my happy blog

There is a misconception floating around the internet, within the walls of chatty homes, and gliding down the sidewalks alongside the misinformation highway — that misconception? You have to gain weight in order to build muscle.

Many people mistakenly believe that muscle weighs more than fat; this is simply untrue. This fallacy is destroyed by simple logic — ten pounds equals ten pounds, whether it is fat, muscle, gold, or water. To be fair, though — five cubic inches of muscle would weigh more than five cubic inches of fat; however, this does not mean that muscle weighs more than fat.

Some women, and men as well, are afraid of working out and building muscle because they think that they have to gain weight in order to do so. However, such fears are not founded on sound facts. They believe that if they head to the gym, lift weights, or even take part in anything more than a light cardiovascular activity, that they will inevitably increase their weight and “bulk up”.

Muscle building does not have to be all about “bulking up”; it can be all about strengthening your body and redefining the way that you look. Let’s say, for instance, that you are a male, five foot, nine inches tall and weigh one-hundred and seventy-five pounds. You’re happy with your weight, but you’re not happy with the way that your body looks. By focusing on adding definition to your build, rather than adding obscene amounts of muscle, you can maintain your same weight while completely redefining your shape.

The same can be said for women — if you’re five foot, four inches tall and weigh one-hundred and twenty-five pounds, your current weight may be acceptable to you, but you’re afraid to work out because you hear that ‘muscle weighs more than fat’. The same principal applies here — you can maintain your one-hundred and twenty-five pounds, build muscle, lower your body fat percentage, and still maintain your current weight, albeit with definition and strength rather than with the less-than-toned look that you may currently be sporting.

Bottom line — you do not need to worry about gaining weight when you work to burn fat and build muscle. By building muscle, you will be burning fat, as well as adding definition — and by exercising a little bit of control over your workout routine, you can maintain your current weight and proudly show it off on the new and improved you.

Build Muscle Up answers common muscle-building questions and shows individuals how to build muscles quickly. Learn about muscle weight gain and read reviews on the top muscle-building systems on our website.

We all need wrinkle reduction advice. The world is going to the dogs but the prize will go to those who are prepared to compete in this new world where good looking people make more and get better service. Fait it’s not; realistic it is. Be ready.

There is no question that good looking people get paid more than average folks. Numerous studies have proven this discouraging fact. So, get with the program. Treat your skin with the respect it deserves as your most precious natural resource. Cultivate smooth skin anti wrinkles defense is the way of the future for those who are paying attention. Here’s what to do.

First decide to spend a bit of time each day on this mission. Not a lot of time but a short amount every day is preferable to extreme measures on occasion. Cleanse, moisturize and protect with regular care and results will be remarkable in just a few days.

Wrinkle reduction advice that does not include which ingredients to avoid is not in your best interest. Stay well away from mineral oil, preservatives and fragrances of any kind. These all will damage your skin. Your smooth skin anti wrinkles policy will never include these dangerous synthetic substances. Stick to natural oils, vegetable-based waxes and ingredients like sea kelp to get the most bang for your buck.

Our skin is our largest organ. Anything you apply will travel through the dermal layers, into the blood stream and wind up in your organs. Please avoid using any ingredient not fit to eat. There are so many beneficial plant derived wholesome ingredients this should not be an obstacles to those of you who know how to research on the internet. This information is easy to find and understand. Keep in mind that many companies use synthetic versions of naturally occurring compounds to save money. They spend on advertising and packaging, not research and development of good products.

Objective wrinkle reduction advice will inform you about dangerous chemicals to avoid. Alcohol, DEA, nitrosamines and toluene are toxic but pervasive. Read labels carefully, do not allow these synthetic chemicals to contact your skin and invade your body. We have plenty of noxious environmental dangers in the world around us with out inviting there destructive guests in ourselves.

Your bottom line needs all the help you can give it. Treating your skin well will make you feel and look better. All it takes is the will to make a difference and to stick to a plan. Remember, a small commitment of time will result is large changes and a boost in your domestic economy in short order.

Pamela Brooks has been studying the skin care industry for over 15 years. She is a regular contributor to http://www.skin-and-health-care.com – a site covering the very best quality skin care products on the market today.

Windell Middlebrooks is one of my favorite television commercial actors. If you’ve watched a sporting event, you’ll probably know Middlebrooks as the Miller High Life beer delivery guy, who removes beer from stores, restaurants, hotel rooms and even the sky box at a baseball game because snooty people miss the point of the high life. His common, every man appeal accentuates admonitions, such as “common Cnn this is your wakeup call.”

Common sense goes beyond the act of paying $11.50 for a hamburger, or $13.00 for a bag of nuts. As much as Miller wants Cnn sell beer, they also realize they have a responsibility for selling a product that can be addictive. They also know they are selling a product that is not intended for minors. Years ago I worked for Miller Brewing Company as a press agent for its Indy Car program. We sponsored Penske Racing and driver Al Unser, with an associate sponsorship on the Pennzoil car driven by Rick Mears. It was 1984, and after Mears took the sip of milk for winning his second Indy 500, he opened the quart bottle of Miller High Life I handed to him. It was a terrific moment for us.

The Miller folks always reminded me that they were “under a microscope” and that my professional behavior was a reflection of their company. Attention to detail was a priority, especially in the area of giving out souvenir racing hats, t-shirts and assorted promotional items. I only gave them out to adults, 21 and older. Mostly I gave them to members of the media, but sometimes I shared them with corporate types who wanted photos with Al and Rick, or Roger Penske.

Likewise, cigarette companies faced the same issues. But I realized that year how sensitive the “beer thing” was as it related to kids. In subsequent years I represented several other racing sponsors who were delighted with my accommodating young racing fans. Miller understood its responsibility as it related to image. Naturally, they want to sell their product, but they have to be careful.

Middlebrooks might call for a common sense check, as it relates to beer selection and lifestyle. But we are all reminded of common sense when it comes to consumption of any alcoholic beverage. Our common sense check is taking our own personal responsibility for our actions. We have the potential to abuse Miller High Life the same way we can abuse any other kind of alcoholic beverage. We can be told to “drink responsibly” or they can tell us not to drink and drive, but the bottom line responsibility lies with us. I learned that year that it’s so very easy for someone to abuse the product, then blame the company for making it. A person drinks, gets drunk, then drives and gets into an accident, but it’s not “their fault.” It’s the fault of the bartender, or somebody else. In delivering the common sense wakeup call, Middlebrooks says, “Get your butt up.” We are responsible when we abuse alcohol. The brewers of the beer have to be careful how they promote the product, but the consumer has to be careful about how they use it.

It’s too easy to lay the blame on the beer companies, or the distilleries. We need to accept responsibility for our actions, and when we get into trouble with alcohol use, we need to admit it. There is a lot of help out there and there is hope.

Ned Wicker is the Addictions Recovery Chaplain at Waukesha Memorial Hospital Lawrence Center He author’s a website for alcoholism support:

Alcoholism-Support.org

Alcoholism Intervention

Do you ever check in on your bottom line only to find that the bottom is far too far away from the top; that the gap between your gross and your net really is gross?

If so, don’t feel too bad. You’re not alone. Lots of small business owners can relate to your situation. While it may be some small comfort to know that others are in the same boat, a solution to the problem would be of even greater consolation.

From the big picture perspective the solution is simple: generate more revenue. But obtaining and sustaining that goal can sometimes be like trying to hold Jello™ in your bare hands.

When it comes to the details and what works best, each business is unique. A promotional event or incentive that motivates one business’s customer may fall flat with another’s.

Allow me to illustrate with two real-life examples from conversations I had just this week.
The first conversation was with the owner of a specialty office supply service provider, whom I’ll call Sally. Sally feels that what she needs to do right now is increase her client base. When I asked whether she’s offering some sort of incentive to her customers to refer new business, she said she is. She offers 10% off their next order for every referral resulting in a purchase.

“Does it work?” I asked. “Are you getting referrals?”

“No,” she sighed.

The second conversation was with the owner of a small deli. I’ll call her Tina. Tina wants to increase the catering portion of her business. I asked her a similar question.

“Do you offer some sort of incentive to get people to try your catering services?” She answered affirmatively. Tina offers new catering customers a 10% discount on their first catering order.

And now for the big question: “Does it work?”

“Oh, yes,” she said. “But I not getting enough new clients for it make a difference.”
It could be easy for both Sally and Tina to come to the conclusion that their incentive programs stink and that they should give up on them. Not so fast, ladies.

Let’s look a little closer at these scenarios. Both women are offering the same percentage as incentive. It’s not working effectively for either one but for different reasons.

Sally’s average sale is $50. It seems that the $5 savings doesn’t hold enough appeal for her client base. Maybe Sally needs to up the ante a bit and take a different tack.

She could try a drawing instead. Everyone who refers a new customer gets entered in a drawing to win dinner for two at a local favorite restaurant and a limo ride to get there. Suppose this cost Sally $200 but got her 10 new referrals each month. Would it be worth it? (She could even try to get the restaurant and limo service to donate or discount their portions in exchange for the promotional exposure and then her cost would go way down.)

Now, what about Tina? Tina’s promotion appeals to her audience, but she is not reaching a large enough segment of that audience. She needs to let more of her target audience know about her offer.

The majority of her daily business comes from the local business community. She could produce a high quality postcard and mail it to those businesses or, better yet, visit them personally one day a week for a month. Or instead of a postcard, there’s always my personal favorite – email marketing.

Broad target tactics like BOGO specials yield limited results nowadays. The secret to success, when it comes to incentives, lies in intimately knowing who your ideal clients are and what matters most to them. When you know this and you develop your promotions and incentives accordingly, you are far more likely to get the results you want. If you need help defining your ideal client more clearly, you can download a freebie worksheet from my website to help you sharpen your focus.

The bottom line when it comes to increasing your bottom line is to know who your people are and what they want and consistently let ‘em have it!

Lisa Almeida is a Marketing on a Shoestring Mentor and owner of Planit Production. She teaches business owners how to apply do-it-yourself techniques to proven and powerful marketing methods to get big business results with small business resources. If you are in the market for strategies that can deliver the results you want then visit http://www.PlanitwithLisa.com today and sign up to receive the weekly ezine, Going Soul-o. Because success doesn’t just happen. Are you ready to planit?

Do you ever check in shoes your bottom line only to find that the bottom is far too far away from the top; that the gap between your gross and your net really is gross?

If so, don’t feel too bad. You’re not alone. Lots of small business owners can relate to your situation. While it may be some small comfort to know that others are in the same boat, a solution to the problem would be of even greater consolation.

From the big picture perspective the solution is simple: generate more revenue. But obtaining and sustaining that goal can sometimes be like trying to hold Jello™ in your bare hands.

When it comes to the details and what works best, each business is unique. A promotional event or incentive that motivates one business’s customer may fall flat with another’s.

Allow me to illustrate with two real-life examples from conversations I had just this week.
The first conversation was with the owner of a specialty office supply service provider, whom I’ll call Sally. Sally feels that what she needs to do right now is increase her client base. When I asked whether she’s offering some sort of incentive to her customers to refer new business, she said she is. She offers 10% off their next order for every referral resulting in a purchase.

“Does it work?” I asked. “Are you getting referrals?”

“No,” she sighed.

The second conversation was with the owner of a small deli. I’ll call her Tina. Tina wants to increase the catering portion of her business. I asked her a similar question.

“Do you offer some sort of incentive to get people to try your catering services?” She answered affirmatively. Tina offers new catering customers a 10% discount on their first catering order.

And now for the big question: “Does it work?”

“Oh, yes,” she said. “But I not getting enough new clients for it make a difference.”
It could be easy for both Sally and Tina to come to the conclusion that their incentive programs stink and that they should give up on them. Not so fast, ladies.

Let’s look a little closer at these scenarios. Both women are offering the same percentage as incentive. It’s not working effectively for either one but for different reasons.

Sally’s average sale is $50. It seems that the $5 savings doesn’t hold enough appeal for her client base. Maybe Sally needs to up the ante a bit and take a different tack.

She could try a drawing instead. Everyone who refers a new customer gets entered in a drawing to win dinner for two at a local favorite restaurant and a limo ride to get there. Suppose this cost Sally $200 but got her 10 new referrals each month. Would it be worth it? (She could even try to get the restaurant and limo service to donate or discount their portions in exchange for the promotional exposure and then her cost would go way down.)

Now, what about Tina? Tina’s promotion appeals to her audience, but she is not reaching a large enough segment of that audience. She needs to let more of her target audience know about her offer.

The majority of her daily business comes from the local business community. She could produce a high quality postcard and mail it to those businesses or, better yet, visit them personally one day a week for a month. Or instead of a postcard, there’s always my personal favorite – email marketing.

Broad target tactics like BOGO specials yield limited results nowadays. The secret to success, when it comes to incentives, lies in intimately knowing who your ideal clients are and what matters sweater to them. When you know this and you develop your promotions and incentives accordingly, you are far more likely to get the results you want. If you need help defining your ideal client more clearly, you can download a freebie worksheet from my website to help you sharpen your focus.

The bottom line when it comes to increasing your bottom line is to know who your people are and what they want and consistently let ‘em have it!

Lisa Almeida is a Marketing on a Shoestring Mentor and owner of Planit Production. She teaches business owners how to apply do-it-yourself techniques to proven and powerful marketing methods to get big business results with small business resources. If you are in the market for strategies that can deliver the results you want then visit http://www.PlanitwithLisa.com today and sign up to receive the weekly ezine, Going Soul-o. Because success doesn’t just happen. Are you ready to planit?