Entrepreneurship

Acts of Boldness

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“The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.” – Rollo May

I would say the majority of the people I know would consider themselves non-conformists. Of course they do – they’re entrepreneurs for goodness sake!

But conformity isn’t limited to all dressing the same, or agreeing about politics, or working at a 9 to 5 job. Conformity can be a very sneaky thing, and it can slowly eat away at what makes you brilliant and beautiful.

So how does this subtle conformity show up? It’s often in action when you –

  • Don’t clearly ask for what you really want
  • Say yes to things that are unhealthy, stressful, or out of alignment with your vision
  • Soften a position you believe in
  • Lower your standards

This kind of conformity is all about trying to control other peoples’ reactions. And the bad news is that it not only keeps others from really knowing you, it also distances you from your true, authentic self.

I absolutely believe in diplomacy, don’t get me wrong. I’m not a fan of upsetting people for the sake of drama. That’s definitely not what I’m talking about here.

I’m talking about boldness in the face of possible controversy or disagreement. The willingness to take a stand for what you feel in your heart is right – everything from simple things like getting your order right at a restaurant to deeper issues like politics and human rights.

This can be a scary proposition, I know. But it’s also very freeing. I challenge you to pay attention to how conformity shows up in your life, and commit acts of boldness every day!

Cotton Candy Inspiration

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Last night and this morning I had terrible writers block. So I decided to include a video today instead of an article. Something funny, you know. Something to help us all lighten up a little.

Then I came across this video and it knocked my socks off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYsT5TiJsIU?rel=0&w=325&h=183

I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of anything duller than being a cotton candy vendor. Repetitive, boring, sticky. Yuck. And yet this guy makes it fun, joyous and creative. He found a way to turn the mundane job of making cotton candy into a vehicle for self-expression.

I am in awe of the fact that this guy is just doing his thing with joy and generosity, and now it’s had an impact on the life of a complete stranger. Technology and authenticity – a powerful combination!

It’s a N.M.W. thing…

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I was standing in my kitchen today, reheating leftover Pad Thai, fretting over writing an article. You see, I’ve been out of commission almost all week, feeling mentally hazy and lethargic. But several years ago, I decided that this gets done no matter what. Since I made that decision, my articles going out through my newsletter account for bringing in 25% of my business.

25 percent. That is a big deal for the 2 or so hours a week I put into it. How would you like to increase your business by 25% with 2-3 hours of focus? Back to the kitchen…

I was thinking over my No Matter What policy, and it occurred to me that it was a great topic. It actually came up last week, during my members’ M.I.T.  (Monthly Intensive Training) class on follow-up strategies. Towards the end of the class, after going over word choices, strategies, and systems, one of the participants commented, “Now if I could just make myself DO these things!”

I asked a few questions, like “When you do follow up, do people refer you more? Do they return to do more business with you? Are they happy to hear from you? Do they appreciate your professionalism?”

The answers were yes on all counts, of course. So the question to ask is not how can you make yourself do it, it’s how can you afford not to? And what are you letting keep you so busy with that you can’t do the activities that bring you clients, referrals, and/or exposure?

Here’s a tool to help you sort through the noise to get to the critical business activities. Ask yourself if each activity has a strong potential to…

  1. Bring me clients?
  2. Make money?
  3. Garner referrals?
  4. Get me in front of my target market?
  5. Be of genuine service to people who can help me with 1-4?

If not, put it to the bottom of the list. And if you find one activity that fires on all cylinders  (like my newsletter does in my business), then make it a No Matter What activity. And I mean NO MATTER WHAT.

So get off your excuses, and be an entrepreneur. It’s time to really own your business. Decide what makes you successful, and then do what it takes. You’re worth it, you’re capable, and you have time to do anything you determine is critical to your business.

Want to get moving right now? Complete an application for a FREE Big Impact Strategy Session to find out how to get your business growing.

Focus on Your Core

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A few weeks ago I created a program so that I could offer training and networking at prices that everyone can afford in this economy.

In searching for a premise for the whole thing, I finally came up with a core concept of YES. And some of you have asked why this is the focus. So of course, I’m writing about it, and maybe you can use these ideas to develop your own business.

  1. Teach what you know. What DO I know? A wide range of things… I’ve created events, started networking groups, collaborated with large organizations, received referrals from hundreds of people, taught classes on effective e-newsletters, and coached entrepreneurs for years.
  2. Boil down that knowledge to a core idea. All of these various skills boiled down to the concept of finding ways to collaborate. In other words, getting people to say YES to working together with me.
  3. Focus everything you do on that one core idea. For instance, today I’m teaching an intensive class on follow-up that is all about getting people to say yes (and it’s not what you think). In a few weeks I’m teaching a class on how to ask for what you want. It’s all about learning to collect YES in your business in a fun way.
  4. Make sure you ENJOY your core idea. I used to wonder, “What if it turns out that I am a great country singer? I don’t like country music, so would I have to make a career out of it anyway?” I know – very random. But I’d say, no, don’t be a country singer if you don’t enjoy it.

In this vein, I created a free teleclass that is in alignment with the above points. It’s called “How to Ask For What You Want (and have fun doing it!).” Click here for details and to register.

What is your core idea?

Avoiding the “Ick” Factor in Networking

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Recently I was at a Speed Networking event, and just as I was about to sit down in front of a new networking partner, I watched her lick the first two fingers of her right hand and to pick up one of her own business cards.

Now, most of us do this kind of thing from time to time in order to dislodge a topmost piece of paper. But at a networking event? Ick.

As you can imagine, I really didn’t want to shake hands with this woman, but I also didn’t want to make her feel bad, so I handled the situation the best I could. I sat down, put my hands in my lap and leaned forward – effectively trapping my hands under the table. Thankfully, my body language diplomatically said it all, and she made no move to shake my hand.

Here are a few tips on ways to be considerate and hygienic at networking events:

  1. Don’t lick your fingers to pick up paper. Obvious, but it had to be said.
  2. If you sneeze, avoid sneezing into your right hand. Best option is to sneeze into a napkin. Second best is your left hand or crook of your elbow. And if the sneeze takes you unawares and you do cover it with your right hand, go wash it right away. Also applicable for coughing.
  3. If you are sick, courteously decline to shake hands (or stay home!).
  4. Get hand sanitizer that fits in your pocket. Better yet, bring several with your logo on them, and hand them out to fellow networkers!
  5. When munching on finger food, use your left hand. At these events you tend to shake hands a lot, right? The majority of the people you meet haven’t read these tips, so you never know what you’re picking up when you shake hands with them!

Is this stuff important? For your health, yes, but also for your business.

Because as I got to know the woman I mentioned who licked her fingers, I found she was nice enough. But my very first automatic reaction to her was to cringe – not the most positive impression. In networking, you have precious little time to make a positive first impression, so anything you can do to keep people focused on your good qualities, the more successful you will be.

The Busy Barrier

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One of my HUGE pet peeves is when people run around like crazy, saying “I’m so busy, I’m so busy!”

I’m not sure precisely why it bugs me, but I think it has something to do with it carrying an underlying message that the person is basically a victim to time.

I came embarrassingly face-to-face with this the other day when a friend called and she started the conversation with, “I won’t take up much of your time, I know you’re so busy.”

I told her that I LOVED that she called, and that I love hearing from her, and why would she think she couldn’t take my time? And then it hit me…

I’ve constructed a “busy barrier”. Without a conscious thought, I’ve been repeating “I’m so busy” as a mantra, and as a result, I’ve created a wall that keeps people away in both my personal and professional lives. Ouch.

I specifically wondered how this might negatively impact my business, and I immediately thought of an example that made me cringe.

You see, I know the owner of a local business who is always late to meetings, out of breath, and talking about how very very busy she is. Recently I had some business that I could have brought to her, but I didn’t want to use her. Why?

  1. It didn’t seem like she had the time for my business.
  2. I didn’t feel confident in her attention to detail.
  3. I worried that she won’t get the work done on time.

Of course, then came the really painful part… looking in the mirror and realizing that I’m probably creating the same kind of reactions in some of the people I meet.

So I’m using myself as a cautionary tale for your benefit. By all means, be busy, but be careful what you’re communicating to the people around you!

Next week – The Busy Barrier, Part Deux.