Sheila Atwood & Kathryn Griffiths: Special Premier “Internet Sisters” Post

Partner Up and Double Your Assets

Is it possible to double your online assets when you partner up?

GUEST POST by Kathy Griffiths and Sheila Atwood

Yes and yes! I have been lucky enough to partner up with by sister, Kathryn Griffiths. Although there are times when it seems like the blind is leading the blind, this partnership really has doubled my assets.

We partnered up back in 2007.  Feeling much like Laurel and Hardy, we jumped into the car and attended the Salt Lake City Geek Club for the first time.  The goal was to find some WordPress geeks to help us get our sites on line. Well, it worked and the rest is, as they say, “history”.  (By the way… we can now attend the meetings and can actually contribute to what’s going on.)

My Partner Up Assets

  • Time: Having a partner has increased my time. I have someone that can learn one thing while I learn another.
  • Skills: Kathy has computer skills I do not need to learn. For example, she is an expert in Photoshop.  Need a graphic…got a graphic.
  • Editing: Two sets of eyes are better than one. Kathy will edit my blog, reports, and sales pages. Let me tell you, I need an editor.  I can’t see my own mistakes.
  • Copywriting: When it comes to needing a magic headline or the perfect piece of text, I can rely on Kathy. She has copywriting ideas I would never even think of.
  • Comments: There is always somebody to comment on my sites. All I have to do is ask.
  • Backlinks: We have a system of backlinking to each others sites. This works well on both our main sites and on our niche sites.
  • Encouragement: When the going gets tough (and it often does) I get encouragement. I get support. Kathy helps me to stay on track and push through those times that I just want give up.

“It is the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter.”  ~Marlene Dietrich

Sheila

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My Partner Up Assets

It’s been a great business asset to partner up with my sister, Sheila Atwood, and the journey has been fun.   There have been a lot of laughs between the two of us as we’ve made our way through the maze of Internet marketing.

  • Balance: I once heard it said… “In a partnership, you can’t afford to be crazy at the same time.”  It’s nice to have someone bring me back to reality when I’ve had some “woo woo” idea that’s not practical.   We sort out different strategies until we find out what really works.
  • Information: Sheila has been a great source of information.  She’s always searching the web for the most current and helpful information that she can pass on to her readers.  I benefit from that research first.
  • Tech. Issues: I’m amazed how tech savvy we both have become and how much we can figure out when we put out heads together.  It’s saved a ton of money not having to call a web master at every turn.  However, we both know when to cry “Uncle” and get more advanced help when needed.
  • Immediate Communication: I love the fact I have immediate access to someone.  When I’m excited about something I’ve just learned or when I run up against a problem … I can pick up the phone and get instant feed back.  We visit several times a day.  I can also count on finding several Twitter DM messages a week pointing me to helpful information.
  • Encouragement: It’s easy to get discouraged when everything gets overwhelming.  Sheila helps me sort out priorities so I can get back on track again.  And that relates to family matters as well as business.
  • Joint Venture: I have access to a joint venture partner I trust.  We’ve had several ideas in the past, but I think we’ll have a winner when our new project is completed.  It’s fun to work on an idea together.
  • Support: I think the best thing about the “partner up” concept is that I get full support.  I know I can always count on a comment on my blog and having my “Tweets” passed on to her list.
  • Mastermind: We are a mastermind group of two.  It cuts quickly to the chase.  There’s no lag time in getting correction or encouragement.

Thanks Sheila… my partner in crime.

Till Later,
Kathyn Griffiths

P.S.  If you want to double your assets, I suggest you find someone you can partner up with.  It sure makes business more productive, doubles assets … and best of all ….it’s more fun.

You will find these partners busy writing their own blog at:

Kathryn Griffiths – OnlineMarkeingAndPromotionBasics.com

Sheila Atwood – Newbie Lifeline.com

Thank you for an exceptionally special treat! You’ve created a hallmark moment on my blog, I love you both, and your guest post is filled with tremendous value. :)

Your Blog is Your Best Attraction Tool

Every success-minded online marketing entrepreneur, business coach, consultant, self-employed professional, and freelancer needs a blog.

Here’s an equation I learned from Lexi Rodrigo that demonstrates the foundational components of online marketing success:

BLOG + EMAIL MARKETING = PROFITABLE ONLINE BIZ

Your business blog is your most powerful tool for attracting prospects, clients, customers, and even joint venture partners because:

1) It’s a platform for showcasing your talents, skills, and specialized knowledge.  It puts you center stage in the spotlight!

2) It encourages interaction and builds community with people who share common interests, objectives, and goals.  It’s the perfect place for your target audience to hang out, enjoy the view, and gather some helpful tips, resources, and expert information from you.

3) It’s a place to share the need for and demonstrate the results others have experienced from using your products and/or services.  Case studies and product reviews are two of the most popular and most attractive types of blog posts.

4) It’s easy to use and provides you a central location for your online marketing and networking efforts.  From all other locations on the internet, always strive to send people back to your blog to gather more information on a topic, subscribe to your list, or learn more about you and what you have to offer.

Your blog is the hub of all your business-building activities.  What are some ways you are making your blog a strong magnet?

Start Exercising Those Finger Muscles!

Put your arms down at your sides and give your hands a good shake!

Then raise your arms above your head and wiggle your fingers.

That’s not quite enough.  A little more wiggling, please.

Great!  Now you’re ready to join the next 30-day blogging challenge starting June 1stjust three days from now.

However, you may need to repeat the exercise above several times during the challenge cause you’ll be bangin’ away at the keyboard and bloggin’ your little heart out!

FREE registration for the 30-Day Blogging Challenge hosted by Jeanette Cates of Tech Tamers.

You won’t believe the dynamite members area she’s created for all the participants!  Check it out.  It’s fabulous.

I just completed my very first blogging challenge a couple of weeks ago and it was the most amazing event with wonderful takeaways.  I can’t wait to join in the excitement again!

If you’d like to have the chance to meet some innovative, creative, and super talented experts in their field and some of the finest bloggers you’ll ever cross paths with …

Sign Up for the 30-Day Blogging Challenge Right Now!

Build new relationships, be interviewed as a guest expert, and create some opportunities for JV’s and other collaborative projects.  This is the perfect opportunity to have tons of fun,  greatly improve your writing skills,  and build your brand – your online identity.

See you there!

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“C” is for Challenge

Tomorrow I will be publishing my final post – my last contribution – to the 30-Day Blogging Challenge hosted by Connie Ragen Green.

I want to share my list of all the wonderful takeaways, lessons learned, and unforgettable experiences as a participant in this event.

“C” is for Challenge.  But during this challenge, I came to realize that “C” stands for so much more!  It also stands for …

Commodities – Friendships are the best and most valuable commodities you can acquire.  The friends I made during this challenge are some of the most talented, bright, and creative people imaginable and I cherish every single one of them.

Commitment – Writing 30 posts in 30 days was a huge undertaking for me as well as for some others who participated.  Commitment shows character and builds character.

Capacity – There was no such thing as limited space or limited seats to join this challenge.  Everyone was welcome.

Cooking – I got my hands on some new recipes and learned some culinary secrets during this event!  What a treat to have a couple of food experts on board.

Concentration – The only real way to make it all the way through this challenge was to become like a horse with blinders on and focus, focus, focus!

Collaboration – Bring a variety of personalities, skills, and expertise together.  Combine that with energy, inspiration, and motivation … and lookout!  Joint ventures, interviews, and an upcoming collaborative radio show are just the tip of the iceberg for this group!

Comedy - Laughter is the best medicine.  I had a blast meeting others who value a sense of humor as much as I do!

Cooperation – Everyone did a fabulous job of visiting lots of blogs, posting wonderful comments, following networked blogs on Facebook, staying updated at TweetChat, giving support, and Re-Tweeting posts.

Communication – Some of the best stories I’ve ever read were communicated during this challenge!  People offered advice, a listening ear, business building tips and tools, relaxation techniques, tutorials, book recommendations, and how-to’s.

Compliments – I will forever embrace the words of encouragement and all the positive, uplifting comments I received during this event.  There was rarely a day that I didn’t witness someone paying someone else a confidence-boosting compliment.

Complaints – There were none!!

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I’m Rubber. You’re Glue.

Do you remember that old saying from your younger years?

When I was in elementary school, we used to say, “I’m rubber.  You’re glue.  Whatever bounces off me sticks to you.”

Your version may be a little different, but the meaning still holds true.

As I march along through this 30-day blogging challenge I entered, I’m noticing something interesting taking place.  Everyone is learning from everyone else.  What a concept, huh?

Every member of this challenge has a unique writing style and a unique message to convey.  No two bloggers or blogs are alike.  So many amazing individuals and possibilities for enrichment!

So how does this rubber/glue theory come into play?

As members of this event get better acquainted, we are …

  • Bouncing ideas off one another
  • Becoming better storytellers
  • Establishing joint ventures
  • Gathering new business building tips and resources
  • Offering encouragement and support
  • Sharing talents and expertise
  • Honing copywriting skills
  • Creating friendships
  • Planning future get-togethers
  • And having tons of fun!

The benefits and rewards of joining this blogging challenge will “stick” with me forever.

The 30-day blogging challenge is sponsored by Connie Ragen Green. If you’ve never had the joy of participating in the challenge, here’s a GREAT place to start and learn more about Connie:  “5 Pronged Approach to Online Writing Success”.

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Ever Feel Like You’re Marketing To Nobody?

There you sit, week after week in front of your computer screen, banging out blog posts and 140-character Tweets.  What’s the use? Nothing happens. Your blog is gathering moss and no one on social media sites seems to know you exist.  Pretty frustrating.  You’ve got talent, skills, and expertise (out the wazootie!) to share with your target market. But there’s a big problem.  Your audience seems to be far away in a distant land on a perpetual vacation. In other words, they’re absent and you may as well be invisible.

You begin to recognize that working online can be a very lonely business and you’re feeling stuck in a rut.  Not a good feeling.  How can you break out of this hum-drum routine and start making a profit?  Joint Venture with someone! But play it SMART.  After all, this is YOUR business we’re talking about so know exactly what to look for. Take just one minute to watch this free video and learn the “3 Biggest Mistakes To Avoid” when looking for a Joint Venture partner.

I’m pleased to say I found a fantastic partner recently.  She needed some original content for her blog and newsletter and I needed some online visibility.  We’ll be doing some internet radio show broadcasts together soon, as well. Can you see the mutual benefit here?  As the saying goes, it’s not rocket science.  Now I’m not feeling so alone and we’re working jointly to help one another experience and enjoy the success we deserve.  Doesn’t get any better than that.

Flying solo in your online business can leave you feeling isolated and lonely and ready to throw in the towel.  Instead, have some fun and start looking for someone to collaborate with today!

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Stop SOPA