Find the leader within who you are.

The second most common mistakes professionals make, especially true in a challenging economy is to start slashing prices and lowering them in hopes to earn less profit but do more volume.  If you leave your wealth dependent upon the masses and large volume of sales you are going to sink like a lead balloon. If your plan to wealth is based on less profit on more volume…”You Will Work To Hard for to Little”. 

In fact, the only reason you should be selling a low price low profit margin item is to use it as a Lead Generator to attract and obtain new customers.  And if that is your marketing tool, you should be giving it away not trying to sell it.  For instance, if you took my annual income and divided it hourly, it comes to well over $500.00 an hour.  Do you think I am interested in spending an hour or more with people trying to sell them a $50.00 CD?

I only spend time talking with future prospects that I am 99.9 percent sure that I will be paid a minimum of $500.00 an hour.  For example, if I am selling a $2000.00 product of ours, I know that I can spend up to three hours of my time with that person as long as I know there is a 9.99 percent chance that I will sell them that item.  Now how do I position myself to get in that 9.99 percent range?  Before I talk with anyone about our product line, they will have been well processed through a multi-step pre-qualify marketing process that everyone in our data base goes through.  Here are the pre-qualifying steps.

1. Can my product drastically help them and give them what they want?
2. Do they want my product
3. Can they afford my product 

When Yes is the answer to all three of those questions, then and only then do I get in front of anyone and start the sharing process.  Now, when I get in front of someone and I have three hours to close the deal, I can normally get them to say Yes to my offer in 20 minutes or less, however, I give them the whole 3 hours if they want it.  I do not take the money in the shortest time possible.

When people get an email or letter from me offering them a CD or Product for $99.00 most think I am trying to sell them it.  Or you kidding me, I have zero interest in selling $100.00 products, it’s a complete waste of my time and based on my hourly fee, it actually cost me money.  Why then do I do it?  Because I am in the business of helping people and I truly care about their future success.  I make these training CD’s available because I know they are key elements and tools that will help people reach their dreams.  Someone asked me, if that is true, why don’t you just give the training CD’s away?  I said if you are willing to pull your head out of your Ass for 5 minutes I will tell you why.  First, we give away tens of thousands of dollars of free resources every month and second the most injustice thing we can do to someone is to disable them by feeding them instead of teaching them how to fish.

The first law of Success and you better write this down is “Success is Never Free and Always Demands Payment!” No one can Feed You Success, Success must be caught by you, and some kind of financial investment is the only kind of bait Success bites on.

If you learn how to become proficient in marketing and master the skills of prospecting and lead generation response, you will join the ranks of those who take pride in becoming the “High Price Leader”.  Your motto and experience will be “More Value to My Customers with More Profits for My Company.

So just know, unless you and I are talking personally and you are about to write me a twelve thousand dollar check for the one and main product I sell, everything else I offer you is a tool and resource that will drastically help you become a Master in Marketing which you need to reach all of your business, professional and financial dreams.

Resources are like high-powered bullets, the world of finances and business is a “Dangerous Jungle” and everything that crawls out there will eat you for dinner.  You do not want to go out there and run out of bullets.  Wearing a fur coat because a Lion ate you is not the way to “Dress for Success”.

My advice and counsel to you, grab every resource I offer you because I have no interest in selling you low-cost items, I am emphatically trying to give you the tools and bullets you need to stay alive and thrive in the world of commerce. It’s a Freaking Jungle Out There…

Thank you for spending time with us today, we know your time is valuable and time is the only resource we cannot ever replace once its spent and that is why we strive everyday to bring you information that will make you think, laugh, maybe pass some gas, but most of all, Inspire you to be the best you can be and that includes your ability to produce value and earn money…lots of it!

If you have not left a positive comment, followed us, hit the like button or shared us with your network, please do so today, we would highly appreciate it.  If you are serious about getting ahead in life make sure you join up for our Free and Exclusive Inner Circle Membership. Just go to http://www.DonBoyerAuthor.com and sign up today!

Have A Great Week-End

The Correct Interpretation of History

Contradictions go together like strawberries and cream.

I just wrote that sentence thinking of it in connection with the story I am about to tell, then quick first used it in a blog on polarized social intelligence, seeking the right corrective glasses. Here “correct” gets used in its egregious Marxist association.

By late 1970 my first FLEX fliers were circulating about Morningside Heights, around Columbia, NYU, the Village … By 1971 a couple of my pieces inviting the public to register their talents for teaching through FLEX were getting published in local media. An early response came from a gal who was soon to rename herself Mercury. Free U, of which she had been a principal, was getting reorganized. Would I like to come to the first new meeting? They had space in a church on West 4^th, just off Sheridan Square. Would I like to come? I sounded, she explained, like “an interesting person.”

I arrive at the church and there’s a big banner out front: The People’s Yellow Pages.

I’m a bit startled. That’s the “same idea” as FLEX! How come Illich didn’t mention them to me? How long have they been at this? Who’s On First?

I hadn’t heard of Free U till Mercury called. Hell, I’d been teaching up in Maine, I’d been wasting more time and money at NYU. Married, now with a kid, I hadn’t been hanging around the Village: didn’t have my ears open wide enough.

I went inside. Everyone there, except me, it proved had been a Free U person. It also sounded to me like it was the entire group: intact: about a half-dozen people. Yet they seemed not to have seen each other in a while.

Whatever I needed to know about Free U I think I learned right there. The men kissing each other lusciously on the mouth didn’t bother me, I was in love.

When I arrived as a freshman at Columbia I was elated as well as astonished to meet other jazz freaks. But never had I met other anarchists. Never had I ever imagined I ever would meet other anarchists. Fags, however rare (less than 10% of the population), were a dime a dozen compared to anarchists. Apart from past literature, I didn’t know there were any. (Of course I had recently discovered Ivan Illich as currently active: clearly an anti-institutional libertarian if not an anarchist (though he’s since been called “the anarchist’s anarchist”).

Misty in Sheridan Square
thanx artnet

It was either during Mercury’s first phone call or at that meeting that Mercury invited me to join them for a radio show, WRVR, on free learning. (Afterwards, with a tape of the show in hand, the group went someplace with a tape deck and we listened to ourselves. I had had no idea what I sounded like: or, my ideas were not backed by the actual tape. Very little of my intended information, almost none of my humor, seemed to issue from the speakers!) (Then again, maybe my hearing isn’t that good either. It certainly isn’t now, in my age.) (That radio host invited me back (alone) many more times, on into 1974. Before her show was retiring she told me I had been her most invited, most frequent guest.)

The next week’s meeting promised a visit from some European anarchists. Man, when those Dutch types arrived I was really in love. (Though my favorite guy there was the single other male who did NOT seem to be homosexual. He wore a Stamp Out Human Chauvinism button!)

thanx project-humanity-earth

Soon Mercury announced that they had a free press: a rickety multi-lith in a loft owned by Quakers on the lower east side: the Union Square neighborhood. I started publishing my own fliers, by the half-dozen reams.

We all know that few marriages work well. Those that do typically hold together after a couple of bone-jarring bumps. Free U hadn’t held together. I failed to hold FLEX together. The People’s Yellow Pages and Free Press also re-disintegrated. Oh, the individuals were still alive, were still anarchists, but the glue had been rendered, melted down, the group had lost its groupness.

(And plenty of other frictions came to seem integrated: They were worried for example about infiltration from the CIA. On more than one occasion they turned on ME as a CIA agent! Mercury once paraded her newest lover, a very cute, very young, girl before me: I think as a Nyah-nyah.

Standing outside the Peoples Yellow Pages for the first time, I thought, Well, it’s a good thing we’re joining forces. But we didn’t. I was trying to be the center of the universe. So were they. So was every other new Learning Exchange: more than one hundred, around the world. No one but me seemed committed to actually coordinating things. I wanted to be George Washington, but not as much as I wanted it all to cohere: and endure. Take over, a tiny tail growing, then waging the dog, then becoming the dog. Then becoming the universe.

Would Thoreau have gotten along with Spooner? with Harmon? with Benjamin Tucker? Would a “marriage” have worked?

OK. That’s background for the title incident: something I didn’t understand for decades: till bk started studying anarchism: and explained it to me.

New people were showing up at the Sheridan Square church. What interested the group seemed daily less universal to me. They ONLY liked the quirky stuff. One guy got up and recited, almost like Hannah Storm, an unpronounceable (outside of India) string of gurus: to seeming great approval.

A minute later my enthusiasm for these people ground to a permanent halt. The same guy said, with great emphasis on the word “correct” that we had to all have The Correct Interpretation of History.

Uh oh. Shit! I thought I was among anarchists. Now they’re fucking Marxists!

Yes. That’s what bk explained to me, once my own philosophical tendencies had prompted my son to make a formal study of anarchism. (What I know comes largely from his studies; I’d never made a study: just followed “my own” tendencies.) bk informed me that historically there were two branches of anarchism: left and right. Marxism promised eventual anarchism, but in the meantime, there was a huge urge to break eggs, and to do it like Nazis. And the hell with the omelette. Then there were the right anarchists, who mouth about free markets. [bk's response to the first post of this file is complex enough that I am not going to revise my prose nor go into detail. See the above link to BlackCrayon: it should do more than well enough.] [Alas, after decades the server for BlackCrayon, for all of my son's domains, has died. When K. got censored, me arrested, bk could have republished everything that instant, on his own server: he didn't. And when his own stuff died, he's, so far, left it dead. (I'll be satisfied if the species follows suit.)]

Get together? That doesn’t seem to be in the nature of things. Free market? Get serious. FLEX is the only free market ever offered. note How come the right anarchists didn’t support it? (2013 05 23 I’ll give an incriminating set of examples next visit.)

I guess I’m a right anarchist. And I guess it was a misfortune (for the world) that the left anarchists found me first and adopted me (without really integrating).

What’s eternally clear to me is that the right anarchists are full of shit, don’t mean a word they say: because they didn’t fall in with FLEX. And now they too use the egregious internet: just as we all must.

But it didn’t have to be that way. (There’s something akin to “free will” in our damnation.)

Notes

Free Markets:

Of course markets emerged: from decentralized behavior. Watch out for markets that are offered by a central authority.

One must understand: I wanted Ivan Illich’s design, plus my idea for it to coordinate worldwide, to be dictated: by the design! But the market, something active, alive, independent, had to emerge.

I believed that the emergence, since it hadn’t emerged, now needed a catalyst. Illich showed no interest in doing it, beyond publishing the idea. note Therefore I would do it.

But it didn’t. Therefore God must want us to be idiots: and god too (as if god wants anything).

I wanted it: that’s for sure.

Interest in Doing It:

Deschooling flowed from Illich’s work on tempering American cultural imperialism: US trucks in South America can do more damage than US tanks in South America because the tanks will damage only so much, whereas the trucks are intended to transform the continent to a dependence on asphalt, and all that goes with it: all of which which must be purchased.

But to my mind the solution to that, the solution to everything, was implicit in a free market of free information: information supplied by the public to itself via FLEX. Illich went on deconstructing institutions: Medical Nemesis, convivial tools as an alternative. But FLEX WAS the tool. Make it work; then philosophize more.

FLEX needed the public to support it as well as to use it, but I believe Illich could and should have helped more. He had connections throughout the public, worldwide; I had none, I was deracinated. Defenestrated.

I don’t believe he helped Denis Detzel much with the Evanston Learning Exchange either: and he had known Denis much longer. On the contrary, Denis I believe continued to help him, Illich: one of his old “altar boys.”

So, everyone is gearing up for the wild trips, fun barbecues or just relaxation for this upcoming three-day holiday. For many, Memorial Day weekend is a time to take a breather, with no thoughts of business, work or boss moves. But for leaders who are constantly on the grind and keeping it moving, this is prime time to hustle.

I recently moderated a super-inspiring panel that focused on creating secondary streams of revenue. Organized by a very enterprising young boss in her own right, Ronesha Byng, this event featured a panel of media, finance and entertainment power women including author and relationship coach Tionna Smalls, a Brooklyn, N.Y native who was able to take her self-published book into boss moves overdrive with a new show on MTV.

A common theme among the diverse panel of women was that, while others are doing what everyone else does, they do the opposite—something fearless and out of the box—especially when it comes to networking. Smalls noted that she would often attend events, where she might be the only person of color in the room, to network with who’s who of the media and TV industries. Another panelist, travelista Johnica Reed, talked about how she’d use her time during happy hour, not solely for alcoholic debauchery, but to connect with people who’d turn out to be key investors in her advancement. She’s been able to travel the world and write about it—all expenses paid.

So, what better time than Memorial Day weekend to put those boss moves into action while everyone is knocking back pina coladas or spending their last at Las Vegas casinos? Here are four things you can do during the holiday—that many people probably won’t be doing—to get a step ahead:

1. Attend at least one quality event: It’s cool to hang out with friends by the beach or pool, but what about being strategic? With so many things going on in major cities during this time, take advantage of the locale you’re in and find time to meet people you don’t already know. Maybe that bartender works celebrity or corporate events. Maybe the neighboring group of women in your cabana also work in an industry you have interest in. Maybe that club owner or promoter has a lucrative network of contacts. You definitely want to be conscious of the timing and environment, but when you’re presented with a key moment, take the time to make your move to build new relationships that could benefit your brand or future side hustle.

Read the rest of this story on BlackEnterprise.com.

How to maximize Your Experience in this Power Network

The key to a great experience with Local Impact Zone is to be present and congruent with the philosophy, “Giving First to Empower the Law of Reciprocity”.  The Power of the network is in how we all show up and what we perceive when we show up.  Remember that LIZ is FREE for its members because it is funded through our funding partnerships.  Please be conscious of our funding sources so that you can participate when it is applicable and appropriate so the program remains free.  Here are some ways to show up so you can go up!

• Create your profile in the searchable global online directory.
• “Like” the LIZ Fan Page so you get LIZ tips, updates and events.
• Ask to Join your local LIZ Group and be sure to join the national LIZ Group on Facebook.
• Join the national Local Impact Zone LinkedIn group.
• Follow the national twitter account.
• Meet the members online and offline
• Create a legitimate plan to succeed, be a benefit and get a benefit in LIZ and ask to consult with LIZ on how to do that by email at tellus@localimpactzone.com.

It is of critical importance that we all understand that LIZ has created a business platform and social community for us to show up and earn relationships that lead to business by applying accurate thinking, right principles, best practices and good character.  The power of the network rests in our ability to be present, engaged, transparent, authentic, serving, trustworthy, positive and of value to others.  It is important to keep gossip, negativity, exclusiveness, offensiveness and unwarranted judgement out of the network.  This does not mean we use these traits to judge others but rather to judge ourselves.  If each of us will begin/ continue a journey of introspect, personal and business development and transformation towards improvement while displaying an attitude of understanding, grace for others, gratitude, encouragement and support that allows others an environment to improve, we will continue to be THE PREMIER FREE POWER NETWORK!

**VERY IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS OF ENGAGEMENT**

• One aspect of the Law of Reciprocity is to treat others the way you want to be treated (The Golden Rule).  Here is how that applies practically to LIZ:
  • If you want exposure give exposure
  • If you want followers then follow
  • If you want likes then like
  • If you want interaction then interact
  • If you want your email opened then open emails (Open and Quick glance for interest then delete unless you are interested).
  • If you want a social media audience, then grant a social media audience to others.
  • If you want your blog read and commented in then read and comment on others.
  • If you want people to answer calls then answer others calls.
  • If you want people to respond quickly then respond quickly
  • If you want people to grant you a meeting, then grant others meetings.
  • If you want people to buy from you then make sure you are supporting their products and services when appropriate (If you can’t then make sure you refer others to them)
  • If you want people finding you in the LIZ Directory then search the directory for others.
  • Listen first and more with the intent to learn and connect with others
  • Be others focused and others will focus on you
  • Be a connector of people and with people
  • Be authentic, genuine and transparent appropriately
  • Pursue Accurate Thinking through personal introspect, the Law of Association and reading books on business and personal growth.
  • See others perspective so you can find a 360 degree view

This is how you build a POWER NETWORK of core advocates and maximize your return on investment of money, time and energy to its highest and best in today’s world.  There is no need to fear competition if you are your clients best choice.

I will be speaking for 15 minutes about “how to create social media plan that works for you.”  You probably have heard the famous quote by Ben Franklin, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

Just like you have a business plan/strategy, you also need a social media plan and strategic content to help you reach your business goals.  I will give you a step-by-step breakdown about how to go about planning your social media strategy.  I will help you determine what you have time for and what you don’t have time for.

There will be a survey posted on my blog here after the June 12 event, but also given to everyone at the event.  This survey will help you map out your needs, goals, time restrictions, level of social media knowledge, and how to move forward and create a plan that will help you reach your goals.

Here’s some more information about the event on June 12:

• Wednesday, June 12, 2013

  12:00 PM to 1:30 PM

• PixelGigs, Inc., Headquarters

  7504 Southwest Bridgeport Road , Portland, OR (map)

• Bring your own lunch or eat before the event.

  FREE event

  12 noon: Informal Networking & Referral Exchanges
  12:30pm: Education:   digital marketing communication tools (IMPACT Office)

  and Guest speaker ~ Meagan Hope “How to create a social media plan that works for you”

  http://www.meaganhopeblanco.wordpress.com
  1:00pm: 30 second elevator pitch to the group
  1:30pm: Event ends

  (Every 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 12 noon)

  Here’s a link to the meetup: http://www.meetup.com/pixelgigs/events/121062372/

  

My wife, who is referred to as Daredevil Deb in my books and columns for no other reason than we both think it’s funny, is a high-flyin’ girl. Literally – since she’s a flight attendant for one of the few profitable major airlines in this country. I don’t have permission to divulge the company name, but they’re based in the Southwest part of the U.S.

Too much information? I’ll know if…

1. I hear from their lawyers.
2. Daredevil Deb starts cashing unemployment checks.

A major key to the company’s popularity, which in business terms translates into profits, is their dedication to the happiness factor. It also doesn’t hurt that they’ve resisted tacking on a surcharge for extra baggage – and I’m not just talking about suitcases. It’s no secret some airlines have stirred up turbulence by threatening to weigh passengers and charge per pound.

Then again, the stand-up comedians in my workshops have suddenly found a wealth of new material. Believe me when I say the jokes about this are flyin’.

 In many businesses, consumer and employee happiness relies on effective communication skills. With the company hinted at above, this includes enhancing their experience with an element of humor and creativity. In fact, this is included during their employee training sessions. The in-flight crews not only learn how to save lives, mix drinks and sling peanuts, but are also trained to know a good customer experience can lead to a stress-free flight for both the passengers and crew.

It can also mean return business for the company and loyalty from their employees.

Sound like a game plan your business could use? It’s the new wave of customer service and employee team building – and it works.

This is on my mind because Daredevil Deb called yesterday during a brief layover in St. Louis, after traveling from Chicago, and before heading off into the wild blue yonder for New York City. The brief rundown of her working day highlighted the amount of families who “plane and deplane” at every stop. She commented that the parents seem happy their kids would be entertained during the trip and her job requirement was not to disappoint.

In addition to knowing how to smile and not spill a tray of drinks through rough skies, here are some of the keep the customer happy methods she learned in training.

————————————————–

The Toilet Paper Race:

This high speed contest involves rolls of toilet paper given to passengers in the front row who hold onto the first sheet and pass the roll back (overhead) to the person sitting behind them. This continues through the cabin and the first roll that makes it to the last row wins.

The end result of this game might remind us of toilet-papered trees the day after Halloween. From my childhood memory (and that’s not an admission of any guilt in these matters), these trees usually belonged to neighbors who lacked a sense of humor (happiness) in dealing with kids who were just being kids. In other words, their perceived grumpiness set them up for a trick rather than a treat.

————————————————–

The Weight and Age Game:

The goal is to guess the combined weight or age of the flight attendants. It’s imperative for the crew to hang onto their sense of humor since according to my insider information (wife), this game sometimes leads to a few tears shed in the back galley when the answers add up to more than expected or deserved. But the customer happiness factor is really what’s at stake and everyone wins if the passengers end up smiling and enjoying their experience with the company.

————————————————–

The Emergency Announcements:

This one’s mandatory and not really a game, but the happiness factor means it doesn’t have to sound so robotic that every frequent flyer can recite the instructions along with the flight attendant – or start their naps before the plane even leaves the gate.

 ”In case of an emergency, the exits are located in the front and rear. If an oxygen mask appears…”

This is usually where my white knuckle flying technique kicks into gear and how Deb earned her Daredevil title from me because she recites this numerous times a day. But that’s not the message I’m trying to send, especially since I’m writing this safely seated in my ground floor office.

With a dose of company-encouraged creativity and humor these announcements can actually be entertaining. Daredevil Deb scores high on passenger feedback (letters in her file to prove it) by singing, rapping, and adding punch lines with the delivery of a stand-up comic. Her delivery enhancements keep passengers interested in what she might say next, therefore making sure they actually listen to the instructions that could save their lives.

————————————————–

The happiness factor is an important element of the company’s business plan. Advertising, pricing and scheduling may be the initial attractions, but if the consumers have a bad experience they’ll probably weigh other options before purchasing another ticket.

It’s the same with employees. How many times have you heard someone say they hate their job and are looking for other options? But the ones who are happy in what they do tend to stay longer.

Of course the business world is not all fun and games, even for the company racing rolls of toilet paper and rapping the correct way to fasten a seat belt. There will always be stressful moments and personality clashes. That happens. But in the long run, consumer and employee satisfaction make a difference.

It starts with communicating. When it’s enhanced with an element of humor and creativity, it can fly into a zone called the happiness factor. And for many businesses today, that’s a valuable key to success.

————————————————————–

Dave Schwensen has designed and instructs university courses in communications and presentation skills. He is an author, keynote speaker, trainer, consultant, and nationally-recognized comedy coach. For information about scheduling Dave’s keynote or break-out training sessions for your next event, visit www.TalkingForSuccess.com

Copyright 2013 – North Shore Publishing

————————————————————–

HEY EVERYONE!!!

JUST WANTED TO SHARE THE UPDATED FLYER FOR THIS THURSDAY’S

BRONX YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMs

“YOUTH SPEAKS” FORUM 2013

HIP-HOP AND YOU…

THIS EVENT IS GETTING BIGGER AND BETTER

LET’S COME OUT AND HAVE A GOOD TIME

BUT

MOST IMPORTANTLY

LETs SUPPORT OUR YOUTH

THEY ARE STAKEHOLDERS IN  THE PROGRESS OF OUR COMMUNITIES

LETs HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY!!!

$ lspci -v

02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Attansic Technology Corp. L1 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (rev b0)
…
Kernel driver in use: atl1
Kernel modules: atl1

$ dmesg | grep atl1
…
atl1 0000:02:00.0: eth0 link is up 100 Mbps full duplex

We have all heard that topic in the news of late. As most of you know through your own job search experience, our specialty here at Career Partners International is assisting individuals with their job search. We are launching a new seminar for first time job seekers and recent college graduates to assist them with their resume, interviewing skills and LinkedIn profile. If you know of anyone who could benefit from this seminar please have them contact Career Partners.

Who should attend?

This seminar is targeted for first time job seekers or recent graduates who want to stand out from the crowd. In this tough job market where competition is fierce, being well prepared for the interview process is a necessity.

What’s Being Offered?

During this half-day seminar, participants will gain valuable skills in networking, resume writing, and interviewing techniques that can often take years of experience to learn. Here’s what they’ll gain from attending:
•Professional Resume – each participant will have a professional resume written and learn how to write a compelling cover letter
•LinkedIn – they will learn how to create a LinkedIn profile and connect to a first class network of people
•Interview Preparation – participants will practice answering difficult interview questions and gain confidence in their interviewing techniques

When and Where?

Two Date Options (You only need to attend one)
Saturday, June 15 or Friday, June 21
9:00 am – Noon
Career Partners International Buffalo | Niagara
330 Harris Hill Road
Williamsville, NY 14221

Cost
$499

To Register:
Contact Diane Robinson at drobinson@cpibn.com or call 853-7600 no later than June 10, 2013.

One of the best ways for businesses to get noticed on the web is by using proper web design techniques. Most especially when employing PPC (pay per click) campaigns to augment offline or traditional lead generation activities. Suffice it to say, a company should make sure their online and offline branding match. When this doesn’t occur, the consumer is confused. The results are less than perfect sales leads, high bounce rates and a declining online reputation.

Hiring web development experts can assist in forging dynamic websites that are a continuance of a company’s offline branding efforts. A consistent online/offline brand reenforces to visitors that they are in the right place at the right time and encourages them to convert that visit to  a lead or sale.

There are multiple paths to choose when laying out a website that contains many pages and tons of online tools which can be used to create a website anywhere. However, if a company chooses to select one of the quick and easy DIY tools that is unable to fully integrate their company branding, lead conversion will most definitely suffer.

Take Shell, the giant oil company, for example. The familiar reds and yellows in their logos, along with the signature seashell is plastered all over their commercials, documents and fuel stations. What would happen if those familiar branding elements were absent from their online presence? What would the result be if they invested thousands into a properly branded PPC (pay per click) campaign, but when a visitor clicked the ad, they were taken to a website where the dominant colors were black, brown or even purple? Would they question what website they had been redirected to? Absolutely! Would the visitor take more than three seconds to even investigate the site to confirm it was indeed a Shell sponsored website? Probably not. To go further, what would the ROI (return on investment) be of those PPC (pay per click) advertisements?

If your company is considering adding PPC (pay per click) to its online marketing strategy this year, consult with a professional web design company who understands how to convert offline branding  into the perfect online image. Remember that offline business branding sets a standard that online customers can come to depend on.

Join me for the Giving Back Blogger Series – a series of articles, information, links and more that are my way of giving back to the blogging community and helping new bloggers be the best that they can be! Grow your blog and learn from the benefit of those that have gone before you! Informative and enlightening, you don’t want to miss out on this series!

Today’s featured artist is Michael Bermudez. Michael was born and raised in Los Angeles. He has been creating art in one form of another since childhood, whether it was from drawing pictures as a child or making G.I. Joe planes out of popsicle sticks to graduating from Brooks College with an AA in Graphic Design.  He is blessed with two children of his own that constantly remind him that everyday is a journey and an amazingly supportive wife who never lets him go astray in moments of doubt.

Like most people, he has struggled to find his place but outletting his creative juices have always been a part of his life.  Michael most recently discovered a love for painting.  Having always been apprehensive with a paint brush in hand, this new found creative outlet ties together so many things that he finds both interesting and inspiring.  His artwork, primarily on canvas, brings together both a technological perspective combined with the organic chaotic nature of life by using mathmatical, scientific and musical elements mixed with various mediums and an array of colors and textures. Although his artwork continues to evolve and explore new directions, he continues to strive to find a Balance Through Chaos.

Here is Michael’s artist statement in his own words:

Inspiration is found in all facets of life but I am most drawn to the friction found within unbalance and the randomness of chaos.  The ongoing push and pull of two forces unwilling to compromise and held apart by the very ideas that bind them together.  In my artwork I use various tools to create this imbalance and create these inconsistencies that drive us each day. And once that is done, I try to harness this imbalance, this never-ending game of tug-of-war, and I try to tame it and give it structure by using line work and geometric shapes, bringing together the influences of math, science and music to my artwork that is neither logical nor balance.

My intention is to create a connection, a connection that chaos not only has order but that it is the very thing that creates life. After all, life and death are not only opposites but can not exist without the other.  Our lives, as they span through the years, are this same process.  We are born and then we die, and in between those two pinpointsis our lives … is our chaos.  Without the effects of this chaos, whether it be happiness or pain or elation or sadness, without this friction and emotional entanglement, all life would be stagnant.  We are all blank canvases wandering and searching for balance along the way and therefore, there will always be chaos.

You can see more of his art work by liking him on facebook and visiting his website, Michael Bermudez Art.

Orange County Creatives has a gallery located in the heart of the Artists Village, in the Santora Building in Santa Ana, CA (207 N Broadway, Suite D, Santa Ana, CA 92701). At our gallery, we host monthly open call showcases for emerging artists on the first Saturday of each month, from 7 pm to 10 pm during the Santa Ana Art Walk.

If you are an artist looking for an opportunity to showcase your work please contact us via email at orangecountycreativesinfo@gmail.com.

By Merrill Beck,

I have One Question for You…. Are You living Paycheck to Paycheck?

Did you know that early in the last century, the current school system was set up to train the masses to be in effect…factory workers (Slaves)?

Think about it; sitting in a classroom regimented by a bell to go to your next class, sitting in rows for a specific amount of time. This was a way the leaders formulated a way to train/brainwash the masses to work in lock step so production in the factories would be maximized! Other than now instead of factories, we have cubicles of trained office workers…same thing in essence. The majority of working people in the world are doing this kind of work. And the majority of people in the world will Die BROKE!! This is by design folks. The elite class has made sure of this for millenia and will continue to keep the common people in a state of slavery. They made their millions and billions off the back of the working class.  We have that Oh So Precious 9 to 5 job or that small business that we married. Most of us are living to work and working to live. At the later years in our lives we are finding that we cannot retire and enjoy our lives No, we need to continue to work just to get by. Well this just Sucks!! Bust your ass all of your life for the Man for what..the opportunity to continue to bust your ass until you keel over with a heart attack!!

Are You  Insane??

A wise man once said; “If you continue to do what you have been doing and expect a different result, You Are Insane”.

In other words; It is not going to get better by itself, YOU Need to make changes if you want to rise above the common existence!!

So do something to better yourself, read a book by Napoleon Hill or Anthony Robins or read the Bible…Find something you have passion for, remember when you were a kid and you were going to be a pilot or fireman or president or something even bigger? You still can have those dreams and yes they can come true. Release your inner Jeanie and BE Something Special!

If you have an idea to make yourself better then Go For It!  If not then there are many different ways to explore and sometimes they present themselves on a silver platter.

If you are reading this, chances you are looking for a way to better yourself. Yes I have a way for you to check out and if it fits then go for it. I did and I’m glad I did…It Works!!

There are many ways to make a difference and typically $500 a month will make a huge difference in your life. I will show you and Help YOU achieve this and more! Here is one way to make a huge difference in your monthly income.  Are You Up To This?

Check Out This Free Video!

Make A Difference!

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You are at a networking luncheon in your community, and you meet a local small business owner named John Acme, owner of Acme & Company. After introducing yourselves to each other, you and Mr. Acme have a short conversation around what each of you does, and he mentions that he is interested in learning more about disability and life insurance. You and Mr. Acme exchange business cards, shake hands, and part ways.

The next morning you arrive at your office, and as a part of your daily routine you log into LinkedIn with the intent of connecting with Mr. Acme. Now here is where a lot of LinkedIn members go the easy route and make a mistake in connecting with other LinkedIn members. They log into LinkedIn and simply type John Acme into the search field, look at the search results, find the correct John Acme and then simply hit the “Connect” button to send an invitation to connect. Mr. Acme is going to receive the following message from this invitation:

“I’d like to add you to my professional network.

~Jane Smith”

The problem with this request is that there is no context in the invitation to help Mr. Acme place where or how he knows you. Let me explain why this can become an annoyance. At one point I was guilty of this myself and we all have done this or received one of the invitation that said the following, “I’d like to add you to my professional network. John Smith.” I have taken a stance and will not accept a connection from someone who sends the lazy invite nor gives me any substance of where we met or what the purpose of their connection request is. I would be more inclined to accept these invitations if there was some context in the invitation.

It is so easy to add some context to your connection that will make your invitation standout and make you memorable. Instead of using the default language LinkedIn provides you may write something like the following:

“John,

It was a pleasure meeting you yesterday at the Main Street Business Association Luncheon. I look forward to sitting down with you to learn more about your business and needs. Let me know what your schedule is like in the next week to grab lunch.
Sincerely,

Jane Smith”

By simply adding a little more information and personalizing your invitation you will see a higher percentage of people accepting your invitations to connect, not to mention improving how you will be perceived by the prospect.

Please note that the iPhone and iPad LinkedIn apps do not give you the ability to write a personalized connection message, so as a best practice you should hold off on making connection requests until you get back to your laptop or computer and can log into LinkedIn.com.

It’s a small thing but it will make a difference in your practice as you work to build, grow, and expand your network.

Next week, Love of Mankind will be at KPMG on behalf of Sir George Monoux College, speaking about empowering our youth and giving them opportunities to be on the right path in life. The guest list includes business professionals from a number of well-known companies, including Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse. It’s an exciting opportunity, and the representatives will be Abu Choudhury and I. We’re both really excited for the networking opportunity we’ll be getting, because it’s a good chance for us to give out our shiny new business cards and get people excited for the exciting things we have planned for Monoux students.

I’ll let you know how it goes!

I hope this resource will be a great way to promote art therapist’s work, interests, and projects, as well as a way to discover & connect to other art therapy inspiring blogs and art therapist bloggers!

This call for blogs will be open until the end of June, with a page launch slated for July.

If you’re interested in submitting, please send your blog’s web address for consideration to Gretchen at info@arttherapyalliance.org before June 30.

Looking forward to organizing & publishing a super inspiring list!

Photo by JP Leddy

One of my favorite mentors , Simon Sinek, challenges us to start with “Why.”  Basically if we discover our why, then we can lead.  They are the ones who inspire.

Did you know that when we connect best with each other , we actually inspire each other.  This is because the very best connectors are the ones who truly have a great sense of who they are and live in that reality.  They understand their purpose and have a great desire to assist others realize or enhance their own purposes.

This is beyond the simple business transaction. The more the partnership is built on the meaningful and pure connection of the two individuals, the better the business opportunities will develop.

Although they have a great sense of self , their actions are selfless. It shows in how they work with their business partners and clients. Yet, the result of such actions leads to better business results not only in terms of profit but in long term business opportunities.

Simon Sinek makes 3 statements out of the 11 tips he gives about speaking to people in a group, that a connector can apply when he/she goes to a networking event.

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Last night I was able to go to an event hosted by Chambliss. We all hung out on the rooftop of the Creative Discovery Museum in downtown Chattanooga to mingle. I got to talk to the director of marketing for the Chattanooga aquarium as well as a few Vanderbilt alumni. I love meeting new people and have slowly gathered a pile of business cards from my interactions.

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military services. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.
Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.
By the early 20th century, Memorial Day was an occasion for more general expressions of memory, as people visited the graves of their deceased relatives in church cemeteries, whether they had served in the military or not. It also became a long weekend increasingly devoted to shopping, family gatherings, fireworks, trips to the beach, and national media events.
Annual Decoration Days for particular cemeteries are held on a Sunday in late spring or early summer in some rural areas of the American South, notably in the mountains. In cases involving a family graveyard where remote ancestors as well as those who were deceased more recently are buried, this may take on the character of an extended family reunion to which some people travel hundreds of miles. People gather on the designated day and put flowers on graves and renew contacts with kinfolk and others. There often is a religious service and a “dinner on the ground,” the traditional term for a potluck meal in which people used to spread the dishes out on sheets or tablecloths on the grass. It is believed that this practice began before the American Civil War and thus may reflect the real origin of the “memorial day” idea.

Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day; Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving, while Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, living or dead.