Protect Your Reputation-Practice Truth in Advertising

Posted on February 8, 2010, 00:05, by Ms. Freeman and received 6 Comments ».

Being an affiliate marketer, internet entrepreneur, product spokes person or a sales person, of any type you know that your reputation is a tool that you must protect at all costs.  The slightest dent or ding will without a doubt tarnish that rep and hamper your chances of converting any pitches into sales.

With that said take a look at this trailer for Food, Inc..  Food, Inc. is a documentary that presents an incredible view into a side of food processing that we would otherwise not see.  As the consumer we only see the end product and Food, Inc.. shows what appears to be a less glamorous and inhumane side of the Food Industry.

Now take a look at this advertisement (pitch) and endorsement for a very popular milk brand that I am sure we all have drunk before.

There is a big discrepancy between what young Miss Gomez and the milk company are pitching and what Food, Inc.has on film. Miss. Gomez’s script has her leading the consumer to envision happy cows wandering in the sunshine, loved and pampered by their happy farmer, all living on a farm where the cows have lovely names.

Where on the other hand the documentary, which you will want to watch from start to finish, depicts a more graphic situation of cows being tethered to mechanical milking machines while in a chemically induced perpetual pregnancy, as to not interrupt the lactating stream.

Now, I can’t and won’t make any claims as to who is telling the truth and who is not practicing Truth in Advertising; you’ll have to do that for yourself. But, the point I want to make is that you’ll want to have a clear understanding about the background of the products you’re pitching. Because although you are promoting something as harmless [ as milk ] you’re also lending your endorsement to the production methods of that product.

I’m sure some of us that are old enough remember the Kathy Lee Gifford debacle in the mid 90’s.

Watch Food, Inc. in its entirety. Share your thoughts. I’ll see you in the comments….

Ms. Freeman
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Why I Welcome Being Laid Off From My Job

Posted on February 5, 2010, 00:05, by Ms. Freeman and received 21 Comments ».

Oh boy! Where do I begin? Begin at the end silly.

February 2, 2010 I was laid off-“Right Sized” they called it.  For more than twenty years I have managed customer/client expectations for Fortune 500 and Not-For-Profit Financial Cooperatives. I’ve seen a lot, I’ve learned a lot and I’ve accomplished a lot. As a former single mom (he’s grown, married and on his own now) digging in and working hard for everything I have has become second nature. Now, I’m out here in one of the harshest economic climates my generation has seen…..

Hmm…What’s a girl to do?

I suppose I could allow this sudden lay off to define me, embarrass me, weaken me, or even defeat me. But those are things I do not succumb to, ever. Heck I cleared out my office right then as opposed to coming back after hours to do it. Job loss is nothing to be embarrassed about.

I have been bombarded, although lovingly and filled with concern for my well being, with the obvious of questions. If you’ve ever been laid off, fired or quit a job I’m sure you’ve heard them all as well.

Do any of these questions sound familiar?

  1. What on earth will you do now?-Nothing-Travel, make money, live life.
  2. Are you alright?-Couldn’t be better, stunned yes but able to recover.
  3. What are you going to do about money?-I have benefits, severance, and savings.
  4. Do you have a rainy day fund?-No, Well yes but a very small one.
  5. Why are you sitting there, start looking for a job?-No, That’s the least of my plans, I will to keep the benefits valid, but not a priority, at this time.
  6. Who else did they let go?-Seven others including the CFO of the company. He loses 51 Million and I get laid off…hmmm.
  7. Why are you laughing?-I feel a sense of freedom, and I am happy for the possibilities
  8. Do you want to go get drunk?- No-Tipsy maybe, let’s save drunk for the weekend. You after all have to go to work tomorrow while I sleep in. (I’m laughing again)
  9. Do you need a reference?-Nope-Well I do, but I’ll get it from HR, um Thanks…
  10. You will keep in touch with us, won’t you?-No-I’m never good at long distance relationships, and again you‘ll be at work, I’ll be traveling and generating my own income.
  11. Call me, we’ll do lunch?-Not a chance, that would mean I’d have to come back to the place you still work at.

My response to most of them is fortunately, and in some cases unfortunately “NOTHING”, “NO!”, “NOPE”, and “NOT A CHANCE”

I’m not saying these responses in an intentionally negative way, on the contrary. You see it was my hope that this day would come, sure I would have preferred to have known the exact day. Or better yet, selected the day myself while presenting my letter of resignation.

But in the grander scheme of things exiting the mainstream 9-5 work environment and pursuing other means of cash flow, was and is, in fact the primary objective-The End Game- if you will.

Today I take the official leap into 100% blogging. All the projects I was procrastinating to do, have no more excuses. Growing this blog and my offline business into viable reoccurring streams of income is going to be an uphill battle, a battle that I am willing to fight and in the end, WIN!!!

Not an easy decision

Now please realize I fully understand this is not going to be easy, in fact it will probably be one of the more formidable phases in my life. Bar becoming a single mother at the age of 19-which is where my strength and wear-with-all comes from.

Is this my story?

Partly I suppose. The good parts, the juicy and intriguing parts will be laid out here over the course of my growth as an Internet Entrepreneur.

Items on my immediate to-do list are

  1. Write an eBook
  2. Create and sell my own product
  3. Client Acquisition and Retention for my off line concierge business

Heck I may even join a forum or two or three…..

There was one other question that was asked of me, and I think it is the one that will motivate me the most:


Are you still going on the cruise in June 2010? I have booked passage on a Carnival Cruise ship to enjoy a 6 Day Caribbean cruise with my family and friends. My first time on a luxury cruise-I’ve experienced two Navy Tiger Cruises, zero luxury involved in those. So, my answer to that question is a resounding YES!!! And I plan to do it while having others working for me managing my businesses.

See I’ve learned quite a bit from different sources like Tim Ferriss’s book The 4-Hour Workweek. Tim hits on a very good point and that is; that managing ones lifestyle should be about the things you want to do and the things you want to be, not on all the things you want to have.

Another source of inspiration is the Smart Passive Income blog. It’s is about a guy who too gets laid off from his job and is presented with the all important fork in the road of life. Following his story has been a tutorial of sorts and shows that making money online is possible.

I am up for the challenge and the hard work that will be required to see this dream through to fruition. Keeping in mind there is no such thing as overnight success in the world of Internet Entrepreneurship.

It is my hope that you will follow my story and leave your thoughts and ideas in the comment section. If you are in a similar situation such as I, please follow along, join in on conversations and share your goals and accomplishments. God willing…Together we will make a way!

P.S. If you are new to my site please consider subscribing to my RSS Feed or perhaps joining the Freeman Legacy Fan Page on Facebook. Oh and Twitter is an option as well… :)

Photo Credit:

Ms. Freeman
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You Are Only As Great As Your Community

Posted on February 3, 2010, 00:05, by Ms. Freeman and received 25 Comments ».

You know the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”. Meaning no child is alone or unprotected even in their parent’s absence. They are always under the watchful eye of the protective community in which they dwell.

This proverb can be related to blogging and the connecting webs we weave on the internet.

The community and business associations we build every day through our posts, comments, and link sharing are our own little village. In a first-rate blogging community each member is looking out for one another.

Reaching out

Making yourself available for members of your community is a viable way to gain respect and authority. A timely response to questions and requests goes a long way to prove expertise in your field.

It’s all in the asking

Another way to strengthen the community around you is to reach out to thought leaders in your village. Step up and ask questions, via email, Facebook, and Twitter. The leaders and experts want to be asked questions and share their knowledge. So don’t feel you are being a nuisance to them.

Just the other day I sent off an email to someone I view as an expert in his field. The quick response time let me know that this internet entrepreneur is very serious about his craft, reputation, and community.(Thanks again Pat! :) )

How is your village?

So, look around at your village. Is their someone within it that you can look out for; provide help to or answer a question for?   Take some time to reach out to them.

But, more importantly do you have something you need help with? Reach out to your village. Ask.

Photo Credit

Ms. Freeman
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Don’t Let Go of Your “What If?”

Posted on February 1, 2010, 00:05, by Ms. Freeman and received 16 Comments ».

Here’s a little tidbit about me that some of my reader know and some have no clue.

I love “The Rock” there I said it.  Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is not only so totally hot, but he is living his dream.  He has gone from being the “Most Electrifying Sports Entertainer” to an up and coming leading man in family friendly motion pictures.

How do I know he is living his dream career?  I know this because I am one of “The Millions and Millions of The Rocks Fans”, and because the The Rock Says…

Anyhoo! My idolizing crush on “The Rock” is not really the point of this post; however Dwayne’s latest movie ‘The Tooth Fairy’ is.  Of course I went to see it on opening weekend.

The Gist of it…

The lead character Derek is a former NHL player who got sent down to the minors to recover from a shoulder injury.  However, Derek so loved that he was the center of attention down in the lower league, he lost sight of his dream.  In the minors they chanted his name when he went out on the ice to bust up guys causing teeth to fly, hence the nick name “Tooth Fairy”.  Derek grew old and slow, by professional sports standards and lost the ability to say “What if”! What if I rehab my shoulder and get back to the majors?  What if I focus on the team and not myself?  Derek had become a man with a broken spirit.

“The Rock’s” character had become so cynical that telling young hopefuls, that idolized and look up to him as a source of inspiration, they would never amount to anything was his way of dealing with his failings.

That’s when Julie Andrews-The Head Tooth Fairy steps in, and this is where I recommend you go see the movie.

You’ve got to believe

The premise of the movie is that at some point we should believe in the extraordinary possibilities that life has to offer. There are wonderful possibilities out there even when we can’t see them, may have never seen them or stopped believing in them.

At some point we all go from the fairytale dreams and fantasies to the cold hard facts, realities, and responsibilities of life-that’s called adulthood.  But let’s take a step back and see if we are getting caught up in our everyday issues and short comings.  Are we losing sight of all the magical possibilities life has to offer?

Here are a couple of my “What ifs”

  • What if I were able to work remotely from anywhere in the world?
  • What if my blog is a success and I can quit my job before it quits me!?!
  • What if I find a cure for poverty?
  • What if I win the lottery?
  • What if  I realize all my dreams and I help someone realize their dreams along the way?
  • What if I ran for political office?
  • What if I actually met Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson?

What about you?  What are some of your “What Ifs”?  I’m sure you have some, they may not be as off the wall as mine.  But, I would love to hear about them :)

Ms. Freeman
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