Please take a look at the below – it’s an invitation from “The View From The Bay” for January 26th.

If you can, please come and support me!

FROM ABC-TV:

I would like to extend a special invitation to Sandra J. Shepard’s friends, family and colleagues to be in our studio audience the day that she will be appearing  on “The View From The Bay” – Tuesday 26^th, 2010.

Meet Spencer Christian and Janelle Wang and get a chance to see the behind the scenes of a live television broadcast. Tickets for the show must be reserved in advance. Audience doors open at 2:15pm with a cut-off time of 2:30pm, the show is live from 3-4pm.

To reserve your seats please call the ticket request line at (415)-954-7733 or visit www.viewfromthebay.com and click on “be in our audience” and fill out a ticket request form. Or click on the link below to go to our online ticket request form. Simply fill out your information and press submit.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/feature?section=view_from_the_bay&id=6337461

Please be sure to note under “comments” that you are requesting a specific date to support Sandy on her scheduled show.

Please pass this email on to any friends, family or colleagues who may be interested in being in our studio audience.

*Please note that all seats must be reserved in advance. Tickets that have been requested will be sent via an email confirmation with detailed instruction on where and when to arrive at the ABC studio. Also note that audience members come in a separate entrance and time than guests appearing on the show.

Rachel Wyatt
Audience Coordinator
Rachel.Wyatt@abc.com

The View from the Bay

HEY! Sheila Stewart and I were interviewed on the talk radio show Your Time With Kim on How the Economy Affects Your Sex Life. Sheila and I met a while back when we were each speaking at a gig, and then I interviewed Sheila a few podcasts back. We had so much fun, we put the show on the road!

(This is a little break back into my “real life” and away from the Trials and Tribulations of turning CouchPotatoWoman into IronWoman!)

 

 Sex and the Economy: Talk Radio Interview on "Your Time With Kim" Show: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hey! I had a couple of interviews last week, and I’m going to give it a go to upload them here! In this interview, Sheila Stewart and I discuss Marketing In The New Economy.

Wish you had a large corporate budget for marketing, yet know you are on a shoe-string budget?
Know that every dollar spent on marketing needs to generate a return?
Not sure what to spend or what to do with your marketing?
Tune in to get affordable ideas that generate results!

 

 Power-Inject Your Marketing! A Chat from DivaToolbox: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If the above doesn’t work for some reason (because I was given it by the radio interviewer) here is the link; I am Episode One:

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=65954&cmd=tc

Always wondered what Network Marketing was about – and how to know what’s a good one and what might make Madoff proud? This episode discusses some of the aspects you should look for in a MultiLevel Marketing (MLM) or Network Marketing business.

Episodes 11 and 12 generally introduced you to the idea of having your own business, and in particular discussed the four ways to make money according to Robert Kiyosaki in Rich Dad, Poor Dad: Being an employee, self-employed, having investments that throw off income, or having a BUSINESS. This episode will explain what you should really look for if you are considering bringing in a second income in a home-based business.

Some of the books and websites recommended in this podcast include:

No Excuse!,  Jay Rifenbary

How To Select a Network Marketing Company, Daren Falter

Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki (also mentioned in Episode 11)

The Slight Edge, Jeff Olson

Why We Want You to Be Rich, Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki

The Next Millionaires, Paul Zane Pilzer

The Go-Giver, Bob Burg and John David Mann

Go For No!, Richard Fenton

The Referral of a Lifetime, Tim Templeton

Chicken Soup for the Network Marketers Soul, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

Navigating the World of Network Marketing, Diane Walker and Jack Bastide

Your First Year in Network Marketing, Mark Yarnell and Rene Reid Yarnell

The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas Stanley and William Danko

How To Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie

I will link these books hopefully by Sunday – wanted to get the podcast up though, and it’s late!

 

 Fempowerment Episode 13: Recession-Proof Your Income: Network Marketing, MLMs and Why it's not a Pyramid [45:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

WOW! I just had the MOST amazing thing happen to me. Seriously – I still can’t believe it.

I’ve gone to a new networking group once (this was my 2nd time) that “styled itself as” a BNI group (without being part of BNI) - but only for individuals with High Net Worth Clients. Fine, that fits me – and I was recommended by a woman I very much respect. Last time I was at the group, I met some really great people, and thought that I could be helpful to them – whether on the SendOutCards side (offering a marketing/relationship management tool) or on the law side (helping with intellectual properties issues, including trademark – or copyright infringement), or the like.

My car died – and so I had to go to some trouble to get to the group this month. My “James” dropped me off, then I was to walk home (replace nice Manolo’s with bright blue and white tennies, hoof it back).  Actually it was nice walking home – except, I was steamed and missed most of the nice, Spring day.

What happened? I got to the restaurant, and saw some of the folks I had spoken with before – definitely a nice group/good size. Then the guy who had formed the group with the gal who had invited me came in the room, and “beckoned” for me to “join him outside.”

This guy has a Financial Management company (gee, fancy static web page last updated in 2008…) Last time, he had come up to me when I was talking with 2 other women, and had asked something about basically how “everyone was doing with their portfolio” or some such (I didn’t know he was a financial guy), and I told him and the two women that my husband and I were truly blessed, as we have a person managing our money, and he saved us from losing anything during the stock market downturn. Then I made it very clear to the women (by this time he’d made it clear that’s what “he did”), that in my opinion it’s incredibly important for everyone to have “experts” on their side. I didn’t even mention my guy’s name – and made it clear that my opinion is that people shouldn’t manage their own money, they should leave it to professionals and (to him) hope your clients love you as well as we love our guy, we couldn’t do it without him.

SO. This guy took me “outside” (into the waiters’ prep area no less) and said that this was “his group,” and as this was a “network referral group” and as I “already had a financial manager,” that he wasn’t inclined to let me join (even though there was no one in my “profession” in the group – they only have one of each profession, like BNI). That the “idea of the group” was to “only refer within” and “as it was his group” I obviously wouldn’t be referring things to him (so, I guess, I had to go). I just shook my head and laughed. I said that I wouldn’t recommend ANYONE that I didn’t think was THE best, and that I wouldn’t recommend anyone in a group unless that person was indeed the best one I knew – whether or not I was in a “networking group” with them or not. However, if he had the same sort of track record that my guy did, I’m sure that there were certain of my friends and clients that might work better with him than, perhaps, with my guy. But he’d need to prove that to me for me to refer him. He reiterated that this was “his group” and so, basically,….what? Leave now? Don’t come back? He left that up in the air.

I REALLY like the gal he founded the group with – she seems like a straight shooter, and so I’m shocked to get the “step into the waiter’s area” stiff-arm from this guy. What-ev-er. I guess that I won’t go back…makes me sad, because there are a LOT of folks in that group that I believe I could help and refer people to. I didn’t leave though – I went back in and had lunch, and waited for the “networking rounds.”

The funniest part is that when it came time for us to do our “one minute advertisement” on ourselves, I didn’t really talk about myself. I talked about the fact that ABC-TV had this new high def show coming out nationwide, what the show premise was,  and that if anyone was interested, I could perhaps introduce them to the producer, etc. etc. I didn’t really say what I did – because the point is, that I’d rather anyone who wants a “go” at the new show get me their info immediately, so I can evaluate it and get it to the producer, to help them, and to help the new show out. Would that be…perhaps…giving for the sake of giving…?

I guess I won’t go back. I will definitely write to the gal who invited me, and tell her why. I will also write the folks that I would like to continue networking with from the group why I won’t be back. I think it’s fair to let them know, versus them thinking that I’m just bailing. I’m sure that ~he~ wouldn’t tell anyone “what happened.”

What are your views on this? I’d be very curious to know. It only meets once a month – so I have time to hear any and all comments and thoughts.

“While many are wringing their hands, I recall the 1970s when we were suffering from an oil shock causing long lines at gas stations, rationing, and 55 MPH speed limits on Federal highways, a recession, very little venture capital ($50 million per year into VC firms), and, what President Jimmy Carter (wearing a sweater while addressing the Nation on TV because he had turned down the heat in the White House) called a “malaise”. It was during those times that two kids without any real college education, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, started companies that did pretty well. Opportunities abound in bad times as well as good times. In fact, the opportunities are often greater when the conventional wisdom is that everything is going into the toilet.”

If any of you are interested in what a Treat’Em Right Conference with SendOutCards is like, one of the gals who has a retail account (zero entry point!) with me went to one – and this is what she had to say.

As you know, SendOutCards is a network marketing organization – and I discuss it in Podcast Episode 11. A Treat’Em Right is a conference about SendOutCards that you can go to that discusses the philosophy – and this writeup explains what to expect.

If you can get to a Treat’Em Right, I would love for you to go to check it out. There are a few left this year. Here is the schedule for 2009.

After reading the April issue of Vanity Fair magazine about Bernie Madoff, Iceland going bankrupt, and the like, this Episode continues on from where Episode 11 left off – Finances, Debt, Wealth, and the like. I know that it sounds a bit like I’m in a wind tunnel – something is “up” with my microphone, and Levelator, etc. didn’t fix it. I admit it’s been a while and I have a new computer…so perhaps I pushed a wrong button here or there. Please let me know what you think of this Episode - I do these for your comments! I’m getting the next one ready, but if you are curious about anything in particular, ask…and ye shall receive (as best as this Bond Grrl can answer)

Click below to listen…

 

 Fempowerment Episode 12: Money, Honey - A Chat About Finances [25:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hey all!

I have just returned from New Orleans and a cruise to Cozumel, that I received from my MLM business, SendOutCards. I am going to be doing my next podcasts on finances – since it’s on everyone’s mind now. I will start with what I wrote about in fEmpowerment…then move on to what I learned at the lectures on the cruise.

I have to tell you – NOW is the time to get that part time/full time money through a business that is YOURS. One of the hallmarks (usually) of a Bond Girl is that she is her own boss. Hey – James Bond “works for the man” – he’s a government employee. Bond Girls usually have their own businesses!

A lot of folks have questions about network marketing…which is what I am using to currently supplement (and soon replace) the income from my law firm. I will never replace my coaching and speaking income…because I love doing it! But networking marketing is sure a wonderful way to come home to an unexpected check! My check this month is 5x the one from last month. I’ve been doing my MLM for a year, not even full time. But it’s just starting to pick up. I’m getting excited!

Anyway – CLICK HERE to take a look at this – it answers a couple of the questions I am asked a lot about multilevel marketing. Hope you enjoy!

This book is available as a PDF download RIGHT NOW from Oprah.com – become a member (for free) if you are not already, and GO GET IT! In these financially tough times, being offered free help is awesome!  Here is a clip from the foreword of the book:

“A study of more than five thousand individuals, conducted by Harris Interactive in cooperation with Merrill Lynch, has torn the covers off the four groups of people who make up the new economic strata in America today. They are:

We now know that the people who have achieved both financial comfort and wealth are distinctly different from those who are struggling paycheck to paycheck or sinking further into debt each month.

They are different in their attitudes, behaviors (financial and nonfinancial), personalities, and goals.

The financially comfortable and the wealthy tend to be more passionate about what they do in life, they are more optimistic, and they are more resilient—able to overcome whatever obstacles life throws their way. They are more visionary—able to see things in a slightly different and improved way, if not a new way altogether. They are more connected to others in their professional and personal lives, and they have greater confidence in those relationships, as well as in their lives overall. And they are grateful—incredibly grateful—for the good fortune life has thrown their way.

They are also more likely to come at life with a different mind-set and a different set of skills. They tend to be goal setters who figure out what they want in life and then make a plan to go after it. They are dogged workers (and often need less sleep). The comfortable and wealthy take more risks than the average person, but they listen to their own voices and those of people they trust in order to be as certain as possible that those risks are appropriate for their stage in life or work. And they are always on a quest to learn something new.

you can learn. Although some people are born with, say, more optimism, it—like every other attribute or skill on this list—can be taught.

And that is what The Difference is all about. [The] book is devoted to teaching you how to uncover your nascent talents and develop those abilities. You will discover the latest psychological and academic findings, complete exercises that are easy to incorporate into your everyday life, and read stories of people who’ve done precisely what you want to do. They’ve harnessed the power within and used it to reach the same goals you have: financial comfort and long-lasting wealth.

Go download the book right now!

Okay, so since I’m now using this as a blog again (smile), I’m writin’ what’s up today.

I was up at 4:00 this morning, because the economic news is not good in this Bond Grrl’s household. My James told me his take-home is being cut by 25% (though he still has a job). We talked about it a lot, and went to bed, and I woke up in a cold sweat at 4:00.  Not very Bond Grrlish of me, is it?

SO, I went downstairs to catch up on my email/bills/etc. from our being away (nothing like returning from an expensive trip and having another on the horizon – already paid for – to make you freak too!). OK and catch up on Criminal Minds, Bones, CSI NY, Oprah…At about 7:00, I got a text from my bff, Domino. She is moving this weekend, had said she didn’t need help, and then realized she DID need help. She asked if I could be there by 9:00, and I said I’d do my best.

Woke my James up with coffee at about 8:30 (VERY early for my handsome husband secret agent!) and told him I really had to (and wanted to) go – Domino has moved me probably 5 times, and somehow I have never reciprocated. He had a bunch of “honey do” stuff for me – mainly going to a local home improvement store that’s going out of business and looking at things we don’t quite need now, but we definitely WILL, since they’re marked down 50%. I wound up with a kitchen sink and a huge outdoor amphora in the back of the SUV – and off I went to Domino’s.

I was about 2 hours later than she wanted me there (I got there at about 10:45) – so I didn’t actually help with packing the moving van as her James and his buds had hoped (or bring them bagels and coffee as they’d hoped!). The boyz were all done, and she was up at the new house when I showed up at the old. Both he and Domino said that there were “just the baby clothes left” in the closet, and could I get them and bring them up?  SURE, I said.

OK, so I swept through that house like the Grinch in Whoville. (I actually texted her at one point “I feel like I need to look for Cindy Lou Who’s lollypop!”) There was a lot of “stuff” that hadn’t been packed – you know, odds and ends – but all over the house. I wound up starting downstairs, and just bringing everything up to their foyer, first – then taking a look at what I actually could pack and bring.

The funniest part was that there weren’t a lot of bags or boxes left – just a few – but as I dove into back closets and the like I wound up finding things like the cover for her massage table (HUGE score for carrying stuff!), old Nordstrom’s bags that suits come in, grocery bags, stuff like that. So I went to tackle their bedroom, last (which was the one place that I was supposed to really clear out - the baby’s closet).

Now, mind you, this baby has more clothes than ~I~ do (she’s like 4 months old). But there was still about 1/4 of Domino’s closet, some still in her James’ closet, a boatload of hangars, and all the baby’s clothes. And the breast pump. And the baby bath. And…oh Lord…all Domino’s bathroom stuff.

INTERVENTION! I started texting her as soon as I opened up those bathroom drawers! She had a bottle of massage oil I had brought her back from Scotland – FIFTEEN YEARS AGO.  (Yes, really.) Oil…goes…bad…hello…I texted her to say “Just Say ‘Throw’!” She had dozens of lipsticks. I’m cleaning out the drawer, there are 3 Chanel of the same color, unopened, behind some QTips…ok yeah I could go on. And so I totally busted her chops. And dozens of jog bras. Sweaters smashed behind sweaters.

Why are they moving? Like all of us, they need to save some dough. They can get a better house by moving farther from the city, and into a more “cookie cutter” neighborhood and rent there for a while, as they save for their own place.

She’s skimmed my book, but I guess it just didn’t “catch.”

Lots of Brands in the clothes and accessories…but Safeway-brand vitamins. 

How many of you are like this? Be serious. Have you really gone through YOUR house? How about taking some of your extra stuff to a Consignment Store? Or eBay? If not there, how’s about doing a Clothing Swap party (I’m having one on Monday!), where you can all get “new clothes” from your friends, and then give the rest to charity! And I can’t stress enough that your “big money” should be spent going into you…not onto you. You never EVER see a Bond Girl in brands…

About 8 years ago, an Auntie of mine (Rosemary Manell) had to be put in an Alzheimer’s Home, and my James and I helped my Mom clean out her house. Holy cow. It was one of “those” situations – books up the stairwells…stuff everywhere – and we are talking GOOD stuff. She was Julie Child’s best friend, and her husband had been Consul General during World War 2, and she had lived an awesome awesome life – so she had GREAT stuff, just a LOT of it. After we worked for weeks on it, all of us wound up cleaning up our stuff, because we realized we just did NOT want to be in that situation later in life! It was just one of those moments. And it was what formed how I explained how to “attack these issues” in the first Chapter of my book!

Well, there I was, facing it again…and I know (because my bff just texted me!) that she thought she was SO GOOD! Woah.

OK, one funny thing – I wound up PACKING my car and I mean PACK-ING it with stuff to bring up to their new house…but the stuff I’d had to get with my James was all still in the back too.  When Domino’s James’s BFF saw it, he said “HEY, look, she’s got everything, and the kitchen sink….SERIOUSLY.” It completely cracked me up.

So, that’s the update. And yeah, I’m goin’ back to the bloggin’ style that got my book written – write stream of consciousness, post.  So there. See ya, maybe not tomorrow, but definitely Monday after my Clothing Swap Party!!

In this podcast, Olga Cordiero, a Certified Management Accountant and Founder of the Empowerment Coaching Academy, will discuss the misconceptions (or mythconceptions) many of us have surrounding money. Olga specifically discusses the questions of how to assess whether your Financial Advisor has your best interests at heart, and whether your home is really a good investment.

Olga has offered you a free consultation as a listener – please follow the link above, and mention that you heard about her on BeABondGirl.com!

And yes…I was going to put some fancy schmancy pictures (and at least a photograph of Olga) on this post…but for some reason WordPress isn’t letting me upload one. But I am DETERMINED to get this posted today!

 

 Interview with Olga Cordiero, Empowerment Coaching Academy: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hello! I know, it’s been quite some time since I did a regular podcast. Amazingly, this is my 35th podcast, but that includes the hynotherapy podcasts, interviews, vodcasts, etc. So I am calling this “Podcast 11″ since it’s the 11th one where it’s me, just me…

The picture at left is Special Agent V and her sexy James. They live in Switzerland, as you will hear, and are planning a round-the-world trip! Special Agent V asked for tips on looking Bond Girlish (not schlumpy) when living for nine months out of one suitcase. If you’re curious, she found BeABondGirl.com this way:

“I was home sick in bed for 4 days and I am a fan of James Bond (I have the whole collection on DVD ). Since I was already in bed with my laptop surfing endlessly, I was wondering what exactly the Bond Girl names were and to know if they had a character story beyond what you see in the films. I started my search and found you online. And then loaded up a podcast… and yeah, got hooked. Better than knowing a Bond Girl is to be one yourself ;-)”

Secret Agent V and I had a long-running email tail about how, and what, to pack for her trip, which I go into in abbreviated fashion on this podcast. I also had an email from – Mr. Bond himself! Yes, I did… though it might not be what you think!

Next, here is the information from “Mr. Bond” on his venture into podcasting – it is Episode 33 on the Nursing Show blog, and if you click here, it will take you to it.  Mr. Bond is interviewed on being an E.R. Nurse after being an EMT/Paramedic for over a decade (his interview is actually at the 12:30 mark). What a great podcast! It’s amazing, there are podcasts for everything…with great resources, articles and links.  This is a super one! Go Bond… Paul Bond!

Finally, this BABG podcast deals with how we Bond Girls make our money. Using Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Kiyosaki as a template, we discuss the differences between being an employee, self-employed, a business, and an investor, and how being a “real” business (versus being self-employed, which is just being an employee, with yourself as your boss, janitor, marketer, bill collector, and chief bottle washer!) can ultimately lead you to the cashflow upon which to retire.

As part of discussing cashflow and business, I talk quite a bit about network marketing and my experiences with many such companies, including my current one, SendOutCards.com. Because I really believe in networking marketing as a way to control your destiny money-wise, I am offering anyone who writes to me a copy of Beach Money by Jordan Adler. If you’d like a copy, listen to the podcast and let me send you one!

Please let me know if you would like more on wealth-building or any other topics. I will likely talk a bit more about finances, wealth creation, and the like in the next few podcasts, but my subjects are really guided by what you’d like to hear. So speak up – don’t be shy!

As I noted in the podcast, unfortunately I have lost my previous call-in line. Yes, it happens to the best of us. The New Number for Listener Feedback is 206-350-1867.  You can now reach me both on doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com (which comes to my Blackberry), or sandy [at] BeABondGirl [dot] com, my new direct email address.  Finally, you can always Comment below. I hope you enjoy this episode, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Click the red button below to listen:

 

 011 Listener Feedback and a Chat about Cashflow: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The amazing and wonderful Collabo-writer Sallie Goetsch-rhymes-with-sketch  at Author-izer.com sent me a link that definitely belongs here:  50 Things You Should Know How To Do from Marc and Angel Hack Life.

This website is wa-a-ay too addictive. I’d definitely suggest adding it to your RSS Feedreader (if you don’t have one or don’t know how to do this, email me and I’ll ’splain — it’s super easy and you will LOVE it once you get it set up). Archives include:

25 Daily Suggestions to Guide you toward the Good Life;

10 Handy Numbers for your Mobile Phone (particularly notice the FREE 411 through Google);

33 Inspirational Videos from YouTube (including the “Last Lecture,” laughter yoga, the original Hoosiers motivational speech, the Braveheart “Freedom” speech, and wow, wow, wow, SO MUCH MORE!…check this one out about an autistic guy singing the National Anthem at Disability Awareness Day in Fenway Park in Boston if you want that throat swelling/eyes tearing up moment…);

20 Things the Millionaire Next Door does NOT do (fantastic list. I cover this in my book, based on the actual book “The Millionaire Next Door” – but read this and BE HONEST – what stops you from being a millionaire? My biggest issue is #9 – impulse buying – as Erin Doland and I discussed in our podcast, this is the “Shiny! Shiny!” problem. I actually do NOT do this at the mall – it’s always at things like silent auctions for charities. I figure it’s for a good cause . . . but hello, it’s not good for my pocketbook! I just did this yesterday at one of my favorite charities in the world, Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment…just shoot me.)

Check out this site! It’s great!  Thanks again, Sallie!

As you’ve probably surmised, today is a day for me to post a bunch of stuff I have been holding onto. Here is another link, to The Story of Stuff, with Annie Leonard.  It’s 20 minutes long, but I think it’s a very good reminder… especially if you’re feeling a little down and want to cure that with “Retail Therapy”!

 I was particularly interested in some of the quotes about “planned obsolescence.” I also had to ruefully smile when Annie points out that, after 9/11, the President could have asked us to grieve, to be compassionate, to come together… instead, what he told us to do was Shop. (True!)

I’m not particularly political, but I do have a strong feeling that we’re getting to that Al-Gore-Nobel-Peace-Prize “point of no return” when it comes to our resources.  This should lead to a change in priorities… and to having a good, long look at our lifestyle. One of the things that Annie points out is that the two biggest leisure activities in the U.S. are watching TV, and shopping.  And if you’re watching TV, you’re getting exposed to commercials, which are basically telling you that “You Suck” (her words, not mine) and that you need to buy their products, to “Not Suck.”  So you go to work, or maybe work two jobs, to buy the Stuff that the advertisements say will make you Not Suck, and then you’re so exhausted when you get home, all you can do is watch TV… when tells you that You Suck (dot dot dot)

I was also very interested that the whole “planned obsolescence”/concentration on Consumerism thing started in the 1950s — which was the “peak” of our Happiness Graph as a society (it’s fallen since that time).  Gee, maybe because instead of using stuff until we’re done with it, having extra time to spend with our families, etc. we are being bombarded with advertising that says We Suck, news that says The World Sucks, and feeling that the only way for it all to be fixed is — surprise! — to buy more!

Have a look — I think it would be great to watch this with the kids, too, and be ready for some hard questions from THEM, about how YOUR household fits into this mix.

…Yeah ok fine, one more word on the Recession “thang.”  The glass is always 1/2 full or 1/2 empty — right?

Why not accentuate the GOOD THINGS that are going to come out of this?  Because your mind will be more on keeping track of your $ outflow, you can train your baby Bond daughters and sons the true value of things — and that your love (and their worth) is NOT tied up in you buying them yet ANOTHER pair of whatever-they-wants. You can “nest” with your James and make a couple cocktails, and chat, maybe even have fun preparing a meal together, instead of complaining about how you “can’t go out” because you don’t have enough $.

 Accent what works! 

Let me give you a little potential thing you could do on your next Date Night with your James, instead of going for a full-bore dinner that’s going to set him back a couple bills. Get all dolled up, the 2 of you. Then, go to the most expensive restaurant in town that has a bar. Not one with a packed 3-deep bar — a super nice place, quiet, lush, Bond Grrrrrl.

When you sit down, if the bar wraps around, try to get a seat on the side — so that you can watch the dining room and what’s going on. Just get the best seat you can. (If you can’t get a good one straight off, then wait, and move to it.) If you are not a drinker, have the bartender order you up whatever it is that you would like — a Sprite or 7-Up maybe? — but have it put in a champagne glass. Put a $20 tip immediately on the bartender mat, and tell your bartender that’s for him or her for taking care of you. This is especially worthwhile if you are not drinking cocktails — which I suggest you might want to consider, since they are very expensive, and you don’t need that to have fun, anyway!  But this way, the bartender knows that your 2-3 7-Ups are still going to be leading to a nice tip.

Then have some fun! Spin a story with your James. Flirt with him. Make sure your smile reaches your eyes! Just lavish your attention on your James. And pay attention to what’s going on out there with the folks that are having dinner. Make up little stories. It can be a blast. Since you will be there after you have had a nice meal at home, you won’t be hungry, you won’t be tempted to eat bread, and you will NOT be pulling bills off the bankroll to escape!

Have fun like this when you can. Be sure to compensate the Staff “as if” you had had a few pricey cocktails — they won’t care what you’re drinking as long as they get their $.

And another note — if right before you sit down at the bar you go to the Ladies and put on some lipstick, you’re going to drink slower. Because we all know how nasty that “lipstick ring” looks on the edge of the glass — so you will be “sipping” to keep the lipstick to a minimum.  This can slow you down, if you “usually” would be drinking cocktails instead of a soda or some bubbly water.  Give it a try!

Man.  I am soooo far behind on my blog, it’s making my head hurt. I could blame it on trying to get the podcasts out; coaching; the weather. Instead, I just think that a lot of things ganged up on me at once!  So!  I’m going to post a passel of blog postings, to get ideas out of my inbox (where I store them)… and away we go!!

Bernanke signals more rate cuts in testimony
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said during testimony to the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday that the central bank would consider more interest-rate cuts. “He didn’t say the word recession, but if you read between the lines, all this talk about further downside risk is dealing with the risk we may already be in one,” said Scott Anderson, a senior economist at Wells Fargo. Bernanke said the slowing economy posed a greater threat than rising inflation.  ClipSyndicate/Bloomberg (2/27), Bloomberg (2/27), Washington Post, The (2/28), Wall Street Journal, The (2/28)

I heard this covered on KCBS right after Bernanke spoke.  The drive-time team was stating that he used wording that sounded “cautious” but in Fed-speak basically means The Economy Is BA-AAAAD.  Then they interviewed a number of economists, and what their “take” was about this.

One of the economists stated that the “first thing to go” would be “Brand buying” — and that folks would then “just feel poorer.”  That when folks aren’t able to “buy their Brands,” they feel deprived.”

Well, let’s start right here, Bond Grrrrrrls.  We know, right, that Bond Grrls are not “Brand Flashers”?  That’s the thing here.  Bond Grrls live amazing lives, and look great, NOT because they have Chanel on their glasses or Armani on their jeans… but because they are confident, chic, fabulous women all by themselves!

With the economy heading South per all the experts, it’s the time to take a look at your life.  If you have my book, you know that involves going through your ENTIRE house, office, etc. — and taking stock.  What do you have that you shouldn’t?  Can you sell it?  Can you put on a yard sale, or just start doing little bits of sale on eBay? If you itemize your deductions, how about getting some charitable deductions or giving away some of your possessions for a charity you love to auction off in a “silent auction”? 

The best part about this all (paradoxically) is that EVERYONE is going to be tightening their belts.  We keep hearing it/hearing it/hearing it — and so you can intelligently say that you are “paying attention to what the Fed is saying” (sounds good, huh?) and NOT go Mall-bopping or shoeshopping.  Open up all your bills.  Take stock.  Then use all this as an EXCUSE not to go and spend.  Because so many people are in trouble now, you need to help light the way. Be an example. Get your bills paid down. Stop spending needlessly. Heck, start brown baggin’ it! And once you’re out of your hole, and once you realize that your worth is in your awesome SELF, not in the umpteenth BrandBling purse you buy, you’re going to be sooooooooooooooooooo much better for it!