Energize-Me

We've Moved To a New Blog Home: GailHahn.com

2007-07-06T09:26:00.001-07:00

We've packed up and moved this blog to a new host at GailHahn.com. The dust hasn't settled yet and we're still re-arranging the furniture and hanging pictures on the walls. The paint hasn't dried and the drop cloths are still crumpled on the floor, but we're inviting you over there anyway. Just because we're friends and you can grab a paintbrush and help me spruce it up with your suggestions as we go. I'm always open for new ideas, because the biggest room in the house is the room for improvment!

Come see us at our new digs: GailHahn.com, catchy name, eh?

Claim Your Independence

2007-07-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago this holiday week, I put myself on house arrest to write my first book. It was Independence Day and I decided to claim my independence from the shackles of a tyrant boss and a job from hell by writing the first of many books and articles on how to energize your life. That book was the springboard to my career and financial independence as an entrepreneur, professional speaker and author. My life was never the same after the book was published by Labor Day - quite possibly the fastest book to be written and published on record in just 2 short months. I was determined to get on the fast track of working for myself.

Now I'm working on the third edition of the book, it may be turned into a workbook so it's more interactive...it's been on the back burner while other ventures are bubbling over. It's been an exciting ride and there's lots more to come. Many different ways to claim independence: from administrivia, from housework, from yard work, from running errands in order to reclaim my time for the things that matter. Outsourcing is a wonderful thing.

How can you restake your claim on your independence this holiday? What can you do to outsource some of your time so you can reclaim that time back for the things that matter? Can you start a new side business that will earn passive income so you can claim independence from a j-o-b? Call me at 480-802-0103 and I've got some ideas for you to create your own cash machine to get you on your path to true financial independence. There's nothing more energizing than feeling your freedom and knowing you can fly. Freedom is a wonderful thing. In what other ways can you claim your independence and also celebrate your interdependence with those who matter most?

Happy Independence Day!

Celebrate Your Point of Enoughness

2007-07-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

Americans seem to be on the treadmill of always striving and never arriving. The deal it, that you've got to know when you reach your point of "enoughness" so you know when you can celebrate your arrival. When do you really arrive? Where are you arriving? Have you taken time to actually know what you want to accomplish in order to know you've arrived? Once you're there, do you move the finish line?

Some say that they'll keep moving the finish line as long as it's still fun to achieve. Some say they'll never reach it, or else what's the point after the finish line, death? Or retirement? What's after retirement? What's after death? Another finish line?

Having goals keeps up energized. It's not even the fact that we reach a particular goal, it's just having something just out of our grasp that we keep reaching for that keeps us motivated, excited and keeps us moving forward and also keeps our energy up. What are you looking forward to? Are you putting enough things into your life to look forward to? How do you know when you have reached your point of enoughness? Authors Vicki Robin and the late Joe Domenguez stated in their book Your Money or Your Life, that after your point of enoughness, there is a dimishing return of satisfaction and the way to fulfillment is through giving. Giving to your community, giving to others, giving of your knowledge, giving some of your share of the pie. How are you giving of yourself to keep yourself and other energized? Take stock of what you really need to energize your life and to be at your point of enoughness, then take the time to celebrate.

Time = Money = Life Energy

2007-06-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

Forget the Euro, time is the currency of the new millennium. Unlike money, which can be earned back and recreated after it's spent; time cannot be earned back once we spend it. So we need to spend it wisely and in alignment with our values, goals, wants and needs. Be purposeful about the use of your time and guard your time as you would guard your vault, it's more precious.

We all know that time = money. But it also equals our life energy. When we spend time doing something, like work, we are exchanging our life energy for money. Being aware of how we are spending our life energy will help us decide whether or not we are making good choices with our time and with our life.

Rethink your spending habits of your time and your money. For instance - if you make $10 per hour and want an item that costs $100, then you would need to exchange at least 10 hours of your time for that item. Is that item really worth at least 10 hours of your life to have? In essence, you make far less than your official hourly wage, when you consider the time it takes to commute, buy lunch, buy work clothes, buy gas or subway tokens to get to work. It really boils down to maybe half of your official hourly rate, so that item for $100 realy is costing you about 17 hours of your life....is it worth it?

Make wise choices on how you spend your time and how you spend your money and you will reap richer rewards in the area of your life energy. Be very aware of your boundaries for your time and spend your time on the things and with the people that matter.

Your Transitions, Your Calling, Your Energy

2007-06-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

In the past two weeks I've received a dozen phone calls and emails from others telling me of their life transitions and seeking a bridge from what they've been doing to what they want to be doing for the next phase of their life. Many have been doing what they think they 'should' have been doing, they either studied it in school, they were good at it, or they just got very comfortable, but now bored with it. Three of these people just quit their jobs and others told me they couldn't believe how much energy they felt after their last day. It's called FREEDOM. I just received an ezine that stated: employees commisserate and entrepreneurs brainstorm. Enough said on that one.

Note to self: just because you are good at something doesn't meant you should be doing it as a career.

How do you know you are doing what you should be doing or to stop doing what you've been doing? It can be summed up from a passage from The Seat of the Soul:
"When the depest part of you becomes engaged in what you are doing, when your activities and actions become gratifying and purposeful, when what you do serves both yourself and others, when you do not tire within but seek the sweet satisfaction of your life and your work, you are doing what you were meant to be doing. The personality that is engaged in the work of it's soul is bouyant. It is not burdened with negativity. It does not fear. It experiences purposefulness and meaning. It delights in its work and in others. It is fulifilled and fulfilling."

As a person experiences "flow", where their knowledge, skills, abilities and talents are met with the appropriate challenge, all time and space stand still - they are in the zone. That is when you know you are on the right path. When you take the Tingle Test - when you think about your profession and you get chills and tingles just thinking about a career move or an experience, you are on the right path. If the thought of that experience doesn't move you or thrill you, then you are probably not moving towards your calling.

When you get antsy with your job, then start researching and journaling and finding the delicious intersection of what you love, what you're good at and what the world needs and will pay for. When you're on target, it will ignite your energy like you never dreamed.

Fear vs. Power in Your Energy System

2007-06-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

Are you living in fear or are you living in your power? You lose power whenever you fear. Be remaining in your power, you don't become a static energy system, you become a stable energy system, capable of conscious acts of focus and intention. You also become a magnet for those who are illumined and those wh want to be.

When energy leaves you in any way except in strength and trust, it cannot bring back to you anything but pain and discomfort. An authentically empowered person doesn't release it's energy except in love and trust. When a person releases their energy in fear, then they are not authentically empowered, they are acting in fear and have loss of power.

Authentically empowered people have a humble spirit and walk in a familiar world and knows that its authentic needs will be fulfilled. A being that moves through the world in fear and in false empowerment is restless, nervous and has a need to envelope themselves in external powerful things to make up for their lack of authentic power.

Those who move through the world knowing of their powerful energy system are free to be who they are and experience the world as they wish, and not be chained to the needs, obligations, excesses or expectations of others.

What type of energy system are you embracing and putting out to the world? Are you moving through the world sharing your positive energy system and light? Or are you claiming false empowerment through artificial means? Living a fearful life at any level doesn't promote an energy system that attracts the right things into your life. Living above the line and living authentic to yourself does attract the light and give off a powerful energy source, creating a powerful life. How are you moving through the world, in fear or in power?

Lighten Up: Your Energy, Your Light

2007-06-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

Continuing with this light theme and how your energy and light are intertwined, I found a passage from the book The Seat of the Soul that is paraphrased below.

You are a system of light and the frequency of your light depends upon your consciousness. When you shift the level of consciousness, you shift the frequency of your light: negative feelings bring on a different frequency of light than positive feelings. Emotions are energy in motion and are currents of energy with differnt frequencies. When you choose to replace a lower-frequency current of energy such as anger with a higher-frequency current of energy such as forgiveness, you raise the frequency of your light.

When you choose to feel negative feelings, despair, worry, or other lower-freqency emotions, then your body feels physically depleted because it has merged with an energy current of lower frequency. Whereas a joyous person abounds with energy, feels bouyant and is running with a higher-frequency current of energy pulsing through their system.

Your thoughts create different emotions, thus different energy and a different light through you. Lower-frequency system pull energy from higher-frequency systems. If you are unaware of your emotions and your thoughts, your frequency will be lowered by and you will lose energy to a system of lower frequency than your own. By choosing your thoughts and by selecting which emotional currents you will release and which you will reinforce, you determine the quality of your light. You determine the affects that you will have upon others, and the nature of the experiences of your life.

Light represents consciousness - are you walking around unconscious or fully aware? Are you on auto pilot, commuting to the same work day after day and not feeling that it matters or that it's not making a difference. Or are you completely conscious of your energy, your activities and the meaning behind them? Are you consciously attracting the things you want into your life and giving thanks for them with your attitude of gratitude, or are you just showing up for life each day? What kind of light is radiating from you? What are you doing to illuminate more in your life? What would it take for your light to shine brighter?

You Make the Call - Gruntled or Disgruntled

2007-06-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

We always have a choice - a choice to be an energy radiator or an energy drain. We also have a choice to either accept or reject somebody else's energy they are projecting onto us. We have a choice to take it personally, or to mirror back their energy, or to let our own light shine onto them whether it will be connected to their own bright light or overshadow their dark light.

Light opens up darker spaces, so I choose to let my light shine into some of the shadows that may come into my life. For instance, I just returned from a blissful holiday in Santa Fe at a B & B that fell a little short of the expectations for the room, but the breakfasts were aaaaaahmazing. Their chef on the first day was simply charming, had incredible food and was a delight to be around. It set the tone for a perfectly heavenly day with devine company on a glorious sunny day in their courtyard. Her light shown onto her food, her guests, and in the air.

The next day the different chef put a decidedly negative flair to the whole affair. Her demeaner was much more of one who had to be there for her job, rather than one who delighted in serving her artistic creations to others and bask in their delight. And her edgy attitude tried to sneak into my deliriously happy day and get me cranky. We have choices to be either gruntled or disgruntled, to live our life and invite work into our life we are leading anyway, or to make work out of life. One chef shared her love of life through her cooking and the other just worked at it and it showed.

When you have a choice, why not choose between being happy and deliriously happy instead of happy or grumpy. We don't always have control over what comes to us (in fact, very little control over what comes to us.) but we do have a choice in how we react to it. How are your reactions lately? What do you choose to be... gruntled or disgruntled...it's up to you. You can make the call and you decide on your energy level and what to do with it and how others affect it. You can mirror back their light or let yours outshine the darkness.

What Can You Edit in Your Life?

2007-06-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

I was at a trade show recently when my coach walked by my booth and told me I needed to edit my banner and my business card. She said it was too busy. That's pretty much how I've gone through life with as much activity, information, and stuff crammed into time and space that I could muster. I'm realizing that I need to edit some things out of my life, edit the noise and distractions, edit the things that don't bring me joy any more.

To that end, I'm editing out my monthly ezine, Live Wire, which I've been writing and publishing for 10 years. It's time to move everything to the blog...and by the way I'm working on a new website/blog combination to make things easier for everybody. I will publish just one more Live Wire announcing the big change, then there will only be archives of some of them on my website. I've noticed that it didn't bring me joy to sit down and write it any more, it became more of an obligation and once it doesn't make me happy, it's outta here.

I'm working on my new banner and biz cards as we speak and I've jettisoned even more stuff from my garage. I've decided to take on new business strategies that will allow me more time for the things that matter and allow me to have more control and balance on my timeline vs. somebody else's timeline. New strategies and ways of moving through the world that are streamlined and purposeful to who I am today, not who I was years ago when I first created them.

What can you edit from your life to make room for more energy. When you get rid of old, tired energy, you make room for more energy. Freeing up time, energy, space and emotional room, creates space for new things to come into your life. Pick a lane and go with the flow of your intentions. If you feel overwhelm, you haven't yet made a decision. If you are dancing between ambivelance and action, move towards action and watch what happens. Go ahead and actively edit some of the things that don't fit your lifestyle any more. Change things up and see what good comes of it and see what newfound energy arrives at your feet.

Flipping the Switch: Fast Gear vs. Nepali Time

2007-06-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

Bouncing back and forth between high-octane conferences in fast-paced cities and then returning to my home in an "active adult community" - read retirement resort; it strikes me that there must be a balance between living life in 6th gear and going in reverse.

My 'hood is not nearly active, or young enough for me - hence my move to the mountains with vital, active, outdoor adventurous types, but I'm feeling I don't fit in with the uber pace of those I left in Washington DC. It reminds me of trekking through Nepal with my buddies and our pack of Sherpas carrying our load. We had just flown in from our home in Germany - still a slower pace than the US, and we were on European time on the hiking trail. Our Sherpas would fix us lunch and then we would lounge for an hour or two and then quit hiking around 2 or 3 to lounge some more.

At first we were a little aggitated that we were burning daylight and we wanted to hike further down the trail and not waste time sitting around. That thinking lasted only a couple days until we settled in to their rhythm of life and began to relax and bask in the lounging amidst the Himalayan peaks surrounding us. We played campfire games, showed our Sherpas skits from our camp days and taught them how to do shadow puppets on the tent walls by firelight. We had time to create, laugh, lounge and just be.

Now I'm feeling that schleping suitcases through airports umpteen times a month and chasing airplanes isn't the pace I want or need any more. Security lines aren't as fun as they used to be and so I'm making major changes to my life to support more of the Nepali Time and allow more free time. I'm setting up business systems, hiring Virtual Assistants and other life support to free up my time for more play with the people that matter. I'm feeling more energized by the mere thought of not continuing the pace I've lead for a decade and anticipate with eagerness the slower pace of the mountains...although not so slow as my retirement community. Maybe I'll gear down to 3rd or 4th....I don't want to hit reverse just yet.

On our recent cruise, my mom (who has never napped in her 80 years) decided to take the slower pace and nap twice a day and bypass the poolside festivities. It was a respite from the drunken masses and the sweet escape felt sinfully delicious.

What is your pace? Is it serving you well? Is your pace energizing you, boring you, or irritating you? How does it settle with you and does a slower pace invite relaxing or aggitation? Take a high-level look at your pace and your life and see what you can see. And see what you can change for the better. Take stock of your pace - maybe it's time to switch gears to something that suits your better for this time of your life. Now I'm going to go play squeakie with my dog, Madison....

Clearing the Clutter

2007-05-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how much your clutter can weigh you down? There's a physical negative energy dragging you down with your clutter. It weighs on your mind and it fills up your life space so that new energy cannot enter into your life. I've been in major purge mode lately, from the physical clutter in my life to the mental clutter and other noise and distractions. It's such a freeing feeling to let go of things and stuff that are just not working for you any more. Get clear on what to do and what do drop, then take action and move forward to get things moving in your life.

If you're feeling stuck, then change something in your life to get things moving. Having moved at least 15 times in the past 25 years, I'm getting good at letting go of what's not bringing me joy in more and what I don't absolutely need. I also don't want to pay to move stuff. Just think about how much money your stuff is costing you in larger homes, storage fees, moving fees etc. Is your stuff really worth all the financial or emotional cost?

I've found that once you make a decision to take action, the rest falls in to place, it's the hemming and hawing and miring yourself in the decision making that takes time. It's the DECISION that's the turning point. Once you DECIDE that something is no longer offering personal or professional growth, it may be time to move on. What is weighing you down in your life? What can you purge to get your energy unstuck? What isn't serving you any more? What is your internal or external clutter costing you? External clutter is the stuff you can trip over, give to charity, or give to the dumpster and internal clutter is the stuff in your mind, your old belief systems, old ways of doing things or other behaviors that don't serve you any more. What else can you clear out of your life that is holding you back to unclear the bad energy? Decide to take action and see what happens!

The Energized Entrepreneur

2007-05-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

I wanted to get this message out to you before I take off on a cruise with my mom for her Mother's Day present. She's 80 and after taking her to Vegas for her birthday, I realized she's never been on a luxury cruise, so off we go. I wanted to share this note and photo of me doing biz in Cabo in one of those fabulous personal palapas - there's no better way to go than to be able to mix fun and effectiveness as an entrepreneur.

Having just received Barbara Winter's latest newsletter for the Joyfully Jobless and having just returned from Cabo where Stedman Graham was one of our keynote speakers, the topic of imagination came up in both instances. I think imagination is one of the most overlooked ways to energize your life and help solve business and personal problems. Sometimes you need to access the right side of your brain to get creative when meeting your challenges. Stedman said that imagination is more important than information. It can take us much further and open more doors.

Here's what Barbara Winter has to say from her newsletter. She's the author of Making a Living Without a Job - one of my first books on mulitple profit centers and turning passions into profits.

* IMAGINATION IS A POWER TOOL. There was a time when I was ridiculed for being a dreamer. I realize that I was cultivating one of my most valuable resources-my unlimited imagination. Our own business is the perfect place to exercise that on a daily basis.

* SELF-DISCOVERY IS ALSO ABOUT ELIMINATING WHAT DOESN'T FIT. Mistakes, wrong turns and unsatisfying projects also offer important lessons in what isn't right for me. Often there's no other way to learn those things than through doing.

What doesn't fit for you any more? What can you imagine your life to be if you had no barriers? What is stopping you from attaining what you imagine? What would happen if you turn off your TV and do your own imagining instead of watching somebody else's story? What do you want your story to look like? As an entrepreneur, I use my imagination daily - I dare you to use your imagination more in your daily life and see what happens.

Virtually Energized

2007-05-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

Do you often feel like you just don't have enough time in your day to finish your "To Do" list? Is the thought of getting all those things accomplished dragging you down? Or do you wrestle with the thought of advertising, interviewing, and hiring an assistant only to have it be a hassle with payroll, number of hours you need worked or finding the right personality fit?

Enter the amazing world of Virtual Assistants who are lifesavers in this age of project management and fast-paced changes in what we need to get accomplished. I met Katie Gutierrez, President of www.AssistantMatch.com briefly in San Diego in January. I kept thinking that I really needed to retain the services of her team. Then we met again in Cabo a couple weeks ago and I decided I NEEDED to start immediatly in order to get my life back in balance as I scaled up my businesses. Within 2 hours of calling, a new record in hiring somebody, she had my VA ready to go. If you want to get back some balance and not feel overwhelmed, I would highly reccommend Katie and her team at Assistant Match - tell her I sent you. Her rates will be going up on June 15th, so I would do it now if you've ever been thinking of it and gain more time for yourself by hiring your life support team. You will be glad you did.

Are You Crazy or Lucky - How's Your Energy?

2007-05-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

I just returned from an amazing week in Cabo - among some of the finest minds I've ever witnessed. The energy in the conference room of 250 entrepreneurs, wealth builders and investors was palpable. Most of our guest speakers commented on the energy in the room. Being a professional speaker, I could relate to what they were saying about feeling the energy of the room. It's electric in some crowds and void in others. The reason why this crowd was vibrating on a higher fequency was that we all knew that we are in charge of creating our own future and we have a plan to get there.

Unlike so many other audiences who are joined together because of an employer, this group was there by choice and they were in tune because they have the wealth road map. It's amazing how much more energy you have when you are on the path to wealth and life's riches - not just money riches, but prosperity in all forms.

One of our speakers was a developer in Los Cabos - on the Baja Penninsula - owning a reported huge percentage of the land down there. He said when you do things against the norm of the masses, you are considered crazy. When it begins to see that things are working out for you, then you are called a visionary. When all is said and done and your pathway has lead to success, you are considered lucky. So are people calling you crazy? Are they calling you a visionary? Or are they telling you that you're lucky? That may just be the evidence you need to show just how far you've come. When you're on your right path, your energy will soar. My hair stylist today said now that she has her own shop, she bounds out of bed and comes to work early. She said her old co-workers would never believe it because she was always late when she worked with them. It's amazing the energy you find when you work for yourself and are in charge of creating your own future. Here's a link to your own wealth roadmap, so you can catch the train to financial freedom and be a very lucky, energetic individual: http://www.LiveOutLoud.com

Energize Employees Through Appreciation with a Twist

2007-04-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

When supervisors dole out praise, it's often very vague and focused on the entire group such as "You're doing a great job, keep it up." Sometimes managers just don't know what to say or how to say it. After all, you don't want to say the exact same thing to each person - it can sound contrived. Take a clue from the flight attendants who have mastered the many ways to say hello and goodbye to hundreds of passengers a day. Put a twist on how you praise. These sentence stems should get your brain jump started:

I'm impressed with...
What I particularly liked was...
Our team is better because of your...
You're on the mark with your... (or the British would say, "You're spot on with your...")
You can be proud of yourself for...
I've noticed the quality of your work, specifically...
Your contribution of......on that last project was amazing
One of the things your customers rave to me about you is....
Your colleagues have sung your praises about.....
I've been noticing your attention to detail and in particular....
How awesome are you to do.....
You rock! Would you like to share some of your trade secrets with our managers....
You really made a difference by....
Our top management has been noticing your work and have commented on....
Take the rest of the day off for your fantastic effort with the.....
One of the things our team enjoys most about working with you is.....
I appreciate your....
You make my day by....
You're quite a role model because of your....
I'd like to acknowledge your specific role in doing...
This place would not run as effectively if it weren't for you and your...

That should get your started - go ahead and print this out for your cheat sheet and then write down each of your team member's names on a day of the week in your calendar and use one of these sentences with each person on their day. Make it a habit.

Now goodbye, see ya, bye now, bye bye, so long, thanks for flying with us, tootles, adios, ciao, auf wiedersehen, see you soon, see you on your next flight....

Beat Boredom at Work

2007-04-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been bored at work? I can't remember being bored for the past decade since I became psychologically unemployable and started my own company. But I do remember those days in my W-2 job where I would be chomping at the bit to do something meaningful, take action, talk to customers or just have some forward motion. I'm thrilled to be interviewed for a recent article in Vitality Magazine - www.Vitality.com on the topic of how to beat workplace boredom.

My article isn't shown on their website, so if you want a copy send me an email with the subject of Vitality and I will send you a copy of the article to help you energize your workplace environment. I would also suggest my card deck 51 Winning Ways to Have Fun at Work. It's a real card deck that has a fun tip on each card, so you can play Go Fish and select an idea to improve workplace morale. And if that falls through, then you can always win some cash by playing a rousing round of poker with the cards.

Here's a tip to beat boredom - find work that is in alignment with your authentic self, your values, your beliefs and the big picture you envision for your world. What is your big picture and how do you fit your knowledge, skills, abilities and talents into that big picture? Where is that delicious intersection of what the world needs and wants and your special gifts? Find that intersection and you will never be bored, in fact, there won't be enough time in the day to do everything you want to do to move your vision forward. You may even find it hard to sleep because your mind is racing with new ideas of expanding and growing your dreams and desires.

Check out my other articles on fun in the workplace and improving motivation, morale and meaning at work at: http://www.funcilitators.com/resources.htm. Let me know what else you are doing to beat boredom at your workplace. I'd be delighted to hear from you.

Laughter, Levity & Longevity

2007-04-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

As a Certified Laughter Leader (Yes, that's an authentic credential!), I've been researching the benefits of laughter for over 10 years and using it with success with my clients. The field of laughter and fun are eeking their way into the mainstream of industry and society. Today is a milestone, as we make headlines with a 2-minute video as well as 3 articles on the benefits of laughter on the popular website WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/video/laughter-heals.

Laughter connects us, and that alone has health benefits. Victor Borge said that shortest distance between two people is laughter. Average adults laugh around 15 times per day, while studies suggest that children laugh around 350-450 times per day. Laughter energizes us and no wonder children have so much energy. When you see that laughter is draining from your daily routine -take stock of what is going on in your life and plug those drains. Laughter builds resiliance to stress and will help us cope with our challenges. Not that we are laughing at our stressful situations, we are laughing through them - it's a coping mechanism.

What have you laughed about today? What are you doing in your life to bring on more laughter and bring on better health? Laughing helps boost our immune system, decrease the stress hormones of adrenaline and cortisol and stimulates the blood flow and heart and decreases pain. It's like internal jogging and easier to do. Check out my card deck - 52 Ways to Have Fun at Work for one tip per week on putting more laughter and fun into your workday. I also have Zip Kits: Fun Aid Kits for Stress Rescue and Recognition on the ParaFUNalia page at http://www.Funcilitators.com.

Laugh Long & Prosper!

Energize Your Life Through Job Satisfaction

2007-04-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

How happy are you in your job? What is your job satisfaction? Duke University’s study found that job satisfaction was listed as the #1 factor in living a long life. Job satisfaction beat out 788 other factors as the key to longevity – beating out good health habits and good genes. Now there’s more evidence. The 2006 General Social Survey (GSS) at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago cites the most satisfying jobs are mostly professions, especially those involving caring for, teaching and protecting others and creative pursuits after interviewing over 27,000 workers.

Top 10 most gratifying jobs and the percentage of subjects who said they were very satisfied with the job:

Clergy—87 percent percent
Firefighters—80 percent percent
Physical therapists—78 percent percent
Authors—74 percent
Special education teachers—70 percent
Teachers—69 percent
Education administrators—68 percent
Painters and sculptors—67 percent
Psychologists—67 percent
Security and financial services salespersons—65 percent
Operating engineers—64 percent
Office supervisors—61 percent

10 least gratifying jobs, where few participants reported being very satisfied:

Laborers, except construction—21 percent
Apparel clothing salespersons—24 percent
Handpackers and packagers—24 percent
Food preparers—24 percent
Roofers—25 percent
Cashiers—25 percent
Furniture and home-furnishing salespersons—25 percent
Bartenders—26 percent
Freight, stock and material handlers—26 percent
Waiters and servers—27 percent

How satisfied are you with your job? What can you change if your current position if it’s not the most satisfying? What do you love to do and how can you incorporate that (appropriately) into your work? How about not having a job at all? How about making a living without a job? More on that topic later…..

Big Picture or Little Picture View of the World

2007-04-11T18:04:00.000-07:00

Do you have a big picture or a little picture view of the world? Are you stressing over the administrivia or are you focused on the big picture of your life and your career? Take a look at what types of things stress you out - are they the small details, the perfectionism, the imperfect people, the gray areas on the outskirts of the black and white? Sometimes we make our own stresses and create our own energy drains by focusing on things that have less impact than the power we are giving them.

It's tax season and focusing on numbers is something we all need to do, but getting crazed if your account is 94 cents off isn't such a big deal in the scheme of things. Of course waiting until the bitter end and not leaving yourself wiggle room can also make you crazed. Step back from some of the situations you find yourself in and see if you're stressing out because you're focusing on little picture stuff. Perhaps you need to take a look at the big picture and if the stressors that are affecting you now will really matter in the scheme of things a few weeks, months, or years from now.

The big picture sometimes can pull us through the little picture stuff when things get tough - keeping our eye on why we are doing what we are doing can keep us going. Are you focused on big picture stuff or little picture stuff most of the time? Are you drowning in details or do you have paralysis by analysis? Is it taking your eye off the main goal and draining your energy? You may want to hire out your little picture stuff and have someobody else who loves doing it do what they love and allow you to keep your energy focused on your big picture. It can sure help your sanity - especially at tax time. We can all use a little energy boost at this time of year.

Energizing & Empowering the Women's Workplace

2007-04-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

Working with many entrepreneurs lately has been an enlightening experience. The raw energy, sheer joy, purposeful passion and commitment to do what it takes to follow their dreams is an enticing and energizing change from working with employees who are burned out, rusted out and just worn out from the corporate climate.

It revitalizes my spirit to know that the transition can be made from endangered exec to enthusiastic entrepreneur, but it does take a mind-shift and a different way of thinking to move from employee to renegade entrepreneur. Many of whom are women seeking heart-work now that they've brought home the bacon in some not-so-fulfilling career. The U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics cite the number of women-owned businesses grew by 20% betweeen 1997 - 2002. They generated $16.2 billion in revenues, while businesses owned jointly by women and men generated $18.3 billion in 1997. Women also make 80% of the buying decisions in a family.

So forget the glass ceiling and find a skylight, then open it up and create your own culture in any type of business you dream of. If you are looking for somebody to lend a hand, lend a step up or step out, then give me a call at 866.Fun.at.Work or drop me an email at Gail@Funcilitators.com and I can help you get your life energized and empowered by sharing resources for creating a life you love and setting up your safety net for that transition into your own business.

To Your FUNomenal Success!

Corporate Kindness

2007-03-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

There are a couple books out on the topic of corporate kindness and how being nice can actually be a competitive advantage. In The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World With Kindness by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval, they explain how friendliness and common courtesy along with how you look affects people’s moods and attitudes towards you. Cheerfulness and being polite and respectful spreads more easily than irritability and facial expressions and body language convey more relevant information than a sales pitch.

It’s all about the notion of consequences and karma – people may forget what you say, but they never forget how you made them feel. They remember acts of kindness as well as rudeness. After all, isn’t business and all of the world about relationships and how we connect with others be it inside or outside our organization?

Another book, The Kindness Revolution: The Company-Wide Culture Shift That Inspires Phenomenal Customer Service by Ed Horrell identifies how companies with stellar street reps for service excellence practice extreme kindness, respect, fairness and genuine niceties. He notes that the opposite of kindness isn’t being mean, it’s indifference. When indifference sets in, then it gives people a bad experience and in a world of choices, the customer (internal or external) chooses to walk. In fact, you can say that about any relationship – when indifference and disrespect and unkindness sets in, most people walk.

With a little more corporate kindness and consideration, I would argue that we would have many more gruntled workers than disgruntled workers. And we could actually save lives…one statistic form the Department of Labor cites that the #2 killer of workers on the job is homicide by a disgruntled colleague or customer. What are you doing to impart kindness in your daily activities? What are you doing to add light to the world? What are you doing to save a life today?

Energize Your Administrativia

2007-03-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

There are some really amazing free virtual office tools available to us! It’s worth checking out. When you sign up for a free user account with Google you get the following: Gmail: Users agree the unique way message threads are displayed, the thorough email search function, and the option to archive rather than delete messages have them hooked. The gigantic storage space is a bonus, and any email address to which you send is automatically entered into your address book for easy retrieval. Gmail is also easy to use from mobile devises.

Calendar: It’s simple to create entries, allow an assistant to add appointments for you, view multiple calendars as one (work/personal/spouse), and set alerts. You also have one-click options to add an event to your calendar if it’s mentioned in an email message, and to create a map to the location.

Google Docs: Save, edit, and share documents and spreadsheets in this portion of your account. They have great collaboration tools, and you can access the documents from anywhere. Bloggers can publish directly from Google Docs to their blogs.

Google Talk: Allows for instant messaging and voice calls between users.

Picasa: Another way to store, edit and share photos online.

Adwords: drive traffic to your site and gain more exposure with this service where you can purchase words that show up in Google searches. Click on the button to the right under Energizing Links to sign up for your Adwords.

Groups: Join or create your own online interest group.

Adsense - monetize your marketing and earn money from your website while you sleep with Asense - click on the button to the right under Energizing Links to sign up for Adsense and start earning income every time somebody reads an ad from your site.

YouTube - Of course when you just can't handle one more minute of adminstrivia - check out their entertaining videos for a few minutes until you need to check back in again and get back to work.

Have a great weekend and take a look at systematizing your administrivia to make your life easier!

Embrace Imbalance

2007-03-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

I know I'm supposed to be living a balanced life, as I walk my talk showing others how to lead more simplified, balanced lives and prioritize the things that matter. I find myself inundated lately with a symphony of things that seem to command my attention all at once. It's at this time that I believe we need to embrace imbalance and go with the flow while letting go of some things for the time being.

Perhaps we can't balance on a daily schedule, maybe it needs to happen over a span of a week or a month. When you know you need to gut through things or a plethora of projects for a month or two, then you brace yourself for a little imbalance during that time, as long as you can reward yourself with new balance at the end of the sprint. Having balance is all good and well, but sometimes it just isn't possible and we need to get clear and what to do and what to drop.

What do you need to do and what do you need to drop today or this week in order to come back to center, regroup, re-charge and re-energize yourself. Get fiercely focused, get ready for a sprint and then find some fierce fun at the end of it all and reward yourself for your accomplishments. My reward for these past 2 months is a cruise and a trip to Cabo to mix some fun and effectiveness. What's your reward?

Take the Tingle Test - Career Choices & Dynamic Decisions

2007-03-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

When you're in the midst of making career choices or other decisions about your job, your lifestyle, your surroundings or other business decision; of course you can write out the pros and cons and do a comparative analysis. I'm all for the using a visual to help sort out thoughts and see them in writing. It may make your clear choice jump out at you.

Trying what I like to call The Tingle Test is what really cuts to the chase and gets down to how you feel about a decision. Saying your decision out loud or just holding that vision clearly in your mind should give you a gut check and either make you tingle with excitement or leave you lack-luster. It's truly getting quiet and listening to your body and how it reacts to a decision as if you already made that decision. After you visualize your decision or say it, how do you feel? Does your hair stand up, do you get tingles down your spine, does a smile appear on your face, do your eyes light up, do you stand taller? All these are signs that your gut says yes to that decision.

If your body doesn't react positively, then maybe you need to tweak your decision - figure out what isn't exactly feeling right about it an make some adjustments in order to pass The Tingle Test with flying colors. Stress is what happens when your mouth says 'OK' and your gut says 'No Way' - that's when you know you need to regroup and feel energized with a better decision.

Make your decisions dynamic and involve all aspects of yourself to know if you're OK with that decision. Take The Tingle Test on your next decision and see what happens.

Now I've got goose bumps just thinking about my future and opportunities coming into my world.....how about you?

Corporate Kindness: A Competitive Edge

2007-03-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

There are a couple books out on the topic of corporate kindness and how being nice can actually be a competitive advantage. In The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval, they explain how friendliness and common courtesy along with how you look affects people’s moods and attitudes towards you. Cheerfulness and being polite and respectful spreads more easily than irritability and facial expressions and body language convey more relevant information than a sales pitch.

It’s all about the notion of consequences and karma – people may forget what you say, but they never forget how you made them feel. They remember acts of kindness as well as rudeness. After all, isn’t business and all of the world about relationships and how we connect with others be it inside or outside our organization?

Another book, The Kindness Revolution: The Company-Wide Culture Shift That Inspires Phenomenal Customer Service by Ed Horrell identifies how companies with stellar street reps for service excellence practice extreme kindness, respect, fairness and genuine niceties. He notes that the opposite of kindness isn’t being mean, it’s indifference. When indifference sets in, then it gives people a bad experience and in a world of choices, the customer (internal or external) chooses to walk. In fact, you can say that about any relationship – when indifference and disrespect and unkindness sets in, most people walk.

With a little more corporate kindness and consideration, I would argue that we would have many more gruntled workers than disgruntled workers. And we could actually save lives…one statistic form the Department of Labor cites that the #2 killer of workers on the job is homicide by a disgruntled colleague or customer. What are you doing to impart kindness in your daily activities? What are you doing to add light to the world? What are you doing to save a life today?

You can find these books at the link to Amazon in this publication.

The Energized Executive

2007-03-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

For several years now I've been hearing similar feedback from my audiences: how can they energize their health, wealth, well-being and their workplace. For many they have been in the same field for most of their career and are seeking something extra...something I like to call heart work. Sure, they are competent and maybe recognized in their field and many are fairly compensated, although everyone seems to feel they are overworked and underpaid. I like to think if it as under-played when they are burned out, rusted out and worn out from their dull routine of the commute and the same old, same old at work. I have found that many people have retired several years ago, yet they keep clocking in and coming to work - retired in place.

Enter the Energized Executive Retreat, the Energize Your Life Retreat or the FUNomenal Life Retreat. These programs are in the design works right now to answer the cry for help from my audiences. I'm seeking more input from readers to help crystalize the vision and the content for these retreats. We will be looking into ways to create your ideal life, how to envision your lifestyle and build systems to support your dream life. We will have personal assessments for discovering the motivations behind your behavior and how and why you do the things you do and how that attracts the things you have in your life. We will take a look at your current and future ways of having, doing and being and we will have some fun. After all, I was an Outdoor Recreation Director for a decade. We will most certainly be treated to outdoor frolic as well as treated to professional spa treatments and luscious, healthy meals. These will be holistic retreats to address your personal energy at every level.

Drop me a line with your suggestions, ideas, insights and vision of what your ideal retreat to refresh, renew and relax. What would you need to be a more Energized Executive - to come back to your position revitalized and ready to go? I'm also working on home study courses for those of you who can't make it to the retreat center. What kinds of things would you like to see in your home study course and how would you like it delivered? Totally digital, MP3, audio CD with workbook - you tell me and I will surely consider it.

Until I see you at a retreat - make a list of all the things you like to do to have fun or that makes you smile. Then make a date with yourself to do at least 1 thing per week on your list and work up to more things - make time for fun and you will make your life more energized.

Cheers!
Gail

Planning Playtime to Increase Your Energy

2007-03-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

Geeze, where has the time gone? I didn't abandon you - just been up to my eyeballs in deadlines, projects and building a new house. In the midst of it all, I guess there was a slow news day or something, but Stephen Covey's people notified me that I would be the cover girl for one of their other magazines in the Executive Excellence Publishing family of publications: Health & Fitness Excellence. Visit http://www.EEP.com. For a copy of the article on Planning Playtime to Organize and Energize Your Life, send me an email to Gail@Funcilitators.com.

Other news is that this blog will be moving in the near future to another site. I plan on revamping my current website and making the front page a blog so you only need to visit one place. Stay tuned for more changes to the new and improved Energize Enterprises, LLC.

Here's a question for you: if you could plan a girlfriend getaway as part of your playtime planning, or just a personal escape to refresh, renew and recharge your batteries; what would be some of the things you would like in your escape haven? What types of activities would you like to do? What types of food? What types of environments? Would you want any guided facilitation or just to "be" in an inspirational place? Let me know your thoughts of what you would like for a FUNomenal Woman Weekend or an Energize Your Life Retreat and I will send you a free report on energy gains and drains.

Thanks for your insight!

Energizing Your Service Experience

2007-01-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year to everybody. I'm thrilled to be able to share another article on Customer Service that was published in the December Parks and Recreation Magazine; called Bringing Customers Back. The article was based on the experience that my friends Dr. Diane Blankenship and her family and I had dogsledding in Wyoming. About our adventures and mis-adventures with services that were lacking and how it could have been better to make it a more positive once in a lifestime experience. Those who are members of The National Recreation and Park Association can read it in their magazine and others can visit http://www.NRPA.org and look under publications.

Take a look at the article if you want to learn more about facilitating the 6 phases of the customer experience.

To Your FUNominal Success!

Organize Your New Year

2006-12-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

Start your new year off right and get organized to energize your 2007. Get your copy of A Tip A Day To Keep Clutter At Bay perpetual calender with 365 tips to organize your life.

Give me a call at 866.Fun.At.Work for your calendar.

Gail

Happy Herd or Mad Cows at Work

2006-12-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Holidays!

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the wind-down of the season and the many festive office parties that are sure to abound. In appreciation for your support and adding light to my world, I wanted to share this pdf version of the new issue of Stephen Covey's Sales and Service Excellence magazine that features Fun*cilitators and our article on Contented Cows - How to Create a Happy Herd at Work through mixing fun and effectiveness. It hits the bookshelves in January and I wanted you to have a sneak peek - I thought you might like to get a jump on your competition and be the first on your block to get the inside scoop on building a better team.

If you want a copy of the magazine article in a pdf version, send me an email at Gail@Funcilitators.com to get your own copy and share it with others who may be just chewing their cud at work.

We've stocked up on our 52 Ways to Have Fun at Work card deck to prepare for the upcoming publication date. If you want 52 more ways to have more fun at work in addition to the article, send me an email or give me a call to order your own card deck chalked full of ideas, tips and tidbits to practice safe stress at work. 866.Fun.at.Work or Gail@Funcilitators.com.

To Your FUNominal Success!
Gail

Change Your Mind, Change Your Energy, Change Your Life

2006-11-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

When you change your mind, you change your energy and when you change your energy, you change your life. As we enter the holiday season and I see all kinds of news stories about the stresses of the holidays, it reminds me that much of the energy drain and stress is something we create for ourselves. When we change our mind about something and made a decision to think or not thing about it in a certain way, our entire energy about that thing changes. We can also change the energy of the people around us. After all, we are part of other people's environments.

Make some decisions about salvaging your energy this holiday season and set guidelines for yourself that make sense to you and your family. It's too late to make a decision not to cook a huge Thanksgiving meal, but not too late to make a decision about how to handle holiday parties, family, gift giving or experience giving, new traditions you can start, old traditions you can change or ditch all together and how you can improve your situation, your sanity and your energy in the coming year.

Try making a written 120-day plan and then keep it handy to keep you focused on what you want to be doing with you life, then celebrate when you see all the checkmarks after 4 months. It will certainly change your mind about what you decide to do with your time. If something isn't serving you well, make a decision to change it for the better and keep moving forward.

Cheers!
Gail

Energize Your Shopping - Save Time & Sanity

2006-11-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

Now that you've got a fully belly of whatever your feast of choice was over the holiday, your thoughts may turn to all the upcoming hoopla that ensues each year. As my computer monitor gave me the black screen of death just days before Thanksgiving, I turned to my local technology retailer for advice on my purchase after sifting through several websites to find deals. Mind you this was the day before Turkey Day and two days before Black Friday when I was wanting to purchase computerware. I wasn't about to sleep overnight in the parking lot or come to fisticuffs to save a few bucks on what I needed immediately. Besides, the Geek Squad would come knocking on my door and wouldn't have a prayer of fixing things without a monitor.

So I share with you some websites that may make your holiday shopping easier if you're like me and swear off shopping malls between Thanksgiving and Martin Luther King Day in order to save your sanity. These sites will not only save your sanity, but a few dollars to boot.
More sites are listed on my November Live Wire e-zine. The archives should be up on my website: http://www.funcilitators.com/resources.htm

Here are some helpful sites:

Shopzilla

Amazon Books & Stuff

Here's to saving your sanity and your savings accounts!

Gail

Energize Your Holiday Card Sending System

2006-11-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this amazing new system with you for sending out your holiday cards, keeping in contact with clients or just remembering friends and family. Check out http://www.BizBuilderCards.com to take a look at the thousands of cards you can send using your computer. Somebody else in Utah prints your card, yep, it's a full-fledged card-stock card you can hold in your hand, stuffs the envelope, seals it, stamps it and drives it to the mailbox to send to your client or loved one.

There's no other system out there like it. You can create your own customized card, even put your own photo on the front, write your own message inside and include more photos or even a check or a gift card inside the card and the best part is that you can have your own handwriting font installed and your own signature so the cards are all very personalized. What's even better is that you can customize the card and have it merged with your database so that every person gets their own card and it takes you only a couple minutes to send thousands of cards. Forget post office lines, office store runs to buy labels and hours of licking stamps, printing labels and signing cards. You can have your cards done in less than 5 minutes. What's even better is that you can make money by sharing this awesome system with others.

As your holiday gift, I will offer our readers their own gift account to test-drive the system and send out some cards on my dime. I will pay for the cards and the postage so you can see how fun it is to energize somebody's day. The Send Out Cards system even imports your database and sends you an email reminding you of that special date.

Give me a call at 480-802-0103 or send me an email at Gail@BizBuilderCards.com to set up your account. I will need your name and address and phone number to set up your account so you can start sending out cards. It will take about 15 minutes to set up your account.

Gail

Organize and Energize Your Holidays

2006-11-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a whirlwind of activity over the past couple weeks. We've already sold out of the book Dancing Through Life with Guts, Grace & Gusto. I guess there are a lot of women wanting to know the dance steps to success. I've even signed myself and my mom up for dancing lessons this month, in preparation to our trip to Vegas for her 80th birthday. Inspired by the show Dancing With the Stars, we will be dancing under the stars in a few weeks with our new fancy footwork. Talk about energizing!

With the holidays fast approaching - where has the time gone? - I thought this great new kit would be helpful for you to organize and energize your holidays and every day. We fee less frazzled when we feel more in control of our space, our stuff, our time and our life, so check out this new system. Julie's book Organizing from the Inside Out is also a great read.

Steps to Success for Women - New Book

2006-10-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

It's finally here - and none too soon. My latest book - Dancing Through Life with Guts, Grace & Gusto: Fancy Footwork for the Women's Soul. Forget scripted reality TV shows! These stories are about real extreme make-overs, real survivors, real friends, real desperate housewives and real American idols - real women who have written their own life scripts about their real life stories. This book is designed as your inspirational resource and instructional guide for the fancy footwork in life. It’s filled with Heart Core Messages to fulfill your destiny to attract abundance & manifest your dreams, practice safe stress, and ‘gustomize’ your life. It's filled with the why's how's and steps to success as well as practical pointers on how to live a life with guts, grace & gusto. A perfect holiday gift for the women in your life - girlfriends, family and colleagues.

As one of your tour-guides through life’s transitions, I help provide Steps to Success and Practical Pointers to lift and separate you from the ordinary to become extraordinary. We've captured stories of women who have lived a life of courage, humor, guts, grace and gusto. A collection of essays along with the why’s and how’s for makeovers, move-overs, do-overs and start-overs. Take it from those who have danced in your shoes, feeling like the mayonnaise in the sandwich generation, spread too thin and trying to hold everything together. Here are your dance steps for re-invention, renewal and revitalization. Because sometimes…you just gotta dance the dance. Order yours while limited supplies last for $18.95) at http://www.Funcilitators.com/parafunalia.htm

Blog Carnival - Energize and Animalize Your Blog

2006-10-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

Speaking with my webmaster, Char at htttp://www.casualkeystrokes.com, last night. She informed me of a new thing called a Blog Carnival. It's a way to link blogs that have a similar topic, event, or thoughts on a pre-appointed discussion topic. This week's topic is what animal you think you may have been in another life. Check out the other blogs from Char's site to see what other new things and other animals are out there. The idea came from another great site called http://MomGadget.com. There is also a forum on the site for work at home moms - chalk full of tips and tidbits.

I would have to say I think I was a dolphin because of their playful nature, agility in water, ability to have fun and take risks at the same time by swimming in front of boat bows and their nature to interact with humans as well as their own pack. They are grace and energy in motion.

Researchers have long praised the ability of animals and pets to calm us down and bring out the best in us. Many employers are now inviting pets to work and have found a rise in productivity, morale and a decrease in stress. Workers have said they would be more willing to work longer hours if their pets were with them at work.

Check out Matt Weinstein's book Work Like Your Dog - it's a good read. Now it's off to take my Cairn Terrier, Madison out for a walk. She's been recovering from a sprained paw, surgery to remove melanoma's and the passing of her best buddy, my mom's dog, Brandi. It's been a tought week and we both need a walk in the park.

Cheers....and woof!

Special Report - Energize Yourself, Your Team, Your Space & Your Life

2006-10-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

By popular demand of my clients and audience members. I have created this special report from my years in the trenches of helping others improve their lives. If you've ever wondered how you can energize your organization, your space, your stuff, yourself and your life; I've got just the ticket for you with the new Special Report hot off the presses for $29.97 at http://www.funcilitators.com/parafunalia.htm.

Everything you ever wanted to know about improving your personal energy and professional synergy to overcome emotional, physical and intellectual lethargy from an Energy Expert with over 25 years of field experience. A compilation of articles, essays and research on multiple methods of increasing organizational and individual energy and how your personal energy is affected at every level.

Learn how to organize to energize your home and office. Identify how to make your space ergonomically correct so you aren't sabotaging your personal energy and your health. Learn how toxins affect your energy, your weight and your healt, and what you can do to overcome many illnesses and maladies through nutritional cleansing. Discover a new way to energize your business and personal relationships and earn money while sending apprciation, acknowledgement and generally paying it forward to make somebody else's day. With the information that is jam-packed into nearly 50 pages of essays and articles based on solid research from an Energy Expert who is listed in 9 Who's Who directories for her expertise in the field, you will be sure to gain an understanding of how you can practice safe stress, improve your productivity, your health, wealth, and well-being. Just click on http://www.funcilitators.com/parafunalia.htm for your own special report and start feeling revitalized and energized today.

To Your FUNominal Success!

Gail

Fearless Selling: Tips to Building Your Business

2006-09-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

The last segment in the series of Fearless Selling: How to Energize Your Marketing Strategies and Build Business Relationships.

When I launch a new product such as a card deck of 52 Ways to Have Fun at Work, then I send my clients a sample of my new product as a thank you gift for choosing to partner with me in business. When I see an article in a trade magazine that I think would be valuable to a client, I will send them a copy whether it is about my, written by me, or just on a topic that would be of interest that is sent along with a note that I’m thinking about them.

I always send a thank you gift to a client along with a hand-written note after every presentation in appreciation for collaborating on a program for their members or employees. I keep a stock of a variety of items on hand that represent the image I want to project for my business. I have had items customized for me, I’ve found items in catalogs and malls that had just the right flair and I pick up a bulk order of them, or I have made ceramic plaques with the phrases I use in my programs to give as gifts. I change items every year or two to keep it fresh and I keep track of what I have sent to whom so I don’t give a repeat gift.

Another way I’ve found to keep in touch by adding value is to offer clients or their customers a free tele-class as a premium. Clients can either offer the tele-class to their team members or they can offer it to their customers and use me as their thank-you to their customers. Bridge lines are inexpensive to rent and it gives me a chance to offer more information and services to my customers.

The best way I have found to keep in touch and to keep building on relationships is to add value to people’s lives and to save them time, money, effort, or energy, or at least give them information or products that will do the same for them. When I make contact, I make sure it will be welcomed.

What kinds of things are you doing to energize your marketing strategies and build better business relationships. Remember, you don't necessarily do business with another business. You do business with people. I can't say enough about the neatest product I've found to build business and personal relationships through www.BizBuilderCards.com. Kody Batemen and his team have developed the slickest way yet to keep in touch with people using a click of a mouse to send real-life paper cards that are customized by you and that end up in their mailbox. The response from my clients and friends has been overwhelming to get something other than junk mail or from Ed McMahon in their mailbox. The coolest part about it is that the company is a pay-it-forward kind of company that promotes gratitude, acknowledgement, appreciation, and a celebration and honoring of somebody else's life. I am happy to set up a free gift account for you to try it on for size and see how easy it is to touch somebody's life through a customized greeting card. I will even pay for the postage. Give me a call to set up a 10-15-minute session so you can start sending out cards.

To Your FUNominal Success!
Gail

Manifest Your Life Dreams - A Gift to My Community

2006-09-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

As I do programs on acknowledgement and appreciation across the county, I meet some very neat people with amazing ideas. I wanted to show my appreciation to members of my clientele, audiences, readers, subscribers and other people in the Fun*cilitators, Biz Builder Cards, Your Energy Expert community for being awesome supporters of the cause for energizing individuals and organizations.

One of the neat people I’ve met recently is Debra Kahnen, RN, ND, a Life Plan and Breakthrough Specialist who is committed to your health, wealth and happiness. Through her personal health coaching business she has graciously offered her gift valued at $95 for everybody in my community with our complements to help them reach their goals. Here is a link to her e-book, Power of Clarity at http://lifedreamsmanifest.com/bonus.html. Clarity is one of those gifts we give ourselves and Debra’s powerful tool just helps make that a whole lot easier.

Debra and I hope you enjoy manifesting your life dreams with the help of her inspiring and information-packed e-book.

To Your FUNominal Success!
Gail

Starting Your own Seminar Business - Energize Your Entrepreneur

2006-09-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

This just in...I just received my personal copy of Entrepreneur Magazines Small Biz Book series book on How to Start a Seminar Production Business. I was fortunate enough to be one of a handful of people interviewed for the book. If you've ever wanted to be a professional speaker or travel the world talking, here's the book for you.

Here's a snippet

Alternative Careers
This doesn’t mean that only ad agency executives or pocket-protector-bearing efficiency experts need apply. Seminar professionals come from all avenues of life. The ones we interviewed for this book encompassed a variety of alternative careers: clinical psychologist, electrical contractor, recreation professional, physician, and sales and marketing professional.
The tip here is that all these entrepreneurs figured out how to make their backgrounds and their interests work for them in their new careers. They’ve taken the skills and enthusiasm they’ve already acquired and applied them to the seminar business.
Paid To Play
Gail Hahn turned her knowledge of how to have fun into a successful seminar business, Fun*cilitators. “I’ve been a recreation professional for over 20 years,” she says, “getting paid to play and energize people’s lives and help them attain self-actualization through leisure education. From 1986 to 1996, I was the outdoor recreation director in Germany for the Department of Defense. We ran a tennis center, a ropes course, a rental center, and trips throughout Europe and Asia for soldiers and civilians connected with the military.
“Coming back to America in 1996 after blowing out my knee skiing,” the Reston, Virginia, resident explains, “I had several months to think about the business plan and my escape from the federal service. I had been planning and plotting for about two years prior with a mastermind group/success team while in Germany. I built my house with a home office to urge me to get the business going and then started the business in January 1997. I kept my day job for about a year and a half to keep the cash flow going.
“The more I got into it, the more committed I became, and the more I found that there was indeed a market of really stressed-out people who needed to be shown how to practice safe stress and mix effectiveness with fun—to get energized and learn how to become playful professionals in order to balance their lives—especially around the DC area.”

Click on the link listed at the bottom of the suggested links list to save $10 on your book. The site has this and other business start-up guides to energize your inner entrepreneur.

Attracting and Ackowledging Clients to Energize Your Biz

2006-09-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Next in our continuing series of fearless selling and how to attract, retain and recognize your customers or clients, we have some more practical pointers.

I send out customized postcards several times per year with photographs of me doing adventurous activities or another unique photograph I have taken on my world travels. There is usually a blurb on the back of the postcard with information on a new program or other beneficial service. I usually write a note on each postcard.

My clients get a new year’s card thanking them for their business. I choose new years since I am usually swamped over the holidays and could never get a holiday card out on time and I don’t want my card to get lost in the avalanche of holiday cards that arrive in December.

There’s a growing subscribership to my free, priceless monthly e-zine called Live Wire which has been building the business and building exposure since 1998. Keeping in touch through the ezine helps continue the relationships I’ve built over the years and it also introduces my business to others who are new subscribers. I’ve started another ezine with my business partners just for women called Footnotes at http://www.gutsgraceandgusto.com/ as well as my blog http://www.energize-me.blogspot.com/ to continually give value, service and information about improving your life and your workplace.

Your next installment will be coming soon... if you have ideas of how you attract clients, add value to their business and grow your own, send your comments for publication.

To Your FUNominal Success!
Gail

Fearless Selling Tips to Follow Up and Follow Through

2006-09-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

I often get lots of questions about how I build my businesses when I work from home. I've created a list if ideas of things I do to attract and energize my business and create great relationships with my clients, audience members and members of the community. It's all about people and serving them to the best of your ability and making the time to keep in touch with them as well as bringing them more value to their lives. Nobody likes spam. Here is the first in a series of posts that will have you building relationships and building your business, and energizing your sales and marketing strategies no matter what kind of business it is.

As an entrepreneur, professional speaker, and writer working alone; it’s critical to build strong relationships amongst clients as well as colleagues in order to grow your business and help others in the growth of their potential as well. Genuinely keeping in touch with your advocates and those you hope will become your advocates keeps business streaming through your door and keeps you connected with peers and prospects alike.

I’ve found that having a system for most things makes it easier to accomplish more in less time. When I keep to my schedule and system, then keeping connected to the outside world becomes a good habit. I have always been one to be leery of bugging people and not wanting to seem to shameless in my sales pitch, but rather to be of service and to bring value and needed benefits to my clients and potential clients. I use the theory of giving to get when I make business contacts through email, snail mail, voice mail, or in person. When I send something out of the office it is usually filled with valuable information, a fun new product, a notice of something of benefit to them in the future, or something tasty to eat.

Putting surprises in packages for my clients as a token of appreciation gives me great pleasure. I have found through experience that people love to get treats, especially chocolate. For client appreciation, I often send my customized gourmet chocolate bar that has my trademark tagline printed on the front “You’re Funominal! ™” along with a notecard thanking them for their business. ....

Stay tuned for more tips to add success and significance to your life and the lives of others....
Your Chief Energizing Officer -
Gail

Energize Your Youth Program, Kid's Birthday Party or Community Event

2006-09-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in charge of coordinating a children's birthday party or did you just find yourself hosting a house full of neighborhood kids for the evening with nothing for them do to? Or are you a Youth Services Director, Camp Counselor, or just in charge of doing a special event for your community and don't know what to do with the children? Hold onto your hat, we've got just the ticket for you with our newly revised: Pennypincher Playbook of Activities: 350 Events & Ideas For Adults & Children - Fresh Ideas For Leisure Programs That Don’t Break The Bank

I've expanded it and revised it with even more ideas. When you order online at www.Funcilitators.com/parafunalia, within the next 10 days, I will send you a bonus report compiled from practitioners who are community special events coordinators. You get extra ideas for monthly programs complete with what equipment it takes, how long, for how many people and other details for putting on a special event in your community...all at no charge to you as your special bonus....priceless!

The download of the Pennypincher book contains over 350 ideas for low-cost and no-cost interactive exercises, games, & ideas for social activities. Some with detailed activity descriptions and some one-liner ideas for events. This book is compiled from over 25 years working in the leisure and recreation fields - oodles of ideas to jumpstart your kid's programs.

You know.... even though these programs and activities are meant for kids, I have successfully used them with executives during retreats and with military officers during workshops. Let your inner child come out and play and use these ideas for corporate training too!

To Your FUNominal Success!

Gail

Last Words on Creating an Unmotivating Work Environment

2006-09-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

Here you go, the final installment of how to torment your team members. Be sure you read this in the mirror so you know that if you do everything backwards that this article says, then you should be successful at creating a motivating and meaningful environment for yourself and your team.

41. Have all the answers ready for them so they don’t waste their time and brain power figuring it out themselves. They can be more efficient if they aren’t testing new solutions and just do it the way you said it should be done and trust that your answer is the only right answer.

42. Don’t compliment their work. It can only lead to over-inflated egos and you certainly don’t want another peacock strutting around fluffing their feathers thinking they’re better than anybody else. That’s why you’re there- to show them that none of them are heads above the rest.

43. Take care of your own career and reputation before those of your colleagues. Be the one to kiss up to all those above you, emulate them and talk trash about your teammates so you look better in the eyes of your boss.

44. Act more privileged than your employees, after all, you’re a manager that is above them- you’ve earned it. Come in late, leave early and take your fair share of longer lunch breaks. Show them your importance by letting them know you’ve got other things to do and people to see.

45. Let it be known just how busy you are by constantly checking your cell phone or Blackberry during meetings, interviews or over lunch. Show others that you can multi-task with the best of them- there’s no need to lose productivity by focusing on just one person at a time.

46. Hire insecure people so you can easily manage by intimidation and through your tone of voice and snide comments. They will just be grateful to have a job at all- remind them that their paycheck is their reward.

47. Just for fun, use all the industry acronyms you can think of during the first days of orientation. Play practical jokes on the new hire for your version of disorientation just to see how their sense of humor will fare in your work environment.

48. Proceed to tell the new recruits the background stories, gossip and history of everybody on your team to get them up to speed on their co-workers. You will save them the hassle of getting to know people and making their own informed decisions.

49. If you need to discipline a co-worker, do it in front of the whole team. That way, it will give everybody an idea of what you don’t want and will save you the effort of disciplining others who may have been thinking of doing the same thing. Getting everything in the open shows a sense of family.

50. Have a suggestion box, use comment cards, solicit input and feedback, then do nothing to carry out the comments and pay no attention to complaints.

51. Employ the one strike and you’re out mentality. It lets them know you mean business. No second chances for first impressions. Do it right the first time or don’t do it at all. No sense in encouraging experimentation, we’ve been doing it one way for years and it hasn’t been half bad.

So there you have it: fifty-one ways to ditch your X (or your Y) generations in the workplace. Fifty-one because you should always give a little more than expected and over-deliver what you promised you would provide. If you implement these fiftyone items, you will certainly be dubbed a tormentor who infects the workplace rather than a mentor who affects the workplace.

Being mindful of how not to manage can be just as affective as being aware of how to manage. If you should hear the words “micromanager” being uttered as you walk by, know that it is not a term of endearment and take heed. Read through this list again and see if any of these nifty fifty (one) items sound familiar. Then do what you must to turn it around, or else you will watch your new recruits turn around and head out the door. One last sobering thought, if you think you can just replace those who do walk… it costs one to three times an average salary to replace an employee, not to mention the downtime, stress and team development curve. Pay attention to your people and it will pay off.

To Your FUNominal Success!
Gail

How to Drive Your Team Out the Door

2006-09-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here you go, yet another installment of how to irritae, aggitate and finally drive mad, or at least drive away your Generation X and Y employees. Heck, this behavior may even drive away the Baby Boomers or the Traditionalists to boot. Employ these tactics and don't be shocked if you have no employees after a while.

31. Only approve in-house professional development if absolutely necessary. Choose all courses for them. No need to worry them about all those choices. Don’t bother them with the hassles of packing and traveling to training or conferences in desirable locations.

32. Develop a serious all-business work environment. There’s no room at work for a sense of humor or fun when people are trying to be productive.

33. Ensure employees work in isolation with very little personal contact. Working as a team creates too much trust, open communication and understanding. After all, they may discuss what’s really going on in your organization and gang up on you with quality suggestions after a collaboration session.

34. Avoid getting personal with colleagues at all costs. Draw a thick line between personal and professional and don’t allow anybody to cross that delicate line.

35. Demonstrate strictness and strong disciplinarian tendencies. Avoid any pretense of being relaxed, approachable, casual and people-oriented.

36. Keep employees in the dark about how they contribute and make a difference. They needn’t be bothered with such distracting details.

37. Offer only one benefit plan for all staff regardless of their personal situations. A menu of options can be too time consuming and confusing.

38. Only promote externally to keep new blood flowing into the system with a continuous flow of new ideas and methodologies. Demonstrate to your team that if they want to move up, they’ve got to move out.

39. Don’t tell your team what you expect from them. Keep them on their toes by keeping them guessing. They will be exercising their imaginations and creative thinking by trying to figure out what is expected of them.

40. Eliminate anybody who isn’t 100% behind you. Show them you reward blind loyalty by not even entertaining a hint of conflict or confrontation with your ideas. They will enjoy only needing to learn one company policy: “My way or the highway.” They needn’t jumble their minds with ambiguity.....

To be continued with the last segment of 50 Ways to Ditch Your X (and Y) Employees by being a tormentor rather than a mentor to them.

What are you doing to create a meaningful workplace filled with empowered employees?
Gail

Surefire Ways to Chase Employees Away

2006-09-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

In our continuing series of how to ditch your X (and Y) generation team members, here's your next installment of how to be a tormentor rather than a mentor. These are surefire ways to chase away your top talent....even your middle of the road talent.

21. There’s nothing like the use of hype to capture their attention. They’ve been exposed to over-inflated marketing claims all their lives from all media outlets. Why stop over-promising and under-delivering now?

22. Keep up the pretentious attitudes. After all, you’re older and have been there and done that. Never mind that they’ve virtually done that and been many other there’s through cyberspace.

23. Keep changing your incentive programs. After all, you’ve heard that these new generations are adept at handling change. They would probably like a flavor-of-the-month program to keep them guessing.

24. Say one thing and then demonstrate the exact opposite with your behaviors. Throw that role model notion out the window.

25. Be extremely judgmental about the new generations in the workforce. Keep a closed mind about how and why they do things differently than you.

26. Don’t worry about handing out rewards and forget the phrase “What gets rewarded gets repeated.” A paycheck is all they need.

27. Invent new policies often to cover behavior demonstrated by one person. Give inconsistent treatment or ignore inappropriate behavior by one person. Either end of this continuum will cement your role as tormentor.

28. Enforce inflexibility in the work schedule and demand all employees report to work at one time and leave on schedule without any interference from life outside work.

29. Arrange to be flexible about quitting time only when it benefits the organization and overtime hours are needed to finish a project, but for heaven’s sake, don’t compensate them for putting in the extra effort and missing a personal appointment. Chalk it up to paying their dues and being a team player.

30. Ignore personal development for your staff- they can get that on their own time.

If you want more ideas on better ways to really motivate your team - check out some of the articles on my resource page at http://www.funcilitators.com/resources.htm or subscribe to Live Wire ezine while you're there for regular infusions of fun and effectiveness at work.

Until next time.....remember that mentors affect teams positively and tormentors infect teams with negativity. What are you doing to be a mentor or a tormentor?

To Your FUNominal Success!
Gail

Unmotivating Your Workforce & Creating Disgruntled Employees

2006-09-05T06:10:00.000-07:00

In the second of a series of how to be a tormentor and not win the boss of the year award; here are tips to make sure you keep your turnover high and your employees disgruntled.

11. Give group thank you’s, never be specific or personal and by all means be insincere and late with your praise.

12. Throw your front line to the wolves without proper prior qualifications, training or orientation into the culture of your organization. No need to waste time learning the job when they can practice on the job training and be creating an image of your company to the public.

13. Don’t waste time cleaning up the workplace, especially the back area and bathrooms. Why bother with these things that are outside of your job description? They’re just going to get dirty again anyway.

14. Ignore opinions and ideas from new staff. They’re too young and inexperienced to have fresh suggestions. Forget that they’ve been day-trading stock online, managing a credit card, and designing websites for their soccer and debate teams for several years.

15. Be in their face and on top of their every move to second guess their decisions. There’s nothing like micromanagement and hand holding for new recruits.

16. Depend on the annual performance appraisal with the numeric grading scale to suffice for management/employee relations. Forget that Generations X and Y are used to constant communication and feedback every sixty seconds on computer games to know how they are performing so they can change course if necessary.

17. Limit career growth and divide the labor responsibilities up into miniscule tasks so there is no way to guess how it fits in with the big picture. To have such a tiny job in the organization ensures limited professional growth in a dead-end job.

18. Keep the pay low for entry level positions and avoid promotions. No need to get them excited about advancement and delusions of making a living wage.

19. Don’t turn them soft by giving them too much recognition and acknowledgment. They may get too big for their britches and think they can actually take on more challenge.

20. Create a high-stress environment especially from understaffing to prepare them for the work environments they will encounter the rest of their lives.....

If your aim is to created gruntled employees, then don't do any of these tips. Until the next installment of 50 Ways to Ditch Your X (and Y) Employees.....have a great gruntled day!

Gail

Mentors vs. Tormentors - 50 Ways to Ditch Your X (and Y) Employees

2006-09-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

If mentors affect teams, then tormentors infect teams. As a keynote speaker and corporate teambuilding facilitator, I see quite a bit of infection swelling up in corporate America these days. It seems that leaders who learned their craft in the command and control school of management no longer have the affect on their teams of Generations X and Y (otherwise known as Millennials or the Oh-Oh Generation). Millennials were born 1982-2000 and 75% of them are born to Baby Boomers. They are the newest generation just entering the workforce. In fact, it seems that using the old school of management style is a surefire way to ditch your X and your Y.
So if you strive for high turnover, constant training and clamor to hold a title even more coveted than “Micromanager,” follow these simple strategies and you can claim the moniker of Tormentor. Be aware that choosing not to engage these methods may create a motivating workplace, retain recruits and positively affect your team.
1. Always refer to the way things were when you were their age or coming up through the ranks.

2. Insist on “my way or the highway” standards and accept nothing less.

3. Give raises and ensure they are inconsequential such as ten cents per hour. Raise the standard of living for the recipient.

4. Freak out or get very uptight when a VIP or other corporate mucky muck visits. Instill the nervous frenzy in the workforce and make them crazy with inane requests such as painting the dirt green so it looks good from the air when the big wig’s helicopter flies over (Unfortunately for the staff of that particular organization, I didn’t make that one up).

5. Demand that employees stay late often to work on projects you’ve not prepared. Assume that since they’re single, they don’t have a life and they wouldn’t mind staying overtime for the good of the organization.

6. For frontline staff, purchase uniquely ugly uniforms so they wouldn’t be mistaken for personal clothing. When they are sporting uncomfortable polyester, a hideous color or constricting uniforms, there is no doubt they are in a mindset of work (or prison).
I once had a boycott on new uniforms in Europe when the teal polo shirts I ordered translated into “Kermit the Frog green.” Our staff was not amused and went uniform-free until the correct color arrived. It seems looking cool is essential, and Kermit wasn’t cool to 23-year-olds.

7. Insist on large or unmanageable nametags that get in the way of their duties, hang down and pose a safety hazard, turn upside down, or poke holes in the their aforementioned uniform.

8. Never solicit ideas and suggestions when making decisions that affect the team. Decide by yourself and give the order down the line. For a special effect, send it out in a memo while you’re out of town.

9. Solicit ideas and suggestions from your team and then take credit for those ideas or others that come your way.

10. Pick a favorite team member and give them all the work, praise and glory. It's much easier to just focus on one person than trying to pay attention to so many other people. The others will catch on sooner or later......

Stay tuned for the next installment of how to be a tormentor at work. Until then, have a happy Labor Day! If you have a story of a mentor or a tormentor you'd like to share - please change the names to protect the innocent or the not-so-innocent. Your story may be published.

FUNominally Yours -
Gail

Life Balance, Humor, Stress Management Articles

2006-08-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are seeking more tips and tidbits on practicing safe stress, finding more humor in your life and being better balanced; Have I got a resource for you. Based on a decade of research, I have compiled a treasure trove of articles to help you energize, revitalize and recharge. Check out some of the articles at http://www.funcilitators.com/resources.htm.

Here's a sneak preview:
Keys To Energize Your Enterprise & Practice Safe Stress

By Gail Hahn, MA, CSP, CLL
CEO (Chief Energizing Officer) Fun*cilitators, a division of Energize Enterprises, LLC
866.Fun.at.Work (386-2896)
Gail@Funcilitators.com www.Funcilitators.com

There is a wave of change sweeping across American corporations and government and it also affects work-at-home types whether they are in business or the business of running a household and it's making a difference in the lives of the people who practice it. A change in the way we do business within our walls with our workforce as well as with our external customers and constituents. It seems that people like doing business with people who like doing business and mixing fun with effectiveness makes good business sense in these stressful times. This is particularly true in the public service arena where many lives are touched by those who serve them and where balancing our quality of life is a basic issue.

We are like cows; cows produce more when they are contented and cared for. Creating an environment that promotes peak performance through playful professionalism and provides for the comfort of the people in the surroundings also decreases absenteeism, sickness, turnover, and stress while increasing morale, teamwork, creativity, and productivity. I share some of the most important keys below for those of you who are burned out, rusted out, and worn out from the daily stressors of life and business. This article is for you if you are overwhelmed, overworked, and overdue for a personal energy overhaul. If we don’t take care of ourselves, then we cannot take care of others and share our energy in order to become contributors instead of consumers of productive energy. Implement these keys to increase your energy, decrease your stress and to start balancing your work and your life today.

F2 Fun & "F"ectiveness
Fun and effectiveness combine to increase peak performance. Put the FUN back into functional by using unique, everyday items such as neon stickies, multi-colored paper clips, color-coded file folders, bubble pens, calligraphy pens instead of typing labels, humorous recognition cards/awards/coupons, and cartoon calendars. Learning and productivity are enhanced when fun is mixed with effectiveness to generate a creative and enjoyable environment for children and adults alike. Workers are like cows; we produce more when we are content. Many surveys cite having fun as a top workplace motivator. World-class athletes and entertainers also mention fun as a key factor in the success and enjoyment of their work.

F1 Function - what is yours?
What is your function in life? Studies show that those who have a purpose and are actively working towards achieving their goals are happier and wealthier than those who just show up for life each day. Set goals, change them, and actively work on them........

For the rest of the story and others - click on over to http://www.funcilitators.com/resources.htm

More Resources to Energize Your Life

2006-08-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

I've been going mach 3 with my hair on fire searching for more ways to energize all areas of your life and to hook you up with resources that boost the personal and professional sides of your daily to-do list.

For those who love blogs, but don't love typing in all those different websites. I've found Technorati - a site that is a one-stop shopping site for gazillions of blogs. Check it out -
Technorati Profile

For those who love to travel and love travel deals even more. Here's a tip from SmarterTravel.com - they suggest booking flights on Tuesday nights for the best fares since most fares go on sale Tuesday morning until Friday. The worst time to book a flight with the least amount of good deals is over the weekend. Fire up your computer tonight and check out the sales.

For everybody who wants to build their business and personal relationships by paying it forward and sending appreciation, positive energy and good thoughts; try out this new wave of sending hard-copy cards through the snail mail system by using your computer. You can send a customized card in your handwriting with your signature and your photos on the front or inside with your own message for about a buck in about a minute. Somebody else will print it, stuff the envelope, even put in a gift card if you'd like, stamp it and mail it for you. It saves you time, money, energy, and effort by not driving to the card store, paying $4 per card, and driving to the post office. Check out www.BizBuilderCards.com . This idea is perfect for motivating your downline or keeping in touch with your relatives and friends. There's even a contact management system that reminds you of birthdays and other special occasions - you'll never miss a customer's anniversary again. Give me a call and I will set up a free gift account for you so you can test drive the system. Heck, I'll even pay the postage for you on your first batch of cards. My number is 866-386-2896 - I'll even pay for the phone call to hook you up with your complimentary cards. You will be happy you called.

I'm typing as fast as I can and will have several more articles out shortly. Until then, there are some great articles to help you pump up your performance and practice safe stress at http://www.funcilitators.com/resources.htm. Here's a sneak preview.....

Ergonomics Improve Personal Energy
When my friend Sharon told me she was an Industrial Hygienist, I had no idea what that term meant. Did she do dental work in manufacturing areas? I found out that she deals with the workplace environment to ensure a safe and comfortable place of employment. Ergonomics is one of her fields and is essentially the study of what makes our bodies most comfortable in relation to light, sound, movement, temperature, air quality, and our furniture. Since the average office worker now sends and received 52 phone messages, 36 e-mails, 36 pieces of mail, 14 faxes, and 8 pager messages per day; we need to be comfortable doing all these things.
Here are some insider secrets on how ergonomics can help increase your personal energy and your health while you are at your office so you don’t have to go home from work exhausted......

Read the rest of the story at http://www.funcilitators.com/articles/ergonomics.htm

To Your FUNominal Success!
Gail Hahn

Guts, Grace & Gusto book coming soon

2006-08-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

My fingers have been flying on the keyboard lately - been holed up typing books and articles and not much other time for blogging. Stay tuned for the next upcoming book by The Guts, Grace & Gusto Group, LLC called Dancing Through Life With Guts, Grace & Gusto: Fancy Footwork for the Woman's Sole.

Forget scripted reality TV shows! These stories are about real extreme make-overs, real survivors, real friends, real desperate housewives and real American idols - real women who have written their own life scripts. The Guts, Grace & Gusto Group, LLC is on a roll! Our new book, Dancing through Life with Guts, Grace & Gusto: Fancy Footwork for the Woman’s Sole, will be published in November by Morgan-James Publishing, New York. A compilation of transition stories by women of their make-overs, do-overs and start-overs, along with Steps to Success and Practical Pointers. It is aimed at women over 40 who are traveling through life's transitions with Guts, Grace & Gusto.

Each chapter has an introduction of why this heart core is important to gustomizing your life. Each chapter contains an average of 5 stories from women who have traveled through a life transition or reinvented, rediscovered and re-engineered their life in some way when faced with change either by chance or by choice. At the end of each chapter are Practical Pointers and Steps to Success to show the reader how to do implement this Heart Core message into their lives. The book combines the left brain factual things to do and why it's important with the right brain emotional, artistic, ethos of personal stories that will make you laugh and cry. A perfect blend of information and inspiration on work, on life, on purpose. Here are the 10 Heart Core Messages:

Seize your destiny. What you do today makes a difference tomorrow
Listen to your heart. Feed your spirit.
Cultivate nourishing relationships. Build a supportive network.
Say good-bye to guilt. Let go of perfection.
Live boldly with intention.
Create daily moments of delight.
Let your life be a work of art that showcases your gifts and passions.
Expect the unexpected & visualize your outcomes.
Meet life’s challenges with courage, faith & wisdom.
Believe in your worth and ability to manifest abundance.
You can read more about the authors and creators of The Guts, Grace & Gusto Group at www.GutsGraceandGusto.com or give us a call at 866.386.2896 to reserve your copy. Be watching for our book launch party in the Washington DC area in mid-November. We are seeking even more testimonials to put the finishing touches on the book - if you are an accomplished woman of a certain age, stature, calling, and pull and would like to give us your two cents about the book - drop us an email at Contact@GutsGraceandGusto.com

New Books on the Streets and Online

2006-08-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it - there are two new books on the website at http://www.funcilitators.com/parafunalia.htm. One is by a friend of mine, Marsha Lindquist called Why Are You Still Working Your A** Off? A Guide to Life Beyond the Cubicle. It's filled with her insights and strategies to get a life outside of work and to make it meaningful. It's filled with her wit and cheeky wisdom on the subject - she's a ball of fire. It will make you think about what you're doing - making a living or making a life.

Another book that will be on the site soon - is one that my colleague and speaker buddy, Jeff Tobe had compiled with about a dozen of us experts on the subject of communication. Titled The Communication Coach II - Communication Tips From the Pros for the Pros. It's chalked full of high-level information for those who want a more advanced look into this thing we call communication. Perfect for HR professionals, managers, teachers, or those who just want to understand their neighbors, co-workers, spouse or teenager. Well, maybe not their teenager...you be the judge of that one. Let me know what you think of it - we'd love your feedback about how it helped you communicate better and also what you're doing to not be working your a** off.

Cheers!
Gail

Energize & Balance Your Life

2006-08-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to share the news about my friends Debbie Allen and Patricia Drain's latest Wealth and Life Balance retreat in Sedona, Arizona on 3-5 November. I've attended a few of their events and I can tell you they were literally life changing events. I've completely re-engineered my life to increase my health, wealth and well-being. I just returned from a wealth boot camp in Lake Tahoe that was unbelieable. Debbie and Patricia bring you the most valuable, information-packed, fun 3-full day event of all time. They have traveled the nation to attend scores of events to secure only the BEST and FOREMOST EXPERTS to ensure that You Achieve Wealth and Develop a More Balanced Lifestyle.

Only experts who had actually achieved wealth using their formulas and systems have been hand-selected for this event. These experts all have created massive wealth, and they are going to show you how to do it too. You’ll receive REAL LIFE information, proven systems and the secrets that will allow you to easily double, or even triple, your income within one year or less.
It’s worked for me and hundreds of others … and it will work for you too!
This event and weekend will be an experience you won’t soon forget. Click here for details about the event http://www.profcs.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=349581 and you'll also be included in free pre-event informational teleseminars from the world-class speakers - many who are millionaires who can truly energize your life.

But only goal-oriented, success-driven people need attend! Because this is serious stuff.

Is that you?

Are you serious about creating financial independence and the lifestyle of your dreams?

Maximizing Success
Wealth & Life Balance Retreat
November 3-5, 2006
Hilton Resort & Spa in Enchanting Sedona, AZ

Tell Debbie and Patricia that Gail Hahn sent you - you'll be glad you energized and balanced your life.

Whey & Kindness Linked to Depression

2006-07-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

Did you know that participating in an act of kindness - whether it be the giver, receiver or just watching it take place, can help alleviate signs of depression? That's right - acts of kindness actually affect our serotonin levels and put us in a better mood and elevate us to help deal with depression. Whey compounds also work in leveling our moods. Drinking and eating nutritional supplements such as shakes or specially formulated snacks made with whey help make you feel full and help with the feelings of depression. Contact me today about how to find these whey-based products and for your free article on the benefits of whey and why you need it to improve your health and well-being.

www.YourEnergyExpert.com or Gail@YourEnergyExpert.com

Energizing Your Life with Guts, Grace & Gusto - slideshow

2006-06-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a way to energize your day and energize your women friends too. Well....I think the men would also glean some energy from the pictorial, but we are aiming it at women. Be watching for our powerful slideshow with the Guts, Grace & Gusto Group, LLC depicting our heart core values of living life with guts, grace & gusto – coming to an email inbox near you. Stay tuned for its grand opening on our website in the near future – you will laugh, you will cry, you will want to pass it along to all your women (and men) friends who live life as a Gustopalooza. Until then – here are our heart core values to start practicing today:

* Seize your destiny. What you do today makes a difference tomorrow.
* Listen to your heart. Feed your spirit.
* Cultivate nourishing relationships. Build a supportive network.
* Say good-bye to guilt. Let go of perfection.
* Live boldly with intention.
* Create daily moments of delight.
* Let your life be a work of art that showcases your gifts and passions.
* Plan for the unexpected & visualize your outcomes.
* Meet life’s challenges with courage, faith & wisdom.

More later on the Solstice Sistahs - a gathering of women to light your spirit on fire and energize your evenings.

New book Energizing Women Through Life's Transitions

2006-06-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Forget scripted reality TV shows! These stories are about real extreme make-overs, real survivors, real desperate housewives and real American idols - real women who have written their own life scripts. Stay tuned!

One of my other companies, The Guts, Grace & Gusto Group is on a roll! Our new book, Dancing through Life with Guts, Grace & Gusto!—Fancy Footwork for the Woman’s Sole, will be published in late Fall by Morgan-James Publishing, New York. A compilation of transition stories by women of their make-overs, take-overs, do-overs, and start-overs, along with Steps to Success and Practical Pointers. This book is sure to energize your spirits and inspire you through your life's transitions and challenges.

We are always looking for more stories for our subsequent books and your can get the writing guidelines at our website as well as subscribe to our quarterly ezine Footnotes at www.GutsGraceandGusto.com. as well as through Life Wire, my monthly ezine at www.Funcilitators.com. We will be announcing our book launch in our ezines and always have tips and tidbits to improve your health, wealth, and well-being. If you missed your copies, send me an email and I will send one to you - Gail@GutsGraceandGusto.com or Gail@Funcilitators.com.

I'm also proud to announce a new link for busy work at home moms called 30 Second Commute at www.30seccommute.com. It's filled with ideas to improve your quality of life and work as you work out of your home and juggle family life and work life. It's a great resource. Also check out www.printables4kids.com. - a terrific resource for moms to have games and activities for their kids.

Gail

Fun & Laughter at Work

2006-06-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

Mixing fun and effectiveness at work is good business. Since helping people create that type of atmosphere is my business, I have been off the blogosphere for a while to facilitate just that for some clients recently. Facilitating an executive retreat at Lake of the Ozarks and combining work in the morning with play in the afternoon was a perfect combination to rivitalize the team as well as me. There's something about being around the water and boats that makes people happy. Have you ever noticed how everybody waves at everybody else in a boat as they pass? The blend of laughter, sun, fun and shared experiences can pull a team together and have residual effects throughout the coming months and years. Creating memories and corporate lore helps cement the bond between employees.

Here's a sneak preview of an article on my website - the link is above....showing the benefits of laughter and fun at work.

Cheers!
Gail

What’s so funny? This is a serious situation that Americans are in up to their eyebrows in stress and it’s killing them. If we’d just lighten up a little, step back, and take time to work out our funny bone instead of our growl scowl, we’d be much more healthy both physically and emotionally.
Choose to laugh at a situation now instead of years down the road. In many instances it is only the passage of time that makes something turn from unpleasant or embarrassing to hilarious. Why not decide to look at the funny side of it earlier on? Having a sense of humor will energize you and those around you while combating stress and disease. ..... more at http://www.funcilitators.com/articles/funnybone.htm

Practice Safe Stress, Relax & Renew Your Vitality

2006-05-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Are you sometimes feeling that you’re on your last nerve? Have you been looking for a proven way to relax, refresh, and renew yourself? I was in a conference session with the makers of the Holosync system and I was blown away by their research and successful results and you will be too. I just had to share this secret with you to practicing safe stress. It sounds like science fiction – it is science, but it is not fiction – it’s a very real process that helps you sleep better and your aliveness, vitality and energy increase and your quality of life will improve rapidly. Now there is a way to effortlessly meditate more deeply than a Zen monk, dramatically accelerating the meditation process and create profound changes in your mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Studies show that 70% of our internal dialogue is negative and this system helps counteract those thoughts that are keeping you stuck in negativity.
The Holosync Solution ™ aides in increasing your mind-power and dramatically raises your threshold for stress. We feel stress when things in the world come at us faster than we can assimilate and handle at one time. Those who have had trauma in their lives at younger ages have a much lower threshold for dealing with these stresses than those who haven’t experienced such trauma. The coping mechanisms when we are pushed over our threshold show up as anxiety, anger, depression, overwhelm, sadness, substance abuse and many others…..doesn’t that sound like the American culture? By using Holosync, just putting on headphones and sitting with your eyes closed listening to the calming sounds, your threshold is pushed higher and higher the more you use it and your dysfunctional feelings and behaviors happen less and less often and it becomes less often that environmental stresses affect you. Many people experience dramatic improvements in a few sessions, then even more in a week or two and certainly after a couple months, your stress levels will be dramatically decreased and you will be much better able to handle what life throws at you in a more relaxed, less anxious, more centered peaceful state and be more connected to others. You can try this incredible system for an amazing one-year, no-questions asked, money-back guarantee. Check out this dynamic product by Bill Harris at http://www.centerpointe.com/?aid=368524
Backed by a mountain of scientific research—and proven results for thousands of users, the proprietary Holosync audio technology placed on CD's beneath soothing music and environmental sounds will help you get results faster and with less effort than you ever dreamed possible and it’s all guaranteed. Bill has researched this system for 18 years, plus 12 years of other scientific research before him. There are over 160,000 people in 172 countries using this system and not one person has reported any negative results – it’s heartily endorsed by doctors, naturopaths and mental health professionals from around the world. There is no risk at all – except the risk of not having a better life with less stress by meditating and slowing your brain waves to the theta and delta states, which bypass the filters of your left brain in order to achieve greater clarity and easier changes in belief patterns.

Here are some of the ways you’ll benefit:
* Stimulate the creation of new neural pathways between the right and left hemispheres of your brain, balancing your brain and leading you to a high-performance state scientists call "whole brain functioning”.
* Dramatically improve your learning ability, memory, intuition, creativity, and your ability to focus, concentrate and think more clearly.
* Create true quantum leaps in your personal self awareness.
* Significantly lower your stress levels and lower your levels of harmful brain chemicals related to stress.
* Create remarkable improvements in your mental and emotional health—even in areas that have stubbornly resisted change with other approaches.
* Dramatically increase your production of vital (and very pleasurable) brain chemicals related to your longevity, well-being, and quality of life.
* Test drive it yourself, you’ve got nothing to lose, except some stress…. http://www.centerpointe.com/?aid=368524

Before & After Photos

2006-05-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

Midlife Metamorphosis & Porsches

2006-05-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me this morning that I may be going through a mid-life metamorphosis, re-awakening, re-discovery, rejuvenation.....not a crisis mind you, but it does include a new Porsche. I don't feel like I'm in crisis at all - but a rejuvenating, re-energizing, revitalizing re-awakening and resurgence for all things exciting and maybe a bit uncomfortable and edgy. Not that I've lived too far from the edge most of my life - I've always been an adventure/adrenaline fan of calculated risks. (I’m of the ilk that if you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space.) I find myself expanding my horizons in business - just started 2 in the past couple months and will be creating most likely 3 more in the next month - more later on that journey – stay tuned for the unveiling. Also expanding and reshaping from the inside out with nutritional cleansing...maybe that's why I feel so much energy and clarity of thinking and focus – see www.YourEnergyExpert.com for more info on the benefits of nutritional cleansing and the damage toxins do to our bodies.
And basically re-arranging my molecules from every direction to include changing the shampoos I've used for 20 years, selling off old jewelry and giving away old shoes that just aren’t me any more (besides, it’s HOT in Phoenix and the less you wear, the better!). I’m re-thinking my financial strategies and hired a wealth coach and I’m being open to embracing a new way to look at the energy of money and building wealth. I will be sharing what I've learned in future blogs as well. I've also just hired a life-support system to buy back my time for the things that matter most to me. My life-support team does all the things to help make my life run better and smoother so I can concentrate on what I do best - creating programs and products and pathways to add light to the world and help others (and myself along the way) maximize their personal and professional potential. It's a very freeing feeling to reclaim 4 days a month for the things that mean most to me, while helping support somebody else in their business of personal concierge services. I think this is going to be a win-win-win situation - I will let you know how it goes.

In the midst of mixing things up.....well, I am 45 now and that just happens to coincide with a mid-point in my life, I figured a new Porsche needed to be involved. Coincidink? I think not. I then got the notion to upgrade my dream car #1 to dream car #2 and am passing along my classic 911 Guards Red with Black Leather Porsche Carrera Targa to a good home, as I just purchased a new silver Boxster. I thought I'd try the completely open feeling of a cabriole since I have moved to the Valley of the Sun. I'm thinking maybe I'm going from the fast-lane red of my 30's to the more distinguished and refined sleek, elegant silver of my 40's. Who knows - it might be Ferrari Yellow for my 50's?

I'd been thinking about upgrading to a new car for a while - but not actually DECIDING until last Wednesday. Once I decided, then all hell broke loose and I was a mad-woman on the Internet researching cars and pricing - the whole schtuck. By Friday morning I had everything arranged - all documents and insurance needed and drove off the showroom floor with my new tiptronic transmission with a Boxster wrapped around it. I've even gone from a manual 5-speed to what they call an "assisted manual" transmission....could assisted living be far away? I DO live in an active adult community- not referred to as a retirement community, mind you, but an ACTIVE adult community...maybe they are rubbing off on me.

Well, I LOVE that assisted manual transmission - it's automatic if I want it to be, and then with a flip of my thumb - no clutch pedal needed - I can downshift and go like the wind (under the speed limit of course) to get where I need to, then go back to automatic for a nice, relaxing, albeit exciting, fun ride with the wind in my hair. I'm loving this mid-life re-awakening stuff - I'm so excited I found myself up at 4am the other week collecting domain names for my new business ventures - more on that later. It's a thrilling time of life - crisis, schmisis - I'm having a ball!

See my posting from a couple days ago about the why's, what's, and how's. It all came tumbling out very true last week when I finally made my decision for action - then the how's just presented themselves on what I needed to do to move forward and get my dream car #2. The planets all came into alignment and everything just worked. I'm here to say I have learned to act on my intuition and promptings....it has served me very well in all areas - sometimes it looks a little impulsive from the outside, but on the inside I know something has been boiling around in my thoughts, then when it hits me to take action, I pounce and voila, a new pathway it blazed. Funny, the same thing happened with my decision to get a divorce last year – a friend just casually mentioned that I should maybe speak with an attorney to see what my options were – because I didn’t have a clue as to the first steps since this was my first marriage. I didn’t know the how’s and was stuck in indecision. Within a week I had found the answers after talking to several experts and doing the research and once I made the decision, it all happened very quickly and life presented itself nicely to me for moving forward on the right path. It just works that way once we make up our mind to act in a purposeful manner – sometimes the hardest part is in making the decision – just know that you will figure it out once you start the ball rolling and get inertia behind you and start gaining momentum – there is no stopping you.

Here's to mid-life re-invention, resurgence, re-discovery, revitalization, renewal, re-awakening and re-energizing!

Contact Gail Hahn – 480-802-0103 or Gail@Funcilitators.com

Why's, What's &. How's

2006-05-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

As I do more research into mind-matters these days and how our mindset determines our life-set of circumstances. I wanted to share some insights about the why's vs. the hows in our thinking and how it affects our movement through the world and the energy we derive from our decisions.

Not knowing how to do something is a direct result of indecision. If we are undecided, then we remain stuck in the realm of not knowing and keep asking how. Once we've made up our mind, then the how's will present themselves to us. Once we know our why and made up our mind about the why of doing something, the why questions cut to the heart of the decision and of the person. Once we know that why, then we can easily manage the how's of reaching that goal, decision, end-state, or lifestyle or whatever it is.

We need to pursue the why's of our lives and don't be seduced by the easy how questions...look deeper inot the why's and if we can't find relevance in what we are doing, then we need to find something else to do. So what is relevant in your life - how are you making a difference to the world and why are you choosing that path? Are you choosing the path of making a differeence or of indifference? You will know by your energy you put towards a project, just which path you are taking. Where intention goes, energy flows and the amount of time you are giving something in your life is in proportion to the priority you are giving it in your life. What is taking up your time these days, what are your priorities, and is it really relevant to you or others? If you can't find enough time in a day to do everything you want to do, then you need to hire out a life-support system in order to buy your time back. I'm walking that path right now and hiring out more and more life-support systems so I can focus on the things that bring more relevance to my life and the lives of others. What are you doing to move forward on the path of making a difference to yourself and others.

Just my 2 cents worth on figuring things out and making big changes to get big results.

Energize Your Internet Presence - 2 great offers

2006-05-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share my find for registering URLs/Domains. Godaddy has some of the best service and the lowest prices out there for registering your domain names. Their rates and service can't be beat. I've been on their site almost daily registering domain names like crazy. If you want to energize your web presence - click on this link and start collecting domain names.
Click on this link and start collecting domain names

After that, if there are still products left to order, I am passing along this offer by one of my millionaire mentors in the internet marketing biz. There are only 500 of this series of internet marketing tools being offered and as of this morning (it was launched yesterday) there were only about 290 left. These are turn-key source code products that already have all the code and copy written to begin your inernet business. It would take a mere minutes....well maybe an hour for those, like me, who are still fiddling with doing websites...believe me, I don't know code. But I do know a fantastic deal when I see one.

From what I learned at the Passive Income Summit I attended in March and from what I've learned from my wealth and infopreneur coaches, this is the way to build your income - take decisive action and follow the leaders who are successful and who are doing it. Click on this link to get your bundle of 10 products now and let me know how you're doing with getting your websites up and running and making money immediately.

Now here's the scoop:
You may be one of only 500 people on the entire planet to be able to get in on this deal.How would you like an instant Internet business? How about 10 for a fraction of the value of just one of them??? here's how

Well, if you act quickly, then you're in luck.This is your chance to snatch up the Full Master Private Label Resale Rights to 10 brand new HOT products.Yes, you'll get the full source code to eBooks, Software, and Multi-media products that have never sold before.

You'll own them - they're yours! So you can do just about anything you like with them. And they're all 100% original, fresh and in high demand.You also get the following for each of your 10 new products:
* Complete source code and/or source files,
* Exclusive Master Resale Rights,
* 3 Full web site templates with custom header, footer & background graphics for each protuct,
* Web site sales letters
* Full support for you and your customers.

This package has a value of many thousands of dollars but for the next few days you get to pick it up for mere pennies on the dollar!But, ONLY 500 people will be fortunate enough to secure these exclusive rights. I already got mine. So go now and get yours before they're gone forever: click here

Best Regards,Gail Hahn

PS The price goes up every few days until it's sold out, so get yours right now and SAVE $100 instantly!Get Yours NOW ==>
http://sourcecodegoldmine.com/v2/go/589

Host Gator Rocks!

2006-05-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

I've just discovered a terrific web hosting company called Host Gator, they received the Editor's Choice Award by FindMyHost.- check them out.They offer the best deals on the web for hosting unlimited sites and email addresses. Instead of charging per site - they charge for space, so you can either have hundreds of small 1 or 2-page websites, or a huge content-rich site along with many smaller sites. It's less than ten dollars per month for all that space and they have other plans for more space if you need it. So why not create a family site, a pet site, some personal sites and some informational sites to share your message. I'm sold on their services and mostly their value. I was referred to them by a colleague at the Passive Income Summit - he registered 300 sites with them over the lunch break at our conference. I figured that was my official stamp of approval to go with Host Gator and I am very pleased with them and you will be too. Stay tuned for the launch of about 25 more websites by the Energize Enterprises Inc. gang.....that would be me and Madison.

2006-05-02T19:20:00.001-07:00

Madison & the move to a mold-free environment

2006-05-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

Many of you know I moved from Virginia to Arizona recently with my rescued Cairn Terrier, Madison. That's her bootie along our new walking path. We now have more energy than ever since we moved from an enviroment with mold. I've put some links on this blog to websites with free mold information on them. I found out I was being adversely affected by living amongst the mold and until I moved to a dry climate and began doing nutrional cleansing, my energy, focus, mental clarity and health was draining. After deleting those energy drains, my energy is through the roof and my focus has never been better. Drop me a line or visit my link at www.YourEnergyExpert.com for quick and easy way to lose the weight you hate and increase your personal energy, your health and your wealth. Cheers! Madison says Woof!

keep in touch with easy snail mail cards via mouse

2006-05-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

I'm on FIRE with excitement over another new way to keep in touch with everybody. Having moved about 13 times in about 20 years, it's hard to keep up with everybody. I've just signed on with www.SendOutCards.com - a fantastic way to keep in touch with clients, customers, partners, friends and family with the click of a mouse and it sends a real card they can hold in their hands from their snail mail box. You can customize the inside with your own greeting, your own photos, and your own handwriting and signatures. I even have Madison's paw print as her signature. They give you 4 signatures in the program. All this for around a buck a card - and that even includes postage. All the cards are created one at a time, stuffed into envelopes, stamped, and mailed out of Utah - all you do is select people from your contact manager - which you can import from your other contact managers, create a message, click and send. No more going to the card store, waiting in line at the post office, or finding stamps...you can send a card in less than a minute. The longest time it takes is to select from the more than 5000 card styles they have. I will soon have my own personal collection on the site - I'm creating as fast as I can! Check it out - it's awesome. Cards can only be mailed to US addresses...I think they can do APO's, but no overseas mailing. If you want to test-drive the system, let me know and I will set you up with a free gift account - I will even pay for the postage.

talk anywhere in the world for FREE

2006-05-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

As a professional communicator, I couldn't resist sharing this with you. I just learned about this very cool system offered by Skype from my webmaster Charlene. They offer priceless, yes, that means it doesn't cost you a cent, phone calls over your computer to anywhere in the world and the quality is crystal clear. You can test drive it yourself at this link http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-1788834-10420859?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skype.com%2Fdownload%2F for a download onto your computer. It only takes a few minutes and it will save you bundles in long distance - especially overseas. After I got socked with $1.68 per minute for a call to a friend in Germany, I am now sold on this system. Check it out - I know you'll love it.

storage ideas

2006-05-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of one of my old offices - note the use of the walls for storage space. A great idea is to use the wire shelves so the dust just falls through - easy cleaning! Also take a look at your horizontal surfaces and how you use them. Are you a file person or a pile person - find forms to fit your function and your preferences.

2006-05-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Clear the Clutter

2006-05-01T15:51:00.001-07:00

It’s spring and time to take stock of other areas in our life where we can clear the clutter, organize, energize and refocus to help us move forward. Research suggests that we waste at least 15 minutes per day looking for stuff. That equals about two weeks per year lost to disorganization. Save yourself some time by employing some of these tips to organize your space, your stuff, your time and your life. Get your own Tip a Day To Keep Clutter at Bay perpetual calendar for even more tips by The Queen of Clutter for $15, which includes shipping and handling by calling 866.386.2896. It’s a perfect Mother’s Day gift.
General
* Analyze your lifestyle, preferences, what’s bugging you, where are the bottlenecks
* Make things logical, comfortable, and convenient to your lifestyle and preferences
* Categorize like things with like things according to your logic, evaluate prime space
* Sort into piles of keepers and tossers - select the maybes only if you have space
* Schedule organizing for high-energy times, set a timer, use logic vs. emotion to decide
* Make a pact with yourself for one-in and one-out to keep clutter away and simplify

Office
* 3 main categories for papers: current files, reference files, archive files – purge regularly and use a color-coded system, toss envelopes
* Start folders for magazine, newspaper clippings for common categories – keep scissors in an accordion file near the reading center, tear out articles vs. keeping the entire magazine
* Before saving papers, think of where you could find the info again, store logically
* Ask to be removed from catalogs and marketing lists, sort mail at the outside trashcan