it’s the Holiday Season and we are all extremely busy. So, I am going to make this short:

Frank Kern’s State of the Internet Address is a “Must Watch”.

The three most important points (in my eyes) he makes are:

1. Collaborate with each other
2. Give away more than you ask for
3. Your marketing efforts should always leave the world a better place

Yes, this is Frank Kern speaking and he spoke right to my heart. The reason why I so fell in love with Product Launches (ala Jeff Walker) was because of those three points.

1. With Product Launches you DO work together with other experts in your field to promote your product or service while together you serve your community.

2. During your launch, you DO give away tons of valuable information, free with no obligation to buy. In return you make lots of friends and create tons of good will.

3. After your launch, you DO serve your clients with implementation tools that empower them to be more successful in whatever area of their lives. Your marketing was ethical, powerful and effective, now you got a chance to be of extraordinary service to your many new clients.

So, in the spirit of delivering great content to you with no strings attached,
take a few minutes and watch Frank turn Zen!

Click here for Frank’s State of the Internet Address

Happy Happy Holidays,

From the entire team at Inspired Business Resources
Christiane, Gary, Kim and Michael

Let me explain:  As many of you know I added online product launches to my program a while ago.  Well, offering launches techniques that create a full year’s of income in 7 days was the “magic bullet”.

 Still, without anybody to tell about it would have been a magic bullet without any audience…

But I had established friendships among my peers, I had joined two powerful mastermind groups (one before I could really afford it) AND…I started attending high caliber life events again.

Yes, those three elements combined made up the components of a perfect storm!

Here is how happened so you too can create a “Client Tsunami” for your business:

1. For some months now I had made quite a bit of effort to get to know my facebook and twitter friends.  Not just tweeting to each other but actually getting on the phone, being of help, providing benefit for those who I connected with.

2. I had joined a mastermind group of successful conscious women entrepreneurs.  Here too I made an effort to get in touch with everybody in the group, was active on the calls and took my facilitating coach up on her private coaching offer.

3. I attended some of the best life events I could afford.  Mostly marketing events where I met some of the most amazing brains in the industry.  Again, I spent my breaks helping others with branding and productizing advice and even made suggestions that amplified some of my new friends’ product launches!

After some time spent tweaking my offer, making sure I had a team in place and was feeling very confident about my “Launch With Impact” program, I started setting up appointments with those connections I made and those my friends made for me.  

Result: A tidal wave of private clients!  

I guess, in the end the title of this article might be a bit deceiving, it also takes confidence, real expertise and a “magic offer” to create this perfect storm but still, I know that my confidence and know-how alone would not have done the trick.

As a coach, I ask you this:

What stops you from creating a “client tsunami”?  

Is it your lack of skills? I doubt it!  

Is it your lack of confidence? I hope not!  

Is it maybe that you are not connecting enough with the right people? 

Is it that you might hold back a bit from giving freely?

Is it that you might like hiding out when you should be making friends?

If any of the above are hitting home, then go onto facebook now, find one of your hundreds of “friends” and make a real friend.  Go and sign up for a life event and give, give and give…

If you are missing the “magic bullet” that makes you so attractive that it’s effortless to get strangers to make time for you, then give me a call or send me an email. Together we might find that magical offer that is within you…

Until next week, I promise…

Love Christiane

P.S. Start making friends right here, tell us about you.  What do you do, what do you love and who would you like to meet.  Come on, create a comment right now!

It’s your core gift to the world.  It inspires you, scares you and delights you.

Your main thing is what you stand up for even when pinned against the wall.

You dream about your main thing.  It gives you energy and joy.

Your main thing is what you get known for in your business.

Your main thing can be a combination of several beliefs that you hold (for me, it’s helping values-based businesses (values are a main thing for me) grow into remarkable companies (impact is my other main thing).

If you are unclear about your main thing, business-growth AND peace-of-mind becomes difficult and your confidence suffers.

Once you know your main thing, you become unstoppable.  Your success is defined by happiness, confidence, financial benefits and the impact you always wanted to have on the world.

How can you discover your main thing with all that is out there to distract you?
1.   Make time for yourself!  Drop your to-do list and make the discovery of your main thing the most important “thing” to do.
2.   Remove all logic from your mind, meaning ignore for a while all the voices telling you how your main thing is impractical, impossible and unattainable.
3.   Write, write and write.  Don’t censor. Let your pen flow.
4.   Continually ask yourself the question: “What would I do if I was not afraid, not tied down, not limited? What would I do, say or even think if I was brave?
5.   Then let your main thing “float” over you, get a hold of you, capture you.  Let it give you energy and courage.

Know that the world needs you to express your main thing. We need you to be courageous, we need your strong message, we need you to be YOU!

We want to know what makes you different.
We’ll pay you well for your distinctiveness, your uniqueness. Let me know your main thing. Get a discussion started on the blog.  Spread your wings; let us hear your voice.

As I am delighted with my main thing of becoming the go-to-person for conscious entrepreneurs who want help launching their amazing life-affirming products into the world, it makes my heart sing that I can be part of that process and with it make the world a better, fairer place.

Let us know yours.
What’s your main thing? If you know it will you honor us by sharing it?

"Hollywood": Master of Hype

…copy what it does so masterfully!

We surely see how Hollywood is doing it.  You can’t escape it.  Every time you go to the movies, you are exposed to amazing trailers put together in this seemingly perfect fashion of fast-flashing images, emotional music and well-selected conversation clips.  

We get drawn into the story, we love the sense of anticipation for what is to come, we long to see the movie NOW…and as marketers we also wonder how we could create that same sense of anticipation in our audience, for our products and services.  

And we can and we should look for Hollywood’s teaching but with caution.  

 As entrepreneurs committed to doing business in a way that delivers honest value to our clients, we often struggle with the perceived need to “hype” our products up in order to stand out.  We’d rather under-promise than over-hype.  And here is where we can be cautious but alert students of Hollywood:  Some facts:

1. Storytelling works.  In Hollywood and on YOUR website.  

2. Triggering Emotions works.  In Hollywood and in YOUR sales copy.

3. Enticing video clips work.  In Hollywood and in YOUR video blog.

4. Over-promising DOESN’T work.  Not in Hollywood and not in YOUR business.

Here is where Hollywood gets it wrong.  

You all have experienced what I am talking about.  A great movie trailer, full of funny dialogue, great stories and beautiful music.  You wait for the day of release, you make time to stand in line and then… you get two hours of disappointment.  The dialogue you saw in the trailer was the best words uttered in the whole entire movie.  The story line was so lame, you could have come up with a better one.  The special effects were overdone and used as a crutch rather than an amazing tool…

Long story short, you leave disappointed and determined to never fall for it again…

And that is the GREATEST mistake Hollywood makes.  

By disappointing you, their customer, they now have to hype up the next movie even more in order for you to believe in their product.  They now got themselves into a vicious cycle of hype, to “uber”-hype, to… an industry that is extinguishing itself slowly but surely.  The hyped-up sales model is not a sustainable model…and you can see that by the fact that movies have to now make their money back on that first opening weekend or they lose money!

But, back to you, the entrepreneur with integrity.  What’s there to do?  

Let’s look at the word “hype” a little closer.  To me, “hype” describes an excessive claim or promise that is not justified by the product.  That’s all. So, if your product or service is amazing, is top quality, then letting others know about it with great storytelling, by triggering emotions and by creating anticipation is perfectly ok.  
But so many honest and purpose-driven entrepreneurs “throw the baby out with the  bathwater” because they are afraid of appearing to hype their product up.  Result: A boring headline on their website, timid copy describing their services, benefits that are understated..you know what I mean.

Action plan: Take out your promotional material today!  See where you can:

• create some more emotions
• involve your audience
• create excitement
• stir up some feelings
• get people to anticipate a release of your newest product 
• AND watch movie trailers as marketing lessons BUT make sure you deliver on your promise! (which I have no doubt you will).

Until next time for more “anti-obscurity” tips,

Christiane

P.S. Share how you feel about Hollywood trailers.  What do you like or not like about them below in the comment section.

Here is a way for you to get involved and reserve priority “seating” in our of our new courses starting Sept 10th.

 As many of you know by now, I am becoming one of 40 “Product Launch Formula Consultants” under the mentorship of Jeff Walker, the guru of product launches. For further casestudies of “ordinary people” creating 6-figure online launches (in areas of dressage, organic gardening, boardgames etc.) go to http://productlaunchformula.com/blog/

Even though I will offer an exclusive “done for you” service (managing large Joint Venture launches) starting in Fall, I realized that I also want to continue offering Coaching and Implementation courses.

So, here are the courses as I am designing them right now.  I would love for you to let me know which (if any are of interest to you):

1. Coaching course “Finding your Voice, Creating your Magnetic Brand” (a course that has been very popular).  Length: 60 days, participants: 12

2. Implementation Lab “Creating your Irresistible Core Product” ( a new service that seems to be of much demand but I would like to hear from you on how imporant it would be for you to have access to a step-by-step course that takes you from idea to complete core curriculum and product of your brand). Length: 90 days, participants: 12

3. Implementation Lab “Launching With Impact” (a new course that will give a small, pre-selected group for those who have developed their brand and their product to catapult their business out of obscurity with a powerful online launch of their core product as an instant strategy to position themselves and their business as leaders in their industry).  Length: 60 days, participants: 6

In addition, I am creating homestudy courses of the first two courses. 

If you have a minute, would you let me know what speaks to you most by leaving a .  Any response from you will be archived and you will receive a 20% discount on any course offered in Fall.  

Thanks so much for your time,

Christiane

My mind, not used to focusing for four long hours on ONE thing, went crazy! 1000’s of to-do-items popped into my head as I was trying to focus.  The temptation to open my email back up, to quickly check my facebook page, to twitter just for a second about what I had learned, to check if I had phone messages.  AHHHH, I felt so distracted (thank goodness I have the subject of product launches and resisted but still, ohhhh, the temptations…).

Now, what does that have to do with you?  Well, your messages, your emails, your promotions, your websites enter my life during the times that I don’t even TRY to block out distractions.  No, your attempts to communicate with me come when I am actually trying to get those 1000’s of things off my to-do list.
What does that mean to you?  

It means that you not only have your competition to worry about but my attention!

My very short, stretched and maxed-out ATTENTION.  

No wonder, it is harder and harder to emerge from obscurity, to be noticed for your great gifts, for your amazing work, for your great offers…but there is a solution.

Actually, it’s series of solutions that need to be tied together to make the impact you so desire.

1. You need to amplify your entrepreneurial spirit.  Start thinking bigger, start thinking leader.  Start thinking movement.

2. You need to create an electrifying brand.  Your value proposition needs to be supported by powerful values.

3. You have to have irresistible products and services that really (really) work…and you have to customize them to meet your different clients’ needs and budgets

4. You have to create momentum.  The slow selling of your products and service doesn’t work any more.  You need to catapult your name and offer into orbit so that others will take the time to see and hear you.  Not once but many times!

Once you do that, you will in effect deserve my attention and believe me, you’ll have it!  Because you just made it easier for me to focus, to find a solution, to hear you and to learn from you.

Please, please, please, for the sake of the world, follow those 4 steps, do whatever it takes to learn them and then you get to do what you came to do, heal, help and make the planet a more beautiful place for all of us!

One way to get my attention is to leave your comments below. Share your gifts right now.  Make us stop and listen!

Christiane 

P.S. I just finished a report on exactly those 4 steps, I am having it formatted right now and it will be available in a couple days.

IBR offers marketing coaching and “online product launch” services that help high-achieving experts with life-affirming messages to become sought-after leaders for change so that they can grow businesses that allow for greater contributions, income, fun and long-term financial security while giving them personal freedom and a place for creative expression of their unique gifts.

Ok, that’s the mission statement for Inspired Business Resources.  How does that translate into freedom, profit and meaning for the entire team at IBR?  

1. Let’ start with freedom.  While I defined the mission statement, I had to make a some tough decisions.  What will we be coaching (the “How to” service of my company) and what am I willing to work on a project-by-project basis (the “Done for you” service of my company) and will I also offer Implementation classes (”Get it done NOW” services)?  

Do you know how I defined it?

Easy, I looked at my values and knew that having the personal freedom to have down-time, to read, to work out, to ride my mustang, to play with my girls, to cook, etc. was important to me and as I found out, to my team too. 
That meant, we had to limit our offers.  We had to say No to request for help in formats we don’t currently offer.  We had to leave some money on the table.  But we did this consciously… 

Call for action to you, the reader: Clearly define what you love doing, how much you love doing and where you will say No.  Limit your offers and become a master at those.  Refer to others for the rest of the possible services.

 

2. Let’s address profit.  Even though we are all so eager to make a difference, to contribute with our gifts, to live on purpose, we need and want to make a profit.  How does your mission statement help you here?  I did it by defining who I wanted work with.  I only work with pragmatic dreamers committed to seeing their vision through, all the way through.  

What does that mean for profit? Again, pretty simple.  By working with these kind of clients I see their successes come to life, they are making more money, having a bigger impact while loving their work.  They are the ones referring others to me, they have money for my more customized services.

Also, by clearly defining what my company offers, I can become the best in the field in that narrow niche.  For example, I just signed up for a $25,000 intense certification course in “Online Product Launches”.  I am studying daily and continue read about other related information to become great at what I do.  If I didn’t limit my offer though, I would be spreading too thin, with not enough money left for training courses.  My brand AND profit would suffer.

Call for Action: Define your client very clearly.  Interview potential clients, make sure they are committed to paying you without much of a sacrifice.  Stick to your client profile and be courageous in saying No when you don’t get the sense that there is staying power.  Limit your niche until you feel that you can become the best in the field, then go out and learn all you can.  Become the best and get paid the most!

 

3. Aaaahhh, meaning.  Your business mission should give you a sense of purpose, a clear expression of why you do what you do.  How will your business make the world a better place? How will your clients be better served by you? Find that element in your business mission that keeps you going when you get tired.  

For us, it’s creating leaders for change.  I want to see the world changed and the best way I can do that is by empowering entrepreneurs with life-affirming messages to transform themselves from experts to leaders with a mission.  I also want to see them live with financial peace-of-mind because I KNOW how money worries can “kill” passion very fast.  

Call for Action: What is it that brings meaning into your work? What are you here for? What is the bigger impact you can possibly make with your business? Define it and then put it all together.  The why, the who, the how, the outcome. Write it up and pin it on the wall above your computer.  Read it every day and let it guide you to FREEDOM, PROFIT and MEANING.

 

As a special request, I would love for you to post your mission statement in the comment section below.  Let us know what you do.  Let us rejoice in your mission for change.  Let us find YOU!

Your Inspired Launch Mentor

If you are in business for yourself you know that challenges are part of your path.  You have gotten used to them, still don’t like them but… you know they are there, plenty of them.  

What’s if each of those challenges could just be turned from “straw” into “gold”?  Sometimes, into real gold like more money, sometimes mental gold and more often than not into spiritual gold.  

What do I mean  by that?

You see, in the last months I had worked long hours, feeling a tremendous sense of excitement and “power” within me.  I loved getting up early and start checking emails, I loved thinking about work on my walks, I talked about work wherever I went.  Results came pouring in, giving me confirmation that I was on the right path (the right path in terms of business-growth that is).

And then the perfect storm started brewing…

…first my kids complained about me not being interested enough in their lives, then my ex-husband accused me of “neglecting” the kids and then even the love-of-my-live, my ever-patient, always-understanding Robert started acting weird.

Long story short…

…conflict was breaking out everywhere I looked.  First I couldn’t understand it, then I got frustrated, I wanted all of this to go away, I wanted harmony back, I wanted THEM to back off, I wanted THEM to understand, I wanted THEM to hear me…and…and…and…

Yet, one quiet morning last week, I was reading a chapter in “A Path With Heart” by the renowned Insight Meditation master Jack Kornfield and he challenged me in this meditation:

“Think of a diffuclty that you face in your life.  As you sense this difficulty, notice how it affects your body, heart and mind.  Feeling it carefully, begin to ask yourself a few questions, listening inwardly to the answers.

How have I treated this difficulty so far?

How have I suffered by own response and reaction to it?

What does this problem ask me to let go of?  

He posed some more questions but I stopped right here.  Stunned by realizing how harshly I had judged others, how defensive I had been about my work and how isolated I had myself in my self-righteous way, I put the book down and thought about my life…

I don’t want to bore you with details (after all this article is for YOU) but needless to say that I realized that I needed to let go of my “addiction” to success, to work, to self-development.  That the excitement and drive I had felt had partly been fueled by real addiction because once I let go off this need,  I realized how much I missed the connection to everybody I love….

Also needless to say that I had a lovely week with my girls, with Robert and even with my ex-husband (while all the work still got done).

The difference:

The energy for the work now came fueled by the love I once again felt for everybody and from everybody, including my pets.  Nothing really changed expect the SOURCE OF ENERGY.  It was like my world had become brighter, more cheerful and way more fun.  By letting go of the need to achieve, to “make it”, to “show them” and by refocusing on LOVE, I changed not only my world but also those around me.  
 

The lesson learned for all of us, I hope, is that challenges (whether internal or external) can be our best teachers…if we stop and reflect.  If we stay honest, if we welcome them and are willing to transform them into “gold”.  Being an entrepreneur brings daily challenges and with it daily opportunities for growth.  It exposes our weaknesses, only to give us an chance to create strength.  

I feel blessed to be allowed to do what I love, challenged to do it with grace and mindfulness…learning to think big and stay grounded.

May you offer your challenges a few minutes of reflection and honor their potential to be your most amazing teachers,

Your humbled leader,

Christiane

P.S. Please take a minute right now and tell us all about your challenges and your successes in turning them into beautiful spiritual gold.  Just use the comment space right below.