I am not officially a certified marriage counselor, yet over the years when speaking with countless number of couples, I certainly felt like one on many occasions. If there are two topics that can lead to unrest within the home, they are love and money.

What I want to do today is offer ideas that will hopefully assist you in avoiding the conflict MONEY can raise.

Common goals besides money:

The first step I take in creating a financial plan is to understand the goals the clients have. You too need to discuss the goals each of you has with each other and pro-ceed to explore common ground. It is so important to be on the same page so to speak as to what is important to you as an individual but also as a partner in this re-lationship. Read the rest of this entry »

Men assume that I am older than the age I have posted on my online dating profile. At least, that’s the discouraging news that one man passed along to me when we met for a glass of wine.

Apparently, so many men and women lie about their age online, that it is commonly assumed that you are “fudging”. I’ve been told that many viewers automatically add at least several years onto your age, or maybe just round up to the next milestone. Does my 56 get rounded up to 60? Read the rest of this entry »

‘The wound is the place where the Light enters you.’ – Rumi

Four days before this past Christmas, Life delivered a kick to my gut that sent me reeling -on many levels- and drove me so hard to my knees, I struggled for two weeks before I could remotely regain my footing.

During this time, I was shaken to my very core. Unable to eat or sleep, or find my way in the bleak blackness of it all, I began noticing a very strange phenomenon.

As I struggled through my days and nights, folks started coming out of the woodwork complimenting me. ‘You look great!’ ‘There’s so much light in you!’

I’m a very private person, so these compliments came from folks who knew nothing about my loss, or the ensuing grief that threatened to consume me.

This got me thinking… Read the rest of this entry »

It seems to be up in the air and around people I speak lately, the sense that there is irritation, a feeling of being on the edge, frustration and yet, hope and optimism for the changes underway.

To a certain degree, irritation can be the result of uncertainty and mis-communication.  Especially if you are a perfectionist like I tend to be (getting better as time goes on!), when things don’t go the way you planned or the way you want them to, you may get frustrated because of losing control of the situation. Read the rest of this entry »

OK… So the debate rages on. One type of person believes the design is not important it is the content that makes the difference..

Then the other type of person thinks the design is all that is important – the content is secondary. I hear it all the time and it…

Drives Me Crazy!!

Being an artist at heart I am very visual and so design is absolutely essential.

Being a business woman my clients and website visitors are important to me and I believe that content of the site and the information you give your clients is also absolutely essential.

Being a successful entrepreneur I know that design – image – content – navigation – uniqueness – credibility – great customer service – sharing your knowledge with others is absolutely essential to have a thriving – successful online-business (or even brick and mortar business).

So lets just look at it all … If you want true success and a great business you need it all…

In fact the foundation needs to be built before you even begin building a website. This will be the foundation of your success.

1. Who is your perfect client? (The answer is not everybody!)
2. What make you different from the competition?
3. What color would attract that type of client?
4. What content will give you client the most value?
5. What will bring on-line visitors back and turn them into clients?
6. What type of navigation will be best to get my visitors information they need without having to search?

The list goes on…when you take care of the foundation and make it strong; the rest will fall into place.

The design of your website must be professional and polished,

When you cut corners and you think you are saving money think again! Doing it right the first time just makes sense.

IF you want a thriving business with results then content, design and marketing work together, leaving out any of these elements will not bring you the amazing success you deserve!
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To your success – and bottom line!

Pamela Jacob - Artista Design

I don’t know how many of you feel the way I do but when I hear the word FREE I expect it to be free…

I cannot tell you how many times I will get an email – the subject line catches my interest, so I read further, I see that they have a FREE offer. Read the rest of this entry »