Founding The R.C.A. - The Retweet and Comment Alliance

What is the R.C.A.?

The Retweet and Comment Alliance, or R.C.A. is being formed to increase the exposure of names, personal brands, blog and article posts, and messages of value.

The purpose of this group is to channel the power of Third Party Edification on Twitter and other social media platforms and expose multiple audiences to blog posts, articles, and valuable content on Twitter. Those who are using Twitter as a platform for sharing valuable information with their followers will benefit from a group that spreads that value to their communication channels as well.

Many people have integrated their social media accounts with Facebook, Linked In, and others, thus creating an even wider audience in which messages of value can be spread.

In addition to retweeting valuable content, this group will also focus on commenting on each other's blog posts and other online publications.

The Power of Third Party Edification

Often times, people find articles online and, despite getting value from what they've read, never share their thoughts to edify the author's hard work.

This Alliance will change that.

While posting a link to the article on Twitter shows a level of edification, a quick comment about what you took from the article can speak volumes. The power of comments should never be overlooked, as powerful conversations can be born from the feedback of various readers.

Third party edification positions the author as an expert in their particular niche as readers gain value from their content. Providing that value lays in the hands of the author. But spreading that message of value is something we all can participate in!

How This Alliance Will Work

In no way am I asking you to Retweet someone's spam or add comments to an article you don't find valuable. Nor am I asking you to add positive comments to everyone in the group at all waking moments of the day!

In addition, feel free to add varying viewpoints and constructive criticism as well. This can lead to improvements and, as mentioned before, great conversations.

Finally, you will not be asked to spend hours in front of Twitter looking for content of other Alliance members to retweet.

Here's how it will work:

1) A Twitter List titled "@jasoncercone/the-rca" has been set up here
2) All you need to do is follow the list, and I'll make sure the list is following you back
3) Take 10-15 minutes to go through the Alliance's Tweets. Find valuable content and Retweet it!
4) If the valuable content comes directly from the Tweeter who posted it, leave a quick comment on their blog, article, press release, etc. to add third party edification.

If everyone in the Alliance does this for just a few people each day, imagine the exposure your name, brand, and message will get!

This Alliance will help each and every one of us further establish ourselves as leaders within our particular niches, thus adding to increased followers, more quality and targeted traffic, and better overall conversions.

How Do I Join the Alliance?

Joining this Alliance is simple. You can follow me on Twitter by clicking here if you aren't already doing so. In my profile, you will see the List entitled "@jasoncercone/the-rca." Click on it, then click "Follow This List" at the top.

Once you follow the list, you'll be able to access it from your Twitter Home Page. If you have not started utilizing Twitter Lists yet, it will appear on the right-hand side of your page beneath the Twitter Search bar. Simply click on the link and you'll be redirected to the updates of all the Tweeters who are part of this List/Alliance.

I will manage the List to ensure the list follows anyone who is following it, thus making you a member of this Alliance.

Once you're in, feel free to start commenting, retweeting, and striking up conversations with other members!

I look forward to building a successful group with you. Please contact me if you have any questions or feedback on other measures we can implement to make The R.C.A. successful.



Best,

Jason Cercone
Marketing Success Mentor
jason.cercone@gmail.com
412-965-8428

Read more...

What's Going to Light the Fire Under Your Ass?!

Motivation comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms. It's your reason for getting out of bed every day and making the sacrifices necessary to accomplish what will create your success.

Many call it their 'Why.'

"I have a child that I want to eat breakfast with as they grow up and I don't want to come home so late at night, so often, they have no clue who I am. This is why I run a business from home that allows me to leverage my time and be with my family."

Your motivation stems from the belief you have in yourself and your mission. If you don't believe in those two things, you're dead in the water. You might as well quit before you start.

I've always considered myself "wired differently," and my belief in the corporate machine in which we're all trained to be a cog in never really jived with me. Despite my belief, I did what I had to do to support my family while pursuing my own personal enterprise. But when the last company I worked for decided to yank the rug out from under me and downsize my position, I decided I no longer wanted to subject myself to that sort of treatment.

That's been my motivation since that fateful day. But recently, I've added something new to the list of things that light the fire under my ass.

One of the goals I set for myself when I became a full-time entrepreneur was to repay my parents for all they've done for me. And although I fully believe that no gift can fully repay my debt to them, I'm still driven for the ability to try.

I am fully aware that mining for one's own fortune is considered "against the grain" and "non-traditional," especially within the circle I grew up in. My father has worked very hard his whole life, mostly for the same company, and is doing quite well for himself. Therefore, his son not taking the same path seems to lead to a lot of tongue-in-cheek comments and disbelief.

"Well, running your own business is OK...if it works."

"I'm glad you're trying to make this work on your own, but eventually you're going to have to make the decision to get a REAL job."

Never mind that it's 100% possible for two people to have two different definitions of "real job."

I understand it's more concern talking than anything from my dad, but having someone you've looked up to your entire life not fully believe in you can provide more motivation than can be put into words! And it's not even to just prove him wrong and make them eat his words. It's once again earning his pride for what I've accomplished.

Those comments didn't just light a fire...they ignited a nuclear bomb!

The biggest tip I can give you about channeling your motivation and defining your Reason Why is to not wait until you're backed into a corner, desperate, and forced to fight your way out. Utilize the age-old saying, "It's better to be proactive than reactive" and define your mission before you do anything else.

From there, determine what will motivate you.

Is it the ability to create time freedom for yourself?

Do you want to spend more time with your family?

Do you want to set your own hours? Be accountable for your own results?

Have more time to do the things you love?

Are you so sick of being treated like nothing more than a worker bee, you'd do anything to close that chapter of your life?

Or do you want to show the world that you have what it takes to ignore the tongue-in-cheek comments and succeed on your own terms?!

Motivation can be any number of things and will truly determine where you get and how you get there. The key is defining it early, revisiting it often, and making it your life to the point it consumes you!

Now, spark that fire!


Be the Best,

Jason Cercone
Marketing Success Mentor
jason.cercone@gmail.com
412-965-8428


What Motivates You?! Feel Free to Leave a Comment and Share Your Motivation!

Read more...

10 Steps for Success in 2010

Well, it's that time of year again. It comes like clockwork every 365th day. That one day that makes us reflect on everything that's happened over the last 365 days, then convinces us to make changes in the next 365.

Yes, it's time for a new year. And with 2010 comes a brand new decade. A chance to once again start anew, make resolutions, and convince ourselves that "THIS is MY year!"

Sadly, the resolutions people make are usually long forgotten by the end of February. We come up with excuse after excuse after excuse why we can't accomplish what we originally set out to do. Thoughts and words remain thoughts and words and cease to become actions that lead to the improvements we seek.

Regardless of where you are in terms of accomplishing what you want from life, I've laid out some simple steps and philosophies you can follow to TRULY make 2010 your year. But like everything else, you'll get out of this year what you put into it.

1. Re-adjust the Way You Think - For years, you've been instructed to think a certain way, act a certain way, and live a certain way. But it's this blatant line of pre-programmed thinking that's gotten us where we are today as the human race: in debt, full of negativity, unwilling to change, slaves to our comfort zones, hating our lot in life but accepting it as reality.

If you're looking for a new answer in your life, ask a different question! Use 2010 to reshape, recreate, redefine, and rewrite everything you've come to know as "your life." Subscribe to this blog and stay tuned for more on this in 2010.

2. Embrace, and Master, Change - You needn't look further than the way we read a book these days to realize that change is an inevitable part of life. My wife and I were watching a news report about the new Amazon Kindle e-reader and she told me about a college professor she had who said we'd one day be reading books in electronic, non-paper form. She and everyone in the class thought he was crazy.

But technology has reached that point and will continue to go further beyond.

The ways we communicate, the way money is made, and the way business is done will continue to evolve as we move ahead. Will you evolve with it? A new year is the perfect opportunity to embrace change.

3. Establish Goals and Develop a Time-Frame for Achieving Them (aka Practice Self-Accountability) - The biggest problem with New Years Resolutions are we normally only have to answer to ourselves if they're not accomplished. And it's pretty easy to look the voice in our head straight in the eye and say "Shut up, my favorite episode of 'The Office' is on!"

Today, as in this very second, is the perfect time to start holding yourself accountable for the things you want out of life. If you have a goal in mind, put it down on paper and assign it a time-frame in which you can realistically reach it. Don't set yourself up for failure by saying you'd like to consistently make $50,000/month from your home business by next week. Unless you've already invested a great deal of time and effort into your business, reaching that financial benchmark in a week's time is downright impossible.

Give yourself something that's attainable to work towards and it will make all of your efforts more worthwhile.

4. Read 10 Page of an Educational Book From Your Niche Per Day - This is an easy one, and if you're reading this article, there's no way you can tell me there isn't enough time in the day to accomplish this step. The lifeblood of an entrepreneur is his or her ability to expand their knowledge, thus reading books that focus on your niche and strengthen your strongest muscle (your brain, Einstein!) will enhance your value to your teammates, customers, clients, community, etc.

5. Find a Positive in Every Situation - I recently wrote a blog post that touched on my favorite lesson from 2009. It involves evaluating every situation, even negative ones, and finding a positive.

You can read the full article here.

Every situation you face offers positives if you dig deep and find them. When you're faced with something negative, simply ask "What's great about this?" or "What can I learn from this?" Your mind will immediately begin to work in a way it never has. This ties back to Step #1 and will ultimately make 100% of your experiences positive in some way.

6. Find a Mentor - The abundant use and growing popularity of social media makes this step simple to carry out. Twitter is overflowing with leaders in your particular niche who provide value all day long. They may also have fan pages on Facebook or YouTube channels. There's so many ways to find someone who can make you better at what you do.

It's nearly impossible to reach the pinnacle of your goals by yourself. Finding someone who's gone through the trials and tribulations of the success you want will help you get to where you want to be in a smarter, faster, and more efficient way.

7. Work On Yourself Daily - The late, great Jim Rohn said it's more important to work on yourself than your business. Wise words indeed. As an extension of your business, it's imperative to develop the mindset and skill set that will lead to better results for you and everyone associated with you. Take the time to read a great book, watch an inspirational video, discuss your goals with your mentor and/or other leaders, exercise, and keep yourself active. This will help stimulate your mind while increasing your focus and stamina.

8. CHALLENGE YOURSELF! - "If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done." This famous quote sums up #8 nicely. You have to be willing to go outside of your comfort zone in order to achieve new heights of success. This involves shattering the limitations that have kept you in a comfortable little safe zone for all this time. If you want big things, DO BIG THINGS! Big results will come from big actions.

9. Develop Good Habits and STICK TO THEM - Habits are not easy to break, but they can be replaced by better ones. It all comes down to your mindset. What are you willing to do to replace bad habits with good ones? The key here is consistency. The more consistently you carry out any action, the more of a trend it becomes in your life. Determine what it is you want to accomplish, the best course of action for accomplishing it, and the tasks it will take to make it happen. Start doing these tasks consistently and you'll start to see your efforts pay off.

10. Stop Talking About It...TAKE ACTION! - "Screw it...JUST DO IT!" --- Richard Bronson

This is a great quote that speaks to the absolute importance of taking action and making things happen. In the face of doubt, fear, and uncertainty, the best action is action itself. Inaction leads to complacency, more fear, more doubt, and more uncertainty. You'll never know what you can truly accomplish until you actually try. Thoughts are just thoughts. Words are just words. But actions are what define, or redefine, everything you're capable of.

Make 2010 the best year ever.


Be the Best,

Jason Cercone
Marketing Success Coach
jason.cercone@gmail.com
412-965-8428

How Are You Planning On Making 2010 Great? Please Leave Your Plans, Thoughts, Insights and Comments Below.

Read more...

Get Ready For a HUGE 2010!

As 2009 reaches its climax and another decade draws to a close, I can't help but recognize all the blog posts, articles, tweets, and status updates about making 2010 the best year ever.

And, I say...if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

There's a great feeling of closure and rebirth as one year closes and another one begins. It's usually around this time that everyone reflects on the past 365 days and is forced to hold themselves accountable for what's transpired.

Have I reached all my goals? Have I accomplished everything I set out to do? Am I adjusting to the various changes that have taken place? What will I do in the next 365 days to ensure things go better?

Undoubtedly, you've had a similar conversation with yourself and thought about what's on the horizon. This period of reflection can offer a great opportunity to change the course of your life...but only if you're honest with yourself. And if you can't be honest with yourself, who can you be honest with?

2009 was a year of serious change for me. My job was downsized and I was forced to look within myself for what I was going to do next. Over that time, I've made some adjustments, expanded my education, and continued to reach outside my comfort zone to learn new things and become a more well-rounded, self-sustaining individual. I've taken on the role of "full-time entrepreneur," and within the next week, I will take on the role of "first-time father." It's truly an exciting time in my life.

I won't lie and say the path was a smooth one. There's a learning curve that further reiterates the point that you should never enter any venture, regardless of its nature or size, with blinders on. Always allow yourself a margin of error and learn from each and every mistake. This is the best way to grow and develop yourself as a leader and person, and allows you to attack tomorrow's tasks in a smarter, more experienced way.

So now, it's the moment of truth. Crunch time. The epic question I must ask myself, and you should ask yourself as well: Did I accomplish all of my goals for 2009?

The answer for me: No. And I have no one to blame but myself. Fortunately, I stand in the same position as you: aware of the past, focused on the present, and determined to make every change possible for a bigger and brighter future.

I'm on a mission to consistently get better at everything I do, and quite frankly, I don't think I'll ever be satisfied. There's an inner-fire within everyone of us that pushes us to go the extra mile and do things we're not accustomed to doing in order to achieve the things we want.

The trick is finding the spark that ignites that flame.

Despite some goals going unaccomplished, 2009 has brought some valuable life lessons that I will carry with me into the new decade and beyond. The biggest is finding positives in EVERY situation. Take a look at every scenario that presents itself to you and say, "What's great about this? What can I learn from this?" Hidden beneath every negative is a chance to extract a positive and make each experience worthwhile. The second I learned this school of thought, my life changed.

In the early part of December, I came down with a pretty nasty flu. But, as I dumped a ton of vitamin C into my body, I asked, "What's great about this?"

The answer: I was sick before the holidays, so I didn't have to spend Christmas in bed. And, with the upcoming birth of my first child, I didn't have to support my wife in a weakened, flu-ridden state.

Every situation has a positive!

2010 is going to be big year, but it's up to you to make it happen. Making a resolution is nothing more than words and thoughts until you take action and turn it into reality! Plan your attack and attack your plan, no matter what it is you're looking to accomplish.

It's time to wipe the slate clean. It's a new year. A new decade. A new start. Make the most of each and every second you have.

Best,

Jason M. Cercone
Marketing Success Coach
jason.cercone@gmail.com
412-965-8428

P.S. ---> I'm excited to hear what you have planned for 2010. Leave a comment and share what's on your horizon as a new chapter begins in all our lives!

Read more...

Photographs From the Good Times

Read more...