Your Guide To Building An Email List From Scratch

If you’re running an online business, brick-and-mortar small business, or ANY kind of business, you NEED a way to stay in touch with your prospects and customers. And since every single person in the world has an email address, building an email list is one of the cheapest, most cost-effective solution for doing that.

When’s the best time to get started?

Right now. Don’t wait for a “bribe.” Don’t wait for things to look perfect. Start building your email list today.

So If you haven’t yet started building an email list (but know you need to), this article is for you. You may have heard that a strong email list is one of the most valuable assets you can have, but when you’re starting from scratch, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. This is partly because many business owners have a hard time envisioning the long-term payoff for the hard work they need to do now.

If you’re serious about growing your business, building a healthy email list should be one of your top priorities. When it comes down to it, your list is one of the only online assets that you have 100% control over. Having a solid social media presence is absolutely essential, but you’ll always be at the mercy of new and changing algorithms. And achieving high search engine rankings is great too, but again, you’re at the mercy of changing algorithms and updates.

Here below some reasons for why having a solid social media presence is absolutely essential...

• Increased Brand Recognition
• Improved brand loyalty
• More Opportunities to Convert
• Higher conversion rates
• Higher Brand Authority
• Increased Inbound Traffic
• Decreased Marketing Costs
• Better Search Engine Rankings
• Richer Customer Experiences
• Improved Customer Insights

The longer you wait, the more you have to lose. Social media marketing, when done right, can lead to more customers, more traffic, and more conversions, and it’s here to stay.

Your email list, on the other hand, is yours, free and clear. Using your website and social media to attract visitors and followers, and then encouraging them to sign up for your email list gives you the opportunity to contact your prospects at any point in the future, with any kind of messaging you want; and you’re not bound by search engine rankings or social media algorithms.

Getting Started: The Basics

Sign up with an email marketing service.

Since we’re starting at the beginning, I’m going to assume you haven’t yet chosen an email service provider (ESP). An ESP will provide you with all the tools, templates and services you need to get subscribers, test your campaigns, and manage the day-to-day requirements of your list.

Different email services will use different pricing models, so be sure to choose the one that best suits your list size and expectations for growth. Some ESP’s will charge a flat monthly fee based on list size, while others will charge per number of emails sent.

A good, basic (free) service if you’re just starting out is MailChimp. Other popular options include AWeber, GetResponse, and ConstantContact.

Create a compelling offer or asset.

Before people hand over their email address, you’re going to have to offer them something enticing in exchange. This could be a free eBook, access to a Webinar, or the promise of discounts or deals exclusively for your subscribers. You could even repurpose some of your existing blog content and turn it into a guide or resource list. Whatever you decide to offer, just make sure it’s something people will recognize as holding true value!

Create an opt-in form.

Every ESP will give you tools to create an opt-in form for your site. Generally speaking, the less information you ask for (at this initial stage, at least), the better. The more information you ask for, the less likely your prospect is to complete the process. You’ll obviously need to ask for an email address, and I also highly recommended that you ask for a first name so you can personalize your emails. However, asking for any information beyond these two fields can decrease conversion rates significantly without adding much valuable data.

Put the opt-in form on your site.

Placing your form on your site is usually as easy as copying and pasting a snippet of code provided by your email marketing service. Most website owners put their form in their right sidebar, which has been shown as one of the highest-converting locations. However, this certainly isn’t the only option.

According to Derek Halpern of Social Triggers, there are 7 high-converting places you should consider putting it:

1. In a feature box (see Social Triggers feature box above)
2. At the top of your sidebar
3. After each blog post
4. In your site’s footer
5. On your About page
6. In a little bar across the top of your page (If you’re using WordPress, you can download the Attention Grabber plugin for free).
7. In a popup box

Each placement will perform differently depending on your site, niche and audience, so be sure to test out various locations as you go along.

You’ll also want to make sure you’re giving your new subscribers easy access to that compelling offer you created in #2 above. Typically, this is done by including a download link on the page that subscribers are directed to after confirming their email.

The Fun Part: Getting Subscribers

Now that you’re all set up to starting collecting emails, the fun part begins (when I say ‘fun’, I actually mean ‘hard’). If your site receives a good amount of traffic and you have a truly compelling offer, this shouldn’t be too difficult. However, if you’re like most business owners, you’ll need to look outside your own audience to start building your list.

Following are ways to get targeted subscribers for your new list.

Leverage other people’s lists.

Email marketing strategist Ben Settle suggests offering your services in exchange for a plug on someone else’s list. In his case, he arranged a strategic ‘swap’ with a well-know marketer who had a big list: he wrote 6 press releases in exchange for a few mentions in the marketer’s popular newsletter.

Another way you can leverage someone else’s list is to propose a joint venture. Of course, you won’t be able to offer a plug in your newsletter. However if you already receive some decent website traffic, or have built a presence on social media, you can offer some promotion on these channels.

Incorporate opt-ins into existing forms.

Chances are you already have forms on your site: contact forms, registration forms, quote request forms, contest entry forms, etc. Including an opt-in checkbox on all existing forms can be a great way to collect emails from visitors who are obviously already interested in what you have to offer.

Hold a giveaway.

When done right, contests and giveaways can be a great source of new, targeted leads. This strategy works best if you already have an existing audience on social media, but there are other ways you can attract entrants.

Your best bet will be to give away something that’s valuable to your target market; for instance, a high-value digital asset on a niche topic. You can give away products (we’ve all seen contests where the prize is a free iPad or gift certificates), however this strategy often leads to entrants who are more interested in the money than in what you have to offer.

AppSumo and KingSumo regularly holds giveaways as a way of building their list, and estimates that each one generates an average of $.083 gross profit per subscriber. And their best giveaway results? $6.90 gross profit per new subscriber.

8. Seek out guest blogging opportunities.

Guest blogging is a great strategy for getting high-quality inbound links to your site, increasing your visibility, and of course getting new subscribers for your list. A properly executed guest blogging strategy can yield a strong ROI, and supports your SEO, social media and email marketing efforts simultaneously.

There are a number of strategies you can pursue for your guest blogging including:

• Getting a regular column on a well known website.
• One-off contributions to a niche website (which can potentially lead to a regular column).
• Syndicating your content. Searching for “industry term + syndication” or “industry term + content/blog syndication” may reveal services which you can apply to be a part of.

Most sites that encourage guest posts allow you to link back to your site, either from within your article or in your author bio. Including a link to your offer in your author bio or at the end of your post is a great way to capitalize on the visibility you’re getting through your guest post.

The effort you put into building your email list is one of the best investments you can make online. Having access to the inboxes of targeted prospects means you can continue to build and nurture relationships over time, and become a trusted source of valuable industry knowledge. Then, when it’s time for your prospects to buy, you’ll be the first one who comes to mind.

Add me to your LinkedIn Network (mireille.lundqvist@gmail.com), give me a call 0046 703 500 509 or Follow me here or on Twitter @No1LadyL for more insights, predictions, and expertise.

Have A Fab Day Filled With Energy & Success!

Wish to become a charismatic speaker?

Personally, I am attracted to individuals who know what they want and create the right conditions to fulfill their dreams ... 

I love to read and improve my knowledge, I also love to share my experiences and spread the knowledge I have gained. I think it is important to lift other people and that people around me (my partner, kids, family, friends and colleagues) are proud of what they accomplish / achieve in life.

We are all different and different things give us different amounts of energy. I love to speak and I love to listen to great speakers. There is something very speciallt with some of them ... They fill me with a lovely infectious energy.

Have you ever heard a presentation and later realized how attracted you were to the presenter? No, not that kind of attraction. I mean that you felt connected and uplifted while you were listening. You came away feeling happier more energised and with a feeling that you wish to accomplish more. The speaker was so eloquent that you were touched in some way. Even if the presentation was about selling shoes! And yes, yes, yesss anyone who knows me privately also knows that I absolutely love and adore shoes, but you know what I mean...

That quality you experienced is called charisma. Webster defines charisma as “that special spiritual power or personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people.” A charismatic speaker leaves an impression on the audience, large or small, that makes them want to come back for more. It’s just what you want if you are trying to sell or influence a customer. Charisma is not just for selling; the best university professors are often charismatic speakers as well.

We associate charisma with preachers, like Billy Graham, old-time politicians, such as Winston Churchill or people like Anthony "Tony" Robbins who is an American life coach, self-help author and motivational speaker.

Could you become a charismatic speaker? I think the answer is yes! By breaking down charisma into 14 individual qualities (listed here in no particular order), you can attain each quality with a little time and practice:

1. Charismatic speakers are self-confident and assured. They don’t appear nervous or ill at ease.
2. Charismatic speakers seem to be enjoying themselves; they are playful, humorous, happy.
3. Charismatic speakers are lively & energetic people.
4. Charismatic speakers gives you energy and will leave you with a feeling that you want to accomplish something more. Their energy is contagious.
5. Charismatic speakers are knowledgeable about their subject.
6. Charismatic speakers look good, they have a stage presence.
7. Charismatic speakers speak without stumbling, using full sentences and correct grammar, without “ers” and “uhs.”
8. Charismatic speakers have an opinion about their subject. They care about it. You can sense their emotion, enthusiasm, and conviction.
9. Charismatic speakers often live by the fact that shared knowledge is double joy.
10. Charismatic speakers relate their topic to the broader scheme of things, they are expansive, inspiring, and uplifting.
11. Charismatic speakers create a strong rapport with their audience, they connect.
12. Charismatic speakers are positive in outlook, cheerful, and cooperative.
13. Charismatic speakers are organized; their points are clearly connected and logically follow one another, with an overview at the beginning and a conclusion at the end. They are precise and complete.
14. Charismatic speakers (genuine ones) are honest, well mannered, patient, fair, and responsible.

By developing these 14 qualities, you too can become a charismatic speaker. You can be that person that audiences feel attracted to and connected with, whose eloquence leaves people uplifted and enlivened. Work at it and you will succeed!

Add me to your LinkedIn Network (mireille.lundqvist@gmail.com) or Follow me here or on Twitter @No1LadyL for more insights, predictions, and expertise.

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Your Image - We are what we think

A ‘personal brand’ is in many ways synonymous with your reputation. It refers to the way other people see you as a business owner or representative of an idea, organization, or activity.

Are you a genius? An expert? Are you trustworthy? What do you represent? What do you stand for? What ideas and notions pop up as soon as someone hears your name? Are you the person everyone want to have in their network?

Work On Your Image It will help you now and even more in the future. But make your Image You! Don't ever be fake, Such things as a fake image shining through and will hurt you more than do good.

Stop reaching for any and every bit of publicity. Yes, there is such a thing as bad publicity. Yes, sometimes bad situations can make you come out looking stronger, but a lot of the time it will end in a ruined reputation. You want people to take you seriously and you want to have a clean reputation.

Decide and lay out your core values. How would you like potential customers and clients to think of you? Because your personal brand is built from the thoughts and words and reactions of other people, it’s shaped by how you present yourself publicly. This is something that you have control over.

Become the best. If you want to sell an expensive course in watercolor painting you’ll need to be seen as someone with the authority to teach others on the topic. If you want to get work for high-end design clients you’ll need to be seen as a runaway talent with a professional attitude. Every good brand involves the notion of expertise.

Continue learning and updating your knowledge, especially if your expertise is based around the online world. The web changes drastically from month to month. If you were an ‘expert’ two years ago but have since stopped learning and challenging yourself, you’re not an expert anymore. Never forget that.

Market your personality. Personal branding is basically selling someone your personality. You need to think hard about HOW you act. You should have a clearly identifiable personality so that people can easily feel like they know you personally, even if they've never met you. Your style of delivery should be as unique as any other aspect of your personal brand.

Add me to your LinkedIn Network (mireille.lundqvist@gmail.com) or Follow me here or on Twitter @No1LadyL for more insights, predictions, and expertise.

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You a Long Term Success

Create your own luck, tip the odds in Your favour...

Long-Term Success It starts with you as a person, Be yourself and be GREAT! Be the one for everyone that you wish everyone will be for you. Be a person who can always be trusted, never disappoint or betray someone who trusts you. It will follow you like a shadow through life. Always remember that your personal brand is an investment. Your personal brand has the potential to last longer than your own lifespan, so make it Perfect!

Create change. You need to be an active force in your field. You need to be changing, innovating, and making a significant contribution to your field at all times or else your brand will die out over time. Find what your role is, what you do best or that no one else is doing, and find ways to change the direction of that field for the better. Share your knowledge, be generous, It always pays off! 

Create your content. A strong personal brand is not going to provide much benefit unless you have valuable output to pair it with - a great service, a great blog, a great app, great public speaking skills, or something else. You need to spend as much time creating your ’stuff’ (whether that’s blog posts, videos or artwork) as you do building relationships.

Speak up. Take any opportunity you can to give speeches or present your work. When in meetings or discussions with people, take the initiative and speak up for your ideas. People need to hear you, as well as see you. You need to be an active participant in the events around you and in your own life.

Keep your brand fresh. You don't want people to see you as dated, a one-hit-wonder, or boring and repetitive. No matter how good your content is, you'll risk seeming stale and repetitive if you don’t continue adding new elements to your brand or take on new challenges. You can’t ride one idea forever. Keep adding new layers to what you represent.

Play the long game. Look at your personal brand as an investment: your personal brand has the potential to last longer than your own lifespan. While the projects you’re working on might get sold onwards or shut down, your personal brand will persist and (hopefully) add value to each new project you create. People will follow your brand from project to project if they feel connected to it. When launching new projects, your personal brand has the potential to guarantee you never have to start from scratch again.

Add me to your LinkedIn Network (mireille.lundqvist@gmail.com) or Follow me here or on Twitter @No1LadyL for more insights, predictions, and expertise.

Have A Fab Day Filled With Energy & Success!

The Power Of You and Your Personal Brand

Have you ever thought of yourself as a brand?If not Maybe you should. A great brand creates better value and people/businesses is likely to pay a little more.

That means that if You create a Personal Brand that is Attractive, you will also be able to charge a higher salary for what you do or climb faster to the top, in your career etc. 

Who do you want to be? Do you wish to be something BIG? Be yourself, just simply Be Who You Are! Before you start to work on your personal brand, think about Who Do You Think You Are, The best way is to be yourself! Success without fulfilment is failure. I Like to listen to Anthony Robbins. Here is one of his videos and you can always find more of them on Youtube if you like them to.

Promote Yourself!

Have a website. Everyone has a website now. It's an important part of getting taken seriously in the business and general work world. Make a website that functions as a sort of long-form resume, showcasing what you're about and all of the cool things you've done. You don't need to be a pro and making websites either, in order to get a nice one. You can find not too expensive ones easy to make at https://www.one.com/en/ for example.

Be present and active on social media. Social media (Twitter, Blogs etc) is crucial in terms of giving people the ability to feel like they know you. Keep your personal social media accounts under a slightly different name (your first and middle, for example) and attach your real name to public social media accounts. These will come up when employers or contractors look you up, so make sure the content and ideas that you post are relevant and good.

Don't forget your LinkedIn. This is the Place on the web where you get headhunted and have the possibility to ending up living your dream when It comes to your business part of life. Show who you are, and promote yourself! When working on your LinkedIn page, make sure it gives the same impression that you will give in a meeting face to face. Its nothing worse for a recruiter or a HR Manager at

Get a unique business card. Business cards can still be very useful, even in this digital age. But you need to have one that stands out. Get a professional, unique looking business card. Many sites sell these online and even offer customization services. These are not as expensive as you'd think! Make yourself a card that no one will forget! Maybe a QR code on the back with a video of you.

Get a great head shot. You want people to be able to picture you and feel like they really know you as they read about you. Don't look like some second-rate wanna-be with a blurry picture of you on your last vacation (complete with sunburn and embarrassing shirt).

Put a lot of work into how you look. When we put a lot of work into how we look, we tell people two things. First, we tell them that we believe in taking this professional effort seriously. Second, we tell them that we believe they are worth making an effort for or that they're worth impressing. This shows respect. Between the two, you make people much more willing to take you seriously. Dress like you mean business for your industry, wear clothes that fit and compliment your body, and work on getting nice skin and a flattering hairstyle.

Get a good bio written. This will probably mean hiring a professional to write it for you. When we write about ourselves at any length, we tend to write about what's important to us, rather than what's really interesting or valuable to someone else. This is why it's a good idea to get a helping hand. How your bio reads will depend on the nature of your industry and your particular "brand", but a little humor and a smidgen of humility are usually valuable assets to a bio.

Within a week I will write the next part of "Your Personal Brand"

Add me to your LinkedIn Network (mireille.lundqvist@gmail.com or Follow me on Twitter @No1LadyL for more insights, predictions, and expertise.

Have A Fab Day Filled With Energy & Success!

Think You've Got What It Takes To Make It Big 2015?

We’ve all got Visions and We've all got Dreams of something Big. More money in the bank, better salary, more time, more energy, better health and physics, making your company increase and grow tremendously or maybe you just wish to find that special person to share your life with.

And how many of us actually follow through with those dreams? Many times they just end up with excuses for our lack of success, saying things like, “Well, It was not meant to be” or “I should maybe just not try too hard.”, "Maybe life should have It's way, and I should just follow...".

But not you! You’re on the fast-track to fame and success. Or are you?

Think you’ve got what it takes to make it Big? Here are some signs you’re right:

1. You’re Extremely Curious

You need to have an innate fascination with whatever it is you’re working toward. You've got to learn as much as you can about the industry, the people, the culture, yourself and so on. You need to want to be consumed by it. You've got to understand the problems and be excited about finding solutions. You’ve got to be passionate, excited, and curious about all areas of the biz.

When Larry King made his debut in radio, he made a point to become consumed in the biz. In addition to doing his own show, he did the weather reports, the sports updates, and the news broadcasts. He even volunteered to fill in in for people who were out sick, and took on double shifts.

Why? He wanted to learn all there was to know about the biz. He wanted to practice. He wanted to be good at what he did. The only way to do that was to explore and go above and beyond what was asked of him. He called it "taking extra batting practice."

Purpose-driven activities are still worth doing. Known outcomes are useful for your finances, relationships and health. But in a complicated world with infinite choice and variety, curiosity becomes a more powerful long-term tool for achievement.

And some ways you can reignite your curiosity...

Curiosity has become more valuable, but most people still avoid it.

1. Work on projects with no defined results. Write a novel when you’ve never written a short story before. Train for a marathon when you aren’t athletic. Find something you’re bad at and make a project out of it, because chances are if you’re bad at something it’s because you know very little about it. Ignorance is the starting point for curiosity.
2. Read books about a topic you don’t normally read about. The point of a book isn’t knowledge, it’s wisdom. Your most important decisions aren’t going to come in the form of a citation, they’re going to be divulged from the background ideas you’ve been exposed to. Reading a huge variety, and taking advantage of curiosity, gives you new ideas.
3. Waste time on something creative. Try learning how to use a tool you’ve never practiced before. Curiously exploring new tools can often have unintended benefits. The programming skills I built on completely unrelated projects have helped me in running a website. The artistic skills I built allowed me to do much of my own design work for products.

2. You know the difference between Planting Seeds and Watering Trees

Purpose-driven action is like watering a tree. You are putting inputs into a known system with a known result. For the most part, the watering the tree will encourage it to grow. Curiosity-driven actions are like planting new seeds. Only a small fraction will sprout, but if you plant enough, some may become healthy trees.

If you only water existing trees, you’re in a risky position. A bolt of lighting or disease could kill off a big tree and you’d be left with nothing. There is also the risk that you might water a stunted tree, and by planting no more seeds, you have no opportunities to find a bigger, healthier tree to put your energies into.

A lot of people I talk to have sickly trees. They aren’t happy with their lives and can’t seem to find a way out. One strategy is simply to water the trees more. If you aren’t taking care of your health, finances or relationships, then you shouldn’t be surprised when they’re withered and shrunken.

But often the problem isn’t in your effort, it’s in the trees. Working harder at a job you hate won’t help. In these cases, curiosity, planting more seeds, is the solution. Even if your current situation seems grim, planting more seeds can give eventual opportunities.

3. You're using The 20% Rule

Twenty percent of your energy, time and money should be devoted to experimental and curiosity-driven pursuits. I’m borrowing from the successful strategy used in Google where employees must devote 20% of their time towards self-directed projects. Twenty percent is an arbitrary figure, the actual optimal result may be 50% or 75%, depending on your situation, but for most people I’d say 20% is a good start.

See how you could free up one day per week to invest into projects or activities where you can’t predict the material outcome. Even if you need to free up eight hours on a Saturday for this activity, it is worth the expense. First, novelty makes life more interesting, remember: boredom is the enemy. Second, the unintended benefits of seed projects can have huge repercussions in only a short period of time. I started this website without any definite expectations, now it can support me through University.

One day, once per week, do one thing new. Either add up all the time and invest it into an experimental project, or devote it separately to something completely different each time. Whatever the case, be curious and enjoy planting new seeds.

4. You’re A Little Cocky (Just A Little)

If you really want to make it, you’ve got to have confidence in yourself and your abilities. Without confidence, you can so easily get crushed by negativity and criticism – things you will have to deal with once you hit the spotlight.

You have to be confident. You have to trust yourself. And you have to have a deep understanding that you’re going to make it.

Build your self confidence.Poor self confidence is what usually makes it hard for us to believe in ourselves. If you want to believe in yourself and the things you do, you'll need to build your self confidence.

• The most basic way to build your self confidence is by changing how you think and talk about yourself. Stop beating yourself up. Every time you catch yourself thinking or saying something bad about yourself, stop. Say a few good things about yourself and then think about healthy ways to work towards fixing things that you want to improve about yourself.
• Another way to build your self confidence is by proving to yourself that you can take on any challenge and giving yourself things to be proud of. Good ways to do this include traveling or volunteering.

Love yourself for who you are. Don't try to be someone you're not or be upset with yourself for the things that you think are wrong with you. You are you and you can't really be anyone else. You can try to change certain things about yourself, improve yourself in ways that really matter to you, but you won't be happy if you force yourself to be someone or something that you are not. Try to love yourself for what you ARE and you'll find yourself living a much easier life.

Take care of yourself. Take good care of your body and your spirit. The more you treat yourself badly by eating unhealthy foods or being really lazy, the more you'll think that you aren't worth caring about or putting effort in to.

Do things that are hard. If we only take the easy route, it can be easy to think that we aren't capable of doing things that are hard. Prove to yourself that you can take on challenges by doing just that: take on challenges. Do things that will be rewarding, even though they'll be hard work. You can do it!

Help others. In helping others, we can often get a better view of what we're capable of. It will also help you feel better about yourself, but remember to not give away all your Time.

Don't sweat your insecurities. Everyone is insecure. Absolutely everyone. If Jennifer Lawrence can do what she does, even though she's self-conscious about how she looks, then you can live with your insecurities too. They're inevitable but that doesn't mean you have to let them dictate your life.

Speak up for yourself. When things are happening around you and you have an opinion or know a better way to do something, speak up! Don't just let your life happen around you. Take active part and be in control of the situation. This shows you that you are capable of being in control and leading others.

Recognize your skills. Recognize the skills that you have and the good things about yourself. There are lots! You may not always recognize them but they are there.

Meet goals. Set goals for yourself and meet those goals. Actually go out and do things. Just thinking about what you want to do will only make you feel worse about yourself for not even starting them.

Learn from failure. Instead of viewing your failures as failures, view them as learning opportunities. You did something wrong so that you know for sure it's wrong and now you'll have an easier time knowing what's right. Everything that goes wrong in your life is an opportunity to learn, so embrace it.

Try, even when you feel like you can't or shouldn't. Sometimes we feel like we shouldn't do something new because we might do it wrong. This is a bad mindset.

Talk to people that love you. If you're really having trouble seeing all the wonderful things about yourself, you can always talk to someone who loves you.

Take breaks when you need them. If a situation or a task is just too overwhelming, feel free to take a quick break to catch your breath and remind yourself that you can do this. Even if the break is just inside your head, it's okay to stop and acknowledge that you need a minute to build back your determination.

Do something you believe in. Another thing you can do to help yourself believe in yourself is to do something that you believe in. Do something that you know is incredibly important and that you know needs to be done.

Have realistic expectations. Like we said above, having really unrealistic expectations for yourself and your abilities can really harm your view of yourself.

Recognize yourself in others. Recognize that just like you make mistakes, everyone else makes mistakes too. And just like everyone else does awesome stuff sometimes, you do awesome stuff too.

Stop putting yourself down. Everyone says bad things about themselves sometimes in their head, but if you let it become common, frequent, or really mean, you aren't doing yourself any favors. You really can become your own worst bully.

Focus on moving forward. Stop getting stuck in the past and focusing on when you "used to be good" or the mistakes you made back then. No matter if you think you were better then or worse, the only thing you should worry about is doing well in the future. You can't change the past but you can have a better future, so put all of your energy into that, instead of worrying about what you can't change.

Don't procrastinate. Procrastinating is setting yourself up for failure. When you have less time to do a task, you'll rush and miss things. Instead, do things on time so that you have the extra time to really do your best!

Use criticism wisely. Don't ignore all criticism that is given to you but also don't carry your entire view of yourself or a situation on the opinion of other people.

5. You’ve Got A Dream (A Big One!)

What’s your vision? What do you want to accomplish? What are your hopes and dreams? Having a dream – even if it’s a little vague – is crucial for success. Before you can start your journey, you need to have a goal in mind!

In the words of Walt Disney, "If you can dream it, you can do it." (And before you can do it, you've got to dream it!)

6. You’ve Got A Road Map, But You're Prepared To Take Detours

They say success is where preparation and opportunity meet. So, when opportunity comes ‘a knockin,’ you’re going to want to have your plan already in place. Think of it as your road map to making it big!

What steps do you need to take to get where you want to be? Who do you need to know? What skills do you need to have?

But, let's be real here, nothing EVER goes exactly according to plan. You need to be able to adapt to whatever life throws at you. Think of those things as detours. They're not a huge deal as long as you figure out how to get back on the main road!

7. You Realize Failure Is A Minor Setback, Not A Game Changer

If you’re even thinking about making it big one day, the word “quit” can’t be in your vocabulary. In the end, you don’t succeed because you don’t fail; you succeed because you don’t give up. The second you quit, you’ve lost.

Take Michael Jordan, for example. He has a famous quote, "I've failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed." The only reason he succeeded was because he didn't let those failures discourage him to the point of quitting. Why? Because he realized his failures were only minor setbacks - not game changers.

I guarantee you that everyone you look up to has failed at one point or another, but did that stop them from picking themselves back up and moving forward? No way, Jose. And that’s why they’re successful.

If you’ve got all of these qualities – congratulations. I’m sure we’ll be hearing your name sometime soon!

What are your secrets to success? What else do you think is necessary for making it big? Do you have a Great Vision you would like to share? I’d love to hear your thoughts! 

One of my projects right now - I'm writing a book that will help you to reach your visions and goals and help you to take immediate control of your mental, emotional, physical and financial destiny. If you are interested to know when it's out - Follow Me On Twitter!

Add me to your LinkedIn Network (mireille.lundqvist@gmail.com or Follow me here or on Twitter @No1LadyL for more insights, predictions, and expertise.

Have A Fab Day Filled With Energy & Success!