Barbara's Blog

What Does Bear Breath Smell Like?

2008-10-30T00:42:00.000-07:00

About 10 years ago, I was a photojournalist.
I was on a wildlife shoot at Prairie Winds Wildlife Rescue Center.
They set a bear free (I did it a few other times, one with a mountain lion, another with wolves).
While all the other photographers were keeping a safe distance from the bear, I, naturally, got down to her level, and in her personal space.
She trotted right over to me, kissed the camera, then stood on the camera and gave me a smooch.
My thoughts in the first photograph were "Wow! This is amazing!"
My thought in the SECOND photo were: "Um, ok, a little close!"

And lastly, I thought.. "Did ANYone get that on film??!!"
If you ever wondered, a bear's tongue feels like moist velvet!

A little while later when the "smart" photographers were still keeping a distance, she was chomping on my sturdy leather boot because she thought it was prey. I still have the boot with her rather sharp teethmarks in it!

Our First Car Show!

2008-10-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of restoring a little 1980 MGB Limited Edition. Only about 2,600 made it to be sold in the U.S. between 1979 and 1980. The LE model only comes in black, with rubber bumpers.

So I've been doing work on her bit-by-bit and though she's not finished (I'm going to put chrome bumpers on her, and a new dash), there is a classic car show this weekend not too far from my house.

CLICK ON THE FOTOS TO ENLARGE

They are expecting about 1,000 classic cars, and you can enter your car and compete in your class. During the show, you parade the cars down the local streets for spectators to oooo and aaaa at.

SO... this is my first car show with this little classic car. Any girl should be fluffed and buffed before being put on display, so I spent a couple of hours today lovingly washing, waxing, and detailing her. And as a special treat, I repainted her lugnuts a shiny black, because every girl should get a manicure before going out on the town!

Check out her license plate...
Wish us luck at the show!!
Barbara

I'm Taking the Plunge!

2008-06-25T17:59:00.001-07:00

With the lack of attractive alternatives for people qualified to run our country, I decided the US people couldn't do any worse...
I'm running for President! VOTE FOR ME!
http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=46832&altf=Cbscbsb&altl=Esb9hb

I was attacked by a mountain lion

2007-09-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, that's the story I'm going with.

It beats telling people I tripped and fell on my face while hiking the Grand Canyon!

After hiking back to civilization, I found a cute Ranger to take me to the Canyon's clinic where they put a few stitches in my knee, and bandaged of various extremities. Xrays showed I also broke my nose (nice shiners, huh?)

How, you may ask, am I going to tie this into a business lesson... well, I've found a few ways:

1. it is ALWAYS possible to find the positive in any situation. I did NOT break my hand or my knee caps, which would have been a much greater handicap than breaking my nose. I don't type with my nose (although I have tried it after too many glasses of red wine).

2. I had to stay an extra day in the Canyon after being put back together again by all the king's men at the great clinic. However, because I have processes in place, and most everything is outsourced, I didn't have to worry about my business grinding to a hault. My incredible team took care of everything.

3. The personal lessons were numerous, but the most important seems to be to slow down. I was hiking at a fast pace. Now that I can't walk so well, I have to hooble slowly everywhere. It's changed my normally fast pace of life into a more deliberate pace, where I watch every little thing that's happening.

4. Misteps will occur in life and in business. It's HOW we deal with them that counts. After I fell, my brain kicked into survival mode. I felt no emotion, just focused on problem solving. I found myself creating a process in my head!
Step 1: hike back to civilization;
Step 2: Assess and clean injuries;
Step 3: Get medical attention.

So when emergencies happen in your business, reacting emotionally may not get you to a solution. Rather, assessing the damage and devising a plan of action will more quickly help you past the situation.

So when faced with a "mountain lion" stay cool, get help, and above all... remain positive!

Barbara (aka Scarface)

Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

2007-07-22T14:13:00.001-07:00

I live in beautiful arizona where in the summer, it is common to have temeratures in the low 100s.
It is also equally common to hear people complain about the heat, which is starting to annoy me to no end.
So for those of you complaining about the weather, wherever you live, I offer you a fresh perspective:

When I CHOSE to move to Arizona, I was well aware that it got hot in the summer. So during my house hunting trips in the winter to AZ, I would crank up the heater in my rental car and close the windows, to simulate the summer heat. Then before I moved, I spent everyday in the dry sauna at my gym for as long as I could stand it, to acclimate myself to heat.
Lastly, I did a mental adjustment. During the "heat training session" I would visualize my body sweating out all its emotional and physical toxins. I left the sauna feeling renewed.

So now, when the temperature reaches 117 degrees in Arizona, I simply visualize the cleansing of my body, heart, and mind। Afterall, I did CHOOSE to live in Arizona, so I frankly have no right to complain about the weather.

Ok, now I'll hop off of my soap box and ask you: what things in your life are you complaining about, but you've chosen to be there or do that?
Now change your perspective on it and turn it into a posiitve.

REVEL in the heat!

Barbara

Do you ever want to strangle your spouse?

2006-09-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

I know it's a strange title for a newsletter issue... but let's talk reality here.

Do you ever have days when you just want to strangle your significant other, business partner, best friend, colleague, etc?

Go ahead, you can admit it... we're all friends here.

We all have a gripe:
"My spouse is getting under my skin today."
"My business partner just doesn't understand what I need."

Sometimes, the relationships in our life cause us more grief than we think they're worth. And relationship hassles can definitely effect our business success.

This week, I'd like to share my musings on relationships, and how you can create ones that will support, encourage, and help you grow in your business life.

Here are my 12 Tips for when your primary relationships are getting on your nerves:

1. Take responsibility for YOUR part in the conflict or misunderstanding. It always takes two to have a conflict!

2. Make your expectations clear to your partner in a loving manner.

3. Be the kind of partner YOU'd want to have (Yes, this will involve taking a hard look at yourself).

4. Take a breather. Sometimes, you just need some space to care for yourself.

5. Look in the mirror. Ask yourself what you can do to improve yourself as an individual.

6. Write down your gripes. Now burn them.

7. Create a plan of action with your partner - put it in writing and sign it. That way it's not you vs. them. It's a mutual commitment.

8. Engage your intellect. It's impossible to THINK and FEEL at the same time. Choose thinking during times of emotional upheaval.

9. Lighten up. Not every conflict has to be solved right away. Sometimes you just need to walk away and come at it again later.

10. Recognize you have multiple choices in how to feel and act. The beauty of being human, is you get to CHOOSE your perspective. Take responsibility for all of your reactions.

11. Be clear on your expectations of yourself, your partner, and your relationship. Communicate them in a calm manner.

12. Focus on business. When it comes down to it, you cannot let emotional stress effect your business decisions, or your ability to get things done. Just keep pushing through and focus on your REVENUE-generating tasks.

BONUS: Act with kindness. No matter how bad you think it is, negativity will ALWAYS make it worse.

BONUS 2: This is the hardest one: Do something NICE for the person you're mad at, when you least want to.

As an entrepreneur, you are solely responsible for your income: an equally frightening and exciting proposition. SO when relational problems are causing you stress, make sure you are at least getting the #1 things done in your business that will generate revenue - then be sure to take time to process and address the challenges after you've handled business.

I'd love to know how you handle relationship stress when it invariably occurs. Email me your thoughts and I'll share them in future issues.

To your success,

Barbara Drazga (Check my new entrepreneur resources http://www.wealthpromotion.com/)

p.s. Remember, "Wealthy people are programmed for success." Learn How to Follow Your Dreams Now!

p.p.s. Shameless plug for my significant other - an amazing realtor here in Arizona: "Are you ready to escape the snow? It's a buyer's market in beautiful Arizona."He's incredibly busy, but has promised to make time for YOU as a member of my list! AND his services are free! Tell him I sent ya.Get a List of Deals Now

Marketing Lessons from a 4 Year Old Boy...

2006-04-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

I just spent a week visiting family in Denver. I stayed with my brother's family that included my 11-year old niece Amanda, and my 4-year old nephew Ryan. I've not spent a great deal of time with Ryan, and I learned a few things this week about 4 year olds, and about myself.

For instance...
-Did you now that a little boy's brain never stops working, and delivering its musing to his mouth... unless he's watching a cartoon?

-I learned that there is no filter between a little boy's brain and mouth, resulting in the purest form of honesty I've ever seen. This particular item can cause much embarrassment to surrounding adults when sensitive facts are revealed loudly in public places.

-It is almost impossible to have an adult conversation around a 4 year old without him picking up only the words he shouldn't be hearing and repeating.

-I learned that you can't get away with ANYTHING with a 4 year old. He'll call you on your "stuff."

-I learned of a child's incredible capacity for spontaneous affection and expressions of love.

-And I learned that to a little boy, the song his aunt quietly sings to him to put him to sleep doesn't have to be on key. It just has to be sung from the heart for him to believe it is beautiful.

On the last evening of my visit, little Ryan asked me to put him to bed. I discovered that this process involves a structured procedure. We did the normal things like going potty, brushing teeth, and turning on the closet light to keep the "dream monsters" away.

It involved reading a Furry Kitty book, with "voices," as we cuddled together in his bed.

Lastly, to my surprise, his final request was for a "beuford" song. (I think he meant "beautiful" song). In response to this unexpected request, I defaulted to the song that is closest to my heart, as the first song I sang on stage with a choir, and later as a soloist: "Over the Rainbow."

I felt more pressure than I ever have as I quietly sang the entire song, while my darling nephew patiently listened to every chorus. When I was through, and after a few beats of silence, Ryan opened his eyes and said to me "Aunt Barbara that was a "beuford" song." Then he closed his eyes, turned over and snuggled up for sleep.

As I left his room enveloped in my nephew's unjudgemental love and acceptance, I decided for his birthday in July, he'll be gifted a CD of Aunt Barbara singing his "beuford" song softly to put him to sleep when he wants to remember me.

Thought I don't see my niece and nephews often, my goal is to create little moments during our time together that they'll remember and treasure about their Aunt Barbara. It's memories like these that make me feel connected to them when we're apart.

To tie this into an entrepreneurial issue, here's my lesson for this blog post:
It's about Quality over Quantity.

Some marketers think that if they just "bug" their email lists enough, people will buy. They beg, plead, use every copywriting "trick" they can, and wonder why their sales are still low.

My nephew has taught me that the quality of the information is so much more important than quantity. While you may not communicate with your list every day, when you do send something to them, make sure it is useful, timely, and gives more value than they expect.

It's simple: Give people what they want, plus more than they expect, and make every communication count; and they will give you their business.

And when they want a "beuford" song… give it to them. It will pay off in spades.

To Your Success,
Barbara Drazga

My St. Patty's Day Gift to You

2006-03-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

You've likely heard about the newest real estate craze, the condo-conversion.
Well, I am now the owner of a "cat-conversion."
You've heard me talk about my psycho cat, Scooter in earlier posts. Last week, scooter had his tail amputated.

His reaction to this traumatic event was an inspiration to me, and likely to you. Aside from one bad day of pain, this now-tailless cat was romping around the house a day after his tail was lopped off. Amazing.
Feeling totally guilty about having to take the tail off to prevent the spreading of a tumor on it, I showered him with affection and mushy food. He purred with enthusiasm to all of my efforts, feeding my guilt of putting him through the ordeal.

Don't worry, there are no side effects of losing the tail, other than decreased balance. But at 16 pounds, he didn't have much balance to begin with. And now instead of wagging his tail at me, he simply wags his stump.

So although Scooter (aka "Stumpy") is not Irish, I dedicate this posting and the following gift to you on his behalf. Take a lesson from him... stay positive in the face of adversity.
And purr any chance you get :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In unpacking from my move to Arizona (yes, I'm STILL emptying boxes), I ran across 20 CD sets of the Bunnyslipper Bootcamp audios - a full 22 hours of business success training.

This set normally sells for $89. I'm offering the last 20 sets for just $49 each - that comes to $2.23 cents per hour of training!
Order Yours

AND, I'll throw in a copy of Jeanette Cates' book "Online Success Tactics-101 Ways to Build Your Small Business." - $15 Value
Jeanette, is 'The Technology Tamers' and one of the speakers at Bunnyslipper where she showed attendees how to start an online business from scratch in 3 hours.

You can see the entire speaker lineup here: http://www.bunnyslipperbootcamp.com

I've only got 20 and I'm not duplicating more, so get your set now.
Happy St. Patrick's!!
Barbara Drazga

2006 Plan of Action

2006-03-07T11:34:00.000-08:00

Now that the dust has settled from the Butt Camp with Tom Antion, I want to encourage you to make an Action Plan for your Internet Business.

I know it can be overwhelming to consider all the options for starting a web-business. It doesn't matter which piece of it you decide to pursue first, but PLEASE do something.

I've developed a quick list of some of my favorite resources,
all priced Under $50!
Just pick ONE to start with, then implement it.

As that piece starts making money, come back to this list, and try another piece.

I never recommend something I haven't tried myself, so you can trust that these are all viable.
Barbara

Simpleology-FREE
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http://bmdrazga.simpleology.com/

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Shopping Cart-30-day Free Trial
http://www.profcs.com/app?pr=33&id=53364

Rich Jerk eBook:
This is one of the most valuable, inexpensive, and easy-to-understand resources I found to get some cash coming in from simple websites. It's just 45 pages and you I read through it in an hour, and implemented something the first day! I know you can too. You can find details it here:http://wealthprom.richjerk.hop.clickbank.net/

Blog for Profit :
Tom Antion has a very good CD on how to make money with free blogs:
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?AFID=359985&u=www.antion.com/cds.htm

Do you have a mentor or coaching program?
Tom Antion shows you how to make it profitable with his CD "How to Start and Run a Super Profitable Mentor Program" ($39.95)
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?AFID=359985&u=www.antion.com/cds.htm

How to Make Money with Teleseminars:
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?AFID=359985&u=www.antion.com/teleseminarkit.htm

How to Create, Distribute and Sell Your Own Products
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?AFID=359985&u=www.antion.com/cds.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, and don't forget to pick up your copy of the Audio CDs from the Butt Camp:
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?AFID=359985&u=www.antion.com/buttcampcd.htm

Share your successes with me! Post them on my blog!
To Your Success,
Barbara Drazga

How do You Eat An Elephant?

2006-02-14T12:49:00.000-08:00

7 Tricks to Getting More Done

Do you have more "To Do" list at the end of the day than when you started? With all you have to accomplish, it seems like there’s never enough time for the important things, much less the things you want to do. Wouldn’t it be great if life were like TiVo? If only we could pause, rewind, playback, and record life’s moments to access later, when we had the time.

Well, I've got some sad news for you: we ALL have the very same 24 hours in a day. So how is it that some people seem to be so productive, while you feel like you're just spinning your wheels?

I don't believe we can "manage" time. We can only manage the tasks we do in the time that is available to us. You’d be surprised at how much time you waste each day—and those extra minutes can really add up.

So, how can you get more done? Here are 7 ways to stop time drains in your life and accomplish what you need to do, so you can get to the things you want.

Let it Go
For one week, carry a diary with you and jot down all the recurring, administrative, or chore-related tasks you do daily. At the end of the week, identify the tasks that you can get someone else to do. Let's do the math here for a second. Here's a sample list of things you might do during the week:
3 Hours - food shopping (includes driving, shopping, standing in line, putting groceries away)
1 hour - post office run, pick up mail, open and sort
2 hours - straighten and clean house
1/2 hour - change litter
1/2 hour - dry cleaner run
1 hour - laundry, wash, fold, put away
8 Hours - TOTAL (That's a full work day gone!)

Have you ever driven across town to save a few cents when filling up your gas tank? Think about it: a five-cent difference in the price per gallon of gas will save you a whopping dollar for a 20-gallon fill-up. Isn’t an extra half-hour of your time worth a dollar? Let it go.

Now let's say you find someone to work for $8 an hour to do these tasks for you. That's about $64 a week (or about $250 a month). Now with that extra 32 (!) hours a month, could you generate that $250 back plus some if you focused on your business? The answer is a resounding "Yes!"

I have a post-it on my computer monitor that asks me every time I start a task:
"Does this Action bring you toward or away from your target?" If my target is to increase sales by 20% by the end of the month, does doing the laundry bring me closer to that goal?

Set Goals and Prioritize
What do you want out of your life? In order to determine the most effective use of your time, you need to know what you want to do with it! It’s important to have both long- and short-term plans for accomplishing your goals, and equally important to understand what is most important to you.

Long-term goals: Whether you’re dreaming of becoming a superstar or opening your own business, keep this in mind: a goal is a dream with a deadline. You can achieve anything if you plan it out. Whatever your goal, find out what you must do to make it happen, and then break it into manageable chunks and work toward it every day. Make your priorities clear: do you want financial success? Is your ultimate goal to spend more time with your family by working for yourself? Concentrate on your top priorities.

Short-term goals: Daily to-do lists help keep you on track—but listing too much can make you feel as though you’ve accomplished nothing. Break up your task list into three groups: Must Do, Should Do, and Like to Do. Put no more than 7 tasks on your Must Do list.

Tackle the Musts first, and give yourself permission to not feel guilty when the rest remains undone. Simply move those items to the next day’s list. Also, be sure to accomplish at least one Like every day!

Break it Down
The answer to that old elephant adage is: "One bite at a time."
Does that huge pile of unopened mail look too daunting to tackle? Then break the task down into smaller "bites." Open just 3 pieces of mail in the morning, and 3 at night. Before you know it, the task is done.

Tackle the Tough Stuff First
Everyone has certain tasks to accomplish they don’t enjoy doing, whether it’s collecting from slow-paying clients or changing the litterbox. When they are top priority tasks, get them out of the way first—that way, you’ll have more energy and enthusiasm to get things done, and you’ll find yourself moving through your goals quickly. Brian Tracy writes about this in his great book "Eat That Frog."

Streamline Communications
E-mail is a huge time-waster for many people. Cell phones come in at a close second—not to mention television! Set aside certain times for dealing with any particular form of communication. If e-mail is vital to your business, you should tackle your inbox more than once a day—but can you manage by checking in at certain times, such as once in the morning, afternoon, and evening? Try it for a few days; you may be surprised to find that you don’t miss out on anything. Also, when you’re in the middle of an important task, turn off your cell phone. You can always return calls later. Managing television time is easier than you might think as well: each week, sit down with a program guide and decide on what shows or movies you really want to see, and give yourself a schedule. This eliminates hours spent flipping through channels hoping to catch something good.
I keep a small TV in my home office so I can have West Wing reruns on while I'm working.

Reduce Clutter
Clutter instills an underlying stress. When you walk into your office, do you look at your desk piled high with unidentified stacks and moan? This will be in the back of your mind while you work, and reduce your productivity. Time spent organizing your work environment is an investment in your ability to get more done. You will be able to locate everything you need without shuffling through piles of paper, and a neat work space is a calming thing.

You are Your Greatest Asset
Invest in yourself with ongoing education—workshops, books, CDs — which pay for themselves when you generate more income from the knowledge you gained. And remember to reward yourself for accomplishing big jobs or tasks you don't like to do. You may find yourself looking forward to those unpleasant necessities!

Getting more out of life is everyone’s ultimate goal. Now is the perfect time to go for it, whatever your dreams may be. If you have always wanted to work from home, be your own boss, and run a business for yourself, invest in your future by attending Butt Camp on February 25th —as an entrepreneur working from home, you will soon find more ways to get things done than ever! www.Buttcampaz.com

After learning how to build your Internet Business on Saturday, I'm gifting you an Action Planning Breakfast on Sunday! Only 8 seats left, so please grab yours now! Bring a friend to Butt Camp and save $100! www.buttcampaz.com

To Your Success,
Barbara Drazga

Top 5 Reasons to Become a ‘Netpreneur

2006-02-10T18:21:00.000-08:00

Top 5 Reasons to Become a ‘Netpreneur

You’ve probably heard that Internet businesses aren’t “real” businesses, or that running a successful online company is impossible unless you are a computer programmer. According to Tom Antion's three-prong approach to selling on the web, this isn’t the case at all. You can work at home running an Internet business as long as you follow some simple steps.
Download a one-hour teleclass with Tom Antion now to learn how!

So, why should you start an Internet business and try your hand at a work-at-home position? Here are just a few good reasons:

1. Work when you want to, not when you have to. Who wouldn’t want freedom from a constricting 9 to 5 punch-the-clock position? With an Internet business, you can start your day whenever you want, whether it’s three in the morning or one in the afternoon. When you work at home online, you get to set your own schedule.

2. No more commuting—your living room is your office! When you work at home running an Internet business, all you need to do to get yourself to work is get out of bed and walk into whatever room you’ve designated as your office. You will save hours in travel time and tons of money on gas.

3. Forget leasing an office. Traditional entrepreneurs have to find an office, then sign a contract and pay hundreds to thousands of dollars a month for use of the space. Not you, the Internet business owner! You will never pay a dime in office rent—unless, of course, you want to bill yourself for the use of your spare bedroom.

4. Reach millions of customers at the speed of a mouse click. With an Internet business, your online marketing efforts can reach far more people than traditional print media. Today’s online tools allow the Internet business owner to carry out business transactions with people all around the world at a fraction of the former cost of international business.

5. Your family knows you’re alive. If you are working at a traditional job, there have probably been days, or even weeks, where your family wonders if you’ve moved in to the office. When you start an Internet business and work at home, you will be able to spend those extra commuting hours with the ones you love instead. Though you will still have to work at your Internet business, you’ll be able to give yourself some time off to go to all those school concerts and ball games you missed out on when you were working.

Forget those work at home myths that say Internet businesses are all scams. Do your research, choose an Internet business you love, and start working for yourself today.
Learn how at the Butt Camp in Phoenix on Feb 25th!

Common Myths About Online Business

2006-02-06T14:35:00.000-08:00

So, you want to start an online business. What do you expect will happen when you “go live” with your brand new web site (or web sites)? Do you believe hordes of people will batter at your virtual doors, snatching up your products left and right? Do you think that once you “become an online business owner,” you can simply sit back and watch the money pour in? If you do, you’ve fallen for the online business myths.

Owning a successful online business is not as easy as signing up for an affiliate program and collecting payments from eager buyers. This is one of the most destructive myths out there on the Internet. Thousands of people are suckered into throwing money down the black hole of scam-dom, lured by the promise of easy profit. Here are a few of the most common myths you should avoid:

Myth #1: Everyone with an online business is living on easy street. Nope. The only successful online businesses are run by folks who’ve put a lot of time and effort into researching and building their businesses—even those who run affiliate programs. Online businesses are just as likely to fail as brick-and-mortar businesses.

Learn How with this Free Audio! www.ButtCampAZ.com

Myth #2: You will start making money immediately with an online business. Wrong again! It takes time to start turning a profit. You have to build a customer base and market your tail off. This doesn’t mean you have to throw thousands of dollars into expansive hit-or-miss marketing campaigns. But it does mean you have to get the word out. There are many creative, inexpensive, and sometimes even free methods to marketing an online business—but it does take time. Expect to spend at least a year in development stage, and hold on to your day job for a while.

Myth #3: There is one magic marketing method that works for all online businesses. Unfortunately, no one has yet been successful in bottling and selling online business success. There is no one way to go about achieving success. Engaging in a process of trial and error is the only way to find out what works best for your online business—and that takes time, not money. So don’t fork over hundreds of dollars to anyone who promises you instant success!

Myth #4: Once your online business is established, it becomes an automatic money machine. Not true. The good news is, you will be able to reduce the amount of work you must put in to your online business once you’ve stabilized—but you can never just sit back and watch your riches grow. An online business is work, just like a real job. However, it does get easier over time.

You can be successful with an online business, as long as you’re willing to ignore the myths and work for your success. Like any business, you will get out of it what you put into it. I wish you much success!

About the Author:
Drazga owns and operates dozens of profitable websites from her Anthem home, and produces events teaching people how to do the same. Her next event, the Internet Business Butt Camp, is February 25th in Phoenix. Get details at www.ButtCampAZ.com

How to Profit from a Web-based Business

2006-02-02T23:44:00.000-08:00

You may have dreamed of starting an online business, or perhaps you already have. Often there is one overriding reason people start online businesses: to make money. Many people do it for passion, or from the desire to be their own boss, or simply because it sounds easy—but the intention behind starting any business is to make money. After all, you need to earn a living somehow!

There is a common conception that says making money with an online business is easy. After all, with billions of people using the Internet every day, how can you have an online business and not make money. But the truth is, online business is even more competitive than brick-and-mortar business—and it is because so many people are doing it. In order to succeed, you need a foundation and a solid plan.

Learn how at www.ButtCampAZ.com

What are the secrets to online business success? If there were such a thing, every ‘Netpreneur would be a millionaire by now. The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to give yourself every chance at success. Even if you don’t end up a millionaire, you can still make a living through online business and finally leave your day job.

Communication is essential in any business. Therefore, the first thing you should concentrate on is the way you’ll communicate with customers. Simply put, this is your web site. Don’t expect to slap up a template web site with an affiliate URL and watch the business pour in. Get your own domain name, make your site professional-looking and easy to navigate, and ensure that your customers derive real value from a visit.

Once you have a web site (or even before you have a web site), you need a plan. Your plan might be “make $50,000 this year.” That’s fine, and it may even be a workable goal for your online business. However, you also need a definitive strategy to reach that $50,000 target. Do some research to determine which advertising strategies work and which don’t, and invest your money wisely. You also have to invest your time: one key to successful online business is a solid client network, and that can only be built one customer at a time.

Finally, make sure the products you’re offering are valuable to customers. If you don’t believe in what you’re selling, no one else will either. Your passion for your products will shine through in your marketing efforts, and you will attract and keep clients who truly enjoy your online business—and they, in turn, will tell others about it. Stand out from the online business crowd with professionalism, targeted marketing strategies, and an honest relationship with your customers, and you will go far. Then next year, you can double your profit goal!

About the Author:Drazga owns and operates dozens of profitable websites from her Anthem home, and produces events teaching people how to do the same. Her next event, the Internet Business Butt Camp, is February 25th in Phoenix. Get details at www.ButtCampAZ.com

Top 5 Hot Internet Businesses for 2006

2006-01-31T16:28:00.000-08:00

By Barbara Drazga, Internet Entrepreneur
www.ButtCampAZ.com/blog

2006 could be your year to leave the corporate rat race forever and start your own Internet business. If you’ve thought about starting an online company, there is no better time than right now to go for it! There are many advantages to starting an online company. Internet business owners get to enjoy perks like:

-- Low start-up costs. If you own a computer, you have just about all the equipment you need to start an Internet business. You need an online presence, a good product or service, and a good marketing plan. That’s it! You should plan to invest some money in advertising, but the materials and resources you’ll need are negligible in comparison to brick-and-mortar business.

-- Instant beginnings. You won’t have to wait six months to a year to launch your online company. You can be up in running within days of completing your business plan—or even hours!

-- Massive audience. There are billions of people online. Once you start an Internet business and learn how to reach your target market, your supply of potential customers is endless.

-- Work from home. This is the single biggest attraction to starting an Internet business. No more commutes, no more expensive wardrobes, and no renting office space for your online company. Set your own hours and be your own boss!

-- Save some trees—and your fingers. How much paperwork is involved in an Internet business? Virtually none! Pun aside, you can carry out just about all of your transactions online, and save some paper as well as your time in keeping your records straight.
Learn how: www.ButtCampAZ.com/blog

So, how about those hot 2006 Internet businesses? Here are just a few examples of online companies you can start now:

Selling information
What do you use the Internet for most of the time? If you’re like most people, your answer here is “research.” The Internet is a natural delivery format for information of all kinds. If you have information on something people want to know about, you can start an Internet business selling e-books, articles, reports, whitepapers, audio content, or just about any variation of electronic information you can think of.

Travel agency
The online travel market in the United States is growing by leaps and bounds, taking a full 23 percent of travel purchases in 2004 as more and more people book reservations and order airline, train or bus tickets online. You can get yourself a piece of this $54 billion industry by opening an online travel agency company and helping people find places to stay, make reservations, and offer a variety of services designed to make life easier for travelers. The best bet for starting an online travel agency as an Internet business is to choose a specific market segment (such as travel to a particular European country), and focus on that. Make deals with area hotels that will attract customers to your business.

eBay store
You can sell anything on eBay! Take your time to build up your reputation as an eBay seller, and then open up your own eBay storefront to become an Internet business owner. You can develop and sell your own products, or you can go through an affiliate program and sell drop-ship items with a simple-to-set-up eBay storefront. Getting an eBay store is a great way to set up an online company.
Learn how: www.ButtCampAZ.com/blog

Web service firm
More and more companies are outsourcing projects in order to avoid hiring too many employees. With a little bit of know-how, you can start an Internet business as a service contractor and perform such jobs as website design, website promotion, or online security consulting (or any other type of consulting). As with any online company, the secret to success is choosing one area to specialize in, and then offer the best services in that area.

Export/Import Business
The Internet is a huge boon to exporters and importers. Demand for foreign made products is increasing around the world, and you can get in on the action by starting your own trade leads, B2B exchange or global marketplace Internet business. This exciting opportunity for an online company has powerful potential, as the Internet provides you with the opportunity to connect with billions of people around the world!

About the Author:
Drazga owns and operates dozens of profitable websites from her Arizona home, and produces events teaching people how to do the same. Her next event, the Internet Business Butt Camp, is February 25th in Phoenix. Get details at: www.ButtCampAZ.com/blog

Two Super-Successful ‘Netpreneurs Team Up to Give a Crash Course on Internet Marketing

2006-01-22T13:58:00.000-08:00

Learn How to Live Your Work-at-Home Dream at the "Butt Camp"

By Barbara Drazga

Almost everyone has toyed with the idea of self employment—working from the comfort of your own home, earning enough for a comfortable living or even making a small fortune. Whether you're still stuck in the rat race, a stay-at-home parent, or already own a small business, you'll learn the closely-held secrets that Internet entrepreneurs are using to make millions of dollars on the Web -- while sitting at home on their butts!
http://www.buttcampaz.com/

This intensive one-day seminar, held in the Crown Plaza Phoenix Airport hotel on February 25, 2006, will teach you how to build an Internet business from scratch… even if you have no technical expertise. The speakers will cover everything an aspiring entrepreneur needs to succeed online including:
· How to design and promote a killer website with no technical know-how
· Proper page design to give your site the greatest chance of ranking high in the search engines
· Secrets of key word placement and choice that only the pro marketers know
· How to make money from people who are "leaving" your site without buying
· 4 Key ways to make money with a FREE Electronic Magazine
· Secrets to producing a spectacular Ezine and getting thousands of subscribers
*** You will have your own Ezine before you leave the seminar!
· How you can throw a worldwide public seminar for less than $30.00
· How to record, duplicate and package your TeleSeminars to get virtually instant new product
· How to make money with Ebooks, CDs, associate programs, and much more
· How to have your book distributed tomorrow electronically
· Where to get 70% royalties for anything your write
· 2 Ways to self publish for FREE . . . No more printing costs
· How to put your own training videos on CD for FREE
· How to Turn on a FLOOD of new prospects AND make passive money with your website
· How to use your website to sell other people's products with no ongoing work on your part
· How to double or triple your sales with no advertising expense . . . and do it from home

With the techniques you'll learn, you can finally leave the rat race and live the life they've only dreamed of… no boss, make your own hours, and make money sitting on your butt.

"The trend towards self employment is creating a new generation of home-workers who value quality of life over commuting to a corporate job. With this new lifestyle comes more freedom of time, income, and self determination," Says Barbara Drazga, the conference producer.

http://www.buttcampaz.com/

Drazga is the founder of the "Work in Your Bunnyslippers Day" and produces events for entrepreneurs including the Bunnyslipper Business Bootcamp, and the Women's Web Workshop. "On the 3rd Friday of every February, I encourage every one to work in their bunnyslippers. Sure, you might get some strange looks if you're still working a 'real job,'" she adds, "but it's a great way to practice the entrepreneur lifestyle!"

Drazga has invited speaker, author, and Internet guru Tom Antion to share his knowledge in an information-packed one day. Tom Antion is an internationally acclaimed expert in Internet Marketing for small business. He has a very simple "Three Prong Attack" on Internet marketing, which is extremely easy to use. Tom is no "techie." All he cares about is where to click to make money and he teaches his students the exact techniques he uses to pull in $75,000.00 to $220,000.00 in a month from his home office.

http://www.buttcampaz.com/

"I'm going to give so much information, your brain will feel like oatmeal… in a good way!" says Antion. "This is the ultimate crash course in starting a web-business!"

"It’s a common misconception that in order to thrive online, business owners need to be tech-savvy. This just isn’t true," adds Antion. At the Butt Camp attendees from all walks of life will learn how to become a money-making Internet entrepreneur starting from scratch.

In addition to the Butt Camp on Saturday, Drazga will provide a complimentary planning and goal setting session on Sunday to any attendee who wants to walk away with a plan of action.

Learn how you can fire your boss and start working for yourself. Mark your calendar for February 25 and check out the Butt Camp details at www.ButtCampAZ.com .

Details
Early Bird pricing is $247 through February 15, when it increases to $297.
Attendees can bring a guest for free.
There are only 50 seats available for this one-time event
Venue: Crowne Plaza Phoenix Airport

Get details now at www.ButtCampAZ.com

At 4:30am I asked... "What the HECK is that Noise?"

2005-12-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

Living in Arizona has it's own flavor, and constant surprises.
I'll tell you what awakened me in a moment, but first, let me tell you a story of holiday grace and class.

I went holiday lights looking in a trolley full of 20 of my new Arizona friends this week. While the trolley drove around for 3 hours, stopping to let us spill off the bus to oohh and ahhh at the decorations, we drank wine, ate caramel popcorn and laughed and sang. Nothing unusual for Christmas time. Until we came to one of the last houses.

Imagine a one-story house whose yard has been stocked full of blinking reindeer, santas, penguins, and any assortment of decorations that had been collected over 40-odd years. Now imagine that the owner has transformed her entire garage into a holiday village... the size of Boston... with a suburb in her dining room. Imagine she'd turned her entire dining room into a multi-layer winter village scene complete with a huge assortment of whirring, blinking, spinning mini houses and carnival rides, decorated trees, miniature people walking about, and 7 tiers of streets hand-paved in round peppermint candies. A labor of love, that must have taken all year to plan and create.

At all the other houses, the front doors were shut tight, the owners cuddled up by their fireplace watching the Apprentice while hordes of people strolled past their houses to admire their handiwork.

But not at this house. The owner was walking around handing out candy canes to the kids, as they marveled at the Disney characters riding tiny merry-go-rounds in her massive village scenes. She busied herself with laying Oreo cookies (the good ones, too... you know, the ones with the double stuff inside, and two flavors to boot!). She had two large urns filled with piping-hot coffee to warm her visitors, and had built a toasty fire pit surrounded by lawn chairs (you know, like the ones your grandma would pull out of the garage for picnics with the vinyl webbing that was frayed at the fringes).

Now imagine...
That the owner is 70-ish years young.

I witnessed pure Christmas spirit that night and decided that THAT would be me in 30 years.

When I am hit with the holiday humdrums, grumbling about attaching lights to my house, and the Christmas shopping craze, and overcome with a bah-humbug because of the commercialization of Christmas, I will from this day forward, think back to this angel who showed me more grace and class in one evening than I've witnessed the entire year. She quite simply embodied the Holiday Spirit.

I met a real, live angel that night... I'm sure of it.

I want to hear your stories of things that have touched your heart this holiday season. Post them below.

Now I promised to tell you what that unearthly sound was last night.
It was an impression at first, that lulled me from my sleep. I groggily thought that kids were playing in the street outside my house until I realized that children do not (normally) howl.
I opened the bedroom patio door and listened intently. I was greeted with yipping and high-pitched howling and suddenly realized I was being serenaded by a pack of coyote! My Christmas just keeps getting better and better...

I have two gifts for you. First, I'd like to share a funny picture of my 17 lb male cat (Scooter) and a frighteningly life-like graphic of him that made me want to spray paint him green.

www.wealthpromotion.com/XmasScooter.htm

Second, as many of you know, I am constantly learning as much as I can about my businesses: Internet marketing, real estate investing and conference production.

I want to share with you one of the most valuable, inexpensive, and easy-to-understand resources I found to get some cash coming in from simple websites. It's just 45 pages and you I read through it in an hour, and implemented something the first day! I know you can too.
You can find details it here:
http://wealthprom.richjerk.hop.clickbank.net

Lastly, I want to wish you an incredible holiday season, and promise I will do my best to help you create a prosperous 2006!

Happy Holidays,
Barbara

Why do Cats Twitch?

2005-11-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

My little Megan's favorite place to nap is my lap with her paw draped across my mouse or keyboard (which explains the many typos in my emails ;-)).

The other day, she suddenly started convulsing in my lap! My first reaction was panic that she was having an kitty epileptic attack. So I look down at her sweet face and her inner eyelids are closed, but her outer are open just enough so I can see her eyeballs rolling around in her head like a serious REM sleep.

She was twitching from nose to paws to tail. So I just watched her and imagined what she was dreaming about. Have you every tried to figure out what your pets (and babies, for that matter) dream about?

Knowing her mischievous personality, and her skill for tearing through the house, up the walls, over the furniture, through every room, batting her brother and sister on the fly (like a furry hit and run runner), I bet she was dreaming of some incredible adventure that involved moths (her favorite protein source), and mini tootsie rolls (her favorite toy to steal and hide under rugs).

I'd love to hear your theories on what Megan was dreaming about. Share them on the blog!

7 Tips to Avoid a Scam Artist

2005-10-31T16:42:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been swindled by someone you hired to provide a service?
We all have. It happened to me just today.

I purchase 30 days of Google Adwords program management services from a contractor who did not, in fact COULD not, deliver what he is offering on his website. I only got taken for $300, but it’s the principle that matters.

The experience made me consider what I can learn when I’ve been taken for a ride by someone who “seems” competent. I wanted to share with you my ideas on protecting yourself from being cheated by unscrupulous players in any industry:

7 Tips to Avoid a Scam Artist
1. You get what you pay for. If someone is offering a service that is priced well below the industry standard, beware. And do your due diligence.

2. If you get a gut feeling that this person just can’t be trusted, go with it BEFORE handing over your cash. While we all want to give the benefit of the doubt, remember the power of intuition. If you decide to hire them anyway, limit your financial investment until they're disproven your intuition.

3. Be on the lookout for “scarcity mentality” behavior and words. If the person you are interviewing is constantly reminding you of all they’ve done for you without charging, trying to invoke the victim principle, run away. These types of people are trying to hide their incompetence, and will only take your money without providing what they promised when you hired them.

4. Set up a checks and balance system during their contract period so you can evaluate their work for consistency based on your projects scope. Look for belligerence and defensiveness when you call them on their shoddy work.

5. ALWAYS know just enough about the tasks you’ve given them to recognize if they’re not delivering. Never just hand over a task that you are not able to check for quality control. Keep educating yourself to reduce your risk of being ripped off.

6. Pay by credit card, and document all communications with contractor. So when it comes time to refute the charge with your credit card firm, you have clear evidence of nonfulfillment.

7. And lastly, learn from your mistakes. Every tough experience is an opportunity to learn how to do things better the next time, and a way to hone your senses to become aware of discrepancies earlier in the game the next time around.

I hope these tips help you avoid doing business with people just out to take the money and run! I TRULY believe in the universal principles of energy. You eventually get back what you put out.

So do good, honest business with an abundance mentality, and prosperity will come back to you 10-fold.

And avoid the “wolves.”
Grab the entire eBook I wrote on this at http://www.wealthpromotion.com/ScammerTips.htm

To Your Success,
Barbara

What do a bowling pin, lipstick, and a mystery novel have in common?

2005-10-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

They all made the locals at my postal service ask me:
“What is it that you DO anyway?”

I am always amazed at the creativity of people. One reader sent me his favorite Rod Stewart CD, another a Mystery Novel that I could NOT put down, and yet another sent me a collection of makeup perfect for my skin tone!
The list of the great gifts I received from you all is too long to mention here. I just want to say to you:
Mission Accomplished!

One of you addressed the package to “Countess Barbara.” So everyone at the mail service now greats me as "Countess" when I walk in, loudly, in front of other customers! I've even registered the URL CountessBarbara.com. Send me your ideas on how to monetize this concept!

One reader wrapped her secret package so convincingly, the post office made her open it for inspection before mailing it .

I want to thank you ALL for helping me stir up the rumor mill in my new town here. I promise I am using EVERY single gift that was sent to me.

I’ll write more about small-town Arizona life this weekend. I’ve got a story to tell you about my visit to a biker bar...

Hugs,
Barbara

My Secret Phone Call-Oct 4

2005-10-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

When I asked for Top Secret packages, I was expecting chocolates and cool colored pens. What I didn't expect to get was a "Top Secret phone call!"

The fellow I referred to earlier who had us all dancing up and down and doing silly things on stage in Phoenix, Mark Joyner, replied to my blog post about a secret phone call he's going to be doing exclusively for members of Simpleology.

Mark just released his new book (which I already ordered) called "The Irresistable Offer. It's all about the art of getting what you want in all areas of your life. Mark will be interviewed by Joe Vitale, one of the world's top marketers, so it's a chance to hear both of them on one call! (What I like to cal a double whammy!)

Register for the Tuesday, Oct 4 call here
http://bmdrazga.simpleology.com/

I'm practicing "Law 4" of Mark's Simpleology course right now.
Last week, I was more productive than I've been in months just by following Mark's course! (How's THAT For a testimonial?)

And yes, I am trying to entice you to go there because I know it's going to do you a lot of good.
And Mark - next time you reply to one of my blog posts read the instructions! You were supposed to send something in the *mail*. ;-)

Rememer.. NEVER stop learning and growing!
This call and Mark's course are free, so you have NOTHING to lose.
Listen in http://bmdrazga.simpleology.com/

To Your Success,
Barbara

Send me a secret package!

2005-09-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

Vickie of www.Cranialaerobics.com sent me a great idea for having some fun with the rumor mill here in little Anthem, AZ.
She recommends that I have people mail me something in a brown paper wrapper with CONFIDENTIAL / TOP SECURITY CLEARANCE ONLY stamped all over it in an official manner.

I use a local mail box service where they sort the mail by hand and a lot of locals use that service too, so word will get out as I start receiving things.

If you’re game, send me anything. Here are some ideas:
- A photo of yourself
- dark chocolate
- a fun braingame
- anything stationary-related (I love office supplies)
- a cool pen
- stickers (I’m a sticker-holic)
- a cool book
- a CD with jazz or salsa
- anything dance related
- scented candle
- broach
- crafty stuff
- anything home-made
The lumpier the package, them more attention it will get! Be creative!

If you send me something cool in this manner, I’ll gift you my “Internet Business Basic, and Beyond Workbook” in PDF format (sells for $297!). Be sure to include your name and email address in the package.

Have fun! I look forward to seeing your ideas!

Barbara Drazga
3434 W. Anthem Way
Suite 118-481
Anthem, AZ 85086

A snake named Sal, and the love of a child...

2005-09-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

I've lived in little Anthem, AZ for 6 weeks now and am learning the nuances of a small town where everyone knows everyone. So I decided to test the gossip grapevine and provide very limited information about myself, just to see how that info gets morphed through the grapevine.
Share your ideas with me on how to have some fun with this!

Upon leaving the gym one night this week, I noticed a snake hanging out in the driveway of the gym (I think he just got done on the treadmill and was taking a break). He didn't move at all, so I got to get close to him (we had a very nice "moment," I think). He had 7 stripes on his tail, alternating black and white, If you can tell me what kind of snake this is, post it on the blog and I'll send you a little gift. Oh, and I named him Sal. Maybe he'll be running the 5k race with me on the golf course next weekend. I'll let you know who wins.

Some of you know about my adorable niece Amanda. She lives in Denver and when I'm there we go shopping, movie-going, and generally doing "girl stuff" together. I learned last week from her mom that she had a homework assignment where she had to write a report on a favorite family member. Guess who she chose? That's right... ME! Is that cool or what? I'll tell you, no money in the world could buy the feeling I had when I heard the news. Of course, the fact that I ply her with Coldstone Creamery ice-cream when we're together has nothing to do with it, I'm sure ;-)

Last week, I attended the Internet Marketing Main event in Phoenix and met the keynote speaker Mark Joyner, who developed a technology called "Simpleology" which is a set of "laws" for personal and financial success. He used loads of cool exercises (you know how I like interactivity!). One of the cool ideas I learned from Mark was how we can easily identify our blind spots and replace them with behaviors that encourage growth and change.

So I signed up for his Simpleology 101 course this past week and am blown away by the content he provides. It's a 37 day course that you do for 15 minutes a day. And the best thing is, his course is FREE! Go sign up now at http://bmdrazga.simpleology.com/
Tell me what you think as you work through it.

To your success and happiness,
Barbara

Why do they call them road runners?

2005-08-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

My first day in Arizona involved driving a 15 ft truck laden with my earthly belongings head first into a monsoon. Apparently August is “monsoon season” in Phoenix, (a fact that no one bothered to mention to me before I decided to move there.) A monsoon is a collection of strong dust storms, incredible lightning shows, and blinding rain. Beautiful to watch from a distance, but terrifying to drive into, which is exactly what I did driving the last stretch of road an hour from my new home. After driving white knuckled, with rain pouring in the poorly-sealed driver’s window, I exited the highway and looked back at the storm I’d just passed through to witness a double rainbow. It almost made it worth experiencing it! It occurred to me (always one to find a lesson or two in the worst situations), that the monsoon/rainbow experience is a metaphor for life. Hear me out…

Life is peppered with stormy times, where we can’t even imagine what the sun looks like anymore. When we finally come through, and we eventually do, there’s a rainbow or two waiting for us on the other side to make us feel like the storm was worth it. Also, the storm brings life-giving rain from which beautiful things bloom and flower. Without the storm, life would be dull and dusty.

So let me get back to tarantulas and road runners for a second. Apparently Arizona’s desert has an incredible array of wildlife I was unfamiliar with. For instance, I discovered this week why we are supposed to love tarantulas: because there are worse creepy-crawlies… and tarantulas eat them. After two weeks of crickets in my house, I learned that it’s best to get my house sprayed to get rid of them. It’s not just that they are darned annoying (but a GREAT protein source for my cats), but they are a food source for (shudder involuntarily when you read this)… scorpions. Remember the children’s song “There was an old woman who swallowed a fly, I don’t know why she swallowed a fly, I guess she’ll die” (Jeez, the morbid things we sing to our kids!). Well, it’s all about a food chain, and in AZ the scorpions eat the crickets. Guess what eats the scorpions? You guessed it: tarantulas. I toyed with the idea of getting a few pet tarantulas, but I imagined the cats eating them, or me stepping on one in the middle of the night ::eeewwww::. So instead, I’ll be having my house hermetically sealed. I’ll be the girl in the bubble. (Hey, with a computer and Internet, and a good stock of Riesling wine, dark chocolate, and Fred Astaire movies, who needs to go anywhere?) I actually met a tarantula up against a house a few weeks back (I named him “Bob”. I don’t know why, he just looked like a “Bob”).

Now on to road runners. We’ve all seen the cartoon with a large ostrich-looking bird thing that can’t fly and says “beep beep” (I DARE you to make that noise out loud right now!). Well, a road runner is actually the size of a large pigeon with a goofy orange feather curled over his forehead. And, get this… he actually runs across the road. I’ve even seen them look both ways for traffic before sprinting across! I asked someone if they can fly and was told… “Well of course. They just prefer to run!” Of course, they don’t rack up many frequent flyer miles that way and must go through jogging shoes like mad! So there’s a new twist on the old joke about the proverbial chicken and it goes like this:

“Why did the road runner cross the road?”
Post your wpuch line to this universal question on my blog and I’ll pick the one that makes me laugh until milk squirts out of my nose. I’ll email the winner something cool.

Ok, dear friends, enough for now. I just finished up a 34 hour marathon west coast swing dance weekend and need some beauty rest. If you want to see a foto of me and my beautiful niece, I’ve added it to the right.
Till next time,
Barbara

How to tell if your cat is "stoned"…

2005-07-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

Well, this weekend I made the 15 hour trip from Denver to Phoenix to take the cats and my car down. I fly back in a few days to collect my belongings in a truck for a leisurely 3 day drive to Arizona to visit the sites, take lots of pictures, and reflect on my old life, and new adventure.

The first 4 hours of the drive were noisy, as the cats loudly declared their unhappiness at being stuffed into separate carriers and sequestered in a hot car. I did have the windows tinted before making the trip, naturally, and even gave them each a dose of kitty tranquilizers before starting the adventure. The vet told me that when their inner eyelids partially close, I'll know they are "relaxed." "They'll feel like you do after having a big turkey dinner," he explained.

Now for those of you who don't know my little bundles of fur, Michelle is a 15 year old skittish Russian blue with a sweet heart. Scooter is a 16 lb 15 yr old male who's sole purpose in life is to kiss and cuddle with as many people as he can (kinda like an Italian!). Megan, the baby, is a 3-year old angel. Being a calico, she is especially vocal.

The girls did alright on the trip, but Scooter - my sweet, cuddly Garfield cat, metomorphed into a vicious psycho cat from Hades. In 15 years, and several moves that included an overseas jaunt, this big ole' lover suddenly turned into a spitting, hissing, scrappy drugged up psycho demon with glowing red eyes. (Ok, his eyes didn't glow, but they certainly looked weird with that inner eyelid half shut - ewe!). I've NEVER gotten that way after a turkey dinner… except when they make me do the dishes.

It wasn't until the "kitty downer" wore off that my sweet boy reappeared to kiss my nose and cuddle with me in the hotel we stopped at after 12 hours of driving. This complete change in personality gave me food for thought (hey, it was a long trip!). Was the sweet cat his true nature, or did the drugs bring out his true secret character, the vicious hell-kitty? I did not give him sedative the 2nd day just to gauge his reaction. He reverted to his "normal" sweet self the rest of the trip. While I have my darling Scooter back now, I will likely be cautious for a while when he asks for a tummy rub… hey you never know…:-).

Ok, enough of the drugged cats… now onto the important stuff. As I started my drive, I passed a billboard with a saying that hit home for this adventure. Now grant it, since this decision to move began 6 weeks, I've liquidated almost 70% of my belongings, having had to sort through everything. This gave me plenty of opportunity for reflection and introspection as I evaluated the pieces of my life. I decided that a full housecleaning both literally and figuratively was in order at this point in my life.

The billboard read simply: "Plant Yourself in Richer Soil."
I have no recollection as to the purpose of the message, but it certainly hit home for me metaphorically. I am moving to Phoenix to plant myself in richer soil. Isn't that something we all could do from time to time? We attend events where we're surrounded by intelligent, stimulating people and new ideas, meet new and exciting colleagues, entrepreneuers, move… plant yourself in richer soil.

To pass the time I listened to audio books the entire way down. I discovered that the sound of a male voice speaking for hours is quite calming for the cats! And, I now have the most enlightened and multilingual cats on the planet, having learned some Italian phrases, and listened to two wonderful books! My cats now know how to ask for directions to the post office should they ever get lost in Italy.

I am undergoing a transformation with this move. The beauty of moving to a place where you know nobody is that you can basically reinvent yourself! You can create new habits in your new environment, and be anyone you have wanted to become, because no one knows who you are anyway! That said, I listened to the Celestine Prophecy, and the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People… twice. Steven Covey is amazing. I highly recommend this book to read at least once a year. You get something new from it every time!

(Hey, I have to drive my belongings down next weekend so I need more audiobooks! If you have any book recommendations, please email me or post them here!!) barbara@wealthpromotion.com

I want to share one thought with you that I heard on Covey's audio book. It's a quote from T.S. Elliott.
"We must not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to KNOW that place for the very first time."

This saying can apply to business, relationships, and our internal lives. I see this as the ultimate in self-exploration; rediscovering ourselves over and over and learning each time we do it, the person who we’ve become through the process.

And no, I haven’t taken any of the kitty drugs. ;-)

Hugs,
Barbara

p.s. I've finished my Tuscan kitchen! See it here! www.rainbowproperty.net/AZhome.htm

p.p.s. I'm considering producing the "Wild Web Workshop" and a "Real Estate Investing Summit" here in Phoenix. Email me with your input! Barbara@wealthpromotion.com

The Art of Moving Home and Business

2005-06-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

One of my readers suggested that “someone” write tips on how to move a home and business. Not one to back down from a challenge, I took the bait.

I’m not sure if I’m doing the move from Denver to Arizona, “right,” but I’ll share the tips I’m using to make it a smooth process.

On the flight home from Arizona, a few days after signing an offer on my new home, I wrote a project plan that included three Stages:

Stage 1 involves sorting through my life belongings, and either a) discard, or b) give to Goodwill. What remains, gets packed to move.

I chose to sell almost all of my furniture, except the antiques, and rent my townhome.

Stage 2 involves moving everything that is packed or going to Arizona in a rented storage unit, to free the house up for cleaning and selling furniture in a house sale.

I’ve put up a website listing what I’m selling, and have listed a lot on eBay (www.rainbowproperty.net/movingsale.htm)

Stage 3 involved cleaning and selling and renting, then calling a moving company to pick up the contents of storage and cart them to Arizona.

An added challenge is the existance of 3 cats, and running 3 businesses.

(If you have ideas on how to rent a 3 BR townhome in Aurora, CO, please send me your tips to info@rainbowproperty.net).

So I put the businesses into maintenance mode, hired a few people to handle orders, and put expansion plans on hold for 60 days until the move is done. As for the cats, well Megan keeps filing herself in the file boxes, Scooter set himself aflame on a candle that was used to freshen the air, and Michelle, well, she’s pretty much cowering under the bed until the whole process is done (or until I pack the bed!).

I can’t *wait* for the 14 hour drive to Arizona with three yowling cats in tow!

I packed everything in the kitchen, eat off of paper plates, and gave away all the food to my local church, and eat out. I’ve also packed my entire office, except for the neccesary office supplies.

Then, I placed an ad on Craigslist.org for moving and packing help, and hired two people, both with large cars, to help pack and move everything to storage.

I’ve kept two small boxes for last-minute packing to put in car.

There is a packing SYSTEM, naturally. Everything is photographed, then packed for shipping, labels applied, inventoried, then stacked carefully. All furniture is placed on left-hand side of storage unit so movers can load it into truck first. The lables are printed with the ROOM NAME first (so the movers know where to put it), then a number (ie: Den-1, Den 2, etc.). Beneath that, a brief description of the contents (office supplies, books, education, files).

I print “FRAGILE” stickers on flourescent stickers for the breakable boxes, wrap all furniture in buddle wrap, cardboard, and shrink wrap to hold it all together. The boxes to be opened first, I’ve used a pink highlighter to color the packing label. The photos and inventory list go to my insurance agent who wrote my home owner policy.

I am tackling the move as I tackle a business challenge or project: I created a plan, developed systems, and hired people.

If you have any input on making a move painless, leave your comments!

"I'm moving to Arizona!"

2005-06-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

I‘ve been saying these words to friends and family for just two weeks now. At first, I was confused by the two most common questions I received immediately upon stating that I was moving:

“Are you moving there for a job?”
“Did you meet a guy who lives there?”

It occurred to me after fielding these questions multiple times, that the people who asked them really didn’t know me at all.

They simply gave me blank stares and nodded politely when I told them that I am moving for neither of those reasons.

Society expects that these are the two main reasons for someone to move to anywhere, I suppose.

As an independent, adventurous entrepreneur, it didn’t even occur to me to a) move because I’m dating someone (he can come to me, too, ya know), OR b) move for ANY job. My businesses come with me. That’s one of the incredible perks of creating a business structure that can be run from anywhere in the world: freedom to go where you want, when you want.

I now accept these questions with a certain amount of amusement, and recognize that this is the “normal” mindset. But as my CLOSE friends, colleagues, and students will attest to, I am anything BUT normal!

For the record, I am moving for several reasons:

I’m sick of snow
Extreme heat a few months of the year, is the lesser of two evils: snow and heat
Phoenix contains a huge entrepreneurial sub culture
I LOVE the house I’m having built, and the community in which it rests
Moving can be a very cleansing experience as you sort through, discard, and pack your LIFE
I just feel like a change after 8 years in Denver

So if you live in or near Phoenix, AND you can relate to my reasons for moving, pop me an email. I should be up there end of July.

You can see photos of the new digs at www.rainbowproperty.net/AZhome.htm

Back to packing!!!

Corey Rudl-1970-2005

2005-06-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

I learned through a friend and colleague in the Internet Marketing community today that one of the industry's leaders died in a car crash yesterday.

Corey Rudl, just 34 years old, was brilliant young man who made life-changing contributions to our industry. After I heard the news, I called and emailed some mutual friends to ask them about their experiences with Corey... how they met, and how he enhanced their lives.
The consensus was that Corey left this world LIVING it to the fullest. He encouraged all of his friends and students to live life with passion and enthusiasm, which he did till the end.

Some of my friends share their thoughts...

Perry Marshall, the Google Ad Words guru says:
"I learned a lot from his email newsletter, and many practices he pioneered are standard today. He was one of the very first people on the planet to build an affiliate program, and he was the first to apply many offline DM methods to online marketing."

John Alanis of WomenApproachYou.com added:
"He was one of the very few people who I can say I have the utmost respect for-- he was a good man."

Michael Murdock, DocMurdock.com
"The man did some amazing things with our internet and taught so many of us marketing tips and tricks that helped propel our businesses skyward on the Internet. His muse will be truly missed."

Heidi Richards, Founder & CEO, WECAI.org
"I am sending a card on behalf of my entire board of advisors.
Wishing you all the best… and then some."

I received many other stories about how Corey helped people build their businesses, how private a man he was, and how he responded quickly and openly to people who asked his advise.

I heard a song this afternoon, not long after I got the news that I think is befitting of this event. It's a country song "Live Like You Were Dying" that tells a story of a man diagnosed with a fatal disease and the doctor recommends for him to live the remainder of his life with passion, love, and daring in every act.

The man spends his next days skydiving, Rocky Mountain Climbing, riding mechanical bull, and watching an eagle fly, forgiving old hurts, and loving everyone and everything deeper. I submit that Corey did just that, not knowing of his fate. A lesson I believe we can all learn from.

Corey was married just last year. I send my sincerest wishes and prayers to his family and staff, and all those who loved him.