ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN: Kalon Women: A Beauty-full Site in Support of Women 40-Plus

Especially for Women with Ann Barczay Sloan

Sandra Levitin

Founder/CEO/Publisher

of Kalön Women

www. Kalon-Women.com

How Sandra and I first connected

As a force to be reckoned with, Sandra Levitin came to my attention way before our life paths actually intersected. One day in late 2009, an unknown someone sent me an invitation to visit an up-and-coming web site / online magazine named “Kalön Women.” My instincts told me to take a closer look at what they were up to, which I did. On impulse I signed up on their list. At that time I had no idea Sandra and I would soon be connecting and communicating one-on-one, and would find opportunities to collaborate to a greater extent than at first foreseen.

Fast forward to early 2010, when, as Fate would decree, Sandra and the estimable Douglas Castle, Vice-Chairman of The National Networker (TNNW) connected (independently of me) and soon got involved in conversations about collaboration possibilities. Next, Douglas suggested Sandra and I get in touch with each other, which we did. Our inter-communication flows easily. And it’s fun to observe the ways in which the Big Picture of entrepreneurial possibilities between the three of us gradually unfolds!

A special bonus: Sandra and I discovered early on that we have a deep personal interest in common, our love of poetry: not only reading but the writing of poetry, too. Sandra has already published several books of poetry, whereas my own inspirational book, How to Use the Pieces of a Broken Heart: Recipes for Rebirth, is slated for publication later this year. (For more information, see http://AnnBarczaySloan.com.blogspot.com. )

What exactly does “Kalön” mean?

Naturally, this was one of the first questions I posed to Sandra in the early stages of our correspondence. At that time I could not find a definition on the kalon-women.com site.

In an e-mail, Sandra responded:

“The word Kalön is an old Greek word that means ‘beautiful’ -- however, it has very little to do with exterior beauty, ... as it has to do with inner beauty or finding something beautiful in everything around us."

In our interview, Sandra provides us with additional detail on this special dimension of Beauty. For now, let’s get more acquainted with Sandra.

Who is Sandra Levitin and what is she all about?

Here’s a comprehensive overview straight from the web site:

Editor’s Bio: Sandra Levitin

“Sandra Levitin is the Founder/CEO/Publisher of Kalön Women, an online magazine for women forty plus. She has been writing since she could hold a crayon, growing to love the feel of a pencil in her hand and the sound it makes when connecting to paper. She is a published poet, working on two manuscripts and a children’s book with her 10 year old granddaughter…

Sandra loves being in her fifties! Smack in the middle of the baby boomer generation of women; a generation of women unlike any other… A group of women not ready to move over, lie down or let life pass them by sitting in a rocking chair. These generations of 'women of a certain age' have ambition, life experience, and are passionate about both their own well being and giving back to their communities….

Her life has always framed itself around helping people. A devoted mother and grandmother, she calls herself the 'fix it lady' because everyone, including her children’s friends have always come to her to 'fix it.' It followed her on into the corporate world as she excelled in sales, sales management and sales training for several national and international companies…

After making a tough decision, Sandra decided to leave the corporate environment and fulfill a 15 year dream of creating a magazine for women forty plus that started with a friend who died from breast cancer before they could see it through together. Sandra and a few of her friends also began talking about what direction they each wanted their lives to take. Kalön Women was born as a way for us to reach out to other women sharing similar journeys to share our professional and life experiences, enriching one another along the way – all with a touch of humor, which Sandra says is so important because as women, we forget how to laugh and play….

Retirement? Sandra has discovered that women do not retire in the traditional sense. Instead, she feels that we look for new challenges and then reinvent ourselves to meet them. It is then up to us, to reveal new meanings and truths to hold our attention and to grasp the true meaning of Kalön within ourselves.”

Exploring the Kalön Women Web site

A colorful montage of images at top of the Home page is labeled with this inscription:

“Where we’ve been… where we’re going…”

Below this, you are greeted by a smiling photo of Sandra:

“Welcome to Kalön Women

Kalon Women's vision is to be a powerful voice

for women 40+ as we face challenges unique

to our generation.

Sandra Levitin, Founder

On left side of page, you’ll see three important features of the site:

• “Online Article Categories”
  View listing of article categories archived.

• “Free Digital Magazine Subscription”
  Enter your subscription to the monthly “Kalön Women” magazine.

• "Kalön Women in Business Radio”
  Click for upcoming shows.

Now, some selected items from top of screen menu bar:

• “About Kalön” Tab:

On this page we find detailed “Welcome to Kalön” information (condensed a bit here):

“Kalön Women’s vision is to be a powerful voice for all women 40+ as we face challenges unique to our generation. We are the sandwich generation, caring for aging parents, growing or grown children, grandchildren, and sometimes doing all of it while maintaining a professional career. And yes, salary equity is still an issue. Our professional career successes have been hard won, without the benefit of the ‘boys club.’ We are living longer and healthier lives, which creates a host of issues including living alone, financial concerns, and new relationships…

…We have grown beyond the need to mold ourselves into others' expectations. We have learned to face life with strength, dignity and a big helping of humor.

The mission of Kalön Women is to provide answers and raise awareness of issues and causes that affect us, so that our generation of women will be stronger from knowledge gained, and the generation of women who follow in our path will hopefully find it less rocky.”

Two important sub-topics within “About Kalön” are “Editor’s Bio” and “FAQ.”

• “Digital Magazine Submissions”
  Detailed guidelines for aspiring magazine contributors.

• “Hire Sandra to Speak”
  List of titles of professional presentations by Sandra, plus selected endorsements.

• “Kalön Network Site”
  You’ll see a video of Sandra ─ and beneath it, a link: “Click here to visit and join Kalön Community.” When you click, the next page welcomes you by name (because you’ve already registered!) Now you are about to enter an exciting new realm:

"Social Networking with a Purpose! Get Inspired! Take Action!
Find your Purpose/Passion! Build your Self-Esteem/Empowerment!

WOMEN ONLY"

This new world offers you numerous choices of activities: things to do, people to meet, even add your own content. Please feel free to explore ─ but remember: WOMEN ONLY!

• “Kalön Clicks”
  This item stands on its own at far right of page. It’s another innovative feature of this site. What is Kalön Clicks? It’s “the first on-line directory for women 40 plus!"

Well, there’s so much more ─ but no point in prolonging the wait, the suspense. It’s high time to meet our Founder and CEO and Publisher herself!

- - - - - - - - - -

The Interview

Thanks, Sandra, for spending this time with me. I’m happy for this opportunity to learn more about you! First of all, how would you briefly describe what you do ─ your “elevator speech” or similar tag line?

“I am the Founder/CEO/Publisher of Kalön Women, an online magazine and forum for women forty plus. I am also a Mid-Life Strategist who specializes in supporting women through the myriad of life changes after forty.”

What makes you / your company / organization unique? In other words, what is the so-called Unique Value Proposition (UVP) of your product or service?

“Kalön Women is a forum like no other – one designed with ‘women of a certain age’ in mind, providing a new challenge, and a reinvention for women over 40.

Kalön Women’s vision is to be a powerful voice and forum for all women 40+ as we face challenges unique to our generation. We are the sandwich generation, caring for aging parents, growing or grown children, grandchildren and sometimes doing all of it while maintaining a professional career. And yes, salary equity is still an issue. Our professional career successes have been hard won, without the benefit of the ‘boys club.’

We are living longer and healthier lives, which creates a host of issues including living alone, financial concerns, and new relationships. We don’t necessarily want to look older than our age, so fitness and health are important to us, and we have grown beyond the need to mold ourselves into others expectations. We have learned to face life with strength, dignity and a big helping of humor.

Retirement? I have discovered that women do not retire in the traditional sense. Instead, we look for new challenges and then reinvent ourselves to meet them. It is then up to us, to reveal new meanings and truths to hold our attention and to grasp the true meaning of Kalön within ourselves.”

What is your primary goal, the mission of what you do?

“The mission of Kalön Women is to provide answers and raise awareness of issues and causes that affect us, so that our generation of women will be stronger from knowledge gained, and the generation of women who follow in our path will hopefully find it less rocky. The articles, stories, poetry and other written expressions in Kalön Women are created by real women 40+. Written to inspire, help and perhaps provide a few laughs to all 'women of a certain age.' "

Please describe briefly how you got started in all this, and how you arrived where you are currently.

“Fifteen years ago, when I was in the midst of getting a divorce after 24 years, I met a group of poets online and we immediately bonded. Within this group of friends, was my friend Jo who was the most amazing poet and writer. As our friendship grew, we thought about putting together a magazine for women forty plus. At that time it was going to be published in print because online magazines were still in their infancy. We researched names for our publication, knowing that we wanted it to capture the inner makings or beauty of a woman rather than focusing on the exterior as so many magazines do. We researched the word beautiful and found the old Greek word, Kalön.

What is Kalön, you ask? Everything. A garden or a tree, a piece of jewelry or a favorite walk has its kalön and is beautiful or admirable after its own fashion. Something can be beautiful without being perceived or known as beautiful. It is our very inability to know everything about a given object that actually makes it beautiful.

Beautiful is an experience that grows out of curiosity, the paradox of knowledge and the infinite ability of the particular to continue to reveal itself in continuously new and interesting ways.

To shut down the work of beauty, one need only claim to know everything about a given particular, either that one knows definitively what it is, or that one knows it is most definitely nonsense. Either way, it ceases to hold our attention or to reveal new meanings and truths to us.

It is then up to us to reveal new meanings and truths to hold our attention and to grasp the true meaning of Kalön within ourselves.

As with most things when women are elbow-deep raising children, working, managing a home and juggling fifty balls at once, our dream got placed on the back burner.

The years flew by. Our daily talks turned into yearly catch up conversations and 3 years ago, she died from metastatic breast cancer just as I turned 50. This was a huge catalyst for me. I was remarried and in the midst of the corporate world, managing 5 offices and over 800 people. And I was burned out.

A few of my friends and I also began talking about what direction we each wanted our lives to take. I knew that if I didn’t take the leap now, I never would. Kalön Women was born in 2008 as a way for us to reach out to other women sharing similar journeys to share our professional and life experiences, enriching one another along the way.”

Which of your projects are you currently most excited and passionate about?

“I have two actually. First and foremost we just launched a new digital version of our magazine in December. The reviews have been wonderful and our subscriber base is growing exponentially.

My other project is my first book called, Learning How to Hop Again, which is scheduled for release [later] in 2010. This is a book about my life and other women’s lives and how we get so off course, but more importantly, how we make it back.”

How much of your work is focused specifically toward women?

“Everything I do is focused specifically toward women forty plus. I am passionate about giving the everyday woman a voice. All they want is to be heard, for someone to listen, for someone to care.”

What are some of the ways / places you promote your enterprise?

“For the most part, the only promotion I have spent most of my time and effort on is through the social media and co-ventures or banner exchanges with other like-minded businesses.”

Whom / what does your network currently include? How far does your network extend?

“Last year our network went global. We now have an international presence with subscribers from all over the world. Of course, the majority of our subscribers are from the United States.

The last statistics we received were pretty astounding. Our median audience consists of women, [ages] 45-54. Average time spent on our site is 8.9 minutes. We have over 25,000 unique hits per day and our subscriber base has grown to almost 60,000.”

What has been the best about building a network: Positive experiences? Benefits, expected and unexpected?

“For me, the best part about building a network has been the women I’ve met. They are some of the most talented, strong, witty and giving women I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. And I say that tongue-in-cheek because most of them I have never met in person! The unexpected benefits were and are the fact that they are ready to jump in and get their hands dirty if asked to do so. All they want in return is to be appreciated. Reciprocation and some laughs. You just gotta have the laughs.”

What challenges (if any) have you found in your networking experiences? Any unexpected events? Any benefits emerging from challenges in the long run?

“The one challenge that we are all having as women entrepreneurs, especially now, is drawing the numbers to pull in the ever elusive advertisers/sponsors. With that being said, if you look long enough and ask the right people, you can even overcome those problems. As Robbie Motter, Founder of Contacts Unlimited says, ‘It’s all in the asking!’”

Bottom line – What do you feel is really working well for you / your company?

“Bottom line? Networking with other like-minded women and being there for each other – not just lip service – truly being there and realizing that if we all pull together we can accomplish anything we set out to do! Kalön Women’s motto for this year is ‘Pulling together in 2010!’”

Besides networking, how else are you promoting your company? Which do you view as the primary vehicle and what makes it more important than the other(s)?

“I do banner exchanges, co-ventures and affiliate programs with other women / businesses, but the primary vehicle is still networking, both online and here in Houston.”

What’s the achievement / accomplishment you’re most proud of at this time?

“I know you think it’s going to be Kalön Women – and I am so very proud of that accomplishment. But for me, it’s my kids and grandchildren. My son is now 30 – talk about a choker – and I couldn’t be more proud of the man that he has become. He is a tremendous father of two beautiful girls who have stolen my heart, and a gentle, loving husband married to a woman that I couldn’t love more than if she were my own.

My daughter is 28 and has always been my best friend. She lights up the room with her smile. We’ve been through a lot together and I am so fortunate to have such a beautiful, sweet woman in my life that I can call my daughter.”

What are your plans and goals for the future ─ organizational / personal ─ especially regarding networking activities?

“My future plans -- now there’s a conversation that could go on for hours! As for Kalön Women, my goal is to reach 100,000 subscribers before the end of the year and to focus on perfecting our new digital magazine.

I want to grow my listener’s base for our Kalön Women in Business Radio Show. We have recorded 40 shows since we began our show in April of 2009.

Personally, I am at the end of marriage number two and have finally faced my own nemesis of codependency and being the perpetual enabler. These were hard things to face, but for the first time in my life, I am truly happy with me!

God willing, my first book, Learning How to Hop Again, will be published this year. It’s under contract and in the publisher’s hands."

What a terrific title! I laugh. I get what that means: I can relate!

"Thanks, Ann! Let me also add: I have created a speaker/training program called “Get Your Big Girl Panties On” which is a guide to help women forty plus through the myriad of life altering changes we are all experiencing as boomer women [all] at the same time!”

Any other point you’d like to emphasize at this time?

“I would like to invite your readers to take a look at Kalön Women and all that we have to offer women forty plus. I think they will find that there are a lot of women out there just like them, who are seeking the same answers to the question: who am I?”

In conclusion, anything you’d like to add ─ some words of encouragement, inspiration for our readers?

“I have several women who inspire me with their words of wisdom. One is Erma Bombeck, who said, ‘When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.'

The other woman is Maya Angelou who said, ‘I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass.’

The one thing I’ve learned over the past few years is this: once you discover what you are passionate about, do not let anything or anyone get in the way or discourage you from achieving your goals.

Women should ask themselves a few questions on their journey of self-discovery or finding their passion:

If you could do one thing to transform your life, what would it be?

Are you living your passion?

What puts a smile on your face?

What do you find easy?

What sparks your creativity?

What would you do for free?

What do you like to talk about?

What makes you unafraid of failure?

What would you regret not having tried?

If they can uncover the answers to these questions, there will be no stopping them!”

No stopping? That sounds just like YOU, Sandra: unstoppable!

So please accept my appreciation for this interview and, beyond that, for the inspiration you’ve provided for me and our readers, as well as, of course, the thousands who are proud members of your vast Kalön Women Community.

---

Contact Information for Kalon-Women.com:

Email: Editor@kalonwomen.com

For submission guidelines, Editorial Calendar and to submit an article:

http://kalon-women.com/magazine-submissions

Key Words:

Sandra Levitin, Kalön Women, women 40-plus, Beauty, networking, global, community, radio show, digital magazine, poetry, subscribers, The National Networker, Douglas Castle, Ann Barczay Sloan

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Ann Barczay Sloan, M.A.

Author & Editor / Creative Writing Coach

The Connectrix

www.GeniusUnbound.com

www.linkedin.com/in/AnnBarczaySloan

Featured Columnist,

www.TheNationalNetworker.com

For more information, please visit Ann's TNNW Bio.

---

Author of the forthcoming book:

How to Use the Pieces of a Broken Heart:Recipes for Rebirth

http://AnnBarczaySloan.blogspot.com

---

The National Networker Companies

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ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN: Kalon Women: A Beauty-full Site in Support of Women 40-Plus

BLUE THING #10: BACKTALK: Comments From Our Readers

by Penny Ng, BACKTALK^TM Producer

NEW: At the bottom of every TNNW article, we feature a COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE button. Click on it! We want your opinion on every article and author. Push our buttons. Spark us. Inspire us. Interact with us. We love hearing from you!

NEWER: At the bottom of every article you will now also find a multi-purpose comprehensive social media button which will permit you to forward, email, rate and share articles with all of your colleagues on all of your social media. Forward. Share. Never miss an opportunity to get you name in front of your colleagues, clients and prospective clients -- and you can do this without selling and without spamming!

Sometimes the keys to successful commerce are 1) keeping in touch through regular, enjoyable contact (so that you'll always be on the recipient's mind), and 2) simply being there when it counts. When your client needs what you have to offer, he will give you FIRST PRIORITY. This new button gives you the power to mass communicate and announce your availability and brand. Samples of both buttons follow, but first...

Be a part of our growing GICBC -- our GLOBAL INTERNETWORKED COOPERATIVE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

Look at these fancy buttons!

Here are some of your comments on our recent articles published in the TNNW Weekly Newsletter, the Blue Tuesday Report, and our other infomedia, publications and special bulletins:



BETH BARANY: Get Published Now

3 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Publish Your Book

"Amen to 'You're not ready.' The reason self-published books still have a bad reputation is that so many authors fail to hire editors, proofreaders, or book designers. They do their writing a disservice by producing an unprofessional product.

As for unique--a book has to be enough different from the others in the genre or market so that readers won't say 'Why should I buy book X if I already own book Y?' but we all know that formula sells. Most of us don't want a new author to be too obviously derivative of an established author, but we're also not that comfortable with someone whose work is *too* different."
Sallie Goetsch


"Beth, I think the point about getting the prose right is particularly well taken. Publishers and all the individuals who support them - agents in particular - are incredibly sensitive to good grammar, parallel construction, and the like. I know, I know, many big sellers are poorly written, but nonetheless, if you make mistakes with verbs, you will not succeed in the mainstream publishing world."
Mike Stevens


"You're absolutely right! There are times people shouldn't publish. Mostly it's when they are more interested in money or fame than in the writing process or in helping others with a good how-to book. Without passion behind it, a book rarely succeeds by any standard."
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Blogging at Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites pick www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com


"Good points, Beth. Regarding your second point: Writing a book is a big undertaking, but I think many authors underestimate the amount of time, effort and passion required to promote a book after it's published. Successful authors often spend much more time on the promotion than the writing.

Writing for personal fulfillment is a wonderful thing, but if an author wants to make money from publishing a book there must be a viable audience who is willing to pay money for the book. I advise authors to think about marketing before they write a word. Nonfiction authors need a clear understanding of who their audience is and what those folks need, so they can tailor the book to the audience. It's important to study the competition and determine how your book can be different or better.

Fiction authors should consider weaving some promotable elements into the story. Novelists can use the setting of the book or the profession or hobbies of the main characters as promotional hooks when marketing the book. For example, horse lovers enjoy reading about a character who works with horses and they are a defined target audience that you can promote the book to."
Dana Lynn Smith
The Savvy Book Marketer


"Beth,

The title of this article put me off at first, until I realized you were very effectively baiting your line. Anyone who wants to be published for commercial reasons should pay attention to your advice. While the economic and technical barriers to collaborative book production have been smashed, writing a book that will sell still takes a tremendous effort.

That said, I think the discussion around the craft of writing and the difficulty of making yourself known in a crowded marketplace sometimes frightens would-be authors away from writing a book, even if they don't intend to make a dime off it."
Erik Schmidt


"Great article Beth. I reposted on the Our Little Books blog: http://ow.ly/1wSoK

Although everyone probably has a book in them, there are many reasons why they shouldn't publish... at least now. The time, energy, and motivation needs to be right for it to be successful. As some of the other posters stated, it really depends on what you are looking for in a book.

Writing for themselves and for the joy of writing is one thing for authors. Writing to make a living is another. These reasons may be combined, but authors need to be aware of the realities of the business aspect of writing and publishing.

Motivation and timing is one of the things I discuss with potential authors as publishing consultant for Our Little Books. It is not usually something that authors think about, so thanks for bringing it up."
Candace Davenport
www.ourlittlebooks.com

RICK ITZKOWICH: Being There When It Counts

How Can I Help You?

"The problem, Rick, is that people ask that question of everyone with whom they come into contact! It's a question that leaves me without any sort of answer -- to which I usually bumble: "...I don't know."

And I don't know because I don't know the person, I don't have a relationship - with the person asking. I don't have a context for which to answer that question.
I did read your blog --and I will have to confess the same thing, the same, bumbling inability to answer (in response to your last line): "How can I help you?"
How could you help me if you don't know me?"
E. B.


"It seems to me that what both Rick and E.B. are talking about is CONTEXT. We respond to the question differently depending on the context in which it's asked. For E., context - in the form of a relationship - is critical. Her concern is that many folks will read Rick's post and incorporate it into their networking strategy without regard to context. A concern that I share.

A similar question, that raises anxieties similar to E.'s, is 'Tell me about yourself.' As with Rick's question, context matters here. In a job interview, I will respond one way; in a social setting, where the question is posed by a relative stranger, I 'stumble and bumble.' What, after all, do they really want to know?"
S. W.


"Rick, I'd like to say 10 pounds of $100 bills would be nice!

But then you have offered me an opportunity of participating in your business, and as of today, I have not responded!! Thank you for your efforts regardless....

For E. and S., context is key for sure. I am not sure that Rick's motives come through in his posting, but they are genuine."
R. D.


"Great article - and so true! I'd like to take it even one step farther: if you know you are going to be in the presence of someone who could do something significant for you, be prepared IN ADVANCE with a specific "ask" should the opportunity present itself.

This advice was given to me by Dawn Lyons of the Referral Institute SF Bay and it came in handy when I was asked that exact question, "How can I help you?" by someone who has tremendous reach and credibility. I was able to answer with something specific, and had I not been prepared I would have likely gone blank, bumbled my answer, or asked for something less than what I ideally wanted."
Betty Jo Waxman


"What does Zig Ziglar say? 'You can achieve anything you want in life as long as you help enough other people', is that it?"
T. S.

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The National Networker Companies

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BLUE THING #10: BACKTALK: Comments From Our Readers

DOUGLAS CASTLE RANTS: Two Keys to Success - 1) Persist and 2) Maintain Momentum

TWO KEYS TO SUCCESS - 1) PERSIST and 2) MAINTAIN MOMENTUM.

Dear Readers:

I was a terrible student, especially when it came to math and physics (college calculus probably caused me some permanent brain damage).

Having said that, I remember a bit about the concept of INERTIA ("...an object at rest tends to remain at rest; similarly, an object in motion tends to remain in motion...") and a bit of wisdom from DRIVER EDUCATION TIPS ( "...when heading uphill, if you take your foot off of the accelerator, not only will you stop going forward, but you'll wind up rolling backward...").

These two principles combine to either make us successful, or to keep us trapped in failure. If we visualize a goal ( i.e., subscribing 1,000 readers, bench pressing 305 pounds, owning a brand new home, mastering a foreign language), we are merely initiating the process. When we take our first action steps (i.e., clicking on a website 100 times per day, calling 15 contacts every morning, working out 4 times per week, writing a paragraph per day), we are merely activating the process.

While it is wonderful to initiate and to activate, we must persist and maintain our momentum in order to actually achieve our goal. It is human nature to get lazy, or to lose enthusiasm after doing something for a short period. This tendency not only causes us not to succeed, but it causes us to fail...to slide backwards and to fall harder... to become disillusioned and to give up our dreams…. to gain 20 pounds after having lost 10.

PERSIST and MAINTAIN YOUR MOMENTUM.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com

---

The National Networker Companies

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DOUGLAS CASTLE RANTS: Two Keys to Success - 1) Persist and 2) Maintain Momentum

Update Bulletin - New Developments - The National Networker Companies - 04.11.2010

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Update Bulletin - New Developments - The National Networker Companies - 04.11.2010

Friends: If you haven't already joined The National Networker Companies and our GICBC community, join now for free at http://bit.ly/JoinTNNW. We work best when we collaborate, with the support, skills, guidance and hands-on caring assistance of our fellow entrepreneurs and leaders of emerging enterprises. Also, while you're in a kind and generous mood, please remember to re-tweet and to buzz this article! - Thanks, and welcome.

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*An Important Person To Watch: Sandra Levitin


Sandra Levitin, Founder of Kalön Women and Kalön Women’s Magazine has joined forces with The National Networker Companies.


Kalön Women reaches a growing and increasingly receptive market audience of women, age 40 and over. This particular group is the heart, soul and spirit of what The Global Futurist has termed “Generation XX”.

These women are not only re-inventing themselves…they are fast becoming the dominant and driving force in business, the professions, entrepreneurship, consumerism and activism. They are innovators, fast-learners, early-adopters and thought leaders.

Ms. Levitin offers information, product and service reviews, social and business resources, group forums, advice, mentoring, writing opportunities and access to virtually everything for this amazing segment of the market.

Learn more. Visit the website. Subscribe to the magazine. Oh, and if you’re male, learn to be very, very accommodating. Kalön readers may well be your future bosses, vendors, clients and partners. Investigate. Visit http://kalon-women.com/ .

Women, particularly those 40 and over, are rising to power and influence. Don't be left behind.






*TAKE the Self-Evaluation Survey (TNNW Survey #6)! The polls are closing on April 15th, and we'd like your responses, feedback and creative suggestions. The survey is anonymous, unless you wish to give us your name. This self-evaluation is a crucial tool for improvement in every aspect of your business, social and spiritual life. You will learn a great deal about yourself simply by taking this amazing survey. Guaranteed.


Take the Survey and invest in yourself. TNNW Survey #6 can be accessed easily by clicking on either http://www.surveymonkey.com/TNNWsurvey6 or http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TNNWsurvey6 .







*The National Newspicker Page is undergoing an upgrade.

The National Newspicker Page, which is located at http://thenationalnewspickerpage.blogspot.com/ is the world's most efficient way to get all of the news, info and intel that you need in just 20 minutes per day in order to sound like the smartest person in the room.

Grab this gadget at http://thenationalnewspickerpage.blogspot.com/ if you don't already have it, or simply make the page a favorite, for instant reference. We are switching servers, increasing content and re-formatting access -- this is great news! Sadly, until this process is finished on or about April 15th, some of the links to sources might be sporatically disconnected. Stay with us. It will be worth your while.

*Left, Right and Center is undergoing an upgrade.

The latest addition to our info-sourcing, Left, Right and Center, is located at http://newspickerleftrightandcenter.blogspot.com/ is also undergoing the same process. This device, which accesses the the most extremist political news and views from right to left, will be available as a free-standing widget (soon!), and will also be added as an additional tab to the National Newspicker. This process should be completed on or about April 15th. We would suggest that you get this widget in addition to The National Newspicker Widget.

You'll get every bit of edgy news from the far right, the Conservatives, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, militias, survivalists, far-left Liberals, Constitutionalists, Progressives, Internationalists, Cultists....Limbaugh to Franken...Maher to Palin...Centrists to Anarchists -- even the gossip amongst the blue-haired ladies playing Mah Jong in North Miami Beach! This stuff is absolutely fascinating, and is the ideal compliment to everything that you read in the mainstream media. We cover Mother Jones as well as the Spectator. You must get this widget the instant that it becomes available. It doesn't matter what YOUR politics are...find out about what everyone is thinking!

*Rick Itzkowich, Founder of QuoteActions and the acknowledged guru of "Keeping In Touch" has officially launched his much- heralded and critically acclaimed QuoteActions Product and Program:


The QuoteActions program is an incredibly simple tool which allows you to continuously keep in touch with your important relationships (your entire, growing email list of clients, subscribers, associates) daily. It operates on autopilot! Your name and your brand will always be in front of any prospect who needs your services...and being in the right place at the right time are crucial elements in the success of any business. QuoteActions allows you to always be there when it counts. More...

QuoteActions is a fabulous tool for managing your contacts and relationships. Nothing can match it.







*We have two fabulous buttons at the bottom of every Featured TNNWC Columnist's article:

We crave your comments and feedback on every article. Be heard!

The buttons are provided for you to 1) comment on articles and to view other readers' comments on the articles, and to 2) let you forward, share, rate, promote and do other social media stuff with any article which you find to be of interest.

One button pops open to a screen which allows you to read other readers' comments, and to leave your own [the more comments you leave on the greatest number of articles by the greatest number of authors, the better your personal branding and SEO - Fact!]. The other gives you a means of forwarding or sharing, either by email or by posting to any one (or all) of your social media. Here's what they look like:




Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:


Use these buttons or our Management Team will take them away! Our Management Team is ruthless (we had to let Ruth go), cold-hearted, hard-heading and demanding!





*TNNWC Client, Affiliate and Supporter, Bonnie Ross-Parker, published author and creator of The Joy Of Connecting recently received some NEW press coverage. Bonnie has created a proprietary system for women in business to network person-to-person in a completely unthreatening, inviting atmosphere that produces more actual ACTIVE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS than any other networking method.


If you are female (you must be sure!), you should consider becoming a JOC licensee. It is the most powerful in-home, real-touch relationship and network-building tool ever conceived by the mind of man....er....ah....woman. Ms. Ross-Parker provides a fabulous system to her Licensees, along with live training, constant upgrading, publicity, service and ongoing support. JOC Licensees (and now, The Latina Joy Of Connecting "LJOC" Licensees, too) promote their own businesses while they help other invitees to promote theirs. As Paula Fellingham would say, it is a genuine "WIN - WIN" for every Licensee and attendee. In fact, you might want to look at Paula's site: http://www.thewinonline.com/.

Bottom line: Female? In business? Want fast-track growth without an enormous budgetary outlay and without pressure? Get a License -- While you can.


To learn more about this revolutionary and efficient sytem for instantly building meaningful business relationships without "speed-dating stress" or polishing up your 30-second (gulp!) "elevator pitch," download TNNWC's Public Announcement about Ms. Ross-Parker and The Joy Of Connecting by clicking on either:

http://www.mediafire.com/?zzmixjmtywm (for those of you who prefer long, hard urls) or by clicking on this one:

http://bit.ly/TheJOCNewsbrief (for those of you who like catchier, truncated urls which are more easily remembered) . Do it now.

*Have you reviewed any of the blogs authored or administered by TNNWC Vice-Chairman Douglas Castle? He's even got a new one.

The new blog features music to take you away from the stresses of building and growing entrepreneurial and emerging enterprises. A music break is brief, but it allows your intellectual and creative batteries to restore themselves so that you can actually be more productive. Click on and join up (it's free, but the price is due to double on June 1st):

http://RadioDAZZ.blogspot.com Go there.

Every other blog in this brilliant constellation, and every social media link is under the TNNWC Umbrella (which is not to be confused with the Traveller's Insurance Company Umbrella, which cannot be folded or put into your attache case):

The National Networker Companies - Networking is only the beginning...

Braintenance - Stay razor sharp.

The Internationalist Page - A world without barriers.

The Global Futurist - Revealing trends.

Taking Command! - Mastering your fate.

LINKS 4 LIFE - Help in any emergency.

Follow Castle on Twitter

Follow TNNW on Twitter

Follow Braintenance on Twitter

Follow GetGlobalEdge on Twitter

Follow GICBC on Twitter

Grab the National Newspicker Page Gadget - All the news, trends and intel you need...in 20 minutes per day.

Note: Douglas Castle is perhaps one of the greatest social and economic visionaries of our time -- then again, there are those who think that he is a ranting fool. He is neither humble nor tactful. His mother loves him...almost nobody else does. [Adam j. Kovitz, the creator of the notion of Relationship Capital, merely tolerates Castle].

With all of the best yet to come,

Adam J. Kovitz and Douglas Castle

The National Networker Companies

Join our GICBC and receive our free news, info, intelligence and publications at http://bit.ly/JoinTNNW . You will absolutely want access to our suite of services, too. Join.

_________________

Tags, Terms and Labels: Sandra Levitin, Bonnie Ross-Parker, Kalön Women, The Joy Of Connecting, Paula Fellingham, The Women's Information Network, The Win Online, QuoteActions, Rick Itzkowich, empowered women, The National Networker Companies, Metro Merchant Services, merchant/vendor payment processing, TNNWC Preferred Services Provider.
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Update Bulletin - New Developments - The National Networker Companies - 04.11.2010

BLUE THING #9: This Week's Top Buzzed Items and Terms

New! We've added a new feature at the bottom of this blue quadrilateral of vast wisdom -- it is a Word Cloud (produced for us by TNNW Blogworks using an algorithm developed by Tag Crowd) of this morning's most frequently occurring terms in Google Search Results. Have a go at it! The larger and bolder the word displayed, the more frequently it came back as a part of search results. Science meets art. How appealing!

To get this week's top buzzed items, just Click on:
http://TheNationalNewspickerPage.blogspot.com

Pick on: http://TheNationalNewspickerPage.blogspot.com -- Get all the news, info and intel that you need in order to be far ahead of the curve. We are green, environmentally-compliant, eco-friendly, bio-degradable, and emit no CO2 or other greenhouse gases. We do not emit dangerous radiation, gamma waves, tidal waves, or other similar things which could potentially cause disease or fatality (even death!) amongst our readers, or emit anything which could destroy our planet. We don't permit our employees to even walk on other people's lawns. Our company automobiles are run on electricity or ethanol, as do some of our senior staff members. We love the Earth. Choose the Picker -- Save the Planet!

Now featuring the Rede Report Blog from the New York Times.

Newly improved, enriched and in a more easily navigable format. Try it. Please. You'll like it.




Did you know that several hundred people (we use the term "people" loosely) have already picked THE NATIONAL NEWSPICKER gadget to adorn their websites, blog pages and newsletters? Our goal: 100,000 viewings per day. Join us, please. Choose your news! THE WORLD IS GOING GREEN.

*Better grab this gadget soon for mounting on your blog, website, newsletter, homepage, social media profile, twitter feed, refrigerator, cinder block and your bathroom mirror. (Use duct tape, as it withstands the humidity.) Why? You need news. We have it all. And, after some date (as yet unannounced), you will no longer be able to grab this gadget. You'll have to go directly to the page. It's not funny. Do it. Don't just blow us off as idiosyncratic, uncultivated clowns. This PICKER is POWERFUL.

Think about this: 20 minutes each day to be the smartest person in any meeting (or at least seem like it). You cannot compete in any business pursuit where you interact with other people unless you sound intelligent and informed. Give yourself the edge.

Free Gadget: http://thenationalnewspickerpage.blogspot.com/


THE NATIONAL NEWSPICKER PAGE - The wearin' o' the green. 'taint just blarney, Old Son. Sing along if you know the song..."Everybody's doin' it, doin' it, doin' it..."


Here's our Tag Cloud for today based upon the most frequently occurring words in Google Search Results. We limited our cloud to only the top 50 words.

analysis autos basketball biology business canada cheats cnet com company computers copyright entertainment errors expert flights food football games google health hints inc investing jobs lodging medicine movies news online outdoors people pets psychology recreation regional rights school search shopping soccer sports technology topic toys travel uk video weather web

Custom created by TNNW Blogworks using an algorithm developed by TagCrowd.com

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The National Networker Companies

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BLUE THING #9: This Week's Top Buzzed Items and Terms