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The research indicates that when your goal is acknowledged by others it feels real in the brain and your brain mistakes "talking" for "doing".

So, shhhhhhh! :)

The research indicates that when your goal is acknowledged by others it feels real in the brain and your brain mistakes "talking" for "doing".

So, shhhhhhh! :)

This is #4 in the Work From Home in Your Underwear series. You can find the other 3 among my articles here on ezines or you can access them through my website, listed below.

Okey dokey, Work From Home in Your Underwear - Building Your List!

If you're considering getting into an online business and even if you are online to promote an offline business your list is the key.

Building a list of targeted prospects who want to hear what you have to say and are attracted to your opportunity is what will propel you to becoming a success.

How do you build a list?

Well that's the big secret that all the websites go on and on about. If your reading this you are a potential client. You're targeted because I am writing about something you're interested in. Working from home.

You are interested in my article because you have a problem, you don't know how to get started working from home by yourself. 

The key that every single one of those "make money from home" websites and capture pages will tell you is that you have to use ATTRACTION MARKETING to get people to find you, trust you and sign up to be on your list.

We've already talked about the power of social media for this. Getting a large following on Twitter, Facebook and Linked In will improve your web exposure and you can drive those people to your site where you must give them something of value.

Mike Dillard, web marketing guru and, from what I can tell, a pretty descent guy, says that you must give them enough value so that when you ask them to buy, they feel compelled to do so. You want them to feel almost beholden to you for the value you've given them.

Now, not everyone will feel that way but there are some basic human psychological triggers that will cause people to buy what you're selling if they trust you and believe that what you're selling will solve their problem.

Take Mike Dillard for example. He learned, a long time ago, that people want to leave their crappy 9-5 jobs and have the freedom that comes from working from home. They have a problem: crappy job. Mike has the solution: a formula that will teach you how to work from home.

Mike will give you a ton of information for free when you sign up on his capture page or website. You put in your name, email and phone number and he will send you an email everyday until you hit the "unsubscribe" button. If you stay long enough, which has to be a good long time cuz Mike has a lot to share, you will eventually get re-sends. But once Mike has "captured" your name and email he will work your need to solve your problem over and over again.

In fact, Mike's business is so sophisticated and he so learned in this business that you will feel compelled to buy some of his products. He makes them very attractive and you want to solve your problem. If it's not going to cost you a ton, why not?

Even if you don't buy Mike's product for several weeks or months, eventually there is a good chance you will. Since his email system is automated he doesn't have to put any effort into engaging you daily. There is no cost to him to keep you on the list. It's a very clever way to keep you engaged and keep you on the list until one of those emails hits home, or you're at the end of your rope and you want his help, then he's got you.

That's the power of attraction marketing. Build the list, engage the list, keep the list informed, hit them again and again and again until they buy. 

Next up in the series is another of Mike's "secrets" revealed. Stay tuned.

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If you haven't already check out the first in this series called "Work from Home in your Underwear - How to Get Started".

Alrighty, so you have figured out which "work from home" option suits you and your lifestyle best.

Whether it's an MLM or affiliate marketing or some other online marketing prospect, working out which one you feel is right for you will be a bit part of your success.

Regardless of which work from home option you choose you're going to need to have some sort of online presence...duh ;)

The best way to sort that out is to have a website, blog or landing page. If you're working with an MLM they will, most likely (if they're a good MLM) have some very user-friendly options to get you started online. 

The MLM I work with includes 3 web presence opportunities when you sign up. They have a marketing page, a web page and a philanthropic page. All 3 are branded with the MLM products and, most often, have your name on them somewhere.

For someone with limited knowledge of the web and backend webby type stuff (like php and html) this is a great way to get online quickly and, relatively, easily.

However, if these templates are the only online real estate you own you may find yourself ranking lower in google and other search engines behind people who market their MLM through their own sites.

Not to worry though, even with the company landing pages and web sites you can earn a great living working from home...yep, in your underwear. ;)

NB: a landing page is a one page sales sheet that has a link to sign up to either receive more information or to sign up for the product itself. They are useful and convert very well for gaining prospects and customers.

OK, moving on.

If you decide to become an Affiliate Marketer you will need to learn how to do some pretty heavy lifting in the beginning. To become an Affiliate Marketer you'll need to know how to create your own online presence, populate that presence with relevant, useful information and display your ads too.

It sounds harder than it is. Thankfully you're reading this and I can direct you to some great tutorials on how to create your own web page, landing page and marketing pages. 

I don't do a lot of affiliate marketing because, quite frankly, I'd rather being providing value to people without asking them to pay for the privilege. That said, people do have to make a buck here and there and there are some pretty great affiliate sites that you can link to that pay off well.

When I first decided that I too was smart enough to make my living online I thought that I could do so as a writer. Turns out there are a lot of people who think that too! Who knew?

Anyway, I started my personal blog and while it did not make me any money (because I did not, at the time, know how to monetize it) it did get me writing new content almost daily and helped me learn how to set up a blog and social media correctly.

There are ways to make money blogging. More so though, there are ways to get people to pay you to tout their product in your blog. You have to be careful about stuff like that because if you want to remain authentic you cannot just accept every product thrust your way. If a product is crap and you don't tell your readers it's crap you lose your credibility. Even if the product promoter gives you a new car to promote. (not that that happens much ;)

So keep these things in mind. I don't want to get too long-winded in these posts. There is a lot to cover and I want to make sure you don't get bored ;)

Next up is: Working from Home in your Underwear - Social Media

Wow, you're so lucky you found this article! I just hope you found it before you spent a gazillion dollars on every ebook out there because I'm going to tell you the basics to succeed in any home based business you embark on.

First things first. If you found this article while searching for "easy success from home" or some other keyword that would have you making money hand over fist in the next 10 minutes I'm so sorry to tell you, that doesn't happen.

Despite all the claims you read on the internet no one makes a bundle online without putting in a lot of effort.

The claims you read about massive success, automatically, refer to the benefits of automation you can use in your business to drive traffic to you opportunity.

Many ads make the claim but they all mean the same thing. Now that we've got it straight that you are not going to wake up rich tomorrow we can proceed.

First thing. You need a plan. You need to figure out what you want to do. There are 3 main ways to make cash on the net.

1. Affiliate marketing. As an affiliate marketer you place ads on your own site or landing page directing traffic to useful information that they can buy.

Most often that information comes in the form of an ebook or an online course. Affiliate marketers who do well do so because they are able to get their site (real estate) in front of a lot of people. (I'll explain how in a moment)

2. MLM. In the early days of multi-level marketing there were a ton of disreputable peeps on the net who's sole purpose was to rip people off. That is no longer the case and the MLM industry has become extremely successful with real products, real results and real people.

3. There are lots of ways to describe this but essentially a "one off sale opportunity" would be the most self-explanatory. People selling courses or a way to solve a major issue in your life like re-financing your mortgage to get out of debt use their systems to attract you to their site where you can find out what they're selling then fill-in a form and have a real person call you.

All 3 methods are productive and lucrative. The trick is to find out which is the best one for you. Or which combination is best for you because, as with anything in life, putting all your eggs in one basket is not very productive.

So once you work out which method you want to you use you'll need a strategy to get you there. With a really great MLM your "upline" (the person who signed you up) will have a ton of stuff to get you started. The company should have landing pages that you can use to market your business and there should also be a great deal of off line material available so you can speak to people about your company face to face too.

Every single online marketing course you take or buy will tell you that the biggest trick to selling either MLM or a one off product is to market yourself, not the product.

It doesn't really matter if you have the best product in the world, if you don't "ATTRACT" people to you, you won't sell a thing. (remember that word "attract" because it's going to come up again and again)

If you decide on affiliate marketing you really will need to have the basics of site building and search engine optimization down. You can learn as you go but there is a lot of it to learn.

To be an affiliate marketer you'll need several websites and landing pages so you really ought to know how to build those if you want to be successful.

I'll be posting info on that on my site shortly but if you need to know now let me know and I can help you out.

The 3rd option will require you to have your own real estate on line as well. Lots of websites, landing pages, marketing tools etc.

This article is the first in a series on how to get started working from home online.

Please subscribe or my website for more info on starting your own online biz.

I am also available via email if you would like some advice. See the author bio for contact info! Good luck

I get asked this question all the time on my blog bodybyvi-canada.com so I'm going to do an actual blog post to try to help people figure out not only what type of diet is right for them but, if they choose a shake diet, which of those is right.

It's no secret that everyone is different. What works for me may not work as well for you. 

However there are some indisputable facts about weight loss that are hard and fast.

If you want to lose weight you have to eat fewer calories than you expend during the day. Everyday. (you can't eat 800 calories one day then 2500 the next and think it will all even out in the end, doesn't work that way. Sorry ;)

So, regardless of what diet you choose, you'll need to make sure that what they recommend will allow you to eat fewer calories than you expend, every day.

That said, there are some other important factors that you need to know when thinking about getting on a weight loss program.

For example, if you are super fit and active (but just packin' a few extra lbs) you are going to need to make sure the diet you choose will provide you with enough energy to live your busy life.

I'm super fit and healthy so it was equally important to me to get energy but also good nutrition from whatever diet I choose.

I did a lot of research on the bizillion diets out there and found that they are not all created equal.

I've posted some comparison articles on my blog and have a whole comparison chart on the differences between the product I use and the other popular diets out there.

For me a huge thing was the pro-biotic that is in the Visalus product. I have a condition called Colitis so it was super important that I had a diet program that took extra, special care of my digestive health. Like 70 million Americans (or 1 in every 4!!!) I have a digestive disease. 

Any diet worth doing should definitely take into account the sensitive stomachs of such a large portion of the population.

Another big factor for me was convenience. I found that diets that had me counting calories all day, every day got tedious and I would fall off the wagon. Or worse, I would begin to think that I was counting only to find, after writing things down for a few days, that I was a big, fat liar! I'd say "I didn't have much b/fast so I can splurge on lunch" but then I'd employ the same reasoning for dinner. Pretty soon I was gaining weight...on my "diet"!

So for me the shake diet is the way to go. You don't have to think too much. (I'm a busy single mom, who has time to think??!!)

I don't have to worry about what I'm going to eat. 

I don't have to think about my menu while I'm grocery shopping for lunch options for the kids that won't make the bread soggy.

I don't have to spend a ton of money on breakfast options I won't eat like vegetarian sausages. yuck!

I get up in the morning, have a cup of tea (and on my diet I can have COFFEE!!!! COFFEE, COFFEE, COFFEE. I like coffee!)

Then after tea (coffee) I put some water or milk, my frozen fruit of choice (whatever is in season) and my shake mix into my Magic Bullet blender and whip up a healthy, nutritious breakfast that makes me full and happy.

It usually takes about 5 minutes from start to finishing the clean up (and I don't have a dishwasher)

This all works well with my work-from-home commute so I'm up, I've eaten and I'm at my desk in about 6 seconds, 10 if I have to pee. 

Finally one of the most impressive things about the Body By Vi Challenge is the community support. There's a huge network of people going through every, single thing that we're going through on the Vi-net site. You can access someone at any time for a quick chat or advice. And if you have me as your coach, you can message or call me too.

So, when choosing a shake diet that's right for you, make sure you do your research. I found the Body By Vi Challenge was a great diet, for me. You might think so too. If so, or if you just want more info, give me a call :)

Happy dieting (sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it? :)

Ok, I know that the big question on anyone's mind who is considering a shake diet is worried that they will have to "give up" so much to achieve their goals.

Every weight loss guru will tell you that coffee is not good for you, does nothing for your metabolism (even though sometimes it really feels like your metabolic rate is speeding up when you drink it ;) and that you ought to ditch the beans while you're in your weight loss mode.

Baloney says I!

You heard me. What kind of a cruel industry would insist on your giving up coffee? Would they also advise you to give away your children if they were not supportive of you not making pancakes every morning? I think not!

Would they advise you to give up breathing? NO!

Then why, why must you give you one of your best friends?

The first shake diet I did made me give up coffee. Oh sure I felt great, after the massive headache finally subsided a week or two after starting.

My eyes were very bright and I had lots of energy. 

I don't think that was due to a lack of coffee personally, I think it had more to do with the elimination of years of toxins that had collected in my system and were being flushed, sometimes at the most inopportune moments, out of me.

When I stared on the Body By Vi Challenge I asked my coach if I had to give up coffee. 

After she stopped laughing at such a ridiculous notion she answered an emphatic "no way!".

It was almost like a choir of angels formed above my head. I felt at peace and was greatly relieved that I would not be forced to scream at my children while the caffeine worked itself out of my system.

For many of you this could be the single most important decision you make when you're looking at shake diets. 

However, I feel I ought to let you know that in addition to drinking coffee, Visalus has a great deal of other wonderful benefits.

For a sneak peak at all that the Body By Vi Challenge has to offer check out my website. You'll be glad you did. Heck, you can even do it with a cup of coffee in your hands! 

It's a pretty staggering statistic that 70 million Americans are plagued by intestinal disease. That's about 1 out of every 4 people in the US has some sort of digestive disease. 

Some of the most common are IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or Acid Reflux. Symptoms range from somewhat annoying to downright life-threatening. 

Diseases like Colitis and Ileitis can be devastatingly debilitating and life changing.

If you go to your doctor compaining about a belly ache there's a pretty good chance he/she will send you for some tests then load you up with all manner of pills, steroids, anti-biotics etc.

That's "if" you go to your doctor.

Most digestive disorders go unreported and un-treated. There is still a stigma around concerns of the bowel and people are simply either too embarrassed or too scared to seek medical advice.

Enter the billion dollar antacid business.

You need only watch television commercials for a few minutes before one for the next, great breakthroughs in digestive disorder treatment pops up on your screen.

It is, most likely, the plethora of over-the-counter antacid medication that causes most people to self-medicate. 

The truth is that many of these disorders and certainly discomforts can be completely eradicated with a proper diet and nutrition.

In case after case people who have dedicated themselves to a healthy diet and lifestyle report the disappearance of general stomach upsets.

Carefully combined ingredients in nutritionally rich diet programs take into account sensitive stomachs and have worked very hard to create programs that are easy on the digestion.

One such company, Visalus Sciences, has introduced the mac-daddy of all intestinal health products into it's program.

The addition of a pro-biotic into the Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge program adds a host of health benefits that are not present in other shake diets.

The following health benefits have been attributed to pro-biotics (source: wikipedia)

• Managing lactose intolerance
• Prevention of colon cancer
• Lowering cholesterol
• Lowering blood pressure
• Improving immune function and preventing infections
• Helicobacter pylori
• Antibiotic-associated diarrhea
• Reducing inflammation
• Improving mineral absorption
• Preventing harmful bacterial growth under stress
• Irritable bowel syndrome and colitis
•  Managing urogenital health

So, if you're looking to improve your health and your lifestyle consider that the Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge has the added benefits that may be missing from other diets.

In fact, Body By Vi is less expensive, higher in dietary fibre, lower in sugar and calories and has proven results for health and weight loss.

For more information you can check out the following then give me a call or drop me an email. I'd be happy to introduce you to the Challenge!

There are so many articles on the net about how to lose weight. How to lose weight fast. How to exercise those pounds off. How to, how to, how to....

Quite frankly, if you're looking for a fix to your weight loss issues there is no shortage of material to absorb your interest.

The great problem with all of the literature out there is that not only is there too much but much of it is inaccurate or out-dated. 

People construct posts on weight loss, market them to many different sites and then forget about them. There are some posts that regularly pull the top rankings in Google that have actually been around for 5 years.

Like everything, weight loss science is constantly changing and evolving. New science is discovered that help people lose pounds or gain lean muscle every day.

That said, there are a few facts about weight loss that remain constant. I've put together my 10 steps on how to lose weight, effectively and safely.

This list is from my own experiences. At 44 I have been on pretty well every diet known. Southbeach, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Nutrisystem, you name it, I've tried almost all of them. I will stop short of the very severe diets that work but cause terrible turmoil in your body. I won't name the one I'm thinking of specifically but suffice to say, you have to go to a Dr.'s office for your weekly sessions. :)

Ok, back to the list.

As much as I hate to admit this there is a hard and fast rule about weight loss that applies across the board and is irrefutably proven. I hate to admit this because this is what every personal trainer has ever told me and I would swear that I was doing it while still gaining weight.

1. You have to burn more calories in a day than you eat.

Yep, that's pretty basic and irritating right? I mean, we all think that we eat x amount of calories and we're really careful about what we eat. But the reality is, if your'e not keeping a very detailed journal of everything you put into your mouth (including drinks, especially drinks) you are not 100% sure how many calories you're eating.

Keep a journal. Even if it's only for 3 days/week. Don't lie to your journal. Don't embellish. Don't change your regular habits for the journal...yet. Just keep the journal for several days (7 seems like a good number) then find a caloric counter site to determine how many calories you're eating. You'll be surprised.

2. Find inspiration every day. 

This has been the be all and end all for me. In the past my dieting efforts were derailed by an occasional lack of motivation. There's really no excuse for that. If you have an internet connection (and I'm going to assume you do because you're reading this :) then you should be able to go to youtube or ted.com and find something that will inspire you to realize your goals. No excuses on this one. Sorry!

3. Write your goals down!!!

I can't stress this enough. In fact, write them down and put them where you can see them everyday. Bathroom mirror, fridge, bedside table. Anywhere you'll see them daily is great. I have a process that I've come up with that will help you stay focused on those goals. You can take a look here then create your own goals. It's fun too to think bigger!

4. Get help.

Losing weight alone is a drag. You will find excuses to ditch a workout or eat some nachos. But if you have someone you have to answer to you will be far less likely to stray from the goal. 

One of my biggest goals when I started was to help other people be inspired and healthy. To that end I offer myself as a mentor, free of charge, to anyone who would like to have some support. Sometimes people don't want to ask their friends or family for help. So if you need a coach and mentor you can message me via jacquie (at) bodybyvi-canada (dot) (com) and I'll help you out. There are also some articles on that site that may help to keep you on track. 

5. Become a results junky.

As painful as it may seem to jump on the scale at the beginning, you have to do it. You have to get up there, weight yourself, own your weight then dedicate yourself to doing something about it. 

Get out a pen and a chart and chart your progress. 

You're going to need a tape measure too because the inches shed faster than the pounds sometimes and it's very cool to see those results. 

Imagine being able to say to your friends "I've lost 30" in 6 weeks"? It's staggering.

6. Nutrition is the key

A lot of people think that just working out will get them to their goals but I have not found that to be the case, personally. I have been a gym rat, 6 days a week, hard workouts and not lost a pound. (much to my great distress and frustration)

Fitness occurs in the gym, weight loss occurs in the kitchen. This a great adage from a friend of mine who is a personal trainer and if you're not willing to accept the nutrition aspect then you're not going to have the kind of success that really changes lives.

I have found that shake diets give me the right nutrition and the right energy to get through the day. On a shake diet I am able to have 600 calorie dinners which are often quite spectacular. I enjoy the easy and convenience of the shakes and I save quite a bit of money. 

It's a bit of a no-brainer when you consider the science that has gone into the top shake diet. Super high nutritional value that works with your body to produce great results. Plus it's less expensive than groceries.

For me, the Vi-shape by Visalus has been the big lifesaver. I lost 30lbs in 6 weeks and built some serious lean muscle mass that I am now using in my gym workouts. But not everyone will have the same results. I am very diligent because I love the way I look now and I want to keep it that way.

7. Move.

That probably sounds simple enough and you're likely thinking that I am talking about working out. I am, in a way but not in the way you may think.

When you get your head around the fact that all movement is exercise you can give yourself a bit of a break. I think that people, especially me, get so wrapped up in the "workout" aspect of weight loss and forget that the journey is not supposed to be horrible and painful.

Watching people on The Biggest Loser likely scares the crap out of someone sitting on their couch not knowing where to start. It takes a very particular sort of person to seek out that sort of lifestyle change. It's definitely not for everyone and it's DEFINITELY not for those just starting out.

Throughout your day you have ample opportunity to move. Leave your desk for 5 min and walk around your building once. You don't need to tell anyone what you're doing. Just do it (thanks Nike :)

Lean against a wall in a seated position for 10 seconds today. If your'e over-weight your legs are super strong. Put them to work for you.

Walk the kids to school. Take them to the park and instead of sitting on the bench watching them, walk around the playground. 

Every single movement you make during the day is exercise and you can set yourself up for success if you add them in throughout the day. You'll be surprised at how quickly you start to feel strong and empowered by this simple action.

(I used to do pushups, starting with one from my knees, on commercial breaks while watching tv. I can now do 25 military push ups in a row!)

8. Get your friends and family engaged in your success.

Your friends and family want what's best for you. If they don't, or if they are negative I have some ways to deal with them that we can discuss. 

Having a positive attitude among the peeps in your life makes a big difference. They marvel and revel in your success and are right there when you need them. 

Engage them, tell them what you're doing. Get them on board if they need help too. When you start to see success you'll want to get them moving and losing weight as well because you want what's best for them too. 

9. Don't allow slip ups to de-rail your successes.

I'm not saying "don't slip up". I'm saying that, if you do, forgive yourself, figure out why it happened, identify any tell tale signs that make it happen then start again tomorrow.

Messing up is human. If you don't do it once in a while you're not really trying ;)

A lot of people tend to view slip ups as failures. I don't though. I think they are ways to learn more about yourself. "Why did I eat that? I know it's bad for me." could really be a way to find out that when your sister calls you and says her new boyfriend bought her a boat you are consciously happy for her and sub-consiously mad that you don't have a boyfriend. (that was an example, I'm sure you have some of your own :)

10. Take a long look in the mirror everyday.

This is big, really big and absolutely necessary to successful weight loss. 

Look at yourself. Look at your body, your face, your eyes. See yourself in there. See the you you want to be. You're going to have to see that you in the mirror so if you have to look extra hard, do it!

Hating your body is counter-productive to weight loss. It's not inspiring, it's not motivating, it's not healthy. This body you have has done a lot for you. Sure sometimes it's a rebel, sometimes it has inexplicable hissy fits but it's your body and you better love it because until science works out how to get you a new one, it's the one you've got to work with.

You cannot hate yourself and lose weight then automatically love yourself. Doesn't work that way. 

In fact, that's backwards. You have to love yourself to lose weight. 

Looking at yourself, for yourself takes some work though. You won't love it right away likely but here's a trick. Look hard and find something you like. What's your best feature? Is it your eyes? Are your legs super muscular? Do you have a cute nose? Whatever you find, start there. 

Next day, find something else. Do this until you find that you DO love your body, warts and all.

Alright you guys, those are my 10 tips to healthy and successful weight loss. I coach and mentor people who want to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle. Message me through my website and sign up for my other articles.

Talk soon!