As the CEO of your business, I think it's most important to evaluate and know the results you're looking for each week. That won't happen if you don't have clarity in your business and if you haven't identified the "to-do" items that will support your goals.
So, I'd like to share 3 things that you can do to have a successful business week every week:
1. Gain Clarity on what you want to experience for the week financially. Now divide that figure by the average cost of your service or product and it will give you how many customers you'll need. Stay focused on that number and write down at least 5 ways to reach your goal.
2. Identify 3-5 new contacts to connect with each week (daily M-F). Create a script in advance and remember that if they have a business allow them to share what they do as well. Discuss ways you can help one another and directly ask if he or she could use your product or service at this time.
2. Review your schedule every Sunday evening. If there are any business to-do items, appointments or activities that don't support you meeting your overall business vision or goals for the week - eliminate them.
Here's to your business success!
Trina
LET'S CONNECT!
Women About Biz
There is no secret about how much I love WordPress. It has made my life so much easier since I have embraced it but it wasn’t always that way. I look at web design as two parts – the designing of the graphics and then the back-end with the HTML and CSS. I have no problem doing both but sometimes the coding part can really kick your butt. I hate when I am working on some html edits and something goes wrong. Then it take me hours to figure out what’s wrong and it turns I added an extra character or missing spell a piece of code. That’s when you know it time to step away from the computer.
WordPress wasn’t the first CMS (content management system) that I used. I was on Blogger many years ago. I used Greymatter, Movabletype and even try building my own by following this tutorial I found online. WordPress however has been the one I stuck with the longest. There is several reasons why I love using it and love recommending that others do as well. I mention before that that I found it very flexible but not everyone feels that way. Here’s why I believe it very flexible and that anyone can be a WordPress whiz.
You just want to blog, you can do that with WP right out the box. You want to have a traditional website for your business, you can have that too. You have products to sell, you can set up an e-commerce site. You can have what ever your heart desires. When it comes to the look and design of the site or blog there are millions of themes to choose from (free and paid).
Read on to learn the other reasons why I love WordPress.
At a recent workshop I facilitated, a participant shared that she didn’t understand the big ‘hype’ about having a website. Though she had one; she hadn’t attained any customers from it. I explained that having a website is a good first step, but not enough to gain clients. If you are not engaging your visitors, chances are they will never return. Do you have a website but not sure how to guide traffic to it? Here are 5 ways to steer traffic to your website:
Register with Major Search Engines
An important step to steer traffic to your website is to make sure is it is listed on all the major search engines such as Bing, Google and Yahoo. This is one of the most efficient ways of directing free, targeted traffic to your website. It’s easy and takes just a few minutes of your time.
Respond to Questions and Comments
People leave comments for a reason; they are interested in your response. By responding, you’re letting them know that you’re actively involved in reading the comments and encouraging them to visit again. In addition, this is an effective way to become known in your industry as an expert.
Develop Article Marketing Strategy
Blogging is an easy way to drive traffic to your website and establish yourself as an expert in your industry. If executed effectively, this can be a smart online marketing strategy and an affordable way to grow your business. Blogging is ‘big business’ among entrepreneurs, writers and those who just want to express themselves thru electronic communication. More and more businesses are blogging as they realize the benefits. There are several online sites where you can submit your articles for publication and back link to your website:
In addition, posting your articles on various social media sites is a great marketing strategy to generate traffic back to your website. Post your article using the following FREEsocial networks:
Use Social Bookmarking Services
Social bookmarking sites allow you to search, organize, share and store the bookmarks of different web pages. You are also able to promote articles and stay ahead of your competitors. Here are 3 popular social book marketing services:
Create Videos
Video marketing is all the RAVE! Whether creating how to, testimonial, product review or interview videos for your website, it increases brand awareness and creates viewer action leading to more inquiries and sales. In fact, according to Online Video Marketing Statistics, adding video to small business profiles:
In conclusion, by using these FREE methods to create visibility to your website, you will be able to generate more traffic over time, thus, have a steady flow of potential leads.
Where can women find reliable resources to assist in the realization of empowerment “Spirit, soul and body?” Robin Tramble aka The Empowerment Diva launches a 6 week ecoaching program “Extraordinary woman, Extraordinary life!”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Apr 20 2012 -
Where can women find reliable resources to assist in the realization of empowerment “Spirit, soul and body?” Robin Tramble aka The Empowerment Diva launches a 6 week ecoaching program “Extraordinary woman, Extraordinary life!”
Elk Grove, CA April 20, 2012 – Women are becoming overwhelmed as a result of the economic downturn and some are finding themselves stuck, unable to grasp hold of the energy and persistence to move forward. Some are becoming sole earners in their homes as husbands are in transition from either being laid off or other reasons that have led to their current unemployment. Although it has been stated that we may see relief, women are still needing and wanting programs and systems that will assist them in their endeavor to live their best empowered life, allowing them to thrive in the midst of any financial crisis, according to Robin Tramble, CEO and Visionary of Robin Tramble International.
“It is apparent that there is an echo, a sound of fear, confusion, discouragement and possible defeat. You can choose to survive or take action and thrive in 2012! Empowerment is a choice and women must become decisive action taking women if they're going to manifest their best empowered life.” Having experienced some of the same things and now living a life of empowerment through learned systems and experience I can passionately share strategies and keys to discover your authentic self, get unstuck, overcome overwhelm, fear and how to stay focused in crisis. I have also been rewarded with witnessing the impact it has had on raising 4 children who are now all successful in their own rights.
The Empowerment Diva mentors, trains and coaches savvy women, aspiring, new and enterprising entrepreneurial women as they strive to realize their personal, spiritual and professional goals. Robin Tramble The Empowerment Diva is currently launching a 6 week eCoaching program complete with Bonus live calls for exponential personal, spiritual and business growth.
The three components are Spiritual workout, Body works and prosper your soul (mind, will and emotions)..
The Extraordinary woman, Extraordinary life ecoaching program is an excellent resource for women who desire to be equipped with keys and strategies to empower them to move to another level in their lives manifesting maximum empowerment and becoming an extraordinary woman leading an extraordinary life. When you take care of the internal structure you are laying a sure foundation for the external which renders a great return for business and ministry success.
“It’s the place to be for breakthrough results and to join with like-minded women from across the world in one place striving for their best empowered extraordinary life” Says Robin Tramble
Enrollment is being received here http://bit.ly/extraordinarywomanprogram
# # #
About Robin Tramble International
Robin Tramble aka The Empowerment Diva is a definitive resource for savvy women, aspiring, new and enterprising entrepreneurial women. The Empowerment Diva passionately empowers women to live their best empowered life via a vast array of empowering resources for the express purpose of assisting them as they strive to realize their dreams and desires.
Robin Tramble is qualified to mentor women in their life empowerment journey through her training, experience in the work force, education, working at home and personal experiences.
Robin Tramble is also an author and recoding artist and plans to creatively combine her music into another empowering resource for women.
Find out more about here at http://www.Authenticlifeempowerment.com
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Question of the day – what would you do if you went into work today and got fired or showed up to learn that your company had closed its doors? Would you panic? Plead? Pass out? Beg? Go postal? Pop some pills?
Most people are not in a position to walk away from their job and be worry free, but if you had a profitable home business the world would look quite different to you.
Instead of worrying about “the what-ifs which are actually every day realities” you could instead give yourself a pay raise and be properly positioned for the “what ifs!” Consider this what-if. What if every single day, as your business grows, the money in your bank account grows? When you have your own Home Based Business, whether it is Network Marketing, Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing or all of the above, a lot of the typical “worry” that is associated with being a traditional small business owner, or an employee that is settling for a paycheck that barely covers the bills is removed!
“Network Marketing” means you get to work as part of a team and leverage the time and skills of everyone else. Internet Marketing means you get to leverage the internet and all of the people that are online searching specifically for you to grow your business. Affiliate Marketing means you get to leverage other people’s expertise to grow your business. These are all smart ways of growing a home business that will provide the following benefits, just to name a few:
1) Minimizes the amount of taxes that you pay as an employee (hint, hint, clue, clue).
2) Provides that extra income so that you aren’t living pay check to pay check.
3) Better positions you to leave your job (if you chose) and work solely for yourself.
To Those Saying “But I’m Already a “Business Owner” With Their Noses in the Air!
For starters, let me say I am too and I was too! I ran a brick and mortar business for over six years and then it dawned on me one day that I was basically a slave to my business! My business literally ran me. So how about Being Open to Building a Business That Doesn’t Own You? I took a look at how some of my well to do and rich friends were making their money and I decided that I better wake up too.
Many “traditional” business owners (me being one of them) get stuck in Maintenance Mode with their businesses. They end up not with a business that serves them but with a business they become a slave to, and they end up even more trapped than they were working for a boss! The same business owners write paychecks every week to everyone BUT themselves, and work 80+ hours a week trying to make their business profitable. This goes on for years, and years and years and every day is literally a struggle. This is stupid. I woke up one day and ENDED this torcher!
A Networking Marketing business, on the other hand, has none of these disadvantages (with the exception of the ones that you create). You need no employees, no crazy hours, no premises, and you don’t need to tie your money up in stock, or massive advertising campaigns. This means almost every penny you make is profit.
The main benefit of a Network Marketing business is the potential to get paid a Residual Income. You work hard to build up your business, and your income will slowly grow into something more significant month after month. Then after a few years your monthly income from your business will be large enough for you to quit your job or retire (if you chose), and you won’t have to work for money any longer! The income will continue to be paid to you. Your business will be manageable, and will continue to make a profit without you when you are ready to retire.
Best of all… you will have the full support and training of hundreds of people who have been where you are now. This cuts your training time dramatically. It means you won’t have to invest energy and money into finding out what doesn’t work.
You will have the step by step plan developed for you – you don’t get that in any traditional business! You get to own a business instead of letting it own you.
This means you will be at life-changing income levels sooner than you might think… “Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got. How sexy is your current home based business? How sexy is your traditional business?
Interested in starting your own Home Based Business for FREE? Let’s connect today. Let me share my Sexy Business Building Secrets with you today!
Good Morning;
May I share my morning favorite cup of green tea with you. Every day I'm up early sitting on my sun porch,from here I have a harmonious view. Kicking off my shoes and relax in my white wicker chair before starting off my day. I quietly send out and receive universal love.
Listening to my breath I think of how each of us have awaken from a nights rest... feet hitting the floor.. without ever giving much thought to our trust level, we lay our heads on our pillows aware that a higher presence secures our breath. More often than not our only thought was what need to do tomorrow
.
Taking a sip of steaming tea, I consider our need to add to our to do list..BE THANKFUL IN ALL THINGS
It's so quiet here and now in this moment , in this place...a warm feeling permeates my being as I think of YOU my sister. May we each sense his presence today in all we endeavor to do. as we set our affection on things above. May we have a child-like trust while thanking Him for taking us down any paths we did not want to go knowing that all things work together for good to those that love Him.
As sisters we are stronger when united as one, we are changing day by day.We have transformed minds, empowered spirits and a renewed sense of direction because of ourselves as individuals, because of each other and most of all because of YOU. And for this we are GRATEFUL.
I'm participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge. At the end of the challenge you will have 30 post. No you don't have to post every day, but it helps, just make sure at the end of 30 days you have 30 posts. This is especially good for folks starting out or those who have written many posts.
You post your post on the blog challenge facebook page and then go read and comment on other bloggers posts. The other bloggers who like your topic or post tile will visit you and comment posting it so others will be encouraged to visit your blog.
This a great way to get eyes on you blog. I have picked up several new followers to my blog. To use this method just do a Google search for blog challenges. A great way to get going as many challenge hostess will suggest a topic of the day for business and personal blogs. If you have specific niche you're going after, try to work out your own blog topic a for a week or several days at a time. You can then have your posts done and you don't feel rushed. Always no matter what add a picture which represents the message you are trying to convey.
Use large type and a large picture. You don't have to write book, just enlighten your audience on the topic .A couple of paragraphs. I would not do more than four and leave plenty of whit space so the reader doesn't become fatigued.
All the best. Now Get to Blogging. Smile
Michelle
GPS is still looking for People Who Prosper OR anyone that is successful, considers themselves successful, or on their way to success!
We are looking to feature and introduce people who are up and coming in their business or already there! PeopleWhoProsper.com is a place that features business owners and shares their stories with someone who just might be able to relate. Believe it or not, sometimes it helps to stay motivated when you hear other people's stories, and this is our goal: Not only to feature successful prosperous people, but to help keep others MOTIVATED.
The other part of this, is that we want you to tell US about YOU. It's easy for anyone to be a fan of your website, blog, Facebook page, or twitter. But PeopleWhoProsper.com is a place for you to challenge yourself and put yourself out there. We give you a chance to brag about yourself! Because let's face it, if you can't talk about you, then who else will? Tell us about your business and services and how long you've been in business. We want to hear your story. Why did you decide to go into business for yourself?
I am challenging you today to step out and tell others about you! Here's all you have to do: Email with subject line PeopleWhoProsper to tamara@garrisonprosperitysolutions.com Include your business name, website and a synopsis of "your story". After getting in touch with you, you will be sent a series of questions about yourself, your business and/or services. After you return the answered questions, you will then be featured on GarrisonProsperitySolutions.com, PeopleWhoProsperTV, and over 16,000 people on youtube!
So, take the first step today and tell us about yourself! You never know who will need to hear your story OR need your services! Deuteronomy 8:18: But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
What exactly does that mean????
A platform is just your key message. It is the position and influence you have on a subject that is informative, interesting, inspiring and thought-provoking.
Your platform is the message that you STAND ON that reaches your core audience. It is your calling, your charge.
Your platform is the message you STAND FOR that gets people to move, take action, rally behind and/or solve a problem. It’s BIGGER than YOU!
A platform is like a “movement.” It is like a mission – and you feel you’ve been assigned to promote it.
What does an established platform look like?
1. You generate excitement/energy to an audience
2. You have attracted national media attention, have star
power or the “celebrity factor” – ready for the Red Carpet.
3. You are often quoted and looked upon as an expert by peers
4. You are sought-out to deliver keynote presentations or workshops or consult with “A” list clients / corporations
5. You have created a fan-base that promotes your message to others that gives you referrals
6. You have a large database, social media following and strong brand presence in the marketplace
WHEW!
Now that we know what a “Platform” is and what a successful platform looks like, let’s look at how to build your platform for your book or your speaking career.
Here’s how to establish a platform:
Bottom line: in order to have an established platform – you need numbers and influence. The more exposure you have, the greater opportunity for others to really know, like and trust you. Once you have their trust, they will spread the message of your platform to others. And word of mouth is still the best form of advertising.
It’s all about people and how you are positioned to make difference to make an impact in people’s lives. It’s ministry really. See www.LaunchLikeaSuperstar.com
See www.PamPerryPRCoach.com too for free MP3 and www.ChocolatePagesNetwork.com! (FREE social network for authors)
Pam Perry, is a PR coach, social media strategist, co-founder Perry + Williams and chief visionary at Ministry Marketing Solutions Inc. in Farmington, Mich.
Visit her at www.MinistryMarketingSolutions.com and get her podcasts on Blogtalkradio too!
When it comes to the internet and social media activity, nothing can beat the flaming blaze of social buzz that social media sites have created. In fact, social media networking and interaction have become an integral part of our lifestyles, especially in business.
Many social media sites are among the "What's Happening Now" and the "Who's Who" of which anyone can make themselves seen and heard, without much effort.
As business owners, we have the ability to mold, create and build Fame and credible reputations rather quickly. In face, there are many businesses today that are dependent upon the activity of social media sites to drive traffic, user interests, and new connections. Therefore, if not careful, the pinnacle of the social media claim to fame can also be dangerous if not handled correctly.
Read more: http://wattspublishinggroup.com/social-media-activity-and-you/
Two weeks ago, in the HyperPigmentation post, I mentioned that the increase of melanin in my skin is a gem, because one of the gifts is slowing down the process of skin aging. Well I'm certainly not taking that for granted. Two areas that I give extra TLC to are my elbows and knees. It's possible that those with an increase in melanin can get by without as much concern, care, and adverse effects to those areas, than those with less melanin. But why neglect something that's so easy to take care of? When I was a young child and teenager, I remember admiring my mother's legs--so beautiful and fit. She is now in her 60's, and I am still admiring them. Her youthful knees look so good in a pair of shorts.
Skin on elbows and knees naturally tend to be dry, due to the lack of oil glands in those areas. Being used more than other body parts, daily, the elbows and knees become flaky, chapped, rough, and scaly. With the warm weather gracing you with its presence, make sure your elbows and knees are making a healthy appearance.
source: buzzle.com
Dry and discolored skin on elbows and knees, can usually be repaired with these two steps:
If dry, rough elbows and knees are a problem for you, try the tips above. You will notice a difference.
Don't have those problems? Good. Add the tips above to your bath & body regimen, and continue to have healthy looking elbows and knees.
Looking for an effective, wholesome exfoliant? Click here.
Looking for an effective, wholesome moisturizer? Click here.
Source:
Skincare-Answers.com
Justnaturalskincare.com
Itiel-Smell Goods Lady
I love my dark chocolate skin! Being one of my favorite physical attributes, my skin motivates me to remain consistent with its regimen--water intake; healthy eating; exercise; giving special attention to pimples, burns, blisters; and taking preventive measures before spending major time in the sun (which I love). Truly, the increase of melanin, in my skin, is a gift-- protection from sunlight, and it slows down the process of skin aging. But, like many with this gift, irregular pigmentation can be an issue. Hyperpigmentation.
Hyperpigmentation
The effect of an increase in melanin, the substance in the body that is responsible for color.
source:buzzle.com
There are several causes for hyperpigmentation (pregnancy, antibiotics, illness, etc.), but exposure to sunlight is the major one. Let's say you have a pimple that accidentally gets ruptured (mmhmm, stop popping those pimples), you go out for a day in the sun, the next day, you notice a dark spot were the pimple use to be. Maybe you already have dark patches on your skin, and after spending a day out in the sun, those patches have become even darker. Why is that? Melanin protects your skin from the overexposure of sunlight, but in order to do that, it has to absorb the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. Hence, dark spots/darker patches.
When speaking of irregular pigmentation, many solely reference the face as the victim. The face is the most exposed area on the body, but hyperpigmentation happens all over. With warm weather returning, arms and legs are anxious to make their appearance. Be sure you're ready to protect your bronzy glow.
Cleansing- To aid your skin in regenerating pigment due to skin damage (blisters, burns, skin infections), use cleansers such as Palm Oil Soap, Organic Love, and Specialty Bar Soap, twice a day. These cleansers are high in vitamins, vegetable oils, and raw butter.
Exfoliate- For skin cell regeneration, and a youthful glow, don't forget to exfoliate. This time of year calls for scrubs that are fine in texture. Plus, it's spring/summer time, so get something fun! Sugar! Use Mojito Sugar Smoother, or any of the DECADENCE Layered Sugar Scrubs to gently remove dead skin, for a healthy-skin-glow, and for even skin tone.
Moisturize- For a topical shade use Marinade, Whip Cream Body Lotion*, Lush Body Butter, Mojito Body Spread, Tantouchthis Body Spread*, and Matcha Body Spread. These super emollients contain vegetable/fruit oils, and raw butters that help in defending your skin against UV rays. They are light in weight, making them excellent for warm weather jaunts.
We're not just about making you smell good--live good. feel good. smell good.™
Product Perks
Plan on having long park days or beach fun this year? Sunscreen is recommended for those with an increase of melanin in their skin.
Sources:
PerriconeMD.com
An unhealthy soul can destroy your life!
How’s your soul? Do you need a healing for your soul (mind, will and emotions)? An unhealthy soul will cause you to display disempowering habits. An unhealthy soul will render unhealthy relationships. An unhealthy soul can block the anointing. An unhealthy soul can block “The blessing!” Soul Prosperity is what you need.
Unchain Your Soul Prosperity!
What does a healthy soul have to do with prosperity? Well we read in the word Beloved I wish above all things that you would prosper and be in health EVEN as your soul prospers. It wasn’t coincidental that Father God added, “even as your soul prospers.” He was very specific about the fact that you should be prospering your soul. Are you intentional about your soul prosperity? No prosperity isn’t just about money it’s actually abundance in every area of your life!
If you’re having a challenge in your relationships, business, ministry, your life, you might want to take a peak at your soul and don’t just peak at it do something about it.
Your soul comprises of your mind, will and emotions. An unhealthy soul is at the very core of some of your self sabotage, it is what separates the empowered,fruitful child of God from the one that is up and down, pretentious, unfruitful, unstable and more.
Isn’t it time you had a healing for your soul?
If you enjoyed this Sunday Inspiration and you want to go deeper, I invite you to join other dynamic women and I for the next call in my Telesries entitled “Be unstoppable. Healing for your Soul! The 7 irrefutable keys to unchain your soul prosperity.”
If you’re not registered go here to gain access to this power-packed, empowering and transformational event for women.
When: Wednesday, April 18 at 1:00 PT, 3:00 CT, 4:00 ET. Can’t make the live call? The replay will be available to all registrants.
Say this “I’m living the Extraordinary, Glorious and Blessed Life!”
______________________________________________________________
Want to use this article in your newsletter,Ezine on our website or blog? You can as long as you include the blurb below and retrieve the entire post. Robin Tramble empowers Savvy Women, aspiring, new and enterprising women entrepreneurs to manifest their bold, brilliant, confident and empowered self, get laser focused, get out there in a BIG way, while prospering and making a difference in the world “authentically!” You can experience a taste of her EMPOWERMENT via her 6 day ecourse “Empowered 4 success”http://bit.ly/empowered4success
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Is it me or is our life filled with nos? It begins as a toddler. No sally, no Jim, no Tijuana, no marcelle, no, no, no! I found myself saying no when raising my children sometimes without thinking. I soon became intentional about saying yes. I mean how bad could it be to have 2 chocolate chip cookies instead of one, stay an extra hour at a friend’s when you agreed upon 2 etc.?
On another note we often catch our children, loved ones doing something wrong. I happened upon a statement that suggested we catch our children doing good. Soooo I vowed that I would watch for and catch my children doing good. You should have seen their little eyes light up when I made a big fuss over them doing good.
How’s your life going? Are you realizing your desired just because? Have training opportunities come your way and without even a thought you say no by neglecting to invest or worse coming up with excuses why you can’t do it right now? And I’m not saying that there aren’t valid reasons for why one is not in the market to invest yet.
What about your health? You desire to acquire the taste for healthy meals, an active lifestyle as opposed to a sedentary lifestyle. You say no by avoiding the task of developing a healthy menu, scheduling in time to do exercises that fit your lifestyle, reading about alternate foods to boost your metabolism instead of loading you up with carbs, sugar, empty calorie foods and such.
Do you see what I’m saying?
I challenge you to say Yes! Yes to the Rich Life, Good Life, Best Life, Extraordinary Glorious Life! Be Unstoppable.
Watch the video. Do the Divalicious Yes Dance and join me for my next call. Click here to request access to my Women’s Empowerment FREE Teleseries.
And if you want to go deeper, consider saying yes to more by investing in The Extraordinary Woman, Extraordinary Life ecoaching program with bonus live calls.
My Black is
B (beautiful) E (elegant) A (awesome) U (unique) T(timeless) I (intelligent)
F (faithful & fearless) U (understanding) L (lovable)"
~ Gwendolyn B. (MBIB Community Member).
Are you in? It’s the current battle cry of the 2012 version of the Obama Campaign, and though on its surface, it almost feels like a casual question, it’s rife with much deeper meaning almost three-and-a-half years after the historic election of President Barack Obama.
On its face, and in basic terms, the question says will you volunteer for me again? Will you donate regularly and at the historic levels you did in 2008? But deep down, it forces those of us who worked so hard to support then Senator Obama to ask ourselves, do we still believe in the vision and the man? Can we see Barack Obama’s presidency in its totality and conclude that it has overall been a success, and that his policies and leadership have been better for the country? Despite the historic nature of the election, and the joy we felt as African Americans – has he delivered on the vision of America that he convinced so many of us was possible?
But mostly, the question is an acknowledgement that a lot has changed in four years. The average Obama supporter is no longer in wide-eyed wonderment over the prospects of electing our first black president – four years after history was made, many of us are still grappling with the socio-economic ravages of Bush Administration policies, and confounded over what seems to be President Obama’s commitment to adhering to some of the most unpopular of them – Guantanamo Bay is still open; we’ve expanded what has been a costly presence in Afghanistan under President Obama, and he’s failed up till now to end the Bush-era tax cuts given to the wealthiest Americans and corporations, despite the fact that the nation’s debt and budget deficit continue to skyrocket, and our social safety nets are on the verge of collapse. It’s just a fact – whatever their race, many of the President’s supporters find themselves disappointed in the wake of what have been characterized as broken promises made during the 2008 election, and there are those on the left that have been vocal about their belief that President Obama has given up too much in tough fights with Republicans these last few years.
Even a rabid Obama supporter like me can admit that there have been some disappointing moments in his presidency. I question the wisdom, for example of expending vast amounts of his political capital on waging a long and protracted healthcare reform fight, only to end up with legislation that as of this writing, is being challenged constitutionally before the Supreme Court, legislation that did not go nearly far enough to protect the nation’s citizens in a way that every other industrialized country in the world has been able to. I understood the rationale then, and I understand it now – tackle the sector of our economy that seems most intractable, and that is in the most danger of destroying our nation’s ability to sustain a healthy economy and more importantly, a healthy citizenry for the future – I get it.
The need for reform was even more important in light of the fact that Baby Boomers, who outnumber every other age group in the nation, are approaching retirement, and in danger of completely overwhelming the healthcare system as we know it now if we don’t get costs under control. Again, I get it, and you probably do to. But waging that fight at a time when the country was literally hemorrhaging jobs that have been too slow to come back, and the fact that it all may have been for naught if the Conservatives on the Supreme Court have their way, can’t help but make even the President’s biggest supporters wonder what he and his advisors were thinking.
So it’s 2012, and even I, the original Black Woman for Obama have to ask myself the question: are you in?
It’s not as easy a question for me to answer as it might seem. It’s not just about will I vote for President Obama – of course I will. The question for me and others like me is will I work myself into the ground again to ensure his re-election? As one of the pseudo leaders of the original volunteer corps, will I shut down a large part of my life once more to go out and make sure that as many people in the nation as possible work to get President Obama re-elected, give more blood, sweat, tears, time, and money? Has he earned it?
In my opinion? Yes. Actually, hell yes. And I’ll tell you why. Feel me on this one for a moment.
Several months ago, Melissa Harris-Perry, the brilliant college professor and MSNBC show host did a segment on the Rachel Maddow show called the Tale of Two Michelle’s, where she talked about the disparities inherent in the way the media (at the time) treated Michelle Obama versus how they treated Michelle Bachmann during her failed run for the Republican nomination. It so happens that I have my own two-tales story. I call it – “The Tale of Two Shovels”
The Tale of Two Shovels
So, imagine there’s a job – everyone wants it. And to do this job, you have to be good at doing two things – digging a hole, and filling it back up with dirt – that’s it. Dig the hole and then fill it back up with dirt. The thing is – you have to dig this hole in such a way that the one that comes after you, can always either a) start the digging where you left off or b) begin to fill the hole where you left off. Simple, right?
Now imagine that you get this job – from what you’ve heard, every one of your predecessors, from the beginning of time, has dug the hole, oh, maybe 5, six feet deep, and worked like crazy to fill it back in. You’re not nervous – you know you’re going to have to dig a little, or toss a little dirt in, and you’re up for the task. Well – imagine your surprise, when (upon reporting for duty your first day of work, shovel in hand), you find that the guy that had the job before you, has dug a hole 100 feet deep, and left it for you to fill. Oh – and you have no idea where the dirt is. You still only have 5 feet worth of dirt to fill the hole in with.
In essence – your predecessor has thrown his shovel down, flipped you the bird on the way out, and ran back to his ranch in Texas, I mean, back to wherever he came from, leaving you to deal with the bizarre results of his efforts. And now, not only are your co-workers pressuring you to fill in the hole, those folks who want the job after you are yelling for you to fill the hole. Everyone everywhere wants you to fill in the hole. Fill in the damned hole! Do it now! Yikes.
You try to reason with them – “my predecessor dug a MUCH bigger hole than he should have, a-and there’s no more dirt with which to fill it kind people!”, and they tell you to shut your trap – less yapping, more hole management! Enough about your predecessor, it’s YOUR hole now, and you have to find a way to fill it with dirt. And you better not complain.
Get the picture? President Obama took office at an historic time for America and the world; 700,000 plus jobs were exiting the economy each month; our auto industry was on the verge of collapse, and in danger of taking another one million jobs with it; the financial institutions in this country were disintegrating in the wake of too much greed and too little regulation and because of an expensive and unjust war in Iraq, our reputation around the world was in tatters – when President Obama took the oath of office, he had been left with a very deep hole to fill indeed.
And yet – here we are four years later, arguably through the worst of the last big recession, with an auto industry that’s back on top around the world, and with an economy that has added 200,000 new jobs each of the last three months. This is of course not to say that Americans are no longer feeling the pain of the recession, but it can definitely be argued that as a result of Obama’s leadership and his administration’s policies, a lot of the magical, disappearing dirt has made its way back into the hole. So yes – I’m in. And you should be too.
I believed back in 2008, and I believe now that President Obama is a leader for this time; even as we debate policies, and distill critical issues into 30-second sound bites, there are important realities that we face as a nation, realities that I believe have informed the President’s policies, and which are as important and impactful today as they were then. I call them “the three shuns”:
Globalization. The harsh truth that many don’t want to face is that our ability to conduct commerce across shores easily and seamlessly due to technology means that there are many, many jobs that have left this country that are never coming back. Period. Competing tax rates aside, there are just too many countries with cheap, plentiful labor who are willing and able to do the work Americans used to do, and who can now, thanks to the internet and other communications technologies that make doing business across thousands of miles feel like doing business across the hall.
Education. America is not educating its citizens adequately to compete in the recently mentioned Global Economy. According to a study done by the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment released in 2010, 15-year-old students in the U.S. perform about average in reading and science, and below average in math. Out of 34 countries, the U.S. ranked 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in math. And even as unemployment continues to hover around 8.5 percent, many jobs that require high-tech skills are going unfilled and leaving companies no choice but to look outside our borders for workers they need.
Innovation. In every major recession since recessions have been recorded, it’s taken some major innovation to spur the country back into economic health. The commercialization of the Internet helped fuel economic recovery after the recession of the early 90’s, for example – innovation has facilitated the kind of economic expansion that results in periods of growth that are typically longer than the recession itself. But innovation takes a level of commitment that the nation has lost, and as a result, countries are cleaning our clocks when it comes to keeping up with our infrastructure, and investing in alternate forms of energy.
And I’m convinced that President Obama understands all of this, and that he has tried over the last three-and-a-half years (with debatable success), to manage the country to those realities always, with shovel in hand, trying to restore order to the hole.
And so as I look back on what’s been since my time as an Obama volunteer, and think about what’s to come, I can honestly say that no – this time, there will likely not be the tingles that ran up and down my and Chris Matthews’ legs during the last election; there may not be the adoring, impassioned crowds, the t-shirts and theme songs, or the plentiful celebrity spokespeople. And worst of all, there may not be the fired up, engaged volunteer corps that helped propel the President into office. So that’s where I come in. That’s where Black Women for Obama comes in. It’s our job this time to cut through the rhetoric, and the bias, and to spread the message of his real record – the record that includes passing the Lily Ledbetter Act to give woman equal pay for an equal days work; a record that includes more financial reforms meant to protect average Americans than anytime in history, and an expansion of environmental policies that rivals any recent President. And a record that shows an ability to go after and defeat our enemies, in ways that actually make us safer as a nation, without all the lip service.
I’m in – I’m still a Black Woman for Obama. I believe in what the next four years will bring, and I believe in the President’s ability to bring it. So I hope you’ll come on in too – the political waters are fine.
7 Basic Tips for Effective Goal Setting
By ShaChena Gibbs
Many new entrepreneurs do not set realistic goals. We get so excited and want to do so much so fast. Moving too quickly allows us to miss some important steps. Effective goal setting in business building is one of the keys to a successful business.
Setting goals in your personal and professional life is extremely important if you have intention on succeeding.
Setting goals is not something that is difficult to do. You just really need to be committed to doing what is needed to get the task done.
When I set goals I just think about why am I setting these goals and what do I want my end result to be. Then I get started with my simple basic steps.
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