I found the woman in the cowboy hat who serves stewed pork leg at her stand just outside of the Old City at the north wall in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was a phenomenal meal. It reminded me of my mom’s beef pot roast, but with pork and a slightly thinner, although unbelievably tasty, sauce. Some people are pork people and others are beef people. I am a pork guy. It is like you are either an Elvis or Beatles person. Sorry Elvis.
I had read that the woman in the cowboy hat started her shift at 5 PM, so I arrived a little bit early thinking her stand might quickly get crowded on a Saturday night. I could tell I had found her stand when I saw her picture emblazoned street side. There were 3 guys getting things set up, putting the pork on the stand, cooking rice, cleaning tables, etc. I walked around looking for something to drink. Then I saw her walking toward her stand. I said “It’s you. I saw you 6 months ago on American TV and now I am here.” She nodded, smiled, pointed to her stand, and continued walking. I realized I might have been a bit too exuberant for her as she started her shift. And clearly she has heard this more than a few times.
After I got my drink, I returned to her stand, and saw I could sit at a table, and someone would take my order and bring me the stewed pork goodness. As I sat there, in the dining area behind the stand, I watched her work. Then it dawned on me. While this is all very exciting for me, a dream realized, a new taste treat experienced, everyday for the past 6 months since I saw her on TV, our woman in the cowboy hat has been standing there at her stand, moving a stewed pork leg to her chopping block, skillfully extracting the meat from the bone, chopping the pork into bite size bits, and serving it up on a plate of rice. All the while, she is dressed in fine clothes, wears a cowboy hat, and never seems to get a drop of pork stew on her.
I know there is a myth that implies that every moment may be filled with bliss. Follow your passion, and do what you love, and everyday will be filled with rainbows and unicorns. Anyone who has gone down this road will tell you this bliss myth is utter crap. Our woman in the cowboy hat looks to have it all. She makes good money here in Thailand. She is famous. I watched 5 different people within 30 minutes walk up to her and take pictures. She owns her own business. She has been on television. And she is beautiful. All of this supports the myth.
Still, every day for 6 or more hours, she stands in one little spot, and chops the pork. There must be times where she says to herself, “If I have to chop one more pork leg, I think I am going to scream!” or “If another American man comes up to me to tell me his story, I am going to throw my cleaver at him!” But she doesn’t. Every day she chops. Everyday she deals with the pictures and notoriety. Everyday she puts out an amazing product for the world to enjoy. As I sat there observing her while she prepared my dish, my appreciation for her grew.
I was reminded in that moment that those of us who want to get something done in the world, we work. We work when it is new and exciting, and we work when it feels a bit like drudgery. It doesn’t matter how we feel. We are clear that this is what we are to do to get the results we want, and so we do it. It is the consistency that demonstrates maturity. We don’t work sometimes, or when we feel like it. We work. We produce. We have pride in the quality of our work. We deliver.
It is the consistency that impresses me. The woman in the cowboy hat stands and chops. Day in and day out, she chops. She wears a big ol’ cowboy hat no matter how hot and humid it is in Chiang Mai. She serves the best tasting pork stew I have ever tasted. Day in and day out, she stands for 6 hours serving up dish after dish. Every day she chops.
Everyday, she is my hero.
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
Aces in their places. My friend Doug told me this many years ago. Doug is really good at making hamburgers and now has the best hamburger joint in Nashville, Tennessee called Gabby Burgers and Fries. His restaurant’s motto is “Living the Dream!” Right on Doug! Aces in their places. This phrase and its strategy has served me well. Find out what people are good at, and let them do it. Instead of trying to teach someone how to do something they are not good at, let them do what they do well. Why teach a fish to climb a tree? Let him swim! Aces in their places. I also use this in my own self-assessment.
Aces in their places. I had to ask myself these questions:
What am I good at? And what do I suck at?
Where do I shine, and where do I struggle? Remember this phrase. Aces in their places. It can change your life.
Recently I turned over a large chunk of my duties to a virtual assistant. Now, like magic, things are happening. I enjoy creating content and talking to people. It really is that simple for me. Truth be told, that is about all I am good at. I write reasonably well and can express some complex ideas in a simple manner. I can also talk very freely with anybody. I can be persuasive and impactful without seeming so. Put me in a weekend event with a group of people and I really shine. But ask me to figure out how to optimize my website and I get the MEGO effect (my eyes glaze over). Ask me to create an SEO plan to attract people to my website and I don’t know where to start. I will never make cheeseburgers and sweet potato fries like Doug. No way. Never.
Aces in their places.
Meet Jan. Jan is my partner. He is a virtual assistant and together, with my creativity and his technical wizardry, things are getting done. You see, there are people who don’t like to create content, nor talk 6 hours a day on the phone, nor lead weekend workshops. They would hate it. These folks are phenomenal at other things. Some build hamburger franchises, and some like Jan are phenomenal at all things Internet related. The invitation of this blog is to assess what you are really good at, and do that. Someone else can do the bits at which you don’t excel. Why do we make it so complicated?
Aces in their places. Thank you Doug!
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
As attention spans decrease, and more people consume their content on their mobile devices, it is increasingly important for marketers to make sure that their content is optimized for mobile use. In fact, many marketers are taking a design-for-mobile-first approach.
Until recently, designing for mobile devices was done as an afterthought. Nowadays, mobile design should be front and center. In addition, content marketers should pay attention to how consumers like to digest their content.
With so many social media channels and the vast amounts of user data that comes with them, marketers have an unprecedented opportunity to learn how people interact with content and what their preferences are.
For instance, image-driven sites like Instagram and Pinterest are teaching us that people prefer images over text, in many cases.
Here are some tips for creating digestible content that is also mobile-friendly.
Take a modular approach
Start by breaking content up into small, digestible bits. People can always click “read more” if they like the content. One way to do this is through a slide deck of photos with captions. Another is to divide long articles into sections and use lots of sub-headers and lists to make your content easy to scan or read.
Focus on the summary
Put extra effort into your article summary – this is the portion of your article that is most likely to be read, especially on mobile devices. If your summary is punchy and entertaining, your readers will stay with you.
Variety is the spice of life
Generate a variety of content and vary the lengths of your pieces. Keep in mind that long-form content is good for SEO and short content is better for mobile. Break up articles with slide-decks, videos, infographics and images. A variety of content will appeal to more people and will be accessible on more devices.
Since your content is likely to be viewed on a mobile device, it is important to take a less-is-more attitude. In other words, make your important points right away and write with efficiency.
Pay attention to the format of your content:
Use easy-to-read fonts
Incorporate visual elements
Streamline your text layout
Link to secondary content
Close-crop images
Write tight headlines
Mobile devices, along with social media like Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest have changed the way we digest content. Marketers who are aware of this and design their content to be mobile-friendly and broken up into bite-sized digestible bits will stand a better chance of attracting and engaging an audience.
Monitoring the social media marketing landscape is vital to your success. If you’d like to have access to even more powerful marketing tips, as well as a way to generate conversion-ready Internet marketing prospects each month, click here to learn about my done-for-you system.
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
I do quite a bit of writing. The truth about writing to which most authors will readily admit is it is often a laborious chore. Sure, there are times in which a rich wave of inspiration hits, and the words freely flow out of your fingertips on to the keyboard and are then made real on the screen, but that is rare. Instead, I sit down at the same time each day, usually in the same spot, although I do mix it up when I can and sit in a coffee shop or restaurant, and I look at a blank screen. This scenario is just the beginning. This is where the work begins. Inspired or not, I will start to type.
One thing that I do which supports me in my writing is to combine my love of music with my writing time. Some writers need complete silence. I do not. Music is a catalyst for my emotions. Music brings up memories. Music makes me happy. Ever since I heard Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin back in high school, I knew music would be a part of my life. Make no mistake, I am not a musician. I can’t sing, and don’t play an instrument. But let me listen to 28 minutes of Dazed and Confused and nine times out of ten I will have tears in my eyes during the guitar solos. Music touches my soul.
Over the past year, I have been creating a playlist in ITunes entitled “AA – Writing Music.” First thing I did was add a few artists that I knew belonged on the list: Van Morrison. Miles Davis, Radiohead, Bob (Marley and Dylan), Leonard Cohen and of course, Keith Jarrett. I had seen Keith Jarrett in concert several times in my twenties. He is such a unique performer, improvising the entire concert. He needed absolute silence or else he would either yell at the protagonist, or refuse to perform. In addition to his virtuoso piano playing, he would also vocalize a bit, working with everything he had to get the most out of himself and his instrument. I remember feeling grateful to experience such brave and marvelous performances.
Now, decades later, as I look at the blank screen, I often think of Keith Jarrett in front of thousands, with a blank canvas in front of him, creating something from nothing. When I hear his Koln Concert performance in my earphones, I am inspired. What one man can do, another can do. Now as I write, I hear the music of some of my all time greats playing and some new artists too. The list continues to evolve. I recently added an Irish musician Hozier and the new CD by Annie Lennox. Writing has become less of a chore, for it is now also an opportunity to do something I love which is to listen to music. As I write this, a live version of John Coltrane’s Naima is playing. I am off into my own little world with all my writing and musician buddies. How amazing this life is!
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
Programmatic advertising is a trending topic in the world of marketing. However, it is not well-understood because it is complex and shrouded behind a wall of industry lingo like SSPs, DSPs, RTB and DMP. This article will offer a quick overview of programmatic advertising in order to demystify the subject.
Programmatic advertising is the next logical step past the traditional system of media buyers and sellers.
Using emerging technology, programmatic ads are bought and sold through auctions via automated systems – or bots. At the moment, online ads are mainly being sold programmatically, but all advertising will be bought and sold this way in the future.
Most of the process is automated, from generating insertion orders, trafficking the ad to collecting data. This allows advertisers to buy ads that target specific audiences by using data to figure out when, how, and where to place the ads.
This method improves efficiency, and reduces cost. In addition, programmatic advertising allows marketers to fine-tune their targeting to reach their exact audience. An advertiser will set up parameters such as network reach, and bid price. The service will automatically match the parameters with audience data to make targeted ad purchases.
Some benefits of programmatic advertising are, transparent pricing, and the ability of buyers to use third-party data to optimize their advertising campaigns.
Ad-retargeting is an example of how programmatic advertising works. Retargeting works automatically to help marketers reach out to the majority of visitors who bounce off of a site before making a purchase.
Contrary to popular belief, programmatic buying is not remnant ad buying. It is an extension of traditional ad-buying that uses automated systems to maximize efficiency.
Programmatic advertising lingo
Here are some common terms and definitions commonly used in connection with programmatic advertising:
Ad exchange: This is on online marketplace where eligible buyers purchase impressions from participating vendors such as publishers and ad networks. The marketplace will announce individual impressions in real-time and ask buyers to purchase the impression at a specific price.
ATD – Agency Trading Desk: This is the department within an ad agency that handles programmatic buying for that agency.
DMP – Data Management Platform: This is a centralized place to integrate a marketer’s own data with third-party data, that is, data collected by other websites. This helps marketers to understand their audience in order to more precisely target their advertising.
DSP – Demand Side Platform: This is an automated purchasing platform that works by using algorithms to target ad impressions. These are usually integrated into ad exchanges or other supply sources.
RTB – Real-Time Bidding: This is an automatic process that allows marketers to trade digital media assets in real-time, via auction.
SSP – Sell Side Platform: This is a method for selling a publisher’s inventory using agency trading desks, advertisers and ad exchanges.
Programmatic advertising allows marketers to make smart, efficient and targeted advertising purchases. This helps marketers get the most impact for their advertising dollars.
Monitoring the social media marketing landscape is vital to your success. If you’d like to have access to even more powerful marketing tips, as well as a way to generate conversion-ready Internet marketing prospects each month, click here to learn about my done-for-you system.
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
Last Spring, just around the end of March 2013, I started to have this crazy idea. Turns out it was not so crazy. The idea at the time was to move to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico (one hour south of Cancun) for the winter. I had just taken on a new position with Matt Lloyd’s MOBE Coaching team. It soon became clear that as long as I lived in a spot with a decent Internet connection, I could work and live anywhere. “Have MacBook will travel!”
As I look back, this seems like a perfectly logical response to my desire to live in a warm environment, to see the world, and to begin the empty nest phase of my life (my youngest would be going to university in August). In retrospect, this was an absolutely brilliant choice. But it did not turn out exactly as I had anticipated. No…far from it. Actually it was about 10,437 miles far from it. How did this happen?
I was sitting in my Sebastopol CA home one day about a month after my initial idea to venture out into the wild blue. I was sitting on my favorite sofa doing some channel surfing when I stumbled upon an Anthony Bourdain show on CNN. This is a prime example of synchronicity, a sure sign something good and magical is happening. The show started with our inimitable host, bohemian extraordinaire, Mr. Bourdain stating: “I remember the first moment I realized I had been living my life in black and white. It was like discovering a color I never knew had existed before. A whole new crayon box full of colors. That was it for me. From then on there was no putting the pieces back together, no going home. Things were different now. Asia had ruined me from my old life.” That hooked me. The rest of the show reeled me in. Good bye Playa, hello Thailand.
One thing I particularly remember from the TV program was a woman in a cowboy hat who served stewed pork leg over rice. It is moments like this that reinforce my choice to be a carnivore. I have often thought about becoming a vegetarian. I did it for about a year in college. But in the end with all things considered, I love meat. My body seems to crave protein in the form of animal flesh. I’ve read the books and seen the movies about how animals are processed, and while there are compelling arguments, my body works best this way. So…. when I saw this woman, and her pork, that pretty well closed the deal. I would go to Chiang Mai, Thailand, and find that woman and eat that pork. This was my mission.
I found her, I ate the pork, and it was everything I had anticipated. I will write more on this adventure in another blog. The thing I want to conclude with here today is the importance of having a clearly visualized goal. In this case, it was easy. I saw the woman, I saw the pork, I saw everything I needed to see about Thailand, to create a vision of my life, a vision that continued to inform my actions to make this trip happen. I am writing to you from a hotel room in Chiang Mai. Last night, I ate the pork, and I will do it again many times on this trip. I continue to learn that if I can clearly and vividly visualize something, and then take action, what I see in my mind’s eye will become a reality in the physical world. That’s a valuable lesson. We all have this particular type of magic living within us. What do you see for yourself? Think big. You will have more fun that way!
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
With the emergence of social media and micro-blogging, many marketers and business people are neglecting their own blogs.
Is this wise?
No, for several reasons:
You own your blog
Third-party blog sites and social media sites are subject to change or closure, along with the content. Think about the fate of sites such as Friendster, MySpace, or Geocities. At the moment, people are actively searching for replacements for Facebook. For example, the recent exodus to newcomer social media website Ello made headlines.
A blog re-enforces branding
One primary goal for many marketers is to drive traffic to their primary website. A fresh, frequently-updated blog shows visitors that this website is up-to-date, which adds to its authority. A blog is also an excellent place to re-enforce your brand message.
Better analytics
While social media sites and third-party blog sites offer analytics tools, nothing compares to the data you can gather from your own, hosted website. A blog is the perfect place to publish and study content at a very detailed, or granular, level.
In addition to the analytics tools available on your webhost, there are several high-quality analytics services such as crazy egg and Kissmetrics help you gather even more targeted data. However; all this begins with your own web property, including your blog.
Google loves blogs
Blogs are great for SEO for a couple of reasons. One is that blog content offers ongoing opportunities for keyword ranking. In particular, long-tail keywords. Blog posts are the perfect place to insert keywords and key-phrases where they will fit in naturally.
Additionally, Google gives websites with fresh content higher ranking priority over websites that are not updated on a regular basis.
Are you convinced that blogging is still relevant and important?
If so, read on for tips on effective blogging.
Blogging Best Practices:
Blogs are much more than a place to put keywords for SEO purposes. The real goal of a blog should be to engage with your audience and display your expertise. There are several things you can do to make sure that your content is interesting and appealing.
Get inside the mind of your audience
Perhaps the most important thing to do is get inside the mind of your audience. Some companies take the step of creating personas to help them visualize and relate to their customers. The better you understand who your audience is, the better you will understand how to write for them.
Show some personality
Many people write in a dry style that is very different from how they would speak to a friend or colleague. What makes a blog interesting; however, is the writer’s personality. Try to write the way that you speak. One way to do this is to record yourself speaking on a topic. Then transcribe your recording. This will help you bridge the gap between how you speak and how you write. Your personality will help to set your blog apart.
Be consistent
Try to write at least one blog post per week. It also helps to post at the same time on the same day. Experiment to find the day and time that most of your readers are likely to read your post and then make that your time to post every week.
In spite of the rise of social media, blogging continues to be an important content marketing tool. If you write interesting posts with lots of personality on a consistent basis, you are sure to increase both engagement and traffic.
Monitoring the social media marketing landscape is vital to your success. If you’d like to have access to even more powerful marketing tips, as well as a way to generate conversion-ready Internet marketing prospects each month, click here to learn about my done-for-you system.
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
Last night I had an unexpected awakening. I had just arrived in Chiang Mai last Friday (five days prior) and I will be here for approximately one month. Even though I am in about as “chill” of a personal headspace as I have ever been, I still have some of that “gotta do this, and gotta do that!” energy flowing through me. Also, I have been sick for the past 6 days. The night before I left Phuket for Chiang Mai, I started to feel a sore throat coming on. Two days into my Chiang Mai visit, I was decimated by a full blown cold, with the fever, sweats, sore throat, and exhaustion. Consequently, I haven’t done much since my arrival in Chiang Mai.
Last night I left my hotel after a long day of work, feeling content with my accomplishments, and ready to explore the city. I walked a few blocks, and soon realized I wasn’t all that hungry, even though it was my normal eating time. What to do? I walked a bit more. Then I saw a stand making mango yogurt shakes. The Danish guy drinking one looked at me and made a face that said “this is the best thing in the world!” I bit, I ordered, and for that moment, my Danish friend was right. I had discovered a new and unknown decadent treat just 2 blocks from my hotel.
Still feeling listless, perhaps I am not as recovered as I had first thought, I wandered a block down Loi Kroh Road, and landed next to my new friend Tip, at the outdoor foot massage place. There is a row of reclining chairs set up outside the shop, facing the street. It is quite wonderful to sit back, relax, people watch, and get your feet and legs worked on. Within minutes, young, diminutive, yet remarkable strong Sah was getting started on my massage. So there I was, talking to Tip, an older Tai women who understood about half of what I said, and I understood about half of what she said, and I shared about all of my children and showed pics on my Iphone. Soon I had to close my eyes and enjoy the massage, and work the energy from my feet throughout my body. It was a very healing experience as I continue to discover how much of my energy had been locked into my feet. These nightly massages are quite a lesson in energy flow, meridians, and force.
After a glorious hour, Sah had finished her work, and I said goodbye to Tip and her protégé. After a massage, I rarely feel like doing much of anything except heading back to my room for a nap or to go to bed for the night. I headed home, feeling content, healed, whole, and still wanting something sweet to wrap up the night. There, like a beacon in the night, was a rottee cart. Rottee is what Thais call a crepe. Here the crepes are made with banana and either honey or chocolate, or both. I ordered banana and honey. The crepes are cooked, and then cut into 16 pieces and served in a small paper dish with a sharp stick. Poke and eat, which is what I did all the way to my room.
After completing my pre sleep ritual, I was tucked in, and that is all I remember until I woke up 8 hours later. So what is the awakening? I don’t have to do anything in particular to have each moment ring with truth and joy and purity and presence. Each moment is just like another moment. The belief that some things are better than others is an illusion, a story I have been telling myself for quite a while. There is another lie I am now ready to let go. Be gone lie. Welcome truth and more of the freedom to be just as I am in this moment with whatever is in my consciousness now. And with that said, I can’t help but look forward to tonight’s Chiang Mai explorations. Thanks for reading.
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
