Rest in Peace, William Hill

Mama, called this morning and told me about 5 minutes ago that Donnie's daddy ( Donnie is he fiance ) completed the final stage of life this morning at 7:00 am EST. Stacy, called me yesterday and told me that they had moved Mr. Bill, as we have always called him, to Kitty Askins. Kitty Askins, is an amazing hospice center in Goldsboro. When I was a nurse in North Carolina we sent a lot of patients to Kitty Askins. Families and patients alike loved it. The nurses were always extra gentle and caring, the nurses have that warm touch that only a "God called" hospice nurse could have. They took great care to make the facility itself feel warm and comfortable instead of the the erie cold feeling that a lot of institutional hospitals have.

Mr. Bill, had a lot of kidney problems and just a few weeks ago they finally stop dialysis. A couple of days ago he stopped eating and drinking anything. They didn't expect him to make it through the weekend. He passed on to heaven this morning. The family will have a tough time dealing with this of course but, it is made a little more difficult because Mr. Bill had always presented himself as a strong Patriarch which ruled the family with knowledge and wisdom. Even as he aged and had to be taken care of by his children, he has always commanded a certain level of respect.

I have already said a prayer and asked that God be with the family in such a time of need and, I ask that you pray for the same. I am not sure how that whole heaven thing works as far as introductions and orientation but if such things exist there. I have asked God to allow my Daddy, Papa (Mama's Daddy) , and Grandaddy (Dad's daddy) to help Mr. Bill out with that part. Hopefully, that transition will be easy on him. He was never really all that good with new situations that he didn't have much control over. That probably sounds ridiculous to some and in all honesty I doubt that is how Heaven works. I don't care, it makes me feel better to think of it like that.

I am sorry for Donnie's loss, he is the only son. I feel a sad but empathetic connection to any man that loses his Dad. I have said a special prayer for Donnie. I am crying as I write, because I am reminded of pain that I once felt so intense and unexplainable and I now know that another human is feeling that same pain, and for that I am truly sorry.

I will call Donnie later this afternoon, he isn't really the conversational type but I will simply tell him I am sorry for his loss and I hope the tone in my voice carries with it all of my expressions and feelings. To the family of Bill Hill, I love you guys and in some ways you guys have been a surrogate family and Mr. Bill was a surrogate Grandfather. I love you all and will continue to pray for you...

Andrea Rooke released Level 3 Director

Way to go Andrea! It looks like Andrea made her last Level 3 training sale tonight. She will now be a released Level 3 Director with Coastal Vacations with the ability to market the Platinum Universal Package with Coastal Vacations and earn profits of up to $9,705 on each transaction. When I first spoke with Andrea she was working as an teacher and was looking for a way to increase her income and get out of the daily grind of going to work for someone else. It has been a pleasure working with Andrea, she rocks! She has been to multiple Dani Johnson training events as well as other training events always looking to increase her personal growth and skill.

With her desire to always increase her skill Andrea, will most likely be attending the upcoming Dani Johnson prospecting and closing teleseminar. Andrea, is an example of income following personal growth. When starting her Coastal Vacations business she paid on a Tuesday and was at First Steps to Success by Friday. Way to go Andrea! You desire all that is good coming your way! If there is anything I can do for you, you know I am always here for you.

I also made a $900 donation to the American Cancer Society today. It's funny, I was an Oncology nurse, but; since I have owned my own Coastal business to my knowledge I have yet make a donation to the American Cancer Society. I can't really tell you why except that I always pray when I tithe or make donations and up until now I have not felt directed to donate to the American Cancer Society.

Prosper Always,
Jackie

August in Review

August in review, August was another great month in Coastal Vacation. Last month I earned over $21,000 bringing my annual gross profit to $92,000 so far this year. This isn't bad however, this is below my goal for the year. I will be leaving for Australia for a week this month so I have a goal of $20,000 for the month of September.

I am still playing Texas Hold Em poker but, I still remain a negative player meaning I am still losing more than I am winning.

I am still working on my Personal Finance book, still in the research phase and I have not done nearly as much of that research as I should have done during August. September will be busy but I will continue to work towards completion of my research.

I have been doing some research on the commodities markets as well. I am striving to get a clear understanding of commodity trading.

I am still putting tax money away in Paypal. My Paypal money market account is currently earning 5.04% interest paying out monthly. In my Prosper account I am earning 13% interest on 10 different loans. I have only put in $1,000 in my Prosper account however that account is worth $1014.02 as of this writing with all loans current.

Back from St. Louis

Thank goodness, we are back safely. Don't get me wrong we had a blast! Carmen's speech went well, I am so proud of her. We had fantastic food, saw the Cardinal's game (they won), had some amazing entertainment, and saw several people who earned 1 million dollars. Carmen's manufacture gives away $1,000,000 to all distributors who sale 30,000 units. It was great to see these millionaires who worked so hard for what they had earned. It is great to be surrounded by so many entrepreneurs and to be a small part of their celebration for their success.

Let me be the first one to tell you though. Carmen, will be doing things that they have never seen before. To be very honest with you I found many of those people were not big thinkers. Most are not willing to increase their personal growth thus when I mentioned Carmen's secret weapon being Dani Johnson their ego did not allow them to believe that. Most just think that Carmen is very talented. Which I don't doubt that Carmen is a very talented woman however, she and I both are certain that Dani has helped her to achieve her goals must faster. It's O.K., documentation speaks louder than conversation and Carmen will continue to build that documentation.

On the way back, from St. Louis is where we had the most excitement. We were suppose to fly from St. Louis to Detroit then on to Saginaw MI. However, on the way to Detroit there was an announcement from the pilot stating that they were having some minor electrical trouble and we would would be making a brief stop in Indianapolis. Though his voice remained calm the events that followed made me very nervous. I noticed the flight attendants moved very hurriedly and we started descending very fast. I have never been on a commercial airline and went into an actual dive. This plane, shortly after the pilot announced we were making an unplanned stop, went into a gradual but hurried dive. The thoughts began to hit me that we were not that far from Detroit maybe another 30 to 40 minutes, so to make a stop in Indianapolis instead of continuing on to Detroit hinted that there could be some serious problems. When landing we were greeted by fire trucks and a couple of police cars on the runway. When the pilot brought the plane to a stop he completely killed all of the power in the plane. Afterwards, he stood up and came to the cabin and explained what had occurred in the air. It seems that smoke started to fill the cabin and was coming from the instrument panel on the aircraft. After the firemen looked over the aircraft they felt the smoke was coming from the batteries and decided to tow our plane into the gate. We had about a 30 min tow to the gate and then we thankfully deboarded the aircraft and was put on another plane headed to Detroit.

Eventually, although being incredibly tired we made it home safely.

St Louis, Here we come!

On our way to St. Louis for Carmen's manufacturer's national convention. It will probably be a lot of fun. I will get down to the Harrah's Casino at least one night to play some poker. I am not sure what to expect from this event, the one last year was at Las Vegas and I am not sure how in the world you can beat Las Vegas. However, the event last year was an international event which replaces the national convention every 5 years. Carmen, is really excited this is her second time going to a convention as a distributor. She has done really well for herself and is probably in the top five single outlet distributors in the whole world. Her store did over 250 pieces this month the manufacturer's record is, 308 pieces by any one distributor in a 30 day period. Carmen, may very well eclipse that very soon. I am extremely proud of her. I have seen her come along way but I know she can go much further if she so chooses.

She is pretty nervous I think. She was asked to speak at this event and was given 15 minutes. Most people will never be invited to speak at this event and she was extremely honored with the invitation. However, now she is confused on what to speak on. Most everybody is telling her to give the standard talk about getting referrals, having positive attitudes, leadership, etc. Carmen, really wants to be honest and talk about what has really changed that has made her successful which has been applying the training that Dani Johnson has taught. Carmen, studies Dani very carefully she watches her DVDs, listen to her audios, and of course going with me to many of her LIVE events.

She has been telling other distributors about Dani and it just surprises her that as well as her store is doing more people don't really pay more attention when they ask, "So what are you doing differently?"

She responds, "I have hired a business coach?"

Most people respond with, "Oh O.K."

She gets frustrated because people don't really understand that Income Follows Personal Growth. You will not make any more money than you are making now, until you grow personally. One way to drastically increase your personal growth is to get coaching and training that will help you increase it. If people don't listen to her that is fine, it just means that there will be less competition for her. The same thing applies for Coastal Director's, people don't improve their personal development and they choose not to go to Dani. I have done all I was morally responsible to do. I told them about it. The rest is up to them!

Happy Birthday to my Inspiration

My Father pass away October 31, 1988. His birthday was today August 29th. I love my Dad and his death has been a very big part of my initial motivation in life. You can read more about him here.

Welcome to new members

I wanted to say a quick welcome to Jessica Kvanbeck. I met Jessica a couple of weeks ago first on a 3 way introduction from Bob in Washington. Jessica, was actually Bob's second training sale at the Platinum level. Jessica is a 26 year old mom who works evening shift as a Nursing Assistant. Jessica has an absolute goal of being able to work from home, pay off their debt, buy their first home, buy her husband a new truck, and to send herself back to school. I have some really high hopes and I expect some really big things from her. Jessica, will make money faster than most people because she stepped up and started at the Platinum level.

Also Larry from New Hampshire got started at Level I. Larry, came from corporate IT world and is currently working in a medical assembly factory. Larry, is very sharp and he asked a lot of questions when investigating Coastal so that he could wrap his brain around the Coastal marketing plan. Larry, has went to work and started his training and he is giving it his best shot. Larry, had been burned in the past with other home businesses and I admired his courage to step up again and to investigate this industry once more so that he could get out of the paycheck to paycheck rat race.

Congratulations Bob Becker!!

Bob from Washington, completed his second training sale yesterday at Level III. Currently Bob, is a released Level III Director. It has been an honor to work with Bob. Any clients who are fortunate enough to find themselves as part of Bob's business will no doubtedly be in great hands! He is a business man who is honest and trustworthy, he loves people and he constantly puts people first. Every client that has ever come my way from Bob have always expressed a delightful experience when working with him.

When Bob and I met, he was online looking for a business that could be successful. He was looking for a legitimate business model in the homebased business industry. We met and became instant friends and business partners almost immediately. Bob, came from a background of corporate America; he was retired and he wanted something to do in retirement to supplement his income. Also, he absolutely did not want to sit around in retirement and be bored or unproductive. Today Bob, is in retirement and part time building a successful business. I look forward to a continued friendship with Bob, and I hope I always meet great people like him.

Congratulations Mike and Amanda Butler!

Mike Butler, is a Coastal Wealthbuilder who started his Coastal Vacations business a few short months ago. He went to "First Steps to Success" with Dani Johnson and then her advanced seminar "Creating a Dynasty". He returned home and immediately plugged into the Coastal Wealthbuilders marketing and training system. I have been anticipating his success for quite sometime now. Mike, is only able to his business about 2 hours a day. In his normal job he is an outside sales rep and maintence specialist working on commercial copiers and printers.

His wife Amanda, saw Coastal first and decided to get started. Mike, later decided to join her in their business because of his intense desire to take back control of his life. Mike, wants out of the rat race and looks forward to working exclusively from home with his wife and spending more time with their daughters. A big congratulations goes out to Mike who gave me a call this weekend while I was out on the lake in a friends pontoon boat. Mike called and told me that he had made his first Platinum sale! That is $9,705 profit for Mike and his family. I was so excited for him and I truly look forward to more of their success. Congratulations, guys you deserve it!

Living a productive life is key

One of the areas that I am continuing to improve is with my productivity. In Coastal you don't have to work hard but it does require work. I often say that I work 20 to 25 hours a week. However, I do not stay as productive as I should during that time. I do great when I am in the moment and calling clients however it's when I stop and take a break that I procrastinate getting started back. Some times I find myself getting distracted and I take a little longer to get back to work. My goal for the year is $250,000, I am currently in jeopardy of not hitting that goal and that is completely my fault. Here is what motivates me to change, how many people have missed this opportunity because I did not get back to them as I should have. (I probably ran out of time because I wasted it some where else) How much have my goals suffered because of my lack of productivity.

Being productive doesn't mean being a slave and working a zillion hours it just means working the 25 hours a week I work now except staying focused on my task during that time. There is no boss standing over me. I am accountable only to myself, my team, and my goals. It is a matter of staying persistent and consistent with your work each day. What are we putting off for tomorrow? It's not guaranteed. Make each day our best day and at the days end know that you did all that you should have done for the day and be satisfied.

1st annual CWB event

Yesterday, I returned from our first Coastal Wealthbuilder event. The Coastal Wealthbuilders is our training and support group within Coastal Vacations. We had attendees from all over the world including the exotic Bahamas. The event included a professional speaker named Ellie Drake as well as many of the Coastal Wealthbuilder leaders who volunteered to speak on such topics as finances, personal development, time management, power of business, travel package overview, and more. I personally want to take a moment to thank the leadership team for all of the amazing effort they put in on such an event. I feel humbled to be a part of such an elite group.

Seeing everyone face to face meeting their spouses and hugging everyone will just put you into a mood of loving euphoria. Learning business strategies that will advance your business in a seminar setting from people who are actively growing and working their business each day will advance your business by at least 6 months allowing you to grow your income that much faster. Don't get me wrong the step by step telephone training is wonderful and will absolutely help you create a massive income but, meeting and talking to each other at least once a year is amazing. I can't wait to see the testimonials coming out of this event. I want share a piece of this past weekend with you, view the Montage put together by many of our members especially Renae Hiekkla from MN. Just click on the link below.

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=ed879629a125ece77dfb1&skin_id=0&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

The game of life

Being an avid video gamer at once in my life. I use to love playing all sorts of video games and computer games. In fact the biggest reason I don't play games now is just because it sucks all possible productivity out of me. I do play every now and again but not on a daily basis nor even a weekly basis any more. I use to play video games related to business then all of a sudden I realized that I am playing the ultimate game right now. It is called the game of life. Just like any other business simulator game, my goal in this game is to increase my net worth and to reach my ultimate goals of time freedom and complete financial independence.

Currently, my best way to increase my net worth is with my Coastal business. Down the road I will continue to evaluate ways to grow my business empire. Of course I am always looking at investments and am definitely considering some Real Estate moves towards the end of the year. Obviously, I am working towards writing a book however, all of those things are secondary. My biggest tool in this game of life is without a doubt Coastal Vacation. I will continue to grow personally and professionally with the help of my business coach (Dani Johnson) so that I may become the most professional and most skilled business person that I can be. Anyone can succeed with Coastal Vacations literally it's not very difficult. However, I want to achieve a 7 figure income as quickly as possible. I want to see others on our team achieve 6 and 7 figure incomes as well. I want to see others reaching their financial goals.

In order for me to be the best coach and mentor possible I have to always keep my ego in check and continue to improve myself on a daily basis. If I had to say one way or the other I would say that I am winning this game of life. My net worth is not where I would like it to be, and I am very impatient but I see it growing on a daily basis as I work towards my goals.

Monday as usual

Just another Monday working from home. I am currently waiting on the rest of my advertising to start coming in from Cutting Edge Media. I have a daily goal of making no less than 60 dials a day talking with 7 clients. That is a very part time work load of about 3 to 4 hours. It usually takes me about 6 hours, so according to my business coach Dani Johnson I am wasting too much time in there somewhere. I only work about 6 hours a day for 4 days a week however, I strive to be as productive as possible during that time period.

I have made about 5 loans on prosper so far earning about 13% interest. Each loan is in $100 increments. I have another loan getting approved and verified as we speak, another one that I have bidded on and that auction ends in two days. That leaves me with about $300 in my account to bid with but I am waiting for more loans that meet my criteria. I will currently sit and wait on that extra cash for now.

I am very excited about this coming weekend. We are having out first annual Coastal Wealthbuilder training event. We have almost 100 paid attendees, this is going to be great! It is always a tremendous amount of fun to fellowship with my Coastal family. These are people that I hear and speak with on almost a daily basis. It is like a big family reunion, nothing like seeing each other sharing business ideas, tips, and strategies in a face to face environment. I will be speaking at the event also. I have to get some notes together for that this week. I will be doing a segment on "Mapping your future" although that sounds vague my portion of that topic will be about managing your finances and getting out of debt whether you are making money in your Coastal business or not.

Speaking of finances, I need to get back on the ball and get back to doing my research on my book. I have not made that the priority that it should be.

Prosper.com The neatest website of all time

I have recently found the most unique website I have ever seen. I think this is huge for entrepreneurs or small business owners who need some financial help. The website is www.Prosper.com, this is a eBay style peer to peer lending website. That is right, this is a website where individuals can apply for unsecured loans up to $25,000 and get competitive rates from other people who are willing to fund the loan.

First, of all from a business standpoint this is a pure genius business model. Prosper.com Was founded by Chris Larsen, who for quite some time was the CEO of Eloan. The way Prosper.com makes their money is they take 1% of the loan at time of closing from the borrower and they charge the loaner .5% of the annual interest.

From a borrowers standpoint there are a couple of things that make Prosper unique.

- First of all, all loans are amoratized and can be paid off early with absolutely no penalty.

- The terms of the loan are straight forward. You can even pick the terms you want, it is up to other lenders to decide if they like your terms and are willing to fund your loan.

- The loan is unsecured, rates are typically competitive compared to other unsecured loans.

- The loan process is relatively quick and easy.

- You are dealing with individuals versus corporate banks, this will allow you to appeal to individuals emotions in order to get your loan.

- If you have bad credit or no credit you have an equal opportunity of getting your loan. Anyone can get a loan!

- You can borrow up to $25,000 at any one time, and you will have up to 3 years to repay the loan.

- You can borrow as part of a group and get better rates versus just borrowing on your own.

I am just impressed with this whole concept. What a great business model for Propsper.com. What a great way for people to help people in need.

Month in Review...

Ok, it's time for a little bit of brutal honesty. I have become complacent in my business. Making money has become relatively easy and I have settled for only earning between $10,000 to $20,000 a month. This past month in June I only earned $9,705. That is truly just my fault. If I have worked 8 hours so far this week then that is probably too much. I have not worked my business consistently in several weeks, I have allowed many excuses to get in the way. I even procrastinated writing this post because I knew that I had to be honest. From this day fourth I will change my work ethics back to and even better than they were the first quarter of this year. I have a goal of hitting $250,000 in the next 12 months. However, I am only on track to hit $140,000 if I don't improve my work ethic. This business is not difficult but with any business it does require some work.

If I was an employee with the type of work ethic that I have had the past several weeks then I would have been fired long ago by any decent employer. Why in the world have I allowed myself to get to this point, probably has a lot to do with my view of money and success. I am sure there is some sort of deep psychological reason for why I am selling myself short but the bottom line is even that is just an excuse. My business coach Dani Johnson often says, "Only when we live an excuse free lifestyle will we truly unlock our potential".

Those words are not only powerful but when you truly grasp what that means you will realize they are without a doubt invaluable. Most people will live their whole life and never grasp what the true meaning of that phrase is. I will simply say this. If your life is not where you want it then in all likelihood there is only an excuse standing between you and your goals.

Until next time...

Recent Testimony

I wanted to post for you a recent testimony that I received from one of my clients who purchased the Platinum package.

"We are renting a mid-size vehicle (unlimited mileage) for 1 week inPhoenix, AZ in August and the original price for the car rental (beforediscount) was $304.21. I used my Coastal car rental card and now we'reonly paying $230.95 for the same car. That's a savings of $73.26. Once Iget a receipt from the Alamo I will send you a copy."

Jen, PA

You can see other testimonials and receipts at http://www.buildcoastalwealth.com/proof.html

Massive Update

Business...

Last weekend, we had a great weekend at First Steps to Success with Dani Johnson. Bob, Ed, and Karen all have some life changing experiences. I am excited to see their growth in their business and in their personal lives. Congratulations to Karen Uyttenhove who has just recently purchased her Platinum package. She says that she is looking to take advantage of all of her travel discounts especially the cruises and the international condo stays.

Personal...

Last week after returning from First Steps, I restarted my advertising on Wednesday then that evening at about 6 pm I got a call from my Mom who told me that my Nannie had her second stroke in about a 3 week period and that she wasn't doing very well. Also Donnie's dad had his second heart attack in a 3 week period. Mama was very emotional on the phone so I felt that I just had to be home, I immediately went and told Carmen that I had to leave and go home to North Carolina and she agreed. By 9:30 pm I was driving the 14 hour trek to my Mom's house. I spent the weekend there and left Sunday at about noon and drove home. I got in at 5 am this morning and slept till about 2 pm. I will now have to get back to work I have plenty of old leads that I need to catch up with.

Book writing...

I have started my research in the past few weeks on the personal finance book that I mentioned in my last post. I hope to have my research complete and to be well on my way to writing this book by Christmas of this year. I am also trying to learn what I can about marketing, I suspect this will be put out in ebook format. I have joined an educational website that focuses building a list. I have been impressed with the amount of information that is available for such a small cost. For $9.95 a month List and Traffic seems to be the best buy if you are looking to learn how to build an email list that you can market your products and services to over and over again.

Out by the fire...

I am blogging tonight in the backyard sitting by a fire that Carmen, Melissa, and I just got done cooking some Johnsonville brats with. The fire is great, there is a cool breeze blowing and the crackling of the fire is definitely relaxing. I am currently just doing some reflecting. I don't have any more advertising coming in as I just finished up with one cycle. We are getting ready to go to Virgina Beach for another Dani Johnson First Steps to Success seminar and we are driving down this time. I think I will spend the rest of the week just wrapping up loose ends and getting packed and ready for another life changing weekend.

I definitely have several clients who are getting started this month. One being Carmen's mom who has decided that she is tired of working two jobs and is ready to take control of her life by starting her own Coastal business. Carmen's parents are going with us to First Steps to Success which is one of the big reasons why we are driving down. Really there were only two stipulations that I would have placed on Carmen's mom before accepting her as a client, the first being that she come in at a higher level than Level 1 in her business, and the other being that she made plans to attend First Steps to Success. Those are the two things that will help insure a new clients' success more than anything else, other than their own determination. Thankfully, I never had to voice this two conditions to Karen, (Carmen's Mom) she immediately decided to come in at the Platinum level (Level III) and saw the benefit of getting plugged into First Steps to Success right away.

Change of subject, I am really tossing around the idea of writing a Personal Finance book. I will most likely write this as an ebook and will probably give it away or at least sell it really cheap. Ultimately I would like to start some sort of premium investing advisor service but this would be a start. I really want to take on a personal mission of financial education which starts with personal responsibility to learn about financial education. If I give the book away or at least sell it at a very reasonable price then I will remove one more excuse for people to learn. Investing is an advanced concept to basic Personal Finance, people have to understand how to properly manage their money before they can consider making investment decisions. I have been inspired by my business coach Dani to help others learn about managing money. I believe by writing a very easy to read and very easy to understand book will be a great start. I also have been considering this more and more as I watch more people earn larger incomes with their home based business. Earning more money does not get you out of debt or help you reach your financial goals. Learning to manage the money you have will help you achieve that. I also have a fear of helping clients earn more money than they ever have, and instead of empowering them to great heights, I simply give them a way to get into greater debts. It would be a shame to have a profitable Coastal Vacations business only to take on more personal debt and that is what I want to try to avoid. Once again one way for me to do this will be to provide a simple educational tool that all of my Coastal clients, team members, or anyone else for that matter, can read and apply to their own lives.

That's it for now... I'll keep you posted.

I have started my Poker career!

Every time I go to the casino I tell Carmen, "Baby, today is going to be the start of my Poker career". I have an inner desire to earn a part time income playing Poker. However, typically when I say that Carmen just laughs but, this weekend I came back with a profit of $277.00. I had to put $70 into our casino fund which left me with about $200. I went back to the casino on Sunday afternoon and lost $100 so so far my casino career has lasted about 3 days and I have $100 profit!

I think I am on to something... lol

I love this life

I thank God, for blessing me in such a phenomenal way. Everything just seems to be taking such good shape. Within my organization I am seeing such growth personally and professionally it is really humbling to witness this in others. Just a couple of days ago I was on a live question and answer call with one of my guest and I had 3 different associates on the same call with guest. This happened not once but twice in the same day! Way to go guys!

Don't get me wrong it is a lot of fun to make money and it blows me away to see where this business has taken me to this point at such a young age. Sure I have a long ways to go but, at the same time I have come along way. Now to see many of the associates that I am honored to call teammates also working to successfully build their own businesses is just breathtaking. It is a complete honor and privledge to know that in some way I have played a small part in that.

I personally need to improve my time management in my own business and I will strive to improve on that in the coming week.

Summer Contest!!

Summer is a time of fun and games, I wanted our organization to get in on that. For the summer through the end of August the following cash and prizes are up for grabs.

$500 Momentum Bonus
To the person who makes their Platinum training sales the closest together. In other words one behind the other.

$250 Cash Bonus
To the person who takes the most people or team members to a Dani Johnson event or the CWB training event in Minn. Must take a minimum of 3 to qualify and the spouse may count as 1.

$250 Cash Bonus
To the person who makes the most qualified 3 ways with me. A qualified 3 way is made after someone attends the Q and A call. Must make a minimum of 5 to qualify for the bonus and the spouse does not count as 1. ( lol )

Month in Review

The month of May continued to fall short of my goal of $30,000. May was wrapped up with a total of $19,905. That was the profit after the wholesale amount of the travel packages was subtracted from my gross total. That brings me to a total of $63,610 after cost of goods for the year. That means I have $186,390 to go in order to reach my annual goal of $250,000 after cost of goods.

This month Ed from Florida started his Coastal business at the Platinum level. Ed, owned his own construction business but was tired and wanted to do something different for a change. Originally wanting to get started at the Premiere level, Ed shared with his wife the Coastal business model who gave her blessing for him to come in at the Platinum level. Ed has a calculated seriousness about him that will serve him well in this business. I fully expect to see him attend a First Steps to Success with Dani Johnson very soon because we will quickly realize the quickest way to success is to increase your skill. I have no doubt he will work his business diligently and consistently and that will lead to success!

Earl from Texas also started his Coastal business at the Premiere level. Earl, works at Home Depot and is determined to get out of there. He has made it clear that he understands the importance of continued education in yourself and your business, that along with his clear expectations of himself will lead him to accomplish his goals.

As previously mentioned Bob from Washington upgraded this month from the Premiere level to the Platinum level. Bob, has clear focus and truly cares about his clients. Bob works with a spirit of diligence and persistence that is what lead to his release at Level II and with out a doubt that will lead to him being a released director at Level III as well.

Creating a Dynasty took place this past weekend. We had 4 team members there including myself. Jamie from Arkansas, Jen from Pennsylvania, and Stacie from North Dakota. These ladies are with out question emerging into leadership roles on this team. They have made it a priority to invest in themselves and their business by attending a seminar with industry wide leaders who are striving to grow their skills. I truly saw these amazing women change before my eyes this weekend.

I am blessed to call myself a part of a team of such amazing people. Individuals who will stop at nothing to improve the lives of themselves and their families. People who take a step forward to start a home business but then take another step to succeed with it. God bless us all so that we may continue to bless others!

Currently Uninsured

What a bunch of BS. When moving I contacted Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina which I had some fantastic health coverage with. Basically I had an 80/20 plan with a $250 deductible, my premium was only $120 a month. Prior to moving to Michigan, I contacted BCBS of NC and they were suppose to send some paperwork to BCBS of MI for a transfer of healthplan. The purpose is that I would maintain health coverage, although at a higher rate in Michigan, without interruption during my move.

A couple of months of moving to Michigan I still had not heard from BCBS of MI so I called them and they had yet to receive the paper work from North Carolina. When I called North Carolina they said to give BCBS of MI a little more time. The next thing I know is I get a letter from BCBS of NC stating that my health coverage has ended. I call both entities back and this is the story, BCBS of NC sent the paperwork and has no idea why BCBS of MI does not have it. BCBS of MI confirms they have no paper work on me but proceeds to tell me that they would have gave me their worst medical plan anyway since it was from a transfer and I would be better off to just reapply. Well that is lovely, they could have told me that a couple of months ago so I would have been uninsured at this time.

Everything happens for a reason and my brother Stacy has been learning about and seeking a Health Savings Account since he has left the Air Force. Now, I am looking for a good Health Savings Account as well. Health Savings accounts are amazing. To sum it up, with a HSA you can save money on premiums by paying a lower premium and by spending less money on health coverage. Also you can set money aside just like in an IRA that is 100% tax deductible and grows with interest tax free as well. You are able to use this tax free money to cover any medical expense that would not go toward your deductible such as vitamins, alternative medicine, and soon this may even include gym memberships. Stay tuned as I will discuss this further in later posts.

New Arrival in the Family

Sorry for not posting this yesterday but, I was in bed not feeling too well. I am doing much better today. I received a phone call from my Mom and then my brother letting me know that my new nephew Edgar Michael was born happy and healthy. All 8lbs. 9oz and 21 inches came into this world yesterday morning. I feel incredibly excited knowing that I played a small part in allowing my brother to be there at the birth of their second child. Stacy didn't have to worry about asking time off from a boss, or finding anyone to fill in for him. He just quite simply took off and went to the hospital when it was time.

He had that freedom because he owns his own homebased business.

My Poker Income

"Whoever is happy will make others happy too. He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery." -Anne Frank

Ok so the title is a little misleading. I don't really have a poker income but I do have a goal of creating a fun part time income out of my poker play. I started with about $100 at my favorite online casino. I got down to about $13 and decided I needed to be serious about this game. So I moved from the $1/$2 limit table to a $.10/$.20 limit table. Since then I have been doing much better. Now I have been playing poker online for about 3 years often just losing money. I have been reading some books on poker trying to learn the best strategy for the game just like I have with most casino games that I play. However, poker is a lot different there is not set way to play poker all the time. You are not just playing against the math, you opponent is one who is logical and capable of changing his play just as you are. The good news is since you are not just playing against the mathematical calculation that says in the long run you always lose, you can be a long term winner in the game of poker.

All in all I see poker as a fun hobby that can be profitable at the same time. I don't expect to win the World Poker Tour or nothing but I look to win money playing poker in my spare time and around my business. I will continue to play at the $.10/$.20 level until my bankroll reaches $150 then I will move up to the $.25/$.50 limit tables. Everything I read says that you should have a bankroll that is 300 times larger than the BB at the table. BB standing for Big Bet so $150 would be 300 times the Big Bet at a $.25/$.50 table. Currently my bankroll is at $43.00 but I will keep you posted on my poker exploits.

Are you willing to persevere?

"If at first you don't succeed, you're running about average." M.H. Alderson

A friend of mine Shawn Scheppele, recently shared this with me. I wanted to post this here on my blog because I feel that anyone can apply the principles demonstrated here to reach success in their lives. Thanks Shawn, I found great encouragement in this and I am sure others will too.

He Failed in Business in '31.
He was Defeated for State Legislator in '32
He tried another business in '33. It Failed.
His Fiancée died in '35
He had a nervous breakdown in '36
In '43 he ran for Congress and was defeated.
He tried again in '48 and was defeated again.
He tried running for the senate in '55. He Lost.
The next year he ran for Vice President and Lost.
In '59 he ran for the senate again and was defeated.
In 1860, the man who signed his name A. Lincoln,
Was elected the 16th President of the United States.

The difference between history's boldest accomplishments,
And its most staggering failures is often, simply,
The diligent will to persevere.

My question for you is are you willing to persevere for your goals? Or are you too afraid of failure to ever succeed?

Donation made to www.city-ministries.com

"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, 'How do we rob You?' In tithes and offerings Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." -- Malachi 3:8-10 NIV

Several weeks ago the Lord laid it on my heart to tithe to an organization called City Ministries. This organization was started by a minister named Bob Johnson and his family. This is a ministry which goes out to the streets reaching the homeless and even prostitutes by giving away hot meals, offering prayer, and having Sunday School and worship services in the streets and of course making that available to the homeless. Many churches and organizations talk about helping the homeless and less fortunate, this is one ministry that literally goes down to the street level and does just that.

Some Christiansins have a real problem making money or being prosperous I will never understand that. If Christiansins we believe God will bless us, why do we often have trouble understanding that God can and will bless us financially? Christiansins, if we prosper financially then at the very least we will tithe to God's work. If non-believers earn money, many of them will spend money on things that will not benefit the kingdom of God. It obviously goes to reason who would God rather see prosper over his people?

Business, Investing, Gambling, and Their Risk

"Warriors take chances. Like everyone else, they fear failing, but they refuse to let fear control them." Ancient Samurai saying

Three really strong interest that I have are Business, Gambling, and Investing. Three unique playing fields but they all have the same goal, to increase income. Business, is the most controllable followed by Investing and then Gambling. I find it interesting how many people use these three words interchangeably. Most people will always tell you that starting a business is a gamble thus you are gambling. Investing is risky therefore you are gambling there too. What a joke! Sure there is a level of chance that occurs in investing and business however, both can be won or earn a positive income consistently over time therefore it is not a gamble. In the following paragraphs I set the record straight regarding risk when it comes to business, investing, and gambling.

Business requires skill and building a business can be an art. As with walking across the street business can be associated with risk however, that risk is extremely controllable and can be minimized by knowledge and skill. Obviously, walking across an urban highway can be very risky and that risk can be minimal if walking across a highway in a rural town. Just like we can decide what risk we take on by deciding what type of road we want to cross on foot, we can also control risk in business by deciding what business we want to take on and in what industry. We can minimize risk and increase success by increasing our skill in building businesses. Some people with an employee mentality will feel that they have minimized their risk my not starting a business and instead they will get a job.

In actuality all they have done is put the risk in someone else's hands. They leave the risk of the business they work for in the hands of the business owner they are working for. However, they also leave the risk of their primary earned income in someone else's hands also. In this situation the employee risks losing their job, due to downsizing, bankruptcy, or any other negative consequence that could occur in business. To the employee who has a family, average household debt, other financial obligations and dependents the consequences of losing a job can be catastrophic. I find it more risky to leave my financial future in the hands of someone else versus taking control of it by starting and building my own business. Therefore, I strive to be a successful business owner and not an employee.

Investing once again does involve risk but, that risk can be minimized and sometimes eliminated by understanding your investments. Since you are normally investing in a business of another person there is still some risk associated with your investments because they are less controllable. In other words you are investing in someone else's skill of running a business and not your own. Actually this type of risk is in some ways is similar to the risk taken on by an employee. Investing can be less risky than employment for several reasons. First, if you have done your research then you have a solid understanding of your investments, the business model they are based on, and the future before them. These are all things that most employees do not research before taking on a job with a company. Also most people don't earn their primary income from one investment but the vast majority of employees do earn their primary income from their job. Investors can actually take on less risk than most employees by understanding the businesses behind their investments.

Gambling is sheer luck and therefore is the riskiest of all of my interest according to most people. However, I submit to you that even this is not completely correct. Now I will agree that gambling is definitely the riskiest but it is not all sheer luck. Gambling is a game of mathematics and understanding the mathematics behind your gambling game of choice will help you to succeed more often or at least make your bankroll last as long as possible. With the exception of Poker there are no legit professional gamblers that last very long as professionals. Poker is different because it is not a game of sheer mathematics and chance; a very large element in poker is the skill of the other players at your table. Most people are truly ignorant when it comes to gambling I often go to the casino watching people gleefully play games with a tremendous amount of odds against them and they have no idea. Just a quick about two casino controlled games that can most often be beat in the short term are Blackjack, as long as you are using basic strategy and yes there is a strategy to that game. If you playing that game just trying to get close to 21 you will lose and usually lose fast. The other game is Craps, this game has some of the best and worst bets in the casino all on one table. As long as you know what are the good bets versus the bad bets you can sometimes play for a very long time on a Craps table with a minimal bankroll. What makes gambling so enjoyable is not the risk that is associated with it but the instant gratification that is experienced when winning.

That was just a little bit about my favorite interest of Business, Investing, and Gambling and the risk associated with each. Risk can often be controlled or minimized this is most evident in business and less so with investing. Gambling is most often the riskiest but does offer the quickest gratification at times. Risk can be minimized with gambling as long as your understand the mathematics behind the casino games or you increase your skill compared to others at the Poker table. Hopefully this article help to put the concept of risk in a more proper perspective when associated with starting or building a business, choosing an investment, or walking into the casino.

Congratulations to Bob Becker

"The first requisite of success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem without growing weary." –– Thomas Edison

Bob in Washington was a Level II Director and recently decided to step and to Level III. I have a long history working with Bob and I am eager to watch his business grow. He is determined and he understand peoples and how to work with people. Bob has a strong desire see people change their lives. By stepping up to Level III Bob is setting himself up to triple his current profits. Currently Bob can profit from a Premiere membership sale giving him a profit of $3,200 once he is released as a Level III Director he will be able to profit from a Platinum membership sale giving him a profit of $9,705. Not only will he be increasing his profits but he will also be setting himself up to help more people. Those who are the most serious about starting their business often get started at the Platinum level, once he completes his qualification requirements Bob will be able to help some of the most determined people in this industry succeed. I am behind you all the way Bob and I wish you the best.

Back home and ready to get to work

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."- Aristotle

We returned home from Dani Johnson's First Steps to Success today. What another amazing seminar by Dani. This time Carmen and her sales manager went with me. Carmen, does not even own a home based business but she had always wanted to go to one of Dani's seminars because she could never relate to me when I talked about the techniques and strategies that I learned at these seminars. After the first half of the first day Carmen asked me, "Why in the world didn't you tell me what this was like"?

I told her I never knew how to put it into words. I asked her to tell me how I should have explained it and then she agreed it wasn't really possible to explain how effective and amazing this event is without experiencing it. This was my 5th First Steps to Success seminar and I feel it may have been more effective on me than the other seminars. I am not really sure, why? It may have had something to do with Carmen attending with me. Or maybe, it has something to do with me learning what it will take for me to break through my own glass ceiling that I am putting on myself and my business. I am excited about seeing the effects of these new strategies and techniques on my business.

As always one of my favorite parts was getting to spend time with other Coastal Wealthbuilders in person. Especially Stacy from North Dakota and Jamie from Arkansas who has only been a Level III member for 2 weeks and has already made a decision to attend Dani's advanced training seminar later in the month. This advanced training seminar which I will be attending as well is known as Creating a Dynasty. In order to attend Creating a Dynasty you must first be a graduate of First Steps to Success; this will be my first Creating a Dynasty seminar.

Dani Johnson, here we come...

"I will equip you to succeed if you let me" Dani Johnson

Just before I go to bed I figured I would make a quick post. In the morning, I will be going to Dani Johnson's First Steps to Success this weekend. I think this is my 5th First Steps to Success seminar. I continue to attend Dani Johnson's seminar because I truly feel she is probably the most successful and viable home based business coach in the industry. Her track record literally speaks for itself. Even going into my 5th seminar I still feel like I am growing and learning as I come out of each seminar. It helps that Dani often has a different emphasis in each seminar so they can all be very different depending on what part of operating a home based business she emphasizes on. Dani, determines what to cover in her seminars by taking questions when you purchase your ticket. From those questions she is able to place emphasis where the majority of the questions come from.

People still don't quite understand the need in attending "First Steps to Success" multiple times. The only way I can explain it is this. Studies show that we only retain about 5% of what we hear. So for example if you were going to have surgery would you want a surgeon who only retained 5% of what he heard in school or do you want one who dug down deep and learned all he/she could about being a surgeon before they cut on you? Of course, you would want the one that learned all they could through indepth study.

In the home based business industry "First Steps to Success" is like a university education equivalent. However, anyone can go and listen to the lesson once but those who are most successful will probably attend multiple times, dig down and really study the lessons they are taught. I also view myself similar to that surgeon, I feel that I should be as prepared as possible so that I am able to serve my clients as best I can. This will help me to be as successful as possible, in turn I can teach clients the same.

The differences between the surgeon that I mentioned and myself are that I am able to earn a larger income than he/she is, I don't have to pay nearly as much for my education, my education doesn't take as long as his, and I will likely be able to retire before the average surgeon hits their prime. Of course Dani's seminars are a pivotal part for those who are ultra successful in this industry.

Month in Review

"Goals in writting are dreams with deadlines". Brian Tracy

What a month it has been. I have been doing plenty of thinking and reflecting on myself and my goals. There is so much that I think about and so little time to write about it. I continue to vow to put more of my thoughts and ideas down on this blog so that you can see what goes on in my mind first hand.

My goal for April was $30,000 profit, unfortunately I did not hit that. I only earned $9,705, that means that I am still behind for my annual goal of $250,000 profit. As of the end of April this year I have earned $43,705. That means over the next 8 months I will have to earn $206,295 to reach my goal for the year. Of course due to the number of level III members that are coming on to my team and quickly becoming "First Steps to Success" graduates and many will be Dynasty qualified by the end of May, I expect to see continued growth and increased momentum. I completely expect it will be possible earn as much as $50,000 in one month before the end of the year.

In order to reach my goal by the end of December I will have to average a monthly income slightly higher than $25,000 a month. With my increased advertising from last month and as I continue that into this month I expect to see a considerably higher monthly income within the next 30 to 60 days. Therefore, I will maintain my monthly goal at $30,000 going into May. It seems that by the end of this week I may very well already have about $10,000 for the month but I will keep you posted on that.

A big congratulations goes out to Jamie from Arkansas who started her Coastal business in April. When she first looked at Coastal she considered getting started at the Premiere level, however, after doing all of her research she felt that the best business decision for someone who was serious about earning as much as possible would be to get started at the Platinum level. Jamie, will be no doubt be successful as long as she consistently returns clients request within her business. Jamie owned a dog kennel business with her husband Josh; they both decided they wanted something that could allow them to earn more money but was not as time intensive. They have since sold their dog kennel and their dogs to get started with Coastal. Jamie, has a strong telephone posture that will serve her well. She seems to be the type of person that is decisive and capable of accomplishing anything she puts her mind to. With her husband's support I am certain they will be extremely successful.

Phone call from Mom

As usual, I just returning calls to clients and my phone rang. The Caller ID showed me it was my Mom's cell phone. I answered and said, "Hi Mom, what's up".

She responded, "Not much, how are you".
"Good, just working", I said.
"Well they took Mr. Bill back to the hospital from the nursing home, he has some sort of infection but he is doing O.K. right now" ( Mr. Bill, is Donnie's daddy ). She continued, "Mrs. Virgina's sick now"

"What?"

"You know she has been staying with us some since Mr. Bill has been sick".

"Yeah", I knew that.

" Well, she fell yesterday when she was at the nursing home with Mr. Bill. She hit her head but they checked her out and she seemed fine but, she was a little nauseated. Last night she started throwing up and having diarrhea. She had lots of diarrhea, I was up with her all night. This morning before I got ready for work I woke Donnie up and told him that his mama was sick and needed to watch her. Well he called me at work and said that he was taking him mama to the doctor because she wasn't doing any better. When he got to the doctor with her, he sent her to the hospital to be admitted."

I asked, "Do they know what's wrong with her"?

"No, not yet they just started her on some IV fluids". ( Obviously she is probably dehydrated )

She continued, "Anyway, after I got off of the phone with Donnie this morning. My cell phone rang, it was Mark ( her brother ) he said that Mama was going to the hospital. She has had another mini stroke". ( This makes me nervous she has had 2 or 3 mini strokes already which increases her chances of having a fatal stroke one day).

"How is she doing", I wanted to know?

"Her face is affected some this time Jackie, and her speech is affected. It is very very difficult to understand her".

My heart sank. I grew up and my Papa and Nannie were like a second set of parents for Stacy and I. During the summer staying at their house. Nannie fixed breakfast for us every morning usually 2 eggs over easy and 2 pieces of bacon with one piece of toast. Those were the best breakfasts I have ever eaten. During the day we usually helped Nannie and Papa with some sort of garden activity which usually lead to shelling butter beans, crowder peas, or shelling pecans right up until lunch. It was during these times we usually sat and talked with Nannie. She usually talked with us like we were adults even though we were only about 7 or 8 years old. Of course often times she talked to us about her growing up and how difficult life was before electricity and indoor plumbing. These were such great stories and I still remember many of them. At lunch time we usually just had a sandwich or Nannie fixed a small Mr P's brand pizza. Now that I have grown up I think these are really crappy pizzas but because of the memories that I have of them I still like them. After lunch Nannie and Papa religiously watched "The Young and The Restless" by default, so did Stacy and I. Usually while watching TV, Nannie or Papa or both would fall asleep. Then Stacy and I would also take a nap. In the afternoons Stacy spent a lot of time playing and occupying ourselves. It was during this time we played soccer, 1 on 1 using pinetrees in their yard as goal post, or made different kinds of paper airplanes while Nannie scolded us for wasting paper. We spent time making bows and arrows, slingshots, watching or helping Nannie and Papa as they did yard work, or worked on ceramics, a hobby of theirs.

Hearing about Nannies recent stroke makes me realize that the tomb on those memories is almost sealed. It's horrible realizing that such a fond part of life has almost evaporated.

What do you do with your profits?

"Your wealth can only grow to the extent that you do!" - T. Harv Eker

What do you do with your profits?

That was a question that I recently discovered on a small business message board. Below was my response.

I don't use percentage for the most part other than 10% of what I earn is tithed or goes towards charity. 30% goes to Taxes. Then I live off of $5,000 a month $2,000 for personal expenses and $3,000 for business which includes, web hosting, advertising, and personal development/growth. Everything else goes to buying assests that will create a passive income i.e. stocks, real estate, other businesses. I currently live well below my means sometimes putting as much as $15,000 to $20,000 into investing on a monthly basis but I am dead serious to reaching a point in which I will be living 100% from passive investment income. I want to make sure that I am always able to do what I enjoy and can always provide for my family. Right now I enjoy working and thank God everyday for allowing me to work for myself. However, one day I may enjoy swimming in the Caribbean at that point that is what I will do. I say this because I see that many of my business clients build successful businesses but never learn what to do with the extra income. Most businesses owners don't ever consider how to generate income outside of their primary business; therefore they remain trapped in the JOB they own. Don't put yourself in a position to work your business because you HAVE to. Use your income to buy assests so that you will not always HAVE to work your business. Most of us entrepreneurs do this because we love to, let's be sure we keep it that away. If we want to take a break or hiatus or vacation let's make sure we put ourselves in a position where we are free to make that choice.

Just my opinion,
Jackie

* some of the language was changed to fit my blog

To expand on my specific plans for my income currently. I am working on saving 1 year's worth of expenses in a money market account. So that will be a total of $60,000 ($5,000 a month for 12 months ). Currently I am using Paypal's money market account primarily because the interest is extremely competitive (4.52% as of this writing) and they do not have any restrictions on accessing my funds. Many money market accounts have restrictions such as you can only write a check from your account 3 times a year and it has to be for more than $500. Paypal's money market account doesn't have any restrictions such as that. In fact with Paypal you can get a debit card and get access to your funds whenever you want.

After one year of expenses are saved at that point. I will let my money market account just continue to grow. I will then have the security of knowing that if for any reason I am taken away from my business and can't work or am unable to work that; I have at least one year's worth of expenses I can live on. I will then use all other income above and beyond my budgeted expense to invest in more lucrative assests such as common stocks and real estate. My brother, Stacy, is far more knowledgeable about real estate investing than I am while I know more about the stock market. He has no interest in the stock market and he has a laser focus on real estate investments.

As I invest in stocks I will have a specific focus on the types of stocks I am looking for. I will not make trades often, I will have a set criteria for the investments I will be looking for. I will look for small cap. Companies with minimal debt, large amount of positive cash flow, positive earnings that are increasing at a higher rate of return than long term treasury notes, solid management track record, companies that are growing to become industry leaders, and with a stock priced at 15 percent discount to it's intrinsic value. All of my stock purchases will be made with expectation of holding on to my investments for several years to come. If that was a bit difficult for you to follow, just subscribe to my blog and you will learn more as you follow my actions.

I have a weakness when it comes to understanding real estate investing, I have a lot more to learn about real estate. I am hoping my brother guides me to the right places so I can learn as much as possible in the shortest amount of time, this will help cut down my learning curve. Real Estate, offers some of the best investing opportunities when trying to invest for income. That is what I really like about the idea of investing in Real Estate especially when considering rental income. In my opinion rental income is superior to stock investing when investing for the purpose of income. However, the advantages to long term stock investing are huge. First, you are able to grow your income completely tax deferred until you sell your investment; after all you don't pay capital gains until you sell and realize a profit. Long term stock investing can be one of the very best ways to take advantage of compounding as long as your investments continue to grow at a rate that is beating long term treasury bonds.

If you have any questions about this post feel free to ask. If I don't know the answer I will definitely look it up, your questions will just help me learn.

Pistons 92 - Bucks 74

“If anything is worth trying at all, it’s worth trying at least 10 times.” Art Linkletter

There you have it. Carmen and I got back from the game at about 11:30 last night. As you can see from the title the Pistons won their first playoff game. Way to go Pistons! The game was awesome and we had really good seats on the first level. The entrepreneur in me was awful intrigued as well. I am always watching advertisers and analyzing how effective there advertising is. In The Palace, where the Pistons play, my head was spinning thinking about how much revenue was being generated right before my eyes. A vast majority of that revenue was being generated via advertising. There was subtle and not so subtle advertising everywhere. One company in particular Rock Financial owns the place I think. They bar none have the most advertising in The Palace. As we went to the game they were giving hats away that said Playoffs 2006, but on the back it said Rock Financial. There is a remote control blimp that flys around the Palace during half time, between periods and before and after the game branded with Rock Financial. Every seat at the game had inflatable Thunderstix (used to clap together and make noise) branded with Rock Financial. The lights circling the dome and on the Jumbotron seemed to flash something about Rock Financial every few minutes.

Observing all of this made me think of several things. First of all how much monthly income does a company have to generate to buy that much advertising? How profitable can the loan industry be? I wonder how effective that advertising is. I am certain Rock Financial has plenty brand recognition but I wonder how much money that brand recognition creates for them? I wonder if they even know? Ultimately, I wonder if it is even cost effective for them. If it is cost effective, I wonder why they choose to advertise in a sporting venue and if there could be a better venue for that form of advertising?

I can not even go to a basketball game without entrepreneurial thoughts constantly running through my head. It can both be a blessing and a curse. Do you ever find yourself thinking about things like this?

Just some rambling...

"Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead." Scottish Proverb

Carmen and I just came back from the movies we went and saw the movie "The Sentinel". Great movie by the way, it's about the Secret Service and possible betrayal among the ranks. I have always liked the Secret Service and at one time gave some thought to possibly joining. Of course, that was a very long time ago even before nursing school. About that same time I had even given some serious thought to possibly joining the Peace Corp. I remembered when I was in nursing school I emailed the Peace Corp about working as a nurse with them when I got out of school. I was told that I would not be able to work as a nurse because I was only graduating with an Associate's Degree. That was pretty much the end of that. I am not sure why I even had a desire to work with the Peace Corp; I think it had something to do with the fact that I new I would spend a lifetime trying to improve my personal life so I felt that I should in some way selfishly serve the world so that I may do my part to help other's improve their lives. I considered the Peace Corp because I wanted to work to improve lives of people who can not help themselves. Not to sound cynical however, I feel very confident that the majority of Americans can choose to improve their life most of us just choose not to. In most 3rd world countries they don't have any form of decent healthcare and starvation is a constant threat to life for the majority of the population.

Tomorrow, evening we are going to another Detroit Pistons game. It is the first game of the playoffs and we are sitting on the first level this time. Carmen is very excited and I am looking forward to it as well. It will be a lot of fun there will be a lot of excitement in the air. I have to tell you Detroit has some of the best sport fans. It is just a great atmosphere to be in. To be honest, I most likely wouldn't be there if Carmen wasn't such a sports fan but I sure don't mind watching professional sports live. I will keep you posted in my next blog post. Well I am going to wrap this up and play a little online poker at www.mytruepoker.com wish me luck!

The Wealthbuilders weigh in on Dani Johnson

Dani Johnson, is by far the premiere training in my homebased business. I recently had a guy that said he had listened on her website to one of her free trainings and thought that she was a great "motivational speaker". That quickly told me either he was lying and he had not listened to anything on her website or he was talking about another Dani Johnson. Make no mistake, Dani is not a motivational speaker she is an industry wide trainer. Don't get me wrong you may leave one of Dani's seminars and be motivated by what you have learned but the difference is this. Dani Johnson, does not motivate or encourage you to succeed she actually teaches you how to succeed. Dani teaches step by step processes which are duplicatable for anyone to follow i.e. anyone can read a script.

I recently received an email annoucing that Dani Johnson was going to be hosting a conference call for the Wealthbuilders. I got very excited by that news. The Coastal Wealthbuilders are by far the best training and support network in this industry; now combine that with a training hosted by Dani, the best trainer in the industry and that sounds like it will be an extremely profitable event for any home based business entrepreneur.

Here are some recent testimonials from Coastal Wealthbuilders who are also graduates of First Steps to Success!

"Coastal Vacations is my car to success, Dani Johnson's Seminar's turned it into a Dragster!!! The only months that I've made any money in Coastal are the months that I attended a Dani event. 9 months later that equals 85,000 dollars"- Stacy, MS

"After attending my first "First Steps to Success" seminar, I was amazed at what I had learned. Dani's training was the best I had ever experienced. No garbage, just the truth about my business. Little did I know she would impact my thinking, my marriage, the way I associate with my kids, and strengthen my faith. I encourage all of my associates to attend! My husband and I will be in Minneapolis, we have no excuse not to and EVERY reason to be there!"-Renae, MN

"Since I have become a Coastal Wealthbuilder in Sept. of 2005, I have attended two "First Steps To Success" seminars and one "Creating a dynasty" seminar. I feel that having started my business fully loaded with the expert advice and training of Dani Johnson, along with fellow Wealthbuilders and team trainers, I have totally created my own "Power-house" of success! Always invest in yourself and the rest shall follow naturally! Never wait for things to happen! Go out and happen to things!" Molly, WY

"After attending my first First Steps to Success I increased my income from $3,000 dollars a month to $15,000 dollars my very first month after that seminar." -Jackie, MI

Proof, that Coastal Vacations is not a scam!

"The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes." Benjamin Disraeli

I often get this question from potential clients, "How do I know that Coastal Vacations is not a scam?"
I can completely understand why someone would ask this question. I even had the exact same question myself prior to getting started with Coastal Vacations. Heck I thought, " This sounds to good to be true, it must be a scam". However, I thoroughly did my research and I am glad that I did. Obviously I know Coastal is not a scam now because I have earned over $34,000 so far this year with my Coastal Vacations business; that's just working part time. There are many many more people out there succeeding with Coastal Vacations. You can read and hear about some of them here.

Before someone thinks Coastal is a scam they need to research how reputable our travel packages are . How can Coastal Vacations be a scam? We have 30 plus vendors which make up our lifetime memberships. Most of the companies that comprise our memberships are household names, that have been in business for 12 years or more, most are publicly traded and are licensed and bonded. These include such companies as, Walt Disney World, Hertz, Budget, Quest, Access, Fairfield, Marriott, and Universal Studios just to name a few. Our travel membership packages are easily worth 10 times the amount that we charge. Our Lifetime Travel Memberships will literally save you tens of thousands of dollars off of travel for the rest of your life. Here is the Proof!

Sometimes clients ask, "Are these vacations for real? How is it possible to offer such a valuable product for such a low price?" This questions is easily answered on our website under the link titled FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).

Are these vacations real?

These vacations are absolutely real! Many resorts and marketing companies have been selling vacation packages that are similar in nature for nearly 25 years at much higher prices. However, the packages they offer aren't nearly as extensive. Because the cruise lines, hotels, and resorts rarely achieve 100% capacity at any given time, they find that participating in vacation package programs is an affordable way for them to advertise, enticing guests to come and stay for pennies on the dollar knowing that they will spend money in the restaurants, gift shops, casinos, night clubs, etc, while they are there.

How are you able to offer these memberships so affordably?

First, you must understand how the Vacation and Travel Industry works. The prices of Cruises, Resort Stays and Airline Tickets change daily based on their projected capacities and vacancies. Resorts rarely achieve 100% capacity and they actually lose money on those empty rooms. Therefore, resorts are more willing to reduce room rates or create special pricing packages to attract guests. Once the guests are there, they are banking on the fact that guests will spend money in their restaurants, casinos, gift shops, etc. Coastal Vacations is also in a position to purchase in mass quantities to get the best deals.

You can read the rest of the most Frequently Asked Questions yourself by going here. Obviously by looking at the receipts posted here, you can see that the savings is real.

If you are trying to determine if Coastal Vacations is a scam, after reviewing the previous information it is obvious that it is not for the following reasons. They offer a very tangible reputable product, at a very valuable price. Which is obvious from the 27 pages of receipts located here. So if Coastal Vacations offers a real product at a valuable price, and they have real people making real money, marketing that product as evident from these testimonials, how can there be a scam?

If you still feel that Coastal Vacations is a scam then it is obvious that this is not a business for you. I wish you well in your search for a home based business but I am not certain how much more transparent Coastal Vacations can be.

Investing Lessons

" Wide diversification is only required when investors do not understand what they are doing. " -- Warren Buffett

Sitting here on Saturday morning with my laptop and Fox News' business block on the television. I decided to make a post to my blog, specifically one sharing more with my readers about what I am learning about investing. I am a big fan of Warren Buffet ( the worlds greatest investor and the only person alive to have earned his entire wealth stictly from his own investment activity) and his style of investing. I just got done reading a book titled How to Pick Stocks Like Warren Buffet. It is a great read and I have probably learned more from that book than any other book on the subject of stock picking and stock valuation. Warren Buffet, has earned an annual return on his investments of about 29%. The 500 largest companies on the New York Stock Exchange often called the S&P 500 only returned about 11% during that same time period. For the life of me, I can't figure out why more people don't make this man's strategy a case study for their own investment style. Just like when I started my Coastal Vacations business, I found someone who was successful and have consistently followed their lead. I agree with Warren Buffett's style of investing because it logically makes sense and his track record speaks for itself.

Buffett's, style of investing is controversial in the mainstream of Wall Street investors. Which make no sense to me since most of the Wall Street investors don't even beat the index of the 500 largest companies on the New York Stock Exchange (S&P 500 Index). This statement can be proved by the fact that 75% of all actively managed mutual fund DON'T beat the S&P 500 index. That tells me that I will listen to Warren Buffett's advice, over the majority. Warren Buffett teaches:

- Don't Diversify, instead concentrate your entire portfolio on 15 to 20 stocks that you understand well. Conventional wisdom teaches that diversivication prevents possible losses in your portfolio. Warren Buffet, believes that diversification will dimish your gains as well. He believes that you prevent possible losses by understanding your investments. If you don't completely understand the businesses that you are investing in then don't invest in them regardless of what your broker says.

- Buy stocks you know at a great price. This goes against conventional wisdom about such tactics as Dollar Cost Averaging. If you don't think you can make an annual return on your investment dollar greater than long term treasury bonds, then you need to be investing in those bonds and not common stock.

Dollar Cost Averaging -- is a strategy where you buy a stock you feel will do well over the long run and you simply invest a set amount each and every month at the same time with the same dollar amount every month. The problem is that when the stock is over valued, as an investor investing in an over valued stock will decrease their annual returns on your money. Buffet believes when the stock is overvalued you would be better off finding a better value in the market or simply invest in long term Treasury Bonds.

- No one loses money when selling a stock for a profit. It's better to take your profits then risk taking a lose. Buy low sale high. These are all conventional wisdoms that Warren Buffet just does not practice. If he invests in a solid company with a solid track record and good management in place he will keep the stock indefinitely. If a stock price takes a dip but the previous factors remain in place for the company then Warren Buffett is not concerned about an immediate stock price dip. He knows that eventually the stock price will have to fall in step with the company's profitability.

Also Buffett does not believe in selling high only to re - enter a stock position when the price falls. There are several reasons for this. No one can time the market so theoretically it's impossible to buy at the bottom and sell at the peak. When selling a stock you have to realize the capital gains and therefore you are taxed on them. When being taxed you are unable to use that money to reinvest therefore when you do re-enter into your stock position you have to use after tax dollars. That one fact alone will diminish your portfolio returns. Not to mention by jumping in and out of a stock position you are also charged more in brokerage fees which also will add up fast depending on how often you are in and out of the market.

I am not a mathematician, but I am determined to learn how to understand financials of companies on the stock exchange and how to determine the best return on my investment dollar. I will share with you through this blog what I learn, my victories, and my set backs. It is not enough to own a great business such as Coastal Vacations, you must also know how to manage your increase in finances that come along with this business. By managing finances, I mean we should pay off all debt, save up a year's worth of finances in a money market account such as Paypal's, and start investing your money so that your money will began to work for you. Coastal Vacations will quickly lead you to financial security, but it will take your assets earning you an income while you sleep to lead to financial independence. Use income from your business to buy and own those assets. I will pass along what I learn about buying those assets as I continue to learn it.

To learn more about picking and valuing stocks like Warren Buffet. Buy Picking Stocks like Warren Buffet from Amazon.

Happy Easter

"Everyone has his burden. What counts is how you carry it." ––Merle Miller

What a great week this has been so far. I am heading out of the office this evening and taking Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off for Easter. Tomorrow, Carmen and I will go to her grandmother's house to help her move. On Sunday, we will be at her parents house for Easter. I thank God for the ability to own my own business and to work for myself. I can remember when I was nursing, it would have been very difficult for me to get Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. Now I simply look in the mirror and ask my boss if it's OK to take the weekend off?

Needless to say he said YES!

Happy Easter!

We had a blast this weekend

"Success is simply a matter of luck. Ask any failure." Earl Nightingale

This weekend was awesome, we went to the Detroit Pistons' basketball game. They played the Indiana Pacers and won. Actually let me start from the beginning. Carmen and Jon (another distributor in Carmen's business) put up a sales contest for their offices. The winners went to eat at Genji's, a Japanese steak house here in town and went bowling afterwards. That was Friday night, on Saturday Jon and Carmen had rented a Ford Excursion stretch limo and that was our ride to the game. Since Carmen is my girlfriend, I was able to go along. It was a blast. I guess there are more perks to this relationship than I had originally thought.

Eating at Genji's was as usual, awesome. That is one of my favorite restaurants. I love the Asian culture including their food. Afterwards, when we were bowling we had a friendly competition between the offices, it was Clean Air Concepts vs. Covenant Filtration Inc. Unfortunately they won and now Carmen has to get a plaque made for them as part of the bet between her and Jon. The loser had to get a plaque made for the winning office stating they were the champions. On Saturday the limo was awesome. It was the same type of limo Carmen rented for me on Valentine's Day. An astonishing clean white 18 passenger limo with very dark tinted windows, complete with custom leather interior, flat screen TV, sun roof, custom coolers recessed in the interior, and CD player. I love riding in limos, I need to continue making money cause I plan to do that more often. The game was a lot of fun also, even though the Pistons killed the Pacers. I am not really a sports fan but I love watching professional sporting events live. It's such a rush and there is so much you miss when watching them on TV; not that I watch them very much on TV.

So what did you do this weekend?

$1,000 to Andrea Rooke

"I will equip you for success beyond your wildest dreams, if you let me" Dani Johnson

Way to go Andrea! Andrea, earned her self $1,000 this week with her Coastal business. Andrea is a teacher and a sports coach in her home town in Texas. She only works her business part time but has a goal of being full time in May of this year. If she continues to stay focused on the activity of her business and stays plugged into Dani Johnson's First Steps to Success then I am certain she will reach her goal.

It is interesting to note the top 3 people that I have brought in my business are all 3 graduates of Dani Johnson's First Steps to Success. Two of them have attended First Steps more than once (Stacy and Jen). I can't take credit for any of their success, the credit goes to them and their continued efforts to stay plugged in to Dani Johnson's training. I am privledged to say that I am able to watch them all change their lives inside the home based business industry. You guys are amazing!

Congrulations to Jen Wilson

"Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that." Norman Vincent Peale

I have to take a moment to send out a quick congratulations to Jen Wilson. Jen, made over $3,000 yesterday with her Coastal business. Jen, has kept her full time job up to this point so that $3,000 is basically like bonus money for her. Not to bad for a part time business. Jen came to me as a training sale from my brother Stacy. Coming in at the Premiere level she quickly saw the advantages to owning the Platinum package and quickly upgraded before completing her training on the Premiere package.

Jen takes her business and the opportunity to coach and train others very seriously. It has truly been an honor to work with her, her desire not only for her success but to help other's succeed is always apparent. I have met her personally on a couple of occasions at Dani Johnson events and will see her again real soon. Another reason for Jen's success is her belief that "Income follows Personal Growth". Her continued improvement not just in her skill but in herself has been inspiring to watch. I am very proud of Jen and wish her much continued success. It is both humbling and rewarding to see someone succeed in their business and to know that you played some small part in that.

Congratulations to Stacy O'Quinn

"Everything depends upon execution; having just a vision is no solution." Stephen Sondheim

This past month my brother Stacy O'Quinn wrapped up with $30,100. Now that is his profit after purchasing travel packages at his cost. Way to go Stacy! He deserves it, he is a hard worker and truly desires to help other people succeed.

I always share my great months with you as well. However, as you follow my success I have to be honest and share with you the weak months. Thank God, there has not been many of them. But, this month was one of them. I finished the month of March with a big fat Goose Egg. Those of you who are still wondering what a Goose Egg is, it's a Zero! I contribute this to me allowing myself to get distracted by my recent move to Michigan. I have not stayed as focused as I should have and have not spent very much time working my business at all. Now I am seeing the results of that and to be quite honest it is painful.

I have made some changes to get refocused, Dani Johnson's last First Steps to Success has really helped with that. I have doubled my advertising. I have applied principles that I have recently learned from the motion picture The Secret. I am listening to Dani Johnson on a daily basis especially anything that I have or that she has recorded on her website related to Prospecting and Closing. I have also registered for her teleseminar that is coming up related to Prospecting and Closing. I have identified some specific areas of my prospecting that I feel I can improve; such as, connecting better with clients through the FORM process.

So here is the math behind my progress for my goal of earning over $250,000 after the cost of goods in 2006. So far I have earned $34,000. $250,000 minus $34,000 equals $216,000. Divide $216K by the 9 months left in 2006 and that comes to $24,000. So I will have to average $24K a month to reach my goal. For the month of April I am going to focus on reaching $30,000. By reaching $30,000 this month that will help me to provide a cushion for future months. Thanks for following my journey, stay tuned...