Saturday 26 January 2013

Notes From A Millionaire




So, it’s been exactly 7 weeks and 6 days since I started editing and following the processes in Jacqueline Harrison's soon to be released book How To Create A Business From Nothing. That's also when I began blogging about my desire to set up four new business streams and hopefully earn a cool million (or more) in the process. So you might be interested to know where I’m at…?

So Far? So Amazing.

You may recall I began by creating a vision, which you can read in my blog Becoming A Millionaire: Step 2. From the vision I created a broad To-Do list which included connecting with new people, educating myself in the areas of business that interest me and starting to work toward earning more money.

The results have been mind blowing and are far more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined. In a relatively short space of time I've learned more about myself and operating a successful business than I can tell you.

So, let's get into it.

1. I want to edit bestselling books. 

As I educated myself on the business of self-publishing and changed my mindset from Freelance Editor to Publishing Consultant, I realised I already know a handful of people I could approach. The first person that sprang to mind is my very good friend Hedley Galt.

Hedley has already written a book called Real, Raw and Original, which I worked on as editor. That's how we met. Her second book Finding Paris is close to completion. Hedley had asked me to read Finding Paris (as a friend) and give her some feedback. Well, I was Blown Away. I devoured the book in four hours (despite having a pressing list of work that I was meant to be doing). I knew I had just read a bestseller. I was so excited I rang Hedley and we shared a high energy half hour jumping up and down and squealing with excitement about the idea that Finding Paris could be the next Eat Pray Love.

You'd think that having already worked together and with my enthusiasm for her second book, that taking on Finding Paris as editor would be in the bag?

Not so.

As most new authors will appreciate, Hedley had concerns about budget so had recruited someone else to edit her book at no cost. Fair enough, I thought to myself. But in my mind I knew I had to have this book in my stable. I knew this was a bestseller and being that I only want to edit bestselling books I put on my Millionaire Blogger hat and, just as Jacqueline Harrison suggests, I spoke to Hedley from that space. Over dinner one night, I told Hedley that I had something I wanted to communicate to her. Thankfully she was open to hearing whatever I had to say, so I told her:

"I reeeaaaallllly, reeeeaallllyyyy want to work on your book." (I said it in a very professional way…)

Within a split second Hedley's face lit up and with a high five she said "It's yours, honey!"

Turns out it was budget concerns (and a tiny bit of new author uncertainty) that had brought about the decision not to hire me. But with my mountain of self-publishing knowledge, a valley of marketing ideas and a river of motivating words, Hedley agreed to take me on as editor of her next (bestselling) book.

Yeeeeeeeeeee haaaaaaa!

So, ticked off my list is another book that I am thrilled to be working on. As well as How To Create A Business From Nothing and Finding Paris, I am also working on three other books, editing a series of poetry books called Poeology, and have two deals yet to close.

I feel confident about what I can offer and am approaching each conversation with 100% authenticity. Which seems to be paying off! I get thrills from the conversations I'm having with these authors and I know the excitement is reciprocated. One author told me that after a brainstorm we'd had, he went away and wrote 4,000 words the next day! I'd helped him unblock his creativity and now he's on a roll! Success!!

Isn't it amazing what 7 weeks and 6 days of (self) training can do!

2. I want to run a successful healing practice.

Last week as I mailed out letters to about 20 GPs and psychologists informing them of my healing practice, I actually realised my heart isn't in it. As much as I love doing hands on healing, I have recognised that I prefer it as a hobby. Managing a diary of clients and relying on people turning up in order to earn X amount of dollars is not where my heart lies. I prefer giving treatments to friends and leaving it at that.

What I really get a thrill out of is building a business that won't necessarily rely on me doing the work in the future. I don't want to run a cottage industry where the business is Me. So, with that lesson learned I have crossed it off my list. Happy days!

3. I want to run inspirational workshops.

In December last year I started something called The Love Circle. The second one will be in February. Only one person came to the initial Love Circle (it was two weeks before Christmas, so most people were busy. At least that's what they said…), but even with just two of us The Love Circle is now a reality and it was a great experience. The solitary attendee (my friend, Cass), and I, got a huge amount out of the evening and we closed the Circle with more love in our hearts. Success again!

The second Love Circle already has four attendees confirmed so it's moving in the right direction.

I'm also about to write a new Reiki I & II workshop. I ran a couple of Reiki workshops a few years ago but put them on hold after moving interstate and setting a million other priorities. But after a meditation this week, the idea to run them again popped into my consciousness like a Japanese bullet train. I'm currently researching venues and have already had one person say they want to attend, so I'll see where that leads. My previous Reiki workshops were about so much more than Reiki. They were about connecting to Divine Consciousness and learning tools to live a more spiritual and happier life.

Kind of an inspirational workshop, if you like…

4. I want to become a millionaire blogger.

To date I've received 1,186 page views and am loving the process of writing and learning about Who I Really Am through my blogs. Whether the blog will ever become a million dollar income stream I am yet to see. But within the process I am constantly increasing my knowledge around the art of blogging and connecting with people who would otherwise not be reading my work. So far my posts have been read by people in Australia, UK, USA, Germany, Spain, Korea and Israel. Not bad!

As a result of my blog I joined Twitter. Within less than a month I have 408 followers. Amazeballs! Almost all my followers are spiritually minded people who share a desire to connect with others of the same ilk. Some of them (like me) are working toward building new businesses and others are successful authors and business mentors. And some of them have read my blog – and my tweets! It's all good! I'm surrounded by at least 408 amazing new people and not only might they read my work but I get to read theirs!

It's a win-win!

You can make what you will of my successes so far, but what I've learned in 7 weeks and 6 days is that the million bucks+ that I want is almost by-the-by. What's really steering my success is a desire to Live, Love and Learn. I actually couldn't give a monkeys about the money because everything I've done so far has enriched my life in ways that money never could.

What I'm getting out of this process is boundless energy. Every day (bar one day last week when I felt like my head was full of fudge), I wake up with a massive smile and a bubbling, bouncing, bundle of sparkles that are simply bursting to jump out of bed and Get To Work. I virtually have to contain myself in order to meditate before switching on my Mac.

Truly, the process of Becoming All That I Am is far more exciting than any bank account, bestselling book or inspirational workshop could ever provide.

What really fills me with joy is actually just Doing What I Love.

PS wanna know a secret?

Shhhhh…

Elizabeth Gilbert, (author of Eat Pray Love) favourited a tweet I posted about how much I loved her talk at Sydney Opera House last week.

She's a bestselling author.

I know… It's. Too. Much.

; )



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