Kaye Flack

Social Media Friend or Foe?

… after discussions over the holiday period with family, friends and businesspeople I find there is still a reluctance to embrace Social Media as an opportunity to be used to connect with people / clients and to market products and services. There seems to be a real lack of understanding of what a powerful asset social media could be if truly comprehended. Maybe it’s because media reports always highlighting the pitfalls and negative experiences to being online. It’s interesting to look at statistics of the growth of online social media.

The phenomenon has moved through significant growth and is now experiencing AN EXPLOSION…even just within Facebook and Twitter networks, not counting the other social media sites. The power and influence of these networks are recognised as billion dollar opportunities, as evidenced by the acquisition of Facebook by Goldman Sachs this past week.

Just look at these statistics of just one network- Facebook. Over 500 million people are regular users worldwide. In Australia, with a population of 22,523,020 ( ABS estimate for 5 Jan2011), Facebook is the most popular social networking site with more than 8.6 million unique visitors per month !! Consider the significance of these statistics:-

• 78 % of Australia’s 9 million Facebook users have chatted, sent or shared photo in the past year

• 74% have shared a link

• 20% of Australians aged 55 or older have used Facebook

• 2.5 million is the number of Australian Twitter users

• People spending more time each day

• LinkedIn (Australia) membership now > 1 million

• 60,000 in people in SYDNEY are using Foursquare

• 2.1 million MySpace unique users in Australia

• Flicker has 10 million plus groups and more than 4 billion photos

What does this massive growth in online users in 2010 mean, and how does it impact us… and why?     Does this Social Media phenomenon ever look like slowing down? While the numerical growth must eventually reach saturation point, the power of social media as a major influence on our culture ……how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and how we do business…. is still growing. As long as people have a need to be connected, to feel connected: as long as people are looking for a sense of community; as long as people have a message to be communicated or a product to be promoted: it is unlikely that the phenomenal growth will subside.

If we would position ourselves as master players in the social media phenomenon, what are some of the considerations we need to look at, and what could be considered “best practice” and what are the pitfalls that come with such an explosive growth in Social Media… Follow my next post as I explore the things that will bring us undone or make us Social Media master players

Make it a terrific day

At the end of this story, ask yourself a question:
“Which is the important race to win?”
The story goes …………..
It was a sports stadium.

Eight children were standing on the track to participate in a running event.

Ready! Steady! Bang!
With the sound of toy pistol, all eight girls started running.

Hardly had they covered ten to fifteen steps, when one of the smaller girls slipped and fell down.

Due to bruises and pain she started crying.

When the other seven girls heard the little girl cry they stopped running, stood for a while and turned back.

Seeing the girl on the track they all ran to help.

One among them bent down, picked her up and kissed her gently….

And enquired as to how she was….

They then lifted the fallen girl – pacifying her.

Two of them held her firmly while all seven joined hands together and walked together towards the winning post…….. .

There was pin drop silence at the spectator’s stand.

Officials were shocked.

Slow claps multiplied to thousands as the spectators stood up in appreciation.

Many eyes were filled with tears

And perhaps, even God’s!

Yes! This happened in Hyderabad, India, recently!

The sport was conducted by National Institute of Mental Health.

Yes! Your guess is right! They were spastic children. All these special girls had come to participate in this event
Yes, they were mentally challenged.

What did they teach the world?

• Teamwork?
• Humanity?
• Equality among all?

Successful people help others who are slow in learning so that they are not left far behind.
I think we never do this because we have brains!

So tell me… in your opinion:
“Which is the important race to win?  The one in the stadium? Or the one in Life?”
This is really a great message… Please share it with a friend.

May you win  in “LIFE”

The Unspoken Success Secret!!

Serendipity is the experience of finding something you weren’t looking for.

Have you ever read a book, attended a conference, or maybe just read a blog and experienced major “aha” moments? It’s as though a supernatural penny dropped and you understood a simple principle more clearly and it spoke to your heart. Maybe your belief systems were challenged as you realized that holding on to that old way of thinking meant that you were paying a high cost- higher than you were willing to pay. That is fertile ground for profound change. Does that resonate with you?

A few weeks ago I attended a seminar run by Klemmer & Associates,(which, by the way, was fantastic). These past weeks we have been studying, reading, listening and meditating on different books and CDs and working through all we learned in the Klemmer workshop. The theme has been to understand what true abundance is and looking at my mindset. Well, the “aha’s” have been extraordinary. The paradigm shifts many and varied, but all of them powerful and quite liberating for me. Changing my belief systems in many different areas has been a huge challenge!!

One of these booklets I literally stumbled across spoke about a “Secret Success Principle”. This principle is not really talked about very much at all, and when it is it is largely misunderstood. So I decided to check it out and look at the impact this little-unknown principle/secret has on our success. It remains quite an exciting and empowering principle that really works for anyone willing to make it apart of their life. All I know is that it’s worked for me and for many successful people around the world. It creates miracles for me and I know for many others, and it can do the same for you.

Tithing (giving) is the best kept Success Secret in existence. It’s an old secret that works yet has been virtually forgotten.

Your initial reaction may be “Oh yeah…right. I already give to the needy, supporting a child in poverty, I give to my local charity (Red Cross, World Vision, Compassion) and give to my church, I even volunteer to feed the homeless . So I don’t need to give anymore, OR DO I ????

As I have been challenged these past few weeks that my whole life has been about giving and sharing what we had and didn’t have; whether it was materially, financially, spiritually with whoever we met. As John and I had been in ministry, pastoring churches/administrator of Theological College for over 30 years. We have opened our home to countless people and shared our lives with so many and have been truly blessed and honored to be able to apart of that. We were “Blessed to be a Blessing” to so many. Through those times we saw many miracles as we gave and gave at our expense. We didn’t get it wrong…it was done with a good attitude and we didn’t begrudge giving… well most of the time. But we really didn’t see what it could do for us. The breakthrough came when we recognised that when we didn’t give we shut down….in so many areas of our life. We began to be inverted, and introverted, as we shut down to preserve what little we had, the only thing that grew was a negative spirit and a dependence on the little that we had to meet our needs. Our lives became a closed universe, and we were the centre. When the breakthrough came we realized that we had built this protective wall around our lives… and that worked well, except for the fact that it became a veritable prison, shutting out abundance in every realm of our lives. We realized that we were paying a high price for our scarcity mentality.

It has been said that network marketing is a personal development journey thinly disguised as a business. That was certainly true for us. We did the business, we went through the personal development and then … we connected with a principle ….as if we’d never seen it before.

As many may be aware tithing is a kingdom (biblical) principle. Even if you are not a person of faith, the principle of giving works to create an openness and abundance in your life. “Give and you will get….” It sounds so mercenary. But it’s not just about money. This principle works for me and for everyone, as it has for many successful people who will share with you that they tithe and it actually works.
What is a Tithe?
A tithe is ten percent of your whole income before deductions, not 1% or 5%, but 10%. Some teachers may tell you that it is okay to start with only 1% or 5% percent and build up to 10%. However, if you are serious about truly living prosperously, and you desire for the law of increase to work fully for you, then you will boldly give your full 10% at the beginning and continue doing so.
One teacher has described it like this:

Well why give 10% of the total income to a place? I started by giving a little and kept increasing it as my returns increased in virtually automatic, invisible and often unexpected ways.
• Giving a tenth of your whole income to God’s good work helps to bring rich financial increase and protect you from negative experiences.
• Tithing makes a “divine connection” with the Source of all wealth It is one of the surest ways to verify within your own consciousness that God is the Source of your supply, and to establish a link with that supply itself.
• Another good thing about tithing is that it helps to eliminate those negative “financial surprises” no one needs, but lots of people have because they have not linked up with the Source of all-good , “the Giver of every good and perfect gift”
• Tithing helps you open your mind to rich ideas. Many people have been exceedingly prospered through tithing. For example, R.G. LeTourneau was given the idea of the huge earth-moving machines after he began to tithe. This one idea made him a multi-millionaire. Read his biography. He started giving 10% and keeping 90%, but later in his life, he gave 90%, kept the 10% and was still wealthy.
• Many exceptionally wealthy people attribute their financial success to tithing. But millions of other people, like you, have discovered that through tithing they live more abundantly and all their needs are met more easily, with plenty left over.
• As a person that tithes you automatically become solution-oriented rather than problem-oriented.

True Abundance is liberating, yet challenging every fiber of your being as it affects every area of your life… Tithing is an important Success principle/secret that I don’t want to miss and I am sure you don’t…..
Today I have a free ebook for you this has been a powerful encouragement to me… Enter your details below and you will receive “ The Miracle of Tithing” in your inbox .

Please take time to leave your comments or share your journey.

In Abundance

Today we have many challenges in OUR economy. Business owners are faced with the challenge “to adapt…… or get out of business” as the business landscape has changed and is continuing to change at a rapid race !!  The future is looking dreadful for some good folks.  No longer do you have to be a morbid pessimist to  face the prospect of a future that is marked by scarcity. Will I have enough to secure my future? With investments failing, housing prices falling, retirement strategies are pushed out for another 5 years in the hope that things will improve, people are looking for HOPE.  Some brave souls refuse to be victims to the circumstances and are looking for solutions. Maybe they can’t solve the economic woes of the world, but they are victors – not victims – and are determined to do what they can to change their life! Within my sphere of influence there has been a huge increase in people establishing businesses and working online. But I also see that the online life of many folks is short-lived.  For most people just keeping up with the change can cause your head to spin!

Whether we are in a bricks and mortar business- like retail, service, etc, or home based business (networking or affiliate marketing), or direct sales, we require certain skills and knowledge to embrace these changes. Sometimes it’s easy to become overwhelmed with so much information around. However there is support and help for us to assist us on our journey to discover what is best for US…Jim Rohn said, ” If we want things change, we must change“.

These are five steps that I have worked through to establish my online success.

1. Discover what is your WHY and Passion?

By determining your true intention for yourself or your business this will establish the result firmly in your sight!  What do you love to do? What’s your passion? What do you love talking about and not care whether you are paid or not? Understanding these things will determine what you will create online. What passions energize your heart when you pick up the phone to deal with the next client?  Never forget that what your heart feels, you communicate.  If your heart is energized by genuine interest in your client, they know. How do people pick up whether we are worth listening to? How will they determine whether they will read beyond the headlines of our blog? Fear communicates uncertainty, poor self worth… distrust , greed…..arrogance and self interest. These powerful emotions are communicated, not in the words you speak necessarily, but in the non-verbal, the intonations, the rate and flow of your communication. The same is true in your online presence. Bob Burg & John Mann , in their book ” The Go-Giver” develops this first of five core values: ” The most valuable gift you have is to offer yourself”, sowhat are you offering?

2. Connect with Successful People to Develop Influence

Look to establish or connect to a network of people who are already successful. We call these Social Media Alliances “ tribes” or “communities who add value” . A tribe can be of immense practical value where you can leverage knowledge and skills, and are kept up to speed with changes happening online or in your industry. But I think the greater value is in developing influence. A tribe can create opportunities for accountability and masterminding. Interacting with the tribe is like looking in a mirror to identify the marks of our passion and character. Second core value:  ”Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place others’ interests first”.    For example with the Empowered Tribe where one of the benefits of the community is Tribe Tuesday where we get together in a small groups to connect and build community by syndicating blogs and supporting each other this is powerful way to assist you move forward.

3. Develop an Online Strategy

Develop a mindset and a strategy not only to create an asset by building a residual income, but leaving a legacy. It’s creating a life of significance. “The Go-Giver” third core value: ” Your income will be determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them”. My screen-saver is a picture of fireworks over Sydney Harbour.  Those fireworks create a spectacular display of noise and beauty, but afterwards..all that is left is just a charred tube and a lot of smoke, and even the smoke doesn’t hang around for long…… not unlike some internet marketers I have known.

4. Be Real and Add Value

Understand what you are creating online is all about adding value to whoever you connect with.  The proverb, “Give and it shall be GIVEN to you” is demonstrated in the “Go-Giver” statement, ” Your true worth is determined but how much more you give in value than you take in payment”.

5. Be Abundant

Develop a mindset of abundance that affects every action and attitude. If your security and worth are determined by money……how much is enough to put your security beyond doubt?   Abundance is about more than tangible assets.  Life is about complementing ( collaboration) not competition. “The Go Giver’s” last core value sums it up ” The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving”

Building an online presence is a  microcosm of  your life journey.  You will never rise higher than your character.  So find your niche with all the challenges. Take the next step of the journey. Be stretched and by that means GROW, oh, and by the way….bloom where you’re planted.   Its an exciting time to be online and be connected to amazing group of people who have an abundant mindset to share and assist you succeed. Thanks to all my mentors, Scott Scales, Kary Rogney, Ken Pickard, Bob Burg Doug Firebaugh Without your input, I wouldn’t be the person I am, and I wouldn’t have the online presence I have.

Please take the time to leave a comment about your online journey and what has been assisted you to create success. Please sign up for my 5 video series as I share in a little more information how you can enjoy success online

Make it a terrific day

Thank you for stopping by to read my blog. My challenge is to share with you great content to inspire, encourage and empower you to make choices that will best serve you in your journey. Also if you enjoyed my post please leave a comment and share with your friends on facebook and twitter.

5 Ingredients to Ensure an  Explosive Mastermind Group!

What are the Benefits and the Real Value of belonging to a Mastermind Group?

· Encouragement, confidence, develop new skill sets, knowledge, poise

· Growth in business and personal life

· Develop an immediate and priceless support network

· A sense of community – synergy – because you are not alone!

· Sense of achievement and accomplishment

· Develop a true “go-giver” spirit

· Develop a true connectedness with peers

· Fun

· Accountability

· Friendships

· Better information to make decisions

· Connection with the group

Who Maybe Interested in Establishing a Mastermind Group?

continue reading…

Thank you for taking the time to stop to read my new blog post. I appreciate all my family, friends, my empowered tribe, mastermind group, online  marketers, and people just curious to check out what this blog really is  all about !!!   Please take time to share your thoughts in response.

Over the past few weeks I have been reading Everyone Communicates Few Connect by John C Maxwell. Every page has so many gems to explore. I resonate with the author. John says “If you want to succeed you must learn how to connect with people, and while it may seem like some are born with it, the fact is anyone can learn how to make every communication an opportunity for a powerful connection”.

John explores and shares five principles and five practices to develop the crucial skill of connecting

1. Finding a common ground

2. Keeping your communication simple

3. Capturing people’s interest

4. Inspiring people

5. Staying authentic in all your relationships

ONLY ONE THING STANDS BETWEEN YOU AND SUCCESS…..
IT ISNT EXPERIENCE……IT ISNT TALENT

…Its  the ability to connect with others is a major determining factor in reaching your full potential. It’s no secret! Connecting is a skill you can learn and apply in your personal professional and family relationships and you can start now.”

These principles are foundational to our success and when my friend Scott Scales shared a new tool with me a few weeks ago there was major convergence happening because it brought the power of connection to another level .

WOW this is really exciting as this new social media video platform Talk Fusion is being launched globally June 21st 2010. As a friend Glyna Humm stated in her blog post “ It’s  a GAME CHANGER” .   This is all about connecting with people in a way that nothing else can.

Can you imagine a salesman trying to sell TV’s that show only the subtitling and not the picture…ludicrous!  So why would we ever imagine that text emails are the standard for communication?

The possibilities are endless as this innovative technology changes the way in which we connect with our families, friends, clients, business associates and teams, peers.

Our online culture is suffering from email-overwhelm.   However those who take the time to really connect with you in  some unique way, whether face-to-face, phone, mail, cards, email, photos, Skype, social media and video will never be forgotten, even if you lose contact. You will never forget how they made you feel !!

These are the people you share with, laugh with, listen to, support, celebrate together, do business with, and even joint venture with. Bob Burg said it in The Go-Giver, “ All things being equal people will do business with, refer business to , people they know, like and trust”. The power of the connection you have with people opens the door to do business, whether business of the heart, or market-place business.

Take some time to have a look at Talk Fusion. It maybe serendipity  (finding something you weren’t even aware you were looking for) to take your marketing to the next level, or to support you to reconnect with your family or team.

My friend Scott Scales has detailed how you can implement this into your social media marketing strategy.   Also Chris McCargar shared how his 84 year-old dad got excited, as he saw even he could send a video birthday greeting to his grand-daughter.

So no matter who you are, the power of video is a powerful tool to really connect and keep connected with people.

Kaye First Blog Video

Take time to share you thoughts

Make it a terrific day

Why does the Empowered Tribe Culture ROCK?        IS IT WORTH PROTECTING???

The Empowered tribe is “the place to be”. It has been created by peers as a powerful business model for our modern online businesses.  Being connected as part of the Empowered Tribe has been a wonderful as we have experienced a culture that is quite unique.

 It’s a TRIBAL culture where it’s about being connected, with care on every level, and through this connection engaging support with like-minded marketers where many benefits are received.   Its a real “Go- Giver” Culture!!!  Personally what has left a lasting impression is that the community/tribe culture its honoring, encouraging and uplifting, serving, with a generous spirit.  It’s about building and adding value into people’s lives.

Some people find it hard to understand what all the buzz is  being apart of the tribe! The syndication and masterminding together build real synergy and team work. This truly is a “Go-Giver” Culture. Lets explore what is this culture and is it worth protecting
 

What is a Go-Giver culture?

1. The Law of Value
Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you give in payment.
2 The Law of Compensation
Your Income will be determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
3 The Law of Influence
Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place others’ interests first
4. The law of Authenticity
The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
5. The Law of Receptivity
The Key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

 Read Bob Burgs book ” The Go-Giver” &” The Go-Giver Sells ” for an indepth discovery of these principles.

These five principles are foundational to the Empowered Tribe’s culture. As the tribe has shown the power of a new strategic way to promote each other and connect on Social Media that creates a buzz around our content and blogs called “Syndication”. The tribe’s goal is to show marketers on Social Media how the new professional marketers are doing business and how they can benefit being apart of this culture.

Is This Culture worth protecting?   What do you think as a Tribe member?

In the community it’s been wonderful to build relationships with people around the world from all different cultures, background, and businesses. It’s been an honor and privilege to be mentored and learning from everyone within the Empowered Tribe.

However I don’t know about you and maybe its only me  who is a little concerned when I see behavior from some bloggers who use blogs as a platform and a sounding board for their pet peeve, also denigrating anything that is new and not completely understood !!!

Is value being added to people’s lives? Are people empowered and encouraged to make choices that are best for them? Does this epitomize the “Go-Giver Culture/community”?   

SO IS THIS CULTURE WORTH PROTECTING??? 

Please share you thoughts as I believe it’s VERY important to protect the Empowered Tribe culture that has been created by our leaders and fellow tribe members for our future tribe members. “ The GO-GIVER Culture” is a must for us to adopt.It doesn’t make us doormats or robots but empowers us to make the real difference to the online world and to our networks.
There are always people who are unable to see or comprehend that those five “ Go Giver”  laws encompass so much about our attitudes our influence, the value we add, our abundance our integrity, and being open to receive..

Thank you to Kary Rogney, Ken Pickard, Nick Logan Jon Alfredsson  and Michael Feil  for showing the way and establishing the Empowered Tribe and by protecting the culture is a way of honoring what you have created, also honoring everyone in the community. .

Please share your thoughts also steps you believe we can adopt to protect the culture of the tribe.

Make it a brilliant day

Leaders… Are you Carrots, Eggs, or Coffee???

The other day I was reading a book call “ Eating a Elephant One Bite At a Time:52 Weekly Lessons in Leadership” by Brian Klemmer. Brian is an inspiring leader. A person that is making a difference in peoples lives around the world. The book is very challenging, but something caught my attention… right in the first chapter.

“ Leaders change the situation instead of being changed by the situation”

That’s a very powerful statement. Think about it. Are we people who change the situation? or are we being influenced and changed by the situation? In the last 12 weeks we have had so many personal challenges to overcome and I am personally very challenged by this statement.

Brian goes on to….

What are we most like: a carrot, an egg or coffee? All three I enjoy.
Carrot… starts out firm but when placed in boiling water it becomes limp
An egg….. starts out with a hard shell and soft in the middle, place in boiling water and the insides become hard.
Coffee… place it in boiling water and it changes the water completely !!
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Marvelous May Madness !!!    

Am I truly mad?I am committing to writing a blog every day for the month of May.

I find it hard to believe that over a third of the year has gone. Time really can slip through our fingers.

So why commit to writing a blog every day? This is my opportunity to develop this new skill set through accelerated learning, disciplining my time, and action.
I’ve been wanting to talk about leadership accountability, passion, wellness, spirituality.

The Tribe communities Unified Tribe and the Empowered Tribe,also the 7Figure Networker I am  involved with have been a wonderful encouragement  as I am learning so much because these guys have gone before and are willing to share what they have learned and continually add value.       So I’ll share some of the journey and the things I’ve learned from them.

Starting tomorrow : Buying fresh, are you committed to buying fresh?

Take time to comment and share your thoughts.

Make it a terrific day!

For years I struggled with this whole concept of leadership, possibly in a negative way. I was okay to be making a difference in other people’s lives, serving, supporting, leading, loving, mentoring, caring, connecting, and adding value to people’s lives, and yet when the word “leadership” was mentioned I would run a mile.

Have you ever had a response like that? So what triggers that sort of response when we talk about leadership? Maybe it was fear: an apprehension to the responsibility that comes with being a leader. Maybe the word had bad associations. It could be the leaders in the companies, communities, churches, or network marketing companies are not the kind of leaders we desire to resemble. If they are “leaders” we do not want to be like that!!

However choosing not to move forward because of the resistance to this style of leadership portrayed can paralyze us and is detrimental to our success and any future of leading a life of true significance and being all we were created to be. We can default to be “content to play a small game”.

Be inspired! Change those faulty associations! Even if you stumble and fail in different attempts, you will still have accomplished more than if you did nothing. Just make sure that you maintain your integrity, learn the lessons, and get on with the journey!

There is so much excellent stuff on leadership and the difference an authentic leader can have on a nation, a team, a family, a church, or leading a company (and especially as an Online Marketer). I continually search for inspirational role models to “flesh-out” what is real leadership that makes a difference.

Over the Easter break I watched “Invictus” the story of Nelson Mandela’s first term as President of South Africa. It was inspirational! And demonstrated amazing leadership and focus. “His people needed a leader. He gave them a champion. He was a prisoner who became a president. To unite his country, he asked one man to do the impossible.”
Despite all the obstacles he faced from being in prison for 27 years he used that time to understand what must be done to bring the nation together….

What has this man got to with us as “Internet Marketers” ?

• Leadership is influencing through serving first and foremost
o Be a person who has a giving heart. Be a “Go-Giver”
o Be a person who adds value to peoples lives
o Be a person who hasn’t got a “what’s in it for me” attitude!

• Leadership is influencing through the ability to Inspire
o Be a person who is authentic and transparent
o Be a person who empowers people to step out of their comfort zone
o Be a person who encourages and builds people up

• Leadership is influencing through connecting with the people                                                                     o  Be a person who connect and cares through actions
o Be a person who builds life long relationships

• Leadership is influencing through the ability to empower people
o Be a person who is able to articulate your own dreams and goals.
o Be a person who encourages people to pursue their dreams and goals
o Be a person available to mentor and coach what has worked for you
o Be a person to empower people to be the best they can be in this life

• Leadership is influencing through taking initiative and taking a risk
o Be a person to leads by example by being a person of action
o Be a person who is vulnerable to share what’s working for you and what didn’t
o Be a person who is open and transparent

• Leadership is influencing by surrounding yourself with people better than you
o Be a person who builds a team of people with different abilities and talents than you have
o Be a person who creates unity with diversity

• Leadership is influencing through honoring and respecting
o Be a person who builds and encourages, honors accomplishments even when it has nothing to do with the business you are involved in

• Leadership is influencing through agreements as a strategy
o Be a person who makes agreements to support the team to build synergy
o Be a person who uses agreements to build action/ momentum

Through our growing influence and significance we bring leadership to our communities. It is so essential to find training to support our leadership development.

The 7-Figure Networker has been a valued addition to my tool box. I need the continual challenge to move me forward in pursuing my online presence.

Please take the time to share your experience as you have developed in leadership and what you found supported you in your journey.

Kaye Flack

Consider this quote from my Civil War hero, Joshua Chamberlain. ”The inspiration of a noble cause enables men to do things that they did not dream themselves capable of before… The consciousness of belonging vitally to something beyond individuality, greatens the heart to the limit of the soul’s ideal and builds character.”