Resistance is futile!

If you don't have something you really want, is your first inclination to work harder for it? That's happened to me in the past. If you're familiar with the Law of Attraction, you know that having a clear vision of exactly what it is you want will help to manifest it in the physical a lot faster. Holding a vision and then taking inspired action is a much more efficient way to work. With that said--are you experiencing today all it is that you desire? Is there a gap between the two? If it feels like there is some distance between the two points, consider this: The moment you express a desire to have something in your life, the Universe/God/Divine Source instantly surrounds you with all that is necessary to make that a reality. How exciting is that! Knowing in my heart that to be true, if I'm not experiencing what I desire, then I look to inward to see what I'm resi sting. I need only acknowledge that I'm resisting and instead of having a need to explain or justify myself, I'll just begin letting go so that I can receive the support I need to help me achieve my goals.
Here are some "resistance points" that I've experienced over the years. I have hundreds I could share but these are just a few:

1. Is what you're asking for your deepest desire?
If you're not steadily moving towards your desire, it may not be what your heart wants. Have you compromised and asked for something that's not exactly what you want but may seem easier to attain? We want to learn to trust, regardless of the magnitude of the request, that if it's something our heart desires then it is most certainly within our grasp.

2. Regularly lowering your standards
Instead of focusing on achieving your dream, have you lowered your standards to accommodate your current situation? It's easy to live with the "discomfort" rather than going full out and pursuing your dreams, especially if you have any doubts about whether you may even deserve it or not. Keep aiming higher and know the place where you're currently at is a passing phase, a springboard to another level---enjoy the journey but don't get too comfortable there!

3. Not following up with people who are offering support
Support from someone with perhaps more experience than you can make all the difference in the world. There are times, however, when I've offered support to someone who never followed up. If help is a phone call away, why not make the phone call? Are you judging your "worthiness"? Are you attached to the pain and not as interested in moving forward? Start saying YES and allow others to help you.

4. Making MONEY an issue
This is a mantra of many people --- "I can't afford to have that" or "I can't move forward because I don't have money". Money is energy and it follows the opportunities--- opportunities don't necessarily follow money. So a more abundant stance would be to make decisions based on what it is you want to have or create in your life--- truly commit to having it regardless--- and then allow the resources to start showing up for you.

5. Making time an issue
Time is irrelevant when you're doing your dream. You'll find you're able to actually create more if it when you're doing things you love. It may also be better not to use time as a milestone--imposing too many deadlines in your life induces stress and you'll start sabotaging yourself at different points.

6. Being resistant to learning something new
If you're not experiencing all that you desire, chances are you don't know what you don't know. If you can embrace the fact that we're beings in a perpetual state of learning and growing, your next "teacher" will quickly appear. Do you resist immersing yourself in learning new strategies or building new support systems?

7. Feeling judged by those who may be trying to support you
Well wishers may step in to give you guidance, or point out areas that need to be corrected. Do you have a tendency to dismiss their support as judgement? Take any of it personally and feel slightly victimized? If you're taking support or feedback as an attack, it may be just your own feelings of inadequacy coming up and you're just reflecting it back to them. Allow others to share and resist the need to take any of it personally.

Join Maria's "Passionate Business Telesummit" to learn more strategies that will help you keep moving forward in business. Register for FR^EE at http://passionatebiz.com

Let's support each other!

Hope all is well with you this summer!

I'm always at my best--and have way more fun-- when I'm collaborating with othersas I help people create spiritually rewarding and financially abundant businesses.I wanted to share some win-win opportunities I think you'll enjoy.

*Affiliate openings
*Joint Venture alliances
*Be a guest on my radio show
*The Women's Information Network

1. Become a Passion To Prosperity Affiliate
Be part of my expansion efforts AND create "now money" for yourself!

I'll be announcing a new program next week and we're looking for quality people who'll help to share it with others.If you have a calling to empower others with resources they need to succeed...then you'll love this lucrative opportunity!
As an Affiliate, you'll be compensated for promoting your unique link to your mailing list and to talk aboutus on the social networks.

Simply sign in as an Affiliate at http://mariasimone.com/ and you'll immediately receive 2 emails.Hold on to those--this weekend you'll receive more specific details about language & compensation and a chance to get on a training call with yours truly.
For now, that's all there is to do!
***No need to register again if you're an Affiliate already***

2. Would you like to partner with me for a Joint Venture Alliance?
I'm looking for like minded individuals who have products and services that support entrepreneurs.Please send an email to simone@passion2prosperity.com so we can explore the possibility of promoting each other business.

3. Would you like to be a guest on my RADIO SHOW?
I'm excited to share that I'll be launching a new radio program and will begin booking guests soon.If you have a message to share with enlightened entrepreneurs, please send us a short emailwith your website link and brief description of what you offer to admin@passion2prosperity.com for consideration.
No attachments please!

4. Would you like to be a SHOW HOST yourself?
I'm currently helping to launch an exciting new venture, The Women's Information Network, and we're interviewing quality content providers.
Check out http://thewinonline.com/ (beta) and then send an email to simone@passion2prosperity.com for further details.
Your message could potentially reach millions of subscribers....this is a great promotional opportunity!

Hope to connect with you soon---have a fantastic weekend!
Maria Simone
http://passion2prosperity.com/
http://passion2prosperitybook.com/
http://the15minutementor.com/
http://twitter.com/mariasimone

7 Steps to eCommerce Success

I work with a lot of start-up business owners and during the initial entrepreneurial stages, the emphasis is usually on planning, product development, establishing markets, gathering resources and attracting the right people. When it actually comes time to hang out the OPEN FOR BUSINESS sign, it's not uncommon to see some very key elements missing ---such as the actual operational infrastructure of the business, for instance. The following are necessary tools you'll want to have in place to not only be taken seriously as a business owner who conducts business online but to also be able to systematize and scale your online operations for growth.

1. Protect your IP--Register all corresponding domain names.
Secure any domain name related to you, your company and your products at Snagadomain.com . You may have a vanity site with all your Company info and links but it could be more profitable to also put your main products on their own mini-sites or landing pages. Spreading your name around the internet helps to create a bigger footprint.

2. Establish an online presence conducive to selling
Most people put up a website that does everything but inspire people to buy. Wherever your product is being sold should have a strong, clear call to action without other distractions. It should also establish your credibility within seconds AND have an opt-in area with a compelling free offer in exchange for your visitor's contact info.

3. Use a shopping cart with autoresponder.
Your product catalog should be loaded onto an online shopping cart so people can browse then click to buy in 1-2 easy steps. Even more importantly, you want to be able to follow up with automated (autoresponder) marketing messages to your customers and prospects to inspire them to buy more frequently and to refer. The #1 Shopping Cart with autoresponder I recommend to get you started is Kickstart Cart(1ShoppingCart) . I've had multiple accounts for years and it's served me well! Digital orders are processed and shipped to the customer automtaically. Services can be performed without have to worry about collecting fees. Physical product orders can go directly to whomever is doing your fullfillment and shipping.

4. Sign up for a professional merchant account.
You can use PayPal to process money transactions online but I recommend signing up for a bank backed merchant account to establish a more professional presence. It also happens to be more cost effective in the long term. My husband, Michael Murdock, offers wholesale merchant accounts with discount fees starting at 1.59% (PayPal fees average 3.5%). Contact him at murdock@docmurdock.com for details. Your merchant account will then be connected to your shopping cart for complete automation. Orders are processed and money appears quickly in your bank account.

5. Optimize your website so your customers can find you
Once you've set up your eCommerce site, make sure you've physically submitted it to the search engines like Yahoo and Google. More specifically, if you've researched and are using the most appropriate keywords for your product, people can more easily find you when searching online for your product category. You may have a great product but it won't really matter if no one can find you. Michael is an SEO expert and offers FREE info about this at Docmurdock.com .

6. Follow-up with ongoing email communication
Your prospective customers may not buy on their first visit so frequency is important to establish a connection until they ultimately make a purchase or at least tell others about you. The easiest way to do this is with a pre-planned email or video campaign. It should start the moment they make a purchase or give you their contact info and continue for as long as they're on your list. You can dramatically change your conversions with the proper follow-up.

7. Use measurement tools to track your results
There are many strategies you'll want to employ for traffic generation, sales conversions, and copywriting. You'll find that even the smallest change to your website or marketing strategy can produce big results. Google Analytics is a great first step and one of the many tools you can use for monitoring website visitors, page views, conversions, etc.

Join Maria's Abundance Mastermind Group call on 7/21 @ 12pm pacific and learn specific steps to creating a successful eCommerce presence. Get 2 months FR^EE when you purchase her eBook at http://www.passion2prosperitybook.com

One of my favorite OFFLINE marketing strategies

I'm heading out for a little R & R this weekend--hope you are too-- and I wanted to get this important announcement out to you before I take off:

Launching some aspect of your business using online marketing strategies is one of the fastest and most cost effective ways to get into revenue and to quickly build a following-- it's one of the key elements of our Protégé Program.

When it comes to OFFLINE marketing, however, one of my favorite strategies is the use of (in-store) live events and product launches. They're especially effective if you're just starting out or have a limited marketing budget! They produce instant connection to your market, offer plenty of media opportunities, quick revenue and so much more.

LIVE EVENTS & APPEARANCES can be organized at almost any venue, for any industry, for virtually zero up-front marketing costs and can be easily duplicated.

In my next ABUNDANCE MASTERMIND GROUP call scheduled for Tuesday, June 16th, at 12pm pacific, I'll share specifics of :

*How to create a live event that positions you in front of your perfect target market.

*How to determine the best venue and pay ZERO for the event.

*How to get thousands of dollars worth of fr*ee media and marketing exposure.

*How to recreate the event for ongoing national exposure.

*How to leverage each event to get contracts for new business.

*How to use the event to beings tons of new visitors to your website or store.

Each event I've organized has produced thousands in immediate revenue and the goodwill, media exposure and ongoing traffic to my websites continues on MANY MONTHS after the event.

If you're currently a Member in good standing, you'll be sent specific details. If you'd like to join this event for FR*EE, simply purchase my Passion 2 Prosperity ebook at http://passion2prosperitybook.com and you'll receive 2 MONTHS FR*EE
in my Abundance Mastermind Group which includes Tuesday's session!

The value of this gift is $150 but you'll join me as my guest for 2 MONTHS by simply making a purchase...and a portion of all ebook sales goes to the local Food Bank.

Maria Simone is a speaker, author, and transformational business strategist who helps entrepreneurs and services professionals with "next steps" in creating 6 and 7 figure businesses.
http://passion2prosperity.com

CEO Space: a life changing experience AND a free cruise

We all have turning points in our life and I wanted to share one of mine...

Over ten years ago I wanted to completely transition from my profession into my own business.
I had already started and sold ONE profitable business by then but the process had been a struggle and I knew for sure I'd want to have more critical resources next time around:
Influencers who could open doors, industry experts to mentor me, the most current entrepreneurial skills, and access to funding.

Mama didn't raise no fool. There was no reason to go without these things again and have to work way too hard to achieve my goals. The second time around in business, I was committed to having an easier time of it.
I knew the WHAT I wanted, but how and where to find all these resources in time was my challenge back then.

Someone mentioned joining a group called CEO Space and I hesitated thinking it was just a seminar and "another one of those". I was VERY wrong.

I finally took a chance and attended their Free Enterprise Forum which turned out to be a life changing experience for me...and could be for you too!

The experience was like strapping a rocket to my business ventures and the ongoing benefits have been sustaining.

CEO Space is not a seminar--- it's a life-time membership in a cooperative group of incredible thought leaders and CEO's who all commit to helping each other succeed.
When you attend a week-long Forum, you're DOING business, not just being lectured or sold to non-stop.
Meals are structured working sessions where partnerships are formed, mentoring takes place, and investors review projects.

My results were dramatic... Within 6 weeks of joining I retired from my profession, created new income streams that completely replaced my salary,
acquired wonderful new customers for my consulting business, replaced all toxic relationships with an incredible support team & connected with a number of investors.

***If you're not a member right now, I STRONGLY encourage you ---from the bottom of my heart --- to consider joining CEO Space! ***

Could you use similar resources to accelerate your business to the next level in this current economy?

There are dozens of benefits to joining CEO Space and here are my recommended next steps to get the full picture:

1. Contact CEO Space Regional Director, Kehau Kali, for a list of all current benefits of membership (huge list) and to get plugged into your local free chapters. kehau@ceospacehawaii.com or call 808-342-0375.
(Let Kehau know I referred you to receive a gift I put aside for you valued at over $650)

2. Go to http://ceospace.net and scroll down to watch the most current video overview.
If you have any doubts that what you're watching is REAL...believe me, it's real!

3. Suspend any thoughts about whether you can afford this. Most entrepreneurs these days CAN'T afford NOT to. They have complimentary programs to help you acquire the resources you need....just ask Kehau

Contact Kehau before June 15th and you'll be eligible for one of the FREE Caribbean Cruises they're giving away. Next event is in Las Vegas the week of July 20th. I'll be there supporting the participants as a mentor. Join me!

Maria Simone helps those who want to transform their talents to create 6 and 7 figure businesses using these sequencing steps. Learn more at http://www.passion2prosperity.com/

7 Steps To Create The Business of Your Dreams, Part II

Planning and launching a successful business calls for many elements to be aligned including, vision, planning commitment, etc. There’s a sequence of events that lends itself to success in our Free Enterprise system and if you follow them, you can dramatically improve your chances of success. In my last issue I wrote about the first 4 steps you want to take when organizing or launching a new business. Here are the next 3 steps to consider. If you’re in business now and feeling stuck about moving forward or feel like you “own a job”, be sure to look over all these steps, including Part I, to see if you’ve covered all the bases.

Also know that I’m a big advocate of getting your ideas out there ASAP as opposed to being perfect first. Following these guidelines will help you get out there quickly, yet with the least amount of risk.

5. Set-up your DISTRIBUTION/OPERATIONS.
The WHERE your product will be sold will determine WHAT it will look like. Before you commit to product development (beyond the prototype and testing phase with the final product) make sure you take the time to set up your distribution channels and logistics. Who will be buying or selling your product? This also includes all the nuances of storage, ordering, shipping, backend support, etc. If you don’t set up some infrastructure, systems and sales channels first, you run the risk of implosion if you aren’t scalable or if you allow operational chaos. This is common in small businesses when the Founder/ CEO manages too much responsibility and doesn’t have the ability to delegate to others because there aren’t systems set up. You’ll also see this in businesses that focus on making product which just sits there because they haven’t set up their sales channels first. There are a variety of ways to create demand for your product before you’ve actually made it. The same principles apply for offline and online businesses.


6. Manufacture your PRODUCT.
People are always surprised when I place this so low on the list but there are good reasons for it. I’m an advocate of product testing and validating up towards the planning stage but in this step I’m talking about making that commitment to your final product development where some type of manufacturing investment is made and now you have to deal with storage and shipping issues. Obviously this isn’t as much of an issue with digital products as it is with more tangible products but regardless, I would let your product ideas evolve a bit before committing to their development. I know of many instances where entrepreneurs rushed into this stage-- spending $10,000, $50,000, $150,000—without fully getting a handle on who their market was and what their market desired in a product. Many had to go back to the drawing board after making such investments. I’ve also seen people invest in product development before they had outlets to sell their products and were amazed that product didn’t “fly off the shelf” simply because they had made it. Hello, reality check! Bottom line is don’t jump into major investments in product development before you’ve done some testing, understand your ideal market, have the capability to manage the inventory and know for sure where the product will be sold at least in the beginning.

7. Execute your sales, marketing & PR effort.
If you’ve taken the time to cover all the previously mentioned steps, then once you’ve gotten to this stage, you should be an unstoppable evangelist for your business. You’ll have systems in place as well as support and access to financial resources to handle the growth that will ensue form everyone raving about your business. You’ll be spending time with the media, creating new and exciting marketing opportunities, and establishing strategic sales alliances. You’ll experience slow, steady growth and avoid many of the headaches experienced from underplanning, underfunding, lack of experience, etc.

There’s good news and there’s good news: Always congratulate yourself for taking ANY action, even if you feel out of sequence. Most people don’t take any of these action steps in their life and are perfectly content to watch you do it! Also, if you feel like you may be off track, know that it’s never too late to course correct and start moving through the steps you may be missing. You’ll get caught up faster than you think!

Maria Simone helps those who want to transform their talents to create 6 and 7 figure businesses using these sequencing steps. Learn more at http://www.passion2prosperity.com/

Embracing the overwhelm?!

I know, I know…it sounds off the wall but I hear so many people say they’re feeling “overwhelmed” these days and then tend to stay there. Consider that the energy of overwhelm is really that of EXCITEMENT of what’s to come as you reach a crossroad during your journey! What’s coming up are all the choices you have & the decisions that need to be made. The anticipation mingled with fear may not feel exciting in the moment but you can easily shift it to raise your vibration. I suggest when you feel this way, acknowledge the feelings that are coming up and know they are perfectly fine. Acknowledge the exciting crossroad you have arrived at and know that you’ll always make the right decision. Regardless of what may seem like confusion or chaos in front of you, just take a moment to be still and ask what your heart wants right now. Listen for an answer… it will be clear in the stillness.
Take action only after you feel you’ve received your answer and you feel confident in making choices that totally support you. When I regularly practice this technique, I glide through making business & life decisions at a much higher vibration, and not out of fear.