Speaking engagement is off

The invitation to speak on Sept. 22 in Toronto on the subject of essay contests was never confirmed and it's now one week before the registration deadline, and 3 weeks before the event. I have notified the organization that I will not be speaking.

I would have put at least 4-5 days into the research, writing and delivery of the presentation, that I likely would not ever present again, not including 3 hours of driving, $100 -120 worth of gas and a $200 room in the hotel so I wouldn't be late for my 10 AM session. I was offered nothing more than $15 for parking; no payment toward the $152,000 I'm raising, not a room, not a gas allowance, not meals, not a pass to attend the convention, not even inclusion in the door prizes offered, nor publicity opportunities for my condo giveaway contest. The audience would not be interested in the subject of my "Wisdom" book, as it is an audience of hobbyists, not professional practitioners and consultants. And the 4-5 days would be a disruption to the work I'm doing to promote the contest, my book, my advice column, my speaker directory and my personal concierge business.

But I would gladly have done all the work and appeared with great enthusiasm, presenting a brilliant and memorable talk.... if I were being paid. Too bad, but now I'm free to receive something better.

Andrea

Corporate sponsorships are now accepted

My contest fundraising will go faster if I accept corporate donations so I am willing to provide promotion to any company - from a one-person business to a multi-national corporation - who makes a financial contribution to help me pay off the mortgage for the winner of the condo giveaway contest. Some possibilities:

1. Logo and link on any of my web sites: AndreaReynolds.com, HandyAnde.com (in the works), CommissionFreeSpeakers.com (in the works),
2. Logo and link on my van exterior,
3. Logo and link inside my e-book, Your Wisdom is Worth a Million,
4. Sponsorship of my business advice column, Advice Empire, in your newspaper.

Benjamin Moore in St. Catharines has provided $250 worth of paints and supplies to paint the condo, through an essay contest I won on CKTB radio, and both of these companies will receive visibility on my web site. You may be a realtor, a dentist, a doctor, a lawyer, a veterinarian, an engineer, or a philanthropist. If a corporate donation is not in your budget, you are welcome to purchase any of my other reports, manuals, booklets and e-books. Such as the ones listed in the column below my bio, or this one:



Or this one:


Or visit the contest donation page (click on heading at the top of this post) and donate from $2 on up, in $2 increments.

Thank you for your support,

Andrea

Handy Ande at work

Fixed small things today (on my own):
1. Installed a new toilet handle in the half-bath, after removing the broken one,
2. Removed two unnecessary pieces on the dishwasher that were keeping the cord and two hoses from pulling out and retracting properly,
3. Bought a connector for the dishwasher hose to connect the faucet as the "handyman" recommended, which wasn't needed as the two connected fine with out it. That was a waste of $3.
4. Bought a sink drain basket to replace the missing one. (8 bucks!)
5. Replaced the garbage can which sits under the sink on a hinge so that when the door is opened the can swings out,
6. Bought caulking for the sink that didn't get put down before the sink was put back in.

Small things getting crossed off my list. Feels good. Sometimes I look at the work done by handy men and wonder why people continue to hire them, but not me. For the same amount of money I do a more careful job, correct any mistakes I make, and clean up my mess. I think I will create a checklist for feedback for Handy Ande clients.

Next I must get a proper wrench so I can undo the work the handy man did yesterday. I need to fix the kink in the copper pipe, untangle the hose to the spray attachment so it extends as far as it is meant to, and take out the sink to clean the edge properly and caulk it, putting it back in so the sink fits snugly not rocking as it does now.

Tonight I get to find out whether the second hand dishwasher I bought last spring will actually work.

Postcript: Yes, the dishwasher works. Ah, freedom from hand washing dishes!

The handy woman hires a handyman

I finally have the new faucet installed. I've been procrastinating on this for months. But I met a man in the parking lot today who is staying with my former next-door-neighbors on the 9th floor. And after a long conversation we agreed he would do it. He wants to get handyman jobs and I had enough cash on hand on a Sunday morning to have him do it. No more water dripping in the sink and leaking under the sink, no more sprays that got water where it shouldn't, and no more having to turn the shut-off valve on and off when I wanted hot water to wash the dishes. He got it done in less than an hour. This is so wonderful.... I'm revelling in the good feeling.

I dashed out to move my van because I was stuck in a parking spot for 24 hours, thanks to some young people moving in who had their truck parked 6 feet away from the building, into the fire lane. They refused to move the truck, even though two of them were just standing around and one was on his cell phone. When I tried to pass their U-Hall van with my cargo van I would have broken off their driver side mirror and my passenger side mirror. I couldn't back up the entire way around the building so I parked it across from the loading dock and grabbed my bicycle so I could get to my vet's before they closed. When I returned there were cars on either side of me. When I backed up I hit the loading dock just as I cleared the two cars. I couldn't turn; I could go only forward or back! So I waited until one car left today so I could make a series of backups and forward efforts using the empty spot beside me. I finally got out and parked up on the visitor parking ramp. Whew!

Why do young people have this sense of entitlement that they can inconvenience people without considering the effect they have on others? I'd like to promote a whole "new" philosophy called The Golden Rule. Do you think it might catch on?

"And I suppose you've got swamp land in Florida to sell me, too"

That's what my neighbor just said to me when I told him I'm giving my condo away in a contest. Ouch. How could anyone think that I would be like that? I'm crushed.

And when I got my hair cut today, and I told my stylist that I was invited to speak on the "ins and outs of essay contests", she curled her lip. "That's boring," she pronounced. Double ouch.

I think those are signs that I should keep silent about the condo giveaway essay contest and see if anyone finds it from here on in. I'm just going to promote 1) my book, 2) my advice column and 3) the online speaker directory and let the condo contest make it or break it without any further promotional effort on my part. If it's meant to be it will take on a life of its own.

PS This won't mean much to some of you, but I bought "silver" insulation for my van today so this weekend I can adhere it to the interior so it won't be so hot in the summer or so cold in the winter. All the better for camping and traveling. I just have to keep moving forward with my plan to leave here.

Contest FAQ is posted. Click this title to view

I've posted a 30 question FAQ on my web site and also a page where anyone can voluntarily make a donation toward the $152,000 I am raising to pay off the mortgage and closing costs for the winner. Read Item #14 on the FAQ.

I've created the donation button in $2 increments so if you want to donate as little as $2 you can enter the quantity "1". If you want to donate $100, insert the quantity "50". Remember, PayPal will deduct $.30 plus 2.9% from each donation.

As of this morning I have received 2 contest entries and 2 book orders. Keep them coming.

I think I'm going to write another book....

called: "It's Not Always Too Good to Be True." Someone else said I should title it, "Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth".

I do something generous every year just because it feels good to be able to do it. Last year it was a contest to give away a Handy Ande franchise so someone without an income could earn $24,000 a year for 2 years. The year before it was a contest to give away $500 worth of my services and books. The year before that I held a contest to give away $1000 worth of my services. And in 2002 I held a contest to give away a furnished mobile home in Pennsylvania. I make them the contests as easy to enter as I can. Last month I offered, to more than 100 people who came to me for services, a free, $49 dollar value, full page profile on my forthcoming online speaker directory which is a more afordable alternative to my $49,000 promotional campaign for speakers. Only 2 people took me up on the freebie. And then there was the web site I offered a competitor a few years ago and they refused to speak to me. I ended up selling the web site for enough money to pay my van loan for 16 months.

Today I ran into 5 young people in the building lobby and again in the parking lot. I mentioned that I'm giving away a condo and they kept on walking. I said, "Everybody seems to ignore that last statement." And the 5 of them just laughed. Well... I've posted all the info on this blog and on my web site. I think I will be quiet now and see if anyone takes notice and takes me seriously.

I am very serious. I want to get out of this condo and leave it and the contents behind with someone who wants it so I can get on the road while the weather is nice, and start my life over where I can write books without scorn, derision and contempt.

My posts may drop off for awhile ... until I have good news to report. Meanwhile I'm contacting some real estate agents and newspapers.

Andrea

What I will be working on in September

I expected a flood of contest entries by now, but none have come in yet. Maybe everyone is thinking about what they will write. Instead, I have sold several advance copies of my 150 page e-book, Your Wisdom is Worth a Million. I guess more people would rather pay for a book that will help them increase their incomes than write 10 sentences that could win them a home. People teach me new things every day and I have to chuckle when they surprise me by blowing my expectations.

Now that I have found that I can open my old web pages with Dreamweaver I can get on with erecting my online speaker directory to promote speakers, CommissionFreeSpeakers.com. I've been offering a year's membership for $49 until September 1st and that includes a private forum just for experts who speak to discuss marketing and promotion. I think that I will offer a free speaker profile on Commission-Free Speakers with every purchase of my e-book YWIWAM until September 1st.

I am considering increasing the membership fee as of September 1st. Perhaps speakers are thinking that $49 for marketing them for a year is too little. My thinking was that if 500 speakers joined at $49, $24,500 would be enough money to promote all of us to meeting planners for a year. Perhaps I'll charge $495 and promote only 50 speakers. The great thing about the directory is that there are no commissions to pay on any speaking engagements a speaker receives. If I speaker wants to speak for free, he can. Or if a speaker wants my help in negotiating a contract I can, for a straight fee. Or speakers can receive 15 minutes of my time and advice and negotiate their own fees and contract terms.

Keeping in mind that speakers don't like having an "agent" or advocate increase or multiply their fees in exchange for a percentage of their fee, how does this concept grab you?

As I work on these two web sites I will also be completing Your Wisdom is Worth a Million and then raising the price to $89 to new buyers as soon as it is ready to deliver. I'm working on a news release to promote the book to consultants, lawyers, doctors, psychologists, veterinarians, chiropractors, speakers, and specialists.

Answers to incoming questions about the condo giveaway essay contest

My computer, the only one that can create/edit web pages, is dead, so I can't easily update the condo contest info. For now the most recent info (and photos) are here on this blog.

QUESTION: What happens if you sell the condo while you are running the contest? Do we get the money?

ANSWER: If someone does make me an offer, I plan to discuss it with those who have sent in entries. I think that is only fair. Understand, I've had no life for 10 years and I don't know how much time I have left to build up a nest egg for my old age, so I'm anxious to leave and start over. I am the one working hard to come up with the cash that I can't keep. None of the entrants are putting up a dime.

I announced right in the beginning - in the news release - that the whole point is to "sell" my home by any means possible, as soon as possible, so there is no deception. If I were to take money from contest entrants and not deliver a home that would be fraud. That's why there is no fee to enter. (Most of the essay contest require a $100-$250 entry fee.) I'm going on the premise that I will be giving away the condo.... in full or in part.

If I sell it to a buyer, it will definitely be at a loss to me. In other words the cash offered won't be enough to pay off the mortgage and I can't get an unsecured loan if I am home-less. So I will have to make up the difference by selling books and whatever else I can sell. I will come out of the transaction absolutely penniless and with not a cent to start out or rent a place.

So it's not as though I personally will benefit financially. In fact, I won't even get my original 10% down payment out or any of the principal I've paid over 2 full years. That will be lost. Nobody who enters the contest will receive any money. I won't receive any money. It will all go to the mortgage company, the condo association, the city (property tax), banks to cover loans, final utility payments, and legal fees.

So whatever happens I will be subsidizing someone's home either fully or partially with money I must earn. I will not be benefitting in any way... except that I can leave without defaulting on my loan. And there is always the chance that I won't be able to sell 3,500 books to raise $152,000.

I've just been invited to speak on Ins and Outs of Essay Contests

at the xxxxxxxxxxxx ...in Toronto on Saturday, Sept. 22 at the Sheraton Centre. (subject to confirmation).

So if all the terms are agreeable, I will be driving to downtown Toronto the night before and speaking the next morning. This will be another road trip test before I actually get on my way for good.

(I hope) I'll be speaking on "The Ins and Outs of Essay Contests"... because I enter them, win them, and conduct them and can teach others how to do the same. I've just been asked and accepted in the past 30 minutes, so I'm not yet on the roster on the web site, and there is bound to be some tweaking of the schedule. I'll be speaking to attendees from across Canada. I hope you'll attend so you can see/hear me speak.

I look forward to writing my speech and finishing my book Your Wisdom is Worth a Million.

You can't win the condo if you don't enter the contest

I've received several emails from people who say I should just give them the condo. That's not going to work. If you don't enter the contest with a numbered list of "10 Reasons Why I Deserve to Win Andrea's Condo in St. Catharines Ontario" and give me your complete contact information, you won't be considered as a future owner.

I ask for your:
- name
- address
- email
- phone
- web site (if you have one; not required)

Send your entry to info@AndreaReynolds.com I will not use any of this info for any other reason except to communicate with you about the contest. Nobody else but me will see your contact info, and after the contest I'll destroy it.

I'll start posting more info on AndreaReynolds.com tomorrow.

If you don't want to own my condo, I encourage you to buy my books to support the contest so I can give away the condo sooner.

Andrea info@Andrea Reynolds.com

What I'm working on, in sequence

Recently people are asking me to promote their books for a percentage of their royalties or review their book or assess their case against a corporate bully. RIGHT NOW I don't have time to work on speculation or do any free book reading or write reviews. I want to get my own urgent projects completed so I can leave St. Catharines and get going on my promotional tour.
I would prefer to have support for my project rather than unpaid distractions; which means I AM AVAILABLE to accept small, quick, paid assignments like 30 minute consults, and I can deliver e-books you want to order.

Here is my revised list of tasks in order of first to last that will be completed before I take on more big projects...

1. Promote my essay contest (to win my condo) to the press and media and receive lots of entries from good people who want a lovely free home.
2. Finish painting and staging the entire condo so it looks great for the person or family who wins it.
3. Finish writing my book, Your Wisdom is Worth a Million: 150 Smart Ways Leading Authorities Earn More Money and So Can You.
4. Update my web sites with new pages to promote my new book, condo contest, and advice column.
5. Sell 3,500 prepublication copies of my e-book, Your Wisdom is Worth a Million, to raise the $152,000 needed to pay off the mortgage and closing costs for the winner.
6. Turn my paper reports and manuals into e-books, to be able to deliver them to readers faster.
7. Promote my self-syndicated business advice column to newspapers.
8. Outfit and organize the interior of my van so I can live in and work from it for a year after I give away the condo.

Then I can take on your long-range project. Your comments?

This is the news release for the contest I'll distribute

News release: August 18, 2007

AUTHOR GIVING AWAY 3 BEDROOM CONDO IN ST. CATHARINES ONTARIO. HER NEW BOOK WILL RAISE $152,000 TO PAY OFF MORTGAGE AND CLOSING COSTS FOR WINNER.

An author promoting an e-book is not news…. but an author selling a book to raise $152,000 to pay off the mortgage on her condo so she can give it away to a stranger for free – the condo, not the mortgage – could arouse some attention. So Andrea Reynolds is holding a contest to award her 3 bedroom condo in a pretty building, on a nice street, near a busy shopping center next to the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW,) to the winner of her easy-essay contest. A list of “Ten Reasons Why I Deserve to Win Andrea’s Condo in St. Catharines Ontario” with full contact info is required. Send to: info@AndreaReynolds.com

It’s not the HGTV Dream Home, but it’s a clean, bright, home…. And it’s furnished with loveseats, chairs, tables, beds, lamps, bookshelves, dishes, linens, and appliances: self-cleaning electric range/oven, frost-free fridge, and possibly a portable dishwasher. To move in just bring your own toothbrush.

At the front of 359 Geneva Street, in North St. Catharines, on the fourth floor, is a 3 bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath unit. The living room, dining room and master bedroom are carpeted. All the walls are being patched, scrubbed and painted with Benjamin Moore quality paints she won in – of course – a local radio essay contest. Repairs and upgrades will be completed before the winner moves in. Residents can park for free and there is an outdoor pool in the summer months.

REYNOLDS WILL CONTINUE TO ENTERTAIN OFFERS FROM POTENTIAL BUYERS.

Between coats of paint Reynolds is completing a 150 page book, Your Wisdom is Worth a Million: 150 Smart Ways Leading Authorities Earn More Money and So Can You, which was gleaned from 30 years of her advice to physicians, lawyers, psychologists, chiropractors, authors, speakers and other consultants. She will sell 3,500 copies ($49 advance price; $89 after publication) to pay off the mortgage and other outstanding loans.

St. Catharines, known as The Garden City, is located in wine country and has a population of 130,000. A peninsula, the city is nearly surrounded by water: Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and the Welland Canal. A “bedroom” community of Toronto (70 miles by QEW), St. Catharines is 12 miles from Lewiston, New York across the US border. Niagara Falls, the honeymoon capital, is only 5 minutes away.

Ten years ago, Reynolds, now 58, had a thriving public relations practice in downtown Toronto with a bed and breakfast business catering to authors on book tours. She was also a freelance broadcaster on CFRB radio and the Life Network. Then a late-night home invasion forced her to close down both businesses. After identifying the man who broke in, she was stalked and threatened for 4 months. She left everything behind and disappeared for 8 years where she was bullied by her adopted community for being a good citizen. She stopped in St. Catharines for a long lay-over and is ready to travel again.

At the age that all her friends are retiring, Reynolds looks forward to starting life over with nothing but her cat, computer and cargo van. She intends to earn $500,000 to fund her retirement, in two years or less, working from her office on wheels, interviewing experts, syndicating a newspaper column, and speaking to business audiences.

- - - E N D - - -

This could be your kitchen; win it or buy it.

This is the galley kitchen. I've just painted the end walls a pale green, and replaced the two 4 foot fluorescent bulbs in the ceiling. The cupboards go all the way up to the ceiling for lots of storage.


I will be replacing the faucet to an all stainless Moen one that will allow the dishwasher to be attached. This is a view of the sink from the other side:


And this is the self-cleaning electric oven-range and frost-free refrigerator.


I still want to give the ceiling a new coat of white paint this weekend.

Now, if you'd like to own this send your contest entry to me: Ten Reasons Why I Deserve to Own Andrea's Condo in St. Catharines. Send to : info@AndreaReynolds.com Or feel free to make me an offer.

The silence is deafening

Last evening I had conversations with two men in my building, both owners, who have web sites promoting their businesses. (Remember I have been forbidden by my condo board to own a web site and have had my income destroyed for the past 10 months.) One man owns a thriving cleaning business, the other is a musician who created a CD right in his unit. I am so angry that it's OK for men in my building to own online businesses from the units they own, but I, a woman, am not. That smacks of discrimination.... and that my friends is unconstitutional. Boys and girls, can you say L-A-W-S-U-I-T?

The other thing that baffles me... there has been no response to my offer to give away my condo, fully furnished, in my contest. Is that because you don't believe I'm serious... or because you don't like how I've been treated by the board? Be assured, nobody else is being treated badly, just me. The mere fact that I have come up with the idea of holding a contest to give away a valuable home that is mortgage-free, tells you that I am an unusual person with unconventional ideas. So you can see why the board of directors, comprised of 5 stodgy, punitive people, would take a dislike to me. But there will be a new board of directors as of September 5. One has resigned one year into his 3 year term, #2 finished her one year term and will not stand again, #3 does not attend meetings and should step down or be replaced, #4 I don't know about, and #5 is expected to stay another year, but I think she needs to read Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms and step down.

Honestly, you aren't the least bit interested in winning a free condo which is next-door to Niagara Falls and 15 minutes from the New York State border? You'd be 70 miles from downtown Toronto. Talk to me. Send your entry to: info@AndreaReynolds.com

They consider ME undesirable as a resident, because I write. Not YOU.

You won't have the same problems that I'm having with the board. The property manager and board of directors bully and harass me only because I am an educated, intelligent, articulate, WOMAN who has good business sense. They feel that women should stay home and be mothers; or if they must work, it should be only as a domestic so they don't take jobs away from men. I've been ridiculed for owning a computer, and told I must take down my web site because it is forbidden for me to own an Internet business. Seriously. They put it in writing!

The board only hates ME. They don't like women writers and have forbidden me to write books on my computer in my own home, earn an income by selling books online and even owning a web site. They wrote me a Cease and Desist letter. They have deprived me of 100% of my income for the past 9 months. And when I try to stand up for my rights they make life more difficult for me. They have deprived me of my rights under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the federal constitution. The noise is their attempt to keep me from having quiet in order to write. (So childish.)

The noise I spoke of is to keep me from writing and to make selling my unit difficult. When I leave, they will stop. They won't harass anyone else. Upstairs they are painting, just as I am, so the banging and hammering is completely unneccessary. They are just making noise to make noise. It's OK to have a noisy wood-working shop in your unit, but typing on a computer keyboard is too noisy. (That's sarcasm.)

There are many retired people who own and some young families and singles who rent. They like people who have jobs outside the building, and who stay home and live on government assistance, permanent disabiity, or pensions. Many retired residents worked at the General Motors plant, many have less than a high school diploma, Some didn't finish grade school. So a woman who writes books and has a university degree in business is held in contempt. (I haven't told them I studied at Oxford, that would really irk them.)

I went through 8 years of this bullying and harassment back in Pennsylvania before I moved to St. Catharines, so I've endured 10 full years of this. In Toronto I was treated like a celebrity, quoted often in the business press and appearing frequently on talk radio and national TV as an expert. Hence my desire to hit the road and meet people who celebrate intelligence, wisdom and integrity and who don't try to oppress bright people who think and write.

The board has been slow about doing important repairs - they even created an eyesore on my balcony to discourage buyers - that they won't allow me to repair and realtors told me they won't list my unit until the work is done. The board is deliberately making selling difficult FOR ME. They will like you... so long as you're not a writer who needs to have a web site to earn a living.

I think my contest will get the press and media involved and I'm hoping the exposure and public support will cause the condo board to start treating people like me better. But I'm not going to sugar coat how the board has treated me. And I'm not going to let what they have done to me happen to anyone who wins my condo, but I'm also not going to let them get away with how they have treated me.

Bullying and harassing writers smacks of Ray Bradbury's book about book burning, "Fahrenheit 451." And I just happen to have a copy of that book, autographed by him. I'll sell it to you for $152,000! (grin)

I'm giving away my condo in St. Catharines Ontario... You could win!

The board of directors in my condo is making it painfully clear they want me out of the building. Why? For the outrageous reason that I have a web site and I write this blog and they won't permit my writing and having an online presence. If I were a man that would be OK. They allow male residents to gamble online to generate income, but women aren't allowed to write self-help books (even when one of the directors bought 3 of them!). I have had to give up nearly 100% of my income and they still want me out.

Yesterday I had a migraine headache and had so much hammering from the neighbors upstairs AND from the other side of my bedroom wall that I had to escape from my own home to find peace and quiet outdoors and in my van. I also heard a loud bang on my balcony's steel rail and saw that a 2 foot long piece of wood had fallen from the workman above me. Had that hit someone below it could have caused a head laceration or a concussion. I've endured 6-7 weeks of this every day, including Sundays, and have reached my limit. I've been waiting to paint my balcony for all this time but don't want to get sawdust stuck in the wet paint.


So, I've made a decision... I'm going to give away my condo. Yes, a 3 bedroom condo, fully furnished with beds and linens, and towels, and dishes, and lamps and glassware, and good china. Whoever wins my condo, can move in immediately.

What's the catch? I have to sell 3,500 of my "Your Wisdom is Worth a Million" e-books. This is not a raffle, which makes many people uncomfortable. Any adult is welcome to enter with a list of "Ten Reasons Why I Deserve to Win Andrea's Condo in St. Catharines". I will choose the winning entry based on a number of factors: originality, sincerity, passion, and integrity.

While no purchase is necessary to enter, and no purchase will enhance your chances of winning, I can only give the condo away if I have sold 3,500 books at $49 each ($45 net after transaction fees). Once I have the 150 page book completed and am ready to deliver it to buyers, the price of the book will increase to $89. Raising the price can reduce the number of books I must sell. Click on today's heading for details and order info about the book.

I am hoping that people will want to buy a copy, or copies, not just to help me out financially - remember I've had to forfeit an income for the past 10 years because of unusual circumstances - but that they will buy copies because they truly want to learn the valuable financial information contained in the pages. The faster I am able to sell 3,500 copies, the sooner I can give the condo away and the sooner I can get out on the road and start a new chapter in my life. (Pun intended.)

What will I do with the money from book sales? Nearly all of it will pay off the $126,000 mortgage, the $6,000 mortgage penalty for early termination of the mortgage, the $13,000 worth of debts I have accumulated because my condo association's board won't allow me to earn an income, and the $9,000 loan on my van. After paying for all the things I need (lawyer's fees, passport, resident card, auto club membership, generator, monthly storage fees, etc.) I will be lucky to start off on my odyssey with $500 to $1,000 in hand. I will be home-less, but debt-free with a clean slate, ready to generate $500,000.

There will be an FAQ on my web site in the next few weeks. In the meantime, feel free to post a comment or a question below. I'll answer them in this blog as well as in the contest FAQ on my banned web site.

If I cannot sell 3,500 copies of my book, and the months drag on, I may have to abandon the "contest" for a cash sale. The point of the contest is to find a new owner faster and get on the road faster. I'm drafting a news release to send to newspapers, radio and TV stations next week. So you have advance knowledge of my contest. If you want a free condo send me your entry. Plain text email is good; attachments are NOT good. Full contact info is good; anonymous entries will be disqualified.

Andrea

Help me syndicate my column to help you build an advice empire

I'm convinced that ordinary people can turn their passions into lucrative practices and advice empires. My column "Advice Empire" will answer your questions on how to increase your revenues by selling more of your advice in multiple ways. Think: Martha Stewart, Dr. Phil McGraw, Julia Child, Steve Irwin, Suze Orman, Iyanla Van Zant, John Gray, John Bradshaw, Richard Simmons, Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Charles Givens, Kim Komando, Debbie Travis, Sue Johanson, Brian Costello, Dr. Wayne Dyer, and Dr. David Suzuki. To learn more about my column, click on today's heading.

You are very welcome to help me make my column a success. Here are some ways:

1. Tell me why you would like your newspaper to carry my column.
2. Tell me the name of your newspaper and where it is (town/city, state/province).
3. Send me some questions to answer in future columns.
4. Ask your newspaper to contact me for a sample column to publish.
5. Sponsor the column so I can give it to your newspaper for free.
6. Become one of my private investors.
7. Bring me to your town or city to speak so I can promote the column to your paper in person.
8. Subscribe to my column privately (52 weeks) for a $99 fee.
9. Buy my forthcoming E-book, Your Wisdom is Worth a Million (before the price goes up.)
10. Buy lots of my other books, e-books. (For a list of titles: on my web site, click on "Order Books".

Thanks for your support,

Andrea

Small personal accomplishments

Yesterday and today I got a few things done on my to-do list, some were first time events that had me a little intimidated, but I did them and feel some degree of achievement....

Touched up some scratches on the back and sides of my van,
Bought and replaced the 2 four-foot long fluorescent tubes in my kitchen's ceiling fixture,
Put the kickstand on my bicycle and it actually works properly for the first time in 3 years,
Updated my account info on my 6 domains and realized I need to renew in a few weeks.
Posted my first item for sale on Craig's list. Click on today's heading to see what it is.

Got up on a ladder in my hall to paint the edging and corners.



One of my neighbors passed me in the lobby carrying a white toilet seat. The Super asked what he was going to do with it and he said: get rid of it. I took it just as I was about to ascend in the elevator. It was used but exactly like the one I wanted to replace. So I took off the old seat, cleaned both, attached the new one, and used my old one to replace the cracked wooden one in my powder room. So I saved $40, and was able to cross 2 items off my wish list. Now I can Freecycle the wood one. Want it?

Now if I could just get my neighbors above me to stop walking across their bare floors in their hard soled shoes and to put felt pads on the feet of the furniture they like to drag across the floor several times a day. I wish my Spanish vocabulary was better... I'm trying to write them a note.

Commission-Free Speakers - a new idea in generating bookings for speakers

I'm launching a speaker directory online called Commission-Free Speakers at a very, very low fee for a year (until Sept.) and speakers who list are free to speak for free and negotiate their own fees without me. No commissions, and no expectations of other fees by me. It will work because it's what speakers have shown me they prefer. I'll be promoting the directory as I travel from city to city across and around the US and Canada on my own speaking tour which will start next month. It's in prototype format and will be moved to its own domain, CommissionFreeSpeakers.com in a month or two. Click on the heading above to see the prototype site.


As the name says, there are no commissions because I don't provide any services beyond promoting the directory to meeting planners. To show that I do have the ear of meeting planners, Here's an article in which I was interviewed for Exhibitor magazine: http://www.exhibitoronline.com/exhibitormagazine/article.asp?ID=656

Separate from the directory, I am a speaker advocate and marketing consultant to consultants and specialists, negotiating larger fees, quantity book sales and better contract terms for speakers. I also produce some manuals for speakers, which will be e-books shortly, and some services. See: http://www.AndreaReynolds.com/books.html and http://www.AndreaReynolds.com/store.html

As a former speaker agency owner, I promoted more than 50 speakers on my speaker agency web site just as I had done before the Internet. Because of the Internet meeting planners could find speakers on my web site and then Google them to engage them without my knowledge. Speakers could then either speak for free to avoid paying me a commission because I had, in their minds, done no work for them. So I never got the opportunity to double or triple their fees for them. So, recognizing I had to be the one to change the way I played the game, and being the contrarian that I am, I turned things around so it works for everyone.

Andrea

Are you willing to barter with me for a place to park overnight when I'm on tour?

Originally I was planning to barter an hour of my time doing household chores, but I have re-thought this. The value of a place to park overnight plus some electricity, water, and Internet connection will probably not exceed $10. In order to generate enough income to build a retirement fund I can live on, while I am still able, I need to utilize my income-generating time effectively. My professional rate as a consultant is more than $400 an hour, so to give up that time and potential income to do household chores works against my best interests.

But I am happy to offer an e-book or two of a value to be negotiated - depending on what a family/homeowner is willing to offer in return. I can also offer cash as payment if a book is not desired.

Which of these would you be willing to provide if I'm in your area?

1. Safe place to park in your driveway or parking lot for 24 hours or more.
2. Safe place to park on vacant land for several nights where I can set up a tent, hammock, 12 x 14 screened gazebo, 9 x 9 pavillion for shade so we don't have to stay in a 90 degree van.
3. Connection to electricity to recharge laptop and cell phone, to cook, and have air conditioning or heat.
4. Intenet connection: wireless, cable, dialup?
5. Freezing freezer packs to keep food chilled.
6. Permission to dump waste, garbage.
7. A private, hot shower.
8. Place to cook a meal outside of the van.

Which book or books or services would you want in exchange?

I'm open to your offer at any time, now or later. I'm not looking for a handout; I'm looking for quiet, safe places where I can write and work quietly and I will pay something of value for the privilege. We can finalize the terms of our agreement just prior to my arriving in your town.

Andrea

How I'm marketing my 3 bedroom condo in St. Catharines Ontario

Five things so far:

1. Upgrading the unit with new paint everywhere - every room, every door, and the balcony - and replacing items like fuse box for a new breaker panel, sink faucet, etc. The old paint was grey and purple HIGH GLOSS. Now it's calming, neutral tan and ivory eggshell enamel... all Benjamin Moore quality paints.

2. Adding another $500 to the asking price each day to motivate buyers to buy TODAY, and not wait another day. Today the Asking Price is $141,500. Tomorrow it will be $142,000. When I bought it 2 years ago the asking price was $145,900 and it was dirty, dusty and tattered. The more work I do, the higher the price.

3. Offering a $1000 finders fee, upped from $500. I'll do all the work, showing it, answering questions, providing the blank offer, negotiating the terms, etc. It should be little or no work for you. All you would have to do is: bring me a prospective buyer who:

a. wants a condo and not a house,
b. understands about living in condos,
c. has pre-approval from a lender for financing or has cash,
d. has a down payment secured,
e. has looked at other condos - this isn't the first one to be viewed,
f. does not have to finder a buyer for his/her home or wait for a lease to end,
g. smokes or doesn't mind smoke from neighbors's balconies,
h. doesn't need me to spend hours educating her/him about buying a home, living in a condo,
i. IDEALLY: would like to take all the furniture and furnishings too,
j. could take possession as soon as September 1, or very soon after.

I ask that I be given 24 hours to put away tools, dismantle my office and make the place presentable so it shows well.

4. Uploading photos to my web site. Click on today's heading to see older photos. I am way behind in taking new photos as I don't have a digital camera, so you can't see the work I've been doing. New photo of dining room below:


5. Offering to let bona fide prospective buyers spend 24 hours in the unit to see if they would like living here. This is not free accommodation for everyone. I require written proof of a lending institution's mortgage or loan approval first.

Contact me by email if you have a buyer for my condo.

Andrea

Here's how I can help you earn some extra income

1. Earn a finder's fee by recommending me as a speaker

I used to do a lot of paid speaking at conferences, conventions and dinner meetings and I'd like to do it again. I'm a reasonably good speaker. Good voice, passion, lots of useful money-making and problem-solving ideas, sprinkled with a little humor. (If I can make 600 chartered accountants laugh and give me a standing ovation I must have some skill as a speaker.)

Here's the challenge, I've been out of the public eye for 10 years. If you would recommend me as a speaker, I am happy to provide from 5% to 30% of my speaking fee to you, depending on the degree of your involvement in procuring the engagement. How much would that be worth to you?

Examples: 10% of a $500 talk is $50. 20% of a $2,500 keynote speech on Building a One Person Advice Empire is $500 in your pocket. 30% of a $10,000 seminar is $3,000. I've been a speaker advocate (like an agent) who negotiates fees and better contract terms for speakers so I'd get the highest fees possible (and so would you).

What is required is connections with high-paying business or professional organizations who pay speakers, preferably on the state, regional or national level.


2. Provide personal, household and business services through my Handy Ande agency

I'm rebuilding my "personal concierge" agency" for homemakers, college students, and other adults who want some freelance assignments using their unique skills. The web site you see is geared to promoting my own services solely, but that's because I relocated from the US to Canada and wanted to promote the concept before I started taking on "staff" or "team members" like you.

The way it would work is I promote the company on radio, TV and newspapers, as I travel from city to city, town to town and generate freelance assignments. WhenI give you an assignment, I do the billing to the client, get 20% off the top, sending you 80%. You decide what kinds of services you are competent to provide and what your rate will be. Usually you will receive payment within 24 hours of completing an assignment to a client's satisfaction. You would require a PayPal account so I can pay you quickly.

Want more info? Read this first: http://www.AndreaReynolds.com/handyande/work.html
For examples of services offered, click on today's heading.

If this interests you, give me a list of the kinds of work you like to do and do well - they don't have to be the ones I've listed; add you own - and some background/credentials. Also, I want to know what location (city and area) appeals to you, and you can get to easily and on time. It is helpful to have an email address and a cell phone number so I can contact you on short notice.

Note: I'm getting requests for work assignments in towns and cities where I don't have staff to accept the work. My goal is to have 500 Handy Andes earning a good income across the United States and Canada.

Andrea

People give up far too easily and work against their own best interests

I was involved in a discussion on a local community forum about a large utility company that was bullying and exploiting a number of people, some of whom were elderly. I restated that I had a service that fought on behalf of people who were too worn down or timid to fight for justice for themselves, and I was told that if I really cared I would offer my services for free and take a minimum fee once I won everyone's money back for them. They think I should work full-time for several months on their behalf, and then get $20 for my effort once I'm successful. I don't think so. I'm not a Fairy Godmother and I haven't taken a Vow of Poverty.

There are other options that would work for both of us.... if they would just take the time to look at my web site. If my "neighbors" were smart they would band together, collect their documentation, pool their money, and come to me with an offer: X dollars to represent them as a bunch. They could also click on the payment page on my web site and see that I offer multiple ways to pay me that are a little unconventional They can pay me in gift cards, postage stamps, Canadian Tire money, and even items on my wishlist that they may have sitting unused in their garage or a closet. Got a digital camera? Pay me with that. Good at sign painting? I'll need lettering on the sides of my van. Make me an offer; I might accept.

Yesterday I was purchasing cans of cat food, and remembered I had a $5 gift certificate from completing a survey, so I used it and my out-of-pocket cost was $.82. The cashier said hardly anyone cashes in his coupon. Hey, send them all to me!

I have offered a dozen or so people a free listing on my online speaker directory. Only 2 people have taken advantage of my offer, and both have provided only the most basic info to promote them as a speaker. The others have missed my deadline for responding. Right now the value is only $49 a year, but in a few weeks the value will be $695. They may regret the missed opportunity.

Here's another missed opportunity..... Every day someone wants me to provide advice or services to them but they say they can't afford to pay me. So every year I hold an essay contest to give away $500 or $1000 worth of my services and books and none of these complainers enters the contest. There's no fee, just a short essay. And even the person I select as the winner doesn't bother to collect the entire prize or even say thank you. What's with that?

My point? Stop saying no to opportunities that are right in front of you, and make some effort.

Promote your book, product, store, web site on my van.

This is the red 2002 Ford E-250 Econoline van I will travel and live in for at least a year, maybe two. I will meander slowly across and around the USA and Canada. I will park in visible spots like big stores and radio and TV stations, churches, schools and universities so lots of people will see it. I will travel the small roads and the superhighways.


There are two blank spaces on my van. This is the longer side (9 feet) and the other side is shorter (about 6 feet) because of the double window side doors. For the right price you can have your logo/product/name/Web site emblazoned on both sides or I can offer each side to two compatible corporations or organizations which meet my approval. I will be more likely to drive in the slow lane than the passing lane so the bigger side will be more visible when driving, but when parked am more likely to have the door side facing out for entering and for safety, so that side will be visible and the doors will not open far enough to cover any words or design on that side.

If nobody contacts me with a solid offer by the time I'm ready to leave I will put lettering on the van of my own design. But why miss a perfect promotional opportunity for your corporate message and identity?

Simly contact me with your offer, and feel free to be as creative as you like. I will also have window coverings in the front and side windows at night. If your logo is not large I could offer a better price and then can accommodate more logos and messages.

Raising funds: Exploit my crazy idea while it lasts

It was nearly 10 years ago (Aug. 20, 1997) that I survived a home invasion. Imagine waking to the sound of shattering glass and then running down stairs to find a strange man climbing in your dining room window. The light was on so I could see his face clearly (and later was able to identify him in court). I yelled at him to get out and then picked up the phone and called 9-1-1. Right in front of him. Stupid move. If he had had a gun I wouldn't be here today. So, I'm feeling grateful to be alive.

Seemingly totally unrelated to the above, I'm in a cash crunch while I update my home for sale and pack my belongings for storage. You may have read that my condo board has forbidden me to have a web site and Internet business, sell books or promote my services or books by appearing on the radio or TV. They have virtually cut off 99% of my income for the past 9 months, crippling me financially. (Yes I plan to sue them, but not until I have sold my condo, or I could find myself in mortal danger again from retaliation.) Until then I'm struggling to keep the mortgage paid and the lights (and AC) on. I need to generate some income fast.

So I have decided to do something outrageous for the month of August, both to celebrate and to look after my financial needs. Here's the deal:

For the month of August you can negotiate your own price for any of my services and publications. If you've ever wanted to buy something or retain me but felt uncomfortable about discussing a price that fits your budget now is the time to ask. Don't be shy. Tell me what you want - your wishlist - and what you are willing to pay. I could counter-offer, I could say yes, but I won't say no if you're sincere and respectful.

My hope is that you will grab anything and everything that appeals to you. I don't have access to my web pages so I haven't changed the prices on the web pages.... but if you email me with the items you want, I can send you a PayPal request for payment for the items at the "new" price we agree to. I can also accept debit and credit cards by phone. Links to all items are found on my home page. (Click on today's subject heading.) Then look for links: "Order Books" and "Arrange Services".

Get creative. Load up all of August. If you want 10 of my 30 minute consults over the next year, let's negotiate a better rate now - confirmed with payment - and arrange them whenever you wish in coming months. Consider them as gift certificates for yourself.

This should be fun. I'm looking forward to receiving your email.

Andrea

My weight loss challenge - you can help me.

Both of my doctors have urged me to lose weight; 50 pounds is recommended. I put the weight on first out of a need to change my appearance so I wouldn't be easily recognized, then to cushion myself from further "attacks". I decided to go bigger to look less attractive and to fit in with my neighbors at the time. I also let my hair turn grey without trying to keep up my natural auburn color. Now that I'm safer I need to get healthy again. Healthy is not carrying around an extra 50 pounds that just puts a strain on my heart and other organs.

I figure I can lose 5 pounds a month for the next 10 months. I've cut out a lof of sugar from my diet - no more ice cream, cookies or chocolate - and I'm eating more protein and vegetables, and drinking more water. I'm bike riding longer distances and more often. When the heat wave is over I'll add Pilates and Yoga to my routine. In the meantime I need some motivation to keep going. Here is where you come in. Give me some good reasons for losing weight... in terms of benefits.Here are some I've come up with.

When I lose weight.....

1. I won't bump into door frames so often.
2. It will be easier to get up into the driver's seat.
3. My clothes will fit and look better.
4. Men might actually look at me.
5. Men might actually ask me out on a date.
6. It will be easier to stand up from a squat position (when painting, etc.) without grunting.
7. I'll like seeing myself in the mirror.
8. I won't cringe when I see myself on the surveillance monitor at the bank.
9. I won't look 6 months pregnant anymore (I'm not).
10. I may look younger than I do now.
11. I'll be able to accept invitations to appear on national TV with confidence.
12. I'll have more energy and stamina.
13. I'll probably live longer.
14. It really will be the Spreading Prosperity Tour and not the Spreading Posterior Tour!

Please add more benefits I'll enjoy by losing 50 pounds of excess weight that you can think of. Thanks for supporting me.