No more Robots Calling my Business Phone!

Starting September 1, consumers should experience far fewer telephonic interruptions of the automated variety. “American consumers have made it crystal clear that few things annoy them more than the billions of commercial telemarketing robocalls they receive every year," Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a statement and reported by Christina House, For The Times. The federal regulatory regime currently will exclude political robocalls from most telemarketing regulations.

And yet, Robocalls are made by all political parties in the United States, as well as unaffiliated campaigns, 527 organizations, Unions, and individual citizens. In addition, Robocalls fail in three areas that are crucial for any direct response campaign: they are intrusive, they are impersonal and they offer no incentive for voters to listen all the way to the end of the message. Robocalls are pre-recorded messages that can be sent out to tens of thousands of voters at a minor cost through computer automation. While Robocalls have been used for legitimate campaigning and public opinion polling, they have also been used for vote suppression, false endorsements, and negative campaigning that borders on fraud. So why is it that they were excluded from the new law going into affect to prevent intrusion and running up our cell phone bills?

Consumers received the robocalls at home, work, and on their cell phones, sometimes several times in one day. Those unwanted prerecorded commercial calls, soliciting services such as carpet cleaning or car warranties, will be a thing of the past unless telemarketers have written permission from consumers that they want to receive these calls. Despite the regulation, there will still be telemarketers of the human kind. The Better Business Bureau recommends the following advice for consumers who receive robocalls or telemarketing calls; never give personal information, including Social Security, bank or credit card numbers, over the phone to an unknown telemarketer. The commission will exempt calls that aren't trying to sell goods and services to consumers; that category would include debt collections and those providing information, such as flight cancellations and delivery notices. "If consumers think they're being harassed by robocallers," Leibowitz said, "they need to let us know, and we will go after them. Consumers who receive an unauthorized call starting Tuesday can file complaints with the commission online at http://www.ftc.gov/



So the question will remain –How do I get off the political robocall list?? The answer. You don’t. Once again, our politicians make laws and regulations that do not apply to them. I don’t know about you, but I will not vote for any politician that sends me an automated call. If he doesn’t have the time to arrange for a real person to chat with me, why should I take the time to give him my vote?

You may ask yourself, what is this blog doing in the middle of all my life balance and self improvement blogs? Well I do have an answer for that. First, I hate it when I put a customer on hold to answer the other line right quick, only to find out it was an automated voice at the other end. I hate that they use up my cell phone minutes! In addition, my last post talked about slices of pizza. Part of keeping myself educated in that particular slice is to pay attention to marketing trends. All those companies are going to be looking for a new way to market their product as the $16, 000 per call fine is a little steep to risk. As a direct marketer, I pay attention to the trends in the business world. It is part of MY pizza!

Have a Properous Day
Cheryl Matthynssens
My Advertising Funnel

Life is Like a Pizza!

No, Really, it is.



First, for a happy life, you have to enough "slices" of variety to make up a life of balance and success. And just like a pizze, each of us have a preference as to what is on those slices. For me, my slices are my online career and friends, my counseling work, my family, my personal well-being, my education and my spiritual life.

An unbalanced pizza brings complaints. A pizza without the right combination of toppings is not appealing. So it is with life. Why do people add things to their life things they really hate doing and are not actually a "must?" Like saying yes when they want to say no? For me, that is like putting anchovies on my pizza. I do not want it! I will not eat it and I definitly will not enjoy it. Yet people do this every day. Add things to their life that they do not want and then .. they... complain about it? That is like you putting anchovies on your pizza personally, baking it and then whining that you can't eat it? How does that make sense?

That is the cool thing about life though. We decide how many slices will make us happy and in balance. We get to decide each day if we are putting extra cheese on that slice we are working with. And best of all, we decide what the basic recipe is.



So for those of you whining about the slices of pizza on your plate of life, why are you making it that way? Or worse, why are you letting someone else decide what goes on your pizza? Make the decision of how many slices is the best for you. Make the decision on what the basic recipe is for each slice. Then, each and every day, not only will you enjoy your day, but you can decide if it is time for a little dessert pizza to reward yourself!

Have a prosperous day!
Cheryl Matthynssens
The Balance Guide
(never let me eat pizza when blogging.. see what happens?)

Managing Personal Stress in Business

Managing stress in the workplace successfully needn't involve powerful medications. Managing stress requires taking an active role and to take responsibility for your own thoughts, feelings and behaviors. We cannot escape every deadline or every assurance, so, rather than trying to eliminate stress entirely, we need to attempt of managing stress as much we can. You need to develop strategies for managing stress, especially if you find yourself becoming constantly ill, or you feel nervous much of the time. Managing stress is not only the key to having a happier and more tranquil life, it is also necessary to remain successful in the work environment.

Stress is a portion of our daily lives. Stress is either acute (short-term) or chronic. Stress Management is the ability to maintain control when situations, people, and events make excessive demands. Also stress management techniques can provide us with a way of keeping our stress levels under control that tends to affect our physical, mental and emotional health. A particular stress management technique may be effective on one occasion, but not another, so we need to be ready to implement new ones at any given time. Effective stress management is not easy and stress management takes time and practice. These five tips are in no particular order.

The first important technique is the use of Relaxation. Relaxation techniques are extremely powerful in managing stress. Relaxation lowers blood pressure, slows breathing and pulse rates, releases muscle tension and produces a sense of well-being. Relaxation is most effective if it is incorporated into our daily life. Meditation can create a deep sense of relaxation and mental clarity. (There delightfully soothing relaxation music available. My favorite is Brainsync )



Whether in quiet or listening to something calming, first step is to relax yourself: close your eyes, and try using imagery of waves of relaxation running down your body from your scalp downwards, washing out stress. Feel the muscles in your body relaxing as the waves of relaxation wash over them. Spend time just visualizing this, even if you have to do at your desk. From massage to mediation to yoga, AARP recently described many methods of relaxation to help you reduce your level of stress. If you do incorporate this or any relaxation technique into your life you may notice an increased awareness of whether you are tense or relaxed. Learn a muscle relaxation routine, and practice it regularly. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule.


Another important element is that dreaded word - Exercise. Exercise is very important in stress and health management. Exercises form an outlet for your frustrations and anger. It also aids in putting a stop in the nasty cycles of stress-eating, indulgence to alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. Exercise also helps lift one's spirits and decrease depression. It has a number of other positive benefits you may not be aware of: It improves blood flow to your brain, bringing additional sugars and oxygen that may be needed when you are thinking intensely. Most medical experts have discovered that doing physical exercise can help you with the constant flow of stresses.

Of course, you cannot leave out sleep. Getting adequate sleep is another very simple but effective way to manage stress. We all have our own ideal amount of sleep, and if we don't get it, our performance and resilience suffer. Most people need about 6-9 hours of sleep per night. Loss of deep, restorative sleep can be attributed to stress and can lead to insomnia. People not sleeping can then stress about losing sleep, and another cycle begins. Allowing you adequate sleep can be a powerful part of your stress management program.

Feelings management is also an important tool to stress management. What is important is how you handle your feelings. Learning to express feelings and to deal with tensions in constructive ways is vital to your emotional and physical health. This will help prevent you from releasing your feelings in an ineffective and unacceptable way, such as snapping at your children or being argumentative and short with your spouse and becoming more aggressive generally. Your feelings can also greatly influence your judgment. Stress has fewer negative effects for people who admit their feelings and accept them. Repressing and denying feelings decreases energy and can cause irritability, depression, or physical problems. Keeping your feelings bottled up within yourself is like gradually building a potent bomb and will increase stress levels.

Setting goals is another good stress management procedure. Without goals, we are likely to spend time and energy in an aimless way. Setting realistic goals for your day and year helps you feel directed and in control. Set realistic goals and time frames for yourself. You will see results more often if you select goals that are specific and achievable. If you have only broad long-range goals, you are more likely to experience frustration. The degree to which short-term goals are accomplished will help you assess the practicality of long-term goals. Hand in hand with this is time management. When we mismanage our time, whether on work projects or towards personal goals, it increases stress and impacts performance.

Most stress arises due to feelings of life being out of control. - Have realistic expectations (personally and professionally) - No matter what, always maintain your sense of humor - Never bottle up your feelings, share it with someone you trust - Never try to control others - Manage your time well - Do important tasks first - Get quality sleep - Exercise regularly - Eat well - Keep the intake of sugar, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, habit forming over the counter drugs to a minimum. If you implement even a couple of these suggested techniques into your daily routines and life style changes you will find that not only are you feeling more relaxed and at ease, but that the bottom line is positively impacted as well. This is just one more step in creating a life of happiness and balance.

Life Balance and Happiness at Least As Important as Income Goals

In today's hectic and competitive environment, it's increasingly difficult to achieve life balance and happiness. 67% of business owners surveyed, believe that issues to do with economic and social justice, public services, poverty, work-life balance and happiness are the most important in measuring a country's performance. This means that life balance and happiness are at least as important as breaking arbitrary revenue goals to the majority of business owners.

Happiness doesn’t just hang out there in the ether, waiting to be picked up like an email. Happiness is part of the fabric of our lives. The search for happiness is further complicated because the factors which most affect our personal well-being are commonly ignored or given very low priority in work and training, and in the media too. In schools also, life balance and personal happiness are largely ignored, and rarely explored or recommended as worth pursuing. Consequently throughout our lives, we don't find it easy to consider properly the issues which actually determine our own personal life balance and happiness.

One of the first items to impact both balance and happiness is your health. Sleep, nutrition, and exercise are vital in today’s world. Improving an individual's health in each of these categories, wellness practitioners believe, can lead to improved overall life balance and happiness. These include holistic practitioners who help people reach their health goals through nutrition, exercise, spiritual healing, counseling, and getting enough sleep. If you are not in the pink of health or not feeling very smooth in things that you do, you should MAKE AN EFFORT to improve the situation. Be sure to take vitamins given the dropping nutritional values of our natural food supplies.

Having unfinished business and clutter in our lives can cause us confusion, making it difficult to think clearly at times. Having a sense of humor in is also a contributor to personal and business success and anxiety reduction. It is important to live your personal and business life around your values as well. If you pay attention to these factors, you will find that: You cope with additional business demands with ease – knowing that you are still delivering excellence to your customers, you are seen as a great boss to work for and you feel great within yourself as a result. You enjoy more quality time with your partner and or family in a way that leaves you feeling happier, relaxed and with the peace of mind that you’re are living a life with no regrets.

We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The better you are at knowing yourself, understanding what positively motivates and inspires you, and creating a balance for yourself between your career/work life and family/home life, the easier it will be for you to predict that you will live a happy life. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The question is, what are you doing to insure that you are choosing a life of happiness.

Remember the first step to achieving life balance and happiness from the inside out is healthy diet plans and fitness routines. When your own health, life balance and happiness improve, you can act as a role model for your clients, and inspire them through your own experience. Get to know your real self. Knowing yourself is vital both to understand what factors most affect your life balance and happiness, and also for finding a satisfying purpose in life. This ensures you will achieve your objectives and gain your ideal triangle of life balance and happiness that you seek.

Cheryl Matthynssens
The Balance Guide

Ideas for the New Online Business or Marketer

You sit down excited to start an online business. Maybe you are surfing for one or maybe you had one but now want to bring it onto the web. You type in your first phrase and thousands of opportunities pop up at you. Everyone claiming to get your website to the top. Everyone claiming they have the magic get rich quick solution to today's chaotic financial picture. You quickly find yourself in a maze of honest and deceitful entrepreneurs and no idea how to move forward. In fact, this picture probably feels familiar.



So how do you find your way through the maze of millions of websites, promises and opportunities. How do you find a solution before your spouse threatens to take an axe to the computer you have been enslaved to? The maze can be so complex that the new entrepreneur will end up in withdrawal symptoms when away more then five minutes for fear of missing that right link, that perfect opportunity or driving just one more lead to their business site.

First, do not do Internet business with anyone that won't give you their real name, address and phone number. Without this signature of legitimacy, how do you know you aren't dealing with a computer savvy 12 year old? A real ethical business or Internet marketer will be willing to share who they are with you and where they are.

Second, there are some huge scams the new business owner needs to be aware of while working online. One of the most hurtful to a new business is the scam in which the customer will offer to buy multiples of a product but they can't use their credit card through a legitimate site. They will offer to send a money order or a certified check. These are cleverly disguised fakes that are often not discovered till after the business owner has already shipped the product, leaving the business owner holding the bill. There is a list online of current Internet scams, be sure to monitor them.

The next is vital, anything that sound to good to be true, most likely is. While there has been growth in legitimate network marketing companies, even the most successful will tell you that it is work. The concept that you have to spend money to make money has not gone away. The advantage to Internet businesses is not having to pay for things like office space, other employees wages and other expenses that a brick and mortar business must have. But there are still some basic expenses that will occur. For example, advertising that is free to use will possibly produce some results, but it will leave you chained to the computer. Good Marketing takes a plan, one purposeful plan. The maze of offers can lead the new entrepreneur from offer to offer, nickle and diming them till they give up in frustration. There are some good companies out there offering to teach their plans. There are others that will offer to take your money and do it for you.

The most innovative idea and spectacular website will not make sales without traffic. Meanwhile, a mediocre product or website may have phenomenal sales with a good marketing plan. I have found that I can do all my marketing for less then $200.00 a month and in about 30 minutes a day. But I made every mistake above before I figured it out. I spent hours surfing traffic exchanges and placing free ads; there was no plan. It takes a good marketing plan with targeted selections designed for the type of business that is being promoted. With a solid marketing plan, you can get your business out there. Otherwise, the new marketer will find themselves spending $20.00 here, $9.95 there and even $100.00 here till their budget is mysteriously gone with few hits to show for the time or money spent.

Once you have a plan and a business. The final piece is stick to it. The biggest error online is working something for a month or two and because it doesn't pay off, moving to the next golden carrot. What makes a great online sales manager is the ability to learn what is new but stick to the business they have chosen. For example, do you know what a Squidoo lens is? Do you know how to Tweet? As new technology comes out, being able to learn how it will apply to your business is an essential tool. At the same time, it takes more then a month or two to build a solid foundation. If your business isn't growing, then chances are it is your marketing plan that is at fault. However, even a good marketing plan may take awhile to take hold. Be prepared to stick it out for awhile. Then, once you have a good foundation, you can add additional marketing phases to boost traffic.

If you have limited income to invest, consider multiple small income streams. But do not spread yourself to thin. It is difficult to market multiple earning opportunities unless they are under the umbrella of a single URL An example of this umbrella marketing for those who like traffic exchanges is the Traffic Tornado. Once you set it all up, you only advertise a single URL and can build an income stream from all of the opportunities gathered in the tornado. However, once again, you would make more if you do some investing to a basic paid member. So even if you start as a free marketer with an umbrella opportunity, be sure to upgrade as soon as you can regardless of what you are doing, usually the payout is higher.

There are just some ideas of for the online business beginner. Whether you are working on MLM, Direct Marketing, Promotion or Affiliate sales, there is success online. But just as you can find your fortunes online; you can also be sucked into the maze of scams and be nickled and dimed into dismal failure. Like any business or event in life; failure to plan is a plan to fail!

Have a Prosperous and Balanced Day!
Cheryl Matthynssens

Life Skills Coach - Where are you?

I was asked recently why I did not have a website for my life skill coaching. The answer to that is actually quite simple. I have not needed one. I average 12 clients at a time in addition to helping my business team mates to a certain level. This takes up most of the time that I am willing to work. Being a teacher of balance in life, I will only work a set number of hours a day. The rest of my time is devoted to my passions, my family, my health and my own personal searches of interest. I love to travel and see things in our world. I absolutely love to just sit and watch people. People are fascinating! I even have a membership to the zoo and my children are grown.



My favorite aquarium!

If someone is looking for a life skills coach and is interested in the things they have read from me. Let me be quite candid. A life skills coach is exactly that. They help a person overcome obstacles that the individual puts in their own way. If you need help with past abuses, emotional trauma or an addiction, you need to see a professional licensed counselor. However, if you often seem to fail when you want to succeed. If you give up easily, get side tracked or just are not where you want to be in life, a life skills coach is ideal. You can use both but be sure to choose one that never asks you to be a part of what they are doing. Not a single member of my business team has ever been a client. That would be unprofessional. However, I often help people on my team, once they are there, in a mentor capacity.

What Kind of Things Do you Work On?
This may surprise you. I don't tell them, they tell me. One of the first things I have my clients prepare is the following questionnaire.

What three problems do you feel you need to work on?
What are you willing to do to work on them?
How do you sabotage your own efforts? (shoot yourself in the foot)
How will you know when you have successfully addressed these three problems? (what will life/you - look like? sound like? be like?)

The next thing I do is have them create their wish list - 100 things they would like to do, see or have. Some one asked me if this is like a bucket list? Same concept.. yes! For example, I wanted to see Mount Rushmore. I just crossed that off my list!



If you are willing to do the two above things and would like to retain me as a life skills coach, please email me at Cheryl@thebalanceguide.com with the first four questions, how many sessions a month you feel you would like and I will let you know if I have any openings and my current compensation rates. I will warn you, I am relentless and do not accept the word 'try'. To Quote Yoda - "You either do, or you do not!" (smile)

I posted those above, however, because just by filling that out on your own, without a coach, you can learn a lot about yourself. The 100 things list is a motivator to get going on your goals so you can cross items off. Also, if you are in a business that has mentors, they can use those questions to help focus and get you going.

My advice to everyone. Live today better then yesterday. If you do that each day. If you just give a little more effort, make a little more progress, say a few more "I love yous", exercise or walk just one more minute... etc - Life cannot do anything but get better!

Have a prosperous day!

Is it Safe to Start Up a Business in Today's Economy?

How safe is it to start up a business in today's economy? That is dependent on many factors. What is the idea, is it unique? Will it fill a niche that is not being filled in your area? Does it require real estate location? How much money do you have for start up costs? Advertising? When making a decision to to start a business, these are but a few of the factors that need to be considered.

In July of 2009, the Federal Reserve Board released information that loans were declining. This was due to two factors, banks are tightening standards and terms for all types of business loans. The other factor was that fewer people were applying, most likely because they know that they don't have the credit or fear the risk in the current economy. This means without a unique idea and good credit that a bank can get behind, chances of a business loan are fairly low for starting a business.

A positive note, however, is that the Labor Department also reported in July that wholesale prices actually dropped. This is good news because when wholesale drops consistently, the consumer will usually see a drop. On the reverse, if wholesale inflation remains up, that is eventually passed on to the consumer. If this continues, it could mean the coming end of the current recession. These numbers will have to be monitored for consistent drop before the consumer will see it in the long run, however.

So what do you do if you don't know if your idea is a high risk or if you know you have poor credit. Well, if it is something you make, try a test run with an eBay store. See how the national market responds to your product.

Is it a business you can run from home for awhile? Can you market what you are doing from weekend shows? Can you start online and slowly move out to a solid location? Again, much of this depends on the type of business start up you are hoping to get going. A restaurant without a strong fresh niche may struggle today given that there is much competition and the profit margin on a restaurant is slimmer then many other businesses.


If you don't know what to start, there are many successful home businesses out there. Be careful and chose a company that has a reputation. Some good ones are Amway, Avon, and Nikken but there are many more out there. Some have low start ups for as low as 20.00 without supplies or product. However, if starting up a home business, I recommend that you get some literature and be using your own product. You cannot sell anything well without a passion for your product. So find a company you can believe in. I personally prefer the health and weight loss corner as this area has been fairly recession proof. Regardless of what is going on in the world, people are always trying to look better and feel better.

Other options for starting up a home business are affiliate marketing, this is fairly labor intensive but if you use all the free marketing tools out there, the cost is minimal. Good for part time income. Another one is direct marketing of products from wholesalers, good for eBay or a specific company. Top Tier Direct Marketing is another recommendation that I make. The reason for this is most home businesses market to the 80% of the world with only 20% of the income. Put your efforts into marketing to the 20% who have the money and you will make more. Do you want to sell 100,000 toy planes or one jet? A simplified example but it makes the point.

Regardless of what you choose, home businesses in this market are a safer option. About 70% of home-based businesses will last over a three-year period, compared to 29% of other business ventures, according to the Home-Based Business Institute. In fact, According to IDC, home-based businesses create an estimated 8,500 new jobs daily.

So is it safe? Only you can decide that. Do your research. Make sure you are going to provide a unique service. Try for a bank loan, if nothing else you may get feedback on why they do not see it as a safe option that maybe you had not considered. Look at your capital. Can you keep it afloat for one year till consumers know you are there? Can you get investors? Would it be better ran online or from home? Once you have satisfied yourself with the answers, take the risk! After all, according to the 2009 edition of The Small Business Economy released by Advocacy and posted on sba.gov this year, it was stated. "Risk-taking entrepreneurs are often the generators of the innovations that drive the American economy forward."

Have a Prosperous Day!
Cheryl Matthynssens

Structure is Important to the Success of a Home Business!

One of the biggest mistakes that home business owners make is that in the attempt to build a business they lose sight of the very thing they wanted when they started. Most people begin home businesses to either supplement their income or to be home with family. However, if a person is locked in at their computer desperately seeking to drive sales or spending more then they are earning, they have lost sight of the very thing they were seeking.
Structures in life are necessary. Without them the human, unless naturally the high structures type spoke of in a previous article, will wander aimlessly from task to task. This is easy to do when promoting online because one site will lead to another. Each offering to nickle and dime the business owner with small costs to promote their URL. Each one seems small but when added up over the month, can be a large chunk if not exceed the advertising budget set aside.

The first thing to do to structure a home business is figure out the working hours. Are they while the baby is napping? In the evening when the spouse is home? Pick a set number of hours a day and the times that they are normally set aside for. This is flexible of course, that is the attraction of a home business. But on the normal, no appointments, no business meetings day, when will the home business entrepreneur be working?

The second thing to do is figure out what needs done in that time. How much time is needed to return emails and phone calls? How much time will be spent marketing online? How much time will be used in presentations? Deliveries? What ever ythe business needs done, allocate a time amount for it for the week. Now looking at these two things. Figure out what days and how much time on that day will be devoted to each of the indentified tasks needing accomplished.

Another important part of structuring is organizing the business expenses. Get a basic accounting system. It is hard at the end of the year to show all those little expenditures unless the business owner have been keeping receipts (email ones too). Take the time up front to desiginate how income and expenses will be monitored.

The last thing that is important to structuring a home business is to plan a marketing strategy wisely. If there is a marketing budget, get with the sponsor or find a trusted marketing mentor and find out where their money was best spent. If there is no budget, learn how to market for free. There are tons of free things that can be done to promote a business online. The key is consistency. When marketing for free, it is not about quick returns, it is about diligence and patience. Make a weekly goal of whatever strategies the business owner is comfortable using. For example, posting ten free classifieds daily. Something along those lines but for each thing on the list of free marketing tools. Be prepared to not see results for at least 30 days. People need to see the advertising multiple times before they will follow up.

Structuring a home business is not only critical to success, but it allows for tracking what works and what is not working. Wandering aimlessly in hopes of stumbling onto the gold mine does not work. Structures in a home business also mean that the important component of time with family or freedom to ___________ (you fill in the blank) remain an important focus in the week to week life of the entrepreneur. Remember, Balance is the key component to finding happiness, abundance and freedom in life!

Have a Prosperous Day!
The Balance Guide

World Vision - My Charity of Choice

I have been a sponser of a World Vision child for Two years now. I want to help do more. Clean water, schools and a chance at a future are so important. Join me and help me raise $1,000000.00 for this vital organization.

Here is some information from them and please go look at their page worldvision.org if you are unfamiliar.

The Need
Today, more than 26,000 children under age 5 will die from preventable or treatable causes — that means an estimated 9.7 million children in this age group will die this year. And the vast majority of all child deaths occur in developing countries.

There may be cures for their conditions, but they don't have access to the necessary medication, treatment, or immunizations.

Their parents may lack basic knowledge of nutrition, hygiene, and health care. And their governments don’t have the resources to provide adequate health programs. When parents aren't healthy, they can’t provide for their families’ needs. And when children aren’t healthy, they can't attend school or focus on their future.

Fast Facts
Every day, more than 26,000 children under the age of five die, mostly from preventable causes.

More than 25 percent of the world’s infants are not immunized with critical vaccines that cost about $1.



World Vision’s Response
World Vision helps bring medical care and increased knowledge of health, nutrition, and hygiene to children and families in need through these interventions:

Emergency medical care
Health clinics and therapeutic feeding centers | Last year, World Vision teams helped 9.7 million victims of disasters and humanitarian crises in more than 50 countries. Emergency clinics enable staff to care for critical medical needs.
Medical supplies | World Vision helps facilitate emergency care by providing hospitals and clinics with top-quality medicines, equipment, and supplies.
Training
Health care | World Vision trains birth attendants and health workers in places like Ghana where people might not otherwise have access to health care.
Hygiene | Community programs teach the importance of personal hygiene in preventing disease.
Nutrition | World Vision volunteers and staff train parents in the critical role of healthy foods and nutrients in the diets of growing children.
Access to health resources
Immunization and early childhood care | World Vision provides children around the world with vaccines, vitamin A, and nutritional supplements, and supports mothers through pregnancy and childbirth.
Health clinics | World Vision works to ensure access to health care for people in impoverished countries like Romania, where years of oppressive leadership drained the country of medical professionals.
Preventative care | World Vision focuses on the prevention of childhood diseases through prenatal care and well-child care programs in countries worldwide.
Hygiene supplies | Families in need are given essential supplies like soap, shampoo, and toothpaste to help stave off serious diseases.
Advocacy | World Vision seeks to play a leadership role in advocacy and policy improvements for health reform at global and national levels.
Through all of its health and hygiene interventions, World Vision works to enhance the quality of life for children and their families in order to help them reach their God-given potential.


Your Opportunity to Help
You can help children survive and thrive by providing access to vaccinations, medical care, and health training for their communities.

Your gift will make an impact. For example:
$25 sends lifesaving immunizations and healthcare for needy children and families.
$80 ships vital medicines and healthcare supplies to help save the lives of children in 36 countries.
A gift of any amount will enable response to the most urgent health needs of the communities we serve.

Toxicity and Poor Nutrition Affect Business Performance.

Many of us work in positions that leave us in front of computers, behind desks and much more. Many work in positions that never let them slow down for a proper meal during the day. We do not sleep the eight recommended hours. We believe our coffee should count in our glasses of water we are supposed to drink each day. Caffeine and other stimulating substances have become our mainstay rather then the occaisional lift.


We all know to be healthy, we are supposed to eat right, get exercise, drink water and sleep. It sounds so simple to say. Yet in this century of life on the run, it is not so easy to do. To add to this problem, the nutritional value of the food we are eating is dropping. More fat.. more sugar.. less nutrients.

Depletion levels (percentages) US senate document No. 264 and the 1992 Earth Summit report documents declining minerals values in the farm and range soils. (Over past 100 years) North America 85%.

The truth is, it is taking more food to get the same nutritional value, 85 % more. Add to this, the fat content of that food is also increasing through fast foods and just bigger plate sizes to satisify. The World Health organization reports. “Increased consumption of more energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods with high levels of sugar and saturated fats, combined with reduced physical activity, have led to obesity rates that have risen three-fold or more since 1980 in some areas of North America.” Supplements in this day and age has become an absolute must. But you need to use an all natural supplement they dissolve better and are taken up by the body easier then chemical supplements

Adding to this alarming trend is the fact that today, more and more toxins are being introduced into our bodies through foods, things we put on our skins such as soap and make up and through the air we breathe. Our body has always had to deal with some toxins. It produces internal toxins as a by product of body functions. But with increasing chemical supplementation to our food supplies, the use of chemicals in most everything we handle, we are being assualted from the outside. Toxins if not eliminated, inflame and irritate cells and tissue. This can lead to troubles losing weight, decreased energy and increased illness.




So what can you do? Well body cleansing from the inside is important. Most people know about colon cleansing and that does help to some degree, but that does not help cells throughout the body. To do that, you need to do nutritional cleansing. There are several companies out there that offer nutritional cleansing products that will help safely remove toxins.

By using a combination of supplementation and nutritional cleansing, you can help your body function at it’s optimum levels. After all, if you are your best, then your business and sales will be at their best as well!


Recommended Product

Never Assume - You May End Up "Mopping" Up After Yourself

While visiting my daughter in-law for the week, my 12 year old daughter and I were helping clean up while she was doing some errands. We don't have a dishwasher at home. I have always just done the old fashioned hand washing because I was unwilling to sacrifice my precious cupboard space for a dishwasher. However, I had made the mistake of assuming that despite this, my daughter understood the basic mechanics of one.

She had finished loading it and I checked it real quick, making sure that plastic items were up top - etc. It looked good. So without further thought, I told her. "Great Job, now add the soap and start it." That was it. It was all I told her to do. Unbeknown to me, she grabbed the dawn dish soap beside the sink, filled the dispenser completely and turned it on. About fifteen minutes later, I entered the kitchen and shouted with surprise. It was knee deep in suds. Despite three rinses and scooping out what we could, below is the status of the dishwasher on the fourth rinse.


On the Fourth Rinse

This got me thinking about two things as I was working to clean up the mess. How many other messes in my life had I been forced to clean up because I had assumed that the listener knew what I meant. Almost all major problems in relationships and in business teams comes from miscommunication and the primary one is making assumptions. Don Miguel Ruiz teaches, " Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life. " this is from his book, The Four Agreements. I highly recommend this book by the way. Small and a quick read, but awesome. Anyway, I know this agreement and yet I catch myself doing it all the time. Mostly, in that the listener is understanding what I am saying.

When running a team whether in MLM, Marketing or in face to face Sales, you must never assume that your instructions are clear. It will save you hours of "cleaning up the floor" so to speak if you just take the time to stop and ask, "is that clear?" or "Have you been shown how to do that yet?" In busy lives and businesses, it is easy to make the assumption that someone else has trained the individual on that task or project. If you are not careful, your instructions might be followed to the letter. Which is great if you included all the letters but disastrous if you skipped a few. Remember always communicate clearly, check in now and then to make sure that your instructions were understood and be sure to own the error if you didn't give all the instructions. This will lead you far in being a great team leader. Most importantly to you personally, this extra little time will save you a lot of headache and stress. It might even save you an hour of cleaning up soap suds.

Have a prosperous day.
Cheryl
www.balancedfreedom.com

Balance through Financial Freedom

So many Entrepreneurs spend their days after every dollar that they miss the most precious of success' gifts - Freedom!

What are you working for? If it is for a bottom line be careful that you do not look back with regret. Live a life of balance that insures that every day is a life of memory.

Spirit/Emotional- nourish your spirit however you define it. This does not have to mean a religious nourishment. What do you do to take time to enjoy the moment of the day? When was the last time you held hands as the sun set? When was the last time your spirit felt peace and awe? There is nothing so precious as a baby's first giggle. Your child's first goal. The site of puppies frolicking. Take time to nourish what is the most important thing you have - YOU!



Mental - Learn, never stop learning! Business, relationships, life in general changes. Each of us must grow and change with the world around us. If we do not, we will find that our relationships out grow us. Our businesses will be left in the dust as we remain in antiquated strategies. Never stop learning. A life of freedom, prosperity and nourisment depends on it.


Physical - Take care of yourself physically. Eat right! Take Vitamins - the toxicity in our environment and lack of nourishment in food today is a documented fact. Do what you can to exercise even if it is just moving between business calls. If you do not feel at your best, then you will not be all that you wish for family, self or business.

Social - Do not put off your "I love You's" You never know what time you have on this world. You never know for tomorrow is not promised to any of us. Spend time with people. If you wait "till we can afford to" - you may never do it.

I realized the importance of all this personally as I had the opportunity to see Mount Rushmore with my daughter and granddaughter this summer. I was always saying some day and I did not get to have my sons on that trip. I put it off till "I could afford it." Memories that will not be forgotten and a lesson I am passing on! Work like your world depends on it... but then.. take time to be healthy enough to enjoy it.

www.balancedfreedom.com

Motivating the Diverse Sales Team

One of the mistakes that managers often make when working to build motivation for their teams is that they deliver information or create incentives that they would be motivated by themselves. In any office, there are four basic types of workers. What one type will need for motivation or before they feel comfortable taking on a project will often be different then their peers. There are many companies out there that will type employees with proficiency. This allows the manager to tailor make information, training and incentives to the employee's personality type. However, if that is not an option or if the team is very large, the information included in this article should help build motivation and incentive strategies that appeal to the bulk of most team members.

The four types are critical to any team. No one individual will be all one type so for the purpose of discussion, this article will address the extremes but keep in mind that everyone is a blend of these at some minor level, which is why there are companies to individualize these profiles. The four types for the purpose of information needs are: relational, informational, structured, and the energizer.

Relational-
Needs: Those in this type are a vital member of any team. They are the glue that hold teams together. They need to know how information given affects their team, the company and/or, if pertinent, their family. When given the right information, they will keep the value of achieving the project or reaching a goal in sight for the whole team.

Motivation: They often are attracted to incentive strategies that reward their team or office. If the incentive is competition based, then it needs to reward the team or be an incentive they can share with someone else in their life. This type in its truest form does not like to be put above their peers and will often defer any success to the team as a whole. They will often do well at team retreats and other gatherings which require the team to communicate and relate to one another.

Informational-
Needs: These team members need to know when given projects, the objectives needing to be met. What are the benefits and features? Why is the assigment important to the company? They are the ones on a team always asking questions. They are detailed and will often press deadlines trying to make sure their work is perfect. They are an important component to any team as they make sure objectives are met, policies are followed and will go the extra mile to get the information needed whether to make a sale or complete a project. They are really great on a sales team because they are the best at discerning what a customer is looking for and then meeting that need with the right product.

Motivation: These team members are often motivated by material or monetary compensations. If incentives are not in this category, then it must be something that clearly meets a need or has value to them. They are the ones that will often try to avoid company gatherings as they often do not feel the need to connect to large social groups preferring small groups of intimate friends and/or family. So recognition in front of the whole company will often be avoided.


Structured:
Needs: This group is often self motivated. They need to know what needs done, when it needs done by and are there specific instructions or requirements that must be followed. Once they have this information, just step out of their way and let them go. They will achieve a great deal just because it is their job and they value themselves as an employee. They are a valuable component on any team as they keep everyone one track for deadlines and will monitor how the team is doing as a whole if there are team incentives. Their weakness is that they are so direct and goal oriented that they often do not realize when they step on someone else's feelings because their intent is the job and they do not notice nor intend to cause harm.

Motivation: This group will go a long way just by continue small atta boys but they will also thrive on any incentive where they can win some form of recognition for the team or the company. They are also motivated in incentives that require them to beat their own numbers.

Energizer-
Needs: They need tasks that are not too routine. They often become easily distracted by mundane and routine activities and if there is an option will put these off til last. They are a necessary part of any team because they are literally the energy of any group. They do well if given multiple tasks that they can switch between to keep boredom at bay or in positions of constant motion. On sales teams, they are often that high energy guy on the floor. Their weakness is that they can be so end result focused that they run over the client or prospect's needs. They need to be reminded to slow down and listen.

Motivation: Anything they can win! These types of people are often highly competitive. Whether it be as a team or as an individual, they will go for the gold every time. They love any kind of recognition that puts them up front. They are the easiest to motivate. Strangely, what they win does not necessarily need to be financial or material. Recognition can put them on track just as fast as a prize at the end of the day.

As you can see, the extremes of each type have unique needs. If giving a project or goal to such a blended team, you need to answer the following questions to hit all the needs. What needs done? When does it need to be done by? Who will it benefit? What is the reasoning behind the goal/project? If successfully completed, what is the payoff? By hitting these basic questions, you will at the very least prompt additional questions to make sure every team member is invested.

When setting up incentives, there needs to be a combination package. For a sales team an example would be: Recognition for the best performing team, an overall sales winner with preferably a financial bonus, and recognition for those who beat last years numbers during the same similar sales frame. For even more investment, a bonus for everyone that beats last years numbers with a minimum base for new team members would insure that every single team member has something to gain. Your relational team members won't feel guilty because they are competing primarily against themselves and everyone has a chance to win.

As you can see, a diverse team requires a little more thought in presenting information, projects and goals. A diverse team requires a blended method of incentives. A cookie cutter method of information or incentives will not work except for a select few. The benefits of a blended type team is ten fold in output if the informational and motivational strategies are in line. So take the time to consider your audience, look at your team like you would your customers. What do they want and need.

Cheryl Matthynssens
Working to achieve Life Balance in others.
www.balancedfreedom.com

Making Money During a Recession

On August 7, 2009 Mariko Lamb, of Talk Radio News Service reported that Keith Hall, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics had released Data to the Congressional Joint Committee reporting a moderation in unemployment. A view of this report, available at the Bureau of Labor statistics shows that the unemployment rate has remained consistent at 9.4%. These numbers combined with the growing areas of job losses such as transportation, financial activities, and especially construction and manufacturing; can frighten someone considering opening a small business or a home business.

These numbers do not mean that this is a bad time to open a business, especially one with lower overhead such as from home. While it is true that the above areas have lost employment numbers, it is also true that employment in leisure and health care have been increasing. The important thing is to be smart in choosing a home business or small business that will fit the current trends. Statistics support home business pursuits. About 70% of home-based businesses will last over a three-year period, compared to 29% of other business ventures, according to the Home-Based Business Institute. In fact, According to IDC, home-based businesses create an estimated 8,500 new jobs daily.

When opening a business, consider a few important things. First, what do consumers not go without if they can help it? Where are the first places they will cut? Looking at these two factors will help with decisions as to whether or not the product to be marketed would be profitable or if it is on the list of things that a consumer would scratch off the list first.

Second, consider the 80/20 rule. Most marketers sell their product to the 80 percent of the consumers who have only 20% of the economic purchasing power. That is a lot of work. Consider businesses that focus on that 20% that hold 80% of the economic purchasing power.

Third, if a service industry business is being considered, look at what consumers are having to leave undone while they work harder during these economic crunches. Is there a service that could be offered to assist or fill in the gaps. For example, most day cares cater to the 9-5 worker. But many consumers today, are being forced to take jobs with differing hour structures. There are very few day cares that cater to swing shift or graveyard workers.

Another option is offer to teach to others an area of expertise. Consider taking on an apprentice at a lower wage to save money or offering lessons in a trade or industry. For those facing disability, look into helping others market their businesses from a computer. There are many affiliate programs out there as well as direct marketing that can be done.

Regardless of when an entrepreneur is looking to start their business, money can be made during a recession. It is a proven fact that many increased their portfolios even during the great depression. The important factor is to figure out what is either down in cost that can be invested in and held on to till the recession is over. Or, if that is not a financial possibility, to market to what people are looking for today. After all, according to the 2009 edition of The Small Business Economy released by Advocacy and posted on sba.gov this year, it was stated. "Risk-taking entrepreneurs are often the generators of the innovations that drive the American economy forward."


Have a prosperous week
www.balancedfreedom.com

Ten Famous Quotes - How can they be applied today?

We all love quotes. Whether they be light and funny such as the many Homer Simpson faux pas or whether they are time honored and serious, they add meaning to our writing, our conversations and even our attitude for the day. But what about your business? How are some of the most famous quotes relevant to you and your entrepreneural spirit today?

1. America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. Abraham Lincoln

Many businesses today stand resolute to outside forces. They are quick to harvest new ideas and will expand to new markets. However, if they lose that since of personal investment - that sense of team - it can destroy the very fabric of a company. It doesn't matter if you have four employees or 400, the people in your business need to feel valued and a part of the success. A business that values its people and keeps them as a team can surpass seemingly impossible challenges. But if that sense of team, sense of belonging to something bigger then self, is lost; the company will slowly implode from the inside out. More then once, teams have fallen apart and departments have quit communicating. When this happens, the company is not destroyed by economic trends, it is destroyed from the inside out. Always look inward when your company is struggling. Does your team feel valued? Are they communicating? Does the right hand truly know what the left is doing?

2. Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. George S. Patton, Jr.

Do not micro manage your business. Let your employees know what you want to accomplish and when you need to accomplish it by and then ask them for ideas or just let them go with it. Trust but inspect. You want to give them a chance to use their own creativity and bring to the table the ideas that you would have never considered. Keep a basic idea of what is going on, but do not dictate every little step on every project. It kills moral. It kills creativity and in turn, can kill growth and expansion of your business. My Direct Marketing Mentor points me to a new tool, a new idea or venue but then he lets me run with it in the way that best fits who I am and what I stand for.


3. Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness.
Thomas Carlyle

This one rather speaks for its self. Find a business that you truly enjoy. If you do not have a passion for it, how will you maintain it for years to come? However, if you sit down at your desk, step into your studio or open your store with a sense of pleasure - prosperity will follow you. Wouldn't you rather do business with someone with a genuine pleasure at their task or in the making of their product then one who clearly is there for the money and naught else?

4. It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle

Openmindedness is essential in today's constantly changing markets. Business can not continue to be done as it has always been done or it will be left in the dust. New inovations, new ways of marketing, new everything continues to evolve in our fast past world. Think back, it was not that long ago when almost everyone was like, what is a twitter? Listen to new ideas, read new ideas, analyze whether or not they are fruitful or possible for your business. If you do not know, check out if a small test run is possible without a great expense. Do not fear putting a toe in the water, after all, it might just be warm and soothing.

5. Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.
Hans Christian Anderson

Do not forget what your are living for, what you are striving to have. Most people will talk of happiness, success and freedom. Ask any man who has ever gone to prison what he misses most and the answer will almost always be the same; "people that love me and freedom of choice." Yet so many people, in the persuit of those words success and happiness, lose the very thing they seek. They turn around and their children are grown and they have missed it. They suddenly find they are to old to (fill in the blank) now that they can really afford to without any sacrifice or cost to their business. Have balance in life and live it. Do not fret and worry the hours away till there is no sense or purpose to the money in your bank account. It is fruitless if you never live to enjoy it.

6. Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them -- a desire, a dream, a vision. Muhammad Ali

You have to have dreams, goals and a vision for you business and your life. They also need to match up. Even better, put them in visual form so you see them every day. Let that vision remind you of why you are taking on that task you don't always enjoy. Why you will NOT give up.

7. Champions keep playing until they get it right. Billy Jean King

In other words, if you don't succeed at something, analyze it. Get more education on what ever it is to make sure you are truly prepared. Make sure you aren't riding an old horse in a new race. Once you have a new game plan, jump back in and try again. Take marketing, you can't just do one thing. You can just place ads in newspapers these days. That will hit some of your market, but take me for an example. I can't remember when I last read my news from print and not online.

8. The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable receiving. -Albert Einstein

Make sure that in this life, you give. One of the first things that I have found is that it doesn't matter if you are religious, believe in Karma or philosophy; one universal principle holds true. People remember those who gave them something. It might have been time, an idea, a kind word or a multitude of other things that do not cost money. In time, those gifts come flowing back into our lives, often when we need them most. When chosing between two people, often people will choose the one that has brought them value. It is not always the lowest bid that wins but the one that comes with reputation, integrity and value. What do you stand for? Do those who work for you know what you stand for? Do your clients/customers know what you stand for. Most importantly, is what you stand for of value to your dreams, visions and goals; are they in alignment?

9. He that lives upon hope will die fasting. -Benjamin Franklin
In today's business world, you cannot just open your door and hope for the money to pour in. You must take action. You must get involved. Market, volunteer, get involved in your community and become known for who you are and not just where you are located. Do your homework. Get an education on your competition, product line and marketing options. The modern meaning of this quote - TAKE ACTION!

10. Do not wait; the time will never be ''just right.'' Start where you stand,
and work with whatever tools you may have at your command,
and better tools will be found as you go along.
--Napoleon Hill

The time is right now. Learn what you need as you go. Make every day a learning experience. You have tools, utilize the ones you have as you move forward. Mr. Hill is right, the time will never be "just right." The goal is to make it right.

So to sum these up:
1. Make sure your team/employees know they are valued and communicating well.
2. Harvest the creativity of those around you; don't micro manage for it is the death of creativity.
3. Find a business you can love and be passionate about.
4. Be openminded to new ideas, technology and techniques.
5. Enjoy life today before you are to old to do so.
6. Make sure you have dreams, goals and visions for your future.
7. Don't Quit!
8. Give of yourself, it will come back to you ten fold if not more.
9. Take Action!
10. Start Today

These quotes are not in order of any importance. Each of us have strengths and weakness that will change that order. Regardless of where you are today, do not forget the most important of all quotes to Business. Carpe diem - Seize the Day!
Make it a prosperous one emotionally, mentally, spiritually and financially!

THIS WAS WRITTEN BY A SOLDIER IN IRAQ .

THIS WAS WRITTEN BY A SOLDIER IN IRAQ And POSTED BY A SOLDIER'S MOTHER

I was just watching the news, and I caught part of a report on Michael Jackson .. As we all know, Jackson died the other day. He was an entertainer who performed for decades. He made Millions, he spent millions, and he did a lot of things that make
him a villain to many people. I understand that his death would affect a lot of people, and I respect those people who mourn his death, but that isn't the point of my rant.

Why is it that when ONE man dies, the whole of America loses their minds with grief. When a man dies whose only contribution to the country was to ENTERTAIN people, the American people find the need to flock to a memorial in Hollywood , and even Congress
sees the need to hold a "moment of silence" for his passing?

Am I missing something here? ONE man dies, and all of a sudden he's a freaking martyr because he entertained us for a few decades? What about all those SOLDIERS who have died to give us freedom? All those Soldiers who, knowing that they would be
asked to fight in a war, still raised their hands and swore to defend the Constitution and the United States of America .

Where is there moment of silence? Where are the people flocking to their graves or memorials and mourning over them because they made the ultimate sacrifice? Why is it when a Soldier dies, there are more people saying "good ridence," and "Thank God for IEDs?" When did this country become so calloused to the sacrifice of GOOD MEN and WOMEN, that they can arbitrarily blow off their deaths, and instead, throw themselves into mourning for a "Pop Icon?"

I think that if they are going to hold a moment of silence IN CONGRESS for Michael Jackson, they need to hold a moment of silence for every service member killed in Iraq and Afghanistan They need to PUBLICLY recognize every life that has been lost so that the American people can live their callous little lives in the luxury and freedom that WE, those that are living and those that have gone on, have provided for them.

But, wait, that would take too much time, because there have been so many willing to make that sacrifice. After all, we will never make millions of dollars. We will never star in movies, or write hit songs that the world will listen too. We only shed our blood, sweat and tears so that people can enjoy what they have.

Sorry if I have offended, but I needed to say it. Feel free to pass this along if you want. Remember these five words the next time you think of someone who
is serving in the military; "So that others may live..."
- Isaac

Press Release - We All Want Freedom! Cheryl Matthynssens Teaches How to Reach That Dream

We All Want Freedom! Cheryl Matthynssens Teaches How to Reach That Dream
It is really a simple answer. No one teaches the definition of perseverance and how to manage finances whether personal or business. Learn the Top Ten things a Business Owner Must Have!

(PRWEB) August 5, 2009 -- Business Owner, Cheryl Matthynssens recently shared at a business meeting with a group of others struggling to make it from home, the skills necessary to achieve success in today's recession marketplace. Cheryl shared afterwards, "It is really a simple answer. We learn how to drive. We learn how to read. We learn how to write. No one teaches us the definition of perseverance and how to manage finances whether personal or business. No one teaches you BEFORE you open your business how to market."

Here are the top ten things she went over last night:

First and foremost, have a Long Term Goal that is broken down to a short time goal. From that short term goal, build daily goals.

Second: Long Term goals need to be visual. Some businesses teach a dream book. Others teach business owners to make a vision board. Visualization of goals is important in creating a success mindset.

Third: Structure. Have to set a schedule. If the goal was to have time with the children, but the business owner is in a panic mode constantly managing websites, marketing campaigns or phones, nothing has been gained.

Fourth: "Don't give up! Statistics show that many people stop trying to reach goals, RIGHT BEFORE they will reach them. Just short and they walk away from what they wanted most. Don't give up!"

Fifth: Education! Whatever business, education is a must. A business owner needs to know their products, their website tools, their shopping cart, their merchant account and most importantly their marketing tools! Cheryl suggested, "Do not choose a home business that just hands you a product and nothing else if you do not already have training in these things."

Sixth: Focus! Get to the office on time. Don't be easily distracted by an email, a phone call that is not moving set goals or even daydreams. When these activities become the focus, then that time in the office is wasted. Whether having dinner with a significant other or on a business call, focus on the moment. A business owner that can stay on task will always stay ahead.

Seventh: Affirmation - "We live in a negative society. If you think you will fail, you will." Cheryl's personal affirmation was: "I have abundance, heath and success in my life."

Eighth: A successful marketing plan. If the chosen home business company did not provide that, then it is a must to find one.

Ninth: Financial Management - Take the time to get this education. Through books or websites like Wealth Masters, Access them! If a Business manager does not know how to manage funds and expenses, they can quickly put themselves out of business.

Her last one was the surprise. Only then did she mention a good product line. Cheryl stated, "If you do not have the other nine, what you are selling will not matter."

Your Brain - The Ultimate Smart Bomb

One of the first things I learned when I opened my direct marketing business was that I am my own worst enemy. It is not the recession or my product line that sabotages my business, it is me; first my thinking and then my habits. In a society where the media makes its income mostly on bad news and a world that competes, many of us have no idea that we are constantly inputting negativity into our lives.

The Brain is an amazing organ. In my research to find out why so many people seem to sabotage the very success they are about to reach; I ran across the comparison that the brain is like a smart bomb. A smart bomb is given a target and then as wind and resistance take it off target, it self corrects to hit its target. The difference is, the subconscious takes for truth what it hears the most.

The conscious mind can set 1000 goals but if the daily thoughts are negative; the subconscious mind will self-correct. Just like that smart bomb, it will hit the real target believed. For example, the goal may be 100k income online a year. But if there is that little voice saying "I always fail" or "I don't deserve success" you will NEVER hit the goal. You will self sabotage your successes every time. So what do you do? You change how you think.




Affirmations are the way that one can reprogram the brain. Napoleon Hill wrote, "When you deliberately feed your mind with good, wholesome thoughts and information, and keep your proper frame of mind, you are supplying the subconscious mind with nourishing material to feedback to you. You condition your mind's output by the input you give it."

To use this skill, you pick the qualities you need to have in life. Start with the most important one you wish to have. Let us say that it is organization. "I am an organized person." Say this to yourself for one week as you look in any mirror. The more times you say it, the more that "smart bomb" is programmed to the new target - organization. Then second week, add the next skill or quality you wish to have. "I am a motivated and enthusiastic person." Keep adding one every week till you have all that you wrote down memorized. Remember, you MUST word them as if you have already acquired them. Then just keep saying them daily. The brain will make this your reality. Think that this is to easy to be worth anything? Almost every motivational speaker out there teaches affirmations. People pay 100's of dollars to "get motivated" but they never apply it.

Zig Ziglar wrote, "Are you willing to commit yourself to invest fifteen minutes every day for immediate results and long-term benefits?" Seriously, are you? The simplest thing you can do to reach your goals and most of us won't take the five, ten or fifteen minutes it would take to do so. This article, for most of you, is not new information. Yet, despite it's proven success rate; despite speaker after speaker and writer after writer telling us this is how they succeed, we do not follow suit.

When this finally hit me, I sat back stunned. On my shelf are 100's of dollars in self help books, seriously. And this investment is not counting all the times I have gone to motivational seminars. Yet despite this money invested, I had not invested the one thing that cost me nothing, my time. I am telling you. This works. Do not keep seeking the secrets to change. I just gave it too you.

I applied the very techniques that Zig Ziglar, Napoleon Hill and Denis Waitley have been teaching for years. I began the daily affirmations not only to my marketing business but to my personal life. I am now headed for a world where I chose where I work, if I work and when I work. I have the freedom and success I always dreamed of being able to enjoy. Spend that 15 minutes a day to reprogram the Ultimate Smart Bomb - Your Brain!

Quadriplegic Gets New Shot at the American Dream

I recently spoke to this gentleman and posted his press release at: Press Release: Quadraplegic Gets New Shot at the American Dream

These are the kind of people that make up what my blog is all about. Going the extra mile, not giving up, focus and affirmation.


Here is the full article as well:


Robert Menard has been in a wheel chair for almost 30 years. Working has not been impossible given that he has some hand and arm movement; but in the current economic downturn, work has been almost nonexistent. Like most of our disabled Americans, when not working, Robert is forced to live on SS disability and it is truly a hand to mouth existence as this program barely meets the needs. So what has changed? Desperate as many able bodied Americans, Robert turned to the internet to find a way to make extra income from home. Network Marketing companies and internet stores are giving those with medical challenges a chance at a piece of that American Dream. The benefit of such a business includes the most important fact that Robert can work around his medical needs without fear of losing employment for being absent. He can work at his most productive times of the day which vary due to his disability.
Unfortunately, there are many scams and hoaxes out there that those seeking such an opportunity can fall prey too. Robert shared that when looking for a good company, be sure to “type in the name of the company you are researching and see what the rest of the world or country says about them. Be careful and be slow in what you accept as a piece of valid feedback. Many companies post positive rating for themselves and competitors will deliberately put down a competitor’s product.” Robert shared that he searched for three weeks before making a decision on a company to begin with.
When asked what he finally settled on, Robert shared that he has opened a business with a company called Isagenix. “I found that the product was something that really works. I have been losing weight in a healthy manner, something difficult to do when confined to a wheelchair. Even better, it all tastes good.” He went on to share, “belief in your product is everything. If I can’t believe in it, I can’t sell it. But you have to believe in the company too. This company has a way of supporting their consultants that really, the only way you can fail, is to quit.” Low start up costs was another factor that he shared and the free training how to be successful was a must for him as well. Since opening his business, Robert shared that the increased income is not the best benefit. “I finally feel like I can really succeed at something beyond a hand to mouth existence.”
While the internet has leveled the playing field for those that have access, it has also increased the amount of scams, hoaxes and schemes to prey upon the vulnerable and uninformed. Those entering this minefield of opportunity and scams must step carefully and slowly before making a decision. If you would like to contact Robert and get more information on how he choose a company and the success he shared with this writer, he can be reached at http://amazingdeal.isagenix.com
. He is truly an inspiration to talk with as he rises above what many would have long since given up over.