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Sam's Archived Newsletter's
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Ready to POP! Your Success?
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In This Issue:
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July - September, 2010
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Earlier this year, I read an
article in The
Washington Post about a
tanker that had caught fire
800 miles off the Hawaiian
coast.
Fortunately, a cruise ship
happened to be going by and
was able to rescue the 11
crewmen.
However, as they pulled
away, a passenger heard a
dog barking. The captain's
dog had been left behind.
When the crew ship got to
Hawaii, they held a press
conference. The captain said
how grateful they were to be
rescued, but all he could
think about was his dog
Hokget, abandoned and alone
on the tanker.
The world mobilized. Emails
and donations flooded in.
$5. $500. $5000.
The U.S. Navy actually
changed the exercise area of
the Pacific Fleet to search
the part of the ocean they
thought the tanker might
have drifted.
The Coast Guard dispatched a
C-130. Miraculously, after
searching 50,000 square
miles of open ocean, they
located the tanker and flew
low to see if there was any
sign of life.
Sure enough, there was a
brown-and-white blur racing
frantically up and down the
deck. The crew couldn't land
so they dropped their power
bars, pizza and oranges so
Hokget would have something
to eat.
A month later, a quarter
million dollar(!) rescue
mission was mounted with the
donations that had poured
in. Against all odds, they
were able to save Hokget and
bring him home.
Here's the question.
Why did so many people
mobilize to save the life of
one dog - when there are
thousands of people in their
own cities, states and
countries who desperately
need food, water and
shelter?
The answer,
posits
Shankar Vedantam, the author
of the article, is something
called THE EMPATHY
TELESCOPE.
Simply said, we can put
ourselves in the shoes of
one person - we can't put
ourselves in the shoes of
many.
We can't comprehend mass
numbers. Our mind gets
overwhelmed and shuts down.
Our eyes look away.
One person (or dog) is
doable - a magnitude of
millions is not.
What does this mean for you
as a communicator?
What do you care about? Your
cause? Company? A new idea?
If you try to get people
interested in your priority
by talking about the
hundreds of people you serve
or the thousands of people
who will benefit; it will be
difficult for them to grasp
the essence of your message.
The numbers simply won't
equate.
It is far better to talk
about ONE client you serve -
ONE person who will benefit.
Tell the story of that one
person (who will act as a
universal stand-in for
everyone) and then scale up.
Now, your listeners, viewers
and readers can PICTURE what
you're talking about. Now
they can relate.
Next time you're preparing a
sales presentation; creating
a fund-raising campaign or
working on your web copy -
keep this in mind.
Where is your "Dog
on the Tanker Story?"
Where is your Hero Journey
story of a single
person who has a problem or
challenge; deals with it
successfully and returns
home triumphant?
Tell the story of that one
person (or dog) so vividly;
people experience it as if
they're there and it's
happening right now.
And yes, this can be done
with integrity as opposed to
being manipulative. The goal
is to remember that sweeping
terms will go over people's
head and come across as
wah-wah rhetoric. Regardless
of how valid or valuable
your message is, it will go
in one ear, out the other.
Next time you want to win
buy-in, paint a word picture
with a single individual's
example to engage your
audience's mind's eye so
they SEE what you're saying.
That will capture their
empathy and imagination.
Now, they'll care
about what you care
about.
Want to know more about
Hokget and The Empathy
Telescope? Here's the link
to that article in case
you'd like to know, (as Paul
Harvey used to say) . . .
the rest of the story.
http://bit.ly/7tfBYN
Do you have a favorite
example of an individual or
organization who captured
the empathy of their target
customers with a "dog on a
tanker" story?
I'd love to hear it. Send it
to us at
Sam@SamHorn.com
and with your permission,
we'll feature it in a future
blog or ezine.
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"Thanks
for being such a wonderful
guest on my show. The hour
just flew by as we had so
much fun."
- Wayne Hurlbert, Blog
Business World
Do you have a TV show, radio
show, newspaper/magazine
column or business blog?
Do you want to interview Sam
and share her inspiring
insights with your viewers,
listeners and readers?
Contact us at
Sam@SamHorn.com
and we'll be glad to send
our media FAQ's that make
for a great interview.
Here are just a couple
recent examples of media
coverage of Sam's work . . .
What did Ian Ayres
have to say about Sam's
Art of the
Perfect Pitch in his
NY Times -Freakononics
column?
"I recently attended my
third Renaissance Weekend in
Charleston, where among the
normal cornucopia of ideas
and fellowship, Sam
Horn was incredibly
generous in helping me
sharpen my elevator pitch
for a new project.
Horn literally wrote the
book on the subject: Pop! Create the Perfect
Pitch, Title, and Tagline
for Anything. I just
finished the book and like
its incredibly concrete “do
this, then do this” advice.
It attends to the
often-overlooked question of
prosody. And it provides a
rich set (literally
hundreds) of examples of
what to do. For example,
here’s what she says about
the genius of the Freakonomics cover:
'The cover of the brilliant
book Freakonomics
proves that a picture can
indeed be worth a thousand
words. This book by Steven
D. Levitt and Stephen J.
Dubner not only won the 2005
Quills Book Awards for
Business, I’m nominating it
for the POP! Hall
of Fame for the following
reasons.
1. The pithy one-word title
is a compelling example of
how you can alphabetize a
core word (economics) to
coin a new term and a
one-of-a-kind brand name
that belongs only to you.
(This technique is
introduced in Chapter 3.)
2. The sub-title, “A Rogue
Economist Explains the
Hidden Side of Everything,”
is purposeful in that it
promises to reveal secrets
which favorably positions
the book with its target
audience of executives and
business book buyers who
have “seen it all." Chapter
2)
3. Their ads feature a
marvelous “Valley Girl”
endorsement from the Wall Street Journal
that says, “If Indiana Jones were
an economist, he’d be Steven
D. Levitt.” That comparison
linking the professor/author
to actor/celebrity Harrison Ford
broadens the topic’s appeal,
turning it into a cross-over
book that’s attracted
mainstream readers who
wouldn’t normally be
interested in this subject.
(Chapter 5)
4. The authors pose such
fascinating “POP the
Question” inquiries as “How
is a beauty pageant like a
crack dealer? What do school
teachers and sumo wrestlers
have in common?” Aren’t you
intrigued? Phrasing these
unexpected comparisons into
questions engages . . .
Read more of Ian's column at
http://nyti.ms/bTw47K
The 5 Step F-O-C-U-S
Method to Improve your
Concentration -
Excerpted from Sam's guest
column on
BeliefNet.com
(one of the most heavily
trafficked websites in the
U.S.)
"When TV newscaster Diane
Sawyer was asked the secret
to her success, she said,
'I think the one lesson
I've learned is there is no
substitute for paying
attention.'
Are you thinking, 'I agree,
but HOW do we improve our
ability to focus and
maintain attention -- no
matter what?'
These five F-O-C-U-S tips
can help you concentrate
better -- whether you're
working in a busy office,
studying at school, sitting
in a meeting, or trying to
finish a project. . . .
Read more at . . .
http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/Emotional-Health/2010/04/5-Steps-to-Improve-Your-Concentration.aspx
Excerpted from Wayne
Hurlbert's interview with
Sam on Tongue Fu!® . . .
What was the
background to writing this
book Tongue Fu!® How to
Deflect, Disarm, and Defuse
Any Verbal Conflict?
Sam Horn: I
was presenting workshops on
Concentration – How to
Focus for Success for
the University of Hawaii.
Many participants told me
they found it hard to get
things done at work – not
because they couldn’t focus
– but because they were
constantly being interrupted
by other people.
As the office poster says,
“Opportunity knocks. People
barge right in.”
Based on their requests, I
developed a program on how
to deal with difficult
people – without becoming
one yourself.
At our first session, a
Realtor in the front row
didn’t even get up for a cup
of coffee at our first
break. He just sat there,
gazing off into space.
I was curious so I went over
and asked, “What are you
thinking?”
He said, “Sam, I deal with
some arrogant and demanding
people. I’m tired of it. I
thought you were going to
teach us some zingers to
fire back at these people
and put them in their place.
That’s not what this is
about, is it?”
He continued, “I’m a student
of martial arts. I’ve
studied karate, judo, tae
kwon do. What you’re
teaching us is like a verbal
form of kung fu, isn’t it?”
My mind made a little
quantum creative leap and I
said, “You’re right, it’s
kind of like . . .
Read the rest of that
interview at . . . .
http://blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com/2010/06/sam-horn-tongue-fu-author-interview.html
You’re welcome to also read
Wayne’s review of POP! at
http://blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com/2010/06/pop-by-sam-horn-book-review.html
And his review of Tongue
Fu!® can be found at
http://blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com/2010/06/tongue-fu-by-sam-horn-book-review.html
And this is excerpted from
Michelle James'
Center for Emerging
Creativity interview . . .
How does your work
relate to creativity?
Sam Horn:
My work focuses on how to
communicate in creative ways
so busy people are compelled
to look up from their
Blackberries and give us
their valuable attention.
For example, a client
consulted with me because he
was going to be speaking at
a Harvard Medical School
conference for physicians
and hospital administrators.
He told me, "Sam, I’m a
specialist in Six Sigma. If
I do a good job with this
program, it could result in
millions of dollars of
follow-up business from the
decision-makers in the
audience. We have to come up
with something creative to
capture and keep their
interest."
I asked him, "Do you have
any signature stories,
interesting hobbies or
relevant experiences we can
use to pleasantly surprise
your audience from the get
go and 'have 'em at hello?'"
He told me, "I'm on the road
constantly. I don’t have
time for anything other than
work."
I asked, "Do you and your
wife do anything with the
little spare time you have?"
He said, "We watch
Law &
Order."
Bingo. His presentation,
which explained how hospital
administrators could
identify and fix
inefficiencies that were
undermining patient care and
profits, became Flaw and Order.
To make a long story short,
he got a standing ovation –
at a medical conference! –
and was surrounded by
participants asking for his
card following his
presentation.
The moral of that story?
Content is important;
however, a creative approach
to your content is even more
important if you....
Read more of this interview
at . . .
http://www.innovationtools.com/weblog/innovationblog-detail.asp?ArticleID=1501
Did those interviews
intrigue you? Want your own
copies of POP! and
Tongue Fu!® If so,
we have a special deal.
Order both books for $25
plus shipping.
Or, order
both
books plus the 1
hr. POP! Your Business
CD and 1 hr. Tongue Fu!®
CD for $45 (save almost $25)
Order from Sam’s online
store at
http://www.samhorn.com/shop/index.htm
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"Encouragement is oxygen to
the soul."
-Ruth Reed
Heartfelt thanks to
Nettie
Hartsock,
Digital Strategist and
author of the upcoming Kiss your Publicist GoodBye,
for asking me to speak
during her program for the
Erma
Bombeck Writers conference
where I re-connected with
Washington DC buddy (and USA
Today columnist)
Craig Wilson
(pictured to the right.)
I felt like actress Ruth
Gordon (Harold and
Maude, Rosemary's Baby)
who received an Academy
Award when she was 72 years
old. She said impishly in
her acceptance speech, "I can't tell you how
encouraging this is."
It's really encouraging (and
appreciated) when a
colleague recommends me to
speak for their industry
organization.
Are you in charge of
coordinating an upcoming
meeting, training or
convention for your
professional association?
Would you like an
award-winning (top-rated
speaker at two International
Platform Assn. conventions)
keynoter to thrill your
group with timely, real-life
examples and insights they
can apply immediately at
work and at home?
I promise to introduce fresh
ideas your seasoned
audiences haven't heard
before. You can also count
on me to facilitate
meaningful conversations as
I give individuals an
opportunity to connect with
peers and discuss how
they're going to use these
ideas with their customers,
co-workers (and kids).
You'll love how I
scale the visibility of your
event by asking your group
to do the "Triple T" - Text
and Tweet a
best-practice tip they've
learned and Take a
Photo of the
students they sponsored, a
new-found friend, or of them
standing with an admired
keynote speaker or
high-profile thought leader
they've always wanted to
meet.
As I told the
audience during my keynote
for NAWBO, "There may be a
few hundred people in the
room right now. In 5
minutes, a few thousand
people will have vicariously
experienced this conference.
In 5 days, tens (hundreds!)
of thousands of people will
know about this event,
thanks to your Tweets,
texts, and photos that you
took today and posted on
your company website,
newsletter or Facebook
account.
Talk about a win for
everyone!
My uplifting message will
inspire your group - and
provide substantive
techniques they're motivated
to use.
We know you care about
ongoing accountability. In
tough times, it's vital that
program attendees generate
revenue-producing results to
justify their travel
expenses and registration
fees.
So, if you book an
event in 2010, we're
offering a special free,
follow-up tele-seminar for
your group.
People often come up after
my presentations and say, "I
wish our entire staff could
have heard this."
We also know that convention
attendees often return to
work, all fired up. Then
"life" happens and all their
good intentions fade away
and everything's back to
same-old, same-old a few
days or weeks later.
We don't want that to
happen. We want our program
to produce ongoing ROI for
you.
So, in this free, one hour
tele-seminar, typically
scheduled 4-6 weeks after
your event, I review a few
ideas as a refresher so
members or staff who missed
the initial presentation can
hear some of the most
popular points.
I also introduce several new
points that resulted from
feedback from your audience,
and give participants on the
call opportunities to share
success stories and ask
follow-up questions.
This is our way of making
sure you get your money's
worth so you trust our
programs will produce a
financial ROI.
Call
Cheri Grimm at
1 805 528-4351 to
discuss your training or
meeting and to arrange for
your group to learn:
1) innovative ways to win
buy-in to their ideas and
initiatives,
2) communication techniques
that elicit respect, rapport
and cooperation,
3) creative ways to scale
their business or career
success,
4) real-life ways to
concentrate and stay focused
- when they have a hundred
things competing for their
attention.
We look forward to hearing
from you - and hope to have
an opportunity to make your
next event a resounding
success.
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It makes
my day when clients, readers
and meeting planners take
the time to get in touch to
let me know my ideas have
helped scale their
influence, impact and
income. Thanks and kudos to
the following clients for
their feedback and for their
success . ..
"Sam's webcast on Increasing Credibility,
Influence and Authority was
fantastic!
Employees were so impressed
they could walk away with
tidbits they could actually
apply in their personal and
work life Even months after
the presentation, employees
are still accessing the
webcast online. Several have
asked when we can bring Sam
back for a longer workshop.
Sam has a unique way of
reaching every audience
member even if they are
thousands of miles away. It
is definitely a gift." -
Elizabeth Mason,
Operation Program Manager,
California Corporate
Services, Intel Corporation
"Sam Horn is tops - a real
professional for us as a
resource." - Kathleen Callender,
President,,
PharmaJet
(inventors of the
revolutionary needle-free
vaccine)
"I'm getting so much from
your POP!' book and from our
talk. Your word exercises
have launched me into a
whole new trademarked brand
for my current business of
seminars, classes and a book
for “creative second careers
and the business of art”.
Made the whole thing gel for
me. Can’t thank you enough."
Sales
Promotion & Marketing
- Pat Pattison
(FYI - Pat was the brilliant
marketing mind behind the
Jack in the Box antenna ball
- remember those??)
"That was one of the best
hours I have spent in my
professional life. Full of
useful information I can use
immediately. I even felt
chills running up and down
my back a couple times as
Sam described her DDHH
Approach - Dialogue,
Details, Hook & Hinge. I can
see so clearly the
difference between a
mediocre speech and a great
one."
- Carol Patterson,
President,
www.Kalahari-Online.com
"Dear mentor; you are the
best. I'm doing quite a few
TV interviews and received a
recommendation from the NY Times. I'm also
lining up speaking
engagements and
book-signings." -
Ellen Menard,
" The
Not-So-Patient Advocate
"I gave my talk to 500 Deans
and students and it couldn't
have gone better. They
laughed at all my jokes and
I felt confident and happy
to be there. A LOT of people
came up and complimented me,
saying my talk was the best
of the conference." -
Katherine Chang
Chretien, MD, FACP
"Thank you for all your help
as I prepped for my
interview with Gayle King on
Oprah Radio. She
complimented me often both
during and following the
interview and even followed
up with a person email." -
Sue Jacques,
" The
Civility CEO
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I've had the privilege of
speaking in Boston, Austin,
Seattle, New York and
California recently.
I've got a number of public
programs coming up and hope
to see you there. I have
private events for Cisco, EO,
Springboard, Harvard Club,
etc. that are not
on this calendar. Call us at
805 528-4351 to get our full calendar of public
and private dates - perhaps
you can schedule a workshop
for your organization while
I'm in your area.
When: July
8, 2010
Where:
Washington DC
Who: Institute of
Management Consultants
What: Sam
will present POP! Your
Consulting Career. What
are you doing to stand out
and scale your success?
Contact:
http://www.imcusa.org/events/event_details.asp?id=113578
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When: 8-9
pm ET, Monday, July 12
Where: From
the comfort of your own home
or office
Who: Sam interviews
Digital Strategist Nettie
Hartsock
http://bit.ly/bNJcfN
What: Would
you like "I can use that
today" ideas on how to make
strategic use of Twitter,
Facebook and your blog?
Nettie's a master at
teaching how to dramatically
increase national visibility
via social media
Contact:
Email
Cheri@SamHorn.com
or call Cheri for call-in
instructions for this free
tele-seminar
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When: July
15
Where: Turf
Valley Country Club,
Maryland
Who: Mid-Atlantic
Club Association Annual
Convention,
What:
Sam will be the featured
keynoter and focus on
best-practice management for
country clubs and athletic
clubs.
Contact:
http://www.macmaclubs.org/club
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When:
Saturday -Tuesday, July 17-
20, 2010
Where:
Orlando World Center
Marriott, Orlando, Florida
Who: NSA 2010 Annual
Convention
What: Meet
the Pros! Sam Horn will
present "Build An Umbrella
Brand For Your Business" and
scale your platform,
visibility, global impact
and revenue.
Contact:
www.nsaconvention.org
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When:
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Where:
Hanover, IN
Who: SW Jefferson
County Schools (Hanover, IN)
What:
Another encore workshop. Sam
will be sharing her original
communication & conflict
resolution approaches.
Contact:
Private event; to arrange
for Sam to conduct a
workshop for your
educational association or
school district, email
Cheri@Samhorn.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When:
August 4-5
Where:
Villanova University,
Pennsylvania
Who: U.S. Chamber of
Commerce Institute of
Organizational Management
What: Sam's
programs are on leadership &
communication.
Contact:
http://www.uschamber.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When: 8-9
pm ET, Monday, August 9
Where: From
the comfort of your own home
or office
Who: Sam interviews
positioning expert Mark Levy
http://bit.ly/YK0w8
What: If you're not
making as much $$ as you'd
like, maybe it's because
you're blending in with your
crowd. Discover innovative
ways to stand out for all
the right reasons and become
THE go-to expert.
Contact:
Email
Cheri@SamHorn.com
or call Cheri for call-in
instructions for this free
tele-seminar
805-528-4351
(Monday -
Friday 9-5 PST. closed
12:00 PM - 1:00PM lunch)
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When:
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Where:
Tampa, FL
Who: NSA-Central
Florida
What: Sam
will present
POP!
Your Business Success.
In a challenging economy and
competitive marketplace, no
one can afford to blend in.
What are you doing to break
out?
Contact:
http://www.nsacentralflorida.com/index.html
On Sunday, August
22, Sam will offer
group consults, at a
discounted rate. The groups
are limited to 4 people and
are two-hour sessions. To
reserve your spot, contact
Cheri@SamHorn.com,
or
call
805-528-4351
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When:
Friday, September 24, 2010
Where:
Richmond, VA
Who: NSA-Virginia
What: Sam
will present
POP!
Your Business Success.
Position yourself as
one-of-a-kind vs.
one-of-many so you have a
competitive edge that
increases income.
Contact:
http://www.nsavirginia.org/events_Detail.php?EventID=41
On Sat, September
25, Sam will offer
group consults, at a
discounted rate. The groups
are limited to 4 people and
are two-hour sessions. To
reserve your spot, contact:
Cheri@SamHorn.com,
or
call
805-528-4351
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When:
Wednesday-Sunday, October
13-17, 2010
Where: San
Francisco Bay Area,
California
Who: Marcia Weider's
"Become An Inspiring
Speaker" Conference.
Sam joins former NSA
President Patricia Fripp and
other experts for this
annual program that attracts
people from around the
world.
What: "
Make Your Brand, Book,
Business, Products and
Presentations Pop!"
Contact:
www.dreamuniversity.com/workshops
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When:
October 22, 2010
Where: USA
Today Headquarters, Tysons
Corner, VA
Who: BOOK IT
Conference
What: Sam Horn teams
with Jennifer Abernethy
(The Complete Idiot’s
Guide to Social Media
Marketing) to conduct
an interactive workshop on
how to turn your book into a
national brand that
generates speaking
engagements, consulting
work, e-commerce, national
media attention &
international sales.
Contact:
Cheri@SamHorn.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When:
October 29-30, 2010
Where:
Charleston, SC
Who: Adam Witty's
Author Marketing Summit
What: Sam
will present POP! How to
Create the Perfect Pitch,
Title and Tagline for Your
Book and Presentation.
The 3rd Annual Advantage
Media Author Marketing
Summit features Brian Jud &
other experts on how to use
your book to build your
business and an
international platform.
Contact:
http://www.authormarketingsummit.com/
for more information and to
register
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When: Dec 1
- 3
Where: Key
West, Florida
Who: Ed Rigsbee's
Key West 2010 Advanced
Speaker-Consultant
Mastermind Event
What: Join
Alan Weiss (Million Dollar
Consulting), internet
marketing genius Ford Saeks,
and Sam as they each present
a half day workshop that
focuses on how to
distinguish yourself from
your competitors so you
scale your success and
revenue.
Contact:
http://www.rigsbee.com/key_west_2010.htm
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Want
to work with Sam?
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Whether
you want to crystallize a
one-of-a-kind business and
brand, create a signature
message that helps you stand
out, polish a presentation
that gets you asked back,
develop a venture capital
pitch that gets funded or
develop a break out book
that positions you as a
go-to topic expert - contact
us to discuss your needs.
Find out how we can work
together to exceed your
goals and produce tangible
results in record time that
thrill you.
Info@SamHorn.com
Sam Horn, America's
Intrigue Expert,
has helped thousands of
people POP! What does that
mean? She works with
entrepreneurs and
organizations to develop
one-of-a-kind ideas,
products and services that
monetize and scale their
business. Clients include
Capital One, KPMG, Boeing,
NASA, Young Presidents
Organization, Intel and ASAE.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sam works from her home
office on a lake near
Washington, DC's Dulles
Airport.
Sam's Office Manager Cheri
Grimm and Website Manager
Joe Grimm operate out of
Central California, near
Morro Bay and Hearst Castle.
A special shout-out to Cheri
and Joe who have poured
hundreds of hours into
updating our website. Check
it out!
http://www.SamHorn.com
Contact us at:
1-800-SAM-3455
Info@SamHorn.com
Sam's Blog
http://www.SamHornPOP.wordpress.com
http://serendestiny.wordpress.com/
Let's connect on
social media!
Sam’s main website
http://www.SamHorn.com
Follow
Sam on twitter
Check out Sam’s LinkedIn
page
Sam’s facebook page
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