Free Giveaways or Bonus Gifts (“ethical bribes”, as Alex Mandossian would call them) are almost a necessity these days for anyone looking to increase the number of people (prospective customers, donors, customers, clients) to opt in to their lists.

Everyone likes getting stuff for free if they perceive some value in it. Free is such a powerful force in innovation, especially online.

One innovation that sprung from the idea of individual “gifts” is “giveaway events” and they have now taken the internet by storm.

What is a Giveaway Event?

When several to hundreds of people or entities contribute products or services as free gifts for other people who visit a website that might be promoting a product launch, a new service, a particular promotion, then it’s considered a giveaway event.  

For people to receive each giveaway item, they must subscribe to the contributor’s mailing list. Done correctly and depending on the quality or perceived value of the gifts they offer, the contributors can build their lists exponentially in a much faster period of time than if they were to do it on their own.

That’s why Giveaway Events are such a GREAT idea for those just starting out!

Although giveaway events greatly benefit “newbies”, ANYONE can benefit from them, all the way up to multibillion dollar corporations or international non-profits.

Each contributor agrees to send traffic to the event website site so every contributor benefits from the mailing list of each other contributors (also known as Joint Venture Partners or JV Partners). The gifts you give can either be your own product or service or it can be a gift you own the rights to give away for free.

The event organizers send you instructions and promotion materials such as sample email messages, endorsement letters and sponsored ads to use in endorsing this give away event to your subscribers who are already subscribed to your mailing list. Again, if your list is small, you can always team up with a colleague or a mastermind group of people you like and trust and present a united front…VERY POWERFUL!

That’s exactly what I did when I received an email from Chet Holmes International informing me of their MASSIVE Giveaway Event that kicks off TOMORROW, June 4th

After experiencing first-hand the power of their big event last year, I knew I’d be crazy not to take part once again. As I thought about whom I could partner with, it occurred to me that this event would tie in nicely with my 2008 goal of raising the visibility of women, their businesses, products, services or causes on the Internet.

So I put out a call for women who were interested in joining me and it’s an AMAZING group of women from all over the world who are movers and shakers who have INCREDIBLE gifts to give!

We’re calling it the GutZy Women International Mastermind Alliance and we invite you to take part in this EVE-olution by checking out the Event website. It will fill you in on all the details.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article & follow the rest of the story:

She did it! My daughter graduated from high school!

Graduation parties abound this time of year. GRAND celebrations…not just for our kids, but for us parents as well, who seriously questioned whether OUR child’s turn would truly come to pass.  There were times…

Like the day the report card came in the mail. “You skipped 6th hour 22 times? Unexcused absences how many days? Why wasn’t I notified? How is this possible? You’re grounded the rest of your life. AAARRRGH!”

The inevitable conversations with school adminstrators and councelors only served to strengthen my daughter’s resolve to find an alternative solution. Sitting in overfilled classrooms, listening to uninspired lectures, dealing with kids intent to disrupt, sick of the pressures of sex, drugs and alcohol, she’d had enough and wasn’t willing to do it anymore.

I FREAKED!

But thanks to the University of Miami’s College Prep Online High School, we found an alternative and a good one at that. I was a bit nervous about it, as the cost was a shocker and self-discipline was required. But since it was mid – semester, there weren’t alot of alternative solutions for her to remain a student.

Turned out to be the best move we could have made.

It was a turning point in her attitude and determination to do well in school. She went on to enroll in a dual credit program between a local charter school and the colleges in town. This last year, she completed not only high school but now has full year of college credits for the classes she finished at the local community college (with flying colors, I might add!).

So here’s my point…

GutZy Women is about helping people (especially the female type) get over their fear & frustration of computer technology and the Internet because it is the single most powerful educational tool in our world today. It allows you stay at home, yet have access to the most up-to-date information and the most knowledgeable people across the world.

It changes the way we live, learn and do business. Sometimes, as in my daughter’s case, it provides solutions. But for those of us who grew up in a different world, it’s not an easy thing to change our thought patterns.

How different the world is today for our graduates than in my day!

• I had a very hard time thinking, at first, that my girl would miss out on traditional high school life. Like sports, running for queen, school functions, annual signing, etc. But she didn’t! She had even more amazing experiences because she wasn’t afraid to step out of the box.

• I’d had a very hard time dealing with her coming home and telling me she couldn’t sit in a classroom, listen to lectures, put up with the way the kids treated each other and wanting to try an alternative to traditional high school. But she didn’t. She knew what she wanted and went after it.

• I was worried that she would have a hard time with the self discipline of online high school as well as waitressing part time. But she wasn’t. And now our daughter understands what it takes to live successfully in the world.

We are SO PROUD of her! She is an AMAZING, determined young woman!

Our hearts are exploding with joy that she represents the next generation of GUTZY WOMEN!

CONGRATULATIONS to all the new graduates, but especially to you parents out there who have survived it .

Here’s to us…HALLELUJAH!