Monthly Archives: September 2009

September 21, 2009

Six Tips For Steady Weight Loss

weightloss1. Follow your plan to the best of your ability. Weight loss is like network marketing – being persistent and consistent (aka small actions compounded daily) will get you to your goal a lot faster than sporadic fad dieting.

2. Speaking of sporadic fad dieting,  people who have trouble losing weight are sometimes the same people who cannot finish what they start.  So if you’re going to lose weight, then you have to stop being a quitter.

3. If you cannot exercise  (though honestly, unless you are bedridden, why can’t you move something?) then make sure that you are restricting enough calories to create weight loss ( a pound or two a week is best, so eliminate 3500 to 7000 calories per week and you will lose 1 t o2 pounds)

3. Drink filtered water – it  helps to wash away all the debris from the fat that you’re burning. If you drink coffee and tea balance it with the same or more in water.

4. Eat food that you like, and do not deprive yourself. When we  go on a restrictive diet, it creates a scarcity mentality which eventually leads us to that midnight binge on the floor in front of the refrigerator – kind of like the scene in “9.5 Weeks”  but not near as sexy.

5. Remember that a ho-hum diet and a ho-hum workout are going to give you zero results.  That means get off the treadmill (or whatever else you have been doing every day at the same speed and pace) and really pay attention to your diet (try a food log or one of the online calculators). Great progress requires big changes – so shake things up a lot!

6. Stop  preparing to get ready to be prepared to start your diet or workout plan – just do it already. There is no reason to binge the night or weekend before you start – not when there are products like Cheat - and there is no reason to plan your program for a time when you think life won’t happen.  Life is always happening – lunch meetings with dessert, business trips where the hotel has no gym, a project that disrupts your meals or makes you miss a workout. If you’re going to plan then plan to be flexible and prepared for the inevitable – travel with a workout DVD, keep protein bars or shakes at the office and so on.

As always I welcome your input. What’s your diet and weight loss plan?

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September 15, 2009

Have You Lost Your Business Mojo Too?

In Business Momentum is Everything

momentum is everythingThe summer business season started well enough, how was I to know that things could slide so far and so fast? All the business development books talk about momentum in your business and how important that can be . In network marketing what’s really crucial is your pipeline, you have to keep filling your pipeline with personal contacts, leads, and highly qualified prospects.Ellie Drake once gave me a great visual of a pipeline as an actual pipe where prospects go in one end and wander around in there until the pipe gets so crowded that some of them pop out the other end as customers and business partners.

When the kids got out of school for the summer my pipeline was so full that I was enrolling people into my business and signing up customers like crazy. Then my dog died, no seriously my dog actually died. Stopped me cold and slowed my momentum. I tried to get back into my schedule, continue marketing, prospecting and training – but my head was not in the game. Taking on additional responsibilities at work and with my son’s Marching Band ate up a lot of my time – instead of prospecting for my business, I was prospecting businesses and churches for band donations. Instead of marketing in my downtime I was rolling out two large web projects at work.

I was not surprised to discover that I was not alone in my situation, summer time and it’s attendant family centered activities  takes a lot of us out of the game. We do our business in drips and drabs, but momentum is nonexistent and prospects wander lost through our pipelines.  At some point this summer I seem to have decided that

If I Can’t Be A Producer Then I’ll Be A Consumer

As you well know Dear Reader, I have always been obsessed with my weight. I recently saw a picture of myself in high school and I could see my hip bones I was so skinny – which came as a shock and surprise to me since I’ve always considered myself chunky. Anyway I digress,  so back in May I started doing the P90x workouts and really enjoyed that for a month or so, but life got in the way and my workouts joined my business momentum in the land of limbo (and I don’t mean Trinidad).

About a month ago a friend approached me with a weight loss product/opportunity. I was not that interested in the opportunity, but was interested in the product because it didn’t require me to chew on my nails twice a week, eliminate meals, or change much of anything about what I was already doing.  It’s actually four products (aptly titled Core4) – a pill to boost your metabolism, a lean protein shake, another pill to flush your system, and a powder that you sprinkle on your food which takes away 25% of calories that you ingest (it’s kind of like Alli without the nasty side effects). So far it’s working great, I’ve lost weight even though it’s birthday month in my house. They’ve got a cool Facebook type website that you can join for free, so check it out if you are as obsessed with your belly as I am.

So now that I am done illuminating the negative , my plan is to get back on track with my business and my life. Ameriplan has just (today) launched two great products  SecureNet & AccessSaver and a new binary compensation plan APFLEXPLUS , so I have plenty to offer!

And so do you, don’t let a temporary slump be your downfall. Even the best of us fall victim to the summer,winter,spring doldrums; but it doesn’t mean that we have to quit pursuing the dream of financial freedom. Your biggest client, your most profitable business associate, and your best customer are all waiting for you to contact them – so just do it!

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September 13, 2009

What is Identity Theft?

Credit Card Theft
Image by Don Hankins via Flickr

Usually “identity theft” means that someone is using your name, Social Security number, or credit card information without your permission. It could also mean that they are using your driver license or medical records. There was a recent case where a man struggled for 35 years because someone he knew had taken his personal information. This person moved to another city, got a job, got sick and created medical records and doctor bills, and did not bother to pay his taxes – all in this man’s name!  The victim tried to get help , but it took THIRTY FIVE years before anyone listened to him, can you imagine?

According to the Federal Trade Commission the number of Americans who fall victim to identity theft each year is 9 million and growing! I have been a victim three times, twice someone began using my credit card while I was out of the country, and once I didn’t even know about until I received a notice from the government that the person had been caught. Fortunately, I was able to take care of my issues quickly and easily. The first time I was on a cruise for 7 days and the bank noticed the strange activity and called my home; the second time I was in Europe, when I got home and started working on my expense reports, I  noticed purchases that were definitely not mine. In both cases the cards were canceled immediately and new cards were issued. What was scary is how easy it was for someone to be me, and purchase items, gamble in online casinos etc.

Chances are that you, a close friend, or a relative have been victimized in the past. Due to the state of the economy, the instances of identity theft are actually on the rise. Crimes utilizing your identity range from using your name to acquire housing or purchase an iPhone and create a new AT&T account , to getting a new drivers license and clean driving record.   Identity Theft is not always about your credit card (not at first anyway), this is a fairly common misconception.  Identity theft more commonly occurs because:

  1. The thief has lost their own drivers license (suspension, DUI, too many traffic violations) and uses yours to start over in  another state
  2. The thief is unable to get an apartment because they have a bad rental history
  3. The thief cannot get a new cell phone plan with their bad credit, so they use your name and information instead

Once the identity thief is comfortable using your information, it’s no stretch for them to really dig in and get a job, open credit accounts, get medical care, and basically create a shadow life to the one you are living. Scary isn’t it?   And what’s even more scary is that this could very well be someone that is known to you or to your friends or to your relatives. Someone who got close enough to get just  enough of your information to be dangerous.

Identity theft is not a joke and it’s not some crime that companies make up to get you to buy their ID protection  product. What’s even scarier is the impact identity theft can have on your life:

  • You could lose out on a new job
  • Your child may not be able to get a loan for college
  • Your cars could be repossessed or you may be unable to purchase a car
  • You could be arrested and jailed because of someone else’s mishandling of your identity

Have any identity theft horror stories? Feel free to share.

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September 5, 2009

Ten Things I Enjoyed This Summer

Benjamin Bratt at awards night at Sundance
Image by qbac07 via Flickr

It’s almost official, Summer is over. You can try to hang on to her if you want but it’s not the same with the kids back in school and roads clogged with traffic. So here is my summer roundup, watched a lot of TV, read a couple of books, exercised – sometimes I did it all at the same time just to keep things interesting.  Swam in the pool next door once, got my tan for the summer (only swim once every summer, don’t ask me why).

For your reading pleasure and in no particular order, here are a few of my favorite things:

  1. TNT – they know drama. Those guys on “Dark Blue ” are hotttt in a dark undercover kinda way.
  2. Chester Himes – read a collection of his short stories, took me back to my youth. Especially loved “A Modern Fable” . A political tale which could have been written yesterday but was actually written 30 to 50 years ago.  It’s about a politician and a common man during the depression. The politician promises increased wages for WPA workers, the common man votes for him. The new senator gets in office and votes against a bill that would increase the wages of WPA workers because he just cannot see leaving that much debt for future genrations. The WPA program is abolished and the now unemployed and homeless common man gets a gun and visits the Senator…read it for yourself, Chester tells the story much better. I also liked “Prediction” it’s dark, and it’s not for the faint of heart.
  3. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is the story of a young girl growing up in Nigeria. Her father is religious & has some ideas about raising children that are  “different”.  A great read.
  4. P90X – Someone gifted me with a copy of this and I absolutely love it.  The workouts are different enough to keep you interested an hard and intense enough to actually change your body. They just came out with Insanity and I’m thinking about it.  Check it all out here
  5. Burn Notice – don’t you just love the way this is narrated? How he teaches budding operatives how to be full fledged operatives? I really like Sharon Gless as his Mom,  but then I like her as anyone’s Mom and am just happy to see her looking good and doing her thing.
  6. Marching Band Camp – I am blessed with the exalted  position of “Hospitality Chair” for the Grayson High School MB. This means I got the chance to  spend two months convincing businesses and churches to donate food so that we could feed the little darlings for two weeks. Band kids are great, and I am lucky to be a band Mom.
  7. Columbus OH -  traveled there on business and took  the hubby with me, we had not had a vacation alone in many, many years (not since Montego Bay in the late 90s). Downtown Columbus is beautiful, we stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn which is an old bank converted into a hotel. We ate at Jambo a cajun restaurant across the street from the hotel which had just opened – excellent.
  8. The health care debate – well not really. But it took up so much of my summer I thought I’d mention it. I have watched in stunned disbelief  as people who have stood up for nothing in the past 10 years, began falling for everything that was thrown at them . Seriously folks – death panels?
  9. Facebook – I have had the opportunity to reconnect with so many wonderful friends of my youth all thanks to FB;  gotta love it
  10. The Cleaner – Benjamin Bratt sizzles as a recovering addict who talks to God and assists other addicts in cleaning up (ok he abducts them, handcuffs them to a bed, and makes em go cold turkey -  but they usually come around to seeing things his way).

I just started using the Core4 products from CNI, will talk about that in my Fall roundup, LOL. So what did you do this summer?

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September 4, 2009

Why Should I Pay To Work At Home?

banner_greenAny network marketer, who is actively building their business, has heard this question. Whether in person, on the phone, or via email the prospect usually asks the question with just a little bit of attitude, as if they’ve caught you taking a stance that you will in now way be able to justify.

You could say something like “well if you were opening a video rental shop you would have to invest in a space, inventory, employees ” blah blah blah. I don’t like that response, the person you are talking to is not interested in a brick and mortar business, they are interested in earning an income or supplementing their current income – preferably from home.

The myth is that a job does not cost money, but the reality is that it absolutely does! In January of last year I had to fly to Russia to do some consulting work. While I was reimbursed for travel and food, there were some out of pocket costs that almost made the trip not worthwhile – a new coat, boots, several suits (cause I had been working from home and was a size off from the suits in my closet).  During the summer I did some consulting in Florida, different climate requiring different suits. In both cases I had to pay up front and get reimbursed later (after taxes). Additionally, once the gigs were over so was the cash flow – I worked long and I worked hard, but there is no residual income in a job.

So when faced with that question, go back to the reason (s) that person came to you looking for work at home and  explain to them he following costs that are incurred by those who have jobs :

  1. If they have children then someone will have to take care of those children when they are at work; that’s money that is not being spent when they work from home
  2. A job requires acceptable clothing, this is a cost that  is incurred before any wages are paid and is not reimbursable nor can it be claimed at tax time
  3. Working outside the home means eating lunch outside the home – the average worker spends at least $5 per day on meals and beverages while at work (many workplaces now charge for coffee).
  4. Transportation – whether they travel by bus, train, or automobile it will cost them money each week to get to and from work.
  5. The cost of eating out more because no one is home to cook dinner.

The next time you are asked “Why should I pay to work at home?” by a prospect, present these facts to them, and add that many spouses who choose a job outside the home to “help out financially” are really only adding to the tax burden (more money coming in means more for your Uncle Sam) and the financial and emotional (you know how your little one cries when daddy goes to work? Well imagine what will happen when one of you hands him off to the folks at a day care center) costs of running the household. In “Lower Your Taxes Big Time” Sandy Botkin presents a financial breakdown which shows the money that is actually lost when both spouses work, and one of them doesn’t really make very much.

How do you handle this question? Leave a comment.