2012 New Year Message ... Inspired by Og Mandino

2012 New Year Message -- Inspired by Og Mandino

"Today I begin a new life. ...Today, I am born anew and my birthplace is a vineyard where there is fruit for all."  ~Og Mandino, Author of The Greatest Salesman in the World

8 Quotes from Og's epic book -- The Greatest Salesman in the World...

1.   "I will greet this day with LOVE in my heart. ...

a.  I will love the ambitious for they can inspire me!  
b.  I will love the failures for they can teach me.  
c.  I will love the kings for they are but human; 
d.  I will love the meek for they are divine. 
e.  I will love the rich for they are yet lonely; 
f.   I will love the poor for they are so many. 
g.  I will love the young for the faith they hold;
h.  I will love the old for the wisdom they share.  


i.   I will love the beautiful for their eyes of sadness;
j.   I will love the ugly for their souls of peace. ..."

2.   "Today I will pluck grapes of WISDOM from the tallest and fullest vines in the vineyard, for these were planted by the wisest of my profession who have come before me, generation upon generation."

3.  "In truth, the only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in the difference of their habits.  GOOD HABITS are the key to all success.  Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure.  Thus, the first law I will obey, which procedeth all others is -- I will form good habits and become their slave."

4. "I will LAUGH at the world.  No living creature can laugh except man.  Trees may bleed when they are wounded, and beasts in the field will cry in pain and hunger, yet only I have the gift of laughter and it is mine to use whenever I choose.  Henceforth I will cultivate the habit of laughter."

5.  "Today I will multiply my VALUE a hundredfold.  

One grain of wheat when multiplied a hundredfold will produce a hundred stalks.  Multiply these a hundredfold, ten times, and they will feed all the cities of the earth.  Am I not more than a grain of wheat?"


 
6.  "I will act now.  Only ACTION determines my value in the market place and to multiply my value, I will multiply my actions. ... When the lion is hungry he eats.  When the eagle has thirst, he drinks. Lest they act, both will perish.  ... I thirst for happiness and peace of mind.  Lest I act I will perish in a life of failure, misery, and sleepless nights.  Success will not wait.  If I delay she will become betrothed to another and lost to me forever. ... I will act now."

7.  "I am here for a PURPOSE and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy."


8.  Og Mandino's PRAYER, pay it forward: 
"Oh Creator of all things, help me.  For this day I go out into the world naked and alone, and without your hand to guide me I will wander far from the path which leads to success and happiness.  ...  You have taught the lion and the eagle how to hunt and prosper with teeth and claw.  Teach me how to hunt with words and prosper with love so that I may be a lion among men and an eagle in the market place. ... I am a small and a lonely grape clutching the vine yet thou hast made me different from all others.  Verily, there must be a special place for me.  Guide me.  Help me.  Show me the way.  Let me become all You planned for me when my seed was planted and selected by You to sprout in the vineyard of the world.  Help this humble salesman.  Guide me, God."

Dear Why Annie Armen Friends....

 













May 2012 produce harvest in every area of your lives, for all the years you have sown loyally with love and commitment.  Remember to use your key of COURAGE to step into the new, and with all the chords of your heart, fully embrace "all" that is waiting for you!  CHOOSE to make 2012 volcanic, where every opportunity dares to meet and join forces with your unstoppable abilities!  

Do you have a New Year Message you would like to share?

Loving, Inspiring, and Successful New Year Blessings to all ... 
~Annie Armen

12 Quotes for Christmas

I dedicate this song to YOU!  May you celebrate your "now" this Christmas, and anticipate for the best about to be unleashed for your "tomorrow", in 2012!  As you hear this tune, feel and experience the growing anticipation as the music crescendos to soaring heights, building toward something unexpected and amazing!  Use your key of courage to step into the new, and with all the chords of your heart, fully embrace "all" that is waiting for you!  CHOOSE to make 2012 volcanic, where every opportunity dares to meet and join forces with your unstoppable abilities!  Warm Blessings with Love, Appreciation, Respect, and Profound Gratitude to all ... Merry Christmas dear friends!  ~Annie Armen

12 Quotes for Christmas

1.  "Treasure the LOVE you receive above all.  It will survive long after your good health has vanished."  ~Og Mandino

2.  "FAITH is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase!" ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

3.  "Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it.  Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before."
~Jacob A. Riis   (Take ACTION and PERSIST On!)

4.   "TIME is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you." ~ Carl Sandburg

5.  “There are only two ways to live your LIFE. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ~Albert Einstein

6.  "There are indeed times when one should "trust" blindly, just as there are times when one should not.  WISDOM consists in being able to tell one from the other." ~Daniel Quinn

7.  “AUTHENTICITY is a gift, and each of you are blessed with this gift. Cave not into duplication and cloning of what others say or do, no matter how great!  Imitation is NOT a form of flattery, but rather an insult to the real deal that resides in you waiting to surface!   Embrace your authentic self with all your might and shine!” ~Annie Armen

 

8.  "Take a MUSIC bath once or twice a week for a few seasons.  You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

9.  "Customer satisfaction is worthless. Customer LOYALTY is priceless." ~ Jeffrey Gitomer

10.  A Perfect Partnership has no hidden agendas, a single purpose and an insatiable commitment to delivering incremental revenues resulting in a mutual beneficial relationship."  ~Don Farrell, Chief Cultivating Officer at Fresh Revenues 

11.  "When everybody tells you that you are being idealistic or impractical, consider the possibility that everybody could be wrong about what is right for you."  ~Gilbert Kaplan 

12.  "Only YOU hold the key to your inner WHY... Listen to your inner voice, gather your STRENGTH in quiet, find your target, aim, fire!" ~Annie Armen

Do you have a quote for Christmas you would like to share?   Please post your quotes below in the comments section!


Merry Christmas and a Volcanic New Year!   ~Annie Armen

Annie Armen Show Presents: Generate Revenues Using Social Media --Part 3 of Series

"Great content is essential for success in leveraging social media for business. 
Prospects will be IN-TE-REST-ED if YOU are IN-TE-REST-ING!" ~John McGrann

Tonight on Annie Armen Show

Topic for Discussion:  Generate Revenues Using Social Media...Yeah Right!

Trusted Social Media Specialist, Dear Friend:  John McGrann ... LIVE from Dubai

Time: 4pm PT | 5pm MT | 6pm CT | 7pm ET

Where:  Annie Armen Show | VoiceAmerica Channel

PLAY IT FORWARD! 
Part 3 Published on iTunes:  
iTunes for the Annie Armen Show available on the go! 
Direct Link to Audio Archive:   
Generate Revenues Using Social Media ... Yeah Right! 

Note:  Prior to calling in, to ensure quality sound, please turn off your cell phones, lower the volume all the way down on your computers, and be sure you are in an area that is quiet to avoid any outside noise interferences.  Also, it is preferable that you call in using a land line as opposed to using your cell phone or a cordless phone.  Thank you!

Short Recap from Parts 1 and 2 Below

Is Social Media More Than Just a Craze? Part 2

My dear friend who I call, TRUSTED Social Media Specialist, John McGrann  -- Chief Executive Officer at Drive Social Media, headquartered in Dubai -- returns on the Annie Armen Show to take on Part 2 with me in an ongoing series throughout 2011, "Is Social Media More Than Just a Craze".  On this round, we focused on developing a social media strategy where you can measure ROI.  Imagine that!  

Is Social Media More Than Just a Craze? Part 1
If you recall from Part 1 of, Is Social Media More Than Just a Craze, John talked about  5 steps to success.

What are those 5 Steps?
1.  Plan
2.  Presence
3.  Reach Out
4.  Nurture
5.  Maintain

He also said, in order to make social media work for your business, you need 2 things:
1.  System
2.  Commitment 

Now, Who is John McGrann?

John McGrann is a UK national and his home was Cyprus for 10 years.  He has

lived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since April, 2010 and is married to Genny.

John has used his 20+ years IT and Oracle ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) management experience, chartered management accountancy training, social media certification and seasoned, people development skills to implement and drive business and systems performance on behalf of major organizations globally.

John has consulted on a range of projects and supports assignments for the UK

Government, and international private sector clients including but not limited to:  General Electric, Canon, Network Rail, Saudi Telecom, and Touristik Union International (TUI).

Nowadays, his main focus is social media consultancy. As mentioned earlier above, he

is the Chief Executive Officer at Drive Social Media, headquartered in Dubai.

About Drive Social Media

In short, Drive Social Media (DSM) is about assisting clients in developing successful strategies, key training resources and in providing ongoing support to maximize value from social media marketing.  DSM provides excellent service and great value for money for  their clients.  Bottom-line, they have the expertise to understand, match, and exceed  clients' needs!

Valuable Resource to Share as a Take Away:

Statistics Show Social Media is Bigger Than You Think

Questions for Why Annie Armen Readers...

1.  WHY do you find that folks across industries find it difficult to "identify revenue strategies" from social media?

2.  WHY do you find that folks across industries find it strange to "assign the value of revenues" to Social Media?

3.  Want to discover what NOT to do in order to generate revenues using Social Media?

4.  Do you have ONE revenues results story you can share after implementing Social Media into your marketing plan to attract business? 

Be sure to post your comments immediately below!
 
Fire away,

~The Hurricane

That Does it ... I’ve had Just About Enough of This!

Today's post is Inspired by the BBC Classic – Two Ronnies, Fork Handles ....

Have you met The "Difficult" Customer?

"Customer satisfaction is worthless. Customer LOYALTY is priceless." ~ Jeffrey Gitomer

Have you had a run in lately with a “difficult” customer?  How about, the slightly peculiar one who may communicate his/her requests in a way that you may not immediately comprehend, leading to the rise of inner frustration levels, eventually resulting in words of outrage expressed, such as -- “That does it, I’ve had just about enough of this!”


Looking for "Washers"
Now… let’s say a customer walks into your fine establishment and requests for “washers”.  You (the seller) immediately presume the consumer is asking for dish washers, and begin directing said customer to the aisle where the dish washers are at. 

Moments later, customer comes back and says, “No ... washers.” 

Seller:  “Oh, you mean floor washers… that will be in aisle 10, sir.”
Customer:  “No, I am looking for washers.”
Seller:   “Then you’re looking for windscreen washers.  That will be in aisle 5, sir.”
Customer:  “No, not windscreen washers … I am looking for washers, please.”
Seller:  “Sir, have you checked for our car washers in aisle 3?”
Customer:  “Not car washers … looking for washers.”
Seller:  “That does it!  Mr. Smith, will you come out and serve this customer…I’ve had just about enough of this!”

Questions for Why Annie Armen Readers

1.  What do you find to be the central “issue” in this particular scenario?
2.  When the seller called out for Mr. Smith to the rescue, was that his best choice of remedial action to take in handling the “difficult” customer? 
3.  Could the seller have managed the situation differently?  If your answer is yes, tell us how so…

Looking forward to reading your answers!
~Annie

The Brick ... A Thanksgiving Message

“Two kinds of GRATITUDE:
The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give.”  ~Edwin Arlington Robinson

WHY "The Brick" as a Thanksgiving Message?
While tempted to give you the answer now, please read on... The message will become clear as the story unfolds.  The content is written by my favorite author ... "Author Unknown".  

The Brick ...
A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar.  He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the
Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot
where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting,

"What the hell was that all about and who are you? Just what the hell are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money.  Why did you do it?"

The young boy was apologetic.  "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but didn't know what else to do," He pleaded.  "I threw the brick *because no one else would stop..."

With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.  "It's my brother," he said."  He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair?  He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

 
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat.

He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy
handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts.

A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.  “Thank you and may God bless you,” the grateful child told the stranger.

Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother

down the sidewalk toward their home. 

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar.  The damage was very noticeable, but the driver
never bothered to repair the it.

He kept the dent there to remind him of this message:

"Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!"

God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.  It's our choice.  ~Author Unknown

_______________________________________

“There are only two ways to live your LIFE. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”  ~Albert Einstein

Are you grateful for "The Bricks" in your life?  Is there a timeless message you can share with Why Annie Armen Readers as a result of  "The Brick" capturing your attention?






With Love and Gratitude Always,
~Annie Armen

What is YOUR Definition of a Perfect Partnership in Business?

"A PERFECT PARTNERSHIP has no hidden agendas, a single purpose and an insatiable commitment to delivering incremental revenues resulting in a mutual beneficial relationship." ~Don Farrell, Chief Cultivating Officer at Fresh Revenues

Annie Armen Show Presents

Revenues Fresh and Sexy

Featuring Trusted Guest Business PRO, Client, My Buddy:  Don Farrell

Time: 3pm PT | 4pm MT | 5pm CT | 6pm ET

Where:  Annie Armen Show | World Talk Radio Channel

Scheduled to Replay on the following dates:

1.  Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 3pm Pacific

2.  Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 4pm Pacific

Drum Roll Please... Select Highlights About Don Farrell ...

Don Farrell started his hospitality career as a pot scrubber and worked through 30 different jobs on his way up to becoming the Founder and Chairman of the best and largest sales and service training company in the world -- Signature, Inc.  Don now writes, speaks, conducts workshops and consults with very "select" clients showing them how to produce FRESH Revenues when others can't.

Questions for Why Annie Armen Readers... 

1.  What is YOUR Definition of a "Perfect Partnership" in Business?  

2.  Is there even such a thing as "Perfect Partnership" in business?
3.  When do you know you found that "Perfect Partnership" you've always envisioned for your business?

Do Tell,

~The Hurricane

Annie Armen Presents: Tony MacAlpine -- Celebrity Artist ON FIRE (Beat 4)

“As with any true artist, change is the only constant.” ~Tony MacAlpine 

Annie Armen Show Presents
Artists ON FIRE -- Beat 4

Featuring Celebrity Rock Artist:  Tony MacAlpine

Annie's Memorable Interview with Rock Guitar Legend, Tony MacAlpine
is scheduled to air on the following dates:

1.  Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 4pm Pacific
2.  Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 3pm Pacific
3.  Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at 4pm Pacific

PLAY IT FORWARD! 
Published on iTunes:  
iTunes for the Annie Armen Show available on the go! 
Direct Link to Audio Archive:  Annie Armen Interviews TONY MACALPINE!



About Tony MacAlpine

He’s been a producer, band member and solo artist. Guitarist Tony MacAlpine, in his 25-year career, has redefined hard rock jazz-fusion for a generation of progressive-minded music fanatics. Whether it’s with the groundbreaking prog-rock band Planet X (with Derek Sherinian of Dream Theater), the jazz-fusion super-group CAB or the band of another guitar hero Steve Vai, MacAlpine has set the bar exceedingly high.  http://www.TonyMacAlpine.com

 

On June 21, this most anticipated all-instrumental masterpiece Tony MacAlpine (Favored Nations Entertainment) was released, his 13 solo album (and 26th album over-all). The album contains 12 tracks of complex, intricate heavy music that demands concentration. It is a true solo album in every sense of the word. Drummers Virgil Donati and Marco Minnemann, as well as bassist Philip Bynoe are utilized on various tracks. MacAlpine plays everything else: seven-string guitar, eight-string guitar, keyboards, bass and programming.

 

 
Written and recorded at “The Cottage” studio in Pasadena, California, MacAlpine has blended jazz-fusion, metal, prog and rock’n’roll into a tightlywound trip of mammoth proportions. "My music is instrumental guitar-oriented heavy rock with a fusion flair," he explains. "Having started with classical piano since the age of five, I've been exposed to many genres and styles from contemporary to the Romantic and Classical periods. This early development helped me define my writing and improvisation which is evident in my sound today. My guitar playing encompasses many different styles, with an emphasis on composition and theater."   More at  http://www.TonyMacAlpine.com

During this Interview, you will hear the following 5 songs from Tony:
1.  Etude #4, Opus #10 (Chopin piece, from Tony's Maximum Security Album)
2.  Fire Mountain (From Tony's New, Self-titled album just released -- Tony MacAlpine)
3.  Chromaticity (from Tony's album -- Chromaticity)
4.  The King's Cup (from Tony's album -- Maximum Security)
5.  Angel of Twilight (From Tony's New, Self-titled album just released -- Tony MacAlpine)

Buckle up, and enjoy a shredder of a MacAlpine ride on The Annie Armen Show, coming up NEXT!