Interview with Shannyn Allan: How to Get Brands to Give You Free Stuff (Video)

Amanda Abella — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:00:43 +0000

Hey there fireballs! It's that time of the month where I share with you all some of my favorite stuff from online entrepreneurs, bloggers and all around kick ass people! As always, there's a ton of cool stuff to learn and email subscribers get an discount code!

This month we're dishing about Rockstar Blogging - a guide to help you earn over 1K in sponsorship, get free stuff and get noticed by brand you love!

One of the coolest thing I have found through my blogging journey is the ability to get free stuff from brands. Lately, I've had more companies and people reaching out to me offering me awesome products to review and give away - from books to calendars - and you all have responded very well to this!

Because of this I thought it would be a great idea to teach some of YOU how you can do the same on your blogs! So I brought in the Giveaway Queen herself, Shannyn Allan from Frugal Beautiful. Shannyn has created a Rockstar Blogging to help bloggers of any stage use their work as leverage to make extra income, get free stuff and get noticed! Shannyn and I have dished on this stuff before, and with her advice I've been able to get more free stuff to give away and share with you guys - from books to calendars and even a Kindle Fire!

I'm fortunate enough not to just consider Shannyn a colleague but also an incredible friend with a HUGE heart and lot's of spunk! We had so much fun making this video for you guys and I hope you all get as much out of it as we did!

What You'll Get From Rockstar Blogging

A specific action plan to help you earn 1K+ in sponsorship, free products & get noticed by brands you love. You'll learn how to:

Understand what companies look for in sponsoring a blogger.
Write the “Perfect Pitch” and talk to major brands.
Grow your trafﬁc & social media followings for free using giveaways.
Prep your blog so brands will seek you out to send you free stuff.
Build brand relationships effectively to earn free travel or sponsorships

You also have different options depending on your needs:

ROCKSTAR BLOGGING

Includes the guide to becoming a Rockstar Blogger
- Rockstar Blogging 51 Page Guide
Click here to learn more & purchase.
GOLD PACKAGE

Guide, Worksheets & Video
- Rockstar Blogging 51 Page Guide
- Supplemental Worksheets: Perfect Pitch Essentials and Rockstar Pre-Reqs
- Action Guide: “The Freebie Filled Gift List: How To Score Your Christmas Gifts For Free"
- 2 Exclusive Video Interviews. With Rockstar Bloggers Kylie Oﬁu & Kelly Whalen.
- Access To Video Rockstar School. 4 Video Lesson Modules
Click here to learn more and purchase.
PLATINUM PACKAGE

Guide, Workheets, Video & Personal Consulting
- Rockstar Blogging 51 Page Guide
- Supplemental Worksheets: Perfect Pitch Essentials and Rockstar Pre-Reqs
- Action Guide: “The Freebie Filled Gift List: How To Score Your Christmas Gifts For Free"
- 2 Exclusive Video Interviews. With Rockstar Bloggers Kylie Oﬁu & Kelly Whalen.
- Access To Video Rockstar School. 4 Video Lesson Modules
- Special Launch Day Bonus: Free Personalized Site Feedback/Critique for ﬁrst 10 buyers!

Click here to learn more and purchase!

February Subscriber Bonus: 10% off Rockstar Blogging!

Alright my little fireballs, all of you who are already subscribed to the blog have received a 10% discount code for Shannyn's awesome program Rockstar Blogging! Just look on the sidebar all month long for your code. And no worries, I will be sending out a huge email blast with the code as well, plus your monthly dose of personal insights from me.

New subscribers: When you subscribe to the Grad Meets World email list you'll also get the 10% discount code in addition to the Post-Grad Tool Kit which is full of guides and templates to help you start a side hustle, make a budget and start kicking some major ass in your life. Simply use the box below, under the header or on the side bar to subscribe!

Think Traffic mentions how people who are considered experts in their field do not take on just anybody as a client. They have an application process, a waiting list and only offer free services occasionally.

Marie Forleo talks about the importance of identifying ideal clients in her video "Do Your Clients Drain Your Energy?". (Very good video!)

Ramit Sethi (I Will Teach You to Be Rich) and Derek Halpern (Social Triggers) also talk about the importance of knowing what kind of customers you want to work with on a podcast they did together.

And of course, you can't have a post like this without mentioning Seth Godin, who pretty much coined the idea of building your tribe. (If you don't know who Seth Godin is at this point you need to watch this and this.)

So as you can see, some of the leading online experts in marketing, sales and numbers all seem to agree on the same thing.

Bottom line: Get clear on who you WANT to work with.

Last week I had the absolute pleasure of going to see one of my sheroes speak live and in person. On Thursday night I went to The Standard on Miami Beach for Gabrielle Bernstein’s May Cause Miracles Book Launch Event.

If you’ve been following the blog for a while then you know I am a huge fan of Gabrielle Bernstein and her work. I have been following her for a little over a year and can testify that what she teaches about spirituality, positive psychology and meditation actually works!

I use her tools, techniques and teachings on a daily basis and have truly seen miracles occur - from managing my day job and having abundance to this blog becoming a major vessel for an empowering message. And, if you saw my Kick Ass Books for an Awesome 2013 video then you know that her teachings helped me have the easiest breakup recovery ever.

It is her work that helped me not only witness, but stop playing crappy records in my head. I now notice when I have thoughts like “My job blows”, “I’ll never make enough money”, “My ex is an asshole”, “I suck” etc. etc. Now instead of getting caught up in them I disengage and choose to see love instead. This kind of perception has literally created a better outward experience and has certainly helped me better deal with life’s occasional obstacles.

Gabrielle Bernstein has taught me and countless others how to live in an empowered love filled way. Following her work has literally changed my life for the better and I am constantly sharing these tools with you all because I whole heartedly believe in their power. (By constantly I really do mean constantly. You can read about my journey following Gabby here, here and here.)

So as you can imagine I was pretty excited to see one of her lectures live instead of on Vimeo. And I was certainly completely ECSTATIC when I got to meet her!

I met Gabby Bernstein! Squeal!

Autographed copy of May Cause Miracles and a pass to enjoy The Standard Hotel & Spa. Miracles indeed!

Seriously, dream come true! It's moments like this that make me realize how grateful for everything. If it wasn't for writing this blog that constantly forces me to look inward, take care of my side of the street and most importantly serve others, I may have never stumbled upon this incredible teacher. And I certainly wouldn't have had the balls to hand her a business card (Yes, I did do that. Make that two best selling authors I've slipped my business card to!)

You know what else makes me feel grateful? This beautiful setting on the water. I am so blessed to live in such an incredible city!

Getting ready for Gabby on the Bay!

I know a lot of you already follow Gabrielle Bernstein, but for those of you who don't here is a rundown of some of my favorite lessons:

Forgiveness is the bedrock of a happy life.

Relationships are assignments.

Gratitude is the only attitude.

Focus on the content instead of the frame.

Treat your romantic relationships as more brotherly and treat your friendships as more romantic (Good one!)

The Universe has your back.

Win an Autographed Copy of May Cause Miracles!

Since I purchased a VIP ticket for the event I got an EXTRA copy of Gabby's latest book, May Cause Miracles. And guess what? I got her to autograph it for you! Just use the Rafflecopter widget below (you may need to click refresh) to enter! I can't wait to share this amazing guidebook with one of you lucky readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

latest Lifehack article going live, my YouTube channel tripling in subscribers, blog coaching clients, creating my life coaching structure and getting ranked as one of the 20 Must Read Career Blogs for the Young Job Seeker by Under 30 Careers I've been celebrating for a week!

But wait - it gets better! On Friday January 11th I was asked to be on a HuffPost Live panel to talk about millenials, boomerang kids and the economy! Several of you watched LIVE and showed some serious love! You guys really came out to support us against the typical millenial bashing that usually occurs in the media. YOU GUYS ROCK! Check out some of the awesome comments below:

You can watch the entire segment by clicking the image below. Or click here.

Tweetable:

Check out this awesome @HuffPostLive segment about boomerang kids, millenials and the economy! via @amandaabella Buffertweetable text

NeuYear Calendar Giveaway

Okay guys, and now for the second part of this post. I want to give a HUGE shoutout to NeuYear for sending me over a FABULOUS calendar! Those of you who are on the Email Insider list already know how in love I am with these calendars - and a couple of you have even purchased one! But for those of you who don't know, the guys over at NeuYear created these beautiful 2013 calendars that let you see the entire year, allow you to track your goals, allow you to give yourself weekly ratings and are design friendly!

In celebration of a New Year and an awesome week, the guys at NeuYear sent me an EXTRA calendar to give away on the blog! Just use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

30% Discount on NeuYear Calendars for Email Subscribers

If you can't wait for a raffle then make sure to subscribe to the Grad Meets World email list! NeuYear has created an exclusive 30% discount code just for GMW subscribers! Just sign up at the bottom of this post and you'll instantly get your 30% discount code. Here's to a fabulous New Year!

Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr

Spirituality/Positive Psychology:

May Cause Miracles: A 40-Day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness by Gabrielle Bernstein

(Bonus: I'm totally digging Doreen Virtue as of late. If you're feeling open minded or your spirit needs a boost I highly recommend this.)

Money:

The Mint Manual by Tim Murphy (Check out a full length review here.)

The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money and Miracles by Marianne Williamson

Kicking Ass:

Audacity Rules by Coach Jennie (Check out our one-on-one interview here.)

Amazon Store

For more of my favorite personal development books visit my store on Amazon.

Tweetable:

Check out these amazing books for rocking 2013! #health #money #geny #career via @amandaabella Buffertweetable text

fill out this survey so I can better serve you in 2013.

Photo by Amanda Soler Photography

In a nutshell.

I tried things differently this year. It was a year when my post-grad anxiety started to subside, I succeeded in starting to put my health first, reconnected with Miami and even started dating again. Despite the hardships that sometimes ensued, like upsets at work or serious heartbreak, it's the best year I've had in a long time. It's also the most calm I have felt in what seems like years. No regrets.

I also made tremendous progress financially, within my career and in my personal relationships. A lot of it is thanks to this blog and it's readers. You guys not only inspire me, you also help keep me accountable and for that I am forever grateful.

2013 will be dedicated to planning workshops (already have two in the works!), partnerships and creating a space where millenials can share, grow and learn from each other as we create our careers, our health, our personal experiences and our lives. I want this to be a space where you guys can come for positive reinforcement, resources and connections.

With that being said, please make sure to fill out this survey so I can better serve you in 2013.

Thank you all for another incredible year!

The Ultimate 2012 Round Up

What a year for Grad Meets World! Apparently some of the topics discussed got some serious attention! With that being said here are the top posts from the year:

10 Top Notch Gen Y Blogs of 2011

Why It's Okay to Be a Boomerang Kid (This little number sparked quite a controversy and even got my blog featured on The Consumerist! You guys had some awesome things to say in what turned into a healthy debate.)

4 Signs That You May Be an Entrepreneur at Heart

10 Odd Things You Should Never Do at a Job Interview

Some of my personal favorites...

Love and Relationships

How Do You Deal With a Breakup? 7 Steps for Getting Over a Breakup

The Love Manifesto: 23 Principles to Help You Thrive in Your Romantic Relationships

Side Hustling

How I'm Making Over 1K from My Blog This Month

10 Lessons Learned from 2 Years of Freelancing

3 Ways Your Blog Can Make You Money Without Being Sleazy

Career

Just for the Ladies - Resources to Help You Kick Ass in Your Career

20 Lessons Learned from Conducting 200+ Interviews

5 Ways to Get Your Life Back from Your Job

How to Network Like a Pro (The Non-Sleazy Way)

Money

10 Biggest Obstacles to Financial Success in Your 20s

Calling Yourself Out on Emotional Sp ending

Health

Learning to Love Your Body

How Do You Practice Self-Love?

How Poor Health Can Cost You A Lot of Money

Favorite Things I've Written for Other Websites

6 Things That Keep 20-something Women from Financial Success - Forbes

How LocalLEVO Is Helping Me Through a Breakup - The Levo League

Interview Tips from Hiring Recruiters: How Not to Be an Idiot in a Job Interview - The Levo League

New Grads: Are You Being Unrealistic in Your Job Search? - SALT

Top Free Networking Tools and Events for Post-Grad Millenials - SALT

Can You Come in for an Interview - Tomorrow? - The Daily Muse

4 Ways to Deal With Big Life Changes - Lifehack

3 Ways Freelancing Can Land You a Full-Time Job - Simply Hired

How I Plan on Getting My Savings Back After Spending $6,000 - Careful Cents

20 Lessons Learned From 2 Years of Blogging

Grad Meets World turned 2 years old this year! 2012 truly represents a year of tremendous growth for this blog and myself as a person. With that being said, here are some of the most important lessons I've learned.

1. It's okay to be vulnerable for your readers. In fact, it makes for true connections.

2. Building a practice of any kind - saving money, exercise, meditation - is like strengthening a muscle. It takes time, work and dedication, but the rewards are sweet.

3. You can use your own hardships to reach out to others and help them.

4. At the end of the day we're all human. We have the same victories and we have the same hurts.

5. It's more than okay to take a break and recharge.

6. I'd rather have fewer clients who pay well then a bunch of projects that pay shit.

7. My life coach training constantly pushes me out of my comfort zone.

8. The only certainty in life is uncertainty - it's what you make it mean that matters.

9. You have to think of the bigger picture in terms of your career - not just what your paycheck is. That is to say, what's going to benefit you in the long run? What extra stuff can you do? How can you go big?

10. Learning how to manage your boss is probably more important than actually managing your job.

11. Forgiveness is the bedrock of a happier life.

12. It's okay if you have a different path than what others want for you.

13. Make your friendships more romantic and your romantic relationships more brotherly. (Favorite lesson from Gabrielle Bernstein & A Course in Miracles. Really came in handy this year.)

14. I'm not going to die if I don't pay off my credit card in full one month. I just have to make sure not to make it a habit.

15. Sometimes it's okay to take a risk with your money. And it's certainly more than okay to invest in yourself.

16. Your relationship with yourself is the most important one you will ever have.

17. Your family cares for you and they want what's best, but sometimes you have to tune them out in order to become who you are meant to be.

18. Having compassion for someone who hurt you is not rolling over and playing dead. In fact, if you can see the humanizing factor in every undesirable situation you're going to heal much faster (and more gracefully) than you ever imagined.

19. You can be open and honest in every aspect of a romantic relationship and it'll work for however long its supposed to. If it ends it's not because of being so open, it just wasn't meant to be. Simple as that.

20. Networking and getting involved in your local community is one of the coolest things you can do for your career - and for yourself.

Personal 2012 Milestones

Partnerships: I teamed up with American Student Assistance as one of the writers for their SALT blog. It's been an incredible experience as I share my career experiences with others who are just starting out. They are also some of the coolest people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Keep a look out in 2013 for a Career webinar by yours truly and SALT!

Writing: This year was HUGE for me as I got published on one of my favorite business publications - Forbes! This was all thanks to the incredible team over on Glass Heel. Make sure to check these ladies out for anything you can possibly need to go from cubicle to board room! I also started writing for The Daily Muse, Lifehack and continued writing for my favorite career ladies over at The Levo League.

Community: I went on a networking marathon during the latter half of 2012. I am proud to be a part of The Levo League's LocalLEVO Miami chapter and have connected with such incredible ladies as a result! I also got to meet The Levo League co-founder Amanda Pouchot, Community Manager Maxie McCoy and The New Professional's/The Daily Muse's Angeline Evans! Furthermore, I got together with local Spirit Junkies and Gabrielle Bernstein enthusiasts to start a group of women who are there to support each other, help each other and be like spiritual running buddies. It's truly been an incredible opportunity to meet so many like minded ladies living in my own community! Here's to helping each other elevate not only our careers, but our lives as well.

Life Coaching: In April 2012 I officially started my life coaching certification course. The entire process has been a huge eye opener and I see myself using the skills I've learned in my writing, in my personal relationships and at my job. I've also taken on a couple of clients (both long time readers of the blog) to help me create a program and test out exercises (thanks to the both of you for being so patient with me!). In 2013 I will be putting things to the test with workshops and webinars. Make sure to sign up for the email list to stay updated!

Fitness: December 26, 2012 marks one year since I decided to practice yoga on a regular basis. Regardless of what is going on in my life I always find myself back on the mat. I've had the absolute pleasure of getting to know incredible teachers at Prana Yoga Miami and take tools I learn on the mat into my daily life. Yoga is truly a gift and I am thankful to have incorporated it into my life. In September 2012 I also picked up mixed martial arts/boxing and have been steadily going ever since. I can feel (and see) the changes in my body and it feels great! If you're ever in Miami make sure to check out Arena Combat Sports for a hell of a workout and some pretty cool people.

On a personal level: I have made some incredible connections this year as I maneuver my way through the crazy city of Miami. There's always something going on in this vibrant town and for that I am so grateful! I also opened up on a much more personal level through a romantic relationship, released some fears that had been holding me back and got a huge lesson in compassion and forgiveness. I've really opened up this year - both in my personal life and on this blog - and the process has been a beautiful one.

What's next in 2013?

1. Live workshops and webinars!

I've teamed up with some incredible people, both locally and online, to bring one of my blog dreams to reality - workshops and webinars! I've got a fitness goals workshop in the works with an awesome Miami personal trainer & I'm teaming up with a couple of great websites to create career development workshops in the Spring. Keep an eye out for more info!

2. Newsletter

One of my goals for 2013 is to write up monthly email blasts for my loyal subscribers. You guys are the lifeblood of this blog and if it weren't for you this blog wouldn't be what it is today. I plan on cracking myself open and going deep in these posts so make sure to sign up for insights you'll only get via email.

3. How can Grad Meets World improve?

My goals is to help you guys in your post-grad lives. I get a lot of material from my own life as I learn to maneuver finances, my career and personal relationships but I want to make sure these things are helpful for you. Please feel free to use this contact form to send me any insights or suggestions. Or, please make sure to fill out this survey.

Thank you again for another incredible year for Grad Meets World! May all your goals, wishes and dreams come into fruition as we enter a New Year!

It's a big problem, people. Life is more about your job or making money. In fact, what if that job doesn't work out? What are you going to do then? (Not to be a Negative Nancy, I'm just proving the point that our jobs do not make up our entire lives.)

The truth is that there is a whole world of possibilities outside of the confinements of your cubicle! There are adventures to be had, new things to try and fun people to meet! And quite frankly, the idea that we are our jobs is an unhealthy epidemic. So unhealthy that countless media outlets have taken it upon themselves to advise people on how they can get their lives back from their jobs.

The Levo League recently posted an article called Balance it Out: Easy Ways to Get Your Life Back from Work . The Huffington Post constantly has different articles related to how our jobs are causing us more stress than they're worth.

We're being bombarded by signs that something is clearly wrong in the work/life balance department. Namely, that we're working too hard and not playing hard enough - an issue that I've been trying my best to correct through much of 2012.

So how exactly do we start getting our lives back from our jobs? Especially in a post-recession world when our hours are crazier than ever? The good news is it doesn't have to be all that difficult! Below you'll find some techniques I've been incorporating into my own life as I try to actually enjoy being in my 20s.

Go out for lunch!

The weather in South Florida has been absolutely divine lately. In fact, it's been so beautiful that being stuck in an office has been somewhat depressing. In an effort to take matters into our own hands my co-workers and I did something we never do - we went out for lunch.

(P.S. If any of you work in the Coral Gables area make sure to check out POC's lunch specials! Yummy food, good price and they also have healthy options!)

Something so simple managed to completely change our moods for the rest of the day. Granted, I don't suggest going out for lunch all the time unless you want to burn a hole in your wallet, but every once in a while it's nice to just get the hell out of the office.

Exercise, Exercise and Exercise some more!

In 2012 I made the realization that the ONLY thing that helps me when I'm stressed about work, relationships or life in general is continuous exercise. As in - nearly every day.

If you're just starting out with trying to incorporate an exercise routine into your daily life I recommend doing the following - find one thing (a class, yoga, a gym) that you really enjoy and stick with it until it is ingrained in your brain that exercise is now a part of your life. Once you've got the habit down you can start experimenting with other forms of exercise.

For instance, by the end of 2011 I knew my exercise thing was yoga. I absolutely loved it! As a result I had no issues with actually showing up to exercise - not even after a long day at work! After a few months it was just second nature to go and exercise when I clocked out. In fact, if I didn't go exercise then I would feel completely weird and off-balance. Since the exercise habit is now ingrained in me I've been able to experiment with other forms of exercise while knowing that I won't fall off the horse. In the past two months I've tried pole dancing, a 5K, aerial silks, spinning and have cultivated quite an affinity for mixed martial arts.

I don't think I've ever exercised this much in my life! Meanwhile, my stress levels are down, I feel good most of the time and I'm having loads of fun!

(Clockwise: Aerial silks @ Pole Fitness Miami, Boxing Circuit @ Arena Combat Sports, Glow Run 5K, Spinning @ Equinox via Local Levo Miami #netWORKOUT)

Take it outside.

Spending most of your time between four walls can drive anyone mad. Make sure to pencil in some good old fashioned time in nature in order to replenish. You can even combine your workouts and take them outside. Or, if you're side hustling like me, consider getting some work done outside. One thing I also try to incorporate a few times a week is to take a break and walk around the block. It's nice to remember that the sun is shining!

All I need is my laptop, coffee and my back porch

(I know many of you don't have the luxury of living in Florida so just do what you can Or maybe use that Christmas bonus and book a trip somewhere!)

Get Involved

One of the best ways to not only lift your spirits, but also remember that there's life outside of your office, is by helping others. Volunteer, create, meet new people, make someone smile! Making time to volunteer or help others can easily have more of a positive impact on you than those you are helping (though they're definitely getting the happy vibes too!)

Socialize

Getting out of the office also means get out of the damn house. Go out! Have some fun! Have a couple of drinks! You can also create meet-ups, join local groups or take up a cool class. All of these are great ways to meet new people, have some fun and let off some steam from the work week.

Miami Spirit Junkie November Meet Up! Watching Gabby Bernstein, Marie Forleo and Mastin Kipp on Super Soul Sunday! You can still watch this stellar episode with some of my favorite thought leaders and teachers via Livestream.

What are some of the ways that you get your life back from your job? Share your tips, resources and ideas in the comments below!

The Levo League is a start-up based out of New York City whose sole mission is to help Gen Y women find the resources they need in order to have fulfilling careers. They provide workshops, online events, mentorship and even have a job board on their website. The entire concept came out of a personal experience of having entered the workforce during the Recession and not having available resources for young women.

They officially launched as a company in 2012 and have since raised over $1 million from angel investors like Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook and Susan Lyne of Guilt Group. In other words, this is something all you Gen Y ladies DO NOT want to miss out on! I've been writing for them for some time and can attest to the sheer fire and drive you can find just from joining the online community.

As a part of their efforts they recently launched LocalLEVO in different cities across the world in order to help women connect in their own communities. I was so excited to find out that they were launching in Miami, because let's face it, we were pretty beat up by the Recession so we could really use something like this down here.

Levo coordinated an Influencer Dinner where I was able to meet a ton of ambitious ladies in the Miami area. Seriously, my mind was blown! I was so happy to connect with other smart women in this city! The dinner was held at Crave located in the always beautiful Village of Merrick Park and these ladies hooked us up with some good food and wine. The South Florida weather was also PERFECT for this kind of event as we had the dinner outside.

The next day was one of LocalLEVO's signature netWORKOUT events. We had a free spinning class accompanied by bongos (yes, bongos!) and club lights at one of the hottest gyms around - Equinox! The class was followed by snacks and career networking. It was quite a good turn out as many of us ladies invited our friends to join.

I really look forward to seeing where this community goes. It's a brilliant idea that turns the old view of networking on it's head. If any ladies are looking for fun and stylish ways to network I wouldn't hesitate to see if you're community has a LocalLEVO group.

The following cities have LocalLEVO groups already in action:

With many more! Including Paris and London! If you don't see your city listed you can also email them and start one in your area!

Blow you'll find an awesome video that explains what The Levo League is about. You'll also find pictures from the Miami events. If any of you ladies would like to join the Miami group simply sign up on the Mightybell space to stay up to date on upcoming events.

Wine, beautiful weather and awesome ladies @ Crave

Co-Founder Amanda Pouchot explaining The Levo League's mission and history.

Miami Group Leaders!

Was surprised (and elated!) to learn that Angeline Evans of The New Professional lives in Miami!

Posing with The Levo League co-founder Amanda Pouchot!

LocalLEVO Miami Launch Event! #netWORKOUT @ Equinox. Spinning, club lights and yes...bongos! Only in Miami LOL.

Getting ready for some spinning!

Bongos!

How cute is this?

Posing with Co-Founder Amanda Pouchot and Community Manager Maxie McCoy. These ladies rock!

Post- Workout photo with Levo League Co-Founder Amanda Pouchot and Community Manager Maxie McCoy!

make friends in the real world.

B. Networking becomes an integral part of their career or business.

But here's the thing - most people think networking and immediately imagine some boring event their boss is making them attend. They imagine obnoxious name tags, bad drinks and a windowless hotel room. They also imagine forced conversations with people who sound like car salesmen.

I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be that way!

As I write this I am preparing for a crazy week of professional and personal networking events. Some of these were planned while, others were - well - a surprise. Since I know I need to brush up on some of my skills I figured it would be pretty nifty to share some networking tips with you all.

(Note: Most of these events are for women. If any of you local Miami ladies would like to join some awesome groups let me know!)

Event #1: HerFuture.com Miami Meet-Up (AKA Spirit Junkies Invade Starbucks)

I'm finally meeting some positively empowered women in Miami (other than my friends) thanks to HerFuture.com. For those of you who don't know, HerFuture.com is a networking site that was created by my favorite authors, speakers and spiritual teachers Gabrielle Bernstein. It's purpose is to help like-minded women find mentors and support for anything from career to family.

Thanks to this lovely site I found the Miami Power Posse and we planned a small get together so we could all meet other like-minded women in this crazy city of 2 million people.

My co-worker is coming with as well so it should be a fun time.

Event #2: LocalLEVO Miami Launch

I've been a contributor to The Levo League for quite some time and I AM SO PSYCHED that they are bringing their LocalLEVO meetups to Miami! I've got an influencer dinner and a netWORKOUT spinning class. So happy that I'm going to get to meet other Levo Ladies in the Magic City. If you're in Miami and would like to come to the spinning class send me a message at amanda [at] gradmeetsworld [dot] org.

Event #3: Business Meeting? Planning for a possible future event?

One of my main goals through Grad Meets World is to provide coaching, lectures and events in order to empower a generation of young professionals who will forever be affected by The Great Recession - especially on a local level. I've met a fitness trainer/fellow personal development junkie through a mutual friend who has a similar vision and I'm so excited to possibly be collaborating with her. We're meeting later this week to get to know each other and possibly plan an event together.

Phew! That's a loaded week right there! What is an ambitious Gen Y gal supposed to do?

Networking Tip #1: Listen more than you speak.

There was a recent article in The Miami Herald about how effective listening can help you land a job or propel your current career further. This is also a concept that has come up a lot during coaching classes in the form of Power Listening.

Simply put, great conversationalists also happen to be great listeners. Stay present, listen fully and then put your two cents in. No one likes a person who can't shut up about themselves or their business.

Networking Tip #2: Give rather than receive.

If you walk into a networking event with an "I need to get something" mentality you can bet your bottom dollar people are going to sniff you out. Don't get me wrong, it's great to make some connections for yourself or your business, but there's a difference between looking out for yourself and genuinely wanting to connect with others.

The next time you find yourself networking try coming from a giving perspective. See how you can help others. Maybe you have a book recommendation or there's a great yoga studio you know of. By coming from a place of giving rather than getting, you'll make more meaningful connections, and who knows - maybe those connections will help your business.

Networking Tip #3: Have fun!

Networking events aren't about forced situations in windowless hotel rooms where you've got a "Hello My Name Is..." sticker. In fact, these days networking can be as simple as going out for coffee!

With that being said, only go to events you'll actually enjoy! Have some fun, make friends! Not everything has to be about business or your career.

Just make sure not to have too much fun...no one likes the office lush.

For more on networking tips check out this awesome video Marie Forleo posted recently - Networking Basics: 8 Tips to Networking Without Being Fake.

Happy Networking everybody!

October has been a craaaazy month in the money department! As in, sometimes it seems like money has fallen out of the damn sky. Of course, I know this isn't actually true. I've worked very hard the past couple of years to make this happen. But for the first time since starting Grad Meets World the blog will be bringing in an extra $1000 without having to completely bust my ass and run myself into the ground.

Can I get a "HELL YES!!"?

If you've been following the blog for a while then you remember that around this time last year I hit a milestone and made an extra 1k for my side hustle. What I didn't tell you was that entailed completely burning the candle on both ends. Seriously, it's almost as if I was working 2 full-time jobs. While at first this may be okay and maybe even down right necessary, by the time January 2012 came around I knew I needed to change things.

I needed to learn how to work smarter, not harder. It's a concept I've discussed before with Justice Wordlaw IV (Justice Wordlaw IV, Empower Network) and Shannyn Allen (Frugal Beautiful, The Frugalpreneur) on their podcasts, and I think I may have finally nailed it!

So how did I do it? How did I manage to bring in an extra 1k from Grad Meets World?

Read on friends...

1. Increased my freelancing rates.

It's insulting what writers get offered for their services on those big job boards. As a result, this year I decided I would up my rates and find better quality clients. Here's some math to lay it out for you:

October 2011: $300 for 15 articles.

October 2012: $300 for 2 articles.

I've also started working with more individuals and their cool projects, which generally pays better than whatever you'll find on those job boards.

How do you increase your rates? Well, you have to figure out what your time and effort is actually worth. Marie Forleo and Ramit Sethi did a great video about raising your rates not too long ago.

2. Blog Consulting

While I am taking on preliminary coaching clients for my certification, the actual dough is coming in from my blog consulting. I created a set of exclusive video tutorials, a list of resources, individualized guides and offer an hour long Skype session where I help bloggers strategize how they can grow their blogs and even make some money. All of this for only $120 is not only a steal for my clients, it also ensures that I make decent money doing something I love.

If you need help taking your blog up to the next level feel free to give me a shout. You can learn more about my blog consulting here.

3. Affiliate Sales

I'd been meaning to learn more about affiliate marketing and just didn't have the time.For those of you who don't know, affiliate marketing is defined as:

Affiliate marketing is a marketing practice in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate's marketing efforts. ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affiliate_marketing

(Affiliate Marketer) A person who promotes a product or service for another individual or company. You receive a unique ID in the form of a link, so when someone makes a purchase or completes a required action through your link, you receive some form of compensation.

affiliatemarketinghints.com/173/affiliate-marketing-terms/

Sounds easy enough, right? Well, kind of. There's still some work that goes into it and I couldn't find them time to sit down and learn about it. This month I finally sat down and read Justice Wordlaw's Affiliate Manifesto and started implementing some of his strategies. And guess what - it worked!!! I made a nice chunk of change in residual income this month!

Best sellers this month:

Coach Jennie's Audacity Rules & Web Venture Workbook - A great (and beautifully crafted) self-guided version of Coach Jennie's program. If you need some chutzpah in your life she's your girl! You can check out our video interview by clicking here.

Catalyst Framework for WordPress - This is the framework I use for the blog and I'm always recommending it to other bloggers. Very easy to use and comes with great support!

Resources:

Smart Passive Income by Pat Flynn

Affiliate Manifesto by Justice Wordlaw IV

Rock Star Blogging by Shannyn Allen (This hasn't actually launched yet but I highly encourage you to sign up! Shannyn really knows her stuff!)

4. Ad Sales/Sponsored Posts

I've made no secret of the fact that Grad Meets World is open to advertising. I've joined quite a few ad networks and have had other marketers reach out to me to run campaigns. The great thing is that they've been giving me the liberty to come from whatever angle I want. Of course, I do only try to run ads that are relevant to my audience.

Consider increasing your blog's influence and revving up that email list so you can run sponsored posts and ad sales on your blog. The above mentioned resources are also great outlets for learning how to do just that.

Overall, it's been a good financial month for Grad Meets World. Let's see if we can keep the momentum going!

How do you make money from your blog? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Grad Meets World » Entrepreneurship

Interview with Shannyn Allan: How to Get Brands to Give You Free Stuff (Video)

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