Happy New Year 08

Happy New Year to all!
  …well not quite yet because as I begin writing this story it’s just after 8:00 PM EST on December 31, less than four hours left in the books for 2007. As I deliver this completed version it’s now a week later, (sorry, post holiday life got in the way) with an exciting week of sports behind us.

Here’s a brief summary:
LSU stormed past Ohio State to win the BCS Bowl and be crowned as college football’s #1 team. Over the weekend the pro football wild card games were played and my NY Giants (who play in NJ) looked good in an impressive playoff win. And if that isn’t enough, the PGA Tour kicked off their 2008 season in Hawaii at the Mercedes Championship. With many of the top players missing from action: Woods, Mickelson, Els and Harrington to name just a few, Daniel Chopra held on for a well deserved four hole playoff win over Steve Stricker, on the Plantation Course.
 
From a Thumbs Down branding perspective 2007 was an extremely successful “coming out” year, very pivotal and satisfying for me personally. The main goal going into 2007 was to gain exposure and make the term “Thumbs Down” known in the golfing world as a serious ball striking method, that works and can be taught and used within minutes. There’s still a long way to go but let’s just say I  took a giant step forward, after grinding away for the previous nine years. Officially, it was on November 4, 1997 that the first words were typed, as I first began a  “mission of love”, writing a book about my discovery of Thumbs Down, the revolutionary “How To” teaching method which cured my slice in 1994.
 
There’s no doubt the top achievement for the year began on February 1, when I attended an open audition by the Golf Channel in the NY area. I waited over four hours with about 120 other wannabees, who all thought they had golf’s next big idea (like me), for a three minute audition with a producer. In total, over 1,000 inventions were presented to producers from all around the world over a three week period in five US cities. Then, on March 1st I received “the call”, that the Thumbs Down method was selected as one of the top 100 inventions of the year, along with an invitation to appear on a new program airing in the summer called “Fore Inventors Only”.
 
Looking back, it was an exciting few days in Orlando from March 24-26, being included in the finals and appearing on show #2, July 17. The good and bad news about my audition to a panel of experts is that it only took 30 seconds to validate what I believed in 1996, even before I first started writing. Simply put, I expected that pros would reject any “teach yourself” method using a do it yourself guide, especially one created by a “non pro”. Within the first minute the panel (made up of 3 pros) didn’t let me down. To my surprise they only questioned what’s new about Thumbs Down and remarked how it’s fundamentally the same technique they do themselves and teach others. After seeing how they made fun of some of the other inventions I was satisfied with that being the main reason the experts gave Thumbs Down their Thumbs Down. Even though my total on-air time was only ten seconds, the achievement of reaching the finals became the catalyst that resulted in opening many other doors throughout the year.
 
The following week I attended the National Publicity Summit in NYC, where Thumbs Down was selected as part of a group of 100 authors and entrepreneurs from around the world to participate in a “meet the media” event. Although I was not allowed to reveal my results, I used the Golf Channel experience as part of my pitch to TV and radio producers, magazine editors, publicists, book publishers and other special guests who attended.
 
As a result, my first TV appearance of the year happened on June 6, as the golf / business expert on Comcast CN8’s your morning show. I was interviewed to talk about the benefits based on my experiences using the game of golf and the golf course as the place to do business. A video of my four minute segment is available for viewing.
 
With the exception of the Golf Channel, my next real TV appearance happened in November, as I was invited on Comcast SportsNet’s weekly show called “Inside Golf”, for a detailed teaching segment. The eight minutes I spent with Ken Adelberger the producer resulted with my teaching him Thumbs Down, then curing his slice and improving his ball striking in just a few minutes, on the first take.  It came out so good, it’s now my Thumbs Down method introduction video, included with every Thumbs Down package purchase. Checkout all my products and new Online Store on my website at www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com.
 
Soon, my website will be moved to www.thumbsdownmethod.com, a new website which will combine my website, an online store and  blog, with links to other unique and hard to find products and services all in one place. This work is currently in progress. One last thing about the product line. With the addition of a new online virtual meeting technology, one on one sessions with video are available. Recently I’ve worked with several customers, explaining Thumbs down and answering questions as if we were sitting next to each other. One on one is how I like to work with customers. 
 
As a special offer to you, I’ll send you a link to either or both videos just for emailing me  at ajm.me@thumbsdown.info and asking. Also, checkout my website’s Media Center with newspaper and magazine articles plus several golf talk radio show interviews about Thumbs Down, that occurred throughout 2007.
 
More blog articles are in the works, so stay tuned to for updates throughout the 2008 PGA golf season  and more frequent when the REAL season kicks off (after the Masters in April. Happy New Year!