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  • Love your job or hate it
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  • Practice What you Preach
  • Personal Brand Management
  • New Year Has Dawned
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So I thought I would talk about a few things tonight regarding money. I have been investing in safe things for a while now, and its been paying off. Savings accounts used to be high, but are not anymore, so i have gone with investing in a bank CD. Even though my money is tied up for a while I can deal with it. A great site that I recently started reading is Moneyone. These guys talk about all different banks and they make different recommendations based on the current market. They also give suggestions of banks that are performing well. I emailed the guy that runs the site and he is going to start a list of the best cd rates that are currentl performing, so thats a nice idea. That way things are updating regularly.

Since I am loking for the best cd rates to invest my hard earned money, I better check with someone that looks at the current cd rates on a weekly basis with banks. I am more of a short term investor, so I can put my money right back in when I need to again.

In my opinion Chase bank is one of the best for cd rates. I recently put some money in and we will see if i go back to them. i like the fact that since there are so many banks throughout the region I live in that there is a lot of competition between banks to get you to get checking accounts with them. I also would have to say that it is a good bet to open multiple checking accounts to vary your savings and interest rates. Gmac is another good bet. Gmac cd rates can be found as well at money one.

Well thats my two cents. What are you guys opinions on CD’s A.K.A Certificate of Deposits? I am interested to see how many of you actually look at this route to go rather than purchasing stock.

I get asked so many questions everyday about blogging sometimes I just can’t handle it. I guess its because I do it for a living, and have done so now for the last 2 years. Its definitely nice to be able to write and enjoy a job that gives so much freedom. I can tell you there are a lot of people that just don’t appreciate the jobs they do have. If i were to ask you something about work, would you be interested to tell me? If you say no then you must really hate your job. If yes then you must have some little ounce in you that makes you proud of it.

I have traveled everywhere, and this is the realization I have come to. Its the fact that a job is not your life unless you make it so. The things that matter most in the place that you live is your friends and those that care about you as you care about them.

Do I enjoy my job? Sure I do, but the thing I enjoy the most is just spending some time with friends and talking about old times.

I recently put together a newsletter for a new client. This client had just started their business a few months ago and they were excited at their phenomenal growth. A newsletter was certainly going to be a great way to connect with their current clients, introduce themselves to new ones, and increase traffic to their web site.

This new client decided they wanted to have one of their strategic partners write an article for their first newsletter. The article ended up being very, very long. Now, as a writer, I don’t like using the word “very” very often, let alone twice in one sentence. But I do so here to emphasize just how long this article was. I advised against it; suggested breaking it down into parts, but they wanted to run with it as it was.

This scenario got me to thinking about some don’ts when it comes to e-newsletters.

Don’t:

* Lose your readers with articles or issues that are too long. If they can’t read it and glean useful information quickly, chances are, they won’t read it at all.
* Forget to allow readers to unsubscribe. The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 now requires that all ezine publishers include an opt-out box in each issue, so subscribers can quickly and easily get off your mailing list. (Thanks to Marcia Layton Turner for that information.)
* Alienate your reader by promoting yourself, your product or service to death. Readers will tune out the rest of your content if they feel you’re being too pushy.
* Forget to use more than just words. Using HTML in newsletters isn’t quite as difficult to use as it used to be and pictures, illustrations and other designs help in capturing your readers attention.

And remember, it’s not just what you say… it’s the way you say it.

Today we have another guest blogger. I hope you enjoy a few words of wisdom from Amy Woodall, President of Image Savvy.

We’ve all heard the saying “practice what you preach” but did you ever stop to think that your image is part of your preaching? Have you ever met someone whose image makes no sense with what is coming out of their mouth? I meet them daily. I can’t tell you how many IT or web developers I’ve met that look like they’ve just stepped out of 1992. Could you imagine if they were offering the same technology of that time? They’d be out of business. I’d have a hard time believing they were up to date on the latest and greatest. One of my favorite quotes says, “You’ll never believe the message if you do not believe the messenger.” (Anonymous)

We’d all like to think that our image isn’t important, that people will value us for our minds and talent. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is VERY important. Think of how competitive the market is in every profession. Choosing your wardrobe more carefully could be the difference in you or your competition getting the client.

Let’s pretend you’re looking to invest a large amount of money. You meet with two different financial planners and both have very similar ideas, but the first planner is dressed in a well tailored suit and is seated in a fancy, well-designed office. The other looks much like the IT guy from the early 1990’s (or worse), is in an office that looks like a closet, and smells of moldy tennis shoes. Who would you trust with your money?

All in all it is about representing yourself well. Next time you’re getting dressed, think about the way you want others to perceive you, and ask yourself, “What image am I projecting?” Is your wardrobe practicing what you preach?

Not long ago, I was asked to speak to a group of fantastic women through NOWIB. I thought I’d share part of it with you. It’s a bit lengthy so we’ll do this in episodes! First, let me start with a question:

Who or what did you think you were when you were younger?

For me, I was the Bionic Woman.

I remember running through the neighborhood, jumping tall buildings and listening in on conversations taking place continents away. No really… I did!! Needless to say, I’m so excited about the new Bionic Woman TV series.

As I did some research, I discovered so many web sites and articles devoted to helping professionals keep professional images squeaky clean in the world of cyberspace. Online image management is personal brand management.

I read where a popular phrase – self-Google search – is also a popular activity. I confess: I, too, have Googled my own name. While it may be an innocuous act of vanity, it is, according to one communications professor at University at Buffalo , a shrewd form of personal brand management.

“Self-Googling is not simply narcissism, though that’s certainly part of it,” explains School
of Informatics professor Alexander Halavais. “People should Google themselves for the same reason corporations do—to help to manage their public face.”

And while all of that is certainly fascinating and incredibly important, I want to take personal brand management one step deeper. Together, I want us to understand the self.

My identity has changed so much in my 40 years of existence. And I don’t doubt that it will continue to change until I am called Home.

And we have so many sources engaging our senses, telling us what we should be. We know that society places tremendous value in the external. We know that media and marketing organizations encourage us to look a certain way, act a certain way, and do certain things, lest we be ostracized.

See if any of these sound familiar:

* We are a machine – Society often tells us that we are valued according to what we can do. But we’re not machine’s are we? This view abolishes the soul of man. We are indeed so much more than a machine.
* We are an animal – It has been suggested that there is no qualitative difference between the animal kingdom and the human kingdom.
* Likewise, we are simply sexual beings. That’s a subject for an entirely different meeting!
* Finally, we are a pawn of the universe. Imagine people being crushed by fate; that we are at the mercy of chance which has no concern for anyone or anything.

I submit to you that we are none of these things. In his book, Beyond Identity, Dick Keyes says there are two parts of identity: Integrated, which is the whole person. In other words, you know who you are. The other part of identity is value; you have value in your own identity because you know who you are.

Perhaps we are all dreamers when we start out. Perhaps we’re not dreamers… rather we struggle our way through the day being so many things to so many people. We are husbands and wives, siblings, friends, parents, mentors. In business, some of us are required to wear all the corporate hats of accountant, bill collector, sales guru, marketing genius, president, administrative assistant and have skin as thick as a rhinoceros.

We’re supposed to be politically, spiritually, emotionally and psychologically engaging and participate in making this world a better place.

But what if we’re not some of these things… or any of these things?

That’s why it is so important to know your identity – understand your gifts as well as your limitations. Without that knowledge or understanding, our worlds become a cluttered, chaotic mess and we become ineffective.

This is where we’ll stop for now. Check back soon for, as Paul Harvey says, the rest of the story!

And remember, it’s not just what you say, it’s the way you say it!

A new year has dawned and, as of tomorrow, the holiday season will be officially over. It is my hope that you had a wonderful holiday with friends and family and good health.

I have been fortunate in the area of friends and family, but not so much in the way of good health. A severe sinus infection (left untreated for too many days) has had me down for the count for the better part of a week. As a result, my husband and I missed our annual New Year’s Eve party with our dear friends who have hosted this event for 22 years in a row. None-the-less, we did stay up to watch… well, truth be told, we ended up watching the Myth Busters Marathon on the Discovery channel before finally flipping over to Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve show.

We snuggled on the couch in silence before I asked, “Got any new year’s resolutions?” He said, “No. You?” I replied, “Oh the usual ones: I’m going to exercise more, eat better and lose weight, along with a few others that I know I won’t keep.” We chuckled as he commented, “That’s exactly why I don’t make resolutions!”

I have always been a goal-setter. I was tickled when I received my regular email from BNI – Indiana franchise owner, Hazel Walker, this morning about this new year that is before us. In it, she said: “This year, throw out the new year’s resolutions and set your 2008 goals. Don’t let your referral business happen by accident. Focus on your business referral goals.”

Great advice, Hazel. Don’t let your life happen by accident. Toss out the idea of resolutions. You know you won’t stick to them anyway. Setting goals is different. This year, write down your goals. Put them on a piece of paper where you can review them daily or at least weekly. Make them measurable. Don’t simply say, “I’m going to lose weight.” How much weight are you going to lose? How exactly do you plan on losing that much weight? And set a deadline. I always write out my goals for 3 months, 12 months, five years, and then long-term. Hold yourself accountable – or join an accountability group.

Lastly, don’t give up! We live in a microwave society and expect instant results just as we get instant rice. You won’t appreciate it if it’s handed to you on a silver platter.

So, here’s to a prosperous and successful 2008. And remember, it’s not just what you say… it’s the way you say it.

I first want to apologize to those of you who have been keeping up with this blog. I was remiss in adding a blog the last couple of weeks. It’s been so incredibly busy. In fact, it’s been absolutely insane!

But even as I write this blog entry from beautiful Salem, Oregon while on vacation with my wonderful husband, Kurt, I recognize that all the insaneness of life means nothing without the love of family, friends, children and our Heavenly Father.

Today, I am dedicating this space to my dear friend, Dr. Bryan Boudreaux and his wife, Dr. Kristin Johnston. Following a horrific accident, Kristin was forced to deliver her baby several months prematurely.

I know Jared and Kristin wouldn’t mind me sharing this with you. They were a mom and dad surprised by Elle’s creation and completely smitten with the idea of parenthood. I wish you could have heard the sound of Jareds voice when he shared the good news of Kristin’s pregnancy with me. He was a completely different person, and I knew then that this baby would have the best parents on the planet.

Indeed, she did. Elle was loved by so many people far beyond the four windows of her incubator in the NICU unit in Indianapolis. Her parents were devoted to her short life and made sure she knew how much she was loved by them. Her fragile life touched so many through Bryan’s blogs; the end result made us rush home to our loved ones and hug them just a bit tighter than we did that morning.

Its a sad situation as well, but helps us all to reflect on what is most important in our lives.

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