And The Winner Is…

I’ve been a little slow in getting this posting out. I’ve been so slow at getting this posting out that I began to wonder if I was finished blogging altogether!

So I’d like to start with a summary of my results from the competition I had starting with It’s Time To Chow Your Shoe and Lewis Too then increased in Up The Ante On My RSS Competition. Firstly, I am happy to say that my RSS readership peaked at 51 readers before Google crapped out and dragged me down.

The results are as follows:
John Chow from 8585 to 13286 readers - a gain of 54.64%
LewisEmpire from 32 to 51 readers - a gain of 59.34%
Shoemoney from 10833 to 18003 readers - a gain of 66.19%

So, with a heavy heart, I tell you that Shoemoney has beaten me. I thought that my strategy of using percentages instead of actual numbers would give me a clear advantage; however, somehow Shoemoney managed to bring in about 4,500 new readers in one day. I needed three more to take the competition and break out the champagne. No luck.

Claim The Prize

Now on to the real stuff that those who entered my contest want to know. Who won the LewisEmpire review, the business book and the blogroll listing?

The winner is…
DEBO HOBO!!!

To make the final pick, I created a spreadsheet model that randomly assigned numbers to each blogger and then created a list of 20 random number selections from that list. It then picked a random number from the group and that gave me an entry. My final step in randomness was to run through the model 25 times (created a quick macro to do this for me) and whammo…pick number 25 was Debo Hobo!

dcrblogs came in a close second followed by MyBlogContest who had two entries for writing about my contest twice!

Honorable Mention

Here are the list of all the bloggers who spent their time and helped me break the 50 reader mark and build my RSS:

• MyBlogContest
• ContestBeat
• gLf
• Debo Hobo
• DCRBlogs
• Vijay

I’d like to give a great thanks to everyone who helped me reach the 51!

Comments Count!

I also mentioned that I would give a shout out to those who commented on the articles. Here is the distinguished list of people (including those above) who added value to my site.

David
Joanne
Four Pillars
Jeanne Dininni
jackbravo
rachel
dave
Etienne Tao
Danny @ blogsformoney
Mary Freebies

Thanks for your comments!

Debo Hobo’s review will be coming as soon as I can go back through her site again and give her my best! Have a great weekend…

If you want more daily updates from LewisEmpire.com. Consider my full feed RSS.

Anthony Robbins Gave Me The Power Within

I had a great opportunity to attend a seminar today hosted by The Power Within and featuring Anthony Robbins, Jack Canfield and Sir Richard Branson. Needless to say, after 8 hours listening to these and 4 other speakers I am again motivated to succeed.

If you’ve never attended a seminar like this one, I strongly suggest that you do. Not only is it an excellent way to network with like-minded people but the motivation and direction you can get in your life is invaluable.

Networking

I arrived at 6:50am (doors open at 7:30) and thought I would take a quick look at the venue then go grab some breakfast and a coffee. As I walked up to the building I noticed that there was a line-up already forming in the general admission section. I knew from previous presentations that once the line started, it wouldn’t be long before it was huge. I got in line and ended up in about 50th place. I was a little worried until I realized until there would be 4,000 people attending!

While waiting in line I ended up in front of a real estate agent who was interested in talking. Since I had at least 40 minutes until the doors opened I had a great conversation. As her friends showed up, I quickly got to know the group and then sat with them for the entire day.

Looking back, what a different day I would have had if I’d taken just one train earlier or later in the day! I’ve now made a few great contacts in three different industries and have a potential group of people who enjoy taking courses on personal development. You never know where your opportunities will come from.

Taking Action

If I could sum up the entire day in just one sentence it would be this:
Your life is a result of the actions you’ve taken so, if you’re not satisfied, change your direction and take different action.
This lesson permeated each of the presentations that I was privileged to see. Anthony Robbins said that your life is a result of what you’ve decided that you must do. For example: if you’ve decided to live paycheck to paycheck, somehow you’ll always have exactly the amount of money you need each month. If, all of a sudden, your parents need to move in, somehow you manage to find the income because it’s something you must do.

I was once again reminded that everything I accomplish (and don’t accomplish) is as a result of my actions. An amazing story from presenter W. Mitchell, who had burned over 65% of his body in a motor cycle crash and then was paralyzed in plane crash, showed me that “events” or “what happens” in your life should not change how you feel and the results are all about what you focus on.

In a nut shell, don’t let other people determine how you feel, act or believe. One great example by Jack Canfield was about a potnetial rejection. He said:

Suppose, in front of 4000 people, I told a woman in the front row that she was mean and selfish. Would this raise or lower her self esteem? (The crowd overwhelmingly said “LOWER”) Jack replied - NO! It don’t matter what I said, it only matters what she believes. If she takes this as a fact then her self esteem would lower. She may reply, you’ve only known me for 10 minutes and you’re just discovering that? - in which case there would be no change. Her last response could be - out of all the people in the entire building, I caught his eye - thus raising her self esteem.

What a story! Think about how you take comments from other people and how those words affect your mood.

A New Me

After taking all of this information in, I now have the challenging task of integrating it with my home and work life. From this event, I have decided to take a new approach to life. I am going to take the next 30 days and truly change how I live my life. Unfortunately, I don’t have a clear understanding of what that will entail.

Keep checking back here for updates!

Remember to keep the competition going!
Join my RSS and help me beat John Chow and Shoemoney!

Around the Blogs and Back Again v3

My wife has been gone for the last three days on a trip. I’ve been home alone with my little guy and I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to survive having another one in January! Sure I’ve found the time to write on my blog but have you seen my house? How can one muffin create a mess in every single room? I’ve got to stop reading Hansel and Gretel…

Here are the blog posts I’ve enjoyed today:
You might be a republican if… A very funny post (if you’re a Democrat) and a disturbing one if you’re not!

Top Ten Dreams Bloggers Don’t Want To Wake Up From Here is a great list of things that every blogger dreams about. I’d also add to the list, #11 Every WordPress plugin you installed was updated perfectly and you didn’t need to search the web for your error message.

I Should Join The Circus is another wonderful monologue by Joanne at the Laidback Buddhist.

I’m working on part 3 to my Dark and Stormy Night series. If you haven’t already done it, sign up for my RSS Feed so you’re the first to know when it arrives! Click to read Part 1: The Setup and Part 2: Interlude.

Did I mention my Full Feed RSS? I thought not…

A Dark and Stormy Night - Interlude

If you are just finding this story for the first time then STOP HERE!

You need to read part 1 of the story: Dark and Stormy Night - The Setup before you move on to part two: Interlude.

As you may have read, this is a challenge from dcrblogs.com that I have decided to put some effort into for you to enjoy.

Without further interruption, please enjoy part 2: Dark and Stormy Night - Interlude.

When I woke up it was a little after 11pm. I didn’t know where I was but from the Misdo Club membership on the counter and the Slyvisions glasses on the table, I figured I wasn’t in a poor part of town.

There was almost no furniture or personal effects. Obviously moves around a lot I thought to myself.

A small Webd360 police scanner sat in the corner next to a few digital devices that I had never even heard of before. I was Lost in Technology and needed an explanation from this Nerdy Nomad that had probably saved my life.

I gave my head a shake and stood up.

The room was fairly dark but not intentionally. Phil McDonnell was presenting on E-World Vu TV in the other room. I remembered that it was scheduled for tomorrow night. That meant that I had slept about 24 hours.

I checked my hip like some Mobile Phone Geek but the Blackberry was gone. I let out a Sigh,I guess I was disconnected once again.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, obviously hearing me as she walking from behind the shade in the other room.

She was as gorgeous as a Rich Minx.

I stuttered slightly, “Neatorama“. She rolled her eyes.

What, am I five? I thought to myself. “Uh, I mean, I’m Going The Wong Way about this. I’m…”

“I know your name,” she said quickly. “I can’t imagine there’s a person in this town who doesn’t these days.”

I didn’t know what she meant by this but chose to move on. “What do I owe you for saving my life?” I asked.

She looked at me; standing there in my dusty and torn Armani suit with a broken Rolex on my wrist. “I’m Smart Not Cheap” she said with a smile.

I looked down at my own clothes. Obviously I had rolled in something I hadn’t intended. “I guess I’m not in danger of starting a new Fashion Style Trend am I?”

No Answer.

I changed the subject to find out more information and avoid embarrassment. “Fill me in on the details after I went all Tips Supremo and blacked out.”

She grabbed herself a hot cup of tea and a copy of the Net Business Journal. There I was on the cover with the headline: Beyond the Rhetoric: Boston Brat embezzles Millions in Forex Trading scheme.

I was amazed. “That’s not who I am. Don’t they ever check their facts?” I looked at the cover once again. “If they wanted to frame me, why try to kill me the same night?”

“So you didn’t do it?”

“Of course not! I don’t even know what it says I did in there.”

She looked me over one more time. There was something in her eyes that seemed to penetrate me, searching for my honesty. I can’t say I enjoyed it but she did save my life. I gave her the moment.

“What happened?”

“It was the Idea Sellers” she said.

A chill went through my spine. Not only was this the fiercest gang in the city, but I had killed some of them. Not good for my One Year Goal of staying alive.

She began her story:
“I was at Skittle’s Place having a DigitalORDER processed when I heard the first shots. I came around the corner just in time to watch you fall in behind the garbage bin and collapse. There were bullets flying everywhere and I could tell you were in trouble.

From the distance, I knew you didn’t have a lot of time before they were on you so I moved closer to your spot and got ready. I’ll admit, I didn’t expect you to jump up like some Blogamama and start firing! You scared the crap out of me!” she laughed out loud.

“I’m glad I could make your evening exciting,” I replied.

“Oh it doesn’t end there. I saw that they had you in their sights so that’s when I yelled. Do you remember?”

“Yeah”

“Well, you hit the ground and I started to fire into the darkness. I must have had my AdSense Tracker on because I got all three of the rest of them with only four shots. I waited a minute and ran over to check the bodies. Aside from the usual bullet clips and wallets I found your picture and a note. It said ‘Welcome to…”

“I remember! …to my world of dreams right? I thought I imagined that.”

“That wasn’t the end of it.” She walked over to the drawer.
“Here it is…OK. Uh…world of dreams that will soon become reality. With the Market Treasure ready to be moved, phase two of The Dragon Project can begin. Get rid of the contact…I’m guessing that’s you…and clear up the last roadblock at the club. That’s everything.”

“I wonder what the Dragon is?”

“I’ve got no idea but it almost got you killed. Once I grabbed that note, I figured out pretty quickly that you had been poisoned.”

“How did you know that?” I asked. I had never heard of there being any specific outward signs before, it’s not like they had poisoned Any Apples for her to find.

“You were delirious. You said ‘I’ve been poisoned’ so I rushed you back here. I’ve worked on a few cases with clients that had this happen so I gave you a quick shot of Kenibatz and let you sleep. It was close for a while.”

“Thanks.” I thought for a moment. Her story was a little convenient but I had to accept it for now. “You’re part of the The Diva Network aren’t you?”

She looked stunned.

“I can’t imagine that everyone has an antidote like that one lying around the..uh…empty house,” I said, “what is this your Mother’s Home?”

“If you know anything the Network, you’d know that I can’t talk about it.”

I’d hit the mark.

“Can you think of anything you’ve worked on lately that might have started this?” she asked, changing the subject.

I sat back into my chair and looked at the ceiling. The Secretalife was to keep your clients separated from your personal life. The poisoning had got too close. In my line of work there were always a few cases that could come back to haunt you but this was specific. I couldn’t think of anything specific but there were Picture Clusters in my mind of potentials. The note had said, ‘The Contact’ which meant that I had been involved somehow without knowing.

A low siren suddenly started to sound: Bloggrrl! Bloggrrl!

“What’s that?” I asked.

She was already gathering her things and putting them in her bag. “We’ve got to leave. Now.”

I looked around for the beeping noise. It was attached to a small monitor that showed an outside view of the street.

They’d found me.

“How did they know where to look?” I yelled across the room.

She tripped on the carpet and slid across the floor, “Blog Duck” she yelled.

“Watch your mouth!” I tried to joke. Not funny. She was serious.

“If they found you this quickly we’ve got no solid place to hide. We need protection and we need it now.”

I knew what that meant. I was headed for the underworld once again to ask for another favor from my Godfather, or as everyone else calls him: The Don.

The Don Biz Blogger.

To be continued…

If you’ve enjoyed this story, please consider my Full Feed RSS.

If you’re interested in including your blog in my story, please leave a comment below and/or post about this story on your blog. Thanks for reading! Part 3 is coming in a couple of days.

BlogRush.com Network Launched

I was just invited to join a new service at BlogRush.com by a friend at Real Estate Editorial. It is a free sign-up that asks you to include your blog in their network so they can distribute your content across the web to all the other bloggers who have signed up.

Here’s what they say about their own service:

By adding the BlogRush.com Widget to a blog, a blogger can get instant distribution for their latest blog post titles across a network of related blogs…BlogRush was designed to be incredibly viral and to provide its users with tremendous distribution leverage to receive exposure for their blog content (onto related content blogs) that they could never achieve on their own; at least without a massive advertising budget.

Here is what the Widget looks like:

This may be another one of those things that has big promise and no deliver but I’m willing to give it a try. It took me 3 minutes to sign-up and post the code in my sidebar. If you’re interested, click on BlogRush.com to join and start sharing your information on other blogs.

If it gets me even one more reader, it was worth the three minutes.

For up-to-date information on a variety of topics, consider my Full Feed RSS.

A Dark and Stormy Night - The Setup

I was challenged twice in one week by dcrblogs.com. The first challenge has been started here with my viral link story. Since I knew it would take a very long time (and I don’t always have a very long time to write) I thought I would break it up into a few different posts.

I’m not sure exactly what this is going to become. I’m going to do my best to get in as many of the blogs that are on the list.

Here is Part 1 of my story. Enjoy…

It was a dark and stormy night. The type of night that puts a chill in your bones. It was so cold, that even The Laidback Buddhist, a fellow PI, was at home curled up with a copy of her Writer’s Notes and a roaring fire.

Not me.

There was something going on and I was going to get to the bottom of it.

I walked across the street and picked up the latest copies of the Real Estate Editorial and The Daily Trend. I skimmed through some of the headlines:

• Chris Bloczynski arrested again for possession of Chill Technology
• The local network of DCR Blogs (Drugs, Crime, Ransom) were loose again
• Master Halo 3rd was deathly ill with gunshot wounds
• Canopy on OFW Center under repairs - Sewing Mom speeding up the process
• Bovine Times by John Cow
• Ad feature: How I Will Be Rich selling lizards

“I Should Have Bred Iguanas” I thought to myself as I turned away from the booth. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a beautiful BlueJar and turned back to the shop.

“Didn’t you forget something?” asked Mr. Baconpants, the local shop-keeper.

“You know me” I replied. I checked my pocket, nothing but Balls and Walnuts. Nope. Other pocket. I grabbed a few small bills and bought a Tasty Blog Snack. It had been a long time since I’d had one and this was Missylicious (a term my friend Vegan Momma once used).

It slipped down my throat like a Norwegian Photo Blog on The Happy Rock at High Fivez.

All of a sudden there was A Little Piece of Me in the pit of my stomach that just didn’t feel right. I turned around. The shop keeper was smiling.

Poison.

How did he know? The only one that knew I’d be buying that candy was…

Suddenly, the clerk dove under his booth. I didn’t have time to think so I spun and rolled behind the closest car. Bullets ripped through the sky and sprayed glass around me. I pulled out my Poewar pistol and got ready to return fire.

I couldn’t get off a clean shot. My vision was blurred and the Scraps of Mind I had left began searching for a way out.

“Why do I Do Things the hard way every time” I thought.

With my back to the car door I looked through the trees to the Back Lot Projects - a local neighborhood. I Am Facing Millions of options but the only thing I could think to do was run. I bolted straight up and ran to the alley between the buildings.

There was graffiti lining the walls on either side. Why don’t they learn How to Draw?

My mind was starting to go. I was having useless thought and needed to focus.

The poison was acting quickly now but I felt a CyberSurge of adrenaline as footsteps rang out behind me. I need to Think Like Them. They hadn’t hit me but they were close. Maybe some Zr5 agents or even a part of the Digital Lost Boys. I ducked down behind a garbage bin.

Did I think that Hiding-N-Public would work on these guys? This isn’t Just Another Day for them. They’re here to kill me!

I turned and fired. Thump. Thump. Bodies hit the ground.

How many? I couldn’t tell. It was dark and I could barely see. I looked around but everything was going black. I was starting to have Chimeric Day Dreams.

Focus.

More gunshots rang out, but they weren’t coming from in front of me. I turned to look at my attacker. “Get down” she yelled.

Everything went black.

“Welcome to My World of Dreams” was the last thing I heard…

Continued in Part 2 A Dark and Stormy Night - Interlude.

To read the ongoing saga of intrigue and deception, subscribe to my free Full Feed RSS.

Useless Office Chatter

I had an interesting experience the other day.

I was in the mood for another coffee so I decided to go for a walk to the coffee room. As I entered, another employee was standing there making herself a tea. I said, “Hello” and she replied, “It’s tea time” then walked out.

As I thought about this comment I realized how often we pass by people, both in the office and on the street, and the dialogue you get is basically the other person pointing out exactly what they are doing. In this case, the tea in her hand was an obvious indication that perhaps she wanted a tea. Although I wasn’t aware that there was an actual Tea Time - I am familiar with Tee Times and Miller Time - so I figured much of the information out for myself.

Friends or Colleagues?
Maybe the short talk is made because people in offices spend so much time around people that they didn’t choose to be with - the company chooses them. When you think about a normal work day (in office) you realize that people end up spending about 40 hours per week (excluding business lunches) with their colleagues. Although some people may cross the colleague line and become friends, a majority of the people in an office will never speak once they’re gone. All that useless chatter down the drain!

Do You Care?
The other reason that you have a lot of useless chatter is because most of the time people really don’t care about what the other person is saying. It’s not to say that they aren’t interesting, it’s just that their topics are not interesting to you. Personally, I like to talk about travel, business ideas, wealth generation and internet marketing. Guess what? Most people like to talk about Britney Spears, Sports (I don’t mind the odd soccer talk) and movies. All that’s left to talk about are common items such as work, weather and tea.

I guess that telling people what you are doing, rather than having a real conversation, saves you from all the hassle of trying to act interested. That being said, what it doesn’t do is help you get to know people, create a solid network and move your way up through an organization.

Just something to think about…

If you’re a victim of useless chatter, consider my Full Feed RSS.

Around the Blogs and Back Again

I want to start this weekender edition of LewisEmpire.com with a hilarious joke I once read. (I have no idea where I saw it but I’ll give the proper credit if anyone knows - it may have been Foxtrot)

There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary code and those who don’t.

With that excellent piece of humor out of the way, I want to thank my Top Commentators for their continued support. These people continue to challenge me and through their comments I have come up with new ideas for future posts. My Top Commentators today are:

• dcr
• Debo Hobo
• Danny @ markettreasure.com
• Joanne of The Laidback Buddist
• David at MarketingDeviant
• Real Estate Editorial
• NothingMan
• SEO Optimization
• GnomeyNewt
• Zen Zoomie

One might wonder why posting a thanks to your top commentators is so important - aren’t they already getting a link from your site via the top commentator list? While commenting is a great way to get your link out (see my posting on Blog Comments) there is even more value in having your link in the body of a post. First, people read it and click to find out who you are. Second, your link stays in the post for years to come - regardless if you have the time later on to continue your commenting campaign.

New Sites
Reference Maunde is a site that I found through one of my visitors that shows unique facts about very diverse and interesting things. There is some really interesting stuff here.

Great Posts
Colorstruck.blogspot.com wrote a very creative post comparing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory characters to Blogger traits. As I mentioned on the blog comments, I think I started Veruca (jumped in with no idea what I was doing), went through my Violet phase (plugin’s rules my life) and now I’m in the Charlie part of my blogging career (relax, create great content and build a community). What are you?

DCR wrote a very good post about building communities and the value they bring.

Blogging superstar Nate Whitehill wrote a post that I’m going to be using sometime within the next few months. It’s about using an eBook to promote your business.

To everyone else out there. If you’ve written a very creative post that you think I’d like, please email me! I spend a lot of time searching for great articles and would much rather that they found me!

My Most Popular Posts This Week
The 4-Hour Workweek Just Cost Me $100,000
How To Create Your Own Empire - Pt 1
Living Life On Your Own Terms

I’ll see you all on Monday!

If you’d rather be Surfing, consider my Full Feed RSS.

Adding Value To Those Who Support Your Site

Ever since I started this blog I have been doing more and more research about generating organic traffic and increasing readers through my RSS Feed. Throughout the short but informative process I have learned a few key things about attracting and keeping readers.

Show the Love

When John Chow sent a link back to my site in two separate postings (Shout Out To The Top Commentators and Why I Am Not An Amazon.com Affiliate) I realized the importance of creating a blog that allows for interaction between me and those who read my posts. Not only did I receive a great deal of new traffic, but it increased my loyalty to his site.

When a visitor chooses to read my blog I value both their contributions through comments AND the information they provide me. I truly believe that when readers take the time to leave comments on a site, and if the comment deserves a broader response or update, the blogger should write a new post and give a linkback to the visitor! These are the people who are supporting your site so make sure they get as much value from your site as they can.

Get the Feed

The second thing I’ve learned is that by joining other blogger RSS feeds I am continually updated as to the important information available from different sources with different skills, experience and viewpoints. If your blog currently has 100 unique visitors a month you may get some great information from larger more established blogs but there are invaluable posts from people who are new as well. As a new blogger myself, I learn more from posts that detail great ways to generate new traffic than I do from blogs that talk about using techniques that require 100,000 page views a month!

Get Active in the Blogger Community

The third thing I notice is that people follow commonly linked websites. You have probably seen my Moneybags image in a number of locations around the web. I really believe that it’s important to stay active in the blogger community, add-value with great comments and start to create your own personal brand for your site. This will involve a lot of time to maintain but the goal here is to retire young isn’t it?

Filtering Your Own Blog Comments in Top Commentators

I’d like to send a quick thanks to cooliojones for a recent comment he made on my site. Cooliojones’ comment was about filtering my own name from the Top Commentators list in my sidebar and said:

Hey Lewis!! I see you spreading all over the internet as well! How you gonna have yourself listed as a top commentator on your own site!! Filter that out and let one of your other viewers get some love too!

I have been replying to postings from readers as soon as I am able but my own Lewis Empire name then gets posted on the Top Commentators list. I knew it shouldn’t be there but didn’t see the significance of filtering when I first installed the Wordpress plugin. Now I do!

To remove yourself from your own list, simply go to your Plugins list in Wordpress and click on ‘Edit’ for the Top Commentators plugin. Next scroll down to where it says: “filter_users” => “Administrator,admin”, //commma seperated list of users (”nate,jeff,etc”). and add your name to the list. Once I was finished it looked like this: “filter_users” => “Administrator,admin,Lewis Empire”, //commma seperated list of users (”nate,jeff,etc”).