With a couple minor exceptions, I did not work last week.

I haven’t taken a week off since 2007 when I went to Florida for 10 days with my family.

It was definitely good to have some down time… relax the gray cells… and just go with the flow.

On the flip side, half the time I felt a bit lost.

As we drove to my parent’s house for dinner, I told my wife, “I feel lost without routine.”

“You are, honey!” she laughed.

I guess that’s the way it is with three young kids. When I’m at home, and I’m not working, my options are limited. I can try to read in the midst of chaos… join the chaos (play with the kids)… or work.

The work is just a different kind of work. It’s doing dishes and changing diapers instead of typing words.

And after a while, I’m literally compelled to do something productive. That’s why I finally wrote a new blog post on Saturday. I was just itching to get some of my ideas down on “paper.”

Starting today, I won’t feel so lost anymore. And I’m actually eager to jump back into our routines. That’s the beauty of vacation: it makes you appreciate the daily grind.

-Ryan M. Healy

I got more traffic to this web site last month (October 2009) than any other month since I started writing this blog.

Part of the reason for this is I have some truly great people in my social network. And they have graciously shared and linked to some of the posts I’ve written in the last month. (If that’s you, THANK YOU!)

And then I realized… I don’t believe I’ve ever formally invited you to connect with me on the social networks I’m active on. So without further adieu (all links open in a new tab or window)…

• Ryan Healy on Twitter
• Ryan Healy on Digg
• Ryan Healy on Delicious
• Ryan Healy on StumbleUpon
• Ryan Healy on Disqus
• Ryan Healy on YouTube
• Ryan Healy on LinkedIn
• Ryan Healy on MyBlogLog
• Ryan Healy’s Facebook Fan Page

If you are active on any of these social networks, please connect with me.

What’s in it for you?

No promises (obviously), but I do try to reciprocate when I know somebody has helped me out. So I’ll Stumble or Digg an article of yours… or leave a comment on your blog… or retweet something you share.

In other words, I try to pay attention and respond to people who engage me — and help them out when I can. It’s just good netiquette.

Furthermore, I’ve found that when you’re online, there is strength in numbers. The larger your network, the more influence you have… and the easier it is to attract new readers, subscribers, etc.

With that in mind, I look forward to connecting with you on the Interwebs! ;-)

-Ryan M. Healy

Sorry I haven’t posted any new articles lately. I’ve actually been quite busy with client work… and trying to squeeze in a little vacation time (a rare thing for me).

Last weekend, my wife and I went up to Copper Mountain (a ski resort west of Denver) and stayed a whole 3 nights — without kids! I uploaded a few pictures from that vacation to Twitter. Here’s one of the pictures from the room’s outdoor balcony:

View from our room at Copper. Water and mountains.

Anyway, we had a lot of fun doing recreational activities: go-karts, paddle boats, bungee/trampoline bouncing, taking the lift to the top of the mountain, hiking, etc.

We also biked from Copper to the top of Vail Pass and back down. It’s about 6 miles up and 6 miles back. Steph did pretty good since it was her first time on a bike in 12 years!

Hard to remember the last time I ate out at restaurants that many times in a row. If you happen to be vacationing in Summit County, and you’re looking for a nice dinner place, check out Vinny’s in Frisco. Really good (creative) dishes, and a cozy, intimate atmosphere.

I’ve found it’s always harder to find a good breakfast place than a good dinner place. But we got lucky. For breakfast, the Alpanista Bistro in Copper had amazing cinnamon bun french toast and a mean bacon/egg panini — and the Cool River Coffee House in Breckenridge is a great place to grab a cup of coffee and pastries.

There’s just something about being in the Rocky Mountains that’s so refreshing. Is it any surprise I just had a super-productive week this week?

I find that if I give myself some time to decompress and rejuvenate, I always come back WAY more motivated and productive than I normally am. Just like you need to sleep after being awake, you also need time to play after working. As the saying goes, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

Today, we’re headed up to Fairplay, Colorado to spend time with my in-laws. And then tomorrow, we’re headed back to Copper — this time with the kids — so they can do the go-karts and have a good time. (Isn’t it funny how when you do fun things without your kids, you often want to take them back so they can experience it, too?)

Have a great weekend. I’ll be back to regular blogging soon.

-Ryan M. Healy

Last week, I started having MAJOR computer problems.

I guess it was about time. I’ve got a Dell Inspiron 9200 laptop computer running Windows XP. The date this computer was shipped to me was February 28, 2005 — so it’s more than four years old, practically an eon in the world of computing.

To sum it all up, my computer slowed to a c-r-a-w-l. Programs started crashing repeatedly. Then the computer would completely lock up. It got so bad that “Ctrl + Alt + Delete” wasn’t even working. I had to do forced power downs, restart, and try again.

The strangest part of all was that I hadn’t installed any new programs, and I was running the same programs I’ve always run.

I took some intermediate steps to try to solve the problem. Uninstalled McAfee, XSitePro, and miscellaneous digital detritus.

Unfortunately, nothing worked. The problems remained.

So for a few days I worked on my wife’s computer, and transferred over any files I needed using my flash drive.

I bought my wife’s laptop less than a year ago for two reasons: 1) so she could have her own computer, and 2) so I would have a back-up in case something happened with my computer.

Since I run my entire business from my computer, not having a computer to work on is simply not an option.

I learned this a couple years ago when there was a recall on my computer. Turns out, there was a defect that caused vertical pin-stripe lines to appear on the screen. This had happened to my computer, so Dell offered to fix it.

The good part was I got a new screen out of the deal — for free. The bad part was I had to be without my laptop for nearly a week.

At that time, I still had my old Dell desktop computer, so it was my back-up. That’s when I realized how important it is to have some kind of back-up computer available when problems come up.

So now my rule is to always have two computers — plus a full back-up of all my files on an external hard drive. This has been my system for about two years now, and it’s served my well.

Ultimately, this past weekend I had to reformat the disk on my laptop and do a fresh install of Windows. It was a pain — not to mention time-consuming — but my computer is running way better now.

If there’s something I’ve learned from this experience, it’s that I need to have a better system for tracking software, both the .exe installation files, as well as the software keys. I didn’t realize how unprepared I was to reinstall software programs until now.

There are some pretty critical pieces of software I use that I simply don’t know how to reinstall without purchasing a new license. It’s not necessarily a bad thing — I’ll get all the most recent versions — but still something I need to be better about.

Key takeaways:

1. Always back up your files on an external hard drive (or online data storage service).
2. Keep a back-up computer handy in case of catastrophic computer failure.
3. Develop a system for tracking software, licenses, and keys.
4. Extra credit: Develop another system for tracking your user names and passwords — both for web sites and FTP accounts.

-Ryan M. Healy

Recently, I was tagged by both Ben Settle (on Facebook) and Michel Fortin to participate in the “25 Random Things about Me” meme.

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 5 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you (so they know you responded). If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

I switched these up a little bit in case you already read my Facebook response.

1. My dad was in the Air Force when I was born, and later got a job with Boeing, so I moved around a lot. I attended 7 different elementary schools — 10 schools total by the time I graduated from high school.

2. I enjoy an unusual mix of sports: snowboarding, skateboarding, motorcycling, road cycling, racquetball, and hiking. Which means I’m just as comfortable in spandex as I am in snowboarding gear.

3. Basically, I’m an adrenaline junkie, although I’ve toned it down since getting married and having kids. I still like to engage in parkour at playgrounds. (I try to do it while the other parents aren’t watching!)

4. I met my wife at a barbecue, even though we worked next door to each other. She worked at a paint/craft store, and I worked at a snowboard shop.

5. I got married when I was 20 years old.

6. My wedding day was on 9/11/99 — two years before 9/11 happened.

7. I had my first child (a daughter) when I was 23. I now have three kids: one girl, two boys.

8. I knew in the 8th grade I would become a writer. And here I am.

9. Before becoming a freelance copywriter in 2005, I wrote newspaper articles in high school and college — and had my poetry published by St. Olaf College two years in a row.

10. I now make a living from my writing. I love it.

11. I’ve logged every book I’ve ever read since the 8th grade. Every year, I print out my log, hole punch it, and put it in a binder.

12. Back in 1998, I made $10 an hour installing wire closet shelving in new homes. I can’t tell you how many times people joked about me “coming out of the closet.” Unpleasant side effect of working in real, literal closets 10 hours a day.

13. I am more contrarian than most folks. I don’t fit in well with any political groups or religious denominations. I prefer to question everything rather than accept things at face value.

14. I believe in God’s unconditional love and that God will save all people through Jesus so that God may be “all in all” (1 Cor 15). For more information, see here and here.

15. I was pigeon-toed as a boy. I had to put custom plastic foot inserts into my shoes to help turn my feet out. Every time my feet grew, I had to go get a new custom set of inserts made.

16. I love to study history.

17. I love to sing in the car — and I don’t give a hoot if people are watching. This is one reason I prefer male artists to female artists: it’s easier for me to sing along when a guy is singing.

18. I gave up playing the saxophone to learn to speak German. I spoke it fluently by the end of high school, and even won the German student of the year award. Unfortunately, I never went to Germany and have lost a lot of what I learned.

19. I love to learn for the sake of learning.

20. I love to laugh — and I like odd comedies like Napolean Dynamite, Flight of the Conchords, and (more recently) The Office.

21. If I could get my wife on board, I’d probably pack it up and move the family to Ireland for a year, just for the sheer adventure of it.

22. I’m a risk taker.

23. I have made some really stupid decisions. Like spending $30,000 on vending machines. This ranks as my worst financial decision ever. If I had known that Antares, the name of the company selling the machines, means “the wounding” or “tearing” in ancient Arabic, I probably wouldn’t have gone through with it.

24. My wife is amazing, and has been a significant factor in my business success.

25. I am genuinely interested in people. (So tell me about yourself!)

If you’d like to participate, simply write up your own list, publish it on your blog, and link back to this post. I’ll reciprocate by adding a link to yours.

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. If you’re interested, you can read Ben’s list here and Michel’s list here.

P.P.S. Scott Birkhead has written his own list of 25 random things here.

It’s always a good day when your name is mentioned between Seth Godin and Jeff Bezos (the founder and owner of Amazon.com).

Source: http://www.insuremeblog.com/agent/2009/01/smart-takes/

-Ryan M. Healy

When I rewrote my to-do list a couple of days ago, I wrote: “12. Write a thank-you post.”

This is that post.

My success as a copywriter has not been an individual journey. I’ve been supported by dozens of people all along the way. And I want to take a moment to thank them.

God – For directing my life and loving me through it all.

You, Dear Reader – Without you, I wouldn’t have a reason to write.

My Clients – Thank you for trusting me to write copy that produces results.

John Anghelache – For being a great business partner and an amazing thinker.

Ben Settle – For your endless generosity, interview skillz, and being an all-around great guy.

Ray Edwards – For knowing pretty much everything about Internet marketing, and being willing to share it. I think we learn more from you than you do from us!

Daniel Levis – For adding a unique (new) dynamic to our Mastermind Group. I’ve never met any copywriter who could use “comeuppance” in a sales letter.

Michel Fortin – For supporting me in my blogging efforts and promoting my ebook. (You rock, Michel!)

Terry Dean – For promoting my blog and being a great model of how to really build an Internet business.

Keith Goodrum – For being the first guy to submit an action plan. (Had a great time in New York with you and Becky!)

Stephen Dean – For interviewing me and promoting my blog. I love your creativity and innovation in the copywriting field.

John C. A. Manley – For your perseverance and your willingness to be human. Your stories are always so inspirational.

Regular commenters/readers here on this blog: Tony Funderburk, John Deck, Chris Jolma, Jim Sansi, Perry Droast, Cathy Goodwin, Brian Ochsner, Kevin Dawson, Jeff Hendrickson, James Ranka, Mark Pocock, Tom Brownsword, Joseph Ratliff, Shel Horowitz, Ian Brodie, Jeremy Reeves, Kyle Tully, Louis Burns, Kingsley Tagbo, Paul Hambrick, Nadin Rath, D.K. Fynn, John Thomas, Fred Black, Robert Lehrer, Caleb Osborne, Colin Y. J. Chung, John Patten, Anita Ashland, Farhad Khurshed, John at Net Marketing Chaos, J.K. Swopes, Codrut Turcanu, Robert Lehrer, Diana Cacy, Rebecca Dean, Dr. Michael Beck, Darrel Hawes, Lisa J. Lehr, Michael Roach, A.J. in Canada, Richard Jarman, Ed Anderson, and Note Taking Nerd (who leaves the most in-depth comments I’ve ever seen).

Without you (and still others I haven’t listed here), I wouldn’t be where I am today. So thank YOU!

And make 2009 a great year. :-)

-Ryan M. Healy

First of all, I want to thank you for being a loyal reader… and wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. It’s a good time to be alive.

Secondly, I’d like to depart from our “regular programming” to talk about the birth of Jesus.

Did you know Jesus was NOT born on December 25?

You might wonder then, why do we celebrate December 25?

To answer this question, I’ve reprinted a portion of a book chapter from Secrets of Time by Stephen Jones below. He does a great job of explaining. The excerpt is from Chapter 9, and it starts here:

Astrological Events and Celebrations of 3-2 B.C.

From May 19, 3 B.C., to December 25, 2 B.C., a series of highly significant astrological events was observed in the heavens, which had a big impact on the Romans. We know this for sure, because modern astronomers have calculated these events with great precision. They are as follows, as given by Dr. Martin on page 66 of his book, The Star That Astonished the World and used by permission from the Griffith Observatory.

Planetary Conjunctions, 19 May, 3 B.C., to 25 December, 2 B.C.

From this table of planetary conjunctions, we can see that there were many significant astrological events occurring in the 18 months from May of 3 B.C. to December of 2 B.C. While we, as Christians, may not hold these as significant, the important thing to note is that the Romans took them very seriously, and these things gave them a heightened sense of optimism that the world was entering a great era of peace and prosperity. Augustus was viewed as the Messiah of the Roman world who had brought in this Golden Age. All of this must have had some influence upon the Senate when they passed the bill declaring Augustus to be “Father of the Country” in February of 2 B.C.

But who would have ever thought that these same astrological conjunctions would bring Magi from the east naively inquiring about the newborn King! This triggered a reaction from Herod that closely resembled the events surrounding Augustus’ own birth. On page 6 of Dr. Martin’s book, he quotes from Jack Lindsay’s Origins of Astrology,

According to Julius Marathus, a personal confidant of Augustus Caesar, the Roman Senate in the year 63 B.C. ordered all boy babies to be killed who were born in that year because prophetic dreams and astrological signs suggested that a “King of the Romans” was to be born.

In reconstructing the events during this time, we can see the very real possibility that the Magi followed the planet Jupiter as it tracked westward until it appeared to remain stationary over Bethlehem on December 25, 2 B.C. While this was not the date of Jesus’ birth, it appears very likely that this was the date the Magi arrived bearing their gifts to the young King.

The first significant planetary conjunction listed above occurred on May 19, 3 B.C. It was a conjunction between Mercury and Saturn. Mercury was known as the messenger of the gods. John the Baptist was also known as “the messenger” (Mal. 3:1). In fact, the name Malachi means “messenger,” and this is the primary theme of his book. Is it not probable that this sign in the heavens occurred at the time the angel announced to Zacharias that he was to have a son who would minister in the spirit and power of Elias?

The Magi were experts in astrological interpretations and would have viewed these things as signs. These signs motivated them to make the long trip west to the land of Judea, knowing that the Messianic King had been born. There is little doubt that these Magi knew the prophecies of Daniel, who, centuries earlier, had been the head of that religious order for about 70 years (Dan. 2:48). We have no way of knowing how much of the truth had been corrupted by the time of Christ’s birth, but we do know that the Magi arrived at the right time and were led by God to the One they sought. That should speak for itself.

In contemplating the significance of the conjunctions of Jupiter (see the table on the previous page), there is much that we can say. Jupiter was considered to be the Planet of the Messiah. The Hebrew name for Jupiter was sedeq, or “righteousness.” It is often spelled “Zadok.” It is connected to the Order of Melchi-sedec (Heb. 5:10), of which Jesus is the Chief Priest. And so the Messiah was connected to signs in Jupiter, or sedeq.

The Hebrews considered Jupiter to be the planet associated with and governing Jerusalem, although the Romans considered it to be the planet of Rome. However, the Magi did not go to Rome, but to Jerusalem, as they followed Jupiter westward. Isaiah 1:26 calls Jerusalem “the city of sedeq.” This can be translated either as “the city of righteousness” or as “the city of Jupiter.” The Magi thus followed Jupiter to the city of Jupiter-Jerusalem. In the nearby town of Bethlehem, they found the Messiah, the High Priest of the Order of Melchi-sedec.

Even as Jupiter was considered to be the planet of the Messiah, so also was Regulus considered to be the star of the Messiah. Regulus is located between the feet of the constellation Leo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. This star is the “sceptre” and the “lawgiver” referred to in Genesis 49:9-10,

Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up; he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.

When Jupiter and Regulus had three conjunctions in the constellation of Leo between September, 3 B.C., and May, 2 B.C., the Magi could not have missed the significance. In fact, the path of Jupiter actually formed a loop, or halo, directly above Regulus, as though the King’s Planet was “crowning” the King’s Star. On June 17, 2 B.C., it culminated in one of the most spectacular conjunctions ever seen. Jupiter and Venus came so close together that they appeared to merge as a single star (.01 degree of separation).

Immediately after these three conjunctions, Jupiter began moving westward across the sky. Perhaps knowing that the great celestial show was over, the Magi must have begun making preparations to “follow the star” to Jerusalem. It would have been about a four-month trip, since that is how long it took Ezra to make the same journey from Babylon (Ezra 7:6-9).

If the final conjunction occurred on June 17, then perhaps by the first part of July it would have been apparent that Jupiter was going to continue moving westward, and the Magi would have begun making preparations for the trip. If they left the end of August, they would have arrived toward the end of December. Jesus would have been born on September 29, while they were already on the road.

The first thing the Magi did upon arriving in Jerusalem was to inquire of the locals to learn where the King had been born (Matt. 2:1-2). Little did they know that they were walking into a hornet’s nest. Two weeks earlier Matthias, the high priest, and rabbi also named Matthias had incited some young students to tear down Rome’s golden eagle from the Temple wall. Herod went into a state of rage, not only at the affront, but also because he was becoming very ill and paranoid as he approached the age of 70. The students had committed treason, and Herod was very angry. Then, to make matters worse, the Magi arrived in the middle of the investigation, inquiring where the new King had been born!

Herod’s spies told him of the mysterious strangers, and so he called them in for an interview. Herod specifically inquired as to the time of the star’s appearance (Matt. 2:7). Their answer is not recorded, unfortunately, but we may presume that they told him about all the astrological signs for the past 19 months. Herod was upset, and Matthew tells us Herod “was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matt. 2:3).

Since astrology is not a precise science, interpretations always vary, even among those who take stock in it. It would be difficult to tell if the King had been born at the beginning of the heavenly conjunctions or many months later. To a paranoid king with no scruples against killing potential rivals, it would have been natural to simply kill all the children that had been born in Bethlehem in the past two years.

When the Magi left the palace, they probably looked into the sky and — using their measuring instruments — discovered that Jupiter had not moved from its position the previous night. It hovered toward the south of Jerusalem in the direction of Bethlehem, as if to confirm the word of the prophet Micah which they had learned from the chief priests (Matt. 2:4-6).

Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem to find the King they sought (Matt. 2:8). Matthew certainly would have told us if they had found Jesus in another city, after Herod had told them to go to Bethlehem. Thus, it appears that they arrived on December 25, 2 B.C., to present the Messiah with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This appears to be the origin of the tradition of giving gifts on December 25th, although this was not the time of Jesus’ actual birth. And so, Matthew does not call Jesus an infant, but a young child, when the Magi arrived.

The Gospel writers use two different terms for the baby Jesus in telling the stories surrounding his birth. The Greek words used to describe Him are brephos and paidion. When the shepherds came to Jesus the same night that He was born, Luke says He was a brephos, an infant “babe” (Luke 2:16). But three months later the Magi came and found a paidion, a young child (Matt. 2:9). Many have argued that the difference between these two words is the difference between an infant and a toddler. This, along with the fact that Herod ordered all the children of Bethlehem who were two years old or less to be killed, leads people to believe that Jesus was about two years old when the Magi arrived. However, we should be careful not to try to read too much into these words.

The shepherds, after seeing Jesus, told everyone about the paidion that they had seen (Luke 2:16). But this does not necessarily mean that Jesus was a two-year-old toddler. When Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day, Luke describes Him at that time as a paidion (Luke 2:21). It is therefore apparent that the Greek word paidion could be used to describe a baby who was just eight days old.

The point is, let’s not insist that the Magi came to a toddler, just because he is said at that time to be a paidion. I believe that Jesus was three months old when the Magi arrived. He was no longer in the stable, of course, for we read in Matthew 2:11 that they found Him in a “house” in Bethlehem. It is also unlikely that Jesus’ parents would have remained in Bethlehem — even in a house — for two years after his birth. The most likely explanation is that Jesus was born in a stable, where the shepherds found him that same night. Perhaps the next day, after the testimony of the shepherds, someone opened up a house for them to stay in while Mary rested and recovered from her labor of childbirth. They ended up staying longer than anticipated for whatever reason, and then finally after three months had passed, the Magi arrived with their gifts on December 25th. That night, one or all of the Magi were warned in a dream to return home by another way (Matt. 2:12), and God also warned Joseph in a dream to go to Egypt (Matt. 2:13). At this point the family left Bethlehem.

Jesus had been born on the evening of the Feast of Trumpets, which in 2 B.C. fell on September 29. Precisely three months later, Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Egypt, the “house (nation) of Pharaoh.” This was done to fulfill the prophetic pattern of Moses’ birth.

******

Here ends the excerpt from Stephen Jones’s book. If you’d like to read the full chapter about Jesus’ birth, you can do so here.

On a side note, assuming Jesus was born on Sep 29, 2 B.C., he would have also been conceived on or around December 25 of the previous year. Yet another “timing coincidence” for why we celebrate on Christmas.

I just got back from my third business-related trip of the year. I left last Friday, Oct 24 and returned on Wednesday, Oct 29.

This trip actually had multiple purposes — both personal and business.

I first flew into Baltimore where I met my good friend Chuck Mueller. He and I then drove to Breezewood, Pennsylvania for meetings being held by Tony Salmon and Kingdom Ministries.

I spent a few days there fellowshipping with old friends and new friends. Among them were Stephen Jones, Chuck Mueller, Joshua Villela, Christine Bilonick, and Rebekah Nordeck.

After the meetings were over, we drove back to Baltimore on Monday where I caught a flight into La Guardia in New York. The night I got in, Keith and Becky Goodrum drove into the city to pick me up from my hotel. I was EXTREMELY grateful since it was my first time to New York.

We ended up going to an Italian restaurant called Bella Via. Very good food and vibes. Plus, it was fun to finally meet Keith and his wife in person. (I learned Keith is doing some really innovative things in his business.)

Here’s a photo of me and Keith in the lobby of my hotel:

Keith Goodrum and I pose for a snapshot at
the La Guardia Clarion Hotel.

If you haven’t read Keith’s blog, I recommend you check it out. It is one of the few blogs I consistently follow.

==> Keith’s Internet Business Blog

The next day, Tuesday, I caught a taxi into Manhattan to do a filming shoot for Home Business Brains, a new video magazine that plans to become a major destination for people seeking to build a successful home-based business.

Experts like Michael Port, Dave Lakhani, and Paul Hartunian have already done shoots. And there are other well-known business experts scheduled to shoot in November and December.

One of my past clients, Alan Kaplan, had invited me to participate in the project. At first, I was reluctant. After all, a trip into Manhattan is not easy, nor cheap.

Ultimately, I decided it was too good an opportunity to pass up, and I’m really glad I went. Alan and his partner/film director Marcell Lundberg were great. We did 4 hours of filming — all about copywriting. It went much smoother than I expected, and I think viewers will benefit greatly from the material I shared.

Since the “studio” is right on 72nd near Central Park, we were competing with sirens and honking horns a lot of the time. So sometimes I would do a 5-minute shoot, then do it all over again.

This turned out to be a good thing since different material would come out on each shoot. I hadn’t memorized anything, so I was working completely off what I’ve stored in my conscious and subconscious mind. Plus, the real magic happens during editing — and the more footage they have, the better the video clips will be.

Here’s a picture of me and Alan Kaplan in the studio where we shot the videos:

Alan Kaplan invited me to participate in the
Home Business Brains video magazine project.

Since Home Business Brains hasn’t officially launched yet, all the video content isn’t available. That will change in first quarter 2009 when the site goes public. In the mean time, you can watch the teaser videos here:

==> Home Business Brains video magazine

So that’s what I’ve been up to the last week or so. Starting next week I’ll be back in the rhythm of things and posting to this blog more frequently.

-Ryan M. Healy

One of the benefits of a Mastermind group is getting the perspectives of the other members.

And on Thursday’s Mastermind, Ray Edwards said, “Get on Twitter.”

So I did.

As you know, I’ve not said very nice things about Twitter in the past. And I’m still not sold on it.

That said, I took Ray’s advice and set up a Twitter account during the Mastermind call. By the time the call was over, I had 20 followers, which I thought was kind of cool.

Anyway, when I set up my account, I discovered all the other “Ryan Healys” of the world had already snatched up my name and its variations.

So I dredged up an old nickname from my wrestling days in high school: Healy Monster.

If you’d like to follow me on Twitter, you’ll find me here:

==> http://twitter.com/heyhealy

Update: Michel Fortin just caught wind that I joined Twitter. Here is what he said:

Which, by the way, if you decide to follow me, you ought to follow Michel as well. I love his insights into business and life in general. Here’s his Twitter profile:

==> http://twitter.com/michelfortin

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. I know it’s been quiet around here. That’s because the last two weeks have possibly been the busiest weeks of my entire freelance career.

And when client deadlines loom, my blog takes a back seat. Look for new posts next week.