It turns out that I used to be a perfectionist before coming online in 2006. I never thought of myself in that way, but on more than one occasion someone accused me of only being happy if something was perfect. As a classroom teacher, I thought that I always encouraged my students to do their best, and did not ever make them feel that if what they did was not perfect that I would ever think less of their accomplishment. If you have kids, you know that perfection does not exist!

But in my personal life it was a different story altogether. I was so hard on myself for the smallest things. I insisted on trying to be perfect when it came to cleaning my house, getting involved with my community, and working on projects. When I could not do something perfectly, I would simply give up. This led to a life filled with frustration and half-finished projects. I was too close to this to see what I was doing, even those who were closest to me tried to help me understand what I was doing.

The last straw was when I was injured at work and had to have knee (torn meniscus) and shoulder (rotator cuff) surgery within a few months of each other back in 2001. I was unable to work, to clean my house, and even to drive my car for part of that time. I threw in the towel and began to ask for help. This was so difficult for me in the very beginning. I can remember being at the grocery store and asking them to help me with a large bag of dog food. I began to go into great detail about my surgery and why I couldn’t lift the bag into my cart or into my car. Finally, the lady at the register said to me, “It’s alright. We want to help you with this.”

It was as though she had given me permission to ask others for help. It felt good to know that I could still get what I needed done, even though I could not do it myself.

When I came online in 2005 I saw that the biggest names on the Internet all had people helping them with various facets of their businesses. Back them I felt like I had to do everything myself because no one else could possibly do it as well as I could. I saw my perfectionism slowly creeping back into my life in a big way. This could have ruined my business had I not taken control and reframed it. Instead of insisting that everything be perfect, I made the conscious decision to strive for excellence in everything I did. This continues to be my business strategy and it serves me well.

What are your thoughts on perfectionism?

Lisa Gergets lives in a very small town in Wisconsin. Actually, she lives outside of this very small town. I first connected with her through our mutual friends Wil Mattos and Jason Fladlien during their recent auction. Lisa was offering a course on a unique approach to creating Amazon minisites and it was exactly what I wanted to learn.

Her online business was born out of a problem she needed to solve. Lisa had worked in the mortgage industry for eighteen years and needed to supplement her income to pay the heating bills During 2007 she started making fingerless gloves from old wool sweaters and she sold them for twenty to thirty dollars a pair. She set up a store on Etsy (a popular craft site) and marketed them to her Twitter followers. The gloves were extremely popular and sold well, but she got burned out because it was so labor intensive. During the Christmas season she even had her husband helping her. She realized that she was trading time for money, even though it was paying her heating bills all winter long.

One day on Twitter she heard about a course on how to set up affiliate sites using AdSense. This was in 2009, after AdSense had already gone through massive changes. The training she took taught her exactly how to set up these sites successfully, and she decided then that she wanted to teach others how to do this same thing. Lisa brainstormed with her husband and the idea was born that she would create her own course on creating niche sites. By now she had spent time building relationships with others on the Internet, and these people told their lists about her new course.

All of her products have come from something she has needed in her own business. This includes several plugins that she has had software developers create for her during these past few years. When she sees a need she is not afraid to pursue the right people to help her to achieve her goals. Lisa considers herself to be far more creative than technical, so it made sense for her to outsource this part of her business. The first plugin she had created was based on a free on that Amazon had offered and then stopped supporting.

Lisa says that she gets her ideas for new niche sites by looking through the advertisements in the Sunday newspaper and also by thinking about the products she wants and needs. She doesn’t over analyze or over think what she does. She describes this strategy as simple, but not easy. There is definitely work involved, and this can be an excellent long term strategy for anyone who wants to build a sustainable business on the Internet from their home computer.

She does all of the work on these minisites herself, except for the headers. I love this strategy because you have complete control over what you create, how many hours you spend building the sites, and just how far you go with this business model.

Her advice to new online entrepreneurs is to get started today with the training you already have, instead of always looking for something new.

I highly recommend Lisa’s training on how to set up your own Amazon sites. It’s called Amazon Minisite Mega Profits. You will be amazed at how much training and support she offers at an incredibly reasonable price point.

Carl Goldman, KHTS radio station co-owner (with his wife, Jeri Seratti Golman, pictured with him), is an entrepreneur, a community leader, and a humanitarian. He is also my friend, and when I asked him to be my guest for this week’s podcast he was quick to agree. He and Jeri are second generation radio folk, which is extremely rare. They’ve owned the radio station, KHTS 1220, since 1990, and have been fixtures in Santa Clarita ever since moving here with their two young sons. When the earthquake hit in 1994 KHTS became the communication source for everyone living and working in the area. Carl is also active with the local Red Cross, and leads the SCV (Santa Clarita Valley) Disaster Coalition. All of this has led to his further involvement in the community, in politics, and beyond.

Santa Clarita, a city of 280K just north of Los Angeles, is unique in many ways, including geographically. This has made it possible for Carl to move into other areas that are so important to him and his values in terms of helping others in times of need. Santa Clarita has gone through eight major disasters since Carl and his family moved here in 1990, including fires, floods, and earthquakes. KHTS, along with the SCV Disaster Coalition, have become first responders in many cases.

Carl also discusses his involvement in Habitat for Humanity, which now has a focus of helping veteran’s with their housing needs in our city. Their biggest project, through Habitat for Heroes, is a village of 87 homes to be built exclusively for returning veterans. They have partnered with many local non-profits and groups, including College of the Canyons, Child and Family Center, Action Family Counseling, and the Sheriff’s Department, in order to better serve the needs of these young warriors. This is the first program of its kind in the United States.

We also talk about the opportunities for entrepreneurs that arise from community involvement. Carl recommends choosing a local non-profit that you are passionate about and getting involved, but to make sure its mission is close to your heart. He and his wife, Jeri, were passionate about helping the families of children with cancer after having neighbors with a young son who was going through this, and they were instrumental in the founding of the Michael Hoefflin Foundation to support families throughout our region who are dealing with childhood cancer. He shares that many businesses build a brand around their community involvement and take an active role in causes that resonate with them.

He describes the economy as a roller coaster, making it next to impossible to put together a five year plan. Many new businesses fail, so it’s crucial for entrepreneurs to have enough resources and contacts to be successful. There are small business development groups in many communities, and this is the place to start. The goal is to connect with the people who are willing and able to guide you in your business.

I asked Carl his thoughts on masterminding with like-minded people, and he said that he does sit down with others in the community to share ideas and information on a regular basis, and even does this with his competition. They do this informally, over lunch or dinner, and this is where some of the most effective ideas are born and nurtured over time.

Carl feels that it’s important to stay on the cutting edge of technology to stay ahead of the curve, and they are now finding that their traffic from wireless sources is increasing at a very fast pace at Home Town Station. He anticipates that within a year more than 60% of the radio station’s traffic will come from wireless sources. He also believes that ‘Google Places’ is a worthwhile use of your time to help your business grow. I would encourage you to check out the KHTS Home Town Station website to see more of what they are doing.

This is the second post in a series on eBook writing by my friend and colleague Jim Edwards. Ebooks are more popular than ever, and Jim is the ‘go-to’ person on this topic. Be sure to leave a comment if you have questions for him on how to write an ebook.

One of the biggest mental roadblocks most would-be authors encounter sooner or later in creating their own ebook is wondering whether they have enough experience to actually write an ebook or not. They wonder if they’re “good enough” and if readers will judge the answers in their ebook as “good enough.” In fact, I believe this question best summarizes the entire issue for most people:

“How can I identify a problem that I have enough expertise in to offer a potential reader a profitable solution, especially in an ebook?”

First, let’s define “profitable solution” and then we’ll move on to the experience part of the question.

A profitable solution is one that solves people’s problem(s). That’s it! If you can solve the problem for someone, then you can provide a “profitable” or effective solution. End of story. (See, I make things easy!)

Now, let’s move on to the experience part…

FACT: The VAST majority of people tend to discount their own experiences and elevate the importance of other people’s experiences. You can use this to your advantage with a simple shift in mindset.

If you understand that people tend to discount their own experiences and elevate those of others, then all you need to do is move forward! When you solve their problem, the vast majority of people will think you’re smart, take you at your word, and never question your experience – especially if your solution to their problem works reasonably well.

Finally, let’s address how to spot a problem people need solved.

Here are 5 areas where you can look for potential problems that you could solve for others quite profitably with an ebook (or special report).

Past Experience

Take a long hard look at your past experiences in your job, career, hobbies, passions or any other areas in your life. Again, most people tend to discount their past experiences because they don’t realize how much value they can mine from those things with just a little thought and reflection.

Problems Solved For Yourself

Think about a big problem you’ve solved in the past. Think about times in your life when something really bothered you and, when you solved it, you felt like shouting out to the world “Look at me! I DID IT!” Those types of problems can form the basis for an ebook because they show you have the experience AND you can produce results (solve the problem). Also, problems you’ve personally solved help you write killer sales copy because the story of your own struggle and the fact that you overcame it makes for a VERY compelling sales message.

Problems Solved For Others

What do others come to you for help in solving? What are you known around the office for when it comes to getting people out of a pickle? Again, people tend to discount their own experience and say “It’s no big deal!” But I’m here to tell you it IS a big deal and you need to pay attention! When others ask you for help, this is a signal that you may have found the basis for an ebook or special report.

Problems You Need Solved NOW

We all solve problems in our specific areas of expertise. Life is a process of solving problems. Think about a pressing problem you have right now that is driving you nuts. Instead of avoiding that problem, you need to get excited! Why? Because once you solve that problem you can turn around, package up the solution, and potentially sell it (or at least make an affiliate commission pushing someone else’s solution to the problem)! That simple shift from seeing problems as a pain in the rear end to potential profit centers gives you an entirely different outlook on life!

Questions You See Others Asking

In your travels around the Web – specifically on social media, blogs, and forums – pay attention to the questions you see others asking. Look for patterns. Look for huge amounts of pain. Look for problems that people need immediate answers to because they have a lot riding on finding the solution (in other words, it hurts a LOT). Often, seeing the questions other people ask will trigger you to think of or recognize a problem you can solve for that group.

So in the end, you basically have enough experience to solve people’s problems once you DECIDE you have enough. Also, finding a profitable problem to solve is very straightforward once you know where to look. So, as a wise man once said “There’s nothing to it but to do it!”

Jim Edwards

Selling online since 1997, Jim is an Internet Marketing Expert, Author, Elite Mentor and Coach

He specializes in helping individual entrepreneurs, small business owners and authors to understand how to use technology to build your online business.

Jim is the author of dozens of ebooks, hundreds of webinars, over 1,000 blog posts and articles.

His flagship ebook “How To Write and Publish Your Own eBook… in as little as 7 Days” – newly revised and updated with V2.0 – has been helping book and ebook authors create their own best-selling ebooks since 2001! Get more information about Jim and how he can help you get more readers, make more sales, and skyrocket your credibility here =>http://eBookWritingProfits.com

D’vorah Lansky is a bestselling author (Book Marketing Made Easy: Simple Strategies for Selling Your Nonfiction Book Online) and is passionate about helping authors market their books online. She has been innovative in this area, producing the annual Book Marketing Conference Online and this year’s Digital Publishing Virtual Summit, as well as being the founder of the Book Marketing Alliance and the Book Marketing Made Easy Academy. D’vorah coaches and trains authors around the globe in online book marketing practices. I have known her for three years now, and had the honor of mentoring her personally as she was developing her online business.

As she began to focus on marketing her own book, other authors started coming to her for help with the marketing of their nonfiction books. Her results are nothing short of amazing, and she is most generous in sharing her personal strategies with others. If you have written a nonfiction book and want it to move your business forward, D’vorah is the person you need to be connected with for stellar results.

We discuss virtual book tours, and how she first had the idea for this after our mutual friend, Nicole Dean, went on a virtual blog tour over a summer. I got involved as well, and D’vorah was the very first person who guest posted on my blog. This all led to the creation of virtual book tours, where you share information about yourself and your book on other people’s blogs. Authors have had great success with this concept, and D’vorah is the one who teaches you how to do this every step of the way. You can take your book on tour around the globe without ever leaving home!

She has a master’s degree in education, so D’vorah is able to teach you in a way that is unique and easy to understand. You will love the way she works with you if you get involved with her training, and I strongly suggest that you do. This combination of teaching ability and marketing savvy is what sets her apart from everyone else working online today.

D’vorah has also been extremely successful on the social media sites, connecting with business owners and entrepreneurs around the world to work with them directly as they market their books on the Internet and work to achieve best-seller status. I believe that she has a ‘sixth sense’ and intuition about marketing that is extremely rare in the world. You must have D’vorah in your life!

She has included me in her interview series, which she is now publishing as a book series. My interview is on ‘How to Make Money with Your Message’. This is another one of her unique and innovative marketing ideas that will help you to achieve your goals as an author and entrepreneur.

D’vorah Lansky is the ‘go-to’ person when it comes to marketing your book. Be sure to sign up today for your collection of Virtual Book Tour Tips.

Sign up for all of the calls in this podcast series by subscribing at no cost on iTunes.

I recently had the pleasure of spending almost a week with Nicole Dean. We were part of a brainstorming and mastermind group put together by David Perdew, founder and CEO of NAMS, the event I speak at twice each year in Atlanta. David and his wife, Charlsa, live in northern Alabama, and that is where we met. But first I had to get from southern California to Alabama, and that’s how I was able to spend so much time with Nicole.

I flew into Atlanta, and then on to Pensacola, Florida, where Nicole picked me up at the airport. It was almost eight at night when my flight arrived, and we still had almost three hundred miles to drive to get to David and Charlsa’s cabin in the woods in Alabama. Spending time with anyone for this long gives you a unique perspective into their personality and character, and Nicole did not disappoint. I only wish I had been able to record our five hour conversation so I could share it with you.

We finally arrived, and the mastermind began. David’s daughter, Jen, was also a part of this group. What happened during our three days together is a story for another time, but I will tell you that it was life changing for all of us in many ways.

When the mastermind was over Nicole and I made the five hour drive back to Pensacola, where we spent a day and a half at the beach. This time was exactly what I describe in my latest book, The Weekend Marketer™, where I discuss what I refer to as the ‘Quarterly Getaway’. Nicole has been doing this for some time now, and being able to escape to the white sandy shores along the Gulf of Mexico is the perfect setting. It’s less than an hour from her home, and she can do this with her husband, her entire family, with one or two business partners, or simply by herself.

It was during the last two days of this trip that I truly got to know Nicole. She is a brilliant woman, a savvy marketer, and someone you can confide in with both your business and personal issues. We are both ‘only’ children in our families, yet she has a way about her that makes you feel like she is the big sister to everyone she encounters. I love that about her. Nicole will also make you think, even if you resist it and just want to spend some time in ‘not thinking’.

She made me think about how I’ve set up my business and how that suits my lifestyle. Just a few short years ago I would not have been able to fly across the country and spend a week with business friends. Now I can do this several times each year, as well as attending and speaking at more than a half dozen live events each year, and vacationing several times a year with family on two different continents.

Nicole helps people to market their information products and strategize their business. The way I first connected with her was when she was working as an affiliate manager for someone else. Then I started purchasing her PLR (private label rights) content as I was building my business and needed more content.

I would encourage you to connect with Nicole, check out her high quality PLR, and start her fabulous online training on how to market your info products. You’ll be thinking differently real soon, and your life just might change the way mine has changed. You will find that she is approachable, easy to get to know, and totally down to earth. She even pumps her own gasoline!

Alicia Forest, 21 Steps business coach and entrepreneur, has it all. She made the conscious decision many years ago that she would not work for someone else once she got married and had children. At her last position, working for a university, it worked out perfectly in that she set her intention that she was going to leave. She went on vacation, and returned to be told they were downsizing, and that her position was being eliminated. That was twelve years ago, and Alicia has been an entrepreneur ever since. This allows her to be at home with her two young children, spend summers at the lake with her husband and the kids, and live the life she loves.

She sees that being entrepreneurial is a choice, and Alicia feels that her business allows her to serve others. She wants to be a champion for her client’s dreams and loves working closely with people as they build their ideal business.

Alicia’s first business coach introduced her to the idea of leveraging the power of the Internet to grow her business, and she has added the ‘in person’ component by hosting her own live events. She feels that her business model is perfect for what she wants to achieve in both her personal and business life. She believes in having different mentors at different times in your life in order to grow and shape your business and better serve your own clients.

I took Alicia’s 21 Steps Live course this past summer, and it was life changing for me. We went into depth on how to align your sales funnel to build a business that suits your lifestyle. She also has a Leap Learning Lab where she teaches a new topic each month and explains in great detail how to implement what you learn in your own online business. You can get started for just a dollar.

Alicia has an MBA in Leadership, which gives her a unique perspective to doing business as an entrepreneur. She feels that so much of what she learned and now shares, including strategic planning, impacts her teaching and the results her clients are able to achieve. Planning your business over a period of time makes the difference in the level of success you are able to reach, while also eliminating stress. There is also room for spontaneity, but in a way that makes sense for your overall goals. She does not work during the summer, and this is all a part of her strategic plan for her business.

I asked Alicia to share some advice with those new to their business, and she encourages you to find someone you can model and learn from, while also receiving support. She also says that you should continually ask yourself what new piece of information you need in order to move forward logically. Seek out that information and implement it quickly. Be sure to check out her Leap Learning Lab to find out more about how you can leverage your time, elevate your business, accelerate your success, and prosper.

Before I came online to work exclusively in 2006, I worked as a classroom teacher and as a real estate broker and residential appraiser throughout southern California. I have said many times that if I had known as much about marketing and leveraging the power of the Internet then as I do now my real estate business would have been much easier and more lucrative.

But is marketing only applicable to business? I think not.

We market ourselves on a regular basis in our daily lives. It’s our way of connecting with others and building something referred to as the ‘know, like, and trust factor‘. Allow me to give you a concrete example of this strategy.

Two of my friends, Tom and Dina, have a daughter, Caroline, who is a senior in high school this year. Caroline is a top student, yet she is shy and introverted when it comes to getting involved with activities at school. Two years ago the school counselor told them that unless Caroline could show that she was more than just academically outstanding, there would be little chance of her getting into the college of her choice.

That’s when they came to me for help, and I began the process of ‘marketing’ Caroline to the world. My goal was to showcase her gifts and talents, in a way that would suit her personality and get her noticed by the college admissions offices. I met with the family every week for about six weeks to put many things into place that would build her credibility and increase her visibility.

The first thing we did was to make a list of Caroline’s accomplishments: She had played the piano since she was eleven; she used to play soccer in elementary and junior high; and she excelled in mathematics. We needed to show that it would be a benefit to have her as a part of any college freshman class.

Because Caroline is shy and reserved, my approach was to turn her into a minor celebrity who could say almost everything she needed to from the solitude of home. We set up a blog for her, and also a channel on YouTube. She began posting about her love of music, and then invited readers to watch the videos she was making where she was playing the piano. She posted about her school’s soccer team, and gave a detailed analysis after each game of what they could have done differently. She posted about various math topics, and then offered to help anyone who had questions or was having difficulty with their homework.

All of this was put into place to build Caroline’s credibility, but none of it would matter unless we could get the word out about what she was doing to increase her visibility. To do this quickly, I recommended that she connect with at least three other students who were key ‘influencers’ in the high school community. After a long discussion and strategy session we narrowed it down to three students she knew fairly well. Her assignment was to tell each of them about her blog, and to ask them to let others at school know about it as well.

The results have been nothing short of amazing. She became a minor celebrity at school very quickly by leveraging the power of the Internet. The music department asked her to join them for their upcoming events; the math department asked her to start a program for after school tutoring, and the soccer team asked her to be a student advisor for their next season.

Caroline was able to stay true to herself, while also getting involved in activities she was passionate about. When she filled out her college applications she had so much more to include that showcased her talents, skills, and abilities. She is currently in the process of applying to schools that meet all of her criteria so that she will have a bright future.

What about you? Can you see by this Case Study that marketing is not just for business?

Bob Burg, Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea co-author (along with John David Mann) and thought leader, was kind enough to spend time with me recently. He believes that the amount of money one earns is directly proportional to the number of people they serve, and I agree with this philosophy completely. Bob is actively involved with a variety of charitable causes, including some that care for animals and underprivileged children.

The basic premise of the Go-Giver is counterintuitive to its title. He and co-author Mann feel that the title is a ‘pattern interrupt’ and grabs the attention of those who are attracted to and in alignment with the message. This message is that shifting your focus from getting to giving (constantly and consistently providing value to others) can be a wonderful way to live, and financially profitable as well.

I asked him if he was saying that we shouldn’t be ‘go getters’, and he said that we must have the go getters who take action and make things happen. There is no natural division between the two; the opposite of this is someone who is a ‘go taker‘. These people don’t achieve the success they desire because they may feel entitled without giving value to others. The main character in the book, Joe, starts out as a ‘go taker’ and learns that ‘go giving’ makes more sense in his life. A person who can make that shift in their life is the one who succeeds and accomplishes the most.

But, is this simply saying that nice guys and girls finish first? Bob says that being nice, in and of itself, is not enough to make someone successful. Nice is important and helpful, but many nice people are also broke. You must do the right things in the process, and the Five Laws lead the way to success. He and Mann promise that if you’ll follow these Laws you must be successful.

Five Laws:

• Law of Value – this Law states that your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment. Price is a dollar amount; value is the relative worth and desirability to the end user. You communicate your value to someone through your focus – you’re focusing on them and providing value to them Bob relates this to what I do online in that Money is an echo of value, it’s the thunder of values lightning. The value comes first and the money is a natural result of that value you have provided to others.
• Law of Compensation – Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them. Nicole Martin, the teacher in the story, leverages her value by increasing her reach. You must touch the lives of many with what you do. This Law represents your actual income.
• Law of Influence – Your influence is relative to how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.  All successful leaders run their lives and their businesses this way.    All things being equal, people will do business with those they know, like, and trust.
• Law of Authenticity – People will respond to you when you are your authentic self. Always tap into your true, authentic nature instead of trying to be someone you are not.
• Law of Receptivity – The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving – giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin. All giving is made possible because of the receiving that goes along with it.

Bob feels that we need to have both a vision and a system to make that happen. You must be persistent and take action on what you want. The Go-Giver is a must read. I’ve added it to the Reading List for my online programs and know that you will benefit from Bob’s great wisdom.