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From The Publisher
Halfway! 525,600 minutes. One full year. And we’ve already used over 262,800 minutes of 2014. How have you used yours? At the beginning of the year, many of us set new goals and strategize on how we are going to get there. Yet many get sidetracked when the going gets tough. We are past the mid-point of 2014 and if you haven’t already re-committed, it’s time. I want to encourage you to take a couple of hours AWAY from your office. Some place alone and peaceful – some place in nature would be perfect! Bring your notes, your calendar, your goal sheet with you. Now, sit and think. Dream. Imagine. Just BE! Where do you want to be at the end of this year? Do you have a monetary goal? Is it a program you want to launch? You have about 5 months left to accomplish great things. Let’s re-evaluate and re-commit. I did this back in March when I was in Hawaii. I took about 5 hours alone. I walked along the beach, sat on my balcony, and had a big notebook. I was dreaming about what I REALLY wanted to accomplish this year – and where I was going at that point back in March was not where my heart was – so I re-adjusted. I sketched out my bigger plan – the outcome, the process, the launch. All of it! And now we have City Directors in 16 cities with LOCAL digital editions! While I’m suggesting this to you at the half-way point of 2014, this is really something you should consider doing quarterly! Or at least a couple times a year! Evaluating our progress and adjusting our course is one of the core ingredients of a successful entrepreneur. I’d love to hear from you and how your 2014 is shaping up! Here’s to your success!
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IN THIS ISSUE All About You 16 Your Body, Business And Boys 30 You Can Improve Your Relationship With These Simple Tips
All About Success 20 Cathy Alessandra Yes I Can 22 Christine Davis
All About Food 34 Berry Crisp
All About Business 10 Integrity: Always Do The Right Thing in Your Business
12 Strategies For Using Social Media To Be A Booked Speaker 14 Rebrand or Refresh? What Stage is Your Business ? 24 3 Core Triggers That Attract Your Audience 26 Is It Time To Give Your Business A Good Spring Cleaning? 28 Why It’s Important To Keep Your Business and Personal Funds Separate 32 Managing Affiliate Relationships
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City Director’s Note
Christine Davis
Welcomes You to Jackson, Mississippi!
I’m so excited to be supporting women entrepreneurs in our city and surrounding areas with the digital edition of Today’s Innovative Woman magazine. You’ll find great tips, tools and resources in our edition – as well as meet some of the top movers and shakers in our Innovative Woman feature stories. I am not only the City Director for Today’s Innovative Woman, but I also own my own business, Anointed Assistant, www.anointedassistant.com. I assist small business owners and entrepreneurs to walk in their purpose by assisting them with the administrative and social media needs. I look forward to connecting with you further!
Christine
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All About Business
Integrity: Always Do The Right Thing In Your Business by Caterina Rando, MA, MCC
I
ntegrity is a key part of being certain about the value you bring and being certain that you are and will be successful. If you always tell the truth and always treat people fairly and with respect, you should never have anything to worry about in business. Act with integrity in all you say and do. Of course we cannot control other people or what they say about us. We can make a commitment to always operate with integrity in all our business dealings. Here are three recommendations to make it easy for you to always do the right thing: 1. Start your business relationships with written agreements for all your clients, vendors and alliance or joint venture partners. Start these relationships with a discussion about these agreements and expectations. 2. Have all parties involved sign the agreements before any work starts. What people recall they said last year or last month often changes with their current circumstance. When you have all agreements in writing, you never have to rely on someone’s good memory or their integrity because you have it on paper.
3. Keep all your agreements, even when it costs you. My father said to me early in my business that if you can solve a problem with money then it is not really a problem. Never hesitate to replace a faulty product or pay for a service that will satisfy a client, or do something over even when you have to pay someone else to do it. Do whatever you need to do to
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keep your agreements. This way you will always know who you are and that you have integrity. This will bring you confidence. The more you operate with integrity the more you will thrive in your business. Caterina Rando, MA, MCC, shows women entrepreneurs how to be loud and proud about the value they bring in order to massively monetize their mastery. Join her for her two-day, live and in-person events: The Business Breakthrough Summit, www.bizbreakthrough.com, The Sought After Speaker Summit www. soughtafterspeaker.com or Enliven: How to Plan, Produce and Profit From a Women’s Retreat www.enlivenprogram.com. For a deep discount use code TIWMAG and get started catapulting your business today. Caterina can also be reached at cat@caterinarando.com and by phone at 415.668.4535.
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All About Business
Strategies For Using Social Media To Be A Booked Speaker by Debbie Saviano
Speaking has become the new building block for entrepreneurial businesses! Speaking is an ideal avenue for building your business, getting your message out, sharing your experiences all with the desire that your story will be beneficial to others. Speaking is a way of sharing expertise and skills with those who are in need. Each day you are around people who could benefit from hearing you speak, and by all means embrace these connections, however, that is physical space and the # of interactions is limited. Thanks to the internet, additional opportunities are infinite.
LINKEDIN 1. HEADLINE • Insert SPEAKER (and Yes, I say in Caps) Let it jump out at who is viewing your profile. 2. SUMMARY • There is space for 2000 characters, this equates to real estate. Use it to list that You are a Speaker. 3. EXPERIENCE • Design a specific job experience for a SPEAKER. Include the expertise, experiences and skills that show value to the audiences. Include a LIST of speaking topics. 4. CONTACT INFORMATION • You want to be accessible and available. Include in the contact information, summary, experience AND in the final section at the end of the Profile. 5. SPEAKER SHEET • Upload Your Speaker Sheet.
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EVENTS 1. Prior to an event you are attending, research the SPEAKERS. 2. Connect • Follow • Friend • Comment on their social media platforms. 3. During the event Tweet • Post • Tag • Engage on social media about the speaker and the event. Use the hash tags, which are provided. 4. Following the event, review all your social media platforms to see if the speaker retweeted or commented on any of the social media activity. 5. IF you are Connected on LinkedIn, consider a recommendation for the speaker. Also, endorse for speaking. Have a clear speaking message and convey it across all social media platforms so it is available 24 / 7 on a global scale, and get ready to book the SPEAKING engagements. Look forward to seeing You Speak! Debbie Saviano is a solopreneur whose daily mantra is to “help professionals take
action and create an online presence by developing, nurturing and maintaining relationships.” Debbie utilizes social media to connect, network and engage with others. She is an advocate for “continuing the conversations”. Thanks to the internet highway, borders are no more; people can interact and communicate around the globe. Professionals from across the country call Debbie for her unique skill set in designing LinkedIn profiles & Pinterest platforms aimed at engagement and retention toward a target market. Debbie also provides business solutions to small businesses who seek to utilize social media to enhance their brand, improve skills of their employees, expand social proof and establish an online presence.
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All About Business
Rebrand or Refresh?
What Stage is Your Business? by Linda Cotter
What is more enticing than the prospect of a fresh start? New is always exciting. Unfortunately, when expectations aren’t met in business, the temptation to start over can arise. For some, rebranding is the right solution. But is it always the right solution? Time, expense, reputation, and your prior efforts are all on the line in making such a decision. Branding is not merely about logos and color choice; branding is the comprehensive strategy that drives your business. Recognizable brands¬— such as Amazon or Southwest Airlines—have a strong connection between the service they provide and customer behavior. Users know what to expect when they pull out their credit card. Do your customers know what they can expect from you and your business? Consider the following three questions before overhauling your public image with a major rebranding: 1. Has my target market changed? If your services have changed over a period of time, it’s possible your audience has changed too. Remember, your brand links you to the people you value most: your potential clients. Ask your target market for their opinions. Learning about perceived strengths and weaknesses offers opportunities for the future. 2. How’s my competition doing? Standing out from the competition is good, but not at the expense of losing clients. Are there trends within the industry you are currently missing out on? Innovation and expertise often go hand in hand. 3. Am I comfortable with the brand as it is? Ultimately, your business is about who you are. With so much time and energy invested, make sure your brand gives you the confidence to keep moving forward.
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If in doubt about overhauling previous work, talk with a graphic designer about a possible refresh. This can be a cost effective way to tweak your brand’s visuals while enhancing your key messages. Sometimes a new look is just the thing to get your business back on track. Linda Cotter is a graphic designer and web developer who is known for her fresh, simple and elegant designs. Linda’s goal is to help her clients produce better results through great design and creative solutions while using imaginative and innovative development methods. Whether it is a logo, business card, website or brand development, she incorporates each client’s unique personality and style into the design with an eye-catching flair and business sensibility. This creates the opportunity for them to attract the desired clients and results they are looking for. Visit Linda’s website at www.LindaCotterDesigns.com. She can be reached at (310) 486-3108 or by email at Linda@LindaCotterDesigns.com.
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All About You
Your Body, Business and Boys Nourishing ALL Areas Of Your Life For Health, Happiness and SUCCESS! by Wendy Darling Are you someone who is ‘going for it,’ but feeling out of sorts, fatigued, overweight, out of shape? Are you concerned about your relationship (or lack thereof)? And are you wondering if you really have what it takes to fulfill your deepest desires in your business and life? All of these are symptoms that many women face having overcompensated, ‘trying’ to live life a certain way. Too many women have ‘given their all’ with their work, but sacrificed other areas of their life. It’s time to reclaim your feminine brilliance, more of your natural feminine qualities to NOURISH yourself in ALL areas of your life. This shift is not only critical for your personal health and well-being, it’s the new and improved way of doing business. And when you make this shift, your life will blossom!
1. Want to know how you are doing? How’s your body and health? Your energy? Are you smiling or shocked when you look in the mirror? Look right into your eyes. Are they happy and alive, or is there fatigue and sadness looking back at you? 2. Where are you possibly overcompensating? Where are you out of balance? Your body? Business? Boys? 3. How can you begin nourishing yourself? Not in a relationship? Invest in massages and other pampering activities. Spend cozy time with yourself or friends. Have some FUN! And begin putting more energy into welcoming love into your life. 4. If you are a busy mom, make a date for you and only you, and don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Make a date with your spouse!
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5. If it’s exercise you are needing, schedule and execute. Treat yourself like your #1 client… because you are! And quoting Cathy Alessandra, the YES YOU CAN movement is real AND important! You CAN have it all. ALL areas of your life can and will flourish. It’s time to allow the real you to emerge! Wendy Darling is committed to your results! Her entire career has been dedicated to the decoding of what needs to happen to create permanent change. She works with women who are ‘going for it,’ but something is holding them back, causing unnecessary interference. Wendy blends her psychology, management and organizational development experience with her unique healing gifts into what is now Healing HarmonicsTM, a comprehensive system that creates permanent change. The steps are simple, the results profound! Her clients finally achieve their desired results, having greater influence and impact in their lives. Wendy believes Healing Harmonics™ provides the missing piece that previously made change so much more challenging. For more information: www.WendyDarling.com; wendy@wendydarling.com.
Ready to Change the "You Can't Have It All" Myth?
wendy 1/2 page ad with Wendy Darling, Transformational Change Expert
Many women end up sacriicing either their bodies, their business or their 'boys.' Find out how Healing Harmonics TM can allow you to have it all! Visit www.wendydarling.com to schedule your complimentary discovery session! "While my business continued to grow while working with Wendy, the most precious gift was attracting the love of my life after only TWO months!" - Lisa Lent, CEO and creator of Oxylent
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All About Success
Cathy Alessandra It’s our 3rd Anniversary – and I’m SO excited to CELEBRATE with you! I LOVE supporting you through Today’s Innovative Woman magazine – you are a driving force in my success! Much has happened for me in the last few months. If you have been following me at all in the last 7 months, you know I’ve lost 50 pounds. However, it’s more than just the weight loss. It’s a total transformation in mind, body and spirit. A massive shift that has opened up my world in many ways. And as a direct result, my business is booming! Let me share…. You may have already seen my Yes I Can video, but in the 7 minute video I share the truth about things in my life the last few years (you can opt-in to watch the video at www.yesicanwomen.org). I’ve struggled with my son, my marriage, my selfworth and most visibly obvious, my weight. These are things you may struggle with as well – or your challenges may be totally different. Life is not perfect. Even if it looks like it from the outside, there is ALWAYS an internal struggle of some sort. Yet sometimes we forget and think we are the only one in that deep dark hole! I had been encouraged to spend a week in solitude – alone with no TV, no internet, no email, no phone. Well – a week was NOT going to happen. But 24 hours did – and it was that 24 hours that changed my life. I spent the time in meditation and contemplation. But also reading the book “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz. The four agreements talk about being impeccable with your word, not making assumptions, not taking things personally and always doing your best. In summary from the author, 1.
Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.
2.
Don’t Take Anything Personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
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3.
Don’t Make Assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4.
Always Do Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
Reading the book is where my eyes were opened and the shift began. But in all honesty, it was the “perfect storm”. I had spent the previous weekend at Alison Armstong’s (Understanding Men, Celebrating Women) Queen Code course. (Alison was our feature story last issue.) I’d also been introduced to Rita Black and her SHIFT program for weight loss. But as I became more aware and tried to live every day by living the four agreements, my life began to transform and others came into my life to support my transformation journey – including Chef Varouj! The shift also skyrocketed my business in ways I never expected! During my journey, I’ve realized there are 3 things that are critical to my continued transformation and success: 1.
SELF CARE – While I’ve heard it a million times, I needed to stop and smell the roses – FOR ME! Self care can be anything from daily exercise, meditation or journaling to a day at the spa or weekend away! Make yourself a PRIORITY!
2.
SACRED SPACE – We need boundaries and space. Being alone is not “comfortable” for me – or atleast it wasn’t. Now I understand that I need my alone time, that I need to distance myself and put up boundaries for people and things that simply don’t or can’t support me. I need to keep my space sacred and honor myself in all that I do so that I can be who I am.
3.
SUPPORT – Whether from a spouse or significant other, a trusted friend, or a professional (and I got all three!), you need support. You simply cannot do it alone. I’d like to invite you on the journey of life transformation with me. You can join the YES I CAN movement for FREE at www.yesicanwomen.org – and if you would like additional support, you can even join Your Daily YES, a new membership program working with me on your journey of YES I CAN!
In addition, I’ll be at The Oaks at Ojai, CA on two weekends this summer (July 26/27 and August 23/24) – sharing my personal story and working with other women to get the selfcare, sacred space and support they need. You can come for the full day ($135) and get 3 full healthy meals, exercise classes, my presentation on YES I CAN, a vision board exercise and “Confidence by Cole” with Lisa Cole, OR stay for the weekend. Contact me for the discounted rates! Your journey is only a YES I CAN away! Don’t wait another day or minute. Give yourself the gift of a joy filled life and say YES I CAN to your life’s dreams!
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Christine Davis
Innovative Woman 1. How/why did you begin your business? I began my business when I realized that no one else was going to allow me to be the person that I was supposed to be. I was limited in using my gifts and talents, and I was giving my best, and receiving much less in return. I was happy with what I was doing, but I always felt that I was supposed to be doing something else, something more. 2. What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it? My biggest challenge that I have had is balance. Balancing life and work. Sometimes work runs into family time, but I have learned how to prioritize. 3. How do you define SUCCESS? Realizing the things that matter the most, and holding on to those things. Success doesn’t depend on things, and it’s not the result solely of how much money you have, or how many people know your name. It’s also a result of the quality of life that you choose, and the number of people’s lives you touch just by being yourself.
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4. If there was one thing you wish you knew before you began your business, what would that be? Sometimes knowing things in advance is a deterrent from moving forward with your purpose. 5. What makes you an innovative woman? I am an innovative woman because I keep up with the latest technology, and I am not afraid to try different methods when working with them. Connect with Christine at www.AnointedAssistant.com.
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All About Business
3 Core Triggers That Attract Your Audience by Kimberly Pitts
What do Rachel Ray, Dr. OZ, and Suze Orman all have in common? They have each built influential personal brands that have propelled them to the top of their businesses and life. How did they do it? Like other successful personal branders, they took the time to define, communicate, and protect their brands. Your brand is based on what you are perceived as, what you project, and how your target market perceives the value you have to offer. They also mastered how to get their audience interested in what they have to say and offer. Here are 3 basic triggers that cause people to be more likely to buy your product or service. When used properly, these triggers will become an essential part of your marketing. 1. Intrigue (head): Design an environment that leaves them wanting to learn more. This is rooted in content, messaging and positioning. It’s very important that you focus on the value and depth of the information you want to share. One question I hear is, if you have 7 steps to your program, “Do I give them all 7 strategies? If I do, then they don’t need to work with me.” However, to create real intrigue, give them information that they can apply and see results. This does not mean give the whole 7 steps. You want your clients and potential clients to say “If she’s giving me this level of information and producing this level of quality products, I definitely want to learn more about what else she has to offer.” 2. Desire (heart): Connect with them personally and emotionally to make them want to purchase your programs, services or products. The key here is to form that bridge from your content to that emotional connection so that they have a buy-in to your services. Look at your business and ask yourself, “Am I triggering any type of emotional connection with my clients?”
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3. Challenge: Deal with tapping into a “need” or “disrupting their patterns”. Ideally, you want to challenge people to say “I’m scared because I don’t know whether working with you will work, but I do know that I feel you are the answer to what I’m looking for.” Make sure that you’re positioning your information to be the solution they are looking for. Kimberly Pitts, is a Branding & Marketing Strategist. She is also Founder of UImpact, LLC. Kimberly is dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs all over the world learn how to use authentic business building tools, marketing and branding strategies to attract raving fans, attract more clients, and enjoy more income and freedom in their business. Kimberly helps women entrepreneurs through Thrive Academy, UImpact’s premier training based mastermind program. If you want to make an impact in the lives of others through business you can begin today. All you need to know is where to start. Kimberly can help you create the business you desire to have. Whether you are in the start-up stages of your business, ready to grow and up level your business or you are looking for coaching and strategy to really expand your reach...Kimberly is here to provide expert coaching and mentoring to up level your business. www.uimpact. net
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All About Business
Is It Time to Give Your Business A Good Spring Cleaning? by Joy Chudacoff
I’m sure you’re aware of the old term, “spring cleaning”? Mother Nature reminds us that before you add more to your life, it’s always a good idea to let go of what no longer serves you. Evaluating your business is a smart move, as long as you’re willing to ask yourself the right questions and give yourself honest answers: 1. What’s Working? So many times, we forget to look at what’s going well in our business as we have the tendency to focus on problems or challenges. Look through the lens of appreciation and make a list of what is working well. 2. What’s Not Working? Spend some quality time making a thoughtful list of any challenges or concerns one-by-one so you can visually see areas that need improvement. You’ll also want to identify what I call the “gaps” in your business - the place where some sort of breakdown is happening. For example, if your cash flow is inconsistent, either your marketing isn’t attracting potential clients, or your sales conversations aren’t converting people into becoming paying clients.
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3.
What’s New? This is what entrepreneurs love! The blood rushes through your veins at an electric pace when you are creating! This is where you need to be careful. “Bright Shiny Object Syndrome” that can wreak havoc with your business (and income) if you aren’t careful. It’s great and necessary to stay up to date on the trends and come up with new, fresh ideas BUT, in the process you want to make sure you don’t eliminate those products and services that your clients love and pay you for generously!
If you have an itch to shake things up in your business, set aside some time and ask yourself the three questions above and really give honest answers. Appreciate the great work you’re doing and all
July/August 2014
that’s going well. Give some serious thought to what’s not going well and set a deadline to get the issue resolved. Finally, get your creative juices flowing and design a fresh, new service or product that you know your ideal client is craving. Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you. Joy Chudacoff is Heralded as “The Coach for Women” in the millennium, Joy Chudacoff has x-ray vision when it comes to helping women discover their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals! Joy draws on both her personal life and entrepreneurial experiences to support women in achieving better ways of living. It’s her passion, her purpose and her business. She is a Professional Certified Coach, highly skilled group leader, motivational speaker and a gifted communicator. Visit Joy’s website, SmartWomenSolutions.com, where you’ll find more articles plus information about her Women’s Success Circles, Smart Women Smart Solutions Coach Certification Programs, Speaking engagements, teleclasses and upcoming events for women. Joy can be reached at 310-4542005 or by email, Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.
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All About Business
Why It’s Important to Keep Business and Personal Funds Separate by Candy Messer As an entrepreneur, are you keeping your business and personal finances separate? If not, it’s time to make a change. You may be asking, “Why is it so important to keep my personal and business money separate?” 1. It makes your bookkeeping so much easier. When you mix business and personal funds; it takes time to figure out which items are for the business, and which are personal. Even if it is easy to determine, all transactions have to be entered so the accounts can be reconciled. 2. You don’t have good financial reports. If your business and personal expenses are all in your company file, there are additional items included on the income statement and/or balance sheet. If posting personal transactions to expense accounts (such as telephone, utilities, etc) the expenses are overstated. If posting all personal expenses to a draw account, the balance sheet shows more drawn out of the business than would have been if personal items weren’t included. 3. It makes the tax return preparation more difficult. Because your tax return is on business income and expenses, the CPA will have to figure out what is the true profit of the business by reviewing all the income and expenses and removing personal transactions from the equation. 4. It’s an audit/tax bill waiting to happen. Are you looking forward to being audited? If not, keep your business and personal transactions
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separate. If the IRS looks at your bank statements and bookkeeping file, they may adjust your tax return and assess a balance due notice. They may disallow expenses and include deposits as income because your business and personal items were combined. I recommend you keep your accounts separate so you’ll have an easier time reconciling your accounts, knowing how profitable you are, and it will make your CPA’s life so much easier! Candy Messer is President of Affordable Bookkeeping and Payroll Services and energizes business owners by removing the burden of the bookkeeping and payroll processing from their shoulders. With 15 years of experience, Candy understands the stresses business owners face and offers customized services to meet their varying needs, including bookkeeping, payroll, Quickbooks consulting, and bill pay services. Candy works with service based business owners who are overwhelmed with the paperwork required to stay in compliance for filings and frees them to focus on what they love to grow their businesses. Visit her website at www.abandp.com for more information.
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All About You
You Can Improve Your Relationship With These Simple Tips by Jonathan Aslay When a relationship hits a rocky patch, it can be difficult to decide what to do next. Sometimes you need to take a break and just relax. Know that whatever needs to happen will, so don’t force anything or push your partner into anything. Here are some quick “understand men now” tips: •
If he’s grumpy, don’t fall into the grouchy trap too. Let him know you’re there when he wants to talk. Then go and do your thing. He’ll find you when he’s ready.
•
Don’t walk on eggshells. If something is bothering you, let him know. Men hate it when women cry, so don’t overdo it, but if something truly upsets you enough to bring tears, it’s OK to be authentic.
•
Think before you speak whenever possible. You can’t take words back once they’re out of your mouth, but you can prevent a foot-in-mouth problem by waiting a few seconds before saying something you’ll regret.
•
Fight fairly. Don’t bring up old stuff from 5 years ago. In fact, don’t bring up anything older than a few months. You’re not the same people you were then, and no one likes paying for the same mistake more than once.
•
Don’t involve anyone else in your relationship issues. It’s none of their business, and you don’t need the aggravation or the distraction.
•
Get away. Go out of town for a weekend and make a pledge to just have fun and enjoy each other. You may see him and your relationship with new eyes.
•
Remember when you first started dating. How did you feel? Let yourself feel that way again for a while, and think about why you fell in love with him.
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Before you say, “Why do I have to be the one to change?” let me say, “Because you see what needs to be fixed and maybe he doesn’t yet.” Women have amazing hearts and they are the emotional leaders of a relationship. Jonathon Aslay is a defender and protector of women’s hearts around the world. He helps women transform from attracting Mr. Wrong into finding their Mr. Right. Jonathon, a successful entrepreneur, coach, speaker, and author of Unlocking the Male Mind, Finding Love Online and Why Men Pull Away: 3 Ways to Keep Him Close. Jonathon is like A GUY SPY to the male mind who truly understands the way a single or divorced man thinks and acts. He’s a master at helping women recognize and distinguish the difference between men who are emotionally unavailable from those who are truly ready for love.
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All About Business
Managing Affiliate Relationships by Bibi Goldstein Having affiliates for any online business, whether service or product based, could mean thousands of additional revenue dollars with very little upfront investment. Affiliates are a great way to create a larger
sales team out there, who are working for you, even when you aren’t. There are entrepreneurs whose primary business is affiliate marketing, where their sole purpose is to market other business’s products and services. There are some key areas to focus on when creating a successful affiliate program that allow marketers to promote your business and its offerings. The first is a commission structure that maintains your profit margin. You can identify different commission amounts based on the sale. Decide whether you want to pay a percentage or a flat fee; or if it will be tiered, based on the number of sales or dollar amount sold. For example:
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for the first 5 sales it’s 10%, 6-10 sales it’s 15%, 11-15 sales it’s 20% etc. Have a good tracking system to manage who the sale was referred by, how the affiliate is paid, and provides a clear accounting of every transaction and the commissions associated with it. Customizing communication with the new customer to include reference back to the referring affiliate helps to create immediate trust. You should provide marketing and promotional materials and content copy to the affiliate so all the messages out there stay consistent with your brand. Ideally, you would want a selfmanaged portal for the affiliate to
log in and view their commissions, their payments and to easily access marketing and promotional materials. There are several options out there to manage affiliates like Commission Junction, or Post Affiliate Pro, but
July/August 2014
do your homework and make sure it isn’t one of those that operates independent of accounting and email marketing systems. All in one software like Infusionsoft can make the overall management of affiliates an automated process where the only requirement for you is sending out the commission payments. Bibi started Buying Time with a friend to give everyone the opportunity to have access to support and assistance with any task. With over 22 years in the transportation/logistics industry Bibi has specific experience in space and time efficiencies through Six Sigma training for warehouses from 1,000 to 30,000+ square feet. This provided her the ability to visualize the final outcome even when the client cannot. Bibi recently co-authored “Get Organized Today” with other organizing experts hoping to reach out and help more people. Bibi can be reached at www.buyingtimellc.com.
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All About Food
Berry Crisp by Chef Varouj When fruits and vegetables are picked fresh and sun-ripe, there is hardly any flavoring that needs to be added to the food to prepare an incredible meal. This gluten, dairy and sugar-free berry crisp is one of the easiest and tastiest desserts you can prepare and bake in under 10 minutes.
Berry Crisp Yield: 12 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients: For the gluten free flour mix: • 1 cup rice flour • 1/2 cup tapioca flour • 1/2 cup potato starch • 1/2 cup of sorghum flour For the Topping: • 3.5 ounces (7 tablespoons) Xylitol • 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) black strap molasses • 7 ounces (14 tablespoons) coconut butter (not oil) • 7 ounces total (14 tablespoons) GF flour mix above • 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda • 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) sliced almonds • 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) gluten free oats • 1/2 teaspoon salt For the berry mixture: • 4 cups each blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and or blackberries • 1/2 cup of flour blend from above • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon Preparation: 1. Toss all ingredients and bake at 350ºF covered for 30 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, with a paddle attachment cream xylitol, molasses and coconut butter. 3. Sift together all the dry ingredients, add to the xylitol mix, just to combine. 4. Add almonds and oats, combine. 5. Top the berries and bake for 15-20 minutes. Chef Varouj is an expert in the Gluten-free lifestyle. He is a professionally trained chef with 20 years of experience and a Certified Gluten Practitioner. His mission is to provide you with culinary and nutritional support to repair damages cause by unhealthy eating habits. He develops individualized healthy meal plans and offers menu recommendations to support wellness, weight management, increase energy and self confidence.
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July/August 2014
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