Dear Women (and Brave Men) of GutZ, BrainZ & HeartZ,

When I heard that Janet Beckers, Founder of Wonderful Web Women, totally lost all of her websites…and I’m talkin’ GONE…because her website provider just DISAPPEARED, I had a couple of reactions.

1. Since she is a friend and colleague of mine, my heart went out to her because after having been an internet marketer and “evangelist” for over 10 years, this happening is like your worst NIGHTMARE!

2. I got nervous because there is so much content on my GutZy Women website that if that were to happen to me…I would have a heart attack! That is YEARS of work!

So as I followed how she and her incredible team were going to deal with it, I was in AWE of how Janet, in particular, overcame such a wrenching experience!

After screaming, crying and bemoaning her fate, she got right back up and turned lemons into lemonade. (Actually she went even a step further and turned it into Margaritas…now that’s the kind of GutZy Woman I’m talkin’ about

Her story is all over the place…on her website, on her blog, etc. So I’m not going to repeat all the details. But what I want to bring to your attention is the fact that she will be taking what she learned from this horrifying experience and showing YOU and me how to not make the same mistake!

So if you have a website or two…I would highly recommend that you listen to what Janet and her Geekess Supreme, Charly Leetham, have to offer in the way of preventing that from happening to us and what to do if (God forbid) it does.

The teleclass is LIVE tonight in the US and Tuesday morning in Australia. It’s free…so if this is something that can be extremely valuable to you…These two ladies KNOW whereof they speak!

Click here to register …NOW! It’s happening soon!

http://tinyurl.com/donotdisappear

Sincerely,

Deb Ducic

aka GutZy Woman

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?)}

OK, back to Free Giveaway Events…if you haven’t read my previous post, you missed a good example of aligning with others to gain more credibility and value when taking part in one.

If you’ve never done it before, it can be confusing and maybe a bit intimidating, but GutZy Women is all about stepping out with some gentle guidance and a whole lot of support and education, so let’s take it step by step.

Below are 6 steps to follow today, plus 5 more steps tomorrow, so check back. Better yet, just subscribe to my Feedburner RSS feed and you’ll get tomorrow’s conclusion.

1.       The giveaway site itself is set up by the individual or organization that decides to use the event as a marketing strategy.  They attract as many contributors (those who contribute the free gifts) and others (sponsors, advertisers) as possible to support their efforts by offering participants increased visibility and prizes through the joint efforts of ALL who take part.

2.       The contributors decide what products or services they will give away. The contributor is responsible for creating the text, graphics and link URL for their offer which will be listed and displayed in their “box” on the above website. There are as many different types of gifts, freebies, bonuses, giveaways, etc. as there are contributors. To be most successful, they must be perceived as valuable enough to warrant a person giving their name and email address.

3.       If you agree to be a contributor, then you also agree to send out to your email lists the message that has been prepared by the organizers. That message describes the event and has a link that sends the reader to the giveaway website. It’s a good idea to personalize it in a way that will better appeal to your particular market and make it unique to represent you, but it’s not essential. It is essential, however, to have the integrity to do your part in getting the word out and not just rely on others to get the job done.

4.       If the visitor decides to partake, the organizer of the event captures the site visitor’s contact information to be followed up with in the future. The visitors are given a way to get back to the site, once they leave, for future use…ometimes with user names, passwords or other ways to be exclusive.

5.       The first page of the giveaway site can either be the contributor’s giveaway itself with no purchase required or it often is designed to get the visitor to buy something first and then once purchased, will take the visitor to the contributors “giveaway boxes”.

6.       Next, the visitor decides which of the offers they want. They push a button or a text link on that item which takes them to the contributor’s website OR opt in page (often called a “squeeze page” as it “squeezes” that person’s contact information out of them before they can proceed.)

      So yes, the offers are free, but are in effect, an exchange for information. It’s the part that entices the contributor to give something away in the first place

Some people get upset about giving out their info, but they needn’t worry. The CAN Spam laws require that people be allowed to “unsubscribe” from a list, even after they have collected their free gift, so there really is no risk AND if they’ve done their due diligence, stand to greatly benefit.

Join us tomorrow to finish up with the other 5 steps of Giveaway Events and a hint of a Cool Giveaway coming up very soon.

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!

 I am an Omnivore. What are you?

You can find out by taking a survey on the PEW Internet & American Life Project website. You probably already have a good feel for what kind of “techie” you are (or not), but you can see where you fit in with other Americans AND for those of you who are in “the business” you’ll find it valuable as well. Obviously, I’m fascinated enough to write about it.  Apparently I belong to only 8% of the American public who are deep users of Web 2.0 applications and mobile applications they’ve lovingly named “Omnivores”. 

Omnivores are a subset of people who fall into the “Elite Tech Users” categorywhich make up 31% of American adults. We are the most active participantsin the information society, consuming information goods and services ata high rate and using them as a platform for participation and self expression.We have a deep and varied tech appetite, which is why we are called the Omnivores. Most Omnivores are in their twenties (Where did I get lost?:) and nearly all have high-speed connections available at home or work. We are highly engaged with video online and digital content. Between blogging, maintaining our Web pages, remixing digital content, or posting our creations to our websites, we are creative participants in cyberspace. 

PEW divides Americans up into three main categories, as well as 10 subset groups and I’m sure you’re dying to know which group you belong to! Be sure to take the survey to find out, but in the meantime… Here’s the breakout according to the report written by John B Horrigan, Director of research for the PEW Internet & American Life Project, based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International between February 15 to April 6, 2006, among a sample of 4,001 adults, 18 and older. 

·                     Elite Tech Users (31% of American adults)

·                     Middle-of-the-road Tech Users (20%)

·                     Few Tech Assets (49%) 

Go take the survey, then come back tomorrow for some fascinating highlights and conclusions of this study.

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