March 2007

Pundits have proclaimed the “death of the mass market”, everybody’s telling you to niche, and you’re wondering what happened and what in the world you’re going to do about it. During the past five years the world changed. The culprit? The internet.

The internet has fundamentally changed the competitive landscape. The internet gave the world websites, but it also gave the consumer unprecedented power. As consumers, we have come to expect getting what we want. If we are at all unhappy with anything, we can find a suitable and sometimes better replacement within minutes. We also have unlimited access to any subject we could possibly dream.

In response, most businesses are fully engaged in what’s looking like the Super Bowl of the World for our attention. And, the consumers response? They’ve stopped paying attention. My little bug-a-boo is that some of these websites have become so engaged with marketing that I can’t even tell what they’re selling because they are so cluttered with ads for this and that.

With all the noise how can you be heard? Niche.

Forget about the old methods of income, age, gender and geography. Look to Lifestyle and there you will find what you seek. Find a Lifestyle you are already a part of.

If you’re a massage therapist, niche, specialize in massage for cyclists.

If you’re a disgruntled employee, niche, specialize in helping others like yourself generate additional income.

If you love animals, niche, learn Raindrop Technique (see explanation at my website under Free Training) for animals.

If you’re a working mom, niche, specialize in helping other mom’s find practical ways to earn an extra income part-time and slowly build a Young Living business.

If you’re into empowering women, niche, host women’s events and celebrate the feminine and goddess within. If your community has a lot of girls, have rite of passage ceremony events to celebrate their womanhood. Essential oils can play a lovely role n the ritual/celebration.

If there’s a lot of toxic black mold in homes in your area, hook up with home cleaning services, contractors and real estate agents.

The number of niche’s there out there are endless and only limited by a lack of creative imagination and motivation.

Your goal is to become the hands-down best buzz-worthy choice for that group. You will have to learn about that group, if you don’t already know. Think about “them”, what do “they” really need and want. Think about ways “you” can change and enhance your ability to recognize a great niche opportunity.

Network Marketing with me and Young Living will provide you with products that people just aren’t going to get and experience at places like Wal-Mart. So if you’re thinking that you need to be doing and selling things cheaply, you are on the wrong track. You need to be thinking of ways and of doing things that enhance “your” value.

Value is the key, it comes in endless forms and doesn’t have to cost you anything.

Value is something that lies in the mind of your target market.

It might be information that helps them make better decisions about the quality of their life, or solutions on how to remove toxic Black Mold from their home.

Or, it could be you and a handful of friends who want to take control of their lives and start a group of women (or men) and have meetings or luncheons that support success.

The key is anticipating “their” needs in the areas in which “you” already have an interest and participate. The value you can create is unlimited, but it has to emerge from needs and wants.

If you don’t know what the needs and wants are of the market you want to niche, just ask. Find some people living in that target lifestyle and have coffee or tea with them and “ask”. They will enjoy that you’re asking, and you will be amazed by the insights you gain.

By Caterina Rando, MA, MCC

On our daily journey through the wide variety of personal and professional experiences life offers, there are periods of time when we feel a strong sense of personal power-like we can do anything-and then there are other times when getting out the door to face the world seems like an insurmountable task.

Women’s confidence levels fluctuate, as do our hormones. Like eating soy, fish oil or flax seeds and exercising regularly to boost the right hormones, there are things we can do to boost our confidence. Whether you want an instant boost or a consistent steady boost over time, you can increase your confidence and achieve an overall upgrade. Follow these ideas, and you will find that you are no longer hesitating to get out from under the covers-you will feel on top of the world, fueled by the personal power and vitality that comes from having taken action to boost and re-boost your confidence.

Take a Risk a Day

The truth is that nothing will boost your confidence faster than your willingness to be uncomfortable while taking positive action to get closer to your goals and desires. Make a list of small and large actions that will propel you in the direction you desire, and then start to chip away at that list a little bit every day. Some risks will go well, while others may not. You will find that most of the time you will be so thrilled you took the risk that the result will be less important.

Focus on What You Want

“Focus on the benefits of succeeding, not the downside or the risks involved. When you concentrate on the benefits, you boost your confidence. And confidence, the belief that you can do it, opens the door to synchronicity-that magical something that brings all the right elements together at the right time,” says Pat Haddock, author of twelve books, including Leadership Skills for Women and The Time Management Workshop: A Trainer’s Guide.

Get Support

Sometimes we notice a lack of confidence when we are feeling unsupported by our friends and family. While it is the job of the people who love us to be supportive of us, it is your job to get the support you need-and you will often find it is far easier to obtain it from people who do not currently have a strong personal connection with you. Consider finding a mentor, hiring a coach, or finding another person who wants to boost his or her confidence and partnering together. If you look for, seek out, and ask for support, you will find it.

Ask for What You Want

Women do not always ask for what they want. They hint, suggest and infer and then feel bad when they do not get what they want. Be willing to hear “No.” You will find that simply asking increased your confidence, and that most of the time the answer will be what you want to hear: “Yes!”

Get Physical

Move your body: dance, prance, walk, run, pump iron. Endorphins do make a difference, and women are best served by exercising in the morning. Exercise in the AM increases serotonin production, according to Dr. John Gray, author of Mars and Venus on a Diet. Know that the more you do a particular physical activity, the better you get at it. Be willing to be uncomfortable when you start, because pretty soon you will find the activity invigorating and a way to instantly boost your confidence. This physical confidence will penetrate other aspects of your life.

Go Inside

“Boost self-confidence by allowing yourself to connect with your inner immensity. Take a deep breath, and let go of whatever is keeping you ’small’ inside, like the internal critical voices and pictures, or the external people and situations that say, ‘You’re not enough.’ Close your eyes, look in your heart, visualize all the bad stuff that makes you shrink, and see it flying out of you, never to return. Then focus on opening yourself up to receive what is always available to you from inside yourself-your true inner strength,” says Peggy O’Neill, author of Walking Tall: A Guide to Overcoming Inner Smallness, No Matter What Size You Are.

Keep Score: Count Your Wins- Only Your Wins

You probably do not need a confidence boost everywhere in your life-maybe just in one or two areas. Take some of the attention off your confidence-deficient area, and shine the spotlight on what you are good at, on what is going well, on the successes you have achieved. Every day, write down the small and large wins you experience. If you exercised, that is a win; if you got a new client, finished a project, or had a fun time doing something new, those are wins too. By writing down your wins, you will start to become aware of all the skills and abilities that you do have and usually take for granted.

Build on Past Successes

You have had so many successes throughout your life, many of which you have long forgotten or barely remember. Open those desk drawers-find that certificate file, review past project folders, write down the successes you have had. Review this list every day as you reflect on the strategies, actions and confidence that brought you to accomplish those successes. This will give you ideas and confidence for your current endeavors.

Keep a Success Storehouse

“Your Success Storehouse can be a beautiful box, journal, or notebook. It can be a list of all your achievements to date; a scrapbook of loving cards from friends, and letters from satisfied employers or clients; a place to keep certificates and other awards; or all of the above! What’s most important is to have a container you can access easily and refer to often that will remind you of your unique gifts and contributions,” says Maggie Oman Shannon, author of four books, including Prayers for Healing and The Way We Pray.

After reading these surefire ways to boost your confidence, pick one or two and make them your daily confidence practices. Doing them consistently will enable you to have a great day today-and will help you to continue to boost your confidence even more for all the days that follow. Confidence is the fuel of your goals, desires and personal fulfillment. Make sure your tank is always full. Watch your gauge go up every day as you follow these ideas.

Caterina Rando, MA, MCC, shows women in direct selling how to book, sell, recruit and lead with ease. She is the creator of the Direct Selling with Ease© and Recruiting with Ease© programs and is a contributing author to Build It Big- 101 Secrets from Top Direct Selling Experts and More Build It Big. To read more articles, listen to business building podcasts and find out about her programs, visit Direct Sales Coaching

I have had the privilege of participating in Caterina’s TeleClasses, she is terrific!

Presented by Young Living NW

Visit Young Living Northwest

March 20th, 2007 ~ 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Edmonds Conference Center
201 Fourth Avenue North
Edmonds, WA 98020

Free to the general public, $10 for YLEO Members

Do you remember the classic spice scented smell of Grandma’s kitchen? The scent of cloves, cinnamon, and citrus permeating the house helped keep mold, bacteria and viruses at bay. Today household mold is a serious problem.

50% of buildings, both old and new, have Mold resulting in a 50-100% increase of it’s occupants having respiratory problems - 2 Studies, Harvard and Johns Hopkins Universities

1 in 7 Americans suffers from acute fungal sinustis, resulting from exposure to mold - Mayo Clinic

Bleach, Ozone, and chemicals typically used for treating mold are ineffective and are hazardous to your health - US EPA and the American Industrial Hygiene Association Bob Franks, a retired Quality Assurance Specialist for the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency with a chemistry degree from WSU, will present the latest science on toxic black mold by Dr. Edward Close, Ph.D, PE. Dr. Close is a recognized expert Environmental Engineer with 40 years experience in the field.

Learn what you can do to prevent and eliminate toxic mold in the home and workplace. Dr. Close’s recent research and important discovery support how we can use nature’s plant kingdom to clean-up and protect our indoor environments.

This solution may surprise you!

It smells like Grandma’s kitchen…

and is as safe as eating her apple pie!

This is an educational seminar on Toxic Mold you won’t want to miss

Pre-register to reserve your seat, contact:

Evelyn at Young Living Northwest

Upcoming Health and Wellness Seminars in Edmonds, WA

April 17th, 2007
KIDS, PETS, FLEAS and PESTS
Are you ready to get toxic products out of your kids & pets lives? We’ll tell you what we’ve done to make a change!

May 15th, 2007
Cooking with Essential Oils
Chef Debra Lane, of Chef To Go, will demonstrate how to expand your cooking repertoire!

By Caterina Rando, MA, MCC

You are standing in front of a room full of potential clients. Everyone is seated on the edge of their chair. Your introducer eloquently conveys your credentials. The room is quiet, and full of anticipation. It is time for you to begin. You stand, knowing you must catch and hold the attention of the audience, convey confidence and share your ideas. You are well-prepared and feel at ease. You know you have a stellar presentation, you have worked out the kinks in your delivery and have incorporated the following success strategies on how to write and deliver a great speech.

Tips for Writing a Great Speech

1. The first step is to ask yourself what you hope to accomplish with your presentation. Without an outcome in mind, your speech may be bland and even boring. Once you know what you hope to accomplish, you can begin.

2. Decide the major “must make points” of your presentation. Do not over pack your presentation with information. If your speech is less than thirty minutes, do not have more than five major points you want to convey. When you are giving a speech in an effort to get clients you want to also do the following:

?$#149; Inform your audience on your subject

?$#149; Establish yourself as an expert and a resource

?$#149; Encourage your audience to take action

3. Unless you are a comedian, do not open with a joke. Leave humor to the humorists. Instead, open and close with a personal story and relate it to your topic- everybody loves stories.

4. When it comes to speaking and storytelling stick with what you know. Do not tell a story about something that is unfamiliar to you. When telling a personal story paint pictures for the audience with your words. Describe colorful images the audience can see in their minds.

5. Until you are an experienced confident speaker, consider writing out your speech. After writing it out completely, edit it, then go through it again and take out any words or phrases that seem unnecessary. Practice in front of the mirror or a supportive spouse or family pet.

6. Bring your whole speech to the podium or front of the room. Make sure you number the pages in a large size font, so you will not mix them up. Write a shorter outline for quick reference.

7. Regardless of the topic, use quotes. Audiences like quotes. Use interesting sources that the audience can relate to and refrain from quoting dead presidents.

8. Anecdotes, current event items and facts that you can reference can add credibility and interest to your presentation.

9. Be sure about your pronunciation and grammar. Get any questions answered. Be confident that everything you say is accurate.

10. Keep sentences short so you can breath in the right places.

11. Consider tape recording your speech in your own voice and playing it over and over to accelerate learning. The better you know your speech and the more you have practiced, the more you– and your audience– will enjoy it.

Tips for a Great Delivery

1. ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY SPEECH FILLERS from your communication.
Fillers are words and phrases such as “umm,” “well,” “it is sort-a like,” “it’s kind-a like.” These take away from the message you want to convey. Some of the words and phrases to eliminate include: “you know,” “I think,” “I’m sorry,” “just,” “but,” “should,” “like,” “um,” and, “a,” etc.

2. USE THE POWERFUL PAUSE.
Do not be afraid to have a moment of silence between sentences. A pause, after a thought and prefacing a response to a question holds the attention of the listener.

3. BREATHE from the diaphragm.
Breathe deeply and often.

4. PACE YOURSELF.
Do not talk too fast or too slow.

5. PHYSICALLY POSITION YOURSELF POWERFULLY. Be aware of your posture when you speak. Slouching, tilting your head and crossing your arms or legs diminishes the message. Stand up straight, shoulders down, feet firmly planted and knees unlocked.

6. PROJECT YOUR PRESENCE. Your voice is the herald that carries your message. Speak from your diaphragm not your throat. Keep the sound in the low- to- medium range. This projects authority. Speak loudly enough to be easily heard. Focus on speaking with enthusiasm, and energy and create color with your voice by using vocal variety.

7. GESTURES. Do not be a statue, consider occasionally exaggerating a gesture. Speaking from a platform is different than holding a one on one conversation. Use your whole body when you speak.

8. CONNECT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE. Use a lot of eye contact. Speak directly to individual members of the audience. Do not take your eyes off your audience or focus on a point over their heads. Every word you say should be spoken into the eyes of one of the beautiful people in your audience.

9. COMMUNICATE CONFIDENCE. Make a conscious effort to project yourself confidently. This is as important as the message. Good posture, projection, smiling at times all project confidence.

10. WARM UP. Take a few minutes before you begin to warm up your body. Move around and do some vocal exercises to warm up your mouth and your voice.

Pre-presentation do’s & don’ts

Have a glass of water near you, located in a place that can not easily be knocked over. Do not drink ice cold water since cold water can tighten your vocal cords. Only drink room temperature water. Your mouth may get dry and you want to make sure you have some water nearby.

Use audio visuals only after practicing with the technology five times.
Have a couple of lines to say when the technology seems to be slowing down your presentation. Have a Plan B in the event all technology fails you.

Do not start your speech by using warm-up phrases like “thank you for that great introduction,” “gee, it is great to be here.” Jump right in with your rehearsed, opening story.

Handouts That Can Get You Clients

Always have something to give to audience when you speak. Audience members will forget you when you walk out the door if they do not have a part of you to take home with them.

?$#149; In addition to information on the topic discussed, consider giving participants an article you have written on the topic. This makes you look like an expert. Always have your brochures and business cards displayed.

?$#149; When applicable include a flyer on your upcoming seminars or where you will be speaking next or any other event you would like to invite your audience to.

?$#149; Put your business name, address and phone number on the bottom of each sheet of paper you give your audience.

?$#149; Many speakers use an evaluation form to ask audience members for feedback on how their presentations can be improved. While you have to be pretty thick- skinned to do this, it can be very helpful.

?$#149; Design a sheet asking audience members for their contact information. Consider including qualifying questions to help you determine if you should follow up with an individual. For example “Do you or does your company use (fill in the blank with your product or service)?” or “Would you be interested in a complimentary consultation to discuss (fill in the blank with your product or service)?”

?$#149; To make sure everyone turns in their form, hold a drawing, give away one of your products or services.

?$#149; Consider making a special offer good only for a certain period of time for everyone in your audience. Give each person a customized coupon with the offer written on it. Or send them an electronic coupon after the event.

?$#149; Some savvy professionals give everyone in the audience a specialty item with their business information on it, such as a pen, a pad of paper or an eraser. You will make friends with your audience members when you give them freebies and if they keep this item on their you will be remembered.

Start with a few of these tips that seem right for you, then add a few more. Speaking is a skill that can take time to develop. The more you do it, the more clients it will bring you and, eventually, you will find that there is no place you would rather be than in front of an audience sharing your message. Enjoy.

Caterina Rando, MA, MCC, shows women in direct selling how to book, sell, recruit and lead with ease. She is the creator of the Direct Selling with Ease© and Recruiting with Ease© programs and is a contributing author to Build It Big- 101 Secrets from Top Direct Selling Experts and More Build It Big. To read more articles, listen to business building podcasts and find out about her programs, visit Caterina Rando

Networking is what we’re all about and all of the Distributor’s and essential oil user’s from Young Living would like to honor Dr. Stephen Blake’s special request. For those who don’t know, Dr. Blake, “The Pet Whisperer,” is a “natural” veterinarian who prescribes Young Living essential oils for many of his furry, winged, and four-legged “patients.” He has a dream, and has asked if we would share it with everyone. Here is is story…

What are the birds telling Dr. Blake about how to get alternative medicine taught in our Veterinary Schools?

“First of all, the balance of power is always based on Economics 101, Supply and Demand theory. NO DEMAND, NO VACCINES and DRUGS.. MORE DEMAND, MORE VACCINES and DRUGS. It is a very simple principle. We need to get the pet caregivers of the world to say “No!” to over vaccination and drugs and the veterinary community will follow.”

How do we do that?

“The idea I have had for many years is that we get a holistic veterinarian on Oprah and get her all steamed up about holistic care and the dangers of vaccines and off we go.”

How do we get on Oprah with our message?

“We get an email campaign of all the pet caregivers who have had positive experiences with their holistic veterinarian and a little story of the negative side about drugs and vaccines. We give them the topic and the email address: email your positive natural pet experience to Oprah here! and wait and see if we can get someone like me on the show so we can get Oprah’s following to do the pushing on the veterinary community.”

How does this help our cause?

“When all her listeners start calling their veterinarians and asking for alternative veterinary care, they will be told they do not have the services they are requesting. The veterinarian will search and find there are no alternative veterinarians coming out of veterinary schools anywhere in the United States. This in turn will put pressure on the Veterinary Schools to provide training in these areas so the demand will be provided for.”

What can we do to make that happen?

“If we all work together on this project, we can make it happen and see the paradigm shift in our life time. In my book ‘The Pet Whisperer,’ I wrote that my dream was that alternative veterinary medicine would no longer be 11th hour medicine before I leave this planet. With all of your help, you can help me see my dream come true.”

Because many of our common pets do not have the natural lifespan of a human, we are able to see many more generations of animals in “our” human lifetime. What are veterinarians seeing? A very sick pet event, they’re saying that 50% of dogs are dying of cancer today and that wasn’t always the case.

What’s also interesting is that our human population is also seeing a rise in many of these same diseases our pets are getting. I believe this is a BIG wkae up call, not only about ourslves but of our pets. Big companies literally spend billions on advertising to market their products and condition us into believing they know what’s best for us, our kids and our pets.

We are ultimately responsible for what comes into our households and what gets put on the dinner plate, the dog dish, the cat dish, etc. And what kinds of treatments are prescribed when we go to the doctor or veterinarian. When we demand a pure and natural treatment for ourselves and our pets, only then will it happen.

Here is a link to a very well done online video, interviews of veterinarians, with Dr. Stephen Blake and others in the alternative pet care field, what they’re taught, what they see, and what they think… Dr. DoMore Video

Young Living essential oils are pure, that means we have far more many ways available in which to use them, for not only humans but for our pets. They are a wonderful addition to any natural and alternative care tool-belt. Young Living has a line of almost 150 different essential oils and essential oil “blends,” they can be ordered by Creating an Account at my website The Very Essence

A special thanks goes out to our inspired Young Living friend and healer, Dr. Stephen Blake. Thank you for making Young Living essential oils more widely known and used. We will all tune in to Oprah to see you!

Disclaimer: Information found here refers solely to products from Young Living Essential Oils and is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. We urge you to do the health related research necessary to learn what is right for you and your pet(s). Young Living uses only pure AFNOR - ISO grade essential oils. Perfume grade or poor quality oils found in stores may possibly be harmful due to unknown additives and poor plant or distillation conditions. Therefore, never expect to get the same benefits with other brands.

By Jack Canfield, America’s Success Coach

I believe you have inside you a core genius… some one thing that you love to do, and do so well, that you hardly feel like doing anything else. It’s effortless for you and a whole lot of fun. And if you could make money doing it, you’d make it your lifetime’s work.

Successful people believe this, too. That’s why they put their core genius first. They focus on it and delegate everything else to other people on their team.

For me, my core genius lies in the area of teaching, training, coaching and motivating. I love to do it, I do it well, and people report that they get great value from it. Another core genius is writing and compiling books. Along with my co-author Mark Victor Hansen and others, I have written, co-authored, compiled and edited more than 100 books.

Compare that to the other people in the world who go through life doing everything, even those tasks they’re bad at or that could be done more cheaply, better, and faster by someone else. They can’t find the time to focus on their core genius because they fail to delegate even the most menial of tasks.

When you delegate the grunt work the things you hate doing or those tasks that are so painful, you end up putting them off you get to concentrate on what you love to do. You free up your time so that you can be more productive. And you get to enjoy life more.

So why is delegating routine tasks and unwanted projects so difficult for most people?

Surprisingly, most people are afraid of looking wasteful or being judged as being above everyone else. They are afraid to give up control or reluctant to spend the money to pay for help. Deep down, most people simply don’t want to let go.

Others (potentially you) have simply fallen into the habit of doing everything themselves. “It’s too time-consuming to explain it to someone,” you say. “I can do it more quickly and better myself anyway.” But can you?

Delegate Completely

One of the strategies I use and teach is complete delegation. It simply means that you delegate a task once and completely - rather than delegating it each time it needs to be done.

When my niece came to stay with us one year while she attended the local community college, we made a complete delegation - the grocery shopping. We told her she could have unlimited use of our van if she would buy the groceries every week. We provided her with a list of staples that we always want in the house (eggs, butter, milk, ketchup, and so on), and her job was to check every week and replace anything that was running low.

In addition, my wife planned meals and let her know which items she wanted for the main courses (fish, chicken, broccoli, avocadoes, and so on). The task was delegated once and saved us hundreds of hours that year that could be devoted to writing, exercise, family time, and recreation.

Most entrepreneurs spend less than 30% of their time focusing on their core genius and unique abilities. In fact, by the time they’ve launched a business, it often seems entrepreneurs are doing everything but the one thing they went into business for in the first place.

Many salespeople, for example, spend more time on account administration than they do on the phone or in the field making sales, when they could hire a part-time administrator (or share the cost with another salesperson) to do this time-consuming detail work. In most cases, in a fraction of the time it would take them and at a fraction of the cost.

Most female executives spend too much time running their household, when they could easily and inexpensively delegate this task to a cleaning service or part-time mother’s helper, freeing them to focus on their career or spend more quality time with their family.

Don’t let this be your fate.

Identify your core genius, then delegate completely to free up more time to focus on what you love to do.

I believe that you can trade, barter, pay for and find volunteer help to do almost everything you don’t want to do, leaving you to do what you are best at - and which will ultimately make you the most money and bring you the most happiness.

How to Hit Your Business, Personal and Financial Targets with Absolute Certainty - by Jack Canfield, Get his book here.

Jack Canfield, America’s Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and the nation’s leading authority on Peak Performance. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield