You know the ones I am talking about – the nuggets of information that – when you’re not taking notes – make you sit up, grab your pen, and write it down because a light bulb just went off in your head…

Well, I didn’t go to all of the breakout sessions and missed some of the main stage action because I was busy meeting up with my social media buddies, but I did get to hear some amazing keynote speakers.

I’d like to share some of their wisdom with you:

• To be effective in closing the sale, you need to be able to hear what’s not being said and feel what they are feeling, so you can validate their concerns and address them authentically and with ease. -Linda Clemons
• There are no new messages, only new messengers. -Peggy McColl
• Character is who you are when life is so far from what you want that you can barely breathe. -Connie Podesta
• A dream is a fantasy with a strategy -Marcia Weider
• You can have everything you want in life, if you help other people get what they want. -Zig Ziglar
• Do not allow anything or anyone negative to live rent free in your mind. -Linda Clemons
• Are you willing to do something you have never done before, to get something you have never had, to become someone you have never been? -Lisa Nichols
• If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll only ever be where you are. -Zig Ziglar
• Whatever is going on in your personal life is reflected in your business life. Think about your biggest eneME. -Linda Clemons
• Customer service and the experience each and every person has with the company and it’s employees is so important, that even if the interview candidate was the absolute best, they will not get the job if the shuttle driver doesn’t give him/her rave reviews. It’s about treating everyone with respect and delivering happiness at every level. -Tony Hseih, CEO, Zappos
• You have to know where you are to be able to dream about where you want to go. -Marcia Weider
• The more you learn about anything, the more creative you can be about everything. -Zig Ziglar
• Don’t operate as a flood light, operate as a laser. -Lisa Nichols

Last week I spent the majority of the week in Dallas, Texas for the 10th Anniversary eWomenNetwork International Conference. I look forward to this event every year because is it the perfect combination of fun, learning, and networking, along with some powerful and moving events that motivate and inspire attendees to reach farther than they ever thought possible.

Before every event, I take time to set my intentions and get really clear on my goals for the event. This year, for the eWomenNetwork Conference, my intentions were focused solely on connecting with people – the right people – and if I could do that the business stuff would just figure itself out.

My strategy totally worked…

I met up with amazing women like Lisa Larter, Mari Smith, and Kim Duke. I was able to hang out with clients from across the United States, and my Facebook friends and Twitter followers came out in full force and I got to connect face to face with several of them at the event!

Exactly who I needed to meet and who needed to meet me ended up sitting at my table in the main ballroom, or next to me in a breakout session – it’s amazing how that happens…

I wanted access though to some of the VIP people at the event and saw my opportunity in an impromptu Foundation fundraising opportunity. The top six bidders who participated got to have dinner in Wolfgang Puck’s 560 Restaurant high above Dallas with the eWomenNetwork Founders Sandra Yancey and Kym Yancey, Debbie Meyer of HSN and Debbie Meyer Green Bags, and entertainment attorney Barbara Rubin.

At first I wasn’t going to bid. I thought, “No way. I probably wouldn’t even get top six even if I did… so why try.” So I put it out of my mind and went to a breakout session. As I sat in the breakout session, I kept thinking about the dinner. I really wanted to go, but I kept thinking, “there’s no way I’d win, so why try?”

But then I stopped myself. I immediately recognized self-sabotage in my own mindset. That wasn’t the thoughts of someone playing big. Is that really what I was thinking and how I wanted to be? NO WAY!

So I grabbed my phone (apologies to the speaker), went to the eWomenNetwork website, filled out the online form, and submitted a bid for dinner. At first I felt great. I took action to make something happen. I squashed the negative inner chatter and I bid on dinner.

But as I sat there, I began to think about my bid. I’ll be honest, it was a safe bid. I took the action, but I really didn’t put it out there big time. I wasn’t really paying attention to the speaker at this point (again sorry) and I started to wonder and ask myself, “What kind of message am I sending the universe with that bid?”

So I decided to play bigger. I picked up my phone again and I BID AGAIN! This time I doubled my bid. As soon as I pressed submit, I got this knot in my stomach and my breath sort of caught in my throat… partly because I didn’t discuss this with my business partner first – which we have an agreement to do – and partly because at that point I actually had a chance at winning!

Guess what? I WON! I was one of the top six highest bidders!

The dinner was delicious and the other five ladies who went with me were smart and dynamic, and I got go chat it up about business, websites, sales, kids, and speaking with all four VIPs and the other ladies. For me bidding was about gaining access – access to great minds, access to an unforgettable experience, and access to ask for what I needed help with.

And you know what?

• To get that access, all I had to do was take action.
• To get the insights and help I needed, all I had to do was ask.

HOMEWORK FOR THIS WEEK:
I want you to make a list of everything you want to happen for you in this last half of the year and another listing everything you need help with. Review your lists and 1) pick one item on each list to take action on, then 2) identify the person or people you need to ask for help and make the ask!

Trust me, it’s easier than you think!

This past week I have been blogging about my experiences at the Ali Brown Shine event in Las Vegas, which I have to say, attracts a phenomenal group of entrepreneurial business women (and some men) from around the globe. In fact, the networking at Ali’s events is fantastic and if you attend, you are guaranteed to meet and be inspired by women who are stepping into their own power and truly rocking the business world.

What also amazes me is the genuine desire to give that these women have. Almost every woman I met was genuinely interested in my business and how they could help me. How awesome is that?! Likewise, they were so excited to share about their business and passion that just meeting them gave me a boost of energy and inspiration.

Today I want to share with you just a few of the entrepreneurs I met:

Lisa Rickwood, Creative Virtual Assistant
I met Lisa at the VIP party Thursday night at Tao night club. Lisa is a fun and dynamic woman with a creative talent that she dedicates to helping other entrepreneurs look good. Lisa can help with writing, editing, transcription, audio editing, voice-overs, and more. Check out her website at www.escapethepace.com.

Dr. Megan Harris, The Chiropractic Wellness Studio
I actually first met Megan in line at the Venetian to register and check in! Megan is a smart, savvy chiropractor who offers healthy solutions and lifestyle choices for her clients. When it comes to the chiropractic world, I am a total skeptic, but Megan is the total opposite of any chiropractor I have ever met, and she has a head for business. Check out her site at www.drmeganharris.com.

Amy Hillenbrand-Brock
I sat next to Amy on the first day at Shine and was delighted to meet another artist. Amy, a former interior designer is now pursuing fine art and painting full time (she is awesome by the way!) and is using her love of interiors as the subject for her fine art. Check out Amy’s website at http://amyhillenbrand.blogspot.com.

Tom Buford
I first found Tom on facebook and then interviewed him on a teleseries I did in early 2009. I was so excited to meet him in person at Shine. Tom is a business success mentor and helps entrepreneurs like you see the value in yourself and charge what you deserve. Check out his website at www.chargewhatyoudeserve.com.

Erin Kurt
I also met Erin at Tao! She is warm and friendly and had on a dress that was just awesome. Erin is a parenting coach and helps families and working moms juggle their to-dos and find the so-desired work-life balance. Check out Erin’s website at www.erinparenting.com.

Kelly O’Neil
I met Kelly at Ali’s 2008 Online Success Blueprint Workshop and have kept in touch through Facebook and Twitter since. Shine allowed me to reconnect with Kelly and talk shop. Kelly is the marketing to the affluent expert and hosts the Marketing to Millionaires event. Check out Kelly’s website at www.marketingtomillionaires.com.

Tina Forsyth
I was checking out Tina’s website the week before Shine and was amazed when she ended up sitting across from me at lunch one day! Thank you universe. Tina works with coaches, consultants and online business managers who are looking for guidance and support on business systems, building their teams or product development. Check out her website www.onlinebusinessmanager.com.

Nika Stewart
Nika and I met at Ali’s 2008 event and since then have worked together on a couple projects. Ali’s event was a great opportunity to meet up again in person! Nika is a fabulous interior designer and coach to other interior designers, helping them build businesses that support their dream lives. Check out her website www.nikastewart.com.

As I mentioned earlier, these are just a few of the fabulous women and men that I met and hob-knobbed with at Ali Brown’s Shine event in Las Vegas. I am so grateful to all of the amazing entrepreneurs I met and I look forward to building long-lasting relationships with many of them.

If you’re looking for an event that will feed your business mindset and provide top-quality networking opportunities, I highly recommend you head to Ali’s next event.

As many others I ran into this weekend would say, “This is my second Ali Event” and I have to say it was an amazing event.

In 2008, I attended Ali’s Online Success Blueprint Workshop (OSBW) and while there experienced some big Ah-Ha moments in regards to my business.

I knew where I wanted to go, what I wanted to achieve, and the things I needed to do to get there. But what I wasn’t sure about was the order in which to do them and the details that tied them all together in a logical sequence. At OSBW all of the pieces fell neatly into place, the right place, and in the airport on the way home I mapped out my entire business plan for 2009.

Even in what the media continues to label as the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, 2009 has been a great year. I am extremely thankful that my business has continued to grow and flourish.

Naturally, when the announcements went out this year for Ali Brown’s 2009 Shine event in Las Vegas, I immediately signed up for two reasons.

1. Attending an “Ali event” means surrounding yourself with and networking with powerful, like-minded, success-driven, women entrepreneurs who are taking serious action to uplevel their businesses.
2. I knew I would be inspired to take the next step with my business and learn some new strategies or ideas to apply in my business. Plus, conferences in general seem to light the proverbial fire under your butt to get started.

This year the event was much more “Woo Woo” than expected, with quite a bit of time spent on personal or inner work, and not quite as much time spent on actual how to business strategies.

I’ll be honest. At first I was a little put off by the touchy-feely inner work junk. Most people know that I am not super big on all that stuff.

I was there for business. I didn’t come for the “Woo Woo” junk.

• What I didn’t anticipate, was how much that “Woo Woo” junk would affect me personally.
• What I didn’t anticipate was the powerful realizations I would come to in regards to myself and my relationship with my business. Yes, I am in a red-hot love affair with my business and I think I have been cheating on my social life!
• What I didn’t anticipate was how much the “Woo Woo” junk and inner work would change the way I do and look at my business. I am raising expectations for myself and for my clients and I am finally admitting to myself just how great I am and how much I have accomplished so far.

OSBW may have been great for my business, but Shine was great for my mindset and as a result, my business.

So with that said, it is time for action. After all, what’s the point of going to conferences and events like this if you don’t take action on what you learn and experience?

I’m curious, what’s your take on the “Woo Woo” junk and your business?

The good news is that there is something you can do reach your target audience, get their attention, and convert those qualified prospects into buyers. Almost every marketing professional will tell you the same thing: People do business with people they know, like and, trust. In fact, I have heard this said over and over and several conferences and workshops.

To cut through the marketing clutter and speak to your ideal client, there are three things that you can do right now to build upon the know, like, and trust factor to get more clients and grow your list.

1. Build the “Know” Factor

Your audience needs to know you and know about you before they can join your list or do business with you. Focus on putting yourself out in the universe so people can get to know you. You can do this through social networking, blogging, commenting on others’ posts, video marketing, teleseminars, article marketing, press release marketing, live networking meetings and events and more.

2. Build the “Like” Factor

Your audience needs to like you before they will interact with you, refer you, and talk about you. There are two ways that you can accelerate the “Like” factor. The first is to share some personal information along with your business information. This will help your audience connect with you even further and build a more personal relationship. The second way to accelerate the “Like” factor is to give away valuable, helpful information for free. This will also help position you as an expert and a go to resource.

3. Build the “Trust” Factor

You can talk about how great you are until you’re blue in the face, but some people just won’t be convinced, and some people will just get irritated. The key to building trust is referrals and testimonials. The level of trust your audience has in you will drastically increase when you have other people talking positively about you and your business to their friends and networks, writing about you on social networking sites, providing testimonials, introducing you to prospects and more.

Remember, people do business with people they know, like, and trust. To get more clients and build your list, you must not only build relationships with your prospects and ideal clients, but you must stay active in the conversation and continually nurture the relationship for long-term success.

How do you build the Know, Like, Trust Factor with your prospects and clients? If you’ve got any tips, I’d love to hear them!

You know the kind of day I am talking about. The kind of day where you sit down in the morning to start your work day and then you look up to finally take a breath and it is 5:00. The kind of day where you realize you forgot to take a lunch break and you’re starving. The kind of day, that at the end, you realize you haven’t spoken to another adult all day.

On one hand, these days make me feel awesome. I know I was totally focused, in a groove, in flow, and making a lot of progress and headway on my open projects.

But on the other hand, these days also remind me of how much I sometimes miss the corporate water cooler and the interruptions of co-workers stopping my my cube or office (depending on the job) to say hello, talk shop, or chat about the weekend!

I was talking to my husband the other day, explaining to him why I ALWAYS have TweetDeck open and he said something that I think represents much of what Twitter is.

Twitter is the Internet Water Cooler.

Twitter is that quick burst of instant connection and conversation that fills a break when you’ve got a creative block, a few minutes between meetings, a lunch break, or even a lazy unmotivated afternoon.

Whether you’re interested in dishing about the latest episodes of Heroes or So You Think You Can Dance, hashing out the latest Obama political news story, or sharing some business tips, resources, or links, Twitter provides the ability to have a quick Internet Water Cooler conversation with people all over the world instantly and in real time.

And, not only can you connect and chat with people all over the world on Twitter, You can build even stronger relationships by attending LIVE Tweetups – Twitter’s version of the Meetup group – to meet your Tweeps in person. Last week I went to the monthly SacTweetUp to hang with others from my Twitterverse at MIX in Downtown Sacramento.

In honor of my promise to not clog my followers streams with meaningless Tweets packed full of Twitter Handles, My #FollowFriday recommendations this week go out to those Sacramento Area Tweeps from this month’s #SacTweetUp.

Here goes my #FollowFriday recommendations for this week:

• @successfool – Organizer of #SacTweetUp, inspiring speaker and entrepreneur, and truly cares about helping people succeed
• @sierrafriend – Organizer of #SacTweetUp, WordPress & StudioPress Diva, and great connector of people
• @jerrykennedy – Sales trainer and motivational sales expert, speaker, and totally authentic friend
• @meghanwood – Because she is a rockstar, just got married, and knows that Twitter is where it’s at
• @SacComedy – Because I am having a blast following you and the first time I met you, you invited to to join your party.
• @bradasbury – Because knows his biz, networks in my circle and is just a nice guy
• @Nachhi – We finally got to meet in person for the first time and I so enojyed meeting you face to face!
• @rosevillerocklin – A fun and funky lady who doubles as a designer and a one-woman realtor support team!
• @ashleegadd and @Lesley3fold – Awesome ladies I would love to get to know more about!
• @JeffMarmins – for teaching people how to be effective with social networking and social media
• @JimPelley – Because we share the same birthday and he is an amazing wealth of great information
• @joshunfried – Because he is totally committed to helping mompreneurs have a voice, make a difference and grow their businesses
• @LuxxLimo – for donating the limos for the #ScavengerTweetup for #SacTweetUp
• @Johnnie_O – for being another cool designer who gets the importance of networking and relationship building
• @KatrinaSawa – Because she helps entrepreneurs think big and play even bigger!
• I also had a blast meeting @cakegrrl @julieMarg @drjared @juniperjames and @SuzHOPkins @rbiv @John_M_Ross @JenKleinSac

And, if you’d like you can follow me too at @jenniferbourn

Here are some of my favorite tips and strategies I learned this weekend:

Use the 80/20 rule! After every event, conference, or teleseminar, write down the top 10 things you want to implement and prioritize them 1 to 10. First, focus on the top 2 (20%) that will bring the most value. Only when those are complete, go back to your list and choose another. This will help you take action faster and not feel overwhelmed by the new items you want to implement.

There are three needs that prevent abundance. The need to be right, the need to be in control, and the need to always look good. If you can learn to just let go, abundance will come to you. Let others help you, admit when you need help or don’t know, and be truly authentic.

Time is an emotion. When you are doing what you love, what you are passionate about, when you are in your brilliance, time doesn’t exist. Instead it flies by. Time only exists when you are doing something that feels like work. These are things that need to be delegated.

Answer the universe. Don’t ask, “What do I want to do with my life?” Ask instead, “What does life want out of me and how should I show up?” You have a unique gift and talent that no one else has, and by not sharing it with others, you are stealing from them.

Celebrate your success! Make sure you celebrate every success, no matter how big or small. Pat yourself on the back, do a dance, or raise up your arms and yell, “WooHoo!” Otherwise, the journey to your goal will seem tedious and you won’t have any fun.

It’s about progress not perfection. When you are striving for perfection, failure is only an end. But when you are striving to make progress, failure is viewed as a lesson, and with each step forward you have an achievement to celebrate.

Your brand is like a jet. Just as a jet uses 65% of its fuel to get off the ground, your brand requires careful thought and planning to launch you into the spotlight. And, just as a jet needs to be refueled, so does your passion! Remember that you need to re-engage your passion and your “why” frequently to keep you motivated and going strong.

There are two things you can control in life. The first is how you view things and the second is how you allow them to make you feel.

Clarity is power. Most people don’t get what they want because they are not crystal clear on what they want. Create a clear vision of exactly what you want and set an intention to receive it.

A reasonable request at a reasonable time. When you are selling, don’t jump right to your high-end products and services. Instead, sell to the logical next step in your marketing system. You must make a reasonable request at a reasonable time. For example, would you immediately sell a new prospect your most expensive service? No, you would point them to your ezine.

Focus on creating emotions. When you are selling, focus on creating emotions in your audience, because emotions are what trigger the need to buy. Start with the benefits they will realize and personal success stories and testimonials that will show them the results they want to achieve. Then, only after you have them hooked, layout the features.