Don't be afraid to reinvent yourself!

Reinventing Myself
by Jodie Wilson
I have spent the last year reinventing myself. Stretching the limits, reaching new goals, achieving things I would not have believed possible.

Now the world of Social media, viral marketing, and leveraging yourself online are a must. So once again I am learning how to create increased exposure to DiscoverTheRegion.com. My belief is the more PR and Marketing I do, the less my clients have to do to market their business individually. Marketing in numbers creates opportunities. It is the same concept behind why so many restaurants build next to each other. There is power in numbers.

My first step was LinkedIn, it is a business only profile. Getting your profile at 100% takes some time to set up, so don’t get discouraged. Being a part of these communities helps build Search Engine Optimization. Moving on to Facebook, this is a combination of personal and business profiles. Although, Facebook is promoted as a social site you can easily integrate both into your information. I found this really fun to connect with high school friends, previous colleagues, organizations I participated in when we lived in Ohio and even childhood neighbors that I had not heard from in years. I share my family photos, business updates as well as volunteer groups I am involved in.

Around Phoenix the buzz is Twitter (microblog). I admit it took me a number of times visiting this site to wrap my head around this one. I wondered, what could I possibly have to say that anyone would be interested in? I jumped in setting up my profile and then stepped back for a few days thinking about it again… I posted my first tweet then my second, and now in just two weeks I have posted over 20 tweets, 89 followers and 142 that I follow. I am not a crossword puzzle or a Sudoku fan, but I am loving twitter. You get 140 characters to get your point across and make it interesting enough so others will want to follow. I have had great success with promoting Discover the Region’s expert blogger’s, and spot lighting the clients in my directory. IT WORKS!!!! Oh, the best part is when you tweet, it will automatically transfers to your other social media profiles.

Today, I heard there is a new forum called Flutter (nanoblog). 26 characters to say what you need to say. I am not ready for that, postings are in texting lingo. As I was watching the 3 minute video I thought there is: TMI 4 me 2 cher n 26. I will have to consult with my 10 year old granddaughter.

Let Discovertheregion.com and other social and viral marketing media available on-line leverage your business, and share marketing strategies. In today’s market you need to keep your business in the forefront. Do whatever it takes to stay on the cutting edge of what is new. Promote yourself and others will buy from you because they know you and trust you by how your words resonate to them.
Happy Tweeting,
Jodie Wilson

Business "Tip of the Day" 04-30

A direct mail letter allows you page-after-page to explain a new concept. A CD-ROM presentation can add an audio or visual element, which may be essential for your customer to fully grasp your offering. At the opposite extreme, a simple sign tacked to a bulletin board (*FREE adorable puppies! Call 555-5555*) may be all it takes to make the sale.

Computer "Tip of the Day" 04-30

A Quick Way To Print A Document
There are many ways to prints a document, but you can print a document quickly if you put a shortcut to the printer on your desktop and drag a document icon to it, no need to open file for printing just drag a file to printer icon and get your print.
To do this, first click Start button, Settings, then Printers ( first make sure you installed your printer driver). When the Printers window opens, hold down Ctrl and drag the printer icon to your system desktop.
Now you can drag a document icon and drop it in printer icon on your desktop. Here you will get a print quickly and with out open a file.

Floral Easy Ordering Tips

When ordering flowers for either local or out of town deliveries follow these easy tips:
1. The Recipient's Name.
2. The Recipient's Address with Zip Code.
3. The Recipient's Telephone Number and Area Code.
4. The amount you are planning to spend on the item itself (without relay or delivery charges).
5. Your Credit Card Number and Expiration Date.
These handy tips will help save both you and the florist time when it comes to sending flowers.

Business "Tip of the Day" 04-28

Instead of looking at how large a project is, start doing it and before you know it, it's done. What's that old saying "The longest journey begins with the first step". Or, for the youngsters in the crowd, how about Nike's "Just Do It!"

Computer "Tip of the Day" 04-28

Outlook Shortcut Keys
Ctrl+A Apply to select all
Ctrl+B Apply/Remove bold formatting
Ctrl+C Apply to copy the selected word
Ctrl+D Apply to delete any active item
Ctrl+E Move cursor to Look for box
Ctrl+F Display the Find what /Forward selected email
Ctrl+G Apply to run Go to dialog box under calendar view
Ctrl+I Apply/Remove Italic formatting
Ctrl+J Apply to open selected items
Ctrl+M Press keys to create new message

Computer "Tip of the Day" 04-27

Microsoft Excel shortcut keys
Shortcut keys with Ctrl+ Combination
Shortcut keys Action
Ctrl+A Apply to select all cells
Ctrl+B Apply/Remove bold formatting
Ctrl+C Apply to copy the selected word
Ctrl+D Apply to fill down the selected cell
Ctrl+F Display the Find what option
Ctrl+G Apply to run Go to dialog box
Ctrl+H Use to display Find and Replace dialog box
Ctrl+I Apply/Remove Italic formatting
Ctrl+K Apply to insert Hyperlink dialog box
Ctrl+L Press keys to insert Create list dialog box
Ctrl+N Press Keys to create new file
Ctrl+O Press Keys to open new file
Ctrl+P Press Keys to display Print dialog box
Ctrl+S Save the active file
Ctrl+U Press Keys to apply/remove underline
Ctrl+V Press Keys to paste the clipboard values
Ctrl+X Press Keys to cut the selected word
Ctrl+Y Press Keys to run previous action
Ctrl+Z Apply to undo the previous command

Business "Tip of the Day" 04-27

4. Look at time in a different manner. One of the pitfalls to discipline away from the office is time — or, rather, the lack of a regular schedule of events, be they meetings or business lunches. That can lead to downtime and, conceivably, a lapse in productivity. Plan ahead to make the most of those few minutes here and there to keep your discipline sharp. Recognizing the importance of working when time permits, many airports offer workstations for businesspeople in between flights. By the same token, read a business article while your flight is tenth in line for takeoff. Lisa Kanarek, founder of HomeOfficeLife.com, suggests clipping articles of interest rather than hauling along entire magazines. It's less weight and a more expedient way to focus on what's of interest to you.

Business "Tip of the Day" 04-24

Surround Yourself With The Right People
--Surround Yourself With People Willing To Go Through The Battle With You. Chances are you and your team are going to work harder for less this year…and maybe next year too. Everyone likes to get raises, cash big commission checks, or get a nice year-end bonus. And if you’ve run successful businesses and assembled a strong team, you’ve shared the wealth in good times. Now times are tough, raises and bonuses may not be forthcoming, and commission checks may be less robust than in years past. In these difficult times the people you want to surround yourself with are those that understand the situation and are willing to grind through with you.
Steve TullyPresident, Quiksilver Brands, Americas

Computer "Tip of the Day" 04-24

4th Mikey worm loose!
Posted by Mr. Haklab in twitter on Monday, April 13, 2009

--Alert to Twitter users: The 4th generation of the Mikeyy twitter exploit is out. Just by viewing a twitter profile an XSS code will be injected which will retweet the following tweets:
How TO remove new Mikeyy worm! RT!! http://bit.ly/yCL1s
This worm is getting out of hand Twitter. - Mikeyy
Twitter, your community is going to be mad at you... - MikeyyAnd it even changes your bio and put's the mikey URL in your URL field. It also changes the Hexx color to #mikeyy.Steps to fix it:1. Change your hex color/reset it2. Change your bio and change the URL3. DONT click on any profile that is suspicious and use another twitter client like TweetDeck instead of the Twitter websiteJust wait until Twitter fixes it. I'll make an update here for you fellow Tweeps!

Computer "Tip of the Day" 04-23

A Trojan that normally peddles bogus anti-virus scareware' has hit on a new way of persuading users to part with money for a worthless license - it encrypts their data first.
The concept of encrypting data on an infected PC has been seen several times since 2005, but the new version of the Vundo Trojan reported to be doing the rounds by security company FireEye is the first to tie straight extortion to a conventional rogue anti-virus software scam.
The company doesn't fully detail how the program infects users - Trojans such as this sometimes exploit the Windows autorun vulnerability - but once on a system it sets out to encrypt various file types it finds on the host system, including .jpgs, PDFs and Word .doc files, after which it presents a piece of rogueware called FileFix Pro 2009 as the way to unlock the now inaccessible files.

Business "Tip of the Day" 04-23

3. Set up a comfortable workspace. Ads showing a businessperson sprawled on a hotel bed, cell phone in one hand and calculator in the other, belong in the netherworld of Madison Avenue. Discipline away from the office often derives from a setting that singularly represents work. No matter where you are, earmark a particular spot for work. Jasper suggests bringing along family pictures and favorite music to bolster your perception that this is where work is going to happen. "It's important to arrange things so you can function," she says.

Computer "Tip of the Day" 04-21

- - Adobe Reader and Internet Explorer 7 Holes under Attack. If you were an Internet crook, the following item would be music to your ears: A zero-day flaw--a security hole for which no fix is available before attacks are launched--exists in Adobe Reader and Acrobat, and can be exploited by a poisoned PDF file that lets you take over a vulnerable computer. Adobe has released patches for versions 7, 8 and 9 of both programs. Bad Guys went after a bug in Internet Explorer 7 within a week after Microsoft distributed a fix. Those attacks employed a malicious Word document, but crooks could also add hidden code to a hijacked website to create a drive-by download attack. You can install the patch for this browser flaw via Automatic Updates, or you can download it from the link given below More information: Acrobat 9:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4375
Acrobat Reader 9: http://get.adobe.com/reader/ Acrobat Reader 7 & 8: http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb09-04.html
Internet Explorer:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=8cd902ec-e018-4b61-80f9-825d973f998e&displaylang=en

Business "Tip of the Day" 04-21

2. Keep a comprehensive to-do list. Whether you seek to stay ahead of the game or you spring into action at the last minute, keeping track of all you need to accomplish is particularly important outside of an office setting. You're absent from anyone ready to remind you what's going on. But knowing just what you need to do and when, in comprehensive detail, can keep you focused and motivated. No matter how you do it, be it with a PDA or day timer, be obsessive about planning out your activities.

Computer "Tip of the Day" 04-20

Security Newsbytes
- - Crooks Flock to Rogue Antivirus Applications Chasing massive profits, crooks have unleashed a flood of rogue antivirus programs that attempt to fool or scare unsuspecting PC users into forking over cash for an app that does nothing worthwhile.
According to the Antiphishing Working Group, the number of fake security programs skyrocketed from average of around 2,500 per month to 9,287 in December. The group's latest report, covering the second half of 2008, says that while rogue antivirus has been around for years, it wasn't until the middle of last year that crooks starting turning the fake applications into a serious money-making machine. The Washington Post's Security Fix recently showed that dirty affiliates who help spread the junk apps can earn more than $330,000 a month in commissions.
More information:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/161649/crooks_flock_to_rogue_antivirus_apps.html
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/03/obscene_profits_fuel_rogue_ant.html

Business "Tip of the Day" 04-20

For the next 7 days I will post 7 tips for business, one a day.

1. Know your work patterns. This philosophic tenet is particularly important to being disciplined away from an office environment. Consider what makes you more productive: being proactive well in advance or sweating things out under a tight deadline. Knowing what sets your wheels turning can help you establish work patterns and systems that bolster your discipline."Are you motivated by feeling good or fear?" asks Jan Jasper, author of "Take Back Your Time: How to Regain Control of Work, Information and Technology." "Some people don't need to plan ahead as much because their discipline comes from adrenaline."

Computer Tip of the Day "04-17" Phishing

- - Cox Communication Customer Phishing
Cox Communications customers should be on the lookout for an email that pressures Cox customers to verify their personal information within 24 hours or, for security reasons, their account will be suspended and shut down permanently within two weeks. However, the emails are not from Cox Communications and no reputable company requests social security numbers, dates of birth, passwords, or any other personal information by email.
More information: http://www.keyt.com/news/local/42232252.html

Women in Business 4-17

How to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone & Find Your B.A.L.L.S. So You Can Get Everything You Want .
S = Super-Hero
You must be the super-hero of your life. There is no knight-in-shining-armor coming to save you. Imagine that your life is a movie and YOU are the hero, the super-hero. Your life is waiting to be written, you might as well make it a blockbuster hit! BE that which you desire. Starting now..... Go!
How Having B.A.L.L.S. Helped Me Get Everything I Wanted in Business and in Life
What could having B.A.L.L.S. do for you?
Sandy Grason http://www.sandygrason.com/freeaudio/

Women in Business cont.

How to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone & Find Your B.A.L.L.S. So You Can Get Everything You Want.
L = Licious-ness
This is that Unique-ness that is only YOU. When you are clear in your Unique Essence, there is no competition. There is only one of you. When I turned 40, something happened & my "Sandy-ness" became "Sandy-liciousness." You must express your most delicious & fabulous self in every moment!

Tomorrow the "S"

Computer "Tip of the Day" 04-16

Here are 2 Scams. Be aware!!!!
1 - Delta Air Lines Malware Emails
This email purports to be from US based air carrier Delta Air Lines and claims to contain information about a recent online ticket purchase. It instructs recipients to open an attached file, ostensibly to print out a "passenger itinerary receipt." However, the email is not from Delta and opening the attached file can install malware that may allow hackers to control the infected computer and steal personal and financial information.
2 - Economic Stimulus Bill Scam
Fraudsters are using the logo of the Internal Revenue Service, combined with the promise of federal stimulus money, to dupe cash-strapped people into divulging credit-card information on a phony Web site. It's the latest example of attempted identity theft rising amid the current economic turmoil, hitting a range of areas from mortgages to tax returns. The email, which displays photos of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, claims to offer people their portion of the recently approved stimulus bill. Recipients are instructed to click an email link and enter their personal financial information on a counterfeit Web site.

Computer Tip of the Day "04-15"

Some Do's for Computer Security
- - Do delete random emails that ask you to confirm or divulge personal information.
- - Do use antivirus and anti-spyware software and update them regularly.
Some scam emails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge. Look for antivirus software that recognizes current viruses as well as older ones, that can effectively reverse the damage if your computer does get infected, and that updates itself automatically.
- - Do use a two-way software firewall. It helps make your computer less visible on the Internet and blocks communications from unauthorized sources. It's especially important to run a firewall if you have a broadband connection. Operating systems (like Windows or Mac OSX) or browsers (like Internet Explorer or Firefox) also offer free software "patches" to close holes in the system that cyber criminals could exploit. Do apply the patches.

Women in Business cont.

L = Let's Get Loud
These are the lyrics to Jennifer Lopez's song "let's get loud", "You want to live your life, you got to live it all the way and don't you waste it. There's a feeling that could be so very sweet you gotta taste it. You gotta do it your way, you gotta prove it, you gotta mean what you say- you know what we're here for! Let's Get Loud". There are words to live, love and laugh by.

Tomorrow the second "L"

Women in Business cont.

How to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone & Find Your B.A.L.L.S. So You Can Get Everything You Want.
A = Authenticity
You must be willing to authentically express yourself, even if it makes people uncomfortable. Be big. Be the Rock Star. Do not make yourself small in order to make others like you or, to fit in. When you allow yourself to shine in your fabulousness, it will spill over onto those around you and lift them up.

Tomorrow the first "L"

Computer Tip of the Day "04-14"

E-card Do's and Don'ts.

- - Don't click on links in emails announcing an e-Card or on e-Card attachments. If it's a legitimate e-Card, the sender may be disappointed that you didn't get it, but weigh that against the risk of your computer getting infected if you do click.
- - Don't reply to emails or pop-up messages offering quick fixes for viruses. Legitimate computer security companies don't sell their products by spam email or by using pop-ups.
- - Don't cut and paste the link from the message into your Internet browser. Phishers can make links look like they go to one place, but that actually send you to a different site.

Computer "Tip of the Day" 04-13

"You've received an e-Card!"
Good news? Happy Birthday? Get-Well-Soon? Maybe, but e-greeting cards, e-gift cards, and online holiday messages are increasingly being used by scammers and cyber criminals to spread viruses and other vicious malware. Many e-Cards are rigged with links that take unsuspecting recipients to bogus websites that can infest systems or compromise user identities and personal information. If you believe you've been the victim of an e-Card scam, report it to your computer consultant, computer help desk, or your Internet Service Provider (ISP) immediately.
I will post the Do's and Don'ts of E Cards the rest of the week. Stay tuned.

Computer Tip of the Day "E Card Scams" 04-13

"You've received an e-Card!"
Good news? Happy Birthday? Get-Well-Soon? Maybe, but e-greeting cards, e-gift cards, and online holiday messages are increasingly being used by scammers and cyber criminals to spread viruses and other vicious malware. Many e-Cards are rigged with links that take unsuspecting recipients to bogus websites that can infest systems or compromise user identities and personal information. If you believe you've been the victim of an e-Card scam, report it to your computer consultant, computer help desk, or your Internet Service Provider (ISP) immediately.
For the rest of the week I will cover the Do's and Don'ts of E Cards.

Women in Business

How to Get Everything You Want in Business and in Life by Having B.A.L.L.S. By Sandy Grason
For the next six days I am going to present the different steps of Sandy's method of getting ahead. There isn't enough space for the whole article. Here we go;
How to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone & Find Your B.A.L.L.S. So You Can Get Everything You Want
B = Belief
You must have unshakeable belief in yourself and the World around you. It starts with a vision, and you have to believe that you wouldn't have this vision if you didn't already have everything you need to make it a reality.

"Take Responsibility"

Take responsibility for any change you want to make in your life. Condition yourself to take the initiative to succeed in whatever change you want.
Don't use words like: "I know this won't work, but I'll *try* it anyway." Just condition yourself to go ahead and do it! Reprogram yourself, *condition* yourself, to succeed. Condition that new pattern until it's consistent, then your success will be consistent!

Business "Tip of the Day" 04-10

All of the incredible business successes that have ever existed first existed in the minds of those who created them.

Computer "Tip of the Day" 04-10

I like to browse my local newspaper online in the morning, and every once in awhile when I sign on, I get yesterdays’ edition. If you go to a site that should have updated content but it seems like it didn't change, that could be due to a cached version coming up.
To make sure that you are getting the most recent version of a page, hold down the Ctrl key and click the Refresh button in your browser.

Computer "Tip of the Day" 04-09

BASIC SHORTCUT KEYS
The below basic shortcut keys are a listing of shortcut keys that will work with almost all IBM compatible computers and software programs. It is highly recommended that all users keep a good reference of the below short cut keys and/or try to memorize the below keys. Doing so will dramatically increase your productivity.
Shortcut Keys
Description
Alt + F = File menu options in current program.
Alt + E = Edit options in current program
F1 = Universal Help in 90% of Windows programs.
Ctrl + A = Select all text.
Ctrl + X = Cut selected item.
Shift + Del = Cut selected item.
Ctrl + C = Copy selected item.
Ctrl + Ins = Copy selected item
Ctrl + V = Paste
Shift + Ins = Paste
Home = Goes to beginning of current line.
Ctrl + Home = Goes to beginning of document.
End = Goes to end of current line.
Ctrl + End = Goes to end of document.
Shift + Home = Highlights from current position to beginning of line.
Shift + End = Highlights from current position to end of line.
Ctrl + Left arrow = Moves one word to the left at a time.
Ctrl + Right arrow = Moves one word to the right at a time.

Business "Tip of the Day" 04-09

Always answer incoming email messages within 24 to 48 hours. With all this lightening fast technology, potential clients expect a lightening fast reply.

Computer "Tip of the Day" 04-07

Microsoft and Facebook Team Up to Put the Kibosh on Koobface (April 6, 2009) Microsoft and Facebook are working together to protect users from the Koobface worm. Koobface spreads through Facebook and MySpace social networking sites and infects users who run vulnerable versions of Windows. It steals login information so it can hijack accounts and spam users' contact lists. The spam usually contains a link to what is billed as a video, but users who click the link are told they must download a program to watch the clip. If users agree to the download, their machines become infected with malware.

Business "Tip of the Day" 04-07

Make sure your email message is as clear and concise as possible. Proofread and spell check every message.

Business "Tip of the Day"

In addition to possibly altering your life style, efficient time management boils down to planning what you're going to do, and then doing it without backtracking. Start by making a list of the things you want to do tomorrow each evening before you go to bed. Schedule your trips to the store or wherever to coincide with the other things you have to do, and with your trips to or from work. Organize your trips to take care of as many things as possible while you're out of the house.

Computer "Tip of the Day" 04-06

Even when you're not using any programs, there will still be a small percentage being used due to the antivirus, firewall, spyware, etc. programs you have running in the background. It's nothing to worry about, but it's good to keep all of that in mind just in case.
To see how much of your CPU is being used at any given time, you just need to open the Task Manager. The easiest way to do that is to hit Ctrl + Alt + Del (all at the same time). It will then pop right up on your screen. Now, the percentage number is under the Performance tab and it's located toward the left, labeled CPU Usage. You can watch it fluctuate back and forth between the percentages if you want as well. That way, you know exactly how much is being used at all times.
While you're in the Task Manager, you can also look at some other performance and networking numbers if you're interested in that. Again, it's always a good idea to keep your eye on these things

Computer Security

Because no security method is guaranteed, it's important to back up critical files on a regular basis before you encounter a virus or other problems.

Weathering the storm

Here is JJ's take on what we must do:
Help each other.
Understand our business better than we ever have before.
Be realistic.
Find out what is working, or will work, and keep doing it.
Find out what isn't working, or won't work, and stop doing it.

Read and learn.

Have patience.

Stay awake.