Geoff Hoff passed away recently, and the world will never be quite the same. Geoff and I had been friends since meeting at an event in Austin, Texas during 2009. Actually, we had met online almost a year earlier, but it wasn’t until we were face to face that we were truly connected.

Within a year I had been instrumental in launching him to the world as a speaker, copywriter, and person to know if you were in the world of online marketing. He was a talented writer and storyteller and I like to think that I assisted him in sharing his gifts with a much wider audience than he had previously. It was my pleasure to be a mentor to him, but over time we experienced something of a role reversal as he began to play a more significant role in most of the work I was doing online.

With Geoff I was willing to step out of my box as an introvert and do some things I had not dared to do previously. This included singing a duet of “Sweet Caroline” with him in front of an audience of more than a thousand people at Armand Morin’s Big Seminar in 2010, writing a full length book with him in only seven days in 2011, and hosting my own live events starting in 2012 after only doing this previously with Dr. Jeanette Cates. Geoff gave me the courage to put aside my fears and become my own person in so many aspects of my life.

Over the years we began to intertwine our businesses, and we both benefited from the collaboration. We wrote two books together, as well as compiling several books on a number of topics. This led to the creation of our publishing company, Hunter’s Moon, through which we proudly published the work of a number of authors, primarily in the non-fiction, business genre.

We both continued to write on our own, and Geoff went on to write a sequel to the satirical novel he had written with partner Steve Mancini. These works were based on a comedy web series called Poor Paul, which is currently being made into a feature film. He and Steve, nominated in 2009 for a Webby for this writing, are even listed on the show’s Wikipedia page, something I used to tease him about regularly.

But we were much more than business partners. Geoff and I had become close friends, confidants, mastermind partners, and so much more. It’s difficult for me to imagine what life will be like now that he is no longer at the other end of the phone line. He was the kindest, most giving person I ever met, putting his own life on hold to help others in need. And he never said no when asked a favor by someone he knew. This past summer I emailed him from Europe to ask if he could pick me up at the airport the following day. He answered quickly that this would not be a problem, and took me to his apartment where I was able to shower, go online to do some things for my business, and make some phone calls before having him drive me to meet a colleague with whom I had agreed to connect with later that evening at a hotel near LAX. Without hesitation, and without asking me any personal questions about what I was doing and with whom, I waved goodbye and made the appointment I so needed to keep.

At the time of his passing Geoff and I had more than a dozen projects in the works. These included two new courses, another full length book, and a membership site.  He had a number of his own projects going as well, including a full length science fiction novel that I expected to be the best work of his career.

Geoff Hoff was much more than a writer. He was also a fine artist, a sculptor, an actor, and a director.  That one person could accomplish so much is such a short lifetime will continue to amaze me. I can only hope to be as productive as he was if I live another twenty years.

This year has been a difficult one for me personally, having lost several other close friends and family members within a very short period of time. What has been different with this is that Geoff’s passing has been so public. Even though some of the others I have lost have been people who were in my life much longer than Geoff was, in each case I’ve been allowed to mourn in private. For the first three days after his passing I did grieve in private, along with his family, close friends, and those in my online Incubator and Platinum Mastermind groups. After his brother posted about his death on his Facebook wall and mentioned me by name, I awoke on the forth day to hundreds of email messages, text messages, phone calls, and social media comments. This was new territory for me, and something that has definitely taken me out of my comfort zone. I finally know something of what it must be like for celebrities and others living in the public eye, and I do not envy their position.

When I broke the news to our editor the question finally came up as to what was to become of a book Geoff had revised for release right after the first of the year. The most beautiful way to end something that you had wanted so badly to last forever is with a new beginning. The updated version of Poppycock will be released on March 20, 2016. That is the first day of spring and seems like the perfect time to launch it into the world.

Online Marketing Incubator Tips

In this latest podcast I discuss the importance of using a Study Guide as a part of your podcast. I had been doing this a couple of years ago and will now include one for each training call. Here are some of the topics I covered during this podcast…

• Thinking of yourself as a Content Publisher
• Spending time reading each day for business growth
• The “10,000 Hours” Concept for entrepreneurs
• Productivity and Time Management
• Accountability – to your Mentor and to yourself

Download the November, 2015 Study Guide at the top of this page by clicking on this link…

My latest book is about the strategy that continues to work well for me and for many of my more active students. It is titled Book. Blog. Broadcast: The Trifecta of Entrepreneurial Success. Check out my published book titles here.

During this podcast I also discuss the new course I am teaching with Ron Tester, entitled How to Market for Small Business. This course begins on December 1. If you would like to build a lucrative business by helping small businesses and professionals to make their phone ring, or if you own a small business and need more clients, then this course is definitely for you.

These open calls are your opportunity to connect with me and ask me your most burning questions when it comes to online marketing and entrepreneurship. Be sure to read my regular emails so that you may take advantage of this live mentoring as you build your online business.

I have also introduced a new feature during these calls. I will always have the latest course or program at my Surprise! link. Check it out and see what I am recommending this week.

Are you already a part my list community and receiving my daily email updates? If not, please give me your first name and primary email address in the form on the right-hand side of this site. If you are brand new to my podcasts, you will be interested to know that this specific training call, as well as all of the calls in my podcast series is intended to teach you and other new online entrepreneurs how to take your business to the next level quickly and effectively, and as a way for me to share my exact methods, techniques, Case Studies, secrets, and advice on creating a profitable and lucrative online business using the ‘multiple income streams’ approach. People on six continents have now discovered that starting an Internet business is the very fastest way to achieve both time and financial freedom, as well as to great success in all areas of your life, and you need help to get there quickly. That’s why I started this online marketing tips podcast for my community.

You will see that each podcast session is first recorded live as a teleseminar, and then repurposed into a podcast to extend my reach to the world. Please join my list (opt in on the right) to be included on these calls, and be sure to introduce yourself and share your site for optimal exposure for years to come! Also, check out my Podcast Show Notes site to see how you can subscribe at no cost to both of my podcasts, and please leave me a review on one or both of them if you are so inclined.

Want to get started earning income online right away? You may now pick up my popular training on winning affiliate contests and other online marketing tips for only seven dollars at Affiliate Contest Secrets. This training regularly sells for $27. Use the discount code CONTEST to bring the price down to $7. This training has been completely updated for 2015 with the latest information, strategies, and Case Studies for you to use in your own business.

Please be sure to leave your comments below so that I may get to know you better and to serve you as you continue your journey as an online entrepreneur. Getting started with an online business will change your life forever and my reward is your massive success!

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Networking Tips to Grow Your Business

Recently I was asked about the effectiveness of networking to grow your business. I’ll share some ideas on how this will work for you, both online and offline.

First, take a close look at what is referred to as your “circle of influence”. These are the people you are connected with, whether on the internet or in person, who know exactly what type of business you are involved in and how you serve others with your knowledge and experience. Hopefully you have done a good job of cultivating these contacts since you started your business, but if you’re making a list and still attempting to write down more than a dozen names or so this is an area you can definitely improve upon.

Many years ago when I was working in real estate I was amazed at the people who received referrals regularly from their circle of influence. Even if they had not seen each other in years, these people were quite loyal in doing business with someone who had stayed in touch over the years. At the time I did not understand this strategy, but over time I saw that this was an excellent way to grow and sustain a successful and lucrative business.

Make a plan for what you can do every day to add more people to the list of those who will see you as an expert in your field and a trusted adviser to them and to their connections. This can be done in a variety of ways, and here are some ideas:

• Attend a local networking meeting in your city regularly
• Join a service organization and get involved in projects
• Make sure your social media profiles mention your business
• Choose a charity that resonates with you and volunteer
• Reach out to people in your neighborhood to let them know what you do
• Attend or start your own Meetup group to share your expertise

Everything I have mentioned here is free of cost, but you may want to set up a budget for your networking efforts. Thirty second spots on local radio can be very worthwhile, as well as having a table or booth at local events where you can give out cards and collect names. These might include pet fairs, holiday boutiques, and other weekend events where large groups of people are likely to attend and be open to learning more about you and what you have to offer.

Subscribe to and read your local newspapers and magazines to find out what is coming up in your area. Even if it sounds like only a remote possibility of being able to connect with people who could become your prospects and clients, be open to doing it anyway. One of my clients set up a table at a pet adoption event and picked up more than a dozen clients this way.

Even though meeting people in person and looking them in the eye is preferable, remember that you can connect with exponentially more people through online venues. Some ideas for this include blogging, hosting and being a guest on podcasts and local radio shows, and writing articles, short reports, and books on your areas of knowledge and expertise. These will all give you almost instant celebrity status and increase both your credibility and visibility.

Use sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to let the world know what you think about important topics related to your business. Over time this will make a huge difference in how you are perceived by others in your field, as well as by new prospects and current clients.

As you can see, this is all about putting yourself out there and getting out of your comfort zone. Have the willingness to challenge yourself to increase your circle of influence steadily over time for best results. Leadership skills can definitely be learned, and networking with people on a regular basis, both online and in person will help you to grow your business exponentially for years to come. What are some networking tips that have been effective for your business?