Here’s Some Spring Trivia:

The ancient Greeks celebrated Mother’s Day in spring. The ancient Greeks celebrated Rhea, “Mother of the Gods,” with honey-cakes, beverages, and flowers at dawn–the earliest known Mother’s Day celebration.

Four-leaf clovers are thought to bring good luck, but there’s no scientific evidence to support that claim. Cut out some green four leaf clovers (or buy them at a specialty store such as Michaels crafts) and put “lucky sayings” on them. Include them in your business correspondence and statements.

The area along the California-Oregon border, is known as the “Easter Lily Capital of the World” because it produces 95 percent of all bulbs grown in the world for the potted Easter lily market. They produce more than 11 million bulbs annually. Send your best customers an Easter Lily or other spring flowering plant.

Did you know “Spring Fever” is a real physical condition which commonly occurs when a sudden warm spell follows a long cold period. When the temperature rises, the body has to get rid of heat; thus there’s a dilation or expansion of the blood vessels so that blood can be carried to the body surface where heat can be lost quickly. Some people experience an energetic feeling when this change happens due to the body’s reaction to the great amount of internal work going on.

Big companies recognize the benefits of marketing SPRING to their target audience with spring sales, spring promotions, longer hours and more. What could your business do to acknowledge the first day of Spring? How about a Spring Fever sale? Or a Company picnic inviting your customers to attend.

Or maybe a spring cleaning tie in with a local charity or school? Sponsor a car wash and get out there and work side-by-side with a local youth group, sports team or other non-profit organization.

If you have not yet listed your business in Merchant Circle, Spring is the perfect time to do so. To to: http://www.merchantcircle.com/corporate/sponsoredListing.html.

While you’re at it find out what’s happening in the world of Business when you check out Business Week online.

For 365+ more marketing ideas and to purchase your copy of the 5th Edition of Quirky Marketing Calendar 2011 go to:  http://quirkymarketingcalendar.com/buy-the-ebook/

Classified ads are a very resourceful business website tool and here are some tips to use this resource to your advantage.

1. Begin by choosing a relevant Category in which to place your ad. Decide which subcategories also work. In most cases sites have a maximum number of categories to which you can submit (for free) which can be anywhere from 3 to 10.

2. Check grammar and spelling. If your ad is sloppy or full of mistakes, chances are no one will take action.

3. Create a cheat-sheet of page descriptions for each main page on your site. This will come in handy when crafting your message, responding to inquiries and other follow up.

4. Google your topic/niche to start collecting a database of sites that offer advertising. These can include directory sites, article banks, blogs, resource portals and more.

5. Review your ads often (weekly or bi-weekly) to make sure they are “working for you.” If you are not pulling in any results (check your stats) then you know it’s time to either loose the ad or rewrite it.

“Building relationships, personally and professional begins with establishing rapport, getting to know the other person, and ultimately building trust and mutual respect. Becoming an interview guru (or goddess) is a great way to get to know others, and for others to get to know you.”

Interviewing others (or being interviewed) for articles, books and stories can be interesting as well as a little daunting. Even for professionals speakers, trainers and presenters who are used to being “on stage” or in the limelight. And there are many different types of interview scenarios you will encounter along the way.  You might be the interviewer, seeking information, referrals, leads or confirmation of resources such as a fact-finding mission or simply confirming other research you have conducted.

To get the most out of the Interview process whether you are the interviewer or interviewee takes preparation and practice. The following is a checklist of items to keep in mind when interviewing others or when you find yourself being interviewed.

You may conduct the interview over the phone or in person. In either instance, it is important to know what outcome you want to get from the interview. Preparing questions ahead of time makes the process easier. Whenever possible tape the interview. If you are conducting the interview by telephone, either do so by using a speaker phone and a good tape recorder or hire a service to record the conversation for you (similar to the way tele-seminars are conducted). In person, a good recording device is sufficient. Be sure to ask the other person for permission to record and let her or him know what you intend to do with the recording once it is completed. It is always a good idea to record when you are being interviewed so you can see what areas need improving and in which areas you are strongest. If you are having an in-person interview, and have the opportunity to video tape yourself, all the better!

Here is Your Checklist for Planning a Worry-Free Interview – 21 Tips to make the interviewing process easier and more productive.

____ When requesting interviews be assertive, but polite.

____ Set up and confirm interview times and venue (phone or in person) in advance.

____ Prepare questions in advance.

____ Include the who, what, where, when and why in your interview.

____ When possible do background research of the person you are interviewing or who is interviewing you.

____ Let the interviewee know what you want to discuss and how the information will be used.

____ Be conversational in your tone, this will help put both the interviewee and interviewer at ease.

____ Avoid distractions. Conduct interviews in quiet locations, if possible.

____ Always ask permission before recording the interview. Bring extra tapes and batteries. Take notes as a backup.

____ Ask open-ended questions that require more than “yes” and “no” responses.

____ Try to stay on track during the interview. When you deviate from your planned outcome, the information gathered can get convoluted and unclear. You may find yourself saying something not intended for public broadcast.

____ When you don’t understand the question (or the answer) ask for clarification or examples when needed.

____ When at all possible, avoid getting into a debate during the interview. Keep in mind, that the more controversial the topic, the more difficult it will be to not debate your views or stand on the subject matter.

____ Practice listening. This will make the interview flow more smoothly and open the lines of communication.

____ Read the other person’s body language – shrugs, smiles, facial and body positions often speak volumes.

____ If you are unfamiliar with certain terminology, ask for clarification, including the way the unfamiliar term is spelled. Double-check spellings with other reliable resources (people, dictionaries, etc).

____ Repeat unclear statements to confirm for accuracy.

____ Give proper attribution. It is important to accurately quote and not take remarks out of context which can distort their meaning.

____ Get additional contact information (for any follow up). This includes phone, email and address.

____ After the interview, send a thank you note for the opportunity.

____ If you are the interviewer, transcribe notes as soon as possible after the interview. If you are the interviewee, jot down any questions or comments that come to mind. You may wish to pursue these after the formal interview has ended.

Feel free to print this checklist out and use in your own interview projects.

Express Yourself  … Does your business have an Ezine (email newsletter) which you send to your prospects and customers? If not, then I recommend you consider using one in your speaker marketing plan. Ezines were very popular 5-10 years ago and in fact are gaining popularity once again. Why? Because so many professionals are using other means of communication including social media, forums and Virtual Events to spread the word about their products and services.  With less competition in the marketplace, Ezines are once again becoming an excellent way to stay in touch with people you have met, presented to or would like to make a presentation to.

In order to continually create top of mind awareness, which is what marketing is all about, professional speakers must frequently communicate with their audience. Growing any business, whether it be a product-driven or service business, must follow basically the same principles ~ to develop and grow. It’s an ongoing process. An Ezine is a great way to tactfully and discreetly inform your audience of the many ways they can support you and more importantly, you can support them.

And unless you have been living under a bridge the past 10 years or so without any connection to the virtual world, you know that with Ezines, there are no printing costs, virtually no postage costs, they are quicker to produce and can be sent directly to the recipients’ mailbox. You can track when your Ezine is opened, what articles are read and what links are clicked on. Tracking this information an excellent way to find out which content is important to your members and which is not.

With an ezine you can Promote Your Events – Do you hold public seminars, workshops, teleseminars or social gatherings that your audiences would be interested in attending? Because of the nature of Ezines being instantaneous and virtual, they can save you both time and money. You can promote your event and get an instant response through your Ezine. When your audience reads it, they can click to register online, pay their fee and get a confirmation all within a few minutes. And because people often wait until the last minute to make a decision about their time, ezines are effective ways to get those last minute people to “show up.”

Ezines are Fast, easy and effective – Use your Ezine to announce your product offerings, special incentives and program discounts.   You can also ask for input and the cost of doing so, is minimal in comparison to traditional print promotions. You can link your content directly to your web site, provide an online “form” to give something away and grow your list and you can encourage your audience to “pass it on” sharing it with their circles of influence.  You can vary your messages and track them to find out which works best. The results are also more instantaneous. There is no longer any need to wait weeks or months to see if a product or program is pulling in the results you need.

Ezines are an excellent follow up system. They help you stay in touch with your audience long after the presentation has been made.  They help you increase your bottom line because you can send them your product offerings, remind them of the service you offer and introduce them to new products and services in a timely manner.

Ezines make it easy to Gather data from your audience when you add Surveys and Interactive Polls to your content.  With just a little effort, you can create one or more questions and learn the answers almost immediately. There are several great survey tools available online today. They include Survey Money, Question Pro and Zoomerang. Each one has different benefits to use them. The basic level of Survey Money is complimentary and provides limited features, while the other version requires an investment of time and money to learn. The version you choose will depend on your needs.

With an Ezine you can also update audience contact information immediately. You can include a custom form in your Ezine and collect current contact information quickly and easily and, again, which can be imported into your database or list.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when planning your communciations marketing strategy is to be consistent. It is important to keep your organization in front of your audience and prospects on a regular basis. Ezines are an excellent way to communicate with them about your endeavors, your services and your special needs or wish list. Your ezine should be a source of information to the reader. Ezines are also the perfect way to also share your successes. After all, people want to do business with successful companies and individuals.

Communication is the soul of a speaker’s livelihood and goodwill. Good communication influences people to act and to feel good about their actions. Isn’t that what you want? To get people to take action, to hire you, buy your products and ancillary services? When added to your company’s marketing and public relations programs, supplementing your traditional mailings, your ezine will influence your audience to take action.

As a professional speaker you need lots of plans. You need a Business Plan, a Marketing Plan, a Human Resource Plan and even a Media and Public Relations Plan.  And like any other plan, you need to define what you want to accomplish, what you want to say, who you need to tell, and what information would be considered newsworthy. Having a media and public relations plan can do wonders for your business, help you spread the word and ultimately help you get hired!

The first thing to consider is what do you want to accomplish?

Writing out the goals for your media and public relations plans will help you crystallize your intentions.  It will help you focus on results. It will help you determine what costs will be associated with your plans?

What do you want to say? And how should you communicate your message?

As with any kind of planning, you have to be able to maintain your message consistently throughout any program or opportunity that you take on.  That includes consistently delivering your organizations mission, vision, and values to your intended audience.

Who do you need to talk to?

Who do you need to tell about new programs, products and services?  Make a list of all stakeholders. That includes News media such as  print, radio, television, and Internet outlets. And any publications you have written for or plan to write for to promote your message.

Other stakeholders can include:
• Professionals who would have an interest in your “news.”
• Customers & clients who do business with your company and have an interest in your news.
• Influencers who could potentially share your news with their circles of influence.

Build your PR Calendar

A public relations calendar helps you in to coordinate your efforts around what’s going on locally and globally. The key element of any PR Strategy is consistent ongoing communications to your target audience using a variety of methods.
Using a PR calendar effectively will also enable you to track any budget items for training courses, PR tools, distribution of press releases, etc. Keep it simple. Decide on your key activities. Then look at those activities you will need to spend time with to complete each such as writing articles, contacting journalists, preparing for speaking engagements, launching new products, planning events etc. Take a look at the months of the year and plug in the activities you want to achieve and in which months and then make sure you follow the plan. Be sure to sync the editorial calendars with your own speaking calendar so you can get the maximum exposure no matter where you are speaking in the world.

When planning your PR calendar, look for times when your business would have the best chance of getting coverage. Decide what type of newsworthy angles you could include to get the journalists’ attention. You can do this by creating a file story of ideas and plan the timing for distribution. By creating your media and public relations plan you will be able to capitalize on opportunities to get your story out.  It will raise your chances of making the news.

The Benefits of Public Relations and Media Marketing

Public relations and media marketing are extremely important to the point of imperative in today’s competitive marketplace. There are many ways an ongoing public relations program can benefit a business or organization.

Here are just a few:

~ A proactive public relations media campaign can build your organization’s profile in the news media and the local community.
~ Editorial coverage is considered more credible and can garner more positive attention from your target audience than paid advertising.  Recent studies in North America show that positive editorial coverage generates up to nine times more visibility than paid advertising.
~ Media Marketing and Public relations campaigns are an economical way of promoting your organization.
~ You can build a reputation as a “news media source” by sending regular media releases.
~ Writers and reporters are always looking for reliable and respected sources to quote, therefore developing media relationships can give you an advantage over the competition and potentially more coverage.
~ Regular media exposure builds credibility because it enhances the reputation of the individual and the companies being written about. There is a subtle yet real perception that mention in a newspaper or on television must be important. And you can add these media hits to your bio.  One good media placement can build credibility beyond what a ‘local’ speaking gig can.
~ Good media coverage can positively enhance your bottom line.

It is important to understand the needs of your target media, build relationships, set your own media goals and continue to provide quality information. Media relations can be a “crap shoot” because there are no guarantees you will get coverage, however if your message has merit and you continue to share it, the media will eventually take notice

Here’s a great resource:

Check out this list of more than 8,500 newspapers and magazines and more than 1,000 television stations at Ecola

Be sure and download my FREE Special Report #6 The Media eGuide: How to Increase Your Odds of MEDIA Success

In my article “Money, Money” I shared 16 ideas to create your multiple streams of income.

Here are eight tips to help you carry out your Multiple Streams of Income Campaign:

1. Brainstorm ways to add to your income. Record your ideas to look at, think about and mull over. Make sure the ideas you decide to pursue are those you have a passion for or desire to achieve. You will make much more money when you like what you are doing than when you don’t.

2. Get organized. In many cases, pursing multiple streams of income require multi tasking. Creating an organized system will enable you to tackle each task as it come up.

3. Participate in a mastermind group. Turn those ideas into reality. Find people to bounce ideas off (mentors are also a great source of motivation and inspiration). Masterminds are your own personal board of directors. The right people can help you achieve your goals as you help them achieve theirs.

4. Take it one step at a time. It is better to start one income stream, get it going until it can “run itself” and then begin another. Juggling several at a time without one success can lead to burnout and failure for all your projects.

5. Learn to better manage your time. Balance begins with time management. If your out of balance chances are you have not managed your time well. Time management practices help you become more efficient and proficient at the “job at hand.”

6. Be flexible. Change happens. Unforeseen events and challenges come up. Learn how to adapt to those challenges and changes.

7. Read, read, read. Stay up on trends. Find out what people are willing to pay good money for. One of the best motivational books I have ever read on the topic is the best selling book “The One Minute Millionaire – The Enlightened Way to Wealth by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen. If you have not yet read that book, put it on your list, check it out at the library, buy it online or at your nearest bookstore. Do it TODAY!

8. Keep your eyes on the goal. The ultimate goal being to increase your income. If something isn’t working, analyze why – if it can be fixed, fix it. If it cannot, loose it and find another stream of income to pursue.

How to Create Multiple Streams of Income to Add to Your Bottom Line!

“Multiple income streams allow you to diversify your efforts and your talents. If you loose one income stream you have others to fall back on while you replace the one you lost.”

This past week I had the privilege to attend Loral Langemeier’s BIG TABLE in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada. I came away from that experience bursting with ideas and more than that a solid game-plan for how I was going to create more prosperity in my life and that of my clients.  You can read my Story here http://wemagazineforwomen.com/flying-first-class/

Have you ever noticed that when it comes to making money, some people just seem to be “lucky,” that money comes to them with what looks to the world like little or no effort. Others just cannot figure out how to add to the income they already earn. Even hard work doesn’t seem to help them get ahead. Maybe that’s the problem! It isn’t about luck at all or even hard work. Multiple streams of income require a person to have a plan, a process and a pocketbook (or bank account, investment account in which you put all that extra money).

Having multiple streams of income has several advantages. It offers more security, helps build your nest egg and gives you more peace of mind. So just how do you create those income streams to achieve all this… and more? Do you have a full-time job working for someone else? Do you have a small business that is not yet turning a profit? Are you retired or semi-retired?

There are many benefits to harnessing the POWER of multiple income streams. You can increase your customer/client base by providing a needed/wanted product or service. You can make money while you sleep (passive income). When you have passive income streams you can leverage your time and use it for those things you want to put effort into whether it be work, family, recreation or otherwise. Having multiple income streams give people the opportunity to choose a product or service they can afford and “try you out.” Multiple income streams allow you to diversify your efforts and your talents. If you loose one income stream you have others to fall back on while you replace the one you lost.

There is more than one way to make money. Multiple income streams could be products and/or services you add to your current business or it could be a totally different source for creating more income. There are many ways to add income streams to the one(s) you currently have working for you.

Here are just a few:

1. Add a new product line to your offerings. I have a retail florist and when mylar balloons hit the market (several years ago) it was a product we did not offer. I started out small buying only a few pieces of a select number of styles (a moderate initial investment). When people started asking for them I knew they were a hit and increased the line from five styles and sentiments to well over 250. This added 17% to my bottom line the first year.

2. Add a service to your offerings. A dentist I know bought a software program that showed people what they would look like with straighter, whiter teeth. Teeth whitening soon became a staple of hers rather than an option. She told me that the first month it was used, the software program paid for itself five times. This one service added 37% to her bottom line.

3. Help someone else with a job they don’t want to do and that you are skilled at and capable of doing. The Virtual Assistant emerged because business owners realized there were tasks they just didn’t want to do or were not good at accomplishing.

4. Create a home-based business. Multi-level marketing companies have captured many entrepreneurs who want to add to their income stream and some have gotten rich from MLM products. Make sure you have a passion for the product and a willingness to “sell” other on the idea. The real money is made in building your team.

5. Informational products are sought-after by the masses. Be sure you have information someone wants to ‘buy” and that can’t be gotten all over the WEB for Free. Informational products can include ebooks, special reports, audio/video offerings, software, printed books, booklets and more!

6. Sell stuff on ebay. Many a wealthy person started out with her own eBay market. Check out www.ebay.com for information on how to become an eBay Power Seller.

7. Create a website and sell products/services and advertising space on your site. By the way, if you don’t already have a website or blog presence, now is the perfect time. Today a website just levels the playing field in business. What I love about it is that it makes businesses of all size look larger than life. If you need a good web designer or blog expert, drop me a line.  My team at Redhead Marketing can help you get listed and more importantly, FOUND online!

8. Become an affiliate of several companies and market, market, market via your website, email messages, ezines, brochures, postcards and letters.

9. Bundle your products and services to sell at a package rate and sell more of what you already offer.

10. Offer a teleclass, seminar, workshop or other event. Charge an entry fee. Sell informational products with the event. Record the event to resell to those who were unable to attend.

11. License your program or service. The key to building wealth is duplication, duplication, duplication. Offering your programs to other resellers give you a way to duplicate your brand without the effort involved in delivering it yourself.

12. Start a product of the month club. We have a flower of the month club to which people pay an annual fee and get flowers every month for a year. A great way to sell your product ONE Time. You could create a monthly ezine or newsletter and charge a subscription fee (more on this in another post).

13. Create a monthly/weekly service offering. A good friend of mine is a massage therapist and many of the clients she sees are on a every weekly or monthly schedule. She offers this service at a lower discounted rate. This guaranteed income helps you plan how to use your free time to get more business.

14. Tutor, teach, write for others. If you have a specialized knowledge or skill, capitalize on it – charge for it. Add to your income stream.

15. Sign up to participate in online and in person surveys and focus groups. Some pay money for your input, others pay with products. I signed up with Plaza Research and participate in two focus groups a year. The pay ranges from $75 to $250 dollars for a one or two hour session so I make on-average an extra $400 per year for less than 4 hours work! If you did this with several companies, you could add a lot to your bottom line without creating any product or service.

16. Freelance in an industry in which you are proficient. There are many industries that hire part-time seasonal staff and pay premium dollars for the extra help.

In my next post I will share eight tips to help you carry out your Multiple Streams of Income Campaign.

If you would like to learn more about Loral’s  Big Table, or join the Live out Loud Community (for free) visit Live Out Loud TODAY!

Great meetings require planning, preparation and proper execution. But first you have to have a plan! Here are 13 Tips to master the next meeting (and every meeting you have) from now on.

“Hardly anyone writes because you can’t really write down all you know. And even if you do write, nobody will read it. So there are meetings, and meetings about meetings, and meetings to plan reports, and meetings to review the status of reports. And what these meetings are about is people just trying to figure out what they are doing.” – Paul Strassmann, former Vice President, Xerox

Have you ever attended a meeting that you thought was a total waste of time? Have you ever hosted a meeting that left you feeling that very little was accomplished? In my humble opinion, and from past experience, most meetings are poorly run and huge time wasters. Meetings can be big profit drainers. Who wants to spend two hours listening to reports? If you are listening to reports that you could have otherwise obtained, you might not be focusing on the most important aspects of your business. One of which is to make a profit.

Effective business people have goals, want to get things done, make decisions and move on. BTW, I am not talking about the kind of meetings (such as task force or brainstorming meetings) where people come up a plan of action or a set of goals and objectives. Brainstorming meetings can be well worth the time spent, because you can gain incredible insight into challenges, get to know team members better and build a solid foundation to move forward. And of course there are those meetings with clients which are the reason you are in business in the first place.

I am talking about those waste-of-time meetings that happen every Monday where you give a report to everyone in the company (or they give a report to you) and then everyone goes back to their respective jobs and wonders why they were there in the first place..

I think meetings should only be held to let people know of major decisions (such as changes in the company) and when you need to inform people of something before it becomes a part of the “rumor mill.” If you are the one calling the meeting you will have more control over the process and the outcome than if you are an invited guest or participant.
If you are the one hosting the meeting, here are some “tips” to help you make the most of the time spent.

1. Make sure the meeting is absolutely necessary. Only call a meeting when it is the absolute best-way to accomplish your objectives. Think about alternative ways to get things done, phone calls, e-mail, web conferences. Meetings are not a good investment of time (and time is money) if they don’t fulfill your objectives.

2. Always have an agenda and send it in advance of the meeting. A written agenda lets participants know the objectives of the meeting. Items to include are date, time and location of the meeting; purpose of the meeting; and agenda items (listed in order of importance). I generally put items requiring immediate decision at the top of the agenda. It lets people know the importance of their attendance. It is also a good idea to allot a specific amount of time for discussion of each item listed. That way everyone can stay focused and on task.

3. Take control of the meeting. Don’t allow discussion of unnecessary items until all agenda items are covered. Keeping the meeting moving forward shows respect of those people who would like to stick to the schedule.

4. Start and end your meetings on time. All meetings should have designated starting and endings times. Meetings that start late and run over destroy productivity. Attention wanes and stress rises when meetings run over. Reward productivity by ending early.

5. Set time limits on presentations and discussions. This is crucial if you want to complete certain items, it respects participants’ time and it sets the tone for a well run meeting. In addition, those who would ordinarily become “sales people” and go into all aspects of the what’s, how’s, and why for’s will learn to present the most important information first. People can then be allowed time for questions and clarification, when necessary.

6. Meetings need closure. Do a brief recap at the end of the meeting, reinforcing what is expected of participants as they move forward. If someone has been given an assignment or volunteered to complete one, mention it at the end. Everyone should know who’s responsible for what and how results will be communicated.

7. In most cases, early morning meetings are best. People are more awake, not thinking about what their day was like. They are more apt to focus and the chances of participants arriving on time improve.

8. Consider allowing participants to leave once their portion of the meeting has been completed. That is, if you will not need their presence to vote on an issue further in the agenda, or their presence is not needed to be informed about certain issues.

9. Only invite those people who need to be at the meeting. If you are having a strategy meeting with the marketing department, you may not need the HR department in attendance.

10. Do not recap what has transpired prior to the arrival of late attendees unless doing so is important to the goal of the meeting. It rewards their late arrival and punishes the folks who were on time.

11. Put the most important items on the agenda first. That way, if you run late and have to table any items, those that do not require immediate attention will be given the appropriate attention when you meet again.

12. If you do not have a record keeper for the meeting, then appoint the last person to arrive to record the minutes. No doubt, he or she will be on time in the future.

13. Set an unusual meeting time, such as 5:15 pm or 8:45 am. People may surprise you and be more on time. Serving food tends to slow things down. Consider serving food either before the meeting starts or when it ends. A flip chart is a great visual for keeping people on track and maintaining the focus of the meeting. It can also be used to record action items and who will be responsible for what.

If you must hold a meeting, make the best use of the time spent by encouraging open, honest communication. Otherwise, those folks who want to express their truths will likely either not participate in discussions or they will not participate in future meetings at all.

And remember this: When the main outcome of a meeting is to schedule another meeting, your credibility and your bottom line could be at risk.

My first reaction was that there was very little traffic and they would be lucky if one or two people even stopped, let alone buy anything. We live in a small community of 44 homes and the road our home is on is the one that takes everyone to the main street.  Really, on a Sunday I assumed everyone would either be in their yards enjoying the beautiful South Florida weather or at the beach. It was the middle of the day.
But then I thought about it, discussed it with my husband and we decided it would be a good lesson in commerce for them.  So hubby went to the grocery store for some necessary supplies (grape juice and plastic cups). Oh, it was a hot day and so we suggested the kids do a Popsicle Stand instead. They loved the idea. While Timmy was gone, we got the cooler ready (filled with ice), made some iced tea and gatorade, found the popsicle sticks, and made signs. The kids decided on 3 flavors, grape, tea and gatorade.
We made the popsicles, put them in the freezer for 2+ hours and about 1:30 set up shop in front of the house.

Here you see the kids holding their signs for passers by.

Even the little guy got involved. He wanted to pull the cooler (luckily it was on wheels) and he could easily do it by himself. He is so independent he would have carried it if he had to, just to be involved.

The amazing thing is that several cars drove by that day (at least a dozen) and more than half of them stopped to buy something!  One neighbor bought one popsicle and gave the kids $10! Others came by with their kids in the car and bought for them.  Our kids had a great time, they learned about selling and they were productive ~ except when they were eating the profits of course.

When we sold the last popsicle, we came inside and had a lesson in commerce.   WE gave Devon (the oldest) a paper and pen, the receipt for what we bought and showed him how to figure out his profit.

They started with a $5 bank. Devon counted the money, subtracted the bank and came up with his gross profits. We then advised him to take out his cost of goods (approx $4.50) and that would give him his net profit. Of course, we told him if it were a business with employees, etc, he would also have to take out his cost for labor and other overhead. I think he understood.
These are the things they don’t teach you in school. All 3 of my kids had businesses of their own when they were younger. They babysat, washed cars, mowed lawns, sold holiday cards door to door and a variety of other odd jobs. Suzannah even named her company “Suzy Homemaker” and she  provided other services such as dog bathing, dog walking, serving (during parties and events) and house cleaning. She even hired her friend Lisa for a few bigger jobs.

It was a wonderful experience which taught each of them to be entrepreneurs and understand the value of a dollar. Something I think is seriously lacking in society today.

And the bottom line? They made $16.50 in profit that day!  Devon and his sister are each titheing 10% to their church and put $1 in each of their piggy banks. The two of them split the rest and ended up with $6.50 each! Not bad for 2 hours work.  Guess we will be doing a Popsicle stand again…

At least I know where to go when I have to borrow money. I guess the next lesson will be about lending money and Interest.

“Plan Big. Think Big. Act Big. Be BIG!” Craig Duswalt

To say it was life-changing would be an understatement.  From the moment the doors opened on Day 1 until the end of the conference on Day 4 it was an EVENT. Everyone was treated like a Rock Star from beginning to end.

The people, the content and the venue were the perfect combination in setting the stage (no pun intended) for all of us up and coming Rock Stars to grow our businesses and our visibility in our chosen fields.

The Program included the following Experts and Special Guests:

Kevin Cronin (Lead Singer from REO Speedwagon)

Derrick Hall (President of The Arizona Diamondbacks)

Glenn Morshower (TV show 24, etc.)

Richard Hatch (Battlestar Gallactica fame)

Larry Broughton

Maurice Dimino (The Sicilian Mentor)

Adam Ace (Funny as …)

Tyler Duswalt (10 year old author and blogger)

Flashback Heart Attack (local band)

and my all-time favorite: Tom Antion!

What an inspiring lineup!

During the 4 day bootcamp, Craig Duswalt shared his Rock Star System for Success: How to Achieve Rockstar Status in Your Industy. He talked about the Rockstar mindset,  Rockstar Marketing, Rockstar Social Networking, Rockstar Branding,  How to Create Rock Star Info Products, Ways to Make Money Using the Knowledge You Already Have… and so much more!

Today I spent the morning going through some of the materials Craig gave us (and there was a lot) and reviewing and starting my plan for Rock Star success.  Here is one tip I’d like to leave you with today:

When you have received value from someone you do business with or admire, tell them!  Craig invited attendees to do video testimonials at the end of the Boot Camp.  My group and I did just that… and then some. Before I even boarded the plane I wrote a testimonial to Craig.  I wanted him to know the value I received before he even had the chance to go through the dozens of video testimonials (which by the way are not yet online). And you know what? He must have liked what I wrote because it is already on his testimonial page (midway down).  That is just one of the reasons you too should be writing testimonials. You never know where what you say will end up.  Here’s what I shared:

“The RockStar Marketing Boot Camp with Craig Duswalt has been by far, one of the best investments of my time and money. Over the course of four days, I had so many aha moments and rewarding experiences,the greatest of which are the relationships and partnerships I have since formed because of my participation. The RockStar Marketing Boot Camp helped me clarify my target audience, come up with my next book title and find several people to work with to help our mutual businesses grow. I will always be grateful to Craig Duswalt and his team of experts and “rock stars” for sharing their valuable time, talent and treasure trove of experiences with us and cannot wait to become a member of the Rock Star Coaching/Mastermind Alumni.”

—Heidi Richards Mooney, Online Visibility Expert, Author, Serial Entrepreneur

Now that is powerful!  And important. And just one of the many things I also share with my clients.

I want to give a big shout out to my RockStar Friends from Florida! Six of us sat together, shared meals, laughed and brainstormed during the Rockstar Marketing Bootcamp.  It was my favorite part. They are Laurina Anderson, Christina Rowe, Dr. Karen Gray, Sharon McCaslin and Debbie Wysocki (and me) Pictured here with Craig:

We had such an amazing time and in fact, a special partnership was formed (which will be revealed in due time)… cannot wait to share.

Special thanks to all the great people we met including Andy Sokol, Darrell Griffin, Patricia Cornejo, Dori Gilbert, Sue Shaver, Stephanie Adriana, Michelle Patterson, George Zimpfer, Anton and Anne Duswalt, Tyler Duswalt, John Martin, Yancey Unequivocally, Dr 911 Kelly Rasmussen, Chuck from Green Certified Web, Aileen Soo, Kelli Bass, Jane Udell-Meyer, Jenee Dana, Donna Lang, Harriette Knight, Renee Colette, Melanie Bragg, Susan Reiner, Judi Hollis, Lee Cadena, Linnaea Mallette, NikkiLundberg,  Tina Landrum, Julie Molinare, Anthony Reed, Sally VanSwearingen, Elodia Tate, Jeffrey Ralston, Ronda Fisher, Laura Bruno, Heather Wieshlow,  Peter Bielagus, Howared Crampton Jr, Amanda Johnson, Ginnie Churchill, Tricia Stewart Shiu, Hidi Lee, Kelly Michael, Bobby Kelly, Kathy Stover,  Brian Kelly, Suzy Manning, Matthew Leventhal, Sindy Freehill,  Tarrell Florent, Charles Peavey, Kathy Brown, Judy Schriener, Crystal Neels, Victoria Duke and many others who’s card I didn’t get.

I will be posting photos of many of them on my Facebook Page. Feel free to stop by, check it out and leave a comment.

And if you want to know more about the RockStar Marketing Boot Camp feel free to drop me a line (or click on the link). I highly recommend it.

Note: I never recommend programs or products unless I believe in them 100%. And when I do, I sign up as an affiliate of theirs to “share the wealth” (another tip). So yes, if you do sign up I make a small commission – that’s what being a ROCKSTAR is all about!