A Hard Look at Good/Bad Media Habits

If you’re like me you get many emails a day and are bombarded with conversations on social media. For me, it comes to the point where I scream ENOUGH!!!!! I’ve just gone through a purge in the last couple of days. Being in the consulting/coaching field, I get tons of notices from others in similar positions that are marketing their workshops, their products and services and their offers for this, that and the other thing. And recently it seems that there’s a new hitch – called affiliate marketing where one person, and then another, and then another all send out notices to their groups about someone else’s programs that they are testifying to. If you’re signed up for several of these people, you can easily receive 5-7 notices from different folks about the same program or product. It just gets to be too much!

Do you know what I’m talking about? How do you handle your email in-box? Do you dutifully read every note that comes into your computer? And then if you also get things on your phone and/or tablet – you have multipled many times over the number you get a day. And that’s not even talking about other social media. What happens to your Facebook page once you’ve signed up for a group or a page? I know, I understand, I get it.

There are several things that you can do to make this social media mash up easier. Set a timer for 1-2 hours and DO NOT check your email during that time. Then, give yourself permission to take a peek and read the new emails. Are there emails you get on a regular basis that you don’t read, that don’t have any meaning or that you just are tired of getting? Unsubscribe. Do this periodically so that even when you sign up for new, you’re eliminating some of the old, not necessary, emails any longer.

Similarly, do the same type of thing with your social media like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. How many groups are you in? How many do you actually participate in? If you haven’t been involved with one or another for say a month, it’s probably not something that is really that important to you. Unsubscribe. As well, give yourself a set amount of time to surf the different sites. Once that time has been met, actually get out of the program (not just close the page), and go on to your work, whatever that might be.

As a business owner, you need to work with social media, and so I suggest you create a content calendar to facilitate what you put on social media and how often. Then, you can use programs like Buffer or Hootsuite, or even the one run by Facebook itself, that allows you to create a number of items at one time and schedule them to post at a later date or hour. I do that with my newsletter, too. I create the newsletter when I have time to be creative, and then schedule it so that it goes out at the same time and date each week. This gives my readers the sense of consistency. They know when to look for it, and to anticipate reading a great document. I try very hard not to send things out at other times so that the readers don’t feel like I’m bombarding them with information.

These are just a few little ideas that you can use to help with time management, and to also help you create programs that your customers appreciate and look forward to. If you have questions on these, or if you’d like to chat, go on over to my website and set up a time for a call. We can see how we can help each other and maybe get to know each other a bit better.



In the meantime, here’s to your success. Soar Higher!!!!!!

What's the Real Meaning of Success?

The Oxford Dictionary defines success as:

the accomplishment of an aim or purpose: "the president had some success in restoring confidence"

the attainment of popularity or profit: "the success of his play"

a person or thing that achieves desired aims or attains prosperity: "I must make a success of my business"

That being said, I think that success means something different for each of us – it could be attaining prosperity, or it could be gaining confidence in self or product/service. You need to define what success means for yourself. It is only when you know where you’re headed that you will truly find your path there.

I’ve spent a lot of time lately trying to figure out my map to success. It hasn’t been easy and I have gone through some really hard lessons along the way. One of the things I have found out is that I have to be totally honest with myself, and learn to listen to my “gut”. I grew up with great parents but they always wanted me to be successful and pushed me to do the very best I could. And at the same time, we lived with my grandmother, who was never satisfied. Nothing I did was ever good enough. So, I grew up with this complex that made me feel less valuable than others around me.

As well, I was never allowed (thanks to my grandmother) to have friends so, if someone was willing to do something with/for me, I was eternally grateful – even when in all reality THEY were the ones getting the value. It was only after my coach made me realize that by my giving away my value and my expertise, I was not only not doing myself any good, but was not truly supporting my clients to the best of my ability. My husband, the fireman, often tells the story of telling his fellow firefighters that if they rush into something they are not helping others if they get hurt themselves. The same is true here. I’ve got to be aware of what I offer and know that I am offering something beneficial, if others are to value it too.

Success for me, then, was finally finding my own value and knowing that no matter who worked with me, or what we did together, I was offering something of great value, and something that others would find beneficial.

Have you ever felt this way? What is your idea of success? What, personally, does it mean for you? There’s a very interesting exercise that we’re going to be doing in a masterclass program over the next few weeks. In part, it’s defining what you want to be doing 5 years from now and where along your “road” have you settled? It’s a great exercise, and if you add the thoughts of WHY you started your business you will wind up further along that road than you ever could otherwise. You need to have concrete visions for where you’re going in order to become the success that you envision for yourself.

There is a big difference between being an entrepreneur and a business owner. Know what they are? An entrepreneur was defined in a book I read recently as being a freelancer or side hustler -- someone who worked to create something, make money and enjoy life. A business owner on the other hand was someone who worked ON their business. Creating the processes and strategies, looking down the road to the future and mapping out where and how they wanted to be in the years to come. They left (when they were able) the work to be done by others and they devoted their time to things like how are we doing this? What tools will it take? Does it require a capital investment that means getting a loan? And so much more. But these are the meat of the business. Others can do the work, but the owner needs to be the one with their hands on the controls, guiding through the ups and downs, the pitfalls and wins. Which are you?

All too often when I ask someone what they see in their future, they say, I can't even decide what I want for dinner. How can I decide what will happen 5 years from now? That's a sure sign that you're not ready for business ownership. It takes more than a dream and a goal. It takes planning, making intelligent guesses as to what needs to happen. It takes buckling down and going all in. A TV show I was watching the other day called I Quit was all about several people who wanted to start their own businesses. Only three of the 6 or 7 companies made it through to the surprise ending (a check for $100,000.) What happened along the way?

There were three companies that didn't take things seriously. They didn't invest in themselves, in their futures, in their dreams. They didn't listen to the mentors, and they thought they knew it all without help and support. They didn't even get considered for the $$$. No one knew about the money but the three that were considered were in it for it all. The one that won actually sold his home and rented so they would have more $$$ to invest, he had in the beginning a long list of things he didn't like to do but by the end was doing them all himself. He devoted every waking minute to listening to the mentors, to doing what he could to support both his family and his business. One day he received a knock on the door and there stood the three interviewers with a check for $100,000. It made all the difference in the world. I see this time and time again. Those who don't focus on the needs of the business but do what they want when they want, they don't listen to the experts' advice, they think they are good to go without help or support -- their businesses generally don't succeed. So, what does it take? It takes going all in!!!

Our master class will delve into all this. Want to know more? Check out www.businesssuccessunlimited.com and sign up for this program. 

What's the BIG Deal Anyway?

As small business owners our dreams are often to be the boss, the one in charge, the one calling the shots -- making the decisions. Right? We want to set our own hours, have the money earned go into our piggy banks, take off when we want a day to play in the sun or with our friends and family. Yet, often times, once we've actually started that business, we find that it's not really "all that we thought it was going to be." 

We are busier than ever, have no one but ourselves to be in charge of, the piggy bank is squealing for dimes, and we haven't seen the sun for weeks. This is, in part good news. Probably means that we're growing and that we're busy. But it also means that we need help. And therein comes the fear and insecurity. If we hire someone, do we lose control? What little money we're making gets spent on salaries for others? We're going to be even busier "being the boss." What to do? What to do?

I talk often about the phenomenon of working IN the business as opposed to working ON the business. For most small business owners, we're so busy working IN that we don't have or take the time to work ON our business, and thus we don't grow the way we should. In an article I just read at http://nyti.ms/1BpkUYp, the author talks about working ON your business and gives you some tips and what to do. Take a few minutes to read the article. It will help, I promise. If we sit back, pull away from all the to-dos of the day to day, and concentrate (just for a little bit) on our goals, what we want for ourselves and our business long-term, and ways to get there, I guarantee, we'll be further ahead, with more time on our hands, than when we spend every minute working IN the company. I guarantee it.

How Does Your Business Make Money?

Over the past several blogs we’ve been talking about why you started your business. For many the reasons have been very heartwarming. They wanted to have an impact on people, including their families. They wanted to share their passions and talents with others. They wanted to be in charge of their own destiny.

But along with that came the fact that in order to be successful, there had to be a financial component. The harsh reality however is that you can have the BEST widget or service in the world, but if people don’t know it exists, or if people haven’t had the opportunity to get to know you (the old know, like and trust philosophy), you’re not really in business — you have a hobby.

So, what do we do? You started your business for a very good reason. You gave it your all. Yup. The doors are open, you have a website (does anyone see it?), an email address through gmail or yahoo (how professional is that), and you’re ready to rock the business world. Unfortunately, I hate to tell you this, but I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon.

Especially for those of you that really had a passion and wanted to be successful, you have to put in the time, talent and even money to get to a level where you can step back and say, I’ve made it up the ramp and am better than I was before. How do you do that? You have to not only know what you want to do, you need to know who you want to work with, why, and do they want what you have to offer?

That’s done through a number of ways — one of the easiest is by doing some recon. A survey, talking with people one on one, listening to people on Facebook and LinkedIn. What do other people in the same industry have to say? Who are their customers? How does all of that feel to you? Does it resonate with you? Is it something that you really want to do?

This is the first step in being both a responsible business owner and filling the passion that you created originally. There is so much more work to do, but it takes time and you need to know whether you can/will be successful and if what you want to do is what people want. So, let’s get started. If you want to create a survey, there are several places online that can help. SurveyMonkey is one and I just found another one here: create and analyze surveys, for free.

I’d love to hear more from you on what it is you need to get your business rocking, and how the survey turned out. Let me know at nancy@success4biz.biz and we’ll start building that necessary relationship! And as a thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas, you can find a couple of worksheets on my website that are meant to help you. One is a SMART goal form and the other is helping to form your mission and vision statements. Head on over to Business Success Unlimited - Business Leadership Coaching, Executive Coaching, Educational Consulting to pick up your gifts. There is no opt-in needed. It is simply a thank you and hopefully you’ll check out some of the other things on the site and consider becoming part of the “family”.

Until then, soar higher!

Why Did You Start Your Business?

I’ve had a very interesting couple of days. I asked this survey question on a couple of my social media sites and got some remarkable answers. One person told me she wouldn’t tell me, I had to figure it out for myself. Another told me now one cared about how or why someone else started their business, but the rest (and I got a LOT of answers) were very thoughtful, creative responses. The interesting part, however, was that the answers I got were not what I was anticipating.

All the coaches out there cry out that they will help you make more money, find more time to spend doing the things you want to do, and show you how to have less stress. But as a business owner myself, while those are great things to want, they are not things you’re going to get — at least not for a while. What people seem to really want is to be able to share their passion with others that have the same dreams and goals. They want to be able to guide their own destiny and support their families with their own hands and structures.

Money and time for doing things they love to do were there too of course. You can’t protect family and destiny without being able to pay the bills. Yet, for each of those that answered my questions, those things were not the driving force. In fact, a good paying job provides the money they need to live, the time off for vacations, etc. (generally speaking), and a bit of security. When you go out on your own, your stress levels go higher, your destiny becomes much less secure (at least in the beginning and I argue that even with success comes insecurity at times), and the amount of time and money to provide for your family is less than with a job. Those are NOT the things that cause someone to go out on their own and start their own dreams.

If you’re still reading this, take a minute and stop and think about what really got you started in your own business? Why are you putting yourself into the wild and crazy world of being your own boss? And what does success mean to you? Is it making a million dollars? Two months vacation? What?

Now, I have a bit of homework for you. I want you to go on a bit of a time travel adventure. Picture your life 5 years from now and write an essay telling me what a day in your life looks like. Be specific, down to what time do you get up in the morning, and go to bed at night. Do you have pets? What do you eat? What are you working on and what gets you going. Don’t give me vague definitions, but define in very clear words how you want your life to be 5 years from today. That will really tell you a lot.

Running a business is a lot of work, and it can be hard work. But it is necessary. And unless you understand, in your own core, what the costs are, what the reason is for doing what you’re doing, then you’re never going to reach that level of success you described above. If you take the time to do this (don’t take a long time to think about it first, but do it off the cuff), I think you’ll be amazed and appreciative of what you’ll find out.

And if this intrigues you, and you’d like to work more in-depth on these ideas, then come on over to my website and join us in the MEGA group where we’ll be deep diving into these and many other issues throughout the next few months. Check it out at Business Success Unlimited. I hope to see you there.

I Need Some Magic, Darn It!

I am like you — a business owner with dreams and passions and the desire to help other people. I’d like to make money while helping you make money, too. But I’m finding out that that’s not as easy as I’ve been led to believe. You’re not alone if you are finding yourself in this situation, too. I hear you!

I am so tired of all these Facebook ads, and emails telling me that someone out there has this FREE 7 point system to grow your mailing list, to start you on your way to a 7 figure yearly income. I’m sure that for some that has happened, but I can tell you, it’s not an easy — or normal — thing.

I listen to the podcasts, I read the emails, I sign up for the webinars…and about halfway through (if I even get that far), I know that 99.9 percent of the time, the program is built around what a great person the presenter is, how much money they have made, and if you want to be “just like them”, you have to buy their product or service. It could be as little as $29 or as much as thousands (just examples here, guys).

I’ve bought the kool-aid and I’ve bought into the magic pill philosophy but so far, what makes the most sense to me is “the harder I work, the luckier I get”. I have been working really hard for the last couple of months — I’ve done all the things I have been telling my clients to do. It’s not the old saying of “do what I say, not as I do”, but truly is “I’m practicing what I preach”.

I’ve figured out who I really want to work with, and what makes me the happiest doing. I’ve tested what my clients past and present consider to be my greatest attributes so that I can continue to create and improve on my services to them. What do they want me to give them? I have figured out answers to these questions somewhat but still want to know more. For example, you’re reading this blog. Why? I would love to have you send me a note to nancy@success4biz.biz to tell me what you like or dislike about what I write. That would be a great benefit to me, so that I can help you.

I have to admit, however, that this is HARD WORK and I’m not the most patient of people. I want to be successful, and I want it NOW. Doggone it, where is Samantha from Bewitched when I need her the most? I need the magic. What do you mean I can’t get 1000 new signups on my newsletter every day of the week, just by writing this cool blog? What? It takes time and effort and an understanding of what you’re doing and why? Psychology plays a role? Dang, and I even have a degree in psychology — but I just don’t get it. Why does it take so long? (By the way, disclaimer here…my newsletter sign up is at Home — just saying).

Is there anyone out there that hears me? Do you have the secret? I am afraid I do, and that’s the fact that there is NO secret. It’s just finding that passion, learning what it takes to let others get to know, like and trust you with something they want to buy, and being a strong, patient and forward-thinking person. When you commit to the hard work and the long-haul, then you’ll find yourself suddenly (over a long time) with a great business.

I’d love to talk with you about this. Got a minute, how about letting me know and we’ll set up a time to chat. I look forward to it.

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomatto

You say Tomato, I say Tomaato

What does it take to be successful in business? There is a commercial on TV right now for a company that sells makeup for women. And the ad is about these people "hawking" their wares, chasing after this woman, wanting her to buy everything they're selling. This makes me think about my own business and all the others out there that say they help business owners make more money, help them find more time for family and friends, and create the ability for them to be "their own boss".

The competition for most businesses can be fierce, and what we really hope for is to find our place amidst the many where we can stand out, build a substantial following, and have enough success to do the things we really want to do with our lives. Some of us of course want to be "the wealthiest", "the most well-known", "have the most people talking about us", and more. Yet, I believe for most of us, a more modest dream of time for ourselves, money to pay our bills and have some of the niceties in life, with a group of loyal fans who will always buy from us, recommend us and be part of our "family". I know that's what I want for my business. I don't need to be the BEST. or make the most, or all those other things. What about you?

But I do know that whatever it is we want for our business, it is not going to just show up one day. The articles I read about how "I made $10,000 in my first month" -- well all I can say about that is: Really? Do you have Aladdin's Lamp handy?  Unless you're really really lucky, I am sure that's not going to happen to you. Sorry to say, it takes work, and effort to get a business started, and then it takes more work and more effort to keep it running. It's not easy and it's not cheap.

The work that you must do to get your business running is time consuming and hard on the brain. First, you have to understand things like, what is it that I'm providing? What value and benefits do I offer? And here, I'm going to let you in on a little piece of information -- you don't sell washing machines, for instance. You sell a simple way to get your clothes clean, with little work. You provide the person doing the washing with an easy way to protect their clothing so that they look good and last a long time. Get the idea? Benefits and value are much different than the product or service. People buy things that either give them pleasure, or take away a perceived pain. A washing machine is a washing machine is a washing machine. But one of the new gizmos that are becoming "hot" right now, are washing machines that have built in sinks. That's supposed to help with prewashing, etc.

You need to figure out what your goals are and how you're going to accomplish them. SMART goals are goals that provide to dos, and time tables and accountability. For a goal, without a direction to achieve it, will never get accomplished. Once you've got those goals in place you have to work at it to make sure you're moving ahead. If you set it up and then leave it to grow on it's own, it will never happen. I often see people using the visual of growing a garden -- you have to water it, pull the weeds, and consistently check in to make sure that there are no bugs or animals digging around it. The same is true for your business. Focus, focus, focus -- it takes time.

Once you have all of this in motion, your next step is to figure out just how do you get the people to know what you sell, and want it. There's a difference between marketing, advertising and sales. You need to understand the differences and figure out how to make them work for you. When you're just starting out, you are going to be EVERYTHING for your business, and so of course you are going to be the marketer, salesman and everything all wrapped up in one. Get used to it and don't let it intimidate you. You're not going to be able to get a customer unless they know you exist. It's a very important step in the process.

In our next article, we'll talk more about marketing and go into more depth with what is needed here. But for now, whatever you call starting your business, you need to work hard at it for it to be successful. If you'd like to talk some about this, or other business strategies, I'd love to chat. Give me a holler at nancy@success4biz.biz and we'll set up a time for a one-on-one.

The Secret to Achieving a Goal

Have you ever wanted something really badly…you think about it, how to accomplish it, why you want it, and what else is an important component? Then life happens and you forget all about it for the time being? When it comes to mind again, later, you can’t for the life of you remember what it was or what you had decided had to be done to get to the success of that particular goal. What should you have done to remember it?

There really is no mystery, or secret, to achieving a goal. It is very straight-forward, and I know for me, the more I have on my mind the more I need to do this — WRITE IT DOWN. By writing it down when I think of it, I make sure that I have a way to remember it later and don’t have to reinvent the wheel. It’s right there in front of me.

However, one of the aspects of this miraculous achievement is something called a SMART goal. People have been debating whether this type of technique or strategy is important, but I can tell you for myself it has made a world of difference. SMART goals are ways to not only create a goal, but to give it a timeframe, and the hows, or To-Dos, of actions in which to get the tasks done, in order to complete that particular goal.

For many of you who are used to reading my blogs I will once again refer to two of my favorite movies. The first, The Wizard of Oz, shows us that if we have no particular place to go, anywhere will get us there. But when you have a goal, something you want, some place you want to go, then you set yourself a roadmap and head out in the direction that will get you there.

The second of my favorites is Gone With the Wind, and here I will remind you of Scarlet's sayings, I’ll think about that tomorrow. How often did that action she was going to think about “tomorrow” never come to pass. She did not have a specific goal in mind, simply that she would at a later date try and figure out an answer to her question or dilemma.

I like it when I am given the tools to get things done, and when you Google SMART goals there are many online printable templates. I’m old school and still like to write things down. This has two benefits: the first is the act of writing it down in and of itself. That helps the mind to coalesce what it’s thinking about and gives it some weight. Secondly, when it’s written down, you can then take that piece of paper and place it somewhere where you can look at it regularly. By seeing it over and over again, it makes it more urgent to complete.

I suggest that you don’t take my word for this secret formula, but try it out for yourself and see how well it works. I’ll bet that you’ll see some wonderful results. Of course there are other things that need to be kept in mind — for instance, don’t make the goal TOO difficult, it won’t get completed and you’ll get frustrated and not try again. On the other hand, don’t make it too simple — you need to stretch a bit if you want to have your business succeed long term. But keep those things in mind, do your strategy goal planning and I bet you’ll get some wonderful results!

Shaking Things Up

If you’re reading my blog you know that I am an entrepreneur at heart and my heart is focused on helping other entrepreneurs. I am so grateful to be able to work with others who are passionate, eager to get their own businesses off the ground and are willing to work to get results. For many years I ran a successful business and my clients were happy and had healthy bank accounts to go along with their hard work. Lately, however, I’ve not seen this happening as often and I’ve not had the success that I had before. I’ve realized that there are two things that I need: a compelling and relevant service, and the ability to let people know that that service is available. I have the first in spades, but where I need work is on the second — letting the right people know and providing them with the correct message. Hard work has been happening and I’m getting there. Now, it’s time to get you there too! In other words, it’s time to shake things up!

Being unique, standing out and getting noticed in this very noisy world is what’s important today. Doesn’t matter if you’ve been in business for 35 years or for 35 minutes. If no one knows you exist, or if they don’t know that what you do is worth their time and energy, you’re either not going to be in business for long, or you’re not going to be making as much money (or as successful) as you could be.

The first thing you have to do to stand out is figure out who your target market is. Once you have that down, you have to decide what exactly that target market wants and is drawn to.

1. You have to focus on what solutions you have that will support the client. Those products and services that the client wants, are already halfway sold.
2. Make sure that your message is clearly understood by the target market. If there is confusion, then the purchase is harder to get. The market doesn’t know whether they really want/need it and so they won’t buy it.
3. Do you have a hook? When you offer something, like a white paper, a free webinar, an ebook — from that point it is easier to get the customer to buy the “REAL” product or service.

These all should become part of your marketing program. This is the part where people know what you do, but you still have to get them to know that they want to work with YOU. They need to know, like and trust you. Being honest and trustworthy, open and friendly, sharing and caring — these are all ways for people to get to know you. I must tell you, though, while this is the best way to gain clients, it’s not the easiest or the quickest. My coach, Vicky Knee, of http://vickyknee.com tells me constantly to be patient, darn it all anyway.

But when you work as hard as you can ON your business as well as providing the best you can for your customers, you will find that in the long run, you will have a successful and supportive business.

Master the Art of Fear

One of my favorite TV shows is Josh Gate’s Expedition Unknown. In this show Josh travels the world looking for historical wonders. The month of October, for instance, was spent traveling through the Himalayas, climbing to the top of vast mountains never touched by humans to see if he could find the mysterious Yeti. Some would say that he is crazy, doing things that are truly live endangering. Others say, “Gee, I wish I were right there with him.” But regardless of how you feel about what Josh does, I can almost guarantee that there are times in your own life where you are faced with doing something that, to you, might be “life endangering”, or at least scary as Hell. Am I right?

Ok, at this point you’re thinking I’m the crazy one, right? But I’ll bet that, especially if you’re a business owner, there have been times when you’ve wondered what decision to make, which way to turn directions in your business, should you (or shouldn’t you) do something and it’s kept you up at night. I have gone through thousands of boxes of Tums just trying to avoid that ulcer that I DO have unfortunately.

What things keep you up at night? Do they make your stomach churn? Keep your mind flipping and flopping with different scenarios? I often have dreams where I’m falling off the side of a mountain, but then suddenly I sprout wings and am soaring higher and higher. At that point I know that the thing I’ve been worrying about has just been decided, and I’m ready to either move forward with it or am going to put it to the side – “I’ll think about that tomorrow”, so to speak.

Fear is something that we all have to deal with on some level at some time. What you fear might not be what I fear or vice versa but we all have things that we’d just rather not think about. And as a business owner, there are LOTS of different things that can scare us to pieces – and those fears can hold us captive, not allowing us to move forward with our dreams.

Whether that fear is a fear of failure, or success, or getting up in front of someone to talk (I can keep on naming things), trust me I’ve had my share. I’m working on them right now on several levels. It is really amazing what can happen when you realize just exactly what that fear is doing to you and what you need to do to get over it. A good example for me is one I’ve used before and you’ve probably done yourself. I love to get in the water in the summer, and just lay back, relaxing while I float way the tenseness. But getting in is another story. That water (no matter how warm the air is) is dang COLD!!!!! I stick in one toe, pull it back, stick it in, shiver, pull it back and then, grab my nose and ……. JUMP. It’s the only way to get in and once I’m in, the water feels so nice and relaxing.

Do you start your journey by sticking in one toe, then pulling it back out? Or, do you jump in? There’s a saying that goes something like Success = feeling the fear but doing it anyway. That’s easier said than done, but you’re only going to be successful if you do it. Now there is a caveat to that, and that is only do it if you know it’s the right thing. Being afraid of something, and knowing its right – only holding you back due to the fear is different than knowing that it’s not the right thing to do.

Now, how do you tell the difference? We’ve been talking about this for a couple of newsletters lately. A couple of great ways to discover the reason for the fear, is to be part of a peer advisory board, a mastermind program, having a mentor, or a good friend and confidant that understands business issues. Stepping back and getting a 365 degree view of the situation gives you the ability to see the whole picture and lets you better figure out what to do.

By sharing your thoughts with someone else that “gets” it and you, then you have something to bounce your thoughts off of, and gives you the courage to either do it or to say no. It’s always easier for me to take that jump into the water if there’s someone either already in, telling me that the water’s nice, or someone that goes in beside me, holding my hand and saying “Let’s do it together.”

We all have times when we are afraid. Often, Josh talks about being claustrophobic, yet we see him crawling, climbing, squeezing into small, dark, wet spaces – all in the name of discovering something fantastic (and for the tv ratings, lol). So, the next time you find yourself stalled, trying to figure out what to do next, ask yourself “is this a fear that I need to get over, or is it one that I need to heed – moving on to other things?

I wish you luck with your decisions, and know that when you don’t allow the fear to take over, but instead fight through it, you’ll come out the other side stronger, more resilient and with a business that is non-destructible. Until next time, Soar Higher.

Are You Too Clever for Success?

I can’t possibly imagine what you can do to help me. I’ve been in business for 18 years”. Two weeks after this woman told me that she had a going out of business sale and closed her doors forever. Yikes. Talk about fear of success? Or some other type of fear. But, you know what? I’ve got some of those same thoughts going through my head at times and I’m wondering if you’ve ever had that voice in your head telling you that you could be and do it all alone? There’s something about letting someone else in to share your “baby”, isn’t there?

If you’ve ever found yourself in this place, you’ve probably felt the overwhelm of trying to do it, but maybe wishing you had a better handle on what to do to get the best results — more money, more clients, more time … whatever it is that’s on the top of your wish list for your business. You probably also know that when you work with others you find yourself with more ideas, better strategies, thoughts that you probably would never have had on your own, or reassurances that thoughts you do have are the right direction in which to head. Does any of this sound familiar?

So, what do you do? I can recommend a few different things. Things like finding a good coach/mentor, or joining a mastermind program, or even joining a peer advisory board. But. what do these things do to help? Regardless of which program you join, one of the main aspects is that there is no judgment and that all thoughts are honored. As well, there is usually a strict code of confidentiality involved so that when you share something, it stays strictly within the group. That should make you feel safer about sharing. All too often I’ve heard people complain that something they’ve said or written has appeared verbatim on someone else’s Facebook or website. For the most part, this doesn’t happen in these groups and if it does, it’s dealt with immediately. So, deep breath — you’re in a safe space.

The next thing that such programs can do for you is to give you new ideas and to validate those that you might already have been thinking about. For instance, you may have decided that you want to start a monthly promotional program where someone receives something for signing up for a newsletter or buying a product, etc. You share this idea with the others in the group. What will happen? They will tell you one of three things — that’s a great idea, perhaps it needs to be redesigned, or they might share their own examples of similar programs and projects — telling you how well or bad they had worked for them. Now, it’s your responsibility to be open minded enough to “think about it”. Don’t just sit there and say, “Nope. Been there, done that, not gonna do it again.” But truly think about what they’ve said. Perhaps you really DON’T want to do it. But look at why, what’s wrong, good, or lukewarm. You work it out with the help and support of the group. Now, isn’t that better than trying to figure out all sides by yourself?

A third, and perhaps unexpected benefit of these programs is that you get to support the others in the group as much as they support you. It becomes a great feeling when you know that your thoughts and advice are actually helping another business grow. Your caring and consideration for these others starts to build a relationship where you become eventually much more than business colleagues. You find new business partners, vendors, clients, all kinds of things where the people KNOW YOU, LIKE YOU and TRUST YOU. Heard that before? It’s true and comes from a natural place — not one where you’ve artificially gotten someone to get something from you.

All in all once you get over your fears of “letting go” and allowing others to help, you will find your business and yourself, growing and becoming bigger and better. You will Soar Higher. I can feel those wings growing as we speak.

If you enjoy these blogs and would like to get more tips and strategies for becoming more successful, head on over to my website at Home and sign up for the newsletter. I would love to have you join us there.

The Continuing Lessons of The Wizard of Oz

Being a business owner is not just about selling a product or a service. It is far more than that. I often think it's all about psychology -- and I have a degree in psychology but I still don't get it all the time. You need to first and foremost, understand exactly WHAT it is you're selling. Then you have to know WHO you're selling it to, and what that market wants. Do you have what your target wants? Or are you going to spin your wheels trying to figure it out over and over? That's why I stress over and over that you MUST know the answers to these questions (and guess what...those answers change over time) in order to maintain a successful business venture.

But then, on top of that, there's an entirely separate level. Finances and costs (a cost may not be only money. It can be time, energy and so much more). Let me tell you a story about a story. I've told it before but it is good to remember it again today.

________________________________________

Dorothy: Weren't you frightened?

Wizard of Oz: Frightened? Child, you're talking to a man who's laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe... I was petrified.

I love The Wizard of Oz. As a child I remember sitting in front of the tv with all my neighborhood friends, prepared to scare myself silly as the wicked witch goes flying by on her broom, laughing, "I'll get you and your little dog too." I have watched that movie well over 100 times and I'm always seeing something that I've not seen before. Did you know that in one scene the scarecrow has a gun? I've still not seen that. And all the trouble and problems that manifested themselves to the woman who played the wicked witch -- she got burned badly when her broom got lit on fire. Buddy Epson was supposed to play the tin man, but had such an awful reaction to the metal that he had to give up the part.

What does this have to do with business you ask? Well from the standpoint of MGM, this movie cost $2.8 million and only grossed (originally) $3 million. There were over 600 actors and 1000 costumes. And it wasn't until the movie hit TV that it became the classic it is today. Until then, Oz was not seen as profitable and was considered a big waste of time and money.

But there are other business linked lessons to be learned from The Wizard of Oz. At the time these books (yes, they were first written as stories to tell Frank Baum's children while he was on the road as a traveling salesman) were written, there was a wind of change politically and businesswise. The Populist movement was taking control, as well as the agrarian revolt of the 1890s. All this is seen in the dark and dreary start of the movie, filmed in black and white. The tornado hitting the homestead was a sign of the uproar happening politically in the area. Recently, scholars have debated this meaning of the book: since Baum died for many years, we may never know the true political meaning.

Another business related idea that has been hypothesized around Oz, is that of the yellow brick road. There was a great deal of controversy at the time regarding silver money as opposed to gold. It is reported that all the gold in the yellow brick road stood for the fact that silver would never replace gold as this country's base monetarily.

I look to Oz for smaller and more poignant business meanings -- for me and for those in business today. Dorothy comments “If we walk far enough, we shall sometime come to someplace.” And the scarecrow, while still on his pole, crosses his arms and tells Dorothy that if you don't know where you're going, anyplace will get you there. This is so true for businesses. When you choose NOT to have a plan, you actually are creating a plan of failure.

I love so many of the lines in the movie. “True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid...” The quote at the beginning, where the professor supposedly saw all the heads of foreign states, yet was petrified, tells us that even though we may face many fears, when we commit to our dreams we can accomplish much even though we were afraid. For many of us, we never make our businesses a success because we are afraid. Whether that fear is of failure, or success, or being laughed it, or not living up to expectation (the list goes on), we are content to ride it out in safety. We would have stayed in Munchkin land, never venturing off to the Emerald City, or to fight the Wicked Witch.

These are just a couple of lessons to be learned by The Wizard of Oz. Perhaps we should call it -- The Wizard of Business? I challenge you to watch the movie again, with new eyes, and see how you can put the story to use in growing your own patch of farmland.

So, until pigs can fly here in this world, believe that You and Your Business can and WILL soar higher when you step out of fear and move forward. I look forward to seeing you again as we both fly up to the next level!

Did You Choose Your Destination Or Has It Chosen You?

What do you want to do when you grow up? Over the past several weeks I’ve been questioning my business model, what I do, who I do it for and why I do it. I’ve asked myself – who do I like working with (and what are their characteristics), what don’t I like, and what makes me so excited I just can’t wait to get started. For over 35 years, I’ve had my own business and have made money as well as lost time,, energy and had nothing but lint in my pockets. What about you? Sound familiar?

So, come with me on my journey and see where you fit in. Do you have a roadmap? Are you absolutely sure you know where you’re going? Growing up, my family went on a vacation every summer. My parents planned it meticulously. They had to figure out if they had the money (for travel, for food, for hotels, for fees to events, etc.). Did they have the time to take off without being penalized at work? Where should they go? It needed to be something they wanted to do and something us kids would enjoy as well. We traveled all over the United States, and I have some great memories. But I don’t remember them ever asking me specifically if where we were going was someplace I wanted to go. I was basically along for the ride.

The same is true in business now that I’m an adult. I have found myself “going along for the ride”. And during this journey I am learning where I really want to go.

The first step is something my coach asked me to do and boy was it an eye-opener. Get out a pen and paper (yep, I’m an old timer), or open a word document on your computer. Without planning it out first, just sit down and write. Picture in detail what you’d like to be doing in five years. Make sure that you are detailed – I even got down to the point where I talked about what I had to eat for breakfast and dinner. It was really in-depth. And within that description, nowhere did it say anything about managing my magazine, Small Biz Forward. 

I realized that that piece of my business was draining me. I was worried about writing articles, getting articles from my writers, printing, getting advertising, and so much of what I didn’t like to do. Yet, I do like to write, so guess what? I’m turning my magazine article writing into blog posts where you get to see them for free. Cool for us both, yes?

If you take the time to do this exercise, you’ll potentially see things about what you enjoy doing and not so much that will mold your future endeavors. It’s really a great way to clarity.

Now that I’ve gotten where I am more sure of my future activities, I can start to flesh them out. Remember, I figured out who and what I liked to do. It’s time now to start to grow my base. Do I have a good email list? Who reads these blogs? How often do I share something and what types of things do I share? I’ve started working on an editorial calendar. That way I can keep up on topics and areas that my clients want to know more about. 

It’s something that you should work on as well. After all, if your clients don’t know you exist, don’t know what you do and who you do it for, how are they ever going to figure out they want to buy from you.

If you’re interested in getting these blog posts regularly, you are welcome to register at: success4biz.blogspot.com. Until next time – Soar Higher from your happy Small Biz Wizard (getting pigs to fly is no mortal task! And if I can do that, you know I can help you in your business)

Lessons Learned from the Journey

An often heard quote is that the journey is more important than the destination. And while the destination is pretty darn important, I do agree that the journey while often boring (are we there yet?), more often breath-taking (especially when you’re looking back on it), is very educational if you take the time to examine the road followed as well as the one not chosen.

I’ve been on such a journey lately (and know that it’s just now starting — I’ve got a long way to go). And if you’re a business owner you need to get out that roadmap and start your own journey. Hopefully we’ll run into each other at points along the way, share pictures of where we’ve been and give excited descriptions of where we hope to land eventually. This blog is about one of those pictures of where I’ve just been and what it has taught me. Read it along with me and maybe, just maybe, you’ll decide to go to these places too.

The journey I have been on recently has been amazing. I have learned so much about myself, about the things I want for my future, and what I DON’T want. For the past six months, I’ve been working really hard on getting my yearly business retreat put together. And, for much of that time, it wasn’t a very successful venture in my eyes. I defined success as many people knocking on my door, pleading to come along with me. Of course, lots of money would have been nice, but frankly, I didn’t have a real budget set up and never thought what it was going to take to get from point A on the map to point Z. Now however, after the event is over, WOW, can I say that it was certainly God blessed.

Because I know I’ve been on this journey, my eyes have been more open (I had my camera ready for those instant snapshots of the view along the way) and so I realized that I have recently been so frustrated and angry because for 8 years this event has been terrific: great for the attendees, not so much for me. I wanted everyone that came to it, to get the best program – so I let people come for nothing thinking, the more the merrier. Right? Well, no not so much. When only those who truly want to be part of it come, then the air is filled with success. This year that was my model. Only those who paid, came. And people told me over and over what a wonderful event it was.

I learned a great lesson there. Don’t over give, don’t devalue yourself or your product/service, and DO love yourself (and your clients enough) that you give them your best. What I thought was the best, was only mediocre. I never will do that again.

It was also interesting to see that there are so many out there that are, shall I say, not too trustworthy. And that’s something you need to know when working with other businesses. I had 3 speakers (btw – with signed contracts) who backed out – their loss!!!!! One didn’t even bother to tell me he wasn’t going to come. And a couple of business people who got their start thanks to last year’s retreat, who asked to come and talk about how they met and got their business started thanks to the Retreat. I let them come (for no fee) because I wanted people to hear about their “success”. Instead, all they did was sell their services. They were there for 20 minutes (in and out), they talked about all the wonderful things they could do for the attendees and then left. Not a word about how they met, etc. My takeaway? Don’t trust unequivocally. I’m still working on this one. It’s a process at the moment.

All in all though, I learned a lot about myself, what I do, and how I want to share my talents and God’s blessings in the future. I now know where my next stop along the journey will be, the lessons learned from my dream of business ownership so far and hopefully, I can share more pictures and stories along the way.

To Dream The Impossible Dream

     Do you have a dream? Is there something that you really wish you could have or do? I remember as a child looking up at the stars and making a wish. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.
     So much of our lives are wrapped up in wishes and dreams and hopes and wants… yet, for many of us, those things never come to pass. We settle for much less and the dreams fade away, leaving us feeling somewhat blah. We are probably happy with our lives, but there may just be a sense of missing out on something — even if we don’t know what that something might be.     When asked what’s your dream, if you’re like me, you don’t really even know. It’s been a long time since I even allowed myself to to think about the might bes, the possibilities, and the big old what ifs.|     I used to know about dreams. I knew from early on that I wanted to own a business — to be there to teach and support others — helping them to gain their own dreams. Yet, for the past couple of years I’ve allowed myself to sit in the dark (literally) without ever having the faintest hope of doing something valuable for myself or someone else. You see, I was in a hit and run 2.5 years ago and got hurt pretty badly. Since then, I’ve allowed myself (understanding that I have not been able to walk and have been in great pain all that time) to lose all my dreams and hopes.     There have been a lot of other life events going on and through it all I’ve found myself sinking lower and lower. But today, watching a tv show I’ve seen many times in the past I realized that there is always hope and that dreams DO come true. As a business person, I have used the phrase from Walt Disney “if you dream it, you can do it” for many years. I do believe that. But on that television show today, a woman sang “To Dream The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha and listening to the words, knew that that was going to be what got me up and going. You need to have a dream, and no matter how far, no matter how weary I get, I need to follow that star to my dream.     What has that got to do really with business? The United States has been based on small entrepreneurial businesses from the beginning of time. Sure, we have been living in the industrial era for many years, but even then those men and women who started those companies had ideas, dreams, things they wanted to accomplish. And now, more than ever, we find ourselves back in the age of hand crafts. small businesses that help to build the small town, the neighborhood, the region. It is through these hard working men and women that our economy is coming back and we are becoming successful. It is through dreams and hopes and wanting something more than what we have that is making the world go round.     I am sure that I’m not the only one out there that has had live events stop them in their tracks, turned them away from one direction and headed them in another. Have you lost your dreams and goals? Have you settled without even really knowing it, but are feeling somewhat lost and forlorn? How about taking a few minutes to sit back, close your eyes and think about the things you used to wish you had, did or wanted “when you grew up?”     There are many small business people out there these days and I think that’s fantastic, but I also know and have seen repeatedly the difference between an entrepreneur and a small business owner. A while ago I happened to see an article in Entrepreneur Magazine that addressed the differences between the two. A small business owner, in their terms, was someone that went to work at 9 and left to go home at 5. They worked hard, but they continued to think like employees. They did what was required but nothing more. They had no passion, no excitement, and just got by. They had lost their ability to dream.     On the other hand, an entrepreneur often was running or thinking about creating several businesses all at the same time. They were excited, wanting more and more. They looked to the future and wanted to fulfill all their dreams and had goals that were far reaching and many faceted. They couldn’t wait to get going in the morning, and often found themselves still up and going with only a couple of hours before time to go back to work. Passion was their middle name and they ate, breathed and in general LIVED their business.     The other day, while talking to a couple of entrepreneurs, they gave me the perfect definition of an entrepreneur — someone who was exhausted, but determined to do whatever was necessary to get to the next level. They knew what they wanted and where they were headed but they might not have all the answers to get them there. They weren’t afraid to look for those answers: to seek them out by talking with others who had been there, done that. They were willing to continue training, go through educational programs, listen to the experts and keep open minds. That was a true entrepreneur.     Now, there’s nothing wrong with being a small business owner. We need them, and would be in trouble without them. Yet, if we didn’t have entrepreneurs among us the world would be much less exciting. And for those who know their dreams and want to reach them, they are NOT impossible. So dream away folks. And reach for that impossible dream!!!!!The Impossible Dream-Man of La Mancha

Tomorrow is Another Day

If you follow my blog you probably know that I am a BIG fan of The Wizard of Oz and all the subtext regarding business that goes along with the movie/book. However, I have another favorite movie/book — and that’s Gone With the Wind. There is a lot of history, business and life that is found in this book as well, but my all time favorite quote is “Tomorrow is Another Day.” That has a lot of pertinence for me as well, especially lately with all the medical issues I have going on.

Many of my days lately have found me lying in bed thinking “How can I run my business from here? Should I just give it up? Call it quits? Shut it down?” And then I shake my head and say, “Of course not. Tomorrow is another day and I will feel better; have more energy, more stamina and a better mindset.”

Have you ever felt like that? Down and frustrated? What do you do to pick yourself up and get back out there again? If you’re a true entrepreneur, you may have days of severe depression and frustration, but nothing is going to keep you down long.

In Gone With The Wind, when Scarlett gets frustrated and doesn’t know which way to turn she tells herself that tomorrow is another day and she’ll go home to Tara her place of security and comfort. As entrepreneurs we need to find that “safe place” too. A place where we can think, can relax and get back up on our feet. Our Tara might be family, a night out with friends, or meeting with a great group of business colleagues that we know have our back and are ready to support us, give us ideas and help us think of ways around the road block that we see in front of us.

Coming up in October there is just such a “Tara” — but it’s in Chesterton, IN not Atlanta, GA. The Dream BIG Retreat, like other small business conferences, is a weekend away from the daily grind where businesses come together to network, to share, to learn, to have some fun and to be able to “think about it.” It is a “tomorrow” where the entrepreneur can get away to think clearly and find their safe place for business support and growth.

If this sounds like something of interest, check out 2016-dream-big and come find your own “Gone With The Wind”, only it will be called, “Here with a Dream”.

Are You Running Your Business or Is It Running You?

Do you have a mentor or a support system for your business? If not you need to get one!

I don't know what I'd do without my mentors and advisors. For over 30 years I ran my businesses all alone. My husband at the time was supportive but knew nothing about running a business - he was from a foreign country and had no clue (nor to be honest, was he even really interested) as to what I was doing. I often heard him say, "why don't you just get a job?" Needless to say, there was not a lot of support there, and as a consequence, my business grew but very slowly and I felt like I was working a job -- not being a boss. That feeling effected EVERY aspect of my world -- including my employees and even my clients.

It was not until I finally decided that I needed to take charge of my world that things started to change. But other than books and then the Internet, I didn't know where to turn or what to do. Then, thanks to a colleague, I met some people who have become very important to my business and to my life. I have joined masterminds -- and believe in them so much that I have now been running them for others for over 10 years. They work. You begin to find that you don't need to "go it alone", but have people who have (or are) going through similar situations and are willing to share, to support, to hold you accountable, and more.

Not only do you find new friends and colleagues, you might also find new vendors, new collaborators, employees and more. This also means that you find ways to cross-promote. When people get to know you and know what you do, they are more likely to recommend you to their contacts. According to Ivan Misner of BNI, each person has at least 250 contacts that they reach out to regularly. So, if you become connected to 2 people that immediately increases your reach by 500 potential customers, and on and on.

While you are unique and your business is as well, there are no new ideas in the world -- sorry to say. However, what that means is that someone else, somewhere else has more than likely experienced something that you are going through, so they probably have experience, knowledge and education that they can share with you to help you interpret and act on for your own business. It might not be something that you want for your company, but it's a great way of widening your perceptions and knowledge for your own business.

Finally, what's also great is that YOU have knowledge and experience that the others can use in their own businesses as well -- thus making this a win-win for everyone. While you're being helped, so are they. This creates a sense of camaraderie that is unlike anything else out there and makes for an intimate board of friends and advisors that mean more to you than anything else when it comes to running (and growing) your business.

It's a great feeling and I urge you to find a program that works for you. In case you'd like to give it a shot -- check out the Level UP! Mastermind in Fort Wayne, IN on May 20 and/or May 21st. I guarantee you won't regret it.

5 Remedies for Curing Insomnia

Have you ever laid in bed, tossed and turned, rolled while kicking off the covers, pulling them up to your chin and then started all over again? Sleep just won't come? Your brain is talking to you and telling you things like you're never going to make payroll. There is too much to do and not enough time to do it all. You're not going to be successful because you don't know what's the right thing to do to answer the problem.

If you're like me your brain starts to run non-stop the minute the lights go out and the house quiets down. It seems to delight in making me squirm and think about all the scary stuff that only goes bang in the night. I worry about everything from missing a meeting in the morning, to getting enough people to come to come to an event I'm hosting 6 months from now.

Have you ever had a night like this? There are a couple of things I do when this happens...I turn on the tv and try to drown out the nasty little bugger's cries. when that doesn't work, I get out a pen and paper and start to work on my goals and to dos, working on ways to eliminate the worry that I'm dealing with.

There is nothing you can do to NEVER fear the unknown but there are ways that you can put them at bay. Here are 5 remedies that will help you sleep better at night.

1.    Create a plan (SMART goals, business plan, marketing plan, etc.) Put them down in writing and keep track of how you're moving along that route. By being aware of where you're headed and how you're getting there, you can feel more on track or can analyze what you need to do different to put yourself back on the right road.

2.     Find a group or two that you become active with -- by finding mentors and others that have similar business experiences you have people to bounce ideas off of, share questions and thoughts with, and know that you're not alone out there. There is nothing new in this world -- someone somewhere has had a similar circumstance that they can help you with in your own life.

3.     What are the top 5 things that keep you awake at night? Write them down and then figure out why they worry you and find solutions that will make you less fearful. For instance, if your fear is that you won't have enough clients at a meeting, what can you do to let more people know that the event is happening? Can you ask your clients and potential clients if the event is something that they would like to be a part of. Write a press release and send it to outlets near where the event is happening.

4.     If you're worries about about strategies and actions, take a class so that you better understand what you're dealing with. Find a program at the community college, or hire a coach.  And if there just aren't enough hours to get it all done, and the "not getting done" stuff are things you don't like to do, aren't skilled at, then perhaps its time to hire a Virtual Assistant. You may think that you don't have the money for this, but if by them helping you you actually are able to do the things that DO make money, you'll be better off in the long run.

5.     Finally, the 5th remedy for insomnia is time management. When you have a better idea of how much time it takes to do something, how much time you take working on different things, and if you procrastinate, look at ways that you can get a better handle on the time. There are only 24 hours in a day ... how you spend them is the best answer to getting more done.

If you take these situations and apply them to your business you're on your way to better sleep and a stronger, more successful business.

Sleep well!!!!!