December has always been a month that triggers conflicting feelings for me. Not only is it my birth month, but it also signifies the completion and ending of something, which means a beginning is near. And so, December is usually the time of year when I tend to get hard on myself thinking about all the things I could have accomplished instead of looking at all the things I HAVE accomplished! (Isn’t that what we do as humans?) And so for the past three years I’ve made it my duty to retreat – literally to get away from the hustle and bustle and engage in deep #meditation, #selfreflection, and #selfcare in the early part of December. Here’s what was reinforced for me on my trip to the Silent Stay Retreat in California:
1) Love myself from the inside out, everything lasting begins within; outside in will fade.
2) Get somewhere quiet everyday, and be in the presence of the source.
3) Find something to be grateful for everyday, and document it.
4) Always celebrate my wins; but don’t just celebrate, document them.
5) Deduct the lessons from my losses before tossing them, and use them as a catalyst for my advancement.
6) Always forgive myself and others; without forgiveness I am stuck.
7) Take joy in receiving as in giving.
8) Listen to my body; Rome wasn’t built in a day.
9) Never underestimate the power of human connection; find and maintain a network.
1. Love Myself From The Inside Out, Everything Lasting Begins Within
The first time I saw a lesson on self-love I thought to my self, “lesson on self-love? how can a person not love him or herself? Why would someone need to be taught self-love?” Turns out many of us do need a lesson (or lessons) on self-love. It’s not narcissistic. It’s not weird. Rather, it’s the art of knowing ones self – perfections and imperfections, holistically caring for the self – spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, continuous improvement on areas that do need improvement (based on what YOU want) – and accepting yourself as a whole.
Here’s the epicenter of self sabotage and the opposing side to self love:
a) Taking care of everyone else’s needs, leaving ours on the back burner – the one with the “when I have time” sign.
b) Beautifying the outside, while the inside is in turmoil.
c) Looking to others for validation, and then beating on ourselves when the validation fall short.
d) Expecting others to love us when we don’t even love ourselves.
Caring for Everyone Else (But Ourselves)
As women, we often put everything else before ourselves – children, family, career, business – giving our all with little to no self care for ourselves. And while doing all this is deemed fulfilling, continuous neglecting of self will ultimately lead to resentment, unhappiness, and overall bad health. It could also lead us to not being around for the results of our labor – all the seeds we’ve sown in your relationships, as parents, and our careers or businesses. Balance is the order of the day! And self love will lead us to assert this balance. Many times, if we don’t, no one else will.
Beautifying The Outside (While The Inside Suffers)
Appearance matters! Our exterior matters; but wouldn’t it be wonderful if our inside is a perfect match to our outside? For some of us, it does, and for some the inside is even doing better than the outside. But for others, the inside is nowhere near the congruity, calm, and overall allure of the outside. Things such as limiting self-beliefs, unforgiveness, and past hurt that have not been dealt with will continue to eat at the inside and while people on the outside may not know about them – we do! And only you and I can make the choice to get the help we need to heal and pacify our internals, so that we can be true and whole on the inside as we are on the outside. How long can we “keep up appearance”? And what will happen when appearance fails?
Looking To Others For Validation (Becoming Broken In Its Absence)
Outside validation does not work! And sadly, for many people, that’s their reality. The reality they create for themselves. And that need for external validation comes from a place of low self worth, and limited-ness. A place where everything is looking outward, and nothing is looking inward. It is so easy to look for outside validation from others, especially people we care about, because having them validate us (in our mind) is a form of approval. But what happens when that validation does not come? The fact that we look up to them, and place them in a place of importance and meaning does not mean they value us the same. Self is too important to leave any area to others to nurture and hold dear for us. Take time out to know yourself – flaws and all (we all have them) and learn to love yourself unconditionally. According to universal laws, your love and devotion to your self will attract people, things, and situations that are in alignment with your self worth and the way you have embraced yourself. Love and validate you!
Expecting Others Love (When We Don’t Even Love Ourselves)
I’ve seen this happen so many times on so many different levels, and it is the most self-sabotaging thing anyone can do. This is especially dangerous in relationships where we expect our partner to love us unconditionally – including our imperfections, but we opt to not even love ourselves. Your partner knows you! And believe me when I tell you that your partner will treat you based on the way you value and treat yourself. If you love and value yourself, then you will not allow anyone to devalue and treat you as less than the beautiful, smart, courageous light being that you are. When you love and value yourself you will not tolerate anything less from anyone else. I’ve been in a past relationship where a man puts his hand on me, (yessssss, he tried it!) and the very first time he did, became the very last time. I was out of that relationship before he could even conjure up any excuse as to why he allowed himself to go there with me. All it took was one hit and I was out! We teach people how to treat us by the way we treat ourselves, and the way we react when treated unfairly. When a person love him or herself, it shows! In fact, universal laws allow it to be discerned and people around us know if we love ourselves or not. It emanates to others, and it’s not something we can hide. We can pretend, as many people do, but it does not work. Love yourself unconditionally first, outside love will flow in!
2. Get Somewhere Quiet Everyday, and Be In The Presence of The Source
Like the herbs need the sun, so do we need our source – whomever or whatever we consider that source to be. This is a daily non-negotiable for me, and it’s amazing what peace and clarity can result from being away from the noise, and absolutely quiet. By finding a quiet corner somewhere for ten or fifteen minutes of meditation every day, experts believe we can improve our overall health and well-being. One of the main principles behind meditation is that by removing negative and wandering thoughts and fantasies from our minds, we can calm ourselves and achieve a deep sense of peace. Any negative thoughts like exam stress, problems with parents, money, or relationship troubles contribute to the ‘pollution’ of our minds. Blocking them out for a while allows our minds to focus on deeper, more relaxing thoughts. In my experience, getting somewhere quiet, emptying my mind and listening creates a clear path for my source to connect with me. If you’ve never done this, you should try it. Only positives can result from this experience!
3. Find Something To Be Grateful For Everyday, and Document It
Oh my God! I cannot tell you how being grateful daily and documenting it has helped me – as a woman, mother, mentee, mentor, business owner. Research has shown – time and time again, that gratitude heightens quality of Life. Psychologists, Michael McCollough of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis, wrote an article about an experiment they conducted on gratitude and its impact on well-being. The study split several hundred people into three different groups and all of the participants were asked to keep daily diaries. The first group kept a diary of the events that occurred during the day without being told specifically to write about either good or bad things; the second group was told to record their unpleasant experiences; and the last group was instructed to make a daily list of things for which they were grateful. The results of the study indicated that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism, and energy. In addition, those in the gratitude group experienced less depression and stress, were more likely to help others, exercised more regularly, and made greater progress toward achieving personal goals.
Dr. Emmons – who has been studying gratitude for almost ten years and is considered by many to be the world’s leading authority on gratitude – is author of the book, Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier. The information in this book is based on research involving thousands of people conducted by a number of different researchers around the world.
There are many ways to practice gratitude. I practice gratitude everyday by keeping a gratitude journal, and documenting the things I’m thankful for – big and small. This concept was made famous by Sarah Ban Breathnach in her book, The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude. This exercise basically consists of writing down every day a list of three to ten things for which you are grateful; you can do this first thing in the morning or before going to bed at night. I do this every morning and again at nights. It doesn’t have to be a BIG thing; it could be something so simple as getting a phone call from someone you lost touch with and have been trying and longing to reach. Try it for yourself and see the difference it makes in your life!
4. Always Celebrate My Wins & Document Them
Yesssss! Celebrate those wins, and not only celebrate, but document them as well. Again documentation is super important – so key. You see documenting helps us to look back over our accomplishments, and not just remembering them vaguely, but actually seeing our list of wins. Coupling those documentation with photos from each win will undoubtedly keep you motivated, and in a space of gratitude because your progress will be abundantly clear.
5. Deduct The Lesson(s) From My Losses Before Tossing Them, and Use Them As a Catalyst For My Advancement
Yes, we’re gonna toss those losses! We do not want to constantly remember how they make us feel. But before we kick them to the curb, how about we deduct the lessons so we can use them for our advancement? Yes, there is a lesson or lessons in every loss, and although it may take some time to decipher the lesson(s), be sure to find and extract it before placing it into that box of forgetfulness. Thank you for this one Silent Stay Retreat!
6. Always Forgive Yourself and Others; Without Forgiveness You are Stuck
I don’t need to speak much on this topic because we all know how important forgiveness is – both forgiveness to self as well as others who’ve wronged us. It’s not always easy, but so very essential. In fact, it is difficult to carry around the burden of unforgiveness, and whether we realize it or not, it hinders us from moving forward wholeheartedly. Who do you need to forgive today? Forgive and watch yourself soar!
7. Take Joy in Receiving as in Giving
I’m a giver by nature, a happy one at that! And so when our instructor mentioned the importance of receiving, it was the first time it ever dawned on me that the opposing receiving is also a great thing. This message was definitely for me! I mean, I get a lot of gifts. I do! And maybe it’s a part of the universal law of attraction that allows this to happen, but I’m usually the one to say, “Oh thank you, but you didn’t have to” while literally feeling a bit sad to be taking from someone. As if they went through too much for me. So this is something I will stop doing, and start fully embracing whatever I’m offered.
8. Listen to My Body; Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day
Sometimes we push ourselves. I do! Even at times when we feel tired, weary or even a bit hurt we still try to push ourselves to complete or fulfill our obligations. It’s a natural part of us, especially us women. But, as was reinforced for me, the body speaks and when it does I need to listen and obey. We are not machines, and whatever is needed can be done another time, another day. What’s the point in pushing ourselves over the limit all the time? We may push ourselves out of this life. And you know what? Whatever we are pushing to complete will still be there after we are gone! The other important thing to do is to document when we are feeling what in our bodies. For example, if you wake up today and your eyes were unusually blurry at first then cleared up, you need to document that along with the date, time of occurrence, and what you were doing when it happened. Even if you are not going to check it out right away – when it occur, document it so you can bring it to your physician’s attention on your next visit. So listen to your body, and document the changes.
9. Never Underestimate the Power of Human Connection; Find and Maintain a Network
I’m very mindful of this and while I do have a network, or a variety of networks, I sometimes neglect them. Finding a network is vital, but like anything else, the maintenance is paramount. If we do not maintain our garden or our prized possessions, we will not get to enjoy them. They will fade and disappear, for sure, and we all know how it is starting from scratch with anything. So if you haven’t a network, find one! And if you have one that you’ve been neglecting, start attending to it.
Make it a priority to self-love and self-care everyday!
Xo,
Disclosure:
I’m a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This website contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a product link, I may receive a commission in return. See full disclosure here.
Hello my dear friends, family, partners, and online community,
What a year it has been!
As we are about to partake in another Christmas season and welcome 2018, I want to extend a haughty holiday wish to you and a wonderful, everything-you-could-imagine-it-to-be 2018. Personally, I love the deep appreciation that unfolds at this time of year as people reflect on the joy they have created for their lives and so many others, and as they look forward to realizing their desired vision and dreams.
What a pleasure it has been for me to observe such a wide spectrum of people take up their own pursuit towards personal empowerment and financial independence. This past year I had the privilege of meeting so many of you, from all corners of this beautiful planet, and I am so grateful for all of you who helped to make my 2017 marvelous. In my quest to help you, I have in the process helped myself. #WinWin Thank you!
Let’s move into 2018 as true change makers!
People worldwide are discovering their desire to connect deeply to their own vision of life value, and to move beyond all barriers. Now is the time to use our inner integrity as our compass, moving in the direction of real action to contribute to the uplifting of others.
Let’s connect with what is boundless in us, bring joy to the world, and enjoy this time of year with our loved ones. And most of all, let us take some time for ourselves, to carve out our own authentic journey – forward.
You are receiving this letter because you are loved and appreciated. May the spirit of Christmas and the anticipation of a New Beginning pervade your life, and may you continue to prosper and flourish – both personally and professionally, in the coming new year.
The difference between real suicide and financial suicide is that in real suicide a person voluntarily and intentionally take their own life while in financial suicide a person voluntarily but unintentionally deplete their funds. And so it is very easy for someone to get into situation(s) that allow financial suicide to take place. Financial suicide happens as a result of something that was previously done. It is the effect of a cause. Here are 7 Ways You May Be Committing Financial Suicide.
1. Marrying the Wrong Person
One of the biggest decisions any individual can make, is choosing to get married. Choosing whom to marry is an epic decision with major implications, and there are many aspects to consider, discuss, and come clean about before making that big decision to marry. Unfortunately, the financial aspect of the relationship rarely gets discussed prior to many couples getting married, which has proven to lessen the survive-ability of those marriages. Remember: Marriage is also a financial contract! As such, it’s always a financially dangerous proposition, and should not be conducted without the proper pre-marital investigation of both parties with full disclosure, and a viable financial plan discussed and put in place. Also, there are countless “responsible” people who ended up bankrupt due to the actions of a financially undisciplined spouse. You can go into a marriage with the most assets, funds, and the most at stake, and you could lose it all – if you do not protect yourself from the beginning. If you are getting ready to be a bride, take note! Don’t take the plunge until the financial situations are disclosed, discussed, and decided with a plan. The average cost of a divorce is approximately $20,000, and that does not include any assets you stand to lose in your divorce. Be smart, savvy, and strategic in your premarital decisions and avoid financial suicide.
2. Living Above Your Means
Trying to keep up with the Joneses is a sure way to commit financial suicide. Yeah, we all like nice things! And what “nice things” are for me, may not be nice things for you; however, the criteria of what’s desirable is usually decided for most of us by our peers – famous, popular people in our age range. This desire often lead an individual to strain their finances to live in the same neighborhood as the Joneses, drive the same car as the Joneses, wear the same designer clothes as the Joneses, join the same clubs as the Joneses, eat at the same restaurant as the Joneses, take as many vacation to the same destinations as the Joneses, send our children to the same schools as the Joneses, and the list goes on and on. This type of living – if not carefully planned for, will wipe out every dollar, dime, and penny into financial suicide instead of financial prosperity.
3. Failing to Accurately Track Income and Expenses
Trying to get a handle on your personal finances without knowing how much money you are earning, and where it is all going, is tantamount to trying to drive while blindfolded. People who fail to take the time to analyze their finances typically end up crashing and burning because they lack a means of ensuring they get the most from their income. As with anything else, if you are taking out more than you are putting in, it will definitely be a matter of time before it is all depleted. So, whether or not you are keeping up with the Joneses, make sure you are accurately tracking and managing your finances. To do otherwise will have you committing financial suicide.
4. Failing to Establish a Plan for the Future
The young always seem to have more time than money, which is why financially important things like putting aside money for short and longer-term emergencies or feathering a retirement nest egg, are often never even considered until people approach their golden years. Of course, by then, it’s usually much too late. The old cliche really is true: Failing to plan is the same thing as planning to fail. The best time to start planning is always when you are younger; however, regardless of where you are in age right now, you need to start planning for those days when you are no longer able to work but still must survive and thrive. If you do not have ample amount of savings, you will run out of funds and end up committing financial suicide.
5. Abusing Your Credit Cards
Credit Cards are powerful! And can help you get ahead in many ways. However, without the proper financial knowledge, acumen, and discipline, credit cards can be detrimental to your financial health which could also lead to other personal ruin. If you haven’t yet gotten a credit card, learn how to use credit cards responsibly before doing so. It is also important that you not get a credit card if you do not have a secure job, or have a substantial amount of savings to use to pay the minimum balance in the event you lose your job. Using credit cards without proper planning can catapult your debt, ruin your credit, and result in you committing financial suicide.
6. Having Unplanned Children
Like any other huge decision, a plan should be in place for having a child including a time to start the conception process after the proper necessities are put in place, to ensure them the resources they will need. There is nothing more destructive to one’s financial future than bringing children into the world without having an established and stable means to support them. Raising children requires a tremendous investment of not only money, but time and commitment as well. Unfortunately, when those resources are in short supply, it becomes extremely difficult to maintain a stable home environment, meet basic needs, and accumulate wealth for their future and yours. This is not only unfair to you; it is unfair to your children as they did not ask to be here, and now without the proper provision they will be guaranteed to go with you into the financial suicide you are committing.
7. Maintaining Financial Dependency on Others
This is a disaster temporarily averted! It is a known fact that people who are being taken care of by others – financially and otherwise, will take full advantage of that situation and not try to help themselves. This is detrimental to the dependent, and I’m talking about grown, able-bodied adults – not children. This behavior has developed in them a dependency attitude that will cripple them in the long-term and leave them financially disabled. People who are taken care of by others are not usually working at enhancing themselves to come out of their dependency, but are instead becoming fixated and permanently financially disabled. For this same reason I’m absolutely convinced that the longer people remain dependent on government assistance or friends and family for financial support, the tougher it will become for them to achieve financial independence. What will happen when those sources are no longer available? They have already committed financial suicide and may now find themselves committing real suicide. Don’t leave your most important asset – yourself, to others! Get your priorities in order and move towards financial independence.
Unlike real suicide, financial suicide is not a death sentence! And it does not happen immediately! If you are committing any of the 7 financial suicide listed above, you have a chance to stop and turn it around in your favor. Remember, the first step is acknowledging, then and only then can you move forward in doing something about it. Make the change!
Successful businesses take time to build, but with the right tools in place, that time can be immensely shortened. As a matter of fact, if these key tools are not put in place, a business may not see success at all. And these vital tools are technology related – digital technology. Gone are the days when you could go about business as usual without keeping abreast of what’s going on in your industry, and still have a flourishing business. Technology has changed the way we do business, and the way people do business with us. There is a new way to be noticed and your business can suffer hugely if it is not on board. I know, as women entrepreneurs, we often buy into the idea that technology is a “man’s world”. But man’s world or not, technology is something that we will need to embrace if we are going to experience growth and prosperity in our business. So, why is your business not successful? Here are five (5) missing links to your business success.
1. Sales Funnel
A Sales Funnel is the blueprint for your customer’s journey from being a curious spectator to a paid customer, and subsequently transitioning to a raving fan and possibly your brand ambassador. You see just because you helped them with a particular goods or service does not mean that you will always be ahead of them or have a bigger network. I have helped many women who had no community but had the potential to command a huge community, go from zero people in their community to thousands in their community, by helping them become visible in this digital age so prospects – their ideal customers, can find them. And, I can assure you, if you give them what you promised in their first interaction with you, you can expect them to: a) do business with you again and again, b) talk about your goods and services with their family and friends, and c) share stories and @mention you to their audiences on their social media platforms. So the Sales Funnel is the first of five missing links that you must implement in your business in order to succeed in this digital age. Learn more about Sales Funnels and what Beyoncé was able to do with her Formation Sequel.
2. Social Media and Community Building
Building a tribe – a selective, relevant group of people who are interested in what you do, as well as social influencers in similar areas of expertise, is a crucial component for your business success. And thanks to our technological advancement – social media is here to help us concoct this very essential task – seamlessly. How do you get social media to work for you? By setting up separate pages and groups for your business, fashioning your public persona across the social media sphere to tie in to your business model, using your business pages as well as your personal pages as your lead magnet source and tripwire, and channeling them all to your business website’s relevant pages known as your landing pages. Here is my WERK Your Money Making Genie landing page which is a great example of a landing page. Using the Social Success Cycle – a term I was introduced to by Ryan Diess and Russ Henneberry from Digital Marketer in their Social and Community Manager certification program, you are able to maximize your social media efforts, and also get maximum results from minimum time. It includes:
1. Social Listening – what is your target audience talking about? What is their biggest concerns?
2. Social Influencing – Are you sharing content that answers their concerns?
3. Social Networking – Are you connecting with influencers on social media?
4. Social Selling – Are you sharing and making your offers on social media?
So, social listening is first, and social selling is last in the Social Success Cycle. Don’t mess up on this! A lot of people do! You cannot start out trying to sell without listening, influencing or networking and expect to accomplish your sales goal. Like you would in a romantic relationship, date your audience first, then you can ask them to enter into a financial relationship with you. So, this is the second of five missing links that you must implement in your business in order to succeed in this digital age.
3. Email Marketing
Email marketing is not dead! It is very much alive. Having followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Periscope is wonderful but you must get those people on your list. Why? Because a) you get to nail down who those people are that you are resonating with, b) you get to send them direct messages and see how they relate and interact with it, c) you get to fashion your offers to cater to their needs and d) if those third-party platforms close your accounts, you would lose all your followers which means zero contact with them. I know it is highly unlikely to have all your social media accounts close out all at once but many of your contacts are not all the same on all platforms, and again the benefits of having an email list, trumps the time and effort it will take to build that list. This is the third of five missing links that you must implement in your business in order for your business to succeed and thrive in this digital age.
4. Content
We are living in an information age, and although it can be overwhelming and is for many people, you need to get in on the fun if your business is going to be found and noticed. What you have to share is important and can change people’s lives, right? You wouldn’t be doing this business if you didn’t believe in it and thought it could help others. So you will fashion your content to showcase yourself and your business, how you as a brand will help make their lives better, and position your content so they can access them – effortlessly. Stephen Curry, my fave basketball player who is the point guard on my fave team – the Golden State Warriors, did a piece about the noise – in salute of veterans and those whose voices are not being heard – called “The Noise”. And it’s his version of what’s going on in this information age and how you can make your noise (which is substantive and needs to be heard) louder than the “common ineffective noise” (which is just “empty” noise). So, how do you separate yourself from the noise in this noisy information age? Getting your content out there is the only way for your ideal tribe – the people who resonates with you to access what you are about and get on board in whatever ways they need. But it has to be developed and targeted to your ideal customer. You cannot, will not, and should not aim to write for everyone. Instead you will write specifically for your unique ideal customer and thus be more effective in reaching them and having a bigger possibility of converting them from fans to paying customers. So this is the fourth of the five missing links that you must implement as part of your sales strategy in order to succeed in this digital age.
5. Paid Traffic
Regardless of how optimized your website is, it is going to be extremely difficult to get organic traffic to your website, and you need traffic in order to sustain your business. So, if you are just starting out in the social media sphere and you do not yet have a following, you will need to invest in paid advertising to kickstart those traffic rolling in. The good news is that all the popular social media platforms offer the opportunity to advertise on their platform at minimal cost. This is amazing news! Especially since they allow you to set your advertising cost and target specific demographics. So, figure out where your audience hangs out and start advertising there. You can start with a small budget and work your way up, as you sell more products and services. This is your fifth of the five missing links that you must utilize in your business in order for your business to succeed and thrive in this digital age.
Regardless of the type of business you run, if you are not already an established BIG name business such as Apple, Toyota, Virgin, or Tesla, you need to implement these five (5) missing components in order to be successful.
What other tools are you using in your business that are helping to make it a success? Do tell!
Money and finance is the most influential, dependent variable in relationships, and the aspects of how they are handled in the relationship will be the deciding factor on the health of the relationship or the breakdown of it. Misalignment and mismanagement of money in relationships are the number one stimuli for arguments, mistrust, and resentment in relationships that most often lead to breakup and divorce. It may be surprising to learn that many couples who date and later marry have never discussed their individual personal finances before they get married, and this is a dangerous practice that will not only lead to divorce but can cause the partner in better financial standing to lose their money. Merging together in marriage is serious business! Not only are you entrusting someone with YOU – physically, mentally, and emotionally, but you are also entrusting them with your finances – your lifeblood which allows you to live the kinda lifestyle you enjoy, and make plans to enjoy later on when you retire. When you get married, you two become one! But you know what else become one? Your finances! You are responsible for mishaps or financial infidelity your partner makes, and vice versa. Therefore, it is imperative to examine your partner financially in order to know what you are getting ready to merge with, before getting all in.
Get Financially Organized Before Committing To Marriage & Ensure Your Partner Is Too
Before you enter into a serious relationship with someone, you need to consider your own financial situation whether it’s your debt, your credit score, whatever the case is with your finances. Know your financial stance so when you come to the table to scrutinize their financial situation, yours will also be in order, because they will need to scrutinize yours as well. And if they don’t, I would really be looking at them through the side eye and not taking them seriously. You cannot enter into a relationship half stepping and expect your partner to be full stepping, and neither should they. It doesn’t work that way! At least not long-term! And what may start out as a fun, romantic, happy relationship may end up falling apart when the ooowww and aaawww phase of the early stages of the relationship are over. (And it will!) Especially, if not done right, with the kind of full disclosure and premeditation that needed to take place prior to jumping in together. And as Dr Boyce Watkins wrote in his book Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets With Your Partner in Ways That Feel Good, “I recommend not considering having financial sex until you are ready. Getting ready doesn’t necessarily mean increasing your income, since income isn’t everything, it means spending time working on your own financial habit before getting someone else involved.” Examine your financial situation and be prepared to examine your potential partner’s financial situation, as well as have him examine yours.
Discuss Finances Before You Get Married; It Is Too Important To Ignore
Like any other partnership, knowing where each other stand financially before making any commitment, is not only common sense but it is crucial to the health and survive-ability of the relationship. Does each partner have debt? How much debt does each have? Is it good debt or bad debt? How will you work together to lower or eliminate those debts? Will you be combining those debts and working together to lower or eliminate them? Or will each party work to lower or eliminate his/her own debt? How are the credit histories looking? Who has been better with money? Who stands to lose more if the marriage collapses? Will you be instituting a prenuptial agreement? How will you navigate the financial aspects of the partnership once merged? Who will be responsible for what? Will each party have their separate bank account and another that is merged for each to use for the partnership? Will a life insurance be established for each other? How will each party keep the other accountable? These are just a tip of the iceberg on the questions that should be asked and the financial examination that must take place prior to entering into marriage – if the goal is to have a lasting, happy, and fulfilling marriage.
Make Love to Yourself Financially Before Inviting Someone Else To
Money allow us to take the utmost care of ourselves. It creates for us a bedrock where we have choices in the way we eat, sleep, take care of ourselves, and live. As such, establishing a solid financial foundation is vital to our well-being, and instrumental to the way we are treated. If you love yourself, your physical well-being will be a reflection of your financial well-being. When you show that you not only place importance on your physical well-being but also your financial well-being, you can be sure you will get a lot more respect from your partner at the beginning of the relationship which will have no choice but to spill over and continue throughout the relationship. As humans, we tend to treat people based on the way they treat themselves. If they love and respect themselves it will translate in their words and actions, and if they don’t, then that too will translate. Why do you believe that poor women who marry rich men and vice versa are abused so much? Because they have left their most important priority – their finances, up to someone else. Remember, our finances allow us to care for ourselves, and live the lifestyle we design. If we value ourselves we will not leave that most essential part of our livelihood to someone else. And so people with money know and understand that, and have devalued you based on the way you have devalued yourself. There is no way that those rich partners would allow themselves to be broke and resort to depending on someone else finances – long-term. Not gonna happen! So this is huge to think about when planning on marrying someone wealthy or financially secure. If you are not bringing anything to the table, nine out of ten, you will be taken advantage of. Having your finances in order is the highest form of self-love, a love that cannot help but command respect.
Too many people are committing financial suicide by entering into marriages without first checking their partners financial pedigree, or lack thereof. Make sure your financial situations are all in check before you move to attach someone else to it. And after you work at getting your financial T’s crossed and I’s dotted, make sure the partner you are planning on merging with, have their T’s crossed and I’s dotted as well. Do this one thing right – from the get go, and you can expect to: avoid financial suicide, experience financial prosperity, and have a more stable, happy, and transparent marriage.
Xo,
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Well the first thing I’m going to say – which you already know, is that life is precious, its end unpredictable, and sure. But pending that, life will be what we make it. We have a choice in what we do with our lives, how we spend our time here on earth, and who we spend our time with. At least most of us do!
Life by Design: Living My Best Life “NOW”
When my aunt passed away while I was barely a teen I realized at that early age how delicate life was, the surety of its end, and how little control we have over when that end comes. I also realized that there were people living on this earth who were controlled – limiting their freedom of self expression, livelihood, and ability to design and live life the way they want to. And so I decided at a very young age that with all the things I cannot control being highly significant, I would do everything in my power to control the things I can control – to ensure I live the best way possible – doing what I want to do and having a fulfilling life. And thankfully, I am living in a part of the world where a great degree of personal freedom is allowed. And so now I can truly say that the only thing that can stop me from living my best life, is me.
No-one is coming to hand me my dream lifestyle! I have to design it the way I want it, strategize on the tools I need and the path I will take to get to it, set goals to help me accomplish it, and follow through. In all eight key areas of my lifestyle design – health & fitness, love & romance, career & business, personal growth & development, family & friends, money & finance, housing & accommodation, geographic location & community, it is important that I take advantage of every day I am present and actually live and maximize the experiences I know I can have, and I have made that my priority.
Like me, you have visions of a better tomorrow; for yourself, and your family. Perhaps those visions consist of a you losing weight, getting into shape, quitting smoking, finding a career that you actually love, becoming your own boss, making more money, reading more books, writing a book, mastering your favorite musical instrument, purchasing your dream home, relocating to that country/state/city etc., all while making quality time to spend with your family, and keep up with friends. But whatever your vision, ask yourself, “what are you waiting for?“
What it Means to Live Your Best Life
Living your best life means living up to your fullest potential. And living up to your fullest potential means you decide what that looks like for you in all eight key areas – craft your unique design, devise a plan to bring it to life, then execute and actually do those things according to your life design. #DesignYourDreamLifestyle. Practicing self care – externally as well as internally, is another huge part of living your best life. This includes taking time out to smell the roses, eat right, stay in shape, and letting go of past hurt, limiting beliefs, and forgiving those who have wronged us. #LetInVivaciousEnergy. Living your best life also means that you continue to set the bar even higher for yourself, and committing to personal growth. You must be willing to change, to grow, and to do what it takes in order for you to continue being the best person you can be and living the best life you can live. And of course, you cannot live your best life without balance, and so you need to ensure that balance is taken into consideration when crafting your lifestyle design.
What It Takes to Live Your Best Life
Strength & Tenacity
Accomplishing our biggest goals and living our best life often means doing things that are difficult and challenging. It is so much easier to settle for mediocrity than to reach for exemplary. Exemplary takes work! Breaking bad habits and developing good habits takes discipline and strength of character, and living our best life will demand nothing less. We can build strength of character by first stepping out of our comfort zone, then challenging ourselves to do things that other people might consider difficult, improving at every level. We can then use that strength and tenacity to make more positive changes in all areas of our life. This inner strength is vital to staying the course, especially when the going gets tough. Also, we cannot live our best life with unresolved, emotional baggages weighing us down, and so in order to free ourselves of those baggages, we need to forgive our perpetrators. This is not an easy feat! And so you will need all the strength you can muster to get you through the forgiveness process. But remember: In order to fly you have to be light.
Courage & Determination
It takes courage and a great deal of determination to create the life you desire. As you explore and honor what you ultimately want for yourself, you’ll find that means breaking some old habits and forming new ones. Those changes may include walking away from friendships and other relationships that no longer support your growth and your goals. You may encounter resistance from friends and family as they see you take your future into your own hands. Often times the people who are not supportive of you are the same ones making zero effort to improve their own lives, and so they would prefer that others remain stuck along with them. It takes courage and determination to push forward in pursuit of your desired dream lifestyle, in spite of obstacles, lack of support, and criticisms aimed at thwarting your efforts.
Commitment & Self-Respect
Living your best life begins with appreciating the fact that you are alive. Realizing that life is a gift and every single day is a blessing is the foundation on which you build the life you desire. Appreciating life means respecting yourself and your body. Your body is your vehicle for this journey; give it the fuel and maintenance it needs, and it will perform at its best whenever you need it to. Choosing actions that nurture self-respect also builds confidence, and confidence is vital to achieving your goals. By taking excellent care of yourself, you send a message that you are important and valuable. Building your sense of self-worth is also inspiring and motivating. Likewise, commitment is a form of self-respect; you respecting yourself enough to set goals, and accomplish them. Following through with commitments you have made to yourself is the number one way you honor yourself.
Planning & Organization
Being able to live your best life takes planning and organization. Setting goals and living a balanced life is much easier when you take the time to plan things out and write them down. From daily to-do lists to 5-year plans, getting organized has a huge impact on our ability to achieve our goals.
Key People, Institutions, Things
Regardless of what living your best life looks like – for you, you will need either a) key people, b) institutions, c) specific things or a combination of these to play a role in you accomplishing your goals. Whether you need a partner in order for you to realize your dream of having a family and children, a degree in order for you to pursue your career or acquire the skills to start your own business, or money in order to materialize your vision you will not be able to live your best life without having the things and/or people you need in place.
Living our best life is totally possible! And because I only have one shot at traveling on this journey called life, the odds of me leaving my experiences and the way I live to chances, are zero. If you live in a country where your liberties are not hampered, take advantage of that freedom and make it count for you. Design your dream lifestyle, and live your life by your design.
Harvard graduate, Donovan Livingston’s 2016 speech is a testament to what can be accomplished when we believe in ourselves, and allow nothing and no-one to keep us off track. Take a listen:
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Whether it was in kindergarten, high school, now our workplace board room or our own home – at some point many of us are being told to shut up and conform to the status quo. We are offered alternatives to what we want as individuals, and our very being are contained and blighted by the confines that cripples us and quells our inner light from shining. Shutting us down telling us how to behave, stay in our place, what to eat, wear, see, hear, speak…how to feel about what we eat, see, smell, hear…When the hell do I get to be me? Is the question most asked. When do I break free from the oppression that suppresses me, letting out the caged bird so she can freely sing? When? We wonder!
Breaking free takes hard work, determination and a resilient spirit.
What I get from this speech, in addition to breaking free and taking off, is to “NEVER shut up! NEVER give up!” Make your voices heard however you want it to be heard, and do whatever you want with your life.
If you believe in something strongly enough, do not allow anyone to talk you out of pursuing it. You may get off track for whatever reason, but don’t stay there! Get back on track, uplift yourself and get to wherever YOU want to go.
Decide today! Make that decision that no matter who or what try to get you off track (if they do succeed) it will be short-term because you will muster up, remind yourself who you are, what you’re about and make every effort to get back on track and fulfill your dreams no matter how BIG or small. Make a commitment to yourself, then make every effort to keep it!
Throughout my life, many events have happened that reminded me just how incredibly short and uncertain our time here on this earth can be. But nothing compared to what I experienced two years ago.
Two years ago I lost a very good friend of mine and like many of us who have lost loved ones know, it can be a hard, brick-size hit. At the age of 48 Kelly was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and within a mere week, my Kelly was gone! There was no time to get use to the fact that she may be fighting a losing battle, she did not get any time to fight! In the twinkling of an eye she was just gone! You see Kelly was young, and vibrant, and full of hope and dreams. She epitomizes the perfect daughter, sister, mother, auntie, cousin, friend, wife anyone would dream of having. And I was blessed to be a part of her life. But her death changed me. Her death has placed an urgency in me to not waste a minute on frivolous things! To not remain focused on the things I cannot control! To be slow to anger and swift to forgive! To spread love wherever I go and make a difference in other’s lives! To stop and smell as many roses as I can possibly smell! To get out there and live out so loud that my very being becomes prolific! To live every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every moment, as if it’s my very last moment. Her life was a gift that I expected to have for a long, long time, but it was taken.
But you know what I can tell you! I can tell you that Kelly lived her dream. She wanted to be a doctor, she did that! She wanted to travel the world, she did that! She wanted a huge white house with a picket fence, she got that! She wanted a caring, compassionate, loving husband, she got that too! She wanted beautiful, healthy children, she got that too! She wanted to swim everyday, she had a pool in her own yard! She wanted to play tennis everyday, she had her very own tennis court on her property! She wanted great friends, she so had that! She has lived! She lived her life just the way she wanted, on her own terms. And so in mourning Kelly, I remind myself of what Kelly would want me to do now, which is live today like there is no tomorrow which was her actual motto. And that’s what I do every day, and I encourage you to do the same.
All our life designs are different! Everyone’s life design ain’t gon’ look the same way. We may have the same desires to love and be loved, to appreciate and be appreciated, to respect and be respected, to give and be given, to forgive and be forgiven, to teach and be taught, to listen and be listened to, to value and be valued…and the list goes on and on; however, when it comes to tangibles we all have varying likes, dislikes, preferences for different things and may also go about getting them using varying methods. But whatever you want your lifestyle to be, design it, actualize it, and live it. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month and not next year. Design it now! Now is what you have! Now is what is sure! Don’t leave your lifestyle to chances, it’s too important for that. Design it and live it just the way you want it. And let no-one hinder you or tell you you can’t, because YOU CAN.
Believe in yourself more than anybody else. Shut down those negative thoughts of you being crazy for thinking you can actually accomplish that feat! Of you being out of your league for dreaming so big! Shut them down with positive opposing views and refocus on what you want to accomplish. Start affirming that you are worth it. You are capable. You got this! Design Your Dream Lifestyle, create a plan of attack, and start executing.
Allow yourself the privilege of being one of the few who can look back on their life later and say I’ve lived. I did the damn thing!
So go ahead and get started on designing and actualizing your desired lifestyle, but please bookmark this page and come back here to let me know how you are progressing and how this information may have helped you. Also, please like/follow/share/comment on our social media platforms and blog. There may be someone just like you who needs to hear this message today. And finally, feel free to get your copy of this FREE workbook I’ve created to help with designing and actualizing your dream lifestyle.
Hey guys, welcome again to another blog post where I’ll be discussing the BIG one – MONEY! Only this time it will be about the MINDSET. Yes indeed, a shift need to happen first before you can start to really make the money you so long for and deserve. Everyone wants to know how they can make more money, and with good reason! I mean, how many things can we possibly get done without money?! Really, barely anything!
I’m discussing this today because my inbox overflows constantly with people all over the world asking this very question, “how can I make more money?” And the simple answer to this is, shifting your mindset about money, and start capitalizing the result of that shift.
I’ve developed a system which is designed for you to not only look externally for solutions but to most importantly look inwardly for solutions. We’ll talk more about this later on, but for now, here are the main things you need to do in preparation for this new money abundance to manifest in your life.
The first thing you need to do is to change your money mindset. Meaning, change the way you view money, treat money, interact with money. If your mindset about money is that it is unreachable, unattainable, and just impossible to get a hold of, then your actions will undoubtedly work in accordance with your view of lack – and the impossibility-ness (yea, my word) of getting and retaining it. Stop with the limiting belief that it can never happen for you, and only a select few were meant to experience monetary overflow and thrive. Your thoughts will keep your actions in alignment with it, and thus that’s what will be manifested. Also, the way you view money will reveal itself in the way you treat and interact with money. If you see money as the “root of all evil” as some people see it, then that’s exactly how you will treat it. And if you know someone is evil you’re not going to treat them with respect, right? Well same thing with money, if you think it is evil or not good for you, then of course you’re not going to treat it with respect, and money command respect. If you respect money and the power money affords, then you will no doubt treat it with respect, and thus do the things that allow money to be attracted to you and want to stay with you. Respect money and keep it, disrespect money and lose it. This may sound pretty simple or unreal perhaps, but we are connected to this universe and there are vibrations constantly operating inside and outside of ourselves, and those vibrations oscillate based on what we are experiencing and most of all – how we view what we are experiencing and deal with them. I’ll probably be touching on this at some point later on, so stay tuned.
What I find in my assessment of dealing with people around the world as far as making more money, is that many of them are doing way too much and creating far too little. In other words, the returns on their investment – be it time, money or other resource – is way too minimal and not at all conducive to maximum results.
In order to make more money you don’t necessarily need to do more. You just need to be effective and more efficient. One way of doing that – if you are a service-based business individual, is to stop charging for the hour you are actually present doing the work, and start charging for the value of the work. In other words, charge them a fixed fee based on what you know your service is worth, regardless of the number of hours you spend actually doing the work. You cannot allow your client or prospect to tell you how much your service is worth. They can tell you how much your service is valued to them but only you decide on your cost or the value you place on what they need to get done. The other thing that you can do, and should do, is to find a way to package your services or one aspect of your services so that you can monetize that regardless if you are sleeping or awake. As billionaire Warren Buffet rightly said, “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.” And I want to add “work until you die” without ever living the life you dreamed. Also, find ways to automate things in your business that can be automated and delegate tasks that others can do without jeopardizing your business in any way.
If you are operating a product-based business, then your products can already be in automation and monetization mode, if you make them accessible online. Making your products available only when you are able to open your brick and mortar storefront will not help you make more money, and definitely not allow you to maximize your profit potential.
If you are an employee wanting to make more money, apart from asking your employer for a raise, the only other way to do that is either a) find an additional job or b) start selling something that either you make, get made, or something that you can do. For example, writing a book about something that you know a lot about that is also relevant to our times, or starting a blog or podcast sharing what you know a lot about and monetizing it. Choose what you want to do, and execute it well! Again, as far as finding another job, there is only so much you can physically do, and if you’re not careful, you will experience a real burn-out. So the second thing you need to do in order to make more money is to get systems in place to pull money in on auto pilot, and subsequently put those monies to work for you. Invest your money! We’ll be talking more about this later on, so be sure to subscribe to this blog so you can get more info on this when those posts are published.
The third thing you need to do is to be knowledgeable about your current financial stance, set S.M.A.R.T. goals based on where you are now and where you want to be in a realistic time-frame. Institute an effective financial system, and ensure that system’s procedures are adhered to, at all times. If you delegate your financial tasks, be sure to stay connected and in the know so you can ensure you remain on budget and your money only go where you need it to go.
So make a concerted effort to shift what needs to be shifted, and align what needs to be aligned so that you can start making the money you need to, and ultimately get to your peak destination – whatever that marker is. I’m not there yet, I’m still on my journey! As a matter of fact, I’m not even sure if there is a destination to making money cause really I do not want to stop. I shouldn’t stop having money flowing in, because until I take my last breath here on this earth, I will continue to need money in order to not only survive, but to thrive.
If you’ve been following me for a while now, you know that I go hard when it comes to money and building wealth. How else are we going to properly take care of ourselves, like really take care of ourselves if we do not accumulate wealth? And for those of us who have children, what about their posterity? Not gonna happen without money! And lots of it! So we must all learn how to attract and accumulate wealth.
“If you don’t have time, then you must have money. If you don’t have money, then you must have time. You can’t NOT have one or the other.” Eugénie Nugent
The biggest problem many of us have, is trading TIME for MONEY. There is no LEVERAGE! There is no way on God’s green earth that anyone can trade their time – literally, for money and become wealthy. No way! If you have to be physically present to earn, then how much money could you earn so? How tired and exhausted will you also be in the process of trying to earn enough to fulfill your everyday monetary obligations?
It doesn’t matter what type of job or profession you have – doctor, lawyer, nurse, engineer, architect…you can only be present for so long and physically do so much! In addition, the amount you earn and can earn in any one of those capacity is very limiting, and definitely not wealth generating – unless you invest or automate! Ooooh!!!! We’ll be talking more about that investing and automation on this blog, so be sure to subscribe and stay tuned.
The next biggest problem is believing and acting on the premise that wealth is money, and money is wealth. Wealth and money may be interchangeable but they are two different things! Money is the means to an end, and wealth is that end. According to the Merriam Webster, “money is a current medium of exchange in the form of coins, and banknotes”, and wealth is “an abundance of valuable possessions”. Wealth is the physical and money is the means of exchange that allows you to get those valuables or possessions.
So in order to get wealthy you need to use the money to acquire value or valuables. Not all of your money! Since money is the “current medium of exchange” you need to have ample supply of cash on hand to take care of your day to day, month to month, year to year responsibilities and needs as well as enough cash reserved or stashed in the event there is an emergency. Assets or possessions such as your home can be turned into cash or exchanged for cash, but not as readily as say a piece of jewelry. For this reason, among others, it’s important to also have various types of assets including liquid assets – assets that are easiest to convert to cash. (I know I started sounding accounting, but that’s a huge part of my background. Stick around and you will become accounting savvy too!)
This next huge problem is unfortunately what most people are faced with – using up all our time, exhausting ourselves with 9 – 5 and still barely able to make ends meet with our five (5) biggest and necessary expenses – mortgage/rent/utilities, medical/dental/self-care/insurance, food, clothing, car/transportation – let alone getting to any item on our bucket list. In other words, existing but not living.
So without further ado, here are seven (7) Income Streams that can Uplevel your Net Worth:
Income Stream #1: Books
Books, books, books, love books! Both to read, and to profit from! Yes, you write a great book once, and you can profit from it for life. And did I mention royalties? Royalties rule! Those small consistent portions of monies coming in can truly enhance your net worth, especially if you have multiple relevant books. You can publish several books in a day. Ok? And as far as writing, that can take however long you permit it to! Or however short! Some people have actually written and published a book in a month, but depending on the type of book you are writing it may take less or more time. However, the main point is, books no longer need to take forever to write or publish. If you really want to get your books out there pronto, you can! Now with book royalty you currently get between 10 – 15% of the cost of the book, so if you sell your book for $15 you get $1.50 for each sale of your book. That is exponential and never ending as long as your books are being sold. Now can you imagine having 10 books – especially bestselling books? Your residual Income could up your Income ally and increase your chances of ever getting to your million-dollar mark. I say get to writing already!
Income Stream #2: YouTube
Listen ladies, it’s no longer a choice to be on YouTube! It’s a necessity! YouTube RED and Pay-Per-View videos can make you so much money! Whatever it is that’s holding you back from taking advantage of this powerful platform, denounce it! Trump it! YouTube’s pay-per-view option is HUGE! Just like Cable – when you want to watch your favorite specialty show you have to pay in order to view, YouTube has made that possible and you get to set your price per view for each video. Now, you have to ensure that the videos you are putting out are of real value – quality content, and that it is something you would purchase yourself had you needed that particular category of information. YouTube has become that launching place for projects! It is the second largest search engine second only to Google currently – well, Google owns it now which is making it what it is becoming – a power-tool for marketers. YouTube is the only social media platform that pays you to upload content, and that’s huge! People will pay for the quality videos you put up while you are sleeping. Yes, people are doing different things at different times throughout the world – thanks to time difference, and so they can access your videos and purchase them whenever they need to. You do not have to be available in order for them to gain access. YouTube is always open!
Income Stream #3: Network Marketing
Things have changed! No longer can you remain inside your own space and get found. You have to network, and the internet allows for that in a myriad of convenient ways. We are able to do so much more online than ever before! The entire front-end of your marketing can be taken care of before your prospects even get to you. You don’t need to recruit family and friends! You don’t need to host home meetings! You can do this entirely online! Network marketing can open doors for you that would not otherwise get opened! Share with each other, support each other and spread the word for each other – all while earning. If you want to have home parties good for you! I’ve had enough of that in my earlier years selling Mary Kay products. It was a lot of fun and great while it lasted, but it was also kinda like the only way to network back then – twilight days – no Internet. But today, you can make so much more money networking remotely. Thanks to the Internet! That’s a huge part of what it is all about! Bring amazing people into your circle. That’s what we do here at My Blooming Biz Power Circle. Whether you invest in, or start your own network marketing company, this type of income generation can increase your net worth – exponentially, and yes you do need people – a tribe, a circle to get you going.
Income Stream #4: Information Products
Yesssss! This is the information age! Again, like books, you write it once and continuously benefit from it – reaping the rewards. Regardless of where you are or what you are doing, your info products can be channeling in the money. This is a no brainer! If you know something that you can share that is relevant, you need to package that into a nice ebook and start capitalizing it. I want to share with you a very vital resource that I use, with a simple setup that can make your info products go from “where are you?” to “There you are!” And that resource is Gumroad. Gumroad is one of the fastest ways to setup your info products, and help to get them found. I really like their approach. They make it so easy to create your projects, you can have your info product up and running in no time at all – like literally in one sitting. You can create videos, PDF, audio training. Go to freeconferencecallhd.com and setup your FREE account. Next, you want to call into your conference call line and press record (*9) and start recording your info piece. Once you are done recording, just go ahead and hang the phone up. You can then have those info pieces transcribed (check out fiverr.com for affordable help doing this) and have them ready in little to no time at all. Now, all you have to do is open your account on Gumroad, link with your Paypal account (that’s how they pay you), and upload your info products. (If you do not already have one, it’s pretty simple to open an account with Paypal) People love great info products! Don’t you? Well, let’s make the most of this information age. Decide what you want to talk about and share, then start selling them on Gumroad. Love me some Gumroad!
Income Stream #5: A Portfolio
Today, it’s easier that ever to Invest! And you have choices! You can choose to invest in stocks, real estate, gold, silver and a whole lot more. Go to sharebuilder.com or capitaloneinvesting.com as Share Builder is now owned by Capital One Investing, and you can open your account and pretty much start your investment portfolio with as little as $25. As their current tagline says, “This is Investing on Your Terms.” I say, “Yes, it is!” They allow for incremental, so you can do $25 every week, $25 every month, how much ever you can afford the important thing is to put some money aside in your portfolio and allow it the opportunity to grow. Very inexpensive way to get started. What I’ve also done is open an account with mint.com, and what this does is it allows me to have all of my accounts in order much like Intuit’s other popular software QuickBooks, but FREE. You can also choose to link your bank and investment accounts to mint.com and be able to better keep track of all your financials in one place and in an orderly fashion. What I like most about mint.com is that they not only keep track of your financial information, but they also send you weekly updates – snapshots if you will, of your financial stance – your net worth. Golden!
Income Stream #6: Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing works! Period! One very good thing you can do, if you already have a following in a niche, is to market affiliates products to your tribe. Just put them on your website, talk about the benefits of purchasing and using them and watch your tribe buy, share and support you. It’s as simple as that, and the returns can be enormous! Also, as your website becomes more popular, more and more people will find your website based on your site’s relevant keywords, and of course your affiliate links will be right there to entice them. Affiliate marketing has been around for a while and it’s not going anywhere, so get on board!
Income Stream #7: Your Tribe
Influence, influence, influence! This is huge! People want to belong somewhere and be involved in something, so becoming an influencer in your best area is a phenomenal way to make some moola. If you are communicating and connecting with people about the things that they are passionate about, they will come on board and be a part of your tribe. The best part about having a tribe, in addition to having phenomenal, like-minded people in your circle, is the constant support they provide. The ability of a tribe to widen and strengthen your reach is priceless. Just really invaluable! They share your story on all their social platforms, as well as with their friends, family, and acquaintances – offline. Now, here’s a huge difference a tribe can make for you. Having a huge following makes you an influencer, ok? And there are companies that will approach you to place ad on your site that you set the price for, and then there is Famebit that allows you to bid on projects that thousands of brands are hiring influencers to write content for their brand and commercial/videos. Ladies, this is huge, highly competitive, but so worth the effort of being a part of. It’s actually mostly up to you, if you want to take on these projects since you are already a huge influencer in that branded area. In other words, when you have a tribe, you can participate in a myriad of opportunities on Platforms such as Famebit as mentioned and Patreon, knowing that your endeavors will be successful because your tribe will support you. Priceless!
Do not attempt to try them all at once! Start with one and gradually keep adding one until you are through. If you try them all at once, you’re most likely to become overwhelmed. Work your way from most viable for you, to least viable for you, and dive deep into each. You want to have a good footing in each so that it is best position to bring you the returns you deserve. There is no such thing as “get rich quick” and getting wealthy overnight. (Unless of course you win the lottery. Good luck with that!) You really have to put in the investment and time to market whatever you’re selling and set the ground-work for channeling the monies in. You also must ensure the products and/or services you are offering are relevant and needed.
When you start raking in the millions, you can uplevel some more with the big one “real estate” investment. You can do it! You are here to live YOUR dreams.
So, be sure to follow me on social media, like, subscribe and let me know your thoughts in the comment sections as well as any questions you may have. You do not want to miss out on valuable information! Cause I’m constantly learning and implementing as I go, and very happy to share the knowledge with you, so that you too can start attracting and accumulating wealth.
You may have seen this little note passing around in our social sphere:
“A man bumps into his ex wife’s new husband and said, ‘Hi how’s the second hand pussy?’ The man replies, ‘It’s great thanks. After the first three inches the rest of it is brand new!’” Words, very powerful! But so is mindset!
One very unique thing about the human being is the ability to think critically about situations and choose how we want to deal with them; the ability to decide at any given moment whether to give our power away or keep it. Who do you think was empowered from that short encounter? The disgruntled ex husband or the intuitive, quick-witted current husband? Of course, the current husband! Are you kidding? Not only was he able to keep his power and maintain his sanity, he was able to take whatever dignity that ex husband has away from him rendering him powerless, ineffective, a non-issue. He asked for it! Didn’t he?
Now, I want you to think about this, like really think about this. Many of us would not have chosen this dignified path and kept our power! Many of us would most likely have chosen between two extremes and either a) beat the shit outta him or b) hang our heads and retreat in defeat feeling like a loser, and worse yet thinking and believing that we really have a partner with a second hand, banged up “parts” allowing that malicious ex to project his contorted, distorted view onto us. Beating on him would surely make you feel good in the moment, but that good feeling would definitely not last. You would have sunken passed his level, giving up your power and allowing him to be right. Likewise, accepting defeat and walking away would leave you playing the scenario over and over again in your head and coming up empty and discomfited each time. But what this husband was able to do, in addition to crushing that ex’s ego, was to turn an otherwise negative connotation into a positive – beginning in his mind. He was able to see the glass half-full – his wife ‘parts’ may be second hand, but not fully.
This type of composure and self-control displayed by the current husband is said to come from a high level of emotional intelligence – willing ourselves to respond in a way that allows us to keep our power. But I also believe that our mindset and how we view things – in a good light vs a bad light, a glass half-full vs a glass half-empty is a huge part of what makes us constantly cognizant enabling us to always respond in a way that is empowering.
The Good News About Mindset
Mindset shifting can be practiced! And like any sporting activities, the more you practice, the better you get at it. So, I want you to remember this scenario whenever you are faced with any challenges or situations in which you have to respond. Challenges are inevitable, and the magnitude of each challenge varies, but if you get to practicing the healthy habit of always keeping your power – shifting your mindset and taking the high road, you will eventually become the master of YOU.
This particular encounter may not have happened in that way for us ladies as we are, well, women but just like that conscious current husband, you too can choose to see the glass half-full instead of half-empty when situations present themselves in whatever shape or form. You cannot choose or decide what gets thrown at you! None of us can! But, like that present husband, YOU and only YOU get to decide how YOU respond. Very powerful!
So, take note of how you deal with situations and ensure YOU stay empowered.
Here’s a question I get asked a lot by entrepreneurs who are trying to make sense of personal vs business pages, “If I cannot place ads on my personal profile page what’s the point of having it then?” Facebook has a lot of rules and one of them is, you cannot advertise directly on your personal Facebook page. They have established business page capabilities, and they want you to use that for all your business needs. They know you will need to market your business page in order to get people to see it, and they also want to capitalize on that by providing paid advertising services for those pages. Think about it, this is a great business strategy for Facebook! Nevertheless, there are ways in which you can use the personal page to add value to your business page. Yes, it most certainly can be done! .
Another common question I get asked is, “how can I separate my real friends from my business associates on my person profile?” Basically, that is a big problem for a lot of people; they have their family on their page and of course, they want to give value to them. What I recommend and do with that is, I try to mix it up a bit. Meaning, I post things that are of value to both my family as well as my associates. I will post a few interesting pictures from family events, and I’ll do the same for business events. My business is my life and my life is my business; they are intertwined into my brand – me, and so my family understands that. Anyone who does not get me, or understand why I do what I do, they probably have already unfriend me, and that’s ok too. But if you really do not want them seeing your business stuff, you can create lists on Facebook. It’s a bit more work to setup and keep going, but it’s an available option to use.
Once you’ve built that relationship with people even from your past, they will not have a problem being a part of what you do – actually most of them will be happy to support you. They are like your tribe; they will come with you on whatever journey you are taking. Overall, just make your Facebook wall really valuable to anyone who goes on it. Avoid salesy pitches after pitches; no one likes them. People are tired of being sold to! I know I am. (until I see that banging Gucci handbag on sale – Lol☺ )
Social Media Marketing Mentoring and Me
I thought I knew Facebook, until I sat down with my SMM mentor; what I’ve learned is priceless. I’ve got books upon books of notes on various aspects of leveraging my Facebook personal page that I have started implementing, and I want to share a few of those with you.
1) The first thing you do is to make sure that your personal Facebook page is designed bearing your business in mind. It doesn’t matter what niche you are in, you want to ensure that your personal profile is working for you, because that is the point of contact where most people see you first. Let’s be honest, when you see someone’s business page and it interests you, don’t you go to see if you can peak into their personal page? I do! (only for business pages that peaks my interest, but nonetheless – I do!) Personal profile pages say a lot about us, and if someone wants to know if they can do business with you, or refer a friend to you, or if you are truly an authority in your niche they will come looking at your personal pages across social media platforms – especially Facebook. First impression lasts, so It’s really, really imperative that you get your profile right in order to convey your ideal message. To accomplish this:
Make sure you have a great header picture. You can place a family portrait of happy moments, or a group of important business people you’ve met and fell in love with. Just really make sure it’s professional looking, enriching and communicates the narrative you want it to communicate. You’re human!
For your profile, a suitable picture of you should be used; not some random image or your business logo. You want it to have a personal feel and not business-like. After all it is your personal profile page. You also want to make sure you are visible – people can actually see you, and your photo is current or at the very least still looks like you do – not a photo of you when you were twelve. Yeah, those are cute, really, just not on a page you want to kinda show to represent your business – your brand – you. Another thing is, you want to look happy, pleasant, appealing, not all miserable and unhappy. I’ve seen some personal profile pic that are just sullen and can be a huge turn off. I’ve included some examples of good profile pics and not so good ones in that ebook at the top of this page; feel free to download. These two tips are central to the success of your personal page assisting your business page, cause no matter where you do business, it will all lead back to your personal Facebook page.
2) The next thing you do is to make sure the follow button feature on your personal Facebook page is turned on. You do this so that If you have maxed out your personal profile friend number, and people are still requesting to be added as friends, they will follow you instead. The follow is automatic but if it is not turned on, they won’t be able to follow you. I also try to follow a number of people per day as well; it’s definitely a way to get your name out there – your brand. Just imagine if you are following say fifty (50) people per day, a lot of those people will actually come and check you out. They will! I do it myself at times when people follow me (again, if they spark my interest), and so I know this works. And this is where it all comes into play; why your personal profile page need to look awesome. Based on what they see when they visit your page, they will decide whether to follow you back, send you a friend request, or just totally ignore you. Here’s the key, while you cannot send a hundred Facebook friend request per day, you can receive 100 Facebook friend request per day. Huge plus!
NOTE: In order for your follow button to work, your profile must be set to public. And one very good thing that you can do, is keep your friend list private while your followers remain public. That way no one will be able to access your friend list and cherry pick at your friends. I’ve had it done to me before I made it private. Not a good look at all!
3) Create a short but informative intro for your profile to let people know how you would be of benefit to them. You have only 101 characters to sum this up, so be sure to use them wisely. There are a few examples and tips in the FREE ebook above, so do download.
4) Make sure your links are clickable, and will end up exactly where you want them to. For example, the Facebook links such as the “Works at” needs to be linked to your business page. That’s where you have your authority to sell, and are hopefully selling, so that link could get you a lot of leads and possibly closing. Too many people have this very important link pointing to blank or irrelevant pages.
Facebook Personal Page A Real Networking Genie
5) Send out as many friend requests as you can, and accept the ones who request your friendship. Add people who are in your niche, and possibly in your area, everyday on Facebook. Send them friend request or follow them – after you’ve checked their page out, of course. Likewise, accept those friend requests you get, after quickly perusing their personal pages. Facebook views traffic as value, especially local and niched traffic. Every day I send out at least 10 friend requests. I do 10 because Facebook does not really like too many friend requests, and I want to remain in good standing with them, and you will soon see why. In addition, Facebook restricts the number of friends you can have, I believe it’s five thousand (5,000) maximum, and when you’re building a business, that is really restrictive. We all want more than 5,000 people to be hearing our message, especially since they will not all convert.
One of the things that is super important to me and I try to do every day, is to network with people. I go out, I talk with people, I get into groups, I link them on their pages. I do it all. But I try to network with people who are in my niche, people who I know I can learn from, and people who I think can learn from me; people with whom I may be able to do a joint venture, or collaborate to improve our businesses. It is very important to build relationships; it’s actually a huge part of working on your business, instead of only in it. I choose to make it a part of my daily method of operations, because I know the benefits. Relationship building exercises are the keys to our business success, and our personal Facebook profile pages are the magnet. It’s the first place people head after they first meet you to get a more real sense of who you truly are, and what you are about.
6) Create teasers or lead magnets with great visual representation of what you’re offering FREE, and post it on your personal Facebook page, with no links. This is key! In the status bar with your graphic, ask your friends and followers to let you know in the comment section if they need the link to access it. Great way to start a conversation, send people to your tripwire, and possibly close some deals. Nothing may happen in a week or even a month, but eventually someone will get things started and you know that’s all it takes to get the ball rolling at times – just that one to start. Also, be sure to do your part and engage them well. You can also choose to use the messenger to private message those that peaked your interest, those you feel might be receptive to your other similar offers.
Whatever you do:
Never, never, ever post links on your personal Facebook page. Why? Facebook dislikes when you send people off somewhere else – outside of Facebook. If you do this, and especially make a habit of this, your personal page will not get any publicity from Facebook plus – and more importantly, Facebook will shut you down. So, this is not very good if you are using your personal Facebook page to enhance your business’ reach. What you do instead is to post snapshots of whatever you need to have them view, and then let them know if they want the link to it, they can let you know in the comment section. This is a really great strategy; not only will you have them requesting the link, but you can also chat with them privately outside of the comment section with messaging – building relationships.
Do not be woefully salesy on your personal Facebook page. Huge turn off! Mix it up with happenings in your personal and business life. Interesting things and moments. There is selling everywhere, so allow your personal Facebook page to be a welcoming place – like a breath of fresh air – so people can breathe easily.
In addition to asking my inner circle about their use or non-use of their personal page to extend their business reach, I’ve also been asking business owners I meet if they are using their personal Facebook profile page to help their businesses, and it’s actually quite surprising to me that most people aren’t. They had their varying reasons, and that’s absolutely fine because there is no right or wrong to this. There really isn’t! Some people use it, and some people don’t. Whatever works for you, works for you, but as I’ve outlined above, that’s how I use it to help my business.
Allow your personal page to be your lead magnet, that will take them to your business page with your tripwire, then that tripwire will send them to your website or blog’s landing page where they will see your premium offer. Social Media is not for selling, you should use it to generate buzz, and send people off to your website or blog. That’s where the sale happens! I use it to introduce people on my personal page to offers on my business page, as well as to send them to my landing page, all without selling directly on my personal page. Yes, I do! I use it on a grand scale to bring sales into my business, and since people will decide within a few seconds of landing on your personal page if they want to be associated with you in any way, let alone do business with you, you must ensure your page is setup to facilitate what you need it to.
So, should you use your personal Facebook profile to market and grow your business? I say, absolutely! Your business can use all the help it can get to take it to the next levels up.
Go ahead and download that e-book above, and come back here and let me know in the comment section if It has provided value to you in any way. Until then!
Beyoncé Multi-Million Dollar Formation Sales Funnel
Beyoncé is who she is. She is a superstar. She is a diva. She is a real boss lady, but most of all, Beyoncé is a genius. Beyoncé has proven time and time again that she is a force to be reckoned with. Over the years, she has shown us that she is not just a beautiful, talented singer and performer, but also a smart, savvy, strategic woman who knows how to handle her business.
Beyoncé had us in a multi-million dollar sales funnel back in 2016, and while most of us were excited and ecstatic about what she was doing, many of us didn’t even realize we were in a whirlwind sales funnel. It all started on February 6, 2016 and ended on April 27, 2016 at the beginning of her Formation World Tour. Beyoncé’s funnel was built around her new single “Formation.” (Yessss honey, you better ‘get in formation’! singing ☺)
With her strategic alignment of Formation and her end goal in mind, Beyoncé probably made close to a half of a billion dollars. The first thing she did was to go ahead and release her Formation video to her very loyal fanbase, (are you ready for this?) one (1) day before she was scheduled to perform that same Formation single at the Super Bowl halftime. Talk about buzz! Whether you love the video or hate the video, the attention it was given (negative or positive) was enough to cause a media frenzy and put that “Formation” right where Beyoncé wanted it – front and center. Like, BOOM, I’m here! Pay attention! I looooved it. It had a kinda loyal feel to it, a black loyal feel that says, “I am happy to be a black woman; I recognize the struggle and challenges, and I’m up for it.” She so epitomized the black culture and the barriers that have been broken and the ones that are still up and needs to be broken.
Timeline: How Beyoncé Leveraged Her “Formation” Sales Funnel
So, as far as her “Formation” sales funnel, let’s call her release of the video on the eve of her scheduled half-time Super Bowl performance – February 6, 2016, her lead magnet. That’s her freebie to tell the world about her message, and get people in a “Oh my gosh!” situation where you have their attention you know, and they’re trying to figure out “What is she up to now?” If you are a Beyoncé fan, you know she is not shallow, and she always has a depth to her and what she is doing.
Now, as you can tell, this was a direct setup for the Super Bowl. Millions of people were already going to watch the Super Bowl as they do every year regardless of who is performing; however, with this mysterious and sudden release on the eve of such a huge event, many more curious people would be watching the Super Bowl to satisfy their curiosity and this would be a huge plus not only for Beyoncé but also her sponsor – Pepsi.
At that Super Bowl, Beyoncé made fifty million dollars, as she was the brand ambassador for Pepsi. Now the second thing she did, being the headliner at the Super Bowl with Bruno Mars is, as soon as she performed at the halftime (her tripwire right here!), Beyoncé announced that she was going on a world tour with “Formation” and you can imagine what followed! Beyoncé sold over 100 million dollars in tickets and completely sold out at the drop of a hat. People found money to purchase Beyoncé’s “Formation” tickets in a jiffy, and I want to point out that that is one of the reasons why I always say to people who complain about finding money to invest in themselves and their businesses, that if you really want this you will find the money, if you don’t, then you’ll find an excuse. So, this is the premium offer. This is what everything is all about! You build people up with a sample – creating buzz, then you close the deal and ensure you follow through with expected delivery.
So what is all this saying?
Beyoncé’s “Formation” video release was the lead magnet, her Super Bowl performance of “Formation” was the tripwire, and the “Formation” world tour announcement and ticket was the premium offer.
On top of that, Beyoncé had “Formation” themed t-shirts to go with her “Formation” funnel. So now, this is her passive Income. It’s not the biggest part of her money-generating machine, but even Beyoncé who does not need to do this realizes the need to capitalize on every aspect of improving her “money In” channels. It adds up, and if you can, why not?
Following that, a couple weeks later – on April 23, 2016, Beyoncé signed up or aligned with HBO to do an exclusive movie for which you had to have a subscription. What did she do? She took over HBO for a night and launched her album “Lemonade.” I call this keeping the momentum going. This lasted only a couple days – until April 26, 2016. We all went nuts!
Beyoncé not only relied on her network but she leveraged the network of her partners in order to truly get the impact she desired. I know that many of you signed up for that HBO subscription in order to see Beyoncé in action, and I know some of you did not cancel right away – even though you only signed up for that one shot deal. People were talking about these whirlwind of Beyoncé events for months! Why? Beyoncé mastered the craft of getting the world to spread her message for her.
The next thing Beyoncé did was release the video to Amazon and iTunes on April 25, 2016, which of course maximizes her sales effort with more album sales and also she got a per listen rate based on her contract she had with them. Beyoncé then aligned her “Formation” with Tidal streaming company that she and her hubby co-own. How she did it? In order for you to watch “Lemonade”, you had to have a subscription to Tidal. She took a part of her brand and made it exclusive on Tidal. And after leveraging that scarcity effect, she then released it in stores so we could get physical copies.
Within about another two weeks or so, Beyoncé released a second set of tickets for her “Formation” world tour and sold another hundred million dollars in sales. She had us in a Multi-Million dollar funnel every step of the way, and no one complained. Why? Because she has a powerhouse brand!
Beyoncé sold out the first round of tickets off of one video. I know yes, it’s Beyoncé!
I know Beyoncé is who she is, but I can tell you that it is possible to get your sales apparatus set up so you too can have a huge, impactful result based on one focused product or service. You do not need to have a series of things to offer in order to be successful. As a matter of fact, it is super important that you focus on one thing at a time when it comes to branding and channeling that energy into one theme.
So, how did Beyoncé accomplished all this?
Beyoncé’s 5 Step Funnel Strategy
Beyoncé generated a buzz and created hype Beyoncé leveraged her fanbase network as well as her partners Beyoncé aligned her other business model with the current buzz Beyoncé kept the momentum going Beyoncé delivered and reaped the rewards
You Can Take Beyoncé Sales Funnel Strategy and Use it In Your Business
Create a Simple Sales Funnel that includes:
A landing page A “Thank you” page A lead magnet An email sequence An Offer
If you really want to take this up a notch, include: A booking page A Scheduler
This will definitely increase booking and scheduling as it’s automatic and you do not have to manually take these orders, your scheduler does it for you which is convenient not only for you but your prospects as well. Your automated booking funnel should look something like this:
@MyBloomingBiz
This is definitely something every business owner should have especially if you are a coach, author, speaker or consultant. Once people get to your landing page and they sign up for your lead magnet, you could have a tripwire that’s an invitation to get on the phone with you or go straight to scheduling. That invitation page should include a video, a small “about” section letting them know who you are, some testimonials, and then direct them to your scheduler where you’re going to have the intention as to what type of discovery call it is. You can have an application if you want to, and give them the opportunity to get on your calendar, which will increase your booking sessions.
One of the things I get asked a lot is, how can I get traffic to my landing page? And my answer is, there are two ways to get traffic to your landing page:
1) You could use paid services like Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Twitter ads, or
2) You can use content marketing – Blogging, Podcast, Videos, (which is free of charge but time consuming)
You could also use both which of course would increase your chances of getting more traffic to your landing page. With the content marketing you would ensure you get that video, podcast, or blog post on all your social media sites, and repost them at regular intervals. What this will do is to lead people back to your landing page where they will have one “call to action” which could be an invitation to schedule a clarity call for example or to access free products you are offering, which will then direct them to your premium offer. Whether you’re an established entrepreneur or just starting out, you should have an automated booking schedule funnel.
Listen, I don’t know about you, but I did not start a business to work thirty, forty, fifty hours a week. Of course, I did in the beginning like any new business startup has to, but this should only be for a short period of time. The main reason for leaving the 9 – 5, in addition to become more financially independent, was to free up my time and not be bound with that constant at it hard work that eats away valuable time I could be spending with family and friends or improving myself. So yes, a few months to a year of investing well needed time and strategy into my business was necessary, but it should not be ongoing, at that rate. The goal is to build a social following/social proof, build credibility, setup a money-generating system and spend a few hours to keep that system updated and relevant.
It’s important to me that I live my life by my design and create success on my own term. It’s super important to control not only my finances but also the way I live my life on a daily basis – doing what I want, when I want, and however I choose. I know many of you feel this way, and that’s the reason you have embarked on your entrepreneurial journey. There are tools available to help us automate what we can, and using them can only improve and enhance our business and bottom line. Sales funnels are one such tool, and making the scheduler a part of it, will definitely improve the odds of a more successful business.
So, take this and implement it in your business and watch your business go from gloom to full bloom.
Make sure you have a great header picture. You can place a family portrait of happy moments, or a group of important business people you’ve met and fell in love with. Just really make sure it’s professional looking, enriching and communicates the narrative you want it to communicate. You’re human!
