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I almost didn’t graduate high school because of two subjects:  Keyboarding and algebra.

Keyboarding, by the way, was still done on a typewriter in 1996 Show Low, Arizona (somehow that was 26 years ago).

I wish I could say my failing grade was because I had some clairvoyant vision that computers were the wave of the future, and typing was obsolete, but that wasn’t it. I just didn’t go to class (and I still can’t type). That was the pitfall of being 18 years old for my senior year: I could sign myself out of school. 

And algebra…

Well let’s just say I disagreed with Mr. Butler’ insistence  that letters of the alphabet should be commingled with numbers to create a math problem (emphasis on problem).

Letters and I got along just fine in English class, geeking-out alone on paper, writing essays and book reports. But throw them in with mathematical equations, and suddenly they act like...

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A friend and I bought a liquor store we found listed on BizBuySell.com in the early 2,000’s. It was just a small mom-and-pop shop, or more accurately a pop-and-son thing, and the son had lost interest so pop was selling cheap. 

It was located in a pretty busy shopping center with a Home Depot as an anchor, so I was confident I could boost revenues and quickly grow to a second location. 

My strategy? 

Offer a compelling “lead magnet” and capture email addresses of my customers so I could communicate value on my terms. 

Tapping into my experience with another business I was in, we bought a badass poker table and set it up in the store as a display and ran a promotion to win it. 

The rules were simple:

• Register with your email address.
• Earn additional entries for every $10 you spend. 

The strategy was a hit, garnering over 1,200 email addresses of local imbibers of booze. 

Following a...

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Innovation is about changing things, making them better. 

Our ancient industry, as notaries public, is ripe for innovation. Look around and you can see observant and courageous notaries sowing this harvest, as well as visionaries from beyond the notary commission, like tech entrepreneurs and more. 

Look at Nick Colvill, a mobile notary and loan signing agent that changed the way electronic journaling could be done AND found a way to capture the digital thumbprint when required. 

Look at Clyde Heppner who completely redesigned the paper journaling experience to not only be compliant, but be more efficient for loan signing agents. 

Look at Amy Seitz who combined her many years as a notary public with her outstanding technology skills and built the most notary-friendly Remote Online Notarization platform to date. 

And look at EscrowTab, a company that has completely revolutionized In-person Electronic Notarization...

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As a Notary Public and entrepreneur, one of the gifts we enjoy is that the service we provide is often required. 

• Want to buy that house? Get notarized!
• Want to sell that car? Get notarized?
• Want to send your kid to Timbuktu without you? Better get notarized!

But guess what… 

Your notary services aren’t the only ones required for commerce to ensue. 

Fingerprinting is another essential service of our modern economy. 

The enormous increase in remote employees, virtual businesses, and increased security/safety checks, has created a high demand for convenient fingerprinting services. 

• Want that new job? Get fingerprinted!
• Want to volunteer with those children or seniors? Get fingerprinted!
• Want to get, or renew, that professional license? Get fingerprinted!

People in your city need fingerprinting everyday! 

In this blog we answer your biggest questions... 

The Top Four Questions Notaries...

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I went to my very first in-person conference with the National Notary Association (NNA) last year in Las Vegas (A-Mazing, by the way, and perhaps a little too much fun, if you know what I mean). 

In between sessions, the NNA asked me and Sandra Long, my co-author of Supercharge Your Notary Business with LinkedIn, to record a video session discussing the power and importance of LinkedIn for every notary’s business success.  

You can watch the 2-minute clip below. 

Mission Critical

Having a professional appearance on LinkedIn is mission critical to your notary business, now more than ever! 

With the rising interest rates, and slower refinance boom, hiring companies are now cherry picking the best of the best notaries. They won’t settle for less because they don’t have to anymore.  

Having mediocre websites, skills, or directory...

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At this week’s Notary Symposium, I was asked a question during the Q & A portion of my presentation. I had posited that when I finally took my notary business seriously, and decided to grow it, I had to stop doing the things that a $30,000 earner did, and start doing the things that a $100,000 earner did.  

The question one viewer posed was, “what are some examples of what a $100,000 earner does?” 

I was on the spot in front of a couple hundred notaries, still basking in the glow after sharing the stage with Hal Elrod, and I answered, “remove the naysayers and fortify your network with your believers.” 

And I am not entirely satisfied with my answer.  

It’s certainly true. And it’s definitely important. Entrepreneurship is hard enough as it is, and your inner critic probably handles more than your share of negativity within, so you certainly...

As per usual, NBB members gathered on Monday evening, this time to celebrate Notary Public Day together. 

Instead of the usual Orientation and Sorting Ceremony we usually do, esteemed faculty member, Jen Neitzel, led a discussion she calls Pit & Peak, aptly named after an exercise the Kardashians do on their show. 

Jen originally started this when her kids were young and in school, and she called it, Best & Worst. You know those family dinners where you sit around and ask, “how was your day, dear?” and the only answer you get is, “fine.”

Jen and her husband, Tommy, decided they would do things differently. They asked their kids, “What was the best part of your day…and what was your worst?” 

That ignited conversation that moved beyond just, “fine” to true authentic sharing. 

We got to do that on the NBB call too, and it was fascinating to listen to, as well as participate in. 

The question?

...

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There’s still a little piece of me that can’t believe how much being a Notary Public has changed my life.

I remember in that first year of implementing my Daily Do’s, when those $20,000-$30,000 months started stacking up, I’d wake up-no, I’d pop out of bed, each morning and pinch myself. Could this be real? Legal? Legit? Are we allowed to enjoy what we do this much, helping people,  and making more money than we ever had in our lives? 

I’ve been able to help clients in ways I never knew existed, and I was able to do so when they needed me most-their best days…and their worst. 

The evolution of my role and business as a Notary Public also brought me to you, my fellow notaries across the country. Through the years, there have been thousands of connections, inspirations, collaborations, and, my favorite, friendships. 

I am grateful. 

And further, I am surrounded by other...

I’m finally at a point again where I can start doing more intense exercise. The last few months, I’ve been walking the dogs every day, but anyone with dogs knows who really sets the pace there. 

And I can get the occasional bike ride in too, after recently being gifted a periwinkle adult tricycle (basket and all). I am not exactly Captain Graceful, so my family thought the extra support & balance would serve me better. After I wrecked and hurt my knee on the test drive of the last two-wheeled bike, in the first 30 seconds no less, I am not arguing anymore. They know me well. 

Exercise has never been a strong suit of mine anyway. I am sweat-averse. Not allergic, I am just…not...that into it. If I could burn calories just by thinking, reading, or worrying about stuff that will probably never happen, I would be all bones by now.

Since that doesn’t work, I’ve been on the lookout for something that could get me back into shape, at a...

I Almost Died That Day

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The idea was to rent an AirBnB in Washington for six months until I found a house to buy. I scored with a pet friendly home right on the water in Shelter Bay, a small coastal community in La Conner. 

My host, Annie, is delightful and lives just a few streets over. She and her husband are in their early 60’s, and while they love Shelter Bay, they plan to move when they retire, seeking a more… vibrant community. While not officially a retirement community, it has the vibe.

Oh, okay, I’ll just say it! It’s like heaven’s waiting room. They even have a street they call “widow’s lane.” It’s sad, but…true. 

Several of my neighbors are well into their 90’s and still driving, watering plants, and one guy even works on his own roof. Let’s just say I am on the younger end of the spectrum, even at 45 years old. 

Which is why what happened...