Big things are happening this weekend in Dallas, Texas. The Limu Company, makers of Original Limu and Blu Frog Energy, are unveiling a completely new look at their National Convention. I don’t want to spill the beans, but these two convention teasers got me pretty jacked! Last year, Ted Murphy spoke about harnessing the power of social media after the official launch of Blu Frog and the debut of Blu Frog Motorsports. I’m stoked to see what’s in store this year. Stay tuned for details after the official announcements are made. Get you some!

Joanna Lord Co-Founder TheOnlineBeat.com

Guest Post by Joanna Lord Co-Founder and CMO of theonlinebeat.com. Follow her on twitter @joannalord
 

I like coffee. Correction…I love coffee. I’ve always been one of those people who kept a pot brewing, who kept Starbucks in business, who kept a large cup in her hand at all times. The past year my love for caffeine has peaked. I launched a company about 9 months ago and it has resulted is many late nights and early mornings.

Over the past year my love for coffee became one of my many sugary addictions. Before I knew it I was sampling (a.k.a. chugging) the other good stuff. This included jumbo diet cokes, RedBulls, sugar packed powders, energy drinks of every color, of every flavor…basically anything that promised I could stay up longer and do more.

Enter…a damn mess.

Yup that was me. I was a damn mess. You don’t realize what you are doing to your body until some random Thursday afternoon you catch yourself in the mirror and you look like hell. Your eyes are bloodshot from not sleeping, you have dark circles under them, and a tired look all around. I realized quickly that I truly didn’t feel very good. I was weak and shaky. Often times I had headaches, eye twitches, and an all around anxious feeling. Caffeine and sugary substitutes (my dearest loves) were turning on me.

About the time I realized this I started engaging with John Raser on Twitter. Randomly one day he mentioned Blu Frog energy drinks, and threw out a few random facts. Less calories than the others. More nutrition. Antioxidants. Delicious flavor. I must confess my skepticism grew, so I did what any good marketer would do… I asked for a free sample

After receiving a few cans I was eager to try them. So the next day at about 1 p.m. I embarked on what I was sure was going to be a let down. But I’ll be darned if it wasn’t exactly what he promised—delicious, low in calories, and packed with energy.

The flavor is a bit sweeter than some others, but smooth and refreshing. It reminded me of a green tea cocktail almost. I could definitely taste the natural sugars in there, instead of the fake sweeteners I had been chugging for months. I felt an instant perk and rode the BluFrog wave all afternoon.

Seriously, great stuff.

I talked to John and let him know my thoughts—letting him know if he ever needed a testimonial to the deliciousness (yes I made that word up just for this post) to let me know. If you are thinking about trying it out…get on it. Seriously.

I won’t say its replaced all of my coffee intake, but I will admit it has made me acutely aware of how bad all that other stuff is for me. If you are looking for a legit pick me up and a healthy alternative to the bad sugary drinks we all consume every day, check out the Blu Frog energy drink. Trust me…it’s a good decision.

Blu Frog Energy Dodge Driver Larry Foyt (son of NASCAR Legend A.J. Foyt) was interviewed on SpeedTV at Daytona Speed Week. Go Team Blu Frog!

Related Posts:

Blu Frog Energy Throttles Daytona Speed Week
Blu is the new Red, No Bull.
Blu Frog FAQ’s
Seven Ways To Make Money Sharing Blu Frog

If I reach 1,700 followers on Twitter by 12am EST tonight, I will send one lucky person either (winner’s choice):

a) NASCAR helmet visor
b) pair of race-worn NASCAR gloves
*signed and personalized from NASCAR Driver Larry Foyt!!

If you didn’t already know, Larry Foyt is an up-and-coming star in the racing world and is the son of Legend A.J. Foyt (Winner of 6 Indy 500′s) So tell your friends who are Blu Frog Energy Drink and NASCAR racing enthusiasts to follow @johnraser for a chance to win!

To Enter:

1) Follow me on Twitter @johnraser
2) Tell your friends about the contest by tweeting “I just entered to win signed/personalized NASCAR gear on Friday 13th! To enter follow @johnraser and RT http://bit.ly/k85Ws”

Rules:
All new followers and Retweets will be entered to win.

Make sure to check out my Friday the 13th Blu Frog Energy Swag Giveaway!

I’m very lucky to have some amazing sponsors behind me. It is extremely important to me to endorse products and companies I whole-heartedly believe in. Blu Frog Energy is one of those products.

I have been sponsored by The Limu Company since I turned pro in the Summer of 2006 and really believe in their one-of-a-kind nutritional products. When The Limu Company introduced Blu Frog Energy Drink, I saw the tremendous potential to generate multiple streams of income because Blu Frog literally pays you to drink it and share it! So, what did I do? I signed up as a member! I’m making supplemental income weekly to help cover my expenses while I grind it out on the road to the PGA Tour. I’ve got all of my friends and fellow players hooked on them too-and it’s all natural, healthy energy!

So I decided I’m giving away a ton of Blu Frog Energy Swag to one lucky person this Friday the 13th. Here’s what’s included:

-Case of Blu Frog Energy (24 cans)
-Blu Frog Flag
-Autographed picture of NASCAR Driver Larry Foyt (personalized to you)
-Blu Frog Motorsports Hat
-Blu Frog Polo Shirt
-Blu Frog-on-a-stick
-Tons of Blu Frog temporary tattoos

To Enter:

1) Follow me on Twitter @johnraser
2) Tell your friends about the contest by tweeting “Just entered to win tons of Blu Frog Energy Swag on Friday 13th. To enter follow @johnraser and RT http://bit.ly/Oqfl“

The contest begins today and ends on March 14, 2009 at noon EST. One lucky person who is following me on Twitter will be chosen live at random on March 14th. Don’t tell me Friday the 13th isn’t lucky! My anniversary is on Friday, May 13th!

Rules:
This contest is open to anyone in North America 18 and older. Must receive 50+ entries.

More Info:
I recommend checking out these posts:
What the heck is Blu Frog?
What’s In Blu Frog?
Seven Ways to Make Money Sharing Blu Frog.

If the World didn’t know about Blu Frog Energy, it definitely does now. The Limu Company unveiled Blu Frog Motorsports at the mack-daddy of all NASCAR events, the Daytona 500. Blu Frog sponsored three vehicles; the 75 car driven by past Daytona 500 champion, Derrike Cope, the 56 car and 75 camping world truck driven by Larry Foyt (son of 8-time Indy 500 Champion and NASCAR Legend A.J. Foyt). I got hooked up with Pit Passes and had some incredible behind-the-scenes access. Blu Frog was, undoubtedly, the talk of Daytona! Every driver and crew was pounding the Frog in the garages, trailers, and pits. They alone went through over 3000 cans! NASCAR fans from around the world also got to try this new wildly healthy energy drink and meet the Blu Frog Girls. It was an awesome week! Check out all the sweet pics from Daytona on flickr.

Larry Foyt / Blu Frog NASCAR Interview on SpeedTV
Blu is the new Red, No Bull.
Blu Frog FAQ’s
Seven Ways To Make Money Sharing Blu Frog

Blu Frog is the best tasting, healthiest energy drink on the market. It’s actually GOOD for you to drink! I’ve been drinking it for about two months and it is perfect for giving me an early morning or mid-afternoon boost on the golf course. It doesn’t give me the jitters like most energy drinks out there because of the radically different ingredients. There are no artificial colors or flavors and only 68 calories. Blu Frog is refreshing and has a fruit-juicy mountain dew like taste, but without tons of bubbles. It’s packed with natural fruit flavors including mango and papaya puree, combined with pear juice and apple juice concentrates. Not to mention, there are 2 ounces of Original Limu in every can.

WooHoo! 2 for 2! My friend Ben Backus just made another check for $2,500 with this entry into the Blu Frog YouTube Video Contest. That’s back-to-back victories in the months of December and January. Now I’ve got my game face on, cause I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve… I can’t let them win every one! Awesome job, guys!

One of my all-time favorite movies is “Boiler Room”. If you haven’t seen it, buy it now! (that’s right, I said buy it, not rent it…it’s THAT good) The movie is about a stock brokerage firm that pushes phony stocks on unsuspecting victims. One of the most classic scenes in the movie (and in my opinion, in cinematic history) is a scene where Ben Affleck’s character is breaking it down for some wide-eyed, newbie recruits. Laying the law, if you will. One thing he says to these guys that sticks out is the phrase“Act as if”. “Acting as if” is a personal development trick where you imagine how someone who’s in a position you aspire to would act, and then do those things yourself. Watch this clip: (or the full scene here)

Ted Murphy's famous avatar

At the end of January I had the amazing opportunity to hear Ted Murphy, the CEO of IZEA, speak at the launch of Blu Frog Energy Drink in Ft. Worth, TX and WHAM! I immediately knew. What did I know? Well, I knew several things. For one, I knew I wanted to figure out a way to harness, bottle, and physically consume his infectious enthusiasm and passion. I also knew that I wanted to do exactly what he was doing. I wanted to embrace his passion for viral marketing and social networking and I wanted to empower others to think outside the box and explore the benefits of e-commerce and the power of building relationships through social media outlets, just as he does.

Ted is literally building an empire and he has barely cracked his thirties. Not only is he the Founder and CEO of IZEA, but he is the mastermind behind payperpost, CloudShout, SocialSpark, and Sponsored Tweets. He understands branding, marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, and innovation. He is humble while confident and doesn’t take himself too seriously. He’s quite a package and a tremendous person to emulate.

I had the seed of desire already planted in me and all I had to do was water it and make it grow. How did I go about doing that? By acting as if. First, I decided it was okay for me to try this new “social media expert” role on for size and play with it for awhile. Then I began thinking and acting like a blogger; I came up with title, tagline, image, and brand that I wanted to build around myself. I began exploring what i would write about and how I would tailor my message. Since I identified with Ted Murphy, it was essential for me to learn from what he was doing and how he was doing it. Moreover, it was imperative to duplicate what he was doing and make it work for me. I learned how to tweet literally just by watching Ted, Mr. Twitter, himself. I even modeled my blog after his. Act as if. Fake it till you make it.

When I was 12 years old I set a goal to earn a college golf scholarship and play on the PGA Tour. I knew that I was going to accomplish my dream. I didn’t initially have the tools or skill set, but I immersed myself in the world of golf. I observed my favorite players. I dressed like the guys I wanted to be like. I mimicked certain nuances in my favorite player’s swings. I walked like them, talked like them. I bought the same clubs and balls as them. I copied their pre-shot routines. Eventually, I subconsciously started to mirror their gestures, body language, and poses. And, after a lot of training and practice I began to grow and develop into a pretty talented golfer.

I accomplished one of my goals and I am on my way to achieving the second. I acted as if until I became what I saw for myself. The same applies now. In order to develop and build my personal brand and lock into the power of social media, I look to people like Ted who are blazing a trail and setting the pace. I like the fact that I walk to the beat of my own drum and I want to be a trailblazer and do things differently. I want to develop an audience/following before I get to the big show aka The PGA Tour. I want to control my brand and my message and flip the script on the traditional means of attracting sponsors and generating money or sponsor dollars.

In a sense, it’s about changing your identity and/or outlook. Doing this can greatly affect your earning power. You have to imagine what it would be like to achieve the things you want to achieve; to be like the people you admire or envy. And start becoming the person that has already reached your biggest goal. By doing this, it will help shift your mindset and help you start thinking of ways that will actually help you reach your goal faster.

“Make a goal to become a millionaire, not for the money, but for what it will make of you to achieve it.” -Jim Rohn

You will be a different person. A better person. There will be so many different unique qualities to love about yourself when you complete your journey. But, don’t wait that long to see those changes unfold. Start imagining what those things are and apply them in your life today.

Fake it by becoming whatever goal you may have. Do this until one day you don’t have to fake it anymore. It will actually become part of your reality!