Let Me Google That For You

Let Me Google That For You
www.lmgtfy.com

This is for all those people that find it more convenient to bother you with their question rather than Google it for themselves.

Go to www.lmgtfy.com. Type your question (ex: when is Christmas 2011?). Click Google search, then click the button with the link below, copy and send the link to your friend. When your friend clicks on the link, Google will type the question for them and open the link.
Try it.


Marsha Marsiglio
www.thesoftwarecoach.com
239-431-5456

A Salad a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

Hey to the best women's network in Southwest Florida!

Have you ever tried to lose weight for a specific event? Perhaps it was a friend's wedding or a high school reunion? Do you remember the focus and the passion you applied to this project? Nothing was going to keep you from looking good on that specific day! You sailed through business lunches, family gatherings, and special occasions because you had a razor sharp focus on that one day!

What happens when you have attained that goal? Do you slip right back into old habits and gain everything back and then more? Is it hard to find your motivation in the fast pace of everyday living?

I'm here today to tell you that living healthy every day should be our focus. Isn't every day of our lives a gift to be appreciated? We may not be perfect every day, but a positive attitude towards honoring our bodies and only putting good things in them should be our goal, not for one day or a single event, but everyday for the rest of our lives!

I read something yesterday that said that if a person would replace one meal a day with a nice, healthy salad, he or she could possibly lose 30 pounds in one years time. Imagine if that person ditched the soda habit and tried to be a little more careful of sweets!

Now when I say eat one salad a day as a meal, it doesn't mean that you can load up the salad with so much stuff that you may as well have had a Quarter-Pounder!
Remember to load up on the lower carb veggies of the lettuces, celery, cucumbers, peppers, mushrooms, etc.

Put a little oil and vinegar on your salad and when I say a little oil, be careful. One tablespoon of oil is about 120 calories. I bought a little non-aerosol oil mister/sprayer. It is soooo cool. I never, ever buy the aerosol cans of cooking spray anymore. I have one with canola oil, one with olive oil and I mist my salad with it and then use my vinegar mister/sprayer and it coats my salad very well and it tastes good and saves me calories and money to boot! I picked up my oil misters in the cooking dept at Sears but I have seen them everywhere for about 10 bucks.

So, there is our goal for the week, a salad a day! That, along with the extra work-out we are trying to sneak in and kicking the soda habit, we will be well on our way to optimal health!

So, whether you are a work at home mom or training women in business this week, I hope you will remember that every single day is special and make the choices that reflect that!

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
LDWaldron@yahoo.com
takecontrolnow.tsfl.com
239-691-7960

Are we eating enough vegetables?

Hi Everyone!

For the past few weeks we had discussed sneaking in a few extra servings of vegetables and one extra work-out per week. How has that been going? For me, I hit a bump in the road this week as I came down with a yukky summer cold. It definitely side-lined my work-outs but I have been eating extra veggies, so it hasn't been a total loss!

I've read that depending on our calorie needs we should eat anywhere from 9-11 servings of vegetables a day! That's not that crazy if you think about the serving size of a lot of veggies is 1/2 cup. A big salad at lunch and a stir-fry with dinner and toss in a piece of fruit somewhere during the day and you will hit your target. If you notice, that doesn't leave a lot of room for junk-food!

One thing my family is trying is that we found a great Farmer's Market. It is a bit of a drive, but we have three other families in on this and we are all going to take turns and drive out there and buy the boxes of veggies, then come home and split them four ways. It turns out to be a lot of vegetables! And so much cheaper and fresher than the grocery stores. Try and google, fresh produce or food co-ops in your general area. I know here where I live there is a farmer who will deliver a huge box of seasonal vegetables to your door for about 25 bucks. Just think, if you split that with a few like-minded people, that can be a great way to have fresh vegetables all year around.

One of my goodies this week was I got about 5 lbs of yellow crook-neck squash, they were sooooo superior to anything I have gotten at the grocery store lately! I scrubbed and sliced them up and sauteed them in a pan with a teeny bit of olive oil, onions and garlic, added in some of my farm-fresh tomatoes, then a little salt and oregano and what a tasty side dish it turned out to be! I think the only way it could have been better is if I'd had some green peppers to go in there! Hopefully next week!

I've read of the moms who grate veggies up and hide it in food so that their kids will eat it. I thought everyone did this! My spaghetti sauce has always had so many grated veggies in it, it is almost a veggie sauce. Slice apples up really, really thin and put on a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Google “veggies for veggie haters” and there is a good article on WebMD about this.

Let's face it, in the world we live in, it is so much easier to grab junk food, and all the super yummy things at restaurants makes eating plain, simple food a challenge. But in the long run, it is worth the effort to feed our bodies nourishing, real food. Your hair, skin and waist-line will thank you!


So, whether you are out training women in business this week, business networking in Southwest Florida or are a 'stay-at-home' mom. I wish you the 'veggie' best!

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
takecontrolnow.tsfl.com
LDWaldron@yahoo.com

Free Online Backup Services

Backing up the data on your computer is very important, especially if you run a business and keep all your information on one hard drive (like most of people do). Most of us never had (and probably will never have) any problems with their hard drives, that’s why we just don’t see the point in backing up all our data.
Nowadays, there are a lot of companies that offer secure, redundant file backup and sharing services via an easy to use web interface or specialized utility. Two, five or even more gigabytes of space are provided to you for free by almost every service, with the possibility to get a lot of additional space for a small monthly fee. And with the Internet connection speeds getting faster and cheaper, there’s just no excuse left not to use them.

Here are a few services to try:

mozy
dropbox
box.net
Google Docs

Marsha Marsiglio
www.thesoftwarecoach.com
239-431-5456

Clean Up Your Weight-Loss Environment!

Hi to the best women's networking group in town!

How are you all doing? So far, I've been hitting the new gym fairly consistently and adding a few extra veggies in, so I'm feeling pretty positive.

I was thinking about how our environment can affect our weight-loss. I was reading in the book Dr.A's Habits of Health by Dr. Wayne S. Anderson, about how our environment can help or hurt our weight-loss efforts. In his book he outlines a few thing to consider and here they are.

Warning Signs at home:

Table decorations of candy or nuts

Candy dishes

Candy or sugary snacks in desk drawers, glove compartments, etc.

Do you have a 'hiding place' for goodies?

Cupboards full of cake mixes, sugary cereals or soft drinks.

Chips, soda and ice cream in the house at all times?

What to do to help?

Clear them out!

Buy snacks for your family that you don't care for.

Replace with versions that are acceptable. (diet soda for regular)

Replace candy jars with vases of flowers.

Ask your family to eat goodies away from home and not bring them home.

Those are just a few suggestions. One I always implemented was making sure that whatever snacks the kids had on hand was something I didn't like!

Does all this sound a little extreme? This is a battle people! We have to do whatever it takes to protect ourselves from these unhealthy choices!

The obesity epidemic in this country is totally out of control to the point that there are vacation packages geared towards overweight people. You can google 'fat people vacations' and see all the listings. I wouldn't have believed it until I saw a news story about it and googled it myself.

So, remember our goal for the coming week, one extra work-out and one extra serving of vegetables a day, (and no, french-fries don't count). I'll check in next week to see how we all did! I have to go and eat a half a cucumber as I haven't had my extra veggie yet today!

So whether you are a 'stay-at-home mom' or will be training women in business this week or just out business networking in Southwest Florida, I wish you good health!

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
LDwaldron@yahoo.com
takecontrolnow.tsfl.com

Top 10 Leadership Mistakes to Avoid

Whether at work, at home, or in the community, as women we are all LEADERS. Leadership is the fundamental element in every endeavor. It comes with responsibility and you have to own it in good and bad situations.

Here are the top 10 mistakes that leaders make:

1. Failure to Take Charge on Day 1. When you are assigned to a leadership position, whether it’s a promotion or from outside the organization, you must take charge. Hold a meeting with your direct reports and introduce yourself. Describe your leadership style. Explain how your monthly performance-counseling program will work. In addition, talk about a mentorship program.

2. Failure to Conduct Productive Meetings. Most people walk away from meetings wondering why they were there and why there was a meeting in the first place. You should prepare for a meeting by notifying attendees in advance. Be sure to announce the purpose of the meeting and let each attendee know what they are responsible for discussing. As a rule of thumb, meetings should never exceed one hour.

3. Failure to Realize Perception. Leaders have a tendency to believe they are perceived as “great” and everything is well within the team. It may not be. Awareness of how your team perceives you as a leader is the key to becoming a real “great” leader. Perceptions can be changed given the right tools and the right attitude.

4. Failure to Realize Strengths and Weaknesses Within a Team. Knowing the true strengths and weaknesses within a team allows a leader to place people in the right role. Knowing the intensity levels of the personality traits of each individual is a good first step.

5. Failure to Mentor. A great leader is never content with the level he or she is at. We want to move forward. Professional development is instrumental in developing your direct reports. A good leader includes development in monthly counseling. This is your opportunity to prepare them to take your place as you move to a higher level of leadership.

6. Failure to “Lead from the front.” Leading from the front is essential to every leader. It means setting the example, doing the right things, and taking responsibility for your actions. Leading from the front earns respect, not only from direct reports, but from those you report to as well.

7. Failure to Hold Accountability. Great leaders hold accountability. The pitfall is that leaders tend to hold their direct reports accountable, but then it stops there. Hold yourself accountable, hold your peers accountable, and make sure your peers hold you accountable.

8. Failure to Act in Fairness. Here is a difficult one. All of your team members may have a different idea of what fair is in every situation. When you have to make a call (and you will), on a situation take time to understand what happened. Get perspectives from your team members about the situation. Don’t act out of anger. Take your time. The most important thing to remember is that the final decision is yours. Do what is best for your organization first and what is best for your team second. Every team in your organization has the same vision and mission.

9. Failure to Make Good and Timely Decisions. The decision making process is one of the most important attributes of a leader. Their decisions have to be good and timely. Decisions are the measuring stick of a leader. You must know how to reach a decision before you make one. Start with a quick analysis. Involve your direct reports and peers. Let them have ownership in it. Next, create three courses of action and choose the best one.

10. Failure to Be Dependable. Great leaders are always on time, but that is just a start. Great leaders are always the first ones there and the last ones to leave.

As leaders, we are being watched all the time even when we don't realize it.  Being diligentnt and focusing on constant self improvement is key to being the best leader possible.  I'm looking forward to seeing you next week at the Naples meeting. Until then, make it a fantastic day!

Using the Google Adwords Keyword Tool to drive people to your Blog!

Anytime you go into Google and type in a word or phrase in the search box, Google takes note. Google considers that a keyword or keyphrase.

The Adwords Keyword Tool tracks each of those words and phrases. It’s obviously beneficial to use those keywords and phrases that are frequently searched for within your blog. Having great content that meets the needs of the reader is not enough if people are unable to find your blog.

Not only is it necessary to optimize your website for keywords, it is important to optimize your blog as well. Optimizing your blog allows your target audience to locate you with greater ease because of the increase in your search engine ranking.

Your first task is obviously finding out which keywords and phrases you should be optimizing your blog with through the Adwords Keyword Tool.

There are a few beneficial ways to utilize this tool.

Firstly, it can aid in giving you a few good ideas as to what words and phrases would be beneficial to include in your blog. Once you enter a word or phrase into the adword search, you will want to pay close attention to those phrases and words with the least amount of competition.

Secondly, this tool has the ability to analyze your content and report back on the findings. Again, you can wisely choose the words with the most potential to driving your target clients to your blog.

There is no need to cram your blog with nothing but the keywords. Generally speaking if you make certain to include your keywords in your first and last paragraph it will aid in your Google search engine ranking. Additionally it is wise to use your keywords in your title as well.

If you take the time to write the blog, then take the time to search Google’s Adwords Keyword Tool and get your blog noticed.

Betty Walker, the Wise Web Lady

bettywalker@wiseweblady.com
(239) 645-4212 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (239) 645-4212 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

For a free Internet Starter Kit please visit our site at:

http://www.wiseweblady.com

Are we taking care of ourselves?

Hi to the best women's networking group around!

The last few times we talked, I had left us with the challenge of doing one thing every day to increase our health, eating habits, or fitness. How is that going?

Here are a few things that I am trying on this journey. I did go out and join a Gym. If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you would know that I usually don't advocate the need of a formal fitness place to get in shape. One thing I have found about me is that I don't push myself quite as hard at home as I have at the Gym. I'm going to attempt to work out twice a week with the weights and machines, Friday mornings for Zumba and I have reserved Saturday and Sunday early mornings for a long fitness walk with my husband as I have a strong need to be outside to work out. So, that is good, I'm working out a little harder and we'll see how that fits into my schedule and I'll keep you all posted on how that is going!

This past week, I've also tried to be very mindful of adding in an extra serving of vegetables during my day. It has been going pretty well, (for this week). For instance, at dinner I have been having two large servings of non-starchy vegetables and a small amount of protein. And in the afternoon, instead of a junky snack, I have actually cut up a cucumber or had some baby carrots.

Speaking of the baby carrots, I have found a product that tastes really amazing and it is totally good for you. It is a soft, spreadable cheese that tastes like a decadent dip for veggies or pita bread, etc. The brand is called Allouette. My favorite flavor is the Garlic and Herb Light, believe it or not the "light" tastes better than the full-fat version. I have only found it at Publix, it is by all the other spreadable cheeses. Get this, for 2 tablespoons, it only has 50 calories, 4 gms of fat, and the cool thing is, it tastes great!

Another cool find is the freeze-dried fruit at Fresh Market, by Bell Tower in Ft. Myers. My problem with fruit is it usually goes bad by the time I get around to finishing it. There is a product that comes in single serving size bags and each bag equals one piece of fruit. They are called Crispy Green (they are crispy), and there are no preservatives, colorings, or additives of any kind. The ingredients for the Asian Pears for instance says, "Asian Pears". They have bananas, mangoes, etc. So far, my favorite is the pears.

So, whether you are a "work from home mom", a "stay-at-home mom" or will be busy out training women in business this week, I hope you find these tips useful.

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
LDWaldron@yahoo.com
www.takecontrolnow.TSFL.com

What should your e-mail signature look like?

Every single email you send should have a signature.

1. It should be plain text, no pictures, no logos. Why? More than half the corporate world uses BlackBerrys to communicate. Overly ornate signatures will produce highly unexpected, and possibly unreadable, results on a BlackBerry. Many spam filters may kick your email into the corporate trash if there is a logo or picture in the signature.
2. What should you include in your email signature?
3. Personal signature: your name, email and the phone number(s) that are most relevant to your average recipients.
4. Business signature: All of your contact data. Name, title, company, office address, your email, your phone numbers and the company website. It should be all text and neatly stacked flush left. (no more than 6 lines)
5. It is completely OK to leave the line, “Sent from my blackberry” or “Sent from my iPhone” at the bottom of a mobile email. It lets the recipient know that you are answering their email from your mobile device and that may get you a pass on some small typos and spelling errors.

Marsha Marsiglio

www.thesoftwarecoach.com

239-431-5456

Musings of a Health Coach

Hey to the best women's networking group in Southwest Florida!
I was looking over my other blogs and got to thinking about how much my life has changed since I became a health coach. I thought I knew a lot about nutrition and exercise. I felt like I 'knew' how to eat right. But a funny thing happened the other day. I was cleaning out some papers and came across an old food journal from one of the countless times I had tried to lose weight. Some of the entries made me laugh.

It seems that the more you learn about nutrition, the more you learn that you had no clue as to what was proper nutrition. I was obviously trying to live my life on on all the "diet" foods, the low-fat frozen entrees, the low-fat cookies, mini-cakes, brownies, etc. What was I thinking? Now that I've learned about the dangers of sodium, I was aghast to see the sodium levels of these so called "healthy alternatives"! You may be asking yourselves, why is salt such a problem? The bad news is that high sodium is silently damaging your insides, namely your heart and your kidneys. I don't know about you, but I want my heart and kidneys to function and function well for a good long time to come. So, educate yourselves, read the labels, and try for about 1500 mgs. of sodium a day. The easiest way to do this is by eating fresh, whole foods that are not processed. A tip I read said to try and balance the calorie content of food with the sodium level, for instance something with 150 calories really shouldn't have more than 150 mgs. of sodium. This won't always work but can be a helpful guideline.

Where did I learn all of this? As a health coach for a nationwide weight-loss company that uses portion-controlled meal replacements, how can I sit here and tell you to eat all fresh, unprocessed foods? The portion-controlled meal replacements that my company offers are the highest quality, pharmaceutical grade meal replacements that can be purchased. If you follow the "5and1" plan from my program, you will only be getting about 1200 mgs. of sodium a day. And our whole program is about education, education, education, so that after you have reached your initial health goals, you will be able to maintain that good health for the rest of your life!

So, whether you are educating women in business, going to womens' networking groups, or are a "stay-at-home mom", I hope you will be mindful of your sodium intake and keep those beautiful hearts beating strong!

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
takecontrolnow.tsfl.com
LDWaldron@yahoo.com

"Commo Check" - Part II

Hi Everyone,


As I sit and write this I remember clearly, six years ago yesterday, the events of August 5, 2004 when a platoon under my command was ambushed in the city of Najaf, Iraq. SPC Raymond Faulstich was killed in action (KIA) and had many others wounded (WIA) as the convoy sustained heavy gunfire, rocket propelled grenades (RPG’s) and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED). As this day always weighs heavy on my heart I can’t help but think back to the exact moments of the experience and note the importance of the communication process and flow. Through the chaos of battle, communication between the command post and the convoy, between drivers of the trucks, and between security forces is critical to maintaining command and control and getting everyone to safety as quickly as possible. Stress and uncertainty is added when the distance between forces is hundreds of miles and when the loss of trucks guarantees the loss of primary communications devices. The chaos of this day can’t be described in this short blog but we can learn and compare to many trying times that happen regularly in our lives.

When a breakdown in communication occurs on the battlefield, in business, or in life, the sooner it is dealt with and repaired the quicker the road to success. Tragic and unexpected events happen all the time. The better we understand ourselves and those around us, the better equipped we are to communicate with purpose, effectiveness and clarity. Two weeks ago I asked you to do a “commo check” in your own life and your own relationships and I did the same. It was quite fun, wasn’t it? To make this quick and easy let’s just relate back to the DiSC. There are four primary behavior styles. When we understand our own behavior we can then “FLEX” our behavior to get better, more effective results from others. Here are the DiSC styles again and tips on how to “FLEX” when dealing with each style.

The “D” Dimension

Dominance

Direct and Decisive: D’s are strong willed, strong-minded people who like accepting challenges, being in charge, taking action, and getting immediate results.

Be prepared for: blunt, demanding approaches, lack of empathy and sensitivity, little social interaction.

FLEX: Be brief and to the point, let them initiate, stick to the point eliminate time wasters.

The “i” Dimension

Influence

Optimistic and Outgoing: i’s are “people people” who like participating on teams, sharing ideas, and energizing and entertaining others.

Be prepared for: A need for the limelight, overselling ideas, vulnerability to perceived rejection, a lot of talking and social interaction.

FLEX: Approach them informally, be relaxed and sociable, use humor, let them verbalize thoughts and feelings.

The “S” Dimension

Steadiness

Sympathetic and Cooperative: S’s are helpful people who like working behind the scenes, performing in consistent and predictable ways, and being good listeners.

Be prepared for: Friendliness to colleagues and supervisors, resistance to change, difficulty identifying priorities, difficulty with deadlines.

FLEX: Be systematic in your approach, use sincere appreciation, let them know how things will be done, show their importance to the organization.

The “C” Dimension

Conscientiousness

Concerned and Correct: C’s are sticklers for quality and like planning ahead, employing systematic approaches, and checking and re-checking for accuracy.

Be prepared for: Resistance to vague or general information, desire to double check, little need for affiliation with others, need for excessive details, trouble making decisions because they hate to be wrong.

FLEX: Provide clear expectations and deadlines, show dependability, demonstrate loyalty, be tactful and emotionally reserved, be precise and focused, value high standards.

Happy Flexing and remember part one: Slow down: LISTEN first, think, and respond later.

Back to the battlefield!

Inflammation, A Problem?

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all had a beautiful week out networking for business! Last week I left us all with an assignment to toss in a few extra servings of vegetables in place of something not quite so healthy. How did you do with that? I worked extra hard on it and did manage to have lower carb veggies with dinner instead of so much rice, potatoes or pasta.

I've been reading about inflammation and the role it plays in our health. I always thought inflammation was just like a pulled muscle or something. I had no idea that our arteries can actually get inflamed and that when that happens that is how cholesterol or plaque starts building up. I'm not sure I understand this concept clearly, but as I learn more, I will share it with you!

This is of concern to me because there is a lot of heart-disease in my family. We all seem to battle cholesterol, even me, and I think I eat pretty well. I have noticed that some will go on my program and have dropped 100 points off their cholesterol in just a few weeks and then there are others that the program doesn't seem to help that much. Could the ones possibly be dealing with inflammation? I plan on figuring this out!

Bottom line is: we need to eat a low-sugar diet, with the emphasis on fish, nuts, olive oil and vegetables. How do we do this in real life?

I have discovered lightly grilling vegetables really bring out the flavor without added sauces or butter. For instance tonight I had shrimp on the grill and zucchini and a few cherry tomatoes. All I did was wash the zucchini, slice it lengthwise and I brushed it with a little olive oil and some garlic seasoning and grilled it for a few minutes while the shrimp was cooking. Add a peach sliced in half and brush it with oil and grill for a few minutes and then you have a tasty dessert. Okay if you must, you can have ½ cup of low-sugar ice cream on the peach while it is still warm!

So, for this coming week of business networking, working from home or if you are a stay-at-home mom, I hope you will take a few minutes to educate yourself on health and nutrition so we can all get out and give our best to the world and at the same time still take care of ourselves!

Health and happiness to all!

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
takecontrolnow.tsfl.com
LDWaldron@yahoo.com

How To Beat The System Of Customer Support Voice Mail Menus

www.gethuman.com

1. Look up the company phone number online
2. Before you call that number click on www.gethuman.com to see the steps to get connected with a PERSON (not voice mail)
   
3. Call U.S.-based call centers during the morning hours on the West Coast
4. If you are not satisfied with the results (after talking to a human) you can say these magic words: "If you cannot fix my problem, I will be switching to company XYZ!

Marsha Marsiglio

www.thesoftwarecoach.com

239-431-5456

Forgive Yourself

Forgiveness

Hi to the best networking group in Southwest Florida!

Forgiveness! Wow, such a powerful word! Are there things in life we need to let go of? We are who we are because of past experiences. Whether good or bad, we need to look ahead. For example: Can we help it if we weren't taught to enjoy simple, nourishing food? The good news is: habits are just that, learned behaviors, we can choose to “unlearn” a behavior also.

In order to move forward on your journey to good health, you may find that you need to forgive yourself for the past. This may include forgiving yourself for short-term mistakes, such as eating a bag of chips or skipping a workout. But you may also be faced with the "big picture" - forgiving yourself for the long-term habits that led you to be overweight and unfit in the first place.

What does it mean to forgive? It has been described as "giving up all hope of having had a different past." After all, you can’t turn back the clock to skip the chips, follow through with your workout, or change all the little and big things that brought you to where you are now. Forgiveness allows you to let go of the past and focus on what you can control: the present and the future.

So, the future is today!!! Make the decision to take control of your health and learn healthy habits for a lifetime of good health! So, whether you are out training women in business this week, a work-at-home mom or you own a home-based business, plan your meals for the next week, toss in a few extra servings of veggies where you would habitually eat something not-so-healthy and we'll check in next week and see how we all did! I'm going to go and join that Zumba class right now, who's with me?

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
takecontrolnow.TSFL.com
239-691-7960

Quantity versus Quality

Lets define and compare, Quantity versus Quality!

Quantity- a particular or indefinite amount of anything, that amount, degree, etc., in terms of which another is greater or lesser.

Quality- character with respect to fineness, or grade of excellence, high grade; superiority; excellence.

As a network we really want to step up the dedicated involvement of our members and make every opportunity that we come together worthwhile.  So building a strong group of quality women is critical to the time we spend being beneficial.  Wouldn't you agree?  So let me ask you, does quantity mean quality?

I expect that when you participate in networking whether joining a group like Empowered Network , attending a luncheon, or an after hours business card exchange, that you have a goal in mind when planning to attend.  The goal should be relatively the same for most networking you do.  Connect, Listen, and Follow Up - Right?  But what about the numbers?  Shouldnt there be a goal for the numbers?

I can currently go to an Empowered meeting and expect to connect with almost everyone in the room at some level.  We have on average 20 people attend a regular chapter meeting.  That is a number I am extremely happy with because I can personally give my direct attention, eye to eye connection to everyone there.   That is to me the better way to begin to develop a lasting relationship both socially and professionally.

Empowered Network is not the only resource you have out there to network at.  And I certainly wouldnt claim that it is the best, because everyone's needs are different.  And you really should go with the group that will help you obtain your goals!

If I am looking to enhance my career through exchanging ideas, gaining exposure, developing new opportunities, and having a mentor, then I would become a dedicated member of Empowered Network. 

If I am looking for a room of 50-100 people to exchange my business card with, and feel that the "quality is in the numbers" attending in the room, then joining Empowered Network would not be for me.   I believe all the groups have their pros and cons, its simply up to the individual business professional to decide what needs they need their networking resources to meet for them. 

If you can miraculously work a room of 50 and make a strong connection in your brief encounter that will have the follow up turn into a business meeting with all 50, then I need to learn what "cool aid" you are drinking.  Most events are about an hour or two, and that is alot of people to reach effectively in a short period of time. 

Without a consistent attendance you may not see the same 50 people next time.  So how are you building on your relationship without seeing them on a regular basis? 

So again it takes me back to is quality in numbers?   I am very interested to get your feedback and comments on a positive level!

At Empowered Network, We are asking all members to make a commitment both inside the group and outside of the meetings to focus on the group and the members and helping each other. You would absolutely benefit from these activities but if you cant participate than it's not going to be fair to the others who are making that commitment to partner up with members for mentoring and business support.

I know life takes us in different directions, and what was a good fit at one time in your life may not be one now. (Thank you my friend Taresa Spiroff with Clean Naples and co-leader of our Naples chapter for this great reminder).  So think about what you would like to do moving forward. What was your initial goal for your networking?  Is it working for you?  Is the goal being met?  Did you have a goal?  

Until Next Time,

Joann Frazier, President
Business Marketing & Support
www.EmpoweredNetworking.com
Connect to GAIN, GROW, LEARN, & INSPIRE

“Commo” Check - Part I

In the military, before every mission, big or small we conduct a communications (commo) check. We check radios, phones, frequencies, channels, code words, challenge and passwords, etc…etc…etc…

When I was the Commander of a truck company in Iraq I was a stickler on the “commo” checks. Every day, every mission, every single time trucks moved--no matter what, I made sure that Soldiers and Lieutenants checked and rechecked the radios in the trucks, hand held GPS, truck mounted GPS, convoy communication signals and more. It didn’t matter if the checks were done on the last mission or a hundred times before—new mission, new checks. “Commo” checks must be done continuously, systematically and flawlessly—no matter what. The one time they are not done correctly or corners are cut: Systems will fail, guaranteed.

Everyone being clear on the mission, their individual role, their role on the team, and all backup plans is imperative for mission success. Misunderstandings, unclear expectations, and any breakdown in communication can and often does come with deadly consequences.

So, why don’t we look at communication the same way in the real world? In our everyday lives? It’s not deadly; but think about it, isn’t our peace of mind, relationships, and personal well being just as important in this “Mission” we call “Life”? We often take the communication in our relationships for granted and when we do, the relationship suffers. Guaranteed! We have to work on it every single dayboth at work and at home. I know, “YUK!” Sometimes it’s just so much easier to ignore it and just pretend it’s fine or just stop talking to people we don’t communicate well with. Sometimes that’s ok (and necessary), but let’s face it, we can’t ignore our spouse, parents, siblings, and/or coworkers forever now can we? NO, so let’s get busy with our “commo” checks!

Are you a model communicator?

Have you ever been so clear in your mind about what you want to say only to say it and have it be completely misunderstood or received completely opposite of what you intended? No doubt the biggest barrier to relationship harmony is ineffective communication. Think about it. Think of a person or situation that causes stress. I guarantee, communication, or the lack there of, is the culprit in one way or another. Either we don’t get our message across effectively, or we don’t send a message at all. First, let’s be clear on what communication really is, since often times we miss some important elements of the process.

Webster’s Dictionary defines communication as "sending, giving, or exchanging information and ideas," which is often expressed verbally and nonverbally. The communication process is a six-step cycle, and unfortunately, the communication can break down or become confused at any step.

Sometimes the message isn't even clear in our own brain, and yet we still expect others to know what we mean!

Then the encoding, sending, and decoding phases all provide opportunities for errors and misunderstandings to crop into the process.

In the fifth step: The receiver filters the message and decides what it means based on their own values, beliefs, filters, and memories.
If any of these steps fail, the result is confusion, conflict, and frustration.

During this process we throw in the non-verbal communication such as facial gestures (smiling, frowning), body language (arms crossed, giving someone the "finger", legs shaking resembling nervousness, sitting upright giving someone their full attention), and the impression you give to others with your appearance (dress, body image, body odor).
The tone of your voice can also be expressed non-verbally. For instance, if you are saying one thing, but your tone of voice is saying another, then that reflects how you are truly feeling without speaking a word about it (yelling and crying while saying you’re okay).
Quick Tips to Improve Communication

Reflecting on this process, because we are only in control of ourselves and not others and how they react, let’s look at small steps we can take to start communicating more effectively:

1) Take Ownership of Your Speech: Use “I” and “me” and “mine” in statements as often as you can. This marks your words as your own and helps you to avoid defensive reactions from the receiver of your message that often result when “you” qualifiers are used.

2) Be Clear: Always strive for clarity in interpersonal communication. Do not rely on hope that the other person will understand “the gist” of what you are (or were) trying to say. Be clear and be direct.

3) Don’t Jump to Conclusions: This is a big one. To really jumpstart improvement in interpersonal communication, avoid jumping to premature conclusions about your counterpart or what they are trying to say. (Husbands and wives immediately come to mind.)

4) Avoid Assumptions: Our assumptions are often times just plain wrong and they can hinder effective communication. As Alan Alda once said, “Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your own assumptions are your window on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won’t come in.”

5) Respond, Don’t React: This is probably the most crucial and difficult skill to learn in improving interpersonal communication abilities. Respond thoughtfully and carefully to others. Do not “react” because reaction is most often an unthinking and disrespectful activity. We’ve all been there, but the good thing for us is we can change how we respond in every situation with thought and practice.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Slow down. Go into any conversation/situation with clear intentions about what you want to happen and how you want it to happen. Visualize your perfect scenario and be clear about how you will react when it does not go according to plan. BE PREPARED so you can respond, not react.

Words can hurt or they can heal. So, it's very important to become aware of what words you choose to use when communicating to others as well as to yourself. With that said, let’s do a “Commo” check in our own lives and our own relationships then in a couple of weeks in Part II we can get into more detailed strategies.

Until next time…

Michelle Jones, mjones@AdventureTrainingConcepts.com

3rd Annual Live Life Well EXPO

Empowered Network Inc is organizing once again the Live Life Well EXPO to be held on October 5th from 4pm - 7pm at the Three Oaks Banquet Center in Estero, FL.  It will KICK off another Breast Cancer Awareness Month!  "There is a need right here in our community for support, a need for breast cancer treatment to low-income residents.  Now with so many out of work, or without insurance, women (and men) need resources to still get the proper screenings they need.  Prevention is key in this horrible disease." says Joann Frazier, President of Empowered Network.

The Expo will bring local businesses and facilities together to hold a fun, yet resourceful EXPO to support this need with a fundraiser.  This fundraising expo will give businesses the opportunity to display their products and services to the community with discounts, giveaways, education, and fun for all.   Medical offices and Facilities locally will also be involved to provide education and free health screenings.  Donations will be taken at the door with giveaway opportunities to be won by all. 

The Expo held October 2009 had more than 600 in attendance with 68 vendors on display.  Special  sponsor once again this year is 88.7 Way FM.   Questions on being a sponsor or vendor can be directed to Info@EmpoweredNetworking.com     

Failure to Plan?

We've all heard this phrase: Failure to plan is planning to fail! I find this to be true in our every day lives. Life gets a little hectic and all my well thought out plans for eating right go by the wayside. Every single day, map out your meals - where you will be at what time - and know in advance what you will eat! I guarantee if you leave the house early in the morning with no plan in place, you will eat the wrong food at some time during your day.

Easier said than done, you might say. I'm always trying to think at least three days in advance, where am I going to be, and whom shall I be be eating with? That way I can come up with a plan on when and where and what I'm going to eat. Here are a few tips.

Don’t go longer than 31/2 hours without putting some fuel in your body. Make healthy, well thought out choices and you'll avoid the sugar highs and lows that cause you to eat without thinking. Ideally, you should eat 6 times a day: breakfast, mid-morning, lunch, mid-afternoon, dinner, and evening snack.

One healthy tip from me - I will make a usual breakfast, eat half of it, and eat the other half two hours later. Same thing with lunch, I cut my lunch in half and have the second part a couple of hours later. You know why? I'll be hungry in a couple of hours whether I've eaten the whole lunch or half, so I have the second half as my mid-afternoon snack.

Last but not least, if nothing else, have a meal replacement instead of traditional fast food. Read the labels and make sure you are getting a good amount of protein, possibly about 10 gms. Drink an eight oz glass of water with it and you should be good for the next three hours.

So whether you are a stay at home mom, working on your own business or training women in business this week, I hope you will take these few tips and make them yours!

Try Google Voice—it’s free!

Google Voice gives you a single phone number that rings all your phones, saves your voicemail online, and transcribes your voicemail to text. Other features include the ability to listen in on messages while they are being left and the ability to make low cost international calls. You can record custom greetings for your favorite callers or block annoying callers by marking them as SPAM. So if you move, change jobs, or switch wireless carriers, your Google Voice number stays with you. You don't use your computer to make phone calls, and there's no additional software or hardware to install or buy.
www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html

Marsha Marsiglio
www.thesoftwarecoach.com
239-431-5456

How Social is Your S-O-C-I-A-L Media?

by Felice Gerwitz

I do things for many reasons and many of them are not very well thought out. I have good reasons for this, of course. One is that I'm "creative" and people who think outside of the box tend to be cluttered, haphazard and well. . .disorganized. When I began social networking and looked into beginning my online social media campaign it was definitely not well planned. I jumped in as I normally do, with both feet and now feel like I will never reach the bottom of what seems like a never ending hole.

It is time to take a look, create a strategy and look at your ROI (return on investment). Is your time well spent? Are you making money from your time? Or are you considering the "social" part of the "media" a time of recreation to "chill," "hang," and "talk" with your friends? In some ways I wish that this platform was around when I was a teen, what a great time to enjoy the great assets of this venue. Unfortunately as an adult there are many responsibilities and constraints on my time. For me the ROI needs to be significant.

When I began these blog posts I explained you must give value in order to receive value. This is important and holds true then as it does now. The question is how to give value and still take something to the bank. Let's look at the word social and see where it takes us.

S is for search engine optimization. Do you use keywords in your article writing, your answers to posts online and in your blog? Did you place links in your keywords when possible? (You will I created an example in this blog for you with highlighted and hyper-linked words.) If you do you will find your time is well spent. When someone does a search online your name may pop up on occasion.

O is for organize and plan. I try to do things in blocks of time. In fact this is my third blog post this evening. I write all my blog posts at once, I'm in a "groove" my mind is geared to speak in short, concise sentences that have impact (hopefully) and address a need. Is your time organized and planned? Do you know when you are going to be on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn? Do you know what you are going to say? By planning this out in blocks of time you can optimize your time online.

C is for caring. Do you really care what people have to say or are you so busy telling everyone about your products, services or needs that you don't listen. Take a few minutes of your time to give someone a "thumbs up" on facebook, read a blog post and COMMENT and do what it takes to get others encouraged and jazzed. Yes, this is a social community we are using our words to convey our thoughts, and while that may take some time a few well placed sentences will work just as well.

I is for intriguing. Do people stop and listen when you post a comment or write a blog. Do you have followers, do you follow other blogs? I found a radio show guest who is a new author by visiting her lovely blog. She obviously took great care in choosing the color scheme, the layout and the fonts. Her blog was warm and comforting. She told a story and drew you in... and when I learned she was an author I invited her to join me as a featured guest on my radio show. How do you draw people to you? Are you outlandish, loud or brash? Are you informative, ingenious and interesting? Whatever it is keep it up especially if it will bring you leads or referrals.

A is for attraction marketing. This term is widely bantered around in internet-guru-marketing-speak. It means how to you get people to come to you, hang onto every word and buy every single thing you produce, talk about or sell. It is easy for those who jumped on the internet first and now we are all wary of the latest-greatest way to sell or market online. In fact I believe that is why the tables have turned back again and relationships matter. In the days gone by relationships have always mattered. People want to do business with people they know and they trust. Be trustworthy.

L is for laughter. Yes, you can have a good time and market... ROTFLOL translation: rolling on the floor laughing out loud. It wasn't that long ago that our emails and instant messages were filled with that type of "speak". Today there is a reason for laughter and for joy! The market is still new and you are on board. Yes, it is growing in leaps and bounds but you are here, you have a presence and you, my friends are making an impact.

Grow your businesses, share your good news, and let others know what you do... make sure you give value and you will find many will come flocking to your door. It has happened to me in many ways recently. I have hired several new part-time staff members and we are forging ahead to build my publishing business with a drive and a focus I had many years ago and thought I had lost. I find myself excited once again with the resurgence of connecting to people I may never have met and opportunities I might only have dreamed about in the past.

Use your time online wisely and you will not be sorry. We are only a click of a mouse and a keyboard stroke away from some of the most influential people in the space. . . and I could be talking about you!



Felice Gerwitz is a wife, mother, author, publisher and radio show host. Her focus is on education, whether it is products, curriculum or teaching social media classes online. You can find her on her website at http://www.InformationInANutshell.comInformation in a Nutshell.com


Note: I am taking a break from my blog posts and won't be joining you monthly for a time as I listen to my own advice, plan and regroup. I want to thank Joanne for her encouragement and understanding, and the entire Empowered Women group for making me feel so welcome!

Do You Start Out With Good Intentions?

Hi to the best women's networking group in SW Florida!

Last time we spoke about how to eat right while traveling. How does that work? Do we start out with the best of intentions and then totally fall off the wagon once the vacation starts? What then? Give up and figure we just don't have enough willpower?
No! Keep on trying! Buy a book about nutrition and start educating yourself about the ins and outs of proper nutrition. I have one I highly recommend that is comprehensive, you can contact me for details.

Good nutrition really is more about giving our bodies the proper fuel so it can do all its mysterious processes that we hardly give a thought to until something goes wrong. Did you know that if you don't eat enough protein during the day, your body will "steal" it from your muscles at night to feed your body? Or if you don't get the proper calcium your body will take it out of your bones and teeth to get what it needs? Do we drink enough water so our kidneys can get rid of waste or do we want it riding around inside of us? Yuk! No wonder people are tired, worn-out and stressed! Give your body what it needs so you can have the energy to go out and build a huge business!

Good intentions will only take you so far. Educating yourself will help you have the motivation to do the actions required to nourish your body. Take a few hours each week to make that list, go to the store, prepare a few good meals and freeze them so that on those busy week-nights, there is something healthy in the house to eat. Hire a friend who loves to cook to prepare and freeze a few meals for you. If nothing else, contact me for some healthy meal-replacements, at least you can get some good nutrition while you are on the run!

While we are out training women in business, or at our women's networking group, let's all be determined to be the 'healthiest' group in all of SWFL women's networking!

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
Contact me for ideas!
LDWaldron@yahoo.com
takecontrolnow.tsfl.com

What are your Social Media Fan Page Stats?

Do you know who takes the time to view your website, your blog or perhaps your Facebook fan page? With the wonderful service from Facebook (those of us with fan pages are automatically enrolled) you can find out if you have new subscribers to your fan page or if you have people dropping out. In this way you can gauge the level of interest in your message.

Here is part of the content supplied and an example below:

+5 Fans this week (1,245 total Fans)

55 Wall Posts, Comments, and Likes this week (43 last week)

240 visits to your page this week (222 visits last week)

This gives you an idea of the traffic to your website and a comparison of the numbers from the previous week. You can also plan to launch a campaign to obtain more visitors and engage more chatter. There are many ways you can do this. The site I listed above is a ministry site, so that works a bit different than a website that has a business focus.

For example looking at the Wall Post comments the numbers slightly increased from the previous week but a very small portion of the "fans" are engaging in conversation on the site. Therefore I have several options. One is to engage more directly, add a blog post or message or give relevant information that will compel those in the group to respond.

Another item of interest is the number of visits and the numbers of fans. Again the numbers are low which can mean those who stopped by did so by accident or by searching for relevant key words. Many decided not to join. Again, food for thought and the plan would be to create content that would engage the visitor as well as the end user compelling them to stay and join.

An option is to use a service such as Google analytics to run numbers on page views, geographic demographics and similar type of information. Don't let the weeks go by without posting some type of comment or information. I have done this with my business site and the momentum once started has begun to wane. Keep the marketing consistent and you'll enjoy very good results.

Eating Right While Traveling?

Hi to the best women's networking group in SW Florida!

This is the time of year when we are all traveling around. Short week-end hops, long week-end excursions, two-weeks in the mountains, etc. With all of this traveling, how on earth can we eat right?

It can be done! Although much of it will depend on how much you want to! I'm not saying that while we are on vacation that we can't have some yummies. The problem is when we have a 'yummy' at breakfast, lunch and dinner and everywhere in between.

My advice is before you go, decide in advance which treat you absolutely cannot live without. Then plan for it! Call ahead to the hotel, talk to the concierge and find out what food options are at the place you are staying and what stores and restaurants are close by. Pack some healthy protein bars that actually taste good to have for breakfast with a great cup of coffee. Toss a few in your purse so that you can have one about an hour before lunch or dinner so that you are not so famished by the time you are served that you eat way more than your body needs for fuel.

So, this week whether you are out training women in business, doing women's networking, or are a stay-at-home mom, while you are planning your vacation, remember to plan ahead!

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
Contact me for great weight-loss ideas!
LDWaldron@yahoo.com
takecontrolnow.tsfl.com

Eating Your Emotions?

I read an interesting book this week. It is about a lady who at one point in her life weighed over 700 pounds. It is entitled "703" by Nancy Makin. I make it a point to try and read just about every diet book that comes out, at least flip through the pages and familiarize myself with what is going on out there. The ironic thing is, this turned out not to be a diet book, it was a book about emotions and how they are all wrapped up with eating, about obsession and how certain things can trigger emotional eating.

In this book she never gave an eating plan, or a health tip or even ever named a number on the scale as to when she felt healthy again, she did say that she lost over a quarter of a ton, which would be over a 500 lb. weight loss. In the book she describes how she learned to feel full emotionally and then food didn't seem as important to her. I was ashamed to read that she said that sometimes out in public people would make fun of her and say cruel things to her. I would think that if you see a person at that size that you need to see that there is obviously a bigger problem here than someone who craves something crunchy/salty when under emotional duress. And I would certainly hope that I have raised my children that they would never make an unkind or cruel remark to anyone, period!

I had a client pay me a compliment one day when she said I never made her "feel fat"! I was astonished and had to go home and try and comprehend what that meant. Maybe because in my heart I don't look at someone who is overweight and make a moral judgement of them. Perhaps that has been reinforced by the company I am associated with. The first chapter in Dr. A's Habits Of Health Book is entitled "It's Not Your Fault" and it is all about how the world we live in is so totally out of whack with how our bodies were designed that it is no wonder there are so many of us overweight. We'll talk more in another blog about emotions and the role they play in eating. One tip I do know that is helpful is this: try and eat 5-6 small balanced meals a day. That way if emotional eating rears its ugly head, at least you won't be so physically hungry that you will eat everything in sight!

So whether we are going to our women's networking group, training women in business or are a 'stay at home mom', for this week, let's try and see if we are "eating our emotions" or "feeding our bodies"!

Lynda Waldron, Certified Health Coach
LDWaldron@yahoo.com

Test Your Password Strength

Test your password strength
http://www.passwordmeter.com/

Avoid creating passwords using:

1. Dictionary words in any language.
2. Words spelled backwards, common misspellings, and abbreviations.
3. Sequences or repeated characters. Examples: 12345678, 222222, abcdefg, or adjacent letters on your keyboard (qwerty).
4. Personal information. Your name, birthday, driver's license, passport number, or similar information.

Is there good fat?

HI to the best women's networking group in Southwest Florida!

This week I just wanted to share a few random tips that I have come across in my reading. Did you ever consider being a vegetarian? Maybe not, but I have tried it a few days a week. One study I read said that if you were to go vegetarian one day a week, it would cut your saturated fat intake by 15%. Why care about saturated fat you might ask? That is the one researchers feel clogs your arteries.

Another interesting tidbit is that researchers put two groups of people on high fat diets. One high in saturated fat (butter and red meats) and one high in mono-saturated fats (olive oil, nuts, avocado), The saturated fat increased the inflammation associated with heart disease and abdominal fat, while the mono fats did not, yet another reason to to get rid of the cakes, cookies and pies that are all made with butter! Yes, they taste wonderful and if once or twice a year at a family gathering you want to eat butter cookies, go right ahead. But, this includes me also, we have to find a way to make the butter dish obsolete in our homes!

How about for this week, try and add a few ounces of walnuts to your cereal, slice up an avocado on your turkey sandwich, dip your bread in garlic/olive oil at dinner, whatever, but let's treat our bodies with care so we can be around for a long, long time!

So, wherever your week takes you, a women's networking group, training women in business, or a stay-at-home mom, I hope you are aware of the type of fat you are eating!

Good health to you all!

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
LDWaldron@yahoo.com

Effective Teambuilding for Organizational Success

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." -Andrew Carnegie

Team building and team work is the key driver in organizational productivity. People acting alone as what we call “lone warriors” or “corporate heroes” who carry the team and company to success with their genius does not exist! Successful organizations know they have to build teams with people of complementary skills to work towards achieving the corporate objectives and goals. Teams are comprised of members with varying personality and behavior styles, different skill sets, generational differences in approach and priorities, and cultural differences. It’s safe to assume that anyone who works understands the challenges that can be caused by differences among people in the workplace.

Why teams?

Teams are formed when a combination of skills, knowledge and expertise are required to undertake a particular task. A single individual is unable to accomplish this.
Teams are formed for many purposes such as facing challenges like falling profits, improvements in quality standards, working on a new projects, tackling major change initiatives and cross functional co-ordination in large and complex organizations, or planning a major upcoming event, just to name a few. In every work environment consisting of more than one person, teams are formed and team work is a must. However, building an effective team is a process. It does not happen overnight and a priority and focus has to be placed on it.

Stages of team development

Tuckman and Jenson have described the sequence of the team evolution in their work which is the best model to understand and manage teams. A Team has to go through a certain process before it can settle down and work effectively. Understanding the stages of team development is key to successful team management.

Stage #1 Forming
This is the stage when the team members assemble and get together. People are very polite, get acquainted with each other and try to assess their own roles in the team. Uppermost in the minds of the new team members at the formation stage is where and how they fit in with the team. This stage is marked by easy acceptance of each other, avoiding controversies and direction and support from the team leader in settling down.

Stage #2 Storming
This stage introduces conflicts and competition as each individual begins to start work on the plan. Stress of the work with individual differences on issues crop up. Sometimes the issues are cultural, ethnic or simply an issue of asserting one’s own strength in the overall team equation. Interpersonal and communication issues dominate this stage leading to a flare up of conflict and confrontation. The leader needs utmost restraint and maturity at this stage of team development. He/she has to bring forth all his/her networking skills, emotional intelligence and people management abilities in creating the right atmosphere, create winning relationships between team members and bring their focus back on team vision and goals.

Stage #3 Norming
As conflicts begin to get resolved, the work flow picks up speed. People settle down to more harmonious working relationships. The focus now shifts to common team objectives and performance related issues. A cohesive team which knows its strengths and weaknesses now moves to peak performance leveraging the complementary skills of its members. This is also the stage where the team leader begins to delegate more effectively. Giving the team members a certain level of functional autonomy leads to unleashing the creativity of its members making for a high performing team.

Stage #4 Performing
This is the final stage where a perfect group identity is created. There is independence and interdependence, learning as well as sharing knowledge, speed and efficiency. All glitches have been smoothened out by the team leader. There are very high levels of autonomy giving rise to a successful team leader understanding the different stages of the group formation and development. He/she manages the team effectively by moderating his/her team managerial styles according to the stage of development in which the team is passing through.

During each stage of team development, one thing remains constant and that is change. Change and challenges in the workplace are imminent and how teams react is what determines the outcome. Teams that are developed effectively are built to last.

There is no better feeling as a team builder than to watch teams go through the different stages listed above. Teams start as a group of individuals but gel as a team as they progress through their programs and every day applications back in the work environment. It is so important that leaders focus on building teams so that sand each individual can go to work happy. Life is too short to work in a miserable, non productive work environment.

In closing, I think our CEO, Brian Jones says it best: “There are employees, and there are teams. Employees have a boss, teams have leaders. Teams make dreams a reality.”

Michelle Jones is the Executive Vice President of Adventure Training Concepts, a professional Teambuilding, Training, and Leadership Development Company headquartered in Naples, FL. To learn more about the ATC Discovery Challenge Course and other training programs visit www.AdventureTrainingConcepts.com

Should you use a food journal?

Hi to the best women's networking group in Southwest Florida!

I've started writing down everything I eat...again. There are times I do this and times I don't. What I have found is when I do take the time to jot down what I eat, I definitely make better choices. I find myself doing it when the jeans won't button or I start developing the muffin-top and dressing to hide it.

Something very interesting happened at lunch today. I had a small amount of lean green beef, about a cup of broccoli and a few bites of my husband's salad. He eats his salad with full-fat ranch dressing and croutons, etc. That may not sound like much, but remember I eat six small meals a day. Well, I snitched about 5 croutons and would dip them into his dressing. When it came time to record what I had for lunch, a funny thing happened, I literally had to force myself to write down the croutons and the dressing. What was up with that? No one sees my food journal but me, why did I feel so guilty about writing that down? I really felt an internal struggle to put on paper the fact that I went against what I had planned for myself that day. Now, a few croutons and little full-fat dressing isn't anything to stress about, but when you start tallying it up at the end of the day, how many times did we eat that extra 100 calories? That is where the problem lies. Even 100 calories too much a day would account for many, many unwanted pounds by the end of the year. Is this where people say, "I just give up"! No, education is the key, the more you keep the journal and are honest about what goes in there, you can see trends and places where you can cut back fairly painlessly and meet your health goals and yes, even fit into your skinny jeans!

So, whether you are a "stay-at-home" mom, training women in business or out in the women's networking circuit, why don't you try and keep a little food journal to review at the end of the week and see if you can find places where you may have been able to make better food choices. Feel free to call me for any help!

Lynda Waldron, Certified Health Coach
www.takecontrolnow.tsfl.com

How To Remove Your Phone Number From Google

Most people do not realize you can search Google for publicly listed phone numbers and addresses. After entering a phone number, Google search results will return the name, number, street address, city, state and zip code along with a link to map directly to the street location of the searched number.
To remove your number from Google's phone book:

1. Check to see if your number is listed, by searching Google with your phone number.

2. If your number is not listed, the search will return with "Your search did not match any documents."

3. To remove your listing, click on the link that starts with "Phonebook results for…." (above your name) which will bring you to Google's Phone Book site.

4. Click on the bottom link labeled "Request to have your name removed from the list."

5. Fill out the form and submit (removing your phonebook listing will not remove your personal information from other pages on the web or from other reverse phone listing lookup services).

Marsha Marsiglio
239-431-5456
www.thesoftwarecoach.com

Here's a Quick Search Engine Optimization Tip for Your YouTube Video Post

Adding Your Website Link to the YouTube "Description" field

If you like to post business-related videos on YouTube, here's a quick tip to adding your company's website link to the video, which will, in turn, add Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website. Once you've uploaded the video, YouTube directs you to the "edit video" page like the one shown below. All you have to do is add your website link(s) (I've added 3 in the example video) to the "Description" field and YouTube automatically creates a live link to the website address(es).

Here is the sample video embedded into this post. It is just a simple video I created for 3 companies to be promoted at an event on a 25'x15' Inflatable Screen.



Please contact me if you have any questions about posting or creating videos for your website, improving your website design, or creating an Internet presence with a new company website and/or Social Media Networking.

Sandi Eveleth
KISSyourWeb.com
239.691.2707

The Power of Groups on LinkedIn Part 2

Part 2

What is your ideal market? If you are looking for potential customers on LinkedIn you will need this information. In working with aspiring authors I ask who the target market, niche group or ideal audience may be for the author. Each author is unique but often the answer I receive is "Everyone."

Wrong.

While that may be your ideal target market it is too broad. Narrowing down your market will allow you to understand the groups to target on LinkedIn and how to find these groups. The first way is by searching using keywords. Go to your LinkedIn account. You can search for many items on your profile page. In the upper corner in line with the header you will see the search bar. You will notice a drop down menu. Select "groups" as your choice to search, and then type in the keywords of the client base you would like to reach. You can use any string of three to four key words that specify those in your ideal target group.

Let's say your keyword selection is "women in business" In conducting a keyword search I found many groups. They are listed in rank with the largest members first. The largest group was Women 2.0 with 20,000+ members. If this was my target group I would join them. I would work down the line joining the groups that were of interest to me in order to learn or to get to know people in the group.

If I was selling makeup or beauty products, I might look for groups of professional women. I could also search for "dress for success" or similar types of groups. These women I know would be interested in time saving facial cleansing tips, or other beauty tips.

Remember when you join these groups you are there to observe, first. See what the members are talking about. Take notes and keep an eye on those members that participate often and shine. If you know the answer, go ahead and wet your feet, answer the question. . . briefly. You would not mention immediately that you are a consultant for a particular beauty product. IF someone asks then go ahead and share the information.

You are there to give first. If you are self-serving it will become evident very quickly. No one wants to hear a bill-board ad for your product. They want to know how you can help them, either with a referral or perhaps information that will be useful to their business. By becoming a good resource within your various groups, you will soon find connection offers filling your LinkedIn inbox. You in turn can ask your group members to connect to you as well. This is the power of networking.

Divide Your Plate!

Everything is getting bigger, especially Americans. What a world we live in, where everything unhealthy is fast and easy and if we want to make the right choices, we have to put a lot of effort in to it!

I've come across a simple tip. Do you remember the divided dinner plates? The bigger section was for the meat and the two smaller sections were for the starchy vegetable and the other for the other vegetables. A simple tip would be to just turn that plate upside down in your mind. Fill the largest portion of the plate with low glycemic, healthy vegetables like your green salad or spinach. The two smaller compartments would be for the meat and the starch.

Using this eating method would be a great help to getting the 5-9 servings of vegetables a day. I read that the average American eats only two servings of vegetables a day, and sad to say, one of those options is usually french-fries. My kids THINK they love french fries, let me tell you, cut up some potatoes, bake them in the oven without the added salt and see how much they love them. I tell my family they don't love french-fries, they love the chemicals, the additives and the food colorings. I do buy organic fries at the health food store and they tell me how dry they are...go figure, they aren't full of the modified food starch to make them moist. Same with bacon, if you have ever raised pigs for food as I have. Bacon is just strips of fried fat, if you don't add the chemical additives like sodium nitrate, trust me, it tastes just like what it is, FAT. Same with ham, have you ever had a pork-tenderloin or a fresh ham roast? It tastes like a plain pork-chop, now you add the sugar and the chemicals and the sodium-nitrate and you get that sweet/salty flavor that people love and they call it ham. Maybe it is time to retrain our taste buds for simple nutritious food.

So, whether you are a work-at-home mom, training women in business, or are out with women's networking groups this week. I hope you'll picture your plate, divide it up and eat your veggies!

Managing with 4 Dimensions

As a leader, I often encounter people who tell me they are not managers or leaders.  Many times I tend to disagree.  To illustrate my thoughts, I refer to one of my favorite books:  "The 4 Dimensional Manager, "by Julie Straw.   Here are some thoughts;

Do you provide feedback and work direction to others?  Do you help others solve problems or make decisions?  Are you in a position to motivate or compliment others?  If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you're a manager whether or not you have the title, and this article is for you!

You are a manager if you are responsible for getting work done through others.  You may be at any level of an organization, working formally or informally with employees as well as outside contractors and vendors.  Many managers, especially managers with no formal title, have had no training in the critial skills they need, particularly people skills-yet managing is about, above all, managing people. 

I've used many techniques over the years as I've managed and led 100's of people, however, I've found the 4 dimensions of the DiSC model the easiest and most effective tool to implement.  Over and over, I have seen DiSC make a difference which is why I'd like to share DiSC with you.

As manager, you play a key role in your organization's success by motivating other people, guiding and directing their work activities, and recognizing and rewarding their accomplishments.  To be effective, you have to take the time to get to know each one of them. 

You may be wondering how the heck you will possibly find the time to work with individual differences.  DiSC will make the learning quick, easy, and practical.  By focusing on the four dimensions of DiSC, you will be able to better understand each person you are managing.  With DiSC as your "golden rule" (treat others have you would have them do unto you), you'll be able to treat each person individually and be more successful.

Here is a snapshot of the DiSC Model:

The "D" Dimension:  Dominance
Direct and Decisive:  D's are strong willed, strong minded people who like accepting challenges, being in charge, taking action, and getting immediate results.

The "i" Dimension:  Influence
Optimistic and Outgoing:  i's are "people people" who like participating on teams, sharing ideas, and energizing and entertaining others.

The "S" Dimension:  Steadiness
Sympathetic and Cooperative:  S's are helpful people who like working behind the scenes, performing in consistent and predictable ways, and being good listeners. 

The "C" Dimension:  Conscientiousness
Concerned and Correct:  C's are sticklers for quality and like planning ahead, employing systematic approaches, and checking and re-checking for accuracy.

The DiSC Model has helped over 40 million people around the world succeed not only at work, but in their personal lives.  I can't tell you how many of my clients have told me that the "light bulb" just came on after they learned this simple model and started to apply it in their everyday life.  We can all learn how to flex our own behavior to get more desired results from each of the different styles. 

When we learn to people read and flex our own behavior, the frustration begins to fade away.  The most important thing I always remind myself of is that I can't control how others act, but I can control how I react to it.  So True!!
Until next time, FLEX, FLEX, FLEX

Michelle Jones, Executive Vice President
Adventure Training Concepts
http://www.adventuretrainingconcepts.com/
239.285.9142

The Power of Groups on LinkedIn

Part 1

On LinkedIn there are many nuances in the way that people use this social media platform. Some use LinkedIn to look for work, or to post jobs.  Others use it to display their online resume, connect to colleagues or look for connections that will translate into more work. One of the best ways to connect on LinkedIn is via the Groups Platform.

Joining a group on LinkedIn is similar to joining a networking group in your local town. When you first visit it may be by invitation from another member, a chance meeting of a member at another networking event, or learning about the group through some other channel. Chances are you don't know many people but slowly you will through interaction. Getting to know the members will take place via a one-to-one setting or in a larger social atmosphere. This is very similar to groups on LinkedIn. Often each group has an introduce yourself section. Make sure you take some time to learn about the groups before jumping in and posting.

The groups will have leaders that began the group and others that help patrol the posts. These people make sure that boundaries are not infringed upon. The groups are places to post your blogs, ask a question or answer a question. In this way you can learn about the members. If there is a particular member you would like to know better your can privately email them within LinkedIn and request a connection siting your similar group as the point of reference.

It is important to spend some time reading the posts to allow you to see the flavor of the group, understand the heart-beat if you will, and decide if you want to stay. I joined a large group of professional authors and editors because I wanted to learn from their collective wisdom. There were some notable and accomplished individuals in this group. After reading many posts and commenting on a few questions myself, I decided this group was not for me. The members spent half of their time correcting the punctuation and grammar of each of the posts and arguing about the nuances of the parts of speech the rest of us could care less about knowing. I kid you not.

Other smaller groups I have joined for information have been very informative. I have made some great friends, gained clients, and found wonderful radio show guests to interview. I do not post my interest in interviewing guests, but nonetheless I look for authors who would be a good fit for the format of my show within the group setting.

This may sound like it takes hours of time. At first it takes some time. I set up my email to send me a condensed weekly digest of the groups postings. These come into my inbox and I read them by scanning the topics of the reference, or opening the email and scanning the topics quickly. If something is of interest I click the link and it takes me directly to the discussion. Here I can read the posts and the comments or comment myself. I keep my time on the groups that I frequent to a minimum.

It took some research, but I now know where the groups with the most interaction for my chosen profession or niche market reside. I leave some groups and add some groups on occasion as time permits. This is a way to span the global or local market. I have joined Southwest Florida marketing groups on LinkedIn as well. At some point you may want to consider beginning your own. But, that is information for another article.

Picnic time!

Hi to the best women's networking group in Southwest Florida!

It seems like everywhere I turn these days it is time for a picnic, or a bar-b-que or a family gathering of some kind! What to do when confronted constantly by all the super-fattening menu options?

First thing you have to do is have a game plan. Look in your daily planner and figure out when and where you will have to deal with all those food choices. You have to decide in advance how to handle it.

One recommendation is to offer to bring at least one item that you can eat safely without drawing too much attention to yourself. I usually volunteer to bring a beautiful green salad. I call it a chopped salad and I use the green leaf lettuce and then take raw zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, olives, and green peas(frozen, but defrosted, raw) and cherry tomatoes. I try and avoid cucumbers in the salad as they can make it soggy. I chop everything pretty small, even the lettuce so you don't have to fight the salad to eat it especially if you using paper plates and plastic knives.

Another tip is to have a healthy snack about an hour before you leave for the event. That way you aren't so hungry that you overeat when they finally serve the food. No skipping a meal earlier in the day to "save room" so that you can overeat at the party. It is never a good idea to stuff yourself. If you ever have had that feeling where you feel like you can't sit down or you need to wear loose clothing to feel comfortable, that is not a good thing. If you do need to eat until you feel that full feeling, break that habit right now! Your body can only metabolize so much food at one time, the rest will be stored as fat.

Usually at any kind of summer venue, you should be able to find a piece of chicken and remove the skin, snag some of the boiled shrimp appetizers or put some beans in that salad you brought and just stick to that if all else fails. One small tablespoon of the potato salad and a few bites of a dessert shouldn't cause too much damage. Then grab the younger ones of the group and toss a frisbee around or even a renegade round of follow-the-leader will get your heart rate up and burn some calories in the process!

Even stay-at-home moms face this problem as play-dates turn into fast-food stops with the little ones.
So, whether you are a stay-at-home mom, or out training women in business or networking with other women, I hope you'll keep these summertime tips in mind!

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
www.takecontrolnow.tsfl.com

Create a Free Google Profile

Create a Google profile at Google.com/profiles

What do people see when they find you online?

You can control how you appear in Google by creating a personal profile. Help people find the right information when they search for you on Google. Your profile won't display any private information unless you've added it.

Your personal page can link to your blog, online photos and other profiles such as Facebook & LinkedIn.

Marsha Marsiglio

www.thesoftwarecoach.com

239-431-5456