There’s no shortage of internet marketing scam artists for the far too many unsuspecting victims who fall prey to their promises…and for one main reason: these guys (and gals) are good! Internet marketing scam artists have perfected the craft of the scam. When I was growing up, it was ‘leave your wallet at home’ because the scam artists would figure a way to get into your breast pocket – and you wouldn’t know it until you stopped at the corner store to pay for that soda (or ‘pop’ in the Western PA vernacular).

I have to admit to recently becoming a member of this all-too-expanding internet marketing scam victims club, but not in the way that one would think. I was actually a part of the scam – without knowing it! To add insult to injury, I didn’t even profit from it (not that I would have wanted to). My point is that these folks know which buttons to push.

Fortunately it didn’t cost me my shirt (like it did many of the other victims). But it did cost me time (which I’ll never get back), faith in people (to a degree), and ALMOST my self-esteem. Almost.

Internet marketing scam artists are everywhere: in our in-box, our mailbox, even on our cell phones. They follow us, befriend us and Digg us to no end. They’re like that great myth who ‘knows when you’ve been sleeping and when you’re awake.’ In short, internet marketing scam artists are as false as the jolly old man in the big red suit, but with one big difference: they’re very real!

To set the matter straight, I have the highest regard for those who conduct themselves honorably in their online ventures (and there are many). They struggle like the rest of us, simply trying to make ends meet. I’m not talking about those internet marketers. I’m talking about the internet marketing scam artists who intentionally set out to mislead, rob, pillage, plunder and destroy one’s hopes dreams, aspirations and goals – not to mention: taking YOUR money to the bank!

…Yeah, THOSE internet marketing scam artists.

Having worked behind the scenes (to a degree), I’ve developed a list of things to watch out for; lines that scream, “Run! Now!”  Be sure to watch for those on my next posting. Until then, keep pushing forward – and don’t take any wooden nickels.

But this post really isn’t about gambling, or even horses. It’s about the race.

Years ago, I was having a discussion with my Mom about “getting there,” wherever “there” was at that time. I was having a problem staying focused. My Mom (in all her wisdom) said simply, “You have to run like a racehorse.” As usual I had no idea WHAT ON EARTH this woman was talking about (I was only about 13 years old).

She went on to explain that, during the race, the horse has the blinders on both sides of the head.

“Did you ever wonder what they were for?” she asked. I SWORE to her that I hadn’t. (When would I, a girl from the ‘hood, EVER think about a racehorse?)

“They’re there to keep the horses focused; keep them moving straight ahead. They allow nothing to distract the horse.”

Run undeterred

And there it was. A simple “run like a racehorse” phrase that, years later, would mean the world to me.

Mom was a very wise woman. She didn’t go into explaining that the horse was also possibly distracted by the crowd, or that other horses might bump into them along the way, or that the horse might simply not have enough stamina to reach the finish line. The point was to RUN LIKE A RACEHORSE – nevermind what MIGHT happen ahead. Just run. Undeterred.

It’s been many, many years since I thought about her words of wisdom, but today I have to admit that I recently allowed something to distract me from my goal, my finish line. But now I’m back on track (no pun intended, but certainly suitable) and I’m once again like the racehorse: vigorously running, staring straight ahead (with blinders on), not distracted, but rather, determined to finish my race.

Indeed, I’m running like the racehorse.

Thanks, Mom.

Bob was well-mannered, well-groomed, spoke eloquently and always had a bright smile on his face. He also had a penchant for singing Broadway tunes while working. And they weren’t particularly popular Broadway tunes either. For instance, I could really get behind lyrics like “When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet!” from West Side Story. But Bob preferred tunes from The Pirates of Penzance. Seriously.

Until one particular bright, summer afternoon I really didn’t pay much attention to Bob. It wasn’t that I didn’t like him – he was actually a pleasure to work with; it’s just that I could take him or leave him.

He and I were stocking supplies in the freezer one afternoon when he stopped abruptly, looked at me and asked, “What do you want to be after you graduate, Judith?”

I was a bit taken aback. He and I didn’t usually discuss these types of things (or anything at all for that matter). Still, I wanted to be polite.

“Uh, I want to be a singer, Bob!” I said proudly.

“That’s a good goal for you. You’re a good singer,” Bob said as if to validate my dreams.

Out of courtesy I asked, “What do you want to be, Bob?” – clearly expecting some off-the-wall-answer like, “A singing priest,” or something else that no ‘cool’ kid would ever dream of.

i wanna be president!

“I want to be President of the United States,” he said without skipping a beat.

I chuckled…until I saw the serious look on his face.

“…Are…you…for real…?” I asked, in total disbelief.

“Yeah.”

Then Bob chimed in with, “Judith, the higher you aim the higher you reach. I figure if I don’t make President, I’ll at least be a senator.” Then he went even further and said, “…And you should say ‘I’m going to be a Grammy winner!’ that way you’ll at least be a successful singer! The higher you aim the higher you reach!”

It’s been years since I’ve seen Bob. In fact, I can’t even remember his last name. But I’ll never forget that conversation and the motivation that he gave me to move forward with my own goals. I figured if Bob could proudly tell me that he wanted to be President, I should be proud of my dreams, too.

I think about that line now and again: When I’ve reached another milestone, when I reflect back to some seemingly small comment someone might have said to change my course. I’ve done so for 30 years. It’s served me well.

Today I don’t know where Bob might be, where he might have landed. But I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he’s the CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation. On the other hand, he could also be a speechwriter on staff at the White House, or even more impressive – the world’s best father.

Whatever it is Bob’s doing, he’s likely a huge success at it since aiming high was his creed.

After all, the higher you aim the higher you reach.

*For the sake of this article, the “good assistant” will be referred to in the feminine sense.

In utmost sincerity, as an assistant, your job has nothing to do with how much you like (or dislike) your boss; how much you’re paid (or not paid); how much praise you receive (or don’t receive). Whether you’re the assistant to the neighborhood drycleaner, an intern at a media outlet, or the executive assistant to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, the good assistant knows it’s all about the business. Period.

It's all about business

In fact, the good assistant knows the “job” isn’t to appease the employer, rally behind the team or make sure there are donuts on Friday mornings. The “job” is always to consider, “Is it good for the company?” If you ask yourself this question each time you hear idle gossip, each time your employer asks for your honest opinion, or simply answering the phone, you’ll never go wrong by considering first, “How will this effect business?”

The good assistant knows that the boss isn’t necessarily the person who signs your paycheck, or the person whose name is on the door. Your boss – your REAL boss – is the corporation itself.

As an assistant, you have a higher calling than many even in upper management. You are likely privy to more information than many department heads. You’re probably one of the first to know that a new candidate will be hired – or that a long-term employee will be fired – long before the information is made public.

And yet you never take your position for granted.

Let's do lunch!

The good assistant knows there’s a fine line between ‘lunching’ with her colleagues and ‘hanging out’ with the gang.

While she appreciates sharing encouragement with others over a meal, she recognizes that after-hours social events could cause confusion among those same peers, especially those who are not mature enough to respect her clearly-defined position within the organization. Letting her hair down, particularly among co-workers, could diminish respect for her in the eyes of others.

To the good assistant, respect is key to her success, and she guards it closely.

The good assistant knows when idle chit chat is fun and when it’s disturbing. She’s never in the company of others who are tarnishing another’s reputation, but she’s good for a joke or two, and even enjoys a harmless prank (that doesn’t detract from getting the job done).

A good assistant knows when to keep silent. She knows it’s not important for others to know what she knows, but it’s equally important for her to know what others know…and what they think they know. At the same time she’s a trustworthy colleague.

She understands that everyone has a bad day once in awhile, and doesn’t pre-judge simply because someone’s made a thoughtless comment. And if she’s the offender, she knows how important it is to apologize – and be sincere when she does.

The good assistant is tactful, never tacky…and always reveals truth as she knows it to be…even if that truth is painful to reveal, and even more painful to hear.

She’s encouraging and helpful, and her compliments are seasoned with good taste and fine words…not simply sugar-coated to hide her true feelings. If she says it, she means it.

The good assistant always ‘keeps it real.’

She has the admiration of others in the company since she’s proven to be valuable in times of distress, a pleasant breeze after “it” has hit the fan, and strong shoulder to lean on in times of professional strife and personal duress.

Her humor is always tasteful. And her poise is matched by her consistent attire, always clean and classy. Her wardrobe is not gaudy or trashy. You won’t get a glimpse of her underwear, and her cleavage is never revealed. To her, “Dress Down Day” doesn’t mean flip flops and bare midriffs, though she might dress in attire that is more casual than usual.

Her nails don’t resemble eagle’s claws, but are clean and manicured.

The good assistant does whatever comes next. She isn’t above emptying the trash, cleaning the kitchen or stocking supplies in the restroom when necessary.

She’s the heart of the organization, the confidante to the person in charge, and defender of all those in need of support.

And lastly, while the good assistant knows that she’s a valuable asset to the company and that it simply couldn’t thrive without her, she’s gracious enough not to say it.

They’re so naive.

While I’d be the first to say that one must be careful when using Twitter (tweeting can be addictive!), it has its definite positives. In fact, the good of Twitter far outweighs the bad.

Case in point: Few other sites offer FREE advertising, FREE marketing, FREE tools, etc., and the ability to reach the mass audience that Twitter does. Also, Twitter has (dare I say?) particular policies in place to frequently guard against unwanted and unethical users. There are other “pluses” I could make in my pro-Twitter rant here, but I digress. For now.

My point is this: if you’re in business and you’re not using Twitter regularly – you’re giving up a fine opportunity to spread your message in a rock-bottom-priced venue to tens of millions of people from around the globe. And that’s just NOT good business sense.

While one could argue that face-to-face marketing/advertising approaches are great, they’re also: quite costly; [mostly] time-wasters; involve endless travel for little gain; and inspire a host of other “dear-Lord!?!” litanies too numerous to mention.

I love Twitter. In fact, I wanna marry Twitter! Like a nuptial prospect: It’s affordable, it works, it’s not bad to look at and knows “all the right people.”

I see no down side here.

Signing off: http://twitter.com/jblairbrown.

“Hey, can I drive your brand new car?” he would ask, KNOWING my answer would be “No! Your license is suspended!”

“Do you think you can loan me $200 until next month?”, to which I’d respond, “Have you lost your mind?! $200? Until next month? Get a life!”

“My girlfriend needs a job. Can you get her an interview where you work?” …I’m not even going to tell you what went through my mind with that one…Every one of his girlfriends was (and is) as simple as he was (is).

One day I asked him why he asked the most bizarre questions, made the most idiotic requests – and that was the day that I realized my brother was actually a genius. Lazy, but a genius nonetheless.

He said, “Why not ask? All you can do is say no, which I expect…but one day you just MIGHT say yes.”

... and i thought he was an idiot...

I actually had one of those moments just a few days ago. I was asked by a potential client if I provided a particular service. Uh, yeah!

After reality set in, I realized I was a bit out of my element. (Don’t judge me. I said “a bit,” not “wayyyyy.” In other words, the skill was learn-able.”)

In any event I picked up my phone and called a former colleague.

“Hey, how are things?” I asked. (I’m sure “Danny” knew I was up to something. I hadn’t spoken with him in over a year.)

“I’m great. We’re shopping around for a new house, getting ready to move…” he said, my mind trailing off and wondering how I’m going to get him back on track to take care of, well, me!

After sharing a laugh or two I go, “Well Danny the reason why I’m calling is…” and I proceeded to tell him of my previous call with my now “new” client. I finished with, “…so I’m wondering if you still have those resources we used to mull over? If I could just borrow…”

“Wow, that’s great. Sure, I have something that will help you figure out where to go from here. Do you mind stopping by the office and picking them up?” (Keep in mind, the “resources” are worth hundreds (and hundreds) of dollars, which is why I needed to “borrow” them.)

Do I mind? Not if YOU don’t mind if I run in that office right now – without brushing my teeth or showering! (Yes, I was quite desperate.)

Point is: I got the resources I needed to get the job done, and that was my primary goal.

Turns out all I really needed to do was ask.

My brother, the genius. Who knew?!

I’m not kidding: If you don’t recognize your receptionist as your number one ally — your inside person-in-the-know — you’re doing yourself and your company a grave disservice. While the public’s perception of a receptionist is generally “the girl who answers the phone,” as an employer you should see your receptionist as one of the wisest persons on your staff.

By allowing your receptionist to take full advantage of her position, you’ll find a much more valuable employee and a huge asset to your company. In other words, you get more for your money. Assuming she’s the ideal candidate for the job, if utilized properly, you’ll have one of the best business partners you can imagine.

This comes with a caveat, however: you might find it tempting to keep her in the position indefinitely because she’s “the perfect person for the job,” and that very well may be — but not even you have the right from holding her back from advancing in the company. You’ll really win points with her if you encourage her to learn more of the behind-the-scenes operations, give her more meaningful responsibilities — and if you’re feeling really gracious — offer her a program to promote higher education. If you take these steps you’ll have a loyal employee for years to come.

My point is that you don’t want to lose a valuable employee. While we all understand the importance of having a competent receptionist, you should have the open-mindedness to respect her views and goals regarding her own life and her need to move ahead.

In fact, you should view her desire for advancement as a great business opportunity for you: if she’s really good as what she does in her limited capacity, just imagine what she could do for you in a more demanding role.

So in closing, I’ll leave you with these three thoughts:

1. Admittedly, good help is hard to find; however…

2. …no one, not even the boss, has the right to hold someone back from career advancement; and quite often…

3. …your receptionist is one of the greatest assets your company will ever have.

Treat her right.

*In this article we’ll refer to the receptionist in the feminine sense.

Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results, by Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., Harry Paul, and John Christensen

I highly suggest that every working person read this book. It’s not that the book taught me many new things, but instead reminded me of several important points, namely:

1)    It is in my power to choose to have a great day, or one that really sucks.

* I determine this by my attitude, my actions, my spirit.
* Any trait can (and usually will) lead to mass contagion.

2)    We sometimes need to look at ourselves as others really see us, as opposed to the way we see ourselves, which is usually way off base.

* In the book, Mary Jane, the main character, didn’t have a yearning to change things around her until her department was described as a toxic energy dump.
* Once we face what others see in us, we have the abilities to alter their view, in positive ways or negative.
* We may face many obstacles, and the journey might not be a pleasant one, but if you prevail it is worth the effort.

++ Mary Jane was rather intimidated by the fact that several others in the same position had failed.
++ Mary Jane’s staff had a horrible reputation within the company, and she wasn’t sure that they would embrace her enthusiasm to change things, but in the end they all did and the department (and the company) was all the better for it.

3)    Curiosity can be a good thing.

* It was only because she was curious that Mary Jane hung around to find out what all the hubbub was about.

4)    It’s okay to admit you need help. And people are often willing to assist.

5)    Confront your fears. They are often unfounded.

* Mary Jane was worried about bringing something new to the table but it turned out that her peers were waiting to change. They just needed someone to steer them in the right direction.

6)    Stand up for what you believe in.

* When she felt she wasn’t getting the support she needed from her supervisor, Mary Jane didn’t back down, but rather very tactfully told him what she needed from him. And he complied.

7)    Allow others to grow.

* She provided a way for her peers to have a meaningful share in this change. And she wasn’t pushy, but insistent that they try.
* She allowed her department to use their own creativity in meeting the challenge, rather than telling them what to do.

8)    Make someone else’s day.

* It was only when the staff realized that they were in a position to not just have fun, but make someone else’s day, that they realized their worth. It’s not always about you.

9.  Nothing beats a failure but a try.

I’ve heard that mantra on and off for many years. Some days it comes in handy, other days not so much. Here’s the UP side: “Faking it” can add impetus to your goals. “Faking it” can allow you to penetrate areas where you wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity. Let’s face it, “faking it” can be a good thing.

But then there’s a dark side: “Faking it” too long can make you lazy. Too lazy to actually learn your craft and truly excel as a true expert in your field.

“Faking it” can breach your integrity. Period. Think about it: if you’re “faking it,” are you truly who you say you are? And if not, you’re likely misleading your friends, clients and customer base. If so, you’re counterfeit, a deceiver. Would YOU even want to do business with you?

The other down side to “faking it” is that eventually the truth will be revealed. And then EVERYONE will know you’re nothing more than just a big, fat…

(…can you say Bernie Madoff?)

If there’s a need to “fake it” then there’s also a need to learn, to study, to become that who you are portraying.

So why not just learn, study and become that person “for real?” Not by merely faking it.

Thank heavens!

Why? Because I have work to do…which equates to financial stability (in a manner of speaking). As you probably know already: I’m not rich in money by any means – but I have a source of revenue – and that’s more than I can say for a lot of people in this pathetic economy.

So when you’re feeling down because of sitting at that cubicle all day, or you…just…can’t…go…on…any…longer – in that humdrum warehouse (or basement office or windowless cubby-hole), just watch the faces on the droves of folks walking out of the local “un-” employment office.

Yep, the beat goes on…thank heavens.