The Secret Assistant's Blog

Give It Up? 24 Hours? I'll Need Rehab!

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:51:15 -0500

Can you stretch your imagine, I mean REALLY stretch it to imagine living without your computer for an entire day?

This includes:

NO web surfing
NO email
NO online working
NO Twittering
NO MySpace
NO Facebook
NO IM
Don't Even Check Your Calendar!

Are you up for the challenge? Great! Tomorrow is Shutdown Day. The idea of Shutdown Day project is simple - just shutdown your computer for one whole day of the year. Instead of hanging off a keyboard all day involve yourself in some other activities: sports, gardening, fun stuff with friends and family - whatever, just to remind yourself that there still exists a world outside your monitor screen.

You can sign up for the challenge on the Shutdown Day site, http://www.shutdown.org/. Prove to yourself, and the world that you can do it. Enter photos and videos about your challenge. As an added incentive you have a chance to win prizes!

Go ahead...Just Do It...as a great shoe company always says...it is Saturday anyway....you need a break!

We will meet back here Monday to talk about rehab.

Whew...I Got Permission to STOP Today!

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:03:05 -0500

I've been on the "marketing merry-go-round." A phrase I heard for the first time today from Sandra Martini, a business coach. She describe me perfectly in her weekly newsletter today. Perhaps she's been peeking in my office window every day? Has she been watching me chase the perfect marketing plan today, only to start another one tomorrow and yet another one the next day? Surely I'm not the only person that gets something new and better in my inbox almost every day? Something guaranteed to make me the best, the smartest or the richest?

Today Sandra Martini told me I could stop, get off the merry-go-round and catch my breath. I'm sure there has been countless other newsletters hit my inbox with the same message, but today was the day that the message hit home! Her message was simple....stop and stick to one plan. Of course there was a bit more to it than that, but basically it is that simple. Funny how we get so wrapped up in the hype of the lastest marketing schemes and we quickly leave behind what worked so well for us for so long. Lesson Learned!

If you want to get Sandra's newsletters and her great tips visit her website, www.SandraMartini.com .

Here's to Your Marketing Success!

Jeri Winkler
The Secret Assistant
Jeri@TheSecretAssistant.com
www.TheSecretAssistant.com

Email Templates In TP7i

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:32:46 -0500

Has anyone had any success using email templates in TP7i? I've created simple email templates to use but they just aren't jazzy enough. I would love to use templates like those from http://www.mlxjet.com/ or something similiar but have not had any success yet. Has anyone found the secret yet?

Jeri Winkler
The Secret Assistant
Jeri@TheSecretAssistant.com
http://www.thesecretassistant.com/

Attention All Women of Faith!

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:35:36 -0500

GREAT NEWS!!

I just received my monthly Women of Faith e-newsletter and they have an awesome deal! They are offering DVDs of the last 3 Women of Faith conferences for just $5 each. Contagious Joy, Extraordinary Faith, and Amazing FreedomDVDs are now on sale at a never-seen-before discount. Just $5 each! Buy all 3 and get a $120 value for a mere $15 dollars!

I was at the last conference, Amazing Freedom, and I can vouch that $5 is a STEAL!!! I am ordering all three DVDs right away. I felt like I could not afford to buy the DVDs of the 2005 and 2006 conferences last year when I attended the Amazing Freedom conference. God makes all things possible!

To get this great deal visit http://store.womenoffaith.com/wofstore/default.asp . I also highly recommend this conference. Visit the Women of Faith website for information on a conference that will be coming to your area. This is a wonderful, uplifting and fun conference. I won't ever miss another one!

Their website, http://www.womenoffaith.com/, contains a lot of great things! They offer a monthly newsletter, full of great articles. They also offer online Bible studies, plus more. Check it out!

Have a Blessed Day!

Jeri Winkler
The Secret Assistant
Jeri@TheSecretAssistant.com
www.TheSecretAssistant.com

A "Virtual" Apprentice?

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:50:52 -0600

I admit that I'm hooked on Donald Trump's Apprentice series. Last night was an especially good show! The celebrity series has been filled with a lot of ego, not usually something that appeals to me, but this season I'm hooked. How many times have I thought I could do this SO much better..ha! It is easy to sit on my couch and see obvious mistakes, especially when they have real estate related tasks. Last night as the show was ending I had the greatest idea! Mr. Trump needs to have a "virtual" apprentice series. The VA industry is the hottest industry in the US right now, especially in the world of real estate, his world! We are the most creative, talented group of professionals I know of. I believe Mr. Trump would be VERY impressed!

Just a thought....

Jeri Winkler
The Secret Assistant
Jeri@TheSecretAssistant.com
http://www.thesecretassistant.com/

The History of Alexandria Bay, NY

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:19:47 -0600

Alex Bay

Alexandria Bay, as well as the surrounding area, has always been a location that was noted for its beauty, its vast resources and its spiritual being. Long before Europeans sailed over and settled into North America, the tribes of the Iroquois Indians called this area home. They lived and flourished richly off the treasures found in the waters and on the land. It is estimated that European settlers and missionaries began venturing into Upstate New York in the late 1500’s or early 1600’s and they too fell in love with the paradise.

James LeRay, a landholder in the early 1800s, had this area surveyed. He liked what he found and created a settlement. Alexandria Bay was founded at this time (1817 – 1818) and named for his son Alexander. Because of the location it didn’t take long for the little settlement to become a busy port. During the late 1800’s Alexandria Bay became a bustling community and a major fueling stop for steam ships traveling the St. Lawrence River.

Alexandria Bay continued to grow and at times seem to burst at the seams with affluent visitors from all over the country wanting to soak up the luxury offered at the extravagant hotels or on the opulent boats cruising the river. Prosperity was the norm and this was the composition of Alexandria Bay, until the depression hit. The depression was devastating to this area. The once wealthy visitors no longer had any money so they no longer visited the area. Businesses closed, many people lost jobs and the economy of the area, like the rest of the nation, crashed.

After The Great Depression Alexandria Bay never regained her grandeur again. Some of the grand homes remain today but many of the homes burned during the depression, some of them under suspicious circumstances. The luxury hotels are also gone with only the written accounts of the grand parties and beautiful people remaining.

A large boost to the area economy occurred in the 1950s with the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway which linked the Great Lakes region to global markets. Work on the Seaway began in September 1954. This was a mammoth project. New bridges were either modified (without disrupting traffic) or built, new channels were dug and existing ones dredged. Excavators uncovered rock formations so tough that new methods and stronger machinery were needed. The related power development flooded 100 square miles; land was expropriated and entire communities were resettled. Some 6,500 people were moved to new homes and approximately 550 dwellings were moved. Completion of the joint U.S.-Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway navigation project was completed in 4 short years.

Today Alexandria Bay and the 1000 Islands Region is an international destination for a wide variety of tourists. The waters of the St. Lawrence River have a year-round beauty, perfect for the nature lover and the sportsman. On shore you will find quaint shops, restaurants and things to do that will fill a day in a blink of an eye! Whether you are looking for family activities, world-class fishing, romantic evenings, top-notch dive sites or just a little rest or relaxation, then Alexandria Bay is the place to be!

Jeri Winkler
The Secret Assistant
Jeri@TheSecretAssistant.com

2008 Events and Activities In Alexandria Bay

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:34:56 -0600

Alexandria Bay, as well as the surrounding areas, offer many exciting things to do year round. Below you will find activities for young and older virtually every month of the week. If you would like more information about any of these events, or more information about Alexandria Bay, visit www.AlexBay.org. This is the website for our local Chamber of Commerce and is filled with useful information.

2008

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES IN ALEXANDRIA BAY

February

23 Polar Bear Dip at Bonnie Castle Benefit of River Hospital Foundation

March

April

4 - 6 Blue Grass Weekend
Thousand Islands Blue Grass Preservation Society
Bonnie Castle Year-Round Resort
7pm Friday & Saturday evenings, Jam Session on Sunday
Admission at the door; for more info call 315-482-4511

May

9 Antique Boat Museum Opens to the Public (9:00am to 5:00 pm daily)

10 Boldt Castle Opens for the Season

15 Antique Boat Museum Volunteer Breakfast

17 6th Annual Music Fest
Redwood United Methodist Church
Redwood Fire Hall from 2pm-9pm
Free Admission, Children's Activities, Bake
Sale, Silent Auction POC Pastor Helen

19 Victoria Day, Canada

23 - 25 Grand International Ragtime Jazz Festival
Pine Tree Point Resort

24 Grape Blossom Festival
Thousand Islands Winery
For more information, call 315-482-9306

25 28th Annual Blessing of the Fleet
Have your boat blessed before the Summer season begins! 1:00 pm

25 A Day with the Fishing Guides
Benefit River Hospital Foundation
For more information call 315-482-4976

26 Memorial Day

31 Village Wide Yard Sale

June

4 Citizen of the Year Dinner

14 1000 Islands Family Miracle Day

Antique Boat Museum in Clayton
FREE admission (12pm-4pm)
Benefit Children's Miracle Network

19 AUSA River Day

20-22 Alexandria Bay Poker Run
A gathering of the hottest, fastest, & most
exotic powerboats in North America

21 Summer Book Sale at Macsherry Library; (regular library hours)
For more information call 315-482-2241

21 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Historical Society - Cornwall Museum
Meet at the Cornwall Museum & Store for a reception
and then off you go for dinner! For more information call (315) 482-4586

27-29 2nd Annual Thousand Islands River Run -
Motor Cycle Rally
3 day event featuring Bands, Poker Run,
Vendors, Dyno Machine, Vertical Outlaws and much more

July

1 Canada Day

4 Fireworks over Boldt Castle
Celebration of Independence Day...9:45 pm

5 Alexandria Bay Fire Dept. Barbecue
Located at the Fire Hall on Walton St ; For more
information call 315-482-2121

5 Posh Picnic & Fireworks at the Antique Boat Museum
Clayton; Featuring boat rides, a gourmet
picnic and dancing under the stars.

9 Concert in the Park
Scenic View Park ...7 pm

10 River Hospital Auxiliary Fashion Show

10 4th Annual Silent Auction,
Wine & Cheese Reception
at Macsherry Library, featuring local artwork
and crafts. To benefit the Library

11 - 13 31st Annual Vintage Boat Show

12 5th Annual Winery Birthday Bash
Thousand Islands Winery
For more information, call 315-482-9306

16 Concert in the Park
Scenic View Park ...7 pm

16 Historical Society Guest Exhibitor

Fan Exhibit by Cecile Horkheimer
collection of fans dating back to the 17th Century,
will speak on fans used through the ages and will
evaluate fans brought to the presentation. At Cornwall Brothers Store

17 "Motor Boating Magazine Illustrations"
by Rebecca Hopfinger
Historical Society Gallery Presentation...
Cornwall Brothers Store

18 Silent Auction & Reception
Macsherry Library - 7 pm to 10 pm

19 - 20 Annual Summer Craft Fair
Scenic View Park Pavilion
Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm; Sunday, 10 am - 5 pm

19 Thousand Islands Winery Birthday Bash

23 Concert in the Park
Scenic View Park ...7 pm

24 "Diving on the Wreck, The Islander" by Ken Kozen
Historical Society Gallery Presentation...
Cornwall Brothers Store

25 Victorian Tea & House Tour at Casa Blanca
Benefit Historical Society; for tickets call 315-482-4586

26 Carri"BAY"in Day
Steel Drum band performances at Scenic View Pavillion

26 - 27 Dingman Point River Artists Studio Tours
Four area artists, Mary Compeau, Hans Junga,
Michael Ringer, and Sherman Ward, have opened their
studios for tours. Each studio will feature a guest artist
as well. These studios are located on or near
Dingman Point Road , Alexandria Bay , New York

27 Festive Evening - Joey's Thousand Island Restaurant
Benefit River Hospital Foundation
For more information call 315-482-4976

30 Concert in the Park
Scenic View Park ..7 pm

31 "The History of Singer Castle " by Patty Mondore
Historical Society Gallery Presentation...
Cornwall Brothers Store

August

1 - 3 2008 St. Lawrence River Rustic Show
Bonnie Castle Recreation Center
Benefit River Hospital Foundation
For more information, call 315-482-4976

1 - 3 44th Annual Antique Boat Show & Auction
at the Antique Boat Museum - Clayton

6 Concert in the Park
Scenic View Park ...7 pm

7 "Classic Boats of the 1000 Islands "
by Anthony Mollica, Jr.
Historical Society Gallery Presentation...
Cornwall Brothers Store

8 - 17 Bill Johnston Pirate Days
10-day event featuring Pirate Invasions.
Family entertainment daily

13 Concert in the Park
Scenic View Park ...7 pm

14 "History of Pullman Island " by Richard Calabrese
Historical Society Gallery Presentation...
Cornwall Brothers Store

15-17 Antique Raceboat Regatta 2008
Antique Boat Museum - Clayton

20 Concert in the Park
Scenic View Park ...7 pm

21 "Seasons of the St. Lawrence:
A Photographic Exposition" By Tom Weldon
Historical Society Gallery Presentation...
Cornwall Brothers Store

22 Victorian Tea & House Tour at Casa Blanca
to benefit Historical Society
Call 315-482-4586 for more information & tickets

23 Gala at Boldt Castle
To benefit the River Hospital Foundation
For more information or tickets call 315-482-4976

23 Book Signing by Authors of the 1000 Islands
Benefit Historical Society... Cornwall Brothers Store
For more information call 315-482-4586

27 Concert in the Park

Scenic View Park ...7 pm

Aug. 28 - 8th Annual Blues in the Bay

Sept. 1 Wrap up your summer with this annual event.
The fabulous five-day music festival staged
throughout the village and features spectacular
waterfront views, a pleasurable atmosphere and
fantastic blues music

Aug. 30 - Annual Fall Craft Fair

Sept. 1 Scenic View Park Pavilion
Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm; Sunday & Monday, 10 am - 5 pm

September

1 Labor Day

6 Village Wide Yard Sale

6 Book Sale Bonanza
Historical Society...gently used books
(bargains to best sellers)

6 Blues In The Bay Party
Thousand Islands Winery
For more information, call 315-482-9306

13 & 14 1000 Islands Concours d'Elegance

October

1 Fall Mixer

4 5th Annual Oktoberfest
Thousand Islands Winery
For more information, call 315-482-9306

11-12 Grand International Ragtime Festival

Pine Tree Point Resort

13 Antique Boat Museum Exhibits Close for the season
Museum Store & Offices remain open

13 Columbus Day

13 Thanksgiving Day, Canada

19 Boldt Castle closes for the season

November

11 Veterans Day

11 Remembrance Day, Canada

27 Thanksgiving Day

December

5 Chamber of Commerce and Hearts for Youth

Christmas Social

6-7 Kris Kringle Market
Located at the Thousand Islands Winery
indoor Christmas Market; call 315-482-9306
for more information

6 Holiday Craft Show

Macsherry Library; 10am to 5pm

13 Christmas Light Judging Contest
for the Town of Alexandria

25 Christmas Day

31 New Year's Eve

Today I Will Make a Difference

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Wed, 30 May 2007 16:08:22 -0500

This was my weekly email from Max Lucado today. What an inspiration!! It is my hope and prayer that I can live by this each and every day. Just think....if everyone could live like this what a wonderful world it would be! Let's pray that we can live like this and may it be contagious!!

Enjoy,

Jeri

*******************

Today I Will Make a Difference
by Max Lucado

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It's OK to stumble... . I will get up. It's OK to fail... . I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.

Today I will make a difference.

From Shaped by God
Copyright (Tyndale House, 2002) Max Lucado

I'm Inspired!! Hope You Will Be Too

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Fri, 25 May 2007 15:01:25 -0500

This newsletter hit my inbox a few minutes ago. When I saw the title, Journaling, I almost didn't read it. But, right now I will do anything to take a break so I read a few lines. After a couple of paragraphs I was hooked! This isn't what I called "journaling".....I call this taking notes... If you have a few minutes please read this all the way to the end and see if this type of organization can help you tackle that never ending to-do list. It's worth a try if you are like me and have tried everything else!!

If you are looking for a good newsletter I highly recommend this one. Go to http://www.riseandshine.com/ to sign up!

Enjoy,

Jeri

Rise and Shine for the Business Rainmaker & Entrepeneur in You.

Words to inspire you, tools to help your business profit and grow and ideas for creating more time for your life.

Journaling For Fun and Profit

I have been journaling for several years... In my office we have a leads journal where all brand new prospective business is immediately written down so we don't lose it....Particularly when I get distracted and go off on one of my creative tangents.

I have a daily journal where I write notes on every conversation that I have with a client or supplier as I am having the chat... so I will remember any and all main points, plus my commitments...

I have a journal that I write notes in when I am listening to classes or courses so that I can quickly review the information and think about how I want to think about the information. However, recently I discovered a new twist on the art of journaling.

I was in a class on a Sat. with one of my favorite coaches Joe Stumpf from By Referral Only. He had flown in from San Diego to spend the day with our group. He had a rather novel approach to journaling which I have been utilizing for the past month with rather surprising and interesting results.

Here's the gist of it.

Joe uses two journals...An imput journal and an output journal.. The input journal is used when listening to tapes, reading a book, generally for learnings and thoughts on learnings..

The output journal :

Step 1/ Make a list of everything on your mind , literally, dump it out......put air in the Mercedes tire, buy a new electric toothbrush, pick up fresh vegy's.... And on and boring on...no matter how seemingly small or petty.

The idea behind this is that you dump your load. Today our minds are in overwhelm, we have so much coming at us... there is no room for more. I have been practicing this for about 6 weeks now. Just a couple times a week. It is interesting how it empties the mind.

Ergo the well known zen koan that suggests the tea cup that is overflowing cannot retain any new content, therefore we have to learn to dump the cup before anything more can come in. What has been interesting about this process is the quality of what comes out on paper after I have dumped the load...

I used to have days of challenge with what was happening when I journaled because I would hold a lot of content in my head while trying to write about a particular area or subject. So first you dump the load.

Once you've dumped your load and all the great ideas and projects start to pour out you have some decisions to make; you won't be able to tackle them all. Sit with them for a time until you figure it out.. here's the next step.

Step2: Note all the one step processes and highlight them in yellow.

Pick up fresh vegy's is a one step process. Get them done or delegate them. Get the one step projects out of your life because they take up mental energy and space, blocking your better projects All processes with 2 or more steps highlight in green, it's a project.

This is where you have to be picky. It is highly unlikely you will ever accomplish all of your multi step projects. So you need to develop a system for choosing depending on your values. Which ones are closest to your heart, or which ones monetarily allow you to leverage your time to create the greatest financial benefit. You Pick. This reduces the number of tangents particularly for creative types.

Step#3 When it goes beyond project status it's a letter to God . Joe writes a letter to his inner CEO of what the completed project would look like, puts it into his God box and then leaves it alone. I haven't tried this last one yet but I will test it in the near future.

I understand it is a system in itself and available in a book called The Eleventh Element which I am sure you can buy at Amazon. This is not on my current time line, but if you are really interested check it out. However, I have moved ahead much more naturally on a couple of major projects in the last 30 days. My brain has simply been clearer.

The concept behind this system is that the brain is a tool for processing and not for storage... It is true many of us get stuck with a lot of stuff in our heads and can't move on. So give it a try and let me know your results in a month or two.

Have a great week.

Aeriol

Link: http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?Ni0fiyZbM_uJbLVtfyRleA

P.O. Box 32 King City
Ontario. L7B 1A4
(416) 423-1550

The Great Life Team, P.O. Box 32, King City , Ont L7B 1A4, CANADA

Marketing on Zillow

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Mon, 21 May 2007 22:40:47 -0500

I would like to hear how successful you are at marketing your listings on Zillow. Are you getting any serious leads from posting listings there? Do buyers give you any feedback about the discrepancy between the value Zillow gives and your listing price? (which can be quite significant in a lot of markets!)

A client had me post a listing last Friday and we got 124 hits in 2 days. The property is listed over $1.3M. Zillow says the value of the house is only $518,000. Of course most buyers want the house for $500,000 because they don't understand the system. They think the sellers (or the agent, my client) are greedy.

I would love to hear any success stories and/or how you handle the questions about the difference between Zillow's numbers and your listing price.

Regards,

Jeri Winkler
The Secret Assistant
jeri@secretassistant.com
www.SecretAssistant.com

What is up with Advance Access Today?

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Mon, 21 May 2007 13:54:22 -0500

All of my Advance Access sites are down today and all attempts to reach the company have been going nowhere. Their phone system seems to be dead and emails sent are not being answered. Are your client's sites down? If so, have you been able to contact the company? Any idea what might be going on with them today? I have clients that want to know what is going on. Please post if you know what is up with AA today!!

Thanks,
Jeri Winkler, Virtual Assistant
The Secret Assistant
Jeri@SecretAssistant.com
http://www.secretassistant.com/

Any Problems With Advance Access Today?

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Mon, 21 May 2007 13:52:19 -0500

All of my Advance Access sites are down today and all attempts to reach the company have been going nowhere. Their phone system seems to be dead and emails sent are not being answered. Is your site down? If so, have you been able to contact the company? Any idea what might be going on with them today? I have clients that want to know what is going on. Please post if you know what is up with AA today!!

Thanks,
Jeri Winkler, Virtual Assistant
The Secret Assistant
Jeri@SecretAssistant.com
www.SecretAssistant.com

Feeling Lost?

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Mon, 14 May 2007 08:26:07 -0500

The following story was in my inbox this morning, first one, right on top...how appropriate for a Monday! I always feel lost on a Monday. My to-do list isn't fresh in my mind and I'm not sure where to start. I'm always slow to get started.

This story is from the Monday Morning coffee series, specifically the Ghost Series (as in "ghost writers"). I get an email like this every Monday morning but this one hit home today! I hope they don't mind me sharing it here. If you would like to subscribe I'll add a link to the bottom of the story!

Enjoy the story!

EVERYTHING IN ITS RIGHT PLACE!

Remember as a kid, how your mom would admonish you when you left your shoes lying by the front door, or threw your jacket over the kitchen chair as you sprinted upstairs to change and go out to play? "How many times have I told you to put your things where they belong? If you don't keep track, you won't remember where you put them."

She already knew the secret that taking a couple extra moments or steps now would save a lot of time spent searching later. Yet even now, it can be hard to apply that knowledge to our daily lives. We still come in from the garage and throw our keys on the counter with a stack of other stuff, instead of hanging them up where they belong. We're too tired, busy, or preoccupied, and we toss things aside without a second thought.

Chances are that our behavior will cause us inconvenience somewhere later down the line. If we could only learn to keep things in their proper place, we'd be able to find them again when we really need them. It's not just shoes or keys we're talking about here, either. It's our spirituality, our sense of well-being.

We're often too busy or too distracted to pay attention to ourselves. We have to remind ourselves of our center, if we ever expect to find it when we (or others) need it. We need to take a few moments each day to "put our house in order," whether it's through meditation, prayer, or simple contemplation.

What are your blessings and your priorities? Find them every day by keeping them in their proper place. Then you'll always know where to find them!

What To Do When...

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Fri, 11 May 2007 22:11:14 -0500

When in sorrow .... John 14

When people fail you .... Psalm 27

When you have sinned .... Psalm 51, 1 John 1:9

When you worry .... Philippians 4:6-9

When you are in danger .... Psalm 91

When God seems far away .... Psalm 139

When your faith needs stirring .... Hebrews 11

When you are lonely and fearful .... Psalm 23

When you grow bitter and critical .... I Corinthians 13

When you feel down and out .... Romans 8:39

When you want peace and rest .... Matthew 11:28-30

When you want assurance .... 1 John 1:9

When you leave home for work or travel .... Psalm 107:23-31

When you need courage for a task .... Joshua 1

When the world seems bigger than God .... Psalm 90

When you're broke .... Matthew 6: 25-34

When you want to be fruitful .... John 15: 1-17

When you need to know how to get along with others ... Romans 12

When you're looking for an invitation .... Isaiah 55

Is This A Marketing Nightmare?

Jeri Winkler (The Secret Assistant) — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 13:21:57 -0500

New tax assessments were mailed out a few weeks ago here in Alex Bay. I've been told property around here hasn't been assessed in years. As people opened their mail you could hear a collective groan across the village that evening. Suddenly homes are popping up for sale faster than the tulips are coming up. I don't know if the drastic tax increase caused this but it is certainly suspicious. As I watch graceful old homes being sold now my heart aches that if this tax increase is truly causing this market deluge then it is a shame.

As real estate professionals what can we do to get people the most money for their homes in situations like this? What are the most effective marketing techniques we could use in times like these? Direct marketing? Probably not since everyone is in the same boat, neighbors are selling too! Internet marketing seems to be the answer in this type of market. Let's explore all the options. Of course the MLS is the standard. I don't know of any MLS that isn't on the internet today. Every company should have a website that advertises all of the company's listings. Each agent should definitely have a website. There are many free portals available to advertise - Google, Craigs List, Postlets, and LiveDeal. For approximately $10 you can create a property specific site. Many cities have advertising outlets that allow you to advertise properties at little or no cost. In Louisville, KY a site called louisvillemojo.com allows agents to advertise listings at no cost. A local agent there tells me he gets good results from the ads he places there.

Also explore alternative advertising. I live in an area that is home to many retirees that winter in Florida. In the case here in Alex Bay I would recommend that local agents advertise throughout Florida in the top marketing venues there. In other areas look to the population to direct your marketing efforts. Know your market, know their lifestyles and if they are mobile then market to the areas they move through in their travels. Your local population makes life-long friends as they move throughout the country in off-seasons. These friends could be the next resident of your community!

Explore and experiement with your marketing. You've only got new business to gain! If you need assistance with marketing contact Jeri Winkler, The Secret Assistant. Jeri@SecretAssistant.com