Students Of Success

When you’re busy, how can you fit exercise into the day?
Fortunately, exercise doesn’t have to be a formal long workout,
and you can find dozens of ways to squeeze more fitness into
your life. Here are a few ways to incorporate more exercise into
your day-to-day life.

1. Fitness at Work

You can exercise at the office without anyone even knowing! One
of the most frequently mentioned methods is to take the stairs
rather than the elevator. Take that idea a little further and
walk around as much as possible. Walk over to a co-worker’s desk
rather than sending an e-mail or instant message. Instead of
using the bathroom on your floor, go to one a few floors away -
and take the stairs.

Other ideas include doing simple exercises and stretches right
at your desk, in your office, or in the bathroom. Four
five-minute exercise breaks throughout the day can do you
wonders.

2. Fitness at Home

An easy way to add fitness at home is to involve the whole
family. Kids don’t view exercise as work, and you can make it a
special time to share with your children. Have the family take a
walk before or after dinner or organize a family game of tag in
the backyard.

Other ideas for home fitness include turning housework into
aerobic exercise. Get the vacuum cleaner going and use your arm,
back, and core muscles to propel it back and forth. Load the
dishwasher and maintain proper posture as you bend and
straighten, keeping your abdominal muscles tight. Sweep the
driveway as fast as you can for a quick aerobic workout.

3. Out and About

Incorporate fitness into your errands. When you’re standing in
line, contract your buttocks for a count of 15 and then release.
Another good exercise to strengthen your calf muscles is to
stand on your tiptoes for a count of 10 and then relax. Pushing
a loaded grocery cart also qualifies as aerobic effort.

When you’re sitting in traffic, do some arm exercises and
stretches while you wait. You may get a few funny looks but at
least your blood pressure isn’t soaring.

At the mall? Walk briskly around all levels at least twice. Or
stop by the park for a walk on the way home.

You can find hundreds of options for brief fitness moments, so
just take a minute to figure out what you can do wherever you
happen to be.

In today’s fast paced, fast food world, most of us need to improve our
daily diet by eating more vegetables. For optimum health that means 3
to 5 servings a day. Try these twelve ways to easily (and deliciously)
incorporate more veggies into your meals and snacks.

1. In the winter, make one pot meals, like soups, stews, and chowders.
Use a combination of fresh and frozen vegetables. Turnips, parsnips,
and other vegetables you might not enjoy on their own are quite
satisfying in a hearty winter soup or stew.

2. Make a simple tossed salad part of your dinner every night. No need
to wash and cut up veggies. Buy salads already prepared, so all you
have to do is open the bag, put the salad in a bowl or on a plate and add
some low-fat or low-calorie dressing. Toss in a few sunflower seed
kernels, dried nuts, or sprouts for extra crunch and additional nutrients.

3. Trade potato chips and other high fat, high calorie snack foods for
matchstick carrots. Again, buy the carrots already washed and prepared.
They may seem a bit expensive but there’s no waste (if you actually eat
the carrots and don’t leave them to rot in the crisper of your refrigerator).

4. Make at least one stir-fry meal a week. Experiment with various stir-
fry recipes to come up with your favorite variation of vegetables,
seasonings, and a small amount of meat. Use fresh veggies, or try some
of the many frozen varieties of stir-fry mixes available at the
supermarket.

5. Try a chicken and veggie fajita for dinner or lunch at least once a
week. Simply cook diced chicken and chopped onion in a few
tablespoons of oil. Add seasoning (look for fajita seasoning in the spice
section of your supermarket). When the chicken has cooked all the way
through, and the onions are translucent, add chopped green, yellow,
and red peppers and continue cooking until they soften. Put a couple of
spoonfuls of the cooked veggies and chicken in the center of a flour
tortilla, add some shredded cheese, and fold as you would for a burrito.

6. Add shredded carrots or zucchini to meatloaf or meatballs.

7. Instead of a “meat lover’s pizza,” order (or make) a “veggie lover’s
pizza” once in a while.

8. Serve low calorie dips with fresh veggies instead of chips and
crackers.

9. If you get tired of salads, try slaw. Browse cookbooks for recipes that
include red cabbage and interesting ingredients besides the ordinary
green cabbage and carrots.

10. Experiment with vegetable casseroles. Broccoli and Rice is an easy
one that most families will eat. You’ll find recipes for some variation of
this in many cookbooks, or try the all time kid’s favorite, Green Bean
Casserole.

11. Make a simple and satisfying veggie quiche for dinner once in a
while. Use a frozen pie crust and all you’ll need to prepare is the filling.

12. Drink vegetable juice for a morning or afternoon snack. Also add it
those hearty soups and stews you rustle up for dinner.

Once you start thinking about it, you’ll find it really isn’t that difficult to
incorporate more fresh and frozen vegetables into your daily diet.

Suzanne Lieurance is a freelance writer, children’s author, and owner of
the Three Angels Gourmet Co. Read her daily food tips at
http://www.threeangelsgourmet.blogspot.com or visit
http://www.threeangelsgourmet.com for “heavenly gourmet mixes.”

PRESS RELEASE: 4th January 2006

XARC Mastering Announces Revamped Website, World’s First
Mastering Blog, Exciting Affiliate Program

XARC Mastering, the world’s premier on-line CD & Vinyl
(pre-)mastering studio, has recently announced a series of
exciting new developments, each linked to its web presence. The
company has today released a revamped website and the world’s
first “blog” devoted to the mastering industry. These new
expansions to XARC’s brand come on the eve of its second
anniversary.

Lorenz Vauck, XARC’s Managing Director & Chief Mastering
Engineer, explains these developments were prompted by the
company’s increasingly growing clientele (now numbering nearly a
thousand clients from over sixty countries): “With the
consistent growth we had experienced last year, we felt it was
important to ‘give something back’ to our clients, by adding
further value to our mastering services and the XARC brand,”
indicates Vauck. “The end result is made up of the three very
exciting new developments we have officially announced today,”
Vauck continues.

The first development, the new XARC website, reflects a major
upgrade to XARC’s web presence. “The new website is another very
exciting new development for us,” states Vauck. “I think it
really sets us apart in the industry, in terms of providing not
only substantial information on XARC’s specific services, but
also offering a comprehensive, easy-to-understand perspective on
mastering in general.”

Next, is an industry first - a blog specifically devoted to the
mastering industry, authored by a mastering engineer. Available
at http://www.lorenzvauck.com/?ref=prj06 , the blog provides a
very personal, deep insight into the mastering industry and the
life of a mastering engineer. “I think a mastering blog is
something long overdue - and I am very proud to be able to take
the initiative to contribute back to the music industry by
authoring one,” says Vauck. “The new blog will also enable us to
better demonstrate both the incredible diversity of our clients,
and how that is critical to artistically enriching XARC’s
mastering work,” Vauck continues.

The final development, the affiliate program, is offered to both
current XARC Mastering clients and other interested parties from
throughout the world. All affiliates are empowered to earn cash
payments whenever prospective mastering clients are referred to
XARC’s website. Those interested in more information about the
affiliate program can visit XARC’s new affiliate program home
page at http://www.xarcmastering.com/affiliates/?ref=prj06 .

Speaking about the affiliate program, Vauck explains: “We
recognized that referrals from our current clients drive a
substantial portion of our current growth, and that this really
should be rewarded. We’re now providing that opportunity.” Vauck
also detected that such a program would also be of interest to a
wider audience: “The other benefit of the affiliate program is
that it allows absolutely anyone with an interest in XARC to
form a very profitable, mutually beneficial relationship with
us. Truly, everyone can win with this arrangement.”

In all, these developments cap off a year of continued growth
for XARC. Consistent with its business philosophy, truly
everyone benefits - XARC affiliates can earn revenue ($17 USD
per qualified lead) by referring others to XARC, while the
broader Internet community can more efficiently learn about
XARC’s services in particular and mastering in general.

Moreover, the media also continues to take considerable notice
in XARC; Vauck was recently interviewed regarding XARC, for a
recent issue of Computer Music Magazine. Both XARC and Lorenz’s
new blog are prominently featured in the magazine’s January 2006
issue, in an article entitled “Masters of the Net.” Also
inspiring is Computer Music’s conclusion that “XARC’s detailed
service is outstanding, and the mastering itself is absolutely
up there with the best.” The article is available at
http://www.xarcmastering.com/about/cmm06.pdf .

Vauck jokingly states, that the ultimate benefit of these recent
developments may be to his own ‘mental sanity’: “With the blog
at least I now have an outlet to talk about more than just the
business - I’ll think it’ll really be emotionally cathartic,” he
laughs. “All kidding aside though, the new site, the blog, and
the affiliate program are very powerful and really inspiring
developments, and very much build upon our tradition of
mastering excellence,” Vauck adds.

XARC Mastering - How Does Your Music Sound?

For more information on XARC Mastering please visit
http://www.xarcmastering.com/?ref=prj06

Media Contact: press@xarcmastering.com

Now you can own these 5 simple steps and cash-in on one of the
greatest money-making tips that sells products like wildfire.

If you want…

* More Sales. * More Leads. * More Profits…

then this might be the most important article you’ll ever read.

If you want to jumpstart your profits through the ROOF, then I
urge you to read this article — immediately.

If you’re sick and tired of getting low sales and profits, then
here are some tips that will surely help you.

If you can use more new customers… I’ve got great news for you.

Now there are some powerful, inexpensive new ways to bring in
all the profits you’ll ever need. The kind business that will
rocket your income right off the charts!

STEP 1 - Backend - Your Internet Business Goldmine.

Sell your backend products to your customers’ right after they
order. Take them to a “Thank You” web page that includes other
products you sell.

STEP 2 - Focus on Limited Products & Test CR.

Sell a few products on your web site instead of selling a large
amount of products. Too many choices can overwhelm your visitors
and they won’t buy.

STEP 3 - Focus on Content Creation & Give Something FREE.

Include content and free stuff on your web site that promote the
products you’re selling. If they don’t read your ads, they may
read your offerings.

STEP 4 - Give them a Personal Touch.

Remind your visitors that you’re human, not just a web site. You
could publish information on your family life, a picture of
yourself, a profile, etc.

STEP 5 - Let them Get back to YOU - Answer their Queries.

Provide a “Contact Page” on your web site. Give your visitors as
many options to contact you as possible. This’ll add credibility
to your business.

Everything you may have heard about building your business might
be true.

But this article has shown you some amazing ways to jumpstart
your sales force to new levels.

If you’ve been looking for quick and easy ways to charge your
website to sell MORE products and attract MORE leads, this
article has shown you how to do it in simple easy to follow
steps.

One of the most difficult and time consuming tasks in this
internet business world is to get truckloads of targeted traffic
and convert it into high profits.

I’d like to make you an extremely bold promise. You can easily
transform your internet business into new heights if you make an
attempt to apply the 5 step formula I have laid down.

There’s never been a better time for you to attract more sales,
leads and profits to your website, than it is today!

When you are looking for a unique and creative baby shower centerpiece, consider either buying or assembling your own baby shower diaper cake. Not only will you have an unforgettable and beautiful centerpiece that will be the talk of the party, but you’ll also have a great practical gift that the mom-to-be will love. Baby shower cakes are simply non-edible cakes that are assembled from diapers and other small baby items such as toys, rattles, pacifiers, teething rings, bibs, booties, baby powder, etc. The cakes can be accessorized with colorful or personalized receiving blankets and beautiful ribbons as well. What new Mom couldn’t use a few more diapers to stock the nursery?

These days diaper cakes come in a veritable buffet of different sizes and themes. Baby Gifts & Gift Baskets offer cakes that range in size from petite cupcakes all the way up to an extra large 4-tier masterpiece. If you aren’t throwing the baby shower, be sure to coordinate with whoever is planning the party so that you can choose or make a cake that will match the rest of the décor perfectly. The most popular theme cakes for boys are the Little Prince, All-Star Sports and the Need Milk? designs. For girls, the Little Princess, Lady Bug and Ballerina diaper cakes are the best-sellers. You can also find cakes designed for twins as well as personalized cakes that feature receiving blankets embroidered with “Baby Smith” for example or the baby’s name if known. Cakes generally range in price from $20 to upwards of $175 depending on what size cake and what theme you choose. If you’d like to save some money, you can always visit Wikipedia.com for great instructions on how to construct your own diaper cake. Whatever route you decide to go, the Mom-to-be will surely love the diaper cake!

Don’t have time to make your own diaper cake for the next baby shower? We have a huge selection of Baby Diaper Cakes available online. With multiple size and personalization options, they are suitable for any budget. We have designs for baby girls or baby boys, including sports, ballerinas, teddy bears, Baby Einstein, Sesame Street (Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird), Precious Moments, and more. Visit Baby Gifts & Gift Baskets for your next Baby Shower Gift.

I have watched for a couple years now, as my wife’s career has really taken off and I must admit, I am impressed. At the age of 55, having had so many life experiences, it just made me sit up and take notice that something huge is happening. In addition to this, I have seen her income quadruple over the past year.

My wife, Leelo-Dianne Bush is a Christian Life Coach. She is also founder and president of PCCCA (Professional Christian Counseling & Coaching Academy). Her work involves helping individuals reach their goals, improve their lives and relationships and overcome obstacles that held them back. She does her work 95% over the phone from her office in our home. Working by phone, she tells me is far more time-efficient and removes geographic barriers. And coaching is all about efficiency and action-driven results, right?

Life Coaching as a profession dates back a mere 30 or so years. While people have been mentoring and coaching others to success for thousands of years, in our fast paced, affluent world, people have stress and time-management problems. Some people just want more out of life. They are willing to invest in themselves to get their life and/or career on track.

Although life coaching started in the secular community, most coaches have a spiritual orientation they bring to coaching. Christians, because our faith involves living and promoting an abundant Christian walk, cannot in good conscience coach others to achieve selfish ends. And let’s face it, about 80% of Americans consider themselves to be Christians. Enter Christian Coaching.

Christian Coaching is Christ-centered, biblically sound and applies these as well as practical strategies to achieve balance in our lives, give back to our community and live in the abundance that the bible teaches us to live in. Poverty simply isn’t biblical. How much can we bless others when we have nothing? And we are called to be a blessing and reach the world for Christ. In doing so, we need to give others a reason to want what we have. When we have peace, joy, financial security and great relationships, it is a great testimony to the world.

When people know we are Christians, they watch us more closely. They want to see whether we walk our talk. They want to know that we have integrity. It all works together to enhance the Christian community and our image. In my opinion, being a Christian is a whole lot more than just saying we are Christian. It defines a faith and a lifestyle.

I have had a life-long passion for helping others. I am the kind of person who is always called on when something needs change or improvement. Seeing how my wife is able to help others, coach them to success, train new Christian Coaches and reap in countless blessings has opened my eyes to this new profession. So I made the decision to become a Certified Christian Life Coach myself. When I have my certification completed, my wife and I will form a joint practice where she will continue what she does and I will become a Christian Life Coach for men. My specialty will likely be helping men achieve balance in their lives so they don’t go through mid-life crises and helping men transition to new careers or retirement.

If you have considered working from home or want to fulfill your calling by helping others either in a solo practice or within your church community, visit the website for Professional Christian Counseling & Coaching Academy at www.pccca.org.

If you want more information on whether this is the right career choice for you, PCCCA has a new ebook entitled “How To Start A Christian Coaching Practice” offered at their website at http://pccca.org/My_Homepage_Files/Page10.html. This ebook at $3.00, shows you the ins and outs of this profession and how to get started so you know what you are getting into before you invest a considerable amount in your training.

Evan Bush resides in Cape Coral, Florida with his wife and daughter. To contact Evan, email him at bushbenning@aol.com.

Every day we as human beings work and live within our own comfort zones. Sometimes, we actually stretch an arm or a leg outside of this protected environment. And then we experience an arm being hit or a misstep being taken and we quickly return to our comfort zone. For the world is a very dangerous place, full of chances and failures.

Maybe this is why there are so many books on leadership. Leaders are known for not residing continually in their comfort zones, but taking the chances necessary for success.

Imagine for a moment, General Dwight Eisenhower staying in the comfort zone right before D-Day or the artists such as Picasso or Mozart being comfortable delivering the same art as everyone else? Now, look at several people that you admire. Do those persons continually stay in a comfort zone hiding under their security blanket where life passes them by? Or are they risk takers who embrace life and cast off that blanket knowing full well that they might slip and fall? These individuals understand that leadership is just as much about failure as it is success. NOTE: I once read that success is 99% failure(Soichior Honda founder of Honda Motor Company).

What a depressing world this would be if all human beings stayed within their comfort zones. We would indeed live in a very safe, but dull world. Possibly, this is why great leaders are noticed because of their aversion to comfort zones.

So are you living mostly in your own comfort zone, surrounded by your security blanket? Are the choices that you are making as a leader exist because they are within your comfort zone? For example, do you as a small business owner, sales professional or executive always start they day with the easy things first such as answering email and avoid the hard things such as making sales calls? HINT: That is called procrastination. Then, you are indeed residing in your own, safe and secure comfort zone. Your leadership is suffering and so are you.

If you are making choices because they will take you where you want to go, then you are probably living outside of your comfort zone. No matter where you reside, the choice is always yours – whether to expand your leadership by stretching outside or succumbing to the what you know and feel comfortable with. Remember, we all can’t live in a cartoon forever wrapped in a comfortable and well worn security blanket.

Leanne helps individuals, small businesses and large organizations to double performance in real time. Click here to learn the Secret of Success and sign up for a free monthly newsletter. Please feel free to contact Leanne at 219.759.5601. If you truly don’t believe doubling your results is possible, read some case studies where individuals and businesses took the risk and experienced unheard of results.

One quick question, if you could breakthrough that one ongoing roadbloack, what would that mean to you?

Then, take a risk and give a call at 219.759.5601 to experience incredible results. You may actually double your results on the phone.

In the past, we might have had the idea that learning is
something that occurs during the earlier stages of life, and
finishes when our formal schooling ends. Now we know that this
is far from true - learning really is a lifelong process. Here
are some tips to help you improve learning, whether formal (at
school) or informal.

1. To improve learning, keep in mind that the one benefiting
from your learning is you. Tell yourself every day that this is
true; keep this idea foremost in your mind. Why? We all learn
and work better when we are motivated, and our own well-being is
one of the most powerful motivators. If you tell yourself that
learning is work that you undertake on your own behalf, chances
are you will have a positive attitude toward the work.

2. Repeat what you have learned. To improve learning, keep in
mind that hearing or reading something only once is very seldom
enough. If you learn something in class, repeat it to yourself
later in the day, or write it down. This helps you to form
pathways in the mind that will allow you to access this
information whenever you need it.

3. Ask questions. This is a way to improve learning by making
the material you have learned your very own. People learn in
differnt ways, so in a school or work setting, those in charge
have to decide on a method that will work for most people. If it
doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t mean that you lack the capacity
to understand what is being taught. It just means you have to
approach it in a slightly different way.

4. Talk about what you have learned. When you learn something in
school or on the job, be sure to talk about it with your
friendd, familiy and colleagues. This is a very potent way to
improve learning, because we all remember things better when
there is repetition. Also, the very act of explaining something
to others can improve your own understanding of it a great deal.

5. Take care of yourself. Finally, one of the most important
ways that you can improve learning is by taking care of your
physical wellbeing - get enough rest and exercise, in other
words, and take care of your health. If you do so, you will have
the mental clarity necessary to learn almost anything that is
required.

Marketing is a creative, ever-changing orchestration of many activities needed to accomplish the overall strategies and objectives of a business or organization. As I said before, it is the heart and brain of every business.

In order to understand marketing’s role within a business, it is useful to consider its interrelationships with other business units. Although, by no means complete, it does show how marketing plays an important role in all business areas.

For example, if you’ve developed a sound marketing strategy, it will address the following issues:

Product/services offerings… and how they will fill the unmet needs/wants of your target audience Optimum pricing… based on competitive offerings and your prospects’ willingness to pay Hiring, training and compensation requirements… particularly associated with sales personnel, customer service representatives, and contact employees Bill accuracy and design Operational processes and systems… especially as they relate to the overall customer experience Sales/Distribution Channel Identification

In this way, excellent marketers act as objective filters for all company information, practices and policies… particularly those which impact the customer experience.

One of the best ways to describe the role of marketing within any business is by creating a mission statement with supporting objectives. They should look something like this…

The Marketing Mission is to: Tirelessly anticipate, research and communicate marketplace wants… then ensure that all functional teams are committed to delivering the promised customer experience, plus one, 100% of the time.

That translates into the following marketing objectives, which are to: Develop, manage, communicate, and implement versatile, inter-departmental programs designed to achieve a company’s strategic vision, mission and objectives

“Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.” Stephen Covey

Culture and Leadership Styles

In order to allow excellent marketing to “happen” business owners must create an environment and develop a leadership style that enhances its growth.

Below are some of the most important of these. Leaders must act as catalysts for change by:

• Adopting and communicating an attitude of service

• Demonstrating ideal behaviors and tolerating nothing less

• Understanding and encouraging healthy conflict

• Creating a climate where truth is heard and valued

• Confronting the brutal facts of reality

• Making sure the right people are hired, not just people

• Placing their employees’ ambitions over their own

• Becoming and staying constantly curious

• Never forgetting their passion and vision

Below is a list of my own 10 Fundamental character traits that Fantastic leaders consistently demonstrate. They are:

1. Fair: Good leaders arm their subordinates with the resources necessary to ‘win’ first and then judge performance accordingly. They trust and empower their employees and insist on the truth at all times.

2. Fostering good relationships with colleagues, vendors, customers and employees.

3. Focused on prioritizing and achieving their objectives. Additionally, they have set clear goals by breaking them down into smaller, unfrosted ‘executionable’, measurable goals. They differentiate between long- and short-term objectives and ensure that employees understand the part they play and their responsibility for making it happen.

4. Firm: Leaders are firm, but kind. These traits are not mutually exclusive. Leaders get the behavior they exhibit and tolerate.

5. Feedback providers: Leaders must have the courage to provide employees with continual, specific feedback – whether positive or negative. They should also ask for coaching and provide an environment which encourages the surfacing of pertinent ‘conflicts’. They insist on the truth at all times and use it to expand peoples’ capabilities.

6. ‘Follow-Throughers’: They take a hands-on approach and do whatever is necessary to ensure that agreed-upon activities are happening. This is made easier because they develop and communicate scalable procedures and systematized processes.

7. Fit: Leaders must be fit for the job and its responsibilities. They are knowledgeable, hard working, experienced, committed, and competent. Additionally, they are self-aware, authentic and persons of integrity. They keep their egos in check and are humble and self-confident enough to encourage and accept challenges and points of view that are opposite of their own.

8. Flames: Great leaders exhibit the passion that fuels the company’s vision…. becoming beacons of energy and enthusiasm. They love what they do and it shows! They are the light that ignites others into action and helps make dreams become realities and the impossible… possible.

9. Fun: It’s okay to laugh and be a little silly at work… and studies have shown that it actually has a beneficial effect on employees’ attitudes and the amount of work that gets done. Take your work seriously, not yourself.

10. Flexible: Stuff happens! Welcome change, expect change, and prepare for change.

Mary Eule specializes in helping small and medium-sized businesses get and keep profitable customers. Formerly a Fortune 500 marketing executive; founder of two successful small businesses and award-winning speaker, Ms. Eule is President of Strategic Marketing Advisors, LLC. and co-author of a new book, “Mandatory Marketing: Small Business Edition”.
She has a BA in Journalism/English from the University of Maryland and earned her a master’s degree in marketing from Johns Hopkins University. Log onto her website: http://www.StrategicMarketingAdvisors.com for free articles, newsletter and helpful marketing tools, tips and templates… and/or to purchase the book.