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One Variable, Andrew Hawkes pt4

Posted by Andrew    Posted in Andrew Hawkes, BLOG    Posted in July 29, 2010    |    3 Comments

Hey out there in cyber space Andrew Hawkes here,

lets see if today I can wrap up this story of mine.

If you have not read the first installments you can do that;

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

You know there is a quote that I believe holds a lot of answers and that is this "We see the world not as it is, but as we are" The reason I say this is because I was really kidding myself if I thought that moving was going to magically sort all of our issues out, and I guess deep down I knew that. There was of course more than one reason to move, and part of it was in fact to escape the negativity that was ever present where we were living. Albert Enstien said it well when he said "The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them." Yet here I was thinking that all I needed to do was move. What a schmuck! No if I was going to truly sort the issues out I was going to have to change my level of thinking.

So during this time I had gotten started with a number of Home Business, and there, as I said was really plenty of opportunities to choose from. All with varying levels of investment. I was committed to (and to this day am still) ensuring that the creditors are compensated for their loss. (you see even though the debt is effectively wiped clean with a Bankruptcy you can still pay it back, its just who I am). The sad part about all of this, was that I was yet to realise that I had not yet changed the way I was. So there was now a pattern starting to emerge, and the one variable was me. We started to get behind in our bills again, only this time in Australia. So any money I did make with the home business that I was actually working at was going towards catching ourselves up once again. It was a perpetual cycle of get behind, make some money, get caught up, get behind, make some money, get caught up. It really was just like working a job... and that started to take its toll on me. I slipped into a pit of darkness, and this is where the real damage started to occur.

Funny things happen to people when things are not quite right. The little things that we have always been so good at seem a little harder, we start to doubt our own ability, we begin to be cynical and resentful. The stupid part is that you yourself (I mean the person who is doubting etc...) are the only one who sees or thinks this. Everybody else see's you as the capable person you are. You are most certainly your own worst enemy in that situation.

So we didn't have a lot of money, yet I always held on the the belief that it was just around the corner (if you know anything about NLP or personal development you will know how stupid that is, its like tomorrow never comes), however due to the fact that I held this belief I didn't go out and get myself a job like normal people would (then I have never claimed to be normal). What I did have was time. It is true that we are all given the same 24 hours in day, and it is true that a lot of people spend their time doing any number of things, what I did was I chose to invest my time. I have lost track of the times that my wife has told me that she is going to lock my office door so I come out to the lounge. (I have found that great balance now of course). So what did I invest my time in? Well I was now an online businessman so I invested my time in learning things like HTML Code and the inner workings of SEO, teaching myself how to build websites and do graphic design. I learned a truck load of information about how a computer works, I mean like the inner workings, I had no money to pay anyone to do it, if I didn't do it, then there was never going to be cash flow come in.

It is safe to say that I was changing the way in which I saw the world, it was no longer about getting ahead and making money, lets face it, making money is EASY, I had already proved that to myself and to my family. My issue came as I didn't know how to keep it. And the biggest factor to this was how I saw the world, in other words how I saw myself.

Having always been the outcast in school and never really fitting in, at the end of the day it came down to a matter of me not truly believing that I was worthy of the money,or that happiness. Thankfully the past does not dictate the future, and the fact is that I can BE DO and HAVE anything that I truly desire, no one said it would come easy.

So by now I am looking at the world in a totally different light, and it is all because I have change the way I am. You see the truth is that I never lost any of my ability, I did misplace my belief for a little while, however my skills and my (ever expanding) knowledge were always there, only when I was able to look from a place of total gratitude was I able to see it. So here today there are a  few people that I would like to acknowledge for their support, this is support that came fiscally as well as emotionally.

They are, in no particular order;

Heidi Gray and Stephen Gagie, Kaz Spence, Justin and Sharyn Hawkes,  John and Melanie Kaczon, John and Shannon Lavenia, Natalie Meyle, and Ted Hooper.

Your kindness and support will never be forgotten.

So many people say, and no doubt will continue too that Andrew Hawkes lied, cheated and scammed people out of money. They will say that I ran away to avoid paying anything back. You know what? I have no control over what they say, what I do have control over is my actions. Actions speak louder than words, and so long as I act with integrity towards my obligations then I am OK with that.

I know that regardless of what others think, it is always going to come down to me. They can blame me all they like, at the end of the day they are responsible for the stuff in their life. If they want to simmer and stew, good luck to them, all that will succeed in doing is expending energy without result. In the eyes of the law, I owe nothing and am free to get on with my life. Which is what I have done.

So this is me, this is Andrew Hawkes, this is the good the bad and the ugly of the last 4 years. And as I have said here in the post, the past more certainly does not dictate or equal the future. I am just like every body else, working toward and better future for myself and my family.

To Your Success

Andrew-HawkesAbout the Author

Andrew Hawkes is an Entrepreneur that has had good times and bad, he draws on all the experiences that he has had, military and in business, to provide solid information that anyone can use and understand to improve the results in thier own life and therefore show others to imrpove thiers. He believes that anyone can make a difference in the world and that ultimately anything is possible.

Procrastination the Killer of Production….

Posted by Andrew    Posted in Business    Posted in June 22, 2010    |    No Comments

Its funny where you get your post and article ideas from, in fact I am going to do a post on exactly that... however for now what I wanted to talk about was procrastination.

⇲⇲⇲Procrastination✘It comes today as I was on a international conference call earlier today and that really was the meat of the topic. It takes on many forms... it can come in the form of "research" it can come in the form of "I have to do this before I can do that" At the end of the day all it is really doing is putting off the things that need to be done in order to bring the money in or get the job done to do the things you enjoy more... the bitter irony of this is that if you put half as much effort into doing the things that need to be done as the things you would like to be doing you would have so much time to do the things that you would like to be doing you wouldn't know what to do!

Its funny because it can happen at anytime... heck you may be doing it right now? Well not this instance as you are reading this to learn how to avoid it ;)

So what can you do? Well having a clear understanding of what you are trying to achieve is a great start... have your day, or better yet your week mapped out (I have spoken of this before) When planning your week make sure that you have a good balance of what you enjoy and what you may consider to be arduous. By creating a balance, and sticking to what you have planned then you stand a much better chance of accomplishment. In fact by simply having a plan your in increase you productivity by over 70% simply becuase you have something to refer to, this works two fold as you know where you are headed and why and you can see what you have already accomplished and seeing that you immediately feel better (some people even put little things that are done without thinking so there is progress on the list).

Ok so not  a long post... but hopefully a useful one. Just something that was on my mind...

Till the next time

To Your Success

Andrew-HawkesAbout the Author

Andrew Hawkes is an Entrepreneur that has had good times and bad, he draws on all the experiences that he has had, military and in business, to provide solid information that anyone can use and understand to improve the results in thier own life and therefore show others to imrpove thiers. He believes that anyone can make a difference in the world and that ultimately anything is possible.

Effective Marketing

Posted by Andrew    Posted in Business, Featured    Posted in June 18, 2010    |    No Comments

What is effective and what is not? Everywhere you look or at least everywhere you search you see everyman and his dog trying to tell you that they have the best marketing strategy available, they are Google Experts they can increase your conversion by 400,000,000%... OK so that is a slight exaggeration, however where do you draw the line and find out who is for real and who is just out to take your money?

It is a fair question... more to the point though, what works and what is just a waste of time and effort... I heard once that any publicity is good publicity... so on that guise it all works, however wouldn't you rather invest your time where you are going to get the maximum return for your effort? I am sorry to say that there is no magic bullet when it comes to marketing. There are so many ways in which you can do it, certainly in today's web 2.0 world, there is video, there are articles (tried and true), you can create your own newsletter (you still need an audience).

Well first of all if you are going to be doing any Marketing, unless you are recording the data so you can see what is working and what is not then you are wasting you time. There are a number of different ways in which you can track how your marketing is doing, and it was not so long ago people were actually selling user scripts that would allow you to ad tracking to your pages... well a lot has happened in a short amount of time. Google have refined their Analytics service and to be fair there is really no need to look at anything else, this does a great job for tracking... well everything you need it to... and its free!Analytics

Right so now we can track it...

Marketing is all about connecting with your Audience, so who is your audience? By that I mean who is your ideal customer or prospect? This is really quite important, the reason being that not everyone is going to find the same things appealing. So choosing or rather realising who you are talking to or targeting is going to be very important in what you put out as your marketing efforts.

One of the quickest and easiest ways in which to reach your audiences is simple, VIDEO, there are some great advantages to video, the biggest of all is that the Google Monster LOVES video, over half the traffic online today is from Video, so it would make sense to get into that as part of your marketing efforts. There are a number of ways you can do it too, most PC,s and all MAC's come with built in webcams these days, so no longer do you need to have a camcorder to be able to get your mug on the internet. However if you are a little shy or really don't want your face there to begin with until you are comfortable with having it there, there is still another way. Make a presentation in Power Point (PC) or Keynote (MAC) and take a screencast of it... again this can be done for FREE even if you don't have Power Point, Keynote or Camtasia. There are open source (FREE) applications for almost everything. Power Point for example you can get Open OfficeOpen Office, this is an open source app that has ALL off the MS office applications, so you can use this and make your Power Point presentation (I believe it is even available for MAC).

So great now you have your message to send out, you still need to capture it right? So again, there is Free Screen Recorderopen source screen capture software too, you can google it or you could use something like this BB Flashback Express. This has pretty much all the functions and usability that you would expect to find from Camtasia, only its free. It is up to you as to what you choose to use, just get in there and start.

Now you have your video... what next? OK upload it to YouTube if you don't have an account, sign up for one it is free, there is an advanced marketing strategy that includes setting up multiple youtube accounts, however that is for another post ;)

Again there are plenty of free video sites also that you can sign up with that will help you to get your message out there.

Make sure you track what is happening... and have fun with it... the moment it stops being fun... try another angle!

Let me know of your success.

To Your Success

Andrew-HawkesAbout the Author

Andrew Hawkes is an Entrepreneur that has had good times and bad, he draws on all the experiences that he has had, military and in business, to provide solid information that anyone can use and understand to improve the results in thier own life and therefore show others to imrpove thiers. He believes that anyone can make a difference in the world and that ultimately anything is possible.

Radio Ad Copywriting

Posted by Andrew    Posted in General    Posted in June 1, 2010    |    No Comments

Within this article on radio ad copywriting, we will look at what makes up a successful radio ad. Copywriting is similar because you are always trying to sell a product but the way that you write and sell will be different depending upon the particular media vehicle that you choose to use.

Whenever you start to do radio ad copywriting, you must make sure to first do your research. Research is one of the most important parts of the job and this is true no matter what type of copywriting you are doing. If you do not do your initial research, you will not know how to present your message to your target audience.

When you are looking into doing radio ad copywriting, you should talk with the particular station that you are thinking about advertising with. They should give you an idea of the typical demographics of their listening audience. This will allow you to know which particular radio station you should work with in getting your message out.

When you are looking at doing radio ad copywriting, you must make sure that you are much more direct with this particular form of advertising than you would if you were writing a sales letter. You have a much shorter period of time in which to make an impression upon your prospects so you must be completely focused with your message.

One way to make sure that you are writing for a good radio ad copywriting is to listen to the ads that your competitors are running on particular radio stations. Each radio station focuses on a particular and very narrow demographic so if you continue to hear the same ads over and over again, you will have a good clue that they are probably very successful. Pattern your ideas in a similar vein to what you’re hearing.

Here are a couple of quick hitters to help make your radio ad copywriting successful. You must make sure to not just list a bunch of facts but rather try to tell a story. This will keep your audience interested. If you are trying to sell a technical product, make sure to use technical jargon early on so that you can get your target niche within your demographic tuned in to what you have to say. Radio ad copywriting must also use testimonials if you can because of the credibility towards a product that you are selling. Hopefully these quick hitting tips can give you some idea of what to do when writing your radio ad copywriting.

Hopefully this article on radio ad copywriting has helped you out. Copywriting is a large field and if you choose to write on radio ad copywriting, listen to radio stations to see what works. You must continue to learn and be educated and this is a way to do it on your off time. You must make sure that you are very correct in your writing because you only have a short amount of time to impress a particular product or service upon your target audience.

Million Dollar Copywriting

Posted by Andrew    Posted in General    Posted in May 27, 2010    |    No Comments

Copywriting can be a very lucrative field and is for many writers out there today. Within this article today, we’ll focus on how you can make copywriting a strong field for you so that you have million-dollar copywriting.

The first key and developing million-dollar copywriting is to make sure that you have the right skills for the job. Many people will focus on copywriting as a potentially lucrative field but do not have the necessary experience or expertise for this area. When you are looking to make a great deal of money in copywriting, make sure that you have a solid base of copywriting experience before you start to sell your services. If you have a solid base of copywriting experience along with testimonials and references from past work, you will have a better chance at being able to set your own rate.

To ensure that you are doing a great deal of copywriting, you will want to make sure that you are consistently prospecting for new business. As you are working on your current business and making your high rates, you’ll always want to make sure that you have worked in the pipeline. This will ensure that you are able to consistently bring in high revenues while not having to have as much slow time at some other freelancers have.

To effectively develop and prospect for new business, you must make sure to have your own website and have proven marketing techniques so that you can develop your million-dollar copywriting skills. You may be the best copywriter in the world but without a demand, you will not have a chance to prove your skills or bring in the paychecks that you want and deserve. There are many copywriters today who still do not have a website but this is just another way for you to set yourself apart from the competition. Another way you can set yourself apart from the competition is to develop a niche. This could mean that you do a great deal of copywriting within the healthcare industry because you worked with in it for several years.

Hopefully this article on million-dollar copywriting will have a strong effect on you. Demand on copywriting comes down to the same fundamentals that all new businesses have: an ability to prospect and sell your company to others while building and maintaining a strong client base. You will develop a strong client base by providing great work so that clients will come back to you for repeat business. This will limit the amount of time that you potentially have to prospect for business because you will have clients who will have consistent demand for it. For a company to survive, they must market and marketing requires copywriting. Marketing and copywriting are as essential to a company as oxygen is to human beings. By developing a particular niche within a field, you will set yourself apart from others who are trying to do it all.

Genuine Happiness Comes from Within

Posted by Andrew    Posted in General    Posted in May 13, 2010    |    No Comments

Life isn’t the sweetest candy. Sometimes, when I feel like the world is just too heavy, I look around and find people who continued to live fascinating and wonderful lives. And then thoughts come popping into my mind like bubbles from nowhere – “How did their life become so adorably sweet? How come they still can manage to laugh and play around despite a busy stressful life?” Then I pause and observed for awhile… I figured out that maybe, they start to work on a place called ’self’.

So, how does one become genuinely happy? Step 1 is to love yourself.

My theology professor once said that “loving means accepting.” To love oneself means to accept that you are not a perfect being, but behind the imperfections must lie a great ounce of courage to be able to discover ways on how to improve your repertoire to recover from our mistakes.

Genuine happiness also pertains to contentment. When you are contented with the job you have, the way you look, with your family, your friends, the place you live in, your car, and all the things you now have – truly, you know the answer to the question “how to be genuinely happy.”

When we discover a small start somewhere from within, that small start will eventually lead to something else, and to something else. But if you keep questioning life lit it has never done you any good, you will never be able to find genuine happiness.

I believe that life is about finding out about right and wrong, trying and failing, wining and losing. These are things that happen as often as you inhale and exhale. Failure, in a person’s life has become as abundant and necessary as air. But this should not hinder us from becoming happy.

How to be genuinely happy in spite all these? I tell you… every time you exert effort to improve the quality of life and your being, whether it is cleaning up your room, helping a friend, taking care of your sick dog, fail on board exams and trying again, life gives you equivalent points for that.

Imagine life as a big score board like those which are used in the NFLs. Every time you take a step forward, you make scoring points. Wouldn’t it be nice to look at that board at the end of each game and think to yourself “Whew! I got a point today. I’m glad I gave it a shot.”, instead of looking at it all blank and murmur “Geez, I didn’t even hit a score today. I wish I had the guts to try out. We could have won!” and then walk away.

Genuine happiness isn’t about driving the hottest Formula 1 car, nor getting the employee of the year award, earning the highest 13th month pay, or beating the sales quota. Sometimes, the most sought after prizes in life doesn’t always go to the fastest, the strongest, the bravest or not even the best. So, how do you become genuinely happy? Every one has his own definition of ‘happiness’. Happiness for a writer may mean launching as much best selling books as possible. Happiness for a basketball rookie may mean getting the rookie of the year award. Happiness for a beggar may mean a lot of money. Happiness for a business man may mean success. So, really now, how do we become genuinely happy? Simple. You don’t have to have the best things in this world. Its about doing and making the best out of every single thing. When you find yourself smiling at your own mistake and telling your self “Oh, I’ll do better next time”, you carry with you a flame of strong will power to persevere that may spread out like a brush fire. You possess a willingness to stand up again and try – that will make you a genuinely happy person.

When you learn to accept yourself and your own faults. You pass step 1 in the project “how to become genuinely happy”.For as long as you know how to accept others, you will also be accepted. For as long as you love and know how to love, you will receive love ten folds back.

Again, throw me that same question “how to become genuinely happy?”. I’ll refer you to a friend of mine who strongly quoted- “Most of us know that laughter is the best medicine to life’s aches and pain. But most of us don’t know that the best kind of laughter is laughter over self. Coz then you don’t just become happy… you become free.”

Copywriting Vancouver

Posted by Andrew    Posted in General    Posted in May 13, 2010    |    No Comments

If you are looking at copywriting in Vancouver, remember that you have great opportunities in front of you for several different reasons. With the growth of the Internet and the development of online freelance markets, you are able to work on projects from all over the world. You are not limited to companies that are located strictly in Vancouver. This article on copywriting in Vancouver will focus on the different freelance online markets that you can use as well as certain opportunities that you may have with in your local area.

There are several online freelance markets which you will want to look into for possible work. The first one which you should look into it is: www.elance.com. This website is great because it has an established base of customers as well as new customers looking for work every week. Within their website, it was listed that more than 100,000 potential customers visit the website every week. This is a great deal of business which you may not be privy to if you do not join the website. You can have particular projects e-mailed to you when they’re posted and you’re also able to post a profile to showcase the best work that you have done.

The second website which you should look into is: www.directfreelance.com. This website does not receive as much traffic as the website profiled in the first paragraph but you’ll find that it is also a valuable resource for you. It has the same capabilities in that you can have jobs that meet your criteria e-mailed to you when they are posted. These two websites should spotlight for you the ease with which you can work in Asia or in Vancouver without having to worry about your particular local market.

Vancouver is also a great place where you can work. In Vancouver, there are local job boards which you can use to post your particular skills or look for local projects. The first one is www2.vcn.bc.ca/directory?catid=25. The second one is http://vancouver.craigslist.org/. The beauty of working in Vancouver in looking for Vancouver projects is that if someone feels uncomfortable using the Internet to employ a copywriter, you are able to meet with that particular individual and sell yourself. If you look on these two websites, use that as a competitive advantage to set yourself apart from your competition which may not be in your direct area. Copywriting is such a competitive field that you will need to take advantage of whatever resources you have available and the fact that you live where the client lives can be a huge selling point.

Hopefully copywriting in Vancouver has given you a better idea of how you can work around the world as well as within your locale. Remember that you can bid on projects from any part of world and how you present yourself in the work that you are able to do will often be what sets you apart from the competition. No matter what type of job you bid on, be sure to find some sort of selling point that will allow you to set yourself apart from the competition. This could be the local factor if a potential client lives in Vancouver or it could be something else. Good luck in finding jobs within copywriting in Vancouver.

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