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I Didn't Mean "Keep Your Nose Clean" Literally

		Tuesday, 08 September 09 - 01:07 PM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

I Didn't Mean "Keep Your Nose Clean" Literally

In the August 24 issue, I talked about Uncle Al's three rules for a lifetime of success: Show up, do your job, and keep your nose clean.

Many readers appreciated his wisdom:

"I'm very interested in the info in this article. The results shown are achievable by the hard work required. Get Going! Action!"

-- T.R.

"Thanks for this article. I felt that I was not utilizing my time right when I took time during my workday to read business magazines. Now I know I am on the right track, because doing that motivates me to move forward."

-- G.B.

But some were a bit confused by what was meant by "keep your nose clean."

One reader, in fact, seemed to take it literally. (Or maybe he was just pulling my leg.) He sent me an e-mail saying, "I really benefited from that essay -- especially the third rule. It made a deep impression on me. Just this morning, I cleaned my nose. I always forget doing that. Now, I have to always clean my nose as I always brush my teeth."

Uncle Al understood that you can accomplish just about anything you want in life by taking advantage of opportunity, approaching it (showing up) with a great attitude, and becoming a superstar in performance.

Personal satisfaction, however, does not come to all who achieve great things. A moment's reflection on the unhappiness of so many great artists and celebrities and moneymakers will tell you that.

Personal satisfaction, Al realized, comes from doing your job with integrity and attention to detail. In making your fortune or attaining your fame, you must always be respectful of the art of your craft -- the small things that show you care about the quality of what you're doing.

In the business of information publishing that means caring about the quality of the ideas you disseminate. Do you know, from experience, that they are true? Or are you presenting them merely because you think they will sell?

At a less important level, it means caring about the fine points of publishing: grammar and style and syntax. When I saw the following sentence of mine in the August 28 issue, I sent a note to ETR's managing editor and copyeditor, asking them how this mistake slipped through:

"Every business should attempt to have every one of its product meet this level of perfection."

I'd guess that 90 percent of the people who read that didn't notice that "product" should have been "products." But those who did must have wondered if we were getting a wee bit sloppy with our proofreading. If you make a habit of making small mistakes, they mount up. Eventually, you are producing shoddy merchandise -- and you may not even be aware of it.

Business experts call this phenomenon "incremental degradation." I've written about it several times in past issues. If you'd like to read more on the subject, go here.

 This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

New Government Grants and Financial Aid Membership Site Launched

		Tuesday, 01 September 09 - 08:46 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

 

New Government Grants and Financial Aid Membership Site Launched

Government Grant Source is pleased to announce that it is now open to the public. The membership site is designed to help people, communities and companies in need of financial aid find grants that suit their needs and aid them in getting those grants by providing tips and tutorials on the process.

(PRWEB) September 1, 2009 -- Government Grant Source is pleased to announce that it is now open to the public. The membership site is designed to help people, communities and companies in need of financial aid find grants that suit their needs and aid them in getting those grants by providing tips and tutorials on the process.

Government Grant Source offers a comprehensive listing of not only grants being offered by the government, but also funding opportunities through private foundations and corporations. These are grants provided to both for-profit companies and non-profit organizations and the database is completely searchable to find the best grant options for your situation.

It is often easier to get specific government small business grants that are directed at specific groups, since these have less competition. The Government Grant Source offers access to grants and specialized funds. By using the search function available to members of the site, you can easily find the categories that fit you. The top 10 grants overall are also provided for your convenience.

The grant site doesn't stop at providing lists and links to a huge number of funding sources; which anybody can find elsewhere online, more importantly there are also comprehensive tutorials to help you get started in applying for grants. The Grant Writing Toolkit contains everything you need to know about writing grant proposals and cover letters. From giving a project summary and explaining the problem your organization or company faces to writing a project management plan and timelines, everything is explained. Samples of each step of the process are also provided so members can see exactly how to complete the step.

Most government grants get thousands of applicants, so it is very important that the application be correctly formatted. This is an area that is very well covered by the Government Grant Source, through a series of audio and video tutorials, along with visual resources and checklists that take you step by step through everything you need to know in order to apply successfully for the funding of your choice.

Government Grant Source also includes a members forum, which adds even more value to the site by allowing you to interact with others who are also looking for funding. The forum is one of the hotspots on the site, where you can learn from other members and offer each other support and advice.

The membership site is a quality resource for those looking to find government grants and funding from private companies. Not only does it offer access to a large, searchable database of listings, but it also teaches exactly how to get the grants you apply for, which is possibly even more valuable.

For more information on government grants and specialized financial funding opportunities, visit www.GovernmentGrantSource.net.

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In Praise of Robber Barons

		Friday, 28 August 09 - 10:35 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

 

In Praise of Robber Barons

Dear ETR Reader --

If you have never been to The Cloisters in Manhattan, you should see it next time you are there. It is an impressive building -- a medieval castle overlooking the Hudson River. It was founded by John D. Rockefeller.

Why Rockefeller decided on a museum of medieval art, I don't know. I do know that he bought the land and had the building assembled from abandoned cloisters in Europe.

Rockefeller and his fellow industrialists were demonized by the press for being ruthless and greedy and evil. Yet it was these men who gave us the world's great public museums and libraries. Had these rich guys not built them, they wouldn't exist.

"But," you say, "governments build museums and libraries." Sure they do. But not like this.

They can't. They don't have the money.

Before he could build the cloisters, Rockefeller first had to have millions of dollars socked away. (Billions today.) Governments can't do that. They can raise money by taxing us. But they can't save it.

Entrepreneurs create wealth by saving money earned through commercial enterprise. Governments dissipate wealth by spending money as fast as they get it. Sometimes, they spend it wisely on programs that have lasting value. More often, they waste it on war and politically popular causes that have no economic value at all.

Most of the people enjoying The Cloisters assume that it -- and the other public buildings they enjoy -- are "gifts" from government. Nothing could be further from the truth.

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Uncle Al’s Rules: How To Become Your Company’s Most Valuable Employee By Michael Masterson

		Monday, 24 August 09 - 11:33 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

Uncle Al’s Rules: How To Become Your Company’s Most Valuable Employee

By Michael Masterson

Today, I’d like to give you a simple, three-part formula that, when followed, will make any ordinary employee into a superstar.

If you are working for somebody else now, you can use it to become your company’s most valuable employee. And within six months, here’s what you can expect:

• Your income will increase dramatically.
• Your job satisfaction will skyrocket. (You’ll love coming to work!)
• Opportunities for career advancement will start flowing to you.
• Your boss and coworkers will start treating you as someone special — with admiration and respect.
• Your sense of job security will soar, knowing that you will never, ever be fired.

If you are a business owner, you can give this article to your employees and expect to see at least one of them quickly begin to work at a much higher level.

Imagine how great it will be when you don’t have to be the only person who:

• Comes up with all the marketing ideas
• Keeps a concerned eye on expenses
• Makes all the important deals
• Keeps the vendors honest
• Really, really cares about the bottom line

How does that sound?

Okay. Let me tell you about Uncle Al.

“Show up. Do your job. Keep your nose clean.” Those were the rules that Al Perot, owner of The Maple Avenue Deli, laid down at 6:00 a.m. the first Saturday I worked for him.

At 15, I had little use for maxims — and less for those delivered before I was fully awake. But Al’s three rules, as I kept learning later in my life, were a formula for wealth, health, and happiness.

I ignored them at first because I didn’t truly understand them. But when I finally realized what he meant, my career caught fire.

Uncle Al, as we called him, was an interesting guy — a blue-collar Renaissance man. He read widely. He was a connoisseur of classical music. He coached football. And he mentored his teenage employees.

I was one of his proteges for a summer in 1965. And during that short period of time, I am quite sure I heard Uncle Al repeat his rules no fewer than two dozen times.

“Show up. Do your job. Keep your nose clean.”

So simple. Three imperative sentences — the first consisting of two words, the second three words, the third four.

As an author of self-improvement books, I have contemplated many prescriptions for successful living — from the Ten Commandments to The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People. But I never found one as simple as Uncle Al’s.

Simple, but hardly simple-minded.

I think of his rules now as individually sealed little packages — each one containing a lifetime’s worth of wisdom.

Show up. Woody Allen famously said “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” But Woody didn’t mean just drag your body to work at the appointed time — and neither did Uncle Al.

Do your job. Lots of people consider a good workday to be one where they do as little challenging work as possible. The more idle or fun or lazy time they can get paid for, the better. This belief is amazingly widespread. It is a big part of union mythology, a big part of executive mythology … and even a big part of the Internet business world.

Keep your nose clean. Most people take this to mean “Stay out of trouble.” But Uncle Al was too smart to think you can achieve greatness by avoiding conflict or staying on the beaten path.

Let me show you what Uncle Al’s three rules really mean. To illustrate, I will introduce you to RM, a woman who came to work for one of my clients just three years ago.

How to Make $4,000… $19,453… $332,252 or More with a Little-Known Profit Strategy I can’t take it anymore… They’re pulling profits out of the Internet like nobody’s business… One guy made a quick $4,000… Another raked in $19,453 in three weeks… Yet another has stacked up $332,252 – and that’s just so far! They’ve stumbled upon a little-known money-making strategy and turned it into cold hard cash. But the crazy part is, these “profit pirates” unearthed their “treasure chests” at no cost to them. There’s plenty of undiscovered “gold” left for you to find.

Show Up

I remember the day I met her. Her boss, my client, introduced me to her. She stood up, shook my hand, and greeted me with a big smile. “I’ve read all your books,” she said. “I’m a big fan.”

I’ve talked about the power of flattery before. It doesn’t matter whether it’s intended or accidental. So long as it is delivered with enthusiasm, it always works. It works because nobody can get enough of it. Okay, maybe Brad Pitt gets tired of it. But for the rest of us, enough is never really enough.

When you meet someone who has the power to affect your career trajectory, you have a one-time opportunity. Instead of trying to impress the individual by acting smart or smart-alecky, a genuine smile and a sincere compliment will work wonders. The more specific the compliment, the more powerful it will be.

I once met a distinguished Ezra Pound scholar — Hugh Kenner. He gave a lecture at Catholic University, where I was enrolled in a very competitive graduate program. After his speech, I walked up to him with a copy of his most recent book and asked him to sign it. I told him I had read every one of his books, and I mentioned a specific idea from one of them to prove my point.

He was immediately interested in me. We spent a good 10 minutes talking. Correct that. We spent that time talking about him. He talked. I admired what he said.

The next day, the chairman of the English department called me into his office. “What in God’s name did you say to Hugh Kenner?” he asked.

“Why?” I said.

“Because he said you were the most intelligent graduate student he had ever met.”

This is a true story. During that brief conversation with Hugh Kenner I told him I had read all his books, and I cited the one example. Other than that, all I said was, “Yes, I see what you mean. Yes, I never thought of that!”

This is all basic stuff for anyone who has read Dale Carnegie’s classic How to Win Friends and Influence People. (If you haven’t read it, buy a copy today.) It’s all about the power of focusing your attention on the person you are communicating with.

If RM hasn’t read Dale Carnegie, she is Dale Carnegie reincarnated. Because she showed up at that first meeting with a full understanding of Carnegie’s secret of influencing people: Win the friendship first. And every time I have met her since then, she has taken the time to prove to me that she appreciates everything I have to say to her. By making a friend of me, she has gotten all my best ideas and best wishes. At every stage of her career, I have done my best to move her forward.

And don’t think for a moment that I am the only one. RM has this effect on everyone she meets.

But that’s only part of what RM knows about “showing up.” It also means preparing yourself for every important interaction.

Before RM comes to a business meeting, she knows exactly what is expected of her. She has the facts. She’s done her homework. When she speaks, it is clear to everyone that she knows what she’s talking about.

She also makes a great personal presentation. She is always well groomed and well dressed. She is always energetic and cheerful. When problems are discussed, she never gets discouraged. She is the “can do” woman. That has a very positive effect on the people who work with her — her coworkers, her employees, and her bosses.

If you want to become your company’s most valuable employee, you must start by adopting RM’s happy-to-be-here attitude toward work. I know more than a few employees as capable and intelligent as RM, but none that brings so much to the table. In fact, I am thinking of firing a potential superstar right now because she thinks that showing up means just showing up and being smart.

Being smart doesn’t cut it. When you show up, show up the way RM does!

Do Your Job

When RM does a job, she never does what she is asked to do. People who do what they are asked to do are “B” employees. Reliable. Conscientious. Keepers.

But when the boss is thinking of promoting an employee to a responsible position, the last person he wants is someone who is reliable, conscientious, and a keeper. The best jobs are given to people who do more than they are asked. Upward mobility in any organization worth working for is about astonishing the boss. Satisfying him won’t get you anywhere.

In Automatic Wealth for Grads … and Anyone Else Just Starting Out, I put it this way:

“So long as your work performance is ordinary, you can’t expect anything more than an ordinary salary. But if you change your work habits and contribute substantially more than your fellow workers, you can rightly expect to be paid substantially more than they are getting.”

You may be thinking, “My boss is so demanding … I can never satisfy the son of a bitch. How the hell am I going to astonish him?”

But the truth is you can. Demanding businesspeople are dissatisfied with 99 percent of their employees because they have set their standards too high. They want everyone who works for them to be a superstar. That is impossible and self-defeating. But it doesn’t mean you can’t astonish these people. All you have to do is work harder and smarter and with more enthusiasm than anyone else.

You can do it. You really can. It’s just a matter of deciding you should.

And why should you? Because even if your boss is Mephistopheles in an Armani suit, he notices his superstar employees and becomes dependent on them. If you become a superstar, he may not praise you … but he will never let you go. And when you ask for a promotion or raise … he’ll give it to you. Trust me.

RM understands that. She also understands that doing your job is about paying attention to the big picture. And the big picture in any business is focused on two goals:

• Providing exceptional value to your customers.
• Realizing long-term profits from your relationship with them.

Every time RM has been given a challenge, she’s planned her strategy according to those two goals. She would never produce a product unless she was convinced it would be genuinely valuable to the company’s customer base. And she always makes sure the marketing plan she’s working with is one that will produce long-term profits.

Keep Your Nose Clean

RM made her way from a beginning employee making less than $30,000 to a partner in the business making six figures. She did it in less than three years. And she did it by following Uncle Al’s first two rules.

Yes. If you really show up and you really do your job — like RM — you will be really successful. There is absolutely no doubt about that.

So what need is there for another rule?

And such a rule! Keep your nose clean?

Well, it’s not an accident that this rule comes last. Because you can understand it only after you have fully understood the first two.

In fact, I only began to figure it out about 10 years ago, more than 20 years after Uncle Al died.

Briefly, here’s what I think …

Keeping your nose clean is about attending to the small details that make for a more mannerly and considerate life. Keeping your nose clean means taking care of those small details, even if you have achieved great success while ignoring them.

One example: In the information marketing world — ETR’s world — good spelling, punctuation, and grammar will have no impact on your success. So long as you are a master of using the English language to persuade people to buy what you’re selling … it doesn’t matter how you butcher it to achieve your goals.

Time and again I’ve seen mailings go out with terrible mistakes, even on headlines. And never once did I see it have any impact on sales.

If your core ideas are good and your will is good — i.e., you provide exceptional value — your customers will be more than happy to forgive you for making small blunders along the way. If they even notice them. Which they probably won’t.

So the reason you want to keep your nose clean can’t be to achieve more success, right? Right.

Why, then, would you worry about it at all?

You want to keep your nose clean because, in the long run, your career is much less about achieving the status symbols of success — wealth and its trophies — than it is about being spiritually healthy and feeling proud of yourself.

That, it turns out, can be achieved only by keeping your nose clean.

If you think I’m talking out of my butt, don’t fret about it. Just keep working on the first two rules. When you are young and strong and wanting to become rich and powerful, it’s enough to show up and do your job.

But just keep this third rule in mind. And I promise you — after you have achieved everything else, you will say to yourself one day, “You know, Michael Masterson was right about Uncle Al’s third rule. I’m going to start wiping the snot from my nose.”

  This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Net $50,000 for Making Simple Introductions

		Monday, 24 August 09 - 10:59 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

Net $50,000 for Making Simple Introductions

By Matthew Adams

Picture this ...

You're invited to a lobster bake at the yacht club by a friend who has four marinas in the area.

A half-hour into the party, you meet a guy who imports boating supplies and sells them to retailers. During your conversation, you find out he's looking to expand. You ask your new acquaintance if he would be open to paying a small commission for any new business you might generate for him. He eagerly accepts your offer, and you reach an agreement. Over beer and lobsters, mind you!

Then you introduce your marina-owning friend to the boating supplies importer.

They hit it off immediately. Before long, they are discussing prices. In other words, negotiating. Within a few minutes, they have a deal. Your friend will buy some of the importer's products wholesale and sell them at all four of his marinas.

The best part? You get a cut of the deal for making the introduction.

But that's not all. Going forward, you get a percentage of each and every sale the importer makes to your friend!

My first year as a "connector" (also known as a "finder's agent"), I made $22,000. I made it by introducing high-profile advertisers to trade publishers ... and by introducing business sellers to business buyers. When they struck their deals, I received my "fee."

Before long, I was making $50,000 a year ... simply by making phone calls and sending e-mails. It took only a couple of hours a week of my time. I was still making nice commissions by introducing business sellers to business buyers and advertisers to publishers. Meanwhile, I had started helping print publishers slash production costs by outsourcing to India.

I stumbled into the "connecting" game. But I found I was perfect for the job because of my background as a successful entrepreneur. I've launched, bought, sold, and managed dozens of small businesses over the past 19 years. What's more, I'm a former commodities futures trader. I learned a great deal about human psychology by monitoring and trading financial markets. (Not to mention how to steward large sums of money.)

Recover from the Recession Before Everyone Else If you’re like several people I know (and yes, myself included) you’ve lost half or more of your 401(k), IRA, stock portfolio, or whatever retirement plan you’ve got going in the last six months. But you could have it back – and then some – before 2009 ends. Get your Recession Recovery Plan today.

Actually, anybody can be a "connector," even with a very limited business background. It requires almost no capital to get started. You'll be providing a service that's in high demand. And you can run the whole thing from your home office.

You'll have to test the waters to find the best way to structure your compensation. You can charge clients a flat fee, or you can charge a percentage of a transaction made as a result of bringing people together. If ongoing sales are involved (like the deal between my friend and the boat supplies importer), you can receive "residual" payments.

Either way, you can make good money.

Not only that, but sometimes clients will ask you to assist them in other ways -- negotiating, setting up escrow accounts, developing sales agreements, and more. If you have the skills, you can, of course, charge additional fees for that extra work.

Basically, here is how the "connector" service works ...

Let's say you hear about someone who is interested in buying a large parcel of land, a business, a commercial building, surplus merchandise ... or any of the thousands of other products, services, or properties that are bought and sold every day.

Then let's say you find someone who has that item or service or property for sale at a reasonable price.

You inform the prospective buyer that you've found an eager seller. You tell the prospective buyer that if a deal is made, and both parties are satisfied, you will be entitled to a finder's fee or commission.

When you and the prospective buyer have an agreement, you introduce him to the prospective seller.

A buyer and seller will sometimes (rarely, in my experience) try to negotiate a deal without your help, even though you introduced them. Not to worry. You can keep this from happening by putting your agreement with the buyer in writing.  

Nothing fancy. Don't get tied in knots over paperwork and contracts. Keep it simple. My first agreements were less than a page long, and were sent by e-mail or fax. Just outline the terms of the deal (including your commission). Then have it signed by the prospective buyer before any introductions, negotiations, or transactions take place.

For the most part, you can trust people to live up to their end of the bargain. After all, you're making money for them. So they'll probably want to do business with you again in the future.

Here's another example of a deal I completed as a "connector":

I read about a man who was looking to purchase websites. Specifically, he was looking for travel websites with significant traffic that were also fully functional with e-commerce.

I contacted him by e-mail, introduced myself, and gave him a brief rundown of my business background. Then I told him about two travel websites I thought might interest him.

I explained my "connector" service, and presented my fee proposal. He agreed to the terms.

I then introduced the prospective buyer to the principals of both travel websites. One of the websites was a perfect fit, and he made an offer. The final sale price was negotiated in about a week.

When the sale was completed, $2,250 was electronically transferred to my bank account. That was 3 percent of the deal. My "connector" fee.

It's that easy.

On top of that, this particular deal took less than 60 minutes of my time, from beginning to end.

Where do you find potential deals? The sources are almost unlimited.

• You can find people and companies looking for products, businesses, real estate, surplus inventory, bankrupt companies, capital, etc. in all the national business papers. That includes The Wall Street Journal, Investor's Business Daily, The New York Times (especially the Sunday Edition), Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, and the Los Angeles Times.

• There are hundreds of websites for finding deals, too. Alibaba.com, in particular, is an excellent source of clients looking for specific products.

• International Wealth Success (IWS) publishes newsletters with an abundance of leads. IWS also publishes a comprehensive course on becoming a "finder's agent." Contact them for details.

• Three resources for finding clients and deals overseas are the South China Morning Post, the London Times, and the Gulf Times.

• For smaller-scale deals, you'll find a boatload of leads on CraigsList (under the Items Wanted category) and Crain.com Classifieds.

Whatever niche you work in, this is a fun sideline business for anyone who enjoys putting deals together and introducing prospective buyers and sellers.

P.S. "Connecting" is just one of the "under-the-radar" opportunities I talk about in my service, Ka-Ching. Mostly, I reveal unheard of deals, HUGE discounts, and how to get free stuff. That includes everything from everyday expenses to vacations to big purchases like cars and homes. Find out more about Ka-Ching here.

***

 This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Just Released: 101 Tips for Living a Simple, Healthy, Organized Life

		Tuesday, 18 August 09 - 12:30 PM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

 

Christine Simiriglia has just released her new free e-book: 101 Tips for Living a Simple, Healthy, Organized Life. This exciting and useful e-book delivers with pages and pages of free tips, instruction and links to help clear the chaos and clutter from life, once and for all.

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) August 23, 2009 -- 101 Tips for Living a Simple, Healthy, Organized Life has just hit the web. This exciting new e-book is a free offering from Organize More, Stress Less. The book delivers free information to help everyone to meet their organizational challenges and clear the clutter and chaos from their lives, forever.

Home organizing, time-management, clearing office space, clutter issues, living "green", filing, reducing stress and the many other topics covered in these pages will help to motivated even the most unmotivated among us. This book can help everyone achieve their goals.

101 Tips for Living a Simple, Healthy, Organized Life will help people to plan, prioritize, make and follow through with decisions that will greatly impact their quality of life by cutting down on stress and anxiety levels.

Our goal is to help readers be efficient with daily tasks, leaving enough time in the day for what they love and enjoy. Maybe they can find more time for knitting (I confess, this is my greatest motivation), or take that yoga class they like but keep missing, or rebuild the engine on that 56' Mustang that's been buried in the garage for longer than anyone cares to remember. Whatever someone's passion, they will find what is needed to make time for it here.

It is true that "time is money". We are in a recession. Every minute that a person can save, is a minute that can help with their bottom line. We want to be a catalyst for helping people in this time of need. There are little things that can be done to make a big impact on people's lives.

Being organized is not hard work, and there are no magic tricks, but it does take persistence. Everything in this e-book is about building better habits, taking steps, and measuring progress, consistently and with persistence.

The most exciting thing is that it is totally free. By signing up for the free Organize More Newsletter, visitors to the website also receive the Ffree e-book. No strings. Nothing to sign. Subscribing is easy. Visitors need only enter their email address here: Subscribe to the Ezine. That's it.

Christine Simiriglia wrote 101 Tips for Living a Simple, Healthy, Organized Life. She is a Professional Organizer, Organizational Management Consultant and Chief Operating Officer for a non-profit corporation. www.Organize-More-Stress-Less.com is a labor of love, allowing Chris to share her knowledge and experience along with some funny stories, tools and tidbits with a wider audience.

Contact:

Christine Simiriglia
Organize More, Stress Less
610-731-1655
www.organize-more-stress-less.com

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The "Passkey" That Can Get You In With Hollywood Big-Wigs,

		Thursday, 23 July 09 - 11:37 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

 

"Skill is fine, and genius is splendid, but the right contacts are more valuable than either."

- Arthur Conan Doyle

The "Passkey" That Can Get You In With Hollywood Big-Wigs, Fortune 500 CEOs, Famous Authors, and More

By Michael Masterson

If you could grab the attention of one very influential person... who would it be? And how could making that connection change your life?

From my own experience, I can tell you that knowing how to connect with the right people can...

• Get you a job. This is how our very own Managing Editor Suzanne Richardson got hired at ETR - despite the fact that I'd never met her in person, and she lived in New York rather than Florida.
• Send your company soaring to new heights. If I hadn't known MaryEllen Tribby through a few other marketers, I might never have known she was the perfect pick for ETR's CEO... and ETR wouldn't have skyrocketed from an $8 million business to a $26 million business in just two years.
• Expand your marketing reach, grow your customer list, and add millions in sales to your bottom line. The relationships ETR has formed with joint venture partners have brought in tens of millions of dollars for us. And ETR's parent company, Agora, grew its investment newsletter business from $1 million to $60 million in just 15 years, primarily through joint venture marketing deals.

Master copywriter Bob Bly calls relationship building "the most important factor determining your success as an Internet marketer... or in virtually any other business."

"The quality and quantity of your contacts and your relationships will have more to do with your success than perhaps any other factor," says information marketing superstar and self-development guru Brian Tracy. "Knowing the right people and being known by them can open doors for you that can save you years of hard work."

Says entrepreneur Paul Lawrence, "Making deals with powerful partners is one of the best ways to 'leapfrog' your way to a position of influence and profitability in the blink of an eye."

Need Oprah to make your book a bestseller? Want to get Bill Gates's take on your new software platform? Looking for business advice from Peter Drucker?

You might think these people are too famous for you to ever connect with.

But you're wrong.

Today, I'm going to show you how to get the attention of practically anyone.

This surprisingly simple "passkey" to success comes from Larry Benet, who will be on the panel of experts speaking at ETR's Info Marketing Bootcamp this November.

Larry has rubbed elbows with Donald Trump, Larry King, Richard Branson, and many other "movers and shakers." He's helped dozens of clients make connections that helped them skyrocket their income and reach their dreams.

From "Lowly" Salesman to Master Connector

Larry discovered his "passkey" on the tennis court, of all places.

He had started his corporate career by working as a "lowly sales guy." But then, one day, he took a hard look at the three men he was playing tennis with.

All three were CEOs. Each was worth a couple of hundred million. They were three of the most influential people in Larry's industry.

He thought to himself, "How did I, once just a cog in the big corporate wheel, manage to penetrate this inner circle?"

He realized it had to do with his innate ability to connect with other people. And soon he discovered that he could put his gift into easy-to-follow steps that anyone could use.

One of the most effective steps in Larry's "formula" is to ask a simple question.

The "Passkey" to Making Critical Business and Life Connections

Whenever Larry wants to connect with someone, he asks, "How can I help you?"

These five words allowed him to connect with Larry King in under 60 seconds... and persuaded Richard Branson to hand over his personal e-mail address in under 30 seconds.

If you use this powerful phrase correctly, and put it to work for yourself or your business, Larry firmly believes you could easily add an extra $50,000 to $100,000 to your bottom line. But I believe developing new relationships with people in key positions in your industry can make you much, much more over time.

I've talked before about how critical the mentor/protege relationship is in business. When you're just starting out, the advice and support of an experienced person in your field will give you a shortcut to success as an entrepreneur. Then, later in your career, having a relationship with a superstar who can take on some (or eventually all) of the burden of running your business is like striking gold.

"One of my biggest business assets has been the 'big-name' relationships I've created and nurtured over the years," says Alex Mandossian, CEO of Heritage House Publishing Inc. One notable example: his relationship with author Jack Canfield, which expanded his customer list by thousands.

With Larry's passkey, you will have the ability to connect with anyone at any time you wish.

Just imagine all the benefits that skill could bring you...

• You could meet celebrities...
• Get interviews with Fortune 500 CEOs...
• Find new clients, investors, or partners.

The sky is the limit.

Now this five-word passkey can get you "in" with almost anyone. But to maintain the relationship and watch it grow into something profitable... you need to master a few additional strategies.

A Proven Formula for Making Your High-Value Relationships Grow and Prosper

Larry will be unveiling these connection-forging strategies at ETR's Bootcamp this November. Not only that, he will show you how to put these strategies to work.

That's what he's done for his top clients.

"Carlos," for instance, was already a successful purveyor of business trade show signs - but he desperately wanted to get into the Hollywood scene. He'd been trying for 10 years. Then he met up with Larry. Within 72 hours of learning Larry's secrets to forging connections, Carlos had landed his first two Hollywood clients. Now, you can see Carlos's signage behind the stars at red carpet premieres. (And Carlos is currently in the process of using his connections to become an executive film producer.)

Then there's Geoff, a top recruiter for a financial services company who's been working with Larry for over two years. In that time, he's been able to generate hundreds of thousands of dollars by forming joint ventures with some of the biggest names in real estate and investing.

And Larry's been putting his connection-forging strategies to work for himself, too. That's how he got an invitation to speak at ETR's Bootcamp!

The ONLY Event You Should Attend This Fall

Of course, Larry isn't the only expert who'll be "telling all" at Bootcamp. And his relationship-building formula isn't the only cash-generating strategy Bootcamp attendees will discover.

Bootcamp is going to be a showcase of the most mindboggling collection of cutting-edge, breakthrough ideas presented by the finest group of marketing geniuses ever assembled in one place.

When you leave this event, you'll have a locked-and-loaded arsenal of real, practical, and powerful techniques for building your wealth.

MaryEllen and her team have assembled a world-class panel of moneymaking visionaries from across the nation. We're talking about Rich Schefren, Joe Polish, Mike Koenigs, Clayton Makepeace, Howie Jacobson, Chris Chickering, and many more.

These men and women will reveal EXACTLY how to start bringing in cash right now - and how to keep it coming in.

And every one of them has pledged to show you at least one specific technique that could have you bringing in an extra $10,000 within the next six months:

• The "Missing Link" in your business that could make you $5 million...
• The secret to reaching 4.5 billion (that's billion with a "B") potential customers...
• How to produce $5 million in online sales per month off a single product...

And that's just a tiny sampling.

By the way, I'll be speaking at Bootcamp as well. It's the only presentation I'll give this year, and I can't wait to blow you away with the hot wealth-building trend I see coming down the pike.

Bootcamp is THE ONLY event where you can get access to the leaders in information marketing. You won't find such a powerful concentration of game-changing ideas and revolutionary strategies anywhere else.

We have just 250 openings for this year's Bootcamp - and registration begins bright and early tomorrow morning.

Make sure you keep a close eye on your inbox, and reserve your spot at Bootcamp as soon as registration opens.

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

How to Handle the Ongoing Recession

		Thursday, 16 July 09 - 09:57 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

 

How to Handle the Ongoing Recession

By Howie Jacobson

This recession has revealed a psychological rift in the world's consciousness.

A lot of people are scared and angry. They've lost their jobs, their businesses, their insurance, and in some cases their self-worth. They feel victimized by events, by elites, and by entities. So they bob up and down, waiting to be rescued by a government or a friend. They hunker down into a form of abdication of self-responsibility because it feels better to be justified in misery than vulnerable in power.

And the interesting thing about this group of people is how threatened they are by another group.

This second group of people may be suffering just as much in real terms as the first group, but they refuse to see themselves as victims. Instead of giving up and waiting to be rescued, they are scrapping and hustling and retooling. Starting businesses. Taking risks. Flexing muscles they may not have fully understood or claimed before. In crisis, they are making opportunity - and, in the process, taking responsibility for making themselves.

They are discovering something amazing about work: that it really isn't about the money or the power or the status. In other words, not about the external rewards. Those rewards are nice (actually, they're awesome when received in the right way) - but the real reward of work, or entrepreneurship, is the flowering of passion. When we take responsibility for our contributions to this universe, we discover that work truly is, in Khalil Gibran's words, "love made manifest."

[Ed. Note: Which group are you in? You can take a stand against the recession this instant. Not only can you pursue your passion, you can turn it into a moneymaking venture. Get all the details right here. Hurry - the price goes up $200 this Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

When not contemplating social issues, Howie Jacobson is an expert on Google AdWords and driving traffic to your website. Get his complimentary AdWords ER Report "Why Most AdWords Campaigns Fail - and How to Make Yours Succeed" at www.AskHowie.com.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Use Walt Disney's "$37 Billion Secret" to Write Stronger Copy and Create Loyal Clients

		Monday, 06 July 09 - 11:28 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

 This article appears courtesy of American Writers & Artists Inc.’s (AWAI) The Golden Thread, a free newsletter that delivers original, no-nonsense advice on the best wealth careers, lifestyle careers and work-at-home careers available. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.awaionline.com/signup/.

Question Marks in Copy

		Tuesday, 09 June 09 - 10:59 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

Question Marks in Copy

By Clayton Makepeace

Now some folks will tell you that beginning sales copy with a question is bad form. After all - any question you ask could be answered in a way that is not helpful to your objectives. And your sales letter could wind up in the trash.

But not necessarily. Recently, Health & Healing sold a boatload of subscriptions under the headline "Is there anyone left we can trust?"

Of course, it really wasn't a question at all. It was a proposition. That brilliant headline created instant bonding with prospects by placing the spokesperson in the same boat with them. And then it answered the question by presenting the credentials of Health & Healing's editor.

Still, I try to be careful when I use question marks. Like a good lawyer, I avoid asking questions when I'm not sure I already know the answer.

Like when I'm using a particularly powerful persuasion device called "Socratic Reasoning." That's where I ask a series of questions, the obvious answers to which inevitably lead my prospect to the desired conclusion. Here's an example:

If you really think drug companies are in business to make you healthy, just ask yourself, "If prescription drugs make people healthier...

"Why is there more heart disease in America than there was 10 years ago?

"Why are cancer rates skyrocketing?

"Why is there an epidemic of diabetes, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases today?"

Now, let me ask you: If you were the chairman of a big drug company... if your only responsibility was to make your shareholders richer... wouldn't you want MORE people to get sick - not less?

... Or when I want to quickly answer a question my reader is probably asking himself about my proposition:

Why don't doctors, surgeons, hospitals, drug companies - or anyone else in the mainstream medical industry - tell you this?

Why wouldn't they want you to know about natural supplements that are clinically proven to work better than drugs - and without the high cost and miserable side effects?

Simple: Because when you prevent disease or heal yourself naturally, they don't make a red cent!

Each question hooks the reader into reading what follows, moving them down the copy and to the inevitable conclusion that buying this product is the only logical thing to do.

[Ed. Note: Master copywriter Clayton Makepeace publishes the highly acclaimed e-zine The Total Package to help business owners and copywriters accelerate their sales and profits. Claim your 4 free moneymaking e-books - bursting with tips, tricks, and tactics that'll skyrocket your response - at MakepeaceTotalPackage.com.

Writing powerful copy is just one aspect of making your Internet business a success. Discover how to set up a website, get the search engines' attention, create high-quality products, and more with ETR's Internet Money Club Independent Learner Edition. Get all the details now.]

 This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Jobfox, the Internet's Fastest-Growing Job Site, Now Makes Introductions between Candidates and Employers

		Thursday, 07 August 08 - 11:36 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

Jobfox, the Internet's Fastest-Growing Job Site, Now Makes Introductions between Candidates and Employers
Jobfox launches first-of-its-kind capabilities that helps high-match job candidates get interviews and network with employers. 2008-08-07

Getting Organized Just Got Easy with Smead Organomics

		Thursday, 07 August 08 - 11:27 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

Getting Organized Just Got Easy with Smead Organomics

The first "how to" website from the organizing experts at Smead

How organized you are directly impacts how you feel about your work and yourself, but there is no 'right' way to get organized

Hastings, Minn. (PRWEB) August 7, 2008 -- Smead®, a leading provider of filing and organizational products, announced today the launch of Smead Organomics (www.smead.com/organomics), the first "how to" website for getting organized. Smead Organomics is an easy-to-use resource that provides expertise and ideas to help people get more done with less stress.

"How organized you are directly impacts how you feel about your work and yourself, but there is no 'right' way to get organized," says Jim Riesterer, Vice President of Marketing at Smead. "There are as many organizing styles as there are people. That's why we developed Smead Organomics, a set of tools you can use to determine what will work best for you. It's organization for real people."

 

Smead Organomics delivers practical ideas through a variety of resources. Looking for a customized solution? "My Organomics" is an interactive tool that uses your personal work style and organizing challenges to recommend customized organizing options. Looking for the latest trends in organization? "Hot Topics" provides helpful tips and articles to keep you up to date. Short on time? "One Minute Answers" is where to go to quickly solve an organizing challenge. Ever wondered how much disorganization costs you or your employer? The "Organomics Calculator" lets you figure out the actual cost in time and money lost. Users can also join "Club Organomics" to receive the latest news and information on organizing ideas and products.

Developed in conjunction with numerous certified professional organizers, Smead Organomics makes getting organized quick and easy. Discover your personalized organizing solution today at www.smead.com/organomics.

Smead, www.smead.com, is a worldwide leader in office filing products and records management systems. For more than 100 years, Smead has brought a spirit of innovation and integrity to keeping businesses and home offices organized. Headquartered in Hastings, Minnesota, Smead is a privately held, woman-owned business offering thousands of organizational products with more than 2,400 employees across North America and Europe, including its Smead-Europe operations in The Netherlands.

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7 Habits Author, Stephen Covey, Launches New Learning Community

		Thursday, 17 July 08 - 10:09 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

 7 Habits Author, Stephen Covey, Launches New Learning Community and Gives Millions Access to Life Changing Principles : Using Web 2.0 Technology, Stephen Covey Turns to Social Media to Deliver 7 Habits Content and Other Methodology  
Stephen Covey, co-founder and vice-chairman of FranklinCovey and author of the international best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is going viral. 2008-07-17

Announcing Finding about Women and Worries from STRONG WOMEN AND LOVE Research

		Thursday, 17 July 08 - 10:07 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

Announcing Finding about Women and Worries from STRONG WOMEN AND LOVE Research  
Dr. LeslieBeth Wish, respected expert for today's relationship advice for women and love, has uncovered in her ground-breaking research for her next book STRONG WOMEN AND LOVE that many successful professional women harbor deep and private doubts about their confidence at work and love. To participate in the research click Strong Women and Love Survey. 2008-07-17

10 Non-Financial Tips for Retiring Baby Boomers

		Monday, 14 July 08 - 12:16 PM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

10 Non-Financial Tips for Retiring Baby Boomers
A lot of the more than 76 million baby boomers headed toward retirement are losing sleep at night, not because they're worried about having enough money to retire. They're wondering what they want to do with the rest of their life. 2008-07-14

Need Help Paying For College Textbooks?

		Wednesday, 09 July 08 - 11:36 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

Need Help Paying For College Textbooks? Meet A Teenager With Money To Give  
Five high school teenagers have established a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization that awards textbook grants to college students. The organization, Beans For Books, has recently been approved and added to FastWeb, a Monster Company that matches students with available grants. The founder, 17 year old Dave Lanning, Jr., has plans to roll out the organization to every college campus in the country. 2008-07-09

Worm Farm Beats Economic Downturn With Sales Increases For First Half Of 2008

		Saturday, 05 July 08 - 12:24 PM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

 Worm Farm Beats Economic Downturn With Sales Increases For First Half Of 2008
A New Jersey farm is taking on the bearish economy with an unusual agricultural product. The farm grows crickets and worms. Sales are up for 2008 so far and the President, Ken Chiarella, estimates sales over $800,000 for the year. This will be a $50,000 increase from 2007. 2008-07-05

Is Your Child a Budding Weather Forecaster?

		Saturday, 05 July 08 - 12:19 PM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

Is Your Child a Budding Weather Forecaster?
The Weather Channel Interactive Offers Video Forecast Contest for Kids 2008-07-05

BusinessWeek.com to Show Prospective Business School Students ''The Right Fit'': Award-winning Web site to open its third-annual Virtual MBA Expo

		Tuesday, 02 October 07 - 12:33 PM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

BusinessWeek.com to Show Prospective Business School Students ''The Right Fit'': Award-winning Web site to open its third-annual Virtual MBA Expo
BusinessWeek.com, a division of McGraw Hill, will hold its third-annual Virtual MBA Expo on Wednesday, October 3, 2007. The Live Webinar: The Right Fit will feature BusinessWeek.com's Business Schools editorial team's interviews with admissions experts. The Q & A session that follows includes live answers to questions from admissions directors from top-ranked universities, industry experts, and the BusinessWeek editors. 2007-10-02

GoAbroad.com Launches Newly Improved Website for International Teaching Jobs and Resources

		Tuesday, 02 October 07 - 12:16 PM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Careers/Education Jobs Work

GoAbroad.com Launches Newly Improved Website for International Teaching Jobs and Resources  
TeachAbroad.com, GoAbroad.com's directory of international teaching positions, is now enhanced to become a more extensive resource with improved usability, making it easier for its millions of visitors to find the newest paid teaching positions and the most comprehensive teaching resources. 2007-10-02

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