For Integrity Conscious Entrepreneurs

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!”

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 schpeel 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!

I appreciate & focus my attention on the “real” people in my life.

Real people are those who stand strong in who they are.

They are who they are & you know where you stand with them.

You can tell a real person what you really think & even if they get mad about it, they won’t hold a grudge.

Their opinions & personality are the same no matter whose company they are in…  because who they are is not based on who else is there & what those people might think.

Real people are real.

Real is not always “pretty”.  It’s not wrapped up in a big blue bow.  Real can be messy at times.

Real is, however, always beautiful in the ways that truly count.

Real allows you to be who you are, not who you think others think you “should” be.

Real gives you the freedom to find your true gifts & to serve your true purpose in the world.

Real is so much more than words can describe.

Real is the most valuable asset in the world.

I wouldn’t give up “Real” for anything or anyone.

It can be difficult to step away when you know you’re meaning is being misunderstood.  There are times though, when it is futile to attempt to explain yourself.  It may be rare for you or it may be common.  Either way, most everyone has experienced at least one time when the situation got worse & worse as they attempted to explain their true meaning.  The person you were attempting to communicate with was so entrenched in THEIR belief of what you meant, they were literally unable to perceive any other meaning.  This may have even happened for you, without you realizing it.  Have you ever had a conversation that seemed to go around in circles.  Have you experienced someone being angry or upset with you & their reason didn’t make any sense to you.  Human nature can be strange at times & there are occasions when it is simply better to step away.

It is essential to your own well-being to know when silence may eventually create better understanding than words.  When you have the insight to recognize when your words are not being heard, you can make the choice to stop & allow other people the opportunity to recognize the misunderstanding on their own.  Perhaps they will & perhaps they won’t.

It can be very difficult to do.  It seems like a risk to allow a misunderstanding to continue.  By all means, if the person is willing to listen to you, talk to them!  On the other hand though, if you know your words are not being heard (or not being heard as intended) & they only seem to be causing more contention (however unjustified), there is no point in continuing.  Silence will allow the space for understanding, even though understanding may not occur with every person.  It is also up to them.  However, it is not up to you to make them get that.

Avoid wasting your precious energy on those who won’t listen; on those with closed ears & closed hearts.  Appreciate & focus on those who seek to understand; those who are willing to listen & truly hear; those with love & compassion in their hearts.  The others will come around eventually…  or they won’t.  Putting your energy into forcing that outcome is a waste for you & takes away from those you could be focusing that energy on.

Yikes!  It’s already November and 2012 is fast approaching.  I find many people are once again, asking themselves, “Where did this year go?”  Yes, I too am asking that question.  We recall our resolutions from last year and notice what we’ve accomplished.

You might also be looking at where you’ve fallen short of your goals this year.  You may be looking at the results you’ve created for your business and wish they were better.  Well, the year is not over yet, so don’t throw in the towel.  Even if you don’t complete your objectives by December 31^st, all is not lost.

I’m excited to announce that I’m on track to complete one of my objectives from last year…  Completing a full marathon will be checked off my list by week 1 of 2012.  This is a goal from an entire year ago, yet the accomplishment is no less gratifying.  It’s taken dedication, hard work & tremendous support from a group of fabulous fellow woman runners.  I know I’ll continue to put forth effort until the objective is finished, yet in my mind, it is already done.

You can build that same kind of belief in your ability to achieve what you want for both your business and your life.  You can make the results you want come true.  I am all about possibilities and thinking outside the box.  There is always a way.  And, I can help you find it!

What great adventure would you like to experience in the coming year?  What impact would you like to have on your clients’ lives in 2012?  And what income would you like to create that would allow both of those aspirations to come true?  Whatever that number is, you can achieve it…  and most likely, even more.

My EXCITING NEW GIFT To You…

Are you constantly busy with activities that are supposed to fill your business, only to find yourself spinning endlessly on a rat-wheel, getting clients sporadically…  or worse yet, not getting clients at all…  and definitely not earning enough money to live the life you really want?

One of the biggest challenges a small business owner faces is figuring out how to get the money flowing when they really just want to serve their divine purpose by making the lives of their clients better and easier.

I’ve identified 3, almost universally common, roadblocks and the specific steps you can take to overcome them, so you can earn more money and serve clients in a much bigger way!

I’m excited to announce the debut of my new ZERO-COST teleseminar that could change the way you view your business forever & turn it into a money-making machine, freeing you up to serve your purpose in a bigger way than ever!

 “3 Roadblocks That Keep You From Earning Big Money in Your Business”

Step-by-Step, How To Make Small Tweaks that Eliminate The Invisible Obstacles Keeping You Stuck in Struggle, So You Can Grow Your Business, Serve Clients in a Much Bigger Way & Earn More Money

- Without Sacrificing Your Soul, Your Passion or Your Life -

This ZERO-COST Teleseminar is happening on Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 10:00 am Pacific

 PLUS, I’m including downloadable TEMPLATES for all who register early for this complimentary teleclass.

Get the full details…

You’ll learn the 3 Common Roadblocks that could be keeping you from earning the income you deserve in your passion-based business. I’ll give you a hint… they are all mindset based, which is very cool because that means they are all totally within your control & changeable!

I’ll share with you the Top 2 “Reasons” people give for opting out of anything… including actions that could have you living your dreams… And how to make sure those reasons never get in your way again!

You’ll also come away with some insight about how you can maintain your sense of self, your spirituality & your integrity while still earning more money.

I’ll give you an extremely valuable tip that will allow you to create high-end offers, no matter what business you’re in, and blow the roof off your earning potential!

BONUS: You’ll also get a sneak preview of my Brand NEW “Integrity Conscious Entrepreneur” Program.

Please join me Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 10:00 am for this fabulous call.

You are also welcome to please INVITE other fabulous friends to join us… the invitation is open to all.

Register, select “check-out”, fill in the form & “submit order” to receive call-in details via email.

You’ll get access to the downloadable templates at the end of the call.

It seems to be human nature to want the acceptance of others. Some people, for whatever reason, will simply not accept us.

I am sharing this example scenario with the intention that it will help anyone who is in a situation where they must deal with a difficult person… to create peace and harmony in that situation.

Let’s consider a person who seems to be obsessed with self importance and who is closed off to the possibility of other opinions being as valid as their own. This person asks for more and more, behaving as if they are entitled to have others fulfill their every desire, never even considering giving anything of him or herself. This person becomes angry when you disagree with their opinions and takes it personally when you don’t behave as they want you to, no matter how irrational their desires are. This person will hold a grudge against you for simply disagreeing with them and will justify their own cruel behavior toward you, insisting you are completely responsible for the conflict they are feeling.

This may sound like an extreme example and in some ways it is. As some of you know, there are truly people like this in the world. I know because I have met one or two of them myself and witnessed this type of behavior. I’ve heard people like this referred to as energy vampires and even narcissists. It can be draining and often seems impossible to deal with. In many cases, the best solution is likely to move on without this person in your life.

Under some circumstances though, that is not an option you want to choose. Maybe it is a coworker or family member and avoidance is not possible without harming yourself in other ways. In these instances, you may want to find a peaceful way to co-exist.

The most important concept to understand here is that it is entirely up to you to create that peace… and it’s only possible for you to do so on your own end. You can only control you, not the other person. You may have already attempted to communicate openly with the person and it was not well received. I am typically an advocate of open communication. At the same time, I have also discovered some people prefer not to have open communication. Some people just don’t care to understand you or where you are coming from.

To peacefully deal with someone in this instance, you can choose not to NEED them to understand you. If explaining yourself causes problems, then don’t explain yourself. You can BE yourself without the permission or understanding of others. If the other person becomes angry, allow them to be angry without interference. Whatever they do to stir up conflict or push buttons, simply remain calm. Respect their freedom to have their opinions and let go of the need to rationalize with them or to explain anything. Express only sincere loving, peaceful and positive thoughts you have to them.

Lovingly be yourself and allow others to be themselves. In other words, Love & Let Live. This will at least give you peace & open up the space for them to choose peace for themselves.

For more support in dealing with difficult people, request a complimentary consultation with me.

Sometimes it amazes me how seriously people can take the most petty situation and turn it into a huge drama.

You feel like someone isn’t listening to you. You get mad and shut them out. Result… Drama!!! Instead, you could find out why they aren’t listening. There is a reason, I promise you. Maybe they need something else in that moment and simply aren’t able to hear what you are saying yet. Maybe they are processing what you’ve said. Maybe they don’t completely understand what you said to this point. Are you too impatient to allow them to hear you the way THEY need to hear you? Are you going to get pissed off and not talk to them anymore because they won’t listen? Or are you going to work with them to find out how they can best hear what you need to communicate?

A friend or family member drops by to see you without calling first. Are you going to get angry, assuming they disrespected you by not giving you a heads up that they were coming by? Or do you feel blessed that you had the opportunity to see them AND that they wanted to see you?

You heard an acquaintance was complaining about something you did to a mutual close friend. Are you enraged because she was talking behind your back? Or do you recognize that she was just sharing her feelings with someone she trusts and working out how to best address it with you?

You are not able to control what anyone else does or says. You can however choose your response. Can you see in the situations above how the response you choose could either create huge drama or alternatively build a stronger relationship?

You get to decide what you create in your life by the way you respond. You get to choose to approach life from a new perspective that creates harmony instead of drama.

If you’d like support with learning to respond this way more and more easily, contact me for a complimentary consultation. I’d love to chat with you for a bit.

I believe in coming from a place of love and peace to create harmony in your life. It’s not always easy. Sometimes other people or circumstances pop up unexpectedly and throw a wrench into those plans. It can be easy to lose yourself in the moment and allow yourself to be pulled away from those feelings of love and peace.

Have you ever lost yourself in one of those moments? If you’re being honest with yourself, I’ll guess you have. What do you do? First, catch yourself as quickly as you can to get back to a place of love and peace. Once you get into that habit, it’s easier than you might think. Second, absolutely do NOT beat yourself up about it. You’re human. Stuff happens. It’s over. You’re back now. Move on.

Holding onto what is already in the past is a complete waste of time and energy. Focus only on love and peace in the moment, every moment and move forward with that feeling. If you happen to slide again, simply bring yourself back to love and peace. The more you do this, the easier it will be and the less often you’ll slide.

When you really feel that love and peace on a deep level, you’ll forget about the drama and the details won’t matter. You won’t feel badly about slipping because you’re focusing on loving yourself too. You’ll be able to move forward with love and peace in your heart toward yourself and others.

The result… Harmony!!! Who could ask for anything more?

If you would like support in creating this type of harmony in your life & finding out how it can positively impact your business, contact me.

Social Media is fantastic for maintaining your visibility with other people who are using a lot of social media. It’s great for getting messages out. I love social media. It’s an amazing way to connect with people. I actually feel that for people who are comfortable with social media, it’s quite personal… much more than some people think.

However, there are also lots of distractions on social media. You get a message, then you want to respond to it. Someone posts a link and it looks interesting so you click on it. That’s great. That’s the point and that’s what it’s there for.

At the same time, you need to be careful that you’re managing your time on social media.

Another thing I find really interesting is people who say they want to have a successful business and you look at their Facebook page to see they’ve been spending tons of time playing all kinds of games. Or you get a post from someone that’s really a post from their game saying they need this or that. I don’t know because I don’t play the games on Social Media.

I can give you one wonderful tip about being more productive with social media and that is to skip the games, unless it is literally your leisurely time.

I’ll give you a bonus tip on social media since the games is a no-brainer. Schedule your time with social media and only allot particular times to be on so you don’t get distracted.

Of course, setting up systems to manage your social media will help you as well. There is a great deal to that and it is part of what I help clients with…  apply here for a consultation.

These days, we all seem to get inundated with email. How much of your email doesn’t even get read. It’s physically impossible to keep up. So, what do you do?

You could just delete everything, unsubscribe from everything, get a new email address and start over. Guess what though? Soon, you’ll find yourself right back in the same situation. This is not a good solution.

What is a good solution then? You need to create a system to manage your email… a system that really works.

Set up a system to help you make great decisions regarding your email. Base those decisions on what is really important to you. Create ways to automate your email handling system when you can, delegate if possible and keep it simple.

One tip I can give you on clearing out email clutter and making those decisions is to clear it like you would any other clutter… ask yourself if you use it, need it or love it… if the answer is no, get rid of it.

Need help with that or other systems for your business…  apply here for a consultation.

You know I’ve been thinking lately about “Time Suckers”… those activities that really suck up your time. They take forever and don’t really contribute any real value. They are not the most productive tasks you can be doing.

The first step is to identify them. You probably already have a pretty good idea what they are.

For example, email. You get inundated with email that maybe you don’t even read… or you don’t find it valuable… or you’re just getting so much of it, you aren’t even able to keep up. I know I get a lot of email that doesn’t get read, especially if it’s not a personal communication to me. It’s tough because there are lots of great newsletters, event updates and other information that I’d love to have time for. There is just too much.

Another time sucker is Social Media. I love social media… it’s fantastic! It’s great for visibility, getting messages out to others who are on social media, learning about what’s going on. It’s just not great when it becomes a time sink. There are a lot of distractions on social media. You get a message, so you respond. You see a link and it looks interesting, so you click on it. This is a double-edged sword. It’s great because you’re so connected. At the same time, you need to be careful you’re not spending too much time.

Brainstorm your other “Time Suckers” and brainstorm ways you can prevent them from continuing to hold you back.

If you’d like help with uncovering your “Time Suckers” and creating systems to help you manage or eliminate them, apply for a consultation.