I looked out the back window a few seconds ago and to my surprise snow was falling from the sky.
So I walked out into the backyard to appreciate all the beauty
I turned to my right and noticed the patio tabled is covered in snow
And that's when it hit me that I am still in the city
Happy New Year!!
Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach & Mentor
A judgment made by another person is subjective and just an opinion, a reflection of their life. Yet uttered judgments impact people negatively and reduce esteem building efforts to rubble. How does one judgment a reflection of another person’s life reduce your esteem building efforts down to nothing more than rubble? Judgments are no more than opinions or conclusions based on ones experience. An illusion of what they think needs to happen based on their life experience which in many cases differs from the person directly in front of them.
Judgment fuels fear, which form behaviors like self-doubt. Building esteem requires a level of confidence only achieved through successfully completing day-to-day tasks. Some tasks require no conscience thought while complex tasks will require a lot of thought. More than likely tasks that require the most thought are most likely to be the ones subjected to judgment because those are the tasks people seek external validation. The greater the validation the higher the confidence level – On the flip side, the worse the validation or lack of, the lower the confidence level.
When one person asks another for feedback they open the door for judgment. More often than not there already is an expectation attached to the request and unless the feedback meets or exceed the expectation someone will be hurt and another accused of being judgmental. However, if the person who requests feedback is confident what they hear is constructive criticism that will be used as an opportunity to improve upon.
Many people fear judgment, but only because they lack self-confidence. Judgments can be separated into two groups: Opinions, and constructive criticism. Opinions are experience based and ego driven and do nothing for building esteem, while constructive criticism comes from a place of questioning one’s effort to improve the output quality and is objective. However, even constructive criticism can be misinterpreted as judgment – But only if you have expectations as to what the constructive criticism should sound like.
To avoid feeling like you are being judged, stop asking for feedback unless you truly plan on doing something with the feedback you receive. Otherwise you are setting yourself up for disappointment and hurtful times.
Boxing Day is the day after Christmas, observed by common wealth countries like Canada. Most stores are closed because Boxing Day is statutory holiday observed across Canada but it is also the busiest shopping day for retailers. Retailer’s mark down everything for clearance, some sales are so good, patrons begin forming lines that stretch around the block at some stores. Thankfully I’m not much of a shopper so you won’t catch me out and about shopping for anything in the next couple of days.
But more important than Boxing Day is the New Year, which is four days away. I feel like a broken record for saying this again: 2008 was the year for learning. The biggest lesson for the year, also my anthem - Life is a journey filled with learning lessons. With lessons comes growth and with growth comes life. When you stop learning you are either dead or stuck somewhere on your life path.
Lately I’ve been thinking about where I want to be this time next year. I have no limitations to what I can or cannot do because I love to learn new things. In the past any time I was faced with a challenge or obstacle, I found a solution that kept me moving along often time gaining experience and knowledge - Each challenge prepared me for the next as with each obstacle which provided the skills that I would need to conquer the next obstacle.
So yesterday I measured how successful I was with goals I set at the beginning of 2008. Of the 15 goals I set for myself I successfully achieved 10 out of the 15 goals. 2 goals are still in motion, while 3 will be axed, as they no longer fit into my overall plan.
2009 is the year for success. What that means is I will use everything I learned in 2008 and apply it in 2009 to garner further successes throughout my journey and to successfully achieve 2 of the 3 goals that remain plus 10 new goals.
Goal #1: Finish My Book
Goal #2: Host My Very Own Reality TV Show
Goal #3: Launch my first real company with 10 employees by December 2009.
Four days to Christmas and I'm all done. The presents are wrapped, biscotti’s are in the oven, and I’m taking a short break to tell you all about it.
If you would have asked me what kind of month December was going to be at the beginning of November, I would have probably answered with, “A bad month” and that was before I learned the depth of the recession the world would be in.
Successful life coaches motivate and support clients with guidance and solid advice, but smart and successful life coaches heed their own advice and lead by example. I knew I had to do something to generate another source of revenue in order to keep the roof over my head, to drive my car and pay for my insurance, among other expenses until January when clients return.
My guesstimate for how many clients I anticipated for December was incorrect. I miss-guessed by a few. I am thankful that I was wrong in my guesstimate because it pushed me to find another talent, a passion that I could use to generate a new source of income to supplement my coaching income. After two weeks of tracking all the tasks I execute everyday and rated each task for success and love, I discovered I have another passion. My new passion compliments my existing passion for helping others.
I guess it’s a good time to share with you that there is no more pet company. Unfortunately hero+destiny will never see a grand opening, or not one I will be involved in. And, the consulting company I started after leaving my professional career from a fortune 500 company - its gone too. So, just like many other people I had to start all over again. I had to start all over, on my own with no money and only with experience, knowledge and passion. Last week as many of you already know I started a new company and posted a challenge - Make Money With No Money.
Only four days to Christmas and Christmas is starting to look jollier than ever. There are gifts under the tree, the aroma of freshly baked biscotti, and tree tips covered in snow. And for one of us, the news received just days before Christmas is a dream come true.
by Angela Booth
The easiest way to make great money as a writer is to discover copywriting. Copywriting is essentially just writing for businesses, helping them to win new customers and make sales. If you can write a persuasive letter, you can write copy - and as you build your business, you can make a six-figure income.
Most writers take to copywriting immediately, like the proverbial ducks to water, because you're surrounded by copy every day. Advertising is everywhere you are: on TV, on the radio, in magazines, and of course, all over the Web.
So how do you start a copywriting services business?
Get Your First Copywriting Client
You start your copywriting services business by getting your first client. This is not difficult. Just visit any of the out-sourcing sites, or look on sites like Craigslist. Of course, you can post your own advertisements on Craigslist or on any of the many classified advertising sites online.
Create Some Copywriting Samples To Show People What You Can Do
Before you post your first ad, create some copywriting samples. Many new copywriters stumble when it comes to attracting clients because they feel that they need a large portfolio of past work. However, every copywriter starts somewhere, with ONE client, and builds his career from there. To get your first client, just write some sample copy.
The Rewrite Trick - Turn Trash Into Cash
I recommend what I call "The Rewrite Trick" to my copywriting students.
Here's what you do. Look through a magazine and find an ad. The ad can be minimalist, as many display ads are today, consisting of just a graphic and a few words. Now, you simply rewrite the ad. Assess what the ad's selling, and who the target market is, and write your own version of the ad. Use around 100 to 200 words. Hey presto - you have your first sample for your portfolio.
The Rewrite Trick is a useful exercise to build your copywriting creativity skills, as well as to add to your samples' portfolio. One point: when you're sending your "rewrite" samples to clients, ensure that they're clearly marked as SAMPLES, and note they're created only to show your skills. Your aim is not to misrepresent yourself or your work, merely to display creativity and skill.
So there you have it: you can start your copywriting services business today. Create a couple of samples, post an ad, and you'll have your first client - the first of many for your new business - and the first step toward a six-figure income.
Discover how you can turn your writing skills into a fabulous copywriting career. Angela Booth's ebook "Seven Days To Easy Money: Copywriting Success" at http://abmagic.com/Copywriting/copywriting.html takes you from novice to pro copywriter in just seven days. This popular ebook has been turning writers into successful copywriters for five years. Packed with information, the ebook also includes exercises which become your copywriter's marketing processes and portfolio. You could be signing up your first clients within two days. Visit the book's blog at http://www.sevendayscopywriting.com/
Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification
There is so very much available to you. In reaching for your dreams, make use of everything you have.
Don't be dismayed or embarrassed by what you have to work with. Instead, work with whatever you have and it will grow more useful and effective with each effort.
Don't place a judgment on your abilities before you even put them to use. Go ahead, get to work, and see how quickly your skills increase.
Look back at the good things you've accomplished in the past. That power of accomplishment is still with you, so choose now to put it to use again for even more exciting and compelling purposes.
Think of all the great ideas you've had but have never followed through on. Now is when you can make the best of them come to life.
The challenges are great and yet the value that flows through your life is far greater. Use everything you can, and you can accomplish anything you choose.
-- Ralph Marston
Make money with no money and earn money to start a business today!
Welcome back to Morning Java with your host, Master Life Coach and Mentor Bruno LoGreco. Thank you for dropping by! The focus for Morning Java over the next couple of weeks and into January will be to show people how to start a business with NO MONEY. If you are interested, I created a challenge where you could earn free money to start a business. Read all about it at: Start A Business With No Money Today!
The purpose of The Challenge is to illustrate how to start a business with no money or for a total investment of $100. Over the next few weeks, I will demonstrate how just about anybody can start a business with no money.
MY NEW BUSINESS IDEA
Earlier this week I started a new business for a total investment of $9.95 – The cost of a new domain name. I also created a list of people I knew, people they know, and what they do. I contacted a few people on my list that I thought might be interested in a contract, part-time sales position. I also asked if they knew anybody that is looking for part-time contract work. By Tuesday morning I had found a new sales person willing to work part-time and for commission. What a BONUS!
In order for my new business to gain exposure I require a website. Websites fetch for thousands of dollars depending on how many bells and whistles you would like for your website. I simply cannot afford to spend thousands of dollars for a new website anytime soon, especially with no revenue. However, when you know your skills and what you’re good at you can trade for services. I contacted a Web Design company and did exactly that - I bartered for services. In a few weeks I will have a brand new website for my new business.
Last week live on CFRB, Jim asked if barter was enough to start a business. The answer: YES. If you have skills and are willing to trade for services you could start-up a business in no time with NO MONEY.
THE CHALLENGE
12/12/08 – Laura - $00.00 Investment – Revenue $300
12/15/08 – Bruno - $9.95 Investment – Revenue $400
Imagine if someone gave you free money to start a business. No strings attached, free money to start your own business, online or offline, to do something you love to do. Would you take the free money?
“I could tell you about your personality.” “Excuse me!” I said, as I turned my head and followed the voice toward a lady seated at a small table directly beside me. “I’m a Graphologist! I could read your signature and tell you about your personality”, she said again.
I looked down and read the advert sitting on her table: Ellie George – Handwriting Analyst – Has Read 50,000 Signatures Over Twenty Years.
“Absolutely!” I said. “I’m in! Where do I sign?" . Ellie directed her attention to the pen and paper on the table and asked if I could print and sign my name. The first attempt at signing my name didn't feel right, so I crumpled the piece of paper and tried again. “That’s better”, I muttered as I hand Ellie the piece of paper. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll give you your analysis”, Ellie said.
***Slow Down – You need a vacation
All the best!
Do you take time throughout your day to recognize your skills, your natural talent? When you are using your natural talent you require little to no effort to complete tasks. What if you could create a successful business from your natural talent making you money while fulfilling your purpose and soul, would you be able to do it? Would you be able to start a business using your natural talent but without an investment?
Make Money Fast With Your Natural Talent
Do you know what your natural talent is?
Everybody has natural talent the goal is to find what that is. Your natural talent is buried somewhere within your automatic actions, which account for 95% of what you do. You use your natural talent to complete tasks each and everyday. Your natural talent is so much a part of you that you are not aware that you are using it. Your natural talent is an automatic reaction and unless you know what you are looking for, you will not be able to find it. You are probably doing something else while using your natural talent.
Free Money To Start A Business
Start a business with your natural talent and skills. Make money, and be your own boss. Research the Internet to learn about the various opportunities that are available to you. Leverage existing tools and websites, barter for services, and use forums to ask questions or to solicit help.
When you are ready to express your natural talent, take the 30-day challenge and you could win free money to start a business. But there is one caveat, you cannot spend more than $100 to start your business.
CHALLENGE RULES:
Willie Hill said it best. “Once you do something you love, you never have to work again.”
Do you want to make a quick $100 bucks?
This past week I was a guest host on CFRB 1010 talk radio discussing the economy and what people should do if they lose their job, or if they find themselves in a position to become an entrepreneur. Over the past few days I started to think about posting a 30-day challenge, but with Christmas and the Holiday season only two weeks away, I opted for a 47-day Challenge instead.
The Challenge:
If you would like to participate in this challenge, please send an email to bruno@brunologreco.com with your name, city/state/country and your goal for the 47-day challenge. In the month of January I will begin to post a scorecard with individuals name, their goal, and how they are tracking towards achieving their goal.
Everybody in this challenge will be a winner no matter the outcome.
Challenge Rules:
1. All entries must be new in thought and cannot be an existing idea that is already generating a source of revenue.
2. Each entry must include dates, and or targets that they intend to achieve within the 47-days.
3. You cannot invest greater than $100.00 for this challenge.
4. The winner of the challenge must reveal the process and the tools used to successfully create a new revenue stream.
5. The winner will receive a prize package valued at $100.00 CDN
Source of Inspiration
If you are stuck and need some inspiration for this challenge, create a task list itemizing your daily tasks. In your daily log be sure to include tasks that are automatic and natural to you – meaning you have no conscience thought that you are performing these tasks. Next to each task enter a number from 1 to 10, to rate how successful you were at completing the task, and another number from 1 to 10 to rate how much you loved working on the task. After one week of data, analyze and look for tasks that have 9’s and 10’s next to them. Now take your natural skills and create a revenue stream.
Use the Internet well to uncover an abundance of opportunities. Start small - barter for services, use www.craigslist.com to gain further inspiration, use forums to ask questions and to solicit help in your niches.
How many spare tires does a car have? One, Right! So, what happens when you have two or three flat tires - or the unlikely event that all four tires are flat, what do you do?
Highway 401 runs east to west just north of the City and is one of Toronto’s major highways with a total of 12 lanes - express and collector, and in some parts of the highway it expand to 14 lanes. Highway 404 runs north and south from downtown Toronto to north of Newmarket, and is also known as the Don Valley Parkway - or Parking Lot, that turns into the 404 at the 401 junction.
I was driving north towards Richmond Hill on Bathurst Street, Thursday when I decided to take the 401 eastbound towards the 404. I proceeded to take the exit towards the 404 north, when my steering wheel wobbled under my hands. I didn’t give it much thought until I made a lane change when the steering wheel wobbled again. I thought to myself, “Maybe I should take the car in for an alignment, after all I did just have new tires installed."
The 407 ETR is toll highway that runs east to west, north of Toronto, and directly through the town of Richmond Hill – I live in Richmond Hill, making the 407 a convenient highway. As I approached the 404 and 407 junction the entire steering column in the car wobbled rending the steering wheel useless. I took a chance and drove to the second exit where a Sonoco Gas Bar is stationed. When the car came to a complete stop I opened the driver door, looked to the rear of the vehicle and noticed a flat tire. I then looked towards the front of the vehicle only to witness another flat tire.
I feel mortified. They say we are our own worst critics. I believe that we are our own worst critics. I won’t deny that I am crucifying myself right now. My heart is beating a thousand miles a minute, the same way it beat last April, when I spoke at the peace-by-peace festival. That was my first public speaking appearance and it was for 800 students. They do say: Go Big or Go Home – So I go BIG!! ☺
Oh yeah! Style By Jury - Was I nervous the first time? I think I was a little nervous, but not to the extent where I couldn’t work. Do I believe I might have spoken fast like I did on the radio? Sure - I think I did.
You know! The funny thing is someone once told me that I write the way I speak. Oddly enough I never really heard, or should I say, aware of what I am saying. I mean - I’m aware of what I am saying but I am not aware of how it sounds. I don’t think I ever gave thought to how I might sound. I sometimes become aware of when I speak fast, so I slow down. But even when I slow down I am not thinking about how it sounds - only that I’m speaking fast.
I gained a lot from my experience at the peace-by-peace festival. I also gained a wealth of experience with each episode of Style by Jury and Save Us From Our House. But today I will walk away with the granddaddy of all prizes, a huge learning lesson that will help me as I move forward in my journey. But, the prize also came at a cost – the biggest anxiety attach I experienced since my last one when bridges were an issue.
Clients sometimes ask me if I’m ever in my head. I always give them the same answer each time. “No, I have no reason to be in my head.” I never did want to hear what I sound like on the radio, nor did I ever want to see what I look like on TV. But after listening to what I sound like on the radio, I know now what that person meant when they said, “I speak the way I write”. So yes, I am in my head tonight – Just a little bit.
During my brief, intense anxiety attack earlier, I said, “I’m never doing that again,” But I know that comment is not true - I welcome another time so I could implement what I learned today and what I will learn tomorrow no matter how sever the anxiety attach will be.
Sometimes what we need to learn about ourselves will come at a cost – the price is fear that causes pain - anxiety, but in the end its worth it – any amount of pain caused by fear is worth experiencing if the end result yields a positive learning experience.
Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach & Mentor
News Talk 1010 CFRB is talking about the economy, saving money, and how to use hidden talents and passion to make extra money during this recession. Jim Richards will be speaking with Master Life Coach & Mentor Bruno LoGreco about strategies individuals, and families can implement to reduce expenses while making extra cash for the holiday season.
Tune in at 10:30 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time) Tuesday December 9, 2008 and listen live @ CFRB
Eruptions reeks havoc and can cause serious damage depending on the force and size of the explosion. After two much needed days of total relaxation, I once again feel the buzz of my soul within my body after the minor explosion I experienced Friday past.
The explosion was not severe, and did not cause any damage. The explosion was minor and by early afternoon nobody could tell an explosion occurred. I take time for self regularly; whether I’m being sedentary in a park or whether I’m being creative at home, I find time for me all the time.
Last week was one of those weeks where time slipped under me, running out of time before it was my turn. By weeks end, which included one day when I did not eat lunch – Sure I was a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. My body told me earlier in the week that something was brewing, but I over extended myself running on autopilot for the past weeks and without an immanent warning I erupted Friday.
Fortunately I do recognize that I’m burning the candle from both ends so, I decided to take a little breather leading into the Christmas holiday. In the past I’ve articulated what the breather entailed, this time I think I will let the breather take its course - ditch my inability to control my daily actions and do what ever I feel like doing when the time comes.
Master Life Coach & Mentor Toronto native Bruno LoGreco
Thank God It’s Friday! What a week it was – from the time I awoke early Monday morning to catch my flight back to Toronto, I worked non-stop up until late last night tending to clients plus cropping and loading new images for the much anticipated launch of hero+destiny - an online pet company that has been in the works for a better part of two years. Suffice to say I feel the candle burning from both ends.
Awareness coaching is about automatic behaviors, recognizing triggers and identifying the root cause, which evoke reactions. It is also about feeling emotions and allowing space within the soul to go through the process of feeling. Often time emotions are bottled-up for many reasons: fear, judgment, suppression, etc. And when emotions are constantly bottled rather than experienced, one begins to build a resistance towards their own feelings.
Volcanoes are similar to humans who make the decision to suppress their emotions – how they feel. These are individuals who have suppressed their true feelings, or believe they are strong and that emotions are for kids, or that men don’t cry. I am not suggesting only men think this way because females do to. These are the one’s who have an imminent explosion brewing inside, deep in the core of their soul similar to a volcanic eruption.
For these individuals, at any moment given the right condition and environment within the world around them, an uncontrollable explosion will occur. A volcano releasing its gases, exploding in every direction, suffocating those who breathe the ashes from the erupting volcano, and burning anyone in the way of the burning lava.
This past week I experienced an uncontrollable urge to experience my own emotions, but I was unable to allow myself the space I required to feel the emotions because I had no time for myself to feel what I was feeling. I allowed myself to bottle my emotions and put the well being of others ahead of my own. This is a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, I am lucky to realize what I have done this past week and today, Friday, is ‘me’ day and I will deal with my emotions and do what is necessary for myself to ensure I do not erupt like a volcano.
Enjoy Your Weekend - Try to find a little ‘me’ time to allow yourself to feel human, to experience your emotions, in which ever way that may be.
Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach and Mentor
Tough economic times attract annoying, unwanted telephone calls from collection agencies, collecting on debt they purchase from creditors. Collection agencies buy consumer debt for pennies on the dollar. The reward - A nice profit if they collect the full outstanding debt.
So what should you know about your bad debt and the pesky, annoying telephone calls you receive from collection agencies during your dinner hour?
The first thing you should know about collection agencies is that they are nothing more than call centers, employing anybody and everybody with or without credentials. A typical collection agency will jam all their agents into one room - open concept with the supervisor pit in the middle to monitor calls.
Collection agencies CANNOT harass, threaten, seize, garnish, hold, or threaten you with any legal action. It is against the law and against the Fair Debt Collection Practices. They cannot contact your employer or any of your extended family. Contacting family is a tactic collection agencies use to try and shame you into paying your debt but it is illegal.
The Process For Delinquent Accounts Leading to Charge Off
Stocks rebounded last week on news of Obama's new administration and ahead of Black Friday. I was hoping for another rally at the opening bell today, but even with better than expected sales figures from Black Friday the Dow Jones is down as is the TSX. Despite the massive rally last week - investors are still concerned about the economy, and rightly so.
