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The Mic Is On: We're Talking about $10 Million …

April 22, 2008 by Liz

It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

What would we do if we got $10 Million free and clear?

No taxes. No debts to pay. No strings attached in any way.

Would we

quit working?
move to a new part of the world?
buy something we’ve always wanted?
build something we’ve dreamed of accomplishing?
go somewhere we’ve always wished to be?
give it away?

Of course, we’ll talk about everything under the sun as well. And, whatever else comes up, including THE EVER POPULAR, Basil the code-writing donkey . . . and flamenco dancing (because we always get off topic, anyway.)

Oh, and bring links to share about free money and dreams.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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image source: sxc.hu – standard restrictions

Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: We're Talking about $10 Million!!

April 22, 2008 by Liz

… Free and Clear!

What would we do if we got $10Million free and clear? No taxes. No debts to pay. No strings attached in any way.

Would we quit working, move to a new part of the world, buy something we’ve always wanted, build something we’ve dreamed of accomplishing, go somewhere we’ve always wished to be, give it away? We’ll talk about whatever else comes up, too, even flamenco dancing.

Oh, and bring links to share — about having money that’s free and clear.

The rules are simple — be nice.

Do be nice. 🙂

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
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Everyone Is Looking at You. Will You Crash and Burn?

April 22, 2008 by Liz

The Whole World Is Watching

It’s a room filled with people. It’s a conference table. It’s a huge presentation. It’s a chance for the job you were born to do.

Suddenly, everyone is looking at you. You realize you don’t belong.

Any minute you expect blinding lights asking you, “Where were you on the night that you did the most dastardly thing we can make up?”

If you don’t do something fast, you’re going to crash and burn.

What Do You Do When People Are Looking at You?

In situations like that, we want to make our best impression. It’s easy to get self-conscious. We can feel everyone is judging us — so maybe we should too. We look for negatives. We imagine. We misconstrue. We misread social cues. Then we respond in ways that make the negative things actually happen. That’s the crash and burn part.

This sort of crash and burn can happen to anyone, but we’d like to avoid when we can.
Here are some ways to respond when it seems an unfriendly world is staring you down.

Breathe. Deep long breaths bring oxygen to your brain to help you relax.

Think. Remember who or what is more important than this.

See. Picture a fabulous success from your past.

Move. Reconnect with your senses. Create energy.

Raise your chin. Lift your view and your opinion of yourself.

Smile. Give a smile and get one in return.

Talk. Say something positive.

Look back. It’s hard to be self-conscious and self-involved when you’re truly interested in someone else.

It’s the “self” in self-conscious that throws us off. We start thinking impossible, imaginary thoughts. The room isn’t thinking about us nearly as much as we are. They don’t notice the details that we’re destroying ourselves for.

It helps a lot if we trust — ourselves and other folks.

What do you do when people are looking at you?

How do you look back?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

A True Lesson in Affiliate Selling

April 21, 2008 by Liz

It’s Not a Trick

I had to think about about this post before I wrote it. It’s a bit out of my usual niche. When I talk about business and making money, I don’t know much about affiliate selling or “make money online blogging.”

Last night I read an in-depth report that Patricia Mayo did on information products that proclaim they’ll teach you how to make money online. Near the end, she gave a link to a price-controlled viral product that offers a tool, not information, for free.

I followed the link. What I found was what she described. I thought hard about whether I should blog it. Obviously, I’ve decided to pass it on to you.

A True Lesson in Affiliate Selling

My reason for sharing this information tool is the mastery with which it is put together. I keep thinking about how, step-by-step, this offer does everything to make it easy to buy. It’s state of the art online selling — done so seamlessly that the solid principles behind it would be easy to miss. It’s not a trick. It provides a true lesson in affiliate selling. Here’s why I say that.

A great selling model has these parts: the product and the offer.

A Great Product has low development costs, yet offers high value in many ways.

The product has critical mass.
It saves time.
It’s compelling.
It makes life easier.
It offers something immediately actionable.
It fits my life.

A Great Offer is about customers, has high barrier to competition, and high chance of going viral.

The language is conversational.
The sales model is transparent.
You know the product before you buy.
It’s fast and easy to buy.
No one asks for your email information.
You keep your profits.
The sense of the model is easy to see.

You might find it a bit complicated to go from one hyperlink to another. However, I think you’ll also find that the offer itself lives up to what I describe. It’s an effective model. I’d love to see the figures on it.

I’ll never be the consummate affiliate marketer, I don’t have the discipline for that sort of selling. I’ll never be an engineer, a ballerina, or live on a submarine either. Still, I recognize state of the art work when I see it.

I’d be interested in whether you agree.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Be the best at what you do! Work with Liz!! SOBCon08 is May 2,3,4 in Chicago. Have a plan!! Register now!

What I want to be…

April 20, 2008 by Liz

This entry was chosen as one of the best for the Business Channel “Take Your Sons and Daughters To Work Day” contest.

Your comments will count as votes – the most commented post between now and April 30 wins! The commenter wins and the blogger wins. So comment away!

What do you want to be? What do your kids want to be? How do childhood experiences affect your career?

Oh, thatâ€™s easy.

If I grow up, I want to know that by the time Iâ€™ve exhaled my last breath, Iâ€™ve made the world a far better place for *someone*.

This *someone* could be my family, my children, the people I inspire via my writings, my town, my state, my countryâ€¦ *someone*.

That proves the world became a better place because I was in it.

And yes, thatâ€™s what I teach my kids when they ask me, Mom, whatâ€™s the meaning of life?

Enjoy,

Barbara

Celebrate Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day on April 24!

Bloggy Question 81: A Nice Gesture

April 20, 2008 by Liz

And Not Think About Motives

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life question. . . .

A friend of yours is beginning his business. She’s exploring many ways to promote and market what she does in many networks. You and she have had conversations over the past few years about what you believe in, she’s more about push marketing and aggressive transactions. You’re clearly more about relationships before talking about business.

Recently, she put together something to help a product you’ve introduced. When she told you, you were delighted to hear of her unsolicited support. Until you got there . . . your product isn’t on her website — it shows up in a new window as a popunder.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss