Welcome to Episode 83 of Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing
Welcome Aboard! In Episode 83 I’m discussing the topic around… “What’s your story?” and more specifically, telling your personal “origin” story. This was something I had to learn when I started online in 2006.
None of us dropped out of the sky and landed online; we all had lives before that time that are filled with people, places, events, experiences and more. You’ll want to share more about yourself with your prospects and clients as a way to gain credibility and create raving fans for yourself and your business.
While the people in our daily lives feel like they truly know us, that may not be the case. But you’ll agree that people who connect with us solely online do not know us at all. You have the chance to change that, along with their perceptions about you with every email you write, your videos, audios, and social media posts, and more.
Where were you born, what have you done, and how are you navigating the world around you?
I attended my first live event soon after coming online. A group of people were talking about a woman who had been a school teacher and also worked in real estate before coming online. I knew I had to meet her… and it turned out they were talking about me!
I began telling my personal story when I was speaking to an audience, virtually or in person. These stories resonated with people in the audience and my visibility and list began to grow exponentially.
Think about the level of privacy you want to maintain before you share anything, especially regarding children. My family knows that I wait several years before using any family photos, and also that I change the name of everyone to something that begins with the same first letter – this makes it easier for me to remember. So someone named Charles would become Chase in something I share, as an example.
It’s on my third blog, Monday Morning Mellow, where I write and publish more personal stories. This site launched in July of 2019 and within a few months I had a following that was growing. I encourage you to write about your personal experiences and share them with your audience as well. As an example, I wrote a post about my friend from elementary school who was killed in an automobile crash at Rhonda Sue’s Gone to Heaven.
Our origin story and other stories make us more real to our audience, as well as increasing our credibility and making up more fleshed out as a human. Also, they tell people how you react to situations. Most people are not willing to share details about themselves so openly, so in doing so as a regular part of your business, you’ll set yourself apart very quickly.
The precept is clear: When you love the work you are doing, it no longer feels like “work” and you can easily merge your personal and professional lives into one. Imagine a great athlete or musician telling their family they don’t want to talk about sports or music. Instead, they embrace what they do in such a way as to incorporate and blend it into their daily lives.
I believe the belief that there needs to be a line in the sand, where work is on one side and family, friends, and personal interests are on the other comes from being in the work force and developing what is known as an employee mindset.
As an online entrepreneur, you can conduct your business from anywhere in the world, with only an internet connection. I’ve done this all over the world, from an internet cafe in Amsterdam to a hotel in Shanghai, and everywhere in between. My work defines me. I want to share what I do with everyone who will listen. My family and friends tend to become involved in the online world after hearing me speak about it or reading one or more of my books.
I encourage you to create a lifestyle by design, where your life consists of a variety of activities, many of which could be considered to be part of your work. Even the youngest members of your family will benefit from seeing you and emulating your actions in all areas of your life. Whether it’s a weekday morning or the afternoon of a holiday weekend, I enjoy writing, marketing, creating, and mentoring no matter when it is or where I am and my world continues to expand.
This is the motto I lived by to build the business I love… “Do for a year what others won’t; live, forever the way others can’t.”
Remember that you are serving others as an online entrepreneur and author, and instead of looking for ways to do it fewer hours each week, look for ways to merge it into your overall lifestyle. You’ll create more free time and financial freedom for yourself and your family, all the while doing things you love.
My affiliate program details can be found at Affiliate Links and Tools.
- Writing – blog posts, short reports, focus guides, sales letters, books, and more
- Creating – products, courses, challenges, and events
- Marketing – I’m the “Marketing Madwoman” and relish this title! Marketing makes the business world go ’round, and I wish I would have embraced this concept sooner in my life.
- Mentoring/Consulting – I love working with individuals, organizations (for profit and non-profit), companies, and corporations to help them with their marketing, online and offline.
I began my outsourcing journey by setting up a “barter” arrangement with someone I met at a live event in 2006. She set up websites, did technical work, and created graphics for me, in return for me helping her learn more about marketing herself and her business. A year and a half later I started paying her for her services. Soon I was building a team of people who continue to help me grow my business.
Take a close look at what you love doing, what you strongly dislike, and know that outsourcing at least some tasks and activities to others is the way to increase your income and your free time.
Pick up a copy of my book, “Time Management Strategies for Entrepreneurs: How to Manage Your Time to Increase Your Bottom Line” at https://amzn.to/37QfTWg
“Everything we do in our lives is preparing us for something that will arise in the future, even though we don’t yet know what that will be.” ~ Connie Ragen Green
I have created a training course on how you may do the same thing at Become A Local Celebrity and you may reach out to me at conniegreenhouse @ Yahoo .com if you’d like to come in at a discount.
Embrace the Hard Parts of Everything You Do… Because Skipping Through the Hard Parts of Life Won’t Serve You
Throughout my lifetime I have discovered that skipping past or through the crucial parts does not serve one well. These also tend to be the boring or uninteresting parts of the process, so it takes grit and perseverance if you are to achieve success and reach your full potential.
Some of the things I engaged in during 2006, the first year of my online business were born of necessity. I was a new online entrepreneur with no prospect list or connections. Also, I did not have an information product or course or even an eBook to sell and start earning some income. I order to get my new business rolling and bringing in some money, I knew I’d have to get creative. I came up with few simple success strategies that continue to be effective today:
- I hosted a weekly “Ask Connie Anything” call. This was a teleseminar, so anyone could join me by simply dialing in to my conference line. They could also go to the webpage to ask their questions at any time, whether or not they were attending live. The replay was accessible from the same link, making this a stress free solution.
- Three times a week, I wrote and published a short post to one of the several blogs I had set up on a variety of topics. I hadn’t yet chosen my niche and was still experimenting with my ideas.
- I reached out to the people I was buying from through email primarily. If they had an affiliate program I joined it and then shared information about them with those who attended my teleseminars, as well as within and in the resource/author’s bio area at the end of each blog post.
- Create “to-do” lists with the goal of transferring no more than three or four items to your schedule to complete each day. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by an unlimited and growing list of tasks and activities you intend to complete… some day. Instead live by your schedule and watch your productivity soar.
These simple success strategies were only the beginning. I’m sharing more with you here…
Learn the “So What” Concept as One of the Most Valuable “Simple Success Strategies
While I was teaching school, my students taught me so much in the way of life lessons and setting and achieving goals. I taught elementary school for most of my twenty year career. Young children say and do things without thinking. Much of this can be hurtful to others over time. Early on, during my first month of teaching a 5th/6th grade combination class, I taught them two powerful words, when used in tandem…
“So what?”
And the even more effective, with the major emphasis given to the first word, “So? So what?”
This phrase became the answer to any behavior or action or comment from another student. Someone commenting in a negative way about the shoes you’re wearing? So what? Failed a test? So what? My goal and intention was to prove to them that everything in life was fixable, or do-over-able and that they could achieve every goal and accomplishment they wanted as a part of their life experience by not focusing so much on what others thought.
Embrace the Boring as the Fastest Path to Success
It was family members that first brought this concept to life for me. I wanted the younger ones to get excited about starting a simple, online business. That day, everything I said or did made them roll their eyes and yawn “Bore…….ing!” at me. When I finally asked them what wasn’t boring in their opinion, they agreed that making money was cool and not boring at all.
I proceeded to show them everything I was doing online, pausing at the parts that included details of the income I was bringing in every day. They raised their eyebrows, gave high-fives all around, and got to work. These days they understand that the goal is to have a boring business, one that has no drama or spikes and dips in income, and runs smoothly year in and year out. I encourage you to embrace the boring as one of the most powerful simple success strategies.
Tell Stories to Become Three-Dimensional in the Eyes of Others
I’m a marketing strategist, so when I work with clients I ask them to look through their email messages and mentally divide them into two groups. The first group consists of the people with whom you are connected because at some point in the past you signed up on their list to receive more information. The second list is made up of the people with whom you have more of a relationship with, perhaps by listening to their podcast or other audio recording, or watching their videos on YouTube or Vimeo, or maybe you have met them in person.
Once someone has heard our voice, watched our video, or shaken our hand, they begin to become more three-dimensional in our eyes. Your goal is to make that happen sooner than later so as to accelerate the process with as many of the people you wish to connect with as possible.
Our stories are the fabric of our life. A story sets you apart from everyone else, makes you unique and memorable, and is all you have when it’s all said and done. When I was a young child a neighbor girl, seven or eight years old at the time, interrupted my mother in the middle of a story she was telling to ask, “Why do you have so many stories?” My mother hardly skipped a beat, informing the girl that “You’ll have stories too, when you get older.”
On that evening a part of me became a storyteller in training. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before I was telling stories about everything from what I did in school that day to what happened in the neighborhood. I wore my storyteller’s hat with pride and now I see that this one aspect of my life was preparing me for what I now do in my business and derive great joy from every single day.
The word “praestabilis” means outstanding and extraordinary and this is the goal for you as you make your way in the online world.
It took me until age 50 to step into the light and live an empowered life. I achieved this by leaving a job – classroom teaching – and a career as a real estate broker and appraiser to come online as an entrepreneur. I have no regrets about waiting so long, as everything unfolds once we are open to receiving it. There are three top strategies to help you move closer to an empowered life and they include…
- Writing – Every day, I want you to write! This includes blog posts, outlines, emails to your prospects, clients, and potential joint venture partners. Also, write short reports and white papers to show others who you are and what you know. Finally, write a book to solidify your expertise in your niche, and follow that up with additional books over time. Writing is crucial to our process of standing out from the crowd by sharing what we know and believe. Reach out to me if you’re interested in coming aboard for my “10 Week Author” program. Recent posts on my three blogs are at:
“Broken Compass Stories We Tell Oursleves” – https://mondaymorningmellow.com/broken-compass-story/
“The eBook That Changed My Life” – https://hugeprofitstinylist.com/ebook-that-changed-my-life/
“Marketing Secrets from Creative Sources” – https://connieragengreen.com/marketing-secrets-from-creative-sources/
- Speaking – I was the reluctant speaker, but once I got past my fears and insecurities you can’t get the microphone away from me. Speak about yourself and your topic to anyone who will listen. I began by speaking at my Rotary Club and I continue to recommend service organizations as a way to break in to speaking. Now I speak all over the world, in person and virtually on a variety of topics.
- Masterminding – Connecting with others for the sole purpose of reaching your full potential is crucial to life success. Find a Mastermind group to join, or start your own by inviting thought leaders to connect with you in this way. I have a group called the Incubator Mastermind that may be of interest to you.
Hopefully, you can see that what I’m sharing with on each podcast will make a difference for you as you build and grow your business as an entrepreneur, author, and marketer. Make sure to think of marketing as a priority and get into the habit of sharing your best ideas and resources with the people who are on their way to becoming your raving fans! I’m always just an email away at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you’d like to connect with me. I promise to help you keep it simple while you grow your online business.
Having an online business is a gift from God and the universe and something that I am thankful for each day. I urge you to consider earning at least part-time income from a home-based business and know that I am more than happy to assist you in getting started and growing a business as an online entrepreneur, author, and marketer. These are the areas I focus on each day so that I am able to give my attention to the tasks and activities that are important in my business:
- Writing – Every day, I want you to write! This includes blog posts, outlines, emails to your prospects, clients, and potential joint venture partners. Also, write short reports and white papers to show others who you are and what you know. Finally, write a book to solidify your expertise in your niche, and follow that up with additional books over time. Writing is crucial to our process of standing out from the crowd by sharing what we know and believe. Reach out to me if you’re interested in coming aboard for my “10 Week Author” program.
- Speaking – I was the reluctant speaker, but once I got past my fears and insecurities you can’t get the microphone away from me. Speak about yourself and your topic to anyone who will listen. I began by speaking at my Rotary Club and I continue to recommend service organizations as a way to break in to speaking. Now I speak all over the world, in person and virtually on a variety of topics.
- Leading – Leadership is an area I want you to embrace and pursue. We are all natural leaders, but many times this doesn’t come to light until and unless there is a crisis of some kind. Instead, look for opportunities to step forward and lead others to achieve their own greatness and worth. Community involvement is an excellent way to address issues you care about in a way that brings out your leadership instincts.
- Transparency – One thing I absolutely love about the internet is how it paves the way for all of us to be transparent. When I first came online with my business in 2006, I “Googled” myself to see what was there. I found a testimonial I had given for a real estate training I’d completed the year before, as well as the interview Parade magazine had conducted with me about my experiences as a classroom teacher in the inner city of Los Angeles. I understood at that moment that everything I said and did could be found on the internet, immediately or eventually. It’s up to us to make sure we are transparent in every way, and to use this as a way for people to find us online and perhaps do business with us.
Visit my three blogs at Huge Profits Tiny List, Connie Ragen Green, and Monday Morning Mellow. View all of my books here. Read about my Theme for 2022 and what I believe about goal setting and New Year’s resolutions.
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Are you writing? Perhaps you’re ready to set up a blog or get started using Medium to syndicate your content.
Check out my most recent articles and essays at Monday Morning Mellow.
By my willingness to reinvent myself I’ve been able to change my life significantly through the decades. I’ve written a post about this called Reinventing Myself… Version 5. We’re always moving forward when we surrender and reinvent.
What are you doing right now in your life and your business that is working? Where do you need to make some changes? How may I best serve you as you surrender to doing what it takes? As humans, we are capable of reinventing ourselves as we change and grow.
See all of my published titles at Connie Ragen Green Books and connect with me on Twitter to see what else I’m doing, personally and professionally.
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I began back in 2006 with affiliate marketing. I did not have a list, and used my blog and my articles to get my name and message out to the world. I still earn an excellent income with affiliate marketing and it accounts for just over 40% of my income. You may become my affiliate at Affiliate Links and Tools.
Please connect with me on Twitter and let me know what you are working on so I may share it with my vast and growing audience.
Check out my most recent membership site, set up as a free and ongoing eCourse at https://ActionHabitsChallenge.com. Read this article I published on “5 Profitable Membership Models” at https://connieragengreen.com/membership-site-models/. Also, please visit my main site at https://ConnieRagenGreen.com and connect with me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ConnieGreen.
My newest book is In Pursuit of Healthy-Ness: How I Reinvented My Life with Intermittent Fasting and in it I chronicle my journey of dropping over 130 pounds with this method.
I would love to know your thoughts on these concepts. Please visit my main sites at Connie Ragen Green and Huge Profits Tiny List. Connect with me on Twitter for the latest updates and announcements.
Get started with your own eBook empire by learning how to write an eBook from the person who continues to guide me along this lucrative journey. Take a look at How to Write and Publish Your Own eBook…in as Little as 7 Days from expert and author Jim Edwards.
Thank you for this opportunity to serve you as I share my beliefs, perceptions, and experiences as an author, online entrepreneur, and marketing strategist with you. Marketing has become the joy of my life as I continue to learn, grow, and share concepts with others.
I’m bestselling author, marketing strategist, and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and I would love to connect further with you to help you to achieve your goals. If you are interested in learning how to optimize the syndication of your content, please take a look at my popular Syndication Optimization training course and consider coming aboard to increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability.
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