SoloSavvy Blog for Solo Entrepreneurs » Marnie Pehrson

How to Get More Subscribers

Marnie Pehrson — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:00:51 +0000

One great way to build your list is to give away a free incentive to get people to subscribe. An ebook is one such give away that works most effectively in email list marketing.

The following video will walk you through the process of promoting your ebook for free on IdeaMarketers.com. Anyone may sign up for a free writer account and then log in and submit their books or ebooks for free.

Or for an economical amount, you can promote your books on the popular home page of ideamarketers.com and on all articles in the category relating to your book or ebook.

This is a powerful way to build subscribers to your list using economical list building tips.

Sign up for a free writer account and promote your ebooks for free. Also discover more about email list marketing techniques to get more subscribers by giving away a free ebook on your site and promoting that ebook on IdeaMarketers.com.

The Role of Money, Time and Energy in Unlocking Abundance

Marnie Pehrson — Sun, 02 May 2010 02:00:37 +0000

Christians often have a hang-up about charging for their services. Some even expect others to give them things — especially if they feel what the person is selling came from God originally. After all, didn’t Jesus say, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38)

I am a big believer in the principle of giving and sharing with others generously. But there is a fine line between giving when you feel impressed to and other people expecting you to constantly work for free. In fact, we aren’t doing people any favors when we’re always giving them things. They don’t learn the fundamental law of nature known as the Law of Sacrifice.

The fact is, we live in a monetary world, and until we understand what money really represents, we’ll struggle unlocking abundance in our own lives.

Let’s put it this way, would Jesus have required his fishermen followers to constantly give away the fish they brought into their boats?

Was it immoral for Peter and Andrew to sell their fish at market? After all, the fish came freely from the sea. God created the fish and the sea. Sometimes Jesus even told them exactly where to let down their nets! So why should Peter and Andrew be able to sell the fish for money?

What of the farmer? God created the land and soil the farmer tills. God even created the seeds, air and water. So, perhaps all farmers should just give away their produce.

If you walked over to a farmer’s market and asked the farmer to give you all his tomatoes because God provided the seeds, soil, air and water for them, he would look at you as if you were nuts.

What about the student who flips burgers at McDonalds? God freely gave that student her time. Perhaps she should work for free since her time came from God.

All of these scenarios are preposterous, aren’t they? Yet, when an entrepreneur takes the knowledge, skills and resources he’s developed over a lifetime and packages it into a virtual or physical product, some people expect him to give it away. They insist he should share it freely – God gave him the knowledge – right?

One of the primary keys to unlocking abundance in your life is to realize that everything is free, and yet nothing is free. Everything we have in this world is freely given by God – all the natural resources, time, talent, and potential available to humanity was endowed by God. BUT accessing the blessings from these resources requires an action on our part. It requires an investment — an energy exchange.

The fish in the sea are only obtained when the fisherman takes his time and energy to locate them and haul them into his ship. The farmer only reaps a harvest when he invests his time, energy and sweat into planting, nourishing and weeding his garden.

For the entrepreneur, the knowledge that he acquires comes through an investment of time, talent, energy, money and resources. Many years of experience are wrapped up in the knowledge the entrepreneur packages. Yet many begrudge him an income if he takes what he’s learned through his investment and packages it into a virtual product or service and sells it. Never mind that he invested his time and energy into delivering it in a way that could help others.

Accessing Abundance Requires an Understanding of the Law of Sacrifice

Any abundance you hope to obtain in life requires an investment. If you have more time than money, then time and energy will be the requirement nature exacts of you in order to reap a harvest. If you have more money than time and energy, you can pay someone else to teach you what they know or to give you what they produced. The money represents an exchange of energy. It buys you time and energy that you now don’t have to invest in learning or producing the hard way.

Do not fool yourself. While abundance flows all around you, and everything you have is an outpouring of God’s freely given resources, an investment is always required to bring into your possession God’s abundance. To think otherwise is foolish.

When Jesus said “give and it shall be given to you, pressed down and overflowing” this was not an injunction that all mortals should work for free. It was simply the statement of a law – that everything requires a sacrifice. A bean seed must be sacrificed to the ground if you want it to grow into a plant full of beans. Even then it will require time and energy in growth, weeding and nourishing. The second part of His statement relates to the multiplier effect in nature. Just as every seed produces exponentially, so will your investment of time, energy, money and resources.

Where little is invested, little is produced. Make no mistake, you cannot simply hold out your apron and expect God to fill it with heavenly treasure if you are not willing to make an investment. Like the farmer’s produce, you can either invest the time, energy and land to grow your tomatoes, or you can walk up to him at the farmer’s market and pay him a few dollars for his efforts.

Money is simply an exchange of energy. You swap the energy you expended to obtain your money for the energy someone else invested to obtain what you want from them.

Money is exchanged for the time, energy, and resources it took to grow tomatoes.

Money is exchanged for the time, energy and resources it took the fisherman to catch the fish.

Money is exchanged for the time, energy and resources it took to obtain the entrepreneur’s knowledge.

When you invest money, you save time, energy and resources. When you don’t have money, you’ll need to fish for yourself, grow the tomatoes for yourself, or learn through the school of hard knocks for yourself.

So the question comes down to, what are you willing to invest for what you want? What are you willing to sacrifice to receive the desired blessings?

Learn more about reaping abundance in your life by increasing your Abundance Quotient.

30 Lessons I’ve Learned from Going for My Dream

Marnie Pehrson — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:00:33 +0000

I’ve had a dream for some time to speak to women about living their God-given destiny. In fact, the ultimate vision I hold in my head is me standing on a stage with tens of thousands of people gathered in an auditorium. That vision has been there for years – back when my children were little and leaving them wasn’t an option.

I’m still not certain when, how or why that many people would gather around to hear what I have to say, but it’s the vision in my head and it leads me on. The thing about it, it’s not some intense desire for fame or fortune. And if I never do it in life, it’s not going to gravely disappoint me. It’s just this “knowing” like someone gave me a flash forward picture of my future.

In December, I met with two dear friends in Zion National Park; and we spent a week, praying, meditating, and discussing the possibility of bringing women together and helping them discover their God-given missions and live them with courage, vision and fearlessness.

While there we caught the vision of something incredible, something beautiful. We saw what God can do with righteous women who love Him and who serve in their own unique ways, exactly where they stand. We left Southern Utah excited, hopeful and full of faith.

Little did we know that when we returned to put in motion what we’d seen in vision we’d be hit with a series of challenges that would make us question our vision and test our friendships, families, and faith.

Whether the challenges were the adversary seeking to thwart our plans or the chastisement of a loving God, I cannot fully say. Perhaps a combination, but what helped me endure them was seeing them in a different way. Rather than assuming we were doing something incredible and now had targets on our backs for Satan’s archery practice, I decided to look at them as blessings. What if each trial we endured was there to teach us something valuable that we needed to know? What if the challenges would shape us into the people we needed to be to effectively help these women come April 2010?

As I began looking at my challenges in this way, I found the gems within them. Once the spiritual lesson was learned, the trial resolved itself and moved onto the next one.

As I write this, we are less than four weeks away from our event, and I have felt the need to itemize the challenges – not dwelling on the details – but listing the lessons learned from them. As I did so, I realized that I’ve gained a lifetime of knowledge in a three-month period. It would take most people years to learn these kinds of lessons in a practical, experiential way.

Here are a few of them I learned (or re-learned):

Get to the root of problems. You could spend weeks trying to treat the symptoms whereas fixing the root could take minutes.
When faced with a daunting challenge, avoid going straight into workaholic, production mode. Rather, step back and ask God for His perspective. Ask Him to help you get to the root.
Avoid the quick “please help me with this” kind of prayers and have a real conversation with God about your challenge and ask for something specific you should do. Many times the solutions to monumental challenges are incredibly simple. And God knows what they are! But if you don’t take the time to consult with Him, it’s harder for Him to tell you.
Sometimes sickness is a blessing to make you step back and look at things differently.
Communicate specifically. Don’t assume other people understand what you’re thinking or even trying to say.
Just because you have a hobby you love doesn’t mean you should turn it into a business.
When you build a life around something that ends up making you miserable, don’t shift the blame to the people who helped you along the way.
Never abdicate your responsibility to receive your own answers. Other people can be wise and spiritual and give excellent advice. But bottom line, you need to get your own answers. You will be tested later, and if you haven’t gotten your own confirmation, doubt will be a monster that plagues you..
Everyone’s human. Looking for the good in others is a wonderful thing, but don’t put people on pedestals. No one is always following the Spirit. No one is always making the best choices. We’re all human. It’s unfair to expect perfection in others.
Some people are never going to apologize. Forgive them anyway.
Forgiveness has the power to erase the pain, the hurt and leave the lesson. God really can push the memory of a recent offense so far back in your mind that it feels 10 years ago and has lost its sting.
Never stick your head in the sand and hope problems will resolve themselves. Turn and face challenges head on, get to the root and get help quickly.
Be careful to never make other people feel that your path should be their path. Let them know they need to ask, seek, and know what’s right for them.
What everyone else thinks is the “right” thing for you to be or do, could be the worst thing for you.
Gratitude is a hallmark of character.
A sign of spiritual maturity is that we celebrate, acknowledge and love each other for our unique gifts and perspectives. Celebrating and acknowledging you and what you’ve done in my life doesn’t diminish me in any way.
The desires of our heart govern our outcomes, thus the importance of getting down to your core values, core passions and purpose. Be careful what you wish for!
Working harder can be a curse. When you think you have to fix everything yourself by working harder, you get in workhorse blinder mode and miss the obvious, little things that could simply and elegantly make things flow.
Just because people are around you and see your example of a principle doesn’t mean they will understand or embrace that principle. They must desire to learn and be asking the right questions.
Putting on a façade takes a lot of energy and stress. Being authentic and willing to let people know you are human is a more energy-efficient and effective way to live. There’s more joy, more peace, and more grace.
In the pursuit of your dream, some people will interpret the hard things you endure as evidence you shouldn’t be doing what you are doing. Just because you face hardships doesn’t mean God is telling you you’re off track. Only you can know your integrity (remember Job).
The vision we receive of the future, rarely happens overnight.
When we ask God for a vision, He tends to show us as far ahead as we can safely see. It doesn’t mean it will be delivered on the time table you think or want.
Never give up. Giving up means you’ll have to start over.
Use your brain and be practical even in the face of a big vision.
Trust God’s timing even when it looks like His timing is making your life difficult.
Stay focused on the positive.
Shift out of fear the moment it rears its ugly head.
Find ways to maintain the vision even when it looks impossible.
One of the greatest blessings you can have is friends who believe in and work alongside you in your vision. Thank God for them every single day! They may be the greatest miracle of all.

Your Focus Determines Your Reality

Marnie Pehrson — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:00:51 +0000

I was sitting on a log by the creek meditating this beautiful spring afternoon. The gentle breeze made the seventy degree temperature perfect. As I pondered on what felt like an insurmountable problem, I asked the Lord, “What do I need to do?”

The answer came with a gust of wind. It blew against me, colder and harder until I folded my arms and rubbed my hands against my bare arms. It felt down-right cold all of a sudden. “What kind of answer is this?” I wondered. Finally, I turned my back to the wind and faced the sunlight. Instantly I felt warmer. With the bright sunlight shining in my eyes, I felt hot within less than a minute. The wind still blew, but it didn’t make me cold anymore.

As I turned to the light, I felt God’s answer. “You don’t need to DO anything. All you need is a shift in focus. Shift your focus to the light and the problem will solve itself.”

“That’s it?”

“Did you make the wind blow? Did you make the sun shine?”

“No,” I answered.

“You don’t need to make anything happen. You simply need to shift your attention away from your troubles toward the light, and they will solve themselves.”

The question is, how does one shift her focus? Over the years, I’ve used many different methods. A walk across our property always shifts my focus because, for me, it represents my own personal miracle. That we even own it is miraculous. Every time I walk it, I feel an overwhelming sense of awe that it is ours. I also feel very ungrateful that in the winter months I hole up in my toasty office like a mole and never get out to enjoy it.

But when the spring comes, and the daylilies bloom, I feel the siren call that beckons me outside, across the field and to the creek. There I feel more at home than anywhere else in the world. It’s a piece of heaven on earth that shifts my heart to gratitude.

Other things that shift my focus to the light are positive affirmations, repeated whenever the cold breezes blow. Other things that lift my spirit and redirect my focus toward the light include:

Reading scripture,

praying/meditating,

journaling,

listening to inspiring music,

reading journal entries from more enlightened days,

making lists of what I’m grateful for,

talking to a friend who believes in my dream, or

giving my child a hug,

When life starts blowing its cold breezes your way, what shifts your focus to the light? Is it possible that this shift is all that is truly necessary? That opportunities, blessings, and answers only come when we are facing their Source?

Why I Believe In Dreams

Marnie Pehrson — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 02:00:56 +0000

Someone gave me some flack the other day because I encourage Christians to follow their dreams. The person felt I should just teach people to love God — that when people follow dreams they aren’t following God, they’re putting something higher in their hearts than Him. In many cases that is true. People get obsessed with their goals of acquiring things and spend years seeking riches instead of God. But God is looking at our lives on a broader canvas than we are. All we see is the here and now, but He sees eternity. He’s taking each of us through a process tailored to us and our learning style — all the while protecting our freedom of choice.

One of His favorite tutoring tools are dreams. Nine times out of ten, if a Christian follows the dream placed in her heart by God, she comes to know Him at a level she never could have before. Her life transforms, and she becomes completely connected to Christ. That can happen even by pursuing very materialistic dreams.

Let me tell you a little about my own journey; and why I believe dreams aren’t just a good thing, but a God thing. In 1995, I dreamed of owning some property that would have plenty of acreage for animals and a garden. I wanted to rear our children in a house next door to my sister and her family. We wanted water on the property and for our homes to be close to civilization but not so close that there were neighbors on every side. We wanted the feel of country with the convenience of suburbia. A tall order, perhaps, but we got very clear on this and began to pray for God to lead us to this property.

In December 1996, we found that property and my sister’s family and ours bought 24 acres bordering the Chickamauga Battlefield at auction. We didn’t even have all the money for it at the time. But we paid down what we could. We had one week to come up with the rest. I was about $16,000 short! But a miracle happened and the money came.

There was no way we could deny that God helped us. What some would consider a materialistic goal happened with God’s help. So many blessings have come from this move. Just as we’d hoped, our children grew up next door to their cousins and formed family bonds that will last forever. Because of the location, our children have gotten into less trouble than others, and our Church has been a big part of our lives.

The next dream I had was to be financially stable – to be able to provide for our family so that we could afford college and missions. I wanted not to simply survive, but thrive. In time, the Lord helped me build a sustainable business that allowed both my husband and me to be home with our children when they needed us.

Again, what seemed like a very materialistic dream held spiritual blessings. Our children have reaped the benefits of having their parents handy for them. Because the Lord has blessed us financially, we’re able to reach out and help others too.

Throughout the pursuit of both these dreams, I learned to trust the Lord and His timing. I learned that His ways aren’t always our ways, but He does grant unto us according to the desires of our hearts (Proverbs 10:24). Every day, I grow to love Him more.

I’ve held other dreams over the years – to get a book published. I have 20 in print. In pursuing and acquiring dreams, I’ve learned a lot about myself and about God. Most of all, I’ve learned that the best dreams are the ones that aren’t about us, but that reach out and bless others. Life isn’t about acquiring things; it’s about building a strong relationship with Jesus Christ and reaching out to serve His children. When we are in the service of our fellow beings we are only in the service of our God.

Jesus told His disciples to be “fishers of men.” The Savior is the greatest fisherman of all. Over the years He’s taught me where to cast my nets to find the greatest catch – whether that be a material catch or a spiritual one. For with God, all things are spiritual. He’s also taught me that the dreams He plants in my heart are His loving “bait” to draw me closer to Him.

It is only when we move our feet that the Spirit can continue to grant us wisdom and inspiration about what to do next. When we’re sitting on the couch in front of the television, burying our dreams He has the hardest time reaching us. And, yes, it’s true that when we’re in the pursuit of “things” that we’re not incredibly receptive either. But I’ve found God does one or more of the following when we’re caught up in the pursuit of fame or fortune:

a) He lets us obtain them so we’ll realize they aren’t all they’re cracked up to be – that in the end they never satisfy. One always needs more and more.
b) He allows us to be challenged in our health or relationships so we’ll learn what truly matters.
c) He allows us to acquire the things we seek only with His help so we learn that He is the Source of all good things.

Each of us learns differently and in our own time and way. I’ve found that God is much more patient with me than I am with myself. He’s also more patient with my family and friends than I am. I might look at someone and say they’ve leaned their ladder of success against the wrong wall. But He looks at them and says, “This is the way they need to learn it. When they get to the top and find an empty, lonely attic, they’ll realize that life isn’t about things.”

Whatever the worthwhile dream, God can use it to bring you where you need to be. It’s the lure on His fishing hook to bring you to Him! The beautiful thing is that as He brings you to a higher level of love for and trust in Him, your dream becomes a part of His big dream – to bring love, light, and eternal life to humanity. Each of us in our own unique way can be a small part of that.

So, don’t squash your dreams. They are the seeds God plants within you. They set you in motion toward Him. As you continually submit yourself to His tutelage and nourish the dream, He transforms you into a pure, clear conduit of His love and light – radiating for good.

“I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Let’s Light Up the World Together!

Marnie Pehrson — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:00:45 +0000

I’m totally psyched about our Light the Word: Birthing Your Destiny retreat coming up in April! This is just the beginning of bringing together a phenomenal group of talented women who are going to literally transform this planet! Just this week, I’m witnessing the miracles that happen when women put their talents, resources and gifts together! It’s incredible!

The old paradigm that said, “I’ve got to do everything myself” or “If she’s that talented, why should I bother?” is out the window, my friends! The future is about working together synergistically and allowing miracles to happen. That’s what this event is all about — bringing talented women together and watching God work miracles through us!

Whether you plan to attend the Light the World: Birthing Your Destiny retreat in April or not, you’ll gain some pivotal insights from the recording of yesterday’s overview call:

Why is it important to discover your core passion?

How can living it make life easier, more joyful and full of energy and purpose?

How do you gain clearer 2-way communication with God?

Can forgiviness really heal hearts, bodies and minds?

What one way of looking at your challenges will instantly transform them into blessings?

Find out in the audio available here.

Are Your Dreams On Hold Until You Get Your Finances Right?

Marnie Pehrson — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:00:14 +0000

I have noticed as I go about my mission of lighting the world by helping gifted people get their messages out, that many abandon their desires to make a difference for one simple reason. They’re just trying to survive. They’re so busy trying to make this month’s bills that they feel like they can’t possibly focus on what brings them joy — especially if they can’t directly see how that’s going to make them money.

I know how this feels — been there, done that — for a lot of years. But, I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon. The year I started SheLovesGod.com (2000) is the year things started turning around for us financially. I put my heart, time and effort into making a positive impact on the world and God repaid me handsomely and exponentially over time. In Luke 10:7 Jesus told His disciples as he sent them out without purse or script that they would have food and drink, “for the labourer is worthy of his hire.” God takes care of His own.

Luke 6:38 assures us:
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

The more good you put out, the more good that returns to you. It’s a universal law. The thing is, you don’t control from where it will come. A lot of people have desires to serve, but they can’t figure out how they can make money from that area of service. While many times gifts can be monetized, there are other times, that income doesn’t come directly from our area of service. For example my effort to support and encourage Christians does not generate the income that supports our family. But God blesses the other business ventures I have as I serve Him. Miracles happen that I cannot explain. Ideas drop from heaven. The perfect people enter my life. Everything I need to support me in my mission is provided.

So if you’re one of those people who would like to impact the world for good, but you’ve put it on hold until you “get out of debt” or until you have your finanances in order, flip it around. Serve God FIRST with your own unique, skills and talents. Open yourself up to possibilities. Follow the Spirit, and God will provide for you. It may take some education about how the laws of abundance work. It will take a lot of work to control your thoughts, but God will lead you to your own promised land if you serve Him.

If you’re stuck in a financial muck like I was 10 years ago, I recommend you go to the person who helped me. Go to Leslie Householder’s sites – www.ThoughtsAlive.com and get as much of her material as you can. Read her blogs. You can even get her book The Jackrabbit Factor for free at www.JackRabbitFactor.com . You can even read the first few chapters of its sequel at www.PortaltoGenius.com.

Also, I have an overview of the 7 Laws of Abundant Living here. These are the laws Leslie taught me. They changed my life AFTER I had committed myself to be a disciple of Christ. I think that committment is critical. The riches of eternity are in God’s hands and they are His to give. Of course He wants to share them with you so you can fulfill your mission! On the other hand, if it’s all about glutteny, pride or vanity, those will be stumbling blocks along your way.

God promises great things to His disciples:

Matthew 6:26-33
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles [unbelievers] seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

What, if anything, is holding you back from making a positive impact on the world? I’d love to hear from you.

Symbols in Nature: Achieving Your Dreams

Marnie Pehrson — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:00:01 +0000

I believe that God leaves symbols in nature that we can examine and apply to our lives. Whether it’s lessons from my garden or from a trip hiking through Zion’s National Park, there is always something significant to learn from God’s creations.

In my recent trip to St. George, Utah, my friend Judy Hansen, took me hiking in Zion’s National Park. This short 2-minute video on achieving your dreams is just one of the “aha moments” I had that week.

You Were Born to Create!

Marnie Pehrson — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:54:55 +0000

I love this video on our divine ability and wish to create something that did not exist before… Powerful!

Our Greatest Treasures

Marnie Pehrson — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:21:04 +0000

This evening I came up with a fun little exercise that was very revealing. I made a list of all the people who have impacted my life. Out to the right of each name, I jotted down the main way(s) each person affected me. As I did so, I saw a definite pattern. I went back to childhood, forward through time, and found the people I love, respect and value have come into my life for one or more of the following reasons:

To encourage me to believe in myself and my gifts (10 people)

To help me develop skills (6 people)

To facilitate spiritual growth or act as spiritual mentors (6 people)

To help me learn to enjoy life and enjoy the journey (5 people)

To help me gain clarity and focus and/or getting things done (5 people)

To teach me universal laws (2 people)

Several people served more than one role, but in all, these 21 people have made me who I am. As I looked at the list and the number of people sent in each area, I thought it very revealing. Look at how many people have been sent to help me believe in myself. Either it’s very important that I believe in myself or I’m weak in that area. Most likely it’s a combination of both. I think we all need people who see our gifts, believe in us, and encourage us along the way.

I’m so grateful that God has sent me just the right people to help me progress. They have been and will continue to be priceless treasures in my life. So now it’s your turn. Try writing down the people who have impacted your life and how they have done so. I’d be curious to hear your results. Let me know!