Karen, Co-Incidence & More Fun At The Crown & Anchor

Well I came third in our Friday night social evening game of Texas “No Limits” Hold’em last week so I was very happpy.  It was a great fun evening too, with the chill con carne and pizza going down well, and masses left for Saturday night’s X-Factor first week of Bootcamp gathering. And down to the final tables both games on Monday at the Crown & Anchor, third in the cash game – £12.50 which covered my night’s entertainment and dinner LOL.

Tickets are selling steadily and well for the “Really Useful Internet Day” next Saturday – yes! that’s right, only 8 days to go now, as I write this on Friday 2nd October.  OUr gang have had a good crack at the tickets in advance, and several of my internet marketing buddies are mailing over the weekend, including @NeilAsher and @MarkAnastasi, thanks guys!

Neil’s done an interesting promotion, where he gives value to his mailinig list by analysing my sales page, and that of another mate of his at the same time, highlighting the bits that stand out and how different styles work for different markets.  Here is what he sent to his list

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Going, Going Speedily & A Full House In More Ways Than One!

Since our Internet Day last year, and the wildly successful Property Extravagaza, we are really getting a great reputation for our events and every time we announce one, it’s getting easier and easier to fill the room.  I was reading through the great testimonials from last time, prior to putting them on the page, and I was moved beyond belief by some of the comments.  I love our community!

We’ve still got two weeks to go and we have just opened the bookings to our main mailing list and we have only got just over 100 tickets left – a third have gone already.  Martin has mentioned it a couple of times in his ezine, but Brett hasn’t mailed yet, or our joint venture partners, so I’m very confident we are going to sell out well before the 10th Oct.

If you don’t want to take any chances, here’s the link to the booking page >>

The other big news this week is that I’ve committed to a date for delivery to Debs & Joe at Bookshaker for the next Money Gym book.  I’ve been planning and starting to write this over the last couple of weeks and I’m REALLY REALLY excited and inspired about this…I never knew I had another one in me.  I’ve also been going through the existing Money Gym book and bringing it up to date, also adding brand new property and internet chapters.  I’m finding that a bit of editing / updating on the old one, inspires me to write more in the new one.

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Beach Dreams, Breaking Free & Board Meetings

Summer’s definitely arrived on Shoreham Beach and how do you think I know that?  Apart fromt the lovely weather, with May’s storms out of the way, the Beach Dreams tent has gone up on the Green.  Any long term reader of this ezine will know I wax lyrical about Beach Dreams every year and some may even remember the picture taken from INSIDE my handbag the first year I got my FlipVideo.  Nelson’s “Dad Dancing” video has now had 231 views and is rated 3.5 stars!

The Beach Dreams Festival and particularly The Tent is an institution round here, selling tea and cake to raise funds for the festivities and, after school, it’s always full of kids and visiting foreign students making the most outlanding costumes for the parade.

Everyone who can bake locally, does so, and drops cakes, scones, cheese straws etc in as donations, and the many home-made cake lovers on the Beach make it a point of obligation to support the Festival by dropping in on a regular basis to drink tea and sample the goodies.  Home made cakes remind me of my nanny, with whom I lived for happy years as a child, and I love the whole village feel of Beach Dreams.

Photo by the much travelled Jim Callender – see more of Jim’s photos here

While looking at our Money Gym YouTube channel to get the stats for Nelson’s video I can see, using their new Insight feature, that our MG / YouTube audience is 58% female, between 45-54 (which we knew actually).  I would have thought our audience would have been slightly younger than that, between 35 and 55, thinking about the clients who have had the most success with the Money Gym.

Success is all relative as we know, and this fact was brought up again by one of our Silver Elite clients on a call recently.  She said that she would only want to be mentored in Wealth Creation by someone who had millions in the bank and could prove it.

We gently reminded her that it’s not always about being a millionaire, but about being financially free.  And you don’t need a million to be financially free.  It’s all about not having to go to work (if you don’t want to) or doing work you love AND to spend your days growing your wealth and having fun.

Also, no self-respecting millionaire would keep millions in the bank.  For one thing, it would be losing money, and wouldn’t be safe as the government guarantee only £50,000 per person per bank, but there is also the opportunity cost to be considered.

I’ve been approached by my publishers with a theme for a new book – I was twittering on the topic and they said they had been looking for someone to write a book on just that very thing!  I’ll start a mindmap and see how it grows.  I already have a few ideas for what I would want to cover.

I love to write more than anything else I’ve discovered and I’ve got at least three more books inside me and business partner Judith Morgan says she has one too – her wealth creation journey so far.  Judith is a brilliant, funny, poignant writer and I for one would consider that a rattling good read.  I would just love to buy a house in Greece and one in Shoreham or Brighton perhaps, and just divide my time between attending seminars, travelling between the two houses, seeing the world, writing and hanging out online.

We are having an interim Board Meeting on Monday at a lovely Elizabethan Manor hotel, to discuss further the shape of the Money Gym for 2010.  Yes, I know we just did that, but certain key things are changing and we want to make sure we are all happy with the direction we are heading.  YOu can do that when it’s your own business.  The Money Gym is growing all the time, in all different kinds of ways, and we want to make sure that it continues to serve all our own individual “Primary Aims” for our lives, in E-Myth Terms.

More about that in today’s article.

Last weekend I attended the “Break Free Seminar” with Pat Adams and Mark Anastasi which I thought was totally excellent.  They are both great speakers and delivered excellent content, around using direct mail and the internet to create an information publishing business.  I took at least six page of notes and learned loads of new stuff, so even if you are an experienced business person or marketeer, consider attending their next one in June and you can book your tickets here…..

One seminar I would NOT be missing if it weren’t for a prior engagement, is Alan Forrest Smith’s appearance at the British Library at Rachel Elnaugh’s “Marketing Magicians”  Alan says: “Next Tuesday, June 2nd, I will be one of the keynote speakers for BBC and Dragons Den star Rachel Elnaugh.  Not only am I thrilled to be asked to speak for her at The British Library, I’ll also be presenting with some serious heavyweight entrepreneurs.  This gig is different, it focused on real business people or wanna-be smart, fast track entrepreneurs.  There are around 300 places (BUT I think it’s almost sold out). I am also presenting a stack of new ideas, stories and marketing nuggets that you can walk away with. It’s all here…”

My next speaking gigs?  We have a Money Gym “Let’s Talk Money” day

on June 13th which is packed to the rafters and then I’m speaking at Ambar Hamid’s Wealth Thing event on June 6th and then I’m on again for Triumphant Events, with Dr Topher Morrison on 5th July.

Have fun, we always do!

Nicola

Burglaries, Bootcamps & Brilliant Sunsets

Well, there is only eight hours to go to find out if I’ve won a trip to Florida to visit Rich Schefren’s office for a weekend and work with his team.

Week One I didn’t feel I’d achieved enough to enter (even though I HAD restarted my live wealth creation surgery / TV show on www.MoneyGym.tv),
Week Two I had techie challenges before giving up as it was all too stressful and the natural daylight gave out….but Week Three I thought ok, here we go.  Taking no chances I started work on Wednesday!

Three weeks in, three live internet TV shows under my belt, the latter two with live video skype interviews of Money Gym Gold clients, it’s got to be worth a shot.

Add that to the fact that an odd but great side effect is that I’m exercising nearly every day, going to the gym just to able to listen to the coaching again and better absorb it.

Add that to the fact that I’ve secured a joint venture partner who can get me in front of 85,000 people in the UK, 100,000 worldwide….surely that’s enough to get me in the running?

So I made my video, edited fiercely, added music front and back (yes! my cheesy theme tune!) and annotated throughout…then uploaded to Viddler.com and I’ve tried to remain unattached to the outcome ever since.

I realised of course that I was submitting it wrongly, direct by email, the first two times, so I have resubmitted by online form, so fingers crossed.
(Learning takeaway is to always read the instructions…….yeah, as a 7-9 on the Kolbe Quickstart Index that does NOT come naturally)

What else has been happening this week?

I’ve recorded a video introduction to the Money Gym which we will be split testing on a welcome page, for cold traffic, along with our other two welcome / squeeze pages – the old fashioned one which used to convert at 14% and the more modern one converting at 2.64%.

We are honing our “potential new customer journey” all the time and Steve is constantly working on refining the experience the new customer has with us.  There is a bit of a tug of war between the marketing dept (me) and the customer service dept (him) but he largely wins.

The Membership Site Bootcamp day went very well, with Mike Crowe filming, and he got some GREAT pics – I even liked how I looked when caught unawares, which is a miracle.  Wonder how many Mike had to ditch before coming up with the final 20 or so.  We are just waiting on permission from all concerned, before uploading them to Facebook & Flickr.  Mike really managed to capture the informal but focused style of our workshops, so I’m very pleased.

Now, once Mike has got the DVD’s to Steve for editing into a virtual version of the day, we can create a product out of that, the webinars, the blog and membership site installation videos that we are having created…and then it’s onto an info page.  Eeeeuuuuuwwwww, my least favourite bit.  We usually write one ourselves so we have a control/test, then go and talk to some copywriters…….!!

My goal for 2009 is 10 x high quality cutting edge / evergreen info products like that, then I will have a whole armoury of products to go out speaking with.

As Autumn progresses, we have had some BRILLIANT sunsets in Shoreham this last couple of weeks.  You always forget the sunsets are better in winter – why is that?  I have often had to stop work and take some video but the quality is not as good as a camera would be.  So just for this ezine, I’ve borrowed Steve’s camera and taken one as the sun sets…..look at that!  I love the view from my office.

And I’ve had a bit of a larf with the “36 Things You Never Knew About….” list on the blog today, which reminded me of the most awful dream I had last night…I got burgled while I was living in a flat in Brighton (say what?) and came home to find a whole burglarising family stripping my possessions out and loading them into a van up the hill, and I woke up as I was running up the road after them shouting…

“Take the lot, but please not my lappie……………”

Have fun, we usually are!

Cheers
Nicola

Wealth Coach Diaries: Nicola’s Week

This week I co-hosted a “Rent To Own / House For £1″ evening at the Burlington Hotel in Worthing, with David Lee and his lovely wife, on one of the hottest days of the year so far.  We had a bumper turnout with over 30 property investors and aspiring RentToOwn’ers there and it was great to meet new friends and old – Hi Mandy, David and Tyrone!

Well the big day is finally here – my sister Heather Cairncross’ second “Gira Con Gershwin” concert at the Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham.  She previously performed it at the Arundel Festival last year and it was so well recieved she was persuaded to put it on again.  Tickets were slow to move at first, but once we set up the Heather Cairncross fanclub on Facebook, and I enouraged her to email her Arundel list a couple more times, we started to get some ticket sale action.

Kept telling her, you gotta touch people about 7 times with your sales message in different ways….and I hope she will let me do a Jeff Walker “product launch formula” with her next time.  Singing postcards by email, now there’s a thought….

I was hoping to beam it live from my laptop via http://www.Justin.tv/wealthcoach but I’m not sure the main concert hall has wireless broadband – it certainly does not get a mobile phone signal *sigh*.

Talking of product launches, Tim Brocklehurst is warming up to release the DVD’s of his Freedom Class weekend, which we all went on recently.  YOu can see Steve being uncharacteristially outgoing here while you watch these 8 excellent short videos about viral marketing and the power we are all tapping into now http://viralurl.com/moneygym/actionfreedom

Tomorrow, as it’s a kid free weekend, I’m off to lunch with one of my poker buddies, Paul Stanford, small business specialist.  Check out his fab new blog Steve made him… some great articles there already.  http://www.paulstanford.co.uk/blog/ – dont’cha just love that template which fitted his existing branding so well.

Heather came to view the poker league this week and met some of my poker buddies, including Paul.  She might come and play soon but Monday is jazz night at the Hare & Hounds in Worthing and it takes a lot to tear her away from live jazz.

I’ve just been called away from writing this, to film Steve’s golf swing with my little Flip Video camera….one of the more esoteric uses for it….LOL.  He’s got a bit of a loop going on and his mum will be consistently beating him until he fixes it apparently.  I would upload it to Viddler.com for your enjoyment and/or tips, but I fear he would, then, be justified in leaving!

Now, are you having fun in the sun?  We are!

Nicola

Jazz On A Sunday In Shoreham

Check this out…The legendary bass player Herbie Flowers teams up with young turk, genius jazz pianist Mark Edwards, for Herbie’s Jazz Breakfast at The Ropetackle Centre, Shoreham, West Sussex. Here they are joined by Marianne Hillier-Brook on percussion.

Herbie is actually playing the bass that he used for the opening notes of “Walk On The Wild Side” by Lou Reed, recorded at Trident Studios in London. In the audience was Ken Scott, visiting from the USA, who was the sound engineer at Trident, who Herbie had invited to hear Mark Edwards play. Awesome.

Herbie’s Jazz Breakfast is the first Sunday of every month 11am – 1pm (excluding August 2008). £7 including free coffee & croissant. Book here at The Ropetackle Centre website >>>

Property For £1 – My First One!

Welcome to the world of buying UK property for just £1.  Here is the first deal I have done, within 3 weeks too!  This is fast and fun……and the best thing is, you are helping people who can’t sell (without beating them down on the price) and helping people who can’t buy due to not having enough deposit, or being able to qualify for a mortgage.  Here’s the info: 

Charming 2 Bedroom Cottage To Let in Littlehampton, West Sussex.

Stop!  Think about this for a second……….why rent when you can buy?

I am offering a lovely two bedroom cottage in Littlehampton to let, on a “Rent 2 Buy” or premium rental basis.  If you are a first time buyer but can’t afford the normal deposit, or get a mortgage in today’s market, this could be perfect for you! 

Click here for a 4 minute, streaming video, tour around the property….

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olzAhu5_XEc]

The house is offered at £220,000 and you simply pay a 5% deposit, and then instalments of £1283 per month, and this lovely cottage could be yours in 2-3 years.  No mortgage required but you will need to provide work references and some other financial details.

Close to Central Littlehampton, with great road and rail links across West Sussex, in a very quiet private road, and a lovely secluded walled and gated garden – perfect for children.  The whole cottage faces South/West and is very light and sunny.  Fully refurbished thoughout, the cottage has a living room with open fire and beamed ceiling, double glazing and gas central heating.  There are two good sized bedrooms, lovely refitted modern kitchen with modern wood units and integrated cooker/hob, a hall/dining room, bathroom with white suite and seperate toilet upstairs.

Have a look at the video and if you would like to view this cottage, call me for more details on 01273 910986.  Stop paying dead rent and take your first step on the property ladder.

** Put your name and email in the box to the top right to get a Free Report on how “Rent2Own” works in the UK and join our priority Property List for 1 bed, 2 bed and 3 bed Worthing, Shoreham & Littlehampton properties**

Wealth Coach Diaries: Nicola’s Week

My new sewing machine has arrived today (£32 from eBay – why pay more?) and it’s beautiful!

Well, it’s a bit old and cream coloured, but it’s in really good nick and it’s got everything I need (forward, back, ziz zag) to make lovely linen garments and it’s even got a “quick unpick” which you slide along seams to unpick them quickly.

Also arrived today was the www.WrapOnline.co.uk catalogue and my word, they have a vast quantity of beautiful clothes, but luckily I was saved from spending a fortune by the fact they don’t do black, white or navy. Lots of lovely sludgy colours that I probably should be wearing but just can’t bring myself to buy.

Indigo, prune and kingfisher, I ask you. Bitter Chocolate, Poppy, Aubergine…..What kind of colours are they?

I have emailed them with my suggestions on how to triple their profits – stock black, white and navy in addition to those sludgy colours.

Don’t make the same mistake as Marks & Spencers for heaven’s sake.

OK, retail rant over.

Why am I sewing? Can I be that much of a skinflint you may ask yourself?

Because I’m looking for a hobby, used to be designer and can pattern-cut and sew standing on my head, and I have a much loved long linen shirt that I want to copy in many colours. Starting with black, white, navy and pink (the new black don’tcha know?). Also I want to teach Phoebe – it’s something we can do together and it’s a useful and fun skill, a bit like good cooking.

Talking of hobbies, the gardening has taken a bit of a back seat but the live Monday night Apple League poker games are coming along nicely and are great fun. I came 2nd out of 27 the other night, in the first game, and just missed being on the final table in the second game. I am getting to know the other players a bit now, still very friendly, and the landlord from the Thursday night game in The Montague pub, Worthing, came over to the Crown & Anchor pub to play this week, so I now feel that I could go there on my own if I wanted to.

Sean, a young salesman who seems to have taken a shine to me, says I’m getting a bit of a reputation for being an aggressive player who can bluff well. Bit scary apparently! I did learn from the knee of the master, Mr Watson, so that’s no surprise.

I gave Giles, the new owner of the Crown & Anchor, the book “How To Make Your First Million” by Martin Webb which I read last week and thought brilliant. I know Martin (presenter of “Risking It All” on Channel 4), from my clubbing days in Brighton. My penchant for drinking in loud nightclubs helped him make his first millions LOLOLOL and it was a fascinating read to find out what went on behind the scenes while Martin and Simon – now an aspiring counsellor for Kemptown – built their chain of pubs, clubs and restaurants. Watch a video of Martin talking about the book here
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Nicola’s Crib

I am blessed to live in a tiny town called Shoreham-By-Sea, in West Sussex, looking out over said sea with the river behind us.  Shoreham was always somewhere you drove past en route to Brighton, from Worthing, and I had no idea, till a friend moved here, how lovely it was.

Now I have just spotted the house I want on the foreshore – it’s art deco and beautiful, tucked between two 1970’s eyesores (which have their own charm admittedly) here it is……it’s got my name all over it.  Manifest, manifest!  I don’t know how yet, but it’s in my sights now and on my dreamboard.

And here’s a little video showing Sarah and I setting up from Shoreham Station one crisp sunny morning, for one of our Money Gym workshops.