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We know the cliché “a picture is worth a thousand words” but in blogging the more accurate cliché is “a picture is worth a thousand ‘likes.” Having a blog will help you to stay visible as well as effectively communicate your brand and subject matter expertise, but having terrific content is no longer enough. Your blog posts must also contain images, videos, graphs and charts all designed to help reinforce your message and make it more memorable. Here are some sites that provide free images for blogs: www.istockphoto.com www.stockfreeimages.com www.dreamstime.com www.pexels.com www.pixabay.com http://join.deathtothestockphoto.com http://www.1millionfreepictures.com Clearly this doesn't mean that you can post unworthy content but what it does mean is that your content will get more “eyeballs” and benefit from increased social media reach if you include some images. Need assistance with your content? :) We can help.

The advances in marketing technology are awesome, as are the sheer number of marketing technology providers. ChiefMartec began tracking this space in 2011, identified about 150 players, and presciently started their eponymous infographic. Their 2017 chart encompasses almost 5,000 companies. It’s as if the 2011 chart exploded. Yet, the question looms – is this growth sustainable? Interviews we’ve conducted with martech executives, and our own experiences, indicate that the “demand” side of the equation may not be able to uphold its end of the bargain. Inherent in the business model of, I’d guess, each one of these martech companies is the assumption that a profitable customer is one with a long and deep lifetime. To make this wish come true, their customers, especially B2B, must have complete and effective marketing strategies whose impact would be profitably multiplied by the power of the marketing technology. The reality is that many B2B companies lack this strategic readiness to truly benefit from much of these advances. As one martech executive said, "This doesn’t surprise me one bit, as it is the immediate pattern we saw as we began. Based on all the brouhaha around content, content-driven experiences, marketing automation and lead nurturing, we assumed there were many orgs out there who could take advantage of what we’d created. We were wrong.” Everybody Loses Interviews we’ve had with martech executives indicate that their biggest business problem is that many clients are awed by the power of the platform and adopt it as the strategy going forward – that this will provide the framework for success, a seat on the rocketship. This “new” marketing would have us think that strategy is dead and we can A/B test our way to nirvana. This platform is automated growth hacking, and agility trumps plodding preparation. However, when you’re a B2B company, all those sub-optimal B tests means that you are putting out sub-optimal messaging to your finite market. You may be A/B testing to oblivion. Then, when programs underachieve, customers blame the martech platform and do not renew. When a Drip Campaign Becomes Chinese Torture In my first test drive of a major MarTech platform, I was shown the ability to orchestrate, to automate every aspect of a campaign. If we take a very simple example, a drip campaign, communications are sent to qualified prospects delivering specific value at specific points in their consideration journey (or certain time intervals). The object is to move that prospect from tire kicking to conversation. The platform tracks results of the individual and aggregate effort, and adjusts the lead grade of each prospect accordingly. The technology is the tool, but if the strategy is off, it persistently delivers perhaps the wrong message at the wrong time to the wrong person, until the campaign has indelibly convinced the prospect that they do not appreciate your brand and do not want to do business with you. For B2B marketers this can be a hurricane’s worth of damage. Everybody Wins Companies, especially B2B, must bring come to the martech table with the prospect integrated into the marketing planning process. Information from 3 sources must be combined to enable marketing to begin to provide value as the prospect defines value: 1. Data Analysis. What has this executive done before, what have other decision makers in the organization found valuable, what actions has they taken? Analysis of the data brings a critical aspect to our understanding of the person and the organization. 2. Internal Intelligence. Sales has feet-on-the-street knowledge of the industry, the players, and the personalities that can’t be found anywhere else. They must contribute or they will never agree. 3. Persona Research. Prospect personas, when created from new, independent qualitative research, validate the data analysis, personalize the internal intelligence, and provide insight into motivation. We need to understand the confluence of personal and professional responsibilities to be able to effectively communicate from a unified marketing and sales perspective. Then, and only then, will the martech platforms provide the magic carpet ride to success, for everyone. The advances in marketing technology are awesome, as are the sheer number of marketing technology providers. ChiefMartec began tracking this space in 2011, identified about 150 players, and presciently started their eponymous infographic. Their 2017 chart is above, and it encompasses almost 5,000 companies. It’s as if the 2011 chart exploded. Yet, the question looms – is this growth sustainable? Interviews we’ve conducted with martech executives, and our own experiences, indicate that the “demand” side of the equation may not be able to uphold its end of the bargain. Inherent in the business model of, I’d guess, each one of these martech companies is the assumption that a profitable customer is one with a long and deep lifetime. To make this wish come true, their customers, especially B2B, must have complete and effective marketing strategies whose impact would be profitably multiplied by the power of the marketing technology. The reality is that many B2B companies lack this strategic readiness to truly benefit from much of these advances. As one martech executive said, "This doesn’t surprise me one bit, as it is the immediate pattern we saw as we began. Based on all the brouhaha around content, content-driven experiences, marketing automation and lead nurturing, we assumed there were many orgs out there who could take advantage of what we’d created. We were wrong.” Everybody Loses Interviews we’ve had with martech executives indicate that their biggest business problem is that many clients are awed by the power of the platform and adopt it as the strategy going forward – that this will provide the framework for success, a seat on the rocketship. This “new” marketing would have us think that strategy is dead and we can A/B test our way to nirvana. This platform is automated growth hacking, and agility trumps plodding preparation. However, when you’re a B2B company, all those sub-optimal B tests means that you are putting out sub-optimal messaging to your finite market. You may be A/B testing to oblivion. Then, when programs underachieve, customers blame the martech platform and do not renew. When a Drip Campaign Becomes Chinese Torture In my first test drive of a major MarTech platform, I was shown the ability to orchestrate, to automate every aspect of a campaign. If we take a very simple example, a drip campaign, communications are sent to qualified prospects delivering specific value at specific points in their consideration journey (or certain time intervals). The object is to move that prospect from tire kicking to conversation. The platform tracks results of the individual and aggregate effort, and adjusts the lead grade of each prospect accordingly. The technology is the tool, but if the strategy is off, it persistently delivers perhaps the wrong message at the wrong time to the wrong person, until the campaign has indelibly convinced the prospect that they do not appreciate your brand and do not want to do business with you. For B2B marketers this can be a hurricane’s worth of damage. Everybody Wins Companies, especially B2B, must bring come to the martech table with the prospect integrated into the marketing planning process. Information from 3 sources must be combined to enable marketing to begin to provide value as the prospect defines value: 1. Data Analysis. What has this executive done before, what have other decision makers in the organization found valuable, what actions has they taken? Analysis of the data brings a critical aspect to our understanding of the person and the organization. 2. Internal Intelligence. Sales has feet-on-the-street knowledge of the industry, the players, and the personalities that can’t be found anywhere else. They must contribute or they will never agree. 3. Persona Research. Prospect personas, when created from new, independent qualitative research, validate the data analysis, personalize the internal intelligence, and provide insight into motivation. We need to understand the confluence of personal and professional responsibilities to be able to effectively communicate from a unified marketing and sales perspective. Then, and only then, will the martech platforms provide the magic carpet ride to success, for everyone.

I know there are naysayers out there who are not 100% convinced that blogging can help their business. Those folks may never have blogged yet still believe it is “just another business tactic” that will eat away at their time with little tangible return. I’m hoping to change your mind, not just because I want you to hire WordsWorkCopywriting to write your blogs (well, maybe just a little!) but more because I know the influence blogging can have on growing a business. Granted, blogging is not a stand-alone activity; you don’t write a blog and expect clients to immediately kick down your door. Just like with any marketing endeavor, blogging must be part of a carefully integrated program, and it takes time to see results. Patience is most definitely one of the keys to success. Here are three things you should consider if you’re on the fence about whether or not to have a business blog: 1. These days pretty much every business has a website, and once the site is running the content largely stays the same. Sure there are companies that continually update various sections of their website, such as adding press releases, updating personnel, maintaining calendars of events, etc. But for the vast majority of small- and mid-sized companies, web content is static. The problem with allowing a website to remain unchanged is that search engines like new content! A blog prevents a site from languishing with old content; every time you post you are adding a new page for someone to land on, hence increasing the opportunity for your site to appear in web searches. With each blog post you will see greater traffic driving to your website. Pretty neat, huh? 2. A blog gives you fresh content to repurpose on the various social media platforms. If a post includes links to other individuals and companies with a strong social media following, you will find that your own readership can grow exponentially. You will undoubtedly gain visibility and recognition. 3. Blogs can help position you as a subject matter expert and brand you as an authority in your field. Forget about making a “hard sell” in your blog. While it’s okay to post special “offers” readers don’t want to feel as if you are using your platform solely to sell rather than inform and educate. A blog is the perfect platform to demonstrate your expertise in a certain area or industry. Readers will come back to your blog time and again, and consult the information you publish because they trust you as a source. Blogging can play a vital role in your ongoing lead generation efforts. You may find that prospects who come to you as a result of reading your blog posts are often knowledgeable about your products and services and are further along in the sales process. After all, by contacting you they have raised their hand and demonstrated interest. As a sales executive myself, I’d take prospects like that any day. #blogs

I don't know about you but I am sort of tired about reading about the life hacks of the rich and famous. Sure I know they're people "just like you and me" but are they really? 1. C'mon, the actress mom that is always pictured with a toddler slung on one hip and a few other kids trailing behind has a staff of 4 just to keep her kids in line, not to mention her stylist to ensure that she looks great for the photo op. (Mmmm, when I was a working Mom with babies, I got ready in the morning with a burp cloth around my shoulders so if {and when} my little darlings threw up I could at least head off to work without any telltale signs!) 2. The senior executive that shares their amazing dedication with working out and staying in shape has a personal trainer posted at their house each morning and doesn't have to scramble to get to the gym before it closes. 3. And as for those folks that we read about that successfully manage to combine three meetings in three states in one day - well - we didn't get to see them boarding their private plane either. (Last month I did two speeches in two states on the same day and flew commercial (duh!). I arrived at my second speech a tad disheveled and agitated because my car service couldn't find me at the Denver Airport and sporting a stain on my skirt courtesy of my seatmate's Coke.) Don't get me wrong. I'm not denying or underestimating the magnitude of what any of these folks do each and every day but seriously, I don't have much in common with any of them or at least insofar as how I run my sometimes crazy life. So for what it's worth here are some life hacks that work for me, just a "regular" person trying to keep numerous balls in the air. In no particular order of importance: I get up early. Sure I'd like to sleep in and grab another 30 or 60 minutes of sleep but I also know that if I get up early I can get a jump on what needs to be done during the day. The extra time means that I can most assuredly be on time for my first appointment and be able to do so without much stress. (I know there are folks that use the early morning for exercise but I find my preferred time at the gym is in the evening.) I don't obsess (well, over much anyway) When you have to do most everything by yourself and without the services of "staff," you find that you have to let some things go. It would be fabulous if my house could be immaculate 24/7 but that would require a significant amount of time spent on cleaning and that's time that I simply don't have. Don't get me wrong, I'm not living in squalor but I am pretty certain that most of the people that we read about don't do housework! I TREASURE what I have Yep, I'm one of those people that are very focused on being appreciative and, in fact, I belong to a group in which each day we share 5 things for which we are grateful. Many of my friends can't understand how I can come up with 5 each day but the truth is I can always come up with many more. I have trained myself to be observant and appreciative of what I have in my life. The truth be told this "habit" might be my most important life hack to keep me grounded. I believe in getting a good night's sleep and eating healthy food. Being a "regular" person takes energy and stamina and it's almost impossible to do what we "regular" people have to accomplish without minding our health and wellbeing. Yes I know that Mick Jagger eats a very healthy diet and exercises as well and I also know how very hard he works BUT once again, so do I and so do you and without the benefits of having a personal chef, trainer and plane at your disposal. My intent was to not make this sound like sour grapes. I love my life and wouldn't change it for anything. It's important to keep things in perspective a #lifeadvice

After being in business for thirty years I've learned a thing or two: · The client may not always be right but they are always the client. You decide how and if you want to retain them or if you are comfortable letting them go. · You're only as good as your last project. Clients can adore you and well, then they don't. · No one has a 100% closing rate. (If you do we need to talk!) · Regardless of how good you are there will always be clients that will never be satisfied. · A failure never feels good and can undermine your confidence for a time. · You must have a thick skin. Over the years I've had my share of stupendous successes and also my fair percentage of things that didn't go as I had planned. Being told by a prospect that you didn't win the assignment or by a client that says they no longer need your service is never a good thing. But it happens and when it does you must find out why and uncover what you could have done differently to get a different (better) outcome. The sales and marketing intelligence gained by asking these questions can be incredibly valuable; knowing what you did wrong can help protect you from doing the same thing in the future. Remember: Make it easy for the person to be honest when you do your probing. Ask questions that will allow the individual to be forthcoming and specific about what caused them to make their decision to work with someone else. If there is still a chance that you can work with them attempt to re-sell and make certain that you address their concerns. The cliché "it ain't over till it's over" holds true. Don't take it personally. After all, your sales pipeline is filled with other prospects (isn't it?!). You can't win them all but if you learn from your fails you'll be able to win more. #salescopy #selling

#selling #buildbusinesscoldcallingsalesskillssales

I’ve repurposed this from Smart Hustle but full disclaimer (!), I authored the article. If you're a "morning person," you have an advantage over everyone else already! Are you one of the 15% of people whose biorhythms make you a morning person? Are you “up-and-at-em”? You know, the kind of person that springs out of bed when it is still dark outside and are ready to take on the world by 5 AM? Full confession: I am that person. Except for my teenage years, when rising before 1 PM seemed impossible, I have always been the person that greets the early morning with enthusiasm and energy. My alarm is set for 5, and there definitely isn’t a snooze! I’m in some good company too. There’s a rather large group of “overachievers” that welcome the dawn with open arms. Here’s why I start my day early: The Early Hours Are Perfect to Clean Up Email and Get a Head Start on the Day As you know, once the workday begins at 8 AM or so, the email floodgates open, phone calls and meetings begin, and it is run as fast as you can just to keep up. The early morning allows me time to relax with a cup of coffee and have “leisure” time to peruse email, read the newspaper, and send out a few touch points before the rest of the world rises. Do you ever find yourself mid-morning trying to play catch up on the emails and messages that came in overnight, all the while fighting to stay ahead of everything else that is happening in real-time? The extra hour in the morning sets up a much more calm and productive day. Early Morning is the Best Time for Creative Thinking While some people are most productive late at night, I find that the early morning hours are when I can be the most creative. My mind is relatively unfettered with the types of issues that arise throughout the day. With the early morning clarity comes an enhanced problem-solving capability, allowing me to be a more creative thinker and, in general, to produce some of my best work of the day. Personal Enrichment Can Best be Accomplished Before the Regular Workday I’ve always been an avid reader. When I get to read for 30 minutes each morning, I am much more relaxed and at peace during the day. Even if you love your work (I do) and tend not to think it as work (I don’t), it’s important to read or watch videos on topics, places, and people that can open and expand your mind in new directions. Guess What? The Gym is Empty! Have you ever spent time at the gym just waiting to get on a machine? Alternatively, have you ever found yourself elbow to elbow with people in that 7:30 PM class? If you like to fight your way through your exercise routine, by all means, show up anytime after 7 PM; but if you like to get your workout done in peace and quiet, I suggest a pre-dawn visit to the gym. I know that there are some readers shaking their heads in amazement and thinking there is no way that a 5 AM wakeup is possible, but you’d be surprised. Set the alarm 15 minutes earlier each week, go to sleep 15 minutes earlier, and in a short amount of time you may very well find yourself joining us morning risers. Give it a try. There’s no telling what you might accomplish!

I've been navigating the entrepreneurial life for about 30 years now, with four businesses and a fifth about to be launched. This entrepreneurial life continues to be fun, exciting, exhausting, scary, and overwhelming, all at the same time. There are times when a "normal" 9-5 job seems awfully good, but those moments are fleeting, and so quickly I'm once again caught up in the excitement of my 10-, 12-, even 15-hour workdays. Over the years I've developed more than a few life hacks that help me keep multiple plates spinning while allowing me to maintain a healthy work-life balance. In spite of all the entrepreneurial obligations, I'm able to seize these life hacks to make balancing it all possible. Here are a few that work for me: Life Hack #1: I wake up early and stick to a routine. My internal alarm clock may not always have been set for 5AM, but nowadays it sure is. I wake up early so I can enjoy the hours of the morning when most of the world around me is quiet, when emails are not flying back and forth and I have time to stay focused on a single important task. By 7AM most of the other "early birds" are getting their day started while I've spent two productive hours working in undisturbed comfort. Life Hack #2 It's better to do something than nothing. This may not sit well with all people, but waiting for the "perfect moment" to take action is just not my style. Work or play, I tend be action-driven and take advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself. I find that early response leads to decisive action. Life Hack #3 Carve out time for friends and family. Being an entrepreneur may involve long hours, irregular schedules, and impromptu obligations, and it may require extra effort to find time to spend with the important people in your life. Be creative and seize the moments when you can. For example, when my children were very young I used to take them on select business trips. Some may find this impossible or unwise; in hindsight, it was a much better idea than leaving them behind for a week at a time. Arranging for childcare was pretty simple when compared with missing them for an entire week. Life Hack #4 Be organized and stay organized. I don't mean that your desk is kept spotless and your email inbox completely empty. I'm referring to a more practical, realistic sense of organization, such as how to keep a schedule or how to accomplish a To-Do list. I keep copious notes, use two calendars (manual and electronic), and review both multiple times per day. If my way doesn't work for you, you should develop an organizational system that suits your personal style. Life Hack #5 Take vacations when you need them. It's important to be able to clear your day and give yourself an opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your hard work. You don't have to go to an exotic, faraway destination; you can have a "staycation" in which you remove yourself from the day-to-day responsibilities of your job and occupy a more relaxed reality for a short period of time. Consider applying these life hacks to your own entrepreneurial life. They've worked for me and could ensure you a 30+ year career.

Are you in sales? If so you know that in most companies you're given specific KPIs (key performance indicators) and also made aware of the repercussions if by chance you don't accomplish them. KPIs are pegged to compensation and potential termination and in most of the companies in which I've worked the sales team is continually made aware of where they stand in the rankings. But what if you're a solopreneur and working on your own to not only bring in business but to also execute the work itself? It's a difficult position (and don't I know it after being in business for 30 years) and one that causes many solopreneurs to either close up shop or run themselves ragged trying to do it all without collapsing. The peaks and valleys associated with bringing in new clients can be deadly to any business, however there's no reason to despair because there is a work-around to the situation. Here are some suggestions that can keep your sales pipeline filled even when you are out "doing" the work: Make sales prospecting an integral part of EVERY day Solopreneurs often stop prospecting when they have a lot of business and are busy "doing the work!" Unfortunately when you cease to prospect for any period of time you can look ahead to one, two or three months down the road and there will be a guaranteed drop in business. You must keep the pipeline filled and prospect daily. 1. Do 5 cold or warm calls per day Let's face it. The time it takes to do 5-10 calls per day is minimal especially because you know that you will probably get voice mail. Be prepared with a superior voice mail message, know what you want to say if the prospect picks up their phone and make the calls. Calendar the time and it will get done. 2. Utilize social media to stay on the grid LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter have become part of every solopreneur's bag of tricks and there is no reason why you can't post relevant information, pictures and videos on a daily basis. This endeavor will take a short amount of time and can even be scheduled in advance using a service such as HootSuite, Meet Edgar or many of the other social media service providers that are available to you. 3. Send a newsletter Newsletters provide an effective way to stay on the grid with your entire database. Send interesting and relevant information and stop pitching your products and services. You'll find that your open rate will increase in direct proportion to the value of the information that you are sharing. If you don't like to write there are many content developers that can do the writing for you. 4. Attend networking events There are networking events morning, noon and night and therefore it is almost impossible to not be able fit in one or two events per month. Networking provides an excellent opportunity to make new contacts and reconnect with old friends too. 5. Ask for referrals If you're very busy "doing the work" this is the best time to ask your existing clients for referrals. A good flow of referrals will help to augment the other business development initiatives that you are doing and can keep your sales pipeline filled,

Not many little kids say they want to be a salesperson when they grow up. They want to be doctors. They want to be lawyers. They want to be scientists, firemen, policemen, actors, models, construction workers…you name it. But sales people? Nah. But here’s the thing. No matter what they become there will almost definitely be some sales involved. Think about it: You have to sell your boss on a new idea You have to sell your employer on why you deserve a raise You need to sell potential clients and patients on why they should should choose you instead of the other professionals in your field You need to sell your significant other on your vacation idea And so on. You get the picture, right? We are all selling to one degree or another even when we don’t think that we are selling at all. So for all of you folks out there that are uncomfortable with “sales” here are some pointers that should make your (non-traditional) sales endeavors more effective: Understand that it’s not about you. You are trying to show folks the benefits of selecting you or agreeing with your idea. Be prepared to show them that what you are suggesting will improve their situation and be of value/ benefit for them. Be prepared to encounter resistance and know how to respond effectively. Non traditional “sales reps” often get a bit freaked out by objections but must understand that these objections provide opportunities to restate, reposition and resell. You might need to negotiate. Negotiation doesn’t mean that you cave in and totally acquiesce. Negotiation means that both parties make a concession or two and come to an agreement somewhere in the middle, where both parties are comfortable with the decision. It’s okay to fail. It’s not as good as winning but no one wins all of the time. Develop a thick(er) skin and learn from your loss so that it doesn’t happen again. The image of a salesperson is often negative conjuring up images of a pushy car salesperson or someone that has no qualms about duping the buyer. Clearly it is time to dispense with that image and adopt one that positions the salesperson as someone that educates and informs and provides a product or service designed to benefit the buyer. And like I said, although little kids don’t necessarily want to go into sales, most of them will be selling something or other regardless of what they wind up doing. That lemonade stand on the corner, the next Sam Walton perhaps?

Now that the hockey season has returned this hockey mom’s thoughts turn to ice time and 6AM visits to the rink and oh no, not really. The kids take themselves to the rink now and as for me watching their games, leaving at 5AM for the early morning practice before school and so forth, it’s over and this hockey mom has retired her skates. But that hasn’t stopped me from thinking about the game and some of the business lessons we can take away from those guys on the ice. For instance: Just because you might be the best player on the team you can’t win alone. (This sure resonated loudly when Wayne Gretzky played with the Rangers.) But I digress. Being a team player doesn’t only apply to those in business that have co-workers in their firm. It applies to just about everyone that works with vendors, has clients and is part of an integrated whole that excels and achieves more when the parts are operating in sync and not going off in all directions. Sometimes you just have to check’em into the boards. Ok please excuse the hockey talk and for those that don’t know what “checking” means just think about when (if?) you have ever watched a game and saw some 250 lb. guy thrust his shoulder up and over and pummel his opponent into the boards. Yes, that’s checking and just like in hockey sometimes you have to get tough. Mental toughness is part of the game of business and those that can deploy this toughness at the appropriate times and in the appropriate manner have a better chance of winning the game. Ya win some, ya lose some. This was a tough lesson when my boys were mini-mites and playing hockey at 5 years old. Losing just wasn’t part of what they signed up for but it was a life lesson learned back then and one that has helped them into adulthood. In business you often lose. Lose the client, lose the relationship, lose the prospect and the most important thing that you can do after you lose is evaluate exactly why it occurred and what you can do to prevent it from happening in the future. You can hate the coach but heck, they ARE the coach. You don’t always like your boss, your client, your co-worker but as adults we have a responsibility to figure out how we can all play the game successfully. It behooves us to recognize that “like” and simple “appreciation” for another person’s skills and expertise are two different things. So, hockey. Who would have ever thought that those early morning practice sessions, endless drives to tournaments in Toronto, Philly, DC and more and a few side trips to the hospital would have provided me with business insights, not to mention fodder for a blog post. So glad the season is starting again. Go Rangers?!

Some people have an inexplicable amount of good luck. Even during tough times, they’re successful in their careers, finances, and their personal lives without seemingly having to overcome the adversities that plague most of us. They don’t appear to be smarter or more talented, but they do seem to be blessed with some force of nature that consistently produces good fortune. There are some obvious measures of luck such as winning a lottery or being born into royalty, but for most lucky individuals, good fortune is not a random occurrence. It truly has to do with having the mindset that encourages and allows lucky events to occur. Do lucky people act differently? Some recent studies have shown that they tend to have certain personality traits in common that play a pivotal role in producing luck. These so-called “lucky” individuals have been shown to be more extroverted, positive and open-minded, and less anxious than their less fortunate counterparts. While having a winning personality certainly helps. There is one additional factor that can determine one’s ability to be lucky. It’s opportunity. Lucky people tend to create more opportunities for themselves to connect with others and socially interact. Anyone can improve their luck by welcoming new opportunities in their lives. These four strategies can help: Open Up to Receive Opportunities Opportunities can happen at anytime, anywhere. The more you make yourself available to receive them, the more likely they will come your way. How can you accelerate your opportunities? Network, take up a new hobby, join a group, reconnect with old colleagues, and even talk to the guy behind you in the grocery store line. Being friendly, relaxed, and interested in others will open yourself to many new opportunities. Reacquaint Yourself with Your Inner-You You have an intuition and gut feelings for a reason. They’re your internal compass to guide you on your life’s path. With the hectic pace of life, it can be hard to hear your inner-you. Take time out of each and every day to clear your mind, unwind, and even meditate to be able to effectively make the necessary decisions that will encourage luck to come your way. Have Confidence in the Future Lucky people are inherently optimistic. They expect good things to happen to them. Both negative and positive expectations can be self-fulfilling prophecies. So, doesn’t it just make sense to stay positive, and through your consistently upbeat thoughts, you’ll create your own luck in the coming days, months, and years. Make Lemonade Even lucky individuals are dealt lemons from time to time. It’s what you do with them that will make all the difference. Develop techniques to cope with the negative aspects of life and don’t ruminate over past problems. Move forward and stay positive. While you can’t will yourself to win the lottery, you can control your mindset. So-called unlucky individuals can transform themselves if they have the desire and drive to do so. It takes conscious effort to be positive and make the best of a situation. It takes an open mind to be accepting of new ideas. It takes a smile and the desire to connect with others to welcome new opportunities.