The last three months were a blur and I, for one, am really sorry to see this summer go. This was supposed to be the summer of relaxing (note ‘supposed to be’).

Instead, it turned out to be one of the busiest summers I’ve had, which explains my month+ long absence from here.

Rockin’ and Rollin’ at IWW

We have been really busy over at Inspired WebWorks, much busier than we anticipated, which is a good thing! We worked on some really cool projects this summer, some are wrapping up and have really cool things in the pipeline going forward.

You can check them out over in our client showcase. Right now, we’re working on some really cool stuff to add residual / passive income streams to IWW and for our clients. Sorry, no details just yet, but you know that I am all about time freedom, so I’m super excited about what’s coming down the road for Inspired WebWorks.

They’re Home!

Both of my sons are home safely from the Middle East (praise God!). Matt returned from Iraq at the end of July and Sean just got back from Afghanistan one week ago.

Thank you to all those who endured my ‘Army mom meltdowns’ this past year (you know who you are!) and thank you to all the many who added my sons and their men to the numerous prayer lists across the country.

Sean’s girlfriend is an Army nurse and is currently deployed to Afghanistan, so please keep continuing to pray for our military as there are still many ‘over there’ fighting the fight. It’s been a long year, but I’ll reserve my thoughts and reflections for another blog post.

Me? A Mother-in-Law?

Yes! Matt returned from Iraq and 3 weeks later proposed to his girlfriend! He told me he was going to, so I knew, just didn’t know when.

Then, one day… on Facebook, we saw his status turn from ‘single’ to ‘engaged’. So, now we’ve got a June wedding to look forward to. Congrhttp://www.pattygale.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpatulations Matt and Alysha!

So, that was my summer… So much for relaxing, right? Haha! How was yours?

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When I was a kid in the 60′s, there was no such thing as daycare. My mom was my daycare. She got us up and ready for school every day.

And there was no greater feeling of security that I had when I would walk outside after school and see my mom by that same tree every single day. We’d go home, have a snack, I’d change into my play clothes and play outside until it was time for dinner or homework.

All these years later and that is still one of my favorite memories.

What About Summer?

Summers when I was a kid were spent outside from after breakfast until dark. There were so many kids on our street, we could have had our own football team.

The house 2 doors up had 14 kids! (Catholic family) We didn’t have minivans back then, yet somehow they managed perfectly fine with their wood-grain station wagon.

We were never without someone to play with and we didn’t have to leave the block.

There are probably about as many kids in our neighborhood today, yet nobody is home. The majority of both parents are working, so these kids are either in daycamp (just another word for summer daycare) or they are so over-scheduled with activities, that parents are running ragged getting them from one place to the next.

It’s Like a Ghost Town

Our family is in the minority in our neighborhood, and for the most part, I could yell and scream outside all day and I don’t think there’s anybody home to hear me.

So, you can imagine how few of the kids Emily has to play with, and I would bet to say that our little slice of ‘suburbia’ is pretty typical of most of our society.

Now, I understand that the work at home lifestyle is a choice and not everybody wants to make that choice. That’s what is so amazing about living in a free society, the freedom to choose.

I truly now understand the meaning of ‘bedroom community.’ I watch as many of my neighbors leave their house at 6 or 7 a.m., only to return 12 hours or more later.

What time is there to enjoy life when you’re spending 8-12 hours / 5 days a week away from the people you care about most?

Quality vs. Quantity Time Myth

I never bought into the quality vs. quantity time agenda. Yes, I say agenda because I truly believe that ‘quality time’ is an ideal that we were ‘sold’ in order to make ourselves not feel guilty about leaving our kids in daycare all day.

Having two older sons, who are now in their twenties, I know all too well how fast time goes by. One day, you’re dropping them off at kindergarten and the next thing you know, you’re dropping them off at a dorm room.

There isn’t a person I know that, when they reached their senior years, has said they wished they spent more time at the office. We all want MORE time with the people most important to us.

The Memories We Create

And our kids want our time… they could care less about the ‘stuff.’ How many kids grow up and say to their parents, “Oh, gee mom, I wish you would have left me at daycare even longer or… how come you didn’t give me that fancy birthday party when I was 3?”

Life is about the memories we create with the people we care about most.

It’s about relationships, it’s about kids feeling that same sense of security when mom or dad picks them up at the end of the school day AND has time to play on the playground.

It’s about bringing families home from corporate America…so that no child has to stand at the window and wave goodbye to his or her dad.

The Internet Offers Endless Possibilities

Having an web-based business offers endless possibilities to create the work at home lifestyle.. to have the time freedom to enjoy life.

That’s my personal mission…to show those families, who want out of the corporate prison, to become a work at home family.. so that they can create amazing memories for their family and live life the way it was meant to be lived.

So that kids can be kids, to run around and play outside the way they are meant to, to enjoy the time with their parents, the way they’re supposed to, the way we did as kids….rather than from waving goodbye from looking through from the daycare window.

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No, I didn’t make it up, it’s from the 2005 movie, “Robots.” We just watched it for the first time this week and there are some great themes in this movie.

The basic story is about a young inventor, who has big dreams of growing up to be a great inventor and making something of his life.

If you haven’t seen the movie, it’s really cute and you can read the synopsis over at IMDB.

One scene, in particular, resonated loud and clear with all of us. Rodney was about to give up on his dream and was on the phone with his dad, expressing his disappointment with himself for not accomplishing what he had set out to do.

His dad, who was getting older and ill said, “No son, you can never disappoint me….

Don’t give up son because the dreams you don’t fight for are the ones that will haunt you for the rest of your life.”

How Many Have Already Given Up?

How many people do you know have already given up on their dreams?

How many people do you know just exist from day to day without really living?

How many people do you know that live their lives on the couch with the remote?

Too many people get bogged down in what society tells us we should and shouldn’t do, get so caught up in just existing from day to day, that many have forgotten how to live.

It’s Not Supposed To Be Easy

Fighting for your dreams isn’t supposed to be easy. THAT is what makes it worth fighting for, the lessons we learn along the way and the person we become.

What about you and your dreams?

Have you given up? Do you know what you need to do to make YOUR DREAM a reality? Fighting for your dream isn’t always about money. For most people, the cause is much bigger than than just about money.

Don’t Ever Give Up!

When my sons were in high school, we used to talk a lot about what they thought they wanted to do with their lives. The biggest piece of advice of ever gave them was to never go through life with “What if…?”

Someday, we’re all going to wake up one day and be in our eighties or beyond. There’s no escaping that. So, let’s not wake up that day and say to ourselves, “What if?”

“What if I didn’t give up? What if I took just one more step? What if I truly gave it all I have and pursued my dreams?

What if I fought for my dream and won?

Now, that’s a question I don’t ever want to think “what if?”

How about you?

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My grandparents, of the ‘greatest generation’, would never have dreamed of ‘buy now / pay later.’ Today, we’ve allowed the marketing machine to take this country into a debt-ridden sink hole that seems to be never ending.

I’ll be the first to admit that, even though I spent 17 years in investment management, I could have done a lot more in teaching my sons about money, and I learned some hard lessons, myself, along the way.

Long Term Wealth vs. Short Term Pennies

As parents AND especially as entrepreneurs, it is our obligation to teach our children not just how to count back change, but how money really works.

You can’t effectively manage long term wealth if you don’t know how to deal with short term pennies.

Kids are much more in tune that we think and catch on quick! So, as soon as they’re old enough to understand the exchange of money for goods, then they’re old enough to learn even the basics.

So, this week, started a new chapter in Emily’s life about money, saving and spending. While there’s nothing I can do about the state of our national economy, our family’s economy is something I do have control over.

Not Quite Old Enough for Babysitting

Several of our neighbors were on vacation this week, and while she’s not old enough to babysit, Emily is definitely old enough to water flowers, vegetable gardens and ‘fish-sit’ a goldfish.

She was so excited when they asked her that she already decided what she was going to do with the money. I can tell that she’s not a natural saver, money tends to burn a hole in her pocket, which is all the more reason why it’s so important she learns these lessons NOW.

Emily has such a caring heart for animals and has a nice Webkinz collection. She had her eye on the new Signature Webkinz fox. Now, you have to understand, when a new stuffed animal comes into the house, it’s not just a toy for her. It’s as if it’s real, it gets its own special area of her room, introduced to all the other stuffed animals.

She treats them as if they were her own animal farm and it is so cool to see her caring heart.

Saving, Tithing and Spending – Here’s How it Went Down

With her eye on this Webkin, it costs $15.99 We added in sales tax, which in Wisconsin is 5.5%, and then came the hard part.

We built in 10% of the cost for tithing and another 20% to go to her bank savings account. She tried, as most kids would, to negotiate the 20%, but we didn’t budge.

We laid down the rule that this was not subject to negotiation, period. If she doesn’t learn these lessons about money now, she never will.

She had 3 jobs. To water the neighbors vegetable garden, water the other neighbor’s flowers and pet-sit the goldfish.

Keep in mind, she wasn’t sure exactly how much she was going she was going to earn.

I Am Not a Human Credit Card

Oh yes, she put on the sad face of “Oh, but mom, if I’m a dollar or two short, will you loan it to me and I’ll pay you back, I promise I will!”

Yes, I have done this in the past, but not any more. She has to learn the patience that comes with savings and it was a challenging lesson to learn, especially when you want something so badly as a Signature Webkin.

Friday came and 2 of the 3 neighbors came home from vacation. Both came over with thank you cards for Emily with payment for her jobs. She already had $3 saved, so with what she earned, she definitely had enough not only for the Webkin, but for tithing and her bank account, too, with $2 to spare.

The Big Trip to the Store

Before we left for the store, we took out 3 envelopes and I had Emily write one for each, “Church”, “Bank” and “Spending”

She took her 10% of earnings and placed it in the envelope for tithing, 20% in the envelope for the bank and the left over $2 in the envelope for “Spending”. That one is for the next item she wants to save for.

She put her $15.99 plus tax in her wallet and off to our local store we went. She picked the fox, brought it to the register and I had her pay the cashier herself (how else is she going to learn?).

She was so proud of herself for making it through the week and adhering to our 10% and 20% rules about tithing and saving! More importantly, we told her how proud we were of her and how well she did.

Emily has already started to plan out the next Webkin item that she’s saving for, an adorable jacket for her brand new Signature Webkin.

She’s already expressed an interest in using the internet to create passive income, so when she’s ready, we’ll start talking about making money work for her.

Way to go Emily!

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With the re-launch of Inspired WebWorks a couple of months ago, and school getting out for Emily, it’s been a little busy around here….in a good way!

A few days ago, I was visiting the private forum over at Rosalind Gardner’s Affiliate Blogger Pro membership site.

Lynn Chong of EHomepreneur.com had asked the following question a couple of months back and I felt compelled to reply.

Here’s what she posted…

“I was talking to my friend (who is employed in a big organization) about affiliate marketing this morning. She couldn’t understand why I’ve to got involved in affiliate marketing instead finding a proper day job.”

1. Is there a future in affiliate marketing?

2. Will it become a sunset industry one day just like some manufacturing industry?

3. What is the prospect being an affiliate marketer?

4. How far can one go being an affiliate marketer? What’s next after become super affiliate?

5. How do you define the success of being a super affiliate? By monetary or there’s more?

6. Are there any formal organizations or authorities that govern the ethics, qualifications or certification of affiliate marketers?

Quite a few of the above were addressed by other members, and what really struck a chord with me is #5.

How do you define the success of being a super affiliate? By monetary or there’s more?

Here’s what I said…

“Lynn, I’ve been working from home since 2001, left my corporate career as a securities trader to find ‘something’ to do from home so as to not leave my daughter in daycare. She was a newborn back then, she’s now 9 1/2.

Your success in affiliate marketing won’t happen overnight, but I can assure you, if you stay focused, consistent and have patience, it will happen, whatever your definition of success is.”

which leads me to ask you, the readers of PattyGale.com this question ….

Are You Really Free?

Do YOU have the freedom to do the things important to you with the people you care about most?

This weekend, in the U.S., we are celebrating the birth of our country… our freedom as a nation. Freedom that should never be taken for granted. So, ask yourself if you are really free in your home business?

If the answer is no, then what changes do you need to make to get free and how are you going to make those changes?

Yes, there is a price, and that price is your hard work. As in any business, there is a lot of roll-up-your-sleeves stuff that has to be done in the beginning. Anybody who has been working from home and on the web for any significant amount of time will tell you the same thing.

Of course, family always come first. It is because of family that I do what I do.. and that is the beauty of having an Internet business. It’s the flexibility that allows you to work this business around the hours of time that is important to you.

I really hope you decide to not just ponder this over the weekend, but really sit down and take a hard look at your business, where it’s going and what changes you may need to make to create your freedom. I’m telling ya, it is so worth it!

A very special thanks to Lynn for inspiring me to create this blog post!

Have a great 4th of July!

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The BIG 5-0!

While I’ve watched many of my friends turning 50 months ago, I guess that’s one advantage of having a September birthday and being younger than most everybody else in the graduating class. I’m one of the last in my class to reach this milestone.

What’s in a Number?

That being said, I certainly don’t feel whatever going on 50 is supposed to feel like. It’s just a number and besides, according to recent research, 50 is the new 30, so I guess that means I’m really 29 going on 30 (haha!)

I have to laugh sometimes when I see the real 29 year old’s turning 30 and thinking that their lives are coming to an end or even a 39 year old turning 40 thinking they’re ‘over the hill.’ Seriously?

Check out this 90 year old man from Milwaukee still running marathons:

From JSOnline.com – “Ruebl ran his first marathon when he was 59 – a double loop that started at Mayfair Mall. He’s run Grandma’s, Lakefront, Paavo Nurmi in Hurley, and Boston. He qualified for Boston in his early 60s by running Grandma’s in 3 hours and 23 minutes – a 7:44 pace.”

“I can feel every pebble in the road,” he complained before getting the new shoes.

So How am I Going to Celebrate the BIG 5-0?

I am going to celebrate by participating in my very first duathlon… AND! It just happens to be on my birthday.

It’s official! I registered this morning for the Dousman Duathlon. It’s a 2 mile run, followed by a 20 mile bike race followed by another 2 mile run.

Age is what you feel, not the years gone by based on a date.

I don’t know about most people, but I plan on still skiing and hiking the slopes of the Rockies when I’m well into my 80′s and beyond.

I’ve been running for about 16 years, and while I don’t run to compete against others, I run to challenge myself and to stay fit. Now that I have a daughter, I do it so that hopefully she’ll see the example that beauty is about being healthy and fit rather than some Hollywood illusion of beauty.

I’ve done a number of 5K runs before, mostly because they’re a lot of fun, they’re great fundraisers for a variety of charitable organizations… plus, you get a really cool t-shirt.

I’ve only done one 10K race before, although I have run 12-13 miles on my own. I’ve never been in a bike race, though, so this duathlon should be a lot of fun!

My bike is a Trek hybrid, meaning it’s not a racing bike (like Lance’s) nor is it a mountain bike, either. It’s a combination of a trail / road bike with a lighter frame, so it can be taken on paved and unpaved trails. It’ll do fine for this event.

The Training Begins

Now that I’m officially registered, I’ll begin training, which will mostly consist of training for a faster 2 mile and then I’ll transition to training for the run / bike / run.

About 6 weeks before the event, The Bike Doctor is going to be organizing formal training rides, so that should be a lot of fun, too!

That’s how I’m going to celebrate my BIG 5-0 milestone birthday and who knows, maybe I’ll consider a full marathon at some point, but for now, just one event at a time.

So, happy birthday to me!

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And! We’re always supposed to be upbeat and positive (yes, I heard this on a call recently).

What’s the Big Secret?

Well, here’s my take on it. If the internet today, social media, removing six degrees of separation, etc. is supposed to be about transparency and allowing others to see us for who we really are, then aren’t we supposed to be real and true to who we are?

Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s a big difference between expressing your faith (very cool) and publicly bashing somebody else’s beliefs (not cool at all).

And I am all about surrounding myself with positive people. Seriously, who wants to be around negativity all the time? Not me! But, sometimes negative ‘stuff’ happens and you know what? It’s perfectly o.k. to talk about it, deal with it, and move on.

Seriously, what are we trying to hide behind?

OK, Here it Comes

Personally? I would not be doing what I am today if it were not because of my faith and putting all my trust in my Lord and Savior.

It’s because of my faith that I didn’t give up on this Internet gig a long time ago.

It’s because of my faith that I’ve stayed somewhat sane during these last nine months while both of my sons are deployed to the Middle East.

It’s because of my faith that I am FINALLY listening to God and following what He wants to do with my life and my business.

Yes, I’ve been fighting it for nearly 4 years, so it’s about time I paid attention.

Yes, I am a follower of Christ (whew! there I said it!). No, I don’t stand on the street corner waving my Bible and I won’t be posting scripture on blog comments.

However, my faith is the foundation of my story. Today’s Internet is about telling stories, so I believe I have an obligation to tell the whole story, not just part of it because ‘we’re not supposed to talk about it’ as business owners. Maybe this resonates with you, too?

So, What Happens Next?

Nothing. I’m still the same person I was before. You just now know something about me that perhaps you didn’t before and hopefully, it’s inspired you, too, to be true to yourself, whatever that may be!

If I lose a few subscribers, Twitter followers for Facebook connections because I may talk about my faith, I can’t help that. I won’t pretend to hide behind or be something that I’m not. I am not here to please the world. That isn’t my job.

I AM here, however, to make a difference, to serve my clients and team members regardless of what they believe (or don’t believe) as long as it glorifies His purpose for my life.

How About You?

If anything, I hope this post got you thinking about the stories you want, and perhaps need, to tell. This is why people do business with you, because of your stories, not because of some grand illusion that claims to be in the name of ‘professionalism’.

It’s cool to tell the whole story, whatever that may be, so I encourage you to start telling yours. You will be amazed at what happens next.

I hope you have an amazing day!

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Seriously, ladies, unless you've read this book, you have absolutely no clue as to how the male mind is wired.  I know that is a pretty bold statement on my part, yet that is how strongly I feel about "Wild at Heart."

Doug asked me if I would read it (come to find out, he's read it 4 times!) and I really had no idea what I was in for.

If you have read this book (male or female), you know exactly what I'm talking about.  If you haven't read it yet, and are married, have sons, are considering getting married, get a copy today, from your local library if need be.

There were more "aha!" and "Oh! so that's why….." moments that went off for me in the last week than there have been in the last 30 years.

I honestly wish this book were around when I was raising my sons.  It would have explained so much that I would have understood a lot better.

So, What's the Book About?

While I can't use just one sentence or paragraph to describe the entire book, in a nutshell, it's an inside look and journey as to the spirit of man, his soul, how he's wired and how modern society, including how today's church, has squelched his adventure.  Although that one sentence summary doesn't do it justice.

"Life is not a problem to be solved… it's an adventure to be lived."

That pretty much sums it up.  While the book was actually written for men, it is definitely a must-read for women to truly understand and get at the heart of men.  

It's not a why men 'beat at their chest' kind of book.  Yea, I know, there are lots of other books written about the differences between men and women, such as "Venus & Mars" "He Said, She Said", etc.  In my personal opinion, those are purely for entertainment, while "Wild at Heart" is written from the soul to the soul.

Get a copy and read it.  You'll be thankful you did!

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Just a couple of days before, my dad called me and said, “Can you come to NJ on Sunday, we’re having a surprise party for your mom, at The Bistro, and it would be so nice if you were there. I know it’s short notice, but she would be so happy.”

Leaving on a Jet Plane

As we were on the phone, I checked Orbitz for rates, looked over at Doug and said, “I’m going to NJ on Sunday” and within about 15 minutes, had my reservations booked.

My brother picked me up from the airport and we drove straight to the restaurant. My mom thought she was going out to dinner with her brother-in-law and his wife and had no idea about the party.

I hid behind my 12 year old nephew and here’s her big surprise when she saw me.

Check out the rest of the pics on Facebook.

Never in Corporate America

I would have never been able to do this if I were still entrenched in the matrix of corporate America. At best, I would have had to give a month’s notice of any vacation plans and even then, there’s never a guarantee that those days would be approved.

Doug and I work at home together, so I didn’t have to worry about who was going to take Emily to school or pick her up.

It Gets Better

I had an absolutely wonderful 4 day visit with my parents and it gets even better.

You see, last fall, my parents joined Doug and me in business. While my mom has been retired from corporate America for 11 years, last fall my dad retired, too, and they decided to join us in our network marketing opportunity.

They totally ‘get it’ and so not only did we have amazing family time, we also got to spend some fantastic training time. We set up their blogs, I showed them how to integrate their posts with Facebook, we talked about our webinars and they are totally rockin’!

They got to meet my awesome business partner, Todd Schager, and we had a great time talking about the future of our company and what it means going forward.

I had my laptop and iPod Touch with me, so my parents got to see the power of a portable business firsthand as we were able to do all this right from their kitchen table.

Needless to say, they are even more excited now than when they first got started.

Memories to Last a Lifetime

Memories that were created last week are absolutely priceless and I am so thankful to be in an industry that affords me this type of opportunity.

The opportunity is out there for you, too. You just have to go grab it and make it happen. This business is about lifestyle. It’s about having the time to do the things most important to you with the people that matter most.

Make it a part of your life and create your own memories to be cherished. It’s never too late to get started because life is simply to short to wait for someday.

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You can read all the details on the SEC website > > Donahue & SEC

Why do I bring this up now and what does this have to do with network marketing?

I bring it up now because, given what’s happening in our economy today, it’s important for people to hear some of the corporate horror stories from those of us who lived that 9-5 commute and found a better way.

Back in May of 1999, I went to work as the Director of Trading / Operations for a securities firm in Cincinnati called Donahue Securities. Steve Donahue was the president of the firm and while I did not report directly to him, he ran the show.

I left the firm (reasons for a new post!) about a year later. Emily was born in December, 2000 and while I was on maternity leave with a different firm, I received a phone call from one of my former assistants from Donahue.

The SEC Welcome Wagon

I could hear how upset she was as she proceeded to tell me that the employees of Donahue Securities were greeted by the SEC (Securities & Exchange Commission) and the county sheriff on their way into work. That was February, 2001.

I can not even imagine the sinking feeling in the pit of their stomachs seeing those officials by the elevator doors.

They (employees) were required to be escorted up to their offices or desks and only to retrieve their personal belongings. In an instant, 125 people were without a job, no income, or health insurance… all because of one man’s greed.

I could have been one of them.

Asleep at the Wheel

After all the details were unraveled, it was found that Donahue had set up a phony bond fund in which he ‘invested’ 123 of his clients’ money in… for nearly 12 years! In total, $6 million dollars of money used for a variety of things in his personal life, which is detailed on the SEC website.

All financial firms, large and small, are required to undergo an audit by the Securities Exchange Commission every 2 or 3 years. Donahue later admitted that this fraud had been going on since the firm was founded in 1989, which begs the question..

“Why did it take the SEC 12 years to catch it?”

It didn’t take the SEC 12 years to catch it because they never did. Donahue had undergone regular SEC audits like any other firm. It was later revealed that a fairly new employee working directly with Donahue’s personal assistants sensed something wasn’t right when she was balancing client statements.

She is the one who tipped off the SEC.

Given the state of things happening in today’s financial markets, it sounds like the SEC is still asleep at the wheel. In the fall of 2008, over 23,000 people instantly lost their jobs when Lehman Brothers collapsed and millions followed in the snowball effect since.

Zebra Stripes for Donahue

Steve Donahue was sentenced to 5 years in prison in 2003. He served the full sentence and was released from jail in 2008. I have no idea what or where he is today and I can only hope that somehow he has redeemed himself to all those that he deceived.

Some of the former associates from Donahue Securities have long since found employment with other firms, some I lost track of.

I am now 9 years removed from my former corporate life. While I can’t ever imagine ever going back, these stories serve as a reminder of why I do what I do and hopefully will resonate with those considering trading that rat race for something better.

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