Viral Storytelling with The Story Lady, Ronda Del Boccio

How do you imagine you would live without sight? 

If you’ve read my blog before or watched my YouTube videos, you already know that I am “legally blind.”  I introduce myself as a blind person because I function more or less as a blind person.  Sure, I have some vision and I can see colors, but without adaptive technology and techniques, I would not be able to do what I do.

I can’t just go to the drugstore and buy those $10 reading glasses.

 “The doctors” can’t “fix” my eyes.

Can you believe people actually say things to me like, “Why don’t you go have an operation or something?”  DUH!  They’re wearing one of Bill Ingvol’s stupid signs!  Ah well.

I also get the Christians who want to lay hands on me and if I’m not instantly healed, then I don’t have enough faith.  That’s a whole other rant, but the bottom line is that I AM healed because I am at peace with my situation.  If my lot in life is to be an inspiration for the rest of you to get off your rear and make things happen, then so be it.

Life goes on and no point whining.  I have no desire to complain.  What a wonderful life this is.  And I can work from my beautiful little house in the Ozarks and listen to the birds all day long while I work.  No worries about gas prices.

One of our local television stations, Springfield’s  KOLR 10, ran an excellent piece last week.  I’ve spoken to Emily Baucum, the reporter who ran the piece.

Watch the video here. 

The couple she interviewed are much like myself.  They don’t feel that being blind is a big limiting factor in their lives.  It just means doing things a little differently.

One of the great things about me being on Top Affiliate Challenge is that people worldwide will have a chance to see that a blind person can navigate and work.  The only thing that can hold you back is you. 

There are so many technological advantages we have today.  I can use the comptuer because of a speech program.  I have an audible caller ID on my phone.  I have only one gripe about the adaptive technology, and I’ll save that for my next post.

I am about to go to Lincoln, Nebraska for the world’s first real time internet reality show, Top Affiliate Challenge.  Producer Thor Schrock and the rest of the crew will definitely have a new experience having a blind person and my guide dog Miss Molly Flagtail around for 2 weeks!  You can watch the blind woman work starting July 1.  Incidentally, I am the only woman in the world who made it to the show!

Tags: mentor, leadership training, author coach, folklore, Blog Talk Radio, Geometry of Success

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 story reported by Emily Baucum: Download

I get more and more excited as time draws near for the Top Affiliate Challenge, and today I want to share some things

If you’re a runner preparing for a marathon, you know exactly what to expect.  26 miles of grueling, exhausting pavement pounding action, and you can prepare yourself appropriately.  You understand that you have to increase your endurance and you know the types of activities that you will do both in preparation and during the competition.

Nobody will be there to say, “I’m sorry but you’re going to jump hurdles today, not run the Boston Marathon.”  You know that if you’re going into a marathon, that means running 26 miles. Period.

Not so with Top Affiliate Challenge.  Oh sure, we know that it’s about affiliate marketing.  That much is a no-brainer.  But what types of challenges will we face?  none of us knows for sure. 

I’m pretty sure that the contestants who are whiz-bang with pay per click campaigns believe they’ll grind the rest of us slackers deep into the dust.  Jeremy Shoemaker (Shoemoney) calls best selling author Ken McArthur an old spammer because he uses email marketing, yet a couple contestants are a little scared that Ken got over 4.1 million emails sent out for his book launch May 15th of this year.

And I know that show producer Thor Schrock is really pulling out all the stops to get the community involved.  Heck, he’s got the Governor of Nebraska and the Mayor of Lincoln coming, from what I heard, to the welcome ceremony.  He is dedicated to showcasing Lincoln.  So I’m thinking a lot of the challenges will have offline elements to them.

Lots of drama between the 3 gurus Shoemoney, John Chow and Ken McArthur.  Plenty of drama amongst the contestants.  Some unplanned for drama as well.

how do you prepare for a competition when you don’t know what the challenges will be?

What do you consider as you prepare yourself to go into a competition knowing very little about what to expect?

If you’re me - well I can’t tell you all my strategies of course - but you start with your mindset first and foremostl

Shoemoney said in his video review of the top 10 that the most important attribute is a work ethic.  All the rest can be learned.  he is so right.  I have a great work ethic and I can learn anything.  There are some types of campaigns (affiliate marketing) that I have never tried yet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be wildly successful.

And heck, I’m the only female there, so someone has to balance out all that testosterone!  women unite!  Help keep me on the show!

Plus my guide dog Molly Flagtail will be there too, of course!  She will help us all keep it real

I am going in with these things in mind:

1.  Do everything I can to make this a great show!

2. Be open to new situations and ways of thinking

2.  Keep my mind in the success zone

3.  Play smart

4.   Learn lots

5.  Keep emotions in check

6.  Build lasting relationships

So that’s it for today!

Ronda

Tags: story, blind, Ronda Del Boccio, Awaken The Author Within, leadership training, success

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I am extracting this post under the Increase Your Impact category.  It also is related to Top Affiliate Challenge. 

Read the full story here.

I was Ken McArthur’s advisor as he wrote his book Impact: How to Get Noticed, Motivate Millions, and Make a Difference in a Noisy World. And I’ve practically got the book memorized I was so deep in it! So naturally I want to put what I learned from Ken McArthur to the test.

World Association of Persons with DisABILITIES (WAPD) The World Association of Persons with DisABILITIES has the mission of empowering persons with disABILITIES to create financial freedom and increased quality of life worldwise. “We believe that all of us who want a high wuality of life can have it” is part of the welcome message you can see and hear on the website. There are pages for working from home,disability resources, knowledge base, chat rooms, volunteers, local chapters and more.

Membership for an individual is $20USD Corporate/business memberships are also available here. Donations are welcome - but the point is to say that as a member and as the Missouri State Chair, I am dedicated to this organization. It is the best multi-disability group I have found with people of such high integrity and tremendous heart.

Swelling with Gratitude

It really is humbling that I am able to ask for the help of the membership to vote me a 10 for Top Affiliate Challenge even though nobody knows if I’ll make the show yet. Naturally, I am using my knowledge of viral storytelling, creating buzz, and running a business to help me spread the word about the organization. There are already a couple of videos and I will make more.

Read the full story here.

Tags: Blog Talk Radio, MLM, Awaken The Author Within, blind, story coach, host

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