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Issue 158 |
February 27, 2007 |
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Changing Course is dedicated to helping you: ~Live Life on Purpose ~Work at What You Love ~Follow Your Own Road | |
Inside Today's Issue How Much Do You Need to Know (Part 2) Mega Book Marketing University |
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First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. ~ Epictetus |
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In the Garden
How
Much Do You Need to Know
By Valerie Young In the last issue we explored two common obstacles to striking out on your own to start your own business – the Expert Trap and the Expert Myth. In this issue we’re going to expand the definition of expertise. A white paper by the National Speakers Association on “The Expertise Imperative” offers some fascinating observations about expertise. For example, being an expert goes beyond building knowledge. According to the article, in addition to having more knowledge (with the Internet there is no excuse for not accumulating a basic base of knowledge) one difference between experts and non-experts is that experts organize what they know in ways that make it accessible quickly. In other words, experts are skilled at taking what they know and delivering to others it in a way that is somehow useful. That’s why Barbara Winter is such a fan of creating tips sheets. So much so that she organized her vast knowledge about the benefits of using tips sheets to establish your expertise by creating a tip sheet on tips sheets! Apparently experts approach problem solving differently as well. According to the article, while “novices head straight for solution of the problem” the expert “spends proportionally more time building up a basic representation of the problem before searching for a solution.” As you go about coming up with a new business idea, think about a topic that interests you and on which you’d like to become an expert. Then seek to learn as much as you can about the problem…
Once you have a “pretty good” handle on the problem, start generating solutions that you can make accessible to others and then turn your solution into a business. “The Rewards of Expertise” In that same article Alan Weiss outlines “The Rewards of Expertise.” He ought to know. A highly compensated consultant and speaker, he is also the author of 22 books appearing in six languages and president of Summit Consulting in East Greenwich, Rhode Island (SummitConsulting.com). Weiss describes ten emotional and psychological factors that indicate expertise is “present in a person.” Looking beyond the initial “consultant-speak,” Weiss’s unique take on the psychological payoffs of expertise got me thinking… What if being an expert is as much a state of mind as it is statement of “fact”? In other words, think about the things that interest or excite you… art, travel, sports, building things. Then see if you can identify with any of the characteristics or experiences Weiss’ list:
If you’re beating yourself up, holding yourself back, or otherwise letting those negative voices keep you from putting your gifts out into the world, try substituting those tired myth-based messages with these new ones: “Make three correct guesses consecutively and you will establish a reputation as an expert.” Laurence Peter
“Everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects.” Will Rogers
“Don’t let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to be where he was.” R.L. Evans
About the Author Outside the job box expert, Valerie Young, abandoned her corporate cubicle to become the Dreamer in Residence at ChangingCourse.com offering resources to help you discover your life mission and live it. Her career change tips have been cited in Kiplinger's, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today Weekend, Woman's Day, and elsewhere and on-line at MSN, CareerBuilder, and iVillage.com. An expert on the Impostor Syndrome, Valerie has spoken on the topic of How to Feel as Bright and Capable as Everyone Seems to Think You Are to such diverse organizations as Daimler Chrysler, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Harvard, and American Women in Radio and Television. Find more articles written by Valerie at ChangingCourse.com/articles/ |
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I didn't get to where I am by thinking about it or dreaming about it. I got there by doing it. ~ Estee Lauder |
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2007 Mega Book Marketing UniversityWith Mark Victor Hansen and the Publishing Industry's Best Selling Authors, Agents, Publishers and Top Caliber Marketers
You will hear and learn from best selling authors Harvey Mackay, Jack Canfield and Dave Pelzer and 8 additional industry strategists and MEGA book marketers. Learn more at ChangingCourse.com/recommends/bookuniversity
March 2, 3 & 4 |
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Your chances of success are directly proportional to the degree of pleasure you derive from what you do. ~ Michael Korda |
If you ever
wanted to write a book... if you have a great idea for a book
... or if you're already published and simply want to sell more books
faster, and with less human effort than you ever thought possible... Then
you MUST attend a special, invitation-only conference in Los Angeles,
California on March 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 2007, because that’s where you’ll
discover the insider secrets, cutting-edge techniques and proven strategies
that top authors use to sell, publish and promote truckloads of best-selling
books. |
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The Changing Course Newsletter
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All About Your Subscription You're welcome to forward this newsletter in its entirety to other dreamers. If someone sent this to you, don't depend on your friend for this great information. Get your complimentary subscription at ChangingCourse.com/ezine.htm Please do not reply to this message. Subscribe or Change Your Address: ChangingCourse.com/ezine.htm Previous Issues: ChangingCourse.com/archives |
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All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without benefit of experience. ~ Henry Miller |
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Using the Internet and Information Products to Make More… and Work Less By Valerie Young I have a confession to make. When I signed up to attend Alexandria (Ali) Brown’s (a.k.a. the Ezine Queen’s) Online Success Blueprint Workshop last November I had fairly modest expectations. After all, I’m not exactly new to marketing. In fact when I started the original (pre-website) Changing Course newsletter back in 1995 I had seven years’ experience in corporate marketing to draw from. That background definitely came in handy three years later when I launched the online version of Changing Course. On the other hand, marketing online meant I also had to learn a whole other set of skills and strategies. It was steep learning curve. And most of my success was the result of trial and error… lots of trials and even more errors. Slowly but surely, though, things began to happen. Since going online in 1998 I’ve managed to attract over 23,000 newsletter subscribers, set up an affiliate program, create and sell a number of different eBooks, CDs, and other information products, run dozens of Tele-classes, develop profitable joint partnerships with people like Barbara Sher, Barbara Winter, and others, and establish a profitable consulting business doing what I love best – helping people turn their interests into income. If I’m already so successful you may be wondering why I would bother to shell out thousands of dollars to fly out to Los Angeles to attend a workshop called Online Success Blueprint. Well for one, over the years I’d hear about all these big time Internet marketing gurus who make big promises. But I’d never actually been to any one of their seminars. Since I know money is an issue for a lot of my readers, I was curious to see first-hand whether these high-priced Internet marketing seminars delivered enough content to justify the cost. Don’t get me wrong... I knew I’d learn “something.” After all, a workshop being run by a woman who has managed to build a business that generates $50,000 in sales… a MONTH is bound to contain at least a few nuggets of wisdom. Right? “Online Marketing Made Easy” Boy was I wrong. There is a reason why Ali subtitled her workshop “Online Marketing Made Easy.” This workshop did not contain “a few” nuggets… it contained HUNDREDS of nuggets. There were times during the workshop when I literally couldn’t write fast enough. And I wasn’t the only one. A lot of the people I met in L.A. were in the early stages of launching their consulting, writing, speaking, or coaching businesses. As my idea list grew to 16 pages long I remember thinking to myself, if someone like me who already has an ezine and who has been selling information products for years is walking away with this many tips, I can only imagine how blown away the other people in the room are. Keep in mind, too, that my personal idea list was on top of all the resources and templates I had at my fingertips in the nearly 297 (that’s double-sided) pages of printed materials that came with the workshop. The reason I’m telling you all of this is because Ali did what smart information product marketers should do – she had the entire workshop audio recorded. And for a limited time, anybody can purchase the entire three-day Online Success Blueprint Workshop “In a Box.” (I pre-ordered a set for myself before I even left L.A.) Why should you consider buying this program? I don’t throw sales numbers around lightly. But the fact of the matter is that after returning home from this workshop I generated over $50,000 in sales and added over 1,000 new prospects to my mailing list. Now let me be very clear about something. My business started undergoing a rapid upward shift before I attended Ali’s seminar. At the same time there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the strategies I learned at the Online Success Blueprint Workshop contributed greatly to that big up tick in earnings between November and January. And I’m not done applying what I learned by a long shot. One night in my room at the LAX Hilton I woke up with an idea that I am convinced will generate six figures. (If all goes according to plan you’ll hear about it probably next fall.) So when Ali wrote last week to attendees to share any results they’d seen following the workshop I was all too happy to try share my personal experience. (You can read my testimonial for yourself at ChangingCourse.com/recommends/blueprint07.) 3 Reasons Why I Recommend Blueprint Online Blueprint in a Box There is only so much you can say in a short testimonial. So, I’d like to expand on the three reasons why I recommend this product for any of you who either are – or serious about becoming – a coach, consultant, author, speaker, or other solo-entrepreneur.
On a personal note, I feel really good about everything I’ve managed to accomplish before attending this workshop. But the reality is it took me years before I could rely solely on my online income. I know a lot of you need or want to move a lot faster. Having seen how this course can accelerate your success I’d like you to be aware that this is a way to move a lot faster than I did. So, if you are – or want to be – an author, speaker, consultant, or coach and you are ready to start seriously marketing your current or future products and services this year, then I urge you to act fast. According to the email I received Monday, it looks like Ali is only releasing 147 copies of her Online Success Blueprint in a Box. I cannot promise that everyone will see the results that I did (at least not right away). But with a very generous 7 payment plan option this course is an excellent investment and one I am convinced will help significantly accelerate the growth of your business.
To learn more the Online Success Blueprint in a
Box (and meet some of the people I met at the workshop) go to
ChangingCourse.com/recommends/blueprint07 |
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Every time you win, it diminishes the fear a little bit. You never really cancel the fear of losing; you keep challenging it. ~ Arthur Ashe |
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Turning
Interests into Income Teleclass: With “Opportunity Analyst” Valerie Young
Think you need money to make money. Nonsense! What you really need to make money are ideas. Fortunately, creative ideas for viable income streams and businesses are literally all around you -- if you know where and how to look, that is. Find out the key to identifying the very best ones… and the simple but highly effective trick to turning complaints into cash. Learn my fool-proof “opportunity formula” as well as the 5 places to find income-generating ideas. Once you start to see how many interesting ways there are to make a living without a job, your mind will quickly begin to translate how you can profit from your passions. Once I show you how easy it is to be an “Opportunity Analyst” you’ll start to apply your new found know-how right away. Whether you’re looking to add income streams to your current business, are looking already clued into your calling but don’t know how to turn your interests into income, or you still don’t know what you want to be “when you grow up,” this one class alone could very well transform your life.
Today,
Tuesday, February 27th from 12:00-1:15pm * A portion of all revenue will go to support the entrepreneurial aspirations of impoverished people in the US and internationally via the micro-grant organization TrickleUp.org
Register Non-members click here to register: ChangingCourse.com/teleclass.htm
Note:
If you would like to be notified when there are openings in the Fast Track
Your Dream Community click here
ChangingCourse.com/fasttrackyourdream.htm |
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There is no point at which you can say, "Well, I'm successful now. I might as well take a nap." ~ Carrie Fisher |
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“ The very graduate schools that rejected me are now calling me to ask if I’ll teach… Failure is good. Babe Ruth failed. FedEx’s founder failed. Failure inspires you to be your best." ~ Marilyn Lysohir, the 55-year-old founder of Cowgirl Chocolates, Moscow, Idaho
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Too often we take for granted that everybody knows what we know. A fellow Changing Course reader named Susan spent the last four years working behind the scenes in a recording studio where she selected music for advertisements and television for the likes of Nike, Foot Locker, Wendy's, Citibank, Betty Crocker, Starbucks, Listerine, Sprint, AT&T, X-Box, Heineken, Calvin Klein, NBC, MTV, Nickelodeon, and The Discovery Channel. Yet it took a conversation with her musician brother-in-law to discover that most musicians don’t know how easy it really is to get their music heard without an audition, agents, or consulting company. So Susan used her insider knowledge to create a step-by-step guide for musicians. The guide covers things like how to present yourself like a pro, what industry professionals are really looking for including how to lay out your tracks, key technical specs of the industry, and how to package your work. According to Susan, once you know which professionals to send your work to, you'll never be at a loss for contacts. That’s why her book also includes sample contracts, industry links, and more a free list of contacts, links, and addresses of industry professionals actively looking to buy your music. For a limited time your purchase comes with a free evaluation of one of your tracks. (http://careerchge.music456.hop.clickbank.net/)
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