Issue #2568
- WEALTHY: 2 minutes today to keep your investments safe (Andrew Gordon)
- HEALTHY: How carbs control your appetite (Jonny Bowden)
- WISE: Edmund Burke on confronting your fears
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- My terrifying experience at Bootcamp (Suzanne Richardson)
- A simple solution for a common language problem (Don Hauptman)
- It’s Fun to Know… about post-bath wrinkly hands and feet
- Add "guerdon" to your vocabulary
== Highly Recommended ==
12 Surefire Steps to Financial Independence
If the recession has been hard on you, you aren’t alone.
Brian knows exactly what it’s like. He lost his Wall Street job after the 9/11 economy crash. He was worried about his future, just like you are now.
But today – in the midst of the worst economy in decades – Brian’s doing great. He discovered a proven model for making money that truly works. Recession or not.
He and the experts at ETR have turned that model of financial success into an easy-to-follow formula. This formula is behind the success of ETR. It’s helped build a $300 million publishing powerhouse. It’s entirely repeatable – and you can put it to work for yourself starting today.
There’s no reason for you to go through years of trial and error, searching for this formula on your own.
Let Brian and ETR walk you, step-by-step, down the path to financial freedom. Sign up for our FREE teleseminar right here to get your 12-step guide.
A 2-Minute Drill That Could Save You Thousands
Professional investors got taken to the cleaners by the former head of NASDAQ, hedge fund manager and scam artist Bernie Madoff. They should have known better. But before you point fingers at these supposedly sophisticated investors who lost billions to a cheat, ask yourself this: Do you do even the minimum due diligence before you invest in a fund? (I don’t care who told you about it. Trust no one except yourself.)
Go to the finance.yahoo.com site and look up a mutual fund. Then click on "Profile." Here, you’ll see most of what you need to know…
• The fees and expenses. You can compare them to the average costs of similar funds for the current year and projected out as far as 10 years.
• The fund manager. You’ll see how long he’s been managing that particular fund and how long he’s been with the fund company.
Then click on "Performance" and look at the information under "Trailing Returns vs. Benchmarks" to find out how the fund did compared to its category and to the S&P 500.
If you spend more than 60 seconds on each of these pages, you’re spending too much time. Just two minutes’ worth of homework could save you a lot of headaches down the road.
If the fund does worse than the S&P, don’t invest. But also don’t invest if it makes the same great annual gains even in those years when the S&P is in negative territory. That’s the big lesson of the Bernie Madoff scandal.
[Ed. Note: Thousands of Americans are cashing in on a loophole for collecting up to $8,881 a month, backed by an "explicit" U.S. Treasury guarantee. The next batch of checks is going out on March 27, 2009. Learn how you can get your name on the list by reading on here.]
"He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper."
Edmund Burke
7 Nerve-Beating Secrets to Getting Past Your Fear of Being Interviewed
Last November found me sitting in beautiful Delray Beach, Florida. A warm wind was blowing, water was making gentle lapping sounds against the sides of the pool, fluffy clouds scudded across the sky. And there I was, scared out of my wits. I might as well have been standing on the edge of a 170-story building. I was shaking, my mouth was dry, and my mind was blank.
Was Michael Masterson reading me the riot act?
Had Brad Pitt suddenly revealed his plan to whisk me away to Paris?
Had a leopard escaped from the Palm Beach zoo and leapt over the wall of the Marriott veranda?
No. The reality was far worse.
Consultant and Internet marketer Terry Brock had a video camera pointed at me and was asking me questions.
Now don’t get the wrong idea. Terry wasn’t shoving the microphone in my face and interrogating me paparazzi-style. He wasn’t accusing me of any horrible crime or trying to embarrass me.
All he wanted to do was get me to talk a little bit about ETR and e-mail marketing. (He posted the video on his website www.TerryBrock.com. You can see it – and other videos – there.)
Maybe, like me, you are terrified of speaking in front of a camera. Or perhaps you are applying for jobs and want to appear calm and dignified in front of your prospective employers. Or maybe you’ve been invited to appear on TV or radio to share your expertise.
If so, you’ll be interested in the seven techniques I picked up from Terry that you can use to calm your nerves and get through any interview with flying colors.
Terry’s been interviewing people for decades. In fact, when he was 16, he was asked by his local paper to cover Richard Nixon’s inauguration in Washington, D.C. He has a background in radio. And he spent six years on the Board of the National Speakers’ Association.
These days, most of the interviewing he does is for his website. He’s interviewed Harvey Mackay (author of Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive) Zig Ziglar, Mark Victor Hansen, Jack Canfield, and many others. He’s even interviewed ETR’s own MaryEllen Tribby. So he’s seasoned in what it takes to get a good conversation going.
And he’s equally versed in what it takes to calm down a nervous interview subject. (It comes with the territory.)
That’s where I come in.
As I said, I was freaking out. But Terry knew how to get me past my nail-chewing nerves and through the interview.
I think you should know that Terry charges $6,997 for a full year of hands-on individual coaching. But he agreed to let me give you seven of his nerve-beating techniques that you can use the next time you get interviewed – whether it’s for a new job or to share your expertise with a local radio or TV audience…
How Not To Be Nervous:
1. Prepare yourself. As Cervantes said, "To be prepared is half the victory." Try to anticipate the questions you’ll be asked or the topics your interviewer might cover. You’ll feel a lot calmer if the questions aren’t thrown at you out of the blue.
2. Picture yourself in your living room, sharing a glass of Riesling with the interviewer.
3. Chat with the interviewer for a few minutes before you begin. Terry and I talked about his travels, the languages he speaks (Russian and Japanese), Ireland, and Guinness beer. When we were relaxed and laughing, he began the interview. It was an easy transition.
4. Talk to one person. This is a universal communication rule. Whether you’re writing an e-newsletter or speaking at a convention or giving an interview, don’t think about all the people your words are reaching. Instead, focus on one person. Even if that person is imaginary.
5. Visualize your audience as a friend rooting for you to succeed.
6. Be yourself. It’s a huge cliche, but it’s true. Don’t try to be some stiff Walter Cronkite copycat if that’s not the normal you. Just be sincere and true to yourself.
7. Don’t worry about messing up. Worrying about something that may happen is counter-productive. And even if it does happen (and it probably will), it’s not the end of the world. As Terry said to me, "You’re a human being. It’s okay to mess up."
Now you may think that Terry’s advice doesn’t apply to you because you’re never going to be interviewed. Well, I never thought I’d be on camera, and now I am. As Terry pointed out, "It’s a video world." Chances are, to reach your customers or your family or even – if you work remotely – your coworkers and employees, you will be on video at some point. So it’s a good idea to get past that irrational and blood-curdling fear of being on camera.
That said, here are two additional – more tech-savvy – suggestions from Terry for getting more comfortable on camera.
• Buy a webcam. (Terry recommends Logitech, which has a 2 megapixel model that goes for under $100.) Then find other people who have webcams and talk to them. It could be your old high school friends back in Michigan… your grandpa in Hong Kong… or your business partner in California.
• Create a video journal. Michael Masterson has recommended keeping a daily journal in writing. But Terry recommends using your webcam to record a video journal, as well. "Wouldn’t you like to see yourself on camera when you were 10 years old?" he asked me. "What about 20 years from now? Think how nice it will be to see yourself as you are today." Plus, practicing in front of the camera is a great way to get comfortable with being recorded.
And that’s the final key.
The best way to get comfortable being on camera is to get yourself on camera as much as you can.
[Ed. Note: This may be the year you make your video debut. That's because video is becoming a more popular means of connecting with potential customers. To learn how to use video to build relationships with your clients, and to discover the best ways to market your business in the Internet Age, sign up for ETR's Internet Money Club. It's a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to growing an Internet business. Find out if you are still eligible for the "Class of 2009" right here.]
Are Recession-Proof Profits Really Possible?
While many are rightfully worried about what happens next with the economy, here at ETR we are very excited about the significant profit opportunities you can still take advantage of right now. May we share them with you?
This April, Early to Rise invites you to join us in sunny Orlando, Florida for a 3-day wealth-building summit we’ve named "Profits in Paradise."
We intend to hand you everything you need to set up and reap the rewards of passive income streams. You will get some of the SAFEST and yet most PROFITABLE business-building, income-generating and entrepreneurial opportunities available today!
And this isn’t speculation or pie-in-the-sky theory, but proven methods that WORK.
Our select team of experts will show you detailed, step-by-step "how to" advice for quickly creating income streams that throw off cash even in these difficult times. You can consistently profit whether the markets are up or down. Isn’t it time you get your fair share of the profits that are still available today?
Join us and you can be on your way to shockingly high returns from a variety of passive income streams. Register today and you will lock in the lowest possible rate for early bird registration.
Killer Carbs
By Jonny Bowden
Ever wonder why you’re hungry for more after you eat a high-carb snack or meal?
New research from Monash University has identified appetite control cells in the human brain. The cells are attacked by free radicals after you eat, but the attack is bigger and stronger following a meal rich in sugar and carbohydrates.
"The more carbs and sugars you eat, the more your appetite-control cells are damaged," said Zane Andrews, MD, the lead researcher on the study. The result? You eat more.
According to Andrews, people aged 25 to 50 are most at risk. "The neurons that tell people in that crucial age range not to over-eat are being killed off."
Yet another reason to limit your sugar and processed carbs if you don’t want to be the victim of constant cravings.
[Ed. Note: Sugar and carbs can devastate your weight-loss plans. So following health expert Jonny Bowden's suggestions to steer clear of these diet-defeaters could help you slim down. For more easy-to-follow health enhancers, check out Jonny's book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth.
And for more simple methods that can help you feel better and live longer, read all about our Healing Prescription service.]
The Language Perfectionist: Parallel Bars
By Don Hauptman
Consistency and coherence are hallmarks of good writing. This principle applies especially when you’re writing lists. The series of items that constitute a list should have a parallel structure.
Let’s say someone charged with the task of preparing a business report drafts the following passage…
The goals of the new product launch are:
- To increase revenues by $1 million annually.
- Expanding the company’s market share.
- Let’s ensure that brand recognition doubles among our target audience.
The above list has what grammarians call "faulty parallelism." Each item begins with a different part of speech. But the problem can be fixed easily. For example, this list could be recast by structuring all the items in the infinitive…
The goals of the new product launch are:
- To increase revenues by $1 million annually.
- To expand the company’s market share.
- To double brand recognition among our target audience.
"The Grammar Curmudgeon" website (grammarmudge.cityslide.com/Home.html) has an excellent explanation of why parallelism is important:
"Parallel construction prevents awkwardness and promotes clarity. Balanced or symmetrical elements also tend to be more concise. Writers who face the challenge of stating several ideas… can often achieve this goal with remarkable clarity if they arrange these ideas in a balanced series. … The result is not only easier for the reader to follow, but it is also more pleasing aesthetically."
Achieving these objectives may require some thought and effort. But that investment is rewarded by the result: powerful, effective, persuasive communication.
[Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was an award-winning independent direct-response copywriter and creative consultant. He is author of The Versatile Freelancer, an e-book recently published by AWAI that shows writers and other creative professionals how to diversify their careers into speaking, consulting, training, and critiquing.]
It’s Fun to Know: About Post-Bath Wrinkly Hands and Feet
There is nothing better to soothe your aches and pains than a long, hot bath, bubbles optional. Not too long, of course, unless you want to wind up with "pruney" hands and feet. Which raises the question… why doesn’t the rest of your body wrinkle up?
Here’s why: When you take a bath or go swimming, the skin on your body absorbs water and the outer layer expands. But the skin on your hands and feet is thicker – so, instead of expanding, it buckles or wrinkles.
(Source: Why Do Men Have Nipples?)
== Highly Recommended ==
Are You OK With (Smaller) Online Profits That Automatically Flow Into Your Bank Account Every Month?
Seems like everyone’s going for broke and trying to earn a million their first year online. In the meantime, a handful of people are happy as clams with automatic income streams – usually a few thousand dollars – fattening up their bank accounts each month.
Of course, you can set up as many of these income streams you want. So if it’s more money you are after, then go for it! Best part: It only takes about an hour to set up and it’s easy to do. And then imagine yourself sitting back and watching the money roll in.
Sounds too easy, I know. But perhaps everyone is busy trying to make a killing online… and so they’ve overlooked this fast and easy way to make very nice (but not ridiculous) amounts of money. Why not take a peek today and see if this is right for you?
Word to the Wise: Guerdon
"Guerdon" (GUR-dn) – from the French – is another way of saying reward or payback.
Example (as used in The New York Times): "The appalling realization that he has labored for a whole year, only to have the guerdon thus rudely snatched away, is almost too much for Hutch."
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2009
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