Merle Singer Presents: My Mt. Everest

Forging into the Unknown

Merle_Singer — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:08:53 +0000

“The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones…”

~John Maynard Keynes

Mediocrity is Malnourishing

Merle_Singer — Wed, 21 May 2008 05:12:39 +0000

I love this comment to my May E-Letter (especially the end):

I thought I was the only one holding back my light because I wouldn't be liked if I let it shine. Come to realize you experience that, too, so how many other women do? How many go through life being mediocre because we learned that is the way to play the game? I think we learned a faulty lesson, illogical, torturing, and completely malnourishing to ourselves and to others.

I love how you question yourself as to why you aren't the CEO to G.E., etc. You must have taken a recording of one of my inner-voices. "Shouldn't I be a famous artist by now? I am already 34. Is it too late to win a gold in the Olympics for gymnastics? How about that novel I will win the Pulitzer with that will touch the hearts of millions?" Something that I remind myself is not that I am young and have plenty of time. I remind myself that, as somebody who idolizes nature, I am a part of nature, and thus, to use your word, magnificent, regardless of what I have done, am doing, or will do. Simply to be a part of the miracle that is this universe makes me, and you, divine. I do truly believe this, but realize it is buried under an immense amount of crap, so sometimes I overlook it.

Go See the Play, Hillary Agonistes, before June 1,2008

Merle_Singer — Mon, 19 May 2008 05:45:33 +0000

I just saw a play by a friend, Nick Salamone. It's called Hillary Agonistes. I recommend that you go see it. It's at the Studio/Stage, at 520 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA. Tickets are only $20 and it's here till June 1, 2008. Sorry for the late notice. I was so impressed with it thoughtfulness and great acting; a lot of it by Nick.

It is per review, "part Greek tragedy, part blackest comedy, Hillary Agonistes tells the cautionary tale of Hillary Clinton, newly elected President of the United States. One bright spring day 65 million people disappear - First Husband Bill among them. Is it the rapture? Pat Robertson, Stephen Hawking, a Papal emissary, the Antichrist and a Muslim convert named Chelsea offer their opinions as Hillary agonizes and attempts to avert Armageddon."

If you see it, Let me know your thoughts. I'll pass them along.

Each of us is a Mentor.

Merle_Singer — Sun, 18 May 2008 17:18:01 +0000

I finally got back to writing my monthly My Mt Everest E-Letter. What's really been nice is the reader response. I'm going to included some comments from emails.

The first one was

"Excusssse me, allow me to speak for those of us that use you as our role model, mentor, guide to life, we are a bigger accomplishment than GE, CEO, president. We think so.

Your opinions not only matter, but influence."

Hmmmm. I expect that just about all of us are role models for someone or someones, whether we realize it or not. Perhaps, it's a good thing to think about so tha it can inform our actions and words.

Amazing Women are Strong Enough to be “Women”

Merle_Singer — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 06:39:48 +0000

What a day I’ve just had. I spent the morning and afternoon at the Skirball Museum attending the Amazing Woman’s Day put on by an Amazing Woman, of course, Marsh Engle. It was a magical day with about 200 women supporting each other as women, not men wannabees. Inspiring.

Already a lovely day, and yet there’s more. My husband took me out on a date. We went to eat at Charcoal and then went to the ArcLight to see “Michael Clayton”. What a movie, not my usual comedic preference, but well worth the price of admission. It was another version ofErin Brockovich—only this time the woman was the badie, not the goodie.

When women try to fit into the man’s mold, they don’t fit. This woman, Karen Crowder, was a head of a company and ordered people killed to save —- what????? Money? A career? A company? Nothing worth a life – or really more than one life, but just go see the movie, and you’ll understand..

The character, Karen Crowder, did it alone with no one as her counsel –corrupt, totally corrupt. Without someone as your sounding board, without saying your thoughts and plans outloud, you miss possibly the most important element to your ideas, objectivity. Keeping thoughts solely to yourself is like keeping them locked in a closet. When you share and speak them outloud, it’s like bringing them into the bright, clear, no nonsense, daylight.

It made me so sad. But then I remembered 200 Amazing Women.

"Glass Ceilings" are to be Broken

Merle_Singer — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:29:30 +0000

Sheri McConnell, www.sherimcconnell.com, spoke about the “glass ceiling” in internet marketing in her blog of January 22, 2008.

Yes, I think that there is a glass ceiling, but it is definitely shatterable, more easily than in offline , brick and mortar business. Internet marketing is newer, largely populated by individual/small business. These business are flexible, sleeker, make and implement decisions faster, and are more open to differences.

A highly acclaimed and really wonderful internet marketer/speaker confided at a seminar that I attended that he and other successful people look for others like themselves. They do this, not to close ranks, but to make it easier to judge the morals and values of others. It’s kind of like buying brand name products. If they also have a couple of kids at home with a wife that leads (or follows) the “home” front, they can more easily relate. If he then shares a story that could have happened in his house, he feels safe that he can trust this person. By the way, I’m not defending this; I’m understanding it.

Look, you know, as soon as you become a little successful or even smell of success, people gravitate to you. Many of the women that attend these conferences are “newbies”, not clear on how to proceed yet; that’s why they are there. The big guys are polite, but distant. They are with the men also, but not as much. Because, percentage wise, the men take action more quickly. Now I may be all wet on that; I pulled that statistic out of the air.

On the other side of the coin: Women are less likely to toot their own horn. Less of them. We women also gravitate to the men more readily. We find it hard to believe how successful some of us are. On top of that, because so many of us are doing internet marketing to be at home, we are less likely, less often to attend seminars. Many of us are at home caretaking someone while we're making a bundle on the internet. So, we are less visible. And visibility increases credibility – assuming we make effective presentations.

Sheri says that she couldn’t get any from a dozen men she asked to speak at her “My Millionaire Friends.” (Do you have to be an Internet Millionaire, or just a Millionaire.)

I assume she did some creative approaches to interest these speakers. i.e. Finding out their favorite charity and making a donation, or sending their favorite kind of pizza, etc. I do know that the men do such things to make a connections they value. They also, even when they have established a large reputation, pay for the coaching of someone they feel can teach them. That’s how they make business/personal relationships.

Also, to get them to speak, you would need (and I’m sure you did) promise them a large and receptive audience so that they can make money selling their product at the back of the room. Also, when there's a 2nd and 3rd Annual Conference, all speakers are more open to presenting. Yes, I know you know this Sheri. It's that the women were more receptive, you say. I agree. First of all we have less opportunities, and it's probably more our nature.

I have met some really awesome men in internet marketing that are sensitive to women — to the extent that a man can be aware/sensitive. It isn’t their strongest suit, but they try.

When I get my audio links up on this site, Sheri would definitely be an interesting person to interview.

She says in her blog,"I think I will be renaming my new company My Millionaire Friends to My Millionaire GIRLfriends soon since the boys don’t want to come out and play anyway." My Millionaire GIRLfriends has a nice ring to it.

And without being political, I wonder what a difference it would make, if Hillary Rodham Clinton were elected. A woman president – would it make a difference?

Time to Absorb and Evaluate and Plan

Merle_Singer — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 07:02:03 +0000

Someday, I am going to add a day onto every seminar/workshop I go to and not tell anyone. No phones will ring. First, I will work out in the hotel gym cause I never have the time to work out during the workshop. No phones will ring. And then I would hole up in my room and transcribe my notes, apply what's appropriate to my business and make a clear to-do list with deadlines. No phones will ring. Get a good night's sleep. Wake up refreshed and go home ready to implement.

Needless to say, I jumped back into life today with barely a blink

Continuing Education for Entrepreneurs

Merle_Singer — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 07:21:52 +0000

Internet marketing is completely fascinating to me. I could do without all of the technical stuff, but the ability to reach huge numbers of people and offer them some product/service that will enhance their life is pretty exiting. Additionally, it’s a new frontier. Plus, you make your own hours. Actually, right now, my hours tell me I’m exhausted after 3 full days of Information and networking.

Christina Hill, the Shopping Cart Queen was at the Idea Incubator Seminar this weekend also. These seminars are like continuing education for entrepreneurs—highly valuable and stimulating.

I do notice that the successful people, like Christina, do seem to take time to further their education at seminars. This information is not available elsewhere.

I interviewed Christina in December and found her very insightful. When I figure it out, it will have the audio for you here.

A Woman Presenter at an Internet Marketing Seminar

Merle_Singer — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 07:47:58 +0000

I’m spending the weekend commuting to Anaheim to Stu McClaren’s Idea Incubator Seminar. It’s a great internet marketing seminar. And guess what, there was a woman presenter who used recipe analogies instead of football analogies for a change. She was part of a married duo, Michel and Sylvie Fortin. They presented well together, and I learned something. Well, it’s impossible not to learn something from each one of the presenters. But my special welcome to Sylvie, a woman in front of the room.

Imagine: Women's Values Given More Credence

Merle_Singer — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:41:06 +0000

I’m getting so much encouragement about focusing on issues of Empowerment – for women. By empowerment, I mean whatever can bring an individual to action that is in synch with that person’s goals, without imposing mine/anyone’s notion of what that action “should be”.

The question is do we women know what we need to be empowered. I suspect the answer is yes and no. We know a lot of it, but there’s some gap in our analysis and understanding. We have to start somewhere. Let’s start with what we know. Yet, at the same time, make some space in our lives and psyches for creative pondering on the bigger question. What kind of society do we want to create – allowing that we what the ‘power’ that would not be bound by the parameters set out in the male-dominated society in which we live. If we ask the right questions and leave space for the answers, we could create a society that would be better for both men and women and all the various minorities that enrich our experience. What a neat place to hang out in your brain for a little bit.