Success and Then Some

50 Ways to Say Thank You

Have you ever wondered how to say Thank You in Japanese (arigato) or Turkish (sogal)? With Thanksgiving only 3 days away, I thought it would be fun to share this list of how to say thank you around the world complete with pronunciations.

Amharic (Ethiopia)
(AH muh seh g’NAH lo)?
Arabic
shukran (SHOO krahn)
Bakweri (SW Cameroon)
(maa SOO maa)
Bangla (Bangladesh)
(DEN no vaht)
Bulgarian
blagodaria (BLAH go dahr YAH)
Cantonese (Hong Kong)
(DOE jeh)
Catalan (Spain)
gracies (GRAH shee esh?)
Dutch
dank ye vell (dahnk ye VELL)
English
thank you, thanks, thank you very much
Esperanto (International)
dankon
Ewe (Togo; Ghana) [pron. EH weh]
akpe (ah[k] PAI)
Farsi (Persian–Iran)
(mo ti SHAH ke RAHM), (MEHR see), (tah sha KOOR)
Fon (Gabon)
ablo (AH blow)
Foulani (West & Central Africa)
diarama (DYAH ra ma)
French
merci (mehr SEE)
Gaelic (Ireland)
mafgarna (MAHF gar nah)?
German
danke schoen (DAHNG ke shern)
Greek
(ef fah ree STAW)
Gujarati (W. India)
aabhar (ahb HAHR)
Hausa (Nigeria, etc.)
nugode (noo GOE dae) or yawa (YAH wahhh…)
Hawaiin
mahalo (mah hal o)
Hebrew
todah (toe DAH), todah rabbah (rah BAH)
Hindi (India)
dhaniawad (DHAN ya wad) See also Urdu.
Italian
grazie (GROTS yeh)
Japanese
arigato (ah ree GAH toe), domo arigato
Kashmiri (N. India/Pakistan/China)
shukria
Kazakh (Kazakhstan)
rakhmat (rakh MAHT)
Korean
gomapsunmida (go mahp SOON mee dah), (kom SAHN mee dah)
Magyar (Hungarian)
(KER se nem)
Mandarin (China)
(shyeh shyeh)
Mina (Gabon)
apke (ah P’? ay)
Nepalese
danievad (DAHN ya vaht)
Polish
(jen KOO yeh)
Portuguese
obrigado (awb ri GAH doe)
Russian
(spah SEE bah)
Serbo-Croatian
hvala (KHVAH la)
Sherpa (Nepal)
thuchiche (too cheh CHEH)
Spanish
gracias (GRAH syahs), muchas gracias (MOO chahs)
Tagalog (Philippines)
salamat (sah LAH maht)
Thai (Thailand)
korp kuhn ka(females)/klap(males)
Taiwanese
do sha (doe SHYAH)
Tajik (Tajikstan)
(tah sha KOOR)
Tibetan
thuchiche (TOO cheh cheh)
Turkish
sogal (sahl), (rakh MAHT?)
Twi (Ghana)
mi da waase (mee dah WAH say)
Urdu (Pakistan)
shukria (SHOO kree ah)
Uzbek (Uzbekikstan)
(rakh MAHT), (tah sha KOOR) (?)
Visaya (Philippines)
gracia (GRAH see ahs)
Welsh (Wales, UK)
diolch yn fawr (DYOLX uhn VOWR) [Pronounce the 'ch' as in German.]
Yiddish (E. Europe, U.S., Israel)
a dank (ah DAHNK)
Yoruba (W. Africa)
a dupe (ah DOO pae) or ocheum (OH cheh oom)

(Source: channel4000.com)

7 Steps to Staying Positive Today and Everyday

Have you  noticed how difficult it is to stay positive all the time? I mean REALLY!  And if you did stay positive, do you worry what others might think?  After all, the world is suffering. With all the negative energy flowing these days, it’s certainly not easy to stay positive and motivated. People are loosing their jobs, their businesses, their homes, their good credit and sometimes even the ones they love.

Maybe you are one of those people who have had a run of bad luck or perhaps you’ve just hit a road block. Or worse, everyone around you is singly the blues. It’s all you can do to stay positive even though you and your circle consider you a positive person.  I know, this has happened to me. Although I  don’t get into a FUNK or have a NEGATIVE DAY often, when I do get into one of those energy zones, the best I can do is stay away from others so as not to affect them too. You see, I don’t like myself when I am feeling this way and I am sure others don’t much like being around me either. In fact, when I had my retail florists, my staff told me they could always tell what kind of mood I was in when I walked through the door by how I walked in and what I said as I did so.  What are your “tell signs?”  Once I realized what mine were I became much more conscious of them and made an extra effort to be more positive (or where different shoes *SMILE). But I digress.

Well, I think that right now more than even the world needs people like you and me to stay positive and help them see that there is HOPE.  After all, what really matters isn’t what others think as much as it does what YOU think … and feel.

The good news is I have discovered some things to help me quickly recover from that FUNK.

Here are 7 steps to stay positive in a negative world and keep the energy flowing more smoothly:

1. STAY away from negative people. You know the ones. Those that rarely, if ever have anything positive to say. About anything. Or anyone. These people will ZAP your good energy faster than a bolt of lightening! FIRE all the negative friends in your life. Tell them you simply cannot hang with them anymore.  And don’t think you can turn them around. The best you can do is be a good example and hope that some of that positivity rubs off on them.  And if they are lucky, it might (but don’t hold your breath).

2. HANG with positive people.  Just like staying away from negative people will drain you of positive energy, hanging with positive people will enrich your life and fill your bucket with positive good energy.

3. LOOK for the good. If you are having a bad day, stop and think of all the good in your life. Ask yourself what is going good for you right now? Who do you know that is positive? Ask her or him what their secrets to staying positive are.  Think about what gives you positive energy.  If you cannot think of anything current, think about the past and what was good about it. Find ways to reconnect with that good. Revisit it. Visit people you have lost touch with that made you feel good about yourself.

4. FOLLOW your passion.  It is not easy to stay positive when you are not happy with your life.  Sit down and write what makes you happy. Make a list of 25 or 50 things you plan to accomplish before you leave the world.  And then do something about it. Start writing a plan for how to accomplish each or do each of those things on your list.  If you ever saw the movie, The BUCKET LIST, you may remember Morgan Freeman making such a list. He didn’t know exactly how he would be able to achieve his goals and do all the things on his Bucket List but he knew he was going to try! And as “luck” would have it, the very person who could help him was in the same hospital room. I know its only a movie, but stranger things have happened. First you have to set your intention. THEN figure out how to make it a reality.

5. UP your attitude.  In addition to surrounding yourself with positive people, subscribe to positive thoughts and ideas.  Read things like TUT ~ a note from the universe www.tut.com. TUT stand for truly unique thoughts and every day you get a wonderful, uplifting message in your email inbox or on your mobile phone.  Another great site for positive thoughts and energy is Blesstivals http://www.center-for-positive-service.com/category/spiritual-gifts/blesstivals/ created by my good friend Lori Prokopp and friends. Check out GreatDay.com the daily motivator site for positive inspiration. And last but not least is Beliefnet.com  http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/index.aspx  their mission is “to help people like you find, and walk, a spiritual path that will bring comfort, hope, clarity, strength, and happiness.”

6. FIND the humor in life. Humor helps you with those feelings of being overwhelmed and out of control. Studies have been done that humor helps people through the darkest hours of disease and come out on the other side. Humor can also help you stay positive and motivated. You have to remember to laugh.  Two of my favorite sites for humor resources are The Humor Project at http://www.humorproject.com/ and World Laughter Tour http://www.worldlaughtertour.com/. Keep a Humor Journal and when something strikes you funny, write it down. This will come in handy when you are having a bad day because you can open it up and read any page and feel the negative energy drift away. 

7. MAKE up your mind to be more positive. Developing a positive mental attitude is a choice. It requires nurturing and training. Sometimes it requires a whole new mindset. You have to first make up your mind to do so. And its not always easy or immediate.  It will require work and commitment.  And if you create a positivity plan, commit to it and really work it, I promise you will see results. And one of the benefits of being positive is that you will attract more like-minded people. Your life will be richer and more rewarding and you will find things will start coming to you with more ease. Your self-esteem will increase dramatically and you will start attracting more of the good things in life. I love how the National Association of Self Esteem ~ NASE describes self-esteem: “The experience of being capable of meeting life’s challenges and being worthy of happiness.” 

Robert Schuller said it best: It takes but one positive thought, when given a chance to survive and thrive, to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts.
 
Be the person you would like to hang out with if you were someone else.  Being that person will lead you to a more fulfilled, joyful life.

Know the POWER of GIVING

Zig Ziglar said; “You can have everything you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

 

That is one of my favorite quotes of all time. Because it is so true in my life. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy for those who practice the messages. Think back over your life. Think about the people who have had a positive influence on you. These are people who probably don’t even know what an impact they have had on you. They did something, however small that made a difference in your life. Maybe it was a friend, or mentor, or boss, or employee, or student or teacher, or family member.  They impacted your life because they cared enough to do something for which they may or may not be repaid. Without expectation or seeking glory. They gave for the sake of giving.

 

And you? What have you done for someone else that may have impacted your life and theirs for the better? What could you do for someone today that might just matter tomorrow or years from now?

 

When you help someone else it increases your self confidence. You feel good about yourself and others feel better about you. Your TQ (trust quotient) goes way up. People like you more. And they want to do business with you. People want to support people who GIVE.

 

By helping others you help yourself.  And it’s not just about money.  It could be as simple as a phone call, a card in the mail, a kind expression, a shoulder to cry on, lending an ear… etc. In fact, there is a great new book that just came out this week which shares in-depth what happens to those who are givers. It is called The Power of Giving by Azim Jamal and Harvey McKinnon.

 

“The Power of Giving is a book that will show you the simple secrets to getting what you want most in life. Extensive scientific research shows that giving will benefit you, as much those you give to. In this award-winning book, authors Azim Jamal and Harvey McKinnon, reveal how you can live your life to achieve the greatest impact, happiness and satisfaction.”

 

Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principles and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul said about The Power of Giving,  “If everyone followed the advice given in this wonderful book, our world would be a richer, more equitable and peaceful place. I am personally touched by their deep message. The Power of Giving is a must read. Profit from reading it. Give it to everyone you love.”

 

“When you buy this book, you’ll help it to become a bestseller. This means you will also spread the message of giving. Already published in 9 languages, The Power of Giving won a 2009 Nautilus Gold Award — an honor previously bestowed upon authors such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, and Eckhart Tolle.”

 

You can follow The Power of Giving on their  fan page on Facebook or Twitter http://twitter.com/givingbook. You will also find helpful and inspiring articles every week when you  visit their blog.

 

The Power of Giving will help you to achieve more of what you want in your life. And you also receive several thousand dollars worth of gifts from partners who have also experienced the Power of Giving and want to share their gifts with you.  What about you? Are you ready to share your gifts with the world through Giving? Check it out at http://bit.ly/SrU87

13 Lists of 13 Tips for October 13th

Today on Twitter I had this idea to share lists of 13 tips with my followers. It started out with the Word of the Day which is TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA (tris-ky-dek-uh-FOH-bee-uh) the FEAR of the number 13.

Did you know that In Romanian, Greek and Hispanic cultures, Tuesday the 13th is considered unlucky?

Hoteliers once believed the number 13 was so unlucky that they did not even have a 13th floor in their establishments.  Well technically they may have but they did not number the 13th floor #13. and in fact, many hotel guests still refuse to stay in Room 13, so rooms are frequently numbered 12, 12A, and 14.

Some believe that a fear of the number 13 is the reason we only recognize 12 constellations in the Zodiac. The 13th being Ophiuchus ( the Serpent Holder) because of its location, could be included.

And a Baker’s Dozen became so because years ago London bakers would be subject to heavy penalties if they were caught selling underweight bread. To insure their bread met the proper weight standards they would include an extra loaf and to avoid using the word thirteen, called it a “bakers dozen.”

But not everyone is afraid of the number 13. In fact, “in 1881, an influential group of New Yorkers led by U.S. Civil War veteran Captain William Fowler came together to put an end to this and other superstitions. They formed a dinner cabaret club, which they called the Thirteen Club. At the first meeting, on Friday 13 January 1881 at 8:13 p.m., 13 people sat down to dine in room 13 of the venue. The guests walked under a ladder to enter the room and were seated among piles of spilled salt. All of the guests survived. Thirteen Clubs sprang up all over North America for the next 40 years. Their activities were regularly reported in leading newspapers, and their numbers included five future U.S. presidents, from Chester A. Arthur to Theodore Roosevelt. Thirteen Clubs had various imitators, but they all gradually faded from interest as people became less superstitious.” (source: Wikipedia.com)

And I purchased Eden Florist on August 13th (in 1981). I have always loved the number 13 and consider it very lucky for me.  Can you guess which number I always play in the lottery???

In addition to all this trivia, I came across some great tips to share. Here is my list of 13 Tips to help you in business and in life With an excerpt from each:

13 Tips for Working Smarter, Not Harder
Tip #13  Beware of perfectionism. Most routine work doesn’t need to be done perfectly. Ask yourself — Is your effort disproportionate to the value of the task? Will other, more important projects be delayed as a result? Can you reduce the frequency or level of detail of this task? Read the rest at http://bit.ly/rXW65

13 tips for closing the deal from iMediaConnection.com 
Tip #13 Close. Get some concrete next steps agreed to. “Go ahead and think about it for a few days…” is not a wise course of action if you want to sell good ideas. It allows people to stew over things, and make the sort of “tiny” changes that are reaching right into the mouth of the campaign and perform an idea-ectomy. REad the rest at: www.imediaconnection.com/content/19887.asp

13 Twitter Tips and Tutorials for Beginners
 Tip #13 6 Ways to Maximize the Use of Your 140 Characters – basic ‘Tweet Writing Tips http://bit.ly/9rjTH. Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/ZOF5y
 
13 Tips For Getting Page One Search Rankings
Tip #13 Leverage your closest affiliate relationships. Each company reacts to this one differently, but it’s worth a shot if you’re facing negative content that you want to make disappear quickly. If you have great relationships with affiliates, consider partnering with them to get links to the favorable web pages from a page on the affiliate’s website. Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/t4Abe
 
13 Tips Your Burglar Doesn’t Want You To Know!
Tip #13 A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)  Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/ouv5n
 
13 Tips for Effective Email Marketing by MarketingVOX
Tip #13 Make it easy to unsubscribe to your messages. No matter how hard you try, there will always be someone who wants out. Don’t give them grief over it.Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/4GdthQ
 
13 tips (A baker’s dozen!) for successful e-commerce
Tip #13 Use analytics to gauge effectiveness. Measurement is a must. “Especially in challenging economic times, marketers are wise to leverage analytics to measure success,” said Eric Peterson, a Web analytics consultant. “The difference between knowing you’re spending marketing dollars online and knowing how that money contributes back to the business is profound.” Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/QvelQ
 
13 Tips for Mobilizing Online Action by Have Fun • Do Good
Tip #13 Facilitate peer-to-peer referrals. Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/Z8wSW
 
13 Tips for Marketing Your Business With Your Blog
Tip #13 Mix it Up. If you decide just to go with one blog instead of multiple blogs for multiple channels of your company it can be worthwhile to mix up the type of content that appears on your blog. There are so many types of posts that a company could run depending upon their objectives including:
highlighting key staff members, message from the CEO, state of the industry posts, linking to breaking news in the industry, polls … Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/3wJg50

13 Tips for a STRESS-FREE Halloween
Tip #13 Hide your black cat. Some pet experts recommend hiding your black cat a few days before October 31st – not just on Halloween night. When it comes to pet safety, it’s better to be extra safe than extra sorry. Read the rest at: bit.ly/yEjay

13 Tips for Tough Times (GREEN LIVING)
Tip #13 DON’T MAKE DRASTIC CHANGES. If you’re going through a transitional period, remember that transitions are just that, transitions, advises Holt–and we need a certain amount of time to get through them. “We are such a quick-fix society that we want the answer now or even yesterday,” she says. “Allow time for transitions to happen. Stay with the simple things that you know to be true.”
Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/J8s1f

13 Tips To Help You Become More By Doing Less
Tip #13 Dancing & Grace. Inside of each of us is a dancer. That part of us that responds freely to the music of life. But somewhere along the way we become guarded. Our fears restrict us, and eventually we dismiss whatever gifts we have to offer. Today, let yourself dance. Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/1vOO5m

And to round things out, here is a free ebook: 13 Tips to Enhance Your Intuition  Grab your copy here: http://bit.ly/dQOV2

 Feel free to share YOUR links to 13 tips (or less) in the comments below.

Is POKEN, YOUR Social Networking Business Card Yet?

“Open-API-based Poken technology will become the standard for connecting people in the real world and enhancing their interactions online.” Art of Technology

 

Yesterday I attended the PRSA Miami event (public relations society) where Dayna Steele, Peter Shankman and Murray Izz spoke. It was exciting and filled with great information.  In fact, I could write at least 3 blog posts about all the great tips and resources these presenters shared. But today I want to talk about only one.  POKEN.  Okay you are thinking this is a new kind of card game, right? Something like Poker for Nerds or something… NO. NOT IT.  If you haven’t yet heard of POKEN, don’t feel bad. I had heard the name bantered about a couple of times, but didn’t really know what it was or meant. Until yesterday when Peter Shankman spoke, and held up the little device and talked about how KOOL it was and that if we had one he’d like to connect. And if we didn’t he had them available right then and there. I was excited! You see I was sitting next to my good friend Jessica Kizorek (Celebrated Author and Video Expert) and she showed me hers. I could not wait to get my hands on one.
  
So guess who was first in line to get one when he was finished speaking?  No I didn’t move fast enough (but I was third *SMILE). 

Let me tell you what a POKEN is.  It is a handy little networking creature (tool) that shares uploaded social media contact with anyone else that has one.  In fact, when two POKENS get close, they light up!  Makes you wonder… but I digress. The reason they light up is that they are getting a signal from another POKEN (these could be fun on a date!).  Time to make their move! And by make their move I mean, HI 4 them ~ touch one another (which may be why POKENS have a fact and a ‘hand’) so they can exchange information. And if the two POKENS are from the same tribe, look out.  Mine is a “Rock Star” POKEN. You can choose from several styles including Ninjas, Vampires, Geishas, Tigers and many others.  Mine suits my personality *SMILE.

But I digress… again.

The purpose of a POKEN is to do away with exchanging business cards and carrying paper back to the office to then transfer to some other database device.  In fact, it is really quite simple. You buy your poken (For under $20), take it apart (the hand has the  USB port) and plug it into your computer.  If all is working you get a prompt that takes you to the Do You POKEN website ~ www.doyoupoken.com (your computer should recognize what’s been plugged in and auto-launch the website ) and there you set up an account so you can start imputing your social networking information including all the sites you belong to.  You input your FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN, TWITTER, MYSPACE, etc. ID’s, your physical contact information, upload your picture and viola’!  Instant POKEN!

It’s that simple! Once you’ve shared connections, you are ready to start chatting with your newest POKEN buddies online.  It’s that instant. No more having to search for her or him on Facebook or Twitter or XING or whatever. They are in your little POKEN hand! And in your list of friends, fans and followers.

The Good news: you are doing your part to save the planet … totally green (as long as they work and don’t end up in some landfill somewhere ~ but that’s another subject). BTW, POKEN’s  battery lasts around six months depending on how often it’s used.  It is a Lithium CR1632, so it’s rechargable and recycleable.

The Bad News: you can’t put these on bulletin boards and staple to flyers or even leave on windshields (or maybe that’s the good news).  But you can get creative with them.  Use them as incentives and giveaways (be sure your contact info is already on them) or for other types of marketing and advertising campaigns.  Let me know how you use or would use a POKEN!

You can get your POKEN at POKEN GIRL or do what I did and go to a live social media event where they are selling them.

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21 Tips for Hosting a Successful Event

“It’s the little things that make a BIG thing THE THING. Never skip the little things.”
Heidi Richards Mooney

Every year when the Fall Season approaches businesses and individuals begin planning for the holidays. In fact, it is the perfect time for companies to get ready for their next BIG promotion. One of the things to think about is hosting an Event. It could be a meeting for a group of people, it could be an open house, or it could be a formal occasion. No matter what the event, there are certain components when properly executed will keep people talking about the event long after it is over.

Of course,  if you happen to be the one doing the planning, there will probably come a time when you say to yourself,  “I just cannot wait for it to be over!” Why? Because we know all the work and details that go into the plan and it can be overwhelming.  Even the little annoyances and minor challenges can be the difference between hanging up our planning hats or not.  Those “planners” who are armed with an action plan feel satisfied and are even excited to begin working on their NEXT event.  Even the simplest of events requires planning, preparation and follow up.

Here are 21 tips to help you pull off the perfect event that will build your CONFIDENCE and set the tone for events to come:

1. If you are planning to host an event with more than 20 people, consider recruiting a co-chair to help with some of the details.

2. Use a personalized invitation to invite guests to your event. Follow up with the registrants and provide complete event details, such as location, time, directions and proper attire.

3. Encourage your guests to bring plenty of business cards to exchange with other guests

4. Consider inviting your customers, suppliers or prospects, when creating your invitation list.

5. Generate targeted emails to these groups to let them know what you are offering.

6. Design a postcard Invitation to send via email.  Or use one of the free online invitations available such as Yahoo Invites, Evites, or Sendomatic. 

7. Consider having a drawing to encourage attendance — such as a complementary service your company can provide or a coupon for something from a partner or supplier.  

8. Get a Sponsor for the event to help underwrite the costs.  Make sure the sponsor’s name is included in the invitations as well as mentioned during the event.  You may also wish to give your Sponsor 5 minutes to address your guests, a table at the event which they can use to place their marketing materials in addition to allowing them to distribute their information to guests.  If the sponsor makes a significant contribution to your event, consider giving them a Free attendance. 

9. Post the invitation on your website. Create a unique registration page to gather information.  Make sure it includes information to RSVP.

10. Make sure all invitations, notices and flyers include information to RSVP.

11. Choose a time that will work for the greatest number of attendees and you.

12. Consider hosting your event at a location other than a restaurant or country club.  Some ideas include having your event in your home, at a vendor location (such as a technology company), at a City Hall, or Chamber of Commerce, University or College, Tech School, Newspaper, Outdoors

13. If you are hosting an educational event consider topics that would relate to Women and ECommerce. (See suggested topics for WECAI meetings).

14. Keep a current list of registrants, updating it to reflect new guests. 

15. Send out more than one invitation.  Some people don’t read the first one sent, so it is always good to follow up with a second and even third notice.

16. 24 hours before the event, send a Reminder email notice to your guest list to ensure as many guests as possible will show up the day of the event.

17. If you are charging for the event – to cover costs of the meal, location, etc. have a deadline for sending in the money – RSVP (agreed upon with the venue/caterer/restaurant).

18. Consider giving a prize or special incentive to all who register EARLY. Or have a contest and choose a winner with a prize for early registrations. You could ask a Vendor to donate a prize just for this.  Extra PR for both! on time.

19. Be sure and let the media know of your plans as they unfold. For instance a release to “announce” the event, another release to announce any special guests or speakers, a third release for sponsors and an overall release describing the event in greater detail. 

20. If you do have a speaker, give her/him adequate time to present allowing time for guests to ask questions.

21. Collect business cards or have a registration card at the sign-in table.  This way you can follow up with your guests and thank them for attending. Be sure to send thank you’s after your event to everyone involved.

Here are some related articles that may be of interest in Planning the Perfect Event:

Planning Special Events – Six Strategies for Success  and Special Event Planning – Develop Your Master Plan

©Heidi Richards Mooney – is an  Entrepreneur,  Business Coach, Student of Social Media and the Author of 8 books including: “Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget ~ How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune.”  She is also the Publisher of WE Magazine for Women. Stop by http://www.speakingwithspirit.com to get a FREE copy of chapter one of Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany and Non-traditional Holidays

Today July 10th is Smile Power Day

Most of the really successful people I have ever known in life understand the power of a smile – and they use it! Generously! Heidi Richards Mooney

I was so excited to see that there is actually a day dedicated to Smile Power. I have one problem with it though. EVERY DAY SHOULD BE SMILE POWER DAY!

Having said that, at least we have a day to raise awareness of the smile, the sheer power a smile has in business and in life. Could it be that the SMILE is the true key to success?

And  in case you’ve ever doubted the power of smiling, did you know that it takes twice as many muscles to frown as it does to smile? Smiling, like laughter is universal.  Everyone smiles in the same language!  Smiles make an ordinary person extraordinary.   Smiling is the most recognized form of beauty, friendship, acceptance. and goodwill. Smiles have been attributed with lowering the blood pressure of everyone who sees it. In fact, there have been studies done that “prove” smiling can even lengthen your life.

If these were not enough reasons to smile, there’s another one…  Smiling is 100% free!

Smiles actually made one man famous and spread like wildfire around the globe. I’m talking about those yellow “happy face” or “smiley face” icons that became popular in late 1960’s.  The smiley face was created by  Harvey R. Ball, who co-owned an advertising and public relations firm. He designed the HAPPY SMILEY FACE in 1963 to boost the morale of workers in two recently merged insurance companies.  Harvey Ball was paid $45 for his artwork by State Mutual Life Assurance Companies of America.

Here’ssome Smiley Face Trivia:

In the late 1960’s, N.G. Slater Corporation began making yellow and black smiley face pins that quickly became a hit with the public. 

 During the 1970s, the yellow SMILEY FACE became a universal symbol of happiness and good cheer appealing to all ages.  

In the beginning the smiley face design was solo it was later accompanied by the phrase  “Have a nice day!” 

In 1971 ( At its peak of popularity ), more than 50 million SMILEY FACE buttons were sold. 

The Smiley Face has been used in countless advertising, marketing  and public relations campaigns, most recently by the discount chain store, Wal-Mart.  

 In 1999, the U.S. Postal Service issued a SMILEY FACE postage stamp in the “1970s Celebrate the Century” set.

So today, why not have a Smile Contest? Or simply hand out Smiley Buttons to everyone you encounter. Better yet, give them a genuine SMILE. Chances are, you’ll get one in return.

If you need a little inspiration, here’s a great video I found called  – Gift of a Smile http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/gift-of-a-smile/13058646

And my favorite is SMILE with Michael Jackson at http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/smile-michael-jackson/20453714. I thought it appropriate to share the King of Pop’s rendition of SMILE. It will make you laugh AND may even bring a tear to your eye.  And it will certainly bring home the POWER OF A SMILE!

And then there’s this YouTube video that showcases smiley faces beautifully!

 

And finally, here’s a few SMILE POWER Articles I recommend you check out:

Check out The International Smile Power Organization

Service With a Smile: Tips for Developing a Sustainable Competitive Advantage 

What makes a Great Smile?

check out these exercises for a more beautiful smile:

Telephone Answering Tips – Putting Your Best Smile Forward!

“Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.” 
~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

 

 

 

Five Rules to Manage Your Reputation on Twitter

And Grow a Quality Following

Even on Twitter You are Judged by the Company You Keep! Today as I was checking in on Twitter, I noticed something that had not struck me so blatantly before and that is that nearly every person who send tme a DM (direct message) included a link to get “thousands of followers on Twitter” (suggesting effortlessly).

Normally I don’t click on those links because I have become somewhat of a Twitter following puritan.  Not 100% but for the most part.  As you will soon see.

My goal in building a Twitter following is two-fold. To become a recognized social media expert and to meet great people around the globe.  If that translates into income, all the better.

Having said that, I have worked diligently to grow my Twitter following almost totally organically.  Of course, when I first got ACTIVE on Twitter that was not the case, as many Tweeple will tell you. 

In the beginning I followed every person my friends followed without really looking at who they are or if they would even be the right audience for my message. Doing this helped my followers grow from 300 to 2,500 followers in about 3 months time.  BTW, the original 300 took 6 month and no effort. I only went to Twitter about 1 or 2 times a week and posted 3-4 comments. That’s it.

In January I decided to either make it or leave it on Twitter and started making a focused effort to interact with folks and build a following.  Hey, all my friends were doing it and having lots of fun and even a few success. So why not?

During January and early February my only goal was to grow my following. I didn’t pay any attention to the “quality” or relevance of those that followed me.

Today that is not the case.  It took me a while to figure out that it was more important to have a following of people that meant something, that I could connect with and also learn from.  And these days with so many bots and spammers infiltrating Twitter, that is even MORE IMPORTANT.

And then there’s the CREDIBILITY FACTOR. If you’ve spent any time at all on Twitter you know that it takes time and effort to build a real following.

Of course, you could go to Tweep Me and pay $12.95 for 5,000 instant followers (or Brute Force Twitter or Twitter Smackdown) but will they add value to your network? Would you have to sift throught them to get rid of those unsavory followers you would not like your own circle to see you associating with?  If so, why would you allow them to take up space in your following and timeline in the first place?

Believe me, people who follow you and want to grow their own following are also looking at your following (and followers) for great people to follow. It’s called reputation by association.

So just how do you find the type of followers that would add value and meaning to your Twitter experience? I just shared one idea with you; look at those people in your followers network. Read their bios and posts and if they are people you’d like to get to know, follow them.

Here are my five “RULES” to grow a quality Twitter following:

1. Look at the people you intentionally followed (not necessarily those you auto-followed because they follow you).  Look at who THEY are following.  From their following, find those you’d like to connect with a follow them.  If and when they return the favor by following you back, send a personal message instead of one of those autoresponders. (Note: when you get to a point where you are getting more followers than you can keep up with personally welcoming, come up with a thought-provoking welcome message to auto send.  And then each time you visit your Twitter page, look at your new followers and pick a few to send a personal message to. Or check their timeline and find an interesting post to retweet. This will get his/her attention and your chances of a starting a conversation increase considerably.

2.Pay attention to RETWEETS.  There are golden nuggets in the retweets your followers are sharing.  you can find great people to connect with by reading these. And chances are they will feel the same way.  You could retweet the retweet which can lead to that person thanking you and following you back or you can simply follow her/him.

3. One of my favorite days of the week on Twitter is Follow Friday (on Follow Friday the people on twiter recommend people to their people to follow.  And if you want to expand your reach beyond your followers include the hashtag: #FollowFriday.  This is the day Twitterville set aside to recommend great people to follow.  And it is a goldmine of opportunity.  However, I think lately people have gotten lazy. Instead of telling us why we should follow someone, people are simply suggesting lots of people to follow with no reason behind the recommendation. Follow Friday is simply recommending people to follow to your followers. Here’s an example of how I participate: 

@BruceTurkel is a Branding expert, speaker, art director, author, harmonica zealot and all around great guy to follow #followfriday

@NancyMarmolejo is a High achieving, soul driven social media devotee to follow #followfriday AND she’s FUN!

@PennyHaynes has a cool new tool for info products – check it out at http://tinyurl.com/rsszine – and #followfriday Penny too!

When you use the hastag “followFriday, it ends up on the top ten trending topics timeline and everyone on Twitter can see it. Another great way to expand your reach beyond your own followers and their following. 

4. Speaking of Top Ten Trending Topics, use the search bar on the right hand side of your navigation – homepage for great people to connect with.  When you see a trending topic such as followfriday, click on it and see who’s saying what.  If they sound like someone you want to connect with, visit his/her page read a few more posts and Follow Away!

5. Post S.M.A.R.T. TWEETS.  What are S.M.A.R.T. TWEETS?  S – strategic (think about what the tweet means to your overall Twitter mission), M – meaningful (will what you have to say matter to anyone but you?), A – authentic, R – recommendable (retweetable) and T – timely (latest news, newsworthyness, up to date).  I do my best to include at least one of the S.M.A.R.T. elements in every post. Of course, the best post will have all 5!

My criteria boils down to this: If I don’t have something in common with my followers or would not want to connect with him/her in a social or networking setting, then why do I want him or her to follow me and vice-versa?  And would this person be someone I’d ever bring home to meet the family?

For more information on tweeting smart, Read my article: How and Why to TWEET S.M.A.R.T.

 

ADFED ~ Dinner and a Show

 

My Week on Twitter

This week was an especially great week on Twitter because we celebrated Memorial Day (in the U.S.). It was great to read all the wonderful quotes and stories others shared. I found some great people to follow when searching for Memorial Day posts. And also had the good fortune to be followed by more than 200 people this week.  Making my grand total of followers as of this post 4,073! Whoohoo!

I did not post on May 25th as we were on the road heading back from visiting relatives in Daytona Beach.

What I discovered was the number of posts I average in a day.  Last week the average was 53.  I think it may be less in prior weeks. 

After reading this list and seeing just how much I post, I realized that I need to get a life.  Keep in mind many of these posts occur in the middle of the night (especially when I can’t sleep).

Here’s what a typical week on Twitter looks like to me (and my followers):

Every day I posted Interviews with Women in Business and Women on the Move from the WE Magazine for Women blog.

I also Posted a number of quotes, retweeted more than 20 people, thanked dozens of people for the retweets and listed several people to follow during #followfriday. 

In addition, each week I participate in Twitter Tuesday for the Boomer Diva Nation and help other Divas in the group promote their blog posts, articles, websites, events and more.

Each morning I read the dozen or so ezines that come through my email (skim them really) for interesting articles that might also interest my Twitter followers. I copy and paste the titles and URL’s into a post, save in a Twitter file in Outlook and when I have time, post to my Twitter timelines.  I also read at least 8 magazines a week and if I find an interesting article I cut it out, and search online for the article so I can mention it and link to it for my followers to read.  It’s a good thing I read more than 400 words a minute or no way could I even post half this stuff. So here are most of the resources I shared on Twitter from May 23rd to today (in reverse chronological order).
 

May 29th (Today)

Mobile marketing best practices guide by Mobile Marketing Association http://www.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=15759&p=17 

Special Delivery Diapers.com’s innovative Web strategies turn customer acquisition and retention into an art form http://www.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=15759&p=14 

The Myth of the Rational Buyer: How Too Much Thinking Can Hurt Your Brand  http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/mark-dziersk/design-finds-you/myth-rational-buyer-how-too-much-thinking-can-hurt-your-brand?partner=homepage_newsletter 

Twitter: The Real-Time Answer Engine http://www.twitip.com/twitter-the-real-time-answer-engine/ 

Answer A Reader Question: Twitter For Fundraising?  http://www.twitip.com/answer-a-reader-question-twitter-for-fundraising/

5 tips for objective media planning http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/23245.asp

Case study: A Facebook campaign that connected http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/23240.asp  

Backlash: Women Bullying Women at Work http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/business/10women.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&8dpc

42 Million U.S. Women Use Social Media: Blogs Most Influential http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/05/42-million-women-use-social-media-blogs.html
Pioneering Women Who Are Breaking Through the Digital Ceiling Part 3 http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/allyson-kapin/radical-tech/pioneering-women-who-are-breaking-through-digital-ceiling-part-3 

How to account for the entire consumer life cycle in your planning process http://www.imediaconnection

The Myth Of The Myths Of Social Media Marketing http://bit.ly/AEXwH

Improve Online Customer Acquisition via Lead Verification, Enhancement and Scoring June 9 2PM EST http://tinyurl.com/mufhze
 
How to maximize a brand’s social relevance http://www.imediaconnection.com/ads/ms-i-09.html?ref=/content/23062.asp
 
Twitter gets main stage at D conference http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/23238.asp

May 28th

Know any women under 35 who are tops in their field? Interviews avail for WE Mag. http://bit.ly/A4FQ4

10 Golden Rules of Social Media  http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/05/26/10-golden-rules-of-social-media/

5 Factors to Consider When Selecting Enterprise Social Tools http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/05/28/5-factors-to-consider-when-selecting-enterprise-social-tools/

Babylon 8: On-the-Fly Translation of Words and Web Pages http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/05/27/babylon-8-on-the-fly-translation-of-words-and-web-pages/

Watch Your Website Users with Clixpy http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/05/27/watch-your-web-site-users-with-clixpy/

Topsy: a search-engine whose results come from highly trafficked Twitter links  http://www.boingboing.net/2009/05/27/topsy-a-search-engin.html

Why Are the Most Creative People in Business Skipping Out on Web 2.0? http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/dan-macsai/popwise/100-mcp-why-they-do-and-dont-share-themselves-internet?partner=homepage_newsletter

Reading: The Most Influential Women in Tech: http://www.fastcompany.com/women-in-tech/2009?partner=homepage_newsletter

Reading: There are refreshingly inexpensive ways to refresh a web site http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=30570

The Effectiveness of Live Chat Technology (study of Internet shoppers) http://www.boldchat.com/ir

McDonald’s Senior executive reflects on lessons learned over 33 years http://www.thefranchisemagazine.net/franchise/mcdonalds-restaurants/franchising-mcdonalds-way/4339

Improve Online Customer Acquisition via Lead Verification, Enhancement and Scoring June 9 2PM EST https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=137202&sessionid=1&key=385BA6CD81E6EC02775CCF9902416B29&partnerref=001&sourcepage=register

How to maximize a brand’s social relevance http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/23062.asp 

The Franchise Magazine  http://www.thefranchisemagazine.net/?return=9535-eb9408-vltkv

Reading Corner Office: Women Ascending by Grit, Smarts ~ http://bit.ly/A24mc

Subscribe to HispanicBusinessDigital http://hispanicbusinessdigital.epubxpress.com/?site=1

Check out ‘The Long Tail and Social Media’ http://online-social-networking.com/the-long-tail-and-social-media

Why advertisers should think like comedians http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/23053.asp 

How internet directory services failed http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/23055.asp

10 Tips for entrepreneurs and your business to beat the recession http://bit.ly/qXC7E  #business

How to Write a White Paper (FREE PDF) http://www.klariti.com/white-papers/How%20to%20write%20a%20White%20Paper.pdf  

May 27th 

New York Times ~ Tweeting Your Way to a Job http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/fashion/21whiz.html?_r=1

Grab a free 10-part eCourse on “How to Leave the Office Earlier” when U take the LEAVE THE OFFICE EARLIER pledge http://www.TheProductivityPro.com/leave.html by June 2.

Even More Laughs! Humor In Retail Email, Once Again http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=106710

How To Succeed In Business If You’re Boring http://www.brazencareerist.com/2009/05/24/how-to-succeed-in-business-if-you-re-boring-and-not-quirky-weird-nor-cool

9 tips for dealing with social media enemies http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/23205.asp

Twitter’s growth and longevity pinned on many unknowns http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/23219.asp 

Twitter gets its shot on primetime http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/23218.asp

Creativing ~ Social Media. Let the inquisition continue http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/BlogDetail.aspx?BlogID=636

Forget Electric Cars: The Hydrogen Road Rally Starts Today http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainability/forget-electric-cars-hydrogen-road-rally-coming?partner=homepage_newsletter

How Big Business Weathers the Economic Storm  http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/136/through-the-fire.html?partner=homepage_newsletter                                                                           

Why the Apple Tablet Rumors Still Won’t Go Away http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/why-those-apple-tablet-rumors-still-wont-go-away?partner=homepage_newsletter

May 26

Top 5 Ideas to Rev Up Your Sales for the Next Quarter http://bit.ly/ktODy

Share and Share Alike – 4 Fantastic Reasons to Leverage Social Bookmarking ~ http://tinyurl.com/ps3wtr
 
4 ways to Increase Your Twitter Popularity With People That Count http://bit.ly/xj0OI

Women’s Leadership Exchange Ft. Lauderdale Conference at the Sunrise IKEA Tuesday, June 16th $10 off at www.womensleadershipexchange.com

Converting Web Pages Into Subscriber Magnets http://tinyurl.com/qx5yu6

The New Way To Learn About Wine: Twitter http://bit.ly/dgUGT

Top 16 Social Plugins For Wordpress http://bit.ly/uh7js

AUTHORS & SPEAKERS MAKING MAJOR $$$$ listen 2 REAL STORY TELESEMINAR FREE Http://www.anniejenningspr.com/publicitypro.htm

The lights go back on at CircuitCity.com ~ new owner Systemax has relaunched site: http://bit.ly/F7lvp

Watch this video: Overcoming the buyer/seller divide http://www.imediaconnection.com/summits/23193.asp

Google wins search, so Yahoo goes social http://bit.ly/15tuaH   

Reading, Social media: Whose job is it anyway? http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/23165.asp

Flower Mound: Pastor asks congregation to connect with Twitter ~ http://neighborsgo.com/stories/36756

“One has to abandon altogether the search for security and reach out to the risk of living with both arms. Morris West #Quotes

Reading Article Marketing 101: The Perfect Author Resource Box ~ http://tinyurl.com/2ascf6

Save cash by going green One business’s story ~ http://tinyurl.com/r3v5yy

Interesting read: Why small businesses fail http://tinyurl.com/qa6oek

Credit card reform leaves small biz out ~ http://tinyurl.com/p8lysh

Reading: Financial literacy through video games ~ http://tinyurl.com/ogclk7   

Branding on YouTube ~ http://bit.ly/9nkyk

SAVE THE DATE Set 16 ~ Digital Marketing World Fall 2009 : Free Virtual Conference http://tinyurl.com/qyhm5t

Learn How to Leverage Social Media for Your Business with this Social Media Marketing Kit ~ http://tinyurl.com/qet2l8

My So-Called Marketing Life: How Do I Extend the Reach of My Brand? http://tinyurl.com/ot4n4g

HOLISTIC WEB MARKETING: Seeing the Forest through the Trees http://bit.ly/GYdRd

May 24th

The 12 Essential Social Media Stories This Week ~ http://bit.ly/VSxcw

“The secret of Happiness is Freedom, and the secret of Freedom, Courage.” ~ Thucydides #Quotes

We must be prepared to make heroic sacrifices for the cause of peace that we make ungrudgingly for the cause of war… Albert Einstein

4 things support the world: the learning of the wise the justice of the great the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave”

“The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.” Benjamin Disraeli

Be sure to stop and say a little prayer in honor of those who gave their lives so we might enjoy ours this Memorial Day  

If you are celebrating a Happy Memorial Day this weekend with family & friends thank a Veteran! www.tweettoremind.com #tweettoremind

Who is your Hero? Mine R the men & women who every day put their lives on the line 4 PEACE & FREEDOM #tweettoremind www.tweettoremind.com   

Interactive map tool creates online memorial 2 U.S. coalition troops ~ http://tinyurl.com/qtc2r4 thank U to all who have sacrificed 4 US

May 23rd

Read Finding the Right Wave to Ride (Secular Trends)
http://tinyurl.com/olqenc

Reading Linked Data is Blooming: Why You Should Care http://bit.ly/301r2

Web 3.0 or Not, There’s Something Different About 2009 http://bit.ly/UfG46

WECAI Domains ~ need a domain name, email or hosting ~ check out www.WECAIDomains.com

2 Faves Business Week – http://www.businessweek.com… & Inc. Magazine

Daily Resource for Entrepreneurs http://www.inc.com/

Ten Common Selling Mistakes in Business http://tinyurl.com/p5tzm

Do you know if you are charging the right price? http://tinyurl.com/qvuee

Everything I Needed to Know about Customer Service I learned in a Tokyo Convenience Store http://tinyurl.com/oojfjj

Number-one way people grow their business is with a follow up system. What’s your follow up system? I use www.SendOutCards.com/heidi  

Check out interviews at WE Magazine for Women ~ Business & Lifestyle Magazine for Women on the Go www.WEMagazineforWomen.com12:48 AM May 23rd from web    

Subscribe to Keith Ferrazi’ free Newsletter (Author, Never Eat Alone) at www.ferrazzigreenlight.com #SmallBizWeek

Learning, and Profiting, from Online Friendships (Twitter, LinkedIn, etc) VIDEO http://tinyurl.com/rbwqss12:29 AM May 23rd from web    

Why You’ll Give Your Money to Strangers, and Date Someone You’ve Never Met http://tinyurl.com/q658cv

Newspapers Tweeting Like Crazy But What Are the Rules? http://bit.ly/1aeigN

Join Business and Professional Women’s Foundation as they honor women veterans this Memorial Day www.bpwfoundation.org

This is an excellent exercise to see just how much you post, how much content you post is relevant and how much you interact with your followers. I believe that the reason so many people follow me is the high content I submit.  BTW, if you are interested in finding new resources and like mega content, and you don’t mind getting lots of tweets from one person, follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/heidirichards. Of course, if you have a life, and don’t have time to follow me, I totally understand.  I am not sure I could follow me either!

Happy Tweetin’