Are YOU jumping the BRAND-WAGON?

How to TRULY brand yourself the PINK Cow in the Massive Herd of Cattle!
By: Kellie Kuecha

Times have changed and the way in which we interact and sell ourselves has also changed. Never before has it been so easy to peer into the lives of our “friends” and competitors like it is today. It used to be that you would speculate and wonder what you competition was up to and unless you were on someone’s email “list” you really had no way of knowing much about their business. Now with the popularity of social media rising and the newsfeed becoming loaded with pitching, tele-seminars, articles and events coming at you tenfold, people are getting an intimate look into the business practices and lives of scores of entrepreneurs like never before. Is this a good thing? In many ways yes because access to information has never been so plentiful, but for your brand, it could be detrimental. Why because many will feel the need to copy, re-purpose and regurgitate your message. When that happens, you no longer have a unique brand. So the question you must ask yourself is “Do I want BRAND DOMINANCE in my niche or do I want to follow and conform to the masses?” Because today’s unique material and message will become tomorrow’s mass media and so it’s time for radical rebranding. It’s time to set a new standard. Let me explain.

Yesterday’s unemployed have become today’s social media experts, branding gurus, life and business coaches and the pool where many of the TRUE experts swam has now become a muddy ocean. What is more alarming is that many of the people that call themselves social media experts, have just a handful of friends themselves and their walls are not interactive in the least! They are not a living example of their message. So you ask, what qualifies someone as a social media expert in the first place? Is it amount of hours spent socializing, is it number of friends one has, is it how proficient you are in using the ever changing platform? In my world it comes down to one thing, how well someone has been able to convert conversations into CASH. At the end of the day socializing to build brand equity is important but if you cannot convert those conversations into clients and ultimately increase you bottom line, you are wasting your time and you are looking to the wrong gurus for help. While there are many fabulous experts in all of the areas mentioned, they can no longer compete the way they used to and neither can you.

While today’s brands must be consistent, we must also be flexible in our evolution because the next two years WILL unfold differently than the last two, hence the re-creation of my own brand that I have been working hard to re-launch. Three years ago many of us weren’t even on Facebook and there were different business issues to concern ourselves with but the entire model has changed and unfortunately one of two things seems to be happening: Many have not adapted culturally to the change and spend the majority of time online pitching rather than creating social currency because they somehow believe that social networking is an invitation to create a pitch fest. Others jump on every new BRAND-WAGON that comes down the newsfeed! Hence the seemly overload of experts and branding coaches everywhere! When I first started speaking and teaching on branding six years ago, very few had ever heard of the term and so I carved myself a nice little niche in the marketplace. But in times where the farm has become overloaded with cattle and the moos and cattle calls all sound the same, it’s time to prepare yourself for brand evolution. Here are my suggestions for keeping you brand fresh and top of mind while sticking to your TRUE core competency:

1. Nickname Yourself – One of the first things I do with my clients (especially those using coach or expert terminology) is come up with a nickname that fits exactly what they do. For instance, I go by the nickname YOU Monetizer. It tells you exactly what I do, shows benefit but still leaves enough ambiguity to entice someone to ask for more. Over the years I have created some fabulous nicknames for my clients many of which have become better branded than the individual’s own personal name. We must think “bottom line” in our promotions – our prospects don’t want to hear long commercials on what we offer and they certainly don’t want to hear that we are just another me too business (coach, realtor, banker, MLMer etc.) They want us to get right to the point and they want to see that we are different! Living in a world where tweeting and texting has conditioned us to speak in 140 characters or less, ours ears and minds have adapted accordingly and we are forced to condense our messages like never before.

2. Have a better and louder MOO than the other cows – In my last article I talked about creating a compelling message and questioned that if shouted your message from the rooftops, would it be powerful enough to get people to stop and listen? Furthermore, would it be compelling enough to not only get folks to stop and listen but in turn get them to stop their friends to listen too? When working with clients I help them condense all of their expertise down into that one key message that they are passionately convicted about and that they feel strongly and qualified enough about to shout it from the rooftops. For instance, a few nights ago I was fortunate enough to work with some Juice Plus reps. Great product, great people. One of them was mixing the business opportunity and product benefits into the same message. Big mistake. The other was focusing on several features of the product in her message, not the benefits. Neither was concisely delivering a message that would cause any of the others in the room to stop and listen. How do I know – we asked the others in the room! So I helped them both focus on their ideal client by asking them “What is the conversation going on in the mind of your idea client RIGHT NOW and how will YOUR product solve that issue?” Then I had them pair that with the message that they felt compelled to shout from the rooftop and wala – a new commercial and key message was formed. Once the compelling moo is established, we are then ready to formulate a clearly defined set of strategies to move the business forward to create cash flow!

3. Use a Powerful Brand Promise in all of your messaging – Throughout my brand you will see the promise “Give me one hour and I will create a brand, business and product uniquely for you!” In my business (and most likely yours) there are many different directions I can go with a client. Although my focus is branding (which by the way I am searching for a new unique term), I look at many other areas of someone’s business. Passive revenue models, missed income streams, inside operations and so much more. So as you can imagine, it wasn’t easy for me to condense my brand promise into that short little sentence. I am sure you believe the same holds true for you and that is ok. That’s why it’s beneficial to have another set of eyes looking at your business. Good brands can’t be all things to all people and a good brand message doesn’t need to divulge you entire scope of expertise. I challenge you to spend some time after reading this article to condense your services down into a one hour promise. See what you come up with and write me with your ahas!

4. OWN your OWN unique terminology – This is one of my favorite areas of business and one of my specialties. It’s called concept marketing. I believe in setting new standards, trendsetting, reinventing rules and creating some abstractness around a brand! Years ago when I first started conducting masterminds I trademarked the term MastHERmind. My target market was women and I didn’t want to have my program lumped in with every other group conducting masterminds. This was something new, hot, curriculum based and unique to my area of expertise. As a result, there was nothing for people to compare it to. Over the years many have attempted to copy the name, create similar versions of the name and emulate the concept. That is to be expected when you endeavor to establish new trends! But this is one of many unique names within my brand and the exact same thing I do with each and every one of my clients. Think about it – if you set a new standard and create a new set of terminology to define that standard, you have carved yourself a unique niche. Better yet, you now have the ability to structure your pricing different from the masses and that my friend is the start of earning what you are truly worth in business!

I hope that you gained some new insight into the need to become a PINK COW and MOOOO differently from the rest of the world! I would love to hear your feedback over at www.thewomanclub.com as your brand begins to evolve and grow from employing these simple techniques!!

Kellie Kuecha is a Marketing and Branding Bombshell specializing in women’s success. She is the CEO and Founder of The W.O.M.A.N. Club, Women that Win, Flow and Grow RICH, KidsBiz Academy and Women’s Wellness Society. Her journey into entrepreneurship began at the ripe age of 12 and she has been building businesses ever since. She has defied all the odds both in life and in business and has mastered the ability to turn adversities into advantages. She travels the world sharing her message and inspiring women to win in all areas of life! She is the mother of two young girls, Kayla and Karina, and has two bonus children, Brandon and Jason, who are all under the age of 12. All four children have their own businesses and are learning great lessons about the value of money, hard work and persistence. Post you articles and blogs a www.thewomanclub.com You can find me a www.KellieKuecha.com, Twitter @kelliekuecha, www.facebook.com/kkuecha

If YOU Lead Will THEY Follow?

Friends, Fans and Followers – The New Barometer for Business Success in the 21^st Century!

By: Kellie Kuecha

OK I vow to not be another talking head and certainly not another Social Media Expert on this topic but I think I bring some pretty valid points to the table when it comes to whose leading, whose following and one’s ability to strongly influence others! I was just challenged over on Facebook when I asked the very question, “If you lead will they follow?” The person wrote, “People don’t need to be led.” I strongly disagree and I will validate my point in just a bit. In the past few days (and often) when a big event, particularly women’s conferences or any sort of major gathering of people come to town, I often get a barrage of emails, text and chat messages asking if I am attending. Are people really inquiring about my attendance as a means to make their own decision about attending? Does my decision have an influence on their perceived value of the event? Maybe, maybe not, but I believe so. I learned a long time ago that leadership comes down to your ability to influence others. As a leader and influencer we must recognize that everywhere we go, everything we say and everything we do gets branded to our name and will most definitely have an influence on others seeking to make similar choices - so we must choose wisely.

When I first launched Women that Win (my conference business) years ago, there was a Boca Raton based, very prominent restaurant looking to change their demographic to a much younger, business oriented clientele. That restaurant used their marketing dollars to pay us to eat there, entertain our VIPs there and host our social gatherings there. Why you ask? Because they knew our decision to do so would influence their target market to do the same. While I cannot name the restaurant I am sure it’s one you have all come to know, love and respect in our local community. I have forged hundreds of deals like this that have worked in a similar fashion, but this type of exchange and marketing only works when you are prepared to deliver BIG value. That restaurant relied solely on my company to LEAD their ideal clientele down the path and through their doors. I was not and am not a PR agency, but in the eyes of the restaurant’s General Manager, I was perceived as someone with a strong influence and a loyal following. Now on the flipside, if I am not personally hosting or sponsoring an event, I am very careful about which events I do attend and promote as my name will get branded to the event and those in attendance. Choosing your appearances and putting your stamp on something is a strategy that must be carefully thought out. Are the attendees your target market? Do the movers and shakers in your industry come to such events? Do the people in attendance share the level of success and income that you aspire to have? What kind of perceived value would Demi Moore have if all the sudden she started appearing in C level movies? Have you thought about how your appearances affect your perceived value? OK back to my original point!

For many years I built up a very solid event business with high quality speakers, incredible production, lots of attendees and an unmatched take away value. That was how I branded myself in the early days of my career in helping women. I wanted to be known as the girl who put on the most incredible conferences with the highest take away value. The events were not about me in fact I stayed very much in the background. In addition, my goal not to compete on price or to be the cheapest game in town – a lesson that would go on to serve me well in business in later years. However, in order to succeed in my mission of putting forth the highest quality, highest value events, I had to first seek out what others were doing and find ways to add tremendously more value than they were.

At the time I got started there was only the Office Depot Success Strategies for Women and Balance Magazine’s Annual Women’s Conference. Two incredible events pulling similar audiences but neither filled a need that I had as a small business owner - a sense of belonging to something much greater than just the day itself. I also felt a void in value to the small business owner looking for tangible takeaway tools that could be implemented on Monday morning. Both events were fabulous but boasted large name celebrities whom I found difficult to relate to. Influence has a lot to do with someone’s ability to see themselves in you, it’s called relatability. Sadly, neither annual conference is still in existence today.

Since that time however, there have been scores of women’s conferences come onto the scene and as a result, I discontinued putting on conferences for a few years. Why – not because I believed the competition would deter my posse from continuing to flock to my events and not because I allowed some friendly competition to run me out of town but because I felt it was time to just marinate. I didn’t want to run with the herd. I believe sometimes you have to sit quietly and just let the juices flow. Soak it all in. Work on other endeavors and watch what is cooking around you. A good artist will do that. I am an artist. I am not a text book marketer nor am I a cookie cutter event planner. My body of work is different and my posse appreciates that about me. A good steak ages with time and an aged steak is oftentimes the juiciest! I knew for me to stay true to my own evolution, I needed to stop holding events that were focused on other people’s messages. I needed to evolve my own voice, my own message and sprinkle the other messages in between. The question is, would my posse be waiting in the wings for my comeback? You betcha! How do I know? Because they are my loyal friends and followers and they continue to beg for more!

I love when I get the inevitable seemingly weekly question where did your events go…..ahhhh….soon, very, very soon, is what I say. If you were a fan of the BeeGees or Shania Twain would you still be a fan if they came out of hiding and released their next album or launched their next tour? Most certainly you would. Many of us are loyal lifetime fans just waiting in the wings for the beloved people we follow to re-emerge, with a bigger, better and stronger message than the first time! Why? Because those artists have built incredible brands, permeated our hearts and turned us into loyal fans, friends and followers. Other new artists coming into town are not going to shake that!

The good news is – you don’t have to be a famous star to reap similar results in your world! Remember the song “You don’t have to be a star baby, to be in my show!” If you’re not ready to step out big and be the star then I will hold the space for you to grow! You can be the star in my show (subliminal hint here). The greatest gem about business today - is that we are all natural born stars given the exact same opportunity – and we get to choose our roles and the story that goes along with it! We no longer have to wait to be discovered by some big agent, the platforms are here thanks to social media! Which leads me back to my previous point! Only a small percentage of us will have the courage to step up and star in our own shows and the rest will sit back and watch - and that’s OK. Leading wouldn’t work if there was no one following. While it took me a lifetime to muster up the courage to star in my show- I love that I get to be the voice that sings loudly from my rooftop authentically and without inhibition. Free of fear and bold so that the watchers will become inspired to come up to the rooftop too! Gosh another tangent – let me get back to the main point!

“Good brands are bought, great brands are joined”. My most recent retweet by Scott Ginsberg. Boy I couldn’t agree more. Hasn’t leadership and influence really boiled down to three things - how many friends, fans and followers you have? For most of our careers that was an abstract, unquantifiable number. But the game has changed and today, we can see that number right in print! You ability to influence will reflect in the numbers! So now what? Sit tight as I finish my thought! Write this one down. Your ability to influence and increase your brand equity in the world of social media, depends solely on your ability to START the conversation, ENHANCE the existing conversation and then take them to a place to CONTINUE the conversation. It’s called LEADING and the “place” you lead them to can be online or offline! Get it? You get to be the star that leads them to that place! You see, I have spent the last two years doing just this. Starting, Enhancing and Leading my posse to places to continue the conversation where I sat back as a mini star among lots of other bright shining stars marinating my little heart away!

But the time has come and soon I will be putting out my big PINK flag and announcing the next evolution of MY signature events. A style of event that the world has never seen before. It’s taken several years to paint the canvas for my next phase and soon the time will come to unveil it however, I turn the question back to you. Could you disappear from the core function of your business (for me the event business) to marinate, still grow your income and most importantly create an even stronger brand along the way? You could if you previously established an indelible brand, you could if you had solid revenue streams that continue to make you money and the BIG one is - you could if your posse was pulling for you. I love Jessica Kizorek from Badass Businesswomen. She says “your level of success is largely dependent on the amount of people you have pulling for you!” That statement sums it all up! In the past few days I started using Twitter and paying more attention. I have been at the friend limit on Facebook almost since the start and it’s become quite a nuisance to get my message out in even bigger ways! As I peruse around Twitter, I have come to realize that influence is in fact, solely based on number of followers. You can’t acquire followers if you don’t have a ROCK SOLID core message. Do you know what yours is? And if you shouted it from the rooftops would it be interesting enough to stop people long enough to listen? Would it be strong enough for them to stop their friends and tell them to listen? That my friend, is how a movement begins.

So decide today - Who are you? What are you trying to say? Who are you trying to get to listen? What are you trying to get them to do? It’s a great place to begin! Remember, you aren’t in the business of schlepping products, vitamins, juices, coaching services, training sessions, insurance services and the like. You are in the business of marketing YOU and the unique value that you bring to the table that will ultimately change someone’s life! Your ability to carefully articulate that value in an inspiring message that you can shout from the rooftops will determine the amount of friends, fans, followers, income and influence that you get to enjoy.

While this article went in several different directions, I trust that you have learned some valuable lessons on leading and following. There are times when we must serve in both roles. Your heart will know best which role at which time is best for you! Now be sure to follow me on www.twitter.com/kelliekuecha and join my fanpage @ www.facebook.com/kkuecha. Ha :)

Kellie Kuecha is a marketing and branding expert specializing in women’s success. She is the CEO and Founder of The W.O.M.A.N. Club, Women that Win, Flow and Grow RICH, KidsBiz Academy and Women’s Wellness Society and a marketing and personal branding expert. Her journey into entrepreneurship began at the ripe age of 12 and she has been building businesses ever since. She has defied all the odds both in life and in business and has mastered the ability to turn adversities into advantages. She travels the world sharing her message and inspiring women to win in all areas of life! She is the mother of two young girls, Kayla and Karina, and has two bonus children, Brandon and Jason, who are all under the age of 12. All four children have their own businesses and are learning great lessons about the value of money, hard work and persistence. www.KellieKuecha.com

The Top Ten Ways I Have Kept My Kids OFF of Antibiotics and out of the Pediatrician for over 9 years!

by Kellie Kuecha

While many of you know me as a marketer, I am also a mom of 4 (5 if you count Cliff) and a very well educated wellness and nutritional junkie. While I don’t have a formal degree, I have spent the last 20 years since I was diagnosed with Cancer and Endometriosis (and told I would never bear children) studying alternative and holistic treatments. My own health crisis was the inspiration behind my women’s group called Women’s Wellness Society and this insatiable quest for knowledge. Through that organization and my various other creative outlets, I have been able to help thousands of people throw away their nebulizers, get rid of their allergies, reduce their cholesterol and best of all INCREASE their immune system health. I am not a doctor and nor am I making medical claims but I know without a doubt that if you follow some of my advice, you and your family will be on the path to better health!



Dear Friend,

I come from the philosophy that it’s much easier to stay well then it is to get well once we get sick. I am sure you have heard the saying - An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Unfortunately many people wait until after they become ill or disease stricken to concern themselves with their health and by that point - are forced to react from pure panic. When it comes to optimal heath, I believe that the formula is quite simple – Decrease the load on the immune system by caring for what goes into your body and in turn Increase the immune system’s capacity to protect by also caring for what goes into the body. Hippocrates said it best “let thy food be thy medicine” which I believe in wholeheartedly. However, we can no longer just rely on food to do the trick. The days are gone where we can trust manufactures, farmers and government to look out for our well being. Being a proactive parent requires us to do our own research and become the primary caregivers of our children’s health. Think about it, if we are proactive and are focused on prevention rather than treating sickness then is there really a need for routine visits to a pediatrician? I don’t believe so! While this document may ruffle some feathers, it’s merely meant to open your eyes to the warped system that many of us fall victim to each and every day. If I can help one child get healthier because a concerned mom reads this, then I have done my job! I worked hard to conceive my children and I don’t take my role as their mom lightly and I know you don’t either!

Kellie Kuecha


1. Use Probiotics – 80% of all immune system health resides in the gut! A healthy gut equals a healthy body and a strong immune system. Unfortunately antibiotic use is a common practice, especially in pediatric medicine. Children with ear infections are often prescribed antibiotics, which seldom are necessary. A recent analysis of 135 published studies found that most kids who see a doctor for ear infection do not need an antibiotic. The review, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) determined that 80 percent of children with ear infections will get better on their own in about three days. 50% of all antibiotics are prescribed unnecessarily. Over-prescription of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic resistance and affects the ability of bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment. That’s very important because if antibiotics do not work for infections, there isn’t much else. Unfortunately each time an antibiotic is used to kill an infection it wreaks havoc on the healthy intestinal flora that keeps your immune system strong. This becomes a vicious cycle if Probiotics are not taken on a regular basis to combat the negative effects of antibiotic use. My kids take probiotics daily. Probiotics literally means “for life.” There are many ways in which probiotics function “for life,” for without them we would be seriously ill and succumb to many different diseases.

2. Rid your Home of Toxic Chemicals – chemicals enter our bodies in three ways - absorption, inhalation and ingestion. While the kids are little of course ingestion is a big problem if you are using mainstream cleaners. But the real risk after that is with absorption and inhalation. Our skin is our largest organ and will absorb whatever it comes in contact with so caring for what goes ON your body is crucial. Our cosmetics, shampoos, lotions and the like are all ridden with chemicals many of which have been proven to cause long term harmful effects. According to the EPA formaldehyde (which is used in many of our homecare and personal care products) is a known carcinogen. It is being used legally as a preservative but without a doubt is a huge contributing factor to the demise of our immune system health. I was shocked years ago to see it in Johnsons Baby Shampoo under the alias Quaternium 15. Good luck reading labels because manufactures are not required to list ingredients by their actual name. Asthma is responsible for 1 out of 3 of all emergency room visits which is truly alarming and an unnecessarily high statistic that oftentimes can be traced back to the inhalation of household cleaners. When I met my fiance Cliff, he had the worst case of asthma that I had ever seen. Today is he asthma free! Lymphoma is the #1 cause of death in children, poisoning in the home is #2. At the turn of the century 1 out of 8,000 people were at risk for getting cancer, today it’s 1 out of 3. The warning signs are there, we must all commit to being ambassadors for change by committing to learn better, safer options. Take a few moments and take the No Toxic Zone Pledge at www.thenotoxiczone.com and commit to learning simple, small and effective ways to create change.

3. Take Good Absorbable Vitamins and Minerals – Food is still the most important source for good health however for over 100 years now our soils have been over farmed and depleted leading to a huge mineral deficiency in our fruits and vegetables. According to JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association) every adult regardless of age or health status needs to take a daily multi-vitamin. The problem is that not all vitamins and minerals are created equally. Furthermore, it’s not what you take but more importantly what you absorb! I would need an entire book to write about this conspiracy theory but here is the skinny. Vitamins are an unregulated industry which pretty much allows for the doors to be wide open for anyone to manufacture a supplement, slap a label on it and call it a vitamin. There are no watchdogs! Here is another place where you must be an educated consumer. With thousands of manufactures displaying products on your local store shelves, how is one to know what to choose? You must search for a vitamin backed by scientific research that can clinically prove maximum absorbability. I was finally able to naturally conceive my children as a result of nutrition therapy years ago. Grapeseed extract became the hero for me! Grapeseed has been documented to help with over 65 different degenerative diseases, is a food supplement and can even cross the blood brain barrier. It also acts as a natural anti-histamine for those of you that suffer from allergies! I personally use Vitality 6 vitamins and supplements which guarantee the highest absorption on the market today and are also refundable for up to 90 days. My older kids also take this line as well which is a combination of a multi-vitamin, omega-3 fish oil, grapeseed and resveratrol, probiotics, calcium and mineral supplement and a broad spectrum antioxidant. With this mixture I was able to get off of my thyroid medication and more recently my 9 year old has gotten relief from her sweaty palm syndrome that has no cure!

4. Stop Following the Herd and Start Surrounding Yourself with Like-Minded People – I remember years ago when I made the tough choice not to vaccinate my kids being out casted but the other moms in my mom’s club. I was so excited to share my newfound knowledge with the other moms when quickly I realized I had made a big mistake in being so open. I knew I had made the right choice but all of the sudden the other moms viewed my child as a risk to theirs when in fact their children were more of a risk to mine! I quickly realized that if I was going to be supported in my own beliefs I needed to surround myself with other moms who felt the same way so I started the Women’s Wellness Society. Since then I have become a member of many other groups of women that share similar interests and you will want to do the same! The last thing you want to do is start second guessing yourself once you made a well educated choice! You will gain lots of reassurance and many new friendships to being a part of such groups both offline and online!

5. Understand your options when the kids get sick – Running to the doctor every time the kids got sick was never my plan of action. After awhile I relied less and less on doctors and started learning my own simple remedies coupled with proactive health planning. I found a great holistic doctor in my area that gave me access to him after hours on his cell in the early years when I was adjusting to natural parenting. I used chiropractors as a means for proactive health and I did NOT reduce fevers every time my kids got one! Fever is the body’s natural way of fighting sickness and if the fever was under 104, I just let it work through its natural course. We NEVER use mainstream cough and cold remedies. If they do cough, we put the oil on their chest, on their pillow, in the diffuser and sometimes use Chestal which is a natural honey exlixer. I also relied heavily on my two bibles, Prescription for Nutritional Healing and Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child. Every day the kids got grapeseed in their bottles and went to bed at night with Melaleuca Oil in their vaporizers and diffusers. These little techniques added up to the amazing results I have had with my children’s health today. Pink eye was common in our home the first few years but since I was breast feeding I used the breast milk to cure the pink eye. I also used garlic and Melaleuca oil the few times that the kids got ear infections. We rarely deal with either anymore!

6. Eliminate the Sugar! – Believe it or not, sugar in the number one weakener of the immune system. The over consumption of sugar today has not only caused a terrible increase in obesity in our country but it’s making our kids chronically sick! I did not give my kids juices, sodas, Yohoos, sugar water, Gatorade and loads of candy growing up! If you don’t introduce your kids to them they will never ask for them. As a result, my kids ask for water at meals and my older daughter despises anything sweet. Eating or drinking 100 grams (8 tbsp.) of sugar, the equivalent of about two cans of soda, can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by forty percent. The immune-suppressing effect of sugar starts less than thirty minutes after ingestion and may last for five hours. In contrast, the ingestion of complex carbohydrates, or starches, has no effect on the immune system. Disease thrives on sugar! I also personally do not believe that children grow up fat because of genetics. They are taught habits by us as parents. Sugar is one area that if handled properly, will help you to avoid most of the common colds and other infections that come down the pike. Why vaccinate your kids against the flu when you can be proactive in preventing the flu in the first place. Don’t get me started on that topic!

7. Buy Organic – Although you may not be using prescription antibiotics with your children, unless you are feeding them only organic meats and dairy products, they are still getting regular doses of antibiotics in their food. I remember the first meat and dairy seminar I attended years ago, I was so alarmed that I became a vegetarian overnight. I then attempted to raise my first child vegetarian which seemed like a great idea at the time until all of her preschool friends enticed her with chicken nuggets every Tuesday. That was the end of that! Our non-organic fruits and veggies also contain large amounts of pesticides that are huge immune system disrupters.

8. Open Your Windows – Studies show that indoor air quality is much more toxic than outdoor air and the EPA has stated that women working from home are 55% more likely to develop some sort of cancer as a result. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) come from paints, solvents, pesticides, air fresheners, hobby supplies, dry-cleaned clothing, aerosol sprays, adhesives and fabric additives and wood treated with arsenic (CCA). Some of these VOCs can cause eye, nose and throat irritation; headaches; loss of coordination; nausea; or damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. Open your windows as often as you can, clean your air ducts and avoid air fresheners and toxic candles! Stay away from carpeting and only use NO VOC paints!

9. Bring Wellness into the Classroom – Now that you have done all this great work at home, you send your kids off to an 8 hour school day where their environments are full of toxins! My kids had not developed immunity to bleach and Lysol cleaners because they were never exposed to them and as soon as they started school, they both developed circles rashes on the backs of their knees. It’s as simple as requesting that their teachers use Non Toxic alternatives and provide them with the products to help them seamlessly make that change! We have now been successful at getting entire schools and daycare centers to take the No Toxic Zone Pledge and our taskforce can help them through the transition!

10. Opt OUT of the School Milk Program and Monitor School Meals – While many of us were raised that milk does that body good, it’s a bunch of BS. Milk does the body more harm than good in many ways! We are lead to believe that our kids need milk for vitamins and calcium but by the time milk is pasteurized and treated, very few nutrients are left. In addition, unless you are buying organic, you are getting an entire slew of other junk in the milk. Did you know that we are the only species on the planet that drinks another mammal’s milk! We don’t need it! I found a great website that you can do additional research on www.notmilk.com. You must opt out of the milk program at school to ensure your kids don’t get enticed into drinking the chocolate stuff while you aren’t looking! There are no watchdogs at school either so you have to frequently monitor this one also! I found my little one buying ice cream daily and no one was paying attention. I quickly put that to an end!

Although this information can seem a bit daunting, I can help you through some of the initial stages that matter the most! We have a team that can do free eco-audits over the phone and help get you and your family on your way to optimal health! Please refer to the disclaimer listed below. For further information you can reach my office by email at kellie@kelliekuecha.com or 561-416-1769.

Will a restaurant owner who publishes a cookbook kill her business?

By: Kellie Kuecha

A Client has an amazing restaurant with home cooked food. I recommend a cookbook to her. She says no – “no one will come to my restaurant if I give away all my secret recipes” What mistake is she making?

Well there are several not to mention the mistake of short sightedness. Often in business we hold onto our treasured “secrets” out of fear of loss rather than looking at the all the potential gains from expanding our consciousness! There is nothing more liberating than growing as a result of having an open mind and an open heart. Here are some of the points to ponder in considering how to get your name branded outside of your brick and mortar business. It’s always great when we can learn from other’s mistakes! Enjoy!

1. So the first problem is that my client failed to see that she only had one income stream. Cooking food. Her income was solely based on trading hours for dollars which is a classic mistake many small business owners make. My recommendation is to create 3-4 additional streams of income with 1 or 2 giving her passive revenue. A cookbook will help her to make additional revenue in the restaurant and also on the web.

2. Although she has established an amazing following by having consistently great food, having a cookbook gives her an additional marketing tool that enables her loyal customers to continue the conversation about her food and restaurant long after they visit the establishment.

3. Out of towners may never be back again but the cookbook will help carry on the legacy. I visit a bed and breakfast once a year in Cape May New Jersey called Angel of the Sea and staying at this Inn is truly like Heaven on Earth! Years ago I purchased their cookbook however I only use it on very special occasions. I love recreating the warm feeling I get when staying in their Inn right in my very own home. Benefit to the Angel of the Sea – their brand continues to grow in my mind and in my heart!

4. Few people will actually use the cookbook enough for it to make a difference. In the information product world we know that statistically only a small percentage of folks will actually view materials purchased. In the case of a cookbook – for many it will serve as a keepsake. So the threat of someone not returning because they have access to her great recipes in almost irrelevant.

5. Her goal should be focused on creating an unforgettable experience inside the restaurant to ensure that her local loyals keep coming back. Good food is only one part of the equation.

6. Having a cookbook also lends instant credibility to the owner. Having products and books with YOUR name on them help to further establish your expertise in the eyes of the consumer. A book serves as an incredible calling card enabling doors to open that may not open otherwise!

7. Since this woman spends the bulk of her time behind the counter cooking, her perceived value is that of a chef. Having a cookbook instantly gives her name recognition and enables her to be perceived as a business person and not just a great chef. You might be surprised at the opportunities that could arise from this alone.

8. In the end – nothing can replace the experience of dining out or visiting your favorite hot spot. Just because I can make a breakfast soufflé or perfect scones thanks to the Angel of the Sea Cookbook, doesn’t mean that I won’t return again each year!

Kellie Kuecha is a marketing and branding expert specializing in women’s success. She is the CEO and Founder of The W.O.M.A.N. Club, Women that Win, Flow and Grow RICH, KidsBiz Academy and Women’s Wellness Society and a marketing and personal branding expert. Her journey into entrepreneurship began at the ripe age of 12 and she has been building businesses ever since. She has defied all the odds both in life and in business and has mastered the ability to turn adversities into advantages. She travels the world sharing her message and inspiring women to win in all areas of life! She is the mother of two young girls, Kayla and Karina, and has two bonus children, Brandon and Jason, who are all under the age of 12. All four children have their own businesses and are learning great lessons about the value of money, hard work and persistence. www.KellieKuecha.com

Top 10 things you need to know BEFORE you create your next website!

By Kellie Kuecha

Over the years I have had a variety of websites built for a myriad of purposes and I certainly have learned LOTS along the way! My purpose for creating this report is not to disparage anyone but instead to help save all who read it lots of time, money and heartache. By the time most of my clients get to me, they have already put a site up, spent a small fortune and have virtually no flexibility in their ability for their site to evolve with them as their brand transitions. Unfortunately I have seen far too many people engage in contracts with designers without the correct knowledge of what to ask for, and then sink loads of money down only to end up un-enthralled with their site. Oftentimes regardless of whether or not the site passes the acceptability point – the buyer still owes the remaining balance. This often results in both parties being extremely unhappy and sites getting shut down resulting in money spent essentially being thrown in the hopper. Please note that I specialize in Personal “Bankable” Branding and Small business and I help my clients position their companies under their personal name as the umbrella so my advice will lean more towards small business personal sites rather than large company sites although I have created several of each! I hope this document helps you in your endeavors.

1. Graphics – Who, What, Where, When, How? Unless you have hired a full fledged branding, marketing and advertising agency, your web designer is not usually the same person that will create your logo and brand essence that will ultimately position you and your company to truly stand out. Some will offer to do both but check out dozens of portfolios before making the decision to put both tasks into the same hands. Don’t hesitate to call a few of their clients. Website developers are only as good as the information and examples given to them. You will want a highly competent graphic designer to work on your logo prior to hiring your website developer. In addition you will want to have dozens of great pictures of yourself taken by a photographer who understands the brand messaging you are trying to relay. I personally use Sabrina Fajardo at The Laughing Zebra to create all the graphics for my business from my logos to my fliers to my headers etc, specifically because she’s exceptional and because we have worked together long enough for her to know the look and feel I am going for. I also use Carlos Aristizabal as my photographer as I have been with him for years and he knows very well my taste and image I prefer and he is brilliant at capturing it. Before sending my client off to the graphics designer and photographer I provide all parties with a comprehensive branding report so the artists know what direction to take the artwork. You will want to have a branding specialist help you construct your brand brick by brick so that your site emulates the essence of exactly who you are and clearly illustrates why your target market should work with you and only you! In addition to the custom graphics you will need, you may also need stock images on your site. Be sure to either open up an account with Istock and purchase your own graphics or have your developer give you a receipt for images that were purchased for your site. This is an area that both I and several of my clients have run into problems. There are many ways to search for images on the web but oftentimes those images belong to someone else. Images that are used on the web have properties that can be traced back to the person using them. If you have not paid for the images, you may find yourself getting legal letters stating that you have engaged in copyright infringement. Getty Images is notorious for this one so be careful!

2. Static or Alive? In today’s every expanding and evolving world of web and business it is critical to have a site that can be manipulated and grow with you! Three years ago many of us weren’t concerned with how well our sites interacted with Facebook and Twitter and today it’s essential! I often see people get confused on whether or not to use a site that has a Word Press platform or to just use a static platform. Well I can only speak from my own experience but my static personal website will no longer serve my needs or the needs of my community as it stands right now. I have fought it for a long time but I too am moving on over to a Word Press platform so I have the freedom and flexibility of adding content and video to my site whenever I feel the urge to. Please don’t get confused with Wordpress.com and Wordpress.org. They are two different animals. If you are looking for your site to both look like a site and also have blogging capabilities you will want the site built on Wordpress.org. If you just want a blog then Wordpress.com suffices. I am using The Internet Genius Ben Cope to help me seamlessly through this transition!

3. Landing Pages or Full Websites? These are two very different types of sites with two very different purposes. A landing or squeeze page serves simply one or two main purposes, to acquire leads and/or to sell a product. You will often see these sites scroll down with lots of text, testimonials and loads of other sales information. Some are very direct and require your name and email to get whatever free information is being offered. Many of these types of sites can be created using templates and can be done without the need to hire someone, however if in any way your landing page looks homemade – scrap it and hire a professional. That is pretty much a standard rule of thumb in business overall. I built several of my own landing pages using templates and you can see them at www.thewomanclub.net and www.profitfrombeingyou.com Full websites are necessary when you have a variety of menu items and require a full showcase of who you are and all that you offer. It’s important that you know the difference.

4. Front End Specialists and Back End Specialists – Are they the same person? Here is another area many people get confused in believing that web creation is a one-stop-shop proposition. A front end developer is typically someone that has a great artistic talent and can articulate your vision into web components that make up your site. However these are not usually the same specialists that will build out the code necessary for your site to give you analytics, data mining and so many other custom functions that you may require depending on your offerings. Be very clear in your needs in advance and make sure your contract spells out detail by detail what your needs are! You can hire coders that work for pennies on the dollar in other countries by contracting through www.elance.com or www.odesk.com. If your project is large and you want to hire a firm to be your project architect you will want to hire my friend Aaron Friedman at Bitmap Systems to layout the entire process for you and communicate directly with the coders on your behalf.

5. Good Aesthetics or Cash Cow? So by now you probably get that having a pretty site in no way determines your ability to convert your visitors into paying clients. One of the first things I do with my clients after setting up their Bankable Brand is to figure out exactly what offerings they have and how best to position those offerings throughout the site. The site visitor must be put on an immediate and enticing sales path that they feel good enough about to leave their information or make a purchase. This is a very tricky process and must be set up by someone like myself who specializes in the sales psychology of converting visitors into paying clients. This is one area you do not want to leave in the hands of your developer. Remember, they are only as good as the information you give them.

6. One Person Operation or Large Company? Now this is a tricky one as I see both advantages and disadvantages to both! My first ever website was built by an individual who was and is brilliant at both front end and back end processes. I loved the fact that I could call and talk to him anytime and he worked fairly quickly on my projects. When it came time for custom programming, he handed me off to a larger sub partner of his that I spend thousands with to build out my back end. Eventually he was no longer doing web work, the larger company got sold and I essentially was SOL! Today that custom software is antiquated and no longer serves the purpose it was originally intended for. Small guy – great for more personalized attention, large guys – you are often just a number and your points of contact could sometimes change. I have worked with a few larger companies (who have for the most part been great) but find that sometimes it takes weeks to get an issue resolved. Some of the larger companies have fallen victim to the economy and either get sold, downsize or go out of business altogether. Over the last year I have put a lot of my trust in this area with Jeff Ratushney and his company Internet Sales Results who continues to grow very rapidly but still has a very personalized approach. They are successful enough to ensure that their clients are satisfied or they don’t pay. In such a tricky endeavor, I find it crucial to have this type of guarantee and very few can offer it. I highly recommend Jeff and ISR!

7. Template or Custom? I have used several template companies over the years and some of them are great if you are on a tight budget but don’t be naïve in believing that ALL web work is custom work. Now again, there is nothing wrong with a template as long as you know in advance that this is specifically what you are getting in your contract. There are lots of folks out there calling themselves designers but have no real knowledge beyond putting up the initial site. Templates can tend to be very limited. Again, your choice between custom or template shall vary depending on your specific needs and desired outcome!

8. Content – is More or Less Better? If you are expecting to make money on your site – less content is better. If your copy is not telling a story that ultimately leads to a sale – leave it out. This is another are that I leave up to the experts. I put my clients through an extensive branding evaluation, story building process and a test I refer to as PLAVCO that are all designed to help my clients profit from being themselves, their passions and their expertise! Once I extract all of that great info – I highly recommend a well established copywriter to pull it all together. I personally recommend and use Jane Garee from Write Expressions to do this work for you. The About Us page on your site is the most heavily visited page of any site and it must be positioned the right way! You can use mine as a guideline!

9. Be Clear on the Essentials – Brand, Core Mess, Mission, Vision and Purpose, Story, Brand Promise, Target Market. (Depends if we are marketing YOU or Your Company!) It would take me about ten more pages of information to properly articulate this point so let me try and simplify it. A website without a definitive audience, core message and clear promise will never amount to true, well paying clients. Your Bankable Brand must come shining through on your site along with your Key Selling Propositions sprinkled throughout with all the benefits that the consumer will gain from working with you and your company. Your mission tells the prospect what you are setting out to accomplish, your vision gives a longer term prospectus on where you are going and your purpose should tell them why you exist. These are all very well thought out processes that sometimes take dozens of hours to nail. Don’t be in such a hurry to get your site up before carefully thinking these items through. I recommend developing these components through MastHERminding.

10. To be Seen or Not to be Seen – Google holds the keys...or do you? Everything I just taught you will work fine and dandy however if you take all the steps, spend all the money and no one can find you on the web you have wasted precious time and money. Worst yet your site will lay dormant and become just another pretty piece of dusty old artwork. This is a very tough lesson for many to learn so if I can help save someone from the web black hole then I will have successfully completed my mission. Your site MUST be built in advance for Search Engine Optimization; there is no other way to put it. It is far too costly to go back and repair after a site has already been constructed. I know with Internet Sales Results -they use 36 different protocols to properly set up a site so that it can dominate the search engines. This is a very highly skilled are of expertise that not all web developers posses and that’s ok – they don’t need to. You just need to be good at asking the right questions and again, knowing what your contract actually includes.

Kellie Kuecha is a marketing and branding expert specializing in women’s success. She is the CEO and Founder of The W.O.M.A.N. Club, Women that Win, Flow and Grow RICH, KidsBiz Academy and Women’s Wellness Society and a marketing and personal branding expert. Her journey into entrepreneurship began at the ripe age of 12 and she has been building businesses ever since. She has defied all the odds both in life and in business and has mastered the ability to turn adversities into advantages. She travels the world sharing her message and inspiring women to win in all areas of life! She is the mother of two young girls, Kayla and Karina, and has two bonus children, Brandon and Jason, who are all under the age of 12. All four children have their own businesses and are learning great lessons about the value of money, hard work and persistence. www.KellieKuecha.com

Building a Bankable Brand!

By Kellie Kuecha, Marketing and Branding Expert

Coming from a long history in banking and being the bottom-line person that I am, I found my inspiration for this article from what I feel are the “abilities” one must have in order to build a brand that, by all counts, is a bankable one. Before I share my formula, let’s take a look at the wiki definition of “bankable.” A “bankable star” is an actor famous or charismatic enough to be “capable of guaranteeing box-office success simply by showing up in a movie.” Well the good news is you don’t have to be in a movie to make a big impact on the world, however you must be a star — the star of your own show! With today’s social media and technology outlets, each day we are given an unprecedented opportunity to influence our audiences like never before. How well we perform in our own YOU-nique role will determine the level of impact we have on our audience and ultimately our bottom line. Here are just a few of the ingredients in my Bankable Brand Formula:

1. Like-ability: Whether we like it or not, life is a series of popularity contests. The choices that others make about us will ultimately affect our health, happiness and of course our bottom line. We have all heard the saying, “People do business with those they know, like and trust.” The more likeable we are, the more likely we are to be on the receiving end of success and prosperity.
2. Relate-ability: One of the most essential abilities necessary to building a bankable brand is one’s ability to connect with her audience in a BIG way. This means exposing ourselves in ways that we may have never explored in the past. It means stepping outside of the nice, clean-cut corporate image you have created around your company and bearing it all. I take my students through a test called PLAVCO that helps uncover key areas of their story and those become the threads by which the brand is crafted. People must see a piece of themselves in us in order to create both relate-ability and likability.
3. Message Stick-ability: Attached to your personal brand has got to be what I refer to as a “sticky” message. This is your brand guarantee. For example, mine is, “Give me one hour and I will create a brand, business and product from scratch uniquely for you!” Your message has to be one that captures the minds and hearts of your potential clients and it must be one that they can remember. Domino’s Pizza built their entire brand message on the promise that you would receive your pizza in 30 minutes or less from the time of your order or your money back. That message has continued to stick with us today.
4. WOW-ability: If you have ever followed Richard Branson, Madonna, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez or Lady Gaga, then you know that these individuals have mastered the art of creating the WOW factor. Their ability to continuously keep us guessing (both personally and professionally) has enabled them all to grow very vast empires while continuing to remain popular. Neither Britney nor Jennifer has profound musical talents but their audiences enjoy watching their lives unfold before them. Don’t be afraid to let your edgy side come through in your brand.
5. Bank-ability: At the end of the day, our brand must not only increase our bottom line, it must add value to the bottom lines of our prospects and/or colleagues. For instance, in my event business, I very seldom hire a speaker that does not have a grouping of products that can be sold at the end of their talk. In the event business, a bankable speaker has a large following, is great at adding value for the audience and will ultimately impact the promoter’s bottom line.

While there are several more ingredients that make up the Bankable Brand Formula, I trust that you understand that it takes a solid, well-crafted personal brand to succeed in business in the 21^st Century. Futhermore, in order to build a bankable brand that has a global impact you must first lay the foundation in your own back yard. To get your FREE copy of my signature speech, “Building the Brand Called YOU,” please visit www.KellieKuecha.com/buildingthebrandcalledyou

Kellie Kuecha is a marketing and branding expert specializing in women’s success. She is the CEO and Founder of The W.O.M.A.N. Club, Women that Win, Flow and Grow RICH, KidsBiz Academy and Women’s Wellness Society and a marketing and personal branding expert. Her journey into entrepreneurship began at the ripe age of 12 and she has been building businesses ever since. She has defied all the odds both in life and in business and has mastered the ability to turn adversities into advantages. She travels the world sharing her message and inspiring women to win in all areas of life! She is the mother of two young girls, Kayla and Karina, and has two bonus children, Brandon and Jason, who are all under the age of 12. All four children have their own businesses and are learning great lessons about the value of money, hard work and persistence.

What does your trash say about YOU!

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I am a big time GREENIE and Environmental Activist who puts lots of time and energy into educating consumers on the need to contribute in a positive way to our planet. Every Monday and Thursday here in my neighborhood is trash pickup day and on Mondays the city picks up the recyclables. At least two miles of my daily 5 mile trek is spent walking or running through the neighborhood and I get to explore hundreds of different trash loads throughout the journey! Needless to say, I have learned a lot about people’s trash over the last three months since I have been observing and most of it has not been pretty! For the sake of this article I have broken down our trash disposers into three different categories and being the “black and white” person that I am, there is no grey in my world when it comes to trash. You are either helping the planet by what you use and how you dispose of it – or you are hurting it!

1. We have the Tree Hugger Disposers – I would have to put myself in this category but I will use my sister in law as the example since she lives on my street and I walked past her load today. Krystine is one of the most health conscious people that I know and her trash reflects it. Most items in her recyclable bin come from Whole Foods or other Green Manufacturers. But what I like most about her load is that in a house of just two people, she uses four recycle bins each and every week and EVERYTHING she can recycle ends up in there! I have to believe that most have no clue as to what actually can and can’t be recycled so here is a summary for those that live in my area of Boca Raton. http://www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/muni/pdf/sanit/SaniBroch10-11%203.pdf

2. Next we have the Tide Disposers – I use the term Tide to describe those that fall into the grey area of people who use Tide and the families of other products that don’t have bio-degradable containers and that are proven to be a detriment to our planet. No judgment here – just facts! Tree huggers have figured out that phosphates are destroying our oceans as are the many other chemicals we wash down the drains daily but Tide users have not yet been privy to that info therefore they don’t believe that their little disposing habits will contribute to the bigger cause. Also very important to know is that every time a plastic bottle is used, it never leaves the planet so it’s become even more important now to use concentrated whenever possible so that our oceans don’t continue to get polluted. At this current moment there are 5 places in the oceans that are the size of Texas ridden with recyclables that were not properly disposed. Check it out! http://www.theworld.org/2009/08/great-pacific-garbage-patch/ The Tide users are my inspiration behind starting the No Toxic Zone Movement! So – if you fall into this category, it’s ok because now you know better! There are much better, safer, less expensive ways to clean and dispose. Take the pledge and learn how!

3. Lastly we have the Lost Souls – The picture below describes it all. The lost souls never took the time to get their recycle bins from the city and therefore could care less what happens to their garbage once it leaves their home! To me this is a complete disgrace and an utter lack of respect to both our community and our planet. I find it next to impossible to convince these folks that they should consider new ideals because the idea of a better, safer planet doesn’t make for good conversation in the minds of this group!




Did you know that if every household in North America used concentrated natural products instead of mainstream grocery store brands, in 10 years we would save almost 7 billion pounds of plastic? If that plastic were turned into laundry baskets, it would circle the earth 71 times. So in closing, I hope my article impacted you a little today because I believe that the many that fall into category 2 would be willing to make a change if they knew it wouldn’t make a big disruption in their life. I am here to help and happy to answer any questions so feel free to respond with your thoughts!