I’ve become accustomed to others sharing our blog and newsletter when it comes to YTB. The vast majority of people who use our articles respect us enough not only to ask if they can use what we’ve written, but link to the original source and use our entire article.

It’s unfortunate that not everyone carries that same type of character and moral fiber. Zealots who hide behind an alias in order to gain access to our communication is something I’ve accepted as being completely powerless over. There’s really nothing I can do to control that type of activity – no matter how wrong or unethical it appears to be.

Last week, one of the children in the industry who continues to have issues with YTB and MLM’s took part of last weeks newsletter and posted it on his blog. I’m not terribly upset about this finding because is was the first time I can recall he actually comprehended what was written.

I do however take issue with two points. One, he’s not an RTA or a Rep with the company, and our rules have clearly stated for years that our subscription requires a valid website and Rep number. I’ve been required to do this because overzealous Attorney Generals seem to think that this communication is a “recruiting tool” and existing websites and Rep numbers put the kibosh on that idea. (Kinda hard to recruit existing members – you know what I mean?)

Two, the piece didn’t use or link to the entire article. (Which truthfully, is understandable, because the part that was omitted hinted to his years of bizarre and dysfunctional behavior and outlandish speculation.)

With all the attention and news surrounding YTB Travel the past two weeks, we’ve seen a considerable amount of deflecting, spin and justification from the other side of the fence in an effort to save face. Our featured article in this weeks newsletter covers part of that activity – but also points to how the rest of the travel industry is looking at YTB. This news stings for the other side – and I have a sneaky suspicion that what we’ve written will be twisted and taken out of context out of desperation to keep opposing views and perceptions in line.

Therefore, we have taken our entire article and posted it for your review.

We simply want to provide the entire article – and allow you the reader to formulate your own opinion and view. You have a mind and can think on your own if our view is valid. You don’t need someone else telling you how to perceive what we’ve written.

That’s called “brain washing”. ;-P

Enjoy…

~~~

We gotta admit…we’re absolutely LOVIN’ all the attention over YTB the last two weeks.

What better way to show the nay-sayers, cynics, and anti-MLM zealots that any speculation pointing to YTB getting out of the travel business, or that the company would just whither away to nothin’ is -

Well…

Wrong – AGAIN!

When news broke week before last and we saw how vague the Press Release and the SEC filing was – we were giddy in knowing that the travel industry simply wouldn’t rest until it figured out the mystery of Sixth Scott, and just who was behind a potentially $7.5 million deal.

Read this industry and these zealots like a book. ;-p

While some remain “stuck on stupid” – grasping at any excuse they can come up with or attempt to deflect attention to something they think could possibly disrupt this wave of positive news – YTB continues to show this industry how significant and valuable we are.

We have to give a shout out to George Dooley of Travel Agent Central. Those who were with us at the 2009 Convention, may remember that name. George interviewed us and posted an amazing article on YTB a year after the California Attorney General set his sights on shutting down the company.

While Sixth Scott was still a mystery to the industry at the beginning of the week, George was kind enough to print our side of the story once again to help educate the industry that what was happening to YTB would benefit everyone.

The most amusing part of the week was how some were certain that the “Scott” in Sixth Scott had some connection to the last name Tomer. Typical of how lazy, and sloppy they are – not knowing who to ask, or where to look – this new deal ended up looking really fishy to the usual cast of characters who ended up looking more like clowns when the real “Scott” turned up.

This news does after all involve an MLM. Therefore, a cynic automatically assumes that it can’t be a legitimate business deal. MLM and business after all, are a bad mix.

Finally, Travel Weekly set the record straight, and let everyone know that “Scott” wasn’t a first name – but a last name. Jeff Scott turned out to be exactly what we said he was. A long time veteran and top executive in the travel industry.

More amusingly, “unrelated third party” actually meant “unrelated”. (Imagine that??!!)

Here’s the thing…And we’ve seen this time and time again. Take a look at Jeff Scott’s comments about the Founders – and about YTB.

“Being a consultant in the industry, I’ve watched as YTB developed over the years and I’ve always been impressed by how they’ve taken all this controversy and changed things and made it effective,” Scott said. “Once you meet the founders and the people running this business, they are very impressive. We thought there was a huge opportunity with the numbers and a distribution channel like no other out there.”

Every single industry veteran who took the time to sit down and get to know our Founders and our people were not only impressed with what we have, they were blown away at what our model could do.

Those who incessantly slam our company and hang their hats on dwindling threads of justification and outlandish speculation have never taken that step. Frankly, they’re either too lazy, too scared – or more importantly, any real and open look at our company (instead of some fantasy swirling around inside their head) would change their perspective and therefore, destroy their identity.

We’ve said it time and time again. Time always has a way of shedding light on the truth. Predictions and speculation to the contrary are always ego driven. (And the travel industry appears to have it’s fair share of overly inflated and arrogant ego’s.)

If you’re smart enough – diligent enough – and have any true business sense (or even common sense) about you – you’ll always come out the other side victorious.

YTB continues to capture the spotlight – even today. But, you may be giving all the credit to YTB – which is only partly true.

Part of this spotlight goes to all the overly emotional and arrogant cynics, anti-MLM zealots, and nay sayers who speculated and predicted a totally different outcome. They picked this fight – we didn’t. A fight based on perception, myths, false claims, and rumors they have mistaken as reality instead of pure fantasy.

Frankly, we can’t think of a better way to say (or better yet – show) “I disagree” than someone like Jeff Scott who just put his money were his mouth is.

Please know those who wish to continue fighting don’t have to agree with it themselves.

They don’t even have to like it.

They do however, have to continue to deal with a travel MLM as part of this industry. It’s not only a very viable – but a very legitimate model that when run the properly and correctly, works in any industry it chooses.

With the news and attention YTB has received the last two weeks, it’s become quite obvious -

YTB chooses travel.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

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One of the quickest and easiest ways to expand business is to hire “virtual employees”.

I first read about the idea of outsourcing certain tasks in an effort to be more productive a few years ago in a book by Timothy Ferriss “The 4-Hour Workweek“. While I’ve always understood the concept, and there’s a part of my that likes it – I’ve always been the type that likes to do things on my own. Especially when it comes to working on the computer. (I’m a computer geek – what can I say.)

Business however has gotten to the point that I need some help if I’m going to expand and grow beyond my current levels. There’s only so much of “me” to go around – so the time has come to start outsourcing.

Here’s the thing – there are plenty of companies I can do this with – but I’d kind of like to “share the wealth” so to speak with my readership. I mean why not? I know someone has the talent I need and it might as well come from someone who’s been faithful and responsive to this blog or our newsletter.

Here’s the deal:

I’ve got a couple of new newsletters that I’m producing and a couple new blogs that I’m ghost writing for. I’ve scoured the internet for just the right template and simply can’t find one that fits my criteria.

So the only way I’m going to get what I want is to create it myself or outsource it.

While I love programing and code – Microsoft in their infinite wisdom decided to base their HTML rendering in MS Word to be difficult. (It’s a huge thorn in the side of programmers and copywriters.) I just don’t have the time right now to create something on my own that would fit what I need for both formats.

But I bet there’s someone out there I know that can do it for me. ;-P

What I need is an HTML and CSS based newsletter template compatible with MS Outlook 2007 or 2010 Beta versions. (Among other formats.) The template newsletter will be distributed with Aweber and the template needs to display identically on MS Outlook compared to the preview page of Aweber. The template will have 4 main sections plus a footer and a header. Each section and corresponding subsection will also require the proper comment brackets inserted within the code so that each sub section can be easily identified and/or moved and changed via code only. Updated graphics and a Web 2.0 look is also a huge plus.

I can supply some examples and some of the key issues and difficulties I’ve run into to help clarify any questions.

I do have a budget for this particular project and if the work meets my expectations (solves my problem in a timely manor) there will be other projects that will be available as we grow and expand. (A number of lucrative JV opportunities are being discussed at this time.) Any programming will also be properly credited to the designer and linked to the proper contact information and/or website.

So what do you say? I’d much rather give this to someone I know – rather someone I don’t via some service.

If interested, feel free to contact me with samples of your work along with pricing.

Thanks! And enjoy your extended weekend!

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

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Remember those goals we wrote about at the beginning of the year? Just wanted to do a little check up with you on how they’re going.

As January comes to a close next week we’re coming up on the time of year when the fitness clubs start to thin out, McD0nald’s and other fast food service restaurants begin to see an increase in profits, and sales for Nicorette gums and patches drop way down. It’s much more noticeable this time of year because everyone comes into the new year with a bang, only to fade off weeks later and go back to a comfort zone they’re familiar with.

If you’re in the Network Marketing or Direct Sales industry, you see this kind of thing all year long. That’s why I never get too disappointed when someone tells me no, nor do I get too excited when they say yes and sign up. You learn very quickly that talk is cheap.

Those who have a big enough “why” however, have a much better chance to achieve the goals they’ve set out before them. My grandfather for example had two heart attacks and a mild stroke when I was young. After his second heart attack, the doctor told him he’d never be able to more than walk the dog around the block for the rest of his life. He was in his 40′s at the time, and that’s all he needed to hear in order to quit smoking cold turkey and start exercising.

When I was 16, the two of us rode together on a 50 mile bike ride. (And I was the one who struggled.)

He’s 90 this year, and still walks to the grocery store, the doctor – dentist – and various other locations to keep him active.

He had a big why.

I got into this industry for a pretty big why too.

Security.

See, both Ronda and I had been burned far too many times in the corporate world. Four months after our son Brian was born, Ronda was laid off at Bellsouth after 6 years of service. I had been in the golf industry with a very large company who filed bankruptcy. I then moved to wire and cable with a company who was shut down by the Securities and Exchange Commission for fraud. (Cooking the books.) I worked for Gateway for a short time in their stores before they closed them and went into the big box stores. And my last stint in traditional business was a company called Hi-Fi Buys which I got out of when rumors started to surface about bankruptcy. (Which they eventually did.)

I’ve been with YTB for 5 years now – which is longer than all those other companies combined.

What YTB did for me was teach me how to be self sufficient. It’s also given me an incredible amount of self confidence. One of the reasons I’ve stuck with the company even with all the doom and gloom I use to hear about – I have the tools, mindset, and skills today to not only survive – but thrive on my own.

I never would have learned all that if I didn’t have a big enough why.

My peers at the time, the companies I worked for, nor did any schools teach me anything about being in business for myself. It wasn’t until I got around others like Coach, my Directors, and other Network Marketers that I needed to think about a company called “You, Inc.”

“You, Inc.”, has taught me how to look at a problem and come up with a solution to solve that problem. Look at my newsletter – now with thousands of subscribers. All started because I was smart enough to see a solution to a communication problem. I look at the market, realize what it needs, and offer services and products that cater to that market. It’s built trust and stability for me that I just couldn’t get in the corporate world.

All because I had a big enough why.

Even with all the ups and downs that YTB has had over the years – it’s a far better alternative and much more rewarding than working in the corporate rat race.

Find your why and you’ll have the same passion and stability. It won’t necessarily make the road less difficult, but it will give you the extra burst to break through to the other side to realize the rewards of the goals you’ve set.

Opportunity will knock for those who are ready, willing, and have a big enough why.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

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I love this time of year. My creativity seams to flow much better after I’ve done a good round of goal setting.

I’ve done goal setting for years. In 2005 I wrote down “new business”, and two weeks later we got a call about YTB. In 2006 I did a round of goal setting and within minutes of putting down on paper the word “writing”, I got a call about some new thing called a blogging. Two years ago I started our Newsletter, complete with a full “7 Day Quick Start” guide to help team members get up and running. None of these ideas were anything more than a thought that was transferred from my head to a piece of paper and then circled as one of the things I wanted to focus my time on.

I couldn’t tell you if any of these opportunities would have come to me if I didn’t spend time thinking about what I wanted to do in my life. Ever since I was introduced to “The Secret” some years ago, I have found some compelling evidence both from personal experience and from what I’ve read that what the mind can conceive it can achieve.

One of the things I’ve learned over the years is to take “inspired action”. Joe Vitale (as well as many others) tell you to follow your small hunches. You may not know where it will lead, but if you do – you’ll be doing exactly what you suppose to do. I know there are many “Christians” who read this blog, and you call that force God. For others who feel more comfortable with “The Universe”  – you can use that terminology if you want.

Think about this phrase for a minute.

“Ask and you shall receive.”

What kills me is that so many people ask for things like a new car, a million dollars, a new soul mate and then just sit there waiting – and waiting – aaaand waiting.

Then end up complaining that it never happens.

That’s because they forgot about another quote that I know they’ve heard over and over again – but never actually do.

“Faith without works is dead.”

The point here is that when you ask for things like a new car, a million dollars, or a new soul mate and focus your energy thinking about those things, opportunities begin to present themselves to nudge you in that direction. It’s up to you to not only recognize what those opportunities are, but to actually move in that direction. If you do, you’ll find that thought an “inspired step” in the direction you want not only moves you closer to your intended goal, but this simple step turns out to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Why? Because that’s what God (or The Universe) wants you to do!

Look…here’s a recent example of what I’m talking about.

One of the items on my list of goals was an overhaul of our newsletters auto-responder “7 Day Quick Start Guide”. I’ve changed this guide a few times since I first created it two years ago. One of the nice things about auto-responders is that once it’s written it works on auto-pilot from then on. That being said – it can often take a back seat because it’s done and you really don’t have to think about it much longer.

This series however has been in need of an overhaul or some time. With all the changes to YTB since it was first published there were areas that needed to be updated and produced to provide a more timely and effective program.

Thanks to GoodDay@YTB and Andy Cauthen’s Goal Setting Tips that I published here on the blog and also provided in our Newsletter a brand new stream of subscribers have been opting-in to our Newsletter. I see spikes in subscribers from time to time, but this particular spike got me thinking.

“What if all these subscribers could get that new series I want to do from my goals list?”

That one little hunch or thought – prompted me to actually start my overhaul of the series – and as a result my series has been taken to a whole new level. It’s like being in “The Zone”. New ideas – new topics – new documents – a completely new look and feel that I feel really – really good about. The more I dive into this project – the more I know that this is exactly what I should be doing right now.

What I first thought to be a major “chore” and really didn’t want to do because of all the work it entails has completely turned around to be a truly inspiring and moving experience for me.

Why? I took “Inspired Action”. This thought – opportunity – project – whatever you want to call it – was presented at the best possible time for me because without knowing it – I was ready to do it.

But I would have never known unless I followed up on this hunch.

I think back a rainy night in January some five years ago after our introduction to YTB with an Opportunity Meeting. I remember talking with Ronda about this business as we weighed the possibilities and the obstacles that presented itself during our drive home. I had no idea if this business was for real – nor was it a proven leader like it is today.

But that one small voice – a hunch – a gut feeling told me that this was the right place at the right time for me.

Based on that hunch am I a millionaire? No.

Do I live in some mansion sitting beside the water? No

Am I financially independent with no worries or problems? Hardly.

But I DO have a business that’s provided for myself and my family. Not only that,  I’ve probably grown more as a person and as a business man over the last five years than any other time in my life. I also have a closer relationship with family and more friends than I could ever ask for. It’s been one of the most rewarding, most productive, and most enjoyable times of my entire life.

I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Stop and actually think the next time an idea or thought comes and rattles around in your head. Most of the time our past programming automatically negates it as either too hard or even worse -  impossible.

Kennedy wanted to put a man on the moon before the end of the 1960′s. Was that too hard? Was that impossible?

Just because you set a goal or state an intention of what you want doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. There’s work involved in anything worth while and many times you have to swim out to it instead of just having it was up on shore.

But if you follow your hunches – your gut instinct – not only will it lead you in the right direction – but you’ll have a blast doing it.

Take hold of that thought and use it to take Inspired Action. You’ll never know until you do how enjoyable life can really be.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

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You’ve probably figured out that I enjoy writing. I started blogging back in December 2005 and because I enjoy the activity, I’ve not only kept up with it, but expanded my writing over the years. Almost two years ago I started a YTB newsletter that goes out each and every week to thousands of subscribers. About 9 months ago, I was invited to write for Examiner.com, and added that to my list of weekly writing. For some, that might seem like a lot of work, and while I do spend time typing away each week on this keyboard, I hardly consider this “work” because I enjoy it.

I’ve been consistent about my writing and created a ton of content here on the internet. As a result of those two factors, I’ve gotten some pretty solid exposure and page rankings on several different topics. To write something, and then see it indexed on Google less than 20 minutes later can be a real kick. Most bloggers would die for any type of ranking on Google, let alone first or second page views. 

I can’t think of another format (that being the internet) where an average guy like me can create a following because of its open source and the way search engines index and pull up information on any topic you could imagine. Think YouTube, BlogTalkRadio, and the millions of blogs out there that generate millions of clicks each and every day. Each medium giving the average Joe a place to share his or her ideas and subject matter.

For some, that’s part of the charm. For others, it’s a real threat.

Examiner.com was created for those looking for a local angle. Examiner’s slogan states “insider source for everything local”. Topics range from bar hopping to the latest attraction at the zoo. These niche topics and markets have created a staggering amount of content on the internet, each with its own niche both by location and subject. Would the vast majority of the information found on Examiner.com be considered “newsworthy”? Hardly. But I don’t consider Tiger Woods, Sandra Bullock and Weezer “news” either.

Time Magazine (and I would assume other news organizations) have taken notice on how well a bunch of “Pro-Am’s” (not yet “professional” writers, but not “amateurs”) have overtaken first and second page search rankings. Other news organizations also compete in part for Google, Yahoo!, and Bing page rankings to garner readership on the internet. Low and behold, one “Professional” appears to be a bit upset that a bunch of “Pro-Am’s” are getting better search rankings than they are.

As someone who doesn’t have the kind of money Time, CNN, or any other new conglomerate has, you learn things when writing on the internet. Tags, categories, key words, social media and linking all help attain visibility in this massive space. Content however is still king when it comes to the crawlers and spiders finding you and then prominently placing you in what’s known as organic searches. When I made the switch over to hosting my own blog with WordPress a little more than a year ago, I brought all three previous years of content with me. Because of that content, the new Just Picture It Now blog was not only picked up, but indexed within a period of days instead of months.

A bloggers dream come true.

However, getting noticed on the internet does have drawbacks. Attaining visibility also means that your going to attract some readership who frankly don’t agree with your point of view or the company you keep. Because their opinions are obviously more important than yours – often times they’re going to tell you so. And I can tell you from personal experience – it can be down right nasty and bizarre at times.

If you’re not ruffling a couple of feathers – you’re simply not doing a very good job of getting noticed. Look at YTB. Here’s a Travel MLM that’s name is probably more recognized in the travel industry than three quarters of all the other Agencies out there. Not only is it a household name for most who work in the trade, it gets the entire industry in a tizzy every time these three letters show up in a publication. (Just look at the ridiculous communication and emotional outbursts in Travel Weekly’s latest YTB article if you’re not sure how emotionally charged the subject is.)

But like the travel industry, news media has also changed due to the internet and how stories and content is consumed. If you’re like me, you can’t stand main stream media because of it’s bias, the lies (mostly by omission), distortions, and often ulterior motives that many in the mainstream media adhere to. Let’s also not forget how they attempt to create a stories with the way they badger and quarry certain topics. I found the Tiger Woods fiasco a complete sham with the way they sensationalized his accident.

All done for some sort of story and the almighty buck.

And that my friend is what it boils down to here. There is gold in the form of ad revenue from the thousands of topics and millions of articles written on the pages of Examiner.com. Like Network Marketing, there is also power in numbers. According to Time article Nielsen ranks Examiner.com as the fastest-growing Internet news site in the U.S. I can also tell you that Alexa ranks Examiner.com higher than Time.

Which brings us to the question of just how this happened. It certainly wasn’t money. (Examiner.com doesn’t pay but a penny per page view on average.) No it was something much more powerful and effective. Grass roots efforts using social media like Facebook and Twitter and the relationships they create make Examiner.com a force that mainstream media simply can’t create or compete with.

For me, I’m getting another kick out of David beating out Goliath for the time being. Examiner.com is still very young and has some growing up to do. (Both from a corporate side and a truly personal level.) I think it has a good shot of finding it’s own voice however – based on the model and the passion it’s writers have about their particular interest and topic.

One things for sure; the time has come for Examiner.com. Good or bad, people are taking notice and that creates even more readership and popularity. Some I’m sure will be picked up by the same “news organizations” who are starting to poke and pry. (There are some really good writers on Examiner.com) Others don’t have the stomach or self worth for anyone to criticize a single thing they do, so they’ll probably just quit and find another, more respectable place to hide. Some will take an “I’ll show you” approach and start polishing their craft, or contributing to others on how to be better writers.

Me…I just love to write – and thanks to the internet, this blog and Examiner.com I have an outlet to do just that. If you like it – all the better. If not, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

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