“911 what’s your emergency?” the operator asked.“It’s my daughter Tiffany! I just came over and found her unconscious in her bed! Please send someone over here right away! She can’t die!” Tiffany’s mother cried hysterically.“Ma’am, I need you to calm down. What’s the address there?”“Hold on, let me find something with the address on it.” Tiffany’s mother ran into the kitchen and found a letter with her address on it. “Okay, I found it. The address is 2792 Edgewater Way, Apt 2.”“Okay, now is your daughter breathing?” Tiffany’s mother placed her hand over her mouth and nose to feel for air. Nothing...“No! She’s not breathing! Oh Lord, she’s not breathing! You have to hurry! She can’t die! Please hurry!”“Ma’am, we are getting there as fast as we can. I need you to calm down. Do you know CPR?”“No!”“That’s okay, I can walk you through it. Tilt your daughter’s head back and lift her chin.”“Okay.”“Now check and make sure nothing is blocking her airway. If there’s nothing there, hold her nose shut, cover her mouth with yours, and give two breaths.”“Okay, I have to put you on speaker phone.” Tiffany’s mother put the phone on speaker and placed it on the bed next to her. She put her mouth over hers and gave her two full breaths. “Now what else do I do?” she asked.“Place your hands one on top of the other on her chest between her breasts. Push down thirty times to a depth of about two inches, at the rate of about two seconds.” Her mother counted aloud until she reached thirty. “Now give her two breaths again and thirty more chest compressions.” Tiffany’s mother continued to perform CPR until the paramedics arrived, then she stepped to the side and let them take over. She continued to cry and pray as the paramedics tried to revive Tiffany.“Lord, I know my daughter has done some things that were wrong but she is trying to change. Lord, please don’t let her leave this Earth without the opportunity to show You that she can do better. Lord, please save Tiffany, don’t let her die. Give her another chance to show You that she will put You first and will overcome this addiction she has. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.”*****Before I went to bed my mother called me into her bedroom. At first I was scared she found out I was in her make up earlier that day when she left me alone to go to the store. When I didn’t see the belt sitting next to her on the bed, I knew she hadn’t figured it out and I prayed she never would. My mother had already warned me on more than one occasion that if she ever found out that I went in her stuff without asking, she would beat the black off me. I didn’t understand how you could do that, but I wasn’t about to find out so I made sure I put everything back exactly as I had found it so she wouldn’t suspect anything.My mother was lying in her bed with her favorite black nightdress on. It was long and sheer. She wore her matching bra and panty set underneath. Her hair was neatly combed straight and reached the middle of her back. Her skin was a few shades lighter than mine and her eyes were light brown. She had freckles placed perfectly on her cheeks, giving her an innocent look. My mother was beautiful. One of my mother’s men friends must have been coming over later because that was the only time she put on one of her most revealing nightdresses and wore her hair down.“Yes, mommy, you called me?” I asked, as I stood at the foot of her bed.“Tomorrow Ms. Yvette is bringing her boys, Tony and Wade, over to stay while we go out. I know you haven’t met them before but I want you to be on your best behavior. Be nice and make sure you share your toys,” she said, while getting up to light the candles around her bedroom.“Yes ma’am, I will,” I said. I really wasn’t up to sharing my stuff. I was the only child and never had to share any of my things except for when my aunt Kelly came over. She was my aunt but I am ten months older than she is. She always tried to steal my dolls so I hated when she came over to visit.“Tony is eight, the same age as you, so ya’ll should have a lot in common. You know the rule. Don’t let them get you in trouble. You understand me?” she said.“Yes ma’am, I promise I will be on my best behavior,” I said with a fake smile on my face. I really wasn’t up for entertaining Ms. Yvette’s sons, but who knew; maybe they would be fun to play with.“Okay, go on and go to bed. I have company coming over in a little bit,” she said as she sprayed some perfume on her body and around the room.The next day when Ms. Yvette arrived with her sons, part of me was excited; it wasn’t often that I had someone to play with. I always looked forward to Saturdays because it was the day Mother and Ms. Yvette would leave and I’d be home alone until almost midnight. But, I’d often be afraid to be left alone because I would hear noises all throughout the house. Every squeak and crack would cause me to run into my bedroom and hide under the covers until they came back.One Saturday I asked my mother why she couldn’t get my aunt to watch me while she went out.“Mommy, why can’t Aunt Susan watch me when you go out?” I asked one Saturday, as she was getting dressed.“Because your auntie won’t watch you for free and I don’t want to pay her. That’s my club money. Plus, you’re a big girl. You can watch yourself.” She had a point, I was a big girl and I never got into any trouble while she was away.When the boys arrived, I saw that Tony was much taller than me. He was very skinny, like the poor kids you see on TV in Africa. I wanted to fix him a grilled cheese sandwich as soon as he walked through the door. I could tell he had been playing outside before he came over because he had dirt all over his clothes. I couldn’t tell the last time he combed his hair because his little afro was matted to his head. Wade, who was five, was a chubby little thing. He reminded me of the Pillsbury Dough Boy.Tony and Wade seemed to be shy at first, but as soon as our parents left they began arguing over what cartoon we were going to watch. Wade wanted to watch Bugs Bunny and Tony wanted to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I didn’t care for neither of the cartoons they wanted to watch and since it was my house, I turned to Strawberry Shortcake. Both of the boys whined about how they didn’t want to watch a girly cartoon, but I didn’t care.While we sat on the floor watching cartoons, Tony began rub-bing on my hand. I wasn’t sure if that’s what kids did when they watched TV together, but I noticed he wasn’t rubbing Wade’s hand. When I moved my hand back, he reached over and started rubbing on it again. I pulled my hand away again, but this time I placed it in my lap. After Strawberry Shortcake went off Tony suggested that we go play hide and seek.“Not it,” I said before anyone else did.“Not it,” Tony shouted, leaving Wade to be the one to find us.Tony and I whispered to each other about places to hide. I told him that we could hide in the laundry room, my mom’s closet, or in my room under the bed. Tony told me that he wanted to hide in my mom’s closet and I told him I was going to hide in the laundry room. I really wanted to hide in my mother’s closet because I could cover myself with the pile of clothes that she always kept in there, but I didn’t want to hide in there. I knew that if Wade did look in there, we both would be caught.I told Wade to close his eyes and count to a hundred but being only five years old, he could only count to ten. I just told him to count until he couldn’t count any more. Wade went to the far corner of the living room and began counting. As I headed for the laundry room, Tony grabbed my arm and led me to my mother’s bedroom closet. I tried to pull away but he kept insisting that I come in there with him so I did. It was really dark in the closet when Tony shut the door so I cracked it so we could get some light. As I stood in the nearly dark closet waiting for Wade to try to find us, I couldn’t help but wonder why Tony wanted me to go in there with him. Something about him was a little weird to me but I just brushed it off.When I wasn’t paying attention, Tony snuck up on me and kissed me on my lips. My initial reaction was to slap the crap out of him but instead, I just pushed him away. I had never been kissed before and wasn’t sure if I wanted Tony to be first to do it. Tony pulled me close to him and kissed me again. When I tried to pull away he held me tighter. I stopped fighting and just let him kiss me. His lips were soft but I didn’t see what the big deal was about kissing. I heard Wade crying so I pulled away from Tony and ran to see what was wrong. Wade was standing in the living room crying because he got scared. Tony teased him for being such a crybaby. I went to the kitchen, got Wade some cookies, and calmed him down. I let Wade pick the next cartoon we watched on TV. Tony didn’t like that but I didn’t like how he picked on Wade, so he could go to hell for all I cared.Wade began drifting off to sleep about ten minutes into the show. Tony went to go change the channel but I grabbed him by the arm before he could reach the TV.“What do you think you are doing?” I said, as I yanked on Tony’s arm, pulling him down to the floor.“I’m turning the TV. I don’t want to watch this crap,” he said, as he tried to get back up to turn the TV. Again I pulled him back down, but this time I pulled him much harder than before.“Ouch! You’re going to pull my arm off. Let me go, Tiffany,” he said, trying to free him self from my grip.“No. I’m watching this so you better just sit down and watch it too. You’re not turning my TV,” I told him. Tony just looked at me and smiled.I was really beginning to think this boy was getting weirder and weirder. I let go of his arm. As soon as I did, he jumped on top of me and we began to wrestle. I wasn’t in the mood to play with him but he kept laughing and wrestling me. Eventually, I gave in and gave him a run for his money. We rolled around on the living room floor until we grew tired. Wade somehow managed to sleep through all the noise. I pushed Tony off me and sat up to catch my breath.“Hey, Tiffany, I have another game we can play,” Tony said, getting up from the floor.“What game?” I asked. I got up and went into the kitchen to fix me something to drink. Tony followed me.“I don’t know what it’s called, but I know you will like it,” he said, with a huge grin on his face.“Okay, show me,” I said, finishing the last of my juice. I placed my glass in the sink and headed back toward the living room and Tony followed.“Let’s go in the room ‘cause I don’t want to wake Wade up,” he said. He grabbed me by the hand and led me into my bedroom. Tony closed the door behind us and told me to get in my bed.“What I need to get in the bed for?” I asked him.“Because that’s where the game is played,” he said. I followed his instructions and got in the bed. Once I was in all the way he joined me. He told me to lay flat on my back and I did. Tony climbed on top of me and began rubbing his body on mine.“What are you doing?” I asked.“This is the game. I saw it on TV last night and the people seemed to really like it,” he said. He continued to move his body up and down on mine. I could feel his pee pee on my private through our clothes and it felt weird. I didn’t understand the game but since it wasn’t hurting me, I didn’t see any harm in playing.As Tony rubbed himself on me, he kissed me as he had earlier in my mother’s bedroom closet. His kiss was nice and I didn’t want him to stop. I heard my bedroom door squeak and I quickly pushed Tony off me. I thought that maybe my mother had came home early and I didn’t want her to see what we were doing. I knew he said it was only a game but I wasn’t sure if it was a game I was allowed to play.Wade walked into my bedroom rubbing his eyes. You could tell he had just woke up by how slow he was moving. Tony and I got out of the bed and led Wade back into the living room. I turned on cartoons and all three of us sat directly in front of the TV. I felt Tony watching me but I was too scared to give him eye contact. The game he had introduced me to was different and made me feel weird. I wasn’t sure what to think of it but I knew I wanted to play it again.At some point, we all fell asleep while watching cartoons. I woke up when I heard my mother’s key unlocking the door. I woke Tony and Wade up to let them know their mother was there to get them. They both grabbed their shoes and headed toward the door. My mother and I walked Ms. Yvette and her sons out to the car and said our goodbyes, then headed back into our house. Mama instructed me to go take a bath and get ready for bed. I obeyed her orders and got right to it.As I lay in bed, I began to think about the game Tony and I played. I had never seen anyone on TV play such a game and I was beginning to wonder what the purpose of the game was. Tony’s pee pee felt weird rubbing up against my privates, but it was a good weird. I had never felt anything like that before. When I wiped myself as I bathe or used the bathroom, I never got that kind of feeling. Maybe only he could make me feel that way?Saturday came again and my mother announced that Tony and Wade wouldn’t be coming over that weekend; I would be going to their house. Gathering my things, I prepared myself for the long car ride over. Ms. Yvette lived on the other side of town. My mother always teased me about falling asleep. Whenever we took long car rides I would fall asleep like I use to do when I was younger.We arrived at Ms. Yvette’s house thirty minutes later. My mother walked right into the apartment without knocking. Ms. Yvette stood in the kitchen drinking a glass of water. She wore a pretty purple dress with shoes to match. Her hair was pulled back into a neat bun with soft curls in the front.“Yvette, I’m going to go change in your bathroom, is that okay?” my mother asked. She held up her duffel bag of clothes.‘Yeah, girl, go ahead,” Ms. Yvette told her. Mama went into the bathroom to get dressed.Tony and Wade sat on the living room floor in front of the TV. I took a seat on the floor next to Tony and put my bag filled with dolls next to me. Ms. Yvette brought us some snacks to eat while we watched cartoons.“Now don’t make a mess ‘cause I just vacuumed the floorearlier,” she said.“Yes ma’am,” we all said in unison.There was a knock at the door and Ms. Yvette went to answer it. When she opened the door, two men entered and she told them to take a seat at the dining room table.My mother came out of the bathroom looking like a movie star. She wore a tight, black dress with black and gold heels. Her make- up and hair was flawless. She had twisted it into a neat French roll with spirals in the front. Just the day before she’d gotten her nails manicured. They were painted red with black rhinestones and her toes matched. My mother was fierce and no one could tell her otherwise.One of the men at the table said, “Damn, you look good enough to eat!”The other guy sitting next to him burst out laughing. I really didn’t understand what was so funny. If that man dared try to eat my mother I was going to kick him in his knees.My mother politely smiled, walked over to him, and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. The men rose from the table and walked toward the door. My mother and Ms. Yvette followed. Before Ms. Yvette closed the door she stopped and looked back at us.“There’s some fried chicken in the kitchen if ya’ll get hungry. Don’t answer the door for anyone, not even the police, you hear me?”“Yes ma’am,” we said in unison again. Ms. Yvette blew her boys some kisses and closed the door behind her.Once our parents left, Tony suggested we go into their room so that we could play video games. Wade was the first to hop up and run in the room. We entered the room more slowly. Tony and I sat on the bed and Wade sat on the floor. Tony took his cover from behind us and put it on our laps. I wasn’t cold and wasn’t sure why we needed cover, but I let it stay. As Wade started to play the video game, I watched as Tony rubbed on my thigh. I nervously looked over at Wade. He didn’t see anything that Tony was doing because he was so into the game. Tony continued to rub on my leg for a while.“I have to use the bathroom,” Tony said. He removed the cover and stood up. He left the room, heading in the direction of the bathroom.After Tony didn’t come back for a while I went in search of him. I wondered what was taking him so long. When I opened the bathroom door Tony grabbed me and pulled me in.“Hey, what’s going on?” I said, slightly startled.“Nothing, I’ve been waiting for you. I knew you would come looking for me sooner or later,” he said, closing and locking the door behind me.“Well, yeah I did. You were taking forever. I came looking to see if you fell in the toilet or something,” I said, knowing that wasn’t the real reason I went looking for him. I wanted to play the game again.“Come here,” he said, holding his arms out. I walked into his arms and he wrapped them around me, and kissed me. This time, he put his tongue in my mouth so I backed away.“Why did you put your tongue in my mouth? That’s gross,” I said, while wiping my lips.“That’s what the people were doing on TV. What’s wrong? You didn’t like it?” he asked.“No, it was nasty. I don’t want your tongue in my mouth. Are you crazy?” I said with a look of disgust on my face. I knew the boy was weird but that took the cake.“Come on, Tiffany, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again,” he promised. He walked towards me. Before he reached me we heard a knock on the door.“Hey, what are ya’ll doing in there? I have to pee really bad,” Wade said from outside the door. I quickly opened the door letting him in.Tony and I gave him his privacy and went back into the bedroom. I hopped on the bed and Tony did the same. He reached on the floor and picked up the cover we had on our laps earlier and covered us again. Wade came back from the bathroom and sat in front of the TV. He didn’t waste any time before he started playing video games again. Tony continued to rub on my thigh under the cover without Wade noticing.By the time our parents came back that night we were already asleep in the boys’ room. My mother woke me up and told me to get my things so that we could go home. I grabbed my book bag full of dolls and my sandals and headed out the room. I looked back and saw Wade asleep in front of the video game while it was still on. Tony was lying on the floor next to him under the cover that he had used earlier to rub on my thigh. Half asleep, I walked to the door as my mother and Ms. Yvette said their goodbyes. I hopped in the backseat of the car and lay down to go to sleep on the long ride home.For the next three years I spent time with Tony and Wade while our parents hung out. Tony and I continued to play our game. At some point, I found out that what we were doing was called “hunching”. Whenever we were alone, we would start to kiss one another and hunch. We hunched outside, in my mother’s room, in Ms. Yvette’s room, and in the laundry room of my house.On one occasion in particular, Tony told me that he wanted to hunch but this time he wanted to do it differently. Tony told me how he had been watching some movies on TV late at night. He said the men and women in the movies didn’t have any clothes. He said we shouldn’t wear any either. I went along with it. Tony and I got undressed but left on our underwear. Pressing up against him, I could feel his pee pee getting hard as it rubbed up against my private area. It wasn’t the first time that I felt his pee pee, but it felt much different than before. I guess since we didn’t have the layers of clothes between us I could really feel him. I liked the way his pee pee felt on my private so much that I didn’t want him to stop, but we knew Wade would be coming in from outside at any moment so we quickly got dressed.Tony told me that the next time we hunched that he wanted to do it completely naked. I was nervous because I knew how good it felt when we just had on our underwear, so being completely naked had to be even better.Since Tony watched people on TV doing the things he did to me, I was curious to see for myself. Late at night, when my mother was out with one of her men friends, I found a sex channel on TV. I watched men and women having sex with each other. There were also women having sex with other women, too. As I watched the two women together, it made me feel really good. They both looked as if they really enjoyed each other. Some of the things they did grossed me out, but I couldn’t stop watching it. At the end of every scene the people would make a really loud noise and would get an ugly look on their face. For some reason, that was funny to me. There was no way I was going to look as silly as they did so I knew I had to practice because I didn’t want Tony picking on me.After watching the sex shows on TV, I practiced how I would groan when Tony and I hunched again. I wanted to really get it right so I grinded on the pillows from my bed. I couldn’t get that feeling in my private like I would get when Tony rubbed his pee pee on me. I needed something firm that I could hunch on so I decided to get the pillows off the couch in the living room. Those pillows had hard edges and I knew it would do the job. Taking the hard end of the pillow, I rubbed it up against my private area. I kept rubbing it until I felt an explosion inside my stomach. I had never felt anything like that before, not even with Tony. I knew what I felt was what the people on TV had felt when they were groaning and screaming.For months I continued to use the pillows to make myself get the good feeling. I used the pillows so much that the end began to get soft and they weren’t doing the job anymore. I knew I had to figure out something else before I lost my mind. I desperately needed that good feeling.One day while I was in the bathroom, the toilet seat lid came off and I noticed that the two pieces that snapped the lid on the toilet were hard. I began to think about the hard ends on the toilet seat, how I could put something soft over them and use that to rub up against myself so I could get that feeling again.I took the lid off and lay it on the bathroom floor. I ran into my room, took a pillow off my bed, and returned to the bathroom. I placed the pillow over the lid and positioning my private part on the hard piece of the lid as I lay on my stomach. The pillow was to keep the rough part of the lid from hurting me. In an up and down motion, I rubbed my private part on the pillow that was over the lid until I had that good feeling that I liked so much. Afterwards, I lay on the bathroom floor until the feeling left.After a while, I couldn’t use the toilet seat anymore because it started to hurt my private. I would also get sore because I used it too much. Not being able to use the pillows or the toilet seat, I started using my hands. Taking all my fingers, I rubbed in a circular motion until I got that good feeling. I would stay up late at night and watch sex movies on TV while rubbing my private parts until I got that good feeling. When I watched the movies I focused really hard on the women’s bodies. I liked to look at their breasts and private areas. I liked to watch the women strippers on the adult channel as they took off their clothes. If I wasn’t watching the movies I wasn’t able to get that good feeling as quick as I would when I did watch them.Tony and I never hunched again and my mother and Ms. Yvette saw each other less and less. Ms. Yvette ended up getting engaged to a man she met at the bar and didn’t hang out with my mother anymore.For months I used my hands to get that good feeling. It became obvious to me that it was something I needed, because I couldn’t stop. I began to think that something was wrong with me. Sitting in my room at night, I would cry because I feared that I was going to go to hell. I knew the feeling had something to do with sex. I thought I was the only person that had this feeling. Something about it had to be wrong.Whenever I went to church on Sundays with my mom, I made sure that I stayed away from the pastor. I didn’t want to get close to him. I felt that somehow, he would know about the feeling that I was having and would go around telling everybody. Knowing that I would probably go to hell for having this feeling, I couldn’t risk anyone else finding out about it.I kept my head down most of the time while I was in church. I didn’t want other people to look into my eyes and be able to tell what I was thinking. I thought they’d figure out what I was doing when I wasn’t in church. My mother would kill me if she ever found out.Every night I prayed that God would make me stop but I just couldn’t. I often wondered what was wrong with me. Was the devil making me do it or was what I was doing even a sin?
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I recently read a request from someone seeking a Home Based Business that she requested was "honest", to work with. Knowing that people are shopping their business all day long, I wanted to shed some light on the process of picking the right business and what you should be looking for when comparing businesses.Here is my response to her request:Hey,So glad to know that you are seeking independence in the form of working from home. My name is Nicole Cooper and I mentor and coach others on how to brand and market themselves online. Having a background in Home Based Businesses (HBB) and Network Marketing, I just wanted to shed a bit of insight into what you should look out for when seeking a HBB...1. Find something that you can believe in. It is so important to believe in your product. You do not want to do something "just for the money". It will never last, and starting an HBB can be pretty challenging at times in all honesty, so you want your passion to see you through the challenge of the development stage.2. Find a mentor that you can trust. Although you will be in business for yourself, you will not be working by yourself, but will be working with a team of people that 'MUST' have your best interest in mind. I've worked under good and poor leadership, and trust me, the poor leadership nearly killed my business. Find someone that will show you how to disover your passion and push you to maximize your potential. But also keep in mind that you must be self motivated as well.3. Make sure that the compensation plan is worth your time and is tangible. In every business meeting opportunity, you will have the "highly paid" testimonials of that someone in the company that is making all this money in a short period of time.....BIG DEAL!!! The reality is, how possible is it for you to really make that money yourself, based on your talent and your efforts? Find a company with a compensation plan that is worth your time.....if that money is just a few dollars here and there, you may get discouraged and quit, feeling like your spending more money than your earning. There are companies that aren't that expensive to get involved with, and will pay a reasonable amount of money. YOu have to be realistic with how much money you want to make in comparison to how much effort your willing to put into it.4. Be ready to work hard....Working from home can often be harder than working a job. The reason why is because your hours go way past the normal 40 hours a week and you arent' getting paid every two weeks. You must also be disciplined with a daily agenda of "money producing activities" that will promote you to where you want to be financially. The downfall with network marketing companies is that most people rely on their upline to get them to their desired level of success. The truth of the matter is that it is all up to you. They may support you, encourage you and guide you but YOU must do all the work! At the end of the day, you can not place your future in anyone elses hands so be willing to be in control of your future and your work ethic.This is my tidbit of wisdom that I felt is necessary to share as you seek a business. One last tip....5. MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE WORKING WITH A MENTOR THAT CAN SHOW YOU HOW TO BUILD YORU BUSINESS ONLINE! - It's obvious that using the internet to build your business is the most effective use of your time.....their really isn't any other way to leverage yourself outside of it....need I say more.If you have any additional questions...feel free to contact me at nicolescooper@gmail.com and visit my sites:http://www.BuildMLMBizOnline.comhttp://www.ViralMarketingGeeks.comNicole S. Cooper
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Posted by Nadira Haniff on December 16, 2008 at 8:00pm
Entrepreneurs here are 7 of the most essential aspects of MARKETING YOU CANNOT MISS FOR 2009 to get off to a QUICK START and moving into PROFIT1) Work on establishing your TARGET MARKET. Sounds simple? Yes it is BUT it does require some research, brainstorming and fine tuning2) Decide on which NICHES you are going to work in and brainstorm on the best ways to get to that niche. You need to get to the places where you niche congregates3) Put together a MARKETING STRATEGY to get your entire marketing plan and execution of that plan in place. The majority of entrepreneurs miss this because it seems straightforward. . Your MARKETING STRATEGY has to be clearly define and broken down into pieces ready for action4) Get your LEADERSHIP in gear. Nothing goes too far without strong leadership and decision making. So get into the mode of honing your leadership skills. People want to follow those who they feel are going somewhere SPECIAL5) TIME MANAGEMENT - this one appears so easy. Yet 98% of marketers struggle with time and a tremendous amount of time is lost daily. Carving out specific and precise times to work on your business is NON-NEGOTIABLE6) Develop your MARKETING / REVENUE MODEL. This will define how you monetize every visitor to your website and how you are positioned to maximize your PROFITS daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. This is where the rubber meets the road and can make or break you if your model is not properly defined7) TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. The marketplace is ripe for the taking as I write this. It means you the Entrepreneur really need to get your game on and set up your business so you reap MAXIMUM PROFITS and you are not playing the hit and miss blunder of marketing.We have an upcoming TELE-SEMINAR this Thursday @ 9:30pm EST which covers all 7 aspects mentioned above. The TELE-SEMINAR delivers over 8 weeks of learning in one shot with ROCK SOLID, Live, Explosive Tactics to implement WITHIN 24 HOURS.Take your business to a new level TODAY.REGISTER HERE: www.ExplosiveTeleSeminars.comNadirawww.180DaysToGreatness.comFollow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/nadirahaniffcoach@nadirahaniff.com
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Posted by Nadira Haniff on November 26, 2008 at 1:00am
THE LAW OF COUNTABILITYThe ‘Law Of Countability’ as described by John Maxwell, is a critical one in building teams and in effective teamwork. This is especially crucial when the stakes are high.People working towards a common goal, depend on the input and execution of tasks by each other. In fact tasks and accomplishment hinge on each other completing theirs. So the ‘Law Of Countability’ is not only important, but it ultimately determines the altitude a team will get to.Maxwell says the formula for ‘Countability’ is not complicated but its impact is powerfulThe formula for ‘Countability’ is as follows:1. CHARACTER: Character makes trust possible. Trust makes leadership possible. I you cannot trust someone, you will not count on them. Building a team, begins with building character in the individuals who make up the team2. COMPETENCE: Competence matters. Without competence, one person can put the entire team in jeopardy. Without competence the burden of the other teamsters become heavier3. COMMITMENT: Teams succeed or fail based on the commitment of teamsters to each other and the team. If a good team player ‘breaks a leg’ the others carry him to the top of the mountain. Many a time it is not about being the first one to the top of the mountain but that the whole team makes it to the top of the mountain4. CONSISTENCY: Consistency in a team is a key component. It keeps the flow of teamwork and reduces the need for other players to add to their work load if everyone stays consistent. Your consistency builds great confidence in you by you teammates5. COHESION: Cohesion is the glue which holds a team together. It is the journey to a worthwhile common goal that gives a team its identity and provides a foundation on which a team stands on. Maxwell describes it as ‘a pride in the ability of your group to function at a higher level than possible for the individual. The unit doesn’t shine because you’re a member, you shine because you’re good enough to be a member”Maxwell continues, “Without cohesion people aren’t really a team because they’re not pulling together. They’re merely a group of individuals working for the same organization.” So today as a leader or an aspiring leader, ask yourself, ‘Am I a team player?’ And do I have and exhibit the characteristics above clearly, in a manner that my team depends on it?” Your answer will tell you the whole story…Nadira Haniffwww.180DaysToGreatness.comwww.180DaysToProfit.comFollow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/nadirahaniffEmail: coach@nadirahaniff.com
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Posted by Nadira Haniff on November 11, 2008 at 1:00am
Entrepreneurs today are struggling. A few are earning but the greater majority of people are not able to earn enough to sustain themselves in businessYes the economy is damp but business stimulates the economy. So the need for entrepreneurs is greatToday I see an incredible interest in business and more are taking the plunge headlong into entrepreneurship. Commendable & I applaud youHowever, the statistics of entrepreneurs making money is not on the rise. In fact, the numbers are staggeringNow, being in business and staying in business does call for some overhead dollars. Even the basics – maintaining a website, small advertisements etc. The struggle is, entrepreneurs without a foundation in business or no hands on real marketing plan are destined to go around in circles for yearsSo many get ensnared in all the gimmicks online and set themselves back many yearsWinning in business hinges on solid business principles, a decision to win, robust skill set and a kick butt marketing, tactical plan of action – add daily support to reduce the window of errorsThere’s a huge difference between spoon feeding and giving people the right tools, skill set and game plan to go win in businessMost do not have a business background nor do they understand the changing face of marketing online and offlineBut as entrepreneurs today, if you don’t snap out of it, and begin separating fact from fiction on the internet and take responsibility for your future and business you are in for a bitter dose of reality – a lot of effort, no progress, no money and not too much further from where you startedThe dawn of a new era is here, listen to the call and move with a sense of urgency and get the answers – it’s your time!(This is for you if you are a small business owner, mlm marketer, internet marketer, entrepreneur, work from home, earn from home, direct marketing entrepreneur)Nadira180DaysToGreatness Creator & Coachwww.180DaysToGreatness.comFollow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/nadirahaniffEmail: coach@nadirahaniff.com
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It is indeed the perfect day to talk about LEADERSHIP and LEADING WITH STRENGTH. Leadership is one of my favorite topics of discussion because it encompasses so much and also can be interpreted in several different ways & styles.A leader is someone who assumes that role. Sometimes we have leadership thrust upon us, but nevertheless, that role has to be accepted. How many times have you heard "be the leader people are looking for"? I am sure many times. But how does one become the leader people are looking for? What steps do we take to get to that point?We have discussed several of those steps this week, but in a nutshell let's recap. Leadership is not a role that is favored by many in the corporate world or otherwise, because it comes with responsibility and expectations. It comes with being there when it is expected for you to be there. But in as much the role of a leader maybe somewhat big to fill, it has the sweetness of all the rewards that we seek. Financial & spiritual as well as many other aspects of our life.So having said that. And knowing that as networkers and business folks we want to be the leader people are looking for...let's simplify and implement step by step...it doesn't have to be overwhelming or intimidating... just embrace each step one at a time...TOP 10 DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF A LEADER(1) A leader is mentally prepared to move forward steadily(2) A leader has a game plan laid out to follow(3) A leader understands that the plan is not set in stone, but will need fine tuning(4) A leader believes with all his/her heart and soul in the himself(5) A leader believes with all his heart in the mission(6) A leader believes with all his heart in his/ her team(7) A leader knows that failure is not an option even though he/she may fail forward(8) A leader is prepared to be in the front line of battle, doing it first(9) A leader knows that there are many challenges ahead(10) A leader knows that there is no prize without the price & so begins with the end in mind...Teamsters, go forward boldly and become the leader that's in you...it's there, just believe and follow with action...Nadira Haniff/ Coachwww.NadiraHaniff.comwww.180DaysToGreatness.comFollow My Twitter www.twitter.com/nadirahaniffEmail: coach@nadirahaniff.com
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Posted by Christine on November 14, 2008 at 8:09pm
How many times have you heard those commercials that claim you can make thousands of dollars working at home for two or three hours per day? Being an entrepreneur is a role that many aspire to, but not everyone can be one. Although it sounds simple, becoming a successful work at home entrepreneur takes diligence, patience and determination.Before you run in and quit your day job, you need to sit down and evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Not everyone has the temperament to be a work at home entrepreneur and it’s best for you to be honest with yourself from the start. After you have completed an honest evaluation of yourself, the next step is to determine if you can manage an online business for yourself.Organization is a key strength for running an online business. If you are selling information products, you must organize your time to compose, upload and set up the process by which you will sell these products. If you are selling physical products, you must organize your product and delineate the time for inventory, packing and shipping. In the beginning, you should also be able to work alone because guess what – you’re the boss now! It’s YOUR business and you have to be responsible for it.Let’s go back to those commercials that say that online businesses can be run without many problems. Don’t believe the hype for a minute, because even with an online business, you still have to deal with business issues. These issues cannot be avoided, because they’re just a part of doing businesses whether you’re doing business online or offline. You can avoid some of these issues just by doing a bit of homework and choosing the best home based business for you and your working style.Running an online business is not easy. Because are both boss and employee, you have to manage your time wisely in order to not become overwhelmed and discouraged. You must be a risk-taker, a self starter and have the understanding and temperament to deal with all types of people.As an work at home womenpreneur, take the time to make an assessment of your skills and temperament, then move forward in the field or industry that you feel works best for you. Working in a home-based business requires dedication, hard work and excellent time management. Much success to you in your endeavors!
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I’m always a person who believes that things happen for a reason, whether good or bad. I believe that each and every person is destined for great things and that we just have to have faith and seek them out. Sometimes we use all the excuses in the world because of the fear of stepping out and just going after our dream. We believe that we have so much to lose if we do when in reality we have a lot more to lose if we don’t. At times we need that hard push because we neglected the writings on the wall. Well I’m here to say I got my hard push on Friday, when my employer laid me off. At first I was upset because I wasn’t prepared. However, after talking to my family and friends I realized it’s probably going to be the best thing that has ever happened to me. Although I have a sense of worry I’m learning that worry and faith do not go hand in hand. The crazy economic downturn has made me realize that we all need to pay attention and re-prioritize; we need to put our families and ourselves first. I read an article over the weekend called “The Top 10 Reasons to Love a Recession,” and one of them was the chance for business opportunities. What does Disney, HP and Microsoft all have in common? Well, besides for being power player companies, these three companies along with 30 others were all started in economic downturns. Now my question for you is, are you willing to step out on faith?By: Kamilah C.The Pink Lockethttp://thepinklocket.com
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Ok, I rose this morning (Thank you Jesus), got the kids on the bus by 6:30, received a few phone calls around 8'ish, ate a miniature Snicker's candy bar and a few chips and began networking......Well to start, my goal today is to enroll 3 people today into the service in an attempt to help them to restore their credit to its rightfull place, follow up with some customers that have gone through the process and offer them the opportunity to join our business. So far I have a 12 noon appt. and a 6pm appt and several phone calls to make in between, but I am on a mission today.I Plan on getting one recruit today as well.My mission: Help others while also helping myself. Put God first throughout the process and build an entire team that wants to go out and change the world.Point Blank: People need what our company has and I must to do today what others don't so I can have tomorrow what others won't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Dedicated to changing lives and creating a legacy,Credit RestorerIndependent Agent / National Sales Directorwww.vrtmg.com/sstreeterwww.tdtwmarketing.comOff to get my coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Well, here I am back at it again....loving what I do of course but wanting to get a cup of coffee. Anyway on to the reason for this blog.The importance of having a Business Building Philosophy is to build a network whereby recruiting never stops, therefore sales never stop, therefore income never stops. How many times have we all seen an "individual" come into an opportunity and generate numerous sales???? For me, I have observed this while they observe me RECRUIT! A person that can sale, sale, sale is gifted indeed at sales, no doubt about it.My point is that, with recruits (ie, multiple outlets and/or franchises) you can have others that will duplicate your skills if you train and mentor them. That is what our fearless leaders have taught us. Not only are they a walking billboard for success, but they also provide us with the same opportunities and mentorship every 2-4 months. You can experience this regardless of where you currently reside.We are not watching them from a podium in the back of the "Pepsi Center", but we are in the same room, taking notes and shaking hands with them.Success leaves footprints and I do not ever want to have to wonder "who moved my cheese". On February 13 & 14th, we will be at the fabulous Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, TX. If you are interested in how you can build a true network by recruiting WIDE and field training DEEP, you should send me a message so we can get you ready for this HUGE and life changing event. Of course there is no better way to learn than by having a Valentine's day celebration at the resort at the end of the evening. Did I say, dinner, dancing, bringing out the formal wear and NETWORKING???Send me a message if interested and as always: Put God first in all that you do and pray over your business!CreditRestorerwww.tdtwmarketing.com
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Brown Sugar Chic BoutiqueFor Those That KnowBrown Sugar Chic Boutique provides its clients with a unique buying experience. To the women of distinction, Brown Sugar Chic Boutique brings class, creativity, femininity, and fun to women of all ages and sizes. Brown Sugar Chic Boutique orders no more than 6 of any item carried. This ensures exclusivity to its clients. BSCB carries apparel, handbags, shoes and accessories.CEO & Owner, Tammy Hamilton, recently added a new service to the Brown Sugar Chic Boutique roster. BSCB now offers its clients image consulting and personal shopping services.To read more visit http://www.alivemagonline.com/entrepreneur_highlights.Read more…
Hello Sistapreneurs,Many of us are constantly encouraging others to start businesses, but it seems like so many individuals are afraid. I recently had an interview with Real Talk Real Women where I discussed the importance of black business and how any of us can start a business with almost nothing more than the drive to do so. If you have the opportunity, I would appreciate your feedback.Crystal Washingtonwww.black-marketexchangewww.blacksynergist.com(In the event that you can now listen to the attached audio file, you can listen to the interview here; I am the first guest.)
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In today's business world, every Tina, Debra, and Suzie is an entrepreneur. With the convenience and accessibility of the internet, it's never been easier to carve out a business presence on the world wide web. With that said, there has to be something that sets those super-successful businesses apart from the mediocre ones. What's that thing? Branding.Branding is the ongoing development of the perceived value of an individual or business, in relation to its competitors, as viewed by an audience -and whether you have a small startup or a mega-franchise or are simply trying to market yourself, branding should be at the forefront of your mind.There are two main types of branding- personal and professional- and both types are extremely crucial in the success of an individual or business. Here are some tips that can apply to the development of both types of branding.Image should not be contradictory- you cannot market yourself or your business as one thing but speak, dress, and act as another. It's important that you stay true to who you are and what you want to portray. As long as you are honest with yourself and others, it won't be difficult to maintain consistency in branding your business and/or yourself.Brand should be easily accessible and identifiable- if you google your name or your business' name what would you find? If there is any information there at all, is it accurate and consistent? If you are less than satisfied with the results, be sure to do what you can to correct it. There are plenty of articles out there that help you figure out how to successfully use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to build your personal and professional brand.Be consistent in your brand development- you cannot expect to build or change your brand overnight. Branding is an ongoing process that should be taken seriously and given much thought. Create a daily, weekly, or monthly block of time for you to focus on branding. Once you find a method (or methods) that work for you, stick with them and monitor how effective they are.Be careful where you leave your footprint (mouse-print)- although the internet is a great tool to build your business and your brand, it can also prove to be a place where images are destroyed. Pay attention to the pictures you let circulate, the comments you leave on others' blogs, and the social networks you become a member of. With the click of a mouse, anyone can learn all about how you spent Spring Break '07 in Cancun. If it fits into your image and brand, then there's no problem. But if it doesn't, it can put a damper on the way others see you.Personal and Professional branding, if used correctly, can really give you the competitive edge as you grow your business. It's important that you take the time to carefully develop and maintain a brand that will prove to be a positive addition on your journey to success.
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As entrepreneurs we all know that balancing your day job with your new startup is never easy. Sitting and waiting for the day that one can fire their employer to pursue their business fulltime is an entrepreneur’s dream. There are days I come home from work just exhausted and tired, but I push myself to go work on a new jewelry design or create that new marketing campaign for an upcoming jewelry line.I was talking to one of my childhood friends the other day, who happens to be a new author, and we discussed trying “find time” to complete tasks for our businesses after coming from a long day at work. I told her my motivation is that I am so focused that I try to find the time everyday to do something for The Pink Locket, even if it means going to sleep past midnight. Everyday when I get up and go to my 9 to 5, it’s a reminder that I need to stay focused because I made the decision that this venture is going to work for me, not that I “hope” it works, but it’s “going” to work.We’ve all heard the saying “Birds of a feather flock together.” I believe that this is especially true when starting up your business that by keeping other successful and determined entrepreneurs in your circle will help you to achieve the objectives and goals of your very own business. I was once told people need to have 3 sets of friends, your regular circle of friends, your work friends and friends who are more successful than you. With that being said I’m definitely working on the later.
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During the month of April, Alive Incorporated launched its Pay It Forward Program. The mission of this program is to assist aspiring entrepreneurs in making their dreams a reality, providing our clients with the tools necessary to earn the financial independence they always dreamed of.For a six month period, the team at Alive Incorporated will work with clients for 1 -2 hours a week. This is time will be used to advise clients on their business plan, marketing strategy, and goal development. Coaching is provided to clients as they complete the tasks necessary to achieve their goals.Our first client to take advantage of our new program is Courtney R. Franklin, CEO of Moving Young Ladies Forward (“MYLF”). The Alive Incorporated team will be working with Courtney to position her organization for continued success.To learn more about Moving Young Ladies Forward, visit http://guideourgirls.ning.com/.To learn more about our Pay It Forward Program, please email us at coach@aliveincorporated.com.
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Women Business Owners, www.womenbizowners.org invites all women to join us on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 11 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on blogtalkradio.com/wbo-radio. The dial-in phone number is (347) 205-9229. It will prove to be a very entertaining show. Our radio guest will be discussing how she found her "niche" and successes in turning it into a thriving business. Here is some additional information on our guest speaker --Deborrah Cooper (a.k.a "Ms. Heartbeat") is founder and resident advice columnist on AskHeartBeat.com, which is her award winning relationship website. She focuses on black male/female relationships. On her website, she has informative articles on dating and relationships for both adults and teens.As an advice columnist and relationship expert she has also written a book "Sucka Free Love - How to Avoid Dating the The Dumb, The Deceitful, The Dysfunction & The Deranged! It provides common sense, street-smart insight into the toughest issues facing singles today.She has been profiled in Black Enterprise and Honey magazines as well as interviewed by Essence magazine.Ms. Cooper has also appeared on Yahoo Internet Life, The Oakland Tribune, The Dallas Morning News, and many other print and online media worldwide. This interview should prove to be quite interesting! Do you need some advice on a relationship??Come listen to Deborrah explain how she turned her passion into a thriving business!
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Networking - There IS a Method to the MadnessTuesday, April 8, 2008 7:00 pm CT - 8:00 pm CTThe first time this seminar was offered was a phenomenal success! We are offering this seminar again. Please join us. Once your seat is reserved, you will receive conference materials as well as the telephone number to the conference.What is networking? Simply put networking is the exchange of information. Networking is also relationship building. In this seminar, participants will learn the purpose of networking and how to successfully network. Whether you are looking for a new job or seeking to grow your business, this seminar gives you to the tools to succeed.Get answers to many questions including:What are the benefits of networking?How does networking help my business/career?Do I already have a network?How do I network?With whom do I network?How much time should I dedicate to networking?Order your ticket now at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/108425303.
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Online Networking What's All the Fuss?Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:00 pm CT - 8:00 pm CTOnline networking is taking over!Are you joining the millions of individuals utilizing online social networks like MYSPACE, YAHOO GROUPS, GOOGLE GROUPS, FACE BOOK, and Ning?This seminar shows participants how to build a huge online network in a relatively short period of time.Want to start a business?Want to grow your business?Have a new book, product or service you want to share with others?Bring pen and paper and join us for this teleseminar!Space is limited so reserve your seat today.Upon confirmation of payment, you will receive conference log in information.To order tickets, visit http://www.eventbrite.com/event/108435333.
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