A Graceful Thanksgiving

Today millions of Americans will gather around an abundant table with their loved ones and offer up a prayer of thanksgiving.  We often refer to this as saying Grace.

But in a world filled with imperfect human beings, there are other forms of grace I'd like to take a closer look at this week.

If you look in Webster's Dictionary, the word "grace" has many definitions.  

1. The exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor; disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed or privilege conferred.

Public Isolation Project: Do TOO Many People Know Your Place?

In today's Web 3.0 world, we are bombarded with the newest, latest, greatest ways to stay connected via technology.  But the Public Isolation Project has forced many in Cyberland to take a long hard look at the real world ramifications of living in a social media world.

Those of us in the marketing industry noticed a huge shift several years ago as Social Media changed

What Motivates You?

Motivation.  We think we understand what we need to light the fire underneath us, and what we need to keep us going.  The video below shows us fascinating research about the truth behind what motivates us.  Findings that offering too much money is actually de-motivating to employees fascinates me.

"Pay people enough to take the issue of money off the table."  That seems to be the key to monetary motivation.  Yet we are in a society bombarded by Self-Proclaimed Wealth Coaches, Success Gurus, and Money Masters, all who have the "key" to unlocking our unlimited earning potential.  Could it be that they're all barking up the wrong tree?

Beginning Business Relationships: Social Media Style

Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn.  Oh My.

If you haven't set up profiles on the "Big 3" in Social Media, you might be wondering where to start.  And even if you HAVE joined the party on all 3 Social Media platforms, you may not have a full grasp on how to get the most out of them.

A quick overview:

What is Vital to your Speech?

Presentations and Public Speaking.  Getting "eyeball to eyeball" is paramount to connecting with your prospects and clients, as well as helping you establish authority and credibility in your area of expertise.

That's why I Can Relate Talk Radio had David Murray, Editor of Vital Speeches of the Day, as our Featured guest.  I met David at the Communitelligence Conference in Scottsdale, AZ.  David was one of the Keynote Speakers where he gave an insightful speech on what makes a great speech.  His insights are priceless to ANY professional giving presentations, whether to 3 people or 3,000.  So listen to this podcast...it's 30 minutes of time well-spent!

A brief summary of David's interview:

Increase your "Purpose Portfolio"

It's no secret that the recession has brought about many changes in our world. But not all of these changes are negative. People trying to live within their means, bad business practices exposed, the overall greed-factor decreasing significantly, the list of positive effects goes on.

My favorite is wrapped up in the saying "Meaning is the New Currency."  I believe this to be true.  Actually, I believe it's not the "new" currency.  It's the currency we were meant to exchange all along, we just somehow lost sight of that fact somewhere in the economic boom.  So if meaning is currency, I have to ask:

What are you doing now to increase your Purpose Portfolio?

Choosing Your Future - Les Brown shows us how it's done

Last week on I Can Relate Talk Radio's episode, "Bring It!" we talked about the 3 top things you can bring to your business relationships.  We ended with our Standing Strong Segment, which was to work on yourself, so that you are bringing the best version of you to each relationship you have.

I let you know that I had recently listened to Les Brown's Choosing Your Future speeches.  This is a 6-CD series that highlights the following steps to creating the future you dream of and living your true purpose:

It's Possible
It's YOU
It's Necessary
It's Hard
It's Worth It
It's Done

If you have never heard "The Motivator" speak, then it's time!  He is a powerful man with a unique and personable style.  I first heard of him last year, and was moved by his message.  A few weeks ago, a dear friend and I were talking, and she felt led to lend me this CD Series.  After listening, I believe this message is so relevant and right on track, that I'd like to encourage you to listen to this series of speeches.  It just might be the tool you need to change your life!


Until Next Time,
Jacki

Do you have a millionaire mind?

You don't know what you don't know. Last weekend at the Millionaire Mind Intensive held in Phoenix, I awoke to find there was alot about money, financial mindset, and money management that I didn't know. I learned about my "Money Blueprint," and found out why I believed certain things about money. More importantly, I learned how to overcome my negative money beliefs by creating empowering habits. It's only been 5 days since the event, and already I've seen a significant increase in business. It's truly amazing!

So I HAD to let everyone I possibly could know about this event led by T. Harv Eker, CEO of Peak Potentials Training. Watch this video to get a small taste of what you'll experience. If you're interested, contact me to learn how you might be able to attend this event for FREE!

Click Here for More Information

Until Next Time...Think Wealthy!
Jacki

The Addiction

Hi. My name is Jacki Semerau, and I'm addicted to blogs. (You say: "Hi, Jacki.")

I'll admit it! And based on all the people I follow on Twitter, am friends with on Facebook, and all the other fun social media stuff I follow, I know I'm not alone.

For me, Seth Godin's blog has to be my all time favorite that's directly related to my business. But then there are the fun and silly blogs, like the Funny Video of the Day blog.

So please....share with me. What are your favorite blogs? Because I need to feed the addiction! (And so does the woman to the left...clearly she is suffering from Acute Blog-Deficiency Syndrome.)

Deadlines are a Girl's Best Friend

I have to admit, one of the things I thought was fabulous when I first became self-employed was a lack of deadlines. No one needing this, that, or the other from me. I finished things on MY terms!

Of course, contact with clients, setting appointments, following up, etc...those were all a given, because they were fun AND they were the money-making activities. And of course, once hired for a marketing project, I was all over the deadlines! But everything else? I became like a Jamaican..."No Worries, Mon!"

Then I noticed a trend: all the fabulous ideas and projects that would take my business to the next level were never getting done. I chalked it up to the "not enough time in the day" theory, and was content to consider myself too busy. "Things will slow down, and THEN I'll get these important yet non-urgent items taken care of."

Last week, I had someone close to me encourage me to set a deadline for something I wanted to do, needed to do if I were to take my business to the next level. They even offered to hold me accountable for that deadline, which is exactly what I needed!

I'm proud to say that I met that deadline, and I felt great! So I started setting deadlines for other non-urgent yet important tasks. I'm suddenly finding that there actually IS enough time in the day. It just needed a deadline to reveal itself....and a third party accountability partner to hold me accountable!

If you're self-employed, an entrepreneur, an independent contractor, or a freelance professional...find someone that will hold you accountable to your deadlines, and watch your business take a leap forward!

5 Reasons to Love Self-Employment

1. If you need a power nap, you can take one....and you find it actually makes you more productive that afternoon.

2. When you've had an amazingly productive morning, you can reward yourself by taking the rest of the day off.

3. No unnecessary corporate meetings.

4. If a project isn't profitable, you can decide not to it.

5. The sky is the limit! Your success is a direct result of your dedication and effort. No glass ceilings, no waiting on the boss to decide if you deserve a raise, and no one else deciding your worth.

Self-Employment Rocks!

Two Voices: One Reality

We all have two voices within our minds that struggle to be heard. One voice is telling us our purpose, our desires. It tries to convey our value and our strengths. The other voice is busy telling us why we can’t do all of the things that the first voice is saying.

Yet we can only give life to one voice at a time. And we do that by choice. We can choose to listen to what the first voice is saying, and our reality becomes one of purpose and strength. Or we can choose to listen to the condemning negativity of the second voice, and our reality is then wrought with struggle and strife. Which voice we choose to let determine our activities is solely up to us.

So my question to you is this: which voice are you letting guide your reality?

In these tough economic times, it’s easy to give into the voice with bad intent. We see our circumstances as insurmountable, and so it is an easy fix to listen to the negativity. But there is a huge difference between our circumstances and our reality.

A circumstance might be out of our control, but our reaction to it is up to us. Maybe you’ve heard the saying that “Life is 10% what happens to us, and 90% how we react to it.” We can choose to react by listening to the voice that tells us that things are too tough, so we might as well give up. That we’re banging our heads up against a brick wall trying to survive right now. Or we can react to the voice that tells us that we are strong enough, smart enough, and creative enough to not only get through this tough circumstance, but to thrive because of it.

You Had Me AT Hello: The importance of doing business face to face

You know the process: You research your ideal prospects. You gain access to their contact information. You make The Call. Maybe it takes a few tries, but you finally get your prospect on the phone and a conversation ensues. A good one. One that you would consider a success.
Your prospect is actually interested

Stand Out From The Crowd

We've all heard about figuring out what makes our businesses unique, but what about the person behind the business? Whether you are self-employed, an employee of a large company, or an independent contractor hired to represent a company, it's YOU that the prospect is really sizing up. Whatever your business is, you have competition. And there's always someone out there that can provide your service or product better, faster, cheaper than you.

But there's one thing your competition doesn't have:

Using Self-Awareness to make it through Tough Times

We all go through things in our lives that are Character-Building. Some people call these character building experiences "tough times." But it's not until you are faced with challenges that you are given the opportunity to rise above and show what you are made of. And while we go through these experiences in life, it is important to be self aware.

But what does that really mean?

It means that you need to remember that even though you FEEL like the world is conspiring against you, trying to hold you down, and you can't get a break...that's not necessarily true. Because you are going through the fire, you feel the heat. Therefore, everything that happens seems to have greater intensity because of it.

So take a deep breath and stand back for a minute. When something happens that makes the world seem as if it is conspiring against you, evaluate it with self awareness. Because little things that aren't pleasant, but are truly not catastrophes, are likely to be magnified. They become that proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back.

Think of how you would view the same situation when life is rolling along just fine. Would it even be a big issue? Is whatever event that happened truly something that needs action, or are you just hyper-sensitive due to other circumstances in your life? If it's the latter, you would be wise to focus the situation into perspective, talk about it with a trusted confidant, then move on and forget about it! Otherwise you will create a spiraling, self-fulfilled prophecy effect that WILL make that event even worse.

If you maintain the ability to focus on what is going on inside of you, you can control which circumstances you allow to shape your life: for better or for worse!

Jacki Semerau © Copyright 2008

Re-Creation in 2009: Thriving Because of the Changing Economy

Re-Creation. Never before have more people had the opportunity to recreate themselves. I've heard from many people who have been laid off due to the tightening of funds. I've heard from many more who chose to quit their current job and look for something else due to a loss in wages or commissions. I myself had to fold up my marketing company due to several client's lost marketing budgets.

The news would like you to believe that all of this is a downward spiral. But I disagree. We have found ourselves in the unique situation of being able to reinvent ourselves without making any excuses. It's like an entire nation being given the chance to answer differently when asked "what do you want to be when you grow up." A year ago, I never even knew there was such as a job as a Commercial Photography Rep. Yet here I am, selling photography to ad agencies and corporate marketing directors, and LOVING it. Who knew?

I believe that our entire community will benefit from this shift. After all, when you are involved with a particular industry for an extended period of time, you become acclimated. As such, it is easy to find yourself in a rut, out of fresh ideas and adhering to the way "it's always been done." But when a person shifts industries, or even just positions within their previously chosen industry, fresh ideas are bound to happen. Entire companies can be reinvigorated by just one person's new thoughts and enthusiasm.

The same rings true for the many who have decided to supplement their income. Whether by getting a part time job, by taking advantage of a network marketing opportunity, or by providing a service for others, many of us have learned not to rely solely on one stream of income. This is a good thing! For me, Send Out Cards is providing that supplemental income. Without that, I may be having a harder time staying positive.

I'm not trying to ignore the very real hardships that many are facing, myself included. But I am choosing to view the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. Are things tough? You bet. But will it last forever? NO.

It's the law that says "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." The action was greed. It didn't seem like it at the time, but that's what it boiled down to. Money was cheap to borrow and easy to obtain. So we didn't stop to think about our real-life budgets. We lived beyond our means. Things got out of control.

So the natural reaction is what we are now facing. It's not the end of the world, just a necessary correction. It's a wake up call that many of us needed. For the first time in decades, we are forced to learn the lesson of living within our means and taking responsibility for our financial houses. A rough ride? For many of us, it is. But the ride WILL end, and things WILL balance out.

In the meantime, look at the positive side of things. If you are looking for employment, relish the opportunity. If you find yourself without enough money to maintain, find a way to supplement your income. And try not to wait until things are too dire.

If we look at this as a time of opportunity and not a time of defeat, we WILL all be better off. We WILL all win.

Jacki Semerau © Copyright 2008

Just Say NO to Negativty

Wow. Have you been following the headlines lately? Unless you're living under a rock, how can you avoid them? (And for the record, if you DO happen to live under a rock, call me ASAP! I can refer you to one of the great real estate agents in my network! But I digress...)

A long time ago, I decided to boycott watching the news on television. I decided to get my news through the paper, online, and Twitter. I follow @cnn, @breakingnews, @kpho, @nytimes, and other news sources. All the headlines, in 140 characters or less. Why?

Because the news on TV continually bombarded me with sensationalistic garbage. To listen the the reporters, every day is just ONE step away from World War III, the earth imploding, or other such doom and gloom.

Now I'm not suggesting that the internet and newspaper don't have that same element, but at least I can skim over anything I find to be weighing too heavy on the negativity scale. So I have to ask, what are we DOING as a nation? Why are we sabotaging ourselves like this?

I'm not suggesting that the economy, housing crisis, and elections aren't very real. Nor am I suggesting taking a head-in-the-sand, rose-colored-glasses attitude. But maybe - just MAYBE - if we stop bombarding ourselves with worse case scenarios, they will stop becoming self-fulfilled reality.

Just a thought.

Thanksgiving: an official reminder to appreciate the people in your life!

Thanksgiving. For many, "Turkey Day" is a fun day of celebration, for others it's a dreaded affair. Some of you will see friends and family on the holiday, and wish it could happen more often than once a year. And some of you will consider it torture to have to see some of your family members and ask "has it ALREADY been a year since the last time I saw them?"

But no matter what your personal feelings towards Thanksgiving are, it's important to remember the spirit of the holiday. This is the official "appreciation" holiday. The day of the year where we concentrate on our blessings. The day of the year that we commemorate the people that came to America in search of religious and political freedom. The day of the year where we officially join together in one voice to Thank God for our freedom.

Ahhhh, and you thought it was just about turkey, football, and a day off of work!

So in the spirit of the holiday, remember to show your gratitude to the loved ones in your life. Reach out and give them the appreciation they deserve. Go out of your way to let them know THEY MATTER.

If you make a conscious effort to bring a bit of the Thanksgiving attitude into your daily life, you'll see both your professional and personal relationships improve. Who wouldn't want that?!

Jacki Semerau © Copyright 2008

Post-Election: Now what?

Today dawns on a nation that has elected our new president, senators, and congressmen. We have chosen local officials, and we have made our voices heard on important issues and propositions.

For the past few months (or longer) we have been all-consumed with the election. Our lives have all but stood still as we were bombarded with television news shows, commentaries, and debates. We've stood up and cheered when our chosen candidate took a step forward, and we've gotten our stomachs in knots when our opposing candidate did the same.

We've witnessed history in the making.

But I'd like to remind everyone, whether you are Democrat, Republican, or otherwise, that it is now over! No matter if your side won or not. It's time to move on with our daily lives.

This happens every four years. We stop and hold our collective breath while approximately half of Americans are convinced our nation is headed toward certain doom, and the other approximate half is equally convinced that our nation has finally had all its prayers answered. And in the end, whether or not you agree with whoever is in power, our country marches on.

And that is exactly what I would like to encourage you to remember now that the elections are over and America has spoken. That its time to move forward, be it in victory or defeat politically. Not one of us can afford to remain in the holding pattern we've maintained while we've obsessed over the elections. It's time for our nation to breathe again, one individual at a time!

There has been alot of things that have fallen apart around us lately. And I'll not get into a debate about whether or not our politicians have caused the messes around us, nor will I debate whether or not our politicians can rectify our situation.

Because neither debate will move us forward in progress. No matter what you believe, no matter who you support, and no matter what happens on a national, or even global, level...progress happens one individual at a time.

So now it is time to let the Obama supporters enjoy the victory. And it is time to let the McCain supporters mourn. And it's time for all to put it behind us and move forward.

Let's get back to the business at hand. How will our economy heal? One purchase at a time. One job at a time. One business deal at a time. One referral at a time. At least, that's what WE as individuals have control over. As for the rest, we can't control it, so why worry? If we remain reactive instead of proactive, we will insure a nation that will not heal. We cannot simply sit back and wait for policy to be implemented that will save us.

No matter who won the election, this fact is absolute truth: The candidate would not save the nation over night, nor would the candidate single-handedly cause the destruction of civilization as we know it!
No matter your religion, I think we can all agree that Jesus spoke absolute wisdom when he said "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34)

So don't worry about tomorrow and what it will bring if you're Republican. And don't rest in thinking that your troubles are over if you're Democrat. Be proactive. Get busy with living. Do business and support your friends and family with your consumer dollars whenever possible. Spend time with your loved ones and remember that our time on earth is short. When you lie on your deathbed, you'll not be thinking about who's in the White House. No, you'll be thinking of the loved ones in your life. So do what you can NOW to show them appreciation and spend what little time you have with them.

Here's to a bright and hopeful future, no matter what your political views may be!

Jacki Semerau © Copyright 2008

Are you reaching your intended Target Market? Marketing Lesson via Text Message

The other day, I was with a business colleague and friend, Jeff Wallen. We were waiting to meet someone for a lunch meeting when he received a text message on his iPhone. (And we all know how brilliant I think the iPhone marketing is! but I digress...)

Anyway, the text said "It was good to see you the other night Beautiful." Hmmm. Jeff, being a tremendous networker, wasn't sure who it could be. He didn't recognize the number, not to mention that he's a married man and who would be texting him calling him "beautiful?"

So we decide to have a little fun and send a text message back that would be cryptic enough not to give away that he had no idea who it was. The reply that came back from the original sender made it very clear that this was coming from a man who was trying to hit on a girl he met over the weekend. So then we decide to have a little fun and play along for a few minutes. We finally revealed the truth to this poor man who was texting the wrong number.

But the whole thing really reminded me of so many marketing efforts out there. I see it all the time: people with well-intentioned marketing, but they are missing their target market all together.

Don't let your marketing become like this poor guy's text messages: Great Message, Wrong Audience. Make sure you are sending your great marketing message to the people who will actually benefit from it!

If you're not sure who your message is hitting, or if you are unclear as to who your target market even is, then let's talk. But in the meantime, don't face the same embarrassment and wasted time that this poor guy with the wrong number did!

Until Next Time,

Jacki