Indie On a Mission Makes it His Business to Tell YouHave you ever met someone that you knew you'd like, but you just don't have the time during your first meeting to get to know each other? Every time you see that person, you feel a "click," and you have this gut feeling that says, "You know, I really feel a synergy here. I'd like to get to know that person." But then, you know how life gets in the way.
A few months later, your paths cross again and you have a minute to chat. Your gut feeling is confirmed.That's what happened when I met Marlon Smith, motivational speaker and co-Executive Producer of the multi-media stage play, "Real Men Talking." Marlon and I had been in the same room numerous times before we had a chance to sit down and chat.Why is this Indie, husband, father, motivational speaker and all around nice guy so engaging? Well, you'll find out in this interview.dM: Marlon, there are so many angles to come at you with so I'll just pick the one. What is so special about Real Men Talking?Marlon: It's more than just a stage production. There is a need for it in our communities today. The play engages the audience to think about the choices they are making. Many of our young people (both boys and girls) are bombarded with different images, not all of them appropriate, as to what a REAL man is.Is it the bling? Is it having beautiful women hanging on your arms? Is it having a baby? Being a responsible father?We traveled the country interviewing men from all walks of life. Dr. Cornel West. Musiq Soul Child. Common. We tapped athletes, businessmen, politicians and more to find out what real men are talking about.This production brings it all together in a family friendly, fun, multi-media event.dM: How did the production come about?Marlon: In 2004, I delivered the keynote presentation at the National Alliance of Black School Educators conference in Dallas, Texas. The theme was: "The plight of the African American male student." Part of my presentation focused on the need to do something different to engage today's young people and empower them to better themselves. This production, 4 years in the making, is the result.dM: From a personal perspective as a father, husband and business person, how do you better yourself, and how do you encourage others to do the same?Marlon: As a motivational speaker, I encourage people to look at their lives as a wheel with 6 sections: Spiritual, Health, Finances, Relationship, Career/School and Emotions. I ask them to think about where they are in each of these crucial life areas. This quick exercise gives a person a snapshot of where they are strong and where they are weak in their lives.Anyone can quickly see what needs improvement. This knowledge empowers you to take action to improve that particular area. Another thing that helps me is journaling. Recording my life's thoughts and experiences gets me out of the "busy-ness" of life so I can reflect on where I am and what I need to do.Because I have benefited so much from these lifestyle choices, I developed a 40-day online course to help people maximize their potential and maintain balance. My "Living With Purpose" online course leads people to some incredible breakthroughs I have personally experienced in just 40 days.dM: How did all this work to help others start for you?I had a great job at Hewlett-Packard, but in 1992, I felt a need to realize my own personal mission, so I resigned the position to launch Success By Choice. Since then, I have capitalized on many opportunities to inspire positive change in as many people as possible.dM: What's your philosophy of life and business?Marlon: I am very grateful that God has allowed me to do what I do because I feel that it's what I was born to do. In my own life, I have discovered that true change is a process and not a one-time shot. Consequently, whether I'm delivering a formal presentation or talking with you on the street, I know it's not enough to simply motivate you. I have to also follow through with the reinforcement needed to actually see the change come to fruition.Since I can't be everywhere, I developed a curriculum that can. Everyone can create everlasting change through "Living With Purpose: 40 Days to Being Your Best," which anyone can download online.Real Men Talking is the result of a series of events and collaborations, each of which incorporates my personal decision to live by the Living With Purpose course work that I share with others.dM: Where can we see Real Men Talking?Marlon: Across the nation in major cities. On May 30, we'll be at the McGlohon Theater in Spirit Square in Charlotte, North Carolina. Tickets are available at the Blumenthal Center's website or call the box office at (704) 372-1000.Other cities where we have appeared or will soon appear include: Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, Nashville, New York, Detroit and Washington, DC. Visit our website for more information.What do you think?I don't know about you, but I'm ready! The babysitter is lined up and my husband and I have purchased tickets to Real Men Talking in Charlotte next Friday. Even if you're not in a city they are playing in, you can enjoy lots of trailers and high energy presentations at the Real Men Talking website.More Indie StoriesSmall Business, Global MissionI Won Best In Show!Flowers and FusionLittle Hat, Big CattleJacci Thompson-Dodd, authorRead more…
Are you a savvy business woman with a new idea and need help developing a solid business plan?If so you are cordially invited to attend Business Support by Mittie's Semi-AnnualWomen's Business Development Retreat!At this retreat we will cover the following business planning concepts:Executive SummariesGeneral Company DescriptionOperational PlanMarketing PlanManagement PlanStart-Up ExpensesFinancial PlanningThis retreat will take place August 17th-August 20th, at a luxurious cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.By the end of the retreat your business plan will be complete. This will be a rigorous and fast-paced training programcombined with relaxation, pampering, and networking with like-minded women.Fo rmore information please visit our websiteRead more…
Creme De La Creme Magazine is new editorial providing advertising campaigns. The magazine is a new venture for me and something I have been working very hard on putting together for the past couple of weeks. The magazine will focus on culture, society, fashion and the arts at it's best. My vision for this magazine is to become an outlet for the eccentric and creative minds out there.And the best part about it is that the magazine is free to the public so that consumers can have unlimited access to this publication and every subscriber will also have a space on the online magazine.So with that said come one come all and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity for exposure.
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Hi Ladies,I know it's a holiday, but hubby took the kids to the pool (I'm sure they are freezing right about now) and so I had a few minutes. I've been wondering if any of you know about Twitter. If you don't, here's a Twitter tutorial.Twitter is at http://www.twitter.comTwitter is sort of like blogging for dummies. Once you register for your free Twitter account, you are assigned a page of your own, where you can "Tweet" about whatever you want. That's as in, "chat" about what's on your mind -- which if you are reading this is probably your business, right?!!You can post up to 140 characters about whatever you want. It's sometimes a challenge to pare your thoughts down to 140 characters, but when you are sharing your business with others, you really shouldn't need to use too many words, right?I first used Twitter back in April to keep my clients up to date on my activities at a networking conference. Now, a month later, I love using Twitter not only to keep people up to date on what I'm doing, but also to meet new and exciting people like the ones I've met here, and keep up to date on what they are doing.If you have a business, you can't afford to overlook Twitter. Here are just a few ways you can use Twitter:1. When you publish a new blog post, podcast, newsletter or video, Tweet about it so people can enjoy it. If they like it, they just might use Twitter's efficiency to tell others.2. If you are featured in the media, Tweet about it so people can see that you are relevant and that the media thought enough of your work to feature it.3. When you meet someone new and exciting and want to share their work with others, Tweet about it by linking to their website, blog or other social media location.4. Sign up to follow people whose activities interest you, and always be in the know without having to read paragraph after paragraph.5. Put a Twitter feed on your blog so you automatically cross post your Tweets to your blog readers.The possibilities are endless.Here's how to follow me on Twitter.1. Visit my Twitter page at http://twitter.com/indiebusiness, and then choose "Join Today" to open your free Twitter account. If you have a business, consider using your brand name as your username since your Twitter page will correspond to that. Plus, by registering your brand name, you'll be able to prevent other people from registering it for their business.2. Once you have an account, go back to my Twitter link at http://twitter.com/indiebusiness and sign up to follow me. (Use the "Follow" link under my picture.) Also, leave a comment below and let me know your username so I can visit your Twitter page and maybe sign up to follow you. (I'll follow you if you use Twitter regularly, say interesting things and also put a picture of you in your profile.)3. When you meet a Twitterer you think I or other Indie Business owners would be interested in following (including you), share their Twitter link in the comments section here so we can all see.How fun is that?dM
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Hello everyone,I am looking for any business owners or reps who are looking to advertise for their business. I am going to be allowing space on my magazine for advertisement.I am looking for those who have events happening sometime in June who want to get the word out.I am also looking for those who have business that may be having a current sale.If you have advertisement that you would like to get out there, please email me. It's all free. No costs for anything. So take advantage :)This is something new I am starting; the advertisement so I will have more details of what I am looking for as I go along.So if your interested, please email me back here on BBWO or at fromawriterspov@gmail.comThanks,Dominique
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Memorial Day Sale!>>>>>>>>>>>30% Off In My Shop<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<See something you like? Take 30% off anything other then custom orders and take 10% off custom orders! and its yours! Just send me a convo with requested items and i will change the price off everything you purchase! I just know you will find something for you and yours. Talk to you soon!www.natashadesigns.etsy.com
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When you consider it to be a beautiful day, it is. When you believe that you are happy, you are.Expect to find an answer, and you will. Know that something is possible for you, and it surely comes about.Your perceptions do not merely reflect an objective, unresponsive reality over which you have no control. Your perceptions shape the reality that you experience.The way you see your life has a great influence on the way your life unfolds. How are you choosing to see your life?Your perceptions shine a light upon the world around you. The world that you actually experience depends on how and where you shine that light.How do you most sincerely wish for this day, this life, this world to be? What you choose to see is what you will cause to be.-- Anonymous
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Let me first begin this discourse by stating who I am writing to and who I am not. I am not writing this to the rich and famous, but to the poor and unknown. This is not for those living high on the hog but those that are in the muddy grub, eating tad poles and Polly wads. I am not writing to those that have nice fine cars with a GPS system living in 5 bedroom house with a white picket fence. I am writing to those who really don't have a car and must trust the bus and don't need a GPS system because the bus run the same schedule to their 2 bedroom apartment. I am not writing to those that have so much money that if they wrote a check the bank would bounce. I am writing to those that are so broke that their bills have bills.I Am Writing To A Nobody Actually, I wrote this to myself first because that's how I once felt, like a nobody. Have you ever felt like a nobody? I mean you know that you are somebody. But due to your environment, events in your life, results and decision you've made you felt like a nobody. I once fell prey to this type of feeling by negotiating an agreement with mediocrity, signing a mental contract with the average, and pledging a heart felt allegiance to the ordinary. I have felt so low that I probably could swing my legs sitting on a newspaper. Have you felt lonely standing in a crowd. I have. I once belong to the NFL- No Friends Left.Soap OperaSoap operas have been on television since 1952. Each and every weekday, millions of people from all over the world tune in to their favorite soap to follow the trials and tribulations of their favorite characters. Lives are portrayed with passion, courage, love; stories are told with a flair for the outrageous, or even a hint of danger. The term "soap opera" is deceiving, for it is not about soap, nor is it an opera! It is called this because soap companies were big sponsors of the radio shows back in the 1930s. The opera part comes from the fact that operas tell a story, just as the soaps do. What makes a soap opera unique is that the story never ends. That's how I felt about my life that wasn't going anywhere.In the Days of Our Lives when I was Young and Restless following the wrong Guiding Light in Search for Tomorrow, I realize I was living in Another World. Due to my wrongful Passions I started living on the Edge of Night trying to be like the Bold and Beautiful. And surely As the World Turns I ran out of money, and started having trouble from my wife and All My Children. I eventually compromise my health trying to gain wealth, ending up in General Hospital, finding out I only had One Life To Live, and Ryan didn't have any Hope for me.That may be a little far fetch but that's how I felt. A nobody, just a nobody.Born In The City And Raise In The CountryYour life's diary start with your childhood. Mine of course wasn't the best coming from a family that didn't have much. Born in the city and raise in the country I had an understanding of both worlds. I understood that in the city people walk on sidewalks, yet I step in mud. I understood that in the city there was running water from a faucet, yet in the country I was pulling it up from a well. I understood that in the city there were cable, yet in the country we only had able- any channel you were able to get.I have shaken the hands of despair, hug the neck of misfortune, look fear in the eyes, and heard doubt whisper into my ears. I even climb the ladder of success only to get to the top and discover it was leaning against the wrong wall. A nobody, just a nobody.A Setback Is Only A Setup For A Come BackThere are many people who would have by now giving up on life. Not I, no sir, no way. Just because my past may have been rough does not mean my future will be tough. Though there were times when my knees got weak, hands got tired, eyes got dim, priorities got confused, love got cold, and goals got lost yet I knew I had to keep going. It's call stickablity. Life move so fast that sometimes you feel like you are standing still even though you are running top speed. When others are throwing the towel in and calling it quits, yet not I. Somehow, someway I knew I could turn this nobody into a somebody. Though the hill got steep and the path became rough, load became heavy, and the night got dark, I kept P.U.S.H.I.N.G (praying until something happens).Life seems to always have setbacks. You know the feeling, soon you pay the last car payment the first maintenance payment starts. Setbacks, we all have them. I on the other hand didn't just have them , I felt as though I was a setback. Instead of being a blessing I became a burden, a hindrance instead of a help, a despair instead of a delight, a liability instead of an asset, disappointment instead of being dependable, and all out greedy instead of generous.As a Man Thinketh In His Heart So Is He; As He Continues To Think So He Remaineth.The aphorism, "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he," not only embraces the whole of a man's being, but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of his life. A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts. As the plant springs from, and could not be without, the seed, so every act of a man springs from the hidden seeds of thought, and could not have appeared without them. This applies equally to those acts called "spontaneous" and "unpremeditated" as to those which are deliberately executed.I realize that in order for me to be somebody I had to change my thoughts. I had to embrace the thought that I am somebody , others just didn't know it. It is very difficult to picture what success will look like in your mind in any endeavor before you actually achieve it.Everybody wants success. Some people aim for it; others just talk about it. We all know what it looks like... when someone else has it. Often times it just seems like something too far out of reach. For many, the benefits of success are illusive. These people struggle, search and try year after year to create a life filled with financial security, nurturing relationships and a sense of purpose and meaning. Others appear to effortlessly achieve greatness, independence and happiness as they travel through the days of their lives.Some say that those who are successful because they have luck on their side. But luck is :L-laboring, U-under, C-correct, K-knowledge. I had to start thinking like a successful person.The Voice Of SuccessWhile sitting on the hill looking in the valley, in the power of a moment; the voice of success spoke. The brain that gave thought to the idea of me being here said, "You are my son , you are somebody. Remember your name and live it with success." My giver of life said, " You are the first born, you have no choice but to be successful. Then the voice of Les Brown utter the words, "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars." I kept hearing the words of Zig Ziglar say," You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want. ". Then there was Brian Tracy saying, "It doesn't matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going. "I must say that the loudest and clearest voice that I heard was from my creator ."For I am mindful of the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. You call upon me and come and pray to me, and I heed you. You seek Me and find Me: Now you seek Me with all your heart and I am at hand for you, says the Lord "Jeremiah 29:11-14a; Matthew 7:7.I Was Born In The Fire Therefore I Can't Live In The SmokeSuccess is closer than you think. It's just on the other side... you have to want it enough, and be willing enough to get it. Once you have tasted the sweet flavor of success it's hard to settle anything less. I have been burn by the flames of success and their marks constantly reminds me of who I really am. I will not for a New York second let my mind entertain a negative thought. I am the gatekeeper of my mind and I am very careful what comes and goes. Garbage in - Garbage out. Though the world has it's ways of conveying bad thoughts, yet I will deny each one. Tv, radio, books, and/or magazines and I must not leave out people are all possible tools that try to put out the fire and leave you smokeless. If you let them enter your mind, they will take over. That's bubble gum to the brain. That's being S.O.S. - Stuck On Stupid. Not me, I am an over achiever, a pioneer doer. When others are walking, I'm running. When others are sitting on their seats of do nothing and leaning back on their elbows of do less, I'm fine tuning what I've already done, pondering on what can I do next. People will walk a mile to see a man run with the fire of desire. If God can formed the earth cupped out the oceans mold the mountains position the stars ignite the sun establish the moon then surely a boy from Memphis, Tn. the home of the famous barbeque, a military veteran and believer of the afore mention God can impact his generation to a point that when he's gone his children's children will probably drive on streets name after him. If not me, then who? If not now, then when? If not here, then where?Hey friend, I'm from the school that believes if you are going to think, you might as well think BIG. My brain is XXL, I have super sized my train of thought.I know where I'm going. I am on focus. I know what I want, I'm on target. I know when I'm going to get it, I'm on decision. I know how I'm going to get it, I am on FIRE.Now the die is cast; I've stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of success. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present make sense and my future secure. I am finish with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame vision, mundane talking, chincy giving and dwarfed goals.I no longer need preeminent prosperity, position, promotion, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now have a bull dog grip on this thing call success. Others cannot pull or hold me back. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turn back, diluted or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity, I won't give up , shut up, let up, or burn up till I've push, prayed, paid, stored, and stayed up till I've been bless by success.I am no longer in the valley, I'm just changing mountain tops. I've gone from cotton sacks to Cadillac's. I've move from the hood to the hill. I've gone from the outhouse to the penthouse. I've realize being broke is a state of the wallet, being poor is a state of the mind. Everything I know at the top, I learn at the bottom.I am a child of the King and his royal blood flows in my vain.For all my true blue, blood wash, God fearing Christian friends - incase you didn't know.What God has for me is for me, because I am all that He said I am. I walk by faith and not by sight, my steps are order by the Lord. I am not leaning on my own understanding, but have in all my ways acknowledge Him. If God be for me tell me who can be against me? Therefore I have no fear - F..false-E.evidence-A.appearing -R.real. Perfect love cast out fear. I have cast all my care upon Him for He careth for me. For I know whom I have believe, and persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, and may I add, nor friends, family or foe, shall be able to separate me, Hardin Monie' from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.A. S. K.Somewhere in that great book it says to ask. In case you didn't know it's all in the A.S.K.ing A ask and it shall be given How fast you get it out of your mouth determines how fast you will get it in your hands. S seek and it shall be open You have to see it before you can see it K knock and it shall be open The knock of desire will always proceed the knock of determination. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us .thou art the God that do wonders!I am the Hardin of Monie'...Give Me Your Prescription For Success And I Will Fill It In 15 MinutesCall me:Office / BMW / Gym / Cell 901 691-3190
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Can you answer that question?Do you know how to spell love to a women?Getting up on Monday morning to go work. Well it's not a majorhealth problem, but headaches and heart attacks happens onMonday morning by people who hate going to a J.O.B.**********************Just Over Broke**********************Work plays a powerful role in people's lives and exerts animportant influence on their well-being. Since the 1960s, paidwork has occupied an increasing proportion of most people'slives. Although employment can be an exciting challenge for manyindividuals, it can also be a tremendous source of stress.Consequently, as work makes more and more demands on time andenergy, individuals are increasingly exposed to both thepositive and negative aspects of employment. The relationshipbetween work and mental and physical health may also contributeto career adjustment as well as to the productivity.Once upon a time, you spent $25,000 to $100,000 and went tocollege to learn and to be trained on how to be employed. Thenyou signed on the dotted line, slung the chain with your ID cardpinched to it around your neck, your new employer trained you,nurtured you, paid for your car and your babies being born andthey then showed you a ladder leaning upagainst the wall and shouted at you, "go climb!"Circa 1953 to 1977As long as you didn't drop the ball and make too many mistakes,you were safe and you could retire in glory. You didn't have toworry about your career and the notion of having numeroustransitional career changes, back then---would have sounded likea bad joke.But again, this was the last century and over twenty-five yearsago. Your father remembers those old days.Ask Your Parents About ThisBack in the day, the company would take care of you, justiceand hard work would prevail and loyalty----going bothways---were the highest of corporate values.Think about this. In this day and time you spend $100,000 forcollege only to get a job paying $45,000.*********************First of The Month*********************How often do you find yourself feeling as though everyday is thefirst of the month.Seem like you can never get ahead. Even your bills got bills.For some people caller ID is a gift from God. Phonering....don't answer, it's a bill collector.*****************Your Home Away From Home*******************Ok, you know you got to make more money. More money, lessstress, happier home.How many hours though? 60-70-80 or more. Are you spending moretime at work than home. Do you know more about your co-worker's spouselife than your's?Your choice of work DICTATES your lifestyle:WHERE you work dictates how long your commute is.Where you work dictates how much time you give your kidsWHERE you work dictates, are you tolerated or celebrated?Where you work dictates much of your self-esteem.How Do you spell love to a women?TIMEThats right, Time, you have to spend time with her.
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Have You Ever Seen A Dead Man Angry?A letter from a Dead ManThis is an article written by a dead man after he realise he was dead. It was written to all those who are still alive to themselves.If you want to be delivered from you, read on.If you want to be mortified instead of edified, read on.If you think the way up is down, read on.For all those who are still hiding themselves from themselves, less at the sight of themselves they sickned themselves.I urge you to change your name to Mr./Mrs. Pride and your address to 123 Destruction Ave. Going Nowhere,? 00000Have you ever seen a dead man angry?Have you ever heard a dead man complain?Have you ever heard a dead man say, "I can't do this?"Have you ever seen a dead man put himself first?Are you more concern about yourself than others?Then you haven't died yet.Are you more concern about making money than making friends?Then you haven't died yet.Are you more concern about getting what you want then helping others get what they want?Then you haven't died yet.Do you get angry when your dowline don't produce or order for the month?Then you haven't died yet.Are you spending more time on your MLM than your FAMILY?Then you haven't died yet.Are you offering a product than a solution?Then you haven't died yet.Are you working on being rich than being better?Then you haven't died yet.Is your favorite holiday your birthday?Then you haven't died yet.If you ask the mirror on the wallwho is the fairest of them allWill it replyMe, Myself, and I?Then you have'nt died yet.***** I wrote this because I'm dead. You are reading this because maybe you are dying.*****I keep my friends rather they join my program or not.Because I'm dead to my feelings.I don't jump on every new hot deal that comes along.Because I'm dead to my impulses.I own things, but things don't own me.Because I'm dead to my possession.Put others first and myself last.Because I'm dead to pride.Except a seed fall into the ground and die, it abide alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.Have you died yet?To all who read this, may your ego rest in peace.Sincerely yours,HardinA dead man
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I'm glad LaShanda asked this question after my last blog. Now, I can only speak to the Pure Romance (PR)approach to growing your business:For those who want instant gratification, the way to make money would be to focus strickly on doing parties and selling via the website. However, this is not a good idea if you plan on growing your business into a full-time career. I have had parties that totaled over $1400 BUT I have also had parties that were as low as $350, the key to turning this into a full-time business is by helping other women start their own PR Business. I don't like to call it "recruiting" because that's not what I do! If someone asks me info on starting their own PR biz or if there is a women that I have met along the way who I feel would good at this, I provide them with all the information needed and let them know that any questions or concerns can be addresses to me at anytime.What I love about Corporate is that they have set up PR like a family tree from the moment you purchase your starter kit. The woman who sponsors you is known as your "mom" and the other women she sponsors are your "sisters". This creates a closeness with many of the women and I think it lessens the chance of feeling competition with each other. We are trained from the beginning of our PR career to pay it forward...sponsor! This not only helps other women to achieve financial freedom but it also allows you to purchase items at greater discounts and receive monthly bonus checks (directly from corps pocket), I know of one woman who receives over $15K PER MONTH, in just bonuses from the women she has sponsored! This means that not only is she succeeding, but all of her daughters, granddaughters and great-grandaughters are exceeding! Now there are definitely positives and negatives to this set-up because there is always a chance that you can end up with a "mom" who only wants the bonuses but does want to support her "daughters." This kind of women rarely makes it as one the top money-earners.I'm currently in the beginning stages of building my team but as of today we are four strong :o) And I make sure that I am always there if they need to call or email me and I make it my business to make sure that they go to all of the free trainings that corp offers.Pure Romance by NirvanaNirvana E. Edwards, Senior Consultant #15610Office: 914-613-3717Shop online: www.PRbyNirvana.comBe my Friend! www.myspace.com/pureromance_by_nirvana-----------------------------------------------------------------Find out why I've fallen in love with Pure Romance, call me to book a party, place an order, or to find out how to become a consultant!
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I took sometime out to really revamp the company and arrange things the way I want them. We will be relaunching the whole company in June and are so excited of all the great things coming our way.In honor of that we will be offering free consultations, referral gifts, 5 resouce listings that will help your business grow.Once the reload is done I will post it on ning for all my friends to see.For now if you have a question, concern or anything you want to send me please email me at makeithappenc@gmail.com.I appreciate your support and time.
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Prunes, decaf, painful workouts and ice hotels—deprivation is the new trend in high-end holidays.Mac MargolisNEWSWEEKUpdated: 1:14 PM ET May 17, 2008The day at Body & Soul experience starts at 6:30 a.m. sharp, with a rap on the door. The snooze button is not an option; by 7 o'clock guests are panting on floor mats, limbs pretzeled into positions usually favored by those extracting confessions. Next up: "breakfast"—a nanoportion of, say, porridge and prunes with plain decaf tea (no sugar or milk). Then it's off to the hills for a half day's forced march, spelled by a microlunch, and on to other strenuous activities like kayaking and mountain biking till dusk. By the next morning, guests will ache in places they never knew existed. And after spending five days and $2,500 at this radical fitness retreat in rural Ireland, aficionados swear, they'll be asking for more.No one would mistake a stay at cfor a relaxing holiday. But lying around is the last thing many of today's discerning travelers have in mind. "The era of sitting by the pool with cocktails and cooking in the sun is gone," says Aidan Boyle, the owner and chief taskmaster of Body & Soul, which is attracting a steady stream of elite international health fiends. "People want something more for their holidays, and to do that they have to get up off their arses."It's hard to say exactly when, but at some point in the past few years the concept of vacation as the working warrior's repose took a hairpin turn. Forget facials and a rubdown on some lonely patch of paradise; now some of the most demanding travelers want a getaway that takes them not just beyond the madding crowds but to the end of their own tether. "People who have everything in this life want to try everything, too, even putting themselves through hell," says Julio Aramberri, a scholar of travel and tourism at Drexel University in Pennsylvania. Whether it's spending a chilly night in an ice hotel, slashing calories to refugee-camp proportions, going cold turkey from caffeine and booze or battling a storm in a sea kayak, more and more travelers want nothing more than to suffer through their holidays. "Is it fun?" says Lili, an executive at Credit Suisse in New York and a devotee of Body & Soul, who asked to be identified only by her first name. "Some people I talk to say it sounds more like jail. I think it's great."The badge of a deluxe deprivation holiday is not a suntan, a hangover and peace of mind; it's a shrunken waist, blistered soles and new fluency in self-castigation. SpaFinder, a New York-based clearinghouse for health tourists, has identified "luxury detox boot camp" travel as one of the hottest trends in the hospitality industry. Extreme fitness and detoxification spas, where guests undergo rugged workout regimens while forsaking sweets, alcohol, meat and often dairy products, represent some 5 percent of the $60 billion-a-year spa industry, says SpaFinder president Susie Ellis. And industry analysts expect that number to grow. "Travelers are tired of overeating, drinking and partying too much," says Ellis. "They've got their wealth and now they want their health."From Turkey's storied Roxelana Baths to Saratoga Springs in upstate New York, retreats for healing and spiritual renewal are as old as civilization itself, of course. But the healing was easy. "The premier resort of frivolity and fashion" was the teaser for Bath, England, the classic spa resort town. Most people in the industry date the rise of a more austere sensibility to The Ashram, a radical fitness retreat in California's Palo Alto Mountains that debuted in 1974 with a grueling weight-loss and workout routine. Since then, the concept has gone viral, with thousands of imitators spreading around the globe. SpaFinder's listings alone include 272 separate fitness vacations, and Boyle says Body & Soul has to constantly innovate to keep up with the competition. "There are loads more operators these days," he says. "The business has grown hugely in the last five years."Spartan vacations that challenge one's survival skills without emptying one's wallet, like Outward Bound, have been around for decades, of course. So have spas like Canyon Ranch, where luxurious asceticism is an option. What's new is the concept of mandatory high-end deprivation. "In the past, weight-loss retreats tended to be, well, granola and not much else," says Ellis. "Now people are realizing that we can have high thread-count sheets and still go for detox and a rigorous workout program."The rise of a restless affluent class, led by retiring baby boomers searching for meaning, has only hastened the trend. The toniest spas now compete to serve a sophisticated regimen, including nutrition "re-education," power yoga, spectacular mountain hikes and personal trainers to squire guests through the feng shui gym or a session of Zen archery. Body & Soul offers a rugged menu of yoga, kayaking and hiking, plus sessions of "life counseling" to "help people get back in the driver's seat of their lives," says Boyle. At all of them, talented chefs perform the daily miracle of making joyless dietetic fare (low salt, no meat, no dairy, no sugar) palatable.No one seems to do upmarket deprivation better than the Russians, where one tour operator sponsors "confidence building" tours for tenderfoots, who pay a bundle to be ordered around by former Marines and Special Forces veterans of the war in Chechnya. Another caters exclusively to the ultrarich, offering corporate high-rollers a chance to take a break from the ennui of the golden life by dressing in rags and panhandling in some of Moscow's meanest streets. Who signs on for this experience at $3,000 a day? "The oligarchs love it!" says Sergei Kniazev, head of the Kniazev Event Agency, which runs the "bum tours." Founded four years ago, Kniazev says his business is now at its peak, with eight to 12 rich Russians asking for a tour each weekend.Deprivation does not come cheap. Prices of the more conventional boot-camp vacations range from $300 to $500 a day. (A week at the Golden Door, with its intense fitness program, in Escondido, California, runs a bracing $7,995.) Just why well-heeled travelers are willing to pay five-star rates to run themselves ragged while consuming fewer calories than a supermodel is a mystery for a thousand eggheads. To some industry analysts, travelers see their leisure time as an existential antidote to the modern-day pandemic of stress, sedentariness and overnourishment. In this sense, the detox spa is the new monastery, a retreat to nurture the body and spirit by eschewing all temptations and getting in touch with that inner Rocky.But for others, beating oneself up on holiday may not be so different from everyday life. Many of the extreme-fitness tourists have pressure-cooker jobs in banks or the corporate jungle, where competition is fierce, the hours interminable and office politics treacherous. Knowingly or not, they play the same way they work. "Most of these folks are masochists anyway," says Vince Wolfington, former chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council. "They all have the fancy cars and expensive boats. So what else can you do? Killing yourself on holiday is a kind of cachet for the wealthy. It's a mark that a person has arrived."Body & Soul's Boyle sees things a little differently. "A lot of people come because they are frustrated in their careers and in life and looking for something," he says. "They feel they are neglecting their bodies and want to prove to themselves they can still make it." But making it, he hastens to warn, does not come with room service. "You aren't going to get healthy with just facials and body rubs. But if you get off your ass and walk five miles—now that could be the start of something life-changing."Lili learned the hard way. One afternoon in Brazil, where Boyle once ran a bikini boot camp, she found herself in a sea kayak, battling headwinds and whitecaps in the teeth of a nasty Atlantic storm. So she doubled down and just kept on paddling "through the pain" to land. "My whole body ached and I was exhausted but exhilarated as well," she says. "It showed me I can do anything if I put my mind to it. All you have to do is believe in yourself." And in the strict taskmasters who are taking your money.
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The object, of course, of any niche marketing business adventure is to make a profit. When people subscribe to your online newsletter or ezine, their object is to get the information that you are able to provide to them. When people subscribe to your online newsletter or ezine, your object is to make money by supplying that information. This is a simple concept that is easier said than done. Making a website profitable…any website….isn’t easy or quick. Try to remember that anything worth doing is worth doing well even if it takes more time than you thought it would.If you have chosen a topic that addresses the needs or wants of a specific segment of the population and if you have set up your opt-in software correctly, you have a list of potential customers. If they have subscribed to your newsletter, then they obviously believe that your have information about a subject that is near and dear to their hearts. They must consider you to be an expert maybe a guru. If you have worked hard at building your customer’s belief in your own credibility, then you should be able to make a nice profit from your newsletter.You can advertise products and services related to your topic on your website. This can be done with logos and banners that contain links to the products and services. When visitors to your site click on an advertisement, you get credit for a lead and if they buy the product or service you get a commission on the sale.You can use your newsletter to recommend products and services to the members of your list. Some companies will happily pay you for simply recommending their product or service to your list and give you a commission on any sales that your recommendation generates for them.
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From A Writers POV wants to remind everyone that we offer Book Advertisements and Weekly Features. You can freely advertise your published book or poem on our homepage. Click here for more details!http://fromawriterspov.webs.com/advertisementinfo.htmLook forward to hearing from you!
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As the host or hostess for any event, your main goal is to make sure that the time your guests have with you is well-spent. You chose the perfect venue, the catering, and the decor. You've finalized your guest list. Now....all you have to do is send out the invitation.Well, that is almost easier said than done. As premier Event Planning Specialists, we know that first things first, what is your budget? How extravagant are you expecting your invitations to be? What is the overall vision for your event? Gala or cookout? Fashion show or wedding? These questions must be answered prior to thinking about what you want your invitations to look like, the wording included, and the intricasies that encompass the total package.Continue Reading...Read more…
What is Floss -N- Gloss???Floss N Gloss was founded in June of 2002 by Charna L. and Ushanda G. This organization is about providing women a positive outlet. It is designed so progressive sistahs can meet, relax, mingle, network, and support each other while letting their hair down and exhaling. Our foundation is built on positivity and sisterhood therefore, negative people their thoughts and or ideas will not be admitted. Our goal is to enrich each others lives in any way possible and to help uplift and encourage those of us who need it. It is also our goal to excel in what we do, educate our children, and ourselves and enjoy life. Floss & Gloss will also serve as a non-profit organization and will serve the community as well.Floss & Gloss activities willinclude….Dinners out, Short road trips, Mommy play groups,Field trips for children, Community services, Mentoring opportunities, etc.We welcome any ideas or suggestions!!!Upcoming events include:Floss Dinner Nite out....Maryland, June 7, 2008Floss/ Spa Party at Charna's house in NC- June 28, 2008Floss Dinner Nite out....NC, Date to be announced!Weekend Retreat- Details to be announced!What are our members up to???Toni is almost finishing school... she'll be earning her Masters in Accounting & is a new home owner!Charna has an Event Planning, Gift Basket and Spa Product company!Kim is working on her blueprint for K. Athill Consulting Firm!Nicole is soon to be wed and growing is expanding her career as a Make Up Artist.More Updates to come!More info and Picture to come!!!!
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As I commented on fellow BBWO, Cee Cee's blog, I became "official" yesterday, meaning my business in incorporated. And the next step, with the help of a few professionals is to build corporate credit and use less of my own money to fund my business. I'm excited about it. I envision Noja, Inc. will one day become an umbrella corporation for my premarital counseling and marriage consulting business, my future books, lecture series, and hosts of other things I haven't thought of yet.However, there is also this feeling of it being more real than it was before. My business is REAL. I have a certificate of incorporation to prove it. It's no longer an abstract idea in my head. As a service business, it's really easy to keep it abstract. Who knew that this one document would change how I think about my business? But it has. My business is recognized by the State of New York as being an official corporation. The rubber has hit the road.So tell me, if you are "official", did it change how you thought of your business? Did it change how you conducted business (or is it just me)? If you aren't official, what are you waiting for?
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