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How to Build Self Esteem with a Cup of Coffee


So much of what we do as women is nurturing others. 
  • We support. 
  • We encourage. 
  • We help others see how remarkable they are.


Yet we tend not to see how remarkable we are.
How many times has someone complimented you and you turned the conversation back on them?
Or you downplay what you accomplished?

“What this? Anyone could do it”

But the thing is, not just anyone can do what you do. To you, it’s an everyday thing. You know it and assume everyone else does too. But not everyone has your combination of experiences and skills.

Maybe you can taste the sauce simmering on the stove and just know that it needs a pinch of a certain spice to make it perfect. If someone complimented you on that skill, you say “anyone would know that.”

Well, I’m an “anyone” and I can tell you for a fact that I don’t have that skill. My cooking skills are horrible! I can read a technical manual and tell you what it says in simple English but please, please, please don’t ask me to figure out what spices go into a meal. Better yet, for your own sake, don’t ask me to cook!

You’ve had years to collect the level of skill you have in things you do every day. Yet because you do it every day, you don’t think of it as a skill.

  • You raised children to be healthy, happy adults. Not everyone can say that.
  • You worked in a male-dominated industry all your life and came out with your sanity. You have survival skills that young women starting out would love to know about.


I have a task for you.
First drink a large cup of coffee…

Okay. Now.

Grab pen and paper and write down 3 things you are amazing at.

NO cheating!

You must write down 3 skills you have.

And here’s your incentive. 
Remember that big cup of coffee you drank? You can’t go to the bathroom until you write down your 3 amazing skills.
Yup, you’re going to admit, on paper, that you are an amazing person with amazing skills or you’re going to be doing a little dance in that chair until you do.

You nurture and support and find value in everyone around you.
Didn’t it feel good to nurture and support yourself?
Okay. Now you can use the bathroom. We’ll talk more later!
Hey, no running in the hall!
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What I learned about Marketing Communications from Mirassou Winery


Yesterday I was at a wine tasting sponsored by Mirassou Winery where I learned some highly effective marketing strategies. David Mirassou, a sixth generation owner of this family-run business spoke to a group a over 100 women bloggers and entrepreneurs about his family business at the SITS Bloggy Boot Camp in Chicago.

Communication Strategy #1
Make it Personal.

When David Mirassou, a 6th generation owner in this family-run business, first spoke with us, he didn’t start talking about the wine. He started telling us about the family behind the business. He told us about his grandparents (six generations back) who were visionary enough to see the fruitful soil for planting rather than being consumed by the Gold Rush fever of 1880’s California. How they found a way for their fruit cuttings to survive the ocean voyage when the ship’s captain would not let them use drinking water on the plants.

Communication Strategy #2
Tell What Makes Your Business Unique.

David told how those original California grandparents were the first to grow a special nutritious plum that kept it’s nutritional value even when dried. And how this dried plum was often found in the back pocket of goldminer. H e continued to tell us about the innovations his family brought to winemaking over the generations such as being the first to use mechanical harvesting.

David had yet to talk specifically about his company’s wines but by successfully using the above two communications strategies, I could hardly wait to try the Mirassou wines.

All of this personal story telling was great for setting up a customer to be on your side and want to like your product. But those strategies must always be accompanied by this one:

Communication Strategy #3
Sell a Good Product.

I prefer sweet wines. When David said he had brought a Moscato wine which is similar in sweetness to a Riesling, that was the one I wanted to try. I love Reislings (sometimes called Ice Wines.) After listening to the family stories I was inclined to like their wine even before trying it. What was unexpected was just how good the wine actually was. The winery had a very good product.

This Moscato wine produced by Mirassou Winery kept the promise made by the first two marketing strategies. Listening to a winery family member tell stories about his family in the business made me want to like their product. Then the product itself was better than I expected. This combination made a fan out of me. Usually when buying wine, I go for type rather than brand. From now on, my preference will be the Mirassou brand and specifically their Moscato wine.

My thanks to David Mirassou for the real life case study in successful marketing strategy.


If all of that were not enough to make me a fan of this company, Mirassou Winery believes in Paying It forward. Their Bright Ideas grant program will be awarding $20,000 to empower innovators to start a business or make a difference. Check out their Facebook page to learn more about this.



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How to Make an Ebook. Part 3:
Will People Want Your Book?

[Third Post in a Series on How to Make an Ebook]

You’ve been thinking about writing a book. You even have a subject picked out. You’re all ready to start creating your ebook.

You know the book will sell great because so many people need what you’re going to write about.

But are you sure it’s what people want?

What’s the difference between a need and a want?

Below is an example of a need and a want. Can you tell which is which?

1.  I should eat more veggies and exercise. I want to be healthier. I’ll start doing that tomorrow. I’m too busy today to think about it.

2.  I need that cute little red purse I saw yesterday. It’s a little out of my budget. But if I skip lunch all this week, I can afford it.

It’s very easy to tell the “need” for a purse is actually a Want. Although we often use the words need and want interchangeably, they really do have two different meanings.

Did you also notice how I rationalized and made excuses for each?
Eating better and exercising is something I know I should be doing. It is something I need to do. However, it’s not something I want to do. So until I get to a point that causes me to change my mind, I’m not going to want to do it.
No matter how good your ebook is on that subject.
I will not have any interest in your book because I don’t want to be interested in that subject.

What would cause me to change my need to exercise into a want to exerceise?
A Point of Pain.
That’s like a tipping point where a need can turn into a want. In this case, when I can’t even fit into my “fat” jeans, then I’ll be motivated to do something about exercising and eating right. That is when I will suddenly become interested in your book on the subject. But not until then.
If you have a really great book on a subject that everyone needs to read, it may not sell well.

However, did you notice how I was able to explain to myself a way to get the purse I wanted? There is no reason why I need that purse. I have others. But I saw it sitting there in the store and I WANT IT! Want is an emotional response.
It even had a price that was more than I should spend on a purse.
But I WANT IT!
And if I want if enough, I will find a way to get it.

If you can focus your ebook to make it more about a Want rather then a Need, you will have an easier time selling your ebook.

If you liked this post, see the other posts in this series.

How to Make an Ebook. Part 1: 
What Should I Write a Book About?

How to Make an Ebook. Part 2: 
Create a Cover that Grabs People

If you liked this post, please sign up for my email newsletter at the top right of this page so you don’t miss any of the posts in this series.
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How to Make Cookbook with Word Template


Do you have a paper collection of clipped recipes stuffed into a binder?

Would you like to share those family recipes with your kids?

Do you have recipe files in different places all over your computer hard drive?

Are you the one who has to assemble the cookbook for your group’s fund raiser?

If you do, then here’s a way for you to put all those recipes in one place.
Create an ebook cookbook using this eye-catching template.



This MSWord template has a red and white template similar to the cover of everyone’s favorite cookbook.

This template is a Microsoft Word document file with the cover artwork and background page artwork already in it.
To see more about this ebook template, click here.

If you liked to hear more about making your own ebooks, please sign up for my email newsletter at the top right of this page so you don’t miss seeing information on other ebook template releases.

How to Make an Ebook. Part 2: Create a Cover that Grabs People



[Second Post in a Series on How to Make an Ebook]

Have you ever walked through the aisle of the book store and found yourself reaching for a book without even realizing it?

That’s the power of a good book cover and a good title.


Despite what our mothers told us, most people really do judge a book by its cover.

You could have a really good book. The contents of your book could be exactly what a person is looking for. But if the cover and title don’t grab them, they will never know.

The purpose of a book cover and title is to make a person want to find out more about the book. 
The cover and title make the person want to read the back cover of the book. Or in the case of an ebook, the cover and title make a person want to click and find out more. Without the desire to pick up the book or click on the ebook, you never have the chance to give them details about the book. You never have the opportunity to hold their attention long enough to sell them the book or get them to sign up for your email list.

Let’s looks at these two important items separately.



First, the ebook cover.


Below are three possible ebook covers for the same ebook. Each gives you a different feeling when you look at it.

 



The first is just text. It’s very boring. There is nothing to catch and hold the reader’s eye. With this cover, they will be on to the next ebook without ever clicking on this one.







The second has a very business feel. Visually there is a lot to look at with the two-tone graded background and the two colors of text.
Also whenever a face is in a picture, the eye naturally is drawn to that face. In this cover the person is looking straight back at the reader with confidence. 








The third evokes a more emotional feel. With the green stripes and the door into the garden, this cover gives a peaceful feeling. The text is all one color but arranged on different color backgrounds for visual variety. On this ebook cover, the author’s logo and photo were added to support visual branding. 

While a cover can help grab the reader’s attention, it does not grab attention by itself.

The other important element is the title.

Three things to consider when coming up with a title:


1. Don’t preach.

A title like “Why you should write an ebook” sounds just a little too much like your mother telling you why you should eat your veggies.

2. Think of a benefit your book gives to your reader.

Instead of “Why you should write an ebook”, a benefit could be “How to be seen as an expert”

3. Make it short.

A good rule of thumb is to keep the title to eight words or under. This makes it easier to read. (People don’t like having to wade through a long drawn out title.) It also makes it easy for people to promote your ebook on Twitter and still have room for their reviews or comments and a link to your ebook.

Combine a great title with a great cover design and you are on your way to an ebook that grabs people to want to know more.

You don't feel comfortable designing an ebook cover?
 Click here to see how I can help you.

Come back for the next post in this series. 
If you missed the first post in this series, here’s the link to What Should I Write A Book About?

If you liked this post, please sign up for my email newsletter at the top right of this page so you don’t miss any of the posts in this series.

If you like your Blogger then don't switch to WP

See larger image below.

  • Do you have a Blogger blog?  Or want to start one?
  • Have people been telling you to use Wordpress because it’s a platform for “more serious” bloggers but it's not very user-friendly? 
  • Have you been dragging your feet about changing or starting your blog because you like how easy Blogger is to use? 

Great News! 

Now you don’t have to switch if you don’t want to.

 The two biggest clues that you have a Blogger blog are the Blogspot.com in your URL and the big Blogger bar across the top of your page. You need to get rid of those clues and the little ones like them.

There are two things you need in order to keep your blog on Blogger and not let anyone know.

First thing you need.
You need a custom URL. You can get your custom URL through Blogger. I would not recommend that. Instead get it from one of the large URL companies like www.GoDaddy.com This way if you ever decide to move your blog at a later date, you won’t have to worry about getting your URL released to you.

Second thing you need.
You need a Blogger template that doesn’t say “Blogger” or have their logo anywhere.
I’ve created a template that has no Blogger link or Logo on it.
This Blogger template is blue with an orange orchid in the header. If you are just starting a blog and don’t have an idea of what image to put in the header, this is a good one to start with.

This Semi-Custom Blogger Template is my gift to you. 
I also create custom blogger templates like the one you are on now for Creative Boomer.

If you'd like to hear when other Semi-Custom Blogger Templates become available, please sign up for my newsletter in the green and grey box at the top-right of this page.


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