I love and hate my camera phone.

I love it because it’s always with me, and I can always take a few pics of things in spontaneous moments.

I hate it because the quality of the snapshot is always in question, and I NEVER get the pictures off of my phone and into somewhere else I’d like to see them.

Until now!

Without further ado, may I present to you…

“How Allen and Lani Spent August 4th and 5th, 2006: A Visual History!” 

Garden Grove, CA — the view from our hotel suite. Disneyland was a stone’s throw down the road, but unfortunately, as much as I tried to get all “Scorcese” with my camera phone, I couldn’t find an angle that could capture any part of Mickey or his friends.

 So there’s Allen striking a pose in the front part of our stylin’ suite…

And there I am in the “Den o’ Love” - complete with king size bed, the suite’s 2nd TV, and a very sexy ironing board.

 Moving on…

So how do we spend these glamorous Mastermind days? Oh, it’s scintilating - let me tell YOU! Mostly, around tables, giant wall Post-It notes, and projector screens like these:  and . Doesn’t that look like a room full of FUN?!!!

Believe it or not, it IS really fun, if you get over your fears and give into the intensity of the environment. Ideas, tips, and proven tactics fly at you from all angles, and you just have to set your frequency to HIGH and let it all come rushing in - or else scribble it down in a frenzy for future processing.

But every hard-working business owner needs to step away from the work eventually, and what better way to do this than by going out with your pals for a decadent Italian dinner? (Even though you all went out for a family-style Italian lunch. Oops. Poor planning.)

We had a two-minute limo ride to the restaurant — just enough for a couple of photo opps:   — our happy MM cohorts, and  – us with Sir Adam.

And now…grainy camera phone pics from the restaurant!

 That’s the lovely and gifted Ms. Erika Gombosova of http://www.liveyourlife.us/. Erika helps blocked professionals identify and overcome obstacles from their past so they can reclaim their purpose and turbo-charge their lives for more time, money, and full-bodied success. Doesn’t she have a great smile?

And there I am with the trailblazin’, copywritin’ spitfire herself, Ms. Michele Pariza-Wacek (www.MichelePW.com). Michele is an “Integrated Marketing and Copywriting Strategist” who provides results-driven content for her clients. Basically, Michele makes sure the words and messaging her clients send out to the world don’t just sound good, but earn them more clients, opportunities, and yes — money! Michele is a talented creative writer, too, and she’s written two works of fiction that she’s currently shopping around to agents and publishing houses. (Learn more about those here.)

Oh, and look! It’s the power couple — Paul and Kira Wagner! 

Paul is the guy who’s going to be my hero over the next year, because he IS ”The Software Magician” - http://www.softwaremagician.com/ - and he specializes in helping small-biz folks like me use Outlook more effectively so we can save time, manage our contacts, streamline our email networking and opportunities, and work this valuable tool so we can add mucho bucks-o to our bottom line. (Soooo excited about Paul’s goals for the next 12 months!)

And Kira! Well, this dynamo is here to change lives for the better. She’s a coach, entertainer, radio host, muse, speaker, and she’s all about FREEDOM. What do I mean? Well, she’s the creator of a five-part system for solo-professionals and small biz owners called “Freedom’s Formula” (http://www.freedomsformula.com/), she’s author of “The Handbook for Freedom” — AND her radio show is called “The Freedom Factors,” on which she interviews a range of entrepreneurs and professionals to share ideas and advice on how to emancipate yourself so you can totally ROCK.  

“waaah-waaahh-waahh…” Hark, do I hear a baby crying? Oh, that means we’re coming up to the Diva of Doulas, the Babe of Birthing, the Queen of Contractions herself…

Ms. Sheri Menelli! Ain’t she the cutest, tho’? (Sheri, not me.) Sheri is author of “Journey into Motherhood: Inspirational Stories of Natural Birth,” she’s a hypnotherapist who offers downloadable MP3s for insomniacs, the stressed-out, entrepreneurial dreamers, and even gals who need a little help breastfeeding. As if that wasn’t enough, Sheri teaches training courses to midwives and doulas who want to turn their much-sought-after expertise from a maternal hobby into a thriving, focused business. (Check out her mojo at http://www.birthingbusiness.com/!)

Drat! I’ve just discovered that I didn’t manage to snap any candids of two of my Mastermind pals, Ms. Laura Kostyo and Mr. Russell Eberhardt.

(No biggie - I’ll just grab a pic from the Internet, right?)

Presenting Ms. Kostyo. At first blush, Laura is a mild-mannered sweetie, but don’t let her easy, approachable demeanor fool you. When it comes to real estate, brokering deals, and getting first-time homebuyers the homes they deserve at the interest rates they can afford, Laura is a BULLDOG! In fact, she’s so committed to leveraging her experience as a real estate agent broker, investor and helping people live the American dream that she’s using the next 12 months to develop programs and tools designed to streamline the home-buying process for everyone smart enough to work with her. How do I know she’s so good at what she does? Well, the national average for getting loans approved is a dismal 50%. Laura’s average? 97% - even though her typical client has a less-than-perfect credit rating and no money for a downpayment! You gotta admit - THAT’S pretty impressive.

And then there’s Mr. Eberhardt. Russell (who you can actually see in the limo picture, I’m happy to say), initially joined the Mastermind group as a support team for Erika, because he’s absolutely committed to Erika’s talent and vision and has seen her change people’s lives for the better over and over again. But a cool thing happened at the end of the second day. Russell said he’s going to resurrect and pursue his own personal business goals, too. Way to go Russell! And since he’s a specialized teacher who’s spent the last quarter century as registered nurse and a dedicated student of osteopathic health alternatives, I have no doubt his offerings will transform lives in countless and profound ways.

Wow, am I blogged out! I sure hope I didn’t miss anyone. Adam? Allen? You guys can fend for yourselves.

Posted in Entrepreneur Diaries, Masterminding |

This entry was posted on Friday, August 11th, 2006 at 10:46 am and is filed under Entrepreneur Diaries, Masterminding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.