Archive for the ‘Weekly Review’ Category
The Week That Was: Feb 22 – Mar 06
Whoa! That’s two weeks!
Yes.
Between Olympics, workshops and a computer that finally went to its final reward in the sky there was no “Week That Was” last weekend.
Got my new computer – a snazzy looking black lacquer Toshiba job with more space in it than I know what to do with. I could no longer defrag my dear old laptop because space available was below 15% – this one has 4 times as much space on the hard drive. I know, over time that space will be filled too. Oh nooo…. I will move lots of stuff for storage to a cloud, or buy an external hard drive. Or both.
Do you name your inanimate objects? For example does your car have a name? Mine doesn’t. Several cars ago it did. It was given a name by my daughter. Her toys had names, she reasoned, so why wouldn’t a car. Yes. She still names her cars.
I name my computers. Do you believe in the power of the word? There has been a lot written about NLP (Nuero Linguistic Programming). My dearly departed laptop had a name, I called it Big Money. Perhaps my intentions weren’t clear. The idea was that with the use of the laptop the Big Money truck would drive UP to my driveway but what happened was that it drove AWAY from my driveway. I don’t regret it one bit though. The big money was spent on courses, so I chalk it up to education. My brand spanking new laptop is named Money Magnet. Do you think I did better this time?
So to the Weeks that Were – summary of posts published since my last weekly review. If you haven’t read the post in full these summaries give you a glimpse. If one catches your attention hop on over and read the whole meal deal. Comments are welcome and encouraged.
An Open Letter to Nathan Hangen – 22/02/10
I hang out at Nathan Hangen’s Blog. I buy his products, the latest one being Beyond Blogging and am a great admirer of his but a recent post on his blog got my hackles up so I put on my boxing gloves and gave him the old one two in an open letter. He was OK with it. To read what it was that got me in the ring with him and his reply, read the whole article which addresses blogging on blogging.
Blog Income To Go Under Knife – 23/02/10
At my regular Monday night Internet Marketing Mastermind meeting, I had this blog critiqued. There were lots of good suggestions. The recurring theme of the comments suggested that it looked, well, a bit too cluttered. I had already clued in to this and it was good to have my hunch confirmed. Readers are encouraged to send in more suggestions. Read the full Blog Income article.
Blog Income Month In Review: February 2010 01/03/10
Each month I review the results of this blog. My current push is to increase traffic as I believe that all else will fall in from there. Did I achieve my traffic goal for the month of February? Yes. Two valuable lessons learned which I think everyone can apply to their own blogging agenda. For the full report just log on to Blog Income Month in Review
Twitter and All That Social Media Stuff
Spent two jam packed days learning about the basics of Social media at Matt Astifan’s Workshop. We learned how to Twitter, all about Facebook and the importance of You Tube to internet marketing. Am I an expert now? Absolutely not. Read about my experience and why I plan to play pretty with Twitter and other social media sites,
Is Centralizing Your Internet Marketing Services The Best Option?
When buying your services for your internet marketing business is it better to bundle and buy from a single provider or should you spread out and buy independently? There are pros and cons for each. Weigh in with your preference in the comments section. Read full Centralizing Services article.
Alright! We’re up to date! Tomorrow: Sunday Morn Musings!
The Week That Was: Feb 14 – 21
Olympic fever has swept the city – never mind that we are having a record warm winter and snow had to be trucked in to one of the local city mountains where the snowboarding competitions were held. Downtown Vancouver has turned into one big party hosting visitors from all over the world. The hundred plus pavilions have lineups from here to there, cordoned off streets are jammed with revelers and everyone is having a rip roaring good time especially as Canada has brought home 4 golds so far making this the first Olympics that we have copped the elusive metal for the first time on home turf. Another week – I’ll definitely be spending more time enjoying.
Did get some blogging done. Here is the Review of the Week that Was , a summary of the the new posts published here since February 14.
Sunday Morn Musings: Valentine’s, Gung Hay Fat Choy! The Smell of Gold – 14/02/10
A potpourri of topics: St. Valentine and valentines and China and Valentina (yes, me!) and the welcomeing of the year of the tiger, an animal that is lucky, vivid and incredibly brave. Talked about Chris Farstad a former Olympian and what he told us about athletes and how he figured that this year the Canadian athletes would fare far better and why … they have. Hop on over to Sunday Morn Musings and read the full article.
Affiliate Marketing: Write the Ad 15/02/10
This post takes you through a five step process of writing an attention grabbing ad that will have your visitors clicking and buying your affiliate products. Nothing like the sweet sound of a click to enrich your blog income bank account.
Affiliate Marketing: Plan Your Campaigns 18/02/10
The nine steps to a successful campaign – from inception to fulfillment including time lines and a little known marketing ploy that will take you from obscurity to success with direct financial benefits to you. The starting point for your passive income.
Yes, I did work on my own campaign to start March 01. This is the first time I will actually be promoting one of my affiliate products not just on an ad hoc basis, but according to a plan. I will establish my first “control”
To Your Awesome Blog Income Life.
Valentina
The Week That Was: Feb 07 – 13
What a week! The city positively crackled with excitement as sidewalks spilled over with visitors from all over the world here to attend the Olympics . Energy is high. Hopes and aspirations at levitation level. Whether you live in the city or the burbs its hard not to catch Olympic fever. Even though I crow with glee at the sight of blooming crocus, a slight drop in the temperature wouldn’t be all that bad – would do wonders for the mountains where the shushing events are taking place. Ironic that last year at this time we had record cold temperatures and gobs of snow on the peaks – well we do have gobs of snow on the peaks, just not the ones where the events are scheduled!
This was the last week of my Internet Marketing Bootcamp. Learned a bit more about Wordpress which I will be putting to use within the admin area of my Wordpress Direct program. Polished up a few things on this site and I just might start a site on Wordpress.org, just to put into practice the whole meal deal.
Participated in some Olympic revelry – planning on more over the next two weeks.
The week in review:
Musings On a Sunday Morn: Done? Never! 07/02/01
Carlos Velez posted a comment which prompted a rebuttal and I had a bit of fun on how dishes never get done! This was strictly off the cuff but apparently I hit on something somewhat accidentally: linking to comments! Full Musings on a Sunday Morn reading
Affiliate Marketing: Establishing a Control 11/02/10
What is a control? In its simplest form a control is that system, process or campaign that produces the desired result; in affiliate marketing that result is sales. The campaign that delivers the best sales results becomes the control. In this article I write on how to set up your first control.
The Mitts That Were Seen Around the World: 11/02/10
Went off topic – had a good time! Actually, what was not off topic was how “co-incidences” happen. I believe that “coincidences” are not accidental at all and had alluded to that in a previous article when I wrote about my friend and author Wendy Atkinson. Back to the mitts … read how the lowly mitten has become the fashion item of the season & more.
Coming up: This week nose to the grindstone – err… fingers to the keyboard. Setting up my affiliate marketing campaign so that I can establish a control for it. Target date is to have it up and running March 01.
To Your Awesome Blog Income Life!
Valentina
On Silver and Gold and The Week That Was: Jan 31-Feb 06
Before I get into the week, I thought you might be interested in these photos I took just a few weeks ago.
Once a month on a Saturday afternoon a small group of us get together for a friendly game of Cashflow. Today was that Saturday. We have a good time, but more importantly we are learning the art of the deal. Our host is a master at the game, both on the board and on the real boardwalk doing the deal. Recently he and his wife bought some metal – silver metal. This is a photo of their stash.
This little bundle of silver, 412 oz to be exact, is worth $7799.16.
This second photo is a 1/20 of an oz gold coin and is worth $58.24. Just to give you an idea of the difference between silver and go
ld … if that stash of silver was gold, it would be worth $479,856.40
All prices are based on the price of each metal on the date of purchase net of fees.
Today we decided to make the game more interesting. Starting next month we’ll all throw in ten bucks. The winner will get a 1 oz silver coin. Overage stays in the pool to eventually fund an ingot, then a bar and perhaps eventually a brick. I think it’s a lot more fun than just cash. Eldorado anyone?
Now to the week at hand and the blog income life: there was lots of internet marketing stuff but not much blogging. The week began with the Monday Master Mind meeting, which now has a name: Internet Marketing MasterMind Group. In my MasterMind Series over at Dave Doolin’s I wrote about the formation of a third mind wherein things begin go move in a certain direction, without directing. This Monday I had such an experience. One of the members and I found out that we have a mutual connection – we are now talking about a strategic alliance.
Then there is the Internet Marketing Bootcamp. Of course there was homework which took some time and effort. I am putting up another blog on the Wordpress platform but this time without the benefit of Wordpress Direct. I want to have a better understanding of the underpinnings of Wordpress and I thought that putting something up from scratch would be a useful exercise. It is – if somewhat painful.
Friday was a full day with my monthly Smart Thinking MasterMind Group. This coming week I will post some of the things that I took away from this day that can apply to the online world. During the time that we devote to “masterminding” members with their business, I took the opportunity to have my Blog Income Life turned inside out. I was pleasantly surprised that marketing wise it is on track based on traffic, conversions, and sales. When the numbers are crunched the ratios are decent after all. Whew! I also got some good feedback on how to fine tune some areas.
New Posts This Week:
Musings on a Sunday Morn …On Money, Elitism & Olympics: 31/01/10
With the Olympics on our doorstep I took the morning to express my thoughts and in that way pose a reply to those who are the perpetual complainers on monies being spent, on elitist athletes and why the Olympics. I like to see people rise to the top of their game
Month in Review – January 2010: 01/02/10
Traffic increase by 78.22% over last. First time on Google page one for keyword phrase “Blog Income”. WooHoo! Sam over at Financial Samurai has thrown down the gauntlet (or whatever it is that samurais wear) to members of his community to get their blogs to an Alexa ranking of under 200K : Creating Power Friends: Samurai’s Alexa Ranking Challenge
Meet My Friend – Author Wendy Atkinson 02/02/10
What’s the point of owning a blog if you can’t occasionally bring out the pompoms and cheer on with a big Sis Boom Ba! for your chum? Meet Wendy Atkinson, brand new published author and imaginateure (I think I just made up a word) extraordinaire. Read the post and then hop on over to Amazon for your own copy of Law of Attraction A Fable: Mr. Moon & Friends’ Simplified Blueprint to Health, Wealth and Happiness
Till next time …
To Your Awesome Blog Income Life!
Valentina
The Week That Was: Jan 24 – 30
Strange week fraught with frustrations. I think that frustration is the biggest time thief because it is the most difficult to tame. Frustration takes your mind off the business at hand and takes it to the crisis at hand.
Related article: Avoid Time Thieves
This week the thief stole a lot.
It started out with nothing more than an annoyance and escalated into full blown anger. When all … well almost all that “annoyance” has yet to be fixed… so when almost all was handled I sat down and mentally went over the events of the week. I like to do this with a cup of hot tea and some good classic music playing in the background – can be classical or classic rock. There seems to be something in each of those two genres that gets my brain chugging along, putting things in order in a calm and logical way. Eventually the brain and I agree … get on with the present.
One of the best antidotes to feelings of time frittered away is to sit down with notepad and pen and write out all the things that went right. This is something I do routinely anyway, but when I am down in the dumps because things just haven’t gone my way, it is amazingly therapeutic. So as I review the week that was, I find that there is enough to call it a good week.
Here is a summary of The Week That Was: January 24- 30
As with last week, the highlight of this week were my final installments of the MasterMind Series on Dave Doolin’s Website in a Weekend. Writing the series stretched me in more ways than one.
First I made a commitment and its amazing how procrastination is suddenly not even an issue. I don’t give commitments lightly, so it got me off my keester and got me writing.
Second I promised a series, or rather “shingled” articles, so they had to flow one into the other with seamless grace (eehhh… don’t know how graceful or seamless the result is). I had to push myself and I can tell you that the feeling of having completed something at which you have to put in some extra effort is very rewarding.
Third. I met some really neat people over at Dave’s. That’s a cool and smart group that hangs out there and some of them came over here as commenters. Thank you.
Guesting is a great experience. I recommend it to every blogger and if you can muster it up, write up a set of shingles!
You may be interested in the MasterMind Series:
MasterMind Power I: How 5 Boys Achieved Unparalled Success.
MasterMind Power Part II: Napoleon Hill – Father of the MasterMind
MasterMind Power III: The 5 Ws Of a Successful Mastermind Group.
MasterMind Power IV: Some MasterMind Examples
SUMMARY OF BLOG INCOME POSTS FOR THE WEEK THAT WAS!
Sunday Morn Musing - Of Books and Bookshelves and & More Reading Stuff 24/01/10
Sunday January 24: I emphasize the date, you’ll see why further down. Posted my first Sunday Morn Musings The idea that on Sunday mornings I will write about whatever it is that resides in my mind at the time, it may or may not have something to do with internet marketing. Last Sunday it was about books and libraries in your home.
Today as I was doing my blog rounds, I happened on Jeffrey’s Bloggers Market , my first visit there ever. Jeffrey just started Sunday Morning Post, the first was published on, wait for it, drum roll please:
Sunday January 24!
Coincidence? Serendipity? Naaah. Great minds think alike!
Read the full article
What should you have in your internet marketing tool box especially now that you are flirting with Affiliate Marketing. Some you already know about, others, such as link cloaking may surprise you. Fill up your toolbox with these items.
Blog Income Under Attack from Cyber Gremlins 28/01/10
A sneak preview of some of the things that led to frustration and lost time. Here too another blogger, Caroline Middlebrook is mired in frustration as she encounters some techie type issues. What can I say except that my stars must be aligned with the right bloggers! Avoid these pitfalls.
In two weeks’ time Vancouver will be proudly hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Got me thinking though and somehow the dots connected to blogging, internet marketing and “launches.”See if it makes any sense to you. The full Olympics and Internet Marketing article.
Gotta scoot on out … Toastmasters Training – I’ve been told that George Clooney is going to be the mystery guest trainer …. WOOHOO! Yeah, right!
To Your Awesome Blog Income Life!
Valentina
The Week That Was: Jan 17-23
A week flies by so fast I often feel that I got nothing done, especially when I look at all the items I had on my “to do” list! Do you ever feel that way? I find that a good antidote is to go review the week and highlight all the things that did get done. Guaranteed you’ll feel better about your time – I know I do. I also recommend that you not only highlight but double underline that which took you closer to your goal, focus on it and capitalize on it. On that note I have got some good highlights to share with you about this week that was:
- Highlight of the week for me was “guesting” at Dave Doolin’s Website In A Weekend blog. Dave invited me to submit an article or two on MasterMinds. I submitted a mini-series – what Dave terms as “shingling” your articles, yes, new term for me too! This is my first “guest” gig and I am so honored to be on Dave’s blog. You can read the articles:
How 5 Boys Achieved Unparalleled Success
A story is told of a handful of pals who achieved extraordinary success in their lives. With the telling and retelling, the origin is somewhat hazy, but it is supposedly based on true life and while the details may be a bit scant, the concept is powerful. … read full story
Napoleon Hill Father of MasterMind
In his book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill outlines 13 principles that his 29 years of research defined as common to every successful person. One of those principles was the Power of the Master Mind which he defined as: “Coordination of knowledge and effort in a spirit of harmony between two or more people for the attainment of a definite purpose.” … read full article
Two more articles are scheduled for Jan 25 and 27. Be sure to hop on over to Dave’s and read them, or better yet, subscribe to Website In A Weekend’s RSS feed.
Articles published at Blog Income Life:
Golden Nuggets for Your Blog Income – 18/01/10
A very special THANK YOU to Mike Paetzold for guesting here at Blog Income Life for the past week. The series gave me some golden nuggets and exposed areas where I can certainly do some tweaking. Below are some things that I took away … read full article.
Blog Income Org Chart – 19/01/10
Expand your thinking and your blog income. It’s time to think beyond just a blog. If you have not already incorporated yourself as a business, you will definitely want to do so as your online earnings grow. I like to see things and thought it would be fun to put up an org chart of what my internet marketing business looks like….read full article and see the chart
Five Basic Steps to Start Your Affiliate Marketing: 21/01/10
What is so powerful about affiliate marketing is that you do not need to have a product of your own. You profit by someone else’s research, development, production and fulfillment. All you need to do is promote and convert your promotion into sales. In other words you get to make money without the worry, stress and up front costs of developing a product. … read full article
As to those items that were left undone … I think that I tend to put too many on my list. I read somewhere that it is best to scale down the number and complete them, that way the mind is being programmed for completion rather than partial completion. Habits are being formed. Done is better than almost done ……..hmmm… article brewing there.
And now for something a little bit different – starting tomorrow there will be a new feature to this blog “Musings on a Sunday Morn” … Once upon a time I started a blog which I titled Four O’Clock Thursdays. The blog had no purpose other than to write on whatever it was that captured the mind at, well four o’clock on Thursdays. After a few posts the time allotted was given a different job and the postings disappeared. I miss writing that blog and thought that Sunday morning would a good time for those musings. Now, I don’t promise a “musing” every Sunday … but do drop by on Sunday morns – or any morn for that matter, the door is always open at Blog Income Life!
To Your Awesome Blog Income Life!
Valentina
