I highly recommend that you have your own website. It doesn’t need to be expensive but it does need to establish a relationship with your visitor – right away. Don’t be generic in your approach!

For example, I’ve noticed a lot of mom entrepreneurs who are in direct sales businesses have a "self-replicating" website. When I was just getting started with my direct sales company, I had a self-replicating website, but it was incredibly generic. Yes, it was a way to get in touch with me, but it wasn’t a way for anybody to get to know me.

If you do have a self-replicating website, you can still create your own site. It can be something with a catchy domain name or it can just be your name. In fact, the two websites can work together. You can first direct people to your own personal website and that can then link them to your company’s website.

"Come to this site to learn a little bit about me, who I am and why I do what I do. And by the way, click on this link to learn about my company’s products and how I can support you in learning more about those products."

If you already have a website, make sure it…

- Communicates who you are and what makes you unique.
- Is clear about the services you offer right on your home page.
- Reflects a design that integrates your style with what your target market likes.

Michelle PW wrote a great blog on How Your Personality Can Grow Your Business that you should check out, because no one wants a boring website!

Many people make a big mistake by investing a lot of time and money into creating a beautiful website and then they stop there. There are additional tools you need to utilize to maximize the benefits of your site…more on these MUST HAVE tools in my next post.

If you want to learn A LOT more about harnessing the power of your website you can learn more at the Metromom Online Success Telesummit. #mtmm09

This article is the first in a series about Online Success.

I woke this morning to spend some quiet time updating my personal intention statement–a statement of all that I want to bring into my life both personally and professionally. Two years ago I’d never heard of an intention statement, the whole idea sounded very illusive. My coach, Baeth Davis, kept mentioning it to me and when I took the plunge to sit down and write it for myself, the impact on my life was huge.

For me, writing doesn’t always come easily to me so getting my thoughts down in language that felt good and realistic AND achievable initially took me about a month. The results, however, were incredibly worthwhile. In four pages of single spaced writing I had noted what I wanted to bring into my life as a mother, wife and business woman.  I noted who I wanted in my life, what I wanted to be doing, how much I wanted to be earning and the difference I wanted to make. Talk about making my heart sing!!

For a few months I read my intention statement out loud first thing in the morning. It took me about 10 minutes and grounded me to my purpose and set my outlook for the day. A key point I’d like to share is that the language you use is incredibly important. Your words must resonate with you. You’re putting this statement out into the world but if you just say it and don’t feel it, I personally believes it a waste of your time.

The purpose of the intention statement is to provide you with a vehicle that when read aloud, really raises your energetic vibrations. When you read it, you want it to feel achievable for you. None of that awful impostor feeling.

I didn’t choose to say things like "I intend to make a million dollars this month" or "solve world peace" because that didn’t feel true for me.  Instead, I used some other phrases that made my words feel attainable and gave me a feeling of possibility. For example, when I say "I’m in the process of creating a life that will provide us (meaning my family) with great freedom and choice to do what WE choose" feels amazing each time I read it. I’m not fully there yet but when I state that aloud in the morning, I have that immediate feeling of "YES".

Another example of language that always feels great is to say "more fully than I’d imagined". For example, "I am open to new and unexpected opportunities that utilize my talents more fully than I’d imagined." It leaves space for some good unknowns to show up.

In 2007 I was in a very different place than I am today. My vision for Metromom was not clear. My ideas sat tucked away in a "pretty box" waiting for me to put them all together. I was working with a direct sales wellness company called Melaleuca and not doing particularly well until I wrote the following statement and read it daily. My business completely shifted. It was also the experience that I then had with Melaleuca, and the clarity I gained that helped me clarify the missing pieces of my Metromom puzzle and "take it out of the box."  If you choose to write a version of your own, I’d love to hear parts of what you come up with. It’s an incredibly powerful tool.

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