ACHS launches alumni group on LinkedIn

Calling all alumni...ACHS has launched a new ACHS Alumni Group on LinkedIn....Where community lives and networks. This is your place to post information about your career and/or business, to network with other ACHS alumni, to build connections with other industry professionals, and, above all, to tell us about you! How are you using your ACHS education? What is it like to work in the holistic heath field? Where are you headed next? What have you written, published, presented, preformed, talked about lately? We want to know.

Click here to join the ACHS Alumni Group today.

LinkedIn is a professional network with more than 40 million members in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. Is there a better place to see and be seen? If so, let us know about it. We want to be there, too.

ACHS holistic health alumni Stephanie Austin hosts raw foods event

An event like this doesn't take place every day. If you have an interest in raw and living foods, finding answers to health concerns, or you're just looking for a great group of positive, green conscious people, you won't want to miss this event.

Matt Monarch and Angela Stokes, world-renowned raw food authors, educators, and lecturers will speak at the Meadow Park Building in San Luis Obispo, California, April 24, 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Monarch and Stokes produce an online TV show called The Raw Food World. In addition, Stokes runs Raw Reform, blogs, and speaks worldwide about the benefits of raw and living food, and Monarch has written books and blogs about the raw food lifestyle, and runs Raw Spirit.

For more information, go to Love, Life, and Laughter, the blog of ACHS holistic health alumni Stephanie Austin.

Holistic Practices - Fusing our Skills

In the next few days the Congress will vote on President Obama's budget. In thinking about the concept of fiscal policy, I am struck by the vast difference between the way we as individuals and business persons are required to handle our finances vs the methodology of the federal government. If my business runs a deficit for an extended period of time, I am out of business. If I follow poor fiscal policy in planning my budget, I will eventually be met with failure. We as individuals are held to a higher standard of fiscal and monetary policy than that of our federal government.

As a holistic health care practitioner I am proud of the fact that I can share with clients not only my expertise in herbal medicine and healthy relationship practices, but also my ability to effectively manage my business and personal finances. My earlier Master's degree in finance and economics gives me the background to share specifics from my personal experience in responsible budgeting and fiscal policy as a part of my practice.

When we, as graduates, move into our chosen field of study, we bring to the table a vast array of skills we may have previously garnered. The more we can incorporate these varied areas of expertise into our practice, the more benefit we bring to our clients. Having a wider base of education and experience give us a more holistic approach to helping our fellow human beings. We can be proud of all our accomplishments and fuse them together to make our practice as beneficial as possible for our clients.

How to make your press release newsworthy

There are four common PR misperceptions to watch for...

1. You are the focus of your PR.

Although we like to think it, we are not the news. (Sorry.) To convince strangers that they want to hear what you have to share—and that they then want to take action—your press release should focus on the service you are offering...a service that is The Solution.

Remember, your future customer does not know they are looking for you. They're looking for someone or something that can ease their stress, help with lifestyle improvement, relive a persistent cough, etc. Therefore, to show your future customer the truth, that your service is The Solution, focus on the concrete benefits to them.

2. More is Better

More is not better. Specifics are better.

For example, you are hosting a community wellness event about nutrition. The inclination might be to send out a press release about all of the services you offer, thinking “When will these people read about me again?" But, it would be more beneficial to ask yourself, "If my future customer only remembers one thing, what should it be?"

The answer: the day, time, and location of your event.

Be specific. Use a specific, targeted headline when you send out your press release, such as: Free nutrition consultation for students with ADD.

3. Flash is Better

Flash is hard to pull off. It’s better to be informative than insincere; although they are both memorable, one has clear benefits over the other.

What constitutes as flash? Overwriting. Overselling. Over anything...

Stick to words and descriptions your audience is familiar with, will respond to.

For example: "New eco-sheik botanic day spa consultancy opening in your neighborhood featuring free aromatherapy massages ranging from $60-100."

Huh? I'm not sure I even know what I mean. Is it a day spa or a consultant business? What's free? Eco what?

Or: "Stress-targeting massages with organic aromatherapy products boost your immune system and support green business."

You now know what the service is, how it benefits your future customers, and that there is a larger connection to the environment, which makes your press release news worthy.

4. The More Flashy Qualifiers the Better

Qualifiers take up space. Again, it is better to be sincere, informative, and service-minded than dazzling.

What is a qualifier? Good. Great. Greatest. Best. Better than. Amazing. Great. And so on.........

We think these words will catch the reader’s attention. And they do, but not in the way we want. They signal overstating or overwriting, which automatically makes the reader defensive and suspicious.

Why? Like writing with “flash,” self-promotion without substance is hard to pull off, and qualifiers mean different things to different readers. What one person may find good or great, another may not. This is the “one-size fits all” approach, and it doesn’t work.

Remember, it is better to offer a strong, service-oriented promotion than to oversell a so-so one.

3 tips for using Twitter to promote your blog

Twitter—aka the new social media which has everyone “tweeting” professionally—is being used in many different ways and by lots of people. At its most basic, Twitter allows you to post short sentences alerting friends and family (i.e., followers) to what you’re doing.

But there are several social networking applications too. For example, some businesses use Twitter to announce new promotions and others use it as a survey tool to gauge customer response and demand.

Yet, for holistic health professionals (that is, small to medium-sized business owners, Twitter is becoming the fastest way to build a word of mouth following.

3 tips for using Twitter to promote your blog:

1. Ask a Question

It’s easy to tell people what you’re doing. But it won’t hold their interest for very long. So, instead of saying “Posted article about caring for your pets with homeopathy,” ask, “How has homeopathy helped your pet to feel better?” Questions encourage conversation, which allows more followers to contribute their experience.

2. Remark

The competition over blog comments can be fierce. But, if you post something that attracts a lot of comments, first comment back. Then, post a short line to Twitter inviting people to join the conversation.

3. Ask for What You Want

Once you know which of the social media referral sites (or voting sites) drives the most traffic to your blog, ask your followers to dish out a review (for example, StumbleUpon, Digg, Newsvine, etc.). Think of it as cross promotion. Every blog needs a little push now and then.

Based on Chris Brogan’s article “How I Use Twitter to Promote My Blog” on Problogger: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/03/25/how-i-use-twitter-to-promote-my-blog/

ACHS Alumni on Inside Cosmeceuticals

Dr. Geentanjali Ranade, an ACHS aromatherapy graduate, has a new article on the Inside Cosmeceuticals website, "Sandalwood--Ceremony, Serenity, and Comfort." Dr. Ranade's article provides useful information about the cultivate of sandalwood and its historic use in perfumery, among many other tips and insights. Show your support for ACHS grads...Leave Dr. Ranade a comment on the Inside Cosmeceuticals website, and while you're there, share a little of your own experience studying sandalwood and aromatherapy. You never know who's reading!

2009 Trends: Wellness Coaches

The December 2008 edition of Entrepreneur magazine featured a 2009 Trends to Watch. The report, which featured some to-be-expected categories like Economy, Digital, and Green, also included Health (which frequently means the pharmaceutical, the cosmetic, or the unrealistic personal trainer routine). Not this time—at least, not entirely.

Yes, there was talk of the number of convenient care clinics expected by 2012 (health clinics in retail locations) and the growing popularity of everything gluten-free popularity. But there also was a significant head nod to the growing appreciate for, and expected increase in WELLNESS COACHES. According to Entrepreneur:

"For people seeking a lifestyle fix rather than a meal plan or workout regimen, wellness coaches focus on the whole shebang—stress and time management, diet and fitness—to encourage personalized, sustainable, healthy behaviors. Both individuals and corporations hire wellness coaches, who can charge anywhere from $60 to $150 an hour [...]."

Holistic health—or complementary alternative medicine—is growing in public awareness. That means a larger job market for trained professionals, more educational opportunities, and, above all, a healthier world. It's a good day!

© Entrepreneur 2009: http://www.entrepreneur.com/hottrends/index.html