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I love automation. It's one of the reasons I have a business, but it can also be a big pain in the rear when it doesn't work.

I remember this one week where I was having terrible problems with my meeting scheduler. I was using a service to set up complimentary appointments with prospective clients and I'd done this big promotion about it. What was supposed to happen is the person would go to this page, click on a link to see my available calendar, and in about 2-3 clicks they're all set.

They'd get an email confirmation and the meeting time would pop into my calendar. No back and forth, no wasted time, boom - there is the appointment.

I had a number of people trying to set up their free time to connect but they weren't getting the handy little meeting schedule. Instead every one of them kept getting an "error 404" page ... those error pages always get on my last nerve especially when it means I have a link not working! Ever had that happen to you?

So what was happening is I kept getting phone call after phone call telling me the link didn't work, asking for next steps, requesting a return phone call. Some were even downright insults saying things like "this is unprofessional" (and yes, remember I said it was a free offer ---sometimes those are the worst kind when things go wrong).

Well once I figured out what the problem was, I'd missed at least 20 prospective meetings. I had to personally call each person back who left a voicemail and arrange the meeting manually, which is what I'd set up the service to help me avoid in the first place! That free time turned into triple the hours I'd planned for.

After that little incident, I learned my lesson. I'll give you a few quick hitter tips you can use so you don't end up falling prey to an automation disaster like this.

Always Test Your Automated Systems

When I sent out the promotion emails and let people know the links were open, I should have already tested the entire process myself along with having a friend or assistant test it. I know this now. Most of the time I'll remember this horrible week and I will have someone go through the entire process as though they are signing up. That way, any errors can be worked out before the whole world hears about it.

Remember, It's People Over Process

Many people think more of their super fabulous tools and systems than what the experience will be like for the end user. If you take the time to put yourself in the other person's shoes -- you know, the person who might just be investing in you or your stuff? -- you will know if you're headed in the right direction. Think about things like, "how easy is this to use?", "how many buttons would I click?", "does this frustrate me more than endear me to the service?".

You should make it easy for people to do business with you, not harder. The more difficult it is, the less likely they will buy.

Always Have a Back Up

Sure in this case I was the back-up. I literally sat down and made a list of all the people and manually called them myself. But what if there was a better way? If I had an assistant at the time, I would have had more help. Or if I learned through the testing process that the service wasn't working, I would easily have changed over to a new scheduling service before the promotion ever went out.

Think through your backup plan. What could you use if a part of your system is not flowing smoothly? What resources are available quickly and within your budget? Just thinking this through may save you a ton of time and money.

Now I can't tell you I've never had an automation problem ever again, but I can say that putting systems in place to help me replicate my work has always cost me less in the end than doing it all manually...both in dollars and in sanity. If you remember the tips I shared with you in this post, you'll reduce the chances of automation fail.

Want to learn more about how to use automation the right way? Get more over at my main blog www.tanyasmithonline.com.

You went one step further than the average dreamer--you started a business. Congratulations! But when you are in the beginning stages of forming a business, it is very easy to get over-involved in the formation and forget about planning for the future. Yes, it is very important to make sure that your new business is running correctly, that everything is in its place, but you also must think about prosperity.

If you only concentrate on the everyday functions of your business, you lose the ability to take your business to its next level of success—this comes from first-hand experience!  It can be nearly impossible to transition from this line of thought without help. Business owners have devoted so much of themselves to the creation and opening of their business that they start to believe that there is nothing more.  This is why a business coach is one of the best things you can do for your business.

Business Coaching For Entrepreneurs

One of the easiest ways for a business owner to make the transition from “potential” to “successful” is to employ the services of a business coach. Some cities have small groups of entrepreneurs who pool together to hire a business coach Denver or Atlanta based, or New York, Kingston, or Portland based, to name a few.  These trained professionals can help by looking at your business without the same emotional attachment you have and offering suggestions and help.

To secure your ideas with a solid foundation, a coach might teach you:

• How to create a business plan for future growth. By creating this type of plan, you are making a roadmap to follow to success.
• How to write a proposal. Many businesses fail to take on large contracts because they do not know how to grab the attention of their potential client.
• Bookkeeping methods. It is surprising how many talented and experienced business owners lack skills in this area.

• Drafting loan requests. You must know how to prove to the bank that your company is worth their investment. Many loans are denied because the business prospectus is too vague or did not effectively show the potential for growth in this industry.
• Employee relations. They can teach you how to hire, fire, and work with your employees. They can also show you how to create handbooks, implement regulations, and give proper compensation.
• Marketing strategies. There may be many avenues of marketing that you have not tried that will bring many clients to your business.
• Organizational and time management skills. When you need to do everything but don’t know how to make it happen, nothing will get done at all. Organizational and time management skills are crucial to success.
• Social skills. Yes, business owners must follow certain etiquette with each type of person they encounter. Employees, suppliers, clients, and other business owners each have a set of “rules” business owners should follow to make them look their best.

There are many other things that a business coach can teach, each with its own level of importance. A professional business coach, however, will base their teachings on what you desire and what your company needs.

Hiring a business coach is not a sign of weakness, nor does not mean that your business is failing. Hiring a business coach is simply a way of stating that you are determined to become a success, and if you do your research, you might find that what it costs you to hire a coach is far less than what you stand to make when you apply what you learn from your coach.

Akilah Richards is a full-time entrepreneur who has benefited significantly from the services of a reputable business coach.  She shares articles about the importance of hiring reinforcements to shore up your dreams, and apply sound strategies to your beautiful ideas. If you're looking for a business coach Denver, Colorado has a few great options over at Noomii.com.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisewellwoman/6327481577/

See Where You Are Going

One of the most relied upon of the five senses is sight. Sight on a basic level is the ability to see with your physical eyes. But if you dig deeper the ability to see includes creating a mental picture; a visualization. Familiar with the term “mind’s eye”? This term refers to the human ability for visualization, which is experiencing visual mental imagery. Basically, the ability to “see” with your mind. Helen Keller said, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but, no vision.”

From this place of seeing you can begin to jump start your life. Use your “mind’s eye” to see yourself in the future. Where are you? Are you living the life you dreamed of living? Are you experiencing success in all areas of your life? Do you have balance? Say to yourself, “I see you in the future and you look much better than you look right now!”

Visualize the life you want and deserve to live. Harness what you see to help create the path to get from where you are to where you want to be. Use vision to see where you are going.

Pursue Your Passion

Dare to create a vision for your life? Tap into the creativity embedded within you to reach your destined place of purpose. Have you taken the steps necessary to find your purpose? That very thing you are passionate about could be the spark you need. 

I was inspired to become a life coach because I encountered individuals who have shared with me that they don’t know their life’s mission. They didn’t know why they are on this earth at this appointed time and in space. Some stated they have no desire to invest their time, resources or energy to finding their purpose, maximizing their potential and igniting the passion within. I hope you are not at this place in your life; however, if you are then you are reading this at the right time.

Now is the time for you to invest in you. You may have spent years, an enormous amount of resources or endless hours working toward something that is not germane to your life’s call. But take the time to think about that thing in your life which makes you sing. That thing you begin to talk about to the point where people can see the twinkle in your eye and the glow in your countenance. Discover, unleash and pursue your passion.

Act on Your Goals

Take a close look at the word “goal”.  The first two letters make up the word “go”. Go, to move on a course, proceed or to take a certain course. It is just that simple. Goals are not as complicated as we make them out to be. For example, your goal is the bigger picture. For this example our goal or bigger picture is to go food shopping. There are a number of “tasks” we must complete in order to reach this goal. The basic tasks include preparation, going outside, getting into the car, putting the car in gear and “going”.

An effective way to help reach your goals is to break the bigger goal down into a series of tasks. With this in mind, you may only want to tackle two to three goals at one time. Why? Because when you list out the tasks associated with each goal the list can become pretty long. Begin small, be persistent and consistent.

Rev Up Your Engine

In thinking about revving an engine, car racing came to mind. In preparation for a high speed motor race revving the engine prepares the car for optimum performance. To get your car warmed up for the race ahead.

This is certainly a principle you can apply to your life. Revving your personal engine is a great way to prepare yourself for the race head. Life is often viewed as a race. It takes many components for you to not only get in the race, but to sustain it with speed, persistence, consistency and accuracy. You are the driver and the car you have been given is called life. One of the keys to life is learning to drive and navigate with wise efficiency.

One of the ways to “rev up your engine” is to create positive affirmations which are consistent with the way you see your life in the future. They should be positive and written in present tense. View your future with your “mind’s eye”.

Kick Start Your Life

To “kick start” your life is just another way to say “jump start”. It is time to restart fresh and re-energize your life. Little to no progress can be made if you are stuck in life with no “spark” to help provide the kick start you need.

In the movie Inception, “the kick” was necessary to awaken a dreaming individual to get them from one level to another. Sometimes in order to get to our next level in life with need a kick. It is time to make room for new experiences by removing thoughts, ideas and concepts that are not helping you to get to your new level in life. What may have worked in the past may not work for your future.

Kick start your life by connecting with the right people, changing the way you see your life, pursuing your passion and getting the tools and resources you need to jump start your life.

You can receive more inspiration of awesomeness from my weekly podcast show, Awesome Living with Cheryl Pullins.

Remember that old Biz Markie song, ♪ "You, you got what I neeeed...." ♫.  Don't you wish that every time your ideal client or customer saw your stuff online that song would just automatically pop up in their head?

If you don't, you should.  Because that means you've made the right connection.  See it works like this...

But often we just focus on the first part of the equation - what we want to sell.

The fact is it can be pretty time consuming to do market research, but it's crucial to your business.  It's just one of those things you've got to do.  Otherwise, you can spend a lot of time creating products and promoting services no one will every buy.

You know my answer to almost everything when it comes to saving time, right?  Turn your research into a system, (my quick definition?  a system is a set of repeated activities you can map out, delegate and automate to get similar results).

Where Should You Start?

Keyword Research

Keyword research is the first step for most solo service providers. It helps you understand what people are searching for online and what words they are using. There are numerous tools that can help you do this research, including Google’s own AdWords keyword tool, a free and paid tool from Wordtracker, and a popular software program called Market Samurai.

It takes a little practice to learn to do keyword research well, but knowing the most commonly searched terms will help you target the problems that people are facing. It also means you can optimize any content you create, helping it rank in the search engines.

Study Problems People Are Facing

When you know the problems people are facing in your target market, you can create solutions. Solutions sell. Look at the questions people are asking and why they are asking them. Look for the places your target market hangs out, like forums or Facebook groups, and listen in.  You might even create a list using a tool like Evernote or Google Drive.  I call this list my R&D (research & development) list.

Other places people don't really think about are YouTube videos and Amazon books.  What's popular?  What are people talking about around the topic you're interested in promoting?  Watch the discussions that take place and the questions asked. If there are problems that people consistently talk about, you’ve just found a great opportunity to provide a solution.

Paint a Portrait of Your Customers

It helps to paint a portrait of your ideal customer in as much detail as possible. This isn’t necessarily a visual picture, though some people do that, but one that describes little details about them. What are their demographics, such as age, gender, occupation, where they live, etc? What is some of the lingo they use? Do they tend to have similar interests or hobbies? Write it all down. Some marketers even keep this list in front of them whenever they write anything for or to their customers.

While it can take what seems like a lot of time, having a system you use to do market research can save you from sinking a fortune in time and money in a doomed project. The more market research you do from the start to understand your market, the less risk you face and the more likely they'll be singing your song loud and clear. ;)

In my lunch time series coming up I'll share a few more tips on how to create great, but simple systems for your biz.  Get on the "notify me" list now so you get reminders.  

Very few people I know use business process mapping, but it can be a really good way to figure out the difference between what is happening now vs. what you want to have happen with certain systems running in your business.

For example, you might have this really great product out in your online store, but you somehow keep losing customers -- like 85% of the time -- after they click the "add to cart" button.  What happened?

Or in another instance, you may have tons of referrals and they come to you willing and ready to invest, but you only convert 10% of them into clients.  Where's the breakdown? How do you know?  And what resources do you need in order to increase that number?

Many times, knowing the solution that works the best for you does not just pop up in a magical light bulb over your head.  Instead, it requires knowing what is taking place, step-by-step, so you can make improvements for the better.

Business Analysts (also known as BA's) tend to take advantage of process mapping because it suits them perfectly since they tend to be practical thinkers, always looking for the "why" behind what's going on.  They also get really passionate about information.  I like how this article from TDWI says, "They love to wallow in it, get it all over themselves, see what they can do with it, and see it change state and morph and eventually crystallize into facets of meaning."

Basically, these guys can get really geeky about improving a system, or set of activities so you get the most optimal results.

How do I know?  Because I actually have an analyst background in my "other" career.  Yeah, that's how I got to be such a systems geek.

Now here's what is cool about that...

There are a lot of creative thinkers marketing how great it is to use your creativity to ...well...create things. Products, new service offerings, you name it. I love it and I think that's great.  If you want to promote creative thinking, mind-mapping is a very effective tool. But that's a whole different type of method than what I'm talking about.

The thing is, not everyone is naturally given to creatively wild or illustrative thinking.  Some of  us tend to be a bit more structured and systematic in our thinking.  Having those type of people in your business network can be tremendously helpful because we help with the execution of the actual sale of that wonderful new product, or we help you fix problems with the way you're handling questions from prospective buyers so they feel better about trusting you and affirmed when they buy.

This is the beautiful place where process mapping comes in.

In my upcoming webinar, 10 Ways To Design Better Systems For Your Business, I share more about process mapping and what it can do. Plus I'll be talking about more ways to improve what you're doing in your business, so you can be more efficient which => (ta-dah) more profitable.

Business process mapping may just be the answer to your problems. Oh, and if you search the internet now for some process mapping resources, it will probably look a lot more boring than how I do it.

I've made the webinar publicly available.  No registration required.

=> Just click here to watch and get my free Systems Success Roadmap

Most of the people I know are high achievers; and a large portion of them are "control addicts".   But the bad part about being in control of everything is that you often end up doing everything in your business.

This kind of behavior creates failure, not success.

One solution is to consider outsourcing - hiring an independent contractor to help you get things done.  Outsourcing can help lift a huge weight off your shoulders.

And it's not just a resource for larger businesses.  Businesses of every size are starting to acknowledge the need to spend more time perfecting their expertise while they free up time by giving work away.  This serves to help you build stronger relationships with prospects and retain current clients.

Why Outsource?

Outsourcing can help you make the most of all of your resources—people, time, money and energy—because you and your staff can focus on the what's most important to your business. When you outsource, in essence you're allowing other companies or individuals with different skill sets (e.g., accounting, human resources or information technology) to do what they do best for YOU. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

As a result, you have more time to be laser-focused on your specialization which then enhances your credibility, and you become more attractive to people who are looking for the precise solution that you or your company offer.

Fitting Outsourcing Into Your Lifestyle

Outsourcing can definitely require an attitude shift and a willingness to give up a bit of control.  Realistically, it can feel uncomfortable at first.  But staying in a comfort zone is often what leaves some people stuck at the same level year after year.

Really think about your hesitation; what are your concerns about outsourcing?

Here are some common objections:

• Reputation. Business owners might worry what their customers, clients, staff and other stakeholders will think about their decision to outsource. You might also be concerned that the outside specialist will make some kind of drastic error that will harm your reputation.
• Security. Outsourcing may require that you consider sharing certain information to get certain tasks done.  Businesses may not be sure how to protect their intellectual property and other key data from fraud, tampering and other damage.
• Offshoring. A lot of outsourcing is done at the local or national level, but more and more is taking place using foreign associates. You might be concerned about language barriers, health and safety standards, work quality or the impact on your national economy.

With each of these concerns and any others you may have, take some time to answer the question, “What’s the worst thing that could happen if we outsourced?” and then ask yourself, “If that happened, then what?”

Many businesses have outsourced successfully and made mistakes that you can learn from. Do your research and be confident and intentional about your decision to move ahead.

How to Get Started with Outsourcing

Look at the activities you are spending time on that divert you from the core of your business. What’s draining you? Is it administrative tasks, technical support, accounting, human resources, internet technology or something else?

Determine how much time it's taking you to get these things done.  Are you generating profit by doing these yourself?  Could the work be assigned to someone else who has expertise?  What would it take to give up the work?

Start with these questions and begin looking into options for outsourcing to quality contractors.

Need help getting started?  For a complete course on how to find the right outsource partner, check out my brand new online course, "Outsource Your Service Business" on Udemy.com.  I will walk you through the entire process step by step.  For a limited time, you can get it at no cost here: http://udemy.com/outsource-your-service-business.

Ready to focus on what you do best and outsource the rest? The move to outsourcing requires a shift in thinking, some preparation and a slight learning curve, but in the end, you will emerge with a stronger focus on the "main thing" in your business. And it might just be the answer to growing your business to the next level.

While watching the television show, Unsung, a music biography series which sheds much-do light on some of the most influential, talented and yet, somehow forgotten R&B, Soul and Gospel artists of our time. On this particular show they featured rap icon, Kool Moe Dee. He made a statement which reminded me of part of my own journey. He said “my ego does drive the car sometimes.” The statement caught my attention and immediately reminded me of what it takes to get to the place in your life where you recognize and openly admitted that your ego can be in the driver seat of the car of your life and it has a big mouth.

Thinking about my own ego, I re-visited one of the many defining moments in my life. This one was during my time as a flight attendant. Yes, I know, you didn’t know that I had a short stint as a flight attendant. It was one of my dreams and I had the opportunity to live it.

One day I was doing a flight, can’t recall where, but on this flight I was the only flight attendant in the cabin. I did regional flights so it was usually a fifty seat aircraft. It was time for beverage service, and I always started in the rear of the cabin. While setting up for service I hadn’t noticed one of the first class passengers went in the back to use the restroom. Of course as soon as I pushed the cart all the way to the back the passenger comes out of the restroom ready to return to his seat in first class.

Since we’re talking about ego, what do you think I did? Yep. I wouldn’t let him return until I got to the front where there was enough space for him to get back into his seat. Because I wanted to “make my point” about who was in charge. Then to make matters worse, I “apologized” to him for not letting him go back to his seat. Well, he didn’t want to hear it and immediately gave me the front of his palm, also known as the “get out of my face, I don’t want to hear what you have to say” sign.

Well! As you could imagine, both me and my ego were livid. Hot! Upset! How dare he disrespect me in front of the other first class passengers. So now we are having a pretty heated exchange. I didn’t care. I was in “charge” and he needed to know it. But what I had totally forgotten was that I had an administrative ghost rider on my flight and she was sitting in first class. Usually you don’t know when you are being “watched in action.” But it just so happens there was another flight attendant on my flight heading home and somehow she knew there was a ghost rider and she had already warned me. So needless to say, I blew that observation.

What is amazing is that it took me five years to recognize who had really shown up to work the flight that day. It was my ego and it had a big mouth.

When Oprah started her Life Class, the first one I watched was The False Power of Ego. As I listened to the conversation I took it all in and was like okay, how does this relate to me?

The next day I had a conversation with my husband about the class and shared how I believed it related to me, and in that moment, my life had come full circle. The incident I shared about being a flight attendant was because my ego was in the driver’s seat and it had a big mouth. I let ego represent me and speak on my behalf because it needed to not only show the gentleman who was in charge, but it showed me that it was in charge of me too.

When it comes to personal growth, self-reflection, realization and acceptance are very powerful tools.  Using these three strategies can help to transform your thinking and assist you in making the changes needed to go to the next level of your life. There are many experiences and places you will never reach until you pass certain life lessons and learning how to tell your ego to take a back seat and shut up is a lesson you must learn if you are going to truly impact the world with your gifts, talents and abilities.

Here are a few lessons to know and learn about ego because it is tough and stubborn, and will allude you at every turn. If you entertain it, ego will have you abandoning your dreams, settling for less than you deserve, thinking you have all the answers and missing out on amazing opportunities that could move your vision forward.

1) Let go of your need to be perfect

I personally have struggled with the need to be perfect. I refer to myself as a “recovering perfectionist.”  Perfection is an ego-based need, and is used so you can avoid criticism and correction because your ego wants to protect you from them both. Perfection is also the measuring stick we use to compare ourselves to others and it can prevent you from moving forward. Let go of your need to be perfect. Perfection only serves you.

2) Be self-aware

You can’t relate to the ego of another unless you have the same ego within yourself. Becoming self-aware enables you to recognize when your ego is responding to the same ego in someone else. It’s the mirror effect. You are revealed through the reflection of someone else’s behavior. We typically don’t recognize ourselves and believe that it’s the other person with the issue, when often times we have those very same traits. Woman, know thyself. The more you know about you, the real you, the better you know what areas need to be developed.

3) Let go of the need to be right

Oh man! This is a big one. I just know it! Letting go of your need to be right gives notice to your ego that it does not control you. Ego is a tough opponent and will not go away silently into the night. Take a close notice to when you “demand” to be right and the other person is “always” wrong. That my dear is the “Ego game.” You will consistently and regularly explain yourself to prove yourself right. When you feel yourself in the middle of this “game,” stop and ask yourself, Do I want to be right or do I want to exhibit love? For the sake of relationships, personal and professional, let go of being right. I have learned that “right” will surface at some point down the road with relationships in tact. Because of how relentless ego can be, we don’t just want to be right, we want to be right, right now because it wants to protect you from being embarrassed. But when you choose love it expands you and grows you and keeps your ego in check and it’s no longer about being embarrassed, but then about being an example.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cheryl Pullins is Speaker and Peak Mastery Coach for women with BIG dreams and want EXTRAORDINARY results. As a coach and speaker, she empowers women to embrace their brilliance, release their gifts and create a life they love. Get tips, tools and empowerment at: www.iCoachWomen.com

I have been building my subscriber list for a few years now. It's had wear and tear, much of it because of my abuse.  I switched focus, lost focus, tried different paths, different brands...all of the things new business owners tend to do when they're finding their way.

There are a ton of reasons people stay on your subscriber list.  Many stay even when they're no longer getting value. Maybe it's because they like you as a person, though they don't have interest in your topic. Or maybe they forgot to disconnect at some point. Instead they just delete everything you send.

Perhaps, they find a few tidbits of information you've sent for free they could appreciate, but now that you're asking them to invest they are offended.  The point is - my audience members came in for different reasons and stayed for different reasons.

The danger in this is at some point, you may find yourself with a huge list of people that DON'T CARE A THING ABOUT YOUR OFFER.

Signs of a list that needs to be downsized? You have dead silence when you're sending out market survey questions. You actually look at your metrics and find that your open rate is not only low, it's in the red. No one shows up for your special events that are only for your subscribers.

When these things are happening although you have list quantity, it's a good chance you have a list that needs to be downsized.

Recently I did a downsizing of my list.  It gave me a sense of freedom I never thought I'd have. At first, I was afraid (♪ I was petrified ♫...I love that song...short digression...ok, back on track now). Seriously though, when you work hard to build a good sized list it can be very intimidating to even think about minimizing it or tearing it apart.

But I had to do it.

Ever heard of the law of the vacuum?  Catherine Ponder talked about it in the book, The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity.  It says something like, "Make room for the thing you desire by letting go of that which you do not appreciate or use. Give it away with a giving, charitable heart, and let the Universe compensate you."   In other words, when you let go and make space you have more room to receive what's really meant for you.

I knew that downsizing my list would put me in a different place, giving me the freedom to really talk directly to an interested audience of people who want what I have to share. No more wondering "do they care?" or "is anybody listening?" And for them - the ones who were purged voluntarily from my list - I gave them back freedom, freedom to read and receive information they truly would find useful and immediately applicable.

So how did I do it? I'll break it down for you:

First, I used my email marketing service, Mailchimp (shout out - "eep eep"), to evaluate my list. They have some pretty decent analytics and along with a tool called Hairball, it was pretty easy to create a small list, or segment of people who were rated below a 3 rating. These ratings give you an idea of how often your emails are opened or clicked by the user, along with a few other stats. Your service may have a different way to show you this information.

The key is to figure out who is least active in your list over a period of time. By the way, I did not include users who were fairly new and still building a rating.  Since they recently added themselves to the list, I assumed they have an interest in my content.

Second, I sent out an email to the folks in that group about 14 days before the purge date (you can adapt this to your comfort level). The subject line read something like "Only open this if you want to keep getting my emails!". I wanted to make it super easy for those who didn't open them anyway to take little to no action. Only the genuinely interested people would reply back to say "leave me on the list". And yes, I had several who read the email explaining my "Spring Cleaning List Purge" and they asked to stay on.

Great! That separated those who were missing in action, but still interested so I wouldn't remove them from the active list.

Third, on the date I'd set for myself I exported the segmented list (minus the ones who wanted to stay) and did a mass unsubscribe. I will admit, I was pretty nervous but after I clicked enter I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.  It was like, "now I get to talk to people who really care to connect with me and to get the full benefit of my sharing".

Here was another added benefit I didn't think about until later. You know how many email service providers charge you based on your total count of subscribers? Well, I was able to reduce my own email marketing fees because of the reduced count. Cha-ching!

Now mind you, I would be fine paying more for a more responsive, targeted list. It was just a good reality check to realize that I was actually paying to keep people on my list who never really wanted the info anyway.

So that's my story...and I hope it connects with you in some way. Does it make you think about downsizing your own list?  Don't you think that having 100 or 200 or 500 people who really connect with your message is better than having thousands who don't get it and won't take action at all?

As a business owner, we have choices to make for the good of our customers and ourselves. I chose to downsize for peace of mind and it was one of the best decisions I've made so far in my business.

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About the Author: Tanya Smith is a creative online business strategist and coach specializing in showing independent service providers how to simplify, save time & stand out with simple strategies that engage more quality leads and clients. Her company Be Promotable provides fresh actionable strategies and virtual resources to promote business owners as power players in their market. Get free tools to simplify and stand out online at: www.tanyasmithonline.com

You have a Facebook page. You have some fans. Nicely done. Now, like the smart beauty salon business you are, you're looking for some proven ways to engage your followers so you can acquire more of them and make the most of your presence on Facebook.

Engaging your fans is a critical piece to building and maintaining a long-lasting relationships on Facebook—and offline! Here are a few timeless strategies that local beauty salon businesses are using with great results.

♦ Spread the Love

Tell your fans how much you appreciate them. Tell ‘em often!

Thanking your fans for their questions, complimenting them on their comments, highlighting their success stories—these things go a looong, long way in social media. Many smart beauty salon businesses on Facebook run a ‘Fan of the Month’ promotion to encourage and reward engagement.

This is really savvy way to make people feel good about themselves and your business while also capitalizing on the power of social proof.

♦ Offer Coupons and Run Promotions

Discounts, coupons, special offers … your followers will NEVER get tired of opportunities to save money and get more value from their purchases. Pro tip: If you want to run a promotion for a specific geographic location, use the Custom menu when you’re posting to target your followers in a certain area

♦ Share Your Knowledge

You run a beauty salon business. You have special knowledge and insight. You can help people. So share! People are always grateful for information that makes their lives easier or more fulfilling. Sharing helpful tips is some of the best engagement around.

It also helps you take advantage of the reciprocity principle: do something nice for someone, they’ll feel bound to return the favor.

♦ Issue a Challenge

We humans are deeply competitive by nature and simply cannot resist a challenge, an opportunity to show the world that we’re pretty darn smart. Test your fans’ knowledge using fun quizzes and polls. Trivia, brain teasers, riddles … you’ll have your followers eating out of your hand by day’s end, trust me.

♦ Take Photos of Your Happy Clients & Customers

Don’t hire a professional photographer. Just start snapping photos with your cellphone and post them to Facebook. You will be amazed—truly—at how people respond. Data collected by social media expert Dan Zarrella shows that photos get more shares and likes than text, video and link updates. This also a great social-proof strategy: other folks will see people enjoying your products/services and they’ll want to join the party, so to speak.

♦ Ask for Advice

The highest compliment a business can pay to its customers is to ask for their input. If you own a beauty parlour, ask your fans to come up with a new beauty salon giveaway! Or let them name your new product. Make it a contest! Solicit ideas and then let your fans vote for their favorite.

♦ Use Insights to See What’s Working

Here’s the beauty of Facebook: you can see what’s working and what’s not. Just export your Facebook Insights data to an Excel spreadsheet to a get quick, clear look at which status updates performed best, what kind of media your audience responds to and what's driving engagement.

Could your beauty salon business be generating more clients and customers online?

Contact me today for your free marketing assessment!

In this 20 minute interview, I'm speaking with Attorney Aurelia Mitchell-Durant of AMD Law Group (http://amdlawgroup.com) about Pinterest and the key issues service providers need to be aware of when using this social tool. Aurelia is an expert in international branding for businesses, as well as brand protection. Some good stuff here.

Catch the interview audio here

Here's a few of the tips shared during the interview:

1. Keep the images you use intact in their original format (i.e. don't make the mistake of claiming something is yours when it's not)
2. Look for signs on the site where you're pulling images from that it's acceptable for you to post the image (i.e. is there a "pin it" button?)
3. Remember you can always  ...

Check it out and let me know what you think. Anything else to add to the list?

Becoming a Power Player in the Coaching Business isn't easy, but it's possible.

Ladies – are you:

• A woman with a defined area of expertise or a unique skill to offer the world who is trying to determine if coaching is the right pathway?
• An ambitious female entrepreneur who started your own coaching business and is trying to figure out how to get your business out of first gear?
• A woman who ealized that the corporate world was not for her and left to use your expertise as a coach in your field?
• A professional coach with an established coaching business who isn't earning what you deserve?

If you fit into any of these categories, keep reading.

The Coaching Business is like a game of chess and every woman entrepreneur must play to win. Regardless of your current position in the industry, all women share one common drive – to become the Queen of our respective domain. However, in order to become a Power Player, you must have more than desire and determination; you need to have a Framework for Success.

Let me start by setting the table:

In my twenty-four years in business, I’ve had the opportunity to sit in the C-Suite of two National Healthcare Corporations, work as a Division Chief for three State Government Agencies, serve as a Commissioner for Women in 2 states, and direct a National Women’s Association. In these roles, I hired a variety of coaches to help with skill development, provide training and speak at conferences. Today, as a National Business Consultant and Trainer, I have the pleasure of coaching hundreds of women (and men) in corporate leadership roles, as well as small business entrepreneurs.

Coaching is an industry that’s ripe, if you pick from the right tree! I want to see women entrepreneurs rock the coaching industry like never before; and now is the ideal time. But the only way this can be done is if more women learn how to become “Power Players”. A Power Player is a women that, no matter where she began her coaching journey – be it in the “Hood” or at “Harvard” – knows how to play the game exceptionally well, stand out, and even change the game altogether.

What Does It Take to be a Power Player?

The business arena is the ultimate proving ground for one’s skills and abilities, especially as a coach. It’s the ultimate self-development and growth experience. The business world provides you with the opportunity to stretch your mind and broaden your expertise in the process of producing results for your clients. Coaching is a matter of expanding the capacity of one person or many to win in the Super Bowl of their own life or career, but your coaching skills have to be a proficient enough to show them how to do that.

The structures, models and methodologies of the coaching business are numerous, but most are designed to facilitate learning new behavior for personal growth or professional advancement. Coaching is the process of helping to identify the skills and capabilities that are within a person, and enabling them to use them to the best of their ability. As a coach, you must possess the skill, ability and ingenuity to help people envision and create the better future for themselves or their organizations.

Becoming a Power Player in the coaching industry encompasses four things:

1. Learning the Game – This involves knowing the rules of the industry, understanding your niche in the field, and figuring out what it takes to be one of the top contenders.
2. Playing the Game – This involves knowing how to connect with the right networks, figuring out where to focus your efforts to build your clientele, and what products and services you should offer.
3. Mastering the Game – This involves figuring out how to build eminence in the market and how to position yourself to continuously move through a series of destinations to avoid complacency.
4. Redefining the Game – This involves leaving your mark in the field, becoming a revolutionary coach, and creating a legacy that will impacting others for years to come.

Now that you know what it takes, let’s outline the Power Player Manifesto. To be a powerful coach in today’s business environment, you must be serious about putting your coaching services on the national map and this requires a specific vision, mindset and method. The infographic below provides a framework to show you the four most critical areas for coaches to establish themselves and/or improve in order to step-up their game during the last quarter of 2012 and in 2013.

The Framework:

• Business Strategy – How You Compete:

This helps establish your “position” in the field and guides how you compete. Coaches aren’t and shouldn’t try to be experts in every area. What is your established area of expertise? What type of coach are you – life, business, career, health, fitness, spiritual, executive, dating, financial, etc. Find and establish your niche. Trying to be a jack-of-all-trades makes you a master of none. Likewise, if you were a mailroom supervisor making $38,000 a year at the height of your professional career, you shouldn’t jump into the coaching business claiming to be able to show people how to make a million dollars as entrepreneurs – unless you’ve already made your first million.

Compete based upon what you know, do well, and can demonstrate past results! Your clients will know if your expertise is being recited from a blog or a book or if it came from your own experience and knowledge. Your business strategy should always flow from the position you’re establishing in the market. For example, Life Coaches offer very different services & products, and address a completely different set of issues than Executive Coaches and you don’t want to send a mixed message to clients or potential clients.

• Branding Strategy – How You Build a Name, Reputation and Loyal Clients:

Once you know your business, then you can build a powerful brand. Your brand as a Coach is the platform upon which you stand and the promise of what you plan to offer to clients. Therefore, your brand messaging has to be consistent with the business area in which you’ve positioned yourself. If you’re a Business Coach, why would you market your latest “healthy living” product or "organic soap"? However, if health & wellness is a part of your business coaching platform, how have you integrated the two areas? Do your clients understand the correlation between all of your products and services? You don’t want potential clients to think that you’ve changed focus areas based upon your brand messaging, particularly if you cater to corporate clients.

• Financial Strategy – How You Profit:

This is where the rubber meets the road. If you’ve started or plan to launch a coaching business for lifestyle economy reasons (i.e. to augment your 9-5 paycheck) and you’re not looking to build wealth as an entrepreneur, then none of this information is really pertinent. But, if you are in the coaching business to build an enterprise economy, then you must have the right financial strategy and revise it as the needs or trends in the market change. Do you know what are other coaches charging? Are your products comparable? Upon what did you base your pricing model? Did you know that pricing is related to and can actually dictate your target market? Pricing too low or too high can also make it difficult for you to move up or down at a later date.

Keep in mind that Ken Blanchard can bill a million+ dollars for his teams coaching services. Your products and methods may be just as good, if not better, but you have to prove that you are worth the higher bill rate. Posting YouTube videos of yourself sitting on your bed giving a coaching lesson in business management strategies won't get you to the million dollar club! Proven business experience comes from results and outcomes. What results can you show with current clients to substantiate your pricing model or bill rate?

• Leadership Strategy – How You Build Eminence and Grow Your Business:

Okay – now for some real talk. If you don’t consistently play this game like you’re a “true” WNBA player, then you’ll end up on the bench or in early retirement. You must focus on optimizing what you offer and maximizing the results for your clients. Every day hundreds of men and women are stepping into the coaching field, including CEO’s from billion dollar corporations with “proven business experience” and the competition is fierce. Whatever got you to where you are today, won’t keep you there tomorrow.

If you want to be a leader in the field, you must be innovative and focus on solutions. Leaders don’t follow the same tactics as others, they figure out how to do things better and how to add more value than their competitors. Ask yourself this question, if you had to pitch a proposal for coaching services in "Change Management" to a group of CEO's from 3 Fortune 500 Companies, what innovative service or product could you bring to them that would make you a top contender against Ken Blanchard Companies, Anthony Robbins, or even another small business coach? This question illustrates why your leadership strategy must focus on where you want to go as a coach, and not just on where you are today!

Was this article helpful? I'd love to hear your comments!

If you are serious about becoming a Business-Savvy Entrepreneur and a Successful Coach and you want to increase your earning potential, Monique Stoner can help!

Visit her website at www.moniquestoner.com. Monique has upcoming webinars focused on helping women in the Coaching and Consulting Businesses. LIKE her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoniqueStonerFanPage to get immediate notices about her webinars.

Monique is also launching the MBA Center for Women website and virtual training services on Oct. 16, 2012 at www.mbacenterforwomen.com. 

Check out the MBACW e-Brochure!

My eldest child plays soccer.  She's pretty good at it too.  And this year, her team moved up to Division 1 so things are exceptionally competitive.

When she was younger, the "Princess" was always ultra polite - one of those kids who all the teachers fawn over because she said, "please" and "thank you".  I suppose that's not a commonality much anymore.  But that streak of politeness doesn't work very well when you play competitive sports.  You have to be pretty tough and thick-skinned.

Now that she's older, the Princess still has a very quiet strength about her.  She is at the stage now where her feelings are fragile (she's a tweener), but she gets assertive on the field because her goal is clear as a Forward - be in front position to get the ball to and into the net.

This week, while she was targeting the goal, a kid on the other team recognized her skill and honed in on her.  The competitor started hounding her pretty hard verbally and physically...to the point that she was elbowing the Princess constantly.  At one point, she elbowed her so hard in the ribs she went down, tears in her eyes and a defeated look on her generally smiling face.  Things didn't look good.

I waited until half time and went over to check on her.  When I got there, I looked her in the eye and asked her how she was.  Although she responded quietly, "fine", I could tell her eyes were saying, "she's getting to me".  I told her I knew she was stronger than that but for the rest of the game, that girl took the fight out of my Princess.

You know I gave her 'the talk' on the drive home, right?  But in my heart I knew none of that would matter until SHE knew she was strong enough to overcome the pain and that much of it was in her own mind.

As I prayed about it later on, I had a revelation.  It was this -- how often do we allow our dreams to be sidetracked and wiped out because of FEAR?  It can creep up on you, whisper things in your ear that tell you "you're not good enough" or " you can't do this" and when you listen and let it knock you down, you lose sight of the goal -- the main reason why you're even playing the game.  Your business and your personal life suffer when you let Fear get the best of you.

Like I told the Princess, we have to never let our fear see us sweat - it may be there, but you look it in the eye and you show it just how good you are. Never lose sight of the goal. Because just like the game that night? We were destined to win and it happened anyway - in spite of what fear tried to do.  It can kick your butt and you may even need a little Tylenol afterwards, but don't let fear put you out of the game.

Get your theme song going in your head.  Mine is by Mary Mary and it's called Get Up.

Some of the words go like this,

"What are you afraid of? Don't you know what you're made of? One of God's greatest creations. Take this invitation now.
Get up, 'cause you can't stop. Get up, got a lot to do. 24 hours, almost gone.
Get up, don't sit back. Get up, if you wanna get there. Clocks don't stop and time won't wait."

Just remember, you have the power to choose - keep your head in the game, or let fear bully you into giving up. What's it going to be?

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE?

You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it...

About the Author: Tanya Smith is a creative business strategist and coach specializing in showing independent service providers how to simplify, save time & stand out with simple strategies that engage more quality leads and clients. Her company Be Promotable provides fresh actionable strategies and virtual resources to promote business owners as power players in their market. Get free tools to simplify and stand out online at: www.tanyasmithonline.com

Moving Your Business from Potential to Profitability in 2013

Entrepreneurs – as you think about your business plan for 2013, consider the following questions:

• Did your gross receipts exceed the level of effort and resources put in the business in 2012? (This answer indicates whether you have a business, per IRS standards, or just a hobby)
• Are you aware of the substantial changes in your industry that will impact your business next year? (This includes new technologies, new competitors, new laws, etc.)
• If Business Growth is one of your goals for 2013, have you already figured out what will be the “RIGHT” type of growth? (i.e. not just more clients, but the clients with whom you will have continuous sales next year)
• If you are a Coach or Speaker, what “new” insights, services or products do you plan to bring to your clients or audiences next year? (In other words, what will make you stand apart from all the others in your field?)

As a solo entrepreneur or a small business owner, you may have the “potential” to make millions, but if you have not mapped out a strategy for addressing issues such as the ones listed above, increasing your profitability in 2013 is unlikely. Your business plan outlines your business structure, but a solid strategy is the bridge to get you to your destination.

As entrepreneurs, we must relentlessly pursue our highest level of potential in business. Utilizing our full potential empowers us to serve the world with our unique gifts and talents, while being compensated accordingly for doing so. I believe that every entrepreneur should strive for extraordinary success. If you know the precise destination in which you’d like to take your company, then you have a definite target for which to aim.

First, let’s look at why you need a strategy and not just a business plan:

• Business plans are essential to have, but they are used primarily to start a business, obtain funding, or direct ongoing operations
• A strategic plan is used to provide focus, direction and action in order to move your business from where it is now to where you want to go
• A strategic plan is critical for prioritizing your three most valuable, but limited resources (time, talent and capital) to grow the revenue and increase the return on investment
• A strategic plan focuses on building a sustainable competitive advantage and is futuristic in nature

Strategy helps you make clear and conscious choices about the direction of your company in relation to what’s happening in the dynamic business environment. Armed with strategic knowledge, you’re in a much better position to respond proactively to a changing environment.

Second, let’s review some of the fine points and benefits of small business strategy:

• To establish a unique value proposition as compared to your competitors
• To enable you to do the RIGHT things at the RIGHT time
• To identify the tradeoffs and clarify what you should not do
• To focus on activities that fit together and reinforce each other
• To execute your business plan in a way that provides distinct and tailored value to customers

Third, strategic planning is the most effective way to “position” your solo venture or small business for success and profitability. Positioning helps you align your business activities with the goals that you have set and it helps differentiate your products and services from others in the mind of the consumer. If you think positioning your business strategically is an easy task, consider the following senarios:

• The owner of a local bakery wants to remain small and local, but needs to increase profits. How should the owner adjust and align all business activities, including operations, inventory, marketing and customer service in order to achieve these goals in 2013?
• A clothing designer wants to position her business to grow into a much bigger regional or national company in 2013. In what way would she need to adjust operations and inventory to cater to a broader client base? How will the owner develop the distribution channels needed to achieve this goal? How much will she need to invest initially – before profits?
• A Health & Wellness Coach has been planning to launch a new suite of wellness products in 2013. She just found out that another contender in the market is also launching a similar suite of products with a sophisticated online portal at a much lower rate. The competitor is also positioning themselves to become a player in the healthcare exchange market in 2014. How should this Coach adjust her go-to-market strategy?

These are actal strategy senarios from three of my current clients. As you can see, developing a profitable and competitive strategy is much more complex than just putting together a business plan. You have to know the direction you want your company or solo venture to take, understand how to position yourself, and align the various elements of your enterprise with that directional goal. This avoids wasting time and effort on activities that don't add to your bottom line.

I realize that it’s not easy, so I want to help you develop a solid Game Plan for your business in 2013. Because I want you to succeed, you don’t have to work through this process alone. Joined by two other phenomenal business coaches (Chloe Taylor Brown and Cheryl Budden Earls), we have scheduled two workshops in an effort to coach and train you in the development of your “2013 Strategic Play Book”!

Follow the link below to find out more about the Strategic Coaching Workshops that I'll be offering in December, with Chloe Taylor Brown and Cheryl Budden Earls! Armed with the right strategy, you can Rock 2013 and drastically increase your profitability!

Click Here To Get Started with the 2013 Small Business Prosperity Challenge Today: www.moniquestoner.com/2013-prosperity-challenge. It's totally FREE & there's no obligation.

Also, for additional 2013 Business Planning Tips, read my Five Steps to Business Success in 2013 article - http://www.moniquestoner.com/five-steps-to-business-success-in-2013/

We all want to live the uncommon life. I know I do. As a coach, I value change and reinvention. I believe change is necessary for energizing your soul. The one thing I know is that changing your perspective is key to an uncommon life. In order to see the fluidity of life, you must see it through a new eye. This may require daily refocusing. It's like refreshing your eye "browser." We need to refresh every now and then with a new direction, new relationships, new knowledge, new assignments and whatever else that will jumpstart us out of the common to the uncommon. If you are responding to life out of the old eye, allow me to share some concepts on how to live the uncommon life.

• It's important to see yourself as a brand. You are your own message. Ask yourself, "what am I saying to people when they encounter me? Who and what do you represent? Make the appropriate adjustments to deliver the right message.
• It's important to reinvent yourself 2-3 times in your life because there is so much more untapped potential on the inside of you that it will take your whole lifespan to bring it out.
• You must be active in the game of life - you must keep going because success comes through working it out. Giving up is not an option unless you know that you are absolutely in the wrong place. And even then, take what you've learned in that place and keep moving forward.
• Stop looking at the mountain top and purpose in your heart to start at the level you know you fit. Then, advance up the mountain one step at a time. Cover all of your bases.
• Figure out what your goals are because doing nothing will cost you. Create weekly, monthly, yearly goals.
• You can get what you want as a long as you can help other people to get what they want. In other words, don't live a selfish life. What you do for others, God will make happen for you.
• Listen to your dissatisfaction. Sometimes when you are unsatisfied, your heart may be trying to tell you something. Don't override your internal alarm system.
• You must see things that normal people don't see. Train your eye to see beyond what is there. Examine the different territories that you find yourself in and create from what you see.
• Learn to give more than you have. God's economy is vastly different than the world's economy. It doesn't make sense to give when you don't have anything, but when you sow into people's lives, you shall reap. It's the law of nature.
• Move away from people who don't believe in you and who don't agree with the plan for your life. Otherwise they will pull on your motivation and enthusiasm. Stay connected to people who bring light into your life.

Want to know more about how to live an uncommon life using what's already on the inside of you, visit www.unlimitedcoaching4you.com for more information. Do you want to become a coach, a new Become a Certified Coach program in life coaching and health and wellness is about to start in September. Contact me for more information.

When a businessman embark on a new business venture, they readily go processing ideas on complicated marketing strategies and other ways of promoting their business but none of their efforts are dedicated to business branding. Indeed, with so much factors coming into play, it is easy to miss out on the most essential and basic aspect. But that is just one half of it, since the other half is dedicated into ensuring that you can build an effective brand that will produce results for your marketing efforts.

But the key to an effective branding strategy is to be able to deliver. You must be able to back up your claims and produce exactly as you say. Majority of your business sales and profits come from repeat customers, after all. An effective business branding system involves the following:

Customer Satisfaction

Brand is just a mere representation of your company. Therefore, it must reflect exactly what your business can deliver for the customers and build its reputation from there. If you cannot produce quality product or services, then regardless of how potent your branding system or strategies are, you'd never be able to turn your marketing campaigns into a sales force.

Therefore, you need to be as sensitive to your customers' needs as possible. But only to a certain extent that you still hold control over the image and reputation that you want your brand to exhibit.

Indeed, brand equity is a vital aspect in every business, especially consumer-based equity. It reflects the level of trust and attitude that a customer has towards a product associated with a given brand. This is impacted by the actual experience that a consumer has had with the product such that brand loyalty is affected by factors such as perceived quality and the delivery of the product.

Consistency

One of the most effective ways to build trust amongst your customers is to be consistent with the message you are trying to convey. Consistency is most important when exhibiting the values that are key and vital in your company. Then, focus on every aspect of your business to ensure that it remains consistent with the values professed by your company and that they make a good representation of the company's vision.

Expanding Your Brand

Creating a brand for your company is not only limited to the creation of a logo. While it is essential, your work does not stop there. After all, a logo is just a representation of your professional image but there are several factors in between that would help translate them into sales. You do not even have to spend lots of money to fulfill them. In every form of communication that you use in your business transactions, include your company logo in it, whether you'd be using business cards, yellow page ads, newsletters, letterhead, invoices, envelopes, and many more. Your logo is of no use unless you are able to capitalize on it and make it do its work for you.

Managing Your Brand

As market trends continue to change and evolve, so must your approach at branding strategies. While you set your own company's branding standards, you also need to look into exceeding those promises you've set and this is one of the most effective ways to generate more customers. On the other end, one failure could eventually ruin your business' reputation on a long haul.

If you see any opportunity where changes can be done or improvements can be executed, then don't be afraid to execute them. This is one way for your business to stay on top of things and keep up with changing trends in the market for an effective business branding effort.

An Inspirational Post for Business Women

For more than twenty years now, I’ve trained and coached women in leadership and business acumen and I am a staunch advocate for women being afforded the opportunity to utilize their talents and leave their mark as leaders in corporate America or the small business arena. It gives me great pleasure to see so many women today pursuing their dreams as entrepreneurs and corporate executives. In an uncertain economy, women have proven that we are a stalwart force in the business world.

Consequently, as we sashay our way down the road to success, we will inevitably face a few storms – and some will be intense. Sales are down, your marketing strategies aren’t working, and your small business is quickly losing money…. Your corporation is undergoing an acquisition and as a member of the management team, your position is being considered for elimination…. Your doctor discovers a clogged artery in your heart during a routine checkup and immediately schedules you for surgery…. Your marriage of eighteen years has suddenly come to an end…. One of your ailing parents has been diagnosed with cancer and you will have to serve as caregiver during their treatment…. The list of personal and professional storms could go on and on.

Every woman has braved, battled and survived many storms in her life. Some of us are even perceptive enough that we can actually smell the storm coming and we brace ourselves, because we know that this latest one will eventually pass just like the rest. If you’re experienced in dealing with life’s storms you can often see what caused them and you understand the internal and external forces behind the strong winds. Wisdom teaches you what doors to close, which windows to barricade and alerts you when you need to take shelter. You either take shelter in your faith, within yourself, or with those who love and support you.

What makes some storms more difficult and disturbing is not simply that we are facing problems or emotionally difficult times; it’s the fact that it knocks us down before we’ve had a chance to brace ourselves. Some storms are neither light, nor gentle, nor quick in passing. Have you ever been through a storm that was so demanding and dramatic that it forced you to pay attention to your life, relationships, professional circumstances and inner self in a way that you never have before? I’m transparent enough to say that I have – recently and more than once. Some storms can be stubborn, compelling us to face the things that we want to avoid and insisting that we address those things that we have been reluctant to even imagine, let alone endure.

The word unexpected doesn’t even come close to describing how it feels when our reality is suddenly disrupted by circumstances, challenges and issues we never thought we would be facing. One moment, you’re going about your business, and suddenly you look up and to your utter astonishment, everything has changed. In a state of bewilderment, you ask yourself, “What happened?” Isn’t it amazing how some storms present themselves in the most shocking and surprising ways imaginable? They don’t always afford us the luxury of preparation. Personal and professional storms also don’t discriminate. A surge of problems can erupt in your life whether you’re an executive in a C-suite role or a mom blogger working from home.

The good news is that storms aren’t necessarily indicative of your skill, talent or effectiveness. They also aren’t always a sign that you have veered from the course and are heading in the wrong direction. In business and in life, storms occur to help us learn, grow and improve. As professional women and entrepreneurs, we do not have an endless flow of stamina, ideas or skills. That’s why Resilience is vital to our success. Resilience is the ability to bounce back, cope, renew, and revitalize, and learning to be resilient is a full-time job. Most women can demonstrate their ability to lead and wield influence during the best of times, but it’s the tough times and stormy moments that really breed and define a woman who is a great leader and role model for others.

Even though I have a successful career and a loving, supportive family, in the past few months, I have been in the midst of a storm. It started with a diagnosis & treatment for deep vein thrombosis. Then it brought significant changes & challenges in my corporate consulting role; the ending of a few personal and professional relationships that had been an anchor to me for several years; and it ended with an unforeseen major surgery that required six weeks for recovery impacting my ability to work or take care of myself. I share my personal experience only as a means of encouragement for other women in business. Wonder woman is a fictitious character – real women in today’s workforce have to contend with a number of different challenges both at home and in the office.

I feel more empowered and renewed now than before. The storm watered several dry places in my life and career, and revitalized my commitment to being a leader and a business coach for women. If you are in the midst of a personal or professional storm, this is your opportunity to take control of your future, strengthen your resolve, and enhance the value that you bring to others and to the business world. Whether you lead a business, nonprofit organization, civic association or a family, here are some thoughts for you to consider on being a resilient leader during tough and challenging times.

• Seize the Moment: This is your opportunity to bring out the best of who you are, so use this moment to grow and prosper like never before.
• Focus on Personal Mastery: You will be a more powerful leader if you use this time to recognize and understand your own strengths and limitations.
• Don’t Complain: Protesting what’s happening to you will only make you crawl into a defensive cocoon. Shake the dust off, learn the lessons, and focus on the offense.
• Build Self-Awareness: Self-Awareness helps you understand the context of your challenges and figure out what resources you need to develop within yourself.
• Take Time for Personal Growth: The only way to grow and improve is through learning. Great leaders aren’t born; they are molded through years of learning and development.
• Plan Your Next Move: If you have recently taken shelter from a storm, this is not the time to simply rely on a wing and a prayer. Use this time to map out your course with compass like accuracy.

We can’t stop the storms from coming into our lives, but we can use the storms as turning points. Remember, what will make you a more powerful business woman and extraordinary leader is your ability to weather the storms, and come through them renewed with the wisdom and insight that you need for the next part of your success journey!

Question: Have you been through a personal or professional storm recently? How did it make you a better leader and business woman? I'd love to hear your story.

Visit www.moniquestoner.com to connect with me, read more blog posts and articles, or to download one of the many business insights articles for women.

I WAS THAT GIRL...THE ONE WHO THOUGHT SHE HAD TO FIX EVERYTHING, CONTROL EVERY OUTCOME AND JUST BE IN CONTROL ALL THE TIME. Until I had a revelation...FEAR is a manmade myth and that when I learn to LET GO I gain control...enjoy the blog post below where I share my insight into my revelation and how you can uncover the same journey for yourself. ~Katrina

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I started my day as normal, clear focused intentions, meditation time and time to give thanks. I’m ready to hit my day swinging focusing on my W.I.N. and making things happen because that’s what creatives do. Then it hit me….my video camera battery was completely out and the video I needed to record early this morning to send to my list for registration to my 21 Day challenge was already 3 hours late. My kids were in full fledge “mommy! mommy!” mode and I felt the twinge of “ugh” reach my belly – an all to familiar feeling of…”FEAR”

I know the signs…frustration, annoyance “why didn’t I charge the camera up last night!!!” and even the feeling of putting off my objective for today for another day (procrastination). ALL the ugly signs of FEAR that in the past would mean I would find myself “fighting” to get through the day, needing to make sacrifices instead of choices. I wasn’t having it…afterall I wrote the book on learning to “let go” and Embrace the real journey of your life. No way I was going to start tripping today.

Instead I did what I have learned to do…I told FEAR to buzz off…in my Martin Lawrence voice I told it to “Get to Steppin’” because I know now that FEAR isn’t real. It’s a manufactured emotion we’ve created when the perception of the world doesn’t happen the way we “think” it should. In other words…I ignored the fear and instead found courage to make a different choice.

Why is Fear a Myth?

It would take me an entire book to explain how I have come and am still evolving to learn that FEAR is a big ole nasty myth that we’ve all purchased, but to put it in few words. Fear is a myth because all that there is is LOVE and ABUNDANCE. We’ve been conditioned to accept fear because we have also been conditioned that we cannot control but should fight to control everything.  You know…the client that doesn’t respond to the email fast enough or even the partner that doesn’t seem to “get” your point of view in business or maybe the product launch that isn’t selling. We feel as though we have to fight every battle in life…with only a few worth fighting. All those creepy thoughts that love to remind you that ‘fear” is a constant thing we must FIGHT-{a daily battle of external manifestations that don’t add up to our PERCEPTION of the world}. The constant reminder of Fear that we’re not good enough, smart enough, have enough money, our kids don’t do enough or fear that we’re not working hard enough to push past generational curses that we are determined not to repeat. So we MUST fight.

Continue to read the full Blog post here...

Aren't you always hearing "I wish I could attract more money into my life?" I think I've said it myself a few times...I've heard it a lot of times. Especially with that mega millions lottery in the U.S. a few short months ago! And we all heard a few stories coming out of that one, didn't we?

I've checked around and couldn't find anyone who answered 'no' to this question. The reason is - like it or not - much of what determines how much enjoyment we get out of our business or even life depends on the amount of money we have. Sure there are people out there who will tell you they don't want to be rich and that money is the root of all evil blah, blah but these are really misguided beliefs about money that have developed over time. (By the way, the scripture actually says "the LOVE of money is the root...", but we won't get into semantics for this article. Check it out.)

But seriously, who wouldn't want to be able to afford the things they want and need? You already have the ability; you just have so much poverty thinking and baggage in the way, you can't make room for prosperity in your life.

Much of what I share about branding and putting automation systems in place has to do with money - either making more of it or saving it. If you are in business, you need money to keep the business going; otherwise, it's a H-O-B-B-Y, or something else.

It's important to put aside any negative limiting beliefs others have dumped on you about money (did you cringe just now because you read that word again? if so, that's a sign of those ill-gotten beliefs kicking in).

If you are one of the few who had parents with a positive money mindset, consider yourself blessed. But if you are in the majority of people who had parents who believed in hard work, education and the idea that anyone who made money easily was simply lucky, lazy or immoral, then keep reading because you need this.

Money is, of itself, not bad and the amount of it you have is in essence a result of a few key beliefs some people engage in very well. (Trust me, it's taken me quite awhile to get this. I wasn't the fastest cookie in the jar on this at first, especially when I was newer to business).

Let me share just a few brief principles here...
Develop A Wealth Mindset

If your head is full of the conviction that rich people are greedy or power-hungry or must have done something illegal in order to gather the riches that they have, then you don’t have a wealth mindset. And if you don’t have a wealth mindset, then no amount of hard work you do will make up for your lack of money. Just like the poor dad in Robert Kiyosaki's 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad, you will ALWAYS be struggling.

Here's something about rich people that you may not know. Rich people are people who have a strong conviction that there is nothing wrong with being rich and that they deserve it. Not only that, people with a true wealth mindset actually believe that money can be a source for good. It supports families and provides them with food, clothing and shelter. It launches successful businesses that in turn support and replenish communities.
Change Your Motivation

Money can help us get whatever we want. However, there are lots and lots of motivations for being wealthy, some of them good, some of them not so much.

There are people who believe the world is full of abundance and money is instrumental in that cycle of abundance. So it is natural that they think being wealthy is a worthwhile goal. They see it as being within their reach. And for these people, it generally is easier to achieve, because their belief system is in complete alignment and harmony with their sub-conscious mind, which always wants to push us towards well-being. Isn't that cool how God did that? ... creating us to be well? do well? It's our own choices and actions that often take us down a different path.

Something I learned studying NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) for a year with a master practitioner was "mind and body are part of the same system and affect each other", so what you have been programmed to believe shows up in the way you act and make choices. But...you can change these beliefs. It's a choice you have to make though. Choose to live the way you are now, or prayerfully choose to change direction.

Unfortunately, having a positive mindset about wealth is not something adopted the majority of people. Most people go through life with a 'poverty mindset' and keep striving and striving to meet their immediate needs for fear that they will somehow not have enough.' So they do things like lowering their prices, sounding weak in their offers, giving away services they worked long & hard to invest in building.

Does this sound like anyone you know?

Well, to sum it up; if you desire wealth because you believe it's your ticket to achieving good things for yourself and for others, then it will be much easier for you to become wealthy. Your desire to free yourself from the slavery of having a day job, or working your business 24/7 so you can really live and spend more time with your family and be involved in your community is certainly a worthwhile goal. And you should remind yourself every day how worthwhile this goal is.

Sometimes a little structure and a plan can help...Saturday, 5/19/12 I'm holding a half-day virtual bootcamp called Reclaim My Money Power. If you are an entrepreneur sick of making weak offers, want step-by-step strategies to transform your mentality and you really want to design a wealth legacy for yourself and your family, come join me. You can find out more here:http://reclaimmymoneypower.com. No pressure - I really put this together for all my friends who have been asking. Consider and if it's right for you, I'll see you there.

Importance of Business Branding

Business branding is not just a one-time process. Rather, it is something you work on and build up over a period of time. After all, branding reflects your reputation as a business enterprise. Along with your efforts to create and manage your brand is the efforts of trying to build and protect your relationship with the customer base.

One of the best ways to establish the prominence of your brand in the market is by remaining consistent with the message that is conveyed by your marketing efforts. Refrain from claiming to produce bold and large scale promises. Your customers will easily remember when you fail to deliver in those promises. You could easily lose that reputation that took you years to build. Therefore, you need to pay attention to exactly what you need to do (and what not to do) if you want to turn that trust you have created amongst your customer base into increased sales.

Campaign for Brand Awareness

Since every brand is distinct, you must also utilize varying approaches in communicating the brand's message across to its target market. This part entails immense creativity and a certain level of sensitivity to the needs of your prospected customers.

If you are not sure how to do this, you can take hint from other highly successful brands in the market. Study how they utilize their brand and what strategies they employ to get more people drawn into their brand. For instance, you can work on an emotional campaign, which is something that is rather difficult to do. But once you are able to establish that, then you could potentially increase your sales. One important thing to remember when you are using an emotional campaign is to always speak the truth about what your product is about and what it can do that will benefit your target market.

Tips for a Successful Emotional Campaign

If you decide that you want to appeal on your customer's emotion as your business branding strategy, then you need to consider various aspects that'll make it work. One way to effectively do that is share a story. This story could be fictional or not, but it should have some relation to the brand you are trying to campaign on. The idea here is to be able to produce some sort of personal improvement or progress by using the product.

If possible, base the emotional campaign on the brand itself, not just on the product. That way, you'd be able to produce a distinct campaign that will easily set you apart from competing companies. Then, whatever this message that you use in your campaign, try on remaining consistent with that. You can use different methods and campaign variations, but the message must remain the same in all of your brands.

After you have finalized your campaign, verify every bit of detail that is included in the campaign, whether you are using it for TV or print advertising.

Preserving Business Reputation

The brand recognition phase is over and now you have to utilize ways to preserve your company's reputation. It must involve taking notes and analyzing of your company's actions and how the customers perceive those actions, in relation to their satisfaction about your brand's performance and some other related factors.

Again, sensitivity to your customer's needs and using your brand to address that is one of the most effective measures toward business branding. As you go forward in your business efforts, try to learn more about effective business branding strategies to expand the reach of your brand in the market.