Alaa Hassan

The Most Passionate eCommerce Coach & Advisor

Personal Life

Favorite Tool: The Fastest Way to Read Blogs

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Fastest Way to Read Blogs

Nowadays, many of us consume information through multiple channels such as:

  • TV (a lot less than before)
  • Newspaper (a lot less than before)
  • Radio (mainly when stuck in traffic)
  • Magazines (a lot less than before, when stuck at the airport or reading old ones at the salon)
  • Books (physical & mainly digital)
  • and the famous Internet (which is used most of the time)

We consume this information using multiple types of devices:

  • Smartphones (web surfing & apps)
  • Tablets (web surfing & apps)
  • Desktop Computers (web surfing, apps & software & when smartphone/tablet out of reach)

The Internet alone offers a wide range of tools to consume information such as:

  • Blogs (millions)
  • Podcasts (thousands)
  • News websites & Wiki sites
  • Videos
  • Audio Streaming
  • Audio Books

As you can you can see, there are many many ways of consuming information which can certainly cause many headaches for the average consumer.

How do you stay on top of the latest posts from your favorite blogs without wasting time & being overloaded?

Start using Feedly.com – A Free tool which offers you a better way to organize, read and share the content of your favorite sites. 

I love it because:

  1. Easy to use & setup
  2. It’s free
  3. Has its own App
  4. Lots of neat features for improved reading

Try it! Visit Feedly.com

How to Become Anti-Social and Succeed

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How to become anti-social

I’m sure you asked yourself, how can you possibly succeed in life while being anti-social?  In my opinion, you simply can’t.

Recently, I listened to a podcast by Michael Hyatt, Top 10 Productivity Hacks, where he speaks about interesting ways of becoming more productive.  One of those ways was to eliminate online distractions.  For me, ignoring all those distractions is a big challenge considering that most of what I do requires me to be online and on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest etc….

But at the same time, I noticed that I’m always checking up on my emails, reading the latest industry headlines on websites such as Mashable.com & Techcrunch and by the end of the day, I notice I’ve opened over 25 different tabs within my browser and got distracted multiple times with notifications.

So I followed Michael Hyatt’s recommendation of purchasing a program called Anti-social which allows me to block all social media, email or any specific site for a set time (ex: for 3 hours).

The best feature within this application is that it keeps you honest and it can’t be turned off! That’s exactly what I want.  Now, whenever I need to get something done without worrying about interruptions, I launch Anti-Social.
It’s affordable and easy to setup.  You should give it a try.  I’m not in any way associated with them, just an honest recommendation 🙂

Visit http://anti-social.cc

How to Read One Book a Week

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How to Read one book a week

 

Last weekend, I read an inspiring post on Medium by Julien Smith – CEO of Breather.com –  about How to Read a Book a Week.

I decided to try it myself this week with an amazing book written by my good friend John Lawson called Kick Ass Social Commerce for E-preneurs.

In his post, Julien shares the following tips in order for anyone to read a book in a week:

One Day at a Time

Average book is around 250-300 pages, so read around 40 pages a day.

Make It a Routine and Stack It

Making into a habit and sticking to it is crucial.  Don’t put it off.

Use Every Moment

Take advantage of every free minute you get (on the bus, metro, on break etc)

It’s Ok To Cheat

Sometimes you can cheat by reading a short book simply to catchup on your goal

Never Fall Behind

A great trick is to stay ahead of schedule by reading a little more.

LIFE TIP: Share Your Knowledge with Others

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Share your Knowledge with Others

A couple of months ago, I was invited to speak at Internet Retailer Focus – Design & Mobile in Orlando, Florida to share my experience in implementing a Responsive Design on my website iNetVideo.com.  What I love most about speaking t is the whole idea of being trusted and given the opportunity to share valuable knowledge with attendees. I mean, think about it, you are about to HELP hundreds, if not thousands of people improve their businesses within 30 minutes of listening to you!  Talk about being able to make a difference in this world. My journey into helping other online business owners started with simple one-on-one interactions, face-to-face, by email, by phone or social media. I noticed that every time I spoke to someone, I felt really good about it.  I wanted more and that’s when I decided to speak at events.

Seriously… what are you waiting for?

During my 12+ years of online experience, I’ve met many individuals that simply don’t want to share anything.  BUT WHY?? I understand that some of us are not allowed to disclose company information, but there’s nothing wrong with sharing some of the things you’ve learned or experience with the tools you’ve used.  Everyone is looking to either make some extra $$$ or save some and you might have some tips to help them do that.

Stop being selfish and share this valuable knowledge

You Gotta Read The Book “Crush It” by Gary Vaynerchuk

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Crush it by Gary Vaynerchuk

Everyone has something that they’re passionate about. They wish they could do all day and night without having to worry about money. And, while those people are wishing, other people are doing. Gary Vaynerchuk is one of those people. In his book, “CRUSH IT! Why NOW is The Time to Cash in on Your Passion,” Gary talks about how he turned his own passion for wine into a lucrative career and illustrates how you can harness the power of the Internet to turn your own interests into a career. Or at least, that’s what the dust cover says. And that all sounds dandy, but does the book deliver on its promise? Find out in this “Cash in on Your Passion Book Review.

If you’ve ever watched any of Gary’s videos or heard him speak live, you know that he’s a passionate person. His energy and intensity is glaringly obvious within the first few moments that he has your attention. That’s probably why he’s so popular. You want to keep listening. Well, I’m happy to say that the same level of intensity applies to his written words. Translation: the book is a real page-turner. Honestly, I’m glad I had the opportunity to review the book.

It’s no secret that there are some books about success that were written by some questionable people. Either they haven’t truly achieved success themselves or they seem to stumble upon it accidentally. Gary’s rise to fame in the blogosphere and business world is evidence that he is not one of those authors. He truly has what it takes to be successful and inspire others to do the same. 

This book will inspire you to do great things in your life, but you have to be strong-willed enough to follow through on the steps Gary outlines for you. Actually, those steps are one thing that help this book stand apart from others in the same category. Many self-help books provide great information but fall short when it’s time to present actionable items.  

In another “Cash in on Your Passion” book review, the reviewer is a little harsh about Vanyerchuck’s topic selection. He felt that the actionable items were obvious to most people. I definitely do not agree. Sure, I was familiar with most of the topics presented, but I found the fresh perspective that Gary provides refreshing. After each chapter, I had to stop and take notes because my mind was racing with new and inspired ideas. 

The only drawback is that the book is a little shorter than I expected. Don’t get me wrong; I do appreciate that I didn’t have to read through a bunch of filler to get to each point, but I think there were some things that could have been explained in further detail. Overall, I would say that this book is definitely worth a read. And after you’re done, you can review the book to let us all know what you thought. Was it a life-changing experience? 

5 Simple Ways to be Happy at Work

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How to be happy at work?

Many people truly believe that the phrase “happy at work” is an oxymoron. But there’s one thing those people are missing. There’s one person pulling the strings here. One person who can either make you happy or so miserable that you can’t stand waking up every morning. Are you thinking of your boss right now? It’s not your boss. Actually, that person is you. Regardless of your current situation, you can be happy at work with a little effort on your part. After some time, it’ll feel less like effort and more like habit.

Make a friend

If you want to be happy at work, find a friend to make the experience more personal. You spend so much of your time here; it would be a shame to go it alone. Just be sure to find someone positive. You’re not looking someone to commiserate with. You need someone who will lift your spirits and make you feel better about your job.

Use breaks to recharge 

These days, so many people work through their breaks without taking a moment to themselves. It’s no wonder so many people hate their jobs. Instead of “powering through” lunch, take some time to relax and recharge. Don’t think about work, deadlines or your boss. Consider yourself off the clock until your break is over.

Stop competing 

We seem to be conditioned to compete against one another. But with this outlook, we’re always measuring our own success against other people’s progress. Imagine a friend at work gets a really big promotion. Before the event, you were happy. Now, you feel inferior. You feel like his success somehow detracted from your own. That’s no way to live. Instead, set goals for yourself and strive to achieve your own personal success. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing.

Be grateful 

Sometimes, being happy at work is as easy as deciding to be happy. Instead of feeling overwhelmed with problems, look on the bright side. Tons of people are out of work right now, but you have a secure job. You get along with most people in the office. You’re good at what you do. You see, your life isn’t so bad after all. 

Smile more often 

When all else fails, trick yourself into being happy at work. Go ahead and fake a smile every now and again. It really will make you feel better. Your body produces serotonin (a feel-good chemical) every time you grin and show those pearly whites. 

There’s a difference between understanding your job isn’t the right fit for you and hating work. If it’s not the right fit, search for one that is better suited for you. And in the meantime, use these tips for being happy at work while you’re still there. You’re the only one who can change your attitude, and you’re also the one who stands to benefit most from your efforts.