Exceptional People Magazine-July-August 2011 Part One by Atela Productions, Inc.

www.exceptionalmag.com

July-August 2011

CONTENTS

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Cover Story— Dr. Julianne Malveaux—Notable Economist Shares Views on Race, Culture and the Economy Winston Scott—Excellence -Above and Beyond Michelle Hollaender—Helping Hands for Central American Communities

Derrick Miles—Using His Spiritual Gift to Change Lives

David Riklan—SelfImprovement Guru Shares Resources with Millions

Empowerment 45

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

Success Elements That Make Your Copy Sell

How Do You Define Success

Six Common Mistaken Career Beliefs

Minding My Business 25

Top Five Twitter Tips

Dana Humphrey—World Traveler and Public Relations Expert

Coming to Terms with Investment Risks

Use IF to Negotiate Successfully

Small Business Marketing Online

Secrets and Techniques to Sell Yourself, Product and Service

Improving Your Mutual Fund Returns

Do you know the direction in which you're headed? We have an internal compass -- our mind -- to guide us to success. Find a mentor or coach to help you stay on course.

Letter From

The Founder

The Mind. A masterpiece, when molded and sculptured to focus on success.

Dear Friend, Welcome to the July-August 2011 issue of Exceptional People Magazine. The Mind. An ingenious tool that, when used constructively, will allow you to conceive ideas of gold, and lead you to endless possibilities. What’s on your mind today? Are you allowing what’s happening in the economy to motivate or drive your thought processes? Why do some people seem to succeed, regardless of their circumstances? How do they go from nothing to obtaining remarkable results? How are they able to turn their adversities into victories? It’s because of their mindset. They envision themselves moving beyond their circumstances and they take action to bring about change. Many of life’s circumstances are not within our control but how we react is within our control. Success is a choice that is within your reach. To achieve it, you must often remove negative thoughts and views and negative people that are blocking your success. How you react to life’s circumstances and the results you obtain, are a direct correlation to your beliefs. According to your beliefs, so shall it be. Clearing your mind of negative thoughts is an ongoing process. I often compare it to cleaning a home. You don’t clean your home once and say it needs no additional cleaning or maintenance. You must maintain it daily, or at least weekly, to preserve its appearance and provide pleasant surroundings. What are you thinking right now? Susan Ellis didn’t allow her child’s fight with autism keep her from finding a solution to helping him learn how to write. As a result, she turned her solution into a viable business that is helping thousands of children. Just before graduating from college at age 22, Nicko Williamson made the decision to become an entrepreneur. Almost four years later, his business has grown tremendously. These are just a couple of people in this issue from whom you will glean a wealth of knowledge and insights to help you build your ideas of gold and lead you to endless possibilities. The Mind. An intangible source which lets you choose your destiny. Exceptional People Magazine is not just a magazine. It is a life-changing experience. Send us your letters at www.exceptionalmag.com/contact.html. Tell us what you want to read in Exceptional People Magazine. Sincerely,

Dr. Julianne Malveaux

Notable Economist Shares Views on Race, Culture and the Economy

Extraordinary Profiles

An iconic

intellectual, economist and well-noted author, Dr. Julianne Malveaux has the remarkable ability to help lay persons clearly understand the mechanics of economics.

entrepreneurship, excellence in communications and global awareness.

MSNBC, CNBC, C-SPAN and others.

The campus boasts a landscape of four new buildings. The student body continues to expand, and there is renewed vision, purpose and passion among the students.

Dr. Malveaux graciously took time from her busy schedule to share powerful insights with the publisher of Exceptional People Magazine during the Power Networking Conference in Atlanta, GA.

Her unique style and approach to the science of economics have earned her considerable recognition. She has incredible foresight on the impact that the economy has upon our daily lives and how we will be affected in the future. Though much of her work is focused on African Americans, she has a deep passion for discovering the affects of the economy on Americans and people around the world. Dr. Malveaux has shared her knowledge with countless audiences.

Monica: Over the years you have contributed to public dialogue on issues such as race and gender. The things that you have talked about have encouraged people to change the way that they think about such issues. How has race and culture affected the economy, or conversely, how has the economy affected race and culture?

As President of Bennett College for Women and through her other works, Dr. Malveaux continues to have an impact on the lives of many women. She has made significant contributions to the lives of the college students there who are seeking to live exceptional lives and become future leaders. Her remarkable transformation of America’s oldest historically black college for women is evident through its physical appearance, as well as its curriculum. She has identified four key areas to prepare the students for tomorrow’s global economy: women’s leadership,

Focusing on important issues of race and economics, Dr. Malveaux has imparted in-depth knowledge to audiences on networks such as CNN, BET, PBS, NBC, ABC, Fox News,

Dr. Malveaux: Racism is at the basis of the growth of the American economy. As we know, enslavement was responsible for the development of much of the wealth of this country. So we look at this country and we look at enslavement, the two are very much linked. In order to justify enslaving human beings people had to develop an ideology of racial inferiority, and that essentially infused itself through our country and through our country’s thinking. Really it’s still here in some ways, though less so than 100 years ago or fifty years ago. You have people who believe that Black people are inferior.

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So in order to justify the accumulation of wealth, you essentially have to demonize a people. So that essentially is how the economy has affected the way we think about race in America. We still have some economic differentials. African Americans on average earn less than whites and have

less wealth. Those things need to be taken into consideration as well. Monica: A lot of your work has focused on African American women. As an African American woman what is your view on where we are today? Are we in the right place as business owners, as families and in education? Dr. Malveaux: No. We don’t have our fair share of anything as people of color, and as African American

women we don’t have our fair share. For example, we saw an article in Psychology Today stating that Black women are the least attractive women. He based it on so called empirical data, which there was none. I cannot imagine someone writing and publishing an article that said blonds were the least attractive women. Psychol-

sively. It means loving ourselves. We need to celebrate ourselves and we need to read more publications like yours and others to lift us up. We need to use our dollars for good. We need to be more assertive in our own corner That’s the first thing.

ogy Today removed the article from their website after much ado. Look at the way that certain commentators choose to talk about First Lady Michelle Obama.

I think secondly, The role of women is changing in a lot of ways. One of the things that have happened with African American women is that we don’t do duets. We’re less likely than any other women to get married. So, that’s challenging for some of us because we’re still as likely to have children. We have more women who are single parents without much help. Feminism may not have done Black women favors, if feminism means the ability to have sex without conse-

Monica: What do you think African American women should do to move ourselves away from those negative perceptions? Dr. Malveaux: First of all, we need to begin to love ourselves aggres-

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Extraordinary Profiles

quence, without looking at long-term issues. Monica: As a young lady coming out of high school going into college, what inspired you to devote your life to learning about the economy, about women’s issues and about civil rights?

Dr. Malveaux: Civil rights awareness was probably engrained in me. Both of my parents were very active in the civil rights movement. We were early members of the NAACP when I was a kid. Women’s issues always interested me because there were things about patriarchy that I didn’t like or understand. In terms of the economy, my initial plans were to attend law school. Many of my friends were going to

law school and I always had to be different. That’s how I ended up saying, well, why not economics? Economics is the study of who gets what, when, where and why and that’s something that always fascinates me, how did we allocate.

pages and pages of short stories, fictional things I made up. So I’ve always been interested in writing.

Monica: You have an amazing talent for writing and you use it to enlighten people about issues that are very important to the way we live. When did you discover that you had such a wonderful talent and decide to use it to help others?

Dr. Malveaux: It’s very mixed, in fact I think it’s bad. People are talking about economic recovery, and certainly the macro economic numbers show that. However, for the average person the unemployment rate is 9.1 percent. There are 15 million people who are unemployed. It’s a very weak economy right now and it’s largely a function of our failure to invest in people. Laying off teachers at a time like this, those are things that are hurting the public.

Dr. Malveaux: I’ve written since I was a little kid. My mother used to punish us by making us write lines, and rather than write lines, I would write short stories. I would give her

Monica: As an extraordinary economist, what do you think about the state of the economy today?

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Monica: As far as the current state of the economy, what can we do to survive? Dr. Malveaux: First of all, we’ve all got to spend down, and that’s horrible because when you spend down, that’s

she saves a little money and it’s a way of forming relationships, as well. So we have to be careful how we spend our money, that’s the main thing. Also, entrepreneurship, investments, it’s one of the main points of this conference (Power Networking Confer-

less money going into the economy. But for personal survival people have to be very clear. They have to save, they have to spend less; they have to be creative.

ence) where George Fraser does such a good job talking to people about having more than one income stream. So people should be looking at that as well.

A woman recently told me that she and her neighbor have started shopping together at Costco because they can share things like 24 rolls of toilet paper. They’re both single women, but who needs 24 rolls of toilet paper? She doesn’t save a lot of money, but

Monica: You are the President of Bennett College for Women. What do you enjoy most about being President? Dr. Malveaux: The students. I really love watching young women

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unfold and transform. I also like the ability to be creative around things like curriculum programming. Monica: As President, what is your vision for the school?

Dr. Malveaux: Within five years we will have a thousand students, so we will be larger. We will be better endowed and the four areas of focus will be entrepreneurship, leadership, global studies and communication. I intend to have endowed professors in each of those areas and to see Bennett College as a center for education and also for renewal for women of African descent.

Extraordinary Profiles

Monica: At some point when you’re ready to move on to something else, what do you want to leave in the minds of women who attended the school while you were president? What kind of legacy would you like to leave? Dr. Malveaux: Well, I’ve already left something of a legacy – four new buildings in four years. But I would like to leave them with a sense of empowerment. Buildings are fine but it’s the spirit of empowerment that I want to leave. Monica: To whom do you attribute to your incredible success as an author, economist and commentator? There are so many things you have achieved. Dr. Malveaux: Probably my mom more than anything else. Certainly having been raised with a sense of audacity…I’ve known limitations but my mom has been the one who encouraged me and would say, “You can do it.” I’ve been blessed to have a great circle of friends and advisors, including people like Dr. Dorothy Height, my mentor in economics, Dr. Phyllis A. Wallace, and my mentor and very good friend in terms of writing, Marcia Ann Gillespie. I’ve been very blessed. I also attribute my success to God. Monica: What are your most valued and treasured accomplishments? Dr. Malveaux: I think the publication of my most recent book, Surviving and Thriving: 365 Facts in Black Economic History. It’s one of my favorite accomplishments. It was a book that my company published. I

reached out to several publishers and wanted to go the mainstream route because it’s less work and nobody wanted to publish it. So I did it myself. I love the book and its facts about us and it excites me. I think when our global learning center went up at Bennett College, I exceeded my own expectations. I knew we would have new buildings and I said we would when I got there, but I didn’t know we would do it so quickly. Monica: You serve on the board of several organizations but one in particular that I would like you speak about is the Recreation Wish List. Dr. Malveaux: It was founded by Cora Masters Berry, the former First Lady of Washington, D.C., and it provides assistance to the Recreation Department of Washington, D.C. When Marion Berry became mayor in 1995, people were giving money for his inauguration, and Cora Masters Barry said that she was going to attempt to get most of the expenses donated so that she could do something for kids and that’s what she did. The Southeast Tennis and Learning Center in Southeast, D.C., is her creation. It’s a multi-million dollar building and its focus is on tennis and learning. Young people can’t play tennis unless their grades are good. I love it because until I arrived at Bennett College for Women, it was really the one place I was doing hands-on things with kids.

What are some things that you accomplish through your company? Dr. Malveaux: Last Word Productions is the vehicle to manage my books, my speaking, basically to manage some of my work. It has accomplished some other projects too but it’s really a multimedia production that pretty much manages the nonBennett aspects of my life. Monica: Speaking of the last word, what is your last word? Dr. Malveaux: My favorite biblical verse is I Corinthians 16:9 which basically says, “I’m going to do great things and there are many obstacles.” I always remind people and remind myself when you go to do great things, obstacles go with it. If you want it to be easy, then don’t do anything great; don’t attempt anything great. Monica: In your experiences and with the obstacles that you have encountered, what advice can you give to those who seem to want to give up easily, those who don't have the persistence to continue moving ahead? Dr. Malveaux: Pray through it. Have vision and pray through any obstacles. Pray, be focused, understand who you are and whose you are.

Monica: Tell me a little about your company Last Word Productions, Inc.

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Winston E. Scott Captain, USN, Ret., NASA Astronaut

Excellence -- Above and Beyond Photo Courtesy of NASA

Extraordinary Profiles

As we have recently witnessed, an amazing era of space exploration has ended. Thirty years of Atlantis going “above and beyond” as it were – taking the world of science to new and spectacular levels has finally ended. Former astronaut, Winston E. Scott is proud to have participated in the amazing journey into space. He says that the exploration of space has made great contributions to the technology that we enjoy today. As a young child, his parents encouraged him and his sibling to become whatever they wanted to be and to be the best that they could be. Scott had a strong interest in science, technology, engineering and airplanes, so it was no surprise that he chose the path that he did. His choice to follow his passion not only led him to excel in his profession, but his contribution has added incredible value to countless lives. “What’s more important is that I have contributed something to life and to society. That part is not personal. It makes people want to contribute, to do something important for society,” said Scott. Scott graciously shared his extraordinary story of the young child who became an astronaut and helped change the world. Through groundbreaking experiments for the International Space Station, he’s performed numerous spacewalks and satellite retrievals.

In 1992 NASA selected Scott to join the space team. During his career he has served as a mission specialist on STS-72 Endeavour and STS-87, the fourth U.S. Microgravity Payload flight.

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Since his extraordinary experience in space, Astronaut Scott has been consistently giving back to society in many ways. He served as the Executive Director of the Florida Space Authority and is currently the Dean of the College of Aeronautics at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida. Monica: You had an amazing career in aviation and aeronautics. Was it always your dream to become an astronaut or become involved in aeronautics? Photo Courtesy of NASA

Winston: Well, I was always interested in science and technology and airplanes as a kid. Like a lot of boys, I loved airplanes and movies about airplanes. I used to build model airplanes and read magazines. It was not a reality to me. When I grew up in segregated neighborhoods, we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have role models. There were no black pilots or engineers in the area and there were no astronauts. I never thought it was a reality but it was always an interest of mine. Monica: Now that you have achieved success, what have you learned from your experiences? 12 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011

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Well, I tell you what, the lessons that I learned are the lessons that our parents tried to each us that if you set your sights on a goal and you work for it and don’t give up, you will achieve it. Parents and teachers like to tell us that you can do anything. How many people actually believe it and how many people do it? I truly believe that a person can achieve anything they want if they work hard and they never give up. I really believe it because I’ve done it. Monica: Did you have any mentors or anyone helping you at that age? Winston: No, not at all. Monica: That’s wonderful that you had the drive on your own. Winston: I had the drive on my own. I certainly did. Of course I didn’t have exposure to engineering and aeronautics. When I got to college, I was studying music. That’s what I knew when I was growing up. But my roommate majored in engineering, and I watched him. It appealed to me that that’s what I was supposed to be doing. So I talked to the counselor at the engineering school. Of course they gave me advice and I began to take math, science and engineering courses. That was something I was doing on my own.

Photo Courtesy of NASA

So you’re right, you have the drive inside you and a lot of people will fight it off. They won’t do the things they feel they would like to do or want to do. How many people tell you that I want to learn how to play the piano but … they always say “but”. Monica: Do you think it’s because it’s too much work? Winston: I think probably it is too much work. They don’t believe all that hard work will pay off for them and they’re not going to succeed. It’s too far fetched. It’s hard to know exactly what people think but you and I run into them everyday. They say, “Oh I would love to do this but…, or I would have like to do that but… I could have done this but… We always hear that “but”. I don’t believe in “but.” I believe that if I want something and it’s driving me, I need to go for it. I need to give it the best I’ve got and not give up on it. That’s the lesson we try to each all of our young people.

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Monica: When you were growing up, your focus was not to become an astronaut. Was it a surprise to you when you were selected to become an astronaut, or was it something that you knew would happen?

Monica: What do you think about the space program today, as well as some of the disasters they’ve had and, of course, some of the achievements and successes? Winston: Certainly the successes and achievements outweigh the disasters. We unfortunately had two space shuttle accidents, but accidents are a part of exploration. All things worth doing involve risks. But with the space program, I think the payoff is definitely worth the risk. And I’m a little concerned with the way we’re currently going because we are not funding NASA adequately. I think we need to put more money into NASA as a leading space organization in the country at the same time that we support our smaller private space companies that are appearing on the scene.

Winston: I wasn’t totally surprised because remember I had built a career. I didn’t suddenly jump from being a nineteen year old student to an astronaut. I went into the military, I flew airplanes, I went to graduate school and I flew more airplanes. It was a gradual evolutionary process. By the time I got to the point where I applied for the space program, I knew I had a pretty good chance of being selected. In every step of the selection process my name was being advanced. So when I was selected, I was excited and elated but it wasn’t totally far-fetched. I knew I had as good a chance as anybody else. I was very confident that I would be selected.

Monica: We don't hear as much about space programs now. Winston: No, you don’t. You hear about it a lot in this area because the space program is a part of the Florida culture, but if you live in other places, you’re right you don’t hear much about it. People don’t talk about it and the politicians don’t talk about it. It’s a shame because the average person doesn't realize all the benefits we receive from the space program. Just like you and I are talking right now, you’re in Virginia, I’m driving my car in Florida, that technology comes from our space program. That’s one example.

Monica: After you were selected to become an astronaut, you served as a mission specialist. What does a mission specialist do? Winston: There are essentially two categories. You have pilot astronauts and mission specialists. Even though I was a Navy pilot, I was a Navy fighter pilot, a test pilot and my role on the shuttle was flight engineer and space walker. I was the person who put the space suit on and went outside. That was my duty as a mission specialist. I also conducted the experiments on board the shuttle. As flight engineer, I was part of the crew that flew the vehicle. I have flown the shuttle, but my specialty was space walking.

Monica: What has been most rewarding to you about being a part of the space program, something that only a very few people ever get to experience?

Monica: Are you actively flying today? Winston: Yes, I still fly. I fly regularly. I own an airplane. Though I am retired from the Navy, I don’t fly fighters, but I do fly often, including my business and personal travel.

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Photo Courtesy of NASA

Winston: There are two parts. The personal reward is the fact that I have accomplished what I have. I managed to rise to the top of my profession. There’s nothing better that you can accomplish as a pilot than fly in space. So personally I have accomplished the highest that you can accomplish in my field.

Extraordinary Profiles

What’s more important is that I have contributed something to life and to society. That part is not personal. It makes people want to contribute, to do something important for society. That’s important to me to become a part of something that is so important.

Monica: When you were growing up, going to high school and college and moving towards the particular career that you’ve had, who was your support system?

Monica: What contributions do you think you have made to the African American race?

Winston: I was a typical high school student. My parents wanted me to go to college and it was up to me as to what I majored in. My parents were very supportive of my brother, and my sister and I in getting an education. That was something they talked about all the time. So our support system was our parents.

Winston: I’d like to think that I have set a good example for the African American youth as to what they can do if they apply themselves, how they can achieve success in a particular field and how they can rise to the top of their profession. I hope I have inspired young people to do better, to do well, to get an education, to excel. That’s extremely important. I’d like to think that I have inspired African American people in that way. Monica: What do you miss most about the space program? Winston: I don’t necessarily miss not being in the program because they’re doing the same things now as when I was in it. The program hasn’t changed since I left active flying. If they were doing something different, going back to the moon and going to Mars, yes, I would like to be a part of that. Even though I’m not officially working for NASA anymore, you never leave the space program. You’re always involved. I’m at the space center often, giving presentations. I serve on boards, I give lectures. So the space program still dominates my life even though I don’t actively fly anymore. That’s the nice thing. Once you’re an astronaut, you’re always an astronaut. Monica: You have also advised elected officials on matters related to space and aeronautics. Winston: Yes. I directed the Florida Space Authority for a while and reported directly to the governor, Governor Jed Bush at that time. I’ve had the opportunity to talk with and participate on panels in Washington, D.C., and Tallahassee, Florida, and advise local government officials. Monica: What kind of legacy would you like to leave as far as your contribution to the space program? Winston: I don’t know. I really don’t think too much about that. I did the best I could and I continue to do the best that I can as a professional. I think if there’s a legacy that I would like to leave, I hope it would be a legacy that will inspire others to do something good in life, to help their fellow man. I think living a good life and trying to set an example for others is more important. That’s what I try to do. Photo Courtesy of NASA

Of course I had good teachers. Some of the best teachers I had were in our all Black segregated schools. Later on when the schools integrated I had good teachers also. My support systems were my parents, people in my neighborhood, the church, colleagues and teachers. They all were a good support system. They wanted to see us succeed, but they didn’t know anything about engineering and aerospace. They just supported you in terms of encouraging you to do the best that you could do. Monica: What happened to music? Are you still playing? Winston: I stopped playing after college. It’s like a lot of people. You play through college and then quit. I picked it up again about ten or fifteen years ago as a hobby and started playing and I still play. We have a faculty band at Florida Tech. Almost everyone is obviously an engineer or into science. Our president plays drums in the band. We limit our performance to events at the school. I play with that band and I play with a couple of other bands around town. I think it sets a good example for a lot of our students who also play music. We’re a technological university but we also have a music program. Monica: As someone who was heavily involved in aviation and aeronautics, do you think a person has to have a certain type of mindset for that type of work?

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Winston: I think so. I think it’s like any other work. You have to have a mindset for it and a dedication to do it if you’re going to do well. You need a certain mindset to do well in aviation, especially military aviation and NASA. That’s not for everyone. Monica: And of course you can’t be afraid of heights. Winston: No, and you certainly can’t be afraid of flying. People who don’t like to fly, need not apply. Monica: They’re automatically eliminated. What do you enjoy most about being Dean of the College of Aeronautics at Florida Tech? Winston: I enjoy being dean because I get to work with young people and students and hopefully provide a good education and good leadership for them. But I like being dean at our college, because the college is all about what I do. It is aviation, it’s engineering, it’s aeronauticsoriented. So I’m working in the field that I enjoy and I work with young people. That’s what I enjoy most about it. Monica: Do you get the opportunity to participate in the development of any of the courses? Winston: Yes, absolutely. In fact I’m introducing some new courses in the College of Aeronautics. I get to introduce new ideas. Our university is very open to new ideas. Monica: What message do you have for young African Americans about following through on their dreams? Winston: The first part of that message would be that there are so many exciting things to do in the world if they look around, see them and take advantage of them. Too often we narrow our focus. We all want to be athletes, rappers or entertainers. We need to realize there are so many wonderful, exciting things to do for those who prepare. Once we realize that, then we need to prepare for it and we need to decide what we want to do and focus on it, work hard and never give up and we’ll be able to experience some of those great things that are available in life. That would be my message to young people. Monica: That’s certainly a wonderful message. So many things are happening in our society today. Adults 16 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011

need to step up and mentor kids who don’t have access to the information or the tools that they need to help them follow through on their dreams. Winston: That’s very true. That’s an obligation that we as adults should fulfill. We need to step up and guide our students along and expose them to certain things. We as African Americans don’t do a good job of that. I give lectures at the space center that are open to the public, and we get huge crowds but almost no Blacks. Many of the events are free; all you have to do is show up. Very few if any African Americans will show up. We still don’t expose our kids to a variety of activities. Monica: That’s true. If you expose them to those things very early on, then that will become engrained in them. Winston: That’s right. You expose them early on and then you encourage them to prepare to do those things, like getting a good education. For some reason, we don’t take advantage of all the opportunities that are available to us. Monica: I think it goes back to what you said earlier. They have a narrow focus. When they see rappers and professional ball players and they see that they make a lot of money, oftentimes, that becomes their focus. Winston: They don’t realize that the odds of them becoming a famous ball player or rapper are slim to none. Even if they become famous rappers or ball players, they need to understand how to manage their careers from a business standpoint. I’m all for sports. I played sports in high school, my son played football. I think it’s good but we seem to focus more on that than anything else -- sports and entertainment. We can get a good education. We can be teachers, doctors, engineers, lawyers, nurses, all excellent professions. Monica: Absolutely. Even an entrepreneur and those professions will have much more of an impact on the human race than entertainment will. Monica: What message would you like to leave readers? Winston: I hope people who read my interview will be inspired to do their best, whether as a student or as a parent. I hope parents will be inspired to expose their students to various professions and encourage them to excel.

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Stephen W. Miller, Co-Founder, HELPS International Michelle Hollaender, Director, Public Relations

Helping Hands for Central American Communities

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As a native of Guatemala, Michelle Hollaender knows all to well about the living conditions of the people in her country.

Volunteers from around the world have joined HELPS International to assist the organization in improving the lives of these people.

As Director of Public Relations of HELPS, International, she is thrilled that she’s made a positive impact on communities in the country.

The founder of Exceptional People Magazine was excited to speak with Hollaender concerning the impact of her work on the lives of the people of Guatemala through HELPS, International.

HELPS is the brain child of Co-Founder and President Stephen W. Smith, who joined Paul Townsend in 1982 to bring the necessities of food, clothing and blankets to the refugees of Guatemala during the height of that country's conflict. The organization’s main focus is to aid Guatemalans and Mexicans. Its target focus areas are:

• Alleviating medical problems in Guatemala's rural areas

• Developing a sound educational system for children in K through sixth grade and providing scholarship assistance for those seeking a secondary education

• Community Development • The introduction of the Onil Stove, a durable stove that minimizes smoke and burns and reduces the use of wood by 70%.

• Economic Development • The Coffee Program where profits from the sale of coffee go to programs specifically designed to improve the lives of the Guatemalan people.

• The Corn Program – a key to alleviating poverty • Water Filter Program – providing safe drinking water in rural communities Hollaender has played a major role in shaping and developing programs to help citizens of that country become self-sufficient, while providing them with hope for a better future.

Monica: What is the mission or purpose of HELPS International? Michelle: HELPS was incorporated in 1984 here in Dallas by a gentleman named Stephen Miller, and the mission of HELPS began by him seeing how the poverty in Guatemala was unacceptable. He went to Guatemala as an investment banker, and he realized that the people needed more than funds to invest, so he started bringing two doctors, his friends. And they saw a lot of children in the highlands July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 19

Extraordinary Profiles

dying from malnourishment and from lack of medical care. The two doctors who began going down in 1984 have implemented the largest medical relief aid to Guatemala in the highlands. Today HELPS takes around 1200 doctors and volunteers to Guatemala annually on medical missions to operate on the indigenous people who live outside the city, mostly in the Guatemalan highlands. Every year we focus on giving health care to about 24,000 people. This is free health care. The doctors saw a great need for health care. They saw people with hernias, upper respiratory problems, and children with burns. They realized that there was a common cause for all these problems -- the way people still cook in Latin America and throughout the world. They cook on open fires in the home. The home is just a one room home, very small. The children fall in the open fires. There are open fires going on 24/7 in the home, so there's fire and smoke in the homes that cause burns to little children. The hernias are caused because women carry the wood. Women are the ones who gather the wood for the open fires and they have to carry nine tons of wood per year. So every time they get down on their knees to put the wood on their backs, that causes the hernias. And the upper respiratory problems are obviously caused by so much smoke in the home. Their lungs are full of smoke and other horrible things.

HELPS developed a stove to eliminate these open fires. The stove is a self-contained stove, very easy to install. It's made in a factory. The stove uses only 30 percent of the amount of wood, so there's no more deforestation. Women no longer need to carry nine tons of wood per year because it uses only limbs from trees that they find around their home. And there's no more smoke because it brings the smoke out of the home by a pipe. And children are not falling into fires because it's a self-contained stove. Right now we have two factories in Guatemala and one in Mexico. HELPS has already installed over 100,000 of these stoves, but the need in Guatemala is 1 million stoves. Monica: In how many countries have you found these conditions? Michelle: All through Latin America. That's the way they cook in Latin America, and throughout the world in countries such as Africa and India -- using open fires. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a need for the stoves all over the world. I'm from Guatemala, that's where my passion is. And my job is really to be a liaison. The American people are amazing people. I have found that this is the most giving country in the world and the most giving society. HELPS was incorporated by an American. And seeing his heart and his will to help, I thought I needed to become the liaison between Guatemala, where I was raised, and the U.S. to connect both countries and people that wanted to help. My goal is to make HELPS the nonprofit organization that will really bring the country out of poverty. We work with microcredit, so women are now able to start their own businesses. We work with communities of women where one leader within 10 women is in charge of paying back the loan. The women get together and they start businesses such as bakeries and weaving businesses. So now they have health. Now they have money in their pockets because they're not spending money to buy wood. Now they're spending

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Extraordinary Profiles

just 30 percent, they can save money. So women are bringing money to the home, which wasn't done before.

Monica: Sure. You're creating self-sufficiency within their communities.

Then men started asking, "Well, HELPS, could you help us as well? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not fair that only women get help." So we put in an agricultural program for men. They plant corn. Guatemala and Latin America is based on a corn economy. They plant corn, and that's what they eat. But centuries ago, they were planting corn the wrong way. They were planting three seeds or four seeds in a clump and not using the proper fertilizers.

Michelle: Exactly. And that's really -- you get it. We do not want to control their lives. We just want to provide them with devices and products to help them become selfsustainable. I don't think we will be able to eliminate poverty, but we can really help them get relief from poverty. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what HELPS is. And it's something that you can wrap your arms around; you can see a stove and you can say, "Okay. For $150 I really can change a family."

We join with companies that want to develop programs in Latin America, and we joined with the largest fertilizer company in the world. They have helped us with the corn program where we teach indigenous people how to plant. We teach them to use the right fertilizers for their area because every area needs a different fertilizer. And we have an agricultural development person in the area so they can guide them.

Most of the stoves are being provided through microcredit, so they pay -- they have skin in the game. We never give anything for free. We are totally against subsidizing or just giving free things because people do not appreciate it. I have two boys, and I make them work because if not, they become unappreciative.

And we have found that by just changing the way they plant the seed, by using the right kind of fertilizer and by having guidance, they have increased their corn production to 400 percent. So now the people have corn to eat, to sell and they can grow other crops. We also have an education program where we teach children and mothers the basics. Since we have the capability of going into the homes with the stoves with agricultural programs, they trust us. Also, we help them with pre-kinder and early stimulation programs for the indigenous children, so once they're in school they are a step further along.

Obviously, in health care, we provide free surgery because it's impossible for them to pay. Every medical team provides Guatemala with $1 million worth of medical aid, and the doctors don't mind doing surgeries. But what they have in their home, they pay for it, so they appreciate the stoves. Whenever we go into a home, it's beautiful. The feeling you get when you see these people, see their eyes, and they're kind of scared like, "Why are you coming?" We go inside. We install a stove. Within 45 minutes their world is

We have four pillars in our programs: education, providing resources that free their time and bring them money, agricultural assistance and health care. I like to say we have a healthy, wealthy community. The men do not want to come to the U.S., so in a sense we're helping to prevent the overflow of immigration.

July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 21

Extraordinary Profiles

changed forever, no smoke in their homes. The children are going to be healthy. Women have time, and they help us. Another part of the project is that women need to be trained on how to use the stoves. They need to want it. They have to pay a portion of the cost of the stove and they need to help us install it, so they get ownership. When we leave, they say, "Wow, this is mine. Now I'll take care of it." We come back six months later to see if it's working the right way or if they need any replacement parts. And so it's a program where we prepare the community and provide aftercare. Monica: On average, how long does it take to help a family become self-sufficient? Michelle: In a community that has no stoves and you go in and install stoves and you bring in medical teams, within a year people will have money in their pocket. We have another device, a water filter purification system, so the children are not drinking water from the dirty lakes or dirty rivers. It's 99.9 percent efficient for those who have a water filtration system. So I can say that within a year a community is self-sustainable. Monica: On average how many people have been helped through the organization? Michelle: Well, I can tell you by number of people. With just the stove program alone we have already helped half a million people or more than half a million because we have installed 100,000 stoves. On average, there are five to six peo22 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011

ple within a home, so I would say that 600,000 have benefited from just the stove. With the medical teams we have seen over 200,000 people, so we have touched almost a million lives in Guatemala with education and with the stoves. Monica: Does the organization focus on education for kids or does it have an actual education program? Michelle: Yes, we have a school. We have a school in the highlands in a place called Santa Melina. It's in Keche. We started a school there because that's where most of the need was. The school is a trilingual school. They start with their native language, then go to Spanish, and learn English. And the school has graduated already seven promotions. We help them with scholarships to get into the national system. We have prepared a program that can be replicated throughout the country. Monica: I would imagine for individuals or families that all that they've known are the conditions in which they're living. So they come to think that they don't have what it takes to move their lives in a positive direction and they don't realize the potential that they have within themselves. What does HELPS do to help the people realize that they have a much greater potential than they realize? Michelle: You're so right. Women are the major agents of change in a society and they have been put in a corner in Latin America and throughout the world to do three things, to cook, to gather wood for energy and to have children. Once we go with this program, they realize that they don't need to spend their time gathering wood. They can get up, and they can be clean and they live in a place where there's no more smoke. And they know that they can learn because now they have free time, and time is what they needed before. So with free time, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re starting their own businesses. They're becoming involved in community projects because they have self worth. Monica: When they start their businesses, where are those resources coming from?

Extraordinary Profiles

Michelle: Most of it is from microcredit. There are microcredit organizations working with HELPS, and there are outside microcredit organizations. I think that's one of the best things that has happened to nonprofits, this new microcredit revolution. That's number one. Number two is the money they're saving by not having to buy wood. They spend around $20 to $40 per month on wood. The women walk distances to gather wood, so they would rather buy it. They're saving 70 percent of that. Now they have money they can save to start their own business. So in the long run the stoves also provide funds for the women to start their own businesses. Monica: What is the biggest reward you get from doing what you do as director of HELPS? Michelle: Actually, there are so many rewards. The first reward is being able to live in the U.S. and help my country. I think it's God's gift to be able to live in this amazing country. The biggest reward I've ever seen is I grew up in a society where we never did social work, and then I came to the United States and I saw a different society. In the past four years I've been seeing a change. And I call it a wave. The young generation wants to help, wants to work.

Michelle: There are two ways people can help. They can join a team. If they have a week and they want to take a vacation -- let me tell you, eighty percent of my volunteers that go down return year after year. So it must feel good. The second way is you can just join and we'll find something for you. You can be a translator or a cook, work on triage, install stoves, or help with education. You can donate a stove. Just start by donating a stove and we will send you a picture of where we install the stove. A stove and its installation costs $150. That includes the pre-screening, the training of the ladies, the installation, and coming back after six months to see if it's working the right way. It's amazing. I was in Guatemala six months ago in a little village, installing stoves. I installed one in a home, and a little girl came by. She said, "Look. This is my favorite toy. I have this." And it was a little butterfly, a silver-plated butterfly. And I said, "Oh my gosh. It's so pretty." She says, "I want you to have it." I asked "Why?" "Because you have been kind to me." She was a five-year old little girl. Since then it broke my heart because that means that they see that their lives are changing. She gave me her favorite toy. I will never lose it.

Another reward for me is to see how my friends are becoming involved. They're going as translators with the medical teams. They're going out on stove installation teams, and now the Guatemalan companies are partnering with HELPS to implement HELPS programs in their areas. Monica: It's great that the young people are becoming involved because they will be responsible for what happens in the future. How can we as individuals lend a helping hand? July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 23

Minding My Business

Take your deadlines seriously. If you continue to extend them, you will lose your motivation.

Minding My Business

Top Five Twitter Tips for Increasing Your Business! By Dawn Abrahams

One of the benefits of Twitter is that you can ask questions and get answers right away about anything under the sun. You can ask how to find a software download. You can ask what someone thinks of your new book title or your new photo on your home page.

Twitter Tip #Two

Twitter is a great way to get ideas for your blog. Find out what people are tweeting about and use that for your subject in your blog. It's your secret window to the outside world.

I am always really surprised when I get a personal DM although I am not sure why unless of course it's something really personal. Twitter is all about talking to people and sharing with others.

If you’re going to use twitter, make sure you take the time to learn the ins and outs first. Twitter is only a benefit to you if you understand it. It's a two way street and is meant to be used as a way to connect with people, not just a one way conversation.

Twitter Tip # One My first suggestion is to always respond when someone uses the “@” symbol in communicating with you. This means they are personally talking to you. It's only polite and it's the same thing as responding when you are at a social networking party.

My second suggestion is not to send direct messages (DM) that ask you to link to or read a blog. You may not realize how many people are doing that and after a while people ignore the DM's altogether.

Twitter Tip #Three My third suggestion is add value to your tweets so people can learn something from your experience. It's great to re-tweet and it's a compliment but don't forget to add your own voice as well. Both are important. Talk about what it is you know and love from your perspective. That is what makes Twitter so interesting. We all get to hear what you really think and feel.

Twitter Tip #Four If someone comes up to you in a crowd and tells you they like your style, you would say thank you. It works the same way on Twitter. If you can’t find the time to reply, Twitter may not be for you.

My fourth suggestion is to mix it up. Talk about and share information about different things. Share information about your business but not all the time. People want to get to know the real you. If you’re interested in sports share that with everyone. If

you love art by all means share it by using Twitpic.com Let everyone see what type of art you just bought or saw in the store. When I got my new puppy I tweeted her pictures all the time. I had fun and people got to share a new and wonderful part of my life. I never knew how many people had really amazing dogs as well. They in turn tweeted their pictures of their dogs or puppies. I loved every minute of it. Twitter Tip #Five My fifth and final suggestion is to have fun! If you’re not enjoying yourself, you can't expect anyone else to. Make friends, share ideas and ask questions. Engage, engage, engage! That is what Twitter is all about. Going beyond the blog and getting personal. When you see someone’s tweet that moves you or makes you laugh let them know. I can’t tell you how much joy I have received from hearing people tell me how they had a life changing experience by listening to my free guided meditations or reading one of my articles on my web site. I know that what I'm offering on my web site and on twitter is of value, if not then I need to know that too. The bottom line is to have fun! I do!

July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 25

Helping people spread good news about their life’s endeavors is her passion, and Dana Humphrey has turned her passion into a successful business. Connecting and building relationships is her expertise. As a Public Relations expert, Humphrey is helping entrepreneurs, small business owners and others spotlight their accomplishments, their products and services. She enjoys connecting with people so much that she was inspired to start her company, Whitegate PR. Humphrey has an advantage which most public relations experts don’t have -- she’s traveled to over 45 countries and has lived in five of them. “Being able to travel and connect with people from various backgrounds and languages definitely helps.” says Humphrey. She is also using her gift as a natural born leader to take on other roles within her community. Humphrey’s recent community leadership roles include: We Are Booming Board of Directors 2011, PRSA-NY International Volunteer Committee 2009, and Ideablob Guest Advisor 2009. This past year she was an Associate Board Member of the American Cancer Society in Brooklyn, and she is currently on the ACS Queens Board of Directors for 2010 and 2011. Humphrey shared helpful advice and tips on how to create a great press release. Monica: You‘ve had a unique opportunity to travel to over 40 countries and you’ve also lived in five countries. What inspired your quest for traveling and have you been able to use that in your profession as PR consultant?

Dana Humphrey World Traveler and Public Relations Expert “Promoting Yourself and Your Business”

Dana: Absolutely. I think that being a traveler can help anyone in their career. It helps you become a well-rounded person and to understand different cultures and different people a little bit better. The reason for my travel was mainly because of my parents. I was born in Canada then my family moved from Cameroon, Africa to London, England. I grew up in London. My sister was born there and we moved to California. Along the way we travelled and visited other countries. Once that travel bug gets in you it never really goes away. So, I’ve been traveling alone, with friends, for work and for pleasure ever since, and my family and I continue to travel together as well.

Minding My Business

Monica: How are you able to use that experience to help change lives through your work? Dana: Public relations is about connecting with other people. It’s all about developing relationships and maintaining them. Being able to travel and connect with people from various backgrounds and languages definitely helps. I speak French and Spanish, which helps me in my day-to-day life as a PR Consultant. It gives someone who speaks French or Spanish that confidence that I can better connect with them when I speak their language.

Dana: From time to time I teach marketing boot camp courses or guerilla marketing tactics for small business owners. That’s something I’m really passionate about, helping them to come up with low cost or cost-effective solutions to market their business on a grass roots level. That’s something I really enjoy sharing with other people so that they can do it for themselves. It often turns out that a business owner wants to outsource that side of the business. I’m able to share my tips and tricks, and at the end of the day some people just don’t want to do the marketing themselves and that’s where I come in.

Monica: As a PR consultant, your area of focus is mainly the pet industry. Why that particular industry?

Monica: As a PR consultant, what do you consider to be your most valuable asset?

Dana: The pet industry is my background. When I graduated from San Diego State University, my first two positions were at a wine company, doing all of the PR and marketing and then a pet boutique. Now that I’m out on my own, we specialize in consumer products and services specifically in the pet industry but we also have a couple of wine clients as well.

Dana: I would say networking. I have a lot of connections; I know a lot of people and I’m constantly meeting new people. So if a client needs something, it’s highly likely that I already know someone who can fulfill the need. I’m constantly connecting people that may be able to work together. It’s value added that I can bring to the table – being able to put together the right people; the right team, to make things happen.

Monica: You also specialize in small and large businesses, as well as artists, authors and non-profits. Can you share some key points about how entrepreneurs and business owners can use public relations as a way to effectively help them promote their businesses?

Monica: Many business owners and entrepreneurs are not familiar with how to write a press release or they don’t know what elements should be included. Can you offer

July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 27

Minding My Business

some tips on what would be considered a great press release? Dana: A great press release is going to be something that’s newsworthy and time worthy. So if you’re launching something, if you have something really exciting to share, then you want to write a press release. You don’t want to write a press release just for the sake of having one. You really want to find a unique angle to put the press release together in a way that’s going to be exciting and newsworthy. As a PR person or as someone who wants to promote your business or engage in PR, you want to make the reporter’s job as easy as possible. So if you write a press release that has a hot title, a great story line, with great statistics and great quotes, it’s much more likely to be picked up because the reporter or journalist doesn’t have to do so much additional research. You’ve already put it out there for them. For example, there’s a big trend this year about staycations. A lot of people are not going to be traveling this spring and summer because of the rising gas prices. So that’s a nice hook for using some statistics about the gas prices to lead into other story ideas. I can go over a few elements of a press release.

• You always want to have your logo somewhere on the press release, usually in the top left corner.

• Then you want to have your media contacts. It could be your company contact, it could be the PR person or it could be both and you want to list phone numbers and email addresses.

• Then you have your title. You really want to focus your energy on creating a great title that’s interesting and really announces whatever you’re trying to release, the big news.

• You want to have your location. I’m here in New York.

Social media can help promote you, your products and services.

28 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011

So press releases that I write would come from New York, New York. If you’re in California, you can put Santa Barbara, California, and add the release date. Begin with that really good bit of information, whether it’s a statistic, a trend or something really interesting that’s the reason for the press release in that first paragraph.

Minding My Business

• You usually want to have a quote from an expert in the industry or the CEO of the company, and you always want to have a section that has boilerplate information about the company with the website address at the bottom.

• To signal to the reporter that the press is complete, you want to put three pound signs (###) at the very bottom. That lets the person know this is the end of the release. Monica: I’ve heard that press releases are best if they are one page. Dana: If you are launching something that is very detailed and very expensive, it might be a three-page press release. It just depends how much information you have. I don’t follow page rules on that. You want to keep it concise and tight and if you can fit it to one page, great but if you have a lot of information to share and it’s as streamlined as possible but still makes two or three pages, that’s fine too as long as it’s all critical information. Monica: What makes Whitegate PR standout from other public relations companies? Dana: Definitely the focus on the pet industry. With public relations you have media relations, which is a big part of pitching. Stories often come in two ways. One is pitching a story to a reporter that is a perfect fit for them and that they have a real interest in. The other is working with contacts that you already have, seeing what stories they have coming up and seeing if any of your clients fit in with what they are doing. We have extensive contacts and media relations within the pet industry. That’s really our niche. So, if you’re a small business owner and you have a pet company, you want to talk to Whitegate PR because we can help you get into the pet magazines, the pet trade magazines, consumer pet magazines, pet radio shows, and influential pet bloggers. Monica: What do you enjoy most about being a marketing and PR consultant?

Utilize the services of a good public relations consultant to help you succeed in business.

Dana: It’s very exciting to get a media hit. It’s still very exciting every time it happens. When you get confirmation from a newspaper, magazine or TV show that your client is going to be featured, it’s that rush of “Yes we’re going to be featured” and being able to call them July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 29

Minding My Business

with exciting news that they are going to be featured in one of their target places or in a place that’s really going to help their business. That’s definitely my favorite part. Monica: I realize that public relations is an important part of the overall marketing plan for any business, but how important is public relations to a business? Dana: It’s essential. The idea of “build it, and they will come” doesn’t work anymore. In this day and age, people are getting thousands of messages everyday. You have to be part of the mix. If your competitors are doing a better job of marketing their products than you, you can have a superior product but if no one knows about it, it doesn’t really matter. Brand awareness and public relations being a trusted source in the field is essential for almost any business. Being prepared for any kind of crisis in your industry is also a critical part of public relations. Have a public relations strategy in place. We are a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), which is the professional association for public relations practitioners. I think that is important because a lot of people don’t understand what public relations is and what a PR practitioner does. This is a professional association that really tries to communicate this to the public and continues to push the boundaries of traditional PR. They have something called Accredited Public Relations (APR), which is something that I am working on this year. After you have been practicing public relations for over five years, you can take a test to gain your APR. Hopefully within the next year I will achieve that goal. Monica: You consider yourself to be a natural born leader and a go-getter. You have served on a few boards and you are associated with some wonderful organizations. Dana: One of the associations that I’m very proud to be a part of is the American Cancer Society of Queens. I’m on the board. I recently participated in the New York City triathlon to raise money for leukemia, and it’s something that I’m really passionate about. I do a lot of charity runs and half marathons to raise money for different organizations. I’m also on the board of directors for a group called We Are Booming. This is an interesting project that is looking at the baby boomer generation and recognizing that in 30 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011

the next 18 years there will be over 70 million baby boomers in the United States. Turning 65 is not what it used to be -- a symbol of retirement and lots of other things associated with that. Today, a number of people who are 65 are not able to retire. They may be beginning a third or second career. I’m on the board to help celebrate aging and bring awareness to the baby boomer generation. ♦

Minding My Business

Secrets and Techniques to Sell Yourself, Product and Service By Pat Markel

Listen. Most people think “selling” is the same as “talking”. But the most effective salespeople know that listening is the most important part of their job. Pay attention to what your audience says and the questions they ask. If particular words or phrases keep coming up, use variations of them when you respond. Welcome worries. Anyone who doesn’t have some questions or concerns about what you’re saying probably isn’t serious about considering it. Objections are your chance to emphasize the strongest points.

You don’t have to be a salesperson to use techniques of persuasion that work. After all, most of us have to present ideas to committees or Boards of Directors, lobby for a promotion, or even talk someone into trying a new restaurant. Selling is a science, and you can benefit from its proven methods. You may even be selling without realizing it. Here are some tips to help you deliver the perfect presentation. Know who you are selling to. If you’re doing a presentation before a Board of Directors, research how it has reacted to past proposals. Spend some time collecting details that address any issues that could be raised. What are the Board’s values and attitudes? Do the Directors behave consistently, such as always choosing the least expensive option? Do your homework then develop a set of objectives and strategies.

Prepare for anything. This can mean bulbs that burn out on the slide projector, a dozen more people at a meeting than you’d expected, or someone who wants to talk about a completely new subject. Revise your plan as you’re met with changes and, above all, stay calm. A sense of humor doesn’t hurt either. Close the sale. When you’ve made your speech, get to the point. People are expecting it. Conventional wisdom holds that you shouldn’t come right out and demand a signature; likewise, in an interview with your boss, you shouldn’t demand to be made a manager. But you can ask the same question in more subtle ways, such as “What’s the next step?” or “How close am I to reaching my goal of being departmental manager?” Foremost, the key to selling yourself, your idea, or your company is presenting the subject in a way that’s appealing to the prospect. Study the techniques, and you’ll find that even if you didn’t win the prize for most raffle tickets sold when you were back in school, you can make sales work for you now.

Tailor your behavior. If the people you are presenting to relate best to verbal information, don’t come in armed with piles of graphs and other information. If you’re speaking to people you don’t know much about, watch their reactions. If they sit up straighter when you start citing statistics, modify your presentation to be less emotional and forthright.

July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 31

Derrick Miles

Using His Spiritual Gift to Change Lives

Minding My Business

Have you ever noticed how some of us go through life feeling unfulfilled or unhappy with our accomplishments? Is it possible that we haven’t discovered our spiritual gift?

Monica: You have an extensive background in the health industry. What was the motivating factor that guided you in that direction?

Through Milestone Motivation, Inc., Miles and his brother Darryl have developed methods and techniques to help others live purposeful lives and achieve greatness,

Derrick: Well, when you talk about a motivational gift, my motivational gift is giving. I always wanted to be in an environment where I had an opportunity to help people. When I was younger, it was something in my spirit that always pushed me into an area of healthcare. So when I had an opportunity to volunteer, I went to the hospital. I liked pushing the patients around, and I liked the environment totally. I went to undergrad and majored in medical technology. My minor was in chemistry because I always liked the challenging things. Instead of going to college

thereby eliminating burnout, frustration and ineffectiveness.

and just getting a degree and getting out, I wanted to give myself a challenge.

His leadership style resulted in remarkable success during his 12-year tenure as an executive in the health care industry. As a health care administrator, Miles handled operations and logistics for facilities that served over 140,000 patients, including more than 40,000 children each year. Throughout his administration, Miles was responsible for revenue of $60 to $200 million.

When I came close to graduating, I started working as a medical technologist. I was working in the laboratory one day when I heard a small voice. A small voice told me to go into the physicians lounge. At the same time, I’m thinking, why am I going into the physicians lounge? I've never been in there before. But when I went in, I saw a magazine with a picture of three smiling gentlemen on the front cover. I said, "I wonder what those guys are smiling about?" I picked it up, and I read the magazine. I found out that they were all hospital administrators. It explained that they had gone to college and graduate school and came out, worked a few years and actually started running an entire hospital.

Derrick Miles, as a young man who was just about to become a college graduate, realized what he calls "his spiritual gift" – giving -- encouraging others to pursue their dreams and passions, and to accomplish their destinies.

Known as “The Encourager,” Miles is the Chairman and CEO of The Milestone Brand, Inc., a professional development and training company that helps corporations and individuals identify and fully utilize their natural gifts to achieve what he has coined “Superhuman Performance®.” Miles shared wonderful insights with Monica, the Founder of Exceptional People Magazine, about his vision to help many people live exceptional lives.

So I went back into the laboratory, and I spoke to the supervisor. I said, "How long would it take for somebody like me to become the director of the lab?" He said, "The director of the lab? It's going to take you five years just to be a supervisor in Micro." I said, "Well, I just read this magazine where these gentlemen, went to graduate school for July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 33

Minding My Business

two years, and they were running the whole place." And she said, "Well, that's what you're going to have to do." And I took that to heart. When I arrived home that evening, I called my mom and dad. I said, "Hey. I want to come home and go to the local university" -- it was University of South Florida -"and prepare myself to become a hospital administrator." And within 30 days I had moved back home with my parents, and I had enrolled in the University of South Florida to take all the prerequisite courses to become a hospital administrator. So by having a science background, I didn't have the required accounting and economics courses. I had to take those prerequisite courses. But during that time I developed relationships with people all over the country. I met a gentleman who was at Florida A & M University, and he had a book that contained a list of all of the African American CEOs and COOs in the country. So I took the liberty to write a letter to everyone in Florida --African American CEO or COO -- and requested a 30-minute interview or an informational interview, for me to learn more about the industry. For almost six months I jumped on a plane, went to Miami. I drove to Gainesville, Sarasota, and met with anyone who would let me into their office who could to teach me anything about the industry. One of the CEOs said, "Derrick, I really like your enthusiasm and your drive. I'm going to make a phone call to my friend, Kevin Lofton, in Birmingham, Alabama." At that time I had just read about Kevin Lofton. He was among the highest paid African American hospital administrators in the country. And the guy wrote me a letter of recommendation. Within two months I was working for the most recognized hospital administrator in the country. So that's how I actually got in the business. Once I was at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, I was able to get into that program. I think it was ranked number eight in the country. I went there, graduated and decided that I would go back home and work for an organization called Shands. Usually when you're a hospital administrator intern or what 's called a fellow, you have to spend about one year on the ground just visiting departments and learning, but there was this guy who took an interest in me.

34 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011

He saw me walking around in the finance department, and he said, "Hey. I've seen you before. You're a new student. I want to teach you something." He said, "First of all you don't know anything. Understand that." I'm thinking, "Wow. What a way to start a conversation." Then he said, "I've seen hundreds of you all come through here, and all you all know is didactic work. What you need to be able to do is give a return on investment to the employer. For the money that you're making, you need to return at least twice as much of value for you to stay here." I'm thinking, "Man, I've never heard of that." I had received two master's degrees and through those master's degrees, no one told me that my goal was to return more value than I was being paid. So this gentleman taught me the ropes. He taught me how to excel; he taught me how to do business plans. Within six months of my residency, they hired me full-time to work in the executive office. That had never happened before. I was just out of graduate school and had never worked in a department whatsoever. Now I'm working for the executive office six months out of graduate school. That caused some problems because most people think you should pay your dues. And all I kept hearing is, "Derrick, you haven't been here that long. You need to work in a department and see what it's really like." And I'll be honest. I let that chatter get to me, so I took a job within the organization. It paid a bit more, but it was in a department where I could get the experience that the people who were upset felt that I should get. And my thoughts were, "Well, I'm going to prove it to you." So I took a job as the business manager of the largest operating room in Jacksonville, Florida. And I tell you, it was a tough job, but again, I had that experience with that one mentor in Gainesville, and he was still teaching me. Within the first 17 months, we were able to turn around the operations by $36 million by having people who were committed and all the doctors on board. So after being in that position for 17 months, they brought me back into hospital administration. They just saw something special in me, which I believe was my gift. One of the gifts I have is the gift of leadership, and I also have the gift of encouragement. That's why I go by the moniker "The Encourager".

Minding My Business

Monica: You and your brother started a company call Milestone Motivation and you have two books titled Superhuman Performance. How did you develop the name and the purpose behind your company? Derrick: Milestone Motivation means it's a milestone when you understand the gifts that you have. We started doing some research and we came across a study by Gallup in 2002. It said that almost 75 percent of people working are considered to be unengaged or actively disengaged employees and 25 percent are considered engaged employees. But here's the difference. The

people who are considered engaged utilize their gifts and talents every day. And we thought, "There it is." So we started pulling together all the information. This is a biblically-based company. We pulled all of the information from the Bible about spiritual gifts. And we took the references that related to the marketplace like leadership, administration, wisdom, knowledge, and writing. We took those 14, and came up with what we called a milestone gift assessment. So we're able to assess people in the marketplace in the areas where they are gifted. When you're working within your area of gifting, that's when your performance goes up. If you're not working within your area of gifting, your performance goes down, you're frustrated, you're burned out and you're ineffective. The program is called Superhuman Performance, and the two books are called Superhuman Performance. We've interviewed hundreds of people. We've spent thousands of hours on the research. We spoke with CEOs and executives all over the world, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and faith-based leaders who acknowledge that their gift impacted their success. Monica: You and your brother Darryl have chosen to follow a faith-based approach versus what you may consider to be a secular approach. Can you explain the major differences between the two approaches? Derrick: When you look at an assessment by Myers-Briggs or you look at StrengthsFinder 2.0, they tell you about your personality, but it doesn't have anything to do with anyone else. So if I'm an ISTJ (Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging personality type), and a person doesn't know me, what does that mean to them -- absolutely nothing. But your spiritual gift -- and we call them gifts in the corporate world, but when we go into a faith-based organization, they are spiritual gifts. When you use your gift, people are attracted to that. So if I don't use my gifts for the people who are around me who have a destiny, their destiny gets postJuly-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 35

Minding My Business

poned. With the spiritual gifts -- they're basically for enhancement of the body. My gift of encouragement is being used to encourage others. Some people have a gift of administration. If I meet someone with a gift of administration, I am drawn to that person because I don't have that gift. Or, the way that I look at it in a corporate setting, if you're working on a team and you have to produce a particular product -- if you have a hole in the particular project, that's because you didn't have all of the gifts covered. Everyone needs to feed off someone else's gift. So your gift is ultimately for serving others. We call it the greatest collaboration tool known to man. Monica: You also use the term "grace gifts". What are grace gifts?

because sometimes your gifts are noticed by others before you even notice them. So in addition to the 52-question assessment that a person can take, we have four or five people who are close to that particular person to take the Milestone Gift Evaluation so that they can provide insight into some other gifts that you may have that you don't recognize. I coach people one-on-one based on a document that's called "Make Room in Your Life Now," because Proverbs 18 and 16 says, "Your gift will make room for you and bring you before a great man." So we're showing and telling people, "This is how you make room in your life now." That's a 5-week or a 10-week coaching session based on a person's preferences. Monica: Who is your main audience?

Derrick: Grace gifts are gifts come from God, and there's nothing we have to do to receive that gift. It's from His grace. There's nothing that we do to -- I would say -- to accentuate that gift. That gift is already given. So before you and I were born, there was a need in the universe. God said, "I have this particular need. I'm going to create Monica to fill that need." Normal human beings look at themselves and they are ineffective in producing the outcome that God has on their lives. So God has to give us a gift. Monica: When you say, "Superhuman Performance," what you mean by superhuman? Derrick: I'm glad you asked that question because what superhuman really means is that we all are human. We have basic talents, and we can perform at a human level. But when God came and gave Moses his gift, he was able to part the Red Sea. That was superhuman. When you utilize the gifts that God has put into your life, your performance goes to a totally different level.

Derrick: Our main audience is working professionals, 25 to 55. Monica: Do you think that any person has the ability to become a leader? Derrick: Great question. Wow. Leadership is my gift. I've seen it from my own experiences as a leader, and I'm going to say no. Leadership is a great gift and I've also seen people in leadership. I'm going to be honest; most people go into leadership because it pays more money. They're very good with technical tasks, and because they're good at technical tasks, some people think that they can become leaders. That's not true. They get into leadership positions, and they fail miserably. The people beneath them are miserable. But once you find a person who is gifted in the leadership area, the individual is able to excel because that's a gift that they have. Monica: What does success mean to you?

Monica: You say that you and your brother help individuals recover their God-given desires, talents, and traits. What are some things that you do to help people do that? Derrick: I'm glad you asked that one too because one of the things that we do -- as I mentioned before we have the Milestone Gift Assessment Tool. And that's a 52question assessment. It will give people an idea of 14 gifts that are applicable to the marketplace. Then we also have a Marketplace Gift -- what we call Evaluation Tools 36 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011

Derrick: Success means to me -- it is when I complete my ultimate assignment for being here. I said this Wednesday when I spoke, I fell for the corporate lie, that you go to school, get a degree, or go to graduate school, get two degrees, make a lot of money, have a family, big house, big stuff, and you're supposed to be happy. That's supposed to be success. I wasn't happy. I was frustrated. I was angry. I wasn't a great father. I wasn't a great husband. But when I started utilizing my gift, all of that changed. People started coming and presenting themselves in my life.

Minding My Business

We all have a destiny. We didn't just show up on earth. We have a purpose for being here. So success for me is walking into that and using my gift of encouragement to help others achieve their destiny. So that's success for me because I've seen the other side. I know what it's like to have money and a Range Rover. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done all of those things. Monica: You're right. There are many people who have those things who still feel empty on the inside. Derrick: Absolutely. And that was me, depressed, manic-depressive. I was all that. And I had all that stuff, multiple homes and was dying on the inside. That wasn't success to me. Success is what I do now, helping people. Monica: And part of what you all do is to help people realize or find their life's purpose. Derrick: Yes. Ultimately, that's what happens. If they keep researching, their purpose in life is going to be revealed to them. Monica: What do you and your brother really enjoy most about your work? Derrick: I love doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I can tell and other people can tell that this is what I'm supposed to be doing. People come to me afterwards and say, "Derrick, you just don't know how you impacted me. Your story was just so compelling. And we know that it's not pretentious and you're passionate." So I love being able to do what I'm purposed to do and getting that feedback. The feedback is greater than the resources that people will pay to be a part of this, just to hear how people's lives are impacted, especially with the people who are motivated by money. When I cover that particular topic, I get a lot of people who come up and tell me that's where they are. They really want to do something else, but they just haven't had the courage to do it. And then I jump into the stories of all the people who, based on their gifts, have jumped out of the saddle. I'm not telling people to leave their job like I did. I was blessed because I was at an executive level, and I got a nice severance package, so I was able to do that. Not everyone can do that.

six months earlier. So once I was laid off, we already had a foundation. I got laid off on a Friday. That Saturday we were speaking. Monica: Wow. I think when people are motivated by money, they are never satisfied. They always want more. But when you live your life based on your gifts, your true gifts and your talents and you are using them and sharing them with others, you see life from a totally different perspective, and you really appreciate the things have much more. Derrick: Absolutely. Wow. Yes, absolutely. I agree with that. Monica: What kind of legacy would you like to leave your family and friends, even those who doubted you in the beginning? Derrick: Wow, that's strong. Well, the Bible says that a man should leave a heritage for his children's children. So for Devon and Dawson I want to be able to have a business based on Marketplace Ministry that will allow them to earn a living. When I think of marketplace ministries, there are a few that come to mind. Chick-fil-A is a marketplace ministry, and we look at their mission which is to honor God. Service Master, which has Terminix and Merry Maids under its umbrella, is a marketplace ministry. They're there to serve God. So what I would prefer to do is utilize this message that we have to help people become all that they can be and help my family live by that. â&#x2122;Ś

Just to know that there's that opportunity and that you can be working on it on the side, because that's what I did. I knew that I was being called to do something larger. Before I was laid off, my brother and I started the company July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 37

David Riklan Self Self--Improvement Guru Shares Resources with Millions He could be dubbed as the master of self-improvement. Growing up in a family that valued education and continued self-improvement, David Riklan took to heart the lessons he learned. As an extraordinary entrepreneur, Riklan has built a successful company focused on helping others improve their lives. Selfgrowth.com is a massive repository of resources designed to help hundreds of thousands of people enhance their lives through experts and other resources. “The vision for Selfgrowth.com was to provide a one-stop shop for people to find out how to improve their lives,” says Riklan. “I found out that people want to improve and achieve more success in their lives. They want to improve their health. They want to improve their relationships, their finances and their level of spirituality. We identified a wide range of

topics that fit within those areas.” As a person who believes in continued improvement, Riklan is laying the same educational foundation for his family. He shared with Exceptional People Magazine what he considers the ten elements for selfimprovement.

cept of growth and education and improvement stops when they finish with their formal education. For me it continued past that point and it continues to this day.

EPM: As a young kid you always had an interest in self improvement and personal growth. Was it a family trait?

David: It was inspired by a couple of things but primarily right out of college I went to work for Hewlett Packard. I was in sales and two things happened while I was there. One was I realized that I didn’t want to work for a big company my entire life. I wanted to have my own business. The second thing that happened is they started sending me to training programs to become a more effective employee. One of the programs I attended was the Dale Carnegie training program on effective speaking and human relations. I fell in love with this concept that even after you finish your formal education you can con-

David: I’d say it was a combination of things. It was a part of my family and it was a strong educational ethic that came from my parents. My dad was also a psychologist. There was a strong interest in learning about the human mind and learning about how you can expand and how you can grow, and in the words of the Army, “How you can be all you can be.” So I grew up with that as a part of me, but for most people I think the con-

38 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011

EPM: What inspired your vision for your business?

Minding My Business

tinue to learn, grow and improve. I decided after a few years, that I was going to one day figure out how to marry these two strong interests: one of having my own business and the other, being involved in selfimprovement and personal growth. Jump ahead a few years and the internet came along, and it seemed like the perfect vehicle for me to do that. EPM: What is the general makeup of Selfgrowth.com in terms of the demographics, the people who are participating and the information that you are sharing? David: The vision for Selfgrowth.com was to provide a one-stop shop for people to find out how to improve their lives. For me, I found out that people want to improve and achieve more success in their lives. They want to improve their health, they want to improve their relationships, their finances and their level of spirituality. We identified a wide range of topics that fit within those areas. There are over 200 different topics that range from goal-setting, to empowerment, leadership, sales skills and finances. Our goal is to provide the widest range of information for individuals to improve their lives. We do that by providing a wide range of articles, websites and products, videos and experts on each of the topics. What we discovered through our website is that the number of people responding is over 1.3 million per month. They are roughly 55% women and 45% men, a fairly educated group and people who are generally looking to enhance their lives. EPM: So a person would have to sign up when they come to the website?

David: When you come to the website you’re going to find two things. There’s a ton of free resources that are accessible to virtually anyone. So if you visit to the website, you can watch videos and you can read a wide range of articles. We have over 100,000 articles on different topics, and you can browse through our list of experts to see who in particular you’d like to learn from or work with. In addition we have free membership and when you join, it provides a wide range of other benefits. A quick hint of some benefits include free bonus items, including e-books and audio programs. A couple of them that we include are a copy of Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill, the Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles and As a Man Thinketh by James Allen. In addition we’ve done a number of interviews ourselves or through our partners. For example, anyone who joins Selfgrowth can download an exclusive interview with Tony Robbins and a wide range of other programs. It’s all part of a free membership but you must sign up to gain access to them. EPM: Is the makeup mainly experts? David: We cater to two groups of people. We cater to people who are experts in some areas of selfimprovement and self-growth. We have roughly 50,000 plus members who are providing us with articles, videos and products, their websites and information about themselves. The much larger audience is the 1.5 million people who are coming to improve their lives. Our goal is to provide two services. One is for people who are looking to improve their lives to find the widest range of information available to them. The other

audience that we cater to is experts or business owners, and we provide a wide range of tools to help them get the word out on what they’re doing. We almost see our selves as matchmakers, where we are looking to match those who are looking to improve their lives and looking for information with people who are providing it. EPM: You have connected with many people over the years while you continue to build Selfgrowth.com. What are some common denominators in the way that many experts think about success? David: There are a wide range of things that I see. This is an interesting question because a lot of people come to me and ask “What’s the best technique, who's the best expert, how are we going to approach it? There are so many experts, where do we start?” There are definitely some common denominators that I’ve found that many of the experts and programs teach and I actually identified ten of them. We call them the ten laws of self improvement. You may be familiar with many of them, and it’s a matter of how we incorporate them into our lives. 1. The first one is that it’s important to take responsibility for our lives. 2. Second, it’s critical to take action. You can use thought to drive action but eventually you will need to take action. 3. Third, it’s critical to understand and get in touch with your desires. Understand yourself and become aware of what you want and what you need.

July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 39

Minding My Business

4. Fourth, set goals and develop a game plan. 5. Fifth, it’s critical to pay the price. You need to invest the time, the money and resources to go from point A to point B. 6. Sixth, you need to be persistent. 7. Seventh, learn from your mistakes. 8. Eighth, be willing to change your game plan based on learning form your mistakes. 9. Ninth, have strong beliefs and the right belief system. Believe that you are going to be able to achieve what you want to achieve. 10. Tenth, visualize your success. See yourself accomplishing your goals. These are the ten core areas and there are countless ways to implement them. Some people recommend implementing them using the law of attraction, others talk about hypnosis. Still others talk about the power of being thankful and grateful. There are countless ways and systems. Regardless of which technique you use, those core denominators I mentioned are things that many experts talk about, they teach and demonstrate techniques and show you how to implement them. Many people are aware of these core areas but many of us have challenges or difficulties implementing them. EPM: You have three children. As a self improvement junkie, as you call yourself, what principles do you instill in your children about life, success and giving back?

David: I try to instill in them that life is a never-ending learning process. You always want to learn and you always want to grow. One of the habits that Steven Covey author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People talks about is his eighth habit. My view of the eighth habit is once you develop a skill, you want to share, teach, become an educator and help other people. That’s something that I instill in my children. It’s a part of what my wife and I try to instill in them. It’s important to grow individually and it’s important to help other people and help the world at large. EPM: With your huge thirst for knowledge, where do you expect it to lead you in the next three to five years? David: I take a look at what we are doing and all the resources that we are providing through all the people that we work with and I still see what we’re doing at the one percent mark. I see us about one percent along the vision. Right now we have a little over a million people coming to the website and I think we can get over 100 million a month. Also, one of the things we’re looking to incorporate is how to help people find which resources are best for them. Currently we provide a Wikipedia-wide view of selfimprovement where you can find out about a wide range of techniques and systems. One of the main challenges for people is finding out which one is going to work for them. We are formulating systems that will enable them to determine which ones will work best for them. EPM: In what ways has Selfgrowth impacted your life?

40 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011

David: It has impacted my life in many ways. One of the biggest ways is that it has enabled me to fulfill my dream. My dream was to have my own business and be in the self improvement business. So it enabled me to leave corporate America and operate my own business. That’s been a phenomenal change for me. By having my own business, it allows me to have more flexibility. My office is literally two miles from my home, which allows me to see my kids more. I’m as excited about what I’m doing now as I was eight years ago. EPM: That also is a key to success. You have to be excited and love what you do. David: It’s critical. You need to find your passion or your life’s purpose. It will make your life that much more enjoyable. EPM: You believe that a person should have more than one mentor. Why? David: One of the things I find interesting is that a lot of people I know think that all they need to do is find one mentor who’s going to change their life. For years I was struggling to find that “mentor” who could change my life. What I found is I didn’t need to find that one mentor. I discovered that you can have many mentors. And by mentor I mean someone that you can learn from and you can be inspired through. So the way I see it, I don’t have a single mentor. I literally look at every single person in my life that I touch, reach, speak to and read about. I view them all as mentors and I ask myself, what can I learn from this person? In some

Minding My Business

cases, the learning experience is what not to do. Even if I’m learning what not to do from someone, in a sense they’re still my mentor, they’re still teaching me. Most people are not going to learn everything from one person. My recommendation is not to find one mentor but to learn from as many as possible to enable you to grow fully. One of my philosophies is there is no cure-all for everything. My goal is to help people find what’s right for them. EPM: Speaking of mentors, who are some of your mentors and what makes each of them different and helpful to you? David: My original mentors were mom and dad. My dad is no longer with us but I still have memories and there’s still a lot that I’ve learned from him. My mom is still around, playing tennis at 78 years old. Those are two of my original mentors. There are mentors and people that I learned from while growing up during my formal education. There are a lot of mentors that I learned from in the self-improvement and self-growth arena. I love listening to and watching people like Tony Robbins and Brian Tracy. I still remember listening to Zig Ziglar tapes while growing up. There’s a wide range of people and they provide different lessons for me or I’ll learn similar things in a different way. EPM: As a parent what is your biggest wish or dream for your children as they grow up? David: I have two dreams for them. One is that they’re happy. One of my prime dreams is that I want my children to be happy. The second biggest

dream is that they find what they want in of life. The other dreams include wanting my kids to be healthy, wealthy, wise and well-educated, but the first two are my biggest dreams for them.

level of society. People are also in the mode of blaming themselves. My general belief is that you need to get out of the blame mode and take responsibility for changing your life. No one else is going to do it.

EPM: If a child at the age of four or five says “I know what I want to do, do you think that’s too young for a parent to encourage them at that age?

EPM: When you begin looking at yourself and begin changing your life, you are also helping to change others.

David: I don’t think it’s too young to encourage a kid but I wouldn’t lock everything else out, personally as a parent. One of the challenges I find and the same thing with selfimprovement is I believe there is not one system or one way that works perfectly for everybody. It’s the same thing for parenting. There are many different parenting styles. Parents need to find and adopt the style that’s going to work for them. What we try to provide through Selfgrowth are resources to help people find the proper parenting techniques and implement them.

David: Exactly. You need to take action! ♦

EPM: What is the foundation for your life? What are the principles that you live by? David: There are a few principles that I live by everyday. One is to try to be a good person. That means being honest, trying to be right by myself and the people that I’m working with and trying to help people – passing on what I’m learning. I get my greatest pleasure from helping people. That’s the core of what I’m trying to do, my guiding principle. One thing I’d also like to share with people is that you need to find your own vision, your own passion and your own path. One of the challenges I think a lot of people face is we have a blame mentality, where it’s everybody else’s fault. I see it at every July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 41

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Food For Thought

ISSN 1944-9062 Founder and Editor-in-Chief Monica Davis

“In giving advice, seek to help, not to please your friend.” Solon

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Empower Yourself...

“Inward confidence brings forth outward success.”

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Empowerment

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Don't Reinvent the Wheel! Build a Team of Competent Coaches, Mentors and Advisors By William R. Patterson One of the reasons, I have been able to build so many businesses quickly is that I never try to reinvent the wheel. I surround myself with a team of advisors, mentors and coaches that I credit with a great deal of my success. If someone has already achieved success in an area or has more experience than I, it only makes sense to leverage that experience. There are many disadvantages to trying to build wealth alone including:

• Multiplying the amount of work and time it takes to achieve your goal by over 1,000%. • Increasing your chances of failure or a major financial setback while pursuing your goal by 500-850%. • Decreasing the magnitude of your success by 50%-90%. • Ultimately, you are taking on significantly more risk, working longer and harder and achieving much less by working alone. On the other hand, there are many advantages to having coaches, mentors and advisors including:

• Building wealth faster with income accelerators. • Saving time by using proven turnkey solutions.

• Avoiding hurdles and pitfalls with •

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expert guidance. Having access to exclusive social and business networks to build key relationships. Receiving timely and filtered information. Being able to better understand and manage financial risk so that you know when to "bet big" and when to pull back. Being held accountable for taking consistent action toward your goals and using the most efficient methods, tools and processes for achieving the highest possible results.

You may be reading this and saying, "That sounds great, but I can't afford a team!" However, you should be asking yourself, "How can I afford a team?" You can get people to help you without upfront compensation by identifying and raising your "value." Even if you don't have upfront cash to compensate people, you can always create an income opportunity for them, refer business to them, create a PR opportunity, connect them with influential people in your network, or help support their favorite cause or charity.

Think creatively because there are many ways to bring value to people other than money. Yet always remember, it is important to show up with a turnkey solution if you want the best results. The easier you can make it for people to help you, the better.

BARON Wealth and Business Success Actions: Action 1: Take some time to plan and write down your goals for 2011. Be specific as to the progress you would like to see made in your life and business. Action 2: Identify what is at stake. Ask yourself, "Where will I be in 2-3 years if I don't make these necessary changes in my life and businesses?" Action 3: Identify the people you will need to have on your team to achieve your goals and how you plan to compensate and/or create value for them. Action 4: Begin building your team! In all you do, continued success!

July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 45

Empowerment

COPYWRITING POWER

Success Elements That Make Your Copy Sell

… puts “muscle” into your marketing message! By Rosalind Sedacca Word-Power is persuasive power. The power to grab attention, make hard-hitting points and generate immediate response from your targeted market. Carefully chosen words build credibility for your website, your business, your products or services. They are vital tools that can be artfully used to create the specific response or action you want. Selling, regardless of what the product or service, is an emotional process. A process of learning to push the right “buttons” in your prospect to get the desired response. Expert copywriting is the tool to create that outcome. Yet far too few businesses understand the impact and value of well-chosen words and how they can attract, motivate and sell.

Using Words to Touch an Emotional Chord How do you move through the onslaught of today’s competitive marketing clamor to get your story told and your product sold? By reaching out and touching human emotional needs. Needs are basic and important to our wellbeing. Psychologists tell us they include: safety and security, self-realization and fulfillment, esteem and status, belonging and social activity, health and other physiological drives. By selecting words and phrases that play off of these universal emotional needs, you can make what you are selling more appealing, more valuable and easy to purchase – now! Many of those same words will also become “key words” which play an important role in helping your website get found via search engines when your prospect is searching for a service you provide. It takes a good copywriter to catch your prospect’s attention, develop their interest, motivate their desire and generate immediate action. It’s Word-Power that can make your “widget” the best on the market in the eyes of your potential customers -- making it worth every penny you’re charging. Expert word-crafting can transform that humble widget into a builder of dreams, a solution to problems, and a goal worth attaining. 46 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011

There are many proven formulas and guidelines for writing copy that sells. If you’re going to tackle the job yourself, I suggest you first peruse a good copywriting book or internet articles that spell out some time-tested pointers. Briefly, masters of the trade seem to be in agreement about certain essential factors that are keys to sales and marketing success. These include:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Grab Attention Show your product/service advantage Prove it Use success stories Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes Include special features Be persuasive Show value Be believable Get reader involved Strive for commitment Be friendly Make it easy to read Ask for the sale Don’t ask if – ask which Make it easy to order Imply urgent action

Not all of these elements belong on every web page, sales letter or brochure you produce. But in every case the subtleties of language, the lure of provocative benefits and the power of well-chosen words is the secret that puts real “muscle” into your advertising message. Just as not everyone who can hold a marker is a graphic designer, everyone who knows how to write is not a professional copywriter. Think twice before putting the future sales and credibility of your business into the hands of someone who is not a master of the craft. Whether you’re promoting your business, selling your service, establishing your identity, building your image, attracting attention to your website or building customer confidence in your product -- don’t overlook the proven power of Word-Power. The results will speak for themselves on your bottom line! ♦

Empowerment

How Do You Define Success? By Dr. Margaret Paul Our society is way off track about what is regarded as success. Discover how you define success and if your definition is serving you well. Take a moment to go inside and see how you define success. Is your success defined by:

worth by being loving to themselves and to their families. Instead they defined success by getting sex or by whom they possessed. What if these people had defined their success and their sense of worth by how well they took loving care of themselves, how kind they were to their families, and how much they contributed to society? Would they have chosen to harm themselves and others to fill their emptiness and avoid the pain that they were causing by their own self-abandonment?

How much money you have? Having a big house and an expensive car? How expensive your clothes are? Traveling first class on airlines? How attractive you are? How attractive your partner is? How famous you are? Winning or being the best at something? How many beautiful people want to have sex with you? How many friends you have? How much attention and approval you get?

Another example is Michael Jackson, who was incredibly unkind to himself, constantly distorting himself rather than learning to be kind and accepting toward himself. If he had learned to fully embrace his true Self and to define his worth and success by his ability to love rather than by his looks or approval, he might be alive today.

Unfortunately, the media often supports defining success in many of the above ways.

Obviously, everything they have externally does nothing to fill the void internally. External success actually does nothing to fill the inner emptiness that leads to substance abuse, sexual addiction, and other forms of addiction, as well as to anger, blame and rage. External success is great for financial security and freedom to do whatever you want, but being a truly joyful person demands a different definition of success.

• • • • • • • • • • •

But are you successful just because you have a lot of money, even if you had to use others to get it? What if you made millions and others suffered as a result of your choices? What if you live in a big house and drive an expensive car but find it difficult to be loving to your partner or your children - or to yourself? What if you defined success by how much you contribute to another or to society? What if you define success by how kind you are to yourself and to others and by what you contribute to the world? What if success is not defined by how many widgets you sell, but by how many people you help and how joyful you are? There are many people who find it easy to make money, or achieve fame but find it very difficult to be kind to themselves and to the people closest to them. There are many people who are outwardly successful yet act out in ways that are harmful to themselves and others. Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, and OJ Simpson come to mind of people who achieved everything but never defined success and inner

The movie industry is riddled with stars who have everything - money, fame, looks, admiration - and who struggle with various addictions, such as alcohol, drugs, food, and sex. We see various stars on TV, constantly losing and gaining weight, or going in and out of rehab. Why are they so unhappy and empty that they keep turning to addictions?

What if love, kindness, generosity, caring, compassion, empathy, and understanding toward ourselves and others, and helpful contributions to society were lauded as the hallmarks of success? What if our newspapers and news channels devoted their stories to people who had learned how to truly love themselves enough to be able to extend their love out to others and contribute to the good of the planet? What if supporting our own highest good and the highest good of all was valued more than money? What if kindness - to yourself and with others - was your guiding light? The chances are that you would know, deep within your soul, that you are a huge success - that you are doing what you came to this planet to do! ♦ July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 47

Empowerment

Career Misconceptions: Avoid Falling Victim to These Six Common Mistaken Career Beliefs By Annemarie Cross language, your mannerisms and the way you conduct yourself; 38% comes from auditory functions, including tonality, speed of your voice, volume and articulation; and only 7% comes from the words you are speaking. Studies have also found that if a person’s facial expressions were inconsistent with what they were saying, the facial expressions were taken as fact (and more believable) than the words being spoken. So if you are scratching your nose or looking extremely worried during an interview, this will have far more impact than the words you are saying.

Misconception Two: The best approach to job searching is through recruitment agencies, internet postings and newspapers. Whether you are thinking about entering the job market or plan to remain with your current employer until you retire, take heed. The job market can be highly competitive and the perception of a guaranteed job for life is no longer valid. To ensure you maintain an impressive marketable and highly employable edge within a constantly changing career landscape, ensure you aren’t fooled by the following career misconceptions. Misconception One: The most qualified candidate always gets the job offer. Impressive qualifications and expansive experience does not necessarily guarantee that you will get the job. In fact, jobs are often offered to the better communicator, the better ‘sales person’ who is able to connect with the interviewer and subsequently market relevant skills and achievements in a professional and articulate manner. Studies have shown that 55% of the impact of communication comes from body 48 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011

Studies have proven that between 70-80% of job opportunities are never advertised, appropriately labeled - the hidden job market. Responding to internet and newspaper-based job advertisements only allows you to position yourself in front of a small percentage of potential opportunities. To maximize your job search exposure, consider networking and leveraging your circle of influence – your professional network of contacts, as a crucial part of your job search. Misconception Three: As long as I continue to work hard for my current employer, my role will be secure. With the constantly changing landscape of many industries, the ‘job for life’ principle is no longer relevant. In fact, each of us can probably expect between 4 to 7 career changes throughout our working lives. It is therefore essential that you have a strategic career development plan in order to maintain your employability and marketability status. In your current workplace:

Empowerment

•

Establish a solid network within your organization and become known as the go-to person who is able to solve problems and overcome obstacles;

• Include only relevant training in your résumé. Ask

Pursue ongoing professional development opportunities so that you are constantly learning and expanding your skills and knowledge and at the forefront of your industry;

• There is no need to list each and every role spanning

Become involved in special company projects that may involve working with people outside of your department. Therefore people in other divisions are able to get to know and trust you, and gain awareness of your expertise.

Examples of an achievement statement:

Misconception Four: Once I have completed my formal education there is no need for me to undertake further professional development. Technology, consumer demand, and an evolving, highly competitive marketplace means that you cannot afford to take on a complacent attitude toward ongoing knowledge and professional development. In fact, complacency may lead to outdated skills and eventual career atrophy. Short courses, industry publications and workshops through Professional Associations are just a few things you could be attending to ensure you remain current with what is happening in your industry. Misconception Five: My résumé should include a career objective, my entire work history, training and all of the responsibilities within each role I have performed. A résumé is your marketing document and therefore should strategically position your skills, expertise and overall value to an organization’s needs.

yourself, is this course relevant and does this knowledge add value to my candidacy? If not, leave it out.

your entire career history. Generally the last 10-15 years is necessary, particularly if the experience is relevant to the role you are applying for.

• Slashed costs by $150K following workforce rationalization with no impact on performance or customer service.

• Increased annual revenue by 45% despite there being a general downturn in the market. Misconception Six: As I am established in my current role, it’s not really important to continue working on my career. As mentioned previously it is vital to take control of your career (rather than letting your career take hold of you) particularly with the changing landscape many industries now face. Have a clear career management/development plan to ensure you are constantly evolving and expanding your skills and knowledge. Continue building and leveraging both internal and external networks; become known as the go-to person, the problem solver, and a person who continues to contribute value and results. ♦

To your success!

• Substitute your career objective with a professional profile – a statement of your success and value you offer an employer. A career objective concentrates on what you want, however a professional profile highlights what you bring to the table.

Annemarie

• Replace boring lists of job accountabilities and functions, with examples of challenges overcome, initiatives implemented within the workplace, and achievements/ successes that made an impact to the organization.

July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 49

Empowerment

Coming to Terms with Investment Risk By Dean G. Campbell

•

Political risk is the possibility that domestic or global political events may affect the stability of return on an investment.

•

Illiquidity risk is the possible absence of a buyer (or market) in the event that you are forced to sell. This typically affects real estate and collectibles.

Risk and Reward It is crucial to develop an investment mix that is suited to the level of risk you are willing to assume. The point where you stand on the risk/reward spectrum depends on variables like age, family situation, current and expected future income, tax bracket, and overall net worth.

Bringing It All Together Ask two investors how they feel about risk and you’ll probably get two different answers. However, they are likely to agree that risk inevitably comes into play, both in selecting and in reassessing their portfolios.

Defining Risk

Investment objectives are best met by a blend of assets that match your risk tolerance, specific lifestyle, and long-term needs. Your financial advisor can help you establish your investment goals and assist you in continually appraising risk as well as performance, to build and maintain a well-balanced portfolio. ♦

Risk is the unknown, the uncertainty tied to any investment decision. Since none of us can know the future, risk is always a factor in the decision-making process. Risk comes in various forms:

•

Market risk is the likelihood that the value of an investment will change because of fluctuations in the financial markets.

•

Interest-rate risk results from the fact that interest rates change, affecting the value of an investment.

•

Inflation risk is the possible erosion of your purchasing power. An investment must yield a rate of return that exceeds the current rate of inflation to increase purchasing power.

•

Economic risk concerns the strength or weakness of economic growth and its impact on investment return.

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Campbell Retirement Planning Centers does not render legal, accounting or tax advice. Please consult your CPA or attorney on such matters. The accuracy and completeness of this material are not guaranteed. The material is distributed solely for information purposes and is not a solicitation of an offer to buy any security or instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. Provided by courtesy of Campbell Retirement Planning Centers, 888-910-7526, 5334 Dixie Highway, Waterford, MI 48329. Securities offered through Sigma Financial Corp. Member FINRA/SIPC

Empowerment

Use IF To Negotiate Successfully By Greg Williams When you negotiate, do you use ‘if’ to make your offerings conditional? During negotiations, the word ‘if’ is used as a conditional phrase that serves as a prelude for that which follows. It allows you to make an offer and not be committed to delivering the covenants of the offer, if the other negotiator doesn’t meet the condition(s) set forth by your ‘if’ inquiry. If you wish to negotiate successfully, you have to preface some offers and most counteroffers with the word, ‘if’.

The following are seven ways you can use ‘if’ to negotiate more successfully. You should use ‘if’ when you wish to extend a conditional offer to the other negotiator (e.g. If I add this to the deal, will that be enough to meet your needs?). If the other negotiator says no, you’re not obligated to meet his needs with the offer extended to him.

• ‘If’ can also be used as a transitional strategy (e.g. You bring up a good point and if we can agree on ‘point B’, then we can address ‘point A’.)

• “If’s” can be used in a ‘nested’ manner, when you wish to connect several points together, while not committing to the outcome unless the other negotiator agrees to all of the conditions (e.g. If we adopt ‘point A’ and if we adopt ‘point B’ or ‘point C’, I think we can conclude this deal successfully.) To use ‘if’ successfully, do so with precision and incisiveness. Remember, ‘if’ can be used to ‘heat’ up, or ‘cool’ down a negotiation. Be perceptive to the psychological ‘temperature’ of the negotiation and adjust your mental thermostat and that of the other negotiator appropriately. Do so based on the direction you’d like your ‘if’ query to take you … and everything will be right with the world.

• You can use ‘if’ as a ‘block and bridge’ strategy (e.g. If ‘point A’ is true (block), then it reasons that ‘point B’ has validity (bridge)). In this case, you would then begin to discuss ‘point B’, which should be more advantageous to your position.

The Negotiation Tips Are …

• Use ‘if’ as a harbinger of things to come. Depending on the point you wish to stress and the position you’ve adopted, ‘if’ can be used as a subliminal precursor (e.g. If we adopt your position, do you really think it’s going to be beneficial?).

• ‘If’ can be used as an image enhancer or image detractor (e.g. If we consummate the proposed deal, you’ll save a few hundred thousand dollars and become a hero in your organization.)

• Use ‘if’ with ‘but’. ‘But’ is a delimiter that negates what comes before it. (e.g. Your point is good, but if we adopt the second point, the outcome will be more favorable.)

• Before using ‘if’, consider the motivational source of the other negotiator. Then, apply your ‘if’ proposition from the perspective that it moves him in the direction he perceives to be the most beneficial.

• Regardless of how you use ‘if’ in your negotiations, don’t use it to the point that it confuses the goal you seek. Remember, ‘If’ is another negotiation tool; like any tool, it should used when and where appropriate.

• Remember to also use the word ‘if’ when you want to transition from a point you don’t wish to address to one that’s more advantageous to your position.

July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 51

Empowerment

Small Business Marketing Online – What you need to know to help you get results! By Dawn Abrahams

Do you want to double or even triple your online income? I’m going to share some very important tips for successfully marketing an online business. Once you have determined your business idea and you have a solid business, then it’s time to begin your marketing strategy. Following these basic guidelines will help you reach your goal. Build a list of targeted prospects Build a list of targeted people that are interested in your business. All you need is their e-mail address and first name. Growing this list is priceless. Once you have this list, you have essentially gathered a list of people who are interested in what you have to offer. Here are a few ways to gain this information:

• Offer a free newsletter • Offer a survey that takes their name and e-mail address • Add an opt-in box on your site that gives them access to something free if they register their e-mail.

Small Business Marketing Online… with a Newsletter Offering a newsletter can be a wonderful way to gather prospects and keep in touch with them on a regular

basis. People may go to your web site once and like it but not have time to really go through it. They may have the best of intentions of returning but forget to do so. With a monthly or weekly newsletter you can remind your visitors of your web site along with letting them know what is new this month. If you have a new product to launch you can include a link back to your web site. My recommendation is to offer something of value in each newsletter so people will open it and share it with their friends as well. This will also help you to build confidence with your new prospects. By giving them a sample every month or week of your knowledge and information about your topic of expertise, they will see what you have to offer. Make sure your newsletter is offered on your homepage as well as your secondary pages. Give away a free ebook if they sign up. It will pay off in the end to have a large targeted list of customers that you continue to market to on a regular basis. Small Business Marketing Online… The Survey Says... There are many types of surveys that you can generate that will help you gather significant information about your prospects. This way you know what they like and what their needs are. For example questions on your survey can include: (1) what is your biggest challenge, and (2) what type

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of information would you like to receive more or less of? Gather as much information as you can so you’ll know what to market and how. This way you know what to deliver because they told you what they need. This is a valuable tool that you will want to put to use. It takes all the guess work out of what your prospects want to see or receive from you.

Small Business Marketing Online… with Free Take-A-Ways Offering something of value for free to collect a targeted prospect’s e-mail will be one of the best things you ever did. If you give away some wonderful information you put together in an e-book and include it as a download when they sign up for your newsletter, the only effort and time you’ve spent is writing write the e-book. After that, your work is done and you have gathered many valuable contacts you that you didn’t have before. If e-books aren’t your thing then give away a free MP3. You can have an informational MP3 that may offer tips ideas or teach something along the lines of the theme of your web site. If you provide a service you can offer a free day or an extra day for signing up for your newsletter. You can offer a 20% discount for signing up. This way you get a new client and their email address.

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BARON Strategies for Improving Your Mutual Fund Returns By William R. Patterson Many stock mutual fund investors are looking for ways to increase their returns and minimize risk. When seeking to improve your investment performance, it’s important to keep in mind the obvious but often forgotten truth that a mutual fund derives its price and value from its underlying stock holdings. You can often greatly reduce your risk, outperform many mutual fund managers and beat the market indices by analyzing the underlying stocks of a mutual fund before you invest or by creating your own similar portfolio of stocks and eliminating the poor-performing and unprofitable companies. When analyzing a mutual fund, in addition to its long and short-term performance, ask yourself: • What are the top ten holdings and how well are those stocks performing? • Are the underlying companies growing their profits year over year and quarter over quarter? • Are the industry groups of the underlying companies in or out of favor? (A stock's industry group can account for as much as 60% of its price movement.) • Are large institutional investors buying or selling the underlying stocks? • Are the stock charts of the top holdings showing an uptrend or downtrend? You can answer many of the questions using the Stocks and Mutual Fund section of BaronSeries.com and other related BARON resources. You can also find your mutual fund’s top ten holdings by analyzing its prospectus which can be easily obtained from your mutual fund company. Remember, stock and mutual fund investing involves risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. So, work with your financial advisor to analyze your portfolio with this powerful BARON model to make your money work harder for you. July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 53

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