Tammie Hansberger

Finding an Identity: WHO do You want to be online?

Tammie — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:14:06 +0000

If you come up with the answer, be sure and let me know! It’s a great question that should be asked of anyone trying to earn a living online. It was asked by Janelle Elms, my success coach at OSI Rockstars. I think it can be applied to anything we set out to accomplish online and I admit I am still struggling with the answer myself.

Find the Answer Before You Go Any Further

The problem is, there are SO MANY THINGS I want to do online, that it’s hard to focus on just one thing. But focus is necessary or my online identity will be very confusing.

Making a List is Always a Good Start

1. A place to catalog and work through various thoughts since sometimes keeping everything in your head instead of writing it down can lead to a confusing jumble of half-thought-out ideas.

2. A source of information for those who are seeking the same independence that I am and need some help and guidance along the way.

3. A source of inspiration for those who seek independence but who need some reassurance that it can be done.

4. A place of learning both for visitors and for myself because the best way to learn something and to really get a deep understanding of it is to try to teach it to other people.

5. A relief valve because sometimes you just need a place to get things off your chest.

6. A community, because like it or not, life is a team sport and although we may want to climb our mountain alone, we’ll climb a lot faster if we bring our own Sherpa.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Criticism

There are a whole lot of smart, interesting people doing what I’m trying to do here and I really don’t want to ‘reinvent the wheel’. I would like to offer value, but through the perspective of a working mom who is, (almost desperately at times) working against the clock to make enough money online to justify quitting my traditional job.

Believe The Answer is ‘Findable’

Thanks for reading this post, and I hope you’ll leave comments that will help shape the direction of TammieHansberger.com.

On A Social Note:
As a part of the Starting with Marketing coaching, I’m on Twitter now and I’m really enjoying connecting with others like me who are trying to achieve online goals through Internet Marketing and eBay, and those who want to help and make a difference. And what I didn’t expect was that it’s a great way to feel connected with people I look up to. WOW! I hope you’ll follow me at http://twitter.com/Tammie_H.

Dean Holland calls it Failing Forward Fast

Tammie — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 03:38:02 +0000

…and I’ve already asked to be the Poster Girl, if you will, for that very idea. I enrolled in the Starting with Marketing course not knowing really what I was in for, all I knew was that I was willing to take action. Dean, and other mentors I follow talk about that a lot. You can read up and study the success of others all day long, but if you take no action. You’ll stay exactly where you started….at zero.

But Dean, in his youthful, ethusiastic, and get-to-the-point style of honesty took the idea of ‘action’ a step further. He said during the first webinar that there will be failure. And, that how we handle said inevitable failure and whether we learn and move forward from it was completely up to us.

Then he said the best attitude that we can have when facing the fact of failure during this journey is to get it done and get it past us. He calls it Failing Forward Fast. For some reason, the idea I get in my head when he says that is one of me heading toward the end of a cliff at a dead run. So I’ll either stop and not go anywhere again, stop too late and slide off the end anway, or take a leap!

So failure is where I was at last week and I guess I didn’t have enough because I’m back at it this week! BRING IT!

I’m hoping that by the time I get this posted the problem will be resolved, but Team Hansberger has been plagued with technical issues with this blog, and more recently my husband Mark’s new blog. First the issue with permalinks. I struggled through it and got a fix. NOTE TO SELF: Always HOST ON LINUX! I didn’t know til it was too late.

After the permalinks solve, everything was working great on this and Mark’s new blog, one that thanks to the Starting With Marketing Academy I was able to install in as little as 20 minutes. He was really impressed with all I had been learning and doing since starting SWM and as a budding photographer wanted to get in on the game. No problem Honey! You are now a Bloggerographer!

I installed it and he played around a bit learning how to install plugins and add pictures. We had a blast working on it together, well into the night. When we turned in, all was well. When we woke up, not so much.

The page header had a bunch of funky text and we couldn’t get into the Wordpress Admin page. Long story short (and after 2 days of trying to work it out), I had to reinstall his blog (at the time I didn’t know any other way…after all I’ve been doing this wordpress thing for a grand total of 3 weeks!).

After the reinstall, we chalked it up to a bad plugin that he installed, and again cheerfully played around with our new toy and went to sleep that night Happy Bloggers. Til this morning when I’m at work and Mark emails and says….It’s BAA-ack! Not only on his blog but now MINE.

The best thing about Failing Forward Fast is that you learn A LOT that you never expected/wanted to learn in a very short amount of time. I have learned a lot.

When Mark’s blog broke, I closed my eyes and reinstalled. Since then I’ve figured out a few tricks and learned how to read what Wordpress was really trying to tell me in the error code. Apparently there is a thing called a Malicious IFrame code that gets into your blog through FTP (more on this later) and adds a type of redirect to the end of any of your wordpress files that have a title containing index (like index.php), or default (like default-filters.php). What this did to us is add that text I mentioned to the header of your blog, keeps you from getting into the admin page and takes the blog down.

Ouch. My head hurts from having to think and speak in such technical terms.

So Fail Forward Fast to this moment in time where I am operating on a TON of faith right now. I’m writing this blog post BEFORE the problem is actually fixed in hopes that it will be by tonight and I’ll post this to hopefully help you not be afraid of failing as long as you get it out of the way and moving quickly.

The Fix: The wordpress boards are the BEST. A lot of people have experienced this problem and were kind enough to note their experiences of how they were able to resolve it.

When I mentioned above that this problem is an FTP hack, it means that the bot or whatever it is got in through FTP. Unfortunately my windows-based webhost is a little loosey goosey on passwords, they default your hosting and ftp passwords to be the SAME. So your first step is to get them to change that. I’m in that battle now.

Next, clean the iframe code out of your files AND make sure your webhost does the same. Yes, they may buck you on this. Keep trying or switch. Third, install a Wordpress plugin called Antivirus (imagine that) that will go through and find files that still have the malicious iframe code and notify you so that you can fix them. It also does some other really great things.

As a recap, here’s my plan:
1. CHANGE YOUR FTP password
2. Make your webhost step up the security, don’t let them say it’s just a wordpress problem.
3. clean your files (scanning any pc that connects via FTP to your host is a MUST also)
4. install the Antivirus plugin.
5. Post about your VICTORY and as always, JUST KEEP SWIMMING!

Even if you don’t have any problems, I highly recommend installing that plugin!

Below are the links that helped me the most. My sincere hope is that I have helped you, done enough failing forward for everyone in my Starting With Marketing group and that no one else has to be faced with such setbacks. After all we’re busy taking on the world! But if you are, that’s ok, just do it quickly and get back on track.

http://wordpress.org/support/topic/280878
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/antivirus/

Let me know your thoughts,
Tammie

easy to get overwhelmed, BUT

Tammie — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 04:23:21 +0000

Just Keep Swimming! (Dory the Fish from Finding Nemo) That has been my mantra this week…and it’s been an up and down week. I wanted to post like 3 days ago, but I’ve been trying to further set up this blog and make it more interesting/user-friendly. I got bogged down in permalinks (long story) but thanks to one of many generous people I was able to get a solution and now I have ‘pretty links’ that the search engines will like.

Permalinks was way back in the first module of the Starting with Marketing coaching, and I just now got it all straightened out. My blog is on a windows host and that is what created the problem. If you have a windows host and are having problems customizing your permalinks, check out this solution regarding permalinks using custom 404 redirects. It’s the one that helped me and I hope it helps you: http://tech.einaregilsson.com/2007/07/30/pretty-wordpress-permalinks-on-iis/

After the all the permalinks problems, I started to feel overwhelmed and behind. Let me tell you I have so many great classmates in the Starting with Marketing. We have a forum that is just amazing, everyone taking every possible opportunity to help each other out and provide updates on progress. And seeing how much everyone else had accomplished made me wonder if I have what it takes to see this program through.

Now it’s not easy for me to be so candid about this subject because I’m getting very personal here so bear with me.

I know at one time or another (or if you’re me at least once a week ha!) anyone who is trying to take on a tough challenge is going to be faced with several emotions…doubt, anxiety, discouragement, etc.

I mean, even being apart of a great coaching program like this where the mentor has done so much to help you lay a groundwork and get you the best possible start, you can still get overwhelmed and discouraged and wonder if you’re taking the right path.

When that happens it is crucial to not let it rule the day in your business. You must make it a high priority to do the following:

1. step back

2. take a deep breath

3. focus on the positives, DO NOT let the negatives get a foothold

4. rededicate yourself to the goal

5. get back in and KEEP IT MOVING (even if the steps are small, keep taking them forward)

If you think about it what we’re trying to do here is similar to moving a giant boulder. It’s very difficult to get it moving, and once you do, IF you do, it is much easier to keep it going than it was to get it started. That’s just plain physics.

Well, for a lot of us, I think, we’re not only trying to start a new boulder moving, but we’re trying to keep the old one going too (until, after a lot of hard work and time we don’t need it anymore!)

My old boulder is my current job, which admittedly though I know I’m so blessed to have it, is a great source of resentment for me these days because I’d much rather be working on my new boulder!

So today I was working on #3 above and after reading Marcus Passey’s latest blog post, I decided to take his example and list here what I’ve accomplished this week. They are small steps, but I’m moving…or ’swimming’.

Permalinks problem: Fixed!
My husband’s new blog: Installed & Running!
Starting With Marketing Module 2 Training Videos: Watched!
Join Twitter: Tweeting!
Wordpress Plugins: Installed! (Thanks to That Sick Hippie Guy for the great tips!) Twitter Tools, Simple Tags, Google XML Sitemaps
Keyword Research: Moving!
Goal Setting: Moving!

and finally, my last goal for the night was to write this post.

Thanks for coming back to my blog and part of my goal setting is to find ways to bring more value to you through my experiences.

Next time I’ll talk about how infectious this is becoming for people around me. My husband Mark has been looking over my shoulder through this and asked me to set up a blog for him! So Dean was right again, the excitement just catches on and people want to be apart of what we’re trying to do here, just like he said.

and I’m off and running

Tammie — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:13:29 +0000

Hey again thanks for coming back to my new blog.

At the end of my last post I mentioned how the lightbulb came on for me regarding my goal of ‘having my cake and eating it too’…being able to leave my job so I can stay home with my son AND not go bankrupt. I had to change my mindset from the traditional thought about single income streams.

Through my time on Jim Cockrum’s Silent Sales Team I learned about multiple streams. Once the bulb was burning bright for me I was on that site as often as possible, learning as much as I could about the many ways people are successfully generating income online. And there are a lot! I even got a little ‘information overload’ as is always a concern because there are so many smart and talented people out there who know how to leverage their talents on the internet. Through my study on Jim’s site, I met Rob Brooks, the Video Marketing Go-To Guy.

Rob wrote a great ebook on how to market using video, and there are a ton of ways that can be done to generate interest in a product and make it stand out above the rest. You can also use video to drive people to your affiliate site and make commissions that way.

I started emailing Rob with questions and before I knew it he was giving me all kinds of great information and I could tell that he really wanted to help me in my goal. Through Rob, I found out about Dean Holland who was just opening up his training academy for internet marketing newbies like me.

So that’s how this blog came to be. It is the first step in his program to learn how to make money online through Internet Marketing. I signed up for my first mentor training course “Starting with Marketing”. Dean is a student of Alex Jeffreys and to be honest, I hadn’t heard of Alex either because I was so new in this. But in reading Dean’s blog I was so encouraged by his progress (he has made enough in less than a year to justify quitting his full time job just last month) and his enthusiasm really makes me feel like I’ve picked a winner.

In this deal I think I really made out, as I’ve got a mentor in Rob Brooks and now Dean Holland. So keep an eye on me, ok? Watch this blog and see how it changes and see if I’ve made a good decision to dive into the world of Internet Marketing. I’ve got a lot riding on it and I’m willing to work as hard as I can. This is not only for me, but for my family and our future.

Thanks again for checking in with me. Let me know what you think about all this if you get a minute. I’m interested in knowing your thoughts and your story too.

Next time I’m going to talk about how I keep from being overwhelmed, overtired, and getting discouraged. I can be my worst enemy when it comes from stepping out and trying to make my own success.

Tammie

Then the lightbulb clicked on!

Tammie — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:09:57 +0000

My first post and I already have so much to say but I’m gonna TRY to keep this short. But I can already see that I’m going to LOVE blogging. Gosh I hope you will too, I can get a little ‘talky’.

I hope you’ll join into the conversation. I’m pretty much all over the place mentally; my husband calls it ’stream of consciousness’. I’ll try to be focused too, I guess!

My name is Tammie Hansberger. I am 38 years old and on terminal ‘traditional career’ burnout. It started when I realized that my career at the time (I’ve had a few since then) was giving back so much less than I was putting in. I’m sure you’ve been there, or are there now…tons of hours, and not a lot to show for it?

Fast-forward to now. I’m ecstatically married to a wonderful man, and we have a beautiful son. We both work, our son is in daycare. I’ve got weekends off, my husband doesn’t. Like many other American families, we’re trying to make a good living and provide a happy life for ourselves and our son…and figure out how to plan for the future.

But we don’t get much time together. Time together as a family is our favorite thing.

We are fortunate and are able to pay our bills. But there’s only enough to cover the bills and not much else. We worry about making it to the next paycheck, and feel guilty about eating out when we do.

I have a good job for a good company and work with very nice people, but my heart’s not in it. Not when someone else gets to be with my son all day and teach him what I should be teaching him, and watch in wonder when he says his ABC’s all the way through, all by himself (he’s 20 months…these are big things!)

I’m not down on daycare. I just want to be the one who’s there with him, that’s all.

So I’ve been looking for the answer. Trying to figure out how in the world I’m going to hold up my end of the financial bargain and be home with my boy. I’ve been considering everything: learning how to live on a tighter budget, home daycare, changing careers again…but to WHAT? I don’t have a lot of time here, this kid’s growing like a weed and I’m not getting any younger! We want to have another child before I’m in a walker.

I digress, but I have a feeling you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Through my awesome cousin, I got into selling on eBay and I love it. It is so much fun, and I never knew being an entrepreneur could be so…empowering! But it takes time to build and I don’t know if it can justify me staying home.

I sell all kinds of different things on eBay, and I love books, so I was on a Yahoo Group where I met Julia Schultz of Book Jewels. Through her I found out about Jim Cockrum. And when I started reading his Silent Sales Machine, the lightbulb came on…and it was BRIGHT.

Here I was trying to figure out the ONE thing that could create a better money picture for me, after all it’s what we’ve all done all our lives isn’t it? We’re taught to pick the one school, that will train us for the one career that we’ll work to bring home our one paycheck.

Jim helped me figure out that relying on ONE game plan is not only risky but it doesn’t take average people like me very far. He introduced me to the concept of multiple streams of income. And this is hugely possible through the internet. The possibilities are only limited by our way of thinking.

If the concept is not new to you I apologize for being remedial, but it still blows me away!

And now I find myself here, writing my first blog post, trying really hard not to write an entire book. There’s so much to talk about and we will! I never thought I’d be here, I’ll tell you that.

Thanks for reading my first post and we’ll talk again soon!