Amazing Women Magazine April 2015

Amazing Amazin

a publication of Raven International Media

wo omen

magazine

BUSINESS

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EMPOWERMENT

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LIFESTYLE

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ENTERTAINMENT

An Interview with LEGENDARY Talk Show Host MONTEL Williams

Out of

AFRICA Rev. Basia Christ, Ph.D.

Raven Blair Glover

10 Ways to Get MORE Out of Life Terri Terri Levine Levine

GoodHEARTED Customer SERVICE Christina Christina L. L. Suter Suter

APRIL 2015 VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3

Click https://sites.google.com/site/awopsite to download

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Letter from the Publisher Manifest Your Dream for Business and Life with a Vision Board Want to know a secret? Goal setting and creating big changes in your life and business does not have to involve some boring corporate-like list of measurable and deadlines.

In fact, for many creative entrepreneurs, that’s the thing which makes us feel stiff and anxious. We look at the list and we’re instantly overwhelmed with the enormity of it, so we file it away for “later.” And we all know when “later” is - it’s never.

However, that’s how we were taught to approach goal setting.

We’ve all heard the expression “A goal without a deadline is just a dream.” But sometimes dreaming is what we need to see a clear path to our destination. And that’s what vision boards are for - Dreaming.

Rather than a bland calendar or spreadsheet with dates and impressive sounding goals on them, vision boards give you the creativity to let your dreams grow. Which is more inspiring?

Raven Blair GLOVER Publisher Powered by Raven International Media Producer and Founder of Amazing Women of Power, positive programming radio network Subscribe NOW by clicking on the link below to receive your next issue FREE: http://amazingwomenofpower.com/radio/ magazine Check out my new Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ Rock-Your-Interview-Talk/520206921454059

Most goal-setting programs focus on the outcome - the result you want. While that’s perfect for a business plan, it’s not the best way to keep you inspired and motivated.

Vision Boards are not some airy-fairy make-believe, either. We’ve known for decades daydreams have power and purposeful visualization is the key to greater success in every area of life.

Top athletes practice endlessly, not only on the field, but also in their minds. They see that perfect shot, winning race, or stunning back flip. They concentrate on the minute movements which make it possible, how their muscles will react every second, and how they will feel at the end of a stellar performance. Visualization creates neural pathways which are virtually indistinguishable from those caused by completing the act itself.

You deserve to have it all ...so don't wait to be great! Create your Vision Board today and manifest your dreams for your life and business.

I would love to see what you create. If you want to share, email it to ravenbdavis@gmail.com with your contact number and receive a free 30-second commercial for your business...how cool is that!

Raven April 2015 Amazing Women

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Do you have a business you’d like to take to the next level?

Do you have a career you’d like to take to the next level?

Do you have an idea you’d like to bring to market?

CEO Space is in its third decade as the ultimate Business Growth Conference - Dine with CEOs and experts: shrinks time to achieve your goals - Create or refine business plans: some of the top minds in the country working with you - Accelerated, hands-on business training: advanced, next generation training technology “I guarantee your satisfaction with CEO Space, something I have never done with any other program . . . just DO IT.” – Jack Canfield, co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul

“I raised 14-million dollars through CEO Space, and it’s still coming in. I was a third grade teacher when I enrolled.” – Chris Salter, Chairman of Piano Wizard

- Revolutionary team-building skills: cooperation culture replaces older competitive systems - High level business coaching: thirty-hours of meal meetings with deal-making speeds up results - Develop better strategic plans: Fortune expert trainers help you evolve essential upgraded designs

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“The program is absolutely amazing; a week of some of the most high-end interactions, networking, capital raising you could ever have to grow your business to the next level.

It is absolutely worth your time and effort to be here. Put yourself in an environment where you are going to find the best of the best.”

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Super Teaching technology at CEO Space allows learning with higher levels of retention.

We are seeking entrepreneurs who want to bridge the gap between where they are in business and where they want to be - really fast! Who do you know?

Make an appointment for a free business strategy consultation

http://ceospaceamerica.com/raven ceospaceamerica.com/raven

APRIL 2015

Amazing women BUSINESS

LIFESTYLE

Join the Conversation in Your Prospect's Head................. 6

A Day of Self-Love - Loving Yourself with

by Sheryl Wolowyk

Compassion and Kindness ....................................................36

3 Keys to Crafting an Amazing Elevator Pitch................10

by Michele PW Treat Your Customers Like Real People...........................12

by Regina Baker 0 to 200 Leads in 23 Days Using Facebook Ads...........15

by Kristen Robinson 2 Article Templates with Examples: They'll Help You Write More Articles....................................................................18

by Maima Jones Good-hearted Customer Service....................................24

by Christina L. Suter

by Charmaine Smith Will You Age Gracefully or Fight It Until the End?.........40

by Mary Smith-Moore How to Use Spring Cleaning to Lose Weight..................42

by Kim Acedo, MS, CHWC Out of Africa.......................................................................... 44

by Rev. Basia Christ, Ph.D.

ENTERTAINMENT An Interview with Legendary Talk Show Host Montel Williams............................................................................52

by Raven Blair Glover EMPOWERMENT Is the Past in the Past?........................................................... 26

by L. J. Jackson

AMAZING MEN Put Some Skin in the Game..............................................61

The Purpose of Gratitude................................................27

by Ced Reynolds

by Lorena Douglas

You Can't Do It All!...........................................................63

My, How You've Grown....................................................28

by Andrew Angle

by Boni Oian Trouble Doesn't Ever Come at a Convenient Time..........30

ON THE COVER

Dr. Renee Hornbuckle

Rev. Basia Christ, Ph.D. with 4-year-old cheetahs, Faith and Eden

Up is About Hope.............................................................31

by Roberta Harris 10 Ways to Get More Out of Your Life......................32

MAGAZINE STAFF

by Terri Levine

Published by Raven Blair Glover, Raven International Media Productions

Shine Your Light................................................................34

by Tracey Doctor

Editor-in-Chief, Creative Director Rev. Basia Christ, Ph.D. April 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS

oin the Conversation in Your Prospect's Head

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s an Expertpreneur®, you understand the importance of knowing your target market inside and out. You know where your Ideal Clients hang out, their hopes, dreams, fears, problems and frustrations, as well as how best to reach them and help transform their lives.

Because you have done your research.

Now, with the advent of social media, the new wave of marketing gurus encourage us to “join in our prospect's conversation.” Get in the trenches, and meet them on their level. Speak to them in their words.

However, contrary to what you might believe, this concept was introduced way back in the 1930's. Long before computers were even invented. (To be honest, almost every 6

Amazing Women April 2015

By Sheryl Wolowyk

good marketing concept you hear “gurus” pass off as their own has a foundation in the early days of Direct Response Marketing.)

Anyway, joining the conversation in your prospect's head is an age old Direct Marketing strategy introduced by Robert Collier in his book The Robert Collier Letter Book.

It's a powerful way to guarantee you reach your prospects and get them to listen to what you have to say. Ultimately earning you more sales.

That's why today I'm sharing with you the foundation of this powerful marketing technique, and how you can implement that in your business.

You'll find out about Robert Collier and his incredible legacy...

The secrets to this marketing technique you must know before implementing it...

And tactics to tackle challenges like your prospect's “sophistication”...

of these philosophies, made popular in the book called The Secret. In doing so, he became a big proponent of abundance, visualization, and becoming the best you can be.

He developed many books and courses on the topic, teaching people how to transform their lives for the better (much like you do!). Within six months after his publishing his first book set, he received over one million dollars in orders. All due to his incredible and focused sales copy.

Collier is considered one of the greatest marketing minds of our time. And his most famous book among marketers, The Robert Collier Letter Book, is a true gem. In fact, for a long time it was out of print, and you couldn't find a print copy for less than $1000.

What His Success Can Teach You

The Early Days of Direct Response Marketing It's fascinating to think that a method of marketing has been in use for over 100 years.

Truly, Direct Response has been a large source of businesses' success since the late 1800s. In fact, many of the techniques we use today are largely unchanged from what worked then. Any shift in the industry has primarily been due to new means of communications.

Robert Collier was born in 1885, and was on course at a young age to become a priest. However, before taking his vows, he decided to move away from home to seek fortune.

After an 8-year stint in West Virginia working as a mining engineer, he moved to NYC where he joined the advertising department of the P.F. Collier Publishing Company. There he developed his skills in writing sales copy and created incredibly successful letters selling thousands of products. http://exper televation.com/newsletter/june-2014coaches-corner-if-youre-not-direct-response-youre-notmarketing Eventually, after suffering through and recovering from a serious illness, he started to research New Thought metaphysics and ideas around success being possible when you envision it. You’ve probably been exposed to some

Any good copywriter will tell you that understanding the “conversation” your prospects are having in their own heads is vital to the success of your marketing.

Imagine if you were having a deep chat with a friend when all of a sudden a salesman loudly interrupts you trying to sell you a book. You probably wouldn't be too thrilled with that, right?

That's exactly how your prospects will feel if your communications don’t relate to their needs or their hopes and aspirations. Your marketing must take into consideration what is on their mind.

That's not to say you need supernatural powers to understand what they're thinking about exactly at any given moment. You just need to understand their overall deepest fears, problems, frustrations, hopes and dreams.

So you can tap into those feelings right away with your marketing communications, and compel them to listen to you.

Basically, you have to put yourself in their shoes. If you were your Ideal Client, what would you want to read about? What would make you want to read more? What is the conversation going on in your head?

I've written a blog series about A.I.D.A. (Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action http://expertelevation.com/howto-get-in-front-of-your-target-market-attention), the April 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS fundamental formula for good copywriting. Successfully getting your prospect's attention requires you to immediately tap into what they are thinking. What is nagging them in the back of their minds. What they are thinking to themselves as they read your sales copy.

If you are a personal finance coach, you might say, “you may be thinking that you want to wait. That you'll have time tomorrow, next week, or next year to get out of debt. You just have to get through this wedding, or that vacation, or this family affair.

Do it effectively, and you'll be well on your way to making the sale. Ignore it, and they will ignore your communications.

Well, I want you to know that if you wait... tomorrow will never come. There will always be something in the way.

An excuse not to turn your life around. You'll always carry around a burden, wondering when it will ever go away.

Even worse, you'll be paying more and more in interest each and every month. Digging a hole so deep, you don't know if you'll ever get out.

But if you let me help you right now you will finally lose that heavy burden on your shoulders. You'll be free from the shackles of debt and the fear and worry for your family.

You'll finally be able to live the life you've dreamed of.”

Attacking it head on like that effectively addresses the issue, while keeping your prospect engaged in how you can help them.

Specific Ways to Implement This Part of joining their conversation in their head is considering how “sophisticated” your prospect is. Sophistication is essentially the amount of exposure they've had to marketing and messaging from companies like yours.

If they are consistently bombarded with big claims in your industry (a plague in the health and wellness niche), you should avoid doing the same. Approach your prospect in a personal way, showing you understand their deeper needs.

Prove you can get them to where they want to be.

Another huge element to consider is what they are thinking while they are reading your sales letter. “Is this even doable? Can I be successful with this? Why can't I wait until tomorrow?” It's up to you to strategically counter these questions through your sales materials with social proof, demonstrations, etc...

For example, as your prospect gets close to the end of your letter, they will probably become anxious. In order to counter those feelings, you would have to address head on the danger of putting things on hold.

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Amazing Women April 2015

Another side of this coin is addressing issues before your prospect can think of them. Perhaps they've seen a lot of products like yours. Or there's an obvious misgiving with your product – perhaps it's expensive, lengthy, or a huge time commitment.

To address this potential problem, you'd want to bring up the objection right away and deal with it. Lay everything right out on the table and explain why it’s not as big an issue as not taking action to solve their problem, with of course, your solution.

Raising objections will be disarming because it will be unexpected. People aren’t used to having objections raised for them, so you will build trust and when you give solid rational as to why it's still a good idea to go ahead. They will be open to the idea of making the purchase. They can't help but listen to what you have to say because you’ve overcome all their objections.

Converse Your Way to Success While social media has opened a world of possibilities for communications, you shouldn't allow yourself to be solely swept up with what's “new and trendy” in marketing.

Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms are valid means of marketing your business. However, standard direct response

marketing is still the best option for you to experience the success you dream of. You'll spend less money, get better results, and earn more in the process.

Plus, you'll know exactly what works and what doesn't.

“Joining the conversation in your prospect's head” is just one of many direct response elements you can incorporate into your marketing. So, in the interest of embracing the old along with the new, try following what your Ideal Clients are saying on social media, and then utilize that intelligence to make an effective sales page for an info product, to use it in a webinar, or incorporate it in a sales presentation from stage. When you speak about what your Ideal Clients are already thinking, they will feel that you understand them better than any of your competitors, and in some cases better than they understand themselves.

You will be amazed by the results. And if you are really fascinated by the Direct Response Marketing world, I highly recommend you give The Robert Collier Letter Book a read.

It is fantastic (and now it's available at a very reasonable price on Amazon.com).

Sheryl Wolowyk is Founder of Expert Elevation a business coaching and entrepreneur training company for “expertpreneurs® who make a living sharing their knowledge and expertise. Sheryl shows “expertpreneurs® how to grow a lucrative business and influential brand with her income acceleration system and “expertpreneur®” roadmap. She provides online programs, live events, coaching and VIP days to help clients develop an effective business strategy and utilize simple but powerful marketing and sales techniques to attract a steady stream of ideal clients, so they can live the life of their dreams while making a big difference in the lives of their clients. www.expertelevation.com; Sheryl Wolowyk - http://expertelevation.com/about; sheryl@ expertelevation.com

www.NetworkLeads.com April 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS

Keys to Crafting an Amazing Elevator Pitch

"So what do you do?"

Are those the words that haunt your nightmares? Cause you to flee in terror at networking events?

If so, you're not alone. Lots and lots of entrepreneurs struggle with the "what-do-you-do-in-30-seconds-or-less" statement. That's why today I thought I'd give you 3 keys to creating an elevator pitch that rocks.

1. Just like not knowing what to say when you introduce yourself keeps you up at night, your elevator pitch should touch on what's keeping your ideal clients up at night. This can either be obvious (i.e. I coach mompreneurs who are constantly feeling torn between their business and their family) or implied in the solution (i.e. I coach mompreneurs on how they can easily balance being a mom with being an entrepreneur and feel great doing it).

Your ideal clients are searching for a solution to what's keeping them up at night, so you want to make it clear YOU are the one who has the solution -- otherwise you run the risk of seeing their eyes glaze over as they nod their head and move to the next person.

2. Make it about them. In other words, make sure you touch on the transformation they'll get working with you. Like the above example -- I coach mompreneurs on how they can easily balance being a mom with being an entrepreneur and feel great doing it -- you want to focus on the "hope" or what their life could be like after working with you. That's what will make their eyes light up and inspire them to ask more questions.

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Now, note I said "focus on the transformation" NOT "focus on your system." So do NOT say "I have a great home study course for mompreneurs where I teach them my 7-step system on how to balance their life and business." And then launch into describing the system.

Your ideal clients don't care about your system -- they care about getting the results they want. So talking about your system is the fastest way to have them edging toward the bar for another drink.

Amazing Women April 2015

By Michele PW 3. Use action verbs. In other words, avoid "I have" or "I am" but instead say "I teach," "I consult" or "I coach." If you are a coach, I like saying "I coach" because then people also realize you're a coach without you saying you're a coach.

I know sometimes when I've gotten lost in entrepreneurs' elevator pitches, I'll resort to asking them "So are you a coach? Do you coach them on X?" Because that grounds it for me and gives me some context. When you either get too clever or try and disguise what you do, it can be confusing. (And the last thing you want to be is confusing to your ideal clients.)

Above all, don't be afraid of testing different elevator pitches to see which one "sticks." The only way you're going to really know or don't know what works is to let the market tell you (i.e. actually say it to your ideal prospects and see what sort of response you get). So don't feel bad if your first few tries don't get the desired response -- it's all about testing and tweaking until you get the desired response.

Michele PW (Pariza Wacek), Your KaChing Marketing Strategist, is the best-selling author of “Love-Based Copywriting" and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a premiere direct response copywriting and marketing company that helps entrepreneurs attract more clients, sell more products and services and boost their business.

To grab your FREE Love-Based Biz Kit visit www.MichelePW.com.

Link to get free copy of Loved Base copy writing book http://lovebasedcopywritingbook.com/ template

www.PrepareToLaunchChecklist.com April 2015 Amazing Women 11

BUSINESS

T

reat Your Customers Like Real People

By Regina Baker

and appreciating your customers. This involves more than just a quick hand shake and saying “thanks”. It means working on learning more about your customers, and then looking for ways to provide them with their needs. What it all boils down to is showing them that you care, isn’t this true of any relationship?

Any customer is looking for you to provide them with value and some form of benefit. Why should they purchase from you and what do they get in return if they do?

Start thinking about how you can add value for your customers. Could you add a newsletter each month? Could you offer coupons and special deals for them, just for being a loyal customer?

D

o you understand what relationship marketing is? It’s more than just trying to develop repeat customers and bringing in more money. It is about the way you actually treat your customers.  Do you view your customers like the real people they

truly are?  Or do you just consider them to be a sales statistic?

The worst mistake any business owner can make is to look at their customers as an item in their accounts ledger. If you do this, you will never be able to form good customer relations with them.

Instead you need to change your mindset and start treating your customers like real people. Think about how you would like to be treated by your favorite business, and then take steps to put this into action in your company.

An easy way to start relationship marketing is by thanking 12

Amazing Women April 2015

Relationship marketing is another marketing method, with a twist, it adds the human element to it. You need to communicate and interact with your customers. You cannot afford to hide behind your website or in the back office.

Being a good business owner entails putting your best foot forward and showing your face. You have a company that you are proud of, so show it off!

With so many businesses online you can’t afford to be left behind. Make use of mobile devices, social media pages, email marketing, Skype, forums., and more.

Try to include as many as possible in your business practices.

Or at least test the waters so see which ones “work best” for you.

Using email is a fantastic way to build a relationship with your customers. It is so easy to send out a quick thank you note, or to send out a birthday or Christmas card. It is the small things you do that really count with your customers.

You enjoy it when people show you that extra appreciation

and kindness, don’t you? So why not treat your customers in the same way?

Developing Relationships with Your Customers Not sure where to start when it comes to working on relationship marketing in your business? Then use the following points to guide you.

Who is Your Customer?

Do you really know who your customers are? Can you write a summary of a typical customer, what they like, where they live, their income and age? If not then this is your first step.

You should also find out what other places they like to visit when online. Do they visit certain forums or are they all members of a certain group? When you discover where they hang out, get into the habit of visiting the same places.

This will provide you with even more valuable insights into who your customer truly is.

It Takes Work I am sure you thank your customer for making a purchase, but do you go any further than this? Do you follow up with your customers or offer them any advice or information on using your products?

Unfortunately too many business owners overlook this step.

Instead of trying to build customer loyalty, they are always looking for new customers. If you want your business to grow and thrive, then it is crucial that you work on developing a relationship with your customers.

It is much easier to get a current customer to buy another product or service, than to constantly keep looking for new ones. If you don’t have many repeat customers then take a look at your business model.  Did you take the time to build a database or mailing

list?  Do you ever offer your customer’s related products and

tools that complement their original purchase?

If not you really are leaving money on the table.

You can improve this area of your business by offering great customer service and by following up with your buyers.

Knowing Your Own Products Are you confident that you know your products well enough

to answer any questions that may come your way? If not, then you are lacking in relationship marketing.

Relationship marketing is all about developing a good line of communication with your customers. One of which is knowing everything you can about your product. In addition, this helps build trust and respect with your customers. If they can see that you know what you are talking about, it will be easier for them to buy from you.

A satisfied customer is only too happy to keep buying from you. They know they can trust your opinions and judgment and they know you are looking after their interests. If you can continually deepen this relationship you will have customers for life.

The Key to Customer Retention Customer Retention means that your goal is to keep your customer’s loyal to you for as long as possible.

Customer retention is a two way street, it involves you as the business owner, and your customer. The business owner needs to demonstrate to the customer that they are worthy of their business. This is done by building a solid relationship.

When you display this correctly the customer responds by remaining loyal and buying your products or services.

So what is the key to customer retention? To do this effectively you need to set up a solid customer relationship marketing structure in your business that will include more than just a basic marketing plan. You are really going to focus on the customer and their wants and desires. Instead of relying on flyers and other traditional marketing methods you want to get your customers to really know, like and trust you.

What this means is that you need to have open lines of communication available with your customers. This can be done in a variety of ways including via your customer service or help desk and by being active on your social media pages. In scheduling regular emails to your customers. These emails allow you to stay in touch, offer tips and advice and keep everyone informed on upcoming sales and new products.

Collecting feedback from your customers is key and it provides you with more information than doing general market research. What better feedback can you ask for than that of your current customers?

April 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS Current feedback allows you to see how your company is viewed in real time, not 6 months later. Plus it provides you with the opportunity to launch creative campaigns targeted at your findings. By allowing your customers to tell you what they need and want, you can cater their every need.

In the April 2014 survey, Netcraft received responses from 958,919,789 ACTIVE websites online. An increase of 242,097,742 from 2013. Online since 1996, Award Winning Internet Marketing Consultant, Author, Speaker and Trainer, Regina Baker understands the power of the Internet and how entrepreneurs are striving to making their mark in "cyberspace."

Baker says, "Becoming an entrepreneur and making money are two separate things. When she got online, she didn’t make money right away because she didn’t know how. She did however, research like a mad Woman, learning everything she could, buying product after product, some to her amazement and much of it to her disappointment. She believes the process of a journey including

mistakes is what makes us better, stronger and wiser to achieve the goals we set out to obtain.”

After research, applying proven principles, networking, and learning how to pursue goals in spite of the learning curve challenges, Regina now helps entrepreneurs understand how to better position themselves online by creating strategic internet marketing plans, affiliate programs and affiliate marketing resulting in increased visibility, credibility, and profitability creating buzz on and offline. She was one of the 25 Outstanding Women Who Inspire 2014 by Hope For Women Magazine, named the Leading Business Woman of the Year by The Women Business Owners Organization, one of the Top 50 Fabulous Women Entrepreneurs by Black Business Women Online, 50 and Fabulous Top Bloggers Named by Boomer Diva Nation, and one of the 2011 Social Media Superstars – Blacks in Technology.

www.facebook.com/reginabaker www.twitter.com/reginabaker www.linkedin.com/in/reginabaker https://plus.google.com/u/0/ ReginaBaker www.reginabaker.com

http://redcarpetinterviewsecrets.com/icon

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Amazing Women April 2015

0 to 200 Leads in 23 Days Using Facebook Ads

By Kristen Robinson “Hi, I’m Kristen Robinson, the Social Media Ambassador of KR Design. KR Design is a social media marketing company dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and business professionals achieve social media success.”

That’s how I would introduce myself at networking events until October 2014. The truth is, I had spent the last 4 years attracting entrepreneurs and business professionals for my business. When KR Design first started in 2010, we were a marketing agency.

In September 2012, I wanted to change direction. I was getting tired of doing websites, logos, and promotional products and I loved social media. So, we scaled down our services to offer only social media marketing. It was the best decision I ever made for my business and I never looked back. I was awarded the NAPW Executive Woman of the Year in 2012 and I had over 25 speaking engagements in Hawaii the following year. KR Design was growing with clients and we were a local household name.

In November 2013, I was approached by a military spouse who wanted to start her own business. We had known each other for a while and she knew my reputation as a military spouse and social media marketer. She had seen the success I had in my business online with social media and success offline with various speaking engagements in the community. I decided to mentor her since I was a fellow military spouse and was flattered that she came to me for help. Fast forward 6 months later, and she was doing amazing things in her business. This caused me to look for other military spouses to mentor and help them start their businesses.

In 2014, it was evident that I was going to change directions in my business again. I was in love with helping military spouses start online businesses that allowed them to work from home doing what they loved! That year, I mentored several military spouses on how to become entrepreneurs and how to avoid the pitfalls I had made in my business.

I felt like I was on the brink of something exciting and

great! I decided to move forward in this new direction and host "The Military Spouse Business Summit", a virtual 4-day event, to see if there was any interest from military spouses who wanted to start a business.

As I was planning the event, a dark cloud came over me and I realized that I had a big problem. The problem was that I had spent all of my business years marketing to business owners and professionals and I had no clue on how to reach military spouses. It's kind of embarrassing to admit since I am a military spouse but the truth was that I had no idea how to market to them.

Here I was, this savvy social media marketer and I had no clue how to reach military spouses. Some expert I was! After panicking for a couple of days, I calmed down.

There had to be something I could do, someplace I could start on social media to get the word out about what I was doing. Social media had worked so well for me over the past 4 years, getting KR Design in front of potential clients.

Maybe, just maybe, it could work for getting me in front of military spouses as well.

Just so we’re clear on this, let’s recap…

 I wanted to help military spouses start online businesses

 I had been mentoring military spouses for some time and they were getting good results

 I wanted to find military spouses who interested in starting a business and attend my “Military Spouse Business Summit” virtual event

 But I had NO CLUE on how to find them or reach out to them about my services

And then it hit me! Everyone had been talking about Facebook Ads: many online marketers and colleagues of mine were having success with Facebook Ads. I saw how well it was working for their businesses and how fast their results were. Maybe, it could work for me too! I’ll admit that I was hesitant at first, because my previous experiences with Facebook Ads were not pleasant ones. But, I had nothing to lose. I started looking at other Facebook Ads in my NewsFeed and applied some of the tips and techniques I had learned from previous courses.

Over the next 23 days, I added over 200 military spouses to my email list! Awesome right? I was so excited to see 8-12 people being added to my email list EVERY DAY thanks to the help of Facebook Ads. This instant surge of potential clients made a HUGE difference in my business and the summit was a success!

How did this happen? Well, the biggest difference April 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS between previous failed Facebook Ad campaigns and this successful Facebook Ad campaign was how focused my audience was for my Facebook ad. It’s one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when it comes to Facebook ads. Looking back at my past Facebook ad campaigns, this is where 90% of my mistakes were made: I didn’t target the right people. My target audience was entrepreneurs and that was too general. I should have targeted a specific group of entrepreneurs such as real estate agents, business coaches, speakers, etc. This time around, I targeted women who are 21-55, who like military spouse business pages, live in the United States, and are married. If that doesn’t tell Facebook to show my ads to military spouses, I don’t know what does!

The key with Facebook ads is the more general you are, the harder it is for Facebook to serve your ad to the right people. I had the best success with Facebook Ads when I targeted a specific group of people. If you’re having a tough time narrowing down your audience, is to create a survey.

I created a survey using Survey Monkey and posted it on my personal Facebook account and encouraged my military spouse friends to fill it out. Some of the questions

that I asked were about demographics and what Facebook Pages did they visit to get more information about starting a business or maintaining their business.

My best piece of advice to you is to just do it and get started. You will get better as you do it. It’s kind of like practice. Once you’ve done it the first couple of times, you know where you can improve and adjust. Since the summit, I have tripled my email list of military spouses to 600 in 45 days! If I can do it, you can do it too!

Kristen Robinson is known as the Military Spouse Business Mentor and helps military spouses build online businesses that create flexibility and freedom within the military lifestyle. As an active duty US Marine Corps military spouse, Kristen created her business to support her husband’s military career while constantly moving from one location to the next. Kristen’s company, KR Design, allows her to do what she loves from anywhere in the world. To learn more about Kristen Robinson and KR Design, visit www.KristenRDesign.com.

Available via Amazon.com

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Amazing Women April 2015

To get more info on the summit, visit: www.MilitaryWomeninBusinessRadio.com/Summit April 2015 Amazing Women

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2 BUSINESS

Article Templates with Examples...They'll Help You Write More Articles

By Maima Jones

Y

ou may have heard or read that content rules or that content is king in marketing nowadays. It is true that you don’t have to put up expensive ads to market yourself any longer or get your message to reach your market. But how do you stay in touch with your market on a regular basis so you can grow your business and sustain it at the same time?

1. Do you want to become the Go-to-Person? Use your articles to market and stay in touch with your market.

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Amazing Women April 2015

Your articles will position you as an expert in your market. It will also position your business as a trusted resource.

2. Do you want to connect with your market? Use your articles to get the traction you need and desire. Your articles will allow you to send online traffic where you want and need it to go.

3. Do you want to get traffic to your website? Use your

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BUSINESS articles and give value to the prospective clients. Your articles (of value) will create more traffic by motivating visitors to check out what you have to offer on a regular basis

The Example: The 5 Top Reasons to Write to Your Market Here is a fascinating fact: Writing to your market grows and sustains your business like nothing else…look at all the ads and promotional materials that come your way.

The author of Riches in Niches, Susan Friedmann, writes, “Writing constitutes the single most cost-effective, practical way to establish your name and reputation. It costs next to nothing except your time, and is accessible to everyone.”

She goes on to say that, “the credibility you gain from being in print far outweighs any other tool available to the Nichepreneur; plus print retains longevity not available in any other type of media.”

Write More Articles in Less Time!

Template 1: The Top Reasons Every market, field, or niche has its top reasons. When you give proven reasons why a particular service or product deserves attention or should be used, you become an expert in the eyes of your market.

Title Examples • The 5 Top Reasons to Write to Your Market • The 10 Top Reasons to Grow your Business through Multiple Streams of Income

So here are the 5 Top Reasons to Write to Your Market 1. Writing to your Market positions you as authority in your field.

• The 3 Top Reasons to Develop, Build, and Nurture Relationship with your market • The 5 Top Reasons to Determine Your Niche Market The Template 1. Pick one of the titles.

2. Write an opening of why you believe these are the Top Reasons.

3. Write supporting statements from statistics or others to back up your top reasons.

4. Include how working with you or using one of your services/products would make it possible to achieve such benefits in their business.

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Amazing Women April 2015

Recently my daughter had a problem with her right eye. Rather than taking her to a general doctor, we took her to an ophthalmologist who specializes in treating problems with the eyes. If you were a Writing Coach and someone needed help with writing content for their teleseminar or their stay-in-touch articles, they would likely come to you rather than a Weight-loss Coach.

2. Writing to your Market helps you stay focus on what your market wants to hear and talk about.

Your staying focus on your market’s needs is fundamental to growing your business and keeping it sustained at the same time. Your market will change and evolve, so will your business. As your market changes in some aspects, your business will need to be open to adapt in order to make meaningful and relevant contact.

3. Writing to your Market connects you with it like nothing else.

 What is the difference between a target market and a

You, as a Coach or a Service Professional are in a relational type of business…so the growth and sustainability of your business will depend largely on your connecting with your market a consistent basis.

And writing is the vehicle through which that is possible.

The Template

4. Your writing materials/content becomes the gateway to multiple streams of income.

3. Remember to pitch your products/services as solution to the problem/s.

The authors of Content Rules, Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman write, “Reimagine…don’t recycle. Recycling is an afterthought: good content is intentionally reimagined at its inception, for various platforms and formats.”

Examples of some of the platforms or formats that you the service professional have to build and nurture a relationship with your market are; Teleseminars, Audio CD’s, Articles, Ebooks, DVD’s, Web Videos, Retreats , E-classes, Masterminds and Group Coaching.

niche market?

“Q & A” 1. Ask the question/s.

2. Give the answer/s.

5. Writing is your legs and arms…going and touching your market to make a difference by giving needed value.

So write because you the Service Professional have no other choice…even if it means you contract with a ghost writer.

Template 2: Q & A 1. Begin by asking one or two questions followed by your answer. Questions could come from your prospects, clients, and colleagues.

2. Or, make up questions from what you see happening in your market now or has taken place in your market.

Question: Answer: Question:

The Example: What’s the Difference Between a Target Market and a Niche Market?

Q. I have been coaching for about 3 years and I love what I do. But it seems like my business has remained in a parked mode. It is like a car with its engine on for about 3 hours but it’s not moving backward or forward…it just sits there. What can I do to move my business forward? I believe I have a target market, but I keep hearing that I have to narrow my market. I keep hearing also that I have to spend my energy on a niche market…I’m so confused! What’s the difference between a target market and a niche market?

Answer:

A. Before answering your question, let’s look at this illustration.

Title Examples

 Why do I as a Service Professional need to write to my

market?  Why are multiple streams of income essential to

growing and sustaining my business?

Let’s say a fisherman went out to fish in the Pacific Ocean.

Before going, he made the biggest, sophisticated net there was during his time. He learned all of the fishing tips and techniques available. He felt confident about what he was going to accomplish. He said good-bye to his friends and family before embarking upon his April 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS adventure. He knew what to do when he got to the Pacific Ocean…which was cast his net. He also knew the Pacific was full with all kinds of fish. Just the thought of casting his net in such a large body of water gave him great excitement.

At last he was in his ship and on the Pacific Ocean. He found the exact spot he was told in his fishing courses to be but decided to go a distance further for a bigger catch.

He took a deep breath, thought about all he went through to get here. He cast his net! This was the moment he had worked so hard for.

He felt the weight of the net. He drew up the net carefully.

How many fish could there be, he wondered. Just the joy of having caught so many fish on his first trip kept him going.

He pulled and pulled. The task of drawing up the net into the ship was tedious.

He pulled with all his might and at last he got his net out of water. He dumped all of his catch on the floor and at once he noticed something…He was in awe of what he saw. He saw that he had caught millions of different kinds of fish.

Disappointment began to set. Some of his catch seemed strange…he did not know what to do with them. How could he separate his catch? Which ones could he throw back into the ocean? The work in doing such, he thought, would take so much time and energy. What could he do?

What would you do?

Target Market as defined by biztazlaw.about.com is a specific group of customers which you have identified who have needs or problems which your products or services can fulfill.

Niche Market as defined by Wikipedia is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing.

What if your Target Market was Parents of Teenagers?

1. You will do research on some problems faced by Parents of Teenagers. As you research, you might come across drug addictions, poor grades, hanging out with the wrong crowd, lack of communication, etc. If you decided to cast your net as the fisherman in the illustration; your catch would include all of the problems listed. But if while still in the target market, Parents of Teens, and you decided to narrow your focus and cast your net. For instance…

2. You cast your net and caught lack of communication.

3. Your niche then becomes How to communicate with your Teenager/Communicating with Your Teens.

4. Your role then will be to offer solutions to the parents of teens on how to communicate with their teens.

Maima's mission is to provide clientcentric coaching and training to women business owners, coaches, authors and speakers in helping them to empower themselves in building successful and profitable businesses while making a positive difference in their communities and world. Maima specializes in the leveraging power of your Offer to your market for wealth building. She teaches women business owners, coaches, authors and speakers who are struggling to sustain their businesses due to the lack of cash flow how to craft, package and leverage their Offer to achieve steady cash flow and build profitable businesses. Maima is in Google's Top 50 Wealth Building Experts (of 98.) maima342@gmail.com

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SpeakingEmpire.com

info@speakingempire.com

April 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS

Good-hearted Customer Service

By Christina L. Suter

would become, whether we’ve developed a product or a new way for our customers to experience an already created product or service.

What affects customer service?

The brand affects customer service. If you're selling a $25 product, there shouldn't be a lot of customer service because you probably can't afford to do it. The customer service surrounding a $25 product should be about meeting the masses and selling as many products as possible. This will keep you from spending much needed time on customer service. However, if you sell a luxury car for $100,000 you can spend an acceptable amount of time on customer service. How much money can you put into your customer service?

Our Brand Dictates Our Customer Service

By this stage of life and business you already have an understanding of how you treat people. As children our caretakers taught us how to respect others by using words like polite, social, or customary. Someone taught you how to treat others, you how to shake hands, make friends, etc.

All of the social training you received as a kid is a part of your customer service.

Our beliefs about customer service come from three layers of who we are. One layer is what we are taught about how to treat people, the second is our vision, and the third is our nature. Are you naturally inclusive, an introvert, or are you a work alone type? Some people offer facts and give clear instructions on products while others are about getting to the bottom line. How will my customer use this or what will they get from it?

Customer service starts from the moment your phone rings or from the first time a person walks in. It could also sometimes be your marketing tactics. Customer service can be established by how you deliver the product, how you develop the product, and how you secure it afterwards.

These are similar to branding, but this is more relatable to customer service versus how you market the product.

As business owners, our visions come from our nature and training. We’ve all had a vision of what our companies 24

Amazing Women April 2015

In my opinion, the single most important aspect to customer service is your time, effort, and energy. We all have a vision, a nature, and what we’re taught. If you’re fulfilling the original vision, are you exhausting your bottom line and yourself? Do you offer 600 hours of customer service on a $25 product? Are you offering too much? Are you dictating what your pay rate is by giving more than you receive? Our time and energy is what we’re really delivering to people. Do the work to calculate how much you give versus what you earn then take that and make the necessary adjustments to your level and system of customer service.

See more at: “Good Hearted Customer Service” On www. groudlevel-consulting.com Links: article on site: http://www.groundlevel-consulting. com/article/5779-good-hearted-customer-service Christina L. Suter is the founder and CEO of Ground Level Consulting in Pasadena, CA. Christina works with small business owners to improve business performance and work/life balance. Focusing on the unique challenges facing small business owners, Christina helps clients increase profits, reduce management hours, and improve business quality and service.

During her 20 years of successful small business experience, Christina has developed a variety of programs based on key fundamental principles for building and managing a small business and meeting personal goals. Christina has used her intrinsic understanding of essential business practice to help her clients triple business revenue, turnaround failing businesses, create consistent and predictable cash-flow, prevent unnecessary loss, increase gross sales, achieve financial clarity and mastery, and attain family/personal life balance. www.groundlevel-consulting.com

To order, click on the following link: www.highticketsellingbook.com.

www.LuVskool.com April 2015 Amazing Women

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EMPOWERMENT

Is the Past the Past?

By L.J. Jackson

the brain) and has the ability to store emotional memories that can’t even be put into words. She then went on to share how these memories were “Immemorable yet Unforgettable” and that we can’t be emotionally free unless we understand the things that hold us captive and cause our triggers to be activated.

So again, what do you say?

When working with an expert to support you in your personal growth, it really depends.

A better question is…do you need to clear out negative memories that are creating negative experiences in your life today? Or is your past keeping you from achieving your current goals?

If the answer is no, then great! Your Past is something that doesn’t have to be discussed or brought up as you work to grow personally and pursue your goals during your work with a Life Coach or Counselor/Therapist.

If you're working with someone with training in both fields, it's a good idea to have a conversation and decide together whether or not your past is relevant and should be part of the conversation during your first session or two. I often say, “If the past is not affecting your present, then let’s leave it where it belongs- in the Past.’

‘Otherwise, let’s revisited it so you can do some work to release negative emotions and memories.”

What do you think? Should your past be brought up or ignored?

Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of learning and using the top 10+ methods found in the world 26

Amazing Women April 2015

of counseling and psychotherapy to help clients see beyond their current circumstances and limiting beliefs.

But interestingly enough, during my research into coaching certification programs, it seemed that there was 1 overall arching method being used, Gestalt therapy, with coaches using the “Here and Now” process, that says to only focus on present moments in helping a client. If a client brings up their past, state the past is irrelevant, and redirect them to focus on present moments.

For me, this was surprising. Don’t get me wrong, there are many coaches doing amazing work using this method. It’s especially great for clients who need focus, accountability, and a mindset shifts without revisiting their past. The point, I’m trying to make is that the past should be factored in when it’s necessary to help clients grow and shift. For example, during an interview of Dr. Susan KaneRonning, she reminded women listening that “the Amygdala is the emotional center of the brain (fight or flight/emotional response part of

Over the years, I’ve found for some clients, the Gestalt type method was the best method or technique for them. In other cases, using methods such as Narrative therapy, allowed clients the space to tell their story in an empowering way. Especially for clients who had spent years or decades keeping everything hidden (i.e. skeletons in the closet) or spent her entire life being told no one wanted to hear what she had to say. For these reasons, I love having the option of both for clients to discover the power of her personal story before moving on to focus on present moments and her future goals and dreams.

You decide!

Connect with L.J. Jackson, Inspirational Speaker, Women’s E m p o we r m e n t Expert, Coach and Mentor at www. personalpowerwithin. com. L.J. is the Host of the Wise Up and Rise Up Radio Show on Amazing Women of Power Radio Network. She has twenty years of experience and is passionate about providing the best tools, tips, and strategies so you tap into your personal power, achieve your dreams, and restore hope to your heart. She’s a certified Master-Success Coach, certified MasterNLP Coach, and Strategic Interventionist trained through Tony Robbins’ official premiere life coach training program with degrees and credentials in Psychology and Counseling and Guidance.

The Purpose of Gratitude

By Lorena Douglas

The purpose of gratitude as a tool will bring you happiness. It has been around the mainstream for many years. A long-term study supports gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a confident, appreciative attitude contributes to one’s greater success, better health, peak performance in sports and occupation. Gratitude brings about a eminent sense of wellbeing and a faster pace of recovery from life’s roadblocks and illness we experience.

While we may acknowledge gratitude and its benefits, it still can be hard to call it back at times. Consequently, many people are groomed to throw away the things that are unfinished or missing in life. Yet, for gratitude to fulfill its full healing potential in our lives, it demands to be experienced by more than just the word thanks but a piece of our life at all times. We can make a new way of looking at things; evolve a new habit in our everyday animations, which can require more

or less time.

This is why when practicing gratitude it is important to employ it daily.

When we practice giving back and thanks for all that we serve, instead of complaining about what we do not possess. When we are in gratitude for the little things, we give ourselves the chance to find out all of the life opportunities and a benediction.

Gratitude remembers; it is more a matter of where we put our focus and attention on. It is not a blindly optimistic approach in which the bad things in life are glossed over or brushed aside.

It’s a matter of what is important to us and what we do to not focus on the small things in life. The pain, anguish and injustice that exists in this world, but when we focus on the little gifts of life that we take for granted, we gain a tactile sense of well-being and life satisfaction. Gratitude balances us and grants us hope and motivation to continue life’s journeys.

There are many things that we should be grateful for such as: Waking up at the break of every the day, the first fresh breath of clean air, the sun shining today. We had our health and strength today to chat, hear walk and talk. We have been able to move about safely to work and made it home safely. Get in touch with the right people for the right path. The smell of the coffee aroma at Starbucks. You inspired someone and thank-you!

What's on your gratitude list today?

Helpful Practices to stay in Gratitude  Live in the moment of gratitude.

Think of 5 things each morning in which you are thankful. Days will be better when you are creating new roles. Being placed before you start your busy day, you will have a more serious attitude when you are present

to overcome life’s happenings where you can be sure it will cue you to remember in a grateful way.  Start your morning off every day while you are getting groomed for work, school, by repeating five things a day and by repeating the sentence below, filling in the space to meet your needs: I give thanks that I live in gratitude for being capable to see another day (Example; my health, my strength, another day of blessings,)  Practice gratitude around your animation and make it part of your morning routine.  Make a point to see the hidden blessing in a challenging position.  When you feel like complaining, stay in gratitude and remember it could be worse. You will be amazed how much better you feel.  Notice how gratitude will make an impact in your life. Squeeze it; experience it and utter thanks for the appreciation.

As you practice, an inner mindset begins to happen, and you may be amazed to discover how you will feel more inspired with a sensation of fulfillment plus gratitude that works.

Lorena Douglas, F o u n d e r Destiny Driven Purpose and Exc. Producer of an Award Winning Talk Show Host of The Destiny Driven Radio Show Published Author, Motivational Speaker, Certified Life and Business interview Business Professionals who shares, empowering real life stories of business Strategist. www. destinydrivenradio.com

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EMPOWERMENT

M

y how you've grown

By Boni Oian charge of telling yourself the truth.

This event was only one of hundreds in your life, it isn’t your whole life and it really only came up so it could be cleared. This part of you wants to know itself as love and be acknowledged as lovable.

So let’s get started. At the end of your frown face day, think back over what happened on that day. What were the facts and what were your perceptions of that fact.

N

ow is the time to notice new growth. It was easy when you were growing taller and you could measure with a measuring stick. Now you’re growing wiser and you’re not sure what kind of measuring stick to use.

Are you happier? Depending on the day, you might say yes so how do you know for sure?

Solution: Mark your calendar. You could start with just a happy face at the end of the day to mark which days left you feeling satisfied. Then add them up at the end of the month and see how you’re doing.

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You might graduate to 3 different faces. A Happy face for those great days, a straight line for a mouth for the days that you felt pretty neutral and of course the frown on the days you flop into bed and wish you had never gotten out.

Now that you have the two separated, comes the hard part. Go back to the first time you ever felt that way or had that perception. Usually an uncomfortable feeling accompanies the perception so you can use either one.

Because it’s easy to spiral downhill after just one event in your life and start thinking ‘you’ll never get happiness, get what you want or be loved.'

Ask that part of you to come out and sit on your lap, if you know the age of it that’s a bonus but not essential. Now ask it what it needs from you? Give it whatever it needs. Then ask what it needs to tell you. Listen as if listening to a small child. Thank it for sharing.

Tell it, it did nothing wrong and it did its job so well, letting you know it was hurting, that it’s job is complete and it can now go off and play or come into your heart where it’ll always have a home.

You are the person who is with you all the time so it’s up to you to be in

Let me give you an example of how this has worked for Deb.

Now why would you go to all this trouble?

Deb was sitting in her car in the parking lot of the grocery story making her list of things to buy. The person in the car beside noticeably banged her car door on Deb’s car, hard enough to jolt the car.

Deb’s first reaction was to be mad. Then she felt hurt. Luckily she remembered this technique to list the facts. She got her grocery list and on the other side of the paper she wrote the person hit my car with her door and didn’t say anything even though she saw I was sitting in the car.

Deb’s perception is that the person doesn’t care about me, which brings up the feeling that I am alone and no one cares about me.

She asked the part of her that feels that way to come out and sit on her lap. When she asked it what it needed, it said it wanted her to know it felt lonely because she was too busy to notice or play with her so she doesn’t feel important.

So what it needed from Deb was to be acknowledged and told it was loved and wanted even when she was busy doing other things. Which Deb explained to her.

Deb then asked is there anything else you want to tell me. It said yes, could we play on the swings sometime. Deb remembering as a child how much she loved sitting on the swing, twisting it up then letting it untwist her feeling like she was flying, said please come into my heart and I will remember to play every day. Deb also told this part of her, you did nothing wrong and your job here is done so if you want to go swing with the Angels, you can do that.

Having cleared this hurt self, Deb asked the lady who hit her car if there was a problem. The lady said no and she was sorry for the fact she had absent mindedly hit her car. Wanting to make light of it, Deb said, just one more ding, not a problem and went into the store.

Upon arriving back at Deb's car, there was a sweet apologetic note and a $20 bill under her wiper.

Are you never going to have the frowning face days?

Probably not, but hopefully you’ll remember and use this tool so they get fewer and farther between. If you need someone to walk you through it, I’m only an email or phone call away.

Happy travels.

Boni Oian is a Life Navigator who helps people uncover their potential and the Author and Instructor of Claim Your Life – Transform Your Unwanted Subconscious Beliefs into an Exhilarating Source of Power. She also trains teachers to instruct her Claim Your Life process worldwide. She is certified by the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapist Association and she’s certified as a Catalyst Coach by the Ace Success Center and the International Association of Professional Life Coaches.

Boni’s certified as an Akashic Record Teacher and Consultant and has her own radio program on Raven International Positive programing network.

BoniOian@gvtc.com

https://girlsceoconnection. wordpress.com

www.youtube.com/user/ wisdom sylvia

April 2015 Amazing Women

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EMPOWERMENT

Trouble Doesn't Ever Come at a Convenient Time

By Dr. Renee Hornbuckle

Five years ago, my life was challenged in ways unimaginable, as she found herself faced with the GREATEST CRISIS ever. I NEVER (and I do mean NEVER) in a million years, would have imagined my life as I knew it and every dream I had for others, my family and me would be shattered.

I NEVER would have envisioned my life would fall apart and there would be attacks of the magnitude I experienced against me, my family and others personally caused me to almost lose everything!

But like most of us, I had become comfortable with her life and assumed because I was blessed, I had nothing to worry about.

Because life was GREAT, I expected it to always BE GREAT! What I learned from this experience is TROUBLE doesn’t ever come at a convenient time.

It actually tends to come at times of inconvenience - as an interruption; when we least expect it! So, the truth is that as much as we desire for things to be just “right” in life - there will be troubles.

I like to say it this way, “Life Happens and when it does, will I be ready?”

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So, in the midst of your life and your dreams coming to pass...and things being wonderful...LOOK OUT! Trouble may be lurking around the corner.

I learned quickly that when you have mishaps in life, that’s when you must KNOW WHAT TO DO! Coping with any type of loss/crisis/ tragedy, whether it involves personal possessions, a job or a family member, can be very stressful and quite painful.

I will not sugarcoat; the stuff we go through hurts, YET, we can overcome if we know WHAT to do!

Every day, we see the collapse of major financial institutions, major corporations, national disasters and more; yet, we must know without a doubt WE CAN smake it through these things.

When faced with a loss, crisis or lifechanging event, you are suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar world, one that can be frightening and unsettling.

Knowing HOW to make it can help.

In the midst of my crisis, because I FOUND HOPE, KNEW WHAT TO DO, and followed THE PROCESS, I have been able to launch a home-based

business and rebuild my life doing what I love!

I learned early in life SUCCESS is the completion of goals and objectives necessary to achieve a particular task realize a particular dream or satisfy a particular need or want, for a particular period of time.

This definition of success implies you always be in a state of constant motion because you must focus on and move toward “that thing” that you want so badly. Often those things we want so badly seem impossible, difficult or out of reach. But, the real success is not in the attainment of the “thing” itself, but it is in the process you go through to get it. It is the sweat you put out and the long hours you put in. It is in the decision you make to stay in the fight. It is the lessons you learn as you strive to reach higher levels.

This is the reason you can make bold statements about your success even in the absence of physical evidence because of the process. You become able to visualize yourself as strong and successful regardless of the environment you temporarily find yourself in.

To be successful is to remain in motion in order to use all of your potential within. The SECRET of your future SUCCESS is hidden in your daily routine! Keep your daily routine in motion and you will find your success!

R e n e e Hornbuckle, Ph.D. is a Coach, Author, and Speaker.

Although she is in demand as a speaker and bible teacher she believes family comes first. Connect with Dr. Renee at www.mylifecompass. com/womenofinfluence; www. reneehornbuckle.com; www.facebook. com/reneehornbuckle; ww.twitter. com/reneehornbuckle

Up is about Hope

By Roberta Harris

Somewhere along the line I learned that one should always “look up” to art. The context relates to the hanging of art on a wall…a little higher is better than lower. In retrospect, throughout my career as an artist, I have been inspired to create images that move the observer up—physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Sometimes it feels like life serves us a ubiquitous diet of “DOWN”. News is rarely news unless it is bad—a fire, a murder, a hurricane, a death. The market is down; another leader has fallen; a child is abducted; a plane crashes. Another terrorist attacks, another marriage breaks; another friend is diagnosed with cancer. When is gossip ever empowering?

I consider this preoccupation with “DOWN” a fundamental distortion of life. Certainly life presents its challenges. The stresses we feel are real. Our grief can be deep. But to me, being human means that we cultivate the ability to tap internal and external resources of power to bring light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, order out of chaos, and life out of death. Metaphorically, while the climb may be steep and treacherous,

nevertheless, we climb.

UP is fundamentally about hope.

Hope is not wishful thinking. Hope is rather the ability to stand amid what is broken and chaotic and envision a positive future story. Hope is based on an honest assessment of individual and community resources and the commitment to employ these in a personal and collaborative way to create an environment in which people can thrive. Hope is therefore the catalyst of power and the antithesis of victimization.

Throughout my career, through a variety of media, my mission as an artist has been to inspire hope and its corollaries—dialogue, joy, encouragement, strategy, peace, kindness, and imagination.

This approach is not the least bit sentimental; given the challenges that we face, hope demands courage, commitment, endurance and renewal—the best expressions of the human spirit.

Throughout history and in every culture, women and men have symbolized hope through varieties of color and shape—birds, sticks, rectangles, checkerboards, rainbows

and religious images, to name a few.

Out of this tradition, my art employs these primitive and modern symbols to create a dialogue with the viewer (and among viewers) and ultimately to inspire actions that shape the future by bringing to life the voices, talents, achievements and aspirations of those who experience it.

My journey of coming to see and understand the world through art has followed what has been for me an interesting and integrated path.

Exploring one idea or area of focus has consistently led me to the next. As a child drawing a ballerina on point, experiencing the feast of senses I discovered in the forest next to our home, spending hours with my father in his workshop as he cut and fit glass and mirror into perfect rectangular shapes, or watching my mother meld mosaic shapes into colorful designs—all these early experiences have influenced both what I have come to recognize as “familiar” in the world and what I have chosen as the symbols of hope in my work.

Roberta Harris was born in Passaic, New Jersey and grew up in Houston, Texas. She has lived in New York, Washington, D.C., and Santa Fe, NM. She was chosen for the Independent Study Program, Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Harris studied at Parson’s School of Design and Hunter College in New York. Her paintings and sculptures have been exhibited nationally and internationally and her work is included in private and corporate collections including MTV Corporation, NY; Chase Manhattan Bank, NY; Frito-Lay Dallas, TX; Dynegy, Houston, TX; Compaq (Hewlett-Packard), Houston, TX and Texas Heart Institute, Houston, TX. Harris has instructed at Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston. www.robertaharris.com

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EMPOWERMENT

10 Ways to Get More Out of Life

By Terri Levine

you passionate about you want to incorporate into your life?

3. Don't just dream, do it! Dreams have a better chance of becoming real if you do more than think about them. If your dream is to play golf with friends on Sundays, do it. You will be surprised how easily it fits in once you do it. You will wonder why it took so long!

4. Plan. Sometimes, it is easier to plan by working backwards. Start with where you want to end and work backwards to where you are. If you look to the future and plan, you are taking the first step forward your desires.

5. Learn to say no and avoid burnout and stress. Most people's problems stem from the inability to say "no". Set boundaries if you want to "have a life" balanced with fun and enjoyment. No one will say no for you. They're too busy saying no so they can focus on their needs!

Whether you work in a large corporate office or manage a home business, despite advances in technology, you probably work as hard today as you did five years ago and put yourself at the bottom of your list of priorities.

You'll take time out for yourself when‌ and there are conditions you have that will signal when that time is right. Am I correct?

If you believe everything hinges on you, and this justifies your decision to do everything and be all things to all people, you are placing huge, unnecessary demands on your time and energy. How can you serve others and stay on the top of your game if you are rundown and tired?

There is only one way to achieve peak 32

Amazing Women April 2015

fitness: Take care of yourself. There is no magic pill to replace self-care. This goes beyond the work/life balance concept and involves you serving yourself as much as you serve others.

Here are 10 tips to get you started: 1. Know What You Want. Even if you are in your dream career, there is more to life than work.

What do you want to experience and discover? What would make you happy and keep the oughts and shoulds out of it! Think only of dreams and wants.

2. "Live" your passion. I'm not talking about your career or business. What non-work related activities, hobbies, sports, etc. are

6. Be detached from the outcome.

We are usually attached to specific outcomes. When things don't turn out the way we hope, we become disheartened. We plan goals, visualize, and imagine what end result we want, but don't think of alternative results.

Whatever happens is for the best and highest good of all concerned – whether it makes sense or not.

Sometimes, we do not have the answers and we don't have to.

Relinquish and experience the freedom of living in the flow. Open up to wonderful "coincidences."

7. You Attract What You Think About the Most. Ever heard of the laws of attraction; you attract that which you think about most?

You don't have to know how it works, It does. Attract what you want by focusing your thoughts,

like a laser, on those "wants." If you think about what you don't want that is what you will attract – and you don't want that! For example, if you desire to lose weight, you should visualize yourself as already thin and "see" your new slim self in new clothes and NOT overweight – even if you are. Your mind doesn't know the difference between imagined and real.

8. Help others. Do you help others when you're not paid to do it? It might be something like getting information to save them time, or returning a library book. When you do this, you get good "karma" (the

law of cause and effect, or what goes around comes around.)

9. If you're really "stuck," hire a Coach. If you were sick, you'd see a doctor. If your life is unbalanced, see a Life Coach who helps people achieve work/ life balance and achieve more than just professional glory.

10. We are here to have fun! We are humans with feelings, interests, passions, and dreams, not robots.

There is no law that says we must only work and never enjoy ourselves. Enjoy your life. Don't wait until it is too late.

http://outstandingvirtualassistance.com

Terri Levine, PhD is the owner of Terri Levine Worldwide, is a business/executive coach, and experienced entrepreneur.

She assists businesses globally with growth, sales and marketing. She has 30+ years of business experience, encompassing work with more than 5,000 business owners and entrepreneurs in many industries. She is a best-selling author and keynote speaker.

Terri's most recent venture is her Rapid ROI Marketing Model, which combines Terri's passion for helping businesses to grow with experience gained while building multiple successful business from the ground up. Learn more at http:// www.TodaysCoaching.com Contact Info at terri@terrilevine.com.

Peggy@ovapeg.com April 2015 Amazing Women

33

EMPOWERMENT

S

hine Your Light

By Tracey Doctor

“The future belongs to those who believe in their dreams.:

product to help achieve fuller longer, healthier hair within 30 days.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

From the initial idea, I started my home-based business. I began doing friends’ and family’s hair from home and soon became a successful salon owner who specialized in providing, healthy hair growth solutions for women with hair loss.

M

y entrepreneurial drive began out of a need and a desire to find a viable solution for my hair challenges. I was determined to create a unique hair 34

Amazing Women April 2015

I developed and created a unique concept whereby women would be able to get additional coverage without damaging their hair My clients were excited and relied on me for my knowledge of herbs and natural remedies. My real passion and purpose, being of service to others, began to blossom and I added consulting.

One of my favorite quotes is: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianne Williamson This explains my unique ability to help women find holistic solutions to their health concerns. While doing so, I also encourage them to understand the healing powers of herbs as well as other holistic and alternative modalities.

I have faced challenges along the way as have most in life. My mother became very ill and had to undergo a life-threatening surgery, but through the Grace of God she pulled through.

There was a long recovery period once she was sent home and I was determined to give her the care she needed and became my mother’s full time caregiver. I was just as determined to not let that responsibility stop my dream of having a successful health and beauty consulting practice.

In fact, I quickly realized God had placed me in that position so I could truly understand the importance of what many of my clients had felt and expressed to me throughout my career, from the challenges of being healthier to the fears and emotional ups and downs that often come along with them.

My hunger for assisting my clients more authentically led me to willingly replace many hours of sleep for hours of research. The goal was to put together an effective coaching program that would be of benefit to my clients, but more importantly, one that was heartfelt and unique.

Once I began my action plan and things seemed as though they were finally coming together, I began to experience many adversities including financial setbacks. These hard times were not without lots of prayer. During this time, I learned how to become resourceful and resolved not to focus on what I did not have, but instead focused on what resources I did have.

I began to concentrate on the task at hand, staying laser-focused on achieving my goal despite the odds and setbacks. My motto became “If it’s meant to be it's up to me!”

Being the resourceful woman I am, I bartered and traded services.

Because of the intriguing and inspiring stories of life lessons that many of my clients shared, I began to realize that I, too, had the desire of bringing these amazing women to the forefront.

That’s when I shared the idea with my sister, Raven, who immediately suggested that I take her Kitchen Table Radio Personal Broadcasting

Course and create a show around my vision - interviewing the women who are making a difference and paying it forward.

A wonderful transition from my wellness coaching, where I was helping women make healthy lifestyle changes to hosting and producing a radio show where I was able to take my passion for helping women to a whole new level.

Now I not only provide individual wellness coaching, but also group coaching. My clients love the fact I have a true passion for helping others and it shows.

Tracey Blair Doctor Tracey has more than 15 years of experience in holistic life coaching. Her passion and goal is to educate support and empower women from all walks of life. She is committed to helping women fully realize their own potential and God given talents, and to strive for there excellence in whatever they desire to fulfill by creating emotional balance and exploring various natural ways to reduce and limit stress in their everyday lives so they remain focused and empowered. For more information, call 713-575-0078 or write traceydoctor@ aol.com,

April 2015 Amazing Women

35

A LIFESTYLE

Day Of Self-Love: Loving Yourself With Compassion and Kindness

By Charmaine Smith

determined to make that happen.

It took me several years to truly embrace me and to seek out people, places and things that I needed to help me with my personal transformation.

I encountered many challenges on my journey. At one point I felt like the walls were closing in all around me.

There was rejection after rejection, but I was determined to keep moving forward, one foot in front of the other.

I

magine spending a whole day nurturing and nourishing, loving and laughing and enjoying the essence of who you are in the present moment!

We get all caught up in doing, doing and more doing‌‌.we forget how to be present, live in the present and love in the present. Can you relate? I know I can. I spent years trapped in the past, having no confidence to be the woman I secretly thought of being for many years. Not embracing all of my deliciousness and goodness.

When I turned 40 I realized that my life was out of balance. I became hungry and thirsty to experience life in a new way. Something had to change and I was

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Amazing Women April 2015

There was one constant joy in my life.

My son who became my only reason for wanting to be more and to figure out ways I could experience living and loving me during the hard place I found myself.

I started out with a simple process to help me on my journey of loving me with kindness and compassion.

It worked each and every time. As the days, weeks, months and years went by I did not realize how much I had changed. The changed was more on the inside than the outside.

I grew spiritually. My belief in God was stronger than ever.

My confidence and self-esteem soared. I had a fearlessness and boldness that I never knew existed.

I gained more wisdom and understanding. This resulted in having a healthier relationship with family

and friends.

My overall health and well being was so much better.

I smiled more, I enjoyed spending time with myself, I slept better at nights.

My thoughts were more focused. I got clarity on my purpose. The passion to become an inspirational speaker and life coach, knowing it was a real possibility was so exciting.

The best damn thing was that I had discovered a way to have the most intimate, loving, unconditional, joyful, compassionate and respectful love affair with myself.

I would do two things that connect me with who I am, bring me joy and laughter. For example I love reading and listening to motivational speakers. This keeps me focused on my goals. I may choose to go to the movies, go for a walk in nature, buy something like a new lip color, a new nail color, a magazine or give a compliment to another woman. (I feel really confident when I do this) Remember to do something that stirs your soul and makes you feel the complete joy and pleasure of being alive.

It’s simple, easy, fun and the benefits will amaze you.

I get at least one hour of rest or sleep twice during the day. If I can’t sleep I do nothing. I purposely choose what I think about in that moment of silence. This was a real game changer. If you pay attention you will be amazed at some of the things you learn about yourself.

I started off doing this every Wednesday and now I do this for a whole 7 days at a time. It’s my go to thing when I need to get clarity and bring balance back into my life.

In your journal or your special notebook, write any new emotions, thoughts, people, places or things that come up. Don’t just ignore them. If you haven’t adopted this practice yet, now is a good time to start.

As soon as I wake up I have a conversation with the Holy Spirit. I ask for forgiveness and then I express my gratitude for being able to speak, hear, see and breathe.

You can mix this up and create your special day of self-love that makes you comfortable. It’s always a good thing to try something new.

That’s Self-Love!

Here’s how to begin creating lasting change in your life one day at a time.

I do a short meditation on a Bible verse. This is one of my favorites.

(I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me) Philippians 4:13.

On this day I will spend 15 minutes 3 times during the day on this verse. I have been doing this for over five years. The transformation in certain areas of my life has been amazing.

I prepare a healthy fruit and vegetable juice, fresh salad, fresh fruit and drink organic green tea or chamomile tea for the entire day. I also make sure that I drink 10 glasses of water throughout the day.

I light candles to create intimacy. I use cinnamon candles.

The goal on this day is to create time and space to be with you, by honoring and respecting your personal desires. You will discover new ways to cope with daily challenges and live happy no matter what.

We all deserve freedom and to live a healthy and happy life!

Begin with one day. You won’t recognize yourself 90 days from now.

Charmaine Smith is an expert on SelfLove, Life Coach and an Inspirational Speaker. She believes that the most important relationship is the one you have with yourself. She helps women master the art of self-love by firstly cultivating and nourishing a relationship with God so they can experience true joy and happiness. www.selfologyzone.com

I spend ten minutes doing deep breathing exercises.

You can choose anytime of the day that you’re comfortable with, to do this.

April 2015 Amazing Women

37

W LIFESTYLE

ill You Age Gracefully or Fight It Until the End?

By Mary Smith-Moore last of life, for which the first was made. Our times are in his hand who saith, A whole I planned, youth shows but half; Trust God: See all nor be afraid! Robert Browning We'd all love to age gracefully, but it might be easier if we knew what the heck that meant.

I

never really gave getting old to much thought, I always knew that I would be a beautiful old broad, because of my mother's beauty, when she died at 76 she had no wrinkles and very little grey hair. She had been sick for the last year of her life, bed ridden, but still we keep her hair done, nail polished,and keep lotion on her beautiful skin.

My mother had been a very physical person, played sports, worked hard and had the muscular body features in her old age to prove it, Tina Turner legs, arms better than Angela Bassett, but what I noticed was after being bed ridden for almost a year my mother's body was still strong her muscle had not turn to flab. So I knew I was in good shape coming from good stock. lol. The other day my granddaughter and I were talking and she reminded me I was 59, Next year I would be 60, it hit me that I was a senior, a card carrying member of the old folks club. Was I going to be graceful about this, or go out kicking and screaming.

Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be, the first, the 38

Amazing Women April 2015

Does aging gracefully mean cheerfully accepting gray hair and other physical changes, the way Barbara Bush (87) seemingly does? Or, on the other hand, does it require staying eternally gorgeous as the years slide by, like Sophia Loren (77)? Is it keeping a busy schedule of work or public service, like Jimmy Carter (87) or Betty White (90)?

Or being super fit, like 68-year-old champion long jumper Carl Etter of Duluth. Those Beautiful Actresses Diane Caroll, Nancy Wilson, Barbara McNair, Lena Calhoun Horne Or maybe it's gradually slowing down, relaxing, spending time in the garden, enjoying the grandchildren ...

Depends on your perspective.

A few years ago Ecumen, the giant Shoreview-based senior housing and services company, compiled a list of graceful aging suggestions from customers and staff. They included such time-honored pieces of wisdom as "get enough sleep," "exercise," "get a yearly checkup," "drink and eat in moderation," "treat others with respect." Those tips, of course, are sound advice for people of any age. Others were a little more specific to older people:  Realize although your body deteriorates, your spirit

grows stronger if you allow it.  Dress in current styles. By adding a trendy piece to a

classic outfit, you will look and feel good.  Maintain muscle mass, which will protect you from

falling.

www.TeenConfidenceAcademy.com April 2015 Amazing Women

39

LIFESTYLE  Create milestones and work toward them. No matter

how big or small, the journey is a growing experience.

Want more? We decided to ask a few other local people with ties to organizations for older people what "aging gracefully" means to them.

Article By Kathy Read "Coping with the vicissitudes of aging with spirit, dignity and humor," is the succinct summary provided by LaRhae Knatterud, director of Aging Transformation for the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

One of Ecumen's tips was "Practice acceptance. Know that there's a very good chance that your mobility will lessen as you age. Think about how you will deal with that so that when that time comes, you can still live fully."

Nancy Eustis, 71, learned that lesson rather abruptly at age 40, when a car accident left her quadriplegic.

Since then, Eustis has worked on skills such as acceptance, gratitude, optimism, and taking one day at a time. As a retiree, she has been active in local organizations for older people, including Vital Aging Network and the Invisible Force.

To him, "aging gracefully" sounds too safe and passive, too much about riding quietly off into the sunset.

"A lot of people want to project the image that we receive in this country of aging. Not to be a burden. Not to do too much to rock the boat," he said. Don't settle for graceful aging, Theisen said. He encourages people to "age passionately," pursuing their interests and dreams with the help of loved ones and community resources Think, "What are my passions, what are my priorities, how do I get what I want?" Theisen urged. "I understand I've got some physical limitations, but I've got to find a way to live the way I envision myself living."

Katy Read • My 10 Tips For Aging Gracefully And Beautifully 1. Stay Hydrated 2. Eat Fresh As Much As Possible 3. Use Sun Protection 4. Quit Smoking 5. Exercise Regularly

"I have goals, projects and involvement with other people," said Eustis, retired professor emerita from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School. "I try to contribute, I get out of the apartment, and my juices keep flowing."

6. Skip Refined Sugar

Graceful aging, like so many other things, can depend on financial security, noted Milford Johnson, 79, a volunteer at the state Council on Black Minnesotans and host of the radio show Senior Perspectives at KMOJ, where he is popularly known as Brother Milford.

9. Focus On The Positive

In his senior-housing building, "there are women who have buried three husbands and sold three homes. They're growing old rather gracefully. They're out to the Ordway and the Guthrie and other cultural things," Johnson said.

"But people living in the poverty sector aren't living that kind of lifestyle. ... If you've got a minimal pension, social security and medicare, then you're living from month to month, for the most part."

Joel Theisen, CEO and founder of Lifespark (formerly AgeWell) an organization that provides home care and other services for seniors, has problems with the term itself.

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Amazing Women April 2015

7. Moisturize Regularly 8. Eat Good Fats

10. Get Your Beauty Rest Mary Smith-Moore, Author, CD Producer, Talk Show Host Of The Year (2014). Three Time Winner For 2013, Member Of The Speaking Troop Amazing Agents Of Change, Member several Masterminds Elite, Gold and Platinum Alumni, Founder Executive Producer and Host Of Christians Destined to Reign, Broad Member Of Walking In Wisdom Ministries Mission to feed the homeless. http://amazingwomenofpower.com/radio/mary-smithmoore; mary7god@aol.com

www.awoptalk247.com

April 2015 Amazing Women

41

LIFESTYLE

H

ow to Use Spring Cleaning to Lose Weight

By Kim Acedo, MS, CHWC

H

appy Spring! I know you East Coasters are overjoyed. Well, I say we celebrate by doing some Spring Cleaning that’s going to help you shed some unwanted inches. I’m not talking about shedding pounds by cleaning out your garage; rather, I’m talking about cleaning out your pantry.

But, before we dive into your pantry, can you relate to this?

Have you ever purchased a carton of strawberries from the produce section of your grocery store or even from a strawberry patch you’ve driven by? I love fresh strawberries so much that I would buy them in bulk, but I’ve learned my lesson. I’ve now learned to buy strawberries in a small portion at a time to make sure I could eat them all before they started to mold. Has this happened to you? I bring my fresh strawberries home, and if I don’t eat them within a few days, I end up having to throw them away. They start molding and they’re no good to eat after that.

On the other hand, the same is not true of those boxed and bagged items you have stocked in your pantry.

Check the expiration date on those items. Unlike the fresh strawberries, you are liable to find that those items that sit in your pantry day after day, week after week, and month after month (hopefully not year after year) have a long shelf life – sometimes years! Why is this?

Well, foods that usually come in a bag or a box and are located in the middle of your grocery store are processed foods, meaning they have been broken down so much in factories that what you’re left with is basically very little nutritional value. Not only do they offer you low nutritional value, they are also usually full of preservatives, artificial

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Amazing Women April 2015

colors and flavors, and a bunch of words you have to sound out to pronounce (I still can’t pronounce guanylate and inosinate).

Speaking of which, here’s my general rule of thumb: Look at the ingredients list. If there are more than five ingredients and you can’t pronounce half of them, put it back on the shelf. It’s not real food and it’s not worth your hard-earned money. Your body works hard for you; reward it with the healthy, wholesome, nutritious food it deserves.

Back to the strawberries. They’re an entirely different story. The reason they have such a short expiration date, even in the fridge, is because fresh, whole foods are so densely packed with nutrients and that’s just what bacteria are looking to feed off of. Bacteria can’t wait to tap into that highly nutritious food. On the other hand, processed foods have such little nutrition that those items are not even good enough for bacteria to eat.

So, let me ask you, why consume processed “foods” when they provide such little quality nutrition that even bacteria want to have nothing to do with it?

The take home message today is for you to begin to make better choices because it’s the cornerstone of a healthy diet. Frequently, when purchasing food, take a step back, examine your selections in your shopping cart, and make sure you’re feeding your precious body with nutritious food choices. Always, always, always strive for quality and choose to fuel your body with the BEST because that is what you deserve.

Today, to commemorate the arrival of the Spring season, I challenge you to throw away three items either in your pantry OR your fridge that you know shouldn’t be there.

These items are not serving you in any way, may have a laundry list of artificial ingredients, and you don’t need to keep housing them.

Here's what one of the last participants said about the course: “Leverage on your strengths! What a wonderful way to transform your health and well-being. This program is welcoming, challenging and has made a lasting impact on my life by helping me re-focus on the connectedness of my current health habits in regards to my sleep, food, mood and exercise. I stepped out of my comfort zone and committed to a program and wellness coach I did not know anything about. I gave Kim 100% of myself and followed the program, even though hard at times, Kim was there for me. Kim’s coaching ability allowed me to begin to see the strengths that have been hidden away for too many years.

The risks I took to share with Kim and the group gave me the confidence that I CAN move forward in my health and wellness journey in my 50’s and beyond.” -Jane G. Kim Acedo believes a healthy life is a life you’ll love! She partners with women in their 50’s who are ready, willing and able to make a healthy change in their lives and coaches them toward improving their Sleep, Food, Mood, and Exercise habits so that they can live a healthier and happier life.

Kim has a Master’s degree in Kinesiology, is a Certified Health & Wellness Coach, and is the owner of Transformation Wellness for Women where she works with her clients virtually in the comfort of their own home or office. Learn more: www.TransformationWellnessForWomen. com

Will you commit to that today? If so, your body thanks you.

Happy Spring Cleaning!

P.S. Do you feel the need to not only improve your Nutrition habits, but also your Sleep, Stress, and Exercise?

If that sounds like you, I have my 6-week online program "ReINVENT Your Health" specifically for women in midlife beginning May 7th. Secure one of the remaining spots here: www.TransformationWellnessForWomen.com.

April 2015 Amazing Women

43

LIFESTYLE

out of

AFRICA

By Rev. Basia Christ,PhD

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Amazing Women April 2015

As a writer I believe in the power of the written word. As an artist, though, I believe visuals make more of an impact.

Newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane made this observation in 1911 when he said, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

The plan was to meet the children at their private boarding school which is rated the best in the area. When we arrived at the school (shown above), I was shocked. By American standards, the condition of the buildings was deplorable.

With this in mind, my article will be a visual array of my three weeks in Africa to which I alluded in the January issue as I prepared for my trip.

The children saw Shari and I get out of the car and ran to us, surrounded us, and we enjoyed the biggest group hug ever. Their eyes were filled with gratitude for giving them a chance in life.

On the left are the mother of Leonard (who works for Shari Young, my best friend), his aunt, and niece who are members of the Maasai tribe from the Amboseli region in Kenya. When Shari heard from Leonard about the desire for Maasai children to have an education so they could have an a future in a country where its people live well below our poverty standards, she did something about it. Most parents are unable to provide their children an education, so two years ago she created the non-profit Amboseli Children's Fund (www.amboselichildrensfund. com). Shari is sending 16 children to boarding school, two other people are sending two, and I am sending two. The cost, only $34 per month, is nominal.

We were overwhelmed with the welcome we received not only from the children, but also from two parents who came to thank us.

As each child proudly took our hands and led us to their classrooms, I felt their joy and pride.

Although we had written letters and exchanged photos, Shari and I decided last October it was time to meet them.

It took 28 hours to get there (Orange County to Atlanta to Amsterdam to Kenya). However, the time flew because we knew they were waiting for us at the end of our journey.

April 2015 Amazing Women

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LIFESTYLE The classrooms had makeshift desks and chairs. The books were old and torn. The black chalkboards were cracked.

The walls were made of tin. The floors were dirt. There were no windows to stop the wind from blowing red dust onto everything or stop the heat from making us sweat.

The principal, who was our tour guide, said the children begin classes after a 7 a.m. breakfast consisting of a cup of tea. At 1 p.m., they receive a cup of tea and oatmeal or beans and rice for lunch. Supper is served at 7 p.m. and is the same food served at lunch. After supper, the children do homework until 9 p.m. Afterwards, the girls and boys go separately to large rooms filled tightly with bunk beds where they sleep.

there was a way to do a student exchange and switch these Amboseli children with children from Chicago, many of whom do not value the education given to them for free.)

On Saturday, we brought the 11 girls to the AA Amboseli Lodge for breakfast, swimming in a pool (which they had never seen before and were amazed at how clean the water was), and lunch.

We jumped in with our clothes. I showed them how to float and Shari showed them how to play with the pool toys.

On the tour, we saw how the children got water from a tank and carried it to the school.

After lounging on the chaises, we ate lunch in the restaurant.

The girls had never sat at a table with a cloth on it. They had no idea what to do with the napkins or silverware. They had never eaten vegetables or drank from ceramic cups.

They had never had dessert, fresh fruit, or fresh juice.

(Because the Maasai tribe is nomadic and cannot grow food in the desert, they drink cow's blood by tapping into the neck of the animals, their prized possession, which they use for money. Old men also use cows or goats as a dowry to buy young girls to be one of their many wives.)

The principal explained the difference between a private boarding school and a government-run school where many times children are without a teacher for weeks, yet walk miles every day to attend. (I thought about children in America. The double digit drop out rate. Chicago, where I was born, has a drop out rate among black males of 27%.)

Their teachers shared each child's ranking in their class, which is important. A child must be in the top ten in the class to have a chance at furthering their education. (I wish 46

Amazing Women April 2015

After lunch, we brought them into a large hall where we played games, blew up and bounced balloons, colored in coloring books, and read books.

We interviewed each child to learn more about them (they speak English). When asked what their dreams were, they had no idea what this meant. We explained they could wish for whatever they wanted. It was a question they all said no one ever had asked them.

During the interviews, the other children wrote compositions about their day at the lodge which Shari, Leonard, I read

later vissibly moved to tears. The common thread was they had never known such a place existed which had people to serve them delicious food; a swimming pool with clean, clear water; beautiful flowers; or lovely cottages (the Maasai live in huts made from cow's dung with no windows).

We fed the leopards, lions, and cheetahs cleaned chickens donated by local farmers. Sometimes the animals received a treat when a cow or horse died and their carcass was donated. The lions particularly loved the legs which were thrown over the large fences (by the men).

Each child received a new backpack filled with ageappropriate books, school supplies, and a letter of encouragement from Shari and me. Things we take for granted were life changing for them.

Volunteers put the animals into small compounds where they were fed as other volunteers picked up bones, feathers, and the animals' waste in large buckets. Clean water was provided and their houses were scrubbed daily. We did these chores in 100 degree heat with the South African sun showing no mercy.

On Sunday, we brought the nine boys who were given the same type of day. They also were amazed at the cleanliness of the pool and said the only place they had ever swam was in the swamp with all sorts of creatures, insects, and mud. Their knowledge of what to do at a table was the same as the girls.

At the end of each day, there were tears, long hugs, and promises to write. I was deeply moved by their joy and disheartened by the knowledge that even if they go to university, they will have a hard time finding employment.

On Monday, we flew to South Africa to begin the second leg of our trip, two weeks volunteering at The Cheetah Experience. We had no idea the hard work which was in store for us which we gladly (and naively) paid $350 per week to do.

Each day, we walked a mile on the dusty road from the volunteer house to the large farm. We were given our chores for the day which included patrolling the grounds picking up "waste" from several dogs and two cheetahs which roamed amongst us, feeding, and cleaning compounds.

However, in spite of the hard work, the good news is we had the opportunity to play with the animals - a lot.

Many times I played tug-of-war with 4-month-old caracals, Jupiter and Orion, and Genje, a 4-month-old cheetah.

After a week, I was finally "accepted into the pack" first by Shakira, the white Alpha, and then Nikita, both Canadian wolves (strange story how they wound up in Africa, but no time to tell it).

By the time the second week arrived, Shari and I were considering the impulsiveness of "let's go to Africa to take care of some wild animals."

Thankfully, we stuck it out.

At the beginning of the following week, I made April 2015 Amazing Women

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LIFESTYLE friends with Luna, a beautiful one-year-old black leopard the staff referred to as "Looney Luna." I learned why she was given this name the day I took her for a walk on a leash - accompanied by a staff member, of course.

The walk started off well until Luna decided I was walking too slow. She wanted to run or tried to pull me into the brush because she caught a scent of something.

She is strong and powerful. The staff member and I finally convinced her she had to listen to me (thank God we brought chicken strips).

The day was beautiful, but I kept my eyes on the sleek black animal the entire time, making sure she did not run into the tall weeds surrounding the path. You never know what critters are lurking - or crawling - perhaps South Africa's millipedes which are almost two feet long (and do have a thousand legs which carry them smoothly over the rough terrain).

Because I studied, by Tuesday I became a tour guide.

Visitors come every day to see the orphaned animals which also include a pygmy goat, two grey owls, meerkats, servals, caracals, and five lions (two rare white).

It was amazing to me how parents let their children do what they want - even after we warned them to watch their children closely. (Big cats are notorious for stalking little children.) Several times I had to grab a child from the fence because a cheetah was running full speed towards the child while a parent was looking elsewhere.

An important part of the tour guide's job is to educate visitors, especially about the endangered animals (leopards, cheetahs, and caracals) The Cheetah Experience is breeding and relocating to safe areas. These beautiful animals may not be around much longer. (I was told there are only 7,000 cheetahs left in South Africa and approximately 30,000 in the world.)

We educated visitors about caged lion hunts. Several "farms" raise adorable baby lion cubs with which tourists pay big money to play. When the lions are young, a man driving a pickup truck brings food so these animals no longer fear humans and associate the truck with feeding.

What tourists do not know is when the females mature, they are put into small cages and bred and bred and bred.

When male lions mature, the owners sell them to men who put them into small "camps" until the animal settles down.

Then the owners bring in "big game hunters" who are driven into the small compound in a pick up truck. When the lion sees the truck, it thinks it is going to be fed and runs to the truck. The "hunter" stands up and shoots the lion in the side so as not to ruin the head with its beautiful mane "his trophy." The lion does not die quickly; it slowly bleeds out. I was told many times the "hunter" only has his picture taken with the carcass or the head is severed and sent to a taxidermist.

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This is legal in South Africa. because there is a lot of money to be made. Men pay big money for the "thrill" of killing these defenseless, tame lions. There is no organization like ASPCA or PETA to protect these beautiful animals from the cruelty of these caged hunts.

I said good-bye to Buttercup, the pygmy goat, the most dangerous animal I encountered there. She consistently snuck up and butted me in the butt whenever I cleaned her compound and stuck her head through the fence for a bite.

On the last day before our 30-hour trip home, I walked around and said good-bye to the volunteers who were from Australia, Belgium, England, New Zealand, Norway, and Texas. We had shared an experience which is difficult to put into words - and the pictures only tell a small part of the experience.

I said good-bye to the animals, starting with Eden, pictured below. She and I had a special bond. Whenever I did a tour, she would run to the fence. People thought she was charging, but I knew she recognized me as a friend.

And Pluto, the gorgeous caracal that always looked happy...

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LIFESTYLE 3-year-old Acinonyx roared his good-bye ...

Angie, the mother meerkat (the second most dangerous which bit me the second day I was cleaning her cage) obviously did not care I stopped to say good-bye...

One more rub for Alegra and quick good-byes to the wolves, Luna, Faith, and Eden, shown on the front cover, which I slept with under the South African full moon and stars. (Actually, I didn't sleep because they sandwiched me on the blanket and took turns purring into my ear all night as I watched Orion cross across the sky which was filled with more stars and galaxies I had ever seen.)

I have hundreds of pictures and many memories - some of them which still haunt me - the poverty of the African people - and some which will forever bring me joy - the faces of the children as they read to us, drew for us, played soccer, and swam with each other. How the older children watched out for the little ones. There was no bullying or fighting over toys. There were no angry words amongst them. Just joy for meeting us and having the opportunity to learn.

I encourage those reading this article, to please find it in your heart to support one of the children ... it is only $34 per month - less than a Starbucks coffee per day for a month. You can change a child's future. Please go to www. amboselichildrensfund.com to make a donation.

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Amazing Women April 2015

Rev. Basia Christ, M.Div. has a Ph.D. in Transformational Counseling. She has written for Today’s Woman, Beach Cities Style, Radiance, and Empowering Women magazines, of course, Amazing Women, and the OC Register.

She donated her kidney anonymously on November 3, 2010.

Basia advocates for human trafficking victims through presentations and fundraising She is available for presentations on human trafficking, gender equality, being a living kidney

donor, and Reaching Your Greatness. For more information, call 949.690.1257 or email basia@basiachrist.com. www.basiachrist.com.

Listen to her show "Speaking from Spirit: Become Who You are Meant to Be: on Sundays at noon PCT on the Amazing Women of Power Network, powered by Raven International.

You can purchase her book, From Ash to Flame: Women Rising by clicking on the following link: www.createspace.com/3943686

Educating one Mtoto* at a time

Yes, you can make a difference.

"The Amboseli Children's fund is dedicated to the empowerment of Maasai children through continuing education. Our emphasis is on educating noe child at a time in the Amboseli area of Kenya. These children will have demonstrated a desire for learning and education to better enable them to face the challenges they will encounter in the 21st Century."

We are a small organization with no overhead costs. 100% of your donation goes to the child's school fees, books, and tuition. For less than $1 a day, you can send a mtoto (*child) to school for a year.

Click here to donate! http://amboselichildrensfund.com

April 2015 Amazing Women

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ENTERTAINMENT

How To Make Every Place You’re in “The Right Place At The Right Time” An Interview with Legendary Talk Show Host ...

M W

By Raven Blair Glover

ontel

illiams

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Amazing Women April 2015

Raven: Montel, from my heart, thank you so much for being here definitely a dream come true interview..

Montel. Thanks for having me Raven.

This very powerful message that you have for listeners, it’s not just about empowerment over a certain age. It’s about empowerment. It’s about taking charge of your life, and that message especially right now couldn’t be more poignant for people of every age to start to determine that you don’t have to live down to anyone else’s expectations. You can set the bar as high as you want for yourself, and attempt it. Not just attempt, strive to live up to that bar, and I’ll guarantee you start way further than anybody expected you to be. There’s no ifs, ands or buts that whether you believe or not, as much as given is as much as expected. Unless you do what is expected of you, or it comes back to you may not necessarily be ten fold what you want, but it will be tenfold.

Seventeen years of my own show, I was in people’s living rooms everyday for seventeen years. Really, one of the only shows of the history of television to maintain the identical core, we ended up with about three million people watching, and we started out with about three million people watching. We went up as high as seven or eight million people watching everyday, and it stayed that way for many years. Then, it stayed at three. Three million people, I think like some of your listeners felt a void Believe me, right now I’m trying to fill that void through Montel across America, which is my radio show which you can kind of tune into and catch me streaming live. This is an opportunity that I’ve wanted for a long time. It’s part of the public discord.

I think anybody who knows me and remembers anything that I’ve said along the way is that number one

if we want to sit back and complain about the ills of our society and not step up to the plate to do something about it, then you may as well keep your mouth shut.

For me, right now, this is an opportunity for me to not just complain about the ills of our society, but to try to motivate others to understand that we can make it an individual difference, and the individual does make a difference.

It’s really incredible just keeping in mind what it is you’re trying to promote, and that is you’re making your listeners understand that again, we live in a time that right now may be described as one of the most stressful economic and depressions or recessions that we face, but what we haven’t been paying attention to is that this economic downturn, this downturn financially and fiscally for a lot of us is causing an emotional and psychological downturn that we may not bounce back from as quickly as the stock market does.

People have to stop and pay attention to your emotional health and your psychological well-being because without that, you’re like the pillars of a building, the four corners of a building. That’s one of those corners that has to be shored up, or none of the rest works. It’s very funny. I’ve got an opportunity; a lot of people have called for this network, America Progressive Radio. For some reason, that’s taken on some bad name or some bad moniker in society.

I’ve become a part of Air America’s Network because they really firmly believe in independence, and they believe in unfaltering. This gives me an opportunity to speak to you completely unfiltered. I’ve never been one to filter my feelings or filter my opinion, and for now you’re not going to get it. I’m also hoping that like I tried to do throughout the entire time the Montel Williams Show was on the air,

that is try to give you the information that can help you best make decisions for yourself, and then canalize you into action.

I think unfortunately so many of us are just sitting back and waiting for things to happen to us rather than understand that we can be proactive and make things happen ourselves. It’s like that old stupid saying, “A person who is in the right place at the right time.” No, that’s a bunch of garbage. You should be making everyplace you’re in the right time every time, and good things will happen.

One of the things that’s so crazy, I think we go through life and forget how fleeting it is. Let me give you a little story. It was about almost ten years ago, as a matter of fact, it’s crazy but I just thought about that because it was pretty much ten years ago this month that I was laying on a gurney in Manhattan at Beth Israel North and watched my heartbeat go from 61 to 42 to 33 to 27 to 15-16 before I blacked out and thought that I heard the little noise.

When they called the code blue and all the doctors come running in, and they touched me on the chest. They started performing CPR to bring me back.

Then, I went through an 18-hour surgery the next day. I started to recognize and truly understand the value of every breath I take. For us to actually not even ponder how important those seconds are. I know that seems a little bit lofty, but I almost completely checked out.

Had I been gone and died and not carried on any of the work that I’ve done, three million people might not have gotten medication that got medication through that program that I did for two years called the PPA program. If I had passed away, another twenty kids may not have April 2015 Amazing Women

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ENTERTAINMENT gone to college. Had I passed away, we may not have had more people interested in voting. Who knows? For whatever those reasons, there’s a reason for me to be here.

So, every single day that I wake up in the morning, I find it an abomination that others don’t think this way. I don’t get up in the morning ever with any trepidation or any anxiety about what the next day has to offer me because I’m having an opportunity just to participate in that day.

That right there should bring me joy enough to expect of myself the best that I can do that day. To be any less is really just, you’re not living. You’re really just marking time waiting to die.

You’re cheating yourself, but then, here’s what’s so crazy.

Why do you have to wait for the wake up call? Someone else is giving it to you. I’m giving it to you. Raven, you’re giving it out when you talk about the experiences that take place in your

life.

People should stop and learn from that rather than sit back and wait for life to give you something. That’s the attitude of waiting to be in the right place at the right time. No, make sure you’re in the right place every time, and you should do that in every aspect of your life.

Most of us right now, there are people out there who are listening to this radio show and they just lost their job, and they’re saying, “Oh, Montel, you don’t know what you’re talking about.

How can you be positive when you know I went to work yesterday, and for no reason whatsoever, the boss just fired me?”

Well, you know what happened, that just gave you an opportunity to go out and look and see what other skills you have that are marketable. About a year and a half ago, I had a person call me on the phone who really didn’t have control, but I had control, and literally fired me on the phone, just over a phone call after I worked for this company for seventeen years. I get a fire over the phone. Now, it’s really kind of crazy.

I wrote about this in my last book Living Well Emotionally, and you know, I’m not trying to in any way shape or form imply that my fire precipitated what happen, but the person did this over the phone after a seventeen year relationship, a month later drops dead of a massive heart attack.

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He was one of the top people in this entire industry. I could have rolled over and cried and went, “Oh woe is me, oh woe is me,” but instead I was unemployed for a year and a half. In that process, started looking at the skills that I have, and it’s crazy like a blessing this opportunity for this radio show fell from the sky. I could have just sat around and said, “I don’t want to do radio. I’m a television talk show host, no, no, no.” There’s an opportunity here in radio that I never knew existed, and once I found out it existed, I had to jump as quickly as I could to see if I could beat people down and beat the doors down to open one up to get this radio show, and I got it.

So, the thing is rather than sit back and wallow in the misery of an incident, I decided to use that as a springboard, did the most discerning thinking to figure out the tools that I had that were worth marketing, and have gone out and marketed them.

Just in this thought process, just remember, even for your listeners, those out there right now who may be in a situation where they feel little a down. No one has knocked you out. Thomas Edison tried a thousand times before he figured out how to light a light bulb.

Walt Disney got canned by his bosses because they accused him of having a lack of imagination.

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were blown off by both Hewitt Packard at a time when they pitched their prototype Apple Computer.

J.K. Rowling, a mother who was homeless living in the back seat of a car, attempted to get her books; Harry Potter published, and was passed on by every one of the top publishers in all of London. It took a very small publisher to publish her and that woman is now worth a billion dollars.

Michael Jordan, he was caught by his high school basketball team and goes on to still be the preeminent basketball player that everyone compares every other player in the league, too. You’ll see the same thing probably happen right here with President Obama, born in a situation at a time where most people would consider him written off. He’s now the president of the United States, and will probably end up be one of the most influential presidents in the history of this country. One of the things about his message that his so powerful and so real is the message of inclusion, the message of everyone matters, everyone’s opinion is worth hearing as long as it’s an opinion that’s tendered with respect.

Isn’t it interesting that it takes a new president new to the walls of Washington, DC to remind those in DC to respect those who put them there. I think the good thing is that we’re living in a time of openness.

The information is there to be able to make good decisions based on fact not decisions made based on hyperbole and a bunch of garbage.

I’m really happy with the times that we live in, and with the times we live in for us as individuals.

Your message to the women and men across this country that it’s time for us to take charge of our lives, transform our life, that’s what I wrote about in my book, Living Well, how to transform your life and supercharge your health, how to live well emotionally and breakthrough to a life of happiness even in tough times. Both of these books I’ve just written, I think can help you step through a path to get there.

Raven: Living Well Emotionally Breakthrough to a Life of Happiness is Montel’s latest book, a New York Times best-selling author. Listeners, you have to pick this book up it's

amazing, Montel. Thank you Raven, you know your show is geared for women over forty. I’m 52, and I’m proud of it, and I have more ravages going against my body than I think the normal person does, but the truth is through this book Living Well Emotionally, I tap into some wisdom of the ages, and I’ve tapped into some information that’s helping me maintain as healthy a life as I can even with MS, helping maintain the vigor that I have, helping maintain the attitude that I have, all through programming. or that I have, helping maintain the attitude that I have, all through programming.

Of course, any of your listeners can come on with my website. It’s MontelMedia.com, and get some information today. This is something that is kind of exclusive. You’re the first radio show that I’ve had an opportunity to talk to about this. Right now, on my online website, if you come up and you press the icon that talks about Protandem.

I have a product on our website that right now will make a difference in your life in a couple of ways. One, everybody is looking for the fountain of youth, and everybody is trying to figure out how they can fight off the ravages of aging and also of disease, heart disease and cancer and other things.

That are some things out there that can help us. We all know that anti-oxidants have been a radical breakthrough right now when it comes to your health, taking anti-oxidants is what helps remove the free radicals from your system.

Free radicals is what causes the damage and aging, and also causes oxidated stress which can lead to things like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and other things.

I have a product on my website right night called Protandem. I’ve been taking it for three years straight. You wonder why I look the way I do at 52 with no wrinkles around the eyes, take a look at this product. Not only should you look at it from the standpoint and taking it and consuming it yourself, but there’s an opportunity right now to become part of the business of Protandem, and we identify right there on my website.

So, it’s MontelMedia.com, all you have to do is mention my name, and you can end up getting more information about the product and I’m telling you it shows you step by step through my two books plus this, how you can kind of maintain your health and combat the ravages of aging and the ravages of bad care.

You know right now the African American community is hit the hardest when it comes to foreclosure, and media and information, stats that have come out very recently say that most people are know more than $350 a way from a foreclosure. If that $350 extra a month, that would have stopped or prevented their foreclosure. Through a program like Protandem, you have the potential to April 2015 Amazing Women

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ENTERTAINMENT make that and much, much more.

Raven: I want to talk about in chapter one I believe it was, the very first chapter, you talk about the brightest and darkest place. You said, “I am having a heart attack. Oh my God, I think I’m having a heart attack right in the middle of a casino lobby in Las Vegas.” I think you said instead of you thinking about the good things, you were thinking about cameras and everybody being around you .

Montel. What happened was I was going to an event that was called The Ante Up for Africa. It was an event that raises money for Darfur. Don Cheadle and a woman by the name of Annie Good put it on every year during the World Series of Poker. They were raising almost a half a million to a million dollars every single year for Aid to Darfur.

It happens to take place right there the first week of July, which is normally the hottest time of the year in Las Vegas, and most of your listeners know that I suffer from MS. Because of MS, I am extremely heat sensitive. If the temperature goes above 85 degrees and it shuts me down just like a short circuit to your computer. I step out of limousine and have to walk about fifty yards, sixty yard red carpet into the back of the Rio and it was about 117 degrees.

It was one of the hottest days on record. I literally stepped out of the car and one of the symptoms that a lot of us who have MS have is something called a chest hug. What that is because again your brain is short-circuiting, I’m saying this as elementary as I can.

When that short circuit happens, it’s not sending a signal to the diaphragm.

So, your diaphragm can contract or freeze, and your diaphragm if you 56

Amazing Women April 2015

suck in air, if that doesn’t expand, you can’t breath, and if it clamps down, it can stop you from even catching your breath. My diaphragm locked up so hard from the heat that I literally thought I was having a heart attack. I didn’t even think chest hug. I thought heart attack.

can control right then and there, like right this minute with people listening to me. If you decided right this second to just start thinking about positive things, start thinking about things that you remember that are the most beautiful thoughts and memories that you have.

So, then I thought, “Okay, here I go.

I’m going to fall down on the floor right down in the lobby of the Rio, and there’s going to be all these people taking pictures of me going, ‘Oh, there’s Montel.’” Of course, you know at six o’clock on the news, they’re going to have a picture of me dying.

You will within two minutes change the way you feel and the mood that you’re in, no ifs ands or buts, and I realized that when I was getting ready to fall down on this floor at the Rio that if I just stopped for a second, and stop with the negative, “I’m dying,” thought and start remembering that I’m not dying, I’m okay. Montel stand up. You can talk yourself out of an abyss as quickly as you can talk yourself into one.

So, of course, I started spiraling myself down into a deep state of depression before I realized, “No, I’m not having a heart attack. It’s a hug.” I had to stop and regroup, and part of the reason I talk about that story is that what I’m trying to do is I’m trying to prove to people that it doesn’t matter how bad things are, you have control of how you feel at every given second of the day. You have control emotionally.

In fact, logically, forty percent of how you feel, you can control right then.

There’s a brand new formula, I think it’s called Happiness Formula, it was produced by a doctor and they came out and identified the fact that genetically, we all have a preset happiness quotient about how happy we can be.

That represents about 50% of how we feel at any given day. You can be only so happy, and you’re only going to be but so sad. Another ten percent about how you feel at any given second of the day is controlled by your environment.

You got fired. You got in an argument.

You broke up with a loved one. You lost a person who passed away. Ten percent of how you feel at a given second is based on environmental things. The other forty percent, you

Raven: You pushed past your pain to assist others with multiple sclerosis.

If I’m not mistaken, you’ve given over $1.2 million in grants.

Montel. It’s crazy. The Montel Williams MS Foundation has been able to give out grants over the last three years, really the last four years when we started giving out grants, and that’s some of the top hospitals around the world – Harvard, John Hopkins, the Nobel institute in Stockholm, Sweden, UC San Francisco. We’ve given out grants around the world trying to see if we could do what everybody wants to do, and that’s try to come up with a cure. In the interim while we’re waiting for a cure, I also want people to understand that you can impact the way you feel every single day.

Number one, taking charge of your life includes taking charge of your diet, exercising and taking charge of your self emotionally. That’s what it’s all about.

We’re going to be getting ready to do a whole series around the country which is just living well. That’s how

MUSICMIXINGSUCCESS.COM

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ENTERTAINMENT people tap into the fact that even during the toughest times we can still strive and flourish. You just have to put yourself in the right mindset, and it can be done. We have a campaign that’s going on right now at the Montel Williams MS Foundation which is one dollar, one person. If you want to assist right now, we’re trying our best to put together again more money for research for MS. That’s the most important thing you can do.

Come on to my website which is MontelMS.org, and we have a really great campaign. See, a lot of people don’t think that they can make a difference. I’m telling you that if you call three friends and say, “Look, I’m giving a dollar to the Montel Williams MS Foundation. Will you give a dollar too?

Call a friend to give a dollar.” If I have 10,000 people to give a dollar, I’ve got $10,000. With that $10,0000, we fund research that doesn’t go into people’s pockets to buy desks and buy computers and buy carpets and chairs and salaries. We fund the research down to the Petri dish.

So, we have an advisory committee that reviews all grants that we put out, and those grants are for specific research issues that can come up with definitive markers. Do you understand what I’m saying? We’re not funding the projects that are five years in the making. We’re going after projects that have the most efficacy to see if they can come up with something that can move this whole process forward.

Raven: Final question, as we close out, as the greatest talk show host of all time, Montel Williams, what golden nugget can give you those aspiring to be – not just a good talk show host but a great one like you.

Montel. This has more to do with not just the method of being a great 58

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talk show host, this is how to be, and I hate to use the corny phrase but all that you were meant to be. I’m living on this planet hoping that on that reckoning day, the day that I have to go see my maker, I can stand before them and say, “I used every gift that you gave me to better mankind.”

There should be no other goal.

Honestly, for life, and how I did that and how I will do that from now until the day that I meet that person, I do that by this one tool. I alone own the definition of who I am. For how much is given, that much is expected. That’s just part of life. That goes along with that. I feel like that is almost one of the rules of life rather than a saying by virtue of the fact that I was given air to breath. That’s what I owe back, so as much as given that much is expected.

The truth is if you live your life never living up to or down to any one else’s expectations but your own, you set the bar. If I had listened to the garbage that people said to me as a child, I’m a child that was born in one of the biggest ghettos of all the entire east coast of America which was Baltimore Cherry Hill. That’s where Bethlehem Steel was. That was one of the first national clean-up sites, and when the federal money was put forth to clean up waste dump area, I was born and lived three blocks from that dump when I was born. If you go back to my neighborhood right now, I believe that out of the fourteen or fifteen African American male children that were born in that neighborhood, I may be one of two that may be alive today.

Some of my fellow mates that were born in that area lived down to other people’s expectations because they wound up as one of the statistics that are in jail. When I was in elementary school, I had a teacher look me in the face and told me that just because by virtue of the color of my skin, I would never be anything in life. Rather than

live down to her expectations fulfill her dream, I decided to fight against that my whole life, and that’s the reason why I pursued education as hard as I have. That’s the reason why I’m so angry that we in our community haven’t understood the fact that a 75 percent dropout rate among African American children in this country is an abomination. That’s no one’s fault by ours. It’s not about being in the right place at the right time. It’s about making every place you’re in the right time every time. For more interviews like this, go to www. amazingwomenandmenofpower. com

If you like to here this listen to this interview with Montel click here http:// raven.audioacrobat.com/ download/5b5fa15c-37ca0e23-c0e3-2ba5cb1b39b0. mp3 Former CNN / CBS radio personality Raven a.k.a. the Talk Show Maven, known by many as the Queen of Internet Radio Conversion is an award winning talk show host, a speaker, an author, celebrity interviewer, and founder of Amazing Women of Power Network, the world's leading positive programing network. Raven has 30+ years of sales expertise and worked for some top fortune 500 corporations, like MCI and Cendant. She teaches entrepreneurs and talk show hosts worldwide how to Rock their business or radio talk all the way to the bank by turning their conversations into cash... right from their kitchen table!

O

nce upon

a time...

They Struggled...

• • • • •

to define their mission to stand out from the competition to communicate their messages to connect with clients and customers to generate generous revenue

Then she helped them unlock the power of their own stories.

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Contact Sandra at: info@StrategicStorySolutions.com info@StrategicStorySolutions.com or call her at 800-398-9775 April 2015 Amazing Women

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Amazing Amazin men AMAZING MEN

a publication of Raven International Media

magazine

Turn the page to see what Amazing Men are featured in this month's issue >

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P

ut Some Skin in the Game

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inning online boils down to having the right people looking at your offers who can make a buying decision. We cannot force people to buy our products, but we can present them with the most irresistible offers about which they dream.

By Ced Reynolds

One of the secrets I've been using for a long time is "paying it forward." I mean literally including money in my budget just to give away for folks to take a look at my offers.

I first thought this would only work in a particular niche but I started reaching beyond the niche I started in and it worked there also.

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AMAZING MEN Paying it forward is more than a concept. It's no different than the grocery store that gives away samples of products in hopes that their customers like enough to make a purchase on the spot or later. It has to work, otherwise they wouldn't still be doing it.

fact the majority of them never buy. So why do I continue to pay it forward? It flat out works. It's all a system. Sticking with the system works in the long run. Giving up front pays and pays again and again. The people who buy from me generally buy more than once and that's a good thing.

I've been observing how offline businesses do business and began to bring some of the marketing strategies that have got me and thousands of others to "buy" to the internet.

Giving samples away up front has worked like a charm in small and large businesses. I found this to be true especially in online niche markets.

Look at your niche. What is it that you can offer them for free? I'm not talking about something you get for free. I'm talking about something of value that you pay for and are willing to give away for free. This is when you know you have skin in the game. Put your skin in the game and pay it forward.

Working on the internet in the business opportunity and advertising niches has opened up my mind to a world of people who are always looking for better ways to expose their offers and get more quality leads. What people don't realize is I really have the same goals they have. I want more exposure and more leads also.

Continuing to pay it forward,

In order to get exposure and more leads I advertise like a lot or marketers do. Of course I do other stuff also but I know I have to put money into what I'm doing in order to generate quality prospects who genuinely have an interest in my offering. Rather than just putting all my money into advertising my offer via a product or opportunity related squeeze page, I offer a great and I mean great resource my target market is looking for.

Pastor Ced Click http://greatmobilebiz.mobi to see how I put my skin in the game Ced Reynolds, Entrepreneurial Pastor and award-winning host of The Entrepreneurial Pastor Speaks on the Amazing Men of Power on the Amazing Women of Power Radio Network. Also co-author of The 6 Steps To Succeeding In Life and Business. Text phrase success lessons to 96000 on your mobile phone and receive your free audio of PICTURE IT. http://succeedinginlifeandbusiness. com. See Google Hangout Replay @ http://hangout. succeedinlifeandbusiness.com.

I'm getting people to look at all of my offers the exact same way. It's not just working for me alone either. I have customers who are now using the same formula with tremendous success. Several of them have gotten to a point where they aren't even spending any of their own money anymore to implement the formula.

When I discovered how to give people what they were looking for first, I noticed how they would take a moment to look at my offers as a courtesy. Even if I get 2 out of 10 to take my offer, I'm ahead of the game. Those other 8 who looked got tremendous value just for looking plus they are now on my list.

What makes paying it forward work so well is all the options I get continue to receive pertinent information from me in emails. In addition they receive soft offers that will save them money if they work with me instead of their current provider. Not all the folks on my lists become buyers. In 62

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ou Can't Do It All!

After years of sacrificing precious time as an underpaid freelancer, raising fantastic kids while working nights to grow a business, I started diving into the “guru” business courses. The people and ideas I met were awesome; but, I knew something was missing.

Some people I met through the guru courses were earning decent incomes, but felt trapped by their own businesses.

Most others just were NOT making money! That's a problem.

Get this...I was a work-from-home dad. My wife still had her corporate job while I only carried memories of a corporate job that downsized me. That was the world where I trained corporate Human Resources departments, won big clients for my bosses, proposed the creation of

By Andrew Angle

new products that my employer patently rejected – ideas that later proved to be worth billions... it was a world where executives referred to me as “Executive Material” shortly before laying me off in a corporate buyout. That corporate “pink slip” (kindly handed to me on my birthday) was my ticket into freelancing.

Business can be tough, especially for solo entrepreneurs.

We constantly hear buzz phrases like, “work your own hours” and “unlimited income potential.” Get real! Those statements often mean “work ALL hours” and “unlimited income risk”.

Over the years I have studied and even met face-to-face with top entrepreneurs including founders of Pizza Hut, Microsoft, Dell Computer Corp, Turner Broadcasting, and April 2015 Amazing Women

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AMAZING MEN many others, all to find the answer to the question, “What makes your business so successful?” The #1 answer? “It's our PEOPLE.” Ah HA!!! It's people designing the systems.

Its people that DO the work of identifying needs, building products, selling, delivering, and supporting the stuff that we open our wallets to consume! So... if it's people turning ideas into successful companies, WHY are we working solo?

Outsource your weaknesses! Do you have PEOPLE helping to build your business? Will taking a day off work set your business (and income) another day behind? Do you blaze through every task in your business painlessly?

What aspects of running your business do you hate? If you are a solo entrepreneur, you may be capping your own success. Ask yourself this...

Do you own your business, or does your business own you? When you recognize that it's time for your business to grow, you can out-task, outsource, crowd source, or hire W2 employees. Your recipe for success depends on you finding the right people and being skillfully ready to maximize the profitability of their contribution in your business. If you are the boss, be a good one! *= Make time to learn how to plan more effectively

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Amazing Women April 2015

Andrew started his first business at the age of 16 doing singing telegrams. It cost nothing to start and he found a big demand for it. It was a story quickly landed in local newspapers. Since then his passion for business took him to college where he became President of the Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs, launched successful fundraisers, paid his way through school by selling academic study guides door-to-door, and eventually entered the corporate world of Human Resources software before launching a web development consultancy firm. He has been a work-from-home executive dad for a decade, listing both business and family as his greatest passions. As a web developer he created the online presence for a wide range of companies representing billions of dollars in annual sales across industrial, real estate, pharmaceutical, automotive, and “mom & pop” shops. When work piled up, the solo freelancing model proved to be inadequate structure for getting work done and still have time for family. That was when he began outsourcing, realizing that he should started that way from the beginning. Today his experience covers deep levels of niche selection, marketing, SEO, PPC, Social Media, Public Relations, e-Product & Project Management, plus the hiring, managing, and firing that goes along with it. Master of Business Acceleration,™ www.masterofbusinessacceleration.com; 800-651-9027

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April 2015 Amazing Women

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