Hi, Welcome to Monday on the Mona Lisa Million Project!

I set this project up to help other people and part of that was using some of the income to make donations to charities and good causes. In the nearly seven months since I launched this project I haven’t been able to build sufficient momentum to bring in an income. There are quite a few reasons for that and perhaps I’ll look at those at some other times. What I will say now, is that I’m making the effort to change that.

Part of the change has been to redesign the site to give an immediate snapshot of what we’re doing here no matter which page a visitor lands on.

I’ve also moved to a formatted daily post which gives me a structure to work to and a way to highlight sponsors both old and new. Hopefully I’ve done it in a way that keeps the daily posts fresh and interesting whilst giving plenty of ‘air play’ to sponsors.

The icing on the cake would be to actually have some funds to donate to good causes but as I’ve decided to hold off selling the sections of the Mona Lisa until I’ve given all the existing sponsors a good outing, it leaves the project a bit flat and kind of half baked.

I’ve decided that I’m going to put up $100 of my own money to be donated to a good cause at the end of September. One hundred dollars might not sound like a great deal, but given that when I started this project I couldn’t even justify buying a new pair of walking boots, I can assure you that $100 is a great deal to me.

So how can I afford to do this now? I can’t really, but having recently made the decision to go back to work having spent two years as a stay at home dad, I figure I’ll offset the donation through future earnings.

Another reason for doing this is to show how serious I am about this project. Put your money where your mouth is… as they say.

Later in the week I’ll publish a post asking you to nominate causes you’d like to see benefit from the donation and then I’ll rig up some kind of vote so that everyone who comes to this site has a chance to influence where the money goes.

I’m really excited to be doing this and I look forward to seeing how it pans out.

So leaving that bit of excitement to one side, let’s get on with on with the exciting business of the day.

The exciting business of the day is bringing you an update of the project and introducing the latest site to be added to the Mona Lisa… The Art Of Wise Living – read more about this site below.

What is the Mona Lisa Million Project?

The aim of the project is to create something worth talking about. To that end the goal of the the Mona Lisa Million Project is to raise a cool One Million Dollars! That’s pretty spectacular in its own right but it’s even more remarkable because 25% of the income will be donated to good causes every month.

How will the money be raised? Well, that’s also worth talking about because the money will be raised by selling the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa, to people who want some absolutely cracking promotion for their website or online business.

This is a unique project offering real value to sponsors. It’s not just ownership of a piece of the Mona Lisa, it’s also the in-post mentions as I update the progress of the project on the blog along with the opportunity to have a featured post dedicated solely to you, your site, service or product. Get More Information Here!

MONA LISA MILLION STATS

Total Sections: 956
Active : 47
Reserved: 9
Available: 900

Needed to reach $1,000,000: $999,998
Hey! you gotta start somewhere!

Donated to good causes so far: $0
It’s early days yet!! Hang on in there

Top Sponsor: $1.04 but the sponsor hasn’t yet taken up the option – GRID REF: R4/20 SITE: N/A TWITTER: N/A FACEBOOK: N/A

Most Sections Owned (By Site): N/A (yet)

Most voted for page: Feature not yet available

AVAILABILITY ON THE MONA LISA

The allocation of new sections is still on hold. I want to make sure the existing sponsors get plenty of exposure before I turn my attention to new business. But keep checking in or alternatively subscribe via RSS or Email and get this directly to your reader or inbox.

JUST ADDED TO THE MONA LISA

The Art Of Wise Living

Aja Trinidad is talented, friendly and ever so helpful. Offering her services as a Life Coach Aja can help you deal with issues that prevent you from meeting your potential. Perhaps you feel that your life sucks? Well, Aja will show you that changing the way you think about your life can rid you of that limiting and potentially damaging belief.

You can read more about Aja’s own journey to a happy and fulfilling life and get plenty of sound advice by reading the blog.

Aja, welcome to the project!

OTHER RECENT ADDITIONS

GizmoDad – Gizmo and gadget news and reviews from a dad’s perspective.

Are you Receiving Me? – A Briton living in Holland who sometimes feels nostalgic for the old country.

C’est la Vie – a 20-something, geocaching cat lover, living in South Africa.

What Will Julia Do Next? – A retired headteacher who proudly declares that she’s “Retired but not retiring”

TODAY’S FEATURED POST

Everyone who has a section of the Mona Lisa has the opportunity to submit a featured post. This is a post dedicated solely to them, their site, product or service. It can be in the form of a bio, a promo, a guest post, an interview or anything else that gets their message out there.

Today’s featured post:

The Jungle Of Life

REVISITED

This is an opportunity to revisit some of the earlier sites to take up residence on the Mona Lisa. I haven’t mentioned the sites by name but if you like the sound of the post title click through and have a look.

Wanting & Missing

Handbags and Gladrags – Why Do Women Need So Much Stuff?

Helping your Children learn to read and learn to love to read

The Anxiety Is Back

fancy one-cup

GOOD CAUSES

As mentioned in the intro above, I’ll be donating $100 at the end of the month to a good cause nominated by the readers. I’ll bring you more on how to nominate a charity or good cause later in the week. Once the nominations have been made I’ll arrange for you to vote for the cause you’d like to see get the money.

This is where the project starts to meet its potential. Helping you get some publicity for your website and helping those less fortunate by donating money.

I hope you’ll stick around and help me!

WHO’S SAYING WHAT?

When I saw this I cracked a huge smile. I wondered who this wonderful Tara was to go to the trouble of saying she found the site (Are You Receiving Me?) on the Mona Lisa Project. It turns out it was the fabulous Tara Cain the brains and the beauty behind Sticky Fingers. I must just mention that Tara is so cool she gets her kids jobs as toy reviewers!

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Like it or not big numbers hold sway with people, and whilst it would be nice to pretend I don’t care whether I have one or one thousand subscribers, it’s not true, I do care. I care because numbers are important to the success of this project. The more social proof people see, the more likely they are to subscribe because they instantly feel there’s something worth subscribing to. And there’s the point… I wouldn’t ask you to do this if there wasn’t something worth subscribing to.

Perhaps you could help by subscribing or asking a friend to subscribe. All help greatly appreciated.

Help me build the subscriber count – Subscribe via RSS or Email and get updates automatically.

SHARE IT

The more you share this site and the blog, the more people will come and see what we’re up to.

They’ll see the great sites on the Mona Lisa, they’ll see the great sites in the sidebars, they’ll see the great things you say in the comments… and they’ll more than likely follow the links back to your sites!

It would be particularly helpful if you could Stumble, Digg or Tweet but there are a range of sharing options below for your convenience.

Thanks for reading
Dave

Picture Credit

Hello, and welcome to Friday on the Mona Lisa Million Project!

Yesterday was my first day posting after quite a long break. I have much to do to catch up but I’m starting to get through the backlog of emails and promises. Bear with me, it’ll take me a while to get on top of this.

I mentioned yesterday that I’ve been busy painting and decorating the house while I’ve been on my little break from the project. The painting is still a work in progress and somehow seems to be a never ending task. I could have done more with the Mona Lisa Project yesterday but I spent a good deal of time decluttering the house.

It feels good to unburden and live a slightly simpler life. I think that will be important when I’m back at work, especially if I’m to make time for this project.

If you’re following me on Twitter and wondering whether I’m ever going to get back there, the answer is yes, I’ll be back soon. I haven’t been there in ages but I think the best bet is just to bounce back in there as if I’ve never been away. Brazen it out!

Thankfully it looks like I haven’t been deserted and actually it seems my follower count is still rising. I’ve just checked and it’s 4,447. Wow, that’s pretty cool.

So on with the business of the day. After the explanation of the project immediately below (for the uninitiated) I bring you news of two new additions to the Mona Lisa: GizmoDad and Are You Receiving Me?

You’ll also find as list of other recently added sites along with a little randomly applied link love for some of first sites to be added to the project.

What is the Mona Lisa Million Project?

The aim of the project is to create something worth talking about. To that end the goal of the the Mona Lisa Million Project is to raise a cool One Million Dollars! That’s pretty spectacular in its own right but it’s even more remarkable because 25% of the income will be donated to good causes every month.

How will the money be raised? Well, that’s also worth talking about because the money will be raised by selling the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa, to people who want some absolutely cracking promotion for their website or online business.

This is a unique project offering real value to sponsors. It’s not just ownership of a piece of the Mona Lisa, it’s also the in-post mentions as I update the progress of the project on the blog along with the opportunity to have a featured post dedicated solely to you, your site, service or product. Get your site on the Mona Lisa now!

MONA LISA MILLION STATS

Total Sections: 956
Active : 47
Reserved: 9
Available: 900

Needed to reach $1,000,000: $999,998
Hey! you gotta start somewhere!

Donated to good causes so far: $0
It’s early days yet!! Hang on in there

Top Sponsor: $1.04 but the sponsor hasn’t yet taken up the option – GRID REF: R4/20 SITE: N/A TWITTER: N/A FACEBOOK: N/A

Most Sections Owned (By Site): N/A (yet)

Most voted for page: Feature not yet available

AVAILABILITY ON THE MONA LISA

I’m still holding off on releasing new sections. There are still plenty of existing sponsors who have yet to be the subject of a featured post. I want to put that right before taking on any new sponsors. But please keep checking back for updates in availability.

JUST ADDED TO THE MONA LISA

GizmoDad

Darren Cox is a British Dad who brings news and reviews of gizmos and gadgets of interest to fathers and families.

Already with one child and another due imminently Darren is well positioned to share his experience of things like 4D Baby Images (I wish I’d done this for each of my four children) and CYBERMinder Internet Protection (to stop your kids accessing things on the internet you don’t want them to see).

Whether you’re a ‘geek’ or a parent (and maybe you’re both… check out Darren’s site and the GizmoDad Blog and while you’re there why not leave a comment just to say hi.

Are you Receiving Me?

Purplejake is a Briton living in Holland who sometimes feels nostalgic for the old country as evidenced in a post fabulously titled: England, moy England, oo-arrr, Oi loiks it . A mother of two, wife of one and a part time worker – if you want to know more “…you’ll just have to read the posts“.

Darren and Purplejake, welcome to the project!

OTHER RECENT ADDITIONS

Mona Lisa Missing – The Truth about Vincenzo Peruggia and the Unthinkable Theft of the Mona Lisa

Vegemitevix – A Kiwi expat in the UK licking the Vegemite off life’s fingers

Richard M Potter – Writer, musician, husband, father, and very grateful adopted son of God.

Fluttering Butterflies – 1001 Books to Read Before You Die

Greysqrl – Stunning photography

The Bump Wear Project – There’s more to maternity clothing

Bringing Up Charlie – Another year in the life of a stay at home dad

The Fantasy Decorator – …if money were no object

Cherished By Me – A chocoholic single mother of five children

EarlyQuip – Baby Changing Station and Baby Changing Table Suppliers

Gift Wrapped & Gorgeous – for a gift less ordinary

Mummy’s Busy World, By Me, Little M – all things relating to bilingual and expat families

TODAY’S FEATURED POSTS

No new featured posts today, but if you have look in the right hand sidebar you’ll see a list of the most featured recent posts. These are posts dedicated solely to one site and anyone who sponsors a section of the Mona Lisa can take up the option of a featured post.

REVISITED

This is an opportunity to revisit some of the earlier sites to take up residence on the Mona Lisa. I haven’t mentioned the sites by name but if you like the sound of the post title click through and have a look.

SEO as a Business Investment

Let Them Eat Cake

For My Beautiful Sister

Have a free guide to buying a used MX5 on me…

My British Holidays – London in Photos

GOOD CAUSES

Clearly until I start to sell the sections of the Mona Lisa there’s no income to share with good causes, but that will change, and in this part of the daily update I’ll be inviting you to nominate and vote for whichever cause you would like to see benefit from this project each month. I’ll bring you news of poll results and news of how the donations are being used.

WHO’S SAYING WHAT?

Maggy, I’ve been hiding away in my cave but I’ll be coming back out to play soon!

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Like it or not big numbers hold sway with people, and whilst it would be nice to pretend I don’t care whether I have one or one thousand subscribers, it’s not true, I do care. I care because numbers are important to the success of this project. The more social proof people see, the more likely they are to subscribe because they instantly feel there’s something worth subscribing to. And there’s the point… I wouldn’t ask you to do this if there wasn’t something worth subscribing to.

Perhaps you can help by subscribing or asking a friend to subscribe. All help greatly appreciated.

Help me build the subscriber count – Subscribe via RSS or Email and get updates automatically.

SHARE IT

The more you share this site and the blog, the more people will come and see what we’re up to.

They’ll see the great sites on the Mona Lisa, they’ll see the great sites in the sidebars, they’ll see the great things you say in the comments… and they’ll more than likely follow the links back to your sites!

It would be particularly helpful if you could Stumble, Digg or Tweet but there are a range of sharing options below for your convenience.

Thanks for reading
Dave

Picture Credit

Hi, this is a long overdue daily update on the Mona Lisa Million Project

Where have I been?

I’ve been painting.

Not a masterpiece like the Mona Lisa, but the walls and woodwork of my home.

I hadn’t intended to take an extended break from this project or indeed the online world, it just happened that way.

The decorating was prompted by my imminent return to work. (I still haven’t got a date but it won’t be too far down the line.) I wanted to get my house in order before I return and whilst I had the opportunity to get the paint brushes out, I took it. There’s more painting to be done but I’m well underway now.

The time away from the online stuff has given me the opportunity to refresh my thinking and cultivate a new plan for the future.

I’m glad to say that The Mona Lisa Million Project is still part of my future but to be honest that was never really in doubt.

My plan for this project for right now is to temporarily close the doors on new additions to the Mona Lisa and concentrate on those sites already on the picture.

Once I feel that I’ve done the early adopters proud, I’ll consider offering sections for sponsorship again.

What is the Mona Lisa Million Project?

The aim of the project is to create something worth talking about. To that end the goal of the the Mona Lisa Million Project is to raise a cool One Million Dollars! That’s pretty spectacular in its own right but it’s even more remarkable because 25% of the income will be donated to good causes every month.

How will the money be raised? Well, that’s also worth talking about because the money will be raised by selling the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa, to people who want some absolutely cracking promotion for their website or online business.

This is a unique project offering real value to sponsors. It’s not just ownership of a piece of the Mona Lisa, it’s also the in-post mentions as I update the progress of the project on the blog along with the opportunity to have a featured post dedicated solely to you, your site, service or product. Find out how to get your site on the Mona Lisa!

MONA LISA MILLION STATS

Total Sections: 956
Active : 47
Reserved: 9
Available: 900

Needed to reach $1,000,000: $999,998
Hey! you gotta start somewhere!

Donated to good causes so far: $0
It’s early days yet!! Hang on in there

Top Sponsor: $1.04 but the sponsor hasn’t yet taken up the option – GRID REF: R4/20 SITE: N/A TWITTER: N/A FACEBOOK: N/A

Most Sections Owned (By Site): N/A (yet)

Most voted for page: Feature not yet available

AVAILABILITY ON THE MONA LISA

As mentioned above I’ll release sections for sponsorship again once I’ve caught up with getting the existing sponsors featured properly. Stay tuned for further updates.

JUST ADDED TO THE MONA LISA

There are some newly added sites to mention but as I’ve only just jumped back into this after taking a break I need to write them up properly and give them the attention they deserve.

OTHER RECENT ADDITIONS

C’est la Vie – a 20-something, geocaching cat lover, living in South Africa.

What Will Julia Do Next? – A retired headteacher who proudly declares that she’s “Retired but not retiring”

Mona Lisa Missing – The Truth about Vincenzo Peruggia and the Unthinkable Theft of the Mona Lisa

Vegemitevix – A Kiwi expat in the UK licking the Vegemite off life’s fingers

Richard M Potter – Writer, musician, husband, father, and very grateful adopted son of God.

Fluttering Butterflies – 1001 Books to Read Before You Die

Greysqrl – Stunning photography

The Bump Wear Project – There’s more to maternity clothing

Bringing Up Charlie – Another year in the life of a stay at home dad

The Fantasy Decorator – …if money were no object

Cherished By Me – A chocoholic single mother of five children

EarlyQuip – Baby Changing Station and Baby Changing Table Suppliers

Gift Wrapped & Gorgeous – for a gift less ordinary

Mummy’s Busy World, By Me, Little M – all things relating to bilingual and expat families

TODAY’S FEATURED POSTS

There’s no featured post today, but just so you know, everyone with a site on the Mona Lisa is encouraged to submit a dedicated post to showcase themselves their site and their business. It could be a ‘guest post’ relevant to their niche or special interest, it could be their bio, it could be a sales pitch for their product or service, it could be pretty much whatever they want it to be.

I fully accept that this ‘featured post’ option has been problematic for some, and to try and solve it I said I’d create a questionnaire and send it out. And I STILL haven’t done it. Forgive me, I hadn’t expected to be taking an extended break and frankly I’m a little embarrassed about sending it now, but I’ll gird my loins, bite the bullet and send it out.

LINK LOVE

I didn’t bring you any new sites today so I thought I’d bring you some randomly selected posts from existing sites. I’ll do this for a while and see how it works out. I’ve called it ‘Link Love’ purely because I can’t think of a better title. Feel free to help me out.

School uniform. A rant

A Shortcut To Feeling Rich and Happy

Existence

Parent blogging comes of age: Three go to Bangladesh

Forget what I said last week

GOOD CAUSES

Clearly until I start to sell the sections of the Mona Lisa there’s no income to share with good causes, but that will change, and in this part of the daily update I’ll be inviting you to nominate and vote for which cause you would like to see benefit from this project each month. I’ll bring you news of poll results and news of how the donations are being used.

WHO’S SAYING WHAT?

I love this. I nearly missed it though. As I clicked away from the site I had a nagging feeling I needed to return. When I clicked back I saw that the header image for Rainy Day contained a quote attributed to me! And the beauty of it is Lynn really is One of the funnest bloggers on the face of the planet.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Like it or not big numbers hold sway with people, and whilst it would be nice to pretend I don’t care whether I have one or one thousand subscribers, it’s not true, I do care. I care because numbers are important to the success of this project. The more social proof people see, the more likely they are to subscribe because they instantly feel there’s something worth subscribing to. And there’s the point… I wouldn’t ask you to do this if there wasn’t something worth subscribing to.

Perhaps you can help by subscribing or asking a friend to subscribe. All help greatly appreciated.

Help me build the subscriber count – Subscribe via RSS or Email and get updates automatically.

THANK YOU

Thank you to those of you who’ve taken the time to email me recently. I owe many of you a reply but I wanted you to know I haven’t been deliberately avoiding you. I’ll start playing catch up today.

SHARE IT

The more you share this site and the blog, the more people will come and see what we’re up to.

They’ll see the great sites on the Mona Lisa, they’ll see the the sites in the sidebars, they’ll see what you have to say in the comments section and they’ll more than likely follow the links back to your sites.

It would be particularly helpful if you could Stumble, Digg or Tweet but there are a range of sharing options below for your convenience.

Thanks for reading
Dave

Picture Credit

Hi, welcome to Friday on the Mona Lisa Million Project!

Today I’m excited because I feel I’m getting back on top of things after my week (and a bit) in hibernation. I’m still getting used to the idea that I’m returning to work soon and frantically seeking to set up systems to ensure I can keep on top of the project.

The redesign was part of that process and I’ll continue to make changes as we go.

I’ve managed to get some of the data under the sidebar headings so that it’s easier to get a snapshot of what’s happening. I really like this because it gives people an extra way to click through to the sites associated with the project. I also like it because the information will change frequently and ensure there’s always something fresh and new to see on the front page.

Another part of the process is to have a formatted daily update post and this is my first version. I hope that it will help me to structure what I’m doing whilst also being a permanent record of the progress of the project.

I’m also excited to bring to your attention two sites newly added to the Mona Lisa, C’est la Vie and What Will Julia Do Next? you can see a brief introduction to each of them below.

What is the Mona Lisa Million Project?

The aim of the project is to create something worth talking about. To that end the goal of the the Mona Lisa Million Project is to raise a cool One Million Dollars! That’s pretty spectacular in its own right but it’s even more remarkable because 25% of the income will be donated to good causes every month.

How will the money be raised? Well, that’s also worth talking about because the money will be raised by selling the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa, to people who want some absolutely cracking promotion for their website or online business.

This is a unique project offering real value to sponsors. It’s not just ownership of a piece of the Mona Lisa, it’s also the in-post mentions as I update the progress of the project on the blog along with the opportunity to have a featured post dedicated solely to you, your site, service or product. Get your site on the Mona Lisa now!

MONA LISA MILLION STATS

Total Sections: 956
Active : 47
Reserved: 9
Available: 900

Needed to reach $1,000,000: $999,998
Hey! you gotta start somewhere!

Donated to good causes so far: $0
It’s early days yet!! Hang on in there

Top Sponsor: $1.04 but the sponsor hasn’t yet taken up the option – GRID REF: R4/20 SITE: N/A TWITTER: N/A FACEBOOK: N/A

Most Sections Owned (By Site): N/A (yet)

Most voted for page: Feature not yet available

AVAILABILITY ON THE MONA LISA

Shortly sections will be sold for a fixed price and as demand increases so too will the price.

But right now at this moment sections in the outer three rings are free but there are certain conditions. Only one free section per individual, you must agree to write a blog post about this project and you must be a genuine person with a genuine site/service/business. I won’t link out to adult themes, ‘pharm’, get rich quick, gambling, etc.

Go here to get a free section

JUST ADDED TO THE MONA LISA

C’est la Vie

Tara is a 20-something, cat loving, boyfriend having, geocaching, South Africa living, lovely friendly individual who loves to see comments on her blog. Go there and leave some!

What Will Julia Do Next?

Julia lives in the very beautiful South West of England. A retired headteacher who proudly declares that she’s “Retired but not retiring” – you have to love that kind of attitude! Julia is still very engaged in the education system and is currently a school governor. If you think you can handle the pace, pop across and say hello to Julia.

Tara and Julia, welcome to the project!

There’ll be more newly added sites on Monday.

OTHER RECENT ADDITIONS

Mona Lisa Missing – The Truth about Vincenzo Peruggia and the Unthinkable Theft of the Mona Lisa

Vegemitevix – A Kiwi expat in the UK licking the Vegemite off life’s fingers

Richard M Potter – Writer, musician, husband, father, and very grateful adopted son of God.

Fluttering Butterflies – 1001 Books to Read Before You Die

Greysqrl – Stunning photography

The Bump Wear Project – There’s more to maternity clothing

Bringing Up Charlie – Another year in the life of a stay at home dad

The Fantasy Decorator – …if money were no object

Cherished By Me – A chocoholic single mother of five children

EarlyQuip – Baby Changing Station and Baby Changing Table Suppliers

Gift Wrapped & Gorgeous – for a gift less ordinary

Mummy’s Busy World, By Me, Little M – all things relating to bilingual and expat families

TODAY’S FEATURED POSTS

There’s no featured today, but just so you know, everyone with a site on the Mona Lisa is encouraged to submit a dedicated post to showcase themselves their site and their business.

The good news is I have finally completed the questionnaire I’ve been thrteatening to send to those of you with sites on the project. It’s been a long time in the making and when I look at it I can’t understand why I didn’t get it done in five minutes flat! Tsk. No matter, it’s done now and I’ll send it out over the weekend.

As soon as I start getting responses I’ll start publishing the featured posts.

GOOD CAUSES

Clearly until I start to sell the sections of the Mona Lisa there’s no income to share with good causes, but that will change, and in this part of the daily update I’ll be inviting you to nominate and vote for which cause you would like to see benefit from this project each month. I’ll bring you news of poll results and news of how the donations are being used.

WHO’S SAYING WHAT?

I see plenty of people saying really good things about this project in email, comments,Twitter and various other places and I’ll use this part of the update to share some of them.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Like it or not big numbers hold sway with people, and whilst it would be nice to pretend I don’t care whether I have one or one thousand subscribers, it’s not true, I do care. I care because numbers are important to the success of this project. The more social proof people see, the more likely they are to subscribe because they instantly feel there’s something worth subscribing to. And there’s the point… I wouldn’t ask you to do this if there wasn’t something worth subscribing to.

Let me be open about this, the subscriber count is currently 42 and I’d love to turn that number into 100. Perhaps you can help by subscribing or asking a friend to subscribe. All help greatly appreciated.

Help me build the subscriber count – Subscribe via RSS or Email and get updates automatically.

THANK YOU

I don’t know why it is, but I feel compelled to say thank you quite a lot. Sometimes I have the time to do it on an individual basis and sometimes it a more general blanket thank you, but it’s important to me to have somewhere to say it, so I’ll do it here.

Thanks you to all of you who have kept me company for the last two weeks with comments and emails and offers of help and support. It’s done me the world of good and helped to fire my enthusiasm.

SHARE IT

The more you share this site and the blog, the more people will come and see what we’re up to.

They’ll see the great sites on the Mona Lisa, they’ll see the the sites in the sidebars, they’ll see what you have to say in the comments section and they’ll more than likely follow the links back to your sites.

It would be particularly helpful if you could Stumble, Digg or Tweet but there are a range of sharing options below for your convenience.

Thanks for reading
Dave

Hi, I wanted to let you know that I’m back at the keyboard after taking an unplanned week off to get my head around the prospect of returning to work.

At first I didn’t see it as an ideal proposition but now I’m starting to see the positives.

Anyway, I don’t want to dwell on that too much, I just want to get on with making this project totally brilliant.

Hopefully you’ve noticed I’ve changed the site a little?

There’s a static home page now which has the Mona Lisa prominently displayed so it’s the first thing people see when they click through.

The blog, which was formerly on the front page, is still a massive part of what makes this project so very cool, but now it accessed via the menu bar and from the sidebars.

There are now three sidebars instead of one. I’m still juggling them around so please bear with me.

I’ll explain more about the changes in a later post

The changes are a work in progress and have sorely tested my very limited coding skills but I think after I’ve finished that pain will have been worth it.

I’ll probably continue to tweak the design and layout as I go but for now I wanted to let you know I’m still here and that I’m still dead set on making this project a huge success.

I’ll be back soon with news of another site to join the Mona Lisa Million!

Dave

Hi, Sorry for the lack of updates recently – and also for lack of the questionnaire (for those of you waiting for it).

I took an unplanned break to make an important decision and I needed a few days to weigh up the implications.

I’ve decided to give up as a full time stay at home dad and go back to my career on a part time basis. Whilst some people know what I do for a living, I can’t speak about it openly because I’m not permitted to use my position to gain financial advantage. What I will say is that I work in a vocational role in the public sector.

The truth is I don’t want to go back, not yet anyway, but needs must and all that jazz.

As far as this project is concerned I’m going to continue with it.

But at least now I feel I can slow down, I can lose the air desperation and get on with providing great way to promote your websites and between us donate lots of money to good causes.

So, in the knowledge that I am shortly going back the the world of the employed, I’m going to make sure I have the best time with my children in the few weeks that remain. Hopefully that won’t put too much of a dent in what I’m doing here, but it will have some impact and I hope you’ll understand.

I’ll miss being a full time stay at home dad, it’s been a truly wonderful experience and I’ll always be grateful I had the chance to do it.

Give me a while and I’ll be back on form with the Mona Lisa Million.

I still believe it’s an awesome project and I still want you all to benefit from your association with it.

Have a great weekend.

….and, thank you!

Dave

Hi, hello, Happy Wednesday!

Today I’m pleased to be able to bring you a Featured Post from Rob of EarlyQuip.com.

Go have a look. Rob explains about his business which provides Professional Baby Changing Equipment and related storage.

Having a featured post really is the way to go, and it’s what I would like everyone to have.

I mentioned quite some time ago that I’d send a questionnaire to those taking part. It comes from the idea that not everybody enjoys writing about themselves, and I totally understand that.

Unfortunately I’m still a little behind on compiling the questions, but that’s the way it is sometimes as a stay at home parent. And to be frank, it’s better to view that as one of the charms of this project rather than a right royal pain in the backside.

When the project is a roaring success, the success will be all the sweeter for overcoming the challenges!!

I’ll email those questions to you once they’re done, and I look forward to publishing more featured posts.

A side note

So, I think I’m finally settling into how this project works… goodness knows it’s taken me long enough!!

You get a link from the Mona Lisa and that’s yours to keep for the duration.

You get a mention in a daily update post like this one.

You get to be the sole subject of a featured post (if you return my yet to be completed questinnaire).

And on the day your featured post is published, I’ll tweet you up over on Twitter.

Keeping a narrow focus like this is meant to ensure that I can deliver – even with the challenges I face on the home front!

I see this as the minimum, but I’d like to believe I’ll do more than this as and when circumstances allow.

Free Spaces

There are still some free spaces on the Mona Lisa. Go get one!

Twitter

I wasn’t able to be on Twitter much yesterday but I was there long enough to see loads of tweets and retweets about the project.

Thank you all so much!! I am truly grateful.

OK I need to hit Twitter now and Tweet about Rob and EarlyQuip.com – after that I’ll get to that questionnaire!!

And after that I’ll get to all the emails you’ve sent me. Busy is good though! Busy is very good!!

Have a great day!!

Dave

Click HERE to get your site on the Mona Lisa

Picture Credit

How did you become “The Loxos Changing Station Guy” ?

As a victim of the 2009 job cuts across the country I found myself out in the job wilderness. After a frustrating period of trying very hard to find the equivalent position I woke one morning to find that I no longer had the desire to chase around the country to interviews that had a higher attendance than the Saturday night viewing figures for the X-Factor!!

After a few (social) drinks one night I got to talking to a family member who said that just before he had retired he had done a small amount of business with a very nice lady from France whom was the M.D of a company called Loxos that specialised in the design, manufacture and sales of professional baby changing stations across Europe. Although they previously had some sales success in the UK they no longer had a permanent presence so were possibly looking for a UK agent……. hhhmmmm this sounds good.

A quick chat with my fiancée (The Boss) it lead to me getting back into my business best and in November 2009, with my strategy in hand, I found myself standing outside a very impressive office and factory in northern France. These discussions lead to being granted the sole agency in late 2009 for sales and distribution across all of the UK and Ireland…. Fantastic. From business to bricks and mortar was the next move as I now had to convert an old (but cheap) farm building into a proper office but with plenty of help from my friends and some very chilly snow covered days later I was ready to start in Mid March…….

Off we go……

Since the start in March many new things have happened, lots of marketing and sales e-mails have been sent, and many of the dreaded prospecting calls have been made. The new part to me was to put myself out into the world of web site maintenance, word press site building and twittering to help me keep in touch with what is going on all around and to see what sort of network can be built for mutual gain……so far so good.

What`s the product again ?

They are Loxos Professional Baby Changing Stations that we currently supply to Day Care Nurseries (crèches) and the relevant hospital wards (Maternity, Neonatal etc). Designed to incorporate all the things that a user requires in this type of high traffic area such as hand wash basins, various baby bath sizes, storage and in some models staircases to prevent back injury.
The maternity range incorporates all these things but also has options for baby scales and larger two person models to allow access by both a doctor and a nurse. All models have a single section molded change surface to ensure that they are very easily cleaned with no edges to harbour germs.
The list goes on and on but I feel that the the best way to see is to visit us at www.EarlyQuip.com and download our range PDFs that show them all in a quick view format. We also offer a wide range of storage furniture that perfectly compliments the Changing Stations from reception tables and cloak storage to simple box storage for each Childs daily essentials.

So what next ?

Well as I speak to you now we are here and doing ok but with much more to do. Even though I have the full support of Loxos, and very helpful they are too, we are essentially still a start up and its all about letting people know where we are and what we do. Our advantage is that we have such a well designed product that once seen it really captivates, and without a doubt is fit for purpose. With so many model sizes and options there really is a model for all needs. So to be honest I will carry on as I am, keep marketing and knocking on doors to find the new customers and try to future proof what we are doing……. If you know of anybody whom may be interested please get in touch or point them in my direction and I am always here to talk them through what they have seen and what model will work best for there needs…… no obligation just a chat with a chap called Rob!
I do have a future plan for the EarlyQuip product range and business growth but that would be telling ! Take a look at the EarlyQuip WordPress page and sign for updates and all news can come straight to your inbox!!

Where to find EarlyQuip?

www.EarlyQuip.com (main site, range PDFs, some pictures and contact page)
www.earlyquip.wordpress.com (Very new but has: Pictures, Info, Blog, Company Updates, Comments sections and place to have your say)
http://twitter.com/EarlyQuip (You know what happens here!!)

Drop me a line, send an e-mail, tweet me or leave me a comment it would be great to hear what you all think.

Rob
(The Loxos Changing Station Guy)

Click HERE to get your site on the Mona Lisa, just like ‘EarlyQuip.com’.

Good Morning! It’s Tuesday

Can you just wake up and decide your day is going to be awesome, that you are going to be awesome and that your Mona Lisa Million Project is going to be awesome?

Yes. Yes you can!

Today, is an awesome day! It’s official.

I love the way the project is going. It feels fresher to me. The possibilities seem more real.

The Mona Lisa Million Got Mentioned

It’s been fantastic to see the project get mentions:

Vegemitevix
Greysqrl
A Modern Military Mother
What Will Julia Do Next

Thank you all for linking here, it’s appreciated.

More Spaces To Give Away

There are over forty sites on the Mona Lisa now and more to be added. in total, 50 spots have now been allocated, or promised.

In order to reach its potential the project needs to raise money by selling the sections to people who recognise the value of being mentioned on a trusted site, but that’s not going to happen for a little while because I’ve decided to give another away another 50 sections.

I still need people to write about the site and the project. I still need people to Tweet, Digg and Stumble. And it works on the basis that what benefits me, benefits you and ultimately benefits the good causes we choose to support.

If you want a free space go here

I mentioned last week that I was writing an email everyone on the Mona Lisa, and I wanted to let you know the email has been sent. So if you haven’t got it, please check you spam folder.

Other News

I’ve spent some time updating the Promote Your Website page. I think it offers a clearer explanation of the project.

Incidentally, I’ve also mentioned it on that page, but did you know that there are approximatley 500,000 searches for Mona Lisa on Google every month? Wouldn’t it be great if we could get a large slice of that traffic coming this way? Hey, it would be pretty great if we could get even a thin slice of that traffic coming here and clicking on the ML.

Here’s the thing though… if we want Google to know that this site is about the Mona Lisa, we have to tell Google it’s about the Mona Lisa.

It’s true of your sites too. Have a look at this and see whether it fits with how your friends link to your site: Anchored Links and Why They’re Important.

Latest Additions

This is a very quick mention of the latest sites to join the project. Welcome all!!

I hope to be publishing a featured post each of these sites, The Missing Piece, Taking A Look At Life, A Modern Military Mother’s Blog and What Will Julia Do Next during the coming week or so.

In the meantime, have a fantastic day!!

Dave

Click HERE to get your site on the Mona Lisa

Picture Credit

Hi, things are picking up!!

More sites have been added to the Mona Lisa – go take a look below. There are loads of them all waiting to be clicked on.

I can see from the counters that clickthroughs from the image are increasing. Of course, clickthroughs come from elsewhere on the site, like these update posts where I introduce new additions.

And don’t forget that everyone who joins the Mona Lisa Million Project gets to supply their own guest/promo post like Vilate did with her cloth diaper business Nifty Nappy and like Nigel did with his amateur photography blog.

Allow me to introduce the latest site to be added to the Mona Lisa Million Project:

Vegemitevix

Vicki moved from New Zealand in 2008 along with her three children to live in the UK. Vicki writes about living life the way it should be lived, a life of adventure and meaningful experiences. In her most recent post Vicki talks about appreciating the beauty of the world in her post entiltled Rose Tinted Glasses. You can also find Vegemitevix on Twitter: vegemitevix

Welcome Vicki

In other news

I’ve added TwitterLink to the comments, so if you look below the text entry box you’ll see a space for your Twitter ID. You only have to enter it once and it remembers. It also includes your Twitter ID in comments you’ve already made.

On the subject of Twitter I’ve changed my bio. The old bio didn’t seem to excite people into a state of frenzy so I’m trying something a little different:

Old Twitter Bio

New Twitter Bio

What do you think?

I’ll be back soon with more updates!

Dave

Click HERE to get your site on the Mona Lisa