My Dream Comes True…28 Years Later!

Have you ever visited a place and loved it so much you said to yourself and/or others you wanted to go back and live there someday?

That thought stays in the back of your mind, popping up every now and then,  wondering if there will ever be a right time to actually make it happen. The “can’ts”, “not nows”, or “just dreaming” tend to take over when jobs, businesses, kids, older family, homes, money, health issues or other responsibilities take priority compared to making dreams happen.

I’ve lived my share of that mind game. Although I’ve taken a lot of risks throughout my life in order to live it on my terms, I’ve also backed down a lot because I had certain responsibilities to others as a result of the choices I had made. We all do trade offs…especially when we give life to other human beings and raise them as best we can.

While doing that, we get sucked into bigger homes with mortgages, multiple cars with monthly payments, lots of toys that just  get more expensive as the kids and we grow older. Year after year we just accumulate more “stuff” and it starts to weigh us down. Under that weight, it just seems like too much trouble to move anywhere else or too hard to change the lifestyle we’ve developed. So sometimes our dreams get dimmer and we decide that maybe they were just silly ideas of our younger days.

Well, I’m here to tell you that sometimes dreams actually come true when these three ingredients are in place… TIMING, FOCUS and GutZ.

Timing is HUGE! It’s Why You Don’t Give Up on Your Dreams

Several years ago, when we made the move from Beulah to Pueblo, we made the conscious decision to RENT a home as opposed to buying one. Why? So that we could be free to move if the opportunity came up. Since my Hubby has never really like Pueblo, we figured the time would come.

I honestly am not a very good home owner even though I’ve studied the money game for many years and know the benefits of home ownership versus renting. I like the freedom that comes with non-ownership.

So when my daughter graduated from high school last spring and moved into her own place with a job and college classes, my hubby and I looked at each other and said, “OK, so where will we move to?”. We discussed other cities in Colorado, California, Utah, Washington and Idaho, but nothing really excited us.

All of a sudden I remembered (drum roll, please…)
What about Australia?

Ever since Joe sent me a ticket to come visit him in Australia for 3 weeks after we first met in Keystone, Colorado, I’ve wanted to go back to experience the beaches, food and people of that magical land down under! I advised my hubby to keep his Australian citizenship even after we got married, JUST IN CASE we might want to move there some day.

Well, after 28 years, it seemed  the right time and circumstances had appeared!

Since our son was now 24 with no positive prospects for jobs or ANY other worthwhile opportunities in Pueblo and my daughter graduated and wanting to be out on her own, as well as an economy seeing its’ worst days since the Great Depression…Hey it just seemed like the PERFECT TIME to move on and take the plunge.

The Law of Attraction is an AMAZING thing!

It didn’t take long at all to put the request out into the universe and get back the answer, once we determined to FOCUS on that goal. In fact it was SCARY it was so fast and easy!

Joe asked his old ski buddy who lives and works as a ski instructor in Colorado and Australia if he knew of anyone we could stay with or rent from until we could check things out and the answer was YES…HIS PLACE! We went up to Aspen shortly thereafter to celebrate our friend’s 60th birthday and negotiated the details with him and his wife.

The Best Layed Plans….You Know How That Goes

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Obviously it’s something that has to do with thin air, but what?

Take your best shot with this multiple choice quiz:

A. Spiritual gurus on a mountain summit manifesting cool things out of thin air?

B. Altitude sickness sufferers collectively test a new inhaler that works in the thin air of the mountains?

C. Experienced climbers gather to brainstorm ways to lessen the affects of thin air in order to reach the summit?

D. None of the above.

Trick question, actually, because it’s a bit of all three …

But before you continue reading the article, I would LOVE to hear YOUR first guess as to what is a Thin Air Summit? Come on, be creative! Could be fun.

In truth, The Thin Air Summit is the evolutionary outcome of an eclectic group of new media enthusiasts originally coming together to plan a “Podcamp.” But just as new technology and media morphs at the speed of light, so has the nature of this event , scheduled to happen in November 2008 in (drum roll please…) DENVER, COLORADO (Thin Air…get it?)

So what is a Podcamp? How is it different than a “New Media Conference”?A PodCamp is a usually a free “BarCamp-style” community UnConference (which just means an “unorganized conference,” shortened to the word UnConference.) for new media enthusiasts and professionals including bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, social networkers, and ANYONE curious about new media.

A BarCamp is an ad-hoc gathering of people born from the desire of each to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos and interaction from participants.

The first PodCamp was held September 8-10, 2006 in Boston, Massachusetts. They’re now being held regularly all over the world, so they’ve proven to be quite popular events.

PodCamps aren’t just about podcasting.(I know…this gets confusing, with alll these new terms, so bare with me).If you’re interested in blogging, social media, social networking, podcasting, video on the net, audio, or you’re just curious about new media and how you can use it in YOUR endeavors, you definately want get involved.

If you’re eyes glazed over when you read those terms, it’s OK, you aren’t alone. 

You just haven’t read up on some of my other articles or watched my videos yet. It’s all there in short and simple, easy to understand articles. Hey, It’s important to your future success, especially if you run a  business or compete for donation dollars.

Then when you feel a bit more confident and don’t want to sit on the sidelines any more, please join in.

When Patti Serrano invited me to join her in crashing the Denver party and after a couple of “meetups” I’ve met some very “media savvy” men and women who will become incredible resources for me, as well as those I serve.

OK, so what makes the Thin Air Summit different than a Podcamp is that it has morphed into a “real conference” as opposed to an “Unconference” (an “unplanned” conference is now been shortened to the word: Unconference).

In other words , it IS an organized event  which will include experts in their fields to give primarily EDUCATIONAL presentations divided up into 3 different tracks: text, audio and video . The individual sessions will provide practical information relevant to creating better content in that particular medium.

They’re also planning some panel discussions. The panels will bring all three tracks together and be focused on new media topics that are relevant to all - both the practical, such as monetization, and the philosophical, such as “What is New Media and Why is it Important”.

So what’s in it for GutZy Women (or Brave Men ) like you?

Many of you might experience a fear or frustration when it comes to technology and multimedia marketing. The first step to getting over it is education. The next step is taking what you have learned and implementing it.

Sometimes, we need a little handholding, mentoring, inspiration and support in actually taking the action necessary to move forward.

The Thin Air Summit will be an UNBELIEVABLY VALUABLE place to be to learn, be inspired, connect, ask for help and the price is definitely right…LIKE FREE?

If the organizers hear from you powerful women and Enlightened Men out there who believe it’s important to include a greatly diverse bunch of qualified presenters, If you DO feel that way, there just might be a good showing of well qualified women speakers on stage at the event.

So forget all those expensive, overdone conferences that make your cash vanish into Thin Air! Rise to the Summit challenge. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone even if you feel it’s going to be too “techie” for you.

Events like this are a great opportunity to network with people who can teach you, mentor you and learn from you as well. As a matter of fact, the organizers are now in the process of looking for great presenters. Maybe you’re one?

^{In the mean time, what’s  your version of what the Thin Air Summit could be? Let’s hear your ideas in the comments down below… (Let’s keep it clean, OK?)}

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.

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 My previous article set the stage for when good intentions aren’t God’s intentions and how the universe knows better than we do.

It was a beautiful day and Nathan Anderson, founder of SEO Club, lives around one of the most beautiful spots in the world! He invited me at the last minute to join him for his first “public” Vidcast on his back deck overlooking an amazing setting of Red Rock, Green Cedars and Blue Sky.

This was going to be FUN! It’s why I LOVE Web 2.0 and I was really looking forward to it! But as it is often said…”Easier Said than Done”.

One has to accept the fact that the only way people can take part in an event such as Nathan was holding, is to have a working connection to the Internet from such a remote location as North Creek Road in Beulah,Colorado, which normally isn’t a problem… except for today. 

Not to worry! To make a living at Internet marketing in such a place, one must also have backup, in case the initial connection dies for reasons beyond your control (like the service provider screws up).  

The Verizon PC card to the rescue, or so we thought. We jumped in my convertible and headed to the highest spot on the mountain that Nathan knew of to get a signal. YAY…we got connected, to the internet that is. But to no avail when some sort of conflict appeared with how the PC card worked with the software Ustream uses to broadcast live.  

DRAT! Foiled again. 

Like two little puppy dogs with our tails between our legs, we headed back to the ranch.

Bummer Dudes & Dudettes!

Feeling bad about the 8,000 people Nathan invited, especially for his first SEO Club live public broadcast, he gave in to the forces that be and accepted the fact that at least he was able to send word of what happened to a friend from our mountain top…to inform those on his list. 

“So what did this all mean, Universe?”, I was saying to myself on my drive back to my office to write my daily blog. And the Universe answered back, “Another chance, my dear Deb, on another day.”  

And so it was and so it shall be… 

NEXT WEEK as a matter of fact, is our second chance…OURS and YOURS! Why yours, you might ask? 

Cuz, you didn’t even know about this FUN & FABULOUS event before…

and now YOU DO!

COME JOIN US! LIVE! 

SEO Club with Nathan Anderson presents… SEO Club Live!

Every Friday at 4pm Eastern.
(That’s 3pm Central, 2pm Mountain, or 1pm Pacific)
Broadcasting live from the Wet Mountains of Southern Colorado.

http://www.SEOClub.com/live

We’re going to have FUN. The more the merrier, I always say!

(Oh, I just realized another gift I got from this day! I mean, what could I have written about on my blog today that would have had such an ENLIGHTENING message, if everything would have worked out as originally planned? The universe is truly amazing, is it not? Be in the NOW and truly LIVE!)

This has been one of those days that defies traditional thinking and throws you back to the law of attraction mindset with big question marks showing up in your brain. In other words, what I have just experienced doesn’t really follow anything we’ve learned about how our intentions work to create our thoughts.

But somehow, we sense that the law is at work, since much of what we enjoy and believe shows up in our day.

It has to do with faith in the process rather than perfection in meeting our humanly defined expectations.

So, What’s that got to do with Nathan Anderson

Today, I woke up to a gorgeous spring day in my home town of Pueblo, Colorado determined to go for a bike ride. There’s something about a bicycle ride along a nature trail that energizes my batteries and this morning it was loudly calling to me. But, just as I was getting ready to go, I decided to check my email.  

 Amongst the tons of usual internet marketing Guru hype I receive every day, Nathan Anderson’s email caught my attention because Nathan and I go way back to the days in Beulah, Colorado, when I originally got into the possibilities of the internet and the profession of website design. In the world of connecting souls, we’ve been frequenting some of the same places and connecting through some of the same people.  

So when I checked my old computer, which is the ONLY one that receives messages from one of my old email addresses, I immediately considered his proposal…which was…to join him on his inaugural broadcast of The SEO Club LIVE Ustream Event. Since I have been taking part in a friend’s Ustream events for a while now, I had no problem saying YES!  Knowing the unique abilities of UStream AND Nathan Anderson, I could see the possibilities, especially since it was a beautiful day and Nathan lives around one of the most beautiful spots in the world!  

This was going to be FUN and I was really looking forward to it! 

All I can say is…EASIER SAID THAN DONE! 

Check back tomorrow to find out what kind of crazy things happened when the universe took over.

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