<p>In this course we will explore Capitalism and consider how we can become rich by applying its principles.<br>
 <br>
With Capitalism we can become rich as individuals, as groups, as countries and finally as a human society. A rich and prosperous human society is a prerequisite for world peace.<br>
 <br>
I observe that some people don't like Capitalism so much and may even consider it evil. If you are such a person then I encourage you to check out this course and consider the ideas presented.<br>
 <br>
If after reflecting on the ideas presented, you still possess some negative feelings towards Capitalism then I encourage you to contribute to all of us by sharing your observations in the discussion areas. Or in a review as long as the review is accompanied with a 5 star rating :P<br>
 <br>
Watching a few videos is probably not enough to become rich, but if you study this course seriously and apply the principles presented in your daily life then I have no doubt in my mind that you will become rich. I hope you will !<br>
 <br>
Capitalism- is a social system based on private ownership of the means of production. It is characterized by the pursuit of material self-interest under freedom and it rests on a foundation of the cultural influence of reason. Based on its foundations and essential nature, capitalism is further characterized by saving and capital accumulation, exchange and money, financial self-interest and the profit motive, the freedoms of economic competition and economic inequality, the price system, economic progress, and a harmony of the material self-interests of all the individuals who participate in it.</p>

English

<p>Applications of the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility</p>

Applications of the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility

Resolution of the Value Paradox

<p>Determination of Value by Cost of Production</p>

Determination of Value by Cost of Production

<p>Determination of Consumer Spending Patterns</p>

Determination of Consumer Spending Patterns

<p>“Scarcity” and the Transformation of Its Nature Under Capitalism</p>

“Scarcity” and the Transformation of Its Nature Under Capitalism

<p>Time Preference and the Scarcity of Capital</p>

Time Preference and the Scarcity of Capital

<p>The Foundations of Time Preference</p>

The Foundations of Time Preference

The Scarcity of Capital - Part 1

The Scarcity of Capital - Part 2

<p>A Word on Capital Accumulation and the Rate of Return</p>

A Word on Capital Accumulation and the Rate of Return

Wealth and Labor

<p>The Scarcity of Labor and Its Ineradicability - Part 1</p>

The Scarcity of Labor and Its Ineradicability - Part 1

<p>The Scarcity of Labor and Its Ineradicability - Part 2</p>

The Scarcity of Labor and Its Ineradicability - Part 2

<p>The Limitless Potential of Natural Resources - Part 1</p>

The Limitless Potential of Natural Resources - Part 1

<p>The Limitless Potential of Natural Resources - Part 2</p>

The Limitless Potential of Natural Resources - Part 2

The Energy Crisis

Capitalism Level 3: Light your Cigar

Researcher of Hidden Knowledge

Tier 1

Error

<p>Hi, my name is Fabian Rosshirt. I've been a professional landscape photographer and Lightroom instructor <strong>for over 7 years</strong> and I'm currently teaching <strong>more than 15,000 people</strong>. Welcome to my Lightroom course!</p>
<p><strong>Get more out of your photos and take your image processing skills to the next level.</strong> You will learn effective and professional techniques, how you can edit your RAW files perfectly in Adobe Lightroom Classic CC.</p>
<p>We will also shortly Adobe Photoshop for the final sharpening and a special effect. In today's world,<strong> image processing is necessary to get stunning photographs</strong> and to take advantage of the technical possibilities. And the best: It also can make a lot of fun to edit photos - if you know how to do that. Let me show this to you!</p>
<p><strong>How is this course structured?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Basics:</strong> At the beginning I introduce you to Adobe Lightroom. I will show you all the important features and explain how to import, edit and export photos. I won't bore you with unimportant theory. We will jump right into many practical exercises after the introduction.</p>
<p><strong>Part 01:</strong> Now I present you my workflow by showing you a complete processing of the first image. Here you will learn how to edit your photos, step-by-step and with a detailed explanation.</p>
<p><strong>Part 02:</strong> In this section I will show you the development of a night-photo. You will learn how to steer the viewer's eye and increase the dynamics by using visual effects. Here we will also briefly use Photoshop to add a special effect.</p>
<p><strong>Part 03:</strong> Bad weather does not mean bad photo: Have you ever made that experience? Sometimes you really do not have the right conditions for taking an optimal photo. But unfortunately we can not influence the weather. I show you how to make a great picture out of a supposedly boring photo. Discover the power that Adobe Lightroom Classic CC offers to you.</p>
<p><strong>Part 04: </strong>In this part we will repeat a lot of what you have learned so far and apply the knowledge to a fourth photo. You'll see that with my tricks you can get so much more out of your RAW files. We also talk about the importance of colors in landscape photography.</p>
<p><strong>Part 05:</strong> This lesson will be amazing. We will edit together my most successful landscape image. With that photo I have won 2 competitions and it also got published in a famous magazine. I tell you all my secrets and explain to you how I achieved that spectacular photo out of the RAW image captured with the camera.</p>
<p><strong>Part 06: </strong>Autumn pictures need a special treatment because of their colors, that they catch the viewer and still look natural. I'll show you everything you need to know to edit your waterfall photos with Lightroom.</p>
<p><strong>Bonus:</strong> You will receive 11 Lightroom Presets, which I have specially developed for you. With these, you can give your images a whole new look with just one click. In addition I give you all the RAW files I use in this course for explanation. This allows you to put the theory directly into practice and bring routine into your image processing.</p>
<p>Further details about the structure can be found in the curriculum.</p>
<p>Im very happy to help you and I will answer all your questions! Also I'd like to see your progress and give you feedback on your edits with Lightroom.</p>
<p><strong>Short summary:</strong></p>
<p>- all explanations - step by step</p>
<p>- logical structure to make you familiar with the workflow</p>
<p>- all RAW files and 11 Lightroom presets</p>
<p>- take advantage of my experiences and tricks as a professional landscape photographer</p>
<p>- personal support for questions (you can ask me anything)</p>
<p>- works with the latest version of Adobe Lightroom Classic CC</p>
<p>- and much more!</p>
<p><strong>Immerse yourself in the exciting world of image processing!</strong></p>

Adobe Lightroom CC: Landscape Photography Masterclass 2021

Professional Landscape Photographer

Digital Photography

Photography

In this class, we'll learn how to get familiar with moving around inside of Photoshop. <div></div><div>There are a total of five classes in the Photoshop Basics Series, each one covering different features in Photoshop. </div><div></div><div>There are very few programs as widely used as Photoshop...after all, it is its own verb! Everyone knows what it means to Photoshop something—and for good reason, it is one of the most powerful photo editing tools out there!</div><div></div><div>So, when we’re tackling the very daunting task of learning how to use such a powerful program with so many possibilities, the best place to start is by getting familiar with how to move around the user interface and work with digital images and documents...and that’s exactly what we’re going to do in this class.</div><div></div><div>We’ll start with an overall look at the interface to see what’s located where and how we can customize it to fit our needs. From there we’ll pick up some production-proven tips &amp; tricks for how we can work faster with Photoshop documents. After we’re familiar with Photoshop’s interface, we’ll wrap up this class by taking a step out of it and learning more about some key terminology and what it means—things like rasterized images and vector graphics, all the different color modes, common file formats, the differences between them all and when you’ll want to use them in your own projects.</div><div></div><div>By the end of this class, you’ll know how to move around in Photoshop’s interface. You’ll also get an understanding of a wide range of technical terms and concepts you’ll come across in Photoshop.</div>

Photoshop Basics Series Class 1: Navigating Photoshop

Digital Artist

Photography Tools

<p>A good, high-quality shot is 99% good light. But how to see it, use it and avoid bad light - I will tell you! And, no matter what you shoot: a phone or a camera.</p>
<p>In my lessons you will see how I work. What I use tricks, settings. Let's talk about shooting in the interior, in a studio with pulsed and with natural light, on the street.</p>
<p>I have selected the main, important, without difficulties and water.</p>
<p>Хороший, качественный кадр - это 99% хороший свет. А вот как его видеть, использовать и избегать плохой свет – расскажу Я!</p>
<p>И не важно на что ты снимаешь: телефон или фотоаппарат. На моих уроках вы увидите как работаю я. Какие использую приемы, настройки. Поговорим о съёмках в интерьере, в студии с импульсным и с естественным светом, на улице.</p>
<p>Я отобрала главное, важное, без сложностей и воды.</p>

Russian

Express course: How to see the right light and take photos beautifully on a phone or camera.

Professional Photographer

In this course we cover everything from composition to editing beautiful landscape photographs like the pros.&nbsp; You will learn everything you need to know to start creating stunning photographs.&nbsp;

The Art of Landscape Photography

Commercial Photographer

Tier 11

Master the simple tricks professionals use to get beautiful drone videos while you travel the world!

How To Take EPIC Drone Videos While Traveling

Future Tech Expert, Teacher

Learn how to:<div>- lose weight</div><div>- put muscles on</div><div>- get rid of acne</div><div>- change eye color</div><div>- get a tattoo</div><div>... and more</div><div> </div><div>In only 5 minutes</div><div>using this practical Photoshop training!</div><div>Last summer I went to Montenegro with one of my best friends.</div><div>We had a lot of fun wakeboarding, swimming and taking a lot of</div><div>pictures.</div><div>When we got back home, I had 2032 photos on my camera - talk about</div><div>narcissism!</div><div>Like every other guy, I started posting some of them on Facebook. In</div><div>my mind, I thought “Hey, it’s my summer vacation! Of course I want to</div><div>brag a little about it...”</div><div>5 minutes later, a friend called to tell me to take the pictures off because</div><div>she hadn’t had time to edit the ones in which she appeared.</div><div>I most certainly didn’t intend to offend anyone, so I complied with her</div><div>demand. Come to think of it, it was a reasonable request. Who doesn’t</div><div>want to look good?</div><div>Next thing, I sent her a total of 37 pictures I was intending to upload on</div><div>Facebook. After she got them, she asked if I could wait until she had</div><div>photoshopped the ones she was in. My instant reaction was: “Wait? I</div><div>wonder how long...”</div><div>And I got the answer. 3 hours later, she sent them back, edited.</div><div>I was thunderstruck!</div><div>The wait was definitely worth it! She looked amazing! In all of them!!</div><div>My friend is a pretty girl, for sure, but the editing made her look great!</div><div>Next, I called her up to ask her how she did it...</div><div>... and she told me it only took her 5 minutes of editing in Photoshop.</div><div>Wow!</div><div>Not before long, I was telling all my friends about the editing girls do to</div><div>make themselves look better on Facebook</div><div>... and found out some of the guys did it too (put some muscles on, get</div><div><span style="font-size: inherit;">rid of some fat, etc).</span> </div><div>I was impressed that the guys knew how to use Photoshop to their</div><div>advantage and at the same time, a bit jealous that I wasn’t using the</div><div>trick.</div><div>+ I also started noticing that people actually wanted to know how to use</div><div>Photoshop to make them look better in photos and were already asking</div><div>around!!</div><div>And so, the penny dropped!</div><div>I called my best friend, a graphic designer well known in my town and</div><div>together, we created “The Everyday Guide to Photoshop”.</div><div>In it you will find 20 videos on how to make yourself look better by using</div><div>Photoshop!</div><div>• Want a tattoo? Why not get it digitally before you burn it forever</div><div>onto your skin!</div><div>• Want a pump that lasts your whole workout? Create a “me with</div><div>muscles” picture to get you motivated to work those biceps!</div><div>• Want a motivational picture on your fridge? “How would I</div><div>look 10 pounds thinner” sounds about right</div><div>Do you want a hollywood style picture of yourself and your girlfriend</div><div>walking hand in hand? Something only professional photographers</div><div>seem to create? It only takes 5 minutes!</div><div>All the lessons in this course are PRACTICAL! In each of them you will</div><div>get a “before” and “after” picture, you will be told when to zoom, when to</div><div>drag and when to hold the mouse and you will also get an explanation</div><div>for each step of the way.</div><div>My name is Vaida Bogdan and my goal with this course, The Everyday</div><div>Guide to Photoshop is to teach you how to enhance your pictures</div><div>beyond belief.</div><div>By the end of this course you’ll be able to edit pictures for you and for</div><div>your friends .. and, why not, make a living out of it! 5$ for 5 minutes of</div><div>editing sums up to 60$/hour, right?</div><div> </div><div>Join this course now and get a digital tattoo today!</div>

The Everyday Guide to Photoshop

Experiential Trainer

Tier 3

In this class we’ll build on what we learned in the first class of the Photoshop Basics Series as we start to learn the core fundamentals of how Photoshop works.<div></div><div>We’ll start by learning about all the great utilities Photoshop has that will let us work faster and more effectively—things like grids, guides, alignment tools and actions. Then we’ll continue covering the key features in Photoshop as we learn how to work with layers, layer masks, blend modes, Smart Objects and so much more.</div><div></div><div>Throughout it all we'll learn production-proven tips &amp; tricks as we focus on more than just how to do things and learn the why behind Photoshop's workflows.</div><div></div><div>After watching this class you’ll be armed with the skills you need to start working in Photoshop right away.</div>

Photoshop Basics Series Class 2: Fundamentals of Photoshop

Fly with confidence, get professional videos, stay safe and get in the air quickly!

DJI Drones: How To Become The Ultimate Pilot

<p>VSDC is a great tool for video editing, no matter your level of expertise. This course will get you started and show you how to apply different effects, cut video and more. You will begin with basic overview of the software, then move on to creating objects (rectangles, text) and finally you will see how to apply and establish different effects - zoom in, fade in/out, spin and more.</p>

Get started with VSDC

Businessman

Subscription

Video Design

<p>Have you ever found it difficult to erase a background in Photoshop, or trying to make a selection around hair? Well don't worry yourself anymore because this course is here to help.<br>
In this course you will learn how to use all of the tools involved in masking background in Photoshop.<br>
The amazing aspect about this course is that you don't need any special Photoshop skills.<br>
All you need is Photoshop CC to follow along</p>

Masking In Photoshop CC

Artist/Youtuber

Tier 4

In the first two classes of this series we learned some of the basics of working in Photoshop. We’ll take all that knowledge and expand on it in this class as we focus on the skills and tools that let us do what Photoshop is perhaps best-known for: Photo editing.<div></div><div>We’ll start by learning about the numerous ways we can select portions of our image to edit. From there, we’ll learn how to distort, transform, manipulate and warp our images. We’ll wrap up this class by covering powerful photo retouching and editing tools like the healing brush, clone stamp tool, some of the automated content-aware tools and plenty more.</div><div></div><div>By the end of this class, you’ll have the skill set you need to start taking your photos and images to the next level thanks to Photoshop’s powerful tools. This is really when Photoshop starts to become a new tool in your tool belt.</div><div></div><div>Now, almost every project in Photoshop can be broken down to a simple workflow—and in our next video we’ll take a couple moments to first get familiar with what that workflow is before we start learning the tools themselves to get it done.</div>

Photoshop Basics Series Class 3: Photo Editing Workflows in Photoshop

In this class we’ll tackle the key features in Photoshop for adjusting our images.<div></div><div>We’ll start by learning about one of the more obvious concepts that lets us do that—adjustment layers. We’ll learn how to work with them non-destructively as well as what that means and why it’s important. After that we’ll cover how some of the most common adjustment layers work, we’ll get a good understanding of what the histogram is and how we can read it. We’ll learn about filters—and how we can work with them non-destructively, too. We’ll wrap up this class by learning all about a photographer’s best friend in Photoshop for adjusting images—Camera Raw!</div><div></div><div>If you’re not sure what that means, don’t worry, that’s just one of the things we’ll discover in this class.</div><div></div><div>After completing this class, you’ll be armed with the tools you need to start making some major adjustments to your image. Of course, sometimes the biggest adjustments are those subtle changes—sometimes less is more. And we’ll learn all about that as we take everything we’ve learned up to this point to thoroughly understand how it all works together to edit images in Photoshop.</div>

Photoshop Basics Series Class 4: Image Adjustments in Photoshop

<p>In this course you will learn the full filmmaking process from filming to editing. You will learn how to make cinematic content. Throughout the course we will use real life examples shot from my phone during my professional work. Learn how to frame the perfect shot, create your own content, colour grade and edit your films. At the end of the course you will be ready to create cinematic masterpieces worthy of the big screen.</p>

iPhone Filmmaking - How to make cinematic films on your phone.

Filmmaker | Projection Mapper | Teacher 

Up until this point in the series, we’ve focused on all the tools that let us do what Photoshop does best—editing photos and images.<div></div><div>But, even though it’s called Photoshop, there’s so much more you can do in this powerful program. We’ll start our journey in this class by learning all about Photoshop’s vector tools—shapes, paths, type and so on. Then we’ll learn how we can work with video inside of Photoshop as well as how we can work with 3D in Photoshop. Along the way we’ll learn some practical tips &amp; tricks to understand the limitations of both features and when we might want to work in Photoshop or when we might want to look elsewhere. </div><div></div><div>And then we’ll wrap up this class by learning about some of Adobe’s Creative Cloud features as they relate to Photoshop.</div><div></div><div>After all, these are features you’re already paying for with your Creative Cloud subscription so you might as well take advantage of them!</div>

Photoshop Basics Series Class 5: Going Beyond Photos in Photoshop

<p>This course is for anyone who loves to work with Photoshop may be a Photographer or Even Blogger too.<br>
 <br>
Extract or Remove the background from the Picture or Photograph (Teaching of 4 concepts).<br>
 <br>
After getting the knowledge about this course &amp; You can do the Work yourself with Confidently and Professionally. You can achieve Production Quality OutCome Results.</p>

How to Remove Background in Photoshop CC Using Professional Methods

Graphic and Motion Designer, 3D Maya Artist

<p>Many people desire to start a youtube channel, but don't ever take that step over the line to start. Two years ago, I was personally in this position, and I'm so glad that I didn't let fear stop me. Today I have a youtube channel with over 50,000 subscribers, and am able to be a full time youtube content creator, providing content that helps other photographers &amp; filmmakers grow and become better creative business owners.<br>
 <br>
In this course, we will cover all the steps you need to consider before starting your youtube channel, as well as learn the skills you need, in order to vlog, tell your story, and grow your channel.</p>

How to Vlog & Grow a Youtube Channel

Travel & Wedding Photographer/Filmmaker

Tier 6

Other

Mental Health

Productivity

Coaching

Motivation

Coach

Personal Development

“The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises,” Joseph Pilates once said. With Pilates studios and classes popping up worldwide, it does seem like the Pilates founder’s exhortation is coming true. And no wonder: this form of exercise not only tightens and tones your body but strengthens and protects it as well. A sickly child, Joseph Pilates devoted his time to developing exercises that made him stronger. During World War I, he used the exercises to help wounded soldiers muscle up and become mobile again. In 1926, he opened the first Pilates studio in New York City. More than 80 years later, Pilates has become one of the hottest – and most accessible – workouts around.

There are two types of Pilates. The most common type, which you can do almost anywhere, consists of a series of floor exercises performed on a mat. These primarily use the body’s own weight as resistance, but can also involve work with resistance bands and the Pilates Magic Circle, a flexible circle made of rubber or thin metal. The second type of Pilates relies on two machines called the Cadillac and the Reformer, which use a system of springs, levers, and pulleys to strengthen and condition your body. In both types of Pilates, all movement originates from the core – or powerhouse – which includes the muscles that run around your trunk and pelvis. Sometimes exercises are performed slowly; other times you pick up the pace but all the movements are focused and concentrated. No matter the workout’s tempo, the emphasis is on control. “Pilates is a mind and body exercise,” McGee says. “Everything is done with intention.”

Pilates exercises will give you sleek, toned muscles without bulking you up. “In Pilates, everything is about length,” McGee says. “You’ll have long, lean muscles like a dancer’s.” But the exercises do more than make you look good on the outside. Unlike isolation exercises, such as the standard crunch, Pilates strengthens your entire core. “Pilates works the transverse muscle, the deep abdominal muscle that forms a girdle inside the body,” McGee says. A strong transverse abdominal muscle will give you more endurance in every other physical activity, whether you’re running on the treadmill or swimming. Gains can be found outside the gym, too. “Strengthening the transverse muscle protects your lower back and improves your posture,” McGee explains. You’ll hold your abs in and sit taller at your desk, in your car, and at the dinner table. Dancers have known the importance of a strong powerhouse for a long time. “When a ballerina sits down, she sits straight and tall,” McGee says. “She’s worked her internal muscles for so long that this posture is just natural.” Although the emphasis is on the core, the rest of your body benefits as well. Pilates has a lower-body series that will give you long, lean thigh muscles and a firm behind.

Pilates is a low-impact exercise that offers tremendous strength and toning potential. People of all athletic abilities – from casual exercisers to workout warriors – can benefit.  Pilates does have a place in a weight-loss program, but you need to do cardio as well. “My ideal routine is four to five cardio sessions a week, 30 to 45 minutes each; combined with two to three one-hour Pilates classes a week,” McGee says. Pilates will define, tone, and tighten your muscles, while the cardio will burn off fat to showcase them. Injured athletes and dancers, as well as those who have been hurt in a car accident, often use Pilates as part of their rehabilitation. Qualified instructors are well-versed in human anatomy and can help with the healing process, putting a client through specific exercises designed to repair the body. Pilates can also improve lower back and neck pain. If your M.D. gives you a referral, the sessions may count as physical therapy and may even be covered by insurance. However, don’t wait until you’re hurt to get in shape. Think of the exercises as preventive measures. “Pilates will help protect your body,” McGee says. “If your core is strong, you’re less likely to injure yourself.” And if your guy spends his time hunched over a desk or playing rough-and-tumble sports, bring him to the studio with you. Pilates isn’t just a girl thing; pro football players use it to strengthen their bodies and cores, helping them absorb the impact of full-body tackles without blowing out their knees.

One-on-one or small-group sessions at a Pilates studio are ideal. Large, one-size-fits-all classes at the corner gym are better than nothing but aren’t the best option for beginners. If there are more than a couple of dozen people in a class, it’s going to be hard for the instructor to keep an eye on you.

“Pilates involves very specific movements,” McGee says. “If you’re not doing them correctly, you could hurt your lower back or neck.” If you’re brand new to Pilates, you should consider splurging for a few private lessons. Look for an instructor who is certified by a reputable organization, not a group that hands out certificates after one weekend of training. When you’re well-versed in the basics and know how to modify certain movements to fit your needs, then you can attend a larger class or follow a DVD at home. And don’t confine your practice to the gym or studio. All you need is something to pad your spine, like a mat or carpet. 

<p>“The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises,” Joseph Pilates once said. With Pilates studios and classes popping up worldwide, it does seem like the Pilates founder’s exhortation is coming true. And no wonder: this form of exercise not only tightens and tones your body but strengthens and protects it as well. A sickly child, Joseph Pilates devoted his time to developing exercises that made him stronger. During World War I, he used the exercises to help wounded soldiers muscle up and become mobile again. In 1926, he opened the first Pilates studio in New York City. More than 80 years later, Pilates has become one of the hottest – and most accessible – workouts around.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>The Basics</strong></p>
<p>There are two types of Pilates. The most common type, which you can do almost anywhere, consists of a series of floor exercises performed on a mat. These primarily use the body’s own weight as resistance, but can also involve work with resistance bands and the Pilates Magic Circle, a flexible circle made of rubber or thin metal. The second type of Pilates relies on two machines called the Cadillac and the Reformer, which use a system of springs, levers, and pulleys to strengthen and condition your body. In both types of Pilates, all movement originates from the core – or powerhouse – which includes the muscles that run around your trunk and pelvis. Sometimes exercises are performed slowly; other times you pick up the pace but all the movements are focused and concentrated. No matter the workout’s tempo, the emphasis is on control. “Pilates is a mind and body exercise,” McGee says. “Everything is done with intention.”</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>The gains</strong></p>
<p>Pilates exercises will give you sleek, toned muscles without bulking you up. “In Pilates, everything is about length,” McGee says. “You’ll have long, lean muscles like a dancer’s.” But the exercises do more than make you look good on the outside. Unlike isolation exercises, such as the standard crunch, Pilates strengthens your entire core. “Pilates works the transverse muscle, the deep abdominal muscle that forms a girdle inside the body,” McGee says. A strong transverse abdominal muscle will give you more endurance in every other physical activity, whether you’re running on the treadmill or swimming. Gains can be found outside the gym, too. “Strengthening the transverse muscle protects your lower back and improves your posture,” McGee explains. You’ll hold your abs in and sit taller at your desk, in your car, and at the dinner table. Dancers have known the importance of a strong powerhouse for a long time. “When a ballerina sits down, she sits straight and tall,” McGee says. “She’s worked her internal muscles for so long that this posture is just natural.” Although the emphasis is on the core, the rest of your body benefits as well. Pilates has a lower-body series that will give you long, lean thigh muscles and a firm behind.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>Who should try it</strong></p>
<p>Pilates is a low-impact exercise that offers tremendous strength and toning potential. People of all athletic abilities – from casual exercisers to workout warriors – can benefit. &nbsp;Pilates does have a place in a weight-loss program, but you need to do cardio as well. “My ideal routine is four to five cardio sessions a week, 30 to 45 minutes each; combined with two to three one-hour Pilates classes a week,” McGee says. Pilates will define, tone, and tighten your muscles, while the cardio will burn off fat to showcase them. Injured athletes and dancers, as well as those who have been hurt in a car accident, often use Pilates as part of their rehabilitation. Qualified instructors are well-versed in human anatomy and can help with the healing process, putting a client through specific exercises designed to repair the body. Pilates can also improve lower back and neck pain. If your M.D. gives you a referral, the sessions may count as physical therapy and may even be covered by insurance. However, don’t wait until you’re hurt to get in shape. Think of the exercises as preventive measures. “Pilates will help protect your body,” McGee says. “If your core is strong, you’re less likely to injure yourself.” And if your guy spends his time hunched over a desk or playing rough-and-tumble sports, bring him to the studio with you. Pilates isn’t just a girl thing; pro football players use it to strengthen their bodies and cores, helping them absorb the impact of full-body tackles without blowing out their knees.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>Finding a class</strong></p>
<p>One-on-one or small-group sessions at a Pilates studio are ideal. Large, one-size-fits-all classes at the corner gym are better than nothing but aren’t the best option for beginners. If there are more than a couple of dozen people in a class, it’s going to be hard for the instructor to keep an eye on you.</p>
<p>“Pilates involves very specific movements,” McGee says. “If you’re not doing them correctly, you could hurt your lower back or neck.” If you’re brand new to Pilates, you should consider splurging for a few private lessons. Look for an instructor who is certified by a reputable organization, not a group that hands out certificates after one weekend of training. When you’re well-versed in the basics and know how to modify certain movements to fit your needs, then you can attend a larger class or follow a DVD at home. And don’t confine your practice to the gym or studio. All you need is something to pad your spine, like a mat or carpet.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br></p>

Fitness instructor 

Pilates has become one of the hottest – and most accessible – workouts around. This form of exercise not only tightens and tones your body but strengthens and protects it as well.

Pilates: how get a dancer’s body

People are shocked at the impact (divorce) has on every single area of their life. And that’s true even when it’s you who initiates the split. The emotional journey, the surprises, and the changes can all offer insight and wisdom, especially if you work through the divorce with awareness and calm. Yet no matter how Zen-like you may be about the split, there are a few landmines to watch out for. Here are six of the most common, and how to deal with them.

With one life-altering change may come the desire for a completely fresh start: a different job, a change of address, or even a new city. Curb that impulse for now. Although doing all three may ultimately be right for your new life, now is not the time to make such drastic changes. It takes at least a year for the high emotions caused by divorce to settle. If you have stress and a sense of alarm, your decisions are affected. And a year from now, you may regret such hasty choices.

If you start to date – even if you realize you just want to be emotionally rescued – then it’s healthy. It’s when you blindly romanticize about being rescued that you’re in danger. If you don’t trust yourself to be realistic about a new relationship, hold off on dating until your emotions and thoughts are clearer. To attract healthily, you have to be healthy. What happens to so many people is they’re not willing to give themselves time to become healthy. The result? You’ll be far more likely to rush into another bad match and repeat the same mistakes.

After divorce, an emotional vacuum remains that often gets filled by loneliness, sadness, and their unwelcome cousin: desperation. Such emotions are going to occur. Don’t deny them. Instead, try to acknowledge and accept what you feel. Reading articles or books that help you reflect on your feelings and your spirituality can be soothing. And try not to let those feelings isolate you: Reaching out to friends and family can also help. For some, divorce may actually ease the loneliness they felt within a marriage to an unavailable partner. I don’t think there is a lonelier place in the world than to be married and lonely. 

If children are involved, expect the emotional repercussions to magnify. Kids want stability and divorce is its antithesis. What to do? Minimize their stress by refusing to bad-mouth your ex, no matter how much anger or hurt exists between you. Don’t draw children into your marital strife and personal problems. Instead, turn to adult friends, family, a therapist, or a minister. Allow your children to remain children. Instead of worrying about the damage that divorce may do to your children. If a couple is not showing love, affection, and appreciation of one another, children see active misery as a way to live in a relationship. Children who see their parents make healthier life choices often feel more confident and secure. They come to trust their parents much more when they have [made] a decision to make their lives better.

Run, don’t walk to the nearest divorce recovery workshop. Gathering with other newly divorced people helps quell the shame some feel from such a public failure. To find a recovery group near you, check with local churches and social service agencies. The courthouse or chamber of commerce may have a list of support groups. You can also try the phone book and the Internet.

If you have children, practice forgiveness: It will make their path through your divorce much easier. If you don’t have children, do it for yourself. Forgiving your ex for transgressions is key to rebuilding a healthy emotional life. Of course, forgiveness is one of the toughest tasks you’ll face, especially if either you or your ex is bent on revenge. Without forgiveness, you become a prisoner to your ex-spouse. The anger keeps him with you day and night, even controlling your decisions. To break that imprisonment you can write a “forgiveness letter” to your ex. The good news is you don’t even have to send the darn thing. You just need to write it. You’ll feel so much better. If you carry hurt with you for life, you hurt yourself, you hurt your children, and you never get to live the life you were meant to live.

<p>People are shocked at the impact (divorce) has on every single area of their life. And that’s true even when it’s you who initiates the split. The emotional journey, the surprises, and the changes can all offer insight and wisdom, especially if you work through the divorce with awareness and calm. Yet no matter how Zen-like you may be about the split, there are a few landmines to watch out for. Here are six of the most common, and how to deal with them.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>1. Apply the brakes</strong></p>
<p>With one life-altering change may come the desire for a completely fresh start: a different job, a change of address, or even a new city. Curb that impulse for now. Although doing all three may ultimately be right for your new life, now is not the time to make such drastic changes. It takes at least a year for the high emotions caused by divorce to settle. If you have stress and a sense of alarm, your decisions are affected. And a year from now, you may regret such hasty choices.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>2. Beware of new love</strong></p>
<p>If you start to date – even if you realize you just want to be emotionally rescued – then it’s healthy. It’s when you blindly romanticize about being rescued that you’re in danger. If you don’t trust yourself to be realistic about a new relationship, hold off on dating until your emotions and thoughts are clearer. To attract healthily, you have to be healthy. What happens to so many people is they’re not willing to give themselves time to become healthy. The result? You’ll be far more likely to rush into another bad match and repeat the same mistakes.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>3. Acknowledge tough emotions</strong></p>
<p>After divorce, an emotional vacuum remains that often gets filled by loneliness, sadness, and their unwelcome cousin: desperation. Such emotions are going to occur. Don’t deny them. Instead, try to acknowledge and accept what you feel. Reading articles or books that help you reflect on your feelings and your spirituality can be soothing. And try not to let those feelings isolate you: Reaching out to friends and family can also help. For some, divorce may actually ease the loneliness they felt within a marriage to an unavailable partner. I don’t think there is a lonelier place in the world than to be married and lonely.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>4. Consider the kids</strong></p>
<p>If children are involved, expect the emotional repercussions to magnify. Kids want stability and divorce is its antithesis. What to do? Minimize their stress by refusing to bad-mouth your ex, no matter how much anger or hurt exists between you. Don’t draw children into your marital strife and personal problems. Instead, turn to adult friends, family, a therapist, or a minister. Allow your children to remain children. Instead of worrying about the damage that divorce may do to your children. If a couple is not showing love, affection, and appreciation of one another, children see active misery as a way to live in a relationship. Children who see their parents make healthier life choices often feel more confident and secure. They come to trust their parents much more when they have [made] a decision to make their lives better.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>5. Find a divorce recovery group</strong></p>
<p>Run, don’t walk to the nearest divorce recovery workshop. Gathering with other newly divorced people helps quell the shame some feel from such a public failure. To find a recovery group near you, check with local churches and social service agencies. The courthouse or chamber of commerce may have a list of support groups. You can also try the phone book and the Internet.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>6. Learn to forgive</strong></p>
<p>If you have children, practice forgiveness: It will make their path through your divorce much easier. If you don’t have children, do it for yourself. Forgiving your ex for transgressions is key to rebuilding a healthy emotional life. Of course, forgiveness is one of the toughest tasks you’ll face, especially if either you or your ex is bent on revenge. Without forgiveness, you become a prisoner to your ex-spouse. The anger keeps him with you day and night, even controlling your decisions. To break that imprisonment you can write a “forgiveness letter” to your ex. The good news is you don’t even have to send the darn thing. You just need to write it. You’ll feel so much better. If you carry hurt with you for life, you hurt yourself, you hurt your children, and you never get to live the life you were meant to live.</p>
<p><br></p>

People are shocked at the impact (divorce) has on every single area of their life. And that’s true even when it’s you who initiates the split.

6 tips to survive the split

Here’s a story for you. Back in the late nineties, I was hired for several months by a start-up. My role was to be an online marketing expert during the start-up phase. They hired me because the boss was a huge fan. He had heard me speak at conferences, read all my articles, and thought I was the bee’s knees. When I first went to their office, I got the full celebrity treatment. During meetings, the boss would just say, “What Nick says. We’ll do that.” I know, it sounds sickening. But back then, during the start-up-crazy-late-nineties, it could be like that. Besides, their background was as a traditional brick and mortar business, and I knew a lot more about web marketing than they did.

Everything went fine. I ended up working with them for over a year. But after a few weeks, that original shine began to wear off.  I was still the same guy. I still knew a lot more about web marketing than they did. Part of that process is natural. After the first week I was no longer this “guru”, they held in their imagination. I was just a guy who knew stuff. But also, I couldn’t wow them in the same way again. I could never recreate the wow moment when I first sat down at the first meeting.

Their increasing familiarity with my work, regardless of its quality, made it seem ordinary and expected. The same thing can happen with your website and your web content. You can launch with a great idea and great content. You can wow your audience and get amazing word of mouth.

But after a few weeks or months – even if your content remains at the same level of quality – it will no longer seem as remarkable as it once did. It becomes expected. “Wow” becomes ordinary. And, of course, the moment you hit “ordinary” in a reader’s mind, you have a problem. The answer?

Create occasional content designed specifically to wow.

For example, you might publish a blog daily, or post a new article weekly. That’s great. But perhaps once every two or three months you could publish something different. For example:

- A video interview with an industry expert.

- A thought-leader essay, significantly longer and more detailed than your regular articles or posts.

The format doesn’t matter much, just so long as it is instantly recognizable as being different from your regular content. Also, put in ten times the effort for these pieces, when compared to your daily or weekly content.

Going back to the title of this article – What have you done to Wow your readers lately? – you use this special, occasional content to wow your readers all over again, and remind them why they started following you in the first place. If life and publishing were fair, all you would need to do is publish quality content on a regular basis. But that’s not how it works. To retain the long-term attention of your readers, you have to wow them again and again.

<p>Here’s a story for you. Back in the late nineties, I was hired for several months by a start-up. My role was to be an online marketing expert during the start-up phase. They hired me because the boss was a huge fan. He had heard me speak at conferences, read all my articles, and thought I was the bee’s knees. When I first went to their office, I got the full celebrity treatment. During meetings, the boss would just say, “What Nick says. We’ll do that.” I know, it sounds sickening. But back then, during the start-up-crazy-late-nineties, it could be like that. Besides, their background was as a traditional brick and mortar business, and I knew a lot more about web marketing than they did.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Everything went fine. I ended up working with them for over a year. But after a few weeks, that original shine began to wear off. &nbsp;I was still the same guy. I still knew a lot more about web marketing than they did. Part of that process is natural. After the first week I was no longer this “guru”, they held in their imagination. I was just a guy who knew stuff. But also, I couldn’t wow them in the same way again. I could never recreate the wow moment when I first sat down at the first meeting.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Their increasing familiarity with my work, regardless of its quality, made it seem ordinary and expected. The same thing can happen with your website and your web content. You can launch with a great idea and great content. You can wow your audience and get amazing word of mouth.</p>
<p>But after a few weeks or months – even if your content remains at the same level of quality – it will no longer seem as remarkable as it once did. It becomes expected. “Wow” becomes ordinary. And, of course, the moment you hit “ordinary” in a reader’s mind, you have a problem. The answer?</p>
<p>Create occasional content designed specifically to wow.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>For example, you might publish a blog daily, or post a new article weekly. That’s great. But perhaps once every two or three months you could publish something different. For example:</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><em><strong>- A video interview with an industry expert.</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>- A stunning infographic.</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>- A thought-leader essay, significantly longer and more detailed than your regular articles or posts.</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>- A quality slide show presentation.</strong></em></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>The format doesn’t matter much, just so long as it is instantly recognizable as being different from your regular content. Also, put in ten times the effort for these pieces, when compared to your daily or weekly content.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Going back to the title of this article – What have you done to Wow your readers lately? – you use this special, occasional content to wow your readers all over again, and remind them why they started following you in the first place. If life and publishing were fair, all you would need to do is publish quality content on a regular basis. But that’s not how it works. To retain the long-term attention of your readers, you have to wow them again and again.</p>

Marketing manager

You can launch your projects with a great idea and great content. You can wow your audience and get amazing word of mouth.

What have you done to Wow your readers lately?

Why should web content be creative and entertaining? Well, that’s an easy question to answer. Because readers like to find stuff online that is creative and entertaining. Why isn’t most web content entertaining? Because too many rules get in the way. Actually, there are layers and layers of things that get in the way of a writer’s natural inclination to be creative and, yes, entertaining. Part of writing well is about the freedom to enjoy yourself while writing. Writers take pleasure in sharing what they know or feel. Writers like to have fun. Writing is a creative art.

When we write poems, short stories, and novels we are being creative. Everyone knows that. But how about when we write a blog post or a page for a website, or a company newsletter? Can’t that be creative? Or do we have to turn off our creativity and just do “business writing”? Well, that sounds like a miserable way to make a living. But the sad truth is, that’s what we do, most of the time. If we want to earn the meager bucks, we do “business writing”. This is where the layers come in, burying any last hope that a web content writer can add a little life to his or her writing and, just perhaps, be a teeny bit entertaining.

One layer may come from that group meeting where someone stands up and talks about content strategy. Another layer is put in place by the SEO group, which tells you which words and phrases to use in your headline. Another layer appears when some bright young thing lectures you about the importance of making your content shareable through social media. Then, to cap it all, there’s the email from your manager or boss, sharing his or her invaluable insights into the appropriate feel and tone for the site’s content. Pity the poor content writer.

Give the process the finger, just sometimes

I know a couple of writers who were either too courageous, or naive, to toe the company line. Instead, they decided to do something different, and entertaining. The first persuaded his boss to allow him to write a short story at the beginning of every company newsletter. The other persuaded his boss to let him rewrite one of the company’s B2B newsletters in the voice of an alien who thought all humans were nuts. In both cases, the outcome was hugely entertaining. In both cases, the outcome was a big increase in revenues. Yes, being entertaining made these companies more money. Kudos to the bosses who had the courage to say yes to approaches that were scary, and broke all the rules.

But what about the rules, the strategies, and the style guides?

Rules, strategies, and style guides make life easier for bosses and managers. Managing writers who are creative and entertaining is hard work.

Keeping writers in line by stuffing rules, strategies, and style guides down their throats make life easy. Which reminds me, I have yet to complain about content management systems that confine writers with required character and word counts. There’s a creativity-crusher for you.

Google’s latest Panda update doesn’t help. It is telling us all that if we want to get our pages on page one of the search results, they had better be helpful, useful, and not too short. I understand why they are doing that. But what about a really short, but wildly entertaining page?

What about a page with very little content, that happens to be amazingly creative? The way Google is going, it is severely limiting the ways in which we can be interesting, creative, and entertaining. Unless, of course, we can figure out a way to be creative and entertaining while at the same time being useful and wordy.

I may think Google is stacking the odds against creative and entertaining content, but I do like their company policy of allowing their employees to devote 20% of their time to their own projects. I would like to suggest that companies give their web content writers the same opportunity.

In other words, ask your writers to spend 80% of their day creating content according to your multi-layered rules, but then give them 20% of their time free of those rules. Allow them to create great content that totally ignores SEO, style guides, and every other constraint. Ask them to come up with some great ideas, unexpected ideas, even crazy ideas. You don’t have to publish everything produced. But you do need to have the courage to try some approaches that don’t follow your rules.

You also need to trust your writers. They are smart, decent people. They won’t deliberately set out to create content that could damage your company or your brand. But writers are, by nature, creative. So give them a little breathing space. Allow them to be creating and entertaining. What they bring to you during their 20% time maybe a little scary. But as with the two examples I cited above scary, crazy, and entertaining content can build you a whole new audience of fans, and boost your bottom line.

<p>Why should web content be creative and entertaining? Well, that’s an easy question to answer. Because readers like to find stuff online that is creative and entertaining. Why isn’t most web content entertaining? Because too many rules get in the way. Actually, there are layers and layers of things that get in the way of a writer’s natural inclination to be creative and, yes, entertaining. Part of writing well is about the freedom to enjoy yourself while writing. Writers take pleasure in sharing what they know or feel. Writers like to have fun. Writing is a creative art.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>When we write poems, short stories, and novels we are being creative. Everyone knows that. But how about when we write a blog post or a page for a website, or a company newsletter? Can’t that be creative? Or do we have to turn off our creativity and just do “business writing”? Well, that sounds like a miserable way to make a living. But the sad truth is, that’s what we do, most of the time. If we want to earn the meager bucks, we do “business writing”. This is where the layers come in, burying any last hope that a web content writer can add a little life to his or her writing and, just perhaps, be a teeny bit entertaining.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>One layer may come from that group meeting where someone stands up and talks about content strategy. Another layer is put in place by the SEO group, which tells you which words and phrases to use in your headline. Another layer appears when some bright young thing lectures you about the importance of making your content shareable through social media. Then, to cap it all, there’s the email from your manager or boss, sharing his or her invaluable insights into the appropriate feel and tone for the site’s content. Pity the poor content writer.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>Give the process the finger, just sometimes</strong></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>I know a couple of writers who were either too courageous, or naive, to toe the company line. Instead, they decided to do something different, and entertaining. The first persuaded his boss to allow him to write a short story at the beginning of every company newsletter. The other persuaded his boss to let him rewrite one of the company’s B2B newsletters in the voice of an alien who thought all humans were nuts. In both cases, the outcome was hugely entertaining. In both cases, the outcome was a big increase in revenues. Yes, being entertaining made these companies more money. Kudos to the bosses who had the courage to say yes to approaches that were scary, and broke all the rules.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>But what about the rules, the strategies, and the style guides?</strong></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Rules, strategies, and style guides make life easier for bosses and managers. Managing writers who are creative and entertaining is hard work.</p>
<p>Keeping writers in line by stuffing rules, strategies, and style guides down their throats make life easy. Which reminds me, I have yet to complain about content management systems that confine writers with required character and word counts. There’s a creativity-crusher for you.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>Google’s big, bad Panda</strong></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Google’s latest Panda update doesn’t help. It is telling us all that if we want to get our pages on page one of the search results, they had better be helpful, useful, and not too short. I understand why they are doing that. But what about a really short, but wildly entertaining page?</p>
<p>What about a page with very little content, that happens to be amazingly creative? The way Google is going, it is severely limiting the ways in which we can be interesting, creative, and entertaining. Unless, of course, we can figure out a way to be creative and entertaining while at the same time being useful and wordy.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>And now for the 20% rule</strong></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>I may think Google is stacking the odds against creative and entertaining content, but I do like their company policy of allowing their employees to devote 20% of their time to their own projects. I would like to suggest that companies give their web content writers the same opportunity.</p>
<p>In other words, ask your writers to spend 80% of their day creating content according to your multi-layered rules, but then give them 20% of their time free of those rules. Allow them to create great content that totally ignores SEO, style guides, and every other constraint. Ask them to come up with some great ideas, unexpected ideas, even crazy ideas. You don’t have to publish everything produced. But you do need to have the courage to try some approaches that don’t follow your rules.</p>
<p>You also need to trust your writers. They are smart, decent people. They won’t deliberately set out to create content that could damage your company or your brand. But writers are, by nature, creative. So give them a little breathing space. Allow them to be creating and entertaining. What they bring to you during their 20% time maybe a little scary. But as with the two examples I cited above scary, crazy, and entertaining content can build you a whole new audience of fans, and boost your bottom line.</p>

Why should web content be creative and entertaining? Well, that’s an easy question to answer. Because readers like to find stuff online that is creative and entertaining.

The 20% rule for writing creative and entertaining web content

Pick ten pages from your website at random, excluding the home page. Scroll down to the end of each page, and take notes of what you see after the last line of the body of the page’s text. Make a note of whether there are one or more links there, giving the reader an easy way to move forward to other pages on your site. OK, how many of those ten pages included links to other pages? The pages that didn’t have any links to move readers forward are dead-end pages. And dead-end pages offer a poor experience to your readers, and very little benefit to you, as a publisher. Consider this analogy.

You own a huge, physical department store, like Macy’s. There are multiple entrances to the store from the street. One takes people to an area dominated by women’s fashions. Another entrance takes people to an area filled with household appliances. A third brings people into an area displaying bedroom furniture. Now imagine you do something really dumb. You build walls around each department. So if someone is browsing women’s fashions, and then wants to wander over to the children’s clothing department, she would have to walk back out to the street, and along the sidewalk to another entrance.

But that’s precisely what you are doing when you create a content page that ends without any links forward to other areas of your site. You are creating a dead-end, a wall. OK, so if you have hundreds or thousands of pages on your site, to which of these do you provide links at the end of each page?

Think back to the department store. The appliances area isn’t next to the women’s fashion area – because they are not related. Next to the women’s fashions, you’ll likely find men’s fashions, or women’s accessories, or perfumes. As you walk from one part of the store to another, each new area is related to the last. If you want something totally different, like bedroom furniture, you’ll likely have to change floors. Do the same with your web content. At the end of each page of content, add three or four links to other pages with related information.

To get a little more scientific about it, try a variety of links, and then use your site analytics data to find out which your readers click on most. Then make it easier for them to get thereby providing a direct link, in plain sight. Of course, you don’t have to wait for the end of the page to provide links. You can also add links within the body of the page text. But there should always be one or more links at the end of the page as well. Identify and update all your dead-end pages. It takes time and money to bring people to a page. So why, once you have them there, would you make it hard for them to move on elsewhere within your site? That makes no more sense than the idea of building walls around each area in a department store.

<p>Pick ten pages from your website at random, excluding the home page. Scroll down to the end of each page, and take notes of what you see after the last line of the body of the page’s text. Make a note of whether there are one or more links there, giving the reader an easy way to move forward to other pages on your site. OK, how many of those ten pages included links to other pages? The pages that didn’t have any links to move readers forward are dead-end pages. And dead-end pages offer a poor experience to your readers, and very little benefit to you, as a publisher. Consider this analogy.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><em>You own a huge, physical department store, like Macy’s. There are multiple entrances to the store from the street. One takes people to an area dominated by women’s fashions. Another entrance takes people to an area filled with household appliances. A third brings people into an area displaying bedroom furniture. Now imagine you do something really dumb. You build walls around each department. So if someone is browsing women’s fashions, and then wants to wander over to the children’s clothing department, she would have to walk back out to the street, and along the sidewalk to another entrance.</em></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>How stupid would that be?</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>But that’s precisely what you are doing when you create a content page that ends without any links forward to other areas of your site. You are creating a dead-end, a wall. OK, so if you have hundreds or thousands of pages on your site, to which of these do you provide links at the end of each page?</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Think back to the department store. The appliances area isn’t next to the women’s fashion area – because they are not related. Next to the women’s fashions, you’ll likely find men’s fashions, or women’s accessories, or perfumes. As you walk from one part of the store to another, each new area is related to the last. If you want something totally different, like bedroom furniture, you’ll likely have to change floors. Do the same with your web content. At the end of each page of content, add three or four links to other pages with related information.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>To get a little more scientific about it, try a variety of links, and then use your site analytics data to find out which your readers click on most. Then make it easier for them to get thereby providing a direct link, in plain sight. Of course, you don’t have to wait for the end of the page to provide links. You can also add links within the body of the page text. But there should always be one or more links at the end of the page as well. Identify and update all your dead-end pages. It takes time and money to bring people to a page. So why, once you have them there, would you make it hard for them to move on elsewhere within your site? That makes no more sense than the idea of building walls around each area in a department store.</p>

The pages that didn’t have any links to move readers forward are dead-end pages. Dead-end pages offer a poor experience to your readers and very little benefit to you,

Why dead-end content is a waste of your time and money

American businesses are reluctant to expand beyond U.S. borders. But given that overseas companies don’t feel the same qualms about entering the U.S. market, not to mention that some foreign economies are growing at a much greater pace than ours, such xenophobia may be bad business. “The Internet lowers barriers to entry, but it also lowers barriers to competition,” says Mark Begin, president of global e-commerce service provider Asknet. Prior to the acceptance of e-commerce, only deep-pocketed businesses could afford to invest in overseas expansion. Now, though, any mom-and-pop Website can reach a global audience, whether it wants to or not.

But there’s a difference between reaching a global audience, which just about any Website does passively, and effectively selling to that audience.

Begin recalls a client that expanded into several overseas markets and was seeing good results in all of them except Japan. One problem was that certain areas of the Website relating to product specs linked back to English-language pages, while other pages weren’t translated very well. A more significant issue, however, was that the client’s marketing strategy was tied to discounting, and in Japan, discounts are often seen as indicators of shoddy merchandise.

It’s also important to bear in mind that what is considered best practice in one market may not be so in another. For instance, in the U.S., a streamlined checkout process involving as few steps as possible is the ideal. But in Japan and some European countries, Begin says, “the process is more important, so a multistep checkout is more attuned for them.” Payment preferences vary hugely as well. Visa may boast that “it’s everywhere you want to be,” but German consumers don’t want it, or credit cards in general, to be weighing down their wallets. Roughly 85% of German consumers use bank transfers, aka giros, as their principal method of remote payments, says Begin, “which raises different fraud issues as well.”

Then there are differences in sales-tax collection and disclosure, privacy and security regulations (in the EU, Begin says, prechecking the “subscribe me” box in a sign-up form, which is commonplace in the U.S., is considered a violation of opt-in requirements), and address formats (because addresses in Ireland outside of Dublin do not have postal codes, many UK e-commerce sites lost out on sales to Irish shoppers because they required a postal code to complete an order).

Given all the variables and complexities, you might think that sticking to the U.S. market is the wiser option. But that’s not necessarily the case. For one thing, more than 40% of the world’s population resides in four countries alone: Brazil, Russia, India, and China. These so-called BRIC nations have enjoyed significantly greater economic growth during the past decade than those of North America and Western Europe. Failing to enter these markets sooner could make it much more difficult to expand there later. This is especially true if you cater to a distinctive niche or offer an unusual product. “If you have something great,” Begin says, “someone else is going to copy it and go to their local market with it,” beating you to the punch.

Besides, the differences and difficulties mentioned earlier are not insurmountable. Service providers and consultants can help ensure that your offering doesn’t get lost in literal or figurative translation. And while the idea is to have every element of the shopping experience localized, it’s not necessary, especially when you’re testing the international waters. After all, English is a lingua franca for the professional and affluent classes in much of the industrialized world.

“Some companies are just too slow,” says Begin, who admittedly has a vested interest in encouraging international expansion. “They don’t realize that they could have a global presence in a couple of weeks. Even if they’re not totally localized they can start in English. And it’s not necessary to have a physical presence in each country.”

Expanding the number of countries to which you ship orders, offering pricing for a few common alternative currencies, adding a few more payment options, and optimizing your site for the major search engines of a few other markets could help you determine if and when to offer additional localization. Just as you probably are wary of relying on just one supplier for your merchandise, now might be the time to get away from having all your customers in just one country.

<p>American businesses are reluctant to expand beyond U.S. borders. But given that overseas companies don’t feel the same qualms about entering the U.S. market, not to mention that some foreign economies are growing at a much greater pace than ours, such xenophobia may be bad business. “The Internet lowers barriers to entry, but it also lowers barriers to competition,” says Mark Begin, president of global e-commerce service provider Asknet. Prior to the acceptance of e-commerce, only deep-pocketed businesses could afford to invest in overseas expansion. Now, though, any mom-and-pop Website can reach a global audience, whether it wants to or not.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>But there’s a difference between reaching a global audience, which just about any Website does passively, and effectively selling to that audience.</p>
<p>Begin recalls a client that expanded into several overseas markets and was seeing good results in all of them except Japan. One problem was that certain areas of the Website relating to product specs linked back to English-language pages, while other pages weren’t translated very well. A more significant issue, however, was that the client’s marketing strategy was tied to discounting, and in Japan, discounts are often seen as indicators of shoddy merchandise.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>It’s also important to bear in mind that what is considered best practice in one market may not be so in another. For instance, in the U.S., a streamlined checkout process involving as few steps as possible is the ideal. But in Japan and some European countries, Begin says, “the process is more important, so a multistep checkout is more attuned for them.” Payment preferences vary hugely as well. Visa may boast that “it’s everywhere you want to be,” but German consumers don’t want it, or credit cards in general, to be weighing down their wallets. Roughly 85% of German consumers use bank transfers, aka giros, as their principal method of remote payments, says Begin, “which raises different fraud issues as well.”</p>
<p>Then there are differences in sales-tax collection and disclosure, privacy and security regulations (in the EU, Begin says, prechecking the “subscribe me” box in a sign-up form, which is commonplace in the U.S., is considered a violation of opt-in requirements), and address formats (because addresses in Ireland outside of Dublin do not have postal codes, many UK e-commerce sites lost out on sales to Irish shoppers because they required a postal code to complete an order).</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Given all the variables and complexities, you might think that sticking to the U.S. market is the wiser option. But that’s not necessarily the case. For one thing, more than 40% of the world’s population resides in four countries alone: Brazil, Russia, India, and China. These so-called BRIC nations have enjoyed significantly greater economic growth during the past decade than those of North America and Western Europe. Failing to enter these markets sooner could make it much more difficult to expand there later. This is especially true if you cater to a distinctive niche or offer an unusual product. “If you have something great,” Begin says, “someone else is going to copy it and go to their local market with it,” beating you to the punch.</p>
<p>Besides, the differences and difficulties mentioned earlier are not insurmountable. Service providers and consultants can help ensure that your offering doesn’t get lost in literal or figurative translation. And while the idea is to have every element of the shopping experience localized, it’s not necessary, especially when you’re testing the international waters. After all, English is a lingua franca for the professional and affluent classes in much of the industrialized world.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>“Some companies are just too slow,” says Begin, who admittedly has a vested interest in encouraging international expansion. “They don’t realize that they could have a global presence in a couple of weeks. Even if they’re not totally localized they can start in English. And it’s not necessary to have a physical presence in each country.”</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Expanding the number of countries to which you ship orders, offering pricing for a few common alternative currencies, adding a few more payment options, and optimizing your site for the major search engines of a few other markets could help you determine if and when to offer additional localization. Just as you probably are wary of relying on just one supplier for your merchandise, now might be the time to get away from having all your customers in just one country.</p>

There’s a difference between reaching a global audience, which just about any Website does passively, and effectively selling to that audience.

Expert advice: pros and cons of going global online

"It’s about understanding that weight loss isn’t as much about shrinking the body as it is about modifying the brain,” Lederman tells. “It really is an attitude. It’s understanding that until you master the mind, you can’t change the body. There really is a connection. When I was on weight-loss programs prior to losing weight for good, I was working to change my body. Once I understood that mind changes were involved, I confronted the issues and was able to successfully maintain weight loss. After maintaining her loss for more than six years, Lederman decided to share her strategies with other women going through the same thing. She wrote Joining the Thin Club, a guide to “toning your mind after you’ve trimmed your body.” “The book really teaches people who have embarked on a weight-loss journey to confront the issues that made them fat, to begin with, and understand how to accept the new thin you,” Lederman says. “It’s about committing to staying thin and healthy.”

Lederman shares her top five tried-and-true tips from Joining The Thin Club that have helped keep her from slipping back into old habits and traps.

Be a Sunday exhibitionist. If you’re on vacation, slip on a skimpy outfit or swimsuit. Wear it all day with no cover-up. Flaunt your figure – you earned it. Resist the urge to hide behind anything. Remember, you’re a member of the Thin Club now.

Once you start exercising, you will become more motivated. Starting is the hardest part. Even if you don’t feel like it, get moving. The motivation will come, especially if you engage in an activity you thoroughly enjoy.

Keep a journal and write down three compliments to yourself on a daily basis. It may be more difficult to do on paper, but it’s more compelling. This is a great tool for lifting your spirits on those days when you feel unattractive or unmotivated.

Buy yourself a new piece of lingerie to celebrate every 10 pounds you lose or each definition line you see in your toned new body. It’s a sexy way of celebrating your continued success on the scale and in the bedroom.

Lie down on a large piece of paper and trace your body. Once you’ve completed this exercise, take a step back, and eye the drawing. You may be surprised at how much thinner you are than you thought. Decorate the “new you” with pictures and items that reflect who you are now.

In writing Joining the Thin Club, Lederman has made it her mission to help successful dieters change their mindset. 

The bottom line is most people who maintain their weight loss have changed their relationship to food and have a plan. That is where Joining The Thin Club comes in. Geared toward women who have shed pounds only to see them pile back on again, the book aims to help women set realistic goals, work on their body image and maintain diet and fitness habits for life. “It’s challenging,” Lederman says. “It takes effort and commitment. I don’t like the word ‘willpower.’ It makes everything seem so rigid. You have to look at things with a new perspective and, if you do, it becomes a way of life. That’s really the key.“ You have to commit to having a healthy lifestyle and know you can’t be sporadic about it,” Lederman continues. “It’s an ongoing commitment to your health and your life. You don’t diet so that you can eat that dessert. You are on a diet because you believe it’s a healthy way to eat and ‘diet’ no longer is a bad word. It’s the way you think and the manner of approaching food.”

<p><strong>How to keep off every pound</strong></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>"It’s about understanding that weight loss isn’t as much about shrinking the body as it is about modifying the brain,” Lederman tells. “It really is an attitude. It’s understanding that until you master the mind, you can’t change the body. There really is a connection. When I was on weight-loss programs prior to losing weight for good, I was working to change my body. Once I understood that mind changes were involved, I confronted the issues and was able to successfully maintain weight loss. After maintaining her loss for more than six years, Lederman decided to share her strategies with other women going through the same thing. She wrote&nbsp;<em>Joining the Thin Club</em>, a guide to “toning your mind after you’ve trimmed your body.” “The book really teaches people who have embarked on a weight-loss journey to confront the issues that made them fat, to begin with, and understand how to accept the new thin you,” Lederman says. “It’s about committing to staying thin and healthy.”</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>Confidence is key</strong></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Lederman shares her top five tried-and-true tips from&nbsp;<em>Joining The Thin Club&nbsp;</em>that have helped keep her from slipping back into old habits and traps.</p>
<p>1.<em>&nbsp;Dare to Bare</em></p>
<p>Be a Sunday exhibitionist. If you’re on vacation, slip on a skimpy outfit or swimsuit. Wear it all day with no cover-up. Flaunt your figure – you earned it. Resist the urge to hide behind anything. Remember, you’re a member of the Thin Club now.</p>
<p>2.<em>&nbsp;Act First, Motivate Second</em></p>
<p>Once you start exercising, you will become more motivated. Starting is the hardest part. Even if you don’t feel like it, get moving. The motivation will come, especially if you engage in an activity you thoroughly enjoy.</p>
<p>3.&nbsp;<em>Write On Time</em></p>
<p>Keep a journal and write down three compliments to yourself on a daily basis. It may be more difficult to do on paper, but it’s more compelling. This is a great tool for lifting your spirits on those days when you feel unattractive or unmotivated.</p>
<p>4.&nbsp;<em>Have Your Own Lingerie Party</em></p>
<p>Buy yourself a new piece of lingerie to celebrate every 10 pounds you lose or each definition line you see in your toned new body. It’s a sexy way of celebrating your continued success on the scale and in the bedroom.</p>
<p>5.<em>&nbsp;Take It Lying Down</em></p>
<p>Lie down on a large piece of paper and trace your body. Once you’ve completed this exercise, take a step back, and eye the drawing. You may be surprised at how much thinner you are than you thought. Decorate the “new you” with pictures and items that reflect who you are now.</p>
<p>In writing&nbsp;<em>Joining the Thin Club</em>, Lederman has made it her mission to help successful dieters change their mindset.<em>&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>Become a member for life</strong></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>The bottom line is most people who maintain their weight loss have changed their relationship to food and have a plan. That is where&nbsp;<em>Joining The Thin Club&nbsp;</em>comes in. Geared toward women who have shed pounds only to see them pile back on again, the book aims to help women set realistic goals, work on their body image and maintain diet and fitness habits for life. “It’s challenging,” Lederman says. “It takes effort and commitment. I don’t like the word ‘willpower.’ It makes everything seem so rigid. You have to look at things with a new perspective and, if you do, it becomes a way of life. That’s really the key.“ You have to commit to having a healthy lifestyle and know you can’t be sporadic about it,” Lederman continues. “It’s an ongoing commitment to your health and your life. You don’t diet so that you can eat that dessert. You are on a diet because you believe it’s a healthy way to eat and ‘diet’ no longer is a bad word. It’s the way you think and the manner of approaching food.”</p>
<p><br></p>

It’s about understanding that weight loss isn’t as much about shrinking the body as it is about modifying the brain. Until you master the mind, you can’t change the body.

Think thin, stay slim

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