The Good Ground Project

Partner Profiles

Name:	Maisha Walker
Title:	President
Company:	message medium
Location:	New York, NY
What I do:	Internet and print marketing for small businesses
Web Site:	http://www.messagemedium.com

Nature of Business: message medium empowers small businesses to generate greater profits by improving response to their Web sites, Search Engines and offline marketing. Entrepreneurs learn how to use Internet and non-Internet marketing techniques to generate real leads, sales and noteriety for their business. Business owners can benefit from message medium's many years of experience not only in creating and teaching marketing strategies, but also in implementing these strategies for the greatest chance for success. message medium has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs and small business through strategic consulting, Web site design, development & maintenance, logo and business card design, creating and implementing marketing plans, one-on-one training, group classes, online articles, and via email through its small business marketing tips and resources email list.

I became an entrepreneur because I felt it was important to own my time. When I considered all the ways I could make a difference and impact people's lives, I felt working with small businesses, especially from less-represented communities, to spread knowledge about how technology can empower you to create your own professional and financial freedom, was one of the best ways I could think of.

The most important lesson that I've learned is....boy there are so many! But a big one is to get to know what makes you tick as well as you can. Identify your weaknesses, but especially identify your strengths. If you do not know what they are, try reading "Now, Discover Your Strengths" - http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FDiscover-Your-Strengths-Marcus-Buckingham%2Fdp%2F0743201140%2Fsr%3D1-1%2Fqid%3D1161371601%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks&tag=messagemedium-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">

or, try taking the test for free online - http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm.

You can get links to other books in the knowledge section of my Web site at http://www.messagemedium.com/knowledge.htm.

Identify your strenghts or natural talents so that you can put yourself in positions where you will thrive, and so that you can communicate to others how to help you thrive. Identify your weaknesses not to spend endless amounts of energy trying to fix them, but so that you can fix them just enough so they won't keep you from fulfilling your dreams, or make the path harder and longer than necessary.

I want to encourage you to be honest. With yourself and with others. Don't be defensive when someone crticizes you or when you make a mistake. The criticism you receive may be a blessing that prevents you from making a much bigger, more horrible mistake. Your reputation is one of the few things that stays with you for ever, and it *does* matter to a certain extent how people view you. Know that despite discouraging truths about discrimination, a VERY large part of how people view you is in *your* hands. Prejudices are "pre" - before someone meets you. At that moment of interaction - an amazing amount is in your hands. What are you going to do with it? You don't have to fix all of people's prejudices (and everybody has some), you just need to focus on the few that might be obstacles to your dreams! There is great strength and power in being yourself, but there is greater strength in knowing when you need to change because you may be your own worst enemy. Over the thousands of years that we have been able to write down our life lessons and pass them on to future generations, there have been and still are leaders, prophets, religious figures, and just wise old business people who will tell you - no one can conquer he who conquers himself.

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