I think this summer, I’d like to join a gym and start working out. I’m off in the summers, so that would be a perfect time for me to put exercise onto my daily schedule. I’m on clear laurel trying to learn about all the different gyms in the area, what they offer, and what their prices are. I really want to find a place that offers classes, like aerobic, step, spin, etc. I do much better in a class, with an instructor, and good music, than I’d ever do on a boring old machine. It is hard for me to stay motivated on a machine like a Stair Master or whatnot. When it gets hard, I just want to turn it down, rather than push through. But, if I am in a class, and the teacher is encouraging me, and the music is good, I usually end up getting in to it and working out much harder than I would have otherwise. I’d really like to start each day this summer with some sort of aerobics class.

My mom and I have been really into saving money these last few months – it’s turned into quite a hobby. I love that she thinks coupons are as cool as I do and we spend a lot of time each week pouring over the paper to figure out what’s on sale and what’s going to make the best deal for our families. I think it’s cool being able to save money on things you already buy and I’ve been researching some other stuff in the area, too, like clear wimax deals to see if I can get some of the extras I always wanted but never could afford. It’s a nice feeling putting money in the kids’ college funds each month and knowing that I have a growing savings account. I love that no matter what happens I’ll be able to support my family – that’s what I’ve been waiting for all this time. I love my new outlook and that my mom’s been such a great support on this money saving issue!

Here’s to you and your happiness for the next 365 days!!

Internet marketing in the Middle East as well as the United States or any other major launching arena must be approached from equal points of view. There must be a focused campaign in place for successful search engines and also resources that address the social aspect. For instance, search engines will give a user places to go to search for more information, but socially, users often rely moreso on referrals from their connections before giving something a try. I certainly do. Places like Facebook and Twitter are common go-to platforms for me when I am searching for something or looking for answers. Therefore, search engine marketing in the Middle East shouldn’t be any different. If you are a company that wishes to reach those outside of your immediate sphere of influence, look at building up and strengthening your digital and social platforms for better, successful results.

I love to play fantasy football. I started a league with my brothers and brothers-in-law a couple of years ago, and we have so much fun competing against each other. Just the other day my sister-in-law was getting on my case about introducing her husband to fantasy football. She said they used to spend Sunday afternoons together, but now he only wants to watch football to see how his players are doing. My own wife cannot understand how I can be so excited about a game that does not actually exist. I even purchased the HD Sunday ticket so I could watch every player from every team. Playing fantasy football and watching football in general are the things I look forward to the most in the fall. I love the leaves changing, and I love when there is coolness in the air because it is a reminder that football is here. I love the fall for so many reasons, but one of the biggest is football season. Although I do not have one specific team that I root for, Sundays in the fall are some of my favorite days of the year.

Unlike many other types of industries, profits aren’t as readily visible in freelance writing. For instance, when I worked (briefly) in retail during my college days, we would sometimes receive bonuses in our checks as incentives from sales that were done earlier in the week. The “instant” results were due to technology and the capability to see at the stroke of a key how sales were faring for the week. Since many consumers use the trusty plastic for their purchases, everything is digitally downloaded, even with POS systems.

However, in freelancing, the sale to the customer (or client) is generally not completed until they have perused your work and given it their stamp of approval. It’s only until then that you’re compensated. What if the client is not satisfied? Well, then you get into the Money Back Guaranteed issue, which works significantly different than again, something like retail.

If you’ve ever received a refund back on your credit card (in lieu of cash) it’s because the credit card processing services that particular stores use is able to tell the store how the customer paid, therefore it determines how they are to be refunded as well. Depending on if you use a debit card or a credit card, the merchant can generally issue a refund that matches the way the purchases were made. However, in freelancing, everything is relative, so getting your money back all boils down to what value was placed on the delivered material. That is, the value that both you and the client determines it to be.

Because of these variables, I have decided that the best way for me to approach this is to give samples of my work on my site so that the client can determine if my writing style suits his/her preference. That way, there’s no additional time invested and no loss of funds from either party. It’s also a good idea for me to give several samples of my past work from satisfied clients, not just one or two. I have a freelance friend who has compiled a portfolio, online and offline, of satisfied customers that she uses in her marketing pitches.

With these few steps in mind for my freelance future, I think that not only will things start to get better, but work may also get a little easier. We’ll just have to wait and see, but trust me to keep you posted.

Happy Writing!!

I’ve also been approached numerous times by individuals and businesses to do writing for them, whether it’s for their personal resumes or for their SEO campaigns for their websites. I enjoy doing those things as well, especially when I get research and find out about ‘other’ stuff that interests and intrigues me. What initially sparked this  love for writing is when I was young (in high school) and my sister took a job with the federal government in California writing grant requests for the transportation department.

Of course, being in Alabama, a place like California may as well have been  a place like Mars! As much as I wanted to visit and stay during the summers, there was no way that my family could financially afford nor could I be away from my summertime activities for that length of time.

My sister did however manage to wrangle ONE summer where I was able to visit her in L.A. and do a summer stint with one of her professional colleagues who was also a California criminal lawyer. The lawyer allowed me to work in his office and (help) write summations and sit with him while he composed questionnaires for clients and witnesses. The work was both exciting and mysterious all at the same time!

Working in this law office, you would think that I would have chosen the law field and perhaps decided to become a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer, but actually what the lawyers did on a daily basis was more intriguing to me than being in a courtroom. I loved the research, the writing, the composing and fact-checking more than anything. Because of that initial “love”, today I am enjoying my time as a freelance writer and pursuing those things that empassion me.

My mother was however a little disappointed, only because writers don’t make nearly as much money as a criminal defense attorney Los Angeles based would make. I know that. I’m aware of that. Yes. But, if you only do what makes money and not do what you love and what motivates you every day, then are you really happy? Really?

I cherish the memories that I have from those couple of summers of being in Los Angeles, I really do. Those experiences helped to set the tone for my life today. I wonder sometimes what path would I have taken had it not been for that exposure.

Do what you love. Love what you do. While money is good, happiness is better, right

But, boy, am I WRONG!

Some businesses don’t treat customers extra special, as they should. Granted too that retail customers are vastly different than business-to-business customers, but the premise is still the same, and that is to provide customers with what they want and/or are looking for. I will say that I was quite refreshed the other day to find that there are still some companies that embrace this philosophy and do things to ensure that good service does happen.

My sink at home started a leak and my husband was out of town. Yes, things at home generally wait until he’s out of town to make a fast-break at their chances of breaking down!! Anyway, I decided to give my green plumbing skills a shot and figure out the problem. First glance showed me there was a loose seal on the pipe and a worn out o-ring on the faucet. I don’t know enough about those things, so I did what most unknowing homeowners do…I Googled it! But surprisingly, my Google search for o-rings took me to several sites, one of which caught my eye because it went into fabulous detail about their product offerings and services.

Now I am one individual, and certainly not a consumer of many things in this industry, but the list of things that they focus on for their industry did not leave much out. They included most everything like:

• Oil Field Machinery
• Military & Aerospace
• Water Filtration
• Motor Vehicles
• Farm & Construction
• Fuel-Dispensing

So why is this even important? Well, oftentimes, companies think that if they focus on one or two areas of specialty, they’re likely to get a large share of the market. Is this true? Depending on the industry of course, that can go either way. But, as a consumer, I’m of the opinion that if I can get 1+ service or product in one place, then I can eliminate time-wasters and have convenience in my life. Why, after all, do you think Super Wal-Mart’s and Super Target’s are so unbelievably popular? Because they provide exactly what the customer wants and needs in one place. They make it very, VERY hard for you to NOT do all of your one-stop-shopping with their establishments.