If you've missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –>

I just found a new coach that I'm working with and am super happy about that. (You can find out who it is at the end of this post.)

That led to this week's question.

Do you currently have a business coach or mentor?
If so, are you brave enough to share who it is and why you chose that person? 

This week the experts will name names, point fingers, and give shouts of kudos where appropriate.

Jeanette S. Cates, PhD of Plan Your Online Business says:

My business coach is Armand Morin. I'm a part of Armand's Platinum group, which meets monthly on the phone, daily via email, and 3 times per year at Armand's home. I've enjoyed Armand's business advice since 2005, so it must be working!

I chose Armand because I liked the way he does business. I always learn something new from him. He truly loves what he does and is always learning and sharing the latest and greatest information. He also has the ability to diagnose problems quickly and offer a solution. Armand attracts people just like him – no pretense, no hype, 100% above-board business owners – many of whom are not “internet marketers.” Armand himself operates several businesses outside the IM space, so he has broad experience that pays off for us.

Most importantly he genuinely cares about my success. He is a patient teacher and even better mentor. I highly recommend him as a business coach!

Felicia Slattery of Signature Speech Secrets says:

I work with several coaches for various reasons. My business and internet marketing coach is Bob The Teacher who helps keep me focused on my money-making activities while helping me make decisions about my business direction. In my business I interact with A LOT of coaches and I chose Bob because he's everything I'm not in many ways: he “gets” technology like no one I've ever met, he's uber-organized, and is amazing at connecting with people (ok, well I do that, too, but Bob is fabulous at it!). Not a week goes by where I don't learn some new tip or trick that is useful! I met Bob when he was a speaker at an event in 2008 and we've been friends and business associates ever since.

I also have a wealth coach, Kamin Samuel, who has helped me stay focused and grounded in my business. Working with her has helped me open up areas of wealth and income I would never have experienced without her coaching and guidance. We started out in a program together in 2006 and all these years later still work together regularly.

Finally, I have an ADD coach, Tina File, who, having ADD herself is adept at helping me prioritize and gives me useful strategies for getting everything I need to get done without feeling too overwhelmed. Tina was a client who wanted to learn more about speaking for her business and when I heard about how she helps so many entrepreneurs with quieting the noise inside their heads long enough to be productive, I knew she could help me.

The point is, there are different coaches for different skill sets. One of these days I'm going to hire YOU, Nicole, to help me get my passive income and affiliate programs running as they should because YOU are the hands-down clear expert on that. I find the best and work with them. It's always served me well!

Karon Thackston of Step-by-Step Copywriting Course says:

Why, yes! I do have a business coach, Nicole. And it's YOU!

I have some very specific goals I'm working to accomplish and you have proven systems in place where these goals are concerned. I knew you'd be able to get me through to where I wanted to be and give me the know-how and resources to be able to continue down the path long-term.

Plus, you're just a fun person! I knew I'd enjoy my time with you and have a few laughs along the way. Nothing better than making money and having fun doing it!

Connie Ragen Green of Affiliate Marketing Case Studies says:

The idea of coaching has never appealed to me; instead, I have chosen to work with several mentors since coming online in 2006. I think of a coach as someone who cheers you on to do your best and challenges you to do more, while a mentor guides you toward success by sharing what's working for them and then showing you exactly how you can do something very similar for your own business. During my first two years online I worked with two different mentors, and each of them helped me to move forward. One mentor I still work with to this day is Armand Morin, someone who continues to help my business grow by leaps and bounds. I'm in his Platinum program, which is limited to twenty-five entrepreneurs from around the world. I've been with this group since 2008.

Several years ago I was asked to join a Mastermind of my peers and I enthusiastically agreed. We meet in person several times a year and via Skype or webinar at other times. Unlike the mentor relationship, Masterminds are by invitation only and include the opportunity to joint venture and recommend each others best products, programs, and courses. This group has helped me to grow on both a personal and a professional level and to achieve goals I never thought possible.

I would encourage you to seek out like-minded people to put together your own Mastermind, and to choose one person you admire and respect to be your mentor. Having multiple mentors does not seem to work for anyone, and my own mentees experience the best results when they work exclusively with me for one or two years. Knowing that someone cares about your success as much as they do their own can help you to move up by leaps and bounds and will help ensure that you reach and surpass your wildest dreams and goals. Going it alone does not work, so get involved with the right people and be willing to do the work to achieve great results in record time.

Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts Podcast says:

I have had some short term coaching in the last year, but I don't have a full time coach right now. I do have smart friends who I welcome input from on a regular basis though.

What I'd really like is to be part of a Mastermind. I want to spend more time with people making more money than me. I want to soak up their attitude and submit my brain for regular stretching sessions. I respond well to firm accountability (I can't bear reporting a missed deadline!) and enjoy the mix of a mastermind environment.

If I can't find a mastermind that fits me soon, I'm going to circle back to the coaching question. I know I can't get from where I am to where I want to go without some steady outside influence.

Tiffany Dow of  Work Life Balance says:

I have an online business coach who started out as just someone who saw potential in me and reached out to help me go from ghostwriter to marketer.

His name is Craig Desorcy . He currently works with both individual entrepreneurs as well as coaches or niche leaders – but the thing I love most about him is how he teaches people to “come to the table, ready to serve.”

As most of us know, greed gets you only so far. You build a solid reputation and a loyal fanbase that converts well through your efforts in helping others, and he excels at helping you tap into that.

What started out as a simple friendship discussing Internet Marketing has evolved into official coaching calls with my mentor. During these sessions, it almost always turns out to be something personal holding me back from professional success, and he takes me to that place that reveals what it is and shows me a simple way to address it.

One thing I find myself doing during times of extreme stress is becoming paralyzed or scrambling to get things done. Craig is the voice of calm and reasoning that shows me that if I breathe through it and think things through with a calm, clear mind, it all works out effortlessly.

I also love that he doesn’t have a cookie cutter approach to his coaching. He might ask some of the same questions to get insight, but he recognizes each individual as a separate entity and doesn’t try shoving his personal ideal business strategy on anyone – he tailors what you need to you because we’re all unique in our set of skills and talents, available time, and obstacles that we’re overcoming. 

Shannon Cherry of Learn How I Get *Paid* to Attend Events says:

Currently I don't have a business coach, but want one. It's difficult for me to find the right person, as I am an out of the box, fast thinker which can annoy some, and can challenge someone who is coaching me. (Rebellious anyone?) So finding a person who gets my values and can go with me toe-to-toe has been a very long, very hard process.

That said, I am quite lucky as I have several very smart friends who help me on occasion, whether I need help or just an ear to listen to me whine.

And if anyone is up for the job, here's my help wanted ad.

Help Wanted: Smart Coach or Mentor to Help Successful Marketer to Expand Her Reach and Increase Her Profits

Established entrepreneur with a rapidly growing client base is currently seeking a dynamic, driven, and experienced individual to be their coach or mentor. This position will have the primary responsibility for providing ongoing support and ideas to the entrepreneur to grow the business.

Specific responsibilities for this position will include: help with the development of new business opportunities through analysis and interaction with the entrepreneur, coordinate and conduct regular mentoring activities which may include live meetings, phone calls and email support. The position will also assist with providing guidance to promote revenue growth. This position is highly visible and requires working in an effective and professional manner.

The ideal candidate will have a combination of real world and coaching/mentoring experience. In addition, he or she needs to:

• Provide a reasonable contract with an ‘out’ clause for both parties. (I refuse to be sucked into a contract for a ‘lifetime’ or even a year, unless specific guarantees are in place.)
• Listen to entrepreneur when the advice given isn’t working, without blame.
• Be unique and not use a cookie-cutter approach when it comes to coaching/mentoring. (I see through that quickly.)
• Understand how to work with a strong personality who sees through BS pretty quickly.
• Uses and comprehends fundamental marketing principles… not too much of the Law of Attraction and woo-woo techniques unless you like my eyes to roll.
• Recommend only additional products/program that you see as a benefit to the entrepreneur (as opposed to something you get a kick-back on or have a back-end agreement to do.)

Divas, kings, queens, gods, goddesses, emperors, mavens, and other self-important titles that have nothing to do with your abilities need NOT apply, unless you have been officially coronated or ordained in some way. (Please provide appropriate documentation, if needed.)

Compensation is commensurate with experience and proven TYPICAL results. (Not your best results… results, on average, for all your clients.)

Melissa Ingold of Time Freedom Business says:

My personal and business coach for this year is Jennifer Longmore, and I’ll share more about why I chose her in a moment, but first…

I say “this year” because as I grow both personally and professionally, my needs change.

Choosing the right coach shouldn’t be taken lightly. I don’t go out looking for a coach to be my personal cheerleader, I have friends like Nicole for that and mastermind groups. I choose a coach who is going to help me get to where I want to be next.

And I think that’s where a lot of people go wrong with coaching. They hire a coach who isn’t in a place to get them to the next level, or they think a coach is going to be all “rah, rah” and so they don’t hire one.

If you’re not hiring a coach for the right reasons, you’ll end up disappointed.

If you’re not hiring a coach because you don’t think it’s for you, you’re missing out.

The right coach brings more to the table than just helping you one-to-one in your business, they can bring:

• Connections – They can personally connect you with the movers and shakers in your industry, and get you in front of people you’d never get in front of on your own. Whether it’s to get you an interview, some kind of promo, a speaking engagement, or for a JV.
• Resources – They’ll share their personal recommendations for people and tools that they wouldn’t share with their list or blog readers publicly. You know, the kind of stuff they normally hold close to their chest, but as their high-level coaching client, they’re more than willing to share them with you.
• Money – They’ll become invested in your business, and they’ll really get to see what you’re doing and the value you’re bringing to the market. And so, more often than not, they’ll promote your products and programs to their huge lists, exposing you to a whole new group of people that can result in a lot of money for you.
• Smarts – They’ll, more often than not, have their own business coach, and so there’s a trickledown effect that happens because of that. They learn from their super-duper successful coach, they try and test new things, and then that knowledge ends up trickling back down to you. They’ll tell you about all the things they’re doing in their business, what’s getting results, what’s going on behind the scenes, and more. You’ll get an inside look at how they’re running their own business, and why they’re doing what they do. Plus, they always have so many crazy good ideas for you, so you’re going to make a lot of money.

You see, you don’t get all those things in a mastermind group. When people are in a group setting, they’re not as open and trusting as they would be with a private coach. And the mentor running the group, isn’t likely going to lay all their cards down on the table because some stuff will only be shared with their private high-level coaching clients.

Think about it. If you were running a group of 25 people, would you send an email to your list promoting every single one of them? Would you send them all to your best writer or VA? Would you connect them all to the go-to people you worked really, really hard to build a relationship with? Would you really share all of your hard-earned top secret tricks and strategies?

Maybe with one or two of them, but I guarantee you won’t open yourself up to all of them. It’s just human nature.

Now I’m not saying there isn’t value in mastermind groups, there totally is. But a group like that by itself, won’t get you to the next level as quickly as a well-chosen coach can.

At the end of 2010, I hired Carrie Wilkerson as my coach for 2011. She was more successful than me, she had a ton of connections, and I really wanted to see what she was doing and why.

I invested $20,000 in her yearlong program, and what do you know, I added another $100k to my income that year. It ended up being my best year up to that point, for all the reasons I mentioned above.

I don’t pick coaches to cheer me on. I pick coaches who have what it takes to make me money and grow my business.

In 2012 I didn’t work with a coach, because I took almost the whole year off.

Then in April of last year, I purchased some info products from Jennifer Longmore, which then led to private one-to-one sessions with her for the remainder of the year. At the end of 2013, I made the leap into her yearlong coaching program, so I’ll be working with her all of this year.

I chose to work with Jennifer this year because I’ve been working on a lot of inner personal / business stuff that was stalling me out. I say “was”, because since working with her, my business has taken a quantum leap in growth and income. But I still have a lot more internal work to do.

But what I’ve found, is that as you get ready to up-level your business, fear and other niggly’s will come up, and if you don’t work through those and clear them, you’ll stay stuck below the glass ceiling instead of busting through.

I really can’t explain how Jennifer does what she does. I just know that she’s freaking brilliant, and she’s changed my life in so many incredible ways.

I don’t know what the next year will bring. Maybe I’ll want to keep working with her, or I may be on the lookout for someone else. Again, I choose a coach based on what my goals are and where I want to be in the next year.

So my last piece of advice? Figure out what your needs are, and where you want to be personally and professionally, and then find someone who can bring a crap load of benefits to the table for you.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

As I mentioned, I just started with a new coach and I'm happy! happy! happy!

Note that I said “new coach” as I feel that the coaching/client relationship is a fluid and evolving thing. In my opinion, to stick with the same business coach or mentor forever will limit you.

The problem that I'd been having was finding a coach for ME.  Once you get to a certain level of income/success in your business, it can be very difficult to find a coach who you trust and who is someone that you can be honest and direct with – as well as who has knowledge in areas where you want to get stronger.

Could I have found a coach to help me become a better speaker? In a heartbeat. I've definitely got room for improvement at that.

Could I have found a coach to help me write and publish my book? Absolutely. In fact I have one.

But, someone to teach me to be a better marketer? Well, I'm kinda awesome at that – so it's a little more difficult.

One normal alternative, and what I'd been doing was to create private masterminds with peers which worked well.

But, I really wanted something different. And, I've tried to coach friends and be coached by friends — it just doesn't work as well as I'd like. I wanted to work with someone who I admired – but who wasn't a girlfriend (and someone who I was paying so they had to be honest instead of just being nice).

So, I'd been on the hunt for a coach for me. And, I knew several other friends who were looking as well.

My criteria at this point in time for a coach included:

1. My coach must have built at least two successful profitable businesses, and also have a great relationship with his/her list.

2. My coach could not be working 80 hours a week. I've built my business so that I can work when I want to but I have plenty of recurring income streams and systems in place so I make money ongoing. Having a coach who was flying all over the country and working 8-18 hours a day wasn't going to be a good fit.

3. Similarly, I wanted someone who doesn't work off a jam packed calendar. I like to have my schedule mostly free except for a few coaching calls and any interviews that I'm doing. Otherwise, I feel trapped by my business.

4. Someone uber-productive.

5. A businessperson with low overhead. I didn't want someone who had a staff of 15 employees and an office building. I wanted someone running a tight, lean, profitable business.

6. A person who rocks at positioning. I felt stuck in a decision about rebranding and how to move forward with it.  So, I wanted someone who was very clear in his/her positioning and in putting themselves out clearly in the marketplace.

7. A great public speaker/presenter. I am getting more and more speaking opportunities and I know that I can improve in this area.

8. A person who I trusted to not blab to others and who I felt comfortable being honest and open with. (Someone safe and kind.)

9. Someone who was familiar with and who would understand my business model, with EasyPLR.com, CoachGlue.com, Beachpreneurs.com as well as my other areas of business.

10. He or she must offer email coaching. Again, I'm not a fan of scheduling calls and I prefer flexibility. Plus, I wanted private coaching, not group. Sometimes more opinions are not necessarily better.

11. Funny helps. I wouldn't mind having some laughs, too.

12. My coach must also have MASSIVE amounts of integrity in business and in personal life. This is not optional.

13. He or she must also be making the world a better place with the platform that they have built. (Using the opportunity of having an audience to get the word out about ways to impact the world.)

Not too hard, right? Well, when I was stuck in Icelanta during the storm, Kelly and I brainstormed and one person JUMPED out at me as the right person. And, I was so sure that I was making the right decision that I jumped on the lifetime coaching option. It was the best and easiest money that I've spent in a long time. (Watch for new greatness to happen soon.)

Click here to find out who I picked!

I do hope you found this post to be interesting and informative.  

Please share your tips for finding an working with a coach below. Also, feel free to give a shout out if you have a coach that you are working with that you love.

Big hugs to you!
Nicole Dean

If you've missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –>

Summer is in full swing and a lot of people have been asking me about my kids daily to do lists and how I keep them motivated around the house every year during the summer so I can get work done. Instead of just me posting, I thought I'd put the question out to get even more feedback.

So, this week I asked our experts….

If you have kids at home —
how do you manage your home
during the summer to actually get work done?

Include schedules, too, if you have them. Thanks!

I hope you find something in this week's post to help make your own summer break a little less stressful.

Tiffany Dow of The Guide to Shiny Object Syndrome says:

I have three kids at home – a college student, one transitioning from middle into high school, and an elementary school student. When they’re home during the summer, I am in Heaven! But like all kids, it can pose a distraction for me when I need to get things done.

I’ve made the mistake of being a night owl and trying to work past the bedtime of my kids, just so I could spend the daylight hours focused on them, but then I found that I was too tired during the day to work or play.

For me personally, during the school years, I end up losing over two hours a day just driving the kids to and from school. When summer comes, I gain two extra hours, which I love.

A typical schedule for me during the summer is like this:

Wake up between 6-8 AM (because after all, what good is summer if we can’t enjoy not living by an alarm clock?).

Go to bed around 9-10 PM.

Everything in between is a lovely combination of work, cooking and playing with my kids. I don’t live by a schedule. I make breakfast, lunch and dinner when we’re hungry. I take the kids swimming for a couple of hours if the weather happens to be nice.

I like to run errands during regular working hours so that stores are not crowded. I technically work from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep, but each day is filled with breaks and cooking with my kids and maybe a TV show or two.

I don’t track time. I live according to what moments my kids need with me and what tasks I have to get done that day. If my daughter says, “Hold me, Mommy!” then I drop the keyboard and hold her.

If I know I need to get something out that day because my subscribers are counting on me, then I tell my kids that morning and they work together to help each other so that they interrupt me less. I’m sure to thank them when I’m done for being so good to me and letting me accomplish my work.

I wish I could provide the perfect “work at home Mom” schedule that’s rigid and foolproof, but I can’t. I don’t even want to. I want to say this: THE biggest perk of this career path is getting to enjoy all of these precious moments with our kids.

So soak it up during the summertime. They’re grown before you know it. Work can wait. Even if you have to set your alarm earlier so that you can get more done, make the effort. You’ll enjoy your summer more when you relax and realize that most tasks can wait.

One thing I’d like to add to this. My subscribers and I recently had a conversation about the noisiness that kids bring. I’ve turned everything (TV, video games, talking) into white noise. When voices become high pitched (like my daughter saying, “STOP IT, SHAWN!”) I instantly tune in and address it.

Carol Amato recommended a great site to help train you for white noise while working. It’s free and it’s called coffitivity.com. It’s really neat and the key is to put it really low and train your mind to work around noise.

Connie Ragen Green of Affiliate Marketing Inside Secrets says:

I do not have kids at home, but I do spend about eight weeks each summer with some or all of my six grandkids. Four of these incredible children live in Finland, so while I am there I get up very early – three or four in the morning – to do my work online. They get up around six or seven and by then I've done as much as I intended to do that day. A couple of times a week it all catches up with me and I simply take a nap that afternoon. The oldest is twelve years old now, so she and I have our own work area when she happens to get up early to see what I'm doing.

When the two stateside grandsons are with me I work around their busy schedules. They are both involved in organized sports, so I attend every practice and game and do not work at all during that time.

Two years ago I started teaching them what I do online, so now we all seem to be working a few hours each day on our businesses. They are homeschooled, and this has been an important part of their education.

I would encourage anyone with children in their life to include them in what you do, as much as possible. As a former classroom teacher I feel strongly about sharing this type of information with kids from an early age.

Felicia Slattery of Signature Speech Secrets says:

My girls (ages 8 and 10) finished school for the summer on May 24. And now I'm stuck trying to figure out what to do with them for the summer. Lucky for me is there's this thing called the Internet :-).

So far, I've found a site that has a cool list of 50 free things to do with kids in the summer, a bunch of kid-friendly recipes, and affordable summer camps for both my girls.

On the days where they won't be occupied outside our house, my schedule will include work time for me from about 7-Noon, with breaks for getting them breakfast and keeping them occupied with various activities from cleaning out their closets, junk drawers, toys in the basement playroom, and more chores. After that, they have lots of self-invented games they like to play including School (I know, go figure), Barbies, and putting on plays that require hours of practice. In the afternoons, I'll take them to the neighborhood pool and let them play with friends outside as much as possible.

June is Effective Communications Month, so I'll be busy offering webinars, teaching classes and creating content for my community. This summer I've scheduled one evening class based on my 21 Ways to Make Money Speaking that will run for 6 weeks. Daddy will be home then to take care of the troops while I work for an hour an evening once a week.

We have a couple of vacations planned and I won't work much (if at all) during those times. We love summer and always have fun, while I always make money!!

Susanne Myers of  Daily Affiliate Tasks says:

Summers are always a challenge for me. My main work time during the rest of the year is while my daughter is in school. There are a few things I’ve figured out over the past few years that made my life a lot easier. Some of them I mentioned in last year’s post including not scheduling any major projects and getting work done ahead of time.

This year I’m aiming to do something that’s worked very well last summer. My goal is to get up at least an hour or two before the rest of my family does. Since they are all late sleepers and years of having to get up early has me waking at the crack of dawn anyway, this shouldn’t be much of a problem. I should be able to get most of my work done before the rest of them are up and had their coffee, leaving me free the rest of the day to go explore, hang out at the beach and the likes.

I’m also looking into some summer programs that will keep my daughter entertained for a few hours a week, while giving me a chance to sneak in a few more hours of concentrated work. It always amazes me how much I can get done when I know that’s the only work time I have.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

My kids are 11 and 16 but this is the system that we've been using since they were each toddlers. Why? Because it's the closest thing to sanity that I can arrange here.

We have a daily checklist that the kids must complete before the TV goes on, the computer goes on, or any game systems get turned on. They also must complete their daily list before friends are allowed in the house.

I found that, if I left the time limit open, that the lists wouldn't get done. However, if they know they can work through their tasks faster and be free of my tyranny – they work through it better.

Here's their list that I posted two years ago. It's pretty much the same today. You can click on it to view it in pdf format.

The other benefits are this…

1. The kids know what the expectations are in advance. They are better equipped to succeed.

2. My husband and I are on the same page, because the rules are in black and white.

3. I'm not chasing the kids around all day saying “Did you brush your teeth?” or “Have you cleaned up the backyard?” I look at their chart and it's right there in front of me.

4. It teaches the kids that habits are important. And, that a family works on routine. All good stuff.

I print it out weekly and they just check off the days as they go through them. If everything gets done during the week, they earn bonuses.

For instance, my son has a Gamefly account. He keeps it as long as the backyard is cleaned up daily. If there is an issue, he gets downgraded from 2 games/month to 1 and then to zero. It really never becomes an issue. He's really very self-motivated when he knows the rules. My daughter on the other hand… is a bit more of a battle.

My son is also taking some classes through Florida Virtual School to earn more high school credits again this summer which keeps him busy. And, he is doing some work for me in our business, but I'm not utilizing him enough yet.

Also during summer, I try to limit work to 1-2 hours per day – Monday-Friday. Some days, I work 10 minutes – just to quick check email for emergencies. Others are closer to 3 hours Am I letting some things drop? Yes. But, I'm finding that the important things, like getting a pedicure with my daughter – are getting done. And, it really helps me to sit down and FOCUS on projects and tasks that make me money.

Please share your tips. I'd love to hear them. Also, I'm working on a book about working from home. So stay tuned for that soon.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

This week I asked our panel of experts…

“We all know that Webinars can bring in huge profits.

The big problem is figuring out
the technology behind it.

So What Software or Tool do you Use to Run Your Webinars?”

I think you'll enjoy the responses. I found them fascinating myself. (And the best part is that you can try most of these recommended webinar services totally free to figure out which works best for YOU.) I hope it helps!

Awesome Resource:

If you’d like “Done for You” webinars that include scripts and powerpoint slides – be sure to check out PLR for Teleseminars and Webinars – all you have to do is read the scripts while showing the slides. Webinars couldn’t get any easier.

Here are the responses…

Karon Thackston of Step-by-Step Copywriting Course says:

I use GoToWebinar.

• I've tried WebEx and had multiple horrible experiences.
• I also test drove Adobe Connect and didn't think it had the flexibility of GTW.

While everybody has their own preference, GoToWebinar works best for me. I've used it for years.

Karon Uses –

Click here to try GotoWebinar free

Bob Jenkins of Teleseminar Formula says:

I love teaching virtual workshops and free one-off classes with webinars and teleseminars.

For webinars, where I want to demonstrate a particular software or online tool live, I use GoToWebinar (GTW).

I also prefer using GTW when I want more interaction with the participants. The downsides of GTW are: it's not technically fool proof for my audience, and it doesn't do a great job of recording. So I use Camtasia to record simultaneously to the broadcast.

For teleseminars and webinars where I can use slides and screenshots (as opposed to live demos), I use WelcomeToTheCall (WTTC).

This is much easier tech for both me and the audience, and the recording is not only done by the system, but the replay is available immediately. The downsides of WTTC are: the chatroom is pretty lame, and you don't get to show a spontaneous demo based on a user's question since the viewing screen is determined by pre-loaded slides. However, the instant replay feature and the fact that people can call in to a variety of local numbers in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and on Skype make it a great system for most simple presentations.

Bob Uses –

Click here to try GotoWebinar free

and

Click here to try WelcomeToTheCall free

Lain Ehmann of Crafting Your Business, Step-by-Step says:

I use Webex's Event Center, developed by Cisco.

It is WAY more than what most people need (and what most people will want to pay!) but it is exactly what *I* need for my monthly free “scrapinars” and my multi-day virtual events.

When selecting your webinar platform, I suggest making a list of your criteria, including:

-How many “seats” do you need? (I need room for up to 1000!)

-What are you sharing? Audio and slideshows, live video, pre-recorded video? (I share all of those)

-Do you need the ability to let your audience chat with one another? (My audience considers the chat to be one of the best parts of the event!)

-Will it work on Mac and PC?

-Will it work on iPhone/iPad?

-Can you record?

-Can you have multiple presenters or hosts? (I host other teachers, so I need to be able to share the mike.)

-How much do you want to spend?

-What kind of support do you get? (I have 24/7 support for my attendees, a must-have for paid events)

-How stable is the platform? (Some of the “freebie” solutions are worth what you pay for them! Nothing.)

It may seem insane to some people when I tell them I pay almost $500 a month for my webinar service, but it's worth it. Just as location, location, location is everything in a brick-and-mortar business, my webroom is my storefront and it has to work, be dependable, and allow me to communicate with my audience in the way I want to.

Lain Uses  –

Click here to try WebEx Event Center

Felicia Slattery of Signature Speech Secrets says:

I know there are so many platforms for webinars and many have tons of bells and whistles, but I'm a simple gal and too much technology scares me (I'll admit it!).

However, in a survey I did in January 2013, I found most people in my market (speakers, authors, experts) prefer by a wide margin to consume content via webinars (even more than blogging, teleseminars, and podcasts, all of which were also high on the list).

So for my time and comfort level, I prefer Instant Teleseminar for my webinars.

It's easy to put together a slide show presentation (I use PowerPoint) and upload it and show the slides during my webinar. It also records the slides and audio simultaneously and I don't have to do any work after it's over to make sure the folks registered can watch the replay any time. Plus, if I want to limit the amount of time any replay is available, all I have to do is click one button and it's gone from public view. Click again, and it's back. Super simple; super easy.

Felicia Uses –

Click here to try Instant Teleseminar for $1

Connie Ragen Green of Affiliate Marketing Case Studies says:

I host one or two webinars every week and have been using Citrix (GoTo Webinar) since 2008.

However, the audio is not the quality I need, so I use Instant Teleseminar to record the audio and then ‘marry' it to the video I record during the webinar using Camtasia, It all sounds very technical, but it's very simple to do once you've done it a few times.

Connie Uses –

Click here to try GotoWebinar free

and

Click here to try Instant Teleseminar for $1

Jeanette S. Cates, PhD of Webinars Made Simple says:

I use GotoWebinar for webinars.

I've used them since 2006 when I first started doing webinars.

I've used many other webinar services when I've taught online courses as a contractor or guest. And I've tried just about every other webinar service that has come onto the market. But I continue to prefer GotoWebinar.

They are reliable, with good quality audio and video, and provide support that is time-critical when you need it. Since I record all of my webinars and turn them into products, I need to be able to depend on a professional solution.

Jeanette Uses –

Click here to try GotoWebinar free

Lynette Chandler of Tech Based Marketing says:

I was very lucky to be one of the early adopters for Meeting Burner and got in during their Beta testing.

Over the last few weeks I finally switched to using Meeting Burner exclusively.

I really like how quick it is to get going and almost each session, my experience as a presenter has been positive. Recordings have been a snap and customer service is great. After a session one day, I completed their feedback form which is presented to you after every meeting. I never expected any response from that but sure enough got someone really helpful.

At this point, I wish they had 3 things.

1. Ability to schedule recurring meeting (since I hold my sessions every week it's a chore to keep setting it up. Good thing you can duplicate the meetings)

2. Record audio without the conference bridge.

3. An intermediate plan between the Pro and the Premier or a better value (more number of seats) for the Pro plan.

Lynette Uses –

Click here to try Meeting Burner free

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Normally this is where I sum up and anchor the post with my “expert” opinion.

But the truth is that I asked this question because I wanted to know the responses, myself.

I currently use GotoWebinar, but I don't find it very intuitive, so I was thinking of checking out some of the competition.

I DO want to be able so show demonstrations on my screen, so it looks like Welcome to the Call and Instant Teleseminar won't work for my needs.

I'll be checking out Meeting Burner, and will let you know what I think.

For your reference, here is everything mentioned in this post…

Webinar Services that you can try free:

• Meeting Burner – new on the scene and promising.
• GotoWebinar – old reliable. Good for sharing your screen and doing demonstrations.
• WelcomeToTheCall – for teleseminars and/or webinars where you are teaching with PowerPoints
• WebEx Event Center – the big daddy for intense needs.

Webinar Service that you can try for $1:

• Instant Teleseminar – same as Welcome to the Call

People who Contributed in order of last name (go check them out):

• Jeanette S. Cates, PhD of Webinars Made Simple
• Lynette Chandler of Tech Based Marketing
• Lain Ehmann of Crafting Your Business, Step-by-Step
• Bob Jenkins of Teleseminar Formula
• Connie Ragen Green of Affiliate Marketing Case Studies
• Felicia Slattery of Signature Speech Secrets
• Karon Thackston of Step-by-Step Copywriting Course

This week I asked our panel of experts …

“What do you do to regain your focus when you get sidetracked
and wander off on side projects??”

I think you'll find the responses interesting.

Lain Ehmann of Crafting Your Business, Step-by-Step says:

Sometimes, wandering off on side projects is procrastination. And sometimes it's a good business move! Knowing which is which is a key to business success.

When I look at my list of tasks and objectives and see myself avoiding the one I've listed as Numero Uno, then I give myself a deadline (and a swift kick in the yoga pants!). I have a pretty high self-discipline quotient, so I remind myself why the task is important to my business goals. That's usually enough to get me moving.

If I'm not procrastinating, then I just might be taking advantage of a more important opportunity. Like if I'm invited on the Today Show, I'm not going to be worrying about the fact that my to-do list says I should be prepping next week's blog posts!

The secret here is knowing your long-term and short-term business goals and knowing when to sacrifice the short-term because something more critical has come up. Don't be a slave to your to-do list; make it work FOR you!

Kevin Riley of  Blogpreneur Training says:

What? Who me? Wander off on side projects… Oh, look! A squirrel.

It depends. If the side project 1. won't eat up too much time, 2. won't endanger a deadline on a main project, and 3. will add to my business, I will follow through on it. That gets it out of my head and out of my way.

Now, I only do this on rare occasion. An example would be my recent “Maximum E-Mail Marketing Profits In 2013“. The idea arose while I was promoting Tahir Shah's “Total Lead Capture” system. I'd already been mapping out an e-mail strategy for my own upcoming new business venture, and I decided that this would be a great time to create a guide that put all the strategy on paper.

Now, since I will be using my own guide as guidance when creating my e-mail marketing campaign for the new business, and I could turn around and sell this guide to other Internet marketers (plus give it away as a bonus to those who purchased the TLC system via my promotion), it was a win-win decision. And, since my timeline for my new business venture stretches out six months to launch, I had the time to take a short side track.

My advice: Consider the value of your side project and the impact on your main business caused by time spent on the side project. If it's feasible to pursue the side project, without negative impact on your main business plan, go ahead (but only for a short-term side track). If, on the other hand, the side project could put you off track for your main business plan, or would take away precious time from an existing project, I recommend doing what I do in such a case – write it down on paper and pin it to a future projects cork board.

Terry Dean of My Marketing Coach says:

Your first goal is to keep these side journeys to a minimum.

I do that in two ways. The first is to become an expert at the word, “No.”

Practice it. Use it. As an entrepreneur you're surrounding by opportunities. Many of them may be home runs, but they're just not right for you. You're likely going to say NO at least 10 times as often as you say YES.

The 2nd method is even more important for me, because it's also how I usually get back on track.

I have hanging a single sheet of paper hanging in my office just to the left of my computers. It's at perfect eye level when I turned that direction. It has my yearly “Internet Lifestyle Plan” on it.

This includes what my mission is, who my target customer is, what I'm passionate about, along with the primary directions and marketing I'm planning for the year. It also lists when I work and when I'm off. I update this sheet around quarterly.

I'm always testing new opportunities, because one of my greatest strengths is curiosity. How does this work and how can we improve on it?

When I get off track on a project I shouldn't be on, that one piece of paper is staring at me. It's almost like a conscience because I can feel its disapproval.

Here's a good example of when this came into play. I was thinking about going into the “life coaching” market. It was new and exciting. I did my research, and even starting writing a course…planned as a Clickbank course for the market.

But my Internet Lifestyle Plan was staring at me. The audience wasn't the same as my core audience. It was a distraction.

Once it bugged me enough, I took what I had written, edited it quickly, and turned it into a Kindle ebook.

I made one mention of the ebook, but haven't really thought much about it since. Except every month I get a nice little check from Amazon for it…and consistent new incoming email leads also.

Plus I have several mastermind partners who I meet with by Skype/phone every month. They'll call me on it if I get off track also.

Really it comes down to those 3 steps for me:

1. Have a short Internet Lifestyle plan that's visible to you all the time.

2. Have a coach or mastermind group you're accountable to.

3. Find a way to “close shop” and profit from being side tracked.

Karon Thackston of Step-by-Step Copywriting Course says:

BIG problem for me I confess to having a major case of shiny object syndrome as well as a mild touch of ADD. I can run down a rabbit trail with world-class precision if I'm not careful.

When I see that happening, the first thing I do is verbally tell myself to focus. (Yes, in addition to all that, I also have a quirky need to talk to myself.) I make a micro to-do list of things that I must get done that day (or even within the next few hours) and I turn off everything else. Email gets closed, Facebook gets shut down and any pressing thoughts or ideas get quickly jotted on a sticky note so I can come back to them later without forgetting what I was so excited about.

Then I remind myself of the benefits of completing whatever it is (client copywriting project, updating my own marketing plan, completing a new webinar, etc.) I was originally working on.

I sit up nice and straight, take a deep breath and off I go!

Kristen Eckstein of Self Publish on Demand says:

Entrepreneurs get sidetracked? Really? Between shiny objects and new ideas flooding my mind at 100 miles-per-hour, it’s a wonder I stay on track with a new project idea long enough to finish it and not jump to something else!

But that’s actually how I regain focus. Sometimes we’re not meant to finish that project. Sometimes the new idea brings a fresh new energy, and to try to ignore it only makes it harder to concentrate on what we “should” be doing. This happened to me with my 21 Ways series. I still have two books in the series each partially written. And that’s when I got really excited about starting a third one. Now, I’d already published two books in the series myself and had over 18 more outlined. This new idea was completely new. And I chose to use that passion, energy and drive to write it.

Less than 30 days later 21 Ways to Be a Kid Again & Get Adult Results was published. And what I learned from that experience I’ve been able to apply toward new project ideas. Instead of fighting that excitement and energy that comes with a new idea, I allow it to fuel me to take action on it. Can you imagine how many more passionate and amazing ideas will be produced if we quit trying to forget about them and drop everything to take action on them instead?

The important thing is to take action quickly before you get frustrated and begin to lose steam. Fuel your focus with your passion, run with it, and go for it!

Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts Podcast says:

I axe those projects. ROFL!!

Ok, my real answer…

When I realize I've gone down a rabbit trail I stop everything and evaluate. My favorite evaluation tool is a good ‘brain dump'. I take stock of everything I have my hands in or my mind on. I list every project, from the biggest to the smallest.

Next, I prioritize. Which projects are most deserving of my time? Where are the great profits? What has to be done before a new project can begin making profit? Based on these judgments I decide which projects get to stay active and which need to be tabled or even axed.

Usually, once I make up my mind, I have total peace about it. I can kill a project faster than anyone I know and never look back. Whenever I do, I feel an immediate sense of relief. My ‘main projects' get more of my time and creativity and that leads to a better business overall.

Bob Jenkins of How to Use Mindmaps to Organize Your Business says:

When I get sidetracked, I don't beat myself up too much at first. Usually, it's simply a sign of mental fatigue, and I simply need to take a break for a few minutes or hours.

But if I truly get sidetracked for DAYS or WEEKS, then I know something's up. So I talk to my girlfriend (who happens to be an amazing life coach) or “Friends in the Business” for some sound-boarding. Am I confused about why the project is important? Have I found something that fulfills my goals in this new project? Am I missing a key piece that's holding me back, or encouraging the procrastination?

Ultimately, the tool I use daily keeps me focused: Freemind mindmapping software.

With my “Monetized Action Plan” in front of me when I start my computer, I have my project mapped out, and my action steps visible. I can see the big picture, and know the little steps along the way are going to help me finish the project faster.

Finally, I remember who I'm doing the project for. Every day of delay is another day that someone, somewhere continues to struggle without my solution to make things easier.

Tiffany Dow of The Guide to Shiny Object Syndrome says:

Getting sidetracked can be a boon or a bust. Sometimes what you get sidetracked with can turn out to be something that you really enjoy, that’s really profitable, and that might even replace a less fulfilling business model or strategy.

But if it’s a bust, then that’s when we start feeling regret, kicking ourselves for getting sidetracked, and vow never to do it again.

Personally, I have learned to go with it. It’s a perk of being an entrepreneur for me. If I get a touch of restlessness and need a change, I can get on a different track. If I realize it’s not going where I want it to go, I simply turn around and head home.

If you allow yourself this freedom, without guilt, it becomes less of a struggle. It’s kind of like dieting. Once you truly get rid of food guilt and allow yourself to eat what you want, when you want, it doesn’t cause you to binge and hide food, etc. You’re able to eat a few bites and walk away because you know that without any anxiety, if you want to come back in 2 hours and nibble again, you can.

It’s not an all or nothing mentality.

But during those times when I do get sidetracked and it turns out to be a bust, what I normally do is sit down with a regular pen and paper and jot down the priority of my projects. I do this based on:

• What’s fulfilling – this is a biggie for me because if I’m not happy, it has to go.
• What’s profitable – I’m no dummy, so if my efforts aren’t bringing the cash in, it has to become a hobby or be gone for good.
• What my audience needs – if they’re not considered, then I lose my edge in the marketplace. I have to make sure everything is serving their needs.

I routinely reevaluate my projects based on these three factors and I cut things out if they don’t meet all three – not two out of three, but all three. That sometimes means cutting out things that are making me money – and that’s okay. I’ve deleted sites making me $300 a month before because my heart wasn’t in it or it wasn’t beneficial for my audience.

Don’t beat yourself up if you’re a flitter – someone who goes from one task to the next. It’s a perk! Just don’t let it be your Achilles Heel – keep a leash on it to some degree and you’ll enjoy those moments of getting off the beaten path.

Susanne Myers of  Daily Affiliate Tasks says:

I’m a big list person. The best thing I can do to make sure I stay on track is to make a list. If I’m working on a big project, I like to break things down into individual steps. That will become my master checklist.

For example, let’s say my project is to come out with a new info product. My list may include things like:

• Outline the product
• Write the ebook, record the lessons etc.
• Set up a website for the new product
• Order graphics
• Write a sales letter
• Create a download page
• Create support pages (like contact, privacy policy etc.)
• Etc.

Once I have that one big long list of everything that needs to happen before I can launch my product, I start incorporating tasks into my regular daily lists.

Those daily to-do lists contain a few things for the project along with ongoing tasks like mailing my lists, blogging, approving comments, staying active on social media etc.

I pay attention to how I structure my to-do lists as well. For example, it takes me a little while to get going in the morning and I don’t do my best writing before my second cup of coffee. Instead the first few items on my daily list are easy things I can do and check off quickly. This may involve approving comments, sending out emails to get in touch with a JV partner, order a new cover etc. Being able to check a few items off quickly creates momentum for me.

I also know that I need to get most of the content creation done before 2pm, or it’s just not going to happen, so working on the content for my new product, sending an email to my lists and writing blog posts is next on my to-do list. I wrap my day up with more little “filler” work that can be done while supervising homework for example.

The key for me is to break everything down into baby-steps and have a list that keeps me on track to make sure everything gets done. Days when I stick to my to-do list have always been my most productive.

The other thing that helps me stay focused is to have a deadline. This may involve promising someone that they can promote a new product, or sending out something to my lists letting them know it will be ready by a certain date. Having that deadline will make me push harder and get things done without getting distracted by side-projects.

Felicia Slattery of Signature Speech Secrets says:

As many people who know me are aware, I was sidetracked BIG time last year with lung cancer. My business pretty much ground to a halt, aside from some small continuity and affiliate checks I had rolling in, which kept my business rolling while I dealt with serious health issues for most of the year. I am now 100% healed and doing great.

For me, getting back to work could only happen after I was fully healed (as a speaker, if I can't speak, that's a problem!). How I did it was to announce to my community – email and social media- that I was back, explained what happened while I was away, and then did a survey to gauge people's interest in my plans and content.

As a communication specialist, I communicate with people first. That's just my way and it's always been profitable. Once I had that valuable feedback, I could pay attention to trends and give people what they told me they wanted first and make my plans fall in line with that. It was easy and fun getting back into the swing of work. Today, just three months after being back, I've had three of the most profitable and successful months in my business because I listened to what people wanted.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Wow. I guess this is sure a hot topic, based upon the number of responses today.

For me the answer to this question comes down to two things:

1. Knowing where the profit is.
2. Having a daily or weekly plan.

That's really the key.

When I know where I'm making the most money, I can focus my time, energy, and, most importantly my resources into those projects FIRST. What I do with the rest of my day, is really up to me then. That means that everything from my own time, to buying advertising, to focusing on getting affiliates to promote, etc. is all focused where I'll get the highest return on my investments. (I consider time an investment. Don't you?)

If I know my numbers, then I KNOW what to do and I'm not guessing.

For instance, it would be silly of me to wake up and dig into project B when project A is rockin' and rolling. So, I focus on A first, and then only jump into B after I've made progress.

The other area is having a daily and weekly plan. I am 100% more productive and focused when I have my plan in front of me than when I don't.  If I don't have a “Stuff to Do this Week” list – I tend to wander.

Wandering is NOT profitable. Focusing is.

My friends have already shared so much great info this week that I'm going to wrap up with a challenge for you.

Whatever you goals are,  multiply them by 5

Seriously.

• If your goal is to reach $1000 per month in profit, reach for $5000 per month in profit instead.
• If your goal is to write one Kindle book by the end of this year, make it your goal to write five awesome books by the end of the year.
• If your goal is to reach out to 5 new potential affiliates per week, make it 5 per day.

REACH HIGHER.

That in itself will help you to focus.

Post your thoughts below.

Warmly,
Nicole

PS. If you LOVE Expert Briefs, be sure to pick up my new book on Amazon:

Learn How to Start a Profitable Blog

I just returned from an amazing weekend at the NAMS Workshop in Atlanta where I spoke/taught as well as spent a bunch of time in the one-on-one room giving attendees 15 minute clarity sessions. I also got to relax and enjoy time with my friends and meet new friends, as well. (More on that, though, soon.)

As I was in the airport waiting to head back home, I thought of a great question.  This is what I asked.

“What is your biggest tip for those of you who fly often to make life easier, be more comfortable – and/or to earn the most out of your trips in the way of frequent flyer miles, etc?”

I hope you enjoy the responses. I did.

Rachel Rofe of How To Get Every Book You Write Onto The First Page Of Kindle says:

1. Get an AmEx Platinum card! This gets you into all their lounges at airports. SOOO great – you get outlets, extra room, business centers, free food/drinks, and lots of other goodies..

2. Those Xpress Spa stations at the airport = my favorite invention of the month. 25 minute manicure as you sit on an EPIC massage chair. Love.

3. If you go on American Airlines, splurge for the extra legroom and go for aisle 8. You get exit-row legroom (right behind first class) and you get off the plane sooner. (Side note: I got this entire row to myself. WOOHOO!)

Jeanette S. Cates, PhD of Plan Your Online Business says:

I consider travel time “my” time. So while others are stressing about a flight delay, I'm relaxing with a book I've been too busy to read or downloading a new app I can play with. That takes all the pressure out of the trip.

I also have a standard packing plan – for 3 day weekend events, my mastermind meetings, and week long trips. So when it's time to pack up, I print the appropriate packing list – and relax, knowing I won't forget anything.

I always check my bags. No sense in stressing about overhead space or working around things under my feet. If I'm traveling with a computer, I use a rolling bag to save wear and tear on my back. But increasingly I tuck my mini-ipad into my purse, pack the keyboard and we're off!

I use my noise cancelling earphones on the plane and generally start with a relaxation audio so that I'm in the right frame of mind for creative thinking. This time on the road is great for letting new ideas come out. But if you don't give yourself the “time space” you'll never get those deep ideas.

Enjoy the trip!

Kevin Riley of  Blogpreneur Training says:

Avoiding jetlag. I love traveling and have been taking intercontinental flights since I was a kid. One thing that I do, which IMO leaves me without any jetlag (I'll fly from Osaka to Switzerland – an 8 hour time difference – and easily adjust to the local time instantly), is to stay awake.

I stay awake most of the flight (with just a 1/2-hour catnap somewhere over Asia) and watch a ton of movies. I'll get inspired and start writing stuff in a notebook (my popular Recipe For Commercial Videos was conceived on a flight to Austria in 2008, when I saw a German commercial on the plane). I eat all the airplane meals (yes, I'm brave that way), have a few drinks (a little alcohol is always nice, but I don't get carried away – except for that one flight to Calgary in 1978), and I drink tons of water (get them from the tray coming around and help myself at the dispenser near the kitchen). Very important to stay well hydrated, as airplane air is dry.

When arriving at my destination, I do NOT go to sleep or even take a nap if it's still afternoon or early evening. I always stay up until 10-11 pm, no matter how tired I am. This way, I get a good sleep, wake up refreshed at the local time's morning, and get right into the swing of local time.

Mark Mason of LateNightIM.com says:

I travel all over the world for my day job. On any given week, you can find me podcasting from a hotel in Taipei, Taiwan or blogging from an airport in Bangalore, India. As a result, I am constantly on the lookout for power to charge my iDevices.

By far the best travel gear investment that I ever made was when I bought a HyperJuice battery. This external battery can charge my MacBook Air, my iPhone and my iPad (or any other USB device). I just charge it up before I leave home (or the hotel) and put it in my backpack. That way, I never run out of power on the go.

By the way, a great Swiss Backpack made for laptops is another travel godsend. Don't leave home without it.

Felicia Slattery of Signature Speech Secrets says:

As you know, I had a rough go of it with my health last year, and all work, including business (or other travel) screeched to a halt. However, I found my frequent travel tip also worked for my stays in the hospital as well.

In my career as a professional speaker, I have traveled to loads of events across the country. And I find a few things with regard to packing make life so much more fun!

1. Master Travel List
Several years ago, while I was on an organizational kick, I read about creating master lists for everything. The only one that's stuck with me to this day are my travel lists. I even created travel lists for my kids so when we go on family vacations I can simply print a list for each child and check things off. For my work, it's been such a time-saver because instead of re-inventing the wheel every single time I have to get ready to leave, I simply print my list – which I like printed on actual paper rather than on a device – and start checking off what I need as I pack it.

2. Pre-Packed Toiletry Bag
The one time I didn't follow through on this, I ended up speaking at an event right after the amazing, late, great Zig Ziglar; we were in Florida (humid-city, as you know) and my wild wavy hair was without hair spray. So on the most important speaking day of my career, I had a bad hair day. I learned to never again skip this tip for myself. Of course before a trip, things are crazy busy, and there's always last minute work things going on. But after a trip, you can arrive home and take a deep breath and regroup. Part of my regrouping and unpacking process involves assessing everything in my toiletry bag and refilling or replacing everything before putting it back into my closet. Then it is ready to go for the next trip and all I have to do is pull it out and pack it. Part of this tip includes having doubles of everything I need; one for daily use, one for travel use. So I have my regular daily toothbrush, for example, and I have another toothbrush already packed in my toiletry bag. Same with deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, gel, razor, shaving cream, dental floss, toothpaste, soap, comb, brush, and yes hair spray. If I'm running low on anything, I add it to my grocery shopping list and when I get home from shopping, I refill or replace what's needed and then store the bag until the next trip. Then before a trip when I'm running around at the last minute with everything else, I don't have to worry about stopping somewhere to pick up more deodorant. It's ready to go and totally stress-free!

3. Pre-Packed Suitcase
Now I don't go as far as having all my clothes in a bag ready to go, but like the toiletry bag, I have a few things I bring with me on every trip. So I re-stock when I get home from the trip, so when it comes time to add all my clothes, I don't have less to remember. I keep a set of workout clothes packed, a bathing suit for the hotel's hot tub after a long day, a pair of my favorite comfy socks to wear at night – because every hotel room is freezing to me, etc. That means fewer items for my master list and fewer things to throw together when I have to leave.

4. Pre-Packed Briefcase/Business Bag
Are you seeing a theme here? After I get home I re-stock my business cards, neatly arrange my extension cords that I threw in the bag after the event while rushing to get back to the airport, check to see if my pens still have enough ink, and make sure I have a clean notebook ready to go for the next time I have to make a dash out the door for the airport.

Dr. Mani of How to Set Goals says:

My biggest tip is really a “non-tip”. Before flying, ask yourself if you really have to! The answer to that question is “No” so often, that I've rarely found myself on board an airplane for anything other than on a holiday trip

We often hurry and rush around to keep “doing” stuff that we rarely ask if there's an alternative or work-around. With communications technology becoming so wonderful,
there are few circumstances where, at least as an online entrepreneur, you're forced to travel anywhere at all.

Connie Ragen Green of Affiliate Marketing Case Studies says:

The smartest thing I did last year was to apply for a security clearance through the Global Entry – http://www.globalentry.gov/ – program. This program is open to all United States citizens and the cost is only one hundred dollars every five years.

I travel extensively these days, and during 2012 I flew thirty-six times, including domestic travel and international travel to China, Thailand, Finland, Costa Rica, and the United Kingdom. This program made it all go smoothly and saved me lots of time, while also reducing the stress that can be associated with flying these days. Many times I do not have to remove my shoes, jacket, or laptop, and I no longer wait in line or fill out customs forms.

More and more airports around the world are now recognizing this program, and I do not think it is too much to ask of us to take this extra step to ensure our safety and the safety of others.

Karon Thackston of Step-by-Step Copywriting Course says:

Oftentimes, what I DON'T take is as important as what I do take. I'm not known for packing light (all those shoes take up space!) so I try and save inches wherever I can. The better hotels have great brands of shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, etc. in the room so I leave all those bottles at home and use what's provided by Marriott, Hilton or wherever I'm staying.

I also don't bring a lot of cash. Practically every place along the way takes credit or debit cards from the parking lot to the food kiosks/restaurants at the airports. I carry a little moola for tips and whatnot then put everything else on the card. Not only do I not have to worry about running out of cash or paying ungodly ATM fees, but I get extra bonus points for using my cards. Plus, it's very easy to keep up with my expenses since they all appear on my statement every month.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

I don't fly as much as some of my friends, but I do travel more than many people (averaging 6-12 trips per year between personal/family and professional), so I've developed systems to make the travel less stressful.

Standard Printable Packing List. I have a standard packing list that I print before every trip.  I cross off items as I put them into my backpack or suitcase and it ensure that I don't do anything silly like leave my cell phone, charger, favorite lip gloss, wine opener or prescription behind. I highly recommend you do this as forgetting something important can stress out your trip as you're running around trying to get it replaced.

Standard Luggage. I use the same backpack (with the laptop pocket in it) for every trip. That way I know which pocket has my passport and itinerary, which pocket contains my earplugs, where my money is, and where I can quickly access my iPad to read on the flight.

Standard Travel Clothing/Patterns. Personally I like routine when I travel. I check my suitcase now so that I can put all my liquids (shampoo, etc.)  in it and not have to worry about it. I wear sneakers/gym shoes because it's easy to run through an airport in comfy shoes and my feet are warmer on the plane. I pack my belt so I don't have to take it off during screening. I have my prescription in my backpack in case my suitcase gets lost. All the usual stuff – just makes it much easier for me to relax, especially when coming home from an event when my brain is super tired.

Know What Stresses you Out. If going through security stresses you, then just check your main suitcase and strip down to essentials before you get into the line. (Taking everything out of your pockets, removing your belt, etc., before you even head into the security area.) For me, the noisiness of the plane rattles me. Therefore I actually wear double earplugs. I have one set in my ears. One pair over them. This relaxes me quite a bit.

Always Be Earning the Points. One thing I'm definitely slow on the uptake on is earning points. This past weekend, Connie and David Perdew each invited me up to the Concierge area at the Marriott where we were staying to talk. There was food and service up there and personal guests were welcome. DUH. I stay there often enough now that I certainly *should* be racking up points with them. I'm now all signed up.

Get Loyalty Points at the Airport. I just found out this weekend that some of the airports have loyalty cards. So if you fly through Atlanta (or to Atlanta) a lot like I do, I just register with them and I can earn Delta miles or other miles just for buying stuff like water or meals. Cool. http://thanksagain.com/ for instance, http://thanksagain.com/atl is the Atlanta one.

Well that's what I've got for you today off the top of my head. What is your biggest tip for relaxed travel when going to events like NAMS?

By the way, I hope to see you there in August. I'll be there! Click here to join me.

Best of luck.
Nicole

If you've missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –>

This week I asked the experts to name names, point fingers, and give shouts of kudos where appropriate.

The question for this week is:

Do you currently have a business coach or mentor?
If so, are you brave enough to share who it is?

Felicia Slattery of Signature Speech Secrets says:

My coach is Steve Sipress, who is the leader of one of the top 3 largest and most successful Glazer-Kennedy Insider's Circle groups in the country. As you know, being a Mom with little kids at home makes traveling to coach or mastermind groups tricky, so when I met Steve, who is right here in the Chicago area, I jumped at the chance to work with a coach like him who knows his stuff and can quickly and easily guide me to the complete marketing and sales success with each project I am working on.

Plus, as a coach and consultant myself, I'd never ask my clients to hire me as their mentor if I wasn't willing to be working with (and paying) someone else as the same. Over the years I've worked with greats like Jeff Herring, Kevin Nations, Bob Jenkins, Ken McArthur, Denise Michaels, and I get to speak weekly as accountability partners with Shannon Cherry, all who brought me to a higher level in various aspects of my business. I'm so grateful I made the investment in myself and continue to see the benefits of doing so!

Susanne Myers of Daily Affiliate Tasks says:

I did some group/forum coaching early on (which is actually where I became friends with Nicole) and it helped me grow my online business to first a part-time, then a full-time income. In other words, I was familiar with the concept, but in recent years, I have not had any type of formal coaching or mentor program with one-on-one interaction. I relied on a wonderful network of successful peers. It definitely helped me grow my business, but about 6 months ago, I realized I was at a point where the right mentor could make a difference and help me grow even more.

The only problem was that I had a very hard time finding the right person. I wasn't at a point yet, where I was comfortable spending a couple of grand on a coach, plus many of the coaches I came across just didn't seem the right fit for me and my business.

I think it's important to realize when you need a coach, but also to not force it and either spend way more than you can realistically afford or work with someone that isn't on the same wavelength as you.

I did find a coach (thanks to Nicole) a little over a week ago. I started working with Tony Shepherd from Hippy Marketing (click for a sneak peek into his business) and so far it's looking great.

We haven't had a whole lot of time yet and I'm only in the first stages of implementing his advice. But I can tell you this… I already have more focus and better clarity of what I need to work on to take this to the next level.

Nicole – I hope you'll revisit this Expert Brief in a few months and have us report on our progress. I have a feeling I'll have some great news to share by then

Note from Nicole:

I really recommend this free report. You can look inside Tony Shepherd’s business and he holds nothing back: CLICK HERE FOR FREE BEHIND THE SCENES ACCESS   (Note: It's not for the easily offended. And, it's funny as heck!)

Mark Mason of MasonWorld Internet Marketing Blog says:

Jimmy D. Brown is my coach for my membership site about Late Night Affiliate Marketing. (Watch for that project to launch soon!)

Cliff Ravenscraft is my coach for podcasting.

Melissa Ingold of Internet Marketing PLR Reports says:

Tony Shepherd is not only an old client of mine, but I also hired him to be my business coach this year. I’m a big believer in working with a coach if it feels right to you.

Last year, I worked with a different coach, and as much I wanted to work with her again, I decided to go with Tony because he’s a better fit for me this year based on my goals.

Anyway, after just 7 days of working with Tony and following his guidance, his coaching was paying for itself. And, it continues to over and over again – seriously!

That's me, in the picture, reading his Tony's private “insider” newsletter where he shares what he's doing in his business every month. Yes, I print them each month and keep them in a binder for easy access.

ShannonCherry of Business Charm School says:

Who's my mentor? No one and everyone.

I have no formal mentor. I have wanted one for a while. I even created a blog post about my search for one more than a year ago. It included a pretty detailed job description. And still, no luck.

But I am not mentor-less. Far from it.

You see, even though I cannot find ‘The One' yet (Yes, I believe that person IS out there!), I have plenty of super smart online business friends who I know I can pick up the phone and call on a moment's notice when I am stuck. And I'm lucky, because unlike many people, I look beyond a specific niche. So my pals run the gamut from great speakers and authors to savvy coaches and internet marketers. By allowing me hear different takes on the same problem/solutions, I can formulate a plan that works for me.

So who are my peeps? People like Nicole Dean, Tracy Roberts, Shawn Driscoll, Sandy Martini, Felicia Slattery, Lou Bortone, and Nancy Marmolejo are all people I rely on. They are honest, helpful and more importantly, fun to be with!

Jeanette S. Cates, PhD of Organize Your Online Business says:

My mentor has been Armand Morin for the past five years. Prior to that I worked with Jim Edwards and Alex Mandossian. Needless to say, I've learned from the best!

One of the things I look for in a mentor is someone who cares about my success. Frankly, I don't care how successful they are, because there are a lot of people who can create success themselves but have no clue how to help someone else. And that caring and ability to inspire me to action and guide my actions are exactly what I have found with Jim, Alex, and Armand.

I've stuck with Armand the longest because every time I take a class from him, I make money. Every time I attend an event with him, I learn something new – and make money. His excitement and enthusiasm for Internet marketing comes through in everything he does – he's like a kid with a new toy. And his level of caring for my success is obvious, whether he's teasing me from the stage or raking me over the coals in the Platinum group.

I believe that everyone, regardless of your level of success, needs a mentor. We need someone to watch us from the outside, from a detached perspective. Your spouse can't do it. Your best friend can't do it. You need a professional.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Well, Susanne let it spill who my current coach is. Note that I said “current” as I feel that the coaching/client relationship is a fluid and evolving thing. In my opinion, to stick with the same business coach or mentor forever will limit you.

For instance, I  graduate my coaching clients at a certain point, too, once they don't need me anymore as they on on a roll. I'm not going to continue to work with someone for years, because they should no longer need me – if I'm doing my job right.

Or…

I have to eventually let them go, if I feel that they meet any of these criteria…

1. They are moving in a direction where I'm no longer the best person to help them. In which case, I'll give them suggestions and refer them to someone else who is better suited to helping them.

2. They are stuck and are not listening to me, choosing to give me excuses instead. (In which case, they need to have a “come to Jesus” talk with themselves about whether they're willing to do what they must to reach the levels of success that they're telling me that they want.)

3. I'm repeating myself week after week and they're letting fear keep them from progressing. (In which case, they need someone who can deliver a butt-kicking better than I.)

Either way, I see it as a temporary role and eventually they leave the nest and head off on their own.

The problem that I'd been having on the other side of things was finding a coach for ME.  Once you get to a certain level of income/success in your business, it's very difficult to find a coach who you trust and who is someone that you can be honest and direct with – as well as who has knowledge in areas where you want to get stronger.

Could I have found a coach to help me become a better speaker? In a heartbeat. I'm definitely a beginner at that.

Could I have found a coach to help me write and publish my book? Absolutely. In fact I have one.

But, someone to teach me to be a better marketer? Well, I'm kinda awesome at that – so it's a little more difficult.

One normal alternative, and what I'd been doing was to create private masterminds with peers which worked well. I'm also accountability buddies with Susanne and Melissa and a few other friends. And, that's been hugely beneficial.

But, I really wanted something different. And, I've tried to coach friends and be coached by friends — it just doesn't work as well as I'd like. I wanted to work with someone who I admired – but who wasn't a girlfriend (and someone who I was paying so they had to be honest instead of just being nice).

So, I'd been on the hunt for a coach for me. And, I knew several other friends who were looking as well.

When suddenly a few months ago, I opened my email and saw that Tony Shepherd had opened up a few coaching spots. I quickly clicked on the links and saw a big “SOLD OUT” button. DANGIT!  I IM'd Melissa to complain about it and she said ‘Oh, I got in.”

I was like “DOH!”

So, then for the next month, I had to listen to her tell me how wonderful Tony is… as if I didn't already know.

Finally, I got a notice that he'd opened 10 more spots, so I hit that paypal button so fast that I hurt my finger. (Not really, but you get the visual.)

So, I've been working with Tony for the last month or so and am really enjoying it. I love the way the man's mind works. Plus, he makes me laugh.

If you want to peek inside Tony's head without the coaching pricetag – check out his private newsletter here:

Anyway, I do hope you found this post to be interesting and informative.  And, yes, if you'd like to do private coaching, there are a few resources below.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

Recommended! If you need someone to tell you “THIS project” is the one to focus on or “THIS traffic technique is what you need to be doing” – I recommend my friend (and mastermind partner who I brainstorm with on a daily basis), Susanne Myers, who offers private coaching for much cheaper than I do.

You can check it out here: Private Confidential Business Coaching with Susanne Myers.

Or you’ll find mine here: Nicole Dean Private Confidential Coaching. (Yes, I have clients whose names you’d recognize. But I can’t tell you who they are. I promised them confidentiality.)

If you've missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –>

The question for this week is about outsourcing. I got this from a friend on Instant Messenger. I'll have to reword it a bit, but the gist is…

The questions in my head is about frickin' “entrepreneurs” masquerading as service providers – how do you find people that stick? Basically, I hire people who'd rather putter around in their own business than to actually work in a job as a service provider – which they were hired to do. I pay well and I'm easy to work for. What's the deal? How do you find people who WANT to work?

I think you'll find the answers this week interesting and hopefully motivating.

Rachel Rofe of RachelRofe.com says:

I totally understand your frustrations and have been there many times before.

I like testing people with small tasks first, seeing if they perform, and then giving them bigger ones.

I will never EVER entrust anybody with a big project until they've proven themselves. (I used to have a company with 120+ contracted employees so I've been burned a lot!)

I know this approach takes a little more time but it's well worth it in the end (and you can outsource the process to a virtual assistant so you don't have to worry).

You could also look for word of mouth referrals, check internet marketing forums, or do internet searches to gauge for reviews of specific providers.

Also, if you need a specific service provider, feel free to leave a comment at RachelRofe.com – I know a TON of people and would be happy to help!

Note from Nicole:
Rachel knows outsourcing. Her Outsourcing Report is very good (and affordable). I bought it and recommend it.

Check it out here: Happy Outsourcing

Connie Ragen Green of ConnieGreen.com says:

I have excellent experiences with outsourcing because I look for people who have fun doing the things I can't do or don't like to do. This makes a lot of sense, if you think about it.

In the beginning I tried to do everything myself, as many new entrepreneurs do. When it came to graphic design, I was beyond terrible. I even took a PhotoShop class at my local community college, but it did not help me at all. Then I found someone who had been playing around with graphics and web design since she was about 12 years old, and who was now doing it for others. She creates beautiful designs for me, including the cover of my first book, as well as my soon to be released next book.

Each day I take a look at what needs to be done in my business to see which activities I would rather not do myself. Then I turn that task over to someone who enjoys doing it. Usually the work is done more efficiently and with better quality than if I were to do it myself.

Ask others you know who they would recommend, and attend live events to meet people in person. In a group of two hundred attendees, there is more than likely someone who can help you do most anything you need help with in your business. This will free up your time to do the things you love to do, and to focus on your next steps as you build your online business.

Alice Seba of Contentrix says:

Just like with a brick and mortar business, it's not always easy getting good help, but when you find someone you hang onto them. The reverse is also true, if they aren't working out and don't seem to priorities in check, let them go.

Some ways to keep your good people:

* Communicate regularly. Make sure they are happy with the work and find out if they have any concerns.

* Communicate efficiently and be specific in your requests. There's nothing worse than a lack if clear direction and repeated revisions needed due to lack of communication.

* Help them excel in their best areas. If you hire a VA, for example, and they do certain tasks better then others, let them work in those areas. Find someone else who is good at the other stuff.

* Give them pay raises regularly, even if they don't ask. Make them feel appreciated and valued and realize someone who knows your business and is proactive in helping you with it is manifold more valuable than someone off the street.

The more you value you good work, the more good work you get.

Shannon Cherry of The Business Building Live Intensive says:

Gosh! I remember when I was going through help for my business like water. That was years ago – and it was extremely frustrating.

Today I have a great team who have stuck with me for some time. What's the secret to finding good help? It's you.

Seriously, I see many entrepreneurs blame their ‘helpers' for their ills. But the fact of the matter is, you, as the business owner, are not doing your job managing your team.

Do you have in place things like:

• job descriptions?
• policies and procedures, including a ‘trial period?'
• contracts for service providers?
• systems to get things done the way YOU want them done?
• a plan for your business and marketing?

If not, then it's your fault you can't find good help.

Many entrepreneurs hire help to be a ‘catch-all' instead of looking at the persons skills and strengths, as well as their personality. Imagine trying to get someone who is shy to try to cold call reporters. Not only will the person be unsuccessful at the task, but they will get frustrated – and often, simply disappear. (And if you are wondering, that happened to me a while back.)

The key to having a good working relationship is to have your ducks in order BEFORE you go hiring.

Felicia Slattery of Credibility and Cash Flow says:

Here's my take on finding people who want to work. It's simple, really– you go to places where those who want to work are hanging out, paying attention, and looking for work.

Places I like to go to find useful service providers:

• Fiverr.com — for $5 you can find people to do all sorts of quick, one-off types of things
• HireMyMom.com — This site is for Moms who have stepped away from the corporate world, who want to keep their skills sharp, and make some money while they are home raising their kids. You'll find highly qualified people here at very reasonable prices. Fill out an RFP and wait for the resumes.
• Elance.com — Be specific in what you're looking for, check out the feedback they received, and look for those who bid on your job to be personal in their response. Then Google them to see what you can find before hiring.

One place I'd be careful of is looking to folks on social media. While you can definitely find excellent talent and people willing to work, carefully look at how much time they seem to spend on the various social sites. If they seem to spend/waste a good portion of their days on social media chatting, they may not be doing much work in the background or they may be on social media to promote themselves — and we all know how addictive that can be. It could be difficult for some to get out of that rut and get to actual work. Not that you shouldn't look to network with people on social media, it's just not necessarily the first place I'd look when I want someone willing to roll up her sleeves and dig in.

Finally, be clear in what you are looking for and with everyone you hire draw up a simple contract or letter of agreement so you can communicate your expectations, deadlines, and other requirements. Oftentimes we get into trouble because of a lack of communication of expectations up front. Be clear about what you need, want and expect and you should easily find someone willing to meet the challenge and make some money!

Susanne Myers of AffiliateTreasureChest.com says:

I hear ya … been there, done that and it can get pretty frustrating. You're all excited to have someone take care of some crucial business tasks and then it just doesn't get done, they quit etc. Unfortunately we do sometimes have to go through quite a few assistants, VAs, service providers until we find the one that's a perfect fit. (I had to go through about 10 before I found the right one).

Let's talk about service providers for a minute. There are those that just want some tasks and a weekly or monthly paycheck in return. They are very reliable and work exclusively on this kind of stuff. The problem is you have to provide every single step of the process. They don't think outside the box, they don't see the bigger picture of where you're going with your business.

Service providers who are also entrepreneurs on the other hand will come to you with ideas and suggestions for improvement. They are the types of people you can hand an entire segment of your business to and have them run with it.

The thing to keep in mind to make this work is that these different types of assistants are motivated by different “things”. While paying well and being easy to work with is great for the first group of VAs, it won't quite cut it when you're dealing with an entrepreneurial minded person. They want more than just a paycheck for the hours they worked. One way to keep them focused on and interested in your business is to give them a cut of your profits. Another option may be to help them grow their business by referring sales, clients etc. Encourage them to work on their own products on the site and promote those if your target markets match.

One last tip and this is something I'm still working on. Document everything you have them do. Instead of just showing or emailing them about a task, take a few extra minutes to make a video or write the instructions in a word document. Save all this so you don't have to do it over if you need to train someone else.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Oooh. I was so tempted not to answer this question and instead just defer to the others. But, I think the question wasn't quite clear. It was about outsourcing to other entrepreneurs rather than outsourcing in general. So, let me see if I can tackle it without offending anyone… Wish me luck.

As you may know, I go through a lot of helpers.

Wait. That sounded bad. eek! I mean, running 3 PLR sites, plus my niche sites, customer support, graphics, and even managing my household — it takes a village some times.

Although this question was submitted by a friend, it's one that I've struggled with over the years.  “How do you find people who want to work? Especially if they are entrepreneurs?”

This is a frequent scenario for us…

My Content Acquisition Manager: Would you like consistent writing work for Nicole Dean?

Writer: Really? OMG. YES! I'd love that. That would be awesome. I really need the money because (insert expense here ie. my husband lost his job, we have a leaky roof, our pet needs surgery, kid just got into private school, we're moving, etc.  ).

(They discuss price and topic of articles.)

My Content Acquisition Manager:  ok. Nicole pays weekly every Friday via Mass Pay. If you'd like to get into the current week's Mass Pay (and have Nicole pay the paypal fees instead of it coming out of the payment like normal) then I need this back by (date).  Can you do that?

Writer: YES!

Looks promising, right?

Here's what happens as the deadline approaches.

My Content Acquisition Manager: Checking in. The deadline is this afternoon. How's the article pack coming?

Writer: Well… (insert story – which is likely true – here). I need an extension.

My Content Acquisition Manager: When can you have it to us?

Writer: Tomorrow afternoon.

My Content Acquisition Manager: ok. Of course, you won't be paid until next Friday since you missed the cut-off. But that's fine. It has to be to us by that time.

Still looks promising, right?

Well, the next afternoon…

My Content Acquisition Manager: Do you have the articles ready?

Writer: No, I …

My Content Acquisition Manager: We're sorry, but we won't be able to work with you.

On to the next writer.

We probably go through 3-5 writers for every one that sticks (either for actually completing the project or for the high quality standards we have). When we find a writer that sticks, that person gets consistent work.

What's my point?

There are a few lessons that I've learned about outsourcing to entrepreneurs who are freelancers.

1. Many entrepreneurs are not good motivated freelancers, because they *really* want to be focusing on building their own businesses and getting passive income.

It's an ongoing battle for the freelancer. And, I can relate because I've been BOTH, myself. Feeling “stuck” working for an hourly rate, while really wanting to have a passive income. This is fine as long as the people on both sides of the fence recognize that. Just don't let resentment build between you.  As the business owner (the one doing the hiring), you're the one taking all the risk, bringing in the leads, and the one who is ultimately responsible for the success of your business. You're responsible for having the money to pay them at the end of each month, too. That's a lot of pressure. Where there's risk, there is reward.

2. If you hire an entrepreneur-freelancer to do work for you — recognize what's important to them, and try to acknowledge that.

This normally, in my experience, is not just about money. Not that money doesn't matter, too, of course, but you can give in additional ways that are meaningful. I always talk about the “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts” and how it applies to outsourcing. (If you haven't read that book, please do.)  Motivation comes from different things in different people.

It may be one or all of the following…

• Flexibility. Perhaps it's a college student or mom who needs a flexible schedule. Just knowing they can work at 9pm or 9am is enough to really keep them going.
• Doing something that matters. Hence the number of people who work for non-profit organizations.
• Feeling Appreciated. I've worked for bosses who could get me to do anything by appreciating me. Work long hours? Sure! No problem.
• Kind Words and Recognition. Similar to being appreciated, this can be huge. When I worked for Jimmy D. Brown, all he had to do was mention my name in an email that he sent to his list and I would hop around for a week, like it was my birthday.
• Doing what they Love. For some people, they want to be able to focus on their talents. So, if you find a Virtual Assistant who says that she's a customer support rep, but you find out that she plays with Search Engine Optimization in her free time for fun — then you might want to see if that's really what she'd prefer to be doing.
• Gifts. Some people like small gifts. Sending a surprise token of appreciation can be all that it takes.

And, for the entrepreneurs that I hire — oftentimes they want ME. My time. Which is fine if we've arranged that. But, of course, I can't coach every person who I work with all day long – so there is normally additional bartering that goes along with that. Even my mom expects and gets coaching time with me when she needs it.  That's part of our arrangement for her working for/with me.

Others trade work (sweat equity) for coaching time with me. I've had coaching clients for months and months — and they work for me in trade. For them, that's a better arrangement than having me pay them for their time spent working.  Each of us has profited much more from the bartering arrangement than we would have otherwise.

So what's my advice? Well… good question. Of course any outsourcing really comes down to the people on both sides of the relationship.  I've had some really great experiences and two where I had to consult my lawyer about starting litigation. (Don't ask.)

My advice is going to be a summary of what has already been said:

• Take it slowly with anyone new. Start small. Test the waters before making any commitments.
• Set up Standard Operating Procedures. This will ensure that expectations are clear from the start.
• Place people correctly. Find out what they love to do, instead of what they say they do.
• Continually look for new people. Make sure you have access to new people on a continual basis – if you need more than a few people working for you at a time.
• Understand what motivates your new hire. Praise publicly. Critique privately.
• Reassess often. The person you hire today to do a job may not be the same person who should be doing that job a year from now. (Either because they've bubbled up the ladder or down it.)
• Expect excellence, but plan for disaster. There's a saying I love – “Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.” That's the case in any area of business.

Go ahead and share your thoughts. I would love to hear your experiences on both sides of the outsourcing coin.

Hugs,
Nicole Dean

PS. Let me just say that I do encourage service providers to work on getting an alternate source of income, preferably passive income. But, not at the expense of meeting deadlines for clients or getting a bad reputation.  Schedule at least 1/2 hour every day on your own business, but keep all client obligations met. That's what I taught my mama.

Check out these Recommended Resources:

• Rachel has an Outsourcing course here: Happy Outsourcing
• I have an Outsourcing course here: Outsource Weekly
  

If you've missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –>

This week I asked our panel of experts …

What are your absolute best tips for coming up with blog post topics and ideas for yourself to write about? (Not for guest bloggers or interviews.)

What do you do when you're feeling out of ideas?

Let's get the brainstorming going…

Felicia Slattery of Credibility and Cash Flow says:

I have a love-hate relationship with blogging. Literally the day I learned what a blog was back in 2006 as I was just trying to figure out what business I was in, I began my blog.

It started out as a way for me to think about what I wanted, a place to play with ideas for articles I planned to develop more fully, and an opportunity for me to feel like I was doing something productive in my business by developing my message. The only visitors I had back then were a handful of family and close friends.

Later, as my business grew, I had my blog redesigned. The only problem was — I HATED it. So my blogging time slowly dwindled to almost nothing. And there it stayed for a couple of years. It wasn't that I didn't have anything to say, it was that there were so many other places to say it — online articles, video, my ezine, social media — it didn't feel like I “had” to blog anymore.

Finally I had my blog redesigned again to something I'm much more proud to send people to. The question of what to write about is similar to people who ask me what they should speak about when they have a few minutes at a networking meeting to talk about their business. Here are a few tips:

1. Current Events: Is something newsworthy happening in your community, your state, your country or the world that you can comment on? When you use the keywords people are searching for you get the added benefit of additional new traffic to your blog.

2. Your Business: Do you work with clients or get emails or comments from people in your business that you could turn into a post? Tell stories of a problem someone has had and explain how you helped resolve it.

3. Social Media: Was there something in your Twitter stream or Facebook wall or Linked In group that got a LOT of attention? Use your blog to expand on it and continue the conversation. Then link to your post in the original social media post so others interested in that topic can read your thoughts and comment.

4. Favorites: Write posts about your favorite tools, books, mentors, or colleagues doing great things. Whenever I find a new online tool — especially a free one I LOVE — I share it with the world. If I'm reading a good book, or a bad one, I'll blog about it. If I have a great experience with another business owner that can help others or meet someone they should know, I use my blog to introduce my readers to that person.

5. Teach a Tip or Technique: When I feel totally out of ideas, I go to my bookshelf and online library and teach something I think my readers will find valuable. Then I ask them for their opinions or ideas, too.

I like to think of blogging as a conversation and work to keep my end going.

Connie Ragen Green of ConnieGreen.com says:

My very best ideas for blog posts come from the questions my students ask during my teleseminars and webinars, as well as when they email me between training sessions. This means that they have taken action with what I am teaching, and are now able to ask a more advanced and specific question. By writing about it in detail on my blog, many people will benefit from the post over time.

I also find topics to blog about based on reading other people's posts. Typically I will leave a comment on their blog, and then think about it before writing my own post.

When I am completely out of ideas, I go back and read my own posts from a year ago, or even further. Many times there have been new developments on those topics, and I have also learned more since writing the original post. Everyone benefits from this type of research and the new blog post I end up writing as a result.

Shannon Cherry of Sponsorship Made Simple says:

The confounded ‘Blogger's Block.' As brilliant as we all are, there are times when we look at our blog we see a blank screen. It especially is tough for those for us who post three or more times a week.

The first thing I do is make sure I know the topic I should be writing about. Because I plan my marketing and promotions calendar, I know what I am promoting 6 months in advance. So I make sure that the theme or topic matches what I have on the calendar. (So when in doubt… plan!)

The second thing I do is look for ways to piggyback on hot topics already in my target market's radar. First, I look at what known holidays are going on and if I can't find one that relates to what my topic is, I turn to Blog Energizer or Chase's Calendar of Events to find more quirky holidays. For example, March is National Noodle Month. Now, I know this is really about noodles (as in the pasta-like food). But what if I take a twist on this… about using your noodle (and buy what I am selling).

By piggybacking, I get inspired and create more interest than the same-old-same old.

Alice Seba of Contentrix says:

A lot of people combine the activity of coming up with topics and blogging, but I think those are two very separate activities.

We've all done it. We sat at the computer and tried to figure out to write about and a few things may have happened. If we're lucky, we come up with a topic right away and we can start writing. But in many cases, it seems to take a while before we come up with a topic or we can't come up with one at all.

That's why I recommend taking time each month (or at an interval that works for you) and make a big list of topics you can write about or have a guest / ghostwriter write about. Once you get your first few topics written down, it's easier to come up with more. Personally, I'd prefer to spend about 30-45 minutes coming up with all the topics, instead of 10-15 minutes each time I sit down and try to write. It's an amazing time saver. Plus, it's much easier for me to be creative and come up with a ton of ideas. In fact, I'll often have more ideas than I need, and I can simply choose the best ones and discard those mediocre ideas. This helps make sure that I deliver only the best to my readers…instead of just “good enough”.

Of course, you still need to know how to get those ideas:

• If you sell your own products (or recommend affiliate products), shape your content topics around what a buyer of those products would want to know about.
• Review the headlines in your RSS reader to see what people are writing about.
• Check out Google News or your favorite news site to see the hot topics.
• Check out a big article directory like EzineArticles.com or look at Nicole's LadyPens.com for topic ideas.
• Find PLR content on topics that are suitable for your blog.
• Use keyword tools like WordTracker.com to find frequently searched for topics.
• Look at magazines and other print materials

Write down every idea that comes to mind. It doesn't matter how lame it may seem. Lame ideas can become good ones with some extra thought and they can breed even better ideas. Review your list when you're done and come up with your blogging schedule. Now you'll never sit and wonder what to write about again…you'll be ready to go instead!

Susanne Myers of AffiliateTreasureChest.com says:

I noticed that I go through cycles where I’m super creative and come up with all sorts of different blog post ideas and then I have weeks where it feels like pulling teeth. The key for me is often just to get started with some ideas and more start to branch of from the initial ideas.

Theme For The Week
My first strategy is to come up with related blog post ideas for the whole week. Once I have the overall theme it’s pretty easy to find individual topics to write about. I also don’t feel like I have to cram everything I know about a topic into one single blog post. Instead I can spread things out and teach one thing at a time.
The added bonus is that I can then take the related blog posts and turn them into a short report.

Keyword Research
Another good option I use frequently is keyword research. I either look at keywords I’m already ranking for and see if that sparks ideas, or I may type some rather general terms like “list building” into a keyword research tool and see what terms come up.
I find it helpful to look for long tail keyword phrases that are questions or include words like “how to” or “tutorial”.

Ask A Friend Or Customer
Last but not least, I just ask a friend, my readers or a customer what they would like me to cover next. Each email that goes out to my blog subscribers at AffiliateTreasureChest.com invites them to reply with a question. Some of my best suggestions have come via Twitter. I just tweet something like “What would you like me to blog about this week” or “What’s your most pressing question about ….” I often get some great replies within a few minutes.

Jeanette S. Cates, PhD of JeanetteCates.com says:

When I'm short of ideas for new blog posts, I use several idea generators. First, I keep an ongoing list of questions that I receive from members and the question form on my blog. These are always good article-starters.

I also keep a file of article titles I come up with as ideas pop into my head. I jot down quick ideas on the topic, then file them under “ideas.” I can easily pull one out and fill out the rest of the article.

I have several lists of “Blog Post Ideas” from other marketers and PLR reports I've purchased. Those are also great idea-starters. Plus, any PLR article is a great way to start your writing. Just rewrite it as you go and you have a brand new article!

Finally I've just started using EzineArticle's Title Suggestion tool. It's a nice challenge to have them generate article titles for you, then write to fill the topic.

There are always a ton of great ideas when you keep your mind open and your antenna alert. Enjoy the process!

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

The dreaded blank screen looms ahead. My mind goes even emptier than usual as panic starts to take hold.

“What if I never come up with an idea?! I'll sit here for ever. I'll DIE in this chair. OMG HELP!”

ok. Well, it doesn't get that bad, but sometimes I do wonder if I've run out of things to talk about.

The best thing I can do at that point is to go on a walk or jump in the shower, or do both — but not at the same time. That's just silly.

When I get back, I usually feel like I have more ideas than I could ever write in just one lifetime.

Because this is a question that I get asked about regularly, I wrote a report on this topic that you're welcome to read here:

20 Ways to Come up with an Idea for your Next Blog Post

Recommended Resource

One of the many ways that I come up with ideas to blog about is through keyword research. I let other people tell me what they're looking for online in my field. Then I write about that.

Speaking of keyword research, I sent two free sets of keywords to my EasyPLR lists as a little gift.

• ADHD Keyword Research (pdf)
• Anti-Aging Keyword Research (pdf)

Isn't it nice just to have pages of ideas – telling you what to write about?

But, what if you're in another niche, like Yoga or Crockpots?

You're in luck. My friend, Susanne Myers has put together “Niche Research Packs” for a variety of popular niches.

If the concept of niche research packs is new to you, then let me tell you what you get…

* Detailed niche description
* Who your target market for this niche is
* List of affiliate products available
* 100 domain name ideas (plus list of modifiers for hundreds more)
* Detailed keyword report for over 1000 keywords
* 100 article and blog post ideas
* 15 different author resource boxes
* 2 different detailed marketing plans (beginner and advanced)

Be sure to check it out here if you think it can help you in your business:

NicheResearchPacks.com

It’s Your Turn.

So, now, I’ll pose this question to you. Do you have any special tips for coming up with blog posts when you're fresh out of ideas? I’d love to hear your comments!

Warmly,

Nicole Dean

PS. I have created brandable reports from several of the previous Expert Brief columns that you can use to earn money by giving them away.

If you've missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –>

Last month, I posted a video called “The Importance of Time” and, once again, shared my favorite quote “The Days are Long, but the Years Are Short“.

It reminded me of the many times when I was starting out in my business (so that I could spend more time with my kids) when I'd find myself saying “Sorry, sweetie, mommy can't play now…” Of course, I realized how silly that was at the time. And, yes, I kicked my own butt into prioritizing better.

So, the question I asked the experts this week is about balance.

What's your #1 Tip for balancing work and family? And, do you have any stories about times when you found yourself doing less than your best at balancing your priorities? How did you handle that?

Oddly, I only got responses from the ladies on my panel. I'd love to hear from some of the daddies who are working from home, too.

I was pleasantly surprised by how honest and open our experts were about their struggles with this topic….

Felicia Slattery of Credibility and Cash Flow says:

I started my business when my girls were just 1 and 3 years old. For those first few years I worked around their schedules, which meant during nap times and after they went to bed at night. I found myself working late hours and was tired, but I enjoyed my work and napped when I needed to!

That's one tip: allow yourself a rest and a break and don't beat yourself up for not getting something done. When your body is tired, pushing on and on isn't going to be good for you, it isn't going to be good for your business — you'll make plenty of mistakes you wouldn't otherwise — and it isn't good for your kids or family — you end up being testy, cranky and short with them when you wouldn't otherwise be.

Now that my youngest is in all day Kindergarten (cue hallelujah chorus!), I work while the kids are in school. I have set work hours from 8:30-2:30 PM and I tend to stick to them. After school, I will occasionally check email and will definitely play around on social media — but that's not hard core work.

The other piece that I couldn't live without is getting help from my team of virtual assistants. When I started out I couldn't afford a team, I only had one person working a couple hours a month doing the most critical things I needed because I didn't know how to do them myself. But, that got me in the habit of delegating when I could and it's helped a ton to have good people I can trust doing the work that needs to get done. And I feel great about helping other home-based professionals like me!

Kelly McCausey of Work at Home Moms Talk Radio says:

The toughest time I had dealing with priorities was at the beginning of my online business life. Once I discovered there was a way to generate income online, I wanted to do everything I could – just about every minute I had available.

I was working full time, my son was eleven. As a single parent, I really flubbed it in that first year. I was forever telling Sean to ‘give me one more minute' (which would turn into an hour). Money was so tight and he knew I was making a little extra so he didn't complain too much. Thankfully, I did wake up and realize that nothing was as important as the one on one time I could spent with him.

I never achieved perfection of course – I know there were many times through his teens that Sean had to turn off my monitor to grab my attention.

Still, when the Netflix DVDs of Alibi or Stargate showed up, I'd drop everything to watch them with him. Priorities you know.

Lynn Terry of Clicknewz! says:

Being a single mother has had its pros and cons when it comes to balancing my career and family. On the one hand, I'm both the only parent and the sole provider. On the other, my adult time is my own – I never had to consider the needs or opinions of a mate like many do.

While I have much more free time now that my business is successful, the start-up phase was a different story altogether. And of course, the kids were younger. So both the business and the children required more of my time.

There were many moments where I had to make the hard decision between spending quality time playing with my children, or making sure they had a roof over their head and food on the table the next month. Obviously, providing for them had to be my top priority.

As I said, things are much different now. But back then I sacrificed sleep most days to work before they woke, or after they went to sleep for the night, so that I could spend time with them during the day. Not always, but as much as I could.

My children are 14 and 19 now, and have a deep appreciation for the lifestyle I created for us – and both the sacrifices and the time it took to get us where we are today.

I still get up before sunrise and get my work done early in the day, to make myself available to them when they need me the most. They are still my top priority, but so is providing a great life for them. For a single mother, there is no greater opportunity to achieve this than to work online and from home. I feel truly blessed to live in a generation where I could “have it all”, and give my children both a nice life and the full-time mom they deserve.

Shannon Cherry of Sponsorship Made Simple says:

You've been lied to. Yes, I am sorry I am the bearer of bad news: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BALANCE.

I know, I once thought there is a place I could get to that everything was calm- like the scales of justice and things being even and equal.

But that day, that place, will never happen. It's impossible.

Once I realized that I wasn't so obsessed with making sure everything in my life was perfect. There are days that my business is a priority and days when my family will be. Let me share with you why with a great quote from Buffy the Vampire Slayer who is always trying to balance good and evil:

“Bottom line is, even if you see 'em coming, you're not ready for the big moments. No one asks for their life to change, not really. But it does. So what are we, helpless? Puppets? No. The big moments are gonna come. You can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are.”

And that's the key. The one thing you can count on is that stuff happens that will be out of your control. It's how you manage it that keeps us sane. Essentially, you need to be prepared to be and do your best, whatever the situation demands.Stop freaking out when you know there's a choice between what is urgent and what is important.

It's really about making choices, not balance that will keep you sane.

Even Jack Welch has said: “There's no such thing as work-life balance. There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences.” He's right. No matter what you choose, there is a consequence. But really — who cares? It's better to make a choice and live with the consequences, than be paralyzed by fear of being balanced.

Connie Ragen Green of ConnieGreen.com says:

I have managed to successfully balance work and family by including many of my family members in what I am doing online. This has been so much fun, and we have all grown closer as a result.

Spending long hours in front of the computer to learn how to do everything involved in running an online business really took its toll on me during my first year, which was 2006. I found myself becoming alienated from everyone around me, and it was lonely not to have anyone to discuss my business with. I began to feel like I had made a poor decision to leave my job as a classroom teacher in order to become an entrepreneur.

My stepdaughter asked if there was anything she could do to make it easier for me, and finally I agreed to show her what I was working on. To my delight, she found it very interesting and wanted to learn more. Soon she was combining my articles into short reports, making graphics for me, and helping me to manage my list. My grandson is also involved now, and has three sites of his own that are making some money.

And, most interesting of all, my former husband, Claes, now plays a huge part in my online business. He is my house manager, helping me out by taking care of my dogs when I travel, doing all kinds of work around my house, and spending time with my 93 year old mother. It is truly a ‘family affair', and everyone in my family is much happier these days.

I would encourage you to include your family in your business, in whatever capacity that makes sense. Your next business partner just might be living right under your roof!

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

I found an article that I wrote back in 2005 when I was just starting out. My passion and desperation for my new business had my priorities way out of whack – as you will be able to tell in this article.

The reason I share this is to show that sanity is within reach — and that you don't have to be perfect to be profitable. (You know I'm far from perfect!)

Are you a mostly-sane Work at Home Mom (WAHM), too?
by Nicole Dean (way back in 2005)

I have a confession.

I’m a mostly-sane WAHM. I’m far from the ‘got it together’ work at home mom that I’d like to be.

I believe that there are a lot of women out there like me – clutching onto your sanity while juggling family, daily work requirements, basketball practice, ballet recitals, PTA meetings, and the many other responsibilities we carry on our shoulders.

If you’ve been a WAHM for more than a minute, you know the predicament we face. We chose to work from home so we could spend more time with our children. This is great in theory. What happens, though is that we end up with no scheduled and defined work time, so it becomes a struggle to find time to spend with our kids. When you hear other people say “It must be so nice to work from home so you can spend time with your kids all day”, you roll on the floor laughing. If only it were so simple! Finding the balance between work and home can be a constant struggle especially when work IS home.

I remember the days when I worked out of the home in an office job. I had two separate and distinct compartments in my life. There was the office, where I could work in peace and quiet, focus on projects and be productive. And, then there was home, where I was able to focus on my children and have fun. I had scheduled working hours, and also distinct family time.

Now, I have the ‘hom-ffice’, an odd melding of home and office. The line between the two compartments is unclear. My office is now an extension of home. And, home is becoming an extension of my office.

Because of this dilemma, I find that I’ve got the focus of a gnat. Here’s how my work day goes.

I wake up, grab a cup of coffee, and sit in front of the computer to check my email. Fifty new messages. No problem. I get ready to tackle the first one.

“Dear Nicole, I was wondering if you might be interested in” …

“juice in a sippy cup, pretty please my pretty mommy?”

Whoa!! Ok, brain switch! I turn and look at my little girl who just crawled out of bed. She is a perfect picture of childhood, with her big brown eyes, sweaty wildly curly hair and big grin. I hug this rosy-cheeked angel and go to the kitchen to get juice. Then, I sit back down and attempt to read my email

“Dear Nicole, I was wondering if you might be interested in my new affiliate program selling” …

“the new Lego robot I built!”

Brain switch again. I swivel my office chair and see my son, his blue eyes twinkling, and his face beaming proudly, holding up his Lego creation. I ‘ooh’ and ‘ahhh’ over the new Lego invention — a robot that can climb walls. I rub his blonde head and tell him how wildly creative he is. He grins and goes back to Lego-building.

I swivel back to work, and try to get as much done as I can between the many interruptions, karate practice, dinner and bedtime stories. Oftentimes, late at night, you can find me working, while watching late night TV shows. My husband comes in to check on me. I swivel my chair to get my good-night kiss and I tell him that I just want to wrap up a few last projects. I stagger to bed late at night only to start again, before the kids wake up in the morning.

Are you seeing the pattern? Is there any wonder that I’m mostly-sane? Look at your own days and I’ll bet they are very similar to mine.

Despite the frazzled hours and days, and all the distractions, I love being a WAHM. The honest truth is that I wouldn’t trade my job for any corporate job in America.

However, as I meet more and more work at home moms, it’s becoming apparent that I’m not alone in my struggles. Other moms are setting expectations that are just not matching reality. What can we do about it?

1. Reclaim your office:

If you have one room that you can dedicate to your work, stake your claim on it. Clear out all toys and non-work items. Make your “hom-ffice” a real office. No more messing around with half a commitment to your business. Your office is your turf. Protect it.

2. Buy a timer:

If your children are old enough to understand the concept of time, invest in a timer. It’s a life saver. The next time you need uninterrupted working time, tell the kids that you’re setting the timer for 15 or 20 minutes. If they give you 20 minutes of uninterrupted work time, then reward them with quality time with you. Play a board game together or go to the park. But, the important thing is to actually do it. Don't hit the “stop” button on the timer when it starts to beep and say “just a few more minutes” or you'll sabotage your free time before it even gets started.

Set goals this month to reclaim your work area and your time, and you will take a step closer to being a happy, relaxed, and successful WAHM!!

Flash forward a few years, and there are still days when my office seems to have a revolving door, when I'm trying to focus and it's just not meant to be — and that's ok.

I take a deep breath and look at the little picture on my desk of my daughter squeezing her two baby dolls taken back in 2003 and think of how quickly she's grown.

Then, I look at the picture that my mom gave me of my grandma's yard — where, if I look real hard, I can still see my grandma's footprints in the snow. And, how much I wish she was still with us so that I could have more time with her.

So, I give myself a quick priority check. Regrets suck. I prefer not to have them.

Actually, that reminds me of another article that I wrote a few years ago for a work at home mom print magazine. Sorry. I'm commandeering this post, but heck, it's my blog, and I reserve the right to. lol.

Here it is…

Tell my 10 Things about My Mama
by Nicole Dean (2006)

Have you seen the movie or read the book, “Because of Winn-Dixie”?

The story is about a girl named Opal. Opal’s Mama left her and her Daddy when Opal was much younger and she doesn’t remember anything about her. Opal desperately wants to know more about her Mama, but her Daddy still hurts too much and misses his wife too much to talk about her.

So, on her 10th birthday, Opal asks her Daddy for 10 pieces of information about her Mama. She feels that’s a fair deal. One fact for each year of her life.

Her Daddy eventually gives her the 10 facts she requested and Little Opal holds them dear to her heart. She writes them down so she’ll never forget this simple list of “10 Things about her Mama.”

My 4 year old just loved this movie. She is also quite the intuitive child. She remembered that my Grandma died earlier this year, so, after this movie she asked me “Mommy, tell me 10 things about Gramma Jennie.” Of course, we sat down together, and I wrote the list in her diary and we talked about the wonderful woman my Grandma was.

This got me thinking about me, as a Mom. If, Heaven forbid, an accident or illness were to take me from my kids, what would my “10 Things” be?

I know what I’d like them to be. I’d like them to be that I was warm and loving and patient. That I gave lots of hugs and spent a lot of time with them. That I laughed and played and held them when they were sad.

I’m afraid that lately my list would not be so complimentary. The list of ten things about me would be that I worked too much, told them “Just a few more minutes” too often, and got irritable when I had a deadline.

Yesterday, I don’t know if God was yelling “LISTEN UP, DEAN! AND GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT” or if it was a complete coincidence, but I got a reminder to work on my “10 Things”.

I was driving down the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, hoping that wisdom would come from the waves crashing along the sand. While I was waiting for inspiration, I was station surfing on the radio.

I sang loud (and very off-tune) to some AC/DC. No inspiration yet.

Next, Boy George. No lessons to be learned from “Karma Chameleon”, I guess.

Then, I hit the country music station, where many of life’s truths are shared, and was introduced to a song called “The Dollar”.

As I listened to the song, I got the message I needed to hear.

Here’s an excerpt from that song, by Johnson Jamey, called “The Dollar”

Daddy hugs his little man
Says “Son I’ve got to go”
and he pulls out of the drive and disappears.
As they walk back in the house
the young boy asks his mama
”Where does daddy go when he leaves here?”

Mama tells her little man
”Your daddy’s got a job
and when he goes to work they pay him for his time”
Well the young boy gets to thinking,
and he heads up to his bedroom
and comes running back with a quarter and four dimes

(chorus:)
He says “Mama how much time will this buy me?
Is it enough to take me fishing or throw a football in the street?
If I’m a little short, then how much more does daddy need
to spend some time with me?”

The young boy tells his mama
”Now I know daddy’s busy
cause most times when he gets home it’s dark outside
but tell him I’ve got me some pennies
saved up from the tooth fairy
and I keep ‘em in my piggy bank and I believe there’s thirty-five”

(chorus:)
He says “Mama how much time will that buy me?
Is it enough to take me camping in a tent down by the creek?
If I’m a little short then how much more does daddy need
to spend some time with me?”

In the spirit of this song, I’ve decided to spend today with my daughter instead of writing my usual 1000 word article this month. I have a feeling, as Mothers, you’ll understand exactly why.

In the meantime, I’ll be working on making my “10 Things about My Mama” list reflect the Mom I want to be. I hope you will, too.

Yeah, making money is fun, but making memories is a whole lot better.

It’s Your Turn.

So, now, I’ll pose this question to you. Do you have any special tips for balancing work and family? I’d love to hear your comments!

Warmly,

Nicole Dean

PS. I have created brandable reports from several of the previous Expert Brief columns that you can use to earn money by giving them away.

She is a total firecracker! I just adore her for her energy, enthusiasm, and her smarts, too, of course. We definitely have a complementary skill set. Her strengths and my strengths are different, which means that, every time we sit down and talk, we each learn something new. (I love chatting with her for that reason and more.)

Felicia's bio – so you understand WHY I had her on the show other than because she's my friend:

Felicia Slattery is a communication consultant, speaker, and coach specializing in training busy professionals to succeed by communicating effectively with clients and prospects. She teaches teleseminars, leads workshops, and offers private coaching to individual clients on improving their communication skills in order to present their best image.

The audio recording of our interview is at the end of this blog post. Just look for the “play” button and listen. It’s free!

Learn More about Felicia here –> Communication Transformation

Paid “Must Have” Tools & Resources Mentioned in this Call:

• Autoresponder
• Live Events
• Mastermind Groups (Note from Nicole: Mom Masterminds was the first mastermind group that I Joined back in 2005 and I'm still a member.)

Free “Must Have” Tools & Resources Mentioned in this Call:

• Twitter: Felicia Slattery on Twitter | Nicole Dean on Twitter
• Free Conference Call for hosting teleseminars or recording calls.
• Free Forums and Networking Groups for meeting people.

People who have Influenced Felicia

• Jimmy D. Brown – I concur.
• Bob “the Teacher” Jenkins.
• Dave Lakhani
• Jeff Herring – article marketing guy.
• Alicia Forest

Takeaway Points from Felicia

• Focus on your strengths.
• Outsource your weaknesses.
• Build relationships.
• Write and submit articles.

Listen below and leave me a comment about your thoughts and/or who you’d like to hear as a guest in a future episode.

Comment and Win Felicia's Cash in on Speaking Course $47 Value!

Prize has been awarded.

After listening to the show, comment below and you'll be entered to win a prize from Felicia.

Here are some ideas.

– Tell us something you learned from the show.
– Tell us something you're changing after listening.
– Tell us about a time when you fell flat on your face and had to get back up.
– Tell us a time you took a risk and it paid off.
– Tell us what questions you have about public speaking in your business.

One winner will be chosen from all “non-spam” comments by using Random.org.

PS. Click to learn  How to Record Telephone Interviews like I do.