The Day the Stars Aligned

What happens when you have EVERYTHING? The talent, the team, the family, the connections, the music and the message…does this ENSURE success? That’s the question of the day. I sit down with a team of people seeping with talent, drive, message, mission and experience; Robert W. Walker, Mo Fitzgibbon and Joanna Tepper. Award winning and Grammy nominated filmmakers, Walker/Fitzgibbon TV and Film, recently produced and released Joanna Tepper’s latest music video, “Let’s Save the Children.” Written by the newest member of the Tepper dynasty, Joanna, along with her father, Warren “Mighty Joe” Tepper, and Grandfather Sid Tepper, who wrote over 40 songs for Elvis Presley. I sat down with the three of them to find out more about their journey together, their newly released music video, and their secret sauce to music, film and television success.

Walker Fitzgibbon TV Film Win DANCES WITH FILMS AUDIENCE AWARD for Joanna Tepper "Let's Save The Children" Music Video from Mo Fitzgibbonon Vimeo.

Let's start with the 411 from everyone. I'm sure our readers would love to know…who you are, what you’re about, and how you work together. Give us the scoop!

Joanna: I'm just your average girl. I don't do anything super spectacular out of the norm; work, school and singing. I'm very close with my family, and friends. I have a boyfriend. I like to work out, I'm very studious, I love to write; it's a sanctuary of mine, to be able to write songs, it keeps me sane. I live in California, and I care a lot about people, so my close relationships are important to me. Other than that, I work very, very hard. I have two jobs and I'm a full-time student. I've been working with Mo and Rob for a while now, about 6 months; they've been so amazing, they inspire me every day and they've been helping me along my musical journey. So that's been very special to me.

Fantastic! Rob, give us your 411.

Robert: I have a long career, passion and interest in media and music. I've lived in some of the major music capitals in the US; Memphis, Miami, Los Angeles. I was also in radio; I started in radio when I was in high-school, back in Tulsa, Oklahoma. That led to my involvement in recording studios, producing music, as a musician myself, and song writing. As time went on, creating all the ancillary things that go along with making music, and sharing it with people: music videos, documentaries, long-form specials. My skill set, out of necessity, grew because I'm kind of an impatient person, creatively. For example, along the way, in editing film and video, it got to the point where I realized, "Gee, if I could learn to do this, it would be a lot faster than telling someone else what I was trying to see." That's really how I got started building the skill sets of editing, shooting, and directing. I wasn't born with all these skills; they built on top of one another. We've had the opportunity to work over the years with some really, really amazing people, we've been super fortunate; from Sting to Shakira, to Gloria Estefan. When the Joanna project came along, we jumped at it because Joanna is cut from that same mold. What all those people have in common is a passion for the art and the music. It's not about fame and fortune; the quick buck, being out there on stage. It's fantastic to be out there on stage and have people respond to your art, but if you have a message and you have something within your soul that you want to get out, that's the important thing. We recognized that in Joanna right away.

I appreciate how you and Mo are such great cheerleaders for Joanna! Mo, it’s your turn…

Mo: I have been in television and film production since I was a teenager. I started as an on-camera actress in my teens, up to the age of twenty-six, mostly doing small roles in films, and some national commercials (as a surfer/skateboarder girl who would skateboard upside down on her hands with super white-blonde/platinum hair). From there I went behind the scenes, working in commercials and film at every level; PA, Coordinator, Manager. I got behind post-production and special effects. Over time I ran advertising agency departments, and then launched my own production company in my mid 20's. I decided that I wanted to venture out as a director, and I knew that I would probably have to show myself in a much higher position as a company owner. I would work two jobs and take sick-days from my “real” jobs and go out to direct projects; build my reel, until finally I was able to roll myself out as a director and writer. From that time on I was lucky to work with Ridley Scott on music videos, when music videos were king. These budgets were $500,000. I thought, "Wow! This is great, I love this!" I had accomplished working in the production arena; segued into music videos and long-form television. I was very lucky, because my partner, Robert W. Walker, little do you know, actually crossed over Gloria Estefan, and is known for that historically. FYI, something else you didn't know, he wrote records with KC and the Sunshine Band. One song is actually written about Robert, called, "I'm Your Boogie Man." We go back in the record business, we cut our teeth there. Eventually we became very active in the music community, being members of the Academy (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) as well as the Emmys, and the AICP Commercial Production Organization. We were lucky because we did projects, where [I] got in at the beginning with artists like Gloria Estefan, Shakira, and Enrique Iglesias. We were able to see the greatest people like Dick Clark, Quincy Jones and Emilio Estefan roll an artist out. We took that with us, it's something we love to do. We were so fortunate to receive a Grammy nomination for Gloria Estefan, work with HBO and Lifetime television, and do signature documentaries for VH1. It was a natural progression for us to move forward into reality and scripted television, and that's where we are today. When we got the Joanna project, I was purely inspired by the lyrics in the song, her genetic background (her grandfather being the great Sid Tepper who wrote 43 Elvis Presley songs), the fact that she went to college, she was a young lady who had dreams and goals, just like you and I. I wanted to be a part of that song. Through it we were able to send a very big message to everyone about children everywhere in the world.

How were you two introduced to Joanna and this particular project?

Mo: Joanna's father, Mighty Joe Tepper, a long-time rocker here in Los Angeles contacted us. He said, "We did this song with Joanna a few years ago. It did very well; we're ready to elevate her now." Joanna and her dad came together to sit down with Rob and I. Joanna said, "I've done everything I'm supposed to. I've gone to college. Music is what I want to do. Here's the degree Daddy, let's go. I'm ready." We wanted to guide and nurture her process; it's really special to be part of that.

Joanna, you're still in college now?

Joanna: Yes, I'm about to transfer to get my Bachelor's degree. I'm transferring as a Junior. I went to community college to figure out what I wanted to do as far as education. I'll be able to get my Bachelor's in a year, in psychology.

What are your two jobs? Are you putting yourself through college?

Joanna: I'm a baby-sitter and I work retail at a clothing store. Fortunately I have my parent’s full help putting me through college. It's very nice. A lot of people don't have that luxury; I appreciate it.

So, you'll have a psychology degree, and you're writing music...Ultimately, what's your big dream?

Joanna: Ultimately, all I really want to do is become successful in something I love to do. That's why I'm singing, and also why I'm going to college in case one of the two doesn’t work out. Following something as big as singing is very, very hard to do, especially now-a-days. They're both different for me. I don't know what I want to do with psychology yet, but with singing, performing, writing and dancing there's just a feeling that I've never felt anything like; it's so extraordinary. To see people's reaction, that kills me every single time. When my song was re-tweeted by Selena Gomez, I started getting all these girls messaging me, saying, "I love you, and I love your song, please write me back, follow me, etc." Stuff like that I love, because I know I made them feel something. That to me is all I really want out of this. I want to connect with people; I want them to connect with me in some way. Knowing I made them feel something, have fun, think about anything...that's all I need out of it.

Very well said for such a young artist. You have a release showcase coming up this summer?

Joanna: We're going to do a showcase, I'm going to perform a few songs, hopefully show the videos. I can't wait for that! I love to perform for people, and hopefully make them feel something. I like being in a room, having people respond to what I'm doing. I like to see people have fun. The showcase is slated for mid-August.

Make sure you keep us posted, so we can be there!! Joanna, do you have a band? Are you a solo-artist at this point? Are you looking to go out on the road and promote your album?

Joanna: Right now I'm a solo-artist, I don't have a band. We get music from producers. Even though I'm in school, I'm going to try to play more clubs and get my name out there that way.

Mo and Rob, you both have very diverse backgrounds, and have made several transitions in your own careers. What is your take on being an artist, and having those "back-up" plans? Do you think artists and young artists should pour everything they have into their careers, or take a more balanced approach?

Robert: I think that the pursuit of dreams is paramount with young people. I temper that with this advice...it's called show-BUSINESS. The reality of the business side of things is that it's very, very difficult to break through. Much bigger names than us have said, "You not only have to be good, you have to be lucky, the stars have to line up." You can have everything: great songs, killer voice, charisma, power, personal contacts, thousands of followers on Social Media; then you still have about half of one percent of a chance of breaking through. Having a back-up plan is just good, intelligent, life planning; no doubt about it. While you're pursuing your passion, you need to look at the realities of your chances of success in that arena. Look, most people have more than one extreme passion. There's your dream passion and then there are other things that you're really interested in as well. Joanna's the perfect example of this. She's super bright in addition to being super talented. She's in a lucky position, in that way. In a nutshell, my take is, go for your dreams with everything you've got, but keep your back-up in your back pocket. The nature of the business is that the greatest talents don't always get to the top; there's mediocre talent that breaks through for some reason and have really nice careers. There's no way to tell in advance how or why that happens. The stars have to line up and everything else has to fall in place just perfectly.

Mo: I have to agree with that. We come from an era of the ‘80's and ‘90's with artists. If you're gonna' be in the game, you have to work 15 hours a day. If you're going to be an artist, actor or singer, you're going to have to learn all aspects of your trade from Social Media to going to studios, getting to the vocal coach, work, going to school, and cooking for your family at home. Kids today, they have to have cover-songs, they have to go on YouTube, Twitter, they have to put pictures out of themselves, and they have to show up at events. It's a big deal, it's a lot of work, and if you can't cut it before you even get your deal, then it's gonna' be tough. When we look at success, it's not over-night. You have to work hard and play hard, and one day the deal's going to come through. Right now, "Let's Save the Children" has been tweeted by 30 celebrities who have driven their followers over to that song and video. That's impressive.

Joanna: My song's being tweeted by Selena Gomez, Julian Lennon, Emma Roberts, Lindsey Lohan, Helen Lutz, Ashley Greene, Adam Lambert, and Mark Salling from "Glee."
Mo: When I talk to Joanna about her song, she tells me that she wants to get a message out and she wants to change the world.

Joanna did you write "Let's Save the Children" with your dad and grandpa?

Joanna: Yeah, my dad and I started writing it together and the verses just flew out of us. We wrote it really fast, after the Sandy Hook shooting. We already had the music track; it all just fell into place. We realized that we could make it about everything, not just Sandy Hook; it could be bigger than that. We were really stuck on the chorus. We called my grandpa, told him about it, what it was about, and he said, "Ok, let me go," and he hung up on us. [Laughing] We were making bets on how long it would take him to call us back. He called us back an hour later and we worked out the chorus together on the phone. My grandpa's turning 96 in a week. He's probably sharper than I am, and he's 96.

Mo: Working with the kids of our rocker friends is important to us. Lineage is more important to us than any award. We met Shakira when she was 18 years old and didn't speak English. Emilio Estefan was going to bring her into his stable of artists. Just like Joanna (I'm a little baby bird, and I'm gonna' take flight). Luckily she landed in a nest where we could guide her in the business. We could say, "Here are your tools, here's how you're going to do it, now it's up to you to make it happen," and it's in Joanna to do it. Her grandfather wrote the "How much wood could a wood-chuck chuck, if a wood-chuck could chuck wood" song. He WROTE that!

Joanna: And there's MORE! There's a frog, and a fish...

Yeah...AND 43 songs for ELVIS PRESLEY!!

Joanna: It's funny too because we don't see him very often, but when we do see him, he'll just start saying lyrics he wrote that are so relevant to life. He's a genius.

Mo: And he worked on Joanna's first single release! (“Let's Save the Children”) We look at songs like "We Are the World" that are thematic in making a change. The energy on this project has been all about the messaging, the beautiful song, and the family dynamics.

As you're launching Joanna's career, what's the secret sauce in getting her music and her message out?

Mo: Collaboration. She's been working with people like us to help guide her, and her producer is a Grammy winner for Eminem. She has been exposed to top producers, and the interesting thing is, she's getting people writing new music for her right now. Why? Just because of this documentary that we did, and the two videos. We elevated her. We're not really people that you come to, to develop talent, per se...We’re a television and film production company, but we cut our teeth in the record business, we've lived into every medium, so we get it. Like we did for Gloria Estefan and Shakira, we just looked at the quality of the song, the message, and it's just taken flight. It's about spreading good-will and creating public service announcement with the music. Joanna and her family are donating a portion of the proceeds to the Let's Save the Children charity.

Robert: Here's a girl who's got all her stars lined up, if there's any justice in the world, she's gonna' blow up big-time. Her musical lineage, her association with Grammy winning producers and song-writers, and us; she's got a really powerful team behind her, and it all starts with her innate talent.

And there's the question that we don't get to have answered for another year, or ten, or twenty...When you have ALL the pieces of the puzzle, is that enough?

Robert: That's right. That harkens back to what I was saying before...You can get it all together, and you still need to have some kind of magical cosmic alchemy happen for it to really register with people, and to get the privilege, honor and tremendous blessing of sharing your art with the world. Look, humans are all seeking human connection. The motivation of an artist, writer, listener, reader is to find that human connection with other people so that you don't feel like you're alone. You’re thinking, “Wow...this song feels like it was written for me,” or “this writer hit the emotion exactly as I feel it.”

It was a beautiful and touching thing for me to see Mo and Rob really rally around Joanna and her music. Being her cheerleaders, and being willing to guide her, help her, and perhaps even align some of the stars for her. As in all artists’ journeys, no one knows where their twisty, often rugged path, will ultimately lead them. If we listen to Rob and Mo, we’ll put together our team, focus on our mission, keep our back-up plan close at hand, and keep an eye on those stars, so we’re ready when they align.

To learn more about Joanna, Mo and Rob, go to: http://WalkerFitzgibbon.com,http://Facebook.com/JoannaTepperMusic, http://Twitter.com/JoannaTepper

To learn more about the author, go to: http://BridgetBrady.com,http://TheVoiceGenius.com, http://MoreOnlineIncome.com

Read the article at Reap Mediazine:  http://bit.ly/MoRobJoanna

Staying Up Too Late?? Hard Time Going to Bed ALONE??

No snuggles, no warm body, no other possible bed-time activities, no…nothing.  C’mon single friends (and ESPECIALLY single entrepreneurs) you know this drill.  When there is no one to go to bed with, and you don’t have a J.O.B., so you don’t necessarily have to get up at a particular time, sometimes it’s hard to get ourselves to actually go to bed.  Sure we’re tired, but with nothing urgent (or comforting) drawing our bodies to slip into our sheets, sometimes it seems easier to stay up too late…way too late.  There are more emails to check, there are TV shows to watch, videos to edit, blogs to write, snacks to eat, glasses of wine to drink…and end-of-the-day solace to be enjoyed.  You worked all day, went to the gym, made your sales calls, wrote your blog, ran your errands, and managed your company.  Now it’s late, there’s no one around, and it’s almost like finding another day in your day.  A time that’s just for you.  It’s too late for the phone to ring, it’s far too late to make outgoing business calls, and you find yourself drawn to do just a few more things before bed.  This could be emails, and work related “stuff”, this could be your TV, whatever it is, it’s keeping you up TOO LATE.

“Don’t lecture ME”, right??  You know that with a great night’s sleep you get up earlier, have the energy to get to the gym, and have more focused energy for your business and your life all day.  And although you know this…the mere knowledge of this doesn't always get you to bed at a decent hour.  So what’s the solution??  In my experience it’s two-fold:  a system, and some trickiness.  Let’s talk about a system first, then we can get “tricky-with-it”.

      The system:

        Choose a time that you’d like to go to bed, if there are no “extenuating” circumstances.  Obviously there will be times when a big project needs to be completed, or you’re out with friends, or you’re having an all night chat-a-thon with a new beau (or cute girl).  I’m not talking about those nights.  I’m talking about the other 90% of the time, when you’re at home, in your normal routine.

      Choose a time when you close your computer/work for the day.  This is most easily found by rewinding the clock from bed-time.  Let’s say you’d like to go to bed by 12.  Perhaps you’d like an hour or two of television/unwind time, which rewinds us to 10:30 PM, 30 minutes to have a snack and/or glass of wine (10:00) and 30 minutes to straighten up the house, or do miscellaneous tasks (9:30 PM).  Great!  Now, at 9:30 PM, shut down your computer, put away your work, and walk away from your desk.  That’s it.  You are DONE for the day with work, and all other even remotely work related activities.  Now you get to enjoy your evening rituals.

      Stick to your ritual.  (For the most part)  Do what you want to do, have your snack, drink your wine, watch that show on Hulu, meditate, do your sit-ups, load the dishwasher, set out your gym clothes…whatever.  Do it, and fully enjoy it.  Then with the clock strikes “bed-time”, we’re using 12 PM in our example.  Get up and go to bed.  Yes, I know, I hear you…stop your clamoring.  “It’s not that easy,” you say.  I know.  You’re right.  That’s where the trickiness comes into play.  Read on...

The Trickiness:

I totally get that you can follow all your cute little rituals, and close your computer, and do your evening stuff, and look up at the clock at 11 or 12 (or whatever your bed-time is) and say…”but I still don’t really want to go to bed, I know I ‘should’ go to bed, but maybe one more show, one more Facebook post, one more whatever.”  Because you still don’t have anything drawing you into your bed, other than your tiredness…but we’re entrepreneurs, we’re warriors, we can work through tired, it’s not all that big of a deal, right??  We can totally be 98% if we get at least 5 hours of sleep, right?!?

The “trick” is simple.  Find one last enjoyable draw to get you into bed.  My personal trick is a really amazing FICTION book.  I’ve tried self-help books, business books, and the like, they don’t seem to work as well for me.  When I’m in a really good habit and flow of going to bed on-time, sometimes I can use a good business or personal development book, but I the “trick” that really does it for me is a great work of fiction with characters I connect with.  Then, when it’s bed time, I get to brush my teeth, wash my face, and find out what’s been going on with Harry Potter, Jemima James, Anna, Ruth, Elizabeth, Stanley, Ben, etc.  So I lay in my luxurious bed, already proud of myself for getting to bed on-time, and I read for a bit.  Within 30 minutes or so I’m ready to go to sleep.

It’s that easy.

So, for all the single men and women, or the coupled men and women, out there who are going to bed too late, and who are caught in an endless cycle of not enough sleep, try a system AND a trick.  Let me know how it goes by commenting here on this blog.  I can’t wait to hear all about it!!

Being Interviewed on the "Lessons in Joyful Living" Radio Show with Kimberly Rinaldi! Monday, August 19, 10 AM PST

Wanna' learn how to create more FREEDOM & JOY??  Wanna' learn how to work from home in your jammies??!!

I will be on the air with the fabulously successful Kimberly Rinaldi talking about ALL of that and MORE!  

"Lessons in Joyful Living", Monday, August 19 at 10 AM PST!!!!!

JOIN US!!!  CALL IN!!!!!  It's gonna' be EPIC!

http://rockstarradionetwork.com/shows/lessonsinjoyfulliving/#bridgetbrady

The Balancing Act

Work, family, friends, business, fun, romance, our daily tasks, self care, etc.  How does this all get taken care of?  How does it all get balanced?  Truth??  I have almost no idea.  I do however have some thoughts to share, that you might really like.

I’m writing this on the plane from Denver to Los Angeles, the flight I typically take 3 – 4 times a year to visit my family in Colorado.  Birthdays, weddings, holidays, I do my best to make as many as possible.  And although I LOVE seeing my family, and truly wish I saw them more often, in order to fly out to Colorado several times a year, I “leave behind” my business, my  shows, recording my album, my friends, and my usual self-care routine.  I believe it’s worth it.  There is nothing more important to me than my family, but it most definitely brings into question my balance.

Whether you spend a lot of time traveling, or you are at home, pursuing your dream, working on your business, or even working your job, how do all of your priorities get fit into our modern-day busy lives?  Let’s start with some “easy” ones, and work our way through some possibilities.

Friends.  What I’ve found most useful with most things in life, but certainly with my friendships, is to be fully present with them when I’m with them, and keep in touch peripherally through text, phone, or even social media when I can’t see them in person.  Here’s what I mean, when I’m at dinner, or coffee, or at a friend’s house, I am NOT on my cell phone, or social media.  I am WITH my friends.  Fully engaged, soaking up and giving back all the connection, conversation and love that I can muster in those moments.  This way, our time together is high-quality time, and even if I only get to see my friends once a week, once a month…or even once a year, our time together is fulfilling.

Self-Care.  When you have a busy life, or are travelling, it seems that the first thing for a lot of people to let go of is our self-care.  This is a TOUGH one.  I get it.  This is often the first thing I let go of too.  It’s sometimes easier to keep our commitments to our jobs, businesses, family and friends, than to ourselves.  I urge you (and me) to do your best to find a self-care routine that is DO-ABLE in MOST scenarios.  Figure out what that means to you.  It might be a specific eating strategy, bed-time, exercise, meditation, or even quiet time that ensures your battery is charged.  I know that when my self-care falters, everything else in my life just feels harder.  Then, regardless of what else is going on, put yourself first (as much as possible).  Put your own oxygen mask on first, before helping others.  (Yep…still on the plane.)

Business.  If you own a business, do your best to “systemize” and put as much of your business on auto-pilot as possible.  Especially when travelling, or during big life events.  Remember to delegate any tasks that aren’t in your core strengths, or that you are required for.  If you can’t take time away from your business to travel, or spend time with the people you love, you probably own a “job”, not a business.  Additionally, in my opinion, if you are so chained to your business, that you can’t take time away, it’s possible you might be better off just getting a job.  At least jobs have benefits, and vacation time.

Family.  This might be your spouse, your kids, your siblings, your parents, your significant other, etc.  If you want a “healthy” family, your family requires your time and your energy.  Similar to your friends, I encourage you to be as present with your family as much of the time as possible.  Now, I get it, if you are living with someone, there will be times that you are together, and on your phone, or on the internet, etc.  That said, be sure that quality-time is set aside.  I encourage you to not fall victim to peripheral time like watching TV, or doing work, become the “only” time you spend together.  Find ways like meals at the table, or evening chats to share your day, and connect intimately with your family as much as possible.  If you spend 8 – 12 hours a day working (as many of us do) find a way to spend time every day truly connecting with your family.

Fun.  Find time for fun.  Period.  This comes in many different packages for many different people, but seriously friends, if you’re not taking time to truly PLAY and have some FUN (that’s Fun with a capital “F” with no other reason than having fun) what is the point of all the other stuff you’re working so hard at??  Once a day, once a week, once a month, whatever…go have some “no ulterior motive” fun!

Relationships.  I’m talking about the romantic ones now.  Single or committed, here is yet another piece of the puzzle that requires focus, energy and time.  If you’re currently in a relationship, you might consider a standing date night, or a mutual play day that is just yours alone.  If you’re single, then the time spent on this is finding that special someone.  I would suggest determining how important this is to you at this time, and putting forth time and effort accordingly.  Some people are perfectly happy in life without “romantic” love.  If that’s you, great!  If not, and if you are single, finding love can indeed become another “task” on your life list.  If it’s important to you, don’t leave it out of the mix.

Life “Stuff”.  These are the daily or weekly tasks that most human beings have.  Consolidate, and delegate.  If you have errands or tasks that can be delegated, by all means, do that!  Do you really need to clean your own house, wash your own car and do your own taxes?  I’m going to suggest that you don’t.  Find the tasks that are easily delegated to others, and for goodness sake, delegate them.  This frees up more of your time to spend on your other 1,007 priorities.  If there are tasks that are best done by you, consolidate.  Run all your errands just once a week, or perhaps have a specific time every day that you work on paperwork, or pay bills.  Bottom line, delegate and consolidate as much as possible.  It’s sometimes the little life “stuff” that drains our time more than anything else.

I think the key to all of this is focus.  Doing the “thing” we’re doing with so much presence of mind that we don’t miss it.  I think it also lies in finding secret moments to do things, when possible.  My current example is writing on airplanes.  I wrote almost my entire book, “Jobs to Jammies” from an airplane.  There’s really “nothing” else I can do from the air, so I love to get some writing done.  (Like the blog you are currently reading.)  Like I said several paragraphs before, I honestly don’t have the “answer” on this one.  I get super caught up in my business and my work, and realize I haven’t spent time with my friends for weeks at a time.  I get caught up in big projects or stressful family events, and I decide that taking care of myself can wait.  I think that outside of extreme circumstances, this doesn’t serve us.  I believe it IS possible to live a balanced life where work, family, friends, fun, relationships, and taking care of ourselves co-exist with joy and grace.  We might visit imbalance, but let’s do our best to live in balance.

To learn more about the business vehicles that help me stay balanced, please visit:  MoreOnlineIncome.com and TheVoiceGenius.com.  To get on the list for my latest book, visit:  JobsToJammies.com.

Please comment below, I would love to hear YOUR thoughts and tips on this!!

So...You just lost your job...NOW WHAT?

What do you do when you lose your job??!!

I have personally lost my job...twice.  No notice, no severance, no nothing, just gone.

If you have recently lost your job, what in the world are you supposed to do??!!

Here's my caveat...If you have 6 - 12 months of monthly expenses saved up, just ready to cushion your fall, first off, GREAT JOB!!  Second off...you probably don't need this article, cuz' you already know what side of the street the sun shines.  ;)

However, if you're like MOST of us, you probably don't have 6 - 12 months of monthly expenses saved up.  So for you, I have some ideas that will help!

1.  BREATHE!  Yes, seriously breathe.  More oxygen in your lungs means you will stay calmer and have more oxygen in your brain to help you solve this.

2.  Don't panic.  Ok...panic a little bit, just enough so that you take it seriously, then go back to instruction #1 and breathe.  I personally believe that everything happens for a reason, and that reason is there to SERVE you.  This is easy to believe when everything is rainbows and butterflies.  Harder to accept when you just lost the way you pay your rent.  But try it on anyway, it will help.

3.  SIMPLIFY!!!  Take a good, hard look at your spending and get rid of anything (and I mean ANYTHING) that you don't need!  Starbucks, take-out food, expensive wine, going out, mani-pedis, golf, movies, CABLE TV (yup, I said it.)  You can still watch your favorite shows on Hulu, and that's FREE!

4.  Implement a "Spending Freeze".  This is different than simplification.  This is different than looking at your budget and getting rid of unnecessary spending.  This is literally, stop spending money.  Stop taking money out of your wallet.  Do you need some food, and some gas and to pay your electric bill?  Yes.  However, that trip you planned to Vegas, new mascara, getting your car washed, and the $3 tank top that's on sale at Target is off limits.  (Just for now.  This will not last forever, you just need to make sure you stop any possible financial bleed while we get you back on your feet.)

5.  Get CREATIVE.  Do you already own a business??  (If not, START ONE.  It's always a great idea to have multiple streams of income.)  If you own a business, focus more attention on how you can increase your cash flow with your business right away.  The name of the game right now is CASH FLOW.  So, can you run a promotion, do some free marketing, go to some networking events and PROMOTE?  What you don't have is a job...what you have more of is TIME.  Get creative with your time so that the activities you're doing are bringing you more cash flow.  If you don't have a "business", where else can you create immediate cash flow?  Remember the name of the game is getting creative and thinking outside of the box.  And seriously...if you don't have a business or some other stream of income, start looking for that too.  You don't want to be caught with no other income stream ever again.

6.  Don't wait.  Don't wait to get your resume out, call your business contacts, run a promotion for your current business, start a free (or super low-cost) side business, etc.  Do not wallow around in your sadness and fear over losing your job.  I'm not saying deny your emotions.  Feel your feelings...and get moving!  Put the word out to people that can help.  Let your smart friends and smart business contacts know that you're available for work, and ask for suggestions.  (Remember I said your SMART friends and business contacts.  Don't let your broke friends drag you down lower.)

7.  Trust.  You've come this far my friends, you WILL be ok.  Especially if you're getting creative and moving towards cash flow.  :)

8.  Stay POSITIVE.  I know it's hard right now.  I promise you, I know.  But you already lost your job.  Now it's up to you to choose how to live each day.  I guarantee you that staying positive (which helps keep you in motion) will help.  

You will have a new job, or business, or more cash flow before you know it.  So, take my advice.  It helps.  I promise!

If you have any tips of your own, please leave them as a comment!

Want to be found on Google and other Search Engines?

The Magic of Blogging!!

I discovered something quite by accident recently.  Let me tell you the story...

I've owned my own online travel company for 3 years.  (http://www.yourticketbuddy.com/)  Until very recently you could go to Google, type in my actual web address and it wouldn't bring up my website!  It would bring up other possible related topics, but not MY site!!

It was a little frustrating, but I honestly didn't think that much of it because my business is primarily built through word of mouth and database marketing, so I moved on.

The plot doth thicken...  Recently I started 2 blogs, about things I'm personally passionate about. 
Wealth Creation:  www.TheMillioniareGoddess.com
Entertainment:  www.EntertainmentExposed.com

A few months ago, I was visiting a friend and they wanted to check out my travel site.  They went online, opened Google and started to type my URL into the Google search bar.  I told them, "they needed to type my web address directly into their browser bar, and that searching Google wouldn't bring my site up."  Fortunately they clicked search before I could stop them.  Guess what happened??!!  My site came up in 6 different references!!!  On Page ONE of the Google Search!!!  I was ecstatic!  Had I finally cracked the code??!!  On accident??!!

So today's blog is about, well... blogging!  I am not yet the expert in the arena.  So you'll have to do some of your own experimenting with this one.  However, I say it's worth a shot! 

If you have a website, and you'd like it to get more traffic and be searchable in Search Engines, start a blog. 

• I would recommend blogging about something that you're truly interested in where you can provide value to others.
• Include the link to your site(s) on you blog page, as well as mentioning your sites in your blog where appropriate.

As I learn more, of course, I'll share!

For now, happy blogging, and I sincerely hope it brings more traffic to YOUR site!!

You can find links to my sites right here on my blog page!! -->>

Check them out!  And may the blogging gods bring more traffic to your sites too!!

Holiday Shopping SOLVED!!!

Let me guess... There are people you love, people you like, clients, bosses, co-workers, etc. AND... you'd like to buy a perfect Christmas gift for all of them! Right??

But alas... your budget for Christmas this year just doesn't seem to equal what it would cost to buy all those gifts! Right??!! Some of you have NO budget… Right?! So what do you do??!! I’m here to help.

You likely know that I'm a big believer in creating your own economy, and that there is a HUGE difference between YOUR economy and THE economy. That said, I think we can all agree that there has been an economic down turn. Whether it's affected you personally, or not, I feel confident that you know someone who's been affected by what's going on in our economy at this time.

Regardless if you have personally been affected by the economy or not, here are my simple solutions for Christmas and Holiday spending this year. They are working for me, and they will work for everyone who is committed to not overspending this year. (Yes friends, these techniques will work for Hanukah and New Years too!)

1. Your friends and family love you for YOU not for the gifts you give them.

I am a famous over-spender at Christmas time. No matter what my budget is, I usually spend twice that! (And my budget is usually several thousand dollars... and yet I seem to go over anyway!  ARG!!)

This year will be different. My family and I have decided that our money is better spent on other things this year, instead of extravagant gifts. So we are doing token gifts, or JUST CARDS!!! THAT'S IT! (Seriously.)

For my friends (as a general rule)... I'm doing “nothing”. That's right, I said nothing. Perhaps a card here or there. Perhaps a token gift. Maybe I’ll meet them for a coffee. But I refuse to do the old Christmas hustle this year and spend money that is better used in other areas of my life right now. So they get my love, my friendship, and if we can coordinate our schedules, my time. (Our most valuable asset, by the way.)

Other ideas that are super cost effective: Poems, Love Notes, Coupons for stuff from you (Eg. massages, clean their kitchen, take them to a movie, help them with their filing, help them organize their closet, etc.) There are an unlimited amount of things you can give a "coupon" for that people will absolutely love! (And appreciate more than that ugly $10 watch you saw. You know, the one with all the rhinestones.)

Some of my best gifts, given and received, have been home-made; or the gift of someone's time to help me get something done that I needed.

The fact of the matter is, my family and my friends will love me if I give them presents this year or not. And if they don't... they didn't really love me in the first place.

2. Client/Boss/Business gifts can be simple and thoughtful, and inexpensive!!

I understand that your clients and business associates may not be as understanding as your loved ones. Mine aren't!! I also understand that a thoughtful Holiday gift can mean more business in 2010! So, what to do about business gifts??!!

I personally am going to be giving $25 - $100 gift certificates to fabulous restaurants in their area... and I'm only going to be spending $2 - $12 for each of them!!! Yes, you heard me correctly on the price!!!!
Wanna' do the same?? Of course you do!

Here's how:


Go to: http://www.yourcashbackbuddy.com/

Click on the arrow that says "GO" and sign up for your own VIP, CASH BACK shopping portal

Once there, click on the "Restaurant Site". (It's at the very top in the middle.)

Shop

When you are ready to check out, use the discount code: SNOW

You will also get 12.5% cash back on your purchase!!

Who loves 'ya baby??!!

Tips to make the gift as lovely a possible:

1. Print the gift certificate out on nice paper.

2. Put it in a card. (You can also order cards from your VIP ShopYTB site, and you'll get cash back on your purchase.)

3. If you can, hand deliver your card with a bow on it. It looks more like a present.

You will have only spent $2 - $12 on each gift, and people LOVE them! Why not??!! They get to go out to eat with a gift certificate! Everyone loves that!! AND you chose a restaurant in their neighborhood. How very thoughtful of you!!

3. For people that you are getting presents for no matter what… Get CASH BACK on your purchase!

You're going to shop anyway, why not get cash back?!!

Follow the same instructions above to get your VIP Cash Back Shopping portal at http://www.yourcashbackbuddy.com/

You'll get to shop at over 700 stores and get up to 25% cash back on EVERYTHING you buy!

That’s it… those are my secrets… now they are your secrets too.

Have an amazing Holiday Season!  And remember that you are worth more than your money, or your gifts. Stay within your budget, and give people the gift of your love and yourself.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Wishing you Love, Light and

Great Abundance this Holiday Season!