STOP THE STRAIN!

Logging lots of computer time? Check the position of your monitor. The top of the screen should fall below eye level. Because your eyes naturally gaze downward, that’s the best way to keep them relaxed (which will prevent eye strain and headaches), says Hope Ricciotti, MD, coauthor of The Real Life Body Book. Studies show that positioning the screen this way may also boost productivity and performance. Turn the page for more tips and easy exercise to stay pain-free.

* How to Monetize Your Passion Online *

Developing your personal brand is key to monetizing your passion online. Whether you're delivering your content by video, podcast or blog, it's the authentic you, the one thing guaranteed to differentiate you from everybody else, including those who share your niche or business model. The thing that most people don't realize is that, in today's world, your business and your personal brand need to be one and the same, whether you're selling organic fish food or financial advice, or just your opinion.

Monetizing a personal brand is not a new concept. A lot of the most successful entertainment figures in the world are personal brand geniuses, like Oprah, Howard Stern and Emeril. They built their empires out of being who they are and never backing down from it. But the major benefits of personal branding are not limited to the A-list celebrities. In fact, personal branding is what gives everyone an unprecedented shot at joining their ranks.

For example, think about what some people might consider second-tier celebrities, like Ashton Kutcher or Kerry Rhodes. Kutcher was already famous from his stints on television, not to mention his marriage to Demi Moore, but there is no doubt that his brand has blown up since he started leveraging social networking tools. Rhodes, the New York Jets football player [now with the Arizona Cardinals], has been using Twitter with incredible success to make his brand bigger. D- to C-level entertainment figures like Wil Wheaton, Brooke Burke, Levar Burton and Fred Durst are building great opportunities that will likely propel them from B- to A-level status. How do I know? Because I can see how many people are following on their Twitter accounts.

Now usually, I advise people to ignore the quantity of people following them and focus instead on the quality of their interactions with those followers- it's a lot more indicative of how well their brand is doing. Many decision makers, however, still aren't aware of this important detail, and therefore the preceding celebrities will benefit from those nice numbers we're seeing. Where the eyeballs go, opportunity follows.

An earlier generation built their brands on television and movie screens, radio, magazines and newspapers, and the new one will do the same online at much lower cost, with no need for a gatekeeper's approval. Get into position, because the big killing is just around the corner. The field may be different, but the game is the same.
By Gary Vaynerchuck

CL

Are You Afraid of Success?

Don’t Fall Victim to the ‘Curse of Permanent Potential’

No one wants to fail. Fear of failure is common, even immobilizing people, hindering them from pursuing or achieving their goals. But for some, success is an even greater source of fear, also resulting in inaction.

“The fear of success is an expression of inadequacy in believing we don’t deserve to achieve, combined with emotions of guilt when we do better than expected,” says Denis Waitley, speaker, author and productivity coach.

When you don’t really believe in the validity of your dreams and you aren’t prepared for achievement, you will fall short again and again, says Waitley, who has coached astronauts, CEOs and Olympic athletes. “I call this the curse of permanent potential.”

While a fear of failure is more internal, fear of success is external, says performance coach of Joseph McClendon. “What does society say about people who are successful? We have been taught they are selfish, evil, bad or wrong.”

Gilda Carle, an educational leadership expert and counselor, suggests people become more aware of their “deserve level.”

“Who you are today and how successful you are is based directly upon what you think you deserve,” she says. “What you think you deserve manifests itself.”

Experts say overcoming fears, either of success or failure, involves taking deliberate action. Rather than taking a huge, scary leap toward your goals, Waitley suggests taking small, incremental steps. Each small accomplishment will bolster your confidence, giving you the oomph to tackle the next hurdle.

In Balance

Career Path

Three Steps To… Get Over Your Fear Of Public Speaking

I am the last person to deny how agonizing the fear of public speaking can be. But I’ve learned, personally and through my work with many coaching clients, that the more we let go of our need to conquer the fear, the more it eases naturally. To heal the roots of why we’re afraid, it’s best to work on three levels.

By Janet Esposito

1. Body we must slow the body down at the moment the fight-or-flight reaction wants to speed us up. This means we need to deliberately move more slowly, speak more slowly, and respond more slowly. Deepen your breath, letting go of tension with each exhalation. You may want to associate the breathwork with counting, calming phrases like “let go,” or visual imagery, such as a wave gently rolling in and out. Say to yourself, “I know these feelings are unpleasant, but it’s OK. I know they won’t hurt me; they’re simply uncomfortable.”
2. Mind Research shows that people who relate to a stressful event as a challenge release epinephrines and norepinephrines. These hormones lead to a more empowered and even euphoric feeling. Don’t brace yourself for calamity; focus your attention on what you want to create. When you catch yourself feeling anxious, reach for a better-feeling thought (e.g., “If I lose my composure, I can regain it”). If you find this difficult at first, keep inching your way over, being slightly less negative an more positive.
3. Spirit When we’re driven by our ambitions, we’re more strongly identified with our ego than with our heart. Imagine leading with your heart. Look at individual people in your audience and feel compassion. Think about the burdens many of them are carrying in their lives. Consider the anxiety and fear that we all share as part of being human. Focus on your true purpose in speaking and performing, and remind yourself this is not about you; it’s about the information, inspiration, or enjoyment you can provide for others.

Building a Success Mindset Early

Five Tips to Last a Lifetime

1. Seek out a Mentor. Choose someone you admire who has the attitude, character and life you desire, and model your behavior after that person.
2. Hone Your Skills. Determine the most important skill necessary to be successful at your chosen endeavor and study it voraciously.
3. Know Your Product. And master it. Know everything there is to know about your chosen product or marketplace. Become the identified expert in your field.
4. Discover Personal Development. Feed your mind and spirit with positive, abundant, limitless thinking, ideas and content.
5. Associate with Success. Network, meet with and befriend other like-minded, ambitious and success-oriented people.

Taking Stock Count Your Blessings

Start your days happy with mental gratitude list. As you wake up, make a list of all the people and things you are thankful for- it could be a conversation you had with someone, the sunshine on your face, the way your dog greets you or the health of your children.

Share an appreciation dinner. Gather with friends or family for dinner and have each person share what they appreciate most about others at the table.

Pick up the phone. Is there someone in your life you have been meaning to call, but life keeps getting in the way? Pick up the phone and reconnect. Feeling connected reduces stress and improves your mood.

Share your memories. Personalize your family holiday cards by enclosing a copy of an all-but-forgotten photo. Or scan old family photos and create an e-scrapbook as a gift. Create a new heirloom by copying one of Grandma’s handwritten recipes and framing it for your loved one’s kitchens.

Review the past, create a plan for the future, live in the present. No matter your successes or failures, think about what worked and what didn’t, and don’t forget to slow down and cherish the moment.

Share-Innovate-Collaborate-VIRTUALLY

Social Networks are about experiences. Consumers now want an open environment that allows them to contribute and feel included in the marketplace. Here are five amazing tips for the social media marketer.

1. Every brand can be and should be “social” – Conversations about your brand and products are happening everywhere. You need to be part of the conversation!

2. Just get started – It doesn’t take a big budget to get started in social media marketing. In fact, much of social media marketing is human capital. Start by listening. Set up Google Alerts to look for conversations about your brand or product. Use TweetDeck and set up a brand search to monitor what is going on about your brand or product in the Twitterverse. Then participate in the conversation; just remember to be authentic, honest and transparent and you will be fine. If you take the first steps to engage in the conversation you will learn more about how your brand or product fits into the social media space and it will help guide any future programs.

3. Integrated marketing vs. social media – There is a difference between an integrated marketing campaign that includes viral components or online/offline coordination and a social media program. A marketing campaign has a short life; it is singular in desired action and is usually focused on demand generation. A social media program is a commitment to engage and communicate with consumers where the consumer wants to communicate.

4. Find your brand’s own path – What works for one brand in social media does not mean it is right for another. Remaining true to your brand promise is the best way to approach social media. Utilize your brand promise as a guiding principle across all your social media efforts. Reflect it in the content that you create, the tone that you use, and the programs that you develop.

5. Have a crisis management plan –In a world of 24×7 communications, the brands that can respond quickly to a crisis will be the brands that weather the storm. A good crisis management plan must begin with active monitoring. Judgment will need to be exercised to distinguish a customer service issue from a true crisis management situation. Once a crisis has been detected, the brand will need to respond in a matter of hours not days. A brand that is already active in social media will also carry more credibility and rally more supporters to come to the brand’s defense.

-Paula Drum

CL

* PINPOINT YOUR PASSIONS *

In a nutshell, here’s what we know: People who are passionate about what they do reach financial comfort and wealth more often than those who are not. Asking yourself these questions can help you figure out your passion.
1. If money were not an issue, what would you be doing with your life?

2. When you go to the magazine racks or the library, what do you like to read about? Alternately, what do you find yourself searching for on the Internet?

3. Think about the last few times you said to yourself: “I’d like to do that sometime.” What was “that”?

4. What do other people say you do particularly well?

5. Think back to how you felt when you were 10 or 12, and try to remember how it felt to be really excited about the possibility of doing something. What could you do today that might make you feel the same way?

6. What do you secretly dream about doing?

7. What are the things you like about what you are doing right now? (They can be small, but you have to name several of them.)

8. What do you think you do particularly well? (these things do not have to be work-related)

9. How do you feel you contribute or could contribute to society?

10. What do you want your children or friends to say about you when you’re gone?


by Jean Chatzky

CL