Glad to see that you are awake and coherent after gorging yourself on some turkey and stuffing :) Today I want to talk about how you can help get your business in the ‘black’ despite the current economic environment.

As some of you may know, becoming a published author of a quality book in your niche can do wonders for your business. Let’s face it, people still respect authors.

In fact, your prospects no longer view you as just another salesperson of widgets, accounting services, tupperware, or whatever you happen to be selling.  You’re an authority on your subject matter.

Now many of you don’t have the knowhow or time to write and publish a book of your own. I understand your pain. 

So, what I’ve done is partner with Willie Crawford, author of Soul Food Recipes to offer a home study course that lays down the blueprint on how you can become a published author in record time.

For those of you who don’t know me, I am the author of the Amazon Best-Seller, What’s In Your Water?  So, I can speak from experience that having a book makes a huge difference in your marketing.

Willie and I plan to launch the home study course on December 15th. So stay tuned.

With all the talk about the Swine Flu Vaccine, another vaccine is in the works for people who are trying to quit smoking.

Nabi BioPharmaceuticals received a $10,000,000 grant from the National Institute of Health to take its anti-nicotene vaccine to Phase III clinical trials.

There about 44 million Americans who smoke, according to the American Cancer Society. About 40% quit each year and only 4-7% give up smoking, without help, for good.

Nabi BioPharmaceuticals will have 1,000 participate in the clinical trial and they will test this group for abstinence from smoking for 12 months.

Now for those of you who would like to quit smoking and want to look for other alternatives, here are some suggestions:

• Eat more fruits and vegatables - eating fruits and vegetables makes cigarette smoke taste terrible in the mouth. They also help clear out the toxins in your system
• Exercise - Some light exercise like walking and swimming can help reduce cravings
• Get a support system - Having a group of supportive people who will help you be accountable to quitting can help tremendously
• Learn to relax - whether it be yoga or getting a massage, take some time to pamper yourself. It will help reduce stress and those cravings

Whatever method you choose, stick with it and you will increase the odds of being one of the few who quit smoking for good, if that’s your goal.

I recently finished reading Gary Vaynerchuk’s book, Crush IT! yesterday and I came away thoroughly impressed with him.

Gary V does a tremendous job in providing a blueprint for anyone to follow their passion and turn it into cash. It’s a blueprint that anyone can follow whether they are a newbie or an experienced internet marketer. It’s also a blueprint that someone can follow even if they are an employee.

In today’s world, personal branding is now more than ever accessible to everyone. Whether you are an entrepreneur or an employee, you have to stand out in some way from the crowd. Now that’s possible using free and low cost tools that are readily available. What’s going to separate you from the pack is your ability to hustle and that’s key.

I believe that too many people have been seduced by unscrupulous gurus and internet marketers into thinking that riches are going to come easily and without some effort.  When you are able to identify something you care about, it becomes more of a labor of love and you will gladly go the extra mile.  And that’s the recipe for business success.

Gary talks about his journey to entrepreneurial success starting from his childhood to present day.  I thought his story was quite inspirational and it provided some practical business insight too.

At the end of the book, I respect the fact that Gary recommended that we follow our intuition even if it contradicts some of the advice that he gives in his book. What worked for Gary may not work for you, so you have to be open to other possible ways of ‘crushing it.’

I really enjoyed reading this book and I recommend that you get a copy for yourself.

North Carolina recently became the second state to adopt the so-called ‘fat tax’ for its state employees.  This new mandate will require people who have a body mass index over a certain limit to pay more for health insurance.

As you can imagine critics believe that the stipulation should be more incentive-based as opposed to being punitive. They also state that the body mass index is a flawed measurement tool. 

Basically, the body mass index compares your weight vs your height.  The problem with it is that people have different builds that may categorize them as being overweight when they actually may be completely healthy.

Take me for example. I am 5’ 8” and weigh about 174lbs. Based on the body mass index, I would be considered overweight and if I were a state employee in North Carolina and may be subject to higher health insurance premiums.

I believe that this regulation needs to be modified to be more incentive based and it should include a less controversial measurement tool to determine health.

What are your thoughts?