by admin on October 7, 2010
John and I are expecting our first baby here in a few days…the official due date is 10/10/10. I’m unbelievably excited and can’t wait for Trinity’s arrival. I have to admit, I’ve had it easy. I’ve worked from home since 2002 so I’ve been able to lounge in the pool, go for walks, do lots of baby shopping during the week when stores are empty and had plenty of time for reading all the baby books. All that while still working my business and earning a phenomenal income.
One thing about being pregnant, is other women who are pregnant love to chat it up. When John and I were in the Chinese restaurant, our waitress came over with an obvious baby bump. She’s 6 months along and I instantly felt sorry for her. I really have lounged around during my pregnancy and her’s the girl on her feet all day long hustling and busting with the extra weight. I simply couldn’t imagine why anyone would endure that when there’s so many other options available.
I thought about what would happen after her baby was born. Maybe a couple of weeks off and then daycare, back to work, the challenge of childcare, etc. etc. Having a home-based business eliminates all of that. I’ll have the convenience of breastfeeding from home, the joy of having my husband experience the baby and all of her “firsts” with me, the fun of being in our yard or walking down the block and venturing out whenever we feel like it.
Some folks would say I’m “lucky”, but that really isn’t it. Eight years ago when I was busting my butt as a high school teacher, I made a choice. It wasn’t an easy choice as John and I were deep in a financial hole, but we knew that working our jobs was never going to get us where we wanted to be or give us the freedom and lifestyle we wanted. So, when opportunity knocked on our door, we tossed away our excuses, refused to acknowledge our limitations and went for it. The results were amazing. We earn more than we ever would at jobs (far more), live a life of total freedom and enjoy being able to choose for ourselves exactly how we want to live, what we want to do and when we want to do it.
The greatest thing about home based business is it’s the great “equalizer”. Anyone can get started and be successful if they are truly committed to having a home business lifestyle. It doesn’t take a lot of know how, a lot of money or a lot of experience. What it takes is a burning desire for freedom and success, focused action, commitment, confidence, time and effort.
I’ll tell you one thing. I’m glad we made the decision to break free because I wouldn’t want to be on my feet all day at 9 months pregnant 
by admin on September 30, 2010
I remember my grandmother saying “there’s no such thing as get rich quick”. What a terrible thing to tell a child! Why should it take a long time to earn money?
The fact is, it doesn’t have to take a long time. When I was teaching, I worked 60 hours a week (sometimes way more) and earned $26,000 a year. Definitely a “never get rich, even slowly” plan.
But, when I started in home based business, I literally did get rich quick. Within 90 days, my husband and I were earning $20K a month. Our 4th month we made $46,000, our 5th month $54,000 thousand and our 7th month $133,000 net profit! It was wild (and still is). In our first year we netted over $400,000 in income it grew from there.
So, what happens when someone gets rich quick. First, you pinch yourself to ensure you aren’t stuck in some perpetual dream. Then, you get serious about understanding money: how to manage, what to do with it, tax obligations, investments, etc.
When we first started making money, we spent a ton of it. It was like winning the lottery. Then we got a wake-up call when our taxes were do. Fortunately, we earned more but it became apparent that we really needed to be more responsible and plan.
That’s why I want to share this great tool with you. As your building your business and earning more income, you’ll want to ensure you’re being smart with your money. Your plan should include money to invest in marketing, tax savings, savings for your children, money to live on and, of course, some splurge money to enjoy the “toys” and plenty of travel.
Check out www.mint.com. It’s a free online tool you can use to monitor your spending, plan a budget and ensure you are securing your financial future with your new stream of income. I love this program because it’s very simple to use (my bookkeeper uses Quickbooks for our books, but that doesn’t keep me up to date) and has awesome charts in the Trends category that lets me monitor where my money’s going. Plus, you can add investment accounts to see what’s happening with your investments as well. You’ll be able to calculate your net worth, set goals and also plan a budget. It’s an excellent resource. It would also be very useful to teach kids how to budget and monitor their spending too!
by admin on September 21, 2010
For some, the idea of balance in their life seems like a foggy dream that one day, someday, maybe could happen. With the hectic schedule of work, family, finances, etc. etc., too often people find themselves going and going from morning to night without any sense of enjoyment or accomplishment.
A typical day involves waking up abruptly to the alarm clock, rushing around the house to handle what needs to be done before hurrying out the door to sit in traffic on the way to work with everyone else. Then, the bustle of the work place as you attempt to accomplish the job that multiple people used to be responsible for. Perhaps you’re one of the lucky few that only works an 8 hour day, but for most, it’s 10 – 12 hours and then back in the car to battle the traffic on the way home with the other weary eyed employees who long for their couch.
At home, there’s family responsibilities and duties that call – errands, bills to be paid, calls to be made. If you’re lucky, you might just have a few minutes of “downtime” that results in you sitting in front of the boob-tube “vegging out” to slow down the mind.
All this results in tremendous stress, exhaustion and a feeling of “what am I even doing this for?”
I can relate – this was exactly how my life was when I worked a job. I was working day in and day out to earn a paycheck to pay for “stuff” that I barely even got to enjoy.
The answer for me was turning to home-based business. I knew that being an entrepreneur presented way more opportunity than my job and working from home would give me the flexibility to pursue my interests: traveling, motorcycles, guitar playing, being with my wife.
It was the best choice that I made. Not only did I substantially increase my income (within 90 days I was making over $20K per month) but I finally achieved the balance and flexibility I yearned for. I am able to go to the gym everyday so, at 40, I’m in peak health and I enjoy quality time with my wife. I’ve learned how to play the guitar, bought myself a Harley I ride everyday and have traveled the world. Now that we’re expecting our first child, a baby girl, I’m able to be home to see her first smile, her first step and to really experience fatherhood. I’ve been able to experience the pregnancy with Shannon, supporting her at appointments and enjoying the moments as the time has passed.
And…I won’t have to ask my boss for time off so I can enjoy the first weeks of our baby girl’s life.
The choice to work from home and start a home-based business 8 years ago has reaped the greatest rewards of flexibility, freedom and financial security. Knowing that I am in control of my time, my income and my future gives me confidence and peace.
Are you ready to be in control of your life? Then fill out the contact form to the right and I’ll give you a call.
by admin on September 17, 2010
Sometimes we take the most important things in life for granted and do not realize its importance until it is too late. Many of us take our relationships for granted and move on until one fine day we wake up to realize, we don’t have the connection any more.
Sometimes, this can lead to breakups or divorce, or simply just a uncomfortable relationships. Suddenly we realize something is wrong in the way things are going. A friend of mines just went through a very sad breakup and has not been the same person any more. This sad experience lead me to realize the most important thing in life is your relationships.
Maintaining a good relationship is part of living healthy. Your communication skills are important to maintaining those relationships that help you be healthy. How do you communicate? How often do you communicate? Do you initiate conversation?
The people we interact with on a regular basis see you at your best and at your worst. You probably want a healthy overflow of those best moments. Communicating wisely and effectively can help you.
No one likes to be offended and no one likes to be insulted. These are common sense statements, but it is amazing how often this is ignored. The usage of profanities in any conversation can be taken as insults at anytime. One of the best ways to avoid this mistake is to make a conscious choice to not use profanity.
Insults can come in two forms, words and/or gestures. You can avoid a lot of problems by thinking before you speak. Choosing your words before sharing them may be all you need to bring a smile to someone’s face rather than a frown.
Think about how you communicate. Sometimes the way you say something can mean the exact opposite of what you intended. Think about the message your body communicates to others.
Crossing your arms can send the message that you don’t care or you can’t be bothered with the message being communicated to you.
And when was the last time you initiated contact with your friends and family? Do you call and share your thoughts and concerns? Sometimes it’s up to us to make the contact and this is a healthy way of communicating to others that you care about them. Take the initiative to say that you care. Trust me, it wil take you a very long way!
