This is a non-work blog because I’m taking some time off until the New Year. I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas. To the delight of my kids (and the grownups too) it’s snowing and this was the view from our house this morning

Then this afternoon…

The snowman I made this morning looked like he was a candidate for surgery, and I had to remove his hump after my young son burst into tears with fright.

Christmas had had some strange effects on various marketers with some of the HUGE sales I’ve seen around. I’ve picked up some excellent deals on various software and PLR packages that have been sold very inexpensively.

One of my marketing mates told me he’d had some unsubscribers because he’d written ‘Xmas’ in an email or blog post and a few religious readers found it offensive. 

I remember a teacher saying the same thing to me at school but was surprised people still felt strongly about it. Interesting…

After howling like a thrashed puppy while my hands thawed out (snowman’s revenge) I took my netbook into the room that overlooks the garden (marvellous thing wireless internet) and watched the kids play while I checked a few emails and generally got my marketing fix for the day, even though I’m not working

The ‘grapevine’ threw up a couple of very interesting launches which are due in January. The last time I promoted a launch was in October but I’m going to be all over these two Janury launches because they’re VERY good. I’m currently trying to sort out a deal for you because while they won’t be of interest to everyone who reads me emails, they are both seriously good bolt-ons to any business. I’ve already got a review copy of one and you’ll see me using it in my business next year.

As usual I’ll present the facts and you do the deciding.

What else happened today?

I sent for Frank Kern’s free DVD (no contunuity or anything – nice one Frank!) and that should ease me into the marketing spirit when it arrives in the New Year. Then we (me and my family not me and Frank) went for a walk into the village. very Christmassy indeed.

My kids are now both extremely excited about the Christmas season. We bought them some chocolate then walked up past the church to visit the horse in the top field.

It looked bollock freezing to be quite honest, poor animal!

My wife and I watched the kids chatting to it while we warmed ourselves from the 12 year old malt in my hip flask.

We had a quiet bet that the horse would be in Equine heaven within the week- -frozen to the ground.

Actually last Christmas we found a dead cow in a field too. We must be like the ‘Final Destination 2′ of the animal world!

Tomorrow I’m off to a mastermind meeting that is really an excuse for a pie and a pint and to say Merry Christmas to some other marketers., and that’s about it really – if I can get over the moors, we’re due more snow tonight. My usual BIG apology to the Candians and Americans out there who get real snow, but the UK grinds to a stop after a couple of inches. It’s part of the fun.

Declare war on us and we’ll become self-sufficient within three minutes but two inches of snow and the met office declares ’severe weather warnings’

The real reason for posting is twofold. To wish you and yours a very happy Christmas and New Year, and I hope you’ll be around to do the me huge honour of reading my various ramblings, sales promos and opinions next year. You think you learn from me? I learn a HELL of a lot more from you – so thank you.

And finally if you have a spare $17 I want it. Not for me, but for a worthy cause. A charity that you’ve possibly never heard of but is as worthy as any I know. I was asked by Martin Avis to write a short article for an ebook earlier this year, with the aim of selling the book to raise money for the charity.

Now you can get more details here but I just want to say that this is a cracking product – the marketers who have contributed to this are the real deal – people who make their livings online and who know their subjects inside out. There are a couple of my mates in there and a couple of my heroes too. If you fancy a good Christmas read with an internet marketing theme, and you’d like to help out a VERY worthy cause then grab yourself a copy.

ALL the proceeds from this go to charity. I don’t get any sort of payment in any way for this, even thought it looks like an affiliate link, it’s just for tracking purposes. Grab your copy HERE

So that’s it. The support desk will be checked over the holiday period, so you’re not on your own, and like you I’ll probably be unable to stay away from the PC so will be checking my own email on a pretty regualr basis.

Whatever your beliefs or geographical location, Merry Christmas / Happy Holiday / What’s he on about?

I’ll see you in the New Year. As always comments are welcome on the blog….

Just want to leave you with this – a cracker fell apart the other day as I was unpacking them and this was the joke inside it…

‘Did you hear about the Devil Worshipping Dyslexic? He sold his soul to Santa….

Cheers!

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This room in my house has been a dining room, exercise room and now seems destined to become an artist’s workshop.

It’s a great room because it’s very light, overlooks the garden and has doors straight out onto it, so for keeping an eye on the kids when they’re outside, or bringing food out to the garden when we’re eating outside in summer it’s wonderful.

But I like it because it’s my perspective changer.

Years ago I used to play in bands and actually earned my living as a musician for a while. I dabbled with songwriting but quickly found that when you’re used to playing a guitar or piano your hands automatically go to the same chord progressions time after time. 

Any muso reading this will know that if you’re writing a song in D (major) then your fingers are going to find their way to A, G, E minor and possibly B flat if you’re feeling daring.

So unless you’re wildly talented (I wasn’t) then many of your songs are going to sound (the dreaded) ’samey’.

To get round this I used to try to write songs in different keys, such as F sharp or A flat so my fingers weren’t as used to the chrod progressions and didn’t head for the same ones every time.

Well guess what – (yep) – internet marketing is EXACTLY the same.

When I sit down at my home office desk I tend to think about things in the same way, and even do things in the same way. Sometimes it feels as thought it’s ’samey’

Which is when I grab my netbook and head off to another part of the house. Wireless networks are a marvellous thing!

For example I was asked to contribute to an internet marketing book last week. The deadline was Sunday – two days ago.

I tried writing it at my desk on Sunday morning and all that came out was….well crap really.

So I made a cuppa and took my netbook to the kitchen table, put the radio on and started to write. I was pretty happy with the result and I finished the whole article in 20 minutes.

I’ll tell you about the book few days - you can get a copy on 1st December and it’s a worthy cause – all the proceeds go to charity and when you see some of the contributors I’m sure you’ll  want a copy

Anyway – the room in the pic above used to be my refuge when I wanted a shift in perspective. Working somewhere else gives me a totally different outlook on things – you should try it.

So I took this picture with some regret because I’m sure when it’s finished and is complete with work tables, drying racks, drawing boards and other things I don’t really understand it will still be wonderful to work in…

…but I’ll probably not be allowed in!

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