What Does It Take to Host a Virtual Event Successfully?

April 13, 2010 By Gina Bell 4 Comments

Virtual Event Boom

Virtual events are on the rise. According to a survey conducted by On24, 63% of the 5000 marketing professionals surveyed said they were more likely to attend conferences online than in person.

Wow! With so many people searching for virtual events to attend, it’s no wonder that hosting one has become so seductive.

Virtual Events have become the #1 way that I personally have been able to take big leaps in my business. Just some of the reasons I do them are… growing a large and responsive list, boosting credibility and generating revenue.

Yet, despite the attractiveness, when done poorly, a virtual event can do more to damage your reputation than help it.

Ask my friend Leesa Barnes…

When she first started hosting her own virtual events, she could only attract 2 people and she made every mistake in the book…

  • She didn’t record her session
  • She didn’t provide an invitation to her guests on how to follow up with her for more info
  • She focused more on getting the technology right than on the marketing
  • And she tried to do it all by herself

So, why am I mentioning Leesa?

Since 2006, Leesa has hosted a variety of profitable virtual events that easily net her between 5 and 6 figures in extra income.

Not just that, but she also produces virtual events for people who don’t want to do it themselves.

Leesa is on a mission to help as many people as possible learn how to host virtual events successfully.

That’s why she’s hosting a **FREE** preview call series to share with you best practices in virtual events.

These calls take place weekly beginning on Wed Apr 14, 2010 and ending on Wed May 5, 2010. Each call is 75-minutes and will give you the tools and tactics to host your next virtual event with success.

These complimentary calls are a SNEAK PEEK of all the great content Leesa and her faculty of speakers (people like *ME*) will be sharing at the 2010 VIRTUAL EVENT BOOM, a 5-day virtual event taking place May 10-15, 2010.

Head on over to VIRTUAL EVENT BOOM to get the call-in details for this **FREE** preview call series.

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, Marketing Wisdom, News and Events Tagged With How to host a virtual event, Leesa Barnes, Virtual Event Boom, Virtual Events

Women in Business Online: Fluff Is For Pillows (Not Info Products)

April 4, 2010 By Gina Bell 12 Comments

women in business online - fluff is for pillows not information productsI’ve been having a blast hosting the Equity-Rich Women Online Pilot Program. Just the right women have stepped up to be involved (they are saying so too!).

Our mastermind forum is buzzing with aha’s, breakthroughs and priceless feedback. If you’ve never been part of a group coaching program or mastermind before I highly recommend it.

Call #3 last week was about creative thinking versus traditional thinking and one of the participants posted an aha moment in the forum which led to further conversation around developing products and programs.

During that conversation the topic of going deep versus wide to address the core problem(s) and/or desire(s) of your ideal client came up. To me, getting this part right is what really differentiates the experts from less-than-ethical marketers. Let me explain…

Have you ever purchased an information product only to find that it was totally not worth the money because the content was “wide” not deep; barely scratching the surface with any one topic to be of value?

I’ve been there… The package arrives; you rip it open anxious to devour the information; you dig right in but each time you think the “expert” is going to dive into a topic… whoosh, they’re right back at the surface again.

If you can relate, you “get” the idea of going deep with your content (because you’ve experienced lack of depth first hand!!). It’s frustrating as a consumer (feeling ripped off like this) and for the ones out there creating content like this it’s a really fast way to get a bad reputation. Pssst… people DO talk.

A number of the pilot program participants shared similar stories of disappointment over information products they had purchased in the past. And one of the gals summed it up perfectly by saying “fluff is for pillows”. Oh I couldn’t agree more!

Unfortunately this has happened to me a few times. I paid a LOT of money not once but twice to end up with products that had no real depth at all (and both were from women that most would consider “celebrity gurus”. And yes, I was shocked.)

It’s kinda frustrating that effective marketing can lead to the sales of crappy products… well at least until the reputation catches up with the creators that is. And for the record, I do not advocate the creation or sale of crappy – fluffy – products ever!! Just because you “CAN” doesn’t mean you should.

Action Advice: The moral of this story is that THIS is exactly why gaining clarity around who your ideal client really is becomes so darned important. And I find that most entrepreneurs don’t spend nearly enough time on this. By gaining insight into what their core problem(s) really are (i.e. their 911 scenario) you can then go deep to solve them… one problem at a time.

Pull out your calendar right now and set a date with yourself to address (or re-address) further clarity around who your ideal client really is and what their most burning problems and desires really are. KNOWING your ideal client intimately well is the key to long term success.

And remember… Say no to fluff!

Q. What do you think about the idea of going deep with your content to address one problem or desire at a time for your clients/customers?

Q. Do you have a fluffy product or program experience? If so, share it below (just the story/experience though i.e. don’t divulge WHO created the product you were disappointed with okay).

Share your comments below. (Comment section not showing for you? Click here.)

Filed Under Uncategorized Tagged With Ideal Client, Info Products, Information Products, knowing your ideal client intimately well, women in business online

Women in Business Online: Life It Up! Is Your Attitude Your Ally?

March 31, 2010 By Gina Bell 7 Comments

Young woman doing cartwheel on grassAccording to David J Schwartz, Ph.D., Author of The Magic of Thinking Big …

Enthusiasm, or lack of it, shows through in everything you do and say.

Life up your handshaking. When you shake hands, shake! Make your hand clasp say ‘I’m glad to know you’, ‘I am glad to see you again’. A conservative, mouse-like handshake is worse than no handshake at all. Try to find a highly successful person with a conservative handshake. You’ll have to look a long, long time.

Life up your smiles. Smile with your eyes. Nobody likes an artificial, pasted on, rubbery kind of smile. When you smile, smile! Show a few teeth. Maybe your teeth aren’t attractive, but that’s really unimportant. For when you smile, people don’t see your teeth. They see a warm, enthusiastic person, someone they like.

Life up your “thank you’s”. A routine, automatic “thank you” is almost like saying “gleep, gleep.” It’s just an expression. It says nothing. It doesn’t accomplish results. Make your “thank you” mean “thank you very much.”

Life up your talk. Dr. James F. Bender, noted speech authority, in his excellent book How to talk Well says “Is your ‘Good Morning!’ really good?” Are you “Congratulations!” enthusiastic? Does your “How are you?” sound (genuinely) interested? When you make a habit of coloring your words with sincere feelings you’ll notice great uptake in your ability to hold attention.

A person who really believes what they say and do captures the hearts and minds of others. So say it and do it with life!

So, what other things can you (or do you) “life up” to ensure your attitude is your ally? Share your ideas and comments okay, there’s so much we can learn from each other.

P.S. If you enjoyed this post you’ll probably like this one too:  The WOW of Happiness: In a Minute You Could…

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, FREE Articles, Quotes to ponder Tagged With Gina Bell, life it up, magic of thinking big, women in business online

Women in Business Online: Are You REALLY Open for Business? (a.k.a. don’t make this mistake in your ezine!)

March 24, 2010 By Gina Bell 4 Comments

Pretty woman with open signPublishing an ezine – whether it’s fancy html or plain text – is essential to being a successful woman in business online.

There are a very select number of ezines that I personally subscribe to because I try to avoid the comparison trap. The ones I allow into my inbox are highly relevant to where I am in my business – right now.

Today I received one of these ezines…

As I scrolled down the page I came to the featured product area. Woohoo! Spring Sale!

The product sounded fantastic PLUS, I wouldn’t have to pay full price… but… there was one BIG problem.

They didn’t have a payment button or link to more information or anything anywhere in the ezine.

Oopsie!

You’d be surprised how often I see this. (Can you say V-8 Moment?!)

So the question I want to ask you all today – so that YOU don’t make this mistake in your ezine (on your site, blog post, article, press release, etc.) is…

Are you REALLY open for business?

If you are, you’d be paying attention wouldn’t you?

And we could dig into this a lot further…

(Totally Avoidable) Problem #1… inspired buyers can’t take immediate action.

(Totally Avoidable) Problem #2… The Law of Diminishing Intent which states “The longer you wait to do something you know you should do now; the greater the chance you’ll never actually do it”.

To forget the buy now button or link increases the likelihood that “the law” will set in before (or if) you figure it out and re-send the offer.

So… if you are really open for business, pay attention.

~ Gina xo

P.S. I just wanted to add that I am not perfect in this area. I’ve made my share of mistakes too. But, as I’ve shifted from SOLO to CEO these moments, where money is left on that proverbial table, are farther and fewer in between.

I’d love to hear about the oopsies that you’ve made or noticed others making. You can share them as a comment. Please make sure the stories you share are anonymous though okay – there’s no need to embarrass anyone – just a great opportunity to learn from each other.

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, FREE Articles, Marketing Wisdom Tagged With ezine mistakes, ezine publishing, women in business online

Women in Business Online: Do ‘Just One Thing’ To Get Your Book Done

March 24, 2010 By Gina Bell 1 Comment

Many times when we think about writing and publishing a book our minds careen out of control into the depths of overwhelm.

Let’s put the brakes on that.

Instead, what one thing could you do right now to move forward in your dream of becoming a published author?

Here are four “just 1 thing” ideas I have for the want-to-be-published. I encourage you to pick one to apply today so you can be a published authors sooner rather than later.

1. Develop Your “Goal Statement.”

If you join one of my “Write a Book in a Weekend” events, the first thing I will encourage you to do is write and send me a goal statement describing why you want to write your book and what it will accomplish for you.

It doesn’t have to be long—200-300 words should do it.

And there is great power in those few words—more often than not, it’s the participants who take a few minutes to write and send me their goal statement who get their book done by the end of the weekend. How about that? No coincidences.

2. Describe Your Ideal Reader

When you are in the throes of thinking, thinking, thinking about your book and get caught up in the “doing” of writing, it can be very easy to become, frankly, quite self-absorbed—meaning you lose focus about who the book is for in the first place: your reader.

Another short assignment I would give you as a “Write a Book in a Weekend” participant is to write a short description of your “ideal reader.” Tell me about one person who will benefit from your book. Is it a man or woman? What age? Where do they live? What do they do? And then the big question: what is the biggest problem or challenge they face that your book will solve?

3. Write Your “About the Author”

You might think this is a “save for last” item, however I encourage my peeps to write their “About the Author” section first, stressing not only their own credentials, but the specific problems and challenges their readers face and how they intend to solve them. It’s another good way to get your book defined in your own mind, plus provide yourself with a big picture overview.

4. Take the “10 Minute Challenge”

This is a simple but effective technique to get going on a larger project. Set a timer for 10 minutes and GO, GO, GO, GO, GO! Challenge yourself to see how much you can write in those 10 minutes. Most likely you’ll get such momentum going you’ll add another 10, and another, and another…I use this often, including now as I write this piece. ;-)

5. Speed Write About Your Favorite Topic

Sometimes what gets in our way is thinking too much about what we “should” write versus what we “want” to write. No one says you have to start with Chapter One. A great way to jumpstart your book project is to pick your favorite topic and start writing about that, even if it might be the “wrap up” chapter.

You can see a common theme to all these ideas—getting started somewhere, anywhere! It’s amazing—and also magical—about what getting started can do for a person. I encourage you to pick one or two of the items above, apply them right now, and let me know the results.

sign_up_nowDonna Kozik is a two-time award winning author who has been featured in Woman’s Day, Women’s World, Teen People, The L.A. Times, The Baltimore Sun, NPR’s “Marketplace” and other media. She now shows others how to write and publish a book fast and easy to use as a “big business card.” She does this through “Write a Book in a Weekend” live and virtual events. You can find out more about how to write your book fast and easy during a call Donna and I are doing Tuesday, March 30. Register for the call (and the recording) here:


Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, FREE Articles, Marketing Wisdom, News and Events

The WOW of Happiness: In a Minute You Could…

March 23, 2010 By Gina Bell 5 Comments

blow bubblesWoohoo! We had SO much fun on The WOW of Happiness Tele-class tonight!

We shared (more than) 10 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Boost Your Happiness So You Can Experience More Fun and Fulfillment in Every Facet of Your Life!

At one point during the call I was inspired by one of my favourite features of Success Magazine. In each issue they share simple things you could do in a minute or less to improve your life.

In a minute you could…

So, I gave it a happiness twist and the challenge was for listeners to think of 10 ways they could boost their happiness in less than 60 seconds.

Kim and I rose to the challenge and immediately began to share ideas like:

  • Catch a snowflake or raindrop on your tongue
  • Hug someone
  • Snuggle a pet
  • Watch a funny video
  • Read an inspirational quote
  • Call a friend or loved one
  • Put on your favorite perfume
  • blow bubbles

And so on… (you can read Kim’s post about it too!)

>> If you are reading this and didn’t sign up, but want access to the recording, you have until Wednesday night (March 24) to listen. You can grab the info by going to http://snipurl.com/wow22 <<

The big lesson of the night (I think) was that happiness is more about the little things. It doesn’t take massive effort to increase your happiness, just a renewed awareness of the happy moments we encounter every single day.

I’d love if you commented on what makes YOU happy.

What are the happiness boosters you can think of that can be done in a minute or less? Please, share them below… (Or, if you feel compelled to write a blog post too – please link to us and/or post where we can read yours below)

Filed Under Uncategorized Tagged With Gina Bell, Kimberly Englot, wow of happiness

Check this out! Best Business Advice Ever (in 15-minutes or less!)

March 19, 2010 By Gina Bell 2 Comments

Bests Business Advice Ever in 15 minutes

Now here’s an event I’m excited to share with you…

It’s a zero-sales-pitch, no-fee-to-attend interview series I’m a guest expert for this month…

It’s called The Best Business Advice Ever Series (Gotta love that title!)

When I think about all of the business advice I’ve received over the years there’s a lot of advice I wish I would have learned a lot sooner!

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could bypass the frustrations and go directly to what works?

This month, my colleague Sherri Garrity is continuing her free Business Advice Series with top-notch entrepreneurs who are sharing their best business advice ever in 15 minutes or less.

This is your chance to hear from each of them what’s worked, which mistakes they learned from the most, and the one piece of advice they have to share with you. The event starts March 22 with a special presentation by Sherri on Why the Typical (and traditional) Business Advice Doesn’t Work.

All you have to do is sign up for the series. It’s completely FREE.

All of the interviews are short, and to the point, so you can listen to them over a cup of coffee, or while you’re in the car or running errands.

Don’t miss this event – Sherri’s pulled together an incredible range of guests and her kickoff presentation is sure to cut to the core of what you need to do to build your business to its peak potential.

It’s worth taking a look. You can register for this FREE event at: http://snipurl.com/uwv9u

~ Gina xo

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, Marketing Wisdom, News and Events Tagged With best business advice ever, Sherri Garrity, women in business online

The WOW of Happiness: FREE Teleclass 3/22 at 7pm CT

March 14, 2010 By Gina Bell 4 Comments

WOW dvd 2-finalAttention: Success-Driven Women in Business Online! Boost Your Happiness and Boost Your Business too! Join me for this FREE call:

10 Shockingly Simple Steps to Boost Your Happiness So You Can Experience More Fun and Fulfillment in Every Facet of Your Life!

Are you in a hurry? Go ahead and register for this FREE call now.

If you can’t join us live register anyway and you’ll get 48 hr access to the replay. After this limited window of opportunity, this training will be sold for at least $27.00

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When you click the sign up button you’ll be directed to my co-host’s page at the Center for Authentic Self Development. Please register through that page. We promise the double-step is worth it!

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Want more info about the call? Go ahead and keep reading…

I’ll let you in on something. A colleague and I realized recently that we share something fairly profound in common…

We believe the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT secret to success (and sanity) is taking full responsibility for our own happiness.

More specifically, we learned how to develop and flex our happiness muscles. This one skill has allowed us to increase the joy and fulfillment we experience every single day personally and professionally. Because we know how to flex our happiness muscles we get to be the best wives, mothers and friends we can be (and that includes being a friend to ourselves too!).

You may have heard the expression “what you give is what you get” and when it comes to being happy this has never been more true. Or, think about this one as it relates to happiness:
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“Be the change you want to see” ~ Mahatma Ghandi

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It may sound like a simple idea. Some might even dismiss it as “fluff” but trust me, there is tremendous power in your ability to be (and stay) HAPPY.

In fact, the sooner you begin to practice a few simple happiness strategies, every facet of your life starts to become more delicious and joy-filled really fast.

But it only works if you have a clear understanding of what it really means. And, you also need simple “how to” steps that apply to every day life.

The challenge for most people is that they’re confused and conflicted about their own ability to influence happiness. They feel like a victim of circumstance.

We (Kim and I) are here to share simple ways you can transform this feeling of helplessness to happiness and joy.

And we’re going to help you – for FREE.

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Why FREE you ask?

That’s easy…

We are super passionate about happiness and how the ability to influence your own happiness can improve every aspect of your life. We want to share this with as many people as we can.

All the feedback we’ve received on this topic suggests that people really want to be happier and stay happy but they aren’t sure how to strengthen and flex this muscle. Up to now “happiness” has been an elusive destination that they have to get to (or find in the first place). We want to clear the confusion and show you simple steps to find, strengthen and flex this muscle you’ve had all the time.

And so you should know that…

We are hosting a one-of-a kind training program called The Master Life Cleanse: Happiness and Harmony Makeover.

This life changing learning experience will draw your attention to the most predominant “life toxins” that cause us to fall into the belief that our “source” of happiness is external and fixed.

  • Toxic Relationships
  • Negative Thinking Scripts
  • Guilt and Worry
  • Limiting Beliefs
  • Clutter
  • Comparison

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But There’s Something You Need To Know…

This training is not for everybody. It’s exclusively for people who are:

a) absolutely sure they want to take responsibility for their own happiness and b) like our style of teaching.

And the only way you’ll be able to know for sure is to join us for this special call… (wink, wink, nudge)

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Here’s exactly what you’ll discover during this FREE 60 minute training call:

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pink check smallThe single most powerful quality you already posses that (once stimulated) will effortlessly attract more happiness into your life immediately. (And yes, we will reveal how to turn it on!)

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pink check smallONE word that you can say more often to infuse more self-confidence and control over your life and career… it will feel as though you’ve been set free!

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pink check smallHow a simple shift in awareness can impact all that you think, feel and do. Just this one piece of advice will allow you to experience so much more happiness every day.

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And of course a heck of a lot more! Plus, if you are ready to release inner baggage and feel more free, happy and relaxed than you have in years, we’ll reveal the exact next step for you too.

So, the only thing you need to do right now is register for the call:

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When you click the sign up button you’ll be directed to my co-host’s page at the Center for Authentic Self Development. Please register through that page. Sorry for the double-step. We promise it’s worth it :~)

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Love & Light,

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, News and Events Tagged With Gina Bell, The WOW of Happiness, women in business online

Want to take it up a notch (or ten) on Twitter? Do what good tweeters do…

March 2, 2010 By Gina Bell 8 Comments

Do What Good Tweeters DoI was thrilled to be identified as one of the “Top 20 Responsive Women You Need to Follow on Twitter” – By Holly Reisem Hanna founder of The Work at Home Woman.

It sparked a question from my community of women in business online: “Gina, how can I be viewed as a responsive on Twitter too?”

My answer begins with a question for you:

When you login to Twitter to update your status, are you looking at the mutual benefit OR do you have a more singular “what’s in it for me” focus?

Now, don’t get me wrong. We are all in business to be successful and a BIG part of that is making money. And we all want to capture people’s attention (in a good way). The problem is that when we lead from a “what’s in it for me?” intention it comes across as salesy and one-sided.

Think of any relationship in your life… If it was consistently one-sided how long would it last?

People love to buy but they don’t like to be sold to. At a consumer level you already know this so why then do you keep trying to SELL?

The key to attracting new clients and making money through Twitter without being salesy is to shift your intention.

Be interested in others first rather than trying so hard to be interesting to them.

If you are using Twitter for business, do it in a way that adds value and increase to others rather than a blatant sales pitch – Yes, there IS a difference. It may seem counter-intuitive at first but it really works.

Below are two specific things that I do consistently to be responsive.

I believe that adding value and increase to the lives of others without expecting anything in return is the key to reciprocity. What goes around comes around.

Everyone who follows me receives an automatic direct message (auto-DM). I stopped using this technology for a while when people started to abuse it but I’m using it again very effectively.

I don’t know about you but I get DM spam in my twitter inbox every day. Anything that’s similar to “Hi! Thanks for following. Check out my website here …” or “Hi! It’s great to meet you. Here’s my FREE report” gets deleted immediately.

So how do you get YOUR auto-DM to stand out from the crowd? Remember… you’ve got to shift your intention. The example DM’s above are me-focused and salesy. What can you say that shows genuine interest in others and even gets conversation started?

Here’s mine…

“Hi! Thanks for reaching out! What do you love to tweet about the most? ~ Gina”

And guess what…

People respond. People tell me every day what they love to tweet about most. And just the other day someone added that they normally don’t respond to DM’s at all but mine was self-centered at all and they liked that.

The difference between the spammy salesy DM’s and mine is that it engages conversation and builds rapport and opens a door to what really matters… real relationships with real people.

The second thing I love to do is to connect people that should meet. This one’s easy but the key is to pay attention. Read people’s Twitter bios, take notice of what others tweet about and connect like-minded people. This is a great way to make sure you’ve shifted your intention to being interested in others first.

Twitter is where I meet my best joint venture partners too. It’s really become the hub for a lot of my joint venture marketing strategies. If you’ve been wanting to develop joint venture relationships there’s still time to join me for the Ready to JV 4-week Tele-Course starting March 10th.  Just one successful joint venture can dramatically up-level your business.

So now YOU can do what good tweeters do. Give it a try and keep me posted on what you experience as a result okay. I’ll share more tips on how to be more responsive on Twitter again soon.

Wait! While you’re here, I’d sure love for you to share your thoughts and experiences below okay.

~ Gina xo

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, FREE Articles, Marketing Wisdom Tagged With engage on twitter, Gina Bell, responsive on twitter, sell through social media, sell without being salesy, twitter, women in business online

How to Activate Your Success GPS and Achieve Your Goals Faster and Easier!

February 25, 2010 By Gina Bell 7 Comments

success-road-mapDid you know you already possess a powerful tracking system that will guide you to all the things you really want?

It’s your Reticular Activating System  or RAS for short.

The RAS is an automatic mechanism inside your brain that serves as a filter between your conscious and subconscious mind bringing relevant information to your attention and it plays a vital role in your ability to achieve goals.

It’s like wearing golf ball finder glasses. When golfers lose their golf ball in the underbrush, the technology of these cool glasses eliminates the light from background objects and makes the golf ball itself stand out. The relevant information is the golf ball, the golf ball finder glasses is your RAS.

And it gets way more exciting…

What’s’ really cool about your RAS is that you can deliberately get it working for you by choosing the exact messages you send from your conscious mind. The #1 way to do this is to get crystal clear about your goals – so clear that you can see them, feel them, taste them.

You’ve likely heard dozens of experts tell you how important it is to get clear and focused about your goals. Many of them probably even shared HOW to do it. Now you know WHY clarity is so darned important!

And it gets even better…

Your RAS cannot tell the difference between what is “real” and what is “imagined”. This makes me think of Olympic athletes (see… there’s MY reticular activating system at work right now being this is the last week of the Winter Olympics). Many professional athletes use visualization techniques to practice and perfect their performances before actually doing it. They know how to get their RAS working for them.

So are you ready to get your RAS working for you?

The first step is to gain crystal clarity about what you REALLY want so that you have very specific vision of your goal in your conscious mind. Your RAS will then begin to filter all relevant information and bring that to your attention.

Opportunities and resources will begin to emerge – almost out of thin air. The reality is that your RAS is making you aware of everything that is relevant to achieving your goal.

If you want a jump start at getting clear about what you really want, take a look at the six questions every woman in business online must answer. Once you’re crystal clear about what you really want, the key is to regularly direct your attention to your vision of success and stay mindful of your goals to get your RAS working for you in new and powerful ways.

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, FREE Articles Tagged With achieve goals, ras, reticular activating system, setting goals, success gps, women in business online