BUT, in the meantime, I have another exciting thing that happened yesterday to share with you. While at Interbike last week, I met up with Ed Pavelka of Roadbikerider.com, an excellent newsletter for roadbike riders (signup on the site to start receiving the newsletters). I am an advertiser on RBR for my bike tours, and have communicated with the owners a bit over the past two years. Ed was actually the one who gave me the idea of writing an ebook on using indoor cycling to train for outdoor riding, because they sell ebooks on their site. So I have been sitting on this concept for over a year now...
In Las Vegas last week, he reiterated the importance of getting this done before winter, to reach cyclists who have to come indoors for the season. It's great motivation for me to light a fire under myself and finish the dang thing!
I also spoke to Ed about further promotions for Viva Travels in the future, including advertising and an affiliate relationship (where I would give them commissions for every referral). But I never dreamed that he would write about our meeting in this weeks Oct. 2nd newsletter!
Yesterday morning I woke up to three information requests via my website and three direct emails about tours, all before 8 am (and quite a few more later on). Hmmmm, what's going on? This has never happened! Then I saw the RBR newsletter and saw my name and his great write-up. This is such incredible PR, especially since their distribution is about 80,000 readers.
Note that the link above reverts to the current issue each week, with new issues coming out every Thursday, so if you click that link after Oct 8th, you won't see what Ed wrote about me. I'll cut and paste it below:
Sage Concepts. I met one of RBR's advertisers, Jennifer Sage of Viva Travels, for the first time. What a go-getter! She described her revolutionary concept for cycling trips to France and other countries that will significantly cut the cost but not the quality. She was due to meet her banker for 6-figure funding (not a very good week for that). But she's the type of person who won't be deterred. Jennifer is also a credentialed indoor cycling instructor who is completing her manuscript for an RBR eBook, right on time to make a winter on the trainer more productive and even enjoyable. Watch for an on-sale announcement in a month or so.
OK, I think the gantlet's been thrown down regarding the eBoook, and I have NO WAY to back down now. And I think I better hire someone to help me with my bike tours, because I can hardly keep up with the inquiries. Did someone say there's a bad economy out there?? They must be watching too much TV! My recommendation: don't buy into it. Stop worrying, and start acting. For me and Viva Travels (and for my Spinning blog and commitment to IDC) there is nothing but good things ahead!
Regarding that meeting with the banker he talks about...keep your fingers crossed for me. Here in the Vail Valley, we've only been slightly affected by what's going on in the rest of the country (in fact, our home is going on the market soon as Jeff finishes building us a new one...and we're confident we can get what we're asking). There are still some very solid banks out there who didn't make bad loans who still have capital to lend (and lending is a large part of their business, so they still gotta do it)! The credit hasn't dried up 100%, contrary to what the media will tell you, and I'm hoping that I can sell my concept well. Whew! This will be a first for me. If anyone is in that line of work and has tips, I'd appreciate them. My meeting is late next week...
Oh, one last thing. Ed titled this little blurb on Viva Travels "Sage Concepts". Ed has no way of knowing that Sage Concepts is the name of my husband's general construction business (the subject never came up so I certainly didn't tell him). Isn't that a cool coincidence??!!
[disclaimer: Sage Concepts website is a work in process and is not completed.]
Thanks for reading and see you tomorrow!
4 comments:
I want to be like you when I grow up! I'm happy for your success Jen, you deserve it. Can't wait for the e-book to come out.
How do you sign cyber books? :)
You are so inspiring! You applied the Law of Attraction so well: "...don't buy into it. Stop worrying, and start acting. For me and Viva Travels (and for my Spinning blog and commitment to IDC) there is nothing but good things ahead!..."
You already have what you want in life, the rest are bonuses which continue to come, non-stop. You deserve it!
Thanks Shannon and Le!
I am 100% convinced this is all due to the LOA. You cannot even imagine the negative comments I've gotten, like "You want to do what?? Raise money for a travel business??? In this economy?? Don't you know that NO ONE is traveling? That NO banks are lending? Are you nuts?? Double crazy??" They're only trying to help (they think) by making me "realize" how bad it is out there and how I should wait until the economy gets better and that I'd be better off going back to personal training. What do they want the world to do - curl up into a ball for a few years? I've pushed on ahead despite the prevailing conventions, and I have seen nothing but increases in my potential customers. There ARE still people traveling, and I will have a part of that market.
The ones who ignore all this negative talk are the ones who will prevail and come out ahead. Energy goes where attention flows! This goes for every single one of you who are reading this. Put your energies into positive thoughts, follow your passions, don't listen to the naysayers, and you too will prevail!
Thank you all for your support!
Congrats!!!!!!
You put great energy out there and it comes back to you threefold.
Can't wait to get my hands on the ebook.
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