Title: Big Fat Media Deal R&D Calls

Wednesday May 30, 2007 | Audio Recording

Use the player below to listen to the audio now or use the MP3 link below the player to download the audio to your favorite player or computer:

Thursday May 31, 2007 | Audio Recording

Use the player below to listen to the audio now or use the MP3 link below the player to download the audio to your favorite player or computer:

If you had 10 minutes with Simon Cowell (of American Idol and Il Divo fame) what would you most like to say?

Something like...

"Not to be rude but...I have a TV show idea featuring coaches I'd love you to do...aren't you getting bored of American Idol yet?"

Hmm, not sure he would buy that, but... :-)

On the other hand, he DID buy rights to a very exciting coaching-based Television Show this year...

And it WAS pitched by a coach just like you and I...

The premise is taking bleepity-bleep Bosses and turning them into hero Bosses. Think Nanny 911 but for Executives. Come on, there's **lots** in common between bratty kids and annoying bosses, isn't there? ;)

Seriously though, it is a very exciting project. And it has its share of interesting things to navigate, especially in order to preserve the spirit of coaching in the end result. Needless to say, when 'Hollywood' meets 'Coaching' intriguing things can happen if you know what I mean.

What we covered in the calls:

- What the show is all about and when it will air
- What Danusia said to Simon Cowell when she met him earlier this year
- Why she thinks this particular show concept was picked up
- What the major opportunities are, in her opinion, for coaching

And we asked you for help providing ideas, comments and suggestions for:

- How and where to attract the best bosses for the show - perhaps you know of one or more?
- What needs to be in place for the best coaching to happen - what you think is important.

P.S. Just WHO is this Coach Danusia Malina-Derben? As I said, she is just like you and I. And... she's a really remarkable talent with a big mushy heart. If she gets her way, this show is going to be much more than TV.
We're just going to have to keep watching, won't we?

Here is Danusia's current webpage describing her biz:

http://www.lifewizards.co.uk/team.html#

Be sure to click the link beside her photo for a slice of her personal story.

If you've been looking for a Mentor Coach to guide you to inner shifts and outer bigger income following the Multiple Streams model, I am opening a new set of Group Coaching calls beginning in June. Here are the details:

Title: Advanced Group Coaching | June to November 2007

This is a 6-month small group coaching format with:

• 3, 60-minute sessions per month on Tuesdays from 100 to 200 PM Eastern

• Calls will consist of 1 content/information-rich call organized around an advanced business-building theme; 1 hot seat & laser coaching call and 1 group brainstorming call. (Brainstorming will center on feedback and ideas from the group on your chosen project - first-come first-serve. While Hot Seat and Laser Coaching will be more Coach-Client oriented.)

• There will be a mailing list format for email communication with fellow coaches and e-coaching. Please note registration in the group indicates permission on your part to share your email address with the rest of the group unless you specify otherwise.

• Recordings, notes and any links will be shared via mailing list and/or webpage dedicated to the group.

Please Note: The month of July will feature Tina Forsyth as Coach on the theme of Teambuilding and Business Management.

As always the emphasis in Advanced Group Coaching throughout the 6 months is on tangible-nuts and bolts steps you can act on as well as big picture mindset shifts. Our goal is (always) money AND meaning, sustainably in a way that suits you as an individual.

• Theme for June - Simple Multimedia | Exactly How To Create Compelling Products (Includes Resources, Suppliers, Recommended Sub-Contractors and A Step-By-Step Process we will walk through together)

  Registration Closed

  *** Note: If you are interested in more than one month, or other discount options, be sure to see below for alternate payment methods. ***

• Theme for July - Increasing Your Biz Capacity | Hiring, Managing and Retaining Your Core Team led and facilitated by Tina Forsyth (Includes 'Who's the Boss of You' material)

  Registration Closed

• Theme for August - Identifying and Real-Time Implementation of Key Joint Ventures | Access to More Clients/Customers Equals More Money

  Registration Closed

• Theme for September - Closing the (eep!) In-Person Sale | Taking the Easy Route In Workshops, Seminars and Other Speaking Engagements and Earning More Money (Also applies to Virtual Speaking Opportunities or TeleSeminars)

  Click here to reserve your spot for September Only: http://tinyurl.com/3236mu

• Theme for October - Strategic Planning for 2008 | What's Next for Your Biz? Possibilities, Planning and Implementation

  Click here to reserve your spot for October Only: http://tinyurl.com/2uqsok

• Theme for November - The Paul Principle | Businesses Grow and/or Shrink Based on the Capacity of the Business Owner - Let's Work on Your 'Who,' Open Your Money Chakra and Continue Working Less

  Click here to reserve your spot for November Only: http://tinyurl.com/3adlpq

NEW: We've also added a monthly Integrity Day the last Thursday of each month - the better to support you in getting real work done. Integrity Day Calls will be 12noon - 5pm Eastern (9am - 2pm Pacific) - calling in once per hour for support and to celebrate progress!

And here are three alternative options for registration:

Option #1: 3 60-minute sessions per month as outlined above $175 per month, one month at a time recurring for six months

Bonus to the first 5 to register: Your choice of one of two cd packages

Click here to reserve your spot: http://tinyurl.com/3drdbp

OR

Option #2: 3 60-minute sessions per month as outlined above $150 per month in one lump sum of $900

Bonus to the first 5 to register: Your choice of one of two cd packages

Click here to reserve this option: http://tinyurl.com/32ww2l

OR

Option #3: All of the above plus ONE 45-minute individual session per month with Andrea or Tina (your choice)

Note: Scheduling will be done first-come first-serve and individual time must be used each month.

$325 per month

Bonus to the first 5 to register: Your choice of one of two cd packages

Click here to secure this option: http://tinyurl.com/39kqmc

If you'd like to do some comparing, use this webpage to review regular 1-on-1 coaching fees and details:

http://www.MultipleStreamsCoaching.com

And here are a few kind words from previous coaching clients and Advanced Group Coaching attendees for your warm and fuzzies. :-)

"Andrea, I cannot say enough good things about our time together. You were business consultant, business coach, personal coach, and couples coach – all in just three hours!!

I loved the way you cracked open our business model to find the holes that needed to be plugged. I loved the way you were able to cut to the heart of every problem and concern, while still having compassion for the personal and emotional feelings surrounding it all.

Most of all, I loved the way you were instantly able to see the real reason I was struggling with my book. You were more right than you will ever know. "

-- Jennifer Koretsky Founder, Head Coach & Chief Visionary Officer
www.ADDmanagement.com

---

"Not only did we strategize exactly how to take my business to the next level, but Andrea also addressed ALL the pieces essential to creating the business and life I most want. I left our meeting with the big picture firmly planted in my mind, an action plan in hand, and no doubt that everything I’m envisioning for my business and my life will become my reality.”

Alicia M Forest, MBA
www.ClientAbundance.com

---

"I'm thinking in new and more powerful ways! I make decisions more quickly and decisively, I'm more focused and less frantic, and find it much easier to "let go" and drop or delegate work."

Terri Zwierzynski
www.Solo-E.com

---

"My business has completely changed because of this coaching. I have let go of a partnership and am now working with a new partner; this has been a huge shift for me. I get stubborn about how I think things are supposed to look, and Andrea's yoga for the mind, as well as no bull way of talking has really helped me rearrange the way I work. And thank God for that!"

Kristine Carey
www.LifestyleCatalysts.com

Got questions? Happy to help. Just email andrea@andreajlee.com and Tina or I will get back to you.

It probably wouldn't surprise you if I said much of the work people do with their personal coach is about tolerations. Getting rid of things you don't want, to make room for the things you do. That's coaching, in a nutshell.

But would it surprise you that I've wished for a way for us to focus on the topic of 'Tolerations' and tap into the greater power of the community to Zap these in a group format?

It used to be there were quite a few of these group courses, but not lately, so I'm really delighted to invite you to one we've just set up. It's called "Become a Toleration Free Zone." [Not sure what a toleration is? Read on.]

The goal of course? Get rid of 100 things you're living with, putting up with, or "tolerating" and reap huge rewards in your life and business as a result. Simple.

By zapping tolerations, this program clears the way for you to make more money, make you more attractive to yourself and others, give you more time do what you want, evolve you more quickly, improve your relationships, and of course, help you attract clients!

If this sounds appealing, this course may be for you.

Title: Become a Toleration-Free Zone

Dates/Times: Four consecutive Wednesdays, starting Wednesday, June 6th, 2007 from 300 to 400 PM Eastern.

Cost for the Course: $129 for general public, and $99 for Money and Meaning Blog Readers, that's you. To activate the registration link, click below, or read on to find out exactly what you get.

http://tinyurl.com/33wome

The Program includes 4 Live TeleClasses, checklists, notes and recordings.*

Class Description:

In this class, you will learn:

1. What tolerations are and how they work.

2. How to work with others to reduce these tolerations, and...

3. The 10 most common sources of Tolerations:

--Home & Office
--Relationships & Family
--Car & Equipment
--Work & Clients/Customers
--Income Level & Personal Finances
--Personal Integrity & Self-Care
--Lifestyle & Desires
--Fears & Blocks
--Body & Appearance
--Stress & Frustration

4. How to use the Toleration bank, containing over 1000 common tolerations.

5. How to use the power of the group to come up with creative ways to take care of tolerations.

6. How not to become a jerk while still becoming a Toleration-Free Zone.

======================
Benefits of the No Tolerations
======================

There are many benefits to you when you get rid of what you are tolerating:

1. You feel freer.
--Until you release them, tolerations act like tethers to a hot air balloon -- they hold you down. Identifying your tolerations and handling them is like cutting the tethers to your life.

2. You have more energy.
--Until you eliminate them, tolerations zap your energy even if you don't realize it. The increase in energy is immediate; it's the first thing you'll feel during the course.

3. You become more creative.
--When you are tolerating, you are locked into the ways you USED to do things. When you handle the tolerations, you'll find yourself experimenting more.

4. You are happier.
--Tolerations are reminders of what you DON'T want in your life. When you handle these, you're essentially creating a future that YOU want.

5. You attract higher quality people.
--Working through your tolerations is like a rite of passage. Once you move through it, you'll meet some really great people on the other side.

6. You evolve faster.
--Tolerations keep you from rapidly developing and evolving because they distract and divert you, so when you eliminate tolerations, there is less 'friction' in life and you naturally accelerate your development.

7. You attract better opportunities.
--This is because you can SEE them. If you're still tolerating, life appears fuzzy because you're looking through the gauze of what you're putting up with.

8. You strengthen your Personal Foundation.
--In the process of identifying and eliminating your tolerations, you also touch on other personal foundation areas such as needs, values, integrity and reserve. when you handle the tolerations, you have more time to strengthen your strengths and better use your resources.

=======================
Lots of resources included...
=======================

In addition to the 4 live interactive TeleClasses, you'll also receive access to program worksheets, checklists, class notes and recordings...all for only $99 for Money and Meaning readers.

And to insure your complete satisfaction, we offer a 100% money-back guarantee within 6 months of registration. (We're convinced you will adore this program -- both for yourself and for the impact you will have on your business.)

Here's the link to register now.

http://tinyurl.com/33wome

Non-Members can register here.

http://tinyurl.com/3alnfq

Led by Alicia Smith, Multiple Streams Team Associate Coach and Veteran TeleSeminar Leader

Alicia is an Executive Coach, Consultant and Trainer based in Bozeman, MT and brings with her more than 16 years in the training and Coaching field. Alicia says, "I love business and have personal experience in starting (six) and selling (four) businesses.

When leading TeleClasses, my goal is to help people gain clarity and achieve desired results while enjoying the process, and helping to focus on relationships and communicating well.

In every relationship my students and clients and I share creativity, intuition, empathy, knowledge, vision and humor to make great things happen. The people I work with tell me they appreciate the resourcefulness, encouragement and results they create with my support."

http://www.aliciasmith.com

*Note: Although this class will be recorded for participants to review, there will not be an audio recording version for sale after the live classes are over. This is a limitation of the license we hold to teach this class, which was purchased at www.CoachVille.com. If you wish to participate, we encourage you to register for the live class now.

Based on your life experience and how you want to serve as a coach, is Career Coaching of interest to you?

If you said yes, lucky you, because this is one of the most concrete, lucrative and step-by-step niche markets you can tap into.

In fact, I'm thoroughly delighted to invite you to an introduction and demonstration of the highly in-demand niche of career coaching with my colleague Marcia Bench.

In this 60-minute call, you'll learn the steps to become a Career Infopreneur that will put it all together for you, as well as intimate insight into how Marcia has achieved this herself. Her statistics show that by following the steps, you can clearly and simply earn another $5000 or more per month.

The interview with Marcia Bench took place live via TeleSeminar on Thursday May 24, 2007 on what it takes to succeed as a coach – particularly if your clients are grappling with work-related issues. How do you reach the “new worker” who has a special set of circumstances to deal with? How can you create multiple streams of CAREER coaching income?

Marcia has built her coaching business from scratch to over $35,000 per month using these principles – and this one-hour call will allow you to see how you can adapt her strategies.

Along with nuts and bolts, you'll also find out more about Marcia's upcoming Career Coaching Bootcamp on this call, along with a special invite Marcia has for you. If Career Coaching is something you think is for you - I can recommend no one more highly than Marcia Bench. Exciting!

Use the player below to listen to the audio now or use the MP3 link below the player to download the audio to your favorite player or computer:

Are you ready to help people easily picture what you will do for them so they can decide to hire you?

What if you could transmit the conviction that hiring you is the right thing to do?

We are happy to invite you to two teleseminars which will help you do just that.

Join Gail Sussman Miller, of Inspired Choice for

4 Steps to Describe Coaching That Sells

Thurs., May 31, 2007 (1 hr) 9:00 PST/11:00 CST/12:00 EST

For more information or to register, click here

and

4 Steps to Conduct a Complimentary Consultation That Sells

Thurs., June 21, 2007 (1 hr.) 9:00 PST/11:00 CST/12:00 EST

For more information or to register, click here.

Act now to activate a special value price for attendees of both classes. Enjoy!

TeleSeminar Title: Doing Less & Making More: How to 'Unwork'
Led by Andrea J. Lee and Suzanne Falter-Barns

From: Thursday, May 24th

In this ***30-minute*** burst of a call, you'll learn:

- How to lose the sense of 'drudgery' you can get from your heart-based work
- The idea behind how to earn twice the money in half the time
- How to assess your To Do list from an 'unwork' perspective
- Why 'unwork' is more than just delegating tasks to helpers
- How to maximize your energy to you surf through your day happily

Use the player below to listen to the audio now or use the MP3 link below the player to download the audio to your favorite player or computer:

There's one major flaw in the 'pursue your passion, the money will follow' school of thought.

Sometimes the money doesn't 'follow' quickly enough.

If you're someone who works online quite a bit, here's a concrete way to create more focus on earning money.

Step #1: Go to your email inbox and flag the emails that when acted upon, will lead you directly to money.

Step #2: Ignore the rest of your emails and do ONLY the flagged emails first.

Notes:

In step #1, by directly, I mean as directly as possible. You will have some emails that ultimately, following a longer path, may lead to money. Don't flag those. Flag the ones that are the CLOSEST to money today. That's what I mean by direct, and the types of emails you flag will change as your business evolves. But the principle of the exercise remains the same.

For example, in MS Outlook, which is what I use, you can highlight an email, right click and select 'Flag for Followup' and a little red flag shows up beside the email. I currently have 7 little red flags out of 139 emails. The red flags are the things you tend to first, with the most energy and intention. [Red flags = Big Rocks]

What this exercise can reveal:

How much time you habitually spend on non-money-generating activities. Or what I call 'long shots'. Projects, ideas or conversations with people about exciting long-shots (possibilities) are great, but not if you are in 'pay the bills' mode. Once you have a few 'sure things' under your belt from month to month, you can spend time on long shots. At least that's my perspective.

It can be useful to remember that whether you realize it or not, you have a habit of intersecting with money - a sort of de facto 'way of being' regarding money.

In business, if you don't already 'know' or 'feel' what it's like to be earning plenty of money, you have an existing money habit to overcome, and a chance to form a new one.

Suggestion: If the above exercise seems like it would help you - you may want to go one step further.

Step #3: Go ahead and book yourself a daily appointment to do the flagging exercise above.

Book yourself this appointment every day for the next 20 work days. The goal is to make this a daily ingrained habit. As your mental attitude shifts, and you naturally reach for money-related tasks first, you will be rewarded with more income and the fulfillment of your business goals.

Lastly, it's worth mentioning that no, doing the above doesn't mean you are giving up on your passion; you're just doing it through the lens of money. Email flagging is a pretty neat little method to creating a healthy money focus.

Let me know how it works okay?

Andy Wibbels' latest contribution to the lexicon:

Trim the freaks verb. to manage or get rid of business prospects/clients who require a terrifyingly disproportionate amount of hand-holding, or are always looking for special treatment or a freebie

Without a system to trim the freaks, these kinds of people are usually very frustrating to the business owner to say the least! See Andy's rather amusing examples here. [Sorry Andy, I guess they're only funny when it's not me. ;-)]

For the record, I refer to this kind of thing of person as the Two-percenter. This is based on the idea that there will always be 2% of the population who are 'messers' in any given situation. In business the two-percenters are the people who end up costing you money to deal with.

Here is a little Standard Operating Procedure I use for the two-percenter - my FreakFilter, if you will. Not in any kind of 'order' - you or your team will have to exercise your judgement on a case-by-case basis.

1. Ignore.

Repeated odd requests for explanations, special treatment, etc. will eventually go away. Make sure you are okay with them leaving 'unhappy.' For me, this happens when I can think of the worst feedback they can give about me and my biz, and I'm comfortable with it.

2. Proactively refund money.

A template email can go like this:

Hi Name, and thanks for your comments. I can see that you definitely have strong feelings (a different perspective, etc.) about things.

Although I wish we could help NAME, at this point I'd like to suggest that there's likely a better solution for you for your (X) needs somewhere else, so I'm going to ask my assistant to process a refund in full, in the amount of (Y). You should see that amount come through and a receipt in your email in the next 48 hours.

Best wishes to you NAME in your pursuit of success.

3. Embrace the message, detach from the person.

Even if we feel as though we've answered a question for the millionth time, and the person is very frustrating to deal with, sometimes we will practice embracing the situation. For example:

"Dear NAME, of course we'd be happy to explain the Ice Cream Journey to you. Here's a link to purchase the book as a place to start. INSERT LINK.

I think you'll find it covers just about everything on the topic. Enjoy!"

Notice we don't say 'Let us know if you have further questions...' a deliberate omission when activating a FreakFilter. One thing we've come to understand is that our materials themselves are a great filter - people either get it or don't, and pursue our services or not, once they've read some of our writing.

4. Stick to your guns and enjoy making a point.

This one's my fave.

Although we actually don't get a lot of two-percenters, one of the most common things is a person who complains about poor spelling or punctuation on the blog or in our everyday emails. When this happens I actually enjoy making the point that I don't use a spell check or pay for a proofreader because it's more important to me to have a wide open canvas for expression and creativity than perfect English. And that English to me is a tool that I get to break as I create new words, bend rules so that they conform to new thoughts instead of the other way around.

In any case, sometimes a really lovely coaching point arises - the person will come back after I've stuck to my guns to say 'Oh, I so get it - I'm sorry I imposed my rigidity on you...I'm going to look at this differently now!'

Interesting right?

(5) Delegate.

Bear with me here, but isn't trimming the freaks about zapping tolerations? And if so, we know that every toleration can be zapped by one of three actions, right? Do it [deal with it], ditch it [scratch it off your list], or delegate it [pay someone else money to do it instead of you.]

If handling two-percenters is worthwhile to you for some reason, say on a specific project, delegating it can be a great solution too.

After all these years and probably hundreds of thousands of prospects by now, I do feel well equipped to handle the freay two-percenters - it does get better, in other words. In fact, we don't get that much freakiness anymore...and all this is tempered by the fact that I can be a two-percenter myself sometimes... :-)

Hope this helps! Feel free to use the templates above, just please don't worry if you catch a typoe. ;-)

P.S. Can someone help figure out how to reach Paul McFedries of the gosh-darn amazing www.WordSpy.com site for submission of cool new phrases like Andy'sFreakFilter? and just general adulation?

I know the guy is busy but he needs to go on vacation sometimes, right? I'd help manage his blog while he's away...is that freaky?

With apologies to Byron Katie's important 'Work,' I've been using the phrase Unwork quite a bit lately to help foster the premise that working hard is NOT the way to riches or happiness.

For some people working hard is a license to feel justified about complaining. Or feeling self-important.

For others it's a way to pull the wool over their eyes about the fact they aren't succeeding - they're doing everything they can, aren't they? Exhaustion is the proof of this statement. It can't be their fault because they're trying so very hard.

Still others are subconsciously using hard work as a way to avoid something. Could it be fear of success? or almost any other fear/feeling?

I've been exposed to enough variations on the theme of hard work that I feel I can say with confidence:

The message "Work hard and you'll be rewarded" is MOST useful to people in authority (teachers, parents, church leaders, politicians, etc.) Tired people (adults and children) are less likely to act up.

What I know for sure is that it takes a certain amount of guts to think about Unworking. Hard work is a potent anesthetic that like any addiction numbs us to life. Time to wake up.

Let me be clear that Unwork isn't about being lazy. And it isn't some fancy way of talking about delegation or time management either. I hate to say it's a kind of 'consciousness' as that's just too floofy for many people to care about, but it is in fact what it is. And...there are specifics that can help you start 'doing' unwork in a concrete way so this isn't all just ethereal stuff.

Register for the no-fee Open House TeleSeminar on Unwork (post coming soon) if you'd prefer a more interactive version of this. But here are my notes in response to those of you who don't want to wait. ;) Remember - Suzanne Falter-Barns is spearheading the call so I'm sure she'll have much to contribute on her end too.

Or, check out the radio show Pam Slim did with me on 'Taking the Struggle out of building your business' over at VoiceAmericaBusiness. You can download the program here.

Now here are my notes on just what Unwork is and how you can start integrating some...

(1) What does Unwork mean?

The first step to understanding the concept of Unwork is noticing that for everything you do, there is a hard way and an easy way. Whether it's picking a photograph at IstockPhoto to illustrate your blog post; putting together your new TV stand or making ends meet this month, there IS a hard way to reach your goal. Perhaps it's the road you're most used to taking.

So the best way to help connect you with the concept of Unwork is to ask you to assume with me there IS an easier way to what you are doing. So pick a challenge you're working on this week. Or a long-standing obstacle in your life. My assumption is going to be that there is an easier way. If you were to play along, what comes up?

This is about practice because letting go of the habit of thinking life has to be hard isn't going to be an overnight thing. So practice challenging yourself. Gradually your way of 'being' in your business will become less onerous.

Just start with one thing. Go ahead, you can think of one thing that you're annoyed at that feels terribly hard...what is it?

Unwork = noun. Definition = a contrarian idea that for everything human beings seek to do or achieve in life there is a hard way and an easy way or unwork way. Especially applicable in entrepreneurial settings.

(2) What might be a useful metaphor that conveys the sensibility of Unwork?

Unwork can feel like a foreign concept the first time you hear it so I like to use metaphors to help us get intuitive about it. Here are two:

Metaphor #1: If you were hanging a calendar on your wall, you wouldn't go to the basement to get your power tool, right? Yet so many of us in our daily 'to dos' are doing just that - using a power tool to put in a tack.

We might be spending way too much time to complete something...or doing a menial task at the time of day when our brains are most creative...whatever it is, there is an ineffective use of energy to accomplish the task in front of us...using a power tool on a tack when just your thumb would do the trick.

How are you burning out a power tool doing something little in your business?

Is it possible you're giving a long lecture to your teenager when a small curfew reminder would do the trick?

Metaphor #2: The Sun and the Wind fable, excerpted from the book 'Money, Meaning & Beyond' and previously posted here.

Okay, I lied. There is another very colourful and slightly PG-13 metaphor that illustrates Unwork to a 'T'. I think it's the MOST effective metaphor there is for some people but I'm not going to post it here. I'm being a little coy here alright? Okay maybe a little chicken too. :-) So if you'd like me to post it I will, but encourage me a little would you? I'm not a prude (especially in 1-on-1 coaching sessions) but I'm still not sure how colourful to be here...

(3) What are some recent examples of how you apply Unwork in your life?

Example #1: After being self-employed nearly 10 years, I know there are two major activities that consistently generate income. For me, these are speaking and writing; they may be different for you. But speaking takes a proportionately HUGE amount of my time, effort, patience from husband and family, etc. in order to do. Not to mention health and other environmental costs.

By contrast, writing takes up much fewer resources and - important - does almost as good a job generating business as speaking does.

Unwork decision I made? Speak even less frequently than I do now, and make every speaking engagement really count. Net result: I have much more energy and time to spend writing. Ultimately this gives me better results (more money) for less work over the course of the year - exactly what was proven when I visited my accountant last week - gross income increased only 10-20% last year, but we had about the same amount of expenses and both partners worked about 40% less. That's a great raise as a result of unwork.

Example #2: Here's a smaller example.

When searching for a great photo to illustrate a blog post, I discovered a friend who was looking and looking on IstockPhoto. We all do the equivalent of something like this - go through all the bids on Elance for example, or researching an additional hour when you've already found a good link.

What if you were to stop? Meaning, stop when you find the first useable photo? When you find a decent bid on Elance that meets all your criteria?

We spend a lot of time looking for what could possibly might be a slightly better answer. But all the while we already have a serviceable solution.

Does this apply to you? If you haven't been able to think of a place to concretely apply Unwork, this should help. Make a list of things you work unnecessarily hard at now and practice letting your work go.

Insert a food-related Andrea-ism here: Like trimming the fat off the steak before you barbeque, you can trim wasted energy off many of your daily tasks, if only you start thinking the Unwork Way.

Remember...Hope is not a strategy. Neither is hard work.

In conclusion...do you know the saying 'work smart, not hard?' I don't know who said it originally but I have a huge dislike for it. Why? I just don't think it's a useful phrase when it comes to implementation.

The phrase 'work SMART' has the exact opposite effect...in fact already-smart people are the ones who are most guilty of working too hard in their businesses. Their try to 'smart' their way out of problems when simplicity would be better. Since smartness already gets them in trouble, more smart thinking isn't going to make things better.

So I say dare to be different. Embrace unwork instead by picking a few clear action steps that lesson what you do in order to get a result, today. Now that you understand just what Unwork is about...you have no excuses!

Now off to choose a photo for this post, or not. ;-)

"Follow up, follow up, follow up."

Are you crumbling under the weight of "I should be following up!?" You want to bring in more business but following up isn't your forte? This No-Fee TeleSeminar with Alicia Smith will cover the pros and cons of usinsg email VERSUS snail mail for your follow up. It includes the introduction of a follow up system that allows you to 'UnShould' yourself without undue stress.

Because the fact is, we all follow up in one way or another. Some of us do it occasionally, others do it in fits and starts but the rare individual does it systematically and consistently. In this one-hour class we will look at how
to improve our follow up through the use of systems and technology. It really is possible to maintain a personal touch using technology?

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Date/Time: May 31st, 2007 at 4PM Eastern (2pm Mountain)

Thanks Alicia, for spearheading this important topic!

From a recent issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, here's a quote that's sticking in my mind of late:

"Rock and Roll isn't a type of music. It's a consciousness."

Cool.

So...how is this true? Please help me expand this line of thinking...I'd like to gather a whole bunch of 'reasons why' this is true. Examples of rock and roll consciousness - attitude, mindset, decision-making, and just the overall cultural fabric that has evolved in the wake of rock and roll the music. I'd love your help with this. Just don't say T-shirts please. :)

Where am I going with this? When my mind latches onto a quote like this, I play a little game. In this case, I swap out Rock and Roll for something else and see what happens. Does it resulting sentence ring true? What does thinking this new thought do? Elevate the conversation somehow? Create a new possibility? Connect things in a useful way that's worth pursuing?

Try subbing out 'Coaching' for example.

"Coaching isn't a thing we do. It's a consciousness."

Yes.

----

Side note: I also need help naming this tendency to substitute words in an existing powerful quote. It's not a 'thought plagiarism' thing - it's more a piggybacking. And there's a mental parallelism to it that's fascinating and I think useful.

Sometimes the resulting quote is many times more useful (to a certain group) than the original And it happens quite a bit in this errant brain of mine.

So what can this be called? Lateral Quotism? A Parallel Meme?

What is it like to be Taiwanese? I challenged myself to express this, and this and the next post are the result.

Although strictly speaking a personal exploration unrelated to meaning or money - I found it meaningful to ask 'Who am I?' from a more historical perspective, and I wonder if you would too. The book 'Finding Oprah's Roots' has an interesting thesis - that each of us is here as a direct result of the actions and lives of each of our ancestors.

So a possibly useful question becomes - in what way did Grandma live her life for me? Where does the relevance of my grandpa's collaboration with the Japanese? Could that be connected with my own itinerant wanderings in Japan, working and connecting with my future-husband?

And how does this line of questioning impact my business? Does it? If it does, how?

The exercise of expressing what it's like to be Taiwanese gave me a sense of belonging that's different from attaching to a tribe. It gave me a palpable connection to a thread of time instead.

'Ancestors' is a word that figures largely in the bringing up of a young Asian girl - respect your ancestors - kneel before your elders - burn money for your ancestors to spend in the afterlife. I have likely avoided contemplating the word too deeply as a result.

But the below is a small (sour?) start at a different approach. What do you think of these two personal Taiwanese vignettes? How are some of your own 'historical' stories worth excavating even if not in public?

Begin 'A Single Umeboshi'...

My mother once told me this story with a small smile and twinkle in her eye. I wasn't fooled, I think it actually happened.

"You know AnZe*, when we were small, sometimes we only had rice to eat, and a single umeboshi** in the middle, that was all.

And then sometimes, when we didn't have any umeboshi, we would just draw an umeboshi instead, and eat like that."

*My English name is Andrea, but of course my mom would use my Chinese name, AnZe (peaceful philosopher), or Zui-ah (Taiwanese nickname) when telling stories like this. 

**Equivalent to a pickle in Western culture, umeboshi are very salty, very sour pickled plums, originally from Japan and popular also in Taiwan. 

Usually eaten with rice just as Mom described it, a single umeboshi is still often served in the middle of a lunchbox to recreate the look of the Japanese flag. 

Of course, because they really are incredibly sour, just ask anyone who's familiar with them.  It doesn't matter if you've swallowed your last bite of Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings... should your mind call up the thought of an umeboshi, your mouth will immediately flood with saliva. 

There's absolutely no stopping it, even as I write.  All the better to eat plain rice with, right Mom?

This little story of the single umeboshi seems to me to encapsulate so much about being Taiwanese, and a Taiwanese point of view.

Aside: This is the second of two vignettes on the topic of what it's like to be Taiwanese. Read the first one here.

"Mom, why is Grandad walking round and round the cherry trees again?"

Actually, that was my inside voice. I didn't ask out loud, because like many, good Taiwanese children are supposed to be quiet.  Something to do with how many people live on such a small island*, I think.

But I did ask it inside my head over the next few weeks, because Grandad kept circling around, shaking and peering up at the cherry trees beside our house, happily anticipating something.

Little did I know then that plum blossoms, not cherry, have a special place in the Taiwanese heart because they bloom with the winter snow and do best when seemingly overlooked.  Improbably, the colder the winter, the more beautiful the blossoms, or so the stories go.

In other words plum blossoms thrive under adversity and are all the more beloved for their resilience.

Grandad wasn't thinking of resilience though. 

After some thought he sawed off one of the straightest, thickest branches of the tallest cherry tree.  Filled with purpose, he set the saw at just a certain angle and when he was done he painted the cut ends with something black.

Then came the hours of polishing, first with his bare hands, then with a small rag and oil from the kitchen to shine it up.  Trimming the thin tip of the branch came next, with much measuring and testing, balancing and banging the branch into the ground. 

And all of a sudden, I saw that it was a walking stick.

My grandad's been gone for a long time now.  But the lesson of the walking stick was the same as the lesson of empty eggshells turned upside down in all of our houseplants (what a pain to water!) 

It was the same lesson as the two grains of uncooked rice stuck under a band-aid, used on an acupressure point to relieve a headache.   

In fact it was the same lesson as the 40-year old suit my Dad loves saying 'still fits' and the pair of shoes my mom says have been reheeled and re-leathered so many times, it's not fair to call them the same old great pair of shoes.  But Dad gets such joy from admiring "such good quality, can you believe they've lasted so long?!"

Living in Canada as we were at the time, surely there was a multitude of walking sticks to choose from in a shopping mall nearby.  But that's not the Taiwanese way. 

The Taiwanese way is to take pleasure adding value, or even better, finding value in places you might not normally look.

The Taiwanese way is to accomplish a lot with unexpectedly little (make something from nothing.) To use everything at hand to make life better.  To find a bargain or perfect fit for a missing piece.

Taiwanese find it fun to make something work, especially when it seems like it shouldn't and everyone else has given up.

For better or worse, Taiwan is about surviving and thriving, against the odds.  I guess that's a little like the plum blossom.

----------------------------

*Taiwan has a population of about 23 million (c. 2005) living in about 32,000 square kilometers of land.  That's about 70% of the population of all of Canada, in a land area the size of Vancouver island, slightly smaller than the combined area of Maryland and Delaware.

**This above painting of plum blossoms hangs in my office where I write. You can find it, and other Taiwanese and Asian art, here.

Perry Marshall makes lovely poetry on this age-old topic, below. His Renaissance Roundtable is also graced with wisdom and irreverence, or so I've heard. Thanks Perry, for your words as always.

[Side note: When I first met Perry in person, he freaked me out by asking direct - 'Are you Taiwanese?' In all my 36 years, I've NEVER before, or since, been asked that question in an opening greeting...most people are 'lucky' if they guess I'm Chinese. Answer is yes, by the way, I'm Taiwanese...but I digress.]

To set the stage a little, here is an exercise for you as you read Perry's article:

Which 3 items from the list of 12 do you most 'sweat' at the thought of. In other words, which 3 items are you MOST ripe for improvement in? And which are your natural strengths?

Hint: My strengths are definitely 5, 6 and 7. I sweat when reading 10 and 8 and 3. Et toi?

There are 12 differences between those who dream and those who act:

1-Wanna-be's obsess about ideas. Entrepreneurs obsess about implementation.

2-Wanna-be's want more web traffic. Enrepreneurs focus on sales conversion.

3-Wanna-be's focus on positive thinking. Entrepreneurs plan for multiple contingencies.

4-Wanna-be's want to get on TV and get "famous." Entrepreneurs build their list.

5-Wanna-be's seek a perfect plan. Entrepreneurs execute and adjust the plan later.

6-Wanna-be's wait for their lucky break. Entrepreneurs engineer four, five, six plans and execute them in tandem, wagering that at least one plan will get traction.

7-Wanna-be's fear looking stupid in front of their friends. Entrepreneurs willingly risk making fools of themselves, knowing that long-term success is a good trade for short-term loss of dignity.

8-Wanna-be's shield their precious ideas from harsh reality, postponing the verdict of success or failure until 'someday.' Entrepreneurs expose their ideas to cold reality as soon as reasonably possible.

9-Wanna-be's put off practicing basketball until they've got Air Jordans. Entrepreneurs practice barefoot behind the garage.

10-Wanna-be's believe what they're told, believe their own assumptions. Entrepreneurs do original research and determine what paths have been already trod.

11-Wanna-be's believe they can do anything. Entrepreneurs do what they're gifted for and delegate the rest.

12-Wanna-be's think about the world in terms of COULD and SHOULD. Entrepreneurs think in terms of IS and CAN BE.

Also from Perry: If you're a real entrepreneur - and if you qualify - you can be admitted to Roundtable, a forum where #1 players in many realms gather three times a year and sharpen their games.

It commences in Chicago next month with a 2-Day, Four-Man marketing intensive. You and three others will have run of my office, with access to any and every success tool I've got.

The rest of the world and all its distractions will be shut out. In less than 48 hours, see your web traffic and sales spike.

Apply here: http://adwordsstrategy.com/renaissance/roundtable.htm

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If you are interested in any of the below, please get in touch with Nina directly at nina@ninaeast.com

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Happy collecting!

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If you've heard about "Multiple Streams of Coaching Income" you know that it's a robust business model that changes the way the coaching 'game' is played.

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As you work through the 8 steps, you'll get a snapshot of how long it takes to build real streams of diversified income, and how to shorten the timeframe if you choose.

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You’re probably familiar with a television sitcom called ‘Seinfeld.’ Whether you’ve watched the show once or too many times, you probably remember that one of Jerry Seinfeld’s friends was a character named George Costanza.

George was one of those people who couldn’t do anything right. In his thirties, he still lived at home, had no job, no relationship and was losing the rest of his hair. Oh and yes, he was short and generally thought of as unattractive.

He put it something like this:

George: It’s not working, Jerry. It’s just not working.

Jerry: What’s not working?

George: Why did it all turn out like this for me? I had so much promise. I was personable, I was bright. Oh, maybe not academically speaking, but ... I was perceptive. I always know when someone’s uncomfortable at a party. It became very clear to me sitting out there today, that every decision I’ve ever made, in my entire life, has been wrong. My life is the opposite of everything I want it to be. Every instinct I have, be it something to wear, something to eat ... it’s all been wrong.

Sound familiar? We all have our ‘George’ days, when we feel like we’re getting nowhere, and we don’t know what to do about it. We feel miserable and unworthy, useless and helpless.

We feel like George.

But one day, in one of the ‘Seinfeld’ episodes that takes place in their neighborhood diner, George has an epiphany. In all his frustration, he decides on a lark to do the ‘opposite’.

Waitress: Okay and how about you? What’ll you have?

George: The usual...tuna on toast...

Waitress: Tuna on toast, coleslaw, cup of coffee.

George: Yeah. No, no, no, wait a minute. I always have tuna on toast. Nothing’s ever worked out for me with tuna on toast. I want the complete opposite of tuna on toast. Chicken salad on rye, un-toasted, with a side of potato salad and a cup of tea.

Elaine: Well, there’s no telling what can happen from this.

At that moment, the camera shows a beautiful woman at the diner turning around and looking George right in the face from across the room. Eyes glowing, she says, "That’s exactly what I ordered."

Instead, try the opposite. Close your eyes for just one moment and visualize yourself turning around. Now, open your eyes.

You might be surprised at what looks you in the face.

Post your comments and questions below.