Tips from Millionaires in Prepare to Be a Millionaire

Who should you learn from? The one who has done it, and done it well.

1. Read all the books you can on your subject.
2. Go to industry events and seminars.
3. Write press releases to get your company’s name in the media.
4. If you get into public speaking, you can get paid. If you have a book, it validates you as a speaker.
5. Sales copy is critical. Keep in mind this acrostic AIDA(attention, interest, desire, action)

Get Started in Business Now.

I realized recently that I have been a consultant to new businesses and start-ups for years and didn't realize it. Doling out helpful and inspiring information, sharing contacts, networking... without identifying this as a commodity.

The things I'll share now are things I've shared freely with many people.
1. If you want to start a business, find someone that is doing that business and learn from them. If it's a restaurant you want to own, go work at a restaurant learning all of the minutia from someone that is in business.

2. Surround yourself with supportive people, but be hesitant to trust or give away portions of your company until you know the person well, know the people in their life, and knowledge of their history. It's way to easy to be in a feel-good friendship and decide to do something together, and realize too late that the other person wasn't who you thought they were.

3. Seek solid counsel. You want to do things well, and correctly. Use tools like to handle legal issues. Ask business advice from business owners that have been successful.

4. Stay true to your dream. Don't let the naysayers get you down and deter you. You need to be realistic, but you also need to dream big and be willing to go for it. The light bulb wasn't invented on the first try. Would you rather be the guy or girl that never tried, or the guy or girl that tried as many times as it took to recognize success? Rhetorical question, clearly.

5. This is my favorite: you don't have to be perfect, you just have to be first! Someone is already trying to put your idea in place, you need to be first... get it going now.

how hard is it to be nice?

wonder why people in a family can't be nice to each other. how hard is it to resist putting your foot on your sister's neck? i'm just wondering because i actually said that sentence today. "Do not put your foot on your sister's neck." Ridiculous.

But it makes me think, why are they nice to their friends but rude to their siblings? Which led me to... why am I patient with my friends, and impatient with my children. Why do I give my friends the benefit of the doubt, but assume the worst first with my children.

I need to get it together... so I can model kindness. That's part of why he put his foot on his sister's neck.

where is the funny?

I write a sitcom for kids, wright's direction, and each time I sit down to write, i struggle with one thing. bringing the funny.

its hard to bring the funny without using too much sarcasm, or too many potty jokes, or mocking a main character...

so, i keep at it, and hope for the best. I'm reading Elephant Bucks right now and it is a great book for sitcom writers. I am learning so much more. Hopefully it'll sink in... and I will see the humor around me and find a way to translate it to the page so i can make a 6th grade boy laugh... that's the goal.

i'm cold

its so cold. really really cold here in texas. the back and forth of hot and cold is a whipping. but especially the cold. i'm a florida beach girl... haven't lived there in ages but miss it, miss the sound of the surf, the attitude of the people, the "dressed up" definition=jeans or shorts.... all the time. what's better than jeans?

HACKED OFF!

SO... my twitter account got hacked because i answered a fake email that looked like it was from a friend.... UGH. Hopefully the effects will not be massive... we will see soon. What a whip.

Why do people do things like that? What's wrong with people?
Plus, it reminded me how many different accounts I have, as I change lots of passwords and logins.
It's really interesting, I think. We are so dependent on the internet for so many things. It's a great miraculous tool, but it also can enslave us...

I've been in a funk for three days because my internet has been spotty at best... I have things to do, people! I feel disconnected when I dont have instant access to a two second facebook status update, or a phone number I can only get on an address book...

Anyway. I'm just HACKED OFF!

What's a Geezeo and why do I need one?

So, people keep asking me what is Geezeo? It is sort of like Quicken, but free, is what I tell them. Merely because most people have heard of that. The official lingo: free online personal finance tool with an active community of users, half of which saved $100/month last year. I think that's a ridiculously impressive statistic. Especially in this time, it's crucial for people to manage their money and learn to budget.

Now, to be honest, I didn't load my own accounts initially. Not because of any security fears, but because I didn't want to be faced with the reality of how little there was, and watching it decrease. However, when this statistic become public, I decided I was costing myself $100/month, or $1,200/year just because I was hiding from myself. I don't know about you, but I've not had more success when I'm hiding, than when I'm being brave, courageous and wise.

Lest you think I'm calling myself courageous.... read it like this, I'm saying you have an opportunity to be courageous... I do however acknowledge that I'm making a wise move by listing my accounts and watching where my money goes. Please join me at Geezeo. You can create groups, write confessions (mine is usually revolving around diet coke or some such expense), or ask for expert advice. It's all there for the taking.

Now, I'm going to tell you a little secret... Jan. 1 Geezeo is launching a 3 month promotion, "The Great Geezeo Bail Out" and the grand prize is 3 months mortgage paid. You get more entries each time you log in and/or invite people who join too.

I can't win it, because I recently was given the honor of working with them... so that means your odds just went up! Join today, and help yourself keep your financial new year's resolutions.