How I Won A Game of Mexican Train

I had one last piece, an orange number eight, and it was my turn to place. I looked at my husband who gently nodded to my train of dominoes and I then knew that I could place my last piece. There it was, a double orange eight, at the top of the train… a place I had forgotten about and the spot I could lay down my last domino. I cheered, it was Laurie’s turn, and with that squeal the group had known they lost, I put my piece down and WON! I was proud, my friends cheered and my husband laughed as this was our 9^th time playing, and I had finally won my first round of Mexican Train. We played a few more rounds after my first victory, but as the title states, “I won A game of Mexican Train” (I did joke with my girlfriends that I would be Blogging about this the next day and here I am).

I joked with those around me, that I am not a winner of games. I actually, pretty much, loose every game I play (accept this one time last week, I totally killed everyone in Bowling on the Wii, who knew). I am a super good sport about it because even it I try to engulf my competitive side, I still loose, and then I am grumpy. Yet, as I basked in the glory of my won win, I thought about the quote, “I try to make all my failures seem like small triumphs”.

I was researching different keywords on Google, for my company, and found that the words “online marketing, moms, work from home, home based business, small business” were very popular terms (with a million plus hits a day) and seemed to represent what our society is trying to achieve. Everyone wants to be that ONE company who WINS their turn on the World Wide Web by having their keywords placed #1 on the Google or any Search Engine (or SEO as those geeks like to call it). We still have to remember that maybe just having one of our keywords placed is just as great as having all of them. So play the game of SEO, but remember that your time will come when you are #1 in the Search Engines (and it might not last J).

2 comments July 14, 2008

Do You Twitter…

I remember the first time a lovely friend asked me if I can twitter. The first thought that came to mind is that Bootsy Collins Song, “Do You Love Me” which asks, “I can mash potato, I can do the twist, now tell me baby, do you like it like this”. Of course, I answered “Yes” as I was a Cheerleader in High School, still constantly dance in the car with my children’s music blaring, and do think of myself as the Grace Kelley of my time.

I soon came to find out that twitter,www.twitter.com, as I now like to call it, isn’t a mere dance or that squawking noise on top of the roof I hear early in the mornings, but a type of Social Networking/ Micro-Blogging site which simple asks the question, “What Are You Doing”. This site is basicallyis teaching social skills and personal relation that we might have missed in the 1st grade. Each person on Twitter only has 140 characters to express their “tweets” of that moment. Anything from “Going to Maverick for a Diet Dr. Pepper with a twist of Lime” to “Meeting at 1 has been changed to 3, thank heavens!” So my question would be, “What Are you Doing” and I could answer in a sentence what I am doing at that moment at that time( In all honesty, my reply, “trying to tune out my 4 year old who seems to have missed the mute button when we passed them out”).

So Why Twitter? Most of our lives are hidden from people we care about and we want to share what we are doing in our lifes, so we blog. But did you ever stop to think that when you finally have showered, taken the kids to lessons, gone through the budget, uploaded all the photos, let the dog out, cooked dinner, got dressed, mowed the lawn, and put the kids down to bed, that most the daily juice of your life has been sucked dry so you don’t write everyday, but instead try to recap everything at once or hit on only the small bits of interest. So with this Micro-Blogging, Twitter, you don’t have to sit down and write a long daily diary of exact minute by minute interludes of your life. Just go and type on sentence throughout the day. Real life seems to happen between all the blogs, posts, and emails and now there is a way to share. So I say, go ahead, Mash Potato, Do the Twist, and while you are at in, start to twitter.

Add a comment July 9, 2008

The Debbie Cluff Show will be talking with Hosts Kim Power Stilson

The Debbie Cluff Show will be having Kim Power Stilson on the show!

Kim Power Stilson Launches 24 Hours to Zero Down Marketing Strategy Guide for Companies Who Want to Succeed!

June 12, 2008, 2008—Salt Lake City, UT & Dunmore East, Ireland – Kim Power Stilson, announced today, the release of her new marketing strategy training guide and workbook, 24 Hours to Zero Down Marketing Strategy Guide and Workbook. This guide is available online and in a social media education training package on www.powerstratgies.TV.

As soon as they found out she had her own marketing company, people would ask Kim for suggestions on how to spread the word about their product/services. Based on a success-proven strategy, Make, Bake, Shake, Rake & Fresh, created with 17 years of marketing success, Kim would suggest first creating a strategy or plan based on goals and then applying regular efforts to achieve name awareness and sales success.

Most small companies could not afford her or other marketing professionals consultation fees ($30,000 strategy creation fee and monthly service fee $5 -10,000 per month) but they still needed the help and she wanted to assist them because she believes that marketing or not marketing a product/service makes the difference between success and failure. She was inspired to write this step-by-step guide and which gave the power back to the company owners with marketing knowledge at a budget-

worthy cost.

“Once you have a plan, a strategy and you know what you need to do then you run out of excuses to not take the time to market and sell,” said Kim Power Stilson. “With each marketing effort company owners gain a little more success. With consistent efforts like even 24 hours a month focused on marketing, they will see real results in the areas of increased name awareness and sales.”

According to Kim Power Stilson, this is a great strategy guide for business owners and employees who want to impress their boss by helping their company increase their chances for sales. “You may have a great product but if consumers don’t know about it they can’t buy it,” said Power Stilson. “Online and traditional Marketing is an essential component to business success. Entrepreneurs and small business sometimes overlook marketing because they don’t have the resources to hire someone and most don’t have the time to do it themselves. Now they can be doing effective marketing in just 24 Hours for a fraction of the cost.”

To make marketing affordable, Power Strategies offers a “Monthly Marketing Service – 24 Hours” style to help companies keep marketing once they have a strategy. The service includes Live chat, Social Media, Internet, PR 2.0 and Web 3.0 & Marketing instruction, tips, templates & advice from Social Media & Marketing Strategist Kim Power Stilson. (Prices range from $240 per month to a discounted cost for women, small-business owners and single parents of $24 per month.)

24 Hours to Zero Down Marketing Strategy Guide & Workbook is offered in an online PDF version, as well as, a robust video, audio, Internet, Web, Social Media & Marketing certified education course. (Prices range from $240 – $2400 with certification.) For Free Media trial contact: Jack Brian or Anne Roberts Jack@powerstrategies.TV or anne@powerstrategies.com or 801-473-9174.

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About Kim Power Stilson:

Founder of Power Strategies, Inc., Kim Power Stilson, is the author of Women Buy Everything (Fall 2008) 24 Hours to Zero Down Marketing Strategy Guide and Workbook and Get online Blog, Ping, Pod, Stream, Bookmark, Blast, Release, Wiki, Widget, Web, Link, Avatar, Tag and Twitter!  What is it and how do I do it?

Kim is the weekly Internet talk radio host of “My Best Friends are Dogs and Bloggers” and “Women Buy Everything” radio shows on Planetary Streams (Log on and listen at www.planetarystreams.com )  and the founder of the Bluebird Sisterhood.  She really does have 4 dogs, 3 kids, 2 birds and 1 cat and a very patient husband. She loves to watercolor, play tennis, snow ski and be near the sea. She divides her time between California, Utah & Ireland. She blogs at www.bluebirdsisterhood.blogspot.com & www.twitter.com, http://www.mybestfriendsaredogsandbloggers.wordpress.com.

Her professional marketing background includes over 17 years experience and a proven track record of success. She has created marketing positioning campaigns based on her own copyrighted Make, Bake, Shake, Rake & Fresh marketing strategy to build name awareness and speed up the sales process hundreds of companies delivering award-winning campaigns to national and international audiences for at 60% savings over costs, with an 140% increase in name awareness and delivering ordered sales of $50 million plus.

About Power Strategies, Inc:

Power Strategies is a Social Media, PR, Web & Internet Marketing Strategies Company providing Education, Marketing Consultation and Public Relations Services to women and family owned businesses and corporations in the United States and Ireland. www.powerstrategies.TV

About the Power Strategies Education Courses:

The “Power Strategies Internet, Web and Social Media & Marketing Strategy Education” includes 24 education sessions, 3 education courses, 32 learning components and one 24-hour workbook all Online to get you certified and marketing at your own pace in 24 hours to 24 weeks:

1. Internet, Web & Social Media Training —  Learn Social Media, Internet and Web tools like Blog, Ping, Pod, Stream, Bookmark, Blast, Release, Wiki, Widget, Web, Link, Avatar, Tag & Twitter!  Includes EBook, Audio / Video training.
2. Marketing Strategy –Create and implement a traditional, Internet and Web marketing strategy for you, your company, and your products/services. Includes 24ZDM guide and workbook along with Audio / Video training.
3. Education Sessions – 24 Internet, Web and Social Media personal LIVE 15 minute educations sessions (powered by Links-for-Learning.com) online at your convenience.  Ask questions and get answers from a “live” marketing coach.

*Certification in “Power Strategies Internet, Web and Social Media & Marketing Strategy Education”  through this robust online course will give you the ability to create a traditional and Internet marketing strategy and the understanding to communicate on the Web with social media tools. Graduate from this course with Certification in Social Media, Internet Marketing and Marketing Strategy.

Women, Single Parent and / or Small Business Owner Subsidized Discount Price – $2400* Corporate Price – $10,000*

BONUS WITH EDUCATION PURCHASE: Monthly Marketing Service – 24 Hour Style
24 hours each month with Includes: Live chat, Social Media, Internet, PR 2.0 and Web 3.0 & Marketing instruction, tips, templates & advice from Social Media & Marketing Strategist Kim Power Stilson.

3 comments June 13, 2008

The Debbie Cluff Show Helps Parents and Teachers in the NCLB crunch

United States of America (Press Release) May 26, 2008 — May 18, 2008- Pasadena, California- “The Debbie Cluff Show”, which gives power to parents by helping them find the missing link in their child’s education, streams only on Planetary Streams, http://www.planetarystreams.com, is proud to announce there support to both parents and educators in helping to achieve the NCLB proficiency goals.

The Center on Education Policy released the following statement in which, school districts are going to “make nearly impossible improvements in student’s performance to reach the federal law’s target of 100 percent proficiency by the 2013-2014 school year”. In order to support the student trajectories, “The Debbie Cluff Show” will be providing tips and programs for both parents and school districts every Friday from 1-2 EST, LIVE on Planetary Streams. While there are many different supplemental educational services offering at school or in corporate centers, this show will provided a LIVE call-in segment, 1-866-535-0840, where parents and educators can ask direct questions to the hosts, Debbie Cluff and Melanie Roberts. Both hosts hope this will help educate parents and teachers on what to do and what to expect with the upcoming NCLB deadline.

Parents and Educators are not educated in the terms and conditions of the NCLB law and the hosts of “The Debbie Cluff Show” want to bring awareness to how achievement goals are set in each district. “Education is the key to success for NCLB”, explains Debbie Cluff, host, “and we want everyone to simply understand what is going on both nationally and locally”. The show hosts are asking both parents and educators to call in and ask what they can do to support this educational law.

For additional questions about this program, listen to The Debbie Cluff Show stream LIVE every Friday 1-2 EST only on http://www.PlanetaryStreams.com or call 1-866-535-0840. For information on the news in this press release, please contact Tyler Cluff at http://www.links-for-learning.com. Additional products available for parents are educational products for infants, toddlers, preschool students, and elementary aged students.

ABOUT DEBBIE CLUFF:
Debbie Cluff is an author and the CEO and owner of Links for Learning, http://www.links-for-learning.com, an online tutoring and instant homework help site.She has her B.A. in child development and her Master’s in Education. She has 3 children and is currently in a preschool classroom. Debbie Cluff was raised in South Pasadena, California. Her mother a special education teacher inspired her to become a teacher.

ABOUT PLANETARY TALK RADIO
Planetary Talk Radio is 24/7 Internet talk radio network which gives power to the people by letting you hear what you want to hear and talk back 24/7 with talk radio shows from real people around the planet. Planetary Talk Radio is powered by Planetary Streams International, an internet Radio & Talk TV communications company created to meet the growing demands of audio and visual delivery on the internet. PSI operates globally from the “Broadcast BARN” in Woodland Hills using proprietary technology to deliver marketing messages from individuals and companies. Planetary Streams provides inexpensive Talk TV and Talk Radio to businesses and persons who need a way to effectively marketing on the internet.

Add a comment May 27, 2008

Resources for Parents

An educational phenomenon has begun in the world of learning for students in K-12th Grade who are seeking additional resources in reading, math, and writing. Online Tutoring, virtual tutoring sessions where the students are instructed from the comfort of their own home, are becoming more mainstream as an alternate learning tool. Once informed about resource, parents are grasping onto this technologic capability of enhancing their students learning levels and demanding further attention be brought to the importance of this online tutoring ingenuity. Tutoring sessions are now not just available to those that can afford private training, but to anybody who has access to a computer in their own home. Online Tutoring makes sense and parents need to become aware of the positive effectiveness this convenient tool can have on their child’s education. Online Tutoring is the key to the future of our children’s education because the sessions are presented in a non-threatening situation. “Online Tutoring allows students to learn in their home setting rather than a public institutional setting. Students learn best in this non-commercial, familiar, stress-free environment” explains Debbie Cluff, CEO of Links for Learning, an online tutoring site. She goes on to say, “Parents need to become aware of the positive educational resources available to them right in their own home”. Parents have the ability to be present during all tutoring sessions and reinforce the ideas presented during the sessions. Parents can then discuss the online tutoring session during a private chat with their online tutor or via email. This builds the necessary tools to create a structured learning environment for students because it involves the three aspects of gaining an education. These three aspects are the co-relation of the parent, the student, and the teacher.

During the online tutoring sessions, the students are in the comfort of their own home, learning in a positive atmosphere. The tutoring session have unlimited access because in the online sessions, “the world is your oyster”. Students gain confidence and a better understanding of their problem area because of the unique style of learning the sessions present. Online tutors are able to plan each lesson around the individual students needs and are not limited on the resources they have because of working online. Online students feel certain about what they are learning and how they are learning. Learning in the home is the ultimate learning experience.

Online tutoring is available at many different sites. It is important to find an affordable and convenient site that has specific teaching credentials. Some companies offer online tutoring for a low price, but are not really willing to work with both the parents and the students. Also, some sites offer tutoring sessions that do not have credentialed teachers working as their tutors. Some sites do hire tutors that do not live in the same country that the students live in, which is hard to tutor because of the different language barriers. Make sure that you feel comfortable with the tutor that you are going to have your most priced possession dealing with. Homework Help is offered at some sites which is another great resource to enforce the online learning setting. This is a great resource for working parents because it enables their student to have access to a tutor 24/7, a tutor who can help with homework questions.

Online tutoring is the new phenomenon that is sweeping through the educational world. Colleges have invested in this idea and use online tutoring in most of their beginning English courses. Parents need to now invest in this idea and help it to become more mainstream in the educational society.

Add a comment May 22, 2008

Students Who are At-Risk!

Add a comment May 16, 2008