Maryam Webster's Amazon Blog

BadEconomy > fix > gosub=WordOfMouth.  (geeks in the audience can laugh at will) There’s nothing like a personal recommendation. After all, you’d take your BFF’s recommendation over an impersonal ad, wouldn’t you?

If your business is running a tight marketing ship this year and your team is scrambling for marketshare, you’ll want to pay attention to “The Buzz Canuck” - a canny word of mouth supporter, I met on SWOM - Society for Word Of Mouth. Especially if you, like many of my clients, are a solo entrepreneur, or your larger company is downsizing its marketing budget (as many are) - you can still leverage the Law of Attraction by Word Of Mouth to build your outreach, visibility an market share. What do you want others to be saying about you? As Buzz explains below, know WHY moreover, WOM is important as a marketing, relationship and just plain good business strategy:

• For BEST Visibility in left-side Twitter bakgrnd: restrict left colum to MAX 1 5/8″ OR 120px W and 550px or 7 5/8 H - see mine 4 example! #
• New Year’s luck secured: made XLNT pot of Dad’s recipe blackeyed peas, ham & onions w/mom’s recipe pure corn (no wheat!) cornbread. Oh YEAH! #
• Wish U Tweeples a Happy New Year! Join Me Jan 6, free: ETHOS Method 4 Transformation, Healing & Radiant Resolve: http://snipurl.com/9cld3 #
• Kit-kat “The Tosh” making herself a complete silly by sitting in bidet and begging for water 2b turned on. Me: “You’re a cat” Her: “And?” #
• just back from dinner with hubby & lovely truffled asparagus, brussels sprouts & spinach salad…oh & there was some kind of steak, 2… LOL #
• Retweeting must-read pal & Networking/Branding Maven @krishnade: Twine & Twitter, Social Networking Tools For 2009 http://tinyurl.com/975md8 #
• Check TOTALLY COOL & ever-puckish @Shermanhu “Half Hour Huddle” Soc.Netwrkng vids New: hthttp://is.gd/e473 Beautiful “twilight” @sarahu! #
• back from mountains, lovely holiday, relaxing now for the rest of week - woohoo! If u emailed while i was gone, its *buried* - EM again pls! #

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Hi folks, in case you’re not getting my newsletter*, here’s an important update:

I’m giving a FREE ETHOS Method teleclass this coming Tuesday at 6pm Pacific. The theme of this class is “ETHOS for Radiant Resolve” and will focus on teaching how ETHOS can be used for a variety of issues, and also addressing those New Year’s resolutions that never seem to go further than the end of February. Find out about this great new way to transform your life, heal yourself and even make money if you want to. Plus, heal the world and yourself, while you’re at it. Many more details plus:

Register free here

* What? you don’t have your Blisskit yet? Pop your details into the form at left of this page and you’ll get that, plus all the upcoming news on The Energy Coach Institute, Everyday Bliss and ETHOS Communities and happy thoughts and articles on energy coaching, positive psychology & world transformation.

Oh, you know you need you some Hu. Social networking buddy Sherman Hu (on Twitter @shermanhu) is the most joyful - dare I say “puckish” - and amazingly generous webpreneur I’ve met in a long time. Plus which, he’s charmingly in love with his wife, the beautiful Sarah, and his kids. An all-around wholesome, decent fellow it’s my pleasure to introduce you to.

Stick with Sherman, and he’ll help you like he’s helped me to make sense of the sometimes confusing welter of Web 2.0 opportunities we’ve all been told we must take advantage of to maintain relationships, promote ourselves and create our web platforms with.

Leverage these platforms and win - clients, credibility and ka-ching. But dear Dorothy, that Web 2.0 yellow brick road is long, twisty and tricky. If you don’t know what you’re doing you can fritter hours, days, weeks away.

But it can be so much simpler with the right guide. Sherman Hu is such a guide and nope, he’s not paying me a cent to say this, I’ve just observed his offerings for long enough to know - he’s my go-to on this stuff. If you’re bamboozled by how to keep track of your WordPress, Twitter, FaceBook and other new “must do” social media platforms, I highly suggest you start watching Sherman’s every-Monday “Half Hour Huddle” on ShermanHu.tv.  This broadcast simplifies and demystifies emerging new media (blogging, podcasting, video, social media) so business owners can profit. Which is way okay by me. 

Slightly out of Sherman’s main oeuvre, but an excellent classic and back for the new year, is one of his episodes on creating a more profitable year in all ways by a little simple reflection and forward planning. It’s from 2007, but is still relevant today. Below the video is my interpretation of Sherman’s template you can use to plan your own year. Enjoy!

Here’s an easy recap of Sherman’s 2009 Vision & Goals form mentioned on this video. He suggests doing this with your spouse or significant other, which is a great idea. Print yourself out two and share with your partner when you’ve both filled them out. This will prevent potential mismatching down the road when you’re rollin’ and your partner says “what the heck? I didn’t know you were planning to….!”

2009 Vision & Goals

At the end of 2009, what would I realistically like to say has happened in my life?

2008 Recap:

Business

What did I Accomplish in 2008?

What were my main Frustrations in 2008?

At the end of 2009, this happened for me to be happy with the progress in this year:

Family & Home

What did I Accomplish in 2008?

What were my main Frustrations in 2008?

At the end of 2009, this happened for me to be happy with the progress in this year:

Spouse & Romance

What did I Accomplish in 2008?

What were my main Frustrations in 2008?

At the end of 2009, this happened for me to be happy with my progress in this year:

Friends & Fun

What did I Accomplish in 2008?

What were my main Frustrations in 2008?

At the end of 2009, this happened for me to be happy with my progress in this year:

Fitness & Health

What did I Accomplish in 2008?

What were my main Frustrations in 2008?

At the end of 2009, this happened for me to be happy with my progress in this year:

Personal Growth

What did I Accomplish in 2008?

What were my main Frustrations in 2008?

At the end of 2009, this happened for me to be happy with my progress in this year:

Financial & Material

What did I Accomplish in 2008?

What were my main Frustrations in 2008?

At the end of 2009, this happened for me to be happy with my progress in this year:

My Key Word/Phrase for 2009 is:
example: “All of life comes to me with ease, joy and grace”, “Wahoo!”, “Yes I can” etc.

Sherman suggests you put this into a 2009 Planning Grid as shown on the video. Sage advice, and a standard in the life coaching community. Just do it! I used Adobe InDesign to do mine, but you could equally use OpenOffice tools, Microsoft Excel or Word. Here’s the rough plan for you to harvest and fill in for yourself:

Across the Top: 2009 Vision | 90 day goals Jan - March | 30 day goals (2 per each 90 day goal) | Outcome

Down the Side:
Business
Family & Home
Spouse & Romance
Friends & Fun
Fitness & Health
Personal Growth
Financial & Material

Fill this grid in as the year goes on and enjoy…

And thanks Sherman Hu, for ALL that you do. Respect!

• Merry Christmas Wireless finally back. Hubby turned me on 2 this early gift - ooee, lord! Not only smart but hunky widit! lhttp://is.gd/doHi #
• RT @tinaforsyth: Send yr VA right now to Tina’s brand new site for VA training: http://www.hotskillsvatraining.com Beginning VA’s - GO THERE #
• how can gameshow host get *orgasmic* abt Pismo Beach? Is beachbunny yobbo armpit. Small towns desperat 2 advert. I get why doing this now… #
• Sign of econ times: gameshow prizes “Exciting trip to magical Mesquite, Nevada” & “Fabulous Pismo Beach, CA” In betr times: Paris or Tahiti #
• snowed in at cabin but fortunately, neighbor is generous w/her wireless. uh…howdy. didn’t expect 2b tweeting for week. tv, GF cookies… #
• musty blankies in the cabin freshend by grandma’s lavender, thanks for stalwart oil heaters after interesting hot tub - g’nite Twitterland! #
• Hey @TerriZSoloCEO, why not use PolyView? Shareware, but free download: http://www.polybytes.com/ Enjoy! #

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There are so many lessons in Presence, in Community, Leadership and Cooperation we can learn from animals. Here’s just one more for the holidays. Before you roast that Christmas goose (if that’s your thing) check out what these community-minded fowl can teach us all.

Leadership Lessons We can Learn From Geese

Geese Fact: As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an “uplift” for the other birds to follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 70% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Our Lesson: People who share a common direction and a sense of community get where they are going quicker and easier — because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Geese Fact: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Our Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

Geese Fact: When a goose tires, it rotates to the back of the formation as another goose flies to the point opposite.

Our Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other’s skills, capabilities and unique arrangement of gifts, talents or resources.

Geese Fact: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Our Lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups — where there is encouragement to stand by one’s heart or core values and encourage the same in others — is the sort of honking we seek.

Geese Fact: When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then they launch out in formation and try to catch the flock.

Our Lesson: If we had as much sense as geese, we would stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

Friendship and love, even across species. This is what it looks like. Check your heart when you look at this picture…that’s what it feels like. (see below for more)

It always amazes me when I meet people who won’t cosy up to another human being, who won’t accept help, whose stiff-necked pride depends on being “completely, totally independent”.  I used to see that a lot back when I was a social worker. And even today, in some who would consider it beneath them to accept a helping hand, or others who won’t reach out to their networks when they really need to.

Now I enjoy my financial independence, being an independent thinker and things like that, but will I accept a hug, a friendly nuzzle or a helping hand?  Oh, you betcha! And revel in the close-knit communities I enjoy being part of.

Come on, folks. It’s the holidays. If you really need to, and even if you don’t - reach out, please. You’ll be doing someone else the immense favor of allowing them the extreme blessing of giving, and yourself the equal blessing of receiving.  No perps, no victims - it’s an equal exchange. Think about it.

Ask  your mom or maiden aunt for a hug. Get your dad to help you check your tires or change a lightbulb. Sincerely ask a colleague’s opinion on your latest product or business thought. ‘Tis the season of giving, so give that blessing to others.

In that, we can all stand to learn a thing or two from our animal friends. The first thing we can all do with more of that this pair of buddies has down: friendship and love - even across different species. Thanks to Certified Energy Coach Carol Sanderell for sending this beautiful photo essay and heartwarming story of the fawn Finchen and her wild rabbit companion seen above.

The full essay (in  both German and English) with loads of pictures can be found here: http://www.tanja-askani.de/ Talk about magic, communication and inspiration! If you’re a big softie like me, you’ll cry tears of joy. Check out her other photos of interspecies communication.  Warm your cockles for darn sure.

Earlier in the AM popped a post through the box and in it, this delightful paen to minibloggers from Rob Schultz. You can follow Rob on Twitter here and follow me, Maryam here.  And enjoy Rob’s hilarious Twitventure…

Vicki Robin is the lady who started Conversation Cafe’s and co-authored Your Money or Your Life. In her recent newsletter she quotes a poem by Pablo Neruda on keeping quiet which I repeat here.

In this season of giving, this time at Winter Solstice when light begins returning to the earth, take a moment from the hustle-bustle of your busy holiday to pause, become quiet, and simply just be…

Keeping Quiet - A Callarse
Pablo Neruda

Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.

This one time upon the earth,
let’s not speak any language,
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.

It would be a delicious moment,
without hurry, without locomotives,
all of us would be together
in a sudden uneasiness.

The fishermen in the cold sea
would do no harm to the whales
and the peasant gathering salt
would look at his torn hands.

Those who prepare green wars,
wars of gas, wars of fire,
victories without survivors,
would put on clean clothing
and would walk alongside their brothers
in the shade, without doing a thing.

What I want shouldn’t be confused
with final inactivity:
life alone is what matters,
I want nothing to do with death.

If we weren’t unanimous
about keeping our lives so much in motion,

if we could do nothing for once,
perhaps a great silence would
interrupt this sadness,
this never understanding ourselves
and threatening ourselves with death,
perhaps the earth is teaching us
when everything seems to be dead
and then everything is alive.

Now I will count to twelve
and you keep quiet and I’ll go.