The significant challenges that we face today cannot be resolved by the same level of thinking that created them.

Hi and welcome to today's issue of KIT. I know most of us are really busy but there are lots of goodies in today's issue so be sure to take advantage of them. Most will be gone by Christmas.

Last week we mentioned the upsets caused by the changes Google made. That's why I keep telling you not to 'worry about algorithms' and stuff. Make sure you create good solid content - back it up with reliable information - link responsibly where you can and the rest will fall into place.

If you are looking for a good guide on how to create good pages for the search engines, without any of the hype and fluff, take a look at Hitting The Search Engines.

As we reach this time of year, most of us are busy running in several directions at once in attempt to prepare for the holidays. It's also the time when we reflect on our accomplishments over the last year and try to set new goals for the coming year. I was reading an article on John Botscharow's channel and he offers an interesting perspective for positive thinking - a positive mental attitude and how it affects you in What's Your Sign? I'm A Contrarian. Bottom line - do what is best for you.

Today's Feature Article is Marketing "Gurus": Do You Need One? The author, Priya Shah, offers some insight into the concept of a 'guru' that I think you will appreciate.

Secret Ingredient is today's Special Article written by Steve Goodier. You may not have determined what you are going to 'do' in life but that doesn't mean you won't. Some people set a goal - achieve it and work on the next one while others never seem to accomplish much of anything.

Have a great day and keep on smiling.

Lois M. Jeary
Publisher, KIT
Contact Me Directly

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Marketing "Gurus": Do You Need One?
Copyright 2003 Priya Shah

Its become fashionable to bash marketing "gurus" nowadays.

There are some for whom the prospect of even looking at someone as a "guru" is a sin. They believe in being free-thinkers, unfettered by the bonds of guru-dom.

Then there are those who try to score points by "proving" gurus wrong. They think they have achieved a new high in their field just by proving that a "guru" made a false statement.

The problem with such people is that they refuse to understand "gurus" for what they are.

So just what IS a guru (marketing or otherwise)?

To put it simply, a guru is someone who has "been there, done that."

A guru is not one who is meant to be followed like a sheep, nor one whose every word is written in stone.

Of the letters in the Sanskrit word "Guru ", the letter 'Gu' stands for darkness or ignorance; and the letter 'Ru' stands for the one who removes it or dispels it.

A guru is one who imparts knowledge that clears the path of the seeker. Knowledge that helps the seeker gain a better understanding of himself.

Unfortunately many people see gurus - and marketing gurus in particular - as successful, over-bearing, conceited boors.

Trust me, if a person was successful in this field, he'd never have got there by being over-bearing and conceited.

Why? Because to be a success, you need other people to help you get there. And no one is going to do business with you if you're an over-bearing, conceited boor.

So just why do you need a guru?

For the same reason you need a parent - to guide you when you are young and still learning the ways of the world.

For the same reason you need a teacher - to introduce you to new concepts and ways of thinking you may never have conceived of.

For the same reason you need a football coach - to teach you the rules of the game.

For the same reason you need a mountain guide - to take you through treacherous terrain to a safer place.

Sadly, people only perceive gurus as someone to look up to with fear and disdain, or as someone to pull down so that one can feel important.

They can never understand that a guru (or mentor, or teacher, or whatever you choose to call them) is just someone who can help cut their learning curve.

Someone who can help you NOT re-invent the wheel, but continue where they left off.

Someone who could share with you a new way of doing things that could benefit you in ways you could never imagine.

Few 'real' gurus - at least those worth learning from - will ever want to be called that.

The ones who do are usually cocky, self-professed types, full of their own importance - and you'll learn more by avoiding them like the plague.

The gurus to watch (note, I didn't say follow - as in sheep) and learn from, are the ones with a long track record of success.

The ones who have repeatedly proved that their methods are legitimate and that they work.

Not the flash-in-the-pan types, who come and go faster than you can say "bestselling ebook."

Not the ones who jump from one opportunity to the next and try to take you along for the ride.

Not the ones who endorse everything from lunar real-estate to miracle cure-alls.

And certainly not cocky little teenagers, who have never cut their teeth on real marketing.

Don't expect your chosen guru to know everything about everything. Even gurus specialize in different areas of expertise.

Just to give you an example, I respect Corey Rudl highly for his pioneering knowledge of marketing. But I would never take advice from him on getting high rankings in search engines.

For specialized knowledge like that, I would learn from someone who is a true expert in that field, like Dan Thies or Michael Campbell.

Whether you're a newbie starting out on the internet, or an experienced marketer who has honed his skills to perfection, the one thing you can always benefit from is an open mind.

And a willingness to be taught.

So when you do choose a guru, guide, mentor or coach, pick one whose insight can help you see yourself - and what you have to offer - more clearly.

One whose knowledge can show you how to bring out your own latent talents.

And one whose guidance can help you grow into a seasoned and successful entrepreneur.

Priya Shah is the Editor of "Health eBiz," an ezine for Health & Wellness Entrepreneurs. Subscribe here: http://www.health-ebiz.com She is also the creator of "The Genius Guides" Reseller Packages: http://www.geniusguides.com

Discover the exact strategies that Internet marketing authority Corey Rudl personally uses to MAKE $10.42 FOR EVERY $1 HE SPENDS in online marketing -- AUTOMATICALLY!

When I first saw Corey’s web site I was skeptical since there are so-called "cutting-edge" Internet marketing gurus popping up on the Internet every day! But after a little research, I quickly learned that this guy is for real.

With four extremely successful online businesses, all started on a shoestring budget, he is...

EARNING OVER $5.2 MILLION IN SALES and attracting more than 6 million visitors every year!

... all from one small office!

Since Corey practices what he preaches, the tips, tricks, and techniques that he teaches ARE NOT based on fluff theory. Instead, they are the "real deal" strategies that Corey has personally developed and proved to be enormously profitable!

It's no wonder that Corey’s course "The Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet" literally crushed the competition and became the #1 BEST-SELLING INTERNET MARKETING COURSE overnight!

In this 1,000+ page Internet marketing bible, Corey exposes you to every single strategy and technique that you must know if you want to start, build, and grow a successful business on the Internet -- from the ground up, including...

1) Web page promotion and design
2) Getting ranked at the top of search engines
3) Turning leads into lifetime customers with e-mail marketing
4) Building a responsive opt-in e-mail list fast
5) Exploiting AOL and other online services
6) Free and low-cost online classified ads that produce sales
7) Dominating your market with affiliate/associate programs
8) Newsgroup promotions
9) Snowballing your profits with autoresponders
10) How and when to promote yourself on bulletin boards
11) Getting links from high traffic sites
12) Sales strategies
13) Writing killer ad copy
14) Banner ads (tips and tricks)
15) Profiting with discussion lists and newsletters
16) Completely automating your business

... and this is just the tip of the iceberg!

In fact I think the hundreds of testimonials Corey has posted on his web site speak for themselves...

"Two months have passed... I have made WELL OVER $30,000 from my site!"
-- Joe Malek, Mortgage Network London Inc

"Corey convinced me to try some of the approaches. My personal income from my site then almost DOUBLED."
-- David Beroff, Note Worth Service LLC

"The results from using this course were that my online SALES INCREASED BY 500%!"
-- David Katz, Hair Loss Solutions

When you click on the link below and visit Corey’s web site, you will see dozens more testimonials like these that show you the REAL RESULTS that real people -- just like you and me -- are achieving every day, using Corey’s strategies.

So if you are interested in starting a business or just increasing your profits from an existing business, go to ...

Insider Secrets 2004

And discover the same strategies that Corey has personally used to help thousands of other people just like you build their online business... you'll be glad you did!

All the best ...

Remember where you were when you began. It increases your compassion for people just beginning.
- Unknown

Whatever your goal for this year, you can get there--if you're willing to do the work.
- Oprah Winfrey

The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity.
- Ayn Rand

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.
- Eddie Rickenbacker

There's a reason why some people succeed in life and others do not. Why some people seem to find their place while others never quite "get it together." And why many average and ordinary people accomplish extraordinary, or at least fulfilling, things while others expect that they will never really amount to much.

It is even more basic than raw talent or hard work. It is more fundamental than background or intelligence. It has to do with what makes successful people use the talent they possess or choose to work hard and persevere. It has to do with the reasons why some people compensate for poor backgrounds and others do not, why some intelligent people lead healthy and happy lives and others flounder.

In his article "How 'Average' People Excel" (Reader's Digest, 1992), Alan Loy McGinnis tells about how Thomas J. Watson, Jr., discovered this "secret" ingredient to successful living and what happened to him as a result.

Watson's father was founder and longtime head of IBM. But young Thomas was a lackluster student who even needed a tutor to get through the IBM sales school. He recalls that he had no distinctions and no successes.

Then he took flying lessons. What a feeling! He learned that he was good at flying. He plowed everything into this "mad pursuit," as he fondly called it, and gained self-confidence.

Watson became an officer in the US Air Force during WWII. Though not brilliant, he discovered that he had "an orderly mind and an unusual ability to focus on what was important and to put it across to others."

He capitalized on these traits and went back to IBM. He eventually became chief executive of the corporation and took it into the computer age. In 15 years, he increased IBM’s revenues almost tenfold.

What is it that some "ordinary" people possess and others lack? What is that ingredient that catapults some people up and away from the crowd? It is confidence.

"It's not what you are that holds you back," says entrepreneur Denis Waitley, "it's what you think you are not." Those who believe that they will never do well in a particular area probably never will. Those who believe they are not good at anything will forever feel inadequate. But those who refuse to let fearful thoughts hold them back will quickly excel.

Confidence is a life ingredient that is essential to success and wholeness. It is perhaps the single most important trait that enables "average" people to do and become all that they can.

Like the little boy sitting on the bench at his team's baseball game. When asked by a concerned parent if he was discouraged that his team was behind 14 to nothing, he responded, "Discouraged? Why should I be discouraged? We haven't been up to bat yet!"

With confidence like that, anything is possible!

Steve Goodier Publisher@LifeSupportSystem.com is a professional speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for more information, or to sign up for his FREE newsletter of Life, Love and Laughter at http://LifeSupportSystem.com.

Mark Hendricks of http://www.hunteridge.com has put together a special gift for his subscribers called The 12 Days of Christmas. He's a generous guy and said we could share the link. Many fellow publishers and marketers have come together to join in the holiday spirit of giving. Here's Mark's version of The 12 Days of Christmas.

http://www.hunteridge.com/12days.htm

Note: You will, of course, be signing up for new ezines as well to help build their mailing lists. Don't let that stop you as there are some awesome gifts included in this series. These people have been very generous with software, brand new ebooks, private membership and reports. Don't delay - it all comes down Christmas Day! Enjoy your gifts!

Live Your Life

Marlon Sanders has arranged for me to offer you this 3 hour call for free - but only until December 26th, 2003. You'll find it here. Don't miss out.

Click here and be amazed:

Big Bang

Legal Stuff ...

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And, although all of the articles have been selected for their content, the publishing of such articles within this newsletter does NOT constitute a recommendation of the products or services mentioned or advertised within those articles.

Be responsible! Always do your own Due Diligence before responding to any offer.