It does work, but not always perfectly.  If you have a problem, let me know.

To turn an email list into Twitter contacts, you need:

1. An email list in an Excel Spreadsheet format
2. A temporary Gmail or Yahoo! email account
3. Access to your Twitter account

When you get an email list, open it in Excel.  If you can’t open it in Excel, this procedure won’t work for you.

Save the file as a CSV (Comma Separated File) to a location where you can find it again.

Open your internet browser

In Gmail or Yahoo! mail, create a new account just for importing contacts.  If you import into your personal email, you’ll find getting rid of these temporary contacts to be difficult.  You will be able to use this account over and over to find Twitter users, so make sure you remember the password.

Once the account is created, go into the contacts panel and select Import.

Browse to the CSV file you saved from Excel and select it, then Import.

If all goes well, the email addresses will be imported into the account.

Now, switch to Twitter.com and login.

From the top menu, click on Find People.

Click on Find Friends.

Select the email provider from your temporary account.

Enter the login and password for the email account.  Twitter will search for email addresses of its users, and present you with a list of those that match.  Click on the Follow All button to have your  Twitter account follow everyone that has Twitter accounts.

Thanks to Michael Bay (@sherpambay) for the tip!

Sweet Tea and Straight Talk
How To Transform Email List Into Twitter Contacts

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DON’T LISTEN!

Someone once said, “When I was in my twenties, I worried about what others thought of me. When I was in my forties, I didn’t care what they thought of me, and when I was in my sixties, I realized they weren’t thinking about me at all.” Who hasn’t had a parent or friend tell us “What will people think?”

How easy it is to let the influence of others govern our actions. By listening to others, then carrying out our lives to the tune they wish us to play, we are but puppets. One of “Aesop’s Fables” addressed the same issue.

It told of an old man, a boy, and a donkey making their way down a hill. As the boy rode, while the old man led the donkey, they overheard a neighbor comment about the shame of making the old man walk. The next turn in the road saw both man and boy astride the donkey, and the next passer-by shook his head at the shame of putting such a load on the poor donkey. By the time the two reached the final turn in the road, they were seen carrying the donkey on a pole.

The message, of course, was that we should not live our lives to satisfy the expectations of others. It is up to us to set a clear direction for our own lives, and then follow that path to the exclusion of others.

It’s really about choices, isn’t it? We get to make our own choices in life. When we fail to do so, we have still made a choice – that being to let others make our choices for us. It’s an excellent time to let your vision take hold, to set a bold new direction for your life. Make some choices – no matter what “they” think!

Make this a great week!

Sweet Tea and Straight Talk
What Will People Think! – Your Morning Coffee Break

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The legendary artist is most famous for her smash hit, “At Last,” and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

“At Last” -- Etta James -- The Millennium Collection

Etta James “At Last” performed by Beyonce in Cadillac Records

Sweet Tea and Straight Talk
Legendary Artist Etta James -- Sunday Morning Blues

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Search Coupon Sites For Discount Codes

“Before I make any purchase online, I always search some online coupon sites for discount codes first.  Retail Me Not, Coupon Shack and My Coupons are my favorites.  Some of the coupons can even be printed out and used in-store also.”

Amanda Stillwagon, My Finds Online, @myfindsonline

Source: Small Business Trends

Sweet Tea and Straight Talk
Search Coupon Sites For Discount Codes

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The post struck a chord with me tonight as I reflect on our day, our week and my new journey in Community Sherpa.

I share it with you as an example of a good blog post:

• A strong headline draws me in with an open-ended question
• A compelling story evokes emotion and triggers personal memories
• An image supports the compelling headline
• A call to action invites me to try something new

I think the lesson is to remember that you sometimes need to lower the bar to encourage interaction.  It could be on your blog, your community site, Twitter, where ever. Believe it or not, there really ARE people out there that have never left a comment on a blog.  AND some of them are a bit intimidated at the idea. Read the full story…

Are you moving the bar?

Sweet Tea and Straight Talk
How High Is YOUR Bar Set?

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BAN THE BLAME!

“The dog ate my homework.” Teachers hear that one every week. “Jimmy made me do it!” Parents hear that one often, too. Fast-forward a few years to the college student with bad grades, and you hear, “The professor doesn’t like me.” Then, before we know it, we’re all grown up. Now we hear, “My manager didn’t give me enough time to complete the project,” and, “She doesn’t understand me,” or, “The customer wasn’t honest with me, so I couldn’t close the sale.”

Where do these fabrications of blame originate? They probably begin in our childhood imagination – and that’s also where they should stop. Blaming comes easy since we tend to do it when the person blamed isn’t around. Who’s going to dispute our blame claim?

Take a moment to re-read the first part of today’s quote: “Take your life in your own hands . . .” What a breath of fresh air emerges from that phrase. By accepting responsibility for our life and all its actions, we no longer need to alienate those around us by blaming. We can live a no-excuses life.

We either accept the low classroom grade without complaint – after all, we earned it – or we change our approach to homework the next time. We simply allot enough time to complete our manager’s special project on deadline, or be willing to be employed at a lower level on the food chain. We invest ourselves more deeply in our personal relationships, or accept a less-than-fulfilling bond with those we love.

As quoted before, “All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.” If you’re tired of perpetually being on the defensive, ban blame from your life – forever. It’s a wonderful way to live stress-free!

Make this a great week!

Sweet Tea and Straight Talk
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From the master compilers at Hear Music, Got a Feeling Called the Blues, is an outstanding collection of blues works from the various masters of the form. The bulk of the performances hail from between the 1930s and the 1960s, with an exception or two as necessary to catch a major performer. Precious Bryant covers this Blind Willie McTell tune.

Broke And Ain’t Got A Dime

Born Precious Bussey in Talbot County, GA, on January 4, 1942, Precious Bryant has performed rural acoustic blues throughout her native state for over 30 years in a variety of settings, from the Baptist church to folk festivals to clubs and concert halls. As a female practitioner of a rapidly fading folk style, Bryant has a unique musical voice, if only by virtue of survival.

Sweet Tea and Straight Talk
Broke and Ain’t Got a Dime – Precious Bryant

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Use Free Office Productivity Software

“Instead of costly productivity tool applications from Microsoft, use equivalent free tools.  Google offers free versions of email, word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet applications.  Sun offers a suite of free productivity tools called the OpenOffice Suite, including a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation application.  Mozilla offers a free email client, Thunderbird, which does most of the things Microsoft Outlook does.”

Keith Klundt, Orange Soda, @OrangeSoda

I switched to Gmail from Outlook two years ago and have never looked back. Which applications from Google do you most often use? If you’re still purchasing productivity tools, what keeps you from switching?

Courtesy of Small Business Trends

Sweet Tea and Straight Talk
Use Free Office Productivity Software

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Resentful. Angry. Frustrated.

“I know so much more than he does, and yet he’s on stage teaching people about shiny tools he doesn’t use or understand himself.“

“I taught him about Twitter, now he’s on a national platform acting as if he ‘get’s it’ and doesn’t have the balls to even give credit where credit is due.“

“Time after time I submit a proposal only to later discover the guy who calls me for assistance all the time is presenting instead. What’s the deal?“

True to my southern heritage, the social culture of my age group, and a host of other outside variables, I was stuck.

Stop Waiting for Someone to Recommend You

You should know that you almost never find a prophet in your own backyard. The reverse is also true. To be recognized as a credible resource with a unique blend of experience and skills travel is often required.

Social media tools enable you to “travel” without leaving your desk.

A targeted, well defined, strategic social business marketing campaign introduces you to:

• new people
• new ideas
• new freedoms
• new industries
• new skills
• new opportunities
• new revenue

What’s your experience?

Are you sitting in a little red wagon, like I was, waiting for someone to come along and pull you where you want to go?

Do you think self-promotion is rude? When is it okay to brag about yourself?

Share your thoughts in the comments. Together, we can learn to pull our own damn wagon.

Sweet Tea and Straight Talk
Bragging Rights. Who Has Yours?

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FEELING WIRED?

Feel on edge? Not sure what to expect next? Nerves frayed? Feeling overwhelmed by today’s complex world situation? How is it that some people are calm, fearless, and content, while others are frightful, worried, overwhelmed, and uncertain about the future?

In the 1950’s there were only three models of Chevrolet, about four dry cereals, two or three types of soap, etc. Mom went grocery shopping weekly. There were no shopping malls, computers, cell phones, portable CD players (or CD’s), 401(k)s, Internet, or co-ed dorms. Life was simple and calm – and revolved around the family. Technology didn’t dominate daily life.

Today, our choices have expanded exponentially. There are hundreds of vehicle models, 50 different cereals on the shelf, software for every occasion, hundreds of cable channels, and millions of pages on the World Wide Web. Think that might clog your thinking just a little? Want to get back to simplicity, peace, and security?

Try a few of the following suggestions. Begin limiting your choices. Spend less than you earn. Limit trips to the store. Spend the evening at home – with your family – with the television OFF. Go directly home after work. Identify your principles – and live them. Count your blessings daily by entering them in a journal. Read. Treat yourself to a hot bath.

Think of your life as an extension cord with too many appliances plugged-in. Each vies for the limited energy you have available until a short-circuit or fire occurs. Start unplugging all those peripherals now, and you’ll notice your life-light begin to shine.

Make this a great week!

Sweet Tea and Straight Talk
Feeling Wired?

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