Extraordinary Lives

For Integrity Conscious Entrepreneurs

Extraordinary Lives - For Integrity Conscious Entrepreneurs

It Amazes Me!!! (Networking Taboos)

It amazes me how many people still blatantly commit the most horrendous networking taboos!

Now, I can sense that some (if not all) of these people are wonderful, lovely people under “normal” circumstances.  They put on their “networking hat” and become another person altogether.  Why?  Be yourself.  That’s your best bet.

I know, I still haven’t explained specifically what I’m talking about.  I’ll get to it.  Or perhaps it will be revealed in it’s own time.

Let me ask you…  When you meet someone new, do you introduce yourself and start spewing on about yourself, your hobbies, whatever…  without even pausing to give the other person an opportunity to share their name?  Then, when you’re done with what you have to say, walk away and do the same with the next person you see?

I’m guessing your answer is a resounding “NO!”  (If it’s not, we seriously need to talk!)

Then why would you ever do that at a networking event?  I call that getting “card pushed”…  getting a card pushed into your hands, the person spews off their spiel and POOF, they’re gone…  on to the next “victim”.  I can tell you that when that happens, I remember the person.  It doesn’t, however, inspire me to hire them or to refer them.

It may be good cause, however, for them to hire me.  I can certainly teach them new ways to interact at such events.  I can give everyone one tip right now…  Show a sincere interest in others first.

If you’d like to read about more networking blunders, check out this classic article I wrote…  you’ll note that being a “card pusher” is number one on the list!

 


Create An Environment That Supports Success!!! Enhance Your Physical Environment

You may not realize that your environment can have a huge effect on your success and the ease at which you achieve it.  There are several aspects of your environment that you can redesign to your benefit:

1) your physical environment… the physical space you spend your time in

2) your social environment… the people you spend time with

3) your intellectual or mental environment… the activities you spend your time doing & how they stimulate your mind (or in some cases, how they may stagnate your mind)

4) your emotional environment…  the attitudes and emotions you focus your energy on.

Today, we will discuss your physical environment and some things you can do to optimize it to your advantage.

The single, most high impact activity you can do to enhance your physical environment is simply to de-clutter it. Get rid of items that are not serving you.  If you don’t love it, use it or need it (I mean REALLY need it), get rid of it.

As unnecessary items clutter our physical space, they also subconsciously clutter our minds.  Clear out items you don’t use, need or love and make space for more of what enhances your life.

Ok, now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty, practical “how to”.

If you are very ambitious, you can de-clutter your entire space at once.  However, this is the real world and you may want to have a life concurrently with your de-cluttering endeavor.  So I recommend taking on one small space at a time.  Even one whole room at a time is pretty ambition.  Instead, clear a drawer, shelf or corner and de-clutter it.  If you still have steam, pick another small area.  Before you know it, you’ll be living clutter free and your physical environment will be energizing!

If you don’t have the discipline, time or desire to de-clutter on your own, there are lots of great professional organizers who can take this task on for you.  It may be worth your while if you can let yourself let go of control to delegate this baby.

Here are some resources for you:

Tanya Allason, Professional Organizer

Amber De La Garza, Efficiency Consultant

Another super fun way to enhance your physical environment is to decorate your space in ways that uplift you.  If you keep an item because you love it, don’t store it away…  display it in a way that you can enjoy it everyday.  Use colors you love and that create the mood you want in the space.  You could also utilize the principles of feng shui in your space.  If you’re uncertain about how to do that, get support from the professionals.

Here are some resources:

Deanne Marie, Smart Solutions For Busy People (fabulous decorating)

Magdalena Brandon, Feng Shui Consultant

Look around your physical environment and notice how you feel when you enter a room or even when you look at a particular item.  If you notice you feel anxious or drained, consider making some deliberate changes in the space.  If you notice you feel uplifted and energized, you are on the right track!

Take some time every day to clear out the clutter and take small steps consistently to make your physical environment work for you.

Have an incredible, prosperous week!!!

I’m here to help!  Contact me to schedule a casual, no pressure conversation & we’ll discuss how I can support you.

Jen Kunkel
Business, Marketing & Prosperity Strategist at Connect For Success


Limitations & Possibilities

We were each born into this world, into a particular society, into a specific family, with a framework of culture and traditions, where everything imaginable is done in a certain way.

The society, family, culture and tradition we are born into shape the way we interact with others, our religion, our spirituality, the way we celebrate holidays, the way we think and even the way we feel about ourselves.

From the moment we are born, this framework creates instant limitations for us.

Even when we question components of the framework, we are still questioning them from within the framework itself.

Let’s look, for example, at the concept of government.  I’m not looking to start a political debate.  This is only a hypothetical example that I expect will be universally relatable.

Throughout the world, there are various forms of government and there are many different opinions on which form is best (some people may even say “correct”).  In all these forms of government there is a hierarchy of leaders, with one level having more power (perceived or real) over the other levels and with “the people” being at the lowest level, following the rules/guidance/etc of the leaders.

This hierarchical government model is such a common framework that it’s not even questioned.  It’s just accepted as necessary.  It’s just accepted that you “can’t make everyone happy”.  It’s just accepted that some people are leaders and the rest must follow their direction.

Maybe the real solution to conflict in the world is actually some other model that is completely different and that no one has even thought of yet.  Maybe it is possible to make everyone happy.  Maybe it is possible to have peace without controlling each other.  Maybe we just need to look outside the existing framework to remove the limitations the current model automatically creates.

This is just one example of the infinite number of frameworks each of us functions within every single day and how we don’t even realize the limitations we unconsciously accept.

Look beyond the frameworks you are so familiar with, in every situation.  When you do, you recognize limitations you wouldn’t have otherwise noticed and you can remove those limitations so you can truly think “outside the box”.

See the invitation below for a fun way to get rid of those limitations & make it stick!

Gratefully supporting your success,

Jen

** Fun Invitation ~ to expand your possibilities & let go of limitations **

Join me in this fun & super simple (no cost) program starting April 10th…

Mission Possibilities 21 Day Challenge

You’ll get a very short (some are just one line) email straight to your inbox with a simple “mission” to complete.  Each mission is designed for you to be able to complete as you go about your normal day.

Don’t let the simplicity of these missions fool you though.  When you complete your simple task each day, with conscious awareness, they are extremely powerful and provide you with tremendous insight on your true potential.

After 21 days, you will have created a transformation that you can both feel within your soul and see in your physical world…  whether it’s money, relationships, your body, your career or business,  something else or all of the above!

Join the Challenge Now


The Magic Pill for Email Overwhelm

Like you, I get overwhelmed with emails coming from everywhere!

So I thought I’d check in with a few of my professional organizer friends & discover some super secret magic trick to solve it all… like a magic pill!

Boo hoo…  no such luck.

Just like everything else, there is no magic pill that makes it all go away J

All is NOT lost though.

There are lots of little tricks you can use to make your life so much easier when it comes to your inbox.

Let’s back up for a second & take a look at typical email habits & setups:

You keep your email program open all the time and check messages constantly throughout the day.  Maybe you handle them right away.  Maybe you wait until later.  If you’re saving them for later, you probably go back through your inbox occasionally, looking through all the messages to find the ones you still need to handle & it’s hit or miss whether you’re going to remember to take action.

Maybe you have different folders where you manually put messages you want to read later or follow up on.  You might even have a few rules set up to sort them automatically.  I used to have different email addresses I’d give out for newsletter subscriptions.  That didn’t work out as well as I’d hoped by the way, for a variety of reasons.  Again, it’s hit or miss whether you follow up promptly.

Uggh!!!  So what do you do???

One of my professional organizer friends, Amber De La Garza with Organizational Elements, is giving us her best tips.  She has an amazingly simple, 3 part, structure for your inbox.

You use 3 Folders & the “Rules” for your email program.

  1. Create a “Waiting For Follow Up” Folder

Here’s how you use this…

Blind copy or “bcc” yourself on any message you SEND where you’re asking someone else to take action.

Set up a RULE to automatically send these messages to that folder.

Check this folder once a week to check up on the progress.  (I suggest you schedule yourself a weekly appointment or task right in your calendar to check this folder…  even if you think you’ll just remember, you won’t do it consistently unless it’s on your schedule.  You could also schedule a reminder to check it at a different time if there is a due date for your task.  For example, it you need a response by next Tuesday, schedule a reminder to check on that task & you know the details are your “Waiting” folder)

If you need to resend a reminder, you can use your copy of the initial request.

  1. Create a “To Read” Folder

This is for non time sensitive emails (like newsletters, educational resources and professional resources) that you’d like to read, just not right now.  Amber suggest you read these when you have time scheduled for reading or when you have idle time, such as waiting for an appointment.

Again, Set up a RULE to move these messages automatically.

I actually chose to sort my “To Read” folder into subcategories as well so I could more easily find what I want to read.

  1. Create a “Someday/Maybe” Folder

Use this folder for emails that spark your creative juices or sound like a good idea that you don’t want to forget.  This allows you to keep the information for future reference without cluttering up your inbox.

I absolutely LOVE Ambers structure because she’s keeping it super simple…  and I am all about keeping it SIMPLE.

I have a few more folders than this because I looked at the kind of email I was getting & set up rules to sort all the low priority messages out of my inbox.  For example, account notifications, receipts and information I want to archive now all gets sorted automatically.

I created most of my rules in Microsoft Outlook by using the option to find specific words or phrases in the HEADER because with this structure I was able to add multiple senders or other criteria in the same rule.  This way I could create only one rule to send message from different sources into the same folder.

You will need to learn the techy part of running rules in whatever email program you use.  Search the help file for your particular email program and you’ll most likely find the steps to do what you need to.

I also use my delete button liberally with email & go through my messages periodically and ruthlessly unsubscribe to anything I’m no longer reading.  Neither of those was easy at first because I was afraid I’d miss something…  I got over it ;)

Thank you again Amber, for your fantastically simple structure.

Here’s her website for more from Amber: http://organizational-elements.com/

I know her tips helped me clean up my email inbox!!! They will help you too.


Fearless… Get the F*** Outta Your Head!!!

Yep, get the FEAR right outta your head!

Naughty, Naughty! What did you think I meant.

Check out this quick video for a reminder (or new insight) about how fear can be tripping you up and keeping you from doing the big things you’re meant to do.

To move forward, all you need to do is pay more attention to your subconscious mind.

Watch the video for more. Then share YOUR thoughts and tips below.

How do you keep fear from stopping you? Share your thoughts below… and as always, spread the word by sharing, tweeting, pinning, etc!

With Humble Gratitude!
Jen


Planning is not Taboo… How to Manage Oodles of Ideas

Some people dread planning.  It sounds dull and boring.  Who wants that?  We want interesting and exciting right?

Surprise!  Planning can be interesting and exciting.

If you’re the type of person who has great ideas coming to them constantly and you feel overwhelmed at the thought of implementing all of them, I have the perfect tool for you.  I know it’s perfect because it worked for me.

I am constantly coming up with ideas for projects and I want to implement them all.

When I finally got all my ideas listed out into an organized project list, I got pretty excited!  That’s WAY better than being overwhelmed!!!  (Overwhelmed, by the way, is exactly what I was with all those ideas just floating around in my head.)

Not only can you get out of overwhelm and get excited by planning, you can also get things done!  Woo hoo!!!

Watch today’s video to learn to use a simple tool to keep track of loads of ideas and take the exact actions you need to implement them efficiently.

Project-Roadmap-TEMPLATE.xls

What are your tips and tricks for keeping track of ideas and implementing them?  Share your thoughts below…  and as always, share this awesomeness with your friends and colleagues.


How to Get it All Done!

Ever wondered how to get it all done?

Here are my quick tips in today’s Wednesday Wisdom video blog…

How do you get it all done?  Sometimes you don’t…  make it a choice though & not random.

You get to prioritize and choose what gets done.  You decide what to delegate.

If it contributes to your highest priority results and outcome, do it.  If not, don’t.

Make sure you ALWAYS take time for YOU.

Watch the video for a full explanation of prioritizing & how to get it all done.

How do YOU get it all done?  Share your tips below.

And don’t be greedy with all this awesomeness…  share this video with your friends so they have more time to spend with you :)


A Simple Model for High Impact Business Networking

Have you ever been frustrated with networking?  Do you sometimes feel like you go to a networking event only to be sold other people’s stuff.

These 3 simple steps will help you (& the people you meet networking) make the most of your networking efforts.  When you lead by example, the people you network with will follow!

Networking, or any marketing strategy, is always more effective with a clear strategy.  Know what your purpose is, create clear objectives and have a simple strategy.

A true networking model is based on combining your network of contacts with someone else’s network of contacts to create a synergistic effect and an endless stream of referrals.

Networking is NOT about you selling to the people you meet and them selling to you.  This model falls FLAT!

Here are 3 simple steps for high impact networking:

  1. Build Trust & Lasting Relationships (Make new friends)
  2. Provide Value & Support (Help your new friends)
  3. Ask for Support (Make it easy for your new friends to support you)

Watch the video for details on how to create a solid foundation for high impact networking.

Email support@jenkunkel.com with YOUR burning questions about building your business to earn more & make a bigger difference, while working less.

Here’s to your endless success & prosperity!

Jen


How to create pricing for your service business and stick with it…

Have you ever struggled with how to price your services? Check out these 3 simple factors to consider when pricing & you’ll be right on track!

#1 – Check out others in your industry for a baseline.

#2 – What do you want to earn & what do you believe your products or services are worth?

#3 – What’s the perceived value by the customer?

Ultimately, it’s your business, so ultimately you decide on the pricing & it’s OK to tweak it when you outgrow your structure.

Be sure to watch the video for more explanation on each point.


Quick Tip on Discounting

Have you ever been frustrated by someone asking for a deal?  Are you tired of feeling like you need to discount your products or services to get business?

You’re not alone!  And maybe discounting isn’t necessary after all.  Watch today’s video blog quick tip for 3 simple steps to help you see the value in your products and services…  PLUS you can use this info when your potential customers really do want a deal.

You know you’re stuff is worth it!  Make sure you don’t de-value yourself or the products and services you put out to the world.

Let me hear from you…  What are your tips you use when people ask you to discount?