Aligning all 8 Dimensions of Health and Wellness

8 Dimensions Health Wellness

Health and Wellness have been a big focus in my life.  I started teaching Aerobics when I still in High School and took over my Mom’s gym shortly after I finished school.

A couple of years later I also started studying and practising a number of different modalities, including Aromatherapy, Reflexology and Shiatsu.   I became particularly interested in holistic health and healing.  I was fascinated by how the mind, body and spirit are all connected.

I delved deep into every aspect of health and wellness over the years because I wanted to know how every secret on how to live long and prosper.

And yet, it took Harold at Bodybuilder Solutions to introduce me to the idea of the 8 Dimensions of Health and Wellness. Have a look at this post: https://bodybuildersolutions.com/the-best-resources-for-mental-health-and-physical-wellness/

And, here they are.

All 8 Dimensions of Health and Wellness

I’ve placed them in the order that makes it easiest for me to remember, starting with the 4 that align with some of the chakras (or energy centres in the body).  I used their corresponding chakra colours on the infographic below.

There is a tremendous benefit in aligning all 8 dimensions of health and wellness. Because that's when you feel a sense of peace, satisfaction and well being. Do you know all the 8 Dimensions of Health and Wellness? If not, discover them in my latest post as well as keys I've learned over the years to help me align them. This post was sponsored by Bodybuilder Solutions. All opinions are my own. #8DimensionsHealthWellness #8DimensionsWellnessChart #8DimensionsWellnessInfographic #health #wellness #wellbeing #selfcare

1. Physical (the base or root chakra)

2. Emotional (the sacral chakra)

3. Intellectual  (the solar plexus)

4. Spiritual (the crown)

The last 4 are not energy centres in our body but relate to aspects of our daily lives that can impact our health and wellness.

5. Social (Relationships)

6. Occupational (Work)

7. Financial (Money)

8. Environmental (Surroundings)

Related: What is Health and Wellness About?

While it’s virtually impossible to be focusing on all 8 of these all the time and have them all in perfect balance, it’s certainly something worth striving for.

You might put so much of your time and energy into mastering one aspect of your life that the others go out of kilter.

On the other hand, when you achieve success in one area it may give you the confidence and motivation to tackle other areas of your wellbeing.

And there is a tremendous benefit in aligning each dimension of health and wellness and feeling they are all working together in harmony. Because that’s when you feel a sense of peace, satisfaction and well being.  A feeling that all is right with your world and you’re doing just fine.

In this post, I’ll aim to give you some of the keys I’ve learned over the years that have helped me achieve this alignment in my own life, in the hopes they help you too.

Let’s take it from the top.

1. Physical Health and Wellness

Physical Health and Wellness

Deep down I think we all know the answers to this. They are simple to learn, but not easy to implement.

  • Exercise regularly (at least 30 minutes, at least 3 or 4 times a week)
  • Eat nutritious foods (especially plenty of fresh fruit and veg)
  • Get enough sleep (6 to 8 hours a night)
  • Drink enough water (around 8 glasses a day)

Those are the basics.  We all know them but we get caught up in what this expert claims and what that diet promotes and what that organisation recommends.

Related: Natural Ways to Support the Immune System

Here are my personal keys to making these work for you.

Exercise

You’ll only do it regularly if you love it and can incorporate it into your life. So find something you really enjoy doing. For me, right now, it’s walking my dog and jumping on the trampoline with my son, because that’s all I have time for.   But at other stages of my life, it’s been swimming, gym, dancing, yoga, pilates.   What moves you?

Nutritious Foods

I recently went wholefood plant-based which means I mostly eat a healthy vegan diet. Though I know that’s a big ask, so if this just sounds too extreme to you, please start adding more fresh fruit and veg into your diet and avoid eating overly processed foods and especially processed meats.

I have discovered it’s a brilliant lifestyle choice, especially if you are overweight or have heart disease, Type 2 diabetes or any other preventable health condition.   But don’t take my word for it. I’m just following the experts.

Here’s a great overview of plant-based nutrition by Dr Anthony Lim

Disclaimer: Please note that none of the recommendations in this post is intended to replace the advice of your Medical Doctor. Please consult a doctor or registered health practitioner if you have any health concerns.

Sleep

Stop all digital activity, including watching TV at least half an hour before you go to sleep to have a good night’s rest.

Hydration

Water or tea is best.  One or two coffees a day is fine. A glass of wine a night (or your favourite drink) is fine but don’t overindulge too often.  In my book, sodas are a no-no.  I could go into the long explanation of why but then we’d never get to the rest of the post. 

2. Emotional Health and Wellness

Emotional Health and Wellness

We all want to be happy and free from anxiety, yet, sadly, most people aren’t.  We live in a world where millions of people are suffering from depression, anxiety disorders, insomnia and nervous tension and have resorted to medication for relief.

There are many natural ways to be happy and free from worry and I believe it starts with choosing happiness.

Once I made a conscious decision to live a happy life, the natural ways found me.

Here are some of the things that make me feel happy and at peace.

  • Guided Meditation or Visualisation
  • Being out in nature
  • Being in contribution
  • Caring for loved ones
  • Playing with or reading to my children
  • Caring for pets
  • Dancing, singing or listening to music

But what about those stubborn or particularly heavy emotions you just can’t seem to shake?

I’ve found Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT or Tapping) to be most useful in helping me release unwanted emotions.

For example, here’s a tapping session I did on Disappointment.

Once you know the basics of how to EFT, you can tap on any emotion that’s upsetting or depressing you.

The deeper you go, the more relief you feel, which could mean working on childhood wounds or past hurts that have stuck with you for years.

Related: How to Stay Positive During the Pandemic

3. Intellectual Health and Wellness

Intellectual Health and Wellness

To be healthy intellectually, it’s important to use your mind by doing things like:

  • reading
  • study
  • research
  • travelling
  • and other intellectual pursuits that broaden your mind

It’s equally important to clear your mind of stress, worry and limiting beliefs.

I read a funny meme at a coffee shop the other day.

It said: “Give me coffee to change the things I can change and wine to accept the things I can’t.”

I’ve discovered that what causes most of our pain, suffering and stress is believing things should be different than they are.

So my best piece of advice for a happy life is to accept those things you can’t change and change the things you can.  i.e. Do your own inner work.  Let go of all those thoughts about what others did or should have done, what they said or should have said.

Instead, turn your thoughts to who you are, who would like to be around and what you would like to do with your time. Be in your own business.

Again, easy to say, not so easy to do. Until you meet Byron Katie and use her simple technique to unbundle those stresses and beliefs and turn them around.

Byron Katie designed a process of questioning your stressful thoughts, called The Work.

Here’s Katie doing The Work with someone on How to Have a Clear Mind and Healthy Body.

The Work is a great way to get clear on the thoughts that have been holding you back or dragging you down, sometimes for years.

I’ve found the best breakthroughs in my own life have come when I start out by doing The Work and then shift into EFT if big emotions come up.

These processes sound simple but they are life-altering. Try them out for yourself, especially on your most painful experiences and you are likely to see what I mean.

4. Spiritual Health and Wellness

Spiritual Health and Wellness

Our spiritual journey is deeply personal and a path only we can walk. This journey is usually ignited by the religion, faith or path we have followed since childhood.  For me, that faith was Christianity and it led me to A Course in Miracles.

Learning and teaching A Course in Miracles has given me tremendous peace.

Here’s one of my favourite lessons in A Course in Miracles.

Lesson 47, God is the strength in which I trust.

The spiritual perspective is that pain and suffering are caused by believing we are separate from God.

In a sense, this is the same concept Byron Katie teaches, just in different words. Where Katie might call it questioning what is or questioning the truth, on a spiritual level, when we question what is, we are questioning God.

When you draw nearer to God in…

  • prayer
  • praise
  • meditation
  • stillness
  • communing with nature, or
  • when you give love, and
  • forgive yourself and others..

you access your God-mind where you can safely embrace the peace that passes all understanding.

Related: Mama, When Last did You take Care of You?

5. Social Health and WellnessSocial Health and Wellness

Social health and wellness relates to our relationships.

We all know that if we are in an abusive relationship, whether it’s a parent, partner, child, work colleague or friend, it can take its toll on our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

We also know that when our children “get in the wrong crowd”, their health can suffer.  Peer pressure and social pressure can drive people to do things they would never do on their own.

Just as unhealthy relationships can be devastating for our personal wellbeing, healthy relationships can turn our health around.There is a tremendous benefit in aligning each dimension of health and wellness and feeling they are all working together in harmony. Because that's when you feel a sense of peace, satisfaction and well being. #8DimensionsHealthWellness #8DimensionsWellnessPin

In my life, I’ve been extremely fortunate to have wonderful parents as role models.  My Dad was a Minister so I grew up in the Church. That really helped me build a strong healthy social structure within a loving community.

That foundation helped me seek out healthy role models at school and in the workplace.

It is far more difficult for children who grow up with unhealthy role models at home, to make healthy choices in their adult relationships.   This is where public service becomes important.

Our relationships with those in authority are extremely important, especially when we are younger and still building our strength and courage to stand up to authority when needed.

One amazing Grandmother, one child-centred Teacher or one caring Sunday School Teacher can change the trajectory of a child’s life and make the world of difference in a community.

If we want to see a healthy society, the responsibility falls on each one of us to give back to the community in whichever way we can.

6. Occupational Health and WellnessOccupational Health and Wellness

For me, occupational health and wellness have always started with being passionate about your work.

Job satisfaction is a huge part of your overall happiness as well as your health and wellbeing.  After all, most of us are working for the greater part of our day.

What’s interesting to note is that job satisfaction seems to have increased in 2020, according to this article: https://legaljobs.io/blog/job-satisfaction-stats/.

Perhaps the pandemic is creating a happier workforce because more people have been able to work at home or perhaps it’s because people value their jobs more now that so many jobs have been cut during the pandemic.

My best advice on the work front is similar to my advice on exercise. Find something you love to do, something that makes your heart sing, something that makes you jump out of bed in the morning.

Get to know your personality, your strengths, your weaknesses and be your biggest advocate.

7. Financial Health and Wellness

Financial Health and Wellness

Our relationship with money is usually complex.

Financial wellness is not only about how you make money, spend money or save money but also how you think and feel about money.

We grow up with a number of beliefs around money and they are not always healthy.

If you faced lack in childhood and you don’t address your money beliefs and money blocks, you may be facing lack in adulthood too.

So I would start by doing the internal work.

  • Examine your money beliefs and create new healthy beliefs.
  • Figure out why you want to make money
  • Where you want to spend your money
  • How much you want to keep and
  • Where you want to invest your money
  • And then you can turn your attention to the how.

If you’ve been hitting a few money blocks, you may find these money afformations helpful.  Afformations are much like affirmations, except they are questions rather than statements.

Isn’t it interesting how all these dimensions tie-up?  When you look at one dimension, you can see how each plays into the other.

  • Your work affects your finances.
  • Your thoughts and feelings affect your finances.
  • Your relationships affect your finances.
  • Your physical health can affect your work which in turn can affect your finances, etc.

And of course, vice versa.  Each dimension of health and wellness impacts the other.

8. Environmental Health and WellnessEnvironmental Health and Wellness

Your environment can affect your health in many ways.

For example, living in the city is considered more dangerous to your health than living in a small town out in the countryside. Not just because of the faster pace, traffic congestion and added stress but also because of the smog and noise pollution.

Cities bombard and sometimes overload our senses.

Your home or work environment can also affect your health. Most people find living or working gin a chaotic or cluttered environment to be more stressful than a clean, well-organized home or office.

And then there’s our impact on the environment, how we contribute to the health of our environment.

We all know by now that we can make simple lifestyle changes to improve our environment:

  • Recycle
  • De-clutter
  • Conserve Water
  • Plant trees and flowers
  • Use natural products
  • Consume less (minimalism)

But did you know that the single most impactful thing you can do for the environment is to stop eating meat?

Animal agriculture is having a devastating effect on the environment.

This video explains how the meat and dairy industry works.

Here are just a few ways eating a vegan or plant-based diet, positively impacts the environment:

  • Saves water (because our livestock consumes a lot more water than we do)
  • Reduces greenhouse gases, the leading cause of climate change
  • Reduces air pollution
  • Protects the rainforests
  • Protects endangered animals

Of course, the choice is always yours.  It’s not easy to stop doing something you’ve done all your life, especially if it’s something you enjoy, like eating meat or cheese.

I have found that when I find enough compelling reasons to make a change, I make it.  And it sticks.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoy implementing some of my key pointers on the 8 Dimensions of Health and Wellness into your life.  I invite you to play with these ideas.

Try one or two of them on and see if they fit.  I’d love to hear which ideas resonated with you. Feel free to leave a comment below.

This post was sponsored by Bodybuilder Solutions. All opinions are my own.

Disclaimer: Please note that this article is not intended to replace the advice of your Medical Doctor. Please consult a doctor or registered health practitioner if you have any health concerns.

What’s the Next Step in Your Accounting Career? (Infographic)

Becoming an Accountant takes dedication to learn what you need to know, explore the available certifications, and gain the experience that you need. When you’ve been working as an accountant for a while or even if you’re newly qualified, you should think about where you’re taking your career.

What’s the next step that you should take if you want to take your career to the next level?

Find a Niche/Specialism

If you haven’t already, choosing a specialism or niche to work with can be a smart way to take the next step in your career. It can help you to develop skills and knowledge that are in demand, and you might be able to choose a career path that allows you to earn more.

Become a Freelancer

Once you have some experience in accounting, you could also consider being a freelance accountant. Working as a self-employed accountant means you can have control over who you work with and what services you offer. It can also mean putting in a lot of work to find clients, but many of your clients will be repeat customers who need regular support.

Get a Master’s in Accounting

If you want to level up your education, a master’s degree could help you to build on your knowledge. It could present a variety of career opportunities for you, and help you to earn more money if you’re looking for a way to improve your earning potential. You can even gain your degree online if you want to study around other commitments.

What's the Next Step in Your Accounting Career? (Infographic) | UAB MACC Level Up FINAL Compressed 5.30.19
Infographic Design By University of Alabama Birmingham

What’s Entrepreneurship About? (Video)

Video

In this video, I discuss Entrepreneur qualities, a profile test to find out what type of Entrepreneur you are and how to go from Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur.

What’s Entrepreneurship About? 

See the video below.

This is the last video in our series on Free Traffic Bootcamp

This was a 30-Day Challenge I did through Legendary Marketer. You can read my full Legendary Marketer Review here.

You can find out more about Roger Hamilton’s 8 Wealth Profiles here.

Make Money Online with these High Income Skills (Video)

When you start a web-based business, it can be extremely easy to fall into the trap of playing around online.

I could spend days on Pinterest and Instagram enchanted by the gorgeous images, clicking through to read every post.

I could just as easily spend hours a day commenting on Facebook posts and watching inspiring Ted Talks on YouTube.

And I did at first – waste. time. online.

Playing. Enjoying. Indulging. Learning. Growing.

And that’s one of the benefits of the world wide web and social media, isn’t it? It’s entertaining, it’s educational, it’s informative.

But you raised your hand and said,

I want to make money online.

Make Money Online with these High-Income Skills

I want to make money online

Image Credit: Free on Canva Pro

You want to become a Digital Entrepreneur, don’t you?

You want to generate real cash.

You want to build an online empire.

When you’re ready to make money online, when you need cash in your pocket or money in the bank to feed hungry mouths at home, it’s time to stop playing and spring into action. It’s time to hone in on the skills that produce the most income.

High-Income Skills

Here are the Top 3 High-Income Skills to either learn in your business or outsource to experts.

1. Sales and Presenting

2. Copywriting

3. Lead Generation

That’s why I recommend you keep these top of mind while you’re building your online business.

Focus your attention on mastering these skills.

Choose one of these skills to master every year you’re online and by year 4 you’ll be a master Digital Entrepreneur.

Incorporate these skills into your daily action plan.

Make sure you are practising these skills every single day. Because if you’re not, you’ll never build a profitable online business.

And here’s another massive benefit of mastering these skills.

Each skill makes you more valuable in the marketplace.

Let me show you what I mean by this.

Inspired by this list of the 8 Highest Paying Side Hustles on Fiverr (CNBC.com), I created my own list of the 10 hottest skills to make money as a freelancer.

Join Fiverr as a Freelancer here. *This is an affiliate link.

These are the side hustles you can turn into main hustles.

10 Hottest High-Income Skills to Make Money Online

Make Money Online with these High Income Skills (Video) |

Image Credit: Free on Canva Pro

Here are 5 High-Income Skills that fall under the Category Sales and Presenting.

1. Video Marketing

Just think of how much money YouTubers are making online.

2. Public Speaking

Here’s a strategy you could use. Start with small unpaid talks locally and then advance to Tedx Talks and before you know, companies will be booking you for paid talks.

3. Coaching

Once you’ve learned how to do something and do it well, you can coach others to do what you do.

4. Consulting

If you are experienced or have a highly sought after skill-set, become a Consultant. Why sell your skills at wholesale to a company when you can be selling them at retail?  When you work for yourself you can charge premium rates.

5. Course Creation

Course Creators are making a killing online. This is one of the hottest skills you can master because it’s not paid by the hour. There’s a lot of initial work involved in creating a course and getting it off the ground. But once it’s done that course can pay you over & over again. *Passive Income Idea.

Copywriting

Image Credit: Free on Canva Pro

Here are two High-Income opportunities that fall under Copywriting.

6. Business Copywriting

You’ll be doing a lot of writing as a digital entrepreneur. Writing articles on your website and, if you want to build Domain Authority, it’s wise to write for other sites too,

In time you’ll learn to write emails to send to your subscribers. You’ll also be crafting posts and Adverts for social media.

Email marketing and Social Media Advertising could also fall under Lead Generation.

7. SEO Content Writing

Search Engine Optimisation is an art in itself and that’s why it’s very handsomely paid. SEO Content Writers learn how to research keywords and insert meta tags to get posts ranking on page 1, position 1 of Google, Bing and Yahoo.

Lead Generation

Image Credit: Free on Canva Pro

This one falls under Lead Generation.

8. Website Building

And in particular, building Sales Funnels and Landing Pages.

These high-income skills fall under lead generation.

  • SEO Content Writing
  • Email Marketing
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Social Media Ad Copy
  • Social Media Marketing (Targeting Ads)
  • Designing Ads for Social Media

And that leads us to another High-Income Skill, that falls into its own category.

9. Graphic Design

Graphic design could be added as the 4th high-income skill to master.

Because you’ll be using graphic design in virtually everything you do online, creating an article, creating a post or infographic for social media, creating a YouTube thumbnail. And that’s exactly why graphic design is in such high demand.

You’ll either need to learn how to do it yourself or outsource it to an expert.

10. Mobile App Development

This one is for the techies. And, in fact, there are many technical skills you might learn along the way in your digital marketing journey that could make you wealthy.

For example, you might add an online store to your website using WooCommerce. Once you’ve learned how to do this, you’ve acquired a technical skill you can either teach to others or do for others — in other words, you have a saleable skill.

So here’s a killer strategy for you:-

Learn. Sell. Teach.

Any skill you can master online is one you can either SELL as a Freelancer or TEACH as a Coach.

Starting a web-based business can be daunting. There are so many ways to make money but which one should you focus on? Find out in this post. #makemoneyonline #highincomeskills #highestpayingsidehustles #fiverr

When I learnt about these high-income skills, I changed the way I view my online business. I stopped wasting time on low-income tasks and started focusing all my attention on high-income activities.

How do you spend most of your time online?

Are you doing course after course but never applying your knowledge and turning it into income?

Then check out my no. 1 recommendation

At Wealthy Affiliate,  you cannot complete a certification without applying your knowledge.  It’s a great way to learn because as you apply each lesson, you’re building your online business.

* If you purchase anything through a link in this article, you should assume that I have an affiliate relationship with the company providing the product or service that you purchase, and that I’ll be compensated in some small way at no extra cost to you.

Next Up, How to Create a Video for Your Online Business

How Can I Start an Online Business? (Video)

Are you thinking of starting an online business?

It All Starts with You.Are you thinking of creating your own online empire? Brilliant! Wonderful! Stupendous! Good on You! Here's my best advice. Start with YOU. #HowCanIStartanOnlineBusiness #StartwithYou #ItStartswithYou #DigitalMarketing #DigitalEntrepreneurship

When I started out online, I had no idea of where I was heading. My initial plan of action was to build a website as a platform to launch the book I was writing.

I never finished that book.

I got sucked into the great, big wondrous digital vortex called the internet like a speck of dust into a Roomba.

My website morphed into something far from my original vision and quickly turned into 3 niche websites.

While I was learning new skills and getting to grips with the technical aspects of web building and internet marketing, I was also on a steep learning curve to find my unique place online. To find that special message I could deliver better than anyone and those special someones who craved my message most.

You see, the thing with building an online business that no one ever tells you is that it takes a while to find yourself online.

How long before I start making money online?

Because in the beginning, when you have Dollar signs in your eyes, it’s easy to be dazzled by every opportunity that crosses your path, regardless of whether they suit your skillset or interests.

Let’s be honest… how many of us have tried something borderline scammy, knowing in our heart of hearts that something was off? Yup, me too.

I believe the number one reason we do this is not because we’re bad people. It’s simply because we’re impatient.

We start out with the misconception that we’re going to build an online empire in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.

In my experience, that’s simply not true.

If you’re going to create a solid online business that sustains you long-term, you need to treat it like you would any business. You’ve got to be in it for the long haul.

Typically, in the first year of business, most entrepreneurs lose money.

In the second year, you might break even and start making some side income.

And in the third year, you should start turning a profit.

I found this to be pretty spot-on for my online business.

Now, I’m not saying it will take you that long. But I just want you to be aware that it might take you a little longer than expected to find your happy space online. To save you having a desperate moment that leads to a lapse of reason somewhere along the line.

Please don’t be that kid in the back of the car, chanting, “when are we going to get there?” You’ll miss all the fun. The joy is in the journey.

When you start an online business, theres a lot to learn. And so many directions you can go in.

So here’s my best advice. Start with You.

Image Credit: Free on Canva Pro

Your Interests

Get clear on what you’re passionate about. Choose a niche that will hold your interest for a good couple of years. Something that’s close to your heart. Something you can talk about for hours on end with your friends.

When you were little, who did you want to be when you grew up? That might give you a clue to your future as an internet entrepreneur.

Your Skills

Match your online business to your personality, skill-set and experience.

Here’s an example from my own experience. I’m an out-and-out extrovert. I feel energised at events, I thrive on being around people. When I first started out online, I spent most of my time researching and writing.

Two years down the line, I started attending networking events and speaking at some of them. It breathed new life into my business. And I felt alive.

It made me realise I needed to start speaking more. So I’m dabbling in video and podcasts now. And I’m currently planning my first Online Summit.

Your Goals

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Where do you see your business in 5 years? What are your hopes and dreams for the future? Do you need to make a ton of money or just enough to supplement your current lifestyle?

Your Audience

Who do you want to serve? Who do you connect with and relate to? Who would benefit the most from what you have to give?

Your Solution

What do you have to offer? What problem do you solve? What’s your message to the world?

Now start looking into your business options online. As I mentioned earlier, there are many, many options to build a sustainable business online.

Any of these roles might take you to the top.

Blogger, Dropshipper, Freelancer, Website Developer, Graphic Designer, Content Writer, Editor, Proofreader, Digital Marketer, Social Media Manager, Course Creator, Online Influencer, YouTuber, Instagrammer, Author, Speaker, Teacher, Trainer, e-Commerce Expert et al.

Let me simplify it for you.

If you want to fast-track your success, here are the four biggest money-spinners online.

Affiliate Marketing

Digital Products

Events and Masterminds

Coaching and Consulting

So get started. Do your soul searching and your research. And recognise right off the bat, that you’re probably going to reinvent yourself many times.

Next Up: What’s a Value Ladder? A Way to WOW Your Customers  (Free Traffic Bootcamp Day 3)

Find all the content I created for the entire 30-Day Challenge here.

* If you purchase anything through a link in this article, you should assume that I have an affiliate relationship with the company providing the product or service that you purchase, and that I’ll be compensated in some small way at no extra cost to you.

A How to Guide for Influencers

How-to for Influencers

So… you’ve decided to become an Influencer? Great decision. Influencer marketing is on the rise and growing exponentially. According to Adweek, Influencer Marketing, worth only $2 Billion in 2017, is expected to become a $10 billion industry in 2020.

An influencers main role is to subtly persuade people to buy products or services using their authority, position, knowledge or relationship with their audience.

But influencers also have the ability to shape minds, start movements and turn small ideas into multi-million dollar ventures (Behrman PR).

It’s virtually impossible to build a meaningful career these days without also building influence online.

But how do you do that if you’re not born into royalty or a celebrity? How do you do that if you’re virtually unknown?

Ready for a crash course?  Here’s a quick how-to for influencers (or aspiring influencers).

So... you want to become an influencer? Great decision! Influencer Marketing is a hot trend. Here's a quick crash course. #howtoforinfluencers #howtobecomeaninfluencer #influencermarketing1. Get Clear on Who You Are

Find your unique selling proposition. What’s special about you or your company?

  • Is there something you offer that no-one else does?
  • Or something you do better than nobody else does?
  • Or do you have a better solution to a problem many people face?
  • What are you passionate about?
  • What are your skills?

2. Get Clear on Who You Serve

Now consider who would most benefit from your gifts.

Create an avatar of your ideal client, someone you will speak to directly.

Tip: Usually it’s someone very much like you. Someone struggling with the same challenge that you’ve already overcome. Someone who is where you were until you had an epiphany or gained knowledge and experience to become who you are now.

3. Start Offering Value

Now it’s time to figure out and how best you can deliver on your promises.  And to spring into ACTION.

How will you present your solution? What will you create?  Blog posts? Instagram Posts? YouTube Videos? Books? Talks? Courses? Podcasts? Interviews? Masterminds?  Live Events? Music? Movies? Virtual Summits? Membership Sites?

You choose.

The trick here is to give, give, give of yourself and then give some more. People want to see you, they want to know your vision.  People want to follow leaders.

Tip: Sometimes it takes a while to find the platform works best for you.  You might launch yourself on one and then realise your skills are better suited to another. Or your audience hangs out on another platform. It’s okay to figure this all out while you’re building your authority.

4. Brand Yourself

Now it’s time to let your light shine. Brightly.

As your authority grows it becomes easier to pinpoint the exact point where your skills and passions meet.  That special thing you do that you don’t even know you do.  The innate magic that differentiates you from everyone else.

Your clients start telling you how you’ve helped them. Publications start citing your posts in theirs. Companies start approaching you requesting to work with you.

Suddenly you’re in demand. A hot commodity. Your posts start going viral.

This is when you become a brand. An Authority. An Influencer. A Thought Leader.

And now it’s time to let the world know who you are and who you serve. Now it’s time to tell your story.

5. Connect with other Influencers

Once you’re clear on your niche and you’ve started offering your clients or tribe solutions to their problems, you can start looking for other influencers in your niche.

Don’t be ashamed to reach out to them for support and mentorship, even if all this means is subscribing to their email list.

Start considering potential collaborations or joint venture partnerships with like-minded influencers who share your passion and serve the same audience.

One Last Note

Becoming an influencer is an evolutionary process. There’s no such thing as overnight success. Over time you become someone that people admire, that people want to follow. Be patient.  Allow the process to unfold. You’ve got this.

Hobbies Hobbies Hobbies

Hobbies Hobbies Hobbies – Get Your Game On

In today’s busy world with hectic schedules we often don’t make time to relax and practise self-care, doing something we love.  Hobbies Hobbies Hobbies are the key to achieving that harmonious balance between physical and emotional wellbeing.

Did you know that there are several hobbies that you can do which is scientifically proven to assist with reducing your stress levels?

By just picking up on a hobby every now and again can help you with feeling relaxed and less stressed about peripheral life issues that we have no control over.

5 Self-Care Hobbies that can Benefit Your Everyday Life

Do you have a  hobby? Here are 5 hobbies you can try out that can improve your quality of life.   #hobbieshobbieshobbies #selfcare #stressrelief1.       Reading

There’s nothing better than curling up in bed and digging into a good book.  Sometimes it’s necessary to escape your own reality even if it’s just for a bit.

Practising just 6 minutes of reading can reduce your stress levels by two-thirds. Reading can physiologically assist with reducing muscle tension as well as slowing your heart rate.

2.       Dancing

Whether you fancy taking up a tango class or just doing freestyle dancing in your living room to your favourite tunes, dancing is an excellent way of diminishing stress and releasing some tension.

Dancing is a cardiovascular activity that instantly enhances endorphins plus it is a social activity that can help you express your emotions in a wholesome way.

This quote by Josiane Peluso on Hobby Jam sums it up perfectly: “When I dance, I forget everything else, problems, stress, deadlines, whatever is in my head. I just have fun, express myself and enjoy the moment.

You can read the entire interview with Josiane Peluso on Hobby Jam.

3.   Gardening

Gardening is a perfect tool for inducing positive feelings reducing the stress hormone cortisol, therefore promoting positive feelings.

There is something magical about putting the effort in and watching those seeds bloom to life. Not only are you getting in some fresh air, getting involved in physical activity but it can also be therapeutic.

4.   Yoga

Yoga is one of the most popular activities when you’re looking to alleviate stress.

Not only are you boosting your strength and flexibility, studies have revealed that it can also assist with reducing the body’s physiological stress reaction. It is also recommended for lowering symptoms of anxiety and depression.

5.   Painting

You don’t have to be the next Picasso to take up painting as a hobby. Painting is an excellent way of unlocking your creative side and getting rid of tension associated with stress.  It’s self-care at it’s best because you can completely lose yourself in your Art.

Painting is the perfect outlet for expressing yourself and you’ll be experiencing a brilliant sense of accomplishment whenever you’ve completed a new piece.

When you’re painting on canvas, your mind is engaged in something else than your daily difficulties. Your painting doesn’t have to be exceptional since the idea is to do something laidback to improve your emotional wellbeing.

Conclusion

Hobbies are an excellent way of making time in your busy schedule and engage in an activity which is free of work or responsibility. This can be especially advantageous for people who are feeling overwhelmed and need a bit of time for self-care, relaxation and recharging their batteries.

What are your favourite hobbies and do they relax and rejuvenate you?  Do you have an interesting or unusual hobby? If so, we’d love to hear about it. Feel free to leave a comment below.

Here’s Why Your Career Needs You To Keep On Learning

Why Keep On Learning?

You might think that once you leave college, you can close your books and forget about education. After all, you’ve got all of the essential qualifications needed to get your dream job, right?

Well, that might be the case, but that’s also no reason to stop learning for good. In fact, if you keep up with your education alongside your work, you should find that it can really help your career to progress well in the future.

Ready to start learning important career-related wisdom? Here are some reasons why it’s so important.

You Can Keep On Top Of Tech Skills

Tech and IT are constantly changing and it is always important that companies try to keep up with all of the latest developments. By bringing in new devices and software, companies can help to make their employees’ working days a lot simpler and easier.

If you know that you aren’t the most computer-literate person, then you might find it difficult to keep up with any new tech of IT that is brought into the office.

Thankfully, there are plenty of courses you can take to help you keep up. This might also be helpful if you work for yourself and want to run a company at the cutting edge of tech.

It Can Move Your Career Forward

There might be some qualifications that you need to take once you are at a certain stage of your career in order to progress up to the next level.

For instance, you will need to gain a certificate of registration in order to become a top real estate agent. There might be similar certificates in other industries too.

It’s worth figuring out if any of these advanced qualifications are necessary for you in order to progress through your career.

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Soft skills on a resume are the personality traits that allow you to easily talk, work, and interact with others. And today on Bold, we’re sharing 3 soft skills you need to have in order to impress employers. Link in bio.

 

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You Can Work On Your Weaknesses

We all have weaknesses at work, no matter how qualified or experienced we are in the job that we do. Thankfully, there are plenty of training courses that will help you build and improve on these.

For instance, if you know that your public speaking isn’t too strong, then you might want to sign up to a course that will focus on developing this as a skill. By working on your weaknesses in this way, you might be able to turn them into strengths.

It Is A Great Habit For Life

Once you become an inquisitive person, it doesn’t leave you. You become someone who always has a book by your bedside and dozens of tabs bookmarked on your laptop.

So you’re probably going to need more than one pair of reading glasses. (I just got 3 new pairs of specs – one pair is purely to wear over my contact lenses to eliminate the blue light from my laptop).  While we’re on this subject, it’s a good idea to bookmark one more tab for easy access, the one for Eyeglasses.com if you become a voracious reader – because it turns into a tap that you cannot switch off.

It’s not just a way to benefit your career, but it seeps into other areas of your life and enrichens it further.

It Will Improve Customer Trust

You should find that gaining more qualifications will help to improve your customers’ trust in your business. The more certificates and licenses that you can gain through different courses should give your customers plenty of peace of mind knowing that they are doing business with someone who is reputable and highly reliable.

Just make sure that you are making all of your qualifications public. You could hang your certificates in your office or list your qualifications on your website.

There are so many great reasons to keep on learning and improving your education even if you graduated from college some time ago. Your career should progress nicely as a result.

Image Credit:  Pixabay

Are you a lifelong learner?  Have you seen the benefits of constantly upskilling in your career?

6 Reasons Why Customer Reviews Are Essential for Your Brand

Guest Post by Emma Sumner

In many ways, online customer reviews have become the modern version of word of mouth. Looking for reviews has become the almost obligatory first step in any buying process for most people.

Only when we feel that we are satisfied with the judgment other people who have bought the product have passed we will commit to purchasing.

That is why it is essential that sellers fully understand the impact customers reviews have on their business and performance of their brand.

Do you know how the market perceives you and your brand? Guest Poster, Emma Sumners explains why it's so important to get customer reviews. #customerreviews #onlinereputation #socialproof #guestpost1. Influencing the Customers’ Decision-Making Process

According to a study by Podium, 93% of all consumers have been affected by online reviews.

While we can debate the merits of trusting the words of complete strangers on the Internet, the fact that people do should be enough for any company that plans to be successful.

Ignoring this fact essentially means that you are ignoring 93% of your potential clients and that is a sure way to run your company into the ground. Instead, find a way to ensure that the effect customer reviews have on your potential users is a positive one.

2. Creating Trust

Online review sites usually inspire trust in their users, since they provide the information the users need, so it may be smart to consider advertising on them.

This is especially important if you are looking to establish a successful and trustworthy website like AskGamblers.

As more and more reviews feature your brand in a positive light, it will create a sense of familiarity and trust with customers, which is essential for success.

3. On-Site Ranking Benefits

One of the best ways to feel the positive impact of online reviews is to have them displayed on your site. It serves several functions.

By having your reviews out in the plain site, you are showing your customers that you have nothing to hide, thus increasing the trust.

Secondly, having reviews published on your site will dramatically increase your Google rank with user-generated unique content on your product.

Google will perceive you as an authority on the matter, thus displaying your site higher in search results whenever your product is googled.

4. Off-Site Ranking Benefits

Sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor can also boost your Google page rank. The more positive reviews you have on such sites, the better you will be perceived by Google, not to mention customers.

This will also boost your search ratings, making your site appear higher on Google.

Rich snippets add another layer to the search results, which can lead to a higher organic CTR.

5. Make Use of Negative Reviews

Negative reviews are the other edge of customer reviews sword. Once and a while, no matter how good your product or service is, you will get a negative review.

Think about them as a chance to display just how awesome your customer service is. Never leave a bad review unanswered.

A negative review can cause you serious damage, but when people see that you have addressed the issue, they will overlook it, especially if a vast majority of your other reviews are positive ones.

Not only that, but even the reviewer may change their mind once you reach out to them and rewrite the review to reflect your company in a more positive light.

6. Inspire People to Leave Good Reviews

The sad fact is that people are far more likely to share a bad experience than a good one. If a customer feels that they have been wronged, there is a high chance that they will leave a bad review. The opposite isn’t true for a good service.

Regardless of how good the haircut was, most customers won’t bother to leave a review praising you. But have one bad hair job and you will hear about it.

That is why it is important to encourage your satisfied customers to leave a review. There are several ways you can achieve this, by telling them how much it would mean to you or by offering a discount for anyone leaving a review.

The bottom line is that customer reviews are a very powerful tool
that can make or break a company. The potential they hold means that you shouldn’t ignore them, but rather find a way to make them work for you.

Editors Note:

How’s your online reputation doing?  I stumbled on a brilliant personal branding tool the other day. I was able to see instantly that I have no negative online reviews about my brand.  

Unfortunately, it was also difficult to find positive reviews because there aren’t enough reviews out there about my brand, so clearly, there’s still more work to be done. 

If you want to check out your own score, go to Brand Yourself and take their Free Risk Scan.

Emma SumnerAbout the Author

Emma Sumner is a business strategist-turned blogger. She writes for various online publications. Her favourite topics include Business, Finance, Marketing, Branding and Entrepreneurship.

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