Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Expert's Edge by Ken Lizotte - Book review



The Expert's Edge

Become the Go-to Authority People Turn to Every Time


By: Ken Lizotte

Published: Dec 26, 2007
ISBN: 9780071495677
Format: Hardcover, 270pp
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Business



"Though all entrepreneurs and companies are experts, few of them exploit their expertise to superior advantage", writes thoughtleading expert Ken Lizotte in his practical and inspiring book The Expert's Edge: Become the Go-to Authority People Turn to Every Time. The author guides the business person through the steps for turning expertise into highly sought after and lucrative thoughtleadership.

Ken Lizotte understands that most business people struggle to find new customers and clients. Most businesses, large and small, employ the usual tactics ranging from referrals and word of mouth to advertising and direct mail. Very often, those established techniques are either expensive, ineffective, or both. Ken Lizotte shows entrepreneurs and managers a powerful alternative method of attracting more business. Instead of being one of many businesses offering similar products and services, the author demonstrates how to leverage unique expert knowledge into a much more profitable business.



Ken Lizotte (photo left) recognizes that most business people fail to acknowledge that they possess unique knowledge about their products, services, and their industry as a whole. That untapped wealth of information, according to the author, can be transformed into what he calls thoughtleading. Every business person has ideas and information to share, and the book provides the tactics for turning those ideas into more profits. Through utilizing the power of writing, the media, as well as the unlimited potential on the internet, anyone can become a recognized and highly paid expert in their field.

For me, the power of the book is how author Ken Lizote shares the step by step techniques for recognizing your own expertise and turning it into thoughtleadership. The author shows the reader how to rethink their own ideas and knowledge into useful and informative expertise. The reader learns how to write articles on their topic, appear on television, radio, and in print media, give keynote addresses, as well eventually becoming a published book author. ken Lizotte turns the often baffling, and intimidating media world into the thoughtleader's friend, in an easy to understand manner, by dispelling the usual myths.

I highly recommend The Expert's Edge: Become the Go-to Authority People Turn to Every Time by Ken Lizotte, to any business person who is serious about building a business through sharing expertise. The book teaches entrepreneurs and managers how to become the recognized authority in their field, and how to turn that expertise into more customers and clients.

Read The Expert's Edge: Become the Go-to Authority People Turn to Every Time by Ken Lizotte, and become the established thoughtleader in your industry. By becoming the sought after expert, your worries about finding new clients and customers will vanish, replaced by a growing and enthusiastic customer base seeking your knowledge and ideas.

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Sunday, March 29, 2009

Norman Birnbach: Media Trends In 2009 - Blog Business Success Radio

BlogTalkRadio.com



Public relations and media expert Norman Birnbach, President of Birnbach Communications, Inc., discusses media trends in 2009. He describes what is happening with radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and online media. His company's recent 2009 media trends study provides ideas about where people will get their news in the future as well.

Norman Birnbach is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, March 31, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Note: This show is rescheduled from an earlier date.

Public relations and media expert Norman Birnbach, President of Birnbach Communications, Inc., discusses media trends in 2009. He describes what is happening with radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and online media. You will learn:

* Five major changes that will take place in the mainstream media

* How the economic downturn affects advertising revenue for the media

* How online media are affected by the industry wide changes

* How social media including Twitter and Facebook will be affected



After 15 years experience in journalism and big-agency public relations, Norman Birnbach (photo left) established Birnbach Communications, Inc.. in 2001 to provide strategic communications for clients looking for senior talent, who are accountable and responsive, to generate results and to pay close attention to their needs without the overhead of a large agency.

Norman creates, manages and implements long-range integrated strategic communications programs tied to clients' business goals and helps emerging clients to jump-start their PR programs. He counsels CEOs and senior management on national media and online strategies, including developing new corporate positioning, establishing communications plans to support sales force, business development, and VC communications.

Norman develops messages that repositioned companies to more effectively reach new customers and the media – and that work has led to some of his industry awards. His work repositioning Corning as a tech powerhouse, not the manufacturer of Corningware cookware (a division the company had sold off five years earlier) led to a Bell Ringer from the Publicity Club of New England.

Norman won a Silver Anvil from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for helping to relaunch distance education pioneer Mind Extension University (now Jones International University).

The 2009 Trends Report

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.

BlogTalkRadio.com

If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.

Add to iTunes

To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with public relations and media expert Norman Birnbach, President of Birnbach Communications, Inc., discusses media trends in 2009. He describes what is happening with radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and online media. His company's recent 2009 media trends study provides ideas about where people will get their news in the future as well on Blog Business Success Radio.

BlogTalkRadio.com

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Linda Dessau: The Customizable Style Guide for Coaches Who Write - Blog Business Success Radio

BlogTalkRadio.com



Professional ghostwriter, editor, and author of the practical and easy to understand book Customizable Style Guide For Coaches Who Write: Look Smarter, Write Faster and Get Better Results from Your Writing, Linda Dessau shares copywriting secrets for coaches and other business professionals. She provides tips for better writing, how to treat wording mistakes that may confuse your readers and, how to transfer those ideas in your head to written form successfully. She provides information that business people can use to better frame their marketing message to achieve greater results.

Linda Dessau is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, March 26, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Professional ghostwriter, editor, and author of the practical and easy to understand book Customizable Style Guide For Coaches Who Write: Look Smarter, Write Faster and Get Better Results from Your Writing, Linda Dessau shares copywriting secrets for coaches and other business professionals. You will learn:

* Why well written and readable copy is so important to business

* Some of the most common mistakes made by writers in their written work

* Simple ideas that can turn ordinary writing into extraordinary prose

* How to find the right voice for your writing to better reach your audience



Linda Dessau (photo left) BFA, MTA, CPCC is certified by the Coaches Training Institute and is a member of the International Coach Federation.

As well, Linda is a music therapist, accredited by the Canadian Association for Music Therapy. She is the former Vice-President of the Music Therapy Association of Ontario. She works with adult and older adults clients at several locations including the Community Living Association.

Linda Dessau is the author of Customizable Style Guide For Coaches Who Write: Look Smarter, Write Faster and Get Better Results from Your Writing.

Education and Credentials

Certified Professional Co-active Coach (CPCC) - Coaches Training Institute (Intermediate curriculum, Certification)

Music Therapist Accredited - Canadian Association for Music Therapy

Bachelor of Music Therapy - Capilano College/OLA

Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts - York University

My book review of Customizable Style Guide For Coaches Who Write: Look Smarter, Write Faster and Get Better Results from Your Writing by Linda Dessau.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.

BlogTalkRadio.com

If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.

Add to iTunes

To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with professional ghostwriter, editor, and author of the practical and easy to understand book Customizable Style Guide For Coaches Who Write: Look Smarter, Write Faster and Get Better Results from Your Writing, Linda Dessau as she shares copywriting secrets for coaches and other business professionals. She provides tips for better writing, how to treat wording mistakes that may confuse your readers and, how to transfer those ideas in your head to written form successfully. She provides information that business people can use to better frame their marketing message to achieve greater results on Blog Business Success Radio.

BlogTalkRadio.com

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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Customizable Style Guide For Coaches Who Write by Linda Dessau - Book review


Customizable Style Guide For Coaches Who Write

Look Smarter, Write Faster and Get Better Results from Your Writing


By: Linda Dessau

Published: 2008 - Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-9735633-5-1
Publisher: Genuine Coaching Services




"Better writing will help individual coaches build relationships,
trust, credibility and sales, and improve the perception of the coaching
industry as a whole". writes Linda Dessau in her practical and easy to understand book Customizable Style Guide For Coaches Who Write: Look Smarter, Write Faster and Get Better Results from Your Writing. The author takes coaches and other business people on a journey that will improve both their writing style and their overall sales and marketing success.

Linda Dessau recognizes the importance of a clear and concise writing style. She demonstrates how anyone can improve their written material, regardless of its purpose and intended audience, without the pain and boredom so often associated with style guides. The author helps the business person in all aspects of writing, from selecting their personal voice to creating effective, and professional quality copy. Even the sections of the book pertaining to the often dreaded grammar and punctuation are presented in an easy to use, results oriented manner. By showing the reader the purpose of writing well, Linda Dessau conveys the tangible value in following what many consider outdated and arcane rules for writing.



Linda Dessau (photo left) understands that business people, including business coaches, are often judged and selected based on how well they write online and offline. She knows all too well that potential clients want easy to read copy, that provides important information. All too often, poorly written material is presented to the target market, and is ignored due to its lack of readability. Knowing some basic grammar and punctuation rules, and how to avoid confusing technical jargon, result in conveying a more knowledgeable and professional image. Linda Dessau demonstrates that a business person's ability to write well, in an easy to read style, is a crucial factor in the company's success.

For me, the power of the book is its easy to use format. The sections are well marked for ease of reference, and the book can be opened at any writing topic, when required. Linda Dessau practices what she recommends, and provides a well written style guide that is clear and concise. Regardless of the writing problem, the book contains a suitable and ready to apply remedy. All too often, style guides get caught up in small details and grammar rules that slow down the reader, but the author avoids that writing trap as well. Readability is Linda Dessau's goal, and she applies that rule well to this handy style guide.

I highly recommend the useful and very readable Customizable Style Guide For Coaches Who Write: Look Smarter, Write Faster and Get Better Results from Your Writing by Linda Dessau, to any coaches or other business professionals seeking to improve their writing style. By simply avoiding the most common grammatical, punctuation, and formatting mistakes, the business person can stand out in the marketplace as a dedicated professional.

Read the practical and action oriented Customizable Style Guide For Coaches Who Write: Look Smarter, Write Faster and Get Better Results from Your Writing by Linda Dessau, and your current and potential clients will learn more valuable information from your writing. The ability to share ideas with others, in a readable manner, is vital to business and professional success. This book deserves a place beside your desk, for quick and easy reference, to solve even your most difficult writing problems.

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Sunday, March 22, 2009

Steven Piersanti: The State Of The Publishing Industry - Blog Business Success Radio

BlogTalkRadio.com



Founder and President of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Steven Piersanti discusses state of the publishing industry, including digital products, ebooks, Kindle and traditional hard copy books. He shares ideas on book marketing and how the industry will evolve in the current recession and beyond.

Steven Piersanti is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, March 24, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Founder and President of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Steven Piersanti discusses state of the publishing industry, including digital products, ebooks, Kindle and traditional hard copy books. You will learn:

* The latest trends in book publishing and marketing

* The impact of ebooks and Kindle on traditional books and on publishing

* How publishing will respond to the recession and emerge even stronger

* New ideas in marketing books that can change the publishing industry forever



Steven Piersanti (photo left) is President and publisher of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., a leading independent publisher of progressive books on current affairs, personal growth, and business and management. Berrett-Koehler pursues its mission of “Creating a World That Works for All” by publishing groundbreaking books that promote positive change at all levels – individual, organizational, and societal.

Steve received the “Champion of Workplace Learning and Performance Award” from the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) in 2003. The five previous annual recipients were Jack Welch of General Electric, Thomas Stewart of Fortune Magazine, Robert Galvin of Motorola, John Chambers of Cisco, and Fred Smith of FedEx.

Prior to founding Berrett-Koehler in 1992, Steve served as president of Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, a publisher of books and periodicals on business and management, education, health care, public administration, the nonprofit sector, and the behavior sciences. He began his career at Jossey-Bass in 1977 as a promotional copywriter, then served as marketing director, editor, editorial director, and executive vice president before becoming president in 1989. He founded the Jossey-Bass Management Series, which became the company’s largest and most profitable publishing program, and he helped develop the Health Series, Nonprofit Management Series, and Public Administration Series.

Previously, Steve worked for short periods as a magazine advertising sales representative and door-to-door book salesperson. He graduated with Highest Honors from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in University Studies. While in school, he founded, published, and edited a university student scholarly journal.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.

BlogTalkRadio.com

If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.

Add to iTunes

To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Founder and President of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Steven Piersanti as he discusses state of the publishing industry, including digital products, ebooks, Kindle and traditional hard copy books. He shares ideas on book marketing and how the industry will evolve in the current recession and beyond on Blog Business Success Radio.

BlogTalkRadio.com

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Saturday, March 21, 2009

Book Promo 201 by Nikki Leigh - Book review



Book Promo 201

Harness the Power of the Internet with Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing


By Nikki Leigh

Published: Coming soon
Format: Paperback 201 pages











"Let's start with the fact that anyone can learn to promote", writes best selling author and internet marketing expert Nikki Leigh in her informative and practical new book Book Promo 201:Harness the Power of the Internet with Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing. The author guides the new or established author through the powerful and unlimited book marketing opportunities available on the internet.

Nikki Leigh's newest book continues the book marketing and promotional series that began with the award winning Book Promo 101. Nikki Leigh recognizes that authors must take an active role in marketing their books, especially in today's more difficult economy. As a result, she provides both basic and more advanced techniques to using the internet to increase author and book visibility, to boost sales. The book shares proven methods of building personal and book branding, as well as building relationships with potential readers through blogs, social media, and the many forums and online communities available to authors.



Nikki Leigh (photo left) understands book marketing well, and has employed the techniques outlined in the book, in her own successful online book marketing and blog book tour business. By sharing her experiences, Nikki Leigh guides authors through the often confusing internet and social media world. She demystifies the many internet tools including blogs, forums, and the many social media sites, and describes their various uses in easy to understand language. The book gives even the shyest author the road map needed, to navigate through and utilize the global reach of the internet, for building relationships with readers and boosting book sales.

For me, the power of the book is the practical and easy to understand style in which the book marketing advice is presented to the reader. Along with the step by step description of the many online tools available, is the information needed to use them properly. Nikki Leigh understands very well that many authors are shy or are reluctant to self promote or to market their books aggressively. As a result, she demonstrates how online marketing is less difficult than many authors imagine, and how marketing on the internet can also be enjoyable and rewarding. By placing strong emphasis on the many social media tools, and the relationship building power of online communities, the author removes all of the hard sell ideas often mistakenly associated with marketing.

I highly recommend the must read Book Promo 201:Harness the Power of the Internet with Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing by Nikki Leigh, to any new or established authors of both fiction and non-fiction, who are serious about expanding their online marketing efforts. The book presents a very reader friendly approach to online marketing that is both fun to use, and also leads to more book sales.

Read the essential Book Promo 201:Harness the Power of the Internet with Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing by Nikki Leigh, and build your online presence the right way, even if you have done no online promotion or marketing in the past. Develop an enjoyable online relationship building experience, and an enhanced reputation as a reputable best selling author.

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Friday, March 20, 2009

Why Customers Really Buy by Linda Goodman & Michelle Helin - Author interview



Linda Goodman
and Michelle Helin, co-authors of Why Customers Really Buy: Uncovering the Emotional Triggers that Drive Sales, published by Career Press, answer Wayne Hurlbert’s questions about the role of emotion in the purchase decision … and … how uncovering their customers’ emotional triggers help companies craft winning sales and marketing strategies.

Visit their website: www.EmotionalTriggerResearch.com or email them at: query@EmotionalTriggerResearch.com

1) Your book is titled Why Customers Really Buy: Uncovering the Emotional Triggers that Drive Sales. What was the background to writing this book?

Linda Goodman and Michelle Helin: In this period of unprecedented global change and a catastrophic economic downturn, businesses of all sizes and within all sectors are struggling to cut through layers of conventional wisdom and traditional answers to find new ways to attract and retain customers. Established ways of seeking to explain customer behavior are no longer enough to remain competitive.

Over the course of our careers as senior corporate marketing and sales executives, we came to recognize the connection between the method by which information is acquired and why that information is frequently misleading. Typically studies and research initiatives are one dimensional. They’re designed to collect a series of facts. Yet depending upon how those facts are compiled a number of different … and often contradictory … interpretations are possible. In a search to explain how customers make purchase decisions, many businesses gravitate towards approaches that rely on statistically verifiable answers. Such answers may provide a sense of security because they’re tangible and absolute. But we know the motivations customers act on are seldom logical, predictable or even conscious. Instead their strongest responses stem from one source: emotion. That’s why statistically verifiable answers often fail to reveal concrete insights that increase sales.

When we started our own businesses we wanted to provide for our clients what we could never find for ourselves. Although we had no difficulty obtaining unlimited quantities of information, we found most of it was interesting but not particularly useful. So we decided to share what we learned over time and show organizations how to focus on the emotional triggers that drive their customers’ behavior. It’s by uncovering these emotional triggers that companies gain the actionable insights they need to craft winning strategic solutions.



Linda Goodman (photo left)

2) Most people believe that their purchases are the result of carefully planned and researched buying choices. Is that really the case?

Linda Goodman and Michelle Helin: In the last few years more attention has been paid to the role of emotion in purchase decisions. Typically the focus has been on consumers. Yet emotional considerations play an equally powerful role in the B2B space.

Whether the customer is a consumer or another business, emotion has always played a role in the purchase decision. That’s why advertisers continue to spend millions of dollars each year to convince women that blonds do have more fun. Or why so many people victimized by downsizing, outsourcing, or mergers go into business for themselves in an effort to eliminate the fear of loss of control. Or why savvy companies understand it’s just good business to invest in such initiatives as green technology or community based programs that appeal to their customers’ deeply held beliefs and values. Emotional triggers strike at a deep-seated chord. They are what we connect with at a level that goes beyond reasoning because in our gut it feels right or it feels good or it feels familiar. But because feelings are neither deliberate nor planned they defy quantifiable explanations.

3) How powerful is emotion in the buying decision?

Linda Goodman and Michelle Helin: More often than not, emotion plays a crucial role in the buying decision. Whether as consumers or in the B2B space, customers often act on emotion. But when asked to provide a rationale for their decisions – a rationale that’s usually after the fact - the answers they provide are often part truth, part wishful thinking, and part reinvention. That’s why the best data in the world doesn’t necessarily provide the crucial insights needed to understand what drives their purchase behavior. Particularly in the B2B space, answers are often predicated on the company line rather than a genuine response that reflects the emotional triggers that actually drive decisions.

4) Your book mentions something you call “emotional logic”. What do you mean by that seeming oxymoron?

Linda Goodman and Michelle Helin: We deliberately chose to name Part 5 of our book “Integrating Emotional Logic” because we believe that rather than being contradictory, emotions ultimately have a logic all their own. Our book helps executives learn how to better understand their customers in order to develop successful sales and marketing strategies.

The last section of our book consists of two chapters. Chapter 16 addresses how, in addition to helping companies increase sales, Emotional Trigger Research has enabled companies to: restore employee morale; strengthen vendor relationships; enhance customer communications; and, understand analyst expectations. Chapter 17 provides our thoughts about the role Emotional Trigger Research will play in helping organizations thrive in an increasingly complex environment that is forcing businesses of all sizes and within all sectors to transform the way they operate in order to succeed in the new world order.



Michelle Helin (photo left)

5) Your book discusses what you describe as emotional triggers. What do you mean by that term?

Linda Goodman and Michelle Helin: An emotional trigger is an event that causes a reaction. Some occurrence, real or imagined, sets off a series of intense feelings and those feelings become the reason behind subsequent customer actions or strongly held customer convictions. But since they are neither deliberate nor planned they defy quantifiable explanations. These triggers reflect our inner selves; they emanate from the sum of our life experiences. As such, they are more profound and a better indicator of customer behavior than statistics, projections, or objective answers.

6) How can these emotional triggers be put to work in marketing?

Linda Goodman and Michelle Helin: Understanding emotional triggers enables sales and marketing executives to circumvent the limitations of more structured approaches because customers are encouraged to speak about their experiences, hopes, frustrations, or, beliefs in open-ended narratives instead of being asked a series of specific questions. What they choose to share and the way they choose to share it makes it possible to understand what influences their decisions. Specifically, Emotional Trigger Research pairs provocative open-ended questions with insightful listening and in-depth conversations to open a psychological window into what really motivates customer behavior. The insights they reveal provide the hard edges to vague or distorted answers. And it’s these hard edges that give companies the insights needed to jumpstart sales.

Recognizing how to distinguish a top-of-mind answer from an authentic emotional response is crucial. There are definite clues to distinguish mere top-of-mind answers from authentic emotional triggers. Answers are characterized by measured, neutral responses. They tend to be deliberate, factual, quick, and passive. On the other hand, emotional triggers are revealed through reflective and spontaneous exchanges that are longer, livelier, or more personal. Answers document what people are thinking. Emotional triggers expose what people are feeling.

7) How can emotional triggers be helpful in achieving good customer relationships?

Linda Goodman and Michelle Helin: The essence of Emotional Trigger Research is listening and looking for clues that expose a customer’s true feelings. By penetrating predictable answers, Emotional Trigger Research enables sales/marketing organizations to transcend what customers say and arms companies with actionable intelligence based upon what their customers really mean. Once armed with insights that emanate from a far deeper level of authentic emotional triggers, companies are better positioned to solidify customer relationships.



8) What is next for Linda Goodman and Michelle Helin?

Linda Goodman and Michelle Helin: We plan to continue with our Emotional Trigger Research work because it’s work we love. Our book Why Customers Really Buy: Uncovering the Emotional Triggers that Drive Sales has generated more speaking engagements … particularly to sales, marketing, and management organizations. These speaking engagements have prompted us to begin the development of a workshop. The book has also created a lot of interest from different groups about opportunities for collaboration.

And we’re in the process of refining our website www.EmotionalTriggerResearch.com to feature more information from the book plus incorporating additional key words and links to our first page. And we’re responding to requests for more articles in targeted magazines.

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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Danny Kofke: How To Survive & Thrive On A Teacher's Salary - Blog Business Success Radio

BlogTalkRadio.com



Special education teacher, and author of the practical and easy to understand book How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary, Danny Kofke shares secrets for thriving financially on a teaching salary. He describes ideas for earning & saving more money, for investing & for getting out of debt. He even discusses teaching in other countries as a source of income.

Danny Kofke is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, March 19, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Special education teacher, and author of the practical and easy to understand book How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary, Danny Kofke shares secrets for thriving financially on a teaching salary. You will learn:

• How to retire with a sizable nest egg

• How to teach in a foreign country

• How to own all of your possessions including your cars and house

• How to invest in Roth IRAs and 403bs

• How to establish a weekly 'budget'

• How to live a financially secure life on a teacher’s salary



Danny Kofke (photo left) has been a teacher for almost ten years in the Indian River County School District and in the American International School of Krakow, Poland. He is proud to say that passion for the craft keeps him in the classroom, but smart savings and basic understanding of financial principles have kept his wife (willingly!) at home with their children.

He says many people find it hard to believe that one teacher can support a family of four, but How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary, Danny Kofke explains the steps necessary for others to follow suit and save for life's journeys.

Danny Kofke is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University.

My book review of How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary by Danny Kofke.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.

BlogTalkRadio.com

If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.

Add to iTunes

To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with special education teacher, and author of the practical and easy to understand book How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary, Danny Kofke as he shares secrets for thriving financially on a teaching salary. He describes ideas for earning & saving more money, for investing & for getting out of debt. He even discusses teaching in other countries as a source of income on Blog Business Success Radio.

BlogTalkRadio.com

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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary by Danny Kofke - Book review



How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary


By: Danny Kofke

Published: Oct 2007
ISBN: 1598869027
Format: Paperback 88 pages
Publisher: Tate Publishing




"I guess you could say that I have always been frugal with money", writes special education teacher Danny Kofke, in his practical and easy to understand book How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary. The author shares how he and his family lived well on a teacher's pay, and were able to buy their own home and save for retirement.

Danny Kofke describes how he and his wife Tracy lived and taught in Krakow, Poland and gained valuable global perspective, while saving money for their return to teaching in Atlanta, Georgia. The overseas teaching experience provided the author and his family with a base of money to build their financial freedom. Because Danny Kofke had avoided the massive student loans and consumer debt, that sabotage the financial plans of so many young professionals, he was able to put the teaching salary to work for his family instead of creditors. The sacrifices required to build wealth were minor compared to the resulting benefits.



Danny Kofke (photo left) recognizes that starting salaries for teachers, and indeed for most professions are low. As a result, new professionals must develop and work within a fairly tight financial budget. The author demonstrates how to build and stick with a manageable budget that suits the needs of the individual family. The author acknowledges that he received some assistance and had some good fortune along the way. At the same time, his hard work and careful money management created much of that luck. Without the crushing weight of interest payments to hinder his family's finances, Danny Kofke created many new money building opportunities.

For me, the power of the book is its timeless message that careful money management, combined with hard work, pays off in the end. The often complicated financial concepts are presented in an easy to understand manner, with the real life example of Danny and Tracy and their family. For readers unfamiliar with budgeting, financial planning, and investment, the book is an excellent primer for understanding the basics and getting started on a solid financial foundation. Because the book is compact, the fundamental ideas can be read with ease of comprehension.

I highly recommend the practical and reader friendly How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary by Danny Kofke, to anyone at any stage in their teaching career, seeking to improve and solidify their family financial position. The lessons taught in the book are universal, and can be applied readily to any young or even established professional career.

Read the empowering How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary by Danny Kofke, and get yourself and your family started on the road to financial freedom. Instead of living pay day to pay day, and having no savings for retirement, discover how to take charge of your own financial present and your family's future.

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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Tina Forsyth: Becoming An Online Business Manager - Blog Business Success Radio

BlogTalkRadio.com



Entrepreneur, CEO of OnlineBusinessManager.com, and author of the practical, hands on guide Becoming an Online Business Manager: Playing a Bigger Role with your Clients (and Yourself), Tina Forsyth shares ideas for starting and operating a successful online management business. She describes ways to market, build and expand your client base by attracting the right clients who are a fit for your business. She also provides tips for problem solving and effective daily business management.

Tina Forsyth is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, March 17, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Entrepreneur, professional online manager, and author of the practical, hands on guide Becoming an Online Business Manager: Playing a Bigger Role with your Clients (and Yourself), Tina Forsyth shares ideas for starting and operating a successful online management business. You will learn:

* What characteristics will make you a great Online Business Manager

* How to serve your clients and meet and exceed their needs and expectations

* How to market your business and find the right clients

* The real life aspects of operating an Online Business Manager company



Tina Forsyth's (photo left) first foray into the business world was at age 8, when she used her trusty tape recorder to create a radio commercial for her family’s rental business. (Funnily enough they didn’t use it.)

Since then, she has been a ‘Jill of all Trades’ working in everything from marketing to recruiting for businesses big and small. For the past six years she has helped to launch, build and manage over seven 6-figure online businesses.

She is author of Becoming an Online Business Manager: Playing a Bigger Role with your Clients (and Yourself) and co-author of Money Meaning and Beyond>, Pink Spoon Marketing (both with Andrea Lee). Tina is a Partner in the Hot Skills VA Training program and creator of the new Certified Online Business Manager program.

Now CEO of OnlineBusinessManager.com, Tina trains, writes and consults in advanced online marketing and business systems for business owners and their support teams.

When you can drag her away from her computer you can find Tina at home in Lethbridge, Alberta with her husband Dan, daughters Samantha and Alexandra, and noisy cat Shadow.

Tina Forsyth blogs at OnlineBusinessManager.com.

My book review of Becoming an Online Business Manager: Playing a Bigger Role with your Clients (and Yourself) by Tina Forsyth.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.

BlogTalkRadio.com

If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.

Add to iTunes

To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with entrepreneur, CEO of OnlineBusinessManager.com, and author of the practical, hands on guide Becoming an Online Business Manager: Playing a Bigger Role with your Clients (and Yourself), Tina Forsyth shares ideas for starting and operating a successful online management business. She describes ways to market, build and expand your client base by attracting the right clients who are a fit for your business. She also provides tips for problem solving and effective daily business management on Blog Business Success Radio.

BlogTalkRadio.com

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Monday, March 16, 2009

The Women's Millionaire Club by Maureen G. Mulvaney - Book review



The Women's Millionaire Club

By: Maureen G. Mulvaney

Published: March 17, 2009

Additional information: Visit Virtual Blog Tours












Women can become wealthy and successful entrepreneurs is the message sent loud and clear by entrepreneur and speaker Maureen G. Mulvaney in her inspirational book The Women's Millionaire Club. She shares the recipes for success, and she even mixes in some secret sauce from twenty very smart and savvy business women.

Maureen G. Mulvaney, or MGM as she is known for her Big Production, demonstrates that women can achieve financial freedom through entrepreneurship. By starting their own businesses, women can free themselves of the corporate world, and create their own fortunes. With twenty leading female entrepreneurs to guide the way, women can follow these business leaders to taking control of their own destinies. In difficult economic times, with layoffs and pay cuts as daily news headlines, women can no longer depend upon a career as employees. The author teaches women how to take their career into their own hands and build their own profitable and personally rewarding companies.



Maureen G. Mulvaney (photo left) doesn't just provide the reasons for women to open their own businesses, she shows women how to be successful business owners as well. The success recipe presented in the book is a powerful combination of the inner strength that all women possess, combined with practical business advice. The case studies featuring strong women as role models are not only inspirational, but are informative to the beginning entrepreneur. The business women profiled share their greatest money making secrets for starting and operating a profitable venture, guiding the reader through the steps to success.

For me, the power of the book is its powerful combination of inspiration coupled with practical business advice. The recipe requires generous portions of both to help women stir up a scrumptious business. Inspiration is essential to taking that first step to changing from an employee to a business owner. Moving out of a presumed comfort zone can be daunting, but Maureen G. Mulvaney helps make that transition not only simple, but highly successful as well. By declaring that nothing is impossible for women to achieve, the book is a powerful success tool for any aspiring entrepreneur.

I highly recommend The Women's Millionaire Club by Maureen G. Mulvaney to any women who are serious about embarking on the journey to entrepreneurial success. With this motivational book as a road map, the voyage will be a pleasant and profitable one.

Read The Women's Millionaire Club by Maureen G. Mulvaney, and share in the power of the entrepreneurial spirit. Your success is already baked into the cake.

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Note: This is not an affiliate link.

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Saturday, March 14, 2009

Becoming an Online Business Manager by Tina Forsyth - Book review



Becoming an Online Business Manager

Playing a Bigger Role with your Clients (and Yourself)


By: Tina Forsyth

Published: Sept 22 2008
Format: Paperback 234 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-9810664-0-0
Publisher: A+ Productions







"My mission in writing this book is simple - it's to help you, the future Online Business Manager, to open your eyes to the possibility of doing this for a living", writes entrepreneur Tina Forsyth in her practical, hands on guide Becoming an Online Business Manager: Playing a Bigger Role with your Clients (and Yourself). The author provides the game plan and shares freely the insider secrets, to becoming a full time Online Business Professional, with both the new entrepreneur and the client's success in mind.

Tina Forsyth recognizes that the role of virtual Online Business Manager is a new and still evolving business. As a result, she instills the excitement of becoming part of an entirely new internet based industry. The business opportunity is presented as an expansion of the already established virtual assistant profession. With so many virtual assistants becoming overloaded with clients, and a rapidly growing demand for more services, the time is ripe for taking the virtual assistant career to the next level. The role of Online Business Professional, as outlined step by step in the book, is the solution for overworked virtual assistants and for corporate project managers seeking seeking a lucrative entrepreneurial venture.



Tina Forsyth (photo left) brings her own business experience to the book, and her insider knowledge is very much in evidence. She understands how to work with clients to build their companies through matching the right skills to the job to ensure timely and profitable results. Far from being an assistant, the Online Business Manager (OBM) is a virtual partner in the client's organization, while becoming a growing business in its own right. As the OBM businesses grows, new opportunities are created through additional collaboration with other clients, as well as with many virtual assistance.

For me, the power of the book is the author's practical, straight to the point style, that shows the reader how to start and operate a successful Online Business Manager company. Tina Forstyth recognizes that her industry is still in the early stages of development, and how it can grow and evolve with the virtual assistant profession. The author does a fine job of demonstrating how a new Online Business Manager can start, manage, and grow a business, while adding value to clients and their companies. The book provides the tool for taking full advantage of a vast and still untapped business opportunity.

I highly recommend the inspirational and practical book Becoming an Online Business Manager: Playing a Bigger Role with your Clients (and Yourself) by Tina Forsyth to any current virtual assistant professionals and to any former corporate managers seeking a growing business niche. With the economy in a downturn, the role of the Online Business Manager will become even more important, as companies downsize staff and seek to contract out the still needed tasks.

Read Becoming an Online Business Manager: Playing a Bigger Role with your Clients (and Yourself) by Tina Forsyth, and become part of a new and dynamic industry, as a business owner. The author coaches the new OBM to prosper in any economy, and to help their clients achieve constant business success as well.

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Friday, March 13, 2009

Buying In by Rob Walker - Book review



Buying In

The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are


By: Rob Walker

Published: June 3, 2008
ISBN: 9781400063918
Format: Hardcover, 256pp
Publisher: Random House Inc






"This book is about the secret dialogue between what we buy and who we are, and how it is changing" writes best selling author and journalist Rob Walker in his important book Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are. This powerful book is nothing short of a deconstruction of marketing itself, from both the seller's side, as well as from the consumer's point of view.

Rob Walker understands that part of the secret inner dialogue, is reconciling the idea of being an individual, with being part of something larger than oneself. Brands enable the consumer to differentiate personally while at the same time, sharing in becoming part of a larger group. In a society saturated with brand images, no one is immune from marketing messages. For the author, the power within the consumer is turning a brand into a symbol other than intended by its original marketers. For example, supporting a brand perceived to be outside of the mainstream, provides individuality while sharing in a larger group, helping to resolve the inner dialogue conflict.



Rob Walker (photo left) recognizes that changes are taking place in the marketing of products everywhere. His coining of the term murketing describes how marketing can be very opaque and the message placed entirely outside of traditional marketing channels. The author states that the consumer has the power to click away from advertisements in any media. As a result, the empowered consumer can avoid mainstream marketing messages entirely. To combat the power of the click, the marketing industry embraced underground techniques, with varying levels of success. In many cases, as the book demonstrates, consumers create their own marketing messages, and form customer bases thought outside of the target market entirely.

For me, the power of the book is the complete deconstruction of the modern marketing problem. Marketers discovered that products are purchased for reasons other than thought originally, turning target and demographic marketing upside down. Indeed, the author's powerful dissection, of under the radar marketing through underground techniques and channels outside of traditional methods, illustrates the future of marketing in a brand saturated world. The book is prophetic in how marketing evolves to shape, and be shaped by, how and why people buy products and services.

I highly recommend the landmark book Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are by Rob Walker, whose brilliant pioneering work will change the way you view marketing forever. The traditional marketing techniques and axioms are becoming obsolete before our very eyes, and Rob Walker provides a front row seat for decoding that sea change in the industry.

Read the destined to be classic book Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are by Rob Walker, and learn how underground murketing, and new approaches to branding are changing the landscape for marketers. Since the inner dialogue about why we buy is always changing, and is a rapidly moving target, marketers must embrace the future or fall by the wayside.

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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Carla Harris: Expect To Win - Blog Business Success Radio

BlogTalkRadio.com



Twenty year Wall Street professional, a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, and author of the empowering book Expect to Win: Proven Strategies for Success from a Wall Street Vet Carla Harris, shares secrets for climbing the corporate ladder in any industry. She recognizes that knowledge and hard work are very often not enough, and she describes how to level the playing field. Her real world business experience provides you with valuable tips, for getting ahead in business or any other profession, the right way.

Carla Harris is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, March 12, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Twenty year Wall Street professional, a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, and author of the empowering book Expect to Win: Proven Strategies for Success from a Wall Street Vet Carla Harris, shares secrets for climbing the corporate ladder in any industry. You will learn:

* Why authenticity and being true to yourself is so powerful

* Why choosing the right mentor for you is so important

* How to maintain balance in work, home and leisure time

* How to be your best self every day in your career



Carla Harris (photo left) is a Wall Street veteran and Managing Director of Global Capital Markets at Morgan Stanley. She executed the IPOs for UPS, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, and Redback, as well as the $3.2 billion common stock transaction for Immunex, one of the largest biotech common stock offerings in U.S. history.

She has been the recipient of many awards including Black Enterprise's "75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street". Black Enterprise's "50 Most Powerful Women In Business", and Fortune's "The Most Influential List".

Her book Expect to Win: Proven Strategies for Success from a Wall Street Vet is already a business and career management best seller.

My book review of Expect to Win: Proven Strategies for Success from a Wall Street Vet by Carla Harris.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.

BlogTalkRadio.com

If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.

Add to iTunes

To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with twenty year Wall Street professional, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, and author of the empowering book Expect to Win: Proven Strategies for Success from a Wall Street Vet Carla Harris, as she shares secrets for climbing the corporate ladder in any industry. She recognizes that knowledge and hard work are very often not enough, and she describes how to level the playing field. Her real world business experience provides you with valuable tips, for getting ahead in business or any other profession, the right way. on Blog Business Success Radio.

BlogTalkRadio.com

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