…and you should live your life focusing on making those talents excellent, not concentrating on your weaknesses.

I bought into this – as an avid researcher of personality theories and human behavior, I knew it was the accepted viewpoint.

Until… my research proved differently.

In fact, I discovered a way to move into every core passion type and make every gifting there MY OWN.

In other words, you aren’t limited to the strengths of your own personality type.  You can have them ALL.

Sounds audacious, I know, but it’s true. And it means you’re three times more gifted than you likely thought!

That’s just one of the discoveries in our STEP core passion research!

If you’ve been a fan of personality tests and understanding others, then STEP will set your brain aflame with new possibilities.   Some of our findings turn traditional theories totally upside down.

Get the scoop here…
Introducing the power of STEP into Destiny!

It’s new.  It’s cutting edge.  And it will forever change the way you think about human behavior and motivation.

Here’s to showcasing your brilliance!

Lisa Rae

Over the past few weeks I have made a couple of unique discoveries at my house.

Two Easter eggs – from 2011. 

Now, Easter is a BIG deal at my house. Last year I hosted three separate egg hunts.  And I LOVE IT!!!!  I over-the-top, gleefully adore the fun of creating and hiding surprises.

I’m not sure how these two little eggs managed to escape the eagle eyes of eight children.

The one I found in February lie in the brown stems of a purple echinacea that had decorated my front yard all summer and autumn.    The other was nestled in the back of a concrete block near my house.

Of course, the discoveries brought a smile to my face.  Kind of fun, actually.  Definitely a surprise.

And they gave me pause to ponder.

Have you ever felt hidden when you wanted to shine?  Sometimes I am content to sneak off and rest in the middle of chaos.  Sometimes what’s stirring in me just isn’t ready to burst forth.

But then there are those moments in which I’ve felt desperate to make a splash.  Like everything inside me demanded to share my message -preferably yesterday – but I remained hidden.  Nestled in a spot so shady, I despaired that anyone would find me.

When you’re planning on sharing your story with others with the hope that you’ll help them avoid mistakes or inspire them to believe in their strength regardless of circumstances, there comes a shining moment.  A launch of sorts in which you move from the shadow into the light.

Part of us awaits, clad in our super-hero costume, ready to save the day!  Part of us digs a hole deeper, hoping no one will see or even hear us breathing.

Funny how that can happen simultaneously.

In the middle of wild-eyed woundedness, your light – my light- can make a phenomenal impact.  The person who’s not like the rest, who takes the risk to show the world their brightness, makes a profound impact.

Around 1:00 AM one morning there was a knock at my door, and I didn’t recognize the voice.  I called 911, and when the policeman arrived, he shone a special high-powered flashlight in the back field, lighting up the entire place!

That’s what your story now has the power to do.  Not just make an impact in your circle, but light up hearts world-wide.

Are you ready to risk it?  Ready to stand on the launch pad?

The world needs you more than ever, my friend.  Needs your compassion, your hope, your light.

What’s your story?  Do you have a message or life lesson you feel would transform others?  Feel free to share it below!

Blessings!

Lisa Rae Preston

If you’re ready to take your story global, then you definitely want to invest in mentorship.  There’s no need to “go it alone.”  Consulting with an expert can shave years off making your dream real.  Make a massive shift forward with  Mission Possible: Impact Your World!

May, 2005 hailed the second biggest upset in the 131 year history of the Kentucky Derby.

The unexpected winner was Giacomo (Jock’-ah-mo), a horse who came out of nowhere to win the famed race.  This horse had run poorly in other smaller races, and wasn’t expected to do much of anything.  He was actually running third to last there for a while.

In fact, this horse’s odds were 50 to 1.  Few folks were betting on him to win anything.

And at the last moment, from behind comes this stallion who in the last seconds pulls ahead to win it all.

What really made an impact on me was the interview with the owner after the race.

He said, “Well, the trainer kept telling me Giacomo was steadily improving.”

Loss after loss, but steady improvement anyway.  Talk about a horse that never gave up!

Fast forward to 2009, and the stallion manager at the farm where Giacomo lives quoted, “Even now, as he makes laps across the paddock, it’s usually the last couple ones that are the fastest ones.”  

Are you in need of a comeback?  Maybe you think that winning in business is just a dream or for the lucky.

In my internet marketing career, there have been many moments I felt like I’d lost the race.  A lot of tears, a lot of worry.  A lot of work.

But steady progress…until my grandmother died.  Then I fell into the darkness of depression for years and almost lost everything.

And then started over.    One step at a time, rebuilding my life and business.

If you’re tired of running the marketing race, take heart!  If you are making progress, even if it’s just a little bit at a time, that’s fantastic!  The moment will come when you’ll find your success.

I’ve heard marketer after marketer say the same thing.  When success comes after all that work you’ve put into it, it pours on you. 

It seems like it takes forever, but when it’s your moment, success will come in wave after wave.

I love Destiny writer and speaker Bill Yount’s words, “The powerful ingredient that I discovered in these miracle comebacks in sports events and in my own life was… THEY WERE LOSING! Could what appears to us as seemingly losing in an area of our life possibly be an ingredient or key for a miracle? I believe it is. I am learning that when it appears I am losing and it looks like it’s impossible for me to win, God is setting the stage for something greater.”

The race isn’t finished.  If you keep taking one step at a time, learning from mistakes, and facing forward, success is your destiny.

Are you ready for your miracle comeback?  Hold on!  Your fastest lap is yet to come!

I believe in you!

Lisa Rae

For help in creating a trusting relationship with your market and writing follow-up emails that provide valuable content AND build your profit funnel, check out Instant Niche Emails 3.  My program will help you write an entire year’s worth of these profitable connecting emails in one afternoon!

Creative folks are always looking for new ways to order their ever-increasing menu of ideas.  Here are some free tools that can help you manage your projects and take them to the finish line!

TaDa List – Very simple check off list which allows you to literally create your lists and check off your tasks when you’re finished.  You can share your lists with others if you like.  TaDaList works on Mac, PC, and iphone.

To Do List – for personal project management.  ToDo list organizes your tasks into projects.
It has a built in calendar with recurring dates.  You can also make tasks links so all you have to do is click the link to go to the site you want to check.  Create subprojects.  You can color-code your lists, too and create custom labels for your tasks.  Use on computers or mobile phones.

We Do Ist – for group project management  WeDoIst allows you to assign tasks, manage files, meet deadlines, real time chat with your team.  It’s a nice free way to keep your intern tasks organized and stay in touch with interns.

A mind map is a diagram used to represent thoughts arranged around a central idea.  Mind maps can be used to organize information or as a starting point for visualizing and clarifying dreams/projects.  I usually start with a mind map and then move into a flowchart with the DIA software when I feel the ideas are taking shape.

Some great free tools to help you with mindmapping include…

https://bubbl.us/ is an easy, frill-free brainstorming tool.  (web-based)

Freemind is an open source software and you can download it here. http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Download

Mind42.com is a browser based online mind mapping application, for personal use or collaborative mindmapping.  “Mind42 is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) mind map editor supporting keyboard shortcuts, drag and drop, zooming and much more.” (from site)  You can add links, images, and notes to every node.

Wisemapping is an open source software that offers unlimited use of publishing, sharing and exporting mindmaps in seconds.  You can embed your mindmap in your blog post or on your website.   http://www.wisemapping.org/

As mentioned above, the DIA flowchart software is a nice change of pace from mindmapping tools, when you have fleshed out your idea and are ready to get your ducks in a row.  DIA makes creative ideas so easy to organize. (Windows and Mac) Five stars from me – I love it! http://dia-installer.de/index_en.html

Enjoy!

Lisa Rae Preston

P.S.  Sometimes big dreamers need a team of helpers to get their ideas off the ground.  If you’re ready to take your ideas from flowchart to reality, then why not “hire” some free help to make it happen?  You can secure a team of interns working for you, making your ideas, books, projects REAL.  These highly skilled interns will work for you in exchange for college credit!  You can find out more about setting up your own intern program here.  Free Work Force: Working with Interns for the Solopreneur

If you want to start with interns but don’t want to create your training systems to present to the college coordinators, no problem.  Here is a simple and fast solution.   Done For You Intern Training Systems

Magazines supply the best research on just about any market you can think of.  Editors have done their due diligence when it comes to researching headlines that SELL the magazine.  You can find the most cutting edge details to share with your readers without laborious research… just scan through a few magazines in your niche.

However, highly-niched magazines can be expensive.  Especially if you’re looking for the really unusual ones that your library might not carry.

Thankfully, you can find and read some magazines online.   Here are my four top picks for the easiest and fastest sites to use for magazine research.

One answer for cutting edge content is a wonderful site called Issuu (http://issuu.com).  Here you can peruse thousands of publications, and all for free.  Science, organics, travel – you name it.  They have some really unusual niches as well.

Now, you can’t always read the entire magazine, but often the table of contents offers the best research anyway!   I am mostly looking for the headlines, as those reveal what the market concerns currently are.

The Free Library (http://www.thefreelibrary.com/) offers some journals and magazines, too, but it’s not initially clear which headlines would be on the covers.  It’s a great resource for research, though, as it has millions of articles on thousands of niches.

All You Can Read (http://www.allyoucanread.com/) boasts more than twenty thousand newspapers and magazines for free perusal, but beware, this is NOT a child-friendly site.  Easy to stumble upon some inappropriate content, so I wouldn’t want to be searching this site with children in the room.

Magatopia (http://www.magatopia.com/)  is another great site, and even easier to use when it comes to researching the headlines.  You can find online finance magazines, online gardening magazines – the sky’s the limit.

Check out what folks are reading in your niche on these sites.  Then do some additional research on that topic online.  Find an expert to interview, glean awesome tips for your newsletters, search out the newest gadgets in your niche.

You’ll stay on top of the content game, providing the most cutting edge information for your readers.

And they’ll love ya!

Lisa Rae Preston

For help in creating a trusting relationship with your market and writing follow-up emails that provide valuable content AND build your profit funnel, check out Instant Niche Emails 3.  My program will help you write an entire year’s worth of these profitable connecting emails in one afternoon!

As he looked over some of my domain names, he asked about my obvious interest in quantum physics.  He shared a story with me, while renewing my domain names.

This gentleman had a scientist friend, who, along with other scientists, tried an unusual experiment. 

They took two kinds of water – one tainted, the other blessed.

The tainted water, when tested under the microscope, appeared chaotic.  You could see everything moving around rapidly.  The organisms in the holy water moved around calmly, slowly.

The experiment involved adding one drop of holy water to an entire gallon of tainted water to see what would happen.  Naturally, the hypothesis was that the more plentiful water would take precedence and all the water would end up looking chaotic when viewed under the microscope.  The drop of holy water would just become tainted.  Right?

Well, when the one drop of blessed water was added to the tainted gallon, the entire gallon went from the chaotic movement to the slower, calmer movement of the holy water.

The scientists were surprised and asked each other what could be the possible explanation.

I loved the story and enjoyed the conversation thoroughly.   What could be the answer?

Light overcomes the darkness.  Not just in the spiritual realm, but in the physical realm as well.  (my beliefs)

I loved this story, and the results are not surprising, given the research done by Dr. Masaru Emoto, author of The Hidden Messages in Water.  Of course, more than one test would have to be conducted in numerous settings before you could make solid claims that all holy water can “cure” tainted water.  But it does tantalize my mind and cause me to move my neurons outside the box.

By the way, Dr. Emoto’s work has been highly criticized by scientists, and you can read more about their criticisms on Wikipedia.  It’s good to present both sides of the story whenever possible, to be skeptical of what you read and hear.  It is interesting how Dr. Emoto’s work resonates with quantum physics theories, though!

Lisa Rae Preston

The buy now button highlighted a giant $17.95.

“Great deal,” I thought and clicked it.

I was taken to an order page where I found there were NO more products available at that price.

“Sorry, you’ll have to pay $24.95, and there are only 3 left at this price before it goes up again.”

How effective is this pricing strategy?

AAARRRGGGHHH!  Nothing disappoints a female buyer like thinking she’s going to get one deal and then have it pulled out from under her nose unexpectedly at the last moment.

It’s the quickest way to lose a sale, I think.  When that happens to me, I suddenly think of all the reasons I didn’t need the product in the first place.  I’m irritated, and that frustration is now anchored to the company who I now feel “rips people off” by leading them to believe one thing and then changing the rules midstream.

Warrior Special Offers often use this technique, and I can’t even tell you the amount of times I have read through the comments on the forum, seen that others got the product at $7, and now the price is $37, and I immediately click away.  I feel as if I have “lost out” on the deal.  I don’t want to buy then, no matter what the supposed benefits of the product.

Is this some slick sales strategy, or are people really losing sales when they employ this popular scarcity technique and cement a feel of “negativity and distrust” about their company?

I can understand a pre-launch price that’s cheaper than the regular price -  then folks feel like they’re getting a deal (and they actually do.)  But to know you’ve missed out on a great deal?  Not a good idea, in my brain.

Detail a win/win and everyone’s happy.  Jerk away a deal or show that others got a great deal and you’re too late does almost nothing for me except turn me off.

Anyone else?  Do these techniques cause you to buy, or leave you with such a bad taste that you don’t purchase?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts below!

Lisa Rae Preston

For help in creating a trusting relationship with your market and writing follow-up emails that provide valuable content AND build your profit funnel, check out Instant Niche Emails 3.  My program will help you write an entire year’s worth of these profitable connecting emails in one afternoon!

Why did Glenn Beck Call Retirees Back to Work?

On today’s Glenn Beck radio show, the host made a not-so-astonishing announcement.  In a nutshell – Retirees can’t just kick back in the old recliner and muse their way through their last third of life.  Beck encourages them instead to become entrepreneurs – start their own companies.

Why?

Haven’t these sixty-somethings already given their all to the work force?  Don’t they deserve to take the rest of their lives off, warming their toes in the sand on some remote beach, far from society?

That was the “old” 1960’s to 2004 way of thinking.
Times, well, they are a changin’.

In fact, Beck unashamedly states that the best thing retirees can do is invest in mentoring and apprenticeship programs that relate to becoming an entrepreneur, because our current US administration is destroying the future of our economy.

Retirees could be the saviors of the current economy and that of the next generations according to investors who believe entrepreneurship is what will keep our economy stable and build a more financially sound future for all.

Beck isn’t the only one sounding the entrepreneurial alarm.

I’ve come to realize that entrepreneurship is not risky.  Being unprepared is risky.  -Robert Kiyosaki

You can’t depend on anyone else to guarantee a living for you.  You must take control of your own financial state, whether you’re 18 or 65.  Part of becoming an entrepreneur is to take back control, says Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump, authors of Why We Want You To Be Rich (among other famous exploits).

“…the computer and the Internet make being a national or international entrepreneur much easier and less expensive.  For less than a thousand dollars, I can buy a computer and access the world markets as a business owner or an investor.  The question is, do you have the education, experience, mind-set and core values to be a national or international entrepreneur?”  (page 316, Why We Want You to Be Rich)

Enter the need for no-nonsense mentoring and training for retirees, as Beck suggests.

Quite frankly, retirees don’t have time to dawdle and waste years wondering if this or that way  is the right path for starting one’s own business.  They want mentoring from folks who’ve been-there-done- that and can provide the sound advice and shortcuts necessary for the quickest success. 

Kiyosaki goes on to say that “If you want to make yourself rich, solve problems.  Identifying a problem creates the opportunity for creating a solution.”  (page 60, Why We Want You to Be Rich)

Think about this.  How many retirees have the knowledge and life experience to create solutions for others?

Just about every single one of them!  Who do we look to for advice on a regular basis?  Someone who’s lived life, found the shortcuts and is willing to share their knowledge with us.

As someone who’s been coached by wonderful mentors in business, I would suggest that anyone (Baby Boomer or otherwise) who wants to build a business (that can later be sold if desired, putting many more times the work you invest back into your pocket) consider an online training school, like Directions University.  For a minimal investment, you receive sound training and personal mentoring in setting up a business based around your knowledge – solving the problems you already know how to successfully address.

One of the reasons I love Directions University so much is that they generously share the first 30 days of training with you at no cost.  There’s no credit card required or investment upfront.  You can decide after receiving training if you want to continue.  Perfect for those who aren’t really sure if setting up an online business is for them.

Mindy Fetterman, reporter for USA TODAY, write in June of 2005, “Boomers are likely to continue working, either part time or full time, as consultants or by setting up their own companies, surveys show.”

She hit the nail perfectly on the head.  I think Beck, Trump and Kiyosaki would echo the applause.

Lisa Rae Preston

For more information about Directions University, the online training school for successful entrepreneurs-to-be, visit Directions University Online.

   When creating a trusting relationship with your market, it’s important to know two things right off the bat –

1.  your own connecting style,

2.  and the connection style of your audience.

If you haven’t taken the STEP into Destiny core-passion test yet, you can do so
for free at http://www.StepIntoDestiny.com and read over your results. That will help in understanding your own connecting type.

Four Primary Relational “Connections” People Make

The four main connecting types are Service, Truth, Empathy and Potential.

• The Service type connects with others based on personal history and life details.
• Truth types connect based on a cause or sharing opinions.
• Empathy core-passion types connect based on feelings.
• The Potential connects with others based on their dreams and ideas.

Let’s look closer at each of these styles.

Service – Personal History and Life Details 

My grandmother was a Service extraordinaire.

I remember the gentleman who came to the funeral home to talk about my mom’s death with my grandmother. He came in and sat down, and the first thing she asks is “Where are you from? Where’s your family from?” That was always important, as she was reared in the area and knew a lot of people. She would typically know a person who was related to someone in everybody’s family.

This gentleman told her that he was from Camargo. Gran said, “You know, I used to live there. We had a sawmill there.” She threw out some different last names of families, and sure enough, they found a connection. You always felt like you and your family were important when you were in my grandmother’s presence.

Truth  – Causes and Opinions

Now, my friend Paul is a Truth connector. Be it something political – national or local issues – he’s got an opinion on how to make things fair and right. He’s going to share those opinions, and if you share yours as well (even if it’s not the same), there’s that connection. The conversation may get a little lively, even progressing to debate. The connection is being established through that interchange.

Empathy – Feelings

My friend Carol’s style (Empathy) is connecting through feelings. Her writing is filled with encouragement and joy.  She wants to know how an even affected you or how you’re feeling at the moment.  Of great importance to Carol is helping folks feel happy and valued. People feel drawn to her and as if she’s really understanding where they’re coming from.

Potential – Dreams and Ideas

I’m a Potential connector. I focus on a person’s individuality and potential, on self-awareness (like taking a core-passion test). When I meet someone, I’m not likely to ask who their family is, or what their opinions are about the latest political scam. I want to know their dreams – what they feel their destiny and legacy are. I’m going to naturally connect strongly with people who know their dream or are looking to discover it.

You have your own style of connecting and relating to people. There’s no reason
to act like someone you’re not. Go ahead and carry that style of connecting in
your writing – your emails, salescopy, website content, information products.

 Be YOU…

AND at the same time, be aware of your market’s basic connection needs.
You will naturally relate to others based on YOUR core-passion connecting type
unless you make an effort to do otherwise.

Consider the weight loss market. Well, that’s pretty broad, and you’re going to
find every kind of core-passion in that many people.  Let’s subniche it a bit.

Say you’re dealing with moms and weight loss. You might write to that market in
an Empathy style, as many women are either core or secondary Empathies . I’d
connect with them based on feeling – nurturing, helping them feel embraced and
cared for, encouraged and uplifted. Show that you really understand their
frustrations and that you really want to help them.

Let’s consider gardening next. This niche is basically a hands-on group. They
love the feel of the dirt, the softness of the flower petals. They’re very
tactile, in tune with their environment and nature. They’re often
detail-oriented. They love tips on how to save time. Gardening has had a family
feel to it traditionally, so you might talk a bit about your family in your
emails and blog posts.

Gardening, cooking, quilting, woodworking, – hands-on kinds of niches as a whole will be drawn to folks who connect with them based on personal history and succinct bullet points and old time wisdom and tips that have stood the test of time.

Let’s contrast that with the self-help niche. In general, self-helpers are more
cerebral. I’m not saying they’re not hands-on, but they tend to be as a group
more in tune with their feelings, with their strengths and weaknesses, and they
long for their potential to be realized.

When writing to a self-help audience, establish a connection with their dreams,
visions, goals, and personal mission. Use metaphors and imagery to spark their
creativity. Encourage them to dream and explore new ideas.

If you’re connecting with a list based around Truth or a cause, you’re stating
your passion and your opinions. You may be a little upset even or controversial
on purpose. “What did you think about the election? Did that not freak you out
when this happened?”

Cause connectors don’t usually get bothered by controversy. It gets attention,
and may get you some unsubscribes, but other people will tune in to see your
opinion whether or not they agree with you.

So, knowing the personality of your niche helps establish that crucial trusting
relationship with them. Honor your niche by writing to them from their
connecting style if you want to build the strongest bond.

Connect through your sales copy, emails, web content, products – always focus on
relating and building relationship.

Ideally, you’re in a niche in which you can connect in your natural style – and
your style is the same of your niche.

But if you’re in several markets, I would make a strong attempt to relate to
that niche in their style, not yours.

Hope that’s helpful!  Talk to you later!

Lisa Rae Preston

P.S. Take the STEP into Destiny Core-Passion Test -free!- to discover your own brain and language patterns!  http://www.StepIntoDestiny.com

How Are Your Buying Habits Manipulated?

Think of the last 3 receipts handed you from the store or sent into your email box.

Do you know WHY you bought each item on that receipt?

Why the Progresso soup instead of Campbells? 
Why the tuna in water instead of in oil? 
Why the Toshiba laptop instead of HP?

Do you actually know the reasoning behind why you made the choices you did, or could some of that reasoning be hidden?

I just watched a profound video called “Just Say Yes”, featuring Dr. Robert Cialdini, the leading expert on Influence and Persuasion.

This video reveals some of the principles of persuasion- the most profound and simple ways people get others to do what they want them to.

It gives you powerful insight into the way we’re blindly led into purchasing items we really don’t want, and if you look carefully, you’ll see some ethical ways of helping others connect with the blessings of what you have to offer them.

An extra plus of watching this little video is that you may be able to save hundreds of dollars by not purchasing things you don’t need – by seeing through marketing ploys with laser precision, based on the psychology of persuasion. 

If you’re keen on training your brain to think for success, you will not want to miss this revealing short film.

Here’s Dr. Cialdini explaining the magic.

Just Say Yes” Opener:

“All my life I’ve been a victim of various kinds of sales appeals or appeals from charity organizations asking me to contribute to their causes.

“Even when I didn’t want what was being offered or I had never heard of this particular cause, I would find myself contributing. And I thought to myself, ‘Well, wait a minute, there must be something other than the merits of what was being offered to me that was getting me to comply-to say yes.’

‘It must be something about the psychology of the presentation of the possibility or need or product that caused me to be willing to associate myself with it.’

“Why DO we say yes to requests? Why DO we comply with the appeal of advertisers or marketers or politicians who want us to do something?”

See this incredible short film at http://urplay.se/164832

Enjoy!

Lisa Rae Preston

P.S.  If you want to create marketing messages with integrity that provide extreme value for your clients AND bless your bank account, check out the new Instant Niche Emails 3 – a program that helps you create a year’s worth of email messages for your subscriber list in one afternoon!  Instant Niche Emails