The following is a very thought provoking short story I came across several years ago, I keep a copy on the wall in my office and try to remember to read it from time to time. It helps remind me to look at the true purpose behind what I do, and I hope it makes you think too. - Belinda

Gone Fishing….

A US businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican fishing village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the boat were several large yellow-fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, ‘Only a little while, Señor.’

The American asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish. The Mexican said that he had enough to supply his family’s immediate needs.

The American then asked, ‘But what do you do with the rest of your time?’

The fisherman said, ‘I play with my children, take siesta with my wife Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, Señor.’

The American smiled, ‘I am a Harvard MBA - that’s a degree in business studies - I could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat, with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet. Then instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor eventually opening you own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution.

‘You would, of course, need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles, and eventually New York City where you would run your expanding enterprise.’

The Mexican fisherman asked, ‘But, Señor, how long will all this take?’

The American replied, ‘Fifteen to twenty years.’

‘But what then, Señor?’

The American laughed, ‘That’s the best part. When the time is right you sell your stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.’

‘Millions, Señor? But then what?’

‘Then you would retire, move to a small coastal fishing village, where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, Maria, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play guitar with your amigos.’

With just a hint of a twinkle in his eye, the fisherman said, ‘Señor - are these business degrees hard to get?’

–
Rob Parsons, The Heart of Success

You are invited to the Sydney Wholistic Business Network Event on Monday 23rd June 2008 where I will be presenting on the Topic of Email Marketing - “Grow your Business using an Email Newsletter”

“GROW YOUR BUSINESS USING AN EMAIL NEWSLETTER!”
presented by Belinda Jackson

Does your Online Presence work to increase your sales & profits by converting visitors into customers? First of all, are you converting website visitors into real leads that you can follow up with? Are you building relationships with prospects and clients through regular communications?

Come along to this presentation to learn simple and effective Online Marketing strategies that revolve around Email. Yes, Email - it’s simple and yet it is highly effective. It’s also easy to get it wrong!

You will learn;

• Email Marketing: What, how and why it could work for you
• What to put in your Email Newsletter to ensure it gets read
• The legal essentials: Spam Compliance rules & regulations
• Growing the List - how to get more people on your Email List
• This presentation is full of real world strategies that work. See for yourself why her clients love her newsletter and be inspired by the power of little old Email!

Belinda Jackson of Web Chameleon has been working with her clients to improve their online marketing efforts for over 5 years. Her previous background including over 14 years experience in marketing, sales, graphic design and IT provides a perfect blend to place her where she is today - helping business owners market themselves through Email Marketing, Blogging, Websites and more.

The other presentation on the evening is as detailed below;

“IF YOU COULD BUST LOOSE FROM THE TREADMILL - WOULD YOU?”
presented by Chris Wakeford

Did you know that over the next 5-10 years there will be MORE wealth created than in the entire history of the world for those people who engage in playing a whole new game? Hear how a new multibillion dollar mega trend market is shaping exciting new lives for people who want the keys to the love & the MONEY.

Transformational Spiritual Entrepreneur Chris Wakeford is a retired Ex Lend Lease financial planning wealth creation expert who now teaches people to do the complete opposite to what the traditional planners do and why they secretly come and see him now for advice!

Chris will share with you how transformational personal growth creates the money… how ordinary people who learn to UNLEARN are able to become audacious spiritual wealth entrepreneurs; without having to attend any type of public education system where it is NOT taught! http://thewealthcentre.com

How DO you to create 50-100K from home from the Internet even if you are a 2 finger typist… IE NOT a techie seems to help!

$1000’s worth of Prizes often given away on the night

Your opportunity to meet interesting and inspiring people… join us for a dynamic & fun evening filled with inspired business networking - opportunity to learn from others that already have success, meet old and new friends and create the personal and professional connections you may be looking for.

Monday evening, the 23rd of June 2008

“The Wealth Centre” Level 1, 24 Falcon street, Crows Nest

For full details go to http://www.wholisticbusinessnetwork.com/wbn_centres/sydney.html

or Contact Sandhi - mobile 0419 233 448

I am holding a two part Teleclass Series on Email Newsletters and how to effectively use Email Marketing to attract and retain profitable clients to grow your business!June 12th & June 19th 2008 (Yes, the first one is this week!).

You will learn how to become a welcome guest in your subscriber’s inbox and how NOT to be a quickly deleted pest…. This is Simple Cost Effective Marketing that Works!

To get the full scoop - please go to:

www.webchameleon.com.au/email-teleclass.htm

Next Wednesday (30th April) I’m facilitating an Online Marketing workshop for The Working Womens Network in Sydney. The workshop will take place at the Greengate Hotel in Killara and you can view more information and book through The Working Womens Network. It’s for both members and guests of the Network, so anyone can come along, but you do need to book!

Here’s just a snapshot of what you will learn during this Online Marketing Success workshop;
• A Simple 3 step Formula for Online Marketing Success
• The secrets to getting your website found on Search engines
• How to optimise your web presence for RESULTS
• The most effective way to convert website visitors into customers
• Email Marketing: What, how and why it could work for you
• What to put in your Email Newsletter to ensure it gets read
• The legal essentials: Spam Compliance rules & regulations
• Growing the List - how to get more people on your Email List
• Blogging: What, how and why it could work for you

This workshop will be full of real world strategies that work. You are guaranteed to leave with ideas that you can implement immediately in your business!

The Working Women’s Network is a business network especially for women who live and work on Sydney’s North Shore and Northern Beaches.

Founded by two fantastic women who I have personally come to know and admire over the last year - Angela Raspass and Nikki White. Both run their own successful businesses, and have come together to form this business network aptly titled The Working Womens Network.

Their motto is Be Connected, Inspired and Enriched

The Working Women’s Network offers monthly networking functions, periodic skill development workshops, a members online resource centre, topic forums and a business directory where you can highlight your business and seek the services of other members.

I have joined forces with The Working Womens Network and coming up on 30th April 2008, I will be delivering a workshop on Online Marketing as detailed below;

Effective Online Marketing

Is your website working effectively to increase sales and profits and build client relationships? Do you utilise email marketing to communicate effectively with your customers? Do you know what blogging is? If not, our next skill development workshop will give you the keys to utilise online technology to increase your business.

For more information on this event or to make a booking visit www.workingwomensnetwork.com.au or phone the Network on 9402 5783. I hope to see you there!

Ali Brown - The Ezine Queen is one of my favourite internet marketers!

Further to my blog post in early January on choosing a mentor I thought I would highlight one of the expert internet marketers that I have chosen to learn from in 2008! We can all never stop learning which is why I continue furthering my education and knowledge every single day and learn from mentors, peers, and clients alike.

Ali Brown is well known worldwide in internet marketing circles as The Ezine Queen as she teaches all about using an Ezine to grow your business and make more money. Strangely I only discovered Ali Brown long after I was already an avid fan and teacher of Email Marketing myself.

I have really only begun learning directly from Ali in the last few 6 months. I’ve spent a small fortune on her stuff and this year I am in her Marketing Mastery program which is a full 12 month program and so far it’s been a blast (& very helpful)! It’s a small group program that she is running for Entrepreneurs that are looking to take their business to the next level (yep that’s me :)). Anyway I am very excited to be a part of it and look forward to letting you know how it all goes.

My Business Blogging Program is scheduled to start in 2 days, on Thursday. Is it right for you? Even if you can’t make it live to the calls you will get access to all the calls to listen to in your own time and access to the Membership site!

A blog is perfect for any entrepreneur or business owner who has a passion for what they do, wants to build their business online and generate new leads from google easily and at no cost, and all the while build a loyal community of prospects and clients.

Here’s what you will receive as part of Web Chameleon’s Business Blogging Program:

4 X Weekly 60 min group teleclass with me:

• Week 1: Planning & Setting up Your Blog (14th February)
• Week 2: Creating & Managing Content (21st February)
• Week 3: Getting Traffic - Marketing your Blog (28th February)
• Week 4: Effective Blog Tips - Make Money & Grow your List! (6th March)

These calls will be on Thursdays from 10:00 am to 11:00 am Sydney Australia time (Wednesday, 3.00pm Pacific, 6.00pm Eastern USA time). The teleclass series will be starting on February 14th and ending on March 6th.

Free Lifetime access to the Business Blogging Program Members Only Resource Site

Access to Online Tutorials of the following:

• How to set up a Hosting Account for your blog
• How to Set Up Wordpress on your Hosting Account
• How to download and install a Wordpress Theme
• Working with Wordpress Functionality

Access to Members Only Resources such as

• Blogging Help Directory
• Images that you can use on your blog
• Vendor referrals and discounts
• Wordpress Themes

4 X 30 minute Weekly Live QA Sessions. These will take place directly after the teleclasses (ie 11am) so any questions you have can be asked live on the call, sent through the web form if you’re listening via the webcast or sent to me by email.

Learn to do it all yourself easily and expertly with this program or choose the Gold Upgrade option for which we will then consult with you and do all the work for you in setting up and customising your Blog!

Check it out…. For more information visit www.businessbloggingprogram.com

Here’s a nice story from an email I received from a friend;

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.”Don’t forget your Sisters,” she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. “They’ll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them.” “Remember that ‘Sisters’ means ALL the women… your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. “You’ll need other women. Women always do.”

What a funny piece of advice!’ the young woman thought. Haven’t I just gotten married? Haven’t I just joined the couple-world? I’m now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!’

But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life. After more than 30 years of living in this world, here is what I’ve learned:

(THIS SAYS IT ALL)

Time passes.

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Children grow up.

Jobs come and go.

Love waxes and wanes.

Men don’t do what they’re supposed to do.

Hearts break.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favours.

Careers end.

BUT……… Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley’s rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley’s end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you…Or come in and carry you out. Mothers, Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our lives!

The world wouldn’t be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still.

In the end what matters most is… How well did you live? How well did you love? How well did you learn to let go? And thanks to you all who have come into my life and for being in my sisterhood of friends.

Happy days!

This morning I attended my local Business Swap Meeting with guest speaker Stuart Zadel who is Australian publisher of Think and Grow Rich. Stuart is a fantastic public speaker who inspires, motivates, entertains and educates.

As this is my first post about Business Swap I should clarify what the group is about. Business Swap is an international network especially for professional people, business owners and the self employed. I’m a member of the local Central Coast Group who meet at East Gosford every Friday morning.

This morning, Stuart spoke about the characteristics of a great public speaker and the business of being a speaker. He also teaches simply by being a great speaker himself. One big point I got was keeping the audience involved by saying things such as “so where was I up to?” and getting audience contribution.

His three characteristics of a great speaker include;

1/ Sincerity

2/ Content

3/ Humour.

Speakers are leaders and experts in most cases, and generally come from a place of really wanting to see and bring about change in the people they speak to. To be a great speaker you must have passion for your topic and how it relates to the audience.

This is definately the case for me; I speak to educate the small business owner and empower them to embrace Online Marketing! I want to give them confidence through understanding and knowledge so they may take advantage of the huge opportunities that websites, email marketing and blogging have for them. I want to increase awareness of the Online Possibilities for Small Business and Solo Preneurs!

I picked up some great tips today. Thanks Stuart!

Ready to learn more about Stuart Zadel and his famous Think and Grow Rich Seminars - visit his website now.

I’m not one to forward on any of those emails that we all receive that promise good fortune if you send it to 3 friends etc. Quite frankly they annoy me most of the time. Occassionally I do get an email that I really enjoy or that I think has meaning that should be shared. And below is the copy of one I received this morning. So I thought I’d post it to my blog and let it be available to whoever wishes to read it;

At a fund-raising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: “When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?”

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. “I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.”

Then he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, “We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.”

Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, “Shay, run to first! Run to first!” Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, “Run to second, run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball … the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’s head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, “Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay”

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, “Run to third! Shay, run to third!”

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, “Shay, run home! Run home!” Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

“That day”, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world”.

Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

If you’re thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you’re probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren’t the “appropriate” ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the “natural order of things.” So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it’s least fortunate amongst them.

May your day, be a Shay Day