There are a number of ways to become wealthy.

You can inherit it.

You can win it, as in the lottery or gambling.

You can preserve and grow it, such as in investments.

Or, you can build it through a business venture.

Regardless of how you do it, having prosperity consciousness is paramount. Why? Because our results in life will eventually align with our mindset…there is no way to avoid it.

This is why 33% of lottery winners are broke after 5 years, regardless of the amount.

This is also why short-term business successes don’t last for many people.

Most people’s prosperity consciousness is NOT supportive of the life they say they want.

They say they want wealth, but their predominant thoughts say otherwise.

Having a prosperity mindset is far more than just wanting nice things. It’s really much more about perceiving the world as inherently abundant.

When you come from a place of abundance…you ALWAYS see possibility. You become very proactive and creative as opposed to reactive.

We all know people who seem to live with their glass half empty. Actually, many people live thinking they don’t even have a glass.

This is not about what is happening in the person’s life. This is about their view of what is happening and their desire, commitment and belief in shifting it.

Unfortunately, much of the world tends to program people for lack and limitation.

Look around you at the media. Look at how you were raised. Look at your friends and family. There is no judgment here, however most of us were not given the tools to see the world abundantly and to believe that we truly deserve to live out our greatness.

Instead, we are constantly surrounded by messages that tell us we aren’t enough, that we don’t have this or that, that we can’t do this or that and that success is a matter of fate, luck or some other force outside of ourselves.

I’ve done seminars for years with young people and have talked about prosperity consciousness. In rooms of hundreds I ask them to finish the statement…

Rich people are _____________ .

What do you think the answers are?

Stingy, stuck up, lucky, arrogant, mean, jerks…

Occasionally, we get some supportive ones like generous, friendly and happy. But almost without exception, 75-80% of the responses are negative descriptions.

Ironically, 95% of the room say that they want to be wealthy.

If you understand this very basic idea, you are more than halfway home to understanding how to create wealth.

If you believe that rich people are…say…jerks, then subconsciously you will continue to sabotage your success because you don’t actually want to be a jerk. As long as you continue to relate being rich with negative attributes, you will undermine your own efforts to create success.

The reality is…

Rich people aren’t anything…other than rich. Everything else is subjective and based on the individual person.

I know plenty of broke people who are stingy, stuck up, lucky, arrogant, mean, jerks…

Money has nothing to do with it.

To begin creating wealth, you must rewire yourself for abundance.

Take inventory of how you view wealth, money and success.

Take inventory of how you hold your self-worth.

Begin seeing possibility in everything…even if you go with your first choice. Look for options. Prosperous people always see choice, rather than limitations.

When faced with seemingly either/or situations, stop and try and figure out how to have both.

This is a great practice in prosperity.

Know that you were born into this world whole and complete. You are still that way regardless of how many messages you hear to the contrary.

Choose now to take on one area of your life. How can you shift your mindset to be more abundant? How can you create greater choice?

Pick an area – business, relationship, self, spirituality, health – and design exactly what you want from a place of total abundance.

Squash any thought of lack or limitation as you do this.

Decide your course of action and just go for it.

Take action now. Your dreams are closer than you think.

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy WHY you do what you do,” Simon Sinek.

Anyone who leads people in any capacity or markets to them in any way can benefit from this powerful talk by Simon Sinek at a TED Conference.

This is why in every great network marketing training…we begin with defining your “why.”  This is also why we tell stories, share testimonials, partner with great causes and work to really connect with people…regardless of our product, pay plan, features or benefits.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What’s YOUR why?  Please share.

Facebook should be a part of any social media marketing campaign.  It’s a marketer’s wet dream.  Seriously.  It’s a rapidly growing, globally accepted, highly targetable, infinitely searchable, ridiculously viral, widely customizable platform that just keeps getting better and better (okay, this last part is debatable, but it still rocks).

Do I sound like I am a Facebook fan?

Here are the quick facts (as of June 2010)…

• Over 400 million users (massive reach)
• Half of all users log in every day (consistent exposure)
• Average user has 130 friends (word of mouth, viral)
• Over 500 billion minutes a month logged (loyalty to platform)

As with every great invention, some people choose to use it properly and professionally while others misuse it entirely.  But you know what they say about money…it just makes you more of what you already are.  This is true about Facebook marketing as well.

If you were a spamming, inauthentic, disgusting marketing jackass before…well, Facebook can help you propel yourself to become a intergalactic marketing jackass.   Everyone learns essential ingredients for authentic living like integrity, character and value in their own time.

When a platform like Facebook is developed…both leaders and scavengers will emerge.  Fortunately, if you know what to look for, scavengers are easy to find.  Our new world of social media is wonderfully transparent and all you have to do is sniff around for value first marketing.  You’ll rarely find scavengers lurking in those circles.

Okay, let’s get onto the list of ways to leverage the power of Facebook.

1. Be Real – I know this sounds simple, but if everyone was authentic 100% of the time, the world would be a very difference place.   Most people, whether they know it or not, long for substance – in people, businesses and experiences.  Don’t ever try to be something you are not. This doesn’t fool anyone and will weaken your brand over time rather than strengthen it.

If you are brand new to online marketing, don’t say you are an internet marketing coach or expert.  It would be better to say that you are an Expert Resource…because you will simply be providing people with other people’s knowledge.  Always put your best foot forward, but just make sure it’s your own foot.

2. Lead With Value – I am putting this one here up front because this strategy, along with #1, is the basis to everything you will ever do in social media.  Over-deliver value…this should be your mantra.  My core intent with this article is to provide you with real value.  If providing you will value ever turns into business for me, then that’s great…but my goal is to provide pure value for you.   I believe strongly in Universal Laws like the Law of Reciprocity…so I will consistently provide free content to add value to people’s lives.

Think about what you can give that other people want.  Think about how you can make other people’s lives better.  Think how you can help solve their challenges.  If you become THAT person for people…you’ll have more business than you can imagine.

3. Pimp Your Profile – If you are going to use Facebook for marketing…then think like a marketer.  Develop a message for your profile that is interesting, relevant and powerful.  If you are in a business like network marketing, then YOU are your brand.  Think about the talent and skills you bring to the world, think about your experience and results, think about the resources you provide and craft a compelling message that pulls all of that together.  Keep it simple, but make it powerful.

Facebook gives people a 360 glance into your world.  They can learn about you, your interests, your business, your family and your social circle.  For me, this is an important part of who I am…therefore I showcase it all.

#1 and #2 here in this list should be your guiding force behind developing #3 on this list.  Yes, stories sell…just make sure the stories you are telling are true.

4. Network – Think of Facebook as a massive global networking event.  There are people everywhere, hanging out in groups, discussing various topics and going to different events.  If you were at a live event like that and wanted to network, what would you do?

You would get off your butt and go meet people.  Well, it’s no different on Facebook.

Use the Facebook search feature to find things you are interested in.  Search for groups related to your niche and join them.  Make friends with people in those groups.  Get out there and mingle, connect and start building relationships.

5. Build Key Relationships – If Facebook is a massive global networking event then it makes sense that there are likely people in the room that you’d want to make sure you meet.  In Facebook’s case, there are thousands of those people throughout various niches.

Invest a little time doing some research and find out who some of the movers and shakers are in your niche or niches.  This may be a little tricky at first, but you’ll get the hang of it.  Don’t be fooled simply by large friends lists.

Social networking is all about creating dialogue.  Someone may have 3,000 friends, but check out their posts.  If their posts are landing on deaf ears (meaning no one is “liking” them and no one is commenting on them)…this person isn’t influential.  Essentially…they are on stage talking to a room of 3,000 people who are all sleeping in the audience.

Additionally, many savvy marketers focus far more on their groups and pages than their personal profile.  With a little effort, you can find some key people in your niche.  Invest your time to build relationships with these people first. (Hint: #1 and #2 are the keys to these people friend’ing you.)

6. Start Groups – Facebook has millions of groups covering millions of topics and areas of interest.  From a marketing perspective, why would you want to start a group?

The obvious reason is that you are targeting people with specific areas of interest to talk with on a consistent basis.  But the not so obvious reason is to preserve your social currency with your contacts and friends.  Just because someone becomes your Facebook friend doesn’t mean they want to hear all about your business all the time.  Inviting people to opt-in to a group will solve that issue.

• Group Rules: See tips 1-5.  Use each of these strategies when crafting your group.  Be real, provide tons of value before asking people to buy anything, craft your group page, photo and name to be enticing and relevant, try and partner with key influencers and communicate frequently.
• Most importantly though…make your group interesting to be a part of.  Share some real value.  Again…if you become THAT person…new business won’t be an issue.

7. Slow Down To Go Fast – In our world that is changing so rapidly, everyone wants things instantly.  I want it all and I want it now…this is true for so many people.  I can relate.   In my opinion, you would be best served to switch that philosophy to “I want it all and I want it to last forever.”

Thinking about your long-term strategy, brand and goals will greatly influence how you choose to participate in the world.  This is true in life as well as social media.

If you wanted to create a long-term relationship with a significant other, you likely wouldn’t be trying to meet people with the goal to see how fast you could get them to sleep with you.  You would take time to genuinely get to know them, find out what they are all about and look for ways you can support them.

How does this relate to growing your Facebook presence?

Simple.

When you request someone’s friendship, take a minute to go on their profile and learn something about them.  Do the same thing when someone requests your friendship.

Write EVERYONE a short, interesting note.  Remember, social networking is about creating dialogue.  Get the dialogue started right away.

Trust me, if you do this, you are differentiating yourself from 99% of the people on Facebook.  You are standing out from the crowd.

Build relationships and add value and the money will follow.

Other Advanced Strategies

8. Integrate With Other Platforms – If you have a website, a blog, a Twitter account, a YouTube account and/or any other social networking or web platform…make sure all of your accounts are talking to each other.  You want to make sure if someone finds your blog, they can easily link to your Facebook profile.

Put your social networking links everywhere you can and if you have a blog, put your blog url everywhere you can.  There are hundreds of social bookmarking sites and although you don’t need to focus on all of them, every time you create a profile on one and list your website, you are creating a backlink to your site.  The search engines love this.

Create some consistency within your brand.  If at all possible, make sure your make social media platforms all have the same account information.  Try to avoid being MaryJo on Facebook, SocialDiva on Twitter and PowerMarketing on YouTube.  Be you everywhere.  (Remember tip #1)

9. Add An Opt-In Box – You can do this to your profile and to a fan page (see #10).  This provides yet another opportunity for your Facebook friends to join your main mailing list.  If you aren’t building a list yet, you may think this doesn’t apply to you.  But honestly, if you aren’t building a list yet…what the heck are you wait for?  Get over to Aweber right now and get an account.

Moving social media connections to your main list should be one of your primary goals.  Once on your list, you can provide massive value in a very targeted way which will allow you the opportunity to really grow and anchor your relationships with the people who are attracted to you and your brand.

Just do a quick search on FB for Profile FBML on how to add an opt-in box to your profile page if you want me to walk you through the basics.  It’s really very easy and I have virtually zero web development experience and am not technical at all.

10. Start A Fan Page – As you get closer and closer to the 5,000 friend limit Facebook has, you will need another place to put people.  Honestly, if you know you are in this for the long haul, you should consider starting your fan page much, much sooner.

A fan page provides significantly more flexibility and essentially allows you to create your own website inside of Facebook.

If found this article online or on my blog, head over to my Fan Page to check it out.   If you haven’t yet, click “like” on my page (that’s Facebook’s new term for being a fan).

If you want a groovy custom design like mine, check out Brian Hanson at http://customtwit.com.  He absolutely rocks.

These are 10 really core principles and tips for enhancing your online brand and starting to do business through Facebook.  There really isn’t anything on this list that you shouldn’t be doing.  These are all fundamental…they aren’t options, they are necessities.

Let’s get working.  Game on!

For more strategies like these, join my mailing list.  Take action now.

Video marketing is one of the most powerful marketing strategies in internet marketing and if you aren’t capitalizing on it in some way, you are leaving money on the table…period.

Why has video marketing become so popular over the last few years?   You can chalk it up to a couple of main reasons.

Reason #1 – It’s simple to do & can be really effective (especially when done right).

Anyone can shoot and edit a basic video.  High quality cameras are really inexpensive these days and incredibly easy to operate.  Not everyone makes a great video…but everyone can at least bang out something they can put online.

YouTube is the 3^rd (some say 2^nd) largest search engine on the planet.  If you think about that for a second, that means more people go on YouTube to find something than on Yahoo.

Google (who owns YouTube) loves videos when it comes to search engine ranking.  A video ranks quickly and can hold a top position for a long time.  This means a video don’t right can yield you traffic month after month after month with only minimal work.  It’s a great example of pull marketing.

I have some videos that took me literally 15 minutes to shoot and edit that have had thousands of views and produced a ton of leads and sales.   This is why video marketing can be so powerful.

Think about that for a minute.  Let’s say you have a video that gets 400 views a month and it produces 10-15 leads from those views.  That may not seem significant but what if you put out ten videos like that or 20 or 30 videos like that?  It’s unlimited.

You can see that over a short amount of time, your little video soldiers will be out there all over the internet consistently creating opt-in leads for your business.

Reason #2 – It’s personal and people would much rather watch a video than read.

Think about it.  We are the TV and Internet generation.  We want our information fast and without having to work to get it.  Video provides all of this for people.

Video let’s people see the real person and their personality…or lack thereof.  It’s real.  It’s immediate.  It’s drive-thru information.

Additionally, videos add a level of entertainment value that is not found in print.  Whether it’s music, lighting, special effects or just the person in the video being creative…it’s easy to add attention-grabbing content to videos.

Here are a couple core fundamental principles for video marketing that you really must follow to create solid results.

1. Create a clear, simple and powerful message – think out what you will say and how you want to say it.  If it’s a live video, it shouldn’t be scripted, but it should be planned.  If someone can’t follow your message, you’ll lose them in 60 seconds.

If you are camera shy, pick up a program called Camtasia or Screenflow (for Mac) and create a screenshot video that you can simply narrate.  These videos can be incredibly powerful and are really simple to do.  This way, you can really just read a script if you choose.

2. Be attractive – no, I am not saying you have to be physically good looking…attraction is far deeper than that.  Attraction is about energy, confidence, poise, posture and clarity.  Be YOU all the time…be authentic and real.

And for the love of God…please smile.  Seriously, you are asking people to listen to you and follow you.  People want to make more money for the lifestyle it provides.  You should at least look like you are enjoying yours.

3. Just Get It Done & Get It Out – People who are new to video marketing often sit and agonize over what to say, how to say it, what shirt they should wear and where they should shoot the video.  They get stuck in all of the little details and never get the actual product out.

Plan it well, but then just get after it and crank the video out.  A decent video is better than no video.  Some of the videos I have done that I didn’t think were very good at all have produced great results.  Here is one of them.  I mean, it’s not bad, but it’s no Avatar!

4. Research Your Keywords – if your video isn’t seen by anyone, it doesn’t matter how great it was or how clever your message is.  You have to get it in front of people.  Since videos rank so well in organic search results, you want to specifically target the keyword phrases you want to compete for.

There are a ton of different keyword search tools available online.  Google offers a free a Free Keyword Tool as does NicheBot Classic.

If you want to take things up a notch, Market Samurai is an amazing tool for a really nominal one-time cost.  You can hone in on some golden nugget keywords and dominate search results.

When you are just starting out, here is a really, really basic way to look at what keywords you might be able to rank for on the first page.  Do a search.  If page one of Google doesn’t have any videos, blogs or article sites, you can probably get a video to rank on page one.  That is a very simplistic approach…but it will work.

5. Promote Your Video Everywhere – YouTube is the largest video sharing site on the internet…but there are hundreds more.  Sites like AOL Video and Metacafe and nearly a hundred others offer some great additional sources of traffic for your video.

There are two main ways to get your video out to these video sites.

The first is to do it manually.  You would go and set up accounts with each of these video sharing sites, then manually upload your video to your account and manually put in the title, description, keywords and such.

The second way is to do it automatically.  If you are like me, I am all for automating whatever I can, especially when it comes to routine, mundane tasks.

Probably the best F*REE software is by TubeMogul (www.tubemogul.com).  They offer a solid platform that is easy to use, but they are limited to only about 20 sites submissions.

By far the best software on the market is Traffic Geyser. Traffic Geyser lets you pump your video out to all of the video sharing sites with the touch of a few buttons.  I am a non-tech guy and I find it very easy to use.  There are a ton of other features you can add, but you can explore those when you go check out the Traffic Geyser product.

Now you have the Why’s and the How’s of video marketing. Now all you have to do is figure out what you want to say, get the tools to support your efforts and get to work.

Let’s get after it.

If you have been around network marketing for any length of time, it’s likely that you have been to some cool events.  The industry is known for them.  That’s what we do in MLM…put on awesome, empowering events.

There is one company taking things to a whole new level…and they have figured out how to cross the threshold of mainstream marketing and branding.  How about professional golfer John Daly doing an impromptu live performance of Knocking On Heaven’s Door at your event.  I know, crazy good.

Check out this event in Dallas, TX for a company that is…get this…still in Pre-launch.  If they are pulling off these kind of events in Pre-launch…what is possible in a year, two years, five years?

Click here to view the embedded video.

If I had just five more minutes…

I think I would just sit with you, Mom, not needing to do anything or be anywhere.
I think I would, at least for one of my five minutes, just hold your hands and stare into your eyes.
So I would make absolutely certain that I would remember that look only you could give me…forever.
If I had just five more minutes…

I would take the next one to thank you for everything,
For all the times you made my lunch, my dinner, my bed and my day.
For encouraging me when I needed it, for scolding me when I deserved it,
If I had just five more minutes…

I would take the next one to say I am sorry.
For putting you through hell when I was a teenager.
For all the nights I kept you worrying, praying and hoping that I was safe.

If I had just five more minutes…

I would take the next one to tell you all about your grand children.
These are three young souls that you would have really loved.
And even though you never met, they will forever know you because they know us.
If I had just five more minutes…

I would take my last one to let you know that Dad is okay.
It wasn’t easy for him but he has come through as you knew he would.
With a smile on his face, a glass of wine in his hand and love in his heart.
My time is up but I know I can find you whenever I choose.
You are right there when I need you.
I can feel you always.
There is rarely a day that I don’t think of you, miss you or want to tell you something.
When something cool happens, I still pick up the phone to call you.

What I wouldn’t give for just five more minutes.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.

I love you.

A dear friend sent me a card with this beautiful poem.  I love it and wanted to share.  Thanks Ani.

“I wish for you an imperfect life,

and all the wonder that living can bring…

the wealth that comes from knowing loss,

the tears that find their way to laughter,

the joy that grows after the rain,

and the love, felt deepest,

by those who have been

carved by pain.

I hope that you can

value this imperfection, hold on to it,

so it gives you such comfort

that you will dare embrace the beauty

of all the imperfect lives that surround you,

And then you will be perfectly free

to step to the beat

of your own imperfect heart,

and you will have truly lived.”

Jodi Hills

Not if you listen to this young girl.

She may not enjoy it, but this 8 year old is most definitely on the right track in terms of personality, conviction, creativity and drive!

DemolitionCall-1

If this is what our education system is producing…I’ll take it.  Hilarious and Brilliant!

Facebook is now one of the most powerful social networking platforms on the planet.  So powerful that they registered more searches in March 2010 than Google.

Yes, you read that correctly.

If you want to do business through this incredibly viral, wonderfully targetable, highly searchable social platform…you need to at least learn some of the basics to get started.  In this video, which I originally posted through Facebook as a welcome gift to new friends, I cover 3 simple yet powerful strategies that make a world of difference.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This post isn’t what you think.  I am not going to talk about the Pagan vs. Christianity debate about Easter or how ironic it is that we have chosen large pink bunnies and chocolate eggs to somehow represent Jesus rising from the dead.

That stuff is funny enough on it’s own.

But as I sit here Easter Sunday morning looking over my backyard in full bloom, the sun bouncing off the pool and a light breeze flowing in through a set of oversized windows…I started thinking about something else.

I love celebrations.  It really doesn’t matter to me what they are for…I just love to celebrate.  I love to celebrate events, accomplishments and most of all…I like to celebrate people.

I started thinking about all the efforts we put into the holidays and occasions mainly because they have become traditions in our families or religions.  We bust out the decorations, rush to the stores (repeatedly) and create elaborate stories for our children.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I think it’s great.  I love holidays.  More specifically, I love what they have the power to support us doing.  They inspire connection.  They cultivate the desire for people to come together.  They get us to stop the noise, sit back for even just a few minutes…and reflect about life and the relationships we have with each other.

What I am sitting here pondering this morning is what we need to do as a species to genuinely celebrate ourselves more often.  To honor ourselves, our connection to each other, our need for each other, our divinely guided creativity, and our ability to truly make this world whatever we choose it to be.

I am up for THAT holiday.

What if we took just a little bit of that special something (I may call it love) that the holidays seem to inspire in us and choose to be aware of it every day?

Can we possibly hold this much love in our hearts next Thursday when there are no menorahs to light, no Cadbury eggs to eat, no jolly fat men in funny suits to sit on, no fireworks in the sky to watch, no dead prophets to remember and no feasts to devour?

I know for most people it’s far easier to celebrate some “thing” or “event” than themselves or another person.  We get to change that.

We are worth celebrating.

You are worth celebrating.

I am worth celebrating.

So as we move through this year of 2010 amidst one of the most interesting times our generations have ever known, I want to make this one simple request of you…

Start celebrating life every day.

Take the same energy you put into getting the house ready for the holidays and put it into your kids every day, your work every day…your SELF every day.

For me, this is what these celebrations were designed to do…reconnect us to the divine love that is within us all and our power as human beings when we choose to realize just how amazing we all are.

Celebrate life.

Please share your thoughts and share this post with everyone you truly celebrate.