This week I asked our panel of experts…

“Embarrassing moment time. Fess up.

What's the most embarrassing thing that's happened to you when you were on stage, speaking?

(Not webinars, or teleseminars – but actually standing in front of live people.)”

I think you'll find the responses interesting.

Connie Ragen Green of Affiliate Marketing Case Studies says:

My most embarrassing moment came when I was speaking in front of almost a thousand people. To date, this was the largest audience I had ever been in front of, and I was so nervous about something going wrong. I had just arrived from the airport a few hours before I was to go on stage and quickly dressed and fixed my hair so I wouldn't be late.

After the first ten minutes or so my nerves calmed and I began to feel comfortable presenting my information to the group. I made eye contact with those in the first few rows, spoke slowly enough so they could take some notes, and even told a few jokes that went over well. I began to feel good about what I was talking about and enjoyed being in front of such an attentive audience.

As I was on my closing slide in this ninety minute presentation I dropped the projector ‘clicker' and reached down to pick it up. That's when I realized I had not changed shoes before coming on stage. There I was in my shiny new clothes and fancy hairdo, wearing the beat up old sneakers I wear when I travel!

David Perdew of NAMS says:

This wasn't from the stage but in a classroom.

When I got out of college, I bought the weekly newspaper in my hometown. So I was asked to come to my old high school to talk to one of the classes since I had become kind of a local celebrity overnight-or at least I thought so.

On my way to the classroom, I was walking down the hall, a very long hall, and a lot of the students were looking at me and kind of giggling.

I thought, “Oh, they recognize me.” So I threw my shoulders back a little bit picked up my pace and strutted the last few paces to the principal's office where my aunt was the principal's executive admin assistant.

I thought I go see her before I gave my brilliant talk to the class.

At the principal's office, I stood in the doorway and yelled across the room to my aunt, “Hey Phyllis, I'm here.”

She said, “Glad you're here, but don't come in until you zip up your pants.”

I looked down and immediately I felt so out of place in my high school again with my shirttail hanging through my barn door.

I have no memory of what I said to that class that day.

Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts Podcast says:

I've only spoken in front of live groups a few times now and thankfully I don't have any big faux pas stories to tell… yet.

Still, I have to share something.

From the very first time I was invited to speak, I admit I was nervous about it. I had some public speaking experience but was far more comfortable sharing knowledge from behind a microphone. Why? Well, because I'm overweight.

Standing up in front of a crowd is intensely uncomfortable for some people because of the crowd. Not so for me. For me, it's all about me.

Obviously, I don't let it stop me. I'm uncomfortable but I do it anyways.

Two years ago when I got to teach at NAMS, I was thrilled to discover that I'd be speaking in one of the amphitheater rooms because they have chunky wood podiums to stand behind. It felt like a nice big safety blanket.

I got myself all set up at the podium – only to discover at the last possible moment my ‘clicker' that controlled my presentation slides wasn't working. My wonderful AV aide scrambled to try to solve the issue to no avail… I ended up having to come out from behind that beloved podium to stand out in the open by the laptop to manually control my slides.

I had to laugh at my silly insecurities and simply get over myself. I did and enjoyed the heck out of that session.

Looking back and thinking about every opportunity to speak or appear on a panel since then, I'm glad that I haven't been able to hide. I've received many wonderful compliments and notes of thanks for other big women who tell me they feel encouraged when they see me speaking and teaching.

Muhammad Siddique of Muhammad Siddique says:

I was suppose to speak at JV alert for 15 minutes. I planned to use ‘presenter view' for my notes. For some reason ‘presenter view' on that setup did not work and I had no back up plan. I was sweating for first 5 minutes, then recovered and went well.

That was very embarrassing to me and lesson LEARNED to be ready for PLAN A…Z.

Paul Evans of Coach with Paul Evans says:

I was brought in to put the hammer down on a company. I mean level them. Then during the intro the guy said, “Paul Evans is one of the funniest speakers I've ever heard. You will love him!” I got up and said, “Guys, no funny stuff today. I'm here to rough you up a bit because you've… ” They erupted with laughter. It only got worse from there.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Well, I guess I've had more embarrassing moments than most since I had no problem in coming up with several.

Lost files?

There have been several times when I've been about to speak at NAMS and my presentation wasn't on the laptop in the room. It's all MY fault of course, since the organizers and aides are juggling 60 different presenters and I *may* have turned in my speech last minute (ie. the night before). But on two occasions, I have had to run to my hotel room to get my PowerPoint slides at 5 minutes before I was to start, mid panic, while everyone patiently waited for me to come flying back into the room, sweaty and out of breath, hair all askew, and kick off my shoes and begin. Lesson learned. I just bring my own laptop with me whenever I speak … just in case we need to move files over.

My favorite “most embarrassing moment” though, is an easy one. But…

Accidental Cussing?

It's not the time, I had word-soup and swore on accident just by mashing up the two words I was trying to say. (I tried to say “business” and “niche” and it glopped together.) And the worst part was that my son was also in the room as he was part of the event and he yelled “MOMMY!” oops!

Undies?

It wasn't the time I didn't realize we had started recording and I made a joke to the person I was talking to up front about something silly related to underpants. I can't even remember it now – and I'd asked David to have the aides edit that out – so hopefully there's no evidence. Poor David. I don't know why he has me back! (Oh yeah, because I'm AWESOME! lol)

Nostril Visitor?

And it wasn't the time I introduced myself and realized that I had a little “visitor” in my nose and it was going to probably fall out at some point during my talk – so I asked if anyone had a tissue. Four people came running down with tissues out. So sweet.

No, my most embarrassing moment on stage wasn't even my fault!

I was up front, rockin' it when this elderly gentleman popped out from behind my big screen. I didn't even know there was a door back there!

Seriously, he had to have been 102 years old and he was carrying BUG SPRAY. Yes, an industrial size container (strapped onto him) and he proceeded to start spraying around the edges of the room.

I wasn't really paying attention too closely because I was in the moment, and he was nearly done, when I saw people start to pull their shirts up over their faces and move to the center of the room. But, of course, the crowd was so awesome (and full of my friends – including the awesome Bob Jenkins) that they didn't run screaming.

The little old man disappeared back behind the screen at which point, I had to look to see if he was just hiding or if there was a door. (There was.)

All of this happened in seconds, but when I replay it in my mind, it seemed to go in slow motion.

Of course, I called a break and everyone ran out of the room.

We went back in after we aired out the room and I wrapped up my talk in record time.

And, that, my friends, is my most embarrassingly odd moment from stage.

You can't make this stuff up!

What about you?

I shared everything from wordsoup to nose crusties — what's your weirdest or most embarrassing moment from stage? Inquiring minds want to know.

Talk to me. Public speaking yay or nay?

Also, do you do public speaking?

As Jerry Seinfeld said: Research shows that approximately 40% of people are more scared of public speaking than they are of death. This means that at the average funeral 40% of those present would rather be in the coffin than give the eulogy.

If I can get up and talk in front of people as an extreme introvert while all this junk is going on around me… you can do it!

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. If you want to see what craziness happens next, be at the next NAMS. Sign up here: CometoNAMS.com

Plus, I got to meet several of my customers. (Waving to you!)

I even hung out at the hotel gym with a customer who had
my undivided attention for the entire hour we exercised.
There will be NO sweaty-looking pictures of that, though! eek!
How'd that happen? Simple. She came up to me, told me that
she was a customer, and asked if I would have any time to chat
during the weekend. I said “Well, I've already got lunch plans,
but I'm going to the hotel gym after lunch. Want to meet me there?”
And, she said “Sure.” (Wow. Networking is so hard, right?)

If you're not attending live events yet – you are sooooo
missing out on money (and fun!). I get to meet customers,
find new affiliates, make deals, and build lasting relationships
at every event I've been to — even the bad ones. (Don't ask. lol!)

I know that it can be scary. I know it can be an expense.

But it is CRITICAL to growing your business quickly.

Each event I've gone to has directly increased my income
in some way. Either through the presentations, being able to
ask questions about things I was struggling with, or in meeting
people who ended up being friends (and promoting me).

My absolute favorite event to go to is the NAMS conference in Atlanta.

I've been to three of them and it's something I look forward to every six months.

Yes, even if you're a TOTAL beginner – you need to be there.

The next NAMS is coming up soon in Atlanta – and yes, I'll be there.
How to join me: Click here for Details

If you're a beginner, you'll have the opportunity to ask questions
and connect with others who you'll stay in contact with for years.

If you're at the intermediate level or feeling like you've
reached a plateau, you'll learn how to move past it.

And, if you're at an advanced level, you'll have the opportunity
to connect with all 25 instructors – who are all potential
JV partners for you.

It's a win, no matter where you are in your business.

Please come and meet me, Willie Crawford, Connie Green,
Susanne Myers, Paul Evans, Bob Jenkins,
Lynn Terry, and a slew of my other amazing friends.

• Bring your spouse.
• Bring your parents.
• Bring your favorite sibling.
• Bring your kids.

It's fun and learning for the whole family! (And, unlike some
events – it's clean so you don't have to worry about young
ears hearing things they shouldn't.)

Many people bring the people they love to NAMS. Not just once,
but every single time they go. I've brought my mom and my son. Bob Jenkins
brought his brother. Lynn Terry brought her daughter.

No excuses. Go to this page now – and make plans to attend. It can be a total game-changer for you.

Here's where you can learn more: Click here for Details

If you're coming to the NAMS conference, please let me know by commenting below so I can watch for you.

Have a fantastic day! You deserve it.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

Well, I realized that I've interviewed several of the instructors that will be teaching at NAMS, so this is a great opportunity for you to get to know the quality, warmth, and integrity of the people who teach there.

Now, I'm not sure if there have been any last minute cancellations, but I believe all of the following will be at NAMS this time (or have been or will be if they're missing this one for some reason).

Teaching will Be…

The Amazing Lynn Terry:

Learn more about Lynn Terry in this Interview

The Cool and Confident Connie Green:

Learn more about Connie Green in this Interview

Click here to learn more about NAMS.

The Awesome Jeff Herring:

Learn more about Jeff Herring in this Interview

The Super Duper Bob “the Teacher” Jenkins:

Learn more about Bob Jenkins in this Interview

The Guru to the Gurus Willie Crawford:

Learn more about Willie Crawford in this Interview

Click here to learn more about NAMS.

The Outstanding Paul Evans:

Learn more about Paul Evans in this Interview

My Dear Dear Friend & Brilliant Marketer Susanne Myers.
Learn more about Susanne Myers in this Interview

So, load up your iPod and get to know these amazing people before you show up at NAMS.

If you haven't checked out NAMS yet – do so soon. You're missing out.

Click here to learn more about NAMS.

I'm working on getting more of the amazing folks at NAMS interviewed so you'll get to know even more wonderful successful marketers soon.

Have a wonderful day!
Nicole

PS. You may also like these related blog posts:

• What to Wear at NAMS Conference
• What to Pack for the NAMS Conference

Don't miss the fun! Be sure to join us at the next NAMS Conference

That quote was in my issue of Success Magazine this month. Little did Marian Wright Edelman know but her small difference initiated a difference in me.

Here's the email that I am sending to EasyPLR.com affiliates. I'd like to invite you to participate if you'd like. Or to make a small difference today in some other way that you choose.

Make Money & Make a HUGE Difference in the lives of Kids.

Hi. It's Nicole Dean of EasyPLR.com

I'd like to invite you to save children's lives with me –
and I'll even pay you to do it.

All you have to do is promote EasyPLR.com like crazy between now and the 18th of the month and I'm going to MATCH all affiliate commissions with donations to organizations which are working to save children's lives.

You will STILL get your affiliate commission – 50%.

BUT, MY 50% will go to charity.

And, not only that, but I'm going to backtrack to the 1st of the month – just because I can – and to show you that I'm serious about this.

You in?

Please say “yes”!

If you'd like to make money while making a difference, grab your affiliate link and start promoting.

Click here -> EasyPLR Affiliate Info

If you've got some time and would like to know the story behind how all this came to be, and learn more about each of the organizations, keep reading.

There's been an odd series of happenings in my life that has led me to this email. It's an interesting story, in my opinion, and I hope you'll agree.

First of all, my motto in my business is and has been “To Make the Web and the World a Better Place”. Before I take any action in my business, it has to pass both of those tests.

That motto guides me in my business every day.

But, at some point I got busy. I was doing a lot to make the web a better place, and I've made some nice donations along the way to good organizations, but it wasn't enough.

Is it ever *really* enough?

Then, this month's issue of Success Magazine showed up – including a whole section on how “ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE”.

Some of the quotes in that section felt like a kick in the gut –

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before beginning to improve the world.” – Anne Frank (Holocaust Victim)

“It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.” – Tom Brokaw

“We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.” — Marian Wright Edelman

So, I started to think about some of the marketers who I admire and how they are giving back – a lot. (You'll see how two of them are below.)

Then, I started to think about a friend who lost her baby in June, and I didn't do *enough* then either.

While I was pondering this, and tears were running down my face, it hit me! KABLOOEY!

At NAMS4 on the 20th-22nd this month, as part of the event David Perdew encourages all attendees to help Dr. Mani to save children's lives. If you've never heard of Dr. Mani, he's a heart surgeon who is also an internet marketer. He donates his time to saving the lives of children who need heart surgery and can't afford it.

The idea started to come together.

But, then I started to think about Paul Evans – another marketer who will be at NAMS. He builds orphanages around the world to allow those children to have a childhood free of the unimaginable horrors they would otherwise experience.

And, then, my heart welled up, thinking about Melissa Ingold, whose son Kyle, passed away in June, 8 days before his second birthday. He had a genetic disorder, Gaucher's Disease, for which, there is currently no cure.

And, the idea solidified in my mind.

Here are the three organizations.

http://www.chdinfo.com – Dr. Mani Saves Lives

http://100xmissions.org – Paul Evans Saves Lives

http://www.childrensgaucher.org – Type 2 & 3 Gaucher's Research

All monies will be split between the three organizations, evenly.

Why the 18th? Because that's the day that I leave to go to NAMS and I'd like to make a donation on behalf of EasyPLR.com Affiliates, in addition to my own.

If this idea goes well, I'd like to repeat this promotion again, so feel free to share your favorite organizations at my blog post on this topic here:
http://www.NicoleontheNet.com

Have a wonderful day. And, thank you.

Warmly,
Nicole

PS. I was chatting with Melissa about this idea and she said “Can I donate my commissions?” If you'd like to do that, please let me know by clicking “reply”. It will be your commissions from Aug 1-18th.

PS again. Of course, even if you don't wish to promote EasyPLR.com – each of the websites has a link to donate directly.

So, that's the scoop. Please let me know your thoughts on how I can improve this the next time I run it.

Warmly,
Nicole

This week, I have Paul Evans with me. I met Paul in August of this year in Atlanta. He is a dynamic and motivating person and is making a big difference in the lives of people worldwide.

This interview was one of my favorites. Paul got into a lot of personal info, including how he handled becoming a single father with a new baby when his wife passed away unexpectedly. And, how he's built multiple successful online and offline businesses.

Paul's zest for life and his absolute fearless attitude when it comes to going out and getting what he wants was incredibly inspiring to me. I hope it touches you, as well.

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!

Here's more about Paul so you can see why I invited him onto the show:

Paul Evans is the president of Info Market Results, LLC – parent company of Nicheology.com.

He is a partner in four offline businesses and operates four online businesses.

Paul registered his first website back in 1998 and the site is still making money today!

Paul's expertise is teaching and training. His first presentation was given in 6th grade and he was being paid to speak by age 16. From there he went on build a successful professional speaking business as well as other businesses.

Online he focuses on a variety of niches. While there are plenty of “peddlers” in the Internet marketing space, Paul's authenticity and integrity separate Nicheology.com from the clones.

Paul serves as the executive director of www.100xMissions.org. A faith based non-profit organization that assists in the building and support of orphanages around the world.

“Must Have” Tools Recommended by Paul:

• Aweber – Autoresponder & List-Manager. I use this, too.
• GotoWebinar – Hosting live events online.
• Instant Teleseminar – Makes hosting teleseminars easy.
• Camtasia – Recording & editing videos of your screen.
• WordPress – Blogging Platform.

Takeaway Points

• Oftentimes it's not the boulders that trip you up, it's the pebbles.
• Switch off the employee mindset. Switch on the entrepreneur mindset.
• “It wasn’t ever the one workout that changed my physique, it was the 100^th workout.”
• Celebrate what you're doing right!

Learn More from Paul here:

Nicheology Club Level (I'm in this)
OR
His Private Coaching (I'm also in this.)  

Please post your comments below. I want to know what Paul said that really resonated with you.

Warmly,
Nicole

PS. If you can make a phone call, you can have a podcast like mine: Click to learn  How to Record a Podcast like I do.

I debated and debated about whether or not to post this because it could easily be taken the wrong way. But, I'm hoping that it will be read in the manner that it is being written. And, it's been a revelation for me, so it may give one of you the “ah-ha” moment that you need.

One thing that a lot of us in our online business do is put off projects that are close to making money in lieu of doing other “more fun” things that grab our attention.

• How many unfinished projects do you have on your hard-drive?
• How many unfinished blog posts?
• How many unfinished ebooks?

One of the things that I've said over and over to my coaching clients is that “UNfinished projects do not make money. You're guaranteed to make nothing until it's out there, live!”

So, one thing that I've done recently, at the inspiration of my friends Scott Tousignant & Bob “the Teacher” Jenkins is to form a small Accountability Group.

I just set it up in my Basecamp account since I'm in there all day anyway.

There are only a handful of us in there, including my mom. Just five of us at the moment. And, we have to post our daily and weekly “Health and Wealth” goals, and we challenge each other to accomplish them.

Well, last week, I posted that I would have a certain project done by 9/22 (Tuesday) and if I didn't, that I'd donate $100 to the charity of their choice. I know, $100 isn't a lot, but I'm new to this accountability thing, so I thought I'd see what happened.

Well, I didn't get it done. And, a few of the ladies were going to let me off the hook, because of … well, I had a headache and things weren't going right, and etc etc. – Yeah, life happened.

So, on Tuesday, when I didn't meet my goal, I was thinking “Well, I almost made it. I'll just be a few days late. That's close enough.” But, that didn't sit well with me, since I SAID that I'd donate the money.

That same day, I interviewed Paul Evans from Nicheology (the interview will be posted in about 10 days) and he was telling me about his organization that helps orphans around the world. And, 100% of each donation goes to the organization. Obviously I found it odd that he spoke to me about this on the same date that I was supposed to donate money to charity. Hmm… a sign perhaps?

As you can guess, I went to the ladies and said “Is this organization ok for me to choose?” They agreed that it was a great mission and that I could, in fact, give my “penalty money” to them.

Before you think that I have to have my arm twisted to give to charities, that's not at all the case. I'm happy to give of myself willingly – my time, my money, my energy, my prayers.

However, I thought it would be kind of pointless to say that if I didn't get the project done that I'd have to shave my head or run naked down the street or eat a bowl of bugs or something. I'd rather give to orphans. (And, not traumatize the neighbors by seeing me streaking down the road!)

However, I did find it motivating to have the goal in front of the ladies and to have to pay up.

So, what are the lessons here?

If you're having trouble getting a project done for your business that'll feed your family – get someone to hold you accountable. It can be a coach or a mastermind group or an accountability group. Heck, just post it on your blog.

If you don't reach your goal, pay up! Otherwise, the next time it'll be totally pointless and you'll let yourself off the hook.

Support is everything in online business. It truly is. Your network is your lifeline.

So, anyway, I just sent the money and wanted to come over here to hear your thoughts. Is there a project that's on your hard-drive that could make you money but you're too chicken (like I was) or distracted (like I was, too) to get it out there? Feel free to publicly post your goal and the penalty for not meeting it by a certain date.

Or recommend a charity for the next goal that one of us doesn't meet.

My goal each year has been to double my income, but I can't do it if I'm playing scared and small. So, this method worked for me. Also, please share some of your ideas for how else my readers (and me) might be able to get over the roadblocks that are keeping them from getting stuff done. I'd love to hear them! I'm always on the look out for better ways to tackle things. Always. I never want to stop learning, and, thankfully we have each other to learn from.

As for the project? You'll be hearing about it next week. And, if you're someone who sells ebooks or has a membership site – you'll definitely want to get on my notification list (to the right) so you don't miss it.

Thank you, again, for putting your trust in me.

Warmly,
Nicole

Recommendations for Finding People to Hold you Accountable:

One of the places that I recommend as far as a great community that will help you to achieve your goals is Lynn Terry's Elite Club.

I also highly recommend going to live events like NAMS where you can meet people in person. In fact, every person but one of the five that are in my accountability group are people that I've met. And, the one that I haven't? I'll be meeting at NAMS in January! Join us there! Come to NAMS 3!