I like the appropriation of the word tribe in technological social media terms because it reminds me of ancient Indigenous groups or anthropological ethnic wear and cultures. Instigating the old with the new. Cycles. That’s how life works.

Was it Seth Godin who first popularized the term for the 21st century in his book, Tribes (NOT an affiliate link. What makes me think I could make money off one measly link? Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.)?

That’s meant as a rhetorical question, partly because I’m not sure, but I think I’m right, and I’m too lazy to research and verify. This isn’t a school paper after all. Crikey! It’s just a blog.

Nevertheless, your tribe, your supporters, fans, followers, “right people” are what make or break you. They are the ones that read your work, buy your products or services or like you on facebook (hint, hint). Your tribe is a group of likeminded people with ideas, interests in common. In my case, my tribe happens to be kick ass entrepreneurs, travelers, rebels, changemakers and people living on the fringes of society. They may be interested in social change or making a positive difference. They’re passionate about their art or craft. They’re into holistic health. They’re spiritual. They mirror my own interests.

Your right tribe is a group of people that you “vibe” with. Someone you could see becoming a good friend in real life with likeminded goals, ideals or interesting stories to share. Like attracts like and vibrations attract vibration. Are you feeling my vibes? (Oh New Agey spiritual bullshit can sound SO dirty… or is it just me?)

Thank You

Although my blog is small and gets less than 1,000 visitors per month, I have a small but dedicated tribe, and I want to say THANK YOU. Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for your support. Thank you for your mind words and positive messages. Thank you for your energy and thank you for your time. Thank you for being a pathway to my success. I appreciate you.

The support that I’ve gotten through my online presence has blown me away. Whether you’re a dedicated reader or past client or both, I have been honored by wonderful people. From people who have sponsored my domain hosting when I almost thought of quitting, to people who have sponsored my networking meetup in Puerto Galera with the Tropical MBA crowd when I hadn’t even asked but was down on money (because lets face it, I was broke for most of last year, and I’m still kind of broke now, since I need to budget wiser and learn how to live with under $1,000, HOLY SHIT that’s a hard one to learn. Hint: I’m really bad with money and double hint: I’m not really a minimalist… and I hate it.). Even a random twitter follower donating $50 on the very same day I was in crying fits and asked a higher power/source/universe/God/Goddess for help. Again, I didn’t directly ask for money on Twitter, but I had a “bad day” tweet that he had responded to in kind. That shit BLOWS MY MIND and seriously got me through last year. So thank you.

Knowing that people are willing to pay my way to a beach meet-up or my hosting makes me realize that people are willing to buy from me…. I just need to figure out what people want and how to craft it. And I will. My 30 days to launch is just the beginning.

Your Right Tribe

What’s your tribe? What type of people are drawn to you, your blog, or your message? Who do you hang out with in real life? What types of people do you follow on Twitter? These are all questions that can help you determine your right tribe. At the core of any mission are people who will support that mission. At the core of any niche site, are customers who want to buy. You don’t have to change anything about yourself to find your right tribe. You just have to discover your authentic you. Feel the youness of the passions that you want to explore. Don’t ignore those inner callings. It’s a process of self-becoming. Your awesome tribe helps get you there and mirrors who YOU are.

Janet

Janet is a Professional Hobo, burgeoning entrepreneur and homeless nomad passionate about working with creative world changers and showing people how to march to their own beats.

(So I totally just typed the title in all caps but then realized that my designated font IS in all caps by default)

When @elisadoucette tweeted that OMG THERE’S AN E-CARD FOR US IN 2012 and tagged me and some other girls that grab life by the balls (and have fun doing it *wink*), I knew I had to use the image for my next blog entry.

But before I get into foreplay, lets cut to the chase.

The real reason I’m writing this is that I am ONE OF SIX finalists for the Digital Nomad Academy scholarship and you can vote for me by going to the following link and placing your comment here:

http://www.thrillingheroics.com/holiday-cheer-scholarships

Because you see, 2012 WILL BE MY BITCH. I can feel it.

Now that I have the announcement out of the way, let me expand.

AKA

My 2012 Manifestations (Screw Goals)

1. Abundance – I WILL make six figures
That sounds a little silly to me right now and out of this world, but not out of my league. Whether it happens in 2012 or 2015, I’ll get there. I’ll get there because the only way to play big is to make space for it.

2. Thrivability – Sharing the wealth
The reason I want to be a millionaire is because I want to make a big dent in the world by way of social entrepreneurship and philanthropy. I want to spend my money not on stuff, but on meaningful experiences. I will start donating to charity for every project that I close! Whether that’s $25 to Kiva or $1 at philanthroper.com. Everyone who works with me will benefit knowing that a part of their investment goes to a good cause.

3. Making Positive Social Change
What I mean is to impact the world in a positive way, not just through my services or charity, but through my social entrepreneurial efforts. I’m not sure how this looks like yet but I’m pretty sure it will have something to do with poverty/human rights + eco-consciousness: two very interrelated and near and dear issues in my heart.

4. Flying Asia and Beyond
I’d like to visit more of SE Asia, like Bali and Thailand. And I guess somewhere along the way I should probably visit Portland, Oregon since the ‘rents are getting old. Besides, I can meet some of my favorite bloggers like Dusti Arab, Tyler TervoorenEmilie Wapnick, Jonathan Mead and Ev’Yan Nasman. And maybe if I’m lucky, Chris Guillebeau (shit, I should just attend the World Domination Summit while I’m at it).

5. Attend the World Domination Summit
That’s right. I’m going to Dominate. 2012 will be down on her knees! Chris Guillebeau’s shindig makes an introvert like me want to put herself in overwhelm and do awkward things. Like handing out condoms and designing my own pocket packaging with my info on them instead of business cards (no one better steal my idea). Because world domination means spreading the love!

6. Blog with more focus. Or just blog more.
I plan to take a more directional approach to my blog, get clearer on my focus and maybe even start offering some products! Though the sound of an info product kind of just makes me shudder. I will re-launch my blog, too. And guestpost in more places.

7. Rock it at the Digital Nomad Academy
I don’t want to be a disappointment, so I am bringing my A game. Digital Nomad Academy will be excellent portfolio material and, dare I say, resume material if you’re into that. Not only can I redesign webpages, make sale pages and graphics, and blog my journey, I can also use social media and the power of my networks to promote Digital Nomad Academy, and apply online marketing to hopefully drive more students and interest into the course!

8. Build a Team
I want to build an art team, and why not? I’m scouting for creative talent whom I think could fit my client work. I’d love to be a creative director and start managing other people. This is a true test of a freelancer vs. entrepreneur.

I want to be an entrepreneur.

Janet

Janet is a Professional Hobo, burgeoning entrepreneur and homeless nomad passionate about working with creative world changers and showing people how to march to their own beats.

If you’re trying to “make it” with an online service or product, just blog. It doesn’t matter what you blog about, so long as you do it, and do it regularly.

That’s mostly true.

There’s almost no way you can go wrong with blogging. There is no “right” or “wrong” way, no matter how many formulas you read about. Forget about guest blogging, giving people “value”, and just BLOG. That’s the first step.

If The Middle Finger Project can make an entire professional career out of cursing like a sailor, and Leonie Dawson can make an entire professional career being completely weird and bringing out the inner goddess in women everywhere, and Ev’Yan can call herself a professional “sex liberation artist”, then how can YOU contribute your own unique self to your blog? The sky is literally the limit. You can make up a profession right before your very audience! Use your blog to explore. Don’t worry about messing up what you say, or how it might make you look. The important thing is to just get it out there. Somewhere along the way, you’ll start to see your schtick.

Finding Your Schtick

I used to think that I wasn’t an authority on anything. What could I possibly offer anybody that I’m an “expert” in? But now I know better. Your “Schtick” is your very being, your essence, your core that you can contribute to the world. Everyone has a talent to offer, something they’re just inherently good at more than other things. It’s time to own it.

It’s time to become an Unprofessional Professional.

What does that mean? It means you get to call the shots, and you get to be yourself. It means you don’t have to wear office clothes if you don’t want to, and you can still run a business like a pro, because you are. It means your personality is what people will gravitate towards, and why ultimately people will buy your product or service over someone else. Simply because they like you. There’s no need to act any different than who you are. No need to hide behind an unfulfilling cubicle job that’s ultimately not you.

The things I blog about may not always be “professional”. In fact, I can be completely unprofessional. I probably divulge things that scream: don’t hire me, but at the same time, I do so in complete honest vulnerability that somehow people are attracted to. And I swear: it gets me hired. I don’t know how the hell I do it, but my blog gets me hired! It’s absolutely amazing once you tap into leveraging technology, and the best part is I’m just being myself. No fakery. Complete honesty. AND!? I’m still just starting to “find my schtick”. I’m not an accomplished A List blogger, I mostly write nonsense that could still be considered the realms of a “personal blog”, and still, I’m getting projects. And that is A Hustle, my friends!

Get Your A Hustle On

Are you ready for the hustle? It’s absolutely addicting once you get used to the school of hardknocks. Bring your A game and your Ace face. Network like an introvert who has no clue but still manages to network anyway. It’s all good. There is absolutely NO way to mess it up as long as you keep blogging and keep trying!

Janet

Janet is a Professional Hobo, burgeoning entrepreneur and homeless nomad passionate about working with creative world changers and showing people how to march to their own beats.

Here’s what I’ve discovered: The courage to follow your intuition isn’t just important, it’s how I’ve based my life up to this point. It’s how I solo traveled from India to the Philippines with a one way ticket, and it’s how I currently live in simple, third world conditions for over 6 months and survive.

In short, having the courage to do what I do with the stubborn resolve to follow my bliss is what keeps me going. It’s what’s keeping me focused on this path of indie design and freelancing my way towards a better income and less student loan debt. I may not have that six figure income now, but I will, since I’ve set my mind on it and I’ve got a vision. The courage to follow through with that vision is the next thing. Courage is the only way I’ve been able to get this far at all.

Sometimes, Intuition isn’t always that easy to listen to, though. Sometimes, people need help figuring it out. Sometimes, even me. It’s OK to fuck up a little. Just admit that you fucked up and move on.

I fucked up.

I let myself stray from the path and in a moment of desperation, took on a *gulp* full-time job. I thought I was ready for it. I thought it even had its place in this greater plan. I was ready to take two+ years on a career path in order to ‘learn’ skills on the job that might help in the long run to running my own business. It was perfect! Except that it wasn’t.

My intuition took a jolt on the first week when I realized I was getting a cough. That cough has not gone away over a month later. I joked that the office was making me sick, but I’m willing to bet that it was. I am not a city girl and yet I live in one of the most overpopulated cities in the world. Poor infrastructure makes my total roundtrip commute three hours a day on top of 10 hour work days. And without going into detail, lets just say that the work standard was not what I was expecting from an American who has only–up til now–worked in America. Generally speaking, Filipino companies get away with a lot of things that would be unheard of in the Land of the Free.

So what would any Good American who voluntarily accepted the third world office job earning over a third less than she did in the USA do? QUIT. I mean what was I thinking!? With more and more freelance projects and inquiries rolling in, I wasn’t about to say NO when I’m earning a lot more as a freelancer than… $2/hr. in the office. I may not be an Asian good at math, but its enough to know that third world office job ain’t gonna cut it when it comes to paying off my student loans. The longer I would’ve stayed there, the MORE money I would have lost. And I hate that the bane of my post-college existence is to “pay off my student loans”, but there you have it. The 99%.

So I quit. I quit cold turkey. I completely went AWOL after a fantastic weekend of 104.5F fever (40.3C), cold chills, hot flashes, shivers and a cough that I’m still getting over. I didn’t need that stress in my life, and my body knew it all along.

Lessons in Intuition #1: Your Body Knows

Your body might be more aware than you are. It knows things. And if you’re not in tune to what it might be telling you, you could end up with a situation you end up regretting. I didn’t realize my defiance towards the 9 to 5 was so severe that it called upon my physical being. If you are physically getting sick after a change in your life, ask yourself whether the change is a good thing or if there’s something that you’re not addressing with your emotions. What are you suppressing? What do you need to let go? Express? Emotions are always connected to physical sickness. Do not treat them separately. In my case, a dry cough was an indication of not asserting my needs in compensation and ultimately feeling like I was taken advantage of in the process. Which brings us to…

Lessons in Intuition #2: Assert Yourself

I must have a “walk all over me” sign on my forehead, but the truth is that I am a fucking doormat. Don’t be a doormat. It’s hard for a lot of women to say “NO” but it makes your life a whole lot easier if you know when to say it. By asserting yourself from the get go, you avoid those sticky situations where you realize that you don’t like something (and you don’t like it because you never asserted towards anything better) and have a hard time getting out of it. If you know you don’t like something, SPEAK UP. And trust me, I’m the first person who needs to know that. It’s almost pathetic (or it is).

Lessons in Intuition #3: Fuck Protocol

When you’re acting on intuition, sometimes rules and regulations get in the way. And for a person like me, rules and regulations are something to roll your eyes at. I mean, do you EVER read the instruction manual first? NO. You ignore the step by step illustrations and pt 8 text and figure it out yourself. Fuck protocol. There’s no way you are going to try to enforce a 30 day notice when it comes to resignation from a shitty situation. Two weeks is crazy enough, and sometimes, employers don’t deserve it. Unless you’re upper management, what’s the point!? Swift and quick is better for both parties in the long run when you’re already disgruntled and unhappy. Always follow your best interests first… You can’t trust companies, so trust yourself and your intuition. It’s all you’ve got.

Lessons in Intuition #4: Turn that “Mistake” into Something Great

Everyone told me that this job would be a “pit stop” to my goals. Little did I know that it would literally be a blip in the road. How is that great? It’s fucking AWESOME because it jolted me awake, and made me aware again of my greater purpose. It reawakened me to the path that I’ve set out and how important that path is to me. Without the so-called “blip in the road”, I wouldn’t have seen my weaknesses and the areas I need to work on to keep an “A” game. I wouldn’t have had a reenergized desire to continue, and I wouldn’t have felt this strong connection to my intuition, reminding me why I’m really here. It’s as if the Universe was banging me on the head to tell me “Hello! You’re a freelance designer!! How much work do I need to drown you with before you get it!?” Thanks, Universe (and thanks Elisa, copywriter that you are, for coming up with that..)! It’s true. I did absolutely nothing different with my unmarketing, and wasn’t actively looking for work, but as soon as I accepted the job, the work came pouring in!

Lesson learned: When you counter your intuition with something different, your intuition will counter back with your right path.

Just trust the process.

Janet

Janet is a Professional Hobo, burgeoning entrepreneur and homeless nomad passionate about working with creative world changers and showing people how to march to their own beats.

Today I found out that I lost the $5k dream business start-up package… by just FOUR votes! The results are official and I was patiently waiting to see if I would have a happy surprise as they checked for validity and fairness of votes. Nope. The votes were fair and square on both sides and my very worthy (note: this is not to say “I’m not worthy!”) and KICK ASS opponent, Mandyland, won the bounty.

The last hour and especially the last FIVE MINUTES were intense. Up 10, down 5, tie, to up and down again.

Speaking of numbers, I’ve heard around Twitter that today marks the last 100 days of 2011. If this is true, how are you going to spend the last 100 days?

My favorite childhood mug–a crappy plastic thing with faded graphics and a broken handle–had one message I still hold dear to my heart:

You can be a winner if you TRY!

There’s two kinds of people in this world, there’s winners and there’s losers. Okay, you know what the difference is? Winners don’t give up. – Little Miss Sunshine

As black and white as that may seem, there’s truth to it. Incidentally, my favorite childhood shirt was an oversized 90s nightmare that I won at an orchestra party door prize (yes, the dorky Asian that played violin, oh so typical!) with BIG HUGE words on the front that said

DON’T
GIVE
UP!

I’ve taken those quotes with me as I grew up and they are a part of every cell of my being, especially during these last 100 days of 2011!

Sun-kissed with Hope

Joining a contest means putting yourself out there and you have nothing to lose. If you don’t win the prize, life goes on as usual. I haven’t “lost” anything and I’ve already gained so much! From an old friend willing to give me free business consultation to plan out my biz, to new clients and friends and an added boost in confidence and a clearer vision, I have so much to be thankful for! This is only the beginning.

Without the $5k boost to my business, I’ll be fine. I’m living in some tough financial situations where the only way I see out is through building my business but I’ll be fine. I’m a winner. And winners see ‘failures’ as inevitable successes!

The opportunity to fail in this regard was a HUGE blessing. To put it on the bright side, I’m not sure if winning would have helped me in the most optimal way. With my DIY attitude and indie business flair, I thrive best when my motivation comes from the underbelly of adversity. So I didn’t win the contest? How can I make sure that I bring it 111% and RISE UP to the task of building the best auspicious 11/11/11 launch that I could ever have? How can I align the universe towards my eventual success?

I live in the slums. This is my choice, whether I like it or not. I support myself and most of the time, my boyfriend who has in turn taught me a lot of things about trust, and life and faith. I don’t have an easy life but I don’t have a particularly hard one, either. I go to a $70 gym while living in the slums which is probably unheard of to most people. Part of the big sell was hot showers with clean water. I’m different and I don’t belong. But we are all one and I absolutely belong.

To everyone that has voted or supported me, a huge thanks of gratitude. We put up a good fight and I couldn’t have gotten this far without you! OK, maybe I am a little bummed out but it’s not over yet. I’ve only just begun.

To the next 100 days and beyond, lets SHINE ON!!

Over and out,
J Flo

Janet

Janet is a Professional Hobo, burgeoning entrepreneur and homeless nomad passionate about working with creative world changers and showing people how to march to their own beats.

“I love how you have no qualms whatsoever in making an ass of yourself – that deserves moral support from your friends, so count me in!”

– My Friend Dale

If you liked that video, then Vote for J Flo.

I don’t take myself too seriously. Life? It’s not a serious matter! Have some fun. Act like a dork. Shave your head. Go to a zen monastery retreat. Join a contest and ask people you haven’t talked to in 10 years to vote for you. Act like a dumbass on video. It’s all good.

The ability to take life by the punches is the ability to ADAPT and CHANGE. These are the top traits of a successful entrepreneur. One who is able to think outside the box, have some fun, let her guard down, and make a complete fool (or is it foo’?) out of herself is one that will rise to the challenge, and rise to the top.

Your support is not just a vote for a web designer. It’s a vote for someone who believes in the power of technology to change peoples lives and make the world a better place. That belief is highly fueling my creative energy as I change my life by the words I speak. One way or another, thought by manifesting thought, I will move out of this ghetto and do my meaningful work which will flow out in abundance of love and currency. I’m already doing it now.

Manifesting your goals is a skill that can be learned and a gift that I seem to naturally possess. If it weren’t for this power of manifestation, I wouldn’t be in the Philippines. I had the vision, this irreversible power and intuition that I MUST go back and a year later I did. I had a wish that I wrote down without thinking on a bucket list to “join a Zen monastery and practice meditation” and months later, the opportunity fell on my lap when I wasn’t even looking! I had written down that I wanted to “learn Filipino martial arts” and little did I know that I would eventually date a well-respected eskrimador that’s “famous” in his field.

If that isn’t amazing enough, while I was walking 660km of Palawan island with Joemar, the local native Filipino martial artist that would eventually become my boyfriend, I had decided that I wanted my own ice cold bottled water because I was tired of sharing a bottle with him and drinking well water we pumped that wasn’t too cold. No, I wanted ice cold mineral water. The kind you get at grocery stores. The kind you don’t find on 660km walks in remote provincial rural villages where a glass bottle of Coke is more common than a plastic bottle of water. That didn’t matter. I knew that I was going to get what I want. Maybe it’s the spoiled only child in me, but I just knew it would happen! And like magic, the Universal gifts showered us when we found ourselves reaching a more populated town for the night. Joemar befriended a local and offered his massage skills to a new friend. Throughout our walk, connection and interaction with the people we met was important to him, and that night was no exception. The new friend was so thankful that he felt compelled to gift us with ice cold bottled water and beeko, a local rice dessert. Amazingly enough, beeko was the one thing Joemar was craving all day! Not only does manifestation happen with myself, but also to those around me!

Manifestion? You ain’t got nothin’ on me.

And that is how I knew that I would win $5,000 worth of business start-up packages before the voting even began. That irreversible power and intuition that this was my time. This was my wave to ride. And this was my future in the present moment, calibrated and set like a compass magnetized to my North.

Once you decide that this is part of your grand plan, and that this is your map you’re building because you’ve thrown the other ones out, and faced unchartered territory with blind eyes that SEE, then you just work for it. You work the hell out of if. You obsess over it. You do everything in your human power to reach your goddamn goal and you COMMIT.

So, this is me committing.

And when I COMMIT, I’m something fierce.

Manifestation. You ain’t got nothin’ on me.

The same techniques are used in millionaire mindsets and books like Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I, and most importantly YOU, have the power to manifest anything you desire. It brought me to the Philippines. It’s bringing me to $5,000. And if I want it bad enough, YES, it will bring me to a million.

You are an amazing ball of energy. The energy to do what you WILL. Believe in yourself and in your innate power. It isn’t voodoo. It isn’t God. It’s YOU. You have the power within you. SET a goal and WORK HARD. Work relentlessly. It won’t be easy. But damn, it’s worth its weight in gold.

What is ONE thing you’ll do today to get yourself ONE step closer to your Big Hairy Audacious Goal? Do that.

Janet

Janet is a Professional Hobo, burgeoning entrepreneur and homeless nomad passionate about working with creative world changers and showing people how to march to their own beats.

If you can’t tell, I’m a little bit excited about the WE Mastermind contest to win $5,000 dollars worth of business start-up packages. I am in FIRST PLACE by a small margin and am struggling to keep the lead. If you haven’t voted for me yet, please do. Vote up to once a day until September 19th.

1. Log onto Facebook.
2. Click this link.
3. Allow app access.
4. Click “VOTE FOR THIS ENTRY” – Make sure you’re looking at J Flo with the Shakti Yoga image (a current web design project).
5. Decide whether you want to share on your wall and click “post” or “skip”.
6. Rinse and repeat every day until September 19th!

Thank you to everyone who has been voting. Thanks so much for the support! With your superpowers, I have been staying in first place lead for a couple days!! <3 Lets keep it up!

This contest has done wonders for me in staying motivated with my goals and committing to them. Because of this contest, I finally decided to pick my launch date for my new web design site and see a clearer plan of action. So clear that I've already incorporated the prizes into this visualization to help it manifest (wink)! Either way, the way the contest has helped me respond to my work has made it clear that I've already won in spirit! The promotion efforts I’ve put out to gain more votes is already creating buzz for the web launch. It’s a win-win, whether I win the prize package or not!

So what exactly DO I win? Well, lets break it down, shall we?

Increase your traffic -and tribe -by running a 2 month social media contest using Strutta

Strutta is the platform WE Mastermind is running this contest on and it rocks! (Value: $500)

Implementation: I would like to host a FREE web design contest to celebrate my launch date on 11.11.11.

Create a PR storm to drive attention to your business

Elena Verlee shows you how in her Publicity S.T.O.R.M. program for entrepreneurs. (Value: $247)

Implementation: While I joke that my boyfriend is a good “PR Department” for me, who has been doing an awesome job gathering votes and support, I could definitely learn how to do this better. I need all the attention I can get so that I can hopefully get more clients than my current, pathetic, “is this even a business?” attempt (or lack thereof). I need to get some mojo and grab some balls!

Launch a website that drives results

Access The Renegade Weekend Website 2 day site building event online. (Value: $597)

Implementation: My current website does not drive results. Although I AM a web designer, I’m still learning how to be a business savvy one. The website I started, which was a fete in itself, was something I made during the time I was in a 4 month Buddhist monastery retreat. I was thinking spiritual kumbayah, not business and dollars. It’s not very marketable, not very “sticky” (this is a term that I learned within this year, meaning that it doesn’t bring a lot of client leads and viewers don’t “stick” around), and desperately needs a copy makeover. I got some tips when I went to the Tropical MBA summit and basically heard everything I “knew” I had to do, but hadn’t done yet. It’s kind of like “knowing” you need to eat right and exercise to lose weight… but you still keep eating like crap. This time, I need to CUT THE CRAP and take the leap to commit to the lifestyle change.

Access over 40 business tools including bookkeeping software, easy-to-use business calculators, a free logo and domain name, and more

Palo Alto Software’s “Start, Run and Grow Your Business” program is everything you need to get your business off the ground. (Value: $70)

Implementation: I am your typical right brained artsy chick. I have no business sense and I know I need to build up my business muscles. Taxes scare the crap out of me as someone who’s slowly venturing into the self-employed department, and I’m scared I won’t do it “right”. The business tools will help me stay on track and force me to get linear.

Technical tutorials to bring you up to speed on running an online business

One year access to WebMasterChief.com, a technical tutorial membership site that equips you with the knowledge to understand the components of running your empire. (Value: $324)

Implementation: More education is always good. The tutorials could help me from a design perspective as someone who is going into the business of designing online businesses. This could also help me in finally figuring out all this shopping cart stuff and offering more advanced web design packages!

Copy that converts more sales for your product

A two hour one-on-one copywriting consultation with award-winning copywriter, Amy Harrison. (Value: $300)

Implementation: Did I mention I need a copy makeover? Yeah. I need copy that sells. I may be a good writer, but I’m not a salesperson and I’ve never done sales copy. I’ve never used psychology to persuade people into buying my services and while I have read tons of branding books about “why we buy” out of pure interest, I have not had to actually apply these concepts on my own.

A personalized “About” page that sparks people’s interest in your business

Written specially for your online business by Lea Woodward at dotnetconnector.com. (Value: $125)

Implementation: I dread writing about pages. I never feel what I say is really good enough. I dread rewriting the Purple Panda about page because I know I’m nowhere near satisfied with it, and it’s just not clear or precise.

A complete plan to reach all your business goals

Ellen Rohr will challenge you to dream big in “The Challenge,” her Bare Bones Biz business planning program. (Value: $1495)

Implementation: I could get clear on a lot of things, including my business. Business plans are another one of those things my right brained self wretches at. Some would argue that you don’t need a business plan, but it helps you focus, define your goals, and set the path straight on your business so you’re aligned to achieving the goals you’ve set in place. Instead of stumbling around like I’m currently doing, this will help me get serious.

Killer coaching to push you and your business to a new level

Private coaching with Natalie MacNeil and Natalie Sisson of WE Mastermind (Value: $1000)

Implementation: I have a lot of questions that could benefit from coaching sessions. Things like how to get clear on the role of this blog with my web design site and how I can get better interaction and more people clicking that “hire me” link. Things like whether I should create a blog for the web design site or just have a clearer focus on this blog.

Email marketing service to communicate with your customers

Implementation: I don’t have a mailing list yet. Not for this site, let alone for my web design. It’s one of those “scary” things like how I have no idea what “free” e-book I could offer just to keep up with the blog joneses, or what I would even write in a newsletter. Whether I ever create the “Panda Posse” or not, it would be great to add a mailing list for the web design site so that I can gain more customer leads and increase my site’s “stickiness”.

So this is why I’m so excited to win. With the help of this package, I could boost my business venture and help get it off the ground. I could start getting full time work load and start calling myself a business. I could play a bigger game.

Janet

Janet is a Professional Hobo, burgeoning entrepreneur and homeless nomad passionate about working with creative world changers and showing people how to march to their own beats.

“To be influential you need to be simple. To be influential you need to learn how to listen. To be influential you need to learn how to flow. To be influential just be. It is like a flu… so contagious. InFLUential.”

These are the humble words of my boyfriend and wordplay master, Joemar Obejas. Standing at only 5’6″ tall, he can command a group wearing only simple clothes as if he were a tall corporate executive wearing a suit; the typical picture of Power and Influence. Perhaps it is his boxer-like body he has primed with 19 years of Filipino Martial Arts. Or maybe it’s simply the fact that he can easily connect with so many from rich to poor, young or old.

He lends his ability to connect with the lessons he’s learned on the road, walking all of Luzon island, Philippines for 3 months straight in 2009 and Palawan island (with yours truly) for 17 days in 2010. Through this path, he has learned many things about the human condition, psychology and body language through observation that even scholars are impressed with.

Through his PR efforts with the vote campaign to win $5k worth of business start-up packages, he has been able to spread the word like wildfire. Without my knowledge or effort, people have been organizing “Team Purple Panda” and encouraging people to vote for me. The response has been overwhelming and I feel overwhelmed with gratitude. How does he do it and who is behind us? He has many supporters and followers from the poor community village where he grew up (and where we currently dwell), to his respected eye as Guro in the Rapido Realismo Kali school of Filipino Martial Arts, to the spiritual community of raw foodists and innerdancers–a kind of movement meditation that can awaken catharsis–where he is viewed as a spiritual teacher and shaman. Just to name a few. Whether it’s supporting the case that we are the only ones from the Philippines to be represented in the contest (Filipinos have immense Filipino pride) or how important it is to get our dream start-up off the ground, he knows how to grab people’s attentions.

To anyone who votes and continues to vote, thank you. You can click here to vote up to once a day until September 19 (Western time). I wouldn’t have been able to do this without your help, and especially, without Joemar’s efforts. I am grateful everyday for having him in my life, and his daily support for my wildest fantasies (I mean, my dreams).

It is the Kapwa that keeps us going.

Be Simple

You don’t need to do anything fancy to be influential. You just need to be straight to the point and aggressive. Keep it simple. Know that your message is important and your followers will think that it’s important too. Most people want to help.

Listen

Don’t be a vampire and suck people’s energy by taking too much. You have to give back. Listening is a big part of making a connection. If you are a good friend, your supporters will want to help you out even more. Be a genuine person and listen to people’s needs. How can you provide solutions?

Flow

Flow is an important part of staying present. It is the ability to stay calm and effective. It’s being able to utilize your creativity to a problem or situation.

Just be

Be who you are and just be yourself. People don’t like frauds and fakes.

Janet

Janet is a Professional Hobo, burgeoning entrepreneur and homeless nomad passionate about working with creative world changers and showing people how to march to their own beats.

Kapwa is a Filipino word that literally means the self in other. It’s taken from the root word KAPatid, meaning brotherhood and aWA, meaning compassion. It is a connection word. The feeling of oneness with community. You see yourself through the other and cannot separate yourself because we are all kapwa. We are all one.

I’ve come to appreciate kapwa, unlike America’s brand of individualism, and some of the greatest examples of kapwa that I’ve found are right here. In poor communities, where I currently live. In probinsiya (the provincial rural areas) and currently, in the rally for votes to get J Flo the business boost that it deserves.

In the slum community, everyone lends a helping hand and watches out for people if there is any trouble. Outsiders are treated well with hospitality and are adopted like family. I still love the story of the fire that devastated many families and everyone pitching together money to rebuild their homes, even if they may not have much money to spare. Communities are powerful. Teamwork is powerful. Likewise, in entrepreneurship, it’s not just an individual effort. It takes a network.

I’ve been overwhelmed by the support of the contest to get J Flo off the ground. You can vote daily (through Facebook) until September 19th when the contest ends. Every vote counts as we go back and forth between first and second place and then back and forth again. The response has been amazing and I am truly lucky to have found someone who lives kapwa everyday. For my boyfriend, my victory is our victory and for his loyal friends and followers, our victory is their victory too. Unity in Kapwa.

I try to live the kapwa philosophy. With J Flo Studios, I bring my heart and passion into my work and into your work. I take on a project as if it were my own. We cater to the holistic and creative arts and flow towards innovative solutions with heart and passion; “liwanag at pagibig” (light and love). Our aim is to help passionate individuals and small businesses grab the attention they deserve and get their message heard through new media.

Are you ready to shine with us?

11.11.11

Janet

Janet is a Professional Hobo, burgeoning entrepreneur and homeless nomad passionate about working with creative world changers and showing people how to march to their own beats.

I went to a spiritual woo-woo event the other day about the Third Eye. He mostly talked about charts and diagrams about the third eye, chakras, and everything I know nothing about that didn’t seem to apply to my life at all.

Behind the bullshit, there was truth. And here’s the gist:

Most people live their lives and then die. That’s it. The details in between are nothing, because most people don’t amount to anything.

That’s a little dire. Let me rephrase it.

Most people live their lives on autopilot like robots and do not become self-actualized or find their purpose; that ever existential quagmire of Man’s Search for Meaning. They just numb themselves to daily routine and follow everything that’s been taught to them without a question.

Ok, maybe it really is dire. But the value you get in life equals the value that you put in. And most people? They barely skim the surface.

Maslow was onto something with that self-actualization pyramid. But there’s another thing he missed.

Self-actualization doesn’t amount to much without self-realization.

People find their Purpose and think they’re enlightened. But do you LIVE your purpose? Finding and living are two separate things. So are thinking and doing.

Purpose is a scary word, and it kind of has religious and Christian connotations to boot. Do I really want to live with Purpose? Is it even necessary?

Scary connotations aside, “purpose”, for me just means finding your groove. It’s a blossoming and becoming into who you ARE, not who society wants you to be. It’s becoming you. What makes you happy? How can you do work that you love? Whether that changes day to day or becomes a lifetime obsession makes no difference. What matters is living your groove in the best way you can each day. You deserve it. We all deserve happiness and fulfillment. The way most people live and die? That’s no way to live at all.

Let me cut to the chase and why I’m REALLY writing this.

I’m trying to LIVE my purpose. Not the scary religious purpose that makes me think I have to pick just ONE. No. I accept that I am a “multipotentialite” scanner and that I have overarching interests. I’m trying to live my purpose that speaks my current truth/DESIRE and FLOWS into my present moment. As a scanner, that may change over decades but as a young woman starting out in the path between living and dying and breaking from the confines of what’s given to me, I have chosen that scary no-man’s land of self-employment. Entrepreneurship. Or that ever “cute” mix: solopreneur and webpreneur.

What that looks like? Web design services, for now. What it will look like later? The possibilities are endless! I want to stick with web design and add on a lot more learning and teaching and workshops and…

I’m launching a newly rebranded website soon to host my web design services and I need your vote!

I haven’t decided on the date yet. But now that I think of it, it’s going to be November 11th. MARK IT.

11-11-11 = Epic Shit.

And what’s more Epic? $5,000 dollars worth of entrepreneurial/start-up packages to help me launch this thing. How often do you get an opportunity like that? Thanks to WE Mastermind, WE can do it!

I need your support.
If you have a Facebook, vote for “J Flo”. Just log in to Facebook, click the link and allow access to the app. Then click “VOTE FOR THIS ENTRY” and choose to share it on your wall or click “skip”. Your vote helps! I’m currently in the top 2 and your help could get me back to first place. I’m in it to win it. Vote up to once a day until September 19. I’ll be reminding you daily. No, really.

See you on 11-11-11. Quite the harmonious (and auspicious?) number!

Janet

Janet is a Professional Hobo, burgeoning entrepreneur and homeless nomad passionate about working with creative world changers and showing people how to march to their own beats.