Posted by Cherri Walston on September 10, 2009 at 2:54pm
There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.--Denis WaitleyMany women in transition are finding themselves under economic pressures from a job loss, divorce, or phase-of-life-changes. I can remember feeling the pinch myself as a professional women a few years back when I was released from my position, ending a marriage and dealing with the possibility of losing my sight. I was trying to juggle a mortgage, rising debt, finding a job and managing my health at the same time. In the midst of the raging seas, I was learning how to sail my ship and change the current of my circumstances. I am not the only woman who has felt or is feeling their back against the wall these days. We, as professional women, are being overlooked or under-looked in the workplace, our pay is not equal to our efforts, or no flexible time is available to take care of the needs of our family.As a career transition coach, I encourage women to be innovative, explorative and to view their circumstances with new eyes. Most of the women I encounter are frustrated with their jobs and want to start a business but aren’t sure what type of business venture they want to pursue. On the other hand, some women have talents/gifts and are using them as hobbies, have never considered using them as business opportunities, or afraid to step out and take it to the next level. After my life-changing currents, I knew it was time to embrace the entrepreneur spirit. The Jazzy Coach, LLC and Ardyss businesses helped stimulate my purpose, passion and dedication to empowering women.So if you are reading this and are contemplating a business idea as a result of a lost job, or need to find a way to bring in more money as your household income has dramatically decreased, NOW is the time to create your own current in this big sea of the professional marketplace.Here are a few tips to help you ride the wave:1. Shift your gears from the QUIET ZONE into the STRIKE ZONE. Yes, our economy is in troubled waters, but this is not the time to “wait it out”, be it the economy or just your own fear. The QUIET ZONE is a peaceful and comfortable place, but a non-proactive and stagnant one too. You are a gifted/talented woman with vision and ideas DON’T rest on them. The STRIKE ZONE can be uncomfortable a bit, but that’s where the fruit is and it’s the only way you are going to grow. Staying stagnant will not change the current.2. Be UNIQUE, you don’t have to compete. When you assess you personal and professional skills, you will be surprised how they can lead you into a business venture. In changing my current, I used my own pain and frustrations to create streams of income. I’m allowing my experiences to create my uniqueness. You never now, your pain just maybe leading you to your purpose in life. Make it a mission to be authentic – don’t fall prey to being someone other than who you are. Your gifts and talents will make room for you.3. Build strong NETWORKS and ALLIANCES. There’s one thing for sure, as women, we know how to gather and socialize. We host parties at our homes, family reunions, facilitate meetings – you name it, and we can pull it off. You can use those same skills in building professional relationships. Let people know what you are doing and what you are looking for in your business. Find diverse groups to be a part of and make some connections – someone may hold the key to what you need to jump-start your business venture.In this classic book, The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles, he states,” there is abundance of opportunity for the man who will go with the tide instead of trying to swim against it”. If you have positioned yourself in a box, come out NOW enter the STRIKE ZONE. No more swimming against the tide (economic depression).Be free and ride the waves of success as you are creating your own current!If you need help with changing your current or jump-starting a business idea, contact The Transition Coach for more information.
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