An Update on Life in "The Cycle of Passion Killing"

For a blog titled "Freedom Through Passion" I'm not sure I'm really living up to the weight of this name right now.

In my last post I mentioned how I was struggling with the balance of my desires and how I want my ambitions to flourish from a place of passion instead more than reward.

But to be honest, I have no idea what I'm doing with my life 99% of the time. Sometimes I feel alive and other times, more than most, I feel I have placed myself in a routine because I feel I've failed at the other things I have pursued.

I've read and agree with the philosophy that failing over and over is actually a success and the character needed to be a true entrepreneur. Right now I feel I am stuck in a place of fear of failing again-but my soul beckons me so often whispering words like risk, adventure, independence and invention.

My soul is crying out to me, but I've tuned out it's voice so it decided to scream at me and make me completely restless. Thank you soul.

I am a woman of ambition and invention and when I am not in a place that heightens and supports this it's like chopping off the head of a flower or moving an outstretching bud into darkness. It suffocates me.

Sometimes, we need to slow down and take a look at our lives and not make excuses for denying our passions. These are my excuses right now: Money. Support. Community. Disappointing others. Past failures. Even writing them down feels pathetic because I know that the worst thing that could happen is I quit my job, lose a reliable check and a couple friends. But the truth is if I were honest with myself I really don't believe things could be different.

Honestly, I am not sure what to do with myself right now. It comes in cycles and every time I enter in I convince myself this time it will be different. Here's my cycle:

I'm not sure when this cycle will break, but I do know that I need to commit to an idea and pursue it without the "Feel like a failure" phase sucking me back in. I cannot let myself enter "The Cycle of Passion Killing" anymore.

Right not I am in the "Get sick of having a job" phase. For me, "The Cycle of Passion Killing" averages from 3-5 months. How do you kill an entrepreneurial spirit? You can't. Nearly impossible unless you want to live a life of no happiness, no passion, no adventure and most of all-no life.

So.... what now? I am asking myself the same thing. I wanted to write this mainly to help me process what's going on, but also to reach out to others like me for support and encouragement. What would you do in my place? How do you keep yourself from entering "The Cycle of Passion Killing"?

We shall see what is next on this adventure of life! I have ideas and other things I am pursuing right now aside from my 9-5 and next time I get to the "No immediate results" phase I am going to do whatever it takes to break out of this cycle and enter in the Passion cycle of awesomeness!

That's all for now folks. No real call to action really. Mainly just an update on how I'm feeling in life right about now. I hope this reaches some of you and calls you to action to live out a life of passion, purpose, and meaning- in whatever way that relates to you in your own Cycle of Passion Killing. 

It is time to break free family!

3 Things Businesses Need to Know About Google's Biggest Change-Hummingbird 2014

You may be asking what all this hub bub is about the new Google Hummingbird. Or maybe you’re thinking “What the heck is Hummingbird? I thought it was a bird, not something to do with Google”.

Of course, I was thinking the same thing. I even went as far as searching ‘hummingbird’ on Google only to find myself scrolling through a lot of lovely photos of a quaint little bird.

The fact is, Google SEO (Search Engine Optimization) experts are talking about Hummingbird because it’s imperative to know the curve we are on and not be behind it. To understand the scope of these changes would be incomprehensible unless you heard it from Google’s search chief himself, Amit Singhal, who says “It’s really big.”

Okay, so you can comprehend that, but algorithms, content, and linking may not come as naturally. If you are a newbie to the whole Google, SEO, rankings stuff and you want to know more for your own education, Search Engine Land gives a great brief overview of Hummingbird.

(I’m sure if you are a friend of mine you have heard me talk about it quite enough. Thank you.)

In this article, I will reveal how Hummingbird implements a more conversational search style (in response to the growing mobile data usage), why you should care about your social status and how to use links to boost your legitimacy- and ultimately your business.

The change began officially in September 2013. It affects 90% of your search engine results.

Hold the press, 90%? Yes. 90%. That means only 10% has stayed the same. I’m sure it wasn't necessary to say that, but I wanted to emphasize the scope of changes they made! It may not have affected you, but they are still slowly testing and implementing changes that could affect your website, blog or profile.

Allow me to explain to you what Google Hummingbird really is (obviously not a bird), why you should care about it, and what you can do to benefit from it.

1) Google has implemented a more conversational search style.

What does that mean?

It’s not all about your keywords anymore.

In one example about the effect on B2B sites, Harrison Jones, from Search Engine Land tells us:

Instead of focusing on a keyword Hummingbird values sites based on the user intent of the search, and ranks pages based on the context it would appear in a conversation.

Why should you care?

Hummingbird is not looking at your keyword as much as it is on the content of what your site has to offer. 

Jones also states “You’ll need to create new (non service- or product-oriented) content around the topic that’s geared toward providing quality information for those searching and talking…” about your keyword.

What do you do in response?

Jones would tell you to “Use these keywords to help build a list of topics for new content. These topics can be used for blog posts, thought leadership, social media posts and any other form of online content marketing”.

Basically, the content is what matters. When someone is looking for you, Google can connect them to you best through a blog on that topic, for example.

2) Google is judging your social status.

What does that mean?

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, any social media platform has you attached to it as an author and ultimately will affect your ranking.

Why should you care?

Since you, as an author, are connected to any of your social pages and those are included in your ranking having a stronger social status online will give you the perfect opportunity to meet with your target market.

Jim Yu, from Search Engine Land, leads the way sharing the secrets of Hummingbird’s strategy. He says “With the release of Hummingbird, it’s expected that social signals will have more of an impact on Google rankings. It’s already been shown that increasing engagement on Twitter can increase search rankings, and Google Plus profiles and pages have an impact on ranking as well”.

What do you do in response?

Yu recommends some tips:

·         Participate in Google Plus, Facebook, and Twitter, whether you’re a business or an individual. Here, he offers some specific suggestions for getting the most out of Facebook Graph search.

·         If you’re a business, don’t forget about LinkedIn. Here are some tips he provides for optimizing your LinkedIn company page.

3) Implementing links will make you more legitimate in Google’s eyes.

What does that mean?

Nate Dame, another expert from Search Engine Land explores the impact of link building and shares this information with us:

“Everything we do should also focus on the end user. More than ever, link building needs to be focused on providing real (significant) value to users. Is our site worth the links we are trying to earn?”

Why should you care?

Bottom line, Google will reward you when you give real value to your users through your links to other helpful sites. Especially links to other sites that are ranked higher than you. On the other hand, they will most definitely punish you if when you drive false traffic to your site and when you promote your link for the sake of promoting instead of providing real value.

What do you do in response?

Dame suggests “Integrating link building into your overarching marketing and content marketing strategy is the only way to be future-proof — and open up new opportunities along the way”.

For example, if you were to write an article on the topic of protein powder to promote your health shake a good idea would be to add a link to another more highly ranked site that would give your readers more value and give you a better ranking.

In Summary

Professional blogger and founder of TechLila, Rajesh Namase, wraps it up well when he says:

"The objective of Google hummingbird in the long run, as it has been for all Google algorithm updates, is to reward natural websites and blogs and tackle those designed to play the search system and attract traffic to low quality web pages. Be natural and honest, and Google will reward you with the exposure in the form of the search engine ranking it believes you deserve. Try to play it and cheat, and Google will reward with no ranking at all – and may even delist you”.

5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Blog Right Now

I'm just going to keep this simple and straight to the point. If you own a business right now or are hoping to start a business a blog is a necessity for you. Here are some reasons why:

1. Build rapport with your readers. Allow them to get to know you, like you and trust you.

2. Provide valuable content that people will want. When we learn something from someone we tend to look to them for information. This could be you through your blog posts.

3. Referrals. You know that this is the best way to get business. When you provide something valuable to someone and then they share it you are receiving the best kind of exposure- free and trustworthy.

4. In comparison to the cost of outsourcing your marketing, blogging will cost nothing (except for time of course) and allows you to share your knowledge.

5.  Boost your Search Engine Optimization through having recent posts and other things like back links. In the most basic of terms, if you were to imagine Google being glasses they will see you better when you have more stuff on your blog.

If you are new to blogging and need some help here is some information on getting started.

Blogging For Beginners

Why Have a Blog? 

You learn how to sell yourself. Who cares about selling you say? Well, when you think about it you are going to need to know how to do this the rest of your life. When it comes to relationships, communicating, arguing, business, or a career this skill will always be needed.  

Why Don't We Like Sales People? 

Maybe we despise them because we don't really know how to sell in the first place and neither do they. Sales people go through training, but forget that people are people. No one wants to be sold anything. People do want their problems solved, though. When you are able to solve someone's problem they will buy because they want to. That is true sales people. 

Now, think about how that could work its way into something like relationships. In an argument instead of trying to drill your point into that person you start selling them something they want and they will buy into because it solves their problem. Problem solved. You both win. Well, maybe you do lose a little. A little pride. But hey, always give more than you expect, right?  

Find Your Thing 

What are you an expert at? Everyone is an expert at something. There is something you are tirelessly interested that you can share with others. You can teach what you know and what you have learned to others. This could be fashion, cars, philosophy or food. Basically anything. Once you have honed in on your niche you can now begin your blog. 

Brand Yourself 

You want people to trust you and build a bond with you based on the content of your site. This could be through words, picture or videos. You want that person to know you, like you and trust you. You get to show them what you want to be known as. This comes out in your story. What is your story? Why are you doing what you are doing in the first place? What do you want them to know? Ultimately, this will build you the recognition and credibility to be trusted. Remember, if this person is not an immediate friend they have never met you before and this is your first impression. Tell them who you are, what you do and why they should be a part.  

Know Your People 

The next step is targeting your audience. You will build rapport by knowing your people.You are not looking to market to everyone. Market to everyone and you will market to no one. You need to know your audience better than yourself. Know them enough to know the conversation going on in their heads and enter into it. You need to know everything about your people. What they do when they wake up, what they are doing or thinking throughout their days, where they spend their free time and of course what their "problem" is you are aiming to solve.

Four Great Questions for a Compelling Blog Post: 

1. Who are they? The better you know your people the more likely they will buy into what you have to say. It will lower the resistance and increase cooperation. 

2. What do they do? Visualize the world they live in, what their lifestyle is like and what they are exposed to. Think about the little things like their relationship status or what they think about before they go to sleep at night.

3. What do they want? Do they want free time, advice, good music, to travel, to do what they love, a better mind set? What do they want? 

4. What is their problem? In other words, what is stopping them from getting what they want. I would say this one is the most important. Here is where you identity the Problem, Agitate it by showing that you understand the issues this problem brings, then Solve it. (P+A+S=Success!) 

Whether your blog be for personal or business reasons you are on the path to becoming an expert communicator (not a salesperson;) and you will be able to catch people's attention and get them to become a part of what you are offering them. Let me be the first to congratulate you on a new journey or encourage you already on it. Cheers to what lies ahead!

The information I shared above is valued at over $10,000, but I have access to it for only $25 and so can you.