So, we've just come back from the undoubtedly beautiful land of Switzerland. It was a few days, within a different world. A statement that sticks out in my mind is - this is no land of half measures…

Their country is amazingly beautiful. The weather - extremely hot (who would have thought, especially coming from Spain…). The prices of virtually everything - painfully expensive… But most notedly, and that's not just because I like my tipple, the wine portions are ridiculously tiny. In some cases 100ml per glass - what's that about?

Anyway, all the 'extremes' aside, I loved my holiday so much, that I thought I'd make a rare appearance and actually post about it…

A holiday is a holiday - and in my opinion, most of you probably don't wanna be bored by a full explanation of every day's activities. But my 'hidden' motive for posting about it is to express the importance of LIVING YOUR LIFE, rather than just getting by.

Don't get me wrong - I am not boasting here… Just merely stating that a small change in outlook on the way your life is meant to be, a small attitude shift, can transform your entire life, and your fortunes.

A few weeks ago, my mom came over to visit with her husband (and my step-dad). We had a great two weeks together, and they mentioned that they are going to Switzerland for a week - would we like to meet them there?

In my old mindset (I'm talking 8 years ago or so) I would have said to myself - "It would be so great to go…" and then I would have come up with a million reasons (excuses really) for why I couldn't do it. Like - I don't have the money. Or, I can't take time off work. Or, it's too short a notice…

I know for a fact that a lot of people - academically intelligent people - do the same thing, every time, life tries to swing them into enjoyment and excitement. And it is a BIG MISTAKE!

Let yourself enjoy life, the "HOW" bit will figure itself out. If you sat down to look for money for a trip of fun & relaxation - trust me you'll never get the pennies together - there's always something 'more important' that would such the spare cash up. But if you really look closely, you will find there's a way…

Disclaimer: I understand that there are people out there who are really in difficult cash situations, and I am not belittling that infliction. I am talking about the general public, who often (just like I did a few years ago) think they can't possibly go out and have fun, but instead end up staying in the same dead end job, same lifestyle, and same relationships for decades, spending money and time on things that don't make them happy.

All for the sake of comfort… Well guess what, human nature may pull us naturally towards comfort, but comfort never got anyone to the next step or to the next thrill of excitement!

I guess I am here to appeal to your wild side…

Take steps you know will make you happy. Feel life rather than feel your way through it… And in true Spanish spirit - grab the bull (of life) by the horns and do the fandango!

So in conclusion, here are some of the new experiences I had in Switzerland because I chose to make it possible to go:

- I tasted my first cheese fondue… or three…

- Did my first session of mountain biking (which by the way is not as easy as some of you may think, and it thought me that wearing a helmet when riding can save your life). No photo here, but let's just say I have the scars to prove I was there…

- Visited Switzerland for the first time - I get a kick out of going to new countries and experiencing the current culture. We went to Leysin, Montreux, Lausanne, & Geneva.

- Sipped my Rum & coke in a hut within a restaurant… Yeah! bizzare, but cozy.

- Ate dinner in a real Chateau :o) - Chateau d'Aigle in their restaurant - Pinte Du Paradis

- Watched the Sex & the City movie in Geneva in English - ha! With a bucket of candy floss…

- Had my photo taken with Freddie Mercury… ok, of course not the real one, but his very expressive statue in Montreux :o)

- And last, but definitely most thrilling - paraglided off the side of La Berneuse and flew (assisted of course) more than 2500m above sea level. One of the most incredible feelings I have had - dangling my feet 600m above ground - my head virtually in a white puffy (and freaking cold) cloud… suspended by a mere harness…

Eric at PanPam took me for the tandem flight and I must say Thanks! it was awesome! If anyone is out in the area looking to do paragliding, I would recommend those guys.

So, go on then, what are you waiting for? When will you choose to start LIVING YOUR LIFE?

Yeah! I am back from a very long blogging break, so long it's embarrassing…

But I have my excuse :o) - of course. I have been so absorbed in research for my new product that I've had little time for anything else.

For the first time in my life I am specialising into something I am very passionate about, and I am discovering interesting (to say the least) things about my good 'ole self.

I am loving every minute of this, and while for some people, I may look like a borderline freak, I couldn't really care less :o)

One of the most prominent discoveries I am making, is that I am a lot stronger mentally than I would have thought. Very often people lead a life in oblivion of "who's the boss". Them or their 'mind'?

No I am not going mad. If you stopped and thought about it for a moment, you'll see that you and your mind are two different things more often than not. The one usually rules the other. I guess that what they mean when they say - do you think with your mind or your heart?

Without launching into another one of my rants, I want to clarify. What I mean is - your 'mind' is the thinking/conscious part of you, and your 'heart' is your core - is what you're on the deepest level.

So, to answer the question… The boss should always be YOU!

Maintain control of your core so that you can live your life the way you want to. Don't let your environment control you, i.e. the 'mind' is always influenced by external factors. One way to do that is to challenge yourself constantly or from time to time. The other way is meditation. I'm just delving into the second, but I can see what the benefits can be potentially.

Right, off I go back to my meditation :o) & work of course.

Have an amazing day!

Don't get me wrong, I have tremendous respect for Rich - he is one of the few big marketers that I follow closely because he actually offers cutting edge value to my knowledge bank. It's just that I have learned to scrutinise everything nowadays.

Anyway, enough small talk.

The bottom line is that I watched the videos on offer this morning. There are 5 of them. I recommend you look at them all as they are all very good content that will definitely help you. For me though, most were somewhat bleak in comparison to Jay Abraham's video.

Watch Jay's video!!!

He gives such an 'obvious' method of creating great copy, but it is brilliant in its simplicity. It may have to do with the simplicity of the explanation. I found it excellent and am implementing it today.

Won't tell you what it is - go see for yourself. The video is just short of 11min…

Five Weapons Of Mass Persuasion >>

So much is happening lately, that bloggin somehow gets pushed to the back. On the other hand, I only want to post on topics that are actually useful to you, so that cuts it down even further…

OK, enough of that.

Today's post ain't so much of an original content, but the video I am linking to is soo good - I don't see the need for me to try and say it better. I'm just the messenger… For those of you who have already seen this post (post is a few days old ;o) - why didn't you share it?

Well, I love online marketing - but I have always maintained a great respect for offline techniques and traditional marketing methods. I've know about this technique for sometime know, so when I saw this great video on the subject I thought - I have to share this with you.

What's this amazing marketing technique?

It has to do with knowing your target market and the characters that make it what it is. Creating a potential customer avatar is extremely powerful. I wouldn't dream of putting a campaign together without researching my audience's motivations, frustrations, circumstances and personal characteristics.

So this technique involves creating a virtual human being or three that will potentially clarify exactly what your campaign needs to say to your prospects to get the maximum conversions.

I have to say that I use this method all the time - and it is one of the best tools in my marketing toolkit!

The special twist in the tail for us - internet marketers - is that you can test and tweak your virtual avatars to perfection - pushing your campaigns to conversion rates you've never known before.

I won't go into detail of how to go about creating your customer avatars, because the 22 min video Rand Fishkin and Ian Lurie have created says it perfectly well - and gives examples.

So instead I'll leave you to watch it for yourself. Before I leave you to it, though, I want to say that it might seem time-consuming. You might think it's not THAT important and it's a bit fluffy around the edges… But you should try it at least once! You'll never start your campaigns otherwise.

Oh, you may want to take notes… Enjoy!

It may seem like a trick question there in my heading, but it's actually a very very simple one. I love to set my new year resolutions just before the end of the old one, because it motivates me and makes me 'take stock' of the last year's successes.

The only catch in this exercise is that if you do set your goals and resolutions for 2008, you have to commit to actually review those commitments at the end of the year.

Goals mean nothing without measuring their success.

Here's a little tip that will make your goal setting and achievement a lot easier:

>> Make sure you set measurable goals. So, don't just put down "want to earn a lot more money per month from my online business" - put down a figure instead.

"I want to earn at least $4000 per week from my online business by the end of 2008"

Right, that's all from me for this post. Two of my new year's resolutions are to post at least once a week, but much shorter posts…

Here is to a year full of happiness, health and prosperity!

This year's event is special for two reasons (ok, maybe slightly more than 2, but you're getting two of the lot…).

Firstly, it is the first time I am paying for it privately - so that makes it special. A handy tip btw, the eggs Benedict in the Wynn cafeteria are absolutely amazing :o). But I digress…

The second reason for it being special is because all my fellow SEO-Chicks will be there at the same time - hurrah! SEO-Chicks.com is a blog we started in support of all females in the SEM industry - a place where you can be proud to be a woman in SEM.

So, if you see us at PubCon next week - we'll be wearing bright green T-shirts - come and say 'Hi'.

That's all for today - who said I can't do short posts…

Today's post, I'm afraid, holds no marketing value - but instead is a very selfish one.

I have thought about this topic often lately - in fact ever since we moved to live in Spain. When I first arrived in the UK about 9 years ago, all that was on my mind in terms of my work life - was a HUGE CAREER. I wanted to be a very notable and successful business woman. I didn't know how I'd achieve that or what line of work I'd be doing…

Fast forward 8 and a bit years and you get me sitting in my bikini (in the middle of November I might add) on our roof terrace typing away, and feeling incredibly humbled by the view in front of me. Without tempting fate and simply with gratitude - I am now thinking that the things that matter the most to me now are my family (including Andre and the cats and of course mom, dad, brother and so on), my friends, and the people we meet.

Of course I matter to me too, and that's how I have changed so far - I now care more about how I use my time. I care about who uses my time, where I am using my time, and how much fun and appreciation goes into whatever I am doing.

In short, be precious with your most precious commodity in your life. Spend your time doing the things you love most, with the people you love most in the places you love most…

Easier said than done?

NO - you just have to be conscious of this 'rule' and you'll see how soon everything changes to fit in…

Allow me to be very prescriptive here - YOU HAVE TO find a way to hold yourself accountable!

Or you will end up running your business into the ground. Back at your 9 to 5 you used to have colleagues and bosses to keep you delivering and on time, but now that you ARE your colleagues and your boss, the job's left up to you.

Some people are quite good at keeping a list of things and project managing, but if you're not lucky enough to be one of THEM then here are a few options to consider. Choose what works for you and what's manageable. You can combine two or more of the 3 methods - just make sure you are held accountable in some way…

1. The DIY Method

   You're just starting out in the industry. You're not sure who to turn to and frankly you don't know that many people in the industry. You're a private person. Or you're just as orderly as an army general and just loooove to keep track of your milestones and bottle necks… This one's for YOU.

   Get a software that can help you along. MS Office has stuff in it to help you along so if you have it with your PC - you're sorted. If not, you have Open Office that is free and is also well equipped for managing your tasks. On Mac you can just about manage with you iCal and again, it's free with your OS software. The least you can do is use a notepad, dedicated to tasks alone (don't mix notes and all that in it, keep it just for tasks).

   I found that the most helpful book I have read on the topic (and I have read a lot of books on the topic - including project management for dummies) is The 4-Hour Work Week. This is chock-a-block with practical day-to-day advice and is worth every penny. The tasks management method Tim Ferriss shows in there is my daily routine… 'nuff said!

2. The Delegating Method

   You 'suck' at PM (project management). You hate the concept of chasing deadlines. You loooove getting 'involved' in a project - who cares when it will end… You just CAN'T keep up with timelines and milestones… You have enough disposable income to not have to do this one… This one's for YOU.

   Outsource your PM to someone who's good at it and loves doing it. Simple - I know, and it's also a smart route to go if you're the 'creative' 'entrepreneurial' type who just wants to get on with the 'fun stuff'. In that case just hire a VA (virtual assistant) or a recommended person and get on with life.

   Again, The 4-Hour Work Week offers an invaluable lot of resource sites that you can test to find your perfect VA - Project Manager.

3. The Mastermind or With-a-Little-Help-From-Thy-Friends Method

   You have friends or connections in the industry you're in - like-minded people. You get a kick out of sharing ideas and drawing on other's experience and skills. You feel there's nothing better to push you forward than to have people expecting to see results when you said they'd be delivered. You have something to offer them and they have something to offer you in terms of knowledge or support… This one's for YOU.

   Contact your people to contact their people and get a set time to meet up each week or even two weeks. Meet up face to face though - that's the ideal. You could definitely do a call meeting, but it isn't the same, so leave it for a last resort.

   Once you start these meetings, you will see how having other people's brains working in parallel with yours can produce some remarkable results.

   In the same breath I need to WARN YOU - if you find you're getting nothing but time wastage from each meeting, review the people involved. You're in this to benefit - and so are they. Also, beware of negativity. Constructive criticism is one of the best assets in these types of meetings, but the moment it turns to just negativity - get rid of it. Negativity is the single most powerful deterrent to getting better! In my opinion anyway :o)

So there it is. Now you have now excuse to not moving through your tasks like a lean mean steam machine… yeah, all this and I haven't had a drop to drink…

I've become a member of Facebook, through sheer desperation of looking for an old friend of mine (whom I still haven't found BTW). So in the process of looking for some other friends and finding them, I've become part of the community. A very passive & reactive member - like a parasite… I'm not too worried though, I just don't have the time to do it.

I basically enjoy reading what people post on my FunWall and today, as I went to check yet another Facebook alert, I found this post by a friend of mine that I thought was fantastically lighthearted - bar the actual topic of it…

So here it is for all of your enjoyment:

…yes I know… :o) you don't have to thank me… thank Ian…

The good old pointing and spurting a few unconnected Spanish words is no longer feeling 'right' for me so I'm taking the next step.

This topic on Spanish living is also giving me the opportunity to say that I am flabbergasted at how little need the average Spanish business displays for attracting new customers. (That's not a negative comment towards my new home nation, it's just a reflection of the reality that is found almost everywhere.)

We walked into a mobile phone shop today to try and get a Spanish pay as you go simcard, and without even moving an eye in our direction we were told by the shop keeper to come in tomorrow… unfortunately the lady behind the counter couldn't explain why! Granted, we couldn't speak her language, but she didn't even try to ask us…

Right, rant over!

My point is though - in a competitive market no one can afford to ignore opportunities for potential customers. I come from an ex communist country and know all about complacency can creep in at the site of a guaranteed paycheck, but sooner or later the need to differentiate your business comes out to bite you in the proverbial butt cheek.

And if you don't rise to the occasion, you WILL be swallowed by the competition. I've always been quite fond of the comforts of customer service for selfish reasons, as much as carreer fascination. And to this day consider it to be the second most important part of a successful business (the first being an excellent product).

So is it a fact that the Spanish market place is still on its way to saturation? Or could it be that the laid back attitude to life in Spain has prevailed over the 'rat race' culture of the west - haha! Here is a philosophical thought for you to ponder on…

Can laid back attitude thrive in a competitive environment, without inflicting a 'rat race' culture?