Wondering why?

I attended Ali Brown’s 2009 Shine Event in Las Vegas and well, let’s just say it didn’t completely live up to my expectations. I had attended amazing events by Ali in the past and this one, other than the fabulous networking,  just didn’t cut it.

Here’s the low down on my Ali Brown 2009 Shine Event experience:

• BAD: The event didn’t really deliver what I was expecting from the sales materials and recycled the same content from past events.
• BAD: Some of the presentations seemed out of touch with the everyday entrepreneur. The business model content simply glossed over and generalized.
• BAD: There was way too much wanna-be celebrity hype. The sales pitch fest and promotions for Ali’s Millionaire Prodigy Club Mastermind was really, really long and took up quite a bit of the event.
• GOOD: Ali always draws an incredible crowd of success-focused women entrepreneurs (and a few smart guys too).
• GOOD: The networking was incredible and the opportunities to meet talented individuals to work with, partner with, and joint venture with were everywhere.
• GOOD: Real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran and Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin were two of the guest speakers and they were not only inspiring, but they rocked the house!
• GOOD: There was a lot of audience interaction and participation and Ali threw a great party at the Tao night club!
• GOOD: I left feeling motivated, empowered, and completely validated that I really do kick butt!

Interested in hearing more about my Ali Brown 2009 Shine Event experience? Check out these blog posts:

• Ali Brown’s Shine Event: I Didn’t Really Come For All The “Woo Woo” Junk
• Ali Brown Shine Event: Billionaire Entrepreneur Coach Makes Social Media Blunder
• Ali Brown Shine Event: A Smart Entrepreneur’s Networking Dream
• Ali Brown Shine Event: Golden Nuggets of Wisdom for the Entrepreneur Mindset
• Ali Brown Shine Event: Why I Said No to Advice From a Billionaire Entrepreneur Coach

Now with that said, I’ll share with you why I registered for Ali’s 2010 Shine Event during her first early bird special.

I know most of the basic “teach-it-at-an-event” online marketing stuff already – It’s what I do. Will I learn new nuggets of information, new insights, and new ideas? YES. Will I learn a new approach or way to think about the strategies I am already using? It’s highly likely. But honestly, that isn’t why I registered.

I registered because I am looking forward to another great opportunity to meet and network with powerful women entrepreneurs from around the world. Some of my most cherished friendships and business partnerships have blossomed from initial meetings at conferences just like this one.

I also knew that Ali loves her audience and her business. Last year’s Shine event wasn’t as great as it could have been and I think they did make some mistakes… but I knew that would push Ali to make this year’s Shine event bigger and better than ever.

And I was right. Recently Ali’s team updated the Shine website with the details for the 2010 Shine Event happening November 2-4 at the Wynn in Las Vegas and the event has definitely been upgraded.

Here’s why I am happy I have already secured my spot.

1. Candace Bushnell, the critically acclaimed, international best-selling author of Sex and the City – the basis for the HBO hit series and two subsequent blockbuster movies is one of the featured speakers!
2. Liz Lange, founder and president of Liz Lange Maternity, a fashion and retail pioneer who has single-handedly revolutionized maternity style and society’s perception of pregnant women in nine short years is one of the speakers!
3. This year I can choose from multiple concurrent sessions. This strategy is super smart on Ali’s part because whether you’re a new business owner or a seasoned entrepreneur, you can choose the sessions you want to attend based on your level of experience and what information is most relevant to you and your business right now.

What about you? What do you think? Did you attend Shine last year? Will I see you there this year? I’d love to hear from you!

*Just for the FTC: From time to time I do choose to be an affiliate for certain events or products that I use or attend myself. I am an affiliate of Ali’s and I’m sure you can tell, that I am always honest and never sugar coat my opinion to make a sale or get a commission. If you want to check it out and not go through an affiliate link, check it out here: www.shineevent.com

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.

On October 30, 2009 at 12:00 pm PST, I’ll be the featured guest on a teleseminar for The Corporate Fugitive. I’ll be interviewed by Chief Corporate Fugitive, Sherri Garrity about why working with a professional designer is important for your business, how a designer can help you business, and how to find the right designer to help you get the results you want. www.corporatefugitive.com.

On November 10, 2009 at 11:00 am PST, I’ll be the featured guest on a teleseminar by the Practice Building Institute. I’ll be discussing Effortless Ezines to Build Your Practice & Increase Client Retention. www.practicebuildinginstitute.com

Speaking and teaching is a huge passion of mine (Did you know that I taught upper division corporate identity design at Sacramento State University for a while?) and I absolutely love sharing information and teaching entrepreneurs more and better ways to market their business and build their brand online without breaking the bank!

So today I would like to ask a favor of you.

I am looking for more opportunities to speak to groups of entrepreneurs and business owners across the country (or out if it works in my schedule). Speaking engagements may be live at a meeting, networking event, workshop, or conference, or by phone or web on teleseminars and webinars. They may be paid, or unpaid – either way, I just want to help as many entrepreneurs as I can learn how to use the Internet to grow and support their business.

If you have a business, group, association, or organization that you think may benefit from my expertise, I would greatly appreciate a referral!

• Learn more about my speaking topics and booking me for an event.
• Download my speaker sheet.

Best Wishes & Incredible Success,
Jen Bourn

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

I wholeheartedly agree with Andrea, which is why I have put a lot of mileage on my car this past week. My schedule has been completely jam-packed with normal business meetings, several awesome networking events, and a fun family night out (see my hubby, kids, and father-in-law in the picture)! Check out what my week looked like:

• eWomenNetwork Reno Chapter dinner event on Wednesday night
• SacTweetUp event at Mix on Thursday night
• River Cats baseball season finale game with the family Friday night
• Simplie Indie Writers’ Workshop all day on Saturday
• eWomenNetwork South Placer County Think Big Summit all day Tuesday
• BNI Roseville Visitor’s luncheon yesterday

I met so many fantastic entrepreneurs, business owners, writers, mompreneurs, and social networking addicts and have had so much fun! Needless to say, I am now up to my eyeballs in follow up emails, phone calls, and thank you notes!

While social networking is all the rage right now, it is important to remember that meeting face-to-face is one of the fastest ways to start new relationships, build on existing relationships, and reconnect with old relationships.

Networking in person at events, meetings, conferences, meetups, and seminars is also a great way to build your “Know, like, and trust” factor, which is what tomorrow’s post will be all about!

Marketing is often a word that when mentioned around business owners draws out grumbles, moans, and sighs. While the task of marketing your business may not be your first choice, it is a vital part of the success of your business.

Here are three simple things you can do to make your marketing, advertising, public relations, and sales efforts much easier:

Differentiate yourself

When your marketing and sales message is too similar to your competitor’s message, your prospects and customers are left with price as the only differentiator. Trust me. You never want to be in that situation.

To differentiate yourself and truly set yourself apart from the rest of your industry, you need to clearly define your unique selling proposition (USP) and your “why” statement. You need to know exactly WHY you are doing what you are doing, why you started your business, and why you have such a passion for what you are doing. Your clear why statement is your basis of who you are and what you stand for and that will remain constant.

Provide Value

Once your point of differentiation is clear, you need to focus on the value that you bring to your prospects and customers. You want to get clear on the benefits you provide, how you can make a difference in their business or life, what you are going to do for them, and how are they going to feel when working with you or using your product.

You can provide value to your audience by sharing your expertise and knowledge with tips and strategies they can use, by educating them on new products or services, or by introducing them to other experts they need to know.

Whatever you do, make sure you are the expert and not just the solution. As the solution, you are what you do, but as an expert, you are valued for your experience and knowledge, which is worth much more and will take you much farther.

Generate buzz

You started a business because you are really good at what you do. You have an innate talent and skill that very few others have. You need to share it with the world because those who don’t have your skills need you! If your audience doesn’t know you exist, they can’t hire you or buy your products.

You need to get your name or your business name out there to be seen and heard. Use social media to comment on blogs, post links and tips to Facebook and Twitter, join groups on LinkedIn, and attend live networking events. But remember, make sure you participate, communicate, interact, and engage with other people in the social networks you are a part of.

You can also update your website continually with new fresh content, send out an ezine, use direct mail and postcards, send a letter, post flyers, or place an advertisement. Just be sure you do something to keep your name and business name popping up in your audience’s view.

Do you have any other suggestions?

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.

It’s obvious the media thinks we’re stuck in the middle of a bad economy, and maybe we are. It’s on the front of almost every newspaper and at the top of every news station on television. It seems as if it is all doom and gloom.

But I am here to tell you that many entrepreneurs may not agree. In fact several small business owners I know are taking advantage of this economic downturn to grow their businesses, expand into new markets, refine their skills, and systematize their processes. They are taking action now to ensure that when things do pick and up people starting spending money again, they are at the front of the pack leading the way for their industry.

Here are five simple things that you can do right now to build your brand and market your business in any economy:

1. Networking. This is not the time to pinch pennies and stay home to save money. Now is the time to be very selective and strategic about how you spend your marketing dollars and who you spend time networking with. Find out what networking events your target market frequents and attend those events. By networking strategically, you will expand your reach, connect with more prospects, and see a greater return on your networking dollars.

2. Allow for negotiation. You will find that there are many people that want to work with you and love your work but just feel like they can’t afford you. Make hiring you easy by providing options and allowing for some negotiation. You could offer payment by credit card or by payment plan, accept a barter arrangement when applicable, or set up the work to be done in phases. By being flexible, you are showing your client you understand that budgets may be tight and that you want to help.

3. Offer free events. By providing valuable and relevant information that your clients and prospects can use to make a difference in their lives or business you are positioning yourself as a go-to resource and expert. Host a free educational event at your office, in meeting space (often restaurants) will donate the space to gain the foot traffic), or even by telephone. Teleseminars are a popular way to host an event without the facility cost. My favorites are Free Conference Call and Instant Teleseminar. Combine a free networking opportunity with some great information and you are sure to grow your prospect list.

4. Use FREE tools. There are several tools available online to help you work faster and smarter. Utilize the power of social media to your advantage – Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are the big three. By utilizing the tools and resources available on those sites you can promote your business and share valuable information with your networks. For example within three days of posting a page for my business on Facebook, I gained four new clients who saw my page and emailed me. You can also start a blog using WordPress, Blogger or Typepad among others for free. Blogging and commenting on blogs is a great way to get yourself out there and create better link-ability for your business. Several email marketing providers also offer free trials you can take advantage of.

5. Build strategic partners and joint-venture relationships. The best thing you can do to expand and build your brand is to have ambassadors out in the community promoting you. Look for other service providers that target the same market you do and offer and complimentary (not competitive) service and see how you refer business to each other to mutually benefit both businesses. You also want to look for individuals you can partner with on projects. By having both types of relationships in your pocket you can not only help your business continue to grow and expand, but you can feel good about helping another entrepreneurs business grow too.

The bottom line is that your customers and prospects will hire you or buy from you when they are ready, not when you are ready. The key is to stay consistent, keep networking and continue to market your business, because your efforts to build your brand today will provide you with the results you want tomorrow.