Be Inspired. Take Action. What Will YOU Launch With $100 Change?

As of this writing, there are exactly 104 days left until 2013.

Have you been procrastinating on that project you thought of way back in January? Or are you just a little stuck on how to turn your big idea into a reality?

Why not end the year off with a bang and get that project out the door that you have been putting off all year?!

Now you can.

Okay, let me back up a bit and tell you where I’m coming from..

My friend, Natalie Sisson, founder of the Suitcase Entrepreneur (who you’ve probably seen around here on the blog) was recently handed $100 at the World Domination Summit and `told to have fun with it, surprise someone or start something special‘, she decided she needed to do much more than that.

And if you follow Natalie, you know that when she says much more..she means it (she biked across Africa earlier this year and raised over $10K for charity!).

She believed that this $100 change could potentially change lives. So she set about starting a movement that not only gives you a blueprint for creating change, but a framework of motivation, mentoring and a community to get it done.

She has just launched $100 Change, and I think you need to know about it, because it’s a really cool initiative.

I also had the pleasure of watching this project unfold when Natalie was visiting Montreal back in July.. so to see it launched (and so quickly) is amazing! And a testament to what can be done in a short amount of time when you focus, get support and are clear on what you want to do.

$100 Change is a program empowering you to start your dream project or business in 100 days for $100.

Natalie has pulled together 100 change makers from around the world, to share and impart their wisdom and advice over 100 days for $100.

In Natalie’s words,

But $100 Change is so much more than a program designed to get you to take action and start something special.

It is also is a not-for-profit initiative that is driven by you, me and a community of people who want to create change and turn their dreams into reality.

The really unique part of this initiative, is that virtually all the money received from people who buy the $100 Change program (minus associated costs in putting it together) during the 100 program will be redistributed back into ten scholarships.

Not only do you get to learn and be inspired from change-makers from around the world..you also have the potential to receive a scholarship as well as mentorship and a business framework. So much win!

Stop waiting for tomorrow. Stop watching others do it.

Get the support you need. The daily dose of ‘kick in the pants’ and get it done!

Source: Uploaded by user via Natalie on Pinterest

Get Unstuck. Be Inspired. Launch Your Dream Project..Finally!

So what are you waiting for?

Episode 12: Kickstart Your Business With A Solid Plan & Accountability

An important part of being an entrepreneur is learning from your peers. “Unstoppable Entrepreneur” profiles entrepreneurs just like yourselves who have taken the leap to follow their passion and create their own work & lifestyle. They share their expertise: tips for success, tools they use and valuable things they have learned along the way.

This week I had the pleasure of speaking to Jules Taggart and Krystina Feucht of Kickstart Kitchen. Jules and Krystina share the importance of starting with a solid business foundation, having mentors and accountability partners and doing just one thing every day to move you forward.

Watch/Listen to the video below!

So many juicy nuggets! Here are some

Key Takeaways

Having a plan but not over-planning!
Why your BFF should not be your mentor
The importance of having a solid foundation in your business
Not confusing goals with to-do’s
The power of masterminds and accountability
Finding collaboration partners to help you grow your community and business

“When you have skin in the game you’ll really start to take it seriously” Click to Tweet

“You want to love what you do but you also want to get paid. You’re in business to make money.” Click to Tweet

People mentioned in this interview

Chris Guillebeau (The $100 Startup)

Ali Brown

Be the first to find out when their program launches by signing up at kickstartkitchen.com/catalyst

About Kickstart Kitchen

Kickstart Kitchen provides tools, training, coaching and community interaction so you can get clear about what you want for yourself and your business. We teach you how to maximize your resources and create a profit-focused action plan. Most of all, we show you how to dust off that dream and get it out into the world.

Tech Talk Thursdays

Feeling overwhelmed with all the different things there are to do when starting up your online business? SEO? RSS? Short-urls? Social Media? WordPress.com or WordPress.org has you confused? Come join me over on the Facebook page and post your burning questions on TechTalkThursdays and I’ll be happy to help!

How To Record Video Interviews In 6 Easy Steps

So you’re ready to start adding video content to your site, whether you are preparing for an upcoming product launch or just trying to vary up your content.

Video interviews are a great way to do this: there are so many ways you can approach them but a good place to start is interviewing people in your niche and sharing valuable information with your community.

Once you’ve come up with your topic idea, how do you actually go about doing the actual interview?

Step 1: Download and Install Skype

Skype is probably the easiest tool to use to make calls on the Internet, it is free to download and calls from from pc-to-pc are free. Once you’ve installed the software and created an account, you can add your contacts and get ready to interview them.

Step 2: Download and Install a Skype Call Recorder

To be able to record Skype calls, you will need another software. I use Evaer which retails for ~20USD and allows you to record either the audio only or both audio and video. It also gives the option to record the remote camera (the interviewee) only or both. You also get the side-by-side video display that you see. It’s worth mentioning that Evaer only works on Windows.
I find it really easy to use and you can also set it up to automatically record Skype calls so you don’t miss out and realize half way through an interview.

Step 3: Scheduling Your Interview

One of the things I learned a long the way after countless back and forth emails, is to use a scheduling tool. A site like Tungle.me is easy to use. Also, set the expectation and let the interviewee know in advance how much time they should be blocking off..will your interview be 20? 30? 45 min?

Step 4: Getting Ready To Interview

I personally like to just go with the flow and not have scripted questions. That being said, when you are first starting out it helps to have a general idea of what you want to ask your interviewee and where you want the conversation to go, i.e. lead up to a product launch announcement or a free offer. It also helps to chat a bit before you hit record, just to break the ice and get comfortable.

Step 5: Publish Your Interview

Once you’ve recorded your video, you could publish it right away (Evaer producs an mp4 which you could directly upload to Youtube) but I’m guessing you may want to do some editing or even include an introduction. To edit interviews, I use Windows Movie Maker (free to download) and use the webcam to record a short intro. After the intro, I import the mp4 file recorded during the Skype call and then add a few captions and info at the end about myself and the guest. Once this is done, I produce the final video and then upload it to Youtube.

Step 6: Share Your Video On Your Blog

Now that you’ve produced your video and published it to Youtube, you will also want to share it on your blog. To do this, grab the embed code available just below the video.

Click on the embed code and copy the HTML code. If you are using WordPress, copy and paste this code to the HTML tab in the editor. I usually keep it at the default size which is 420 x 315.

The code will look like this: <iframe width=”420″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/fHAB39yUg2A” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

The final product:

Be sure to add a summary of your interview, as this not only helps with SEO but also gives potential viewers an idea of what to expect. You can use the summary as place to mention any juicy takeaways as well as additional resources mentioned in the interview.

And there you have it! 6 easy steps to get started with video interviews.

What do you think, will you start doing interviews as part of your blog or product launch strategy?

Episode 11: 3 Common Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make And How To Overcome Them

This week I bring you all the way from ‘down under’ Jo Foster of Love Your Small Business. Jo shares with us the common mistakes that entrepreneurs make when first starting out, her and her business partner Janine’s business breakthrough and the awesome course they are launching.

Watch the video below!

Jo made this super easy by doing most of the talking 🙂 and shared so many valuable nuggets! Some of the

Key Takeaways:

Why you don’t need to spend hours creating a business plan
Three key lessons which include mindset, pricing and not casting your net too wide
Why you have to get super specific and narrow about the people you want to help and work with
Their own business breakthrough and how they became more confident and started to generate the income that they wanted to generate

There are even more lessons! Watch the free training videos from Love Your Small Business’ Rock Solid Business Strategy.

Thank you Jo!

About Jo Foster

Jo is an intrepid Kiwi entrepreneur and co-founder of Love Your Small Business. She believes in empowering women in business to creat kick-butt business plans so that they can generate profit with purpose. The Online Business School kicks off the first week of September!

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