Parenting a Child to Success Can Have It’s Moments

The following is an actual email sent to my daughter last night. She works hard toward achieving her goals, which I have wholeheartedly supported, in more ways than one. We do, however, still have those moments where we must continue to parent, and a lesson is learned by all.

Dearest Daughter,

While the pride I feel as your mother makes my bosom swell, and you
are more precious to me than air for my own lungs, I returned home
shortly after 5 PM today, to find the monthly cell plan bill waiting
for me in the mailbox.

Imagine my distress when upon pulling back the envelope flap just
enough to see the amount due, the total was $158.72. OUCH Baby! Very Ouch!!!

It appears there were several additional peak minutes used, pushing us
well over the minutes our monthly plan allows. While I do see some
errors here (they billed us a couple times for calling each other),
the calls they chose to tag as overages were to XXX-XXX-XXX (1),
XXX-XXX-XXXX (many), and a couple of miscellaneous numbers.

Naturally, I plan to call the provider, point out their errors and
plead poverty, however, I think the time has finally come for us to
move forward with our plan to obtain separate cell phone accounts.

In the meantime, please remember that incoming calls to your phone are free, so if you must speak at length during peak hours, ask the person if they can call you back, or wait until after 9 PM or the weekend to call. Of course, calls to your mother can be made any time day or night, and are greatly appreciated.

Signed,

Your Beautiful Loving Mother : )

If you have any parenting “moments” you would like to share, please do : )

Can Other People Make You Have A Bad Day?

Yes…IF you give them permission to.

It is human nature for people to complain, criticize and condemn. I’m not sure why there are people out there who don’t want to see you succeed, or why they often seem to take on the form of your family members and loved ones. They are quick to tell you that this latest business you are trying to build is – yes, I’m going to say it – a “pyramid scheme”. Or, perhaps they turn a deaf ear and just say “good luck with that”. Or how about, “my girlfriend’s brother’s wife tried that, and they never made any money”. What I have observed throughout my adult life, and this does not necessarily relate to multi-level marketing or direct sales, is people in general will condemn something they do not understand. They do not want to listen to any concept that could take them outside their comfort zone.

For you to succeed in your own home based business, you must fight to keep the negatives out. You must realize that you have made the choice to pursue the business opportunity you feel is best for you. You must be the gatekeeper of your own mind. If you have established your iron clad “why”, then remember that it is YOUR reason, and this is YOUR life. You may even need to do a little housekeeping with some of your relationships. Surround yourself with positive people, people who have achieved want you want to. I’m not talking about coveting or idolizing them, but respecting them for what they have already accomplished. Spend some time observing their interaction with other people in person and on the phone. How do they manage their time? What do they do each and every day that gives them the slight edge and keeps them moving towards their goal? If they are a humble, genuine leader, they will gladly share their knowledge and experience with you.
It is, however, up to you to implement it.

For the chance to receive a Free DVD about how Mindset, Marketing and Mission play a huge role in your success, please click here.

Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your WordPress Blog?

Let me tell you what…I am so enjoying the people I am meeting on Twitter. One of my new follows/followers is Sherman Hu. After he DM’d me last Saturday, I went over and took a look at his site “Sherman Live”. Since I am in the process of learning how to set-up my own business blog using WordPress, his interview with Wendy Y caught my eye.

Here is Sherman’s description of the video from his site:

“Wendy Y Bailey of DIY Tech Talk is a colleague and social media buddy on Twitter. She interviewed me about the use of WordPress for business, and expanded on topics ranging from purpose of a blog for business use, plugins – along with my favorite plugins, themes – along with which 3 I recommend, integration with social media, and how to rank well and be visible on Google with blogs.
In this conversation, I shared edu-taining strategies using video to be visible, outrank your competition, and build your brand and expertise – tune in to this part of the conversation!”

The video is a little more than an hour long, but Sherman delivers everything he promises. To go directly to the video click here.

If you are new to WordPress.org, Sherman offers a service called WordPress Tutorials. It is only $9.95/month for the subscription and is jam packed with everything you need to put your own polished, SEO, Google friendly blog out there for your business. I’m including the link to that site, so you are sure to go to the right one. For WordPress Tutorials, click here.

Be sure to give Sherman Hu a follow on Twitter, and tell him Lisa Sawyer sent you. Happy Blogging!

The Power of a Definite Desire

Do you wish to be a successful entrepreneur?

Do you hope you can make enough money in your online business to fire your boss and work from home?

Or, do you know, definitively, that you will stand your ground and stake your entire future on your ability to get what you want?

For those of us over 40, the so-called Baby Boomers and Generation X, this can require a huge shift in thinking. We were not schooled in entrepreneurship. We were taught that you go to school, get a job, work your way up if necessary, and retire at age 65.

For me, back in the early 80’s, the girls went to work at the slipper factory, which happened to be across the street from the high school. The boys thought that if they landed a job at the local paper mill they had it made. Neither of these businesses is in existence today.

It’s not until you get beyond the standard reasons – I want to make more money, I want to work for myself – not until you find that definite burning desire will your thoughts and actions begin to change.

• State what you want in writing. Attach dollar amounts and timelines to each phase of your success, and read it aloud morning and night.
• Visualize what your life will be like once you own it. Who can you help once you acquire time and financial freedom? Get passionate and believe in yourself.
• Avoid negative news, press and influences.
• Surround yourself with positive, successful people and tap in to their wisdom. A good mentor can save you a lot of grief and frustration.
• Pay it forward by mentoring those who are just starting their own online or direct marketing business.

I tapped in to a powerful marketing system that not only gives me the tools I need to succeed by offering a great service to others, it gives me a company with great leadership.

In fact, it was an interview that Mike Dillard of Magnetic Sponsoring fame did with Jay Kubassek, CEO of Carbon Copy Pro, that solidified my reasons for choosing this system and this company. Jay said, “why is it we will work so hard for somebody else, but not for ourselves?” Sound familiar? How many of your kids ball games did you miss? How many road raged mornings have you commuted to your job – can’t be late!

You can obtain a copy of the Inside Out DVD with the entire 90 minute interview here. It’s a must have for any serious entrepreneur.

The Stumbles and Bumbles of a New Internet Marketer

Found this great article by Riley West on articlecity.com. I think there are thousands of people out there who can relate.

How to Get a Good Start in Internet Marketing
by: Riley West

I wish I had tripped over this article back in 2006. It would have prevented a lot of lost money and frustration.

But, that didn’t happen. I got a horrible start.

Fortunately I stuck with it! Lots of people give up right here. It kind of embarrasses me now to think about my bad start…but I’m going to tell you about it. Maybe it will save some newcomers to Internet Marketing the waste of money and time I went through.

When I first noticed Internet Marketing (IM) it was on my computer at home and I think I had typed into Google something like this… “how to make money with computer” or similar.

I wasn’t ready for what happened next. How could anybody be?

Google came back with a first page of results (about 20) all practically shouting headlines like “Make 300 Dollars per day with Our FREE Website!”

There’s thousands of these offers and a LOT of them are just set up to take advantage of people who need money for any reason.

Well, I fell for one. I think it was called (it’s gone now…funny) “Incredible Wealth Membership” Lets call it IWM for short here.

For $49 dollars it offered me a FREE website worth $297 just for signing up.

I couldn’t lose! Anybody would buy 300 dollar items for 50 bucks! So I did.

I can’t believe I was ever this gullible but what else would explain it?

Here’s the short version of what happened. I can hardly write this but maybe it will end up being somehow theraputic.

I paid the $49 Bucks. Then they told me I had to go to this Domain Name/Hosting outfit. I honestly didn’t know what that was.

After quite a bit of confusion I had a domain name and a hosting plan purchased. It cost me about $100 bucks. But IWM told me they had hundreds of folks making darn good money…daily, with this website. And, now I was only in it a hundred and fifty dollars.

I hid this from my wife.

Now, remember that IWM had promised me great support. I would need it! But I didn’t get it. I had to deal with them by way of “support tickets” and it took me quite a while to get that worked out. I mean it! I didn’t have the technical experience to make getting support easy!

I started to smell something fishy, but I remembered they had a money back guarantee, so I felt ok… but uneasy.

I wanted to see my website! It wasn’t there however. There were still things I had to do to get it up and running, so to speak.

I got an email with “source code” in it and an instruction I will never forget.

They said (I’m not kidding-they knew I was a total newbie)…”Just upload the source code to your URL with an FTP package!”

I stared at that instruction for some time and started getting mad. I had no idea what to do. I was a total beginner and they knew it. They said they were going to make it easy for me but, instead, it was practically impossible. For me anyway.

After a bunch of back and forth that took days I got them to upload it for me. Both sides were a little irritated by now.

After a bunch of other little hangups I had a website I could access but no way to alter or change it in any way.

Get this, the website sold memberships to IWM. Oh, my God…I suddenly got the picture.

I was expected to sell unsuspecting newcomers this thing that had caused me so much trouble AND that I knew virtually nothing about! I was out!

I asked for my money back and they became unresponsive and I never did get it back. At least two weeks had gone by with me getting nowhere but mad, and them getting my money!

I called the Domain/Hosting Company and asked for a refund. They said they could not refund the domain fee ($25) and that there a non-refundable set up fee for the hosting ($25) that would be deducted, also.

I just wanted out.

It’s at this point that I’d like to say that what happened there is actually common. I’ve been in this business for a while now and I’ve learned a lot of lessons…and this is one of the lessons that I have learned.

Everyday, thousands of newcomers to Internet Marketing wash up onto the shores of the “Make Money Online” world. Ninety percent or more never make it further. They waste time and lose their money into the pockets of those scavengers who will pick them off and look for their next victim, fast. It’s huge and it’s every day.

But, and this is where it gets good and where I got to soon after my bad start.

I realized that there were any number of “programs” out there that would gladly take my money and give me an ebook. But only a few of them were really any good.

You see, Internet Marketing (sales by means of the internet) has (like all businesses) it’s own technical language, it’s own jargon, and it’s own methods and, until you know what those are you are a prime prospect for people who just want to separate you from your money.

There are actually a lot of people in this business who are genuinely concerned with imparting a good education to those who want it. They’re also in it for the money, but not in a bad way.

I eventually found my way but it was hard and longer than it had to be. Also my education in Internet Marketing was far more expensive than it had to be.

Luckily I ran across what amounted to be an Online Internet Marketing School! I joined it. I’ve had lots of education and training in my life and a lot of what I am is the direct result of that.

In this school I learned a LOT! The jargon, the techniques, the big picture. I didn’t make any money but I learned how it is done.

I also learned that you need to know your stuff at least a little bit before you can start to find your way. That shouldn’t surprise anybody but I am constantly impressed with how little I knew at first.

Now, I am up and running with an online business. I look back at what was impossible two years ago and now I see a lot of it as easy.

I guess two years isn’t so long but I’ll bet a headline like “Try Really Hard for Two Years and You Might Make It” probably wouldn’t sell well.

Maybe it shouldn’t have to be said, but the best way to get a good start in Internet Marketing is to avoid getting a bad start in the first place.

Here’s to your success,

Riley West – An Internet Marketer In The Making.

For more information on the exact system I am using to learn internet marketing, please visit me here.

Trying to Find My Real Purpose

I just returned from a Master Marketing Event in Lake Tahoe. It took me 16 hours, 4 flights and 1 shuttle ride, each way, to get tips, tricks, and proven strategies from some of the top internet/social marketing phenoms in the industry. While they delivered this and more, I was also out there looking for some clarity – the best personal direction for this aspiring entrepreneur.

Wow, where do I begin to explain this . I started 2009 with absolute resolve that this is the year my life is going to turn around. I cannot shake this deep seeded feeling that there is God given talent within me that has lain dormant for far too long and is meant for greater things. I want my life back! I have far too many things I am passionate about, that require time freedom and financial freedom; things that serve others from a humble, grateful heart.

One speaker from the Tahoe event who I do not want to go unrecognized for his valuable contribution is John Kubassek, brother of Jay Kubassek, the co-founder of Carbon Copy Pro, who hosted this event. John’s transparency, his willingness to share sensitive moments from his life’s journey with a roomful of strangers touched me very deeply. So much of what he experienced resonated loudly with me – everything from the young rebellious choices that took him away from family, to self medicating, to failed marriages, to dissatisfaction with working for someone else, to having that revelation that your real purpose in life is something so much more than what you are doing.

You see, I began high school a high honor roll student destined for college. After a move during my sophomore year, I sought acceptance with the wrong crowd, began using illegal stimuli, and ended up quitting high school before graduation. I did obtain my GED that same year, but that meant no formal graduation and no class reunions for me. Most people do not know this, as they meet me now after a 26 year professional career, and assume I must have some sort of degree. I suppose in many ways I do. Becoming a mother at age 22, did change a lot of my self destructive behaviors. There were many times when I would not allow defeat because of this little life’s dependency on me. I have been a good bond servant; slaving away for others, always giving them 110%, to earn a paycheck, so I could provide a decent life for my daughter. If you have ever listened to the song “In My Daughter’s Eyes” by Martina McBride, it sums up my feelings quite sincerely. I have yet to get through the entire song without shedding a tear.

Here we are 22 years later – my daughter is about to graduate with a BS in Civil Engineering, and she is the most incredibly intelligent, talented young woman. She is how I know that I can be successful at something, as she is my greatest accomplishment to date. She deserves a great deal of the credit as well. While I supplied financial and emotional support, she had to successfully complete the academic piece. Alas, my nest is now entirely empty; there is no one else to work on but me, and I am consumed with this drive to find my real purpose.

At the marketing event, John spoke of the need to bring your mind into alignment with your heart. “Find your creative inner source, commit to it, and it will provide clarity”, John stated. There’s that word that has had me searching – clarity. I have had no doubt that it is through networking and internet marketing that I will find my niche and subsequently my audience. I also believe I have finally found the system and product that is the right vehicle for me.

If you have read my other blogs, you know that I have dabbled in MLM in the past, but this time is different. This time is for keeps, so when I say in my twitter bio that I am buying my life back one day at a time, I mean it literally. I will buy one day back from the job, then two, then all of them. I will lead the life of creativity and service I am meant to, and helping people is the largest ingredient in this recipe. I don’t need to give anyone some slick sales pitch. I just need to be a genuine soul – that part is easy. The people out there who can relate to my generation and my experiences will be astute enough to judge my character, and make the decision to learn with me, or not. It is my sincere desire to take away some of the angst that especially some of the more mature home based business opportunity seekers may have, by giving them the benefit of what I know and inspiring them to do it for themselves.

I had never heard of John prior to last week, but I am very glad his life crossed paths with mine. I certainly feel that was it not for my past life experiences, I would not have had the strength and perseverance to look within for my real purpose, and for the first time act on it with genuine faith! I think John can probably relate to that as well. Who knows – if my daughter had not seen my hard work and determination which came out of unconditional love, she may not have overcome some of her obstacles and become the fine young woman she is today either. What I do know is this; I want to make her very proud of the lady that is her mother.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get a tissue and go call her and tell her that I love her.

P.S. If you read this blog to the end, I thank you. If it speaks to you or you feel it can inspire someone else, please share it. A stranger was giving enough to bear his soul to inspire me, and this is my way of paying it forward. Thanks to both Kubassek brothers for their leadership and tenacity.

Do You Speak So The Mass Majority Can Relate?

During my 26 year career in administration, credit and management, I was fortunate enough to work for some seasoned professionals. I always considered it a compliment when these people took me under their tutelage. A couple of these individuals had a great deal of influence over me early on and taught me lessons that I have continued to benefit from not only in business, but in life.

I once had a manager tell me that a successful way to deal with a broad base of people was to treat everyone like they had an eighth grade education. By doing this he said, you will not insult someone who perhaps is not as versed as you, and you will also be more comfortable conversing with someone more experienced or of a higher intellect.

This was meant as a way to make others feel more comfortable who may have a more limited vocabulary or business background. It was also meant to make you feel more comfortable approaching someone who may be more worldly or knowledgeable in a particular area than you.

When attracting people to you or your business, you certainly do not want someone to shy away from you, nor should you lose an important contact or opportunity because you feel intimidated and thus shy away from them.

For me, this “little rule” has served me well. I have also learned not to be embarrassed if I do not know what something means. It doesn’t mean I am inferior; I just may not have been exposed to it yet. I make a mental note of the word or phrase, and when I get home, I look it up on http://www.m-w.com or google. These are great resources and I use them frequently!

People can learn a lot from one another, if they embrace the differences in their educational, cultural and professional backgrounds and deal with them respectfully.

Recognize the Impact You Can Have on the People Around You

Unless you live in a cave, which certainly is your choosing, your life touches many others every day. Whether it is a good experience, or a bad one, you make an impact, or leave an impression. While you may recognize the influence you have on those closest to you – friends, family members, co-workers – what about the waitress at your local lunch spot, or the person standing in line behind you at the store? How about the newest opportunity seeking entrepreneur, who is watching what you do to gauge whether or not they want to become part of your organization and build a successful business too?

Sometimes even the briefest interaction, can leave a lasting impression on those around you. I find that often times people who are in a service based industry never receive the gratitude and appreciation they deserve. I have established friendships and gained the respect of many business contacts simply by taking the time to say thank you or to dig the positive out of a situation and let them know I appreciated the prompt response, advice or service.

In the book Becoming a Person of Influence: How To Positively Impact the Lives of Others by John C. Maxwell and Jim Dornan, reference is made to the following poem by an anonymous author:

My life shall touch a dozen lives before the day is done,
Leave countless marks for good or ill ere sets the evening sun,
This is the wish I always wish, the prayer I always pray,
Lord, may my life help other lives it touches by the way.

One of my personal goals is to share the opportunity for higher levels of personal and financial success. More of my story here.

Certain Emotions Can Drive Your Success, Others Can Hinder It

An emotion drove you to seek out a home based business opportunity. Perhaps frustration at your job, desire to provide more for your family, disgust at never being able to get ahead – whatever your story, it motivated you to change your circumstances. These very things are what helped you to establish “your why”, and you must stay mindful of them to keep your passion fueled. However, it is your strength of character that can best keep you on course and moving towards your goal.
 
A few differences between emotion-driven people and character-driven people are their approaches to the following:
 
Emotion-Driven                                              Character-Driven
 
Driven by convenience                          Driven by commitment
Allow attitude to control action              Allow action to control attitude
Have to see it before they believe it         Will believe it, then see it
Wait for momentum                                 Create momentum
Quit when the going gets tough              Continue when problems arise
Are followers                                           ARE LEADERS ~
                                                                                     
                                                                              ~Developing the Leader Within
 
Most of us know that many decisions are initially made on emotion. Evoking desire and belief in a lead or prospect is a great marketing tool to have in your arsenal. Get them to take action while at the peak of this emotion and you will become a successful marketer with a growing bank account.
 
“Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live, as well as strong to think.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

To learn more about my why and what fuels my passion, please visit me here.

Can People Read Your Thoughts by Watching your Body Language?

Many studies have been done on how thoughts can effect your physical well being. If thoughts are both mental and physical, then does one physically exude what they are thinking and feeling? I believe the answer to this is yes. If you have spent any time observing people, you have probably seen this exhibited.

Have you ever watched how a more confident person carries themselves? They tend to make more eye contact and “open” themselves up more to the world. Conversely, a shy or unsure person tends to slump and cross or fold their arms across their body, almost “closing” themselves off. If you could enter the conversation within these 2 people’s heads, what do you think you would hear? I find this so very interesting, because I have fallen in to the mindset of person number 2 many times. It was not until I embarked on a journey of personal development, until I began to believe that I was born to be and can be person number 1, that I came to understand the power of your thoughts. If I want to truly be successful in business and in life, I have to change my thinking. No, this will not happen overnight and it will involve diligence on my part. So ask yourself the same question I did, how badly do you want your life to improve? Are you worth it? I hope you all believe that you are!

You subconscious mind can only concentrate on one thought at a time. You have to choose your thoughts wisely. Potential clients and business associates will be able to read as much about you by watching your body language as they can by listening to your words. Develop an attitude that attracts success, and people will be observing you as person number 1. They will want to know what you have going on in your life that has made you so positive, happy and healthy. It could very well be the difference between a prospect joining your business, or someone else’s.

More of my personal bio is available at my networking website here.