For months, my life has been a whirlwind of clients, traveling, networking, workshops and speaking engagements.  It’s been non-stop.  Don’t get me wrong, the ride has been great.  However, due to recent events, the ride has become the equivalent of a merry-go-round run by a  crazy “carnie” who won’t let you off. (If you’ve been to a fair in Chalmette, LA then you’ll understand where I’m coming from!)

That’s the point where I’m at…I’m dizzy, nauseated and OVER the ride.  THIS particular ride, that is.

Somehow over this past year and a half, I’ve become someone I don’t recognize.  It’s forced.  Un-natural. EXHAUSTING!  In all this effort to find a niche, a market…I forgot about what brought me here in the first place.  The “WHY” I became a work-at-home/stay-at-home mom.  The stress of it all has effected my health physically, emotionally and spiritually.

A few months back my body decided to get off the ride.  My fibromyalgia and lupus flared to the point that one morning I woke up and had lost function in my left arm.  (I’m left-handed people!!!)  Seriously?  I couldn’t FAKE being fine with one arm.  And slowly the realization came that my body was manifesting what my mind had known all along.  I couldn’t keep up the pace with a life that I did not want.  Our bodies are intuitive like that.

So, I’ve been on hiatus.  I’ve had to tell the over-achiever in me to “Shut UP!”.  I’ve been forced to say no to many things.  It’s been hard and easy at the same time.  And you know what?  I’ve never been more content with any other decision.  Because. I. Matter!

This past week, my Dad has been critically ill while hospitalized at the VA. (Another issue to tackle at a later date.)  It’s made this whole re-invention crisis seem rather small in the face of what matters most.  Family.

So, here I go again.  Deciding what to be now that I’m all grown up.  THIS time, I’m putting first things first and doing it all on MY terms.  Reminding myself as often as necessary WHY and WHO I’m doing this for.  Regardless of where the road takes me, I hope you’ll come along for the ride.  (And I promise, you can get off any time that you like.)  It’s bound to be hard, scary and crazy–but that’s me…the MOTHER of re-invention.

***Here’s my WHY***

When you signed up for Facebook you only had the option to choose a single email address while entering your information.  Having only ONE contact email listed on your Facebook account may have made it difficult for those using the “upload contacts to Facebook” feature to find you.

In fact, I bet you’ve received an email from Facebook inviting you to join on one of your other email accounts simply because someone was looking for you by that email, instead of the one on file with Facebook.

Help is on the way!

Did you know that you can place multiple contact emails into your Facebook settings so that you can more easily be found by connections!

How?  I’m glad you asked.

Simply go to Account Settings and click on “CHANGE” next to the Email setting. Next, you’ll ADD a new contact email.  (Note: you’ll be prompted to check your email for a confirmation link and you’ll be required to enter your Facebook password.)

Once you’re finished, make sure you go back into the Email option under Account Settings and choose the main email you wish your Facebook notifications to be sent to.  In my case, I chose the email that is pushed to my iPhone so that I can be on Facebook anywhere and anytime that I need.

Voila!  Now you can be found more easily.

The concept of making the most of your online efforts is nothing new.  However, the way in which social networking happens compels us to re-think traditional optimization strategy.  In an effort to prevent your eyes from glazing over, I’d like to offer 3 simple strategies that you can implement immediately to enhance your social media networking efforts.

1.  Create a Facebook Fanpage and add an email opt-in box to it.

One little known fact to most Facebook users is that search engines fully index Fanpages.  The non-geek explanation of indexing means that a search engine makes a notation of when you post an update, a link, video, photo, etc.  This causes you/your site to gain ranking organically (naturally) in the search engine.  (Not to mention, for free!)

Most users can create a functional, basic fanpage on their own.  I’ve got a short 3 minute video that covers how to create your own.  Once you’ve created your page, you can browse the Facebook applications for the Static FBML application.  (That stands for Facebook Mark Up Language)  This application allows users to place HTML code within their profiles and fanpages.

Once the application is added to your fanpage, you simply go into your email client (I personally use Mail Chimp) and generate the HTML code for an email opt-in box.  You then copy and paste the code into the Static FBML application and voila!  Your fans can now opt-in to your newsletter/email updates directly from Facebook.  Brilliant!  (TIP: Don’t forget to change the box name from <FBML> to Email Updates or something along those lines!)

2.  Comment on a blog post relevant to your audience!

Bloggers LOVE comments–especially well thought out comments.  No “fluff” please! (Example of “fluff” = Great post!)    Make this an opportunity to engage and connect with industry experts and thought leaders.

Not sure how to find a blog?  Google’s blog search is a great place to start.  Type in your industry keywords and you’ll be directed to blogs that fit that criteria.  I personally follow (via an RSS reader ) numerous industry specific blogs to keep me in the know.  It’s helpful to my business, my clients and my readers.

If you like a particular blog and aren’t sure that you’ll remember to check your RSS reader daily, email subscriptions may be a better fit for you.  Most sites offer email subscriptions of new blog posts delivered to your inbox.  Considering that I subscribe to over 100 blogs, I have a few CAN’T miss blog feeds delivered via email.

3.  Give a shout out to someone!

It can’t all be about YOU.  You can promote a project or blog post that someone you know (or want to know) is involved in via Twitter.  You can link to YouTube videos, share links, etc. on Facebook.  You can even add a link for someone to Digg or Kirtsy.  Sharing is SEXY and it’s savvy when done properly.

Remember, this is simply the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  My hope was to share a few simple action oriented suggestions to get your juices flowing.  You’ll get the hang of it rather quickly.  And if you get stuck, ask for help! (I offer free help on my fanpage.  Post your question to me and I’ll answer it–for FREE!)

Twitter was a huge part of my online life in 2008 and mid-to-late 2009.  But something changed as I gained followers. (and I realize that I don’t have a huge number of followers BUT I have more followers than most Twitter users do)  I noticed that people stopped “listening”.  Let me explain…

When I first started using Twitter and had only 200 or so followers, it was easy to engage in conversation. (Isn’t that the point of Twitter?)  I was able to keep up with their tweets and they with mine.  My click-through ratios were high and RT’s (Re-Tweets) were through the roof!  I didn’t feel compelled to spend hours a day tweeting–and I even went a few days without updating my status.  Life was good.  

However, as my numbers of followers grew (and and I utilized the “courtesy follow-back” policy adopted by many), so did the noise.  Even with awesome management clients like Tweetdeck and SocialOomph, I find that Twitter has become exhausting–almost like a job! (Oh, the horror!) And before you send me ranting emails about how amazing Twitter is for business (I still agree when used to truly engage and connect) and how it’s obvious that I don’t “get” Twitter (why? because I don’t spend all day every day tweeting hundreds of times a day) let me save you the trouble.  It’s not just me who feels this way.

Seth Godin wrote a thought provoking post about this very subject, based upon the experience of Anil Dash being on Twitter’s “Suggested” List of people to follow. Yes, Twitter has a “list” of about 400 users who are suggested randomly to those who sign up for new Twitter accounts–and considering the growth rate of Twitter, this is a big deal.  Before you turn green with envy, consider this…

On the surface, having THOUSANDS of Twitter followers seems great.  But how do you mange it?  How do you engage an audience of that size? Is it really your audience in that instance?  What IF they are only there because someone told them to follow you (or they didn’t know any better because they have no idea what they are doing on Twitter).  What good are those followers if said followers are not of like mind–more importantly, NOT your target market you wish to engage?

So, for me.  I’m getting back in touch with the PASSION I ounce held for Twitter by re-focusing on the art of conversation.  I’m revising my follow-back policy so that I can maintain my relationships (new and old) forged on Twitter.  How am I going to do this?  I’m going to focus on the public lists function on Twitter and group those I’m truly following (in the sense described above) into a more manageable and useful size.    Will this in turn reduce the numbers following me on Twitter currently?  Probably…and I’m ok with that.  Why?  Because those who un-follow me simply because choose to un-follow them probably weren’t really looking to “follow” me in the sense I desired in the first place.  I’d rather have a small number of real followers (the ones who actually WANT to be here and who desire to CONNECT) than legions of noise makers.

How are you handling the shift on Twitter?  Feel free to comment below…

I wish I could take credit for this brilliant (and I do sincerely mean brilliant) idea, but alas I cannot.  Thanks to Chris Brogan for sharing this process on his blog.  In a recent post, he related his method of setting goals for the new year.  (Actually, this is not new as he has shared this method in years past on his blog as well.)

I’ve never been one for the whole “New Year’s Resolutions” myself.  Why?  Simply put, most people (including myself) have fallen off the wagon by week TWO of the new year.    However, as someone commented on Brogan’s post, it takes a real paradigm shift to narrow one’s thought process to 3 words by which to guide your year.  I whole-heartedly agree!  And since I couldn’t get this idea off my mind, I decided to take a stab at it…

Truth be told, I’ve been working on this for 3 days now! I’ve even mind-mapped this to provide clarity for myself.  Since I sense that some of you too may struggle with this, I wanted to share my own process for determining my 3 Words for 2010 and the result.

The Process:

First, I started with much reflection on the past year–the good, bad and the ugly.  And I did this reflecting in the only place in which solitude can be found in my home–the bathtub!  (Oh the wonders discovered via a warm bubble bath!)

As I pondered, several themes emerged as I assessed whether or not I had obtained the goals outlined for myself last year.  I took each of those “themes” and broke them down to the core element–or the “heart” of the matter.  It was then that my initial 3 words emerged.  To the mind map I went.  ( I LOVE this tool)

It was through the clarity that mind-mapping gave to this task that my final three words shone through and I’d like to share them with you.

My 3 Words:  Balance, Connect, Passion.

Balance–it has eluded me in years (and businesses) past.  Yet, I see this as an essential part of thriving both personally and professionally.  The balance I speak of is between the different versions of “me” that I must be each day–the “mommy” me, the “wifey” me and the “business” me.  And oh yeah, I have to find time for the “me” that belongs just to me–the me that loves to read, sing, write, and that needs to shed a few pounds, etc.)  This past year our family faced trials that have proven yet again that life is too short.  Time, once spent, can never be regained.  And so it is with health–often spent in pursuit of success.  This year, I claim BALANCE.

Connect.  To truly connect with another human being is a powerful gift–one that I do not wish to squander.  If someone takes the time to follow my blog, or fan me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter–I don’t want that to go un-noticed.  And when I take time to consider why someone would choose to do any of the above, it is my humble opinion that I in some way heard their wants, needs and desires.

The art of listening is all but non-existent in the world today.  There’s a reason we have two ears and one mouth! I also included a “queenly” reminder (similar in thought to Chris’s “kingly”) for myself that I can’t please everyone and regardless of how rude, nasty or unprovoked situations can be, that I can rise above it.  Thus, the queenly part of me claims the power to CONNECT.

Passion.  Getting back to what I LOVE and not being ashamed to be who and what I am!  Somewhere along the way, I allowed myself to be swayed by dollars (and other marketers) to move away from things I was truly passionate about.  And you know what happened…the passion died!  Never again.  Starting TODAY, I claim PASSION once again.

I’d love to listen and hear your 3 words so that I can SEE you.  (For those of you who have seen Avatar, you’ll get the reference!)

A friend of mine, Aly Calvo (follow her on Twitter @alyandandrea) is doing her part by raising her daughter right–how?  By teaching her to live an OTHERS FOCUSED life–and her daughter is spreading the message.

It all started last year, when her daughter Mady and BFF Gabby decided to do something different.  Instead of getting gifts for their 8th birthday, the girls wanted to GIVE a gift.  That gift was to grand a WISH for a child courtesy of the Make A Wish foundation.  The price tag?  $5,000.

So, in true ROCK STAR fashion, and with a little help from their moms, the girls got to work–they even had their own website!  And after all was said and done, they raised $5006 and granted Christopher his WISH of a lifetime–to meet Stephen Spielberg.  But the story doesn’t end there…

The girls desired to continue their “Wish Granting” on  an annual basis–and so here we are again.  This month, the girls turned 9 and they’re on a mission to TOP last year’s donation.  They are raising $6,000 to grant yet another wish.  And in true ROCK STAR fashion, they’re Tweeting and on FB too!  I want to help and know that you do too!

Any amount is welcomed.  Forwarding this post, TWEETING this post, SHARING on FB (Remember to become a FAN!) –all is welcomed.

May we call endeavor to lead the future of our world in a spirit of love and giving…like ROCK STARS!

(Here’s the video from the Fox Houston 26 News Interview…)

For MONTHS now, I’ve been getting emails BEGGING for help from those outside of the Houston Area who are unable to attend my hands-on workshops.  That’s when I called my friend Siva and said I was ready to take it to the next level.  I will be offering a membership based social media networking e-learning center!  YAY!!!!

Here’s a sneak peak:  imagine being able to log into your computer and watch STEP by STEP how social media networking is done!  Imagine having a STEP by STEP guide for daily activities to keep you on track!  It’s like working one on one with me–only BETTER because it is on your terms and your time frame!  BEST part, imagine being able to get YOUR membership for FREE simply by referring others!  You won’t have to imagine much longer!

So, PLEASE PARDON OUR PROGRESS as I won’t be updating as often because I plan to unveil my “face lift” in October!  I’m working fast and furious to make the best of me available to you on demand! 

ps…if you’re EXCITED about this too, then leave some comment love below and I’ll be SURE to send you my SPECIAL OFFER for the new member’s area!

If you’ve never heard of the “death crawl”, let me enlighten you.  It’s one of the TOUGHEST drills dreaded by linemen everywhere!  Players must “crawl” on all fours, butt in the air, no knees on the ground while carrying another player on their backs!  Needless to say, it is difficult and most don’t make it very far.

This clip is an inspiring account of how much one can accomplish when all we focus on is giving the best of what we have inside.

Have you reached inside to get to YOUR ‘End Zone’ today???