Act on your dream!
June 3, 2008 Issue #8 A word from the editor... I want to thank you, again, for subscribing to Act On Your Dream!, and it is a pleasure to send you this issue. I hope you find it interesting and informative. This is the time of the year for summer activities, spending time outdoors, traveling (if you can afford it), and enjoying your family and friends. In this issue, you will find a success story from Jennifer Ledbetter and I want to congratulate her on the success she has already achieved and the future success I know she will enjoy. She is very helpful and friendly and I think you'll enjoy what she has to tell you. I wish you and your family the very best, JD What Is Your Dream? What do you truly want to accomplish with your life?
If you like this e-zine, please do a friend and me a big favor and pay it forward. If a friend DID forward this to you and if you like what you read, please subscribe to get your own copy. IMPORTANT Filtering software may prevent you from receiving important communications you want to receive. To ensure that you never miss an issue of this newsletter, please whitelist @ayearfromnow.com and @johndilbeck.com. You can read more about how to do this at: However, if you miss an email from us, please don't contact SiteSell support. Use our Contact Us form at: To ensure that YOUR customers/leads/affiliates/readers never miss an e-mail from YOU, see the information at: Table of ContentsContact Me
From the desk of John L. Dilbeck
News
Articles
Contact MeContact InformationAct On Your Dream! is published by: John L. Dilbeck, Dilbeck Marketing, Murphy, NC 28906 Copyright © 2008 by John L. Dilbeck. All rights reserved. If you like this ezine, please do a friend and me a big favor and pay it forward. You have my permission to pass it along or upload it to your website if you do not change anything. If a friend did forward this to you and if you like what you read, please subscribe to get your own copy. Let's be social!Twitter - www.twitter.com/johndilbeck MyBlogLog - www.mybloglog.com/buzz/members/johndilbeck MySpace - www.myspace.com/johndilbeck Facebook - www.facebook.com/p/John_Dilbeck/502403467 StumbleUpon - johndilbeck.stumbleupon.com Squidoo - squidoo.com/lensmasters/johndilbeck
From the desk of John L. DilbeckThoughts about social networkingFor the past couple of years, I have been experimenting with various social networking sites, with varying levels of success. My experience with MySpace has been mixed. I am enjoying it for networking with friends, but it has been a bad experience from a marketing standpoint. Not too long ago, I removed almost all the business content from my profile page and use it now only for socializing, and I don't do much of that. I find that most MySpace profiles load so slowly that I lose interest before the page has finished loading. I've turned my social marketing efforts to Facebook and use MyBlogLog to tie many of my social marketing activities together. In December 2007, I discovered Ning.com and opened six niche communities to test the waters. So far, I'm encouraged by the results. See "Create Your Own Social Networking Community" in the News section, below, for more. Act on your dream! JD Famous quotes"The biggest mistake people make in life is not making a living at doing what they most enjoy." "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve."
NewsReal people acting on real dreamsI love reading about real people who take the time and act to create their own reality. The Site Build It! Case Studies have been updated with more information about some of the people featured there. Before you go and read about what they have been up to, you must remember that those success stories are about real people who took a chance and invested time and effort into creating the future they wanted for themselves and their families. Some of them had no clue about how to build a website when they first started. Some had sales experience and others didn't. What all of them had was a dream and goals they wanted to achieve. What sets them apart from most people - maybe you - is that they identified their dream, set the goals necessary to make it come true, and then took appropriate action. I read Elad Shippony's Update 2008 with great interest. He created a new site to describe his trip to Canada to visit other Site Build It webmasters and some of the key people on the SiteSell staff. Of course, not everyone will achieve the level of success that these Site Build It! customers have, but there are thousands of us who have built websites that rank in the top 3% of all sites on the entire web and we are reaping the benefits of our actions. In addition to the 21 people featured on the Case Studies page, you can see hundreds of sites that rank in the top 1% of all websites in the world. Each of these sites was built by an individual - probably someone a lot like you - who followed the Site Build It! action guide and took the time to learn how to build a website that works. Real people; real results. It can't be done overnight and it does take effort, but it can be done. Thousands of people are already acting on their dreams. Create your own social networking communityDid you know that you can create your own social networking community - for free - at www.Ning.com? In December 2007, I discovered Ning, and I've created six communities to test the waters. I also joined several dozen communities, but I've pared them down to about a dozen that I visit occasionally. It's a lot more work to create and manage a community than it is to find and join one that interests you. On the other hand, you have a lot more influence on a community that you create and manage. Of course, the key to a successful online community is active members who are interested in the niche. Without them, the community will never thrive. (Revised June 15, 2008) Be careful when you create your communities at Ning.com. I was contacted by The Ning Team and told that my communities were not in compliance with their terms of service, specifically that no advertising that could earn money was allowed unless I paid the $19.95 per month per community to control advertising in my communities. I could not make a business case for paying $120 per month for communities I was enjoying, but which were bringing in no revenue. So, in order to meet their 24 hour deadline, I closed all six communities. Keep this in mind if you decide to create your own communities.
Do you have a lensography?I saw some lensographies a couple of months ago and wanted one of my own. What's a lensography? Essentially, it is a Squidoo lens about all your other lenses. Once you get a few dozen lenses, it's a good idea to build your own lensography to keep track of what you're doing and to make it easy for your readers to find your growing lens collection. I didn't list all of my lenses, but I did add the ones I think may be significant. Recently, I finally finished the first draft: Who is John Dilbeck - www.squidoo.com/John-Dilbeck I'm not sure I picked the right template by using "Who is," but what's done is done. My next lensography will use a different template. So, where's your lensography? Are you an expert on something? Build your own Squidoo lens and tell the world. It's free, and you may even earn some money from it.
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Happy Anniversary to ME!by Jennifer Ledbetter One year ago today, I tried my hand at something new. Something so crazy...an idea that seemed totally out of reach. I made my first web site and tried this whole "make money online" thing. Yes, "only" one year ago. It was absolutely, positively the BEST thing I ever did for myself...for my family...for our future. Think about where you were one year ago today. Where will you be one year from today? If what you're doing today - how you're living today - is probably the same thing you'll be doing a year from now...and if you're not satisfied...why not try something new? "We remain the same until the pain of staying the same exceeds the pain of change…." One year ago, I made a decision to NOT remain the same. I chose the pain of change...and chose to face my FEAR of change... and ran face first into a solid brick wall of a whole lot of unknowns. Yes, it IS scary...and intimidating...but it is also so LIBERATING. Like many of you, we have kids. Four of 'em ranging from 3 to 19. Not only do they eat (a lot!) and need clothes and the doctor occasionally, but they also want wii's, barbies, cell phones, and cars…oh, and also this silly little thing called "college." When you live paycheck to paycheck it is really hard to think big and think beyond just paying the bills, isn't it? The only way out is to not only own your past and what got you here, but to also find a way to own your FUTURE. I wanted a different future for us. I wanted to NOT have a family that danced around two parents' careers that were AWAY from home...just to make ends meet. And, let's be honest, with an economy like the one we are headed for (or heck, one we are already IN), who has a job that is secure? Scary stuff. Thankfully, I was blessed and I am one of the "lucky ones." I throw the word "luck" out there like this past year has been easy. It has not been easy. I busted my a$$ 12 hours a day…sometimes more...right in front of this computer. I worked hard to be right here today. However, I am so blessed. Blessed with a husband who believed in me and my pea-brained idea enough to give me this year when all he really saw most days was the back of my head at a computer. That man is my hero...Lord knows, I wouldn't have been HALF as good about it as he was...lol! We are also so blessed to have everything we need…and a lot of what we want. Now, we also have a new option for our future. No matter where life takes us, my business can go, too. I am truly excited to see what the NEXT year brings. I have many cool things in the works! To those of you that have "followed" me the past year...THANK YOU! If there is anything I can do for you, ask me…I'll do whatever I can to help you along. My parting words are this. Start an online business. Do it. Now. The tax deductions alone are worth it...but the potential in it could change your life. Copyright © 2008 by Jennifer Ledbetter. All rights reserved worldwide. Used with permission. Jennifer Ledbetter is a Professional Internet Marketer who helps others learn how to start making money online on her blog, PotPieGirl.com. Jennifer also runs WebsitesInCrisis.com, a successful website optimization firm specializing in helping small business owners get the most out of their website.
I welcome your comments, suggestions, and critiques. Please make your comments about anything in this newsletter in the Success story from Jennifer Ledbetter thread on our A Year From Now Forum. I intend to accomplish my definite chief aim and make my dream a reality. I want to see you do the same. If you believe you can, you can. JD
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