When I read and watch the trends (sleep? who has time to sleep?), the companies and where Web 2.0 is going I am both blown away and overwhelmed. The capabilities and how connected we have become, the possiblities . . . it’s enough to make one’s head spin.

“It’s a web, web, web 2.0 world“

“Where are they now? “

Is anyone familiar with any of these and what’s your opinion or experience?
Cheers!

Kelly

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photo by Elvis Santana

Brad happened onto Spank The Monkey while cruising around on some blogs. Apparantly it’s been around for awhile? I don’t know. All I know is it’s hilarious and a great stress reliever when you have been sitting at the screen too long. Try it!

Brad reached 311 miles per hour. Let’s just say, I didn’t beat his score yet, but it really cracks me up.

Kelly

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You know, the thing about being a [tag]stay-at-home entrepreneur[/tag] is sometimes life gets in the way, especially with two tornadoes like our 2-year-old Livi and 3-year-old Devin running circles around you. There are meals and snacks to prepare, activities to plan, naps to schedule and then maybe, just maybe I have time to take a breath and get down to work. Even then I have conference and follow up calls to make, research, and well, you get it.

My background and degree is in writing but it shouldn’t imply I am ready to whip out my pen or laptop and write something profound and meaningful in every sitting. There are days when I feel so wiped out that I stare at the white screen feeling like a blank slate. This doesn’t mean I can take the day off of writing because I have ads, newsletters, blogs to write and other business partners waiting for me to write something that will hopefully pull in some kind of traffic and I am usually on deadline.

There are some techniques I use to get myself back on track, get some ideas, etc. Feel free to add to this blog regarding what kinds of techniques you use.

One of the most effective techniques is to just start writing. Even if it’s complete gibberish. Eventually it will get me back into the flow of things and jump started. I also read other newsletters, magazines, etc… it always sparks ideas in my head.

Another thing I do when I am writing is I keep notes around and my list of power words I have gathered from different sites, marketers etc.

Here are a few of the Power Words, check out the rest on the Power Words page

bargains
easy/easily
exclusive
fortune
free
guaranteed
professional
tested
limited
valuable
unlock
the truth about
affordable
competitive . . .

I hope this helps you in you’re writing and if you have any techniques or words that you feel are effective please add them here.

Cheers!
Kelly

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One of the aspects I have noticed by being part of a Mastermind Group is the sense of community. Let’s face it, people don’t quite connect with others like they used to. Neighbors don’t bring over a home baked pie when you move into the neighborhood and people are often paranoid in the “big city” to even say “Hi” when passing you on the sidewalk. The world has changed, but that’s not to say it isn’t for the better. We are now on a bigger playing field and can meet people from all over the world like never before.

We are adjusting to that change. The possibilities are incredible. We now connect through telephone lines and with people across the world through our laptops. We are still human beings and possess that sense of belonging that a Mastermind group can give us. Yes, there are still local business groups that can operate like Mastermind groups but connecting from the comfort of home is what many of us have become accustomed to.

Communities often give us consistency that we crave in our lives. A Mastermind Group can do that for you while some ventures may come and go but a Mastermind Group community can create a commitment from everyone knowing we are accountable to others. This kind of community of like-minded people works together in harmony to help each other discover the most within ourselves and reach beyond what we once thought were our limitations.

An industry like Internet marketing is changing faster than we can keep up. It’s good to have some passengers to travel with on that wild ride, people whom you have developed a sense of trust with.

As human beings, we crave that interaction, especially meaningful ones with people who are also committed to each other. It’s critical to success to be with others who are also bringing energy, excitement and a fresh perspective to the Group.

Mastermind Group community advantages include:

Support system
Energy
Motivation
Balance
Sense of belonging

We join parenting communities to have a support system and help us be better parents so wouldn’t it be only logical to join and entrepreneurial community to be better business owners? It only makes sense.

When we envelop ourselves in a community it becomes a daily ritual, part of a successful habit instead of a chore. It gives us a sense of who we are and becoming successful means developing successful habits and surrounding yourself in a community of positive, energetic, motivated and successful people. Brad and I look forward to our Mastermind group classes and would feel lost without our community.

http://www.evancarmichael.com/Mastermind-Group/labels/Kelly%20Smith.html

Cheers!
Kelly

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Ever since I read Matt Bacak’s book,” The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan“, I discovered the power of press releases. To date, they have always brought in the most amount of traffic, are pretty simple to write especially for non writers.

It’s a really good test to see how much your team members are really willing to do like they tell you, because if they won’t even attempt a press release the person might as well give up.
Here is a list of Press Release Sites I use, some you will have to pay, some have free options. I fantastic way to generate leads on a tight budget. PRWeb used to be free, but since it is so popular, it is a paid service but can be well worth it for the benefits, such as trackback, SEO and social site listings.

I recently came upon another blog that has another list of all free press release sites you will also want to check out at: http://www.mr-seo.com/wordpress/?p=168

http://www.prweb.com
http://www.press-world.com
http://www.express-press-release.com/
http://www.free-news-release.com/Submit.aspx
http://www.prfree.com
http://www.free-press-release.com/
http://www.openpr.com/
http://www.pr.com/
http://www.prleap.com/
http://www.1888pressrelease.com/
http://www.pressbox.co.uk/
http://www.sanepr.com

I don’t write as much as in an article as when I write a press release. I stick to “just the facts ma’am.” Cut out adjectives, watch out for too much advertising language because some won’t take them, although you can sneak in much more on the Internet I find than traditional hard copy newspapers. Here is an example of one I just wrote regarding a weight loss product we are marketing: http://www.sanepr.com/Weight-Loss-Challenge-by-Xooma-Worldwide-Win-10000_20486.cfm

Please feel free to add more to the list or let me know any other tricks you use for your press releases. Don’t forget to social bookmark you press release and apply to any news sites that apply, this will get you even more exposure.

Kelly
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Okay, here is the latest ping list I have found over at Brandon’s site.  I also use pingomatic and onlywire as well after I post which both comprise a number of different sites in one shot.

If you’re part of the Authority Site Center or read the Web2.0 book than you may already have a list of [tag]pings[/tag]. I have happened upon so many but find they change some pretty quickly and can get broken [tag]links[/tag]. If you have any to add or find any broken links on this one, please let me know. It’s supposed to up to date, but what is these days especially on the [tag]Internet[/tag].

Ping List

http://blogsearch.google.com/ping/RPC2
http://api.feedster.com/ping
http://api.moreover.com/ping
http://api.moreover.com/RPC2
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/XMLRPC
http://blogdb.jp/xmlrpc/
http://coreblog.org/ping/
http://ping.blo.gs/
http://ping.bloggers.jp/rpc/
http://ping.cocolog-nifty.com/xmlrpc
http://ping.syndic8.com/xmlrpc.php
http://ping.weblogalot.com/rpc.php
http://pinger.blogflux.com/rpc
http://rpc.blogrolling.com/pinger/
http://rpc.icerocket.com:10080/
http://rpc.pingomatic.com/
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
http://rpc.weblogs.com/RPC2
http://topicexchange.com/RPC2
http://www.blogdigger.com/RPC2
http://xping.pubsub.com/ping
http://api.my.yahoo.com/rss/ping

happy blogging! Remember, a Warrior Marketer not only uses his/her marketing skills but his/her mindset which should be strong in belief in yourself and you’re going.

Cheers! Kelly

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I have to admit it. I know nothing. At least I feel like I don’t about web 2.0 that is. When Brad and I were listening to a webinar with [tag]Jack Humphrey[/tag] about [tag]Social Marketing[/tag] in regards to [tag]Web 2.0[/tag], a flash of panic surged through my body.

“Uh oh,” I thought as Jack explained what not to do on these social sites. And how it’s not the same as the old way of marketing through direct marketing letters and such. I was panicked because I know I did some things wrong already on certain social sites and I was hoping I didn’t do too much damage yet.

“Just move forward with the information I now know,” I thought.

Why? Because this is the wave of how everything is going. This is what we are passionate about and what we plan to use to build our business.

We already have the mindset, that is a part of building any business and will never change. But I am obviously going to make mistakes along the way. What’s exciting is putting the research, internet surfing and writer’s hat on which is where I started long before I started this endeavor and was in the journalism field. This is the fun part and the possibilities are endless.

So get ready for the rollercoaster ride and grab on until you see the whites of your knuckles. If you have any suggestions, thoughts or stories about your journey you want to share about your web 2.0 experiences you’re welcome here because we are in this together. I will share whatever tools and tricks we discover along the way. . .

Cheers!
Kelly

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“Life is not tried it’s just merely survived, if your standing outside the fire.” Garth Brooks 

I have to vent.

I was talking to a former marketing partner who was giving me reasons to me about why she was quitting her business and how some people have to work a 9 to 5 job and don’t have the option to run a home business like my mother does or like Brad and I do. She went on that she needs to pay rent, pay for things and they don’t have people throwing money at them, they have to take whatever they can get - no choices.

Choices? Choices?! Life is all about choices. Sure things happen to people, sometimes good, some bad and life can  wallop you when you’re not paying attention. But it’s your choice what to do when life comes at you and at you hard.

My mother made the choice to start working from home when my father became so sick he couldn’t work a regular job. She decided to take everything on, the mortgage payments, my father’s care, even started a second home business to make ends meet. She didn’t do it by windfall or luck, just took the risk and believed in herself instead of worrying about the stuff happening around her . . . That was over 15 years ago and she is a stronger person today because of it and so is her business and independence. In turn, so am I.

Brad and I took a risk to work at home, already had two babies, but believed in ourselves enough to know we will always do what it takes to make it happen. It’s a choice. A belief, without fear. That big stumbling block that stands in my former partner’s way. That stands in the road of many people’s paths. This is where the entrepreneur takes hold of that fear and kicks it in the butt.

What is it that makes us different? Entrepreneurs I mean. People often call us foolish, risk takers, silly, etc… When a deal goes sour we lose out on money, when a company goes down, people say it’s a scam. But the true entrepreneur looks at every experience as a learning experience.

“What did I walk away from this experience with?”

You may then see the evolutionary process it may have put you through. You may have learned how to become a better networker, a better speaker or a better Internet marketer. You may have learned new techniques from a new business partner or mentor or learned how to become a better mentor yourself and the next venture turns out to be that much easier because of it. You have learned how to make the Law of Attraction work for you instead of against you.

As entrepreneurs, like other risk takers we thrive on these incredible experiences that enable us to feel truly alive. It’s the same as breathing. I know Brad and I tried the safe route a couple of times when we were younger. We felt like those puppies in the window, noses pressed against the glass, watching others live their lives. We choose to take the risk instead of letting life pass us by in a cubicle somewhere.  I am not knocking the cubicle if that is your dream, though I can’t personally imagine it.

Follow your dream instead of hiding in fear of taking the risk on yourself. Because that is the real risk isn’t it? The risk is You. It’s not money, it’s not the product or training, it’s yourself you are taking the chance on.

Traits of the people who see success and the traits of the people who just never seem to get it:

The successful: determined, have no fear, take risks, believe without doubt they are successful even before it happens and have a passion for what they do.

The ones who fail: blame the product, the comp plan, the team, the upline, their mother, their best friend, their spouse, etc… You get the point. They are usually negative about everything around them and FEAR is constantly rearing it’s ugly head.

So those of you, who call us risk takers, crazy, fools, it’s okay, we know it’s only fear talking. I think Garth Brooks says it perfectly in his song, “Standing Outside the Fire,” when he says, 

 “You got to be tough when consumed by desire because it’s not enough just to stand outside the fire.”

Cheers!
Kelly Smith

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Another great tip from Jack Humphrey

Find this video and thousands of others at vSocial!

Cheers and Happy Blogging!
Brad & Kelly Smith

Today was a good day. For you guys in the states it was 4th of July, Independence Day. We celebrated Canada Day at the beginning of the week. Since I am an American living in Canada and married to a Canadian, I celebrate both. So cheers to everyone and celebrate your independence. We have such freedoms to celebrate too.

Brad and I get to work from home, go for long walks (he wore me out with a two hour powerwalk on the bike path this morning), enjoy the summer day, take our kids out for ice cream and fly kites.

My business partner said, “Gotta have days like those, good for the spirit!”

I agree. Since we work from home, we don’t leave work at work. It is around us 24/7 and we often have a hard time tearing ourselves away from us until we are burnt out. Just like everything else, we need balance between business and the freedoms that we enjoy in our lives.

We often take for granted such freedoms that we sometimes ignore them, think we have to be lucky to enjoy working from home or learning a new skill. Because we do in fact have those freedoms, they aren’t luck, they are in fact choices. So many still don’t get that. We aren’t forced into anything, we have the choice to take this path or that one. Brad and I chose the road less traveled and it’s definitely not always the easy road, but it’s a path full of challenges, excitement, energy and freedom to choose. Every day, we wake up and are grateful for the choices we have and look forward to what challenges lie ahead. 

Enjoy your day and make it the best day ever!

Kelly

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