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You Are Now Free to Fly

July 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment
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leap-of-faith

You Are Now Free to Fly

by Frederika Angus

Here in the United States, we are celebrating the 4th of July or Independence Day. By this afternoon, backyards and parks will be filled with family and friends gathered together to celebrate the holiday. Fireworks will fill the night sky as we look up with childlike wonder at colorful displays with reverence the freedom we have.

But what does freedom really mean?

Freedom is defined as 1) The right to speak or act without restriction, interference, or fear, or; 2) a country’s right to rule itself, without interference from, or domination by, another country or power, or; 3) the state of being unaffected by, or not subject to, something unpleasant or unwanted.

On today, I believe the 2nd part of that definition is what immediately comes to mind. But the freedom that we have and live daily is more than a corporate freedom by default of living in a free country. I believe freedom is much more personal than that and can be expressed regardless of the location or country in which you live.

Daily, I’m honored to serve brilliant entrepreneur and visionary business owners all over the world. When asked how they started their business, you’ll the hear multiple stories from just looking to add an additional (or primary) income, chasing dreams to turn their passion to profit, being laid off, wanting to bring a bigger change to the problems they see around them or even just sick and tired of being sick and tired of the same thing day after day. While each story is individual in details, you can hear woven together in the telling of their business beginnings one common thread; business gives you freedom to be and do what you love.

And on the surface it means, you get to do what you want, when you want, if you want. But much on a much deeper level your business has the right to speak a message of light to those in darkness, and the ability to share hope and show love to every person you serve. You are free to face your own fears BOLDY and say, “I do not choose to shrink down and accept what is given to me. I am determined to take leaps of faith (often daily) to build and create the business and life that I love!”

Bald Eagle Soaring

You are now free to fly!

Take a look at that definition again! You can speak and act without fear. You can look at limitations and restrictions and choose to go over, around and even through any hinderance to you living your best life right now. You can choose to not be affected by those things that are unpleasant or unwanted. Freedom is your right to live as a creator of your circumstance based on what you say and do! You can soar like an eagle.

So today and everyday remember that you have the right and full on permission to be more and impact many others with your business and your life. See you in the friendly skies. You are free to fly!

Talk to you soon!

Frederika Angus

 

 

Filed Under: Mindset, Motivational Moment Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Understanding Push and Pull Marketing Online for Brand Profitability

February 16, 2012 by 2 Comments
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Understanding Push and Pull Marketing Online for Brand Profitability

by Frederika Angus

push-pull-marketing

Imagine your business as an open house. Your visual branding will cause your ideal customers to look and perhaps even stop out front. While branding causes people to look, the biggest question for business profitability is how do you get people in the door?

When it comes to marketing, in particular, digital marketing, two forms exist. Pull and push. Understanding the concept of push and pull marketing will help as you develop strategies to expand your brand’s products and services online.

Push Marketing

Push marketing is where the company is pushing messaging to create excitement or interest. The customer hasn’t asked about or for your services and products. In traditional advertising this is done in the form of commercials, and magazines or radio ads. Online, methods such as banner advertising, Pay-Per-Click ads and email marketing are used. This method allows your target market to know you exist and provide a solution they might need.

Pull marketing

Pull creates awareness and when done well, a demand. Pull marketing is about positioning your brand so that as your prospective customers are seeking information, you are who they find. Its intent is to attract ideal customers and is usually done more organically. Customers who are gathering information in your area of expertise are less likely to have their guard up as they would in an unsolicited sales pitch. Websites with blogs along with SEO (search engine optimization) and even your social media presence, allows customers to find you, develop relationship that can grow into profits for your business.

Both push and pull marketing help expand and elevate your brand and business online. The two types are not mutually exclusive, meaning; it’s not a decision to select either push or pull. Both push and pull marketing strategies should work together. Often times without the promotion of push, websites and blogs would never get off the ground.

Push and pull marketing works best in tandem to grow profits for your brand. It is important to find the balance of pushing on certain avenues such as email marketing and using social media. Especially because both are great ways to develop relationships that will result in long-term brand loyalty. Know where your prospective customers are looking for your products and services and position yourself to be the one they find.

Talk to you soon!

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The Power of Belief For Your Brand Growth and Profitable Business Success

February 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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The Power of Belief For Your Brand Growth and Profitable Business Success

by Frederika Angus

What do you believe?

“If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won’t, you most assuredly won’t. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad.” Denis Waitley

Businesses are built and grow based on your belief. Oftentimes people tell me that they would love to be a business owner. Being able to do work that you love and have a passion for, determining your schedule for greater freedom and flexibility, and having the ability to create a legacy and wealth for your future is appealing. Unfortunately, the next thing they say starts with a big BUT.

“But I just don’t think I am cut out to be an entrepreneur.” “But I don’t have the time.” “But I don’t think that this idea will work.”

Today I want to encourage you to Change Your BUT! I am not just talking about reciting some affirmations over and over again. I am talking about changing your mindset about what you believe is possible for you and your business.

Credible personal and expert branding is supported with your belief. If you know that you are an expert in your industry as a fashion stylist, chef, makeup artist, software developer, business strategist, whatever you have skill in, you will be treated and compensated as such.

As William James said “Belief creates the actual fact.” What facts are you creating in the marketplace for your brand based on your belief?

You see branding is more than design element or a necessary part of your overall marketing strategy. The power of branding lies in the mind. It is rooted in the perception that people have about you and your business. As the face of your company, you have the opportunity to shape that belief for your clients and customers by what it is you believe for yourself and the value your business has.

Start this process by asking and answering these 3 questions.

    1. What does your ideal client currently believe about you and your business? All brand strategies should begin with a clear idea of how you are being seen in the marketplace. Your client’s perception of you produces their reality and it is important in the development of a brand message.
    2. What do you believe about you/your business? If what you believe and what your customers believe to be true about you are not in agreement, your branding efforts have a huge disconnect. This is usually the point a brand strategy experts should be brought in to create or transform the brand message.
    3. What do you want people to believe about you and your company? Brainstorm the ideas that you want to leave people with. Every word that people read about you, every visual element they see, the voice and tone of every message, should reflect who you are and what you stand for.

How you and your clients perceive your business will make an impact in the expansion, growth and overall success of your branding efforts. “Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy.” Tony Robbins. Be mindful of your thoughts and the power they have on your brand.

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Branding Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Going from Angst to Action And Why You Must Develop Habits NOW That Will Allievate Your Anxiousness

November 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Going from Angst to Action And Why You Must Develop Habits NOW That Will Allievate Your Anxiousness

by Frederika Angus

The phone is ringing, three new emails have come in, there is a pile of mail that you have yet to go through, it’s already 6PM and you haven’t even gone to the grocery store to begin preparing dinner. The list of things that must be done never gets shorter and somehow the time you have to accomplish everything never gets any longer. You find yourself behind the eight ball again with deadlines looming over you and the desire to just go to bed or veg out on the couch and watch movies as if that will make all the work go away.

Frantically you look around and ask, “Where is the easy button that makes getting things done simple on TV?”

Then you think to yourself, perhaps if you had a different day planner system, or used your email calendar to schedule everything, this wouldn’t keep happening. Maybe if you read another book on effective time management.

You don’t need another book on how to stop procrastinating. You need to change your mind about the tasks you must complete. Somewhere along the way you have picked up the habits of everyone else. While waiting to the last minute may not be so bad for them, you are a business owner. Those habits have created an anxious atmosphere in your life and in your business. You are losing sleep, customers, and credibility in the marketplace because of it.

“The successful person is the average person with laser-like focus.” ~Bruce Lee

It is easy to be overwhelmed from managing a business, especially from home, and household activities IF you have not developed the habits of a focused successful business owner.

Many people allow a lot of time to pass without taking any useful steps because they cannot imagine what to do next. When looking at the vision for your business, there are always many smaller pieces that have to be put in place to bring it all together. Unfortunately, because you are overwhelmed the mere thought of doing the smaller tasks, it keeps you from doing anything.

All business owners are busy. The ones that breakthrough and become very successful are those who are committed to being focused and understand the value of their time. You see time management is not about HOW you manage time. There are any number of tools, both paper and electronic that can help you keep a schedule of things to do. Time management is about how you manage yourself so that you use your time more effectively.

I have had the honor to led millions of dollars in project initiatives for companies. During this time I’ve learned that the key difference between the best program and project managers was their ability to manage their time and manage the time of those on their team. They are skilled at not only knowing what to do, but when to do it and who should do it. By understanding time management, their projects always came in on time and usually under budget leaving all the business partners happy and excited to move them to the next bundle of work.

The techniques are the same for entrepreneurs. Getting in the habit of knowing what to do, when it should be done and who the best person is to complete the task will yield great results for your business. Doing so will alleviate your anxiousness every time a task comes through your inbox or client needs you. You will be able to rest easy at night knowing that you are equipped with habits that will lead to your success. Being successful is after all why you went into business!

For all those who are overwhelmed with too many things to do, too little time to do them, and a general sense of unease that something important is being missed, I am offering a FREE class on keys to move you further in your business with time management.

It’s time to get serious. Register here NOW!

Talk to you soon

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, Time Management Tagged With: , , , ,

Start Planning Your 2012 Business Goals Now

October 19, 2011 by 1 Comment
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Start Planning Your 2012 Business Goals Now

by Frederika Angus

Doesn’t it seem like time is flying? The end of 2011 is quickly approaching. In less than 3 months, it will be 2012! Will you be ready?

Just last week I was casually chatting to a colleague about the direction we were taking our respective businesses. The more we talked about the bigger vision we had for the companies and ourselves, we both discovered that we were already focused on planning for 2012.

It use to be that you could start thinking about your New Year’s Resolutions as you were on your way to be with friends and loved ones for the stroke of 12 midnight on the last day of the year. Do you still have the resolutions that you made for 2011? Are you three-quarters of the way complete with your list? Did you even bother?

If you’re like most, the answer is I’m not even close to acheiving those goals. Or I didn’t know how to start! While you might think it is ok to push that weight loss goal off until 2012 (you know you have one!), when it comes to your business, you should be getting started now. Your success in 2012 has to start with the planning you do now.

No procrastination on this one guys. Here are some things to think about and take action on that will make it quick and easy to plan your goals so that they will guide you next year.

Take a look back. One of the best ways to know where to go is to look to see where you’ve been. What did your 2011 look like? Where did your business excel, and where did you struggle? What experiences did you have that you enjoyed, and which do you want to make sure you never repeat? Knowing what went poorly can guide you to make goals that can prevent that from happening. Seeing where you were wildly successful can alert you to make sure you continue to incorporate those activities in the future. Remember this is not the time to cry over spilled milk or overly celebrate your successes. Look back to learn and let’s move forward.

Write them down. Part of the problem with planning for the future is failing to brainstorm on paper. (Or writing them on some random piece of paper and then losing it.) Pull out a notebook or journal and start thinking of anything you want to accomplish. WRITE IT DOWN. Remember to dream big. Thinking too small is like trying to squeeze into your jeans that must have shrunken in the dryer *wink*. They don’t fit you and they really aren’t comfortable.  Have a vision large enough for you to grow into. I don’t advise you do the same with those jeans.

Make SMART goals.  Your goals should be specific, easy to understand and clear. Saying you want to grow your business can mean different things at different stages. A more specific goal would be to add new customers to the business.

What you can measure, you can manage. Having measurable goals allows you to see if you’re actually on track to accomplish it. Adding 5 new customers to your business is a more measurable goal.

Your goals should stretch you beyond where you currently are. At the same time, they must also be attainable. Goals that are too far are from your reach are less likely to be accomplished. Create a goal that isn’t too easy that you’re aren’t challenged but not so difficult that you never start on it. Adding 5 customers to your business is much more attainable than adding 100 new customers when you’re first starting out.

Why do you want to accomplish this goal? Your goal needs to be relevant to your bigger vision. When a goal connects with your purpose it causes more excitement and increases the likelihood of your success.

Put a time limit around each of your goals. Goals that are time-bound create a sense of urgency to get started now. Remove the procrastination barrier and put a time frame on that goal. Adding 5 new customers to your business in 6 months will cause you to plan how to bring in each of those customers to reach your goal.

I suggest as you begin your planning for 2012, set no more than 10 goals with a good mix of short and long term goals. You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures. Once you complete a goal, add a new one to the list. The point in creating the goals is to continute to pull yourself into the next level.

Having clear business goals is the way to consistently move your business toward the vision you have for it.

Share a comment below with your thoughts. If you are looking for more support in building the business of your dreams and living the life you envisioned, be sure to join me on Facebook now and follow me on Twitter.

Talk to you soon!

   Frederika

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Important vs Urgent: Time Management Tips To Keep You Effective and Efficient

September 26, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Important vs Urgent: Time Management Tips To Keep You Effective and Efficient

by Frederika Angus

 

Raise your hand if 1440 minutes doesn't seem to be enough time in a day to get all your tasks accomplished. Do you have friends, spouses or colleagues that seem to be more productive and produce bigger results? After years of business management consulting and project management, I've been able to develop surefire methods that consistently allow me to work effectively and efficiently. I'll let you in on the secret. Lean in close….

Effective people utilize the bulk of their time focused on the important over the urgent.

We have all had days were we have been busy with presentations, going to the gym, meetings, phone calls, errands, doctors appointments, social events and chores. Feeling exhausted from all the activity of the day, we fall into bed and marvel at how much work is still left to been done and how little has actually been crossed off the to-do list. Our bodies are weary and we look over at the alarm clock, wishing for more time in the day to get it all done, knowing 5:30 am will be soon approaching for us to start the grueling process again.

Tip #1 – By learning the difference between which tasks are important over what is urgent, you can be more effective and efficient while alleviating stress and anxiety over the things you have yet to accomplish.

  •  Important  activities produce an outcome that leads you and your business to the achievement of goals.
  • Urgent activities are usually reactive over being proactive and demand immediate attention.

In other words, important things are valuable; urgent things simply have a looming deadline. Urgent things are not necessarily important, nor do important tasks have to be urgent.

Tip #2 – Maintain a master to-do list and prioritize each task based on it's level of importance and urgency. Having a written list is a business strategy people have used for years. Adding a column to mark priority will keep the most critical items to be accomplished from becoming lost.

Tip #3 – Review your task list each evening and select 3 important activities for the following day. We often set ourselves up to fail by producing daily agenda's that are jam packed. By primarily focusing on the 3 must-dos, we leave room for any urgent needs that may arise and space for flexibility.

Tip #4 – Deal with important things before they become urgent. This can reduce the number of urgent items added to your to-do list. This strategy will reduce unnecessary, last minute stressors.

Tip #5 – Check and respond to email in between the transition of completing one task and starting another. Constant immediate response to emails as they arrive slows progress. Instant access to emails via our smartphones has become a gift and a curse. Don't allow instant communication to steal your productivity.

Tip #6 – Learn to say NO to demands on your time that don't benefit you or your goals or align with your core mission statement. Too often we find ourselves saying 'Yes' to help out other people when in reality we don't have the capacity to take on more. If the activity is not important to your development, kindly decline.

If you'd like more strategies on how you can be effective at prioritizing your activities, be sure to follow me now on Facebook and Twitter.

Filed Under: Mindset, Time Management Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Having A Life and Being Successful in Business – How to Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

September 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Having A Life and Being Successful in Business – How to Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

by FREDERIKA ANGUS

There is a common school of thought that believes that you can’t have the best of both worlds. I’m not sure where it came from or how we all started believing this proverb was true, especially when it comes to entrepreneurship and leading a company to success. What I am sure of is that you have a choice in deciding what is true for you. Rather than affirming this saying by never attempting to be balanced in both your professional and personal life, I am encouraging you TODAY to change your mindset and prove this idiom wrong.

You can maintain work – life balance while successfully running your own business.

Don’t look at me with that tone of voice! While I understand that is a rather bold and somewhat radical statement, I make it my personal mantra. As a wife to the most amazing man, mother of four incredible children, daughter, friend, entrepreneur, business consultant, etc, I comprehend your reservations. How in the world can anyone accomplish all that needs to be done to lead a business, service clients, research new products, balance the books, support community fundraisers, network AND enjoy social outings with friends, attend their child’s sporting events, have dinner with the family and most importantly, rest your mind, body and spirit.

Well don’t just take my word for it. Here’s a quote from one of the most successful and significant businessmen of our time.

Having kids has been a fantastic thing for me. It’s meant that I’m a little more balanced. In my twenties I worked massively, hardly took vacation at all. Now, I, with the help of my wife, I’m always making sure I’ve got a good balance of how I spend my time.
~ Bill Gates

When a man who has voluntarily released his claim to the richest man in the world title by giving billions of dollars to his charitable foundation shares wisdom of the need to be balanced in life and business, I listen. I hope you do too.

Practical application to create a work – life balance

I would be remiss to not help you understand HOW to create this balance in your business. I’ve compiled 4 strategies to help you obtain harmony between your personal and professional time.

Define your personal mission statement and core values. Knowing what you believe in and what your purpose is in doing it is sometimes overlooked. When you don’t know where you are going, time is wasted getting there. Having a clear plan of action and vision of your goals will allow you to better filter what is important and what you can say no to.

Organize your time! If you have multiple hats that you wear daily, you comprehend that time is always of the essence. Having a system of time management will enable you to have smooth transitions from business to pleasure. It’s far less important about the tool you use to manage your time and more important that you are consistent in actually utilizing whatever strategy works for you.

Outsource tasks that take you longer than an hour. Most entrepreneurs are do-it-yourselfers. Often as a means to save money, business owners will take on multiple tasks in running the company. To achieve a more balanced lifestyle, be willing to invest money in surrounding yourself with the tools, processes and/or people that can alleviate your load. The time you save will give you more time to go build and grow your business and enjoy your life.

Give yourself grace. NO ONE IS PERFECT! Now that you’re freed from the perfectionism bondage most businesspeople have, forgive yourself if you can’t make that great networking event or a little-league game. It is impossible to be everywhere at one time and be everything to everyone. As long as you are striving to maintain a nice balance between your work and your life, there should be no guilt.

Share a comment below with your thoughts. If you are looking for more support in building the business of your dreams and living the life you envisioned, be sure to join me on Facebook now and follow me on Twitter.

Talk to you soon!

Frederika

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, Mindset Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Life Comes At You Fast

September 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Typically our weekends are a whirlwind of excitement. We usually have sporting events or activities for the boys that keep us on the move from place to place. This past Saturday was no different. As we were talking and driving up the highway to watch our oldest participate in a scrimmage with his football team, my husband interrupted me pointed out to me that it isn't even fall and the leaves were changing.

I didn't think much about it until later that afternoon as we were sitting in the bleachers cheering on our middle son at his first tackle football game. Leaf after leaf floated from the trees behind us. After being smacked in the face for the third time I exclaimed, "Why are the leaving changing so soon? It isn't time! I'm not ready!"

Have you ever felt that way?

You look around and it seems everything around you is changing and you are just not ready. There is no way you can stop the changes from happening. And if you just had a little more time beforehand, even a little advance notice, you would have been more prepared.

Changes next exit

Welcome to life! It comes at you fast and some days you aren't prepared for all the change in front of you. You pick up the remote and press pause yet nothing stops or even slows down.

We've all been there. I'm here to tell you that whether you've had that feeling a day, a week, a month, THERE IS HOPE.

I want to encourage you today to change your perspective on the "Life comes at you fast" moments. As much as they signify the ending to one chapter they are equally the beginning the next. Here are a few quotes to remind you of the positive side of change.

Change brings opportunity.
Nido Qubein

Change in all things is sweet.
Aristotle

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Reinhold Niebuhr

If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living.
Gail Sheehy

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.
Maya Angelou

Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.
Alan Watts

Do you have a favorite quote on change? Share it below now. I'd love to hear it.

If you are looking for more support in building the business of your dreams and living the life you envisioned, be sure to join me on Facebook now and follow me on Twitter.

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, Mindset Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

A Primetime Strategy from Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders

September 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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A Primetime Strategy from Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders

by Frederika Angus

 

Are you ready for some football?

I personally cannot wait until the season gets underway! I have enjoyed watching football as a young girl and even moreso as the mother to 3 players. Although I’ve never played it, watching my little ones practice, study and play the game over the years has helped me see it as more than just a game. There are life lessons behind every pass, penalty, tackle and touchdown.

Last night after coming home from watching our local NFL team practice, we settled in and watched the football Hall of Fame inductees stand before all the world and pour out their heart, share their gratitude to those who believed in them during the journey and accept the most prestigious football honor available.

Each man stood before family, friends, coaches and colleagues and told their story as they transitioned from having success in their chosen career with the NFL to being significant for the generations to come. Every man was moving and there were times were I could feel the rawness of their emotions leap from the screen. And yes, I cried in joy along with them.

One recipient in particular stood out for me from the rest. Maybe it’s simply because he played for the San Francisco 49ers, my number 1 favorite football team, but Deion Sanders’ words ignited me. As he talked of his football persona, Primetime, he shared that prime was really an acronym that pushed him into his great success in league. (His stood for promise, responsibility, intellect, manage and expect.)

As business owners, sometimes we feel isolated and alone as we put our heart, talents and finances into our dreams. It easy some days to focus so much on delievering a great product or service that other details become neglected. Today I want to encourage you whether you are just starting out or you’ve been in business for years with PRIME strategies to push you into great business success.

Prepare and plan – When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Your ability to move forward in an effective manner is dependent on knowing you have exactly what you need and the directions to take you there. When going on vacation you don’t show up to the airport without preparing a bag or having a plane ticket. Treat your business the very same. Having business, marketing and financial plans are a must.

Revisit and revise – If you already have a plan, revisit and review it regularly. I make it a priority to read my own once a quarter at minimum to ensure I am staying true to my mission and operating according to plan. When necessary, at least once a year, I revise the plan to account for what I’ve learned from training and trial and error.

 I nvestigate and innovate – Most small businesses don’t have a research and development division. Along with the many hats you’ll wear as an entrepreneur, this one is important. Investigating and analyzing market trends as well as what your customers want will give you insight into how and where to grow your business. Thinking out side of the box and being willing to innovate will also put you ahead of your competition.

Manage and motivate – As a leader, you are called to manage people, your brand and your time. This isn’t to be taken lightly. People are constantly watching you and your actions and how you represent yourself. Be able to motivate yourself and inspire others. It will take you further than you can imagine.

Execute, expect greatness, eliminate excuses – All the planning and talking in the world means nothing if you there is no action. As I’m leading different projects for clients, I like to remind the teams to plan the work then WORK the plan. When working through that plan, expect that it will work out even better than you expected. Above all, eliminate the excuses. You can and will succeed!

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