Success Secrets for Spectacular Living

Top Chef Winner Hosea Rosenberg to Appear on BlogTalkRadio.com

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:06:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

On July 9, 2009, at 12 Noon Eastern time, Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” Winner Hosea Rosenberg will appear as the featured guest on the BlogTalkRadio show entitled “A Little LightWork with Jen & Amy.” Show co-hosts Amy Scott Grant and Jennifer Ripa-Edson plan to showcase Rosenberg’s spiritual side by exploring the connection between cooking and intuition.

“Hosea exhibited remarkable focus and a calm confidence during last season’s ‘Top Chef,’” remarks Grant. “He was such a pleasure to watch that I was excited to see him win. Meeting him in person was like meeting an old friend – he seems very much the same as he appeared on television.”

Rosenberg is currently the Executive Chef at Jax Fish House in Boulder, Colorado, and besides the title of “Top Chef,” he has claimed numerous awards, including: Best Chef of Denver International Wine Festival (2006, 2007); seven-time, undefeated winner of the Flatiron Chef Competition; and Guest Chef at the James Beard House (2007). Jax Fish House has also been named Best Seafood Restaurant in the Denver/Boulder area since opening in 1994.

Throughout the “Top Chef” season, judges made numerous mentions of intuition, referring to a chef’s natural ability to sense what flavors and ingredients would marry well together.

“Intuition is a natural part of great cooking,” comments Grant. “Anyone can follow a recipe, but it is only through intuition that new flavor combinations can be created.”

Despite dreams of becoming an astronomer, Rosenberg followed his intuition to pursue a career as a chef. While working in various kitchens to put himself through college, he discovered both his natural talent and genuine affinity for cooking. After graduating with an engineering degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Hosea began working for Wolfgang Puck and quickly worked his way up the culinary ranks.

Rosenberg’s years of hard work appear to have paid off – as “Top Chef” winner, he received a cash prize of $100,000 as well as a showcase at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. He now participates in the Top Chef Tour, is a regular guest on various radio and television shows, and is often recognized on the street. On the July 9th radio show, Grant and Edson plan to interview Rosenberg about his overnight stardom, his fairly surprising win, and his use of intuition in crafting new and spontaneous dishes.

The BlogTalkRadio.com format is utilized by more than 500,000 listeners, who can access a variety of programming ranging from self-help and how-to shows to celebrity interviews, news and more. Grant and Edson will accept live calls during next Thursday’s show. To access the show, call in with a question, or listen to archives, visit http://BlogTalkRadio.com/LightWorks

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Hosea Rosenberg

Hosea has served as the Executive Chef at Jax Fish House in Boulder since 2004. During his tenure at Jax, he has won numerous, including: Best Chef of Denver International Wine Festival (2006, 2007); seven-time, undefeated winner of the Flatiron Chef Competition; and Guest Chef at the James Beard House (2007). With dreams of being an astronomer, he worked at various kitchens to put himself through college, and after graduating in 1997, realized his true calling was to become a chef. Learn more about Hosea by visiting his website at http://ChefHosea.com

About Amy Scott Grant

Since the tender age of thirteen, Amy has captivated audiences of all ages and demographics with her razor-sharp wit, contagious enthusiasm and bold authenticity. Amy’s writing has been published in bestselling books including Zero Limits by Dr. Joe Vitale and Dr. Ihaleakela Hew Len, Inspired Marketing by Dr. Joe Vitale and Craig Perrine, and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons for Mastering the Law of Attraction. Learn more about Amy, her products and her work at http://AskAmyAnything.com

About Jennifer Ripa-Edson

Jennifer Ripa-Edson draws from her training in yoga, meditation, sustainable living and healthy eating to support clients in a process of self-discovery and personal healing. Alternative Healing Coaching utilizes a systematic method to break through limiting beliefs, thought patterns, habits, and ultimately emotional stress to allow for consistent progress toward your life goal. Learn more about Jennifer, her coaching and her work at http://AlternativeHealingCoach.com

###

LightWorks | Blog Talk Radio Feed

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:12:00 +0000

LightWorks | Blog Talk Radio Feed

Shared via AddThis

Money CAN Make You Happy

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:52:00 +0000

Seems like every time I turn around, someone is tweeting or blasting out a message to the world that says "money can't make you happy" or "money won't make you happy" but I'm not so sure that's true.

Have you ever seen the look on a teenager's face when they open a birthday or Christmas card and there's money or a check inside?

What about a lottery winner's face when they find out they've won.....even a small amount, like $1000 or $5000.

Ever been to a casino and seen someone hit the jackpot?

What about an employee's face when they find out they just got a big raise or a bonus?

No, I actually think money CAN make you happy.

The trouble is, it doesn't last. When you get some money, it really does make you happy -- but only for a little while. And it's not the sole source of happiness (because, yes, there are at least a few very wealthy people who are unhappy much of the time).

Pursuing money because you're really wanting happiness is like chasing a chicken because you want a steak for dinner. It makes no sense.

But let's take a look at what's REALLY happening when we keep telling ourselves that "money doesn't make you happy."

1. You want money.

2. You like to be happy.

But there's a part of you rationalizing thus: if money doesn't make you happy, then why actually attract it? Maybe it will really just make me UNhappy if I get too much, so I'd better not.

3. Then you're unhappy AND have no money.

See why this doesn't work?

So MAYBE -- just MAYBE -- instead of going around thinking, reading, talking, and believing "money can't make you happy" you could just FOCUS your energy and attention on what really DOES make you happy.

And just let MONEY be MONEY. Stop making it mean happiness or unhappiness. Just let it be what it is: money.

Technorati: 9ie6cnsgrx

The Trouble with Delayed Decisiveness

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:06:00 +0000

What are you postponing?

I had an interesting encounter the other day.

I received an email from someone who, well, kind of sounded desperate.

The email basically said, "Please - I will do anything to be successful."

But yet, when we contacted this person, they didn't want to speak just then, because they were leaving (later that day) for a 3-week trip.

Even though the purpose of the phone call was a 5-minute interview to see if they've got what it takes to be successful with our systems and methods.

In fact, the person seemed rather exasperated that we would call on a day when they were leaving for a long trip. (Seriously, you ask?!?! Yes. Like I was supposed to know that.)

So they asked if they could call us in 3 weeks when they get back.

Now let me ask you -- do you think this person is REALLY serious and would actually do ANYTHING it takes to be successful?

Nah, I doubt it. Someone who truly meant what they said would have taken the 5 minute phone call, even if it meant paying $4.50 a minute to talk ON the plane to wherever they were going.

But this is not an uncommon scenario. Many people are using something I like to call "delayed decisiveness" and then they wonder why things in their life don't shift fast enough.

I define "delayed decisiveness" as postponing any decision that wants to be made RIGHT NOW.

When people ask me what 1 thing I attribute my success to thus far, my answer is quick: "I take immediate action."

The Universe loves SPEED and when we postpone a decision that COULD move us forward, we are in no uncertain terms telling the Universe "this whole thing can wait."

So while that person was clearly sending a message to the Universe that said "My success can wait. I don't need it right now. It's not a priority," I am wondering what messages YOU are sending to the Universe about what YOU want.

What are you putting off, postponing or procrastinating over? What decision are you delaying? What is asking for your attention, yet you are dismissing it for later?

NOW is the time to take action. Don't fall prey to delayed decisiveness -- make that decision NOW. Get started NOW. Take some sort of action RIGHT NOW.

Otherwise, you'll just find yourself at some point down the road, in the SAME situation, wondering why nothing ever changes.

If you're ready RIGHT NOW to change careers, find your passion, empower people, make truckloads of money, and take control of YOUR time and YOUR life, then click here (right now!)

2-For-1: Get Your Goals Set & Support A Good Cause

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:17:00 +0000

My friend Kathleen Gage has the most brilliant idea, and I just had to share it with you.

She's running (possibly walking) a full marathon to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) -- but I'm not writing today to ask you for a donation. At least, not a donation just for the sake of donating. Wait till you see what you'll get for just a teeny-tiny donation to a powerfully good cause....

Kathleen is a brilliant teacher (possibly one of the best I've personally had) and she is putting together a kick-ass teleclass TOMORROW with 2 other brilliant women.

The class is about one of my favorite topics: GOALS: How to set 'em and get 'em (that's not the title, I just made that up. Wait, I'm calling dibs...dibs!!! I'll send you to this website for more info about the actual class).

And what's it gonna cost you to participate in this extraordinary teleclass?

Just a small donation -- $10 or more will do the trick -- to Kathleen's noble cause.

You can just click here for the full scoop + to make your qualifying donation. (Did I mention that's tax-deductible?)

Or, if you like details -- here's the whole email she sent me:

Dear Amy,

I've been working from home for 15 years and I love it.

However, something I noticed, not only for me, but for lots
of people who find it very "convenient" to pop their head in
the fridge whenever they want is the unwanted weight gain
that comes with the luxury of working from home.
Truth be told, unwanted weight can creep up little by
little until one day we say, "Enough is enough."

Or maybe we find that by having access to outside
distractions such as television (for some), working in the
yard, playing with the kids, grandchildren or pets, or
whatever, we let precious time in our day slip by.
Frustrated that we are off track with the life we choose to
create, we are ready for massive change. Or so we say.

The solution seems so simple. We set goals to get back on
track. The trouble is, many of us soon get off track and
promise ourselves we will make the much needed changes
someday.

Well, someday may never happen. The secret to setting and
attaining goals, whether personally or professionally is to
aim for things that will literally transform our thinking,
beliefs and actions.

Here's a "someday" for me that finally became a "today". I
have been talking about participating in a marathon for
years. I also wanted to give back more to those who may
need help. It's not that I don't give back; I simply want
to do more.

The opportunity to do both was presented to me about one
month ago. I heard a commercial on the radio about a
marathon taking place in October in Portland. Anyone who
joined the marathon through what is called Team in Training
would receive ongoing training by certified coaches.

And, we would be doing something really good for the
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) by committing to raise
funds in order to participate.
Upon going to an information meeting I made the commitment
to both the marathon and raising money for LLS.

I knew I wasn't going to go from never having been in a
marathon before to going the distance of 26.2 miles in one
step. It would take commitment, focus and reminders of why
I chose to do this in the first place.

The decision to participate in the marathon was the
catalyst for setting some very transformational goals.
Goals that are impacting me personally and professionally.

Personally, I am training 6 days a week by power walking,
bicycling and weight training; dropping unwanted (and
unhealthy) weight, eating very healthy and feeling great.

Professionally I am more focused, able to accomplish more
in less time, and feeling a very high level of passion for
what I do.

Will I stick to every goal I have set down? I will if I use
the tools I have learned over the years on how to set truly
transformational goals. Tools that have created some
amazing outcomes over the years.

Would you like to learn about setting and achieving
transformational goals? If so, please join me and two of my
good friends, Lorraine Cohen and Denise Wakeman, on
Thursday, June 18th at 3 p.m. PST for an insightful
teleseminar.

This teleseminar is open to the public and all we ask is
for a donation as little as $10 (ten dollars) to join in.
Your donation is tax deductible.

Even if you can't be there, don't worry. We will record
it and if you are registered you will receive a link to the
recording.

This is a one time call. We will not be offering this topic again.

Check it out
http://www.streetsmartsmarketing.com/Fundraiser.htm

Will you join the three of us and do something really good
for those who are impacted by blood cancers? 100% of ALL money raised from this call is deductible and goes directly to LLS. None of us are taking anything for our time. All of us have had family members and/or friends who have had (or currently have) blood cancer.

In success,
Kathleen

How to Send Cookies to Soldiers

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:13:00 +0000

My mother-in-law's son has been sent overseas to join the troops there, and we recently got an email from her with the address to send him letters, care packages, etc.

She found some excellent info about how to bake/pack/ship cookies to send overseas, and it looks so very helpful, I thought I would include it here.

The part in italics was written by my mother-in-law, and the rest is from The Cookie Lady (I'm honestly not sure whether the very last line is a joke, or not).

If you feel motivated to bake, below are tips from The Cookie Lady, who has sent 1.6 million cookies to service personnel in the Middle East. She has “crumbs” who help with the baking. (Brett’s personal favorite is choco chip.) During summer, M&Ms should be used instead of chips – and avoid sending other choco products, as they won’t survive the 115 degree daytime temps.

Baking:

I use the recipes off the packages of chocolate chips and oats. If you do not have time to bake from scratch, "extra moist" or cake mix that contains pudding makes a very good cookie. The basic recipe is 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 2 large eggs per box. You can be creative by adding Rice Krispies, raisins, white chocolate chips, M&M's, etc. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes (but underbake at least one minute).
If you send peanut butter cookies or any cookies that contain nuts, please label each bag "contains nuts."

Underbake the cookies about one minute to preserve the freshness.

In humid environments, add 1/2-1 tsp. of baking powder per batch.

Chocolate chip (substitute with M&M's May-October), oatmeal-raisin, peanut butter and snickerdoodles are the most popular cookies.

Freeze the cookies until you are ready to ship them.

Avoid sending moist breads (such as banana bread) during humid summer months--they mold quickly.

Packing:

I use regular fold-top sandwich bags, no zip-locks. Put 6 cookies front to back in the bags and twist-tie them. It will look something like a "tube." (see photo). Be generous with your packing material which can be Styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, plastic grocery bags, or shredded paper. Nest the cookies in the packing material. With careful packing, you can get 5 dozen cookies, individual packets of drink mix, i.e., cocoa, tea bags, Kool-Aid, etc., hard candy and your letter in each box.
Any toiletries should be packed in separate boxes from the cookies.

Include notes to the soldiers thanking them for their service to the country. Ask them for names and addresses of other soldiers, especially those who get little/no mail.

Due to the large number of boxes we send and the increase in postage, for individual requests we are using the new Flat Rate Box #1 which measures 12x12x5 1/2. Effective January 18, 2009,shipping costs for the Large Flat Rate boxes for Military are $11.95. The Small Flat Rate boxes are $10.35. These "Priority Mail" boxes, the customs forms (I use 2976-A) and pre-printed return address labels come in units of 25 and are available at no charge. Simply go to the USPS website or call 1-800-222-1811. These supplies will be delivered to you at no charge. For only a few boxes and customs forms, visit your local Post Office.

Once the box is full, shake it to ensure that nothing is moving. Add more packing if necessary, especially in the corners.

Make sure that all boxes are securely taped. Seal all edges of the box.

Shipping:

You must have the name and address of a specific soldier.

A customs form is required. On form 2976-A there is a space asking what you want to happen to the box if your soldier is not available. I check "abandon." Also write in, "Do not return." Your postal employees will assist you in filling out the form if necessary. I suggest you have your box ready for shipment before you get to the Post Office. It is not necessary to leave the box unsealed for inspection by the postal employees.

Some restrictions: No alcohol, no pornographic or suggestive materials, no pork, no bulk shipments of religious material. If in doubt, check with your Post Office.

If the cookies are too hard by the time of arrival overseas, the soldiers can use them as weapons.

UPDATE ON THIS STORY from my mother-in-law:

One caution -- folks in general should NOT send homemade treats to
soldiers they don't know. Soldiers have been instructed to throw away
homemade items from strangers. For their own safety, I guess. It helps
prevent food-related allergic reactions, illness from unsanitary
preparations, and outright tampering with the food. Store-bought goodies
only -- and NO choco at this time of year. The Girl Scout cookies will
remain in the freezer until winter!

My Care Kit arrived on my doorstep yesterday. Six boxes: 2 med, 2
medium-document shape (like a shirt box) and 2 large boxes, special
packing tape, mailing labels and customs forms. Very nice for the P.O.
to do that for our service personnel.

Yes, it IS supposed to be easy

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:09:00 +0000

Am I always telling you this, or what?

Look what I got in the (e)mail today from tut.com (totally unique thoughts -- they put out "Thoughts from the Universe"):

Amy, it's supposed to be easy. Everything is supposed to be easy. Everything is easy. You live in a dream world. You're surrounded by illusions. And the illusions change when you change your thinking!

Tell yourself it's easy. Tell yourself often. Make it a mantra. Eat, sleep, and breathe it. And your life shall be transformed.

It's supposed to be easy,
---The Universe

Thoughts become things... choose the good ones! ®
© www.tut.com ®

Success Story: Top Chef Hosea Rosenberg

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:45:00 +0000

Last night, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Top Chef Hosea Rosenberg (Top Chef Winner, Season 5). And you might say it was quite timely, since tonight is the premiere of the new series "Top Chef Masters" on Bravo.

The restaurant where Hosea is the Executive Chef is called Jax Fish House in Boulder, Colorado.

Yes, I really did drive > 1.5 hours each way just for dinner last night.

But oh! What a dinner it was!

Some Houston friends of ours are in Denver on business this week, and they mentioned how much they'd like to eat at Hosea's restaurant. Why not? We made reservations with high hopes that Hosea would be there, and so he was.

OK, you probably know why I wanted to go --- I'm a HUGE fan of food and eating is most definitely one of my favorite things to do (it's right up there with "talking").

But why were our friends so gung-ho about it? Because their son Daniel is finishing up culinary school -- and watching Top Chef was a huge inspiration for him to even start culinary school in the first place. So his mom was hell-bent on getting a good pic of Hosea for her son.

We arrived at the restaurant right on time (at 10 till 6, they cancel out ALL reservations and the place becomes standing room only, with a line around the block -- and keep in mind, this is on a Tuesday night in Boulder, CO!)

But when we got there, our friends told us sadly that Hosea wasn't here -- he was flying out the next morning for a Top Chef tour in honor of the start of the Top Chef Masters show.

Wah. I was bummed. Did I really put makeup on for nothing? What about my brilliant idea to have him out on my radio show? This wasn't what I had envisioned. Ah well, I figured I would leave him some kind of note and could still convince him to appear as a guest on the show. Might as well see if his food was worth the drive plus the $40 we'd spend on babysitting for the evening.

The restaurant was tiny -- even smaller than I expected and very crowded. Decor reminded me a bit of Jacque-Imo's in New Orleans, that kind of colorful artsy hodge-podge theme that you see in the some of the best dive restaurants in the Big Easy.

Our waitress greeted us promptly and informed us that since the menu had just changed tonight, there were no specials.

Interesting, I thought. Hosea would bug out of work on a night when a new menu was being introduced? That doesn't seem like the die-hard dedicated chef we saw on TV.

Anne and I hit the drinks with enthusiasm -- they had some interesting flavors of house infused vodkas (horseradish was the most intriguing, but I was afraid it would kill my palate for what was sure to be a delectable evening, so I settled on an orange mango martini instead). I forgot what Anne ordered, but it musta been good because she was sucking down a 2nd one before I knew it.

This is the quote on their menu:

"Fish is held out to be one of the greatest luxuries of the table and not only necessary, but even indispensable at all dinners where there is any pretence of excellence or fashion."

--Isabella Beeton (1836-1865)

As we placed our drink & first course, we told our waitress we were bummed over missing Hosea.

"Oh no, he's here," she said matter-of-factly.

Our whole table brightened. "Really? The hostess station told us he wasn't."

"Oh yes. He's been in and out all day, you know, picking up his dry cleaning and the like, but he'll be back tonight. And when he does come back, I'll make sure he comes over to say 'hello.'"

Ah! the excitement! We were seated close to the kitchen (the place is kind of shotgun-style, so you're either close to the kitchen, or close to the front door, and the bar is sort of in the middle) so I kept a watchful eye.

And just as our first course arrived, I spied him.

Yep, I know it sounds trite but I was totally thinking: "He looks just like he did on TV!" Don't worry, I refrained from saying that out loud. Whew.

I started with the Local Organic Greens (almonds & green apple slices over manchego and elderflower...the oddest looking greens I've personally consumed, but quite tasty. Some even looked like clover.) I admit, I was a little giddy...I kept asking Andy if I had anything in my teeth, lest Chef Hosea should come by while I was mid-chew.

Anne and Duncan split the Maryland Blue Crab Cakes...I didn't taste them, but they said they were amazing. Andy started with a bowl of black mussel steamers -- a healthy portion indeed, and the broth was absolutely mystifying. Lemongrass, ginger, chiffonade of basil and lord only knows what else. Andy ordered extra bread for dippin and it was out of this world good.

More drinks and conversation as our hubbies pretended to be embarrassed when Anne kept taking pix of the back of Hosea's head in the kitchen. He was helping expedite, since there was a new menu being introduced that night.

I think Anne and I both had to pee, but we didn't dare leave the table and potentially miss out on meeting this extraordinary Top Chef.

Our waitress must have sensed our anticipation, because she came over a couple of times to let us know that Hosea would DEFINITELY come by before we left, she just wasn't sure when as he was very busy (which we could well see). At that news, we relaxed just a tad.

Then, the main courses were delivered.

All I can say is, HOLY CRAP.

And if you know me, I think you know that is probably the HIGHEST compliment I can bestow on anything, meals included.

Holy crap.

Anne got the Cedar Wrapped Alaskan King Salmon -- what's cedar wrapped? Well, instead of cooking the cedar on a plank, apparently, Hosea had discovered some cedar paper, so they wrapped up the salmon in the paper and grilled it that way. With warm farro salad, hazel dell mushrooms, pine nuts & basil.

Anne gave me a taste and I don't even like cooked salmon (just the sushi for me) but I would definitely order that on a future visit.

Duncan ordered the Mississippi catfish (fried, not blackened) and we were all kind of like, seriously? You're from New Orleans and you're ordering the Mississippi catfish? But O.M.G. You cannot believe this catfish. First off, it was HUGE -- the single biggest piece of catfish I've ever seen (and growing up in the Crescent City, I've had my share of catfish). Deep fried to a nut brown color and ridiculously light crispness, this fish was perfectly cooked and topped with pepper jelly (a divine combination in my opinion) and served with butter bean puree, fresh garbanzos, and andouille sausage chunks.

We were all kind of grateful Duncan couldn't finish his...because that way, we each got 2 or 3 tastes of his melt-in-your-mouth meal.

Andy ordered the New Bedford Sea Scallops, served over black rice, with two purees -- not sure what was in which but one was sage green in color and the other was a mellow yellow and the menu said "fennel, sweet corn, edamame and bacon." These scallops were HUGE and I don't know where you get black rice (not wild rice -- like regular rice, but black) but I'm thinkin' I gotta get some for my pantry. Absolutely extraordinary.

But the best dish of all (in my opinion) was what I ordered. Spicy Colossal Shrimp. Oh. Mah. Gawd. Yes, they were spicy. Yes, they were colossal (really bordering on "prawns" and not so much "shrimp") but spicy and colossal were least interesting qualities of my dish.

First off, the plate is dressed in this "seaweed butter sauce" which I cannot describe adequately except to say if it had been on the drink menu, I would have ordered one. Let's just say, this sauce would be a GREAT way to get Paula Deen to eat some veggies from time to time. It was, quite simply, "Like buttah."

And that's just the garnish on the plate. These 3 ginormous shrimp were resting on a bed of "sesame sticky rice" which was topped with some kind of heavenly creation of sweet/sticky/spicy julienned stuff that according to the menu included hearts of palm. (Oh, THAT'S what that was...I've only ever eaten those on a salad, out of a can.) I also recall seeing julienned red pepper and fresh snap pea pods, all glazed in this fabulous sauce that the shrimp had also been glazed in.

I am NOT kidding...this was the best meal I've eaten since I moved away from New Orleans. Every bite was worth savoring. Every mouthful was like a symphony for my taste buds. Oh, seriously, so so good.

Hosea arrived at our table just as dessert was being served and nobody even picked up a spoon until our chat was over. I'd say we monopolized his time for about 10-15 minutes, and we enjoyed every minute.

Yes, he seems to be JUST like he was on the show. Very focused, very personable, very straightforward. Just a great all-around guy. We didn't ask him anything cheesy or personal (like "so, you talk to Leah anymore?" or "What'd you spend the $100k on?").

We found out from the waitress that he's mad about New Orleans, so we all played up that topic. How he liked New Orleans, how the people there LIVE for their food, how there are so many great restaurants there, how he wants to go back there again.

He was very friendly, very gracious, he happily posed for our pictures and listened to Anne's story about Daniel and was quick with a "sure! sounds great" when I talked to him about being on our radio show (I had my business card all ready to go with "radio show -- I'll be contacting you to appear as our special guest" handwritten on the back) and gave me his personal business card in exchange.

He talked about his favorite New Orleans chefs and his upcoming trip and it was positively delightful. It doesn't appear to me that his outrageous success has gone to his head at all. Which is really, really great to see. I'm sure he gets lots of compliments on his food all the time, and yet he seemed to clearly understand how HUGE our compliments truly were, since we were all from New Orleans where we are oh-so-serious about our food!

We finally let Chef Hosea go so he could chat up other patrons, and we dug into a sumptuous array of desserts. Andy ordered vanilla bean cheesecake (of course), Duncan got key lime pie, and Anne and I split some chocolate trio of sorts...a tiny molten lava cake, chocolate caramel ice cream and...what was the other thing? Who cares!!! We got to meet Chef Hosea! lol. I seriously don't remember. The molten lava cake was my favorite on that trio anyway.

I do believe Andy and I will be back to visit Jax Fish House again.

And I'll keep you posted as to when Chef Hosea Rosenberg will be appearing as a special guest on my LightWorks radio show.

*****FUNNY FOOTNOTE*******
When the check arrived along with a pen, Andy was the only one at the table who noticed what was written on the pen. Ready for this? www.PaulaDeen.com

Yep, that one came home with me, allright. What a hoot!

Would you like to know why we haven't had a female U.S. President yet?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:40:00 +0000

I got some REALLY interesting information the other day during a client call, and I'd like to share it with you.

(And as always remember -- you don't need to take MY word for anything -- use your own Truth Testing method to find out what's true for YOU. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, get thee over to my YouTube channel to find out what's what.) Sorry about the "thee" there -- just gearing up for the Colorado Renaissance Fest later this month.

Apparently, MOST of us are harboring some pretty nasty limiting beliefs about women in power.

Check these out (you can check for yourself whether or not you believe this -- remember, it may be at the subconscious level and you may have resistance to acknowledging that you believe any or all of these):

- Women don't belong in business
- A woman in power is a dangerous beast
- Women buckle under pressure
- Women can't be trusted
- Women can't handle pressure
- Never send a woman to do a man's job
- A woman's place is in the home

Yes, I know that most of these sound extremely antiquated (as in, 1950's and earlier) and some are downright horrifying -- but do you really think that the women's liberation movement could just reverse deeply ingrained limiting beliefs that have been around for centuries -- for generations and generations since our early time as humans?

I think not. There is PLENTY more shifting work to be done.

Perhaps this explains much more than why we haven't yet had a female U.S. president. (Maybe we're getting closer, but we're still not there yet.)

I think it also explains why:

- women are STILL paid less than men
- women are expected to do it ALL -- work, make money, take care of the home AND raise a family
- women have so many remaining self-love and self-nurturing issue
- many women have a hard time earning what they are truly worth
- many women have a hard time asking for what they want and need (and getting it)
- so many of my clients are women

So what is there for YOU to do?

Well, you could start by checking to see if you are currently holding any of these beliefs in your field, and then CLEAR them.

Then watch what happens...

And remember, don't shoot the messenger....I'm here to raise awareness, not to bristle feathers. Check for yourself! And let's shift whatever needs to be shifted!

The Antidote for Paranoia

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:54:00 +0000

The following is an excerpt from the book “PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings” by Rob Brezsny

Thousands of things go right for you every day, beginning the moment you wake up. Through some magic you don’t fully understand, you’re still breathing and your heart is beating, even though you’ve been unconscious for many hours. The air is a mix of gases that’s just right for your body’s needs, as it was before you fell asleep.

You can see! Light of many colors floods into your eyes, registered by nerves that took God or evolution or some process millions of years to perfect. The interesting gift of these vivid hues comes to you courtesy of an unimaginably immense globe of fire, the sun, which continually detonates nuclear reactions in order to convert its body into light and heat and energy for your personal use.

On this day, like almost every other, you have awoken inside a temperature-controlled shelter. You have a home! Your bed and pillow are soft and you’re covered by comfortable blankets. The electricity is turned on, as usual. Somehow, in ways you’re barely aware of, a massive power plant at an unknown distance from your home is transforming fuel into currents of electricity that reach you through mostly hidden conduits in the exact amounts you need, and all you have to do to control the flow is flick small switches with your fingers.

You can walk! Your legs work wonderfully well. Your heart circulates your blood all the way down to replenish the energy of the muscles in your feet and calves and thighs, and when the blood is depleted it finds its way back to your heart to be refreshed. This blessing recurs over and over again without stopping every hour of your life.

Your home is perhaps not a million-dollar palace, but it’s sturdy and gigantic compared to the typical domicile in every culture that has preceded you. The floors aren’t crumbling, and the walls and ceilings are holding up well, too. Doors open and close without trouble, and so do the windows. What skillful geniuses built this sanctuary for you? How and where did they learn their craft?

In your bathroom, the toilet is functioning perfectly, as are several other convenient devices. You have at your disposal soaps, creams, razors, clippers, tooth-cleaning accessories: a host of products that enhance your hygiene and appearance. You trust that unidentified scientists somewhere tested them to be sure they’re safe for you to use.

Amazingly, the water you need so much of comes out of your faucets in an even flow, with the volume you want, and either cold or hot as you desire. It’s pure and clean; you’re confident no parasites are lurking in it. There is someone somewhere making sure these boons will continue to arrive for you without interruption for as long as you require them.

In your closet are many clothes you like to wear. Who gathered the materials to make the fabrics they’re made of? Who imbued them with colors, and how did they do it? Who sewed them for you?

In your kitchen, appetizing food in secure packaging is waiting for you. Many people you’ve never met worked hard to grow it, process it, and get it to the store where you bought it. The bounty of tasty nourishment you get to choose from is unprecedented in the history of the world.

Your many appliances are working flawlessly. Despite the fact that they feed on electricity, which could kill you instantly if you touched it directly, you feel no fear that you’re in danger. Why? Your faith in the people who invented, designed, and produced these machines is impressive.

It’s as if there’s a benevolent conspiracy of unknown people that is tirelessly creating hundreds of useful things you like and need.

By some improbable series of coincidences or long-term divine plan, language has come into existence. Millions of people have collaborated for many centuries to cultivate a system for communication that you understand well. Speaking and reading give you great pleasure and a tremendous sense of power.

Do you want to go someplace that’s at a distance? You have a number of choices about what machines to use in order to get there. Whatever you decide—car, plane, bus, train, subway, ship, helicopter, or bike—you have confidence that it will work efficiently. Multitudes of people who are now dead devoted themselves to perfecting these modes of travel. Multitudes who are still alive devote themselves to ensuring that these benefits keep serving you.

Maybe you’re one of the hundreds of millions of people in the world who has the extraordinary privilege of owning a car. It’s a brilliant invention made by highly competent workers. Other skilled laborers put in long hours to extract oil from the ground or sea and turn it into fuel so you can use your car conveniently. The roads are drivable. Who paved them for you? The bridges you cross are potent feats of engineering. Do you realize how hard it was to fabricate them from scratch?

Let’s say its 9:30 a.m. You’ve been awake for two hours, and a hundred things have already gone right for you. If three of those hundred things had not gone right—your toaster was broken, the hot water wasn’t hot enough, there was a stain on the pants you wanted to wear—you might feel that today the universe is against you, that your luck is bad, that nothing’s going right. And yet the fact is that the vast majority of everything is working with breathtaking efficiency and consistency. You would clearly be deluded to imagine that life is primarily an ordeal.

The Experiment:

DEFINITION: Pronoia is the antidote for paranoia. It’s the understanding that the universe is fundamentally friendly. It’s a mode of training your senses and intellect so you’re able to perceive the fact that life always gives you exactly what you need, exactly when you need it.

HYPOTHESES: Evil is boring. Cynicism is idiotic. Fear is a bad habit. Despair is lazy. Joy is fascinating. Love is an act of heroic genius. Pleasure is our birthright.

PROCEDURE: Act as if the universe is a prodigious miracle created for your amusement and illumination. Assume that secret helpers are working behind the scenes to assist you in turning into the gorgeous masterpiece you were born to be. Join the conspiracy to shower all of creation with blessings.

DISCLAIMER: The material in PRONOIA may be too intense and controversial for some readers. It contains graphic scenes of peace, love, joy, passion, reverence, splendor, and understanding. You should therefore proceed with caution if you are a jaded hipster who is suspicious of feeling healthy and happy. Ask yourself: “Am I ready to stop equating cynicism with insight? Do I dare take the risk that exposing myself to uplifting entertainment might dull my intelligence?” If you doubt your ability to handle relaxing breakthroughs, you should stop reading now.

Are You Making This Crucial Misspeak?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Fri, 15 May 2009 05:05:00 +0000

Yes, I meant to type "misspeak" and not "mistake."

I wanted to be sure I had your attention, because THIS is important.

A local business here in my town just closed up. Sure, I know what you're thinking. That's not unusual in this day and age, but here's the unusual part: they were open less than 6 months.

I was itching to know what happened. Who opens a business and then closes up shop 6 months later? What happened?

What causes folks to give up so soon?

In this case, I had a conversation with the owners, a lovely husband-and-wife team who seem remarkably nonchalant about closing.

When I asked what happened this is what they told me:

1. The economy. (But c'mon, it wasn't looking too bright 6 months ago, when they 1st opened)

2. People don't read books anymore. (The Twitter syndrome -- if it's longer than a Twitter post, forget it.)

3. People don't spend money on books. The owner told me he's seen countless people come in, pick up a book or two (priced low -- under $5), walk around the store, then put the books down and walk next door and buy a $5 coffee. Hmmm, somehow I don't think that's it because I have to stand in line to check out every time I go to Borders, so some people are definitely buying books.

4. Troublesome marketing. (I won't bore you with the details here, but let's just say based on what I learned from talking to them, it sounds like they really did give this part the ol' college try)

5. Location. Other shops in the shopping area had recently closed, which meant less foot traffic in and around their store.

Now, when I asked them why they opened the store to begin with, what drew them to this idea, this is what they told me:

1. They like books.

2. They thought it would be fun to own a book shop.

3. The town didn't already have a used bookstore (but what they didn't know, is that the 20+ year old used+new bookstore in town had closed up about 3 years ago AND the Borders Outlet at the outlet mall in town had also recently closed its doors)

Then this is the part of the conversation that still haunts me -- the whole reason why I had to share this story with you.

The wife said, "We knew we wouldn't get rich -- but we figured we'd make a couple of bucks."

See anything wrong with this scenario?

Setting aside the obvious question (who goes into business to make a couple of bucks??) look at how low the bar was set.

And look at the motivation for going into business in the first place.

I'm not feeling any passion, any drive, any intuition, not much planning, and very little risk/investment.

Where's the factors pointing toward their certain success? I don't see any.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time I've seen this sort of thing. I've seen folks close up shop in less than three months in my husband's business -- and that has a MUCH lower overhead than a retail storefront! Sure, there are certainly folks who produce "microwave" results in his industry, but talk to many of the top earners in his company (including him!) and most of them will tell you how many times they ALMOST gave up -- but didn't. And they'll also tell you how grateful they are that they stuck with it.

Many of the self-help books today will tell you that tenacity and stick-to-it-iveness are critical for success.

But is that just a collective belief? Do we really have to persist, persist, persist before we can grab that brass ring?

Yes. If that's what you believe.

And if you believe it has to be hard, or you "most likely won't get rich" then you can bet your boots that's what you'll see show up.

If you're an entrepreneur, or an aspiring entrepreneur, ask yourself this: what do you believe about business, work, your ability to succeed and whether or not you need to "earn your stripes." You just might find some beliefs that surprise you.

And if I can be of assistance to you in clearing your limiting beliefs, let me know.

(And if you want to be an entrepreneur who doesn't have to go it alone -- who gets to be mentored by people who are actually producing results, then visit this website.)

BTW, if it seems like I'm blogging less these days, I AM. After all, I've now got 3 audio programs going -- 1 recorded radio show, 1 recorded podcast, and 1 live radio show. Plus all the YouTube videos I've put out lately. I've still got plenty to say, I'm just doing most of it via audio and video, and less of it via typing.

Colorado-Based Spiritual Healer Launches New Radio Show

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Mon, 11 May 2009 03:56:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Colorado-Based Spiritual Healer Launches New Radio Show

On May 7, 2009, Colorado-based spiritual healer Amy Scott Grant launched a new radio show via BlogTalkRadio.com. The weekly show, entitled “A Little LightWork with Jen & Amy” is co-hosted by Grant and Jennifer Ripa-Edson, the alternative healing coach based out of Connecticut.

“Internet radio is a rapidly growing market, and I love how it enables us to reach a global audience,” remarks Grant. “We’ve got listeners from all over the world who can either catch the show live or listen to archives at their leisure.”

The BlogTalkRadio.com format is utilized by more than 500,000 listeners, who can access a variety of programming ranging from self-help and how-to shows to celebrity interviews, news and more. The online network was launched in August of 2006 and now hosts hundreds of shows each day.

“A Little LightWork with Jen and Amy” is categorized among a diverse group of spirituality shows, which seems only fitting since Grant and Edson both specialize in clearing limiting beliefs. Both healers subscribe to the viewpoint that a person’s actions, decisions and circumstances are driven by the beliefs held by that person. According to Grant and Edson, shift the beliefs, and a person can shift anything in their life.

“People are thirsty for this kind of information,” says Grant. “Which is part of what makes it so much fun for us to teach. Think about it – if all you had to do to shift anything in your life was get to the root of any challenge and pluck that weed – wouldn’t you want to know how to do it?”

Callers who participate in the live show typically ask for intuitive advice around decision-making and direction. Prior callers have asked for guidance in the next step toward changing a career, relationship advice, and assistance in shifting their limiting beliefs.

“I’ve been coaching in one form or another nearly my entire life. The radio show allows me to reach a much larger audience than my one-on-one coaching practice,” says Grant. “Plus, it opens up a free venue for those who could not afford the expense of private coaching.”

In addition to countless successful audio programs and teleclasses, Grant has created a number of free instructional videos on YouTube.com, designed to teach people how to test for themselves to determine what is true and what is not. This is the method she uses with private clients to discover what beliefs a person is holding, and whether or not a belief shifting process has in fact been successful.

“A Little LightWork with Jen & Amy” airs each Thursday at 12 Noon Eastern time. To access the show, call in with a question, or listen to archives, visit http://BlogTalkRadio.com/LightWorks

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Amy Scott Grant

Since the tender age of thirteen, Amy has captivated audiences of all ages and demographics with her razor-sharp wit, contagious enthusiasm and bold authenticity. Blessed with a gift for reaching people at their core, Amy has grown and cultivated this talent to pursue what she is most passionate about: assisting people in transforming their lives from “ordinary” to extraordinary. Amy’s writing has been published in bestselling books including Zero Limits by Dr. Joe Vitale and Dr. Ihaleakela Hew Len, Inspired Marketing by Dr. Joe Vitale and Craig Perrine, and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons for Mastering the Law of Attraction. Learn more about Amy, her products and her work at http://AskAmyAnything.com

About Jennifer Ripa-Edson

Jennifer Ripa-Edson draws from her training in yoga, meditation, sustainable living and healthy eating to support clients in a process of self-discovery and personal healing. Alternative Healing Coaching utilizes a systematic method to break through limiting beliefs, thought patterns, habits, and ultimately emotional stress to allow for consistent progress toward your life goal. Learn more about Jennifer, her coaching and her work at http://AlternativeHealingCoach.com

###

Looking to Reverse the Aging Process?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:16:00 +0000

My friend Jen Ripa-Edson and I were talking the other day. Jen is an expert on alternative healing stuff, and she was asking me to check (with Truth Testing) something she had recently heard.

Jen had heard that we can never really FULLY rid ourselves of any virus, bacteria, parasites, illness, etc., that comes into our system; that a tiny part of it will always remain.

As soon as she asked me that, I got an immediate 'download' about aging.

(Check this for yourself of course, using your own Truth Testing method!)

YES, we carry bits of ALL the incompletions in our field. That includes debris from times when we got sick or injured, and then got better, but we never dealt with the emotional impetus that caused the illness/injury in the first place. That includes words left unsaid, wounds left untended, old hurts, traumas, past life incidents, abuse, pain, disappointment, sadness, frustration, loneliness, abandonment, and more.

We may only carry a tiny shard each time, but over time, this really adds up.

How many times in your life, beginning as a baby, have people hurt your feelings? 1000? 10,000? 100,000? 1,000,000? You are carrying a tiny shard of stuck energy from each incident. Now consider how many prior lifetimes you may have had -- how many times altogether have you had your feelings hurt? And this is just 1 example of a type of wound where we would carry around pain.

You might be thinking "But I'm not walking around thinking about what happened when I was 5 and a kid kicked me on the playground" and I would agree with that. You'd probably be in a mental institution (or maybe a serial killer) if those thoughts were always swimming around in your conscious mind.

I'm not saying you're AWARE of all these pain shards.

I'm saying you're carrying them (mostly unconsciously) in your field.

And our body always reacts to the energy we're holding -- it is a mirror of what we are holding in our energetic fields. So as long as you're carrying around AAAALLLLLLLLL this crap from the past, it's like your body has no choice but to age.

Look, the only reason we age is because:

1 - we carry old stuff in our field, which weighs us down energetically and keeps us from appearing radiant and youthful

2 - we have a TON of beliefs that say aging is part of life, everyone grows old, it beats the alternative, you can do that when you're older, etc.

So if you could complete those old wounds -- dissolve tons of those old pain shards -- and then clear whatever beliefs you have about aging being a necessity -- then doesn't it stand to reason that you could slow, stop, or even reverse the aging process?

Where's the proof, you ask?

I don't have any.

Jen and I just got this info a couple of days ago. But I'm thinking there may be some experimentation coming up. I know Jen's up for it.

Maybe even a teleclass in the works. We shall see.

In the mean time, why don't YOU check in and see if there's any Truth in all of this??

I've just posted a new Truth Testing video I think you're going to like.

AND -- if clearing all those old blocks and beliefs just sounds like too much damn work to bother with, then here's a different approach to reversing the aging process.

My colleague, Susan Schenck, has something very special to offer...

What if you could stop (or reduce) one habit—that of eating cooked food—and reverse/prevent disease, become more beautiful, slow the aging process, enhance your creativity and increase your IQ by as much as 40%? According to authors Susan Schenck, LAc & Victoria BidWell, PhD, that is exactly what happens to many people who eat a diet rich in raw foods.

A diet of at least 80% raw foods is surprisingly easy to do with the tips & tools in The Live Food Factor, and it helps you

➢ Reach and maintain your ideal weight

➢ Get the competitive edge at work

➢ Regain the energy of your youth

➢ Prevent degenerative disease

➢ Increase positive thinking & heighten spiritual awareness

➢ Attain your highest health potential

The first edition of The Live Food Factor, The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet won the IPPY award of “Most Progressive Health Book of the Year” (2007) and the newly released second edition, with Victoria BidWell, won a Reader Views award (2009).

The Live Food Factor contains useful tips for incorporating more raw foods into your life, as well as inspirational testimonials, 10 reasons to stop cooking, 120 delicious recipes, and scientific proof of the benefits of eating more raw foods. It warns you against potential pitfalls on your journey toward super health, and discusses frequently asked questions.

This book has earned the reputation as the "raw foods bible" or encyclopedia.

Susan & Victoria are being joined by dozens of health and self-improvement experts to bring you a very exciting package of over 70 valuable bonus gifts with the purchase of one copy of The Live Food Factor. Click here for details

When Did We Stop Telling Children "No" ?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:45:00 +0000

NOTE: THIS IS LIKELY TO BE A HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL POST. BUT I NEVER LET THAT STOP ME BEFORE...

I'm noticing an interesting phenomenon lately amidst parents and children.

It seems that it has become highly unfashionable for parents to tell children "no."

Hmmm.

I do believe it's true that using the words don't, not and no tend to have the reverse effect in communication. For example, because your brain cannot process the words don't, not or no, when you say things like "don't run in the house!" the message that often speaks loudest is "run" and if you don't believe me, just visit your local swimming pool and watch how long it actually takes a kid to slow down when the lifeguard yells "no running!" as opposed to "walk please!"

But in this post, I'm not referring to forward-thinking parents who are taking the time to rephrase their words in order to get what they want.

I'm not talking about the parents who use phrases like "please speak softly" instead of "stop yelling!" because they know the 1st phrase works better than the 2nd phrase when it comes to producing the desired result.

I don't know about you, but the more I look around, the more whiny brats I see.

Kids who are so lacking in discipline that they are hanging from the rafters with nary a parent in sight.

Now answer this question honestly:

If you saw your child climbing on top of your car -- walking and jumping on top of the family vehicle -- which response would it elicit from you:

a) shouting: "Get down from there RIGHT NOW!"

b) softly requesting: "Sweetie, I would prefer that you come down from atop the car."

c) it would never happen because my kid knows I would beat his ass if he did that

I'll be the first to admit, my answer is "a." I'm not saying any one of these answers is better than any other, and I'm not particularly proud of being a yeller, I'm just telling you what I would do.

My own parents' answer would definitely be "c" and I would say that is true. It would never have occurred to me to climb up and walk on top of our car and had I done that, a spanking would surely have ensued.

I'm not necessarily condoning spanking either. It's hard to teach a kid not to hit his sister when the punishment is a spanking. Although I can tell you that when my now-5-year-old was younger and she wouldn't stop biting, I bit her back once. It so surprised and shocked her, and I explained "THAT is what it feels like when you bite someone else." I don't think she ever bit anyone after that.

Not exactly a textbook approach, I know. But it worked.

So what happens when a parent uses response "b" (the soft-spoken request) and nothing happens?

These parents seem to be the anti-yelling, anti-spanking parents, and when the first line of defense doesn't work, what do they resort to next?

In my experience, it appears to be a second gentle request. Something along the lines of (in JUST as sweet a tone as the first request) "darling, I've already asked you once to please come down from there. I would appreciate if you would listen."

Seriously.

If your parents had talked to you like this, would you have one ounce of respect for them? Would you have listened or heeded their request?

Nope, me either.

And when the 2nd request doesn't work (keep in mind, it's already given the child plenty of opportunity to fall, get injured, or set a dreadful example for other children nearby, who are watching and waiting to see what the parent will do), reasoning seems to be the next line of defense.

Only challenge is, I rarely see these subdued parents follow through on their threats to take away a beloved toy.

So what does the child learn from this experience?

Apparently that it's OK to climb on cars. And if it's OK to climb on the family car, wouldn't that mean it's OK to climb on other people's cars? And the highest risk of continuing to do it is the slim possibility of losing a cherished toy for a few minutes.

Hmmm. Interesting.

I'm always looking for parental examples that I admire -- so that I have role models to emulate.

My friend Jen is one such example.

Jen's approach to parenting is similar to mine. Only I think I yell considerably more. But if you met me, and you met Jen, you would know why. :-) I think it's at least partly a personality thing.

Like Jen, I try to find ways to say yes, without giving in to every outrageous whim. Because kids are kids, and they will always push the boundaries to see where the limits are.

"Mom, can I go outside?"

"Not right now, honey - it's night time. But you can go out in the morning before school."

or maybe:

"Mom, can I have some candy?"

"Right after dinner, if you eat all your veggies."

and then:

"Mom, can I ride my sled down the foyer stairs?"

"No sweetie, that's far too dangerous. Why don't you play with your trains instead?"

Giving children options is different from giving children overwhelming decisions to make.

"What would you like to eat?" is a question that puts far too much pressure on any small child (including some 7-year-olds I've met).

What appears to work much better is "Would you like a banana or an orange?"

But seriously, what is wrong with (at least sometimes) telling a child:

"This is what's for dinner. We're all eating together tonight, and this is what we're having."

And if the child refuses to eat (assuming it's not something icky, like liver & onions with brussel sprouts or gluten-free turkey meatloaf with steamed spinach) then there's nothing more to eat.

One of my favorite sayings (and my kids' faves, too) came from a preschool schoolteacher last fall.

"You git whatcha git and you don't throw a fit."

That about sums it up sometimes.

I agree that this new batch of babies requires a new and not-yet-seen-before style of parenting, but I have checked in and I DO NOT get that telling them "Yes" to whatever they want is the answer.

Our children are still looking to us to provide boundaries, guidance, structure. Certainly, too much structure can stifle creativity and cause frustration and angry outbursts. But too little structure makes it impossible for the child to socialize appropriately, accept that they may have to wait to get what they want (or not get it at all), and it can cause kids to become whiny and have meltdowns when they don't get what they want (which must inevitably happen at some point).

We are not serving our children by saying YES to everything they want.

And if you don't believe me (and I'm not actually asking you to!), just use your truth testing method to check in.

In fact, this is the BEST way we can serve our children -- to check in, use our intuition and universal guidance and see what they TRULY need. Then give them that.

Maybe it doesn't take a village to raise a child...just an enlightened parent or two.

The Money Game - Playing to Win

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:24:00 +0000

My friend Chad Cameron sent me this today in an email and I LOVED it so I called him up and got permission to share it with you on my blog (I added the images). May it cause you to THINK!!

--Amy

The Money/Abundance Game
by Chad Cameron
www.leapmovie.com

Some people never have money issues. Some people always have money issues. Have you ever seen those shows on TV where they check in with lottery winners a few years later? The vast majority of them have spent (lost) all their money and are in a worse predicament then before they won the millions.

Then there was that social experiment: What would happen if we gave a homeless man $100K...What would he do with the money? How would his life change? We all think money will fix all our problems. Will it fix his? They did this and his story made Oprah. The man finds a briefcase with $100K in cash in it with a note that says something like: We have been watching you and know you are homeless. This money is yours free and clear with the one catch. If you take it you are agreeing to have us follow you and monitor you to see how you spend it and what changes in your life.

What happened was he bought lots of stuff and “friends” came out of the woodwork wanting and needing things. Within a short timeframe he was broke and told Oprah that all the “friends” who so desperately needed all that stuff had vanished. He ended up owing more than he did before the experiment and was far from happy. In fact, he wished he had never taken the money.
Think about that the next time you think more money would solve a problem you have.

So what’s the deal? Here is an analogy that might shed some light on the abundance game:

Consider that people who do well with money are like toddlers who know how to walk in a room full of toddlers who haven’t figured it out yet. The ones that can walk around wondering why all the others start to get up and then fall right back on their butts. The ones that can’t walk look to the ones walking toddlers like they are something special and they are amazed.

Let’s look at the interesting similarities to The Money/Abundance game:

In order for a toddler to be able to walk they must have:

1. Given up their story that they can’t walk.
2. Not let the fact that the others can’t walk affect their ability to walk.
3. Learn how to walk them self - no one can teach a toddler how to walk. They don’t have language. There are no courses to teach them. No Dummies books to read. Nothing to download from the Internet.
4. Spent lots of time, energy and effort into figuring it out for them self.

With regard to the money game have you:

1. Given up your story about money and how you never have it?
2. Been letting others who don’t have money consciously or unconsciously affect you? There is an old saying (I’ve not heard this saying – can you cite the source?): Your income is within 10% of the income of people you spend high quantities of time with. Sounds harsh but if you want to change your income you may want to consider who you spend your time with. Sounds crazy. It might be piece of the puzzle.
3. In the end you will need to Leap beyond your perceived lack of money for yourself. No one can help you. No one can do it for you.
4. Spend a lot of time thinking about it for yourself. Put the books down. Don’t sign up for anymore seminars. Nothing "out there" can save you. It's all up to you to undo what you have done to yourself.

I love what Jed McKenna says, “Think for yourself and figure out what’s true. That’s it. Ask yourself what’s true until you know.”
I really think this is true of the money game. Sure you can read books and listen to other people but have you ever noticed that everyone’s experience is unique? Donald Trump could tell you all about what works for him but since we are all such different creatures what works for him probably won’t work for you. If it could be boiled down and taught in a seminar then why aren’t there seminars that turn people into millionaires in 3 months flat with a 90% success rate? If you could do that think of all the money you could make….seriously you could charge $1M per student and have them pay you with their first million. Who wouldn’t sign up for that program? The proof that it doesn’t work like that is there are no seminars like that. I have only seen seminars where they get your money upfront BEFORE the seminar starts and they don’t offer refunds that in itself should tell you something.

Here is the Werner Erhard style cold hard truth that no one wants to hear:
You are 100% responsible for your money situation. In the storyline of your life there are lots of form world explanations for why you are in the situation you are in. You can rationalize and justify it all you want but at the end of the day the responsibility sits square in your lap. There is no money “out there” to get. There is nothing to attract or manifest. The more you chase it the further it seems to flee. No amount of visualization will do you any good. If the Law of Attraction really worked we would all have Ferraris by now. Instead luxury car sales were down 13% mid year 08. (I couldn’t find a more recent statistic). Toyota and Lexus were down 48% in Feb 2009. I can only assume it is just as bad for all car makers. As of March of 2009 12% of mortgage holders were either behind or in foreclosure. Do you think 12% of the people were visualizing NOT paying their mortgage?

What will work is you changing your perception about it. One thing to do is to stop judging it. It is what it is and the rest is just your crappy ass story about it. You know the story you have been puking out to anyone who will listen about why you don’t have money. If you don’t have money all there is to get is in this moment of now you don’t have any money. As Werner would say: Now the game is play the game with no money. The opportunity you have is to realize that this moment of now will pass into the next moment of now and the next and so on until you croak and most likely be many more moments of now for you and in each moment all kinds of options (possibility) will be there for you. The other opportunity you have is to participate in a thing called community. You could always ask your community for help. So many of us don’t ever want to ask for help and that is just silly. Here is a newsflash for you….the people close to you want to contribute to you. Don’t you want to help your friends when they are in need?

Take all this for whatever it is worth and while I can talk about this all day long, know that only you can figure out what will work for you.
It may take some trial and error on your part but keep at it…. Keep doing the “undoing” and if my story is not unique there will be some heart burn and some ass kicking along the way…..and it might help to know that you wouldn’t want it any other way.

--END OF ARTICLE

Thanks Chad!!! You can learn more about Chad Cameron and check out The Leap Movie by visiting www.leapmovie.com

How to Get Rid of a Blister Quick

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:57:00 +0000

I can't help it. I always seem to buy new shoes right before a vacation or trip. And I travel a lot. And yet, I still seem to hurt my poor feet with brand new shoes every frickin trip.

I'd love to tell you that this trip to Acapulco was different, but no can do amigo. End of day 2 and I've got colossal blisters in the bottom of my feet from my dreamy new wedge sandals.

What's a fashionista to do?

After asking my Twitter and facebook friends for suggestions I decided to do what any sane person would do.

I googled it.

Here's what I learned, what I did, and what worked BEAUTIFULLY. This is a combination of some stuff I found on the internet, some stuff I figured out on my own, and just some common sense. Which you may not necessarily have access to, so I included it here anyway :-)

I wore low-heel sandals to last night's welcome reception (sorry, but flats just did NOT go with my outfit) and stood on my feet for 4 hours. Then walked around some shops before coming home to sleep and rest my pitters for the night. Woke up this morning, blisters were completely GONE. Hooray! Now I can wear my wedge shoes again to tonight's party!

1. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Duh. But yet, so true. Break in your new shoes before doing any extensive walking. Let your feet adjust to them. Buy some of those comfort gel pads, apply moleskin to the shoe on any scratchy or chafing part, whatever you need. Don't get a pedicure the day before you leave, as your feet are likely to be new-skin sensitive because during your pedi they'll scrape off all the dead skin which is also giving you a protective buffer.

2. If you're a dork (like I was) and you completely disregard the advice in #1, or you do it and get blisters anyway, the fix is simple. First, you'll need to gather some supplies.

- Needle or pin (safety pin will work)
- match or lighter
- alcohol (for rubbing, not drinking, although it couldn't hurt) OR antibacterial soap
- cotton balls or makeup poofs or tissue
- neosporin (don't worry about translating "antibacterial ointment" if you happen to be someplace like Mexico -- just say "neosporin" and they'll get you just what you need!)
- bandage -- tagaderm (2nd skin) is great because it's waterproof. If no tagaderm, get waterproof bandaids. If you can't get those, just use regular bandaids. I recommend the cloth kind over plastic, cloth lets your skin breathe and won't slip around as much with whatever shoes you're wearing.

I was able to find all these items at a pharmacia (pharmacy) in Acapulco. The only tricky item was the needle. Since I don't speak Spanish (at least, not much more than "dos mas cervezas por favor" and "donde esta el bano?") she tried to give me a syringe...then I thought to pretend I was sewing my shirt and she pulled out the store's own little sewing kit and handed me the pinwheel of straight pins so I could choose one. Too cute.

3. Prep. The name of the game with this blister business is prevent infection. Wash your hands, wash the area where the blister is, and if you have rubbing alcohol, rub it all over the area of and around the blister. Sterilize the needle or pin by putting the tip in a flame until it turns red hot. Then let it cool (don't set it down - surface area may re-contaminate it) and wipe it with an alcohol swab or dip it into alcohol.

4. Lance & drain. This is far better than popping it which will take longer to heal. Do whatever you can to keep the blister intact -- don't peel off the puffed out skin! That will leave very raw, very sensitive skin and all that will heal THAT is time. Yowsa. So with your newly sterilized needle, carefully poke 1-2 tiny holes (you really won't feel it, I promise. The blister itself hurts way more than a tiny needle poke or 2). Poke these holes near the edges of the blister. Drain the fluid - you may need to press the blister a bit to get all the fluid out. Again, KEEP the BLISTER intact - don't peel off the skin! You'll thank me later. Even if you have a peeling fixation, like I do. I recommend making those pin pricks using a side-angle approach as opposed to a straight-into-the-blister angle.

5. Bandage it up. May want to wipe the blister again with alcohol when it's completely drained. Then apply a small dab of neosporin. Cover with the tagaderm or 2nd skin or bandage. At this point, you should feel immediate relief. Sounds like: "Aaaaahhhhh." Seriously, it's that quick. If possible, wear socks for the rest of the day. If not possible (sometimes a girl's gotta make sacrifices to look fabulous. I totally understand, so I won't judge you! That's how I got my blisters in the first place, remember?) If you can't wear socks, wear flats or low heels or the most comfy shoes your outfit will possibly allow.

My blisters were gone within 12 hours. After standing on my feet for 4+ hours straight. Then I went to bed, woke up in the morning, and they were gone. Yippee!!

Yes, I am wearing the wedge sandals again tonight. Seriously, if you saw my outfit you would totally understand.

Besides, if I get more blisters, I now know exactly what to do. And I already have all the supplies.

Next trip, I'm bringing all this stuff with me. :-) That's one form of prevention, I suppose.

If you found this article helpful, feel free to post a comment. I love hearing from you!

The Benefits of Getting Lost

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:33:00 +0000

Today my husband and I are celebrating 13 years of marriage.

(thank you, thank you.)

For the first time in a really long time, we went scuba diving together. We used to dive A LOT before we had kids, and we've got over 300 deep water dives under our belts. Our dive belts, that is.

Since we're here in Acapulco for a week, we figured it would be fun to dive on the trip.

As far as diving goes, the dive itself was OK. I was impressed how everything came back to me, and our divemaster was a peach.

And for several minutes on the 2nd dive today, I got lost.

Now I don't mean literally lost (although that has happened to me more than once while diving). I'm talking about getting lost in the moment.

There was a small spotted moray eel who was fully out in the open (usually, you only see their little heads poking out, opening and closing their mouths rhythmically to breathe. But this one was fully out and swimming around, so I got to see him in his entirety.

And I got lost for a few minutes.

I looked up and couldn't see Andy or the divemaster, but quickly caught up to them (visibility was pretty low -- maybe 20-25 feet).

Sometimes on a dive, I "get lost" watching a creature no bigger than the tip of my pinkie finger.

My friend Jen would probably tell me I was meditating. :-) And maybe I was.

What I would call it is being so fully present in the moment, that there are no thoughts, no distractions, nothing to muddy the water (so to speak).

This is a good thing, folks.

The more I do it, the happier I feel. The more smoothly my life runs. The more I appreciate the magnificence and glory of all that surrounds me.

Gratitude is very, very easy to access while getting lost in the moment.

And you don't have to go vacation in Mexico to get lost. You don't even have to get wet. :-)

I invite you to "get lost" today. You'll thank me for it :-)

OK, I'm going to get lost in the pool now. cya.

Are You Ready for the 6th Dimension?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:15:00 +0000

I'm already getting a banner response to the email & blog post I put out yesterday about this 6th Dimension Writing teleclass.

One person even offered to send me $50 today to ensure that she got into the class at a steal of a deal.

But why is this class pushing people's buttons? What's so special about it?

Your book is waiting to be written. Haven't you hear it calling to you?

NOW is the time to stop procrastinating and GET IT DONE.

Enough talk -- let's see some action.

Whether you've talked about/dreamed about/thought about writing a book, or you've actually even started one, NOW is the time to get it done and get it into people's hands.

Or computers, in the case of an e-book.

YOU CAN DO THIS.

And you can make MONEY at this.

Forget this so-called "soft" economy -- YOU are the one in control!

YOU are the one with the power to change your life.

YOU.

YOU.

ONLY YOU.

Tomorrow, I'm launching another incremental sale.

Why? Because I'd love to introduce you to the 6th Dimension.

It's where I go when I'm writing (among other things).

It's how I can make time stand still when I'm writing.

It's how I bend the laws of so-called reality.

It's So. Frickin. Cool.

And I can't wait to show you how to access it.

When you do, your book will write itself. People will naturally be drawn to it because its vibration is MUCH higher than anything your conscious mind could create.

Please join me for 6th Dimension Writing.

Tomorrow (Thursday, March 5th) at 3PM Eastern, I am launching this product via an incremental sale.

That means the price will START at $17 at 3PM Eastern (U.S. time) and after every few sales, the price will go up $10, until it reaches the max of $270.

Once it's priced at $270, I am unleashing my promotional partners who will market the heck out of the teleclass and fill up any remaining spots.

This IS exciting.

This is YOUR LIFE.

Your book is ready to come forth.

How much longer are you going to put this off?

NOW is the time to act!

You are about to become an author. For real.

Remember, the Universe loves speed...so get into action and get ready for 6th Dimension Writing.

(And go get on my email list if you haven't already done so -- otherwise you won't get access to the link to buy!)

And if you missed the video, click here and scroll down to see it.

It's Time for You to Quit Procrastinating on This...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:56:00 +0000

If you're like 80% of the U.S. population, you have desires (big or small) to "someday" write a book.

80%. That's a lot. I'd love to know what part of that 80% actually WRITES a book before they die.

My guess would be less than 10%.

If you've got concerns about the economy, you DEFINITELY deserve to be getting into action and publishing an e-Book. I'm talking ASAP.

Why?

Because it's a fast, easy-entry, profitable stream of revenue.

And what about you? Have you thought/talked/dreamed/speculated about writing a book?

So why haven't you? (If you actually have written a book, bravo! Now let's get on to your next book.)

Why haven't you written that book that's inside you, crying to get out?

Now that's the $1,000,000 question isn't it?

I know some people have a lot of blocks around writing.
Or being an author.
Or wondering whether what they have to say has any real value.
Or if it's all already been said before.
Or if it's nothing special, nothing new.
Or if anyone will buy it.
Or having the time to write.
Or having the money to publish.
Or get published.
Or knowing enough.
Or I don't know what to write about.
Or "who do you think YOU are to write a book?"

I could go on and on. Any of these resonate?

And of course, there are many of us who think writing is a painful path. Agonizing.

Look at this quote I came across today from a professional, published, successful writer:

"Before I had first done so, writing a book seemed a fine, even grand thing. And so it still seems -- except, truth to tell, it is a lot better to have written a book than to actually be writing one. Without attempting to overdo the drama of the difficulty of writing, to be in the middle of composing a book is almost always to feel oneself in a state of confusion, doubt and mental imprisonment, with an accompanying intense wish that one worked instead at bricklaying."
--Joseph Epstein

Yikes. That does sound painful.

But only because he believes it MUST be painful.

So what do YOU believe?

Do you believe you can write a book in oh, say, a week or two? Self-publish it as a bound tangible book or an ebook? Sell it and make a tidy profit? Change the world? Change someone's mind? Make people laugh? Make people think? Open doors for people?

Maybe you just need someone to show you some tricks. How to access higher vibrations, higher realms, to get the info you need and get your practical, logical, rational brain OUT OF THE WAY.

This is what's coming down this pike THIS THURSDAY. Watch this quick video, I'll explain:

As I posted yesterday on this very blog, this Thursday at 3PM Eastern time I am launching this teleclass in a very special way.

It's called an incremental sale.

After the sale, this "6th Dimension Writing" teleclass will sell for $270. And believe me, it WILL sell for that price. Even at that price, it's still a steal -- cheaper than a single private 1-hour phone session with me!

On Thursday 3/5 at 3PM Eastern time, this brand-new teleclass will LAUNCH at $17 and will increase by $10 increments after every few sales, up to the max price of $270.

If you want to be among the first to get the buy link for the incremental sale, you've got to get on my newsletter mailing list so you can stay in the loop.

Because isn't it high time you quit procrastinating and finally wrote that book that's been calling to you?

Everyone stands to win!

Call Me Crazy, But I'm Doing It Again...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:39:00 +0000

Yep, you might call me crazy for this, and it wouldn't be the first time.

2 reasons why:

1 - I am about to follow spiritual guidance that makes no logical sense.

2 - My husband made an outrageous suggestion and I'm actually listening to him.

Here's the deal:

Just yesterday I was talking with Jen (a friend and colleague) and she received some information intuitively that I confirmed with my own Truth Testing method.

I am being called to launch a new teleclass (even though right now the Incredible Shrinking You teleclass is still underway) THIS WEEK. Yes, this week.

What's so strange about that? Well, normally there are weeks of planning that go into any launch I do. Not this one. I'm being invited to allow myself to follow Spirit (immediately! as in, TODAY) and see where it takes me.

Does that sound nuts to you? Or perfectly sane? We shall see.

It makes no logical sense to me. It normally takes me 2 solid days and a LOT of hours just to put together a decent sales page for a launch.

But Jen got that that was the OLD way I did things and it doesn't really apply now. Have you noticed that things happen very differently now than they used to just a few months ago? At times it can be a little unnerving, but the payoff is always HUGE for following guidance from our Highest Selves.

Even though I think it's at least a little crazy, my soul resonates with it, so I'm going for it.

And as for the 2nd point I mentioned above....

My husband suggested that I do ANOTHER incremental sale for this teleclass.

What?!?

I definitely thought he was nuts.

After all, I normally charge around $200-$500 for any teleclass I do. An incremental sale would be crazy, right? Especially with all the confusion that arose around last week's sale!!

Besides, I JUST DID an incremental sale last week. Will people really want another one so quickly? Maybe it's too soon...

But I listened as he explained his perspective:

Lots of folks missed out on the sale because they didn't get their emails in time. Or because they didn't act fast enough.

Sure, it would be unfair to do another incremental sale with the GetClear! product -- that wouldn't be fair to all those people who purchased at $24 or less (or even at $97).

But a NEW incremental sale would give more people the chance to play and get a great deal.

AND it would give a lot more people the opportunity to participate in a teleclass that they might not otherwise be able to afford.

It was sounding less crazy and more and more sane the longer he kept talking.

So I'm going for it.

PLEASE watch your email this Thursday at 3PM U.S. Eastern time.

And if you're not already receiving emails from me, then click here to sign up for my free newsletter so you won't miss out.

IMPORTANT:

Just so there's no confusion :-) here's an explanation of how the sale will work. (You will see this same explanation in all the emails I send out over the next few days.)

At 3PM Eastern time (2PM Central, 1PM Mountain and 12Noon Pacific) the sale will begin. The price of this $270 product will START at $17. After every few sales, the price will go UP by $10 increments. That's what we call an "incremental sale."

So in other words, at 3PM Eastern, the price is $17. After a few people buy, the price goes up to $27. After a few more people buy, the price goes up to $37. Then to $47. Then to $57. At which point, the price STILL represents about an 80% savings. The price will keep going up by $10 increments after every few sales UNTIL it reaches the regular selling price of $270.

At that point, when the sale price is $270, I will unleash my promotional partners and they will fill up any remaining slots in the teleclass. (You'll still be able to buy it for $270, but only while I still have room. My conference bridge only holds 200 people at a time.)

But WHAT is the product? What's the teleclass all about?

I would love to tell you that right now, but I can't. More details are coming about it tomorrow. I'm still processing this "download" of guidance I received and I've got to get clear about it before I can share it with you.

I suppose that's one of the hazards of this "let guidance guide you" process, eh?

Oh I almost forgot. There is one more unique twist to this sale.

This time, there's no upsell. None. Nada. Zip.

(Just in case you didn't know, an "upsell" is what you call it when you buy something and someone does the whole "you want fries with that?" deal, asking you to buy something more at the same time.)

So whatever you pay for the teleclass is whatever you pay for the teleclass and that buys YOU the exact same package (with all bonuses, etc) as everyone who pays the full $270 for the course.

OK my friends, I will post details tomorrow about WHAT the teleclass is and what it can do for you.

Until then -- sweet dreams!!

People Are Peculiar Creatures...and Perception Has a Lot to Do with It!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:22:00 +0000

Yes, I do believe people are peculiar. Fascinating, really.

I just never know what they'll do.

Whenever I write an especially pointed blog post or email...or when I record a particularly in-your-face tough love kind of audio, I just sit back and wait to see what happens.

And I notice that my ego sort of cringes when I get a LOT of replies very quickly.

Kind of like waiting for a bomb to drop. Because part of me is expecting to be crucified by those who are clearly not on the same page as me.

But inevitably, that's not at all what happens. Sure, I may get one or two snide or cranky replies, but mostly I hear from folks who resonate strongly with the message.

And that's reassuring. Because believe me, I have days (just like you, I suspect) when I wonder if anyone is listening...if anyone even gives a crap...if it's helping anyone at all (other than me) to put all these messages "out there."

But then I'll get some absolutely brilliant thank you message that reminds me why I do this. And reminds me to stay on the path, to stay the course. Yes, we are listening, it says. And we love it, keep it coming.

Today however was truly a bizarre experience. And it brings me back to this discussion on "perception" and the power that it holds.

Our perceptions shape our entire lives. If you don't believe that, just keep reading.

Today I did a special promotion -- what I like to call an "incremental" sale.

Basically, the way it works is this:

I create a new product.

Instead of launching the product at regular price, or an "introductory" price, I start the launch priced at $1.

Then I raise the price in increments (I like dollars, so I raise it by $1) every few minutes, or after every few sales.

I cut off the sale at some point, either when the price has hit a certain point, or when the time I have to devote to such a sale has expired.

I really do my best to make sure people understand how the whole thing works. I send multiple emails (2 or 3) ahead of time, explaining what's going to happen and when and where they need to be Johnny-on-the-spot in order to get the best deal possible.

But today, like I said, was bizarre.

Even though I had explained this concept of "incremental sale" and given fair warning, the way that I worded the actual email that launched the start of the sale was perceived in many different ways by many different people.

And when you're talking to nearly 8,000 people, all across the globe, and each with their own unique filters for perception, it can be tough to express something in words that adequately convey EXACTLY what I mean.

You know what? That's crap. Seriously, scratch that last part.

I said what I said, I meant what I said, and some people just plain didn't get it.

So where do we draw the line? Where does our personal responsibility end in terms of effective communication? Being responsible for our communication?

Well, some would argue that we're responsible for ALL of it. That's the definition of personal responsibility.

And I agree with that. But now there's the question of how do we handle these communication mishaps?

I made an offer to my list. And the response to that offer varied WILDLY! I'm talking opposite ends of the spectrum.

Just to recap:

I took a $97 product and offered it at $1 to the first few people, then $2 to the next few people, then $3 to the next few people, etc.

MOST people understood this and purchased (over 150 people so far).

A FEW people (2 dozen or less) misunderstood this and felt they were misled.

So what is an appropriate solution to appease those who felt they were misled? Or is that even necessary?

Probably not necessary, but since I like to err on the side of caution when it comes to taking responsibility for my actions, this is what I proposed (ALL of these):

1. Freeze the price at its current level ($24) for 24 hours -- temporary cease any price increases to give more folks the chance to get the product for 75% off its regular price.

2. Give everyone who already purchased a special bonus. This is a 3-audio clearing set valued at $75 total.

3. Give the special bonus to everyone who buys at the $24 freeze price within the next 24 hours.

To me, this sounded MORE than fair. Like I said, I like to err on the side of caution.

Here are some of the ACTUAL responses I got to this proposal (names withheld):

"Good product, misleading ad. I ordered 4 minutes after receiving this email and the price was $14."

"I thought your email was VERY clear. You don't have anything to make up for."

"Amy - I was not misled - I knew exactly what you meant and I felt really fortunate to get it for $6. Thanks for the extra though - that's really a bonus."

"You're kidding, right? I responded within minutes of you sending out the $1 offer. I feel duped. I just unsubscribed."

"Thanks for taking the high road! Love back atcha!"

"Not that it matters - the customer is always right- but FYI I read your email to my 13 year old and asked him to explain to me what it meant. He got it nailed. I think your explanation was fine"

"With all due respect, if you goofed, I believe you should really make good on your goofed-up offer, if you're to maintain any shred of credibilty. Not just for me, but for anyone else who writes to complain. Because those who write to complain will likely have, like me, only received the goofed-up email. Certainly if I had received the previous email you have indicated, explaining the procedure, then I would not have written, and would have no cause to complain. But this was the first email I received. I have received none since (probably because when I saw the $24. price I uinsubscribed)."

"I didn't feel mislead by the way, it was completely clear what was going on. And nice one anyway! :)"

"Hey, with all those cranky types... they gotta' settle down... and with no hard feeeelings! Lookin' forward to listenin'... and thanks heaps for your 'peace offering' bonus! ;)"

"Guess I was taken by your 'I love you' ploy. After the ONE (not the two you claimed) email you sent me explaining your 'incremental' scam where I responded that I had unsubsribed, you sent me ANOTHER offer at an even higher price. I don't respond well to your type of condescending response. LOVE???? hmm."

"Amy,
You are quick witted and spunky.
You probably still won't please all the people, but a lot more.
And you seemed pleased -- which is most important.
I think you handled this well and I appreciate it."

All the comments came from people who ALL received the EXACT same emails. I didn't edit any of them, and I included ALL the bad ones (not all the good ones -- not enough room here!)

Which brings me to my original point:

People can be peculiar, and perception has A LOT to do with it.

If people already have the belief that there's no such thing as a free lunch, people are out to screw you, the internet is full of scams, etc., then THAT is exactly what they will perceive to happen in any situation.

On the other hand, if people put their energy, attention and focus on the GOOD in life -- the bargains, abundance, benefits and perks of life, then THAT is exactly what they will perceive.

The bottom line is this:

If you know without a doubt that your own integrity is intact, you don't have to bend over backwards to "make up" a misunderstanding with other people. It really can't hurt (like I said, I prefer to err on the side of caution) but if you do it out of obligation, then there's no integrity in that at all!

I gave my offer out of love. Offering everyone the price of $1 when SO MANY clearly understood the instructions would be crazy in my opinion. So I'm standing by my 1-2-3 offer. And I consider it to be VERY generous. And yet it still feels good to me.

There's a difference between being generous and screwing yourself out of what's actually due you. Capisce?

See? I told you people are fascinating. And they can be quite peculiar.

I look forward to reading your comments on this topic!

GetClear! Launches Today for Just $1

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:46:00 +0000

I love you. And there's nothing you can do about that.

And today I'm inviting you to celebrate LOVE with me...and here's how.

Today at 6PM U.S. Eastern time, I'm going to send you a very special link. It's an offer for a brand new clearing tool I've created especially for you.

This multi-purpose clearing tool will sell for $97, but not today. Today I'm going to
offer it to you for just $1.

Why? Because I love you. That's why.

Now if you've participated in one of my incremental sales before, you know that the price won't stay at $1 for very long. In fact, every few sales, the price will increase by increments of $1.

So in other words, the product (it's called "GetClear!" by the way) will start at $1,
and then after a few people buy, the price will go up to $2, then a few sales later, up to $3, and so on. We'll continue until time runs out or until the price reaches the normal selling price of $97.

But WHAT exactly is the product?

I'm so glad you asked.

GetClear! is an all-purpose clearing tool. I've designed it with you in mind, to clear
whatever you're ready and willing to shift or permanently clear in the moment that you listen to it.

And to answer your question -- NO, you don't need to know WHAT the specific block or limiting belief is in order to clear it. The tool will clear anything and everything you're ready to clear.

GetClear! is not a meditation, it's not a guided visualization, it's not subliminal, binaural, or like anything you've experienced before.

When you play it, there is nothing you need to do except listen. And even that's optional. If you were to fall asleep while it was playing, it would still work just as effectively as if you were awake.

You can set an intention before you listen, of what areas you'd like to clear or shift specifically, but even that isn't entirely necessary.

This thing is SO cool!

Like I said, it's special. And I created it just for you.

After this sale (which will only last a few hours today), this all-purpose clearing tool will sell for $97.

And considering you can listen to it as many times as you like, always clearing whatever is optimal to clear in that given moment, it's probably valued at a WHOLE lot more.

But today -- because we're celebrating love, remember? you can get it for just $1. Or a few dollars, if you're not among the very first to act.

I am so excited to present this to you.

OK -- the sale started at 6PM U.S. Eastern time and here is the link to BUY IT NOW.

How to Use Your Body as a Compass

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:01:00 +0000

Sometimes a pendulum is just way too conspicuous, or occasionally impractical. Or sometimes you just plain can't find one! That's when the Body Compass comes in handy.

You can use your body to get yes/no/need more info answers to just about any question.

I've created a short, simple how-to video to demonstrate.

If you liked this video, why not go look at all my Truth Testing videos?

And if you'd like to see me create a vid on a particular topic, please add a comment here and include your suggestion.

Have fun with it!

Entrepreneurs: A Study of Success

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 05:06:00 +0000

In my prior post, I was talking about how I crashed a celebrity event in L.A. Details are posted here.

And while I was there at the Boom Boom Room's Golden Globes Gifting Suite, I decided to take the opportunity to interview some entrepreneurs, many of whom were amidst their first "big break" at this celeb giveaway event.

The BonBon Cupcakes ladies I told you about (see last post) got their idea in a very simple way: necessity is the mother of invention.

What's a darling child to wear to a wedding in the middle of July? Without an answer, mom decided to get crafty. She cut the feet off a pair of tights, shortened them to capri length, and added some frouf. Voila! Everyone wanted to get their mitts on a pair, and the rest, as they say, is history.

I met another entrepreneurial couple who was tired of getting dirty looks when they took their little tykes to grown-up restaurants (and good luck finding a nice restaurant in L.A. that even HAS a high chair!) so they created their own family restaurant.
It's called Giggles 'n Hugs and they have REAL food (not just pizza/crap) and a HUGE play area for the kids -- all supervised! Mom & Dad can take the kids somewhere fun where even the grown-ups can enjoy a real meal w/uninterrupted conversation!

Visit www.gigglesnhugs.com for more info and directions. (BTW, this idea took only 5 years from conception to fruition). And according to the owners, they get celebs in there all the time -- on a repeat basis, no less! Mmmm, I wish we had a place like this in Colorado!

Lori Rose was perhaps the most laid-back entrepreneur I met at the event. As the owner of Green Girl, she creates absolutely gorgeous green backs for shopping, toting, or whatever we gals need. Now we can be green and still be stylish, thanks to Green Girl's exceptionally high quality bags.

Again, a simple idea borne of necessity. As in, I want to be eco-friendly, but I don't want to carry around tacky, cheap, flimsy, ugly-colored bags. Hmmmm....what if I created stylish, high-quality bags instead? Yep, virtually instant success for Lori.

What I found most interesting about meeting Lori was the fact that she was so casual about marketing. She mentioned to me that whenever she checks out of a store or grocery, people all around are always commenting on her bags (other customers in line, the checkout clerk, etc.) I asked her if she passes them a card when that happens.

She looked genuinely shocked.

"No, I don't. I really don't like to be pushy."

Hmmm, I was intrigued. Think that's a limiting belief? That slipping someone a card means being pushy? Might want to use your fave Truth Testing method right now to see if you're saddled with this same belief or something similar....if you do, you'd better believe it makes it tough to make connections, meet people, and get the word out about your product or service.

"Really?" I was authentically surprised at her response.

"Well, I don't really need to do that -- we were featured on 'Sex and the City' and it's really taking off," she said.

I gently reminded her that you never know who someone knows, who they are related to, and who they could connect you to. And just because things are taking off, that doesn't mean they can't REALLY take off in an even bigger way, right?

Lori considered my response.

Then a celebrity was approaching (very cute, the PAs rush the table to let the rep know the celeb is coming over) so I offered to bow out and let her do her thing, and you know what?

She offered me my choice of Green Girl bag. And I gladly accepted and picked out a little black and white number. Their website is still under construction but you can catch a glimpse of the cool product here. thanks Lori!

Racing fans might be impressed that I had a chat with Steve Strope of Pure Vision. (Is he famous? Hell yeah, he's even got his own line of Hot Wheels cars!)

Again, an idea that sprang from an unfulfilled need -- Steve noticed how many women (wives, girlfriends, daughters) of racers and racing fans were left out of the proverbial loop when it came to merchandising. So he launched his own line of racing and muscle car merch for girls. It's called Girlie Gear (high octane apparel) and the kids stuff he had on display was absolutely darling.

Perhaps a bit out of place among celebs (I didn't see any of the stars from Talladega Nights there) but definitely a cool concept. Please direct all your female fans of NASCAR and racing here for the coolest girl gear on the track: www.ShopGirlieGear.com

Of course, I met all sorts of entrepreneurs I won't bore you with their details here....some were skeptical, probably figured I was just there to score some swag...some were so excited about their product yet so clueless that I wasn't interested so they just kept talking and I had to wait for them to take a breath so I could politely escape...some were out of giveaways already (in the early AM on day 2 of a 2-day event)...and there were those who either looked so overwhelmed or so frickin bored that I didn't even bother to approach them. And one lady wanted me to call her and make an appointment to chat, even though there was NO ONE anywhere near her table at the time. Um, no thanks lady, there's dozens and dozens of other folks here who would love to chat with me right now.

Oh, and there was one guy who wanted to trade me his $12.95 book (which isn't even out yet, so he had nothing at all to give the celebrities much less little ol' me) for about $100 worth of product from another booth. Yeah, sure, I'll be right back with that, dude.

Perhaps the most fascinating entrepreneur I met was Sheila Oberaigner, creator of Snugaboo. This idea was 13 years in the making -- honestly, what's the last thing YOU committed 13 years of your life to? The only answer I can personally come up with is my marriage! She refused to settle, sending for prototype after prototype until the finished product was perfect. Even now, these unique items are 70% handmade, so they are sturdy and cool and fun, but without the feel of being mass-produced. Sheila also held the intention of doing much more than just making cool blankets that kids can make-believe with -- she wanted to create a way to make a positive impact on the world. Which is where the idea for the Freckle Rewards was borne. Teaching kids to be kind (think golden rule) and good and earn cool freckles (temporary tattoos that match their Snugaboo) as a payoff. What a fun concept, and so long in the making but so worth the payoff! Visit the Snugaboo blog here.

And Sheila was nice enough to gift me a Snugaboo ("Frankie" is the blanket pictured here on this boy) for my own little pretender.

Oh, and how did Sheila start Snugaboo in the first place? She needed a unique shower gift idea. Again, necessity and all that. Seeing a pattern here?

And I love their motto: "Be good."

How many great ideas have you come up with but never acted upon? Sure, Sheila took 13 years to bring Snugaboo to market, but at least SHE ACTUALLY DID IT. And was part of the Golden Globes celebrity weekend. How about you? Are you getting into action? Or still dreaming of making your fortune or following your passion "someday"?

and if you're complaining that you never get the good ideas, or you don't have the connections and capital to get started, then why not leverage someone else's fabulous idea for fun and profit? That's exactly what my hubby Andy does.

But wait --- I didn't tell you the best part yet. The thing that made my "crash" totally worthwhile.

One lady was so excited, she asked if she could have her picture taken with me. And yes, she knew I wasn't "Amy Grant that singer."

That totally made my day. Well, that and the very cool swag I scored.

How I Crashed a Celeb Event in L.A. (and Loved It)

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Scott Grant) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:13:00 +0000

(But is it really considered crashing if you're technically invited, but not on "the list"?)

When I was in L.A. last week for that event I told you about (which was kick-ass, by the way. I came home with pages of notes -- not just great ideas, but real tangible stuff I've already begun putting into practice) I kind of crashed a celebrity event and got to meet a bunch of very cool entrepreneurs.

As an entrepreneur, it's been my experience that the more connections you can make, the better off you'll be. You just never know who you'll meet, and who they'll be connected to.

We were having a sushi dinner with a bunch of associates in L.A., and we struck up a conversation with 2 gals at the next table. (If you've ever been out to dinner with my husband Andy, you know this is not an uncommon occurrence.)

Turns out these 2 moms have turned a simple idea into a majorly profitable business. Bonbon Cupcakes might sound like a frou-frou name (although perfectly fitting for their product -- girls' microfiber tights trimmed in ruffly bows and wrapped up to look like a cupcake straight from your favorite local bakery) but these gals are serious about their business.

So serious in fact that in less than a year, they shifted from handmade items sold to friends and family to a full-scale operation with manufacturing ops in China. And now the celeb's kids will be sporting these darling cupcakes...which is where I enter the story...

So these two part-time-entrepreneur/full-time-moms were telling us how they were invited to participate in a celebrity gifting event, in conjunction with the Golden Globe Awards.

Not too shabby indeed.

While they told us all about who they got to hobknob with at this event (see pix on their blog here) we were doubly impressed.

And that's when they invited me to come check it out.

Hell yeah!

After all, it was literally one floor above the conference I was attending, in the same hotel. So it's not like it was out of my way or anything!

OK, so I wasn't on the list. Who cares? I've got confidence and that's pretty much all it takes to effectively crash an event (you've seen "Wedding Crashers," right?)

So of course I did.

Then I decided to walk around. I wasn't specifically out to meet celebs (I'm SO bad with names anyway, I seriously doubt I would have known who I was looking at) or to score some free stuff (ok, maybe a little. Who doesn't like cool free stuff?) but in all honesty, it was my first "crash" of any kind of event, so I was kind of excited.

The only famous person I saw was Joely Fisher (and someone had to tell me who she was) but I did get some cool stuff for my kids.

And just so I wasn't completely out of place, I decided I needed a legitimate reason to be there.

So I figured I would interview some of these fine entrepreneurs for this very blog. You can read about "A Study of Entrepreneurs" by clicking here.