Her assignment? Write a blog post on “how to successfully convert your blog from a simple, mayhap even personal operation… into a more advanced, business oriented model designed to earn you some moola! (without freaking out your loyal readers/listeners/watchers”

Tip #1

Okay, First of all begin to immediately stop talking about “me, me, me, me,” Eliminate “I” and “me” as much as humanly possible in your blog articles and replace with “You”

Tip #2

Secondly write articles about subjects that might just be of interest to your readers. For example I’m writing this blog post on my AbundantPractice.com Blog which is focused on business skills and resources for holistic practitioners and other creative types. I am not writing this article on my Clear The Fear Fast Anxiety Help website because it has nothing to do with the subject or the readers of that site.  (however, notice I did pop a link and a few relevant keywords in to it just in case you also have anxiety issues and need help with them)

Tip #3

Thirdly, write articles based on actual keywords that your target audience is looking for. This article started out titled, How to Earn Money From Your Blog… I checked to see if “Earn Money From Your Blog” is a significantly searched term. yeah…about 320 people. hmmm,  “Earn money blogging” gets 5400 searches a month… and, “Make Money Blog” gets over 40,000 searches a month. Now. I’m going to change the title of my article to reflect a more searched term. But also mentioning them here in the body of this post helps get some search engine grooviness also… so I changed the title to: Earn Money Blogging Without Losing Readers

Tip #4

Next, become an affiliate of products or programs that you have personally used and tested and found to be helpful and write honest reviews about the products embedding banner ads or affiliate links to the products so that when people click through and purchase them, you get a commission. Warning. You also need to have other non affiliate content as well that your readers are interested in so that it’s not a constant grind of promoting products.  I recently purchased a CD home study course and attended a live seminar of someone who I deeply and completely believe in. I did a couple of articles reivewing his programs and within a few weeks of creating the website, earned over $400 in commissions. You must do this with integrity. I will not ever promote something I haven’t actually purchased and used. That’s where your personal stuff can come in to the blog. But always keep in mind that your reader wants to know what’s in it for them. Keep your focus on them.
.

For example, One of the most helpful products I ever purchased was Fabienne Fredrickson’s Client Attraction Home Study System. It enabled me to actually build my hypnosis/nlp practice, it pushed me to create my first workbook and CD set, Clear The Fear Fast Home Study System, It helped me go from a “local” hypnotherapist to a “nationally recognized Anxiety Specialist” and more. It so much more than paid for itself that I have no hesitation sending my readers and even you to check it out! (Fabienne will send you a free CD and there’s no pushiness just good, solid helpful content: Fabienne Fredrickson’s Client Attraction Home Study System.)

Tip #5

Ultimately unless you are already a celebrity, your personal ramblings and musings are not going to earn money online for you. People go to the internet to get help for stuff. Be helpful. You can be yourself and still share things you’ve learned in a way that helps other people make more money, create more health, overcome challenges, find love, grow their business, improve their relationships, heal their bodies and minds, etc.  Keep that in mind as you begin to type…

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I got it and begin to systematically implement Fabienne’s suggestions. You can check out one of the results of my following her program at www.ClearFear.com

On her suggestion I systematized my Anxiety relief process and created the Clear The Fear Fast Home Study System which is now available online

I took her coaching seriously and began to do every single one of the things she perscribed in Fabienne’s Client Attraction Home Study System.

The result was that I began to steadily attract clients from all over the US who began flying in to work wiith me one on one. Can you imagine how personally and professional validating it would be for you to become a nationally recognized practitioner in your field? How cool would it be to have clients flying in to see you or flying you out to work with them? I love it!

Her advice applies to all small, sole proprietor type business and holistic practitioners.  Artists, storytellers and musicians DEFINITELY need this because nowhere else will you have exactly what you need to know about running a business that doesn’t freak you out with business lingo jingo. This has everything you need to do to start bringing in the cash fast and consistently.

You can receive a free Client Attraction CD from Fabienne Fredrickson that costs nothing and can get you started with no obligation or high pressure.

I will only recommend programs and products here that I have personally tested and tried and found remarkably helpful. this is one of them. I still use this for every new niche or program I develop. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

Get Your FREE Client Attraction CD from Fabienne Fredrickson now!

Got questions? Call me at 888+598+7709 or email me at mark [at] markshepard.com

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What is it? It is the secret that eludes most professionals. It’s the secret of duplicating yourself.

It’s the secret of transforming your knowledge and expertise into something that generates income for you 24-7 whether you are feeling like working or not.

Do I have your attention?

In 2003 I completed my NLP Master Practitioner and Trainer certification, my Hypnotherapy certification and my Time Line Therapy™ certification both as a “master practitioner” and as a trainer.

Nothing in any of my expensive courses taught me what I needed to know in order to get clients to actually pay me for my services. I had to figure that out on my own. And I will share those tools with you.

But once I had a stream of client’s coming to me and paying me $150 per hour I had another problem.

I could only put in so many hours a week at this demanding work. There was no way I could ever work 40 hours a week seeing clients. It would have totally wiped me out. But even if I could. The built in limitations were unacceptable.

As professional musician and storyteller I didn’t get paid unless I was there physically doing the performing. I lived in terror of getting sick. No Play = No Pay.

So I began to search for other ways. The ones that worked I will be sharing with you.

Check out Marlon Sanders Roundtable Now

The ones that don’t I will be warning you about.

The idea is simple. Take the process you do with your clients or the knowledge you use everyday to help people transform their lives and turn it into a home study course or a book  or a CD set or all of the above.

Set up a website and sell it on line.

Simple huh?

Let me say from my own experience that it sounds so simple but it gets crazy hard real fast.

I’m hoping to save you from my 7 years of “trial by error”.

The first light in the forest I want to point you to is a guy named Marlon Sanders.

He was the first and best resource on internet marketing and running an information based business I’ve found. His products and courses are affordable and easy to use. He’s entertaining and authentic.

He’s about to start a 6 week course that will literally walk you through step by step everything you need to begin to make the transition from trading your hours for dollars to what I like to call “massive, passive profits from multiple sources on a continuous basis”.

Here’s a link to Marlon Sanders Roundtable program. check out Marlon Sanders Roundtable Now

Even if you don’t buy it, you need to check it out to begin to open your mind to the possibilities.

What if you’re a musician?

Don’t you think you could create a short video course or e-book on something you do that is unique to you? or something that is helpful?

For 15 years I’ve made a positive impact and decent money performing  School Assemblies. Yup it’s on my list of info products to develop.

I was afraid to sell. I overcame that fear and now I have a course called “The Reluctant Sales Person.”  Every couple of weeks I sell one of those courses. It’s not a huge flood of dough but it’s starting to increase. It was every couple of months. (BTW I spend zero money on advertising it and I haven’t touched it since September of 2009).

I now have several other courses. This stuff doesn’t happen overnight. But it’s worth it. That’s what I want to share with you. It’s an incredible feeling to wake up in the morning, check your e-mail and see that you made money while you slept. Marlon Sanders is the first guy I learned from and I keep returning to his courses. I keep using what I’ve learned from him.

Stop reading this and just Check out Marlon Sanders Roundtable Now :

Got questions? Need Some coaching help? give me a call at 888+598+7709 or email me a mark [at] markshepard.com

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This article pre-supposes an understanding of Twitter. If you don’t have a twitter account yet, you have a bit of a learning curve and I’ll do my best to provide some help in that area soon. At the moment, I need to share this one piece of the puzzle for folks who are already using twitter to promote their practice or art or music:

How to automate your twitter feed to build your practice 24-7.

The first thing to remember is something I learned from Internet guru Perry Belcher. Twitter is a party. Nobody likes the guy at the party who talks only a bout himself and his business. the fastest way to hurt your business on twitter is to talk only about your services.

Here’s how you avoid that while still getting the benefit of free traffic to your website.

Mix your tweets about your classes, products, services, music, art, programs etc. with interesting tweets about general stuff of related areas of interest.

here’s an example from one of my tweet streams: (Notice the red ones? those lead to my stuff) .

• How To Use Twitter to Build Your Holistic Practice http://bit.ly/9VTmBx
• How To accept credit cards online (w/out getting ripped off) http://bit.ly/djRLRG
• RT @MrBuzzFactor: 5 Tips to Make YouTube Videos Work for You! http://bit.ly/aefWlf
• Top 10 common faults in human thought http://bit.ly/6hbwwc
• 40 Free Retro Fonts: http://bit.ly/cnmluJ
• Best Places To Meet Women If you’re A Painfully Shy Guy http://bit.ly/cvhCRO
• Indie Musicians! great resource by @MrBuzzFactor re: FaceBook  http://bit.ly/b0uHhS
• Nothing is impossible. The word itself says “I’m Possible” – Audrey Hepburn
• I’ve learned so much from my mistakes, I’m thinking of making a few more… – On A Wall
• There isn’t as much wrong with you as you pretend there is… – On A Wall
• New Song! “Listen to Me” | Mark Shepard: A Life In Song – http://bit.ly/aoFA39
• Too many people buy things they don’t need, w/ $ they don’t have, trying 2 impress people they don’t even like. – On A Wall
• Beauty without intelligence is like a masterpiece painted on a napkin. – On A Wall
• Albatross mounted camera shows feeding strategy w/ Killer Whales http://bit.ly/baqA18
• just noticed my “Motivation” song has had 12K views on YouTube… tiny compared to Miley Cyrus but it made my day! http://bit.ly/c5rS6F
• Awesome blog about nature in Africa. http://bit.ly/dc7ERM
• some places a bike shouldn’t be able to go! amazing video!!! http://bit.ly/11Oqoa
• Awesome original songs by Debra Alexander @wordmavenmusic  check ‘em out! http://bit.ly/9ICWQ3
• Inspirational Song: “Light Over Your Shoulder” | Mark Shepard: A Life In Song – http://scissurl.com/2/kw
• Social Media Vices… http://bit.ly/1JGAht  [LOL]
• Help for anxiety about death http://bit.ly/alzCFR
• Johnny Carson & animal guy Jim Fowler LMAO http://tinyurl.com/yjzfr3k [via @CouncilmanTech]
• another great and soulful blog post from @urbancrafter http://bit.ly/bgQMgh
• “Instead of feeling normal ever consider feeling natural?” Steve Munn’s Dad.
• Ever feel far away? “I Want to Go Home” | Mark Shepard: A Life In Song – http://bit.ly/cK8WuG
• Guitarists! cool effects pedals: http://bit.ly/9RprdI

So you see how I’ve mixed links to my own sites (in red) with interesting links to miscellaneous cool stuff along with Retweets (“RT’s”) from my followers? This is the basic idea.

So what I do is basically check in once or twice a day, thank people who have retweeted my stuff and respond to any personal messages or comments.

The cool thing is that I have pages and pages of tweets that I can upload in bulk and program to run every 15 minute or every hour or whatever. I then know I have free traffic going to my various websites 24-7. What even cooler is when people retweet my song and blog post links to their tweeps…and then their tweeps will retweet to their tweeps and so on…

I have a system so that when I find anything cool that my tweeps might be interested in, I tweet it (using a URL shortner) then I copy and past the tweet into a text document (which is now over 20 pages long, single spaced) I mix in tweets to my own websites, blog posts etc. and every couple of weeks I reload the whole thing via a site called SocialOomph

You can get a lot of cool features on SocialOomph for free. You can manage multiple twitter and facebook accounts. You can schedule your tweets. You can automate your friend following process as well as the process by which you follow back or find new friends according to your perameters. The bulk upload feature does cost money but it’s worth every single penny. Check out SocialOomph

So that’s one quick and “in a nutshell” tip on how to build your holistic practice while you sleep. Let me know how you use it!

Got questions? Call me at 888+598+7709 or email me at mark [at] markshepard.com

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http://ampyourcashflow.com/

You might as well face it. The merchant account business is a necessary evil. If you are not accepting credit cards in your holistic practice or even as a visual artist, storyteller or musician you are leaving money on the table. However, if you don’t know what you are doing it’s like taking a bath in a pool full of piranas or sharks.

Merchant BEWARE! There are dozens of way you can get hosed in this area.

My first merchant account cost me plenty. I didn’t know where to start so I called my bank. I thought you got a merchant account through your bank…well.

My bank referred me to a guy who was about as sleazy a salesman as you can possibly imagine. He was almost a cliche of sleazyness. I didn’t know that I could shop around. I didn’t know that I could get a merchant terminal for as little as…um….free! I didn’t know I could get a merchant account with the option to cancel at any time. I didn’t know that whatever you signed up for as your “average ticket” would keep me from being able to charge more later!

I ended signing up for a 4 year lease on this machine that was $59 bucks a month for four years…that’s about $2,800 dollars for a machine that you could buy for $280 new.

I didn’t know. Now you know. Hopefully you are reading this in time!

I was stuck in a lease that I couldn’t get out of! And when the lease was finally over? They kept charging me every month. I still didn’t own the machine. I had to send it back to them (after literally buying it 10 times over) in order to get the freaking payments to stop.

They also play games with what your rate is. They can quote you some low ball rate which you in reality will never get because of the kinds of charges you run may not actually qualify for the low rate.

Luckily I found a guide and mentor in the credit card business. Michael Guerin.

And by the way, I do not get a commission for referring business to Mike. I get peace of mind knowing that I have saved you time, money and hassle. It also gives me the credit in Mike’s favor bank so I can call and pick his brain about stuff. So in the spirit of full disclosure that’s what I get out of this referral.

If you have questions, Mike has a very informative website.

You will also hear about some of Mike’s other services from me because he is also my SEO coach and part of a team along with Rob Bronson who are my blogging coaches. We originally met at a business networking meeting and later formed a marketing master mind together. this man is so valuable an asset to have in your business that I can not recommend him enough.

Here’s his Merchant Account website: http://ampyourcashflow.com/

I’m sitting here at my computer working on my strategic business plan which includes this site, “Abundant Practice,” which is where I will be sharing my 20 years of knowledge in creating income as a storyteller, musician, visual artist as well as a hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner, NLP trainer…

The thrills! The Spills! the ACTION!

My intention is to save you from the expensive mistakes I’ve made, the dead alleys and burn out that almost stopped me numerous times, while guiding you to take the actions and cultivate the kinds of beliefs and behaviors that get you results you want. My guess is you want more clients, more money, more freedom, more abundance of all the good things in your life. Am I right?

So I’m sitting here thinking about all this…envisioning not just this site but my BIG picture plan…and who should pop into my mind but Jack…you know, Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack.

What an incredible analogy for creative types who find themselves in business.

Jack seems like a fool to someone looking in on his life (like his mother). He trades something perfectly usable like a cow (or a day job) for something that seems like it may have potential but is not proven, the magic beans (your dream to be self employed as a hypnotherapist/holistic practitioner or storyteller or artist of musician or whatever).

Jack gets grief for his decision. His mother throws the beans out the door. Ever get grief from your relatives for your “hare-brained ideas”?

In the midst of a crises, something unexpected happens that offers danger and opportunity. The bean stalk grows overnight and reaches up into the clouds. Now the average person clinging to the day job mindset or who has been defeated and deflated by the negative input from friends and relatives would be looking at the bean stalk and going….”too bad I can’t climb it. I have to go to work today. Maybe tonight when I get home I’ll give it a shot…” Knowing that it will never happen.

Jack looks at that beanstalk and just freaking starts climbing. (this is where the dreamer takes action)

He climbs up to the clouds and discovers the Giant’s castle. Now. just because he took an action doesn’t guarantee Jack anything. He still has to use his rapport skills to get the help of the Giant’s wife. He still has to find the courage to steal the various treasures from the Giant. He still has to get away alive. He still has to chop the beanstalk down when it makes sense to do so.

Each and every one of these actions are metaphors for the person who actually wants to make a living doing what they love.

Being a holistic practitioner sounds all nice and wonderful while you are learning how to do it. But when it actually comes down to hanging out your shingle and attracting clients into your practice who are willing to pay you, and willing to come back again and again and willing to refer their friends to you. there is a learning curve that is just as big for us as the beanstalk was for Jack.

I’m still paying for the Yellow Pages Ad I ran, my first year of hypnosis practice (2003). The ad that never came close to paying for itself. (

Being a creative artist is all well and good but if you are a visual artist, how are you going to get someone to give you money for your painting? If you are a storyteller or musician how are you going to get a gig in front of a paying audience? How are you going to navigate the schools of sharks out there who will try to sell you the moon and leave you with nothing?

Remind me to tell you the story someday of the Manager who was going to take my music to the masses who basically just took my money…

There doesn’t seem to be any school that teaches this stuff. And if there was, chances are the information they have would be out of date.

The future of all self employed creative and holistic practitioners is online.

I have spent the last 5 years intensively studying the tools and techniques of the best internet marketers. My criteria has been how do I take all the things I love to do and create massive, passive, income on a continuous basis from multiple sources so that I can pursue my many passions as a creative artist, healer, teacher, speaker, author, thinker, leader, lover. If I can do it you can too. There is an investment of time and action involved but the out of pocket costs can be kept to an extreme minimum.

Some teach a one trick pony approach where you are supposed to pick your one niche and really go deep into that niche. “Find a niche and grow rich” these people say.

The problem with that is how do you know until you get into it if it is the right niche for you? You don’t.

My challenge was that I am equally as good at all these “niches”:

• Songwriting
• Painting
• Hypnosis
• NLP Coaching
• NLP Training
  
• Blogging
• Internet marketing
• Helping people clear anxiety and other fears
• Helping guys over come approach anxiety around women
• Storytelling
• African and Irish drumming
• Making cool sound effects instruments
• Public speaking
• Writing copy
• teaching shy professionals how to sell

Each and every one of these niches or areas of interest is an income source.

Can you relate to this? I am writing this for people like me who have many interests and talents.

So I developed a system for using my strengths my many strengths instead of seeing them as a problem.

This was a huge shift in consciousness from the business mind set of narrow focus. I now think about my work as a farmer thinks of his crops. Having only one crop (mon-culture) is a dangerous risk. Safety and abundance can be found in diversity.

If I follow the lead of the organic farmer rather than the industrial mono-crop farmer, I can create many sources of income that are automated and require only a small investment of time and attention once I’ve planted my crop.

To get back to Jack. The internet is the beanstalk.

Up in the clouds of cyber land are hazards (giants) as well as allies (the giants wife) and tools to create increasing amounts of money from multiple sources on a continuous basis from your creativity.

In the days, weeks and months to come I will be sharing with you my insights, and experiences as well as resources that are helpful and knowledge about what resources to avoid. I invite you to climb with me an the adventure of a life time. It is possible to create an abundant living from your many talents. I know because I’m doing it. Join me!

got questions? call me toll free at 888+598+7709 or e-mail me a mark [at] markshepard.com

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