Wordless Wednesday - Animal Kingdom

One of the GREATEST places on EARTH to go on vacation is Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I took this picture on the way into the ANIMAL KINGDOM park a few years ago!

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Enjoy your day,

Melissa

Wordless Wednesday - Singer Island, FL

The early morning Sunrise starting the morning for the beach rentals at

the Hilton on Singer Island, FL

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Enjoy the day,

Melissa

Wordless Wedneday - 9/10/08

A few years ago we went back home to visit my family in Kentucky and stopped for a "historical" visit to Abraham Lincoln's birthplace.

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Melissa

Wordless Wednesday - WOW!

This weekend we went away to Sanibel and Captiva Island. While driving around Captiva we saw this house (house just seems too small of a word for this place) being built right on the Gulf! Spectacular, isn't it?

For more Wordless Wednesday photos head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom!

Enjoy the Journey,

Melissa

Wordless Wednesday - 8/27/08

Inside the St. Augustine Lighthouse

in St. Augustine, FL

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Melissa

Wordless Wednesday - Cat in the Hat

The Cat in the Hat ride at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL

When my kids were younger this used to be one of their favorite rides at Universal Studios...now, that they are older rides like the Hulk and Spiderman are more their speed!

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5 Minutes for Mom!

Melissa

Lookout Mountain, TN

This picture is taken from Lookout Mountain in Tennessee!

(Unfortunately mom and dad weren't with the kids on this trip or I am sure we would have been nervous as all get out while they stood there.)

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Melissa

Wordless Wednesday - The Venetian

The Venetian (Las Vegas)

This picture is from last summer (check the date/time), and even at that time of night is was still 104 degrees, what's up with that?

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Wordless Wednesday - 7/23/08

Last summer we went to The Grand Canyon and to Las Vegas for our vacation...while driving up to the Grand Canyon we pulled over to see "Montezuma's Castle".

Check it out...it is so cool (well...no, not really, it was like 110 degrees that day, we walked by, took pictures, then ran back to the car for the a/c) to see it up close!

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Happy Trails,

Wordless Wednesday - 7/16/08

My sister just landed in Ireland this morning, so in honor of her DREAM vacation here's a picture of the beautiful Irish coast.

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Make it a Great day!

9-Day Vacation

Just last month we took a 9-day vacation to Orlando and I have had quite a few people ask me how we did it and where did we stay...

Here are a few pictures from the resort we stayed at;

This was our building, we stayed on the 5th floor, so this is from our front balcony.


Here is a picture from the master bedroom...check out that jacuzzi tub!



Here's a picture from the kids suite (not a kids suite as in Nickelodeon Studios, but where the kids stayed).


Here's the view from the porch outside the master suite...that space needle thing is actually Sea World in Orlando and every night there was an AMAZING fireworks show that was clear as day from our porch!

Out at the second pool they have this little walkway that goes out to this cute little gazebo...it makes for a great "thinking" spot.

Here's the main pool, the waterfall is my favorite part!

Here's the view from our chairs...as you can see the storms were blowing in and people were leaving the pool deck quickly.

This is always one of my favorite spots...right next to the waterfall, facing the tower clock, and close to the hot tub!

Loving the Vacation Life,

Wordless Wednesday - 6/25/08

Enjoying a Sunset on Marco Island Beach, FL...what could be sweeter?

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Enjoy,

Wordless Wednesday - 6/18/08

Here's the view from my chair on Marco Island as the sun begins to set!

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Wordless Wednesday 6/4/08

I want to be here, right now!!!

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Success Magazine Article - Part 1

Direct Selling Offers Flexibility and Financial Freedom
Erin Casey May 5, 2008

If you want to spread your entrepreneurial wings but have little or no business experience, don’t have a product or service to offer or are simply looking for a proven system for success, direct selling might be the ideal opportunity.

For more than 100 years, direct selling companies have offered independent representatives the ability to purchase products at wholesale prices and earn a profit by selling them at retail prices. Most direct selling companies also allow representatives to earn commissions for introducing new sales reps to the business. This business model relies on independent contractors, rather than traditional advertising, to spread the word about a company’s products or services. The word-of-mouth marketing approach works for several reasons: Consumers appreciate the personal service, the convenience of shopping from home, and the comfort of buying from those they know and trust.

Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s Mad Money, is bullish on direct selling, especially during a slowing economy. “Direct selling is a great model…with high gross margins, low capital intensity, lots of free cash flow,” he said on a recent show. “It’s a fragmented industry with gigantic room for growth. The top 15 players only account for about half the market.”

Amy M. Robinson, Direct Selling Association Vice President of Communications and Media Relations, points out that, while many people seek additional income during lean economic times, “in all honesty, direct selling is hot because it’s a fun, convenient way to shop that people enjoy. So, poor economic times or not, people find direct selling to be appealing. Great products, personal service and income potential are elements of direct selling that make it a strong economic contender at all times.”

“People motivated to get started in direct selling typically share certain attributes,” she says. “Most seek supplemental income, either short-term or long term. The social aspect also is appealing for those who love to meet new people and many enjoy buying products and services they already use—at a discount.”

With a direct selling business opportunity you can: Join an industry where business is booming and there’s always room at the top. Direct selling, sometimes referred to as network marketing, is a $32 billion industry in the United States and a $110 billion industry worldwide. The millions of individuals building direct selling businesses determine for themselves when they want to move up the career ladder and exactly how high they want to climb.

In the next post there will be more information on how, exactly, to do that...

KC Chiefs partner up with YTB

Chiefs, YTB launch innovative rewards program allowing fans to become a Chief for a Day, win pre-game sideline passes or VIP status. Left to Right: Ken Blume - Kansas City Chiefs Director of Development,J. Kim Sorensen - President and CEO of YTB Travel Network, Bobby Bell - Pro Football Hall of Fame,Russell Wolf - YTB Corporate Consultant.

YTB Travel Network Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of YTB International Inc., is partnering with the Kansas City Chiefs to administer the football team's online and fan-based travel through the Chiefs travel Web site, http://www.chiefstravel.com/, the organizations announced Tuesday.

Chiefs fans can book their travel through the Web site, which will offer multiple entry opportunities to win game day packages, tickets to a luxury suite, autographed memorabilia, the opportunity to become a "Chief for a Day," a cabin on a Chiefs celebrity cruise and more.

"Fan support at home and also on the road has been a vital ingredient in the success of this franchise over the last 20 years," Chiefs President Carl Peterson said in a statement. "

Moreover, with this new travel program we can reward our fans for that support, as each time they book travel -whether business or personal, related to Chiefs games or not -they have the opportunity to win any number of special prizes from watching a preseason game from a luxury suite, becoming a Chiefs player for a day and enjoying other fan friendly experiences."

Moms Online

Moms Online: Browsing, Researching, Buying Summary

Once upon a time, marketers advertised on daytime TV and soap operas to reach mothers. Today, more than 40% of all women who go online in the US—approximately 35 million of them—are mothers who have children under 18 at home.

The Moms Online report analyzes the changing Internet habits and decision-making patterns of this all-important consumer demographic.

Moms regularly engage in parenting-related activities online, but they are also involved in other online activities such as search, entertainment and shopping.

In fact, moms rely on the Internet for purchase decisions. Upwards of two-thirds of online moms of young children research products online, so it is critical for marketers and retailers to understand the role of the Internet in their purchase decisions.

Key questions the “Moms Online” report answers:
* How many mothers are online in the US?
* What types of Web sites do they visit?
* How are moms using the Internet during the purchase process?
* What role does search play in online and offline purchase decisions?
* How does word of mouth impact moms’ shopping habits?
* And many others…

eMarketer Reports—On Target and Up to Date

The Moms Online report aggregates the latest data from marketing and communications researchers with eMarketer analysis to provide the information you need to make smart, accurate business decisions.

This article is from eMarketer.com - click on the name to go directly to the page.

Book Review - 5/2/08

Network Marketing is an interesting field to work in. It can be the life you've always wanted but it can also take a lot of work and time. Every so often I will do a Book Review here on this blog to let you know about some REALLY amazing books that I have read about this phenomenal industry.

Knowledge is POWER and I truly believe that we can all grow to be at our absolute BEST if we continue to learn, grow, and care for others. The first book I want to tell you about is probably one of my ALL time favorite books about Network Marketing and that's because it is told in a parable in which you become intertwined into the characters of the story's lives.

Let me share with you what I found about the book on the Random House web site.

Network marketing is a burgeoning field, and it can be a frustrating and difficult experience. There are many who have achieved minimal success, and many more who have made no money at all. With these discouraging figures, how can one become a member of the successful elite? Millions agree that the best way to do this is to spend some time with The Greatest Networker in the World.

John Milton Fogg’s extended parable is the story of a young man on the verge of quitting the multilevel marketing business. As he prepares to give his final opportunity meeting, he meets the individual everyone refers to as The Greatest Networker in the World. This warm and wise man takes in his young counterpart and shows him the trade secrets so he too can become a successful network marketer.

The young man soon learns that the trade secrets have very little to do with conventional marketing techniques. In fact, he has to unlearn everything he thought he knew about business. "The paradigm of network marketing is so fundamentally different and distinct from all other paradigms of business, that it requires a pretty complete shift from the way we normally view business to appreciate and understand it."

The new paradigm is built around one’s habits of thought and discovering that the secrets to network marketing success are within oneself. The values of responsibility, team building, and caring for one’s downline play a much more important role than competitive promotion and advertising. A critical skill for all marketers is the ability to teach people to teach others.

Once one has mastered the new paradigm of multilevel marketing, he needs to not only show his downline how to master it, but also how to teach those techniques to others. This leads to greater leadership within the organization, more stability, improved productivity, and as a result, long-lasting success.

About the Author
John Milton Fogg is an international speaker and the author of more than two dozen books and tapes, including The Greatest Networker in the World. He is the founding editor and chairman of Upline and Network Marketing Lifestyles magazines. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Take a minute right now and head over to Amazon.com and pick up a copy of the book, you won't regret it!

What's YOUR State's Ranking?

According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the resident population of the United States, projected to 04/25/08 at 01:44 GMT (EST+5) is
303,930,503

That's a WHOLE lot of people in the United States of America, right? You know what is so absolutely AMAZING about that statistic is when you partner it with the number of people in YTB right now.

There are approximately 125,000 (maybe a little more or less) in YTB (Your Travel Biz) right now, and with a population of 303,930,503 in the United States (as of right now) I would say that it is definately an opportunity for you to be "IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME", wouldn't you agree?

Take a look at the January 2008 State by State Listing of RTA's (Referring Travel Agents) in YTB...

AK…306 AL…1281 AR…335 AS…3
AZ…2080 CA…20352 CO…3736 CT…1547
DC…973 DE…564 FL…22648 GA…10096
GU…15 HI…1027 IA…281 ID…645
IL…5824 IN…1875 KS…808 KY…1173
LA…1094 MA…1563 MD…7310 ME…75
MI…3903 MN…599 MO…4006 MS…492
MT…89 NC…4031 ND…85 NE…169
NH…195 NJ…3550 NM…198 NV…2469
OH…2325 OK…508 OR…399 PA…2287
PR…886 RI…643 SC…2356 SD…50
TN…1968 TX…6706 UT…642 VA…4079
VI…103 VT…109 WA…1051 WI…397
WV…201 WY…124

Do you know what that says to me....one word...

OPPORTUNITY!

Opportunity is knocking...what's stopping you from opening the door?

Email me today so we can partner together to make a difference in your state, your family, your finances, your dreams, and your life!

Exponential Growth

A lot of the time I get a glazed over look when I start talking to people about the benefits of EXPONENTIAL GROWTH and how it can greatly benefit their families to build a business this way. Here is a short, sweet, and simple illustration on EXPONENTIAL GROWTH I found in a book called, "Shoot for the Stars", by Pete Billac.

In this business (YTB calls it REFERRAL MARKETING) you will hear the words "duplication" and "exponential". Let me tell you how POWERFUL these two words are. Here's my favoritre "for instance" concerning exponentail growth. It has to do with playing golf.

If you wager ONE PENNY on the first hole, then DOUBLE IT on the following 17 holes, that last BET is worth over TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS! Grab a calculator and see for yourself.

What this REALLY means is that if you TELL a few people each day and they tell a few who tell a few, SOON you'll have a lot of people who are working for themselves (but ALSO working for you) to help you succedd. It's so simple yet totally awesome.

By "telling" others and "training them" to tell others, you are duplicating your own efforts, and this exponential growth just happens. And your business can skyrocket.

The results can be simply amazing...I am not saying that it is always easy, but the opportunity is definitely there, for me, for you, for everyone.

The choice is yours...
what will you do?
what's stopping you from starting your new adventure right now?