Empowered Networking Blog

Let Me Google That For You

2010-09-10T03:00:00.001-04:00

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!

2010-09-06T14:58:00.003-04:00

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?

2010-08-31T04:00:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-27T03:00:00.001-04:00

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!

2010-08-24T04:00:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-20T17:46:00.000-04:00

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!

2010-08-17T14:52:00.001-04:00

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?

2010-08-17T04:00:00.000-04:00

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?

2010-08-13T03:00:00.000-04:00

Every single email you send should have a signature.

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.
What should you include in your email signature?
Personal signature: your name, email and the phone number(s) that are most relevant to your average recipients.
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)
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

2010-08-10T04:00:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-06T12:03:00.000-04:00

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?

2010-08-03T04:00:00.000-04:00

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

2010-07-30T03:00:00.000-04:00

www.gethuman.com

Look up the company phone number online
Before you call that number click on www.gethuman.com to see the steps to get connected with a PERSON (not voice mail)
Call U.S.-based call centers during the morning hours on the West Coast
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

2010-07-27T04:00:00.000-04:00

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

2010-07-26T08:00:00.012-04:00

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

2010-07-23T14:44:00.004-04:00

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

2010-07-23T07:50:00.004-04:00

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?

2010-07-20T04:00:00.000-04:00

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!

2010-07-16T03:00:00.004-04:00

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?

2010-07-14T23:36:00.000-04:00

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.com Information 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?

2010-07-13T04:00:00.000-04:00

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?

2010-07-07T06:28:00.010-04:00

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?

2010-07-06T04:00:00.001-04:00

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?

2010-06-29T04:00:00.000-04:00

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

2010-06-25T03:00:00.000-04:00

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

Avoid creating passwords using:

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

Is there good fat?

2010-06-22T04:00:00.000-04:00

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

2010-06-18T10:11:00.020-04:00

“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?

2010-06-15T04:00:00.000-04:00

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

2010-06-11T21:45:00.000-04:00

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

2010-06-10T07:40:00.004-04:00

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

2010-06-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

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!

2010-06-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

2010-06-04T08:25:00.001-04:00

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

2010-06-02T06:00:00.041-04:00

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!

2010-06-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-28T03:00:00.004-04:00

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

Tips for Designing a Business Website for Women Viewers

2010-05-27T13:24:00.004-04:00

If you are targeting your marketing efforts to capture women viewers, common sense will dictate that you need to design your site for the female shopper. You may think you're not targeting women but, don't forget, women are often the decision makers in the home and may be the actual family members deciding on whether or not to buy from your company. According to a great website that teaches how to market to women: "women make 83% of all consumer purchases in the U.S." That's a powerful statement, folks!

One way websites become popular is through word-of-mouth referrals or testimonials from others, either in person or online. Here is a great blog post from author Holly Buchanan that describes the differences between how men and women perceive word-of-mouth testimonials. The bottom line is that women focus on relationships and men focus on the authority or credibility of the person giving the testimonial. To benefit from this information in designing your website, make sure you include a video testimonial of a woman that is full of anecdotal stories about why she likes your company.

Another fabulous web site article about marketing to women versus men points out how a woman's brain is hard-wired to notice detail and, more importantly, to CARE about the details. In addition, women anticipate the needs of others and truly appreciate it when someone else anticipates their needs. How does that help you when designing your website? Consider using the right details in the right place with little effort on your site. In other words, don't use a lot of clutter and useless information that doesn't pertain to the product or service you are selling. Make it obvious where your viewers need to go to get the information they need from your website. Women are multitaskers so they may be surfing the web while making important phone calls. The simpler your site is to navigate, the more apt they are to visit it often and tell others about your site. Bottom line, keep it simple, clear & concise and anticipate the needs of your viewer.

Happy Surfing!

Dr. Sandi Eveleth
"The Digi Doc"
KISSyourWeb.com
KISSyourWeb.com/KYWBlog
twitter.com/KISSyourWeb

Getting Linked on Linked In

2010-05-27T12:14:00.000-04:00

To recap on the last few posts, we have covered an overview of LinkedIn and the importance of a complete profile. Now it is time to invite and look for current friends on this network. Where do you begin? The obvious place is your email list.

Before you import your entire list, carefully consider your reason for being a member of this social network. This is the business world filled with many potential advantageous contacts. It is not necessarily the person you are connected to. . . it is perhaps someone they know one, two, three or more people down the line that may turn into a valuable business laison. Once you have determined your focus, invite your selected email contacts.

If your contact does not have a LinkedIn account, this invitation may inspire them to create one. There are many ways to add to your contact list. In the next post we will discuss the importance of groups. When you join groups you have a connection with those other group members. This connection should not be exploited. You must be careful to abide by the LinkedIn rules and protocol. If you are unsure of this go to LinkedIn and view the getting started video.

You may search for specific people on this network. You can key in their names, look under a company or search by key words. Sending a connection request is an adventure in itself. You are required to check a box describing how you know this person.

How do you know __________(Person's Name Goes Here)?

Colleague
Enter a new position (it will be added to your profile)
Company:
Your Title:

Years:
to

Classmate

Country:
State:
School:	If you can’t find your school, please select “Other...”
Other:

We’ve done business together
Enter a new position (it will be added to your profile)
Company:
Your Title:

Years:
to
Friend
Janice’s email address:
Other
Janice’s email address:
I don't know _________

If you click "other" a box will pop open that requests you place the person's email address in the box. In that way you are insuring at least some knowledge of the person.

Include a personal note: (optional) And the personal note that LinkedIn automatically includes is...

I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.

- Felice Gerwitz

If you click I don't know be careful. The person receiving the email request may click IDK (I don't know). This "counts" against you. If your receive too many of these, your account may be suspended on LinkedIn with no recourse. Social media sites are very protective of keeping a semblance of protection to their users in their site verbage. It is highly recommended that you know the person, share a group, or have a connection somewhere that can introduce you. I never click IDK to someone who requests a connection but will archive the request in the event that I do not want to connect.

This is the beauty of LinkedIn. If you see a person you'd like to have as a connection, you may see where in the "family tree" they reside. Perhaps one of your current connections has a direct link or they are somewhere down the family tree. In this way, you can request an introduction to the person through this first connection of yours.

Either way, connections on LinkedIn are very valuable. There are open networkers and groups of open networkers that join for the sole purpose of growing their numbers. If you are interested in this method of quickly growing your group connections this may be an option.

Careful Snacking

2010-05-25T04:00:00.000-04:00

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

I had the opportunity to spend some time with some very young people the other day and I noticed something troubling. There didn't seem to be any set time for meals, it seems that a lot of young ones just go through the day grazing, like it is constantly snack time. Then I will hear parents say that their children won't eat healthy meals when they are prepared. Well, no wonder, just an hour before they had a sugary, fatty snack!

I did some research and it was noted that in the 1970's the average American ate 200 calories a day from snacks, in the 1990's it was 360 calories and now we average 500 snack calories.

What to do? The first thing would be to plan meal and snack times. Make sure meals provide a good mix of protein, carbs and fiber, then a small (100 calorie) snack about two hours after a meal will get you to the next one without being so hungry that you will eat anything you get your hands on.

Some examples of a 100 calorie snack can be: 1 med piece of fruit, a few cherry tomatoes with about an ounce of low-fat cheese, even a slice of whole-grain bread with a few thin slices of turkey breast. What can you do if you are too busy sometimes to plan for your snack times? Of course if you know me, my program has all the portion controlled meal replacements that are about 100 calories apiece. What is good about my meal replacements when using them as snacks is this: all of our products have about 100 calories, 10 grams of protein and are low-glycemic so they satisfy hunger. We have everything from brownies to honey-mustard pretzels, now that is what I call healthy fast-food!

Whatever you choose to do, try and get a game plan for meals and snacks on days when there is no time to prepare. When you make a meal, try and make extra to freeze so that you have a ready-made meal for your family on days when you just don't have the time. Try and keep low-sugar cereals and frozen fruit in the house for snack time.

So, whether you are out doing women's networking this week or are a stay-at-home mom, I hope you will make wise snacking choices!

LinkedIn Your Profile Counts

2010-05-19T23:50:00.000-04:00

I know you are busy. We are all busy. Yet, that is not a good reason to leave your profile on any social networking site semi-completed. In order to shine in the social media arena, you profile needs to be sharp, clear and professional. We will start with the basics and move on from there...

1. Profile picture: Professional is best. A collared shirt, a dress or skirt, a jacket or other type business wear is appropriate. On Facebook it is fine to have a picture with your kids, an outdoor picture with trees, bushes or even a horse in the background. But, on LinkedIn your image needs to portray your profession in the best light.

2. Bio: By using a very simple device your bio can immediately look crisp. Use this line to break sentences such as this | and this | ... to create these divider lines, hold the shift key and the backwards slash mark (not to be confused with the forward slash mark under the ? mark!) Your bio needs to state at a glance what you are all about. This is an example of my bio on LinkedIN

President at Media Angels, Inc.| Consultant for Authors | Radio Host | Author | Speaker

You can create your bio in a word document and paste it into the Linked In profile page. Especially if you are using characters that are not supported on the website. You can easily paste the information.

Create your summary in the same way. Clearly think out what you want to say and what you want others to determine once they have read your bio. You may consider keeping it brief and to the point.

3. Your Online Resume: Here you will list you past work experience. Allow others to see your educational background as well as any honorary degrees or distinctions. This is not the time for humility. Letting your expertise be known will be useful to your contacts.

This has value for those who desire to hire you or work with you in some capacity. Having your online resume available will save time in the long run. Either you will have the traits someone is looking for or not. It will be clear at a glance.

4. Additional Information: A summary of your interests as well as a listing of the groups of which you are a member on LinkedIn. If there is someone you'd like to meet this is a good way to do it. By seeing the groups they belong to you can join as well and look for ways to interact.

5. Contact Settings: This explains your focus on this networking site, as well as allowing the contact to know what areas you would be a good fit for their needs.

There are other important parts of the profile page. If you work on these aspects you will be ready to tackle the next in future posts.

Daily Choices

2010-05-18T04:00:00.002-04:00

Get Better Search Results

2010-05-14T03:00:00.000-04:00

Get Better Search Results
Here are some handy tips to type in your Google search box

Use “ ” (quotes) to find an exact phrase
Type: “one small step for mankind”
What you’ll get: results that include the exact phrase “one small step for mankind”

Use ~ (tilde) to find similar words
Type: ~mobile phone
What you’ll get: results with the word “phone,” as well as “cell,” “cellular,” “wireless” etc.

Use: the word OR in your search
Type: vacation London or Paris
What you’ll get: results with the word “vacation” and either “London” or “Paris”

Use basic calculator functions: +, -, *, /
Type: 5+7, 20% of 55, or 200/20

Use – (minus sign) to exclude words
Type: bass(space)–fishing
What you’ll get: results about bass that do not relate to fishing

Marsha Marsiglio
www.thesoftwarecoach.com

Linked In: The Story the Next Level of Networking

2010-05-13T15:00:00.000-04:00

You may be comfortable with blogging, know how to use Facebook to connect with friends, family and customers and love the ease and convenience of using Twitter. Yet, for many LinkedIn is foreign territory best left for the marketing executive or those with a full time staff.

Well, if truth be told, LinkedIn is my favorite platform by far. It surpasses Facebook for quality connections, Twitter for informal chats and giggles, and Blogging for lead generation and follows. Why? Because LinkedIn is truly the cream of the crop when it comes to executives, high-level decision makers and those who are serious about the professional world of business.

Who is on LinkedIn? The demographics appear to say anywhere from those in the $80-$100,000+ category. These are many business owners but I have met my fair share of entrepreneurs, business owners, consultants, coaches, authors, publishers, and executives in mid-management and beyond.

The entire idea behind LinkedIn is building relationships and that is the corner-stone for those making the most impact on this platform. People who give value, no matter where on or off-line usually have a large following. The idea of LinkedIn is similar to attending a networking meeting. Instead of walking up to the person and introducing yourself, you ask a friend to handle the introduction. In this way, your friend or acquaintance can vouch for you giving more value to the introduction.

In the next few weeks we will cover some of the ways to improve your LinkedIn profile, content and most of all how to get connected. We will also discuss the value of obtaining good referrals, inviting your friends and learning about group activities. If you have a particular question about LinkedIn let me know and we will address these in the upcoming weeks.

5 Ideas for Creating and Marketing Your Videos on Your Website

2010-05-13T12:49:00.002-04:00

1. Promote a Product or Service

Instead of doing the usual text explanation of your product(s) and/or service(s) that may take several lines of boring text, why not demonstrate them on video? Just imagine how useful a video would be to make it easy for your website visitors to figure out exactly what it is your company does or sells?

2. Provide Happy Client Testimonials

One of the strongest marketing tools you can use to promote your business is to provide word-of-mouth testimonials. The impact of happy customers describing the wonderful service you provide on your site's home page is definitely worth the small effort to create the video. Using a simple FlipTM Video or other video camera on a tripod, you can produce a fairly decent video to place on your site. If you are still a bit nervous about producing the video yourself, there are many companies that provide this service at competitive prices locally.

3. Demonstrate How a Product Works

Why not demonstrate how a particular product works, especially if you receive a lot of phone calls to your company about this issue? Your instruction booklet may not be enough. Many people prefer to have something shown to them directly and visually.

4. Introduce Yourself and Your Employees

Make sure you portray yourselves professionally and don't forget to smile when talking! If you are a local company and expect visitors of your web site to visit your company in person, think about how they would want to be treated and carry that over onto your web site video introductions. Is there an employee with a special talent that is relative to your company? Show some of the personality of your employees.

5. Walk Through Your Company

Create a virtual tour of your company, especially if the physical location is an important part of your company's product or service, such as an ice cream parlor or amusement park. Or, if you manufacture special "widgets" and the manufacturing process is part of the charm of the product, why not video a part of that?

Whatever reason or reasons you choose to add video to your web site, make it fun, informative and, above all else, engaging to entice your visitors to want to stay on your site and tell others about it (make it "viral").

Drinking enough water?

2010-05-11T04:00:00.000-04:00

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

We are all constantly hearing about the need to drink enough water. Have you ever really given serious consideration as to why? I read a quote the other day that said if we didn't give our bodies enough water, it would recycle dirty water through our systems. Yuk! I definitely don't want dirty water running through my body!

As far as weight-loss is concerned, drinking enough water is essential. As your body burns fat for fuel, it releases toxins stored in the fat, so you need enough water to flush the toxins.

Also, I have read several times that drinking 16 ozs. of water about an hour before a meal will make you eat less. You don't want to drink excessive amounts with food as some tell you to do as that would dilute your stomach acid to the point that you may not properly digest your food.

If you are thinking that you really don't enjoy the taste of plain water, I"ll share a secret with you. Your body can get used to just about anything, increase your water consumption and you just may find yourself craving a nice, cold glass of water.

So, whether you are training women in business this week, out networking or being a "work from home" mom, I hope you remember to drink your water!

Brighten your SKIN

2010-05-10T07:00:00.001-04:00

Last week I mentioned we need to improve our skins appearance by some of our daily activities and to improve it was through a wellness plan for the skin. Today I want to mention that a Serum C product gives our collagen a BOOST. Using this product enhances the production of new collagen and helps keep exisiting collagen from breaking down. It gives the skins LOOK of being smoother and BRIGHTER.

After the winter months taking toll on our skin it's recommended to use a facial mask that makes your skin look and feel more radiant, removing that dry and dull skin. Look for products that have been tested together and from the same brand for maximum results.

For the busy working women, the socializing, networking women or those that hold the very important job as a Mommie make sure that take care of your skin and your families.

Tammy Miloro
Mary Kay Cosmetics

www.marykay.com/tammy.miloro
email: tammy.miloro@marykay.com

Back to Facebook: Your Privacy is at Stake

2010-05-05T06:00:00.002-04:00

Yes, I know it is has been awhile since I posted about Facebook, but this is new information just released...at least to me anyway. It has come to my attention that Facebook has made yet another change and this one has our privacy at stake. I remember a day not too long ago when people were hesitant to purchase anything online for fear of identity theft or having their credit card stolen. Today, not many people are worried and if they are, they use a service such as PayPal to make secure payments.

We use all kinds of social media to stay in touch with friends, to make new friends and to expand the horizons of our business networks. And, expanding their horizions is what Facebook is doing with their latest "update". Facebook is allowing other sources to obtain information about each of our profiles for money. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm in business and I know how difficult it can be to make money. Yet, Facebook with their "instant personalization pilot program" has "opted" into this culling of information without my consent.

Somewhere in signing up for an account on Facebook I must have clicked the little box saying okay to the agreement that allows Facebook to have this privilege. Recently it has been one update after another. Within the last few months the changes have included:

1. Changes to the news feed. You need to click the news feed button to get the latest posts from your friends.
2. The "fan" page button has changed from "fan" to "like
3. The Instant Personalization Pilot Program allows Facebook to share your profile information with third party vendors

So, you don't want your information shared? Either do I. Here is what you do to change the settings:

One: Go to your Facebook page
Two: Click on Settings
Three: Go to Privacy Settings
Four: Go to Applications and Websites
Five: Go to Instant Personalization Pilot Program
Six: Click edit settings
Seven: Click in the little box where there is a check mark (the website will want you to confirm you want to opt out, click confirm not cancel)

You are done, for now. The news stations do not know if this one act will suffice or if we need to opt out at the websites where facebook is planning to share our information. Your information may still be shared through friends accounts unless you block that activity. And, my question is who has the time? I think that is what Facebook is banking on. All of us have enjoyed using the site and we do this for many different reasons. If I didn't find the site so useful I'd pull my account.

Even Congress has gotten into the discussion and has put pressure on Facebook to make some changes to their pilot program. Check you settings every few week, I know I will. Who knows what other program is coming down the pike! You may want to keep an eye on this discussion by following news feeds such as the one on My Fox:

For the full story read about it here.

How much sleep do YOU need?

2010-05-04T04:00:00.001-04:00

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

I've been reading about the health benefits of sleep. It seems lately that people feel that they can skimp on sleep. Everyone is so overworked and over-scheduled that they feel to keep up, sleep is the one thing they can go without. Beware of this kind of thinking. When your body is getting proper rest, that is when it is repairing the stresses and strains of the preceding day.

So many have sleep problems these days and they ignore it. This is not a good idea because lack of proper sleep can be damaging to the heart. Not to mention the grumpiness that comes along with lack of sleep!
Sleep requirements are a very individual thing, it is recommended that a person get anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep a night. I know for myself, that I do much better with close to nine hours of sleep. It is something that I have always known. No late nights for me, I need my sleep!
It is recommended to turn off all electronic devices at least an hour before you go to sleep. Shut off the computer, television etc. This would be a great time to work on a journal and record your thoughts from the day, meditate or pray. Light reading is okay, just don't read a great suspenseful story just before bedtime or you will find yourself too charged up to go to sleep, not to mention sneaking a look under the bed for the bogeyman!

So, whether you are getting ready to be training women in business or are a work at home mom, remember to get your sleep!

Have you tried google docs?

2010-04-30T02:00:00.001-04:00

There are plenty of tricks in this very simple-looking office client.

Docs’ dropbox feature: Instead of needing a flash drive, users can now simply upload files up to 250 MB straight into Google Docs.
Chat while editing a document: Keeping a chat window open for editors of a document is another idea that seems so logical that it makes you wonder why nobody had thought of it before.
Collaboration: Documents can be viewed and edited by multiple users in the cloud. This cuts out the need to email copies of documents and makes working on group projects much easier.

Google Docs is focused on helping users simplify their lives. Try it—it’s free.

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

5 Facts About Having Video on Your Website or Blog

2010-04-29T08:00:00.002-04:00

1. It Increases the Amount of Visitors (Traffic) to Your Site and Improves Your Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

When your website contains a video, your web designer includes important industry keywords, phrases and your website or blog URL address along with that video to help elevate your ranking on the Google™, Yahoo! and other important search engines. One of the most common ways to insert video into your site or blog is to upload it to YouTube (giving you even more links back to your website) - not as daunting a task as it may sound - then embed the url link into your blog or site. YouTube has videos and great help links to guide you through this process.

2. It Gives Your Overall Internet Presence More Interactivity, Credibility and Traffic

Website surfers expect to see photos at the very least but, even more importantly, now expect to see and even share videos with others. This helps to create loyal fans and make videos "go viral" (watched by many).

Consider creating a "how-to" video on something useful for your customers or about your products and services rather than writing 500 words of text. Other common uses for video uploaded to company websites are testimonials given by your enthusiastic customers. Your video doesn't even have to be more than a slideshow presentation, as is demonstrated here in this video I created for the Empowered Networking Blog!:

3. It Can be Easily Embedded into Your Social Media Sites

Your friends and networking connections can view these videos on your Facebook and MySpace pages, YouTube channels and more. This gives you added visibility for your company or cause at no extra charge. It also gives you more useful links back to your own website or blog.

4. It Sets You Apart from Your Competitors

Many companies are still not up on the latest technology when it comes to web design and website usability. They are not aware of the lost opportunities from relying on old website technology and websites that are difficult to navigate. By including a well-designed, thought-out video, you are most likely providing something your competitors are not. If you can make that video "sell" for you, it's well worth the time and effort you put into it.

5. It Allows You to Reach a Completely Different Target Market

You may be tapping into an entirely different audience than you ever imagined. There are people surfing the Internet who only want to watch videos. How they find your video will be determined by the keywords that you use when uploading the video.

As more mobile phones and other devices become equipped with the ability to display videos, the size of your audience may be growing exponentially.

Watch for my next post on ideas for creating and marketing videos to post on your website and/or blog.

Which Social Media Site Do You Like the Best?

2010-04-28T23:22:00.001-04:00

I was at a networking workshop recently when I was approached by a savvy web programmer who asked if I'd consent to an interview. "Me?" I tried using every excuse in the book, especially since I didn't feel well prepared. She wouldn't take no for an answer . . . so I decided to share some of my secrets of using social media, some I've already shared with you in this blog.

Here is the interview and following are a few new updates for two of the platforms we've talked about on this blog, Facebook and Twitter.

To "Fan" or to "Like"?

Since I've written this blog there have been changes in Facebook. For one, if you own a Facebook "Fan" Page you will notice the changes immediately. Instead of having friends "fan" you, they now click a button that says they "like" you. This subtle change was to answer the opposition some people had to the concept of asking people to be their "fans". This particular issue didn't bothered me. When I chose to "fan" a particular website, I realized the person was asking if I supported their endeavor, more so than being a fan in the true sense of the word. So, if you see a website you "like" go ahead and click the button.

Twitter: Job Search?

You can use Twitter as a search engine. You can search for word tags or specific people. Remember to use the hastag # or the at sign @ when you do this. You can also search for job posts with this handy tool:

http://tweetajob.com

In the event that someone posts a job you will be notified via your twitter account. To use this tool, set up your account, choose your key words and you are all set. When a job recruiter lists a job that matches your key words, you will know.

When it comes to social media we are always learning, and there is no time like today!

Change?

2010-04-27T04:00:00.000-04:00

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

Will changing the physical state of our bodies change our lives? Will we suddenly have a happy marriage, a large bank account, health and wellness for everyone we love?

What we will have is the energy to deal with all the things life throws at you.
The benefit of physical change is that there will be changes in your mental health. We will be more apt to start demanding the respect we deserve, the confidence to go after what we want in life instead of sitting on the sidelines watching life go by.

When we quit "feeding" every emotion and let ourselves feel, there may be pain and uneasiness because we are going down a different path. Our lives no longer revolve around food, we can live our life, laugh at our mistakes, move on and get out and do things we never thought possible.

Even if only physical changes come about, what do you have? We have given ourselves the prospect of being there now and being around longer to be with the ones we love.

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

Make Great SKIN part of your total wellness plan

2010-04-25T21:57:00.004-04:00

A customized "beauty" routine should be on the TOP of your wellness program; followed with steps that also benefits your skin. Are you on a wellness program for you skin? An expert in my business, Dr. Beth Lange, a Chief Scienific Officer with Mary Kay Cosmetics says we need to have balance in our life to achieve total wellness.

Skin Care: one of the best ways to improve your LOOK is keeping your skin healthy and glowing is a good line of skin care products that have been tested to work together.

Hydrate and eating right: drinking water hydrates the skin and keeps it supple, helping reduce the fine lines and wrinkles. A well balanced diet of fruits and veggies can benefit your overall health.

Excercise: Regular excercise enhances blood flow giving your skin a healthy glow.

Girlfriend time: Just spending time with friend, get immersed in a excercise class, appreciate what you have daily and eat healthy.

Stress relief: Treat yourself to massage, take time for yourself, even if it's a movie, a pedicure or manicure; dinner with a friend or your spouse

Adequate sleep: Make sure you get enough!

My friends, business women and Mommies that are ON the GO let me know what skin wellness plan you are on. Is it on the quick and easy for your ON the GO lifestyle?

Tammy Miloro

www.marykay.com/tammy.miloro

tammy.miloro@marykay.com

Meal Replacements?

2010-04-20T04:00:00.001-04:00

Hi to the best women's networking group in Southwest Florida!
Whew! It has been a long week or so. When I first heard of Take Shape For Life and the fact that the program offers portion-controlled meal replacements, I wasn't sure how I felt about using them. Don't people need to eat real food? Well, I got my answer recently when my mom has been hospitalized for the past twelve days.
I'm at the hospital and walk down to the cafeteria to get lunch and the only two entrees that day were fried fish and chicken fried steak. Really, at a hospital? I'm thinking they are drumming up business for the future with all that fried food! Thankfully there was a salad bar that I utilized several times because to tell you the truth I haven't been grocery shopping since the hospitalization.
I always stuck a few of the portion-controlled meal replacements in my purse, so when the vending machine down the hall was whispering to me in the middle of the night, I could have a Caramel Nut bar out of my purse or find some hot water and have a hot cocoa, which by the way, is a complete meal replacement.
I heard an interesting thought the other day. Gastric Bypass surgery is "forced portion-control"...well, I have my portion-controlled meal replacements and no one has to "force" me to enjoy them!
So, hopefully you'll be out this week, training women in business, or even if you work from home, I hope you take the time to think about your food choices and if you need any meal replacements, give me a call!
Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
www.takecontrolnow.tsfl.com

SHORE things

2010-04-19T07:00:00.001-04:00

Grabbed you in and guess what Skin CARE protection is needed daily and often throughout the day. Once reserved for Hawaiian vacations and poolside parties, the daily application of sun care products should now be a part of every family's routine. With sun damage leading the way to premature aging we must apply sunscreen daily. You are exposed to the sun each day and more then you probably think about. You are at risk even through your car windows or even the sun roof.

Purchase a sunscreen with both UVA/UVB protections. The best products are light weight, oil free and absorbs quickly into your skin. By applying sunscreen you are protecting your skin from harmful rays of the sun to help prevent sunburn, skin damage and freckling and uneven coloration. Apply at least 15 minutes prior to sun exposure. Reapply every one to three hours

Don't forget to protect your lips as well. Purchase a protection that is lightweight, water resistant and moisturizes with a SPF of 15.

Rehydrate your skin with a after-sun replenishing gel with soothing botanical extracts.

What products are you using and how old are they? Sun care products or anything with a SPF the shelf life is good for about 1 year, afterwards they are no longer effective.

While you are socializing on the beach, networking with friends, talking about women in business or just busy Mommies meeting up share your learnings.

Tammy Miloro
Mary Kay Cosmetics
www.marykay.com/tammy.miloro

Betty Walker Interviews Joann Frazier

2010-04-18T20:25:00.006-04:00

In March, I had the priviledge of interviewing Joann Frazier during her busy Empowered Networking Business Tradeshow.

Joann is one of the best networking people I know, and her insights are always simple and to the point. Watch and listen as she shares her networking tips and tricks for small business owners.

Share your networking stories and comments below with us!

Betty Walker, the Wise Web Lady
Cape Coral Empowered Networking Member
http://www.wiseweblady.com/
bettywalker@wiseweblady.com

5 Reasons You Should Consider Creating A Wordpress or Blogger Website

2010-04-15T10:00:00.018-04:00

1. Using the Best of Both Worlds

By adding just a few extra “pages” to your Wordpress or Blogger blog (a feature that is available to all users), you can turn your blog into a fully functional website. This may seem trivial, but it is extremely powerful to have the ability to update your site's content at a moment's notice, which also improves your site's search engine optimization (SEO) tremendously. In the past, most companies had to rely completely on their website designer to make any changes to their site, which could become very costly. Nowadays, websites are being built with content management (known as a Content Management System - CMS) as the main focus with design becoming a secondary thought. This works just fine, as long as website usability does not get abandoned. Typically, with a site from Wordpress.org (used for business), Wordpress.com (for personal use), or Blogger.com, content management, design and usability are given equal importance.

2. Great Plug-Ins

Wordpress and Blogger do a great job of providing many third-party, user-friendly plug-ins that offer a great deal of functionality, adding more value than many regular websites at no or very little extra charge. Another nice feature about these plug-ins is that they are updated routinely and easily.

3. Great Templates

If you are not a website designer but are willing to stretch your creativity a bit without much effort, Wordpress and Blogger offer hundreds to thousands of free templates that are easy to install. It gets a bit tricky if you want a custom-designed template and don't know the language of website design, namely .php, css, and xhtml (don't worry if these sound like something out of Star Trek). This is where a web designer can offer some help.

4. Free or Low Cost

Depending on whether you go with Wordpress.com, Wordpress.org, or Blogger.com, your fees will differ a little. The bottom line: you cannot beat the price of a Wordpress website if you can design it yourself. If you still decide to hire a web designer to customize your site, you will pay a design fee that can vary widely depending on the design firm and how much customization you would like to have done. Most good firms will give you an estimate based on your needs.

5. User Friendly Mobile Platform Automatically Formatted For You

As we get increasingly dependent on our smart phones for web applications and instant information, web designers have become aware of the importance of designing two sites for each client - a computer version and a mobile version. This can take a lot of time, effort and money to complete. This is not so with a Wordpress site/blog (this may not be true with Blogger, however). The platform automatically creates a mobile version that can be easily seen and navigated from your mobile phone.

If you need a new website or want to “dust off” the old one, consider using Wordpress or Blogger for your entire site.

Twitter in Five Minutes or Less

2010-04-14T18:12:00.000-04:00

We've talked about Twitter, the advantages and disadvantages. You've learned the lingo, what works and what doesn't and you notice everyone is talking about Twitter. In fact, there are even commercials using this concept to explain the ease of sending "tweets" through cell phone media package systems that allow online browsing. Many phones now have Twitter applications.

We know access to Twitter is increasing, but how do you organize it all? I've tried several other platforms such as TweetDeck, Ping.fm ... I notice my Twitter friends use the following sources:

TweetDeck      http://www.tweetdeck.com
Ping.fm            http://ping.fm/dashboard/
HootSuite        http://www.hootsuite.com
Twitter.com : http://www.Twitter.com
Echofon:         http://echofon.com/
Seesmic          http://seesmic.com/
and more...

Here is my secret weapon... HootSuite.

Why do I like HootSuite?

Here are some reasons:
1. Ease of seeing everything on one screen.
2. The ability to bring in all of my other sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and even my fan pages on FaceBook.
3. The joy of creating posts to be sent out at a later date or time. (Set the auto feature to notify you when the message goes out).
4. The ability to see who is mentioning me.
5. The ability to directly answer someone right in the software
6. Track those who respond back easily

Here is a screen shot of my hoot suite page:

When I am ready to send out a message, I type it in the box, click the send it now and off it goes. There are even tabs to track my facebook and LinkedIn messages as well.

Try this handy tool and see how it works for you!

Don't Ignore your Neck and Chest

2010-04-12T07:00:00.004-04:00

Calling on my busy women friends I must mentor you not to Ignoring your Neck and Chest. Skin care doesn't stop at your jawline. These areas are almost always exposed, and yet they rarely receive same level of hydration and sun protection as the face. But the skin there is more delicate and just as vulnerable to photoaging. The skin around our eyes, top of our hands and decolletage is the thinest and show the first signs of aging. The fix is simple: The next time you apply serum, face cream, or sunscreen or give yourself an exfoliating treatment, extend everything down to your décolletage. Use a decollete cream with a SPF, the cream will soften the appearance of crepiness, reduce fine lines and reduce the appearance of dark spots.

So don't let your hands and and decollete give away your age. I love to mentor women to a skin care routine or how to use color cosmetics that compliment their lifestyle and within their budget.

Post a comment and let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding skin care or color cosmetics.
Tammy Miloro
Mary Kay Cosmetics
www.marykay.com/tammy.miloro

When Tweets Work to Drive Traffic to Your Blog

2010-04-07T12:46:00.001-04:00

How viral is your social media campaign? Does it work? How do you know? Just today I received the following email from a blog post owner...

"May I just say that I am honored that you checked out my tweet and then sent me an email. Wow. That just made my day today!..."

Now, let me share, I don’t normally receive thank-you notes for leaving a response on a blog post. When I left this message, I let the owner know that a Twitter "tweet" caught my attention and drove me to her blog. I decided to leave a message, not only because the post was good, but also because I wanted to encourage the author that her media campaign worked.

That is the goal!

That is the idea!

That is when you know your tweets are working!

Sadly, most people do not think out the strategy. In fact I’d wager to say that most media campaigns are haphazard or unplanned. I speak from experience. Only recently have I planned a strategic campaign for all of my posts! Teachers of social media tell us to get online and blog, tweet, join Facebook, LinkedIn and go for it! What ends up happening is there is much confusion…you spin your wheels…you join every and any site…and you spend hours of wasted time. My goal is to keep my social media to about fifteen minutes per day. Yes, sometimes I go over that time, and spend about thirty minutes!

For some tweeting is:

a hobby

a place to post famous quotes

a place to share their current location or status

a place to share what they are eating

Writing and Publishing Blog

While this may be the purpose of your Twitter account, if you are a business owner, I would ask you to reconsider.
The advertising benefits for driving traffic to your blog, websites or articles is huge. I joined the Southwest Florida, “Empowered Women Network” to share my business expertise as an author, with other women. My reach, not only is Southwest Florida, but through this blog I reach countless others. When I tweet to share my blog post, the reach is world-wide. Twitter is free. Therefore, I think many people forget it is a powerful advertising tool. Investing in networking groups takes money and time, and for me local groups have paid off. I would not consider my business group a hobby, or waste my time at a local networking events. However, loss of productivity can be directly traced to social media sites such as Twitter. In reality Twitter does cost you money in the long run.

You never know who is reading your tweets and taking action. Most people don’t let you know how they found you. And when the twitter posts do work, how can you track whether or not someone clicked on a link for a website URL you posted? You can with URL shortening accounts. I have a free bit.ly account. There is a two-fold benefit to bit.ly. First, it will shorten your website URL and second you can name the URL extension…anything after the words http://bit.ly/YOURTAGLINEGOESHERE You can track the number of clicks for each of your shortened URLs through this account. You can use tiny.url or any similar type of service, there are hundreds of them. Twitter will automatically shorten a long URL.

So, how do you tweet about blog posts? Here is how *not* to do it!

"Here is my blog, read it!"

A better way is to make it cryptic and lure them into the end goal, clicking the link to read the post...

1. How can you get me to your blog? http://bit.ly/EmpoweredWomenNetwork

2. Does Twitter Work? http://bit.ly/EmpoweredWomenNetwork1

3. Twitter Success Stories: http://bit.ly/EmpoweredWomenNetwork2

After each phrase I have typed in a different number, which I have set up using my bit.ly account. In this way I can track the success of the phrases to drive traffic to the specific post I want to bring to the reader’s attention. If you had to choose from the list above, which would work to lure you to this blog post? Number one, number two or number three tweet? If you are here from a tweet containing one of those posts let us know! Many times people read blog posts and do not follow them, nor do they post comments. Believe me, posting a comment on a person's blog makes their day, ask Karen at Faith, Family, and Fibromyalgia!

I will share with you my success rates in the next post, as well as some time saving devices.

Felice Gerwitz held a social media seminar series which is still available to view. For details:
Social media class on Blogging, Twitter, Facebook and Linked In

Join a gym?

2010-04-06T04:00:00.002-04:00

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

It's almost swimsuit season! Oh my! So, I've been toying with the idea of joining a gym and starting to work-out. Then I remind myself that I have never fully utilized a gym membership in my life!
There are many reasons why joining a gym right now would be good. For one thing, I've noticed that most of them have dropped their prices and are no longer asking for a contract. If you find this is the case, gyms have great equipment, personal trainers for hire, and nutrition advice. If you think you will actually go, then now would be the time.
In my case, I think I realized long ago when I was home with small children that going to the gym just wasn't going to be an option for me. Money was also a consideration as I was a stay-at-home mom. What are the other options for staying in shape if a gym membership isn't your cup of tea?
There are many books at the local library on health and fitness. You can also check out an exercise DVD at the library. Netflix is another option, you can rent an exercise DVD and try it out for as long as you want before investing the money to purchase it. Also, there are many websites that you can find that will have demonstrations of how to properly work-out even in a home setting.
One thing I've always done is try to walk every single day for at least thirty minutes. And on the days that I am fortunate enough to meet a friend for a walk, sometimes we walk for an hour and a half because we are having such a good time, it doesn't even feel like exercise!
I'm actually starting to think about scheduling "walking meetings", especially with the business I'm in or even when I am mentoring women in business, a walk would be a great way to connect!
So, whether you are working this week or training women in business, I hope these reminders will help you stay focused on your own health goals and ways to meet those goals!
Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
www.takecontrolnow.tsfl.com

Why use Mineral Powder Foundation?

2010-04-05T08:12:00.003-04:00

Calling all my women friends in business networking and beyond! Today I want to educate you on something that I'm asked weekly regarding mineral foundations. As I meet new customers they ask me; "why a mineral foundation" over any other. Although there are many skin types and shades level within those types using a mineral powder foundation is a great product to use because it blends effortlessly for a flawless finish if taught properly how to use. Your mineral powder application should be easy, transfer resistant and makes fine lines, wrinkles and other skin imperfections seem to disappear.

A mineral brush is a must have for anyone buying mineral powder foundation. Made of natural hair and the bristles are short and flat across the top; so it delivers the right amount of foundation and just right level of buildable coverage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MAlpoXZ0N0&feature=related

I Enrich Women's Lives one Woman at a time

Tammy Miloro
Future Director, Mary Kay Cosmetics
239-588-0233 (C)239-642-9186 (H)
Email - tammy.miloro@marykay.com
Shop or learn from my web-site - www.marykay.com/tammy.miloro

Facebook Lite

2010-04-02T03:00:00.001-04:00

A few months ago, Facebook introduced Facebook Lite – a pared down version of Facebook for people who were frustrated with the ever-sluggish load time of the normal Facebook homepage. This lite version is blazing fast compared to the dismal experience of regular Facebook.

The speed increase is great – but there is an added bonus that isn’t widely publicized Using Facebook Lite, you will never see another application notification again.

There is a way to set Facebook Lite as your default view. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to http://lite.facebook.com/settings/defaultsite/
2. Select Facebook Lite from the radio boxes
3. Click “Save”

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

Down With High Sodium Intakes!

2010-03-30T04:00:00.000-04:00

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.

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 best that can be purchased. If you follow the 5 and 1 plan from my program, you will only be getting 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, during your busy week of educating women in business, I hope you will be mindful of your sodium intake and keep those beautiful hearts beating strong!
Lynda Waldron
www.takecontrolnow.tsfl.com

Secrets of Lipstick Application

2010-03-29T07:21:00.003-04:00

Do you have a lipstick shade that you just love but it just doesn't moisturize your lips or it doesn't stay on? How about feathering or bleeding of your favorite lipstick? Just like cleansing your face it is recommended you also exfoliate your lips, buffing away the dead skin and apply a moisturizing balm which hydrates your lips. For the bleeding and feathering use a lip primer; which fights fine lines and wrinkles. Fill your lips in with a lipliner shade that matches your lipstick shade then finish off with your favorite lipstick, top with lipgloss if you prefer.

http://www.youtube.com/user/marykay#p/a/u/1/ckKKVZtbRb8

I enjoy educating and mentoring women daily on skin care and color cosmetics.

Tammy Miloro

Mary Kay Cosmetics

www.marykay.com/tammy.miloro

8 More Ways to Be Effective on Twitter

2010-03-25T00:43:00.000-04:00

Networking off and online both have their learning curves. For some going to a networking meeting and shaking hands and exchanging business cards is much more preferable to understanding the intricacies of social media. Take heart! Since this technology is fairly recent we are all learning. There is no one out there in cyberspace who can claim to have been on Twitter for five years or more. Why? Because Twitter was started by Jack Dorsey in 2006. It has been less than four years and now Twitter is a household word!

So now you have engaged, you've followed and you are tweeting your little heart out. What is next?

Here are a few more ideas to get you started:

Be Polite:

1. When someone follows you, you can send them a direct message saying "Thanks for the follow, how can I help you?" or if you see they have a similar industry, ask a well pointed question.

Find Out About Your Customers

2. Use Twitter as a way to learn what your customers want. Post a question or read the questions that are posted. Twitter is used very effectively for customer service. For example if you are in sales with product XYZ, you may decide to find out if your product is well liked, or if customers are complaining. If they are, find a solution and share it on Twitter.

Sales Leads

3. Use Twitter to find sales leads. Is someone expressing frustration about doing their taxes? Are you a tax preparer provider? If so, reach out to them. Or, begin posting some tidbits about cutting taxes.

Share Information

4. How do you know that the information you are sharing on Twitter is valuable? If you provide useful value driven information, you will find your tweets are not only read, but retweeted to others. (RT) Reciprocate, if you find someone else sharing valuable information that you enjoy, retweet their blog posts.

Show that you care

5. Send your followers a link to a great blog post (this does not have to be yours), an observation that is insightful or a quote. Others may enjoy quotes and I do on occasion, yet if all you are sending is a non-stop stream of quotes you may find people will unfollow you. Make your information leads useful such as links to video, eBooks, white papers, etc.

Joint Venture

6. Find like-minded colleagues on Twitter. Joint ventures are all about working together toward a mutual end goal. In this climate of competition your greatest adversary may turn into your biggest networking friend. Look up like minded colleagues, follow them and read their tweets. When you have an idea of how you can work together, message them if they are following you, or post a comment such as @FeliceGerwitz, please follow me so I can message you privately. If that doesn’t work, they are not interested.

Be Informative and Knowlegable

7. Once you know what your prospects are interested in you can set up a news feed via Google. In this way you can monitor the latest information, such as banking or stocks. Perhaps they are avid sportsmen and enjoy fly fishing or hiking. Monitoring these keywords will bring you to interesting websites that you can send along with your tweets.

Make Referrals

8. If someone asks for example, where can I find a good blog from a literary agent, I can tweet this information even if it is not for self promotion. You get by giving and everyone is more than tired with those who only self promote. Or, if someone is asking for the best Quick Books expert, and you know of one, make a recommendation.

I'm sure there are many, many more ways to be useful but I'll stop here for now. If you know some special ways to make Twitter more effective, please share them with us!

The Daily Struggle

2010-03-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

Hello to the best women's networking group in SWFL! How many times have you been on 'Day One'? You know the day, the day when, from here on out, you will eat only low-fat healthy options, you will exercise, and will gain control of your life?

If truth be told, I think we all find ourselves on 'Day One' more than we care to admit. What happens to our resolve to be healthy? There are many things, whether it is living in a household where there are hordes of junk food within easy access when we are stressed, tired or hormonal.

Or maybe our sweet husband has cooked us dinner and it is so rich and full of everything we shouldn't eat. Then it is on to a social function at our place of worship, and we know those church ladies can cook! Next thing you know you are going to your Mom's house for dinner and she has made all your favorites, then the following morning you are at your women's business network meeting and you know the doughnuts will be there!

Wow, you're back to 'Day One' again! What should you do, give up? Should you accept a life of feeling uncomfortable in your own skin, put up with clothes that are tight and ill-fitting?

No, get right back on 'Day One'! There is no shame to being on that day, it is just a reminder to make better choices and if you can't make them every single time, at least there is an awareness of where you want to go. One tip from me, you have to make the people in your life aware of your quest for good health. Trust me, they will try and accommodate you. I have a friend who always serves a plain vegetable at dinner and has fresh fruit for desert so she knows I'll have something to choose from.

So during this coming week while you are out at our women's business networking groups, have a plan in place, try and make good choices and if all else fails, tomorrow can be "Day One'! Hopefully one day you will find yourself on 'Day 15' before you have to hit 'Day One' again.

Putting your Best Face On

2010-03-22T09:05:00.006-04:00

Calling all women in business or out there looking for their next career!! I'm am sure you have heard that the first impression means so much in the first 5-10 seconds; the person you are meeting makes of you? Do you know that women that go on a interview without any make-up on will less likely receive a second interview? Image is everything, if you haven't received a compliment on your hair, make-up, shoes, jewelry or a outfit lately perhaps you should step back and consider making a change for yourself.

In business I have seen women change in little as a few weeks when the make a minor change. They stand taller, walk and or talk with confidence. Mentoring and educating women to this change is fun because you get to see them grow personally.

Next time you look in the mirror ask yourself have you received a compliment lately?

I enjoy Enriching Women's Lives one Woman at a time.

Create a Google Profile

2010-03-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

Twitter: This You Must Do First

2010-03-18T09:16:00.000-04:00

So, you are not quite ready to jump into Tweeting, Twittering or whatever it is they do on Twitter. You still want to learn or to be convinced. I'm fine with that. Being cautious is good and in fact where social media is concerned, this can truly be an asset. It is very hard to undo a bad mistake made publicly.

While this list will deal with the To-Do’s on Twitter, please remember one very important thing NOT to do on Twitter or any social networking site, and that is to ONLY self promote. Yes, of course we all know why you spend minutes, hours or days learning about social media. The ultimate reality is to sell, sell, sell, right? We may all agree but no one likes the person that is always yakking about their wares. Purchase this! Buy that! Look at Me! Here! Here! Now! Now! This offer won’t last! Did you hear me?! I’m puzzled! Why won’t anyone listen! (Okay, I’ll stop. But you get the picture, right?)

It is annoying and you would think I don’t need t mention the obvious. Unfortunately, many people lose their effectiveness over time using this frustrating method of sales. It doesn’t work in person. Why would anyone think it would work virtually…and with complete strangers?

Enough chatter! Here are my FIVE top things you MUST do before, or soon after you create your Twitter account (or any social media account). And...the good news? If you already have an account you can always improve upon it.

Number ONE:
Create a Compete profile.

This is the first impression people will have of you when they visit your Twitter website. In fact, this is the determining factor as to why I chose to follow a person. For me it has more to do with the person, and what they are all about rather than their tweets.

Make sure your name or brand is very prominent. I was recently listening to a webinar where a gentleman had changed his legal middle name to read SUPERMARKETER or something similar! If you want your brand to show, this is definitely one way to do it. If you are, like the rest of us, and a bit more subtle, it is better to have your twitter account reflect your true name. I welcome all followers.

Here is an example of my Twitter account name: http://www.twitter.com/felicegerwitz

Number: TWO

Background

Your background is important. Is your home tidy when unexpected guests walk in? Consider this when someone stops by your Twitter (or blog) for that matter. There are some free alternatives, you can create one yourself, or have a webmaster or graphic designer create one for you. I have used this website for nice backgrounds: http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/

Another source is a recent blog post I read about creating the background for Twitter using PowerPoint. The criticism of this idea is the limitations of this tool for really custom applications. But we are talking do-it-yourself here. Here is the link if you want to try your hand at creation: http://bit.ly/DoItYourselfTwitterBackground

If you want a background that impresses, hire an artist. You will find their rates very reasonable for the most part.

Number THREE:
Goals

Know what you are doing on Twitter or have at least some sort of general plan of what you want to accomplish. This may change as you become more comfortable with this platform. Don’t be afraid to grow and change for the better. For many of us learning social media there is only one way to grow and that is up! In otherwords plan to learn but plan to take action. How will you learn? First by reading other tweets. Remember, this is called micro-blogging for a reason. It is short. Remember keep your tweets to 130 characters in order to allow others to re-tweet you…maximum characters allowed is 140. If you have a focus it will keep you on track.

Number FOUR:
Engage

Be yourself. If you have a sense of humor (rated G, please), or like to share quotes, do. This is the place of many poetic pieces and great thoughts of the day. If you have a link to a funny blog post, share that as well. Be creative and funny only if this is your personality, if not it is better left unsaid. There is nothing worse than trying to be funny and falling flat.

Number FIVE:
Search To Follow

Search out people to follow. In the beginning you may be following more people than follow you. In fact my numbers will often jump up or down by 100 or more. Why? People with large twitter followings tend to follow me and if I don’t follow them back, they “unfollow”. Therefore, when I noticed my number shift I took heed as to why, and found out I had been “unfollowed”. At first, I considered this very rude! They decided to follow ME in the first place, and because I did not reciprocate they unfollow?! Yet, this is the rule in the world of Twitter-Universe. Most of the people with huge lists use automated processes that follow based upon keywords, and unfollow if you do not reciprocate in kind. So, don’t take it personally.

Use keywords in your ideal category, demographics, or industry. Look for the people who have a great profile or good tweets. You can also search by name if you are looking for a specific person to follow.

Next Week… five more ways to become effective using Twitter. Do you have any ways that work for you? IF so, share them with us.

Establishing a Brand: Your Core Strength

2010-03-18T08:52:00.010-04:00

Brand, What does this have to do with business? If you are involved in the world of fitness and exercise, I'm sure you are familiar with the term, "core strength." In anatomy, your core is the base or trunk of your body. If you've got core strength, you have control, balance, and proper support of your spine. Core strength affects overall athletic performance and the ability to reach and and hold difficult yoga positions. The stability gained through core strength is your center of power.

So, what does this have to do with business? Everything. Your business requires a strong core or base of power in order to ensure its long term success. How is this achieved? By establishing a very focused and defined vision of exactly what your business is about.

If those words sound like I'm speaking a foreign language, or if you just don't quite understand, that's okay. Let's break down the three key elements that define your "core" business.

Key Element #1: Who is Your Target Market?

Understandably, your first step lies in deciding who you want to reach. When making this decision, honestly ask yourself the following questions:

Do my potential clients have a need or desire for my service or product?
Is the market large enough to support my business?
Do my potential clients have the ability to pay for my service or product?
Can I reach my potential clients in a cost effective manner?

If you can answer an undeniable yes to these four questions, you can move forward. Keep your product or service as simple and niche oriented as possible. Successful branding isn't all about reaching the masses. In fact, the opposite is true. The more focused and niche oriented your business becomes, the more business you will have. Why? Because the more defined you are, the more of an expert and authority you are in your particular niche. You, in turn become much more valuable and personally relevant to your industry.

A good example of successful niche branding is Starbucks. They carved themselves out an entire culture based on a cup of coffee. Who would have ever thought? Coffee used to be the pot of black bitterness that the waitress walked around with, endlessly filling your cup for a mere fifty cents. There were two choices, regular or decaf. Now you've got caramel cappuccinos, white mocha frappes and everything in between. Once company took a niche market to a whole new level.

When you are thinking of your niche market, decide how you will seperate yourself from the pack. Based on your core strength, what you can offer that noone else has? By targeting your business to a few specific markets, you will set yourself apart from the competition as well as economic uncertainties. Like the old saying goes, do one thing and do it well!

Key Element #2: Find a Need and Fill it

With so many businesses and products readily available, it is difficult to find a niche opportunity that is not being filled. They are still out there, though. The classic road to success is to "find a need and fill it." Look to your present customers and begin to listen to what they are saying. What are they asking for? What would they like to see? These can prove to be wonderful insights that can spark ideas and opportunities that realistically fill a need that is out there.

Maybe you wont find an unfilled niche, but what about a poorly filled one? This is quite common. Remember, the more specialized you become, the less competition you will have. Do one thing and do it well. You can always expand after you are established.

Key Element #3: Stick to What You Know

Have you ever heard the saying, "Do what you love and the money will follow? The phrase has been around for years, mainly because it's excellent advise. If your area of interest lies in food preparation, don't look to brand yourself in the flooring industry. It just doesn't make good sense.

Keep it simple. Usually, the answers you are looking for are right in front of you. Take what you already know and already have an interest in and just expand on it. Let's say that you are a vegetarian, and you also love to exercise. As a hobby, you spend much of your time volunteering as a personal trainer, gaining personal satisfaction from seeing others achieve their goals. There are areas of interest and your niche. You can market this as a business for yourself. You could brand yourself by offering vegetarian meal plans that are specifically designed to fuel a highly athletic lifestyle. Are you catching on?

Bottom line here: Don't reinvent the wheel. Take what you know, what you love, and what you are good at and simply expand on it. The secret to establishing your brand and your core strength are right in front of you.

If this post has helped you to gain an understanding of your potential business success, stay tuned --there are more insights to come. The launch of my new book will take place in the next few months, and until then I will be giving you a preview throught these weekly blog posts.

With each post you will come away equipped with real tools that you can put into action immediately. The book will be absolutely packed with real life experience, testimonies, and tools you can use for maximum business success. It's not just a book, but an actual step-by-step guide to business success, covering everything from personal branding to product ideas. I've got your success on my agenda!

Joann Frazier, Business Consultant
President & Founder of Empowered Network
Member of NAWBO, ASTD, and SBRN
http://www.empowerednetworking.com/

Hunger vs. Craving

2010-03-16T04:00:00.001-04:00

Hey to the best women's networking group in SWFL!

Let's talk about the difference between true hunger and a craving. If a substitute just won't do, then it is probably a craving. Real hunger would be satisfied by eating an apple, for instance. If you're trying to fight a craving, try eating something first, then eating a small portion of whatever it is your craving. I often find it is easier to fight a craving with a full stomach or a piece of mint gum! Now, hunger can be an issue if you let yourself get TOO hungry. One way to fight against this is to regulate and stay conscious of your meal times. If you eat something sugary for breakfast, within about two hours you will be ravenous and will eat anything that you can get your hands on. You need to begin your day with a lean protein or complex carbohydrate to fuel your body and start your day on the right foot.

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.

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.

So whether you are working on your own business or training women in business this week, I hope you make "mindful" choices!

Spring into Color

2010-03-15T14:23:00.003-04:00

Hi first time blogger!! I look forward to educate and network with women on the topic of skin care and share the trends in color cosmetics. Spring 2010 we are seeing tropical color sensations and there are three ways to get on the trend. First, get a gorgeous GLOW with bronzers; second, have a splash of COLOR. Cheek glazes are back in bright shades that create a natural glow and third, moisturize your lips with lip balms with SPF in tropical shades.

Learn more of the Spring / Summer Fashion trends in apparel; jewelry along with skin care and color cosmetics visit www.marykay.com/tammy.miloro; click onto Tips & Trends

Will Desktop Computers Soon be Extinct?

2010-03-11T08:13:00.000-05:00

In this recent article, one of Googles European executives predicts that desktop computers will be a thing of past within 3 years!

In a more in depth view, this second article elaborates on this statement and gives us a bit more insight on how far we've come in technology and how it has changed how we live and run our business.

As you go about your day of running your business, are you embracing technology and using the internet to help you increase your business, or are you resisting the change that the world wide web can bring you?

If you are serious about growing your business and keeping up with your competitors, a well-planned, professional website is no longer a niceity, but a necessity. Your website is your online homebase for all of your online activity in social media, blogging, etc. And even your local customers have come to expect you to have some kind of online presence for them to find your phone number, email, or address.

Now, we may not all be kicking our desktops to the curb in the next few years, but it certainly is a sign of the up and coming times, that the internet is here to stay and affecting our work and lives in ways that not even the industry experts could have predicted.

Here's a couple of quotes from the one article that may make you smile:

"A 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."
-- Western Union internal memo circa 1876

"Television won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night."
-- Film mogul Darryl F. Zanuck of 20th Century Fox, in 1946

Where will you be when the desktop computer goes away? Will you already have your online presence established? Or will you be scrambling to compete in an internet age that can't find you or doesn't know how to contact you?

Here’s to Your Online Success!

Betty Walker, the Wise Web Lady
Cape Coral, FL Empowered Networking Chapter

http://www.wiseweblady.com/
http://www.ccstechpros.com/
bettywalker@wiseweblady.com

Twitter: Short Cuts to Get the Inside Scoop

2010-03-11T00:15:00.001-05:00

What is one of the best uses for Twitter? To listen to what your potential customers are saying and learn their needs, and then fill them! Use Twitter to research? Yes. Twitter is a series of conversations people are having, they are posting articles and comments about articles. They are talking about their needs and concerns. People are complaining and they are rejoicing.

Is anyone talking about you? Find out by searching for your name. In order to search, use the search feature on the right hand side of the Twitter website page on your account. A hashtag # followed by your keyword will accomplish this quickly. And while you are listening, keep your ears open for sales leads. Is someone frustrated with the lawn service they use? DM (Direct Message) them the name of a good lawn service you use (locally of course), or place the message for all to see like this:

@Someone’s Name here great lawn service recommendation XYZ Lawn Care

When @ Someone’s Name sees your post, they will say

@ Your Name thanks so much for lawn care recommendation!

Share useful information, answer people’s questions; make recommendations about services or products you use. These are all great. However have you ever tried to read the steam of tweets? Everyone has something to say and many times several times per day. (The ideal is to post at least three times per day.)

I use tools such as TweetDeck or my new favorite HootSuite to help filter the flood of twitter information that comes into my account. This device helps you to prioritize the channels so you can watch several at the same time. Another wonderful feature it the ability to post to a multitude of accounts. For example FaceBook and LinkedIn. You can connect to these accounts and when you post you select one or all of these accounts to receive your message.

In HootSuite

You can add categories to follow. My screen is divided into four categories with the following headings?

1. Regular Twitter Stream: What people are saying in real time

2. Mentions: I check to see if people are talking about me

3. Direct Messages: In box: These messages are to me about a specific thing, or generally. Many people who put their messages on automatic say something like: "Thanks for the follow, check out my value free product ABC. Cheers."

4. Direct Messages Out Box: These are the messages I have sent others. One nice Twitter feature is the ability to follow the trail of messages. Its hard to remember what you said to whom!

This tool allows you to post messages at a later time. You can schedule your messages for several times a day in advance which really helps! The best way to earn a friend is to be a friend. Remember the key? Relationship marketing. Share information on a regular basis, help to give value to others through education in the form of answering questions, or sharing a good tip of the day. This allows others to learn about you and establish a rapport. You will be viewed as an expert in your given field. When someone needs to buy they will consider you first.

Remember, all work makes Jane dull. Use humor, only if you are funny. If you are not, find a good joke book, a book of quotes or create some quotes of your own. And remember, no one is interested in what you ate last night or where you are going! In fact recently burglars have used Twitter to monitor people's actions. When they leave home, the intruder knows. So, be warned... keep the banter light, the details of your location limited and best of all, give value to your followers. You will be glad you did.

Crispy Fruit!

2010-03-09T04:00:00.004-05:00

Hey to the best women's networking group in SWFL!
We all need to eat more fruit right? But when we buy it, sometimes it goes bad before we have a chance to eat it. I stumbled across an option at Fresh Market in Ft. Myers. I found a product called Crispy Green. It is freeze-dried fruit. This is interesting because I have found the dried apple and banana chips at health-food stores and in the produce sections of supermarkets but if you look at the ingredients, there is saturated fat in there! What's up with that? A banana certainly wouldn't have saturated fat! These products come in single-serving size bags and each bag would contain one serving of fruit. The little bag I have sitting here has 60 calories, and the ingredients list is: banana....nothing else, no additives, preservatives, colorings, etc. They are crunchy, which is definitely different when it comes to banana, but in a pinch, it will get me a serving of fruit and a little crunch! Other varieties I saw were: pineapple, pear and apple.
So whether you are busy training women in business or working on your own business this week, I hope you find this tip helpful!

Traits of a Successful Leader

2010-03-08T08:24:00.001-05:00

A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go but ought to be. --Rosalynn Carter

Some believe that great leaders are born, while others insist that leadership is an art that can be learned. Fortunately, whichever you believe will probably end up being true for your own personal situation. Why? Because the number one trait of a successful leader is to believe in yourself.

You must believe in yourself, because leadership is often a lonely affair. Not because you won't be well liked or respected, but simply because a true leader is constantly aware of exactly what they believe in, how they intend to carry things out, and what they will and won't do to get where they want to arrive. This often goes against the grain of the majority, but that's okay. Today's women's business networking circles are in desperate need of more passionate leaders. All it takes in the beginning is a "burning desire" to see an action or a change takes place.

Following, is a list of specific traits that define true leadership. If you don't presently display there traits, that's okay--develop them. Leadership traits will help you in every area of your life, from parenthood to business.

Self Belief

As I mentioned above, this is the first and most important trait. You'll never have the courage to take that first step if you don't believe in yourself.

Self belief does not include pride or arrogance. In fact, if you truly know who you are and are confident in yourself, you are more apt to serve others than to talk about your own self-worth. You see, a leader doesn't have to convince anyone who they believe that they are.

A Servant's Heart

Tyrants are selfISH while leaders are selfLESS. A true leader has the best intentions for the team as a whole. A leader does not have a "what's in it for me" attitude. In fact, most of the leader's frustration comes from the fact that they have a clear picture of what is most beneficial for the group as a whole, but is often misunderstood or ignored.

A Clear Vision

It is awfully difficult to get others to go somewhere if you don't have a clear vision of where you are going. A leader has concrete goals, both long and short term. The long term goal is the place you desire to arrive and the short term goals are the stepping stones to getting there.

Again, the end result here is for the good of the team as a whole. The end results of the vision will benefit everyone.

Lead By Example

Leaders are often demanding; requiring excellence from their team. A leader has the ability to recognize the problem areas and is constantly striving to find a better way of accomplishing goals. The beauty of it all is that a successful leader will never ask of another what they are unwilling to do themselves. Leading by example is extremely effective. If you are a leader, take your team where they need to be by rolling up your sleeves and getting right in there with them.

Open and Teachable

Does a leader know everything? Of course not. But they do know how to surround themselves with successful people who can help them accomplish their goals. A leader is confident of their abilities and the direction they are going, but also quick to admit their mistakes and to seek counsel when necessary. Basically, a leader is not prideful. They have a clear view of who they are and what they can or can not accomplish in their own strength.

These are just a few of the many qualities of a successful leader. As you continue to network with our group of SW Florida business women, you will become more grounded and established in your own leadership skills. Believe in yourself, be ready to stand for what you believe in, and have a solid plan of action. You may make some mistakes, but if you are willing to learn from them and move on, you will experience success in all areas of your life.

Be sure to continue to network with business owners and bring your positive attitude to Empowered Network meetings and group functions. You will continue to grow with every new experience.

Twitter: Who is Tweeting, Why? and Who Cares

2010-03-03T06:00:00.090-05:00

So, you have heard about Twitter, set up an account and wondered why bother. In fact all those scrolling comments about items that do not interest me did cause me anxiety, at first. I was seriously wondering if I should care, X them out and un-follow or just not visit that website page again...ever!

The Truth

If truth be known, this is the way I feel about all social media. It takes so much time and is it worth the ROI? (Return on Investment). In an unofficial poll, I have found that I am not alone. People are glued to their phones with text messaging, reading FaceBook posts, emails and the like. Well, time is my most important commodity. I can make money with my time used wisely. And, all of the social media avenues can be huge time wasters. What is a busy, businesswoman to do?

Other than burying your head in the sand it is time to take control of your social media channels, stream line them and take action, now. In the subsequent posts I will show you some tools I use to keep ahead of it all...and in about thirty minutes per day. It does take some planning (not my strong suit) but it can be done.

Twitter: A Few Basics
Twitter or micro-blogging is a 140 character masterpiece that forces you to be brief, succinct, and targeted. You should have a custom page. You can hire a webmaster to create one for you at a minimal charge. Think of it this way, would you walk out to a meeting wearing your jammies? If not, then a custom Twitter page is a must. If you can create your own (I did and it shows), then fine. At least it is not the templates that come with your account.

Don't Set Follow Acceptance to Automatic

Umm... you would think this goes without saying, but looking at a friend's Twitter account recently I saw a few questionable ladies on his page. When I alerted him to the fact, he quickly deleted them. He had set his controls to auto not wanting to deal with "one more thing." The reason it is called social media is you need to be social.

Use Your Manners
When someone with a large following "follows" you, send them a quick email thanks and offer to help if they are someone you can work with in the future. Send them a blog post, or something of value. Don't have anything of value? Find some great articles and paste the URL's of the website in a document with a brief explanation of what this is.. then send the article as it pertains to the follower. I have made some very good contacts doing this. I ask, "how can I help you" ... or "if you ever want to write a book, let me know"... etc.

What Do all the Symbols Mean?

Re Tweet
RT @FeliceGerwitz

When you like what someone is saying you retweet them. That lets them know you care. How do they know? You can do a quick search for your name in the search feature. This lets you see who is talking about you... and what they are saying

If someone RT or Mentions you to follow, thank them (by posting a message for all to see, not direct message)

DM-- Inbox
Direct Message--In Box

What people you follow send you...and only you can see this.

DM -- Outbox
Direct Message Out Box

What you have sent. Put the letters DM in front of the @Name and it will only go to that person who you follow

Lists:
I am listed on 81 people's list. Anyone can place you on a list to follow you and encourage their people to follow you as well

I have 14 lists that I follow. Just have not created more or looked into this further, no other reason.

Follow Wednesday and Follow Friday
This is a way to see who cares about what you are posting. If you like what someone says, recommend them to others. That is what this is all about. It also helps people find and follow you.

Twitter is a powerful tool if used correctly. It has to be right? All the big-boys (and girls) are on it. Next post will give you some great tools to keep it all organized and scheduled.

Avoiding Added Sugar

2010-03-02T06:00:00.003-05:00

The goal of this blog is to give us all a little "tip of the week". Something for our brains to chew on instead of our mouths! Education is the key. We all hear the phrase to "be mindful", to be aware of what we are putting into our bodies. Does just being aware help us when we are hurried, stressed and hungry? Once we are aware, will we automatically make good choices? Not always, but as time goes by and we keep educating ourselves, it will get easier and we will make better choices more often.

One thing that would help us all would be to cut back on the added sugars in our lives. Very simply, we all have a calorie range, when we go over it, we gain weight. When we add in excess sugar it crowds out the healthy food. One simple thing to do is to cut out soda. I know what you are thinking, I can hear the screams clear over here! I feel your pain, I used to be totally addicted to soda too. But, for one week, I'd like for us all to focus on how many we drink and try and think of ways to substitute. Unsweetened tea is a great substitute, believe it or not, your taste buds will change over time. We have "learned" to enjoy things a certain way, we can 'unlearn" them too!

Here is the education part. Adults who drink soda are 27% more likely to be overweight or obese. A 20 oz. bottle of soda has 17 added teaspoons of sugar.

Change is hard, but worth it because you are worth it! We all want to be fabulous, right?

Leading by Example-TEAM Spirit!

2010-02-26T08:17:00.000-05:00

Achieving business success lies within finding personal success, first. When a woman takes time to become the best version of herself that she can be, she will havce no problem succeeding in anything she does - including her business networking group. To build this success, we as women must put aside our differences, and be willing to work together if we want to prosper. Instead of focusing on our own flaws and highlighting the flaws we see in others throughout women's business networking, we need to learn to lead by example, and mentor the others who are not following our example to show them what we want, need, and expect from them.

Leading by Example in a Business Networking Group
When there is a problem with another group member or business associate, the best thing to do is lead them. Rather than giving into the gossip and other things that may surface as a result of the negative or unwanted behavior, it is best to mentor these people, to show them the proper way to operate. As people, we tend to learn by what we see, rather than what others tell us to do. Growing up, parents who smoked cigarettes would tell their children not to do it because it's unhealthy. Many of these children, despite being told that smoking is unhealthy and a habit they should never pick up, pick it up anyway. If people dont want to see a certain kind of behavior or action, they shouldn't exude or partake in it. If people want to see a certain kind of behavior or action, they should demonstrate this behavior or action to those around them.

Mentoring Others in (Women's) Business Networking

Women in business networking should reach out to one another. Everyone needs to approach all the others they come in contact with, gracefully. When someone new joins the group, welcome them with open arms and invite them to share with the group what they do, what they consider to be strengths, and what they consider to be weaknesses. This way, all the others in the group can see what they share in common with the new members and where they can fit together. The point of business networking is to make connections. Where one woman is week, another woman is strong, and together they can bond and help each other succeed. By making people feel welcome and appreciated for their contributions, a true team spirit can be fostered.

Success as a team starts with the success of the individual, but for an individual to be a successful member of the team, she must be accepted and appreciated. With the support of a team full of women, a business networking group will be full of success. It is when the members of the group are not united as a team, that the group will not be able to be as successful. Reach out to members who are not united and mentor them to keep fostering the team spirit to climb up the success ladder!

FaceBook: Run a Sale!

2010-02-24T06:00:00.002-05:00

If done correctly you can drive traffic to you blog, your sales page or your catalog via Facebook. So how do you do this without causing waves, creating enemies, or having people minimize your posts because they tire of hearing day after day what you are doing?

First, by creating a business fan page where your information will post. Those who opt in (a) really like you or (b) care about your business ... in this way you can alert them to events going on as well as ways to save a bundle. On your fan page you can create an event and time this to coincide with your sale. As the event draws near you can raffle off items or perhaps give other creative incentives.

We all like a bargain, whether it is only perceived or not! Be careful not to ask your fans or friends to post comments within the body of your facebook fan page in answer to a question or a give-away. Unfortunately for small business owners, the big-boys have already done this and caused Facebook to create parameters where this is not allowed. Before doing any type of contest check Facebooks rules.

But there are ways you can create buzz. One is by creating a link for your customers to click and arrive at your website where they can fill in a form or post a response to your blog by way of contest. This alternative is better because now you have customers who will come to your blog and hopefully find it so value filled they will stay and read others posts.

I created a "free" book contest each month for those who posted on my blog. I was able to increase my readership as well as sell more books. Each month I randomly chose one person to win. I will post this service in the comment section of this blog as I do not have the information right now! I carried on the contest for several weeks because it was good publicity, with a minimal cost.

Do you have any contests that have worked? Share your results with us!

Relationship Marketing - Your Ticket to Success

2010-02-22T07:49:00.000-05:00

As a woman in business, it is natural to wonder about relationship marketing and its role in women's business networking. The truth is, relationship marketing has the power to make or break a business. Joining a business networking group is a wonderful way to start building relationships with people you can help or who can help you. We all know it is easier to sell more services to an exising client than it is to sell services to a new client, so this is how relationship marketing helps build a better, stronger, business.

For instance, a web designer may need to hire a programmer to assist her with completing a project for a customer. Instead of going out on her own to find a programmer to outsource to, she can use relationship marketing to build up her own business as a web designer, and to help the programmer build up her business as well.

Building relationships with people in overlapping industries helps strengthen both businesses. When the web designer gets a client, she knows she can rely on her programmer to help her provide more services to her client base. When the programmer is too busy to accept projects from the designer and vice versa, each of them can use their other industry connections through the business networking group to keep each other afloat until they can resume helping one another.

Keys to Relationship Marketing

Change your approach. Instead of reaching out to your clients with a "Here's what I do." Consider using a "What do you need?" Finding out exactly what the client needs is the key to building the solid relationship. Probe beyond the intial response by asking specific questions, to ensure you are building a project that will work best for them.
Keep in touch. Think beyond your initial project completion. After your project is done, touch base with your clients to keep them thinking of you for their next one. You want to be the person they think of when it comes to the product or service you provide, so they'll keep coming back to you. One way to do this is to provide a newsletter, which you ask your clients to subscribe to. Make sure the newsletter doesn't scream self-promotion, but keeps your clients aware of what specials you are running and how your services you are running and how your services will benefit them.
Grow your customer's needs. Offer more services to your customers. If related services are outside of your scope of ability, work wtih women's business networking and a business networking group to establish connections with other services. The other service providers can provide mutual discounts and increase referrals. Continuing with the example above, the web designer can provide a discount on services the programmer offers - to keep both businesses running strong.
Establish yourself as an expert. Provide more than a portfolio of your work. Work to provide your client with more information so you can show them you know what you are talking about. If the customer feels you are truly an expert in the services you provide, or at least have connections to people who do, they are more likely to trust you with their project and repeat business.

Follow these guidelines and reach out to people who know to start building more relationships. Look at your existing client base and find ways to strenghthen your customer relationships and watch your business grow.

-Joann Frazier, Business Consultant

Let Me Google That For You

2010-02-19T03:00:00.000-05:00

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

Facebook Page: Organize and Schedule

2010-02-16T16:07:00.001-05:00

The purpose of your Facebook Business or Fan Page is to maintain a stream of content in order to advocate your brand to all your friends. Posts on your Facebook Fan pages will show up in your “news feeds” on the profile pages of your fans. Remember to post a fun comment or two occasionally.

Depending on your brand you should keep your personal profile page updated and real. People will not interact with you if you are constantly posting business information and little about you. Your friends should be organized into categories, namely friends, family, and business. In that way only specific friends will receive the messages. You can control who can view specific things on your profile page by adjusting your privacy settings.

Check to make sure the following instructions are still applicable since FaceBook updates and makes changes often. From your personal account click on your friends, and then you can click on friends, pages, pictures or news feeds and create lists. Use the friend list to filter who can view news feeds, updates, photos or whatever you want to filter. You can invite up to 100 friends to specific events. Sending messages is regulated to a specific number as well.

Now its time to schedule those posts. We plan and schedule everything. We plan appointments, schedule meals, and make preparations for the holidays. In the same way, we should arrange for our blog and social media posts.

One good way to do this is to create a monthly calendar to plan your daily updates. In order to be consistent it is wise to plan.

Here are some steps to consider:

1.    Spread updates so you can appear consistent but not obnoxious. Too many posts and you’ll be ignored, or hidden. You don’t want to lose fans. Try to mix up your updates. You can use a link to a blog post or great article, a note, a photo or video update.
2.    Schedule a time for comments to interact with your friends or customers. Most comments occur within a 24 hour period before it drops out of the news feeds
3.    Schedule a time to read the posts. Make sure you see what key people are saying and comment back when appropriate.
4.    Analyze your stats data and look at the type of posts that attract the most conversation and track these changes.
5.    Make time to add more friends from suggested list or recommendations from other friends. Interact with these new people.

Look over your schedule and realize this is a good way to make all the posts look natural and unplanned. It is a good way to stay connected, get the word out about your product. Planning your posts will definitely help you to write them. And, best of all you will be spending your time wisely, to reach, interact and encourage your contacts to take the time to read your posts and learn about you and your business.

Constantly Branding Yourself, Like it or Not

2010-02-12T11:08:00.006-05:00

We hear an awful lot today about "branding yourself" and "self marketing" until it's almost become an overused cliche. As women in business who are interested in developing our marketing strategies and building strong connections through the Empowered Network group, have we stopped to think about the way we are branding ourselves?

As with any perception based concept, there are always two views involved. There is the way we'd "like to be perceived" as a business woman, and the way in which we actually are preceived by others. With this in mind, the first step to self branding, is honesty. Take a deep breath and answer the following questions:

How many deadlines have I missed recently?

How many appointments have I canceled?

How many instances of miscommunication have there been between myself and my clients or business partners?

How many times have I been a "no show" to an event or an appointment?

How many times have I promised my services or assistance and then pushed it aside?

The above questions, if answered honestly, can serve as a gage to provide insight about your reliability level. If you have been missing appointments, meetings, deadlines, and breaking promises, it won't take long until you are viewed as an unreliable and unprofessional individual who doesn't take their business seriously. If this is the case, you may be missing out on many business opportunities as well as referrals.

Fortunately, it is possible to recover from even the worst business image, if you are sincere and make a conscious effort to change. Here are the steps to help you go from having a wishy-washy image to being the picture of a strong, reliable business woman.

Step 1. Just admit it. Everyone hates excuses. If you have blown it in the past, simply admit it; especially if you are looking for another opportunity with a client or business contact.

Step 2. Learn from your mistakes. Who hasn't made mistakes? Many of us juggle the duties of parent, spouse, business owner, professional business woman, and run our households as well. Nobody said it was easy but over time, a balance must be met if we are to be successful.

A quick recovery from mistakes is key. If you are constantly late for appointments, find a different system for keeping track of them. Maybe you just need to leave ten minutes earlier. Part of being a successful business woman lies in having the ability to constantly evaluate your strengths and recognize your weaknesses.

Step 3. Your word is an extention of yourself. This fact will never change. Dependability must be your number one priority in business. As the old Woody Allen saying goes, "80 percent of success is just showing up." Often times, a much less qualified individual will get the business...Why? Because they are reliable.

So, how do you become more dependable? By taking your own word seriously. Choose your words carefully. Don't be quick to make committments. It is best to promise less and deliver more. Pleasantly surprise others when you go above and beyond.

Historically, leaders who have a reputation for keeping their word have become extremely powerful. The bottom line here is pretty simple. No one wants to hitch their wagon to an individual who can't be trusted.

The more you honor yoru own word, the more you will become empowered as a business owner, a leader, and even as a role model. When you walk in this type of integrity, you don't have to spend your time branding and marketing yourself. Your reputation will proceed you wherever you go. Isn't that what we want as successful business women? Pretty simple stuff, isn't it? Keep your word, follow through on your committments, honor your word. Take this advice and you will find that your business will explode, right along with your reputation.

FaceBook: A Great Custom Look For Business Women

2010-02-09T06:00:00.005-05:00

by Felice Gerwitz

Connecting and building relationships is what networking is all about. It is not surprising that companies large and small have joined the online networking revolution. "To have friends you must be a friend first," was the advice of my mother years ago, and still rings true today. Give value and you will have many friends flocking to your sites everyday. Using FaceBook to get them there works.

Letting customers know about specials, events or promotions via FaceBook, is an effective way to drive traffic to your site. Yet it is hard to stand out from the crowd when we all look the same. Facebook does not allow for many kinds of customization features...or does it? Women especially, and Business Women networkers in particular, are interested in using Facebook applications.

As with any type of information, make sure that you advertise to the masses. You can use Twitter to post information about your updates on FaceBook. Make sure the topic or title is intriguing. And, make your Facebook site look special with a little known Facebook application, Facebook Markup Language or FBML app. In this application you can customize your Facebook page.

One of the best uses for this application is the ability to paste HTML code from another application, such as a opt-in box for your newsletter or email group. In this way your custom box will show up in your sidebar on Facebook or in a tab at the top. I increased my Newsletter opt-in's by the hundreds with this one little feature.

Even though I am not an expert in web based language, I was able to add this application easily with the directions found on Facebook. For a more detailed tutorial, look at the help tab on the FB website, or hire a web master. If you want a super quick tutorial, (or Information in a Nutshell!)...

In the search box at the top corner of your FB, page type in FBML. It will take you to another page that has an icon for the FBML...http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=FBML&init=quick
Once you are on the page (it is a fan page) you will see the icon and under it click, "Add to My Page" You will then see a pop up window with all the fan pages that you Administer and you can select the page to add your FBML.
Go back to your Fan Page and click the edit page and viola! There is the device ready to be edited. It will show up as a blank box and there is where you add the code.

That is where you can place the HTML code generated from your newsletter provider, in my case I use Aweber as well as Vertical Response. Each of these sites gives the user HTML code to paste on a website and now you know how to add it to your FaceBook page. FaceBook will soon unveil another updated look. Some users already have the new home page. There is always something new to learn, so stay tuned!

Read your Hotmail emails in Outlook

2010-02-07T16:02:00.005-05:00

Have you ever wished you could open your hotmail in your desktop Outlook? Well, you can! Introducing Outlook Connector.

Outlook Connector is a free Microsoft Add-on that will let you pull your hotmail emails down into your desktop Outlook client. It's a simple setup. All you have to do is click on the link that I have provided here and follow the instructions:

Outlook Connector Download Link

Once you have it installed, you'll see a new selection in the top menu of your Outlook for "Outlook Connector" where you can add your hotmail accounts. Enjoy!

Here’s to Your Online Success!

Betty Walker, the Wise Web Lady
Cape Coral, FL Empowered Networking Chapter

http://www.wiseweblady.com/
http://www.ccstechpros.com/
bettywalker@wiseweblady.com

How to Build Rewarding Business Networking Connections

2010-02-06T14:24:00.003-05:00

Joining a membership site...What's it all about? I'm sure most individuals realize that the main purpose of a private business network is to build strong relationships that you can rely on for mentoring, referrals, advice, brainstorming, and even future partnerships.

For some, who dive right in, a private networking group such as Empowered Network, becomes an instant source of promising connections with a wealth of possibilities. On the other hand, other members may feel disconnected and out of the loop. How is the problem solved?

Simply put, give, give, and give some more. If you feel that you are not "getting" your fair share of referrals and connections. GIVE!

It's the principle of the universe. Depending on your theology and belief system, you may word it differently, but the basic concept remains the same. One may call it Karma while another simply says, "What goes around comes around." Call it what you will, it works.

If you want to squeeze every single bit of business networking power out of Empowered Network, start focusing on what you have to offer the other members:

Can you provide business mentorship to someone who is just starting out? If you are comfortable with public speaking, you could even hold a few business mentoring workshops. The sky is the limit once you begin to think of the success of the entire networking group, instead of just the success of your own business. The more you reach out to empower the other members, the more you will find that your own needs are being met. By reaching out, you are not only making connections, you are also building a powerful reputation and branding yourself. You are actually marketing yourself in a very tangible and lasting way.

Anyone can put some business cards and flyers together, and those are important tools, but not very memorable. When you make a real effort to invest in the success of those around you, that's when your recognition will grow. Others will give you referrals out of habit, because they truly believe in you. Do you see how great things can happen when we operate as a team?

Finally, Empowered Network involves relationship marketing. It is up to you to step up to the plate and make yourself available to the other members. Some ideas that will lead to new connections include:

-Get Out of your comfort zone. Sit with a new group of members at the next
meeting or event.
-Be genuine. Building relationships takes time and effort. Put your time in and
you will succeed.
-Be approachable. If you present yourself as friendly and easy to approach, you
will walk away from each meeting with new contacts to pursue. Send a follow
up email or make a phone call to your new connections. Ask questions, offer
support. A positive, friendly attitude goes a long way.

These are all small networking steps that you can use with Empowered Network or any group you are a part of, that really do not take much of your time, but can have a huge impact on your networking success. Remember, we all need each other. Let's work together and make it happen!

FaceBook: Busy Business Women's List

2010-02-04T22:46:00.000-05:00

by Felice Gerwitz

I have a love-hate relationship with To-Do lists. I like them because I can easily and quickly see what needs to be completed each day. I hate them because I am reminded of all the things I have not accomplished each day. So, in the spirit of liking and hating, I'm creating a To-Do list for your FaceBook page. See which of these things you have already done, and place the others on your list for sometime in the near future.

FaceBook for Women:

Professional Picture: preferably with make-up, collared shirt and photo-shop touch up
Lock Down: all settings are private to friends or friends of friends only with invitations enabled.
Organize Friends: Make groups for business, friends, families
Profile totally filled out: all information that you want the world to know or at least 400 of your closest friends (and their friends) completed
Search: For target clients, co-workers, and possible new customers
Check Friends Status: Try to post something personal on different clients walls to stay in touch
Post Value Info: at least weekly, daily is best...be personal 20% of the time
Connect FaceBook feed and Twitter: if your content is relevant and value driven this is important, make sure to still add new posts to Twitter
Add your FaceBook URL to your email address
Set your feeds: make sure your receive only the info into your email that is important
Join Groups: related to business
Check FaceBook daily, but not too often!
Read FaceBook Rules: Beware, contests should be approved first via FaceBook
Share: Useful articles, your blog, stats related to business or target market
Engage follower: Ask Questions
Post Pictures: Relevant to business
Blast News: Events, Promotions, Free Product
Join or accept "gifts" sparingly: These pull info from your FaceBook page, they are third party applications and not all are friendly. A warning box pops-up to advise you of the "threat"
Look at Apps: Facebook is constantly adding more applications for business, great blog with more info: http://mashable.com/2009/01/22/business-facebook-apps/
Add video: at least one time a month, fun to do and keeps the contacts guessing

That's it for today. If you can check all these off your list, great! Let me know what's on your FaceBook To-Do list, and I'll quickly add it to mine!

Check out Anthony Robbins Blog

2010-02-04T21:40:00.001-05:00

I want you to take a look at: Anthony Robbins Blog

Making your Networking Membership work for YOU!

2010-02-01T14:53:00.005-05:00

Since business professionals join networking groups at various experience levels, not every individual feels completely comfortable promoting themselves, let alone others.

That's okay. Today we are going to nail that subject with some basic anti-fear, "get out there and make it happen" techniques. First, let's dispel three of the most common networking group "myths."

Networking Group Myths:

1. For every ten individuals that join a networking group fully aware of the committment that is involved, there are always one or two business owners who mistakenly see a networking group as a tool that should run on autopilot...not so.

2. Another myth is the thought that other business owners, who are members, have the time or inclination to look through the list of members and automatically use them for their own needs, as well as referring them without reservation to their personal friends, family, and other businesses...also, not so.

3. The third and final myth. In order to work properly, women's networking groups should be made up of college educated professionals who are well established in the community. Yes...and no.

Networking Group Facts:

Now that we let the air out of those tires, let's parallel the myths with the realistic balance involved in a productive and thriving professional women's networking group.

1. Networking groups don't run on autopilot. Professional networking membership groups are set up in an effort to provide the ideal atmosphere for business professionals to dive right in and start mingling with full confidence in the fact that the other businesses are not only legitimate, but also interested in the networking and referral plan of action. Basically, a networking group does the legwork for its members, providing events, monthly meeting locations, business education, inviting and recruiting others, etc.

2. Want referrals? Be memorable. Other members have thoughts and desires very simular to your own. You are probably not going to remember another member who is not outgoing or proactive; neither are they. In order to make the most of your membership, you will have to take a deep breath, fight your fears, and get out there and network! Attend the events and meetings, have a positive attitude, and take your place in the community. No one ever gets a free ride. There is a certain amount of dedication and work that goes into every relationship you develop.

3. Networking groups should be made up of a balanced blend of both college educated professionals as well as the energetic self-starter who took a chance and made an entrepreneurial idea work for them. Everyone has their own circle or scope of influence and no one should be disconnected. As a matter of fact, the business owner who is in the sales or service industry is probably more likely to have a casual chat with their clients which are conducive to the whole referral process.

Now that we've busted through all of the possible misconceptions and realigned our thinking, let's make the decision to make a dedicated effort to networking in 2010. Whether you are a Lee or Collier county work from home mom, an established attorney, vice president of one of our local banking establishments, or a sales rep, one thing is certain in today's economy...We all need each other.

Joining a local women's networking group is a big step in the right direction. Empowered Network, an area driven professional women's group, can fulfill several purposes. Professional SW Florida women can connect for positive mentoring experiences, roundtable support and idea groups, as well as offering referrals for their new business connections. In an ideal world, this is what is supposed to occur in a netorking group. So let's make this Empowered Network work for us!

2010-02-01T14:53:00.001-05:00

Advertising with Facebook

2010-01-27T23:35:00.000-05:00

by Felice Gerwitz
http://www.InformationInANutshell.com

Test the Market
As with any platform and marketing it takes testing and retesting to see what really works. We know about the social uses for Facebook... sharing pictures, what you are doing, upcoming events and linking your blog to your friends. But, Facebook is becoming very competitive with ad words. You are familiar, I am sure with Google ad words, among others. Facebook ads can be very effective for specific types of ads and it is worth taking a look.

Target Audience
As with any marketing campaign, reaching your target audience is the key. With Facebook ad words you can reach a particular demographic group down to specific ages, whether or not they are male or female and even with keywords. A case in point is looking at my husband's facebook page and the ads that appear on his versus the ads that appear on mine. His ads are targeted for men, mine are for women with families. In the past if I disliked an ad I clicked the x and a screen popped up asking me why and if it was offensive. I "trained" the ads and now the ads target my likes more than my dislikes.

Images and Photos

You can use images or photos with your ads and that makes them eye-catching. You can use a company logo, a picture of yourself or anything that labels your brand. You will find the ads are cheaper than click ads and the results are better. I have used both and found that it takes a small learning curve to get the ads launched. Google ads took many classes and studying time to figure out how to use key words effectively.

Ease of Set Up
Ad campaigns on Google took much effort and time to set up, launch and monitor. I spent thousands of dollars testing the market and while my results were fairly good, they were not nearly the results I had hoped to attain. Campaigns on Facebook are incredibly easy by comparison and you can use more words to describe your product.

Nothing is Perfect
There is a downside. You can't really track the results for click through like you can with Google adwords. You could even graph the results and check the time of day you wanted your ad to appear. Right now those features are not enabled or created for Facebook. You also have the downside of the type of users on Facebook. These are people who like communities, interactions and dialogue. If you are a service oriented business this may work for you. Product sales might be a harder sale.

With so many places vying for your advertising dollar if you are a Facebook user you may consider trying an ad for your niche market. If you find success, share your results with us!

Understanding Year-End Reporting - Part 2 of 4: Your Profit & Loss Report

2010-01-26T21:51:00.003-05:00

Now that you understand the Chart of Accounts, you can start applying that information to the Profit & Loss report. This report can be as detailed or simple as your needs require. Some people create a very long complicated chart of accounts so they can analyze every tiny area of cash flow. Instead of just an Advertising category, they might have subcategories like Print, Online, and Marketing Materials. Most people prefer a simple chart of accounts to report information for tax preparation.

The Profit & Loss report uses two simple formulas:

Income – Cost of Goods Sold = Gross Income (or Gross Margin)

Gross Income – Expenses = Net Profit

Income is any money you received for services or goods. If you charge Sales Tax, that amount is not included in income because you are essentially acting as a tax collector for the county and those funds belong to them. You should have a separate income account called “Discounts and Refunds” to record any decreases in fees charged your customers. This will decrease your overall income and show up on the Profit & Loss as a negative number. This helps to visualize the amount you have reduced potential income to analyze your business activities.

Cost of Goods Sold accounts are reserved for the items that you must purchase in order to produce your product. This includes raw materials needed to create the goods as well as direct labor costs to produce the goods.

Expenses are operating costs such as payroll, supplies, rent & utilities, telephone and computer costs. The IRS is very particular about what is considered a “usual and necessary business expense” and will quickly disallow anything outside the boundaries. The most troublesome areas that the IRS is targeting for audits because of gross non-compliance are Travel, Meals & Entertainment, Automobile, and the expensing of Tools & Supplies.

The final figure, Net Profit, is the amount flowing to your tax return. For those reporting their business income on a Schedule C, the Net Profit is the figure that is added to the 1040. For corporations reporting on an 1120 tax return, the final profit is distributed amongst the shareholders according to percentage of ownership and reported on K-1 forms. Each shareholder will receive a K1 and will use the information to prepare their personal tax returns.

Now, I want to explain the difference between Accrual and Cash reporting. Most small businesses are on a cash reporting basis. This means only income that has been physically received is counted and you only deduct the expenses that have already been paid. In accrual accounting, invoices that are unpaid at yearend (Accounts Receivable) are included in income and any bills that have been received but not paid (Accounts Payable) are included in your expenses. Your tax return from last year will have the basis clearly marked. Once you file one way, you must continue to file with that method or you must request a change. It’s very important to make sure you have the correct reporting basis selected for your Profit & Loss or you could pay more taxes than necessary.

QuickBooks Tip

QuickBooks default for reporting basis is Accrual.

You will see this in the upper left corner of all reports.

To change the reporting basis on a single report:

Create report, then click Modify Report in the top left corner of report screen.

In the middle of the screen you can change the basis.

To change the reporting basis preference for all reports:

Go to Edit > Preferences > Reports & Graphs > Company tab

The change is made in the top left box.

Stay tuned for the next installment of this article series where I explain the Balance Sheet and why it is so important to reconcile your accounts.

Follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/smoothbkkpng where I regularly give accounting tips and small business support for QuickBooks users.

Check it out!!!

2010-01-26T19:53:00.007-05:00

SO EXCITING!!! Launch of our
"Empowered" line.

"Empowered" Tote, "Empowered" Jotter,

Empowered Network tshirt. The first 3 products to our Empowered line. The "Empowered" tshirt on its way soon.

Walk around inspiring other to be "Empowered" and remind yourself that you are strong and a force to be reckoned with.

"Empowered" Tote only $35.00

"Empowered" Jotter only $10.00

Empowered Network tshirt only $25.00

To order; inquire to Info@EmpoweredNetworking.com

Simple Pleasures - Great for Reducing Stress

2010-01-25T07:00:00.009-05:00

Ah, simple pleasures. You know, those little things that bring a smile to your face and to your heart. They are unique to each of us and when we experience them we subconsciously celebrate. The cliche says "The Best things in life are free!" and that is certainly true with most of life's simple pleasures. Here are a few of mine:

watching the horses play in the pasture in the mornings
sipping tea as the sun rises over our barn
reading a book on my back porch with the pool fountain bubbling in the background
walking/running with my daughter - always lots of laughter
sneaking out midday to pet and give the horses a treat
a moonlight ride with my husband
window shopping

What are your simple pleasures? List them out for this blog activity. I would love to see your list posted in our comments.

Beyond being free, simple pleasures play an important role in reducing stress. Stress is the result of negative emotions. Negative emotion can result from a variety of circumstances such as a worrisome thought, a unkind comment by a co-worker, or something tangible like a traffic jam. The higher the number of events of negative emotion that occur in a single hour or day the more stressed you will begin to feel. The best thing about simple pleasures are they are not only free, they are also great producers of positive emotions. How how does that relate to reducing stress, you say?

Psychologist report that it takes three positive emotion events to erase any single negative emotion event. In addition, if the negative emotion event was related to a spouse the ratio goes up to five to one. So that's where your simple pleasures come in. When your day is filled with negative emotion events (i.e., stress) it's imperative to your health and well being to offset those negative emotion events with positive ones. Otherwise stress becomes a dangerously unhealthy lifestyle if left unchecked.

So if you haven't already take a moment to make that list of simple pleasures and tuck it into your planner. Then next time you feel the stress building take a time out and spend a few moments indulging in one of your simple pleasures. You'll love it and your co-workers and family will likely appreciate it too.

For more on reducing stress visit my Compass website and try 3 days of the monthly action plans (MAPS) free. A great MAP for reducing stress is Step Into Balance - try your 3 days free. Also consider having Karen bring a stress reducing workshop to your office or women's organization. Click here to request Karen.

Karen Zeigler
Speaker & Life Coach

Facebook Page: Making an Impact

2010-01-20T17:45:00.000-05:00

Make a Big Splash and Get Noticed on Facebook

Living in Southwest Florida, the community life tends to be easy going. We have beautiful beaches, breathtaking sunsets, and lots of sun! I've found the work ethic as well as the business atmosphere tends to reflect this easy-going life style. While I am the first to enjoy this, I know I can't afford for this to describe my marketing techniques. So, how do you make an impact if you are using social media, such as FaceBook? It is easier than you think.

What do People Want to Read?

Remember, you want to give value. Give you group something they want to read. My facebook group is made up of family, personal friend and business friends. You can send only to a specific group or your entire list. Many people say not to mix business with pleasure, and while that is true to an extent it helps that people know, you are human. The 80-20 rule works for me. 80% is business related and 20 is more relaxed.

Videos Make an Impact.

I check my social media sites, all of them within my allotted 15-20 minutes a day. This means I need plan. A nice change is to use youtube videos to make an impact. There are videos on just about every topic or idea. You can search for your chosen profession and you are sure to find many videos that fit the bill. Make sure you don't overdo this feature. As with anything use it, rotate it, and don't belabor the issue.

Third-Party Facebook Applicaitons:

Another way to make an impact is to use the various applications, many of them from third-party vendors on Facebook. Not to get technical, but a third part vendor is an individual or company that created an application approved by Facebook to use on the site. Just a warning some third-party applications are data miners, that is they take your information from your site. So, if you are concerned about your personal information, make sure to set your privacy settings strict to friends only.

Are People Responding to Your Posts?

I know that Facebook works well. In fact, I have found that when looking at my home page on Facebook my ministry page is often the first one at the top of the page. One reason is due to response from the Fan Page group, the other is the comments. The more people that comment (with a thumbs up) or post a comment, the higher your post ranks to be shown on all the home pages of those who follow you. Numbers count.

Value Sells

We can all learn from others. Study other Facebook pages and pay close attention to the friends you often respond to. Analyze, "why?" What is it that made you click on their link, picture, or respond to a post. I have a nephew who puts really interesting political comments on his facebook site. I really made a point to read his during the past elections. He has a huge following and he does this for fun (he is in Medical School), and not for business. The idea here is he gives value. When you give value people will pay attention to your posts and ultimately to you and what you have to offer.

Social Media: Facebook Fan Pages for Business

2010-01-20T06:00:00.004-05:00

Become a Fan!

Facebook has become a household word. Once used mainly by college students to stay connected, the site has grown to millions of users, many of them business people. If you have toyed with the idea of creating, a Facebook Fan page or a Facebook Business Page here is the bottom line...do it only if you have something of value to offer...and choose wisely.

Facebook is constantly changing and updating their website. As of this writing, it is better to create a Facebook Fan page for your business rather than a Business Page or Group Page. Why? Well the main differences are as follows:

•   You can have many more followers than on a home page
•   You can add applications to the page, such as a sign up box to capture emails

•   You can get statistics for your page

•   Once you have more than 1000 fans, you can get a custom url.

•   Fan pages are indexed by the search engines which gets you in front of anyone that may search for your brand or product

•   Fan pages are available to the general public, so people that are not on Facebook can access them.

•   Your fan page will show up in your followers News Feed

•   You can advertise your fan page and place links back to your website or blog
So how do you get fans on your Facebook Fan page? One way is to invite using the list on your facebook home page; another is to build dynamic content causing others to join because of the value you will give them through your posts. For example, if you are in the Real Estate business, you can talk about community activities, great communities to live in and information, such as how to choose the right home for your family needs. In that way, others will want to join your fan page to find out more information and will let others know. You can find possible clients from this page as it is indexed in search engines spreading your reach even further.

If someone becomes a Fan on your Facebook Fan page, it will show up on his or her page as a follower. In that way, their followers will see who you are and if interested, they will follow as well. A fan page also allows you to advertise on facebook. An icon will crop up that will prompt you in this manner if you care to join the growing number of advertisers. Let your fans know about upcoming sales, promotions and so much more. You can also dialogue with your fans, post notes and keep in touch. Relationships in business are invaluable!

Questions? Let me know how I can help you to jump-start your fan page.

101 Ways to be Inspired by Women

2010-01-19T19:07:00.011-05:00

In my travels on the web, I came across this great article on Women's Entrepreneur Magazine. If you're looking for ideas on what you can do to kickstart your business online, this is a great place to start.

What better way to learn how to expand our business and be successful online than to follow those who are already making a difference. It's quite an impressive list and I hope you take some time to check it out.

Here's just a few of the 101 blogs you'll find listed there:

Budget Girl with Robin ~ Look Great and Live Well without Spending a Fortune
Bizzy Women with Miriam Schwab ~ aims to bring high quality information together in one place to empower busy professional women
BRENDA’S BLOG ~ A breast cancer survivor, filmmaker and journalist, Brenda writes/videos everything from unwanted facial hair, frequent mammary miles, and “not tonight, honey, my feet are cold.”
News on Women with Alice Krause ~ Celebrating Rising stars
Secret Women’s Business Network with Allison Reynolds ~ practical business advice and training highlighting Women’s greatest gifts
The Work at Home Woman with Holly Reisem Hanna ~ women and moms acquire the knowledge and skills to be able to successfully work from home or to become self-employed while providing support, inspiration and motivation

Here's a link to the full article and all 101 blogs by women. Let us know which one is your favorite, or add a comment if you'd like to add a favorite blog of your own to share with the rest of us!

http://wemagazineforwomen.com/101-women-bloggers-to-watch-in-2010/

Here’s to Your Online Success!

Betty Walker, the Wise Web Lady

Cape Coral, FL Empowered Networking Chapter

http://www.wiseweblady.com/

http://www.ccstechpros.com/

bettywalker@wiseweblady.com

Empowered Networking Blog

Let Me Google That For You

A Salad a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

Are we eating enough vegetables?

Free Online Backup Services

Clean Up Your Weight-Loss Environment!

Top 10 Leadership Mistakes to Avoid

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

Are we taking care of ourselves?

What should your e-mail signature look like?

Musings of a Health Coach

"Commo Check" - Part II

Inflammation, A Problem?

How To Beat The System Of Customer Support Voice Mail Menus

Forgive Yourself

Quantity versus Quality

“Commo” Check - Part I

3rd Annual Live Life Well EXPO

Failure to Plan?

Try Google Voice—it’s free!

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

Do You Start Out With Good Intentions?

What are your Social Media Fan Page Stats?

Eating Right While Traveling?

Eating Your Emotions?

Test Your Password Strength

Is there good fat?

Effective Teambuilding for Organizational Success

Should you use a food journal?

How To Remove Your Phone Number From Google

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

The Power of Groups on LinkedIn Part 2

Divide Your Plate!

Managing with 4 Dimensions

The Power of Groups on LinkedIn

Picnic time!

Create a Free Google Profile

Tips for Designing a Business Website for Women Viewers

Getting Linked on Linked In

Careful Snacking

LinkedIn Your Profile Counts

Daily Choices

Get Better Search Results

Linked In: The Story the Next Level of Networking

5 Ideas for Creating and Marketing Your Videos on Your Website

Drinking enough water?

Brighten your SKIN

Back to Facebook: Your Privacy is at Stake

How much sleep do YOU need?

Have you tried google docs?

5 Facts About Having Video on Your Website or Blog

Which Social Media Site Do You Like the Best?

Change?

Make Great SKIN part of your total wellness plan

More Twitter Success Stories Using Short Cuts.

Meal Replacements?

SHORE things

Betty Walker Interviews Joann Frazier

5 Reasons You Should Consider Creating A Wordpress or Blogger Website

Twitter in Five Minutes or Less

Don't Ignore your Neck and Chest

When Tweets Work to Drive Traffic to Your Blog

Join a gym?

Why use Mineral Powder Foundation?

Facebook Lite

Down With High Sodium Intakes!

Secrets of Lipstick Application

8 More Ways to Be Effective on Twitter

The Daily Struggle

Putting your Best Face On

Create a Google Profile

Twitter: This You Must Do First

Establishing a Brand: Your Core Strength

Hunger vs. Craving

Spring into Color

Will Desktop Computers Soon be Extinct?

Twitter: Short Cuts to Get the Inside Scoop

Crispy Fruit!

Traits of a Successful Leader

Twitter: Who is Tweeting, Why? and Who Cares