My good friend Christyna and I have been joking with each other for years about the impending doom connected with zits. When either of us is sharing details of a bad week, we frequently add the final notation (semi-jokingly), “And on top of everything else, I have a zit too! I’m sure that means I’m going to die!”

      Most people know that stress can cause skin eruptions. I can certainly testify that every, single year during my school days I got a pimple right smack dab in the center of my forehead or my chin on picture day! And who hasn’t been suddenly afflicted with a zit or a cold sore right before a first date, new job, or on a wedding day? Skin eruptions often signal that stress is taking a toll on us.  

 Stress Kills

      Prolonged stress has adverse effects on our bodies. Stress releases hormones and chemicals that cause inflammation, raises blood pressure, suppresses the immune system, constricts blood vessels, and damages the cardiovascular system.  

     But what about illness? Am I really going to die if I have a zit? Well, maybe! Skin is the largest organ of our bodies and is often one of the first signals that something inside has gone awry.

      Our skin frequently provides visual cues to internal disease. Dry skin, scaly skin, discoloration, bumps, cysts, and unexplained bruises are all symptoms of SOMETHING. That something could be as simple as dishpan hands, lack of beneficial fats (such as fish oil, nuts, avocados, coconut oil), or as serious as heart disease, leukemia, diabetes, or cancer.

 Listen When Your Skin Talks to You

      Pimples, coated tongue, weird bumps, spots, and rashes are early indicators of what’s going on inside our bodies at the cellular level. For example, the first symptom of an allergic reaction is hives or some sort of swelling that appears on the surface of the skin. While the reaction is often mild, it is still an indication that the same swelling and reacting is going on inside the body. In non-life-threatening allergic reactions, we usually are completely symptomless and unaware of any problem beyond the easily-treated hives. Severe cases of allergic reactions (called “anaphylaxis”) can be fatal if not treated immediately, which is why you should always take the seemingly harmless hives seriously. Even when reactions are mild, repeated exposure to substances the body reacts to as toxins can compromise the immune system and cause problems down the road.

 But What About the Little Stuff That We Don’t Pay Much Attention To?

      Blemishes are God’s way of giving us time to get our act together. I use to come down with a cold a few days after a single, painful zit had appeared. I rarely get colds anymore. Because, now, when I start to see a pimple coming on I take immediate action.

•  If I’m stressed out, I take a relaxing bath, pull out the lavender essential oils, get a massage, or drink chamomile tea.             
• If my zit is accompanied by fatigue I launch “Operation Cold Prevention” which involves drinking lots of water, taking Airborne or Vitamins D3, C, Echinacea, and using peppermint essential oils.
• In the event of an outbreak of a cluster of blemishes? I recommend going on a detox diet. Add some liver-regenerating herbs (like milk thistle) and watch those ugly spots shrink as your internal organs thank you for letting them breathe again.   

      With or without breakouts, drinking lots of good quality water is one of the best things you can do to keep your insides clean and healthy (hold the fluoride and chlorine please). Yes Christyna, we really could die from our zits!

  Joanne

The writer creates well-researched medical, health & wellness newsletters that assist practitioners of alternative medicine in marketing their business affordably.

Gold Star Award for Brad Jackson

Brad Jackson: Wow! Does he deliver! I’ve never thought of my insurance agent as a customer service provider, but rather, a necessary conduit to purchase a policy. Brad is different. He doesn’t just sit back and collect a check. He provides exemplary service every step of the way. If  Brad writes a policy for you, your time will be respected. He will only ask you to provide minimal input to the paperwork process, and he’ll fill in the rest for you so you can get back to working in your business and earning money. If you have a medical insurance claim that isn’t paid he will research the problem, look at all the medical claims, and go to bat for you like he did with me. Most recently, he went to extraordinary measures to provide me with a business policy within a near-impossible short time frame so I could participate as a vendor in an event when no one else could solve my problem.

Before I thought to ask Brad about a business policy, I contacted insurance agents with smiling faces and bubbling personalities. They didn’t get the job done and ultimately left me in a horrible time crunch. I was sitting next to Brad at a networking meeting and asked if he did business policies. After he answered affirmatively, I revealed that I only had two days left to obtain an approved policy. He looked a little nervous about the time urgency but agreed to give it his best shot.

He jumped on getting my paperwork started with lightening speed and he continued working late into the evening making sure all relevant people were notified and in agreement that my new policy was valid (since the official document from Farmer’s had not yet been delivered). Then he showed up at the event just to be sure I was able to participate in the event. The icing on the cake–he helped me break down my equipment after the event! I don’t know much about Farmer’s Insurance Company, but I feel confident that if I ever do have a claim and the company messes with me, Brad will kick some butts!

Brad Jackson is a local - Vancouver, Washington - independent medical insurance agent, meaning he can assist you in obtaining medical insurance from a company of your choice. He is also a Farmer’s Insurance agent for other types of insurance (business, auto, home—stuff like that). I have never, ever received such superior service from any type of insurance agent. I highly recommend Brad Jackson for your insurance needs.

Contact information for Brad Jackson Financial Health Resources:

(360) 696-4911 Work

(503) 348-5330 Cell

 bradjackson@financialhealthresources.com  

Brad’s website   

Joanne

The writer creates well-researched medical, health & wellness newsletters that assist practitioners of alternative medicine in marketing their businesses affordably.   

    He waited quietly behind the door, expecting it to bust open any minute. He braced himself.

    Armed with exceptional technological and customer service skills, the anticipation of being flooded with customers was almost overwhelming. But as the hours ticked by uneventfully, the door never opened. The advertising campaign that he had put so much money into had bombed out. 

     I recently saw a sign for a repair and maintenance business with the motto, “Creating clients for life.” I’m sure the slogan was a testament to customer service and satisfaction so superior that lifetime business relationships based on trust was the intended outcome. But the words created a much different image in my mind. The first thing that popped into my head was, “Creating problems for life.” I envisioned the need to continually fork over more and more cash to solve the recurring problems that would result from using this repair service.

    People interpret the meaning of language based on social upbringing, culture, and their past experiences. My own past experiences with this particular line of service providers had been unproductive and expensive—the problems never being fully resolved. Therefore, the thought of this business turning me into a client for life was unacceptable. I wanted someone who would not be needed again after the service call. The slogan that was intended to generate trust and security, instead created a negative connotation.

     Words can create powerful images that are completely unrelated to the message we are trying to relay. When choosing our words we must use utmost caution because they often discharge with a deadly force.   

Joanne

deScribe It!

Gold Star for Minuteman Press

I just got off the phone with my internet s-e-r-v-i-c-e provider. After going through the standard four sets of robot menu choices I thought I had convinced the mechanical service provider that I needed technical assistance from a human. Nope! Another robot came on the line and actually tried to walk me through a process of fixing my failed connection. After repeated failures to communicate my problem to the inanimate object, I finally let loose with language that is unbecoming of a lady. After all, I was only blowing off steam to a stupid robot—or was I?  IT seemed to take notice of my frustration and announced that I would be connected to a technical assistance human. After 10 more minutes on hold I finally had to hang up, problem unsolved.

We have internet service, telephone service, cable service, Visa & Master Card service. And who can top the red carpet treatment provided by the Internal Revenue Service? These impersonal conglomerates have hijacked the word which once described an honorable method of conducting business.

We’ve grown accustomed to cold, impersonal treatment; but that’s not our only option. Local business owners have the power to reclaim the word

s-e-r-v-i-c-e!

Yesterday started out badly for me. I was angry and fully expecting the day to get worse. I had time to spare because of a missed appointment so I walked into Minuteman Press to inquire about a name tag. The owner’s excitement was contagious as she brightened up and exclaimed, “Ooh! It’s name tag day today!” Lucky me! I would get same-day service. Later, when I picked up my tag, everyone admired it with me. For only $14 I got great advice, graphic design work, a useful product, and most important of all, I was treated like I was special. My mood brightened and my day got better simply because the crew at Minuteman Press took the time to be nice to me.

How many hours have we wasted trying to save a buck doing business with large discount companies when our neighborhood businesses stand ready to provide quick and exemplary service? Outstanding service is the mainstay of business success. By providing the best service possible we attract customers who are tired of talking to robots. By supporting other local businesses we encourage high ethics and accountability while helping our own businesses and community grow. When we provide superior service to each other, everyone succeeds. 

7 letters for Business Success

Sincere

Effort

Responsible

Value

Integrity

Courteous

Excellence

I highly recommend Minuteman Press for your printing needs. They are located in the Bi-Mart shopping area on the NE corner of Fourth Plain and 117th. Their phone number is: (360) 750-4447.

Joanne

For excellent writing service contact Joanne Laurent at      deScribe It!

It amazes me how many times a day we pay people to be rude to us, provide poor quality service, or inferior products.  Business owners who care about quality and customer satisfaction often draw the short straws when it comes to recognition and reward. Let’s change that! This is the blog page where good people will be honored.  

I’m not going to be writing about just anyone who wants a plug here.  I expect good service from everyone who wants my money. This blogspot is reserved for the very few who provide exemplary service. I have three companies in mind as I begin this blog. If you want my business, be nice. If you want  to get mentioned here, you must do amazing things and be really nice to me!

Joanne

Information overload is at an all-time high. We crave knowledge, and at the same time, cringe at the thought of reading one more piece of literature. Our inboxes are bombarded with written lures that plead, “Open me!” Sales letters, website content, and blogs fly past us so fast we can’t possibly read all that is placed before us.

What do Readers Want?

·        They want you to make decision-making easy for them by providing clear, concise, accurate information.

·        They want relevant data to be accessible at a glance.

·        They want clear headings, short paragraphs, and skim-able text.

·        They want well-constructed sentences that are easy to understand.

·        They want you to directly ask for the sale and make it easy for them to buy.

        I provide personalized, quality writing service that helps customers realize you are the one selling exactly what they want. Why waste money on ineffective copy when you can call deScribe It! to turn words into cash?  

But what happens after Google or Yahoo delivers web traffic to your dot com? How do you greet your guests? Are you making your web visitors feel welcome?

You can welcome your guests and assure them that they’ve come to the right website by immediately letting them know who you are and what you are offering.

Providing meaningful, eye-catching design, and clear, informative written content will capture your web guests’ attention.

Are you luring website visitors deeper into your site? Interesting written content will keep them searching your web longer. And the longer you keep them reading your words, the more time you’ll have to influence them to want what you’re selling.  

Call deScribe It! at (360) 231-4597 to learn how to get clear, concise, and effective written content for your website.

Joanne

    Web readers have short attention spans. They want to find specific information quickly and easily. When they visit your website-BAM! In a flash they should be greeted with information about what you do and why they should care.

    Think about your own web search behavior. Have you ever exited a website because you felt letdown by inadequate or confusing information on the home page? The first screenshot, or quick flash of information, is your moment to grab visitors’ attention and entice them to continue reading. Use that moment to put on your best performance. Here are a few ideas to think about when developing your website.

       ♦Use graphics to direct people to your content

       ♦ Capitalize on the power of word usage

           -Use action words 

           -Appeal to emotions

           -Say something they can relate to

           - Be concise

        ♦Ask web visitors to do something

           -Remember to include a call to action

An example of a call to action is: Visit deScribe It! for more information about turning words into cash.

Joanne

deScribe It!

I’m Joanne, the writer, and I’ll be your copywriting tour guide. This is the place to come for a wise, expert copywriter near Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR.

I’ll blog about web content writing and how to get the attention of visitors to your website. I’ll also blog about written marketing tools that will help your business grow and prosper such as newsletters, articles, and white papers.

Your word choices represent your company and determine the image you project. The words on your website and other marketing materials create powerful images in the minds of potential customers that can make or break sales.

Visit me often and learn how to deScribe It!

Joanne Laurent, M.A.

Research and copywriting services