We had a BLAST, and all the clothing that wasn’t taken (which was thousands of dollars worth) went to a charity, Image for Success, that dresses women (and their families) with two weeks’ worth of business and personal clothing. Check it out! 

And check out this faboo blog - no no, it’s not just faboo because they’re quoting my book (wink). It’s my new subscription in iGoogle!

- Solitaire

OK - I suck. Yes, it’s true, I know. I not only have a fantastic interview podcast that is still 1/2 edited, but I haven’t even posted in the blog. Bad me. Bad bad me.

As ya’ll know, I’ve been trying to replace my law firm income with SendOutCards. I have also been to 2 conventions (eWomenNetwork, and the SendOutCards convention), plus I was on ABC again (link, next blog). But it’s the first that’s really the culprit.

If you’re going to change the way that you make your $, sometimes, other things suffer. It wasn’t going to be my relationship with my James - so (pitiful sigh) it’s my relationship with ya’ll. Forgive me?

I am actually a little amazed to report that last month, my SOC income was more than my law firm income! Yes! People are so interested in this system. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go to YourCardShark.com and send a card on me - or listen to the podcast about it and then go try it out.)

AND - talk about Beach Money (again, go check out that last podcast…) we’re on our way to Hawaii, so I’m crammin’ in work so I can play!

I miss you guys, that’s the truth. I’ve gotten a number of emails and such - book is selling well, thanks - and the SendOutCards is going REALLY well!

I’m going to try to get out about 4 blog postings today, and then be as better-as-I-can when we get back from our holiday. But until then - I apologize, ya’ll rock, and keep it up! Don’t stop readin’ and listenin’ - I’d miss you!

OK just kiddin’ - here’s the link.

Besides, you just gotta LOVE the book that she’s covering… A Mind Of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis by David M. Friedman.

“Femdefence is an on-going project first presented in 2003. The project includes the creation of an imaginary product, which bears the project’s name. The product is a kind of protection against rape, somewhat similar to a tampon in that its user carries it inserted into her vagina. In it there is a sharp pin which has a penetrating effect on the perpetrator’s penis in the event of a rape. The construction is such that the pin cannot injure the bearer. The design is based on a similar construction invented by a Swedish woman named Anita Ingmarsdotter. She came to work on her invention after a series of rape cases in Sweden that received a lot of public attention. Typically, in many of these cases, the accused do not receive an adequate punishment, and the abused women are left without appropriate support from the judicial system. All too often they, in the perpetrators’ place, are burdened with guilt.”

Yee-owch…

Hey, who said “Be Prepared” was only the motto for the Boy Scouts, hmmmmmmmmm grrls???

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:

Enjoy!

The host, Janelle Wang, did great! I hope that you enjoy it!

I would strongly suggest clicking on the link above - because that’s what I’m going to be doing for the next little while. I sure need some help in the Motivation/Get Back Started department!

1. Don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
2. Avoid foods containing ingredients you can’t pronounce.
3. Don’t eat anything that wouldn’t eventually rot.
4. Avoid food products that carry health claims.
5. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket; stay out of the middle.
6. Better yet, buy food somewhere else: the farmer’s market or CSA.
7. Pay more, eat less.
8. Eat a wide diversity of species/foods.
9. If you eat animals, eat animals that eat grass, plankton, or what’s natural for them.
10. Cook and, if you can, Grow some of your own food.
11. Eat meals. Eat them only at tables.
12. Eat deliberately, with other people whenever possible, and always with pleasure.

Amen to that!  Have a great weekend!

Here is a link to a slide show of many of the puzzles - be sure to read the descriptions on the right.

Monique’s agency is comprised of individuals with various levels of expertise; they have conducted some of the highest profile investigations, both foreign and domestic. Each Investigative professional is a proven experts in his or her field. These include International Terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Crisis Management, Foreign Counterintelligence, Corporate Espionage, Organized Crime, Art Fraud, Kidnapping, and Crime Scene analysis. One of the high profile investigations included the 9/11 World Trade Center attack.

25 Plus Reasons to Hire a Private Investigator:

1.  Retrieve Bank Accounts

2.  Intercept telephone communications

3.  Conduct surveillance

4.  Perform background checks (this is particular important for businesses!)

5.  Conduct undercover sting operations

6.  Carry out “mystery shopper” or “mystery client” projects

7.  Reconstruct an accident

8.  Conduct an asset search

9.  Investigate identity theft

10. Catch a cheating spouse/infidelity

11. Investigate child custody

12. Conduct a personal injury investigation

13. Carry out a divorce & family law investigation

14. Inspect restaurants and bars

15. Conduct executive protection

16. Perform fraud/embezzlement investigations

17. Investigate sexual harassment cases

18. Perform due diligence of all kinds

19. Locate missing persons

20. Carry out polygraph/lie detector tests

21. Serve subpoenas (remember this if you are suing anyone in CA!)

22. Investigate stalkers/predators - online and offline

23. Perform computer forensics & investigations

24. Perform workplace violence investigations

25. Work on death penalty cases/evidence

26. Check public records in court

Plus, 5 reasons why your Private Investigator should be a woman:

1.  Not easy to detect

2.  Better in undercover operations

3.  More convincing with phone pretexts

4.  Less intimidating

5.  More intuitive

As you can see if you go to Monique’s agency’s website, she is definitely the “real deal.” (I tried about 50 times to load a photo of Monique on this post and it kept hanging… perhaps, some P.I. special magic attached to it so I wasn’t able to? Hmmm!)

I wanted to share this with all of you, in case (Heaven Forbid) you should need these services… and weren’t sure where to turn. Monique is currently working on a couple of death penalty cases, and recently retrieved a child that was abducted from China and taken to the U.S. She’s definitely the real deal - and a Bond Grrrrl!

 (1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given “five more minutes” to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm.  This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with “Nothing” usually end in “Fine.”   

(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!     

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing.   (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of “Nothing.”)

(6) That’s Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That’s okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.  

(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you’re welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says “Thanks a lot” - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all.    DO NOT say “you’re welcome” … that will bring on a “Whatever”).

(8) Whatever: Is a women’s way of saying  F** K YOU!

(9) Don’t worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking “What’s wrong?” For the woman’s response refer to # 3.

Margo interviewed me after reading my book, and I loved the questions that she asked, especially with respect to the Teens. I’d be very interested if any of you have ideas with respect to what subjects from the book I could aim toward podcasts, etc?

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!

This one contains one of my most favorite things - the “Love Beams” card. This is truly something I do every day, and I LOVE it! Also my amazing publisher has put a downloadable Contract on her website, as indicated on the card - but click here if you’d like to get to it quickly!

Click on the link below, to download the cards.

In this vodcast, we take the mint from the julep and create a Mojito, and as the Mojito reminds us of travel (Cuba might open up any time now!), we discuss:

*  How Sandy packed in 15 minutes for a 3 week honeymoon;

*  Picking and packing in a “base” color, intelligently;

*  Getting around every woman’s Achilles heel (as it were) - Shoes!

*  Things to leave in your suitcase, including one Secret Weapon to amaze your James;

*  Covering issues such as plants, lights, kids, pets, mail, newspapers and the like so you’re ready to take off when an adventure presents itself;

*  Handling lotions, potions, makeup and jewelry on a trip; and

*  Much more!

In a few minutes, we hope we can get you from “Oh Honey, No!” when those tickets to Paris show up unexpectedly, to “Honey, Let’s Go!”

Let me know what you think - either give me a ring on my Listener Feedback line 206.350.3537, leave a Comment here, or email to sandy[at]beabondgirl[dot]com.

* How the Unclutterer Got Started, including all about Mazes of Stuff and the Bud Lite Bottle rising from the Dead/Rubbermaid Coffin (cue scary music);

*  How to terrorize soon-to-be-husbands (N.B.: Mazes of stuff will do it);

*  Dealing kindly with a Packrat;

*  How to start the decluttering process, be dispassionate, and communicate;

*  Two great ways to diminish the “mine v. yours” struggle;

*  How to discuss what “Simple Living” means to each of you and how to imagine living together as one;

*  Your Toaster or Mine: How to deal when the space won’t hold it all (especially two of everything);

*  Who are You, Really: What new and exciting thoughts you could entertain about decluttering and how not to drag the anchor of the Old You, along with all of her dead/post energy and stories, into your new life; and

*  A whole lot more!

I hope you enjoy this podcast, and please let me know if there are other experts you might like to hear interviewed on our Coffee Chats. We sure had fun doing it - you might just listen to give you a smile!

Here are the links to Erin’s two interviews on the Precision Change podcast: Tired of the Crap? Become an Unclutterer! and What is Clutter Costing You? Just to have it all in one place, here is the summary link to all the uncluttering entries I’ve made on the website.  If you have my book, you know that the entire Chapter 1 is dedicated to this topic… You can’t release your Inner Bond Girl if you can’t find her under the Piles of Stuff!!! 

If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail sandy [at] beabondgirl [dot] com or leave a comment below.

Click the red button below to listen.

Click on the link below, to download the cards.

As pointed out in Forbes, “Some feminists rail that Bond Girls are hypersexualized and two-dimensional. (They are called girls, after all.)”  But Bond Girls are “generally from working-girls stock…their ranks include an astrophysicist, Oxford professor, pilot..circus [owner]…”

The thing about Bond Girls is that they are ordinary women caught in extraordinary circumstances.  They actually live where a governnment employee on an expense account (a/k/a James Bond) drops into. They have wonderful lives - Bond has to go where he’s told and doesn’t really have an anchor and place. Bond Girls are sensual and have enough time management skills (while otherwise running their enterprises!) to take advantage of this gorgeous guy when he’s in their midst - and in fact, to usually get out of the trouble that he somehow gets them into. They aren’t paid or trained to be spies or to take on action-adventure (a la Charlies Angels, Lara Croft or Sarah Connor from the Terminator movies), but they get on just fine.  They aren’t “Eek Girls.”

I’m going to be smiling all day that Forbes is talking about Bond Girls.  Hey - we know that Bond Girls run their own businesses and manage their own money… I even mention Forbes in my book as a great magazine to read to keep a pulse on All Things $. I love that Forbes is now keeping track of All Things Bond Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl.  

Chocolate or Honey-Dipped Sunglasses…

Or, for those of you who are afraid that you could only eat, like, one lens, a chocolate bar with the calories all marked out for you to count!

That’s a lot of “notes” for one fragrance! I’ll be very curious to see how it smells. Being a “one note woman” myself (I wear Jo Malone and layer it if I want more “notes”), sometimes fragrances like this smell a little confusing to me.  Then again, we could say they smell “mysterious” - and that’s all Bond Girl!!

P.S.: Love that the Avon spokesperson also notes that Bond Girls are “… one of the most widely known aspects of the films — they’re empowered, feminine and glamorous.” Yup - that’s what we’ve said, huh Bond Grrrrls!

The second teleconference in each month is not based upon Curriculum. It is based upon what came up for each Bond Grrl during the previous 2 weeks, as a follow on from the first session of the month and the Weekly Update. If you are following along, you have heard Session One (based on the curriculum), then read the Weekly Update (and the Testimonials), and now we are to Session Two. It deals with setting Goals and Steps for accomplishment - because the Thursday group had some issues with respect to how exactly to do just that.

Each member uses her “Bond Grrl Name,” which I have found helps women really be truthful, honest, and forthright in what she discusses with the group.

My Bond Grrls were asked to post their weekly information and questions here in Comments to share their process, but it’s been a wee bit too private for that! So as you can see, most of the information on the Blog is just from Yours Truly. I am sure that you understand. But you can certainly hear their processes during the Teleconferences.

If you have comments or questions, please call my private line at +1 (206) 350-3537, or e-mail me at doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com. You can also leave a Comment below.

Enjoy… click on the button below to Play. It has about six seconds of silence at the beginning, so just wait a few counts, it will come on.

I read this great article on Emily Wilska’s website, OrganizedLife.org.  She recommends getting rid of 50 things in the next 3 weeks - whether they are a book you haven’t re-read (or never read at all), a mate-less earring, or even bigger.

This is a great way to look at “cleaning out” - as long as you get to 50, you’re all set. Big or small, love this idea, because it’s kinda a game - and more importantly, a fun way to rid yourself of 50 things you don’t need!

Here is the link: http://www.organizedlife.org/tip.html

And don’t forget we have the De-cluttering View From The Bay, and a number of Podcasts (here is the link to Podcast 2, our first clutter/clearing related one), in our archives for you!

As stated on their website, “PAX…is passionate about altering our society’s culture by transforming the way women relate to men. [PAX provides] extraordinary information with which women can profoundly affect their relationships with men of all ages and in all circumstances. [PAX is] dedicated to having this priceless information in the hearts and minds of one million women. [PAX intends] to accomplish this with fun, integrity, intelligence, courage and in partnership with both masculine and feminine forms of power.”  Read more about PAX’s mission by clicking here. Sounds like fEmpowerment, no?

As promised, please find the links to:

* Alison’s website
* writing to Oprah about how you felt hearing about Alison in this Podcast;
* watching Alison on Utube:
- “How Women Speak: There Is No Point!” (part 1 of 3)
- “How Women Speak: Life-Threatening Details” (part 2 of 3)
- “How Women Speak: It’s All About Flow” (part 3 of 3)

- “How Women Think: What Focus???” (part 1 of 3)
- “How Women Think: How Do You Get Her Attention?” (part 2 of 3)
- “How Women Think: Multi-Tasking During Sex?” (part 3 of 3)

- “How Women Feel: Crashing The System” (part 1 of 2)
- “How Women Feel: The Rage Monster” (part 2 of 2)

- “How to NOT Change A Man: Why Criticism Doesn’t Work”
- “How To Change A Woman: The SLIGHTEST Criticism Will Do”

 I hope you enjoy this podcast, and please let me know if there are other experts you might like to hear interviewed on our Coffee Chats.

If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail sandy [at] beabondgirl [dot] com or leave a comment below.

Click the red button below to listen.

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One of my Bond Grrls is in Morocco, and recently sent me information on Halal Meat.  It sounds very similar to Kosher butchering (the animal is humanely treated, etc.) - but now another friend who has a blog that I love (hey, it’s pictures… say no more) did a post on Halal Meat, and included a great link to the New York Times article on why we should all be checking into this more.

Here’s the link to his blog, SFPhotorama.com (scroll down to see the photos of the San Francisco Halal butcher shop).

OK OK - the best part is actually the 9 minute clip of the chase scene from Casino Royale - make sure you scroll down to check that out in the article, too. Can’t wait for November 7th and the new film, Quantum of Solace!

Thanks so much for inviting me to the call.  Just the process of doing my ‘incomplete homework” is a valuable self-discovery journey for me.  I’m 100% sure I can benefit from this type of coaching program…. I can totally see how the ‘master mind” group can benefit everyone, because you get many ideas from the fresh angles…
- Peony

Dear Solitaire: Thank you for the inspiring coaching call this evening. I know that this class has jump-started my week. I can’t wait to implement what I’ve learned and get started with my action steps fueled by my renewed commitment. Thank you!
- Flexi

You’re amazing…I had no idea you were such an accomplished coach-wow! The many talents of Sandy Shepard…I thought it was a really good session…the exercise was very good too.
-Hot Mama

Great job. Thanks so much for featuring me…. I love the idea regarding the levels of ‘membership’ for my “Bod Pod”/CDs. I need to hook up with you to get my forms back and give you the financial ones. [After I did the Fast Start exercise,] it turns out that I’m making about $15 bucks an hour.. yikes! All in all a FABULOUS FIRST OUTING. You [freaking] ROCK.
-Arielle

Thanks for the call last night. I left feeling very “green/blue” (my color) so I was in a good place…. I thought you did an incredible job of summarizing the contents of our homework and remembering bits from all of us (even mine). I was also struck by the fact that I’m sure I would LOVE the other Bond Grrls on the call (as friends) and that we probably had a lot in common. I thought about the fact (you brought this up) that we all felt we had accomplished a lot in our lives [and] I know I feel I kind of “fell into it” and didn’t really have much say in how my career developed. I know SOME of it I directed but think maybe we don’t give ourselves enough credit for being in the right place for accomplishing what we have. For example: my [international career] experience was great but looking back, I realize that not every 26 year old would raise her hand to relocate to a new country, so I should give myself more credit!
- MO

I had a lot of fun with the coaching call.  Those that subscribe will gain a lot with your help.
- Mica

One issue that I did not bring up in the Weekly Update but I will likely bring up in the call on May 22nd was the “belching issue.”  A couple of the women on the call mentioned this specifically. If you have listened to the podcast, you will hear an enormous belch about 3/4 of the way through. It was while one of the Bond Grrls was speaking in the Masterminding session. (If you haven’t listened to the podcast, bet you’re going to do it now, huh? :-) ) The belch was definitely an adult - it was not one of the Bond Grrls who was attending with her baby. To me, it actually sounded like a man’s belch.

So it was one thing, or the other.  Either it was one of the Bond Grrls letting out a ripper of a belch, or one of the Bond Grrls who was on the call had her “significant other” come and belch literally in her face while she was on the call. If the first, that’s fairly easy to correct - it’s a disgusting sound, it’s unnecessary, and it’s definitely not Bond Grrl to belch like a toad on overdrive. If it was a “James” making this sound, it is either one of two things: (a) a power play, or (b) an “endearment.” In either case, the Bond Grrl has given some sort of signal in her life that this is “OK.”

We do train our men - we all know that. If we say “Oh honey that’s disgusting! (Tee hee hee)”, we are actually signalling that we are OK being treated like that. If we get angry, again, we have allowed our James to see that something “pushes our buttons,” and so he can use it as a power play against us.  Here a way to handle this.

Show no reaction at the time. (This is critical - remember, he’s trying to get you off your game.) Then, after the call, sit down very seriously and say, “James, are you really someone who belches in his woman’s ear? Is that the real you? Can you please help me to understand what you were thinking when you did that?” Then just be quiet.