| 23-Apr-08 |
Gumbo: Cheese is Not Served with Whine
One of our members told me this story and gave me permission to share it with you. If you work with clients, undoubtedly you have experienced something very similar to this. |
| 1-Mar-08 |
Gumbo: Leave "Bluffing" for the
Poker Table
"A closed mouth gathers no feet." - Anon |
| 27-Aug-07 |
Headlines - Attention Grabbers
or Deal Closers?
Often when we create sites or focus on a market, we tend to forget to check the trends and how they have evolved. I
have taken the numbers so far this year and compared the numbers of 2005 and 2006. |
| 13-Aug-07 |
New Travel "Must Have"
I travel a ton and one thing that frustrates me in every airport is the lack of electrical outlets. |
| 13-Aug-07 |
4-Hour Work Week
While I am one to state that a 4-hour work week is pretty much out of reach ... as I love to work and would get bored
just playing all the time. I tried it once. It didn't take. Let me give you some pointers on outsourcing so you avoid the
problems I have learned the hard way. |
| 27-Jun-07 |
Learn From Every Job...
I hate to admit it. While working my way through college I was a door-to-door sales person. I hated it. The worst part?
I sold vacuums. Yes, vacuums. You can stop laughing now. |
| 14-Jun-07 |
Getting and Keeping
Customers
"We are all salesmen every day of our lives. We are selling our ideas, our plans, our enthusiasms to those with whom we
come in contact." - Charles Schwab |
| 5-Jun-07 |
"The Nightmare" Customer
The right customer is always right. The wrong customer is always wrong. |
| 27-May-07 |
The Best Gift We Can Give is Our Best
Self
What I learned from a stewardess, er, flight attendant. |
| 21-May-07 |
Life 2.0
I had a one-on-one session with a woman who was considering quitting her job at the end of the year to give her
eCommerce business a shot. 20 minutes later she shook my hand and went to write her letter of resignation to hand to her
boss on Monday morning. She was done. She had seen the light and was ready to make a change. |
| 14-May-07 |
Your Intent Doesn't Matter
Those of you who have been with me over the years know how strongly I feel about relationships in business and why it
is so vital to keep them strong. Even the best stumble and recently I did just that. Big time. |
| 30-Apr-07 |
Is Loyalty Fair Weathered?
If you don't care for football, you will still enjoy this story, as it has strong ties to business and relationships. |
| 30-Apr-07 |
Know the Truth and Live It
A quick rant on the whole Don Imus fiasco that occurred earlier this month. |
| 26-Feb-07 |
The
Power of a Survey
Do You Want to Know? Then Ask! |
| 18-Feb-07 |
Excellent
Service
A little something extra for the Gumbo... |
| 18-Feb-07 |
Sample
the Wine
There is an old phrase in the business world, "Sample the Wine".
It means that before you give wine to a guest, serve it at a dinner party,
or present it to potential customers at a wine tasting event, sample it
first to ensure it is perfect. In other words, test everything behind
the scenes before you show the public. |
| 11-Feb-07 |
What
is Your Disaster?
Last summer, as most of you know, I relocated to North Carolina. We
had a "snow storm" last week and the entire city was a ghost
town. Roads closed, schools shut down, the shelves at the grocery stores
were empty. |
| 29-Jan-07 |
Painting
a Masterpiece With a Wide Brush
You can't paint with a wide brush, because the detail will be left
out. And with any work of art, just as with business, it is the details
that are most important. One particular detail: customer service. |
| 31-Dec-06 |
How
To Be Smarter
You see, there comes a time in everyone's life - usually past the age
of 30 and just after you've done something boneheaded like pour coffee
on your cereal - when the thought hits you: "I wish I were smarter." |
| 17-Dec-06 |
The
Insignificant Reflects the Significant
This month I have been reading the book "Thick Face, Black Heart"
and have received much inspiration from it - and I highly recommend adding
it to your reading list. This weekend's Gumbo comes from the book... |
| 2-Dec-06 |
Use
the Damn Internet
I was on the phone with a new member of the SEO Revolution. She had
a problem. Her competitor was beating her company in every phase. She was
frustrated. We've all been there, right? |
| 6-Oct-06 |
Do
What Comes Easy For You - Hard For Others
If you can do something that is easy, that others struggle with and
there is a market for what you can do, you will make money. |
| 1-Oct-06 |
Love
Your Job
One in 250 US workers report that they "love" their job. 112
"hate" their jobs while the rest just go with the flow. |
| 27-Nov-06 |
Desire
- The True Indicator of Success
Today we are taking a different look at your marketing strategy ... your
desire. We have all heard dozens, or even hundreds of stories on the Internet
of rapid fortune. One element remains constant - desire. |
| 2-Sep-06 |
The
Great 'Separator': Determination
Determination in business is doing the little things over and over and
over again until you get them right. This is the foundation of SEO and
Affiliate Marketing. |
| 20-Aug-06 |
Losing
Steam
Which of your projects are losing momentum? How much revenue are you losing
because of it? Which project needs the biggest "push" right
now? |
| 12-Aug-06 |
Your
Business
The truth of the matter is: no one cares about your business the
way that you do. |
| 5-Aug-06 |
Rely
on Experts
Outsource to experts tasks that you yourself are not an expert in
and automate your processes whenever possible to complete more tasks in
less time. |
| 22-Jul-06 |
What
You Do Not Understand...
There is a saying, "If you don't understand something, either
figure it out or get rid of it." Pretty simple, yet it goes widely
unpracticed. |
| 13-Jul-06 |
Who
Do You Really Work For?
Do you know? Do you want to know? |
| 11-Jul-06 |
The
Time Is Now
There is a Chinese proverb that goes, "The best time to plant a tree
is twenty years ago. The second best time is today." |
| 4-Jul-06 |
Let
the Experts Do Their Job
When you hire an expert to do a job, step aside and let them do it. |
| 9-Jun-06 |
Are
You a 'But What If' Person? Where is Your Commitment Level?
Picture that you have a task in front of you right now. You can either just put in your time, or you can do the task in such a way as to further your mission in life and career. Which would you prefer? |
| 5-Jun-06 |
How
Not to Panic
Stop panicking and really check things out. First thing that you
need to do is stop... |
| 2-Jun-06 |
The Importance of Being Creative
People aren't born as creative geniuses - no matter what you may
believe. They are made, not born. |
| 26-May-06 |
'You're
Going to Buy That?' - 'Yes Dear'
Most marketers and especially those online, make the fatal mistake
of not considering the power that women have in the buying process. |
| 21-May-06 |
First
Step in Five Figure Monthly Income
Getting That Five Figure Income: Increase your chances of getting
what you want. |
| 28-Apr-06 |
Always
Take the Best Seat
If you are taking a customer or a prospect to breakfast, lunch or
dinner, always take the best seat at the table. |
| 22-Apr-06 |
A
Crash Course on Social Engineering
With the information that I was able to gather in Boston, and the
great tips given by Jake Baillie, I think it is time that I gave everyone
a crash course on Social Engineering. |
| 14-Apr-06 |
Time
Vampires - They Are Closer Than You Think
When it comes to not meeting your goals, usually you can look at time
that has been wasted as the reason ... and often, there is a person tied
to it - the Time Vampire. |
| 7-Apr-06 |
Today's
Lesson In Excellence: Meetings
Would You Like To Be More Persuasive At Your Next Meeting? Here is
how... |
| 7-Apr-06 |
Do
You Know Where You Are Going?
If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. |
| 30-Mar-06 |
Gumbo: Status of the Web
Use these numbers to prepare for the coming holiday season,
as it will be here before you know it... |
| 24-Mar-06 |
Setting Goals
How really to set goals: The importance of turning your hopes, dreams
and wishes into a series of crystal-clear, do-or-die goals cannot be overstated. |
| 17-Mar-06 |
Placing
Values on Your Values
How do you choose which issue is more important than another? Do you know
how to make that determination? Are you consistent in your measurements
of what's important? |
| 10-Mar-06 |
The
Butterfly Effect: Small Changes Heed Big Results
If you don't know about the Butterfly Effect, here is a crash course. |
| 6-Mar-06 |
Importance
of Relationships Part II
About a month ago, I wrote a piece on relationships. For those of you
that missed it, here is a second look. |
| 3-Feb-06 |
Importance
of Relationships
The longer that I am in this business, the more I realize that it is not
knowledge, expertise, or things of that nature, it is relationships that
make this business work. |
| 21-Feb-06 |
Leaving
Voice Messages
There is a definite art to leaving a voice mail message and it is
something that small business owners need to learn. |
| 17-Feb-06 |
Reversing the Downward Spiral
It is easy to start the "downward spiral" when you have so much
to do, yet not enough time to do it all in. Find out how to reverse it. |
| 6-Feb-06 |
Accepting
the Right Credit Cards
Many people who run their own business who don't take the American
Express card do so because of the high fees that AMEX charges...is this
a good choice? |
| 6-Jan-06 |
Zero
Interruptions
I am on a flight right now to Montreal to open up a Search Engine
Academy in both Montreal and Toronto. Those of you who are long-time subscribers
like it when I travel. That is when some of the best information is discovered
- I attribute that to zero interruptions. |
| 7-Nov-05 |
Treat
Your Family as Your Number One Client
It is very easy to let your SEO career monopolize all of your time
and your energy. Believe me, I have been there myself. The deeply entrenched
you become, the more there is to do. But to force your spouse and children
into second place is a mistake. |
| 7-Oct-05 |
How
to Lose $1,000.00 Per Day
Learn from my mistake. |
| 23-Sep-05 |
Idea
Killers
Idea Killers ... if you listen, you will never become great. |
| 16-Sep-05 |
Live
For Today, Plan For Tomorrow, Forget About Yesterday
You can't bring back yesterday, so don't try. |
| 14-Sep-05 |
Go
To the Library
I will share with you a tip that has greatly helped my career and
has allowed me to get "on top" of all of those small projects
that just seem to always be there. |
| 13-May-05 |
Consulting
Advice: Where to Sit in a Restaurant
If you take a customer or a prospect to breakfast, lunch, or dinner,
always take the best seat. |
