Where was I when I heard the news?

I was talking to a friend when suddenly twitter started steaming up about it and I was literally watching in real time, (and still am!) how within 20 seconds over 2000+ new tweets had been written about the subject, and over 5000 tweets in a minute. This is more people than I have ever met in my lifetime and this many people were tweeting about his welfare per MINUTE!!

See - He is almost ALL the trending topics on Twitter - - >

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, one of the heroes of my youth, has left behind his legend.

A future post may be written on the impact he had on MY life, now I just want to quickly write about the impact he should have on YOURS.

Every now and then I speak cliche’s with a younger generation and they will look at me clueless. Kellie Pickler didn’t know that France was a Country, and many Americans cannot name a country that begins with the letter U (hint: USA), but EVERYONE knows who Michael Jackson is.

However, do you know him like I do, or just as the tabloid, perhaps ‘uncomfortable in his own skin’ star he became almost as well known for as his music.

Owning a piece of Michael Jackson music is not only important in order to know who this incredibly talented person was. It is important because the music is sublime. This is not a matter of personal taste, his music is the best selling in all history.

So, make sure you can join in on the conversation and sing along a few lines.

I collected his bestselling items here:

michael Jackson
Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller by Michael Jackson $12.99	Michael Jackson - Video Greatest Hits - HIS… $10.97	Number Ones by Michael Jackson $9.97
Michael Jackson: Live in Bucharest: The Dan… $9.97	The Essential Michael Jackson by Michael Jackson $14.97	Off the Wall by Michael Jackson $7.97
Michael Jackson - History on Film, Vol. 2 $10.97	Bad by Michael Jackson $7.97	Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection by Michael Jackson $34.97

michael Jackson
Thriller by Michael Jackson $20.88	Got to Be There by Michael Jackson	Gold by Michael Jackson $14.97
Music & Me by Michael Jackson	Ben by Michael Jackson $21.99	Michael Jackson - A Remarkable Life $17.99
Live! by The Jackson 5 $7.98	The Best of Michael Jackson (Anthology Seri… by Michael Jackson $26.99	Billie Jean $10.49

michael Jackson
The Ultimate Collection by The Jackson 5 $10.97	Triumph by The Jackson 5 $10.99	20th Century Masters - The Millennium Colle… by Jackson 5
Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5/ABC by The Jackson 5 $10.97	Very Best of the Jacksons by The Jackson 5 $28.98

It wasn’t a hard sell, as his Bio speaks for himself.

When he arrived, I spent a good deal of time with him both at the convention, but mostly post the convention for a few days in Jerusalem. The advantage to being in close proximity to successful people, is being able to soak up their good habits… sort of like osmosis, as you watch them in the process. So, while we spoke, a lot more was going on while we worked in silence side by side, as I just kept an ear and eye open, silently WATCHING his moves.

I learned a lot from Dr. Kilstein, as did a lot of people attending his speeches, and generous freebie events he held in Jerusalem.

I learned a LOT MORE about benefits (it really will change the way I write copy from now on), I learned about having a business instead of a website (it really will change the way I operate from now on), and I learned about aggressive outsourcing to fill those specific needs that turn ideas into cash (it really will change the way I outsource from now on)….

but if I had to single out what is the #1 secret to Kilstein’s success?

He is FAST. He is QUICK. He is DECISIVE.

For a woman, who can sometimes be overly analytical, and definitely indecisive, it was scary, but also extremely liberating to see.

I decided that I would write this blog post and not worry about how I could have said it much better, or do I have the perfect image to complement the text, or should I run it by a friend first for edits as I often do.

Nope. I am just writing and publishing, and that, yes that too… will really change the way I make things happen from now on.

Thanks Harlan (also for the balance bars!)

Tomorrow is Affilicon Israel.

I wrote this fancy blog post a few weeks ago about how cool it would be if YOU were there.

I mean if you live anywhere in the vicinity of Israel and you like to think about what it would be like to make money online, or that you do or can or whatever make a living online, there is no other place to be June 1-2nd than hanging out with me.

However, I was so busy actually making money (yawn), oh and preparing what is going to no doubt be the one of the best speeches and presentations at Affilicon Israel 2009, that I never did get to finish this extremely intelligent and very well thought out half finished blog post.

Here is what I can do for you though: If you show up tomorrow or Tuesday, I will relate to you exactly what you missed plus more. Lots lots lots more. You can count on that.

Yes?

Great. See ya there… Affilicon Israel 2009

Don’t let the title fool you or scare you.

As I know a LOT, we could be here for a long time.

But what if I just share one thing I know each time?

Thankfully I have been very very busy, and by neglecting this blog, I neglect you.

I am not making any commitments, or promises… just… well I will tell you later.

For now let’s get started:

You know,
I know,
everyone who knows me
already knows
that they don’t REALLY know
how I make money online.

Sometimes I think I am to blame:

Perhaps I don’t explain it well enough. As you may have seen from my last post, and especially SINCE then (I have already critiqued myself enough to need a new elevator pitch), I have it down to a few extremely clear sentences.

More often, you are to blame, since, like most people, you want your earning online hand delivered to you on a silver platter, and as online marketing is still a relatively new field, the ideas and language I use may sound foreign.

So here is something I know:

Earning money online is not always easy, but it is SIMPLE. If you want to hear how simple and fast it can be to build an online business and make lots and lots of money, I highly recommend you check this out: (click on the image)

Tell me if you agree? If you share your hurdles, I will tackle them in upcoming posts!

Let’s Network the Virtual Way!

Have you ALWAYS wanted to know what it is I do? Well watch this video, and you may know a LITTLE more than you did before. And well, that’s a start.

Please tell me what YOU do. This will help you practice it for future reference, and also help me get to know YOU better. And well, that’s also a start .

I have a pretty healthy fascination with celebrities. In fact this following story seems 100% entirely normal, dontcha think?

I see the movie Stand by Me and really love it. I am obsessed with the main character Gordie Lachance. I want to ease his pain. Maybe a year later, I am sitting in a doctors office in Atlanta, and I am convinced that the boy sitting across from me is Gordie!

I call my brother and insist he hits the credits on the video. This was prehistoric times, so it required me to ask the doctors office to use their phone, and my brother had to take the VHS and fast forward to the end to find out. The answer is Wil Wheaton and it’s no match on the patient list. Not too obsessive, right?

Skip to decades later and I enter twitter preparing to conquer.. I check out the heavy users and when I see an avatar and the name @wilw .. somehow I just KNOW that it’s my Wil ! I am loving my gut instincts from way back that my crush from so long ago is now a tech geek! (and currently more of a celeb in that arena)

Moving on…

big heavies in the industry are popping up everyday. E V E R Y D A Y!!!

As of today - My Twitter Hot Top Celebrities:

1. @evanlowenstein - you know - half of the identical twin duo who sing that hit song Crazy for this Girl, and the illustrious brother of yours truly.
2. @aplusk - Ashton kutcher - I have NEVER seen his work (except for Cheaper by the Dozen), but I love his holy tweets (lots of Kabbalah) and the work he has done with Demi
3. @mrskutcher - Demi Moore. I wish her tweets could talk, so I could hear her voice. Can I say that?
4. @johncmayer - John Mayer - still warming up, very few replies to other tweeters, but he is 140 characters of pleasure, very clever and witty
5. @the_real_shaq - Shaquille O’Neil - so unpretentious. The real shaq is REAL
6. @ewanmcgregor - Ewan Mcgregor - Scottish Moulin Rouge honey. Follow me dude.
7. @lancearmstrong - Lance Armstrong - You got to love hearing “getting the kids off to school” and then just back from a 6 hr ride - 110 miles. Very empowering!
8. @johncleese - John Cleese - One of the leading members of Monty Python. I love me my English humour!

New on my radar:

1. @coldplay - Coldplay - The band. I think their music is some of the hottest stuff out there, so I expect very sharp lyrical 140 character tweets.
2. @davejmathews - Dave Mathews - Ditto with above.

I have some questions for you:

Q: If you could communicate with a celebrity, who would you WANT to see?

Q: Celebrities can now speak for themselves - will the tabloids go out of business?

Q: Do you think the word celebrity will embrace a new definition with the lowly people able to access them SO DARN EASILY!?

This POST is for YOU. I may express my personal thoughts, but it is because I feel your pain, and I want to allow you more opportunities to share YOURS.

For as many searches to my blog for ‘make money online’ stuff, there are equal amounts for ‘Meir’ or ‘Mikey Volk’. I don’t know if this mean my blog sucks or that Meir had an impact on MANY. I’m going with the latter.

The point is, I want YOU to leave comments. Anonymous, or with names, just say hello, and let us know you are still thinking of him. You are not alone. All your comments on previous posts have been very touching.

Last night I attended a ‘Siyum’ in memory of Meir (Mikey) Volk. This is a completion of a significant amount of Torah Study done in honor of his memory. It wasn’t hard to find scholars willing to do this, as Meir had supported so much of their learning with his generosity.

Today I will go to the gravesite.

Someone posed a question last night. How has your life changed in this past year since his passing?

It is not the first, second, or third time I have thought this. It is on my mind quite often.

Everything Meir did was BIG.

His presence was BIG (well over 6 feet tall)

When he spoke about business, it was with a LOT of passion, and excitement

When he spoke on intellectual subjects, your head would swim

When he made money, he made it BIG

When he gave charity, he gave 75 cents to every dollar earned.

The list could go on, but I will allow his family to share the rest as they desire.

The impact he had on my life, my career, my outlook has been just as BIG.

In fact, when I ask how my life has changed… my thought is

“what has stayed the same?”

If you are driving towards a destination (albeit unknown) and suddenly you take a right turn, instead of a left turn, your entire future has changed in that small move.

Thank you Mikey for thrusting my life into the unknown, making me work by butt off, and allowing me to draw from your passion for living to embrace what the future brings.

6 characters had less than 30 minutes to share an engaging storyline involving all of them equally. When an issue arose, which it often did, the friends had to communicate, sometimes with brutal honesty… without sabotaging their relationship.

After spending too many years avoiding conflict at all costs, suddenly we were witnessing that Monica and Rachel could be at each other’s throats, (sometimes literally) and then be best friends again.

No hard feelings. Wow. That level of honesty may seem like it could only work on TV, but they were onto something….

I was enlightened, and intrigued.

Twitter, the home of 140 characters or less, brings this communication style more into the mainstream. Communication 2.0.

Our lives are sitcoms, we don’t have time for unnecessary chit chat. Twitter understands our fast paced lives, and allows us to decide who we want in our circle, woo them with our short tweets. Maybe become friends, or business partners. I have witnessed it all.

It’s my kind of instant gratification, say it like it is, a little bit (lot) narcissistic, allowing us to be voyeurs into the lives of people who would never give you their real phone number (hint..like MINE).

Just saying, if you have been missing me, you may find me there.

Are you using Twitter? If so, for what purposes and what have you discovered? I am a bit surprised how it started off as a Marketing tool and now is touted as the next possible Facebook.

Move fast people.

And follow me

Well, but anyways, ever see the X-files? Whether you dug molder & scully or not - yes - the truth really is out there … the truth, the answers are within this very blog post. And it was right here in front of you all the while. Here are 20 links to my last 20 blog posts showing you 20 ways to make money online!

1. Website Flipping

   The art of buying, dressing up, and Selling Websites.

2. Affiliate Coupons.

   Promote Discounts via Affiliate links for products and just give people what they are looking for.

3. Create Information Products.

   Create your own Information Product and enjoy Passive Income. Like I do. Not linking to my original post, but a new project I am working on to help YOU create a product in 24 hours. Yes, 24 hours.

4. Ebay!

   Go see who I exploited to highlight ways to make money on Ebay, the largest Employer in the World.

5. Be an Expert.

   Get paid to offer expert advice in any field you know well.

6. Video Promotions.

   Increase sales by adding video to your sales / service process

7. Outsource.

   If you can figure out how to outsource successfully, you can either work less, but hopefully earn a lot more as others get more done for you!

8. Network.

   Be Seen. Meet other like minded people. This could earn you more money than ANYTHING else you do.

9. Educate yourself.

   Spend some time learning some of the basic skills that are holding you back from success. Understand how to use Wordpress, FTP, Video Editing, and some Graphic skills, to name a few. You will save money on hiring out help, and achieve much faster.

10. Solve a Problem.

    Identify a Problem, Figure out a solution, Tease the target market with some of the solution, and then hold back the rest of the solution for money! Works like a charm.

11. Climbing the Search Engines.

    Naturally if you are able to make it to the first pages of the Search Engine, you are going to get a lot more visitors and make more money, yes? Yes.

12. Take a GOOD look at yourself.

    You can earn a lot more money if you can identify MISTAKES you are making, and how you are leaving MONEY on the table. Big Money.

13. Stay Focused!

    If you can learn to stay focused on the results you want to see, you will make a LOT more money.

14. Viral Marketing.

    Create a Viral campaign, and returns will be more $$$ and lots more.

15. Educate Others.

    Not a way to make a lot of money, but one I certainly enjoyed writing about. I offered money for great insights, ways to be productive, ways to make ME make more money by learning what YOU know. Offer is ALWAYS open.

16. Add Audio.

    Not ready for Video? Easily add some Audio to your website and increase sales. Explain what you are doing with your voice.

17. Increase Brand Awareness.

    Attach your product / service with an online personality, allowing them to self brand and promote for you! You both Earn.

18. Blog for Impact.

    Expand your reach. The possibilities are endless…and fruitful.

19. Increase your Page Rank.

    Get Backlinks to your site, increase your Google PR, move up in the search engines, and watch the magic happen.

20. The COPY is Key.

    If you ask any Internet Marketer what is the most important Element required in a product campaign.. they will all say THE COPY. You cant skimp on the copy. It will make you money.

My sister is getting married in a few weeks.

I wont steal the limelight from those female bloggers who specialize in whining about too many parties and family obligations.

I pretty much have to just show up (6000 miles away) and find something to wear.

The showing up part will begin as my flight is this Saturday night.. first to LA to visit family, and finally arriving in Atlanta for the wedding.

So naturally I waited until this week to start looking for a dress.

In my attempts to avoid wrestling my way through miles and miles of American prom chinze and tafetta to find the perfect dress, I went to a local rental place. I ran into a good friend there who directed me to another place in another area of town. I maneuvered my way through this literal maze and thankfully squeezed my car into some corner. The store has nothing in Navy. Waste of my time. Ok, I didnt want to mention NAVY and why I need to find navy, so don’t get me started.

I noticed another store when I was parking and make my way over there.

It’s around a corner and up stairs. I walk in. The woman working there gives me the once over. Then she says

“we have nothing in your style here”

There is nowhere to go from there except exit. Here I was desperate to get rid of my money and own a dress, and instead I left her alone in her hard to find empty store, with no customers.

With economic times being so tough, can you really afford to sum me up because today I am not dressed like YOU?

You didn’t see me yesterday and you don’t know what I am capable of tomorrow.

Reminds me of the famous scene in Pretty Woman: (its the first minute of this clip)

Q: So I have 2 questions for you:

1. Where can I find a nice long slinky navy dress that doesn’t have rhinestones and flowery yuck all over it?
2. Can you tell me some more Big. Huge. marketing mistakes?