Oprah - You’re Going to Love Us!

Christine Lakatos and I are on a mission.  The Oprah mission.  We are self-publishing authors struggling to get exposure.  We have thousands of hurdles ahead of us, but we are determined to conquer them all.  We have the drive, the heart, the tenacity and NOW, we are allys. Read Christine’s recent Blog post, and you’ll understand how we met, and what an amazing a breakthrough she had with GOOGLE because of our alliance. 

I believe some of the important ingredients to our marketing success can be understood by watching a few of my favorite reality shows - The Apprentice, Survivor and American Idol.  Particularly, you’ll notice on the first two, it’s essential to have allies (at least at the beginning).  Luckily Christine’s and my books are complementary to each other, rather than competitive.  This is really fun - I will get to enjoy her victories and she’ll enjoy mine.  We’ll help each other race past our competitors.

We accomplished our first goal, which was to write reviews for each other - she wrote wonderful reviews of my two books, Secrets to Healthy Aging & Ageless Beauty and Dream Home Profile, and I wrote one for her book, My Diva Diet and posted it on Blog Critics.

That’s why I can confidently say, "Watch out Oprah, we have our eyes on you!"  Ladies, you can help us out by sharing our websites, books and posts with your friends.  Because of you, we’ll land a spot on Oprah and we’ll share our success with you.  How about it?
 

Mahalo, Monica

There is nothing more traumatic than listening to your Spirit tell you to release your grip on something you want to hold on to with all your might.  You’re just so afraid that you’ll lose it if you let go.  What I wrote about in I’ll Keep Travelin’ was probably what helped me begin to relax my grip; today I was inspired to release it a bit more.  

Have I built it up enough?  Well it’s no suprise that I’ve been dealing with a lot of changes in my life because I’ve written about it over the last few months.  In the Real World, I’ve been very reclusive as I’ve worked through alot of it.  Because of this, I’ve been putting off a visit with an old friend who recently came back to town - until today.  OMG!!!  Monica & I were so happy to be reunited.  We both needed this reunion.

I decided to write this post as a tribute to Monica because she is celebrating the near completion of this website as much as I am.  And even more important, I wanted to tell everyone that Dream Home Profile™ had it’s beginnings with Monica and tissue paper in the back of a bus.  (Strange, memorable beginnings usually make great impacts!) 

Mahalo, Monica, for welcoming me back into your life today.  And you know what, Izzy’s "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is just the beginning …   

 

High Fives & Cartwheels

Either will do.  I’ve just been clicking away at all my links tonight, testing them out.  I’m absolutely amazed at the end result of a dream that started months ago - this website.  Personally, I’ve completed the editing and creatives.  A few more tweaks from me and another week or so of technical expertise from way across the ocean with Duncan. 

As you know, I’m so very indebted to him.  I hope you’ll allow him to help you with your Blogs and website development too, as a favor to me.  He is extremely patient with those of us "technically-challenged" individuals. 

♥

My daughter and I were out today at one of our favorite places, "California Pizza", and we heard the song, "My Wish".  A while back I featured  that song on a previous blog.  We sang the chorus together and gave each other wishes that our "dreams stay big and worries stay small".  Isn’t that a beautiful way to go about life?

So may I send that hope to you, too.  "Alie James" is my big dream that today, has come true.  And for that, my worries seem very small.  I’m counting my blessings, tonight.

 

Will the Dogs Eat It?

Thanks Howard for that funny story.

Howard was a furniture man for decades - watching the rise and fall of Industry Giants throughout his career. One day he told us a story about a Dog Food Manufacturer and how they did what many were doing in the Furniture Industry. The Dog Food Manufacturer would go to their focus groups and gather wonderful and exciting information about what the Dog Owners wanted, and then they’d go back to their labs and create the most perfect, nutritious, “new & improved” dog food imaginable. Then they advertised, sent out thousands of dollars of samples and then they waited for the sales to ROLL in … but after a while, they noticed they weren’t rolling in at all. Oops, they realized they forgot to answer the most fundamental question: “Would the dogs eat it?”

I remembered his story after reading “10 Points to Better Posts”, “6 Tips to Get More Readers” and “How to Optimize your Keywords to Get more Bloggers”.

The advice “should” make me and my fellow bloggers a lot of “¢cents¢”, and these articles definitely make a lot of “sense”. But, I’m cautious - will it fit into my Alternative Marketing Theory about Reality Shows - (superior skill level, authenticity, resonance and likeability)?

No, I don’t think these articles will help as much as they’re meant to because I believe if I did all those things, it would be an exercise in OVERTHINKING!

Our website exists because we have developed a USP (our niche, or unique selling position). We want to introduce ourselves to women who are like us - who want to be the best they can be, and live life to its fullest. And if that’s what Alie James stands for, then we always need to be who we say we are - authentic, approachable, and without gimmicks.

Over the last ten years, I found that the best way to sell furniture is to “not try and sell furniture”, but to “try and sell myself”. I was given a great insight about successful salespeople by a colleague of mine. He said that successful sales people “sell best” to “their” customer - meaning - they find the people they can best relate to - in a natural, friendly conversationally way. That insight reveals why some people are more successful than others in sales - it’s because they are meeting more people during the day that they relate to and who trust them.

That’s exactly what we hope will happen during your visit with us - we hope you’ll like what we have and be able to trust us. That is relationship building … building a nation, so to speak.

So please, introduce us to the folks in your life that are most like you. If you like us, then I’m sure they will, too. That’s how we’ll build “Wings” (our Community). Our Community is going to be filled with like-minded Women, who want to make life simple, beautiful and complete.

Please …

& Thank You …

 

Greening … It

This was a happy morning. After 3 week of very hard work, I sent the last of my “Page by Page” files to Duncan. This was a very difficult exercise for me. The purpose of it was to take each page of the website and document which pictures, text, links to put on each page. Not only was it meant to give directions to Duncan, but it was also a work in progress for the website because I had to write all the text, and create all the graphics and slide shows, etc. But the hardest part of all of it was the thinking part. It was tortuous and tedious. Thankfully, Duncan said this was the “fun” part for him.

Definitely this was an exercise using the right and left side of the brain. I loved the creative part of this - the writing and creating of the graphics. But the technical, organizational part of it just about blew my mind.

Blew my mind - think about it - thinking so hard you felt your head explode? Don’t you admire people who think deeply like this all the time? I know I do, I know a few, and they fascinate me.

What’s the point of that “TMI” (too much information)? Well, I’m not sure, except I’m really celebrating this morning. I’m on my porch - the crickets are singing to me (certainly they know I’m listening to them), drinking my favorite morning beverage (coffee and cream), listening to a few birds, Maxwell (my black cat) is sitting right at my feet, , and it’s GREEEEEEEN everywhere.

Talking about green, the other day I had a really cool application between this beautiful tree and my Photoshop brushes. When I use certain brushes, I can paint all over the page - flowers, stars, leaves, swirls, etc. Take a look at my book cover, “Celebrity Makeover”. That was made using brushes to paint layer upon layer of sparkles and stars. The painting was just a matter of using the mouse to “flick?? the brush” here and there.

So when I look at how the leaves and branches “decorate” the tree trunk, it’s like they were painted with “leaf brushes”. Creation is like someone with millions of different brushes using millions of different colors, with millions of ideas about what to do with them. Amazing. Another Photoshop View of life for me.

I have exactly 1 hour before I have to stop Phase 1 of my morning and go into Phase II, which is get ready for work. Phase 3 is to Work. Phase 4 is to come back home. What Phase of your day is your favorite? I think Phase 1 is mine. That’s because I get to be in, and be comforted by my Dream Home.

Have a great day… really mean it, friends!

OOOh … AAAh … No, the O’s have It!

Organization, Outsourcing, Opportunity

I was thinking about how to organize my small business so that I’ll be able to handle all the soon-to be-received website traffic.  For some reason, these 3 words came to mind.  I think these words properly sum up the best-selling book, “4 Hour Workweek”.  I was listening to the author’s interview the other day, and I think the concept is brilliant. 

So, I thought I’d let you know how, and why I’ll do certain things on this website.  For instance, I have several email addresses on the contact page.  Why would one person need so many addresses?  The answer is - organization.  That way I’ll already be one step ahead when I receive your email.  I’ll put on my “customer service” hat, or my “Wings” hat, or my “Party Planning” hat, etc.

Organization.  This is how you go about building a website, too.  It has taken me two weeks to write organizational charts for each page of this website, making them clear enough so that Duncan can build the pages the way I want them to look.  Nothing at all is easy about website-making.  (But Duncan to the rescue, if you need help.)

Outsourcing.  This is such a brilliant suggestion for today’s entrepreneurs.  I hope I’ll have a reason to do this one day.  There are brilliant folks all over the world who welcome your day to day tasks, and will professionally, and inexpensively do it for you.  They’re called “virtual assistants”. 

Opportunity.  I definitely have that going on.  Now sometimes, presented opportunities take you absolutely nowhere at all.  Once in a while, though, it’s something that happens which you never expect.   I guess like fishing.  Did you catch a little bitty brim, or a big ‘ole bass?  You won’t know unless the hook is in the water with bait on it. 

So, do you want Internet success?  Remember the 3 OOOhs.  Or, what about Life-success?  Or Mom-success?  Or Blog-Success.  The 3 Big OOOhs will help ya out …   

Imprint, Cluster, Coffee … The Code

This morning I had an experience that gave me great clarity into the concept of “imprinting” and The Code.  My cat is so naughty, as I trained him not to get on my bed but if you EVER give him an inch he’ll stretch it quite far. 

So, he was sitting on my bed looking straight at me the second I opened my eyes, not 5 inches away.  As frustrated as I was, this was an aha moment.  I thought, maybe that’s what it’s like for a newborn baby.  Maybe not the first second out of the womb, maybe when he/she is all swaddled … and all of a sudden he/she ”sees”. 

We don’t even know what he/she sees.  Perhaps “seeing” means the totality of the senses at that very moment - the 1^st aroma, feel, touch, taste, sound - a birth moment. 

That’s the moment of the imprint that is registered at the very deepest level of consciousness.  At least that is the Mom/or mom-like figure that a baby first experiences.  Was it good, was it bad and does this “drive” the baby with a sense of earth/time vs heaven/eternity?

The Code is about imprinting - getting to those “birth moments” of concepts and things - tangible and intangible.  Clotaire Rapaille is a man who does extensive work around the world trying to crack the code so that marketing can get to the deepest part of why consumers buy - his book really helped me to develop this website to be “on code” or at least, “code-friendly”. 

Also, one thing I’ve also tried to do on my own is to use “Clustering” as a means to unlock our own codes for things that are important to this Website - Health, Beauty, Home, Happiness.  Clustering helps us see things from a multi-sensual and multi-dimensional kind of way.  Clusters can be used for Self-Therapy, Artistic Endeavors, and as a part of the Matrix development of your Dream Home Profile^™.

Coffee !!!! - I’ll reveal my Cluster for coffee and then write about it.  It’s really strange …

Is this babble or profound?  Not quite sure.

 

Birth - Day!

Thousands upon thousands of words later, I finally saw my writer’s dream become a reality.  Duncan got my website theme installed and there it was …. beautiful!  And there were even some of my written words.  Wow!  I can’t believe what can happen in a week’s time if you just believe. 

I revealed in the “Who is Alie?” post that I’m “spiritual”.  This is evidence.  I know that one way we are made stronger is to be given enough stress to nearly break us, but not enough to completely do so.  (Think - weight lifters, pruning rose bushes.)  And I came so close a few weeks ago to giving up.  All of my thoughts and written words were not a blessing to me, but a burden because they had no where to go.

But now they will.  If not to anyone but a few close friends and family, they will now have a home and will be released into “the sphere” … 

Childbirth is a glorious thing … afterwards.

Melt-Down Prevented!

You probably read the last post and realized I was near melt-down.  Then I found relief (well, actually 4 - my sister who told me about Wordpress, her assistant who got me set up, Roy from Cyprus, who wrote me an encouraging email detailing exactly what to do next and lastly, Duncan in England, who knows Wordpress and will get me completely set up. 

I’m giving you Roy’s and Duncan’s links because they deserve my support and they are the ones to go to if you want to get into Internet Marketing or Blogging.  Whereas Roy has been like a mentor to me for my ebooks, Duncan has saved the day so that I can get them out to the public.  He was responsive, professional, encouraging, thorough, and on top of that, patient to teach me the technical side of website making (site development) so that I can actually go forward with this big dream of mine.

As you know, my full time work-a-day world is Furniture sales, and boy has the economy hit it hard.  But I’ve studied cycles for years so I know that this is not a linear thing.  At the point when all of us salespeople grow weary and begin to pack our bags, I expect the “money tree” will ripen again.  Sales is not a fun profession really.  Usually you’re in someone’s space (they think) and they don’t like it.  But the reason I do it is because it’s like when I went on Easter Egg hunts when I was a little girl, I desperately wanted the Golden Egg.  (Can you Boomers remember Mother Goose shoes?  If you bought them, you got a Golden Egg!  My mother always took us there because of those eggs and somehow my neighbor found them in her backyard on Easter morning (smart marketing even 50 years ago).  For a few years, my neighbor was getting golden eggs and I just couldn’t understand why our yard was not.)

Oh, the point - sales is like that - 1 in 10 times of saying hello to folks and showing them around the Showroom, and I’ll finally find a ”Golden Egg”, and it’s so much FUN when I do!

The crickets, the frogs are singing out of my window.  Now I’m going to watch one of my favorite shows (with Naomi Judd) “Can you Duet?”  I just love the married couple - Joey & Rory - her voice is rich and mellow.   UPDATE - Joey & Rory placed 3rd, Will & Caitlin placed 1st.  Both were fantastic!!  Of course, the 2nd place guys, Brownell & Richey were great too.  Be watching for them in the next few months because they’ll be on our country radio stations.

Jewel’s Song

This post is to introduce you to the song, STRONGER WOMAN, by Jewel, as well as to formally introduce myself to you.  

Strength & Authenticity.  That’s what I get from Jewel’s song, “Stronger Woman”, and it’s a message that will hopefully encourage you as much as it does me.  I love the subtle message from her “official” video about “real women” underneath all the glitz and glitter.  If you want to see that video, click here to go to my UTube Channel and you’ll find it featured under “For the Girls”.  Anyway, I just love the words of the chorus:

“I’m gonna love myself more than anyone else
Believe in me, even if someone can’t see
A stronger woman in me

I’m going to be my own best friend
Stick with me till the end
Won’t lose myself again, never, no,
‘Cause there’s a stronger woman,
A stronger woman in me”

I hope through my talks, books, and website that I can bring something new (and of value) to your life.  Something that might help you realize your inner strength, as well as help you remember how important it is to love yourself.  If there’s one thing I do well, it’s that I really live the words of this song.  For as many years as I can remember, I have said to myself - “I love me - just the way I am” - even when people didn’t seem to understand me. 

I realize that there has to be a reason for You to want to read my books, invite me to speak at your gatherings, or visit my Website.  In the “Making New Friends” post, I mentioned ”resonance”.  But resonance only happens when you’re able to relate to the messenger, and to the message they bring.  Since I know this is true - I know that before you can even consider my message, you must be able to ”relate to” me, as the messenger.  That’s what I hope to accomplish by writing this blog.

I noticed while watching the season premiere of Nashville Star with Jewel, John Rich and Jeffrey Steele that they said over and over in as many different ways as they could say it to the hopeful contestants - ”Who are you?  Where are you coming from?  Why are you here?  Don’t fake it - let me see You.”    They were saying - ”Be Real, otherwise, don’t waste our time!”

I’m a MAJOR fan of American Idol, So You Think You can Dance, Can You Duet, Nashville Star, America’s Got Talent and The Apprentice - those reality shows that remind us of the American Dream - that everyday people can (and deserve to) realize their biggest dreams.  What I have seen EVERY TIME in these reality shows is that those who win are those with Authenticity, and who Resonate with the audience. 

I really do want to WIN your vote (and your family’s and friend’s), and I know there’s only one way to do it - that’s to be Authentic!  I promise, I will be real, and be me.  So right up front, I want you to know that every thing I’ve written, and will write in the future is, and will be, straight from my heart. 

Also I want you to know that in all my writings, I use a pen name - Alie James.  Alie is the name I chose to represent myself in my public life, and in my business.  My real name is Diane.  You might just say that “Alie” represents all that I am (or at least, think I am).  

A few years ago I did a little exercise about myself, using adjectives and nouns to describe who and what I felt myself to be.  A few days ago I decided to post this list under the title, ”Who is Alie?”  I thought that having this list would give you a good start to get to know me - both as Alie and Diane.  Diane is just my everyday name, but the name, Alie, is like my ambassador.  I guess in today’s terms, “Alie” is kind of like an “Avatar”.  She speaks on my behalf and represents all the things I feel in my heart - for myself and towards you.  So bottom line - pen name or not, you’ll get the real me in whatever I write.

Getting back to Jewel’s song, now.    

I believe we women must be strong - we must be able to look someone in the eye and speak with confidence from a pure, self-loving heart.  When we do, I believe we find that little bit of ”Extra”, which we can then add to our “Ordinary”. 

My purpose in this public arena is to make a positive difference through my writings and speaking engagements.  That’s why we’re in this together - it might just  happen that what I write and speak about will relate to you.  I think that most of us share a common journey … we want to live a beautiful life - we want to be strong, we want to love well, to feel well, and to be the “stars of all our tomorrows”.   Those are the things that are on my mind, and the things that I’ll write about.     

… So, here’s to Us! … and let’s thank Jewel for such an encouraging song, one that we’ll rally around and hopefully remind us how good it is to be ourselves!