As a practicing writer, do you sometimes feel like you have nothing to write or like it takes forever to create even one well written sentence? And then after all the hard work it took to create a powerful sentence, article, or book–you then struggle to get motivated to do it all over again. Writing doesn’t have to be this hard. You can learn to tap into your brilliance easier, faster, and with more excitement!

Creating A Supportive Environment

Writing partners are a must. More than anything else, a writing buddy or partner will allow you to be validated on a consistent basis. Not just validation of your actual writing, but validation of your time and work. That is why joining organizations like the National Association of Women Writers (NAWW) are so important in helping you tap into your brilliance. It really is about validation of your purpose. You won’t sit down at the computer again and again to write if you don’t feel like it is a worthy experience. (more…)

Your money mindset allows you to dream big and live your passion in this life in three ways.

One: Believing in Abundance

Right now you believe many goals are attainable and many are not. The way we were raised and our current environment dictate our beliefs and unless we are challenged and taught to believe differently, we stay stuck. Today, open up your mind to abundance. Take a financial goal and rewrite it in an abundant mindset. Try to make yourself believe that you can accomplish it even if there is a nagging voice saying “no way!” Then put it where you can see it every day. Whatever you want to accomplish, have, or do. It doesn’t matter. Think abundantly and think big for yourself. (more…)

Hi Creators!

One of my assistants, Erin Blaskie at www.bsetc.ca “tagged” me to share my favorite five useful links… I think I will do my favorite five inspirational links instead since at least a couple of my useful links would be the same as hers…

My Favorite Five Inspirational Links

1) Keri Smith’s site at http://www.kerismith.com – I LOVE her Living Out Loud book

2) Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy’s site at www.planetsark.com

3) The Do It Anyway blog post by Tasra Dawson – click here.

4) Wayne Dyer’s Daily Inspiration at http://www.drwaynedyer.com/inspiration

5) And finally, Jill Badonsky’s site at http://www.themuseisin.com – this site has a really amazing Muse Map on it – you can also see it here http://themuseisin.com/musemap.html

Take care and I hope you find inspiration in these links too!

To your success,

Sheri McConnell

www.createyourgroup.com – Let me teach you how to create a group of passionate customers to serve today!

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As we head into another new and exciting year, I really want to offer you the push you need to realize your potential in 2007. One reason I get so excited this time of year is because I always feel a sense of unlimited possibilities as the new year approaches. I love the starting over and reworking of what didn’t work in my personal and professional life last year. And after years of learning and growing and accomplishing some of the many goals I have set for myself, I decided that no matter what you decide to do in and with your life, your mindset matters most.

In fact, your mindset makes or breaks your success in this life in three ways:

One– Believing in Abundance

Right now you believe many goals are attainable and many are not. The way we were raised and our current environment dictate our beliefs and unless we are challenged and taught to believe differently, we stay stuck. (more…)

Entrepreneurs and small business owners know they need to market their business to make more money and attract more customers, but they often don’t know how to go about it. That’s why my FOCUS Marketing™ Method is such a powerful tool. It gives you specific techniques to make your marketing efforts pay off.

“F” is for Filtered. Concentrate on targeting people in a specific niche market to attract your ideal clients—those people who you serve well and who you are most alike. Think about what types of people you best identify with and what life experiences, interests, hobbies, and roles you might share with them. Then consider whether they are people you’ll want to work with in the long term.

Once you have an idea who your “ideal clients” are, you can attract them with your pricing, packaging, and branding—the image you project on your website and in your marketing materials. You’ll want to filter out people who are not a good fit for your business, such as those who can’t afford your prices, or those who you’ll struggle to get access to, and attract only those people who are most likely to purchase the products and services you offer—the ideal clients for your business.

“O” is for Organize. Once you’ve determined who your ideal clients are, you can create strategies for marketing to them on a regular basis. This means planning in advance what actions you’ll take during any given week or month, such as publishing an ezine, or doing a speaking engagement, or issuing a press release to promote special events and stimulate sales.

I suggest using a large wall calendar that shows month-by-month when to launch new products, have a holiday sale, or offer special discounts to regular customers. By planning strategies in advance, you’ll stay focused on the specific marketing tasks necessary to achieve your objectives efficiently and effectively.

“C” is for Convert. Your organized marketing tasks will attract your ideal clients’ attention and then you can start building a relationship with them. You want to do this so prospects can get to know and trust you, either by subscribing to your ezine, or attending one of your workshops or speaking events, or getting your “freebie” that you give away when they provide you with their contact information.

Essentially, you want to capture their names and addresses (or e-mail address) so you can keep in touch with them on a regular basis. By establishing a connection with these prospects, you 1) more easily convert them into paying customers, and 2) create a bond with your “best” customers who are those people that will give you repeat business, referrals, positive word of mouth advertising, and valuable feedback on your products and services.

“U” is for Utilize. The next step is to utilize a number of marketing theories that will actually help you take your business to the next level. One is the SWOT analysis, which means examining your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats in the marketplace. This requires complete honesty, so you can see what areas you might need to work on personally, what tasks you should be delegating, and what barriers and opportunities might exist—facets of your business or industry that have a direct impact on your earning ability.

Another commonly used theory is the marketing funnel, which simply means offering a variety of products and price points to appeal to customers at different ready-to-buy levels. Some people will move quickly through the funnel to your high-end products (at the bottom of the funnel) while some people will remain at the top for the duration of your relationship.

Another theory is the 3Ps of marketing: promotions, pricing and packaging. You’ll want to review the promotions you’re doing, the pricing of your products and what type of customer that attracts, and the product packaging itself. Many small business owners hesitate to pay for graphic design and other professional touches that can make a huge difference in your income level. Your goal is to attract your ideal clients so your packaging—including what your website looks like and the appeal of your product’s graphics—needs to be designed to attract the ideal customer for your business.

“S” is for Systematic. To achieve the highest level of success, you need to use proven systems to run your business at maximum efficiency. This means: 1) automating certain functions, such as using autoresponders to keep in touch with your prospects, doing article marketing to drive traffic to your website, and adding a shopping cart to your website; and 2) creating a natural cycle that allows you to repeatedly and consistently market to your ideal customers so you can close on sales and resell and upsell to your higher-priced products and services.

FOCUSing will allow you to stay on track and generate new leads on a continuous basis. Let’s face it, your goal is to build an online business with a strong foundation and the FOCUS Marketing Method allows you to do just that.

Want To Use This Article In Your Ezine or Website? You have my permission, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Sheri McConnell (http://www.SheriMcConnell.com) is the President and Founder of Create Your Group (http://www.createyourgroup.com). She teaches you how to create a group of passionate customers to serve today. Sheri’ lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband Seth and their four children. Contact her at info@createyourassn.com or her toll free number at 1-866-821-5829.

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Have you been struggling to reach your goals and achieve the level of success you desire and deserve? Then use my Get CLEAR Process to get the results you want.

Clear the Clutter. The first step in the process is to eliminate the clutter that takes up physical and mental space in your life. Your goal is to make room for your future by getting rid of the excess “stuff” that creates chaos in your surroundings and clogs your mind with overwhelm.

To accomplish this, you’ll want to first select an area to work on—whether that’s your desk, your home office, or some other space that’s in disarray—and then implement a sorting strategy to 1) throw away things you don’t use or need; 2) give away or recycle items that someone else can use; and 3) place in file folders paperwork and other documents you need, and place in containers your tools of the trade and other supplies. Everything should have its own designated space so you can find things quickly and easily every time you need them. (more…)

1) Find a Natural Sanctuary

Stimulate the Senses

By far, one of the best ways to stay motivated and to sustain your passion (no matter what it is) is to get outside and walk or jog or run. Our bodies and our brains need to be stimulated and nothing does this better than nature. Nature is vivid. The sounds and textures and smells will help you come alive. And by physically moving in nature, you will stimulate your body even more. Once your senses become stimulated, your brain will start to give you answers to personal and/or business questions. Your body will also become programmed to generate new creative ideas when you stimulate your senses. (more…)