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Issue 173 |
November 14, 2007 | |
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Every man is the architect of his own
fortune. ~ Sallust
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Opportunity Knocks
Creative Ways to Make a Living Without A Job
Tools to
Help You Go From Creating Debt to Creating Dreams
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Valerie and her wonder dog,
"Cokie Roberts" |
By Valerie Young
The traditional kick-off to the holiday shopping
season in the U.S. is Thanksgiving. This year ads started popping up before
Halloween. It’s been said that holiday debt is the gift that keeps on taking.
According to a survey done last year by Consumer Reports, the average bill for
holiday shoppers using credit cards to buy gifts will be $626. The average
American household carries $9,000 in credit card debt throughout the year and
then holiday debt gets piled on top of that.
A big question for anyone looking to ditch their
job and join the ranks of the self-employed is, “How can I afford to change
course?” And if you’re drowning in debt, the thought of being able to strike out
on your own feels all the more impossible. There are all kinds of books and
other programs out there to help you get out of debt and/or create prosperity.
Over the last year and a half or so I’ve had the opportunity to cross paths with
a number of authorities in the field. Each offers a different take on the money
theme… finding it, keeping it, and managing it.
If you need to get your financial house in order
before you can change course, here are a few people and resources I believe are
worth checking out.
First Things First
I first told you about Joan back in 2006. What
makes Joan’s story so compelling is that she spent most of her adult life in a
pattern of under earning and compulsive debting. After her two brothers tired of
bailing her out, Joan discovered the 12-step program Debtors Anonymous (DebtorsAnonymous.org).
It worked she says, for a while.
After building a successful business she once
again ended up in serious debt forcing her to close her business and declare
bankruptcy. Eight years later, at age fifty-six, Joan relocated to Santa Fe, New
Mexico with a mere $200 in her pocket. Losing her business propelled Joan to
learn more about her financial dysfunction by digging deeper to untangle the
deep emotions and family issues associated with money.
Today Joan uses what she’s learned to help others
who are similarly stuck in unproductive money patterns. Her money self-help
manual, Building Your Financial Muscles, contains exercises and resources
for people who are searching for a way to relieve
financial pressures and change the way they deal with money. Joan also offers a
number of different audio programs with titles like, “Let Go of the Aloneness”
and “Discovering Your Core Financial Issues.” More recently she’s expanded into
tools specifically for entrepreneurs with a CD/workbook set called, “Marketing
Your Micro-Business.”
Another new addition is
a facilitator kit for people who want to run support groups for others
struggling to become financially healthy. Right now the
facilitator kit costs
$89. If you get ten
participants and each pays up to $20 per meeting then you can earn $200 per
meeting. To learn about Joan and her unique approach to financial health go to
ChangingCourse.com/recommends/prosperityplace
Living Debt Free
Whether you are drowning in debt, or just love the
idea of living debt free, you should get to know the work of a fellow named Leo
Quinn. I had the pleasure of meeting Leo last June at a workshop I attended in
Denver. I discovered over breakfast one day that not only was he one of the
event speakers, but with 27,000 loyal subscribers, he’s also a well-respected
expert in the debt-elimination field. In fact, Leo had been doing this work long
before the Internet boomed.
His most popular program is called “How to Own
Your Paycheck Again.” Just to be clear, if you are not able to pay your bills or
are teetering on bankruptcy, this is not the program for you. Leo specializes in
working with people who want to get rid of their debt so they can live on less,
retire early, or just generally spend less time working and more time doing the
things they want to do. Personally what I like about it is that you can take the
money you would have used to pay your credit cards or mortgage and apply that to
your new business.
Normally “How to Own Your Paycheck Again” costs
$97. But when I called Leo for this article he offered to extend a special $50
discount for Changing Course readers when you order before November 21st.
With an iron-clad money-back guarantee you have nothing to lose but your debt.
Learn more at
ChangingCourse.com/recommends/leoquinn
Goodbye Boss, Hello Kids
“In the middle of difficulty,” observed Albert
Einstein, “lies opportunity.” Some of the best opportunities often originate
from problems – either yours or someone else’s. One of the all too common
problems that savvy savings expert Darlene Arechederra saw was that of
two-income families in which one of the parents (usually the mom) wants to stay
home with the kids but can’t afford to. Knowing that nothing is impossible if
you know what you’re doing, Dar developed a self-help program called Goodbye
Boss, Hello Kids.
For the same reason my site is called Changing
Course and not Jump off a Bridge, Dar talks about the need to create a
transition strategy, or a “bridge” as she calls it, from where you are to where
you want to be – which in this case is home with the kids. A few of the lessons
working parents receive in this 10-minute a day course include Finding Money to
Grow Your Coming Home Account, Eliminating One of the Biggest Expenses for
Working Women, Strategies To Help You Come Home Sooner, and How Bosses and
Co-Workers Can Speed Up Your Journey Home. Learn more at
AffordtoStayHome.com.
Creating Money for Your Small
Business
What if you don’t have kids or just want to escape
your job-job to work at what you love? Well, in addition to helping her clients
to “unearth potential home business ideas that make their heart sing,” Dar also
helps future home business owners create the money they'll need for their
cottage industry or home business. (Fast Track members be sure to log into the
Money Matters section of
changingcourseclub.com to find Dar’s “5 Must-Know Secrets to Creating
Money for Your Dream" in the current Money Matters e-Tip. It’s a must read for
anyone who needs to find the money to jumpstart that great business idea.)
I came to know Dar when she enrolled in my 2006
Outside the Job Box Career Consulting Certification Program. Initially I was
fascinated by her expertise in helping women specifically and people in general
become financially savvy enough to jumpstart a small business. But what really
intrigued me is that Dar is an introvert training for a career in a field you
would think would better suit someone who is more outgoing. But like a true
entrepreneur, Dar has turned what some might consider a challenge into an asset
by specializing in working with other introverts! She even has a free blog
called
CreativeCareersForIntroverts.com. Now how smart is that?!
Journey to Abundance
Finally there is Fast
Track Your Dreams member Kamin Bell. Kamin started her professional career as
the U.S. Navy's first female African-American helicopter pilot. She then went on
to become a Mary Kay Sales Director and consultant. From here Kamin transitioned
to having several small business ventures, the most recent of which is to
publish her first book, Journey to Abundance.
Kamin sent me a review
copy in September and I was genuinely impressed. Using the true story of her own
financial ruin, fear, and crisis of faith, Kamin takes you along with her as she
discovers the abundance and prosperity God wants for us all. Whether you are
Christian by faith, or simply feel guided by a Higher Power as I do, you can not
help but feel enriched, encouraged, and informed by Kamin's story and by the
thought-provoking exercises she has designed to set you firmly on your own
“journey to abundance.”
As part of the book’s pre-release Kamin is giving away a free chapter
KaminBell.com/abundance
There are many paths to financial well-being and
prosperity. As we move into this period of holiday spending take some time to be
mindful of the role that money plays in your life. If excessive giving will put
you farther into debt perhaps this is the time to realistically assess your
finances, your dreams, and how your relationship with money may be serving or
undermining your goals of changing the course of your life.
About the
Author
"Turning Interests Into Income" expert, Valerie Young,
abandoned her corporate cubicle to become the Dreamer in Residence at
ChangingCourse.com
offering resources to help you discover your life mission and live it. Her
career change tips have been cited in Kiplinger's, The Wall Street Journal,
USA Today Weekend, Woman's Day, and elsewhere and on-line at MSN,
CareerBuilder, and iVillage.com. An expert on the Impostor Syndrome, Valerie
has spoken on the topic of
How to Feel as Bright and Capable as Everyone Seems to Think You Are
to
such diverse organizations as Daimler Chrysler, Bristol-Meyers Squibb,
Harvard, and American Women in Radio and Television.
To read more
articles about how to work at what you love without a job go to
ChangingCourse.com/articles.htm
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Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul.
Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.
~ Ralph Vaull Starr |
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Featured
Resource
Lead Your Own Tours for Fun and Profit
Have you ever taken a trip and had friends and
family clamor for advice on how to go to that place, too? Or maybe you sat in a
piazza in Rome and thought, “I could lead other people here.” Perhaps you have a
passion – wine tasting – and you’d like to share it with others. Then why not
turn your travel savvy into money in the bank by designing and leading travel
tours?
In her new 90-page e-Guide, Go For It! Leading
Tours for Fun and Profit, Cynthia Morris walks you through all the steps
necessary to design, market, and lead tours either in your neck of the woods or
abroad. Cynthia has been leading successful tours to France for years. After
receiving a review copy of this comprehensive how-to guide, I can tell you with
confidence that Cynthia’s first-hand experience combined with a ton of research
is guaranteed to save you tons of time and money.
Order by November 15th at
ChangingCourse.com/recommends/leadtours before the price goes up. Pick your
copy up now and spend the winter planning a great trip for yourself and others!
(Oh and if Cynthia’s name sounds familiar she’s one of the guest speakers on the
Making Dreams Happen CD set with Barbara Sher, Barbara Winter, and me).
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Persistent people begin their success where others end in failure.
~ Edward Eggleston |
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Most of
the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept
on trying when there seemed to be no help at all.
~ Dale Carnegie |
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In the
Garden
Here’s a little career change pop quiz for you:
What kind of business would you imagine someone
with a Master’s degree in creative writing and 20 years of experience in the
field might like to start?
Answer: Becoming a bead artist of course!
The Garden is an occasional column from and about
real people just like you who have planted seeds and are watching them grow.
Shortly after I interviewed bead artist Valerie Hector (ValerieHector.com),
I received this email from Tina Koyama from the state of Washington. After you
read Tina’s inspiring letter you’ll understand why her motto is “Bead
fearlessly.”
Hi Valerie,
I just discovered your Web site when a
friend forwarded the info about the interview with bead artist Valerie
Hector (because I’m a bead artist, too). I heard her speak at a bead society
meeting I attended a while back, and her work is amazing.
But what I found truly inspiring was
your story. I have a similar story myself.
After 20 years in the corporate
communications field, I had become increasingly frustrated and bored with
the lack of opportunity for creativity at work. But whenever I started
contemplating alternatives, I always managed to talk myself back into the
comfortable security of a regular paycheck and doing the only kind work I
have ever done.
One late night in December 2002, my
frustration level had come to a head, and I was working in what is usually a
written journal. Instead of reaching for my usual favorite writing pen, I
took out a pack of colored gel pens instead, and out of nowhere (that I know
of) came a vivid, angry, extremely colorful drawing of a tiny black box with
flame-like colors inside and surrounded by bright, jagged lightning bolts.
Around the border of the drawing I wrote the following: “Tina trapped in the
corporate box, full of fire & light, yet all the energy is outside the box.
Trapped, trapped by the four walls of fear & complacency & more fear.”
I was stunned by this journal entry,
which was so visual compared to my usual journal writings, and I realized
immediately that it was a direct message from my soul: The only obstacle
keeping me from my dreams was fear.
That night I decided that I could no
longer ignore this strong, clear message. A month later, I left my job and
my 20-year communications career. It was the scariest thing I had ever done,
and yet somehow it seemed like the most “right” thing I had ever done.
I took eight months off to become a
“normal” human being again by trying every type of creative expression I had
ever wanted to do but never had time for. I settled on beadwork as my medium
of choice, and within a year a dozen beadwork designs had been accepted for
publication, I began teaching at a local bead shop, and I was selling my
work. Now, five years later, I sell my work in galleries, teach locally and
nationally, publish designs, sell kits, and do freelance marketing writing
for an online bead company.
There is so much energy outside the
box! I can never imagine going back inside. Thank you for sharing your story
and for inspiring others to break out of their four walls of fear.
Very truly yours,
Tina Koyama
TinaKoyama.com
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Whatever
you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically
act upon... must inevitably come to pass! ~
Paul J Meyer |
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Special Announcement
You definitely know you want to work for yourself.
The problem is you don’t have a clue doing what…
Act Now to Sign Up
for One of a Limited Number of Free Brainstorming Sessions With a Specially
Trained Outside the Job Box Career Consultant – Up to a $150 Value
Between December and January, I am making
available a limited number of appointments for a free phone consultation with
entrepreneurially-minded career consultants specially trained by me to help
people like you come up with creative ways to turn your interests into income.
Since early September I’ve been working closely
with over two dozen creative men and women from the U.S. and Canada who found
their calling by helping others find theirs as part of the Changing Course
Outside the Job Box Career Consulting Certification Program. As the training
program moves into its practicum phase, a limited number of free consulting
session slots will be available to allow these talented consultants-in-training
an opportunity to hone their skills with practice clients.
What you’ll gain is the opportunity to brainstorm
how to turn your own ideas into income with one or more consultants who are
looking to gain practical experience working with real clients before beginning
to accept paying clients in early 2008. After January the cost for you to work
with a certified Outside the Job Box Career Consultant will run you anywhere
from $85 to $150 or more. But because you are signing on as a practice client,
your only expense will be the long-distance charges for the 90 minute session.
Appointments are available in December and January
and will take place over the phone. To accommodate work schedules, weekday,
weekend and evening appointments are available. As part of the session you will
receive a free copy of my eBook Finding Your True Calling and will be
required to submit a pre-work assignment to the consultant prior to your
session.
In exchange you must agree to have your session
recorded for training purposes and to submit a written evaluation and/or
testimonial within 24 hours of your consulting session. To be considered for one
of the limited numbers of complimentary consulting sessions please
click here to fill
out a brief application form.
If you think you’d like to find your calling by
helping others find theirs,
click here to add
your name to the Priority Notification List to receive advance notification of
the 2008 Changing Course Outside the Job Box Career Consulting Certification
Program beginning this spring.
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Minds are like parachutes - they only function
when open. ~ Thomas Dewar |
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Upcoming Workshops and Teleclasses
Here are a few featured workshops and Teleclasses, you'll find a complete
listing at
ChangingCourse.com/courses.htm
Turn Your Everyday Snapshots Into Cash
This January in
Austin, TX,
You Can…
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 Learn from
professional photographers the techniques they use to shoot pictures
that sell for $150, $400, $600 -- and even higher…
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Get hands-on
practice applying your new skills -- while you explore one of the
world's most enchanting cities…
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Discover how
travel photographers create a need for their photos
-- and double or even triple your photography income…
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Find out just
how easy it is to turn your snapshots into cash… and enjoy the
freedom, independence, and travel that freelance photography
delivers…
The Ultimate Money-Making Photo Workshop
January 31 - February 2, 2008
Austin, TX
Register by Nov. 30th and benefit from our
pre-registration discount -- and save $700!
Visit:
ChangingCourse.com/recommends/photographyworkshop for more details
or (866) 415-1425 or local at
(202) 370-6459 from
8:00am -5:00pm Eastern Standard Time. Spaces are limited.
Monthly Dream Maker Teleclass
Our
November 19th Dream Maker Teleclass will feature
Dr. Steven Botkin, founder and Executive Director of
Men's Resources International (MRI).
Begun in 2004 this unique non-profit organization has as its
mission to help men around the globe to practice and promote
a healthy, compassionate, and responsible model of
masculinity.
This is not the first time
Steven has taken an idea and run with it. Twenty two years before
launching MRI he founded another highly successful non-profit, the
Men's
Resource Center for Change in Amherst, Massachusetts. Over
time though Steven realized he wanted to have an even larger impact. He began to
imagine an organization that would connect, strengthen and support like-minded
men's programs around the world.
Today Men's
Resources International has partnered with major international aid organizations
and participates in inter-organizational roundtables dealing with global issues
of health, gender and violence. They identify and support men's networks in all
stages of development, and provide training, coaching, materials and technical
assistance to help these networks grow in size and effectiveness.
Join me as Steven shares his
journey in making a living by making a difference in the world and offers advice
to others about how you too can turn your values into your vocation.
This
Teleclass is free to current members of the
Fast Track Your Dream
Community members. Non-members are welcome to
attend for $19 with all proceeds going to the non-profit
micro-grant organization TrickleUp.org
Monday, November 19
8:00-9:00pm Eastern Time
Click Here to Register
Registration:
Fast Track Your Dream Community Members: FREE
Advance registration required at
changingcourseclub.com
Non-members: $19*
Click Here to Register
"How to Become Joyfully Jobless"
2007
Teleclass Series
hosted by Barbara Winter
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Barbara Winter |
Learn
what it takes to live the joyfully jobless life from the
master − Barbara Winter, author of
Making a Living
Without a Job.
A
vivacious and wildly popular speaker, Barbara will address
such topics as the power of multiple income streams… how to
stop thinking like an employee and start thinking like an
entrepreneur… why starting small is the smartest (and most
profitable) way to launch your new enterprise… and much
more.
Like
mini-workshops, these monthly Joyfully Jobless Teleclasses
are interactive, which means
you get to ask questions and benefit from firsthand feedback
from the woman I call the "Muse of Self-Bossing."
This
series is free to current members of the
Fast Track Your Dream
Community members. Non-members are welcome to
attend for $19 with all proceeds going to the non-profit
micro-grant organization TrickleUp.org
Wednesday,
November 14th
8:00-9:00pm
Eastern Time
Wednesday,
December 12th
8:00-9:00pm
Eastern Time
Click Here to Register
*To
learn more about how you can fast track your dream of
working at what you love - and get a two month membership FREE - go to
ChangingCourse.com/fasttrackyourdream.htm
**A
portion of all revenue from this Teleclass will go to
support the entrepreneurial aspirations of impoverished
people in the US and internationally via the micro-grant
organization
TrickleUp.org
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Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is
worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
~ William James |
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The View From
the
Other Side
"If
someone had told me ‘Look, you’re going to start today and spend the next
five years wasting your time trying to get this thing start’, I would
have said I can’t do that. But you never think about what it’s going to take
of you. Think: I’ve got it now.”
~ Isadore Sharp, founder of
Four Seasons. He knocked on door after door for five years looking for
investors with no success.
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Resources for
a Change
Don’t miss these fast
approaching deadlines…
Win $35,000 to Start Your Business The deadline is fast approaching for the
Miller Brewer Company’s annual Urban Entrepreneur Series business plan
competition. One winner will take home a $35,000 business grant to jumpstart his
or her small business. Up to six runners-up will each take home a $15,000
business grant or five runners-up will take home a $5,000 business grant, seed
money to take their dreams to the next level. The competition is open to all
adults between 21 and 35 years old. Entries are due no later than 5:00 p.m. CST,
Friday, November 30, 2007. (Winners will be announced in April 2008.) I know
this is short notice but there’s nothing like a due date to beat back
procrastination! Learn more at
MillerUrbanEntrepreneurs.com
The Intuitive Entrepreneur: Tools for Thriving with Ease is the name
of a new workshop by “Business Guide” (love the title) Rosemary Senjem, founder
of Handspun Digital, Inc. The workshop is
specifically for creative people who want to be successful in business. Although
I have not had the pleasure of working directly with Rosemary, Barbara Winter
has and raves about her and her work. The workshop teaches ways
to maximize the benefits of intuition and learning how
to “think with your whole body, not just your head” while using basic business
principles and tools. November 15-16, 2007 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Learn more at
IntuitivePlan.com/twoday.php
or call 612-226-5101.
Spiritual
Directors International
(SDI)
Annual Conference is happening in March 26-30, 2008 in Washington, DC. The early
registration deadline is January 7th. I first learned about SDI about
eight years ago in the Wall Street Journal when they featured a story about a
pharmacist who decided to become a spiritual director to those seeking guidance.
SDI is a global learning community of people from many faiths and nations who
share a common concern, passion and commitment to the art and contemplative
practice of spiritual direction. The organization provides programs,
publications, and practices to support spiritual direction. The deadline for
submitting a workshop proposal has passed but if this seems like a path you want
to pursue, I recommend you attend the event first and go from there. (SDIWorld.org)
Note: Changing Course does not accept
paid advertisements from any of the resources listed here. This list is
provided to expand your thinking about just how many interesting ways there
are to make a living without a job!
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live
life on purpose