Three years ago, I wouldn’t even dream of writing a blog post with this title.  I was an absolute online marketing newbie and yes, I was barely learning how to Cut and Paste!

Today, I came home from my son’s 10th birthday lunch, I was pleasantly surprised with an email from a community I am so proud of, Traffic Geyser (affiliate link).

The email was a Newsletter from Traffic Geyser and guess what?

They featured me as one of their Member Success Stories! The title?

“Member Success Stories: Emma Tiebens: From No Experience to Total Expert”

Traffic Geyser, (affiliate link)  Founded by Mike Koenigs, Rocket Helstrom and Frank Sousa is one of my “best kept secrets” on how I went from a NEWBIE marketer to now Expert Relational Marketer, Speaker, Author and Brand Marketing Strategist.

Here’s what Traffic Geyser wrote about me on their newsletter that went out to over 100,000 of their subscribers as well as on their blog, today. Click on the link or read entire story below:

When Emma Tiebens first attended a Traffic Geyser live event two and a half years ago, she was “totally clueless” about video marketing, in fact, she says, she was terrified of video!

Just a year after that, she had become an author, speaker, marketing and branding consultant, blogger, pitch builder, trainer and video marketing strategist. She is even reached a level where she charges some clients $15,000 for setting them up with a “Done For You” program.*

Emma enables authors, speakers, coaches and entrepreneurs and service Professionals to leverage technology while advocating that “the heart of marketing is marketing from the heart”.
Her proven Relational Marketing Strategies and Systems generate real results for highly successful clients by enabling them to create a V.I.P. brand that is VISIBLE, INFLUENTIAL and PROFITABLE! Her guaranteed blueprint helps you go from “INVISIBLE Best Kept Secret to To highly VISIBLE Trusted Authority” in 90 days or less!

In Emma’s own words:

“Right after your event, I braved my first video. It’s still out there on YouTube and it was horrible! Now I have over 220 videos on YouTube!  I have become a “Trusted Advisor” and now I teach people how to overcome their fear of video to be seen, be heard and be found online!

Armed with Traffic Geyser, and the new passion I discovered, I started to become unstoppable! I applied my new knowledge of technology, social media, video and email marketing to create deep and meaningful relationships with new clients as well as industry leaders I wouldn’t have been able to reach before!

Using video Traffic Geyser, I have managed to effectively brand myself where industry leaders started taking notice of who I am and what I can offer.  In 2010, my mentor, Joel Bauer, allowed me to be one of the very few people he trusts with a campaign for his events.

That year, I also co-authored a book with the “Pied Piper of Social Media” herself, Mari Smith, entitled “The Relationship Age” which became an Amazon Bestselling book in three categories within the hour of its release.

That venture has enabled me to instantly and officially become a “Bestselling Author” too!

My own book, “The Relational Marketer” will be released next year and I am planning on getting that book and the concept of Relational/Relationship Marketing on TV and Radio.

Traffic Geyser has changed my life and that is why as long as Mike and Traffic Geyser are around, I will remain to be one of your loudest and most loyal advocates.  What they offer simply transforms lives and it continues to pay forward.

Here’s a quick glimpse of how a newbie marketer, who only two years ago attended a Traffic Geyser event ,now successfully equips other entrepreneurs and businesses to thrive in this economy:

Traffic Geyser enables me to generate thousands of dollars, but what’s really important is now I have:

1) A sustainable business,
2) A trusted brand
3) Success and results-driven client offerings
4) A REAL business.
5) Passion and tools to equip many more businesses!
6) Gained self-worth
7) Gained respect of family and friends.
A Purpose-filled life.
9) A way to be blessed and become a blessing.
10) HOPE for my family and other families

Wow! Reading this post gave me more hope that those 2-3 years were invested for a purpose and now I am able to ENCOURAGE, EMPOWER AND EQUIP more entrepreneurs.

THANK YOU to my Traffic Geyser Family… Mike Koenigs, Laurie Hull, Gaby Vangstad as well as (Rocket, Frank and Carter), Traffic Geyser Team and “Heroes”  for inspiring me and enabling me to share my story and it is my fervent hope that my story will inspire Traffic Geyser users old and new to never give up and use the resources you so meticulously provide us because THEY ABSOLUTELY WORK!!!

Expect Miracles,

1) Send me an email to info@therelationalmarketer.com and let me know of your interest and secure  your position.

Until next time…

This weekend, it was so nice to catch up with friends either bumping into them while shopping at the mall or at holiday parties and neighborhood mixers.  Of course with the usual, “What are you up to these days?” sort of question, I couldn’t help but notice that there are still a lot of business owners out there who are still resistant to online marketing.  Interestingly enough, some of them still don’t know what a blog is and for the few who do, it’s there is still a resistance in their mind about blogging, social media, video and email marketing.

See?  And most of us in our online circles think everyone knows what we know and that we don’t know enough to make a difference in other entrepreneurs, right?  Well, if you’re beginning to feel that way, it might be time to seek out other ponds to fish out from.  I guess that topic is for another day… Let’s stick with “Why Do You Blog?”

I am not new to blogging… I have been blogging for the past 2 years and what’s interesting is that it I still get asked by a lot of entrepreneurs on why they need to blog.  I find it really odd that most of them are still highly resistant to blogging.

What’s interesting is I totally understand their hesitation.  It took me an entire year before I felt comfortable launching my blog.  From entertaining the idea of having a blog, to thinking of what to write on my blog, to getting over the vulnerability of sharing who I was and what I am about was a HUGE deal!

How did I overcome blogging?  I realized that I have life’s lessons that entrepreneurs can learn from.  I also have specialized branding, marketing and relationship skills that I can share which will enable entrepreneurs and those who are transitioning from the workplace into becoming business owners.

I also believed then that like the “Good Steward”, every good and perfect gift that has been given to me, will be taken away – or will become useless and of no value – if I don’t use it.

I have always kept a journal… I had “diaries” from when I was in grade school… trust me, that’s a loooong time ago and yes, I still have them all with me.

So, I made a decision to blog and at that point, it didn’t matter to me whether my blog would be read by one person or one million people.  My goals were simple – to ENCOURAGE, ENLIGHTEN and EMPOWER Entrepreneurs!

ENCOURAGE with inspiration from personal life’s experiences

ENLIGHTEN – with Mindset and Spirit Driven Personal Development Principles

EMPOWER – with specialized branding and marketing skills, resources and relationships I have invested thousands of dollars and hours on, through the years.

I know there is always room for improvement.  I know I could use more efficient plug-ins, I could drive more traffic and optimize my blog site.  That’s precisely what I am in the process of doing.

The lesson I want to share is that I didn’t wait until I fully understood what blogging was, or what it will do for my business.  I didn’t wait until things were perfect and everything was in place for me to get started with blogging.  I just went ahead and did it…

Now 2 years later, I was able to connect with many prospects and clients, right at the heart, with my blog posts and I have built a site that has a decent ranking on Alexa, that now positions me as someone who can help others incorporate blogging as one of the key strategies to position them and their business for Visibility, Influence and Profits.

My blog is also a place where I showcase my videos and this is truly an extension of who I am and what I offer.  This is where people find the real me where they can get a feel for who I am and what I have to offer. This is where my prospects get a small sample of me before they choose to work with me.

My blog is my “home” online while Facebook and Twitter are the “parties” where I pre-qualify those I want to invite to my “home”.  In my home, I pre-qualify my guests further – those who are just invited to my backyard and those who will be allowed to have access to the “inner sanctum” of my home.

I believe that choosing not to blog is a huge mistake!  Savvy consumers now demand freshness, relevance and currency of content.  Your prospects would like to know how consistent and committed and congruent you are with your message.

After all, I know that even children are blogging these days!  I figured, if a child can blog, then what’s my excuse?  Even our 9-year old son Garret has his own blog!  In fact he has 2 blogs now…  GemstoneKid.com and TheMartialArtsKid.com.

While his passion has changed and is no longer updating GemstoneKid.com, it was a wonderful experience for him.

Now, almost 3 years and hundreds of blog posts later, my blog has evolved and continues to evolve… My specialized skills have honed into being a Branding and Marketing Strategist and now more than ever, I am an advocate of helping entrepreneurs create an online brand that will take them from invisible best kept secrets to highly visible Trusted Advisors online!

Shortly, you will see the next evolution of The Relational Marketer and it will be quite remarkable and distinctive! Stay tuned… to be notified of our upcoming updates and receive my 10 Free Videos on How To Use Relational Marketing To Grow Your Business, please go to:
www.RelationalMarketingSecrets.com

So, why do you blog?  Or, why don’t you blog?  My curious mind wants to know…

Please leave me your comments, click on the Share and Like buttons above and join us to our exclusive “The Relational Marketers Facebook Group”…

Cheering You On to Your Success!

Emma ;)

Three weeks ago, we received news that my Mom’s older sister, my dearest Aunt Emilia (Tiya Milya to us nieces and nephews) came down with pneumonia.  At 91 years old, she truly was spunky and energetic despite the fact that she literally stopped eating for weeks on and the doctor just gave her a few days to live.

My Mom lives with me and thank goodness for her iPod touch, she’s able to connect with our super extended family in Marikina City, Philippines – my beloved hometown.  That’s when she gets real time updates on the progress of Aunt Emilia – special mention and thanks to Ellen Muriel – De Guzman and Emma de Guzman for  keeping my Mom posted on her progress.

It was so sad to see my Mom cry thinking of her sister everyday and how she may never see her again.  I then thought about Skype video chat!  We immediately set up our computers and connected on Skype! Looking back, why didn’t we think about it early on?

This was a photo taken 3 weeks ago when my Aunt Emilia’s images first appeared on screen… before she even saw my Mom’s image on her monitor.

When my Mom saw her, she cried even louder – she couldn’t believe how tiny she has become. Garrett immediately jumped into the camera and was in awe of seeing my Aunt who shares so much resemblance to my Mom… Garrett kept on telling her “You are so beautiful, Auntie… I love you!”

What was truly touching was when I saw both sisters, reaching out to each other on the screen and started touching the screen to “hold each other’s hands”.

That  loving gesture brought a smile on my Aunt’s face!  Just look at the difference from the initial photo to the the photo with her aura completely changed and you can see JOY in her eyes!  Oh that smile!

Seeing my Aunt Emilia and her relationship with my Mom, reminded me of the deep bond they have for each other and rightfully so.

My Mom is the youngest of 8 children and Aunt Emilia was 11 years older than her.  During the World War II when my Mom was 12 years old, the Americans who were fighting against the Japanese Army, accidentally bombed Marikina City and their parents – my grandparents – died in that bombing.  I never got to meet them though my Mom always told me that I looked like my Grandma Braulia.

From that point forward, it was my Aunt Emilia who took care of my Mom and stepped up as her Mom and Dad rolled into one person!  I can only imagine how a 22 year old can take over as the matriarch for a brood of 8 siblings!

Right there speaks of what courage and faith my Aunt Emilia had.  I remember as a young child how generous and open-hearted she was.  She would come to our house from time to time to check on my Mom and her kids.  Yes, she was very strict and firm yet beloved by many because she has such a great sense of humor.  She’s a teacher by heart and worked as a teacher while having to rear 6 children of her own.

What I really remember so vividly from my Aunt Emilia was her love for education and books.  I remember when I was in 4th grade, she came to our house with a big brown box full of books from America!  Really old and used hardbound books with  short stories for children.  They were surplus books from their school and she wanted us to have them so we’ll start reading…

That was the beginning of my love affair with books and cultivating a thirst for knowledge.  When everyone else played outside,  I would stay in my room surrounded by books for hours and feeling the gratitude to her for giving us those books!

I remember when my Uncle Ponce – her husband – passed away probably almost 30 years ago – she would go visit his grave at the cemetery EVERY SINGLE DAY!  She did that consistently and without fail for 30 years.  I have never seen such dedication, commitment and love… EVER!

Through her inspiration, my life was never the same.  It was her who inspired me to gain the love for reading and to this day I kept that love and passion for books.  It was through her actions that I learned the love and commitment for family and to my husband.  Her life story taught me to be courageous and have faith, against the odds.  She truly is one of my most favorite aunts and to this day, she continues to inspire me!

Two weeks ago, her family asked my Mom to fly back to the Philippines and frantically, we booked her on the next flight out.  My Mom spent 2 weeks with her and although my Aunt Emilia’s strength started dwindling and she was getting weaker and weaker by the day, it was so wonderful to know that she was surrounded by the love of her grateful family, yes including my Mom.

My Aunt Emilia passed away yesterday and my heart grieves…

I am grieving from sadness yet with joy, knowing that she’s in a much better place… A place that’s free from pain and struggle.  It’s so reassuring to know that she is now with her beloved husband my Uncle Ponce and are bound to spend eternity together, hand in hand, living in pure love…

My Aunt Emilia’s life’s purpose has been absolutely served.  She lived an absolute full life and has planted so many seeds of greatness among many.  I am just one of the many people she has inspired just by living a life of faith, hope and love!

We could only hope that we too are able to find and serve our life’s purpose doing what we love with those whom we love.  Through my Aunt Emilia’s inspiration, I found mine and it is my fervent prayer that you too will do whatever it takes to find yours and use that purpose to serve others.

To my Aunt’s Emilia’s family, I love you all and I am right there with you, grieving yet celebrating her life with utmost GRATITUDE.

With Love…

Emma

The table is set, turkey is in the oven,  Emma’s “World Famous” stuffing ingredients are chopped up, Cranberry Orange Relish is simmering, and everything is a go with my Baked Yam, Green Bean Casserole, Creamed Corn and bottles of wine and champagne is chilling nicely.

It’s my 22nd Thanksgiving in the US… Funny, there were times when people greeted me with:
“Happy Thanksgiving to your family in the Philippines!”  I remember being a smarty pants, responding to them, “Thanks… but the Pilgrims didn’t really make it to the Philippines!”

As clever as that may seem, we don’t really need to have a pilgrim experience to be grateful.  I believe that while Thanksgiving Day is truly special and means so much to so many, I also believe:

GRATITUDE should be part of our daily life – we don’t need to wait for a special occasion to be grateful…

It’s truly sad when I hear some people who are bitter and just have the hardest time finding something to be grateful for.   Yes, just like a New Year’s resolution,  gratitude somehow finds a way during some of the main seasons in their lives – their birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year, etc.

Gratitude is not as easy as it seems.  In my experience, I had to train myself to be grateful.  I had to make a constant decision to look at a situation and find something to be grateful for in that very moment.

Gratitude is not simple.  It’s much easier to find the bad, to complain and invite people to our pity parties.  The truth is, no matter how we think our friends will come to our pity parties, they really don’t care and don’t want to hear it.  Most of them are just being polite as they too might decide to have a pity party one day and would want to invite you too!

Today, I am thankful for GRATITUDE.  I am grateful for gratitude.  For the ability to really find the good in a seemingly bad situation and be able to “pivot” or train my mind and heart to find some sense in what’s going on around me, good or bad, and for the most part really digging for the good… digging for the golden lesson.

Without the ability to be grateful or to even be aware that gratitude exists is equivalent to having no faith and purpose.

Gratitude opens up doors that no one can shut…

Gratitude is your invitation to the banquet table of abundance…

Gratitude enables you to receive so much more of what it is that you’re grateful for…

Gratitude elevates you to a position in your life you never thought possible.

So, on this Thanksgiving Day, I just want to say I am grateful for you my dearest friends, readers and subscribers and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve, inspire and equip you with my life’s experiences that is predominantly borne out of gratitude.

So as you enjoy your festivities and precious time with friends, remember to be GRATEFUL FOR GRATITUDE itself because to have that grateful heart, 24 in 7, 7 days a week is really a gift we must train ourselves to receive and put into use.

What will you commit to doing from now on to be sure that you remain in the state of gratitude?

Would love to hear your Comment and please Share this post and connect with me on Facebook.  You can also join our Relational Marketers Community.

Cheering You On To Your Success!

Emma ;)