First Word

  This is a discussion that is near and dear to my heart -- aging gracefully. I happen to be the same age as the "girls" on the HBO reboot of Sex and the City titled And Just Like That ... Now I have some criticism of the story lines (Samantha's reason for being absent from the show ... the Samantha I loved would never have tossed out Carrie over a failed publicity campaign.) However, I'm digressing off the topic, which is sexist ageism.  First, kudos to Cynthia Nixon, who among the cast doesn't appear to have messed with her face. I love Miranda's realistic gray hair and how she embraced the fact she's an older woman. Sarah Jessica Parker actually looks much better than she did in the movies where she clearly had her eyes done, which changed her natural appearance. Kirstin Davies' obvious implants and lip work didn't look so great.  My point is not to "plastic surgery" shame anyone. I want to discuss why women aren 't aging gracefu

If you’re like many people, the pandemic has wreaked havoc on something in your life. My business, like many businesses, has without question been impacted. I recently joked I’ve held on by my fingernails. A friend told me other publishers have gone under. So, I’m putting it out there that I’m looking for a part-time, remote writer position . If you have a project that you’ve been considering doing, please note I’m also running a 50% off all services sale, which is good through Dec. 15.   I thought I would also take this opportunity to discuss resilience. We published Real Resilience by Selwa Berbawy , and it has enjoyed some fantastic press. In the book, Berbawy breaks down the tools of resilience. I thought about it—why am I still standing while other publishers go under. I’ve also stayed in business for 15 years and ridden the wave of the typical ups and downs.   What I’m going to share is about spirituality. I rely on my ability to manifest the things I want. S

  Children's books make great Christmas presents. Ant Trails and Butterfly Dreams - A Story About Happiness by Selwa Berbawy is an ideal gift to bring inspiration to all.  This enchanting book shares with children how to easily switch their thoughts from sad to happy. It's based on self-help teachings, but brought down to the level of children.  Here is what some reviewers said: Direct sentences and frequent dialogue make the story accessible while providing tangible recommendations for increasing happiness in one’s own life. Arney’s tale is familiar to readers of all ages, and its satisfying ending provides hope to those for whom happiness is elusive. ~ River Dancer I love books like this that share messages that appeal to all ages. That is what Selwa is able to achieve with her new book ANT TRAILS AND BUTTERFLY DREAMS. We are able to see how happiness is something we can choose, even if every day is not perfect. We can make the choice to focus on the good and not t

     I’ve recently seen articles addressing hybrid work environments. Over the years, I have had positions where I worked at home a few days a week and in the office. The last 15 years I have worked remotely (very successfully).             First, let’s address the reasons for remote/hybrid work – the pandemic. I want to share a story about illness in the workplace. I worked for an organization where I was continuously exposed to other sick employees and bad air filtration. We used to call these “sick” buildings. Older buildings where the air is recirculated also meant germs got easily shared among employees. When I worked in this sick building I was ill nearly all winter long. Years later when I began working exclusively from my home office, the illnesses ceased. Now I am rarely sick.             Many positive reasons exist to keep employees remote. Some jobs obviously don’t work as a remote positions. However, many jobs can be easily done remot

    After another breakup where halfway through the relationship I found out that I had been deceived, I realized once again my “picker” was broken. I stayed after I uncovered the deception. I got asked why? The answer is simple: love. Once you have been swept into the deception and relationship, it makes it difficult to break it off. The lies and emotional abuse continued until I couldn’t take it anymore. So, I finally ended it. Now I faced being single again—ugh! Not again, right?!      The good news is, this time it was different. I had read and studied how to have a healthy relationship. I highly recommend you sign up for emails from online relationship experts like A New Mode, Flourish, Jason Stedman (he replaced Christian Carter), Rory O’Rourk, and others. I began voraciously reading about how men think and behave. Over many years of conscious reading, I came to understand important issues, such as setting boundaries, loving yourself, and learning to date stress-free.          

       They always say there are two things guaranteed in life—death and taxes. You can add a third thing to that statement— change .   Nothing in life is static, and change is inevitable. Yet when it comes to the business environment (and in life), most people do not embrace change. Change scares them. Why do so many people fear change? A recent article in Inc ., titled “Science Says This is Why You Fear Change (And What To Do About It),” Case in point: one study had a group of people view a painting that they were told was done in 1905. The next group viewed the same painting but this group was told that the painting was done in 2005. The 1905 group rated the painting much more aesthetically pleasing than the other group. We like that which has been around for a while. That's the obvious reason for why we don't like change.  But it runs deeper than that. We also fear the new because of the uncertainty it brings. As popular podcaster Tim Ferriss says, people would rath

  To protect yourself in the online dating world- here are some great tips from the experts;   Some Rules to the ‘Online’ Dating Pool “If you receive a message saying something like this: ‘My friend saw you over my shoulder. He thinks you’re beautiful. I’ve found my girlfriend and am closing my account. Send me your email so he can contact you—SCAM. If you start telling me about your cancer-ridden brother and how you don’t really live in X state—SCAM. If they list their education and profession, and change it the next day— SCAM If they have higher education (i.e., Ph.D. or master’s degree), look closely and realize it is probably a scam, so pay attention.  If your phone number is one of those weird 1+… outside the country or state— SCAM If anyone ever insinuates or asks you for money of any kind, including buying his kid a cell phone, etc. —SCAM If anyone brags they can buy you the world (or build you a really nice closet)— SCAM. If they tell you tales of woe and how you can h

So today’s topic is how a book supports your business. My client Jeff Bangerter , financial wizard, wrote Tenants, Toilets and Trash . He has since reprinted I believe about 7,000 copies. No, it’s not an Amazon best seller. No, it’s not a “best seller” at all in the traditional sense. So, why has he ordered 7,000 copies or more? Because Jeff does financial seminars and uses the books as a giveaways to educate others on a complicated subject. Those readers turn into clients. Jeff was less interested in book sales than he was in attracting more business. Client revenue adds up way more than a book sale. When should you consider either having a book written for you or writing one yourself that will support your business? When you have a complicated subject, a book supports your educational efforts . Bangerter’s book is a resource to explain and guide people to invest in properties using the Delaware 1032 Exchange Under the Statutory trust. If your business requires client educ

  What do you think is the number one challenge a writer faces? Is it writer’s block? No… although many writers deal with some form of writer’s block throughout their careers. It’s distractions! Yes, writers face too many distractions that break their focuses. Between social media, online activities, the real world, and nonstop demands on your time, it’s not that easy to focus. Then we have what I personally call “brain mush,” which in my definition goes like this: too much screen time and tired eyes. Brain mush leads to allowing distractions just to get away from the computer, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.   I bet many of you are nodding right now and thinking, “Yes! Distractions are always pulling me away from my projects.” Whether you work in an office or at your home office, distractions can often stop your progress. When I worked in an office with coworkers, the water-cooler talk caused distractions. Although I avoided it. I have been and am always about the

  I hear authors routinely say, “I am writing a book.” However, I don’t see a lot of results from those declarations. A small percentage of authors actually produce a book. It seems that declaring you’re writing a book and really finishing a book don’t always go hand in hand. It’s not that people can’t write or aren’t talented, it’s really about motivation. How do you stay motivated to start and finish your book? Some of it has to do with authors who get bogged down in their own ideas of perfection. I’ve seen authors spin in circles around their first chapter. In fact, I’ve seen authors never get past their first chapters and stay stuck. These writers get caught up in every word and every little element of their writing. First, just keep writing and writing, and remember, you always have an editor who will help make the necessary adjustments. It’s easy to lose motivation if you can’t even move onto Chapter 2. So, keep momentum and just keep writing and writing. Leave t

I am considering writing my memoir. When I share my stories with people, they have said, "You write it -- I'll read it."  I recently went through yet another breakup. People who know me know I've been through the ringer when it comes to men. I've learned some unhappy life lessons, but mostly I've recognized that my ideas about the world were colored by MY values. The problem is, I compromised my values to be in relationships where I attracted narcissistic personalities. In fact, the word narcissism was only a concept I read about in mythology about Narcissist who fell so in love with his own image in the pond, he drowned.   I dated a man we'll call Ryan, which isn't his real name, but for my blog's purpose we'll keep his alias. I adored him until I didn't anymore. Trying to figure out fact from fiction with him was difficult. He's not the first liar, but he's definitely the last.  Today, I am single, happy, and dating. I'm vibra

Today, new titles like Chief Storyteller are being used in place of writer or marketing specialist. Corporate America embraced it, because leaders recognize the power of a great story vs. just generic information. If you can tell a fascinating story about something, it will intrigue, entertain, and attract people’s interest. For example, no one wants to hear just buy this or buy that; they would rather hear a great yarn. When I used to do speaking engagements about my books, I sold the most books when I sat and told stories related to my book. People identify with the stories and relate to them. Storytelling is a great technique to sell both nonfiction and fiction. In the case of nonfiction, you can take ideas and concepts from your book and tell a story about it. Fiction you can pull a story right out of the book (read a chapter). Even if you’re not able to do in-person speaking (Covid) you can still tell stories through Zoom or any other audio or video meeting.  

  Buy Your Copy: https://3l-publishing. myshopify.com/products/the- sustainable-dentist-the-new- normal It’s late 2021, and we all thought, “ Finally! We’re moving past the global pandemic !” Oops … not so fast. As of this writing (in California), we’re back into mask mandates (again). Now the Delta Variant started spreading en masse. Our collective sigh of relief as the vaccine continues to roll out turned into frustration and virus fatigue. The dental industry has been especially impacted by the pandemic’s ups and downs. The most glaring effect of the pandemic has been on dental revenues. “Forty-six percent of dentists agree a drop in revenue has been the number one impact of the pandemic on their practices.” [1] Many dentists and orthodontists across the nation (and the world) are struggling to keep their doors open. Some dental practices closed up, and those practices that remain look toward a grim future. “ If patient volume remains at current levels for a few more months, dent