In This Issue....  
  • Linda's Tip of the Month:  Get Super Selective About Your Clients!
  • New Feature:  Fact or Fiction?

I think most of you would agree that the word “eventful” would be a good choice to describe 2008 – from suicide bombings, violence in wars and nations, the primaries, assassinations, credit crises, to Sara Palin, Olympics, massive job losses, foreclosures, first woman wins Indy race, typhoons, our first African-American President,  floods, bail-outs, Blago and more and more and more.  Even though many say our economic state looks bleak, I am getting the impression from many of my associates that they are very excited to have 2008 over and 2009 begin!

I am very up about 2009!  I am going on record to say that 2009 is going to be a very good year for Optimal Level members.  I think we are going to make new discoveries and new strides.  I think we are going to have fun and reach goals long dreamt about!  I am continually impressed with the brains, drive, experience, and accomplishments of Optimal Level members.

One change I would like to see this year is more interaction between our members than we have done in the past.  You can be an even greater resource for one another than you have been in previous years.  Let’s work together on that.

Speaking of changes, Optimal Level has added a lot of new features this year continuing to add value to your lives, your careers, and your businesses.

Optimal Level News 

  1. You asked for it and you are getting it!  This is what I heard from so many of you:  Party, party, party.   Look for email very soon about a very exciting Optimal Level event! Coming on February 7th. - A wonderful, free and care-free spa experience for you and your friends.  
  2. We are adding a start-up question to our introductions at our meetings.  Look in your Meeting Notices, and along with your Selected Reading, you will find a different question each month for you to answer to start our meeting off in a positive way.  January’s question or actually a statement for you to complete is, “The best part of my month was…”  We look forward to some interesting responses.
  3. We have chosen Isis as a symbol for us and she will be at each of our meetings. She is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian mythology and is celebrated as the ideal mother and wife, patron of nature and magic; friend of slaves, sinners, artisans, the downtrodden, as well as listening to the prayers of the wealthy, the maiden, the aristocrat and emperor.  She represents in a Feminine way a spirit of achievement.  So, she will sit in front of each member who has completed her action plan for the month.  She will remain in front of that person to signify her own personal achievement until another one of you has completed her action plan, and then she is passed forward to that person.  This can be considered an incentive; more importantly, it is recognition of achievement that we want to stress.

Welcome to our new members:   Deerfield: Michelle Harrison, Informed Training Solutions, LLC, Jessica Abernathy, Nails to You, Erica Minchella, Attorney at Law

Spotlight News for Blog – news about our members: 

We have a few  great graphic and web designers in Optimal Level and below is news about two of them:

Leah Richter, Richterworks – Glenview - At the annual Mount Prospect Chamber Holiday Luncheon and Business Meeting on December 4, 2008, Richterworks Web and Graphic Design's owner Leah Richter was named the Mount Prospect Chamber Small Business of the Year 2008. The honor was awarded " In grateful recognition of (her) dedicated service and support, outstanding contributions, quality business standards and continued innovation." Way to go, Leah!  Congratulations.  Want a new website?  Contact Leah at (847) 577-0491 or leah@richterworks.com.

Iris Marreck, Iris B Communications - Chicago- Iris does such a great job for her clients.  Click here to see samples of her work.  Great job, Iris!  Want a new website? -Contact Iris at 847-441-4232 or iris@irisb.com.

Deborah Jay, Simply DJay – Schaumburg – I was at Engaging Speakers last month and saw DJ’s speech on mind mapping called Reclaim Your Brain.  She was excellent!  I was really impressed.  Anyone looking for great speakers should contact her at (630) 830-5030 or djay1247@gmail.com.

Shannon Bednowicz, Party Lite, Schaumburg has extra special rewards for you.  Click here to see them.

Donna Smith-Bellinger, PCG International, Inc.Chicago is making resolutions.  Look for tips in this great article Donna recommends.  Just click here.

Julie Trotter Clark, Les Jeton – Deerfield - click here www.energydiamonds.com to see her sparkle! 

Linda McCabe, Optimal Level  

  1. To celebrate the opening of an Optimal Level location in Aurora, we would like to invite you to join us for a special networking breakfast, Wednesday, January 14th, 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. at Alden Gardens of Waterford, 1955 Randi Dr., Aurora, IL 630-851-1880.  Join us for networking, our presentation “Success Markers,” and questions and answers.  Linda would love members to attend.
  2. Please come support Linda at the Arlington Heights Professional Women’s Council on January 21st  at 11:30am at the Meridian Banquets, 1701 Algonquin Rd, Rolling Meadows, IL (847) 952-8181 Linda will be presenting, Blame it on the Babylonians – Another Year, Another Resolution and is about our reluctance to make resolutions because we have so often failed and how to make them stick for fulfilling change in your life.  
  3. Linda is jumping for joy and wonderfully excited about her new business, ILearningGlobalTV.net. This is an incredible opportunity for anyone who appreciates the value of continuous learning.  People spend hundreds of dollars every year on seminars, workshops, and lectures.  This new site employs the talents of experts such as Stephen Covey, Brian Tracy, Bob Proctor, Herb Eker, and Mark Victor-Hansen, etc. to bring you valuable lessons right from your computer – no workshop fees, no driving or flying to hear these professionals; hundreds of in demand  presentations easily available to you. This thing is taking off like wild fire!   To learn more about it, go to http://www.ilearningglobal.biz/OptimalLevel.  Then call Linda.

Tip of the Month: Get Super Selective About Your Clients!
Remember above I told you how happy I am with my Optimal Level members?  That has a lot to do with how selective I am about who can become an Optimal Level member.  I have absolute standards for who is and who is not a fit for Optimal Level.  Some of those are that she must be a business or professional women, she must be totally dedicated to the achievement of her goals, she must be willing to work very hard and make an investment of both time and money.  I even get more specific: she must enjoy reading or discussions about issues, she must be a risk taker, she must be a giver, etc.

It is supremely important to both understand exactly what it is you do, what you offer, and who you want to help.

Start out with these exercises:

  1. Write this sentence: I help people by…  Fill it in as clearly and completely as possible.  Don’t just write by designing websites, by being an interior designer, by selling insurance policies, by selling financial products, etc.  Use graphic language to specify exactly what it is in detail that you do.  A good way to get in touch with the ideas and language is to remember all the specific comments your clients say to you after you have done such a terrific job.
  2. Think of some bad experience you had in the past with a client because truly she was a bad fit.  Think of every aggravating customer you have or had, and see if you can develop a profile describing all the traits that you don’t like.  Those are the clients you want to get rid of and steer away from in the future.
  3. Think of what you love about the clients with whom you work so well.  Develop a list of traits you desire in your customers so you can identify the qualities you will demand from now on to have the very best and most successful relationships. 
Remember, we like people that are like us.  We also work better with people who are like us.  Get selective! That way you will truly be expressing your talents and passion.  Having a clear, definite identification of the traits that you like and that are important to you will help you more easily attract more and better clients! 

New Newsletter Feature: 

Fact or Fiction? It is rarer to find a one-ounce gold nugget
than a five-carat diamond.
(See the answer at the end of this newsletter.) 

 

Meet Another Member Program  - This is a wonderful way to network.  Who wants to meet another member?  Any one interested this month?  Go to the blog (get your password and user ID from your welcome letter or send email to Sandy, sandraroos@sbcglobal.net for it) and read all the profiles.  Decide who you would like to meet and let me know.  I will send an e-intro.!
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Member Profiles – Remember, every member's profile is posted on www.OptimalLevelMembers.com.   Your User ID and Password are in the Welcome Letter you received in email soon after you joined Optimal Level.  If you cannot find this information, send a quick email to Sandy, a sister member and my wonderful assistant, sandy@ineedashadow.com, and she will give you this information.  This is another great way to read about all of your sister members and see if you would like to call or email her to have a conversation or get together.  An Optimal Level member mentioned to me recently that so many members have not posted profiles.  We keep asking for them.  Any suggestions how to coax those members to offer profiles?

Marketing -   Every member is welcome to market by mail, email, phone, etc. to each Optimal Level member.  Get the information by logging onto our member blog, www.OptimalLevelMembers.com.  Search here first when you want a new service or product.

Library – Would you like to borrow a book from the Optimal Level library?  Check it out on the blog and then send email letting me know which book you would like me to bring for you to your next meeting.  If you have a book out, please return it at the January meeting.

Monthly Readings – Want to get the book we are reading in future months at our Optimal Level meeting?  Go to our blog site and click on Monthly Readings.  All the books we will be reading are there through the end of 2008.

Referrals:  If you like Optimal Level and believe in the value you have received, please tell me who you know who would want to get the same kind of help, meet all of our members, and enjoy the camaraderie of the meetings.  Send me your suggestions along with contact information.  Perhaps you might like to call them first and let them know I will be calling them.  I so appreciate all of your referrals. Remember, 3 free meetings off your next enrollment if someone you refer joins Optimal Level

“You have within you the strength to conquer every adversity.”

Fact or Fiction: Fact