Hey, I was just wondering who is reading?

Who?

I have been writing now for nearly 6 months and I must admit sometimes it feels like I am talking to a wall.

I really do yearn a conversation here at Expert in the Rough.

If you are a regular reader I would appreciate it if you dropped a comment.  Click on the comment link at the bottom of this post.

While your at it feel free to promote yourself, blog or projects.  Seriously.  Don’t be shy.

Tell me about why you read Expert in the Rough or what you would like to read at Expert in the Rough.

Thanks to my most loyal readers that I know about.

• My wife Megan (she gets the live audio version) and many posts that get canceled
• Derek from work @kyderek
• Mom
• Jason from JManStudios or @jmanstudios
• Georgina Taylor Website @georginataylor

New Readers or Commenters:

• Daniel Johnson Jr. Website or @danieljohnsonjr
• Daniel Wille Website or @danielwille
• Joan Adams Website 0r @jtadams

If I missed you, I just don’t have any kind of recored that you are reading.  Drop a comment and you will be added to the list.

Thanks for reading.

Brian

10 People stopped by my website yesterday.  I am not sure who they are.  I do know they were on Drew Rozell’s website first, thanks to my Google Analytics, which gathers way too much information.  I average around 15 visits to my website a day so this was an unusual circumstance.

When I saw this my heart pitter-pattered a bit.  Maybe Drew, my former personal coach and somebody I look up to, may have mentioned me on his website. Yes I am the eternal narcissist, so I checked my feed reader and read Drew’s latest post. It had very little to do with me and it was a sad take on the loss of his cat.  Drew is a great story teller and he also is a great writer on the Laws of Attraction.  He weaved a nice (heartfelt) article about the loss of his cat with his lessons from his life and the Laws of Attraction.

He shared a link to my website mentioning I had introduced him to Abraham-Hicks one of the most popular authorities on the Laws of Attraction.  I had no idea I was the one who referred Drew to Abraham-Hicks.  I am honored since Drew has become one of the best writers on the Laws of Attraction.  I do remember sharing LoA resources when I was working with him as a coach but never imagined I was the one to give him this referral.

Drew here is a convoluted account of how you found Abraham Hicks and why 3 babies are being born this year.

Thanks to Paul C. for sharing Abraham Hicks with me.  Drew Rozell has greatly benefited from it.

Thanks to my step mom Nancy for marrying my Dad.

Thanks to Phil H. my step grandfather.  He introduced my family to Life Success Seminars where I met Paul C.

Thanks to Bob Evans Restaurants.  Bob Evans hired my good friend Clinton C.  He moved to Cincinnati for the job.

Thanks to Cincinnati for leading Clinton C. to Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance.

Thanks to Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance for causing Clinton C. to hire Paul C. as a sales coach.

Thanks to Paul C. introducing Clinton C. to Life Success Seminars which introduced Clinton to me.

Thanks to me for introducing Clinton C. to my high school friend Jeff O.

Thanks to Clinton C. for helping Jeff O. get a job at Morgan Stanley.

Thanks to Morgan Stanley for introducing Jeff O and Lora S.

Thanks to me for inspiring Clinton to move San Diego (i decided not to go.)

Thanks to Jeff O. for introducing his friend Ryan W to Clinton C.

Thanks to Clinton C. for introducing his roomate Camille to Ryan W.

Thanks to Jen K for introducing me to Drew R.

Thanks to Life Success Seminars for introducing me to Jen K.

Thanks to Life Success Seminars and Jen K. for introducing me to Megan H.

All right enough ot the thank you’s but I do want to share that you just never know how you might change the world.

Some big results from this crazy chain.

Drew Rozell very successful writer and coach on the Laws of Attraction.

Ryan and Camille are married and just had a baby.

Jeff and Lora are married and just had a baby.

Brian (me) and Megan are due to have a baby any day now.

So I am not sure what the point of this post is but a few innocent moments in life have some interesting results.

The attached ticket grants the holder Permission to Fail in 09!

Facsimiles, Copies, Torn, Wet and/or Counterfeit Versions of this ticket are acceptable for entrance into this Down Economy.  Watch CNN & FoxNews for tour updates.  This tour WILL be coming to your town.

It’s inevitable The Down Economy, The Recession and The Great Depression Revisited are coming to a town near you in 2009.  You have no options except to fail.  That is why 2009 is a great year to get started living your dreams.

Are you following me.  Since you are going to fail at everything else.  Everything is bleak.  The sun will never rise, you no longer need to worry about the risk of failure.  It is inevitable.  It is for sure. So, if you are doomed to fail and so is everybody else,  why not take a chance on living your dreams in 09.

It is a bit counter-intuitive but 2009 could be your best year ever to start living your dreams.  Here are 9 reasons 2009 might be the year for you.

1. Stocks are cheap.  Buy Low and Sell High. Warren Buffet is doing it.
2. Housing Bubble has busted.  Once Again Buy Low and Sell High.
3. Others have given up.  You might be surprised there are businesses that are thriving.
4. If you fail you can blame it on the economy.
5. Businesses are reassessing contracts in an effort to save money.  This is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door.
6. A great time to scale down, get out of the rat race, reassess your lifestyle.  Even the “Joneses” are scaling back.
7. The world was supposed to end in 2000 so you have been granted at very least an extension.  Get moving.  Maybe it’s a 9 lives type of thing and 2009 really is the end of the world.
8. If you take the numbers 2009 and add them together you get eleven its a great Blackjack hand.  The experts, recommend that you “Double Down” on eleven.
9. George Bush’s last day on the job is January 20th.

Check back early next year for the “Pleasantly Surprised by your Success Tour. “

What can you learn from a Pumpkin?

Last week I was out picking up lunch for my wife and I passed a “farmers market” selling pumpkins.  Alright, I admit it was not much of a “farmers market” it was the strip mall’s parking lot.  But a real farmer had a trailer load of some great looking pumpkins.

50 cents a pound was a little steep but these were “round hard walled pumpkins.”  So the farmer says.

I went ahead and purchased two pumpkins.  One was to take home to my wife and one was to take to the office.

The one for my wife was more a symbol of my love, the night I proposed to my wife Sweetest Day 2002, we celebrated over a pumpkin pie.  I also thought it would make a great prop for a  picture next to my pregnant wife. (Luckily she agreed.)

The second pumpkin for the office was for social reasons.  That’s right.  Social reasons!

I really do love attention and I like to socialize so I knew a pumpkin was going to be a perfect decoration to place at the door to my office.

When I returned from lunch I carried the pumpkin to my office.  On the way a few co-workers asked why I was carrying a pumpkin.  I thought that was a silly question being it is was early October and surely a pumpkin would be appropriate in October.  I simply replied, “For the fun of it!”

After getting to my office I realized that putting the pumpkin on the floor outside my office would not be enough.  I needed a pedestal.  I took a walk to the warehouse and found a stool to place my pumpkin.

It was a busy week and I went back to work.  Over the next hour about 10 co-workers stopped by to comment on the pumpkin.  They would peak in and say nice pumpkin or make some general reference to the pumpkin, but one co-worker stopped and asked, “what is this?”  I thought that was kind of a silly question.  I said “It’s a pumpkin.”  She started to laugh.

I could not see the pumpkin from my desk and she said, “Oh you haven’t seen the pumpkin lately.”

She then waived for me to come out.  The Pumpkin had been dressed up.  I mind you this pumpkin had only been in the office for about an hour.

Here is the pumpkin that resides outside of my office.

Now these are just a few examples of how a pumpkin can make a difference in the world.  I have created a list of what you can learn from a pumpkin.

What you can learn from a pumpkin:

1. Pumpkins are social.  Put one outside your door and it’s and invitation to converse and interact.
2. Pumpkins are versatile.  Pumpkins make great pies, decorations, door stops and conversation pieces
3. Pumpkins are collaborative.  You can’t help but want to add to somebodies pumpkin.

Next time your are working on a blog post or marketing piece ask yourself.

• How is this post like a pumpkin?
• Does my post make me more approachable?
• Does my post provide value?
• Does my post attract collaboration?

Be a Pumpkin and rule the world.

Recently I ran a contest on Twitter.  I offered 100 Word Promo to my 100th follower on Twitter.  I find it rather interesting that a Social Media Company ended up being my 100th follower.

For those of you unfamiliar with Twitter, it is basically summed up as a Micro-Blogging platform limited to 140 character length blog posts.  This seems like a ridiculous format but it has become the rage of the blogosphere.  The key feature of Twitter is the “Follow” feature.  You choose who you want to follow and therefore you get only the information you approve.

Twitter lends itself to Personal promotion and interaction but many Brands have jumped in setting up Twitter profiles.  The jumping in of Brands on Twitter often pisses people off since many of these brands forget Twitter is a personal platform.  They forget to talk to people versus broadcast at them.  Their manners often come off as a one way conversation.

I have not been following @HubSpot for very long on Twitter but I will give them a pass on setting a Twitter profile since they add value in a number of ways.

Hubspot’s tag line is “Inbound Internet Marketing System”

Hubspot is actually an evangelist for the new marketing model.  Instead of broadcasting at everybody they teach you to develop a web presence which attracts the people who want or need your product.  It’s the smell of home cooked cookies approach versus the megaphone approach to marketing.

I recommend 4 HubSpot Products:

HubSpot Internet Marketing Blog

Website Grader is a great tool for identifying what areas your blog/website is performing well and what areas your blog needs improvement.

Free Internet Marketing Kit, They might call you once but they have not bothered me since.

Twitter Grader is just another way to benchmark yourself against other websites and bloggers.

My Grades:
Website Grade: 89 (up from 59 in July)
Twitter Grade: 59 (My first reference)

Thanks HubSpot for following me @coachbriany

I think that was a bit more than 100 Words!

5 Ways to Make Friday Great

1. Donuts, Bagels, Cookies and or Coffee.  Buy a dozen for your clients…better yet your coworkers.
2. Give out 5 compliments by noon.
3. Smile at 3 people by 10am
4. Drive slow and let people merge in traffic
5. Give 10 hugs by 2pm

This post is also compatible with Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

If it wasn’t for my Day Job!

Dirty Words

Lets face it.  You probably have a “Day Job” and yes I have one too. I bet you have dreamed about a new and better job.  You know one of those hip and fun jobs like:

Personal Coach, Massage Therapist, Blogger, Writer, Author, Secret Shopper, Travel Writer and Independent Business Owner (i.e. Multi Level Marketing) to name a few.

In fact you might not even call these “jobs” because “a job” is almost a dirty word these days.  Having “a job” is so “Industrial Revolution.”  I don’t have anything against these cool jobs…lets call them “Lifestyle Careers.”  In fact I claimed one of them in my resume and my taxes.  I was a personal coach for three years and it gives me great contrast for what I am about to share.  It was a great career but in the end.  I still needed a job.

The Day Job as defined by Miriam Websters: one’s regular employment as contrasted with an occasional, secondary, or coveted job.

The Day Job as Defined by Brian Monahan: the economic, professional and spiritual endowment from which you will draw upon during the journey to your dreams.

Do you see some contrast between the two definitions.  I know you might think I am going all Norman Vincent Peale on you but yes there is some Power in Positive Thinking.  Maybe your Day Job is not all that bad.  So far my Day Job is paying for 2 cars, my home, my education, my clothes on my back, the food in my mouth and the web hosting for this blog.

I want to make something clear.  I do have dreams for a lifestyle career.  My dream is to be a best selling author & keynote speaker with a huge blog readership.  I bet you have dreams too.  The truth is most of you need a “Day Job” to finance your dreams but the financing might just be the tip of the iceberg.  Your day job has many other resources that can be mined or drawn upon.

The question you need to ask yourself, “Will I curse my “Day Job” or maximize it’s Return on Investment?

If your chose “curse” I recommend the movie “Ground Hogs Day” which is a great representation of the traditional view of a “Day Job.”

Otherwise, choice two is the only real option for dreamers.  Maximize your Return on Investment.

Return on Investment brings us back to the word endowment.  An endowment defined in terms of gifted funds which are invested for a charitable organization to operate and fulfill its mission.  You can equate an organizations mission as being the same thing as you fulfilling your dreams.

If you have not gotten it yet.  Your “Day Job” is a great thing.  It’s a Gift. It is your buddy.  It is your friend.  You want it.  You need it.  It has tremendous value.  It is the vehicle for your dreams.  Embrace it. Hug it.  Buy it flowers.

10 Strategies for Maximizing your R.O.I. at your Day Job.

1. Live vicariously through your day job.  Find the common ground between work and your dreams.
2. Network & Connect your connections you take with you.
3. Save Capital for your dreams.  Create a slush fund for your side business or personal interests.
4. Build Your Resume.  You’re putting in the time anyway, you might as well build your list of accomplishments on the job.
5. Create your ideal job where you work now.  You are already on the payroll.
6. Maximize your retirement savings.
7. Request a vested interest in your company.  Ownership has it privileges.
8. Enjoy it.
9. Mentor others.  When I am helping others it is hard for me to have ill will and be disgruntled.
10. Prepare for the Departure.

The biggest reason people feel trapped in their day job is no departure plan.  Create your plan, do the work, make the best of it.

When the timing is right make the change.  Instead of jumping off the disgruntled cliff of your Day Job your new career might find you.

Nothing fancy here.  Just a shift in thinking.

Besides 1 Million and a Google you just can’t beat the number One Hundred. Did I forget about Ten.  Ten is alright but it doesn’t have any where near the number of nicknames as 100.

AKA a Hondo, a Benjamin, Century, 10 Squared and C for my Roman subscribers.  However you say it 100 is cool.  In fact 100 is so cool people are intimidated by it.  Just shy of 100, 99 over the years has given 100 a run for its money but I must say 100 always comes out on top.  If you dare to argue.  Its simple math.

Some famous 100 Brands:

• Billboard Top 100 Hits
• Fortune 100
• Audi 100
• 100% (110% gives 100 a run for its money)

I am not sure why 100 is so special, all I know is it’s a universal starting point.

I started my blog in late may.  My goal was to post 3 to 4 times a week.  For the most part I have been on target for this goal.  Now that I have 51 posts under my belt, I feel pretty confident I am sticking with this blogging thing.  I now have a goal of reaching 100 blog posts by 2009.

On my way to 100 here is what I have learned:

• Blogging is not easy
• I could have easily quit at 10 and nobody would have known the difference (except me)
• What I find interesting does not always translate into an interesting post as a novice writer
• People are really freaked out by Grammar mistakes (Can I get an editor?)
• Patience is a virtue.  Write multiple posts and save one for a rainy day.
• A budding blogging habit does not mix well with well with a day job.
• A pregnant wife needs more attention than an email subscription to my blog feed
• When I get to 100 I will be 99 posts better than when I started.

100 is a great number,  before I get to my goal of being a best selling author, a keynote speaker to thousands and  surpass 3000 blog subscribers I can find great joy smelling the roses at the Special number 100.

Momentum Monday Assignment.

Create a 100 Goal.  Everybody is doing it!

Besides my addiction to notebooks and notepads, I have an addiction for Google Tools.  One of my favorite Google Tools is Google Docs.  Google Docs is a free web based word processor.  It has most of the features of Microsoft Word and has a few other benefits Word cannot offer.  Those benefits include online collaboration, sharing and search capabilities to name a few.

If you are addicted to ideas like me but have a hard time taking your ideas from inspiration to blog post then Google Docs might be the tool for you.

First you are going to need to sign up for a Google Account.  If you don’t have one you are missing out.  I currently use over 19 Google Products regularly and Google Docs is one of my favorites.

Google products are all about saving time, collaboration and most importantly search capabalities.

One of the first things you will notice is the ease of use.  I don’t even give my documents titles.  I simply type my idea on the first line and that will be its title.  Of course you can choose a title if you like but I like the speed of this technique.

I use Google Docs 4 ways.

1. Compiler of my journals.  I will type in my hand written ideas periodically for easy access when searching for new post ideas.
2. Primer tool.  Often times I will simply type one sentence as a primer idea for a later date.
3. Working area for blog posts.  I take the primers and flesh them out before posting.
4. Search tool.  You can search your Google Docs just like searching the web.  It’s a great way to see trends in your ideas or writing.

In a kind of Pavlovian way Google Docs actually spurs my creativity since I have established it as the home of my inspirations.

Give it a try, it’s free.