How to Network for Quality AND Quantity

bizcard.jpgby David Bohl

There is a great debate in the world of marketing: is the quality of a lead when networking more important than the quantity of leads you get? Then there is the field of thought–why can’t you get both? It’s the American way to get it all so here’s what you have to do to combine the quality of the leads you get from networking and increase the quantity of these leads right along with it.

 Step 1. Focus on quantity.

Especially if networking is new for you, you may not have a clue as to where you should start, so quality isn’t even a factor yet. You have to get some leads first!

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How to Weather Life’s Storms and Rise Above the Rain

storm.jpgby David Bohl

You know that when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. But sometimes, when the going gets rough, there’s no money for sugar and the lemonade ends up tasting sour.

A bad analogy, perhaps, but the point is that making it through the hard times in life is not always as easy as the clichés make it sound. Trials and tribulations are inevitable, so it’s not the lack of trouble in your life but rather how you weather the storms that really counts.

First, when you sense a storm is brewing, take a tip from the sailors of the world and batten down the hatches! Sometimes storms seemingly come out of nowhere, but almost always, there are signs that danger is on the horizon. The sky gets dark, the wind picks up, and there is that unidentifiable ominous feeling in the air. Furthermore, there are people in your life who may even tell you a storm is on its way.

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5 Ways to Stay True to Yourself and Not Offend Others in the Process

self.jpgby David Bohl

The business world can be a tricky place when dealing with doing what’s right–keeping your personal values and morals in check. While you have to separate your business life from your personal life, it doesn’t mean you have to turn into someone you’re not in order to be successful.

It’s also important not to offend others in the process of doing what you think is right. You have to keep you personal views and what others think balanced. Keep these five suggestions in mind and you’ll be well on your way to doing what is right for you and not ticking people off as you go.

1. Know yourself.

We’re all different, which makes the world a much more interesting place. You may have a big mouth without a filter–saying exactly how you feel about things without thinking about how it sounds or how others will take it. Maybe you make faces that come off as bad to an observer but you really don’t mean anything by it. You have to know yourself–what your strengths are and what your weaknesses are. When you have this knowledge, you can do something about it so that you can still speak your mind and be yourself, but in more of an appropriate manner.

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Happy? Or Just Going Through the Motions?

nothappy.jpgHappiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.

~ Aristotle

I was shocked to read a recent study that reported less than 30% of people interviewed said they were deeply happy, and that 25% of Americans and 27% of Europeans claimed they are depressed. As a naturally happy person, I was amazed at how many unhappy people there are. Generally when I work with my coaching clients, they are not unhappy about everything in their life; they usually just have one area they are working on or one challenge to overcome.


So why are so many people unhappy? And why are so many people just going through the motions, appearing to be happy, pretending to be happy, when they’re really not?

The first step in determining if you’re happy or how happy you are is to define happiness. To some, it means doing what they want, having what they want, and being who they want, that is, fulfilling their dreams and desires. To others, it’s a state of mind that is not dependent on the outside world, but more on an inner contentment. And to still others, it’s about being responsible for their choices and accepting responsibility for whatever shows up in their lives, even if it didn’t seem like a conscious choice.
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6 Foods that Boost Your Brain Power

blueberries.jpgYou may have seen it floating in a jar of formaldehyde in science lab, and your mom always told you that drinking alcohol or smoking pot can kill its cells. Your mom was talking about your brain, of course! She usually went on to say something like, “Eat fish. It’s good for your brain power.” You should’ve listened to your mother–she may be right.

Your brain is your body’s command center. It controls everything your body does. It’s like the caller in a square dance, “Here we go, move your arm. Dosey doe, left, right, walk.” This means you’ve got to take care of yourself and your brain. Many studies over the years have proved that certain foods can help to boost your brain power–keeping it healthy and making it possible for your body to dosey doe (when necessary). Boost your brain power and eat these foods. It’ll be good for your brain.

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6 Things You Didn’t Know About How to Improve Your Credit

shopping2.jpgby David Bohl

Credit makes the world go round. OK. That’s not exactly true, but if you have bad credit, it can sure throw your world off its axis.

If you want to pay a decent interest rate on a mortgage or any loan you get or just get approved for a credit card, then you have to act to bump, bump, bump, bump it up (your credit score that is).

If you have blemished credit or downright bad credit, take these steps to get your credit back on track. While you already know that you have to pay your bills and pay them on time to increase your credit score, here are some lesser-known ways to get the job done.

Credit piggybacking.

If you’re married or have a close friend or relative with good credit, use this to your advantage. Have them add you to one of their established credit accounts–a credit card account usually works best for these purposes. With a simple phone call to the credit card company, your trusted credit buddy can request to add you as a cardholder on their account. Once this happens, their good credit becomes part of your credit report too. Simple and easy. The hard part–getting someone to add you to their account.

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Job Complacency: How to Spot it and How to Deal with It

cookiecutterjob.jpgby David Bohl

“This isn’t my dream job, but it pays the bills and it’s close to my house.”

“I’ve been here for ten years and the company is good to me. While things aren’t always great, I should stick it out when times are tough.”

If these statements sound like something you’ve said or what the voice in your head is saying, now is the time to take a serious look at whether or not you’re suffering from job complacency. Especially in rough economic times, like the ones we’re experiencing now, you’ve got to be hyper-alert to what is going on with your job, your company, and the job market in general. Complacency doesn’t mean it’s time to switch jobs. It may or may not be that you need a new job. It may be as simple as correcting what you need to while sticking it out with the same company.

3 ways complacency in the workplace can negatively affect you:

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The List of 2008’s Top How-To Lists

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Do you love lists?  here’s another one for you.

Slow Down FAST’s Top 8 How-To Posts in 2008:

8.    Happiness and Fulfillment: How to be Childlike (not Childish)

7.    How to Change Your Life … Instead of Letting Life Change You

6.    High Maintenance Friends and How to Deal With Them

5.    How To Become Wealthy by Living Within Your Means

4.    How to Deal With Overbearing Personalities

3.    How to Remain Calm in a Crisis

2.    How to Maintain Professional Boundaries

1.    How to Overcome the #1 Fear: Public Speaking

Thank you all for your sustenance all through the year, and best wishes for all the success you deserve.

The Ultimate List of 2008’s Most-Read Numbered Lists

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Here are the 12 Most-Read Numbered Posts in 2008 at Slow Down FAST:

12.    5 Tips for Becoming a Better Listener
11.    5 Qualities of Successful Relationships
10.    6 Ways for Effecting Change in Your Life
9.      6 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Busting Out of the Rat Race
8.      5 Signs It’s Time to Slow Down Fast
7.      6 Ways to Be a Friend Without Involving Money, Gifts or Obligation
6.      5 Ways to Reconnect to Your Inner Child
5.      10 Great Productivity Web Sites
4.      5 Signs You’re a Pleaser and What to Do About It
3.      5 Simple Tricks To Make You Smarter
2.      8 Essential Ingredients to Master Your Time
1.      The Causes and Cures of Procrastination

Thank you all for your support throughout the year, and best wishes in all your future endeavors.

How To Combat the Post-Holiday Blues

istock_000007311880xsmall.jpgBy now, the preparation for Christmas Day has reached its absolute peak.  The last minute gifts are being bought and grocery lists are being prepared for the holiday feast.  While preparing for the more obvious aspects of Christmas, we can also prevent post holiday blues by preparing for the emotional aspects of the day itself.

What, exactly, causes post-holiday blues?  For many, the simple reason is that the day doesn’t fulfill expectations.  Disappointment leads to the big let-down that many of us feel the day after Christmas (or any big event), and the best way to avoid it is simple:  lower your expectations.

Unrealistic expectations can lead to repeated disappointment, but the good news is that “lowering the bar” can reduce, if not eliminate post holiday blues and help you achieve your goals of peace on earth and good will toward men.  Some examples may include: (more…)