What does it really mean when you say you want to live a stress free and abundant life?

A plan to get from Point A – which is where you are right now.

For many that means living in a state of constant stress and worry and not knowing where your life is headed. You are basically spinning your wheels and going nowhere.

It’s a page view of one of my business checking accounts during what is traditionally the slowest time of the year for direct sales…

It may be a little blurry … but for a 7 day period from Dec. 20 to Dec. 27 it shows deposits totaling $24,165.10

I’ll see you then!

TotalFreedomBlueprint
 

Not a good way to end the year … but I just lost $50k in a blink of an eye!;-(

… read on to find out why I’m not really bothered by it because I can make that back in a heart beat and can show you how you can make way more than that too!;-) …

The New Year is almost here and this is an excellent time to sit back and reflect on the past and plan for the future.
 
 Are you living the life you truly want?
 
 Actually, a better question is … Do you even KNOW what you want?
 
 Once you answer that question then it’s easy to start planning for the future because you must have a destination before you can even make a plan to move forward.
 
 You don’t have to wait until you have a certain amount of money or that new home to start living “the good life”.
 
 You're entire life should be fulfilling your dreams, not waiting until retirement or when the time seems right to start living.
 
 I know… I know. Having enough money seems to be the biggest obstacle keeping you from living your ideal life.
 
 But having enough money shouldn't stop you. It should be the fuel that propels you forward.
 
 In today’s economy it just makes sense to have an extra stream of income … money that comes in constantly from your own efforts… your own home business.
 
 Money you can depend on!
 
 I’ve learned from the school of hard knocks not to depend on anyone else for my financial security.
 
 Here’s a great example of what just happened to me…
 
 At about 9:00 pm on Christmas Eve I received a really a strange voicemail. It said something about holding a special meeting in Utah for members of a real estate investment where I had invested about $50k a few years ago.
 
 I had been receiving really nice interest checks from this investment every month for the past 4 years. They always came right on time – like clockwork.
 
 I remember thinking it was so strange to get this voicemail because it was late on Christmas Eve… but then quickly forgot about it as time with family and friends filled the next few days.
 
 Then a few days after Christmas I received a notice from my bank … the last interest check I deposited from the investment company had bounced. Ugh!;-(
 
 So I called their office to see what was going on … only to find out that the business was now in Receivership!
 
 Meaning of course they had either filed bankruptcy or had been taken over by some government agency. I’m still waiting to get the details but I’m sure my investment is gone.
 
 Yes… losing $50K overnight along with a monthly residual check was a hard pill to swallow.
 
 Yet my mind immediately thought of how grateful I am to have a home business that could make that amount of money back in no time!
 
 My heart goes out to those who have lost their savings, investments, and even their main source of income without having anything else in place to back up or add to their source of income.
 
 One day you are living life and usual, then in the blink of an eye you get a phone call or a “pink slip” or some big catastrophe happens and your money dries up ….
 
 Worry and stress now become your constant companions.
 
 More than anything I wish I could just hand people the keys to success on the internet that would allow them to make a substantial living right away.
 
 Sadly, it doesn't work like that. It takes work, skill and determination.
 
 Most marketers would never say this because it doesn't sell that well, but in my opinion the way to online success almost always boils down to…
 
 Making a decision to learn new skills and becoming a BETTER YOU!
 
 That's it. But not many people want to admit that, and hardly anyone wants to try and sell that to you because it's usually business suicide.
 
 They'd rather sell you a push button biz in a box system that guarantees overnight riches while you live carefree on the beach drinking mojitos.
 
 Good luck with that one!
 
 This stuff takes real work, practice and experience. You learn by “doing it”.
 
 It’s actually pretty simple once you understand how all the pieces fit together, but there is a learning curve and work involved.
 
 You'll notice most successful people online have put in their time and paid their dues whether they openly talk about it or not.
 
 I’m putting together a new training program that steps you through all the phases of how to run a successful online business and how to put all the pieces together…
 
 But that's not really the purpose of this article right now.
 .
 The purpose is to encourage you to know what your dreams really are, and then to encourage you to do whatever it takes to go after them.
 
 Do you even know what your dreams are?
 
 Have you written them down?
 
 I guarantee you'll have a way better shot at achieving them if you write them down, display pictures in your office or home, and constantly project what it is you want into your daily life.
 
 I’m writing this from my home where I woke up this morning without an alarm clock and walked about 10 steps down the hall to my warm toasty office.
 
 It’s cold and snowing outside, but as I check my online account this morning I discover that I just made another $1,149.73… and never had to leave my home.
 
 (Oh by the way… that’s way more than I was getting from the interest every month from my $50k investment that just dried up!;-)
 
 So Please Don’t Give Up On Your Dreams!
 
 Your Dreams Are Your Fuel.
 
 Your Dreams Are Real.
 
 If you can dream it… you CAN Achieve It!
 
 Whether you're spinning your wheels, barely scraping by or already making six-figures and searching for a way to add an extra zero to your income…
 
 Once you make a decision and commit to achieving your dreams… the world moves with you.
 
 It all starts with a decision.
 
 It doesn't matter where you are with this online journey; I want you to know I am thankful that you are my subscriber and/or client.
 
 I am privileged to be working with people who are constantly pushing themselves to make their lives better. You should feel very proud of your accomplishments, no matter how little or grand they are.
 
 I was once where you are now. To me, there is no better thrill than helping  business owners like yourself… because for the most part, we understand each other.
 
 So, thank you for being a part of this with me.
 
 I have some big plans for helping you in 2012.
 
 Here's To Fulfilling Your Dreams!;-)

There is a picture frame that hangs in my living room with the following caption… “With hearts as full as they can be, we thank you for our Family.”

While I may not have a picture of you in that frame, please know that you have touched my life in some way by being a part of my Internet Family.

As my Christmas Gift to you, I created this special Christmas Blessings video.  Wishing you Joy & Abundance this Holiday Season and in the New Year!

I am so very grateful for many things in my life.

One of the things I am most grateful for is that I have been truly blessed with being able to work with so many wonderful people in my online businesses.

You are one of them!

You may currently be a business associate of mine, you still may be considering joining one of my opportunities, (you may be one of my family members still trying to figure out what the heck I do to make so much money online!;-) or you may be one of the loyal subscribers on my list or readers of my blog.

No matter how our paths have crossed …

I appreciate you!
 
Thank you for your part in adding to the Joy and Abundance in my life.
 
Here are my four simple rules to be happy:
 
Live simply.
Love openly.
Give more.
Always Be Grateful

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Love  ~ Carol
 

Are you familiar with the term “Funded Proposal”?  It’s often used as a lead marketing strategy when you market expensive products or services.

What exactly is a Funded Proposal? – A funded proposal is a marketing plan where you sell an inexpensive information product to your target market on the front end.  This gets them into your funnel so you can offer them your “bigger ticket” item on the back end.

This serves two purposes:

1. You gather highly targeted and motivated leads who have raised their hand and said, “I’m interested in what you have!”  They further qualify themselves by pulling out their credit card and Buy something from you. 

So this is not just someone who is curious and wont’ even leave their correct email or phone number… this is someone who has a serious interest.  This is a "Buyer" lead.

2.  The big advantage of using a Funded Proposal is that it generates immediate income and actually helps pay for your advertising.

Hence the term, Funded Proposal, you are funding the advertising of your business by selling a less expensive product first.

So in essence… The leads you generate from a funded proposal are paying for your advertising!

It doesn’t get any better than that!

Here’s how a Funded Proposal Works …

You advertise an inexpensive information product, anywhere from $25 to $97.  It must be something of value that people in your market need.

For example… if your target market is someone who wants to make money online, a great front end product would be something that helps them to generate leads.

In fact, one of the questions I get asked most often is – “How do I get people to my website?”

So you see how learning how to generate leads and drive traffic to your website would be valuable information you can lead with and offer them an inexpensive product up front.

If this item has VALUE, then you can often up-sell your customer to other back-end products that have a higher price point.

I’m sure you see the value in this because now you are making money to pay for your advertising on the front-end whether your lead joins your primary business or not.

Plus… you now have the opportunity to upsell your new client to a more expensive product or service.

The Funded Proposal business model works like a charm.

A few weeks ago as I was searching for a product to use as a funded proposal for one of my top tier businesses, a business associate sent me some information on a new product that was launching called Empower Network.

I wanted something that was inexpensive, had value, and would help my clients generate leads.

I know from experience that blogging is a great way to generate leads.  And even though blogging is free, there are some upfront fees involved along with some specialized knowledge to get your blog setup correctly.

Not only does it cost money to setup a blog, you also have to get a customized theme, create a header graphic, install plugins, and learn how to convert traffic into leads.

Before you can even get ready to start blogging … you’ll spend anywhere from $50 to $500 and more to have a blog setup for you.

The main focus of Empower Network is teaching people how to generate free leads through blogging.

As I was reviewing the Empower Network, the light bulb went on.  Here was a way to  get a complete blogging system plus have the ability to make money immediately as you generate leads for your business… all for only $25 a month.

They’ll do all the setup for you – your only job is to add a post to your blog on a daily basis and this will start to generate leads for your business.

Let me take a few minutes and explain how this can work as a funded proposal…

You join and pay a $25 monthly fee – this pays for the setup and monthly hosting to have a high traffic blog setup for you.

As you post short articles on topics that interest you… you will attract people to your blog site.  They have strategically placed some compelling banners and links for visitors to click on the site.  When a prospect clicks on any of these links they are encouraged to fill out a form and request more information.

When they do this… you generate the lead!

Then they watch a short video about how to make money online and if they decide to join… you get paid the full $25 commission.  It’s all seamless and automated.

Not only have you generated a lead…. But you also now have a “paid” client who just put $25 in your pocket.

An opportunity “buyer” is the best lead for many online businesses especially if your business involves MLM or Network Marketing.

As you develop a relationship with your new clients through your autoresponder follow up messages and weekly broadcasts, eventually you can introduce them to your main program.

I joined the program to test it on October 31st. and so far I have generated 417 leads and 95 new paid members who each paid me $25 or more.  Most of my sales occurred while I was out of town, my laptop had crashed, and my cell phone was not working properly.  So I had very little to no interaction with people who joined.

In other words – It was Completely Automated!

They have 3 levels so you can potentially earn more money if your new clients decide to upgrade to the higher level and receive additional marketing training.

Not only will you get the 100% commission upfront… but you also get the 100% commission and the monthly renewals. 

You can steadily build a large residual income on the backend while you get paid to generate leads on the front end.

After 3 weeks… I’ve already earned over $9000 while generating new leads for my main business.  But what I’m really excited about is that $5,800 of that is monthly residual income!

The funded proposal is another very effective strategy for growing your business… and helps to offset the cost of other advertising.

PS. If you are curious and want to read more about how this can work as a funded proposal for your main business, Click Here for more information about Empower Network

You will soon come to realize that the stepping stones to success in your business are Marketing & Mindset.  In order to point you in the right direction I want to introduce you to something so powerful yet so simple – The Four Principles.

Learning these Four Principles has completely changed the way I do business.  

I was first introduced to them a few months ago by Deena Morton, a facilitator of the Six Minutes to Success Premier Group.  

Do not underestimate the power of these Four Principles.  I have been using them for the past 2 months and my income has sky rocketed.  In fact, what started out being one of my worst years in business just may end up being one of my best!

These are very simple yet VERY Powerful steps you can easily start implementing today.

Write them down and read them daily!

The Four Principles …

1.    Write down your Goal for the next 30 days.  

What do you want to achieve in the next 30 days?  Write down the dollar amount or thing you want to buy.  Make it big enough and exciting enough to stretch you to take action.

Don’t waiver and don’t lose sight of your goal.  And most importantly, don’t give up!  If you haven’t made your goal in 30 days, just extend the date.  But don’t extend the date until the very last day of your deadline.
 
2.    Decide right now that you’re going to “Leave everyone with the Impression of increase”.  

What does that mean?  It means decide what you are going to “give” in return for the money your new clients/customers are giving you.  There must always be an exchange for money.  You can’t just “make” money.  (Only the mint can “make” money!;-)  Money must be earned!

3.    Be grateful for all things– write down 5 things you are grateful for the first thing every morning for 30 days.  

You will be amazed at how doing just this one exercise will turn your life around.  (But don’t just do this one – please do all four!;-)

4.    Have an Unwavering Faith and Believe in Yourself – You Can Do This!  

Remember, God didn’t make any mistakes.  You are more powerful than you can ever imagine.

This brings to mind one of my favorite quotes by Marianne Williamson.  Take a minute to read this now…

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Copy and paste this quote and print it out on a piece of paper. Read it daily!  You will soon start to realize the gifts you have been given and understand how you can best help others using your special talents.

May your Light shine brightly!;-)

A few years ago while attending a Personal & Business Development Seminar in California with John Assaraf, I met the most unique and friendly gentleman by the name of Don Staley. Don was also an attendee at the seminar and seemed like a very ordinary guy but I soon learned how extraordinary he truly was.

Case in point – At that seminar we had an exercise with about 8 people around each table and we were given CD players with headsets and a CD to listen to a very calming meditation. Don was also seated at my table.

There was an elderly gentleman sitting next to me who couldn’t get his CD player to work. I was trying to concentrate on listening to the soothing sounds on the CD, but all I could hear was the annoying guy next to me talking rather loudly about how he couldn’t get the @#&*^% CD to work.

In the book Don also reveals …

• Why 95% of fitness programs fail (you’ll be surprised)
• How to create habits to put your fitness on autopilot
• How to create an empowering mindset The biggest mental mistake most people make
• The one critical mistake most fitness “experts” teach which actually prevents success
• The two vital actions you must take in order to succeed

I completed my edits to his book in a few weeks and sent it back to him and didn’t really hear any more about it … until yesterday. In the mail was a beautiful autographed copy of his new book, Fit Mind Fit Body – How to Achieve Your Ideal Body and Keep it FOREVER by Putting Your Motivation on Autopilot – by Don Staley.

Fit Mind Fit Body goes on sale at Amazon.com today – September 20th.

If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of someone being kind to you and you want pay it forward – here is your opportunity! You are going to absolutely LOVE this book!;-)

Click Here to Buy it NOW!

The new economy is not about a job. It’s about becoming an entrepreneur. It’s about becoming who you were really meant to be and living your passion. It’s about writing your own paycheck.

What do you really want most in life… right now?

Many businesses evolve as they grow and can take many twists and turns along the way.  Just like the branches of a willow tree that bend with the wind – you need to be able to adjust to the winds of change in your business.

However, there is one trait every successful business owner has that remains constant and never changes – that is their commitment to success!

Here’s a story of a very successful online marketer.  He is successful today because he “made the decision to be successful”.

His success didn’t happen overnight.  In fact, he only made $47 his first month in business.  That was after he had spent over $7,000 to set up his websites and get his business started.

In his second month in business he made just about $200!

Many new online business owners would have given up in frustration at this point because they felt is wasn’t working.  But he hung in there…. And every month his sales increased more and more.

After 15 months … he finally broke even … but he still didn’t quit!

He continued with his plan and was persistent and consistent with his goal and his dream of having a business that would become a profitable source of income for him.

Today – after 5 years of diligently working his business – he now makes over $300,000 a Month!

 When I first made the decision to join a direct sales business back in 1998, I was determined to make it work… no matter what!  However, it took me 6 months and cost me over $12,000 to make my first sale and earn just $1,200 in commission.  

Yes… I was frustrated!  But I didn’t give up.  I was persistent and consistent with my marketing efforts.  I kept learning and improving my skills and went on to eventually make $98,000 in one month.

Since then my business has taken many twists and turns along the way and I’ve experienced many highs and a few lows.   But I am so happy and grateful that I stuck with it because today I enjoy a lucrative 6 figure income that gives me the freedom to live life on my terms.

Nothing will change in your life or in your business until you make a decision.  All successful people first made the “decision to be successful”.

“Try” is not a word that successful people use.  There is no decision and no commitment in the word “try”.

So the question for you now is … 

Do you want to try to have a successful business? – Or are you determined to have a successful business?

Success is a choice – The choice to be successful first starts with your decision.

Make the decision to be successful.  Then lock on to where you are headed.  Be persistent and consistent and enjoy the ride!;-)

The Internet has an ever changing landscape.

It seems like every time I turn around there is some new form of online marketing strategy and the rules of game keep changing.  This can consume a lot of time and energy, especially if you are not focused on your end result.

The end result of your marketing should be to generate a lead.  Period. End of story.

But there are literally hundreds of ways to do that.  Where does a new person begin?

In my recent marketing coaching class, I completely omitted one of my training modules that once was my best form of marketing …. “How to use Google Pay Per Click (PPC) ads” .

Google PPC ads used to be my #1 marketing strategy for generating leads online and my ads produced some of the best leads in my industry.  In fact, my results were so good that several companies who’s products I promoted asked me to train their independent business owners and teach my marketing methods.

But with all the changes and rules that Google has made recently, it has become increasing difficult for the small business owner to use PPC effectively.  Many marketing Gurus have even had their accounts shut down and banned completely from Google.

Google’s recent treatment of advertisers reminds me of the episode from Seinfeld with the “Soup Nazi”.  If you didn’t know or follow the quirky rules of the soup restaurant, you would be banned for life by the owner and could never buy their soup again.  “No Soup for you!”

Likewise … if you get one little thing wrong setting up your landing page for your PPC ads, then “No Google For You!”

Even big name companies with hundred of thousands of monthly visitors to their sites have been negatively affected by Google changes … commonly called “Google Slaps”.

Many advertisers are now turning to Facebook for their advertising and Facebook has emerged as the new “advertiser of choice” when it comes to using PPC ads.

I’ve been doing some testing recently and have been able to generate leads that used to cost me about $3.00 each on Google for only $.03 on Facebook!

But the whole mindset and process of generating leads on Facebook is completely different than using Google.

With Google it was “search” marketing.  People were actually searching for the key words I was bidding on.

With Facebook … it’s more like “interruption” marketing because my ads show up on their Facebook page based on their profile “likes”.  It’s really just another form of banner advertising on target websites.  The secret is to use the right “targets” along with attention grabbing graphics.

My first attempt at creating a Facebook Fan Page for a product I’m promoting generated 122 fans (leads) in 48 hours and cost me about $40.  Not bad for my first attempt!

You can view my new fan page here:  I Love My Fabulous Family

I recently purchased three different training courses on how to use Facebook ads to generate leads and here is the one that is not only the least expensive, but had the best videos on how to setup your Facebook Fan Pages to get the best results …

Get 10000 Fans

I’m excited about the possibilities of using Facebook advertising and will keep you posted with new tips and strategies as I continue my testing and tweaking.