I know you'll enjoy her post — and I know you'll LOVE the offer she has at the end of this post! Read on for more!

Learning about Blogging from the Olympics

by Lain Ehmann

Seeing the recent Olympic acts of derring-do brings to mind tales of athletic accomplishments of days past. And for me, I can't think about the Olympic Games without thinking of the most incredible Olympic victory of all time.

Yes, that's right – I'm talking about the incomparable (and fictional) male-male pairs figure skating team of Michaels and McElroy memorialized in Blades of Glory, starring Jon Heder and Will Ferrell in Paramount's 2002 comedy. Next to them, Comaneci, Torres, and Phelps are mere footnotes in Olympic history.

If you're not familiar with the story, the two are originally individual male figure skaters, but due to an unbridled rivalry, they get barred from the sport. Both hit rock bottom, but after a visionary coach sees their potential, they join forces for the first-ever male-male figure team. I won't ruin the tale for you, but suffice it to say that after hills and valleys, and challenges both internal and external, Michaels and McElroy emerge triumphant, with gold medals in hand.

Of course, being an internet marketer, I've got to find a way to relate this story to online business. Never fear! I've got you covered. In particular, the Dynamic Duo can attribute their success to three principles that online business owners and bloggers can learn from:

1. Get a coach. If it weren't for the foresight, dedication, and experience of their coach (played by “Coach” himself, Craig T. Nelson), Michaels and McElroy would never have made it out of the practice rink. Their coach led the way to success, helping the two sidestep possible problems, overcome challenges, and shortcut the learning process. The same is true for online entrepreneurs! I personally can attest that my online business coaches (of whom Nicole is one!) have cut YEARS off my learning process. I would never have made it to six-figure status in 18 months without their assistance. I counsel my readers to get a coach, or flail. It's that simple.

2. Make it about the audience. Not until Michaels and McElroy give up their selfishness and focus on wowing their audience do they truly become gold-caliber competitors. Too often, I see bloggers and website owners refuse to make changes to their business — or their blog — because they're focused on themselves rather than on their audience's experience. From hard-to-read fonts, to an unfocused blog post, to tweeting about their cat's breakfast… the focus needs to be on your audience, not on you and your personal preferences. Sure, you can run your business according to your choices, but don't be surprised if your readers and customers give their business to someone a little more concerned about them.

3. Maximize your “secret sauce.” The most remarkable this male-male duo had going for them was their physical strength, so they designed a routine that made the most of this element. They performed feats that male-female teams couldn't begin to dream about, and it made them stand out against their competitors. I encourage my clients to identify their “love potion,” the thing that will distinguish them from the rest of their market make their target audience fall in love with them. Without a distinguishing characteristic, you become a commodity, interchangeable with your competition. From mad technical skillz, to charisma on-camera, to an off-kilter sense of humor, what's YOUR secret sauce?

Finally, a parting note… After they performed, Michaels and McElroy left their audience and the judges with a clear sense of what's next — to give them the gold medal. There was no question about “where to click,” “what to do,” or “where to go now.” Are you leaving your blog readers with the same sense of direction? Let them know what to do and how to do it, and then be prepared to take your spot on the winner's podium.

About Lain: Lain Ehmann created a six-figure online business in the scrapbooking industry in just over 18 months. She shares her secrets as well as interviews with other successful online business owners at http://www.businesslovepotion.com.

P.S. From Nik: Lain specializes in helping online business owners identify how to make their blogs more effective and appealing to their readers through her “9-1-1 Blog Diagnosis.” She's already helped dozens of online business owners pinpoint what elements are keeping them from online success — and she can help you, too!

Lain has an exclusive offer for NicoleOntheNet.com blog readers. You can get a personal video blog critique, plus over $50 worth of bonuses, for a special rate. Save $30 with coupon code “Nicole” through Saturday, August 4. Claim your 9-1-1 Blog Diagnosis NOW!

If you'd like to give me your feedback, you can here: Please Help Me to Best Serve You!

I've gotten over 70 responses so far and one of the common trends I'm seeing is a level of frustration. Basically “Stop telling me what to do and tell me what YOU do.”

I understand. It has to do with both Credibility and Trust.

I also got questions about “Do you REALLY make a sustainable income online?” I don' t know if you're asking about me, specifically or if it's possible.  I don't normally share numbers, simply because I was raised to be private about money, I don't really want to tick off the FTC, and because I figure I'll be real and you'll see the truth, as opposed to those who are talking out of their ears.

However, I also realize that's a leap of faith that I'm asking for.

Here's the scoop.

• Yes, I make over six figures online.
• Yes, I can send an email and make several thousand dollars if it's the right offer. (And, sometimes they just bomb. lol!)
• Yes, I consistently make money in niches OTHER than Internet Marketing. I don't just sell “how to  make money online” stuff. I started in other niches and still “play” there to make sure anything I teach works across the board for all niches.
• Yes, my ONLY source of income for my family is my business.
• Yes, both my husband and my mother work for/with me.
• Yes, I can have the heat pump break, have a new one installed and pay cash.
• Yes, I'm debt free.

My life is pretty wonderful.

• No, I don't own a Ferrari.
• No, I don't have a million dollars in cash laying around.
• No, I don't have a vacation home in Hawaii.
• No, I don't own a private jet.

I hope that helps clear that up.

So, back on that note — here's  exactly what I've done today. This is not an “average” day as there is no such thing in my life. I have  kids, dogs, a marriage, and a business. There is no “normal”. And, my to do list may not match yours.

However, in all transparency, here's my day as of 12:45 as I'm about to have lunch…

1. Got up, felt stuffy from allergies. Took two Benadryls.

2. Realized I probably shouldn't have taken 2 Benadryls when my fingers started to feel fuzzy.

3. Sat at my desk with coffee and decided to work anyway and hope for the best.

4. Checked on an issue for an affiliate promo that I wanted to send today to see if I had the all clear. Got the all clear. Things are apparently working now.

5. Checked on the mailing that I'd written yesterday (for today) to see if it was helpful, useful, and valuable to still send to my readers. Sent email to my EasyPLR.com leads list and then to my customer list. (30 minutes)

6. Dealt with puppies, kids, etc. Made sure everyone was fed and dogs had been let out, kids were doing chores, etc. (an hour)

7. Checked Twitter to see if all was well there. Retweeted a few people. Responded to a few people. (10 minutes.)

8. Purchased 6 solo ads for next year. (5 minutes).

9. Tweaked & wrote copy for 6 solo ads and sent it to list owner. (30 minutes)

10. Updated my bio for the new NAMS sales page to explain who I am and what I'll be talking about for my presentation. (15 minutes)

11. Checked on Emails and dealt with a few issues. Set some emails aside to think on them, and ignored some figuring they'll either work themselves out or go away on their own.

12. Pondered the answers I got from the questionnaire and decided to think on them for a bit.

13. Got email from my VA that I only had one response for Expert Briefs this week, so I resent the email to my group there to see if anyone else wanted to contribute.

14. Loaded up some audios on my mp3 player so I can listen if I do housework later.

15. Wrote this blog post.

On a usual day, I'll do a variety of things, but across a week's time things average out more. I normally make progress on the following things –

• Do something for my lists.
• Write something on my blog.
• Fit in some form of marketing (interviews, videos, article marketing, etc.)
• Tackle something for product creation.

Well, time for me to have lunch, go to a movie and do some housework – and hopefully kick these allergies.

Let me know how your day went. I'd love to hear from you.

Warmly,

Nicole Dean

Recommended: If you'd like to peek inside the activities of other successful online business owners, you're in luck.

Two of my friends have private newsletters where they show you *exactly* what is working in their businesses every month.  And, you can get either of them – cheap.

But, they aren't for  absolute beginners – so only look if you consider yourself beyond the “newbie” stage.

Here they are – and I recommend them BOTH highly. Choose the one that connects more with you.

• Melissa Ingold's Private Newsletter. – Includes planning sheets, audios, and all kinds of cool stuff. Melissa really focuses on infoproducts.
• Tony Shepherd's Private Newsletter. – Includes a monthly report. Tony is no-nonsense and a little on the guerrilla marketing side of things. I pay for his newsletter and it's pretty cool, advanced stuff.

Thanks for reading!

If you liked that then you’ll love what I’ve got for you today. The Internet marketing sweetie herself Alice Seba, has opened up the first lesson of her Internet Marketing Spring Cleaning Course for you to have a look see!

Whether you are a visual learner or prefer to listen to your work, you can benefit from this free lesson because she’s offering it in both versions. It’s the actual first lesson in her coaching program and even if you don’t sign on for her Spring Cleaning course you can learn a lot about your business and how to keep your focus.

In this first lesson you’ll learn how to begin clearing the clutter (oh the clutter an online business owner can end up with before we even know it), getting rid of non-profitable parts of your business and more.

Check it out by clicking the link below.

Lesson 1: Taking Your Business Inventory

If you download the lesson do come back and let me know what you think. I think it’s a great place to start when you’re ready to get serious about your business and start focusing on the profitable things and ditching the ones that cost you time and give you little in return.

We are in this to make money right?

Yes, I’m guilty of falling into this trap too. You are not alone I promise.

Wishing you a focused and clutter free business,

Nicole