Hello Online Marketers! This week's featured guest is Linda Miller. Linda is a Life Coach. She is straight forward and to the point. I think you'll enjoy her interview.
KB:
Linda Miller, thank you for taking the time to participate in this
interview for our readers. To set the stage for this interview, would you
please tell us a bit about yourself?
LM: I’m from NC, now living
in MI with my husband, whom I met on the Internet 7 years ago and married 6 months
later. We consider it a miracle that we
met and we continue to grow together in our spiritual awareness and desire to
help others.
KB: Wow, a true Internet success! Okay, give us your elevator speech, or
30-second spiel, about what you do, about your business:
LM: I am a Spiritual
Entrepreneur and an Internet Marketer.
My passion is providing tools and resources to help others learn more
about spiritual principles that can empower them to manifest prosperity and
abundance in their lives.
KB: What an interesting business Linda. How long
have you been in business for yourself?
LM: 7 years
KB: Long enough to know it’s what you
want to be doing right? Why or what was
the determining factor for you in starting your own business?
LM: I left my career
as a Paralegal after 20 years to marry my husband and move to Michigan to be with him.
KB: That certainly was a big leap and change. What,
in your experience, has been the greatest benefit in running and owning your
own business? What do you like best about your business?
LM: The greatest
benefit of having my own business is that I can set my schedule as I please,
traveling whenever I want. What I like
best about my business is the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of
others as I assist in empowering them to grown in spiritual awareness as
together we are raising the consciousness of the planet.
KB: Running a business takes a certain “mindset”
Linda, so tell us what is the most difficult or challenging part of having and
running your own business:
LM: I love every facet
of my business, and if I were to state one challenge, it would be the required
discipline to schedule my time throughout the day to allow time for play and
self-care.
KB: I think I’ve heard that sentiment
many times by people who are passionate about what they do. Who is your primary target audience? How do
you attract them?
LM: I have two target
audiences: One, I intend to attract to
me those who are seeking to gain a greater understanding of spiritual
principles based on the Law of Attraction.
Two, I intend to attract to me those who are seeking a home business and
who are serious and ready to get started.
KB: Sounds like you have a plan
Linda. Can you share with our readers what you are currently doing to promote
your business? How do you integrate your online promotions with your offline
promotions?
LM: My view of
Marketing has changed since I have adopted the definition of Marketing from a
great friend and mentor, Julie Jordan Scott, who
says...
"Marketing is NOT a separate
entity; it is part of being who you are and offering ways to be of service to
those who are naturally attracted to who you are as a Creative Person.
Marketing is making yourself known to as many people as possible to make them
aware of what you are doing in as many creative ways as possible - while you
are just having a darn good time." One of my businesses (http://www.KeepHappyCustomers.com) uses an
online contact management system to create and personalize real greeting cards
– and the company prints, stamps and mails the cards for my customers and
me. This is a unique way for me to work
online to create an offline marketing campaign.
I use these cards to support each aspect of all my businesses.
KB: Wow that sounds really interesting.
Something all of us in business could use is to keep our customers happy! Is your business primarily online or offline
or both?
LM: My business is
primarily online, although my gourmet soy/veg candles (http://www.HaveFunWithCandles.com)
are generally sold offline.
I promote each of my
businesses online by simply making myself known to as many people as possible
in as many creative ways as possible to attract those who are seeking the
products and services I provide.
KB: That’s the part that interests me especially
Linda – the creative ways of attracting new customers. What is your best source of customers,
prospects and/or clients?
LM: My best source of
customers and clients is my presence on the Internet as people come to know me
and want to be associated with me to learn more about what I do.
KB: Hmmm, I need some of that, lol! Since we’re having this interview on the
International Virtual Women’s Chamber of Commerce channel, we know you are a
member of this organization but are you a member of any other professional
organizations?
LM: I am also a member
of the local Chamber of Commerce as well as various prosperity groups and
associations and I am training to be a Radical Forgiveness Coach.
KB: I bet the title “Radical
Forgiveness Coach” will get you a lot of attention. Online networking groups
are rising in number so are you a member of any online networking groups?
LM: Yes, I am a member of several online network
communities and maintain networks for forums at most communities:
I have a membership and a network at the Ryze online
community
My home page at Ryze:
http://www.Ryze.com/go/lindamiller
My network:
Spiritual Entrepreneur Today
http://spiritualentrepreneur-network.ryze.com
I have a membership and a variety of forums at the Max In
Common online community.
My home page at Max In Common
http://maxincommon.com/?dcode=lindamiller
I have a membership and two Forums at the Powerful
Intentions online community.
My home page at Powerful Intentions
http://lindamiller.powerfulintentions.com
My Spiritual Entrepreneur Today forum
http://www.lindamiller.powerfulintentions.com/forum/spiritualentrepreneur
My Radical Forgiveness Forum
http://www.lindamiller.powerfulintentions.com/forum/forgive
I am also member of a
variety of other online forums and message boards that I visit regularly.
KB: How do you find the time?? On average, how
often do you visit those networks? Do you post messages there regularly, or are
you more of an information seeker and lurker?
LM: I visit some
networks daily and others every few days and I do post messages when I
visit. I answer questions or ask
questions to stimulate conversations and get to know members as they get to
know me.
KB: Oh you sound like a natural
networker Linda. Moving onto a very
vital subject in online business, on average, how many email messages do you
receive every day?
LM: Including spam, I
receive approximately 700 emails each day.
KB: Ouch, that is a LOT of email! About how many of those
emails are actually email you either requested, from clients, or pertinent
information?
LM: Approximately 200 emails are requested or require my attention.
KB: So the majority is junk. What is
your number one complaint, if any, about email? ...and how do you think it
could be resolved?
LM: If I could change
one thing about email, I would simply ask that everyone treat their email
recipients with the same respect they would like to receive.
KB: Wouldn’t that be ideal? Do you
publish a newsletter / ezine?
LM: Currently I offer
a subscription to Spiritual Entrepreneur Today, which includes first an
e-course, “Create A Life You Love” by Robin Harris, and then a Weekly
Affirmation. I am in process of
developing the newsletter farther to include articles, affirmations, free
e-courses and other information weekly. Readers can subscribe here: http://www.SpiritualEntrepreneurToday.com
KB: Sounds like a solid plan Linda.
How about generating new subscribers? How do you do that or is that even a
consideration in your type of newsletter?
LM: My subscribers
find me through my online activities, from my email signatures, posting at
message boards and forums, through my networks and through collaboration with
others in offering the free e-course.
KB: You really do have a plan! Do you subscribe to any newsletters? If
so, what is the delivery format?
LM: Yes, I subscribe
to several newsletters, delivered via email, online and with email
notification, generally sent through an ezine service or an
autoresponder.
KB: Are you familiar with RSS?
LM: I am in process of
learning about RSS.
KB: From what I’m learning about you, I
suspect you’ll be an expert at RSS before long! Do you use RSS in any way for
your business and/or personal purposes?
LM: I would LIKE to
use RSS to publish my newsletter and create a greater presence on the Internet.
KB: That is a great idea Linda because
the RSS feed will help you grow your subscriber base much faster. Do you read
or subscribe to any RSS feeds/blogs?
LM: I have a blog at http://www.MyDivineDirection.com
KB: You are really riding this wave
online! Look out RSS here comes Linda, lol! There are so many ways to promote
ourselves online and off, and one of the most touted and apparently great ways
to do so online is to write articles. Do you write articles for use on the
internet? If so, describe the typical subject you cover and tell us how you
promote and distribute it?
LM: I am in process of
refining several articles and learning how and where to publish them. The content of my articles include spiritual
content intended to empower others to learn more about spiritual
principles. I also write about the
passing of my son in 2003 and the resulting miracles that have led me to find
the principles of Radical Forgiveness – and my desire to help others learn
these principles as a Radical Forgiveness coach.
KB: I’m sure you’ll be publishing
your articles all over the place before long Linda. Many of the members here
can help you with that, me included. Have you ever submitted a press
release? How has that worked for you?
LM: I submitted a
press release several years ago when I achieved a specific position in a
network marketing company. The newspaper
left out critical information, so I received no contact from the press release
other than family who recognized my picture in the paper. I would like to use press releases in the
future.
KB: How frustrating but I bet it
was a good learning experience. What is
the most creative thing you have done to attract customers?
LM: My husband took a
picture of me standing at the back of my Lincoln Navigator with a sign on the back window that reads
“EarnThisCar.com” – that got a lot of attention.
KB: I’ll bet it did! If there was one thing you wish you had (other
than time!) to help you grow your business, what would it be?
LM: I would like to
have more knowledge of RSS and other new technology to assist me in reaching a
greater audience with more content in less time.
KB: Like I said earlier Linda, you seem
to go after what you want and this is just one more thing you’ll be doing well
with in no time. If you could offer one word of advice to someone wishing to
start a business in your field, what would you tell them?
LM: Begin.
KB: What a great answer!! Thank you
again Linda for taking the time to participate in this interview.
=============
End==============
Interview
with Linda Miller
Linda Miller
269-685-7024
http://www.SpiritualEntrepreneurToday.com
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