Posts Tagged ‘change’

Friends are fascinating.  We see in them who we are – and sometimes we see who we don’t want to be. It’s natural to want to help people who are struggling but very often what’s most screwed up is their mindset.  For whatever reason each person must experience their own journey just like a butterfly must release itself from it’s cocoon or a baby chick must break free of the egg on it’s own.

This post is about three people I know and care about.  All have fallen on tough times economically.  All have been pushed into massive mid-life change and are doing their best to deal with the adjustments.  Each has handled it differently.

Read the rest of this entry »

I want to make positive  changes to simplify my life.  So, when the time is right, Ernie and I can take off for the great beyond around the world.  It’s about paring back on the amount of stuff I live with daily so when it’s time to live for a month or two out of a carry on bag I can do it without getting out of my comfort zone, struggling or freaking out.

Okay, maybe not just a carry-on.  A carry-on and one checked bag.  I think I can do that.

Recently, I’ve pitched four pairs of shoes.  Still have dozens more to go.  I have four pairs of pink shoes.  I have a pair of sandals with kitten heels in lime green. Yes, Ernie calls me, “Imelda.”  And, so many clothes I can’t neatly fit ‘em in my walk-in closet and massive, antique bird’s eye maple bureau.

Read the rest of this entry »

It takes money to go on an Excellent Adventure. Even if you’re budgeting by couch-surfing, you’ll need money for planes, trains, meals and other things so you’re never caught short of cash. If you’re going to make money online as you travel it’s still a good idea to have a reserve to fall back on as you travel.

For decades Americans have been awful when it comes to saving. We were the largest debtor nation ever and our savings rate was in the negative numbers. Most Americans had an average of six credit cards with $10,000 to $20,000 in debt.

Read the rest of this entry »

It started like a whisper. Change.

Change means releasing the old and embracing the new. Crazy thing is, we don’t always know what to embrace.

For a few years I’ve felt change bubbling inside. The last decade I’ve helped over 1,500 mostly home-based business owners enjoy greater success. I’m a marketing mentor – and I’m good at what I do. When clients act on what I teach – and most do – I’m thrilled for them.

When “Testosterone-Free Marketing” was released I left the Robert Allen organization. Yep, author of mega-bestsellers like “Nothing Down,” “Multiple Streams of Income,” and “The Enlightened Millionaire.” I was his Executive Assistant for 18 months. Then I became the top Marketing Trainer and mentor for his Enlightened Millionaire program for six years.

Read the rest of this entry »

My head exploded with confusion, frustration and disgust. Digging through the trash next to a dumpster wearing plastic gloves (What does THAT say about my state of consciousness?) thinking, “This is CRAZY!” Rivulets of sweat trickled down the small of my back in the 104 degree heat.

Where did my car keys go?

In a moment of Zen, I observed my reaction, going ballistic, ready to burst into tears. I kept thinking the situation was stupid. Not that I was stupid. Bent out of shape over mis-placed keys? Why? Because replacing ‘em cost almost $300 dammit. Those cool, little clickers to unlock the car door don’t come cheap.

Read the rest of this entry »

Last week I met a new friend for lunch. We’re the same age, both child-free, and entrepreneurial. I wanted to know more about her. She wanted to discover more about living an excellent adventure. Tracey’s a graphic designer.

“Do you design websites?” I asked. Many graphic designers do. I was thinking about a client who needs tweaking on his website. I thought I could refer business her way.

She caught me by surprise when she replied, “No, I don’t do web stuff. If you want an ad laid out for a print publication, brochure, a business card or anything in print – that’s what I do.”

It would’ve been easy to say, “Oh, okay,” and drop it. I couldn’t. This woman has big plans. She wants to go places and change the world. And, she needs cash flow to make it happen. Truth is, print to a large degree, is going the way of the dodo bird.

I asked why she didn’t expand her skills to where the greatest demand can be found. She looked at me with resignation in her eyes and said, “My brain is full.” We both laughed.

At 52, we’ve experienced so much technological change. We both remember dial phones and manual typewriters. It’s a struggle keeping up. I’ll stick knitting needles in my eyeballs before keeping up with it all. At least I try to keep growing and expanding my knowledge.

I have another friend, Harold. We’ve been good buddies for years. He’s steadfastly pooh-poohed the expanding role of the Internet, social media, blogs, etc. I don’t know if there’s a connection but his business has been through excruciatingly rough times the last two years. I’ve lent him my copies of “Tribes” by Seth Godin and “Crush it” by Gary Vaynerchuk. I’ve showed him how to set up a fan page on Facebook and a WordPress blog. He still doesn’t quite fathom its vast influence.

You could’ve plunged a dagger into my heart last week when he said he believes a huge movement will turn away from the Internet toward more personal, one-on-one connections. Oh, if it was only true.

Both Tracey and Harold want great things. Each is brilliant and has much to share with the world. Unfortunately, neither are willing to go through the learning curve and change required to make it happen.

If you want to re-design your lifestyle so you can live an excellent adventure and you know you need to create income as you go – the internet is key. Look for a business that’s less about passion and more about efficiency so you can have your excellent adventure while working far less hours. It’s doable and you can make it happen.

Yesterday I met at Starbucks with another group of aspiring adventurers. Boy, did we have fun! The purpose of these get-togethers is providing support for people ready to re-design their lives. Its about making big shifts and creating new life grooves.

We met at the Starbucks in the Chinatown area of Las Vegas. Believe it or not, Vegas has it’s own Chinatown area. I wanted to meet there because going to China and walking The Great Wall is on my “bucket list.”

We pulled a couple tables together and got our beverages. This time of year it’s too hot to drink anything other than an iced Passion Tea, for me anyway. Although there was an Iced Chai in the group, and, Ernie got a Vivanno smoothie.

We talked about our excellent adventures. We talked about the shifts we needed to make it happen. When you have commitments and a certain way of doing things it takes conscious effort to change. We also discussed creative ways to make it happen faster: from house-sharing to sleeping on trains (my husband’s favorite) to finding work along the way to provide funds.

What always amazes me is the sense of ebullient hope people show at these events. Everyone around the table yesterday has struggled with the economy the last couple years. From job layoffs, to down-sizing homes, to a recent divorce and a woman who gets around town by bus because she doesn’t own a car. Yet, I didn’t hear a single complaint. Not one moan about the recession.

Instead, the conversation was about using the unexpected changes in our lives as a catalyst for positive growth. Turn lemons into lemonade. Rising from who you are now and gradually be, do, have something different. Totally different. It’s about your willingness to get out of your comfort zone. From an insurance agent who wants to be a life coach to a psychic who wants to write a book and travel the world.

I was proud of my group yesterday. Everyone who came is looking the right direction so they can thrive anew.

Are we a little crazy? Sure. We may drink the same iced coffee or Frappucino as the folks in suits rushing off to their jobs. But that’s where the similarity ends. We’re making happiness our aim. We’re redefining it in ways that happiness isn’t about the stuff you own. It’s about the experiences you have and the ways you share.

Join me at the next Excellent Adventure get-together coming soon.

All the best,

Denise Michaels
Author, ‘Testosterone-Free Marketing’

PS: Next month, I’m planning to put together a small tour of Starbucks in Southern California. I’ll be doing Excellent Adventure get-togethers. Want to meet and enjoy a get-together at a Starbucks near you? Can you gather a nice group of people looking to re-design their life? Let me know. I may put your city on my “tour.”

Back in the day – the average person didn’t have access to media. They talked at us. We either listened, listened and purchased or turned the channel. Now, it’s a whole new ball game.

Until recently Old Spice was a tired, old brand. Enter some new ads (seen largely as YouTube videos) featuring hunka, hunka burnin’ chocolate love former NFL wide receiver Isaiah Mustafa. So far so good. The videos are going crazy on YouTube.

Here’s where it shifts. Old Spice asked people to submit questions to Old Spice guy. One guy asked if he’d propose to his girlfriend. He did.

Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-fLV28SkZ8 (If the link doesn’t work, copy and paste it into your browser window.)

The proposal video featuring Old Spice guy’s been online six days and has over 736,000 views. What does this mean? The average person has access to getting a message out in ways that were formerly impossible.

When my book was released, I wanted like crazy to get on Oprah and other national shows. Unfortunately, my crackpot publisher (don’t ask!) didn’t get distribution to major booksellers – so, no national TV exposure. I struggled, but made “Testosterone-Free Marketing” a business bestseller with internet sales – so it’s all good.

People ask, “When will you write another book?” Or, “When will you go BIG?”

My aim is to write and hopefully help people that way. It doesn’t have to be a book – but I do want to get paid. If I have an idea for a book I must write – I will. The world’s changing. Lately, I’m happy blogging, writing articles, etc. I can create a following using social media. When that following is big enough, I can get paid without being in bookstores or getting on Oprah.

Visit your average bookseller. What do you see? Books written by celebrities and wannabes. People with a big platform of fans growing bigger. People seen in Hollywood, reality TV, politics, or, they’ve had bestsellers out for decades. This is where the majority of book contracts go. Where are the thoughtful, intriguing books written by an unknown author that make you think and discover new ideas? They’re buried or never make it into print. Without promoting the right way – well, fuddegaboudit.

Recently I met a woman who paid $65,000 for a package that promised support getting her book written, published, promoted and a bunch of bells and whistles. The guru who sold her the package fell short. But that’s not the point. People are desperate to crack the code on becoming known.

Create an Internet following and your own platform. Become a known expert on twitter, your fan page or your blog. Don’t wish and hope for national TV exposure. Build your following, your tribe, one happy fan at a time. And, do it from your laptop or Ipad while enjoying an excellent adventure.

Sometimes we have a tendency to make life more complicated then it has to be.

If there’s something you’re doing or not doing – that isn’t getting you the results you want in life – the answer is simple. It’s right here in this hilarious video.

Don’t over-complicate your life. You CAN make positive changes in an instant.

Bob Newhart – Stop It

Enjoy!

Doris appears like a perfect politician’s wife. She’s lovely, tall and dresses well. In her 50s, her blue eyes still sparkle. My perception of Doris shifted when at my Excellent Adventure get-together at Starbucks this week, she whispered, “The biggest obstacle is deciding I deserve to live an excellent adventure.”

You could’ve knocked me over with a feather.

Our American work ethic is about working hard. Then, in your 60s you retire. The world has changed. It’s not unusual for people to work in their 70s now. We work harder, more hours and take less vacation time just to keep our heads above water.

The largest growth of jobs the last decade is not in the Fortune 1000 but in small business. Larger still, is growth in the “start your own business” sector.

We get caught up in maintaining the trappings of success. It’s pounded into our heads. Life should look a certain way. It’s not enough to be presentable and polite. Now we must have “a personal brand.” We miss out on living our excellent adventure because we’re too busy paying for everything.

The new “American Dream” is to live our passion – which can include a lot of financial ups and downs. However, we’re still supposed to maintain all the outer trappings. It also includes the latest iPad, smartphone and other gadgets. Maintaining that “look” or “brand” costs us the freedom to live our Excellent Adventure. We are trapped by our stuff and the expectation that we must keep buying more, even newer stuff.

Doris and her husband own a home in Las Vegas and another in New Mexico. Everything about them screams success. Inside, they both want something different. With their current lifestyle they can’t afford it. So, Doris wonders if she deserves it. I believe she does. If she and her husband are willing to make changes they’ll get there faster.

Consider the possibilities: trade down from a home with a $2,000 monthly mortgage and buy a condo with an $800 mortgage. That’s $1,200 per month in independence. Trade in the fancy SUV for more modest wheels and you free up money spent on payments, insurance and gasoline. Follow the rule you don’t buy something new unless you replace something old. You instantly have more money to live your excellent adventure and less clutter to organize. Life becomes streamlined.

You can live more authentically which truly is your personal brand.

I walked out of the airport and was in Istanbul. A teeming city of 12.8 million people that straddles two continents, both Europe and Asia. The air sparkled from a recent rain and green leaves fluttered on the trees as cars whooshed by. Quickly, I hopped in a cab. Traffic signals and lanes mean nothing in Turkey. It was a death-defying ride to the hotel.

Turkey was an awakening. I didn’t know much about the country and the people. I loved everything about it. The people were gracious, gentle and kind. The architecture and history was amazing. The food was, well, in a word, “yum.” The Grand Bazaar was an amazing day of sights, sounds and shopping. What’s not to love?

Didn’t research much beforehand. I was too busy with business. I knew what the weather would be like. I knew a few hotspots I wanted to visit. I knew it’s a more moderate country from its conservative neighbors. That was about it.

I mentioned in my last post sometimes as women we have a tendency to hesitate and over-analyze. We hold off from taking action and getting out of our comfort zone because we’re unsure if it’s the right thing to do. We take forever making decisions. Visiting Turkey was the perfect thing for me to do. The thing you’ve been hesitating about, your excellent adventure, is probably the right thing for you, too.

But doubts linger. So we hold back from something we really want to do. You may have no interest in visiting Turkey. Your excellent adventure may be something totally different

A few years ago I discovered something called, “The Paradox of Learning.” It speaks to how we can get overly caught up in analyzing, researching and not doing.

Let’s say you decide you want to do something to change your life – start a network marketing business, travel to Istanbul or play tennis in a tournament. You know almost nothing. Let’s say everything you know about it is the size of a grape. Everything you don’t know about playing tennis is touching the outside of that grape.

So, you decide to learn more about playing tennis – or whatever. You watch a couple tennis matches on TV. Now everything you know about tennis is the size of a lime. Which means everything you don’t know is touching the outside of that lime.

You decide to learn more. You buy a couple books about tennis. Everything you know about tennis is now about the size of an orange – but everything you don’t know? It’s grown, too.

You research online about tennis. You spend endless hours hunched over your keyboard. Everything you know about tennis is about the size of a cantaloupe. But what’s happened to what you don’t know? It keeps growing.

So when do you know that you know enough?

Answer: when you know that you don’t know everything – but you’re willing to get out of your comfort zone, take a risk and get started. That’s when you know enough.