With moments to spare, Jackson Nolan graced our lives on September 21, 2007 at 5:12am. He weighed in at 6 lbs 13 oz and was 20 ¼ inches long, with peach-fuzz sandy-blond hair and steely blue eyes
Mom and babe are doing just fine and Chloe seems to think her little brother is pretty cool, too.
I started having contractions at 2am, but I’d been having them off and on for months – and seeing as I was scheduled for a c-section that morning at 8:15am, I really wanted to be sure this was real labor… after about an hour of not being able to get comfortable in any position and then watching the clock, and then feeling that incredible back labor that I had with Chloe, I woke James and told him I wasn’t sure this was ‘it’ – his response? "What else could it be?" Duh… so I called the dr, told her I’d been having contractions for about an hour and a half, but that they were coming more regularly, about 7 minutes apart, and that I was scheduled for a repeat C-section. She said, "come on in…" and thank goodness she did, because by the time we got there, my contractions were barely 2 minutes apart. The dr had the whole team working on me at once to whip me right into the OR (who all said they set a record from admitting to delivery, it was that fast – bless them!). Once the spinal block was in, I was able to be fully present and focused on this baby being born, with James beside me. It was amazing…
Here’s some photos of our little family…
Are there ezines that you receive that you just can’t wait to read? I know I have 3 or 4 that I read as soon as they hit my inbox, and others that I print and put in my "reading box" next to my desk.
What do you think makes me want to read those few right away?
It’s the personal connection I feel to the author, even if I don’t know that person (some I’ve met, some I haven’t yet). Besides the valuable content I get each time I read their newsletter, I am most interested in finding out what’s happening with them, personally and professionally.
As they share more about themselves and their lives, I get to know, like and trust them (and their products or services) over time (and you know that people usually only buy from people they know, like and trust, right?). And eventually I tend to make the investment in them and their offerings.
For example, I was (and still am) a subscriber to Chris Barrow’s "More Profit in Less Time" ezine for about a year when I learned through it that he was holding a live event in NYC. I signed up (at $200), attended the event, and left as a client (for $450/month). Do you think I would have invested that kind of money if I hadn’t gotten to know, like and trust CB and his materials? Of course not.
So, how can you put more of YOU in your ezine to make that connection with your readers? Try some of the following:
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Chloe started her first year of primary at Montessori School this past week – and she loved it. She’s starting a bit early, but James and I felt it would be a disservice to her to wait another year – and her teachers agreed. She is truly going to thrive in the Montessori environment – it’s not for every kid, but it’s definitely the best one for her.
That first morning was hard for me – in a good way. I’m just so proud of her, at how happily independent she is at just 2.7, how she gave both James and I a big hug and kiss and took off into her classroom without a look back. That’s my girl… (and yes, I gave in to a few tears once we got back to the car… )
Here we are that first morning:
Do you often attend in-person events, such as workshops, networking breakfasts, and seminars, and as you speak with people you collect a handful of business cards, but then you don’t know what to do with them?
Of course if someone’s expressed an interest in your services, you want to follow up with them, but most people you talk with at these events may not need your services RIGHT NOW, yet they very well may in the future.
So how do you make sure you’re at their fingertips when they do need you? Get them on your list! That way you’ll have the opportunity to continue to get in front of them in a subtle way. Remember, though, never to put anyone on your list who hasn’t give you permission to do so.
Here are three ways to encourage people to get on your list when you meet them in person, without being pushy:
1. Put your Fr*ee Taste offering (your freebie product that draws people into your marketing funnel) information on the back of your business card, or on whatever other materials you hand out.
Business cards are the standard pass-around marketing tool at these kind of events, but if the back of your card is blank, you’re losing valuable real estate. There are several things you could add to the back of your card, and one of them is the information for your Fr*ee Taste.
Write a snappy sentence describing the benefit that the reader will get if they sign up, along with the website address of where they can subscribe. For example, on the back of one of my cards it says, "Want to increase your in^come and client base by 20%? Sign up for my FR*EE ecourse to show you how at www.clientabundance.com."
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