[entmagazine]

In 2004, @charitywater CEO @scottharrison left New York City to volunteer in West Africa. “I spent a couple of years volunteering as a photojournalist for Mercy Ships in Benin and Liberia, West Africa. I began volunteering with Mercy Ships after having spent 10 years as a selfish nightclub promoter in NYC and realizing that I needed to turn my life around. Being on that mission brought me face to face with the water crisis for the first time and inspired me to start Charity: Water.” In 2006, he began the nonprofit to raise awareness about the crisis and create environmentally sound, community-owned water projects.The organization recently celebrated it’s 10th anniversary, and to date it has raised more than $244 million, funded over 22,936 water projects in 24 countries and provided over 7 million people with safe and clean water.

Q. What’s the best advice you ever took? A. Put integrity at the core of everything you do. So much more important than what you do is how you do it. For Charity: Water, that means sticking to our promise of radical transparency and using 100 percent of public donations to directly fund water projects in the field.

Q. What inspires you? A. Compassion. Radical generosity. True humility. Virtue.

Q. What’s a productivity tip you swear by? A. Write things down before you forget them. (📝: @ninazipkin // 📷: Charity:Water) via Instagram http://ift.tt/2neFjDn

[forbes]

The First Women Of Wealth And The Policies That Paved Their Way

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Go get em, ladies! 👊👊👊

[forbes]

If You Want To Vacation Like A Multi-Millionaire On A Budget Do These Five Things Now Vacationing like a multi-millionaire in the world’s most elite and exclusive travel destinations is easier than you might think. If you want to rub shoulders with the 1% on your next trip here are the top five insider tips for getting the most from your money

[forbes]

Five Reasons Why The Landmark London is London’s Best-Kept Secret From superfood cocktails to pampering packages, The Landmark London hotel is one of the city’s best Grand Dame Hotels. Check in and don’t leave…

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Family vibes

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Celebrations 🎊🎉🎊🎉

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Turn your “some day”s to “today”s

Have you ever put off doing something because you were sure you would do it "soon"? Like that time you wanted to meet up with a friend for coffee so you promise her "We'll get together some day." You want to share your ideas with a colleague and you tell him "Let's plan that meeting soon." You have a dream of becoming an author so you tell yourself "I'm going to write a book one day." Sound familiar? Let me tell you this... 

Soon becomes some day. Some day becomes never.

We tend to put off activities that don't have expiration dates. We have great plans and ideas about all the things we're going to do but we never end up doing them. 

Ideas are great and all but they wouldn't be anything without execution. Let me share with you this quote from Les Brown:

“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry our their dream.”

Your "some day"s are important. Your "soon"s and "one day"s are important. Your ideas and goals are valuable. The friendships you want to build are special.

So how do you overcome this and start achieving all of your "one day"s? Well, what works for me is simple. I assign dates to anything that is important. If a friend wants to connect and I want to build that friendship, I schedule a time for us to meet. If I want to share my ideas with a colleague or mentor, I set a date for us to chat. When I have a goal or task I want to do, I schedule time to accomplish a specific task towards achieving that goal.

It is possible to do everything we want. It is possible to achieve all of our "one day"s. However, we tend to put off those "some day" activities, and they become "never"s. Unless your goals are urgent, you most likely won't put much effort towards them. Unless your "some day" is "This Monday" or "Next Saturday," it may never happen.

What I want to encourage you to do is to value your goals. Cherish what is important to you. Have a sense of urgency. Make time for what you want to do with your life. Don't let life happen to you. Don't fall into the trap of drift. Take control and live your "one day"s today.

[michealpeggins]

Put yourself out there

When I lived in San Diego I was very involved in my community and I was always doing something. I had a large network of friends and was never bored. When I first moved to NYC I tried getting involved in a couple of groups but it was difficult and the format wasn’t something I was comfortable with so I stopped after a month or two. Since then I’ve been focused on working and being a tourist in my new city. I haven’t taken much time to connect and network.

I recently decided to put myself out there and connect with more people. As I can’t walk too well at the moment I went online and connected with a group, Young Entrepreneurs NYC. I got in touch with one of the group’s hosts and have booked myself a speaking spot in early November. 

If I was in San Diego, this wouldn’t be such an exciting deal. I always had groups I could speak at and would be invited to but this is a first step of getting back out there and networking with like minded individuals.

They say “your network determines your net worth” and I am once again starting to improve my network. So things are working out well!

What is the lesson? Don’t be a hermit crab. Put yourself out there. Get involved. Find people with similar interests and goals as you, and see what it all brings!

[michealpeggins]

Slowing Down

I have been in a rut for a week or two. I have been housebound and have become frustrated. with that i have been less motivated and  putting in less work. i haven’t stopped completely but i have slowed down a noticeable amount. another reason is because i have been discouraged by my lack of results. i haven’t seen the rewards that i wanted to and i have been down on that.

i’m not making excuses for my performance, just explaining where i’m at. i still have some great ideas that i need to implement. 

i am going to stop focusing my effort on google adwords. it turns out to be a very pricey option to work with and experiment with. i had better results by posting videos on Facebook. so i am going to put more effort into that. i have a few unique ideas on videos i would like to post. i would also like to get out and meet and network with people more. i believe that will be a good way to develop word of mouth marketing with people that know and trust me.

anyway, i just wanted to check in to let you know i’m still here and still pushing forward. just trying to do my best with where i am right now. 

[michealpeggins]

Are You Interested Or Committed?

Just the other day I was teaching myself something new: Google AdWords. For those of you that don’t know, AdWords is advertising on Google. I have zero experience with this and am teaching myself on an online video series. 

I am following the course step by step, screen by screen, as this is completely new to me and I don’t want to miss a thing. Then, life happened. My browser needed to be refreshed. Then I lost my progress and couldn’t find my way back to the page the instructor was speaking on. 

What did I do?

Logically, I got frustrated and gave up. I went to go watch a little TV to take my mind off the problem. Then, I came back to the problem, remembered how frustrated I was, and went back to the tube. For a third time I returned to the problem and finally decided I was going to figure it out, no matter what. And you know what? I figured it out almost instantly!

There is a huge difference between the first time I went to the course and the last time. The first time I was only interested in learning. The third time I was committed. 

"People that are interested only take action when it’s convenient." -Tom Ferry

When I was just interested, I did bare minimum work. I tried for a little bit, realized it was difficult, and gave up. Then, I committed myself to figuring it out no matter what and I succeeded in just a few moments!

That is the difference between being interested in your goals and committed to your goals. When you are interested, you will only take action when it’s convenient. When it’s easy. When you are committed, you will not let anything get in your way. You will find a way. You will find time. You will be disciplined and won’t give in to excuses.

This is true, not just in my endeavors, but for anyone in reaching their goals. This is true for YOU. Are you interested, or are you committed? Are you going to pursue your goals only when times are easy and things go your way, or will you persist no matter what because you are committed?

Of course, this is all easier said than done. How can you actually increase your commitment to a goal or task?

“There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.” -Napoleon Hill, Think & Grow Rich

When you know exactly why you are doing something, you are able to stay committed to that something. When you know your purpose in an endeavor, you will stay committed. So what is your why? Why are you doing what you are doing?

Are you reaching your goals for yourself? To provide for your family? For the greater good of your community, or for the world? Are you doing this to prove yourself or someone else right or wrong? Are you doing it for the money? What is your purpose? What is the force that will force you to stay committed to your goals, no matter what?

Know what your purpose is, and stay committed to achieving the goal.

... Thank you so very much for reading to the end. I hope you enjoyed this week’s blog. If you did, please take a moment and share it with a friend! 

Cheers to Your Success, Micheal A. Peggins

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Day.... 55?

It has been close to two weeks since I wrote on my daily blog. Okay, 14 days is two weeks. It’s been two weeks.

Does that mean I’ve fallen off the face of the planet? Does it mean I’ve given up on my goals? Does it mean I’m failing?

No. Far from it.

I have actually been extremely productive. In this time I have built a website and am now beginning to educate myself on AdWords to better promote my business and my website. I developed an entire playlist on youtube about my program and gave a free preview of every lecture on there. I have been working on blogs to put on LinkedIn and my website, to eventually put into an e-book/recap. I have developed a few ads for Facebook that i haven’t launched yet.

I have been doing good things.

In the course of that I have foregone certain daily priorities, such as this blog. I originally wanted to post in this blog daily because it would keep me more accountable with myself, to make sure I would continue to be productive.

However, I have been doing well without it. I have been doing good things. No, I am not on a perfect route. I still have many lessons to learn and am working on improving myself every day. But right now I feel good. I feel confident. I feel as if things are going in the right direction.

So what does this mean? Am I stopping the blog? No, far from it. I just need to come up with routines and disciplines to better structure my days and allow me to be more consistent. Yes, I have been doing well and have been productive, but I have not been structured and consistent. I believe focusing on those items will allow me to keep moving forward in a positive direction.

Here’s to today, and here’s to continued success!

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40-41

I have been more productive these past couple of days, learning and implementing some productivity techniques. I have been creating a lot of content and overall I feel productive. However I am not seeing tangible results. I have a couple of ideas of things I need to do to set up and automate business but it will take a few days to implement everything, maybe a few weeks.

My ideal future for this business is to set it on autopilot and gain passive income every month from it. At the same time I would like to build and market other products as well. I have ideas for leadership courses, interpersonal communication courses, and much, much more. 

However, I am where I am right now and that is fine. I am looking up to other people and how they have built their businesses. The same thing is true for everyone. They kept putting out good content (to the right audiences) and kept compounding and building their businesses. I can implement anything and everything I want but I can’t do it all at once.

I think the biggest thing in that equation I’m missing is to the right audience. I’ll keep pushing and see what happens. I GOT THIS!!!!!!

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39. Launch Week Recap

It’s officially over. Launch week came, and launch week left. I would like to go over my greatest lesson learned but let me begin with a basic overview so you can get an idea of the level of success I achieved.

...

I promoted myself on all my social network platforms (people that know and trust me):

-Facebook (400 friends)

-LinkedIn (260 connections)

-Instagram (210 followers)

-Snapchat (30 followers)

-Emails to friends and family (~150)

Given that some of those friends are friends on multiple platforms, and given that not everyone on each of those platforms saw the actual content I put out, I will round down that I marked to 800 people that know me and probably saw the content. These promotions were not paid.

Two video ads were ran on Facebook for $5 each. The total audience reach was over 1000 per video, with an actual 200+ real views per video.

In total 5 students registered for the course. 3 were free, 2 were paid. That means a total revenue of $29 was generated. Also, I personally knew both of the people who purchased the product. No one signed up through the paid advertising.

That makes my conversion rate:

.625% for sign up from current network

.25% for PAID sign up from current network

0% from paid advertising

.......

So, what were my overall lessons?

1. My future marketing efforts need to be more directed. I have to understand my ideal customer and go where they are. Right now I’m throwing bananas at the wall and hoping they stick.

2. On a similar note, I cannot force people to want my product, even if I offer it to them for free in order to give me a rating. Instead of offering my product to people who probably don’t want or need it (i.e., more advanced speaker friends of mine), I need to focus on finding those beginner speakers, my target audience.

3. Paid advertising does not mean results. It does not mean ROI. 

4. “Likes” don’t translate to income.

5. Despite the fact that I only made two sales, I still made two sales! That means there are people in the world that my product resonates with, people that are willing to spend money for what I have to offer. I should take that as a great compliment and confidence in the fact that I do have something of value for sale. I was a bit disappointed at first because I was expecting better results but any results are better than none. And for me to continue along this path, I need to remain positive and be my biggest personal cheerleader. 

A lot of people mentioned how great it was that I put the product out and mentioned they were proud of me. I received a lot of “likes” and support from my friends and family. But, as I mentioned above, likes don’t translate to income. People speak with their wallets and you can trust actions louder than words. I’m not saying I don’t appreciate the support I received from my friends.What I’m saying is this: 

Although I received a lot of interest (i.e., likes), I only made 2 sales, and it was disappointing. My friends were cheering me on but I was having a hard time cheering myself on.

When you have something you are doing that you trust is what you are meant to be doing, you have to do it no matter what, and you have to find the strength within yourself to encourage yourself and persist, no matter what. Sometimes there won’t be anybody to support you. At other times, people will support you but you won’t personally see the rewards. No matter what, in good times or bad, you can’t give up and you must persist. Champions persist, no matter what!

So don’t give up. Keep pushing on. Cheer yourself. Congratulate yourself. Celebrate your smallest victories. Persist no matter what. Stay positive, think positive. You can do it. You have what it takes. Just carry on!

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37 & 38

UPDATE: Made 2nd sale. Total enrolled students: 5 (3 free)

Not posting content tonight. Working on weekly blog to send out tomorrow. Yes, am going to start weekly emails on MONDAYS now. “MINDSET MONDAYS.”

... next week will have a video too! Good things are coming :-)

[michealpeggins]

36. Quick Win vs Slow Build

Launch Week - Day 4

I read an interesting article on marketing today. It talks about “quick win” or “slow build.”

The basic difference is that you can make a couple of quick bucks with gimmicks, or “quick wins.”. Or, you can build a company and business over time by being patient and building slowly, “slow build”.

When it comes to what I am doing right now, I admit I would like to have a quick win. I would like to make a couple quick bucks and pay off a few bills but I think it is more important to look at the long run. More important than anything I would like to build a sustainable business over the long term that supports myself and my family. 

if that means a slow build as opposed to a quick win then i have to be patient and trust the process. of course i have to evaluate my actions along the way and see what is working and what isn’t, and change course as needed.

but right now i have a good product. i just need to work on the marketing and finding the right audience. i need to be patient, keep putting in the work, and learn along the way. success doesn’t happen over night, it happens over time. 

so i am going to focus on the slow build as opposed to quick gimmicks. that is more important and valuable in the long run. i won’t stress about how much money i am making. i will rather focus on laying one brick at a time and doing the best i possibly can.

[michealpeggins]

35. Launch Week - Day 3

I finished letting my contacts know that I am in business. Now I need to get my message out to others. I need to determine my ideal customer, my “avatar.” Not necessarily by age and location, but by interests, et c.... AND GET IN FRONT OF THEM.

There is nothing wrong with the price for my course. There is nothing wrong with the content at all. My marketing is off. Tomorrow I am going to record a new video but I don’t know if I am going to begin marketing it tomorrow. (i’ll update you)

Also, I have been considering different ideas and analyzing how different people market. Some people sell, sell, sell. But people don't like feeling like they are being sold to. Other people give, give, give, and gently sell. They build up their audiences by giving out consistent, valuable content for free, and marketing products in between. It is a more difficult and longer process but I think it is a very smart way to market. It takes patience but that is what I need. I need hustle and grind as well, to work as hard as I can now, but I need to understand this is what I will be doing for a while. I need to have patience.

I am beginning to do “content marketing” for instance today i blogged for linked in. i just need to get them to more sources and build a bigger audience that trusts me and is looking for what i have to offer.

I also spent about 2 hours trying to sort out my domain today. I finally got it but need to wait about a week before I can actually start developing it. I think that is going to be a game changer once I have that up and running.

I also discovered a better way to be more productive. “Time blocking” chunks of time and being nothing but productive during that time. For instance, I’ll set my alarm for 45 minutes and set my phone down on silent, and so that i can’t see the screen or notifications. In that time I do nothing but focus on one specific task. It is extremely helpful.

One last thought. As I was coming up with my next video I realized a lot of content from my actual course is relevant to coming up with a video, and actually, to life. The first step is “mindset” and in order to succeed at life, we need the right mindset. That means i need to start cultivating the proper winning mindset every morning. i always want to meditate but i am going to start implementing it. 

That is it for now. I consider today a good and productive day but I know I can do better. Tomorrow, I am committed to doing better.

[michealpeggins]

35. Launch Week - Day 2

Today was disappointing.

I put in a lot of effort emailing some very good friends of mine, letting them know about my program. In fact, I offered 50+ programs for free to people that have helped me on my journey. Not a single one took the offer. No one even responded to the email. To be honest, it sucks. It feels like I can’t even give the program away!

I also released a promo video on Facebook that reached 667 people (at the time of this email), and not a single person even clicked on the link, no one was close to buying the program. Close to 100 watched the video, but no one took any action. 

As frustrating as it is, I cannot give up. I had a lot higher expectations for the first few days but what is done, is done. I have learned a few lessons...

-I can’t make people want to learn. Instead, I must go to where people want to learn. The people I gave the coupon codes to are already good speakers, and perhaps they are not my ideal target. I like to think of it like this: Some restaurants charge $15+ for a caesar salad. I personally think they are disgusting. If someone tried giving me one for free, I would pass on it. I simply don’t want or need a caesar salad.

That is the same case for my product. I can give it away, but unless it is to a person that wants it, they won’t do anything with it. 

LESSON 1: Get in front of the RIGHT people. I am still figuring out how to do that.

-I need to hold people’s attention longer, and find out how to convert from an impression to an action. (if there was an exact formula, every marketer would be over it). but right now my conversion rate is like 0.01%. I can definitely improve that. I need to study and practice that

LESSON 2: Get the right message out. Gain and KEEP attention. Make Call to Action easy and fun.

So, that’s it for now. It freaking sucks but it’s only day 2. I have to remain positive and keep pushing forward. I’ve got some good ideas in the works anyway.