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Posts from the 'Masterminding' Category
June 14th, 2008 by Lani Voivod
Social media. Social networking. Facebook. LinkedIn. MySpace. Ryze. Zaadz (or is it Gaia?). Twitter. Friends. Colleagues. Contacts. Invitations. Clubs. Connections. Communities. Networks. Events. Winks. Tags. Walls…
Anyone else confounded by the whole world of online networking hubs?
Wouldn’t it be nice to connect with real, live, breathing professionals who share similar goals and interests while still remembering to HAVE FUN?!!! (Cuz really, if you’re not having fun while you’re pursuing your passions, building your business, or creating your life, what’s the point?)
I’ve struggled to stay awake at various chambers of commerce meetings from DC to LA to Laconia, NH. I’ve noshed rubbery chicken and flavorless pasta dishes at networking events in and around Boston. I’ve been searching for “My Peeps” for a while now, and had pretty much given up the quest.
 Until last month, when I hit the 1st anniversary celebration of Women Inspiring Women (WIW), a “networking and development” group that’s growing like gangbusters in membership and reputation throughout NH’s Lakes Region…and the state of NH, too.
 Maybe it was as simple as the dozens of pink boas strewn around the tables and displays. (That alone made me giddy.) Or perhaps it was Powerhouse Consulting’s Kathleen Peterson and her keynote speech, “From 34B to 40D…One Woman’s Journey,” in which hard-won tips on personal branding were interspersed with tales from the menopause trenches and the pitfalls of wearing Spanx.
Or maybe, just maybe, it was the the fact that I was greeted with genuine warmth and enthusiasm by everyone, including FABULOUS founder and president Leslie Sturgeon, Career Sparks’ Michelle Whitenack, Edward Jones’ Katie Laux, and so many others.
 No one assessed my nametag, shoved a business card in my face, and went off to the next victim…er, I mean, target. No one looked like they were being tortured, or like they overdosed on Lunesta. (Conversely, no one looked like Charo on the Love Boat, either, which can happen at some women-dominant events.)
It just felt like a fit. I kept thinking to myself, “I belong here.” That’s a good feeling, especially in this time of impersonal digital blast networking gone wild. (Thousands of friends? Really?)
This month’s meeting — a lunch soiree featuring Certified Image Consultant Susan Osborne of Be Image Consulting — hit all the right notes, too: Relevant, engaging, well-attended, useful, interesting, unstuffy, and FUN. I gave them my membership dues with gusto, and I’m already looking forward to the next inspired batch of panel discussions, socials, programs, and roundtables.
For a professional gal who’s short on time and always on the look out for personal and professional support and success strategies, I feel insanely lucky that Leslie Sturgeon decided to launch her brainchild up in our neck of the woods. Thanks, Leslie! I’m psyched to be on the WIW team, and can’t wait to learn, blossom, laugh, and grow with you and the rest of the pink boa-wearing power players. 
***Hey — if you’re a chick doing biz or playing with your passions in NH, I highly encourage you to come join the party!***
P.S. Need a reminder of what networking’s all about? Check out this article, “The 1-2-3 of Successful Business Networking,” from Career-Resumes.com (for which my dear hubby serves as Chief Blogger).
Posted in Masterminding, Microenterprises R Us | 1 Comment »
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June 5th, 2008 by Lani and Allen
We took a deep breath, and jumped.
That’s the best way I can describe our leap into signing up for Melanie Benson Strick’s coaching program, the Fast Track to a 6 & 7 Figure Lifestyle Business.
We’ve just had our first mastermind call this evening, and we’re thrilled that we’ve reached the point in our business where we feel confident that investing in her coaching program is the next step for taking Epiphanies, Inc. to a new level of success.
It’s not our first time in a coaching program. We were in Adam Urbanski’s “Platinum VIP” marketing mastermind group from June 06-June07, and we were so green in our business, working with Adam really helped us to get started in the world of educational marketing. Adam, we would never have made it this far without you. 
We’ve gotten to the point now in our business where mindset, belief, and delegating to a team are probably the most critical challenges we’re facing, and Melanie’s the perfect person to help us in this area.
This first module we’re going through is designed to set the baseline, so to speak, with an eye on the areas of our business we’ll be working to improve over the next 5-6 months. It’s almost daunting to see how low we scored in the initial assessment, but heck, that means there’s nowhere to go but up, right?
Ultimately, our goal is threefold:
- To continue to help our million-dollar-revenue clients implement the latest content development and marketing success strategies, to boost their reputation, visibility, and bottom lines.
- To share what we learn, so we can help NH’s lifestyle micro-preneurs and adventurous small business owners to build their businesses powerfully, confidently, and strategically, through workshops, teleclasses, and other educational programs.
- To own the “A-Ha!” (bold insight PLUS joy-filled action) once and for all.
This opportunity to shift and grow with other 6 & 7 figure business owners around the country is invaluable. We’ve re-jiggered our lives to make the time to work on our business, not just in it, overcome our fears, stop second-guessing ourselves, and turn concepts like the 80/20 Rule and the Law of Attraction into allies.
Are you interested in us sharing this journey with you on our blog? Please leave us a comment and let us know.
Posted in Dances With Gurus, Entrepreneur Diaries, Masterminding | No Comments »
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on Thursday, June 5th, 2008 at 8:20 pm and is filed under Dances With Gurus, Entrepreneur Diaries, Masterminding.
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April 17th, 2007 by Lani Voivod
Here’s the deal - I’m WAY behind on email these days. If I wasn’t, I would’ve made this opportunity public on our blog much earlier than this. But since I can’t change what’s in the past, here I am, doing my part to get this opportunity out to any of the lucky few who happen upon it during the next few hours…
 Our friend, Mastermind leader, and Marketing Mentor, Adam Urbanski, is offering a teleseminar tonight that’ll be loaded with good advice, strategic tips, and marketing know-how for your biz. It’s called “Client Attraction Secrets,” and it’s scheduled for 6pm PST (9pm EST) TONIGHT, April 17th.
The information Adam’s gonna share tonight will no doubt inspire ways for you to:
- Be more effective with your marketing
- Make more money, and
- Get the results you want and need for your business success
The admission for the 90-minute call is $99. But, since we’re among a handful of folks who’ve been lucky enough to work with Adam one-on-one since May 2006, he’s given us a VIP Access Code we can share on our blog and with our Inciter subscribers that offers $70 OFF the regular fee.
In other words, you click through THIS LINK, sign up for the call, and you pay only $20. That’s only TWENTY BUCKS for hundreds of dollars of top-notch information.
 Adam has guided us through thick and thin during the last year. We’re now bringing in 2-3 times more money every single month than we did before we started working with him, and our projections for the second half of 2007 are even higher. We work smarter, enjoy ourselves more, have better clients, and bring more value to those we work with. As you can imagine, all this makes us very, very happy.
Most importantly, though, we understand business and marketing better than we ever hoped to - even though we’ve been studying this stuff for years and years.
You may or may not know Adam. Heck, you may or may not even know us, for that matter.
But we honestly cannot recommend this guy more. You’ll get far more than your money’s worth, whether you pay the $20 or the $99, we guarantee it.
Hope to hear you on the call. Just click this link, www.EpiphaniesInc.com/vipinvite.php, and you’re in!
P.S. If he finds out I shared the above pic of him in his yellow tee and cutsie stuffed animal made from nothing but rolled-up hotel towels at our October, 2006 Mastermind meeting, he’ll kill me! Still, feel free to tease him about it.
Posted in Dances With Gurus, Masterminding | No Comments »
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January 16th, 2007 by Allen Voivod
Imagine 11 solo professionals and small business owners in a hotel conference room, all with the fierce determination to improve what they offer to their clients and prospects.
A mentor revealing the secrets to killer presentations even as he weaves one or three of his own.
Improv exercises that train you to link any image - and I mean ANY image - to your main marketing message.
That, in a nutshell, was day 2 of Adam Urbanski’s Platinum VIP Mastermind Retreat in sunny Garden Grove, CA. And if you want an even smaller nutshell, try this one: A 3 minute, 44 second audio recap of the biggest insights from the eventful second day.
(And, no doubt, partially fueled by the wine I had at dinner that night. Thanks for being the founder of the feast again, Adam!)
Posted in A-Has in the Ether, Dances With Gurus, Lessons Learned, Masterminding | No Comments »
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on Tuesday, January 16th, 2007 at 5:20 pm and is filed under A-Has in the Ether, Dances With Gurus, Lessons Learned, Masterminding.
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January 16th, 2007 by Allen Voivod
Two days locked in a room with a marketing mentor (that’s Adam Urbanski) and a select group of savvy business owners. Free-form firestorms of ideas, strategy, and executable plans. Coffee, cookies, and concentrated advice.
Lani had to stay home with our beautiful, increasingly energetic son for this one, so Allen (that’s me) filed this audio dispatch (2 minutes, 19 seconds) from deep inside Adam’s Platinum VIP Mastermind Retreat, revealing the big insights from Day One:
Posted in A-Has in the Ether, Dances With Gurus, Lessons Learned, Masterminding | No Comments »
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on Tuesday, January 16th, 2007 at 4:18 pm and is filed under A-Has in the Ether, Dances With Gurus, Lessons Learned, Masterminding.
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December 19th, 2006 by Allen Voivod
Earlier this month I flew the roost sans Lani to meet up with 40 of NH’s finest small business owners…and fellow members of the stellar microenterprise advocate, MicroCredit-NH. With dozens of mastermind-type groups all over this great state, MicroCredit-NH represents 80% of all businesses in NH: That is to say, businesses with five employees or fewer.
Here, we have featured speaker Betsy Black. She led the group through two networking exercises, and judging by the volume level in the room, everyone put her advice into action…with gusto! (The exercise? Ask a short set of introductory questions, then a follow-up question based on each response, then play six-degrees-of-separation games as you figure out each other’s mutual friends and business contacts.)
After the guided exercises, we were turned loose to keep workin’ it with as many other biz owners in the room as we could. It worked out so well, we actually closed the Meredith Community Center down! (That’s how life goes. Ten years ago, I closed down a bar or two. Now, I close down community centers.)
 Of course, I’m more than a little proud of our own MicroCredit-NH group, “Lakes Region Business Works.” (Left to right is me, Mike Lemire, Darcie Shedd, Lucie Villeneuve, Regional Manager Extraordinaire Claudia Needham, Heather Phelps, Stephanie Demme, and Glenn Madon.) We hosted the event for the other groups in the area, and the feedback has been so positive, other groups want to host their own networking events in 2007.
As entrepreneurs, we (meaning you and me) often say things like we’re “striking out on our own” into the small biz realm, as though we’re exchanging corporate “civilization” for a comparative wilderness.
Truth is, we don’t have to go it alone. And in fact, it’s probably a bad idea. Stir crazy happens. We can lose perspective when we’re holed up in our home offices for days, weeks, months at a time.
Mind a bit of advice? Meet up with some fellow travelers on the small biz path, and walk a while with them. It’ll boost your spirits AND your survival skills. (And you may even score a few yummy snacks, too!)
For FREE articles, tips, and strategies designed to catapult your content and electrify your business, sign up for our ezine, “The Inciter,” at EpiphaniesInc.com!
Posted in Masterminding | No Comments »
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October 19th, 2006 by Lani Voivod
“Great minds think alike.”
Yes, we’ve all heard the expression. But it’s missing the a most vital element - one that could be the difference between your struggling business and a thriving, money-generating powerhouse, and that is:
“Great minds ALSO think very differently…and when they combine forces, they’re virtually UNSTOPPABLE.”
It’s THIS distinction that makes a Mastermind Group one of the most powerful and effective forces behind every great success story.
Allen and I joined a Mastermind group in June. Our group consists of seven other small business owners (2 folks from New York, five from California, and Allen and I representin’ New Hampshire).
We’re REALLY lucky, cuz our group is led by the dynamic and incomparable Adam Urbanski (this guy is changing our lives and bank account this year for the way, way better! We LOVE Adam!), and it’s totally transformed the way we think about our business.
In fact, the Mastermind experience is proving to be so important to our growth and success, Al and I are forming a local one with Mr. Kevin Skarritt this month. (Woohoo!)I’m so excited I can barely see straight.
But, what exactly IS a Mastermind Group? And how the heck do you go about starting your own?
As luck would have it, I’ve found someone who saved me a bunch of time and energy by answering this question for inquiring minds. Her name is Karyn Greenstreet, a self-employment expert and owner of Passion for Business, LLC.
Check out Karyn’s article, How to Create and Run a MasterMind Group, and then go on and download her FREE E-Book on the subject, right below the article. It’s everything you need to get started, and to make 2007 the year that KICKS BUTT for you and your bank account!
Thanks, Karyn!!!
And by the way, Karyn’s blog looks like a fab resource for the self-employed of all stripes. Gotta love the Internet!
Posted in Masterminding | No Comments »
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on Thursday, October 19th, 2006 at 5:01 pm and is filed under Masterminding.
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August 11th, 2006 by Lani Voivod
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 | 1 Comment »
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August 4th, 2006 by Lani Voivod
I’m in a stellar hotel suite in Garden Grove, CA right now, and I’m listening to Allen talk to our son, who’s staying with his Grandy and Fuddy in New Hampshire. Context clues tell me that our almost-four-year old just asked Allen: “What did YOU do today, Daddy?” Here’s Allen’s answer:
“Well Joe, Mommy and I sat in a room with a lot of other nice people, and we talked about ways to make money.”
I’m glad I eavsdropped, because I was sitting here, just before we get whisked away in a limo to go to a swank Italian restaurant (Adam’s treating us — isn’t he nice?!), and I was trying to figure out what the heck we actually DID do today. And what Al told our son pretty much sums it up.
Al and I met Adam at 7:30am for breakfast, then we went to a conference room at 9am, set up, and waited for everyone else to fill in so we could start at 10am. We had the “quick” overall biz catch-ups from 10-noonish, and then the real fun started AFTER lunch…
When we returned, we pulled straws (so to speak), and Al and I got to be the first pair to present our business, what our plans are, and what we should do to catch up to our financial goals in the nex | |
Until last month, when I hit the 1st anniversary celebration of Women Inspiring Women (WIW), a “networking and development” group that’s growing like gangbusters in membership and reputation throughout NH’s Lakes Region…and the state of NH, too.
