With the growing trend in owning an online business, automated internet systems rock!  So who wouldn't want an already built for you, ready to pull the trigger and make money online kick ass web machine?  Those with experience online know the challenges with keywords, content, traffic, SEO, social media, list-building and such.

Web designers know that internet marketing is not simple.  Making money online requires much more than simply building or buying a website.  As the ecommerce industry grows, so does the competition for traffic and conversions.  Automation, social media integration & SEO are critical and yet so is unique content.  

Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo fans... UNITE!  BIG day ahead and if you were thinking of having a Kentucky Derby Party, then here's just what you need....

HOT off the press and FUN Creative Derby Day Party Ideas... 

Let's HORSE AROUND!

Kentucky Derby Party!

What do tigers and frogs have to do with blogs anyway?  

About Tigers...   Sometimes my blogs feel like I've got a tiger by the tail and I can't hold on and and can't let go.  

I've tamed the tiger somewhat and yet am far from having the beast under control. I think in the past decade I've had maybe five different blogs.  I've deleted a couple of them.  Now I'm not inclined to delete anymore, am weary of starting over.   

Besides I don't wanna leave my baby tigers (blog posts) as orphans.  I mean they may be pesky little beasts sometimes but they're mine and they deserve a good home.

About frogs...

Ever play leap blog?  Well that's when a blogger jumps from blog to blog... like a frog hops on a log ... being chased by a dog in the fog ....  leap blog.  

Maybe you started a blog then got bored and forgot about it ... then started a new one ... and did the same.  Or maybe you used blogger and then decided to change to some other new shiny blogging platform that was all the rage at the time.  You never intended to play leap blog, yet got drawn in.

So I do have a vision of this final blog resting place, this forever blog log home.  My research says it has to be a self-hosted wordpress blog.  OK.  Do you have ANY idea how long it took me to figure out how to use the hosted wordpress blog I have that is currently wandering aimlessly through cyberspace?  Geez!  Not THAT again.

So this blog page is hosted at Posterous... at one time another new shiny object in cyberspace that was all the rage.  I think words like 'easy to use' tripped my trigger on that move.  Certainly there are functions I've yet to discover in this Posterous place.  

Did you hear that Posterous was recently bought by Twitter?  I've no clue what that means,  but the bottom line is that I don't want a blog that can be bought by anyone.  I want a target that doesn't move unless I tell it to do so.

When you play leap blog, there's always a learning curve ya know...

That new shiny blog platform looks awesome til you get inside and get lost.  And of course you're in a hurry and don't wanna have to invest a ton of time in figuring it all out.  Yet alas, there's really no way out - jump on the damn learning curve, ya gotta go there.

But wait, I already HAVE well over my quota of learning curves this month!   Geez, I can't take on another one right now.  

OK.  Then just stay stuck in blog limbo land til you are ready to face the music.

I'm dreaming of some magic blog genie ya see ... one who will know all the right abracaBLOGdabras.  

She'll appear like Tinkerbell and with a flick of her magic wand and a sprinkle of fairy dust, she'll rescue me and my baby tigers from the dizzy game of leap blog.

Yes, the magic blog fairy will have techie DNA in her fairy dust.  She'll know just how to import posts from one blog platform to another, maybe even how to categorize them.  She'll tear down the roadblocks to learning about this wordpress beast and make it simple.  

She'll set me free to create instead of spend frustrating hours trying to decipher the meaning of techno babble.

She'll be able to leap tall blogs in a single bound.  

She'll have answers to all of my blogging questions, even the elusive 'what's my unique selling position' one, and ... and... and...

The magic blog fairy will understand that I am a right-brained creative mind who certainly is capable of learning that techie babble language.  She'll understand that while I've come a long way on those techie learning curves, my dream is to be set free of that cage.

No more leap blog limbo land, a forever blog log home!

So help me spread this alert, OK?  Keep an eye out for this magical blog fairy to rescue me from blog fog.   If you find her, send her my way.  Thanks.

 

Effective coaching or teaching requires much more than simply being an expert at a given skill.

Remember being a young (or older) student yourself and ... while the teacher might have been brilliant at X subject, you just couldn't grasp what he or she was talking about. Maybe it felt as if the teacher was speaking Swahili or some other remote foreign language.

Maybe regardless of the subject, you disliked a teacher so much for some reason that a part of your brain just shut down and you were not motivated at all.  

Maybe the teacher appeared lazy or bored, opinionated or totally uncaring.

Maybe the pace was too fast or too slow. Or maybe the way it was presented left you bored out of your mind.  

Maybe you remember a teacher in your past who seemed to be much more concerned with their own personal image and ego than the success of students?  

I'll bet you can relate to at least some of the above.  

Claiming that because one knows a skill that they can teach that skill leaves out many variables critical to learning.  If that were true, then why bother requiring teachers to go to college and become certified after many years of training?  Just because we all 'went to school' then does that make us all potential teachers?  I've been sick before, so then can I be a doctor?  Sound ridiculous?  Yep.  It is.

That is not to say that an internet business skills coach must be a certified teacher necessarily.  The point is that knowing the subject matter alone doesn't begin to equal good teaching. There are lots of highly intelligent people who are quite skilled at internet marketing who would make lousy teachers. 

There's also more than one type of intelligence.  The more common type is that which is tested on an IQ test, academic intelligence.   An IQ (Intelligence Quotient) test measures the potential ability to comprehend academic subjects.  The lesser known type of intelligence is known as 'Emotional Intelligence'.  

Now intelligence (both types) are considered 'innate' or something you were born with, a talent or a gift inherited via your DNA.  In other words, you really cannot 'study' for an IQ test.  It's more about your ability to reason and 'see' relationships or subtle inferences.  Emotional intelligence is similar, but refers more to being able to 'see' the human side of relationships, to pick up on small nuances of behavior, to have the intuition to sense subtle inferences indicating emotional needs and to know how and when to fill those needs.

So often the best coaches have a strong balance of both types of intelligence.  In fact, often those with a stronger emotional intelligence tend to make the best teachers.  Why?  Because they are able to 'connect' with more than just learning needs, but also emotional needs in the process.  This is critical.

Females tend to be much more compassionate and intuitive about emotional needs than men.  There are certainly exceptions to that rule, on both sides.  There are both males and females who appear to be emotionally deplete.  Still most would agree with that as a general human tendency.  So in a learning situation, could this become another Mars VS Venus issue?  Could it be that females tend to prefer females as coaches, teachers or mentors simply because they are much more likely to 'speak the same language'? 

In general, I believe so - that females tend to prefer females as coaches, and vice versa.  I published a related article about this which features several favorite female internet marketing coaches.  There were some who did not agree with this opinion, as you can see in the polls on that article, and that's all good.  

Teaching was my main career for most of my adult life.  I do value education highly and am definitely a lifelong learner.  I've learned from many good mentors over the years about different aspects of making money online.  However as it turns out, one of my all-time favorite coaches, one who definitely was a 'turning point' for me in finally turning the key significantly in the puzzle of internet marketing - that mentor just happens to be male.  

The bottom line is that, whether male or female, a quality internet marketing coach needs that innate ability to 'connect' with people.  

Coaching is about much more than simply being an 'expert' in a given industry.  Not only is 'emotional intelligence' an important variable, but also knowledge about the principles and methods behind how people learn.  Coaching or teaching is about so much more than simply dispensing facts and information.

 

Got spring fever?  Ah the magic of springtime!

I've been bitten by spring fever and so ... 

I've been AWOL from the office - guilty!

I just couldn't resist the joy of working outside on a gorgeous spring day.  I'm a passionate gardener and I live for springtime, to me the most magical time of the year (summer running a close second)!

Like a kaleidoscope, springtime is always changing and always beautiful.  And today while I raked and yanked weeds and hauled brush...this post came to me.

Metaphors on a Spring Day

I moved to a new house late last summer, and am totally enchanted by it...especially the yard with woods behind it, the screened in porch is totally secluded, surrounded by birds and delightful privacy.  I'm writing from my laptop on that porch today.

The yard is beginning to wake up and look gorgeous.  However, it had been unattended for many years.  Vines were taking over, big gnarly vines totally covered the fence on one side and even were spreading across the yard.  I attacked that fence hard last fall, and began referring to the giant gnarly vine pests as KUDZU vines.  and as I worked I chanted to myself ... 'the attack of the kudzu'.

There really IS a nasty gnarly vine called KUDZU, it grows mostly in the south as far as I know and just takes over areas and swarms trees.  This nasty gnarly thing is very similar.

So now it is springtime and the 'attack of the kudzu' continues...

I'm happy to report that I am now winning the war after countless hours of attacks on kudzu, hauling kudzu and burning kudzu. Finally the burning fire turns to ashes and becomes earth.  

As we grow and our business grows...

There will always be 'attacks of the kudzu' - challenges to face and dead wood to throw out.  If not, it will gain so much power as to interfere with our plans.  Half the solution is acknowledging these issues and giving them focus, putting them in their place, so to speak.  It's having the courage to look within, to self-assess progress and health of both self and business. Whatever issues we find must be faced and given focus in order to have a solid foundation for a business in the first place. As we focus til the issue has become nothing but a reminder, a lesson learned...then it becomes ashes that fertilize the earth.  

EARTH:  The Fertile Foundation

The 'earth' of your business then is the foundation.  It is laid with a plan and goals. Self assessment regularly will reveal roadblocks that will appear along the way.  

• What skills need to be learned and implemented?  
• What challenges are halting progress?  
• What habits need to change?  
• How will my action plan meet all of the above?

Whether personal or business or a mixture of the two, we embrace the ways we learn from from those inevitable roadblocks.  We break down barriers, celebrate their breakthrough and then break down some more.  This is a process, not something accomplished overnight, but that process is critical to setting a strong foundation.  We problem solve until our roadblocks are either simmering on the back burner or completely turned to ashes.  Those ashes then fertilize our next steps.

WIND:  Being Open to Receive and Return Support

Think of the wind as your networks and communities, memberships and forums and blog partners.  Your partners have different businesses but similar goals and habits as self-employed business owners on the internet.  Those who spend most of their waking hours on the internet... writing, publishing, reading, networking and marketing... doing the internet marketing dance.   Learn to dance that dance like a pro, taking turns both following and leading as you grow support and nurture the same for others.  Be open to learn always and also to share whatever you have learned.

FIRE:  Spark Your Own Unique Personality and Position - Your Brand of Burning Fire

The internet is so massive and crowded, we must allow a personality to shine though, a way to distinguish from the avalanche of competition.  How can you stand apart from the crowd? What is your niche?  Brand yourself as known for X, Y or Z or even a combination but make who YOU are and what you offer clear and plain to see.   Allow personality and real life to come through.  Be Yourself and allow others to know some things about you.

Leads:  Businesses that only pay for leads to get clients are skipping this step.  Some swear by that strategy, but it just never rang true for me.  I'm not sure how many people actually respond to those flashy ads with people standing in front of a mansion and a few sports cars and such, the 'get-rich-quick' crowd.  At least that's what I think of when I think of working with leads, am I wrong?  The process of taking the time to get to know people and establish community and trust takes longer, yet is much more effective in the long run.

A Question of Balance

It's a question of balance of our earth, wind and fire.  

Success in business is how well these three integrate, how well we keep all three healthy and fired up.  That's one of the many challenges about being self-employed is to keep several pots cooking all at once and tend them all regualarly.   In the corporate world, you'd be doing either marketing or sales, or maybe technology and SEO or even maybe being the CEO.  Being self-employed means doing all of the above and then some.  

You know the expression... 'can't see the forest for the trees' ???

Internet marketers often 'can't see the trees for the forest''.

We try to be the end all for a 'niche' that is too broad to be an actual niche maybe, and I'm certainly guilty of that.  Still I've learned so much on the journey, and do celebrate those lessons learned as I forage a path... and yes, this thought came to me today while i was doing just that - foraging a path through my new woods at my new house.  

After awhile I took a break, thinking... 'I need a chain saw for this, geez!'

And guess what?  Two guys with chain saws just showed up, hired by a neighbor (thanks to this person I'd never met) and are attacking brush behind my fence while I write this.  Moral:  Delegate!  Get help and accept you cannot do it all.  We all need networks and support.  Amen!

 

 

What to Look for in an eCommerce Mentor

A quality internet marketing mentor is often the turning point for finally beginning to actually make money online.  A good coaching program will take you step-by-step through the process of creating an effective online business.  That way once you have mastered the steps of the process, it can be applied to any topic or niche YOU choose.  In the end it is YOUR business.  You do need to master the processes involved of getting your system to click online, however the specific niche and content should come from you.  The process involves applying the skills toward your own unique selling position or niche.

Coaching will help you understand the inner workings of internet marketing as a business.  Some of these critical skills might include how to create effective blog, publishing unique content, using keywords, getting traffic, using social media with integrity, and creating an effective e-mail campaign.  Expect to be trained on these skills and to be enlightened about HOW to think - not WHAT to think.  There's a HUGE difference!

Why We Need Internet Marketing Mentors

We need mentors and networks to provide the learning and support to implement effective and critical processes and proven internet marketing strategies.  Depending on your current skills and mindset, this may take awhile or you may be in a position to advance quickly. Never under-estimate the power of mindset in this process, for the skills alone are just a beginning.  That mindset includes determination, consistence, confidence and laser focus.  The internet is such a avalanche of information overload that you must filter out the noise and stay on your own path of learning and implementing.

Red Flags to Watch Out For in Coaching Programs

Are coaching programs a scam?  Some are, and yet others are first rate.  One coaching program I reviewed last year appeared to be very impressive at first and yet included some elements once inside that screamed of red flags.  They'd build a wordpress replicated site (red flag) for members for free!  Well now what person brand new to internet marketing wouldn't want that?  The sites include advertizing for their chosen affiliates (red flag) in such a way that if a member wants to earn income from those ads, then they have pay the rates to join the program (red flag).  If a member does not join, then any income from those ads go to someone else on the 'team'. (red flag)  Of course members do have the option to learn to change the website, yet if they were going to do that, then why give away free replicated sites in the first place? (red flag)  You can see the full review of that company here if interested.  The point is that a good mentoring program will provide step by step support toward building an internet business, but NOT dictate what the business IS. They will not do it for you (red flag) nor advertize as free and easy (red flag).

Researching about Mentors and Coaching Programs

One of my favorite online networks is a review site for internet marketers.  While most 'review' sites have an agenda and are not providing unbiased reviews, this one is pretty reliable for researching ecommerce services, tools and people.  The membership is free and I do see reviews there sometimes from people who are brand new to internet marketing and so are not really in a positon to be evaluating such programs, (and those about the company described above are a good example) yet over time these get balanced out with more legitimate reviews. Internet marketing coaches who have received consistently high ratings over a long period of time there are definitely worth consideration as a mentor.  

 

Not all internet marketing coaching programs are created equal.   The price usually reflects some specific differences between programs which are described below.  

Coaching can be broken down into two broad categories:  group coaching and one-on-one. Even within those categories are usually further choices. 

Group coaching tends to be less expensive.  Group coaching is usually done on a private membership site. Your membership allows access to collections of tutorials or webinars (How To Videos).  Many membership sites also provide access to ebooks and internet tools you'd pay for if not a member.  For example, my favorite membership and internet marketing coaching program provides unlimited hosting for websites which would normally cost around $10 per month each.  If you host more than one or two websites then this will be a huge savings in addition to all of the other perks of membership.  Usually there are private forums on several topics where you have access to the head coach as well as other mentors and members.  

Private coaching involves a lot more personal hand-holding and individual attention.  Internet marketing coaches often provide the group membership support year round with additional opportunities a few times a year for more intense private coaching toward a specific goal.  This could mean the creation of a new website and internet business system, or a website review (for a current webpage) followed by consultation and recommendations. Generally this would include email access to the coach - for example maybe one email question per day asked and answered. The coaching could be held via a certain number of Skype phone calls or private webinars that allow personal interaction.  One-on-one coaching tends to be more expensive than a private group coaching membership.

There are different types of internet marketing coaching programs and the coach usually focuses on skills and methods directly related to his or her business and lifestyle needs. Private coaching naturally tends to be more expensive to you, but you will have straight access to the coach with a direct line of focus on YOUR particular project and needs.   For those who are brand new to internet marketing or wish to accomplish a lot in a short time, private coaching might be a perfect solution and a very wise investment.

 

 

 

 

 

Getting support and direction from a coach can mean a much faster path to success. A good coach will not only steer you around the potholes and avoid wasted time but also will give you a clear and direct path to follow.  This can put you at a tremendous advantage in the avalanche of information overload in the world of internet marketing.  Those who go it alone often waste tons of time and money in the learning process.

But before you go jumping on the "I need a coach" bandwagon, first ask yourself if you really need one and also if you even qualify for one.  While you may not be asked about whether you 'qualify' for coaching, consider these questions to qualify yourself.

Be truthful with yourself about the following:

1. Are you able to follow instructions?  Are you teachable?  This may seem like a strange question, but there are those who resist learning situations.  Some give up too easily when the challenging tasks are presented.  Others even become angry and begin looking for someone to blame (and often they blame the coach or program itself). Others have a 'know-it-all' attitude that ends up being a roadblock.  They put more focus on ego and self than the learning steps.  These types of people are just not very teachable and so will not likely benefit from coaching.

2. Are you willing to take action?  Internet marketing coaching is not a lecture hall where you show up and take a few notes and then go home.  Specific steps are presented and you must apply them.  You'll need to TAKE ACTION to implement these steps in your own business.  

3. Will you do things outside your comfort zone?  If it were easy, then everyone would be doing it.  Some of the steps might feel very challenging.  Are you ready to plow through tasks that are uncomfortable and difficult?

4. Can afford to pay for coaching?  It always amazes me to see the HUGE amounts of money people will invest in a college education for themselves or for their kids, and yet they expect to build an online business without spending a dime.  While you can build an internet marketing business with a very low investment compared to others, those who rely only on free tools and learning sources are in for frustration.  That is not to say that just because you spent money, that guarantees success.  However a wisely chosen coach is a very worthwhile investment.

5. Do you have the time to do what your coach tells you to do?  Have you ever bought an ebook or other program, only to let it collect dust on your hard drive?.  Are you so 'busy' with family and other time constraints that you really cannot realistically see yourself investing the time to carry out the program?

6. Can you commit 100% to this?  You have to work the program to get the rewards.  It requires dedication and personal commitment.  Sometimes that is a question of timing.  Once I entered into a coaching program that started right at the same time I had been moving into a new place.  For a time I didn't even have an internet connection, and there were just so very many things to do to get settled that the timing was totally wrong for me.  I waited a few months and then was ready to give it the commitment it deserved.

Even a first rate internet marketing coach cannot guarantee success to all with the wave of some magic wand. In other words, why bother getting a coach unless YOU are ready to make a commitment, to take action and work consistently toward goals, to be determined enough to try things you've never done before?  Do you have the time?  Even small amounts of time can work wonders in the long run if you actually follow through consistently with the time slots you do have set aside.  Are you willing to practice time management and to follow instructions?  If the answer is no or even maybe to any of the questions above, then getting a coach might not work for you right now.

In my teaching days I had a sign near the door of my classroom that said:  "Free information.  Bring your own container."  ...an attempt at humor, however it is about much more than just information.  That's only the first step.  Then there's actually understanding the information and most important of all is the implementation.  Quality coaching will support you through all of those steps, to check for understanding and to support you through each step of the implementation.

I resisted coaching for so long and paid dearly in loss of both time and money.  Coaching is a sure-fire way to make great strides with your business, yet it's not for everyone at every stage. Be honest with yourself and determine if now is a good time, then choose your coach wisely. 

 

 

 

 

 

Once in a great while I discover a book that is truly life-changing, and Julia Cameron's work is genuinely brilliant.  Now I totally understand why this journey toward self-discovery and creativity became an international best seller.  I'd been hearing about "The Artist's Way" and that title has been on my list of 'books to read' for many moons.  If I'd known how very powerfully inspiring this title is, I 'd have moved it up to the top of my list and read it long ago.  

First if you think you have to be an artist to enjoy this book, forget that.  Maybe it might be a misleading title in that way, however once you get inside, it makes a lot of sense.  More than just a book, this read is a 12 week program, a journey toward self discovery and introspection, a process of releasing hidden talent and creativity in many forms.  

"The Artist's Way" inspires one to overcome limiting beliefs and fears which are roadblocks to the creative process.  A powerful links exist between spirituality and the creative process which becomes clearer as the twelve week process unfolds.  Her program is brilliant in the ways it effectively restores self-esteem and freedom.

The main two elements of the 12 week process are morning pages and artist dates.  Morning (mourning) pages involves freehand journaling every morning for thirty minutes.   Write about anything at all and share it with no one,  just write three pages a day.  The artist's date is about spending an hour once each week on a solitary adventure with your creative self... that could be a visit to a museum or a walk in the park with your camera or even just browsing magazines at home and cutting out images that inspire you.  

The book itself has twelve chapters, one for each week.  The chapters are themed to recovery and healing topics, ie. 'Recovering a Sense of ________ and fill in the blank with: safety, identity, power, integrity, abundance, strength, compassion and so on.   Each chapter provides deep exploration with many ideas to write about including sentence starters and affirmations.

Maybe those who might appreciate this title the most would be the  'silent poets' or those who have always wanted to try their hand at drawing or dancing or singing but who haven't because they've been afraid of failing or of looking silly.  Her work is the perfect medicine for that predicament.  The point is that all of us have creative potential that to at least some degree is likely blocked, and this process is powerful in removing those invisible roadblocks.  

A few reviewers (on amazon.com) found Julia Cameron's work to be too esoteric and 'airy fairy' for them, and one even called it 'wishy-washy'.  The concepts do require one to be open to silent forces in the universe, vibrations sent and received, and the acceptance of spiritual powers.  If concepts such as synchronicity and the law of attraction and spiritual guidance are just too 'far out' to accept, then the book wouldn't resonate.  

The deep understanding of the connection between creative thought and spirituality can truly feel like an ephifany.  I've benefitted more from this book than visits to counselors for a whole lot less money.  Those going through a time of healing or frustration with life might be inspired in significant ways by "The Artist's Way"