Hello Gentle Reader
If the point of a newsletter is low level keep-in-touch marketing, then I have absolutely no idea why I am writing one today because September 2008 was without a doubt the busiest month I can ever remember since selling my first business in 1997. If I had to take on any more work of any description I might pop.
But I'm a woman of my word and in my diary for today, 30th September, it says "Write A Newsletter" and who am I but to obey? Actually I think the program which sends this is offline for a few days so please forgive us if this is old news by the time it reaches you.
My Weird Boom In The Time of Crunch
I am experiencing the most incredible boom. I wonder why this is happening to me at a time when the financial world is going through some of the most terrible upheavals? Before I try and analyse that, let me say firstly that I am incredibly grateful for all the abundance which is coming my way right now.
Off the top of my head, without planning this article, I can immediately think of three reasons why that might be. And yes, the third one is a tad out there. Oops!
1. I have absolutely refused to engage in any doom and gloom mongering. I don't have a television and so can't watch the news every night. I don't read the papers, no time, and the Mail on Sunday which I am ashamed to say I occasionally while away a guilty hour with at weekends doesnt really go for in-depth financial analysis of world markets. Actually that's probably unfair. What I mean is if I were interested, it would probably not be my first port of call for that information.
Another part of this is refusing to join in a slanging match with a journalist from a certain well-known online forum. Thank you to 365 of my closest friends who sent me a link to it on publication day. Yes, I did know about it but had decided not to engage with that either. Turn a blind eye and the other cheek.
2. I KNOW for certain sure it has something to do with my stubborn and unwilling move to Streatham Hill. Yes, I moaned and bitched and whined about it, but ever since making that move my world has just exploded with opportunities.
3. And as I write I must acknowledge my Abundance Fountain which sits on the wall beside my desk. Right now the energy coming from it is almost palpable. No, scratch that. It is palpable. Marina Carew talked me into getting one of those, its a garish piece of "art" most people wouldn't give house room to and its supposed to increase your abundance. At my old home it was on the living room wall much to the hilarity of all visitors including clients, in my new home its on the wall of my tiny office, at my right elbow. Right now it is partially hidden behind the flipchart; must fix that soonest.
Does it matter why abundance is mine right now? No, not really.
Does it mean I don't give thought on a daily basis to those who are struggling financially today? Of course, I do.
Does it bring back memories of last time around when I did suffer? Yes, almost daily.
Does it make me remark, ponder and ask "why not me this time around?" Yes, often.
Last time, my mortgage doubled between July 1987 and December 1987 and I managed, and managed, and managed until the whole house of cards came tumbling down in early 1992. Boy was that a long and miserable period in my life!
Could I manage now if all my mortgages doubled in the next six months? Let me get out the calculator. I doubt it, it would be a horrible squeeze.
Would I find a way to hold on this time around and make other sacrifices, however bad? You betcha!
As I read that back I can instantly think of other things, mostly woo woo, which have definitely contributed to my own personal feelgood world. Tapping (EFT). This keeps me feeling great, vibrating attractively (if you see what I mean).
Writing it down and making it happen. I am a fervent believer in this. Ditto the Vision Board although bizarrely that's behind me as I work. Time for a new one, methinks.
Marion Ryan thinks it has something to do with the wheels which were set in motion the day the telly company called and asked me to be their Secret Millionaire. At that point it was no secret I wasn't yet a millionaire so I referred them on to Gill Fielding, and a fabulous job she made of it too, abundance personified.
And, of course, where would an article like this be without my old friend, Hard Work? Yup, I know, shouldn't do it that way but its such a well-worn groove. And it works.
You need balls of steel to thrive in this market, particularly as a property investor. Wherever I go people universally greet me with something along the lines of "how are you? We've been so worried about you" and then I tell them about some of the phenomenal deals which are coming my way right now. One is precisely five times faster and ten times cheaper than something I thought was great only as recently as three years ago. These are buying times.
One is about $70,000 cashback within six months for helping them re-build homes after Hurricane Katrina - a stronking deal which helps people to boot.
Some opportunities which others regard as a "risk" never seem so to me - it just seems like fun, or a no-brainer - and I'm in. Like Flynn. So much so that when people ask me about options for them I have to qualify everything I say with a disclaimer about my being a rampant entrepreneur and "risk-taker" for over thirty years now.
I felt inspired earlier today to write about all the things my clients have taught me this month but I'm going to have to save that for the blog, because since I opened up the online software to write this newsletter, it seems that my fingers have just been typing on their own. This was not what I set out to say, its just what has come out.
Gentle Reader, do share. Is it Boom or Bust for you?
If Bust, how can I help? I would love to pass on some of this magic dust. It's like walking a tightrope, as soon as you become self-aware you fall off. For now I'm just enjoying it, very, very gratefully.
If it helps, I could lend you my Abundance Fountain? Lend, I said.
At least two people have interviewed me this month about how to build a successful and thriving coaching practice. My Wealth Profile has revealed that I shouldn't really be coaching, it's not in my flow. But I do it because I love it and because I can and because I've been building that dream business for five years and the wave has only just started to crash onto the shore, enabling me to just begin in 2008 to reap the rewards for all the work building to this place.
(Note to Clients: Look how long it CAN take to build a great little business!)
In 2009 I propose to stop marketing my coaching per se and just make myself available on a consultancy basis to those clients who want me on their team and who choose to afford it.
So just for now, here is a delicious and anonymous testimonial which flooded in during the month. When I say anonymous, of course I know who it's from; I'm just choosing to keep my client's identity a secret since I haven't had time to ask her yet if I can use it in public. As you can see, she's shy. And like all of you, she is a joy to work with.
"I just wanted to say thank you for being such an ace coach - this has been a bit of a mini journey within a journey and I think I had to go through all of the running in different directions in order to get to this point and be comfortable with what I've finally chosen to concentrate on and you've been brilliant in helping me get there. Thank you for all your support, clear headedness, straight talking and kicks up the backside. Here's to the future which I know now is set to be a good'un!
What have I learned in my time with you?
That it's not such a bad thing to have a few mistakes along the way (at least we know what feels wrong)- That it's better to follow your gut than to go for 'shoulds'
That the easiest money is often in front of your nose and requires zero effort which frees the brain up for the master plan
That I'm not a fan of internet marketing!! Had to have a go to know....
That things don't happen overnight but do happen if you start to put things together piece by piece
That being a bit 'gung ho' (in the eyes of others) isn't such a bad thing
And I'm sure there's much more I've missed out that I don't know I've learned yet!
Anyway - you know I'm not the gushing type so just thanks again...
If you want some of that, you know who to call. You will be part of my last ever intake on the current basis - how HISTORIC and exciting is that?
Update: My Current Business Projects
I don't practice what I preach. I don't focus. I am currently involved in no fewer than five businesses, not including my coaching (see above).
The reason I can do this is because I am single and I am prepared to do whatever it takes. I don't have a day job, a significant other or children. Yes, I am rescued by my best friend on Sundays, she says I would be "feral" if she didn't do that and she's probably right. But the rest of the time (currently 22.29 at night), I just work at projects I love.
And currently they are - in no particular order of importance.
1. The Money Gym. The MG has been HUGE in September and dominated my month. Nicola and I gaily said it would be great fun to work with Brett McFall and indeed it was so. Nicola did an awesome job of getting 160 clients to come to the weekend of September 20th and 21st, and we were able to donate just over £3,400 to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, GOSH. What a blast! How proud are we?
This was the highlight to date of my time with the Money Gym. It was just one of those times when everything falls into alignment - the venue, the delegates, the team, Brett, the craic, the excitement of working with a real pro who delivered and then some. All fab.
My learnings? Next time, and there will be a next time, I will take two whole weeks out of my life - one in the lead up to prepare and one in the aftermath to clean up. This year it took me totally by surprise and I have had to cram it all in alongside everything else I do for the MG, all of which I love. Hence burning the midnight oil all too often. At least two 16 hour days last week alone, and feeling quite unwell due to no weekend and all the overwork and then having to cancel diary commitments to clients and colleagues to get some rest. Not good and most unlike me; I dont like being unreliable or unwell.
2. Rent2Own - my marketing campaigns have come to an end and I have not renewed them. With everything else on my plate right now and in anticipation of a month in the Caribbean in December, I will not be going back into marketing this until January 2009. A girl can't do EVERYTHING!
3. Harlequin. After the orgy of buying in August to beat the price rise, not much has happened this month in terms of time commitment, but perhaps the most exciting thing of all so far, Harlequin have found a way to put this investment into a SIPP. What does that mean for you?
Well if you have a dull, boring old under-performing pension administered by someone else, you could transfer the funds into a SIPP (self invested pension plan) and take control of your own retirement fund. You might even choose to invest some or all of it in Harlequin in the Caribbean which offers capital growth AND incredible income opportunities. SIPPS are even more exciting than that - words which I thought would never come out of my mouth - in that once the fund inside it has built up sufficiently, you can borrow some of it back to do other investment-type things with.
So here's an investment which is 100% funded AND makes your pension work harder. If you would like to hear more about it, the Money GYm is running a Harlequin/SIPPS day on 20th November in the afternoon/early evening. More details here.
4. Cartel continues to be great fun. I now have a team of 15 agents in my team with at least one more in the pipeline. This month I have helped at least 22 clients start on the road to get out of debt and/or make money for nothing from their old mortgages and financial products. I signed up for some radio advertising with Smooth FM and was inundated with leads from all over the country when we were only supposed to get a share of the London ones; more abundance which I immediately paid forward to the team.
I took on a PA to work with me on the Cartel stuff - how glamorous is that? It's Emma who is my business partner in The Cleaning Biz, we already work well together and she is hoovering up all those details which pass me by and enabling me to serve more clients, instead of queueing in the Post Office.
One Monday morning I queued for 27 minutes in the Post Office to spend less than £2 on Signed For parcels up to Cartel's Head Office in Manchester. My fellow queuers were all people living off the State with squealing babies and a cocaine habit. Well, not all of them had a baby AND a cocaine habit, but there was at least one of each of those and ALL of them were sticking their Govt issue cashcards in the slot for this week's funds and reinvesting that cash into phone cards. How does that work?
5. Lonely Entrepreneur, soon to be re-launched with new partners John Williams and Mike Yates as the Creative Entrepreneurs Club. We got a completely unexpected mention by Nicola at the Brett McFall event and I even got a round of applause for my 950 members. Loving working with the guys - good to get some refreshingly blokey energy round here, and although both of them are deeply in touch with their feminine side, they are nevertheless making me make the new site considerably less pink. That can't be right, can it?
And finally, I did revert to doing some accounts this month, for a pal, in swap for two tubes of my favourite foot cream from L'Occitane. Don't even think about propositioning me with your accounts in return for luxury cosmetics. I ain't doing it, thanks anyway!
This week's inspirational quote I was able to lift from somebody else's newsletter earlier today - those people who are helping to re-build where Katrina devastated.
"Be Fearful When Others Are Greedy and Greedy When Others Are Fearful” - Warren Buffett
Who and What Do I Love This Month?
First off, let's start with the weather which has been nothing short of just gorgeous, lots of sunny autumnal days extending my summer and making me uncharacteristically upbeat about autumn.
Next- me! I've done my Tax Return and that feels great - and I did it a couple of months earlier than last year. Yee-ha!
Everyone single on of you Gentle Readers who have crossed my path in any capacity this month, especially beloved clients Kuumba, Charlotte, John, Bianca, Alison, Gill, Marion, Trisha, Sarah, Yvette, Paula, Clare, Shan, Lorna, Alison and Lizzie.
Maestro, X-Factor and Strictly Come Dancing - that's a lot of TV for someone without one! Can't tell you who I want to win XF or SCD yet, although my fave won Maestro so that's a good omen.
Peter for fixing the oustide lights and the VIP bin men for keeping mine sweet, I'm loving that service.
For a chance and life-changing meeting with Lucy Long at 12.30 in Bruton Place.
Abdul Malek and his South2North opportunity with Tamkin.
Two non-stop four-hour journeys from London to Manchester, knocking three hours at least of my previous best time!
Bianca for sending me to the Hale Clinic. I havent had a chance to tell you this yet Bianca but when I mentioned your name, they thought I meant Bianca Jagger. I didnt have to heart to spoil that illusion for them but good to know she has gum disease too. This referral has saved me at least six extractions and a lot of prolonged dental anxiety. Thanks, Beloved B.
The Scanners night - really enjoying that group.
Potential client Dale from Oman.
Sharrone, photographer.
PK Mac and Jane & Geoff who were entertained chez moi, great company all.
Nicola C and Claire R who both had birthdays in the last 48 hours.
The continued inspiration of Carl Wright who is also a business builder.
Annette & Amanda with whom I shared a fun 1.5 hours today over mint tea.
My only regrets this month were missing out on Mike Neill at Alternatives and playing Cashflow tonight with Ayshe. Again, a girl can't do it all, tap, tap, tap.
Until next time...
Best wishes
