What Makes Your Heart Sing?

WOW! Has it been 11 years already? Where did the time go?

It seems like just yesterday that Emily was in a baby carrier on my lap while I typed away on the computer.

Now, she’s a 11-year old pre-teen who has her own aspirations of becoming a young entrepreneur.

Techno-Challenged

Eleven years ago, Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook friends were still in high school, most of us were on AOL dial-up and a tweet was still something that only birds did.

Back then, I knew absolutely nothing about how to build a website and resources to learn (in language that I could understand!) were non-existent.

Today, we don’t build just a website, we create a web presence… big difference.

My, how times have changed!

What Makes Your Heart Sing?

What I did know, though, was that I saw other people making it work, so I knew that I could, too.

It takes tenacity to keep moving forward through the roller-coaster of emotions when building a business.

However, when you discover what makes your heart sing, you are willing to stop at nothing to make it work. That’s what I really want to address today and ask you…

What Makes You Come Alive?

Before you start building a blog or filling in your Facebook profile or describing yourself on LinkedIn… before all of that, there’s more… so much more that will drive every action you take, every email you send, every post you make.

What is it that keeps you up at night that you can’t stop thinking about?

See, before you join any company or start your own business, build a website or even create a fan page, what is it that you can’t stop thinking about?

I truly believe that everyone has been given a gift that has been placed upon their heart, their calling, if you will. It’s that one thing that you were born to do.

So, as we head into summer and venture toward the latter part of 2012, I want to ask you to seriously consider this thought….

Maybe your current company isn’t working the way you thought it would. Maybe you’re stuck at what to write on your blog, or perhaps you’re overwhelmed by all the ‘how to’ social media.

Or maybe…. just maybe you’re not following your true calling.

Perhaps you already know what makes your heart sing. Maybe you’re still searching. For many of us, it’s a journey of discovery to finally realize what we were born to do.

It’s different for every one of us, but once you find it, you’ll feel like an eagle that can soar!

That’s what success is all about, your business, your way.

So tell me, what makes YOUR heart sing?

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Amy Hagerup

She is so passionate about helping others with her company. I just love her sincerity and willingness to help others, so I invited her to share her story with us.

What Type of Why Did You Get Started?

You know how people often complain of low energy or difficulty sleeping or kids having trouble focusing in school? Well, that is what my business is all about. I love helping people discover natural solutions to everyday health issues that plague them. The way I got started with this was basically I wanted to be proactive to improve my own health as I head into my “older” years (LOL).

I was introduced to Shaklee Health and Wellness products and that is where my journey began. I wasn’t really planning on building a Shaklee business but I found that the products worked so well that I began to share them with people I love – and well, I started getting checks back as a thank you from Shaklee. So I guess I kind of did it backwards.

What keeps you moving forward?

The biggest encouragement I get is from my clients calling or emailing me with how their sleep has improved . . . or how their allergies cleared up . . . or how their joints are hurting any more . . . that kind of thing. I love seeing people feel better with all the great natural products.

What advice do you have for new entrepreneurs?

If you can, start a blog to market yourself online. Mine is www.AmyHagerup.com My other advice would be to value individuals above all else. Put others first. Find out what makes them tick and how you can help them – whether it is through the business you offer or just through an encouraging word. People will often forget what you say but they will never forget how you made them feel.

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Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Amy. You share such a great point about personal branding on the web. Thank you for that! We are so excited for you and look forward to reading more about your future success.

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Connect with Amy on:

Website: Amy’s Shaklee Website
Blog: www.AmyHagerup.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/YourHealthisYourWealth
Twitter: Follow Amy Hagerup on Twitter
LinkedIn: Connect with Amy Hagerup on LinkedIn

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What if babies only THOUGHT about walking?

I know that sounds silly, doesn’t it? “But, Patty, of course babies don’t think about walking, they just do it!” (hmmm… sound familiar?)

Babies instinctively crawl, roll over, stand, walk and run. They instinctively do everything until adults put limits on what they can and can not do.

Which brings me to this…

What Limits Do You Place on Yourself?

I remember years ago, I swore I would never be in a position that paid me only with commissions on sales. Me? A sales person? No stinkin’ way!

Today, my business is built on achieving an income by either products I promote or services I provide.

How’s that for irony?

All That Matters are Results

So, going back to babies just ‘thinking’ about walking… they would never walk if didn’t take that first step all they did was think about it.

Ever watch a baby giggle after they fall down when learning how to walk? They don’t give up, do they? They keep going and going and going until they get the end result…walking across the room to the waiting arms of mom or dad.

Results are all that matter!

Stop Thinking and Just DO

I am guilty as charged for doing a lot of thinking and not taking enough action, especially in my business, but not any more. I’m so excited about new challenges and adventures that I’ll be diving into in the coming weeks!

How did I move past the ‘thinking’ stage? I started plugging into DaniJohnson.com several weeks ago an all I can say is WOW!

I’d love for you to walk on this journey with me, too! What challenges are you facing that you spend too much time thinking about and not enough time taking action to create results?

We can get there together if you’re ready to do.

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Aweber is Great for Local Business Owners

There are so many to choose from, how do you decide? We use MailChimp AND Aweber (for different reasons), so today we’ll start with our personal experience using Aweber.

While many companies offer similar services, there are key reasons what makes Aweber stand out. We’ve been using Aweber on some of our affiliate brand sites for email marketing since way back to 2006 and here’s our personal experience.

Here are our Top 6 Reasons Why:

• 1. Reliability: Aweber’s delivery rate is superior. They have established relationships with many major internet service providers to ensure your messages get delivered. They have developed an email delivery monitor so that you can track messages and delivery performance.
• 2. Free Unlimited Customer Support: Whenever you need them, they are there to help, whether it be by email, text chat or phone. I have personally had two occasions to call Aweber directly and both times was greeting promptly and helped quickly.
• 3. Free Training Videos, Guides and Teleseminars: It’s one thing to have an autoresponder that sends out messages, it’s another thing to use a system in a way that develops long-term relationships and trust. The free Aweber training videos show you how to make the use of the advanced features of Aweber to get the most out of your subscription.
• 4. Spam Protection: Nobody likes spam in their email and in today’s busy world, people sometimes forget they sign up for a newsletter. As a reputable business owner, being accused of spam can hurt your business. Aweber knows this and has built-in features that ensure your subscribers confirm their request to receive information from you. This protects your subscriber, protects you and protects Aweber from spam complaints.
• 5. 30-Day Risk Free Guarantee: Try Aweber for a full 30 days. If you’re unhappy for any reason, no problem. You’ll receive a full refund with no questions asked.
• 6. Affordability: As a business owner, you know it’s important to get the most value for your money. When you use Aweber for your newsletter and autoresponder needs, you get unlimited follow-up messages, complete tracking features and much more.

See for yourself, then take Aweber for a test-drive for a mere $1.00

Stay Inspired!

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Is Faith and Business Taboo?

And! We’re always supposed to be upbeat and positive (yes, I heard this on a call recently).

What’s the Big Secret?

Well, here’s my take on it. If the internet today, social media, removing six degrees of separation, etc. is supposed to be about transparency and allowing others to see us for who we really are, then aren’t we supposed to be real and true to who we are?

Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s a big difference between expressing your faith (very cool) and publicly bashing somebody else’s beliefs (not cool at all).

And I am all about surrounding myself with positive people. Seriously, who wants to be around negativity all the time? Not me! But, sometimes negative ‘stuff’ happens and you know what? It’s perfectly o.k. to talk about it, deal with it, and move on.

Seriously, what are we trying to hide behind?

OK, Here it Comes

Personally? I would not be doing what I am today if it were not because of my faith and putting all my trust in my Lord and Savior.

It’s because of my faith that I didn’t give up on this Internet gig a long time ago.

It’s because of my faith that I stayed somewhat sane when both of my sons were deployed to the Middle East in 2009 (at the same time!)

It’s because of my faith that I am FINALLY listening to God and following what He wants to do with my life and my business.

Yes, I’ve been fighting it for nearly 4 years, so it’s about time I paid attention.

Yes, I am a follower of Christ (whew! there I said it!). No, I don’t stand on the street corner waving my Bible and I won’t be posting scripture on blog comments.

However, my faith is the foundation of my story. Today’s Internet is about telling stories, so I believe I have an obligation to tell the whole story, not just part of it because ‘we’re not supposed to talk about it’ as business people. Maybe this resonates with you, too?

So, What Happens Next?

Nothing. I’m still the same person I was before. You just now know something about me that perhaps you didn’t before and hopefully, it’s inspired you, too, to be true to yourself, whatever that may be!

If I lose a few subscribers, Twitter followers for Facebook connections because I may talk about my faith, I can’t help that. I won’t pretend to hide behind or be something that I’m not. I am not here to please the world. That isn’t my job.

I AM here, however, to make a difference, to serve my clients and team members regardless of what they believe (or don’t believe) as long as it glorifies His purpose for my life.

How About You?

If anything, I hope this post got you thinking about the stories you want, and perhaps need, to tell. This is why people do business with you, because of your stories, not because of some grand illusion that claims to be in the name of ‘professionalism’.

It’s cool to tell the whole story, whatever that may be, so I encourage you to start telling yours. You will be amazed at what happens next.

I hope you have an amazing day!

Stay Inspired!

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I absolutely love that she wasn’t afraid of pursuing her passion to allow her full creativity to shine through.

Here’s Tiffany’s story:

What Type of Business is it and Why did You Start this Company?

I own a photography business in Northern Virginia. Specializing in weddings and portraiture. I graduated from the Paul Mitchell school in Jacksonville, FL in 2010. I love doing hair, but I was feeling restricted in my creativity. I wanted something more. I had always enjoyed doing photography, but I really had no clue about anything more advanced than a point and shoot.

After months and months of online reading, book studying and forum chatting, I finally got my first dSLR. After some portfolio building, I was ready to start the business and continue to grow and learn! This business is something that makes me so happy on so many different levels. I am so fortunate to be able to stay home with my son.

But I can also do something that I love and call it work. It all works out great. Spending time with my family, and balancing work in our down time!

What keeps you moving forward?

There are a few things that keep me moving. First, is my passion for photography! I love being able to freeze moments in people’s lives so they can remember them forever. In particular, weddings. No one will remember exactly how the food tasted, or what the decorations or wedding party looked like without photographs.

I let people remember their most amazing day forever.

Another thing that keeps me moving is the creativity that I can express! I love that it doesn’t matter what other people think, I am able choose to photograph the things that speak to me and show my style. And of course, my family keeps me moving! Like I said before, I am so blessed to be able to stay at home with my son, but I think every woman knows, that sometimes being a mom is not enough.

We need something for just us. I love that I can stay at home with him during the day, and then in the afternoon, go to a session and that makes me incredibly happy to have both.

What advice do you have for new entrepreneurs?

First things, I would definitely recommend finding a business mentor or make sure you are very familiar with the business requirements for your area. I had an awesome business mentor and friend that helped me, and continues to if I have any questions! Once you are up and legal and getting things moving, my best advice would be to just keep moving.

There have been countless days where I feel like I can’t go on, but I started my business knowing there would be good days and bad. I don’t want to be a statistic, and prove that a lot of small businesses close within the first 5 years. I’m going to continue to do what I need to keep moving forward!

So definitely keep your confidence up, and for me that may mean to put together a styled shoot or even offer discounted sessions to let me feel fulfilled creatively. You’ve got what it takes to start and keep moving, even if you need to remind yourself of that along the way!

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Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Tiffany! We are so excited for you and look forward to reading more about your future success.

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Connect with Tiffany Maxfield Photography on:

Website: www.TiffanyMaxfieldPhotography.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TiffanyMaxfieldPhotography
Twitter: Twitter.com/TiffanyMaxfield

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How Can You Use Affiliate Marketing in Your Business?

1. Cost-Efficient: Passive income is very cost-effective as there is no overhead. Since you are not producing, packaging or shipping your own tangible product, you do not need things like inventory, warehouse storage, shipping supplies, etc.

2. Portable: When you use the Internet have an integrated web-marketing strategy, you can literally have your website working for you 24/7 where ever your laptop is or any computer.

3. Global Exposure: You have access to people literally around the globe. With passive income, international customers can become your customers without the hassle of shipping.

4. Add to Your Financial Security: Many years ago, I said I would never work on commission because it wasn’t ‘secure’ enough for me. Today, I wouldn’t have it any other way because ‘safe is now what’s risky.’ When you add passive income to your business, you have additional revenue sources that can come in month after month. (That’s real security!)

5. Residual Income and Leverage: There are revenue sources in a passive income model that allow you to create residual income and leveraged income. Here’s what I mean: Think in terms of a book author who gets paid every time his/her book is sold. The book was written one time, yet makes an income each time there is a sale of that book.

6. Income from multiple sources: Affiliate marketing allows you to create revenue from multiple sources. For example, think in terms of an investment portfolio. A smart investor will not ‘bank’ all her money in just one stock. She will build an investment portfolio with multiple stocks in order to create balance. Passive income from multiple sources should be structured with the same methodology… various sources that complement your business.

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Jamie Frenn

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I was thrilled when Patty told me her featured businesses were photographers and if I would consider being one of her guest bloggers. My first response, in my usual fashion, was to say yes and than considered how am I going to do this!

Patty asked me to blog about one of the things I love talking about and that is my business – so this should be a piece of cake!

My husband started our business over 30 years ago, I’ve been in the studio for 20 years. I started with the admin things and soon realized I love working with our clients. I also do all the digital artwork end of the business which gives me the freedom to be creative another thing I love. Did I mention I love what I do?

We have many different segments to our business one of which is our children’s photography. Kids are a blast to photograph and this area of photography is very competitive. We looked at what we were offering and decided it was time for something different for our clients.

Another question that we asked ourselves is how can we get parents to bring in their children for more than just pictures at Christmas time or when they have a birthday.

We started off by developing a calendar; each month would have an image of their child but from the same session. Cute but not exactly what we were after. Looking at the calendar and all the holidays hallmark has us celebrating we thought what about an exclusive themed children’s session, one for each month.

Of course thinking of what theme to have for what month was a challenge with the exception of the obvious; February we have “The Kissing Booth”, December we have “Cookies for St. Nick”. But this is where this campaign has become fun – we do have the flexibility to change things up.

One of my favorites is in the month of March we have “Gone Fishin” we build an elaborate background with a pond/water/live fish/ and fishing poles. The boys really love this, getting wet and catching fish – what’s not to love?

When we photograph children we not just looking at the lighting, composition, exposure….. but also that our little subjects are having a good time. We want this to be a fun thing – and getting those perfect expressions just comes naturally.

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Thanks so much for your insight, Jamie!

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Trash to Treasures

This is such a fantastic idea and especially for those who are waging a war on debt.

Here’s Anita’s story:

What Type of Business is it?

From Trash to Treasures offers recycled home and garden decor, crochet gifts and more. We are dedicated in building greener communities, saving local landfills and helping those in need.

When and Why Did You Open for Business?

We started our business after a trip to our local landfill. We were shock to see what people were throwing out, Furniture that could be fixed or repainted. clothing that could be sold or given to those in need. There was so much that we were in shock over what we have seen. That we decided to do something about it. And From trash to Treasures was born.

We create toy boxes, flower boxes, wishing wells etc out of used pallets, and used wood. We recycle paint, varnishes, wood of all kinds,. We even recycle wool and yarn from old sweaters, afghans, pillows and more. All geared towards making a difference not only in our lives but those around us.

What keeps you moving forward?

What keeps me moving forward is my family and for the love of my business. I feel what we are doing is making a difference. By building greener communities we are helping people recycle their used items instead of throwing them into the trash.

We are saving local landfills from being over flowed by recycling the items that go into the trash. And top of it all we are helping those in need. I know our business can’t change this world alone but we are doing our part to make it a better place. So please recycle today and help us make a difference.

What advice do you have for new entrepreneurs?

My advice to them is when starting a new business, build your business on your passion as many businesses fail because entrepreneurs get bored with their chosen businesses.

A business that is built on passion and your creativity will be more successful than one that isn’t.

I know my business is successful because I love what I do.

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Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Anita. We are so excited for you and look forward to reading more about your future success.

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Connect with From Trash to Treasures on:

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/fromtrashtotreasures
Twitter: Twitter.com/#!/trashantreasure

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Do you use an alarm clock?

Well, I actually still wake up to an alarm clock.  During the school year, it’s a necessity as I have an 11 yr. old to get ready for school.  In the summer, I still do and here’s why.

I’m Really Not Crazy

I like to get up early, around 5:30 a.m. or slightly earlier and go for a run during the school year and even earlier in the summer.  Believe me, I am not one of those happy, smiley people who wake up completely rested that you see in commercials.  Hearing the buzz of the alarm clock is not one of my favorite sounds.

It’s actually quite annoying.  However, once I’m actually getting OUT of bed, then it’s not so bad.

I go for a run in the early morning because the air is cooler and after about the first mile, I’m awake and sort of energized and it’s good exercise.

That’s still not the main reason why I get up that early to go run, though.

I start the day by feeding my mind with insight and training from my business coach, Dani Johnson. Each day, I begin with about an hour of listening to one of the CD’s from either “Unlimited Success” or “6 Figures in 6 Months.”

Starting the day with the right, positive messages sets the tone for the entire day.

I also get up that early to go run because at that time of day, some my neighbors are leaving for work.  I watch them leave their driveways anywhere between 6:15 and 7:00 a.m. to go to whatever job it is that they may have.

I am sure some of them like what they do, I am certain there are probably some that do not.  I am sure there are probably some that say they like their job, but really don’t, and some who probably have no choice.

That is their choice and yes, I am a firm believer that families have to make the best choice for them.  I made mine 11 years ago.

Here’s why I get up that early when I don’t have to.

A Constant Reminder

I get up that early to go run as a reminder to watch my neighbors as they leave.. to remember that I used to do that very same thing, leave my house to go to a job that I couldn’t stand…and not get home until 6 p.m. every night.

I get up that early and watch as they leave their kids in the care of nannies or daycare.

It’s a way to keep myself moving forward so that I never allow myself to get complacent in the goals for my business.. so that I never have to back to a daily commute and to be thankful for all the struggles and journey from those early days to where we are now and where we are going.

What keeps you going? I’d love to hear your thoughts,

Stay Inspired!

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