Smart Start Seminar

My friend asked me the other day, "What is your sister doing these days?" and I replied, "She is a nomadic goat herder!" When my friend got done laughing out loud she realized that I was seriously answering her question. Yes, my sister, Shod, is a nomadic goat hearder and here's something even more crazy. We are launching seminars where YOU can learn how to be one too! Check it out here http://www.joyfulpromotions.com

OK. OK. You don't have to take your herd on the road but you can accomplish an aweful lot using goats to clean up blighted areas and noxious weeds on your acreages.
My sister has been doing just that for the past five and a half years. She has targeted buck brush in the sandhills and leafy spurge along Nebraska's waterways. Goats have a voracious appetite and they prefer weeds and other vegetation over grass. Their jaws are shaped so that their teeth grind weed seeds to a pulp which kills next years comeback infestation and they attack brush and trees that grow wildly in your pastures. You can think of them as a "green" answer to chemical weed killers. As an added bonus, they fertilize where they work! Poop, you can't beat a deal like that!

The seminar idea was actually a by product of a coaching session. We were brainstorming ways to increase her effectiveness. Seminars seemed to be the best way to share her knowledge and the many lessons she has learned about goat herd management in the past five years. Only we didn't want it to be a boring, sit-in-a- classroom-and-watch-power-point-slides-about-goats kind of a learning experience. We decided it best to go "hands on"

We will take her goats on the road and each participant will get to: build electric, woven-wire fence, hook up and test the solar fencer, command the dogs to herd, choose which site would be best for the next paddock, plan a water source, identify which weeds to target, help decide on how much time the small herd should be left in each paddock but most improtantly enjoy watching and being with some of the coolest animals on the planet! (Not to mention learning all about herd management from a for real nomadic goat herder!)

I want to put a sign on the side of the trailer that reads,"Have Goats, Will Travel" We will be starting out near Hastings, NE on June 17 and 18 and moving on to the Scottsbluff area the following weekend (25th). We are serious about sharing and would welcome interested land owners to consider hosting a seminar on their land.

You can contact either myself via email Denise@happygoatsgrazing.com or Michelle@happygoatsgrazing.com. I check my email more often since I have the desk job! It's hard to get good internet service in the middle of a pasture.:-)
Come, learn and have some fun. You will find that 'goat camp' as we call it is a relaxing, fun way to enjoy nature and fresh air and neat animals. Heck, we can even set you up with your own goat starter kit if you like it as much as we do. We are your full service, go to goat place. You can tell by the name: Happy Goats Grazing, LLC.

Target Markets and Fish

I have been thinking about how to describe the importance of finding your target market so that you can speak directly to the group who is already interested in what you have to say.

In my pondering, the phrase "as easy as shooting fish in a barrel" came to mind. I must admit I did not research that phrase to find its origin. I am a literal / visual thinker and this is where I went.

If you had a 50 gallon wooden barrel full of fish and water what would happen if you shot your gun into the water? You might hit a few fish and have enough for dinner. Or you might not hit anything but the barrel, putting a hole in the container. Either way, you are bound to get fish!

Imagine now that your "barrel" is full of your target market customers. Your "gun" is your offer to sell your goods or services. One shot into that barrel might yield you a few customers that buy your product. Repeated shots will eventually yield a whole barrel load of customers.

The point is this. You need to identify which fish fit in your barrel! Then you can begin to round them up and put them in your barrel. This is accomplished by reaching out to them via email, blogs, social networks, public speaking, open houses, and free teleclass offers. Your 'fish' will jump into your barrell if they feel that you have a solution to their pain or problems.
The more fish you have, the more likely one of those fish will buy from you. It's a matter of numbers. Shoot your gun (message) into your barrel (target market) repeatedly and they will buy.

Another saying comes to mind here: The ball is in your court. It's your 'shot'.
If you would like some help with that shot, contact me. It's always more fun to go fishing with a friend!

Memorial Day

It's Memorial Day today in the United States. It's a day when we pause as a nation and pay our respects to the members of the armed forces who gave their lives so we can live a life of freedom.

As a child, I didn't realize the importance of this day. I did not know anyone who had served and died. I didn't understand the sacrifices that a military family made. I didn't understand the worry and concern that parents and young wives felt as they saw their loved one go off to war. All this was simply history that I read about in my history book.

Fast forward to 9/11, a day that will live in my memory always. 9/11, a day when my country's home soil was bloodied. 9/11, a day that for the first time in my life, I felt frightened. I was out of town on 9/11 and I remember driving home the next day. The sky was clear of any jet vapor trails as all domestic flights were canceled. There was an air of uncertainty.

In the days that followed, our country rallied. Flags sprang up everywhere. American spirit was rekindled and a sense of patriotism re-emerged such as I have never known.
As soon as I got home I called my dear friend, John, who is a U S Army veteran. The first words I said to him were, "Thank You". "Thank you for serving in the armed forces. Thank you for being willing to lay you life on the line to defend this great country. Thank you for giving up seven years of your life for a cause I did not understand until that day, 9/11. Thank you for still being willing to go at a moments notice and give up all the comforts of home to fight for freedom anywhere on this planet." And then I apologized for all the crap I gave him about being 'G I Joe'. He understood and simply said, "You're welcome. It's going to be alright, Niece!" And in way, he was right.

I have seen others that I have known go off to Iraq. Most have come home but one didn't make it back. I drove his brother across the state to where their mother slept soundly until that gentle knock at the door. She knew the news without being told. One son held her as they both grieved for the other who would not return.

I sat in the gym at North Platte Community College and listened to the commanders speak to the National Guard Unit as they deployed for Iraq. These soldiers were not just a group of men. Some were sons of my friends. Others were former boyfriends of my daughters. I watched as the families stood firm and staunch and strong for their loved ones. If they had fears, they didn't show it. It was I who shed a tear.

And now in October of this year I will watch another young man go off to the Marines. In the past year that he has dated my youngest daughter, I have come to know and love him. I will try to stand firm and staunch and strong for Tristan. I will watch with fierce pride and save my tears of parting for later when I am alone. I will keep him and all who serve in my daily prayers and I will stand tall and proudly salute our flag when it passes.

To all who serve, to all who have served, and to all who gave their lives for this great country, Thank You and God Bless You.

Just Wondering.....

So, I'm curious. Who is reading my blog? I follow the feedjit feed every once in awhile but I'd like to know who you are and what brought you here? So please, sign up below in the 'follow' section.
Will you win a fabulous prize? No. But if I were giving away things I would like to win the list would look something like this: a new Ford Fusion in cranberry red, a week at a spa in California, a free trip to self development seminars such as those offered by Peak Potentials, a personal trainer who also doubles as a chef to prepare all your healthy and nutritious meals, maid service for a year, coaching for a year, membership to the inner circles of my mentors, T Harv Eker, Jack Canfield, Bob Doyle, Bob Proctor, and Joe Vitale just to name a few.
If you don't want to follow, then leave me a comment. Will that change what I post? Maybe and maybe not. If you want my thoughts on certain things I will respond. If you don't approve of what I've written, Ill let you have your opinion. If you want to co-create something wonderful, I'm game. But I'll never know unless I ask. So I'm asking, will you leave me a comment?
Thanks for playing!
To your Success,

Visualize as Actualized

Want to know a secret that successful athletes use for peak performance and that you can use for accomplishing any goal in your life? It's called visualization. Anyone can do it and the results are amazing!
In the mid 1960's, Olympic athletes were hooked up to all sorts of electrical tracking wires and were asked to perform their event in their imaginations. The results were astounding. Scientists found that every muscle circuitry fired just as if the athlete was physically running, jumping, or throwing. The secret is, in your imagination, your performance is always perfect! You would never imagine performing poorly. Since the mind can't tell whether the event is real or imagined, your performance improves!
So, why doesn't everybody use visualization? Good question. I think it is because we like to see immediate results. Visualization takes practice just like any other activity. You don't learn to play the piano without practicing. You don't improve your skills at any sport without practice. Yet, the people I challenge to visualize often give up after only a few days. Then they declare that it doesn't work! They should have grown up with my Mother. Her favorite words when I complained about my less than natural abilities to play the piano were, "Practice. Practice. Practice!"
This past week I was talking with my oldest daughter, Jamie, who is completing her registered nursing degree. She mentioned that her friend was stressing about completing the program. Jamie explained that she should just imagine standing on that stage and getting her diploma. I suggested they both do the 'happy day diploma dance' before they went to class each day.
Graduation is May 15th. Until then, if you see two or three nursing students doing some kind of a celebratory dance in the hallway at Iowa Lakes, please let them be. They are not having a mental breakdown. In fact, they are having a mental rehearsal of a happy, happy day. And when they appear to be reaching out to shake your hand, just shake it firmly say, "Congratulations!"
What do you want to accomplish? If you can imagine it, you can do it. It just takes practice. Here's to your success!

If Success was your Only Option......

Eva Gregory once asked me this question, "If success was your only option, what would you do?" I thought long and hard before I began to answer that question. It's one of those questions that kinda rattles around in your brain.
Notice that the question has an assumption that implies "doing something". Some people answer that they would like to win the lottery. But then what would you do? Having all that money and not having a plan on how to use it seems silly to me. I am about doing something.
So I thought and pondered and came up with a "bucket list" answer. If success was the only option, what would I do?

1. Start my own radio show.
2. Lead group coaching for volleyball coaches.
3 Offer group coaching for volleyball players.
4. Learn to play the piano.
5. Develop a workout that is fun and never gets boring.
6. Create school curriculum for teaching the Law of Attraction.
7. Create a place where kids who have no support system could come and feel loved and appreciated, challenged and cheered for.
8. Begin a "Good News" TV station that only offers news that is uplifting and positive. This would begin to change the world view so everyone would look for what's good instead of focusing on what is wrong with our world.

What would be on your bucket list? How would you answer the question? Imagine what our world would be like if fear did not hold us back from doing great things.

If I Ran The Circus

So, here was my day. I started by entering 40 email addresses into my website's email program. Then I sent off an eye-catching, sounds amazing, geez-even-I-want-to sign-up email to my group of volleyball coaches from across the state. Then I skipped off to work with a spring in my step and a smile on my face. All was right with my world.

By mid-morning, curiosity got the best of me and I logged in to see how many coaches had already signed up. That's when I saw it...the big ZERO in my emails sent file.
What, my mind screamed, that can't be so! I know I entered those all correctly. I doubled checked each one. Houston, We have a Problem!

I then spent the balance of the afternoon and late into the evening reading and watching tutorial videos and cut, copying and pasting. All in an attempt to let a few good people in on the way to access a free call! Finally, in complete frustration and desperation, I resigned to breaking out the debit card and signing up for some "show me how to" coaching from my website developers. By the time I was finished, I had choked up Paypal, loaded and reloaded my order and purchased coaching help three different times using two forms of currency, US and Canadian! Hope I can fix that at the bank in the morning!

What happened then was indeed strange. I moaned and groaned loudly to my husband and then pounded my head against my computer desk for a few short bursts. I headed to the freezer for a chocolate fix and downed the rest of the Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies! The cookies must have triggered a childhood memory because next I found myself searching in my daughters' rooms looking for the Dr. Seuss book, "If I Ran the Circus".

Ah yes, if I ran the circus, the world would be a different place. My Dad used to read that book to us at bedtime. He really got a kick out of all the made up words and silly rhymes. When I read it now, I can hear his voice, his flare, his diction, his joy........

If I Ran the Circus, the world would change. Toilet seats would magically figure out the gender of the person entering the room and would adjust themselves accordingly. Cars and sidewalks would solar heat themselves so as to never need scooping or scraping on cold winter mornings, Neighborhood dogs could only bark after 10 AM and until 3 PM. My bank account would always be plentiful and credit card statements would be sent marked PAID. I could loose weight as easily as I put it on and cheesecake would taste delicious and not make you fat! People would ask to clean my house because it gave them such a sense of self satisfaction from helping others! And my computer programs would do as I thought they should using only my thoughts to guide them!

Just like Dr. Seuss, I was using my imagination, only my story doesn't rhyme. What's your story? What would you do if you ran the circus? I'm sure I could create a better world. And my reality is that I am creating a better world. I am joyful when I can help others. I continue to create a loving family. I constantly strive to see the greatness in everyone and the lessons in every difficult time.

Sometimes we just need a gentle reminder to reconnect us to our joy. If you want to act like a child again, get yourself a copy of the book and read it out loud to your favorite kid. Become "A wink-hooded Hoodwink who winks in his wink-hood. Without a good wink-hood, a Hoodwink can't wink good." And have some fun.