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I have been doing a lot of research for my autism site over the past two weeks. Some of these sites are not only not friendly they are down right rude! so be careful how you say things. I have also discovered two excellent books. One is called LAUNCH  by Jeff Walker it walks you through step by step how to build and launch your website. Another is called PLATFORM it is by Michael Hyatt. The theme to this book is how to be heard in a NOISY world. I have really enjoyed them both.

Happy Thanksgiving to All! I hope everyone is surrounded by food, family, friends, grace and peace!

Marketing to the masses aka social media

Facebook, twitter, Skype, face time, yelp what do all of these have in common? The ability to help your small or big business grow. These are things that did not exist when I started my first business 25 years ago but now as I contemplate a relaunch of my autism business they are very much in play. This week I am using four hours to research all of the different social medias and see which is best for my business. Next week I will do a part two to the blog and let you know what I find, I have also been reading more motivational business books and have discovered one called Whale Done a book about making sure that every job you do is well done. I will pass along the titles of a few others next week. Happy Thanksgiving to all. I am taking my time off to work on my web site :)

Marketing as an expert

As I have begun to get my new autism site up and running I have noticed many sites that list "experts" how does one begin to consider themselves experts? it is interesting to look at other peoples sites to see products and services that they offer.  My friend Tony Robbins says if you find someone successful at doing what you want to do model them! No need to bake a new cake if good ones are sitting on the shelf. So far I have not found anyone doing just what I want to do. I may have found my niche.

Hi ho hi ho its off to work I go!!!

Monday morning you sure look fine..... I am probably the only person in the free world other than Fleetwood Mac that thinks this I LOVE MONDAY!!! What? I see that look of astonishment on your face. No I am for real I LOVE MONDAY!!! I always have. It might of been that I grew up with a marine dad that made you scrub the baseboards every weekend, or that I have always really liked school, or now that I have five kids of my own Monday morning smells like freedom to me! Do not get me wrong Friday is ok to but every Monday morning is like New Years to me a fresh start all over again. Almost like New Years Day! So here we are Monday get BUSY!!! Make this week count!

Be Hungry, Be humble and always be the hardest worker in the room!

I learned this lesson at an early age. My parents especially my dad used to say this to me every day. He also said we are not better than anyone we are not worse than anyone we are just different. We are different in our willingness to be the first person in the last person out and work hard while we are there! I never knew when I was growing up what a valuable lesson this would become. While studying marketing trends this week I realized that marketing fits in this category to you have to be willing to work at it. To try and to fail, to try new things! My challenge to you this week use your extra hour of energy that you got with the time change to change your life! Get up at the old time an hour earlier and get busy!! I can not wait to see who you become!

Branding

I have enjoyed this weeks lessons on branding. I think my hero of branding has to be Michael Jordan. The amount of money he has made on shoes versus basketball is incredible. I have been working on my own branding. I have been strategizing to make sure tat I am recognized as THE AUTISM EXPERTit takes a lot to make this happen. I think it will take me at least three years. I also enjoyed the logo quiz. It's amazing how programmed we become. I went a step further and listened to radio product jingles from the 70s I am blown away by ow many I remember even though I was only five years old ! One in particular two all beef patties special sauce lettuce chees and onions on a sesame seed bun! I can't remember an appointment time but I know food jingles from 40 years ago? How crazy!,,

Marketing 101

After 15 years of owning my own business this is the one thing I can share with you that I know is true. KNOW THY CUSTOMER!   I sold mobile homes so I surveyed 200 people that lived in mobile homes. They liked wresteling, NASCAR ,football and Paula Dean so we went to Walmart and by the following week had houses decorated. We had the intimidator done in all number 3 Earnhart racing, The Paula a home with a beautiful kitchen full of cookbooks, beautiful copper pots and a bridal shower complete with a three tier cake. Last but not least we had THE STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN HOME. All the homes had free big screens.  We also held a radio remote show and by the end of the weekend we sold 6 homes over 100k in profit made by spending 5 k    Know your customer :). Oh yeah I forgot the house divided. It was done half in Georgia and half in Alabama. We even put a half burned Tennesee Vols flag in the fireplace. Yep people LOVED IT!!!

Back again

Hey guys. Sorry I missed y'all last week I was out of town traveling for work. While I was gone I read two really great books that app,y to our classthe first was Passionate People Produce by Charles Kovess it is all about energy and success. If you live something it doesn't seem like work. That theory makes  sense to me. If it were that way everyday would be a Friday. You would stay up late and get up early chasing the dream, find your passion!,, the second was Time Tactics Of Very Successful People by B Eugene Griessman. This book teaches you that time is your friend as soon as you quit abusing it. We all get the same 24 hours it is up to you to make the best of it. The best tip for me was before you quit work for the day list the top three priorities that have to be done first thing the next day. Another was swallow your frogs first! Do your hardest task first. Get it over with!, Last but not least DO NOT MULTI TASK that just leads to many projects halfway done. I also learned from another source if you make over 10.00 an hour you are wasting money cleaning your own house and doing your own laundry. Woo hoo permission to get a housekeeper makes me happy happy happy! With four kids 6 cats an English bulldog, a roofing company and a 35 acre farm I am ready!!!

Two GREAT marketing books! Get Paid for who you are! by David Wood and The Million dollar Messenger Brendan Burchard

12 million on a mouse!!!

I always think back to Walt Disney saying you think you got it rough? Try convincing a bank to loan you 12 million dollars based on a mouse!When I read back over the syllabus of what this blog is supposed to be about it gave me some new ideas. As many of you know I lost a business that brought in three million dollars a year. Not an easy pill to swallow. I have wallowed in that loss for the past five years always complaining and whining about it so much that I did not even want to hear myself talk about it anymore! Now it is time to move on and up and plan my new business. I run a roofing company right now and do truth be told just enough to get by. I have never planned that business the way I did my last one. I have never sat down and thought Who is my customer? I also have a book that I need to turn into a business. Roofing is good but it is just like selling a house. You are only as good as your last sell, There is no residual income. My autism book could be selling while I sleep but I am too busy crying over spilled milk to work on it. So from this day forward NO MORE!!!! Opportunity is POUNDING and I am going to let it in!!! P.S. This was not an easy post to write!

If not Today When?

Today is the first day of the rest of your life we have all heard that a million times. There seems to always be a better day to start something. When the kids get out for summer, when summer is over, when the holidays are gone, after the New Year. The list of procrastination possibilities go on forever.

Trust me the day to start is TODAY!! Not tomorrow not next week TODAY. Set a goal then accomplish one action step towards that goal TODAY!!!

 

To be certain or uncertain that is the question?

One of the best quotes I have ever heard is THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE WILL ALWAYS DEPEND ON THE AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY THAT YOU CAN HANDLE TONY ROBBINS 1998 If you really think about this for a few minutes it will begin to make sense. A great example is if you know that you need 200.00 per week to pay your bills and you have a job that pays 300.00 a week you may be satisfied. If a sales job comes along that pays on commission you could make 1000.00 per week but on a week with no sales you may make 0 dollars per week if certainty is important to you the 300.00 a week job may be the one you keep.If you can live with some risk then you make take the sales job. Which one would you take?

Monday Morning!

Monday Morning! So many people dread it. They wait for the call of the ALARM clock. What they do not realize is it is an OPPORTUNITY clock. Every 24 hours brings a new day, a new chance to begin again. This is also the way that entrepenuers should look at marketing everyday a new day to begin something FRESH.To see the world through a new set of eyes. Your customers.

Whether you're a lion or gazelle when the sun comes up you better be running! This quote hung above my desk for many years. My picture was of a magnificent lion. He saw many things and many people come and go. From Warren Buffet to Anthony Robbins to the sixth grade baseball team we sponsored. He gave me strength every day!