Each year, I choose a one-word theme that acts as a guide in all my major decisions and shapes my entire year.

I start thinking about the theme around the beginning of December and simply set the intention that the essence of the word will come to me strongly and clearly at the right time to serve my highest good and the good of those I serve.

In 2008, my one word theme was FOCUS – which I like to make into an acronym for “Follow One Course Until Successful.” Focus certainly paid off in 2008; it was my most successful year up to that point.

In 2009, my one word theme was INFLUENCE – I would ask myself consciously and subconsciously, “Who and what am I allowing to influence me?“

When I wrote this post on December 29, 2008 about choosing Influence for 2009, little did I know then how much my choice would impact my year both personally and professionally!

2009 far exceeded my business and finance goals with an abundance of national and international speaking engagements, lucrative joint ventures, celebrity clients, meeting Richard Branson and the Dalai Lama, the successful launch of my first social media certification course, Mentor With Mari, the co-creation of the International Social Media Association. all topped off with an invitation to attend the 52nd Grammy Awards and walk the red carpet!

In 2009 in my personal life, I chose to stop traveling the country in a motorhome and transition out of my eight-year marriage, as I shared in this post. I couldn’t have imagined sharing such an intimate experience so publicly before social media. Yet, the process was profound for both me and my community.

Now, as we celebrate the completion of 2009 and dance into 2010, my resounding one-word theme is TEAM! This word came to me as I contemplated where I got stuck most this year – where I didn’t allow myself to grow as much as I wanted.

One of my Achilles heels is delegation. I’m blessed to have several skilled team members and to be surrounded by powerful mentors, mastermind partners, coaches and other skilled experts. Yet I allowed myself to get completely stopped or stymied in several areas (like blog development, membership programs, product creation, book writing!) because my calendar got so backed up and I wanted to do so much myself.

Of course, there’s such a thing as balance, right? Whilst my two blogs may have taken a back seat, my Twitter presence, Facebook fan page, professional network and speaking engagements flourished significantly!

You’ve probably heard of the word “TEAM” used as an acronym for “Together Everyone Achieves More” (or Miracles). I like this. though if you have other creative suggestions, I’m open to ideas!

Now it’s your turn! What’s your theme for 2010?

Tune in to these shows where I’ve been a featured guest – mostly talking about Facebook for business, social media marketing and relationship marketing. But you’ll often catch me sharing about my mobile lifestyle traveling in an RV (motorhome), my Scottish-Canadian roots and my diverse background.

	Facebook: Fast Path to Friends, Fame & Fun? Join Gurus Jesse Stay, Mari Smith, Greg Atwan, Etc.
Facebook Fortunes: How To Explode Your Online Profits Using Social Media Host: Willie Crawford	Social Media Professor and Mari Smith discuss marketing your business on Facebook.  Host: Trey Pennington
Facebook and Twitter Tips - thoughts, tips and shares from the Social Media Simplified event about Facebook and Twitter learned from Mari Smith and Coach Deb. Host: Debra Simpson	Carol Dickson-Carr Interviews New Media Expert Mari Smith – The “Pied Piper of Facebook” shares her process for hiring and building a team via social media sites such as Twitter & Facebook. Host: Carol Dickson-Carr, The Productivity Professor
Connecting through Social Media (part 1) - how networking online can help you move towards prosperity–even if you aren’t selling anything! Host: Joan Sotkin	Connecting through Social Media (part 2) - how networking online can help you move towards prosperity–even if you aren’t selling anything! Host: Joan Sotkin
BizGrowthLive – How To Build Your Business With Facebook - tips on how to use Facebook to attract more clients and increase your profits. Shownotes and additional resources here.  Host: Krishna De	Facebook for Business - how to use Facebook to help market and grow your business. Host: Stuart Crawford of Small Business IT
Facebook Fortunes: How To Explode Your Online Profits Using Social Media Host: Erik Olson of Business Matters	Facebook with Mari Smith – discover how you can achieve tangible results from social media. Host: John Lawlor – Online Strategist
Exceptional expertise is lifestyle freedom – Typically known as a Facebook coach and social media expert, Mari Smith has an entirely different side that makes her uniquely exceptional. She and hubby Ty lead a mobile lifestyle that gives them freedom to enjoy life on their own terms. Host: Wendy Y Bailey of Exceptional Experts	The Passion Project Presents Mari Smith: Passionate about Facebook Host: Katherine Reschke

After enjoying many years of a gorgeous web design on my signature site at MariSmith.com, it was time to upgrade this baby to a trendy new blogsite. Huge kudos to the talents of Shama Hyder and her team at AfterTheLaunch.com!

Hiring an excellent service provider who delivers the exact result you want (or even exceeds your expectations), on time and at a reasonable rate, can be quite a feat. Would you agree?

Well, I’m delighted to share that my experience with Shama Hyder’s company, After The Launch, was absolutely STELLAR!!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Earlier this year, I was undergoing a shift in my branding and my main website needed a good overhaul. I tried a few ideas with other design and marketing providers but wasn’t satisfied. Then, I met Shama on Twitter. From the getgo Shama listened intently to what it was I wanted to create. She asked intelligent questions. I described in detail the look, feel, colors and features I wanted on my blogsite.

Much to my delight, I found Shama took direction extremely well, her team produces the highest quality work, she has great attention to detail, customer service, follow through, follow up and is just the sweetest person I’ve ever hired, frankly!

Shama created two mockups for my blogsite and I was simply stunned. I’m over the moon with Shama’s services and recommend her wholeheartedly.

Shama’s company specializes in (1) acting as a virtual marketing department for small to medium sized companies and (2) training small business owners and independent professionals how to excel in marketing.

On my new and improved MariSmith.com I’ll be writing posts specifically about professional relationships and relationship marketing.  (For posts about my completely mobile lifestyle traveling the US in a motorhome with my hubby, see this blog BeFreeGoMobile).

Also, take a sneak peek at all my upcoming events – I’d love to meet you at any of these events!!

Cheers,

Mari

I just got back from several days in historical Skagway, Alaska – gateway to the Klondike Goldfields. I’m fascinated by the visceral history hubby and I are soaking up as we journey the country in our motorhome.

Travel definitely broadens the mind… and got me thinking about the amazing correlation between the crazy gold fever more than a century ago and the social media frenzy of today.

[Pic: $5million in gold, taken at one of the museums in Skagway. Okay, it's not real gold. ].

Pioneers blaze trails through the new Web 2.0 and 3.0 worlds. Developers create incredible new applications on the bleeding edge of technology. Early adopters flood new platforms. And hundreds of thousands of hungry prospectors stampede platforms like Facebook and Twitter in search of their own stash of “GOLD.”

Gold! Gold! Gold! …but only a few make it

Gold was first discovered in the Klondike way up in Yukon, Canada on August 16, 1896 by George Washington Carmack and two Indian friends. They set in motion one of the most memorable events in history when they returned to Seattle, WA to announce their discovery and the headlines read, “Gold! Gold! Gold!”

By 1897, one hundred thousand prospectors stampeded toward the Klondike Goldfields, via Skagway or nearby Dyea. Men (and a few women) from all over the world from all professions abandoned their families, homes and jobs and risked life and limb completely stricken with gold fever. They endured intense hardship and grueling conditions.

After hiking, boating and hauling literally a ton of goods for many long hard months, many stampeders got to Dawson City only to find most all of the land had been claimed and there was little gold just for the taking. They had to settle for meager jobs just to survive.

[Pic above: "the golden stairs" on the Chilkoot Trail. Men like ants climb the intense ascent to the summit, still with 500+ miles to go].

Of the 100,000 prospectors:

• 30,000 actually made it to the goldfields,
• 15,000 found gold,
• and only 4,000 got rich and kept their riches.

And who were those 4,000? The ones who succeeded were the entrepreneurs and visionaries. The were the men and women who opened stores, made products, imported goods, created and sold services, and built roads and railways. They saw needs and filled them. They got creative, tapped into their natural talent and flourished.

What does all this have to do with social media?

Facebook is like a modern day goldfield: hundreds of thousands of new prospectors stampede onto the site daily riddled with gold fever. Some go crazy panning and panning on the river’s edge pushing and shoving others out the way. Some hardly bother to dip their toe in the water. Others have figured out the process and are truly flourishing. It’s the law of numbers: only a few will “make it” just like the entrepreneurs and visionaries of 1897-98.

Here’s the lesson: carve out your own niche on Facebook… and beyond. No one can be you. Tap into your unique talents and be that, not someone else you’re not. Strive to differentiate yourself, but remain authentic, transparent and true to your self. Find a need and fill it. Talk up your USP: unique selling proposition. Make sure you implement a profitable business model. Work with proven systems.

What’s your vision? What’s your business model? Your revenue model? Are you clear on EXACTLY how much gold (profit) you want to generate this year?! Precisely how close are you to that target?

For help with your answers to these questions, join me and Kevin Nations on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 11:00am PT / 2:00pm ET.

Meet the “Pied Piper of Facebook” – Mari Smith – as seen on FastCompany.com!

Greetings!!

I’m delighted you’re here.

If you’re a frustrated and overwhelmed entrepreneur or small business owner, seeking support to figure out how to monetize all these new social media tools and platforms, I can help you.

I believe if you’re not strategically utilizing Facebook and Twitter along with several other powerful platforms, you’re missing out big time on huge profits.

However, social media requires a whole different approach to be successful in generating more revenue. You have to know the right approach. My motto is, “Relationships first, business second.”

I’m Mari Smith, and I’m passionate about relationships! Everything I do revolves around people and relationships – fostering new ones, building and maintaining existing ones, helping others with their relationships.

In my consulting and training business, I help small business owners and entrepreneurs increase their revenue and grow their network. We do this with a variety of internet marketing strategies, information products, promotional campaigns, email marketing, buzz marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, and social networking strategies.

This leads me to WHY FACEBOOK? Facebook is a simple, yet comprehensive, easy-to-use platform where you can fully express who you are already and foster your unique personal brand.

You can reach out and connect with a worldwide community at the click of a button: family, extended family, current friends, new friends, quality like-minded professionals, potential joint venture partners, people you admire, paying customers!… the list is endless.

My intent with this blog is to share any and all tidbits, tips, strategies, techniques, tools and news about Facebook that may be of interest to you.

Join me on this exciting path and grow your own NET WORTH as you grow your NETWORK using Facebook as your vehicle.

I am available for hire as your internet marketing consultant and Facebook business coach. More details here. I also offer a complete multi-media program: Facebook for Professionals, along with a ten-session webinar: Facebook Masterclass.

Cheers,

Mari
P.S. – Make sure you add me as a Friend on Facebook, if you haven’t already! Please do include a personal message saying where you first came across me. Thanks!

P.P.S. – My husband, Ty, and I currently live a completely mobile lifestyle, traveling the US and Canada in a motorhome. We were greatly inspired by Tim Ferris… and sold our beach home and all furniture in San Diego in the summer of 2007. For more personal info about me, feel free to visit Ty and Mari’s Mobile Lifestyle Blog. Live reports from the road as I travel the country in a motorhome with my hubby.