumers know that homeownership may not be the best option for them at this time in their lives. It also declares strongly that if a person does not own a home they are not a second class citizen and that it is their right to say no,

Toni’s second book is titled “Sometimes You Have to Take a Drastic Step to Turn Your Life Around.” This book is motivational, inspirational and transformational. It will inspire the reader to think outside the box when it comes to solving problems in their lives. It is a collection of stories from people of all walks of life who have taken personal, professional and financial drastic steps to turn their situations around. This book is the first in a series and will be a match to the famous Chicken Soup and Dummies series of books. The next book will be released in January 2013 and will be titled, “Sometimes You Have to Take a Drastic Step to Turn Your Finances Around.” If you have an interesting financial turnaround story you want to share with the world, please contact Toni. Toni Harris is a speaker, coach, author and radio show host. Toni is

available to speak on taking DRASTIC steps to turn your life around, personally, professionally and financially. Please contact Toni at toni@ toniharrisspeaks.com or at 713-387-9273.

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At a young age, Ladie NiQue developed a passion for writing. Going into her Junior year of college, with a major in English, she is publishing her first book, Pregnant with a Purpose. She enjoys creative writing and one day hopes to travel overseas to teach English. Besides having a love for writing and education, Ladie NiQue enjoys music, movies, and singing.

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Sharon C. Jenkins Programs called The Literary Showcase and America’s Favorite Author where she has interviewed hundreds of authors, affording them the opportunity to get their message to the masses.

Sharon C. Jenkins is an educator, author, motivational speaker and workshop facilitator who serves as the Inspirational Principal for The Master Communicator & Associates and is the mastermind behind the successful 2010 - 2011 Authors Networking Summit. Ms. Jenkins is also the Tele-class Facilitator for Powerful Women International and she is the “Head Bean Counter” for the new on-line virtual training site, Cool Beans University. Known as The Master Communicator, is proficient in communicating in several forms of media: radio, newspapers, magazines, and the spoken word. She is the Consulting Editor for d-mars. com’s Business, Faith-Based, and Health and Wellness Journals and she hosts BlogTalk Radio

As a freelance w r i t e r she has written for several local and national publications such as Yahoo Shine, Diva Toolbox, Beauty Come Forth Magazine, and crafted Small Business Today’s lead article for their premier issue with Farouk Shamir. In addition to Authorpreneurship, The Business of Writing, Jenkins is the author of Beyond the Closet Door and has coauthored two other books, Songs of Three Sisters and Ready, Set, Succeed: Making Your Dream Come True. Jenkins is also the brainchild behind several author’s workshops. Her prevailing mission is to equip authors to live their literary dreams without emptying their bank accounts. She started this undertaking four years ago with the Desire to Inspire Workshops, which progressed to the 2010 and 2011 Authors Networking Summit which were hosted in Houston and Detroit. The 2012 Authors Networking Summit will introduce The Authorpreneurship Project and America’s Favorite Author “people’s choice” competition. Nominations are currently being accepted at www. authorsnet wor k ingsummit. com through July 15, 2012. The winning author will receive a $1000 prize and the

authors who win in their specific genres will get $100 each. There will be an awards ceremony at the 2012 Authors Networking Summit. As a literary midwife, she has seen the birthing of An American Nightmare, the Pitfalls of Home Ownership by Toni R. Harris, Whatever You Do Brand You by Michelle R. Harden and Frank’s Roadmap to Career Success by Frank T. Mitchell.

The Making of a Speaker even though the director threw a fit a few times. Unbeknownst to me, the director gave my first solo to another woman. During a dress rehearsal, I discovered this change as I approached the center of the stage on cue, along with the other woman. I looked at her and we both began to sing. The director cut the scene.

I’ll never forget when Michelle Ketterman, founder of The Inventory Institute, asked me to speak at her annual home inventory business national conference. I was petrified. I had not been in front of an audience in years, much less given a presentation on graphic design and marketing. In my younger days, I was thrilled to be on the stage: singing in high school musicals, acting out small parts of a play. Though never playing a main character, I reveled in the being a supporting cast member. It wasn’t until my adulthood when the director of a local play said I could sing a solo. Though I couldn’t exactly mimic the popular song, what I sang was actually pretty good,

He looked at me and said in a loud booming voice “She will be singing this part.” I was humiliated! Embarrassed! Shocked! Supportive cast members came to my side after rehearsal; with tears in my eyes I said “it’s okay. I can’t sign that well anyway.” I was not aware of how blessed I was with such good friends. I was informed the next day that the solo was given back to me. In fact the woman who the director had selected made it clear to him she did not want it. Wow, how awesome was that? After that experience, I found that I was more comfortable behind the scenes. I am a terrific designer and I make other people and their businesses shine. So it caught me off guard when I responded “yes” to Michelle’s request. I don’t get in front of the camera, I don’t seek audience approval. I took several months to prepare my presentation. Rehearsing in front of the mirror and driving my husband crazy with numerous rehearsals.

And then the day came. I was so nervous. About 25 people filled the space. I had not been in front of an audience in almost 20 years. I took a deep breath, walked to the front, found some familiar faces… and talked. I stumbled a few times; I got nervous in the middle wondering if my information was beneficial to the audience. After the speech was over, I got the applause. And some accolades: “good job, ”“very informative,” “that was great.” But there was one person in the room whom I was anxious to get a review from and that was Karen Bragg Matthews. She is heavily involved in Toastmasters and I actually told her months prior I didn’t need Toastmasters. And you know what she told me? She said “You were very good.” I was suspicious and asked, “Are you just saying that?” and she replied, “No. I don’t just say things to say something.” I was there to do a favor for a friend, and this favor propelled me to get back on stage, to entertain the audience. And I want to help other speakers and authors to shine, and ensure their branding is stellar. After all, when you give more to your audience, you give back to yourself. Alicia White backoftheroomproductions.com 800-313-5911 x304 facebook.com/SpeakersBriefcase

Written by Robert New

n the last issue I wrote a brief primer on podcasting. This issue I’d like to give you a little incentive on why podcasting can help boost your business. Edison Research and Arbitron have done studies of podcast consumers for the past seven years. They have found some interesting statistics of podcast consumers that we should be aware of. Let’s first look at the demographics of who listens or watches a podcast. Nearly one-third of Americans have listened to an audio podcast, one-fourth of Americans have watched a video podcast, and one in six have listened or watched in the last 6 months. Of those consumers, half are between the ages of 12 and 34 and 40% have a household income greater than $75K. Podcast consumers spend more time online and more than half use social networks nearly every day or more. Thirtyfour percent use them several times per day. They are heavy YouTube users and more likely to share YouTube videos.

podca Gre to

Podcast consumers are more likely to take their audio out of the home, own more mobile devices than average, and watch TV in non-traditional ways such as on phones, computers, or tablets. So in a nutshell, what does mean? Podcast consumers are young, tech savvy, and affluent. They also tend to consume media that avoid typical advertising media, such as television, newspaper, and magazines. Podcast consumers also tend to spend time more on social media sites and use deal sharing sites such as Groupon. This is behavior opens all sorts of doors for you to promote your business, service, or product in a way that your competition may be missing.

Do a search for podcasts related to your business, if the field is wide open, consider starting your own. You can make a podcast each week sitting at your own kitchen table telling about your field and the news or events taking place. You just need to keep it up. It also forces you to stay abreast of what is going on.

If you can’t or don’t want to get into podcasting yourself, seek out a podcast that is growing and inquire about becoming a sponsor or buying advertising time. Either way, podcast consumers spend a LOT of time on Facebook and YouTube. Make sure you promote your podcast, or the one you advertise on, there.

asts a way eat learn

Part DEUX

I have been a regular on a podcast for several years now. It started as a Saturday morning show on a couple of local AM radio stations discussing technology. Then it became available as a podcast in addition to the radio show. When the host needed to take some time off, we had no idea there would be so many complaints. Now we have had to start it back up. Podcasting is a like a blog, the results may not be immediate, but you must be consistent and persistent. Over time, the payoff can be well worth the investment. And you can have a little fun along the way. 33

Being the Best Boss You Can Be

How to succeed in today’s evermore-competitive business market seems to be a frequently discussed topic in our slowed economic environment. Much like success in athletic sports it is essential to have goals, but too much focus on the goal will cause failure more often than not. For example the tight end in football is wide-open sees the goal and no one between him and it, as he is catching the ball he takes one last look at the goal and misses the catch. In golf a player who looks too much at the green and not enough on the ball is more likely to hook or slice the ball and cost him more shots to the green. In Nascar a crew that puts too much focus on the long run to the finish line will typically not do as well as the team who focuses on each run and winning all the pit stops. 34

In a business we need to apply the same balanced approach, but the temptation is to focus more on the bottom line than what gets you there. Sales have become the larger portion of a company’s focus, some may make many sales initially but they may never have the same customers again without serving them before, during and after the sale. The principle is foundational and should be service first, much like a baseball player who keeps his focus on center of the ball exactly where he will hit it, in order to send it over the fence. A satisfied customer can be more valuable than two or three sales. I have learned that years down the road a satisfied customer is still sending us business; the truth is sometimes less is more. But to serve our customer’s needs takes more time and effort and consequently we tend to think we could be spending that time making sales. Often when a company reaches it’s sales goals for several years they are rewarded with buying power which gives them a leg up on the completion. With this seems to come a sense of pride in their achievements. Often there is a pattern of cutting service and an increase in sales, marketing and efficiency, which tends to lead to, cuts in real

customer service. Those who are careful about protecting customer service will stand longest. Never forget to serve your employees and suppliers as well; Being The Boss gives us more opportunities to serve and to pass it on to the next generation. By John Robertson Home Builder and Author of A Father’s Love Contacts: Website: hnrobertsonmercyandtruth.com

Email; john@jjcok.com Cell: 918-521-7743 Office: 918-772-1002

What Does Your Image Say About You? to be struggling and may close its doors any day? Your outward appearance is your communication to the world. Make it clear and concise as you may only get one opportunity. Does your outward appearance exude confidence and success or sloppiness and self-doubt? The next time you’re at networking meeting or restaurant for lunch assess how others are dressed and think about your judgments. You will probably have ideas of what they do for a living, how successful they are and how much money they make. While how you dress depends on many factors, one of the most important is what is the image you want to project to your clients? Do you want them to see you as confident, successful, powerful, intelligent, creative, resourceful or maybe high integrity? Here are a few simple tips to keep in mind when it comes to your appearance. You only get 4 seconds to make a great first impression. Someone will decide in about 3 minutes if they like you, want to do business with your or invest in you or your business. As a business owner you are pulled in so many different directions. You may be wondering with all of the things on your “To Do” list is your appearance really that important? Shouldn’t the most important things be the quality of your products and services? They are all important of course. A potential client or customer may be wondering if your not paying attention to the details of your personal appearance what other details may you miss the mark on. Also someone who looks put together looks more successful. Do you think people want to work with a business that looks like its doing well and will be around for the next 20+ years or a business that seems

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Clothing should be clean and wrinkle free.

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Pay attention to the details. o Shoes in great condition. o Appropriate amount of jewelry. o For women be sure that your make-up isn’t too heavy.

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If you haven’t had a compliment on your clothes in the last week you probably need to update your wardrobe.

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If you haven’t had a compliment on your hair in the last two weeks then you may need an updated hair style.

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Be authentic to your personal style. Don’t try to be someone your not.

Today things have seemed to become more relaxed with business casual dress. Think about how you feel when you’re dressed professionally vs. casually. When you dress to impress your confidence will soar. Can improving your appearance make you more successful? Yes, I believe it can. Dana Lam www.DoesThisPonytail.com www.facebook.com/doesthisponytail 35

21 Ways To Make Money Speaking positive impact on the world. Felicia holds two Master’s Degrees: one in Adult Education and Training and another in Communication. Her enthusiastic passion for communication is contagious because she knows that one important message delivered with power can transform a life. A Mom to two young daughters and wife to an entrepreneurial husband, Felicia knows what it takes to build a successful and fun business that feeds your soul in the midst of a busy life. 21 Ways to Make Money Speaking is jam-packed with 21 useful, actionable tips that will help you get more clients or customers, grow your name recognition and perhaps most importantly, help you make money using your voice.

Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad. Ed., is a speaker, communication consultant and author of Cash in on Communication and Kill the Elevator Speech. Felicia works with small and home-based business owners, experts and entrepreneurs to help them more effectively communicate their messages in order to get more prospects, more clients, and more cash flow while building and maintaining strong relationships locally, nationally, and virtually using the Internet and public speaking. Felicia lives her life with energy, passion and enthusiasm because she realizes each moment is precious. After nearly losing her life during childbirth in 2004, a little more than a year later she began to put her communication and public speaking talents to use to create a

Each “Way” is a bite-sized nugget of information—a tip, strategy, or idea that’s easy to implement right away. In her signature warm, accessible style, Felicia shares stories “from the trenches,” for each tip, demonstrating how she and her wide network of phenomenally successful experts and businesspeople have used these ideas to increase their speaking success. For example, you’ll learn: · The different types of events that use speakers, and the types of speeches you can give ·

How to get sponsors for your speaking events

· How to develop and lead webinars, teleseminars, and virtual workshops · How to use social media to get more speaking gigs and build buzz around your events · How to develop your Signature Speech™ -- and use it to make more money! Whether you use all of Felicia’s 21 Ways or just a few, you are almost guaranteed to start earning more money by speaking!

Do You Have a Prosperity Mindset? think you can’t do something, you can’t. Negative feelings arise from time to time and that’s okay. However, you need to keep a positive image of the big picture in your mind at all times. When you open up to new opportunities, you open up to prosperity. You can dream all day about where you’d like your life to go, but without a goal or an action plan nothing will happen. Take time to think about the big picture and then draw in the lines of how you’re going to get there. Don’t Give Up! Written by: Lorene Purcy Do You Have a Prosperity Mindset? There are certain ways you can chase your dreams while keeping wealth and prosperity in mind at the same time. A prosperity mindset encourages you to take action each day to improve your life on numerous levels, such as health, wealth, love or anything else you deem important. The most important suggestion I can make is that you learn by example. Find someone successful whom you admire and do what they do. These individuals serve as proof that your dreams can come true. You might be surprised to know that successful people love to inspire others to find success. They know that there’s plenty of success to go around. That’s the prosperity mindset in action! If you believe in yourself, you can achieve prosperity. The moment you

You have to have dedication, motivation and drive to tell yourself that you’ll stop at nothing before you reach success. When you talk to or study the actions of someone who is successful, they’ll likely tell you tales of their many failures. There were times when I felt like giving up, but was able to push through defeat. People with prosperity mindsets are all different. They have different approaches to getting what they want and they have different definitions of what prosperity is for them. There are certain things they do have in common though. They all have a hungry enthusiasm for life and a positive attitude that they’ll continue to use on the journey forward. If you feel that you lack any of the core beliefs and are still unsure about whether or not you can adopt a prosperity mindset, you could always look into getting advice from a life coach. They’ll be able to break down your

problems and concerns and tailor a plan that will work for you personally. Known for a contagious passion for excellence, a talent for practical business solutions, and a competence for being a motivational leader, Lorene Collier Purcy, is a professional speaker, author & lifestyle prosperity coach. She recently published (2) newly released books “Get Rich Savvy Chick: Elevate Your Mind and Keep Prosperity in Your Pocketbook!” & “Procrastinating Perfectionista: Life Perfected… From Procrastination to Transformation.” Whether its life balance or financial management strategies, Lorene has been helping individuals realize their true potential and acts as their accountability partner, assisting them on how to effectively implement strategies to live the life they truly deserve. You can contact Lorene at info@ savvychicks.me or visit her online at www.savvychicks.me.

Increase

It’s easy to meet a lot of people. However, just meeting people does not necessarily generate new business and opportunities. The key is – are you connecting with people in a way that gives you the ability to be powerful resources for one another?

Your ability to connect and communicate with others gives you “people power”. And with people power you have access to a tremendous network of resources, information, support and business contacts. Networking links people and information to one another for the mutual benefit of everyone involved. One of the reasons networking has gotten a bad

Your People

Power by donna fisher

The Power Networking ebook highlights the “nuggets” from Donna’s other books providing you with powerful reminders of how to be consistently effective with meeting people and building mutually beneficial relationships. She includes links to several articles, audio interviews, and a gift of two free cards for you to send as part of her “Networking with Kindness” Campaign.

reputation is because people are selling in the name of networking, but those who are truly masterful at networking know how to build relationships based on respect, professionalism and mutual benefit. Developing your “People Power” by listening to people to show that you are genuinely interested in who they are. Masterful listening means giving your full attention to Seventy percent of new career opportunities are generated through networking, making it an indispensable careerbuilding skill. Professional Networking for Dummies is a how-to guide that gives even the shyest reader solid advice on making small talk, meeting new contacts, and developing a networking mindset. It also includes information on networking clubs, using voice and e-mail, Internet networking, and much more.

someone else to create a connection that goes beyond the words that are being said. It is through listening that people connect and develop trust and rapport. Another skill that enhances your “People Power” is your ability to make requests in a way that acknowledges the other person. Asking for help and information is a way of including people and actually acknowledging them for the contribution or knowledge they have to share. In reality, most people feel flattered, acknowledged and glad to help, once you reach out to them to make your request. The difference

between being a mediocre networker, who occasionally produces results and experiences sporadic satisfaction, and a master networker is your level of commitment. Is networking a good idea? Absolutely. Networking is the most cost-effective marketing tool for growing your business and reaching an endless stream of influential contacts. And there is also documentation that people who have a strong support system tend to live longer and recover more quickly from illness. Practice your “People Power” skills (from the book, People Power: 12 Power Principles to Enrich Your Business,

Balance Your Brain for Networking Success by Donna Fisher and Dr. Jerry Teplitz Switched-on Networking gives you instructions on how some simple Brain Gym processes will immediately rewire your brain for networking ease and effectiveness. You can use the latest in mind-body processes illustrated in this book to switch any negative beliefs, behaviors and experiences that have gotten in the way of your success and re-wire your brain for ease and effectiveness with your networking. You will immediately re-educate your brain to network with ease, efficiency and effectiveness. Once you have “Switched-On” your brain for optimum networking success you can use your “new” effectiveness to grow your business, meet new clients, expand your circle of influence, and/or find that perfect job. “Switching-On” your ability to network effectively will enhance all areas of your life!

Career and Personal Networks) and effective networking will become a natural part of who you are. Making a commitment to yourself, your relationships, and these “People Power” principles is the most powerful step you can take toward a rich, fulfilling life. Power Networking: 59 Secrets for Personal and Professional Success by Donna Fisher The secrets to success lie not in what you do but in how you relate to yourself and the world around you. Power Networking shows you how to tap into your inner resources while working wisely with your outer resources: your network.

The power of networking is in the human interaction and the personal value generated through that interaction. No matter who you are, where you are, how old you are, or what profession you are in, you have vast resources available for whatever you want to accomplish in life.

Judy’s World part of me became even more prevalent as I raised my children.

When our children are born, all we want is for them to be healthy. We have hopes and dreams for them and want them to live life to the fullest. While I was always a compassionate person, this

Like many other parents, I had my son involved in play groups, playing with the latest toys and read to him all the time. But I could see something was different yet no one could tell me what it was. His milestones were delayed and his behavior was very peculiar. It was not until he was 4 ½ years old that he was diagnosed with Autism. While I was relieved to finally receive a diagnosis, I was frightened about the future. I was dealing with special schools, speech therapy, occupational therapy and a world of uncertainty. But this is your child and you do whatever it takes to get them the help that they need.

The World of Autism Through the Eyes of a Mother 42

Within a few months of the diagnosis, I could see that something was not right with my younger son. I was so much smarter this time and I knew what to look for. After having him tested, I was again given the Autism diagnosis. While I knew I would manage because I had to, I was scared about how I would cope. Somehow, the strength comes through and I’ve learned so much from raising my children. Now 20 and 17, they also cope with ADD, OCD, anxiety and Tourette Syndrome. I’ve been public speaking for 10 years about hidden disabilities and was encouraged to write about my life and the journey raising my boys. Judy’s World was self-published in October 2011 and it has opened up more opportunities for my educating others. After each presentation, my audience wants to know more and my book shares the joys and struggles of my life. I write with compassion, humor and honesty. I never want readers or my audience to feel sorry for me. This is not why I share my story. It is my hope that with awareness and understanding of what life is like for those with hidden disabilities, people will be more understanding and tolerant toward those who appear to be typical but are very different from the rest of us. Judy Blake

How To Develop The Right Attitude To Be A Successful Entrepreneur need to pay attention to as an entrepreneur. You must never ever lose focus during the course of your venture. You need to keep focus on the venture prior to launch; however, it increasingly becomes more important once your venture has started. Therefore, at every stage on the path to success as an entrepreneur, one must not lose focus from the goals and objectives. By focusing, I mean converging all your energy and attention to one point.

Every large corporation we now see started from a small outlet, where someone introduced a new and unique idea. All these entrepreneurs thought they could do something unique, and then spend their day and night in making their idea a reality. The corporations we see are the examples of success of only a few of the thousand ventures undertaken by entrepreneurs. When it comes to becoming a successful entrepreneur the thing that matters the most is the attitude. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the attitude that differentiates a successful venture from a venture that resulted in lost time and money. Below, I explain the five factors that you should focus on to develop the attitude that will lead you to become a successful entrepreneur. Focus is the first factor that you

An adrenaline rush is the next thing you need to become a successful entrepreneur. Adrenaline can only stimulate your body if you love what you do. Therefore, if your venture is just out of an idea from your friends and family then you may not achieve success. On the contrary, if you are passionate about your idea then you will work on it day and night, no matter how much resistance you face. This is the attitude that will make you successful. Discipline is the undisputed trait of a successful entrepreneur. However, although some despise discipline, if you ask or observe any successful entrepreneur, discipline is the one factor that they all have in common. You need to have discipline in hiring employees, delegating authority and in all the business processes, so that the business runs efficiently and there

is no fluctuation in the productivity level. No one can deny the importance of coaching. To be successful in your venture it is advisable to have three or four different coaches that can guide you throughout your course and provide you the necessary directions that prevent you from getting stuck on your way to success. You can choose different coaches to focus on different areas of business; eg. a financial coach, a motivational coach, etc. The last and most important factor for success is practice. As all of you know, practice makes perfect. Therefore, in your businesses processes, try to make a habit of practicing a procedure before implementing. The more you practice a process, the better it gets with time and you will be able to achieve success from your business. In conclusion, if you want to be a successful entrepreneur, then you need to have an attitude that supports practicing your procedures, strict discipline, rigorous coaching, an unflinching focus, and an adrenaline rush that reflects your passion and excitement. Nadine Lajoie www.nadineracing.com

The Art of Fear-Free Living:

Awaken Your Genius The Art of Fear-Free Living: Awaken Your Genius ($21.99) By: Catrice M. Jackson A few years ago I went through a very dark time that I call a valley moment. My life seemed like the bottom fell out of it and I was falling deep into the dark pit of fear. There were times I wanted to give up and just free fall but my inner genius said loud and clear “no, do not give up, this is not your destiny but rather the preparation for your destiny.” I thought I was alone but found comfort, inspiration and hope through the feminine connections of other women who too chose to stare fear in the face and say bring it on! I share the real, raw naked truth about my journey through fear along with 11 other brave women who said NO to fear and yes to life. In The Art of Fear-Free Living, Catrice’s first anthology, she shares the bitter-sweet stories of 12 courageous, ordinary women who conquered their fears through the power of enlightenment and self-love. These “fearless femmes” chose to stare fear in the face and say bring it on! Their heartfelt, uplifting stories will inspire you to wake up your Geni(us), release your SHero and begin living an authentic, fearless and simply delicious life! Sprinkled 44

with life empowerment tips, inspirational quotes and fearless living strategies, you’ll be inspired to summon your inner Genie and courageously grant your every command and the desires of your heart. The Art of Fear-Free Living is your gold-lantern moment to break free from the captivity of fear, recreate your life story and liberate your life and dreams. Hop on your magic carpet, take a deep breath, trust and believe in yourself and let • Embrace the power of living in love instead of living in fear. • Move from paralyzed to passionate, powerful and purposed. • Receive the keys of clarity, confidence and courage to unlock your SheRo. • Diminish the power of fear and eliminate its grip on your life. • Courageously say yes to the things that make your heart sing and feed your soul. the magical awakening begin...

• Awaken the authentic, brilliant woman within and elevate to your highest self.

Prepare to embark upon a magical soul journey to discover, embrace, release, and celebrate the powerful Delicious! The Savvy Woman’s Guide for Living a Sweet, Sassy and brilliance of your inner Geni(us). Satisfied Life ($19.99) Experience these magical As my son got older I clearly realized moments… that I had to begin intentionally creating my life and fully becoming • Discover how strong, brave and the woman I desired to be. As an wise you are.

avid foodie and Food Network TV watcher, the word delicious dropped into my spirit as I searched for how I wanted to be, live and show up in the world. I desired everything delicious in my life. I desired a delicious relationship, a delicious home, a delicious business and a delicious way of being. I decided to create my own unique recipe for living a delicious life and to do it with savvy, sassy flavor. I knew other women desired it too and I created a way for women to live the delicious life on their own terms.

the inside out. Delicious, is a timely, relevant life tool to uncovering your true self and guides you to the simplest, clearest way to inspired action to become who you want to be. Delicious is not a book you just read, it challenges you to do the work on yourself from the inside out. Each tasty chapter requires you to answer critical questions for enlightenment, encourages you to extract your best qualities, and inspires you to take fearless action. Additionally, you’ll learn how to use the 7 Laws of Delicious Living to create a personalized power and use it, live by your own plan for creating your dream life. standards, release the genius within Every woman deserves to live the you, eliminate your excuses, boldly sweet life if she chooses to embrace As a special bonus you’ll get 100 conquer your fears, confidently just her personal power and create a additional tips to add flavor to your be you, discover your special gifts, unique recipe for delicious living. daily life and 30 savvy strategies to ask for what you want and get it, get Catrice M. Jackson, has whipped up be more magnetically delicious and rid of toxic people in your life, think a literary love your life masterpiece get what you want out of life. By and act fearlessly, stop settling for that captures the essence of self- the time you digest this book you less, bring your dream to life and love in a way that prepares women will be empowered to: think big show up and shine in your life with to take charge of their lives from instead of playing small, own your no guilt or regrets.

How to Build a Successful Team Lydia P. Ford, Author of:” “Don’t For Get to Say Your Prayers.” Shares some insightful tips on team building Building a great team starts with leadership. Leaders must love what they are doing. Leaders must have such a passion for their work that they would do it whether they got paid to do it or not. There is a difference between a job and work. God never told Adam to get a job. He placed him over an entire piece of property and told him to rule over it, care for it, and make assignments as necessary. That is much different than getting a job. People change jobs like they change clothing and shoes. You will know that you have found your life’s work when your passion and not a bad case of gas keeps you up all night. Leaders are willing to sacrifice to make their dream come through. They have the ability to influence someone else. A good leader will study leaders of the past and evaluate their authenticity and effectiveness. All leaders should be expected to raise the level of performance of those around them and evaluate their employees fairly. Employers must be properly trained and proficient in evaluating their employees. In my profession of teaching, principals will have to undergo extensive training to learn how to measure teacher effectiveness in the coming year.

to know who belongs on your team. Everybody comes into this world with a gift. However, through the process of time we also acquire issues or baggage that we have collected from our family, environment or from some other source. Nevertheless, people need to feel a sense of belonging. Good team, players extend trust to one another. Initially it is a risk because your trust can be violated and you can get hurt. At the same time they are giving trust, each team member must conduct themselves in such a way as to earn the trust of others by holding themselves to a high standard. When everyone gives freely and bonds of trust develop and are tested over time, they begin to have faith in one another. They believe that the people next to them will act with consistency, keep commitments, maintain confidence, and support each other.

Leaders are born out of adversity. Most leaders have suffered some type of rejection and failure on the way to becoming an overcomer. Losing my daughter and husband only a year apart was the impetus that started Most of us would rather settle for achieving less, than me on the career path of becoming an author. The gift having to put up with “people problems.” But fulfilling and the passion was always there, but the seed was a great dream usually means having an excellent team. dormant until my publisher Peter Biadasz ,President And great teams are made up of people. Great teams of Total Publishing and Media, wrote me and told me are made up of people with strengths-and weaknesses. that my manuscript was worthy of being published. Most of us are not called to do a job alone; there are I am looking forward to being on his team for many usually others that must stand with us. The key here is more book publications. Lastly, every great team experiences disagreements and conflict. The leader of a mega-church writes, “Let’s not pretend we never disagree. We are dealing with 16,000 people and the stakes are high. Let’s not have people hiding their concerns to protect a false notion of unity. Let’s face the disagreement and deal with it in a good way.” I believe the mark of any good business, company, school system etc is to admit when something is jacked up, messed up, tore up from the floor up. The mark of a great company is not the absence of conflict; it is the presence of a reconciling spirit. You can have a knock down drag out fight behind closed doors, but when the rubber meets the road, there must be a commitment to each other. The team is expected to leave that meeting giving high-fives, slapping each other on the back and saying, “I’m glad we are still on the same team”. 46

Have You Made Any Mistakes? Written by: Rabia Erduman Have you made any mistakes in your life? Are you still judging yourself for the mistake you made last year, 2 years ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago? Are you also judging others for the mistakes they have made last year, 2 years ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago? We are raised in a very judgmental culture: “Once a mistake, always a mistake.” Growing up, you have learned very young that mistakes are bad, that you should not be making any mistakes, and you will be punished if you make a mistake. Imagine the tension that this conditioning has created in you, your mind, your body, your Nervous System as the innocent child that you were back then. As that child you didn’t have choice but to believe what you were told by the grown ups, the “Authorities” in your life.

going to ask how the test went. The tension in your body, the fear, insecurity, doubt you had to repress and couldn’t share with them. And at times, when you did get a bad grade, going home with the fear of getting judged, getting punished for it. Having to hold back your true feelings, pretend to be okay. How sad... You are raised in a culture that believes in “You are what you do. You do something bad, you are bad. You do something good, you are good.” which is a lie.

All our lives we have been told this lie, which has created deep tension about making a mistake. The truth is that mistakes are natural. As human beings, we very likely will make mistakes when learning something new. Imagine you are raised in the United States, and as a teenager have learned how to drive. Then, one day, you find yourself in a car in London, England. Remember going home from Obviously you don’t know how to school after an important test, not drive on the opposite side of the knowing whether you are going to road. It is natural that it will take get a good grade or a bad grade? you some time to learn this new You knew your mom, your dad were skill, and that you will make some mistakes along the way. When we realize we made a mistake, apologizing is the key. A simple and clear “I’m sorry” clears the air between you and the person or people involved.

Look at your life, find any mistaes you have made that included other people in your life. Chose one situation, imagine that person in front of you. Then, simply apologize for the mistake you have made. Like; “I was 30 minutes late to our appointment and didn’t let you know. I’m sorry.” No excuses needed. This simple apology is an acknowledgment that you both are equal adults, having equal

rights, and you made a mistake. How about the other way - when your friend was late and didn’t contact you? Same procedure. Imagine looking at your friend and say; “You were late to our appointment, and didn’t contact me. This was a mistake. I forgive you.” As a child we got trained to take things personally. When someone made a mistake that affected us, we learned to believe that we aren’t good enough, we don’t deserve good things. As an Adult today, step into the knowing that you are lovable, good enough, you have equal rights with all adults, and mistakes happen. That your friend in our example was late had nothing to do with you. She/he got stuck in his/her trauma pattern from childhood conditioning and made a mistake by not letting you know. You bath are equally good enough and lovable. You are not supposed to be perfect. Perfection does not exist, is not a natural state. Mistakes do happen. Realize now that it is natural for you to make mistakes. Give yourself permission love yourself and to learn from your mistakes.

Rabia Erduman Biography Rabia Erduman was born in Istanbul, Turkey and later spent ten years in Germany before arriving in the United States in 1983. She has traveled extensively in Europe, India, and Bali and is fluent in English, German, and Turkish. Rabia has a B.A. in Psychology, and uses the Clarity Process, Alchemical Hypnotherapy, Reiki, Craniosacral Therapy, Polarity Therapy, and Trauma Release to assist clients in their process of self-discovery. She teaches Chakra Balancing, Intuitive Touch, and Spiritual Awakening workshops. Rabia has been in private practice since 1983 and teaching since 1984. An inspiring lecturer, Rabia has given talks on chakras, hypnotherapy, past life regression, and living life in ecstasy, among other topics. She has also been interviewed on Radio and Television Shows.

Rabia is the author of Veils of Separation - Finding the Face of Oneness,

and has four Guided Imagery CDs: Relaxation, Meditation, Chakra Meditation, and Inner Guides. To those wishing to understand her work, she says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have found working with the combination of mind, body, and energy to be highly effective in reaching optimum balance. My life and work are about being in the moment, free of fear and the feeling of separation. Deep joy is a natural expression of this process.â&#x20AC;?

PREFERRED Business Directory T

he Preferred Business Directory is no ordinary directory. This is not just a list of businesses. This directory is designed to help you to grow your professional network instantly. Everyone in our directory is a business owner who is a true ‘business connector’, dedicated to helping others succeed while they grow their own businesses. Each listing features a live link that will take you directly to the person’s Facebook fan page or to their website. When you join their fan pages, be sure to leave a note and introduce yourself. Building a strong network is vital to business today. Be sure to connect with each person in our directory and start the process of building new friendships, alliances and referral partners.

Danielle Mohr Cards and Mohr Connect with Danielle

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Connect with Carol 650-275-3817

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Dana Mazurek SoZo Life Connect with Dana

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Purse Party Inc. Connect with Purse Party 888-367-0416

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Michael Battaglia InsureYouToo Connect with Michael

Kim Coventry FitKim Connect wtih Kim

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a business connector who would like to be part of our Preferred Business Directory, you can register on our website or contact Margie for more information. www.BeTheBossMagazine.com or Margie: 803.673.1487

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