Why This Crisis Is Good For US (and what this has to do with branding)

Ok, everybody. Here it is….finally…our discussion about branding.

I posted this discussion over on our social networking site at www.InspiredWomenEntrepreneurs.com

Log in or sign up and scroll down to DISCUSSION.

So, why do I believe that this crisis is good for us? (ok, I “borrowed” the title from the latest Time magazine headline)

1) if we don’t want to “swallowed” by this crisis, we need to become innovative, big-thinking entrepreneurs which means we need to find our voice.

2) task-workers are being outsourced more than ever and it will take an “artisan-entrepreneur” (again taken from Time Magazine) to succeed with logical, creativity and heart

3) we have to stretch and reach the limit of our imagination to become somebody of great value to others

4) the world needs solutions like the ones we can offer more than ever to heal their fears, limitations and change the focus of life’s meaning but consumers need leaders, not fellow-sufferers.

Ok, enough of me. I am challenging you to think about what branding means to you.

Are those points obvious to you but you are struggling with accessing your unique gifts in a way that they make sense to you AND others?

Are you having difficulties with the word “branding”? What word works better for you?

Finally, post your brand (where your gifts meet the needs of a specific group of people) + your unique personality. We want to hear about you and I will definitely help as much as I can.

Love Christiane

Are You Naturally Curious?

 

Curiosity is critical for an entrepreneur. With increasing competition and tight financial times, it is the unique character trait of curiosity that allows a leader to shift as the world shifts and to keep her business fresh and exciting to the consumer.

My family has many curious individuals and natural leaders. My Dad is one of the most curious people I know who taught me to question everything. He was an Episcopal priest who burned every sermon after giving it to avoid the temptation of recycling one and becoming stale. Currently, I am married to a curious man who creates a unique and fresh look for each film he shoots. However, the most curious individuals that I know are young children. They consistently question the world and wonder why things are a certain way.

Taking time to nourish curiosity is important for business growth. How do you nourish your curiosity? What fresh ideas do you have? What new paths for your business do you plan to explore?

Here are 5 ideas for boosting your natural curiosity:

1. Read. It challenges you to think and gives you new ideas to try for your business.

2. Travel. Meeting new people and getting out of your workspace immediately breeds fresh curiosity.

3. Meditate. Listen to your intuition and inner voice of curiosity without your brain talking you out of it!

4. Write. Free flow writing or journaling will help you to get the many ideas in your head in a more logical form on paper.

5. Spend time with and observe young children. They are free from self-imposed rules and innately curious about the world. Think of Tom Hanks in the movie “Big.”

“Curious is the key word…It has to do with a desire to understand, a desire to try, a desire to push whatever envelope is interesting. Leaders are curious because they can’t wait to find out what the group is going to do next.” Seth Godin, Tribes.

May you feel inspired to question,

Lydia

5 Easy Habits To Make The Most Of Your Day

Good habits create successful businesses. What success strategies are a part of your routine?

“Habit: a tendency to do something as part of a routine.”

After interviewing Misty Gibbs of www.myinspirationlounge.com yesterday, I realized again the importance of daily routines as a way of not only meeting business goals but leveraging your effort and time.

Misty just naturally incorporated a few of the following habits into her work every day and is receiving the benefits in the fast-paced growth of her business.

1.  Focus on 3 tasks that must get done everyday for the business to grow. Do these first so your day does not get away from you! Maintenance tasks like checking email, checking stats for your business and keeping up with Facebook and Twitter can easily use up your work time. They are important to keep up with so schedule 15-30 minute increments 2 times per day so you don’t get caught in the time terminator!

2.  Be aware of when you are the most creative and use that time to write or plan new initiatives for your business. Think boldly and visualize by taking time away to dream and step back from your work. It does not happen in front of a computer!

3.  Read, research and connect with others outside of your office space.  It will help your creativity, keep you up on current trends in other businesses and give you the opportunity to better serve your clients. Be sure to choose people that are positive and passionate or online destinations that inspire and are free from negativity.

4.  Ask for support from friends or a business partner to brainstorm new ideas or create synergy in a new joint venture project as part of your marketing strategy and outreach plan. Women are extending themselves and giving of their knowledge and time in unprecedented ways. Connect with other feminine leaders to find out new trends and feel inspired by their energy.

5.  Stand in your truth and value yourself! Every business is unique and the way that women juggle work and family is awe-inspiring. Look at what is working well in your business and put your energy and time in that direction. Don’t drain your energy on what is not working. Let it go! Celebrate the small successes and be able to honor yourself and your gifts.

Take a bird’s eye view of your business and observe what good habits you have in place. Focus on what is effortless and makes work joyful!

Lydia

The Cure for Facebook Overload (cost $2)

The way I maximize my efforts to make connections on Facebook and Twitter is to set up appointments over the phone with people who I want to get to know better. The hardest part about this is the difficult task of deepen the budding friendship with follow-ups.  As my list of friends and contacts gets longer, many slip through the cracks and I don’t like leaving people in the dust.
So, I finally remembered what I did when I tried to keep up with networking in the past.  After I had bought expensive software and finally learned how to use it, I ended up using an index card box !!! Yes, not too hightech, but sometimes it’s just nice to get away from typing.

So, here is the deal.

1) When you make a contact, type in all the information in your contact management software like Outlook or Entourage.

2) Create a subfolder under your inbox.  

3) Then buy the 31 divider-pack for a small index card box and create a card for each new person you just contacted, got to talk to etc.
4) Fill out the card with name and phone number (remember you have the rest handy in your mailing list) and mark down the last activity.  If it was an email, say so. If it was a call, also and if you sent something worthwhile, mark that down too.

5) Then decide when you want to contact the person again and simply place the card under the appropriate date. Then every day just look under that day, and do what you have set out to do last time.  

I hope that works.  I really liked this simple system when I used it.

Committed to your business success and life sanity,

Christiane 

Crazy Tendencies and A Recession-Proof Cure

Today, I expose a crazy tendency that many purpose-driven entrepreneurs
exhibit; why that tendency can actually lead to the “death” of your business, especially during a recession; and (what I hope) is an outright cure for it. 

This crazy tendency is: 

-Doing the same thing everyone else is doing in your industry

This runs RAMPANT in an economic downturn, when entrepreneurs get scared.  They try Pay-per-Click, they attend more networking meetings, they collect twitter “friends” like hotcakes, yet nothing happens.  They feel like they are stuck.  They don’t want (or can’t) go back to employment and yet, their previously full practice has dried up (or is now even more difficult to fill).  

Give Yourself A Gift That Lasts A Lifetime

 

How do you take time each day for you? What habits do you have to tend to your inner garden? Choose 3 ways to give back to yourself each day and notice what changes occur in your life.

Intellectually we know how the benefits of making time to take care of ourselves. It makes us happier, more creative, fun to be with, healthier, peaceful and more productive in our business.

What stops us and how do we get in our own way?

We forget to just be; to take time to enjoy the quality of our lives and give back. A to do checklist does not fill our souls. I was reminded of this lesson yesterday in my son’s first grade classroom. Every child sat in a circle and told the other children one creative thing that they liked about the other person. It was simple yet magical!

Here are 7 fun creative ideas to take time out and be good to yourself:

1. Read poetry or an inspiring new book and feel uplifted by the message.

2. Exercise for 30 minutes and feel refreshed.

3. Attend a yoga class and reconnect with your body. Greater posture and health are the direct result.

4. Meditate and quiet your mind. It allows you to focus on your intuition.

5. Spend time in nature and dream.

6. Start a gratitude journal and notice not only what you are grateful for in your life but the little miracles that begin to occur.

7. Participate in a spiritual practice regularly. It is an anchor for the life shifts that happen.

Developing habits and times in your day to tend your inner garden is not a luxury. It is an absolute necessity to live in the moment, develop your intuition and pay attention to the synchronicities that occur in your life. Giving to yourself creates joy and a feeling of contentment.

Here is a excerpt from a poem by Doris K. Reed.

“Tending My Garden”

Daily I will tend my garden.

I will nuture it with patience,

constantly guard against uncertainty,

doubt, and disbelief,

and water with affirmations from the

well of divine right action.

May you form daily habits that fill your soul,

Lydia

Let Your Voice Be Heard! Use The Wizard

Are you thinking of Merlin the magician or the wizard behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz? (yes, I was Dorothy in high school). Today, there is a different kind of wizard called The Unique Article Wizard and it has the ability to spread your articles like magic.

Writing and distributing content is a great way to establish yourself as an expert. Whether you choose to generate new content each week or decide to have less pressure and rewrite PLR (private label resource) articles, the Wizard makes it easier to have a greater distribution for your article.

Have fun learning a new skill!

There is a video explanation for each step of the process and it is very straightforward.

Step 1: Write an article between 350-700 words filled with value for the reader.

Be succinct and make sure to rewrite PLR articles in your own words with a few specific examples from your business.

Step 2: Rewrite each paragraph. Just restate the theme with different words.

The wizard can then distribute 3 varieties of your article so it receives more viewership.

Step 3: Watch the video carefully before doing the resource box.

It is tricky because the resource box is where you tell others how you will serve them in 5 lines which includes your website address and free offers. Freebies allow readers to begin to know you and your business.

Step 4: Figure out the best keywords and how to categorize your article.

Be aware of keywords before beginning this step.  Do your best with trying to fit your article into a designated category. Many times it is just about getting close enough.

Step 5: Confirm and submit your article.

Enjoy seeing how many websites they sent it to.

Article marketing an important way to have others get to know you and the valuable service provided by your business. The Unique Article Wizard is a useful support service for your efforts of writing and distributing content.

I wish you effortless flow and inspired writing,

Lydia

Learning to Cherish Others – Successful “Selling” in Action

As entrepreneurs we are driven, driven to “win”, driven to “succeed”, driven to “make a mark”. What we often forget in this driving mode, is the well-being of others. Those others are our customers and our “competition”. Yet as my Buddhist teacher so kindly teaches me is that the well-being of others is far more significant than the well-being of a single ME.

Wait a minute, you say, “I am important. I am all I have. I have to feed my family.” And yes, that’s true and I am not disputing the need to make a living. What I am questioning is the attitude of “Me versus Them”. So, there you are, having created a wonderful family, a huge house, the newest car and an exciting vacation.

But at what price?

I dare to say that this kind of wish-fulfilling thinking is never going to lead to true, lasting fulfillment and happiness. Vacations will pass, children will grow up, homes depreciate and your car, no matter how great, becomes just another car. The price is disappointment, temporary highs followed by long lows, much pain.

So, then, where is true happiness to be found?

How can entrepreneurship become our ultimate spiritual practice? Can we find true happiness and livelihood through our work?

Yes, we can. We can if in effect, we start cherishing those we work with, those who trust us, those who look for us to deliver real solutions to their problems. Here is the trick, we have to drop the “ME” lens through which we tend to see our world of commerce. We have to abandon self-talk like: “What do I have to do so she buys from me?”; “When will he finally say yes to my offer?”; “What if she doesn’t buy?” etc. etc. I don’t need to go on because we all have enough practice in formulating those questions for ourselves.

There is no magic bullet here then, there is only one thing to shift and change, and believe me, nobody will see it but everybody will feel it.

That is our attitude.

If we can make get to a place of gratitude for the existence of all the people surrounding us, if we start to understand that we only exist because they do (“I am because they are”, is an old African saying.), then we can let go of our fear and really, I mean really serve the people willing to interact with us.

Yes, willing.

Today we all have more than enough choices and they happen to give you the time of the day. Now, that alone should be fuel to let go of the “ME” attitude and adopt the “YOU” attitude. Then, when you shift that little piece inside of you, you can listen, you can solve real problems, you can ask the right questions, you can share your wisdom, not for an outcome but for the joy of sharing, for the joy of giving, for the joy of helping.

And then, what happens? Magic…

People today are not used to that attitude, they will startle and wonder why in the world you would be so generous. They don’t understand that you are doing it because really, it makes you happy. It gives you so much more than the vacation, the car, the latest movie or the expensive dinner. It gives you true joy, a true sense of love for somebody you might just have met.

And then, something even more magical happens…

They start trusting you, they start listening to you, they pay full attention to you, they will want more of you. They are still wondering why, but it feels so good that they will drop their guards.

And then, something even better happens.…

You two become ONE mind for a bit, you join your thoughts, you feel real intimacy and then…when your solution meets their needs, truly and deeply, they will want to work with you…and nobody else. Why would they? For the first time in a long time, they don’t have to keep their “façade” up, they can stop scanning for danger, they can stop worrying about being taken advantage of. They feel safe with you.

So, if you want clients who become your life-long fans, your best friends, your supporters, you have to do something very courageous. Something, almost nobody does these days… Something that is even more difficult as well as more required in this economy…

You need to become a peaceful warrior, strong and quite, deep and focused, not on you, but on others. Take yourself out of the equation and become a servant. Be here on this earth for the benefit of those you serve and you will be taken care of.

No, you probably will not make a Million overnight, you will not want to…but with persistence and courage you will make a dignified, respectful living while solving your clients true problems and in turn allow them to live with renewed trust, faith, and love for the human race…and that will all need to be really happy.

May you all find happiness, real happiness,

Christiane

What Defines Success For You?

A few minutes ago I was reading comments on a discussion group blog. The question was:

“What defines success to you? Do you experience any physical ’symptoms’ of success?”  I thought you might like to read my thoughts.

“Nina, thanks so much for starting this discussion. For me, success is the privilege of being allowed to live through my deepest held values. To live with integrity, service, courage, truth, love and also excellence is what success is all about for me.

More I work on “taming” my ego…

…letting go of outcome for the sake of doing the right thing, more I feel successful. Not for myself but for the betterment of the planet. I am because we are!

As I work with purpose-driven women entrepreneurs…

…all over the world who too want to stay true to their values but feel frightened by the economic hardships of this “crisis of trust”, I find my fulfillment and holding a strong arm out for them. Making products and services available at costs THEY can afford even if that means a bit less for me and my partner.

May you and all the readers find their definition of success and in my heart I hope that it will include the good of world.”

So, I have  a little bit more space here to expand.

It was such an interesting question because I had been pondering it for some time now myself.

How can I combine success for myself…

…with my deep wish for the well-being of others on this planet?  Can I or do I have to sacrifice my well-being for the well-being of others?

In the end, I believe it’s about our intentions more than anything.  I am still blogging on my business blog, I am still attending network meetings, I am still charging for my services…but I do it with all my intent on service, checking in with myself over and over to make sure that I have the best of YOU on my mind.

Only then can I be authentic and true to my values.

Leaving fear about my personal profit behind, having faith that when done right I will have built relationships for life.  Believing from the bottom of my heart that my “security” doesn’t sit in a bank account (as proven very clearly lately) but with those who I love, cherish and care for.

This is a hard concept for such a recovering “individualist” and yet brings warmth and peace to my heart,

Love to all of you
Christiane

Give Yourself A Shot Of Energy

Are you feeling drained and overwhelmed? Is your body dragging? Do you have to drink a Coke or Red Bull in the afternoon to get through the day?

What would it be like if you had energy to burn? Think of the sun and the powerful energy it emits everyday. Can you feel the warmth on your skin and wonderful feeling that sunshine brings?

Energy in all forms is one of our most precious resources. It is important to become aware and notice the times during the day when you feel energized and ready to work because that is your most productive time of the day. Conversely, you must also have an idea of when you drag and feel depleted. Energy suckers (humans or tasks) keep you from performing at your best.

3 Tips To Feel More Energized:

1. Make a list of 10 energy boosters and 10 energy drainers. I have listed 2 examples to get you started. Pay attention to every activity in your day and check in with yourself on your energy thermostat.

Boosters: Playing with my kids & hiking with my dogs

Drainers: Finding a math error in my checkbook & planning meals for the week

Delegate as many of the energy drainers as you can or keep away from them all together. Energy sucking, negative people are especially toxic.

2. Focus on what you are eating and pay attention to when your body signals that it is hungry. Starchy and sugary foods cause your blood sugar to crash a short time after eating which leaves you feeling depleted. Protein, vegetables, fruits and whole grains are good choices for giving your body the fuel that it needs to feel energized.

3. Boost your energy by doing two things for yourself each day such as your favorite exercise (mine is trail hiking and tennis), yoga or meditation. Giving back to yourself is one of the key ingredients to feeling powerful and filled with energy.

What will you do with your excess energy?

May you feel energized and powerful,

Lydia

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