Sunday, January 16, 2011
The Right Mental Attitude
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Building Personal Brand Within the Social Media Landscape
Need advice on Social Media skills and building your Personal Brand? Gary Vaynerchuk has some definite ideas about both and is very impassioned, if unorthodox, when speaking about them. I had heard of him some time ago but had never watched one of his video presentations until yesterday when I ran across the link for the video immediately following. For those who cannot get around his abundant use of "adult language" please do not view any of the videos posted below. I have also posted links to his book, Crush It! and the Kindle version of the same title. At the time of this writing, the book has a user rating of 4.5 stars with 485 customer reviews. That's pretty good by anybody's standards and I am really looking forward to reading Crush It! myself.
Gary Vaynerchuk (born November 14, 1975, in Babruysk, U.S.S.R., presently Belarus) is a video blogger, co-owner and director of operations of a wine retail store, and an author and public speaker on the subjects of social media, brand building and e-commerce. Vaynerchuk immigrated to the U.S. in 1978, and after graduating from Mount Ida College in Newton, MA, transformed his father's Springfield, NJ liquor store into the large scale retail wine store named Wine Library, and in 2006 started the video blog Wine Library TV, a daily internet webcast on the subject of wine, which launched his career of internet celebrity. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
More at Wikipedia Website
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Future Belongs To Those Who Prepare For It
What are you currently doing to prepare for your future? As crazy as this sounds, many people simply do not have a plan!
The late Jim Rohn, famous author and motivator, recounted the following conversation with J. Earl Shoaff, "Shortly after I met my mentor he asked me, 'Mr. Rohn, how much money have you saved and invested over the last six years?' And I said, 'None.' He then asked, 'Who sold you on that plan?' I remember saying to him, 'If I had more money, I would have a better plan.' He quickly responded, 'I would suggest that if you had a better plan, you would have more money.' You see, it’s not the amount that counts; it’s the plan that counts."
Another of Mr. Rohn's favorite sayings about planning is: “If you were to show me your current financial plan, would I get so excited by it that I would go across the country and lecture on it? If the answer is no, then here’s my question: “Why not”? Why wouldn’t you have a superior financial plan that is taking you to the places you want to go?”
Studies show that those with written plans and goals achieve far more than those who don't. It doesn't need to be fancy or elaborate to work ~ it just needs to be written down.
My wife and I floated through life for 25 years just accepting whatever life sent our way and getting nowhere. Once we started writing down our goals and plans we started moving toward financial independence. Most of our plans and goals are so simple several can be written on a 3x5 card. It's NOT rocket science but it does need to be done! Define your goals and plans and WRITE THEM DOWN!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Spice up your mobile phone for only $16.49 and create unlimited free ringtones.
Here's a simple, easy-to-learn software application I am using to create a library of ringtones to sell (one of my many muses). The company offers a free trial version (with an audio "watermark") that can later be licensed for $16.49 to obtain full use of the software or you can do like I did and go straight to the full licensed download. The company accepts payment via debit/credit card OR Paypal. I used the Paypal option and payment and download were accomplished in a matter of minutes.
The Ringtone Maker is a desktop application that allows you to use any of your personal songs or youtube videos, customize it and have it on your mobile phone as a ringtone or store it in memory to access at a later time. The Ringtone Maker is compatible with phones from: Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and many more. Over 1,700 mobile phones are supported and most of the major carriers.
"The Ringtone Maker software is just that: an unlimited, unrestricted editor to create a 5-30 sec customized ringtone from MP3, WMA, WAV, Audio CD and OGG files. You select the music file, edit it, and then download it to your phone. There is a graph of the song to help you choose the right segment you want. Plus, now TRM allows you to make customized wallpapers from images on your computer and choose from over 2,000 pre-made true tone ringtone sounds, wallpapers, polyphonic ringtones and animations.
The Ringtone Maker works in the US plus more than 65 countries and with most mobile phones that support real music ringtones and have Internet service through its carrier.
No cables required, but you CAN download the ringtones and wallpapers from your PC to cell phone via cable, Bluetooth, or infrared. Unlimited access, no subscriptions or hidden fees; make dozens, 100s, 1000s of ringtones for every friend, family member, occasion, or mood and never pay for another ringtone." From Ringtone Maker web site
Your phone needs to accept truetone ringtones (aac, mp3, amr, mmf, qcp)
Your phone needs to be internet (wap) enabled, OR
You must be able to transfer files from your PC to your phone via one of the following connections: cable, infrared or bluetooth
To be sure of your phone's and mobile network provider's compatibility, please test your phone first. Just use the banner below to check for phone compatibility or access the download area. It is quick and easy to confirm compatibility and took me less than 30 seconds.
Minimum hardware
IBM® or compatible PC with at least a Pentium 233 MHz processor; Pentium 500MHz or greater recommended
32 MB RAM memory; 64 MB RAM or higher recommended; a minimum of 64 MB required for Windows 2000 and XP, and 128 MB RAM is recommended for XP
10 MB hard drive space
Internet connection
Minimum software
Microsoft® Windows 2000/Me/XP or NT 4.0; Windows XP recommended
Microsoft® Internet Explorer (MSIE) version 5.5 or higher
Spice up your mobile phone for only $16.49 and create unlimited free ringtones!
Adobe Photoshop Special for our readers ~ Expires 1/5/11
Save $50 on Adobe Photoshop CS5! Hurry! Expires 1/5/11.
Low Cost Travel Lodging - Part 2
Vacation Rentals
The first I heard about this concept was from a brother-in-law after he returned from a week's stay at his cousin's vacation place in Florida. His stay was free but he told me he had heard some people with second homes in Florida rent them out to tourists, mostly by the week, for far less than a standard hotel or motel fee but for far more than ordinary rent would provide.
Intrigued, I did a few searches on the internet and, sure enough, there were listings for vacation rentals at a considerable savings over what I had last paid for motels in the same areas.
Fast forward about five years and I went into a co-worker's office to discuss a contract and observed a photo of her and her husband in obvious vacation mode with ruggedly beautiful scenery in the backgound. I commented on the photo and she casually mentioned they had stayed in a VRBO in Alaska (pronounced "verboh"). I asked her, "What the heck is a verboh?", thinking it must be some sort of camper I had never heard of of. "Vacation Rentals by Owner" was her reply and she went on to explain how it worked, where to find it on the web and what a great deal they had gotten on their rental.
After browsing around the VRBO site I have vowed to always check there first before I look for discount hotel / motel lodging when I travel. The added privacy, convenience and cost-savings alone make these potentially great deals but when you throw in that many vacation rentals don't charge extra per person, are pet friendly and are significantly larger than most hotel / motel rooms, families or other large groups can travel more comfortably, even for extended durations. Many of the rentals that appealed to me were also located close to many of the activities I had planned and afford walking opportunities.
VRBO.com and VacationRentals.com are both owned by HomeAway.com with slightly different focus and layout. Check them both out before you travel. You might just be surprised at the accomodations and pricing.
VRBO® is Vacation Rentals by Owner
"About VRBO: Established in 1995, we've been in the vacation rental business for over 14 years. In fact, VRBO was founded by vacation rental owners who self-manage their second homes, like many of you do. We provide an online space for homeowners to advertise their vacation properties and make it easy for travelers to search 150,000+ rentals in over 100 countries worldwide." from VRBO.com
VacationRentals.com
"VacationRentals.com is the leading online source for finding vacation rental properties with discounted rates and last-minute deals. Featuring more than 35,000 vacation rentals ranging from Florida beach houses to European villas, VacationRentals.com connects travelers seeking the space, value and amenities of vacation rentals with homeowners looking to rent out their vacation properties. The company was founded in 1997 and acquired by HomeAway, Inc. in May 2007." from VacationRentals.com
Want to put your own second home into vacation rentals but not sure where to start? Thinking about putting some of your investment dollars into vacation rental properties? Check out these books at Amazon.com for more information:
Lay My Hat
"Lay My Hat is a unique resource for holiday rental home-owners, by holiday rental owners - it's full of free advice, ideas and discussions on what we all want in life...more bookings. The idea behind Lay My Hat is that between us we must know everything there is to know about renting holiday properties - it's just a question of getting together to discuss it.
On this site you can ask for help from your fellow owners, or share your know-how with them, because you’re not alone – there are many people in your situation, including me!" from laymyhat.com
Don't say you don't have enough time.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thoughts Become Things!
Mike Dooley, featured in "The Secret," author of NY Times bestseller Infinite Possibilities and scribe behind "Notes from the Universe" explaining the inviolate principle that gives us dominion over all things.
More at tut.com Website
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Yanik Silver's 10 Best Books for Inspired Entrepreneurs from 2010
Yanik Silver's 10 Best Books for Inspired Entrepreneurs from 2010
http://www.internetlifestyle.com/blog/resources-and-tools/10topbooks2010
"Fun, Freedom and Financial Independence funded by the Internet"
Two Ways to Live Your Life
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Track your stolen laptop (or phone) for free
Many entrepreneurs find using a laptop to be a great convenience and/or necessity in realizing their Lifestyle (Re)Design. With the proliferation of WiFi hotspots and increased internet connectivity worldwide it allows you work from nearly anywhere without the need for an office or "brick and mortar" store.
With this convenience comes danger and we're referring to physical theft this time rather than cyber-crime. Clearly, it's bad enough when someone steals from you but your laptop presents its own unique problems in that it very likely contains sensitive personal or business information.
Which is the reason why Prey was developed. It's a free program (Linux, Mac or Windows) that works to track your laptop (or phone) should anyone steal it.
Prey Project
Rest safe. Prey lets you keep track of your phone or laptop at all times, and will help you find it if it ever gets lost or stolen. It's lightweight, open source software, and free for anyone to use. And it just works.
Silent but deadly: Basically you install a tiny agent in your PC or phone, which silently waits for a remote signal to wake up and work its magic.
This signal is sent either from the Internet or through an SMS message, and allows you to gather information regarding the device's location, hardware and network status, and optionally trigger specific actions on it." Quoted material is from the Prey Project Website
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Low Cost Travel Lodging
One of the goals in Lifestyle (Re)Design for many people is the option to be able to travel more. This requires more time, which is hopefully realized by the development of successful Muse(s), and affordability. Individuals with highly successful Muses will require less attention to affordability but still may prefer to travel as inexpensively as possible, regardless of their income. Many travelers find that hostels fill the bill for traveling affordably so we have devoted this blog post to Hostelling International USA. The information below is presented as it appears on their web site but by no means is intended as a substitute for all the info provided by HI-USA. I highly recommend that if you find the information presented below of interest that you use the link below to access HI-USA's attractive and easy-to-navigate web site to research further or join.
Hostelling International USA
"Hostelling International USA (registered as American Youth Hostels, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1934 to promote international understanding of the world and its people through hostelling. HI-USA operates a network of over 60 quality hostel accommodations throughout the United States that are inexpensive, safe and clean. Our hostels range from urban high-rise buildings with hundreds of beds to small more remote hostels in rural settings."
Hostelling International USA Website
"Are hostels just for young people? Hostelling International USA welcomes visitors of all ages. While the majority of our hostel guests are between 18 and 30 years of age, seniors, families and groups also enjoy using our hostels across the United States and around the world."
"Where are hostels and how many are there? Hostelling International USA has nearly 4,000 hostels in over 80 countries worldwide, including more than 60 hostels here in the United States. Our hostels are in major cities like New York, London, Paris, Beijing, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro and Nairobi, but you will also find hostels in smaller centers, rural areas, points of interest, national parks, along with mountainous regions and coastal shores."
"What does it cost to stay in a hostel? Big city hostels, like New York and London, will run $25-$35 per night. Smaller and medium sized hostels can be as little as $10-$14 per night. Staying at our hostels makes your trip more affordable and allows you to spend your money on other things."
"The types and prices of each membership
YOUTH: FREE (for those under 18 years of age)
ADULT: $28.00 ANNUALLY (18-54 years of age)
SENIOR: $18.00 ANNUALLY (55+ years of age)
LIFE: $250 (one-time fee & open to all ages)"
"Hostelling International USA is a nonprofit membership organization that provides you with a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to:
Access to more than 4,000 hostels in over 80 countries worldwide.
Access to nearly 70 hostel locations in the United States.
Savings up to 70% on international phone calls, free e-mail access, voicemail and travel information through eKit.
HI-USA members now get basic international travel insurance coverage and discounts on optional upgrades
Worldwide access to commission-free currency exchange."
"You must be a U.S. citizen or resident to purchase a Hostelling International USA membership. To find the closest Hostelling International office in your home country, visit www.hihostels.com."
A National Non-Profit With a Mission: "To help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its people through hostelling." Hostelling International USA
Rock Star Guitar
This blog is about Lifestyle (Re)Design and sometimes it's difficult to remember that this entails other things besides making or saving money or building Muses for income. Things like playing music, learning to paint or other some artistic endeavor. You know, the stuff that makes us feel satisfied just for the sake of doing it. Well, I ran across this guy this morning and asked myself, "How many people have I heard say they would love to learn to play guitar if it wasn't so hard and time-consuming?"
Well, Sammy T has done what Tim Ferriss is so fond of doing and deconstructed the music learning process and reconstructed it in a manner that is more readily learned by today's aspiring "rock stars". The success of the "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" video games is a testament to the idea behind Sammy T's instructional method.
If you've ever had the desire to learn to play guitar, this just might be the system you've been looking for and with a $1.00 trial period who can't afford to check it out? When my son took guitar lessons back in the early 1990's the lessons cost $15.00 per hour session. That was costing us about $60.00 per month plus gas for a 45 mile round-trip excursion. At $37.00 per month for unlimited access, the member fee for Rock Star Guitar is a bargain!
From the Rock Star Guitar web site: "A professional entertainer and avid video game player, Sammy T has fused two of his biggest interests to create a unique learning opportunity for ‘Rock Band’ and “Guitar Hero’ players. Sammy’s new learn-to-play-guitar system uses color-coded chords similar to the popular video games so that game players can learn how to play a REAL guitar.
My new “Rock Star Guitar” System, which uses color-coded chords similar to the video game, will have you playing like a pro in no time! You’ll get the step-by-step instruction and the comprehensive information you need to get results fast! You’ll discover amazing methods that will enable you to play virtually any guitar song no matter what level you are at now (beginner, intermediate or advanced)!"
"Yes! I’d like to try Rock Star Guitar for $1! That’s right, you can have unlimited access to the site for 14 days for just one dollar. After 14 days if you don’t love the site, simply cancel your membership and you won’t pay another penny. If you enjoy the site, do nothing and you’ll automatically become a member at lowest price of $37 a month." Sammy T
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Jim Rohn and The Success Store
Without a doubt Jim Rohn had a significant effect on me AND my thinking when I first became involved with personal development, success achievement and wealth-building. It is true that wealthy people and poor people do think differently and THAT is the primary difference between being poor and being wealthy. Mr. Rohn explains how his mentor, Earl Shoaf, helped him to see that he had been thinking like a poor person and that once he changed himself that the world around him would change. Mr. Rohn went from being a poor store clerk in a JC Penney's store to being a multi-millionaire with several successful businesses. The story of his transformation is embedded with pearls of wisdom as passed on to him by his personal mentor as well as many other successful people.
The Success Store carries many wonderful books and audio products that contain those same pearls of wisdom. Many successful people are fond of saying that if you want to be successful, don't listen to people in the same situation or economic circumstances you're in; listen to and read advice from people who have already made it to where you want to be. If people in the same boat you're in really knew what to do to better their circumstances, they'd have already done it!
Success is not just about becoming more wealthy either. It is about becoming a better person than you already are. The tools and resources available through the link below will help you accomplish that goal. To your success!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Success Principles
Jack Canfield, the co-creator of the ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul” series talks about his failures and successes. Below is a clip from the video and the book is one of the ones on my bookshelf that I go back to time after time.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
MindJet Mind Mapping Software
Having a hard time getting your thoughts focused or visualizing a desired outcome? Check out the no obligation free trial for MindJet Mind Mapping software at the link below. Six out of ten Fortune 100 companies use it so it's worth a look don't you think?
MindJet Mind Mapping Software
"Mindjet provides productivity software that helps business professionals visually organize and act upon ideas, information and resources to drive productivity, team effectiveness and business innovation. Mindjet products include industry-leading software and online services centered around information mapping, as well as applications that incorporate Mindjet's innovative visualization technology to improve the usability of leading business applications. 1.5 million people use Mindjet software, including the industry-leading MindManager mind mapping application, to clarify thinking, efficiently analyze information, increase team productivity, and make better-informed decisions." MindJet.com
Vision Board Builder
Vision boards have been used for quite some time now as personal motivators. A vision board is an assemblage of pictures, photos & illustrations of things you want to possess, do or achieve or places you want to visit. Vision Board Builder is a free program that allows you to create vision boards on your computer. In addition to the vision board I have printed out for my office wall, I also use it as the wallpaper on my laptop. I have included some of the software developer's blog text in the section below for clarification. Enjoy!
"What Exactly Is This Vision Board Software? The Vision Board Builder is a completely free Windows application that’s designed to make building attractive image collages a snap!
A vision board is essentially a collection of images and ideas that reflect what you hope to achieve or acquire in life. Visualizing your goals is a powerful motivator– and with the free Vision Board Builder, it’s simpler than ever before! It’s also perfect for making general purpose collages or scrapbooks.
Simple drag and drop interface. Instant results. No spyware. No advertisements. No strings attached.
Is There a Catch? There is no catch. I originally wrote a simpler version of this for myself, then figured others might find it useful or fun. I offer it now completely free just for visiting my site, and hope you find some value in it. If you enjoy it, I’d love to hear your feedback or suggestions. If you really enjoy it, you’re always welcome to donate a few bucks. But like I said, this program is a free gift with no strings attached. And if you’d like to be notified of future releases and other exclusives, don’t forget to join the mailing list!" Kurt - DayBlocks.com
Video Tutorial