How To Take Your Company’s Facebook Fan Page from Zero to 40,000 Fans

It was last year that  I met a Facebook marketing specialist, Mike Watkins at a marketing event. I was impressed by his story about how he had  taken the SUPRE’s fashion brand’s Facebook page from zero to 40,000 fans shortly after Facebook released the “Page” option to add to its “Profiles” and “Groups” membership options. I met him again recently for a video interview that I will be publishing in the next few days, in the meantime I would like to share his story.

Facebook “pages” have only been around for 2 years and in that time we have seen major global brands embrace Facebook for engaging and interacting with their customers with some major brands Facebook pages fan subscribers now approaching 40 million and providing another way to communicate that goes beyond traditional media and email.

So what were the key elements to acquiring the 40,000 fans and what strategies did he use to continue to engage and nurture the Facebook fans for SUPRE’s fashion brand?

The biggest challenge to business is to display the “Value” that using Facebook will bring and Supre needed to be convinced of the benefits rather than just playing with the latest social media shiny toy.

Initially the major challenge was to convince management at Supre of its value and why they should be implementing a Facebook marketing strategy, so the question of “Why” use Facebook needed to be answered.

Stage 1. Why Use Facebook?

1. Facebook pages are a more effective and intimate direct marketing channel

2. It is instant and up to date whereas printed and traditional media is usually out of date quite often before it hits the street

3.  It is a real time research tool (SUPRE receive hundreds of individual answers within 2-3 hours of the questions being asked)

4. You create a long-term relationship between the consumers and the brand that creates a digital asset with longevity

5. You create a highly leveraged channel that distributes your brand and message by “World of Mouth” as updates to the Facebook “Page” ripple and spread through friends updates and news feeds. This is an incredibly fast and effective organic brand distribution vehicle.

Stage 2. How Do You Start?

a. Define and Understand Your Target  market

Understand who you are talking to.  So first you need to have an in depth understanding of  who your target customer is, so you will need to research the following: Consumer psychology papers, Magazines, Movies, Music, Books and even the celebrities they idolize.

In essence you need to understand and “Grok” (to share the same reality or way of thinking) how your market thinks and acts.

b. Get the “Tone” right

Your brand needs to be perceived as a member of the target market to be trusted. Talk like them and act like them in communication and content

c. Identify the engagement fundamentals

Canvas the entire spectrum for a 2 week trial of content that your research revealed that would receive engagement from your target users and remove content that doesn’t engage. (try everything once)

d. Treat it as a long term investment

Ensure the client knows it is going to take time and persistence and give them some concept of what to expect in 18 months

e. Keep it Real, Relevant and Relaxed (3 R’s)

The latest competition on SUPRE’s Facebook page

Stage 3. Making It Happen

Step 1. Seeded the Facebook page with Facebook display advertisements to build fans

Step 2: Defined the regular updates for the Facebook page

Then keep activity running to a pre-determined schedule.

There are 4 major types of updates:

1. Conversation  -  is designed to stimulate conversation with the fan base by asking thought provoking questions that encourages short succinct answers from fans

2. Pictures – upload images that the client wanted to expose consumers to for SUPRE professionally taken images of models wearong clients clothing

3. Link – Deep linked updates that that drives traffic away from Facebook to the clients other online properties such as website, online store, blog or YouTube channel

4. Product – spotlight a new product that the client is releasing or will release. You can test new designs and get feedback on possible new items

Step 3: Determine Update Frequency

Do this so that you are not spamming fans

Step 4: Update System for the week

Map out what products are going out that week then implement those updates into the system that were designed to drive and a lot of engagement. Get approval from the client (Rinse and repeat every week) “The update system acts as the backbone to the entire page strategy”

Stage 4: Monitor, Measure & Report

Report weekly or daily depending on activity and client requirements including

• Monitoring demographic analysis provided by Facebook Insights
• Measure growth rate (this can be done through two sources insidefacebook.com and allfacebook.com and you can view both daily and weekly rates)

Example of a report

Key Findings From The Supre Facebook Campaign

1. Facebook pages has “saved” SUPRÉ real $’s through realtime market research
2. Facebook pages has “made” SUPRÉ real $’s through reatime market research
3. Facebook pages has made SUPRÉ real $’s through “product and brand exposure”
4. Old school market research is dead
5. Engagement = Organic Brand Distribution
6. A brand can influence social change

Nearly 2 years on and now with a Fan count of over 300,000 SUPRÉ’s Facebook strategy can be called an overwhelming success because Mike was initially able to show value to senior management at SUPRÉ.

SOURCE

Egyptian Tortoise

 

True Wild Life | Egyptian Tortoise | The Egyptian Tortoise is the smallest land turtle in the Northern Hemisphere. The Egyptian Tortoise is a critically endangered neck-hiding tortoise. Once more widespread, its numbers are now dwindling. The species is extinct in Egypt, and global extinction is a looming threat unless more actions are taken to protect this species. They are on the brink of extinction due of habitat loss and because people capture them to make pets.

The Egyptian tortoises are herbivores, feeding on rough grasses, desert plants and fruit. They are most active during the warm periods of the year and least active during the months when it is very cold or very hot. During the cooler months, the tortoise is most active at midday. In the hot months, it is only active during the early morning or late afternoon and spends the rest of the day hiding in the cover of bushes or in rodent burrows.

Another unfortunate reality is the loss of habitat. Much of what used to be habitat for the Egyptian Tortoises has now become farmland or towns. Moreover, any remaining grassland has become a pasture for domestic livestock where many goats and sheep feed on the vegetation that used to be the tortoises' food. Many countries are cooperating to protect the Egyptian Tortoise, but many still believe their population will continue to drop further.

20 Creative Ways To Use An Apple iPad

The Apple iPad has been a hit and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down, with the iPad apps climbing past 10,000 in the last few days.

Morgan Stanley figures show that the Apple iPad is the 3rd fastest hardware platform to pass 1 million purchases, passing that number in just 28 days which  even surpasses the Apple iPhone at 74 days.

As with any device that captures people’s imagination, the way that the iPad is used has been shown to be both practical and fun and that is the way it should be.

I came across the CNet News NanoTech blog which had asked users their favourite uses for the iPad and here are some of the responses and I have added a few of my own along with a  fun video on 10 creative ways to use an iPad.

1. Audio system

“I decided to flush mount the iPad into my mom’s kitchen wall…the iPad became the ultimate song storage and categorized jukebox. We could search for any song, show album art, show full lyrics, and buy a new song whenever we wanted through Wi-Fi.

2. Cookbook

We use apps like epicurious for recipes plus I scanned all of her old recipes in as pictures…Perfect for the kitchen. That is where the iPad belongs.”

3. Productivity

• File management–get Goodreader (misnamed horribly), which allows you to maintain a folder/file structure, import documents from the cloud, and open documents in appropriate applications, such as pages.
• PrintCentral–print to a wifi printer or a USB printer
• TaskPro or Todo Queue for task management
• iThoughtsHD–a terrific mind mapping application

4. Students

“I’m a student, and the iPad is great for me. I find it much more comfortable to study on the iPad rather than on a laptop screen. I take notes on my laptop, but then study them on my iPad. Before I got it, I printed out hundreds of pages of notes and PowerPoint slides and had to carry around large binders. I know the iPad isn’t for everyone, but I love it.”

5. Kids

“My kid enjoys the iPad so much. Actually enjoy reading Tintin (search for it) and Spiderman on it…I also noticed my kid having completed almost 3/4 of Treasure Island too in the last 2 weeks.”

6. On the can or ‘Toilet PC’

“Don’t discount (it as a) toilet pc–how’s the complete works of Shakespeare, the NY Times, movies you can actually see, and a healthy chunk of your music collection strike you?”

7. On the plane

“The iPad is also light and its battery life is longer than an average laptop, at least long enough to survive most flights. I don’t have to look for an electric outlet for extended use. Its browsing experience is much better than a smartphone at least. So far I find the iPad an adequate replacement (for) a laptop when traveling for pleasure.”

8. Laptop replacement

“The iPad has replaced my laptop on the road. Does everything I want or need it to do…and I have read more books and magazines, played more games and watched more movies in the last month than I have in the last year!”

9. Artistic application

“Everyone who loudly proclaims that the iPad is not a workhorse is merely looking at their personal work situation and not seeing the wider world out there…I am an artist and the iPad is a brilliant sketch book. In fact I find it ideal whenever I have early ideas to get down whether that is music, poetry, mind mapping a new Web site design, and jotting down notes for my book. Would I try to make a finished painting on it or write a book?–no, but the best computer one has (always) is the one that is with you at the time.”

10. Restaurant menu

“Seriously though–a good idea for iPad is to use it as a menu in a posh restaurant. Customers select what they want and the Wi-Fi beams it to the kitchen for the chef. It won’t be long before someone attempts this.

11. Coffee Table Device During TV Commercials and Boring Bits

“I own a MacBook Pro and both my wife and I own the iPhone 3gs. The iPad sits on our coffee table in front of the television. It gets used constantly…I love it as an e-reader…My wife loves to check her e-mail and casually browse shopping websites while on the couch…My 15-year-old son loves using it to check his Facebook page and play a few games.

12. Expensive Childrens Back Seat Entertainment Device

Just make sure they have clean hands and you have the electric windows on ‘lock’.

13. Real Estate Agents Listing Presentation Platform

As the iPad is immediate to boot up it would be great for agents to use for presenting their pitch for listing a property.

14. Combine the Two Best Inventions in History – The Apple iPad and Velcro

15. As An Impressive Name Tag at Exhibitions and Events

Just put it on a good strong cord, put in your name and company on the the display and ‘voila’ the biggest, the most technologically advanced and most  impressive name tag you have ever seen will gain you some much needed attention if you are feeling a little unloved.

16. To Stop Your Table Rocking At Your Favourite Coffee Shop

The iPad is really convenient if a leg on your table is short and you need to prop it up.

17. To Amuse Your Baby

18. To Entertain Your Dog

I have seen an online video on this but couldn’t provide it here due to publishing deadline commitments

18. To Hand Out To Passengers For a Fee To Entertain On Long Flights

This is already being done by Virgin Blue an airline owned by Sir Richard Branson

19. As A Remote Portable Hotel Concierge

Where your hotel doesn’t have the budget for a concierge  to provide that important local information

20. To Stop You Getting Bored

How are you using your Apple iPad? 

SOURCE

30 Things You Should Not Share On Social Media

I don’t know whether you have started to  notice that a lot of people are wanting help with their cows and ducks on Facebook (and I am finding it a touch annoying as I am not fond of cows),this activity is due to a very popular online game called Farmville.

What prompted me to write this list germinated when the few Farmville updates turned into a stream and then became a raging torrent. On Facebook you can actually turn this stream off in the settings section which is a good thing as I have stopped counting sheep when trying to go to sleep and started counting bovines… by the way Mashable have a post that shows you how to block those fascinating Farmville updates.

For those of you who are statistically minded… the Facebook-platform game FarmVille has

• 80 million players.
• It’s been named social networking game of the year.
• It’s played by people young and old
• It’s bigger than Twitter.)

So what have the settings for controlling Farmville streams have to do with not sharing certain things on Facebook. Well there are settings on Facebook that allow your updates to be made very public or private  and Facebook’s latest privacy changes in the last few months have actually made more information and photos public in its bid to open up the previously very private walled garden of Facebook (unless you go back to your settings and reset the privacy controls) in its bid to compete with Twitters real time open stream of information in this increasingly competitive social media world as more marketers start implementing social media marketing campaigns like Ford, General Motors and Tourism Queensland (Best Job In The World).

 

So  to protect your reputation, personal brand, your bank account and your privacy you need to be very careful what you write and post on social media channels.

 

30 Things You Should  Not Share on Social Media

1. What chicken you are plucking or cow you’re milking on Farmville on Facebook
2. How many you have killed on Mafia wars or where they are buried.. again on Facebook
3. Party photos showing you inebriated or a hand placed where it shouldn’t be
4. That you are having a party.. you might get more guests than you counted on
5. Photos  revealing  you flirting with the bosses wife at the annual work Christmas party
6. That you are having an affair
7. That you are thinking of having an affair
8. Complaints about your boss
9. That you hate your job and want to leave.. you might get your wish.. involuntarily
10. Don’t share photos or an event that reveals that you were not sick that day at work
11. That are you are planning to take a sickie
12. Drama with your friends
13. Issues with your parents
14. Passwords.. unless you have more money than brains
15. Hints about passwords like dogs names
16. Images and videos of your children
17. Updates on Facebook after you have escaped from Jail and on the run (don’t laugh it has happened)
18. Revealing your thoughts about a court case… when on jury duty
19. Don’t link personal sites to professional business sites like LinkedIn.. don’t mix business with pleasure
20. Financial information such as how much money you do or don’t have in your bank account
21. Personal Information
22. How to get more friends or followers.. it already sounds like a scam
23. You are leaving on a holiday
24. The dates you are away on your holiday
25. Your daily schedule.. burglars have been known to use these little hints to their advantage
26. Showing you doing something stupid .. not good for personal branding
27. Your bodily functions
28. Revealing extreme views on Race, Religion or politics
29. What you had for breakfast
30. Finally, If you are not comfortable about it … don’t share it

Do you have more things you think that should not be shared on Social Media networks?

 

SOURCE

8 Great Twitter Tools That Will Get You Tweeting Like A Pro

The reasons to join Twitter are plentiful. In fact, Jeff recently wrote a wonderful post on why it is often misunderstood and people aren’t jumping onto it earlier.

The experiences I have had with Twitter were amazing and it was by far the most valuable Social Network for me to use.

What I like best about Twitter is it’s open structure, not only for users, but also for developers. It has grown to an ecosystem of over 1.5 million Apps and continues to register a new Tool every second. With this massive amount of Apps it can often be quite overwhelming to know which Tools to use.

Here are the tools I use daily to make me more efficient and get you Tweeting like a Pro:

1. Buffer – Tweet With Better Results

Whenever I am reading an article, I wasn’t quite sure, whether Tweeting it right now was a good idea. It might have been very early in the morning or late at night. By putting all Tweets I have into my Buffer, they will be posted for you at the optimal times, well spaced out over the day. You can add Tweets your Buffer right from the article with the browser extensions with just one click.

Pro Tip: What helps me a great deal is that Buffer provides me with analytics for each Tweet that I post. You will learn about the number of clicks, retweets and reach right inside the App.

2. Twylah – Give Your Tweets A Longer Life

As a matter of fact, a Tweet’s life is only very limited. If you want to prolong its life, Twylah is a wonderful way to do it. The App automatically displays all Tweets from your stream on a beautiful Twitter Brand Page for you. It will give your followers a chance to learn about the topics you are Tweeting without having to study your Twitter stream beforehand.

Pro Tip: Twylah also offers you to send a “Power Tweet”, which will allow you to post a Tweet to a Twylah page. This page is surrounded by a lot of other relevant content and has shown to increase engagement with a Tweet considerably.

3. MarketMeSuite – Your Powerful Social Media Dashboard

Only recently the paid only MarketMeSuite has opened up its service to be free for everyone. It boasts a ton of great features that make it well worth giving a go. You can create reply campaigns, pull in RSS feeds and compare the Klout score of the users you are interacting with you. On top, you can also collaborate with other’s through the App’s multiple user setting.

Pro Tip: What I like best about MarketMeSuite is that all its features are explained in comprehensible videos as soon as you sign up for it.

4. Tweriod – Find Out Your Best Times To Tweet

Ever wondered which times of the day would be the best for you to Tweet? Look no further as Tweriod, as the App gives you a wonderful analysis of when you will be able to reach most followers. The App takes into account how well your Tweets have performed at various times and when your followers used to Tweet the most.

Pro Tip: What I like best about Tweriod is that the algorithm excludes Twitter Tools which schedule or auto-tweet as this obviously means your followers aren’t online.

5. Twilert – Google Alerts For Twitter

This is an App I suggest you might give a go if you are trying to monitor a brand or search term on Twitter continually. Similar to Google Alerts, Twilert can set up any term and then be notified about any activity on Twitter about it. This was particularly helpful if you can’t spend too much time on Twitter each day, yet need a daily digest email to be informed.

Pro Tip: If you give it a go, take a look at the great filtering options ranging from mood, languages and date filters.

6. TweetWally – Turn Tweets Into Blogposts

Similar to an App called Storify, which Jeff has reviewed a few weeks back, TweetWally is a wonderful solution to bring life back to your Tweets. You can take your own stream, do a search or follow a hashtag and make beautiful collections of any Tweets you find valuable. This can be very useful if you are following an important event, conference or else.

Pro Tip: Once you have made your collection you can easily embed all Tweets as a blogpost and offer it as an innovative piece of content for your readers.

7. ParrotFish – Get More Insights Into Tweets On Twitter.com

ParrotFish from Embed.ly labs is a wonderful productivity tool to save you a lot of time. It displays all links from Tweets you come across with rich text preview. This means you can read up on the post from the link, before clicking through. I found this to be a great way to stay focused on reading news and not get distracted by clicking on posts which aren’t worth my time.

Pro Tip: The Chrome Extension also comes with a functionality to save items to Instapaper directly from Twitter.com, this was a huge efficiency boost for me.

8. TweetLevel – Connect with the right people on Twitter

Whilst building your network on Twitter, it is often key to make those people you engage with relevant and impactful for your niche. TweetLevel offers a wonderful solution to search other Twitter users by a number of different parameters. For example you can search by influence, trust, engagement or popularity. It then makes it very easy for you to follow and start talking to these people right from the App.

Pro Tip: On top of users, you can also search by topics and key words. This will give you a wonderful display of graphs and pie charts around this topic.

 SOURCE

10 Simple Ways to Make Your Boss Think You’re Brilliant (And Indispensible)

Whether it is for a pay raise, a promotion, a great reference, or just a cubicle with a window, we all want to impress our boss at work. In tough economic times, we might just be trying to avoid being first in line for a pink slip. But honestly, do you really want to put in extra unpaid hours, potentially work weekends, and break your Facebook and Twitter habits?

Sure, it's a means to an end and everyone has to go above and beyond when needed. However, wouldn't it be nice to have a little help along the way? Here are ten simple, no-effort ways that will make your boss think you’re both indispensable and brilliant:

1. Beat the Clock
   Most bosses are pretty consistent on the time they get into your office. Take note. If yours always arrives at 7.50 – get there at 7.45 (even if your official start time is 8).
   
   
   Bonus to you: Arriving earlier than the boss makes you look keen and eager. Plus, when you’re skiving on Twitter or Facebook later in the day, you can justify it to yourself by those 15 extra minutes in the morning.
2. Say “Good Morning!”
   However hungover, knackered or grumpy you’re feeling first thing in the morning, plaster a great big smile on your face and say, “Good Morning!” to your boss.
   
   
   Bonus to you: Two friendly words can go a long way in putting you in your boss’s good books first thing in the day. And (if you’re following the first tip), your boss will know you’re in the office bright and early.
3. Volunteer Strategically
   If you’re in a meeting and someone asks for volunteers, be the first to put your hand up. That way, you’ll look keen and engaged. This will be a tough one to swallow if your workload is already jammed but volunteering for the right, high visibility project can increase the perception of you.
   
   
   Bonus to you: You’ll ­­get the task you want (i.e. the one with least effort but highest visibility) and not get lumbered with what the boss assigns you.
4. Be the Printer Guru
   Even if it’s nothing at all to do with your job description, learn where the spare ink/toner is kept and how to fit it. When there’s a paper jam or error, get someone to show you what to do.
   
   
   Bonus to you: When your boss is running around in a flap before a big meeting, you’ll be the hero who fixes his very-important-report-won’t-print crisis.
5. Say “Thanks”
   Been given a pay raise, promotion or extra day’s holiday – or even just some of your boss’s valuable time and advice? Make sure you say “thanks”. If possible, thank him/her at the time, and follow up with a short note to express your appreciation.
   
   
   Bonus to you: It takes ten minutes of your time and perhaps a couple of dollars to buy a “Thank You” card for your boss. If you feel strange with this one because a man giving a man a card is out of the norm, just send an email. In the end, it's the thought that really counts here. Guess who’ll be first on his mind when the next round of pay-raises comes along?
6. Make Coffee
   This will make most of the people in the office like you, not just your boss. However for you boss, occasionallytake a minute to say “I’m just making myself a coffee, can I get you one?” (doing so multiple times per day will have the opposite effect as you're labeled as a brown-noser).
   
   
   Bonus to you: For virtually zero effort, you give your boss the impression that you’re a considerate, friendly employee who cares about him/her – bosses often feel unloved.
7. Use The Right Jargon
   Pay extra-close attention to the buzzwords that your boss uses. Drop these into the things you say at meetings, and into your emails. This isn’t a chance to play buzzword bingo – what you want to demonstrate is that you’re on the same wavelength as your boss.
   
   
   Bonus to you: Sometimes you can get away with something with just the right words. You’re not filing your emails for lack of anything better to do – you’re “implementing new communication management protocols to further the client-company relationship”.
8. Create Procedures
   Closely related to using the right buzzwords is creating the right procedures – that is, any which get you out of hot water. If something goes pear-shaped at work, explain that it was “due to a procedural error” or “a fault in the procedure”. Then, try to correct the process.
   
   
   Bonus to you: Explaining that the same mistake can’t possibly happen again “once I’ve changed the procedure” makes your boss think you’re on top of everything. Even when you so, so aren’t.
9. Leave An Email Trail
   If you’re ever working from home, a cunning way to demonstrate how many hours you’re (supposedly) putting in is to make sure that your boss is the recipient of, or copied in to, at least one of your emails first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
   
   
   Bonus to you: Your boss will think you’ve been hard at work between that first email at 7.30am and that last one at 9.00pm. You actually sent that first email in your jammies (and went straight back to bed), then took the afternoon off to catch a movie...
10. Fake Enthusiasm
    Even if your job is as dry as dust, fake enthusiasm wherever possible. Plaster a big smile on your face and wave your hands around when enthusing to customers or colleagues about your company.
    
    
    Bonus to you: Your boss will think you’re truly (and possibly even a bit madly) dedicated to your job. You might find yourself enjoying it more by being enthusiastic, too.

How do you get into your boss’s good books – without doing too much work? I’m sure you’ve got plenty more tips to add to my list, so let’s hear them in the comments!

SOURCE

8 Steps How to Enjoy Loneliness

Lonely? Are you depressed because you're all alone? Are you friendless and hated, or are you weird and avoided, or are you just all alone? Well, nobody should be put into this kind of pain. Here are some ways to take positive steps in your life. 

Create a friend. Whether he's a doll you made, a pet rock, an imaginary friend, or a bug, just befriend something. Look for something outside yourself.

Read books. How can you feel alone when you're reading about a ship sailing the salty ocean with a large crew, or when fighting an ugly troll atop Mt. Carnivorous?

Write. Whether you write short stories or novels, nonfiction or fiction, writing is a great way to talk to yourself and to amuse yourself for many hours. It's also a way to think about your life and what you'd like to do to change it. 

Keep busy. Draw, write stories, play video games, watch people or watch TV, whatever you fancy most, just keep yourself busy.

Get a pet. If you're allergic to dogs or cats, try getting a fish or a turtle. Taking care of another living being helps you realize there is more out there than your own worries. 

Take in some nature. Lonely doesn't have to be indoors. A beach or trail can be wonderfully refreshing, and can remind you there are many things in the world to take joy in.

Introspect. At least sometimes, take advantage of being alone to meditate or simply to listen to yourself. Find what's the best part of yourself, and nourish it.

Be yourself among others. Find places to work with other people, such as volunteering. No matter who you are, you can find someone or someplace that needs your help. Share what you have, whether time, a ride, a thoughtful ear for listening, your feet or eyesight. Helping others means you accept yourself, and they are grateful for your efforts.

• There is nothing wrong with being yourself. Sometimes not being lonely just means finding people who are open minded enough to accept you as you are.
• When you are alone, it means nobody is telling you what to do. Enjoy the independence and the opportunity to do your own thing. 

SOURCE

22 Secrets to Discovering Your Dream and Living It

One of the most important rules of happiness in life is to do what you love. But discovering that dream job and what you are meant to do in life isn't always so easy.

Take a look at the happiest, most successful people on this planet: they are all doing something they love, creating something they believe in, living a life of purpose and passion. Do that, and it doesn't matter how much money you make.

But what do you do if you don't know what you want to do? If you don't know what your dream is? This is a common problem, and many people wander through much of their life without discovering their passion, and go from job to job, unfulfilled and miserable.
If that's you, don't give up. What follows is a list of suggestions that will help you discover your dream, and start on the road to living that dream. They're things that have worked for me and many others I've studied, talked to, interviewed and admired.

While you don't need to do every step below, they are all ways for your to spend time thinking about your passion in life, your dreams, and how to accomplish them. If you spend time thinking about your dreams, you are taking the first step towards making them a reality.

The first step is to give this stuff some thought.

1. What are your hobbies? This doesn't just mean stamp collecting -- it means anything you do with your spare time. That could be collecting comic books, reading about history, programming Linux utilities, writing on your blog, writing poetry, cooking, whatever. As it's clear that this is how you like to spend your time, and that you're willing to do these things without pay, it's very possible that these are your passions. Give each of your hobbies some thought, and think about whether they're things you love to do, and that you'd love to do for a living.
2. What are your talents? It's been said that we each have at least one gift we've been given, and that the true purpose of our lives is discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world. There is much truth in that statement, and an important part of this process is discovering your gift. What are you good at? What talents do you have? What have you shown an aptitude for in your current and previous jobs, in school, in your personal life? Anything goes here.
3. Who do you like to work with? A dream job includes not only what you want to do, but who you are doing it with. You should truly enjoy working with these people. In this step, you can name specific people you love working with, or types of people (creative types, programmers, entrepreneurs, blue collar, etc.). Use your ideas here to help you envision your dream job (more on that below).
4. What do you like to work with? The tools of the job are very important. If you love working with computers (even a specific type of computer), that's a clue to your dream job. If you love working with clay, or paper, or people, or clothes, that's a clue. If you like working with a hammer, or a piano, you're off to a great start in discovering your dream.
5. What environment do you enjoy working in? An office, a college, a classroom, a construction site, the ocean, the forest? Where you work is also an important factor in your dream job.
6. When have you been happiest? Think back throughout all the previous times of your life, from childhood through adolescence, school, different jobs, different areas, different hobbies. Think about the happiest times of your life, and what you were doing, who you were doing it with, and where you were doing it. You may have dismissed some of these things for various reasons, but remembering that you were extremely happy during those times can make you realize why you were happy.
7. Try online tools. There are some great tools online for helping you find your purpose. Here are just a few of my favorites:
   
   • 43 Things: A great way to see what goals others have, to list your own goals, to talk to others about common goals, to get ideas and inspiration. Also see their article, How to Choose Achievable Goals.
   • Dreamminder. A site where you write down your dream, and it will send it to you at some point in the future. Use their dream wizard to discover your dream. Read the dreams of others to get inspired.
   • One Question: Take a test with questions to figure out your one purpose in life. With articles to help as well.
8. List your top 5 passions. Now that you've given various factors some thought, and tried some online tools, make a short list of your top 5 passions. If you don't have 5, list as many as you have. Then compare your top 5 passions, and rank them from top to bottom. This will be the starting point your guide to making your dream a reality.
9. How can you turn your passions into your work? Of the top 2-3 passions on your short list, can any of them be turned into your life's work? What professions use those passions as a mainstay of their work? How would you get into those professions, and do you think you would love what you do if you did them?
10. Create a clear vision. Clarity of vision is the key to achieving your dream once you've discovered it. Take some time to think about exactly what your dream is, what your dream job would be, how you see yourself doing it, where you are, what you're surrounded by, who you're working with, what tools you're using, the benefits to you and others. Write it down, and try to make it as clear as possible. You should be able to visualize this dream in your head. The more real it seems in your mind, the more likely it is that it will become reality.
11. Create a roadmap. Once you've clearly pictured your destination, what's left is creating a map for getting to that destination. Try backwards planning: what's the last step you'd have to do before attaining your goal? What would the last step be before that step? Keep going backwards until you get to the first step. Then focus all your efforts on that first step.
12. Brainstorm. Sometimes there are more than one road to get to a destination. Brainstorm a bunch of ideas for getting there, a bunch of actions you can take to move yourself closer to your destination. Then put them together into your roadmap. Even if you don't have a complete roadmap, having a clearly defined destination, and taking the first step, are enough to get you started.
13. Do research. Learn as much as you can about your dream. Check out some books from the library, do some web surfing, talk to others who are knowledgeable. Become an expert on the topic.
14. How are others doing it? Find others who are living your dream. Read about them, write to them, meet with them. Find out what steps they took to get there, what's required, how they did it. Then use that information for your roadmap.
15. Practice, practice. While you're taking your steps to realizing your dream, practice your passion as much as possible. Practice, of course, makes perfect ... and you want to be as good at what you want to do as humanly possible. This isn't an easy step, but it's worth it.
16. Get inspired. Find others who are trying to achieve the same dream, see what obstacles they've face and how they've overcome them. Put up photos from magazines to inspire you. Read motivational quotes. If you're inspired, you will have the energy needed to get there.
17. Get motivated. Along those lines, find motivation to keep you on your path. Motivation and focus are the keys to achieving any goal. What are your motivations? Making a public commitment, setting up rewards, inspiring yourself, tracking your progress, and joining a support group or finding a partner are great ways to motivate yourself.
18. Simplify: one purpose. Once you've defined your dream, focus on it completely. That means you need to put any other goals on the back burner for now, and have only one purpose in your life. Later, you can focus on other goals, but if you have multiple goals, you will become distracted and lose purpose. Focus. Simplify your life so that you are keeping your focus on that one thing.
19. Use a mantra. A great way to keep yourself focused is to use Guy Kawasaki's idea of creating a mantra instead of a mission statement. Boil your goal down to a few words. Guys' mantra: empower entrepreneurs. What's yours? Once you've defined your mantra, print it out, post it up, and say it several times a day.
20. Set aside time each day. You will not go anywhere if you don't devote time to your dream. Set aside an hour (or at least 30 minutes) each day for working towards your dream. If you can do more, great, but one step at a time is all it takes. Set aside time either in the morning, or in the evening, or some time when you know you will do it every day. Make it a habit, and you will succeed.
21. Pretend you can't fail. Imagine that you cannot fail, that you may slip up and fall, but that you will get up and learn from that fall. Take away all fear of risk and loss, and believe in your success. Now act as if you cannot fail. And by acting so, you will make it happen.
22. Live as you want to be remembered. How do you want to be remembered when you die? This is a common method for deciding how to live your life. If you want to remembered for realizing your dream, then don't start on it when it's too late. Start on it now. Live your life so that your dream actually comes true.

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Volcano Rabbit

True Wild Life | Volcano Rabbit | The Volcano Rabbit also known as teporingo or zacatuche (Romerolagus diazi) is a small rabbit that resides in the mountains of Mexico. Volcano Rabbits are the second smallest rabbit in the world, only the pygmy rabbit is smaller.

The Volcano Rabbit lives at a high altitude of 3,000 meters above sea level. Grasslands have expanded into the highlands, making it difficult for the rabbit to find food and make their nest holes. Although the Volcano rabbits are not found outside of Mexico there are a handful of isolated populations away from the slopes of the volcanoes but these are very few and far between. The four volcano slopes where these unique rabbits reside are the Tlaloc, El Pelado, Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl volcano slopes. 

Volcano Rabbits make their nests deep in the grass. Not only do they eat the grass, but they also use it to hide from their enemies. Volcano Rabbits feed on zacaton grasses, herbs and the bark of alder trees. During the rainy season they will also eat corn and oats.

Volcano Rabbits breed throughout the year with a peak during the warm summer. After a gestation period of 38 - 40 days, they will give birth to 1 - 3 young. At birth the youngsters are covered in fur but their eyes are closed. They are weaned after approximately 20 days and they reach sexual maturity at 4 months old.

Another problem is that the Volcano Rabbits live on an active volcano. If this volcano were to erupt, it would wipe out their small population. So, zoos and preservation centers are working quickly to breed more Volcano Rabbits.

How To Stay Motivated When You Hate Your Job

Let's be honest, work for the most part, sucks. Even if you are part of the 20% of Americans who actually truly enjoy what they are doing, chances are likely that you would rather be doing something else.

Job satisfaction rates are horrendous and one of the reasons is that people are slowly starting to realize that there is a better way to live. We are wising up to the fact that we don't NEED to work a crappy job and just grind out a living.

There is so much opportunity for anyone willing to take control of their life and commit to living a passionate life.

Is it that simple? I believe it is. Is it easy? Of course not.

Working The Rat Race
hat is it that millions of people wake up unhappy knowing that they have to go to a job they hate? There are a number of reasons including:

1. Fear of failure
2. Fear of success
3. Lack of initiative
4. No clear goals
5. Apathetic towards life
6. Willingness to accept whatever they have

All of the above reasons are garbage. There is no reason for anyone to fall victim to these things. Yet, we do it all the time.

What ends up happening is that we find a job that looks acceptable and get stuck working in it for years. Most of us won't take the time to find something better and will just drift through life with a sub par job.

The end result is having a job we hate. Now, we can choose to quit and find another job or we can choose to suffer through it. Most of us choose the latter.

Staying Motivated When You Hate Your Job
I am speaking from personal experience here. I have lost all interest in my job and would rather go dig holes in the ground all day. Unfortunately, financial obligations will not afford me the luxury of leaving my job right now.

So, I have had to find ways of keeping myself motivated enough to keep my job and perform it well enough to provide quality work. Not an easy task when my days are spent thinking of leaving.

If you have found yourself in a similar spot, here are 5 ideas to keep you motivated (at least motivated enough not to get you fired!)

1. Know Your Future.
   If you have a clear understanding of where you want to be in 1,3, or even 5 years, then your job will become much more tolerable.
   
   Having something to look forward to can mean the difference between hopelessness and determination. Make sure you choose determination!
2. Do not take your loathsome job home with you.
   The sooner you can forget about your job the better. Far too often, and I'm guilty of this too, we take our bad attitudes home for the family to enjoy.
   
   Well, they don't. If you have children, then it's especially important to leave your misery behind. Our kids do not need to learn that a job equals unhappiness from us.
3. Enjoy your passions.
   If you're lucky enough to know what really makes you happy, you need to go do it! Even if it's for an hour each week, you have to.
   
   I'm not talking about a hobby here or shopping at the mall, I'm talking about spending time doing something you love.
   
   Why is this so important? Because it just might keep you from snapping and doing something stupid like bitch slapping your boss and quitting.
   
   If you were in the financial position to quit, you probably already would have, so don't go and get yourself canned.
4. Be better than your job.
   If your job sucks and you allow yourself to think that you suck too, then you're sunk. Do not allow yourself to be a byproduct of a miserable job.
   
   Know in your mind that this job is simply a means to an end and that some day you will be doing something better. Also know that you are not your job. You just work there. Don't confuse the two.
5. Plan for your release date.
   I would imagine that someone serving a long prison sentence would spend an enormous amount of time planning for their release date.
   
   What they're going to do, how they're going to do it, and how it is all going to go down, are all things that will probably be consuming their thoughts each day.
   
   A miserable job can feel a lot like a prison sentence. While we are not trapped per se, we can often feel like we are because of things like a poor economy, high unemployment, and too many financial obligations.
   
   Planning for the day you can walk away from your job and do something else should be something you spend a lot of time thinking about. Without a plan, you might just end up working another job just like the one you quit.
6. Keep It Together
   Knowing you have to go to work tomorrow and waste another day of your life is an awful feeling. Doing this for an extended period of time can lead to problems with depression, substance abuse, and marital issues.
   
   You need to keep it together! For your sake if nothing else. If you have a family that depends on you, please don't let your job become interfere with your quality of life at home.
   
   Find a way to make your job tolerable until you're ready to move on with your life.

My question to all of you is this: What if we actually took the time to figure out what we really wanted to do with our lives and then did it? Imagine that...

 

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12 Tricks Your Brain is Playing on You

Is your mind playing tricks on you and robbing you of your happiness?

Our minds are complex and are often our own worst enemies when it comes to being happy. Really. Our own brains that we know and love deceive us into thinking something is right when it is really wrong, that we're in love when we're not, etc. Recognizing and debunking these traps your mind leads you into is essential to realizing a lasting happiness, into creating stronger relationships, and to succeeding in your career.
Check out this list to see if you are being deceived by your own mind! I'd be willing to bet that you have been.

1. I'd be happier if I just had less to do
   Our minds often try to trick us into thinking we'd be happier if we didn't have to work. We imagine a life of leisure and deceive ourselves into thinking this kind of lifestyle would make us happy. However, the truth is that idleness often leads to boredom and depression. We are industrious, creative beings. We need challenge and accomplishment to be happy. Get up and invest yourself into something significant and you will find that your happiness factor will rise!
2. It's not me, it's you
   Many times our minds lead us to believe we are unhappy due to our spouse, parents or some other person in our lives. We throw blame around like food in a middle school cafeteria. Of course, it takes two to tango. As Dr. Phil asks, "How's that workin' for ya?" Generally, we are as much, if not more, to blame than others in our lives. We need to accept responsibility for our situation and do our part to make the best of it. Taking personal responsibility for our actions is the beginning of true happiness.
3. I just need to discover the secret to success to be happy
   I am convinced that there are no "secrets" to happiness or success. As much as authors, publishers and our own minds would like to convince us that shortcuts exist, they do not. Living a successful life is pretty simple. You create a vision for the future, formulate a strategy and then work hard to achieve it. There are no shortcuts or secrets to this formula. Accepting this will get you much further down the path to happiness than anything else.
4. If I just had...
   Our minds deceive us into thinking we'll be happy when we get the right job or the right house or the right car or whatever. There is nothing wrong with wanting better things or circumstances, but these do not automatically make us happy. They may create a temporary high, but this quickly wears off. Those wanting a lasting happiness must acknowledge that this is a bottomless pit that we can never fill.
5. I like things just the way they are and never want them to change
   Believing this is just letting yourself be set up for a fall. Life is a journey of constant change. Some of which we control and some we don't. Resisting change or trying to control the change out of life is self-defeating. It will drain you and rob you of your happiness. Change is inevitable. You must accept this and learn to go with the flow. Being adaptable is very important to your happiness.
6. If it hasn't happened yet for me, it never will
   Our minds often get discouraged and disillusioned when success is just around the corner for us. Colonel Sanders didn't start franchising his KFC restaurants until he was 65, forty years after he started serving chicken at his service station. Perseverance is very important in achieving happiness. Never let your mind trick you into giving up. You don't know what tomorrow holds. One more day may be all it will take to realize your dream!
7. I'll just avoid the things I don't like doing
   It is usually the difficult tasks that our minds try to trick us into avoiding. Unfortunately, these are oftentimes the very things that would result in the greatest rewards for us. What do you put off doing? Why? Procrastination and avoidance of completing important tasks or resolving nagging issues only delays your march to happiness. Attack these head-on and you will find a deep sense of gratification that will fuel your happiness.
8. The world is scary and something bad might happen to me
   Our minds tell us there are a lot of things beyond our control. For instance, the way that crime and terror is sensationalized on television might lead us to think that bad guys are lurking around every corner waiting to do dastardly deeds to us. However, crime rates have actually fallen in recent years. According to FBI statistics, violent crime is lower now than it was 20 years ago! Fear is a powerful emotion our brains use to get the better of us. We must seek and trust the facts to break free and be happy!
9. I'll decide when I know for sure what to do
   Over-thinking every decision will leave you stymied. Weighing the risks, analyzing the possibilities and making a plan are important, but nothing ever happens until a decision is made and action is taken. We very rarely have perfect information when making choices. Stop sweating it so much! Failure is not the end of the world. Napoleon Hill writes, "Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit." Don't let your mind trap you into over-analyzing everything!
10. I know I shouldn't , but
    Our minds try to trick us into denying the effects of our bad habits and rationalizing our behavior with flimsy excuses. This seems especially common with health issues. For example, have you heard someone say, "I know I shouldn't smoke, but it helps me keep the weight off." Or, how about, "I know I shouldn't eat this, but life just isn't worth living if I can't enjoy it." A major health issue like cancer, heart disease, or diabetes will certainly challenge your happiness. Don't let your mind get away with this trick!
11. Dreams only come true for those that are lucky
    Thomas Jefferson said, "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it." Our minds will sometimes trick us into thinking we are victims of fate. They will lead us to believe "nothing good ever happens to me". What our brains credit as the luck of others, generally is the result of years of practice, hard work and preparation. Pursue your dream with your whole heart and you might be surprised at the "luck" that comes your way.
12. I could never
    Our brains often trick us into thinking we can't. For example, have you heard, "I could never go back to school. I don't have the money." or "I can't learn to do that. I'm too old." Don't fall for this trick! Your mind is very persuasive in the way it uses this one. It will lead you around like a dog on a leash if you let it. You are full of potential and although your circumstances might add a degree of difficulty, it is nothing that a little persistence and ingenuity can't overcome. Henry Ford said, "Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."
    Don't let these tricks steal your happiness!

See how our minds play tricks on us? If you identified with one or more of the cons on this list, don't despair! The truth will set you free! You now have the power to overcome these deceptions because you can see right through them. Enjoy your new found happiness!

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Yellow-margined Box Turtle

True Wild Life | Yellow-margined Box Turtle | The Chinese box turtle is a species of Asian box turtle with several names. Its common names include Chinese box turtle, 食蛇龜 Snake-eating turtle, Yellow-margined box turtle, and Golden-headed turtle. Taxonomically, it has been called Cistoclemmys flavomarginata, Cuora flavomarginata, and Cyclemys flavomarginata. The Integrated Taxonomic Information System uses Cuora flavomarginata.

Yellow-margined Box Turtle has a highly domed shell, the carapace and plastron of which are a dark brown, excepting a cream-yellow stripe on the vertebral keel. The edge of the plastron is lightly pigmented due to the marginal scutes' and plastral scutes' lighter pigmentation near their edges. The skin on the limbs is brown in color while the top of the head is a pale green. Each side of the head has a yellow line extending from behind the eye backward. The skin beneath the head and between the limbs is a lighter pink-ish color.

The name box turtle refers to C. flavomarginata's ability to bring the plastron to the edges of the carapace. This is enabled by a hinge on the plastron and ligaments connecting the carapace and plastron, which allows for limited movement. The forefeet have five claws, while the rear have four.

The external difference between male and female Yellow-margined Box Turtle is slight. Males have a broader tail than females; it is almost triangular in shape.