Pushing Through

Bob Danzig

2009-04-01T14:29:00.001-06:00

I hadn't heard of Bob Danzig before I read this blog post from Bill Harris but I'm definitely going to read up on Bob now!

Enjoy: http://www.centerpointe.com/blog/2009/02/22/you-are-worthwhileyou-are-filled-with-promise-a-few-moments-with-bob-danzig/

The Art of Persuasion

2009-03-10T13:05:00.003-06:00

Another interesting piece from the Makepeace Total Package people. Today Michael Masterson delves into an example of persuasion in advertising. It's a definite art copywriters must master but most of us stumble because we are focused on our own needs - versus addressing what our readers will gain.

One of the big questions I keep in mind when writing is the "What's in it for me?" - everyone is asking this as they're reading sales promotions. Some of us do it consciously while other do it unconsciously. Either way that question is prominent.

For more read Michael Masterson's piece here: http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/michael-masterson/the-case-of-the-disappearing-copywriter.html

Enjoy!

Why I am a Writer...

2009-02-05T18:09:00.002-07:00

So today I left work early because I needed some mental health time. I played a little but still didn't feel completely comforted so I'm here to write. Writing makes the world go away...it makes everything simplified, clear and coherent in my mind. There is no question it is simply part of my being.

So why don't I do it more?? I could argue that I write several times a week - which I do - but even that isn't enough. I must do it daily...for hours every day. It must become one of my main sources of income.

There are days like today when writing feels like a compulsion, it's a pulsating drive flowing through the veins of my arms and into my fingers out through my fingertips. It's as necessary as blood is to my body's survival. Writing is necessary to my mental, spiritual and emotional survival. Yet there are times I stymie it or I question it...clearly I do so unnecessarily. Or I do so because of some inner belief that maybe I'm not that good or it's really not a gift of mine.

Whatever the reason I do stop myself from writing. Perhaps because my words come from such a sacred space I am hesitant to share that with the world for fear of rejection...or even better, fear of joyous celebration.

What would that be like? To joyously celebrate me and my gift? How many of us have ever been joyously celebrated and acknowledged? Few.

But I will say this much: it must come from within. Before anyone else can fully embrace and enrapture me I must do that for me. And I am...slowly, slowly progressing on that end. I'm doing more projects for my copywriting coaching program for example. This week I am writing articles that will be given to one of the coach's clients. :) It makes me feel incredibly happy to do so!

So for that I am grateful. There is progression in my copywriting career.

This week I have struggled with being grateful for where I am - my "mind" has wanted to focus on where it thinks I should be. And naturally I have felt quite frustrated most of the week because where my mind says I "should be" is not where I am...but when has it ever been and when will it ever be?

My "mind" is attempting to trick me and keep me in my current situation. It won't work! I am stronger than that and so I grow out of my comfort zone and into a new one. :)

So as I write this I settle back into gratitude and thankfulness (is that even a word?!).

I am happy to have a lovely home, co-workers and bosses who appreciate me, clients who appreciate my work and a path I am traveling on (and enjoying the travel!). All in all things are good and well on their way to great. I embrace both the highs and the lows because it is all necessary - even my frustration is necessary and purposeful. Writing for me is both a blessing and a curse..as all things are. I choose to acknowledge the curse and keep a welcome focus on the blessing.

Timothy Ferriss on Overcoming Fears

2009-01-26T11:11:00.001-07:00

I've written about Timothy Ferriss in the past - love his book, love his simple and practical methods, etc. Here's a video of his that I really enjoyed and thought I'd share. Hope it inspires you!

An inspirational video

2009-01-13T10:42:00.002-07:00

Here's Matt Furey, an incredible man, speaking about one of his greatest triumphs. Enjoy.

2009

2008-12-09T12:04:00.002-07:00

So the other day I was reading a book called Power of Purpose and it helped motivate me to begin plans for next year.

I came to two important decisions: I'm replacing my PT job with income from teaching classes and one on one coaching/marketing assistance. My deadline to do so is by June of 2009.

Now I don't have a clue how I'll make this happen but it's what I want to do so I'm setting the intention. I will teach people about direct marketing, copywriting and how they can improve their businesses with these tools. Ideally the teaching will be in a non-traditional setting and will generate more than my PT income does now.

Beyond those specifics I am open to however these classes come about and how I work within them.

My second decision is simply to spend at least half of the month of May in Ireland - the month of my birthday. It's time to really celebrate being me and doing something I have dreamt of for years! And in recent years I've taken a spiritual/personal journey in honor of my birth. Combining a long-time dream with a personal celebration seemed perfect to me. :)

Those are my 2 intentions for 2009...at least for now. I'm sure I'll come up with more. What are your 2009 creations going to be? I'd love to hear them!

Making up for lost time

2008-12-09T12:00:00.003-07:00

I've been pretty lax with the updates on this page. So to make it up for it I'm posting some interesting copy links. Check 'em out below.

Zig Zigler on copywriting: http://blog.onecoach.com/2008/12/09/how-to-sell-in-print-the-secret-of-writing-killer-copy/

Joe Vitale on publicity for your business: http://blog.onecoach.com/2008/12/08/how-to-get-publicity-for-your-business/

And one of my favorites: http://blog.onecoach.com/2008/04/21/why-change-is-so-difficult-and-seven-ways-to-make-it-easier/

Enjoy!

Self Promo Package

2008-09-01T17:56:00.004-06:00

So I have decided I have been setting my sights too close to home in terms of clients.

I've also been barking up a small fruit-bearing tree. I love my local clients and love to help them grow their businesses but few of them have the money to afford me in an on-going arrangement.

With those experiences in mind, I decided to branch out. I'm going after bigger clients and have been creating a self promotional package. Woo wee!!!

One of the greatest lessons I've learned in life is that if we're going to do anything noteworthy in life we have to tackle things that intimidate us. And this package sure does intimidate me. My ego has a nasty habit of cropping up at times like this and nagging me about my (perceived) lack of experience and my own internal doubts about whether or not I can really write.

Both of those nags are complete crap (pardon my bluntness but that's the best word: crap). I write for one of the most well-known alternative health doctors on the web! And his staff loves me and tells me so regularly.

Being in marketing it's easy to lose sight of the fact that I study this stuff almost daily (ok sometimes I like to take a break on the weekends - it's necessary) and by doing so, I know more about marketing than 85% of the population.

I lose sight of this fact because my ego likes to compare me to the greats - Clayton Makepeace, Drayton Bird, Gary Bencivenga, John Carlton and one of my all-time favorites, Carline Anglade-Cole. My ego likes to tell me I know about 1/1,000,000,000th of the info these people know.

And while that may be true (ok it's probably more like 1/1,000,000th) what is also true is that they gained their knowledge by being in the playing field. They learned by DOING - not by just studying, reading and talking.

As my favorite man in the Universe would say (James Arthur Ray): you've got to get in the water.

And he's right. It's time to get in the water. With my self-promo package it's time to get into some deeper waters. I'm aiming for deeper waters where I have no idea how to swim and I have every belief that I will learn how to jump into, how to navigate and how to gracefully swim those waters. :)

Then it will be onto the next, even deeper waters. Here's to enjoying the journey!

What's Your Reality?

2008-08-13T11:33:00.003-06:00

This is an interesting and completely accurate discussion regarding reality - how we shape it, how we change it and how we create it. Hopefully it will provide you with some additional insights:

http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/daniel-levis/find-your-flow-state-for-more-effective-creativity.html#comment-6074

The Underdog

2008-08-11T14:28:00.001-06:00

I'm always a fan of Underdog-type stories - who isn't? - so I especially enjoyed Jason's quest.

You can read more about it here: http://www.jasonmoffatt.com/internet-marketing/friends-help-me-topple-the-gurus.html

Blessings,

Lara

Last Lecture Professor Dies

2008-07-25T10:26:00.003-06:00

At times I post news on this site that doesn't seem directly or overtly "copywriting" in nature. Today is a day like that. But as I have expressed in the past, always remember that any sort of communication that evokes a response has a copywriting lesson in it. The nature of copy is such that it is a form of communication designed to evoke a response. So here's your lesson for today:

Randy Pausch, known by many as the "Last Lecture" professor, died in his home today after a long-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. Pausch became famous for a lecture he gave called the "Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams". The video is below.

Sharing Without Saying a Word

2008-07-11T08:45:00.002-06:00

The greatest expressions don't come through words but through actions. This story and video is a heart-warming example of the power of actions by just one man.

Here is your Friday story,

Be sure to watch the video at the end of this story.

Free Hugs

"Do you want a hug?" The young man asked Ginny. He held a sign in his hand, "Free Hugs." I looked around. There were other people with him. They held their hand-made signs high. The message was the same on all of them - "Free Hugs!"

"Do you want a free hug?" The young man asked Ginny again.

"Sure!" Ginny smiled and walked up to him. She reached up, wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him down to her level, and hugged him with all the love she had in her heart.

They parted. "WOW!" He exclaimed. "That was the best hug I've had all day!"

"I'm a hugger." Ginny smiled at him.

He looked at me. "How about a hug?"

"You got it!" I walked into his open arms. We held briefly and parted.

A young lady walked up and hugged Ginny. She turned to me, opened her arms, and hugged me too.

Ginny and I stepped back and watched the "Free Huggers" work their magic with those who accepted them. They offered hugs to anyone and everyone.

#############

Juan Mann (One Man) returned to Sydney, Australia in 2004, after living in Europe for several years. He was depressed over his parent's divorce. Most of his friends had moved on. It was just him. He sat for months. Alone and depressed, Juan Mann decided to make a difference and reach out. He made a sign that read, "Free Hugs" and stood at the Pitt Street Mall - one of the busiest streets in the center of Sydney. He put his arms around anyone who accepted his offer.

At first, he left his wallet at home, had a friend watch over him, and expected to be ridiculed. After fifteen minutes, a woman approached him. "My dog died today." She said. "It's also the first anniversary of my only daughter's death. I could use a hug."

Juan was quoted as saying, "That first woman, it was more than a hug; it meant something to her."

People joined Mann. They opened their arms to others. His message spread across the city. Afraid of lawsuits, officials banned "Free Hugs". The people revolted. More than 10,000 people signed a petition to allow him to continue his mission.

Shimon Moore, the lead singer of "The Sick Puppies" happened to see Juan. They hugged and became friends. Moore borrowed a video camera and filmed Juan giving hugs. When Mann's grandmother died, Moore put the video together with his band's song called, "All The Same" and posted the video on "YouTube" with the following caption:

"Sometimes, a hug is all we need. Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, a man whose sole purpose mission was to reach out and hug a stranger, to brighten up their lives."

The video was a hit. It spread around the world. Juan has appeared on Oprah and several other major television shows. His idea continues to gain support and grow.

After his first day on Pitt Street, Juan wondered if others were doing the same. He found Amma - The Hugging Saint of India, Jason Hunter in Atlanta, Georgia, and Jayson Littman in New York.

Jayson started his hugging campaign the same year as Juan. They both felt a need to reach out to humanity. A financial analyst in Manhattan, Jayson believed New Yorkers could use a hug. From 2004 through to 2006, he spent one weekend afternoon a month holding his "Free Hugs" sign in his hands and opened his arms to anyone who needed human comfort.

Since then, Jayson's mission has been taken over by others who believe - hugs for all. On the last Saturday afternoon of the month, you'll find them gathered in Union Square in Lower Manhattan. They hold their signs high and offer their open arms to all who need a human touch.

#############

The huggers worked the crowd. Most people ignored them or shook their heads to indicate they were not interested. Those who opened their arms in return, walked away with a smile on their face.

I felt a warmth - a glow - fill my heart. Ginny and I were going through rough times. Money was scarce, bill collectors called on a regular basis. We were stressed and worried, but on that afternoon, for a brief moment, it was all forgotten. It took a simple hug to make everything better.

Michael T. Smith

See Juan Mann and the song about him here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O6vZTvQl4o

Ginny and I plan to join them this month. We want to hug those who don't know the power a hug can have.

Michael lives in Fort Lee New Jersey with his wonderful wife Ginny. He works as a project manager in the telecommunications industry during the day. In his spare time, Michael writes stories for a collection to be called, "From My Heart to Yours." To read more of Michael's stories, go to http://ourecho.com/biography-353-Michael-Timothy-Smith.shtml#stories To send Michael a note, email msmith4@nj.rr.com

Click here for our printable version

Sent to you as a courtesy of:

Bob Proctor
Be Coached by Bob Proctor
"If you can tell me what you want,
I''ll show you how to get it."
http://www.bobproctorcoaching.com

Zap! Boom! Pow! Use Will Smith's "Magic Formula" to Ramp Up the Selling Power of Your Copy

2008-07-10T13:37:00.003-06:00

Since it has been an eternity since I have posted on this site (must improve posting efforts!), here is a great AWAI article for you to enjoy:

By Guillermo Rubio, AWAI Staff Copywriter

Will Smith has made Hollywood history.

And his personal "magic formula" can accelerate your growth … and income … as a copywriter.

His most recent film, Hancock, has raked in $107.3 million since its release last week. This makes him the first actor to star in eight straight movies that brought in over $100 million.

Simply put, Will Smith is the industry's most "bankable" man.

How does he do it?

A recent USA Today article reveals his secret …

"I study patterns," he says. "Nine out of the top 10 biggest movies of all times have special effects; eight out of 10 have creatures in them; seven out of 10 have a love story. So if you want a hit, you might want to throw those in the mix. I just study patterns and try to stand where lightning strikes."

As a copywriter, you can use Will's "magic formula" of studying patterns. In fact, if you plan on becoming an "A"-level copywriter with the earning power to live out the life of your dreams, this might be the easiest and quickest way to get there.

Here's why:

Your biggest challenge as a copywriter is to attract and keep your prospect's attention. The better job you do of this, the higher your response rate—and the more money you and your clients make.

One way to learn how to keep your prospect engaged all the way to the order device is to study control promos that are, or have been, blockbuster hits.

But you can take it one step further by actually studying the patterns in movies like Will Smith does.

Legendary copywriter Gene Schwartz regarded watching successful movies as the best way to train a copywriter in writing persuasive, engaging copy. His reasoning was that popular movies do a masterful job of keeping an audience captivated, all the way through the credits.

In fact, Gene used to tell copywriters to watch the blockbuster film, Lethal Weapon. It keeps the audience riveted right from the start with an explosion, and every few minutes there's a new action scene.

But Gene isn't the only one who knows the value of watching a hit film.

Gary Bencivenga, considered the world's greatest living copywriter, suggests it too.

Gary says, "Watch movies, because movies are the playgrounds of human emotion. As a marketer, you want to be an expert in human emotions. As you watch, try to identify every emotion the actors are playing, and let yourself feel it intensely. It's fun and instructive.

"You'll also open up your emotional channels as never before. This will help you immensely in writing more emotionally powerful copy, because you will feel what you are writing about."

Without question, movie watching can put you on the path to crafting control-crushing copy that can earn you industry-wide respect.

So what patterns do you look for?

Structure. Part of what Gene Schwartz loved about the movie Lethal Weapon is that it has an identifiable pattern in its structure. Action scene … dialogue … action scene … dialogue, etc. This pattern creates what he called a "rhythm." When you watch a movie, notice how often an action scene comes up … how often dialogue between action scenes occurs … at what points new plot elements are introduced. You can use this same pattern, or "rhythm," in your copy.

For instance, begin with an attention-getting headline (action scene) … a compelling lead (dialogue scene) … followed by a new, and attention-grabbing piece of information (action scene), etc.

Emotions. Just as Gary Bencivenga suggests, analyze and feel the emotions in a movie. Understand how you're being set up to feel them. Did the movie give you a peek into the main character's troubled past? Was a word said in a certain way? Was it the music? Facial expressions? How many times throughout the movie are your emotions jerked?

Also, notice patterns across different hit films. Maybe 8 out of 10 focus on suspense and anxiety. And maybe only 6 out of 10 focus on happiness and hope. Knowing these patterns will clue you in to what emotions "sell" best.

Plot. What is it about the plot or story that's engaging? Do 9 out of 10 movies follow a similar plot structure? At what point does the plot climax? The answers to these questions can help you keep your copy fresh and engaging. For instance, many hit movies might seem predictable at first, and then go in a completely different direction than expected, to grab your attention.

Hit movies offer a great copywriting education. Watching them is the quickest, easiest, fun way to learn how to gain and keep your prospect's attention all the way to the sale. Plus, you'll gain a deeper understanding of human emotion.

Next time you watch one, don't just watch it. Study it. Who knows, it might lead to a string of million-dollar controls—making you the most "bankable" copywriter in the industry.

This article appears courtesy of The Golden Thread, an e-letter from AWAI that delivers original, no-nonsense advice on how to build your freelance copywriting business. For a free subscription, visit http://www.awaionline.com/thegoldenthread

Interesting Post

2008-05-06T15:50:00.002-06:00

I belong to Copywriters Board forums and this is an interesting blog post by one of my fellow forum members. She discusses the different types of writers out there including definitions for copywriters.

Check it out here.

My class

2008-04-29T11:28:00.003-06:00

Remember the class I'm teaching this summer? Well here's a link to sign up:

http://www.longmontfreeu.org/lfu/preview/class_template2.cfm?classid=3935

The copy got chopped a bit on their web site but I'm creating posters on
my own and I'm going to put them up in libraries, coffee shops, etc.

Fun stuff!

Harmonic Wealth

2008-04-28T14:19:00.006-06:00

Well I'm sure you've read my other posts about my Harmonic Wealth Weekend experiences with James Ray (check here and here if you haven't).

When you'd like a taste of it for yourself, pick up James Ray's new book "Harmonic Wealth".

James discusses his book in this short video. Enjoy! :)

I Rock

2008-04-14T10:28:00.003-06:00

It is a rare day when I pat myself on the back (mental note: give myself more praise, more often) but Friday was one of those days.

A few weeks ago while browsing the web site for Longmont Free University (a local community "college"...they offer classes to enrich the community but very few are for credit in the traditional college sense), I checked out their writing classes. They currently offer a few of the more creative type like how to write a villain & hero/heroine for your novel, etc.

What I didn't see was a course offering how to actually make some money as a writer. The proverbial light bulb went off in my head. :)

I decided there may be a few other people who enjoy writing and enjoy getting paid. I thought they would be interested in learning how to do just that: write and make some $$. Then I had the very bold idea that I should teach them. Well it seemed like a bold idea to me anyway. ;)

And then I took what felt like an even bigger, bolder step and put together my ideas and crafted some copy for the course.

Then I sat on it for a few days. Rewrote it, tweaked it and put together a rough course outline.

After some consultations with friends (including Mary and Rev. Keith...both of whom I ADORE), I submitted my idea to Longmont Free University.

A few hours later a very nice lady from their offices called me to discuss the class.

Naturally being me, I was worried she would have a trillion questions about my qualifications, my background and just what I expected to be teaching.

With some hesitation, I called her back and set up an appointment for the next day when we would go over the class details.

Friday morning we met and guess what? She loved the idea!

All she wanted to talk about where specific dates, prices, how I get paid, when the course is listed and what rooms I can teach in.

It was so easy! I was beside myself with giddiness after I left. Woo hoo for me! It will be so fun.

The real lesson I've already taught myself is to act on ideas as I get them, pounce on opportunities as they arise and go forward despite my ego-driven knee-quaking fear. ;) It really was a very cool experience and I'm excited to have a few more soon!

As soon as there is an online listing, I'll post it here.

What Do Gardeners and Potters Have in Common with Copywriters?

2008-04-10T09:44:00.004-06:00

Most artistic expressions have similar correlations that can be drawn between them (or so I believe).

For the last few weeks, I've been gardening: I'm growing sprouts for lavender, basil, oregano, tomatoes and peppers.

And this past Tuesday I began a pottery class.

I've uncovered lessons in both practices as I believe both gardening and pottery-making are true art forms...as is copywriting.

So what are the commonalities? How are these 3 things like the other? (I can't help it a song just popped in my head- the Sesame Street song "One of these things is not like the other"!). Are these 3 things alike or not?

They are in several ways including learning to be present, tapping into patience and accepting and believing that something new will be transformed from the current state we are working with.

Allow me to explain...

When gardening you must present so that you are conscious of where you are planting your seeds (not too close and not too far apart - which is another beautiful metaphor for relationships but I digress), when you are planting them and how they are planted.

When throwing your pot (I have yet to call myself a potter), you must be very present with the material you are working with.

I found that when I was centering my clay (the part where you make sure the clay is centered and attached properly to the wheel), I had to stop thinking about what I was doing...and just do it! The more I learned to let go of what I thought I should do, the easier it was to actually do it.

Cool huh?!

And as I formed the clay into my bowl, allowing the present moment and the movement of the clay with the gentle touch from my hands, the clay simply transformed itself. It became the pot.

There's a very significant lesson in that. All new things come to form and fruition with simple and gentle guidance. It's the difference between power and force. Some may say that's just semantics but it's not.

Power is found inside of us, it is innate, it is our direct line from the Divine. Power simply allows something to come forth into the world.

Force is what we make happen.

I see the difference between the two as being a difference of faith. When we have faith that all things happen in due time and in due course (with appropriate levels of action), then we have tapped into the force within us, the God potential inside of ourselves.

Power is what we do when there is a lack of belief. When we think we have to steer our own ships with no outside assistance.

Force requires patience, unyielding belief and faith.

To me force is the most beautiful of the two because of that extra unseen factor, that mystical quality that faith requires.

I've taken a bit of tangent to explain how gardening, potting and copywriting are all linked! But I think they are all similar in the respect that they require faith, patience, persistence, belief in an unseen force and a willingness to tap into that force and let a new development unfurl from its current state.

There's a transformation that takes place when you plant a sprout, when you take a piece of clay and you take some words. They all start as being in one state and eventually grow and become another state (the sprout becomes a seedling which becomes plant, the piece of clay becomes a bowl, a vase, etc and words become a power within someone compelling them to act in a certain way).

And that's the beauty of art: showing us how things change states and evolve...and the life that flows through each of those changes to create a new being in the world. Fascinating!

Where's Your Gunk Coming From?

2008-04-07T15:09:00.003-06:00

This is an interesting article by Michael Fortin. He discusses his path to copywriting (beginning as an insurance salesman and eventually hanging his own proverbial shingle as an independent freelancer and eventual business owner).

In the comments section someone asked Michael about his opinion on college education vs. real-world experience.

He makes interesting points for both sides and I've always been of the belief that college was an important part of a person's education but it is definitely not the last step...nor is an MBA or a PhD or any other advanced degree. Learning is a lifelong process.

To be a true student of your craft (whether that's copywriting or another craft), studying is a necessary part of your growth and development.

All great leaders in this world are great readers. What you fill your mind with through books, music, audio programs, movies, etc...all of those things contribute to your development (or lack thereof). It's definitely true in copywriting because it is an art. And art is an expression of your internal state or it comes from your internal state so it reflects whatever is going on inside of you. If you've got gunk in there, there'll be gunk in your copy.

I take this to heart in all areas of my life. I'm particular about what I read, what I watch on TV (the few hours I watch), what movies I see and even the people I spend time with. I've battled through enough gunk in my life which accumulated before I was old enough to fend it off. So I've decided to monitor the incoming gunk and keep it to a minimum!

What can you do to ward off the gunk? Turn off the heavy metal music and turn on a personal development audio CD instead? Maybe you can turn off the TV, skip the nightly news and read a book instead.

Try it for a week and see what happens. Notice if there's a difference in the way you feel and the way you express yourself.

It's had a substantial impact on my life and well-being, perhaps it will do the same for you.

18 Minutes to Change Your Life

2008-03-24T09:39:00.004-06:00

I like this video quite a bit so I thought I'd share. It's Jill Bolte Taylor's recollection of her stroke. She's not just any woman though - she is a neuroanatomist. It's fascinating to hear a scientist recount an experience with "nirvana".

It's interesting and thought-provoking. Here's a link to Marie Forleo's blog entry where I originally saw this video. Hopefully I've embedded the video properly but in case it doesn't, click the link.

James Ray from The Secret in Denver

2008-03-03T13:04:00.002-07:00

You've read my posts about the weekend I spent with James Ray last October (http://goodtogreatcopy.blogspot.com/2007/10/wow.html and http://goodtogreatcopy.blogspot.com/2007/10/breaking-board.html).

Now he's coming back to Denver to share his wisdom and teachings. I saw him last summer at this same event and he was great. :)

You can check it out here: http://jamesray.com/jet/jet.php?jid=stw03192008

Join me - I'll be there!

You've got to check this out...

2008-02-01T11:25:00.001-07:00

For the last several weeks Clayton Makepeace has given his Total Package readers some terrific info (all for free).

Each Monday he's been sending us articles on how to freelance copywriting is dead in the water and strategic marketing partnerships are the only way to go in today's economy.

Whether or not you agree with him he always has great advice & insight.

Here are links to two of his articles. DO read the comments sections on both as there are avalanches of information.

The most recent article:

http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/content/view/493/161/1/0/#comments

Where it all began:

http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/six-figures-is-chump-change.html

It's well worth the investment of your time. Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

2007-12-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

With the new year just around the corner most people are making resolutions. Personally I don't use the new year as a reason for a resolution; I prefer to make my resolutions throughout the entire year as I see fit.

Regardless I have decided 2008 is already a fantastic year. Instead of trying to explain that thought process to you, I found this writing by Bob Perk.

Below is a repost of the email sent today. Please keep his details if you share it.

All stories copyright 2007 Bob Perks
Today's message:
"The Echo"
by Bob Perks
You hear so much about memories at this time of year.

From Thanksgiving Day on we are bombarded with the idea
that we are not only making memories but somehow building
upon them.

It is the sites, sounds and smells of the holidays that trigger
vivid flashbacks for me. The turkey taking center stage, the
cranberries and sweet potatoes all make me think of mom.

The first Christmas bell, carol, or even laughter I hear, readies
my mind for a long journey home and the loving sounds only
family can provide.

But, oh how a whiff of chocolate, peanut butter cookies or pumpkin
pie can set my soul a dancin' down memory lane!

It's easy for me to venture back to things I hold close to my heart. It
takes very little to find myself remembering people, places and things
which somehow mixed in with the very essence of who I am today.

I swear if they checked my DNA, they'd come up with elements of
chocolate chip cookie mixed with genetic traits of dancing when the
spirit moved me and smiling when I hear my wife's voice.

Memories are as much a part of who I am as today's choices become a
part of all I will become.

But what about this new years eve thing?

Just below the sound of horns tooting and bubbly bubbling, lies the stark
reality of the passing of another year. Many struggle with all they wanted
to do and didn't. Some struggle with all they think they can never accomplish
and still others bask in the glow of success beyond measure.

For the first time in my 57 new year celebrations I have discovered the real truth
about time.

"The Echo."

If I take away all the fond, sweet feelings of the past and remove the element
of regret from things I wanted to do right or things I did wrong, I am left with
the facts.

Everything I do in 2008 will be reflected in how I see my life on new years eve
that year.

Thus, my theory of "The Echo."

If you stand in a canyon and shout, "Hello!" "Hello" comes back to you.

You can't yell, "How are you?" and get a reply, "Fine. Thanks for asking!"
2008 is like a canyon. You stand on the edge on new years eve and what
you put into it will come back to you. The more you put in, the more will come
back. If you love more, you will get more love back. If you fear more, fear will
come back.

So, this new years eve when you find yourself reflecting on 2007 remember, it has nothing at all to do with memories.

It's "The Echo."

What will you get back next year?
"I believe in you!"
Bob
I encourage you to share my stories but I do ask that you
keep my name and contact information with my work.
If you would like to receive Bob's Inspirational
stories, please visit http://www.IWishYouEnough.com
and submit your email address.

Bob sends frequent emails that I always find uplifting, relevant and inspiring. If you're interested in joining him, find his web site here.

Wanna blog?

2007-12-21T16:10:00.001-07:00

You all know I love to write which means I like to blog because it's an extension of writing for me. So when I saw this link, I jumped on it. It's from the good peeps at Simpleology and it's a fun way to profit from blogging.

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

The best blogging techniques.
How to get traffic to your blog.
How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

Where's that silver lining?

2007-12-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

I don't know where it is exactly but it's around here somewhere. Everybody tells me it is and my heart agrees so I know it's true.

Why am I looking for a silver lining? Because I didn't get the copywriter job in Boulder. The one I had my heart set on. The one my gut told me was right for me. The one that would have made good use of my creative abilities and paid me 10K more than I make now.

Yeah that one.

*sigh*

I got the news this afternoon and I was crestfallen. I fully understand the meaning of that word after the way I felt. I was so completely sure it was mine.

But it isn't.

So now I am waiting and looking for the my silver lining. It's there and I will see it soon. This I know.

I know it's true because when I set an intention or ask for a wish, I always add "this or something better" to the end of it. And the universe listens and responds in kind. I must simply trust.

It will grant me the "something better" soon and much sooner if I let go of my sadness and grief about the Webroot job.

So tomorrow is a new day, a new dawn and another day to be thankful for. And tonight before I fall asleep I will thank the universe for this blessing that at first blush doesn't appear to be much of a blessing and then I will ask for the "something better" to come my way.

I'll let you know when it does. ;)

All the best,

Lara

Can You See Without Your Eyes?

2007-11-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

This boy can. Check out the video here.

Breaking the Board

2007-10-23T15:08:00.001-06:00

So I promised you a recap about how I broke a wooden board with my bare hands. Well one hand to be specific!

I'm not sure I can adequately walk you through the details of it so I'll give you a brief overview. Basically we spent about an hour preparing for the actual act. We mentally prepared (James walked us through the act and we watched movie clips (Braveheart, The Edge).

James told us about other people who had succeeded - people like a 65+ year old woman with arthritic hands so crippled she couldn't open them. Or the quadriplegic who couldn't even lift his own arm.

They all broke their boards.

And they did it because they followed James' instructions exactly. He said that if we did exactly as he told us to do, anyone could do this. And he was right.

Now that we were mentally prepared,we began the emotional / spiritual preparation by writing down a limiting belief we currently hold on one side of the board.

And on the other side, we wrote a new and supportive belief we were going to replace the limiting belief with. My belief was around the financial and relational pillars of my life and I replaced it with a much more supportive and empowering one. ;)

And once we were ready with our boards, James called on a woman to come up on stage and break her board.

She worked at it so hard - too hard in fact, she rattled herself out her initial focus. She tried several times but couldn't do it. James helped her realign her mental and physical focus. She was a trooper! The entire 750+ crowd cheered her on. We were all standing, cheering and clapping - urging her to keep at it.

Finally she did!! She broke her board and the crowd went wild. I cheered for her as though I were in her shoes. It was the most exhilarating feeling!

And then we were on to do it ourselves. Every pump-up theme song you can imagine was blaring through the speakers throughout the conference room. People were jumping up and down with energy.

I watched others break their boards and mentally held fast to that picture. I didn't see anyone who struggled because those pictures weren't allowed to stay in my mind.

For several minutes, I held my board and touched it. I saw the limiting belief and lasered my focus to the other side. I was going to push through this belief and let it escape from my mind forever.

The time was approaching.

As people moved through the line and broke their boards, we all cheered, clapped and roared each time another belief was released! You could physically feel the energy change with each board break.

After waiting, cheering and excitedly channeling my anxiety, it was my turn. I did just as James said: I stormed over to my board holder, gave him my board and took my stance.

Next I narrowed my eyes to only see my limiting belief, then I looked through. In an instant, I had pushed my hand through the board and it splintered in half.

For a moment, I stood in awe. I had done it! I could barely believe it. In fact, I didn't believe it for at least 15 seconds. And then my friends behind me roared!!! I jumped up and pumped my fist in a celebration I had only before imagined possible.

I hugged my board holder and ran to the other side of the room where I found my friend Kimberley and we jumped up and down hugging each other, laughing, cheering and crying.

After a few minutes, we went back to our lines and cheered for everyone else
It truly was one of the most empowering moments of my life. It is something I will draw upon time after time.

And that was another lesson for us - the board break was a reference for us to hold in our subconscious for those future moments when we wonder if we can do something.

Yes I have doubts, anxiety and sometimes I waffle but now I have another experience to draw from. Truthfully if you had asked me earlier on Friday if I could ever break a wood board with my bare hand I would've said you were crazy. Now I know better!

I can do it and so can anyone else...all we have to do is follow in the footsteps of our predecessors and do what they did.

Wow

2007-10-20T21:45:00.000-06:00

That's one of the words I'd use to describe the past 2 days. Wow. Incredible. Amazing. Profound. Real. exciting. Exhilarating - however it's spelled. True, truth, awareness.

If you don't know, I've spent the last 2 days in Atlanta, GA attending James Arthur Ray's Harmonic Wealth Weekend.

The simple fact that I was even at this event is incredible. It cost me roughly one month's income/salary. That seemed unattainable to me earlier this year. I've been a fan of James since I saw him in The Secret. Within a few short months I promised myself I would invest in this weekend.

And I did. I made it happen. It seemed almost too big of an investment for me to make this happen.

I'm so thrilled I did. I'm even more excited to implement the things I learned.

What did I learn you might ask? Far too much for me to write here but I can give you a few of the points I took away from tonight. Tonight's discussion was about money. We played a game where we took out as much cash as we chose (based on how much we would invest in ourselves right then and there) and then we had to trade it with each other.

We literally had to give our money, our cash to other people and then the cash they gave us we had to give to another and so on. It was incredible.

You can imagine it created a lot of emotions in most people. I personally felt very uncomfortable giving away my cash. At no point did I enjoy that game. I knew it was a game, I knew it was a lesson and I knew it was something I needed to do and to learn.

So I did it.

After the game was over we discussed how we felt and after listening to others, I felt pretty guilty for getting upset that I gave away $31 and got $2 in return...especially when one person stood up and said he had given away over $300 back and hadn't gotten anywhere near that in return.

And then I realized I was beating myself up for that feeling and had to let it go.

It was very important to understand that exchange was a metaphor for life and our relationship with money coming into and through us to others. And money is just a thing, just energy, money is an idea.

It sounds simple but it's tough to grasp, at least it is for me.

In the act of realizing what money felt like for me and does feel, I see places that need work and that need paradigm shifts. They were there before but the game, my actions and my interpretations of the exercise brought them to the forefront.

And like AA tells us, the first step to recovery - I prefer healing and changing - is recognition.

So that's where my work begins.

That's just one SECTION of ONE day. Imagine what 2 full days were like???!!!! Incredible. You need to experience it yourself. And you can right here.

If you're in my area, you can check out James in February. He's coming back to our lovely home and he'll give you a free intro to his work. It's worth every minute of your time - and then some!

It's 12am, I've slept about 7 hours in 2 days and had 32 hours of immersion in those 2 days as well. Yes I know that doesn't add up to 48 hours but we had meals and other things in between sessions. :P

Stay tuned, tomorrow I'll tell you all about how I broke a SOLID board with one hand on my first try.

It's one heck of an accomplishment for my 5'1" tiny little self. :)

Another one...

2007-10-14T15:45:00.001-06:00

Ok it's my last survey of the day, I promise! But gosh-darn do I love these things. Here goes...

*100 Nosey Questions* by longtallsally28
The Basics
Name:	Lara...you'll have to ask to get the rest ;)
Age:	31
Month of birth:	May
Any Siblings?:	yep - 2 in my fam, 7 total (long story - weird family tree)
Parents still married?:	my dad & stepmom are yes
Occupation:	copywriter
Do you like your job?:	ah, I like the freelance work and the day gig is decent.
Any pets?:	My roommate's dog Heady
Hair color:	dirty blonde
Eye color:	blue
Shoe size:	6.5
Any Tattoos?:	not yet
Any Piercings?:	yep - 5 in my ears
Current mood:	intrigued
Current wardobe choice:	sweatpants, cute T and a sweatshirt with sneakers. It's cold out!!
What are you listening to?:	the crappy TV
Who did you last speak with on the phone?:	Sean
What do you currently smell like?:	Olive leaf soap & lotion - it's wonderful
Last....
Movie you watched:	Cold Creek Manor
Magazine you looked at:	Rolling Stone with super hot David Beckham...oh yeah his wife was in it too ;)
Thing you ate:	thing? i don't eat things, I eat food. I ate pizza.
Book you read:	Science of Success
T.v. show you watched:	America's Next Top Model (it has redeeming qualities!)
Time you cried:	yesterday when I thought about my great grandma
Took a shower:	3 hours ago during halftime of the Packers game
Got a real letter (a.k.a Snail Mail):	hmm...probably 2 months ago from my grandma
Ate at a restaurant (not fast food):	last night
CD you bought:	CDs? Who buys CDs and not iTunes? The last iTunes album I bought was Love Arcade
What is/was....
The best thing to happen to you today?:	visiting my friend's aunt and meeting her dog (who I am watching this week)
Your most prized possession:	my car? Don't know really - probably family photos
Your first vehicle:	ah, an old Cutlas something or other
Your current vehicle:	04 Jeep Liberty - he's only been with me for about 2 weeks! So exciting
Your favorite quote:	I have many but this is one: Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks." -- Phillips Brooks
You bedtime (on average):	11pm
Your best trait/characteristic:	just one? I am kind-hearted and loving.
Your worst trait/characteristic:	self-doubt
Do You....
Store things under your bed:	NO! Bad juju
Daydream:	yeppers
Have a computer at home:	of course
Live in the city, suburbs or country:	city! no 'burbs, blach
Live in a home, apartment, duples or mobile home:	trailer park...just kidding! apartment bldg with condos
Own a cell phone:	duh who doesn't?!
Have a good luck charm:	I think I am my own good luck charm.
Collect anything:	ex-boyfriends it seems ;)
Attend high school or college:	currently? no but I've completed & gradimakated both.
Make good grades:	Did I? Yes, I was a good student. A/B average
Have You Ever....
Had a surgery?:	nope
Had teeth pulled?:	yes - 2
Broke the law intentionally:	yes - everybody speeds
Ran away from home?:	no
Broke a bone?:	yep, my ankle
Cheated on a test/exam:	no actually i never did.
Had a friend pass away:	no, just other people my age I have known personally but no one who was a friend.
Been issued a citation/traffic ticket:	duh see broke the law above
Been in an auto accident:	yes, several but only one with my car. RIP Kala, I miss you.
Lied to someone:	yes sadly
Been lied to:	yes sadly
Your Favorite....
Place to be:	the mountains of Colorado, being held by someone and anywhere with friends or family
Place to visit:	Key West, Cozumel and any other locale I haven't been to yet. Spain, Ireland and Egypt are next!
Place to chill:	yoga studio, in my car, on a patio somewhere with a bucket of margs
Non-Alcoholic drink:	sweet tea, iced tea, Sun-drop, lemonade and good ole water
Alcoholic drink:	margs, microbrews, Rieslings, Gewurztraminers
Type of food:	ANY! Except meat, don't eat much of that.
Meal/Food dish:	see above question
Dessert:	ANY! well except coconut - blach, hate that
Shampoo & Conditioner:	pretty much anything formulated for curly-haired gals like me
Toothpaste:	Colgate 12 hour baby - it's the best
Salad dressing:	French, homemade Italian, balsamic vinagrette
Ice cream:	chocolate, rocky road, mint choc chip, most anything with chocolate
Fast food establishment:	Taco Bell, Sonic
Color:	blue, purple, emerald green, deep red and chocolate brown. I like rich hues.
Season:	fall followed closely by summer and then spring. Not much of a winter fan except for the Colorado powder. It's fabulous!
Holiday:	Halloween (I'm a heathen I know) and then Christmas
Perfume/Cologne:	none, my lotion smells good though
Video Game:	ah Tetris?
T.V. show:	Supernatural, Grey's Anatomy (thanks to Sean I can watch both!), that's about it...oh! NipTuck too and Rescue Me
Smells:	just-cut grass, a nice clean boy after a shower, mud (yeah weird I know), strawberries, my incense, oh lots...thunderstorms, rainwater, a bubble bath, fresh cut flowers, chocolate, chocolate chip cookies in the oven, pizza, beer, coffee
Article of clothing:	my fleece REI pants! they are the BEST ever...and my red dress.
Book:	OMG just one? You're nuts - I have 4 boxes of books so I can't possibly name them all so I won't start
Children's Book:	Bridge to Terabithia (spelling)
Candy:	chocolate
Car:	BMX X3, BMW Roadster and my Jeep Liberty, BAMF
Do You Believe....
In Karma:	of course
In God:	yes
In Heaven & Hell:	As John Milton said: The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven.
That aliens exist (extraterrestrial variety, not illegal aliens):	yes
That ghosts exist:	sure
In horoscopes:	somewhat
In others you know (family, friends, co-workers etc):	of course
In yourself:	yes, I am getting better at this.
Your Opinion....
On the death penalty:	ah that's too complex to answer here
On reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in schools:	moment of silence for everyone instead
On homosexuals in the military:	yes
The war in the Middle East:	no unequivocally not
Schwarzeneggar...Governor or Terminator:	neither
Current gas/fuel prices:	no
Take this survey \| Find surveys Pimp My Profile

The easy way to do things...

2007-10-02T19:51:00.000-06:00

Awhile back I learned it's easiest to find someone who's an expert at something and then pay them to help you. This strategy works best when you don't know the fastest, most efficient & best way to get something accomplished but you know it has to be accomplished.

So that's the approach I took when I bought my new car. I found an auto broker with a ton of car buying experience.

He helped me find exactly what I was looking for and yesterday, I got my new car.

The entire process was 1,000x easier than my first car buying experience. In both situations though I took the decide, commit & act approach. I decided what car I wanted and for how much then I committed to buying that car and eventually the car came into my life.

It worked like that for my new Jeep Liberty but this time I let someone else shop, price & finance it for me! It was a cakewalk.

Anyway, it sure was fun to let someone else do the hard stuff and pay him for it. I like doing things that way and I think I'll continue to do so from now on!!

And yes I have my Jeep fully insured to the hilt. And I am fully insured. Life is good.

Be well,

Lara

Why me?

2007-09-18T20:46:00.000-06:00

If you've ever had a significant occurrence in your life perhaps you've pondered that same question: Why me?

I certainly have asked that question once or twice in my life. After spending the last 3 months without a car I've been pondering that same thought. Why me? Why now?

But instead of asking those words, I've found it easier to ask: What can I learn? How does this serve me?

Those questions are a bit easier and a whole lot less self-pitying which is a waste of energy.

For some of you not having a car may not seem like much of an obstacle; it may seem like a luxury. And yes it is a luxury but it was one I was accustomed to.

I've been pondering what I can learn from all of this and I've found many, many things. All of which are positive (of course because I've chosen to see the positive in them but that's beside the point or maybe it's in addition to the point....I digress).

Being without a car has made me depend on others and I've now seen how incredibly independent I am.

And I've unearthed what independence means to me: I like to be in control. Without a car, I don't control all of the variables. I have to go when someone else wants to go; I have to leave when they want to leave.

Or I can only get around via the bus and Denver's bus service runs when it feels like it some days.

So how does all of that serve me? I've learned more patience (I swear I could out-Job Job right now) and I've also learned to speak up for myself and to ask for help. Ask my family and they will tell you how often I ask for help: rarely.

Where all of that lack of asking comes from, I'm not entirely certain but it's definitely rooted in childhood experiences.

Regardless, this experience is definitely serving me. I am much more sympathetic, patient and open to asking for help. And if I wasn't asking other people for help you can bet your Etnies (or Nikes or whatever you're wearing) that I wasn't asking the Universe for help either!!!

Or at least not consistently. So yes I am learning to vocalize my desires more and more. And I think it's working for my benefit. :)

That being said I'm buying a new car pretty darn quick. ;) I become a full-time copywriter at The Sports Authority next week and then I'll be shopping for my Jeep Liberty. Wish me luck! Car shopping can be fun...I just have to step into the right attitude and it will be.

After all of the searching, research and energy I have put into buying a car (both now and in the past), I'm wondering if there's a suitable market for helping female car buyers. Perhaps there's a new info-product in all of this????!!!!!!!!! Maybe! More research will help me see what's out there. I'll keep you posted!

All my best,

Lara

Why not you?

A Personal Note from Robert Bly

2007-09-05T21:34:00.000-06:00

Remember when I told you I received a personal response from Bob Bly? Remember when I said I would post it here?

Yeah that was 2.5 months ago. Shame for shame.

Here it is...finally:

My note to Bob Bly (he asked for what we would like to see/read more of in his newsletters):

Hello Bob!

I enjoy all of your shared insights, thoughts and tips but along with RK I truly love your personal musings. I'd love to know more about how you've become who you are (again, agree with RK..you are an icon).

In particular, I'd love to read more of your personal stories and insights you've gained through different experiences.

Thanks so much for sharing with us!

All the best,

Lara Kay Loest

Bob Bly's Response:

Thanks ... I will work on delivering what you've asked for!

I wish I could figure out how to do a screen capture because I'd capture the email message itself and post it here for you. But again my technology savvy falls short.

What's the single greatest asset a copywriter can have?

2007-08-29T20:20:00.001-06:00

Many copywriters have pondered this question but few have managed to nail it as simply and elegantly as Daniel Levis in this edition of The Total Package.

Do you have the key ingredient for great copy?! Read on and find out.

All the best,

Lara

Feeling the Fever

2007-08-28T21:29:00.001-06:00

Well I know it's been 10 days since I wrote - I was in Wisconsin for most of those days and upon my return to Colorado, I came down with a bad viral infection. I've got a high fever, chills, aches and a sore throat.

Wish me a speedy recovery!! I'll give you a proper post when I'm better.

All the best,

Lara

Another Great Total Package Article

2007-08-18T12:36:00.000-06:00

Here are some great marketing tips for copywriters everywhere!

Enjoy.

Some Cool Copy!

2007-08-09T21:32:00.000-06:00

Do you know how Robert Ringer is? He's a self-help legend and best-selling author. In other words, he's damn good.

Did you know he loves the copy on this page? He had this to say about it:

"Don't know how I came across this link,but I'm obliged to tell you that it's really excellent ad copy. I rarely compliment anyone's copywriting, as most of the stuff out there is schlock. But if you wrote thisyourself, my hat's off to you. Good to see quality stuff for a change."

See the copy he's talking about on Joe Vitale's page. It's right here.

Forgiveness

2007-08-09T21:24:00.000-06:00

It has been a rough few weeks and I've had to learn how to forgive myself for my limitations. Currently I've been pushing myself to look for ad agency work (freelance or full-time), look for a new apartment, consider looking for a new car AND figure out how long I'm staying in Denver.

Today I realized I need to let go and be where I am and simply be happy with it. I was beating myself up today for not accomplishing very much in the last 2 weeks.

Then I realized how ridiculous that idea really is: I'm still in physical and emotional recovery from the accident. I spend close to 12 hours of every day either going to, coming from or being at my contract job. Isn't that enough???

My physical recovery has become mentally and emotionally difficult. I do not have the energy to go out at night so I stay in (often by myself), on the weekends it's tough to go places so I stay in or stay close to home. I'm not enjoying the outdoors as I normally do and that has become a mental burden as well (why I am living in this glorious state if I'm not going to enjoy it? I had that thought today...as well as why I am living 800 miles away from my family if I'm not fully enjoying Colorado).

I'm not used to being limited by my body; I do what I want, when I want and on my own terms. If I decide to run a half-marathon in 2 hours, I do it. If I decide to climb a 5.9 route, I do it.

But not for the last 6 weeks. I simply get through the day and deal with the pain. That makes me miserable ... but I am improving and getting better. So I focus on where I am at versus where I have been instead of where I think I should be.

In essence, I'm being taught to be patient with myself and to take today for what it is: a day to be grateful for and so I am!

Recovery

2007-08-08T16:44:00.000-06:00

Hmm...there isn't a whole lot to update you on! I've been working my usual daily contract gig and am exhausted by the time I get home.

Between the continuous volume of work, the two hour mass transit commute and the never-ending pain in my body (from the car accident), I am just plain wiped out when I arrive home. I do my best to focus my energy and thoughts on work and healing my body. I'm getting there!

So here's a brief update...just the basics:
*still in Denver
*still looking for ad agency work
*still in pain
*small claims court process starts next week (I am suing the man who hit me)

And that's about it.

I'll find some great copywriting updates for you and post before the end of the week. You deserve more than a few lines about my life!

Where Have I Been?!

2007-07-27T14:52:00.000-06:00

Yikes! 10 days without a post..sorry...extra apologies because I promised a longer post and never delivered. :(

Honestly you haven't missed much - just the usual daily contract gig which has been pretty good. I also signed up to attend James Ray's Harmonic Wealth Weekend in October.

But this week has been cool!

I have been in Chicago since Monday night (23rd) and am enjoying my week in the city. Because of the car accident and the pain I've been living with since, I was not able to set up as many interviews as I had planned.

Since picking up my contract job, I've also been on the fence about leaving Denver. It seems silly to leave a city where I have a fairly good-paying gig as a copywriter to move to a city where I do not have any job - contract or otherwise - nor a place to live nor any good, close friends or family. (My family is 2.5 hours away by car).

From that respect I decided to come here, see what happened this week and simply enjoy myself. And I have!

I've been to the Contemporary Art Museum, the Garfield Park Conservatory, several lovely neighborhoods like Garfield Park, River North and the Loyola U area. I wish I could've gotten to a few other areas (I LOVE Wrigleyville!!!!) but I still have limited amounts of energy and mobility because of the accident.

This is such a great city. The food, the people, the restaurants, the culture and the public transportation system are FANTASTIC! I love Chicago...especially in the summer. But the winter? That's another story. :\

My time here brought a few contacts my way and I think they should lead to something, somehow and at some time so for that I am grateful. I simply will continue to make the best of this week! :)

Tonight a friend is coming to visit me over sushi; she's a dear friend I haven't seen in years!

Tomorrow I am off for a tour or some other such toursity thing with a friend who is coming down from Michigan. Tomorrow night we're going to dinner and then to Venetian Night on Lake Michigan. Perhaps we'll follow it with a trip to the Ghirardelli shop!!!! Yuummm.

Sunday I plan to go to brunch and/or Navy Pier with another friend before I fly to Denver.

And at some point I've got to get a slice of authentic Chicago-style pizza! I'll think of you when I do and wish you were sharing it with me.

Enjoy your weekend.

Lara

Wanna Know 3 Things You Can Do Each Day to Be Successful??

2007-07-17T09:09:00.000-06:00

I read this very interesting post on David Garfinkel's blog today. It's about daily habits of successful people including the 3 things Warren Buffet does every day.

Since Warren is currently the 2nd wealthiest man in the world I thought it was worth reading. :)
Enjoy!

I promise a more thorough update in the next day or two...including the personal response I received from an email I sent to Bob Bly!

Create a nice day,

Lara

2007-07-09T21:55:00.000-06:00

Today was a day of ups and downs.

Although the insurance company hasn't officially announced it, my car appears to be totaled. My baby Kala has died and is going to RAV4 heaven. I will miss her. She was the first car I ever bought and completely paid for all by myself.

In fact, she's the only "big ticket" item I've ever bought and paid off myself. My parents helped me with my education and I have no real estate or other significantly large material holding.

*sigh* But the plus side to losing Kala (sounds like Koohla, it's Hawaiian for "princess"), is that my insurance company is going to pay me for her. I don't know exactly how much but it will be a few thousand dollars. Those few thousands will be my ticket straight to Chicago.

And continuing on the positive side, I have a 30 day contract to work for The Sports Authority starting on Wednesday.

It's as a special projects copywriter! Cool right?! I'm excited for that, it should be a lot of fun. The pay is better than my other temp jobs and the company seems to be growing and thriving. It is good for now I think!

That's about all I've got for news. I can't sit in this chair for too much longer, it hurts my back. My acupuncture and massages are helping my injuries (from the car accident) but I am not 100% yet. That is to be expected I think although I will always hope for overnight miracles! :)
Tomorrow I have another acupuncture treatment and I'll be visiting my massage therapist on Saturday again. It's so nice to have people take care of me!!! I love it.

Next time, I'm going to make it a priority to let others help me when I'm healthy...I'd rather visit the massage therapist when I'm in my usual mint condition and not when I'm feeling like a debiliated 90 year old woman with a crooked back!!!

That's it for me. I hope this finds you well.

Create a nice day,

Lara

2007-07-07T12:27:00.001-06:00

For some reason I cannot enter text in my title box so I apologize.

Saturday Musings

Here's a great interview with Caleb O'Dowd, a fantastic copywriter who mentored under the late Gary Halbert. He shares his insights on marketing, writing copy and million dollar ideas. He's willing to be there are several floating right under your nose at this instant.

Check it out here.

Silver Linings

2007-07-06T10:33:00.000-06:00

Napoleon Hill said...and I paraphrase...all adversities carry a seed of opportunity. It's a wonderful thought I keep tucked away in my mind for days like yesterday.

Yesterday morning I found out the man who hit me doesn't have insurance and my coverage doesn't include medical. My insurance will cover my car damages but that's it. Personal injury lawyers can't help me because at this point I would have to go after the individual who was at fault and not his insurance company (or mine).

Because no insurance company has done wrong, lawyers won't touch my case. I'm still exploring but it seems civil court is my only alternative here in Colorado. That option doesn't seem worth it because my injuries are minor. With some chiropractic help I'll be back to normal - hopefully even better than before!

I'm still in a bit of pain so I'm going to see a friend this afternoon. He has a background in both Western and Eastern medicine. He'll help me figure out my best options and can recommend people who will help me.

Truthfully I'm simply thankful that my injuries are only minor or I would be in a difficult situation. So to the Universe I say thank you, thank you, thank you!

I'm off to prepare for a job interview - wish me luck!

Create a nice day,

Lara

T-Bone

2007-07-02T20:36:00.000-06:00

Sadly I don't mean the steak. T-bone is when someone smacks into the middle of your car and the accident forms a T-shape.

It's what happened to me today.

I'm ok but am shaken up and very sore. Fortunately the other driver hit my passenger side and not the driver side. I would have been seriously injured or worse if he had hit me instead. Thank heavens for that.

However my car (Kala as I call her) is not in good shape. She is in the body shop as we speak. It is one of the only nights she has not been with me.

I am sad and miss her.

She is my baby and has been with me through many big life events like moving here to Colorado! We have conquered fears, mountains and mangy men together!! I have named her Kala which is Hawaiian for princess. She's the princess and I'm the queen (queen b**ch to some!).

There's a possibility she is totaled because of her age (10 years, 152,000 miles). I hope not but if that's the case, I will simply take the insurance money and move to Chicago with it. I think Kala is only worth about 2 grand at this point.

That's enough to get me started there but isn't much of a down payment for a new car.

Besides, my income isn't very steady right now and I'd hate to add a car payment to my monthly bills. Chicago transit is excellent and I can live without a car there...at least for awhile.

We shall see.

So I'm going to keep this short, I apologize because I am simply not up to a lengthy post. You dear readers have been neglected of late! I hope my article recommendations have made up for it. But I do owe you better posts soon.

Hopefully after I get a wireless router here at my new home I will be able to write more thoughtful posts for you. That was part of my trip today before the accident - a router.

Tomorrow I am off to the mountains for a wedding and for the 4th of July so you will not hear from me until late Wednesday night or (more likely) Thursday. I do hope this finds you well and enjoying a lovely summer evening!

Create a nice day,

Lara

Busy Bee - That's Me!

2007-06-30T22:10:00.001-06:00

Yep, it's been busy around these parts. I'm packed and ready to move...it's going to be hot though! I've got at least 4 friends coming over to help so hopefully it will go quickly. And my new place has a pool so you know how I'll be spending my afternoon. :) :)

Also I may have limited Internet access for the next few days so my posting may be spotty but I'll do my best.

So for now, adieu! Rest and be well.

Create a nice day,

Lara

That John Carlton Is One Salty Dog

2007-06-28T18:59:00.000-06:00

Now I know why John Carlton signs everything "Stay frosty"! He is salty. If he were a woman I'd say he's sassy but he's not so I'll call him salty instead. It's a much more masculine adjective. :)

This is an entertaining post on the advantages of long copy over short copy. Check it out - I guarantee you'll learn a thing or two.

All of his posts enforce my firm belief that he is a master. I love his copy. Enjoy.

Create a nice day,

Lara

Midweek Mover

2007-06-27T20:36:00.001-06:00

It's been a long week already. I've spent my nights packing and my days at a temp job. Granted this temp job was pretty easy - my only responsibility was to answer phones. They rarely rang so in essence I simply had to show up.

Anyway, the move is underway. The first big step is to spend a week in Chicago and I booked my flight today. I'll be there from July 23rd through July 29th. Wish me interviews!

I'm continuing to expand my network and asking people to contact their friends for me. So far I've been introduced to one woman with Leo Burnett - that is exciting! I'm thrilled to talk to her and hopefully her contacts as well.

Enough about me, it's time for another brief educational tip! In this article, Clayton, the Man, Makepeace shares his thoughts on fully utilizing copywriting techniques. Enjoy!

Moving...

2007-06-24T10:53:00.000-06:00

Well it's official, I have 7 days to move out my house. I'll have temporary housing for the next 1-2 months while I plan the Chicago thing. It's a bit stressful and uncertain but it will be okay no matter what.

So this week will consistent of a lot of packing, selling and donating. I'm getting rid of anything I don't absolutely need because I'm paying to ship it to Chicago.

It'll be a good exercise in clearing the junk out of my life!!

Can you be a copywriter?

2007-06-20T22:16:00.000-06:00

Clayton Makepeace is arguably one of the best out there...he's definitely one of my teachers. He took some time to discuss advice and tips for any of us interested in pursuing copywriting as a profession/career/vocation.

Since he is one of the masters, it's worth your time to read (and re-read as I did today).

Enjoy it here.

Hot Stuff

2007-06-19T22:09:00.000-06:00

Yes it's hot here today ... and about 10 degrees hotter in my office because it's upstairs. Time to get a fan going in here...the sweat on my legs is running like the Mississippi at its southern mouth. It's flowing fast!

Just the usual update for today: spent the day temping and am exhausted from moving and unpacking boxes, closets and things. I'm glad to have the work because I like the income though.

In the evening I emailed a few people about Chicago, listed my furniture for sale on craigslist and did a search for info on Vernon Howard. I'm working on a small project for my local copywriting friend about him. Not finding a great deal about his early years though and that's the info I need!

Things are progressing on the Chicago side. I've got a place to stay for a few nights in July and August. My friend's friend's works in the ad biz there so I'm eager to talk to that person and learn more. Keep your fingers crossed!

In other news, I'm moving out either the 1st weekend in July or the 2nd. Then I'll be a box lady for a bit. What an eventful summer...I wasn't aware I wanted to create this for myself. :\

I'm off to rest and unwind before turning in. Hope you are having a terrific Tuesday.

Create a nice day,

Lara

Moanday Monday

2007-06-18T22:02:00.000-06:00

It is pretty tough to work all day, take care of a house and then find time for job searching/apartment living/figure-out-what-I'm-going-to-do-in-the-next-few-weeks-type planning as well. Not to mention updating this blog for you!

I met with a local freelance copywriter to learn more about his career path. He worked for a few of the biggies (JWT, Leo Burnett, etc) and spent almost a decade in Chicago. Currently all of his clients are ad agencies he has worked with in the past (or has become acquianted with over the course of his advertising tenure). He doesn't solicit clients, he just picks up overflow projects from a variety of agencies.

He also recommended I consider a semester or two of school at a specialized advertising school so I can build my portfolio...that or I find a young art director to team up with and conceptualize spec ads.

Great input and insight on his part and I'm exploring both the school and the team concept options.

My next step is to contact more agencies, talk to a few other friends and get things in place for my visit in late July. I'm planning to be in the Windy City from the 19th/20th til the 28th. Hopefully I can find a place to stay and can meet with some acquiantances as well.

Exciting times!!

That's my update but I wanted to take the focus off of me for a moment and share some copywriting knowledge with you. Straight from The Man himself, here's today's newsletter from Clayton Makepeace.

Clayton shares some tidbits on online marketing, copywriting, web traffic and all the other good stuff we love to hear him rant about!!

Enjoy.

Create a nice day,

Lara

Windsurfing!

2007-06-16T21:44:00.000-06:00

Since you didn't get any updates for several days I'm giving you a couple of posts in one day. How cool is that?! :)

I promised you windsurfing pictures and here are a few of me. It was a blast!!!

Wow!

2007-06-16T21:25:00.001-06:00

I thought I had updated you on Thursday but it seems I didn't and I apologize. I appreciate that you are here now! So on to your update...

Thursday was much of the same...I spent the day temping, had dinner with a friend and that's about it. Friday was a repeat except instead of meeting up with friends, I sent my information to ad agencies. I also contacted my friend's brother who works for one of the big agencies - at least he did the last time I checked anyway.

This weekend I'm spending some time contacting people I know with direct ties to Chicago so as to line up housing. I plan to spend a week there next month and during the week I'll interview with as many agencies as I can! It should be fun. Chicago is a terrific city - summer especially!

I'm also posting this article about copywriting to ezines and the like. Hope you enjoy it!

3 Quick Questions to Improve Your Response

Don’t have time to rewrite all of your marketing materials? Need to better focus your copy? These three questions will help you do just that.

Copywriting is both art and science and as a result it uses artistic, creative qualities that are refined with scientific tools to measure response rates so you can maximize your return on investment.

Ask yourself these 3 questions and use them as tools to inspire and recreate artistically copy with better results.

1.) Does each sentence engage and provoke your reader to read the next sentence?
This engagement starts with your first sentence and shouldn’t end until the last sentence of the P.S. Each sentence builds on the sentence before it and carries your reader along on a ride!
It’s that ride that will create and retain a bond with them as they learn about your product/service/company and how you’re going to help them and make their lives better.

2.) Does your copy tell or sell?
Truly great copy doesn’t “sell” anything…at least not in the traditional sense. Great copy tells your reader how your product/service/company will make their lives better. In his book Scientific Advertising, Claude C. Hopkins, writes “Ask yourself – would it help a salesmen sell goods?” “Would you it help me sell them if I met a buyer in person?”
The key word in both questions is help, help your prospect, help your client and help yourself. Again from Scientific Advertising, Hopkins says the best ads ask no one to buy.

3.) Does your prospect have an identity?
When you write your copy who are you writing it for? What does your prospect look like? What do they do? Where do they live? Are you talking to Fred/Frieda the weekend bowlers and avid baseball fans? Or are you writing to Donald and Ivana, exclusive country club members and Four Seasons brunchers?
Your advertising is reaching someone. Know who it is and it’ll be at least 10 times more effective. Conceptualize and visualize your prospect before and during the copywriting process for increased response rates. Get inside their minds.
Give your prospect all the likeness of your best friend and that’s how they’ll respond.

Questions? Comments? Interested in learning more? For more copywriting tips, contact Lara Kay Loest at lloest@gmail.com or leave a comment at http://goodtogreatcopy.blogspot.com/.

Quick Update

2007-06-13T22:18:00.000-06:00

Well it was a busy Wednesday so I only have a few minutes to update you.

I had a chat with a potential client today and I hope we've been able to provide some direction and support for her. The challenge in new clients (one of the challenges I should say) is helping them without doing things for them. I cannot figure out what a business marketing plan should be nor the direction for them to take. I can provide feedback and resources. However there is a tendency to provide consulting...and that should not be free. I have a challenge in that area as well.

Most small business owners are simply self-employed...they aren't business owners at all. There is a huge difference between the self-employed and a small business owner. Anyone who tells you they are the same thing is full of horse manure and you can tell them I said that.

A business owner spends time outside of his/her business, consistently evaluates their business from a non-bias perspective and can easily hand the reigns over to a manager without the business missing a beat. The business owner is independent of the business in other words and that is a significant distinction.

A self-employed person is just a worker who does the work on their own. There's no business plan, no future goals, no outside management or perspective.

The latter isn't bad, it's simply something to be aware of because there are limitations within that structure. The self-employed person will always be at their own mercy. If they take a vacation, they aren't earning money. If they are sick, they aren't getting more clients. If they fall ill on a long-term basis they are basically screwed.

I'm not throwing stones here at all. I've been struggling to move into the business owner shoes myself. I would definitely keep myself on as an employee because I work damn hard and I'm pretty good at everything I do.

However I do believe I have mainly acted as a self-employed person for the majority of the last 14 months and my results so that.

When I do this again (because I will) and run my own business, I will do things differently. I could go into a whole list but it's a bit late and I'm tired.

My whole point to this post was to tell you I am still in process with the potential client. She falls into the self-employed side of things and is mainly looking for consulting/marketing input. The issue there is that it costs money for good consulting...as it should. We'll do our best to help her though.

I'll keep ya posted!

Off to bed...I had a long day of packing boxes and listening to Robert Allen's Empower Yourself! And Your Downline. Very interesting CDs, I highly recommend them. It fascinates me to hear the "gurus" talk because they overlap so often!!! Everything we really need to know is out there, we just have to open our eyes and see it, grab it and learn it.

Fascinating.

Create a nice day,

Lara

So Long Denver, Hello Chicago

2007-06-12T20:59:00.000-06:00

Well I asked the Universe for a sign today. I asked to receive a positive sign if I was supposed to move to Chicago because I was leaning in that direction. And receive I did.

I won't go into what the sign was because it's personal but I did make the decision today.

Now my next step is to commit and by commiting, I have to choose a date. I need to form a timeline for my decision. I'm thinking by August 15th but that's not firm. I have to be in Wisconsin for a wedding the last weekend of August so it seems silly to fly home for a week only to fly back...and then move to Chicago. In other words, life would be easier if I were to be back in the Midwest before the wedding.

Ugh. Midwest. I'm going to avoid saying that from now on and just stick with Chicago. It's about the only city in that region I find interesting. But the market is great and it's a metropolitan town with great cultural events, fun night life with an urban vibe - all of which I love.

So that was my revelation for the day.

The move isn't permanent. Ideally I'll move there for a few years, get an even better portfolio and move back here or have multiple homes in Denver, Chicago and on a beach somewhere.

In other news, I've picked up a temp gig to make extra money and save up for the move. I'm also reaching out to as many people as possible so as to line up work and housing in Chi-town before I actually get there.

Tomorrow I'm talking with one of our potential clients...we shall see what that leads to! Keep your fingers crossed. I certainly am!

Hope you had a lovely day.

Create a good tomorrow,

Lara

When Is It Too Much?

2007-06-11T20:10:00.000-06:00

Today I realized I have a tendency (strong tendency) to push hard when I'm worried about something. All that pushing stems from my lack of trust and now that I recognize my habit, I can fix it.

And therein lies my next hurdle: when am I pushing too much? And how much is enough?

I'm still figuring that out but I understand when I feel anxious, overwhelmed or scared...that's when it's time to let go.

I did my best today and I'll keep reaching and improving.

On top of that internal struggle, I spent today contacting ad agencies, following up with specific people from those agencies and arranging meetings. I don't have any solid leads but I'm confident something will come through soon.

My next worry was whether or not to simply move to a better market. I have to make up my mind on this one and then commit to it. I just haven't gotten to that point yet.

Ideally I would be offered a full-time copywriting position either here or in Chicago while I'm still living in Denver. I'd be happy to move to Chicago...it's a great city and closer to my family. I'm confident I can relocate and reestablish myself fairly easily so I'm open to that.

However I don't like the idea of packing up and moving across the country without a job secured in the new city. I wonder if it's enough to simply state my intention of landing a full-time copywriting job here in Denver or in Chicago? Is that too many options for the Universe? Will I end up with nothing if I don't get more specific? Or will I be overwhelmed with choices??

That's just an explain of what goes on in my head when I think too much. But I do know this: it feels good to simply say I will take a copywriting job either in Denver or in Chicago so I think I'm sticking with that right now.

It's all right to re-evaluate too so I'll keep that in mind as time passes. I'm talking to a few people with 15 - 20+ years experience in ad agency biz so they should have insight as well.

Wish me luck - it's getting interesting!

Create a nice day,

Lara

It's Not Where You've Been But Where You Are Going

2007-06-10T22:28:00.000-06:00

That is all that matters - your focus and intention on where you are headed. It's a mental shift I've had to make and have to make daily. Well not every single daily but at least weekly. It does change how I act, where I focus my energy and my thoughts.

Just some food for thought. I'm currently reading Timothy Ferriss' The Four Hour Workweek and Wallace Wattles' The Science of Getting Rich. Both are fascinating reads I recommend!

In addition to reading those books (haven't finished either one yet), I spent the morning and the majority of the afternoon at a nearby lake learning how to windsurf. It was so fun!!! I had a fantastic time. I'm excited to go again soon!!! I'll post pics when I get them.

That's about it for me. I'm going to spend the week contacting agencies, following up with two potential clients and somehow working out my living & work situation. Somehow it will all come together, of that I am sure! I've much improved in my ability to simply have faith in the creation process. I envision my goal as if it were already here in my life and let the good feelings flow.

It feels great to do that so it must be a positive thing! It's fun to boot. :) You'll be the first to know as all the good things happen. It'll be wonderful.

Create a nice day!

Lara

Weekend Update

2007-06-09T22:59:00.000-06:00

The last two days have been a whirlwind of networking, social engagements and settling back into my house (for the next 3 weeks til I'm kicked out).

Last night I met with a local ad agency guy who shared his thoughts on great agencies around here and the not so great ones as well. It turns out Denver is 23rd in the US in terms of agencies. 23rd. I think Chicago is probably 3rd. *sigh* At least I got the inside scoop on where to target my efforts and he gave me a few names.

I really want this to happen...or something better. I'm taking part in Joe's 30 day experiment and the end goal I'm concentrating on is landing a copywriting job with an agency. I didn't set a specific location so I'm open to relocation.

For the experiment all I needed to do was to get clear on the goal (preferably write it out in present tense) and then meditate on it for the next 30 days. And during the meditation I am to focus on feeling as though it has already happened and I am feeling the feelings associated with it. I should actually concentrate on how I feel now that I have the copywriting job at an ad agency.

It'll be fun because I think it will work. I've already done this once and we did manifest the goal although it didn't materialize in my bank account. It's a bit of a story but I do believe this works. I think it didn't fully materialize the first time because I had some internal blocks. I probably still do but they are lessening.

To that end I had an unusual experience last night while meditating. If you know anything about chakras, energy centers, etc you might be interested in what happened to me.

As I was in the final minutes of my one hour session I felt my first chakra open. The only way I can explain it is that it's like an internal fireball lights up and spreads through that area and into your body fully. It's pretty intense. In my mind I could actually see the energy spread through my body as it happened. Pretty cool!

That's it for me - I'm going to watch The Princess Bride and go to sleep. Tomorrow I'm windsurfing for the first time! That will be super fun. I'll share photos with you too. :)

Enjoy your weekend!

Lara

Could This Thought Make You Happier?

2007-06-07T21:19:00.000-06:00

I didn't realize I had missed writing an update yesterday...penance for me.

Clearly it's been busy around here. I've got a few projects I've been working on for my local copywriter friend, a few emails and quotes to put together for potential new clients on top of my full-time job search ... not to mention taking care of my friend's house and her two mischevious cats...one of which escaped into the backyard the other day. They are NOT outdoor kittens.

For the most part though I've been handling the stress fairly well. I have faith that everything will unfold perfectly and fall into place. I am simply and completely committed to my quest for a full-time copywriting job with an ad agency (or something even better!!).

Tomorrow I am following up with a friend's contact and meeting for drinks with another local agency contact. It has occurred to me that I have picked a tough market in Denver.

Be that as it may I will persevere. If I end up moving somewhere for a kick ass agency and an even cooler job then I will move (but I'm limiting that to the Midwest - mainly Chicago...I refuse to live in LA and NYC). So I'm putting my intention out there, I'm believing in it and I'm acting in accordance.

The most difficult part of this is the believing I think. So when I catch myself with that thought, I simply hear it and decide to play around with it, test out the Universe to see if I can manifest something using the intention, belief and action set up.

For instance, today I set the intention that I wanted someone to give me a dollar. And you know what? I got it! I needed cash for windsurfing on Sunday and was a dollar short til today!

Now my struggle is in believing that the $1 is no different than the $400 or $4,000...it's all the same within the realm of the Universe. It's simply my belief system that makes $400 or $400,000 seem so much bigger.

At least I recognize where the battle lies and I'm working on it. Yay me! I see progress and I'm beginning to reap the rewards.

Whenever I get down on myself about where I'm at in any area of my life (whether it's financially, career-wise or interpersonal), I take a step back and look at where I was and compare it where I am now. I see progress and I see growth.

What else could I ask for?! As long as I'm moving and growing I'm happy. So I'm happy. I hope you are too.

Create a nice day,

Lara

Letting Go

2007-06-05T21:50:00.000-06:00

Today I had decided to spend the day working on a few projects and relax my focus on the full-time job search (and relax the worries too!). And when I did, I got a call from a potential new client. She saw my response to her request for sales copy assistance and liked my samples.

So I called her back, we talked for awhile and I'll be sending her our recommendations by early next week.

It's nice when unexpected surprises like that light up my day. I was happy to talk to her, she's a fellow Wisconsinite with some interesting and exciting projects in the works. It'll be great fun to help her and watch her business expand.

It seems things unfold when I relax and let go. So I'll follow that plan of attack from here on out.

That was one my day's highlights. The other was a conference call with Joe Vitale by Healthy-n-Wealthy. Joe gave a great talk about his life, following your inspiration and his new book Zero Limits. It was a fun and uplifting hour.

Now I'm off to bed...it was another exciting day!

Create a nice day,

Lara

Under the Weather

2007-06-04T23:11:00.001-06:00

I'm feeling quite sick tonight so your update will happen tomorrow. I spent most of the day applying and contacting ad agencies. I've made a few contacts in an effort to learn more about the local advertising scene...it seems to be quite different than Milwaukee.

Wish me luck.

Create a nice day,

Lara

Super Sunday

2007-06-04T00:33:00.000-06:00

Today was another lovely day! I worked a bit, made some contacts about copywriting jobs, emailed other people to thank them for their giveaway gifts and generally enjoyed the day.

I'm still reading The Attractor Factor so I thought I'd pass along another terrific article by Joe.
The book provides a five-step process to attracting whatever you desire. This article is a great look at one of the most essential parts to manifesting your wants. Enjoy!

Here it is...

Books, books, books

2007-06-02T15:37:00.000-06:00

Not much going on in my world. Yesterday I contacted more ad agencies in the Denver metro area. I also picked up Timothy Ferriss' "The 4-Hour Workweek" at a local bookstore. I haven't started it yet as I'm also working on "The Attractor Factor" and am only half-finished with Joe's terrific book.

I love to read and I'm excited to apply the information in both of these! Books are fantastic and reading will always be one of my favorite pasttimes. I highly recommend it!

That's about it from here - I'm off to a toga party tonight! Enjoy your weekend.

Create a nice day,

Lara

Quick Update

2007-05-31T22:30:00.000-06:00

Just a quick update - not feeling very good at the moment.

I spent the day looking up ad agencies in the Denver area and sending my information to them. I've got another 30-40 on my list so that is exciting. Next week starts the follow up and hopefully the interviews. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Tomorrow I'll send more emails to the agencies and more thank you notes for the giveaway gifts. There is plenty to do and it's up to me to do it!

Enjoy the Clayton Makepeace article below and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Create a nice day,

Lara

I'm A Thief!

2007-05-31T14:17:00.000-06:00

Yep that's right, I steal. And I steal good stuff...now I'll share it with you.

Here's another brilliant article by Clayton Makepeace as it originally appeared in The Total Package. Since I haven't figured out how to repost the article, I'm just providing the link.

Enjoy!

Mind Games: How To Program Yourself for Total Success!

What's your threshold?

2007-05-29T23:04:00.000-06:00

The last month has pushed me over my threshold repeatedly but the last 2 weeks have been particularly difficult. I've never been a big fan of change but now that I understand why change occurs and that the end result can be positive (if I make the choice to see the positive), it's become easier.

Notice I said easier...not easy. Change still isn't my favorite thing in the world.

Today I found a bit of clarity though and I have Bill Harris to thank yet again. My internal map of reality is changing and pushing me above my threshold so I've been uncomfortable. I'm uncomfortable seeking copywriting jobs with ad agencies because it's new territory. I'm uncomfortable not knowing what my mailing address is going to be on July 1st because that again is new territory and very undefined.

So what's the easiest approach to all of this? Simple: raise my threshold and remember whatever happens is ok.

Yes easier said than done but at least I know how to approach my current circumstances and that is making a huge difference in my response. I'm finding I have an incredible ability to find peace, love and joy in all events and situations right now. No not at every moment of every day but I can find that inner calm much more frequently.

To further aide me I am reading Joe Vitale's The Attractor Factor. I love Joe and his work. This book is incredible. It's another fun tool to help me create!

One of my intentions is to find a full-time copywriting job by June 27th so that is where my focus was today. I spent the day sending emails to ad agencies and showcasing my talents. I had 2 responses...one I initially interpreted as snarky and condescending. And it probably was.

But then I decided that person was someone I wouldn't want to work with anyway...if they would talk that way to someone they didn't know, imagine how they would talk to someone they did know! Clearly that person and that agency just isn't inline with my goals and dreams and I'm not inline with theirs. And so it is!

The second was a nice, personal note from the HR Director thanking me for my interest. It was an actual email though - not a standard rote response - so I was happy with that.

Tomorrow is more of the same along with fixing up the sales letter for a mailing.

Create a nice day!

Lara

Daniel Levis article

2007-05-28T10:02:00.000-06:00

Thanks for letting me know my link to the Daniel Levis article didn't come through! So let's try this one more time.

Here's the link again.

Sleepy Sunday

2007-05-27T15:39:00.000-06:00

What a lovely day!! I feel rested, refreshed, rejuvenated.

I spent the morning washing and cleaning my much-neglected baby, Kala...most of you would call her a Toyota Rav4 but I call her Kala (sounds like Kuhla) because she's my doll. I missed my car so much when I was back in Wisconsin that I wanted to give her some TLC today.

I ran errands, played with the cats, etc and after I grab a quick snack I'm going to send out more thank you notes for the giveaway gifts I've gotten.

I'm quite thankful for today - it's been an excellent day and it's only going to get better because I'm off to dance the night away with some of my Cozumel friends. It's a foam party!! Don't know what that means but it sounds too fun to pass up!

Happy holiday weekend.

Create an even better tomorrow.

Lara

Returning Home

2007-05-26T22:54:00.000-06:00

Sigh...what a busy day! I flew in from Wisconsin late last night, got home, unpacked and repacked after which I promptly went to sleep.

Today I woke up early, went to the trainer since I haven't worked out in a month and then drove to Longmont. I'm cat sitting for some folks and will be here for the next 12 days.

But the excitement didn't end there!

It's Memorial Day weekend which means BBQs, friends and potato salad. After driving the hour to Longmont, I got myself situated in my temporary home, played with the cats and then drove back to Denver to visit my Cozumel friends at a cookout. I spent the afternoon regailing ourselves with fond memories of our 8 days and catching up on our lives post-trip.

By the time I got home (driving the hour back to Longmont), I was wiped out. I read a little bit and am now signing off to sleep. It's been a busy 24 hours and I'm looking forward to a slow, sleepy Sunday.

I do hope you created a lovely day for yourself.

Lara

Decision Time

2007-05-25T08:35:00.000-06:00

Well we've come to a crossroads of sorts. This month hasn't produced the results I needed. We've definitely made progress which has been wonderful and I'm thankful for that. Now it's time to make a decision.

It's been a tough call for me. I've felt as though I've failed because this wasn't my vision. My vision was to be fully and gainfully self-employed by June 1st. Because I became attached to that vision I've caused myself some misery the last few days. So instead of being down on myself, I'm choosing to see this as a hurdle. Choosing to work for someone else full-time is simply a new path to follow that will one day lead to bigger and better things.

In the mean time it will keep a roof over my head.

Honestly many copywriters work for other people as employees before going out on their own. The greats like Clayton Makepeace, John Carlton, etc. Who am I to argue with their paths?! If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.

Keep your fingers crossed for me - I've got about 30 (ish) days to find a job and get a new place to live. Lots of possibilities and opportunities but somewhat stressful.

Which means it's time to focus on what I'm thankful for and what I appreciate in my life because gratitude helps me keep things in perspective.

Today I choose to be thankful for the day, for my willingness to explore possibilities and options, for my family, friends and loved ones, for bright, beautiful skies, for love, peace and joy, for all the wonderful people in my life who are here to help and guide me, for every challenge and hurdle I face because as Napoleon Hill once said: Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit.

Isn't that a wonderful quote to remember? I'm thankful for that quote! And for Hill's priceless book "Think and Grow Rich". I'm so grateful for the teachers in my life in all their forms and influences. I'm also grateful for the optimism I find in wondering what lies ahead. Even though events may not unfold exactly as I had hoped for there is always education in every experience.

And so I am off to enjoy the day in all its splendor! I hope you will do the same.

Create a nice day,

Lara

And the Suspense Continues...

2007-05-24T08:45:00.000-06:00

Remember the client call yesterday? He wasn't there when I called so I left a message and will call back later this morning. So I have to work through the excitement and anticipation all over again! It's hard not to put too much on this call. If he wants us to help him I will be set financially for at least another month. If not, I may have to get a part-time job when I get back to Denver.

There's a lot riding on the call from my end but I just remind myself that whatever happens is ok and I'll make it. My desires don't change the situation - this is about what he wants and how we can best help him achieve those desires.

With that in mind, I plan to call him again later this morning.

In other news, I'm working on our gadget package, drafting an email to send to the other man I met in Cozumel and my apprentices have disappeared.

So my tasks today will be to make the client call again, finish the other client's email and get back to sending out more thank you notes. There is plenty to do as always so I am thankful for that!

I'm thankful for the bright, beautiful day outside, for yet another day on this planet, more opportunities and potential growth experiences, for my family, my friends and other loved ones and for all the goodness, beauty and joy that surrounds me! I greatly appreciate myself for how far I've come and how far I'm continuing to go in every facet of my life. It's been an amazing journey which will continue!

I'm thankful for the Universe and for the role I play in it.

Create a nice day,

Lara

A Big Day

2007-05-23T08:08:00.000-06:00

Well this afternoon is our big call! I'm excited...more excited than nervous actually. I find that surprising to be honest. I have adopted the attitude that whatever happens is ok.

Naturally I want to work for this client and I'd like to earn quite a bit while helping him to earn 10X what he pays us. It would be fantastic! So here's hoping that happens and if not, I'll be fine. I'll keep you posted. :) Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Yesterday I spent the entire day with family...the day turned out well even though I didn't get any work done. I guess it is what I needed!

I'm quite thankful for yesterday...it was relaxing and fun.

I'm also very thankful for today! It's a wonderful Wednesday.

And the list of my appreciation goes on....

I'm so thankful for my family, my friends and loved ones. I'm thankful for the time I got to spend with them yesterday and over the course of the last 2 weeks.

I'm thankful for ...

opportunities, challenges and possibilities of today
world I continue to create for myself
lessons I learn every single day
me!
the partnerships I create
the clients I work for and will be working for
the love, joy and peace all around me
the abundant creations in all areas of my life :)

Indeed, there is much to be thankful for! I hope you feel the same.

Create a nice day,

Lara

John Carlton on Sales

2007-05-22T07:58:00.001-06:00

I read John's blog this morning. He writes about the art of sales and how it's often ignored by most copywriters. However it's the one thing that separates the good from the greats.

You may find it useful and informative.

Check it out here.

A Morning of Thanks

2007-05-22T07:38:00.000-06:00

Today I'm thankful for the day. It's beautiful, sunny and warm outside. I love sunshine rays and blue skies!

I'm thankful to be in Wisconsin with my family while I'm still thankful to live in Colorado. :) I'm grateful to spend time with my family and friends here; I appreciate how much I love them and how much they love me. The love is real and genuine and I'm thankful for that.

I'm thankful for the opportunities today will bring...the challenges, the possibilities and the achievements. I'm thankful for all that today will bring and all of the people in it!

Most of all, I'm thankful for me!

On to the day...I'm taking off to spend the morning with my grandmother and then I'll be back in the afternoon to work on our latest project. And to prepare for our client call tomorrow. YAY!!!

Create a nice day,

Lara

2007-05-21T21:16:00.001-06:00

I think it's time I start writing my blog posts in the morning. I'm just too tired at night! Most mornings I get up, write in my gratitude journal, read something inspirational and get started.

Starting tomorrow I'll write my daily appreciations here! And I'll include a recap of the previous day...much like I do now.

Before we move on to the new entries, I'll share today's tale.

We landed our first full GMPS package order today! Woo hoo!!! This is the same client we did work for last week. He upgraded to our full services this afternoon. I'm very excited!

I'm hoping this is a prelude of things to come as we have a call with a potential client on Wednesday. How wonderful would it be to land two projects in one week?! I'd be beside myself with joy. I like imagining how I'll feel when that happens. I've got a happy dance all planned out!

In other news, our apprentices are MIA. They could be doing work for all I know because no one has checked in with updates. I've asked for those updates several times but haven't gotten one.

Not sure how best to tackle that hurdle so I'll sleep on it and see what we come up with tomorrow.

This truly has been an incredible couple of weeks! I am so happy to have been able to celebrate with a trip to Mexico and a trip to see my family. It is wonderful to have this kind of freedom and control over my life. I know I have miles to go but they are finally exciting miles. I see possibility and I believe in my ability to create those possibilites and outcomes as I determine them.

It is a wonderful life! It''s been amazing to share it with those I love the most. Tomorrow will be even better because we are having a family BBQ and the majority of my family will be in one place having fun together! We'll take pictures to share with you. :)

Here's hoping your day was wonderful too!

Create a nice day,

Lara

Saturday reading

2007-05-19T12:16:00.000-06:00

Well I am spending most of the next two days with friends in different parts of Wisconsin. I'm unsure of my Internet access so this may be the only weekend entry you get. I thought I'd make it informative and fun!

Here's one of Daniel Levis' weekly articles. Enjoy!

Create a nice day,

Lara

Busy Bee Friday

2007-05-18T22:11:00.000-06:00

Lots of tasks got done today...busy Friday!

Here's what I did:

*contacted a few apprentices (4 have been given
the first steps)
*submitted our Google MainPage Report for a $10K contest
*completed a personalized iGoogle.com page for a client
*downloaded more gifts and sent thank you notes to everyone

Lots going on but it's after 11pm and I'm tired. It's been a great week and I'm looking forward to more exciting progress next week! Stay tuned because I've got my first client phone call to make in the middle of the week.

Let's see what happens!

Create a nice day,

Lara

Happy Birthday to me

2007-05-17T15:16:00.000-06:00

Yay! It's my birthday today.

It has been a fun day...made a few sales, contacted some more folks and generally had good times all around.

There are several apprentices who have agreed to work on this project but I haven't gotten updates from them. No word on how they are doing or even what they are doing.

It is a challenge to help others...especially when they don't help themselves.

I know I did the same thing! I turned away from help - almost always without realizing I was turning them down and/or pushing them away.

But that is why I am here to help others - because people helped me.

So I'll continue to be here to support, guide and offer assistance to anyone who is willing to reach out for it.

I am learning to better define that line between actually doing the work for them and simply helping. It's an ongoing process! It is fun when I look at the experience (or any other experience for that matter) as a process and a continual improvement versus an obstacle.

It's much easier to learn, grow and continue when every experience is viewed as a learning tool...at least for me it is. Hopefully I can help others to life their lives the same way. It's much more fun!

Anyway, that's my daily update. I'm going to take the evening off and spend it with my family.

Making Progress

2007-05-16T20:33:00.000-06:00

There are definitely days that test my strength and my persistance. For some reason today was a day like that. Perhaps it's the pressure of a looming deadline for payroll ($2K by May 30th) or maybe it's just the stress of having been on the road for the better part of the last month.

It's nice to work from anywhere but it can also be a test of patience. Have you ever tried to write an email with two teenagers fighting next to you? Or with toddlers underfoot?

As always, there are pluses and minuses to every situation and there are definite drawbacks to only spending 6 days in my own home. I miss my dog! I miss my bed! I miss having quality quiet time with myself.

So I am a bit stressed. This is the first real test I've put myself under as a business owner. The world won't stop turning if this doesn't happen but I would strongly prefer we reach our goal!

I battled through the doubt, anxiety and fear today along with herding my apprentices.

On the plus side, I made two sales! Yipee!!! I did a little happy dance. It's a nice pre-birthday gift for me. :) Tomorrow's the big day, my birthday. It would be so fun if my sales would double or triple tomorrow! :) A girl's gotta dream.

So stay tuned and see what happens in the next 26 hours. I'm excited!

Til then,

Lara

More Promotion

2007-05-15T23:12:00.000-06:00

I spent the day sending out more thank you emails (got a sale!) and moving the apprentices forward.

It would've been much easier to give them an audio recording of their instructions but step by step emails will work just as well. As long as they get going I'll be happy. It's a lot of work to do this by myself.

That's my exciting news for the day - I hope tomorrow I'll have more sales and more apprentices to tell you about!!!

Til then,

Lara

Chugging Along

2007-05-14T21:21:00.000-06:00

Well our conference call was a bust. None of the apprentices got on the call to get their instructions so there was no recording to send out. The point of the call was to get them moving and earning. I'd love to see a few of them enjoy the benefits of their own promotions as I think it would keep them committed to the apprenticeship.

There have been several people who have fallen by the wayside as we progressed but there are a few who are sticking with it. I'm thankful for my experiences with all of them because they are teaching me so much. It's invaluable for me!

Other than the conference call I spent the day sending out thank you notes for all of the giveaway products I've received. Tomorrow is much of the same!

I also started an MSN AdCenter campaign to promote the Google Main Page Report.

It's been fun and I greatly appreciate the experience.

All the best,

Lara

Here We Go!

2007-05-13T22:51:00.000-06:00

There are 6 apprentices ready to join me on our latest endeavor. I'm so thrilled to have more people on board! I enjoy the process we're going through so it's great to have more help. I'd much rather do this as a big team.

The more the merrier I always say!

I'm back in Wisconsin for the next 2 weeks and I'm so happy all of this great stuff is happening now. As much as I celebrated in Cozumel being able to share in my achievements is that much more special when I share with my family.

My family has been very supportive of me through the rough times so I'm incredibly appreciative of the chance to show them I can and do reach my goals. Woo hooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been a busy weekend of weddings, visiting friends and family and Mother's Day activities so that's my update. :)

Til tomorrow...

Lara

The Money Dance

2007-05-11T22:20:00.000-06:00

Woo hoo!!! That's what I said today when I woke up and saw some conversions. :)

12% to be exact.

How cool is that?! Extremely.

I'm really excited about the report and the whole process. It's a terrific learning experience and even better to get paid while I'm doing it. :) It's about time for that money block to be released.

Remember when I said you'd see some exciting things over the next few weeks? Here they come! Come and join me in the money dance. It's the greatest thing ever I think...even better than the Macarena. And you know you loved that dance.

Hang in there, this is going to be fun - strike that, it already is! It's simply going to be even more so as the days progress.

Stick around!

Lara

Google Main Page Secret Revealed!

2007-05-10T20:59:00.000-06:00

I'm always looking for faster, easier and cheaper methods of promoting my web site. One of the subscribers to my list stumbled across a fabulous way to have my site permanently placed on Google's Main Page ... and it didn't cost me a penny!

Once I did this, I knew it was so good that I had to get it out to you!

I knew you would want to get your pages on Google too so here's the Google Main Page Report.
Come and sit on the top of Google with me!

Here's another cool thing about this report... it even shows you how to get Google to put your AdSense link on the main page too! Imagine Google paying you to be on their main page every single day for the rest of your life!!!

Can you believe you get all of this in one little $7 report?! Exciting isn't it?!

So act now, don't hesitate! There's only a certain amount of real estate on Google's main page so you've got to get on it fast.

Follow this link and grab your spot right now!

To your success,

Lara Kay Loest
SiteHunt.com

P.S. Remember it's just a couple of bucks to discover this secret tactic! Get your business on top of Google with one easy to use report.

Some Cozumel Photos

2007-05-08T21:12:00.000-06:00

Well I promised to show you photos when I got some so here they are! Enjoy.

The first photo is from our day cruising the island on mopeds. It was one of the best days of the trip!

This second photo is just a night by the pool before dinner. We're all relaxing and having fun.

Are You Willing to See Both Sides of The Coin?

2007-05-07T19:22:00.000-06:00

Most of us think we want to be rich, famous, etc but very few are willing to accept both sides of those coins. If you want to be a millionaire, you must do what millionaires already do. You can't continue to act the way you are and expect different results.

A lot of people aren't aware of that fact however. I have become aware of this truth in recent months.

And being self-employed has had a lot to do with that. It has been a painful process for me at times, internally and externally. I have had to examine my internal beliefs, actions and thoughts around money specifically.

It took some reflection for me to see that my once low self-esteem led to a negative (almost perverse) relationship with money. I'm letting that go finally.

Money is merely a tool that makes life easier. And it most certainly is a reflection of how you value yourself...or at least it is for me. I am finding it much easier to create situations where money will flow from; it's much easier to develop these relationships because I believe in myself and because I love myself.

I don't think I ever really did before or at least not consistently and my results expressed that belief.

I still have miles to go in the financial arena but at least I see progress. Any sign of positive progress is beneficial because I can look back on it and draw from one growth experience; I can build on it to create more. Isn't that cool?!

I do see that money is beneficial for me and I can do so much good with it. It's merely a way I show myself how worthy I am. And I am so very worthy. :)

Money isn't the devil manifest or the root of all evil. The worship of money can be viewed as such I think. The only thing I want to worship from now on is love, joy and beauty in all things and in all people. And so I shall!

Peace and love,

Lara

Slow Turtle Sunday

2007-05-06T22:24:00.000-06:00

Today was another slow day...another steady stream of reality droplets hit me and I took care of personal matters around my house. And I did it slowly, very slowly. Much like a turtle carefully plodding along towards its goal with no sense of time, space or urgency.

Yep, I'm still moving myself back from turtle mode (aka island living) into full working mode.
Tomorrow will be another step in that direction! Hopefully a very big one.

While I get back to my tasks, enjoy this interview with Gary Bencivenga. It's a treasure trove of goodies for anyone interested in copywriting. Enjoy!

John Carlton's Lesson Learned From Gary Halbert

2007-05-05T22:18:00.000-06:00

Today I took it easy and kept things light. As I began to get back into working world mode, I realized there were a few projects I forgot about last week.

One was my weekly status report that is due every Thursday. It completely slipped my mind.

The second was a weekly newsletter that is due every Wednesday to our web site members. Again, it didn't even enter my train of thought all week.

On one hand it's good that I relaxed so much that work wasn't at the forefront of my thoughts. On the other hand, it showed me that it would be beneficial to have a back-up for me. Someone I can hand projects off to and know they are taken care of. And that's where our apprentices come in! YAY! :) So again, I see the value and importance of building a team and working together.

Other than those thoughts, I just read emails most of the day. I don't think I'm quite finished but an interesting one I thought I'd share came my way from John Carlton. He has yet another insightful blog post you can read it here.

John Carlton is a brilliant copywriter and today he shares his thoughts on what he's learned from Gary Halbert. It's one particular bit of valuable info for all copywriters: studying the human species. A topic I have always found incredibly fascinating and useful in my daily life. It's a must-have trait for anyone who is involved or interacts with people every day. And don't we all do that?!

John says much more and in a more brilliant manner than I can so I'm sharing the link with you.

Check it out here.

Quick Update

2007-05-04T20:08:00.000-06:00

I spent most of the day traveling back to the states so there's not a great deal to report.

The coolest part of the day was that I ran into the property management client in the airport check-in line and then we sat across the aisle from each other on the plane. And finally we sat next to each other on the shuttle bus back to our cars after the flight. How funny is that?! It's pretty cool.

I also had breakfast with the other potential client this morning and then saw him at the Cozumel airport.

The day was a whirlwind of travel though and I'm a bit beat. We left the hotel around 9:30am and arrived at our baggage claim in Colorado about 4pm.

By the time I dropped off some folks, drove home and unpacked it was about 6pm. I'm tired! :) But in a fantastic way. The trip was absolutely wonderful and I would've been overjoyed to stay another few days! Island living has a powerful effect on my soul. I'm calm, relaxed and content.

This is just a recap post. Here are a few things I'll be working on over the weekend:

catching up with my apprentices. We have 5 people working on tasks...but only 4 of whom I've talked to in the last 2 weeks.
read my emails (literally several hundred from the last 3 days)
sort through business cards
set up networking meetings for next week
begin crafting the emails I'll be sending as follow ups with the potential clients I met this week

It's going to be a hectic few days because I am heading back to Wisconsin on Wednesday to spend a few weeks with family.

My goal is to set up two meetings and send out two emails (to the potential clients) by Wednesday night when I leave. It will be fun so come on back and watch me work my magic. :) Ok, maybe it's not magic but it is fun to create!

So even though I'm not jumping for joy to be back in Colorado, I am happy to be working on new projects and new clients...both are fun fun fun!

See you soon...

Lara

P.S. I'm waiting on photos from other folks from the trip so when I get them, you'll be the first to know!

Heat Exhaustion

2007-05-03T16:29:00.000-06:00

As I do with most things, I overdid the last 2 days here in Mexico. Tuesday I spent the afternoon wandering around the town square and looking at different shops. Yesterday I spent my afternoon exploring the ruins of Chichenitza on a guided tour. The tour was pretty lame but the ruins are incredible. I highly recommend visiting the site, minus the tour guide.

But I spent too much time in the sun with too little water and too little rest so by last night, I was sick with exhaustion. I'm still wiped out today.

Not much to report in the way of copywriting news. We've got a few apprentices on task but since I'm on vacation things have slowed down a bit. I certainly needed the down time so I won't get worked up about it. That doesn't do much good anyway so I'll just roll with it. :)

I promise you'll have a terrific recap of my trip to Cozumel (complete with photos) very soon!

Til then, enjoy yourself and I'll see you soon.

Lara

Short & Sweet

2007-05-01T16:17:00.000-06:00

Yes this post will be just that...short and sweet. I spent all afternoon in the sun, walking around the city and checking things out. I am exhausted.

Met up with the potential client I was telling you about (he's checking his email next to me as we speak) and we had dinner last night. We continue to run into each other so one of these days we'll head off on our bikes and go into town.

Other than that, I'm not working much at all which is good for me. :)

Tomorrow I will be off touring some of the ruins for a full day. The full tour and travel time is around 14 hours so I won't be posting.

See you soon!

A Three Hour Tour

2007-04-30T18:08:00.000-06:00

Today we rented scooters and drove around the island to see something other than our resort and beachfront. What a gorgeous glorious place we're in! It's incredible, one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I feel so blessed to be here.

Yesterday I was retelling my scuba story to some of the people in my group when another group of folks joined us. They are from the Bellingham, Washington area and are professional divers (some are pros, some are recreational I should say). A few of the men were telling me they had similar experiences when they began diving and that I should definitely try again when I have more one on one attention so I can take my time getting accustomed to the underwater breathing thing.

Well one of the men and I began talking on our own and eventually we got to talking shop (business). It turns out his business is very much in need of some press releases (and more PR). He donates some of his work to charities and does great things for them. That is the absolute perfect story for a press release.

So of course we exchanged information and continued talking about other stuff. Eventually we made plans to meet up today and rent bicycles to check out the real Cozumel. We planned to meet in the lobby at 3pm.

Today I arranged my scootering around the 3pm bike ride. I arrived back at the hotel around 3:15pm, a few minutes late because we took a wrong turn on our mopeds. He was nowhere to be found and I have not seen him since.

I'm sure he'll pop up again before the week is over and if all else fails, I have his business card so I can be in touch.

I did find it fun to talk to him and get to know his business, his family, etc. It's so great meeting so many wonderful people and finding ways to help them! Whoever thought I'd get paid for it?! I love it!

Now I'm off to dinner. I'm feeling a little under the weather so this post is very brief.

See you soon!

Lara

Just Another Day In Paradise

2007-04-29T14:21:00.000-06:00

Cozumel is absolutely wonderful. I am having a fantastic time. This entire trip is fabulous. I feel incredible. I AM incredible! :)

This morning I signed up for my intro to scuba course and we went about our group training session. I simply could not get used to breathing under water. I simply couldn't do it and I gave my all. By my 12th attempt at sitting on the bottom of the pool (you have to go in the pool first), I was shaking from head to toe and crying. Yeah, crying.

It's the oddest feeling to breath underwater and my mind wouldn't accept it. Normally when I panic or feel uneasy, I take deep breaths to calm myself down and I find my center very easily and naturally. The problem today was that I didn't feel like I could breath! So instead of calming me, I panicked even more. It was not my finest hour but I did try (and yeah that's all I did was try. You know what trying is right? Failing with honor and I certainly did today).

So I've decided to just relax this afternoon and read by the ocean. I may give it another go on this trip but I'm not certain. I will definitely sign up for a scuba diving course because I CAN overcome this fear. I just don't seem to be there yet. And it's all mental, I know it. One day I will be a certified scuba diver. :)

And that's about all I've got for you. It's warm, sunny and the Caribbean breezes are blowing so it's time for me to sign off and enjoy paradise!

Be well,

Lara

Another Day By The Sea

2007-04-28T15:33:00.000-06:00

Well not a lot to report in the way of copywriting news today...just spent the day hanging out by the water and relaxing under the sun.

We've got a few new apprentices who have come on board recently and one who has risen from the ashes. I thought she had fallen by the wayside but she emailed me yesterday and asked to join in again.

So we're well on our way to my goal of 10 world class copywriters. My goal was April 2008. I'm excited to see us create that, I believe it will happen.

You should definitely be here in Cozumel. Sand, sun and surf. It's amazing. I feel so incredibly at peace (well except for last night's drama but that's for my personal blog). I really needed this trip! I had no idea how tense I was. Well, that's not entirely true. I knew I was fairly tense and concerned about life but the more I unwind and decompress here, the more I see just how high strung I felt!

No photos from last night yet but they are floating around out there. I just have to make sure they're suitable before you see them! We've got some wild and crazy people in this group...I am not one of them. I just enjoy watching them do wacky things!

There are about 40 of us, almost half men and half women...I believe all but 4 of those 40 are single. Yeah, it's made for some interesting situations already!

So I'm off to snack before dinner and have a drink. And then more dancing, dancing, dancing! I have been voted the Dancing Queen of the group so it's time for me to uphold my title. It's salsa night so we'll see how that goes! Should be fun.

Til tomorrow...

Lara

Fate or Circumstance?

2007-04-27T17:41:00.000-06:00

Well you've seen that I can create situations based on my desires. This week has been a virtual waterfall of experiences in that vein. Today was the same.

I woke up at 3:15am (yes, 3am) and prepared to leave for Mexico. We made our flight with time to spare, got settled and eventually we were in the air. I sat next to a woman named who is part of the social group I'm in Mexico with and on the other side of me was another woman. I actually never got her name. She was nice but quiet and clearly wanted to be alone. (Most of us had been awake since at least 4am so I can understand not being interested in conversation with a stranger).

Eventually the no-named quiet woman got up and left. She switched seats with another man for some reason and he sat down quietly, absorbed in a book.

After about 2 hours of flying, we all got restless and started chatting and hanging out in the aisles. My friend interrupted the man next to me to apologize for our chattiness. He was cordial and we all began talking.

He runs a property management company based in Colorado but with rental properties in Cozumel (where we flew into today) and Playa del Carmen. We chatted a lot about what he does, how he got into it, what he loves about it (makes good money, travels, meets great people) and what he doesn't love (misses time with his kids and wife). After about 20 minutes of learning about him, he asked what I do. I told him I'm a copywriter and that I create content for web sites, press releases, ads, etc.

His interest perked up and he was curious to know more. He asked if I'd be willing to look at his web site and give him feedback in terms of what we could improve and what it would take for me to make those improvements (ie payment). I said it would be my pleasure to help him and that I'd be in touch when I got back from Mexico.

So we may have stumbled upon a client who has a terrific business (he gainfully employs 19 Mexican residents and provides them with significantly more income then they'd make elsewhere), terrific product and good cashflow.

And he's a terrific guy to boot! I had a great time chatting with him. We must've talked for at least an hour.

So what do you think...fate or circumstance?

I think neither. I think it was my intent and request to the Universe.

I must admit, I'm fairly impressed with myself. :) I'm even more excited to see what will happen. It's only the first day here - we could 7 new clients by the end of the week!

That's it for me though. I've now been awake for way too long and I'm simply exhausted. But it's a long night ahead - dinner, drinks and dancing!! Hopefully you'll see some crazy photos.

Til tomorrow...

Lara

Off To Mexico - Think You Can Fit Inside My Luggage?!

2007-04-26T22:22:00.000-06:00

The countdown has begun...in about 9 hours I will be on a flight to gorgeous Cozumel. If you can fit inside my suitcase you're welcome to come! I'm just so excited.

Since I have to get up in about 5 hours, I'll quickly recap the day's activities and then sign off.

7am breakfast networking meeting...I met 3 fairly strong leads. Now I simply have to quote them a rate and see what they can do with that. I also picked up a man who is interested in the apprenticeship program. He has plenty of clients who need copy and he's tired of writing bad sales copy for them. Voila! We fill his need and as our apprentice, he learns how to write great copy. Cool huh?!
Met with the other 2 folks til almost noon today. There's potential there, we'll see what happens.
This afternoon I uploaded more keywords to MSN.
I also made a few phone calls to friends who have leads for me.
We sent our weekly status report and then I packed. :)

So now I'm off to bed so I can get at least a few hours of sleep. I have to admit the 5 hours of networking was pretty exhausting! It's wonderful to be a part of a business owner's vision and dreams...definitely energizing. It's also very easy to get caught up in their conversation.

Today I learned how to better keep someone on task when discussing their business. :) I'm improving, there is still plenty of room to for growth though!

Anyway, I'm off to bed. I'll see you in Mexico!

Look At Our Newest Apprentice!

2007-04-25T17:00:00.000-06:00

I was so impressed with this young man's first copywriting assignment. I think you will be too. View it below:

http://edwardwrites.googlepages.com/lara.html

Pretty good huh?!! Boatloads better than my first solo ad was!! It's exciting stuff we've got going on.

Like I said, it's only going to get better and better...like starting Friday when I'll be writing to you from the sandy white beaches of Cozumel. Jealous aren't you?! :) I'd be if I weren't already going.

Wish me blue skies, happy fishes and wonderful new friends of all kinds.

Quick recap of the day and then I've got to get to sleep early tonight because I have a 7am networking breakfast. Frankly, I don't usually roll over til about 7am so this is going to be a stretch! Thank heavens someone invented coffee.

Today I met with a friend about copywriting projects for her. Things are picking up in her arena and we'll projects are coming in.

I did have to spend part of my afternoon reinstalling all of my information on my computer. The hard drive died on this laptop about 2 weeks ago and the new hard drive arrived. The essentials are installed and working properly.

Beyond that I did some more networking at the gym tonight, got my business cards ready for tomorrow and contacted a few other friends about working for them. Things are picking up and the energy is flowing. It feels good as I know I'm in control of the situation and its outcome. It is definitely time to put the grapes under some stress and create an exceptional wine.

Did you know that vineyards actually stress their grapes? There is a certain level to which grapes must be stressed in order to produce fantastic wine. Wine makers know this and they stress their grapes and bring out their very best.

Interesting when you think of that as a metaphor for life. I know I think of myself in that respective and it completely changes my perspective on things. I am thankful for the opportunity this challenge presents. It is yet again moving me out of my comfort zone which is wonderful! This is the very best thing that could happen to me.

I guess I didn't give you the details did I?! Currently I live rent-free in exchange for cooking and cleaning for my roommate. He has decided he needs to rent out my part of the house so he can buy a home in the mountains. Good for him and even better for me! No more cooking and cleaning, no more messy roommate! Although I will miss his dog a lot but for what he's asking in rent money, I can afford to get my own dog. :)

So now I'm in a situation where I would strongly prefer to increase my business profits and fully support myself. My goal had been to do this by August of 2007 but we'll just speed up the process. (There's a definite theme here...I move much slower than the Universe wants me to. How long do you think it's going to take me to figure that out???).

Although at times I am nervous as I don't know where I'll be living in June...wouldn't you be?! But then again, none of us really know anything beyond this moment do we?! We don't and if you think otherwise you're fooling yourself.

Anyway, we are now generating more revenue and moving right along. I'll have plenty of money by June...in fact, my business will be awash in green energy by then! It already is. :)

Now I'm off, time for my one lovely hour of Holosync and then sleep! What a busy bee kind of day...very fun.

Til tomorrow...

Lara

Boost Your Online Traffic In A Matter of Minutes With This One Technique From PortalFeeder

2007-04-24T23:38:00.000-06:00

Remember the additional money-maker I promised? Ok so it's not specific to your blog but it is a very handy tool to have in your toolchest.

Check out this is a clip from PortalFeeder on how to generate more traffic to your web site.

You'll see that it ties in quite nicely with my earlier post about press releases. :)

Since the embed code on YouTube.com isn't working, I can only share the URL here.

I hate to do that for fear you'll leave and never come back but I'll post the link anyway because it's valuable information and because I care about you dear reader. Come back when you're done!

It's late, I'm tired so I'm off to sleep. Stay tuned, you're going to see some incredible things happen in the next 6 weeks. We have to make miracles, there's no other choice...otherwise I won't have a roof over my head in June.

Til tomorrow...

Lara

How To Write A Killer Press Release

2007-04-24T13:21:00.000-06:00

What is the most underused marketing tool today? It’s the press release.

In today’s edition of the Information Marketing newsletter we’ll unlock the secrets to writing a good press release. In this first part of a two part series, we’ll look at what a press release is, what should go into a press release and how to best capture the news media’s attention.

Press releases are often overlooked by a lot of self-employed folks but not you! Take advantage of this type of marketing and you’ll be three steps ahead of the
competition.

What is a press release?

You may be asking yourself what exactly is a press release? You’ve probably heard the term before but you may never have written one yourself. Your business will benefit from knowing what it is and how to use it.

A press release is a pseudo-news story that shows an editor or reporter why your particular person, event, service or product is worth being covered in their publication or media outlet.

What’s in a press release?

Now that you know what a press release is, let’s find out what actually goes into your press release.

As we said earlier, a press release is newsworthy. It’s something important that has happened or will be taking place such as a grand opening of your new business, the
newest addition to your product line or a recent promotion for someone in your company.

Still not sure if your news is really news? Ask yourself these questions:

*Is your topic or subject matter relevant?
*Does it add value to the marketplace?
*How does it add value?
*Does it matter to a journalist?
*Do you have a story to tell?

These are key questions to ask yourself, they will create your best possible press release. When you can answer these questions, you’ve got a great start!

Angles Angles Angles

The easiest way to write a press release is to write a story. The media loves a story, it makes their jobs easier, their bosses love the tales and readers prefer to hear about other people versus just plain old news.

The purpose of your press release is get the media to notice you and cover you. A well-written story will do that for you. A story doesn’t mean making something up, it means you find a relevant and interesting angle and then write about
it.

For instance, got a great customer who has used your product for 35 years? Cover it.

Did one of your clients find a new use for one of your tried and true products? And that new use has increased their business by 15%? Perfect, write about it.

The best stories are the stories that come from your customers. They’re easier to write, they’re more interesting to the general public and journalists know that. Do yourself a favor, write your press release as a story!

So what if you don’t think you have story? There are plenty of other ways to angle your topic so the news media is interested. Simply find a way to tie your topic into current affairs and events of the day and there’s your angle!

For instance, let’s say your product is natural pet food. With the recent pet food recall you’ve got a great chance to capitalize on a hot topic of the day. Write a press release about how you now offer informational packets outlining the
ingredients in your pet food so owners know what they’re giving their dogs, cats, parakeets, etc.

Position yourself to show a human interest angle and how you help your customers. Simply show, don’t tell.

If you’re still stuck and wondering if your news is relevant, call us and we will help you figure it out. You can find our contact information here:

http://www.ZeroToProfitASAP.com/copywriting

With a bit of time and preparation, you can really increase the public’s awareness of your business with great press releases. They provide a lot of bang for your buck!

In next week’s edition, we’ll look at the specific parts of a press release such as the headline, subhead and body.

See you then!

Lara K. Loest
Managing Copywriter
http://www.ZeroToProfitASAP.com

P.S. Feel free to pass this information along to your
friends, family and anyone else you think will benefit!

When Does Attraction Work?

2007-04-23T21:30:00.000-06:00

Life is an ever unfolding story and today was another exciting chapter! We landed our first copywriting project.

Let me tell you the tale...

Yesterday I went to church (Mile Hi Church, check it out when you're in the Denver area. It's based on Ernest Holmes Church of Religious Science) and set out the intention of creating one new client by this Friday, April 27th 2007. After attending service, I filled out a prayer request with the same intention and then I went about my day.

Last night I came home to work on a few things and received a PM from a woman in the Warrior Forums. I had offered to help her and provide a testimonial for her new book. She gave me the link, thanked me and offered to help me in any way she could if I would only ask.

So I did. I explained that I was a copywriter and was bringing on more clients. Perhaps she might know of someone and she could pass my information along. Free consultation I offered. :)

She wrote back and said she needed a sales letter for the book and would I be interested in writing it?

Well of course I would! I was ecstatic to say the least!!! And so our relationship began. I sense she is a very kind person, at least from all of her posts and from our email exchanges (along with her book which is wonderfully written in a loving manner).

And that is the story of how I created our first client. Wonderful isn't it?!

Naturally I spent part of my day analyzing and wondering how I had manifested this situation. I like to understand things fully so I can recreate them (or not create them again if they don't serve my highest good).

And I came to the realization that it was three steps: decide, commit and act. Or thoughts, feelings and actions.

I thought about what I wanted, I became very clear about it.

I felt how joyful it would be to have that client (and in so doing I committed myself to the goal).

And then I acted. Now that was the tricky step because at first I didn't see how I created this relationship or what actions actually achieved this goal. I know that I have helped others and it hasn't resulted in a client (not in such an immediate fashion anyway).

As I was analyzing and turning this over and over in my head (which is something I love to do by the way), I came to the understanding that simply because my thoughts, feelings and actions where in alignment I was bound to create my goal in some way. I realized I didn't have to know exactly how it was going to happen, just that it (my goal) was going to happen.

Let me tell you, that is not the simplest concept for me to grasp. And do you know why? You probably guessed it long before I did but it is because I have to trust, I have to trust the Universe, I have to trust myself and my role/responsibility in the creative process.

Trust has been an ongoing issue for my entire life. I admit it, I own that aspect of myself and I am changing it. I am trusting more and I am giving more and I am opening up myself much, much more.

And as I do, wonderful things unfold and happen all around me.

So I have committed myself to trusting more and learning that as long as my thoughts, beliefs and actions are aligned I can create whatever my heart desires.

I am trusting that I don't have to know exactly how things will happen, I just have to know that they will and act accordingly. It's so much easier and makes me feel so much lighter, calmer and relaxed! What a miraculous discovery!!

Til tomorrow...

Lara

P.S. I know I promised you a video clip about generating more traffic so you will have it tomorrow!