Advertising Week Walk Of Fame Announced For 2009

Vote For Your Favorites

Advertising Week, the newspaper for institutional advertising, announced its 2009 Advertising Week Walk of Fame Candidates.

Previous winners in the Icons Category include:

Aflac Duck, M&M's Mr. Peanut, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and Tony the Tiger

Previous winners in the Slogan Category include:

"A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste" - United Negro College Fund

"Can You Hear Me Now" - Verizon

"Melts in your mouth, not in your hands." M&M's

"Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don't." Almond Joy, Mounds

"Where's the beef?" Wendy's

2009 Candidates Announced - Icons

AOL Running Man - AOL

California Raisins - California Raisin Advisory Board

Fruit of the Loom Guys - Fruit of the Loom

Big Boy - Big Boy Restaurants International

Captain Morgan - Diageo

Jolly Green Giant - General Mills

2009 Candidates Announced - Slogans

"All the news that's fit to print." The New York Times

"Because you're worth it." L'Oreal

"Friends don't let friends drive drunk." US Dept of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

"Give a hoot. Don't pollute." US Forest Service

"Got Milk?" California Milk Processor Board

What Can You Learn From These?

You don't have millions to spend on institutional advertising, so why do I even bring these up to you?

Because they're memorable. Those you recognized immediately have worked. Those you recognized and new what the PRODUCT or SERVICE was worked WELL. And those you knew the product, service, AND who sponsored it work VERY well.

Keep that in mind when building your own slogans or graphics to work with your materials.

Oh, and one more thing: repetition really DOES work! YOU get tired of your own materials MUCH faster than your prospects, clients, and customers do... so keep with it for a while: changing your look, statements, logos, slogans too quickly leave a prospect confused, and a "Confused Mind Always Says NO!"

By The Way... if you want to vote, go here: Advertising Week Walk of Fame Voting - Click Here!

See MY blog for more thoughts: Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog - Click HERE!

Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!

If you struggle with writing and want to turn your words into gold - Go Here To Learn More! This is much more complete than the few points I made here.


Advertising Week Walk Of Fame Announced For 2009



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Lessons For Life - Optimists Live Longer

Go To Bed Happy, Wake Up Happy

I've known for a long time that when I go to bed happy, I wake up happy.

I saw this first-hand when my younger daughter, Liz, needed some oral surgery... even the doctor told us this: however she is feeling when the anesthetic puts her to sleep, that's how she'll wake up.

Liz was REALLY nervous about having surgery under her tongue, and wouldn't you be too? She's a singer and if whatever her problem was caused too much damage in her mouth, taking it out MIGHT affect her vocal chords and her singing. (If you've heard her singing, you'll know that the surgery came out OK - Hear Liz Seymour Sing On Her New CD - Click Here!)

Liz's nervousness turned into tears as she was put under, and when she awoke with the ranula removed, she was VERY upset and in tears.

There is a life lesson here - how we go to sleep affects how we wake up. And how we wake up affects how our day goes.

"As goes the first hour of the day, so goes the day," a marketing guru friend of mine used to preach.

Wake up happy, refreshed, grateful for what you have and you jump out of bed and into your work.

Go to bed angry, upset, down on yourself, and you'll struggle to take any positive action during the next day.

The way YOU want to approach the world, get things done, find your dream and pursue it? Make sure you have positive thoughts, attitudes, lessons all around you. Those alone can't create the success you're looking for, but without them, you'll be mired in self-pity and stuck in the mud on the road to success.

See MY blog for more thoughts: Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog - Click HERE!

Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!

If you struggle with writing and want to turn your words into gold - Go Here To Learn More! This is much more complete than the few points I made here.


Lessons For Life - Optimists Live Longer



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Twitter For Business - The Twitter Effect

Microblogging can help, or hurt, a business

I really have to chuckle: Hollywood is all a buzz about The Twitter Effect.

Where the heck have they been?

Newspapers Tell About Hollywood's Fear Of People Who Send Tweets

Did you see this article in your local paper? (You DO still read the newspaper, right? If Baby Boomers are part of your market you should - THEY still read papers almost as much as they read online information.)

The headline was, "Hollywood a flutter about the 'Twitter Effect.'

It's as if Hollywood producers just woke up.

Didn't they see all the reports about Iran's election when the population sent messages around the world? Don't they believe the reports that people like Proctor and Gamble (you can't get much more "main stream" and "institutional" in advertising than P&G) are using Social Media. Don't they see that the "kids" are using text messages in the THOUSANDS each month, going one on one with their friends... and then using the same texting technology to use Twitter to go one to MANY?

So... what is Hollywood so afraid of?

YOU. Me. And THOUSANDS like us being able to communicate freely and within seconds of discovering what we like or dislike.

To learn more, stay in touch with my blog - I'll keep you informed so that YOU won't have to do the heavy lifting.

And then see MY blog: Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog - Click HERE!

Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!

If you struggle with writing and want to turn your words into gold - Go Here To Learn More! This is much more complete than the few points I made here.


Twitter For Business - The Twitter Effect



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Website - Make Yours Really Sell

Marketing - Hold Onto Your Leads When They Arrive

I cringe when I see the "old-style" websites - you know, those places where you arrive at the front page, have no idea what the site is about, and they expect you to know which button to press to learn enough about them so you can make sense of what is in front of you.

And most of them are static, hardly ever change, and though they may be graphically appealing, they don't help the visitor and they don't encourage Google either.

What's The Biggest Problem With Most Websites?

Most websites are created by graphic designers who don't know marketing. But even that isn't the biggest problem with most websites.

Most websites are created without a Clear Goal In Mind.

What do you want your website to DO?

With most of my clients, they generally are building an email list, so THEIR goal is to capture the name and address of the visitor. Period.

Not convince them you are a genius. Not sell them three of your best products. Not to amuse or entertain them.

All of those are FINE goals, but YOU must define the ONE goal of your site and then be sure you meet it.

What Should You Do To Hold A Visitor?

Here is a quick list that should help your visitors once you get them to your site (getting them there is a whole other topic!).

1. Always have a headline that calls out to your visitor. The NAME of your site or YOUR name means no more to any of them than Joe's Bar and Grille means to you. Give them a statement in a headline to tell them why they are at your site and what you want them to do.

2. Offer something immediately - and it's best if it's free. A free downloadable audio. A free report in pdf. A free with shipping offer. GIVE something so you get their name and email address. THEN let them see more of your website. Most people search the internet for information, not something to spend their money on... so show them that YOU have that information and give it to them - when they want MORE, they can get it from you (and by then you will have their name and email address so you will be staying in front of them). NOTE - If you are a site where people go already expecting to buy something (like QVC, Staples, Amazon, etc) the rules are different because people DO want to purchase - give them a chance with very few clicks!

3. Ask for as little information as you really need. JUST getting an email address is easier than and email address and name. And email address and name are easier to get than email address, name, physical address. Start where you know you want to begin, and that is, at a minimum, getting their email address.

4. Take as small a step as you can when someone first comes to your site. Think of it as a conversation between two attracted people. Clearly you wouldn't see the person of your dreams and say, "Will you marry me?" But that's what LOTS of people do to people first coming to their sites: they want TOO much information and they ask the visitor to take a big leap of faith, trust them, and buy from them. Hey, it's not IMPOSSIBLE to sell to someone the first time s/he visits your site... but it's MUCH more difficult.

5. Be different, stand out from the crowd, have people remember you and your site. Be sure not to use the same template that everyone else in your industry uses - people want to work with people, not a carbon-copy of someone else.

6. Have a Welcome and a Welcome Video. Say hi to people when they join your site. Realize that lots of people view your website at work and often work does not allow speakers, so you need a text message there too. But welcome people, tell them quickly what your website is about and how they can use it, and then get their name and email address.

7. And one more thing: check how your website looks in a variety of web browsers. For my OWN websites, I find that close to 40% of the viewers still use the very old Microsoft Internet Explorer 6... and with today's advances, that old browser doesn't correctly process all the new advance techniques. So check to see how you look to avoid any bad curb appeal.

There are SO many more things you can do... but these 7 are a good beginning.

Hope this helps.

And then see MY blog my clicking HERE!

Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!
If you struggle with writing and want to turn your words into gold - Go Here To Learn More! This is much more complete than the few points I made here.


Website - Make Yours Really Sell



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Blogging - Julie and Julia, The Movie

Blogging - Find out what passion you have and keep writing!

My wife, Pam, and I saw the movie Julie and Julia starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, and I thought I should blog about it.

It is a movie about the life of Julia Child AND the life of blogger, Julie Powell in writer-director Nora Ephron's adaptation of two true stories: Julie and Julia by July Powell and My Life in France by Julia Child.

The story lines are interwoven and the two never meet, being separated by time and locations. (The way the story is told reminded me of Cabaret which was originally written as two stories (inside the Cabaret and then the story about Sally Bowles) which was meshed together by legendary director-producer Harold Prince like the fingers of your hands when clasped together.

Julia is the world-famous American chef and Julie is the completely unknown blogger in the early turn of this century when blogging wasn't really known. (I admit that MOST people STILL don't know what blogging is, but since you are reading this YOU do... but in 2002 or 2004, I have a feeling you didn't know what it was!)

Why focus on this movie in this blog?

Because Julie found something that interested her and she started writing. She didn't know if she'd find an audience, she didn't search thousands of keywords, she didn't probe deeply into Google to see if she'd gain traction: she just started writing.

And NOW look at her success.

My parents, in their late 80s, love the movie and so did Pam and I. I, however, saw it on a much deeper level from my other family members: as a blogger, podcaster, and consultant, I felt what Julie was going through when writing to an undefined audience. I felt her pain of doing it day after day. I shared her triumph when the NYTimes discovered her and let the print-world learn about her.

See the movie if you need a pick-me-up... it's bound to give you a bit of cheer just when you need it.

And then see MY blog my clicking HERE!

Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!
If you struggle with writing and want to turn your words into gold - Go Here To Learn More!

Blogging - Julie and Julia, The Movie





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Unemployment and the Bad Economy

Unemployment - You never forget that time you were fired

The Philadelphia Inquirer is probably like a lot of newspapers in the world - understaffed, losing money, trying to stay afloat.

And as it does, it features a series of articles about Being Fired. Well, that's not what THEY call it; their title is Jobs At A Loss - Upheaval in the Region's Job Market but believe me, those PEOPLE who are listed as statistics know what it is: they've been fired.

The Headline is:

The ax falls, and then what?

The article by Inquirer Staff Writer Alfred Lubrano is filled with statistics and anecdotes. And it's filled with one more thing: pain.

Human pain.

Human suffering when 13.2 million people in the USA are unemployed (that only counts those still looking for work - those who have given up don't count, it seems) and 210,000 in our immediate 8-county area.

"But while the Philadelphia region is papered with pink slips, a layout can still hit with the potent surprise of an unforeseen meteor."

It has been known for a long time by psychologists that being fired is as difficult on the individual as a death in the family, divorce, or other traumatic, stress-producing situation.

And what goes deeper is what happens to the individual, and it's repercussions are long-lasting.

"Shame, fear, and panic can barge into a person's head after the initial trauma."
People have pointed out that in this Great Recession people who thought they were recession-proof are now on the unemployment lines - in Philadelphia, as an example, a major law firm collapsed and closed. (And when I was selling investment real estate in the 80s and 90s, this was THE real estate law firm.)

Where Did The Dream Go?

I've often written about and created a video about The Dream - Where Did The Dream Go? It's gone for many people.

We were told to grow up, do well in school, select a major carefully, specialize, earn a good living, get married, raise 2.5 kids, help them grow well, get married, and the circle continues.

We did that, but things have come crashing down for many people.

I started a whole website to help people who were fired, unemployed, thinking about working from home.

See if this movie, which I created, speaks to you: Where Did The Dream Go - Click Here To See Short Movie!

What can I do to help YOU?


Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!
If you struggle with writing and want to turn your words into gold - Go Here To Learn More!

Unemployment and the Bad Economy





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Salesmanship - YOU Are The Front Door

Looking for a new job OR selling a product or service, you client/customer sees YOU first?

Did you ever hear the story about the blind men and the elephant?

The first man touched the elephant's trunk and described it as a flexible, long creature.

The second man touched the elephant's tusk and thought it was a very hard, smooth, upward-pointed animal.

The third touched the elephant's hoof and thought it was a large, flat, very heavy creature with several smoothe places (the tone nails).

And the fourth touched the tail and thought it was a short, pliable snake-like animal with hair at the end.

Each one "knew" the elephant for what his experience told him... and each was correct, but only PARTIALLY correct.

The same is true for YOU... whatever you show your prospects is how they see YOU and the work you do.

Be confident, they see confidence. Be a great salesman, full of knowledge, and they see a knowledgeable salesman. Be their adviser and advocate, and they see someone on THEIR side of the table who is there to help.

Be a wimp, and they see someone they don't want to do business with again.

If you are looking for a job, looking for employment, looking for a way to start your own business, be sure that what you show to people is the side of you that you want exposed.

And by the way, are you blogging yet? Are you telling the world through online methods what you are about and why they should be doing business with you?

I hope so... people coming in touch with you will be pre-sold if you let your words and videos tell part of your story for you.

Find your niche expertise and get busy... let others FIND you, rather than YOU knocking on their door - they will be MUCH more likely to hire you (whether as their consultant or their employee)!

Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!
If you struggle with writing and want to turn your words into gold - Go Here To Learn More!

Salesmanship - YOU Are The Front Door





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Be Your Own Boss - Is Now The Time?

Be Your Own Boss - How Much Time Have You Thought About This?

OK... so your dream is gone. The economy has turned south, it languishes, and really doesn't show any sign on improving.

Well, small signs, but are they signs that impact you directly?

If you're like most people, the answer is no.

So, what are you doing to create your own work at home, to be your own boss, to set yourself up to become a successful entrepreneur?

How do you start?

My suggestion: set up a blog right now. Blogger is ok; having your own WordPress website is even better.

Find what you are passionate about and start writing - every other day at least. And as you narrow your focus and people learn about you, you'll find work to do from your home as an entrepreneur.

Have you thought about working for yourself for a long time? Did the Worldwide Economic Meltdown of 2008 - 2009 thrown you out onto the trash dump of the unemployed with nowhere to turn?

Well you DO have somewhere to turn.

Watch this short movie to see if you relate to it: Where Did The Dream Go? - Click Here To Watch!

You CAN do this, it just takes some practice and some advice. Heck, you didn't finish school without some serious work, did you? That's what's needed now too.

Find someone you admire who's succeeding where you want to and follow him or her: now is the time to change your life and get things going again.

And it all starts with your understanding where you ARE and where you want TO GO.

Again, watch this short movie to see if you relate to it: Where Did The Dream Go? - Click Here To Watch!

Then sign up for our free newsletter and get thing going!



Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!
If you struggle with writing and want to turn your words into gold - Go Here To Learn More!

Be Your Own Boss





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Blogging - Turning Your Words Into Cash

Do You Have A System For Blogging?

To make sure your website and content get noticed by the search engines (I'll say GOOGLE from now on), you should blog.

Businesses need to blog, though I have trouble convincing all my clients that I'm right.

For just as it was when websites were new, most businesses felt that they didn't need a website: NOW look at the business world. You aren't even considered a serious player without a website.

And small businesses can seem MUCH LARGER and more capable when they are blogging.

Why?

Because you become an authority through your words. Keep adding content to your blog and keep putting keyword-rich links pointing to your main site, and you will increase your position on Google.

Keyword-rich links like this: Blogging For Profit - Read Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog Here!

Notice what is IN that link:

The keyword Blogging.

The keyword Blog.

And my own name, Charlie Seymour Jr, which (let's face it) is another keyword for all I do.

So THREE major keywords in that keyword-rich text link aimed at my main website.

Google sees that link when it spiders this blog and immediately goes to my main site, feeling that it is important.

Blogging is cheap (especially when you use WordPress, which is FREE and VERY friendly to Google) except for the time it takes to write.

Don't put it off.

Your Dream may have changed but now's the time to get more notice: Blog now to turn your words into cash.

Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!
If you struggle with writing and want to turn your words into gold - Go Here To Learn More!

Blogging





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Business Marketing - 5 Steps To A New Income

The Dream - Time To Find A New One?

I’m a marketer and have been marketing ever since I left Wharton Graduate (of the University of Pennsylvania) in 1975 with my MBA in marketing, management, arts administration.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in personal sales. A billion or more dollars through my marketing skills. And a life-style that allows me to select the type work I want to concentrate on.

And since earning my formal degrees, I’ve been a student every day – learning from the best people I can find.

Two of them are Dave Dee and Alexis Martin Neely. Learn About Dave & Alexis Newest Information – Click Here!

I am mentioned in more of Dave’s products than any of single individual. I was just listening to another of his very helpful products about email marketing and he mentioned me quite prominently and read some of my materials. He has done that on other occasions too.

Why is that?

Dave and I share a love of learning: learning from success, and then sharing those successes with others.

And I pay him when I learn from him. And he pays me when I help get people to learn from him. We know that what we pay for, we appreciate even more, and we work hard to use the information we learn.

Like me, Dave & Alexis help business owners, like you, who've already figured out how to bring revenue into your core business; leverage your business SYSTEMS, processes, and intellectual property; and then take what you’ve learned to help other people.

And if you learn how to do it and work at it, you can turn your “sideline” business into a 6 figure (or more) profit center within your business (by packaging the way you do things in your own business and licensing your way of doing things to non-competitors in your industry).

In this season of Independence Day, this could be the start of REAL independence in your life.

Here’s what I’ve learned through Dave & Alexis:

* The exact five part blueprint you can use immediately to generate a huge cash flow surge into your new side profit center...Four of their students had immediate cash flow surges of $75,000, $63,000, $34,000 and $15,000 last month - the very first time they implemented the 5-step formula!

* How your side profit center will re-ignite the passion you once had for your business. (Remember how you felt when you first started your business? Now you can experience that excitement again because you will help others do the same thing!)

* How to uncover the six figure products that lie hidden in your business. Yes, right now you have untapped assets you aren't even aware of... Stop to think about that: how many things do you do in your business that other people would LOVE to know how to do! You uncover those assets and then learn how to turn them into big profits. Systems and methods you use now are valuable to other people.

* How to move beyond the income ceiling you've either already hit (or are about to hit) with your current dollars-for-time trade-off. Let’s face it: there are only 24 hours in every day, so earning money THAT way MUST produce a limit. And even if you've moved beyond an hourly billing model, as long as YOU are YOUR PRODUCT (and let’s face it, most of us sell ourselves as our real product), you're going to hit a ceiling on your earning capacity very quickly.

* The very best parts of sharing your information and knowledge with others in your industry has very little to do with the money (that's gravy!) - the best part is the fulfillment you experience when people thank you with tears their eyes for your helping them to do what they do better and more efficiently. Imagine being in a meeting away from your office and someone thanks you in front of your friends and colleagues because your help meant so much to her. Believe me, that re-ignites your energy and you know why are you put on this earth.

* How this side-profit business will not only give you the freedom to work less - a LOT less - but also to work from home or from anywhere in the world - and even retire faster than you ever dreamed possible (if you want to). And in this economy of “Where Did The Dream Go,” you will now see a NEW DREAM around which to build your life.

* The very first step you need to take that virtually guarantees your success when coaching others in your industry - almost everyone misses this step and it costs them dearly.

* How to escape forever exhausting one-to-one selling and move to the exhilarating experience of selling one-to-many and making a major impact on thousands (or even millions) of people's lives.

* How to turn your initial success into an ongoing, autopilot revenue stream. (How would it change your life if you had an additional profit center in your business that produced high six figure profits each year - year in and year out - while you slept?)

* How to break through into a new business model that will take your business to the next level and finally give you the freedom and independence you've been looking for while at the same time bringing back all the passion you once had for your business.

Studying successful people lets you see patterns of success, which is what I did with Dave & Alexis.

Keep your eyes open. You can learn from people around you. And if there is something I can do to help, please see my blog at http://bit.ly/ZMXVs

Dave & Alexis have the step by step, rock solid, PROVEN blueprint for helping you turn your business experience into a six or seven figure a year cash flow stream that will allow you to go part-time or even retire from your core business completely (if you want to) in short order.

If you're intrigued and want to discover Dave & Alexis' "5 Step Formula to Add 6 Figures to Your Business THIS YEAR & Re-Ignite Your Passion While You Do It!" learn more in my blog posts.

Learn About 5 Step Formula to Add 6 Figures to Your Business THIS YEAR & Re-Ignite Your Passion While You Do It – Click Here!

Alexis Martin Neely
Dave Dee


Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!
If you struggle with writing and want to turn your words into gold - Go Here To Learn More!

Business Marketing - Dave Dee and Alexis Martin Neely

Learn About 5 Step Formula to Add 6 Figures to Your Business THIS YEAR & Re-Ignite Your Passion While You Do It – Click Here!



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Work At Home Dads - Keep The Dream Alive

Where Did The Dream Go?

Remember your parents saying, “If you work hard enough, you can have anything in this life.” As you were graduated from high school, then college, and pursued that six-figure job, “work hard, play hard” became your mantra.

Nothing ever got in your way as you climbed the corporate ladder and pursued the American Dream.

Until now.

That pink slip in your paycheck was like an electric shock to your heart. Sure, you knew the economy was lousy. You knew thousands of other people were losing their jobs.

But it wasn’t supposed to happen to you.

Your life was all planned out! Get an education, get a great job, marry a wonderful woman, and raise a terrific family. Take memorable vacations to exotic locations. Send your kids to top colleges, and enjoy all the sentimental, inspiring moments of your childrens’ budding lives while simultaneously saving for your retirement, where you and your wife would waltz off into the sunset of old age, reflecting on the deep meaning of your lives together.

BZZZZZZZ! Dream over! What went wrong?

After making lots of money for your company and repeated assurances from your bosses that your job was solid, they thanked you for all your hard work by firing you!

And they had the nerve to say it was nothing personal, “just business.”

But it is personal.

What should you tell your wife and family? What about your mortgage, your health insurance, your retirement fund? How can an entire lifetime of blood, sweat, and tears be destroyed in minutes?

On February 6, 2009, CNN.com reported, “Employers slashed another 598,000 jobs off of U.S. payrolls in January, taking the unemployment rate up to 7.6%... The latest job loss is the worst since December 1974, and brings job losses to 1.8 million in just the last three months... the biggest 3-month drop since immediately after the end of World War II. The unemployment rate is now at its highest level since September, 1992.”

Where did the dream go? Worse yet, how can you recover in this difficult economy?

CNN goes on to say, “Friday's report also showed that 2.6 million people have now been out of work for more than six months, the most long-term unemployed since 1983.”

And that number only counts those unemployed who are still looking for work!

Like so many other successful, capable, hardworking men thrown callously onto the heaping human landfill of unemployed Americans, nothing could be more frightening.

You have no answer for your wife when she looks at you with fear and panic in her eyes.

The thought of starting over with another employer, if you can even find a decent job, almost makes you sick to your stomach.

What can you do to pick up the pieces? Experts suggest those who have the innate ability to recalibrate their goals and dreams have a better chance for survival. Think about it. You have incredible skills and a lifetime of achievements! Maybe you simply need to rethink how to use your talents.

Working from home is the right answer for millions. According to the New York Times, “Democratic pollster Mark Penn’s new book, Microtrends, notes that 4.2 million Americans now work exclusively from home (a nearly 100 percent increase from 1990).”

But as we know from the rapid evaporation of the American Dream, you need a realistic plan.

If you’re ready to think about a new journey toward personal and financial freedom, look here: http://WhereDidTheDreamGo.com.

Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog on UltimateWorkAtHomeDads.com - Go here now to find out more!


Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!
If you struggle with writing and want to turn your words into gold - Go Here To Learn More!

Successful Entrepreneur

Email Marketing - No More Difficult Than You Think

Where Did The Dream Go? Ask My Daughter

She's getting married.

She and Chris wanted my help with engagement portraits, so Photo Dad put back on THAT hat and off we go.

But how did Liz get me going with this?

She emailed me.

She presented her idea, got me onboard with it, sold it to me, and I bought.

OK... so I didn't buy in THAT sense, but the truth is: we all "sell" ideas to each other every day.

So when she laid out for me her timetable, set a deadline, and got me to agree to help, she used good email marketing techniques.

For you see, the most important part about email marketing is DOING it.

Oh, sure... lots of techniques, you need to use many of the steps I lay out in Say It So They Buy It, but the mere act of DOING IT is what gets everything started.

Believe me, there are a lot of people making a lot of money with email marketing who don't know what they are doing... think how much BETTER they would do if they took the time to learn a few tips, tricks, and techniques.

But please... don't tell my daughter Liz about this: she already has me doing just about anything she asks!

Turn Your Words Into Gold - Go here now to find out more!


Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!
Say It So They Buy It - Go Here To Learn More!

Email marketing

Words Into Gold - How Much Writing Do You Do?

Learning how to write to get people to do what you want is a very important (and lucrative) skill

Do you think that we can command others to do things? I don't mean like a king telling his serfs what to do, but do you think our words matter when presenting information?

Like a mother to a child? A credit card bill to the owner of the card? Like information you send to people asking them to buy from you, follow what you say, get emotionally attached to how you say something?

If you feel you CANNOT do that, you need this. If you feel you CAN, you need to go to the next level with this.

I've spent weeks creating Say It So They Buy It - designed to help you find the Dream again and take the next steps.

Are you ready to take that next step? Are you prepared to find your dream AND the way to pay for it? Are you ready to discover the secrets to writing great "copy" online and in print.

No obligation. Do long nights. No leaving what you're doing to go to grad school. It's all here in easy-to-follow steps.

Go here now to find out more!



Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow Me On Twitter!
Turn Your Words Into Gold - Go Here To Learn More!

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM FAILURE?

Getting Back Up Is Very Important - It's Not Failure, It's Feedback!

"Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead-end street." William A. Ward

Hey, I know it's just me, but I almost NEVER feel I've failed: to fail is generally not to attempt something - THAT would be the failure.

But when we work at something that doesn't come out the way we dreamed it would be, that's not failure!

I've done too many different things in my life and have learned from each of them.

I don't regret selling $247,368,657.97 and helping others through my marketing to sell over $1 billion. But I moved on from some of those activities.

I don't regret running a website to help area theaters... they STILL need the help as they drift along on their oceans of uncertainty... but I moved on.

I don't regret hours and hours of directing theater - musicals mostly - because I learned, the audiences really had a great time, and I loved the camaraderie. And in MY family, we have done theater for 5 generations here in the USA (and more if you consider our relatives from Europe).

And I don't regret working with young people, consulting with major companies, giving advice to institutions which can use my marketing expertise.

So my suggestion: change your attitude or change what you're doing.

Where did the dream go? It's changed, that's for sure... so change your dream to match your present reality.

And never consider yourself a failure.


Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
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Turbo Charge Your Work At Home

Work At Home - Is It For You?

Turbo Charge What You're Doing

Many people dream about working at home. They wonder where did the dream go and then realize that they need to reinvent their dream and their work in this New Economy.

Do Not Follow The Crowd In Your Marketing

Renowned marketer and best-selling author, Dan Kennedy, writes in his May 2009 NO BS Newsletter, “The majority in your business, industry, or profession are wrong about most – if not all – of their beliefs about how to be successful in that business, industry, or profession.”

He says that while that is difficult to grasp, the numbers tell the story and always have. 1% are rich, 4% prosperous, 15% doing well, 40% sustaining mediocrity, and 40% doing poorly. Overall these success statistics never change: recessions or booms, new technology breakthroughs or not, these have remained constant.

“You may, however, choose to move from one group to another using your ambition, thinking, information, initiative, and effort. But regardless of YOUR choices, the fact that the majority of your peers are dead-wrong won’t change a whit.

“Associations matter a lot, but they are or can be chosen. The first critical decision for upward movement is to ALWAYS distrust the majority... To see a majority stampeding north and stubbornly turn south. Not easy at all.”

So... whatever you decide to do to turbo charge your work at home, be sure to look around, see what everyone else is doing, and do the opposite. You'll stand a much better chance to stand out, be noticed, and be successful.

Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
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Turbo Charge Your Work At Home

What Do Milestones Mean To Our Lives?

Married 28 Years - Other Than Being A Son Or Brother, I've Never Done Anything This Long

When I look back to the Dream I had when in high school and college, I really couldn't foresee what is happening in my life.

Internet? What the heck would THAT be? (The first course I took about computing was with a machine that filled a whole room at Tufts University and we had to hand our stack of punched cards to the computer tech for HIM to process them... wow, how far we've come!).

Change careers as often as I have so far? Craziness, it would have seemed, since my Dad started at a real estate company in 1952 and stayed there more than 50 years, even when some of his friends were leaving to start their own companies. (OK... so he was President and then Chairman and did some of the largest appraisal assignments the world has ever seen (Penn Central Railroad, being one of them), but do you know ANYONE these days who stayed with the same company that long!??)

Focus my attention on Internet Marketing and combine that with my love for families? How would THAT become possible.

So... when I look ahead for my younger daughter who is now engaged (LizSeymour.com), I want the world for her and Chris... but I have NO idea what that world will look like.

How can we?

Change is the only constant, and it is changing faster and faster.

So... where did the dream go? I'm not sure.

OK... so some of it is gone. My 401(k) (IRA, actually) is about one-half what it was this time last year... but life is still good!

Working with others makes it that way. Caring about good people makes it worth living. And seeing great opportunities ahead spur me on to even greater success.

And happy anniversary, Pam! Thanks for your love and caring!!

Make this week the best you've ever had.

Best,


Charlie Seymour Jr
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WhereDidTheDreamGo.com

Communication: Getting Our Message Across

Why Don't We Say What We Mean

We don’t say what we mean often because we don’t know what we think and feel. Our thinking and feeling are fuzzy. (Think Young Man trying to tell his feelings to his new girl friend who keeps pressing for "tell me what you feel about me.")

If we say what we think, we think we may hurt someone’s feelings, so we obscure the message.

If we obscure the message, others miss the point.

If others miss the point, they ignore it.

If they ignore it, nothing changes. If nothing changes, they’re off the hook.

If they’re off the hook, we’re blameless.

If we’re blameless, we can at least say we "tried."

And even the word "try" is negative - when we say "I'll try to be there" our brains say, "Nawwwww... I'll NEVER be there."

Yoda says: "There is DO and there is DON'T DO... there is NO try."

Think about THAT when communicating next.


Charlie Seymour Jr
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The Dream Ended for Two Good People

It was one of those weeks in our family.

My folks are in their mid - late 80’s. Lots of their friends are dying, as we might expect... and my folks living in a nice retirement community doesn’t shield them from that!

Last week my folks had THREE memorial services to attend; I took them to two of them so that they wouldn't have to drive, having known the person as well.

One was Mom and Dad’s next door neighbor, Jane Richards. She was such a sweet person. Mom knew her not only because she lived next door in this huge complex (long hallway of apartments on both sides) but because both women loved to play bridge.

The second that I went to was for Ronnie Porter (also affectionately known as RKP). Ron was a former President of Jackson-Cross Company (as was my Dad) and he was the one who interviewed me. His Dream had been big: moving here from Ireland when he was young, fighting WWII for the USA, and rising up to be a huge success in business.

I had worked at J-CC two summers while in college, mostly helping in the real estate sales end (though not licensed to sell yet). And when I was out of grad school, working in St. Louis, and thinking of returning to the Philadelphia area, Ron interviewed me for the Manager of Marketing position.

A gentleman all the way. Terrific salesman. Terrific man.

The award named for him, The RKP Award, was for a top professional who also served the community. I was proud to win that Award not only for the recognition but because he meant so much to me. And I proudly wear the name of an RKP award winner all these years later.

Mom says, "Getting old's a bitch." She should know, I guess. And then we lose good people like Jane and Ronnie.

For them the Dream is over.

Gone... but not forgotten.

WhereDidTheDreamGo.com The Movie


Charlie Seymour Jr
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You Get Fired And Then What?

The Philadelphia Inquirer had it right on the front page: The ax falls, and then what?

Well into 2009 it's still happening - people are getting fired as businesses work to stay about the drowning mark.

The "second in an occasional series" by Inquirer staff writer Alfred Lubrano details how Dan Perry arrived at 7:25 AM for work and by 7:35 AM he was on his way back to his car, the possessions of his desk in-hand.

After receiving the "gut-punch" of being fired (let's not pretty-it-up by calling it "let go"), Perry looked up to the sky to ask, "What just happened to me?"

Believe me, it's a moment that will be burned into his brain for the rest of his life.

No one goes through a moment like that without have a burned-in impression left.

"The married 40-year-old executive with two teenage children was filled with a cold dread."

Notice what that said:

1. He's not a kid.
2. He was in a good position.
3. He's married.
4. He has teen aged children. Children old enough to fear what will come next and, perhaps, harbor feelings that their dad is a failure. Children who will remember their own fear for the rest of their lives. And, depending on how Dad handles everything, they'll think about him from this moment forward in a very different way.

And that's what HE was thinking too: failure. It's hard NOT to think that at a time like that.

Even the most hard-hearted who don't let other people determine their self-worth feel that they must have done something wrong. "OTHERS are still working, so why did they fire ME?"

13.2 million Americans now unemployed. Out of work. Wondering what they'll do next.

And multiply that by their spouses and children, and the number of affected people quickly rises to 50 million persons directly affected in this dismal economy.

What will they do? Where will they turn. And if they can't find a "job," can they even begin working at home without someone helping them get started in the right direction?

There are places that can help get you started at home. LOTS of Work at Home Moms locations but not many for Work at Home Dads (who have been greatly affected recently - some say that 82% of recent firings were to men, many of whom are Dad providing for their families).

For Dads Who Want Help, See This Video And Join The Group!

The road is steep and strewn with obstacles. You need all the help you can get. See if that information can help. WhereDidTheDreamGo.com


Charlie Seymour Jr
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Rethinking The American Dream

Vanity Fair: Rethinking The American Dream

Did you see the lead article April 2009's Vanity Fair: Rethinking The American Dream.

It ties in so closely with what this blog is all about.

In part it says, "Along with millions of jobs and 401(k)s, the concept of a shared national ideal is said to be dying.

"But is the American Dream really endangered, or has it simply been misplaced?

"Exploring the way our aspirations have changed—the rugged individualism of the Wild West, the social compact of F.D.R., the sitcom fantasy of 50s suburbia—the author shows how the American Dream came to mean fame and fortune, instead of the promise that shaped a nation."

But what is the American Family thinking right now? Some people refer to their savings as 201(K)'s since half the value was sucked away in the free-falling stock market.

College decisions have been postponed due to lack of funds.

And now in my own family, my younger daughter has announced her engagement but I fear that the dream wedding she thought about since she was 5 has disappeared from her horizon.

Where Did The Dream Go? Write me and tell me what YOU are thinking and we'll share your ideas with others.

For me, I'm a never say die kinda guy... and I'm providing help to those who need direction, counseling, marketing advice.

And you might want to check here to see what you think about this:

WhereDidTheDreamGo.com

Watch that and let me know what you think.

Charlie Seymour Jr
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Do Miracles Still Happen?

Has Your Dream Vanished? Even Vanity Fair Magazine thinks the Dream needs to be rethought!

Religious? Spiritual? Or just pragmatic, perhaps you believe in miracles.

Or, like a growing number, you might feel they are gone.

The Little Book of Big Questions (2001, Diana Booher) makes these statements:

Ask the parents of a newborn.

Ask the person who has cancer in remission.

Ask the father whose rebellious teenager has returned home with respect and a positive attitude.

Ask an entrepreneur who started with scratch and now runs a $200 billion company.

Ask the person who once felt despair but now feels hope.

Anyone who doesn’t believe in miracles is not a realist. David Ben - Gurion

So, has your Dream died... or is it just waiting for you to rediscover it through newly cleared eyes of tears and anguish?

Is it possible that you aren't recognizing your Dream because it has morphed into something new, but still desirable.

Think about it... and let me know, ok?

Charlie Seymour Jr
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/UltimateWAHDads
http://WhereDidTheDreamGo.com

Google May Buy Twitter

Is it time for you to figure out how Twitter Works, Before the Rules Change?

Twitter - you've heard about it but have you used it

Do you know why statistics show that it's the most-used of the social marketing tools?

Do you know why people are building their lists through this simple, inexpensive tool: UseTwitterTrafficMachine?

Twitter is a micro blog - only allows 140 characters for your entire message, but it's amazing what you can do in that amount of space.

And since it's also a huge search engine, you can later find out everyone who was blogging on the same topic.

Can this be a good tool for you as you work at home? Should you also have this in your work at home arsenal of traffic-building tools?

Many of us think so.

So though the Dream may not play in your head every night, there are tools to help get you back into the flow... and I suggest that you start with Twitter, get an account for the "keyword" you like best, and begin sending tweets.

Join me on Twitter... I'll show you more there!

Charlie Seymour Jr.
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The Economy - Are You Doing Better Yet?

The Economy Is Trending Upward, So Why Don't You Feel Better?

The stock market is generally up, but not everything has followed... and the market isn't up every day, so why don't you feel better?

The market is a bit like the weather - yesterday we had hail the size of marbles and it lasted for about two minutes as a cold front blew through. So, does that mean that winter is on its way back here?

I don't think so.

Stock in my wife's huge engineering and architectural firm is up since the beginning of the year, does that mean that it can stop working hard to get new business.

Not likely.

The market can blow hot today and cold tomorrow. It's based more on fear of the unknown as anything, and it's not a great barometer for what is to come.

And stock brokers are much like weather people on the news: great at telling you what just happened, but not all that good at projecting the future.

So, why aren't you feeling better yet? Are you still asking Where Did The Dream Go? Are you still wondering what hit you?

Can't say I blame you. And I still offer WhereDidTheDreamGo.com as something you might want to see.

I guess the real big question is: have you let yourself be sucked in by all of this doom and gloom? Have you given up trying? Have you stopped looking for work or looking for clients as you think about working at home?

Don't.

Money is still flowing, though at a slower pace. And it seems that the pace is picking up, now that the rates are so much lower and that "toxic investments" are being lifted from the books.

Those who are ready when all of this turns around will be in a much better position to thrive - and isn't that what YOU want?

Keep plugging away. Don't stop. Keep getting the word out.

Your time is coming!

Charlie Seymour Jr.
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How Many People Have Just Given Up?

With The Economy So Bad, How Many People Have Given Up?

Marketing Guru Dan Kennedy was in the Philadelphia area last week and said that much of the problem with the recession is that people have stopped selling because they THINK that people have stopped buying.

I thought of this when we went out for dinner to celebrate my birthday.

One restaurant that I frequent with my buddy, Larry, complains that no one is eating out any more, marketing doesn't work, and he's doomed in this economy.

Of course every suggestion I have for him is met with a defeatist's attitude, becoming self-fulfilling.

However, within 1/2 mile on the same road on the same SIDE of the road is where Pam, Liz, Chris, and I had dinner on Saturday.

The place we hopping at 7:30 on a Saturday night... or should I say STOMPING.

Three high school girls were doing Irish dances in anticipation of St. Patrick's Day.

The bar was crowded. The large dining area was crowded. There were even people downstairs at the pool tables.

The Dream is alive and well in this restaurant but completely gone in the other one.

Smart entrepreneurs are successful entrepreneurs. But those who have given up wallow in their own attitudes.

However, if you've thought about working at home, I'd like to suggest you take a look at this very short video: Where Did The Dream Go Video - Click Here!

There's a lot we can do together. All you need to do is reach out for some help.


Charlie Seymour Jr.
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Did You Read About The Cheers Bartender?

Do You Think You're The Only One Fired?

Did you see what happened to the bartender from Cheers, the bar in Boston made famous by the TV show (the bar even changed its name to match the TV show)?

He's been fired.

A sign of the time. Nothing personal, "It's Only Business."

Everybody Knows His Names... and now every body knows he's been fired.

But there's a lesson there: No, not the lesson that the economy sucks and he was a victim of his employer.

The lesson is that since everyone knows his name and he's in the press up in Boston (and now YOU are reading about him), his chances are magnified that he will get another job.

Assuming he wants one.

What do they same about being burned - don't we learn from things like that? Doesn't our brain get an imprint when going through something like that? Won't you always remember that time (or times) you were fired - that horrible, sick-to-your-stomach feeling of helplessness and lack of any power or respect?

Oh, sure - you can read the article about him here.

But don't lose the lesson in this: take control. When you ask Where Did The Dream Go - know that YOU hold the Dream in your own hands and YOU can make decisions for yourself.

Maybe this short movie will speak directly to you... Click Here! Maybe it will give you support. Maybe this is the day that you pick yourself up and make things happen.

And then like our Cheers bartender, get out and tell the world: nothing to hide. Let people know what you're up to and you'll be surprised how many want to help.

Charlie Seymour Jr.
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We Come Together In A Dads Community

Last night I photographed some theater at The Players Club of Swarthmore (a terrific production of Bus Stop, that famous play that had Marilyn Monroe in the movie) and saw a friend in the lobby.

He's a bit lost.

He's starting to work at home but doesn't know where to start. He's so used to having his boss tell him what to do.

OK... he's a good guy and not a kid just starting out, and his boss didn't wipe his nose nor spoon-feed him every day, but when he really examined his work-life, he didn't have to find his work, do his work, reap his own rewards: he was on the clock and basically did what someone else told him to do.

Life sure is different now for him, and he's a bit lost.

We keep chatting. I'm helping as much as I can right now since I racing the clock to finish a project, but I did suggest he join our Group on Facebook: UltimateWAHDads.

I think he'll feel better sharing with other Dads in his situation. I KNOW he'll get help there.

What about you?

Charlie
Follow me on: http://twitter.com/UltimateWorkAtHomeDads

We're Thinking About You, Stacie

The phone call came in... it wasn't totally unexpected: She'd been fired.

OK... so she said, "Laid Off." That's a bit like saying he "passed away" instead of "he died" - a bit easier to say and to hear, I guess.

But there she was: several years busting her butt for this large arts institution and she was out. Like yesterday's garbage. Off to fend for herself.

It's never easy, and what's a corporation supposed to do? Does it go down just to keep all its people working for a while longer, or does it throw good people away who could help it grow on the hope that life and success will magically reignite it?

Time will tell for this organization and my daughter will bounce back: she's that type of person - talented, hard-working, won't take "no" for an answer.

But it's tough out there. This just really hit home when I got the call: http://WhereDidTheDreamGo.com

It always hurts. Just more so when it's your own child.

Charlie

Where Did The Dream Go?

We all wonder, don't we?

We read in the newspapers, see on the TV, and get emails from our friends: this economy stinks.

They say that misery loves company, but NOT when we are the ones who are miserable.

There's not a man or woman in the US who hasn't been affected. We have someone in our family OR we know someone who has been fired.

Wow... one word means all that!

Fired, dumped, axed, eliminated, thrown our like yesterday's garbage. Well, I AM NOT YESTERDAY'S GARBAGE and neither are you!

Where Did The Dream Go? Maybe this will help: http://WhereDidTheDreamGo.com And be sure to follow on twitter.