Tell us what you do + what you’re passionate about…

I am an Abundance Coach, Motivational Speaker and a Surf Ambassador for Patagonia.

I help people live their dreams. I am living mine right now! I get to travel the world surfing amazing waves, while inspiring others to go for their best life!

I teach Abundance tools and share spiritual principles, combined with a great deal of taking ACTION so we can all accomplish our heart’s desires.

I share through Breakthrough Coaching Sessions, giving motivational talks and writing blog posts (and a book that is in the making). I am passionate about living life to the fullest and inspiring others to do so as well.

What is your biggest dream, something on your bucket list or something that you’d love to manifest/achieve in the next 5 years?

To become a number one best selling author on the New York Times list with my upcoming book.

What inspires you?

Surfing, nature, love, life.

What is one piece of soulful wisdom you would like to share about being an entrepreneur?

It requires a lot of hard work, focus and love for your craft in order to not give up in the beginning years. I would tell all the entrepreneurs out there to keep focused on what you love, and don’t give up when the doors don’t seem to be opening up.
Having the freedom to create your reality the way you want is worth all the struggle.

I like this phrase by Fay Weldon:”Nothing happens and nothing happens and then everything happens.” Keep going! Being an entrepreneur is a great adventure and I wouldn’t do it any other way.

Name 5 (and they can be anyone from history) people you would invite to a dinner party?

• Ellen DeGeneres
• Andy Warhol
• Mick Jagger
• Jimi Hendrix
• Woody Allen

It would be quite a mix and I think it would be a fun party!

What are your top 3 favourite online resources and why?

• www.MarieForleo.com – great advice to entrepreneurs, fun energy and practical tips to grow my business
• www.Surfline.com – because I plan my life and schedule around the surf forecasts. Wouldn’t be able to live without it.
• www.LuckyBitch.com -  for tips and inspiration on building a successful business by Denise Duffield-Thomas

You’re stranded on a tropical island…you can only choose 3 things to have with you…what would they be?

• A good surfboard (hopefully is an island with great waves!)
• A ton of sunblock
• A machete

I travel a lot to tropical islands in the middle of nowhere (in Tahiti, Indonesia, etc), so I know that what matters the most is to have my boards and sunblock. A machete will help you hunt, cut the coconuts and build your fort.

What is your favourite inspirational book of all time?

Siddharta by Hermann Hesse.

Isn’t Mercedes amazing! You can visit here website here: http://www.mercedesmaidana.com

2. Before I turned 5 I spent time in Australia, England and Greece. My parents have photos of me sulking on the steps on the Parthenon because I badly wanted an ice-cream. A man also tried to abduct me and my dad ran after the person and told him to let me go. Obviously he did.

3. When my sister was born I felt like I was being replaced. I asked my mother why I wasn’t good enough and I was only 3. I have always been overly emotional. Just ask my loved ones.

4. When I was about 16 or 17 I discovered that I had two half-brothers that I never knew about. My mother has 4 kids to 3 different dads and went through the anguish of giving her baby boys up for adoption. My brothers are both amazing human beings and proof that genetics are a powerful force.

5. I used to hide food (mainly meat) in my mother’s shoes. I couldn’t tell her that I was repulsed by pork, so my 7-year-old mind would rationalise that hiding meat in shoes was the path of least resistance.

6. I went to 2 primary schools and 3 high-schools. I was always often the new girl but could adjust easily.

7. Dairy is my Kryptonite. I would rather eat roadkill than ranch dressing. My fiancé (Sean) thinks it’s hilarious when I make gagging noises when I smell cheese or butter. Perhaps death by dairy in a past life?

8. I blush very easily and then it passes. I love public speaking and sometimes blush for no reason, but then will tell you something REALLY personal and won’t feel embarrassed at all. I’ve always enjoyed shock value. Is that weird?

9. I worked for Hallmark as a designer when I was 14. My freelance designs were in department stores in at least 4 countries.

10. I landed 3rd prize in a beauty pageant when I was 16. It was a dare. If I lost, I would have had to eat a whole jar of mayonnaise. I crimped my hair, wore a pretty party dress and said I wanted to be an artist. Everyone else said they wanted to be marine biologists. I sometimes wonder if any of them made their generic + safe dreams come true.

11. I often have dreams of tidal waves. The whole skyline is covered in a giant wave that is headed towards me. I wake up when the water hits. I also have dreams where I’m trying to find a toilet and there is no privacy to wee in peace.

12. I have a quarter of a degree in psychology. When I realised I didn’t really want to try and fix anyone, my desire fizzled out. I only went to University as a mature aged student because I thought my ex-husband wanted me to get a job when the kids were both school aged. No thanks. 

13. I had a dream about my son when I was 16. He said: ‘See you when I’m really to be born Mummy’. He had blonde curly hair and said it in a British accent. 5 years later he was born. His dad is English.

14. I lost my first baby when I was nearly 16 weeks pregnant. It was the same night as the opening ceremony of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. My ex-husband stayed at work until 10pm and I had never felt more alone in my entire life (all 20 years of it). We hardly ever spoke of our loss, which I think is where most of our problems started.

15. I lived in Gothenburg, Sweden for a year and our apartment (apparently the most expensive apartment in Gothenburg according to a random Norwegian guy) was owned by the male singer in Roxette.

16. I kept my security blanket (that was called CUDDLY) until I was about 19 and I didn’t get my driver’s licence until I was 28. Late bloomer. Since 2008 I have had nearly 10 cars. It was one of the only perks of being married to a car designer. Now I own my own no-strings attached Saab.

17. I lived on a small farm in a town called Red Hill from the ages of 8-18. The place was haunted and the ghosts finally drove us out. On a not-so-crazy sounding note, I had a rescue pony called Cecil who was destined for the glue factory. One day a nincompoop left the gate open and Cecil ran for his freedom into an oncoming small yellow hatchback Toyota. I screamed at the man driving the car: ‘You killed my horse!’ – which still makes my parents laugh at how that moment of extreme dramatic outburst was so unnecessary. I wonder what ever happened to that man? I wonder if one of his stories is how he hit a small white pony with his car? Yikes.

18. At the core of my soul I love art + entrepreneurialism. I love writing and I love seeing creativity in action. I guess that’s what happens when you are raised my extremely artistic parents. My childhood was spent in my dad’s various galleries. No doubt my first steps were on a studio floor.

19. The four things I am the most proud of are:

- Sean’s bravery to come and meet me in Australia to explore our relationship and start a new life with me and my kids.

- My parent’s teaching me that creativity and art are extremely important aspects to nurture in life and for one’s soul.

- My sister’s commitment to recovery (she’s amazing).

- My kids and their beautiful ability to be resilient, surrendered and wonderfully eccentric.

20. One day I would love to write a screenplay or a novel…or both.

Something I think about quite often is that when you take action on inspired ideas, the Universe supports you.

This is the case with my upcoming SPROUT Mastermind group. I set a very clear intention that I wanted to attract and gather a group of highly-inspired, highly-motivated women to apply, and the response has been so overwhelming. I can’t wait to introduce everyone to each other.

It’s going to be like one big online cocktail party of inspiration.

So far we have a really awesome bunch of diverse ladies with business experience, including: fabulous foodies, fitness experts, bestselling authors, soulful artists, self-love mavens, journalists, newbie bloggers, seasoned bloggers, productivity experts and interior stylists.

There is a magic that is sparked off when the energy of creative collaboration and idea sharing is in action. Since I’ve run these kinds of programs before, (Marketing Mastery/2009 and Inspired Maven 2010) the thing that always blows me away with gratitude is the level of connection and friendship that is established.

Here’a litte screencast I made about SPROUT mastermind…

SPROUT Mastermind is…

• By APPLICATION ONLY and $197 for a yearly membership paid upon approval.
• Held in a private Facebook group you have yearly access to. 
• 12 exercises/mini-modules that help to tweak your current branding/social media + content strategies.
• The exclusive ability to connect with like-minded and highly inspired female entrepreneurs.
• A sanctuary of inspiration where you can share results, celebrate, invite feedback and support others.

SPROUT Mastermind is not…

• A coaching program.
• A place to vent, rant or be negative.
• For people that aren’t willing to be actively part of the community spirit and open enough to share their knowledge or experience to help others.

Any questions? Here are some FAQs…

Will it be up to the individuals to form partnerships or is it mandatory that every individual participates in some group activities for social media?

• Nope. Everything is totally up to you. There are no expectations or obligations. You can jump into the group and comment, share and connect whenever you wish. Totally up to you. Also note that the 12 exercises/modules are only suggestions and not mandatory at all.

Do I get access to you (SarahProut) directly to answer my questions and coach me? 

• No. Sarah will be part of the group but she is more than happy to connect with you if you’d like to book a 1 hour coaching session.

How do you choose who is suitable to join the group?

• It is done based on the energy of the application and also via website review.

How often will you open vacancies to join SPROUT Mastermind?

• The next intake will happen in August but will be at least $397 instead of $197. Intakes will always be restricted to just 30 spaces.

I’m opening up spaces for just 5 additional people, so this is your last chance (applications close on the 10th) this intake to join the party and apply now.

Lots of Love! Sarah xo

ps. please feel free to share this link with anyone that might wish to apply.

I could be the pin-up girl for flying off the handle sometimes or getting carried away by excitement or drama. But a good friend once said that the higher you fly, the greater distance there is to fall.

“When adversity strikes, that’s when you have to be the most calm. Take a step back, stay strong, stay grounded and press on.”

–  LL Cool J

Here is my prayer/mantra to bring awareness to the importance of grounding yourself…

Dear Universe,

Give me the strength to look beyond my emotional responses of moodiness or frustration, to a space of clarity and calm. Help me to feel my way back into alignment with ultimate trust that all is well. Help me to surrender my crazy-bitch frantic energy that happens sometimes and focus on all that I have to be grateful for. Keep my eyes peeled on beautiful opportunities to grow and gift me the inner wisdom to look beyond all limitations. Fill my heart with creativity, gratitude, awe and connection to nature. Allow me to feel deep appreciation for small mercies, things I cannot change and painful lessons that appear sometimes when I need them the most. 

Above all, help me to stay grounded in the knowing that I am loved. 

From the bottom of my heart, thank-you for everything.

Love Sarah xo

What helps you to stay grounded? Is it drinking vanilla chai, dancing, walking on the beach, staring up at the clouds or stars? Please comment below. I’d love to hear your perspective…

ps. SPROUT Mastermind applications close on May 10th. I am sublimely honored by the 26+ women that have already joined the party.

We love telling the story about how we met on Twitter. This post is actually printed in Adventures In Manifesting: Love and Oneness so it’s written by Sean and I together. There are so many other amazing stories in there that you’d love as well from inspiring authors around the world.

*LONG STORY SHORT: Sean Patrick Simpson and I met + fell in love on Twitter. We also started a hugely successful publishing company.

I love this Tweet so much. It reminds me how ANYTHING is possible. 

Sarah: We met on Twitter in early 2009 from opposite ends of the planet. A little over a year later, Sean flew from Hollywood to meet me (in Australia) where we spent eleven blissful days remembering our deep soul connection and discovering that there was a Divine plan in the process of unfolding.

On the day we met, a vibrant rainbow arched over the road from the ocean as we drove home. We knew one another as if we had the spiritual recognition of spending lifetimes upon lifetimes together.

Our lives to this date had traveled a very parallel path of lessons with different backdrops and characters, nevertheless the same. We both loved metaphysics and spiritual teachings. We both believed that you create your own reality by using the power of manifesting, but not even in our wildest dreams could we have anticipated how our lives would unfold.

We later discovered through a series of ethereal events together that our connection was much more than it seemed.

Beyond the label you choose to put on two people who are clearly meant to be together though… we are in love.

It’s a love that is unconditional, full of passion, joy, laughter, creativity, friendship, commitment, and divine pursuit of creating a life together.

Like you, we’ve had our own unique life experiences. We weren’t granted with any extra special manifesting ability to find the one we could create true love with. We’ve also had our fair share of heartache as well.

Back to the Beginning

To give you a little background on our union, let’s rewind to 2010.

We had been online friends for a little over a year. As mentioned, we met on Twitter and bonded over our love for the Law of Attraction and other metaphysical principles. Then one fine day we fell madly, deeply, and blissfully in love. We had a knowing and intrinsic recognition that we were supposed to be together. It was truly a surrendered process.

There was only one problem: we lived on opposite sides of the world. Sean was in California and I was in Noosa Heads, Australia.

During our first eleven days in person together, Sean wrote in our love journals (a massive Google drive doc) a short story of our journey to finding each other. While the entirety of the love story hasn’t been published yet, we’d like to share this letter from our most private journals with you.

As you read, we want you to imagine this story is about the union you will be having with the soul mate or twin flame you’re attracting. Or alternatively, imagine it rekindling the love you already share with your life partner.

Sean: From the Love Journals

Once upon a time there was a man and a woman who were destined to be together. At the time of their meeting, they were perfect for each other. Everything about him was reflected in her, and everything about her was reflected in him.

…The way they laugh. …The way they care. …The way they love. …The way they learn. …The way they express. …The way they cry. Everything.

They were soul mates meant to find each other and begin a life of co-creation and manifestation, creating wonders through the intention of their souls and power of their thoughts.

Since the moment of their individual conception, they started the journey of attracting all the experiences they needed in their life to prepare them for their life together.

You see, they made an agreement. An agreement with the Universe which said:

“In this lifetime, we will be together once again. But first, we must learn some of the hardest lessons a person could go through. We must experience the natural pains of life that most all incur. But for our journey, in the midst of these experiences we must learn the lessons that are meant to be learned, for the Universe will continue to throw back to us the same challenges and experiences where learning & growing was meant to occur, over and over again as it does with every human being.

For us though, until those lessons are learned, we will not be together. The pains and tribulations that are faced with each of those experiences must be learned young in life so that we may co-create the life of love and beauty we are meant to create with one another. Until those lessons are learned, we will have things in place that will prevent us from being together and it will be up to us to find within all the powers we need to learn and evolve so we can find each other.

With each learned lesson, our magnetism towards one another will be charged, and when the time is right… when we have learned the lessons we were meant to and when we have learned what we have to, to co-create in the highest vibration possible, we will find each other.

And we will recognize each other, know we have finally found each other, and a new life will be born.

For we will no longer be just individuals on separate paths, for the combining of two soul mates creates an entity far more powerful than that of two individuals.

And that will be the driving force behind our love and life. And with that force, we will begin to create magic.

A new set of mysteries, wonders and journeys will be embarked upon together…”

And so Sarah and Sean were born on opposite sides of the world and set in place… ready to take on the challenges of the world so that they could once again be together.

How would it occur? No one knew exactly how. Not even the essence of their souls did.

What their essence did know though was that they would do everything they could to find each other. They would take on all the challenges they had to.

They would go through all the pain and suffering they had to experience to become the individuals who were so resonant with each other that no possible force in the Universe – not the opinions of others or the miles through waters – could stop them from creating a life together.

In the year 2010, Sean Patrick Simpson and Sarah Prout found each other. And this is their love story.

Back to The Present

I remember writing this within days of Sarah and I meeting in person. It came out in one steady stream, almost as though someone else was writing. The energy we had been experiencing together was out of this world. And it was this energy I was tuned into while sitting there, having this flow through me.

It’s a funny thing thinking back about when we first met online. We didn’t think of our relationship as being anything more than friendship. How could we? We were on opposite sides of the world, Sarah was married (a marriage soon to end) and we were on our own career paths. Plus, we lived an entire ocean apart!

Over the year though we would find ourselves connecting more and more, confiding in each other some of our deepest experiences and closely kept secrets. Thousands of miles away, we were becoming close.

By around April to May 2010, it was as though the volume dial on our magnetism towards one another was suddenly being turned up. The idea of meeting in person became irresistible.

To that date though, we still had not spoken beyond the realms of Twitter or e-mail.

It’s crazy, right? Two people falling in love before even meeting or speaking to one another verbally. Yet it happened. And spontaneously I chose to purchase a plane ticket to Australia with only about 10 days to spare before the trip.

Are you crazy? What if it doesn’t work out? What about her kids? What if it ‘does’ work out, then what? You live in two different countries! What are you thinking?

They were valid questions I was bombarded with from people. But I don’t play that game. The what if game. I go where I’m guided and, more than ever, I was feeling my inner guidance system telling me to go to Australia.

My friends weren’t the only ones the what if bug got a hold of though. It was Sarah too.

Ten Days Before Sean’s Flight to Australia

Sarah:

“Dear Sean,

Hello my lovely friend. We talked for 3 hours! Oh man. I wanted to keep talking.

Well here goes…

I feel a strong connection to you. I’m not sure what it is. And here’s the thing…

You come to Australia. We have the BEST time like we know we’re going to have. And then what? My heart gets broken because we live on opposite ends of the planet? Are we setting ourselves up for hurt?

I could see you today and I just wanted to be with you. I wanted to leap into that screen and touch you. That feeling is bad. We’ve talked only twice and I feel like I want to be cuddled by you. Held. And close. There’s a familiarity there that I just adore. I’m not sure what it is, but it makes me miss you.

Anyway, just thought you should know my thoughts…”

I had a long response to that email. One of the main highlights though was:

Sean:

“Love, there are so many ‘what if’s,’ and when it comes down to it, we don’t have the slightest clue of what’s going to happen. It’s kind of like life though, right? So the question then is, where do we turn to? Do we turn towards fear and let that determine our actions in everything we do from here on out, or do we let the higher vibration, that love and magnetism guide us through those unknowns?”

We chose to align with the higher vibration.

Today, Sarah and I are actively co-creating the life of our dreams. Together we have learned so much from each other. And there is still so much more to learn. Today, our love story is still unfolding each and every day. Our photo has been placed on the front page of the Tiffany & Co. website to inspire people to find true love around the globe, and we have hundreds of manifesting students and authors that have joined our mission.

Where will the roads lead us from here? I’ll let myself from two years ago share that with you…

Three Days Before Sean’s Flight to Australia

Subject: Sarah, Where Will the Roads Lead Us?

“You know, I have no idea.

All I know is that I love you so much.

I feel like I’ve found my soul mate. And, the only reason I haven’t admitted to having fallen yet is because of that slightest bit of caution, since we still have yet to meet.

But to be quite honest, I do believe I’ve fallen in love with you; madly, deeply, passionately. And I just want to be with you. I want to love you, hold you… and never let you go.

Who knows where the roads are about to lead us? Will there be challenges?

Absolutely. Life wouldn’t be the way it’s meant to be without it.

I am confident though everything that’s meant to happen will happen. And as long as we stay true to our highest selves, everything will fall in place.”

The End…

or if you have read THIS POST you’ll know it’s just the beginning.

See? Twitter is a magical place.

If you LOVED this story then there are many more just like it in Adventures In Manifesting: Love and Oneness - it’s available here and also on Amazon.com

I was doing an amazing interview the other day with Madisen Harper and was asked a super-powerful question about the turning point in my life where I was being my authentic self.

It was when I stopped looking to others to make me happy.

It’s controlling and it will never work. I fought for years to get my ex-husband to ‘make me happy’ by changing himself. And then the perfect Mantra landed in my soul with surgical precision.

My happiness is not your responsibility

or better yet….

I am responsible for my own happiness

or even better…

I AM HAPPY

You don’t need someone to validate you, to make you feel seen, or worthy or amused. You should always cease trying to change someone especially if you say that you love them. If you know how to choose to be happy then you can see what you REALLY want. And for me, when the penny finally dropped I knew that my marriage wouldn’t be something I needed any more. However, I’ve known people who have strengthened their relationship with this understanding and they arrive in this beautiful space of mutual negotiation and support.

For me, I am now happily in a relationship with the man of my dreams. And it’s only sometimes that I revert to old patterns where I’m looking to him to make me happy… but he doesn’t, he never has and he never will. My happiness stems from a choice to LOVE his company, connect with his energy instead of trying to control it. This is how I know I’ve found the right guy.  Yes, he makes me happy (blissfully happy) but my happiness is not dependent on his behaviour. Does this make sense? We’re total equals without power struggles.

What I’m trying to say here is that the role of the loved ones in your life is to support and nurture you and not to make you happy.

You choose to be happy.

The empowerment energy of choice releases your loved ones from your expectations and you’ll be amazed at how they respond. You’re freeing them of the energy of your neediness and your reality will shift.

I’ve taught both of my children that when they hear someone say:

‘You’ve made me very angry’ that it’s a good idea to reframe and say: ‘Nope, you’ve CHOSEN to be angry. No one can MAKE you feel a certain way, it’s a choice.’

And yes, there are people that piss us off and anger is a very natural, real and valid response… however it’s all about the management on your energy and if it’s truly worth expending your feelings on situations that don’t serve you.

You need to develop a good filter.

When we carry around negativity and the heavy energy of expecting others to behave a certain way it’s like wrapping a wet blanket around your heart.

Take responsibility for your own happiness NOW. Don’t wait until you lose weight to be happy, or the day you have more money, or when Mr. Right rides in on a white horse and whisks you into a Disney-esque reality (cue the animated bluebirds, baby deer and dwarves).

It’s all about the journey, not the destination.

And it’s YOUR responsibility to hold your own space of happiness + learn to love your own beautiful company. This is the art of cultivating being present.

Picture this…

The doorbell rings and there is a giant box of freshly printed books on your doorstep. You crack open the box and hold the finished product in your hot little hands. You feel really proud of yourself because you know that there are now thousands (upon thousands) of people out there in the world that now get the opportunity to read and treasure your words and your story which will in turn help you to grow your business and your brand.

If you understand how to leverage the experience, being part of a compilation or anthology series can be one of the most empowering and rewarding steps you can take professionally as part of your branding strategy.

This year, we’re launching 2 new books in our bestselling Adventures In Manifesting compilation series + we’re looking for writers/entrepreneurs/speakers/coaches that have a story to share.

Here are 7 ways getting published in a compilation book this year will boost your business + brand…

1. Leveraging influence + self promotion

When you become a co-author in a compilation book you are investing in yourself and the future of your brand. With ‘Adventures In Manifesting‘ for example, you can say pretty much as soon as you sign up that you are now a ‘co-author in a bestselling series’ because our print runs for each book are already pre-sold and way above traditional (and usually conservative) print runs. This makes your bio and about page look instantly more impressive and gives you a huge boost in the professional confidence department.

Right now we have sold to over 21 countries around the globe which means that your story has the power to reach more people.

The thing about being in business is that you have to be your biggest fan and learn how to self-promote. Sometimes this isn’t easy for people, which is why we designed very comprehensive training for our authors. We know for a fact that authors won’t get this kind of support from any other publisher. We outline and cover sales, list building, marketing, social media, offline sales, PR and so much more.

“I scrolled on back to where I found the Author’s training. Wow! What an amazing resource for new authors! I’ve never seen anything like that provided by a publisher before! Awesome job, Sarah and Sean.” ~ Bob Doyle (bestselling author + featured teacher in The Secret)

2. Using authenticity as a branding strategy

As I mentioned in this post yesterday – there is tremendous power in being authentic and sharing your story from your heart + soul. Marketing is about connecting with people on a level of humanity so they can resonate with what you’re saying. By sharing your story in a compilation book you are opening yourself up to conversations with potential clients that can relate to your journey.

Writing and story sharing adds another dimension for your audience to connect with. You can weave it into your email marketing, share snippets with your social media following and cleverly position your story as the foundation of your brand (if it fits).

It’s almost like a big business card that pitches how your passion sparked up the desire to get you to where you are now. People love reading these kinds of inspirational stories. You can also sell the books directly from your about page: ‘Read the full story here’ for example. Like I said, many more creative ideas are outlined in our Business, Branding and Beyond Training modules. Please email me if you just want to purchase the training.

3. Creating an evergreen advertising mechanism

Being part of a compilation book means that your story is circulating out there in the world is a very unique way. It’s as if you never know who will see your story and who will want to connect with you. On an energetic level you have the power to help someone on their journey by seeing themselves in you. Your co-authors will more than likely have at least 300+ books that they are actively promoting, which means you have the chance to connect with more hearts and minds around the globe. We’re all rocking this book project together and everyone steps up and joins the party.

Books rarely get thrown out so they tend to circulate decade after decade. This means that your story and your web link can be discovered by anyone for a really long period of time. I still get emails from a compilation book I did back in 2006.

4. Additional revenue stream

You can make money selling the books (especially Adventures In Manifesting books). Our return on investment (ROI) is awesome because we can keep our prices super-low due to our mammoth print runs. The more books each author orders, keeps the book prices per unit down. One of our packages gives you just under 20k in ROI… which is pretty darn good!

5. Inviting strategic partnerships

There is a beautiful magic in creative collaborations. By having the books to distribute you can get super-creative about how you use them. Events seem to be a hot favorite for our authors. Just think how awesome selling from the stage will be when you have copies of your book on sale for attendees to buy. Part of our packages include our exclusive AUTHOR MASTERMIND group + inner circle where you get to connect with like-minded people in our series that can offer unique opportunities to boost your brand.

We also teach you how to automate your sales so you can set-up channels to never have to post out book orders yourself.

6. Building your writing portfolio

I never would have landed a traditional publishing contract with Wiley if I didn’t self publish first and show them that I was a great marketer + entrepreneur. I sold 9000 copies of my first compilation book called SPROUT THE LIFE YOU LOVE without it even getting into a bookstore. Wiley printed around 4,000 copies of my book The Power of Influence and showed me that self publishing is the best path to take if you wish to make the biggest impact on your business growth and results. However, it was a great learning curve that’s for sure.  If you want the full story check out our 7 Myths of Publishing over at Verbii.com – you’ll be shocked by some of the secrets I share in the course.

Any and all publications are great to have as part of your publishing portfolio. It opens numerous doors to new and exciting opportunities and everything is a great experience.

7. Attracting media attention

In our media training we teach people how to submit press releases, but I personally think that compilation books are a much more powerful way of getting media attention. I have never submitted a press release and yet I’ve had TV, print, magazine and radio interviews over the last 7 years just from word of mouth marketing, my blog and though social media connections. The media want talking points, conversational pieces and products to review. Our previous authors have had great success with cross promotion via various media channels. As the series is still relatively new, we are still so excited for the future and the possibilities that are emerging.

In the training, we cover exactly how to draft your media releases and what to say. Let’s just say that saying that you’re an author will make you be seen as an instant expert. This itself is a great door opener.

In conclusion, being in a compilation book is one of the smartest things you can do to put yourself out there in 2013 and beyond. NOW is the time to invest in yourself.

If you’re interested in seeing how this opportunity could be a great way to grow your brand, share your story and empower yourself please send me an email as soon as you read this and I’ll send you to the exclusive invitation link. Our author call will end on April 30th, 2013 and spaces are filling fast.

Ooh. Great question. 

My response was that experience sharing is part of my brand and in its own way is a business strategy. Yes, I am and always have been a chronic oversharer. You just have to have a conversation with me on a train or meet me at a party and I’d be happy to tell you that I found out I had two half-brothers when I was 17, had a miscarriage when I was 20, was part of a meditation cult for a little while, had an affair at 29 and was in a mutally abusive marriage for just under 10 years. Yep, just call me ‘Sarah the OverSharer’ and I’m not afraid. Why? Because being a storyteller helps people. In fact, the most effective forms of marketing happen through connecting with your audience via sharing valid and relevant life experience.

People hold back because of the fear of judgement, which is totally understandable. But if you’re writing your blog posts from a place of fear then they’re  not going to land in the hearts and minds of people that need to read them the most anyway. On an energetic level you’re sabotaging yourself.

This is why I love my work with the bestselling Adventures In Manifesting series becuase I get to help people share their soulful stories of beautiful life experience. (Sidenote: email me if you’re interested in co-authoring one of the next books).

So where do you draw the line?

• Sharing stories of your life experience needs to be executed with extreme care. You can’t name names (ex-husbands etc.) because it’s dangerous and can get you into serious legal trouble.
• You can’t use it as a bullying tactic because that’s just mean and you just look like a nasty person. Integrity is EVERYTHING.
• You can’t post the story or the article if you’re not 100% in alignment with people responding to your words. This is a great opportunity to develop a thick skin and feel your way intuitively to the space of holding your own truth and being able to share it effectively.

I did an interview the other day and I always forget that people know really private details about my life. Even though I’m willing to share, I still forget that it’s so much more powerful when you have people right in front of you that either can relate to what you’ve been through or can commiserate.

There is serious power in sharing your experiences.

Never underestimate the power you have to change people’s lives. A huge part of the reason I have chosen to not hold back is becuase of the amazing emails and messages I get from people all over the world that have had a breakthrough or can see themselves in my words. Yes, there are people out there that judge me. Let them go for it.

A wise man once told me that people can critisize you all they like, they’re just taking your Karma. Wanna bitch about me behind my back? Go for it! What you think of me is none of my business. 

A friend on Facebook has just gone through the pain of a miscarriage and posed the question to others that have been through it as well. The responses are amazing and overwhelming to see the connection and the sisterhood that is formed around this life-chaning and very sad experience. Life is not all lovely dovey or a bed of roses, and it’s so beautiful to connect with people through their bravery and willingness to share.

However, there are some very important aspects to consider when you’re using this authenticity strategy for your business. You need to know how much is too much. It’s all a matter of knowing BEFORE you write your content what the outcome will be.

I went to a magazine website yesterday and it said: ’30% off advertising rates to celebrate the editor’s divorce’. I thought this was brilliant. You see it’s cleverly weaving the humanity of the situation into a beautiful flowing marketing strategy and THIS is how you know you’re on the right track.

All you need to do is identify the purpose behind everything you do and feel good about it. If the results and feedback are showing you that you’re on the right track then keep moving forward. Any questions? Please feel free to ask below…

So… you may or may not have read this post about how a lost book deal turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The experience was upsetting, but totally had a silver lining in fuelling the passionate fire for us to create Verbii.com – an all in 1 self publishing solution for conscious authors.

As most enterprises do, we keep a close eye on the competition and people we admire so that we can be inspired by what they’re up to. Keeps you on your toes, you know? This evening Sean and I checked out some social media strategies of the said company’s Facebook page that we parted ways with. To our utter surprise the numbers seemed off and ‘fishier than Baldrick’s apple crumble’ as the line goes in BlackAdder.

This particular page had about 18,000 likes and one post had 61,000 + shares on a post about 2 months old. Not to mention the average share for a picture quote was around 32k. Something was very suspicious indeed.

We decided to check out Oprah’s page to compare popularity levels. She has 8 MILLION likes and nowhere near the traction that this dude has for some reason. Why? Because he (or his social media team) are fudging the numbers and it’s so bad for their brand. Anyone can see this if they look closely enough.

It diminishes trust, and without trust you’re building a house on sand.

How is it that a person with followers that are less than 1/4 of 1 percent of Oprah’s gets over 173x more shares than her?

And we’re not even looking at the amount of likes and comments per post either…

The ratio is off.

So here’s what’s going on…

1. Purchases of fake followers.
2. Purchases of fake post likes.
3. Purchases of fake comments.
4. Purchases of fake shares.

Okay, so without naming names I have to stop here and express what I think is going on. Honestly, this is what I feel about this one and because this is my blog I feel I can vent a little and express the truth of the matter from my perspective. This person is in a position of great influence where people turn to him for guidance, advice, purpose and meaning in their lives. And the tweaked numbers scream desperation to me. They scream manipulation. And they scream that they are prepared to project the illusion of popularity to gain your trust at your expense.

In my opinion I think that the public need to be educated not to be fooled by numbers. This is the reason I’m writing this post.

There are 3 very real and major risks if you choose to hire people on Fiverr or other sneaky systems to boost your followings very quickly. Keep in mind there are services out there  that can add 100,000 fans or followers in a day.

1. All of these fake accounts can just vanish without warning which leaves you looking really unpopular at a moment’s notice. Ouch.

2. The accounts are all so fake that they don’t have any info on them and so Facebook will naturally shut them down.

3. Facebook or Twitter deems your page suspicious and you lose your account. This would be bad!

I have 50,000+ Twitter followers. I clearly outline in my book ‘The Power of Influence‘ that I trialled many different methods to get to that number. I used a software called TweetAdder that would auto follow people and over time it became very disingenuous so I stopped and it just grew organically. I’ve tried other stuff too like weird ‘Facebook follow’ scams etc and it’s all just a load of crap.

The numbers mean nothing. It’s the quality connection that you establish with people that means EVERYTHING.

Authenticity expressed to one single person is more powerful than thousands of fake followers.

Sean found another rapid jump in an another American-based publisher’s page the other day too. There was a giant spike in popularity (as you can see below) and the most popular city of fans were based in Mumbai, INDIA which is odd don’t you think?

Please keep in mind as you’re reading this that this is intended to cut through some bullshit. I don’t want to name names, finger-point and prompt a witch hunt – I just want people to see what’s going on and maybe find some beautiful humour in it.

To be fair, some people do inject a lot of money into advertising and social media strategies and they experience great frustration because their numbers are increasing so slowly.

The best thing you can do is know that with every single person that you attract to like your page you are gaining a little piece of their trust and to me, that is worth something. You now have a duty to nurture them, to educate, uplift and entertain because they’re in alignment with your mission. Over the last few years this is what Sean and I have aimed to achieve with our publishing ventures.

So what are your thoughts about this issue? Do you think it’s fine to do this? Do you see it as a strategy? Or do you think it’s got similar energy to paying for sex (at the extreme end of the spectrum). Please comment below…

This new-fangled approval giving tool is very powerful and that power is in your hands.

The humble ‘like’ button is like the Wonderbra – it can boost you up, support you, make you feel perky and attract attention. It can also make you feel appreciated and valued, so I’ll step aside from the Wonderbra analogy now because ‘boobs’ and ‘value’ are in no way related , in my opinion anyway.  So to continue…

The downside is that too often people are super-stingy with the process of giving likes.  Wah, wah, wah < insert sad trombone noise here. The simple act of liking someone’s blog post, page, website link or a photo of their cat wearing a bread hat is an energetic exchange. It generates good Karma, it gets the energy flowing and it uses you as a vehicle to connect others to things they might not have been exposed to before….like breading for example.

For those of you that check your Facebook stream several times per day and ESPECIALLY if you have a business or brand, please make it a goal to GIVE OF YOURSELF by liking other people’s content. This way, they’re also more inclined to share yours (no weird obligations though). The whole point here is what goes around, comes around OR whatever you put out there comes back to you…Boomerang style.

It’s all about sharing and what I’ve found is that sometimes people get so wrapped up in their own lives and business concepts that they forget to nurture, support and commend the fine work and efforts of others. There is crazy powerful energy in supporting others. Try it and let me know know what happens. 

Like posts, share content, get out of your own space of self and start GIVING, because kindness (especially random acts) are where it’s at.

‘Like’ this post? You know where the button is (wink, wink). With Love, Sarah xo