Become a Millionaire....SLOWLY!

I saw this article in Money Magazine: http://money.cnn.com/popups/2006/moneymag/ontrack_millionaire/index.html. I was quite suprised on their advice on how to become a millionaire. It's probably because the person writing the article (as is true of most media) isn't speaking from experience and most likely isn't a millionaire.

I became a millionaire by doing almost the opposite. I didn't save much initially...invested in my business. I dont' have fancy degrees and I'm not working from someone else.

Is this really how most people do it? It seems way toooooo slow. I wanted to be a millionaire now...in my 30's (I actually hit it by 30), not wait until I'm 75.

There's far easier ways to generate wealth than following the slow plan to nowhere. Gosh, there's no guarantees you'd even live long enough to finally enjoy it based on this plan!

The Pursuit Of Happyness

So many of our colleagues were raving about this movie, John and I went to go see it on Christmas Eve. They were right...it was fabulous. Talk about moving! The movie portrayed how powerful people can be when they are willing to give 100% towards the achievement of their dreams. Chris Gardner could easily have allowed being broke, frustrated, homeless, etc. deter him from his ultimate success. It would have been easy to use his circumstances as excuses. He could have blamed others for his problems. He could have used a million reasons to play victim, to give up, to settle for less. He could have spent his life saying sorry to his son for all the things he wouldn't experience, have, be or do.

Instead, he chose to fight. He chose to give 1000% of himself in the pursuit of his dream. That is what separates the Top 3% of society from the rest. No matter what came his way, he looked past it to follow his heart and his dream.

This is an amazing movie that every child should watch...to see how much potential they have, how much they can accomplish. I love it when Chris Gardner says, "Because other people can't do they'll tell you you can't". It's true...people are eager to convince you of all the things you can't do in your life, but few will support you in achieving what you want (see my earlier blog entry: Friends, Family and Neighbors). Surrounding yourself with people who believe in you is definetly a plus...such as the stock broker who believed in Chris.

When I got started in business, I was willing to pay the price of success. I gave 110%. Even though I was completely in new territory, often felt like a helpless idiot and knew nothing about sales, marketing or how to run a business, I was coachable, willing to learn and, (and probably most importantly) willing to ask questions risking looking like an idiot. Whatever...sometimes you just have to reveal howlittle you know to learn from the top people. I was eager, driven and had a huge amount of passion. I shared iwth people my intentions, kept it professional and learned from the top. Everyday I offer people the opportunity to have my life...wealth, freedom and accomplishment and they come up with a million excuses - I don't have the money, I don't have the time, I don't think I could do, it will work for others but not for me. It's all a bunch of bull...the real reason is they aren't committed to being successful...they want to stay in their comfort zone of WANTING better results, but never taking the action.

Congratulations Chris Gardner...you deserve every bit of your success b/c you were willing to turn your circumstances into REASONS to move forward, rather than excuses to not too. There's such a valuable lesson in this movie for everyone.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays from Shannon, John, Pharaoh, Munchkie and Jay!

Wow! It's shocking that another year has past....where has the time gone! It's been a whirlwind year for John and I and we've done some amazing things. I'm grateful for this incredible life I'm living and for learning how to tap into my true potential to live a life that is extraordinary.

Here's a little re-cap. I've achieved some major goals I set for myself, including going to Africa, buying my first investment property, growing Animal Rescue Foundation and buying a new Bentley Continental GT. The year started off a bit slow as I was still battling with a severe back injury caused by who knows what (snowboarding? golfing? weight training?). Anyways, I had surgery in April and it went off without a hitch - I feel great! Now I"m back in the gym and having a great time. Really a testament to mind over matter and power of healing yourself. Dr. Joseph Murphy's the Power of Your Subconscious Mind helped me tremendously as well as works by Caroline Myss and Louise Hay.

We started off 2006 with a trip to Orlando. We had fun with friends and visited John's Brother and Mom. John went to Cancun in March (it's the first trip I've ever missed) for a Liberty Conference. He had a great time networking with all of our business associates and a fabulous training event.

In June we went to Africa for three weeks. (Check out the pictures) This was the trip of a lifetime and was one of the things on my list of 101 things I want to do before I...! We flew first class on Virgin (got to love them!). They had fold out beds, a bar and a massage in the first class cabin...not to mention the luxury of the lounge in Hethrow. In Africa we spent a week at Kwandwe in our own private home on the reserve. Everyone was fantastic, we saw hundreds of animals and our guide was amazing. It was one of the most relaxing trips I've taken. From there we went to the Palace of the Lost City in South Africa...talk about opulence! This is the grandest resort I've ever seen...truly a masterpiece. Then we travelled up to Zambia and Zimbabwe for a few days on the Zambia River at the Matetsi Water Lodge. This was a completely different environment...Zimbabwe is having significant political challenges so we got to experience the effects on the community and culture. The wildlife was great...especially the river cruise and seeing the hippos. The people in Africa were so open and accomodating. They genuinely cared about our experience and we felt very connected to the people and the country. I am so grateful for the opportunity to go there.

While in South Africa we attended our fourth Summit Conference. I was excited because a personal friend of mine was one of the speakers...she about the most extraordinary mortgage professional I know. Everyone at the conference was incredible, providing me with wealth building strategies that are allowing me to build my net worth while still enjoying life!

In August, LLI hosted the Summer Showdown training event and Birthday Bash. It was packed and I was honored to be one of the featured presenters (as was John). I love being on stage...that's for sure. Four years ago I was scared to death of speaking in front of people, who ever would have thought I'd be on stage in front of thousands of people helping them get results as entrepreneurs. We had a marvelous time and took time to enjoy dinner at Mastros with a few of our associates.

In October we spend a week on the big island of Hawaii. We helicoptered over the volcano and got to visit he Keck Observatory (Yes, actually got to go into it which noone ever gets to do) That was fantastic! It was a fantastic Liberty Conference with more than 2000 people in attendance. The resort was spectacular, weather perfect and just a wonderful time. We were excited to connect with so many of our friends and business associates.

My animal rescue work has been incredibly rewarding. Below is a picture of the little pup I have with me now. His name is Blitzen...he was going to be euthanized because of a deformed rear leg( the result of a break that healed wrong). I brought him home and found him a great new home. He'll go there on the 27th. I've helped save thousands of dogs and cats this year. To learn more about Animal Rescue Foundation go to www.adoptafriend.petfinder.com. I'm grateful for the business I'm in because it gives me the financial resources and time to contribute to my community and pursue things I'm passionate about.

Speaking of passions...I've developed a passion for real estate. I started working with a real estate mentor in September and am in the process of purchasing my first driving Maserati's and Bentleys and having a blast travelling all over the world. It's amazing how far we've come so fast. I attribute all our success to the community, products and support we have received from Liberty League International. When we first stumbled across the company we were broke, never saw each other and were struggling emotionally, personally and financially. The Beyond Freedom Program opened our eyes to our personal power and potential and gave us the tools to break free from the limitations in our life! John and I have worked together from home for the last four years and have had the time and money to enjoy life. We are eternally grateful!

We've also had the honor of watching many of the people who have gotten started with us in business achieve extraordinary things in the last year; financially and otherwise. We've watched marriages heal, families come back together, individuals transform from beaten down employees to powerful entrepreneurs. We are honors to help people get everything they want out of life and it's fantastic watching them get everything they want out of life.

As we approach 2007 the adventure continues. We're already headed to Cancun, Australia, New Zealand, Bora Bora and Tahiti in the upcoming months. In the fall, we'll slow it down and begin focusing on starting a family. We have lots of exciting things coming up that we'll share with you as the year progresses so stay tuned.

We wish you a fabulous and joyous holiday! Be sure to share with us how your year has been! I'm sure it's been fantastic!

V for Vendetta

John and I took some time last night to enjoy a movie in our theatre room. We watched V for Vendetta. A huge fan of the Matrix trilogy, I found V for Vendetta to be incredible! For anyone who is a free thinker...this is a must see! The movie is a powerful reminder that if we aren't continuously cognicent of our ability to think and create, we can become victims of fear instilled through media and governmental influence. As an entrepreneur, I am 100% about free thinking...creating my own path. I diligently choose to never watch the news, to stay away from media influences and to use my own brain to determine what is right and what is wrong...however opposing to conventional thought it may be.

There seems to be an incredible movement happening now. Along with this movie, Donald Trump's Book with Robert Kiosaki, Why We Want You To Be Rich, the movie The Secret, and many other movies along this line, are warning to not be suppressed by fear or conventional thought. They are exposing the effects of fear, scewed information, the bias of the press and media.

It will be awesome to watch this movement over the next few years as people's eyes are being opened to the oppression they have bought into and become aware of their true potential and abilities. And, it's absolutely great to be in a business in alignment with this exploding trend..the trend of empowering people!

What Does It Take To Be Rich?

I happened across this fabulous article in Money magazine. The writer travelled to various homes of wealthy individuals and asked them for their most powerful financial advice. Read what they said was the key to creating their personal wealth. Do you have what it takes to be rich?

http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/21/pf/whatittakes_secrets1.moneymag/index.htm

Be Inspired

A friend of mine shared this with me...it was a great gift so now I'm sharing it with you.

http://www.212movie.com

Once you watch it, you can say "Wow, that was great" and never do anything different in your life.

Or, you can say, "Wow, that was great" and take it on to live an extraordinary life.

Auto-Pilot

I'm going to make a statement that is rather bold - Most people live their entire lives on auto-pilot. They keep living their life day by day, minute by minute operating from the preprogrammed way of being they have been accustomed to. They stop thinking and just run the same preprogrammed scripts over and over and over.

For example: I live in a gated community. Today, as I drove up the mountain to my community there was a backlog of cars and construction vehicles attempting to gain access to the community. I didn't feel like waiting so I grabbed my handy remote and opened the gate. The guy who was first in line figured it out after a minute or two with the keypad that the gate was actually open. He drove through. The arm went down and I pushed the button.

As the arm was going up, the vehicle in front of me, a US Postal Service truck approached the gate. She stopped immediately in front of the opengate, got out of her vehicle and went to the Postal Service open box. Literally...she pulled up to the open gate and stopped right in front of it as though she was seeing the gate was closed! I couldn't believe it...I thought I was seeing things! When she was done keying the Postal Service box to open the gate, she wisked around and was stunned the gate was magically completely open. It took her a minute to realize that she had gotten out of her truck in front of an already open gate. That's auto pilot.

I could spend hours typing up example after example.

This is why many people move through life constantly dealing with the same problems - they are operating on auto-pilot. They aren't even thinking anymore, just blindly and numbly passing through life, following the preset ideas, believes, actions and expectations. This woman expected the gate to be closed so acted as such. She wasn't even "open" (no pun intended) to the gate being open.

It had me think...where in my life am I just living out my already preset notions or expectations? Where in my life and I reactive simply based on how I've always reacted.

Seeing what I saw today I am 100% committed to being open to each experience newly so that I am present for each new opportunity that presents itself in my life. That is what separates people who achieve extraordinary levels of personal and professional success from those who live their life as though they are a caged hamster running on the wheel of life.

So Ridiculous

I was checking out Don Trump's blog this morning and one of his entries caught my eye:

Banning Tag
by Donald J. Trump

I know we're a lawsuit-happy society, but now I've heard everything.
Some schools throughout the country are forbidding kids to play games like "tag" - anything that has them running around - because the kids might get hurt on the playground. And if the kids get hurt, their parents might turn around and sue the school for endangering their children.

This is ridiculous. Kids have to be kids. They can't just sit at their desks all day with their hands folded, looking at the blackboard.

When they go out to recess, children have to be allowed to run around and relax. They have to be able to get all that excess energy out of their system or they aren't going to learn anything when they go back inside.

I can't believe schools are wasting their time even thinking about things like this. Forget the pushy parents. Forget the threat of lawsuits. Let the kids go out and play.

Is this the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard of? Kids have to be restricted out of fear of what their parents might do!!!!.

It's unfortunate that kids have to learn at an early age to blame everyone but themselves...we should be teaching personal resposibility, not blaming. What ever happened to, I fell because I ran and now I can choose whether I run again knowing I may fall? How will kids ever learn decision making abilities if they never get to experience consequences. Now they can't even have fun b/c the schools are afraid they'll be blamed and sued if they fall.

The secret John D. Rockefeller used to build Standard Oil. It’s simple. Putting it to work in your business.

I found this on Bob Parson's Blog. Bob Parson's is the founder of GoDaddy.com, one of the greatest on-line domain registration and internet tool companies in the world. This is one of the most popular articles that has ever appeared on his blog.

(Begin Article) Given the timeless value of Mr. Rockerfeller's secret and the number of businesses I encounter that could benefit from putting it to work, I thought it might be worthwhile to re-publish it again.

Everything that is watched improves.
One thing I learned early in my business career is that anything of significance that is measured and watched, improves.

John D. Rockefeller knew the importance of business intelligence.
Back before I started Parsons Technology I became impressed with something I read about John D. Rockefeller. In fact, I still think about it and use it to this very day. I learned that Mr. Rockefeller was one of the few people in his industry (perhaps the only one) who knew exactly how much it cost to extract, refine and deliver a barrel of oil. In fact, he was entirely aware of all his costs.Knowing this information (and acting on it) gave him a huge competitive advantage. He knew how much he could price a barrel of oil for and still turn a profit. He was always keenly aware of each area of revenue, cost and market share, and he worked on improving in every area. As a result, he did cost saving things like manufacture his own oil barrels, have his own cartage company, and on and on.

He eventually managed his way to where he could sell a barrel of oil, with impeccable customer service, and turn a profit at a price less than what it cost his competitors to deliver the very same product. By paying close attention to the things that mattered, Mr. Rockefeller made his Standard Oil Company so successful that he became the wealthiest man in the world!

To read the rest of this article, click here.

$2.00 - What's it really worth?

I witnessed something today that reminded me of what it was like when I used to struggle with money. John and I went out to enjoy breakfast at a local restaurant today. The place was jammed so we sat at the bar and ordered. Next to us sat a mom - she looked to be in her 40's and next to her was her teenage daughter, about 13 or 14, well dressed with braces. The woman sat with a scowl on her face, arms crossed, slouched over with her purse on her lap. Her daughter duplicated her mom's posture...quiet, scowled, hunched and arms crossed. It was a rather sad sight.

As breakfast progressed, neither the mom nor the daughter spoke more than a few casual words ot each other...they just sat, hunched over. The daughters breakfast arrived...bisquits and gravy and a side of hashbrowns. She ate while the mom watched and when she was done, the mom started eating the remaining food, including the hash browns. The waitress brought the check and immediately the mom questioned the bill. "That was $6.50? That's an aweful lot". Then she dug through the menu and stated that she only wanted the bisquits ala-cart, not the hashbrowns. (Even though she was happy to eat the hashbrowns!) The woman got up and went to speak with the manager. The manager stopped what she was doing, walked across the store and deducted $2.00 from the bill. So the woman paid her $4.50 cash and didn't leave a tip.

I watched the woman leave b/c I wanted to see what she was driving (or if she was driving) to see if the experience was simply one coming out of a struggle with severe poverty. She moved across the parking lot to a newer model Honda Accord. She obviously isn't struggling in life to the point where $2.00 is going to make or break her day...she was a well dressed woman with a well dressed daughter driving an average vehicle. So why give so much energy to $2.00?

Just the time alone was worth more than $2.00 to debate with the waitress, find the manager and have the manager take care of it. All while disrupting the breakfast experience of the other diners. For what...$2.00! It seemed so absurd to me in the moment, but I remember that is exactly how I used to be. I used to drive to the gas station with "cheap gas", bargain over everything, only buy stuff when it was on sale and give so much energy to lack of money. I was constantly consumed with the thought of how much stuff cost, how I could get it for cheaper and what a diservice people were doing to me if I felt they overcharged me for anything. I was completely caught in lack mentality and it took SOOOOOO much energy. Energy and time I could have been doing something far more productive with. But, the reality is, I was caught up in not having enough money. That was the reality I was choosing to focus on myself and it's no shocker that I just got more of the same again and again. Until, that is, I made a decision to stop.

Once I broke free of that way of thinking, abundance flowed freely to me. Now, instead of arguing over a bill, I'll pay extra (just for the fun of it). I leave ridiculous tips and enjoy the smiles it brings to the people who serve me. I buy what I want because I want it, not because of the "deal" or the sale. And all the energy I used to spend focusing on how to save $2.00, I know use to create thousands of dollars. It's called prosperity conciousness and it's a blast! How did I learn to be this way? I surrounded myself with prosperous people and followed what they did. I followed their example. I met successful entrepreneurs and home business professionals and duplicated their actions and soon found myself getting their results.

A few minutes after the woman and her daughter left the waitress brought us the check - $22.43 for John and I for breakfast. And we were happy to pay it and happy to leave a hefty tip.

Mastering four key elements of marketing

Entrepreneur Magazine: Ahead of the Curve: Mastering four key elements of marketing will put you in front of the pack—and customers will follow.
By Kim T. Gordon
Entrepreneur Magazine - October 2006

Extraordinary marketing results are rarely achieved by playing it safe. Yet when it comes to marketing, many growing businesses remain buried in the pack, going from year to year with the same minor market share. After all, with so much “me too” marketing out there, it’s easy to consider mediocre marketing the status quo.

But if you look to the standouts—the front-runners in just about every market niche—you’ll see that their marketing strategies and campaigns are anything but ordinary. They’re the top competitors you love to hate, yet want to emulate.

To compete on their level, you’ll need to be bold and approach marketing with an altered mind-set. There are four critical elements to extraordinary marketing success.

Click Here:

Why We Want You to Be Rich

Why We Want You to Be Rich:
by Donald J. Trump

This is a great discussion about the reality of our society today and the shrinking middle class. The book specifically discusses the realities of our nation and how to take personal responsibility for your results.

Check it out. Opportunities are all around us, it just takes a decision to be rich and successful.

Prosperity Is to You What it is to YOU

Abundance: Truth, Love, Energy: "Truth, Love, and Energy
by José Stevens, Ph.D.

What is prosperity? How can you be more prosperous? Why do people have trouble with prosperity?
Many of you automatically think of prosperity as something primarily financial. However, this is simply not so. Prosperity encompasses much more than money. In fact prosperity is synonymous with self-esteem. Prosperity is manifesting what you feel you are worth. It is success by your standards: it could mean lying in the sun for an hour a day without having to feel you should be somewhere else; knowing that you can lie there and congratulate yourself on having your life so well handled that lying in the sun is a celebration.

Prosperity or havingness (the ability to have) is a pervasive thing. You limit your success according what you think you are worth. This occurs unconsciously and it so happens that you have that level of success or richness of relationships that matches your self-esteem."

To read more, click Here: Abundance: Truth, Love, Energy:

They are ALL Billionaires!

For the first time ever, Forbes' 400 Richest American's are ALL Billionaires! That's absolutely AWESOME! How inspiring to see that the level of wealth, accomplishment and achievement is rising and this year has risen to new heights.

To read the inspiring stories of these Billionaires, most of them self-made entrepreneurs, go to:
The 400 Richest Americans - Forbes.com: "The 400 Richest Americans
Edited by Matthew Miller and Tatiana Serafin 09.21.06, 6:00 PM ET

It just goes to show you, a 9-figure fortune won't even get you recognition in Forbes...10-figures is the NEW standard!

Become a Millionaire in Home Based Business

I got started in the home-based business industry 6 years ago when I jumped into my then-boyfriend's, now husband's MLM venture. I was definetely excited and saw the potential to achieve a six-figure income. The problem...there was no system and I had no business experience. I was teaching high school and that's about all I knew how to do; teach Biology and manage teen-agers. What I learned was NO SYSTEM + NO BUSINESS EXPERIENCE = NO MONEY.

I gave it a good "try" but didn't find the success I was looking for. Plus, I wasn't too motivated by the health products I was attempting to move and there was quite a stock pile building up in my apartment b/c of the obligatory autoship required to stay a part of the company. One I had enough product stocked up for my next 10 lifetimes, I decided to cancel my enrollment and focus my energies back into teaching and tutoring. Not that I was happy teaching...unless someone likes working way too hard for way to little, they most likely don't like teaching in the public school system. Unless they are an angel.

So, four years ago when another opportunity crossed my path, I was skeptical. However, I heard from some of the people who were successful; ridiculously successful and they all sounded like normal people. I couldn't figure it out. No degrees, no special qualities but they were making $40K, $50K, even more a month. So I took a good look and what they had was a system. A simple system easy enough for me to follow. They also had leadership that was accessible. Real people with real results that I could connect to for guidance and support.

Within 3 months of following the system, my husband and I were making over $20K/month and were able to walk away from our jobs. By our seventh month, we were making six-figures a month. How did we become millionaires in home-based business so quickly and how can you get the results you want too? Here's 10 steps to take when taking the leap into home-based business.

1. Choose a business that has a system that is easy to follow. The friends, family and neighbors business model may make you a few hundred dollars but unless you've got thousands of friends and family or a really wealthy network, you're not going to get rich with it.
2. Choose a company that is solid. Start-ups may be appealing, but what is their model, who's in charge and do they have the cash to grow the busienss? Have the principles owned any other companies and what happened with those? What kind of legal advice does the company have to ensure they are doing everything legal? Some companies have already been through Attorney General investigations and other regulatory agencies, these are the best because they've proven themselves and were willing to pay the price to keep the company going.
3. Choose a company with accessible leadership. You should be able to speak to a top income earner directly before getting started and get their contact information.
4. What training is in place? Training is essential. Choose a company that has more than a once a month meeting.
5. Products. Can you stand behind the product and personally find value yourself. Are the products unique, proprietary and beneficial or can they be found on any supermarket or healthfood store shelf? Be a product of the product. Doing what you believe in is critical to your success.
6. Compensation Model: What is the compensation model and how do you get paid. How lucrative is it? Choose a company where customers pay you directly rather than a company paying you. If the company ever were to experience financial challenges, you would be the first to not get paid. Also, is their compensation lucrative enough to meet your financial expectations. Millionaires typically aren't made making $1.00 a sale unless you've got 100,000's in your organization. The most lucrative compensation plan I've seen is the Himalayan Hybrid.
7. Time requirement: How much time is really required to build your business. After all, you're not looking for another job. Choosing a business with leverage and an easy system will reduce your time requirement substantially.
8. Do they have a nationwide or international marketing system: Don't get tied to your backyard, city or state. Choose a company with a nationwide or international marketing plan. This will also give you total flexibilty in taking your business on the go.
9. Leverage: Leverage is the key to wealth building. Leverage allows you to benefit financially from the efforts of others. What kind of leverage is built into the compensation model?
10. Environment: Environment is one of the key elements of success. Does the business offer a community and environment that is empowering and conducive to your success? Find out how you can connect with the community to get a taste of the energy you'll be around.

Once you decide on the income vehicle that is right for you, give is 110%. Set powerful goals, take action and watch the results pour in!

More on becoming a millionaire? Learn Donald Trump’s Secrets to Building a Fortune

21 Secrets to Becoming a Millionaire

RadicalHop.com » 21 secrets to becoming a millionaire:

I received a “21 Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires” in my inbox recently, and after conducting a search in Google, I realized that these millionaire secrets are actually from a book by Brian Tracy. Are there really 21 millionaire secrets that will make you a millionaire if you put into action every secret described by Brian? Let’s take a look at the list of millionaire secrets:

* Dream Big Dreams
* Develop a Clear Sense of Direction
* See Yourself as Self-Employed
* Do What You Love to Do
* Commit to Excellence
* Work Longer and Harder
* Dedicate Yourself to Lifelong Learning
* Pay Yourself First
* Learn Every Detail of Your Business
* Dedicate Yourself to Serving Others
* Be Absolutely Honest With Yourself and Others
* Determine Your Highest Priorities and Concentrate on Them Single-Mindedly
* Develop a Reputation for Speed and Dependability
* Be Prepared to Climb from Peak to Peak
* Practice Self-Discipline in All Things
* Unlock Your Inborn Creativity
* Get Around the Right People
* Take Excellent Care of Your Physical Health
* Be Decisive and Action Oriented
* Never Allow Failure to Be an Option
* Pass the Persistence Test
* Conclusion: Success is Predictable

What do you guys think? I think the reason most of you are not yet millionaires is because it’s terribly hard to put all these millionaire secrets into action. The comfort zone. Complacency. Lack of motivation. Fear. You name it. The stumbling block to becoming a millionaire is more mental than anything else."

Recommended Reading:

Gratitude for Opportunity

I am what some people would refer to as a "Dog Fanatic". I love my dogs, refer to them as my children and sometimes (to their dismay) even dress them in fashionable attire. I love being self-employed because of the income it produces, but most of all, because I get to hang with my dogs all day. We go for walks, play outside and just hang out. We have quite a crew: Munchkie - a pug-chihuahua rescued from Pima Animal Care, Pharaoh - a retired greyhound from AZ Greyhound Rescue, and Jay - a dingo mix rescued from the East Orange Animal Shelter. My love for my dogs has moved to be do substantial work in animal rescue.

Jay was our first dog. I rescued him from a shelter he had been at for over 8 months. He was scared and fearful and had been abused at the shelter suffering a broken leg and internal injuries, but I could see the love in him. I brought him home and he took it upon himself to become my personal guarddog...lunging at my then-boyfriend whenever he tried to come near me. John was so patient, working with the trainer and giving him love. His gentleness and patience with Jay was actually what had me fall head over heals in love with him. Jay was overjoyed when John and I tied the knot.

Jay's been with us for 7 years. He was with us when we were so broke we rolled coins for food, living in tiny apartments. He was with us when we journeyed cross country to Arizona, captaining the U-Haul like a professional road dog. And, he's been with us on the journey to wealth, now living in a massive 5300 sq home and riding around in a new Range Rover like he's a pedigreed pup.

On Monday, Jay was diangosed with cancer. We had just returned from a weekend trip to Sedona with our three pups and something just wasn't right. They had started doing tests before we left and upon our return did an ultrasound and found a mass growing in bladder and prostate. The poor guy couldn't even pee. They did some procedures to relieve his bladder and sent us home for the night. The bill...$1300.00 on top of the $1000.00 we spent the previous week for all the tests. The thought of losing Jay was devestating. I'm just not ready to see him go. He's a constant joy in my life. When I'm home (most of the day) he's by my feet. When I go out and come home he greets me like I'm a queen. He's a constant guardian, alerting us whenever anyone is approaching our home. He a part of our life and life as we know it just wouldn't be the same without him.

We spent most of the week meeting with veterinarians, specialists, canine oncologists and doing tests. Jay was such a trooper. During this all, his energy has been great! He had a catheter put in which we drain and he's running around like a puppy. He's started his chemotherapy and is getting better by the minute. He's well on his way to recovery and already the tumor has shrunk enough to take the tumor out.

Throughout this experience, we've been able to be with him because of the flexibility of our schedule. When they presented the bill to us for $12,000 on top of the already $3700 we paid, we didn't flinch because we can easily pay for it. And...we know how to use the power of our own thought to assist in his healing, helping him get better. A few years ago it wasn't so. We were working jobs (I was working 2 sometimes) and we were broke. Finding an opportunity with Liberty League International has allowed us to not only create incredible wealth in our lives, but have the time to give to what matters most to us. It's also put us on the path of incredible personal development so we are free from the drama; proactive instead of reactive. The Beyond Freedom Program, a 90-day personal development self-study course, taught us how to identify our personally empossed limitations, move beyond them and achieve a life of prosperity, freedom and wealth!

I was wondering when they gave us the bill for all of the treatments, how many people would have to say no. How many people, although they have so much love for their pets and dread the day they leave, would have to say "no" to the treatment because they can't get off work, or they don't have the money. I'm so grateful that I've chosen this life so I never have to say "no". I'm able to live a life of fulfillment without regret because I have chosen the freedom to do so.

In closing, thank you to LLI for providing the opportunity that allowed me to grow and achieve such amazing results so quickly. I will forever be grateful and, every time I look at Jay, I know that it was because of our choice to be a part of the incredible community, that we are able to provide him with the best care possible.

Powerful Online Opportunity

Check it out: The Wealth Theory

Friends, Family and Neighbors

Here's the link to an article I wrote a few months ago. Enjoy:

http://www.smallbusinessbrief.com/articles/small_business_issues/004909.html

What It Takes to Be Great: Weekend - Yahoo! Finance

What It Takes to Be Great: Weekend - Yahoo! Finance: "What It Takes to Be Great
Fortune on CNNMoney.com
By Geoffrey Colvin

Research now shows that the lack of natural talent is irrelevant to great success. The secret? Painful and demanding practice and hard work

What makes Tiger Woods great? What made Berkshire Hathaway (Charts) Chairman Warren Buffett the world's premier investor? We think we know: Each was a natural who came into the world with a gift for doing exactly what he ended up doing. As Buffett told Fortune not long ago, he was 'wired at birth to allocate capital.' It's a one-in-a-million thing. You've got it - or you don't. "

You Can't Get Rich by Thinking Small

The Trump Blog
by Dorian Gallo
Donald J. Trump, like many top achievers, stresses the importance of thinking big. He is absolutely right, because big thinking creates vastly more success than small thinking, every time. That's all well and fine, you say, but . . ."

It's a Beautiful Day!

It's a gorgeous day here in Tucson. It started out at about 52 degrees so I hopped in the hot tub this morning and now it's 72..absolutely perfect. I've had a fantastic day! John and I went to the gym together than out for lunch. Did some shopping for new gym clothes then went out for a snack together. Now I'm hanging by the pool. Snapped this pic of John "hard at work"!

That's Pharaoh with a big smile on his face. He loves hanging out with his Daddy all day. All that and still made $8K today..so far. Time to get to work.

They Don't Make Bentleys for Other People

Four years ago I met a self-made millionaire. I was telling him I wanted more for my life and he asked us what we really wanted. My husband, John, said, I've wanted a Lexus ES300 for awhile but I haven't made enough money to get it. They millionaire said, "Hey, do they make Lexus's for other people or do they make them for you".

That got us thinking. They don't make the cars for other people, they make them for whoever wants to buy them. So, we bought one and my husband loved it. That's put us on the path of prosperity. The millionaire showed us how at 32 he was worth millions simply by thinking a certain way.

So, last month I walked into Bentley of Scottsdale and absolutely fell in love with the Continental GT. I fell in love even more when I drove it....552hp V-12. Yeah baby! I asked myself, "Did they make this car for someone else or did they make it for me." For me...an hour later, I drove away with my new Bentley. And I LOVE IT!

So, what do you want? Are they making it for someone else or are they making it for you? Name it and claim it!

Realizing YOUR True Potential

I just returned from an incredible conference in Hawaii. I had the priveledge of meeting Dick and Rick Hoyt, a father-son team with an amazing story. Their message is simple: CAN. Dick's love for his son, and his willingness to be open to the amazing potential of his son and himself, has led him to achieve extraordinary greatness, and serve as an inspiration to millions. Born with Cerebal Palsy, Rick has been in a wheelchair his whole life. He has no control of most of his body. Yet, he has touched millions with his courage, determination and winning spirt. Dick, refusing to abandon his son to an institution, moved beyond his own limitations to give his son a life free of disability and limitation. These two men share a bond that gives them extraordinary strength - it's a bond of love, inspiration and determination. Although I have accomplished incredible things in my life...more than most given the circumstances that shaped my life, their story moved me to realize there is so much more possibility in my life, so much more potential I haven't even tapped into.

Dining with Dick and Rick, I realized how ordinary they were. Ordinary in the sense that if you met them on a street, you wouldn't know them to be anything other than a father and a son. You might look at Rick with pity because of his disability and with respect for Dick in caring for his son. In their "ordinary-ness", I realized how everyone, seemingly ordinary or not, has so much untapped potential. Also, how we judge people and have our own ideas of what they are capable of.

The reality is, anyone CAN do anything when they are inspired and take action. Had Dick closed himself off to the experience of his son, who knows what would have become of his life. Sometimes, when life seems its going in the wrong direction, it's those times when the true path of our greatness is emerging. When a person makes the decision to do what is beyond the scope of what they believe is possible...to achieve the impossible, it is then that their true potential begins to be realized. It all begins with a willingness to be open to the experience of life and to take the first step.

I'm sharing Dick and Rick's story with you...may you find inspiration in their incredible journey.
View their story by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AcsQ-NUPJQ&mode=related&search=

You Can: Click Here to Watch this Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1PxfW43fuk&mode=related&search=

Learn More about Team Hoyt: www.teamhoyt.com

The Harder I Work, The Luckier I Get

The Harder I Work, The Luckier I Get
by Donald J. Trump
"Diligence is the mother of good luck." - Benjamin Franklin

I've always been big on quotes, whether they're mine or someone else's, because very often they distill ideas down to their essence. What Ben Franklin said many years ago could have been said today, because it's relevant and right on. We've all heard about doing our "due diligence," which is another way of being thorough. It's also the first step to bringing yourself some good luck. What Gary Player, the great golfer, said "The harder I work, the luckier I get" (the title of this essay), remains solid nutshell advice that can apply to everyone.

I am currently building a Trump International Hotel & Tower in Las Vegas. This mixed-use concept of hotel and condominiums has been a huge success, starting with the first one I did in New York City in the late 1990's. I knew Las Vegas was a hot market, but the tower was sold out before it was even built. I could have said, "wow, that's great," and left it at that. But in looking at the situation, I decided that the indications were there to move further ahead in a good market by building another 1200-unit tower. This took some time and effort, but it was approved and we are building it. That part really isn't luck. That's due diligence. So when people ask me "How can you do so much?" I have an example to give them of how.

You can apply that to your own life, career and business as well. Look into the future a bit. Take the time to move yourself forward. If the indications are there, put in the extra effort to make something good even better, or bigger, or both. That's thinking big, and I'm no stranger to that concept and you shouldn't be either. I've had enough success to know that it works.

Get the rest of this article at: http://donaldtrump.trumpuniversity.com/default.asp?item=202503

Starting a Home Based Business Proves Profitable

Home Court Advantage: "Home Court Advantage

Starting from home was the right move for our 7 homebased young millionaires. Now they're netting sales in the millions, all before turning 40.
Entrepreneur's StartUps magazine - May 2005
By April Y. Pennington and Nichole L. Torres

If you've ever thought homebased entrepreneurs were part-time hobbyists with lightweight incomes, or that young entrepreneurs were slackers unaccustomed to big-time responsibility, you're in for an eye-opener. These seven entrepreneurs all started their multimillion-dollar businesses at home when they were under the age of 40. Whether they're working with Fortune 100 companies or getting their products placed on the pages of InStyle, these business owners are living proof that you don't have to operate out of an impressive storefront or be Donald Trump's age to make it in the big leagues."

Think Like an Entrepreneur: Lessons from Trump University Students

Sixty percent of all Americans are dreaming about starting their own businesses. Why? What's their motivation?

I recently heard some fascinating answers to that question while I was listening to recorded transcripts from The Entrepreneur's Success Codes, a Trump University course that's taught by Jeff Burrows. In those transcripts, a group of Trump University students - all successful entrepreneurs - answered Jeff's question, 'Why did you decide to become an entrepreneur?' Let's take a closer look at the reasons they gave:

Motivation #1: An unstoppable passion for the work itself. It could be making real estate investments, restoring old cars or designing computer systems for businesses. As one student in The Entrepreneur's Success Codes class said, 'I loved my work so much, I couldn't not do it.'

Motivation #2: A drive to help others. It might be a desire to help other people be healthier, or more successful, or richer, or more beautiful. One student said that her longing to help people started after she recovered from a serious accident.

Motivation #3: The need for freedom. One class member said that after working in rigid corporations for years, the desire to control his own work took over his life.

Motivation #4: A hunger for challenge. For some entrepreneurs, the greatest motivator is the challenge of starting a business itself. Other concerns are secondary.

Motivation #5: Security. One entrepreneur said he started his own company because he hated working for companies where he could get laid off at any time. Of course, starting a company is risky. New companies fail. But despite those risks, running his own company put him in control of his own destiny."

**This article taken from Trump University.

Getting Serious About Network Marketing Networking

"Network marketing is a business model that has very similar characteristics to franchising. However the advantage that it has over traditional franchising includes a low cost of entry and high potential revenue possibilities. What types of people are attracted to a network marketing opportunity? Generally the types of people who are attracted to network marketing are unhappy in their careers and have generally not received the levels of success that they expected. They look upon working as being hard and involving long hours. They are also unhappy with their income and what the future holds for them. They have little or no experience of owning their own business and would not have the capital to invest in starting up and running their own business. Often they have no direct experience of sales or of business development." Click Here for more...

Home Business Millionaire

I met with my accountant yesterday and he actually said to me, "You're making too much money to take investing lightly". I almost giggled. Here I am, 32 and ten years ago I had to sleep in my car for a little while b/c I had no place to live and no place to go. And today I'm a millionaire. Yes, a MILLIONAIRE! The only one ever in my family.

So that brought up the real question of what's next. My goal was to have a million dollars in assets well protected and I did it. I should say "we" did it b/c my husband is my partner and there's no way I could have done it without him. We did it together and he's awesome! But really, what's next.

My new challenge is to become the Shannon Lavenia of real estate. Just like the "Donald's" name rolls off your tongue when someone says, "who's the biggest in NY", I want my name to be known by everyone as a powerful, profitable and outrageously successful real estate developer and invester. I'm currently into Trump Universities "How to Build a Fortune" and listening to Trump lay it out has me really psyched. So, it's on to the next game in life, taking the wealth I've made and will continue to make in my home based business and actually putting it all too work. I'm EXCITED!!!!!!

And the best part...when I told my accountant my vision, he said, "yeah, I can see that!".

The Law of Attraction

"There is a very powerful force at work in your life right now. It's called the Law of Attraction and at this very moment it's attracting people, jobs, situations and relationships into your life" - Michael Losier.

Understanding the Law of Attraction was the first step in my development into a millionaire. Visit Michael's site for his book, the Law of Attraction at www.lawofattractionbook.com.

I first saw Michael when I went to Vegas to see him speak. We immediately invited him to speak at an event and he was incredible. His knowledge of how the Law works and his ability to help people master the game of attraction is amazing.

Balancing Quantity vs. Quality of Leads

I thought this article was great. Anyone in business knows, the quality of leads is the key to making it or breaking it. You can call thousands of leads a day, but if the leads are responding to the right advertising, you'll be wasting valuable time. Yes, you may make a sale or two, but your conversion rate will go up significantly in correlation to the quality of your leads. In my business, I teach people how to market effectively with a simple proven system so that their leads are of quality. One lead can equal one sale when it's the right lead. Whether it's a home based business, a work at home opportunity, direct sales, network marketing or traditional business, having the leads that convert to customers means dollars in the bank and a successful venture as an entrepreneur. Check it out at: Balancing Quantity vs. Quality of Leads:

Why I Love (and Hate) Being a Work-at-Home Mom

Find out how this entrepreneurial mom really feels about running a business from home.
June 12, 2006
By Lisa Druxman

I created an entire business just so I could be a work-at-home mom. But is it a blessing or a curese? It depends on which day you ask me. Let me tell you what I really think. Click here to read what Lisa really thinks.

To learn how you can start a home-based business, click here:

Starting a Business is Easy. Staying in Business is Hard!

Starting a Business is Easy. Staying in Business is Hard!: "Starting a Business is Easy. Staying in Business is Hard!

Let The Entrepreneurship Mastery Program make your start-up a success - by Michael Sexton

How many people start new companies every month? Who are they?

Just yesterday I was reviewing some data from The Kauffman Foundation that answers those questions, and more:
550,000 Americans start new businesses every month.

Men are two times more likely to start businesses than women are. I know so many successful women entrepreneurs, that's a shocker to me.

Hispanic Americans continue to start new businesses at a rate that outpaces all other groups. They are the heart and soul of American entrepreneurship.

African-Americans lag behind when it comes to starting new businesses. That's disturbing. But growth is picking up and one day, we'll see parity or better against other groups.

Immigrants are more likely to start businesses than native-born Americans are. They're really contributing to our economy.

But there's also one killer statistic out there, from my point of view. It comes not from Kauffman, but from the U.S. Small Business Administration and other sources . . .

At least two-thirds of new businesses fail within the first four years.

That's right, at least 366,000 of this month's 550,000 new businesses will be history by year 2010. And as I mentioned on this blog on June 27th, the reality might be even worse than that. After all, entrepreneurs are slow to report their own failures.

Will You Succeed or Fail?

If you're armed with the know-how you need, you will succeed. You can be one of the 1/3 that grows and thrives. And the good news is, that knowledge is now available as it never has been before, in one of the most powerful programs ever available..."

Adventures Around the World

We just returned from a three-week vacation in Africa fulfilling a dream of ours. What an incredible adventure! We flew first class on Virgin Airways (I highly recommend it - totally luxurious), stayed at 5-star resorts throughout South Africa and Zimbabwe, and enjoyed two photographic safaris as well as a week at the opulent Palace of the Lost City. That's a picture of me next to the Great Fish River on the Kwandwe Private Reserve in South Africa. That's Daliwanga, our tracker...a master of finding lions!

During our journey, I reflected on what life was like before becoming an entrepreneur. John and I lived a life of struggle and adversity. We worked long hours at our jobs, only to be strapped for cash, never having enough and always settling. We made decisions about where we'd go based on how much it cost, bought the cars we had because they were good "deals", lived in a neighborhood we had settled for and worked all the time. We lived the life of trading our time for money. It's really all we knew how to do at the time.

When we learned there was a better way, a way to generate money without trading our life away, we were faced with a difficult choice. We could continue to live the life we were frustrated with because we thought it was "safe". Or, we could take a risk and become an entrepreneur. The results of our decision speak for itself.

Every business owner understands the way to create wealth is through leverage. The reality is, there's only 24 hours in a day. Everyone gets the same 24 hours, it's what you choose to do with it that determines whether you get broke or get rich. Employees trade each hour for a certain amount of money, so as an employee there was a limit to what I would ever make. Being self-employed and employing leverage, my efforts are duplicated creating unlimited income. Along with that comes freedom of choice, wealth and the confidence of knowing I'm in control. It gives me the opportunity to take off for weeks at a time, exploring the world and enjoying my life.

Celebrating Independence Day here in the US last week, I was grateful to celebrate my independence...independence from ever having to work for someone ever again, independence from settling in life and independence from the stress of never having enough. I'm grateful for all those who created and protected this great land of opportunity. I'm grateful for the opportunties in my life and for the decisions, however difficult they were to make, that I made. My life today is one of absolute freedom. The incredible income I generate with our simple business system gives me choices that were never available to me when I worked a job. Choices like going to Africa for three weeks, flying First Class instead of coach and staying at the most luxurious places, rather than choose by price. Now, I get to show others how to claim this life for themselves...that you don't have to settle for trading your life for a paycheck, only to maintain a life you aren't even enjoying. Life is about choices and decisions...the choices you make create your life. So, if you're not happy with life as it is, perhaps it's time to make different, better decisions.

It's incredible to share with people the "secrets" we never learn in school, the simple ways of creating the life we choose. There's so much more out there - a world of endless opportunity. To reap the rewards of it, to live the lifestyle of freedom and prosperity, it's simply a choice. Moving out of the "comfort zone" of struggle into the zone of actually creating your life exactly how you want it is easy.

So, I hope you never buy into the idea that you have to trade your life to just get by. It's simply not true. Making money is easy, opportunity abounds and all you desire is available to you should you reach out and grasp it.

The Secret

You deserve to see this: www.thesecret.tv. Empower yourself to get the results you really want in life.

Let's Stop Blaming the Rich

Let's Stop Blaming the Rich by Michael Sexton

An article in The New York Times two days ago reports that Warren Buffet, the world's second richest individual, will soon start giving away $37 billion of his personal Berkshire Hathaway stock to five foundations. The biggest recipient will be The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which will receive an estimated $30 billion of Buffet's money. That sum will double the Gates Foundation's resources.

And what does the Gates Foundation do? It is striving to eliminate the world's most killing diseases, many of which affect the world's poorest people in third-world countries. If AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis no longer exist in 20 years, chances are we will have Warren Buffet and Bill Gates to thank.
Now, Bill Gates is the world's richest man and Warren Buffet is the world's second richest. So my question is, why do rich people get such a bad rap? Why are they always blamed for greed, self-indulgence and selfishness? As Gates and Buffet demonstrate, super-rich people can have extraordinarily high morals. They show us that getting rich empowers moral people to accomplish wonderful things in the world.

Let's see it for what it is. When we immediately assume the worst about rich people, it is really our envy talking. Instead of looking at rich people and trying to identify their faults, we should be trying to identify our own faults instead. Instead of looking for reasons why they should not have the money that they do, we should be trying to become wealthy ourselves."

RIGHT ON!!!! is what I have to say. People want to blame the rich for their own personal failures. But the reality is, everyone's life is the result of their own personal choices. The rich have worked hard, given sweat and time to create their wealth and deserve every penny. Although I grew up pathetically poor, I looked to the rich as an example of how to create my life. I followed their lead and became wealthy myself. Now I teach others to do the same.

Your Right to Be Rich

Everyday I look around at all the abundance surrounding me. Living with this abundant mentality, I have created a life of wealth, success and prosperity for myself. Looking around, I also notice the people who choose to live in lack and distess. They have a poverty consciousness rather than a prosperity consciousness. For most of my life I, too, lived in poverty consciousness. I believed there wasn't enough to go around, that rich people were hording what was meant for everyone, that by other people being rich, they were preventing me from thriving in this world.

Fortunately, I woke up. After reading, The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles and Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill, I realized it is each persons birth right to be wealthy. It's just that most people choose to deny this right. They choose to suffer in lack and limitation when there is so much abundance all around them.

This is one of the reasons I absolutely love the home based business industry and the company I work with. Finding this opportunity four years ago, it gave me a system to make a fantastic income and become a self-made millionaire, but also a product so I could work on myself and move out of my poverty consciousness into the prosperous life I now live. Realistically, it is impossible for someone to go from struggle and financial strife to wealth and prosperity without doing the mental work. You have to clear up the limiting beliefs, the disempowering attitudes and your entire way of being to open yourself up to receiving wealth. Not only was I looking for a business, but one that would provide me tools to accellerate my learning so I could start making money quickly. Following the system and the program for my self-development, I went from making $26K/year to making over $20K a month in less than 90 days.

You have the right to be wealthy. To truly enjoy life. Wattles writes in his book, The Science of Getting Rich, "Whatever may be said in praise of poverty, the fact remains that it is not possible to live a really complete or successful life unless one is rich.

No man can rise to his greatest possible height in talent or soul development unless he has plenty of money; for to unfold the soul and to develop talent he must have many things to use, and he cannot have these things unless he has money with which to buy them.

Man develops in mind, soul, and body by making use of things, and society is so organized that man must have money in order to become the possessor of things; therefore, the basis of all advancement for man must be the science of getting rich.

The object of all life is development; and everything that lives has an alienable right to all the development it is capable of attaining.

Man's right to life means his right to have the free and unrestricted use of all the things which may be necessary to his fullest mental, spiritual, and physical unfoldment; or, in other words, his right to be rich."

So, you see, the only way to truly experience life is to open yourself up to the wealth you deserve to have. To your success! Shannon

The World's Billionaires - Forbes.com

Want some inspiration? Read this and learn from the people who have done it.

The World's Billionaires - Forbes.com: "The World's Billionaires
Edited by Luisa Kroll and Allison Fass 03.09.06, 6:00 PM ET
2005 | 2006

aking a billion just isn't what it used to be. In our inaugural ranking of the world�s richest people 20 years ago, we uncovered some 140 billionaires. Just three years ago we found 476. This year the list is a record 793. They�re worth a combined $2.6 trillion, up 18% since last March. Their average net worth: $3.3 billion."

Click Here to read the rest of the article.

Keep the Big Picture in Mind

Keep the Big Picture in Mind: "The Big Picture Horizon: Time to Soar
by Donald J. Trump
Chairman, Trump University

Men are born to succeed, not fail.
-- Thoreau
Sometimes people spend too much time focusing on problems instead of focusing on opportunities. You have to keep the big picture in mind even when minding the details, or your vision could become micromanaged in an unnecessary way. I always try to keep two wavelengths going at once, which prevents brain cramps and reminds me that I�m destined for success. How do I know this is my destiny? Because like Thoreau, I believe we are born to succeed, not to fail. If I can believe it, you can believe it too.
Here�s how. First of all, dispel all negativity. Zap negative thoughts and people the moment they appear. Remember, problems are bound to crop up, but that's not a reason to get discouraged. Even problems can be turned around to your advantage, and sometimes surprising events can happen. When I had some financial problems back in the 1990s, I remember debating with myself whether or not to attend a black tie dinner at the Waldorf. I certainly didn�t feel like celebrating anything or talking to anyone, but I got dressed, went there, and as it turned out I was seated next to someone I really clicked with�and he was a banker. The chemistry for great things was there, and it was the last thing I had expected to happen. I had been in a negative mindset but my disciplined side took over, and without any expectations on my part, things took a decidedly better turn just because I showed up.
Second, you have to remain determined. If you have a big picture in mind, you will need big determination to go with it. The old saying � Rome wasn�t built in a day� is an apt one. There is no easy way, much as I�d like to tell you otherwise. Click Here to read the rest of Trump's powerful article.

The Original and Only Science of Getting Rich Network!

The Original and Only Science of Getting Rich Network!: "'The ownership of money and property comes as a result of doing things in a certain way. Those who do things in this certain way, whether on purpose or accidentally, get rich. Those who do not do things in this certain way, no matter how hard they work or how able they are, remain poor.
'It is a natural law that like causes always produce like effects. Therefore, any man or woman who learns to do things in this certain way will infallibly get rich.' "

Deducting your home office. Take advantage of the powerful tax incentives of being self-employed and working from home. Click here for the guidelines posted in Home Business Magazine.

Entrepreneurs know the benefits of deducting business expenses. There may be more deductions available to you that you aren't even aware of. This keeps more of the money you earn in your pocket. Work with a good, qualified accountant who is confident and experienced in working with entrepreneurs.

Choosing a Business That Fits for You

When I was first considering becoming an entrepreneur, I looked at all of my options. In speaking with a few very successful self-made millionaires, I was given some powerful advice:

• First, choose a business you are passionate about.
• Second, choose a business that has the growth potential to meet your immediate income goals.
• Lastly, choose a business that has a broad marketplace as niche markets can sometimes stiffle growth.

I took a good look at myself and defined what I wanted. First, I wanted to generate at least $250,000 in net profit my first year. Most people told me I was nuts to think I could profit that much in a new business but I firmly believed I could. Second, I wanted a business that would empower people to break through their limitations to realize their true potential. I myself had overcome a tremendous amount of adversity and wanted to show people they could choose the life they wanted to live. After all, that's why I became a teacher - I just wasn't willing to work for $26K a year. Third, I wanted to work from home. I knew a home based business would provide freedom and I wasn't looking to borrow my life away to start a franchise so I could play with lettuce and work all day. I like to do what I want to do when I want to do it. So if I want to go for a swim at one o'clock in the afternoon, I wanted the freedom to do it. I began to contemplate the ideal business and focus on finding exactly what I wanted. I also began to sort through some of the junk and scams out there.

"Ask and ye shall receive"...the perfect home based business practically fell on my lap in the form of a little yellow flyer. John called in and we found a business that fit our criteria. A personal development company started by self-made millionaires with a curriculum to teach people how to massively excellerate their personal growth, drop the limiting beliefs and become an entrepreneur. We knew the personal development industry was exploding (click here for info on the industry) and growing at a rate of more than 8% per year.That mixed with a powerful direct sales compensation plan producing profits up to $8000.00 per sale, we knew we could quickly reach our goals and help others to do the same.

We checked out the marketplace and demographics of people wanting the products and we were pleasently suprised. The market place was diverse and the demographics were varied. Anyone looking for better results and more money was our marketplace. We got started, followed the simple business model provided to us, tapped into the coaching resources and within 90 days were producing more than $20K in net profit per month. Our seventh month we made over $100K in a single month.*

When looking to start a business, choose a business that meets your income goals and intentions while following the suggested criteria I mentioned above. In doing so, you'll find making money is an easy flowing experience.

*Results are not typical and are not represented as a guarantee of anyone's potential earnings.

Young Millionaires

Check out Entrepreneur's article on Young Millionaires. I love reading about people who made it happen - visionaries! Each of the profiles is uniquely different - some got started working at home with home based businesses, others did spin-offs in their respective fields, and even others came up with uniquely novel ideas and ran with it. They all overcame their own personal adversities and obstacles to make it big. Absolutely Awesome!

Defining Leadership

What defines a Leader? A true leader looks forward. They don't look back and refuse to look sideways. Leaders evolve on the creative plan, not on the competitive plan. They are the true visionaries who, when inspired, take action, regardless of contemporary thought, the opinions of others or their current circumstances. True leaders know they are the creaters of their results. They don't spend time concerning themselves with what other people are doing. They refuse to indulge in "worry" or "concern" about the path of others, they only focus on their own results, knowing that if their leadership is true, others are sure to follow.

In developing my own leadership, I learned that giving energy to what others were doing, cost me. Sometimes to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars in income. Through constant study, diligence and persistance, I am able to remain on the creative plane (read Walllace D. Wattles, Science of Getting Rich for details on creative/competitive plane), reducing my distractions of what others are doing or aren't doing. The result of this action? A substantial increase in my income, inspired & lucrative ideas, and a level of peace and knowing that allows me to consistently attract exactly what I require in the moment to achieve my goals and fulfill my intentions.

How do you know if you are on the creative or competitive plan?
1. Are you nervous and frightened that someone has an edge you don't?
2. Do you get stressed when you feel others are passing you by?
3. Do you feel you have to force your results, or are you peaceful and calm, simply visualizing your results and moving forward confidently in your actions?
4. Do you find that everything you require for your success simply arrives right on time, without you giving it any energy?
5. Do you find that you are fearful, scared, stressed and worried through sleepless nights that you won't achieve what you set out to achieve?

To your success!
Shannon Lavenia
Lavenia Enterprises, LLC
Unified Marketing Systems, LLC
http://www.incomesystemsonline.com

Welcome to the Millionaire Mastermind

I've created this network to mastermind with other six & seven-figure earners. This group is for people of action, who are actually getting results in their life and want to mastermind to take their results and business to the next level. Masterminding is a powerful way of using collective thought and consciousness to create.

In my experience of the proper mastermind, I have gotten tidbits and tips that, when I put them to use, have reaped huge personal and financial rewards for myself and others. So, if you're serious about taking your results to the next level and have something of value in terms of your experience to offer, welcome!

To your success!
Shannon Lavenia
Lavenia Enterprises, LLC
Unified Marketing Systems, LLC
http://www.incomesystemsonline.com