The audio recording of this great 'thinking' call on the topic of 'New Marketing' is just in.
Click here to download.
It was a pleasure to spend this hour with NY Times best-selling author Seth Godin, along with fellow interviewers Mitch Meyerson and Keith Ferrazzi.

My favorite part of the Meatball Sundae call? This idea that all of us are in the 'Tribe Management Business' or deciding to get into that business.

And...the very interesting more personal comments about succeeding in New Marketing. How people who succeed 'aren't trying very hard.' Have you noticed that? Listen for the ease (or not!) you hear in the voice tone of the folks on the call. See what you think.

Does it lessen your anxiety to hear encouragement to 'find an elegant way' to 'do' new marketing, one that suits your strengths?

I say it on the call but I'll excerpt it here - it can be easy to confuse newness with 'hard'ness. New Marketing may feel difficult or hard at first simply because it's new. But I think you'll agree with the gentlemen on the call - there is an opportunity to discover an easy path through 'new marketing territory.' Seth gives a great example of the alternative 'old marketing' way of life which makes the distinction clearer.

So post questions to continue the discussion. Reading the book first will make for good context for the audio, but you can listen without having read it and it will make sense.

On that note, I've found multiple copy purchases best at 800-CEOREAD. And single copy purchases from Amazon or your local bookstore. Enjoy!

--- begin Soni's rant ---

Here's my question:

There are all kinds of tricks, tips and tools for getting your website, your ebook, your telecourse or your blog into the top spot at Google. And some of them even work, no question about it.

But (and that rustling sound you hear is me dusting off and donning my coaching hat), let's reframe this issue for just a second and ask:

Does your content actually DESERVE to be #1?

Is it, really, the most relevant information on the topic a person could find if they went searching for those keywords and phrases? Is your product, site or blog really what they're hoping to find?

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"Resistance is about believing you are vulnerable or susceptible to something not wanted

and holding a stance of protection

which only holds you in a place of not letting in the well-being
that would be there otherwise.

There is nothing big enough

to protect you

from unwanted things -

and there are no unwanted things big enough

to get into your experience."

-- Abraham-Hicks

When you get that palpable sensation of having one foot on the gas, and one foot on the brakes in your life, where do you turn, what do you do?

The Maui Writers Conference last week was...

Delightful - A full 10 days in an environment of bright and shiny, creative thinkers from hundreds of walks of life, not to mention sweetly-scented air and ocean all around, made for a multisensory feast of an exeperience. It was also extremely...

Fruitful - Two literary agents and one editor are interested in seeing two book proposals. Two other agents are willing for me to stay in touch on behalf of clients who have books coming up themselves. And one editor was tolerably encouraging of the idea that I might hang up a shingle as agent in the new year, and call him with a couple of pitches. "If you think you have an eye for recognizing talent, that's a gift that separates regular agents from agents I want to work with." Excellent!

For those of you who'd love to 'piggyback' on this immersion experience, I'd be delighted to share an infusion. If you'd like to know more about:

- the big picture of the publishing world as I've been learning it the last several months...
- the little picture of the players in that world (what do they wear, eat, read?) after 'living' with them for a week...
- what's occuring with the 'new media' revolution and what it means...
- the distinctions between publishing and self-publishing, and...
- which projects I'll put on the mainstream publishing track - which ones I'll self-publish, and why...

Of course, post-conference life is terribly interrupted now, by design. And I'm grateful. Like a big trunk full of toys collected over the years, sometimes you have to dump all the pieces of your life on the ground in a mess in order to decide what to play with next.

Interrupting life this way means it will be impossible to put all the toys back the way they were before. What a perfect relief!

On a personal note, two things:

Snorkelling and swimming has freed me from residual body-fear. 10 weeks after my surgery and that's a good thing. Yes, I am smiling!

Well actually make that grinning from ear to ear because my hubby Mike had an even more incredible time than I did at the conference. Of the 3 tracks at the event, Mike took part in the most intensive - Screenwriting with Director Michael Palmieri (Chico's Angels, Michael P is on the right, my hubby at left), featuring Bobby Moresco (Crash), Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine) and others. Among 29 attendees in the group, only two wrote in the romantic comedy genre - you know that genre where the movies are either fabulous (When Harry Met Sally, French Kiss) or really really horrible (names omitted to protect the innocent)?

Well, my Mike took the screenwriting track's prize for best screenplay. Even better, his writing met with - in his words - "laughs basically right on cue, pages in a row" which had him the ultimate Cloud 9. Then, an agent asked if he had a manager and invited him to take next steps.

Let's just say that with a free ticket to next year's conference, $1000 in prize money, massive validation and a ton of new questions (Will we move to LA as hinted would be wise? Of all the new ideas, which screenplay will Mike tackle next? Is this really real, pinch me/us/him!)....... this is life - perfectly interrupted - for us at this moment.

With that...perhaps a little of this energy can be turned around to good use for you. That is after all, the point right? Will you join us for an energized fall? Why do I think you have a ruckus you're itching to create, underneath your skin? Or maybe its something you're spinning, silky and smooth?

I think of Fall as such a great non-new-year non-cliche time for refreshment and renewal...a counter-culture overachiever's fantasy. So while no one else has noticed the January 1st that's looming yet - what will you do with your life and business next? Will you solidify the road you are on? Will you try something new? What will feel good and feed you energy? What will you whittle away?

I'm looking forward to reading whatever's useful to you to share, and hearing you on the Open House call, once again, registration details above. More Maui stories to come...

Use the player below to listen to the recording of this call or click the link below the player to download the mp3:

"Andrea, I always know we're onto something big when you say something and I hate your guts."

LOL, love that honesty, C! Your courage and growth are inspiring and it is a true a privilege to be your coach.

Side note to anyone considering hiring a coach, maybe even for the first time: Laughing happens often in great coaching sessions because the truth (especially our own) is usually pretty funny.

[More coaching quotes like at right, here.]

In a world full of information and stimulation it can be oh so easy to think you have nothing to add. Nothing to offer. Nothing of value.

Ugh. How depressing.

And yet, sometimes it's exactly that fact - the noisy-busy-overwhelmed state of the world - that can be your best advantage. Sometimes, *removing* something is exactly what is needed - and people will celebrate your ability to get to what's important. Sometimes, going *simple* is the real gift. Let me correct that - the real gift *usually, not sometimes* has something to do with simplifying or clarifying.

Case in point from the Globe and Mail's August 2nd paper, on page L6:

Child's Play

From a review of Unplugged Play: No Batteries, No Plugs, Pure Fun by Bobbi Conner:

"If you and your child don't know what to do with a cardboard box or a laundry basket, Conner does. In most cases, she advises parents to jump-start the action and then back away... The book also - charmingly or depressingly, depending on your point of view - offers tips on playing with dolls and blocks, skipping through mud puddles, rattling the kitchen pots and scribbling with crayons."

Original Source: USA Today (end excerpt)

My observation: Even without seeing it first-hand (my copy is still en route), I'll hazard a guess that some of Conner's 710 games and activities would be just as valuable as creativity exercises for rogue entrepreneurs seeking to break out of the "I-sound-exactly-like-everyone-else" box.

Exercise:

Step One: Imagine. Adult you has magically been given 30 unrushed minutes in the body of 8-year old you. You are face to face with a mud puddle and no one is looking. What will you do?

Step Two: 30 minutes are up. You are back in your adult body - lucky you, no laundry! And you've managed to bring your mud-puddle-jumping energy with you, bubbling and intact. Breathe in deeply and connect with that energy even further. Now, carefully applying mud-puddle energy as though stepping gently on the gas pedal of a powerful car... think about, or do something, in your adult world. Continue.

Later: Observe. What, if anything, of interest happened? What do you know now that you didn't before?

Oh what a lovely word from C.S. Lewis, especially good for information marketers, coaches, teachers, and anyone else who finds themselves passing on knowledge, wisdom or just plain facts:

"Think of me as a fellow patient in the same hospital who, having been admitted a little earlier could give some advice."

For the rest of us, perhaps this quote is a lens through which we can look (anew) at our gurus/mentors...

There is always someone ahead and someone behind, each and every one of us. Such wonderfulness in that!

Coaching Tip: Never give away too much of your own power. Learn from and respect but never give too much power away to your mentor or coach, no matter how good they are, no matter who they are. Alway reserve what you need energetically, psychically and emotionally, to continue thinking for yourself. *No one else will.*

Question for you - a deeper one that may not call up answers right away, but - fingers crossed - may pop its head up at a later time.

How might you be giving too much power away to others? Do you try to 'be like' someone, model yourself on someone or someones, a little too much?

It's fine to follow footsteps but not with your head down. When you're taking a walk in the woods, if you don't lift your head, it doesn't matter if you've arrived at a beautiful meadow, does it?

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought." -- Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)

Have you presented at a live event lately? Perhaps you have a few talks lined up for the fall. Good stuff. Many, many conscious entrepreneurs have a natural gift for building trust when face-to-face, and presenting your material as a speaker in front of groups is a solid leverageable business-building activity.

But here's the rub.

No matter how great your talk, workshop, training, keynote speech is, if you don't have things in place to take care of everything that happens after the applause, you've only done half your job. Remembering that everything is energy, think of your time in front of the group as prepping the vegetables for your stir-fry. After you're done, you have to carry through, follow forward - you still have to fry the veggies in order to make a meal.

How do you do that? Pay attention to the table at the 'back of the room.' (Or the booth in the exhibit hall, etc.) This is where the proverbial 'cash register' lives, yes? Where folks can now sign up for your program, request to be put on a waiting list, buy your book, join your newsletter readership, etc. etc.

Emphasizing: No matter how much caffeine you have in you, or how energizer-bunny you otherwise are, you alone cannot handle the table effectively, even if it's a small talk. So, best to learn how to enlist help - the good kind - and make the most of that help. Here's where you imitate an octopus.

A very useful step is to give a copy of the sample note below to every helper you have. Without you having to 'train' them per se, you can customize the note so it acts as your ambassador. It will cut down the amount of time you need to spend with each helper - a blessing for time-pressed you - and you'll marvel and how good a job it does at creating goodwill among the folk who are helping you.

Personally, I've found it seems to work even better if I handwrite the note. (Try handwriting it once and then photocopying it.) But remember this is just a sample - it happens to be a short one I used a few times this year - make sure you mess around with and elaborate on it to suit your purpose and personality.

---- Begin Sample Note ----

Dear Multiple Streams Volunteer!

Thank you so much for lending a hand today - you are very much appreciated!

With your extra set of hands and heart, we'll be able to quickly and simply facilitate folks getting hold of the additional books and CDs they will use to grow their businesses - fun, right?

So here are just a coupld of guidelines in case I haven't already been able to touch base with you personally - they're really easy points but important.

(1) When you receive an order form from someone, quickly scan each line to see that it's all legible. If you can't read something, especially things like names, credit card numbers, expiry dates, etc., ask the person for clarification and fix the appropriate spots on the form itself.

(2) Keep all completed order forms, cash, checks, etc. in a safe place with you in the folder provided or face down on the table next to you until you can pass these to Andrea/me after everything wraps up.

(3) For cash, we don't make change at local events so either collect the exact change or let the person know unfortunately we don't make change - is that okay with them? Of course this is entirely up to them - if it's not okay, they are welcome to pay by check or credit card.

(4) When we run out of stock, which we often do fairly quickly, we will still take order forms and will ship the items at our cost, just as our gift to them. This sometimes incentivizes people to order while still at the event, that's a-okay with us.

(5) After the purchase is complete, you can go ahead and invite them to find me - I'm happy to sign their purchases if they'd like. Even if you see that I'm busy or there is a line, that is okay. I will be happy to stay behind if needed so you can reassure folk of that okay?

(6) And last but not least, after things have all wrapped up, please do NOT forget - this is important - to come and track me/Andrea down. I have a final thank you for you - and a big hug - sorry, no slipping out without that okay? :-)

Alright, that's all - pretty simple right? And if you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to just find me, or ask the person to find me, or last resort, write down their question with name, email, phone and me or my office will get back to them asap. Hopefully that covers everything so that you can enjoy meeting with folk - just remember, there is no such thing as a stupid question AND I trust your judgement on things.

All that remains to say is thank you again...you are making a BIG difference, not just to me through your help but by making it possible for people to take the next step towards multiple streams...

With love and respect,

a

---- end sample note -----

Kinda cool, right?

What other things are you curious about managing after your public appearance? Questions about maximizing the opportunities? Other 'post-event' ools or templates you'd like to see here?

Photo credit: Thank you to Byron Van Arsdale who snapped the above photo of me at the ICF Conference last year. Click the photo above to enlarge, or visit the Coaching Electric for slides, notes, visual map and report card from the presentation.

A quickie invitation for you today, to a useful open call about Real Estate with my very own Real Estate Coach!

If you've always 'wondered' what Real Estate could mean to you, your business and your life, here's a chance to stop procrastinating and learn more in a no-pressure safe environment.

The call description is below with a registration link. Just remember it's an Open House call so there is no charge. I hope you choose to join in - I could think of no better person to introduce to you for real estate wisdom than my personal investment coach. And no worries - you can be ready this very minute to begin investing OR you can be just curious. Everyone's welcome.

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"Making Real Estate Real" Open House Call with Investment Coach Cassandra White
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sponsored by Andrea J. Lee of 'Money, Meaning and Beyond'

If you had $25,000 or more to invest right now, would you know what to do? If you knew real estate was where you'd like to put your money, what would be your next step?

As conscious business owners, not all of your hard-earned money need be reinvested back into your business. At a certain point in your business life cycle, real estate investment makes real sense, and that's just what Andrea and her husband Mike have been doing the last 4 years.

Now with four properties, some of which have appreciated over 50%, and looking at a fifth, Andrea credits her latest mindset shift to her investment coach Cassandra, who at the age of 33 now juggles joint ventures and investments for over 25 properties.

How does she do it and what does she advise? "Everyone with a little determination and creative thinking can do the same as me." "You don't have to start out with a ton of money." The great thing is, there are real investment opportunities available today, for investors who are ready to make the leap.

Join this one hour Open House call to learn about specific opportunities to pursue real estate coaching with Cassandra if the time is right for you.

Or, if you're new to this topic, register at the link below to hear Andrea interview Cassandra about how to get started, and generally get her to demystify the whole real estate game. You're right, you could pay thousands
of dollars to attend real estate training seminars to do the same thing.

But why not save those dollars and put them into the investment properties themselves instead?

There's no charge for the call - it's our way of opening up this conversation in the community. Just help us spread the word by forwarding this invitation, alright?

From Thursday June 14, 2007 | Audio Recording UPDATED WITH CORRECT AUDIO 6.22.07

Use the player below to listen to the audio recording from this call: